Friday, July 31, 2015

DOZENS OF BRONX RESIDENTS RALLY AGAINST OPENING OF JUVENILE PRISON



   New York City Council Member Andy King led dozens of Northeast Bronx residents in a protest rally Wednesday night against the planned placement of a juvenile prison that is not zoned for a residential neighborhood.

The facility would house 20 beds, including 8 intensive care beds, for the Administration for Children’s Services’  (ACS) “Close to Home” program at 3030 Bruner Ave., in the Baychester section of the Bronx. 
The premise of the program, which Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law in 2012, is to place New York City youth who have been sentenced for certain crimes into local facilities where they would be closer to their families and attorneys.

The building on Bruner Avenue features a 6-foot fence, gated windows, locked doors and surveillance cameras.  Long ago, the building was used as a group home for boys. Most recently, the building was a site for a daycare.

Among the arguments made by King and others is that the residential neighborhood is not zoned for an “I-3” classified institutional facility.

Use group I means "institution" where residents are restrained or supervised for reasons such as security, mental health, or physical health. Use group I-3 is for reformatories, prisons, and other secure facilities where individuals may not leave unrestrained or without supervision for security reasons. These facilities may only be placed in manufacturing or industrial zoning areas, according to the Department of Buildings. The developer is the Downtown Group.

“Our outrage is based on ACS’ blatant attempt to skirt zoning laws--and consequently compromise community safety--by mis-categorizing their youth facilities,” said Council Member King, who wants ACS and the Department of Buildings (DOB) to reverse its decision on the placement of the planned Limited Secure Placement facility. “The community was told that this building will be a group home for girls. That was a lie and this facility received an ‘I-3’ classification, which voids it right to place this type of institutional facility in a residential community.  We can plainly see with the big black bars in the yard and over the windows that this is going to be a jail!”

In addition misrepresentation in zoning, protesters argued that the community was not made aware of the plan and they fear with just limited security the delinquent offenders could escape and cause harm to the surrounding community, which is surrounded by private family homes and is near a community park and nursing home.

"Why does the City of New York feel that it is acceptable to locate a facility with bars on its windows for a troubled population in a beautiful, bucolic neighborhood such as this?  The lack of respect for the good, hard-working, taxpaying homeowners of Bruner Avenue is obvious and disgraceful.  The need for the Municipal Administration to be disingenuous in locating this facility further and pointedly underscores its contempt for the citizens of Community Board #12, who it allegedly serves,” said Father Richard F. Gorman, Chairman of Community Board #12 (The Bronx).

King said the philosophy of the “Close to Home” program is flawed and there have been more warrants and re-arrests of the young in the program than successes.  “I don’t support the program for a number of reasons, mainly because offenders should not be situated in locations convenient for them, where they can see their friends and family at will. What lesson is learned by that? If they commit an offense and are sentenced to go upstate, it’s my hope they’ll learn a lesson and won’t commit a crime again.”

During the rally, community residents marched through the neighborhood and various streets chanting “3030 Bruner Has Got to Go!”  Residents were also urged to sign petitions opposing the planned Close to Home site.

In addition to Council Member King, speaking at the rally were Min. Abdul-Hafeez Muhammad, a representative of Min. Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam, who covers the five boroughs and Westchester and Long Island; Maxine Sullivan, representative of Congress Member Engel; Carl Lanzano, Community Board 12 board member and Jamaal Bailey, representative of State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

At the close of the rally, Council Member King announced that during the rally he had received a text from the mayor’s office stating that ACS wanted to meet.



Senator Jeff Klein 2015 Summertime Symphonies









Statement from BP Diaz RE: Legionnaire’s Disease Outbreak



  “During the course of our actions fighting the Legionnaire’s Disease outbreak in The Bronx, it has been revealed that there is no inspection mechanism for coolant systems, rooftop water tanks and other standing water infrastructure that could be a breeding ground for this disease and others. The city must create a new inspection system for these systems, just as we inspect other critical systems such as elevators.

  “My office will work with our City Council members and the appropriate agencies to craft new legislation that would deal with this issue in the coming days,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.


Wednesday, July 29, 2015

I Found the Missing Spec's Re: 77th, 78th, and 85th A.D.'s


  Yesterday 'King' Stanley Schlein mowed down the competition as he knocked off the ballot all but two of the nine petitions that were submitted to the Board of Elections opposing any Bronx Democratic County slate of candidates. Recapping by Assembly District there was only one slate of candidates for Judicial Delegates or Alternates in the 81st and 83rd A.D.'s. King Stanley was able to knock off all but two of the remaining opposition slates of candidates to the Bronx Democratic County organization's slate in the 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 84th, and 85th A.D.'s. The 2 reaming slates of opposition candidates in the 82nd and 86th A.D.'s were ruled to be on the ballot by the Board of Elections commissioners. The two remaining slates are on 'for now', as the next phase of petitioning begins called the 'Court Challenge Phase' where it is said 'King Stanley' wrote the book here. 

  The day after the Board of Elections hearings I was able to interview Mr. John Perez who was the contact person for four of the petitions that were knocked off by 'King Stanley'. the 79th A.D., 85th A.D. , and the two separate volumes that were submitted in the 78th A.D. Mr. Perez told me that he was never served anything by either the Board of Elections or 'King Stanley' who represented the three different challengers to the petitions submitted by him. Mr. Perez showed me copies of the Proof of Service (copies of the certified mail receipts that are required by the Board of Elections), but there seemed to be one thing missing an apartment number that is requested by the U.S. Postal Service to properly deliver the mail, especially when someone such as Mr. Perez lives in an apartment building with 150 apartments. Mr. Perez also said that there are at least three other Perez families in the building, and he does not know if one of the other Perez families received his mail. He said that the Board of Election Commissioners would not listen to his argument, and threw all of his candidates off the ballot. Mr. Perez did not say to me what his next move would be, but he has only a few days to contest the Board of Elections ruling in the courts. 

  As I investigated further, I found the four missing envelopes, and I was surprised to see that 'King Stanley' the expert on election law had made what should have been a fatal error that should have kept the three slates of Mr. Perez's candidates on the ballot. You will see what I mean in the photos I was able to get of the envelopes, and the reason why they were not delivered to Mr. John Perez. 


First - Above is how the four envelopes were sealed by 'King Stanley', very sloppy as they were not secured very well and could have opened at any time if they didn't. In the front photos the return address is that of King Stanley. 


Above - You see one envelope was sent Priority Mail, but is missing an apartment number (which is required on the certified mail form) so the carrier notes that the package could not be delivered on July 22nd as noted.
Below - This 2nd package was also marked undeliverable on July 22nd by the postal carrier, it also lacks an apartment number.






Above - This third package was also marked undeliverable on July 22nd by the postal carrier, it also lacks an apartment number.
Below - This fourth package is marked undeliverable on July 23rd by the postal carrier, it also lacks an apartment number. 



To sum it up these four packages will soon arrive at the address of 'King Stanley' since they are to be returned to the sender as being undeliverable to the person as addressed, because they all lacked the full proper address which includes the apartment number. 




Movie on the Avenue this Thursday Night! July 30th



KRVC's Summer 2015 Movie Series to Get Underway Soon!

Join Us this Thursday, July 30th for Jurassic Park and our first ever Movie on the Avenue!

Screen will be set up on 236th Street and Riverdale Avenue and Movie - Jurassic Park - will start at dusk!



 
Here is what we will show and when and where for our summer series:


 

Thursday, July 30 - Watch Jurassic Park on South Riverdale Avenue (screen will be set up at 236th Street)


 

Wednesday, August 5 - Join us for The Lego Movie in North Riverdale's  Vinmont Park - Mosholu Avenue at 255th Street


 

Saturday, September 5 - Don't miss The Lion King, which we will show at our back-to-school event in Seton Park - Independence Avenue and 232nd Street


 

Note - all movies start at around dusk but we invite you to arrive early to get a good seat and enjoy our bounce house!  And please come early to the South Riverdale Avenue event and support our local business sponsors!!  Bring your own chairs and blankets. Limited seating and tables for viewing and eating (buy food from the restaurants on the Avenue please!) will be provided at our South Riverdale Avenue event.  No tables and chairs will be provided at our park events so be sure to bring your own to those!!


 

Please also note that State Senator Klein will announce more summer movies and his summer concert series soon as well.

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: Hedge Fund Demands on Puerto Rico



   “It is a travesty that these hedge fund millionaires want to squeeze a dry sponge, insinuating that Puerto Rico should close down more schools to pay its debts, when earlier this year 100 schools were closed down while another 500 schools were restructured. This does not count an additional 60 schools that were shut down last year.

“They are certainly behaving like vultures, insisting that the residents of the island pay more taxes when those taxes have already been raised in response to the economic crisis. The demands of creditors, which include selling public land and firing teachers among other suggestions that will not resolve this crisis, put considerable pressure on the 3.5 million American citizens that call Puerto Rico their home.

“Such craven behavior shows why it is so important that the federal government allow Puerto Rico the opportunity to file for bankruptcy protections,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

International Day of Friendship!





International Day of Friendship  is celebrated around the world, as
 countries partake in a variety of events to promote peace and unity.
Nearly one million Brooklynites were born abroad and 47% of us
speak a language other than English at home.

Brooklyn is the perfect place to celebrate diversity and culture! Join
me this Sunday, August 2nd at 1:00 PM at Cadman Plaza Park.
Admission is FREE!

There are many ways you can participate:
Unity Parade - All 193 countries that are member states 
of the United Nations. Click here to sign up and carry  your flag! 
Cultural Performances - Journey around the world  with 
music, art and more. 
International Food Tasting - Sample continental cuisine from 
across the globe.
Join the Team! - Click here to sign up to volunteer and help 
showcase the diversity of One Brooklyn!
Want to Learn More? Click here.
Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday!
- Eric 

Save the dates for these upcoming events, which I am proud to support, at and around