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Friends of the Hudson River Greenway in the Bronx
Bronx, NY 10463
Monday, June 29, 2026
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Governor Hochul Marches in Annual New York City Pride March
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul marched in New York City’s annual Pride March. The Governor also announced several expanded initiatives designed to increase support for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including additional investments to support LGBTQ+ youth and transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities (TGNCNB).
Housing Lottery Launches for 1060 Prospect Avenue in Longwood, The Bronx
The affordable housing lottery has launched for 1060 Prospect Avenue, a seven-story residential building in Longwood, The Bronx. Developed by Full Life Gospel Assembly Inc. which partnered with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the structure yields 92 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are six units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $81,669 to $146,560.
Amenities include pet-friendly policies, bike storage lockers, and a shared laundry room. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, hot water, and heat.
At 80 percent of the AMI, there are three one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,166 for incomes ranging from $81,669 to $122,160; and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,549 for incomes ranging from $97,029 to $146,560.
Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than July 9, 2026.
New York State Governor Candidate Bruce Blakeman visits the Bronx.
Saturday, New York State candidate for Governor Bruce Blakeman stopped by the grand opening of the Diamant Hysenaj for Congress 14th District office located at 3707 East Tremont Avenue between Randall and Philip Avenues. The roomful of people were happy to see candidate for New York Governor Blakeman who spoke and then took some photos with several people before moving on to his next stop.
Candidate for New York State Governor Bruce Blakeman points to his choice for for member of Congress from the 14th District Diamant Hysenaj.
Former City Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato Joins New York State Governor candidate Bruce Blakeman, and 14th Congressional candidate Diamant Hysenaj.
Mayor Mamdani Kicks Off Outdoor Pool Season, Celebrates 90 Years of Public Pools with Free Swimming for New Yorkers
City’s free outdoor public pools are open daily through Sept. 13
Popular adult lap swim program expands from five to 10 pools, available five days a week
Free Learn to Swim classes expand from 10 to 18 pools, creating slots for 16,000 New Yorkers ages 18 months to 17 years
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura yesterday joined local families to jump into the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem and celebrate the opening of the 2026 outdoor pool season. This summer also marks the 90th anniversary of the City’s 11 Olympic-sized public pools built through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), with expanded swim programming bringing even more New Yorkers into the water.
“There’s a reason outdoor pool opening day is marked with fanfare every year: our public pools are beloved places to cool off on hot days, make memories with friends and learn the lifelong skill of swimming,” said Mayor Mamdani. “Ninety years ago, our City opened 11 massive Olympic-sized outdoor public pools to provide safe recreation for working New Yorkers. That legacy reminds us what government can achieve when it invests in great public works projects. I’m proud to be one of the more than a million New Yorkers who will enjoy our pools this summer and hope our neighbors are ready to pack their swimsuits and jump in!”
“It’s time for families to put on their swimsuits, dig up their goggles and pack their towels for a day at the pool, because summer is here in New York City!” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson. “There’s no better way to cool off in the sun than to take a dip in one of our many outdoor pools that are now open for New Yorkers to enjoy. Thank you to the Parks workers and lifeguards who make our parks and pools possible every day.”
“Our outdoor pools are synonymous with summer in New York City. They’re where children first learn to swim, and where New Yorkers can go to beat the heat, stay fit and connect with each other, all for free,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “We’re thrilled to kick off another season at our outdoor pools and to provide even more New Yorkers with essential water safety skills and fitness opportunities thanks to expanded programming. We’re also celebrating the 90th anniversary of our WPA-era pools, shining examples of how incredible public works can serve New Yorkers, generation after generation.”
This summer, NYC Parks is expanding its popular adult lap swim program from five to 10 pools — two in each borough. Lap swim will be available Monday through Friday from 7 to 8:30 a.m., giving fitness-minded New Yorkers dedicated time in the water before the pools open for general swimming. Participating pools include Claremont and Van Cortlandt in the Bronx; Kosciuszko and McCarren in Brooklyn; Gottesman and Hamilton Fish in Manhattan; Astoria and Liberty in Queens; and Faber and Lyons on Staten Island.
Senior Splash also returns this summer to five outdoor pools, one in each borough, offering free water aerobics classes for New Yorkers 62 and older. Classes will be held three days a week at Astoria, Lyons, Sunset Park, Thomas Jefferson and Van Cortlandt pools.
Earlier this month, Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Shimamura announced the expansion of free summer Learn to Swim classes from 10 to 18 outdoor pools, creating more than 16,000 class slots. The program provides free swim lessons for children ages 18 months to 17 years, saving families hundreds of dollars while helping young New Yorkers build lifelong water safety skills. Registration is open now.
More information on swim programming is available on the Parks website. Summer aquatics programs run from July 6 through Aug. 28.
About NYC Parks Outdoor Pools
The City’s free outdoor pools are open daily from June 27 through Sept. 13. Mini pools will close Sept.7.
Pools are open from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. daily, with a break for cleaning from 3 to 4 p.m. Admission is free and open to all. Visitors should bring a swimsuit, towel and a sturdy lock for locker room storage. Free sunscreen is available at every outdoor pool.
NYC Parks will again partner with the Department of Education to provide free lunches at pool sites across the city. Meals are available to all New Yorkers 18 and younger, with no identification or registration required.
Visit the Parks Outdoor Pools page for more information and explore the Cool It! NYC map to find pools, spray showers, drinking fountains and other cooling resources across the five boroughs.
About the 90th Anniversary of WPA-era Pools
This summer, NYC Parks is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the city’s WPA-era pools.
In 1936, 11 Olympic-sized outdoor pools were opened within weeks of one another as part of one of the largest public works projects in city history, funded through the federal WPA. At the time, they represented some of the most advanced public recreational facilities in the country, featuring state-of-the-art design, filtration and chlorination.
To celebrate the milestone, NYC Parks will distribute commemorative towels and collectible buttons that depict the distinctive design of each pool. The first 200 guests on each pool's anniversary date will receive the items.
The 11 WPA-era pools include:
- Astoria Pool, Queens: Opened July 2, 1936, Astoria remains New York City’s largest pool and hosted the U.S. Olympic Swim and Diving Team Trials in 1936 and 1964.
- Betsy Head Pool, Brooklyn: Opened Aug. 6, 1936, replacing a pool at dating to 1915. Before 1936, it was one of only two outdoor pools in the Parks system.
- Crotona Pool, the Bronx: Opened July 24, 1936. Its bathhouse features WPA-era animal sculptures created by Frederick George Richard Roth that remain visible today.
- Hamilton Fish Pool, Manhattan: Opened June 24, 1936. The U.S. Olympic Team trained here before the 1952 Helsinki Games.
- Highbridge Pool, Manhattan: Opened July 14, 1936, adjacent to the historic High Bridge Water Tower on the site of the former High Bridge Reservoir.
- Jackie Robinson Pool, Manhattan: Opened Aug. 8, 1936, as “Colonial Park Pool.” The dedication ceremony featured Bill “Bojangles” Robinson performing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” before a crowd of 25,000.
- Joseph H. Lyons Pool, Staten Island: Opened July 7, 1936. At the dedication, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia called the facility “a monument to the progressive government which would not and could not see unemployed men on the breadline.”
- McCarren Pool, Brooklyn: Opened July 31, 1936. Designed to accommodate 6,800 bathers at once, its bathhouse remains one of the largest in the Parks system.
- Red Hook Pool, Brooklyn: Opened Aug. 17, 1936, before a crowd of 40,000. The New York Times called it “Red Hook's event of the year.”
- Sunset Park Pool, Brooklyn: Opened July 20, 1936, when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia dramatically switched on the pool’s underwater lighting system.
- Thomas Jefferson Pool, Manhattan: Opened June 27, 1936, before approximately 10,000 people who gathered to celebrate what was described as “the last word in engineering, hygiene and construction.”
ICE Asks Florida to Not Release an Illegal Alien Charged with Murdering Stepfather in Brutal Killing
This criminal illegal alien overstayed his visa in 2018 and murdered his stepfather eight years later
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking officials in Florida to commit to not releasing from jail an illegal alien charged with homicide.
Juan Andres Gonzalez-Diaz
On June 20, Juan Andres Gonzalez-Diaz, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia, was arrested by police in Miramar, Florida for the killing of his own stepfather. According to local reporting, police entered the home and found the stepfather unresponsive at the front door, before eventually finding and arresting Gonzalez-Diaz. Deputies found a blood-stained knife, sword, and axe in the home, suggesting that Gonzalez-Diaz used all three weapons to kill his stepfather. Police also said that Gonzalez-Diaz began attacking his stepfather while he was asleep at the dining room table.
“This criminal illegal alien overstayed his tourist visa and brutally murdered his stepfather in Florida eight years later,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “We lodged a detainer requesting Florida officials not release this criminal from jail and turn him over to ICE. Since Florida cooperates with ICE law enforcement, we can ensure this criminal is NEVER again loose on our streets. We need all jurisdictions to cooperate with us, so criminal illegal aliens are NOT released from jails to terrorize American communities.”
Gonzalez-Diaz entered the country through New York City on May 18, 2018, on a tourist visa, which allowed him to remain in the country for six months. He overstayed his visa after it expired, in violation of our nation’s laws.
Two Illegal Aliens Sentenced in International ATM “Jackpotting” Conspiracy with Ties to Tren de Aragua
Carlos Javier Padron, 36, an illegal alien from Venezuela, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” His co-defendant, Oddry Arnoldo Cabrera Torrealba, also known as “Luis Alejandro Berdugo Barraza,” 37, an illegal alien from Venezuela, was sentenced on June 11, to 78 months in prison for similar conduct.
“Carlos Javier Padron and Oddry Arnoldo Cabrera Torrealba helped deploy sophisticated malware as part of a transnational criminal network that hacked ATMs across the United States and stole millions of dollars through a technique known as ATM jackpotting – which caused bank ATMs to dispense the cash inside of them,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Crimes like this undermine the security of our financial institutions and fuel the operations of violent transnational criminal organizations such as Tren de Aragua (TdA). This sweeping investigation with the District of Nebraska and our law enforcement partners has disrupted this network at all levels. We will protect our financial institutions from technology enabled fraud.”
“ATM jackpotting is TdA’s business plan and their assessed primary source of revenue to fund their terrorist activities that range from reprehensible forms of human trafficking to armed robbery, murder, and the general undermining of America’s national security by flooding our communities with controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods for the District of Nebraska. “We will use these prosecutions to put a chokehold on their funding pipeline.”
“TdA is a violent terrorist organization relying on a range of criminal activities to generate revenue supporting their campaigns of violence and terror,” said Special Agent in Charge Euguene Cowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “As criminal enterprises change tactics, we surge resources and adapt accordingly to protect the American people. FBI Omaha will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with our local, state, and federal partners in the fight to dismantle and disrupt the activities of TdA locally and globally.”
“These individuals participated in a crime that was both an attack on the American financial system, and an effort by Tren De Aragua to fund even more terror in our country,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rick Sabatini of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Kansas City. “I’m proud of our agents and partners for working tirelessly to pursue justice and put consumers at ease, knowing their bank’s health is sound and not at risk of being damaged by violent, dangerous criminals.”
According to court documents, Padron and Torrealba were part of a sophisticated criminal network responsible for ATM jackpottings throughout the United States. The members of the network conspired to develop and deploy a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was deployed on ATMs and used to permit the unauthorized withdrawal of currency. The conspiracy relied on individuals including Padron and Torrealba to deploy the Ploutus malware onto ATMs in person. Once installed and activated, the malware permitted the co-conspirators to issue commands to the cash dispensing module of the ATM in order to force unauthorized withdrawals of currency. The Ploutus malware also was designed to delete evidence of its existence to prevent financial institutions from detecting its use on ATMs. Padron and Torrealba were arrested by the Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department at the site of a jackpotting in October 2024.
Padron and Torrealba both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and one count of computer fraud and intentional damage to a protected computer. At their respective sentencings, the Court also ordered both Padron and Torrealba to jointly pay $1,537,696 in restitution to the multiple victim banks.
Following the arrest of Padron and Torrealba, a comprehensive federal investigation identified a network of co-conspirators throughout the United States and abroad. Since the arrests of Padron and Torrealba, 96 other defendants have been indicted for their roles in this conspiracy for related offenses including material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
The investigation has established extensive direct and indirect links between the indicted co-conspirators and TdA. According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using ATM jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash.
FBI’s Omaha Field Office and HSI Omaha are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Wisconsin, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police have provided significant assistance.
This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Criminal Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Hey, Volunteers You Rock
Wetland Wednesdays
Wednesdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 - Meet at 9am
It’s time to tackle the water chestnut that takes over Hester & Piero’s Mill Pond every summer. We’ll provide waders, gloves, and all the tools you’ll need to hop in the water with us and help remove this pesky plant.
Meet at Van Cortlandt Golf House
Trail Work Thursdays
Thursdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Meet at 9am
Blaze trails with us! Whether you’re an experienced trailblazer or new to trail maintenance, your help will make a significant impact to ensure trail safety for runners and hikers.
Meet at VCPA Learning Garden
After July 4th Weekend Clean Up
Monday, July 6 - meet at 9am
Beautiful holiday weekends bring lots of visitors to the park. Lots of visitors make a mess! Volunteers are needed to help keep the park tidy. Join the Van Cortlandt Park staff in cleaning up the Park after holiday weekends.
Meet at Van Cortlandt Golf House
Forest Fridays
Fridays, July 10, 17, 24, 31 - Meet at 9am
Join us for invasive species removal at the peak of the growing season. June is when invasives are easiest to spot and most vulnerable to removal — your work opens the forest floor for native wildflowers, oak seedlings, and the spring-loaded understory waiting underneath.
Meet at VCPA Learning Garden (New Location for July!)
Tune Up Tuesday
Tuesday, July 14 + 28 - 10am to 1pm
Turnip to volunteer! Volunteers will help care for our garden, maintain compost bins, weed, water, and harvest produce. No gardening experience needed – just show up in clothing that can get dirty!
VCPA Learning Garden
Support Our Work in Van Cortlandt Park
26.2 in 26
Join the Challenge — hike, run, stroll, or skip your way to 26.2 miles in Van Cortlandt Park anytime in 2026.
You choose the trails. You choose the pace. You choose the timeline.
Make a Donation
The park is really big. Our staff is really small. Only with your help can we grow our capacity, hire more staff, and take on projects to improve Van Cortlandt Park… for YOU! Please consider a gift to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance today.
VCPA Merch Shop!
Show your love for Van Cortlandt Park while supporting the Alliance!
Become a Member
Members get VCPA merch and invitations to member only hikes while supporting their favorite park!
Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org