Friday, July 19, 2013

Bronx Democratic County Committee Dinner

Wednesday night July 17th was the annual Bronx Democratic County Dinner. Before you entered the driveway however were protesters (from the Freedom Party) who were complaining about political corruption. Public Advocate candidate Lettita James (endorsed by the BDCC) greeted you at the door. In the main ballroom there was not an open space to be had as tables and chairs were set up to the max. I was told that over 1,000 people were expected during the course of the night, and that being with the Bronx Democratic County organization already having endorsed candidates in what seems to be a large field in almost every race.

BDCC Chairman Carl Heastie had lots of help from 77th A.D. Male District Leader Venancio "BENNY" Catala, BDCC Executive Director Ischia Bravo, and all of those who participated in the preparation of the dinner. There were lots of politicians in the house as Bronx BP Ruben Diaz might say. Citywide only Democratic candidate for mayor Bill Thompson (endorsed by the BDCC) was on hand, as well as current Manhattan Borough President and candidate for City Comptroller (endorsed by the BDCC) Scott Stringer, and current Brooklyn Councilwoman and candidate for Public Advocate (endorsed by the BDCC) Lettita James.

Statewide Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Attorney General Eric Schniderman, and Comptroller Tom Dinapoli were in attendance. Almost every Bronx current City Council member and State Assembly member also attended. I did not see however any of the four members of Congress in attendance, but did see reps of a couple. It was good to see Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj at this years dinner after being shut out of last year because he ran against a BDCC backed candidate. I won't go into what we both said, but we had a good laugh.

I almost forgot to mention the Honorees at the dinner. Mr. Mitchell Draizin of Longview Capital Partners, Ms. Sandra Erickson of Sandra Erickson Real Estate inc., SEIU BJ32 President Hector Figueroa, Mr. Kenneth Knuckles of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, Mr. Michael Mcguire of the Mason Tenders District Council, and Mr. George Miranda President of Teamsters Joint Council 16.

Left - Father Richard Gorman Chair of Community Board 12 gives the invocation as 77A.D. Male District Leader Venancio "BENNY" Catala and BDCC Executive Director Ischia Bravo stand with BDCC Chairman Heastie.

Right - BDCC Chairman Assemblyman Carl Heastie welcomes everyone.

Left - Could New York State Attorney General Eric Schniderman and Comptroller Tom Dinapoli be giving Manhattan Borough President and candidate for City Comptroller some advice in his race now against former Governor Elliot Spitzer, or just fixing Stringers tie.

Right - Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver addressing the audience.

Left - Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. poses with Deputy BP Greene.

Right - Bronx BP Diaz with his good friend Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.

DeBlasio Headquarters Opens in the Bronx

The Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club of the 87th A.D. located at 1512 Castle Hill Avenue has become the Bronx Headquarters for Mayoral candidate Bill DeBlasio. The official opening was Thursday July 18th, and due to to him being in Queens protesting the closing of a much needed hospital Bill DeBlasio's wife had to stand in for him at the grand opening of his Bronx office as you will see below.

87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda rallies his troops for the grand opening of the Bill DeBlasio for mayor Bronx headquarters in the Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club located at 1512 Castle Hill Avenue.

While he was protesting the closing of a much needed hospital in another borough, the wife of Bill DeBlasio stands in for her husband.

Foxy Family 2nd Annual Reunion at Orchard Beach - July 27

The Foxy Family Inc. Announces the

Foxy Family 2nd Annual Reunion at Orchard Beach

The Foxy Family Inc. organization along with the South Bronx Network and Puerto Rico Sun Communications will hold their 2nd Annual Reunion on Saturday, July 27, 2013 from 7am to 4pm.

The event will be held at Orchard Beach in Section 4. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends and spend quality time with friends and family.

During the event everyone can participate in volleyball, dominoes, steal the bacon and other childhood games.

There will be music, dancing and special guests.

Admission is free. Everyone should bring a dish to share with everyone.

It is a great opportunity for everyone to Network and meet new friends.

The Foxy Family is a Non-Profit Organization that is rebuilding families by uniting them during hard times.

BP Diaz to Celebrate Ramadan

Evening Honorees

Hamud Al-Silwi, Ph.D.

Director of Islamic American University, New York Branch

Ramatu Ahmed

Community Organizer & Activist

New Settlement Apartments

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Senators Klein, Carlucci and Assemblywoman Galef Announce Boat Safety Laws to Prevent Boating Tragedies; Urge Gov. Cuomo to Sign it in to Law

26-year-old Bryan Johnson drowned just over a year ago in Long Island Sound off of City Island during a midnight swim with friends off a motorboat.

Monday, less than one year after that and several tragic boating-related deaths in New York’s waterways, Senator Jeff Klein, Senator David Carlucci and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef called upon Governor Cuomo to sign legislation making boat safety training a crucial part of the every young New Yorker’s annual motorboat licensing application. The legislation, (A.3471-A/S.1639-A), was championed by all three lawmakers in the recent legislative session. Joined by the mother and grandmother of Bryan Johnson, a victim of a fatal boating incident off of City Island, Senator Klein underlined his support for boating education requirements, citing evidence showing that the Bronx has among the highest rates of boating accidents in the state.

Senator Klein said: “It’s clear that boating safety education is a critical part of reducing the number of tragic incidents that happen every year on New York’s waterways. Here in the Bronx, we have the third highest rate of boating accidents in the state. That’s unacceptable, and it demonstrates why we have a duty to do more. That’s why I supported legislation that will increase boating safety education, bring our standards in line with neighboring states and, most importantly, save lives. I urge Governor Cuomo to sign this common sense legislation into law for the safety of all New Yorkers who enjoy spending time on the water.”

Senator Carlucci was the prime sponsor in the Senate and Assemblywoman Galef was the prime sponsor in the Assembly. The legislators were joined Vice-Commodore of the City Island Yacht Club, David Schulman and Boating Education Officer Franz Alvarez of the City Island Sail and Power Authority,

This legislation would require everyone – beginning with those who are 18 years and younger – to pass a certified boating safety course before operating motorboats.

The legislation includes a variety of key safety provisions intended to prevent future accidents from taking place:

· Require that no person born on or after May 1, 1996 may operate a mechanically propelled vessel on the navigable waters of the state, unless they hold a boating safety certificate.

· Boating safety certificates are to be issued by the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the U.S. Power Squadrons or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Commissioner also has existing authority, through regulation, to designate others who are authorized to issue such certificates.

· The bill preserves the existing law ability of someone who is at least ten years old to operate a mechanically propelled vessel unaccompanied, provided they hold a certificate.

· A person who is younger than 18 years of age may operate a mechanically propelled vessel without a boating safety certificate, provided they are accompanied by at least one person at least 18 years of age who is either the holder of a boating safety certificate or is not required to hold a boating safety certificate.

· The bill provides a grace period of 120 days for people who purchase a vessel, and are otherwise required to hold a boating safety certificate, to operate such a vessel without a certificate.

In addition, specific exemptions exist from needing to obtain a boating safety certificate for anyone born before April 30, 1996, including a host of certified boating safety instructors, members of the U.S. Power Squadrons, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and holders of public vessel licenses. It also pertains to law enforcement (police) officers, fire personnel and peace officers.

The new system will also provide that the Commissioner shall develop and implement a method for approving internet-based boating safety courses, a new initiative that makes it easier to gain access to these certificates.

To view the legislation in its entirety, please visit the link here.

Left - Senator David Carlucci Senate sponsor of this boating safety training law speaks about the dangers of boating especially to inexperienced young people who go out on the waters. Senator Klein and Assemblywoman Galef flank Senator Carlucci as Bryan Johnson's mother and grandmother stand behind him.

Right - The mother of Bryan Johnson who was a victim of a boating accident tells of the sorrow that she has gone through, and the need for this legislation that she helped fight for.

Items From Comptroller John Liu

LIU DECRIES NEW PROBLEMS AT 911

City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to published reports of 911 response errors and delays today.

“The truth is the 911 headquarters is understaffed and the operators are overworked. The situation has only gotten worse since the City wasted $1 billion on the dangerously flawed E911 system,” Comptroller John C. Liu said. “The City cannot address problems that are the results of mismanagement, waste, and fraud at 911 by blaming the dispatchers.”

According to a report published in today’s Daily News, the lives of four NYC firefighters were put at risk when they entered a home expecting to find a woman with serious burns only to discover she was suffering from bacterial meningitis.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-firefighters-exposed-meningitis-article-1.1399551

In another shocking development, it reportedly took a half hour for an ambulance to arrive when an intern for City Councilwoman Diana Reyna collapsed in Brooklyn.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ambulance-takes-30-minutes-respond-press-conf-article-1.1400008

These are the latest in a series of life-threatening incidents rooted in the City’s problem-plagued 911 call center.

Background:

Liu Statement on Mayor’s 911 Probe:

http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2013_releases/pr13-07-119.shtm

Liu: City Should Boycott HP:

http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2013_releases/pr13-02-033.shtm

Liu Audit: Management of 911 Call Center Project Was Ineffective:

http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2012_releases/pr12-03-026.shtm

Liu: Mismanagement of 911 Upgrade Picked Taxpayers’ Pockets:

http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2012_releases/pr12-05-063.shtm

LIU TO DOE: STOP CRIMINALIZING OUR KIDS

City Comptroller John C. Liu today warned that the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) short-sighted and damaging policy of suspending hundreds of middle-school students each week is promoting alienation and a higher dropout rate, not better behavior.

The Comptroller released a report today, “The Suspension Spike: Changing the Discipline Culture in NYC’s Middle Schools,” which offers a blueprint for replacing the DOE’s failed zero-tolerance policy with restorative justice practices that help middle-school students stay in school and remain on the path to college and career readiness.

“This report demonstrates the sad reality that the stop-and-frisk atmosphere, which presumes that men of color are guilty until proven innocent, begins as early as age 11. Children ages 11 to 14 are still learning how to manage their own feelings and behavior. The DOE’s policy of removing them from their classrooms for even small infractions teaches them nothing and may in fact worsen their conduct,” Comptroller Liu said. “Researchers have found that such suspensions often lead to higher dropout rates and other bad outcomes. We need to stand by our kids and give them the guidance they need, not make them feel like criminals.”

The report found that New York City middle schools suspended an average of 100 students a school day in the 2011-2012 school year. Almost all of those suspended were either black or Hispanic. It also found that middle-school students received 68 percent more suspensions than high-school students.

The report warns that misuse of School Safety Agents, who currently report to the New York City Police Department, has resulted in student arrests for minor infractions such as writing on a desk. This over-criminalization of school-based offenses risks putting students on the path to future incarceration, also known as the school-to-prison pipeline.

The report urges that middle schools adopt a restorative justice approach to discipline that combines added support with high expectations and accountability. These approaches not only give students ways to understand and make amends for negative behavior but also seek to reduce the severity and frequency of future incidents, create a more positive school climate, improve educational outcomes, and help keep students on the path to high school graduation and beyond.

The report recommends:

· Training educators in restorative justice – DOE should pilot an approach known as “whole-school climate change” at the 30 schools with the greatest number of suspensions.

· Hiring more middle-school counselors and social workers to reduce the student-to-counselor ratio to 250:1 and the student-to-social worker ratio to 400:1, as well as provide targeted interventions for students with behavior issues.

· Eliminating suspensions for minor infractions and those that last for more than 10 days.

· Empowering principals to oversee school discipline – including the School Safety Agents now under the authority of the NYPD – in order to emphasize education over incarceration.

“The Suspension Spike: Changing the Discipline culture in NYC’s Middle Schools” is the sixth comprehensive study in Comptroller Liu’s “Beyond High School NYC” initiative, which seeks to increase the proportion of New Yorkers with higher education to 60 percent by the year 2025 through strategic investments in public education.

The full report can be downloaded at: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/opm/reports/2013/NYC_MiddleSchools_Report.pdf

The executive summary can be downloaded at: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/opm/reports/2013/NYC_MiddleSchools_Summary.pdf

Movie in the Park - Saturday, July 27th in Vinmont Park

Our next movie night is scheduled for Saturday, July 27th and it will take place in Vinmont Park, Mosholu Avenue at 255th Street. Plan to come at around 8pm for music and other festivities. We will begin the movie, "Mr. Popper's Penguins," at dusk.

Also, don't miss our Promo Event, which will feature music, stuffed penguin visuals and a variety of movie night promo materials. The promo event will take place next Tuesday, July 23rd from 12:30-2:30 pm in front of Addeo's Pizza, 5654 Riverdale Avenue.

This event is part of a series of movies in the park scheduled for the summer of 2013. The movies are hosted and organized by KRVC and largely funded by a grant provided through State Senator Jeff Klein's office. Admission is FREE!

Hundreds Protest Four-Year Wage Freeze, Health Insurance Loss at Bronx Co-op

Concourse Village Workers and Supporters Urge Board to Sign New Contract

Concourse Village workers, tenants and hundreds of their supporters will rally outside the apartment complex this Wednesday afternoon to protest the co-op board’s proposed 4-year wage freeze for their staff. Sixty-seven porters and handypersons are about to lose their health insurance and pension if an agreement with the board is not reached soon. Workers and their union, 32BJ SEIU, have bargained in good faith with the co-op board since the contract expired in 2011 to no avail.
WHAT: Rally against four-year wage freeze and loss of benefits for Concourse Village workers
WHEN: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 5pm
WHERE: 775 Concourse Village East in the Bronx
WHO: Héctor Figueroa, 32BJ SEIU President
Kyle Bragg, 32BJ SEIU Secretary-Treasurer
Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson
Hector Ramos, 32BJ shop steward and Concourse Village handyman
Lawrence Canty, Concourse Village porter
32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country, with more than 125,000 members in eight states and Washington, D.C., including 67 porters and handypersons in Concourse Village.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Sepulveda endorses Reshma Saujani for Public Advocate

87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda who broke ranks with the Bronx Democratic County organization to endorse Bill DeBlasio for mayor, may have done it again in endorsing Reshma Saujani to replace DeBlasio as Public Advocate. Sepulveda made the announcement to support Saujani at the same place that he endorsed DeBlasio for mayor.
In what seems to be a lack luster race for Public Advocate in the Democratic primary as current Councilwoman Letitia James led in the latest poll with 16 percent, followed by newcomer Cathy Guerriero at 15 percent, State Senator Dan Squadron third, and current Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani in last place with almost 50 percent undecided.

Unveiling Freedomland Plaque, Co-op City, August 17

Those of us who are Friends of Freedomland will unveil a plaque and commemorate the theme park in Co-op City on Saturday, August 17, 12 Noon. Please see the details below. I also attached a flyer that includes the same information. This event is held in cooperation with Co-op City management.

If you require a summary of the history of Freedomland for your use, just let me know and I will email it to you. And we hope you will join us on Facebook where we keep Freedomland memories alive!

Mike Virgintino
Cell: 516-885-3875
E-mail: mvirgintino@yahoo.com
Web: http://sites.google.com/site/michaelrvirgintino
Public Relations, Public Affairs, Social Responsibility

Freedomland U.S.A. Commemorative Plaque Unveiled

Co-op City, The Bronx – Saturday, August 17, 12 NOON

Slightly more than 53 years since it first opened its gates, Freedomland U.S.A. finally will be commemorated with a plaque unveiled close to the site where flagpoles once were located and that spelled out the name of the popular theme park. Freedomland was located on the land now occupied by Co-op City and the Bay Plaza Shopping Center.

Designed in the shape of a large map of the continental United States, Freedomland featured historical attractions in seven themed areas to entertain park guests. These themed areas were: Little Old New York 1850-1900, Chicago 1871, The Great Plains 1803-1900, San Francisco 1906, The Old Southwest 1890, New Orleans – Mardi Gras and Satellite City – The Future. Freedomland contained eight miles of navigable man-made waterways and lakes, 10,000 trees and 18 restaurants and snack bars.

When: Saturday, August 17, 2013, 12 NOON. Rain or shine.

Where: Along Bartow Avenue near the Bartow Mall in Co-op City, The Bronx.

What: A long overdue plaque dedicated to a beloved and unique theme park that focused on American history will be unveiled close to the original entrance of the park.

Who: Fans and historians of Freedomland: Bob Mangels, Richard Mangels, John Bulakowski and Mike Virgintino along with former Freedomland employee Frank Adamo. All will be available to talk about the history and excitement of the theme park that was the creation of C.V. Wood, the same man who built Disneyland.

For more information: