Saturday, March 16, 2019

Bronx Democratic Party Chair Marcos Crespo, and Elected Officials from Across the Bronx Endorse Darcel Clark for Re-Election as Bronx District Attorney



  The Bronx Democratic County organization came out in force Friday to endorse current Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark for re-election. There were members of the City Council, New York State Assembly, various District Leaders, State Committee members, and civic activists in the crowd. The State Senate, and NY Assembly Speaker (and former Bronx Democratic County Leader) Carl Heastie were in Albany as the State Senate was in session and Speaker Heastie working on the state budget. The date of the primary has been moved up from its usual September date to match the federal primary date in June. Petitions are being gathered for Bronx DA Clark and three judges along with slates of Judicial Delegates and Alternates. The petition period began the end of February and runs through the beginning of April just after opening day for the baseball season.   


Above - Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson speaks as to why Bronx DA Darcel Clark should be re-elected. 
Below - City Councilman Ritchie Torres also tells why Bronx DA Clark should be re-elected.




Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark spoke about her accomplishments as Bronx DA, some of the items she still would like to do, and thanked those gathered for their support and the endorsement of the Bronx Democratic County organization. 
It is unlikely that incumbent DA Clark will have a June Primary, as no other Democratic petition has surfaced. DA Clark is also likely to face token opposition in the November General Election. 

Bronx Borough President Ruben O'Diaz Jr. Irish Heritage Celebration



  Thursday night at the Rambling House in Woodlawn Bronx Borough President Ruben O'Diaz Jr. used one of his little known powers to proclaim that everyone who attended was Irish for the event. BP Diaz Jr. broke from the normal of just handing out awards to the honorees by bringing out a table and chairs so he and the Master of Ceremony Derek Woods could interview the honorees before presenting them their awards. The photos below should tell the rest of the story.


Above - The New York State Courts Fife and Drum unit led the way into the Banquet Room.
Below - Master of Ceremonies Derek Woods greeted everyone.




Above - BP O'Diaz Jr. with Aoife Fleming who sang the Irish National Anthem. 
Below - BP O'Diaz Jr. and MC Derek Woods interview the first honoree ninety-two year old Mr. Michael Fogarty, who went on a tear with his Irish rapping. 




Above - BP O'Diaz Jr. and MC Derek Woods interview the Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan. 
Below - BP O'Diaz Jr. and MC Derek Woods interview the Chief of police for the NYPD Chief Terrance A. Monahan. 




A group photo of the Honorees with BP O'Diaz Jr., and the representative of the Irish Consulate. 

One Book One Bronx - Up Next: Training School for Negro Girls


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One Book One Bronx returns on Tuesday, March 19, 6:30pm. We'll discuss pages 61-120 (Chapters 6-10) of Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi. We hope to see everyone back at BronxArtSpace, 305 E. 140th St. at 6:30pm

The dates and locations are set for One Book One Bronx's next two books before our summer hiatus. RSVP and join us.

91eCNUJepALTuesdays, 6:30pm to 8:00 pm 
April 16, 23, 30, May 7, & 14, 2019 
Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker 
Location: BronxArtSpace, 305 East 140th St. Bronx 

In her debut short story collection, Camille Acker unleashes the irony and tragic comedy of respectability onto a wide-ranging cast of characters, all of whom call Washington, DC, home. A “woke” millennial tries to fight gentrification, only to learn she’s part of the problem; a grade school teacher dreams of a better DC, only to take out her frustrations on her students; and a young piano player wins a competition, only to learn the prize is worthless. 232 pages >> Click here to RSVP



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Tuesdays, 6:30pm to 8:00 pm 
May 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25, 2019 
The Crazy Bunch by Willie Perdomo 
Location: BronxArtSpace, 305 East 140th St. Bronx 

In his fourth collection, The Crazy Bunch, Perdomo returns to his beloved neighborhood to create a vivid, kaleidoscopic portrait of a “crew” coming of age in East Harlem at the beginning of the 1990s. In poems written in couplets, vignettes, sketches, riffs, and dialogue, Perdomo recreates a weekend where surviving members of the crew recall a series of tragic events: “That was the summer we all tried to fly. All but one of us succeeded.” 128 pages >> Click here to RSVP
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, June 22, 6pm. Join One Book One Bronx and BX Writers for the Bronx launch of Willie Perdomo’s new book, The Crazy Bunch at The Lit.Bar, 131 Alexander Ave, Bronx
Literary Freedom Project is a Bronx-based 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit arts organization that seeks to restore the importance of social and cultural identity through reading. Towards this goal, LFP publishes Mosaic Literary Magazine; develops literature-based lesson plans and workshops; and presents One Book One Bronx and Mosaic Literary Conference.
LFP is a member of the Urban Arts Cooperative.

Friday, March 15, 2019

State of the District and Women's History Month Celebration by Councilman Andy King.



  Councilman Andy King likes to do things in a big way. He is waiting to march into his Annual State of the 12th City Council District Address, but the day was also his Woman of Excellence Awards Saluting Women in Education. To top off the day it was Councilman Andy Kings birthday. 

  Former Councilman, and newly elected NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams stopped by to thank Councilman King for his help in winning the 82nd and 83rd Assembly districts in the Bronx that make up the 12th City Council district. Public Advocate Williams also won the 81st Assembly District. 

  The Thirteen honorees included Dr. Claudia V. Schrader President of Kingsborough Community College, Deputy Chancellor Cheryl Wattson-Harris, Principal Celina Gutierrez  PS 111, Assistant Principal Esmie Gaynor Bronx Aerospace H.S., Assistant Principal Luz Libiano H,S, for Contemporary Arts, Assistant Principal Theresa Wyre H.S. for Writing and Communications, Librarian Myra Kinkle Evander Childs H.S. Campus, Teacher Felicia Passarella MS 118, Teacher Audrey Cooper PS 121, Parent Coordinator Marilyn Cattouse Cronx Alliance M.S., School Secretary Iris Tirado H.S. for Contemporary Arts, and Khema Chan Leaders for Tomorrow M.S.

 Councilman Andy King was introduced by First Lady Neva Shillingford-King and First Grandchild Kaitlyn King. There was a video of the many accomplishments of the Andy King years, and what improvements have come to the district. Councilman Andy King came in with the Evander Campus Cheerleaders to give out the Women of Excellence awards. 


Above - Newly elected NYC Public Advocate Williams came to the Bronx to thank Councilman Andy King for helping him win the 82nd, 83rd, and even 81st Assembly districts in the Bronx.
Below - Members of Councilman King's Bronx Youth Empowerment Program. 




Above - Kaitlyn "The Council Girl, and Neva Shillingford-King introduce Councilman Andy King.
Below - The presentation of the Women of Excellence Awards in the 12th City Council District by Councilman Andy King.



161st Street BID - Welcome Back Yankees Parade, March 29th


  Aaron Judge’s postcard will be distributed as a free souvenir to schools marching in the Welcome Back Yankees Parade, March 29. World-famous muralist and Bronx native, Andre Trenier, painted Judge in his rookie year and added the emblem when Aaron was named Rookie of the Year. Schools can still register by requesting an application from 161parade@gmail.com.

  The Judge mural, which sits on River Avenue near 158th Street, is only one of two murals of current Yankees. The other, of CC Sabathia, is in honor of his retirement and for the parade.

 Other murals include Mariano, Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio.

 A set of the 14 original murals is in the collection of the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown.

 “The parade will connect this generation with the players from as far back as Babe Ruth,” noted Dr. Cary Goodman of the 161 st Street BID. “We’ve invited today’s greats like Aaron Judge to join the parade like The Babe did.”

 The parade is comprised of student athletes, elected officials, bands and celebrities. It will step off from 167th Street and the Grand Concourse at 10 AM. It will finish in front of Yankee Stadium around noon.

ASSEMBLYMAN MARCOS A. CRESPO ANNOUNCES ACCELERATION OF NYCHA LEAD TESTING AT BRONX RIVER HOUSES











As some of you may have seen, yesterday my office released a statement expressing concern and frustration regarding the many conditions at Bronx River Houses, a development in our 85th district.

I am happy to announce that since then my office was able to get the City of New York involved, which resulted in a positive step forward. The truth is there is a lot more to do, but we must take this opportunity and continue the good fight.

Below you will find NYCHA's official announcement released today, March 15, 2019. Please be sure to share this information.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Best,

MAYOR DE BLASIO VISITS MOSQUE AND DELIVERS REMARKS WITH MEMBERS OF NEW YORK’S MUSLIM COMMUNITY


  Assalamu’alaikum. It’s my honor to be with all of you. This is one of the great houses of worship in this city that we stand before and it's the right place for us to be in solidarity with each other in the aftermath of a horrific attack on people of faith, peacefully worshiping in New Zealand. 

Our hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones. Our prayers are with them. This city knows the pain of terrorism. We know the danger of discrimination, how it can turn violent, how it can tear families apart. So we stand in solidarity with our Muslim community, with the Muslim community all over the world, with the people of New Zealand, and with particularly the people of Christchurch as they go through this pain. And I'd like us all in solidarity and together to have a moment of silence for all those who were lost.

Thank you very much. I stand here today as a leader of this city to send a clear message to all our Muslim brothers and sisters that we stand with you in solidarity. We understand the pain you're feeling at this moment and the loss you are feeling, and we are here to ensure that this community is respected and embraced and protected. We know that in our hour of need, particularly when hate and violence stalk us, that we are protected every day by the men and women of the NYPD. And as I arrived, I saw a strong NYPD presence around this mosque, and that's true around mosques all over this city. And I want to thank the men and women of the NYPD for their strong show of support protecting this community. Thank you.

I also want to note – and it's something that I tell people not only here, but wherever I go – if you want to remember how we're all in this together, remember the proud members of the NYPD – 900 members of the NYPD who are Muslim, who serve us all, who we all look up to. And we honor them at this particular, painful moment. 

I want to thank everyone for coming here together, and a special thank you to a great leader – our host, Imam Jalloh. I want to thank the members of my administration who are here to do all we can to support the community. A special thank you to our Chief of Patrol of the NYPD Rodney Harrison, you'll hear from in a moment. Thank you, Chief, so much. Thank you to Council Member Ben Kallos for being here – this is a community he represents. And I saw coming in, the Permanent Representative of New Zealand's at the United Nations, Craig Hawke. Again, I extend my condolences to your nation and thank you for joining us.

My colleagues who spoke before me painted a picture of what we're experiencing now not just in the United States, but in other countries that we all consider to be democracies, countries we consider to be advanced, and yet we are seeing this violence rise up more and more, and this hatred. And in a world where we wonder what norms are left, what limits, what standards are left, this particularly painful reality that just in the last few years we more and more see attacks inside houses of worship. The most unthinkable, unspeakable idea is now becoming somehow common. And as you heard, the horrible attack inside Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where I was on Sunday – in that church where that attack happened. First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas; Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh; and now a mosque so many thousands of miles away in New Zealand – this is a sickness that is growing in our society, and I agree with my colleagues that we have to be the ones to stop it. Our houses of worship cannot be turned into killing fields. We have to be clear, as a society, we will not tolerate any violence against people of faith, against people because of their race, their ethnicity, for any reason. And we have to weed out those among us who would propagate such violence.

White nationalism goes hand in hand with terrorism – let’s be clear. As a belief structure, it leads to only one place – to terror and violence – all those who believe in this idea of creating an atmosphere of threat for everyone else, and they must be addressed

As we take in this pain, we also have to be resolved to know that we will protect each other. It’s important for me to say to all New Yorkers that at this hour there have been no credible and specific threats against Muslim community centers or mosques in New York City. And we will monitor constantly, working with our federal partners. We'll address anything that emerges, but I want to reassure people there is no credible and specific threat at this moment. But that will not stop us from having a strong presence in front of crucial Muslim community locations to send the message of reassurance to the community of solidarity, but also a message of deterrence to all those who think the wrong way about their fellow human being.

In these moments, it's easy for people in their pain to pull back, to withdraw, to feel that there's less and less goodness in the world. But we see in each of these moments, people of all faiths come to the rescue of those who are afflicted. They stand up in solidarity. As you go around this mosque, read the name plate of each NYPD member. You will see people of every faith, every background, but they share a single mission – to protect their fellow human being. And this is something that New York City provides as an example to the world, the most diverse place on earth, and our men and women in uniform know they are here to serve all. All of us in government know we are here to serve all. Our faith leaders reach out to each other in solidarity in any moment of distress. That is the norm in this city – that faith leaders gather together regardless of their background to support each other. This is a lesson, an example we have to give the world. 

In the vein of remembering that all humanity is one, I quote from a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad written in powerful poetry, which says – “when any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever." One limb is aching, now we all are reacting with the pain of our brothers and sisters in the Muslim community.

I wish I could say that after today, we will not see more instances of hate, but it'll take so much more work until that day has come. But I hope everyone remembers that whenever hate rears its head our reaction has to be swift and definite. The only way to end the hate is by standing up stronger and stronger each time together.

Assalamu’alaikum.

Developers Getting Rubber-Stamped City Approvals Despite Public Opposition


In the latest example of rampant developers getting everything they want from the city, 19 parking spaces are removed from West 237th Street and Blackstone Avenue.

It seems that the Department of Transportation never says no to a developer. Despite a letter from Assemblyman Dinowitz in November 2018, DOT has approved a request from real estate developers to remove every adjacent parking space (19 in total) to their lot at the corner of West 237th Street and Blackstone Avenue. The parking spaces are already being filled by massive concrete barriers demarcating a pedestrian walkway, raising questions from community residents of why the developer needs to occupy the sidewalk at all.

Over the past several years, the Northwest Bronx has seen a tremendous rise in the number of new developments being proposed and constructed. Typically, these building applications are first processed by the Department of Buildings and, in certain cases, the Department of City Planning. Permits are then requested from the Department of Transportation if the property developer wants to use sidewalk or street space for their construction equipment. Rarely, if ever, are these permits denied by DOT.

Compounding the difficulty for members of the public to figure out what is going on in their own neighborhood, real estate developers frequently mask their identities through a variety of limited liability corporations (LLCs). This makes it more difficult for neighbors to raise concerns as they happen, such as excessive losses of parking or construction noise. Local residents are commonly directed to file complaints with 311 that are forwarded to the same city agencies which approved the permits in the first place, often resulting in a frustrating and circular process that does not resolve concerns.

Department of Transportation has issued numerous permits to Cipco Developers along Blackstone Avenue and West 237th Street, adjacent to the lot, valid from March 13, 2019 until May 13, 2019 (permits for concrete barriers extend until June 9, 2019). Historically, DOT has readily granted extensions to street permits on behalf of developers. The permits include permission to place jersey barriers and fences on both Blackstone Avenue and West 237th Street, a construction office trailer on West 237th Street, and permit occupation of the sidewalk for unspecified stipulated conditions. A request for more information from DOT about the developer’s justification was not responded to at the time this release was issued.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “I am sick and tired of developers running roughshod over our neighborhoods, and city agencies just rubber stamping whatever they want to do. When an agency is quicker to respond to a developer who wants to take away 19 parking spaces than they are to the community who wants to know why this is happening, that is a problem. This goes beyond the parking, even though removing 19 spaces from an area which already lacks sufficient parking to meet demand is a problem. This is about the future of our neighborhoods.

“If a developer doesn’t have enough space to fit their equipment on their own vacant property without infringing on public space, then maybe their building is too large. Maybe we need to be considering construction impacts when we evaluate whether to approve new building construction. People move to our communities – and invest in their homes in our communities – because we have a beautiful balance of density and open space. If we continue to let developers tear into our communities without any kind of government check on their proposals, we will lose the very essence of what makes them a desirable place to live.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Last year this same developer built an eight story building at 640 West 238th Street, around the corner from the site Assemblyman Dinowitz writes here. Where was Assemblyman Dinowitz when this same developer wanted to take away the only four parking spaces on that block?
Where was Assemblyman Dinowitz when the same developer wanted to close the whole area in front of 640 West 238th Street, create a fire hazard, and try shortcuts to save time and money?
Where was Assemblyman Dinowitz when this same developer built to the property line on the sidewalk with no place for the construction equipment, not to mention the dozens and dozens of concrete trucks that unloaded into a boom truck parked in the middle of the street to lift concrete to floors two through eight?
Where was Assemblyman Dinowitz when the developer had a contractor undermine the gas line on West 238th Street, and Con Edison had to install a new gas line on the block?

Now that the developer has decided to build an eight story building directly across the street from Assemblyman Dinowitz's low floor coop apartment he is complaining. 
Assemblyman Dinowitz should thank me, the person who led the charge against what the developer was doing at 640 West 238th Street costing the developer valuable time and money to readjust how they were going to build according to the law, not to mention the several thousands of dollars in fines, and almost shutdown of the 640 West 238th Street construction. 

I will do for my neighbor Assemblyman Dinowitz on this Blackstone Avenue building construction exactly what he did for the eight story building on West 238th Street across from where I live, watch. I will tell the developer that he is now building across the street from Assemblyman Dinowitz, and hope he had good practice from me.  

CONGRESSMAN ENGEL STATEMENT ON MASSACRE IN NEW ZEALAND


  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“I’m stunned, angry, and heartbroken by the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, and my thoughts are with the survivors and loved ones of the victims. White nationalism and anti-Muslim hatred are a pernicious scourge that have no place anywhere.

“When Islamophobic rhetoric goes unchecked—or more dangerously, even embraced or normalized—in the public discourse, it’s only a matter of time before violence follows. There is no more horrifying combination than unchecked extremism and deadly firearms. We here in the United States know that pain all too well.

“We must confront this hatred and ensure that the freedom for all to express their cultural, religious, and ethnic identity remains a value underpinning democracies. In the wake of this tragedy, I stand with our friends, and particularly the Muslim community, in New Zealand.”

Statement From Attorney General James On The Ethical Culture Fieldston School


  In response to the student protests at Ethical Culture Fieldston School stemming from the lack of administrative acknowledgment of racial incidents and concerns, Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement: 

“Students in this state and around the country often learn about the importance of activism, civil rights, and social justice in their textbook, but rarely do they have the opportunity to live it. The students of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School have been immensely brave, steadfast, and effective in their attempts to right the systematic wrongs they’ve experienced while receiving their education. Racism in our schools should not be tolerated on any level, in any capacity, and  I commend the Fieldston students for working to make their institution a more welcome, inclusive place for all.” 

FOUR PEOPLE INDICTED IN 3-BOROUGH CARJACKING SPREE; ONE DEFENDANT ALSO INDICTED FOR PINNING NYPD OFFICER BETWEEN TWO CARS OUTSIDE BRONX COURTHOUSE


Officer Shot And Wounded 17-Year-Old Driver

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that four people—including two 17-year-old girls—have been indicted on charges related to carjackings in three boroughs that left victims injured; one of the four was also indicted for assaulting an NYPD Police Officer using a stolen vehicle, which led to the officer shooting that defendant in a chaotic scene on a busy street. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly went on a robbery and carjacking spree in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx. In two of the six incidents, the defendants allegedly assaulted the car owners. In another, they allegedly tried to run over the victim. They drove a stolen car to a Bronx courthouse, where one defendant allegedly pinned an NYPD Police Officer with the vehicle when the officer approached. Such violent, reckless behavior will not be tolerated in the Bronx or anywhere in this city.” 

 District Attorney Clark said two of the defendants, Rusheka Willis, 17, and Veantay Henry, 17, both of the Bronx, were arraigned today on an indictment charging 64 counts, including Attempted Murder, Robbery, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Grand Larceny, Stolen Vehicles, Assault, Criminal Negligence, Reckless Endangerment, Reckless Driving, and Conspiracy, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. The two other defendants, Emanuel Thomas, 22, and Mariama Kande, 18, were arraigned on March 12, 2019. Bail was set at $10,000 for Henry, $10,000 for Willis, $25,000 for Thomas and $50,000 for Kande. The defendants are due back in court on June 12, 2019.

 According to the investigation, on or about January 20, 2019, in the Bronx, Henry allegedly stole a 2013 Toyota Corolla, luring the victim out of her car by claiming that one of the tires was flat, then jumping into the driver’s seat. As the victim fled, Henry allegedly attempted to run her over, driving the stolen car onto the sidewalk. 

 On February 1, 2019, Henry allegedly stole a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe from a man in the Bronx.

 On February 3, 2019, Willis, Henry, Thomas and Kande abandoned the stolen Santa Fe they were traveling in. They then carjacked a 2006 Honda Accord from a man in the Bronx, physically assaulting the victim and threatening him with a knife. The defendants also stole the victim’s cell phone and credit card.

 The defendants then drove the Accord to Manhattan, where the defendants physically assaulted a woman on a sidewalk, and stole an iPhone from her.

 They then went to Brooklyn, where they robbed one woman of her handbag, then crashed the Accord. On foot, they stole a handbag from a parked car, and then carjacked a woman, taking her 2011 Hyundai Sonata and driving it back to the Bronx.

 According to the investigation, on the morning of February 4, 2019 at the intersection of East 162nd Street and Sheridan Avenue, Henry double-parked the stolen Sonata in front of Family Court. Henry and Willis went inside Family Court, and then left the courthouse after approximately 30 minutes.

 While the defendants were inside the courthouse, Anti-Crime Officers on routine patrol received an alert from their License Plate Readers that the Sonata outside Family Court had been reported stolen in Brooklyn. The Officers then asked for a uniform patrol so they could box the vehicle in and check the car. Police Officers of the 44th Precinct responded and waited until the defendants entered the vehicle. The Officers could not box in the car because a cab was in the way, so Police Officer Vanessa Rodriguez approached the vehicle on foot. Henry, who was in the driver’s seat, put the car in reverse and pinned Rodriguez between the stolen vehicle and a parked Toyota Camry. Rodriguez fired three shots into the stolen car, striking Henry. The Officer was taken to the hospital for treatment.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Franco Johnson of the Bronx Robbery Squad for his work in the investigation. District Attorney Clark thanked Detectives of the 44th, 47th, and 41st Precincts in the Bronx, of the 61st precinct in Brooklyn, and of the 13th Precinct in Manhattan, as well as Detective Devin Long of the Force Investigations Division, and Detective Matthew Steiner of the Crime Scene Unit. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt. 

Defendants: 
Veantay Henry, 17, 822 East 230th St., Bronx 
Rusheka Willis, 17, 1141 East 229th St., Bronx 
Emanuel Thomas, 22, 1717 Garfield St., Bronx 
Mariama Kande, 18, 699 East 139th St., Bronx

Charges
Attempted Murder In The Second Degree
Attempted Assault In The First Degree 
Robbery In The Second Degree 
Robbery In The Third Degree
Criminal Possession Of Stolen Property In The Third Degree 
Grand Larceny In The Third Degree
Criminal Possession Of Stolen Property In The Fourth Degree 
Grand Larceny In The Fourth Degree
Stolen Vehicles 
Reckless Endangerment In The Second Degree
Robbery In The First Degree 
Robbery In The Second Degree
Assault In The Second Degree
Assault In The Third Degree 
Assault In The Third Degree 
Reckless Driving 
Conspiracy In The Fourth Degree 
Conspiracy In The Fifth Degree

STATEMENT FROM ASSEMBLYMAN MARCOS A. CRESPO RE: CONDITIONS AT BRONX RIVER HOUSES




ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

It seems as if every other day we are faced to deal with yet another catastrophe within the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).  

NYCHA residents not only have to deal with blistering cold temperatures inside their homes due to lack or no heat, but also are forced to deal with poor to no maintenance, and deal with having to walk through complex grounds that seem to have been forgotten.
 
Most recently, we have learned that Bronx River Houses is currently experiencing an emergency as most if not all apartments tested for lead came back positive. While other developments are set to have their lead issues addressed, Bronx River will have to wait four times as long as other complexes.

It is shameful and unconscionable that families including children and seniors have to accept the kind of living conditions they do at Bronx River and all across the city. While elected officials fight and continue imploring for more NYCHA money, we are constantly slapped in the face with realities that are very difficult to tolerate.
 
Bronx River must be treated with the same sense of urgency as any other resident in the city. We need answers and we need solutions. I will remain vocal about this and every issue until my constituency is treated how they deserve to be treated.  
 
DISTRICT OFFICE: 1163 Manor Avenue, Bronx, New York 10472 • 718-893-0202, FAX: 718-842-8731