Saturday, April 22, 2023

Governor Hochul Announces Start of $61.8 Million Pavement Improvement and Bridge Rehabilitation Project on I-95 in the Bronx and Westchester County

 The 222nd Street pedestrian bridge.

11 Bridges to be Rehabilitated and Two Pedestrian Bridges to Have Superstructures Replaced — Improving the Travel Corridor Used by 120,000 Vehicles Each Day

Work Scheduled to be Completed by End of 2024


 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of a $61.8 million pavement improvement project on a four-mile stretch of the New England Thruway I-95 in the Bronx and Westchester County. The majority of the work will take place in the Bronx and includes the rehabilitation of 11 bridges and the replacement of the superstructures — concrete decks and steel beams — of two pedestrian bridges. Approximately 120,000 vehicles use this heavily traveled corridor each day.

"New York State is committed to rehabilitating aging infrastucture in communities that have gone overlooked for far too long," Governor Hochul said. "This project will make critical safety improvements to I-95 in the Bronx and Westchester County and provide not only a safer driving experience for the millions of New Yorkers who drive on the highway every year, but also modernize the state's transportation infrastructure."

The I-95 project will begin with full-depth pavement repairs, meaning crews will remove and replace the most deteriorated portions on a four-mile stretch of roadway (milepost 0 to 4.0), down to its subbase in both the northbound and southbound direction. Covering more than 24 total lane miles, the repairs will improve the roadway's structural integrity. After the concrete pavement is repaired, a two-course asphalt overlay will be installed to provide a smoother ride for motorists.

Paving operations and the majority of work will take place overnight to reduce impacts to motorists.

The other major component of the project is extensive bridge work. Crews will rehabilitate 10 vehicular bridges/ramps and one pedestrian bridge and remove and replace the superstructure on two pedestrian bridges over I-95 in the Bronx (one at 222nd Street and another at Dyre Avenue). Each bridge superstructure replacement will occur over a 48-hour period on a weekend with free shuttle bus service provided during the closures. Those dates and further details will be announced at a later date.

In addition, safety improvements will include new guiderail, additional reflective line striping and upgrades to concrete barriers and curbs. All work is expected to be completed by the end of the 2024.

Restani Construction Corp., of Queens, N.Y., is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process.

Bronx Community Board #10 District Manager Matt Cruz said, "Our Bronx communities are delighted that the I-95's pavement repair project is commencing. This much-needed repair will improve roadway conditions and make safer one of the busiest highways in the State of New York. On behalf of Bronx Community Board #10, I thank Governor Hochul and the New York State Thruway Authority for this commitment."

Motorists may encounter lane closures on the New England Thruway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. Motorists should follow the posted work zone speed limits and are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual's driver license.

The Authority's approved 2023 Budget invests a total of $413 million to support its Capital Program, which is scheduled to invest $1.9 billion into capital projects through 2027.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download its mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go.

Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority's interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert emails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use


Upcoming Events, Legislative News, Grant Opportunities, & More
Industry Insights: Cannabis & the Economy
Brady Honored at Salamanca, NYBG Heroes Breakfast
Mott Haven Merchants Organize

Legislative & Advocacy Updates
NYS Budget Update

Member Spotlight
AARP Free Shredding Event, Friday, May 5, 2023 | Bronx, NY: 11am - 2pm

Upcoming Events
Exploring Makers & Breweries, 5/23/2023 at 6pm - The Bronx Brewery
Friday Extra Celebrating Bronx Heros
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS: CANNABIS & THE ECONOMY
How did you spend your 420? We talked cannabis, business and the Bronx.

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce, NYC Department of Small Business Services, the NYS Latino Cannabis Association, ConBUD NY, the Bronx Cannabis HUB, CannaBronx, and the Bronx Community Foundation gathered to discuss cannabis and its impact on our health, businesses, and economy.

The evening included a fireside chat, networking, bites, and cocktails. Demonstration table by Budtenders USA.

Informational booth on cannabis business certification by Lehman College and BMCC.

Stay tuned for the July Industry Insights on Banking, the Financial Sector, and Crypto Currency.

To learn more: sbrn@bronxchamber.org
BRADY HONORED DURING THE 2023 HEROES CEREMONY
BY COUNCILMEMBER SALAMANCA & THE NYBG
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and leadership team joined community stakeholders, elected officials, and representatives from NYC to honor four heroes during the annual Bronx Heroes Breakfast co-hosted by Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr. and the New York Botanical Garden.

In recognition of the heroic and compassionate actions of New Yorkers, we were proud to honor the heroic acts of four Bronx residents - including our very own Michael Brady, SVP of Economic Development & Policy - for their commitment to New York City and the Bronx. With their selfless actions, they have gone above and beyond the call of duty to leave behind positive and enduring contributions to the community.

Special thank you to everyone for joining us in celebrating our Bronx heroes, setting and example for New York City and New York State in leadership and putting words into action.
SOUTH BRONX - ORGANIZING MOTT HAVEN MERCHANTS
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce through our Avenue NYC - Mott Haven program continues to organize merchants and develop a strategic vision for the Mott Haven area through grassroots, community based planning to bring focus and attention to the needs of South Bronx businesses.

The team focused on equitable, resilient, and dynamic communities through strategy development and implementation planning in NYC and beyond. The meeting prompted interesting discussion and debate about how cities can grow and evolve without sacrificing local culture and displacing the preexisting residents and businesses.

The Avenue NYC program is completing it's second year of work in the Mott Haven area and highlights the Bronx Chamber's long standing commitment to economic development and diversity in the South Bronx.

LEGISLATIVE & ADVOCACY UPDATES
NYS FY24 Budget - New York state lawmakers passed another weeklong extension for the state's budget today to ensure state operations run undisrupted and workers get paid as budget negotiations continue. State lawmakers will not be paid themselves until a budget is passed. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 24 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, Volunteer Day of Action - Jerome Avenue, in-person, Meeting Location: 1377 Jerome Avenue Bronx, NY.  Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Councilmember Althea Stevens, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts & community leaders for a Day of Action and Community Clean Streets including: Tree Bed Stewardship, paint light poles / streetscape maintenance and litter and graffiti removal. This event is sponsored by the Office of Councilmember Althea Stevens and supported with volunteers from Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here

April 28 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm, Developing a Marketing Strategy for Your Business, virtual, The goal of this course is to help entrepreneurs at any stage build a foundational marketing strategy that will inform every marketing tactic they use. Reserve Your Spot - Click Here

June 20 at 7:30am, Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament, Trump Links at Ferry Point, 500 Hutchinson River Parkway Bronx, NY.  Over 200 notable thought partners, colleagues in business, and influential New Yorkers will tee off for the 2023 Joseph P. Kelleher Memorial Golf Tournament at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. The 2023 Tournament features two (2) tee times, breakfast, lunch, cocktails, and the 2023 Awards Dinner honoring NYC Housing, Preservation, and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrion, Jr. To purchase foursomes or to sponsor, Click HERE
For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!

Seller Of Counterfeit Art Extradited From Germany After 13 Years As A Fugitive

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANGELA CATHERINE HAMBLIN, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was extradited from Germany to the United States to serve a prison sentence for selling fake works of art through a commercial auction website and in private transactions.  After pleading guilty in 2009, HAMBLIN was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.  However, HAMBLIN failed to report to U.S. prison authorities as ordered and instead fled the United States to the United Kingdom.  She was re-arrested on May 31, 2022, while changing planes at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Hamblin went to great lengths to avoid accountability for her crimes, but this Office and the FBI have long memories and benefit greatly from our cooperation with international partners.  Despite some 13 years on the run, Hamblin was apprehended last year as she changed flights in Germany and today returns to face justice and serve her time in prison.”

As alleged in the Indictment and other documents and statements made in Court:

For about five months in 2007, HAMBLIN engaged in a fraudulent scheme to sell at least four paintings that she represented to be works of such artists as Joseph Mallord William Turner (a British watercolorist and printmaker), Milton Avery (an American abstract expressionist painter), Franz Kline (an American abstract painter), and Juan Gris (a Spanish Cubist painter and sculptor), when she knew that the paintings were not authentic works of art by these famed artists.  HAMBLIN made various claims about where she acquired the paintings, including that she or her husband had inherited the paintings from relatives and that they purchased one of the paintings from a then-deceased seller.  With respect to one of the paintings, HAMBLIN claimed that the artist had given it to George Balanchine, the choreographer, who had in turn sold it to her great-grandfather.

HAMBLIN was re-arrested on May 31, 2022, when she changed planes in Frankfurt, Germany, on a flight from Vienna, Austria, to the United Kingdom.  Following an order of extradition by German authorities, HAMBLIN was flown today from Frankfurt to New York City and transported to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to serve her prison sentence.

HAMBLIN, 74, of St. Boswells, Scotland, pled guilty on February 16, 2009, to two counts of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.  She was sentenced on July 14, 2009, by United States District Judge Loretta A. Preska to one year and one day in prison. 

Mr. Williams praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team/New York Major Theft Task Force for their outstanding investigative work on HAMBLIN’s scheme to sell counterfeit art.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and German authorities for their assistance in the extradition.

DEC ANNOUNCES WALLEYE, NORTHERN PIKE, PICKEREL, AND TIGER MUSKELLUNGE SEASON OPENS MAY 1

 

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New York’s Coolwater Species Provide Excellent Fishing Opportunities

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced that the fishing season for walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge begins on May 1.

"Early spring can be an exceptional time for fishing in New York, with species like walleye and northern pike becoming more active and aggressive as water temperatures rise,” said Commissioner Seggos. “I encourage all anglers to find the time to get out on the water this spring to enjoy, and share with others, the great fishing that can be found here in New York."

Historically found only in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Allegheny River watersheds in New York, walleye are now found in more than 140 waters from all the major watersheds of the state, primarily due to stocking and other DEC management efforts. Opportunities to catch lunker northern pike can also be found throughout much of the state, especially in the northeast and west. Visit DEC’s website for information on where to go fishing for walleyepike and other coolwater sportfish.

Last year, DEC added a new feature to its official HuntFishNY app called The Tackle Box. Fishing regulations, boating access, and stocking information are all available in a map-based interface from the convenience of a smart phone. Other features include driving directions to state boat launch sites and an offline feature that allows a user to access information when cell coverage isn't available. The HuntFishNY app, which includes the Tackle Box, is free of charge and available through the App store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) for anyone to download on their tablet or smart phone. For more information on the HuntFishNY app and new Tackle Box feature visit the DEC website.

digital version of the 2023 Freshwater Fishing Regulations guide is available to download on the DEC website. Hard copies of the guide are available wherever sporting licenses are sold. For locations visit the DEC website.

The State Pension Fund: Investing in Climate Change Solutions

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The State Pension Fund: Investing in
Climate Change Solutions

On Earth Day and every day, State Comptroller DiNapoli is continuing his work to protect the Fund’s assets over the long term from the significant risks created by climate change. With the State pension fund’s $20 billion commitment to sustainable investments and climate solutions, Comptroller DiNapoli is taking action to seize investment opportunities that are best positioned for a low carbon future.

Leading the Way on Climate Investment


NYS Pension Fund Commits $1.3 Billion to Sustainable Investment Program
The sun and blue sky peek through the branches of a tree with leaves.

Climate Change Poses Significant Threats
to Communities in New York

The State Comptroller’s office also surveyed localities around the State to understand how climate change is impacting their financial and capital planning decisions. “Climate change poses significant threats to communities in New York. Concerns are growing about severe heat waves and droughts, more frequent and destructive storms, and flooding and rising sea levels that threaten both coastal and inland communities,” DiNapoli said. “Local governments are shouldering much of the financial burden of climate change as they maintain important infrastructure such as roadways, drinking water systems and sewers. Local officials will increasingly need to assess the need for additional climate actions, plan for these higher costs, and communicate these challenges to stakeholders at the State and local levels.”

Localities Spending More to Address Climate Change Hazards


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