Comptroller DiNapoli Statement on Governor's Veto of Transparency Legislation

 

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released the following statement regarding Gov. Kathy Hochul’s veto of legislation that would have increased transparency on state spending and was supported unanimously both the State Senate and Assembly:

“I am very disappointed the Governor vetoed our bill requiring more transparency and accountability for billions in emergency contracts and those that bypass routine oversight. Without public disclosure of how taxpayer money is being used, it raises questions about whether the public is getting the best value for its money. This legislation had unanimous support in both the Assembly and the Senate. We’ll work with our legislative sponsors, Senator Cooney and Assemblywoman Solages, to keep pushing for it and keep taxpayers informed about where their money is going. Transparent government is accountable government.” 

Statement by Governor Kathy Hochul on Additional Drone Activity

“Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far.

“In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing. But in order to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act. This bill would reform legal authorities to counter-UAS and strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones, and would extend counter-UAS activities to select state and local law enforcement agencies.

“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential. Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.

 

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES OPENING OF FIRST INDOOR BASEBALL CENTER IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS FOR FREE YEAR-ROUND YOUTH PROGRAMMING AS “PUBLIC SAFETY WEEK” CONTINUES

 

$382,000 Renovation and State-of-the-Art Equipment Funded Through Public-Private Partnership, Including Asset Forfeiture Funds 

  

Facility to Serve as Hub for Saturday Night Lights Program 

  

DYCD Launches New Saturday Night Lights Website to Connect Families to Programming in Their Neighborhoods 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued “Public Safety Week” with Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard, and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, community partners, and young athletes as they celebrated the grand opening of the first indoor baseball center in Washington Heights, which will be open year-round to young people at no cost as part of the city’s Saturday Night Lights program. 

 

“Saturday Night Lights brings joy and positivity to our kids through sport — and gives our young people an alternative at the times when crimes are most likely to be committed,” said Mayor Adams. “Every young person should have an opportunity to thrive, and through programs like Saturday Night Lights, our Summer Youth Employment Programs, the Mentorship and Advocacy Program, and more, we are helping give our kids alternatives and opportunities. Programs like this on nights and weekends keep our young people in safe places and away from gun violence, and builds trust between police, community, and our youth. Saturday Night Lights is about giving young people another choice and about keeping the city safe. Together, we can do better for our young people.” 

 

“Saturday Night Lights is a shining example of how we can keep our communities safe with the lightest touch possible,” said Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Parker. “This center, like all of our Saturday Night Lights locations, is more than just a place for young people to play sports; it’s a pathway to greater opportunities and brighter futures. Every investment in spaces like this is an investment in our kids’ safety and potential. I’m grateful to all of our partners who helped turn this vision into reality and continue to make our communities safer and stronger.” 

 

The 4,500-square-foot facility, located at the Police Athletic League Armory Center at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, features a fully-turfed versatile gym space, batting cages, and state-of-the-art equipment, including baseball and golf simulators. The $382,000 renovation of the center, which began in January 2024, was funded with $300,000 in asset forfeiture funds and $82,000 from the Police Athletic League. 

  

Equipment for the center was funded by The DICK’s Sporting Goods Foundation and Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s “Game On-Community Places to Play” initiative, which awards grants to non-profit community-based organizations leading renovation projects of indoor and outdoor athletic spaces that serve young athletes, particularly in under-resourced communities. 

  

The center honors Washington Heights’ significance in the history of baseball as it is located one block from the former site of Hilltop Park, the original home of the New York Yankees when they were known as the New York Highlanders. 

  

DYCD Commissioner Howard today also announced the launch of a new Saturday Night Lights website with online and in-person registration options and an updated map of locations to better connect families with programming in their neighborhoods. 

  

Saturday Night Lights is a citywide partnership that offers free, high-quality sports programming for youth, ages 11 to 18, at nearly 140 locations across the city from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Saturday nights — a time of the week when crime historically spikes. The program is led by DYCD in conjunction with the NYPD, New York City Public Schools, NYC Parks, the city’s five district attorney’s offices, and more than 50 community partners. Saturday Night Lights aims to engage young people, build trust between law enforcement and communities, and enable youth to develop the skills, knowledge, and meaningful relationships necessary to reach their fullest potential. 

  

Saturday Night Lights was launched at a single Harlem gym in 2011 and expanded citywide in 2019. In July 2022, Mayor Adams invested $1.25 million to expand the Saturday Night Lights program to 25 additional sites. In August 2024, Mayor Adams and DYCD announced an additional $2 million to expand programming and hours even further across select Saturday Night Lights, Cornerstone, and Beacon programs to keep young people safe during the summer. 

  

Mayor Adams’ administration continues to invest in creating safe spaces for youth and providing young people with opportunities for advancement, including delivering more than 15,000 apprenticeship opportunities through more than $15 million in public and private funds; investing $4.2 million in state grants to provide youth team sports programming, sports education, and athletic equipment upgrades across the city; expanding both the Summer Youth Employment and Summer Rising programs to serve record numbers of young people; connecting students to $8.2 million from paid work experiences at top companies through FutureReadyNYC; and launching “Pathways to an Inclusive Economy: An Action Plan for Young Adult Career Success,” an over $600 million action plan to bolster the city’s talent ecosystem. 

  

The administration is also keeping young people safe by combating subway surfing, providing nearly 7,000 teens with free mental health services through “NYC Teenspace,” holding social media companies accountable for fueling a nationwide youth mental health crisis, and cracking down on the illegal sale of flavored e-cigarettes, the most popular vaping devices among middle school and high school youth. 

  

Today’s announcement comes as part of Mayor Adams’ “Public Safety” Week, which continues to highlight the Adams administration's community-driven public safety models — unveiling new and ongoing efforts to keep New Yorkers safe and improve their quality of life. Earlier this week, Mayor Adams released, “Safer Together: Results of the Adams Administration's Community-Driven Public Safety Approach,” outlining the results of the administration's approach to public safety by delivering multi-agency responses to communities dealing with persistent public safety and quality-of-life concerns. In addition to highlighting neighborhood-by-neighborhood responses, key indicators of the report show the administration's “Community Link” multi-agency response efforts resolved nearly 730 complaints, conducted over 1,070 operations, and issued over 15,900 summonses since launching in May 2023.   

  

Doctor Charged for Unlawful Distribution of Oxycodone and Other Controlled Substances

 

A New Jersey doctor was arrested for unlawfully distributing oxycodone and other controlled substances.

According to court documents, Larry Pettis, 76, of Westampton, owned a medical practice that had multiple locations in New Jersey that purported to provide pain management and other services. Pettis allegedly pre-signed prescriptions for controlled substances so that another individual, who was not allowed to issue such prescriptions, could issue them when Pettis was out of the office. Pettis allegedly caused prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids such as oxycodone, to be issued to patients even though Pettis had failed to assess the patients. Pettis is also alleged to have issued prescriptions for controlled substances when a patient’s drug test results raised red flags for substance abuse and drug diversion and to have caused medical records to be altered and fabricated.

Pettis is charged with four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office, South Jersey Resident Agency; Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Division, Camden District Office made the announcement.

FBI, HHS-OIG, and DEA are investigating the case. 

Trial Attorneys Nicholas Peone and Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing Victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit: www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr. hosts Bronx Borough President Candidate Holiday Event

 

It was cold outside Maestros Caterers in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, but it was very hot inside Thursday night at Councilman Rafael Salamanca's Bronx Borough President candidate holiday event. It reminded me of the old Diaz Holiday events at Maestros that had a packed room with lots of good times, good food, and dancing all night, which was exactly what was going on at the "Rafael Salamanca, Jr. for the Bronx, Democrat for Borough President" event. 

On hand to support Rafael Salamanca Jr. for Bronx Borough President were over five-hundred people, State Senator Luis Sepulveda, Assemblyman John Zaccaro, 17th City Council candidate Freddie Perez, Bronx County Clerk Ischia Bravo, several Democratic District Leaders and State Committee members, The Chair of Community Board 11, and other community board members. 

This was the theme for the night, 'Salamanca For the Bronx'.

As he entered the room Bronx Borough President candidate Rafael Salamanca Jr. stopped to greet the attendees. 

Many people wanted their photo with Bronx Borough President candidate Rafael Salamanca Jr., much like people did with Ruben Diaz Jr. 

State Senator Luis Sepulveda points to his choice for Bronx Borough President in 2025. 

Bronx Borough President candidate Rafael Salamanca kept his speech short so the dancing and good times could continue.

Community Board 11 Chair Cynthia Rodriguez hit the dance floor with former member of Community Board 11 Miguel Dyer. 

Governor Hochul Celebrates Record Single Day Subway Ridership of 4.5 Million Reached on Dec. 12

Highest Single Day Subway Ridership Reached in Nearly Five Years

Ridership on Saturday, Dec. 7 Exceeded 3 Million Riders — Record on any Saturday in Past Five Years

67 Percent of All Riders Used Tap-and-Go Fare Payments

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Subway had a record ridership of 4,497,599 passengers commuting on Dec. 12 — this is the highest ridership for a single weekday since March 11, 2020. Sixty-seven percent of all subway trips on Dec. 12 were taken using Tap-and-Go payments.

“Our subway system is the lifeblood of New York City, and these ridership levels are just the beginning of what our transit system could be,” Governor Hochul said. “We can’t achieve these record ridership numbers without investing in the MTA — New Yorkers need fast and reliable transit every day so that their commutes are stress-free, and we are going to continue our efforts to deliver a better public transit system for every rider.”

The ridership record coincided with the first day OMNY cards became available to 1.5 million Reduced-Fare riders. This comes as the MTA continues its lightning pace of Tap-and-Go fare payment integration across the transit system to expedite the commute time for all New Yorkers. Since receiving Student OMNY cards with expanded benefits at the start of the school year, students alone have tapped more than 20 million times.

So far, it has been a strong week for subway ridership, which also exceeded four million passengers on both Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Wednesday, Dec. 11. On Dec. 7, the MTA saw 3,016,134 riders take the subway — the highest on any Saturday in 5 years — which reflects a surge in discretionary mass transit travel also being seen on the MTA’s commuter railroads, where weekend ridership is exceeding 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

 

Council Member Eric Dinowitz - Dinowitz Dispatch - 12/13/24

 

New York City Council Member 

ERIC DINOWITZ

Proudly serving the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Spuyten Duyvil, Wakefield, and Woodlawn.

11th Council District, Bronx · 277 West 231st, Bronx, NY 10463 ·

 Tel: (718) 549 - 7300

This Edition: City of Yes, The Holiday Season, Window Guards at Overlook Shelter, Frisch Field and more!

Dear Neighbor: 

 

As the holiday season approaches, I've had the pleasure of celebrating with so many of you throughout the district. Whether it's Christmas tree lighting in Woodlawn, Bedford Park, and Norwood, or a Chanukah celebration at City Hall with students from SAR, everyone can feel the joy of the holiday season. 

 

We're also working hard to keep our children safe. After much advocacy by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and myself, window guards are now installed at the Manhattan University migrant shelter. See below for more details! 

 

At City Hall, we're working on legislation to license e-bikes, and voting on land use items like Mayor Adams's City of Yes proposal. Read below for more information about what's happening at City Hall. 

 

As always, stop by our office anytime between 9:30am- 5pm, or call 718-549-7300 to reach us. 

 

When contacting our office, please leave your home address and phone number so we can better assist you.  

 

Please see the helpful list of resources and events in my newsletter below.  

 

Sincerely, 

Council Member Eric Dinowitz

In the Community

Merry Christmas, Woodlawn!



Merry Christmas! It is such a joy to join my neighbors to celebrate this most wonderful time of the year. In Woodlawn, we celebrated with friends, family, and importantly, SANTA! We lit the Christmas tree, listened to kids sing Christmas songs, and thanked our veterans.

Christmas Tree on Mosholu Parkway I also celebrated Christmas and a Christmas tree lighting on  Mosholu Parkway. With friends from Bronx Community  Board 7, Future of Mosholu Parkland, the NYPD, and more,  it was a great way to spend the evening. Artists in our Community We have incredible talent in our community. I visited an art  show where the work of District 11 resident, Suyapa Quinn,  was proudly displayed. Congratulations Suyapa! Working with our NYPD As you know, I work day in and day out to improve our quality  of life. That is why a few short weeks ago I toured the district  with the NYPD to highlight areas in District 11 where illegal  carwashes and illegally parked tractor trailers and RVs  were the cause of numerous constituent complaints. Whether you complained because these illegal vehicles and  businesses were taking up parking, causing traffic jams,  leaving garbage, causing environmental hazards, or simply  because they were an eyesore, I heard you. As a direct result of our tour, the NYPD has started towing  cars and has cleared out illegal carwashes in the district. I am proud of our collaboration with the NYPD, but there's  more to do. Unless the NYPD continues to enforce already  existing laws, these vehicles will return. I will continue to  work with the NYPD to ensure our laws are enforced and  your quality of life is improved. Window Guards Installed at Overlook Manor Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and I are proud to announce  that as a direct result of our advocacy, window guards have  been installed at the Overlook Manor migrant shelter (435  West 238th Street). This critical safety measure ensures a  safer environment for families with children in the building. It is part of our ongoing efforts to support the families  sheltered at this site while addressing community concerns  about transparency and safety. Please read the full press release here.

Update on Frisch Field

Frisch Field, a ballfield located in Bronx Park, is in need of significant repair. This upgrade to the park was supposed to have been completed this month, but ran into significant delays due to underlying conditions at the park. I have been working with the Parks Department to move the project forward and ensure the community is informed of the timeline.

According to the Parks Department, the scope of the Frisch Field Reconstruction project has been expanded to address potential subsurface conditions that could negatively impact the long-term viability of the Capital work, such as collapsed drainpipes and poor soil structure. A leaking pipe, which affects drainage, has been discovered and needs to be reconstructed as well. Due to the broken DEP drain line, there is an additional scope of reconstructing the stone retaining walls that has also been added to this project.

As of now, the design is 100% complete, and they are in the procurement stage.

Visit to Darul Ahnaf

I visited Darul Ahnaf, an Islamic education and Da'wah center in Norwood. The children spoke to me about their hopes and dreams for our community and I shared with them what I do and how I help our community.

I was moved by how dedicated the students were to the betterment of our community, and look forward to continued partnerships with Darul Ahnaf.

City Hall

Education Hearing

During my time as a public school special education teacher, I incorporated health education into my classroom curricula, and served as a health advisor in the Health Resource Room. I believed then as I believe now, that the education of our students should not be limited to what is proscribed on a standardized test.

As a City Council member, the health and well-being of our students remains a paramount issue for me. The Education Committee of the NYC Council recently held a hearing on health and sex education in our school system. The Department of Education laid out the steps it is taking to ensure our students have quality health education in school. But much of their testimony lacked substance. They testified on the investments they made, but I was disturbed by the lack of data detailing the impact of their work. They were unable to testify whether individual students, schools, or districts are assessed on the health education curriculum, how the education provided impacts disparate health outcomes, how health education is incorporated into traditional academic curricula, or to what extent resources are allocated based on the needs of various neighborhoods.

Read the full letter I sent to the DOE requesting important information here.

E-bike Registration

E-bike usage has soared in recent years. For some, e-bikes are a lifeline, allowing people to earn money delivering food. For others, they are a means of transportation, allowing them to get to and from work or a friend's house. But they're not without problems.

During my time in the Council, we have addressed the dangers of e-bike batteries with legislation and programs that ensure only safe batteries can be purchased, and that dangerous batteries can be traded in for safe, certified batteries.

Yet many of us remain concerned about motorized vehicles on our sidewalks and other illegal and dangerous driving behaviors that pose a hazard to pedestrians. That's why I am sponsoring legislation that would require every bicycle with electric assist, electric scooter and other legal motorized vehicle be licensed and registered, just like motorcycles and cars are licensed.

City of Yes

On December 5, the NYC Council voted to pass Mayor Adams's City of Yes plan by a relatively slim margin of 31-20. I advocated for significant improvements to the plan, many of which are reflected in the final text.

There was significant community input into my decision. I held numerous webinars and received feedback from my community survey, through emails, and by talking to you at community meetings and in the neighborhood. Your voices were critical in my final decision.

Ultimately, the plan did not meet the needs of our community and I voted no.

I encourage you to read a longer explanation of my vote by clicking here.

Thank you to everyone who reached out and made their voices heard on this critical vote.

Holding CUNY Accountable

As chair of the Committee on Higher Education, I am committed to ensuring all students feel safe and welcome on our CUNY Campuses.

Last month I conducted a hearing on Judge Lippman's report on Antisemitism and Discrimination on CUNY Campuses. Chancellor Mator Rodriguez testified, but there was critical information that was absent from his testimony. After the hearing, I formally requested information related to CUNY's response to discrimination on campus and progress on implementing the commission's findings.

I encourage you to read coverage of the hearing from the Daily News, the NY Post, and amNY. You can also watch a recording of the hearing online.

I will continue to work with partners in and out of government to ensure CUNY implements policies that keep its students safe.

Happy Chanukah, New York City!

On Tuesday, I hosted the NYC Council's Second Annual Holiday Celebration. As Chair of the NYC Council's Jewish Caucus, I have worked to expand our cultural imprint within the Council and share our customs and celebrations with other Council Members and the community at large.

We were thrilled that the SAR Choir provided entertainment. They sang beautifully, and represented Riverdale well! We also honored two very special individuals, Charles Tebele and the comedian Modi.

Submit a Capital Project Idea!

I'm excited to announce that my office has created a feedback form to gather your valuable input on capital projects for our community as we prepare for Fiscal Year 2026.

As constituents of District 11, you have the opportunity to suggest new capital projects that require a minimum budget of $50,000. These projects could include improvements to parks, upgrades to schools, infrastructure enhancements, or the addition of community facilities that will benefit our neighborhood for years to come.

Past projects have included significant investments such as $5 million for renovating the JFK campus football field and $750,000 for a new playground at PS24. Your ideas can help shape our initiatives and ensure we are addressing the needs of our community. Please take a moment to fill out the form linked below.

Submit a project idea here!

To see the calendar for upcoming committee hearings, please click on the following form or here.

To submit testimony, please click here!

Note to All Constituents

Please read all the terms and conditions of your leases to ensure you have full knowledge of what you are signing onto. 

In addition, your leases MUST be signed by the respective landlord in order to be recognized as a legal document of the State of New York. If you are having difficulty with any of the above, our office is happy to assist. 

The Major Capital Improvements (MCI) rent increases are rent increases applied for by landlords to sustain building-wide improvements. Please be advised that the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) MUST approve them, and tenants are able to fight these increases. If you require assistance regarding MCI rent increases, our office will be happy to help you.

 

Sincerely, Council Member Eric Dinowitz Chair, Higher Education Chair, Jewish Caucus District 11 dinowitz@council.nyc.gov

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