Council Member Marjorie Velázquez - Welcome August + Upcoming Events

Dear Neighbor,

This summer has been full of community health and public safety concerns— and passion by the community to find alternatives to enhance our district. I am thankful for your support, understanding, and patience with each inquiry, as I strive to ensure you all have a seat at the table. First and foremost, YOU are my priority, and I will not back down from my role as a community leader and fellow resident.

Many of you have inquired about more community-focused and family-centered events, and we listened! I am proud to announce that over the next few months, there will be an increase in programming throughout the district to meet the needs of you and your fellow community members. While we have several programs in the works, please fill out this form (click here) to share your ideas of what you want to see and experience.

To meet the needs of the increase in constituent cases, my team and I will offer mobile office hours, each month in a different part of the district. If you have time-sensitive questions or require immediate assistance, contact my office Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM at (718) 931-1721 or via email at District13@council.nyc.gov.

Sincerely,

Council Member Marjorie Velázquez

Mobile Office Hours

Starting Monday, August 8th, join me and my team for Mobile Office Hours. On Monday, we will be at the Morris Park Library (985 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY 10462) from 3 PM to 5 PM to address any questions or concerns you may have. We’re here to help YOU make the most out of your community. See you there!

What’s Happening In District 13?

Sinkhole on Radcliffe Avenue

It has been two and a half weeks since our neighbors in Morris Park had a sinkhole form in their neighborhood. My office has been working alongside the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure operations continue. Emergency teams have been working to repair the damaged sections, particularly the sewer main; work is expected to take another week, but is dependent on weather conditions. My team and I are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible, and are working with state and federal partners to manage this process.

There have been no reports of residential impacts at this time; all customers have both water and sewer service. If your home has been impacted, please contact my office or 311 to file a claim.

The following street closures remain in effect: Radcliff Avenue between Van Nest and Pierce Avenue.

NYC Emergency Management will conduct a follow-up on Monday, August 8, 2022, at 10 AM.

#NationalNightOut

This year's National Night Out on August 2nd, was full of life and community enrichment. The #VelaSquad met with constituents, gave out over 1,000 Covid-19 test kits and masks. We also honored police officers from the 45th and 49th Precinct, as well as members of the community for their contributions.

Serving Our Seniors - Public Safety Townhall

Last Friday, I joined Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and the Bronx District Attorney's office, to host a public safety townhall to address the safety concerns our seniors face. I joined virtually due to testing positive for Covid-19, but did not want to miss out on this important meeting. We are committed to ensuring our seniors have access to the necessary resources to live a healthy and safe life. Thank you, R.A.I.N. for hosting the event at your senior center!

MTA Mobile Sales Van The mobile MTA sales van will be outside 3602 E Tremont Ave (between Scott Pl & Sullivan Pl) on the 2nd & 4th Friday of every month from 1pm to 3pm. The mobile MTA sales van accepts debit, credit, and cash payments. They also provide services for senior and disability transit cards. Our mailing address is: 3040 E Tremont, Bronx, NY 10461

MAYOR ADAMS NOMINATES MILTON WILLIAMS JR. TO CHAIR CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BOARD

 

  New York City Mayor Eric Adams today nominated Milton Williams Jr. to serve as chair of the Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB). COIB is the independent city agency tasked with administering, enforcing, and interpreting the city's Conflicts of Interest Law. Its five board members — who serve without compensation — must be selected on the basis of their “independence, integrity, civic commitment, and high ethical standards.” The nomination will be presented to the New York City Council for its advice and consent.

“Milton Williams is an extremely qualified and experienced individual who will help ensure all city employees work with the public’s best interests at heart every day,” said Mayor Adams. “Our city is lucky to have him continue his contributions to public service and commit to ensuring that the city’s public servants are held to the highest ethical standards.”

 

“The Conflicts of Interest Board is a critical component of good government in our city. It ensures that city employees are informed of and abide by their ethical obligations as public servants,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Brendan McGuire. “Milton Williams’ record of integrity, accomplishment, and collaboration make him an exceptional choice for the position of chair. We are confident that the city and its employees will benefit from his leadership.”

 

“It is an honor to be asked by Mayor Adams to serve as chairperson of the Conflicts of Interest Board,” said Milton Williams, COIB chair nominee. “I look forward to having the opportunity to do this important work.”

 

About Milton Williams Jr.

Milton Williams Jr. has a long record of leadership in the city, state, and federal bars and has a deep civic commitment. He is a former federal prosecutor and has  over three decades of experience in white collar criminal and regulatory matters, employment law, and litigation. In the course of his distinguished career, he has tried more than 56 cases — both civil and criminal — to verdict.

 

Williams is currently a partner at the law firm Walden Macht & Haran, where he has litigated discrimination claims, restrictive covenants, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley retaliation claims, as well as Securities and Exchange Commission and Internal Revenue Service whistleblower claims on behalf of employees.

 

Williams has served as deputy general counsel and chief compliance officer at Time Inc., where his responsibilities included internal investigations, compliance, intellectual property, privacy, and data security.

 

Earlier in his career, Williams served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Williams also served as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, co-chair of the Moreland Commission to investigate public corruption, and as a member of the New York City Board of Correction. He has a long record of service with several organizations that are dedicated to increasing the fairness, professionalism, and efficiency of state and federal courts.

VCJC News & Notes 8/5/22

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful! Reminders Shabbos Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar. Here are the times you need:   Shabbos Candles Friday 8/5/22 @ 7:48 pm Shabbos morning services at 8:45 am.  Please join the services if you can do so safely.  Shabbos Ends Saturday 8/6/22 @ 8:51 pm   Tisha B'Av Fast begins 8/6/22 @ 8:05 pm Shacharit 8/7/22 @ 8:30 am in the Daily Chapel.  Fast Ends 8:49 pm There will be an educational program starting at 3 pm and running until approximately 7:30 pm.  The topic will be: Discover the priceless value of every person including YOURSELF. The video presentation includes:    Rabbi Shmuel Kamemnetsky Rabbi Elya Brudny Rabbi Yissocher Frand Rabbi Paysach Krohn Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro Charlie Harari Rabbi Yisroel Majeski

Senator Rivera on the Biden Administration Declaring MPV/Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency

 

“The Biden administration finally listened to our call to declare MPV/Monkeypox a public health emergency. Now our efforts to contain the virus should ramp up quickly, especially in regards to adequate and equitable vaccine distribution and accelerating access to treatment options for MPV.  New York State and New York City continue to have the highest number of confirmed cases anywhere in the country, with approximately 25% of all cases in the U.S. being in New York. Our distribution of vaccine supply from the federal government has not corresponded to the number of cases we have. It is critical that the federal government change its allocation plans to ensure New York is receiving a sufficient share of vaccine doses to proactively stop the spread of this disease. Once again, I urge the federal government to expedite the availability of medical regimens to aid in the containment and treatment of MPV/monkeypox. As my colleagues and I wrote in a recent letter to Secretary Becerra, it is critical that we listen to medical experts and remove administrative barriers to available treatment options to provide prompt care to those who have been affected by this virus.”

NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera

Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Ammunition in Connection with Non-Fatal Shooting Outside the Queensbridge Houses

 

The Defendant, a Member of the Makk Balla Brims Bloods Gang, the King of Queens Gang, and a Street Drug Dealing Crew in Astoria, Shot the Victim Three Times at Close Range

 Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Tyreik Jackson, also known as “Marlo,” a member of the Makk Balla Brims Bloods street gang, the King of Queens street gang and a narcotics-trafficking crew that controlled the vicinity of 8th Street and Astoria Boulevard in Queens, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee to 10 years’ imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.  Jackson possessed the ammunition in connection with shooting an individual over a perceived drug-dealing dispute.  Jackson pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2022.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.

“The defendant, who has previously been convicted of a violent felony crime, has demonstrated that he shows no respect for the law or human life.  With today’s sentence, he is deservedly removed from the community,” stated United States Attorney Peace.   “Fortunately, in this case, the victim survived.  I commend the prosecutors in our Office and our law enforcement partners who are working tirelessly to deter gun violence bringing cases with serious federal consequences against violent individuals like the defendant.”

Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.

As set forth in court filings, prior to the shooting, members of Jackson’s narcotics-trafficking crew had threatened the victim multiple times, claiming that he had sold marijuana in their territory.  Shortly before midnight on September 26, 2020, Jackson was standing outside a nightclub in Long Island City when he saw the victim ride past him on a scooter.  Jackson was picked up by two associates and driven to the Queensbridge Houses, where both Jackson and the victim had lived as youths.  Jackson walked up to the victim and fired three shots, wounding him in the elbow, hip, and buttocks.  Jackson’s street name was “Marlo,” adopted from the fictional drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield in the HBO show “The Wire.”  Shell casings from the bullets fired by Jackson were recovered by NYPD detectives at the scene of the shooting. 

Jackson was previously convicted in 2008 of felony assault arising from separate attacks in which he struck one victim in the head with a baseball bat and restrained a second victim who was stabbed by another individual.  

This case was brought in conjunction with the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone, and the NYPD’s 114th Precinct.  As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. 

Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams Calls for Council Districting Maps to Ensure Communities of Interest Are Protected

 

As the New York City Council redistricting process continues with newly announced hearings by the New York City Districting Commission, Speaker Adrienne Adams outlined her concerns with the first draft maps for dividing communities of color and communities of interest, conflicting with the Charter-mandated protections to ensure fair representation. The Speaker also reiterated her encouragement for the public to participate in the next steps of the redistricting process. 

Speaker Adams released the following statement: 

“The Council is deeply committed to maintaining the integrity of the New York City Districting Commission, and it is critical that an independent process bound by the guidelines and protections set forth in the Charter is allowed to proceed. There are important foundational principles that need to be prioritized in this process, yet the first set of preliminary maps appear to violate these and do not ensure the adequate representation of certain groups of New Yorkers. 

Maintaining three districts that remain entirely in Staten Island is inconsistent with population changes, creates a malapportionment issue that undermines the ‘one person-one vote’ principle, and forces irrational changes to districts in other boroughs. This seems to be a driving factor in the Commission’s preliminary district boundaries undermining protections for historically marginalized communities of color and for communities of interest, as mandated by the Voting Rights Act and New York City Charter. 

In particular, the preliminary maps break up historically Latino communities in Sunset Park and Red Hook, diluting their voices across multiple districts. Communities of interest in South Brooklyn that have historically been kept together would be separated. Filipino and Tibetan communities in Western Queens would also be divided into multiple districts. 

In Southeast Queens, the draft maps threaten to significantly dilute the impact of Black voters by placing them in a new district as an overwhelming minority. Rochdale Village, which is now the largest affordable co-op development of Black homeowners in Queens, continues to be separated into different districts despite being a united community that deserves to be in a singular district. Additionally, South Asian communities in Southeast Queens continue to be unfairly divided, adding to the marginalization of their voices and representation. 

It is critical that new City Council district lines not only keep communities of interest together, but also preserve principles that were established to protect and enfranchise historically marginalized communities of color. 

As the redistricting process moves forward, with the next round of public hearings just announced for this month, it is absolutely critical for all New Yorkers to make their voices heard on these preliminary maps. As the New York City Districting Commission has indicated, public input is vital to ensure communities and their interests continue to be effectively represented in the New York City Council. I strongly encourage members of all communities to weigh in throughout this important process.” 

Below is a schedule of the New York City Districting Commission’s upcoming hearings: 

NEW YORK CITY DISTRICTING COMMISSION’S NEXT ROUND OF PUBLIC HEARINGS 

DATE & TIME	VENUE & BOROUGH
Tues., Aug. 16 5:30 to 9 pm	Museum of the Moving Image, Sumner Redstone Theater, 36-01 35 Ave Astoria, Queens 11106
Wed., Aug. 17 5:30 to 9 pm	Lehman College (CUNY), Gillet Auditorium, 250 Bedford Park Blvd West, The Bronx 10468
Thurs., Aug. 18 5:30 to 9 pm	Staten Island Borough Hall, 10 Richmond Terrace Rm 125
Sun., Aug 21 3:30 to 7 pm	Medgar Evers College (CUNY), School of Science Health & Technology, Dining Hall, 1638 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn.11225
Mon., Aug. 22 5:30 to 9 pm	Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd., Harlem, Manhattan, 10037

In addition to testifying in person or by Zoom, the public may also submit written testimony and maps by email to PublicTestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov, and by mail at NYC Districting Commission, 253 Broadway, 3rd Floor, NY, NY 10007.