Bronx Chamber of Commerce - BRONX BUSINESS AWARDS MARCH 9, 2017

  

Save The Date:

 

Thursday, March 9, 2017 Marina del Rey Caterers

5:30 pm - 10:30 pm

 

Bronx Business Awards

2017 Gala Celebration

 

Members and Friends of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce are requested to nominate companies or organizations to receive Special Recognition and Distinguished Awards at the Bronx Business Awards 2017 Gala Celebration in following categories:

  

• Developer of the Year
• MWBE Company of the Year
• Non-Profit Organization of the Year
• Health Provider of the Year
• Educational Institution of the Year
• Made in The Bronx Award of the Year

 

Please forward your nominations on or before January 16, 2017 to Nunzio Del Greco, President and CEO via email: Nunzio@BronxChamber.org

Nunzio Del Greco

President and CEO
Bronx Chamber of Commerce

"The Network For Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
Nunzio@bronxchamber.org

 

"You never know where your next big deal is going to come from"!

Town Hall Meeting re: GWB Bus Station Project

Council Member  Ydanis Rodriguez

Dear Friends and Neighbors,   I would like to invite you to this town hall regarding the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. Please come to find out and ask questions about where the project stands and how it will benefit the community.  Sincerely, Ydanis Rodriguez Chair, Council Transportation Committee District 10: Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill

Comptroller Stringer Audit Finds Subway WiFi and Cell Service Fully Functioning at 150 Stations

Auditors tested WiFi and cell service at subway stations in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx

   A new audit  released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer showed that WiFi and cell service equipment installed in 150 underground subway stations by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Transit Wireless is fully functioning. The stations tested, which had service installed as part of Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Transit Wireless’ contract with the MTA, serve the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, J, L, M, N, Q, R, 42nd Street Shuttle, and Z lines in Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.

The audit also found that the “Subway Reads” program – a partnership between the MTA, Transit Wireless, and Penguin Random House that allows subway riders to download short stories and book excerpts – was functioning in all 150 stations that auditors visited.

“This audit shows that New York City is moving into the future, that we can be underground but don’t have to disconnect from the world,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “Bringing WiFi and cell service into our mass transit system will boost productivity, increase safety, and make commutes more enjoyable. Right now, the MTA’s program is on track, and that’s no doubt something to celebrate.”

Between June 28, 2016 and November 6, 2016 auditors visited 150 underground subway stations and tested internet access and cell service on laptops and cell phones. Tests included placing phone calls, sending text messages, visiting social media websites, streaming online video and audio content, sending emails, and downloading content from the “Subway Reads” program.

Under its contract, Transit Wireless has until the end of 2017 to install WiFi and cell service in the remaining underground subway stations. In its response to the audit, the MTA indicated, as well as recently announced publicly, that the agency was on schedule to bring wireless communication to the remaining stations by the end of December 2016 – a full year early. The Comptroller’s Office plans to test the entire system once final installation is verified.

To read the full audit – and see a list of subway stations that were tested – click here.

NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION CAPTAIN AND TWO OFFICERS SENTENCED FOR COVERING UP BEATING OF INMATE

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a New York City Department of Correction captain and two officers have been sentenced to five years’ probation for covering up an assault on an inmate in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. 

   District Attorney Clark said, “These Correction Officers concealed an assault on an inmate during the chaotic days after Superstorm Sandy, but were caught and prosecuted for a felony, and now they have lost their jobs. Correction Officers must realize that they will pay a steep price if they cover up brutality or corruption on Rikers Island.” 

  

   District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Moises Simancas, 40, Tyrone Wint, 31, and April Jackson, 36, were sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus to five years’ probation, and waived their right to appeal. The defendants pleaded guilty to first-degree Falsifying Business Records on November 10, 2016.

  According to the investigation, on October 30, 2012, a day after Superstorm Sandy hit New York, inmates at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island were confined in their cells for longer than usual. After a dispute with inmate Gabino Genao, Captain Simancas and COs Wint and Jackson handcuffed him and took him to a vestibule where they allegedly beat him. The officers falsified reports regarding the incident. 

   The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Newton Mendys, Supervisor of the Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and Meagan Powers of the Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Stuart Levy, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and Jean T. Walsh, Chief of the Investigations Division. 

  District Attorney Clark also thanked Investigator Alexandria Maldonado of the Department of Correction Investigations Division and Assistant Inspector General Carmelo Galarza and Inspector General Jennifer Sculco of the Department of Investigation.

MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER, MUTILATION OF ELDERLY BRONX MAN

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a man has been indicted for Murder and other crimes for bludgeoning and stabbing a 68-year-old man who had solicited an intimate relationship with him. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The ferocity of the attack on this victim was shocking. The defendant now faces charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.” 

  

   District Attorney Clark said that Jerry Pagan, 32, address unknown, was charged with second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Pagan was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice William Mogulescu. He was remanded and is due back in court on March 30, 2017.

  

  According to the investigation, on the evening of December 3, 2016, in the Sheridan Avenue home of the victim, Richard Reed, Pagan confronted Reed over a previous sexual encounter and struck him in the head with a hammer and stabbed him multiple times. Pagan then mutilated Reed’s body. 

  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan of the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision of Nicole Keary, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division and Jeremy Shockett, Chief of the Trial Division. 

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

NYC DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES CALLS ON NEW YORKERS TO TAKE PART IN CITYWIDE EFFORT TO COUNT CITY'S UNSHELTERED POPULATION ON MONDAY, JANUARY 23

Agency recruiting 3,000 volunteers to assist with annual HOPE count of street homeless individuals in all five boroughs

    The Department of Homeless Services asks New Yorkers to volunteer for its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) to assist the agency and community partners in estimating the number of individuals living on the streets, in parks, subways, and other public spaces across the city. HOPE 2017 will take place on Monday evening, January 23, from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.

Having an accurate count of unsheltered New Yorkers is crucial to combat homelessness, and on the night of HOPE, DHS will need a minimum of 3,000 New Yorkers to collect this data, which is mandated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The vital information volunteers collect will mean that City outreach teams are able to help even more individuals move from the streets to a more stable, safe environment. Those interested in volunteering and participating in an extraordinary citywide effort should visit www.nyc.gov/hope to register.

New York City continues to be a national leader in investing in and developing programs to serve people living on the street, with outreach teams mobilized in all five boroughs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; specialized housing set aside for the street homeless; and targeted funding to ensure that adequate resources reach the individuals most in need. HOPE 2016 found that 2,794 homeless individuals were living on the streets of New York City on the night of the count. This is a 12 percent decline from the 3,182 unsheltered individuals in 2015 and is the second annual decline in a row. There was a 20 percent decrease, the first in seven years, in subway system homeless, going from 1,976 in 2015 to 1,573 in 2016.

“It’s essential to know how many New Yorkers need our services, and the HOPE count is an important part of that. Now, with the Mayor’s HOME-STAT initiative, we are greatly increasing our outreach program to help bring people in from the streets, and we will also have more information about homelessness on the streets going forward,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.

Through HOME-STAT, the City now conducts quarterly nighttime street counts to complement the federal HOPE count requirement and to provide more information to target services to bring New Yorkers in from the streets. HOME-STAT remains the most comprehensive street homeless outreach initiative in any major national city. It has doubled the number of street homeless outreach staff members working to connect individuals to the resources they need to place them in housing and has expanded outreach services into indoor spaces, such as libraries and hospitals. Since its launch in March 2016 through October 2016, HOME-STAT has helped 690 street homeless individuals transition from the streets through connecting them to permanent housing or transitional housing options, such as safe havens.

HOPE began in 2003 with 1,000 volunteers in Manhattan and now covers all five boroughs. Over 3,800 New Yorkers volunteered for HOPE 2016, a record total. New York City’s HOPE count is the largest nationwide effort of its kind and has been identified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a best practice survey method. Cities wishing to draw down funding for homeless services provided by the McKinney-Vento Act are required to conduct such a survey. In New York City, McKinney-Vento funding is used to develop supportive housing, an important service model in New York City’s effort to reduce street homelessness.

Statement From BP DIAZ - NEW YORK SELECTED FOR NATIONAL SNAP PILOT PROGRAM

   Following nearly a year of advocacy by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney and others, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the selection of New York State to participate in a nationwide pilot program to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online.

Borough President Diaz and Congressman Maloney led the campaign in New York State to bring about this innovative change, which will allow consumers greater access to affordable groceries, help combat food deserts, promote healthier diet choices and create billions of dollars in new business opportunities.

“New York State has always led the way when it comes to innovation in government, and this pilot program will put our state at the intersection of health, technology and business. Allowing consumers to use their SNAP benefits in the same way you would also use a credit or debit card to purchase groceries will lead to lower prices and greater options for consumers in every corner of this city and state,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I want to thank Congressman Maloney and our New York delegation, our partners in business and the health and hunger advocates who understood the need for this pilot program and joined our efforts to bring this important new program to New York.”

“Working hand-in-glove with Borough President Diaz, we delivered on our goal of bringing the SNAP program in New York State into the 21st century. This pilot will help make it easier and more efficient for New York families to put food on their tables. New York has always paved the way for new ideas and innovations – this pilot program is no different - and I want to thank my colleagues in Congress for joining us in bringing this program to New York,” said Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney.

Borough President Diaz initially proposed such changes in his “State of the Borough” address in February 2016. In July 2016, Borough President Diaz participated in a conference on Capitol Hill to address the need for technological advancements for SNAP benefit users with Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. The next month, the borough president authored a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack urging his department to select New York State for this pilot program.

Congressman Maloney was integral in drumming up support for the pilot program in Congress. In November, the congressman led his colleagues in the New York State delegation on a letter to Secretary Vilsack, in which they jointly called for New York’s selection in the pilot program.

As part of the pilot program, the USDA has selected two vendors—Amazon and FreshDirect—to serve customers in New York State. Both companies worked closely with Borough President Diaz to bring the pilot program to New York. In addition, FreshDirect launched a similar pilot program in The Bronx, in conjunction with the borough president, in 2012.

“I am grateful for the support of both FreshDirect and Amazon on this technological innovation, and I look forward to working with both companies on its implementation.This announcement by the USDA will allow New York to set the example for the entire nation on public/private partnerships that improve nutrition, fight hunger and offer consumers greater choices, all while expanding the marketplace,” said Borough President Diaz.

The USDA’s announcement is below.

USDA Announces Retailer Volunteers for SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2017 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the seven retail firms selected to take part in a pilot designed to enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. The two-year pilot is slated to begin this summer. 

"Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "We're looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP." 

• Firms selected include: 
• Retailers - Pilot States 
• Amazon - Maryland, New Jersey, New York 
• FreshDirect - New York 
• Safeway - Maryland, Oregon, Washington, 
• ShopRite - Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania 
• Hy-Vee, Inc. - Iowa 
• Hart's Local Grocers - New York (based in Rochester) 
• Dash's Market - New York (based in Buffalo) 

The firms selected represent a variety of store types, including national online retailers as well as large grocery chains and smaller, regional networks to appropriately test online SNAP purchasing in different settings. Pilots will take place in seven states in both rural and urban areas, marking the next critical step in bringing the online purchasing option to SNAP clients. 

While USDA has authorized SNAP online grocery ordering in a few locations, this pilot will test both online ordering and payment. Online payment presents technical and security challenges that will need to be examined and fully addressed before it is offered nationwide. As with the core program, SNAP participants will only be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible items online – not to pay for service or delivery charges. USDA is committed to maintaining the security of SNAP benefits for both the protection of SNAP participant accounts and to prevent and detect trafficking, so SNAP online purchases must have a higher level of security than most other online purchases. 

As the pilot proceeds and USDA confirms the system is operating as required, we anticipate being able to add additional retailers. Eventually, our goal is for this to be a national option for SNAP participants, once the pilot phase is complete and USDA can incorporate lessons learned into program rules. 

USDA has taken many steps in the last several years to strengthen SNAP and increase access to healthy foods. Recently, USDA announced a purchase and delivery pilot, which is designed for non-profits and government entities to improve access to groceries solely for homebound elderly and disabled SNAP participants. USDA also provided funding to incentivize participants in SNAP to purchase more healthy fruits and vegetables through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program, increased farmers market participation in SNAP to improve access to fresh and nutritious food, and announced final changes to increase access to healthy food choices for SNAP participants by requiring authorized retail establishments to offer a larger inventory and variety of healthy food options. 

As the nation's first line of defense against hunger, SNAP helps put food on the table for millions of low income families and individuals every month and has never been more critical to the fight against hunger. SNAP is a vital supplement to the monthly food budget of more than 43 million low-income individuals. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children, 10 percent are over 60 and more than 40 percent of recipients live in households with earnings. 

January 2017 at KRVC

Mark your Calendars!  Don't miss these great KRVC events  coming up this month!