MEXICAN COMMUNITY 6^th ANNUAL CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION IN THE BRONX 

El Grupo Unidos, the organizing committee, which includes C-Town Supermarket, Health Plus and a variety of national vendors and local merchants, will hold its Sixth Annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Belmont section of the Bronx – which holds one of the largest concentrations of Mexicans in the borough, on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

“You know it’s a great day when you witness residents from various cultures joining their Mexican neighbors in celebration,” said event organizer, Radame Perez.  “It’s a strong testament to the diversity of the Bronx.”

Over 3000 expected attendees will take part in the day-long event with live music, raffles, games, face painting, and receiving educational and promotional give-aways.   Participants will also enjoy the taste of Mexican culture with the best in Mexican flair, including tacos and fresh beverages of various flavors from pineapple to coconut.

“The Belmont neighborhood, which is the real Little Italy in the city, is truly a gorgeous mosaic in the Bronx, with Italians and Puerto Ricans, and Albanians and Mexicans,” said Perez.  “Each of us has something important to contribute.”

Cinco de Mayo is the traditional holiday that marks the triumph of Mexico over their French invaders on May 5, 1862. 

Saturday, May 7, 2011 - 10am - 3pm

668 Crescent Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458

(Between Belmont Ave and Cambreleng Ave)

 

The Beginning of Events - Bronx Week
This Year The 40th Anniversary

These two items for Bronx Week came in from the borough president's office.

1.      As part of this year’s Bronx Week celebrations, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be honoring Bronxites that are 100 years of age or older.  If you or someone you know meet this criteria and would like to participate in this event, please contact Larcenia Walton at 718-590-6248 or lwalton@bronxbp.nyc.gov for more information.

   

 2.   Street vendors are invited to take part in the Bronx Week Festival on Mosholu Parkway on Sunday, May 22, hosted by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.  Food, arts & crafts, and an all-day concert draw thousands to the site for the grand finale of the Bronx Week celebration, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. For more information and an application, please contact Sonia Malave at 718-590-3989.

Bronx Week Promo

Here is Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. promoting Bronx Week which runs from May 12th to May 22nd.

Go to www.ilovethebronx.com for more information.

Weekend Recap 

Hundreds of people attended the Neighborhood Festival sponsored by the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center on Saturday. Neighborhood residents and volunteers from the Horace Mann School are pictured here with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council member Oliver Koppell, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and KHCC’s Executive Director Giselle Melendez-Susca.

State Senator Jeff Klein, Councilmember Oliver Koppell, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, helped celebrate the opening of the new baseball season of the Wood-Lean Boys and Girls Club at Sean Healy Field in Woodlawn on Saturday. They are pictured in the attached photo with some of the future superstars.

COMPTROLLER JOHN LIU: CAROUSEL OPERATOR TOOK CITY FOR A RIDE

   City Comptroller John C. Liu today released an audit that found a company that ran three City carousels overcharged customers, maintained little or no records of its cash transactions, and violated health codes.
    The vendor, New York One, was required to pay the City whichever was higher — either a flat fee or a percentage of its sales.  Without fail, the company reported the flat fee was the higher amount.  But the company kept such poor sales records that it was impossible to determine if it paid the City what it owed in 2008 and 2009. Auditors could not find any evidence to back New York One’s claims of its cash revenue from rides, hot dogs, and souvenirs.
    “Our kids want to go for a spin on the merry-go-round, but taxpayers don’t want to be taken for a ride,” Comptroller Liu said.  “This contractor needs to straighten itself out.  The Parks Department needs to monitor the company to ensure taxpayers are getting their due or find someone who is up to the job.”

  Additional financial issues

       Auditors found the operator owes the City $454,325 for restoration and repairs that were not made at the Central Park and Forest Park carousels.
       Auditors found the operator under reported its take from special events at the Central Park carousel by at least $58,424.
       Auditors found the operator charged more than Parks Department guidelines for admissions, food, and souvenirs at the Flushing Meadows
Corona Park carousel.
       Auditors found the operator should spend $110,000 on capital improvements at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park carousel.
       Auditors found that the Parks Department failed to collect up to $151,375 in operating fees from New York One when the vendor ran the Central Park carousel without a contract from January to September 2008.

Health issues

       Auditors found that the operator’s employees built a makeshift toilet in the Central Park carousel’s mechanical room using buckets and a funnel.
       Auditors found that the operator did not maintain the three carousels’ pushcarts, snack bars, and surrounding areas in a safe and sanitary manner.
       Auditors found that the operator continued to use a dirty popcorn
machine and hot dog roller at the Central Park carousel despite a
Parks Department order to halt sales.
       Auditors found that the operator’s food carts at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park carousel were not properly licensed by the Department of Health.

    The audit determined that the Parks Department failed to properly monitor the carousel operator or promptly use the tools at its disposal to enforce the terms and conditions of the contracts.
    New York One currently runs only the Flushing Meadows Corona Park carousel.  The Parks Department cut short the company’s contract to operate the Central Park carousel in February 2010 when it failed to improve its operations.  The Forest Park carousel has been closed since the operator gave up its contract in 2009.

    According to the Annual Concession Report of the City Chief Procurement Officer September 2010, New York One and its related entities operated 25 concessions for which the City received gross revenues of approximately $5 million in fiscal year 2010.
    The Parks Department agreed with the majority of the audit finding and recommendations.  New York One disagreed with most of the audit findings, but agreed with most of its recommendations to get proper licenses and maintain records.
    Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit H. Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings.  The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.

Senator Reverend Diaz to Mayor Michael Bloomberg:“Don’t Fluff Off My Request”

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) released the following statement regarding the one-page letter he received in response to his Freedom Of Information Law request asking for details about Chancellor Cathie Black’s salary and benefits:

“This afternoon, I received an inadequate response to my FOIL request to the New York City Department of Education for any and all information regarding the entire salary, benefits, and other compensation that New York City Schools Chancellor Cathie Black has received or will receive, including any severance or retirement benefits.

The reply only contained a one-page letter dated January 3, 2011 to Cathie Black, signed by both her and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, appointing her as Chancellor of the City School District of the City of New York.  While Mayor Bloomberg actually hired Cathie Black to serve as Schools Chancellor, the Department of Education maintains her records, and I am certain the one-page letter is merely part of the response.

Nothing in that one-page letter explains the “standard benefits package for at-will managerial employees of the Department of Education.”  Nothing in that one-page letter explains if Cathie Black received zero dollars after she left, or if she has received a severance package for her 3-month tenure.

On behalf of my constituents, I will continue pursue this request for information and look forward to a complete reply."

 
     We must add that while the letter from Mayor Bloomberg is dated January 3rd 2011, there is no date below Ms. Blacks acceptance signature, it just states dated without any date. So was she even chancellor, and if so as of when was it?

Freedom of Information Law Request

This came in from Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.

Records Access Officer
NYC Department of Education
52 Chambers Street, Room 308
New York, New York 10007

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is a FOIL request for any and all information regarding the entire salary, benefits, and other compensation that New York City Schools Chancellor Cathie Black has received or will receive, including any severance or retirement benefits.

Should there be any portion of this request that is denied, please state the reasons for denying my request.  A prompt response to my request is mandated by statute.

Respectfully,

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz