MAYOR DE BLASIO, POLICE COMMISSIONER O’NEILL, FIRE COMMISSIONER NIGRO SPEAK ABOUT ACCIDENT IN TIMES SQUARE

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: I want to give you an update. We had a very serious incident today here in Times Square. We’re going to provide you with information. I want to emphasize upfront – this is preliminary information. Obviously, investigation underway. There’s a lot we will learn in the coming hours, but we’re going to give you the information we have at this point. I’ll start, then you’ll hear from our Police Commissioner James O’Neill, and our Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro.

So far what we know – 23 individuals were injured in this incident. And that includes tragically one young woman who has passed away. The perpetrator is in custody. He is a United States citizen and a former member of the armed forces with the United States Navy. He has a criminal history. Commissioner will go over that in a moment.

Based on the information we have at this moment, there is no indication that this was an act of terror. I want to clarify again – based on the information we have at this moment, there is no indication that this was an act of terrorism.

That being said, we are reinforcing key locations around the city with our anti-terror units of the NYPD. So out of an abundance of caution, major sites in this city will get additional police coverage from our anti-terror units.

We all feel deeply right now for those who were injured and for their families, and particularly for the family of the young woman who was lost. Our prayers are with her family and with all those who right now are suffering because of this horrible incident. 

I want to thank all of our first responders. The perpetrator was apprehended very quickly. And I want to thank all of the first responders who immediately came to the scene to aid the wounded. And you’ll get an update on the status of those who were affected from the Fire Commissioner.

This is a tough day for New York City. But as usual, the people of New York City will stand firm, will be resilient. We have tremendous faith in our first responders who handled this situation so quickly. And we will provide regular updates as more information emerges.

  Police Commissioner James O’Neill: Alright ready to roll, we’re good? Alright, thank you.

Alright, so as the Mayor said, this is preliminary information. This incident happened about an hour-and-a-half ago, so it's all subject to change. And this is what we talk about at every press conference – we try to get as much information out to you as possible, as soon as possible.

So at approximately 11:55 A.M., a 2009 Honda Accord passenger vehicle mounted the sidewalk on the west side of Seventh Avenue and West 42nd Street in Times Square. The vehicle, occupied by a male driver, proceeded to drive at a high rate of speed along the sidewalk from 42nd Street to 45th Street, striking a number of pedestrians along the way. The Honda eventually came to a stop on the northwest corner of West 45th Street, where it collided with a metal stanchion.

Along the route, the subject’s vehicle struck 23 pedestrians, causing multiple injuries and one fatality. Twenty-two victims were removed to local hospitals.

The driver, a 26-year-old male, identified as Richard Rojas, a resident of the Bronx, was taken into custody at the scene. Preliminary investigation reveals that Rojas has a few arrests, and two of them are for DWI. Detectives are currently reviewing any other criminal history for the subject. Further investigation is ongoing.

At this point, as the Mayor said, there is no indication that this incident was terrorism related.

  Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro: Thank you, and I’ll talk about the injuries in general terms as we do. We’re not going to talk about names or specific injuries.

We did have one person who was pronounced at the scene.

There were four critical patients removed: two to Bellevue, two to Roosevelt with very traumatic injuries including open fractures, including multiple traumas. None of those at this point, thanks to the fact that they were quickly transported to this hospital, is likely. But that doesn’t mean they are cleared. None of those four are right now likely to perish, conditions can change.

We’re very hopeful that the fact they were treated here quickly and removed quickly, that they will survive.

Three other injuries were very serious, but not critical, they were also removed to local hospitals.

Fifteen are less serious injuries – we call green tag injuries – all of these people have now been transported to the hospitals, are being treated. [Inaudible] divulge any names, or ages, or where they come from at this point.

But there was a very large amount of Fire Department, Police Department, and emergency services arriving here very quickly, and thanks to that, people received care in a very timely fashion.

Bronx County Democratic Committee Announce Support of Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj for New York City Council

  Today, the Bronx County Democratic Committee gathered at their Eastchester Road headquarters to announce their support for Democrat Assembly member Mark Gjonaj in his campaign for City Council. Elected officials in attendance included Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman, Assembly members Luis Sepulveda, Latoya Joyner, Jeff Dinowitz, Michael Benedetto, and Victor Pichardo, State Senator Jose M. Serrano, current City Council members Vanessa Gibson, and Rafael Salamaca. Several district leaders were also on hand to give their support to 13th Council District hopeful current 80th Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj who is running to replace term-limited Jimmy Vacca.

"Mark Gjonaj has been a powerful fighter for his district and the entire Bronx in the New York State Assembly, and I know he will bring that same passion and energy to the City Council. I am proud to join my colleagues today in support of Mark Gjonaj's campaign for City Council, and I urge my fellow Democrats to support him and his vision for the 13th City Council District," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.  I look forward to working with Mark Gjonaj at City Hall.”

Assemblyman Michael Benedetto who covers the neighboring 82nd Assembly District may have said it best when talking about why he is supporting Mark Gjonaj for the 13th City Council seat. Benedetto said that Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj is doing such a good job in Albany that it makes him (Benedetto) look bad, and he would love to see Mark Gjonaj become the new council member in an a district they both would overlap. 

Everyone one else from Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda to Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson could not top what Assemblyman Benedetto had said, but they also spoke of the terrific job that Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj was doing in Albany, and could do at City Hall.

Assembly member Mark Gjonaj said he was thankful to have the support of his fellow Democrats, Adding that“I am grateful to have the support of so many colleagues. For years, we have worked together for the betterment of The Bronx. The mission has not changed: create more jobs, increase our police force, enhance our neighborhoods, and combat homelessness. I look forward to the opportunity to continuing our work together and representing Bronxites from City Hall,”

 

Above - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. tells why he is endorsing Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj for the term-limited 13th City Council seat.

Below - The current Bronx Democratic County Leader Marcos Crespo adds to what Bronx BP Diaz said about endorsing Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj for the 13th City Council seat.

Above - Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda explains why he is endorsing his good friend and fellow assembly member Mark Gjonaj for City Council.

Below - Assemblyman Victor Pichardo tells of the hard work Mark Gjonaj has done in the Assembly. Next to Assemblyman Pichardo is the another Northwest Bronx Assembly member Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, who is wiping the sweat from his brow. 

Above - Finally Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj with his wife Roberta on one side, and his mother Rosa on the other side thanks all the elected officials present, and those who had to do their jobs and could not make it here for their support, while pledging to improve on the good job that the current 13th City Council member Jimmy Vacca has done.

Below With BP Diaz now on one side and his son Nicholas on the other the cheers continue with some chants of GJONAJ, GJONAJ, GJONAJ.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON ASSEMBLY PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK HEALTH PLAN

   

“While the fight to save the Affordable Care Act is far from over, the State Assembly has taken a major step forward today to protect the health of working families across New York – including the more than 1 million people who stand to lose coverage.  The New York Health Plan will ensure that every resident has access to health care, and that the City’s public hospital system is able to continue to deliver quality care to the New Yorkers who need it most. I applaud Speaker Heastie, Assembly Health Committee Chairman Gottfried and all members of the Assembly Democratic Conference for fighting to save the lives of millions of New Yorkers.  I also applaud Senator Rivera for sponsoring the Senate version and urge the Senate to pass the bill.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF POVERTY MEASURE REPORT: FIRST STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN NEAR-POVERTY SINCE THE GREAT RECESSION

  The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity – known until today as the Center for Economic Opportunity – today released its annual New York City Government Poverty Measure report, covering the years 2005-2015. The report shows a significant one-year decline in the near-poverty rate (the percentage living below 150% of New York City’s poverty threshold) from 45.1 percent in 2014 to 44.2 percent in 2015. This is the largest one-year decline since the NYC-specific poverty measure began tracking the rate, beginning with 2005 data, and the first statistically significant one-year drop since the Great Recession. Additionally, analysis by the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity using 2013 census data also showed that NYC is on track to lift 281,000 New Yorkers out of poverty between the start of 2014 and the end of 2017 – five years ahead of the timeline laid out by OneNYC.

The report released today also demonstrated that the percentage of New Yorkers in actual poverty fell to 19.9% from 20.7% over the two-year 2013-2015 period, a statistically significant decline.  On a one-year basis, poverty fell from 20.6 in 2014.  Poverty is at its lowest level since the Great Recession. 

 “For the first time since the recession, we are seeing significant results showing fewer New Yorkers are living at or near the poverty line. It may sound small, but it is a really big deal,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our analysis also shows that 281,000 New Yorkers will be lifted out of poverty or near-poverty by the end of this year. These are promising numbers, and we are going to continue implementing progressive policies that make New York City a fairer and more equitable place to live."

“This report is the first issued under its new name, and it brings good news: New York City is reducing poverty and broadening opportunity,” said Matthew Klein, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (formerly the Center for Economic Opportunity).  “The City is focused and committed to building on these gains and achieving even greater progress.” 

"This administration's focus on equity is unwavering", said Mindy Tarlow, Director of the Mayor's Office of Operations. "NYC Opportunity has been, and will continue to be, a key partner in our ongoing efforts to reduce inequality and advance opportunity for struggling New Yorkers."

Many groups also saw significant declines in rates of at or near poverty from 2013-2015, including: Men, Women, childless families, single parents with children, including single mothers, children in one-parent families, citizens and naturalized citizens, working age adults, seniors, Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics, high school educated only, bachelor degree or higher, Brooklyn, Queens. 

The newly-designated Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity) evolved from its origins in two separate but related mayoral units – the Center for Economic Opportunity and HHS-Connect. The Center was created a decade ago as one of the country’s first municipal innovation labs, and HHS-Connect was created to use data and technology to more holistically support clients of the City's health and human services.

Under Mayor de Blasio, NYC Opportunity uses evidence and innovation to reduce poverty and increase equity. It advances research, data and design in the City’s program and policy development, service delivery, and budget decisions. Its work includes analyzing existing anti-poverty approaches, developing new interventions, facilitating the sharing of data across City agencies, and rigorously assessing the impact of key initiatives. NYC Opportunity manages a discrete fund and works collaboratively with City agencies to design, test and oversee new programs and digital products.  Part of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, NYC Opportunity is active in supporting the de Blasio administration’s priority to make equity a core governing principle across all agencies.  

NYC Opportunity’s annual New York City Government (NYCgov) Poverty Measure provides a more accurate and comprehensive picture of poverty in New York City than the federal rate.  The higher threshold of the NYCgov measure considers the cost of living in New York City, as well as important sources of income and benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and SNAP, that are not included in the federal measure.

The Mayor announced the results at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture today while discussing strategies for reducing poverty and inequality with Ford Foundation President Darren Walker.  A panel discussion afterwards focused on poverty and evidence at both the local and national level. The panel was comprised of key city leadership – Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives, Rich Buery, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Herminia Palacio,  and Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Maria Torres-Springer – as well as two nationally-recognized experts, Gordon Berlin, President, MDRC, and Cecilia Muñoz, Vice President of Policy and Technology and Director of the National Network at the New America Foundation, and former Director, White House Domestic Policy Council 2012-2017.

Analysis from the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity also showed:

The Mayor’s OneNYC goal of moving 800,000 New Yorkers out of poverty by 2025 is ahead of schedule:

• Today.  Since 2013, an estimated 281,000 people will have moved out of poverty or near poverty by the end of 2017, about the population of the entire city of Newark.  This estimate is based on analysis conducted by NYC Opportunity during the development of One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City using 2013 Census data (the most recent then available) to assess the effects of various minimum wages.  

• Going Forward.  We anticipate that 800,000 people will move out of poverty or near poverty by the end of 2020  --a full five years ahead of schedule - as the minimum wage rises to $15 and other anti-poverty initiatives take hold.  

New York City is creating good jobs:

• The share of New Yorkers with jobs paying more than $50,000 a year rose to its highest level in a decade, up to over 48% of 18-64 year olds working full-time in 2015.

• 124,000 more New Yorkers made more than $50,000 per year in 2015 as compared to 2013. 

• After years of decline, median income rose 4.9% between 2013 ($53,803) and 2015 ($56,455). 

• The poverty rate for NYC Workers (ages 16 to 64) declined 5.9% from 2013 to 2015.  This represents about 52,000 people.

Other recently released data shows more people are working:

• Separately reported unemployment data shows that the NYC unemployment rate dropped to 4% in March, 2017, a record low for New York City.  That means 262,490 more New Yorkers are in workforce today than just three years ago – about as many people as the entire population of Jersey City.

Mott Haven H.E.ARTS Street Festival - Sat, May 20, 12-5 pm

Hundreds to Gather for Mott Haven Health, Education and Arts (H.E.ARTS) Street Festival

 Event to Spotlight Community Efforts to Transform Abandoned, City-Owned Building into Dynamic Home for More than a Dozen Local H.E.ARTS Organizations

This Saturday, from 12-5 pm, hundreds of South Bronx residents, artists, musicians, grassroots organizations and businesses will gather at 349 East 140th Street for a street festival featuring 10 foot murals created by local artists, vendors selling arts, crafts and other apparel, health and education demonstrations, children's activities, cooking lessons, and a packed musical and dance performance line-up, including traditional plena, UpBeat NYC Latin Jazz Big Band, Ballet Folklore Muuchxiimbal, Faculty Latin Jazz Band and UpBeat NYC/Corona Youth Music Project Orchestras.

The event will take place in the heart of Mott Haven, outside an abandoned, 28,000 square foot, city-owned building shuttered for nearly five years that was once home to the Lincoln Detox Center, which sits on a dead-end street adjacent to a large community park.

The festival will highlight local organizations’ efforts to urge the city to transfer the abandoned building to the local community land trust, the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Stewards, which aims to acquire and renovate the building into an anchor of permanent affordability for more than a dozen local organizations focusing on health, education and arts.

The festival follows three community envisioning sessions, a recent community report back showing renderings of the re-envisioned space, and newly acquired financial support from the New York Foundation to undertake a full feasibility study of the project.

VIP Reception & NY Philharmonic Concert 6.13.17

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!! Join us on the lawn of the Van Cortlandt House  Museum for drinks and hors d'oeuvres before  enjoying VIP seats at the New York Philharmonic  Concert in the Park. Tuesday June 13th, 2017 starting at 6:30pm Tickets are $75  Purchase your tickets securely online or send check or money to:

Friends of Van Cortlandt 80th Van Cortlandt Park South Ste. E1 Bronx, NY 10463 (718) 601- 1460

BRONX WEEK 2017 - Bronx Business Luncheon

  Two of this year's ten Bronx Businesses honored at the Bronx Business Luncheon have come from Brooklyn to expand in the Bronx. Grady's Cold Brewed Iced Coffee, and Marley Spoon began operations in Brooklyn, but when business exploded and it was time to expand both came to the Bronx. 

 Ms. Marlene Cintron the President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation said it best when she said 'Business is booming in the Bronx'. She spoke of taking over BOEDC when Ruben Diaz Jr. became Bronx Borough President, and said that it has been a wonderful eight years working under a business friendly BP. 117,000 new Bronx jobs have been created during BP Diaz 's administration, and  the unemployment rate went down almost ten percent to its lowest levels in decades. 

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was then introduced by Ms. Cintron, and BP Diaz spoke briefly about how new businesses were coming to the Bronx. He mentioned some by name, but he would of had to speak for over an hour if he was to name them all. 

  The ten businesses honored were The Bronx Ale House, Bronx Design Group, Doyle-Hayloft Auctions, Grady's Cold Brew, Jetro, Marley Spoon, Mechanical Heating Supply Co., Sell-Mar Enterprises, Sicis North America, and Woops! Photos are below.

Left - BOEDC President Ms. Marlene Cintron.

Right - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Above - BP Diaz talks with Developer Joe Farkis and his partner Todd Bassen who recently built the BJ's Riverdale Crossing mall, and are looking for space in the Bronx for another project.

Below - There were Community Board members like Mr. Anthony Perez of CB 7.

Above - Deputy BP Greene was on hand to celebrate the New Bronx.

Below - A group photo of the Honorees, BP, Deputy BP, BOEDC President Marlene Cintron, and other members of BOEDC.