CityParks PuppetMobile Brings Free Traveling Entertainment to NYC Parks

   City Parks Foundation is happy to announce the launch of the newest show for the PuppetMobile, NYC's only traveling puppet show. This year’s production will be Little Red’s Hood, a modern, fresh retelling of the storied fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood.” Children in all 5 boroughs will get the opportunity to see this one-of a-kind show provided to the public, at no cost at all!

More information on dates and locations for each show can be found online at: http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/calendar/#1. Right now there are 11 shows scheduled to be performed in the Bronx.  Our website is constantly being updated with new shows, so be sure to check back regularly.

Little Red’s Hood

April 22, 2013

Based on the Celebrated “Little Red Riding Hood” fairy tale 

City Parks Foundation is proud to announce the beginning of its newest PuppetMobile production, Little Red’s Hood debuting April 22, 2013 at the Brownsville Recreation Center in Brooklyn, NY. Little Red’s Hood is a fresh retelling of the classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tale updated with a modern sensibility that will appeal to kids. The production features a dozen, hand-made marionettes crafted by the expert puppeteers from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater.

Like many of today’s children, Little Red is a smart, young city slicker who is to focused on her smartphone to notice her surroundings. Wulfric is a misunderstood wolf with a sweet tooth. When Little Red travels from New York City to the country to deliver some cupcakes to her Grandma, she encounters a colorful cast of characters as Wulfric the Wolf tries to head her off at the pass.

Little Red’s Hood is directed by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre's Artistic Director Bruce Cannon and written by Liam Hurley.

Showtimes & Reservations All of the PuppetMobile shows are free of charge to the general public. No reservations are necessary.

To find out more information on the date, time and locations of all performances visit the City Parks Foundation website at www.CityParksFoundation.org.

About PuppetMobile City Parks Foundation’s PuppetMobile brings free traveling entertainment to over 50,000 New York City children. One of the only puppet theaters in the country and the oldest continually operating company of its kind, the CityParks PuppetMobile travels to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers citywide equipped with a stage and staff of professional puppeteers. The PuppetMobile is part of City Parks Foundation’s arts programming which engages children and their families in the world of arts and culture.

About City Parks Foundation City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City. For more information, please visit: www.CityParksFoundation.org.

Follow us at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityParksFoundation Twitter: @CPFNYC

Funding for City Parks Foundation's PuppetMobile is provided by: The Weininger Foundation, Inc., Prescott Fund for Children & Youth, Inc., and Sulzberger Foundation, Inc.

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Great Gifts for Kids

 

Are NYC Parks Employee Spending Work Time Lobbying Bike Groups!

  This came in from a reliable source.

 

Below is an email sent from Van Cortlandt Park Administrator Margot Perron to independent Bicycle Organizations and other NYC Parks employees asking them to lobby at a Community Board meeting for a proposed Parks project which will pave the Putnam Nature Trail and remove 400 trees.

Margot Perron sent this email during work hours and it is a clear conflict of interest that a Parks employee is lobbying with outside organizations to promote the Parks Dept.’s political agenda.

Margot Perron who is the Administrator of Van Cortlandt Park and who also acts as the President of Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy should legally be spending their taxpayer funded work time managing the affairs of Van Cortlandt Park not lobbying for a future capital project.

Bike New York who NYC Parks is now proven to be collaborating with is an entity which based on their non-profit IRS status is specifically prohibited from lobbying yet Bike New York blatantly continues to lobby for paving the Putnam Nature Trail. Bike New York also just last week sued the City of New York for $900,000 because NYC wants Bike New York to pay for NYPD fees associated with Bike New York’s 5 Boro Bike Tour. Bike New York wants taxpayers to pay for $900,000 in fees for its own private event!

NYC Parks and Bike New York continue to collude, take part in prohibited lobbying and are using taxpayer dollars to do so!

Demand an investigation by NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.  This is clearly a conflict of interest and a case of illegal lobbying. Contact Bill de Blasio’s Chief of Staff, Dominick Williams at   dwilliams@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

Save taxpayer money, Save the environment, Save the Putnam Trail!

Save the Putnam Trail Campaign
www.savetheputnamtrail.com

www.facebook.com/saveputnamtrailnow

Below is the email sent by Van Cortlandt Parks Administrator Margot Perron to Bike New York and other Parks employees asking them to lobby at a community board meeting for Parks proposed paving of the Putnam Nature Trail in Van Cortlandt Park. If the community supported Park’s project there would be no need for the Parks Dept. to lobby! Why can’t the Park’s Dept. simply do what the community wants and keep the Putnam Trail natural? There is a great new story here if you would like to dig a little deeper!

From: Perron, Margot [mailto:Margot...@parks.nyc.gov]
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2013 1:04 PM
To: biketh...@gmail.com; Rich Conroy; da...@gellman.name; Sherida Paulsen; Mattera, John
Cc: Cassino, Anthony P.; Nina Spencer
Subject: Connect/Save the Putnam Trail

My staff found flyers on the Putnam Trail this weekend encouraging folks to attend the CB7 full board meeting tomorrow night to complain about the “highway” that Parks is putting in. It’d be nice to have the other side of the argument also represented. Come if you can and arrive at least a half hour early to sign up or call CB8 during the day to sign up to speak.  The April 9^th     CB8 Board Meeting is at 7:30 PM at Ft. Independence Comm. Ctr. 3350 Bailey Avenue (between West 233^rd & 234^th Streets)  (parking is difficult). The CB8 office phone is 718-884-3959.

Please let anyone you think is interested in this issue to please attend.

Thank you for your support.

Margot

Margot Perron

Administrator/President

Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy

1 Bronx River Parkway

Bronx, NY 10462

718-430-1890

vcpark.org

 

 

Essen Medical Associates Opens New Offices

   On Sunday April 7th the newest Essen Medical Center opened up at 1550 University Avenue. This is the sixth center that Essen operates under the care of Dr. Sumir Sahgal. Dr. Sahgal started his first Clinic in 1999 which was designed to help the the growing Hiv-Aids problem at 2015 Grand Concourse. Since 1999 Dr. Sahgal has opened several other medical centers that are now offer a full variety of services from pre-natal to senior services. This new medical center has created 40 new jobs, and in all Dr. Sahgal said that over 120 people in all are employed at all his medical centers. The one goal of Dr. Sahgal is to open an Urgent Care facility as is opening up in other parts of the Bronx and city. These urgent care centers can do much more than a regular center can Dr. Sahgal said, because they can give the very same treatment that an emergency room visit can in many cases. 

Left - you can see the festive opening of the new Essen Medical Center located at 1550 University Avenue.

Right - State Senator Gustavo Rivera stopped by to welcome Dr. Sahgal, and pose for this photo.

Left - Distinguished Diagnostic Imaging Executive Director Joel Reisman (left) and two of his employees were on hand to talk about their services.

Right - Saint Barnabas Hospital was represented at the opening.

Left - representatives from the American Diabetes Association were on hand to give out information for better health.

Right - Cafe Bustello was one of the many offerings to visitors who came in to see the newest Essen Medical Center.

LIU PROPOSES ‘THE PEOPLE’S BUDGET’

 City Comptroller John C. Liu today unveiled his plan to revamp the City’s budget process and put an end to the annual song and dance of threatened cuts and restorations that distract from the real issues that New Yorkers care about — good schools, safe streets, and reliable jobs.  Comptroller Liu presented the highlights of his proposal in a speech before the Association for a Better New York.

“Every year New Yorkers are subjected to an orchestrated song and dance that their libraries or fire companies or childcare programs are going to be cut, and while they’re distracted, the Mayor quietly pushes through the other 99 percent of the budget.  And every year, when the music stops, the threatened services are miraculously restored,” Comptroller Liu said.  “It’s time to stop dancing and create a budget that is of the people, by the people, and for the people — a budget that reflects the people’s dream for better schools, safer neighborhoods, and solid jobs.  The way things are right now, The New York City Dream is under attack.” 

The People’s Budget, a comprehensive four-year plan, includes revenue generation and cost savings proposals that produce nearly $15 billion in new resources that can be redirected toward tax relief and new investments.  The investments in communities, schools, and housing would also create a significant economic benefit in the form of more than 35,000 jobs.

People and Community Priorities

·         Provide universal pre-school and pre-kindergarten for 3-4 year olds

·         Hire 5,000 uniformed police officers, to bring ranks to 40,000

·         Create 100,000 units of affordable housing

·         Keep libraries open 7 days a week, with extended hours

·         Offer housing vouchers to homeless families

·         Expand after school programs

Tax Relief

·         Personal Income Tax reform to lower taxes for 99% of New York City filers

·         Eliminate the General Corporation Tax for 240,000 businesses with an annual tax bill  of less than $5,000

·         Eliminate the Unincorporated Business Tax for 25,000 businesses that make less than $250,000 in annual income

Annual Revenue Generation (FY2014)

·         Personal Income Tax reform would bring in more than $1.2 billion from the City’s top 1 percent of filers making more than $500,000

·         Tolls for non-New York City residents on the East and Harlem River bridges would raise $410 million

·         Eliminating the insurance industry’s exemption from the General Corporation Tax would raise $310 million

Annual Cost Savings (FY2014)

·         Bring IT work in-house to save the City $73 million

·         Collect $150 million more in Medicaid reimbursements

·         Charge charter schools to use City facilities, yielding $80 million

The details of Comptroller Liu’s People’s Budget can be downloaded here: www.comptroller.nyc.gov

 

 

 

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez: State of Northern Manhattan

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez: State of Northern Manhattan

You are invited to join Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez at the 3rd annual State of Northern Manhattan Address. After another year in the books, there have been many steps taken to improve life in Northern Manhattan, and many challenges that we still face. With expected changes coming, this is an opportunity to hear about the future of the community; new opportunities, new projects and new plans to make Northern Manhattan as great as it can be! When Sunday April 21, 2013 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EDT Add to Calendar Where Yeshiva University Lamport Auditorium 2540 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10033 Please Join Us! Register Now! If you have any questions about this event, please call the office of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez (917) 521-2616 or (212) 788-7053. Even if registration closes, all are still welcome and encouraged to attend, responses can be sent to councilmemberrodriguez@gmail.com Thank you for your attention and response, and we look forward to seeing you! Sincerely, Ydanis Rodriguez Office of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez councilmemberrodriguez@gmail.com 917-521-2616

What You Should Know

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York

To My Enemies: Take a Number and Get on Line

 

   You should know that when Rudy Giuliani was the U.S Attorney for the Southern District, he was practically an unknown until he decided to go after elected officials, mostly in Bronx County. Former U.S Attorney Giuliani indicted Bronx Congressman Robert Garcia, Bronx Borough President Stanley Simon, Bronx County leader Stanley Friedman, and many others.

Now, U.S. District Attorney Preet Bharara is following in Giuliani’s footsteps and has decided to go after elected officials – but contrary to Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Bharara has expanded his investigation beyond Bronx County.

You should also know that there is a lot of concern almost everywhere you go about who is going to be the next elected official to be indicted.

In that regard, there are some of my enemies who are going to different radio stations and television programs claiming to know everything, and in their way, bragging and saying that the next one will be me, Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz.

The first one of these people and the most vocal of them is Mr. “Know-It-All” Gerson Borrero.  The hatred and bad will he has for me is well known.  He refers to me as Satan, as Lucifer, as a viper, and he certainly does not need any opportunity to try to paint me as a crook.

You should know that this hostile individual, Mr. Borrero, has been unable to hold a steady job for many years due to his outbursts and lack of self-control.  His lack of professionalism was on display for the public on NY1 a few years ago, when he walked right off the set during an interview with Andrew Kirtzman.  He’s been fired and dismissed from many jobs, and he can’t control himself when someone questions him.  Whoever questions him, he goes after, and I have to believe that this is the case with me.

Another person who claims to be an expert on who will be indicted next is former State Senator Israel Ruiz, who was a guest today on Fred Dicker’s “Live from the State Capitol” daily radio program. Disgraced politician Israel Ruiz publicly announced that I will probably be the next one who will be indicted.

I don’t know why Fred Dicker or anyone else would believe someone who was indicted and sentenced and has the history that Israel Ruiz does.  We all know that Israel Ruiz went to jail and had to resign from his seat in the State Senate many years ago for being crooked.  There is an old saying in Puerto Rico that goes like this: “A crooked person thinks that everyone is crooked.”

There are others who proudly proclaim to be among my enemies, and who refuse to give me credit for being an outspoken fighter who is dedicated to the service of my constituents.  My job, my integrity, my transparency, and my clean record have already been proven by so many investigations.

Those who want to take me down and continue to ask the FBI and the Attorney General and anybody else to investigate me, have been unsuccessful. So ladies and gentlemen you should know that, yes, I have been investigated all my life.  People keep accusing me of this and that, and people keep praying for me to go down.

And so to all of those who are losing sleep because they are so anxious waiting for time for me to go down, I must say: Take a number and stand in line because I am in the business of giving not in the business of taking.

I am Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ HOLDS FIRST EVER BRONX HEALTH & WELLNESS SUMMIT

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ HOLDS FIRST EVER BRONX HEALTH & WELLNESS SUMMIT

On Saturday, April 6, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., along with influential health experts, hosted the first ever Bronx Health & Wellness Summit at the Fordham University Rose Hill Campus.

More than five hundred people attended the summit, which featured 30 breakout sessions and a free healthy breakfast and lunch. CBS medical reporter Max Gomez was the keynote speaker. The Health Summit’s grand finale was a Q&A session with  the Borough President, as well as a raffle in which the winning prize was a  one-on-one lunch with Borough President Diaz.

Bronx Holistic Healing and Wellness Day 2013 - Saturday, May 18

Sunkofa Cafe and Juice Bar
www.facebook.com/Sunkofa-Gift-shop
1789 Southern Blvd (@ Boston Road & 174th Street) Bronx, NY 10460

Presents their 2^nd Annual Whole Health Event

The 2013 Bronx Holistic Healing and Wellness Day

Saturday May 18, 2013      11am to 7pm

*Gifts from Earth: Naturopathic, Herbology & Homeopathy* with Dr. Carina Lopez
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*Creating a Healing Kitchen; Food As Your Pharmacy* with Medina Byars

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*Acupuncture and The Body’s Energy System*

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*Prosperity Consciousness & Abundance; It’s Not Just Money*
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*The Inner Child: Emotional Healing with Yhandi Inner Light*

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*Shamanism: Ancient Tools for Healing Today*

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Yoga – Stillness and Movement

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*Tapping the Issues in Your Tissues: Emotional Freedom Technique*

 FEATURED SPEAKERS
“All This Shift Going On: Preparing for a Changing World” with Rose Whaley

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“We Are All Neo; The Healing Energy Cornucopia In You” with Peter Goldbeck

 PANEL DISCUSSION

 “Envision Your Transformation: Steps On The Journey”

 *** Healing Pavillion (fee for services)***
Massage, Foot Reflexology, Intuitive Readings, Iridology, Reiki, and more

**ADMISSION: Free Will Offering**

For info - 347 590 2394 / 646 259 5990   bronxholistichealing@gmail.com