Council Member Cohen to Sponsor Paid Sick Leave Forum with DCA and Bronx CB 8

   Council Member Andrew Cohen is sponsoring an educational forum on the expansion of paid sick leave with the Department of Consumer Affairs and Bronx Community Board 8.  The forum will take place at the Kingsbridge Library, located at 291 West 231 Street, on the evening of Wednesday June 18^th starting at 5:30 PM.

Earlier this year, the City Council passed legislation signed into law by the Mayor to expand paid sick leave to employees of businesses with five or more workers which covers an additional 355,000 New Yorkers.  The law which went into effect April 1^st also added grandparents, grandchildren and siblings to the list of relatives that employees can legally care for using paid sick leave.  The forum will address these and other new details of the law for residents and business owners in the community. 

Council Member Andrew Cohen said, “I am proud to sponsor this educational forum which will detail the expanded rights that workers now have and that apply to our businesses.  This is a great way to disseminate this important information and I encourage all members of the community to attend.”

“As a former small business owner, I understand how challenging it can be to not only run a business, but also to understand the laws that apply to your business, which is why DCA is deeply committed to ensuring businesses have the tools they need to comply with the paid sick leave law,” said Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Julie Menin. 

“We have launched a major, multilingual effort to ensure that every employee and employer throughout the city knows about paid sick leave. We thank Council Member Cohen for recognizing the importance of this law for Bronx families and for his leadership in helping us spread the word about the law,” she added. 

 

Council Member Andrew Cohen is sponsoring an educational forum on the expansion of paid sick leave with the Department of Consumer Affairs and Bronx Community Board 8.  The forum will take place at the Kingsbridge Library, located at 291 West 231 Street, on the evening of Wednesday June 18^th.

Earlier this year, the City Council passed legislation signed into law by the Mayor to expand paid sick leave to employees of businesses with five or more workers which covers an additional 355,000 New Yorkers.  The law which went into effect April 1^st also added grandparents, grandchildren and siblings to the list of relatives that employees can legally care for using paid sick leave.  The forum will address these and other new details of the law for residents and business owners in the community. 

Council Member Andrew Cohen said, “I am proud to sponsor this educational forum which will detail the expanded rights that workers now have and that apply to our businesses.  This is a great way to disseminate this important information and I encourage all members of the community to attend.”

Sergio Villaverde, Chair of Bronx Community Board 8’s Economic Development Committee said, “Paid sick leave will have an impact on many of the businesses in our community.  This forum will provide information to the community regarding these new business requirements.”

“As a former small business owner, I understand how challenging it can be to not only run a business, but also to understand the laws that apply to your business, which is why DCA is deeply committed to ensuring businesses have the tools they need to comply with the paid sick leave law,” said Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Julie Menin. 

“We have launched a major, multilingual effort to ensure that every employee and employer throughout the city knows about paid sick leave. We thank Council Member Cohen for recognizing the importance of this law for Bronx families and for his leadership in helping us spread the word about the law,” she added. 

 

 

PETITIONING RALLY
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th

We appreciate your interest in Oliver Koppell's campaign for State Senate!  You appreciate that we need a State Senator who will fight for a higher minimum wage, defend women's rights, pass campaign finance reform and make the Dream Act a reality.

But now the work begins ...

We need to make sure Oliver gets on the ballot. To do that, we’re going to need your help collecting petition signatures.  Klein and his cronies will use every trick in the book to try and deny Oliver ballot access, so it’s up to us to work twice as hard and show them just how much support Oliver has across the district. 

Please join us Saturday, June 14th as we launch our third petitioning drive:

PETITIONING RALLY FOR OLIVER KOPPELL
Saturday, June 14th - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
5911 Riverdale Avenue
Bronx, NY 10471
718-543-3333

FOOD AND BEVERAGES PROVIDED!
 

Please join us!
LET US KNOW YOU ARE COMING - RSVP (Optional)

Oliver Koppell for State Senate
http://oliverkoppell.nationbuilder.com/

HELP KEEP OUR CENTERS OPEN!

JOIN  COUNCIL MEMBERS

RITCHIE TORRES  -  LAURIE A. CUMB  & ROBERT E. CORNEGY, JR.

TO SAVE OUR CENTERS

Call on the Mayor to Fund 57 Community and Senior Centers at 

NYCHA Developments Across New York City


THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014

11:OO AM

THE STEPS OF CITY HALL

HELP KEEP OUR CENTERS OPEN!


FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Sindri McDonald (212) 788-6966 or smcdonald@council.nyc.gov

Klein Picks up Police and Fire Endorsements

  On Thursday State Senator Jeff Klein picked up the endorsement of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, and on Friday he picked up The Uniformed Fire Officers Association endorsement. 

“The DEA is pleased and proud to endorse Jeff Klein’s bid for the New York State Senate," said DEA President Michael J. Palladino. Thousands of our members work, live and were raised in The Bronx, and we look forward to working closely with Mr. Klein to ensure the safety and security of the entire community, and to help implement quality of life improvements for the benefit of all New Yorkers,” Palladino added.

Outside of Engine 70 and Ladder 53 at 169 Schofield Avenue City Island, UFOA President Alexander Hagan recalled devastating Bloomberg-era budget cuts that resulted in the closing of six engine companies. For the past four years, Ladder 53 was repeatedly threatened with closure. Senator Klein was front and center in the fight to save it. the UFOA, is in your corner because the UFOA remembers in September and November,” Hagan said. “We will be certain to notify our active and retired members who live in your district of this endorsement, to encourage their support for your candidacy” Hagan added. 

Senator Klein said “I’m honored to receive support from the DEA and look forward to being their partner in government. I’m proud of my legislative achievements that help keep their members from harm and reduce crime like the Safe Act, the toughest gun laws in the nation, and Operation SNUG, which I funded this year to prevent youths from involvement in gun and gang violence,” 

  Klein also said the next day “I’m proud to receive support from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association and look forward to working with them well into the future, Over the years I have stood with them to prevent senseless budget cuts which could have resulted in devastating and deadly consequences for my constituents and for New Yorkers.”  

 Above- Klein picks up the Detectives’ Endowment Association endorsement, below he picks up the Uniformed Fire Officers Association endorsement.  

Senator Rubén Díaz Celebration of the Abrazo Boricua

  The Abrazo Boricua Banquet by Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. took place on Thursday night at the Eastwood Manor. Honorees included Santos Seda “Papichy” the Mayor of Guanica, Puerto Rico; Ms. Aida Rosario Director of Communication Univision 41; and Mr. Hector Ramos Reporter and Senior Citizens’ Advocate. 

   This annual activity sponsored by Senator Rubén Díaz together with Senator Jeffrey Klein, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, was completely free of charge for the community. There was an estimated 500 plus people in attendance 

  According to Senator Díaz, “many people in our community lack the necessary resources to pay for the different activities that the Puerto Rican Parade organizes during this Puerto Rican week. Therefore, in order for some of them to be able to attend a banquet and socialize with the people who are coming to participate in the parade, we organize this banquet free of charge for the first five hundred people who arrive and offer them a night of Puerto Rican culture, food, entertainment and the opportunity to meet the Mayors and dignitaries who come from Puerto Rico.”  

   Below are a few photos of the event. Click on any photo to enlarge it.

 

Left - State Senators Ruben Diaz Sr. and Jeff Klein and a few of the 500 plus attendees. 

Right - Team Diaz plus State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein. 

Ms. Yolanda Cruz sang both the U.S. and Puerto Rican National Anthems. 

 

Bronx LGBTQ Center Christine Jorgensen Trailblazer Award

The Christine Jorgensen Trailblazer Award

Ms. Kim Watson,
Christine Jorgensen Trailblazer Award recipient

We are pleased to announce that the our Christine Jorgensen Trailblazer Award will be presented to Ms. Kim Watson. This is the first of five community pride awards we will present at our 2014 Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair on Saturday, July 19th from 12-6pm at the amphitheatre at Crotona Park in The Bronx.
Christine Jorgensen, a former GI who was born and raised in The Bronx, was a pioneer of transgender rights. She was the first person ever to undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in the United States, and spent her later years working as a successful Hollywood actress.
Kim Watson is a proud wife and mother of a 4-year old daughter. She has worked tirelessly on behalf of the transgender community, having founded and become the chief executive of CK Life, which is the first specifically transgender medical clinic in The Bronx to serve all transgender individuals. Additionally, she became the first person to make history by adapting the H. O. W. (HEALING OUR WOMEN) intervention to the transgender community, which was created by Gayle E. Wyatt, Ph.D., a Professor at UCLA.
Please join us on Saturday, July 19th, from 12 noon until 6 pm at our 2014 Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair to recognize and honor Kim's work. We will present four additional awards, which will be announced in the coming weeks. The pride committee is still accepting nominations for award recipients; please send an e-mail to bronxpride2014@bronxlgbtqcenter.org with your suggestions!

Stay tuned as we continue to announce our line-up of entertainers, speakers, and special guests in the coming weeks, or visit our event page for pride at http://bronxpride2014.eventbrite.com/. You can also join the event on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/559875584095127/.

Advertiser, Vendor, Sponsor & Exhibitor opportunities are still available for our 2014 Bronx LGBTQ Pride & Health Fair. Ads start as low as $25, full details and pricing for advertisers, vendors, and sponsors can be found at http://bronxpride2014.eventbrite.com/ or contact the pride committee chair, Peter C. Frank at bronxpride2014@bronxlgbtqcenter.org or 914-417-9579.

 

Yes Virgina, There are Park Rangers at Van Cortlandt Park

   It was a strange site Friday Afternoon as I spotted these two park Rangers on horseback by the Classic Playground section of Van Cortlandt Park. The rangers are strolling on Van Cortlandt Avenue across from the Amalgamated Houses. Below the rangers ride off down the sidewalk, I guess to avoid the speed bump.

Community Board 8 Election June 10th

  Tuesday June 10th is the date of the full Community Board 8 meeting at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church located at 4765 Henry Hudson Parkway, and the meeting begins at 7:30 PM. On the agenda is the election of officers and committee chairs to Community Board 8.

  As Vice-Chair of the Traffic and Transportation Committee I have been asked why I did not go for the position of Chair of the committee. My answer was that the Vice-Chair does not always make the best candidate for the Chair's position. 

  An article on the election can be found in the Riverdale Press about the two candidates who are running for Chair of Community Board 8. One is the current Vice-Chair and the other is the current Traffic and Transportation Chair. One thing odd in the Riverdale Press article however is that the Chairman of Community Board 8 Bob Fanuzzi is stated to have thrown his support behind the Vice-Chair. By stating that he is behind the Vice-Chair, the board chair can no longer be impartial if he is to conduct any part of the election for Chair of CB 8. I also wonder at the end of this Riverdale Press article why they spoke to one of the members of the nominating committee. 

  While Bob Fanuzzi will no longer be Chair of CB 8 he will still be a member of its Executive Committee as the past Chair of the board, but it is stated that he is running to become chair of the Environment and Sanitation Committee. One has to wonder why he is keeping someone else off the Executive Board and just what Mr. Fanuzzi's motive is. 

  In the last three years under Bob Fanuzzi's leadership of CB 8 it is obvious that he and his Vice-Chair have not involved people from Kingsbridge and Marble Hill. Why else would the Riverdale Press write that the Vice-Chair of CB 8 wants to "involve more residents of those neighborhoods in CB 8's activities." The Vice-Chair is also listed in the Riverdale Press article as saying that she reduced the number of days for alternate side parking throughout CB 8, and creating network events for small businesses. I guess the articles that said former CB 8 Chair Anthony Cassino and Brad Trebach were the ones who got the alternate side parking changed were wrong. I am not going to go into the networking with small business and leave that to the conflict of interest board.   

  Since CB 8 Chair Bob Fanuzzi has publicly come out in support of the current Vice-Chair by name in the Riverdale Press article I will now state that I have been amazed of the job Mr. Dan Paderncht has done as Chair of Traffic and Transportation. He is hard working, thoughtful, and has reached out to all parts of the community board and other committee. That is why I know that Dan Padernacht is the best candidate for chair of Community Board 8. As a member of CB 8 I will be voting for Dan Padernacht for chair of Community Board 8.

   I will also be running from the floor for Chair of the Environment and Sanitation Committee against former Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee Chair Bob Fanuzzi, because he has done a lousy job as chair of the CFMC allowing over 150 trees to be cut down at the Jerome Park Reservoir by the DEP.

   If anyone has said to you that I am voting for the vice-Chair of CB 8 Maria Khury to get their vote, they are lying, because I am voting Dan Padernacht for Chair of CB 8. 

ROBERT PRESS.