Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Sepúlveda, Diaz, James, and Palma Secure One-Month Delay of "Draconian" Hike in Common Charges by Parkchester South but Vow "All Options Still Open"



  Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda said Monday that the decision by Parkchester South management to defer the threatened across-the-board 15.19 percent increase in common charges assessed all owner-residents was “a positive but insufficient development.”

“Obviously,” Sepúlveda continued, “the board of directors heard — loudly and clearly — the demand by the community and its representatives for explanations and our determination to do whatever it takes to prevent exorbitant and unsubstantiated increases.”

The deferral was announced in a December 17 “Dear Unit Owner” letter from Board President Abu Shakoor which stated that management “recommended deferring the planned increase to Common Charges for 30 days.” The letter went on to assert that the board of directors was “preparing information for you to address and explain the need for the increase,” followed immediately, nonetheless, with a declaration that the increases will begin in February.
Sepúlveda cautioned, however, that “all options” remain open — referring to the possibility of seeking an injunction or demanding that management agree to the hiring of an independent auditor to impartially review the numbers behind the increase.
It was just one week ago that more than 700 owner-residents turned out at a town hall meeting held by Sepúlveda, State Senator Rev Ruben Diaz, and Council Member Annabel Palma at St. Paul’s Lutheran Evangelical Church to address the common charges increase.
Assemblyman Sepúlveda reiterated his criticism of the way management was handling the issue and sharply rebuked them for insensitivity to the community. “The fact that repairs may be necessary throughout Parkchester South,” said Sepúlveda, “does not justify management’s imposing draconian increases that will be devastating to the elderly, single families, the disabled, and others who are already struggling to keep up.”
Sepúlveda also had lambasted Parkchester South management — Board President Shakoor in particular — for having pledged to attend last week’s town hall meeting but then reneging, with no explanation.
“They were no shows,” Sepúlveda stated. “Apparently they decided that other business was more important than the 15.19 percent increase that they have been attempting to shove down people’s throats.”
"I am deeply concerned about the proposed 15% hike in common charges for residents of Parkchester South Condominiums and the significant impact that it will have on the hard-working families in this community," said Public Advocate Letitia James. "That's why I am committed to working with Assembly Member Sepúlveda, State Senator Diaz, and Council Member Palma on behalf of residents to urge the Management Board of Parkchester South to consider a more reasonable agreement." 
“It has been one month since I formerly requested copies of past and proposed budgets from Parkchester South, and I have not received them. In the spirit of transparency, I reiterate my request so we can review the decision-making process of Parkchester’s Management with Parkchester residents, and any members of Management who decide to attend our January Town Hall Meeting. During our December 14th Town Hall Meeting, I requested that New York City Public Advocate Letitia James write a letter to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman calling for an investigation of Parkchester South Condominium, Inc., and I have yet to receive a copy of that letter,” said Senator Diaz.
“Parkchester South Condominium’s decision to delay the implementation of the proposed maintenance fee increase until February is a tentative step in the right direction. I’m hopeful that the board will use this time to reassess its financial needs, while understanding — and taking into account — the impact this has on its tenants. My colleagues and I will continue to have conversations with management, and the board, until we can facilitate a solution amenable to all parties involved,” stated Council Member Palma.
Assemblyman Sepulveda, Senator Diaz, and Council Member Palma, who represent the Parkchester South Condominium, are planning a town hall meeting for early January to further discuss these rate increases with Parkchester residents.

Happy Everything from KRVC!






 All of us at KRVC wish every member of the community we serve a happy holiday season.  Enjoy friends and family and have fun!

Save the Dates!
Looking ahead to 2016, please save the dates of our events:

Thursday, March 31 - Community Jazz Concert, 7-9:30pm at Kelly Ryan's, 5790 Mosholu Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471

SundayApril 17 - Greenway Day, 1-3pm at Riverdale Station Park, West 254th Street and the Hudson River, Bronx, NY 10471

SundayMay 1 - South Riverdale Avenue Festival, 1-5pm, Riverdale Avenue, 236th-238th Street, Bronx, NY 10463  

SaturdayJune 4 - Boat Rides, Schedule TBA & Movie on the River, 8pmat the College of Mount Saint Vincent

Sunday, June 5 - Riverdale RiverFest, 12-6pm at the College of Mount Saint Vincent

Saturday, July 23 - Movie in Seton Park, 7-10 pm, 232nd Street and Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463

SaturdaySeptember 10 - Movie in Vinmont Park, 7-10pm, 255th Street and Mosholu Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471

SundaySeptember 18 - Johnson Avenue Festival, 1-5pm, Johnson Avenue, 235th-236th Street, Bronx, NY 10463  

Please note that we plan to add more events to this calendar in the Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village and Marble Hill communities as part of our new Broadway in the Bronx Initiative.  We also hope to work again in Woodlawn in 2016




Another NYCNeglect


WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 
District 32 Bronx County, New York 



You should know that while New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio talks about helping the Syrian immigrants who are innocent victims of a humanitarian crisis, and bringing them here to live because we are humanitarians, the New York City Housing Authority continues to subject our own senior citizens to barbaric living conditions. 


Ms. Carmen Rivera is an 82-year old grandmother who resides in disgusting and deplorable conditions in the New York City Housing Authority’s Betances Houses located at 460 East 147th Street in Bronx County. She is completely traumatized and cannot even sleep at night because of the years of neglect by the New York City Housing Authority. 



According to her family, Ms. Rivera has filed more than 100 complaints (tickets) with the New York City Housing Authority, whose receipts were confirmed. Her list of complaints includes: rats the size of cats on her furniture, leaks, toilet and bathtub backups, floods, holes in the walls, mold, etc.  See https://youtu.be/8B1fIVTfW98 and https://youtu.be/6wFG_sVy3Ik. 



The toilet in her apartment overflows from time to time, and her bathtub has backed up numerous times with dirty, filthy water that includes human feces and who knows what else is in that water. 



Ms. Rivera tries to keep her apartment neat and clean.  Then, when she least expects it, her toilet or tub overflow and once again, she has to go through the entire cleaning process to try to make her home livable, until the nightmare returns. 



Ms. Rivera’s grandson, William Garay has provided me with two videos to document the trauma that his grandmother is going through. One of the videos was recorded on December 10, 2015, and the other video was filmed earlier that week. 



After all of this serious trauma Ms. Rivera has experienced, and after filing more than 100 complaints. Ms. Rivera’s desperate calls for help continue. She is suffering from serious psychological trauma to the point that she cannot sleep at night nor find peace in her home during the day. 



Ms. Rivera has been asking to be transferred because she cannot get these visions out of her mind.  She gets up many times at night with real concerns such as those shown in the videos: if there are rats on her furniture, if her bathtub or toilet are overflowing, and how she can clean it all and sanitize her apartment. 



No matter how hard she tries to put her home back to normal, and no matter how many supposed repairs are made to her apartment, throughout the years, when she least expects it, the filthy flooding comes back, as do the rats. 



You should know that even though we live in one of the wealthiest cities in the world, we have senior citizens like Ms. Rivera living in unspeakable conditions in New York City’s Housing Authority apartments. 



Ms. Rivera, and any 82 year-old person most certainly deserves to live with some minimal dignity, and to go to bed without fear of her toilet and tub overflowing, or that rats are going to come out of the walls. 



The very least the City of New York can is to transfer Ms. Rivera to appropriate, sanitary and safe housing, someplace she can call home.  It is time to take all of this mental anguish away from Ms. Rivera. 



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



Holiday Message From The Bronx Chamber of Commerce





Dear Friends and Friends:
 
The Holiday Season is a special time of year to recognize and remember those that have made a significant impact on our business success. Your support and membership in the Bronx Chamber of Commerce is greatly appreciated.
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce will be expanding its programs, services and networking events in 2016 including publishing an Annual Membership & Business Referral Directory to enhance benefits for current members and attract new members.
 
Members of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce will request companies that they do business with to join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. We are witnessing a renaissance in our great borough that is unprecedented. Together, we can grow the Chamber, enhance its influence and further improve the image of The Bronx.
 
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce sponsors a wide range of programs and services to businesses ranging from large corporations, Cultural Institutions, Universities and Colleges, Hospitals and Medical Centers, and mid-sized to small companies. Patronize local Bronx businesses and strengthen our community! Companies do not need an office in the Bronx to be active members of the association. To join or for more information: call (718) 828-3900.
 
I look forward to working with you for mutual benefit in 2016 and beyond!
 
Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!
 
Sincerely,
 
Nunzio
 
Nunzio Del Greco
President and CEO
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
"The Network for Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
 
 
For More Information Please Email:

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Upcoming Cultural Events at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center



1. JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center will host a musical program by Yanni, an outstanding pianist, on Tues. Dec. 29th after lunch.  Kosher BBQ chicken breast, brown rice pilaf, kale w/garlic sauce and dessert will be served at 12:15 PM.  Yanni will perform international, jazz and pop music at 1:00 PM. Recommended senior voluntary contribution for lunch is $2.25 and $1.00 for the event. Non-seniors are welcome to attend for a meal fee of $5.00 and event fee of $2.00. Please call the senior center office:at 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by Thurs. Dec. 24th.


2. JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center will host a dinner and New Year's celebration on Wed. Dec. 30th. A kosher festive meal of vegetable soup, choice of beef brisket or sole fillet, spinach noodle pudding,carrots and dessert will be served at 4:30 PM. Sigal Chen, soprano, accompanied by Jonathan Dzik will perform classical, Broadway and popular music at 5:30 PM. Recommended senior voluntary contribution for dinner is $3.50 and $2.00 for the event. Non-seniors are welcome to attend for a meal fee of $5.00 and event fee of $3.00. Please call the senior center office 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by Mon. Dec. 28th.
 

For more information about JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center's classes, activities and meals, 
JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave., First Floor 
Bronx, NY 10463
Phone: 718-549-4700

Assemblyman Dinowitz Demands Falsely-Issued Parking Tickets Be Dismissed



 a photo of a ticketed vehicle with the new signage taken on 12/21/15.


   After receiving complaints from several constituents, all of whom received parking tickets after parking in spaces with newly installed parking signs, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is calling for the tickets to be dismissed.

Recently, angled parking lines were painted on the southbound side of Fieldston Road on the overpass of the Henry Hudson Parkway, with no corresponding signage regarding the direction a motorist must pull in to a vacant space. Since then two parking signs have been installed requiring motorists to back in, resulting in many parking tickets being issued. Drivers have been pulling into parking spaces front end first and presumably over the weekend two new ‘Back-In 60° Parking Only’ signs were installed, resulting in almost every car parked there receiving a ticket. Moreover, because this parking area is not beholden to the city’s alternate side street parking regulations, many residents leave their vehicles for extended periods of time, meaning their vehicles may be subject to several days’ worth of fines before they go back to move them.

“The problem is that the Department Of Transportation failed to notify residents of the pending signage. My office has received several calls from residents who were ticketed, saying that the signs were installed after they had parked in the spots over the weekend,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.  After visiting the location I found that there were indeed several cars parked front side first, all of which had parking tickets. While I am always supportive of creating more parking and making our streets safer, it is unacceptable that the DOT did not notify the community appropriately, nor was the Traffic Enforcement Officer on duty aware. I am demanding that these tickets be dismissed, and that in the future DOT takes the appropriate steps to notify the community of changing traffic and parking rules. Moreover, this is yet another example of the predatory traffic enforcement practices; there is no excuse for Traffic Enforcement Officers not being aware of recent and un-promulgated changes in local parking rules. I sincerely hope these tickets are dismissed and that these agencies are able to work better together in the future for the community.”After receiving complaints from several constituents, all of whom received parking tickets after parking in spaces with newly installed parking signs, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is calling for the tickets to be dismissed.

Recently, angled parking lines were painted on the southbound side of Fieldston Road on the overpass of the Henry Hudson Parkway, with no corresponding signage regarding the direction a motorist must pull in to a vacant space. Since then two parking signs have been installed requiring motorists to back in, resulting in many parking tickets being issued. Drivers have been pulling into parking spaces front end first and presumably over the weekend two new ‘Back-In 60° Parking Only’ signs were installed, resulting in almost every car parked there receiving a ticket. Moreover, because this parking area is not beholden to the city’s alternate side street parking regulations, many residents leave their vehicles for extended periods of time, meaning their vehicles may be subject to several days’ worth of fines before they go back to move them.

“The problem is that the Department Of Transportation failed to notify residents of the pending signage. My office has received several calls from residents who were ticketed, saying that the signs were installed after they had parked in the spots over the weekend,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.  After visiting the location I found that there were indeed several cars parked front side first, all of which had parking tickets. While I am always supportive of creating more parking and making our streets safer, it is unacceptable that the DOT did not notify the community appropriately, nor was the Traffic Enforcement Officer on duty aware. I am demanding that these tickets be dismissed, and that in the future DOT takes the appropriate steps to notify the community of changing traffic and parking rules. Moreover, this is yet another example of the predatory traffic enforcement practices; there is no excuse for Traffic Enforcement Officers not being aware of recent and un-promulgated changes in local parking rules. I sincerely hope these tickets are dismissed and that these agencies are able to work better together in the future for the community.”


Sunday, December 20, 2015

2016: "unhappy" New Year



  An "unhappy" New Year looms ahead for Puerto Rico.  The Caribbean island is going through its worst fiscal crisis.  As a result, last year 85,000 people left the Island for places like Florida and New York.  The population has dropped from 3.9 million to 3.5 million in the last few years.  For me the issue is personal.  I was born and raised on the Island.  My mother lives in Puerto Rico as do most of my relatives and many close friends.  I was there last week and noticed that the Christmas spirit the Island is known for was just not all there.  People are worried about the future and rightfully so.
 
After months of lobbying efforts, the White House put together a package of solutions and sent it to Congress.  Many of us lobbied Congress to approve it.  But yesterday Republican leaders rejected that package and other last-minute attempts to allow Puerto Rico to tackle its $72 billion debt through bankrupcy restructuring which would not have cost a penny.  The next payment of $957 million is due January 1st and there's simply no way to pay it.  The choices on January 1st are clear:  Puerto Rico can either a) close schools, hospitals, shut down government services and bring chaos to the Island, or b) default on that payment due to hedge funds and Wall Street investors.  The Island's Governor said:  "If they make me choose between Puerto Ricans and creditors. I will choose Puerto Ricans."  I agree with the Governor and applaud his resiliency.
 
This will be the largest municipal bond default in U.S. history.  But Congress was more persuaded by the hedge funds and other vulture fund investors who lobbied fiercely to stop any restructuring of the debt.  Congressional leaders apparently believe that these investors are more important than the well-being of the 3.5 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico who have shed blood, sweat and tears in every war this Nation has fought over the last 117 years since the Island became a colony of the U.S.  Call and write the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate and other Congressional leaders.  And help me go to Congress to stop this second-class treatment of Puerto Ricans both living in the Island as well as those of us on the mainland.
 
Keeping the Faith,
 
Adam Clayton Powell
Candidate for Congress
NY - 13th C.D.


SENATOR JEFF KLEIN HOSTS 2ND ANNUAL BREAKFAST WITH SANTA



  In celebration of Christmas, State Senator Jeff Klein, hosted his second annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday. Nearly 300 participants enjoyed a continental breakfast, danced to holiday music, and took family portraits with Santa. Children created holiday crafts and were given gifts during their visit with Kris Kringle.


  “I am thrilled to host my annual breakfast with Santa, which has become a tradition for our Bronx families.  Today, we celebrate the season with family and friends, creating priceless memories as we enjoy these festivities,” said Senator Klein.  “I wish everyone a safe and memorable holiday, and a new year filled with good health and prosperity.”

  This Christmas extravaganza was held at St. Clare’s of Assisi School.  “In this festive season it is my pleasure  to have Senator Klein host  breakfast  with Santa here at St. Clare’s School. He is such a wonderful asset to this community. We are so lucky to have him,” said Principal Bivona of St. Clare’s of Assisi School.