Friday, August 12, 2016

Nutrition and Music Presentation by Sylvia Elbaz, MS, CNS on Aug. 24th


JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center 
3880 Sedgwick Ave., First Floor 

Enjoy a delectable lunch at 12:15 PM followed by a nutrition talk and original music by Sylvia Elbaz, MS, CNS, host of Health’s Kitchen, a cable TV cooking show on Wed. Aug. 24th at 1:00 PM 

Ms. Elbaz, who has a Master degree in nutrition, has taught at Nassau Community College and Kingsborough Community College. An accomplished guitarist, she has composed many original songs, some of which she will share with us along with international selections.
Ms. Elbaz taught science courses for ten years in New York City Public Schools.  In addition to her private practice as a nutritional consultant, she lectures frequently at health clubs and for community organizations.

Menu: Beef Moussaka or Breaded Pollack Fillet, garden salad, roasted eggplant, orange. Refreshments will be served.

Recommended senior contribution is $2.00 for the meal and $1.00 for the event.  Non senior fee is $5.00 for the meal and $2.00 for the event.   Kindly call the senior center office: 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by Mon. Aug. 22nd

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN HOSTS CONCERT FEATURING THE BRONX WANDERERS



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  Senator Jeff Klein hosted The Bronx Wanderers, as they performed their last Bronx show on Thursday night at Veterans Memorial Park. Hundreds of Bronx residents enjoyed an amazing concert and said farewell to The Bronx Wanderers before  their residency kicks off at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in the fall.

“We have been happy to enjoy The Bronx Wanderers for years, and as we send them off, I was thrilled to host one last performance. Bronx families came together to enjoy this farewell show, as part of my Summertime Symphonies series, and they did not disappoint. While we’ll miss them right here in The Bronx, I want to wish everyone’s favorite father-sons group a great stay in Las Vegas, said Senator Jeff Klein.

The home-grown group, a father with his two sons, has long rocked audiences with their blend of hand-picked oldies from the 50’s through the 70’s. Over the past 14 years, The Bronx Wanderers have performed in over 35 states.

“For me, it all started here, and as we are getting prepared to leave for an extended stay in Las Vegas, I can never thank Senator Jeff Klein and his entire staff for allowing us one final show for all of our friends from The Bronx and Westchester. We are thrilled to be coming home,” said Vinny Adinolfi, The Bronx Wanderers.

This free concert is part of Senator Klein’s Summertime Symphonies series. For more information on Senator Klein’s Summertime Series, please call Senator Klein’s office at (718)822-2049.

Croton Filter Plant - FMC Meeting is September 29, 2016



  Dear Croton Community,

For scheduling, the Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will next meet on Thursday, September 29, 2016 .  The meeting will begin at 6:30pm at DEP's community office, 3660 Jerome Ave, Bronx NY 10467.

  An Agenda will be posted as soon as it is sent.
  If you have any questions you can contact Martha Holstein from DEP at mholstein@urbansol.com , or 718 625 1005

TITO ROJAS “EL GALLO” IN MORRISON AVENUE FESTIVAL


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

You should know that the Morrison Avenue Festival will take place on Saturday, August 20, 2016 from 12:00 PM until 7:00 PM on Morrison Avenue between Westchester and Watson Avenues in Bronx County.
It is important for you to know that 15 years ago, then Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. created this Morrison Avenue Festival for families and children to gather and enjoy an outdoor day of music and live entertainment, free children’s games, and food sold by local vendors.
You should also know that when Assemblyman Marcos Crespo was elected to replace Ruben Diaz, Jr., Assemblyman Crespo continued the tradition of celebrating the Morrison Avenue Festival, which has grown to attract more than 10,000 people.
For the past several years, the Morrison Avenue Festival has been coordinated by Freddy Perez Entertainment, who this year, has contracted Tito Rojas "El Gallo" and Nayibe La Gitana among other attractions.
I look forward to another successful Morrison Avenue Festival, and to seeing our Bronx families and children enjoy this very special event.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.



Thursday, August 11, 2016

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Join us for International Family Day! Sat Aug. 13


Please join
Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj
&
NYC Councilman Andrew Cohen

for our annual 
International Family Day!
Saturday, August 13, 2016
East 205th Street Bainbridge Ave & 204th Street
12pm-5pm
      Kids Activities & Games/ClownsFace Painting/Balloon Art
Bounce House and Dunk Tank
Hayrides , Giveaways  
and much more!

We hope to see you there!
For more information, please contact Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj's office at (718) 409-0109

Gustavo Rivera Blasts Challenger Cabrera as a "Trump Trojan Horse" in Albany


  State Senator Gustavo Rivera today blasted his opponent Fernando Cabrera for getting massive support from a GOP-linked SuperPac when Democrats are poised to win the majority in the State Senate.  Recent filings with the New York State Board of Elections show that New Yorkers for Independent Action, the SuperPac supporting Cabrera, has received millions in contributions from established GOP donors, and is working with consultants linked to the Bush-Cheney campaign and Karl Rove as part of their effort to defeat Democrats like Gustavo Rivera. 
 
Among the donors to the SuperPac are Walmart Heiress Alice Walton, who has given $450,000; $150,000 from conservative activist Roger Hertog, and $75,000 from anti-choice, anti-LGBT hedge funder Sean Fieler.  The vendors to the SuperPac include Jeff Buley, a Republican attorney who worked for the Bush-Cheney campaign in Nevada in 2004 where the campaign was accused of voter suppression efforts; and Eagle Point Strategies, a firm whose principal, Claude Lavigna, has deep ties to the Senate Republicans and who was linked to a Karl Rove-backed effort in 2014 to support the NYS Senate Republicans.
 
"Cabrera is a Trump Trojan Horse, trying to get inside the State Senate to betray our progressive Democratic values," said Rivera.  "He has spent the majority of his life as a Republican, opposes equal rights for the LGBTQ community, opposes a woman's right to make her own health care decisions, and now we know that his campaign is being supported by people whose goal is to maintain a GOP majority in the State Senate."
 
In addition to the GOP-linked SuperPac that is supporting him, Cabrera received large campaign contributions from organizations including the Rent Stabilization Association, a landlord lobbying group dedicated to weakening the rent laws that protect Bronx tenants from unfair rent hikes and evictions, Rivera revealed.
 
"In public, Cabrera will stand in front of a microphone and say he opposes Trump," said Rivera.  "But behind closed doors, the same landlords, right-wing extremists, Wall Street millionaires and GOP operatives who are working to elect Trump are also plotting to get Cabrera to Albany so he can do their bidding.   It's shameful and dishonest, yet Mr. Cabrera has not said one word refuting their efforts."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It would be great to see Senator Rivera's opponent get all that cash, but he is not going to get as much money as Senator Rivera received in an influx of $250,000 from a SUPERPAC to win his seat. Gustavo - if you win by the SUPERPAC money, you better be ready to be beaten by other SUPERPAC money.

Both or should I say all three Bush's have said that they are not voting for or supporting Donald Trump. Maybe they are going to vote for Hillary Clinton like you are Senator Rivera.

News From Community Board 7



 1 -  Con Ed informed the community board 7 office that there has been service and partial power outages on East 194th Street and East 197th Street between Briggs Avenue and Valentine Avenue. This may have been due to several transforming overheating. There are approximately 300 customers currently affected. All emergency responders including Con Ed, FDNY and NYPD are on the scene and are actively working on resolving this issue. If you live in the approximate area and do not have power, please call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).

 2 - This morning there was a fire that occurred at a two story building located at 267 East 202nd Street Bronx, NY.  The cause is believed to be electrical but an investigation is underway to make a final conclusion. The District Manager personally met and worked with many of the victims through the West Bronx Housing Neighborhood Resource Center through CB 7 Board member, Andrew Laoisa. The understanding is that the Red Cross is providing temporary housing relocation services and some of the victims have decided to stay with friends and family members.  In the coming days and weeks, the district manager will be looking into helping to start a Go Fund Me drive effort to provide donations to the victims to move them into permanent housing. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations in how to start this effort, please let Community Board 7 know by phone at  718-933-5650/51, e-mail the district manager at ansandler@cb.nyc.gov. or stop into the board office at 229-A East 204th Street one block south of the Grand Concource.

Scott Stringer is STILL Hurting the Homeless and the Needy


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


You should know that back on October 7, 2015, I wrote an article criticizing how NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer was putting many homeless families and children in horrible living conditions by denying payments and refusing to release the money and funding for homeless shelter contracts to provide good and necessary services at New York City shelters.  
From that time until now, conditions in the shelters have not changed, and New York City and Scott Stringer are still holding those funds and preventing them from being released to improve the lives of the homeless and the needy.
I am republishing that same article that I released almost one year ago:

Scott Stringer is Hurting the Homeless and the Needy
You should know that there is an article titled EXPERTS SAY STRINGER’S REJECTION OF HOMELESS SHELTER CONTRACTS IS ‘ILLEGAL’ written by Jeff Stein from New York NonProfit that appeared in the October 6, 2015 edition of “City and State.”  Mr. Stein wrote about how “the current standoff between Bill de Blasio and Scott Stringer over the registration of homeless shelter contracts is far from shocking.”
As a New York State Senator here in the South Bronx, and as the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, I must say that it is deplorable for families and children to languish in poverty and homelessness while New York City's Comptroller - who lives in a penthouse - delays and denies payments for New York City homeless shelter contracts.
I must also say that it is disreputable for Mr. Stringer to bolster his own public stature by refusing to sign contracts for homeless shelters while people are suffering, and organizations that rely upon City funding to serve the homeless are not even able to pay their bills.
You should already know that my ministers and I work hard to support the efforts of the multitude of organizations that serve homeless New Yorkers. We know that due to circumstances that are often outside of our control, any one of us could become homeless overnight.  Most of us know that it is our duty and obligation to take care of each other, and when someone or something becomes an obstruction, we have a responsibility to shine a light on that person and demand for him or her to be held accountable.
It is important to know that under the New York City Charter, the Comptroller’s authority mandates the registration of contracts unless: (1) there is not enough funding for the contract to be paid; (2) if the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services has not certified the contract; or (3) if there is reason to suspect corruption.
According to New York University School of Law Professor Roderick Hills: “Given that none of the homeless shelter contracts have been rejected on those grounds … For the comptroller to slow down or stop the mayor’s contracting policy is frankly illegal.”
We all know about Mr. Stringer’s personal ambition to become the Mayor of New York City; it’s no secret. We also know that Mr. Stringer has been extremely generous handing out lawsuit settlement checks for high profile cases against New York City, and has not missed any opportunity to glow in the media for each of our tax dollars he has doled out.
Mr. Stringer's refusal to sign contracts that the Mayor's office has approved shows that he is intentionally hurting the most needy, and making community organizations that deal with the homeless endure all kinds of problems.  Many of the organizations that are truly there for the homeless are being forced to borrow money from banks to pay their bills without knowing if Scott Stringer will ever sign their contract.
My dear reader, the homeless are suffering.  And the organizations that are fighting for the needy are paying the consequences because of Mr. Stringer's vicious refusal to sign their contracts.
Mr. Stringer should be trying to help the organizations that serve the homeless to work out technicalities and assist with any necessary paperwork - instead, he is beating them down and casting them aside.
I am calling on New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer to stop hurting the needy and to sign the contracts already approved by the Mayor to allow homeless service organizations to pay their bills and fulfill their obligations to serve the needy.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.