Friends of Van Cortlandt Park - Applications Now Available for Summer Internships

Applications are due on May 10th for the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park's 

Summer Internship Programs for High School Students.

Summer Tibbetts Brook Restoration Crew Internship

During the six-week summer internship in 2019, the Restoration Crew will remove non-native Water Chestnut from the waters of Van Cortlandt Lake to improve its health. The Crew will also assist in floodplain forest enhancement, improving the native habitat of the forests that border Tibbetts Brook, thus improving the brooks health. The internship is physically demanding and requires interns to work out on the water for six hours a day. Training in freshwater ecology, lake management, tool use and data collection will be provided to all interns. 

 

Garden 2 Market Internship

When we understand where our food comes from, and where it goes, we can make better decisions about what we buy and eat! This internship is for anyone interested in our food system and covers topics from growing to selling and eating. During the summer interns spend time in our garden learning about growing vegetables, composting and the social and community aspects of a garden, and time exploring food justice issues and learning about the business of running a farm stand. They learn everything from ordering and pricing to stocking the table and completing a sale. They gain communication skills and become advocates for healthy eating in their community. The internship includes many chances to taste and cook new foods and recipes- because no internship about food is complete without eating! 

Friends of Van Cortlandt Park

vancortlandt.org

718-601-1553

info@vancortlandt.org

80 Van Cortlandt Park South Ste. E1

Bronx, NY 10463, US

Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway 42nf Annual Breakfast

  On Sunday March 31st the room at Bronx House was packed with supporters of the Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway, and there was a distinct feeling of success. The Executive Director of the JCCPP Mr. David Edelstein  said that the emergency food program had distributed a quarter of a million dollars of food assistance to local people in need. He also spoke about the JCCPP Crisis Prevention Program, Assistance to over one-hundred and forty households to avoid Utility Turn-Offs, and the many hundreds of people who have been given the JCCPP's expert advice in applying for government benefits, or seniors who received holiday food packages. 

The honorees included State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, Councilman Mark Gjonaj, Newspaper Publisher Laura Guerriero, and Rabbi Yitzchak Gross.

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez were held up in Albany due to the completion of the state budget talks, but had representatives receive their plaques for them. 

Above - Councilman Mark Gjonaj receives his award from David Edelstein Executive Director of the JCCPP. With Councilman Gjonaj are representatives of the Kosovo and Albanian governments. 

Below - Ms. Laura Guerriero Publisher of the Bronx Times Reporter receives her award. With Ms. Guerriero are (L - R)  Charles Landsberg President, Steven Glosser Treasurer, and David Edelstein Executive Director of the JCCPP.

Rabbi Yitzchak Gross receives the Young Leadership Award from David Edelstein Executive Director, Charles Landsberg President of the JCCPP.

The Jewish Community Council of Pelham Parkway is located at 2157 Holland Avenue Bronx NY. 10462. 718-792-4744. www.jccpelhamparkway.org.

BP DIAZ HOSTS ANNUAL GREEK HERITAGE CELEBRATION

  On Thursday April 4, 2019, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined with New York State Assembly Member Aravella Simotas to host the annual Bronx Greek Heritage Celebration at St. Peter the Apostle Greek Orthodox Church in Kingsbridge.  

Honorees at this year’s program included George Manesis, owner of Billy’s Sports Bar; Steve Zervoudis, owner of Galaxy General Construction; Anne Prokop, principal at the Greek American Institute; Costas Papavasilakis, founder of the Dale-Way Auto Body Center; Katherine Kapsis and Georgia Poulos, owners of Columbia Florist; and Merkourios Angeliades, president of M.A. Angeliades, Inc. 

The program included Greek dancing and songs performed by students of the Evdoxia Levesanos School and a short lecture on Greek heritage by journalist-sociologist Despina Afentouli, PhD.

"The Greek culture gave us a template for democracy and the Greek diaspora are pillars of our community today with their strong focus on family and helping the community," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. "As Borough President, I thank all the honorees for making The Bronx a better place."

Join Senators Biaggi, Rivera, and Bailey at Their First Joint New York State Senate Post-Budget Forum on April 11 at Fordham University!

Former Reality Television Series “Bad Girl” Sentenced To 1 Year In Prison

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SHANNADE CLERMONT was sentenced to one year in prison for making and attempting more than $20,000 in fraudulent charges using debit card information she stole from a man who died during the course of a prostitution date with her.  CLERMONT pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in November 2018 before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, who also presided over today’s sentencing. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Former reality TV ‘Bad Girl’ Shannade Clermont lived up to her on-screen persona, as she admitted to stealing the debit card information from a man she visited for a prostitution date in his Manhattan apartment.  When the man died of an overdose, instead of notifying the authorities or calling for help, Clermont callously chose to use the man’s debit card information to make tens of thousands of dollars in illegal purchases.  As Shannade Clermont has now learned, her real-life bad behavior has real-life consequences, and has now landed her in federal prison.”      

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint and Indictment to which CLERMONT pled guilty and other filings in the case:

The New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York had been investigating the overdose death of a male individual (the “Victim”), who was found dead on the morning of February 1, 2017, in his apartment at 250 East 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York (the “Victim Apartment”).  During the course of that investigation, law enforcement learned that CLERMONT visited the Victim for a prostitution date at the Victim Apartment the previous evening (January 31, 2017), and stole the information for two debit cards in his wallet.  CLERMONT admitted that she stole the debit card information after the Victim passed out during the prostitution date.  CLERMONT then used the stolen debit card information to make or attempt to make more than $20,000 in fraudulent purchases during the months following the Victim’s death, including to pay her rent and phone bills, to purchase flights, and to make several online purchases of thousands of dollars of luxury clothing and other merchandise, including, among other items, Valentino shoes, a Phillip Plein jacket, Beats headphones, as well as a gift certificate at a beauty salon.

CLERMONT also created and used a fake email account in the Victim’s name to falsely represent to third parties that she was the Victim, in order to commit fraud using the Victim’s identity.  Specifically, on April 3, 2017, approximately two months after the Victim’s death, the fake email account was used to register an account with Western Union in the name of the Victim, which was used to initiate a fraudulent money transfer of $1,000 from the Victim to CLERMONT. 

In an interview by law enforcement after she was arrested, Clermont stated, in substance and in part, that she committed this crime at least in part due to the stress of keeping up her public image.

In addition to the prison sentence, CLERMONT, 25, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $5,775.27 and pay $4,696.40 in restitution. 

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS THREE JUDGES TO FAMILY, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL COURT

  Mayor de Blasio made three judicial appointments, including one appointment to Family Court; one appointment to Criminal Court; and one appointment to Civil Court, who will sit in Criminal Court. These appointments were designated in January in anticipation of vacancies arising at the beginning and end of March.

“I have the utmost confidence in the judges I am appointing today, whose role in upholding a fair and impartial justice system helps us build a fairer city for all,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Family, Criminal and Civil Court are part of the New York State Unified Court System. Family Court judges hear cases related to adoption, foster care and guardianship, custody and visitation, domestic violence, abused or neglected children, and juvenile delinquency. The City’s Criminal Court handles misdemeanor cases and lesser offenses, and conducts arraignments.

The Mayor appointed the following judge to Family Court:

Judge Ronna Gordon-Galchus started her legal career with The Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division. She then formed a law practice partnership with her husband specializing in criminal and family law and appellate practice for nearly 29 years. She received her undergraduate degree from SUNY at Stony Brook and her J.D. from Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

The Mayor appointed the following judge to Criminal Court:

Judge Jeffrey Gershuny, a U.S. Army veteran, was first appointed as an Interim Civil Court Judge in March 2018 and has been serving in Criminal Court. Prior to his appointment, Judge Gershuny most recently served as Chief Counsel to the Administrative Judge of New York City Criminal Court. Prior to that, he was a Supervising Court Attorney in Criminal Court, New York County for seven years. Judge Gershuny is a graduate of SUNY Binghamton University and received his J.D. from Hofstra University Law School.

The Mayor appointed the following judge to Civil Court, who will sit in Criminal Court:

Judge Jay Weiner was in private practice with several firms, was a solo practitioner, a prosecutor for the Kings and Queens County District Attorney’s Offices, and a Staff Attorney with Appellate Advocates before serving with the New York State Unified Court System’s Appellate Division, Second Department. He had been a Principal Law Clerk to several justices. Judge Weiner graduated from Dartmouth and received his law degree from Fordham Law School.

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS VICKI BEEN AS NEW DEPUTY MAYOR FOR HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today Vicki Been will serve as the new Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development. Been is a nationally recognized expert on land use, urban policy and affordable housing and is the former Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. As Deputy Mayor, Been will intensify and transform the City’s anti-displacement and affordability strategies and create economic opportunity for all New Yorkers.

“As HPD Commissioner, Vicki changed everything about affordable housing in New York City. As Deputy Mayor, she will dig deeper and ratchet up all our efforts to confront the biggest crisis facing our city: affordability,” said Mayor de Blasio. “She’ll kick anti-displacement strategies into high gear and open doors of opportunity to people who are struggling. Vicki will be instrumental in the fight to make New York the fairest big city in America.”

“I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for this exciting opportunity to make New York more affordable for 8.6 million New Yorkers," said Deputy Mayor Been. “Since my tenure as HPD Commissioner, the City has made great strides building more affordable housing units and benefited from record low unemployment. It's time to be bolder and find new, innovative ways to respond to the City's affordability crisis. I share the Mayor's goal to ensure that New Yorkers have the chance in our great City to thrive and live with dignity.  I look forward to working with our partners to make New York the world's fairest big city."

Vicki Been has extensive experience fighting to make New York a more affordable and equitable city. As HPD Commissioner from 2014 to 2017, Been helped craft Housing New York, the Mayor’s plan to tackle the affordability crisis and create and preserve 200,000 affordable homes by 2024. After HPD made rapid progress, the plan was updated in 2017, setting a new goal of 300,000 affordable homes by 2026. During her tenure, Been oversaw the financing of a record 62,500 affordable homes – enough for 170,000 New Yorkers. She restructured the City’s programs to reach a wider range of incomes and secure more affordable housing for every public dollar spent. She also reformed the regulatory process to reduce the risk and cost of building and preserving affordable housing while ensuring its safety, quality, and financial stability.  Been was instrumental in advancing the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law that that requires developers to dedicate a certain percentage of rental units at below market rate rents in areas that are rezoned for higher density. There are nearly 5,600 additional MIH homes in the affordable housing pipeline.  

Been is currently the Director of NYU's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, the Boxer Family Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, and an Affiliated Professor of Public Policy of the NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.   The Furman Center is the leading authority on land use and housing issues in New York City and one of the premier research centers on urban policy in the United States. She has worked on assessing New York City’s land use patterns, the effects of Hurricane Sandy on housing and neighborhoods, the interplay of community benefit agreements and land use practices, and on a variety of affordable housing issues, including inclusionary zoning and supportive housing.

The Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development leads the administration's efforts to grow and diversify New York City's economy, invest in emerging industries across the five boroughs, build a new generation of affordable housing, and help New Yorkers secure good-paying jobs.  The Deputy Mayor oversees and coordinates the operations of over 20 agencies, offices and affiliated entities, including:  the Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Housing Development Corporation, the New York City Housing Authority, the Department of City Planning, the Public Design Commission, the Board of Standards and Appeals, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, Libraries, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Office of Media & Entertainment, the Office of Housing Recovery Operations, NYC & Company, Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, the Trust for Governors Island, the Hudson River Park Trust and the Rent Guidelines Board.

Been graduated from Colorado State University and received her J.D. from New York University School of Law. Been has served as a Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and an Associate Professor of Law at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She clerked for Judge Edward Weinfeld of the Southern District of New York and Justice Harry Blackmun of the Supreme Court of the United States. Her first day as Deputy Mayor will be May 6.

ENGEL, NADLER, LOFGREN, JAYAPAL, ESPAILLAT Question CBP Move of Detainees

Reports Indicate CBP May Have Relocated Detainees to Keep Members of Congress from Seeing the Conditions of their Confinement 

  Representatives Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Jerrold Nadler, Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary; Zoe Lofgren, Chairwoman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship; Pramila Jayapal, Vice-Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship; and Adriano Espaillat, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement after reports surfaced that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may have misled the Members on their recent trip to El Paso. According to reports, CBP moved asylum seekers who were being held in overcrowded conditions under a bridge to other unfit locations, potentially to hide them from the Members on their tour.

“It is deeply concerning that CBP would spend taxpayer dollars to move families and children from one grossly inadequate outdoor facility to another. If CBP intentionally chose to do this to hide the truth from Congress, it would be of great concern.

“As Members of Congress, we have the responsibility of asking hard questions of any Administration, including to ensure that federal agencies are following the law and working in the best interest of the American people.  In this case, part of our duties was to ensure that CBP was enforcing the law consistent with its responsibility to protect the health and safety of individuals coming to our borders.

“The Department of Homeland Security and CBP must immediately respond to us with a full explanation of this possible misuse of resources that misled lawmakers.”