IMPROVING PARKS IN EVERY BOROUGH: UPDATE ON CONSERVANCY COMMITMENTS TO COMMUNITY PARKS

Eight major conservancies are on track to meet or exceed their $15 million commitments to Community Parks Initiative-related sites

   In November 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, announced a $15-million package of conservancy engagements to improve parks in Community Parks Initiative neighborhoods.  Just over a year later, the Mayor and Commissioner announced eight major conservancies involved are on track to meet or exceed their commitments. 

See the original announcement – with Genius annotations detailing each updated commitment (click on the yellow highlights) – here.

“Public spaces that serve all New Yorkers are elemental to a strong, just city. Through the Community Parks Initiative, and the support and continued commitment of our conservancy partners, thousands of New Yorkers are seeing substantive improvements in parks that have been neglected for decades,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Parks are shared spaces – and supporting them is a shared responsibility. Over the past year, our conservancy partners generously stepped up and extended their expertise beyond their bases. By collaborating with NYC Parks and neighborhood volunteer groups, these eight conservancies are helping to bring world-class parks to all New Yorkers,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver.

“Our system of parks is strengthened by its conservancies – especially when our conservancies are an active part of our parks system. That’s why I proposed the Neighborhood Parks Alliance, and why I am so excited by the partnerships that have grown out of that proposal,” said State Senator Daniel Squadron. “Participating conservancies deserve big credit for voluntarily stepping up to help neighborhood parks, and Commissioner Silver and Commissioner de Commissioner deserve big credit for making the Community Parks Initiative and these partnerships a reality. Thank you to Commissioner de Commissioner, Commissioner Silver, and all the participating conservancies.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: 

Please click on the links to see just where this $15 million dollars is going. Not to parks that need city money but to the Bryant Park Corporation (BPC):, Central Park Conservancy (CPC):, Friends of the High Line (FHL):, Madison Square Park Conservancy (MSPC):, New York Restoration Project (NYRP):, Prospect Park Alliance (PPA):, Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA):, and The Battery Conservancy (TBC):. 

Now a quote from the New York City Council Speaker - “Every neighborhood in New York City deserves to have a spectacular park, no matter where you live or what your zip code may be,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “The New York City Council has invested millions to make our parks more vibrant and sustainable across the five boroughs. Public spaces are a foundation of communities across New York City and by improving access to and quality of our City parks, we’re strengthening neighborhoods across the five boroughs. This City Council will continue to work with the de Blasio Administration and our conservancy partners to fulfill the goals of the Community Parks Initiative to enhance and expand parks throughout New York.”

I wonder if the Community Boards these eight parks lie in even made a single budget request of the Parks Department.

I know of many community board budget requests for local New York City parks came back "NO FUNDS AVAILABLE". 

Commissioner Silver - Why don't you visit parks in outer boroughs where the bathrooms have not been working for many years, buildings are crumbling, play areas are uneven, and I could go on. 

How about it Parks Commissioner Silver get off your butt and visit some of the parks you are in charge of, then tell us that all NYC parks are 100 percent functionable like these pet parks.

STATEMENT FROM IDC LEADER JEFF KLEIN ON BOMB THREATS TO JEWISH CENTERS

   Bomb threats made against Jewish Community Centers in our state will never be tolerated. This spate of anti-Semitism is troubling, and unfortunately occurring across our nation.

New York will not allow hate to spread and we will hold those individuals responsible for these reprehensible actions accountable.

Engel Statement on the Rise of Anti-Semitism

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a leading member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and co-chair of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, issued the following statement in response to the alarming rise of anti-Semitism over the weekend:

“An alarming uptick of anti-Semitic attacks has cast a shadow across the United States. Jewish Community Centers have received five mass wave bomb threats in recent weeks. The latest wave hit just this morning, including in my district. Neo-Nazis rallied in Montana, DC, and Minnesota. Chicago’s West Loop Synagogue was attacked. Swastikas defaced the New York City subway and college campuses across this country. And in recent days, vandals desecrated Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and Philadelphia, toppling over 250 Jewish tombs. 

“The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force reported 28 anti-Semitic hate crimes between January 1-February 12, 2017—more than double the number reported in the same period last year. These ugly acts are a direct assault on the Jewish people and our ancestry. They are an attack on the bedrock values that make our country great. And they demand immediate attention. 

“Whether it is the JCC-Mid Westchester in Scarsdale or JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown, or the Jewish cemetery in Pennsylvania or Missouri or anywhere across this country, we must be vigilant. We must be unified. We must take an uncompromising stand against this horrific hatred. Such attacks cannot—and will not—be swept under the rug. I offer my full support to local and federal authorities to bring all those responsible for these horrific attacks to justice. I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community during these trying times and reaffirm my commitment to ensure hatred and bigotry have no place in my community and our country.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS TO KEEP STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND IMPROVE OVERALL SCHOOL SAFETY

 NYC schools see historically low crime rate for the first half of the 2016-17 school year; arrests and summonses in schools continue to decline

  The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, New York City Police Department, and Department of Education today announced the expansion of school justice initiatives designed to minimize unnecessary court involvement for students and increase effective school-based interventions. The City also released the fourth quarter Student Safety Act data, showing that school-based arrests and summonses are continuing to decline as crime for the first half of this school year decreased by 7 percent compared to the previous year, reaching an all-time low.

“Our students belong in the classroom, learning with their peers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Through our investments in school-based interventions, we are improving student behavior while keeping our teens out of trouble, and the effects are undeniable – crime is at an all-time low and graduation is at an all-time high.”

“The NYPD is actively committed to the safety of our students – whether it is through the actions of our crossing guards, school safety agents or police officers who, each day, dedicate themselves to the protection of the city’s children and schools,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “We are proud to see this reduction in enforcement activity and are working to ensure that this trend continues through the expansion of initiatives such as the Warning Card Program. The NYPD will continue to partner with the Department of Education to ensure the success of our students and provide a safe environment for them to excel and reach their full potential.”

“Schools are safe havens for communities, and we are encouraged by the continued decrease in school-related arrests and summonses,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “We are providing students with extra guidance counselors, trainings on preventative techniques, and tools to take ownership and address misbehavior. By holding our school communities accountable for safe and inclusive learning environments we’ll continue to keep kids in the classroom where they can learn and achieve.”

“Last year the City received recommendations from members of the Leadership Team on School Climate and Discipline to make investments into programs that would enhance school climate while minimizing unnecessary contact with the justice system,” said Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Elizabeth Glazer. “The expansion of the Warning Cards program and Youth Represents’ partnership with schools reflects our commitment to seek ongoing ways in which we can deliver on those recommendations – to safely reduce unnecessary arrests and justice involvement while enhancing public safety for all.” 

As part of the City’s comprehensive strategy to continue improving school climate and ensure the safety of all school buildings through effective interventions that address behavioral concerns, the DOE and NYPD are expanding two initiatives citywide. Specific programs announced include: 

Expansion of the Warning Card Program to a total of 71 schools Citywide:

·      The program gives NYPD officers and School Safety Agents the discretion to issue a “Warning Card” to students who are 16 years of age or older instead of issuing a criminal summons for two low-level infractions – possession of small amounts of marijuana and disorderly conduct – that occur on school grounds.

·      The pilot was launched in the fall of 2015 in 37 schools across 5 Bronx school campuses –  Evander Childs, Adlai E. Stevenson, Walton, John F. Kennedy, and Herbert H. Lehman campus – and after just one year, there was a 14 percent decline (down from 133 in SY 2014-15 to 115 during SY 2015-16) in the number of summonses issued for small amounts of marijuana and disorderly conduct at these campuses.

·      This spring, the program is expanding to reach an additional 34 schools across 11 campuses: Richmond Hill High School, James Madison High School, South Shore Campus, Martin Luther King Jr Campus, Thomas Jefferson Campus, Washington Irving Campus, High School for Environmental Studies, Port Richmond High School, New Dorp Campus, Benjamin Cardozo High School, John Bowne High school.

·      This program provides an alternative to court involvement, while still holding students accountable for their actions through school-based interventions, including disciplinary measures and guidance interventions, and provides training and ongoing support for NYPD and DOE staff to ensure a successful implementation.

Citywide expansion of School Justice Project:

·      The program provides free legal assistance to students in clearing summonses, and provides “Know Your Rights” trainings to schools located in areas with historically high rates of summonses and arrests.

·      The number of summonses issued for quality of life offenses has declined and the City has streamlined the process to make responding easier -- nearly four in ten summonses issued have historically resulted in a warrant for failure to appear in court, which can impact the likelihood of future detention.  

·      As part of the City’s commitment to reducing unnecessary arrests, the program focuses on clearing summonses as an intervention to not only reduce arrests of school-aged youth, but also provide an opportunity for students to increase their understanding of the legal system and to address contact with the justice system immediately so it does not create collateral consequences in a young person’s life. 

·      In partnership with the non-profit legal organization Youth Represent, the program launched in Evander Childs Campus in November 2016 and will be available to students Citywide this year.

The NYPD also released the fourth quarter data pursuant to the Student Safety Act, marking the first full year of quarterly reporting by the NYPD and providing New Yorkers with data on school-based NYPD response, including arrests and summonses. This data increases transparency and accountability, and informs the public on areas for further attention to continuously improve safety within schools.

Overview of fourth quarter data from NYPD report:

·      373 arrests for school based incidents, a decrease from arrest levels in Q1 (436) and Q2 (430)

·      254 summonses issued in the schools, a decrease from Q1 (339) and Q2 (259)

·      Injuries to School Security Division Officers (down to 17) and complaints made against School Safety Agents (down to 30) both decreased compared to previous quarters

·      Restraints were used in the schools 554 times, down from 673 in Q1 and 617 in Q2

(Please note this data represents arrests, summonses and restraints for all individuals in school buildings, including non-students.)

Criminal incidents recorded by the school safety division for the first half of the 2015-16 school year are down 7 percent compared to the previous year. This reduction continues the downward trend in total index crime in schools, which has decreased by 35 percent over the last five years.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with MOCJ and the DOE to provide critical legal services and Know Your Rights Trainings to students citywide,” said Executive Director of Youth Represent Laurie Parise.

“Keeping our schools safe is a top priority for the New York City Police Department,” said Assistant Chief Brian Conroy, Commanding Officer of the School Safety Division. “We are encouraged that crimes in schools continue to decline to record lows, while enforcement activity has also decreased significantly over the past 5 years. Police Officers and School Safety Agents work closely with school officials to ensure a safe learning environment. The Warning Card Program is an example of the efforts by both the New York City Police Department and Department of Education to utilize alternatives to enforcement activity to address low level offenses committed in schools.”

Celebrate Greek Heritage with Borough President Diaz

Celebrate Greek Heritage with BP Diaz!

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. NYS Senator Michael Gianaris NYS Assemblymember Aravella Simotas NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides & The Hellenic Orthodox Community of The Bronx

Cordially invite you to the 2017 Greek Heritage Celebration       Honoring Greek-American Community Leaders   Thursday, March 9, 2017 6:30 to 8:30 PM St. Peter The Apostle Greek Orthodox Church 3245 Kingsbridge Avenue, The Bronx The event is free, but seating is limited. Light food and entertainment. RSVP  718-590-3989 or dmccall@bronxbp.nyc.gov

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Arrest Of Brooklyn Medical Supply Company Owner For Allegedly Defrauding Medicaid

Kester Atumonyogo, The Owner Of Monack Medical Supply, Inc., Allegedly Used A Fraudulent Social Security Number To Enroll Company In Medicaid

Defendant Also Allegedly Used Fraudulent Identifying Information to Commit Welfare Fraud

  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest of Kester Atumonyogo, 43, of Valley Stream, N.Y., and his company Monack Medical Supply, Inc. (“Monack”) for allegedly stealing over $1.5 million from Medicaid and Healthfirst, a Medicaid managed care organization. The defendants are accused of using a false Social Security number to enroll Monack as a participating medical supply provider in Medicaid.  Thereafter, the company allegedly filed false claims that misrepresented to Medicaid and Healthfirst that Monack dispensed a highly specialized, expensive enteral, nutritional formula to needy pediatric patients.

"It's shameful to steal from Medicaid by exploiting children who rely on the program for their basic health needs,” said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.  “My office will protect the integrity of the Medicaid program -- and continue to crack down on those who try to line their own pockets on the backs of taxpayers and those in need.”

Enteral nutritional formulas are prescribed by physicians for patients who must obtain nutrients via a feeding tube and cannot metabolize dietary nutrients from substantive food.  The Medicaid reimbursement rate for specialized enteral, nutritional formula is substantially higher than off-the-shelf or over-the-counter nutritional supplements.  The Attorney General’s investigation conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) revealed that Medicaid and Healthfirst, relying on Monack’s false claims, paid Monack for specialized enteral, nutritional formula, but that Monack only dispensed “Pediasure” or similar over-the-counter nutritional supplements to Medicaid patients, when it dispensed anything at all.

The investigation also uncovered that Atumonyogo allegedly used two different dates of birth and claimed to have been born in two different countries. Using that false identifying information, Atumonyogo is alleged to have obtained multiple driver’s licenses and two different Social Security numbers that he has used interchangeably since the 1990’s.  Defendant is charged with using the second Social Security number he obtained in the United States to enroll Monack in the Medicaid program. 

It is also alleged that Atumonyogo used a different Social Security number in 2006 to obtain welfare and that in October 2012 and September 2013, Atumonyogo filed false income verifications with the New York City Human Resources Administration, claiming that he only made $200 a week or less.  From January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013, Defendant personally received at least $366,906.00 from Monack

In papers filed in New York City Criminal Court, Kings County, Defendant Atumonyogo and Monack were charged with Health Care Fraud in the First Degree, a class B felony, and three counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony.  Defendant Atumonyogo was also charged with Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony, and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony.  If convicted on all charges, Atumonyogo faces up to twenty-five years in state prison.

Defendant was arraigned yesterday in New York City Criminal Court, Kings County before the Honorable Jane Tully and bail was set at $50,000 bond over $25,000 cash. Defendant also surrendered his passport. The case was adjourned to March 10, 2017.

The Attorney General would like to thank the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, the United States Social Security Administration, the United States Department of Health and Human Services -Office of the Inspector General, and the New York City Human Resources Administration for their valuable assistance in the investigation.  The Attorney General, in particular, would like to acknowledge the cooperation and assistance provided by Healthfirst throughout the investigation.

The charges filed in this case are merely accusations.  The defendant whose case is still pending is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Conviction Of Former Village Justice Who Traded Lenient Treatment In Exchange For Sexual Favors

Delmar House Admitted To Reducing Fine For Defendant In Exchange For Sexual Favors While Serving As Justice For Village Of West Carthage

Schneiderman: We Will Continue Prosecuting Public Corruption; No One Is Above The Law

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the guilty pleas of Delmar House, the former Village Justice for the Village of West Carthage Court in Jefferson County, for abusing his position as a Judge by reducing a fine for a defendant who appeared before him in exchange for sexual favors, and by paying a portion of that defendant’s fines in exchange for additional sexual favors. House today entered guilty pleas before The Honorable Kim H. Martusewicz in Jefferson County Court, to the charges of Bribe Receiving in the Third Degree in violation of Penal Law § 200.10, a class “D” felony and Receiving a Reward for Official Misconduct in the Second Degree in violation of Penal Law § 200.25, a class “E” felony.

“This was an abhorrent abuse of office,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “We will keep working to root out and prosecute public corruption in all of its forms. Any conduct that compromises the integrity of public office will not be tolerated.”

House was the Village Justice for the Village of West Carthage Court from January 1, 2008 through March 2016, when he resigned. According to filed documents and statements made in court today, in or about April 2015, House, 49, of Carthage, agreed to and did reduce the fine for a defendant appearing before him in the Village of West Carthage Court for Vehicle and Traffic Law offenses, in exchange for sexual favors from that defendant.  In addition, according to documents filed in court and statements made in court today, House paid a portion of that defendant’s fines in exchange for more sexual favors. 

House is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2017. According to statements made in court today, in exchange for his guilty pleas to the entire indictment, Judge Martusewicz is expected to sentence House to up to six months’ incarceration and five years of probation. Judge Martusewicz is also expected to order the defendant to pay a $5,000 fine at the time of sentencing.

The Attorney General thanks the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, New York State Police Investigator Joseph Maurer, and the New York State Police for their work on this matter.

Engel Condemns Shooting Death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla

   Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on the shooting earlier this week in Kansas that resulted in the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian immigrant:

“I am deeply saddened and troubled by the shooting of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, Alok Madasani, and Ian Grillot in Olathe, Kansas earlier this week. The assailant targeted two of the victims because they were immigrants, and this act of hate resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Kuchibhotla.  I want to convey my condolences to the Kuchibhotla family. 

“These acts of violence are deeply disturbing, and they are an obvious assault on America’s diversity and foundational values.  I fear this shooting was a direct result of the climate of fear and xenophobia that has grown over the past few months.

“Sadly, our new administration has not spoken out against the rising tide of bigotry against Muslims, or against immigrants, and the manner in which the Administration rolled out it’s unconstitutional Muslim Ban has only furthered this trend.

“Such violence cannot be excused or swept under the rug.  Whether it’s anti-Semitic, anti-Immigrant, or anti-Muslim violence—or threats made against JCC’s or any other organization—we must, all of us, condemn such forms of hate.  I will continue to condemn these hateful acts in the strongest possible terms and use my platform to reassure all that immigrants are welcome here.”