Wednesday, August 16, 2017

INTERNATIONAL FAMILY DAY: AUGUST 26TH


INTERNATIONAL FAMILY DAY: AUGUST 26TH
Owen F. Dolen Park|2551 Westchester Square
Bronx, New York 10461 

Join the Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto & Senator Jeff Klein for a day filled with fun and family in Owen Dolen Park from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Food, sweets, games, back-to-school giveaways, and a partnership with relevant city agencies makes for a fun-filled event. 

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: Confederate Monuments at the Hall of Fame for Great Americans


“Our motto in this borough is ‘ne cede malis,’—‘yield not to evil.’ And we will not, no matter how old that evil might be. Our diversity is our strength, not just here in The Bronx but across our city and our nation. In celebration of that diversity and united in our outright rejection of the hatred that we have seen on display in recent days—be it an act of domestic terrorism in Charlottesville or the vitriol emanating from the White House—the busts of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson must be removed from the Hall of Fame for Great Americans on the campus of Bronx Community College.

“Their inclusion at this location is especially galling: there is nothing great about two men who committed treason against the United States to fight to keep the institution of slavery intact. A more appropriate location for these statues would be a museum, such as the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, where they could be presented in a historical context rather than venerated. But they should not stay in The Bronx any longer,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
What took so long?

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. & Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda Hosts Free BBQ


Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj Hosts Annual Job Fair



ELECTED OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE THE ANNUAL MORRISON AVENUE FESTIVAL


  State Senator Rubén Díaz, together with Assemblymen Marcos Crespo, Luis Sepúlveda, City Council Member Rafael Salamanca and Freddy Perez’s Entertainment; invite the community to the sixteenth (16) Anniversary of the Morrison Festival in Bronx County.

This Saturday, August 19, more than five thousand (5,000) people are expected during the annual Morrison Avenue Festival, beginning at 12 noon to 6 pm between, Westchester and Watson Avenue in Bronx County.

For the past 16 years, the Morrison Avenue Festival has been coordinated by Freddy Perez Entertainment, who this year, has contracted Charlie Aponte (former singer of Gran Combo de Puerto Rico 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.


Transportation: Train #6, Buses #4 & 27 to Morrison Avenue Station. 

For more information, please contact Leila Martinez at 718-991-3161

Engel Blasts President’s Press Conference Remarks


  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on yesterday’s remarks by the President at a press conference in Trump Tower:

“Everything about yesterday’s press conference was wrong. The way the President backtracked and blamed ‘both sides’ for the Charlottesville nightmare was wrong; the way he defended some of the people who stood with white supremacists was wrong; and the way he has continually glossed over the despicable beliefs held by these hate-filled men and women of the alt-right was, and continues to be, wrong. The President said again yesterday there were good people ‘on both sides,’ but let’s be clear: If you marched alongside a white supremacist you are not a good person. Anyone who would stand shoulder to shoulder with racists and anti-Semites either shares or is sympathetic to their beliefs. There were no ‘good people’ carrying tiki torches screaming Nazi slogans. It’s 2017. These obvious truths should not have to be stated or clarified to anyone, let alone the President of the United States. This is not difficult to understand, and is certainly not up for debate. When David Duke praises you, you are doing something wrong.

“Yesterday’s press conference was a disgrace to the office of the President and to the American people. It was an affront to our American values.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND FIRST LADY MCCRAY ANNOUNCE JACQUELINE EBANKS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMISSION ON GENDER EQUITY


  Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced that Jacqueline Ebanks will serve as the new Executive Director of the Commission on Gender Equity. Created in June 2015, the Commission is an advisory body that works across City agencies to help achieve the Mayor’s commitment to reduce gender-based inequity and build a safer, more inclusive city for women, girls, transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers. As Executive Director, Ebanks will oversee the City’s first-ever Commission on Gender Equity, leveraging the power of City government to expand and increase opportunity for all New Yorkers regardless of sex, gender or sexual orientation in order to build a city that is safe and free of discrimination.

“New York City is built on the ideals that every single person, regardless of their gender, should be given the tools necessary to succeed. The Commission’s role is now more important than ever as we fight the forces of inequality that our trying to reverse the progress we’ve made,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio. “Jacqueline has a proven track record standing up for women and girls, and her passion and commitment to NYC will serve us well as we look to create a fairer and equitable city for all.”

“Jacqueline Ebanks brings a wealth of experience to this Administration as an advocate, policy practitioner and thought leader with a deep passion for social justice. With her strong and capable leadership, the Commission on Gender Equity will continue fighting discrimination and inequity in all forms to make NYC a better place for women, girls and everyone in our gender non-conforming communities,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray, Co-Chair of the Commission on Gender Equity. 

“The Commission on Gender Equity plays a critical role in ensuring that women, girls, transgender, and gender non-confirming individuals are full beneficiaries of the City’s vast resources. I am honored to join the de Blasio Administration and help build a more inclusive and equitable New York City,” said Jacqueline Ebanks, Executive Director of the Commission on Gender Equity.

The de Blasio Administration is committed to fighting inequality across the five boroughs, and has placed gender at the center of this mission. The Commission on Gender Equity is charged with supporting agency initiatives by utilizing a gender lens to review policies and their impact on women, transgender and intersex individuals, and men in order to achieve greater gender fairness in the City.

New York City has made significant strides towards gender parity over the last three years, including:

  • Signing Intro. 1253 which prohibits all NYC employers from inquiring about a prospective employee’s salary history.
  • Establishing a historic partnership with UN Women and becoming the first American city to join the United Nation’s Safe Cities Initiative.
  • Creating first-ever maternal mental health services through ThriveNYC, a mental health initiative led by First Lady Chirlane McCray.
  • Providing Universal Pre-K and 3-K for All.
  • Expanding paid sick leave to many of the lowest paid industries that employ disproportionate amounts of women.
  • Making unprecedented investments in domestic violence response and education through the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence.
  • Signing legislation to provide six weeks of fully paid parental leave to City employees
  • Establishing the City’s Commission on Human Rights as the first human rights agency in any major U.S. city to certify U and T visas for immigrant victims of crime and human trafficking.
  • Creating lactation rooms for new mothers at social service agencies across the city
  • Appointing and promoting  more women to leadership positions in agencies and City Hall than ever before – with women serving in more than 50 percent of the Administration's senior leadership positions.

About Jacqueline Ebanks

Jacqueline Ebanks is an innovative manager and policy maker with extensive experience in philanthropy and the non-profit sector. She has worked for over 30 years to promote economic and social justice for women and girls, and marginalized communities.

Since 2014, Ebanks has served as the Executive Director of the Women’s City Club of New York, where she guided the civic-engagement organization into its second century of activism. Previously, Jacqueline served as the Vice President of Programs at the New York Women’s Foundation and worked at Citigroup as their Vice President & Director of U.S. Partnerships and Program Development for Global Community Relations Division and then as their Regional Community Relations Director for the Northeast and Puerto Rico. Prior to Citigroup, Jacqueline served as the Vice President for Community Investment at the United Way of New York City. Ebanks began her career at citywide and community based service organizations services, serving as Child Welfare Policy Analyst at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies,  Director of United Neighborhood Houses’ Staff Development and Human Resource Management Initiative,  Director of Program Development and Quality Assurance at the Society for Seamen’s Children, and Director of Development at Harlem United Community AIDS Centers.

Ebanks holds a M.S. in Policy Analysis and Public Management from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She resides in the Bronx with her husband and their three daughters.

13th City Council race - Is Victor Ortiz Back on the Ballot?


   Since the posting last night on Facebook additional information has come in, and this is the latest update on the matter of Mr. Victor Ortiz returning as a candidate in the 13th city council Democratic primary.

  Mr. Victor Ortiz and I spoke last night where Mr. Ortiz said he was back on the ballot. I could not get in touch with the Marjorie Velazquez campaign at the time of the call, but have since then spoken to the Campaign Manager for Ms. Velazquez and had a further call to Mr. Victor Ortiz. 

Both sides in the matter have added information such as a Friday final decision which will be made on Mr. Ortiz's fate as a candidate or not. Both sides have clarified to a point the outcome of the  challenge to Mr. Ortiz's petition.

Mr. Ortiz said that his challenger was from the campaign of Marjorie Velazquez, and not a registered voter in the 13th council district.
Mr. Ortiz said that his challenger admitted to what he has said of not living in the district, but in another state where she is a registered voter.
Mr. Ortiz believes that he is back on the ballot after the decision is made on Friday.

After speaking with the campaign manager of the Marjorie Velazquez campaign there was some clarification from their point of view. 
They claim.
Mr. Ortiz's challenger did not say what Mr. Ortiz has said about her.
The challenger to Mr. Ortiz was a duly registered voter in the 13th city council district.
They believe that on Friday this matter will be finished with Mr. Ortiz not back on the ballot.

We should know the outcome of this matter tomorrow.