Monday, February 20, 2023

DEC Announces First-Ever Spring Long Island Wild Turkey Hunting Season

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Responsible Management of Reintroduced Wild Turkeys Results in Rebounding Healthy Turkey Population

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced the dates for the first-ever spring Long Island wild turkey hunting season. The opening of this new season is the result of wild turkey reintroduction efforts DEC initiated in the mid-1990s.

“DEC is excited to give Long Island hunters an additional local turkey hunting opportunity,” said Cathy Haas, DEC Regional Director. “Not only does this new season give more opportunities to local hunters, it also serves as an example of how locally extirpated populations can be successfully reintroduced and flourish. Both the fall and new spring seasons are possible thanks to the diligent work of DEC’s regional wildlife staff, as well as the cooperative efforts of local hunters and volunteers who took the time to share their turkey sightings, allowing our staff to assess population health and growth.”

In 2009, the first fall-only wild turkey season opened in the region. DEC carefully monitored this new season over the ensuing years and confirmed the Long Island wild turkey population could continue to thrive while under hunting pressure. Long Island proved to be a region where safe and successful hunting of wild turkey was possible, with no hunting safety incidents reported throughout 14 fall seasons.

The spring wild turkey season will open on May 1 and run through May 31, consistent with management practices in New York State and the Northeast.

Season Dates: May 1-31

Hunting Hours: One-half hour before sunrise until noon

Manner of Taking: Hunters may hunt with a shotgun or handgun loaded with shot no larger than number 2 and no smaller than number 9, or with a bow. Hunters may not use crossbows or rifles. Handguns are not permitted while hunting on State lands.

Valid License and Tags: Hunters must have a valid New York State hunting license and a turkey permit to participate in the hunt.

Spring Turkey Season Bag Limit for WMU 1C:

No more than one bearded turkey per day; and
No more than one bearded turkey in wildlife management unit (WMU) 1C

Additional information on NYS Turkey Hunting Regulations can be found on DEC’s website. Successful hunters will be strongly encouraged to bring harvested birds to the Ridge Hunter Check Station located at 484 Randall Road, Ridge, NY. DEC staff will be recording biological data to help evaluate the season and population structure. Visiting the check station will not be mandatory, but all birds harvested must be reported within 48 hours by phone (1-866-426-3778) or via DEC’s Game Harvest Reporting webpage. For check station hours of operation, visit DEC’s Hunting on Long Island webpage or call the Region 1 Wildlife Office (631-444-0310).

Status of Wild Turkey on Long Island

Long Island’s wild turkey population is an example of successful restoration and management efforts. Populations of wild turkey on Long Island disappeared in the late 19^th Century due to reduced forested habitat, as these environments were cleared for colonial farms and firewood. In the mid-1990s, DEC trapped approximately 75 wild turkeys in upstate New York and released these birds at three locations in Suffolk County. The Long Island population is now estimated at more than 3,000 birds and growing.

Wild turkeys have become a common sight at many locations in Suffolk County and some locations in Nassau County, and the population has reached a level that in some locations, nuisance permits have been issued in order to control the amount of damage the birds are causing. DEC monitors population size and distribution through annual August turkey surveys, bow hunter sighting logs, and harvest indices. Based on that information, DEC determined the population is sufficient to support a spring hunting season.

Areas Open for the Spring Season

All of Wildlife Management Unit 1C (Suffolk County) is open for spring turkey hunting. The demand for spring turkey hunting on DEC-managed lands makes it necessary for hunters to follow specific access procedure to ensure equal hunting opportunities for all. More information is available on the DEC website at DEC’s Hunting on Long Island webpage. Properties open to shotgun spring turkey hunting require entering a drawing and advance reservations. Lands that will be open for spring turkey on Long Island are:

DEC-Managed Lands in Suffolk County:

Calverton Pine Barrens State Forest – Archery Only
East Bartlett Pine Barrens State Forest – Archery Only
Carmans River Pine Barrens State Forest – Archery Only
Ridge Conservation Area – Archery Only
Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest – Shotgun and Archery
Westhampton Dwarf Pine Plains Preserve – Shotgun and Archery
Henrys Hollow Pine Barrens State Forest – Shotgun and Archery

Cooperative Hunting Areas that will allow spring hunting season are:

Barcelona Neck Cooperative Hunting Area - Shotgun and Archery
David A. Sarnoff Cooperative Hunting Area - Shotgun and Archery
Kings Park Cooperative Hunting Area – Archery Only
Otis Pike Preserve Cooperative Hunting Area - Shotgun and Archery

Tidal Wetlands Properties (archery only, no reservation required)

Fireplace Neck
Havens Point
Long Beach Bay

DEC-managed lands open to shotgun turkey hunting will be closed to other users from two hours before sunrise until noon throughout the season. Properties owned by local, county, and/or state (State Parks) governments may or may not allow spring turkey hunting. Hunters and recreationalists should reach out to the landowner to determine if access restrictions are in place. For more information on hunting seasons and regulations, please visit the DEC’s hunting webpage. For tips and further details on regulations on turkey hunting, contact DEC regional wildlife office at (631) 444-0310 or visit DEC’s Turkey Hunting Regulations webpage.

Additional information can be found at the following webpages:

Hunting on Long Island - https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8373.html

Long Island Public Hunting Areas - https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40399.html

Public Hunting Opportunities in Suffolk County, Long Island - https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40414.html

Conditions for Use of DEC-Managed Lands in Suffolk County - https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/40419.html

Wave Hill Events March 9-March 16

Find your way to garden bliss at Wave Hill this week. In Wave Hill House, join us for a tranquil meditation and calming sound-bath session. The birds are ready to be spotted—a thrilling Spring Birding opportunity awaits. Take a leisurely stroll with your family and watch the magical transformation of nature as you count different species of birds in the gardens and woodland.⁣⁣ Get creative at the Family Art Project–learn how math connects to the natural world and use flowers and seeds to create your craft.

Family Art Project: Fibonacci Pinwheels

Sat, March 11, 2023, 10AM–1PM

Sun, March 12, 2023, 10AM–1PM Free with admission to the grounds

Meet at Wave Hill House

Math is everywhere you look in the natural world, including the amazing Fibonacci Sequence. These numbers in nature will inspire us to craft our own paper-folded pinwheels. Embellish your creation with flowers and seeds and then take it for a spin!

Registration not required.

The program takes place indoors in the Kerlin Learning Center located on the lower level of Wave Hill House. Please note the following important COVID-related information to ensure everyone’s safety:

Approximately nine families will be able to participate at a time, based on the time each family arrives.
If capacity is full when you arrive, we will provide a “come back” card so you will have first entry for the next session.
Each family will receive its own set of materials and cleaning will happen in between seating participants.

Unvaccinated visitors are encouraged to wear a mask inside.

Wave Hill House is located along a paved route with moderate changes in grade. The building is wheelchair-accessible. There is an accessible, ground-level entrance at the front of the building with a power-assist door. The restroom on the ground level is all-gender and ADA-compliant. Additional ADA-compliant restrooms are available on the lower level, which can be accessed by elevator.

Meditation and Sound Bath

Sat, Mar 11, 2023, 11AM–1PM

$40; including admission to the grounds. Wave Hill Members save 10%

Wave Hill House

With Wave Hill’s majestic and regal Armor Hall space as the setting, dosha healer Sara Hart and sound healer Drew Campbell guides you through a combined sensory meditation and sound-bath experience in celebration of seasonal spring awakenings. Enjoy the melodious tones and healing vibrations of a variety of musical singing bowls.

Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.

Questions? Please email us at information@wavehill.org or call the telephone number and extension above.

This seated or laying down, restorative-style meditation is held in Armor Hall, a large open room on the main level of Wave Hill House. The House is located along a paved route with moderate changes in grade. The ground floor and lower level of Wave Hill House are wheelchair-accessible. There is an accessible, ground-level entrance at the front of the building with a power-assist door. The restroom on the ground level is all-gender and ADA-compliant. Additional ADA-compliant restrooms are available on the lower level, which can be accessed by an elevator.

Spring Birding

Sun, Mar 12, 2023, 9:30–11AM

$15; including admission to the grounds

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center

Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this spring! Explore the gardens and woodlands with birders Paul Keim, Kellye Rosenheim or Gabriel Willow to look for resident and rare birds as they pass through on their northern journey or settle down for the season. Severe weather cancels. A limited number of binoculars, monoculars and walking sticks are available to borrow at the Perkins Visitor Center. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult.

Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.

Questions? Please email us at information@wavehill.org or call the telephone number and extension above.

One walk follows a route through woodland trails and mixed-material pathways with varying elevations; the other follows more accessible paved areas within the more central parts of the garden.

HOURS: 10AM–4:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.

Riverdale in Brownsville

Developers Close On $100M Refinance For Riverdale Osborne Towers In Brownsville, Brooklyn

Daytime view of Riverdale Osborne Towers

The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) and Proto Property Services have closed on a $100 million refinance for Riverdale Osborne Towers, a 525-unit affordable housing complex in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The partners plan to use the financing to complete extensive renovations and facility modernization throughout the complex, which is addressed as 420-440 Watkins Street. The funds will also ensure the property remains financially stable and preserves long-term affordability for residents.

Constructed in 1976, Riverdale Osborne Towers complex comprises four nine-story residential buildings. In addition to affordable units, there is also a preschool, 10,500 square feet of retail space, and a grocery store.

When CPC and Proto Property Services acquired the property in 2007, it was reported to suffer from a pervasive rodent problem and had large holes in hallway ceilings, rotting walls, non-working elevators, and other unsafe conditions. The partners were selected by Catholic Charities to redevelop and renovate the property to create more habitable conditions.

“The need for quality affordable homes in New York is critical, and helping to preserve and improve our city’s existing affordable housing is as important as creating new housing,” said Tell Metzger, senior vice president, equity investments at CPC. “We are proud to work with Proto and our other partners on this refinance so that we can continue to provide the Riverdale Osborne tenants with the affordable, high-quality housing they can be proud to call home.”

Physical upgrades include the construction of a new central lobby and on-site management office, modernized tenant kitchens and bathrooms, upgrades to the façade and surrounding grounds, and elevator repairs, among other major facility upgrades. The owners have also removed tenants who were illegally occupying vacant apartments, switched out existing building staff, and enforced new security protocols.

Initial project costs were estimated at $39 million. The $100 million refinance was provided by Rockport Mortgage Corporation as a HUD223(f) loan.

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Queens Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Oxycodone and Filing False Tax Returns

Daniel E. Russo pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution and possession of oxycodone, and nine counts of filing false personal and corporate tax returns. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Russo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the drug counts and up to three years’ imprisonment for each of the tax counts.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.

“Russo was a drug dealer in a white coat,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “He abused his pharmacy license and the trust placed in him by the community to illegally distribute enormous amounts of oxycodone, spreading misery in the community and fueling addiction, all to enrich himself. This Office will continue working with federal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute medical professionals who illegally deal dangerous drugs with the same vigor as those who distribute drugs on the street.”

“At the same time Daniel Russo was illegally peddling oxycodone out of his pharmacy, he was pocketing – and not paying taxes on – income from those sales and others in his business,” stated Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg. “Everyone is required to pay their fair share of taxes, whether they make their money legitimately or through criminal activity.”

“This plea solidifies the fact that Russo blatantly ignored his role as a medical practitioner in order to line his pockets with cash,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “Through this illicit scheme, Russo enabled opioid addiction and misuse throughout Queens and Long Island communities. The DEA Long Island District Office-Tactical Diversion Squad, HHS-OIG, IRS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York’s partnership exemplifies how investigations like this successfully arrest and prosecute individuals in positions that threaten public safety.”

“Instead of acting within the pharmacist code of ethics to act with integrity, Russo chose to use his position to commit criminal acts. He chose to distribute highly addictive drugs to the community he served, then failed to report and pay taxes on the proceeds of his illicit sales. Today, Russo chose to face the consequences of his actions—a good reminder that just like Al Capone, even criminals need to pay their taxes,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.

As set forth in the indictment, court filings and in court this morning, Russo owned and operated Russo’s Pharmacy in Far Rockaway, Queens. Between March 2011 and June 2014, Russo conspired with others, including medical professionals and employees, to fill fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and dispense thousands of oxycodone pills in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Over the course of the conspiracy, Russo’s co-conspirators delivered hundreds of fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions to Russo’s Pharmacy and would then retrieve the filled prescriptions—written out in various patients’ names—so that they could be dispensed elsewhere. Russo accepted payment mostly in cash for the prescriptions. Russo then hid the proceeds from the scheme and filed false corporate income tax returns for his pharmacy for the years 2013 through 2016, omitting the illegal proceeds. Russo also filed false individual income tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016. In total, Russo failed to report over $1 million in earnings, much of it generated from his oxycodone distribution scheme.

More than a dozen physicians for whom Russo filled prescriptions have since been convicted of crimes related to the distribution of oxycodone.

The government’s investigation was led by the DEA’s Long Island Tactical Diversion Squad, comprising agents and officers of the DEA, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Port Washington Police Department and Rockville Centre Police Department. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad also worked in conjunction with officers and agents of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General and New York City Department of Investigation.

This case is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as part of the Prescription Drug Initiative. In January 2012, this Office and the DEA, in conjunction with the five District Attorneys in this district, the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police and other key federal, state and local government partners launched the initiative to mount a comprehensive response to what the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control and Preventions called an epidemic increase in the abuse of so-called opioid analgesics. To date, the initiative has brought over 160 federal and local criminal prosecutions including the prosecution of 20 health care professionals; taken civil enforcement actions against a hospital, a pharmacy and pharmacy chain; removed prescription authority from numerous rogue doctors and expanded information-sharing among enforcement agencies to better target and pursue drug traffickers. The initiative also is involved in an extensive community outreach program to address the abuse of pharmaceuticals.

Bronx Chamber of Commerce hosts Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Bronx NYS Executive Budget Presentation by the Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. Robert Rodriguez, Secretary of State for NYS, will outline the Governor's budget and policy priorities and how they impact the Bronx, New York City and New York State.

The 2023 New York State of the State message included 147 initiatives to create a more affordable, more livable and safer New York – including the “New York Housing Compact”, a strategy to address New York’s housing crisis which includes the vision to build 800,000 new homes over the next decade; a transformational plan to strengthen mental health care; a plan to increase capacity for inpatient psychiatric treatment by 1,000 beds and add 3,500 housing units serving individuals with mental illness; and major public safety initiatives and investments to drive down gun and violent crime.

The presentation will highlight the Governor’s efforts to raise the minimum wage annually and index to inflation, her desire to help New Yorkers address rising cost of living, the launching of the cap-and-invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. Chairperson Wright will also speak to the Governor’s plan to provide $165 Million in relief to more than 800,000 utility customers and plan to make child care More affordable, accessible, and fair in

New York.

Please join us in welcoming Secretary Rodriguez as he shares the 2024 New York State Executive Budget & Policy Proposal.

For the complete Bronx Chamber Events Calendar, featuring educational workshops, networking events and other opportunities hosted by the Chamber, its members, & partners, please visit and bookmark our website events calendar link in your browser - new events are added weekly!

Friday, February 24 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm

Building Business Operations

Many businesses fail not because of a bad business idea, but because there was no system that standardized, measured, and improved its operations.

The goal of this course is to help you translate your business concept into an efficient operation that continuously improves and raises your bottom line.

Click HERE To Register

Wednesday, February 22 at

10:00am

Coffee & Conversation w. NYC Councilmember Amanda Farias

Chair, Economic Development

Bronx Chamber President Lisa Sorin, and Legislative & Policy Chair, Michael Brady moderate a discussion with Councilmember Farias, on Bronx economic development, workforce development, women's health and wellness, and merchant organizing.

Click HERE To Register