Sunday, July 23, 2023

Wave Hill Weekly Events: August 11–August 17 | Bees, Butterflies & Blooms Weekend

 

Did you know that one out of every three bites of food you eat is thanks to pollinators? Learn all about these vital winged creatures on Bees, Butterflies & Blooms Weekend. We’ve gathered experts on all our favorite pollinators to help answer your pollinator-friendly garden questions, plus events that will have the whole family buzzing. This is a premium-admission weekend! 

Summer Birding also starts early Sunday morning for those who like the pollinators a little bigger. We have binoculars and walking sticks to borrow or bring your own.  

 

Bees, Butterflies & Blooms Weekend 
Praise the pollinators! Celebrate the winged creatures who beautify our gardens and put food on our tables. Wave Hill is home to many different pollinators, including native bees, butterflies and our resident honeybees. Spend the day chatting with naturalists and beekeepers, visiting our honeybee hives, creating art, joining walks to see pollinators in action and more. It’s peak monarch migration, so expect to see monarchs and other late-season butterflies snacking on plants in the garden. Swing by The Shop to purchase tasty honey, beeswax candles and a host of bee and butterfly-themed gifts. 

Bees, Butterflies & Blooms Weekend is a premium-admission weekend, with a $2 surcharge per visitor; there is no admission charge for children under six. 


Welcome Table and Pollination Info Station 

Free with admission to the grounds               

Plan your visit here! Pick up self-guided tours and activities, chat with an insect expert and go home with a list of pollinator-friendly plants. 

 

Family Art Project: Can You Bee-Weave It? 
Free with admission to the grounds 
Have you tried weaving? Hone your cardboard loom weaving technique by making hexagonal creations in the shape of a beehive’s cells. Beautify your soft beehive with yarn scraps and cork-bees while learning about life in the hive.  

 

Hives and Honey Headquarters 
Free with admission to the grounds  

Chat with beekeepers Mufti Ahmed, Pam Golben and Junior Schouten. Peek inside an empty hive, check out live bees in an observation hive (weather permitting) and learn fascinating facts about honeybees.  

 

Meet the Butterflies 
Free with admission to the grounds  

Meet butterfly experts from the Tenafly Nature Center as they showcase a collection of beautifully colored butterflies and their caterpillars, sipping nectar, taking flight and munching on their favorite plants.  Learn about the life cycle of butterflies and their importance to our ecosystem. Visit a butterflies' mini habitat tent and ask questions or simply relax and enjoy the space while butterflies flit and fly about.  

 

Drop-in Candle-Making Workshop 
$15 materials fee per kit 

Drop by Armor Hall and try your hand at creating rolled beeswax candles to take home and enjoy. Materials fee collected upon entry to workshop; each kit includes enough supplies to make several candles. Appropriate for adults and children 5 and up with an adult companion. Space is limited—you may be asked to wait if all workspaces are full.  
 

Native Pollinator Walk 
Free with admission to the grounds 

Flowers attract the attention of both human and animal visitors. Honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies are easily spotted in the garden, but solitary bees, beetles and other native pollinators are often overlooked. With net in hand, naturalist Chris Kreussling scours the garden for all sorts of hard-working pollinators, offering a close-up look at a variety of insects before returning them to their pollinating duties. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult.  

 

Yoga for Busy Bees 
Free with admission to the grounds 

Join environmental educator and yoga instructor Corinne Flax as she guides young yogis through a sequence of fun poses inspired by our favorite pollinators.  Learn a cooling “bee’s breath” technique, move together through a celebratory “sun salute” and pose like a lotus flower or butterfly. Bring your own yoga mat or towel. Rain cancels.  Appropriate for ages five and older with an adult companion.  

 

Nature Detectives: Pollinator Walk for Families 
Free with admission to the grounds 

Join environmental educator Olivia Kalin on an expedition to find colorful butterflies, busy bees and other creature pollinators and their favorite flowers. Appropriate for ages five to nine with an adult companion. Space is limited. 

 

Summer Birding 
$15; including admission to the grounds 
Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. 

Naturalists and Audubon guides Paul Keim or Gabriel Willow lead birders through the gardens and woodlands to seek out summer birds. Observe the plants, insects and habitats at Wave Hill that make it so appealing for such a wide variety of birds. 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. 

 

Cooking Demo: A Taste of Honey  
Free with admission to the grounds 

Honey is a sweet liquid produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. Discover fascinating facts about honey and compare the complex tastes of honey with a Wave Hill beekeeper and Chef Nick Acosta of Great Performances, Wave Hill's exclusive caterer. Sample delicious recipes using local honey and take home recipes designed to take advantage of honey harvest season. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Registration not required. Space is limited. 

 

Public Garden Highlights Walk 

Free with admission to the grounds 
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide--come back for an encore; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Severe weather cancels. 

 

Stories in the Garden 

Free, and admission to the grounds is free on Thursdays 
Join Wave Hill and Literacy Inc. educators for storytime in the garden! Stories will come to life through interactive book readings and related activities. In rain or other extreme weather, the program meets in the Gund Theater in Wave Hill House. Ideal for children ages three to six with an adult. 

 

Public Garden Highlights Walk 

Free, and admission to the grounds is free on Thursdays 
Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide--come back for an encore; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Severe weather cancels. 


HOURS: 10AM–5:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday 
Shuttle Service runs Thursday–Sunday 

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

KRVC -Concert in Van Cortlandt Park Today

 

The weather is beautiful --

Join us on the grounds of the

Van Cortlandt House Museum

Bring a picnic and enjoy!


Sunday, July 23rd, 5-7pm


Morrisania Band Project

will be here...


Morrisania Band Project is an award-winning R&B soul collective founded in September 2016. Their mission is to add vibrancy to the South Bronx through music, community engagement, and social initiatives. With creative energy and loads of talent, MBP delivers the sounds of iconic soul, pop, and funk artists, while promoting awareness for issues like gun violence and adult literacy.

MorrisaniaBand.com



 






Thank you to Van Cortlandt House Museum

and Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

for helping to make this event happen!


Check out their entire calendar of events

this summer at VanCortlandt.org


Saturday, July 22, 2023

Florida Attorney Charged in Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Tax Scheme

 

Allegedly Earned Over $10 Million

 A federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale returned a 34-count indictment, unsealed today, charging an attorney with conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail and wire fraud conspiracy, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and other crimes arising out of his promotion of an illegal tax shelter scheme involving false charitable contribution tax deductions. 

According to the indictment, Michael L. Meyer of Davie, Florida, organized and sold an illegal tax shelter called the Ultimate Tax Plan to assist high-income individuals in reducing their taxes.  Meyer allegedly marketed the scheme as a way for clients to claim charitable contribution tax deductions without giving up control over the assets they purportedly donated to charity and advised that clients could still access their donated assets for their own personal use through tax-free loans and execute an “exit strategy” to buy back their donations at a significantly discounted rate.  The indictment further alleges that, to execute the scheme, Meyer prepared the boilerplate transaction documents, prepared appraisals of the purported donations, assisted clients in filing false tax returns, and controlled the charities that received the purported donations.  For several clients, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly created backdated transaction documents to make it appear that a client had made a charitable contribution in a prior year and, in turn, assisted clients to falsely claim charitable tax deductions for the prior year. 

The indictment further alleges that Meyer represented clients in audits with the IRS, during three of which Meyer allegedly provided false documents to the IRS. 

In April 2018, the United States filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction and Other Relief against Meyer seeking to enjoin him from, among others, continuing to promote the Ultimate Tax Plan.  The United States allegedly issued civil subpoenas to witnesses requesting records related to the Ultimate Tax Plan.  In response to the civil subpoenas, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly prepared backdated documents and directed clients to submit those backdated documents in response to the subpoenas.  Meyer also allegedly provided backdated documents in response to document requests from the United States.  In April 2019, a federal district court entered a permanent injunction against Meyer.  The indictment alleges that Meyer violated the terms of his permanent injunction through various means, including filing tax returns, assisting clients in taking charitable tax deductions, and providing advice on charitable tax deductions.

Since 2013, Meyer and his co-conspirators allegedly earned more than $10 million from selling the Ultimate Tax Plan.  Meyer allegedly used that income to purchase a multi-million-dollar estate and a luxury vehicle collection that included Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Mercedes Benzes, a Bentley, and a Ferrari.

Meyer made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes of the Southern District of Florida.  If convicted, Meyer faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, twenty years in prison for mail and wire fraud conspiracy, three years in prison for each false return count, three years for each count of endeavoring to impede the internal revenue laws, and twenty years each for obstructing and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Announces The Indictment Of Mount Vernon Police Sergeant For Violating The Constitutional Rights Of An Individual

 

During a Call for Assistance, Sergeant Mario Stewart Allegedly Tased an Individual Seven Times While the Individual Was Restrained in Handcuffs and a Restraint Bag and Experiencing an Apparent Mental Health Emergency

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MARIO STEWART, a Sergeant with the Mount Vernon Police Department (“MVPD”), with using excessive force against an individual (the “Victim”) while in Mount Vernon, New York, in violation of the Victim’s rights under the United States Constitution.  As alleged in the Indictment, during a call for assistance, STEWART, in the presence of six other MVPD officers, tased the Victim seven times in the span of approximately two minutes.  For the duration of all seven taser deployments, the Victim lay on the ground, handcuffed with his hands behind his back and his legs secured in a restraint bag.  STEWART surrendered to the FBI this morning and was presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.

FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “As alleged in today’s indictment, Stewart’s actions led him to inflict bodily harm upon his victim.  Officers of the law are not above the law, and the FBI is committed to investigating any instances in which a federal crime has been committed.”

According to the Indictment that was unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]

On or about March 26, 2019, STEWART was employed as a Sergeant with the MVPD.  STEWART was assigned to the MVPD’s Emergency Services Unit, which is responsible for, among other things, responding to individuals who are experiencing mental health crises.  On that day, STEWART and six other MVPD officers received a call to assist the Victim in Mount Vernon, New York, as the Victim was experiencing a mental health crisis. 

At the scene, STEWART and the other MVPD officers restrained the Victim, handcuffing his hands behind his back and securing his legs in a restraint bag in preparation to transport the Victim for medical assistance.  When the MVPD officers were unable to pull the restraint bag over the Victim’s chest because the Victim was holding onto one of the bag’s straps, STEWART directed the Victim to release the strap.  STEWART then proceeded to tase the Victim seven times in the span of approximately two minutes.  While STEWART deployed his taser all seven times, the Victim remained laying on the ground, handcuffed with his hands behind his back and his legs secured in the restraint bag.  STEWART’s actions caused bodily injury to the Victim.

STEWART, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.   

The charge contained in the Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Hochul Joins Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Senior Advisor Landrieu, State and Local Officials to Officially Break Ground on Transformational I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse

Groundbreaking on the I-81 Viaduct Project 

Groundbreaking Held For $2.25 Billion Project That Will Build the Community Grid to Improve Mobility and Reconnect Downtown Neighborhoods

$296.4 Million Already Awarded Under Contract 1; Initial Work Includes Reconstruction of I-81/I-481 Northern Interchange

$384.5 Million Contract 2 Awarded This Week to Begin Conversion of the Southern Interchange of I-481/I-81

Start of Work Comes After More than a Decade of Planning and Community Engagement by the Department of Transportation

 Governor Kathy Hochul today joined federal, state, and local officials to officially break ground on the transformational Interstate 81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse, formally launching one of the largest and most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by New York State, in partnership with the federal government. Overseen by the State Department of Transportation, the $2.25 billion project will create a Community Grid to reconnect downtown neighborhoods severed by the I-81 viaduct's construction and correct an enduring injustice that has disproportionately impacted residents of color in the City of Syracuse for decades. The historic project, which is the result of more than a decade of planning and community engagement, will also create a new Business Loop 81, which will pass through the city distributing traffic along the way, and make other improvements that will improve mobility, enhance safety, create new recreational opportunities and promote economic growth throughout all of Central New York.

Well, we're here today to make history as part of our bold and nation leading vision for infrastructure here in the State of New York. And our vision is not just about building roads and bridges. We're not just talking about fixing streets and sidewalks. It's about bringing people back together. It's about unifying communities, making transportation projects work for all, and our infrastructure vision right now is absolutely unmatched.

New York is the only state that has boldly embraced the urgent need to reconnect communities with an historic five projects, not one. This is Syracuse, and I love Syracuse, but we have five simultaneous mega projects that are designed to right the wrongs of the past. From the Bronx to Buffalo, we've invested $33 billion. $3 billion of State money to say we have to stitch these communities back together because this is so long overdue. Communities that were cut in half, literally cut in half, severing the artery of the heart of a community with asphalts, roads and bridges and viaducts, and all this reckless post-industrial development.

And we're doing the same thing, not just here, but in Buffalo, the Kensington Expressway, we just announced a billion dollars for that project. We're very excited. The Cross Bronx Expressway, that's going to lead to healthier outcomes for people in the Bronx. The Livingston Avenue Bridge in Albany, connecting communities again. And finishing up the inter loop in Rochester. And finally, this incredible project. And as we officially break ground on the I-81 Viaduct Project, this will be one of the largest transportation projects in New York State history, and arguably, the most important infrastructure that Syracuse has seen in at least a century.

And less than a week after I became governor, I came back here. I know this community. This was my home for four years as a student, literally walking distance from here. And I came here and started walking the streets and saying, “We have to do something.” This has been talked about – talk, talk, talk all the time. We get to do something. And Commissioner Dominguez knows in our very first meeting, sat in her office and I said, “Let's move on this.” Too much time has passed. Children have been born and went to school here and grown up and moved away and never saw a chance to see the true community that has always been there. So, I said, “Let's do it. Let's do it.” And my team will tell you, I'm impatient. I'm impatient. And I want to get government to actually do the big things. The things that have been too hard to do for too long. And this was debated for what seemed forever. And communities get tired of waiting. And you know what? While they're waiting, they're losing faith. They're just thinking that people don't care enough. If you really cared, you'd get it done right, right?

Well, we do care and that's why we're getting it done. And the people who've lived in the shadow of this viaduct, I said, “We have to reimagine the potential.” It's not just taken down – a viaduct, a road, a bridge. It's like what we're going to do. And I'll tell you, this does not get done without extraordinary support at the federal level. They're just thinking that people don't care enough. If you really cared, you'd get it done, right?

So, I cannot thank enough President Biden for understanding this. And maybe it's also because as a student at Syracuse Law School, he saw this viaduct. He knew this community. So, one of his top priorities as our president has been to fix this as well. So, his vision, Chuck Schumer, who is in the position to get this through the Senate with his power – that's the magic that happened that brought us here today.

So, the historic, bipartisan, and you don't hear that word often do you? That's a real problem. It takes a lot to get support on both sides. But they accomplished it. So, I want to congratulate them as well, our partners in Washington for making this happen, the significant funding that made this become a reality. Thank you.

So, the President has talked about this. This is part of his Build Back Better vision, but I'll tell you how we're building it back. We're building it back with union labor. Those are thousands of jobs, thousands of good paying, middle class jobs for our hardworking men and women. And we're the first state in the nation to have a local hire provision. That's not just a union provision. That means the people who live in this community will get the jobs. That's how we're transforming lives.

So, 26,000 union jobs. Let me repeat that: 26,000 union jobs created by this project will go to the hardworking people in this community. And the Federal Highway Administration is using this as a best practice in workforce development. They're putting a spotlight on what we're doing here in Syracuse.

But as I mentioned, it's not just about the jobs, which really excite me as we keep adding to the jobs, particularly here in Upstate, which I know went through a long period of decline. I lived it. I'm an Upstater. I know what it felt like when it felt like all the attention was elsewhere in our state, elsewhere in the country, and people just didn't seem to care. But it's not just about creating jobs, it's about, as I said before, righting the wrongs of the past because we have an opportunity here. Because what happened before was a community – Syracuse is an example of what happened all over this country. This neighborhood was so full of life and history. And you go back to, even back to the Onondaga Nation, the Haudenosaunee people, they were here a long time ago. And that's the territory on which this land was built.

But by the forties and fifties, this 15th Ward was the beating heart of the Black community. It was vibrant. There was cultural events and music and dance and food. This place meant something – Black-owned law firms, businesses, restaurants, barbershops filled the streets. People danced at the Dunbar Center, worshiped at Old Bethany Baptist Church on Washington Street. People of the 15th Ward felt a purpose. They felt pride. Work and community was their motto, and it was a place to call their own.

But as the shift to suburbia started, government infrastructure projects facilitated that by creating the highways that made that white flight even easier. And that's what we're trying to heal in the rest of the country, starting here in New York.

So, to many at the time, they thought these neighborhoods had no value, no value at all. Why not? Didn't see too many of these going to the white neighborhoods at the time because I don't think they felt that the Black communities had the political clout and the power to stop a project that they would have today. Or that other communities had at the time. People were kicked out of their homes. They bulldozed businesses. They erased a story for so many people's lives. Well, a half a century later, the pain still lingers.

The viaduct still blocks the sun. The highway still spews emissions into homes and communities. The sound of screeching cars are still in your ear, and children in this school are breathing fumes as they go outside and play. So, let's figure out how we fix it.

So, as we announce the groundbreaking for this historic $2.5 billion project, we will reconnect this community once and for all. That is our mission. That is what we're doing here today, and we're going to, by constructing this Community Grid, we're going to take off 37,000 vehicles a day away from this school. That's going to be extraordinary because we're not just talking about roads, we're talking about the health of a community, the health of the children, the health of the people.

We're easing congestion and creating better routes. And this monstrosity, this I-81, was built around car transportation, but now it's going to be brought back to life with bicyclists and pedestrians front and center, and so we're not just breaking ground on this and doing it our way. We're doing it based on countless meetings with the community, getting their feedback on their vision for their neighborhood.

That's where it should always start. This school is a perfect example, Dr. King Elementary School. People spoke out. There was a plan to do a roundabout here. Looked good to the engineers. I'm sure it was a fine plan, right? But the residents said, “No, we don't like that. That doesn't fit.” Right? And thank you for speaking up because your voice got this enlightened commissioner and her dedicated team to say, “You know what? We’re going to listen. We're going to adapt, and we'll change it.” So, that's how my administration now operates, and I'm so proud of the people who stood up, gave their time, showed up meeting after meeting, and worked with us. And down the road we're going to have a community engagement center because people are going to have a lot of questions. We want to have one place you come.

And again, this is how we prioritize the people over the projects. You come here, any questions or concerns you have, show up there, and we'll make sure you're taken care of. And if you want to work on the project, we'll talk to you about the employment opportunities. You don't have to go far away. You don't have to find a Department of Labor place. You go right to your neighborhood. So, I understand how people are skeptical. The scars are still very real. They have questions and concerns and doubts, but I just want you to know we're going to finish this project and today is going to be so much more than about roads. It's about the people. And let me wrap up by saying this: As long as I'm governor, never again will an infrastructure project be started that does not consider what a community wants for themselves because they were here first. They are the voices we need to listen to.

So forevermore, when this project is completed, people will travel around Syracuse differently. Kids will never know what their parents and grandparents had to endure. They'll assume it's always been this great, that you could see the sun, you could breathe the air. People you interact with, the opportunities, the ability to go up to the hospital up on University Hill and have connections to jobs and opportunities and health care right there.

This can ignite the imaginations of the next generation about what they can do, the power that they now possess. And every project going forward will make sure that equity and inclusion are front and center. That's how you get more livable and more walkable, more desirable and more affordable communities.