BRONXTALK - 80th A.D. DEBATE POSTPONED

Bronxtalk host and Senior Producer Gary Axelbank sent us the following.

"Due to the death of the incumbent's sister, we have decided to postpone the debate for the Democratic Primary in the 80th AD until Monday, 9/10 at 9:00pm". 

Although Assemblywoman R

ivera had already indicated she would not attend, BronxTalk Host and Senior Producer Gary Axelbank, in consultation with the other three candidates, determined that this was the best way to pay due respects and also insure an independent and balanced program. 

 

We apologize for any inconvenience, and hope all BronxTalk viewers and constituents in the 80th AD will join us for the program on September 10.

_____________________________________________________

 

Editor Note:  I also wish to have my condolences relayed to the Rivera family.

 

 

 

Bronx Chamber of Commerce Book Signing

Join us for Ray Negron's Book Signing

  Featuring your very own Bronx Chamber!

Jerome Gun Hill Bid

 

Save The Date!

Presents 

The 11th Annual
Jerome-Gun Hill BID Fall Festival
Saturday, September 22, 2012

11am - 6pm
On Jerome Avenue between East Gun Hill Road & Mosholu Parkway, and 208th Street between Jerome and Dekalb Avenues 

 

WAVE HILL EVENTS September 14–September 21

Happy Labor Day!

SAT, SEPTEMBER 15   FAMILY ART PROJECT—PAPERSCAPES

Paperscapes/Paisaje de papel

Papermaker Randy Brozen is back to show us a playful new technique for making handmade landscapes. Using versatile paper pulp as the ground, we’ll incorporate found paper, sticks and leaves to add some natural punch to the scene. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 15    TAI CHI CHUAN

Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. Short and long form classes are led by Irving Yee, an active member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for weather updates. Session fee: $15 Member/$23 Non-member. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

ON THE GROUNDS, 10AM Beginners, 11AM Intermediates

SAT, SEPTEMBER 15    WAVE HILL HISTORY WALK: GEORGE PERKINS AND THE PALISADES

Stroll the grounds with historian and Wave Hill Garden Guide Deirdre LaPorte and discover how George Perkins, the former owner of Wave Hill, played a pivotal role in preserving the Palisades. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 15    WATERCOLORS & PASTEL: PAINTING THE PALISADES

In collaboration with the Hudson River Museum and the Palisades Interstate Park−NJ Section, Wave Hill offers an art workshop series inspired by the Palisades. In this session, participants take inspiration from the view of the Palisades from the Hudson River Museum, and from the museum's collection of related paintings and drawings, as artist Wennie Huang guides them in combining the luminosity of watercolor with the textural versatility of soft pastels. The workshop opens with an exclusive tour by Hudson River Museum Chief Curator of Collections Laura Vookles, who introduces the Palisades through works in the museum’s collection, as well as through Blane De St. Croix’s installation, which is part of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition Foregrounding the Palisades. Space is limited. $20 Wave Hill Member/$30 Non-member each session.  Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x305. The Picturing the Palisades workshop series continues October 20 and November 17.

HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, 1‒4PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 15    GALLERY TOUR

Join an exhibition interpreter for one of our regularly scheduled tours of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition Foregrounding the Palisades, sculptural installations by artists Isidro Blasco, Blane de St. Croix and Paula Winokur that focus on the cliffs across the Hudson River, a quintessential feature of Wave Hill’s vista—and history.  In the Sunroom, Crystal Z. Campbell and Yeon Ji Yoo fill the space with site-specific works inspired by local social and natural history. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 16    FAMILY ART PROJECT—PAPERSCAPES

Paperscapes/Paisaje de papel

Papermaker Randy Brozen is back to show us a playful new technique for making handmade landscapes. Using versatile paper pulp as the ground, we’ll incorporate found paper, sticks and leaves to add some natural punch to the scene. Free with admission to the grounds.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 16   HATHA YOGA

Release stress and find refuge from city life by practicing seasonal yoga, surrounded by the beauty of Wave Hill. Hatha Yoga involves the use of physical postures, breath control and meditation to create a supple, strong and relaxed body-mind. Classes are led by Neem Dewji, certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation in Bedfordshire, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. Participants should bring a mat, dress in loosely fitting clothing and come to class with breakfast well digested. All levels welcomed. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for weather updates. Session fee: $15 Member/$23 Non-member. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

ON THE GROUNDS, 10–11:15AM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 16  GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

TUE, SEPTEMBER 18    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

TUE, SEPTEMBER 18   GALLERY TOUR

Join an exhibition interpreter for one of our regularly scheduled tours of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition Foregrounding the Palisades, sculptural installations by artists Isidro Blasco, Blane de St. Croix and Paula Winokur that focus on the cliffs across the Hudson River, a quintessential feature of Wave Hill’s vista—and history.  In the Sunroom, Crystal Z. Campbell and Yeon Ji Yoo fill the space with site-specific works inspired by local social and natural history. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

THU, SEPTEMBER 20    EARLY CLOSING

Wave Hill closes to the public at 2PM today to dress for the Gardeners’ Party, an annual event that benefits the Horticulture Program at Wave Hill.

ON THE GROUNDS, 9AM‒2PM

FRI, SEPTEMBER 21    PLANT SALE

Visit The Shop at Wave Hill for our popular annual sale of signature plants. The sale continues through Sunday, September 23.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4:30PM

FRI, SEPTEMBER 21    GARDEN WALK: BEST BETS AT THE PLANT SALE

Assistant Director of Public Programs Laurel Rimmer offers a personal tour of our fabulous plant sale, highlighting rare plants, superior cultivars and top-notch performers for your home garden. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to acquire some great plants for your garden! Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM.

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—4:30PM. Closes 5:30PM, March 15—October 31.  

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free until noon September Tuesdays.  Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Program s are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242^nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

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

News from Councilman G. Oliver Koppell

KOPPELL OBTAINS ADDITIONAL LITTER BASKETS FOR DISTRICT

Council Member Oliver Koppell was successful in persuading the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to increase the number of garbage baskets in the district because of complaints from constituents about litter on the street, particularly in the area of West 238^th Street.

Koppell indicated that the commercial nature of West 238^th Street requires that there be baskets to deposit the litter that businesses generate.  Consequently, he asked for the replacement of the basket removed from Greystone Avenue and West 238^th Street and requested that additional containers be placed in the area.

The Department of Sanitation replaced this garbage basket and added one at Fieldston Road and West 238^th Street.    There are now garbage baskets on Waldo Avenue at West 236^th and 238^th and Streets. 

“I anticipate that the streets around West 238^th Street will be cleaner because of these added litter baskets.  I would caution people, however, not to use the baskets for the disposal of household garbage as this will cause them to overflow and Sanitation to remove them,” Koppell said.

STEP STREET MADE SAFER THROUGH KOPPELL’S EFFORTS

 

Concerned that the poor lighting and accumulation of debris, on the step street that connects Gale Place with Bailey Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park West, made the steps unsafe for pedestrians, Koppell successfully petitioned the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to remove the trash, rocks and tree limbs that had been scattered everywhere on the steps and for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to fix the lights, a project that had been postponed for a long time.

“Now the steps are much safer at night and less of a tripping hazard. I am grateful for the agencies’ response to my requests to improve conditions for residents in my district”   Koppell stated.

Senator Klein is joined by others to Blast City Dept. of Finance

    State Senator Jeff Klein was joined by City Council Traffic and Transportation Chair Jimmy Vaxxa, Assembly members Mike Benedetto, Marcos Crespo and local civic leaders and merchants to blast the New York City Department of Finance for not enforcing city truck overnight parking rules on local residential streets. The fine for illegal overnight truck parking on residential streets use to be $65.00 which meant that it wound up cheaper for truck drivers to park overnight on residential streets than reserve a hotel room or park off street in paid lots.

    In 2010 responding to hundreds of constituent complains about illegally parked tractor-trailers in their neighborhoods, Sen. Klein, along with Assemblyman Benedetto and Councilman Vacca, introduced and passed legislation to drastically increase the fines for trucks that illegally parked overnight in residential areas. The law increased fines from $65 to $250 for first-time offenders and from $65 to $500 for second or repeat-offenders. 

    Senator Klein's office estimated that an average of 238 tractor trailer trucks park overnight in the 34th State Senate District alone, which of properly ticketed could generate over $3,500,000.00 in additional revenue to the city from the 34th district alone.   

   In order to fully implement the new parking fines, the New York City Department of Finance must print new parking tickets that reflect the increased fee schedule. However, over the past 12 months, the Department has refused to print these new tickets, resulting in near-total lack of enforcement. The Department of Finance has committed only to “exploring whether [they] can make an alteration to handwritten tickets,” and has, in the meantime, relied solely on enforcement officers to voluntarily write-in the additional fine. The Department of Finance has not sent out any instruction or advisement to NYPD regarding the new fines.

    Given that the problem of illegal overnight truck parking is widespread across the outer-boroughs, the total number of lost revenue could be much greater. According to numbers obtained by the Office of Senator Klein, the Department of Finance issued over 93,000 tickets for illegal overnight commercial parking in the most recent fiscal year. Under a conservative estimate, if even one third of these tickets were written to tractor-trailers with the additional fine, NYC could reap an additional $8.83 million if the Department of Finance simply printed new tickets that enabled fuller enforcement. 

    Councilman Vacca said that the problem is not only here in the Bronx, but citywide in the outer boroughs.

Assembly members Benedetto and Crespo said that the new overnight truck parking rules shows a total disregard for the residents of the entire city, and they gave law enforcement the tools needed to stop this illegal overnight truck parking which is not being enforced and depriving city residents of revenue that is much needed now.

   This legislation was passed two years ago and the city Department of Finance still has not changed the summons form, which I was told by Councilman Vacca is reordered every few months.

   Mayor Bloomberg take note of this..

Left - Senator Klein, Councilman Vacca, Assemblymen Benedetto, and Crespo along with Community and business members
Right - Example of just how many and where trucks are parking on overnight residential streets.

Luis Sepulveda Fund Raiser

   Yes that's Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. who along with Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie headlined the list of people in attendance. As you can see by the photo the lighting was low, but the donations were high to the Sepulveda campaign. Also in the photo is Luis Sepulveda's lovely wife Elizabeth who is holding 11 month Luis Enrique Sepulveda. 

   I asked Luis Sepulveda about his race for the 87th Assembly District and he said that he is confident that he will win, but is still campaigning as if he was the underdog. Two years ago Sepulveda narrowly lost to former Assemblyman Peter Rivera who has since joined the Cuomo administration as The State Labor Commissioner. BP Diaz and County Leader Heastie were both very confident that Luis Sepulveda will become the Assemblyman from the 87th A.D. There were different opinions of just how big the margin of victory would be with many saying 90% to 10%. Check my column in the Parkchester News and Bronx News papers for my prediction on this and all the other primary races.

 
   

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ & MTA TO HOST METRO NORTH INFO SESSIONS

 

   Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that they will offer four information sessions to the public to learn more about the proposal to bring Metro-North service to the East Bronx.

   Information sessions will be held in Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park and Co-op City—the four neighborhoods that would see Metro-North service expansions if the East Bronx service plan were enacted.

   “We want to give the people of the Bronx a real opportunity to review these plans and to offer their own thoughts on the future of transportation in our borough,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “These meetings will give my staff and the MTA a chance to hear from Bronxites about these plans, and to use that feedback in a constructive manner.

   The first meeting will take place in Morris Park on Monday, September 10 at the Price Center/Block Pavilion auditorium at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, 1300 Morris Park Avenue (at intersection of Eastchester Road). An open house will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation on the project at 7 p.m.

   Meetings will also take place in Co-op City on September 24 at the Dreiser Loop Community Center, 177 Dreiser Loop, 2^nd Floor Auditorium B; in Hunts Point at Casita Maria, 928 Simpson Street, on October 2; and in Parkchester at St. Raymond’s High School for Boys, 2151 St. Raymond Avenue (corner of East Tremont Avenue and Purdy Street) on October 22. These meetings will begin with open houses at 6:30 p.m., followed by presentations at 7 p.m. 

   Editors Note:      We were the first to bring you that Metro North service would be coming to the East Bronx back in May which appeared in our column in the Bronx News, Parkchester News, and Coop-City News.