Huge Gas Leak Causes Havoc in Riverdale

   The scene was chaos at the corner of the Henry Hudson Parkway North service road and West 239th Street today as during construction a huge gas leak was discovered at 2 PM today. As you see in the photo above emergency Con Edison workers are all around the site of a gas leak that occurred as the Con Edison contractor was connecting two different gas lines during the 'Oil to Gas' conversion by Con Edison contractors. The fire department stood ready with a hose that was attached to a nearby hydrant just in case. All roads to and around the West 238th Street overpass of the Henry Hudson Parkway were closed as a precaution. That meant that Riverdale Avenue north was closed to traffic at West 238th Street, as was the northbound HHP service road. Also closed was the West 239th Street overpass to southbound parkway service road traffic. All northbound MTA buses were detoured onto Independence Avenue at West 232nd Street. This lasted into the rush hour as it took hours to fix the leak by using smaller bypass piping. One unidentified worker for the contractor who wished to remain anonymous  told me that it was a Con Edison employee and not a worker the contractor who was responsible for the major gas leak. 

  As the repair work go on this Con Edison worker is checking a sewer for any gas residue. 

  This fire engine was spread across Riverdale Avenue just below West 239th Street, as you can see the truck is connected to the hydrant just in case.

 A close up photo of the work area. The fire Department is just out of camera range on the left with a hose ready should any fire start.

Three Kings Day Celebration - This Sunday!

Wave Hill Events Jan 23–Jan 30

  SAT, JANUARY 24    FAMILY ART PROJECT: OUR FAMILY STORY—A WAVE HILL AT 50 ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM

Visiting artist Donna Maria DeCreeft guides us in creating an elegant, collaborative, community album complete with pressed flowers, decoupage and photo memorabilia. We invite you to bring in photos and stories of your time at Wave Hill for display in the Sally and Gilbert Kerlin Learning Center. Plus, create your own personal Wave Hill family album with fabric pieces to take home as a keepsake. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, JANUARY 24    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. In this hour-long class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM

SAT, JANUARY 24   WINTER WORKSPACE WORKSHOP: SOUNDING SILENCE AND THE WINTER WALK

Join Winter Workspace artist Nicolás Dumit Estévez in an experiential workshop beginning with a mute stroll around the Wave Hill winter landscape. Also in silence, use the sounds, impressions and mental images collected on the walk to create an individual or collaborative mixed-media artwork in the warmth of the art studio. Oral communication is reestablished toward the end of the session, in time for a conversation on the work generated and on the overall experience. Hot ginger tea and cookies will be served.  All workshops with Winter Workspace artists begin in their Glyndor Gallery studios with an introduction to their creative process. Unless otherwise noted, art materials are provided.Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. $15/$5 Wave Hill Member per session. 

GLYNDOR GALLERY AND ECOLOGY BUILDING, 1–4PM

SUN, JANUARY 25    FAMILY ART PROJECT: OUR FAMILY STORY—A WAVE HILL AT 50 ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM

Visiting artist Donna Maria DeCreeft guides us in creating an elegant, collaborative, community album complete with pressed flowers, decoupage and photo memorabilia. We invite you to bring in photos and stories of your time at Wave Hill for display in the Sally and Gilbert Kerlin Learning Center. Plus, create your own personal Wave Hill family album with fabric pieces to take home as a keepsake.  Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, JANUARY 25    HATHA YOGA

Reduce stress and increase your energy by focusing on your posture, breath and mind/body/spirit. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss Director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors, and last for an hour and a quarter. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM

SUN, JANUARY 25    MEDITATION

Let nature inspire you to find your center and reconnect with your true self using guided mindfulness and other meditation practices. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques, followed by guided meditations. Led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors. Sessions are held indoors. All levels welcome. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $20/$10 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:45AM

SUN, JANUARY 25    CONCERT: THE BOHEMIAN TRIO

The vibrant Bohemian Trio (saxophone and chekeré, cello, piano) draws on melodies from Europe and South America and the rhythms of the African Diaspora. Its program is a mix of classical, Afro-Cuban, tango and jazz works, including an arrangement of a movement from Ravel’s Piano Trio in a. $28 general admission, $15 child (ages 8 to 18). $22 Wave Hill Member, $12 Wave Hill Member child. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org or at the Perkins Visitor Center. In addition to tickets for individual concerts, subscriptions are also available for any three performances in this 10-concert series, with a 10% discount, or any four performances, for a 15% discount.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

SUN, JANUARY 25    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY 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

MON, JANUARY 26

Closed to the public

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 and Tuesday mornings untilnoon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs 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 30 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.

50 PCT. Meeting Crime keeps going down in the 50

   State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Councilman Andrew Cohen stopped by last nights 50 Precinct meeting. Above the trio pose with 50 Pct. commanding officer Deputy Inspector Paul Rasa. 

   

   Each of the three elected officials spoke briefly at the meeting congratulating DI Rasa on the fine work of the 50 PCT., and the citywide police force as a whole in lowering crime even lower than last year's historic lows.

   It was announced by DI Rasa that the 50 Pct. would be getting 6 new officers from the recent graduating class of police officers. 

  

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: 2014 Crime Statistics

  “Mayor de Blasio’s announcement today—that New York City saw in 2014 the lowest number of homicides since modern policing began in 1993—shows us just how far The Bronx and the entire City have come in so short a time.

“This year, for the second straight year, the number of murders in The Bronx was lower than 100, a level of success in policing this borough had not seen since the early 1960’s. This would not be possible without a deeply committed, highly professional police force like the NYPD, working hand-in-hand with the citizens of our borough and our city. It is worth noting that this continued reduction in overall crime occurred alongside a dramatic decrease in the use of ‘stop & frisk,’ which proves that effective crime fighting and strong police work does not require questionable tactics.

“As the people of this city continue to examine the role of law enforcement within their communities, we must not forget the important role that the police department and its dedicated membership play in keeping our communities safe and secure. I will continue to work with our mayor, Commissioner Bratton and the New York Police Department to build on the continued efforts to make The Bronx an even safer place to live, work and raise a family,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Kudos To The Bronx!

What You Should Know 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 
32nd Senatorial District 

Kudos To The Bronx! 
  

You should know that after 50 years, for the second year in a row, the murder rate in Bronx County is under 100. According to a December 30, 2014 New York Daily News article, EXCLUSIVE: Murders in the Bronx under 100 for second year in a row: "The last time the borough had two consecutive years with fewer than 100 murders was in 1963 and 1964." For this, I have to give Kudos to the Bronx! 

  

We all understand that even one death by murder is too many, and we pray to see the day when there are zero murders in the Bronx and anywhere else. Nonetheless, it is exciting to see that the crime rate here is coming down. 

  

You should know that Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. should be proud that after 50 years, under his leadership the murder rate in Bronx County has decreased to figures this borough has not seen since 1963 and 1964. In 2013 there were 80 murders in the Bronx, and in 2014 there were 91. 

  

According to the Daily News article: 

  

"The NYPD started keeping modern records in 1963, and numbers showed a steady rise in murderous mayhem through the 1970s, ’80s and into the ’90s. 

The peak bloodshed came in 1990, when 653 people were slain. The year before that, it was 484; the year after, 553. 

It wasn’t until the late 1990s that the rate began to fall under 200 — but it stayed in that range for decades. In 2012, there were 114 murder victims." 

  

My dear reader, with the Bronx murder rate under 100 for the past two consecutive years, we also have to praise the efforts of the New York City Police Department's Bronx Borough Commander, Precinct Commanders, and Police Officers. These statistics that show a drop in murder are proof that the NYPD is doing an outstanding job in its efforts to build strong community relations here in the Bronx. 

  

We also have to recognize the efforts of the leaders of the many Bronx faith communities. Our many religious leaders, priests, rabbis, imams and ministers use their houses of worship to fight crime as they teach people to love and respect each other, strengthen family life, and obey the law. 

  

Parents, Community Leaders, Community Organizations, and members of the community, that year after year coordinate and work hard to organize marches, prayer vigils, and activities against crime to bring peace and harmony among residents of the borough, they also deserve mention and recognition for their contributions to this magnificent news. 

  

Like Hillary Clinton's book title says: "It takes a Village." 

  

Ladies and gentlemen, I need to repeat that the loss of even one life is too many, and we need to see crime rates come down completely - but it is refreshing to see that for the second year in a row, the murder rate in the Bronx is under 100. Kudos to the Bronx! 

  

This is State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Editor's Note - State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is the father of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

3 Kings Day with TEAM DIAZ

  This is what it was all about, making children happy. State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is joined by his son Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Assemblyman Michael Blake, the Three Kings, and the happy children holding the toys that they received.

Left - Senator Diaz's helpers fill up the PS/MS 5 stage with toys.

Right - Funny Freddy the Clown makes toys out of balloons for the children before the program begins.

Above - The auditorium fills up quickly with children and their parents.

Below - The crowd is treated to dancers from Senator Reverend Diaz's church.

Above - BP Ruben Diaz Jr. tells why he loves his father, and that he attended the very school that the 3 Kings event was being held at PS/MS 5.

Below - Senator Diaz points to the person sitting in the back of the auditorium who provided the monetary prizes for giving the right answer to questions about 3 Kings Day. For a right answer a child would receive a $20.00 bill. BP Diaz gave those who missed the answer a $10.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble book store.

Above - BP Diaz asks the first question about 3 Kings Day.

Below - The right answer is given to the BP's question, and Senator Diaz has the $20.00 for the correct answer.

After all the questions finally were answered correctly the toys were then given out after thanking those who donated them.

Above - BP Diaz with new 79th A.D. Assemblyman Michael Blake.
Below - Team Diaz 2015?

Man Saved by Naloxoneintranasal Medication Administered by 45th PCT. Officers

William Rivera Chairman of Community Board 9 passes on the following.

On December 31, 2014 at  approximately  1045 hrs Officers responded to a radio call of an unconscious M/B/18 at 1020 Boynton Ave. Among the Officers who responded was P.O. GONZALEZ who administered  naloxoneintranasal medication, the officers actions yielded positive results. The aided male immediately regained consciousness and was then transported to Jacobi Hospital.

  Naloxoneintranasal has been given to all police officers to be administered to people who have become unconscious do to drug overdose to bring them back to consciousness before being transported to a local hospital.