NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION CAPTAIN AND TWO OFFICERS SENTENCED FOR COVERING UP BEATING OF INMATE

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a New York City Department of Correction captain and two officers have been sentenced to five years’ probation for covering up an assault on an inmate in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. 

   District Attorney Clark said, “These Correction Officers concealed an assault on an inmate during the chaotic days after Superstorm Sandy, but were caught and prosecuted for a felony, and now they have lost their jobs. Correction Officers must realize that they will pay a steep price if they cover up brutality or corruption on Rikers Island.” 

  

   District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Moises Simancas, 40, Tyrone Wint, 31, and April Jackson, 36, were sentenced today by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus to five years’ probation, and waived their right to appeal. The defendants pleaded guilty to first-degree Falsifying Business Records on November 10, 2016.

  According to the investigation, on October 30, 2012, a day after Superstorm Sandy hit New York, inmates at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island were confined in their cells for longer than usual. After a dispute with inmate Gabino Genao, Captain Simancas and COs Wint and Jackson handcuffed him and took him to a vestibule where they allegedly beat him. The officers falsified reports regarding the incident. 

   The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Newton Mendys, Supervisor of the Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and Meagan Powers of the Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Stuart Levy, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and Jean T. Walsh, Chief of the Investigations Division. 

  District Attorney Clark also thanked Investigator Alexandria Maldonado of the Department of Correction Investigations Division and Assistant Inspector General Carmelo Galarza and Inspector General Jennifer Sculco of the Department of Investigation.

MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER, MUTILATION OF ELDERLY BRONX MAN

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a man has been indicted for Murder and other crimes for bludgeoning and stabbing a 68-year-old man who had solicited an intimate relationship with him. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The ferocity of the attack on this victim was shocking. The defendant now faces charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.” 

  

   District Attorney Clark said that Jerry Pagan, 32, address unknown, was charged with second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. Pagan was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice William Mogulescu. He was remanded and is due back in court on March 30, 2017.

  

  According to the investigation, on the evening of December 3, 2016, in the Sheridan Avenue home of the victim, Richard Reed, Pagan confronted Reed over a previous sexual encounter and struck him in the head with a hammer and stabbed him multiple times. Pagan then mutilated Reed’s body. 

  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan of the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and the overall supervision of Nicole Keary, Deputy Chief of the Trial Division and Jeremy Shockett, Chief of the Trial Division. 

  An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

NYC DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES CALLS ON NEW YORKERS TO TAKE PART IN CITYWIDE EFFORT TO COUNT CITY'S UNSHELTERED POPULATION ON MONDAY, JANUARY 23

Agency recruiting 3,000 volunteers to assist with annual HOPE count of street homeless individuals in all five boroughs

    The Department of Homeless Services asks New Yorkers to volunteer for its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) to assist the agency and community partners in estimating the number of individuals living on the streets, in parks, subways, and other public spaces across the city. HOPE 2017 will take place on Monday evening, January 23, from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.

Having an accurate count of unsheltered New Yorkers is crucial to combat homelessness, and on the night of HOPE, DHS will need a minimum of 3,000 New Yorkers to collect this data, which is mandated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The vital information volunteers collect will mean that City outreach teams are able to help even more individuals move from the streets to a more stable, safe environment. Those interested in volunteering and participating in an extraordinary citywide effort should visit www.nyc.gov/hope to register.

New York City continues to be a national leader in investing in and developing programs to serve people living on the street, with outreach teams mobilized in all five boroughs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; specialized housing set aside for the street homeless; and targeted funding to ensure that adequate resources reach the individuals most in need. HOPE 2016 found that 2,794 homeless individuals were living on the streets of New York City on the night of the count. This is a 12 percent decline from the 3,182 unsheltered individuals in 2015 and is the second annual decline in a row. There was a 20 percent decrease, the first in seven years, in subway system homeless, going from 1,976 in 2015 to 1,573 in 2016.

“It’s essential to know how many New Yorkers need our services, and the HOPE count is an important part of that. Now, with the Mayor’s HOME-STAT initiative, we are greatly increasing our outreach program to help bring people in from the streets, and we will also have more information about homelessness on the streets going forward,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.

Through HOME-STAT, the City now conducts quarterly nighttime street counts to complement the federal HOPE count requirement and to provide more information to target services to bring New Yorkers in from the streets. HOME-STAT remains the most comprehensive street homeless outreach initiative in any major national city. It has doubled the number of street homeless outreach staff members working to connect individuals to the resources they need to place them in housing and has expanded outreach services into indoor spaces, such as libraries and hospitals. Since its launch in March 2016 through October 2016, HOME-STAT has helped 690 street homeless individuals transition from the streets through connecting them to permanent housing or transitional housing options, such as safe havens.

HOPE began in 2003 with 1,000 volunteers in Manhattan and now covers all five boroughs. Over 3,800 New Yorkers volunteered for HOPE 2016, a record total. New York City’s HOPE count is the largest nationwide effort of its kind and has been identified by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as a best practice survey method. Cities wishing to draw down funding for homeless services provided by the McKinney-Vento Act are required to conduct such a survey. In New York City, McKinney-Vento funding is used to develop supportive housing, an important service model in New York City’s effort to reduce street homelessness.

Statement From BP DIAZ - NEW YORK SELECTED FOR NATIONAL SNAP PILOT PROGRAM

   Following nearly a year of advocacy by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney and others, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the selection of New York State to participate in a nationwide pilot program to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online.

Borough President Diaz and Congressman Maloney led the campaign in New York State to bring about this innovative change, which will allow consumers greater access to affordable groceries, help combat food deserts, promote healthier diet choices and create billions of dollars in new business opportunities.

“New York State has always led the way when it comes to innovation in government, and this pilot program will put our state at the intersection of health, technology and business. Allowing consumers to use their SNAP benefits in the same way you would also use a credit or debit card to purchase groceries will lead to lower prices and greater options for consumers in every corner of this city and state,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I want to thank Congressman Maloney and our New York delegation, our partners in business and the health and hunger advocates who understood the need for this pilot program and joined our efforts to bring this important new program to New York.”

“Working hand-in-glove with Borough President Diaz, we delivered on our goal of bringing the SNAP program in New York State into the 21st century. This pilot will help make it easier and more efficient for New York families to put food on their tables. New York has always paved the way for new ideas and innovations – this pilot program is no different - and I want to thank my colleagues in Congress for joining us in bringing this program to New York,” said Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney.

Borough President Diaz initially proposed such changes in his “State of the Borough” address in February 2016. In July 2016, Borough President Diaz participated in a conference on Capitol Hill to address the need for technological advancements for SNAP benefit users with Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. The next month, the borough president authored a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack urging his department to select New York State for this pilot program.

Congressman Maloney was integral in drumming up support for the pilot program in Congress. In November, the congressman led his colleagues in the New York State delegation on a letter to Secretary Vilsack, in which they jointly called for New York’s selection in the pilot program.

As part of the pilot program, the USDA has selected two vendors—Amazon and FreshDirect—to serve customers in New York State. Both companies worked closely with Borough President Diaz to bring the pilot program to New York. In addition, FreshDirect launched a similar pilot program in The Bronx, in conjunction with the borough president, in 2012.

“I am grateful for the support of both FreshDirect and Amazon on this technological innovation, and I look forward to working with both companies on its implementation.This announcement by the USDA will allow New York to set the example for the entire nation on public/private partnerships that improve nutrition, fight hunger and offer consumers greater choices, all while expanding the marketplace,” said Borough President Diaz.

The USDA’s announcement is below.

USDA Announces Retailer Volunteers for SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2017 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the seven retail firms selected to take part in a pilot designed to enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. The two-year pilot is slated to begin this summer. 

"Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "We're looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP." 

• Firms selected include: 
• Retailers - Pilot States 
• Amazon - Maryland, New Jersey, New York 
• FreshDirect - New York 
• Safeway - Maryland, Oregon, Washington, 
• ShopRite - Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania 
• Hy-Vee, Inc. - Iowa 
• Hart's Local Grocers - New York (based in Rochester) 
• Dash's Market - New York (based in Buffalo) 

The firms selected represent a variety of store types, including national online retailers as well as large grocery chains and smaller, regional networks to appropriately test online SNAP purchasing in different settings. Pilots will take place in seven states in both rural and urban areas, marking the next critical step in bringing the online purchasing option to SNAP clients. 

While USDA has authorized SNAP online grocery ordering in a few locations, this pilot will test both online ordering and payment. Online payment presents technical and security challenges that will need to be examined and fully addressed before it is offered nationwide. As with the core program, SNAP participants will only be able to use their benefits to purchase eligible items online – not to pay for service or delivery charges. USDA is committed to maintaining the security of SNAP benefits for both the protection of SNAP participant accounts and to prevent and detect trafficking, so SNAP online purchases must have a higher level of security than most other online purchases. 

As the pilot proceeds and USDA confirms the system is operating as required, we anticipate being able to add additional retailers. Eventually, our goal is for this to be a national option for SNAP participants, once the pilot phase is complete and USDA can incorporate lessons learned into program rules. 

USDA has taken many steps in the last several years to strengthen SNAP and increase access to healthy foods. Recently, USDA announced a purchase and delivery pilot, which is designed for non-profits and government entities to improve access to groceries solely for homebound elderly and disabled SNAP participants. USDA also provided funding to incentivize participants in SNAP to purchase more healthy fruits and vegetables through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program, increased farmers market participation in SNAP to improve access to fresh and nutritious food, and announced final changes to increase access to healthy food choices for SNAP participants by requiring authorized retail establishments to offer a larger inventory and variety of healthy food options. 

As the nation's first line of defense against hunger, SNAP helps put food on the table for millions of low income families and individuals every month and has never been more critical to the fight against hunger. SNAP is a vital supplement to the monthly food budget of more than 43 million low-income individuals. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children, 10 percent are over 60 and more than 40 percent of recipients live in households with earnings. 

January 2017 at KRVC

Mark your Calendars!  Don't miss these great KRVC events  coming up this month!

100 PERCENT - January 5 2017

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

No Bronx Voice This Week

    With the celebration of the New Year extended weekend, and the celebration of the success of the Bronx Voice in 2016, there will be no Bronx Voice printed this week as we continue to celebrate. 

     The Bronx Voice will be back next week for your reading enjoyment, and this column 100 PERCENT will continue its coverage of Bronx politics. In 2017 there are many races from Mayor of New York City down to the local Bronx City Council districts. There are two term limited seats the 13th and 18th City Council districts, and they will be covered in depth im this column in the Bronx Voice. There is also expected to be races in the Democratic Primary for other Bronx City Council districts, and you will be informed of the candidates who are running. I don't see much change however as there are strong incumbents running for their last term in the City Council, but I always say 'You never know what may happen next in politics'.

     There will also be a look ahead during 2017 to 2018 and the state and congressional races. In 2018 the offices of NY State Governor, NY State Attorney General, and NY State Comptroller are on the ballot with the State Senate and Assembly races. Will the effect of President Donald Trump be a factor in the election of some congressional races or others? That can wait as it is 2017 and we will have to see 'Who will be the next person on the U.S. Attorney's list to be indicted'. 

     See you next week in the Bronx Voice, and may 2017 be a better year than 2016.

    If you have any comments about the column 100 PERCENT or would like to have an event listed or covered in the column or on my blog here, you can e-mail me at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press. 

City M/WBE Mentorship Program & Workshops Open For 2017

NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES ANNOUNCES MENTORSHIP PROGRAM AND WORKSHOPS TO HELP M/WBEs GROW, COMPETE FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

 

Mentorship Program Provides Opportunity for M/WBEs to Learn from Experienced Private Sector Entrepreneurs

 

Workshop Series Focuses On Helping M/WBEs Connect With Opportunities To Do Business With City of New York 

 

    The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) today announced the opening of applications for a mentorship program geared towards minority and women business entrepreneurs (M/WBE). The Corporate Alliance Program (CAP)/Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) program, offered free of charge, connects M/WBEs with successful entrepreneurs through supportive mentorship groups. Program mentors are entrepreneurs generating at least $1 million in annual revenues and mentees will work with mentors and other mentees to develop and achieve business goals. Mentees will have access to a series of seminars on a variety of business topics, including corporate procurement. Participants will come away with a network of business experts and entrepreneurs whose support they can enlist even after the program has ended. The City has also announced a schedule of workshops available to help M/WBEs contract with the City of New York. Workshops cover Selling to Government and M/WBE certification, among other topics.  

 

“Mayor de Blasio has made an historic commitment to minority and women owned businesses and this mentorship program builds upon that success,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Minority and women owned businesses face unique challenges and this program will connect budding entrepreneurs with the tools and expertise they need to build and sustain a successful small business.”

 

Applications for the CAP/NYCEO mentorship program are now open and will close on January 27, 2017. For more information or to apply, please visit www.nyc.gov/corporateallianceprogram.

 

CAP/NYCEO M/WBE Mentorship Program

 

The 28-week CAP/NYCEO M/WBE Mentorship Program provides opportunity for M/WBEs to learn from successful businesses in the private sector. M/WBEs are assigned to a mentorship group with up to three other selected firms that is overseen by a mentor. All mentors are part of Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s New York Chapter. At the beginning of the program, mentees will provide a list of goals based on their business’ challenges. Mentees will work with their mentor and mentorship group in order to achieve these goals over the course of the program. Participants will also attend learning seminars on relevant business topics presented by executives from the CAP corporate partner organizations. Mentees are required to attend at least two of the seminars and the one mandatory learning session on corporate procurement. 

 

Mentees are accepted through a competitive application process. This program is being offered to M/WBEs that fall under the following criteria: Professional Services firms such as advertising/marketing, accounting and legal; Standard Services firms such as janitorial/building maintenance, catering and security services; and Goods firms such as IT equipment/parts, office supplies, and energy-saving light bulbs. To be eligible for the program, M/WBEs must have been in operation for at least three years, have a record of continual growth for the past two years, have at least two employees (including owner), have an annual revenue between $150, 000 and $800,000 and have a business plan, company profile, growth plan or capabilities statement. 

 

2017 M/WBE Workshop Calendar

 

The Department of Small Business Services has announced the following schedule for workshops available to M/WBEs for the first quarter of 2017. Individuals may register for these courses by emailing MWBE@sbs.nyc.gov. More information on the following workshops is available online at: www.nyc.gov/sbs

 

M/WBE Certification One-on-One Assistance:

 

January 17th, January 24th, February 21st, February 28th, March 21st, and March 28thfrom 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

 

M/WBE Certification:

 

February 7th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and March 7th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

 

Selling to Government:

 

January 10th, February 14th, and March 14th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

 

Locally-based Enterprise Certification:

 

January 19th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

 

Emerging Business Enterprise Certification:

 

March 16th from 11 AM to 1:00 PM.

 

Partnerships

 

For the CAP/NYCEO M/WBE Mentorship Program, SBS partnered with the Entrepreneurs' Organization’ NY chapter (EO) and the Corporate Alliance Program (CAP).  CAP is an alliance between the NYC Dept of Small Business Services and corporate partners Accenture, American Express, BNY Mellon, Capital One, Citi, Colgate-Palmolive, Columbia University, Con Edison, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Interpublic Group, National Grid, NYU, and Skanska. Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is an international membership-based networking organization whose members are successful entrepreneurs generating at least $1 million in annual revenues. 

 

About NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) 

SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses and building thriving neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information, visit our website.

No Pants Subway Ride 2017 - Sunday, January 8

The 16th Annual No Pants Subway Ride will take place on Sunday, January 8 in New York City. More info with the meeting point and start time will be posted to this site a week before the event. Save the date, and sign up for our email list to stay updated. You can RSVP on Facebook (optional, but appreciated.) There will be an after party at Bar 13 

Once again we are encouraging folks in other cities around the world to stage their own No Pants Subway Rides on the same day. Regional organizers must fill out this registration form to have their event included (that form is for organizers only.) The week before the event we will publish a list of all participating cities along with links to Facebook events. Groups have staged the event on trolleys, light rails, and buses in the past, so don’t let a lack of subway system stop you! 60 cities participated last year. Check the list on this page to see if one happened in your city last year as preference will go to the prior year’s organizers. If you are an organizer, feel free to leave a link to your Facebook event in the comments on this page.

If you are unfamiliar with this tradition, you can read the history here: The No Pants Subway Ride.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This posting is for informational use only, and not to be thought of as being an endorsement.