BP Diaz Helps Muslim Community Celebrate Ramadan

    On Thursday evening July 26th Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. helped the Muslim Community Break Fast that night during the religious observance of Ramadan. Ramadan which started on July 19th this year ends on August 19th, and is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. During the period of Ramadan it is custom to fast from early morning to sunset. 

    Even though there was a forecast of heavy rain and winds (that did occur) it did not stop the over 350 people who came from many parts of the 5 boroughs to Break Fast with BP Diaz. It was as if the rain and wind held up until the event started, and then ended before the event did. BP Diaz opened by thanking those who came, and said that this was the 4th time that he has done this in his tenure of 4 years. Diaz spoke of the diversity of the Bronx and of his office by saying that as an assemblyman he had Mr. Omar Basil on his staff, and now on his BP staff who made it clear to him of the customs of the Islamic people. 

    Ms. Maryam Hanifah Fofana (VP, The Islamic Support Foundation), Mr. Mohammad A. Jan (President, Madni Masjid of the Bronx), Maf Misbah Uddin (Treasurer of DC 37), and the Islamic Cultural Center (represented by Imam Abdulla Bajaha and Mr. Bakary Camara) were given awards  by BP Diaz for the outstanding work they do. You can see photos of the honorees and of New York City Comptroller John Liu below. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

Left - Ms. Maryam Hanifah Fofana and BP Diaz.       Right - Mr. Mohammad A. Jon and BP Diaz.

Left - Mr. Maf Misbah Uddin and BP Diaz.                    Right - Imam Abdullia Bajaha and Mr. Bakary Camara with BP DIAZ 

New York City Comptroller John Liu with good friend Mr. Ricardo Martinez 78th A.D. State Committeeman.

Bronx CAN (Changing Attitudes Now)Health Initiative

The Bronx CAN (Changing Attitudes Now)Health Initiative, an initiative of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr’s Office, brings together individuals, elected officials, government agencies, doctors and health providers, places of worship, community gardens and community centers, schools, civic-minded groups and physical fitness centers of all kinds to promote the types of behaviors that lead to healthy lifestyles.

The goal of the Bronx CAN Health Initiative is to have all members of our community – young and old alike – build healthier lives, free of ailments like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

As part of the initiative community members are encouraged to set their own health goals, be it losing weight, exercising a few times a week or vowing to eat healthier through the

Bronx CAN Health Challenge

The Challenge check-in at Blink Fitness, located at 744 St.Ann’s Ave and East 156TH Street, on Saturday, August 11, from 10 a.m. - 12 noon, staff from Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, a CAN partner, will be on site to register new and access current community residents, record their weight, body mass index and other measurements and screen for diabetes and high blood pressure. Blink Fitness will be extending free trials to all 18+ participants, and will have trainers on site to provide fitness tips. A final weigh-in will be hosted by Blink on SATURDAY, September 8, and they will be providing a complementary 6-month membership to the top male and female participants with the highest percentage of weight loss.

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The East 204th Street & Bainbridge Avenue Merchants Association Present Summer Streets 2012

The East 204th Street & Bainbridge Avenue Merchants Association (E204St & BAMA), in collaboration with the Mosholu Preservation Corporation and Bronx Community Board 7, is hosting its 2nd Summer Streets event series, a Department of Transportation (DOT)-sponsored "Temporary Pedestrian Street/Weekend Walks" program on two consecutive Sundays, July 29 and August 5, 2012 from 12PM - 5PM, along East 204th Street between Bainbridge and Decatur Avenues.

The intent of the program is to create a recurring, multi-block, pedestrian street to promote local businesses and organizations. The purpose of the Summer Streets 2012 events is to help stimulate the local neighborhood economy and bring community residents together.

We invite you to join us on these dates and enjoy fun-filled, family-friendly days in this vibrant community. 

On Sunday, July 29th, Summer Streets 2012 will feature:

·          Helmet Fittings by DOT   12PM - 4PM   In front of Leroy Pharmacy at 358 E. 204th St. (see flyer below for details)

·          Salsa Lessons with Steve Seda   2PM   In front of  Beso Lounge at 320 E. 204th St.  

·          Fitness Challenge Demos by Belin Sport & Fitness 

·          Basketball Tournament by Alpha Phi Alpha - Bronx Chapter

·          Outdoor Shopping 

·          Face Painting & More!

On Sunday, Aug. 5th, don't miss out on the Summer Streets 2012 Concert from 12-5PM, at E. 204th Street & Decatur Avenue, hosted by Anthony & Eileen of BronxNet's No Offense But... TV show!  

Highlights include Latin sensation Anayka, Italian Hip Hop Movement artist SALESE, new voice of music W.R.A.T.H, Hugga ROCKZ, Bachata singer El Happy High, Puerto Rican poet/singer/performer La Bruja and Latin Empire Entertainment artists, LoZoneros, a group born and raised in the Bronx bringing a whole new sound to the Latin urban movement, international recording artist Veronica Kole, and Salsa singer Arlene G! Also featuring special performances by ABADA-Capoeira Bronx, BHARATI Dance Academy, KR3TS Dance Company, Art of Stepping, and X Factor Drumline.  

The day will also feature:

- Fitness Challenge Demos by Belin Sport & Fitness 

- Outdoor Shopping  

- Face Painting & More! 

EVENT INFORMATION

WHAT: Summer Streets Weekend Walks 2012

WHO: East 204^th Street & Bainbridge Ave. Merchants Association

DATE: Sundays, July 29 and August 5, 2012

TIME: 12PM – 5PM

LOCATION: E. 204^th Street between Bainbridge & Decatur Avenues, Bronx, NY 10467

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Councilman Larry Seabrook Found Guilty on 9 of 12 Charges

   Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook has been found guilty on 9 of the 12 charges presented by the Federal Government in its retrial case against Councilman Seabrook. The first trial ended in a hung jury which left Seabrook a free man until today's trail ending, but Seabrook remains out on bail until he is sentenced on January 8, 2013 

    Seabrook in a Daily News Story here   has been canned from the City Council, and that a special election date has been set to fill his now vacant seat for the date of the general election November 6th. The Daily News story has it as the end of an era of "Cash and Carry Larry".

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.   had this to say after the verdict came back

“Today’s conviction of Council Member Seabrook will allow our borough to move forward, beyond his unfortunate actions.

“The Bronx, as well as the entire City of New York, deserves honest, corruption free government, and the actions of one individual should by no means cast a bad light on the hundreds of hardworking elected officials, in my borough and beyond, who work everyday to represent their constituents and solve problems for their communities. That is the level of service and commitment the public deserves, and I intend to work with my colleagues to rebuild and restore the public’s faith in government,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

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John Sampson Car Accident Now Costing 70 Thousand, and Climbing

Just How much will this Accident cost New York State, or should we say you the taxpayer. The 2012 Ford Taurus valued at $35,491.00 was totaled in the crash, while other cars were damaged in the accident. More on this can be found at this link to Capital Tonight which goes into detail about the damages to each car that was involved in the accident. Capital Tonight also includes that the New York Post reports that the car has piled up 23 parking tickets over the past 30 months.

I Will Be a Bionic Man

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York 

I Will Be a Bionic Man
You should know that according to Doctor Louis Rose, MD, a well-known orthopedic surgeon located at 3058 East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx, who will be performing knee transplant surgery on my left knee, if everything goes according to plan, I will end up being a bionic man.

This Thursday, July 26th, I will be having a knee transplant.  (Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it to the Abrazo Dominicano celebration that I have scheduled for this coming Friday night.)

So, to all of my friends and to all my foes, you should know that I will be out of commission and out of sight for the next 5 – 6 weeks.

Meanwhile, I already know that it will be very hard for me to remain idle for that period of time because knowing  how impatient, hyperactive and  the demanding person that I am, this will be torture for me.  This is an election season and I am up for re-election.  This is going to be a hot summer.  There are a lot of things to do, a lot of constituents to assist, and a lot of people to help.  To all of them, I extend my sorrow, but I have to take care of my leg.

But I assure you that If Doctor Rose’s prediction is correct, “I’ll be back”!!…..stronger.... better…and faster!

I am State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know. 

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COUNCILMAN KOPPELL OPPOSES BAN ON SIZE OF SUGARY DRINKS

At the Public Hearing conducted by the Board of Health on July 24, 2012, Council Member Oliver Koppell opposed the proposed ban on the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces in all restaurants and theaters, food carts and sports arenas regulated by the Health Department. In his testimony, Koppell said, “The proposed regulation is an obstruction of the rights of New Yorkers to choose for themselves the size of the beverages they want to consume and is a clear overreaching of the government into people’s everyday lives.”

He pointed out that the regulation is arbitrary and capricious insofar as it does not apply to all stores and other outlets serving drinks and it does not cover all high sugar beverages, just a select few, not based on health criteria.  Only the size of the cup is regulated, enabling a customer to purchase two or more 16 ounce drinks. It does not prohibit free refills and does not limit the prohibition to minors who arguably do not have the maturity to make a sound choice.

Comparing this regulation to the ban on smoking in restaurants, Koppell said that tobacco is a much more dangerous substance and, furthermore, the rule was enacted after it was passed by the legislative body elected by the people and then signed by the Mayor.  He pointed out that the prohibition on the ban of oversize sugary beverages, which affects thousands of businesses and millions of consumers, will be promulgated only by the Board of Health, an agency whose members are solely appointed by the Mayor.  )

Koppell acknowledged that obesity is a serious issue in New York and across the country, but said, “This regulation is neither a proper nor effective way of addressing the problem.” People are concerned, he said, that this infringement on the rights of New Yorkers will expand to other areas, such as mandating vegetables at every meal, regulating the size of candy bars or pizza slices or prohibiting bars from serving more than two drinks a customer.

“Many healthy and health-conscious New Yorkers consume sugary beverages as part of countless pastimes such as movies or sports exhibitions and most of the time it is not reflective of an unhealthy lifestyle,” Koppell said.  “Regulation of this consumption will be regarded by many as an intrusion on their individual freedom, an opinion with which I concur.”

In conclusion, he said, “Let the people choose for themselves how much soda they wish to consume.  There are more effective approaches to battling obesity.”

We will add other comments as they come in.


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ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following on the announcement that same-sex marriage has generated $259 million in economic activity:

“Thirteen months ago our legislators did the right thing and voted to make same-sex marriage a reality, ensuring that New York State was among the leaders in equality. Today’s announcement is simply the icing on the wedding cake.”

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