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.

    

 

Modonna Look-Alike Contest By 161st Street BID

Speaker Silver Being Investageted For His Role In the Veto Lopez Deal

   It just gets worse every day for the New York State Assembly, now the New York Post in a front page story Silver hit by Hu$h Probe say that Silver makes a shocking confession on the Vito Lopez deal. 

   The New York Assembly paid out $103,000.00 to the two women who accused Assemblyman and now former Brooklyn Democratic County Leader Vito Lopez of sexual harassment that was authorized by the Speaker. Silver now says that he may have made a mistake in doing that, and the whole matter is now being investigated by JCOPE the governors new Joint Commission on Public Ethics. 

   Just like the Post had a field day Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera which may continue, we are sure that the Post will be covering each and every iota of news on Speaker Silver.

 

  

Gloria Gaynor Concert

    Last night an estimated over 600 people jammed Seton Park (in Riverdale) to watch Gloria Gaynor in one of State Senator Jeff Klein's "Summer Concert Series". Senator Klein for the month of August put together a series of summer concerts throughout his state senate district that ends tonight in Loreto Park (in Morris Park) featuring Jay Black

    Gloria Gaynor was born in 1949 and started her singing career as a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. Her first solo single was "She'll Be Sorry/Let Me Go Baby" came out in 1965. Gaynor's big success came in 1975 with the hit album "Never Can Say Goodbye" that included other popular "Disco Era" songs.

    Gaynor sang several of her hit songs that included "Never Can Say Goodbye", "I Will Survive", Going Out of My Head", and also sang a musical tribute to her late friend Donna Summer. With her 63rd birthday coming up on September 7th after the show there was a little early celebration with many people singing to her "Happy Birthday".

Left and Right - Gloria Gaynor singing as the sun was setting.

Left - one of the band does a sax tribute.

Right - You can see the crowd of over 600 people who were in attendance.

Left - Senator Jeff Klein saying a few words to the crowd.

Right - Local Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is between Civil Court Judge candidate Eddie McShan he supports with possible City Council candidate Andy Cohen in blue shirt.

COUNCIL APPROVES KOPPELL-SPONSORED BILL SUSTAINING AND EXPANDING WORK OF CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL AND TASK FORCE

    At its meeting on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, the Council passed a bill co-sponsored by Council Member Oliver Koppell, a member of the Environmental Protection Committee, that institutionalizes and expands the work of the NYC Panel on Climate Change and the NYC Climate Change Adaption Task Force.

    The Panel and the Task Force were created by the Mayor in 2008 to evaluate the impact of climate change on New York City and to develop strategies to protect the city’s critical infrastructure from this impact.  

    The new legislation expands the scope of these bodies to include, not only consideration of the risks of climate change on the infrastructure, but also on the city’s communities, vulnerable populations, public health, natural systems, buildings and economy.  

    “The Council found global climate models predict that temperatures, precipitation, sea levels and extreme weather events will increase dramatically, even in the next ten years, creating the necessity of preparing for, or ideally preventing, the impact of these adverse climate changes on New York City,”  Koppell said. 

    The legislation requires that the Panel, consisting of climate change scientists, recommend climate change projections for the city not less than once every three years. Within one year of the Panel’s recommended climate change projections, the Task Force, comprised of representatives of the appropriate city, state and federal agencies, as well as private entities, will inventory the potential risks of climate change to the city, develop adaption strategies, identify issues for further study and issue a report to the Mayor and Council based on its findings. 

    “According to the Mayor’s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, we are already seeing more extreme weather - more days of  heavy rainfall and days over 90 degrees, more frequent heat waves and more strong storms. Consequently, the work of the  Panel and Task Force in coming up with plans to deal with the negative impact of this extreme weather is very important and I am pleased that this legislation requires future administrations to maintain their efforts,”  Koppell said/

 

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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

          WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

    You should know that sometimes, no matter how good, how decent, or how honest your intentions may be, the way things come out might not always seem too good for you.

In Puerto Rico, there is a saying that “when it rains it pours,” meaning that all at once, everything comes falling on your shoulders.

To me, it started earlier this summer with simple knee replacement surgery that was supposed to take two weeks, after which I’d be as good as new, but the first surgery was complicated.  Things did not go as planned, and I had to stay in the hospital for four weeks.

Next, the criminal charge against Mr. Clement Gardner, the bookkeeper for the Christian Community Benevolent Organization, was expanded from the original charge to say that he stole $532,000 from the agency.

You should already know that I founded the Christian Community Benevolent Association (CCBA) in 1977 and it was the jewel of the South Bronx.  When the Bronx was burning and the South Bronx was left in ruins, our organization was creating jobs and holding the fort when banks and businesses and landlords abandoned the area.  The CCBA was an oasis for senior citizens, for our youth and for the unemployed.  We employed more than 1,300 people during the time when the South Bronx was seen as the worst neighborhood in the nation.

You should know that along with the conniving evil work of Mr. Clement Gardner, who destroyed the reputation of everything we had done for 30 years, that in May 2007, instead of arresting Mr. Gardner after he confessed to stealing from CCBA, the FBI sent Mr. Clement Gardner BACK to the Christian Community Benevolent Association where he continued to raid the not-for-profit agency.

And now, to add salt to the wound, my only daughter – the one who I love so dearly – fell in love with a police officer and in a domestic dispute, has been accused of scratching his car with a key.

This must be what they mean in Puerto Rico that  “when it rains it pours.”

But, the Lord who I serve always tells us in the Bible that He will never send us more than we can endure. To my God and Savior, Jesus of Nazareth the One who took me out of the gutter and has brought me into His graces and has blessed me with a family and a name and a place in this State – to Him be the honor,  glory, and praise.

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

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Shooting of Nine-Year Old Boy

“I am deeply saddened by last night’s incident on East 157th St. and Walton Avenue, near Yankee Stadium, where a nine-year old boy fell victim to gun violence.  I will keep him and his family in my prayers as we hope for his quick recovery. It is the second time in a week that this senseless act is committed in our borough and it is extremely disappointing. I know I speak for all Bronxites in condemning this despicable act.

“Ending gun violence has been a top priority of mine since I became an elected official, and despite our good work, too many firearms end up in the wrong hands  both through legal and illegal means.

“This is a national problem that urges us to revisit the Second Amendment and the true meaning of what it was intended to protect so we can better prevent these crimes and protect innocent people across our city and nation.

“This violence must stop, my office will continue to work to take as many illegal guns off of our streets as we possibly can to keep our children and families safe. I urge all Bronxites with knowledge of illegal guns in their community to call 866-GUN-STOP to anonymously report those guns to the police, a program that my office continues to promote through our ‘Peace in our Streets’ campaign,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

More information on the 866-GUN-STOP program can be found at the following link:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/rewards.shtml