STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: September 11^th Memorial

  

“It has been 11 years since the attacks on September 11^th, and the sadness still remains in all our hearts as though it was yesterday. My heart goes out to the families of the 2,998 victims of the terror attacks who died on that day, 143 of which were from the Bronx.  Today, I join together with all the families of the victims to mourn their loss with a broken heart and offer comfort to my brothers and sisters in this time of need.

“Regardless of the pain that 9/11 brings to us we must also remember that on this day we must show the world that Americans will not submit to terror, and that we will always remember those innocent hard working people among those building employees, first responders and others, who perished in the attacks.  On this solemn occasion, I offer my condolences to the families of the victims of 9/11 and will always keep in my prayers the brave and innocent lives lost,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The official 9/11 memorial service of the Bronx will take place on Friday, September 14, 2012, at Lou Gehrig Plaza (corner of Grand Concourse and East 161^st Street) at noon. The event will be followed by refreshments in the Veterans’ Memorial Hall of the Bronx County Building (851 Grand Concourse at East 161^st Street).

 

 

Reynaldo Cuevas Shooting Accident, or Murder

  Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson now is investigating just that, if the tragic shooting of Bodega worker Reynaldo Cuevas was an accident or murder by a police officer that Cuevas ran into while fleeing a robbery that was taking place in the bodega he worked. High profile lawyer Sandford Rubenstein has been brought in to help the family get answers as there are daily vigils outside the bodega on the corner of Franklin Avenue and East 167th Street.

   On Saturday over 150 people marched to the 42nd Precinct to demand action by the police department in what the family believes was murder. They believe that the police department is trying to cover this up, and also say that a surveillance tape of the shooting has been edited already by the police department. Mr. Jose Padilla a community activist who is well known in the community, (and a candidate for the 79th assembly in the November election) has called for action by Bronx Legislatures not defense of the police departments "Stop and Frisk" policy he says that current 79th Assemblyman Eric Stevenson is doing.

Left - Candles sit in front of the bodega where Reynaldo Cuevas died.

Right - Friends and family also have t-shirt with Reynaldo's photo on them as a remembrance.

 

Rev. Que English President of the Bronx Criminal Justice Roundtable Inc. conducts a prayer vigil Sunday night.

Fordham Road Renissance Fair?

    We were on Fordham Road Sunday for what use to be called the Renaissance Fair, and even included the Renaissance Dancers, but when we asked for a program we were told nothing in writing is to be given out to the media. This was told to us by a lawyer who we have to guess was from the Acacia Network the lead sponsor of whatever the event was called. We have to also guess that because of recent inquires by the New York Post into past "Renaissance Fairs" and the "Hispanic Federation" (another sponsor) that was the reason. 

   This event stretched along Fordham Road from Kinsbridge Road  across the Grand Concourse overpass all the way to Morris Avenue or about 8 blocks. There were thousands of People and well over over a hundred booths where vendors sold their merchandise, and again as was the case in the Allerton Avenue event there was grumbling about the cost of the booth, and prices of the food by some people. Businesses on Fordham Road were mixed with some saying they had no customers, and others jammed with people. There was separate inflatable kids attractions set up on the Concourse overpass, and here also opinions varied on the ten dollar all access charge. Some parents loved it while others said what is a parent with many children suppose to do, we can not afford to pay ten dollars each for all our children to do this. 

   Apparently Assemblyman Jose Rivera was at one end while I was at the other end of the event so I was not able to say hello or ask him a question as he quickly left before I was able to get through the crowd on Fordham Road. Below are a few photos of the event.

Here you see the Renaissance Kids in action at the start of the event on Fordham Road.

Left - One photo of the huge crowd.
Right - DJ IZZY got up close with the huge crowd.

Left - The Concourse overpass set up with Inflatables for the kids.
Right - one vendor came prepared for the huge crowd.

Bronx County Democratic Barbecue

   There was heavy rains in the AM and when the Bronx County Democratic Barbecue started at 12 PM yesterday storm clouds were still above. This kept many people away as the crowd was much smaller than usual, but the comradely of those who attended was still the same. As the barbecue continued there was no rain, and the photo ops and speeches were abundant. As the weather got better Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie seemed to be getting worse (as you will see in the last photo), saying that he caught something in Charlotte during the Democratic Convention recently. Second in command at county Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz then became the master of ceremonies as he took over for the ailing Heastie. 

   Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Bill deBlasio were the only two mayoral candidates in 2013 to show, and Manhattan Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Keith Wright was the only other non Bronx elected official to also attend. The barbecue really seemed to come out of its coma when Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. showed up as the BP was the life of this party. When he took the microphone his now famous words "Is The Bronx in The House" came out first. 

    Now for some Barbecue talk. I asked mayoral candidate Scott Stringer if those rumors I heard about him running for Public Advocate instead of mayor were true. Stringer replied that rumor is "Definitely False", and that his campaign for mayor has only begun. He added that everyone will soon see that. To Manhattan Democratic County Leader Keith Wright I asked if he was going to run for the 13th Congressional District next year when Charlie Rangel retires, and his answer was "Who Knows". Deputy City Clerk Shirley Saunders told me that since the Marriage Equality law was passed over 10% of marriages in the Bronx are of same sex. 

    The only insurgent candidate to show up was 80th A.D. candidate Adam Bernudez at the end of the barbecue, as I was leaving. Adam sent an e-mail to me saying that he shook BP Diaz's hand, and the BP said "Good luck Adam'. He added the only person nasty to him, was a certain Executive Director (he did not name) who hates him and said "You can't give out your fliers here". He was just talking to his friend, Yves Filius, who lives in the 80th A.D. he wrote.

Left - Manning the grill as usual Election Law King Stanley Schlein is flanked by recent law graduate Rosanna Vargas and Darrell Walston. Right - Bronx Young Dems Daniel Johnson (in green), Michelle Avila, and President John Zacarro help out on the grill.

Left - Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz 81st A.D.  Manhattan Borough President (mayoral candidate in 2013) Scott Stringer, 81st A.D. District Leader Bruce Feld, and County Leader Carl Heastie,

Right - Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson, Civil Court Juge candidate Eddie McShan, BP Diaz, Deputy City Clerk Shirley Saunders holding granddaughter Madison, Assemblymen Dinowitz and Crespo, State Senator Serrano with son, and Councilman Fernando Cabrera (far right).

Left - Just about every Bx. County endorsed candidate or incumbent along with Public Advocate Bill deBlasio.

Right - State Senator Gustavo Rivera at the microphone. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson with cast on leg after falling at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, and Bx. County Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie sitting in chair. No Heastie is not suffering through another long speech, but is really sick as he also has a remembrance of the convention in Charlotte.

80th A.D. Debate Monday Night on Bronxtalk

   Host Gary Axelbank has said that the debate between the candidates for the 80th Assembly seat will go on with or without incumbent Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera. The 80th A.D. debate will be the highlight of this primary season, and if Rivera does not show it will be her loss Axelbank said not ours.

   Challengers to the incumbent assemblywoman are Mr. Mark Gjonaj who now is looking like the favorite to win the 80th A.D. primary especially since day after day New York Post stories (including two front page stories) of wrong doing by Rivera. Mr. Adam Bermudez and Ms. Irene Estrada Rukas round out the field of four candidates.

The Bronxtalk 80th A.D. debate can be seen on Monday Night starting at 9 PM on Cablevision channel 67 and Verizon Fios channel  33. 

BronxTalk has been the borough's flagship talk show for more than 17 years. It's seen live on Bronxnet's Cablevision 67 and Verizon Fios 33 on Monday nights at 9pm. BronxTalk is hosted by Gary Axelbank and produced by Jane Folloro. 

JCOPE - All is Not Well in Albany

    After scandal after scandal Governor Andrew Coumo in his quest for an end to corruption in Albany (or quest for the presidency in 2016) created the Joint Commission On Public Ethics to do that. The problem with JCOPE (as the commission is called) is that JCOPE is full of political appointees of the Governor, Assembly, and State Senate. While the Vito Lopez scandal (with more are on the way such as the Naomi Rivera scandal) is the first true test for JCOPE, there seems to be ethical problems for JCOPE itself.

   JCOPE commissioner Ravi Batra (appointed by Senate Minority Leader Sampson) threatened to quit the commission because of recent events concerning the Assemblyman Vito Lopez investigation, Assembly Speaker Silver, and the State Assembly that is growing. Batra did just that as he said in a statement he resigned from JCOPE and did not want to be a part of a commission that was set up to be a commission on public ethics that can not do its job. 

    "I wish you well and hope that my resignation aids in focusing attention on the need for proper policies and practices to effectuate honest and independent ethics enforcement so as to actually restore public confidence in government and public service". Batra added "I acknowledge the continuing confidentiality obligation as well as the 2-year bar. I welcome a subpoena from a federal prosecutor or a Moreland Act-empowered special prosecutor to share my experiences and impressions about the reality of JCOPE in practice, for then the confidentiality bar would no longer apply, and public trust further enriched".

    Meanwhile the infighting continued in Albany with State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos calling for an investigation of the assembly's role in the Vito Lopez scandal. Governor Cuomo slammed Senate Minority Leader Sampson for appointing Batra, and said that Batra is only a reflection of Senator Sampson.

    We are no fan of State Senator John Sampson, but have to agree with his appointee who just quit JCOPE over ethical questions about JCOPE itself. We also agree that it is time for the U.S. Attorney to step in and find out more about the Assemblyman Lopez scandal, the possible cover up by Assembly Speaker Silver that he admits may have been a mistake, and any other wrongdoings that may have occurred in the New York State Assembly.

    

Fordham Fever Friday Sept. 7th

 

   The monthly Fordham Fever Friday event took place on Friday September 7th in the Muller Park Triangle located at Fordham Road and East 190th Street as you can see in the photos below.

    Highlights included Native American Storytelling by Bobby Gonzalez, great Jazz tunes by Tony Smith, an Art Tent showcasing artwork by various artists, and Face Painting and Balloon Art by Chussie the Clown. Belin Sport & Fitness had demos of their Fitness Challenge Boot Camp classes. People of all fitness levels, sizes and ages are experiencing great results with the Belin Challenge Fitness Boot Camp! 

     The event was produced by MAS Marketing for the Fordham Road Business Improvement District.

 Left -  Sax player Tony Smith.             Right - Belin Boot Camp in action.

Broadway Construction

   As you will see in the photos below Broadway at the corner of Van Cortlandt Avenue is under construction. The Department of Design and Construction is replacing a water main that will go from Broadway to the Jerome Park Reservoir, so Con Edison is replacing gas piping, and Verizon is putting in new Fios infrastructure. This combined construction joint effort is what is needed more often, as our streets are so often dug up for one reason or another by a city agency or utility company leaving patches and depressions in the roadway, sometimes even after a street has been completely repaved by the DOT. By the way the MTA is doing track work on elevated #1 subway line that runs above Broadway.

Here supervisors from the DDC, Con Edison, and Verison check the progress of the construction work.