Food Drive in Riverdale

   The North Riverdale Merchants association headed by Mr. Gary Wartel (of Skyview Liquors), State Senator Jeff Klein, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz teamed up to gather over 200 pounds of canned food for the local food panty that was running low. Also a part of the amount of food will be sent to victims of Hurricane Sandy in other parts of the city.

Here you see some of the canned food collected as Senator Klein talks with North Riverdale Merchants Association Vice President Anthony Fellia.

Here Community Board # 8 member Mr. Andrew Cohen talks with Mr. Wartel as Senator Klein and Assemblyman Dinowitz look on.

LIU: CITY SHOULD CLAW BACK $6.6 MILLION IN COSTS FROM CONSULTANT’S DESIGN FLAWS

Audit finds DEP Failed To Monitor and Recoup $6.6 Million in Errors and Omissions on Bowery Bay Water Pollution Control Project in Queens

   City Comptroller John C. Liu today announced that an audit of the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Bowery Bay Water Pollution Control project in Queens determined that a consultant’s design errors and omissions had cost the City an extra $6,591,192, but the agency made little or no effort to recoup the money for the City.

 

“A great deal of taxpayer money was wasted on this waste-treatment project, money that the City can and should recoup,” Comptroller Liu said. “Consultants may sometimes make mistakes but the City must not pay for those mistakes. We must recoup the money for taxpayers — now more than ever, in order to help rebuild and restore New Yorkers’ livelihoods, businesses, and neighborhoods in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.” 

 

When construction plans need revisions, they incur what are called “change-order costs.” When these revisions are the result of the hired consultant’s errors or omissions, the City has the power to recoup the added costs. The Comptroller’s audit found that the $213 million Bowery Bay project included $6,591,192 in costs caused by the designer’s errors and omissions.

 

DEP officials stated during the course of Comptroller Liu’s latest audit that they had created a review panel to oversee the collection of change order costs that resulted from errors and omissions.

 

The audit of DEP’s Bowery Bay project is available for download at: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/audit/yearlyview.asp?selaudyear=2012

 

BACKGROUND:

In the past, the City has missed opportunities to aggressively go after costs attributable to design errors and omissions made by its hired vendors.  A 2011 audit of the Department of Design and Construction found that the agency had failed recoup $3 million in costs due to the consultant’s design errors and omissions.  (Audit Report on the Recoupment of Change Order Costs by the Department of Design and Construction, 7E11-063A; www.comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/audit/audits_2011/06-20-11_7E11-063A.shtm)

Van Cortlandt Park Ice Skating Ring Opening

    The Van Cortlandt Park Ice Skating Rink is scheduled to open to the public on Monday afternoon November 19th. Work as of today Saturday November 17th is almost complete for the Ice Skating rink to open on Monday. The ice for the rink has been put inside the arena and just has to be smoothed down one or two more times until it is ready to be opened up to the public. As you can see in the photos below rink general manager Ron Kraut laced up his skates to test out the ice. That is Bronx Parks Commissioner Hector Aponte looking on to the left.

   













 Left - Mr. Kraut testing out the ice.  Right - He starts to do full laps around the rink.

 Left and Right - some fancy foot work by Mr. Kraut on the ice.

As he finishes his test run of the ice, Mr. Kraut smiles with pleasure as the Van Cortlandt Park Ice Skating Rink is less than 48 hours away from opening.

To Set the Record Straight

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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

To Set the Record Straight

You should know that I have been reading, here and there, different statements attributed to me, and some of them indicating my willingness to give my support for the State Senate to Dean Skelos and the Republican Conference.

You should also know that four years ago, in 2008, when the Four Amigos came into being, my mission at that time was to stop the gay marriage from becoming a law in New York State.  There were many different offers and wheelings and dealings from different people about who would become the leaders of the Senate.  Two of the Four Amigos, Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada, even got to the point where they jumped ship and crossed over to the Republicans making Skelos the Senate Leader.

With all of those pressures and with my mission to stop gay marriage, you should know that I never switched parties, never abandoned my Democratic Conference, and never gave my vote to the Republican Conference.

I have to make it very clear, taking a passage from my son's lectures to me, that it’s one thing to vote with the Republicans on legislation in order to benefit the community, and it is completely different thing to abandon the Democratic Conference and give the Republicans control the Senate. One thing is legislation, and the other is party politics.

Everyone knows that I have always been a Democrat, I am a Democrat, and I will be a Democrat.  The only difference is that I am a conservative Democrat.  I am a pro-life Democrat, meaning that I am against abortions.  I am a traditional marriage Democrat, meaning that I am against gay marriage, and that I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman as God created.

That said, you have to understand and I want to make it very clear that if four years ago, when my mission was to stop gay marriage and I did not jump ship and abandon my Democratic Conference, why should I abandon my Conference now that gay marriage has become law in the State – thanks to Dean Skelos and the Republican Party?

I don't think there is anything that the Republican Conference could offer me now that I could not get from my Democratic Conference. I am a Democrat elected by a Democratic community, I have always been a Democrat, and I will always be a Democrat fighting teeth and nail, to protect senior citizen benefits, better education for our communities, affordable housing, health services, immigration issues and those services that the Democratic party have always fought for.
 
My advice to my colleagues within my Democratic Conference is that nobody should take my vote for granted about who should become the Leader of my Democratic Conference, no matter if they are Black, White, Hispanic, Jewish, or Christian.

So let it be known, and let it be written, and let’s stop all of the rumors now and forever, because I am a Democrat and I will be voting with my Conference, and I will be voting for a Democrat as the Leader.

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

SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA & ASSEMBLYMAN NELSON CASTRO HOSTED JOB FAIR Today

    NY- State Senator Gustavo Rivera  and Assemblyman Nelson Castro  hosted their  second annual job fair for Bronx residents on Friday, November 16, 2012 from 12 PM to 4 PM. Employers interviewed job seekers for a number of employment opportunities, ranging from opportunities in the healthcare industry to customer service and retail opportunities. 

"Assembly Member Castro and I meet local residents every day who are looking for employment opportunities," said Senator Rivera. "It is our responsibility as elected officials to connect our constituents with employment opportunities, many of which are right here in the Bronx like Fresh Direct and Montefiore Medical Center." 

"During challenging economic times, it is critical to provide job opportunities to the most needed members of our community," said Assemblyman Nelson L. Castro. "This Second Annual Job Fair will help mitigate the overwhelming unemployment situation that has been affecting our community. It is one of my main priorities to ensure that my constituents become productive members of society."

FreshDirect co-founder and CEO Jason Ackerman said, "We want to hire as many Bronxites as possible, so Senator Rivera's and Assembly Member Castro's efforts to put small businesses like FreshDirect in touch with Bronx residents who are looking for work is a terrific opportunity for everyone involved.  I applaud their leadership." 

Employers in attendance included  Fresh Direct, Children's Village, St. Barnabas Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). Over 500 job seekers were interviewed for approximately 200 positions. This is Assembly Member Castro and Senator Rivera's second annual job fair.

**********************************************************

KOPPELL DEMANDS CABLEVISION CHANGE UNFAIR CREDIT POLICY

  

    In a letter to Jim Dolan, President/ CEO of Cablevision, Council Member Oliver Koppell,  a member of the Technology Committee, demanded that Cablevision change its policy with respect to providing customers whose Optimum services were disrupted because of Hurricane Sandy credit for the time they were unable to access these services.

Cablevision, which serves 3 million homes, mostly in the New York area, has refused to join Time Warner Cable in automatically providing credits to customers without power, television, phone or Internet services in areas knocked off the grid by the storm.  Cablevision is sticking with its longstanding policy that requires customers to call and specifically detail when they lost service in order to qualify for the refund.

“Cablevision has not notified customers that they have to call to get their credit and I have no doubt that many are unaware of the policy,” Koppell said.  “Even for those Cablevision customers who are informed about the refund procedures having to make a call creates an additional burden as they are recovering from the storm.  I believe Cablevision’s refund policy is not only insensitive, but will also result in many customers being deprived of the credit to which they are entitled,” he concluded.

Editor's Note- 

    We tried to call Cablevision a few times to complain about the service (or lack of it), and the voice mail said Cablevision is aware of several service outages. Then there was the message "due to the high volume of calls to Cablevision please try again at another time". 

   We can only add that last year during Cablevisions renewal of its contract with the city, where were all the complaints about Cablevision and the right to choose any Cable TV provider like phone service is now done.

This Weeks 100 PERCENT From The Bronx News

Below is my column 100 PERCENT that did not appear in this weeks Bronx News and Parkchester News. due to a computer glitch.

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Senate Majority Leader Espaillat

    We called the Obama victory, and last weekend it was announced that President Obama did win the state of Florida. In this wonderful new age of technology it now takes weeks or more to certify an election that previously was done in days the old way. That brings us to our next subject the New York State Senate. It could be 2013 before we know which party or who has has control. Will it be the Democrats, Republicans, The IDC, Dos Amigos ll, or any one of a number of other possibilities. How long will it be until Republican State Senators realize that it is a matter of time before it will take more than one or two rouge Democrats to make a difference in the state senate. 

    

   As for who will be Senate Majority Leader should the Democrats have that edge, don't look for John Sampson to get that position again. Forget former Leader Malcolm Smith (who was dumped during the Espada fiasco) as he is rumored to be talking to Republicans about running for mayor in 2013. We also do not see Senator Jeff Klein as Majority Leader, but a person such as State Senator Adriano Espaillat who can be supported by all Democrats. The State Senate Democrats are their own worst enemy, as we have seen in the past. Check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for daily updates on this and the outcome of the 46^th State Senate district as the recount begins with Democrat Ceclia Tkaczyk holding a 139 vote lead over Republican George Amedore. This race will be a deciding factor on who controls the State Senate.

   The cost of Hurricane Sandy is now projected at 30 Billion dollars according to Governor Cuomo, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has only 12 Billion dollars in aid to give. It is unlikely that a Republican Congress will increase that by much is any.

   Back in New York City, (not including any additional Hurricane Sandy costs) Mayor Bloomberg wants to cut libraries, after school programs, increase the fee for school lunches, and parking meter rates to make up for a 600 million dollar gap caused by the probable rejection of a new taxi plan for the outer boroughs.

   Here in the Bronx, candidates are said to be jockeying for position should current Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. decide to run for a citywide office such as Public Advocate. Names being tosses around besides term limited Councilman Joel Rivera are, Councilman James Vacca, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, and even Assemblyman Nelson Castro. Both Vacca and Cabrera have another term to serve in the City Council, but Cabrera should he choose to run for BP always has the State Assembly or State Senate seats to run for when he looses. This noise could also be coming out of the Jose Rivera camp as Assemblyman Rivera has said that he wants to return to the City Council so he can fatten his pension. The one with the least to loose would be Assemblyman Castro, as he would still be a member of the State Assembly. However with Vacca as BP and Castro as Deputy BP it could make for an interesting ticket. We however believe that Ruben Diaz Jr. (the 13^th BP) who has two terms still to run for as BP will stay as BP and run in 2021 after he has made a legacy for himself like his mentor #11.

   In the 11^th City Council district as recently elected Bronx Democratic County Committee Vice-Chair Mr. Andrew Cohen joins nut vendor Mr. Clifford Stanton in the race to replace term limited Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, we await to see when the real candidate Mr. Ari Hoffnung announces. Hoffnung who ran in 2005 against Koppell was the leading candidate to replace him in 2009 until the city council overturned the term limit law. Hoffnung has maintained his war chest of just under eighty thousand dollars for a possible race in 2013. Hoffnung currently Assistant Comptroller for Budget and chief Policy Officer has expressed interest to me in the council race. Now that the position of Deputy Comptroller of Accountancy and Budget currently held by newly elected State Senator Simca Felder will open up it should further complicate Hoffnungs decision, as will the possibility of a new City Comptroller should current City Comptroller John Liu run for mayor as he has said.

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

FEMA OPENS NEW DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER AT THE BRONX COUNTY BUILDING

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Federal Emergency Management Agency announce that a new Disaster Recovery Center has opened at the Bronx County Building Veterans’ Memorial Hall to assist survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

FEMA community relations personnel will provide information on registration and disaster assistance and will refer survivors to the proper resources vital to recovery for any unmet disaster need.

“We know just how important it is to receive help after such a devastating loss. Some of our residents and business owners are still picking up from what Hurricane Sandy left behind. A disaster recovery center right here at the Bronx County Building is a resource for Bronxites to come in and get hands on information that will help them rebuild and recover,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Red Cross are also assisting individuals and small business owners with step by step instructions on what to do to get help from the federal government. Homeowners, renters and business owners who visit the center can talk with SBA representatives about low-interest disaster loans, get help filling out loan applications and submit completed applications.

“The Bronx Disaster Relief Center is open for business. We encourage small businesses to come in even if they have minor damages. We urge small businesses to register with FEMA so that the U.S. Small Business Administration can assist them,” said Marlene Cintron, president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opens from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Bronx County Building’s Rotunda.

To find the DRC nearest you, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Also, check out the disaster recovery center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

UPDATE ----
From Newly Elected 87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda

Please join me and the Castle Hill Little League on November 17, 2012 for a Hurricane Sandy Relief Drive.
We ask that you donate:
 
-Water
-Diapers
-Baby Wipes
-Zip Lock Bags
-Soap
-Deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.

The Address is 1160 Zerega Avenue from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm