COMPTROLLER LIU REJECTS $91 MILLION HOMELESS SHELTER CONTRACT

Lack of Documentation Amid Questions of Fraud in Shelter Placement Process

    New York City Comptroller John C. Liu today rejected a 21-year, $91 million contract for a homeless shelter in the Bronx amid questions concerning the legitimacy of the required approval process represented to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) in seeking approval for the project. Comptroller Liu’s office was unable to verify whether the City properly followed federal regulations in the disposition of the former Muller Army Reserve Center (“the Center”), located at 555 Nereid Avenue, in the Wakefield section of the Bronx. The City wants to use the site as 200-bed shelter for homeless men.

 

  “Time and again since Mayor Bloomberg took office, serious questions have arisen about whether the administration has broken the rules protecting the rights of neighborhood residents and homeless people,” said Comptroller Liu. “City Hall’s failed record on homeless policy cannot and should not become the excuse for skirting rules in this Wakefield siting or for the many emergency shelter contracts proliferating in certain neighborhoods.”

“This administration has worked to force this contract to completion and has used fraudulent means to reach that goal, blatantly ignoring the input of the community and its representatives,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I thank Comptroller Liu for rejecting this contract and for his thorough examination of the evidence, which proves that this administration failed to follow the correct process regarding the closure of the Muller Army Reserve Center. My office has said all along that this site was inappropriate for use as a homeless shelter, and I hope that we can now move forward on a better, military use for this site.”

Before repurposing a military facility for a non-military function, the federal government requires that a local redevelopment authority (“LRA”) recommend the best possible use for the site. In 2008, a three-member LRA, consisting of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, and the Bronx Borough President, was formed to consider uses for the Center, but it is unclear how the group came to an ultimate recommendation. Documentation evidencing the LRA’s approval was not submitted with the proposed contract, and Borough President Diaz has asserted that no vote was ever held to determine the LRA’s final proposal, which would be a violation of the LRA process.

Background

·         January 28, 2013 testimony by Comptroller Liu submitted to the New York City Council in support of Int. No. 193, which would require that agencies notify the City Council of emergency procurements: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/12813-Liu-Int-193-Testimony.pdf

·         August 21, 2012 letter from Deputy Comptroller for Contracts and Procurement Geneith Turnbull to Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond, raising concerns about the proliferation of emergency contract requests made by the agency: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/82112-Turnbull-DHS-Letter.pdf

·         July 13, 2011 letter from Borough President Diaz to Linda R. Charest of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Patrick O’Brien of the Office of Economic Adjustment: http://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/pdf/2011-07-13-muller.pdf

·         March 25, 2010 audit published by Comptroller Liu finding that DHS paid out millions of dollars to non-contracted service providers based on an “honor system” of unwritten agreements, invented rates, and duplicate client lists: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2010_releases/pr10-03-035.shtm

 

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Postal Service Announces New Delivery Schedule

Six Days of Package Delivery, Five Days of Mail Delivery Begins August 2013

   The United States Postal Service announced plans today to transition to a new delivery schedule during the week of Aug. 5, 2013 that includes package delivery Monday through Saturday, and mail delivery Monday through Friday. The Postal Service expects to generate cost savings of approximately $2 billion annually, once the plan is fully implemented.

“The Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America’s changing mailing habits,” said Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and CEO. “We developed this approach by working with our customers to understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate significant cost savings.”

Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages. However, recent strong growth in package delivery (14 percent volume increase since 2010) and projections of continued strong package growth throughout the coming decade led to the revised approach to maintain package delivery six days per week.

“Our customers see strong value in the national delivery platform we provide and maintaining a six-day delivery schedule for packages is an important part of that platform,” said Donahoe. “As consumers increasingly use and rely on delivery services — especially due to the rise of e-commerce — we can play an increasingly vital role as a delivery provider of choice, and as a driver of growth opportunities for America’s businesses.” 

Once implemented during August of 2013, mail delivery to street addresses will occur Monday through Friday. Packages will continue to be delivered six days per week. Mail addressed to PO Boxes will continue to be delivered on Saturdays. Post Offices currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays. 

Market research conducted by the Postal Service and independent research by major news organizations indicate that nearly seven out of ten Americans (70 percent) supported the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs in its effort to return the organization to financial stability.¹ Support for this approach will likely be even higher since the Postal Service plans to maintain six-day package delivery.

The Postal Service is making the announcement today, more than six months in advance of implementing five-day mail delivery schedule, to give residential and business customers time to plan and adjust. The Postal Service plans to publish specific guidance in the near future for residential and business customers about its new delivery schedule.

Given the ongoing financial challenges, the Postal Service Board of Governors last month directed postal management to accelerate the restructuring of Postal Service operations in order to strengthen Postal Service finances.

“The American public understands the financial challenges of the Postal Service and supports these steps as a responsible and reasonable approach to improving our financial situation,” said Donahoe. “The Postal Service has a responsibility to take the steps necessary to return to long-term financial stability and ensure the continued affordability of the U.S. Mail.”

The operational plan for the new delivery schedule anticipates a combination of employee reassignment and attrition and is expected to achieve cost savings of approximately $2 billion annually when fully implemented.

The Postal Service is currently implementing major restructuring throughout its retail, delivery and mail processing operations. Since 2006, the Postal Service has reduced its annual cost base by approximately $15 billion, reduced the size of its career workforce by 193,000 or 28 percent, and has consolidated more than 200 mail processing locations. During these unprecedented initiatives, the Postal Service continued to deliver record high levels of service to its customers.

While the change in the delivery schedule announced today is one of the actions needed to restore the financial health of the Postal Service, legislative change is urgently needed to address matters outside the Postal Service’s control. The Postal Service continues to seek legislation to provide it with greater flexibility to control costs and generate new revenue and encourages the 113th Congress to make postal reform legislation an urgent priority.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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

Divide and Conquer
 
You should know that even though it is impossible to say for certain, it is Julius Caesar who has been attributed to the quote "Divide et impera" which translates from Latin to mean "Divide and Conquer."

You should also know that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo – one more time – has proven to be a very Machiavellian and skillful politician.  This time, using that old tactic of “divide and conquer" to pit the Hispanic community against the non-Hispanic community , especially the Republicans in the New York State Senate to secure the nomination of Miss Jenny Rivera, a “Puerto Rican,” to the State of New York’s top Court, the Court of Appeals.

I am a Puerto Rican, born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and I have to agree with those who are of the opinion that Jenny Rivera does not have the necessary experience, due to the fact that she has neither been a judge nor a litigator, and now she has been appointed to the Court of Appeals, the highest judicial system in New York State.

Do not misunderstand me. I am very honored and glad that the Governor is appointing a Hispanic.  However, to me, it is disrespectful and offensive for the Governor to jump over so many men and women who have been serving in the judicial system for many years and have vast experience.

I have to question why it is that judges such as the Honorable Luis Gonzalez, "of Puerto Rican descent," who is the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department and has a wealth of experience in the Supreme Court, was overlooked.  He seems to be the most qualified and has been considered the next in line to serve in this capacity.  He has served as a New York City Housing Court Judge, a New York City Civil Court Judge, and a New York State Supreme Court Justice.

Also, a person like the Honorable Rolando Acosta could have been appointed.  He is an Associate Justice of the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department.  He has additional judicial experience as a New York Supreme Court Justice, 1st Judicial District; a member of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct; and a Judge on the New York City Civil Court.

There are many more qualified Judges and Justices who were not selected and whose experience deserve mention:

•    The Honorable Sallie Manzanet-Daniels is an Associate Justice of the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department.  She has additional judicial experience as a Justice on the New York Supreme Court and a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York.

•    The Honorable Faviola Soto, "first Judge of Dominican descent to sit on any court of the State of New York," is a Judge in the New York City Court of Claims in New York and serves on the Bronx County Supreme Court, Civil Term.  She has additional judicial experience as an Acting Justice in the Supreme Court, New York County and a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York.

•    The Honorable Doris Gonzalez is an Acting Justice in the Supreme Court, Bronx County.  She has additional judicial experience as a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County;

•    The Honorable Lizbeth Gonzalez is a Judge of the New York City Civil Court of Bronx County, New York. She has additional judicial experience as an Acting Justice of the Bronx County/12th Judicial District Supreme Court.

•    The Honorable Nelson Roman is an Associate Justice of the New York Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department.  He has additional judicial experience as a Judge of the New York City Civil Court, and as a Justice of the New York Supreme Court in Bronx County.

•    The Honorable Lucindo Suarez is the Statewide Coordinating Judge for Summary Jury Trials, and a Justice for the Supreme Court, New York County.  He has additional judicial experience as a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York.

•    The Honorable Charles Ramos is a Justice in the Supreme Court, New York County, and a Senior Justice in the Commercial Division, New York County. He has additional judicial experience as a Supreme Court Justice in New York County; a Supervising Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County; an Acting Justice in the Supreme Court, 1st Judicial District; and a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York.

•    The Honorable Ruben Franco is a Judge in the Criminal Court of the City of New York, Bronx County, and a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County.

•    The Honorable Manuel Mendez is a Justice in the Supreme Court, New York County, and a Judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York.

Apparently Governor Cuomo knew that this tactic of divide and conquer could be used with skill to appoint one of his friends, knowing that she is not the most qualified and does not have the necessary experience compared to others, but knowing that any non-Hispanic who would vote against her would create the perception that he or she was Anti-Hispanic.  Governor Cuomo could win points with the Hispanic community and Hispanic media by defending her nomination.

You should know that I believe that if Governor Cuomo wanted to appoint a Hispanic and not create the mess as he has done now by bringing more division to the Senate Floor, he should have spent some time with the Senate Leadership and Hispanic Senators.  If he really wanted to appoint a Hispanic, the least he could have done was to select the Honorable Luis Gonzalez – or any of the other judges who I have previously mentioned , who all have more court experience and judicial experience than Jenny Rivera.

So we have to give Governor Cuomo a special prize for creating this mess and bringing chaos to the New York State Senate and getting away with his will, and using the Hispanic community and Hispanic media – this time.

You should know – and the world should know – that we in New York State have many Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Hispanic Judges with a lot more experience and better qualifications than Jenny Rivera.  She’s not - and I repeat, not the best we have, and the Governor knows it. But it’s a lot better for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s presidential ambitions to use the Hispanic community and the Hispanic media to create a “divide and conquer” crisis.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know. 

 

BX Chamber of Commerce Annual African American Heritage Celebration

   

    

  

 

Click Here to register for the

Annual African American Heritage Celebration

***MUST RSVP***  

Senator Klein's Free Flu Shot Event

   Senator Jeff Klein will be having a Free Flu Shot event this Thursday between 6 - 8pm at Vladeck Hall located at 74 Van Cortlandt Park South in the Van Cortlandt Park area of his district. To be eligible you must RSVP by calling Senator Klein's office at 718-822-2049.

Click on the image below to enlarge it.

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ: RE: Passing of CB#4 Chair Pastor Wenzell P. Jackson

   Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. issued the following statement upon learning of the death of Community Board # 4 Chairman Pastor Wenzell Jackson.

   “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Pastor Wenzell P. Jackson, a good friend and partner who served as chairperson of Community Board #4 and as Bishop of the Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Highbridge.

   “Pastor Jackson’s passing is a big loss for the Bronx and the community he so strongly and passionately served as both a public servant and clergy leader. While we mourn his loss, his commitment and work in our community will forever live in our hearts. I would like to extend my most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and will keep them as well as Pastor Jackson in my prayers,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. 

LIU, PENSION FUNDS TO EXXON: RELEASE YOUR FRACKING DATA

  

Funds Holding $1 Billion Call for Largest Natural Gas Producer To Come Clean on its Protections for the Public and the Environment

    City Comptroller John C. Liu and the New York City Pension Funds today announced they have filed a shareowner proposal calling on Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) to release quantitative data on its efforts to safeguard the public and the environment from its hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) operations.

 

“Fracking carries significant concerns about poisoned drinking water, toxic chemical leaks, and explosions,” Comptroller Liu said.  “Exxon Mobil says, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered’ and asks us to take it at its word.  Until the company shows us hard data on what it has done to protect the public and environment, shareowners cannot be confident that the necessary safeguards exist.”   

The risks that fracking poses to water and air quality have led to bans and moratoria in the U.S. and around the globe and could directly affect Exxon’s long-term value. The shareowners’ call for quantitative measurements is consistent with the U.S. Department of Energy’s recommendations on shale gas production.  The U.S. Department of Energy recommended in 2011 that companies “adopt a more visible commitment to using quantitative measures as a means of achieving best practice and demonstrating to the public that there is continuous improvement in reducing the environmental impact of shale gas production.”

Exxon has repeatedly resisted calls that it provide investors with detailed information on its safety measures. The data that Comptroller Liu and fellow shareowners are requesting includes, but is not limited to: the air emissions from fracking that Exxon has reduced per region per year; the number and kinds of community complaints or grievances and whether they remain open or resolved; the goals and systems used to reduce potentially harmful chemicals in fracturing fluids.   

Comptroller Liu and the NYC Pension Funds filed the first-time shareowner proposal jointly with As You Sow, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that has been engaging Exxon on its fracking practices and disclosures on behalf of the Park Foundation since 2010. 

“As every top-rate business knows, what gets measured, gets managed,” said Danielle Fugere, As You Sow President and Chief Counsel.  “Exxon has repeatedly failed to measure the harms its fracking operations cause to air, water, and nearby communities, or any progress it is making towards reducing those harms.  Exxon shareholders need this information to make sound investment decisions.” 

This resolution is part of a nationwide investor initiative calling on 11 major oil and gas companies to improve the way they manage and measure the risks associated with natural gas fracking operations.

New York City Comptroller John C. Liu serves as the investment advisor to, custodian and trustee of the New York City Pension Funds. The New York City Pension Funds are composed of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System, New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, and the Board of Education Retirement System. The New York City Pension Funds held 11,377,013 shares of Exxon (NYSE: XOM) valued at $ 1,010,694,708.95 as of 2/4/2013.

__________________________

 

 

TEXT OF SHAREOWNER PROPOSAL:

Quantitative Risk Management Reporting for Natural Gas Extraction Operations

Whereas,

Extracting oil and gas from shale formations using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology has become a highly controversial public policy issue.

Leaks, spills, explosions, and adverse community impacts have led to bans and moratoria in the United States and around the globe. These include New York State, the Delaware River Basin, the Province of Quebec, and France.  Certain Exxon Mobil operations in Germany, for instance, have been subject to a local moratorium on drilling.   

The Department of Energy’s shale advisory panel recommended in 2011 that companies “adopt a more visible commitment to using quantitative measures as a means of achieving best practice and demonstrating to the public that there is continuous improvement in reducing the environmental impact of shale gas production.” (emphasis in original)

Investors require detailed and comparable information about how companies are managing risks and rewards from natural gas extraction operations.  A 2011 report, “Extracting the Facts: An Investor Guide to Disclosing Risks from Hydraulic Fracturing Operations,” outlines best management practices and key performance indicators. Publicly supported by investors on three continents ($1.3 trillion in assets under management) and by various companies, the guide emphasizes quantitative reporting on key performance indicators.

Talisman Energy has published “Shale Operating Principles,” stating “We will measure our progress by setting quantitative performance metrics [and] … disclose …progress…via publicly available reporting.”

BG Group states it “will provide regular updates on … progress against the targets” set out in its “Operating Principles for Unconventional Gas.”

Exxon Mobil does not provide such quantitative reporting.  Its Operations Integrity Management System is a generalized framework for companywide operations, but lacks criteria specific to shale energy operations.  Exxon Mobil’s subsidiary, XTO Energy, signed onto the “Appalachian Principles” which specify what companies “should do” rather than what they currently do or commit to doing.

Resolved:   Shareholders request the Board of Directors to report to shareholders by October 30, 2013, and annually thereafter, using multiple quantitative indicators, the results of company procedures and practices, above and beyond regulatory requirements, to minimize any adverse environmental and community impacts from the company’s natural gas extraction operations associated with shale formations. Such reports should be prepared at reasonable cost and omit confidential information. 

Supporting Statement

Proponents suggest the reports include the percentage of wells using “green completions;” total amount of air emissions reduced annually on a categorical and regional or site basis; percentage of drilling residuals managed in closed-loop systems; percentage of recycled water used in each regional operation;  quantity of fresh water used for shale operations by region, including sources; numbers and types of community complaints or grievances, and portion open or closed; goals and systems for reducing the use of potentially harmful chemicals in fracturing fluids; and enforcement statistics, including numbers of violation notices or administrative actions alleging violations with potential to harm health or environment, and aggregate value of all penalties during the year.

 

__________________________

 

In addition to Comptroller Liu, the New York City Pension Funds trustees are:

 

New York City Employees’ Retirement System: Janice Emery, Mayor’s Representative (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio; Borough Presidents: Scott Stringer (Manhattan), Helen Marshall (Queens), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn), James Molinaro (Staten Island), and Ruben Diaz, Jr. (Bronx); Lillian Roberts, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; John Samuelsen, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

 

Teachers’ Retirement System: Janice Emery, Mayor’s Representative; Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm, New York City Department of Education; Mayoral appointee Freida Foster and Sandra March, Melvyn Aaronson (Chair) and Mona Romain, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

 

New York City Police Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Finance Commissioner David Frankel; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair); Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edward D. Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, Roy T. Richter, Captains Endowment Association.

 

New York City Fire Department Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner David Frankel; Stephen Cassidy, President, James Slevin, Vice President, Robert Straub, Treasurer, and John Kelly, Brooklyn Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; John Dunne, Captains’ Rep.; James Lemonda, Chiefs’ Rep., and James J. McGowan, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Sean O’Connor, Marine Engineers Association.

 

Board of Education Retirement System:  Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott; Mayoral: Rosemarie Maldonado, Jeanette Moy, Ian Shapiro, Tino Hernandez, Judy Bergtraum, Freida Foster, Allison Rogovin, Dawn Walker, and Milton Williams; Patrick Sullivan (Manhattan BP), Kelvin Diamond (Brooklyn BP), Dmytro Fedkowskyj (Queens BP), Robert Powell (Bronx BP) and Diane Peruggia (Staten Island BP); and employee members Joseph D’Amico of the IUOE Local 891 and Milagros Rodriguez of District Council 37, Local 372.

Visit www.comptroller.nyc.gov for the latest news, events, and initiatives.

Follow Comptroller Liu on Twitter. To receive Twitter updates via text message, text “follow johncliu” to 40404.

View the latest Comptroller’s office videos on YouTube

Valentine's and Get Tough, Get BAAD in February

BAAD! - THE BRONX ACADEMY OF ARTS & DANCE PRESENTS
GET TOUGH, GET BAAD!
A FREE SERIES WHICH INCLUDES A DANCE AGAINST VIOLENCE, COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS, AND A FILM SERIES CELEBRATING QUEER POWER, DIVERSITY, VISIBILITY AND DEFIANCE

February 14-17, 2013

 

(Bronx, NY) - BAAD! - The Bronx Academy of Art & Dance presents a V-Day dance, community discussions, and a series of films celebrating queer power, diversity, defiance and visibility in its GET TOUGH, GET BAAD! series.  GET TOUGH, GET BAAD! was originally initiated in 2010 to combat reports of criminal homophobic attacks in the Bronx and New York City and to counter the negative and victimized images of queer people in the media and to take a stand against violence. The series presents films and events that celebrated queer strength and value. The next installment of the series will run from February 14-17, 2013 at BAAD!, 841 Barretto Street in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx.  All events are free. For reservations, directions and further information call (718) 842-5223 or visit www.BronxAcademyofArtsandDance.org.

 

The events are as follows:

Thursday, February 14, 2013 at 7pm/FREE

RISE UP AND DANCE: V-DAY ONE BILLION RISING

BAAD! joins up with One Billion Rising, a global event where ONE BILLION women, transwomen and those who love them will WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, and DEMAND an end to this violence. BAAD! is  hosting a community "love-in" and dance which begins at 7pm with a potluck dinner, followed by an open speak out against violence, a presentation of Eve Enlser's new monologue, "Rising" (read by award-winning Bronx writer and actress Desi Moreno-Penson), then the music will be turned up and everyone will dance. One in three women on the planet is raped or beaten in her lifetime, according to the UN and violence against transwomen has risen year after year according the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Pograms. That is ONE BILLION WOMEN violated. On February 14, 2013, V-Day's 15th Anniversary, ONE BILLION women, transwomen and those who love them around the world will rise up!

 

Friday, February 15, 2013 at 8pm/FREE

LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR

When Brad, a black gay youth, is thrown out of his home, he discovers the Los Angles ball scene and gets involved with the ragtag members of the struggling House of Eminence led by the indomitable house mother Queef Latina, herself an aging ball-legend. Laughter, tears, sex sirens, and butch queens up in pumps ensue.  Directed by Sheldon Larry.

 

Saturday, February 16, 2013 - 5:30pm-7:30pm/Free

MEN LOVING MEN: WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT DO I WANT?

Dr. Alfredo Burnett (social worker) will lead this interactive workshop for gay and transpeople to explore a foundation to having successful relationships. This frank and open discussion brings awareness to how we communicate our wants/needs in romantic relationships, friendships, and to the people in our lives. Some struggle with asking another, especially those we feel close to, for what we want and we equally have difficulty hearing and responding to what the others want from us. Light refreshments will be served.

Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 8pm/Free

ELLIOT LOVES and CRUSH

CRUSH, an award-winning short film written by Bronxite Dominic Colon, is about a young gay Bronx man finding the courage to come out to his high school crush at the senior prom. Directed by Gloria LaMorte. ELLIOT LOVES spans two stages of a Dominican-American's life; first as a boy trying to bond with his young mother, then a 21-year-old gay man looking for love in New York City.  Funny, sexy and poignant this film shows that one can survive anything life throws -- just "keep it cute, papi." Directed by Terracino.

 

Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 5:30pm-7:30pm/Free

WOMEN LOVING WOMEN: SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Eva Yaa Asantewaa is a native New Yorker of African-Caribbean lineage and a spiritworker, maintaining a private practice that includes sacred symbolism, meditation coaching, dreamwork, and other healing and transformative modalities. She brings her experience to this interactive talk for queer women and transpeople to have healthier relationships and the role of spirituality in living powerful lives.

 

Sunday, February 17, 2013 – 8pm/Free

MOMMY IS COMING

Pioneer filmmaker Cheryl Dunye returns with a sassy, raunchy, romantic sex comedy set in the edgy underground of Berlin where love and taboo affairs collide! Cute power femme Dylan (Lil Harlow) and studly hotel clerk Claudia (the sexy Papi Coxxx, Crash Pad Series [aka Ignacio Rivera]) are suffering from monogamous relationship blues. Claudia sets out on a gender-bending rollercoaster now as Claude through a subversive Berlin sex club but everything comes to a climax when Dylan’s mother (world-renown sex educator Maggie Tapert) arrives in town hellbent on releasing some tension. Fun, provocative and interwoven with personal interviews, Mommy Is Coming is filled with sheer delight.

Crowned “a funky and welcoming performance space” by The New York Times, BAAD! is a performance and workshop space that presents cutting-edge and challenging works in dance and all creative disciplines that are empowering to women, people of color and the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. BAAD! is home to Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT) and the Bronx Dance Coalition. 

 

BAAD!/AATT receive support from The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Lambent Fund of the Tides Foundation, Union Square Arts Grant, The Simon Bolivar Foundation, The Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The New York State Council on the Arts, Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo, JPMorgan Chase, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and private donations.