Notify NYC - Blizzard Warning - 2/8 to 2/9 (Citywide)

Thu Feb 07 16:28:39 2013
STATUS: Open - Active
PROGNOSIS: Monitoring
Weather - Snow
 

Citywide   02/08-09/2013

The following Notify NYC message was issued:

Title: Blizzard Warning - 2/8 to 2/9 (Citywide)

Distribution Area(s): CW
Borough(s): Citywide

Email/RSS: Notification issued 2/7/13 at 4:15 PM. The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for New York City from 6:00 AM Friday, 2/8 to 1 PM Saturday, 2/9. The current forecast calls for 10-14 inches of snow accompanied by strong winds. With visibility expected to be one quarter mile or less, caution should be exercised when traveling. For more information visit www.weather.gov/nyc.

SMS: Blizzard Warning for NYC from 6 AM Fri 2/8 to 1 PM Sat 2/9. Forecast: 10-14 inches of snow and strong winds. www.weather.gov/nyc.

Twitter: Blizzard Warning for NYC from 6 AM Fri 2/8 to 1 PM Sat 2/9. Forecast: 10-14 inches of snow and strong winds. www.weather.gov/nyc.

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY

427 PM EST THU FEB 7 2013

...MODERATE COASTAL FLOODING EXPECTED FRIDAY EVENING...

SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-BRONX-

NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-

NORTHERN QUEENS-NORTHERN NASSAU-

427 PM EST THU FEB 7 2013

...COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT

EST FRIDAY NIGHT...

A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS EXPECTED OR

OCCURRING. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE ALERT

FOR RISING WATER...AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE

AND PROPERTY.

Veterans History Project Bronx VA Medical Center 2/13/2013

   Wartime veterans of all eras (WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War, Bosnia, Grenada, Lebanon, OEF/OIF/OND, etc)

The Bronx Public Library will be interviewing Veterans at the Bronx VA Medical Center on Wednesday February 13, 2013 all day as part of the National Archives Library of Congress VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT.

Any Veterans interested to have their story “told by the Veteran”.  Please contact the Library or my office for assistance.  Thanks

Lyn Johnson USMC Veteran

Bronx Outreach Specialist

James J Peters VA Medical Center

130 West Kingsbridge Road 4B-47

Bronx, New York 10468

(718)741-4488 office

(718)741-4690 fax

Lyn.Johnson2@va.gov

Bloomberg Boulevard: The new “Cross Bronx Expressway”

  

   Remember the last time an autocrat with way too much power (Robert Moses) rammed through a plan to divide the Bronx with a freeway to give wealthy suburbanites an easier time driving through (not to) the Bronx on the way back and forth from their suburban homes. It was called the Cross Bronx Expressway. It created endless health problems and destroyed Bronx neighborhoods forever.

Now here we are in 2013. We have a Mayor with tremendous power and he insists on creating a 1.5 mile asphalt bikeway right through one of the last native forests of the Bronx in Van Cortlandt Park. (The Mayor will also cut down 400 trees as part of his plan and spend $1 million NYC taxpayer dollars). All of this so wealthy suburban cyclists will have an easier time getting through the Bronx.

See article below

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/nyregion/commuting-40-miles-to-work-on-a-bike-with-thermals-and-fleece.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ask yourselves. How does a 15ft paved asphalt path help the Bronx more than an 8ft stone dust pathway? It doesn’t.

Why is another project being forced on the Bronx which the Bronx didn’t ask for?

Mayor Bloomberg’s actions are eerily reminiscent of Robert Moses ill-conceived Cross Bronx Expressway. We all know how that one turned out! Let’s not let history repeat itself.

Say no “to Bloomberg Boulevard” in Van Cortlandt Park!

Please write a note to Mayor Bloomberg saying no to another ill-conceived project the Bronx doesn’t want! http://on.nyc.gov/3CDcV6

Please also write your City Council Rep asking them not to destroy the Bronx using $1 million of your tax dollars! http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

“Maybe when you have billions you think you don’t have to listen to the millions”

Save the Putnam Trail Campaign
www.savetheputnamtrail.com

www.facebook.com/saveputnamtrailnow

 

 

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

 

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.

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.