Evening Honorees
Hamud Al-Silwi, Ph.D.
Director of Islamic American University, New York Branch
Ramatu Ahmed
Community Organizer & Activist
Friday, July 19, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Senators Klein, Carlucci and Assemblywoman Galef Announce Boat Safety Laws to Prevent Boating Tragedies; Urge Gov. Cuomo to Sign it in to Law
26-year-old Bryan Johnson drowned just
over a year ago in Long Island Sound off of City Island during a midnight swim
with friends off a motorboat.
Monday, less
than one year after that and several tragic boating-related deaths in New York’s
waterways, Senator Jeff Klein, Senator David Carlucci
and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef called
upon Governor Cuomo to sign legislation making boat safety training a crucial
part of the every young New Yorker’s annual motorboat licensing application.
The legislation, (A.3471-A/S.1639-A), was championed by all three
lawmakers in the recent legislative session. Joined by the mother and
grandmother of Bryan Johnson, a victim of a fatal boating incident off of City
Island, Senator Klein underlined his support for boating education
requirements, citing evidence showing that the Bronx has among the highest
rates of boating accidents in the state.
Senator Klein said: “It’s clear
that boating safety education is a critical part of reducing the number of
tragic incidents that happen every year on New York’s waterways. Here in the
Bronx, we have the third highest rate of boating accidents in the state. That’s
unacceptable, and it demonstrates why we have a duty to do more. That’s why I
supported legislation that will increase boating safety education, bring our
standards in line with neighboring states and, most importantly, save lives. I
urge Governor Cuomo to sign this common sense legislation into law for the
safety of all New Yorkers who enjoy spending time on the water.”
Senator
Carlucci was the prime sponsor in the Senate and Assemblywoman Galef was the
prime sponsor in the Assembly. The legislators were joined Vice-Commodore of
the City Island Yacht Club, David Schulman and Boating Education Officer Franz
Alvarez of the City Island Sail and Power Authority,
This legislation would
require everyone – beginning with those who are 18 years and younger – to pass
a certified boating safety course before operating motorboats.
The legislation
includes a variety of key safety provisions intended to prevent future accidents
from taking place:
·
Require that no person born on or after
May 1, 1996 may operate a mechanically propelled vessel on the navigable waters
of the state, unless they hold a boating safety certificate.
·
Boating safety certificates are to be
issued by the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the
U.S. Power Squadrons or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Commissioner
also has existing authority, through regulation, to designate others who are
authorized to issue such certificates.
·
The bill preserves the existing law
ability of someone who is at least ten years old to operate a mechanically
propelled vessel unaccompanied, provided they hold a certificate.
·
A person who is younger than 18 years of
age may operate a mechanically propelled vessel without a boating safety
certificate, provided they are accompanied by at least one person at least 18
years of age who is either the holder of a boating safety certificate or is not
required to hold a boating safety certificate.
·
The bill provides a grace period of 120
days for people who purchase a vessel, and are otherwise required to hold a
boating safety certificate, to operate such a vessel without a certificate.
In
addition, specific exemptions exist from needing to obtain a boating safety
certificate for anyone born before April 30, 1996, including a host of
certified boating safety instructors, members of the U.S. Power Squadrons, U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary and holders of public vessel licenses. It also
pertains to law enforcement (police) officers, fire personnel and peace
officers.
The
new system will also provide that the Commissioner shall develop and implement
a method for approving internet-based boating safety courses, a new initiative
that makes it easier to gain access to these certificates.
Left - Senator David Carlucci Senate sponsor of this boating safety training law speaks about the dangers of boating especially to inexperienced young people who go out on the waters. Senator Klein and Assemblywoman Galef flank Senator Carlucci as Bryan Johnson's mother and grandmother stand behind him.
Right - The mother of Bryan Johnson who was a victim of a boating accident tells of the sorrow that she has gone through, and the need for this legislation that she helped fight for.
Items From Comptroller John Liu
LIU DECRIES NEW PROBLEMS AT 911
City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to published reports of 911 response errors and delays today.
“The truth is the 911 headquarters is understaffed and the operators are
overworked. The situation has only gotten worse since the City wasted
$1 billion on the dangerously flawed E911 system,” Comptroller John C.
Liu said. “The City cannot address problems
that are the results of mismanagement, waste, and fraud at 911 by
blaming the dispatchers.”
According to a report published in today’s Daily News, the lives of four
NYC firefighters were put at risk when they entered a home expecting to
find a woman with serious burns only to discover she was suffering from
bacterial meningitis.
In
another shocking development, it reportedly took a half hour for an
ambulance to arrive when an intern for City Councilwoman Diana Reyna
collapsed in Brooklyn.
These are the latest in a series of life-threatening incidents rooted in the City’s problem-plagued 911 call center.
Background:
Liu Statement on Mayor’s 911 Probe:
Liu: City Should Boycott HP:
Liu Audit: Management of 911 Call Center Project Was Ineffective:
Liu: Mismanagement of 911 Upgrade Picked Taxpayers’ Pockets:
http://www.comptroller.nyc.
LIU TO DOE: STOP CRIMINALIZ
City Comptroller John C. Liu today warned that the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) short-sighted and damaging policy of suspending hundreds of middle-school students each week is promoting alienation and a higher dropout rate, not better behavior.
The
Comptroller released a report today, “The Suspension Spike: Changing
the Discipline Culture in NYC’s Middle Schools,” which offers a
blueprint
for replacing the DOE’s failed zero-tolerance policy with restorative
justice practices that help middle-school students stay in school and
remain on the path to college and career readiness.
“This
report demonstrates the sad reality that the stop-and-frisk atmosphere,
which presumes that men of color are guilty until proven innocent,
begins as early as age 11. Children ages 11 to 14 are still learning
how to manage their own feelings and behavior. The DOE’s policy of
removing them from their classrooms for even small infractions teaches
them nothing and may in fact worsen their conduct,”
Comptroller Liu said. “Researchers have found that such suspensions
often lead to higher dropout rates and other bad outcomes. We need to
stand by our kids and give them the guidance they need, not make them
feel like criminals.”
The
report found that New York City middle schools suspended an average of
100 students a school day in the 2011-2012 school year. Almost all
of those suspended were either black or Hispanic. It also found that
middle-school students received 68 percent more suspensions than
high-school students.
The
report warns that misuse of School Safety Agents, who currently report
to the New York City Police Department, has resulted in student
arrests for minor infractions such as writing on a desk. This
over-criminalization of school-based offenses risks putting students on
the path to future incarceration, also known as the school-to-prison
pipeline.
The
report urges that middle schools adopt a restorative justice approach
to discipline that combines added support with high expectations
and accountability. These approaches not only give students ways to
understand and make amends for negative behavior but also seek to reduce
the severity and frequency of future incidents, create a more positive
school climate, improve educational outcomes,
and help keep students on the path to high school graduation and
beyond.
The report recommends:
·
Training
educators in restorative justice – DOE should pilot an approach known
as “whole-school climate change” at the 30 schools with the greatest
number of suspensions.
·
Hiring
more middle-school counselors and social workers to reduce the
student-to-counselor ratio to 250:1 and the student-to-social worker
ratio to 400:1, as well as
provide targeted interventions for students with behavior issues.
·
Eliminating suspensions for minor infractions and those that last for more than 10 days.
·
Empowering
principals to oversee school discipline – including the School Safety
Agents now under the authority of the NYPD – in order to emphasize
education over incarceration.
“The
Suspension Spike: Changing the Discipline culture in NYC’s Middle
Schools” is the sixth comprehensive study in Comptroller Liu’s “Beyond
High School NYC” initiative, which seeks to increase the proportion of
New Yorkers with higher education to 60 percent by the year 2025 through
strategic investments in public education.
The full report can be downloaded at:
http://comptroller.nyc.gov/
The executive summary can be downloaded at:
http://comptroller.nyc.gov/
Movie in the Park - Saturday, July 27th in Vinmont Park
Our next movie night is scheduled for
Saturday, July 27th and it will take place in Vinmont
Park, Mosholu Avenue at 255th Street. Plan to come at around
8pm for music and other festivities. We will begin the movie,
"Mr. Popper's Penguins," at dusk.
Also, don't miss our Promo Event, which will
feature music, stuffed penguin visuals and a variety of movie night
promo materials. The promo event will take place next Tuesday, July
23rd from 12:30-2:30 pm in front of Addeo's Pizza, 5654 Riverdale
Avenue.
This event is part of a series of movies in the
park scheduled for the summer of 2013. The movies are hosted and
organized by KRVC and largely funded by a grant provided through State
Senator Jeff Klein's office. Admission is FREE!
Hundreds Protest Four-Year Wage Freeze, Health Insurance Loss at Bronx Co-op
Concourse Village Workers and Supporters Urge Board to Sign New Contract
WHAT: Rally against four-year wage freeze and loss of benefits for Concourse Village workers
WHEN: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 5pm
WHERE: 775 Concourse Village East in the Bronx
WHO: Héctor Figueroa, 32BJ SEIU President
Kyle Bragg, 32BJ SEIU Secretary-Treasurer
Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson
Hector Ramos, 32BJ shop steward and Concourse Village handyman
Lawrence Canty, Concourse Village porter
32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country, with more than 125,000 members in eight states and Washington, D.C., including 67 porters and handypersons in Concourse Village.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Sepulveda endorses Reshma Saujani for Public Advocate
87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda who broke ranks with the Bronx Democratic County organization to endorse Bill DeBlasio for mayor, may have done it again in endorsing Reshma Saujani to replace DeBlasio as Public Advocate. Sepulveda made the announcement to support Saujani at the same place that he endorsed DeBlasio for mayor.
In what seems to be a lack luster race for Public Advocate in the Democratic primary as current Councilwoman Letitia James led in the latest poll with 16 percent, followed by newcomer Cathy Guerriero at 15 percent, State Senator Dan Squadron third, and current Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani in last place with almost 50 percent undecided.
Unveiling Freedomland Plaque, Co-op City, August 17
Those of us who are Friends of Freedomland will unveil a plaque and
commemorate the theme park in Co-op
City on Saturday, August
17, 12 Noon. Please see the details below. I also attached a flyer that
includes the same information. This event is held in cooperation with Co-op City
management.
If you require a summary of the history of
Freedomland for your use, just let me know and I will email it to you. And
we hope you will join us on Facebook where we keep Freedomland memories alive!
Mike Virgintino
Cell: 516-885-3875
E-mail: mvirgintino@yahoo.com
Web: http://sites.google.com/site/
Public Relations, Public Affairs, Social Responsibility
Cell: 516-885-3875
E-mail: mvirgintino@yahoo.com
Web: http://sites.google.com/site/
Public Relations, Public Affairs, Social Responsibility
Freedomland U.S.A.
Commemorative Plaque Unveiled
Co-op City, The Bronx –
Saturday, August 17, 12 NOON
Slightly
more than 53 years since it first opened its gates, Freedomland U.S.A. finally
will be commemorated with a plaque unveiled close to the site where flagpoles
once were located and that spelled out the name of the popular theme park.
Freedomland was located on the land now occupied by Co-op
City and the Bay Plaza Shopping Center.
Designed
in the shape of a large map of the continental United States, Freedomland featured
historical attractions in seven themed areas to entertain park guests. These
themed areas were: Little Old New York 1850-1900, Chicago 1871, The Great
Plains 1803-1900, San Francisco 1906, The Old
Southwest 1890, New Orleans – Mardi Gras and Satellite City – The Future. Freedomland contained
eight miles of navigable man-made waterways and lakes, 10,000 trees and 18
restaurants and snack bars.
When:
Saturday, August 17, 2013, 12 NOON. Rain or shine.
Where:
Along Bartow Avenue
near the Bartow Mall in Co-op
City, The Bronx.
What:
A long overdue plaque dedicated to a beloved and unique theme park that focused
on American history will be unveiled close to the original entrance of the
park.
Who: Fans and historians of
Freedomland: Bob Mangels, Richard Mangels, John Bulakowski and Mike Virgintino
along with former Freedomland employee Frank Adamo. All will be available to
talk about the history and excitement of the theme park that was the creation
of C.V. Wood, the same man who built Disneyland.
For more information:
- Mike Virgintino: 516-885-3875 (NYC area) and Freedomlandusa@yahoo.com
- Bob Mangels: 585-593-6070 and Freedomlandpark@yahoo.com
Resources:
- Freedomland Website: http://freedomlandusa.net/
- Freedomland on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Freedomland-USA-The-Worlds- Largest-Entertainment-Center/ 246939775358072
Bronx Breast Cancer Support Group at JACOBI MEDICAL CENTER
NEW Bronx Breast Cancer
Support Group
SHARE and Jacobi Medical Center are happy to announce a
new support group for women recently diagnosed with breast
completed treatment. Women may join at any time.
Fridays—1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
July 26, August 23, September 27, October 25,
November 29, December 20
Call Jacobi Medical Center at (718) 918-4318
Or SHARE at (866) 891-2392
For more information
Breast/Oncology Service
1400 Pelham Parkway South
Bronx, NY 10461
Building 1, 6th Floor, 6S Conference Room
SHARE is a not-for-profit organization that offers peer-led support to women with breast or ovarian
cancer, and their families and friends. Share services include hotlines, support groups, educational
forums, and advocacy activities. All SHARE programs are free of charge.