Wave Hill Events September 27–October 4

   Honey Weekend! Come for the day―Saturday or Sunday―and take in a host of opportunities to admire the industry of our bee friends, then let their buzziness inspire some glorious stretches during a session of Tai Chi or Yoga, and a curated tour of the new exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. How sweet it is!

THU, SEPTEMBER 26    GARDEN WALK: ARMORED PLANTS

Many plants, like the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.) and Dioscorea elephantipes (elephant’s foot) are

naturally protected with weapon-worthy spines or a thick coating of armor. Others, such as Sagittaria, have names that allude to armor-like aspects of their anatomy. Wave Hill Horticultural Interpreter  Charles Day leads a tour of these denizens of the garden, all relevant to Bashford Dean, whose interest in both arms and ichthyology is the subject of the fall exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. This walk repeats October 5 and 10. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

SAT & SUN, SEPTEMBER 28 & 29    HONEY WEEKEND

Honey Weekend is a highlight this fall, with a sweet menu of activities for all ages. Most Honey Weekend events take place both Saturday and Sunday and are free with admission to the grounds.

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BE A BEE

Live the life of a bee! Outfit yourself with wings, antennae, a pollen cup and a kazoo to buzz with. Buzz around in a hive of six-sided cells and forage in the flowers. Join in a bee parade and dance in a cardboard hive at 12:30PM, weather permitting. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    TAI CHI CHUAN

Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for program updates. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HONEY TASTING

Sample honey at The Shop at Wave Hill. You’ll be amazed at the complex flavors of different varieties! Purchase your favorite to take home. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM−4PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HONEY EXTRACTION DEMONSTRATION

How do bees make honey? How do we collect it? Help us extract and bottle honey from our resident honeybees and sample honey straight from the hive. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HIVES & HONEY INFORMATION STATION

Try on beekeeping gear, peek inside an empty hive and learn fascinating facts about honeybees. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1−3PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28   GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition, Tandem Pursuits: Armor & Ichthyology, which celebrates the interests of former Wave Hill House resident Bashford Dean. Dean was Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Curator of Fish at the American Museum of Natural History. The intersection of his interest in both fish and armor provides the opportunity to bring together a remarkable group of contemporary art that explores concepts of adaptation, pattern, and protection. The tour also includes Sunroom Project Space installations by Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows Onyedika Chuke and Francisco Donoso. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BE A BEE

Live the life of a bee! Outfit yourself with wings, antennae, a pollen cup and a kazoo to buzz with. Buzz around in a hive of six-sided cells and forage in the flowers. Join in a bee parade and dance in a cardboard hive at 12:30PM, weather permitting. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HATHA YOGA

Find refuge from city life by practicing seasonal yoga. Decrease stress and increase your energy by focusing on your posture, your breath and your mind/body/spirit. Classes are led by Neem Dewji, certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for program updates. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11:15AM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HONEY TASTING

Sample honey at The Shop at Wave Hill. You’ll be amazed at the complex flavors of different varieties! Purchase your favorite to take home. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM−4PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    CANDLE MAKING DROP-IN PROGRAM

A natural wax produced in the hive by young worker bees, beeswax has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies, for timekeeping and for illumination. Try your hand at creating an assortment of beeswax candles to take home and enjoy. Materials fee: $10 Member/$18 Non-member per kit. Registration not required. First come, first served while supplies last. Free with admission to the grounds, but there is a materials fee of $10 Member/$18 Non-member per kit, which includes enough to make several candles.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 11AM–2PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    MEDITATION

This fall, take a moment to release stress and reconnect with your inner self while practicing meditation. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques followed by 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors. All levels welcome. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM..

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:30AM‒12:45PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HONEY EXTRACTION DEMONSTRATION

How do bees make honey? How do we collect it? Help us extract and bottle honey from our resident honeybees and sample honey straight from the hive. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HIVES & HONEY INFORMATION STATION

Try on beekeeping gear, peek inside an empty hive and learn fascinating facts about honeybees. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1−3PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, SEPTEMBER 30

Closed to the public.

TUE, OCTOBER 1    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

TUE, OCTOBER 1    GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition, Tandem Pursuits: Armor & Ichthyology, which celebrates the interests of former Wave Hill House resident Bashford Dean. Dean was Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Curator of Fish at the American Museum of Natural History. The intersection of his interest in both fish and armor provides the opportunity to bring together a remarkable group of contemporary art that explores concepts of adaptation, pattern, and protection. The tour also includes Sunroom Project Space installations by Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows Onyedika Chuke and Francisco Donoso. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—5:30PM. Closes 4:30PM, November 1—March 14.  

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free until noon on Tuesdays in September and October. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242^nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

86th A.D. Results UPDATE

  With 100% of the vote cast on the lever voting machines in the 86th A.D. the results are the following.

  Any absentee or paper ballots done at a poll site will be counted starting on Friday.

 

 Victor Pichardo leads by 72 votes.

Candidate	Votes	Pct.
Victor Pichardo	1,195	22.7%
Hector Ramirez	1,123	21.3
Yudelka Tapia	1,000	19.0
Haile Rivera	885	16.8
Melanie Johnson	469	8.9
Elizabeth Ortiz	400	7.6
Keny Nunez	193	3.7

Primary Day 2013 - The Bronx Results?

  In what was a light turnout the results of yesterday's primary races are in, but will not be official for at least three weeks. For Democratic Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the night slightly over the magical 40% line to win without having to go into a run off election, but there are still to many absentee and paper ballots that have to be counted which could place DeBlasio below that magical 40% line. If DeBlasio falls below 40% by even one vote he would be forced into a run off with Bill Thompson who finished second.

  On the Republican side for Mayor Joe Lhota won, and should DeBlasio win on the Democratic side we might be seeing  "No Holds Barred"  in a Giuliani - Dinkins III rematch. 

  There will be a run off election for Public Advocate in three weeks on October 1st as none of the 5 candidates went over the magical (citywide only) 40% mark between Brooklyn State Senator Dan Squadron and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James. 

  For City Comptroller Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer narrowly defeated former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer.

  Here in the Bronx, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was an easy winner coming in with 84% of the vote. Incumbent Bronx City Council members in the 8th, 12th, 14th, 17th, & 18th districts all won, and 13th Councilman Jimmy Vacca did not have a primary. In the open Bronx council seats- 11th Andrew Cohen won by a better than 2 - 1 margin, 15th Ritchie Torres won with a little over 1/3 of the vote, and in the 16th 77th A.D. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson won with over 40% of the vote. 

  In the special election to fill the vacant 86th A.D. Victor Pachardo won with 22% of the vote, but by less than 65 votes (64 to be exact). It is expected (by me at least) that the winner of this race may not be determined by Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

Here are past 11th City Councilwoman June Eisland, current 11th City Councilman Oliver Koppell, and in the middle the next 11th City Councilman Andrew Cohen.

Left - 11th council district primary winner Andrew Cohen goes over the long list of names he thanked in his win.

Right - One time 11th council district Democratic candidate Cheryl Keeling (right) stopped by to congratulate Cohen on his victory, poses with soon to be Councilman Andrew Cohen's wife Heather Erhard-Cohen. Keeling was knocked off the ballot by Cliff Stanton who ran against Cohen.

Lastly - A photo to remember if you are 87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda who went against the Bronx Democratic County organization to be the first Bronx elected official to publicly endorse Bill DeBlasio for Mayor. Sepulveda worked tirelessly for the Deblasio campaign turning his Parkchester political club into the Bronx Campaign headquarters for DeBlasio. Could we be seeing Assemblyman Sepulveda joining the DeBlasio administration?

Primary Day 2013 Halfway Point

  Today is Primary day 2013 for Democrats and Republicans. While republicans are only choosing between three candidates for Mayor it is a different story for Democrats. Democrats have a choice of 6 candidates for Mayor 2 for City Comptroller, 5 for Public Advocate, 2 for Bronx Borough President, and from 0 - 6 candidates for various city council races. There is an added bonus election this year with the stepping down of former 86th A.D. Assemblyman Nelson Castro where 7 candidates are running. 

  The early turn out is from light to very light, and at minutes before noon time I found one Election District that had no votes cast. There seem to be little problems in using the old Lever Voting machines, unless you happen to be Joe Lhota who had to cast a paper ballot due to a Lever Voting machine breakdown. Paper ballots are on hand at all poll sites just in case any machine becomes inoperative. 

   As for my own exit polling- here in the Bronx (11th and 15th Council Districts) the two Bills are receiving the most votes for Mayor. Outside of the poll workers it was almost impossible to find any Republican voters in the 11th & 15th Council Districts. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is out and campaigning hard all over the Bronx, while I could only see signs of his opponent. The 11th Council District seems to be going the way I called it "Big for Cohen", and the 15th Council District has all 6 candidates working their strengths as you will see in the photos below. 

That's 80th A.D. Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj at the wheel of this Thompson for Mayor vehicle on the road in the 80th A.D.

 

Left - That's 15th Council District candidate Cynthia Thompkins talking to 15th Council District Raquel Batista who is driving around the district. This photo is taken outside the PS 46 poll site, a strong hold for both of these candidates.

Right - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. stopped by the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (one of the largest polling sites in the Bronx), and poses with his choice for the 11th Council District Andrew Cohen.

 

 Left - One sign of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s opponent has fallen to the bottom of the pole it is on one block from the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy.

Right - A sign of 11th Council Candidate Andrew Cohen's opponent.

Bronx Democratic County Barbecue

  Saturday September 7th was the Annual Bronx County Barbecue. Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie was joined by many elected officials from the Bronx and beyond. 2 candidates for Mayor showed up Bill Thompson and John Liu. Letitia James the Bronx County organization backed candidate for Public Advocate, Congressman Charlie Rangel (who now has a little part of the Bronx), and Manhattan Democratic County Leader Keith Wright were among those from outside the Bronx. 

   Willie Colon who is best known as a great Salsa singer and band leader, but who also ran for congress in 1994 gave a mini concert in favor of his candidate for Mayor Bill Thompson. Bronx County Leader Heastie said that he was going to keep the political speeches to a minimum, and kept his word as only he, BP Diaz, Bill Thompson, Letitia James, and co-host Assemblyman Marcos Crespo had the microphone other than Willie Colon. 

   Barbecue banter- On the subject of a vibrant looking Congressman Charles Rangel there was no comment by either Manhattan County leader Keith Wright or Rangel himself as to another term in Washington. Willie Colon- I crashed this party for my friend Bill Thompson. Public Advocate Letitia James- "We need to change the direction of the city". To my question of her what then has the city council been doing for the past 4 - 8 years there was no answer by Ms. James (a current councilwoman from Brooklyn), or any of the three other Bronx Council members I asked the same question. Bill Thompson- Under previous Bronx County Leadership there was fragmentation. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr.- I do have a primary. Senator Jeff Klein- Didn't Oliver Koppell endorse Republican candidate for Mayor Michael Bloomberg? Carl Heastie- I am endorsing Jeff Klein for re-election.

Left - The Bronx Democratic County headquarters on the corner of Blondell Avenue and Eastchester Road.

Right - On the left Mr. John Zaccaro Jr. President of the Bronx Young Democrats (and Councilman Fernando Cabrera's office was in charge of the grill this year.

 

Left - Two old opponents, now friends say hello to each other.

Right - Famous Salsa singer and band leader Willie Colon listens to a woman as Bronx Democratic County Executive Director Ischia Bravo looks on.

 

Left - Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson greets some of his supporters.

Right - Mayoral candidate John Liu says hello to Bronx County Leader Heastie and others.

 

Left - Bronx County leader Heastie with Bronx County backed Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., Willie Colon, and Co-host Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.

Right - Willie Colon As he sings one of his hit songs.

 

Left - Senator Jeff Klein talking to Bronx County Leader Heastie, who later said that he was endorsing Senator Klein for re-election.

Right - Congressman Rangel talking to Bronx County Leader Heastie. Could this be for Heastie's endorsement for another term in Washington?

Movie in The Park

   This past Saturday Senator Jeff Klein sponsored the movie "UP" that was shown on a large inflatable movie screen in Seton Park in the Riverdale section of his district. Almost 500 people gathered on the infield and short outfield area to view the movie, and listen to a musical interlude by Alma and Rale Micic.

   Since this event was taking place 2 days before Primary day 2013 the candidates were out in force. Public Advocate candidate Brooklyn State Senator Dan Squadron, and both 11th City Council candidates Andrew Cohen and Cliff Stanton got their campaigning in. Andrew Cohen with Senator Klein and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz while Cliff Stanton gave out Popsicles for votes. 

 

Left - Public Advocate candidate Senator Dan Squadron with 11th City Council candidate Andrew Cohen.

Right - Two Cliff Stanton people give out Popsicles. 

 

Left - A clip from the movie "UP" being shown on a large inflatable screen in Seton Park.

Right - Where some Popsicle wrappers and sticks wound up in the park.

 

NYPD BEE EXPERT REMOVES HIVE AT KOPPELL’S REQUEST

  

Council Member Oliver Koppell moved quickly to protect residents from being stung by bees swarming from a hive nested in a tree overlooking the playground at 3901 Independence Avenue.   A mother, whose son had been stung, indicated to Koppell that the Board President had called 311 three times about the problem but nothing had been done.

“I was concerned,” Koppell said, “because, in addition to being painful, bee stings can be extremely dangerous to people who are allergic.”

Koppell turned to the NYPD, where for the past 18 years, Officer Anthony Planakis, known as “Tony Bees,” has been charged with removing bee swarms throughout the Metro area. It’s well known throughout the city that “wherever they are, if it’s got to do with bees, you gotta call Tony Bees.” Tony, himself, is a passionate beekeeper with a bee farm in Newtown, Connecticut.   He began his beekeeping activities as a teenager, learning from his Cypress born-father, who also kept bees since he was a boy. 

“I wanted an expert to remove the bees without harming them or the people in the neighboring area,” Koppell said.  “I am happy that the NYPD was able to provide this expertise.”

It appears that that has been an increase in bee swarms in the city.  As well as Mr. Planakis, residents with a bee problem can call on two bee rescue teams: New York City Beekeeping and the New York City Beekeepers Association.

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Cohen to Win 11th Council District Easy

Here is this weeks Riverdale Report from the Bronx News.

  

Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

Cohen to Win 11^th Council District Easy

   As I wrote back in July, I still think that 11^th City council candidate Andrew Cohen will be victorious, and by a huge margin over his opponent Cliff Stanton. My prediction then was and still is that Andrew Cohen will get 83 percent of the vote recorded for the 11^th City Council race with a margin of error of 5 percent. Mr. Stanton never set the district on fire in the year advantage he had since announcing his candidacy in January of 2012. There was disappointment after disappointment during the campaign when certain people who had expressed interest in running decided not to and they then endorsed Andrew Cohen. Mr. Stanton has campaigned hard in the Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, and Van Cortlandt Village areas, but knocking off the ballot a Hispanic man and a Black woman might not have been the best strategy if one wants to win in minority areas of the district. I have been told by some people who might have voted for him that it is that and some of those who Mr. Stanton has aligned himself with that had turned them away from voting for him. I know that I will be voting for Andrew Cohen when I go to vote in the 11^th City Council district.

   So don't forget to go out and vote on Primary Day Tuesday September 10^th. For Republicans there is only a race for Mayor, while for Democrats it is for Mayor, City Comptroller, Public Advocate, Bronx Borough President and City Council if you live in the 8^th, 11^th, 12^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th districts in the Bronx. Since the Primary Day results will not be in until after our publishing deadline I will have the results in two weeks for you. You can check my blog the day after election day for the results. Four years ago I called the 11^th City Council race with in one percentage point.

   Last Tuesday State Senator Jeff Klein hosted a concert in Seton Park by the wonderful Dionne Warwick. It was estimated that over 1,000 people came out to see Ms. Warwick sing her great songs in person. One could hear the sing along from many in the audience as the 72 year old Ms. Warwick kept singing hit after hit. The little longer than one hour non stop performance seemed to go by as minutes some people said to me after the concert. To see more of the concert with photos of Ms. Warwick, and the politicians who were there you can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com.

   Also on my blog is the latest listing of events that are going on at Wave Hill. The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have a busy schedule coming up in the fall, and you can see it on my blog. Just check the archive section on the lower left and check the previous month August for the listings.

Bronx Community Board #8 is gearing up to get back into business after a short summer vacation, so you may want to go to the CB8 website to check out the meetings, dates, places, and topics of discussion as they are scheduled by the board and its committees.

   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 .