First Mayoral Poll Has Bill deBlasio with a Big Lead

In the photo is 87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda  put everything on the line to endorse Bill deBlasio for Mayor while the Bronx Democratic County organization backed Bill Thompson for Mayor in the primary.

  In the first poll of the post primary election Democrat Bill deBlasio leads Republican Joe Lhota by 42 points. the numbers are 65% for deBlasio, 22% for Lhota, 3% for Independence Party candidate Adolfo Carrion, and between 9 and 10 % undecided. This was a Wall Street Journal-NBC 4 New York-Marist poll that was released Tuesday. 

  Among voting segments: 

  deBlasio leads among Black voters 86% to Lhota at 3% with 11% undecided. 

  deBlasio leads among Latino voters 74% to Lhota at 11% with 15% undecided.

  deBlasio leads among White voters 50% to Lhota at 37% with 13% undecided. 

  Both men and women have deblasio ahead big with 68% of women and 61% of men for deblasio to 18% of women and 26% of men favoring Lhota. The only sub group that Lhota leads is White Catholics where Lhota has a slim lead of 45% to 40% for deblasio. 

 It looks like New York City will have its first Democratic Mayor in 20 years. 8 years of Rudy Giuliani and then 12 years of Michael Bloomberg, both Republican candidates. The big question is how large will the margin of victory be for Bill deBlasio, but then again this is only the first poll and deBlasio trailed in the first Democratic primary poll.

 

Wave Hill Events October 4–October 11

   Gallery and garden intersect this week in two kinds of walks. One is led by dapper Englishman Charlie Day, also our Horticultural Interpreter, who has crafted a walk that looks at the natural protection displayed by some plants. This relates directly, of course, to the exhibition that has opened in Glyndor Gallery, showcasing work by 16 artists inspired by both armor or fish, twin interests of Bashford Dean, a former resident of Wave Hill House. (And that’s all part of a series we’ve started honoring the legacy of former, illustrious residents of Wave Hill. More about that soon.)  Simone Leigh’s “Blue Torso”, for instance―it’s captured in one of the images I have attached―used porcelain, cobalt, epoxy, terracotta and graphite to create this female torso covered in roses, each made individually by hand; roses are “typically associated with feminine delicacy, but here,” as the show catalogue explains, “they become a protective covering.”  The guided tour our curatorial fellow Anna Robinson-Sweet gives of the exhibition makes for an interesting companion to Charlie’s walk.

Also happening this week is a workshop using mixed-media, stained-glass collage. It will be led by Francisco Donoso, a Wave Hill Van Lier Fellow who currently has an installation in the Sunroom Project Space. Register soon―space is limited!  For a chance to meet and talk with Donoso, stop by Sunday afternoon when he and fellow Van Lier artist Onyedika Chuke are on hand for a meet-the-artist.

SAT, OCTOBER 5    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/$15 Wave Hill Member. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SAT, OCTOBER 5    FAMILY ART PROJECT— HANDMADE PAPER IN AUTUMN COLOR

Join papermaker extraordinaire Randy Brozen to make paper out of rich colors of pulp in red, orange and yellow. Using an easy process, make your paper in a leaf-shape mold or add a found leaf for fancy decoration. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, OCTOBER 5    CREATIVE ACTIONS: MIXED-MEDIA STAINED GLASS COLLAGE
Engage in a creative dialogue with your surroundings guided by professional artists working in various media. In this session, Van Lier Fellow and painter Francisco Donoso explores color, light and image-making in his exhibition on view in the Sunroom Project Space. Experiment with drawing and painting materials to create collages inspired by the natural light and architectural elements in a space. All levels welcome. Materials provided. $30/$20 Wave Hill Member. Reservations required, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Drop-ins accommodated as space permits.

MEET AT THE ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM−1PM

SAT, OCTOBER 5   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

SAT, OCTOBER 5    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 10. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

SUN, OCTOBER 6    FAMILY ART PROJECT— HANDMADE PAPER IN AUTUMN COLOR

Join papermaker extraordinaire Randy Brozen to make paper out of rich colors of pulp in red, orange and yellow. Using an easy process, make your paper in a leaf-shape mold or add a found leaf for fancy decoration. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, OCTOBER 6    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, OCTOBER 6    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, OCTOBER 6    MEET THE ARTISTS: ONYEDIKA CHUKE AND FRANCISCO DONOSO

Meet artists Onyedika Chuke and Francisco Donoso, the two 2013 Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows at Wave Hill.  This one-year fellowship supports young artists and promotes cultural diversity in the arts.  At this event, the artists discuss their processes and the concepts behind their work.  Chuke’s sculptural installation in the Sun Porch investigates the relationship between the body, nature and architecture. He uses natural and artificial building materials, as well as art objects to highlight historical and contemporary manifestations of these interactions. In Donoso’s Sunroom Project, the artist explores his cultural identity in five large paintings that combine self-portraiture with motifs from Spanish religious painting, patterning found in Latin American textiles, as well as imagery from popular culture and pre-Colombian mythology.  Both installations are on view from September 15 to October 20, 2013. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1:30PM

SUN, OCTOBER 6    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, OCTOBER 7

Closed to the public.

TUE, OCTOBER 8    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 8   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

THU, OCTOBER 10    EARLY MORNING MEMBERS’ GARDEN WALK

Just for members! Enjoy special access to the grounds on a quiet autumn morning before we open to the public. Horticultural Interpreter Charles Day or Assistant Director of Public Programs Laurel Rimmer leads this early-morning garden walk. Seniors welcome! Although this event is free for Wave Hill Members, registration is required, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center.

MEET AT WAVE HILL FRONT GATE, 8AM

THU, OCTOBER 10    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. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 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 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.

 

 

LIU ON JUDGE’S REJECTION OF STAY OF OVERHAUL OF STOP AND FRISK

  City Comptroller John C. Liu made the following statement in response to U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin’s ruling on Tuesday that New York City cannot delay the court-ordered overhaul of its police department's unconstitutional stop-and-frisk policy:

 

“Judge Shira Scheindlin is right not to let City Hall delay the overhaul of the NYPD’s unconstitutional stop and frisk policy.  We look forward to the day when this harassment of minorities is abolished entirely.”

Background

Liu on stop-and-frisk appeal

http://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/liu-on-stop-and-frisk-appeal/

Liu on stop-and-frisk ruling

http://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/liu-on-stop-and-frisk-ruling/

Liu: purge of stop-and-frisk databank is step in right direction

http://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/liu-purge-of-stop-and-frisk-databank-is-step-in-right-direction/

Tomorrow Night - CELEBRITY BARTENDER

Mark Messier Named CEO of KNIC

 

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Mark Messier Named CEO of KNIC

“I am thrilled that hockey legend and hall of famer Mark Messier has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, and that he will lead the transformation of the Kingsbridge Armory into the world’s largest ice sports facility.

“Since day one, Mr. Messier has proven to be a great friend of the Bronx with his unwavering support of the KNIC project. He understands the importance of responsible development in the Bronx and knows that this project will create living wage jobs and economic activity, will support important community and educational initiatives, and will provide New Yorkers with unprecedented access to a variety of spectacular ice sports.

“I am excited that Mark Messier will take the lead in the redevelopment of our beloved Kingsbridge Armory and I look forward to working with him as we transform the Kingsbridge Armory into a source of pride for the Bronx and the City for generations to come,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

LEADING ELECTED OFFICIALS ENDORSE BILL DE BLASIO

 

A group of six elected officials from across the city today announced their support for Bill de Blasio, the Democratic nominee for Mayor, and urged all New Yorkers to join them in their support in the November general election.

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Congress members Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries, State Senator Eric Adams, Democratic nominee for Brooklyn Borough President; and State Senators Adriano Espaillat and Jose Peralta each announced their endorsement of Bill de Blasio for mayor today. These officials represent four borough’s of the city, and each has an ethnically and economically diverse constituency. The endorsement follows a meeting Bill de Blasio had with the officials on Sunday night, during which they discussed de Blasio’s vision for the future of the city and the November general election. “Bill de Blasio’s plan to fight inequality has resonated across all five boroughs, but especially in the Bronx. Bill de Blasio understands the need for a new day in our city, and will continue to fight for a living wage, for safer streets, for stronger schools and for the expansion of the middle class. As our next mayor Bill de Blasio will be a fighter for the people of this city, and I urge all Democrats, and in fact all New Yorkers, to join us in support of his candidacy for mayor,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“After 20 years of Republican rule, the hard working people of this City are in crisis. The one percenters of New York are wealthier than ever, while working families and the most vulnerable continue to suffer income inequality and are being priced out of the City they love. Bill de Blasio represents a new vision for New Yorkers of all background. His vision to create an economic path that will create good paying jobs, affordable housing and an education system that integrates parents, children and teachers in the decision making process is key. His vision to provide ladders of opportunities for families to climb into the middle class is what this city needs today. I stand with Bill, whose message of a more inclusive New York resonates across the city. We must work together to get him elected,” said Rep. Nydia Velazquez of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

 

Thompson Concedes Mayors race to deBlasio

  Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson pictured above with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., when Diaz Jr. endorsed Thompson for Mayor has conceded the mayor's race to current Public Advocate Bill deBlasio. With deBlasio hovering just over the 40% mark needed to avoid a run off election Thompson was hesitant to concede until today as more and more of his supporters including Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. decided it was best for the Democratic Party that Thompson concedes as some have already pledged their support to the deBlasio campaign in the race against Joe Lhota. 

  Thompson was also endorsed by the Bronx Democratic County organization actually did not win the Bronx, and in some areas came in third behind deBlasio and Quinn. It had been expected that of the close to 70,000 votes to be counted for mayor, that deBlasio would maintain if not increase his margin of victory.

Was There Fraud in the 86th A.D. Special Election

 The above is a compelling photo which shows only levers to pull for the top two of the seven total candidates in this race were in place on this lever voting machine. This along with several accusations by not one or two, but four of the other candidates that fraud did exist in many different has forced the four candidates Hector Ramirez, Yudelka Tapia, Hallie Rivera, and Keny Nunez to call for an investigation of the long list of accusations and even for a new election. Some of the accusations are in a previous posting, but there seemed to be no more than the usual problems with the old machines in 86th A.D.. 

  There were reports of names missing from the enrollment books, as Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner claimed his name was not in the enrollment book when he went to vote. Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota had to use a paper ballot because the voting machine at his table was not working. There were reports of machines being delivered to the wrong council districts, as well as some of the old problems of levers getting jammed, missing, or breaking off in one way or another. 

  As seems to be the case in the 86th A.D. special election the four candidates questioning the election have said that they were not allowed access to the voting machines prior to the election, found one candidates relatives working at a pole site, found what they have called electioneering by State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and Bronx Democratic County Leader 83rd A.D. Assemblyman Carl Heastie inside poll sites, Poll workers telling voters how to vote, among a list of other items.

  In the past there had been only reports of irregularities by one candidate at one or two poll sites in any race, not by four different candidates in the same race at so many different poll sites.

  I found out that after the election (as in the past) most lever voting machines were kept at the poll sites, and all due to be back in the Board of Elections care by midnight Thursday September 12th. Friday September 13th said voting machines were to be opened up and re canvased. Since only a plastic zip lock strip was used to secure the voting machines front I decided to visit the Bronx Board of Elections to see just what condition the voting machines were in when they came back. As you will see in the photos below ALL of the voting machine were placed in lines and the plastic zip lock strips on the front were broken before the re canvassing so it was not known if any came back with any broken front seals. . 

Left & Right - The lever voting machines are lined up for the re canvassing with all of the front plastic zip lock seals having been broken beforehand. You can even see some doors are open on a few machines. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  I have reached out to Senator Gustavo Rivera and to Bronx Democratic County for comments on this matter. Senator Rivera's staff said that they would forward me a copy of a statement by Senator Rivera which I have not received yet, and did not get a call back from County Leader Heastie or any statement from him. I will be exploring this matter further in my column of "100 PERCENT" that can be found in next weeks editions of the Bronx News. Parkchester News, and Coop - City News.