Chanukah Menorah Lighting

  The largest Chanukah menorah in the Bronx was lit in the Riverdale section by Rabbi Levi Shemtov tonight. The menorah which stands in front of the Riverdale Bell Tower (West 239th Street & Riverdale Avenue) is lit with help from Con Ediison who provides a bucket truck to lift the Rabbi to the top of the menorah. This coming Sunday is the official public lighting with one of the local elected officials going up in the bucket truck with the Rabbi to light the menorah. Last year Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. had the honor of lighting the Riverdale menorah. This year while Mayor Elect Bill deBlasio has been invited to light the menorah Rabbi Shemtov said the back up menorah lighter would be Senator Jeff Klein or Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. Dinowitz has lit the menorah in the past while Senator Klein has not. Below are photos of the menorah being put up, in the afternoon before sundown, and after being lit by Rabbi Shemtov. 

Left - Workers secure the base of the largest menorah in the Bronx.
Right - The menorah base is complete.

 

Left - The Con Edison bucket truck waits to lift Rabbi Shemtov to light the first light on the Riverdale Chanukah Menorah.

Right - People dance in glee as the start of Chanukah is minutes away.

Left - A side photo of the menorah.

Right - A front view of the menorah. The middle light is lit first then also one light from the right. On each of the next seven nights remaining of Chanukah another light is lit next to the one that was lit the night before.

Kingsbridge Road 1st Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ~ Sat. 11/23

 

Holiday Tree Lighting

Saturday, November 23rd  

Happy Thanksgiving From the Bronx Chamber of Commerce!

State Labor Department Releases Preliminary October 2013 Area Unemployment Rates

  The State Labor Department today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for October 2013, which are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s unemployment rate relies in part on the results of a telephone survey of 3,100 households (out of more than 7 million) in New York State.

  It is a county by county look at unemployment numbers by the Department of Labor, Tompkins County once again has the lowest unemployment in the state, with a rate of just 4.8 percent, while The Bronx has the highest, 12.2 percent. Brooklyn was the second highest borough in the city at 9.6 percent. New York City as a whole it is said has fallen from 9 percent to 8.9 percent, surrounding areas outside of New York City fared much better going from 8.3 percent to 7.8 percent unemployment. The New York State unemployment rate was listed at 7.5 percent. 

• The counties in New York State with the lowest unemployment rates include:
  • Tompkins County (4.8%)
  • Yates County (5.2%)
  • Hamilton County (5.3%)
  • Putnam County (5.5%)
  • Saratoga County (5.5%)

• The counties in New York State with the highest unemployment rates include:
  • Bronx County (12.2%)
  • Kings County (9.6%)
  • Jefferson County (8.7%)
  • Orleans County (8.5%)
  • St. Lawrence County (8.3%)

Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, for New York and every other state are based on statistical regression models specified by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most up-to-date estimates of persons employed and unemployed by place of residence. Estimates are available for New York State, labor market regions, metropolitan areas, counties, and municipalities of at least 25,000.

 

 

Wave Hill Events December 13–December 20

 

SAT, DECEMBER 14    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BOUGHS AND BRANCHES FOR WINTER

Ornament fragrant pine boughs with shiny foil, glittery beads and natural objects like cones, dried herbs and spices. Tie up a small sachet to create your own glowing, deliciously scented decoration. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, DECEMBER 14    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. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration online only at www.wavehill.org.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SAT, DECEMBER 14    COOKING DEMO: CULINARY CONIFERS

The versatile conifers (pines, spruces, junipers and their kin) enhance our winter landscape and provide flavorful accents for seasonal dishes. With the Conifer Slope as a backdrop, Horticultural Interpreter Charles Day and a chef from Wave Hill exclusive caterer Great Performances reveal the origin and history of some of our edible conifers. Sample delicious coniferous recipes featuring juniper berries and pine nuts. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

SUN, DECEMBER 15    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BOUGHS AND BRANCHES FOR WINTER

Ornament fragrant pine boughs with shiny foil, glittery beads and natural objects like cones, dried herbs and spices. Tie up a small sachet to create your own glowing, deliciously scented decoration. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, DECEMBER 15    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. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration online only at www.wavehill.org.

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

SUN, DECEMBER 15    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 online only at www.wavehill.org.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:30AM‒12:45PM

SUN, DECEMBER 15    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, DECEMBER 16
Closed to the public.

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—4:30PM. Closes 5:30PM, March 15—October 31.  

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free all day on Tuesdays in December. 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.

 

Community Board 8 Land Use Meeting Dec. 9.

 The Community Board 8 Land Use Committee will be meeting on Monday December 9th starting at 7:30 PM at the Conservative Synagogue located 475 West 250th Street off the Henry Hudson Parkway service road north. On the agenda are two items.

  1 - An enclosed sidewalk cafe for the Dale Restaurant located at 189 West 231st Street.

  2 - A presentation by Simone Management of demolition, construction, and development plans of property located 3741 & 3735 Riverdale Avenue, and 3644 Oxford Avenue for a proposed 11 story medical facility with parking.

UPDATE Con Edison "Dig They Must"

  Here is an update with new photos of Con Edison's Gas Conversion work in Community Board 8. If you live on Cruger and Lydig Avenues, Creston Avenue by East 196th Street, and almost anywhere else there are apartment buildings that are converting from oil to gas for heating fuel Con Edison will be ripping up the streets in or around those new gas customers. 

  Note on the first two long photos there are still no notices anywhere.

 This was Con Ed during last week at the corner of West 238th Street and Fieldston Road.

 Here you can see that the Con Edison contractor has set up a tent because the construction area is so large on the corner of West 238th Street and Greystone Avenue. The stores on the street are down from 10% - 40%, as one owner says "The people can't get to my store".

  This photo shows the rock that is below this street that has to be removed.

The same section with the new high pressure gas pipe.

This is the scene at a different location started after the Community Board 8 Traffic & Transportation meeting with Con Edison. Note that there are plenty of signs warning of the upcoming construction. 

Here once construction has started metal plates are put over the opening in the roadway as soon as the work moves on.

LIU - CITY TIME VERDICTS SEND RIGHT MESSAGE

   In response to the City Time verdicts, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu issued the following statement:

“These verdicts send the right message to all who would think of defrauding our taxpayers that there will be a heavy price to pay. Let the CityTime scandal also serve as a sobering reminder that City Hall must tightly manage outside consultants, because when projects run years late and over budget by 1,000 percent, criminality on top of massive waste becomes that much less surprising.”

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.