Will Carmen Farina be the Next Schools Chancellor?

  It being reported that former Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina is now the leading candidate to become the next schools chancellor for Mayor Elect Bill deBlasio. The 70 year old Farina goes far back with deBlasio to when he was a member of School Board 15 which hired Farina as their Superintendent. Farina was also said to have been an unofficial advisor to candidate deBlasio, but has said that she was not interested in taking the position of schools chancellor. Her position seems to be changing however with the ever shrinking list of other possible contenders for the position of schools chancellor, and most of those others favoring the school closure model of the Bloomberg administration deBlasio has said he is against. 

  Farina comes with some baggage however. She is thought to have retired in 2006 from the DOE amid controversy that she had allowed a New York City Principal who lived in New Jersey have his child placed in PS 29 (where Farina had once been principal of) before an investigation was completed by the office of the Special Schools Investigator in a story here. The principal was forced to pay the city $19,441,00 for four years of tuition and resigned. Many other stories have been found about Carmen Farina and her rise to power from teacher to principal to District 15 superintendent to Deputy Chancellor of the NYC DOE.

  As a former member of the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Panel When Ms. Farina was appointed to the position of Deputy Chancellor I found Ms. Farina to be harsh, and not a person that was friendly to parents. She may continue the "My Way or the Highway" attitude of her former boss Michael Bloomberg, and it would be a mistake for Mayor Elect Bill deBlasio to appoint her as Schools Chancellor.

 

    

Christmas in the Bronx

VERIZON TO PAY ADDITIONAL $1.4M IN FEES; AUDIT UNCOVERED UNREPORTED REVENUES

  Comptroller John C. Liu today announced the results of a new audit which found that Verizon had significantly under reported revenue as required by its cable franchise agreement with the City and underpaid fees owed to the City.  Verizon has agreed to pay the City $1.41 million in additional franchise fees.

“Franchise agreements with the City must be enforced both to deliver quality service to our residents and to ensure that City taxpayers are getting their fair share of revenues from these franchises,” Comptroller Liu said. “Our audit spells out why Verizon owes the City $1.41 million in franchise fees, and I’m pleased that Verizon has agreed to pay up.”

Verizon is required to pay New York City a franchise fee of 5 percent of gross revenue as part of its agreement to deliver cable service throughout the City. The 12-year non-exclusive agreement, via the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), began in 2008.

This audit by the Comptroller’s office found that from July 2008 to June 2013, Verizon understated advertising revenue on the quarterly reports that it submits to the City by approximately $28.2 million, resulting in underpayment of $1.41 million in franchise fees owed to the City.

Specifically, the audit found that Verizon understated $17.1 million in advertising commissions that should have been included in gross revenue and did not report $11.1 million in foregone revenue from the value of advertising retained for its own use.

The audit called on Verizon to immediately pay the $1.41 million it owes the City, report all revenue as required by its franchise agreement, track the value of its own advertising, and provide DoITT with access to all necessary records. DoITT agreed with the audit’s findings and said it would ensure that Verizon accurately reports its revenue and complies with its franchise agreement.

Verizon disagreed with the audit’s findings, yet has agreed to pay the City the full $1.41 million.  This payment is in addition to the recent $60 million settlement between Verizon and the City for cost overruns caused by the company’s delays on the Emergency Communications Transformation Program project.

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau staff for presenting the findings.

Background:

Mayor Bloomberg, Comptroller Liu Announce $60 Million Settlement Agreement With Verizon, Nov. 14, 2013: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/bloomberg-liu-announce-60-million-settlement-agreement-with-verizon/

The Bronx LGBTQ Center Celebrates The Holidays

  The Bronx LGBTQ Center will hold its Family Holigays program in celebration of Christmas and Kwanzaa on Thursday, December 26 from 2-6pm at the First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck (3075 Baisley Avenue , Bronx, NY). Family Holigays is a program of the center featuring pot-luck gatherings to celebrate the major holidays throughout the year.

 

   Unfortunately, many within the LGBTQ community are still ostracized by their families and friends because of who they are. These pot luck gatherings offer a welcoming celebration of the major holidays throughout the year to provide support to everyone in our communities, especially the marginalized and ostracized. It is hoped that the feelings of loneliness such community members often face will be lessened in what otherwise would be a celebratory and joyous time.

 

   While there is no cost to attend the Family Holigays celebration for Christmas and Kwanza on December 26^th, registration is requested to help coordinate the food for this pot-luck event. Donations are always appreciated and welcomed. For more information about the event, including the unwanted gifts Secret Santa, and to register, visit https://familyholigayskwanzmas.eventbrite.com.

   The Bronx LGBTQ Center is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization building a new community services center for LGBTQ and supportive individuals in the Bronx, lower Westchester, and upper Manhattan. It offers supportive services such as a free legal clinic, youth and women's groups, and social and recreational events. The Center is partnering with other community-based organizations to provide clinical and health-related services to the community. For more information, email info@bronxlgbtqcenter.org, call 347-LGBT-BX1, or visit us online at http://bronxlgbtqcenter.org, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/bronxlgbtqcenter, on Google+ at http://google.com/+BronxlgbtqcenterOrg and on Twitter at @BxLGBTQcenter.

Contact Peter C. Frank at secretary@bronxlgbtqcenter.org or call 914-417-9579 for more information.

 

 

MONDAY, DEC 9th SEMINAR ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WITH CONGRESSMAN CROWLEY

 

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce

hosts a  

* Complimentary Workshop * 

 with  

Congressman Joseph Crowley

on the

Affordable Care Act

Monday, December 9th

12PM - 2PM

Hutch Metro Center Conference Room

Hear all about the Health Exchange!

Have your questions answered!

A great opportunity not to be missed!

To RSVP, email Alexandra@bronxchamber.org

or call 718-828-3900.

*Lunch will be provided*

  

DINOWITZ CALLS ON CABRERA, COUNCIL TO APPROVE ICE CENTER AT KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

                                                                3107 Kingsbridge Avenue

                                         Bronx, New York 10463

                                                (718) 796-5345

                                                dinowitzj@assembly.state.ny.us

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has called upon the New York City Council to approve the Kingsbridge National Ice Center proposed for the Kingsbridge Armory and urged Councilman Fernando Cabrera to vote for it.

“We have a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to bring an amazing and positive project into our community,” Dinowitz said. “KNIC will be a unique facility that will provide recreational and educational opportunities for thousands and thousands of people from the Bronx and beyond. It can spawn new businesses along Kingsbridge Road. It will provide hundreds of living wage jobs. And the community benefits agreement is a major plus as well.

‘While the armory is actually across the street from my district, the people who are most directly affected by the facility are in the Kingsbridge Heights section of my district. I look forward to this project becoming a reality and to the positive impact it will have on the surrounding community.” 

 

 

What's Up Fernando?

  Councilman Fernando Cabrera who was the lone holdout on the Kingsbridge National Ice Center Proposal for the Kingsbridge Armory before the Bronx Borough Board vote of November 21st where Councilman Cabrera said that he was voting yes on the KNIC proposal and going to encourage his fellow council members to vote yes when the matter comes before the City Council for a vote.

  Apparently that was then, because Crain's New York has reported that during the meeting of the City Council’s Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee today Councilman Fernando Cabrera was strongly critical of the KNIC proposal, and asked his council colleagues to vote against the proposal when it comes before the City Council Land Use Committee for a full council vote. 

  Cabrera with his on again off again support of the KNIC proposal for the Kingsbridge Armory started when Mayor Bloomberg introduced the KNIC proposal. Councilman Cabrera was all in favor of the project, but then as the Community Benefits Agreement package with KNIC was being formatted it is said that Cabrera made several demands for the CBA. The CBA was changed to add more members at Councilman Cabrera's request, but then it was announced that $100,000.00 a year (for the 99 year life of the CBA) was being requested to go to a non-profit organization reportedly under Cabrera's control. KNIC went public with the information, and Councilman Cabrera has been under scrutiny ever since the announcement.

  It was at the Bronx Borough Board vote that Cabrera had apparently ended his opposition by voting yes on the KNIC proposal, and said that he will encourage all of his colleagues in the council to vote yes on the proposal. Cabrera apparently has done another about face on the KNIC proposal at today's Sub committee meeting. It will be interesting to see which Fernando Cabrera shows up to the City Council Land Use meeting, and how Councilman Cabrera votes.

  

 Crain's writes that the Drama Still Continues for the Kingsbridge Armory.  The full Crain's article can be found here.

 

 

Croton FMC Meeting & Agenda Thursday, December 12,

   The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will next meet on Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 7pm in the DEP Office at 3660 Jerome Ave. The agenda is listed below.

 

Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Thursday, December 12, 2013 – 7:00 PM

DEP Office – 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 - (718) 231-8470

I  Welcome & Brief Report of CFMC Chair        Bob Fanuzzi, Chair

II Consider, Adopt December CFMC Agenda    

                                                                     CFMC Representatives

III Public Questions & Comments (15 minutes)

IV Consider, Adopt 9/12/13 Meeting Minutes    

                                                                      CFMC Representatives

V Comments about 12/9/13 Tour of JPR        CFMC Representatives

    And JPR Public Access Pilots

V Findings of NYC Comptroller’s Audit    Tina Kim, Jonathan Rubin

    on  Croton-Funded Parks                          Comptroller’s Office;

                                               DPR      David Cerone, Andrew Penzi

VI Status of Jogging Path Construction                        Andrew Penzi

VII JPR Tree replacement costs,     Andrew Penzi; Shane Ojar, DEP

       and schedule

VIII Form CFMC Advocacy for Pedestrian Bridge     

                                                                   CFMC Representatives   

IX Croton Construction Update & Croton         Bernard Daly, DEP

    Costs Report

X Elect CFMC Chair for 2014                   CFMC Representatives

XI CFMC Discussion &.Set Date              CFMC Representatives

for March 2014 CFMC Meeting

XII Adjourn