Pelham Parkway Tree Lighting

  Standing not to far from the famous Christmas House on Pelham Parkway Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj was joined by students from nearby New York Institute of Special Education, and about 100 people on the median of Pelham Parkway North at Westervelt Avenue to light a Christmas tree and greet Santa Claus. Students from the New York Institute led by music teacher Mr. Schulman sang out carols as they waited for Santa to arrive. When Santa did arrive he greeted everyone then went over to help light the tree.

 

Left - Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj with some of the students from the New York Institute of Special Education.

Right - Assemblyman Michael Benedetto was on hand to greet Santa and join in the caroling.

 

Left - Santa showed up to help light the tree on the right.

 

Left & Right - Santa sits with Hennessy Cruz and Messiah Mercad just two of the many children.

Left - A group photo with Santa in front of the tree.

Right - The famous Christmas House on Pelham Parkway North.

Wave Hill Events January 3–January 10

 

   Will you find yourself making a New Year’s promise for your family to spend more time connecting with nature? Consider this an open invitation to come fulfill that resolution over and over again in 2014. With a free shuttle from the end of the #1 subway line, and from Metro-North’s Riverdale station, and free parking, not to speak of one of the most affordable admissions policies in New York City, this has to be one of the easiest and most rewarding resolutions you’ve ever made. This week: Enjoy a special focus on some of Mother’s Nature’s wisest creatures. What a hoot!

SAT, JANUARY 4    FAMILY ART PROJECT—OWL TAKE FLIGHT

Sit down for cozy Native American stories about why owls have big eyes and what makes them wise. Then create your own wingspan by making feathers you can wear. Take your feathers and some simple instruments, and join in an indoor, owl pow-wow. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, JANUARY 4    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. Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made.  Drops-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SUN, JANUARY 5    FAMILY ART PROJECT—OWL TAKE FLIGHT

Sit down for cozy Native American stories about why owls have big eyes and what makes them wise. Then create your own wingspan by making feathers you can wear. Take your feathers and some simple instruments, and join in an indoor, owl pow-wow.  Reservations recommended, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, JANUARY 5    HATHA YOGA

Reduce stress, increase your energy and bring strength and flexibility to mind, body and spirit with a yoga practice. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made.  Drops-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

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

SUN, JANUARY 5    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. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors. All levels welcome. Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of this session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made.  Drops-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

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

SUN, JANUARY 5    OWL PRESENTATION: RAPTORS OF THE NIGHT

Discover how owls adapt to life in the forest and the city with Carl Heitmuller, an environmental educator from the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum. Meet a live owl from the museum’s collection and find out whoo’s whoo in your neighborhood. Ages six and older welcome with an adult. Registration recommended, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Free with admission to the grounds.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30PM

SUN, JANUARY 5    GARDEN & CONSERVATORY 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, JANUARY 6

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 January. 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.

 

Ben Franklin Holiday Party

   Last night the Ben Franklin Democratic Club held its annual Holiday Party. This years holiday party's theme was to remember the troops who have served, but are homeless. The club collected Health and Beauty aids such as razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other grooming items to make a person more presentable for a job interview.

  On hand were Congressman Eliot Engel, State Senators Jeff Klein and Adriano Espalliat, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Oliver Koppell, incoming Councilman Andrew Cohen, and up to 100 others.

 

Left - The room was packed for the Ben Franklin Holiday Party.

Right - Congressman Eliot Engel gives a rousing speech standing in front of the President Obama cut out in the clubhouse.

 

Left - Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz speaking to the crowd.

Right - Councilman elect Andrew Cohen thanks the many in attendance who helped him be victorious.

North Riverdale Merchants Association Holiday Party

  Monday night the North Riverdale Merchants Association came together with some guests to honor three people that have made this year a success for the North Riverdale Merchants. Ms. Tracy Shelton of the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation, Adam Sandler of Councilman Oliver Koppells office, and NRMA member Christopher Rizzo. In attendance were Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Oliver Koppell, and Councilman Elect Andrew Cohen. 

Left - Assemblyman Dinowitz, Ms. Tracy Shelton, Andrew Sandler, and Councilman Elect Andrew Cohen .

Right - NRMA Chairman Gary Wartels (owner of Skyview Liquors), former co-chair Anthony Fella, stand with the NRMA secretary (middle).

 

Left - Ms. Tracy Shelton receives her award for helping get the NRMA off the ground.

Right - Anthony Fella is about to present Andrew Sandler of Councilman Koppel's office his award for all the help given in many different areas.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York 

Is Governor Cuomo Taking New York City For Granted?

You should know that on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 Governor Andrew Cuomo awarded $715.9 million in Economic Development Funding through the third round of his Regional Economic Development Council initiative. A grand event to announce this multi-million dollar jackpot was held in Albany in the Hart Theatre at the Empire State Plaza. The Master of Ceremonies for this event was none other than Maria Bartiromo, the former television host of “CNBC’s Closing Bell.”

We all know that $715.9 million is a huge sum of money and you might ask: where did all this money go? Let me tell you. The largest prizes were awarded to areas outside of New York City including Long Island that received $83 million, the Capital Region which includes Albany, Warren and Washington Counties, received $82.8 million, the Mohawk Valley, which includes the City of Utica, received $82.4 million, the Southern Tier which includes Elmira, the Town of Margaretville and Delaware County, received slightly under $82 million, and the North Country, which is near the Canadian border and includes Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and Watertown, received slightly over $81 million.

Surprise, surprise, by now you must be asking, of that $715.9 million, how much did a Democratic city like New York City receive from a Democratic Governor? Sit down and hold on to your chair, I don’t want you to fall off your chair when you find out how much the City of New York, which includes the Boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island received. We just received only $57.4 million for the five boroughs. And as you and I know, any one of the five boroughs has a larger population than those counties that received more money.

Ladies and Gentleman, our Democratic Governor should know that he is the Governor because of the Democratic voters in New York City. As a matter of fact, the State Comptroller, the Honorable Thomas DiNapoli, the State Attorney General, the Honorable Eric Schneiderman, and the Assembly Speaker, the Honorable Sheldon Silver are all from New York City and hold elected office because of New York City voters.

One could only imagine why a Democratic Governor, who is the head of the New York State Democratic Party, would discriminate against the voters who are the very reason he is the Governor.

What is Governor Cuomo’s message to the voters of the City of New York? Is it “later for you?” Or is it “I don’t need you now; I only need you at election time, when I will come back to you and tell you I am a Democrat like you?” How is it that the largest city in New York State with the largest Police Department and the city that has more children attending its elementary, middle and high schools than the population of many upstate counties combined, was awarded less money than anybody else?

My dear reader, I think that New York City has been taken for granted for too long. I want to make myself clear. I am not pitting Upstate against Downstate. I am aware that Upstate needs as much support and as many services as anybody else. But for the City of New York to receive only $57.4 million out of $715.9 million is too much for me to swallow. I believe that New York City has been discriminated against and taken for granted because I also believe that resources should be awarded based on population and not based on future political plans.

I am State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

  

Council Speaker Race Down to Two Candidates

  Today Queens Councilman Mark Weprin has announced that he will support Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick for the position of Speaker of the City Council. Weprin stopped short of saying that he was dropping out of consideration for the post, but said that he was supporting the candidate that the Queens Democratic organization was supporting. 

  There is word that Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams was droping out of the race for speaker to support Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverto for the speakers position. Also it appears that the Brooklyn block led by Brooklyn county Leader Frank Sedido may wind up supporting Mark-Viverto. That would give Councilwoman Mark-Viverto enough votes to become the next Speaker of the City Council.

All Out War for the City Council Speaker Seat?

  There are reports of Mayor elect Bill deBlasio calling up council members to ask them to support Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito for Speaker comes January. However it appears that the Democratic County Leaders of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens have another person they might want to see as the speaker of the City Council, that being Councilman Dan Garodnick.

  Those who want Mark-Viverito have counted up 26 of the 51 votes for the speakers position, but the three county leaders say that they have around 30 of the 51 votes needed to elect a new speaker. We may have to wait until the results of vote by the new City Council members is tallied before we know just who will be the next speaker of the City Council is. I suspect a little horse trading or calling ones bluff will take place before the vote.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York 

Let's Hope This is The First of Many

You should know that Christmas came a little early this year as New York State's Republican leaders descended upon the South Bronx like Santa Claus at a very special event held on December 16, 2013, where close to 2,000 children received over 2,000 free Christmas toys. Everyone in the auditorium of I.S. 216, the Rafael Hernandez School, had a great time. The smiles on the faces of the boys and girls grew into cheering and even standing ovations!

You should know that this event was co-hosted by yours truly, Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, along with the New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, and Mr. Rafael Salamanca, District Manager of Community Planning Board #2. We were impressed that Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and New York State's Senate Republican Majority Leader Senator Dean Skelos joined us to celebrate Christmas in the Bronx. Even a die-hard Democrat like Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr. attended this activity!

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who participated, especially Assemblyman Marcos Crespo; Mr. Rafael Salamanca District Manager of Community Planning Board #2; the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots; the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization; and New York Republican Party leaders. This was a great blessing to many families in the South Bronx who are suffering during these critical economic times.

You should know that for many years, I have hosted a Three Kings Day Event on the South Bronx with music and games and free toys for children in an effort to allow families to gather and celebrate our cultural pride with friends and neighbors. The 2014 Three Kings Day celebration will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 12:00 noon at PS 5 which is located at 564 Jackson Avenue, on the corner of 149th Street in the Bronx.

Ladies and gentlemen, even though nothing like the 2013 Christmas in the Bronx event has ever happened here before, I am hopeful that this will not be the last time for us to witness elected officials from the Democratic and Republican parties coming together for the benefit the poor and needy children here in the South Bronx.

I hope and pray that on Saturday January 4, 2014, the leadership of the Republican Party will be there to help us - along with any other elected officials and organizations and people of good will who want to make the Christmas season brighter for our children.

My dear friend, this was bipartisanship at its best. This is an example of what a concerned leader can do when he or she puts the community first and brings together Republicans and Democrats to bring benefit to a disadvantaged, forgotten, underprivileged and under-served minority community. It was great, it was marvelous - let's do it again!

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.