7th Annual Sweetheart Luncheon

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. & Healthfirst are hosting their 7th Annual Sweetheart Luncheon  on February 13, 2014. If you’re a couple that resides in the Bronx, have been married for 50+ years and would like to participate in the event, please contact Larcenia Walton, Director of Senior Services, at 718-590-6248 for further information.   

Wave Hill Events January 31–February 7

 

  If you have youngsters in your life, they’ll provide the perfect excuse to hear Sonic Escape—“a force of epic proportion”—perform here on February 2. It’s only the second concert in the 2014 return of concerts to Armor Hall, and this one is especially designed to include younger ears. Prepare to be engaged and charmed!

In their own world, bees are another force of epic proportion. And there’s still a little room left in our workshop for beginning beekeepers. I’d register promptly since space is limited.

SAT, FEBRUARY 1    FAMILY ART PROJECT: NATURE’S MUSIC

Collect a sample of twigs, leaves and seeds or use the ones provided. Then, join visiting artist Donna Maria de Creeft in celebrating the presence of Toscanini at Wave Hill. Create a collage with natural materials and incorporating imaginary music. Assemble your findings and drawings into a mixed-media, pocket-style, accordion book to take home. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Illustrious Residents event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 1    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

SAT, FEBRUARY 1    WINTER SURVIVAL WONDERS: TALK AND WALK

How do plants and animals survive our harsh New York winters? Naturalist Gabriel Willow combines a multimedia presentation with an outdoor walk to illustrate the challenges faced by plant and animals during the chilliest months. Witness some amazing adaptive strategies that help them survive, from hibernation to migration to “anti-freeze-laced” blood. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–NOON

SAT, FEBRUARY 1    WINTER WORKSPACE WORKSHOP: SEED LANGUAGE—PAPERMAKING  WAIT-LIST ONLY

Gain insight into Winter Workspace artist Jan Mun’s creative process and explore the winter landscape as a source of inspiration.  Learn simple paper-making techniques to make a card with embedded seeds, exploring how the meaning behind specific seeds can be used to create a message in the paper. Art materials are provided unless otherwise noted. Workshops are open to all visitors ages 8 and over when accompanied by an adult. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1–4PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 1    BEGINNING BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP
Thriving beehives exist in community gardens, backyards and on rooftops throughout New York City. Share the joys and challenges of urban beekeeping with Bronx beekeepers Roger Repohl. Learn what you need in order to start a hive—including equipment, start-up costs and where to obtain bees—and decide if urban beekeeping is for you. $30/$25 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.439.3200 x251.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30–4:30PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 2    FAMILY ART PROJECT: NATURE’S MUSIC
Collect a sample of twigs, leaves and seeds or use the ones provided. Then, join visiting artist Donna Maria de Creeft in celebrating the presence of Toscanini at Wave Hill. Create a collage with natural materials and incorporating imaginary music. Assemble your findings and drawings into a mixed-media, pocket-style, accordion book to take home. Free with admission to the grounds. Illustrious Residents event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 2    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, FEBRUARY 2    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, FEBRUARY 2    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

SUN, FEBRUARY 2    CONCERT: SONIC ESCAPE
The Music Makers: How The Music And Stories Of North America Came To Be

Sonic Escape's most exciting, virtuosic and emotive musical works are presented in the context of five settings—The Campfire, The Parlour, The Session, The Protest and The Workplace. Each is brought to life as Sonic Escape weaves folk, classical, pop, bluegrass, protest songs and sea shanties into a tale of how North America’s music came to be. The Music Makers is about communal gatherings, sharing songs and stories and raising the spirits of all. Works to be performed include Maria Millar’s Walking the Woods in Twilight and Mosquito Blue, Franz Joseph Haydn’s London Trio No. 3 in G, Wade Hemsworth’s The Log Driver’s Waltz and traditional songs, such as "We Shall Overcome," "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Rolling Down to Old Maui." The musicians of Sonic Escape—Shawn Wyckoff (flute), Maria Kaneko Millar (violin) and Nan-Cheng Chen (cello)—call themselves “daredevils” with instruments. This program shows us why! One hour, no intermission. General Admission Tickets $32, $28 Senior, $18 child (ages 7 to 18); Wave Hill Members $22; child $12. Tickets on sale online, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

MON, FEBRUARY 3
Closed to the public.

TUE, FEBRUARY 4    WINTER WORKSPACE WORKSHOP: COVER-TO-COVER BOOKBINDING   WAIT-LIST ONLY

Gain insight into Winter Workspace artist Jessica Lagunas’ creative process and explore the winter landscape as a source of inspiration. Learn the basics of bookbinding with a focus on creating some simple structure books made without adhesive. Participants will make a pamphlet book with a decorative cover inspired by nature. Art materials are provided unless otherwise noted. Workshops are open to all visitors ages 12 and over when accompanied by an adult. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT GLYNDOR GALLERY, 10AM–1PM

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 and February. 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.

New York State Assemblymember Victor M. Pichardo’s Inauguration Ceremony

  New York State Assemblymember Victor M. Pichardo will be joined by community leaders at his inauguration ceremony on Friday, January 17, 2014 at Bronx Community College.

 

WHAT: Inauguration Ceremony for New York State Assemblymember Victor M. Pichardo

WHEN:      Friday, January 17, 2014 at 6:30 PM

WHO:         Assemblymember Victor Pichardo

                    U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer

                    Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

                    Assemblymember Carl Heastie

                    City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito

                    State Senator Gustavo Rivera

                    Public Advocate Letitia James

                    Comptroller Scott Stringer

WHERE:   Bronx Community College
                   Gould Memorial Library Auditorium
                   2155 University Avenue

                   Bronx, NY 10453

Bronx General Post Office

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Potential Sale of the Bronx General Post Office

“Our priority is for this location to remain a Post Office. However, in light of the fact that the USPS has made an apparent decision to sell the Bronx GPO over our objections, good faith demands that they seek community input on the future of the building. They must solicit the input of community stakeholders before any sale is made. This building is too important to simply be auctioned to the highest bidder,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

 

 

Liberty Democraic Association New Year Party & Special Election

Special Election

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Janel Towers - 801 Neill Ave

Community Room at back of lobby

1PM-2PM

Positions Open: President and Treasurer

Other  offices may be open if any  elected officer chooses to vacate their office to run for another position.

Anyone that is a member of Liberty Democratic Association for three (3) months can vote.

To be nominated for an Liberty Democratic Association office, the nominee must be a member for at least one (1) year.

Dues will be collected for year 2014

or you may mail check to :

Liberty Democratic Association

c/o Joseph A. McManus

1284 Waring Ave

Bronx, NY 10469

New Year's Party 2PM-5PM

HOT FOOD & REFRESHMENTS

Free: Members, inspectors, coordinators & Awards Dinner participants- Others $10.

RSVP : Joseph A. McManus  718-644-1841

email: mcmanus638@aol.com

                      Monica Major  917-208-3886

New Coalition of Gay Celebrities, Elected Officials, Labor Leaders, and Activists Urges Governor Cuomo to Protect Affordable Housing for New Yorkers Living With HIV/AIDS

  In a letter to Governor Cuomo A large coalition of more than 100 gay celebrities, labor leaders, elected officials, activists, and others is launching a new campaign today, organized by VOCAL-NY, to get Governor Cuomo to use this year’s state budget to close a loophole that denies affordable housing to homeless and low-income New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS.

  

 

January 15, 2014

The Honorable Andrew Cuomo

Governor of the State of New York

New York State Capitol

Albany, New York 12247

Dear Governor Cuomo:

We applaud your leadership promoting LGBT equality, tackling health disparities, and investing in affordable housing. We write to you with a concern that touches on all of these priority areas for your administration. Your leadership is needed now to change an anachronistic subsidy exclusion that discriminates against people living with HIV/AIDS.

As members and allies of the LGBT community, we are grateful for your tireless effort and tremendous success in passing same-sex marriage in New York. We are confident that you will also want to stand with us in putting a stop to the discrimination against people living with HIV/ AIDS in affordable housing – discrimination that disproportionately impacts low-income, LGBT people of color.

We ask you to implement the 30% rent cap for people living with HIV/AIDS, a cost-neutral affordable housing protection, through Article VII language in the 2014 - 2015 Executive Budget.

Background - People with AIDS Excluded from Affordable Housing Protection

The primary housing program for poor New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS is tenant-based rental assistance. As with other state housing programs for disabled people, residents with income from disability benefits are expected to contribute a portion of those benefits toward their rent. All state disability housing programs – and all federally funded housing assistance – cap the tenant’s rent contribution at 30% of income. Except one. The HIV/AIDS rental assistance program put in place in the 1980s excluded an affordable housing protection.

What this means today is that disabled New Yorkers with an AIDS diagnosis who receive rental assistance are required to pay upwards of 70% or more of their federal disability income (SSI, SSDI or Veterans’ benefits) towards their rent. This forces people to choose between paying their rent and other essential needs like food, transportation and co-pays for life-saving medical care. For those evicted, the risks are even greater. Without stable housing, it is difficult for people living with HIV/AIDS to remain connected to medical care, adhere to treatment and practice HIV prevention. The consequences include high rates of housing loss, homelessness, and premature death among a vulnerable population.

The Cost Savings

This policy will pay for itself by preventing unnecessary costs associated with housing loss and homelessness. An analysis by Shubert Botein Policy Associates (SBPA) estimates that annual reductions in crisis and emergency housing costs for the 10,000 people currently at risk of homelessness who are living with HIV/AIDS will more than offset the estimated cost of implementing this policy. These reductions in emergency housing costs make this affordable housing protection cost-neutral or even a cost savings for City and State agencies responsible for the rental assistance program. Moreover, by reducing avoidable crisis healthcare costs and the risk of ongoing HIV transmission, SBPA estimates the policy will result in significant additional Medicaid savings.

Legislative History

Legislation addressing this issue passed the Assembly and the Senate in 2010, with only one Senator voting against it. Former Senator Thomas K. Duane spoke passionately about it on the Senate floor, convincing his colleagues — Democrats and Republicans — to pass the bill in the final hours of session. When advocates met with then-Governor Paterson, the Governor indicated that he was likely going to sign it into law. Only after a conversation with Mayor Bloomberg did the Governor veto it. Governor Paterson included this powerful statement in his veto message: “This is my most difficult veto. I recognize, sadly, the history of the inadequacy of services government has brought to bear for those with HIV/AIDS.”

An affordable housing protection for homeless and at-risk people living with HIV/AIDS has strong bi-partisan support in the legislature. Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez are the current sponsors of the legislation (S3022/A7782). New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also backs the legislation and pledged his support during his campaign to work with you on this common-sense fix to an existing housing subsidy.

Current Opportunity

HIV remains a severe crisis in both the LGBT community and communities of color. In NYC, a majority of new HIV diagnoses are among gay and bisexual men, with Black and Latino youth at highest risk. While HIV has touched every population and age group in New York, 79% of people living with HIV/AIDS in our state are people of color. Promoting stable and affordable housing is the foundation for effective HIV prevention, treatment and care — and is therefore essential to ending the epidemic and addressing these disparities.

We encourage you to seize this opportunity to end the unfair double standard that forces low-income and disabled people living with HIV/AIDS to pay more in New York’s housing assistance programs.

Sincerely,

Elected Officials

New York State Senator Brad Holyman

 

New York State Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell

 

New York State Assembly Member Robert Rodriquez

New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm

   
New York City Council Member Corey Johnson

New York City Council Member Carlos Menchaca

New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres

Soundview Child Rapist Captured in New Orleans after Multi-State Manhunt

  Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, member of the Assembly Standing Committee on Cities, released the following statement on the successful manhunt and capture of the Soundview child rapist.

“The terrible news that a child, once again, had been a victim of a horrendous crime stunned New York City when it was reported. The crime involved the rape of the seven-year old child in Soundview, Bronx.

The depraved perpetrator of this case of child sexual abuse fled from New York and a diligent manhunt by law enforcement agencies has led to his capture in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I commend the New York City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies involved in finding this child abuser and bringing him to justice.

It is my hope that our court system will use its full authority and sentence this derived individual to the maximum sentence allowed by law.

Unfortunately, cases of child abuse are too common in our nation, our State and our city.  According to groups working to prevent child abuse and neglect, from 1990 to 2010, substantiated cases of sexual abuse dropped from 23 per 10,000 children under 18 to 8.6 per 10,000 sexual abuses by an adult who was not a family member from 1992 to 2010. The majority of sexual abuse cases involve family members or acquaintances rather than strangers, studies have found.

I am thankful that to the hard work of our law enforcement agencies because their diligent work will send a clear message that if a crime against a child is committed, law enforcement will find you and bring you to justice.

Child abuse and neglect is an issue that needs more attention because the incidents of abuse show our children are being victimized in their own homes.

In New York State in 2010, 114 children died as a result of abuse or neglect, a fatality rate of 2.58 per 100,000 children, according to Child Maltreatment 2010. This is a 4.4 percent increase from 109 fatalities that occurred in 2009.

In 2010, child sexual abuse comprised 3.5% of the 79,668 cases of substantiated investigations into child abuse and neglect in New York State.

Child neglect continues to comprise the largest portion of cases of child maltreatment. According to the federal report Child Maltreatment 2010, figures for the country and for New York State are as follows:

	United States	New York State
Neglect	78.3%	66.6%
Physical Abuse	17.6%	11.4%
Sexual Abuse	9.2%	3.5%
Psychological Maltreatment	8.1%	.9%
Medical Neglect	2.4%	5.7%
Other	10.3%	32.0%

In 2010, according to the NYS Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (the Child Abuse Reporting Hotline) — 170,224 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, involving 223,340 children were received.”

 

 

State Senate Democrats May Have Ended Their Debt, But Who is in the Money

   State Senate Democrats may have ended their debt, but according to the latest campaign filing to the State Campaign Finance Board State Senate Co-Leader Republican State Senator Dean Skelos has $2.3 million cash on hand.

   Things are a lot better for the other Co-Leader State Senator Jeff Klein and his IDC.

Klein has $1.6 million while the four members of the IDC has $3.6 million in total.

  “From Buffalo to the Bronx, our members continue to receive overwhelming support from New Yorkers,” Klein, said in a statement. “Entering an important election cycle, we know our candidates will have the resources they need to get their message out to the voters. All of us look forward to not only maintaining, but to building upon our electoral successes in the State Senate.” 

   There has been talk of Senate Democrats putting up challengers to Klein and the IDC members, most notably former Councilman Oliver Koppell to Klein himself.