STATEMENT FROM SENATOR ADRIANO ESPAILLAT ON EAST HARLEM BUILDING COLLAPSE

 

“My heart goes out to the East Harlem families victimized by this tragedy, who have lost loved ones and are suddenly without a home.

Our community must give the displaced tenants and surrounding neighbors the necessary resources to recover from these horrific events, and my office will be working to ensure their needs are met.

I am troubled by the apparent record of neglect in the building where the fire began, including multiple active fire safety violations, and evidence of structural integrity problems dating back several years. These issues suggest that there was the potential for even greater loss. My office will be closely scrutinizing the information available to determine what failings allowed this to occur and what can be done to prevent this from happening again."

Editor's Note: 

At a press conference in the afternoon it was announced that the cause of the explosion that occurred at 9:30 AM was a gas leak that was reported to Con Edison at 9:12 AM. Con Edison arrived on the scene after the explosion. 

 

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

  The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7pm

in the DEP Office at 3660 Jerome Ave. Bronx NY 10467.  The agenda for the meeting will be published here when it is available.

  The new Chair of the CFMC this tear is Father Richard Gorman of Community Board 12.

UPDATE:
There may be a change in this date to March 27th.
Check back for further updates.

NAACP Slams Success Academy’s Outrageous and Insulting Lawsuit

 Hazel M. Dukes, President of the NAACP’s New York State Conference, released the following statement tonight slamming the federal lawsuit filed by Success Academy against Mayor de Blasio’s recent reversal of three co-locations: 

  

  “This lawsuit is an outrageous and insulting attempt by Wall Street hedge fund managers to hijack the language of civil rights in their shameless political attack on Bill de Blasio. It is an affront to all public school parents in New York City. There is no stronger champion for the civil rights of our kids than Mayor De Blasio. The entire civil rights community stands with him in his effort to strike a fair balance between charter schools and neighborhood schools,” Dukes said.

  

Editors Note:  

  We wonder how former New York City Council Education Committee Chair Eva "General" Moskowitz is having such success with some New York City public school children who are attending the charter schools that she now runs when she could not use this magic when she was chair of the City Council Education Committee for all the children of New York City public schools.

Come on Eva "What's your secret"?

  

Parents and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Debunk Charter Lobbyists’ Misinformation Campaign

 

*They Will Respond to Success Academy's Lawsuit over Co-locations and Defend de Blasio's Policy*

At Harlem Event, PS 149/PS 811 Parents, Rev. Michael Walrond, and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Will Rally for Reversal of Co-locations and Set the Record Straight

On the Heels of a New Video Campaign, Harlem Parents Will Discuss Why the Expansion of Success Academy in Their Schools' Building Would Have Been Harmful

WHO: Parents and Teachers from PS 149 and PS 811; Harlem Congressional Candidate Rev. Michael Walrond; Top Supporters of Mayor de Blasio.

WHAT: PS 149/PS 811 parents and their allies speak out in support of Mayor de Blasio’s decision to reverse the co-location in their school building. This event will come on the heels of a new video ad campaign these parents will launch Monday to debunk the misinformation and distortions that charter school lobbyists have been pedaling to the press.

WHERE: PS 149/PS 811, corner of 117^th St and Lenox Ave., Harlem

WHEN: Monday, March 10, 4 p.m.

WHY: PS 149 and PS 811 lost several classrooms and a lot of space when Harlem Success Academy 4 was first co-located in their building in 2008. PS 811, a District 75 school for students with special needs, would have lost five additional rooms, including its only therapy room and a state-mandated room for conflict resolution, if Success Academy had been allowed to expand. Parents will speak about how Mayor de Blasio’s new process for evaluating co-locations strikes the right balance and takes into consideration the impact on existing district public schools.

Women's History Month Celebration

 

Bronx Borough President  

Ruben Diaz Jr.

Invites you to

Women's History Month

Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment

Thursday, March 20, 2014

10:00 am

Breakfast will be from 10:00-11:30 am.
Program to begin at 11:45 am

The New York Botanical Garden

Garden Terrace Room

2900 Southern Boulevard

(Entrance will be at the Mosholu Gate across the Metro-North Station)

Parking is available on a first come first serve basis

2014 Honorees

Hon. Letitia James    Dr. Betty Rosa

      NYC Public Advocate         NYSED, Board of Regents

Hon. Nydia M. Velazquez

Congresswoman

Seating is limited.  Please call 718-590-3522 or email lroldan@bronxbp.nyc.gov
  

Upcoming events in the 87th A.D.

As the winter starts to wind down I want to let you know about a few events that will be coming up in the district this month.

The first is on about making homes energy efficient, and will take place on Wednesday, March 12.  This program will be especially useful for anyone who owns a multifamily building but all are welcome.  The discussion will focus around how to retrofit your building so that you and your residents can save money and live more sustainably, comfortably, and efficiently.  The event will occur at Masjid al Iman, 2008 Westchester Ave. Bronx NY, from 4pm-7pm.

The second event will take place right outside my office on Thursday, March 20.  We will be having free mammography screenings for uninsured and under insured females 40 and over.  This event will take place from 9:30am-3:30pm, but appointments are recommended so please call my office to reserve your spot.

If you would like more information on either of these events, or any other issue, please feel free to call my office at (718)-931-2620.  

You can also stop by Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm or Saturdays from 11am-2pm.  

Our office is located at 1973 Westchester Ave. Bronx NY.

We hope to see you at one of these events.

If there are any issues that you find particularly important, I'd love to hear from you.  It's important for me to know what you want me to be working on in Albany.  My email is sepulvedal@assembly.state.ny.us

Your Assemblyman,
Luis R. Sepulveda

Community News: Street Renaming Park Safety, Street Safety, and Summer Jobs

  This comes in from Comes from Manhattan councilman Mark Levine who is the Chair of the City Council Parks committee.

  Last week was an important first milestone as Council Member Mark Levine led his first hearing as Chair of the City Council Parks Committee. Together, the committee members examined the Department of Parks and Recreation’s plans for tree safety and maintenance during this crucial time following a period of record snowfalls in the region. This is coupled with a large expansion in the number of trees planted across the city, as MillionTreesNYC approaches its goal of one million newly planted trees. In prior years with similar amounts of snowfall, several tragedies occurred where people were either critically injured or fatally struck by falling tree branches. Council Member Levine wanted to address this topic during his first meeting as Chair to shed light on the need to make preparations to avoid future accidents and tragedies.

Earlier this week, Council Member Levine took a trip to Albany with his fellow Council Members and Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito to continue to advocate for universal pre-Kindergarten and middle school afterschool programs and to call for a dedicated funding stream to sustain it.

Our office has also continued to focus on transportation and public safety issues, in alignment with Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan. Next week at the City Council Stated meeting, an entire package of Pedestrian/Traffic Safety legislation will be introduced to address many problems impacting street safety. One of the items included within this package is a Resolution co-prime sponsored by Council Member Mark Levine calling upon the State to give the City “home rule” authority to install speed cameras throughout the City that will deter drivers from speeding and help to better enforce penalties when they do. If implemented citywide, these cameras have the potential to save many lives over time.

Nothing highlights the need for safer traffic policies more than the senseless death of a child crossing a city street. On Monday, March 10th at 1pm, Council Member Levine will host a street co-naming ceremony on the southwest corner of 97th street and Amsterdam Avenue. The co-naming will be done in memory of Ariel Russo, the 4-year old girl tragically killed by an unlicensed teen driver of an SUV on June 4, 2013. The corner will officially be co-named “Ariel Russo Way (4 years old)”on the day that Ariel Russo would have turned 5-years old. The co-name was made possible by legislation passed by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito in 2013 who was then the Council Member representing this portion of the district. The Speaker will also participate in the co-naming ceremony along with other local elected officials and all are welcome to attend. 

Apply NOW! The 2014 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is accepting applications
The 2014 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is accepting applications NOW!  Application period is open from Monday, March 3 – Friday, April 25, 2014.  All youth aged 14-24 who permanently reside within the five boroughs of New York City are eligible and encouraged to apply.
To apply for SYEP, you only need to submit a completed application by going to www.nyc.gov/dycd   

Parks Summer Camp Jobs
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) serves as the steward for over 29,000 acres of land, which includes 1,000 playgrounds, 35 recreation centers, 66 pools and 14 miles of beach. Within the many divisions, Public Programs operates Summer Camp at 19 locations.
To apply, please e-mail resume & cover letter to: SummerCampJobs@parks.nyc.gov 
Notice to Parks applicants – include your ERN on all correspondence.
For more information please visit http://www.nycgovparks.org/ 

You can tweet @MarkLevineNYC, call his district office at 212-928-6814 OR email him at District7@council.nyc.gov.

Rob Astorino Kicks off Campaign for Governor in the Bronx

  It was a bone chilling frigid morning yesterday by the Bronx Courthouse on the Grand Concourse, but this was the day and place that Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino choose as his first stop on his campaign. You may ask why did the the Westchester County Executive come to the Bronx to kick off his Republican campaign for governor when there is not even one Republican elected official here. Astorino answered that question by telling of his Bronx roots and attending Fordham University, He then went into all the things that are wrong with New York State and the Bronx. Words such as "the most economically challenged in the state", and "unacceptable" referring  to an unemployment rate in the Bronx that is almost double that of Westchester County.

  As you will see in the photos below Astorino is surrounded by mostly minority people in what he called "New York's Only Minority Latino Borough". Astorino ended his comments by reading from a prepared speech in Spanish while one of his aides held a microphone of a Spanish speaking television station.He then took questions which were of many different subjects including how he can overcome current Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo's lead in mostly every category.

  I was able to say 20 years ago at Mayor Giuliani's inauguration a man was standing behind me saying that he would be the next governor. His name was George, and he beat Governor Cuomo that year. I said with the exception of you running against a Governor named Cuomo times are different now. There is a Democratic Mayor in New York City, the New York City Republican Party is in shambles from the Malcolm Smith fiasco, and here in the Bronx there has not been even one Republican elected official in many years. I then asked are you really running to try to help the Republican state senators outside of New York City get re-elected or even pick up a seat or two? Astorino looked a little shocked at the question, and  then went into his campaign speech again. 

  There were two counter protests going on at the same time. One about Astorino's position on abortion, and one about Astorino's position on gun control. 

Here you see Astorino as he begins his speech as to why he should be elected Governor of New York State. Next to Astorino on the right in the photo is hes wife Shelia, while Bronx Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Mike Rendino is on the left in the photo.

You can see the Spanish speaking television Channel 41 microphone in front of Astorino as he ends his speech in Spanish. One of his aides is holding the microphone.

Here you see some of the protesters from one of the two protests that were going on as Astorino was speaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. issued the following statement today in reaction to Rob Astorino's press event on the steps of the Bronx County Building:

"Before Rob Astorino came to the Bronx to launch a political campaign, he should have had the decency to apologize for having called our residents illegals who 'can't necessarily keep a house.' Such words are divisive, bordering on outright racism.  Despite what Mr. Astorino may think, the people of the Bronx are smart enough to tell when a politician is insulting them behind their back.  If Mr. Astorino has any sincere desire to represent all New Yorkers as he claimed today, he should drop the act and apologize," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.