Councilman Cohen New Office and Holiday Party

  Wednesday evening Councilman Andrew Cohen had the official ribbon cutting of his new district office located at 277 West 231st Street. one block east of the new Kingsbridge Library. As you can see in the first photo the new office is very cozy as is the case now in new offices being opened up by freshmen council members. The office is accessible by the BX 1, BX 7, BX 10, and BX 20 buses, as well as being only a few blocks west of the # 1 train 231st Street station.

As you can see the hallway is not to wide. On the left are cubicles for each staff member. Councilman Cohen's desk is at the rear of the office. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz introduced Councilman Cohen at the Holiday Party which followed the ribbon cutting ceremony of the councilman's new district office. The party had to be held elsewhere since there was not enough room in the office.  

Councilman Cohen thanks those who came to the district office opening, and the holiday party that followed, as well as Senator Jeff Klein, Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie, and of course Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who introduced everyone.

Democratic County leader Heastie shows his appreciation to Councilman Cohen.

Here Senator Klein praises Councilman Cohen on the fine job he is doing.

BP DIAZ URGES BRONXITES TO APPLY TO THEIR COMMUNITY BOARD

  Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is inviting Bronx residents to make a difference in their community by joining their local Community Board. The Office of The Bronx Borough President will be accepting applications for all 12 Community Boards from city residents who reside, work or have professional or other significant interests in The Bronx.

“Participation on local Community Boards can provide Bronx residents with a forum to share their expertise and talents with their local community,” stated Borough President Diaz. “There are great things happening in The Bronx that involve the participation of community boards. It is important that community residents participate in the decisions that are building the ‘New Bronx’ and our community boards are a great place to do so.”

In addition, this year due to a change in state law, the minimum age for those allowed to apply for community board membership has been lowered to 16.

“I know firsthand how important it is to be active in community affairs at a young age, and I believe that the earlier young people become engaged in community affairs and interact with government officials and agencies, they more they will understand government and become active leaders in their communities in the future. It is important to hear the voices of our youth when planning for our neighborhoods.” said Borough President Diaz.

Applications are available at the Borough President’s Community Board office at (718) 590-3914 or at your local community board office. Interested applicants may also get the application on line athttp://on.nyc.gov/1ytGUFq.

The deadline for submission of applications for the next round of appointments is February 6, 2015.

LinkNYC Should Provide Wi-Fi to All Corners of the City And Borough Presidents Comments

This comes to us from the New York Times by way of Mayor Bill de Blasio's office. Afterwards are comments by the Borough Presidents of the five boroughs.

If a proposal from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration is approved as expectedon Wednesday, New York will soon take a step forward into the digital age. A constellation of Wi-Fi hot spots offering free high-speed Internet access will emerge across the city, on sidewalks where thousands of all-but-defunct pay phones now stand.

The city’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee is expected to vote to give the contract to a consortium that includes Qualcomm and Titan, an outdoor-advertising company. The $200 million project, called LinkNYC, would install up to 10,000 digital kiosks over the next 12 to 15 years, providing Wi-Fi at speeds ranging from 100 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second. The kiosks, which will also offer free domestic, 911 and 311 calls, are to be supported by advertising and generate at least $500 million in revenue for the city.

The mayor’s office, never known to underplay a good thing, announced this project with great fanfare. But let’s be clear about what these are — not the arrival of digital nirvana, but a pretty impressive collection of advertising kiosks with Wi-Fi attached, great for tourists and residents who are able to bring their smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices within 150 feet of them.

This is well beyond what other cities have tried. Comptroller Scott Stringer deserves credit for trying to make the good-sounding deal better, by warning that inequality is built into the contract. That is, most of the new kiosks with the highest speeds will be concentrated in Manhattan. The Bronx and Staten Island will be home to many of the slower kiosks, which are still blazingly fast by current standards of available Wi-Fi.

Mr. de Blasio’s office promises not to overlook poorer neighborhoods as the program expands. And it says that LinkNYC revenue will provide millions of dollars for as-yet-unspecified projects to improve digital access across the city. The administration should make sure to upgrade the phone kiosks in every corner of the city — bringing them up to speed, literally — as the program advances.

STATEMENTS FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENTS ADAMS, BREWER, DIAZ, KATZ AND ODDO ON THEIR FCRC VOTE TO EXPAND PUBLIC WIFI ACCESS IN NEW YORK CITY

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.: “Throughout this process my office, my colleagues in the other boroughs and Comptroller Scott Stringer raised serious concerns about the proposed ‘LinkNYC’ WiFi program. We are grateful to this administration, especially the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, for listening to our concerns and working with our offices to make this project more equitable. Thanks to our advocacy, the city has agreed to expand higher speed WiFi access throughout the five boroughs and to implement a 10 kiosk solar pilot program in The Bronx, among other concessions. Specifically, The Bronx will receive an additional 240 one-Gbps kiosk in the first four years of the eight year franchise agreement.  Moreover, by decoupling advertising and the one-Gbps speeds, a greater percentage of the total number of Bronx kiosks will now have 1-Gbps speeds at the end of the eight years.   From the time this was first proposed my office has been concerned that ‘LinkNYC’ would meet appropriate standards of equity and resilience, and issued a report outlining those concerns. Our negotiations on this issue have certainly helped to create a better system for the entire city. I commend my colleagues for their efforts on this issue. This shows that each of our boroughs, united in a cause, can affect positive change for our constituents.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams: “Through negotiation with City Hall and DoITT, as well as the important collaboration between all five borough presidents, we have arrived at a stronger agreement that will better ensure equity in the expansion of free municipal WiFi. Our voices were heard on critical issues such as the need to enhance community input on the siting of Wi-Fi kiosks, as well as on investing revenue from the deal into infrastructure improvements that will help our City close the digital divide for Brooklynites and all New Yorkers. Thanks to the collaboration of my partners in government, this is a deal I can be proud to support.”

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer: “Today’s agreement meets the goals that I and the other Borough Presidents were fighting for: community input on the siting of WiFi kiosks and more high-speed hotspots in northern Manhattan and the other boroughs. These improvements to the original proposal make it a plan worth voting for. I’m glad that, working together, we could deliver this win for all New Yorkers.”

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz: “It’s great news that free, citywide public WiFi is on the way. Free public Internet is more than just a leisurely perk, it's a way to fairly bridge the Digital Divide already predisposed to income inequality. City Hall has sufficiently addressed our concerns in an MOU that formalizes a siting agreement, a plan to ensure equitable access and a process for community input.  I thank the administration for recognizing the potential in Queens and taking effective steps to ensure our fair share and facilitate our economic growth.  I also thank Comptroller Stringer for uniting with the Borough Presidents on this issue.”

Staten Island Borough President James Oddo: “We have carefully gone through this process with the goal of ensuring that city taxpayers get the best deal possible, as well as the fastest and most accessible WiFi access.  Additionally, we have been careful to build in protections, which guarantee that each borough's public officials play an important role in the siting of these units, and by working diligently with my colleagues, the comptroller, and the Administration we have achieved that. Going forward, we will continue to work with the Administration and CityBridge to ensure Staten Island receives the best possible WiFi service and that the units are sited in appropriate locations.”

STATEMENT BY NEW YORK CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER ON LinkNYC

LinkNYC’s proposal to put high speed WiFi kiosks throughout the City will not by itself eliminate the digital divide, but marks an important step toward bridging that gap. Just as the subways powered New York’s growth in the 20th century, high-speed broadband will drive our City’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century — and we need to make sure all our neighborhoods have the tools to meet that future.

That’s why I am happy to vote yes on the LinkNYC proposal before the Franchise and Concession Review Committee today.

We took a good contract and we made it better. I want to thank the Administration and Borough Presidents for their diligence and responsiveness in working to make this contract the best that it can be.

Together we were able to ensure the new WiFi system will:

• Bring greater equity to boroughs outside Manhattan through a more balanced distribution of 1 gigabit speeds;
• Enshrine community consultation in the franchise agreement to ensure meaningful input on the siting of kiosks;
• Strengthen language about tech upgrades during the length of the contract to ensure that New Yorkers continually benefit from cutting-edge security and software upgrades; and
• Provide for the regular publication of data to ensure accountability, transparency and performance.

As the franchise is implemented, I will continue to use my office’s contract oversight and audit authority to ensure that CityBridge fulfills its promises of fast, free WiFi across all five boroughs.

- See more at: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/statement-by-nyc-comptroller-scott-m-stringer-on-linknyc/#sthash.2GYZUQll.dpuf

Belmont Christmas Tree Lighting

  This is what it was all about Saturday in Belmont for the Annual Arthur Avenue BID Christmas Tree lighting. A big beautiful Christmas tree and Santa claus that even the rain that was coming down could not stop.

  Local Councilman was to light the tree, but it appeared that while he was being tracked down to let him know that the lighting time was being moved up a bit because of the rain, it was Santa Claus with a little help from the BID who flipped the switch. Santa then proudly stood beside the tree ending his day so he could go back to the North Pole. I was able to ask Santa how he could be here when this was his busy season at home. The answer he gave me was that he wound not have missed this for anything, and that he now delegates most of the work to others so he can be in more places to make the children happy, which you will see in the other photos.  

 

  












Left - The tree as it was before the sunset.
Right - The pouring rain could not dampen this Santas spirits.

Left and Right - Some of the visitors to Santa.

Left - The Bronx Elvis (Nick Vero, with his DJ Phil Roventini  of 8 is never enough improv). 

Right - Santa grabbed the microphone and had a sing along before he pushed the switch to light the tree.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO HOSTS IMMIGRATION SUMMIT FOR CITIES ACROSS COUNTRY

Mayors and representatives from over two dozen cities came together to discuss implementation of President Obama’s plan to act on immigration and strategize on effectively building grassroots coalition to push for comprehensive immigration reform

   Mayor Bill de Blasio today at Gracie Mansion convened over a dozen Mayors and representatives from across the country for an immigration summit. The summit focused on coordinating and sharing expertise for the implementation of President Obama’s plans to act on immigration. The Mayors also discussed the road ahead and strategies to push for comprehensive immigration reform.

At Gracie Mansion, the Mayors signed on to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Five Point Challenge to:

·         Launch a mayoral war room for federal action on immigration reform

·         Establish local Cities United for Immigration Action coalitions

·         Safeguard immigrants from fraudulent services

·         Reach all eligible applicants through community outreach and public education

·         Audit services and programs to ensure efficient and affordable delivery of services to maximize enrollment by city residents

Following the Summit, the cities will take the ideas and expertise discussed at the Immigration Summit today and build grassroots support at the local level through strategies including:

• Organizing local coalitions for action—including faith, business, community and labor leaders—before Congress gets back for unified demonstration of solidarity.

·         A Mayoral Lobby Day in DC—after matching congressional members to mayoral coalition members—to push back against any efforts to dismantle the President’s Executive Actions and push for comprehensive immigration reform.

• Convening state tables of mayors in key states, working with allies to have parallel organizing, labor, faith tables in each state, and bringing in key suburban or county leaders.
• Generating constituent call-in and email-in to push for action with key targets in each state.
• Coordinating Know Your Rights events in all cities with allies, partners, and stakeholders as the first phase of the President’s plan goes into effect.
• Highlighting stories of DREAMers who have been or will be helped by the President’s Executive Actions.

The summit included Mayors and staff representing 25 cities from across the country, including: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Dayton, Hartford, Houston, Jersey City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Madison, New Haven, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Fe, Schenectady, Seattle, Syracuse, Tacoma and Washington, D.C.

Mayors in attendance:

·         Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York, NY

·         Mayor Ras Baraka, Newark, NJ

·         Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City, UT

·         Mayor‐Elect Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.

·         Mayor Byron Brown, Buffalo, NY

·         Mayor-Elect Jorge Elorza, Providence, RI

·         Mayor Javier Gonzales, Santa Fe, NM

·         Mayor Toni Harp, New Haven, CT

·         Mayor Edwin Lee, San Francisco, CA

·         Mayor Gary McCarthy, Schenectady, NY

·         Mayor Stephanie Miner, Syracuse, NY

·         Mayor Edward Murray, Seattle, WA

·         Mayor Kasim Reed, Atlanta, GA

·         Mayor Pedro Segarra, Hartford, CT

·         Mayor Paul Soglin, Madison, WI

·         Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma, WA

·         Mayor Angel Taveras, Providence, RI

·         Mayor Nan Whaley, Dayton, OH

The Cities United for Immigration Action coalition, launched two weeks ago, includes an additional 18 cities who were not able to join the summit.

“The President’s plan to act on immigration reform is crucial to creating a more just country, and the federal government is depending on cities to implement the plan. It is critical that we get it right,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Mayors are in the trenches and see firsthand the need for comprehensive immigration reform. We will take this opportunity to lay the ground work for a deeper national movement from the grassroots up.”

“As the son of immigrant parents, this issue is personal to me. The President’s bold action on immigration has set the course, and now we must follow through,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “Most of the nation’s 12 million undocumented immigrants live in America’s cities, and so as Mayors we must lead on this reform to provide all of our residents with hope, opportunities and the services they deserve. We know our diversity drives our economies and makes us stronger. I thank New York City Mayor de Blasio for convening us today, and I am eager to create the change we need to see in our cities to help our residents succeed.”

“The President has taken an important first step in moving our nation forward on the critical issue of immigration. I applaud his efforts, which in many ways mirror the spirit of our Utah Compact. I appreciate meeting with his White House team and the Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson this morning thanks to New York Mayor de Blasio.  We will all work together on the vital next steps,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.

“President Obama has defined a path forward on immigration and we are so grateful for that. I appreciate Mayor de Blasio convening us today. As Mayors, we will now take the baton and work within our communities to ensure we make this successful. But to be truly successful, we need Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” saidHartford Mayor Pedro Segarra.

“Our immigration system is broken. Every day Congress delays action on meaningful reform further hurts families and affects our economy. These issues impact our cities each day, which is why I am proud to join Mayor de Blasio and others to support the President’s executive order and implement change now. We can no longer afford to wait,” saidProvidence Mayor Angel Taveras.

“We’re committed to comprehensive immigration reform, which will start with acting thoughtfully to ensure that millions of families benefit from the President’s important incremental action," said Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle. “But we must do more to protect the parents of Dreamers, themselves inspired by the American dream, who work two or three jobs to put their kids through college. As mayors, we’re working in our communities to build the coalition – business, labor, faith communities and others – that will achieve the broader solution,” from Seattle Mayor Ed Murray.

Former Council Member Madeline Provenzano Passes Away

 Former Council Member Madeline Provenzano has passed away. Councilwoman Provenzano was elected in the 1997 election, and took office on January 1, 1998. She was preceded by Councilman Michael Demarco, and succeeded by current 13th Councilman James Vacca on January 1, 2006. 

There will be a wake on Wednesday December 10th from 2 - 5 PM and again from 7 - 9 PM, and on Thursday December 11th from 2 - 5 PM and again from 7 - 9 PM. 

Schuyler Hill Funeral Home 

located at 3535 East Tremont Avenue

Bronx N.Y.

Is where the Wake for Ms. Provenzano is being held. 

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation:

http://ww5.komen.org/ 

Statement from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. 

“Madeline Provenzano was a good friend, and someone who was passionate about her community. As a City Council Member Madeline helped make the East Bronx a better place, and was a champion for the creation of a new golf course at Ferry Point Park and a fighter for the needs of senior citizens and youth throughout the community. Madeline Provenzano was a strong women, a paragon of public service and a role model for other elected officials, and her spirit and conviction will be sorely missed.

“The thoughts and prayers of the people of The Bronx are with her family in their time of need,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Statement from State Senator Jeff Klein

“Madeline Provenzano shared a piece of my district in the East Bronx as a City Councilwoman. She dedicated her life to our communities and advocating for all of our issues in the City Council. I’m proud that, together, we successfully fought for everything from attracting a world class golf course to Ferry Point Park to pooling city and state funding to combat graffiti. Madeline was a wonderful leader and friend. My thoughts and prayers are with her family during this time.”

TOO HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW

What You Should Know 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District 

You should know that “I can’t breathe” were the last words that Mr. Eric Garner ever pronounced.  He said these words eleven times before he fell unconscious while being subject to brutal acts of excessive police force.  While Mr. Eric Garner was being subjected to an illegal chokehold, he also had his face crushed into the sidewalk by the knees of a Police Officer.

It is important for you to know some facts surrounding that incident.

#1  The use of the chokehold was banned by the New York City Police Department in 1993.  The NYPD Patrol Guide clearly states: “Members of the New York City Police Department will NOT use chokeholds. A chokehold shall include, but is not limited to, any pressure to the throat or windpipe, which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air.”

#2  The autopsy results that were conducted on Mr. Eric Garner’s body by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that his death was a homicide and that a chokehold killed him.

#3  It is common knowledge that any prosecutor or District Attorney has all of the power and tools and resources to personally control the legal process in court to indict a ham sandwich if he or she ever wanted to.

#4  There is a video that was taken to document what took place during the police actions on the day of Mr. Eric Garner’s death. This video captured the conversation, the intent of the police officer to detain Mr. Eric Garner, the action of the police officer to use excessive force, the last words of Mr. Eric Garner who cried for help saying: “I can’t breathe,” and the inaction of the other police officers and the Emergency Medical team.  Lastly, the video also captured the smirk and mocking attitude Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo showed on camera during the moments that Mr. Eric Garner was taken into the ambulance.

You should also know that Americans throughout our nation – including both those who are pro-police officer and anti-police officer – as well as the full spectrum of media from conservative to liberal, have all expressed some form of repudiation, anger, disgust and disbelief about the way Mr. Eric Garner lost his life at hands of the New York City Police Department.

The questions that I continue to ask about Mr. Eric Garner’s death are:  How is possible that a District Attorney, who could indict a ham sandwich, did not find any wrongdoing to present to the Grand Jury?  What kind of evidence did the Staten Island District Attorney present to the Grand Jury? Did the Grand Jury pay attention to the video and the dialogue that took place on the same video that the whole country has seen the way that Mr. Eric Garner was treated while he was on the ground clearly saying: “I can’t breathe.” eleven times?

To me, it is very difficult if not impossible to understand why, after hearing the forensics reports and after seeing a video that speaks for itself showing Mr. Eric Garner’s head being crushed into the concrete sidewalk, how could someone claim that Mr. Eric Garner was resisting arrest?  To me, it is ridiculous to think that anyone in that position could be resisting arrest.

My prayers are for Mr. Eric Garner’s family. I am most hopeful that when the federal government takes charge of this case, the federal court will render the justice this case deserves.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that our city should be free of crime and safe enough for our senior citizens and our entire community to walk on our streets without fear.  I am a law abiding citizen who has always and will continue to respect police officers and support the New York City Police Department, but this specific incident is too hard for me to swallow.

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

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, other elected officials insist that permanent changes must be made to improve service on Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines

 After hearing from MTA NYC Transit officials, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, State Senator Jeffrey Klein, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and Bronx Community Board 8 Traffic & Transportation Committee Chair Michael Heller declared the MTA’s recent efforts to improve service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines to be promising first steps but insisted that more permanent measures must be implemented to address serious overcrowding issues on the two routes.

For several years, service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines has been plagued by delays, overcrowding, and long waits, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours. In August, Assemblyman Dinowitz and State Senator Klein held a press conference at the West 231^st Street stop, demanding that the MTA take steps to improve service. While, over the past several months, the MTA has made a number of short-term changes that have reduced some overcrowding along the Bx7 line, the authority has not yet changed bus schedules or permanently added buses to either line. Assemblyman Dinowitz and his colleagues in government are adamant that lasting changes must be undertaken to truly fix the problem.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “Delays and overcrowding on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines will never be truly resolved without permanent changes. While I credit the MTA for listening to the concerns of myself and others in the community and searching for solutions to this problem, I urge the MTA to add additional buses to both routes, as well as investigate the possibility of extending nearby bus lines into the Northwest Bronx to accommodate the thousands of commuters who rely on these public services every week.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz’s recommendations include:

• Permanently add buses to the Bx7 and Bx10 routes.
• Extend the Bx3 up Broadway into Riverdale.
• Extend the M100 from Manhattan into the Bronx or increase service to the Bx20 route.

Senator Jeff Klein  said: “The measures taken by the MTA and transit officials to fix the Bx10 and Bx7 bus lines are great first steps, but they are just that – first steps. More needs to be done to ease congestion and improve the daily commute of countless of Bronx residents. We need these buses to run on time and make the right stops for commuters. After months of trying to solve this, it’s simply unacceptable that on these lines, buses are still too crowded and people are still waiting too long.” 

“While the current efforts to improve service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines have had a positive response, I believe our request to permanently add buses to these routes, as well as extend the Bx3 and M100 routes farther north into The Bronx will drastically improve the severe overcrowding conditions commuters are currently experiencing. These improvements, along with the bus countdown clock that will be installed at the West 231st Street bus stop from capital funds I allocated at the beginning of my term will also help relieve the long wait times now that the harsh winter months are approaching,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.

Michael Heller, Chair of the Traffic & Transportation Committee of Bronx Community Board 8 said, “We were very pleased that the MTA sent senior managers to our Traffic and Transportation Committee, and we hope that spirit of cooperation extends to concrete improvements in services to our community.’

At the invitation of the Bronx Community Board 8 Traffic and Transportation Committee, MTA NYC Transit officials attended the committee meeting in November to explain the steps they have taken in recent months to improve bus service. The MTA officials announced several changes, including: temporarily adding three articulated buses to the Bx7 route between West 231^st and West 263^rd during weekday rush hours; improving communication systems between MTA drivers on each line to minimize bus bunch-ups; and eliminating the practice of having several 1 trains turn around before reaching the Bronx during rush hours, which led to doubly-full trains arriving at the West 231^st Street station. At the meeting, the MTA officials agreed to study the recommendations made by Assemblyman Dinowitz and members of the community. Bus schedules are reviewed by the MTA four times annually, with the next change coming this spring.