Con Edison Comes to the Allerton Avenue Area - To Dig

 

  With Gas piping on one side of Holland Avenue and other material and heavy equipment on the other side of Holland Avenue, Con Edison is spreading their Holiday mess in this area of the Bronx. As you will see in the photos below the gas piping and materials are left out in the open with no protection from people falling on them, or even walking off with some of the materials the Con Edison contractor has spread out all over Holland Avenue by Allerton Avenue. Since there were no barricades there were also no permits on display for this construction work.

  Here on one side of Holland Avenue are several rather long high pressure gas pipes and other materials waiting to be installed in the street, or are they waiting to be installed elsewhere?

  On the other side or should I say sidewalk are several high pressure gas main connectors and other materials with unused binding and garbage just left on the sidewalk.

  Here are stacks of boxes of which one by the cone is marked 3M. Could it be that someone tried to take the box home with them thinking that it was just lying in a pile unprotected as is the construction vehicle. Maybe someone might try to joy-ride in the tractor?

 

  Last but not least. I see nothing preventing cars from parking in the construction zone, and there was no security in the area as you can see, unless they are hiding in the tractor.

Local SantaCon Revelers

  West 238th Street near Manhattan College seemed to be a place to see many young people dressed in Santa Claus or other outfits who were either getting ready to go down to SantaCon in Midtown Manhattan or local parties that were set up. As you will see in the photos below (that were taken early in the afternoon) the happy Santas and helpers were getting ready for the fun of SantaCon. 

Left - These two Santa's to be, pose with their helper for the day.

Right - This Lady Santa and her helper walk up West 238th Street as they pass other Santa's.

 Below are more santa's and their helpers on or around West 238th Street.

SantaCon 2014

SantaCon organizers have released the list of participating bars that will be welcoming visitors from the North Pole tomorrow. At this time, SantaCon is only sharing the list through their official app, which costs $.99 (organizers say that money goes to charity). Here's where Santa can be Santa without being judged or ridiculed by an intolerant, Santaphobic world:

230 Fifth Ave Rooftop & Lounge (230 5th Ave, St. 1806, NY)

Joshua Tree (513 3rd Ave, NY)

Pioneer's Bar (138 W 29th St., NY)

Nelly Spillane's (18 E 33rd St., NY)

Rattle n Hum (14 E 33rd St, NY)

Maru Karaoke Lounge (11 W 32nd St, NY)

Mustang Sally's (324 7th Ave, NY)

Foley’s (18 W 33rd, NY)

Jack Dempsey's (36 W 33rd St, NY)

Mustang Harry’s (352 7th Ave, NY)

Rick's Cabaret (50 W 33rd St., NY)

Slattery's (8 W 36th St, NY)

American Whiskey (247 W 30th St., NY)

Slake (251 W 30th St, NY)

Red Room (251 W 30th St, NY)

Playwright Irish Pub (27 W 35th St, NY)

Galway Pub (7 E 36th St, NY)

The Liberty (29 W 35th St, NY)

Feile (131 W 33rd St, NY)

Suite 36 (16 W 36th St, NY)

Stout (133 W 33rd St, NY)

Blarney Rock (137 W 33rd St, NY)

The Thirsty Fan (254 W 31st St, NY)

Tempest (407 8th Ave, NY)

The Keg Room (53 W 36th St, NY)

Reichenbach Beer Hall (5 W 37th St, NY)

Butterfield 8 (5 E 38th St, NY)

The Australian (20 W 38th St, NY)

Lucys (1 Penn Plaza, NY)

Vivid Cabaret (61 W 37th St, NY)

Beer Authority (615 8th Ave, NY)

Yesterday SantaCon organizers urged participants to confine their often raucous revelry to the above list of establishments—which are mercifully located in the worst part of midtown—and to stay off the streets as much as possible. Explaining that "this is a different year," one organizer told us, "This is a stressful time for New York City, and we are in the midst of a protest that is spreading the NYPD thin. SantaCon has compassion for these civic organizations and is working with them to have a peaceful and joyful holiday celebration."

Cop Union to de Blasio and Speaker: Stay Away From Police Funerals

  That was the headline of a story in the New York Observer. The article opens with, "You're not even welcome at my funeral".  

  The swipe is at Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Mellisa Mark-Viverito from the PBA about their anti police ideas, and lack of support for the men and women in blue. The article goes on about the divisive actions of the mayor and council speaker..A complete text of the letter to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito is at the end of the Observer article that can be found at this link.

Hanukkah Celebration with the Bronx Borough President Thursday December 18th

The DIAZ TEAM Christmas Party 2014

Due to the lateness of the party  -  No Children.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Bronx Science Alum, testifies in support of SHSAT at NYC Council Hearing

Dinowitz defends fair, objective admissions process for Specialized High Schools, calls for expanded tutoring, test-taking opportunities for all NYC students

   Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) testified at a New York City Council hearing on diversity in New York City schools. In his remarks, Assemblyman Dinowitz expressed his strong support for the current admissions processes of New York City’s Specialized High Schools but called for expanded tutoring and test-taking opportunities. Currently, the city’s eight Specialized High Schools base their admissions decisions solely on students’ scores on the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT).

Assemblyman Dinowitz began, “I am a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. Both of my children were accepted to the Specialized High Schools, and like everyone else who was accepted, they had the opportunity to attend not because their father is an elected official, and not because he is an alumnus or was able to donate money to the school, but because they passed this objective test on their merits alone ... What makes the Specialized High Schools special is the fact that political influence, athletic prowess, and family legacies play no role in their decision-making process."

Assemblyman Dinowitz continued, “Those advocating for additional criteria to determine admission to these specialized high schools want to use standards that are prone to manipulation and subjectivity such as grades or attendance … A more complex admissions process would do a disservice to the students it is meant to help, and would undermine the premise of objectivity upon which these specialized schools were founded.”

Stating that the non-representative demographics of these Specialized High Schools is “beyond troubling,” Assemblyman Dinowitz proposed several improvements to the application process that he believes would be steps in the right direction. First, he expressed his belief that every student should have access to free tutoring and preparatory classes prior to taking the SHSAT. And second, he advocated that the SHSAT be given to all eligible students, unless the student’s family chooses to opt out, a change that would greatly increase the number of students taking the test, particularly in Latino and African-American communities. Above all, Assemblyman Dinowitz affirmed that we must work hard to improve public schools at every stage in a student’s education, from Pre-K onward.

Assemblyman Dinowitz concluded, “Adjusting the application process to include factors beyond the SHSAT would simply introduce bias and subjectivity to an objective, and fair, process. Free preparatory classes and an opt-out, rather than opt-in, test format would be big steps forward. Yet these measures are only part of the solution: together, we must continue to work on fixing our educational system so that every child from day one has an equal opportunity for a top-notch education.”

A video of the full hearing can be seen on the New York City Council website. Assemblyman Dinowitz begins his remarks around the 2:21:20 mark.

http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=6903&GUID=5D939F6A-A26A-456C-BF68-2FE3903139C8

Editor's Note -- This press release will appear on the front page of the Riverdale Review most likely.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CARDINAL DOLAN JOIN HIGHBRIDGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS

  Artsbridge will be 100 percent affordable, provide homes for 61 low-income seniors and new community space for Highbridge Voices

De Blasio administration projects reaching 16,000 affordable units by December 31 toward Housing New York plan

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Timothy Cardinal Dolan today joined officials, clergy and community partners in Highbridge to break ground on the Artsbridge senior housing complex. When completed in 2016, the seven-story development will be 100 percent affordable, providing apartments for 61 low-income seniors and a 19,000 square-foot community space that will be the permanent home of Highbridge Voices.

Financing for the project was completed in August, adding these affordable apartments to the 16,000 units the de Blasio administration projects to close and move forward in calendar year 2014. As the administration’s first year draws to a close, it has implemented New York City’s first-ever mandatory affordable housing requirement at Astoria Cove, launched a community-driven planning process to protect and expand affordable housing in East New York, spurred major new affordable housing development at the Domino and Atlantic Yards sites, and brought together private investors and public pension funds to finance hundreds of millions of dollars in affordable housing rehabilitation.

“This is a great day for Highbridge, and it’s possible because of the extraordinary partnership we’ve forged between the City and the Archdiocese. We all jointly committed to confronting inequality and ensuring all New Yorkers can live in dignity in their neighborhoods. That mission is at the center of our plan to build and preserve 200,000 affordable units of housing. Artsbridge exemplifies the kind of ground-up planning that can lift up seniors and families across the five boroughs,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The archdiocese has been a leader in working with the City, State, and Federal government to provide affordable housing to people of all faiths. Housing is a basic human right, and the need for quality affordable housing may never have been greater than it is right now, particularly for seniors and those with special needs. We renew our commitment to not only invest our resources, but also to deliver services – like  those provided by Catholic Charities and ArchCare, our health care ministry – in developing housing for those who need it, ” said Timothy Cardinal Dolan.

“All New Yorkers deserve a safe and affordable place to live, and we are committed to strengthening communities with projects that drive safe, fair housing and healthier living for New Yorkers in all corners of the state. Through New York State’s new Community Investment Fund, Artsbridge will provide a space for our children to grow and expand their opportunities.  I want to thank our local partners helping us redevelop and revitalize communities – for our seniors, for our families and for our children,” said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

“This project is another major component of the ‘New Bronx,’ and I am proud to have provided this project with $3 million in capital funding. This is an innovative new development that works for all New Yorkers, and I thank Mayor de Blasio and Cardinal Dolan, the administration and the archdiocese, for creating a strong model for future housing development in our city,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“As we move forward with this our latest project, ArtsBridge Senior Housing, we are excited to be a part of the Mayor’s initiatives to make affordable housing available for all New Yorkers.  It is because of the extraordinary support of the Archdioceses of New York, Mayor de Blasio, and all our state and federal partners that we are able to bring projects like ArtsBridge to life,” said the Highbridge Community Development Corporation.

Artsbridge is made possible through funding and support by numerous agencies and partners. The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development is providing $1.3 million in federal HOME funds and $3 million in financing dedicated by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and administered through HPD’s Senior Housing New Construction program. HPD also worked with the City Council to approve a 40-year tax exemption. The land is formerly owned by the City and is being developed Highbridge Community Development Corporation with lending provided by Enterprise Community Partners.

New York State’s investment through Homes and Community Renewal, includes:  $13.65 million in tax exempt bond financing; $1.08 million in an annual allocation of 4 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits; and $750,000 in Community Investment Funds. The state’s Community Investment Fund supports mixed-use community development by providing funding for commercial, retail or community facilities within affordable housing projects.

This development will also benefit from HUD’s Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contract. Under this contract, residents will be responsible for paying 30 percent of the household’s monthly adjusted income toward rent. Individual seniors living at Artsbridge will earn no more than $29,000 per year.