Assembly Dinowitz Lights the Riverdale Menorah for the 21st Time

  Ever since he was elected to the state assembly in 1994 Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has made it an annual event to light the Giant Riverdale Menorah on at least one of the eight nights of Chanukah.

 Above - Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz climbs into Con Edison bucket to be brought up to light the giant Riverdale Menorah for his 21st annual time.

 Below - Assemblyman Dinowitz holds the propane torch that will light the lanterns of the giant menorah as Rabbi Levi Shemtov has joined him in the bucket.

You can see how high up Assemblyman Dinowitz and Rabbi Shemtov are as the first of three lanterns are lit.

Here in a close up view, you see Assemblyman Dinowitz reciting the Chanukah prayer as Rabbi Shemtov prepares the first lantern to be lit.

Here Assemblyman Dinowitz is lighting the last of three lanterns on this third day of Chanukah.

The pair are lowered back down to ground level as Rabbi Shemtov points to the three lights on the menorah.

BP Diaz hosts Chanukah Celebration at Borough Hall

   It was much more than Latkas and Jelly Donuts at the Bronx County Building this afternoon for the Bronx County celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights called Chanukah. 

  The crowd assembled for the Annual Bronx Chanukah Celebration included elected officials and judges.

Left - BP Diaz hugs Rabbi Israel Greenberg of the Bronx Jewish Community Council. Rabbi Fewzner of Pelham Parkway is in the background.

Right - The two pose for this photo.

Below - The Kinneret Day School Students perform.

Councilman Cohen Helps Light Bronx's Largest Menorah

  With a propane lighter in his hand Councilman Andrew Cohen went up in the Con Edison truck bucket with Rabbi Shemtov who had the blessing in his hand to begin the festival of lights, better known as Chanukah.

   At the Monument on West 239th Street and the Northbound Henry Hudson Parkway this giant menorah (the largest in the Bronx) was set up. It took a Con Edison bucket truck to list the rabbi and elected official to light this giant menorah.

   Councilman Andy Cohen has put on his safety harness so he can go up with Rabbi Shemtov to light the menorah.

   The center light is lit first.

  Rabbi Shemtov places the lantern to be lit on the right end of the menorah. This was the first night, and each day foward another light will be lit until all eight lights of the menorah are lit with the middle light also.

   Councilman Cohen says the prayer before he lights the the first light of the first day of Chanukah. You can see that in one hand is a microphone so everyone can hear him, and the propane torch to light the oil lantern.

  And the first light of Chanukah has been lit. Each day foward another lantern will be lit until all eight are lit with the middle lantern lit.

The Good, Sad, and Ugly of the Holiday Season on Riverdale Avenue

THE GOOD --

  The stores here on Riverdale Avenue have placed red bows on those metal bike racks which were once parking meters. Here you see that one of the merchants who brightens up this section of Riverdale Avenue at various times with beautiful planters or flowers has placed a giant Candy Cane on this former meter to get into the holiday season.

   Here on the corner of Riverdale Avenue and West 238th Mario the owner of Street Salvatores of Soho has spruced up this bike rake also with a giant candy cane, and at night the tree in front is aglow with holiday lights. However you can see part of the ugly Con Edison never ending construction in the background

  One block up Riverdale Avenue the largest menorah in the Bronx has been set up for the Holiday of Chanukah. At sunset starting on Tuesday December 16th, (and for the next 7 nights) a light will be lit and added to the menorah to celebrate the festival of Chanukah.  

THE SAD --

  Longtime favorite on this section of Riverdale Avenue Ginger Grill will be closing on Thursday December 18th. Owner Jeff Rabak said that the lease is up and he can not afford to pay the new rent and stay in business. He hopes to reopen nearby in a smaller setting, but where? The sign on the door below says it all.

THE UGLY --

  This bunch of garbage left on West 238th Street at Riverdale Avenue by the Con Edison contractor has earned another fine for the contractor by the DOT. The permit for this work site expired on December 2nd, and of course the contractor let it expire without picking up this mess of materials and garbage. It took the DOT 2 weeks, but today a DOT inspector wrote up the summons. 

More Bronx Church's To Close

  After 112 church mergers were announced by the Archdiocese of New York, it has become known that an additional 38 parishes would be merged to close 11 more Church's entirely. Below are the 7 Bronx Church's that would be effected.

St. Simon Stock Parish 2191 Valentine Ave.

with 

St. Joseph Parish 1949 Bathgate Avenue.

St. Joseph Parish would close.

St. Philip and James 1160 East 213th Street

with 

Our Lady of Grace 3985 Bronxwood Avenue

Our Lady of Grace would close.

St. Francis of Rome 761 East 236th Street

with

St. Francis of Assisi 4543 Baychester Ave.

and with  

St. Anthony 4501 Richardson Avenue

St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony would close.

STATE SENATOR RUBEN DIAZ WILL CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN THE BRONX

   New York State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, together with Mr. Edward Cox, Chairman of the New York State Republican Party, The United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots and The New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, will be celebrating Christmas in The Bronx by giving free toys to needy children. 

This unique event, for the second year in a row, will take place on Wednesday, December 17^th, at 4:00 PM in the Auditorium of I.S. 216 Rafael Hernandez School located at 977 Fox Street (Corner of Westchester and Tiffany), Bronx, New York. 

The first 1,000 children between the ages of 1 and 9 years old, will receive a free toy donated by The United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots and The New York State Republican Party. “There will also be live music and entertainment for the children,” stated Senator Díaz. 

State Senator Dean Skelos, President of the New York State Senate and Mr. Rob Astorino, Westchester County Executive, are among the dignitaries expected to join in the distribution of the toys. 

  

Note: Children must be present in order to receive a toy. 

For more information, please contact Senator Diaz’s office at 718-991-3161.

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.