Assemblyman Dinowitz calls on DOT to remove outdated speed limit signage near NYC schools

Outdated “Speed limit 30” sign still posted outside P.S. 81 in the Bronx

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz called on the NYC Department of Transportation to make it a priority to remove street signs near schools that mandate an outdated 30-mph speed limit. Last year, Assemblyman Dinowitz cosponsored legislation to allow New York City to lower its default speed limit on city streets from 30 to 25 miles per hour, a change intended to make streets safer for pedestrians. On November 7, 2014, the new speed limit took effect. Yet nearly three months later, a sign reading “Speed Limit 30” remains posted outside of P.S. 81 in the Bronx.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “While the default speed limit on New York City streets has been lowered to 25 miles per hour, outdated speed limit signs such as the one outside of P.S. 81 keep those street’s speed limits at 30. I find it bizarre that vehicles are able to travel at higher speeds around this school than they can on adjacent streets.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz continued, “Last year, when I cosponsored legislation to allow New York City to lower its default speed limit, the safety of our schoolchildren was first and foremost on my mind. It makes no sense that three months after the speed limit has been lowered, ‘Speed Limit 30’ signs near schools have not yet been removed. I call on the Department of Transportation to prioritize the removal of these outdated signs near schools in order to ensure that this vital initiative of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero Action Plan is properly enacted where it is needed most.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz has requested that the DOT remove the outdated speed limit sign near P.S. 81 and all others near schools expeditiously, but has been informed that he should not expect a response before the end of April. As 25 mph is the default speed limit for New York City streets unless otherwise posted, simply removing this traffic sign would lower the speed limit near P.S. 81.

Editors Note: 

On December 5th we had the story of 'just-what-is-speed-limit-especially 'by P.S. 81'. On November 7th the city speed limit was lowered to 25 MPH, but the sign still says 30 miles per hour in front of P.S. 81. A photo was also posted of the 30 MPH sign that was still up one month after the speed limit was lowered to 25 MPH.

This is the link  to our December 5th story. We are glad to have Assemblyman Dinowitz join the fight to make Riverdale Avenue safer for the children of P.S. 81. We wonder where the deBlasio administration is on this, since Vision Zero is so important to him with the 25 MPH speed limit. I was unable to ask the mayor at a recent press conference on the issue of the 30 MPH sign still being up in front of P.S. 81, as one his staffers made sure I was not called on to question the mayor as I have been in the past. 

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDY KING AND THE SAFETY NET PROJECT HOST KNOW YOUR RIGHTS SERIES

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDY KING AND THE SAFETY NET PROJECT HOST KNOW YOUR RIGHTS SERIES

NYC Council Member Andy King and The Safety Net Project will host their third in a series of “Know Your Rights” trainings on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at Eastchester  Gardens Community Center, 3016 Yates Ave., Bronx.

The session will focus on issues and safety net programs critical to many Bronx residents in District 12.   Legal staff will be on hand to answer questions regarding NYCHA tenant rights, accessing SNAP (food stamp) benefits and public assistance.

Residents are invited to meet with advocates and attorneys from the Safety Net Project to discuss any issues they may be experiencing regarding a denial, sanction or reduction in their public assistance and /or food stamps case. In addition, attorneys will be available to answer questions for NYCHA residents interested in seeking advice as to recertification, succession rights and how to obtain repairs. All legal services are free.

The Safety Net Project is New York City’s advocate for economic justice, protecting the rights of low- and no-income New Yorkers through direct legal services, litigation, research, and policymaking. It ensures access to the safety net, ensuring government accountability for vital programs that lift families out of poverty.

“This event is open to everyone in the community. In these tough economic times, there are people in need of assistance for food and housing. This forum is geared to help all those in need,” said Council Member King.

According to Denise M. Miranda, Esq., Managing Director of the Safety Project at the Urban Justice Center, “District 12 is home to five NYCHA development and countless families that rely on safety net programs. There is an urgent need for NYCHA residents and low-income families to have access to free, high-quality legal services and we are proud to partner with Council Member King to fill this void.”

The Safety Net Project is committed to protecting due process rights and providing direct legal services for low and no-income New Yorkers while engaging the greater community in casting a wider, finer safety net for economic justice and human dignity. For further information, visit www.safetynetproject.org.

For more information dial 646-602-5640.

Council Member King to Host Funding Workshop on Monday, Feb. 9

New York City Council Member Andy King will hold a workshop on Monday, Feb. 9, for community-based organizations that would like to apply for discretionary funding from his office.

The applications for Council Discretionary Member Item funding, which is awarded each year by council members to non-profits and other eligible groups in their districts, must be completed online. But the workshop will help to make sure those applying for funding to fully understand the process.

Those organizations applying for funding from Council Member King are strongly urged to attend the workshop onMonday, 6-9 p.m., at the Williamsbridge NAACP ECE Center, 680 East 219th St., Bronx.

Applications must be completed online in one session and applicants cannot save the information as they work or navigate away from the page while they are working. But the application does not time out, and applicants can go back to correct mistakes.

Applications are currently available on the city council website – http://council.nyc.gov (click pull down button `Budget’).

The FY 2016 timetable is as follows:  Currently – FY 2016 applications available on the city council website (applications may only be submitted online);

•              Feb. 20 - FY 2016 discretionary expense funding applications must be completed no later than 5 p.m.;

•              Feb. 26 - FY 2016 capital funding applications to the borough president and city council for the same project must be completed no later than 5:00 p.m.;

•             March 26 - The deadline for FY 2016 capital applications to the city council only must be completed no later than 5:00 p.m.

For more information on the applications or budget process, please contact Cee Lewis, Deputy Chief of Staff to Council Member Andy King at (718) 684-5509.

Wave Hill Events Feb 19–Feb 27

  THU, FEBRUARY 19:    PRESIDENTS’ VACATION WEEK FAMILY WORKSHOPS: EARTH MEETS SKY

Take a break from winter this week and join us for one, two or three afternoons of hands-on art-making as we explore the cool winter skies using an array of fun and exciting media. At today’s workshop, create a textured landscape against the winter sky, inspired by the painting techniques of contemporary artist and sculptor Anselm Kiefer. Like Kiefer, bring your painting to life by applying thick layers of impasto on canvas and adding dried natural materials, such as flowers, straw, sticks and clay. Geared to children ages five to 10 and a parent or caregiver. Space is limited. $23/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult. Additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org or at the Perkins Visitor Center.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1:30–3PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 21    FAMILY ART PROJECT: A DESERT UNDER GLASS

Go on a visit to Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House—housed in one wing of the Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory—and leave winter behind. Spend some time sketching and painting our exotic desert dwellers, then, using sand and tempera paint, make a desert mirage. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, FEBRUARY 21    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 hour-long 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. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM

SAT, FEBRUARY 21    WINTER WORKSPACE OPEN STUDIOS

For the sixth winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed into studio spaces for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their studio practice with the public on this open studio day. Artists include Nicolas Dumit Estevez, Fay Ku, Julia Oldham, Ivan Stojakovic,Alisha Wessler and Saya Woolfalk. Registration not required for this drop-in event. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1–3PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 22    FAMILY ART PROJECT: A DESERT UNDER GLASS

Go on a visit to Wave Hill’s Cactus and Succulent House—housed in one wing of the Marco Polo Stufano Conservatory—and leave winter behind. Spend some time sketching and painting our exotic desert dwellers, then, using sand and tempera paint, make a desert mirage. Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 22    HATHA YOGA

Reduce stress and increase your energy by focusing on your posture, breath and mind/body/spirit. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss Director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors, and last for an hour and a quarter. 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. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM

SUN, FEBRUARY 22    MEDITATION

Let nature inspire you to find your center and reconnect with your true self using guided mindfulness and other meditation practices. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques, followed by guided meditations. Led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors. Sessions are held indoors. All levels welcome. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $20/$10 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:45AM

SUN, FEBRUARY 22    CONCERT: ZODIAC TRIO

The members of the Zodiac Trio, an engaging young group (clarinet, violin, piano), were mentored by legendary violinist Isidore Cohen of the Beaux Arts Trio and the adventurous clarinetist David Krakauer. Today, it enjoys an international concert schedule that spans three continents and presents an eclectic repertoire that mixes contemporary with the traditional. Described by Radio France as a “breathtaking ensemble of virtuosity and sensitivity,” the Trio performs Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat and Paul Schoenfield’s lively, klezmer-inspired work. $28 general admission, $15 child (ages 8 to 18). $22 Wave Hill Member, $12 Wave Hill Member child. Registration required, online atwww.wavehill.org or at the Perkins Visitor Center. In addition to tickets for individual concerts, subscriptions are also available for any three performances in this 10-concert series, with a 10% discount, or any four performances, for a 15% discount.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

SUN, FEBRUARY 22    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

MON, FEBRUARY 23

Closed to the public

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 and Tuesday mornings untilnoon. 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 30 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.

Adam Clayton Powell Kickoff Fundraiser for U.S. Congress

You are cordially invited

to the Kickoff Fundraiser

in support of

 

 

 

Adam Clayton Powell

Candidate for U.S. Congress

New York - 13th District

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 25th

6:00pm - 8:00pm

 

at

 

The Poet's Den Theater and Gallery

309 East 108th Street

New York, NY  10029

 

 

 

$100   $250   $500

$1,000 Chairs

 

Please make personal checks or money orders payable to:

Powell For Congress

420 East 117th Street

Suite 2

New York, NY  10035

 

or contribute online at

www.PowellForCongress.com

 

 

 

No need to RSVP but for further information please call 914.400.9993

 

 

 

 

 

Paid for by Powell for Congress

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN TO HONOR GRADUATES OF FIRST BRONX H.I.R.E. SECURITY GUARD TRAINING COURSESENATOR JEFF KLEIN TO HONOR GRADUATES OF FIRST BRONX H.I.R.E. SECURITY GUARD TRAINING COURSE

Three Day On-The-Job Training Offered at No Cost to Local Community, Graduates Are Now Certified & Job Ready

Interviews for Full-Time Employment with NYC-Based Company to Begin Immediately

Mr. Andy Munoz of Griffin Security was on hand to talk to the 20 graduates of the course seeking now qualified candidates to fill the up to 150 jobs his company has gotten with Con Edison. Griffin has been awarded a contract by Con Edison to secure the many construction sites Con Edison will be working on above 86th Street in Manhattan for the 'Oil to Gas' conversion in upper Manhattan.

If successful Mr. Munoz said that his company could be awarded contracts for Brooklyn and Queens in the near future, and he would need many more employees.

Senator Klein said 'it is all about giving people a chance'.

Senator Klein reads the name of one of the 20 graduates, as Michelle Donglow Executive Director of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce (a partner with Senator Klein in Project H.I.R.E.) holds the other certificates.

Mr. Andy Munoz of Griffin Security tells the graduates of this course the need his company has for trained people in the field.

The photo was not large enough to get everyone in, but you see most of the graduates with Senator Klein and Ms. Donglow.

Riverdale Avenue Eyesore

   The proposed 11 story then reduced down to 6 story building on Riverdale Avenue at West 238th Street that has been left in an eyesore condition ever since the demolition was halted  This was over six months ago. Local merchants were bullied at a recent Community Board 8 Economic Development Committee meeting by some local residents who want nothing from Monteforoe to be built on the site of the old DJ Drug store. 

  The proposed 11 story medical center with parking was introduced at the October 2013 Community Board 8 Land Use meeting. Montefiore came in with guns blazing that they had the 'as of right' to build an 11 story medical center complete with parking. Local elected officials State Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz pushed through a bill in Albany forcing a community review process for Bronx Only medical centers higher than three stories or larger than 30,000 square feet in size. This along with strong local residents opposing the proposal had Montefiore come back in September 2014 with a new smaller 6 story proposed medical center. 

  Since the demolition ended in early 2014 there was an ugly scaffolding that was still up in front of the proposed site, even though no more work was being done on the site. The scaffolding was removed in December of 2014 and the demolition work and what was left now was visible to everyone. The owner of Salvatore's of Soho directly across the street from the Montefiore site has said that 'It now looks worse than before'. He is wondering if anything will be built on the site because he has a sidewalk cafe. Once the weather gets better in a few months people may not want to sit across from such an ugly view he said. 

Above - Is a photo from where the sidewalk cafe for Salvatore's of Soho would be if it was nice warm weather. Would you want a view like this?
Below- Another photo of what has been left, graffiti on the wall, braces holding up walls, and an ugly veiw in general.

Guess who Sheldon Silver is Sitting Next to?

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver took his seat in the back of the assembly chamber next to Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera. 

When asked what he thinks about the former disgraced speaker sitting next to him  Assemblyman Jose Rivera could only say, "What did I do to deserve this honor?"

I can't wait to see the comments on this one.