PAT GUALTIERI, VIETNAM VET AND LONG-TIME PRODUCER OF AMERICA’S PARADE, NEW YORK CITY VETERAN’S DAY PARADE, DIES

          Patrick L. Gualtieri, a U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam who helped build a struggling New York City Veterans Day Parade intoAmerica’s Parade, the largest celebration of service in America, died July 21 after a short illness.

Pat Gualtieri, 70, was born and raised in Brooklyn.  He served in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, including a one-year tour in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.

He once described lying in the jungle watching as “Puff,” an American gunship, rained fire on North Vietnemese regulars during Tet.  “I had mixed feelings, happy to be alive, yet saddened that so many would die.”

After a career in event production in Los Angeles, Pat returned to New York City in 2000 to take over the struggling Veterans Day Parade.  As executive director of the United War Veterans Council, producers of the parade, Gualtieri built the annual event into America’s Parade, the largest celebration of service in the nation.

The parade now includes more than 25,000 participants, including active duty military units, veterans organizations, high school marching bands from around the nation, top elected officials from New York City and New York State and the highest ranking U.S. military commanders.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators line Fifth Avenue on November 11 to pay tribute to veterans.  Pat also has arranged to have the parade broadcast nationwide and on Armed Forces TV to every U.S. military installation and ship in the world.

“The veterans community mourns the loss of a giant, who devoted his life to honoring those who served,” said Vincent McGowan, founding president of the United War Veterans Council.  “Pat’s boundless energy and unflagging goodwill helped drive our efforts to shape a world-class effort to honor service on November 11 and every day of the year.”

Pat is survived by two daughters, Tara Mendelson and Gayla Gualtieri; a brother, Joseph; a grandson and granddaughter; and his life partner, Marlene ‘Molly’ Levi.

There will be a memorial visitation Saturday, 2 – 5 p.m. and 7 – 10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home, 2005 West 6^th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11223.

Memorial donations may be made to Friends of Vietnam Veterans Plaza and The United War Veterans Council.

Friends of Mark Gjonaj Fundraiser 7/28/15

Please Join us in a Fundraising Celebration for

New York State Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

6:00pm- 9:00pm

Don Coqui Restaurant

565 City Island Avenue

Bronx NY 10464

Food and Refreshments will be served.

For more information:

friendsofmarkgjonaj@gmail.com

(347) 671-4355

(Click HERE to download contribution form)

Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda Calls on Citizens to Report Illegal Guns After Shootings

Office of Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda

District Office: 1973 Westchester Ave, Bx. NY ∙ 

Phone: 718-931-8620

  Assemblyman Luis R. Sepúlveda today urged community members to report illegal guns and suspicious activity to the NYPD's Operation Gun Stop Program after a spate of shootings in the Bronx over the weekend.  Rewards of $1,000 are available for anonymous tips phoned into 1-866-GUN-STOP (1-866-486-7867).

"The Bronx is bleeding, and it's our youngest citizens who are being affected the most," said Assemblyman Sepúlveda.  "We must come together as a community to put a stop to this violence.  If you know someone with a gun, call the NYPD's Operation Gun Stop hotline so that we can remove as many guns from the street as possible.  Too many times I've had to console mothers who have lost their children to gun violence. It must come to an end."

On Sunday, Assemblyman Sepúlveda met with Yvonne Rodriguez, the mother of Ray Rosello, 20, who was shot and killed early Sunday morning in West Farms. Rodriguez has been an active member of the West Farms community and has worked with Assemblyman Sepúlveda on a number of projects.  Her annual block party to encourage community involvement is scheduled for this Saturday, just a week after the death of her son.  She now intends on holding that block party in his memory.

Sepúlveda also called for an increase in gun control to prevent the flood of guns into New York.

"When I was first elected as a member of the Assembly, one of the first bills I voted on was the SAFE Act.  I'm proud of the strict gun laws we have in New York State, but we must work harder to prevent the importation of guns from states with lax gun laws.”

During the weekend of July 19th multiple shooting incidents occurred in the Bronx, including the fatal shooting of Rosello just blocks from where Sepúlveda lives, and at a barbecue where six people were shot.

Operation Gun Stop, privately funded by the New York City Police Foundation, began in 2001 and since then has led to over 5,500 arrests and the removal of 3,350 illegal weapons from New York City Streets.

Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda represents New York’s 87^th Assembly District, which includes  the Bronx neighborhoods of Parkchester, Castle Hill, West Farms, Van Nest, Unionport, and Stratton Park.

Events From Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj and Luis Sepulveda

New York Post - De Blasio Crowned King ‘Jerk’ at Sandwich Contest

   This one was to good to be passed up, as it is not the war of words between Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bill deBlasio, but the war of words between the New York Post and Mayor Bill deBlasio which has heated up. This started last week when a New York Post reporter asked a question on a crime increase in the city of the mayor, who replied the New York Post is a Fear Monger Newspaper.

   Now it appears the Post has taken it one step further calling the mayor the King 'Jerk' due to the mayor winning the Jerk sandwich competition at the Jamaican Jerk Festival New York with the deBlasio 'Swagga Sandwich.' The Post describes the winning deBlasio 'Swagger Sandwich', and that he beat the 2014 winner Miss Jamaica 2014 Kaci Fennell. The Post quotes deBlasio calling Fennell a Noble Competitor, with talent and beauty, but that he 9The mayor) has wisdom on his side in winning this year's Jamaican Jerk Festival New York sandwich contest. The Post concludes the story by adding that the mayor got help this year from First Lady Charlene McCray and former Congresswoman Una Clarke. You can find the entire Post story De Blasio Crowned King 'Jerk' here. 

Photo from the Jamaican Jerk Festival New York Facebook page. 

                                       

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW COHEN WORKS WITH DOT TO HAVE LOCAL DETERIORTATING STREETS REPAVED

Three roads are set to be re-paved in Riverdale and Kingsbridge

   After receiving complaints from constituents that utilize the highly-trafficked areas listed below, Council Member Andrew Cohen worked with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to have the following roads repaved in District 11 during their next repaving cycle:

Riverdale Avenue between West 231st Street and West 239th Street 

Riverdale Avenue is a heavily trafficked street that has both local and express buses traveling over it as well as many school buses going to the nearby schools and delivery trucks dropping off and picking up at the businesses located along the commercial corridor.  The street is also on a steep incline which makes it difficult for cars going over potholes, sometimes causing damage to vehicles.  This is an important street due to its close proximity to schools, parks, and serves as bridge connecting the neighborhood of Riverdale with Kingsbridge.

West 231st Street between Broadway and Albany Crescent

Located in the heart of the Kingsbridge Business Improvement District and one block north of a new shopping mall, this particular section of West 231st Street is one of the most heavily trafficked of any street in District 11 and as such has seen a gradual deterioration. Located directly underneath the elevated 1 train, the road bed is riddled with potholes, bumps and depressions. The repaving of this area will restore the road so that the unevenness is eliminated, creating a smoother ride for the buses and cars that utilize it daily.

Fieldston Road between Mosholu Parkway and West 250th Street

With Riverdale Country School and the commercial corridor along Mosholu Avenue creating a high-level of along Fieldston Road, it has become unsafe for the many cars and buses that utilize it regularly.  Fieldston Road intersects with an entrance to the Henry Hudson Parkway, allowing many cars use it to enter or exit the Parkway, adding to the increased traffic.

The repaving of West 231st Street and Riverdale Avenue will begin on Tuesday, July 21st, while the repaving of Fieldston Road is set to begin on Tuesday, September 8th.

“No one wants to travel stretches of road that are riddled with potholes, bumps and depressions. With the resurfacing and repaving of West 231st Street, Fieldston Road and Riverdale Avenue, we are ensuring the safe travels of school buses, city buses, parents dropping of their children and the everyday commuter. I look forward to being able to travel throughout my local commercial corridors with ease,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.

Allerton Avenue Street Festival

Allerton Avenue was closed off Saturday between Wallace Avenue to Boston Road for the 8th Annual Allerton Ave Festival and International Food Show. Assembly Mark Gjonaj along with the Allerton Avenue Merchants Association sponsored the event which featured free international delights, music and dancing by the South Bronx Kids. There was a dunk tank where the Director of the Allerton Avenue Merchants Association Mr. Gene DeFrancis went into the water many times. There were also many vendors and information tables set up on the street, and after the fire trucks left and cleared the street by Boston Road there were hayrides as Assemblyman Gjonaj is now famous for providing. The photos below will tell the rest of the story.

Above - The 49 Pct. Explorers maned the Cotton candy machine.

Below - Vendors such as Nissan and Verizon were on hand.

Above - Mr.DeFrancis of the Allerton Avenue Merchants Association watches as the ball that was thrown is about to hit the target that will send him into the water.

Below - He is dunked into the water as the ball has hit the target.

Above and below - The hit of the Allerton Avenue Street Festival had to be the South Bronx Kids who performed, and then changed for a second dance.

Above - Ceaser prepares to carve up another favorite that was at the Street Festival.

Below - Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj with some of the his staff who helped organize the Allerton Avenue Street Festival. 

Gas Leak on Allerton Avenue

Saturday morning the FDNY was out in force trying to find out where the odor of gas was coming from at the corner of Allerton Avenue and Boston Road as you can see in the photo above. Con Edison soon arrived on the scene, and did further testing. Ther odor went away after a few hours, but this seems to be an after effect of the near 100 year old gas pipes under the streets, and the poor workmanship of the newly installed high pressure gas lines by Con Edison contractors. The PSC has said that up to 70 percent of the people Con Edison has installing the new high pressure gas lines are uncertified. This could be a major reason why Con Edison sometimes has to redo some of the newly installed high pressure das lines due to one problem or another.

Above - Firemen are checking the basements of the stores on Allerton Avenue for any gas leaks/

Below - The Fire Chief watches as a Con Edison worker checks this crack in the curb at a bus stop for any gas that could be leaking from it.