Assemblyman Dinowitz: John F. Kennedy Gas Explosion

Statement from Assemblyman Dinowitz regarding the John F. Kennedy High School Gas Explosion

  “I and our other elected officials continue to work for the least disruptive outcome while repairs are made on the John F. Kennedy High School building.  In my conversations with the Department of Education I urged that work be done around the clock to ensure that repairs and reconstruction at JFK be completed quickly.  It is most unfortunate that the education of thousands of students will be disrupted as a result of the gas explosion.  The DOE must relocate the various schools from the JFK campus at other locations temporarily, but I reminded the DOE that a significant percentage of the students at JFK are from Manhattan and therefore the DOE needs to look at relocation sites in Manhattan and not just the Bronx. In addition, we all hope the injured workers make a speedy recovery from the horrific explosion that took place at the school, but the City must ascertain whether or not all workers on the site met all necessary qualifications for the job.”

FREE Outdoor Movie on the Avenue THIS Thursday!

 Movie on the Avenue!

We were able to reschedule
our Movie on the Avenue for
THIS Thursday, August 27th!

Event will feature a bounce house, face painting, a performance by Riverdale Children's Theatre and see below for more! 

Bronx Back To School Literacy & Health Fair 2015

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN TO HOST THE LEGENDARY CHUBBY CHECKER AT LORETO PARK

  Music icon to ‘twist’ the night away with hundreds of Bronxites

State Senator Jeff Klein, together with hundreds of community members, will host the ‘King of The Twist,’ Chubby Checker, at Loreto Park on Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m.

Chubby Checker rose to national prominence in 1959 with his debut record, The Class. The following year, Checker released his smash hit, “The Twist,” which quickly rose to number one on the Billboard pop chart. Nearly 50 years later, Billboard Magazine named “The Twist,” the number one song of the Billboard Hot 100’s first 50 years. Today, Checker is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the hit song – touring the country and dancing the night away with countless fans.

WHO: Senator Jeff Klein

Chubby Checker

Community members

WHAT: Senator Klein to host the legendary Chubby Checker at Loreto Park

WHERE: Morris Park Avenue, between Haight & Tomlinson avenues, Morris Park

WHEN: Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m.

SENATOR KLEIN HOSTS STAND UP TO VIOLENCE 1ST ANNIVERSARY PEACE MARCH & RALLY

Community comes together to celebrate success of the Stand Up to Violence program

SUV Peace March & Rally: Senator Jeff Klein, Pastor Jay Gooding, 49th Precinct Council President Joe Thompson, Jacobi Hospital Associate Director of Public Affairs John Doyle, SUV volunteers.  

State Senator Jeff Klein held the Stand Up to Violence 1st Anniversary Peace March and Rally on Saturday. The special event concluded with a Family Day celebration at the Pelham Parkway Houses.

Stand Up to Violence (SUV) is a unique, innovative violence prevention program which deploys ‘credible messengers’ to targeted high-crime areas in The Bronx. The model relies on dedicated ‘violence interrupters’ to reach high-risk individuals and mediate conflict in the community.

“Three years ago, when I first introduced the SUV Program here in the Bronx, we were facing an epidemic of violence in our streets, our backyards and our communities,” said Senator Klein. “In just three short years, this program has made a significant impact on guns and gang violence and reduced the incidence of shootings in targeted areas by approximately 40 percent. I’m proud to announce SUV’s recent expansion into Soundview and I look forward to continuing the fight to keep our streets safe for children and families.”

The SUV Peace March began on East 229th Street and White Plains Road at 10:00 a.m. A rally was held shortly after on East Gun Hill Road and White Plains Road. The day culminated with a fun-filled family event at Pelham Parkway Houses. Volunteers and outreach workers enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as an array of games and activities for both kids and adults.

“As we celebrate the one year anniversary of the SUV program, I am deeply proud to have been a part of this program initiated by Senator Klein. We are thankful to our members, outreach workers and families who have helped us to reduce shootings by 40 percent in our target zones,” said Pastor Jay Gooding. “I am grateful to see this program flourish in the community where I grew up in and I hope within the next year we will see an even greater reduction.”

“It’s critical that we work to keep residents safe, be on the lookout for crime and report incidents of violence as quickly as possible to our local precincts. The SUV program is a proactive program that is cleaning up our streets and keeping our families safe. I’m thankful shootings have been reduced in the community and look forward to further reductions in the future,” said Wanda Hayes, resident of the Pelham Parkway Houses.

Since 2012, Senator Jeff Klein has secured nearly $1 million in state funding for the SUV program. The SUV program is administered in partnership with Jacobi Medical Center and Fellowship Tabernacle Church.

For more information on SUV, please visit nysenate.gov or call (718) 822-2049.

Pelham Parkway Houses Family Day: Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, SUV volunteers, children and families.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS GIBSON AND WILLIAMS RESPOND TO HIGH NUMBER OF WEEKEND SHOOTINGS

  Today, Council Member Vanessa Gibson, Chair of the Council's Committee on Public Safety, and Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and Co-Chair of the Council's Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, released the following statement after a high number of shootings occurred last weekend throughout the five boroughs. 

   "Our prayers for peace and comfort go out to the friends and loved ones of all of those impacted by the high number of shootings that took place throughout the city and the country this weekend. The assault on Mayor de Blasio's security detail has been a stark reminder to us all that in a climate where such violence becomes the norm, everyone is put at risk. A large number of major cities saw similar spikes in gun violence last weekend, including a high number of shootings in Chicago and Indianapolis. We must stay strong in the face of this continued assault on our quality of life and recognize that each of us has a role and responsibility to help reduce the senseless violence in our city and nation.

"Gun violence is a systemic disease which must be treated holistically. The frustrating reality is that although overall crime is down in New York City, we too frequently experience weekends filled with shootings. Although our city has begun to incorporate new policing tactics to combat violence, families will continue to lose loved ones if we don't take extra steps to holistically address violent behavior at its root cause. We must first severely limit the supply of guns in our city while still honoring the second amendment. Simultaneously, it is imperative that we get to the heart of the significant structural deficits that exist in many communities, often driving the need for violence that can result in fatal actions.

"As elected officials who have fought to improve our city's public safety, we are resolved to address this violence at every level and ask all New Yorkers to refuse to accept violence as an answer. With a combined community response and real, concerted efforts, we will stop seeing incidents like those we saw last weekend."

Annual Bronx Democratic County Organization Barbecue, Baseball Games, and Family Day

  It was the Annual Bronx Democratic County organization Barbecue, Baseball Games, and Family Day, as in the photo above is Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo with his lovely wife and two darling daughters.

  Instead of the usual barbecue as was the practice in the past new county leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo wanted to show the teamwork of the Bronx Democratic County organization, and what better way then to have not one, but two baseball games. 

Above - Former County Leader and now Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie knocks one to the outfield during batting practice. Heastie would be the player coach of Heastie's Hitters.

Below - You can see that current County Leader Marcos Crespo has swung and missed as the ball is about to be caught by Assemblyman Victor Pichardo. Crespo was the player coach of Crespo's Crusaders. 

 Above - Before the first game there was a show of unity with starting from the right is a past County Leader Assemblyman Jose Rivera, his replacement as County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie, the current County Leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, and the man who has been with all three and some of those before them Election and County Lawyer Stanley Schlein. 

Below - Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto pose with County Leader Crespo.

Above - While Heastie's Hitters went out to a 3 - 0 lead in the first inning, Crespo's Crusaders wound up winning the game 4 - 3 in extra innings, as they celebrate their victory. 

Below - City Comptroller Scott Stringer arrived as the first game ended. Assembly Speaker Heastie was my vote for MVP of the game even if his team did not win as Heastie played third base better than most current major league players while also hitting better than most of them.

Above - Congressman Jose Serrano who caught the six inning game for Heastie's Hitters lets everyone know how he feels, and not on the Iran Nuclear deal. Also in the photo is State Senator Jeff Klein (who did not play), Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz who was proud of his .333 batting average, but not so proud of his 3 errors at first base, and City Comptroller Scott Stringer. 

Below - BDCC Executive Director Anthony Perez talks with former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, with 78th A.D. Committee of 100 Democrats Chairman Ricky Martinez also in the photo.

Above - For the second game Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. led the BP's Bombers, against the second team of Crespo's Crusaders who this time had last games MVP Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

Below - BP Diaz tells Speaker Heastie that he is making a mistake by going to the other team, and that the BP's Bombers will score more than both teams did in game one.

Above - BP Diaz is up to bat in the top of the first inning getting a base hit, where the BP Dombers batted around scoring 9 runs. 

Below - BP Diaz flashed the leather at first base as the game shortly ended with the BP Bombers winning 9 - 2. 

A.G. Schneiderman Announces Return Of Additional $4.5 Million To 15,000 Citi Customers For Fee Overcharges

Schneiderman’s Investigation Will Return More Than $20.5 Million In Total Reimbursement To More Than 46,000 Overcharged Customers

Schneiderman: Discovery Of Additional Overcharges Reflects Citi’sCONTINUEDEffort To Identify And Fully Repay All Overcharged Customers

        Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that as a result of an interim agreement with Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. (CGMI), a subsidiary of Citigroup, more than 15,000 CGMI customers who were overcharged fees on their investmentACCOUNTSwill receive reimbursements totaling more than $4.5 million. Customers were overcharged when CGMI failed to rebate certain customers’ accounts after periods of inactivity when fees should not have been charged, but were. CGMI identified the overcharges as part of an internal review conducted in cooperation with the Attorney General’s investigation of CGMI fees. The investigation previously led to $16 million in principal and interest going back to 31,000 CGMI customers, and now thousands more customers are eligible to get money back.

“My office will work with any financial institution that identifies and wants to correct an error that harmed its customers. In this case, Citi’s cooperation with our investigation will result in $20.5 million being refunded to tens of thousands of Citi customers in New York and elsewhere,” Attorney General Schneiderman said. “I want to thank Citi for itsCONTINUED cooperation with our investigation, which has ensured that Citi customers are getting back the money they deserve.”

For certain types of investment accounts, CGMI charges fees prospectively, for example, assessing fees at the beginning of a quarter for account management during the upcoming quarter. For a variety of reasons, a CGMI customer’s account may be ‘frozen’ during a particular period of inactivity. In some cases, customers should not be charged fees during that period. CGMI’s review revealed that if a customer requested a refund of prospectively paid fees that covered a period when the customer’s account was frozen, CGMI sometimes rebated the fees to the customer. However, CGMI’s review revealed that thousands of customers who were overcharged fees during frozen periods were not allocated rebates they should have received, either because they did not request a rebate, or because CGMI did not have policies and procedures in place to determine when rebates were appropriate. As a result, CGMI overcharged more than 15,000 accounts. CGMI will repay its customers for the overcharges, a total of more than $4.5 million in principal and interest. More than 2,700 New York customers are set to receive a total of approximately $657,000.

The Attorney General’s investigation of CGMI began in 2012 after a complaint from a Westchester resident led the Attorney General to investigate fee overcharge issues at CGMI. The investigation has proceeded with CGMI’s cooperation, and will result in theREPAYMENTof more than $20 million in principal and interest for fees CGMI overcharged its customers. Due to the Attorney General’s investigation, CGMI initially identified more than 31,000 customers who were charged higher advisory fees than they negotiated on so-called “TRAK” accounts. In an October 22, 2014 interim agreement between CGMI and the Attorney General, CGMI agreed to reimburse its customers for those overcharges. CGMI also agreed toCONTINUE to cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation and conduct a wider review of other types of accounts to ensure that anyACCOUNT holders who were overcharged would also be paid restitution. Citi has continued to cooperate since the October 2014 agreement, and its wider review of customer accounts identified the additional 15,430 Citi customer accounts that were overcharged fees during frozen periods.

As a result of the Attorney General’s investigation and Citi’s cooperation, more than $20.5 million will be repaid to more than 46,000 customers, including approximately $2 million to more than 5,600 customers in New York. The Attorney General will continue to oversee CGMI’s review and remediation efforts.

The investigation into Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. is led by Katherine Milgram, Deputy Chief of the InvestorPROTECTION Bureau, and Assistant Attorney General Dhawal Sharma.  Gary Brown, Assistant Attorney General-in-Charge of the Westchester Regional Office, has also contributed to the investigation. Karla G. Sanchez is the Executive Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice. The Westchester Office is part of the Division of Regional Affairs led by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Regional Affairs Marty Mack.