Allerton Ave Food Festival - Sat. July 16, 2016

Join us at the  9th Annual Allerton Avenue Festival & International Food Show! Saturday July 16, 2016 12:00pm- 5:00pm On Allerton Avenue between Barnes Avenue & Boston Road Rain or Shine! Liver Performances by: The Jumping Dragons Gene DiNapoli International Food Contest judged by Chef John Denizard Also Featuring: Kid's Activities, Hayrides, Dunk Tank and Much More! For more information, please contact the office of Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj,(718) 409-0109

News From Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli

Executive Director of Baychester Youth Council Indicted for Stealing More  Than $100,000 From Federal Grant

Earnestine Russell Charged with Grand Larceny; Allegedly Gambled Funds

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the longtime director of a Bronx youth group has been indicted on charges she stole $112,000 from a state-administered, federally funded grant to support after-school programs for middle school children.

District Attorney Clark said, "The defendant, Earnestine Russell, allegedly turned the Baychester Youth Council into a façade for her thievery, and enriched herself for years instead of enriching the lives of the children she purported to cherish." State Comptroller DiNapoli said, "Earnestine Russell allegedly took public money intended to give children a safe and nurturing place to go after school and spent it on personal trips and electronic equipment for herself. After my office found her theft, we worked closely with Bronx County District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and her staff to make certain that Ms. Russell is held accountable."

District Attorney Clark said that Russell, 66, of 1930 Schiefflin Avenue, was indicted on second-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal possession of stolen property. She was arraigned today, July 6, 2016, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. Bail was set at $30,000 cash and an examination of surety. Russell is due back in court on August 9, 2016.

According to the investigation by the Bronx District Attorney's Office and the State Comptroller's Office, in 2008, Russell--who has run the Baychester Youth Council since the 1980s--received a federal grant, administered by the New York State Education Department, for more than $2.7 million over five years to create a 21st Century Community Learning Center.

The State Comptroller's Office audited Russell in 2012 and found she used $250,400 for inappropriate or undocumented expenses-- including a home theater-- and the grant was revoked.

The Bronx DA's Office began investigating and found that Russell had moved the grant money through numerous bank accounts. Russell made cash withdrawals, wrote checks to cash, herself or family, and made wire transfers from the accounts. When confronted with her gambling records, which showed betting of more than $150,000 during the fraud period of 2009-2011, Russell denied betting, then explained the figures also showed winnings she bet. Russell also told investigators that she could "make whatever use of [the money]" she saw fit.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Markus Sztejnberg of the Economic Crimes Bureau and Jeffrey Glucksman , Chief of Trial Bureau 70, under the supervision of William Zelenka, Chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau, and Jean T. Walsh, Chief of the Investigations Division.

District Attorney Clark thanked the State Comptroller's Division of Investigations and Bureau of State Expenditures, as well as New York State Police Investigators John Bode and Charles Sands and Senior Investigators Michael Vazquez, Michael Davis and John Vescio for their assistance in the investigation, and retired Assistant Bronx District Attorney Linda Tacoma for her diligent work on the case.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant's guilt.

Indictment in U.S. v. Norman Seabrook and Murray Huberfeld

   In a shocking 10 page indictment released today by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara titled United States v. Norman Seabrook and Murray Huberfeld both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, and one count of Honest Services Wire Fraud. 

   The indictment begins with 'Relevant Individuals and Entities'. The Corrections Officers Benevolent Association, COBA President Norman Seabrook, an unnamed Treasurer 1, Platinum Partners (described as a Hedge Fund), Murray Huberfeld (Platinum's founder), and CW - 1 a cooperating witness for the government. 

    The entire 10 page indictment can be found at the link below, and makes for some interesting reading. The next step will be up to the parties in the indictment and the U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara as to where this case goes. There has been speculation of what may happen next, but as of now there is only a few worried people.  

   Link to United States of America vs. Norman Seabrook and Murray Huberfeld

If you are Driving on Gun Hill Road By Evander High School, Smile Your May Be on Candid Speed Camera

Above and Below - If you are driving east on East Gun Hill Road by the old Evander Childs High School at Barnes Avenue get ready to SMILE if you are going over 35 Miles Per Hour, because you are on 'SPEED CAMERA'. This will result in a photo of the licence plate of the vehicle, and the owner will get a fifty dollar ticket in the mail. Fifty Dollars might not be much, but get caught a few times and those fifty dollars add up.  

Above - If you think that you can come back on Gun Hill Road Westbound after getting caught on 'SPEED CAMERA' eastbound, you are wrong. Here you can see the speed camera set up to catch those drivers who think they are safe and can drive over 35 MPH westbound.

Below - That's Councilman Andy King's district office right across the street from the westbound Gun Hill Road 'SPEED CAMERA'. I can't say what the good councilman would say to you, but it should include that the NYC speed limit is 25 MPH citywide unless posted otherwise. It's a good thing that Gun Hill Road is a huge bus thoroughfare, otherwise the speed limit could be 20 MPH, and there would be lots of speed bumps which is a whole other story.

Leftovers From West 238th Street Cement Trucks?

Above - The 40 foot wide (yes that is according to the building plans the width of the lot) 640 West 238th Street building is going up floor by floor. Notice on the right that the second floor windows of the Bonnie House (the building on the corner of West 238th Street and Independence Avenue) have been boarded up so that the windows do not face a cement wall (notice I did not say brick wall, because there is no room to place any bricks between the two buildings). 

Below - It appears that one of the cement trucks had a leak as you can see a line coming from Blackstone Avenue on West 238th Street. Notice the tire marks on the curb. They didn't come from a car.

Above - Notice how the trail as it goes around the bend in the road. Yes that is the street cracking under the heavy weight of the heavy construction equipment and cement trucks.

Below - Just how did that chunk of curb before the bend get broken? 

More Orphan Street Milling Equipment Found

It looks like I found some more milling equipment left over from before the July 4th holiday on city streets.

Above - Here is a back hoe sitting in front of 3850 Hudson Manor Terrace.

Below - A trailer with barrier barrels is around the corner, and sitting within five feet of a fire hydrant. Where is a traffic agent when you need one?

Above - Is it a new type of tree pruning gadget?

Below - No just some more street milling equipment that was left behind from before the July 4th holiday. That is MS/HS 141 in the background where there is summer school in session. 

How Many Cement Trucks Does it Take to Build a Building?

As you can see there are seven cement trucks lined up on Independence Avenue stretching from West 238th Street down the block to the Riverdale Jewish Center. Why these seven trucks are lined up when it was said to Community Board 8 that the contractor would work with the neighborhood and not do this, one has to ask the CB 8 Land Use Chair Mr. Charles Moerdler that.

Above - The permit says that there must be 15 feet clearance from the fire hydrant. This looks like only 5 feet, and the site supervisor starts walking towards me wanting to know what I am doing. I told him taking this photo so I can put it up on my blog and sending it to DOT to show that there continues to be violations at this work site, and the permit should be revoked. By the way West 238th street was not one of the streets in the area that were milled.. The street is in the condition it is due to the heavy construction and cement trucks using it to access the tiny construction site. 

Below - A moving truck is backing in to 3777 Independence Avenue, and with all the cement trucks parked waiting to unload, the street becomes a safety hazard for several minutes with no place for emergency vehicles to go. Hatzolah Ambulances are stationed around the corner on West 239th Street, with two schools and three synagogues within a few blocks.   

Anybody Loose Two Backhoes?

  These two backhoes have been sitting on West 236th Street (between Independence Avenue and the HHP Service Road South) since before the July 4th Holiday when the milling of many streets in the area was done. If you own these two backhoes can you please pick them up they are taking up valuable parking spaces.

  And will you clean up the pile of milled asphalt that was left from the milling machine sitting next to this backhoe?