News From Community Board 7

 1 -  Con Ed informed the community board 7 office that there has been service and partial power outages on East 194th Street and East 197th Street between Briggs Avenue and Valentine Avenue. This may have been due to several transforming overheating. There are approximately 300 customers currently affected. All emergency responders including Con Ed, FDNY and NYPD are on the scene and are actively working on resolving this issue. If you live in the approximate area and do not have power, please call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).

 2 - This morning there was a fire that occurred at a two story building located at 267 East 202nd Street Bronx, NY.  The cause is believed to be electrical but an investigation is underway to make a final conclusion. The District Manager personally met and worked with many of the victims through the West Bronx Housing Neighborhood Resource Center through CB 7 Board member, Andrew Laoisa. The understanding is that the Red Cross is providing temporary housing relocation services and some of the victims have decided to stay with friends and family members.  In the coming days and weeks, the district manager will be looking into helping to start a Go Fund Me drive effort to provide donations to the victims to move them into permanent housing. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations in how to start this effort, please let Community Board 7 know by phone at  718-933-5650/51, e-mail the district manager at ansandler@cb.nyc.gov. or stop into the board office at 229-A East 204th Street one block south of the Grand Concource.

Scott Stringer is STILL Hurting the Homeless and the Needy

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 
District 32 Bronx County, New York 

You should know that back on October 7, 2015, I wrote an article criticizing how NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer was putting many homeless families and children in horrible living conditions by denying payments and refusing to release the money and funding for homeless shelter contracts to provide good and necessary services at New York City shelters.  

From that time until now, conditions in the shelters have not changed, and New York City and Scott Stringer are still holding those funds and preventing them from being released to improve the lives of the homeless and the needy.

I am republishing that same article that I released almost one year ago:

Scott Stringer is Hurting the Homeless and the Needy

You should know that there is an article titled EXPERTS SAY STRINGER’S REJECTION OF HOMELESS SHELTER CONTRACTS IS ‘ILLEGAL’ written by Jeff Stein from New York NonProfit that appeared in the October 6, 2015 edition of “City and State.”  Mr. Stein wrote about how “the current standoff between Bill de Blasio and Scott Stringer over the registration of homeless shelter contracts is far from shocking.”

As a New York State Senator here in the South Bronx, and as the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, I must say that it is deplorable for families and children to languish in poverty and homelessness while New York City's Comptroller - who lives in a penthouse - delays and denies payments for New York City homeless shelter contracts.

I must also say that it is disreputable for Mr. Stringer to bolster his own public stature by refusing to sign contracts for homeless shelters while people are suffering, and organizations that rely upon City funding to serve the homeless are not even able to pay their bills.

You should already know that my ministers and I work hard to support the efforts of the multitude of organizations that serve homeless New Yorkers. We know that due to circumstances that are often outside of our control, any one of us could become homeless overnight.  Most of us know that it is our duty and obligation to take care of each other, and when someone or something becomes an obstruction, we have a responsibility to shine a light on that person and demand for him or her to be held accountable.

It is important to know that under the New York City Charter, the Comptroller’s authority mandates the registration of contracts unless: (1) there is not enough funding for the contract to be paid; (2) if the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services has not certified the contract; or (3) if there is reason to suspect corruption.

According to New York University School of Law Professor Roderick Hills: “Given that none of the homeless shelter contracts have been rejected on those grounds … For the comptroller to slow down or stop the mayor’s contracting policy is frankly illegal.”

We all know about Mr. Stringer’s personal ambition to become the Mayor of New York City; it’s no secret. We also know that Mr. Stringer has been extremely generous handing out lawsuit settlement checks for high profile cases against New York City, and has not missed any opportunity to glow in the media for each of our tax dollars he has doled out.

Mr. Stringer's refusal to sign contracts that the Mayor's office has approved shows that he is intentionally hurting the most needy, and making community organizations that deal with the homeless endure all kinds of problems.  Many of the organizations that are truly there for the homeless are being forced to borrow money from banks to pay their bills without knowing if Scott Stringer will ever sign their contract.

My dear reader, the homeless are suffering.  And the organizations that are fighting for the needy are paying the consequences because of Mr. Stringer's vicious refusal to sign their contracts.

Mr. Stringer should be trying to help the organizations that serve the homeless to work out technicalities and assist with any necessary paperwork - instead, he is beating them down and casting them aside.

I am calling on New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer to stop hurting the needy and to sign the contracts already approved by the Mayor to allow homeless service organizations to pay their bills and fulfill their obligations to serve the needy.

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.

Mayor de Blasio and Councilman Vacca Hold Town Hall Meeting

Above -  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Councilman Jimmy Vacca wait to be introduced at the Town Hall meeting last night at Villa Barone in Throggs Neck. 

Below - It was a packed house, but you had to have an invite to attend.

   

Above - Councilman Jimmy Vacca gave a history of his 37 years in public life, describing his large district, and introduced Mayor de Blasio.

Below - Mayor de Blasio spoke of improvements to the quality of life, and decreases im crime in Vacca's district.  

Above - The honor of the first question went to Ms. Lisa Soren. Of course it was about the Westchester Square BID.

Below - The mayor brought his commissioners and agency heads with him, as Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia answers a question. 

Above - The mayor is given a question on the reconstruction of Pelham Parkway pedestrian areas, or as it was said lack of work on the project.

Below - The mayor has Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver answer the question since the project is being done by the Parks Department

Above - State Senator Jeff Klein, and Below Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark spoke briefly, as the only other elected official present was Public Advocate Letitia James, who also spoke. 

Above - Community Board 10 resident John Cerini brings up the subject of making East Tremont Avenue one lane each way from its current two lanes of traffic each way. He states that the community board voted against the project by DOT. A loud cheer was heard from the audience. 

Below - The mayor has DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg explain that only painted lines will be put on East Tremont Avenue below Bruckner Blvd. and no concrete islands are to be put in as a Vision Zero safety project. The debate went on for a few minutes until Councilman Vacca cut off the community board member. 

Above - Community Board 10 Chair Martin Prince asks a question on the subject of more police for the 45th Precinct which covers Throggs Neck. The mayor responded that over 2,000 police officers have been added to the force under him, and all police precincts will be getting their fair share of the officers. As the Town Hall meeting winds down after almost three hours of questions to the mayor he thanks everyone who attended and his friend Councilman Jimmy Vacca.

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan Appear Thursday and Friday at NYCC

October 6 - 9, 2016 | Javits Center BUY NOW

BP Diaz & StudentsFirstNY Host Community Conversation on Building Better Schools

STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA TO HOST THIRD ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL CELEBRATION

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will host three Back to School events onFriday, August 12th, Friday, August 19th and Friday, August 26th at Crotona Park, Tremont Park and Saint James Park respectively. 

These events, which are part of Senator Rivera's Bronx CAN Health Initiative, will offer members of the community a backpack giveaway, fun activities and free health screenings in an effort to help celebrate a healthy start to the upcoming school year. A limited number of backpacks will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children between 5 and 13 years old need to be accompanied by an adult while youths between 14 and 18, do not need a parent present.

SCHEDULE OF BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS:

1)  First Back To School Event

    State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Member Michael Blake and Council       Member Vanessa L. Gibson

    Friday, August 12, 2016 - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    Crotona Park (Bathgate Playground on E 173rd Street and Fulton Avenue)

2) Second Back To School Event

    State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Member Victor M. Pichardo and Council Member Ritchie Torres.

    Friday, August 19, 2016 - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    Tremont Park (corner of E Tremont Avenue and Arthur Avenue)

3) Third Back To School Event

    State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assembly Member Victor M. Pichardo.

    Friday, August 26, 2016 - 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    St. James Park (entrance on Jerome Avenue and W 192nd Street)

**This event is free and open to the public. Organizations that either are donating backpacks or are participating in the event include Hispanic Federation, Kars for Kids, Metroplus, Union Community Health Center, Morris Heights Health Center, Essen Medical Associates, Fresh Direct, Monroe College, VIP Community Services, Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Community Healthcare Network, NYU Dentistry, North Central Bronx Hospital and Puerto Rican Family Institute, Bronx Zoo, FDNY, NYPD, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (IDNYC), Department of Consumer Affairs, UPK, OACE, ConEdison, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, St. Barnabas Hospital, United Health Care, Healthy Families and to the office of the Public Advocate Letitia James.

Assemblymember Michael Blake - Upcoming Events

There are a lot of great free events happening in the district this weekend! Here are a few:

Afro Cultural Parade and Festival

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Crotona Park, Bronx, NY

Stop the Violence Event

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

St. Augustine Church, 1512 Webster Ave, Bronx, NY

Union Grove Baptist Church Back to School and Health Fair

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

1488 Hoe Ave, Bronx, NY

Community Board 2 Back to School Giveaway Day

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, 928 Simpson St, Bronx, NY

Hope to see you this Saturday!

Blake

Car Jumps Curb by Sotherby's on Riverdale Avenue.

 

   This was the scene as an Emergency Service Police officer is backing a Honda Accord off the sidewalk minutes after the car jumped the curb crashing into Sotheby's Real Estate at 3732 Riverdale Avenue this afternoon. As you will see in other photos below the car went into the end wall of Sotheby's braking both front windows, while damaging the bottom building frame. Also damaged was the metal gate railing of Grace's Cleaners next door to sotheby's. 

Above - You can see that it appears that the Honda hit a tree as the front end is pushed in at the middle front of the car. 

Below - A police officer looks at the front of Sotheby's to assess the damage to the store front. The car bumper which came off the car sits on the sidewalk behind the police officer.

Above - Ms. Ellen Feld an employee of Sotheby's looks at the damage to the front of the store. Ms. Feld said she was five feet away from the front window when the car hit the front of the store.

Below - You can see how the store front is pushed in, and the two front windows lie on the floor, or parts of the broken windows are about to fall to the sidewalk.

Above - The car jumped the curb, went through the Muni Meter and a sign post without hitting either of them.

Below - Riverdale Avenue was milled and repaved this past March. However in milling the street the curbs were damaged by the milling machines. The Department of Transportation has not yet repaired the broken curbs that you see here and on most of the street where the milling took place. Photos are on this blog in earlier postings, and it was reported in the Bronx Voice Riverdale column of July 30th. Could that have contributed to this car jumping the curb and crashing into the storefront?