Monday, September 12, 2016
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Bronx Democratic County BBQ and Family Day
There could have been many reasons as to why the turnout was half of the usual crowd, but Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (in his Met colored county t-shirt) put the blame on his Executive Director Anthony Perez (to Crespo's right) for not getting the baseball field for the elected official softball game. It was 90 degrees, and the event was being held in an area that many people did not know where it was. Crespo said that it would be held in Riverdale next year, and that county committee chair Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz would find the location. One thing I must say is that the food was catered by Joe's Restaurant, and the food was delicious. Kudos also goes to Mr. Freddie Perez for setting up the event.
Above - County Leader Crespo, State Senate IDC Leader Jeff Klein and Pepsico executive Peter Wilcox, and since they could not get the baseball field is that a football in Crespo's hands?
Below - With no softball game Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie gets some practice on the basketball court.
Above - Game one featured some great moves by Speaker Heastie, and Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. who attempts a long shot from the foul line, but Heastie does not look worried as he is setting up for the rebound.
Below - In game two the action got a lot hotter as Community Board 7 District Manager Andrew Sandler appears to get his hand in the face of the BP.
Above and Below - The action got hotter as Diaz was not going to let Sandler beat him. Even as the ball is behind Sandler in the bottom photo.
Above - Sandler must of thought he was a cop as he tries to frisk the BP after stopping him.
Below - Sandler tries an outside shot at the basket, but the BP knows after sever other missed shots by Sandler the place to be is waiting for the rebound.
Manhattan College Assistant Head of Security Gets Heat About Student Behavior Off Campus
The photo above should tell the whole story as Manhattan College Assistant Head of Security Peter DeCaro listens to complaints about off campus antics and drinking by residents living around the college at last weeks 50th Precinct Community Council meeting. One after another local residents spoke of loitering, loud noise, public urination, public drinking, underage drinking, and other mischief or pranks that the college students partake in off campus.
Mr. DeCaro said that the college can not discipline any students that are not identified. He suggested taking photos of the student acts, but when one resident said they sent him such a video, he answered it was to dark to identify any student.
At this point local Councilman Andrew Cohen stood up and said that this has gone on long enough year after year, and he wanted the college to do something about the drinking and behavior problem of the few Manhattan College students off campus. Mr. DeCaro replied 'Mr. Cohen how long have you been in office?' Cohen shot back three years, and this has been going on for ten years now.
I then showed Mr. DeCaro a photo of three Manhattan College students from last years Santa Gon who were walking off campus with bottles in their hands. The orange juice bottle I was told was a screwdriver which contained Vodka in it, and I was not able to find out what alcoholic beverage was hidden in the paper bag. DeCaro told me to send him the photo, and I said I would do one better, and put the photos on this blog and in my Riverdale column in the Bronx Voice newspaper I am the Associate Editor of.
The last time Mr. DeCaro came to this meeting a few months ago to address several complaints about the college students, I told him that I was in a local deli where a call came in for a delivery of a 24 pack of beer. The worker asked for the address, and then said what dorm room. I asked Mr. DeCaro 'How does the clerk check the ID of the person calling or is the beer left at the front desk so the student can come down to get it?' Just like that time Mr. DeCaro rushed out of the meeting as not to hear anymore complaints about the poor job of controlling student behavior of the Manhattan College students he is doing.
Here is the photo from Santa Gon I am talking about, and I have cropped the photo as not to show the faces of there three Manhattan College students.
640 West 238th Street Construction Mess
Above - The construction site 640 west 238th street the day after concrete was poured for the fourth floor of an eight story building. The Concrete trucks have to back in at an angle in the street to unload since there is no room inside the construction site. Here is where they unload.
Below - This is what can happen when there anyone of several things happen on a poorly planned construction site where you try to build an eight story building where there was only a one family house. Yes that is washed out concrete from one of the trucks which made a delivery to the construction site 640 West 238th Streetup the hill.
Above - That is another trail of cement from one of the trucks that delivered to the construction site at 640 West 238th Street.
Below - It appears that the protective fencing around the island directly across from the construction site at 640 West 238th Street had to be replaced. By the looks of it and the cement on the street one would have to guess that a construction vehicle drove over the island again.
The above photos were sent to the DOT who said they will be investigating the matter.
Barilla Pasta Under the 4 Train
The Barilla Pasta Company came to the Heavenly Vision Christian Church located on Jerome Avenue to give out hundreds of meals to the community as part of its 'Five Borough Fight Hunger Campaign'.
As you can see it was 'Pasta Day' under the 4 train.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Plaque Dedication for SGT. Saul S. Starrett at 50 PCT.
The 50th Police Precinct was finally able to honor one of the fallen officers of the local precinct who gave his life in the line of duty on September 2, 1953.
The plaque was dedicated in beloved memory of Sergeant Saul S. Starrett of the New York City Police Department 50 Precinct.
The inscription included the following -
'No greater devotion to sworn duty can a police officer demonstrate to god and to man than to lay down his life in the line of duty.'
Dedicated by the members of the 50th Precinct.
Current 50th Police Precinct Commanding Office Deputy Inspector Terrance O'Toole stands proudly next to the plaque in memory of fallen Sergeant Saul S. Starrett of the 50th precinct.
Members of Sergeant Saul S. Starrett's family stand with current members of the 50th precinct and representatives of the Bronx Borough Command to honor their fallen family member, and brother in arms.
CITI BIKE BREAKS DAILY RIDERSHIP RECORDS TWICE IN ONE WEEK
Nation’s largest bike share system hits 60,000 riders for first time on Wednesday, climbs to 61,266 by Thursday
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that Citi Bike, New York City's bike-share system, broke new daily ridership records twice this week. For the first time, more than 60,000 Citi Bike rides were taken on Wednesday, with the total number reaching 60,278. By Thursday, that number climbed to 61,266. With more than 9 million rides taken so far in 2016, Citi Bike should exceed the annual record of 10 million rides it achieved during 2015 sometime within the next month.
“Now that it is reaching even more and more diverse neighborhoods in New York City, Citi Bikes are being ridden in record numbers – breaking 60,000 rides for the first time on Wednesday and then hitting a new daily record of 61,266 rides yesterday,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With 565 stations and counting in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, Citi Bike is growing and we remain committed to bringing this great transit alternative to even more New Yorkers in the years ahead.”
“In Brooklyn neighborhoods like Park Slope, where Citi Bikes arrived only in the last two weeks, they have become so well-used and popular, it’s already hard to remember what it was like without them,” saidTransportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Getting around brownstone Brooklyn – along with other new Citi Bike neighborhoods like East Harlem and Red Hook – has never been so easy, convenient and affordable.”
"With this new 60,000 trip milestone, Citi Bike is the busiest bike share system in North America and one of the busiest across the globe,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Motivate, which operates Citi Bike. “The system is becoming not just a leader in bike share internationally, but a leader in transit right here in New York – on par with green cabs or the Staten Island Ferry. It is a useful part of our City's transit network, and we encourage everyone to strap on a helmet and give it a try."
About Citi Bike
The Citi Bike program is New York’s bike share system. It will have 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations by the end of 2016. Stations are located in Manhattan below 86th Street and in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint, and in Long Island City, Queens, with stations located every few blocks. The program is expanding this year into Harlem, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, and Red Hook. Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes without incurring any additional costs. Twenty-four-hour passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app, and provide unlimited 30-minute trips. Reduced cost memberships are available for NYCHA residents and members of select credit unions throughout the city, and for IDNYC holders in their first year of membership. For more info visit: www.citibikenyc.com/
EDITOR'S NOTE:
When you visit the expansion website above you read - 'We’ll be adding more stations to the Upper East Side & Upper West Side in Manhattan and Jersey City, and moving into new Brooklyn neighborhoods'.
My question is then - When did Jersey City become part of New York City? After all, isn't New York City subsidising the Citi Bike program?