Bronx Debate Watch Party at Bronx BBQ 170 West 233rd Street

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and District Leader Eric Dinowitz are joined at the Bronx BBQ on West 233rd Street in the 81st A.D. by Bronx Democratic County Organization Executive Director Anthony Perez, Soon to be 36th State Senator Jamaal Bailey, and Community Board 8 Chair Dan Padernacht as they watch and cheer on their candidate as they watch the third and final presidential debate. 

  In all over 100 loyal Bronx Democrats stopped in to watch the debate or show support for the host Ben Franklin Democratic Club, and Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton.

Above - The hosts for the night were 81st A.D. Male District Leader Eric Dinowitz, and Bronx Young Democrat Daniel Johnson.

Below - BDCC Executive Director Anthony Perez chats with John Zacarro Jr. the Chief of staff to 17th City Councilman Rafael Salamanca.

Timothy Tapia the Male District Leader of the 86th A.D. with Kevin Davies of the 80th A.D.  

Which Way Do We Park DOT?

Above is a photo of Fieldston Road between West 236th and West 238th Streets. This one way street was repaved by the city in August and new lines have finally been painted on the street. This line painting however occurred on a day that alternate side of the street parking was suspended and you will see in other photos the results of it. There use to be head in angle parking as you drove up the street, but that has now been replaced with lines for back in angle parking, but drivers were never told this as you can see in the photo above.

Above - This car was parked head in so the the lane marking could not be painted. You can also see a car parked in the lines but head in and not backed in.

Below - Again this car was parked as it always was head in so the new line could not be fully painted.

Above - Another car parked the old way so the full lane marking could not be painted.

Below - With the new back in angle parking two new parking spaces have been added at the corner of West 236th Street. However the sign stating 'No Parking has not been replaced, and these two cars could (if they have not already) be given parking tickets. Two parking spaces were removed at the West 238th Street corner for a new larger safety zone, so there was no gain in the number of parking spaces. 

Assemblyman Dinowitz Calls on City to Fix Public Safety Hazard Stepstreets

Dinowitz cites widespread safety concerns, multiple attempts in recent years to address various locations in Kingsbridge, Riverdale.   In letter to Dept. of Transportation, Parks Dept., Bronx Assemblyman calls for maintenance work on stone staircases, urges city to develop protocols for jurisdictional issues preventing quick fix.

   In an effort to address a long-standing public safety hazard stemming from maintenance issues at tree-lined public staircases throughout the Bronx, New York State Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz is calling on the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the NYC Parks Department ("Parks") to make immediate critical repairs to the so-called "stepstreets." Assembly Member Dinowitz is also urging both agencies to develop new protocols for avoiding the jurisdictional issues that have long frustrated repair efforts.

 

"Thousands of Bronx residents depend on stepstreets everyday to travel to and from work or home," said State Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. "Many of these stepstreets are a disaster, with crumbling concrete, trash and broken lighting that put our families at risk. The city needs to stop passing the buck between agencies and find immediate, lasting solutions to this dangerous situation before people get hurt."

 

In letters to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Assemblyman Dinowitz called on both agencies to work together to resolve "persistent, serious maintenance issues" at stepstreets throughout the Bronx. Dinowitz writes that his office has received multiple complaints from constituents and has made numerous efforts in recent years to reach out to the city to request fixes.

 

According to Dinowitz, part of the city's well-publicized failure to resolve the issue stems from jurisdictional disputes over the agencies' responsibilities to maintain the concrete staircases and lighting fixtures. As a solution, the Bronx Assemblyman is urging both agencies to develop new protocols for how to best address the issues. This, Dinowitz argues, would allow the city quickly and efficiently respond to residents' and elected officials' complaints.

 

"We have over 60 stepstreets here in the Bronx. They're a part of our community's identity and are just as important as any other street. That's why finding long-term solutions to addressing regular maintenance issues is so important," concluded Dinowitz.

These three have been the subject of inquiries by the Assemblyman's office:

1.  West 229th Street (Between Kingsbridge Terrace to Sedgwick Avenue)

2.  Naples Terrace leading to Broadway off of West 231st. Street 

3.  Godwin Terrace between West 231st Street and Naples Terrace 

Bronx Prayer Vigil to be Held outside the home of Deborah Danner and Statement from Senator Gustavo Rivera

On Thursday, October 20, 2016 at 12:00pm Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz and the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization will hold a vigil to bring the community together in prayer, followed by a press conference outside the home Ms. Deborah Danner, 630 Puglsey Avenue in the Castle Hill section of Bronx County.

Ms. Danner was an emotionally disturbed woman who died in her home at the hands of a New York City Police Sergeant last night.

Statement from State Senator Gustavo Rivera On The Fatal Police Shooting of Deborah Danner in Castle Hill

"I join all New Yorkers in mourning the tragic death of 66-year-old Deborah Danner, who was fatally shot yesterday by a police officer at her home in Castle Hill. While the details about the incident are still being gathered, it is clear that the death of Ms. Danner, who had a recorded history of mental illness and had been assisted by the department in the past, could and should have been prevented. There are established policies and procedures of de-escalation that the the NYPD is trained in and required to use when confronting an emotionally disturbed individuals. Our community has a right to know what went wrong and why the officer involved opted to use excessive force instead.

This is not the first time our community has faced such a tragedy, but we need to continue working to ensure that we hold law enforcement accountable to the people they serve and continue implementing measures that help prevent these horrific events from occurring.

I commend NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill for taking a significant first step to holding his department accountable by acknowledging earlier today that, in this case, the department failed to meet their first obligation "...to preserve life". It is clear that a thorough investigation needs to be conducted to secure justice for Ms. Deborah Danner and to make certain that a situation of this nature does not repeat itself. I urge New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to use the authority granted to his office under Governor Cuomo's executive order to thoroughly investigate this case in an effort to help continue the process of rebuilding New Yorker's trust in our criminal justice system."

Assemblyman Sepulveda Urges ​​Calm But Seeks Investigation of Fatal Shooting by NYPD of 66-Year-Old Woman

  Responding to the fatal shooting of a mentally disturbed 66 year old woman in his district, State Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda called for calm as police investigate the incident. He also called for a full police investigation into the shooting of the woman.

Police were called to the 7th floor apartment at 630 Pugsley Avenue in the Castle Hill section shortly after 6pm Tuesday, after a neighbor’s complaint, according to police. After police entered the apartment, a police spokesperson said that the woman attacked the officers with a baseball bat. A sergeant fired twice, hitting her in the torso, and she was later on pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center.

"While we should avoid rushing to judgment in this case I'm calling for a thorough investigation by the police. I would question why the sergeant who was armed with a taser was unable to use it, but we were not there.  Again, I urge calm while the investigation proceeds.

"My condolences go out to the family of this poor woman and I stand ready to help the family in their hour of need."​

Congressman Engel Lambasts Meager Social Security Cost-of-Living Increase

Passage of Engel COLA Bill Would Help Seniors

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, lead sponsor of the Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act, released the following statement on the Social Security Administration’s announcement that seniors’ Social Security benefits would increase just 0.3 percent in 2017, a bump of about $5 per month for the average senior citizen:

“This year’s disgraceful cost-of-living increase would be laughable if it wasn’t so upsetting to see how our seniors are being treated. COLAs are vital to our seniors, who rely on these increases to make ends meet. Seniors’ Social Security benefits have not gone up more than 1.7% since 2012. These paltry increases fail to account for the real costs seniors face and could force many to forego crucial expenses, like medication – a heartbreaking choice no senior should be forced to make.

“What makes this problem all the more upsetting is the fact that it’s fixable. COLAs are tied to a measure of inflation called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). This index doesn’t adequately measure the types of costs frequently incurred by older Americans. The CPI-W puts a heavier emphasis on expenses more commonly incurred by the general population. Seniors have different spending habits, usually spending less on travel and gasoline and more on medication and housing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks an alternative index, the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), which specifically accounts for seniors’ typical expenses – like medical care and shelter – to measure inflation. Using the CPI-E would allow the government to more accurately base COLAs on the true living costs that seniors face. And, importantly, the CPI-E regularly determines a greater cost-of-living increase than the CPI-W.

“I have introduced the Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act, which requires the use of the more appropriate CPI-E to determine the Social Security COLA. In addition, my bill would ensure seniors receive a minimum 3% COLA every year, even if the CPI-E COLA falls below this amount. Our nation’s seniors should not struggle to survive on account of an obsolete formula and Congressional inaction. I will continue pushing to remedy this issue and finally afford seniors the annual COLAs they deserve.”

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN CELEBRATES THE OPENING OF THE VETERANS’ CENTER AT MERCY COLLEGE MADE POSSIBLE WITH $200,000 GRANT

State Senator Jeff Klein, Mercy College President Timothy Hall and students on Tuesday unveiled a new state-of-the-art Veteran’s Center.

Senator Klein provided $200,000 in state funding for the multi-use student activity commons, which includes a Veterans’ Center, general student lounge, and a computer lab.

Three hundred veterans attend Mercy College and 100 of them are based at The Bronx campus.  With the new space, our brave service men and women will be able to transition into academic life comfortably, and can socialize or relax in the lounge while enjoying television, video games, and meals. Veterans can also work on assignments using the computers within the lounge or visit the full service computer lab across the hall.  

The Student Veterans of America and the Home Depot Foundation also contributed to the creation of the Veterans’ Center.  The Veterans’ Center will be supported by PACT Mentor Viviana DeCohen who will ensure that student veterans are aware of all campus resources available to help them with their educational goals.  

“I am proud to have provided $200,000 in funding for Mercy College and provide our students with a computer lab, a student lounge, and now a veterans’ center.  We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who bravely served in our military.  The Veterans’ Center will allow these students to have a dedicated area to study, complete assignments, and connect with fellow veterans. We must honor the great sacrifices our servicemen and women have made for our nation. I am proud to have spearheaded a number of programs to help our veterans, such as the Veterans Tax Credit legislation that I sponsored that helps provide jobs for our veterans returning from overseas by offering incentives to businesses as well as our Bronx HIRE program which helps veterans find job opportunities within the community,” said Senator Klein.

“As a ‘Yellow Ribbon School’ designated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mercy’s commitment to our veterans is something special and something that I believe makes a real difference in their lives.  Our active service members and veterans come from all branches of the country’s armed forces with one common goal: to transition successfully to civilian life through education and getting a job. Resources such as professional mentors, flexible hours and maximized awards for military training, transfer credits and military exams all make the transition from soldier to scholar smoother, so our students can focus on their studies,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall.  

Who is Watching Community Boards?

  There are 52 community boards in New York City which are ninety-nine percent advisory. Each community board has a budget of over $300,000.00 to spend by unpaid volunteer politically appointed members. Just who checks every appointment to a community board to see that the boards are not wasting taxpayer dollars? These community boards hire district managers who are judged some of the time on political motives and not job qualifications. It is the chair of a community board who can sway members to vote a certain way, however that does not always happen as we saw at last nights Community Board 7 meeting.

Pictured above is CB 7 member Ms. Robyn Saunders as she give her speech as to why board members should elect her. There were four candidates running for the position, and it was announced that two members withdrew from the election leaving two members running for the position. Ms. Saunders became the new second Vice-Chair of CB 7 much to the chagrin of certain Cb 7 members including the Chair as I was told by more than one person. 

On the agenda was a motion to spend $25,000.00 to hire a consultant to do a study of the CB 7 area for a rezoning and land use study. The motion passed unanimously. One has to question why this money is being spent when the City Planning Commission recently did a full Zoning for Quality and Affordability of New York City. 

The best part of the meeting however was the motion to continue the probation of the current district manager until the February full board meeting, which would be a probation period of one full year. This by the way is the third or fourth time that CB 7 has voted to extend the probation period of the current district manager. This is also the fourth district manager in as almost as many years. Two of the previous district managers flat out quit, while the other two were let go of by the board. Of the 36 member of Community Board 7 the motion to continue the probation of the current district manager was passed after a brief Executive Session (which was closed to the public) 19 voted in favor of the resolution with no negative votes and no abstentions. It seems to be that the other 17 members of Cb 7 had other things that were more important to them than voting to continue the probation period of their current district manager. Either that or those members chose to boycott what appears to be a vendetta by the board chair to fire the current district manager. As the Executive Session ended and the board members returned to the room CB 7 Chair Adeline Walker Santiago said some words to me since I had spoke in the public gallery session that extending the probation period for one years was out of line, and I also told of the current district managers excellent work ethics before being selected to be the new district manager at CB 7. 

CB 7 Budget/Personnel/Ethics Chair Andrew Laiosa calls for a vote on the motion to extend the probation period of the district manager until February 2017. 

With all the problems at CB 7 maybe it is time for CB 7 to elect a new board chair as it did a second vice-chair.