New York State Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz - Looks to Unused Religious Properties To Fight School Overcrowding

In A letter to Department of Education, Bronx Assembly Member calls on city to consider acquiring vacant Catholic Diocese property to fight severe overcrowding and poor conditions at District 10 public schools

 

Dinowitz request comes as private developers target old churches and synagogues for condo development

   To fight the rampant overcrowding at public schools in the Bronx and around the city, New York State Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz is turning to religion. In a letter to New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, the Bronx Assemblyman is urging the city to consider purchasing an unused Catholic Diocese property to reduce crowding and address poor conditions at area schools.

 

"Private developers all over the city are snatching up unused religious properties to convert into condos. Buildings like Church of the Visitation were intended for the greater public good and it only makes sense that we consider them for new public uses," said Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz. "That's why I urge the Department of Education to consider acquiring this and other unused Catholic Diocese properties in the Bronx to help alleviate the overcrowding and poor conditions our children face."

In a letter to Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, Assembly Member Dinowitz called on the city to consider acquiring a property currently owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Dinowitz writes that the former Church of the Visitation off Van Cortlandt Park sits "at the crossroads" of the zones for four local schools: P.S. 95, P.S. 7, P.S. 24 and P.S. 81. Acquiring this property, Dinowitz argues, would help alleviate crowding within School District 10 and provide families with a new state-of-the-art-facility.

 

As Dinowitz points out, there is a precedent for the proposal. Recently, the city relocated P.S. 315 from the southern end of District 10 to the former Our Lady of Angels School. Meanwhile, nearby P.S. 307, itself located in a former synagogue just three blocks from Our Lady, continues to suffer from serious maintenance issues that Dinowitz contends puts students at a "severe disadvantage." To address this, the Assembly Member has called on the city to find a similar solution as with P.S. 315.    

Both issues come as the local School District 10 faces serious overcrowding issues. According to a 2015 Independent Budget Office report, District 10 ranked as the most crowded school district in the borough at a time when 80% of city schools exceed state-mandated limits on class size.

 

Assembly Member Dinowitz has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce school overcrowding and secure resources for students. In recent months, Dinowitz has been at the center of the fight to address overcrowding at P.S. 24 in Riverdale. Just this week, Dinowitz and fellow legislators called on the city to allocate state education resources to increasing diversity at the city's specialized high schools.

 

To garner support for his school acquisition proposal, Dinowitz intends to address the local Community Board and civic groups in the coming weeks. For the veteran lawmaker, his responsibility to area school children is clear.

 

"Providing our children with the tools to succeed is one of my greatest responsibilities as an elected official. If we can't ensure students a quality education, then the whole community suffers," concluded Assemblyman Dinowitz.

Council Member Cohen Launches "District 11 Community Activist of the Month" Award

Wakefield Parks Activist Audrey McAllister Receives Inaugural Honor

Council Member Andrew Cohen has announced that he is launching a new “District 11 Community Activist of the Month” award, and the inaugural honor will go to Audrey McAllister, a Wakefield resident.

Cohen is launching “District 11 Community Activist of the Month” for one specific purpose: to recognize individuals who have advocated successfully on community issues of concern to them. He hopes that this initiative will encourage more residents to become further engaged in the community and raise awareness that his office is a resource available to everyone.

“In devising this program, my plan is to single out residents who have pushed for, and achieved, civic

improvements, whether large or small,” said Council Member Cohen. “Audrey McAllister has modeled the type of community activism I’d like to nurture—she has persistently and thoughtfully targeted issues in Wakefield, and possible improvements that could benefit many individuals, and we were able to resolve a number of her concerns as a result of her cooperative efforts with my office. “

Cohen noted that McAllister first became involved with his district office through the Participatory Budgeting process, suggesting improvements to parks and where she voluntarily became further involved with PB serving as a budget delegate. She also attends monthly meetings of civic groups in her neighborhood, and interfaces with school groups to draw attention to issues, he added.

Citing an example, Cohen noted that McAllister proposed improvements to the Wakefield playground. He partnered with State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Assembly Member Jeff Dinowitz and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. to allocate $2.2 million in capital funds, $950,000 from Cohen, for improvements to the Wakefield playground.

Ms. McAllister has also created the Friends of Wakefield Playground advocacy group and she volunteers to maintain the Playground, one of the only public recreational spaces in the community. Additionally, she has advocated for traffic safety and other quality of life improvements in the neighborhood.

“McAllister’s efforts have resulted in a better Wakefield neighborhood,” said Cohen. “She deserves to be named ‘District 11 Community Activist of the Month’.”

Senator Adriano Espaillat - Free Flu Shots/Vacunas gratis contra la gripe

Dear Neighbor,

My office, in partnership with with New York-Presbyterian, will be providing the community with free flu shots at ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center on tomorrow, October 26th, from 10:00am-1:00pm. 

ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center is located in Washington Heights at 4111 Broadway (w.174th St.) New York, NY 10033. 

Sincerely, 

Adriano Espaillat 

Apreciado Vecino,

 

Mi oficina, en cooperación con el hospital New York-Presbyterian, estará proveyendo a la comunidad la vacuna contra la gripe (flu) gratis en el Centro de Personas Mayores ARC XVI Fort Washington el miercoles, 26 de octubre, de 10:00am-1:00pm. 

 

ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center está localizado en Washington Heights, en el 4111 Broadway (w.174th St.) New York, NY 10033. 

 

Sinceramente, 

Adriano Espaillat 

COUNCILMAN WILLIAMS STATEMENT ON FLOOD OF ILLEGAL GUNS INTO NEW YORK FROM OUT OF STATE

 Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and convener of the National Network to Combat Gun Violence, issued the following statement in regard to the new report from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman revealing 90% of guns used in crimes in New York come from out of state - mainly Florida, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,  and South Carolina.

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS

 

"The need for stricter federal gun laws is evidenced by Attorney General Schneirderman's report.  It fully explains away the unfounded  equation that says since areas with high amounts of gun violence, often have tighter gun restrictions, then restrictions therefore have no meaning.

 

"Quite the contrary, as this report points out, what is needed is stricter federal guidelines, not weaker ones, and a focus on the gun trafficking that is made so much easier by inconsistent laws.

 

"Take an area like Chicago, Illinois that has some of the toughest gun laws in the country; but at the same time, deals with some of the nation's highest incidents of gun violence. A closer look shows that local restrictions are working, since most of the guns used come from outside of Chicago, with a high percentage coming from two counties near Chicago with lax gun selling processes.

 

"We need a combined approach to this pandemic; tougher gun laws that respect the Second Amendment and can deal with the supply of guns into our communities, as well as, resources to address the demand of violence that are too often a response to conditions many are forced to live in." 

NYC Council Member Andy King to Honor Veterans

   New York City Council Member Andy King will host a Veterans Day Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 4, 11 a.m., at 135 Einstein Loop, room 45, Co-op City, Bronx.

GROUNDS OF JEROME PARK RESERVOIR TO BE OPENED FOR LIMITED ACCESS RECREATION IN NOVEMBER

   The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that it will open the grounds of Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx for special limited access recreation on the weekend of Nov. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Members of the public will have the opportunity to walk or jog around the 2-mile perimeter of the Reservoir.  Phones, bags and cameras will not be permitted on the Reservoir grounds.  There will be an opportunity to check phones, but visitors should not bring bags or cameras.  Entry to the Reservoir Grounds will be through a Gate House located on the west side of Goulden Avenue, just south of 205th Street.  There will be a similar recreation weekend in May 2017.

In addition to the public recreation, this fall DEP will continue its partnership with schools located in the vicinity of the Reservoir to provide a pilot education program on New York City’s drinking water system.  This will include teacher professional development, classroom visits and guided tours of the Reservoir grounds.  Since last winter, more than 1,200 students from Bronx H.S. of Science, DeWitt Clinton H.S., P.S. 8, P.S. 86 and P.S. 95 have taken part in the program.

Jerome Park Reservoir is roughly 93-acres in size, has the capacity to hold up to 773 million gallons of water, and is located in the northwest Bronx.  It receives water from the City’s Croton Watershed, located in Westchester and Putnam Counties, and is the last stop for the water before it enters the Croton Water Filtration Plant and goes into the City’s distribution system.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed.  In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $14 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year.  For more information, visitnyc.gov/dep<http://www.nyc.gov/dep>

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj - Winter Health and Wellness Fair Coming Soon

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj and Senator Jeffrey Klein 

in conjunction with 

Bronx House 

 present

WINTER HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR

BRONX HOUSE

990 Pelham Parkway South

Bronx , NY 10461

Monday - December 12, 2016

5:30 - 8:30pm

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman - Fighting the Opioid Epidemic and Protecting Vulnerable Citizens

An agreement with Cigna, a major global health insurer, will remove barriers to opioid treatment drugs for patients nationwide.

Ensuring Affidavit Ballot Opportunities

After a preliminary investigation discovered  inconsistencies in ballot access across NY, the Attorney General sent letters to local election boards statewide, instructing them to offer affidavit ballots to any voter who may be registered, but does not appear on local voter rolls.

Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

Six nurses were arrested for exploiting the financial vulnerability of elderly residents. Nursing home residents are among our state’s most vulnerable citizens, and they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and dignity by those in charge of their care. 

Prosecuting For-Profit Schools That Defraud Taxpayers

The Attorney General announced a $4.3 million settlement with the owners of a for-profit school network who used special education programs as a way to defraud the government and cheat on their taxes—sticking law abiding New Yorkers with the bill in the process. 

Have a question, comment, or complaint? Click here. You can also learn more about the various initiatives of the Attorney General's office by visiting our website at ag.ny.gov. You can also call our General Hotline: 800-771-7755.