Westchester Square Tree Lighting and Toy Giveaway

  It was a bitter cold Friday evening, but about 100 people were at Westchester Square to see the tree lighting and visit Santa in his local workshop to receive a free toy to the children on hand. The Westchester Square BID along with Assemblymen Mark Gjonaj and Michael Benedetto, Tom Messina of Congressman Crowley's office, local merchants, CB 10 Vice Chair John Marano, Santa's Elves and Reindeer were on hand. 

Above - All stand in front of the tree before it is lit, as everyone awaits santa's arrival.

Below - A lovely lit tree is now behind the group with Santa.

Above - Santa's Elves prepare the workshop for Santa and all the children.

Below - Rudolph arrives to tell the Elves Santa is about to arrive. 

Above - A group photo of Santa, the elected officials, merchants, and Santa's helpers, but someone is missing.

Below - Assemblyman Michael Benedetto is now in the photo after drinking some delicious hot chocolate which was provided with fresh baked cookies. 

Above and Below -Children then came in to sit on Santa's lap and receive a free toy.

Above - Another child sits on Santa's lap then receives a toy.

Below - Santa asks this young lady what she wants for Christmas.

COUNCIL MEMBER ANDY KING RELEASES REGARDING DATE SET FOR OFFICER HASTE DEPARTMENTAL TRIAL

  NYC Council Member Andy King Expresses Satisfaction Of January Date Set For Departmental Trial for NYPD Officer Richard Haste

“While I am extremely grateful that a date has been set for the departmental trial of Officer Richard Haste, it is my hope that the process, based upon the facts, will result in justice with Haste and the other officers being held accountable for their actions. This is long overdue, it was nearly five years ago when Ramarley Graham was killed,” said Council Member Andy King.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, HUD SECRETARY CASTRO, AND T-MOBILE ANNOUNCE 5,000 FAMILIES IN BRONX PUBLIC HOUSING TO RECEIVE FREE TABLETS AND MOBILE INTERNET SERVICE

  At a press conference yesterday Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the first 5,000 families in NYCHA housing to receive free Tablets and mobile Internet service. Statements are below with photos. It must be noted that when the mayor took questions this reporter asked why can you give free tablets and Internet service, but residents in NYCHA houses must wait over five years for necessities like a stove or refrigerator. I also asked about the condition of the curbs after streets are milled for repaving, and damaged by the contractors. The mayor replied that the second part of my question about curbs was off topic, and as for the stoves and refrigerators he went into how NYCHA has an eighteen billion dollar backlog of repairs, blaming the federal government for not putting in its fair share of funding into public housing. 

   Reporters such as Marcia Kramer from Channel 2 News then asked about the fine by the Campaign Finance Board, and two investigations into dealings which involved the mayor. Mayor de Blasio said that the question was off topic and he was not going to answer it, and after the third reporter asked the same question the mayor said he was not taking anymore questions and quickly left the room. 

$2 million in tablets and discounted mobile internet service provided by T-Mobile complement Wi-Fi networks under construction in public housing communities in all five boroughs and the New York Public Library’s Mi-Fi hot-spot loan initiative, advancing the City’s goal of achieving universal affordable internet access by 2025 

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today announced in partnership with T-Mobile that families living in public housing in the Bronx will receive 5,000 new tablet computers connected to T-Mobile’s high-speed data network. As part of this commitment, T-Mobile will also become a national stakeholder in the Obama Administration’s ConnectHome initiative. Beginning in January, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will distribute the tablets – valued at $159 each – to qualifying families with children under 19 years old..

“Increasing internet access across the city is not just a noble goal – it’s a necessary one. These days, the internet is virtually a requirement for people searching for jobs or students doing homework. We are thrilled to find one more way to boost access in the Bronx – and we’re thankful to our partners at T-Mobile and HUD for helping to make this happen,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The ConnectHome program is providing children and families the tools they need to stay competitive in this 21^st century global economy,” said U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. “With this new commitment to ConnectHome, T-Mobile and the City of New York are making a meaningful impact to close the digital divide for thousands of New York public housing residents.”

This investment is part of the de Blasio Administration’s commitment to expanding internet access, which recognizes that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a critical service that must be affordable to all city residents. 

The tablets come preloaded with apps and links connecting users to City services and directories, including the award-winning MyNYCHA app, the 311 app, the New York Public Library’s SimplyE app, ACCESS NYC,mystudent.nyc, openebooks.net, and links to information on IDNYC and local computer centers. T-Mobile will provide free introductory training for recipients. In addition, the New York Public Library will expand digital literacy and mobile tablet training programs at nearby branches in the Bronx, which will help New Yorkers learn about computer and internet basics, social media, protecting online information and privacy, career development, coding, and more.

T-Mobile has committed $2 million in devices and discounted service for this initiative and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications is overseeing and will be funding the two years of discounted high-speed mobile data for these tablets at a cost of $1.2 million. Eligible developments and the schedule for distribution events, including T-Mobile tablet trainings, will be announced in January 2017, when residents will be able to register for the tablets online or through a phone hotline. NYCHA will also distribute flyers to eligible residents prior to the opening of registration.

Nearly 26 percent of households in the Bronx have no internet at home and no mobile internet plan – well above the citywide rate of 19.8 percent. This commitment will bring affordable, high-speed internet access to more NYCHA households in the Bronx. The tablet distribution complements the Administration’s $10 million investment in building wireless networks that serve public housing residents in the Queensbridge, Red Hook and Mott Haven, Jefferson and Stapleton Houses communities, which the Mayor and Secretary announced last year. Free Wi-Fi service launched this week for the first section of the Queensbridge Houses.

Above - Mayor Bill de Blasio listens to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro about public housing in the city and the needs of the families.

Below - Bailey Benson holds her new mobile Internet accessible phone from T-Mobil. 

Above - the Benson family poses with the mayor and Secretary Castro and the new tablet given to the family.

Below a close up of Mayor de Blasio as he is about to bolt the press conference after the third question about the CFB fine and questions of investigations of him.

Bronx Tourism Council - HAPPY EVERYTHING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

DNC Vice-Chair R.T. Rybak endorses Michael Blake to succeed him as a DNC Vice-Chair

  Today, the Michael Blake for DNC campaign announced that Blake has secured the endorsement of former Minneapolis Mayor and current DNC Vice Chair, R.T. Rybak.

In announcing his endorsement of Blake to succeed him as Vice-Chair, Rybak cited the need for new progressive leadership in the party, saying:

“In 2008, it was my pleasure to work side by side with Michael in the Minnesota Presidential primary for then-Senator Barack Obama. Together, we mobilized communities across the state, from union families to Somalian Americans, to millennials, to take action and support the President’s candidacy. I saw firsthand his ability to put together coalitions and identify strategic paths to victory. Mike is exceptionally prepared to help Democrats win local elections and harness our diversity than Michael Blake.”

Accepting the endorsement, Blake said, “I’m honored to have R.T.'s support not just for my candidacy, but for our campaign's vision of a Vice-Chair dedicated to winning local elections.”

Blake served as a White House liaison for state and local elected officials and led African-American & Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises outreach. As a two-time campaign aide to President Obama including serving as Michigan Deputy State Director in 2008 where the campaign won all seven down ballot campaigns for their coordinated campaign effort.  In 2012 he served as the National Deputy Director of Operation Vote, the constituency vote effort for the campaign that helped win nine out of ten battleground states

Blake announced his candidacy last week, focusing on the party’s need to identify, train and help candidates win local elections and embrace our party's diversity. Under the theme of "Leadership for Tomorrow" Blake laid out plans to Build our Bench, Strengthen our Party, and Embrace our Future.

Blake is a graduate of New York City public schools and Northwestern University, where he earned his degree in Broadcast Journalism before embarking on a career in public service. As a campaign manager, he's helped win several local elections and flip the Michigan house to Democratic control. He is currently a member of the New York State General Assembly.

 

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS ANDREA HAGELGANS SENIOR ADVISOR, MICHAEL CASCA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

  New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointments of two senior strategy and communications aides. Andrea Hagelgans will now serve as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning, where she will be charged with crafting the architecture of key mayoral policy initiatives and communications strategies. Michael Casca has been appointed Communications Director, a post vacated by Hagelgans, responsible for mayoral and agency communications and event coordination.

Hagelgans has served in City Hall since May of 2014. She was instrumental in the development of communications strategies behind high-profile policy speeches, State of the City addresses, budget announcements, the rollouts of universal pre-K and paid parental leave, and the city’s response to Ebola. Prior to joining the de Blasio administration, Hagelgans worked as a communications consultant and as a senior strategist for Planned Parenthood, where she helped lead the successful effort against the Komen Foundation’s attempt to defund the health care organization.

Casca comes to City Hall after serving as deputy communications director for Senator Bernie Sanders and director of rapid response for Sanders’ presidential campaign. Casca has also served as an aide to U.S.Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Casca will be starting his new role in January.

“Andrea and Michael are supremely talented public servants who bring years of experience meeting some of the most demanding strategic and communications challenges government can face,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our administration’s ability to listen to and engage New Yorkers in communicating our work is at the core of our commitment to help build a fairer New York – founded on the principle that our city only succeeds if everyone has the opportunity to share in our progress. I’m confident Andrea and Michael will serve New Yorkers with the professionalism that has defined their public service.”

“I have been fortunate enough to be involved in many of our administration’s toughest and most important communications challenges,” said Senior Advisor Andrea Hagelgans. “I continue to be inspired by the mayor’s vision for a fairer New York City with shared progress for communities across our five boroughs. I am looking forward to finding creative and compelling ways to build on our policy successes and share the administration's work in the most dynamic, competitive media market in the world.”

"I am grateful to the mayor for the opportunity to serve 8.5 million New Yorkers. I believe in Mayor de Blasio’s vision to tackle income inequality and ensure the city works for everyone,” said Communications Director Michael Casca. I look forward to working hard with the talented team in City Hall to lift up the voices of working people fighting every day to make ends meet."

Chief Judge DiFiore and Mayor de Blasio Announce Opening of New Summons Court in Lower Manhattan

$20 Million Investment in Streamlined Architectural Design Part of Larger Effort to Improve Quality of Justice in City’s Summons Process

   Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the opening of a state-of-the-art court facility in lower Manhattan that will handle Criminal Court summonses issued in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as summonses issued citywide for building and fire code violations. The Chief Judge presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new court, a $20 million renovation funded by the City that includes a dedicated entrance, new lobby, and an extensively renovated 40,000 square foot space on the 16^th floor of the 40-story, landmark David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at Once Center Street comprising three courtrooms and a spacious back office area to accommodate the Court’s administrative operations.

Relocating the Summons Court to a modern, streamlined facility is a major step forward in a more comprehensive plan to improve the summons process. Launched as a partnership between the court system and the Mayor’s Office in 2014, this project is improving the quality of justice for New Yorkers by making the summons process easier to understand and navigate. To date, this initiative has redesigned the paper summons form to make it simpler to read and understand; created a text message reminder system to ensure that defendants do not miss their court appearances; and offered online payment options and more flexible court appearance dates and times, among other enhancements.

The new facility, formerly occupied by New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), has been revamped to expedite the flow of traffic and enhance case processing in the high-volume Summons Court. The redesign incorporates many high-tech elements, from an electronic check-in system that will reduce wait times to acoustical features to help ensure proper sound levels in the courtrooms and other areas.

New York court facilities are provided and operated by the cities and counties they serve, with the court system’s Office of Facilities Planning offering architectural and other guidance relating to the design, renovation and construction of court facilities as well as services supporting their day-to-day management and operations. The Municipal Building is owned by the City of New York. The building where the Summons Court was previously located, at 346 Broadway in Manhattan, was sold by the City to a private corporation. 

Summonses in New York City are issued by over 40 certified agencies, including the New York City Police Department, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York City Fire Department. The new Summons Court will house the citywide summons operation’s central receiving unit, where authorized agencies deliver summonses issued throughout the five boroughs. The unit separates the summonses by borough and appearance date, then checks them for serious defects that would prevent their being docketed, before forwarding them to the appropriate borough to be reviewed for legal sufficiency prior to the scheduled arraignment date. In 2015, over 330,000 summons filings were processed by the central receiving unit.

“Having modern, clean and secure court facilities is integral to the Judiciary’s vital mission. This beautiful new Summons Court, designed for optimal efficiency and navigability, will enable us to better serve the justice needs of the people of this great City, providing a dignified environment that fosters respect for and confidence in our justice system. I want to extend my gratitude to the Mayor’s Office, the City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Criminal Court of the City of New York and the courts’ Office of Facilities Planning for their collaboration and support, to which we owe the successful transformation of this space into a highly functioning courthouse,” said Chief Judge DiFiore. 

            “Trust is the foundation of public safety, and the principles of legitimacy – respect, fairness, transparency and voice – are the cornerstones of the City’s work to ensure every New Yorker has confidence in the justice system. Design is a key piece of building trust: whether it is creating an open and welcoming courtroom, reducing wait times or providing clear explanations of the process. The Mayor and the City are grateful to the Chief Judge for her leadership and the Office of Court Administration for its partnership in suffusing the design of the structure and process of the new Summons Court with the principles that advance our joint goals of improving the quality of justice for all New Yorkers,” said Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.

           “This new court facility demonstrates Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to the fair and equitable administration of justice. DCAS is proud that we delivered this project on time and under budget,” said DCAS Commissioner Lisette Camilo. 

The new Summons Court, which will open for business on Monday, December 19, is expected to average 250 to 400 visitors daily.

State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., Councilman Rafael Salamanca, and New York State Republican Chair Ed Cox Toy Giveaway