Some Photos of Today's Snowfall

  Here are some photos of the  snowfall in the Riverdale area.

Above - While most of the city had 8 - 12 inches of snowfall, the Bronx was hit with 6 - 8 inches.

Below - What the Henry Hudson Parkway southbound looked like at noon from the  West 239th Street overpass.

Above and Below - Plows were out large ones from the Department of Sanitation, and small one from the Department of Transportation.

Above - There were even plows from the New York City Transit Authority.

Below - To help keep the buses rolling. Notice the chains on the rear tires of this bus which had to go up hills.

Above - Even the UPS truck was out making deliveries, but today there were no Traffic Enforcement Agents to write tickets for them. 

Below - One of my favorite eating places in Riverdale Yo Burger may have been closed, but it was quite a scene to see all the snow on the tables and seats outside.

Former DEA Agent Sentenced For Making False Statements Regarding Employment At Adult Entertainment Establishment

   Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DAVID POLOS, formerly an Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), was sentenced to one year of probation, 250 hours of community service, and $5,300 in financial penalties for conspiracy and making false statements to the government regarding his and a DEA colleague’s employment at an adult entertainment establishment. POLOS, who was convicted at trial along with co-conspirator and former DEA colleague Glen Glover on June 9, 2016, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe. In sentencing POLOS, Judge Gardephe said that POLOS’s behavior was “truly shocking” for a law enforcement official who held “a great deal of responsibility.”

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Bharara said: “David Polos, a former supervisory DEA agent, was sentenced today for lying on his national security forms. Even more so than others, federal agents, sworn to enforce the law, must first obey it themselves. Polos violated his oath and broke the law. He now stands a convicted felon.”

According to the evidence established at trial:

POLOS, who supervised the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Strike Force as an Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, and Glover lied about his employment at, and ownership interests in, an adult entertainment establishment (the “Club”) in Northern New Jersey in connection with a background check that was specifically designed to determine their suitability as employees of a federal law enforcement agency with access to classified information. POLOS also failed to disclose, in response to a question about his relationships with foreign nationals, his intimate relationship with a Brazilian national who danced at the Club. The national security forms POLOS and Glover submitted in connection with the background check required disclosure of outside employment in part due to concerns attendant to certain types of employment, including proximity to crime and persons involved in crime and the risk of employee blackmail.

Glover and POLOS submitted national security forms in August and September 2011, respectively, that stated, among other things, that they did not have employment other than their DEA jobs within the previous seven years, and that POLOS had not had any close, continuing contact with foreign nationals during that same period of time. In fact, Glover was the part owner of, and POLOS had a convertible ownership interest in, the Club. POLOS had, at the time he submitted his form, begun an intimate relationship with a foreign national from Brazil who worked as a dancer at the Club. POLOS and Glover had been warned by others, including Club employees, that at times drug use, drug sales, and illicit sexual activity appeared to be taking place at and outside the Club, which also operated as an all-cash business and did not pay required taxes during its first year in operation.

POLOS and Glover both worked regular managerial shifts at the Club in the months prior to and following their submission of the national security forms. They also hired, fired, and paid bartenders, dancers, and bouncers; supervised the Club’s renovation, advertised the Club in local periodicals; manned a back office available only to employees; remotely monitored video camera feed from the Club when not present; and generally tended to various Club-related matters. POLOS and Glover at times attended to Club matters during DEA work hours.

Had POLOS and Glover truthfully disclosed their employment at the Club, their ownership and involvement in the affairs of the Club would have been investigated as part of their background checks, and the security clearances that they were required to maintain as federal law enforcement employees likely would have been denied.

POLOS, 51, of West Nyack, New York, and Glover, 45, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to make false statements, and were each convicted of one count of making false statements, in connection with their work at the Club. POLOS was convicted of an additional count of false statements in connection with his failure to disclose his relationship with a foreign national. Glover is due to be sentenced on February 10, 2017.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. He also thanked the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division for its assistance.

Statement From A.G. Schneiderman On Decision By D.c. Federal District Court Enjoining Merger Between Health Insurers Anthem And Cigna

  Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement on the decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to enjoin the anticompetitive merger between insurance giants Anthem and Cigna. On July 21, 2016, Attorney General Schneiderman filed a joint lawsuit with the Department of Justice, ten other states, and the District of Columbia, which sought a court order to halt the merger between the two companies:

“This decision is a significant victory for consumers in New York and across the country. The Anthem-Cigna merger had the potential to harm millions of consumers who are covered by health insurance plans—including hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers—in the form of higher premium costs, reduced accessibility, and lower quality of care.  I thank my federal and state partners for their remarkable work in the fight to stop this merger. Effective competition is essential in healthcare markets, and we will continue to vigorously enforce the antitrust laws to prevent mergers that may harm consumers.”

The complaint alleged, and the District Court agreed, that the merger would lessen competition  in the market for national plans sold to large employers covering employees within the fourteen states where Anthem operates as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee, including New York. The complaint also alleged that the merger would lessen competition for large employer plans in 35 local markets, including the New York City metropolitan area, and that the merger would drive down reimbursement rates for healthcare providers in a manner that might affect access to and quality of health care services in some areas of the country, including the New York City metropolitan area.  The District Court did not need to reach those issues because it enjoined the transaction based on the national plan allegations alone.

Anthem and Cigna are two of the top five largest national health insurance carriers in the United States and, collectively, provide commercial health insurance to approximately three million individuals in New York City.

The case is captioned United States et al. v. Anthem Inc. et al., and is docketed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under Civil Action No. 1:16-cv-01493 (Jackson, J.).

A.G. Schneiderman Announces $255,000 Settlement With General Contractor And Developer For Failure To Pay Workers Required Prevailing Wage

Settlement Is First Time Attorney General’s Office Has Enforced Prevailing Wage Laws Through The New York False Claims Act

Schneiderman:  We Will Not Allow Developers Or Contractors To Profit Off The Backs Of Hard-Working New Yorkers

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a $255,000 settlement resolving whistleblower allegations that a New York City-based general contractor, a property developer, and their principals failed to enforce the prevailing wage requirements of their public works project.  The settlement was reached with A. Aleem Construction Inc., the general contractor (“Aleem”), its owner Mervyn Frank, and West 131st Street Development Corp., the developer (“West 131”), and West 131’s principals, Alan Levine and Ralph McKoy. As part of the settlement, Aleem and West 131 will pay a total of $255,000 in penalties and restitution.  The restitution will be used to fulfill unpaid wages and overtime for up to 28 carpenters and laborers cheated on Aleem and West 131’s project.  The Laborers’ Eastern Region Organizing Fund (“LEROF”), as the relator that alerted the Attorney General to this fraud, will receive a portion of the overall payments made by Aleem and West 131.

The settlement reached in this case marks the first time that the prevailing wage laws have been enforced through the New York False Claims Act.

“We will not allow developers or contractors to profit off the backs of hard-working New Yorkers,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The law is clear: government contractors must pay their workers the prevailing wage. We will continue to aggressively pursue those who rip off taxpayers and fail to compensate workers the wages they are owed.”

The New York False Claims Act, an important tool for fighting fraud against the government, allows whistleblowers who have knowledge of fraud (known as “relators”) against New York State or local governments to file a complaint and to receive a portion of the money recovered.  In this case, the construction contract required workers to be paid the prevailing wage.  Prevailing wage laws seek to ensure that government contractors pay wages and benefits comparable to the local norms for a given trade, typically well above minimum wage rates.

The Attorney General alleges that Aleem and its owner and West 131 and its principals violated the New York False Claims Act by making claims for payment while acting in reckless disregard of their contractual obligations to ensure compliance with the prevailing wage laws.  An investigation by the Attorney General’s Office found that, despite their legal and contractual obligations to do so, these entities and individuals failed to ensure that the workers on the project were paid the required prevailing wages and, in fact, that at least some of the workers on the project were not paid as required by law. 

The Attorney General’s investigation relates to Aleem and West 131’s participation in the Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), in which private developers renovated and resold deteriorated City-owned buildings.  The project was funded in part with federal monies and, as a consequence, federal prevailing wage laws applied.

As part of the settlement agreement, the Attorney General secured commitments from Aleem and West 131 to submit to extensive compliance, remediation, and training requirements.  The Attorney General’s Labor Bureau will actively monitor their adherence to these requirements.

The settlement stems from a joint enforcement effort with the United States Department of Labor (“USDOL”) in which the two agencies worked collaboratively to protect the rights of workers in New York.  The USDOL previously obtained a settlement of $189,000 from Aleem and its owner based on prevailing wage underpayments, and this payment will be credited toward the amount owed under today’s settlement.

“Contractors commit to paying workers the required wages and fringe benefits when they bid on federally funded construction contracts with taxpayer funds,” said Regional Administrator Mark Watson, Jr., U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. “Failure to pay prevailing wages deprives workers the wages they have earned, and gives an unfair advantage over employers who obey the law.”

James W. Versocki of Archer, Byington, Glennon & Levine LLP represents the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund of the Laborers International Union of North America (“LIUNA”), the relator in this matter.   The Attorney General thanks the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund for alerting his office to these serious violations of the law and for assisting the OAG in its investigation. 

Robert Bonanza, Business Manager of the 17,000 Member Mason Tenders District Council Of Greater New York, LIUNA said, “With the announcement of this first ever prevailing wage case settlement under the New York False Claims Act, Attorney General Schneiderman has shown that wage theft can be combatted through partnerships with whistleblowers, such as the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund. On a daily basis we see the effects of wage theft on workers and their families, and once again the Attorney General has shown his commitment to protecting working people.” 

LEROF will utilize its share of the proceeds from the case to continue its mission of worker advocacy and outreach.

The Attorney General thanks the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Law Department’s Affirmative Litigation Division for their assistance in this investigation.

The investigation leading to the settlements announced today was conducted by the Taxpayer Protection Bureau, which Attorney General Schneiderman established in 2011 to combat the fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, and by the Attorney General’s Labor Bureau.

A.G. Schneiderman And Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Announce Lawsuit Against RD Legal

Lawsuit Also Accuses Company Of Deceiving National Football League Concussion Victims

Schneiderman: The Alleged Actions By RD Legal—Scamming 9/11 Heroes And Former NFL Players Struggling With Severe Injuries—Is Simply Shameful

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and the  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced today a lawsuit against RD Legal Funding, LLC, two related entities, and Roni Dersovitz, the companies’ founder and owner, for allegedly scamming 9/11 heroes out of money intended to cover medical costs, lost income, and other critical needs. RD Legal also allegedly conned National Football League (NFL) concussion victims. The Attorney General’s office and the CFPB allege that the illegal scheme deceived 9/11 first responders with cancer and other illnesses and football players with brain injuries out of millions of dollars by luring them into costly advances on compensation fund and settlement payouts by lying about the terms of the deals. In the suit filed in federal court, the lawsuit seeks to put an end to the company’s illegal practices, obtain relief for the victims, and impose penalties.

“The alleged actions by RD Legal—scamming 9/11 heroes and former NFL players struggling with severe injuries—are simply shameful. RD Legal used deceptive tactics to charge unlawfully high interest rates for advances on settlement and compensation funds, allowing them to profit off the backs of these unsuspecting individuals,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office will do all it can to end the fraudulent practices employed by RD Legal, recoup the illegal amounts charged by this company -- and make these victims whole again.”

“It is unconscionable that RD Legal scammed 9/11 heroes and NFL concussion victims out of millions of dollars,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “We allege that this company and its owner lined their pockets with funds intended to cover medical care and other critical expenses for people who are sick and sidelined. Our lawsuit seeks to end this illegal scheme and get money back to those entitled to receive it.”

RD Legal, based in Cresskill, N.J., is a company that offers advances to consumers entitled to payouts from victim compensation funds or lawsuit settlements. The company targeted fund awardees including police, firefighters, paramedics, and others who were first responders to the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Many of these first responders suffer from cancers and other respiratory illnesses related to their exposure to dust and debris at the attack site, post‐traumatic stress disorder, depression, and memory loss. They were awarded money from the Zadroga Fund, established by Congress to assist with needs including mounting medical costs and lost income because of their inability to work. The company also targeted former NFL players who have been diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and were entitled to payments from the settlement in a class action lawsuit.

The CFPB and the New York Attorney General allege that RD Legal contacted these consumers after they were awarded their money but before they received most of it. RD Legal then swooped in with a “deal,” offering the victims an upfront payment of some of the money they had not yet received which would be paid back when they received the balance of the payout. Through confusing contracts, RD Legal misrepresented to consumers their obligation to repay these expensive transactions, often collecting from the consumer more than twice what RD Legal had advanced only months earlier. Today’s lawsuit alleges that RD Legal’s illegal actions cost victims, many of whom suffered long‐term physical or cognitive harm, millions of dollars.

The CFPB and the New York Attorney General allege that the defendants violated several laws, including the Dodd‐Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’s prohibition on deceptive and abusive acts and practices. Specifically, the CFPB and New York Attorney General allege that RD Legal:

• Lured consumers into costly payouts by lying about the terms of the deal: Through convoluted contracts, RD Legal misrepresented to consumers what they were being offered. These misrepresentations deceived consumers, interfered with their understanding of the terms, costs, and conditions of the transactions, and prevented them from meaningfully evaluating what was being offered. The products were expensive. For example, one consumer was awarded $65,000 from the Zadroga Fund. While she waited for her full payment from the fund, RD advanced her $18,000. When her award payment from the fund arrived six months later, she had to repay $33,000 to RD Legal – so she paid $15,000 to RD above and beyond the money RD Legal advanced to her.

• Lied about speeding up the processing of consumers’ claims: RD Legal lied to consumers by claiming that it could “cut through red tape” to obtain their anticipated payments from claims administrators faster than would otherwise be possible. In fact, RD Legal had no authority or ability to change when victim compensation or settlement payouts occurred.

• Deceived consumers about when they would receive the money from RD Legal: RD Legal misrepresented to consumers when they would receive money from the company. On its website, the company promised that consumers would receive the money within several days of entering into the contract, but some consumers did not receive money until months after it was promised.

• Illegally collected money from consumers: When consumers received their payouts from their actual settlement funds, RD Legal attempted to recover its money from the victims. But the complaint alleges that the costly transactions are not valid and enforceable or they are void under New York law because they violated the state interest rate cap. As a result, no payment is due and RD Legal had no right to collect.

The Attorney General's Office also alleges additional violations of New York state law in the complaint, including that these transactions are in fact loans under New York law with usurious interest rates.  On many of these loans, RD Legal collected effective interest rates ranging from 18% to over 250%.  These interest rates exceed New York’s 16% civil usury cap and its 25% criminal usury cap.  Under New York law, contracts that charge more than the maximum usury rate are void.  RD Legal also engaged in false advertising and deceptive, fraudulent and illegal practices under New York law.  

The CFPB and New York Attorney General complaint can be found here.

Comptroller Stringer: NYC’s Economic Growth Slowed at the End of 2016

NYC’s Gross City Product grew 1.8%, down from 2.8% last quarter

Unemployment rate ticked up to 5.6 percent as more New Yorkers entered the labor force

Average hourly earnings in NYC grew slower than inflation in the Fourth Quarter, remaining effectively flat for the year

Potential cuts from the Trump White House add economic uncertainty

   New York City’s economy showed signs of slowing growth in the Fourth Quarter of 2016, according to a Quarterly Economic Update released today by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. The analysis found that the City’s economy grew 1.8 percent during the fall and winter of 2016, down from 2.8 percent growth in the Third Quarter, and the second lowest rate since 2014.

The report highlighted several economic indicators that show a slowdown, including rising unemployment, lackluster wage growth, declining commercial leasing activity, and continued declines in venture capital investments. The Comptroller’s report comes as the City faces extraordinary uncertainty around funding cuts from Washington.

“Last August I reported the economy had gone from a sprint to a jog. Now, New York City’s economy has slowed to a walk. After years of steady growth, we’re beginning to see real signs of an economic slowdown. From flat wage growth, to an uptick in unemployment, to declining venture capital investments, there are causes for concern and we need to be prepared,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “The economy’s still growing, but we have to make smart choices now so we are prepared in case tougher times arrive.”

The Fourth Quarter of 2016 saw 24,700 New Yorkers join the labor force, a positive indicator, although it helped drive the unemployment rate up to 5.6 percent.

Increases in average hourly earnings (AHE) slightly lagged inflation, with year-over-year rises of 1.5 percent and 1.6 percent respectively. That means that real wages and consumer buying power did not increase between the Fourth Quarters of 2015 and 2016. Between January and December of 2016, the City’s AHE grew less than 1 percent – the lowest annual growth since 2009.

Businesses in the City also reported indicators of a slowdown as 2016 came to a close. Venture capital investment in the New York metro area declined for the third consecutive quarter, falling 10.2 percent to about $2 billion. Total venture capital investment during 2016 fell for the first year since 2012 to $7.9 billion – 9.6 percent less than last year. In a positive sign, the City’s share of venture capital nationwide grew to 13.5 percent of the total.

In the Fourth Quarter, new commercial leasing activity in Manhattan fell 8.6 percent year-over-year to 5.8 million square feet (msf) – the fifth decline in the last six quarters. Overall, in 2016 total leasing activity fell 6.7 percent.

Released every quarter, the Comptroller’s Quarterly Economic Update examines a broad range of data that reflect current economic conditions in New York City. The report also highlights relevant national indicators. Though numbers can change significantly from quarter to quarter, they can be used to identify what could be potential long-term trends. Findings include:

New York City’s economy slowed at the end of 2016

• The City’s economy expanded 1.8 percent in the Fourth Quarter of 2016, below the 2.8 percent growth in the Third Quarter.

• For the entirety of 2016, the City economy expanded by 2.9 percent, slower than growth of 3.3 percent in 2015.

• The City continued to outpace the nation, with U.S. GDP rising at a 1.6 percent rate for 2016 as a whole. The City’s Fourth Quarter growth almost matched national growth of 1.9 percent during that period.

The City’s job market was weaker than 2015

• Preliminary data indicate that the City lost 14,500 private-sector jobs in the Fourth Quarter – the first quarterly decrease since the Third Quarter of 2009. The majority of these jobs were in medium-wage industries (8,500), followed by high-wage industries (4,100), and low-wage industries (1,900).

• For 2016 as a whole, however, the City added a fairly robust 89,500 jobs, but lower than 119,100 added in 2015. This represents an increase of 2.1 percent, compared to 1.7 percent in the nation. Most new private-sector jobs in 2016 were in low-wage sectors (41,000 or 48.5 percent) followed by mid-wage (30,000 or 35.2 percent) and high-wage (14,000 or 16.3 percent).

Real wages remained flat

• Private-sector average hourly earnings (AHE) in the City increased 1.5 percent, just below the 1.6 percent inflation rate in the metro area. For all of 2016, the City’s AHE grew only 0.7 percent, the lowest growth since 2009, and below national growth of 2.5 percent.

• City personal income tax (PIT) revenues rose 2.9 percent on a year-over-year basis to about $2.6 billion in the last quarter of 2016. While income taxes withheld from paychecks rose 4.6 percent to over $1.9 billion, estimated tax payments, which reflect trends in taxpayers’ non-wage income, including interest earned, rental income, and capital gains, fell 7.9 percent to $297 million.

• For the full year, City PIT revenues fell one percent as withholding grew 2.7 percent, but estimated tax payments declined 10 percent.

Unemployment rate rose

• The City’s unemployment rate rose to 5.6 percent in the Fourth Quarter, up from 5.5 percent in the last quarter and above the U.S. average of 4.7 percent.

• The number of unemployed New Yorkers rose by 8,400 in the Fourth Quarter, after increasing by 6,800 last quarter.

• The City’s labor force increased by 24,700, implying that some discouraged job seekers have begun searching for work again.

• In the Fourth Quarter, the unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in Queens, 5.2 percent in Brooklyn, and 7 percent in the Bronx. The rate remained unchanged at 5.1 percent in Staten Island and increased from 4.4 to 4.5 percent in Manhattan.

Venture capital investing and commercial leasing activity continued to contract

• Venture capital investment in the New York metro area fell for the third consecutive quarter, declining 10.2 percent, to about $2 billion, but the City’s share of venture capital nationwide grew to 16.8 percent of the total.

• For the full year, investment fell 9.6 percent to $7.9 billion, the first year of decline since 2012, and the City’s share of venture capital nationwide grew to 13.5 percent.

• For the fifth time in the last six quarters, commercial leasing activity in Manhattan contracted, falling 6 percent to 5.8 million square feet in the Fourth Quarter.

• In all of 2016, total Manhattan commercial leasing activity fell 6.7 percent.

Manhattan’s housing market slowed

• While the average home sales price in Manhattan increased for the seventh consecutive quarter, growing 7.7 percent to about $2.1 million, the number of sales fell 7 percent.

• Housing market conditions tightened in both Brooklyn and Queens, as the number of sales grew and average prices increased 17.3 percent to $947,553 and 9.8 percent to $573,455, respectively.

BRONX Community Board 7 HOSTS VETERANS BREAKFAST!

The Bronx Community Board 7 Veterans and Senior Services Committee is hosting its First Annual Veterans Breakfast and Soaring Eagle Awards Ceremony at Lehman College -Music Building on Friday, February 10, 2017 from 9am-12pm. 

This is an opportunity not only for all to enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet together, but to shed light on the prominent issues facing veterans, their families and dependents.  In response, to the latest and most comprehensive report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2016), “22 military veterans on average die by suicide every day”. 

The award ceremony, the first of its kind, where local government officials recognize, amplify, and honor those who have served our country and as well as those who continue to make extraordinary contributions to their communities by presenting them with “The Soaring Heights Eagle Awards”.

After which the Soaring Eagle Recipients will then Honor, Celebrate and Recognize their Spouses, families and dependents, and loved ones those who have also made enormous sacrifices, journeyed the distance, and have weathered the storms by presenting them with “The Wind Beneath My Wings Award”.  ALL Veterans in attendance will be honored and expected to receive individualCitations.

**For those who will attend please enter through Gate 8 located on Bedford and Paul Avenue! 

Award Presenters	Soaring Heights Eagle  Award Recipients	Wind Beneath My Wings Award Recipients
Veterans and Community Members Honor	Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr
NY Assembly Member Pichardo	US Veteran (Retired) General Commissioner Loree Sutton, MD Sgt. Perdroso (Posthumously)	Laura Leitch, Spouse Linda Perdroso, Daughter
NY Council Member Cabrera	US Veteran Stanley Scriven
NY Assembly Member Andy Cohen		Devyn Wray-Scriven, Daughter
NY Assembly Member Marcos Crespo	US Veteran Johnnie H. Williams, Jr.	Ana & Christina Williams, Family
NY Assembly Member Gjonaj	US Veteran Robert Eppich, Jr.	Robert Eppich, Sr., Dad
Bronx Veteran Court Mentors	US Veteran Ayanna Ahmand	Dr. Stephannie L. Addo-Zuniga, Mentor
NYS Senator Jamaal Bailey	US Veteran Anthony Rivieccio	Sheila Sanchez, Friend
NY Council Member Ritchie Torres	Shawn C. Kingston, Veterans Outreach, James A. Peters VA Hosp.	Selina Kingston, Mom
Centers for Healthy Living	US Veteran Tiffany N. Barker	LaTanga Blair, Mentor
MedEquip Supply Corp.	US Veteran Steve Avallone	US Veteran Hiawatha James Watts, Friend
St. Mary’s Hospital	US Veteran Joseph Bello	Vicki Bello, Wife
NY Assembly Member Jose Rivera	US Veteran Latisha Russaw	Ines Adan, Mentor
Sacred Fellowship Ministries	US Veteran Irwin Queen	Dannette Queen
Bronx Independent Living	US Veteran Michael Alford, Sr	Cheryl Alford, Sister
Nat’l Puerto Rican Women	US Veteran Marco Bongioanni, MSE	US Veteran Orlando Pellot
Assembly Member Benedetto	US Veteran Joseph Binder	None
Water2Kids	US Veteran Jeffery Hunter	None
Bronx Community Board 7	US Veteran Johnnie Brooks	Denise Major
Bronx Community Board 7	US Veteran Luis Soltero-Rodriguez	None
Bronx Community Board 7	US Veteran Robert “Bobby” Walker	None

The Bronx Community Board 7 Veterans Committee and Senior Services Committees remain committed to honoring and increasing visibility of issues faced by Veterans and their families - with hope, respect, admiration and support.  

Engel Proud to Join House LGBT Caucus

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on joining the House LGBT Caucus:

“More than 20 years ago, I was one of the very few House Members who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA made same-sex couples and LGBT Americans invisible to their government. Thankfully, the Supreme Court eventually struck it down, but I voted against it in 1996 because it was the right thing to do. I voted against it because I believed every man and woman deserved the right to love whomever they choose, without fear of discrimination from their government. I voted against it because I knew those who stand against equality stand on the wrong side of history.

“Now, the American people are on our side. The majority of Americans see what I saw in 1996: that every American, regardless of their sexual orientation, deserves equal treatment under the law. That principle has guided me throughout my years in Congress, and I have consistently cast my vote to defend and protect those in the LGBT community because of it.

“I am proud to be the lead sponsor every Congress of a resolution supporting the National Day of Silence, which is an annual day of observance in schools aimed at bringing attention to the bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

“Joining the House LGBT Caucus is the next step in my 20-plus year record of working to advance LGBT rights. I am so proud to be part of this bipartisan group of lawmakers, and I hope we will be able to work together to ensure equality for all Americans. Our country has come a long way, but the LGBT community still has obstacles to overcome. Together I hope we can pass federal LGBT nondiscrimation legislation, protect LGBT Americans from hate crimes, and continue to make progress toward our goal of equal dignity for every American.”