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Saturday, February 18, 2017
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS in the BRONX
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - BEST OF THE BRONX 2017 GOLF OUTING AWARDS NOMINATIONS REQUESTED
BEST OF THE BRONX
2017 GOLF OUTING AWARDS
NOMINATIONS REQUESTED
Members and Friends of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce are requested to nominate professionals to receive Special Recognition and Distinguished Awards at the BEST OF THE BRONX 2017 GOLF OUTING in following categories:
- Businessman of the Year
- Businesswoman of the Year
- Best of The Bronx Award of the Year
The BEST OF THE BRONX 2017 GOLF OUTING Awards will be presented on Monday, May 22, 2017, 11:00 am - 8:00 pm at Trump Links at Ferry Point Park
Please forward your nominations to Nunzio Del Greco, President and CEO via email:Nunzio@BronxChamber.org
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is one of the most influential, professional and successful organizations and voice for businesses in Bronx County. Professionals and companies are drawn to the successful companies and active members affiliated with The Bronx Chamber of Commerce. Membership includes businesses ranging from large corporations, Cultural Institutions, Universities and Colleges, Hospitals and Medical Centers, non-profits, and mid-sized to small companies.
Nunzio Del Greco
President and CEO
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
"The Network For Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
Nunzio@bronxchamber.org
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
Nunzio@bronxchamber.org
"You never know where your next big deal is going to come from"!
Friday, February 17, 2017
What You Should Know By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz - Alerting the Public
You should know that our community is being afflicted by some serious public health threats.
It has come to my attention from the media that people in Bronx County are dying and becoming very sick because of a deadly bacterial infection that is being spread by rats.
It has also come to my attention that the water our children are drinking in some of our public schools may be contaminated with toxic levels of lead.
Enclosed is an open letter that I have sent to the Commissioner Basil Seggos of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Also enclosed is a letter to parents that was sent by the New York City Department of Education regarding one of the effected schools.
Ladies and gentlemen, these kinds of public health threats are always happening in minority communities. Our people are suffering and dying. Why are we the last to know?
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.
OPEN LETTER TO NYS DEC COMMISSIONER BASIL SEGGOS
February 15, 2017
Commissioner Basil Seggos
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway, 14th Floor
Albany, NY 12233-1010
Dear Commissioner Seggos:
This is a most urgent request for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to
review and intervene in the situation involving toxic levels of lead in the water supply of certain New
York City Department of Education schools.
My office continues to receive complaints from frightened parents because there are school buildings in
the New York City Department of Education that have been found to have dangerously elevated levels of
lead in their schools water system. A copy of one such letter is included.
Instances of elevated lead levels in school water supply is being made known on an ad hoc basis
which gives no assurance to parents of school aged children.
As has been the case in Flint Michigan, until sources of elevated lead in water supplies has been round
and eliminated, alternatives such as bottled water, water coolers and filters are needed as a immediate
relief.
New York State must focus on water testing, lead testing for children, and long-term solutions, including
follow-up care for affected residents.
It is essential for your agency to investigate the method that leads to detectable presence and discovery of
elevated lead in school water supply, is it leaching for unused, older pipes? If there a common mechanism
for how it is being released into the water supply, how can parents and school officials prepare for this?
While we can all hope that New York City Department of Education will cooperate with your agency’s
intervention, the time has passed for letting New York City Department of Education take care of this
problem entirely on its own.
Please help now!
Sincerely,
Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz.
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Tribute to Frank Sinatra - clarifiction
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center is having its 12th Annual Winter fund raising event, a tribute to Frank Sinatra, on Sunday February 26, 2017. This will be a three-part event. In addition to entertainment, there will be a 'Do It your way' raffle and a Chinese buffet with dessert. It will be held at Vladeck Hall, 74 Van Cortlandt Park South, Bronx, NY 10463.
The doors will open at 11 AM. Free admission - purchase any of the more than 60 raffles. (You don’t have to be present to win.)
At 12 noon, you need to have a ticket, $40 (or $35 if purchased before February 21st.) These tickets will only be available until we run out of room. The ticket will include a delicious kosher Chinese lunch, fabulous entertainment, dessert and drinks.
At one o’clock the phenomenal Steven Maglio will thrill you with songs for Sinatra lovers. Not hungry? You have an option of just seeing the show and staying for dessert for $20. (There is no early bird rate for this.) Following the entertainment, there will be dessert, last call for raffles and door prize and raffle drawing.
Advance raffle ticket sales are available who cannot make it the 26th. Catalog and order forms are available at the VCJC office.
To purchase tickets, get a raffle catalog, or for more information, call 718-884-6105 or visit the VCJC office at 3880 Sedgwick Ave, Bronx, NY 10463, 9 AM to 5 AM Monday to Thursday or 9 AM to 1 PM Friday.
For more information contact --
Jack Spiegel
Cell- 646-296-1737
Email- jspiegel831@yahoo.com
NYC ACS RELEASES 2016 YEAR-END FOSTER CARE STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT STATUS REPORT
This past year, ACS increased the number of children adopted by 5% and the number of children exiting foster care to kinship guardianship by 25%
The New York City Administration for Children’s Services today announced the release of the 2016 Year-End Foster Care Strategic Blueprint Status Report. This year-end report highlights the significant progress that ACS made to improve case practice and outcomes for children and families in the foster care system.
The Foster Care Blueprint identifies ACS’ key priorities and strategies pertaining to family reunification, kinship placement, adoption, and supporting older youth. This focus— combined with an unprecedented investment by the de Blasio administration of $122 million in new funding to strengthen child welfare— is yielding promising results.
“We know that children fare best when raised in families,”said Administration for Children’s Services Deputy Commissioner for Family Permanency Services Julie Farber. “This past year, more than 2,500 children in foster care were reunified with their families of origin, and 1,052 New York City kids were adopted. Furthermore, the number of kids placed permanently with relatives has increased 25%. Our comprehensive strategies are producing results for kids and families.”
The improvements highlighted in the report are, among them:
· Significant Increases in Adoption and Kinship Guardianship: From FY2015 to FY2016, ACS and its foster care providers increased the number of children achieving permanency through kinship guardianship (KinGAP) by 25% and adoption by 5%, even as the overall numbers of children in foster care continued to decline.
· Safe Reunification with Family: 2,500 children were reunified with their families of origin in FY2016; and the proportion of children who re-entered foster care post-reunification decreased from FY2015 to FY2016.
· Declining Foster Care Census: Fewer than 10,000 children are in foster care due to better child protective investigations, more preventive services and improvements in foster care case practice.
· Historically Low Foster Care Caseloads: Foster care caseworker caseloads are at an historic low, averaging 10-12 children per worker.
· Cutting Edge Training: The new ACS Workforce Institute has trained more than 5,000 ACS child protection and provider agency foster care and preventive services staff a new Open Adoption initiative engaged more than 600 foster care agency staff, legal advocates and the courts; and a new training on Family Time was provided to more than 1,450 foster care agency staff.
· Evidence-Based Services: ACS is scaling the evidence-based initiatives that were launched in 2015. Foster care agencies are using a nationally recognized screening tool to assess trauma, and proven interventions are being delivered to help children, parents, and families cope with trauma.
· Increased ACS Support to Strengthen Foster Care Agency Case Practice: ACS has an intensive provider oversight system that includes but is not limited to monthly safety checks; monthly and quarterly reports on numerous key safety, permanency and well-being indicators; statistically representative intensive case reviews; annual scorecards; and corrective action plans. In 2015 and 2016, ACS implemented new quality improvement strategies, increased case consultation resources for foster care agencies and added a new ACS unit providing technical assistance to foster care agencies on best practices, business process improvements and performance management strategies.
· Better Pathways to Adulthood for Youth in Foster Care: ACS partnered with the City University of New York, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, the Workplace Center at Columbia University School of Social Work, among others, and launched multiple initiatives to improve education and employment outcomes for youth in foster care. More than 400 youth in foster care are attending college.
To read the entire 2016 Year-End Foster Care Strategic Blueprint Status Report, please visit: www.nyc.gov/acs/
The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes safety and well-being of New York City’s children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care and education services. In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through preventive services, and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home. In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families. In early care and education, ACS coordinates and funds programs and vouchers for close to 100,000 children eligible for subsidized care.
For more information, please visit www.nyc.gov/acs
EDITOR'S NOTE:
While the above is good news, it is quite clear that for children already in families who are in dangerous situations ACS has failed many as we see in the headlines and on television stories of deaths and abuse of children under ACS watch.
MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS LORRAINE CORTÉS-VÁZQUEZ AS A SENIOR ADVISOR
Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez as a Senior Advisor. Cortés-Vázquez has extensive experience serving communities across New York State and was the first Latina to serve as Secretary of the State in New York.
As Senior Advisor, Cortés-Vázquez will advise and assist the Mayor’s Office, the Community Affairs and Public Engagement Units, and agencies across the Administration to expand their community outreach across the five boroughs. She will specialize in engaging the Latino community around issues related to immigration; Universal pre-K; criminal justice reform; housing and economic development; M/WBE contracting and outreach; economic justice; and job creation. Cortés-Vázquez will be working within the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez’s vast managerial experience in government, the private and non-profit sector, partnered with her clear dedication to the Latino community and the community as a whole, make her the perfect candidate for this advisory position,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I am looking forward to working closely with Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez as she continues to work to make an impact in the community.”
“I am honored to work with Mayor de Blasio and his team who have given this City Universal Pre-K, which will increase the educational achievements of all communities for many years; took a critical step to address income inequality by increasing the minimum wage; and who have halted the unbalanced stop and frisk policy and simultaneously brought crime down in one of the nations' largest and most diverse Cities. I am most proud to support the Mayor’s Federal and State agenda to ensure that we continue to protect and preserve the rights and dignity of all New Yorker's regardless of their status, sexual preference and religion – a New York that works for all” said Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez.
About Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez
In September 2015, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez joined Emblem Health as Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations and Government Affairs. Previously, Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez was the Executive Vice President for the American Association of Retired People (AARP). She oversaw implementation of overall Brand Awareness and Acquisition Campaign for target audiences. She also oversaw formation of the Multicultural Markets and Engagement Unit.
Prior to joining AARP, Lorraine was Secretary of State in New York from 2007 to 2010 – the first Latina to serve in that role. During her tenure she re-aligned the Community Services Block Grant Program to target specific areas that include at risk youth, healthy families and workforce development. Before her appointment by Governor Spitzer, Lorraine served as Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Cablevision. She also worked for 14 years at the New York City Department for the Aging's Bureau of Program and Resource Development. Earlier in her career, she held a variety of social impact positions in East Harlem.
From 1998 to 2004, Cortés-Vázquez served as President of the Hispanic Federation, aiding more than 2 million Latinos annually. She also has prior experience on the New York State Board of Regents; she was Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Roberto Ramirez; and she oversaw the Puerto Rican Hispanic Task Force and the Somos El Futuro Conference. She was also Executive Director of ASPIRA of New York, the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit Latino youth leadership development and education advocacy agency.
STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION AFTER RECENT OUTBREAK OF A VERMIN-BORNE ILLNESS IN THE BRONX
Requests that the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to Launch a Full and Exhaustive Investigation into 750 Grand Concourse and All Other Properties Owned by Ved Parkash
State Senator Gustavo Rivera released the following statement after one individual perished and two others were hospitalized in the Bronx after contracting leptospirosis, a vermin-borne infection, through the exposure to rat urine. One of the non-fatal victims is a resident of 750 Grand Concourse, whose owner Ved Parkash, has been identified on multiple occasions as one of New York City's worst landlords.
In an effort to help prevent similar tragedies from occurring in known vermin-infested buildings, State Senator Rivera, the Ranking Member of the New York State Senate Health Committee, has penned a letter to the New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Mary Bassett and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer, calling on the two agencies to work collaboratively in launching a complete and exhaustive investigation of all of the residential buildings owned by Ved Parkash and to create and implement a comprehensive plan of action that will effectively address the current vermin infestations in such buildings. The letter also calls on the two agencies to implement a similar plan for the City's shelter system and the other landlords who are a part of the Worst Landlords List given that these residences tend to also have substantial outstanding violations pertaining to vermin infestation.
"As the Ranking Member of Senate Health Committee and as a Bronx elected representative, I find these incidents alarming, disturbing and frankly outrageous. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Parkash continues to show an utter disdain for his tenants and the law given the long list of unresolved violations that continue to plague his buildings. As a City, we cannot stand by while Mr. Parkash, and other landlords who neglect to address housing violations, continue to deliberately put at risk the health of tenants without any consequences. It is my hope that through this letter, both the DOHMH and HPD will launch a full investigation that will put in place a comprehensive plan of action that holds landlords accountable when it comes to addressing housing violations and providing basic health standards in residential buildings. No tenant should feel unsafe in their own home and I'm committed to work with both city agencies, community partners and constituents to ensure that every Bronx resident enjoys of a healthy and safe home environment."
Read State Senator Gustavo Rivera's full letter to DOHMH Commissioner, Mary Bassett and HPD Commissioner, Maria Torres-Springer here.