CITY HALL IN YOUR BOROUGH: MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO STATEN ISLAND INNOVATION CENTER MAKERSPACE, SPURRING NEW INDUSTRIAL JOBS

$50,000 new equipment grant supports 30 additional small businesses as part of the administration's Futureworks NYC initiative, helping to create more than 2,000 jobs citywide

STATEN ISLAND—Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Economic Development Corporation President James Patchett today announced a new partnership with Staten Island MakerSpace, a Stapleton based non-profit STEAM education and community innovation center that helps support new companies that are creating jobs on Staten Island. The announcement was made at a tour of Staten Island MakerSpace Wednesday morning.

MakerSpace will join the Futureworks NYC Partner Network and receive $50,000 from NYCEDC, allowing the organization to purchase advanced manufacturing equipment, including a 3D resin printer and laser cutter, and make those machines accessible to more entrepreneurs and small businesses. The funding will support marketing and outreach, and MakerSpace will introduce the equipment and its services to school and college students.

“Growing the advanced manufacturing industry and introducing students to the possibilities they present are critically important to growing New York City’s 21st century economy. A partnership with Staten Island MakerSpace builds on our work to foster modern industrial jobs accessible to all New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Futureworks NYC is a network of programs and resources that supports New York's advanced manufacturing sector, creates high-skilled production jobs, and increases competitiveness for existing companies. It is expected to create over 2,000 jobs. For more information click here.

“In our effort to create 100,000 good jobs over the next ten years, we are constantly looking for ways to invest in emerging industries and support the entrepreneurial spirit that drives New York City,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “As Staten Island MakerSpace joins Futureworks NYC, even more entrepreneurs will have access to the advanced manufacturing technology they need to start new companies and create 21st century jobs for New Yorkers across the city.”

“Staten Island MakerSpace was built on the premise that we could give creative entrepreneurs the ability to start and grow their own businesses by giving them access to tools, equipment, and classes to build their skills. Futureworks NYC helps us expand that vision and enables us to give entrepreneurs, artisanal manufacturers, and startups more affordable access to industrial and advanced manufacturing tools, skills, and prototyping services, to make their ideas come to life,” said Scott Van Campen, Executive Director Staten Island MakerSpace.

New and current City investments in the wider industrial sector will generate more than 20,000 new jobs and support the city’s existing 530,000 manufacturing and industrial jobs, which represent 15.4 percent of the city’s private sector workforce. The sector is an important pathway to the middle class for many families, with median wages of $50,400 a year. More than 328,000 jobs in the sector (61.5 percent) are located outside Manhattan, 62 percent of the workforce comes from culturally diverse backgrounds, and nearly half are foreign-born. Approximately 63 percent of industrial and manufacturing sector jobs are available to individuals who do not have a college degree.

The first project in the Futureworks NYC portfolio was announced in October 2016, with NYCEDC’s selection of TechShop to operate a 20,000 square foot advanced manufacturing center at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, which is expected to support more than 200 businesses and create over 500 jobs in the next 5 years. The new facility is expected to open later this fall.

Futureworks NYC was first announced in November of 2015 as part of Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito’s ten-point action plan to grow industrial and manufacturing jobs. The City’s action plan for the industry will help ensure that both longstanding businesses and new firms have the space to evolve and expand, preserving and creating good jobs in New York City.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, BOROUGH PRESIDENT ODDO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROSE ANNOUNCE EXPANDED PASSENGER BOARDING FOR THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY

Ferry passengers will be able to board on the lower level at Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan starting in September, while rush-hour lower-level boarding at St. George Terminal is also undertaken on Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND—Mayor Bill de Blasio, Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo, Council Member Debi Rose, NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Staten Island Ferry Chief Operating Officer James DeSimone today announced that passengers would this September be able to board from the lower levels in both Staten Island Ferry terminals.  The changes are expected to improve passenger circulation and relieve bottlenecks at the Staten Island Ferry, which currently carries nearly 70,000 daily passengers, with over 23 million trips in 2016 – ridership that is anticipated to grow even further with several major developments on Staten Island’s North Shore in the next year.

“Each morning and evening, Staten Islanders face huge crowds pushing their way onto the ferry," said Mayor de Blasio.  “They spoke up, and we listened.  With ridership breaking records, we’re taking steps to reducing crowding while keeping passengers safe. Lower Level boarding means more ways onto the boat, which means a more pleasant ride and fewer delays in the terminal.”

"This is a straightforward way to make the commute a little more tolerable. Who among us has not been stuck in massive crush of people while boarding the Ferry, forced to shuffle along like a zombie on the 'Walking Dead.' On this issue, I wrote to DOT asking for the change and discussed it directly with the Mayor during our dinner at Aunt Butchies," said Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo. "Thank you to the Mayor for coming through and bringing lower level boarding to both Whitehall and St. George. This action will help alleviate some of the human traffic jams, and make for a better experience for commuters." 

"I am always at the ready to extol service upgrades provided by our New York City agencies and today is no exception. Enhancing boarding capabilities by DOT at our St. George and Whitehall terminals is an easy thumbs up. We experience passenger bottlenecks on a regular basis and know full well that those bottlenecks will increase as our North Shore developments come online and join the local travelers during harbor crossings.  Our goal is to improve service whenever possible and that has been met in Mayor de Blasio's announcement this morning as we join him, Commissioner Trottenberg and Captain DeSimone. 

In September, DOT will begin lower-level boarding at the Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, and also at the same time begin permitting lower-level boarding pilot during morning rush (7-9 A.M.) at Staten Island's St. George Terminal.  St. George passengers entering the terminal via the Kiss & Ride will have the option of accessing the lower level.  DOT will collect usage data to measure the effectiveness of lower level boarding at St. George.

In the immediate near term, DOT will continue with its study of improving passenger circulation on the main waiting room level at St. George and will begin a trial of opening multiple boarding doors to improve throughput and ease bottlenecks that sometimes develop.  Building on these initiatives, DOT will also undertake a longer-term capital study to explore the best options for permanent lower level build-out. This study, expected to begin this summer, will be conducted over approximately 18 months and coordinate with resiliency and flood proofing capital work that is already planned for the ferry terminals.

Altogether these efforts to enhance boarding are expected to cost $2 million next year.

Security and the safety of passengers remain the foremost determinants in the handling of the passenger boarding and disembarkment process.  After 9/11, lower-level boarding and passenger vehicle passage on the ferry were both ended under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, a Federal law which had required a full risk assessment.  An assessment of the terminals by a team representing the US Coast Guard, the  Security Administration, NYPD Counter Terrorism and third-party security experts submitted a security plan, subsequently approved by the Coast Guard that determined that the lower levels of both terminals be designated “restricted areas” with extremely limited access. DOT must follow the Federal requirement that boarding passengers be kept separate from disembarking passengers, who have since then only been permitted to exit through the lower levels of each terminal. 

With today’s announcement the de Blasio Administration is committed to increasing the security presence on the lower levels to ensure that embarking passengers and  disembarking passengers remain separate, as Federal law requires. Whitehall’s smaller footprint of 12,000 sq. ft allows for a easier conversion to lower-level boarding, while St. George Terminal (at 60,000 sq. ft.) presents several challenges that DOT expects to address during implementation.

"We heard loud and clear from Staten Island ferry riders that they wanted an easier commute so we are proud to be unveiling an improved boarding experience at both St. George and Whitehall terminals" said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. "From increased overnight service and new amenities like mobile-phone charging to the three new boats we expect to set sail starting in 2019, the de Blasio Administration has worked hard to improve the experience of Staten Island Ferry riders. Lower-level boarding on the ferry will further enhance the inimitable ferry experience – and will benefit both the commuters who make their way across the harbor each day and the tourists for whom riding the ferry is now one of New York City's great must-do experiences." 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

I can't wait for the mayor to come to the Bronx. 

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDRENS SERVICES, JCCA, ECPAT USA, CAUSE VISION ANNOUNCE EXPANDED EFFORTS TOWARDS COMBATTING CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IN NEW YORK CITY

ACS, ECPAT-USA, Cause Vision are partnering to produce and distribute “Where Is Dylan?” a comic book about youth sex trafficking

ACS expands anti-sex-trafficking programming through Safe Harbour state funding

   The NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Senior Advisor for Investigations Susan Morley was today joined by JCCA (formerly known as Jewish Child Care Association) CEO Ronald E. Richter, ECPAT-USA Executive Director Carol Smolenski, and Cause Vision founder Natsuko Utsumi to announce expanded efforts to combat child sex trafficking throughout New York City.

ACS, JCCA, ECPAT-USA and Cause Vision will partner on distributing ‘Where Is Dylan?’ a comic book to help educate youth about human trafficking and empower them to protect themselves. The partners are working together to raise community awareness about this sensitive issue, continue promoting supportive programming for those escaping sexual exploitation, and encourage young people to get involved in combatting sex trafficking.

“Raising awareness among youth, parents and professionals is key to combatting child sex trafficking. People must become aware that it is happening right here in New York City, and our kids need to be educated to protect themselves,” said ACS Senior Advisor for Investigations Susan Morley.  We still have a lot of work to do, but we’ve come a long way from the era when sexually-exploited youth were criminalized, to programs and supportive services designed to give survivors a permanent way out. Today, ACS continues to build on its efforts to serve youth and prevent trafficking with innovative partnerships like the ‘Where Is Dylan?’ comic book that helps us share the message that there is no shame in asking for help.”

“JCCA is entrusted by ACS with caring for the second most teenagers among the fostering agencies in NYC. Our extensive experience working with young people who have been commercially sexually exploited confirms that they are especially vulnerable to the sinister manipulation used by predators. This comic book offers an important tool to add to our arsenal,” said JCCA CEO Ronald E. Richter.

“ECPAT-USA's entire mission for the last 25 years has been aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation,” said ECPAT-USA Executive Director Carol Smolenski. “We know we can't do it alone. We value our partnerships with ACS, Cause Vision, JCCA and so many other organizations because working together we have already made strides to create a world in which no child is bought or sold for sex.”

“Cause Vision’s approach for fights against human trafficking is prevention by educating vulnerable population about human trafficking.  We use manga comic, that is a popular medium, to ensure children and teenagers to read through the stories, and learn embedded messages,” said Cause Vision’s founder Natsuko Utsumi. We are very pleased that our book ‘Where Is Dylan’ will be disseminated to the children of New York City thanks to the partnerships with ACS and ECPAT-USA.”  

Where Is Dylan? was developed and created by Cause Vision with ECPAT-USA as part of its comic book series on human trafficking. ACS purchased the comic book using funds from the Safe Harbour grant and will distribute it, along with guidelines for its use created in collaboration with ACS, throughout our partnering foster care networks. ECPAT-USA will also ensure that the comic book gets into the hands of at-risk youth through its Youth Against Child Trafficking Program.

Sexual exploitation of children can happen anywhere in the world, and continues to be an issue within New York City. While some believe that human trafficking only happens in other countries, or that it involves children being snatched off the streets, this is not always the case. When a young person self-reports or is identified as sexually exploited, it is important that they are treated as victims of abuse and not viewed as criminals.

The Administration for Children’s Services is diligently working to shift that perception adding special training on Human Trafficking to the curriculum for incoming Child Protective Specialist (CPS) workers. Anyone doing frontline work with ACS must be able to identify the signs of a sex-trafficking victim.

In addition, ACS’ Office of Child Trafficking Prevention and Policy provided trafficking trainings for 3,600 social welfare professionals in 2016, and has partnered with faith-based community organizations to implement the “Not On My Watch” campaign citywide.

ACS has also developed a Child Trafficking Mailbox which provides a vehicle for ACS and provider agency staff to send notifications of trafficked children, ask questions, request resources and receive case practice guidance, and to work with other youth-serving agencies and partners to identify and intervene where there is suspected trafficking. Last year, over 170 children were identified, and the agency intervened.

Through the Safe Harbour program, the City of New York has served 2,500 exploited or at risk for exploitation youth in 2016 providing therapy, crisis beds, and transitional living, among other preventive services. The Safe Harbour programs provided services to engage and educate exploited youth and assist with risk reduction through the use of internships, counseling groups, and outreach efforts.

NEWS FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON ENACTMENT OF 2017-2018 STATE BUDGET

State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) joined his colleagues in the State Senate to vote on the 10 bills of the 2017-2018 Budget. Senator Rivera voted against six of the budget bills, specifically the Aid to Localities (S.2003-D) Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation bill (S.2008-C), the Public Protection and General Government bill (S.2005-C), the Education, Labor and Family Assistance bill (S.2006-C) and the Revenue bill (S.2009-C)

2017-2018 BUDGET OVERVIEW:

"After a tumultuous and flawed process, our State finally announced the passage of the 2017-2018 New York State Budget. Tax paying New Yorkers deserve a better process that genuinely delivers progressive results and does not only provide small steps and half-loaf measures preventing our State from properly investing in its residents and building a stronger economy.

Dismally, this year's budget left out key priorities New York desperately needs. It did not include the DREAM Act, ethics and campaign finance reforms, Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement funding or measures to protect New Yorkers' health coverage from a repeal of the Affordable Care Act through the implementation of a single payer insurance plan. It also revived the deeply flawed 421-a property tax break program that would cost New York City $2.4 billion a year, while not creating nearly enough long-term affordable housing.

However, I am proud of the hard fight put up by my Senate Democratic Conference colleagues. Despite the fact that our leader, Senator Stewart-Cousins, was once again excluded from budget negotiations, we fought until the last minute to ensure that the voices of the eight million New Yorkers Senate Democrats represent, were heard and acknowledged. These efforts helped us secure important victories for New Yorkers, including raising the age of adult criminal responsibility, increased aid to local school districts, restored funding for ASAP/SEEK educational programs, adequate funding for the MTA and fully funding the visitation program at maximum security facilities which will continue to allow families to visit their relatives seven days a week."

THE BRONX:

"I am very pleased to announce that we were able to secure the $108 million funding to develop the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. The Kingsbridge National Ice Center is a project that I have diligently worked to bring to our community since its inception. Not only do I believe this project would serve as an economic engine for our surrounding neighborhoods, but more importantly, the developer has demonstrated at length a commitment to the residents of our borough by signing a historic Community Benefits Agreement. I remain committed to continue working with both the State and the City to ensure that the development of one of our more historic sites in order to uplift both our community and economy."

HEALTH:

"I'm proud to have been on the forefront in fighting for the $20 million to enhance safety net hospitals that serve low-income New Yorkers. This funding, while limited, will go a long way in helping hospitals that serve our most vulnerable communities.

On the other hand, it was disappointing to see that some my colleagues, even a few who are co-sponsors of this bill, voted down a hostile amendment I presented to include the single payer bill in this year's budget. Some of my colleagues categorized my intervention as grandstanding. However, in saying that, they fail to recognize the critical implications that a single payer healthcare system will have for New Yorkers. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health Committee, passing this policy proposal would represent a fundamental step in ensuring that every New Yorker has access to affordable and quality health care coverage, while saving New York State tax payers millions of dollars in the long term. I am committed to continue working along my colleagues in the State Senate and the State Assembly to finally make health care a right and not a privilege under the law."

CRIMINAL JUSTICE:

"In a historic decision, our State finally took action in removing itself from a dubious list of states that prosecuted 16 and 17 years old as adults. After a long drawn fight, our State's criminal justice system will finally focus on rehabilitating our youth population while protecting the public; not in placing children in a situation where they are more likely to be abused and to reoffend.

This victory did not come without some concessions. The measure will not become effective until 2018 and youth who do enter the system will have to wait 10 years to be eligible to seal their records, potentially affecting their ability to pursue a higher education or secure employment. However, the positives outlined in this measure outweigh the negatives and give our youth in New York who commit a mistake a second chance to grow into responsible members of society, instead of simply locking them up. We would have not been able to finally pass Raise the Age without the unrelenting leadership of New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, the sponsor of the original measure, and a number of dedicated advocates including Justice League NYC, AQE and ShutDownRikers."

State Senator Gustavo Rivera Visits Senior Centers in the 33rd Senate District 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will visit various senior centers located in Senate District 33. The tour will start with consecutive visits to the RAIN Tolentine Center and the Arturo Schomburg Center and will continue next week with stops at RAIN Mt. Carmel Center and Bronxworks Morris Innovative Senior Center.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will be joined by representatives of the New York City Department of Finance who will help eligible seniors to enroll in the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs. In addition, Bronx Lebanon Hospital and Union Community Health Center will offer participating seniors critical health screenings, such as blood pressure screening and blood sugar tests.

Further, Senator Rivera's office will continue offering seniors his Senior Resource Guides in both English and the new version in Spanish. These guides are also available upon request at Senator Rivera's district office.

SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING VISITS

1) Center: RAIN Tolentine Center

Location: 2345 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:30 AM -12:30 PM

Event Time: 11:00 AM -12:30 PM

2) Center: Arturo Schomburg Center

Location: 1315 Franklin Avenue, Bronx, NY 10456

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Event Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

3) Center: RAIN Mt. Carmel Center

Location: 2405 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Event Time: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

4) Center: Bronxworks Morris Innovative Senior Center

Location: 80 E 181st Street, Bronx, NY 10453 

Date: Friday, April 21, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Event Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

COUNCIL MEMBER YDANIS RODRIGUEZ PROPOSES SOLUTIONS TO NYC CONGESTION IN TRANSPORTATION SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Through Re-thinking Freight and Package Delivery Systems, Transportation Chair Rodriguez Proposed Taking Thousands of Delivery Trucks Off City Streets

  At a symposium on the Future of Sustainable Transportation in NYC, Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez delivered a key note address touching on important topics to reduce congestion, truck traffic and enhance public transit in New York City. Council Member Rodriguez called for a rethinking of delivery systems in New York City that could remove thousands of delivery trucks from the streets. 

CM Rodriguez addressed a three pronged plan to address congestion caused by truck deliveries:

• The legalization of E-Bikes in New York State, with the intention to use e-bikes to transport goods, packages and more, as is being done in cities such as Portland, Oregon. 
• Distribution centers should be located outside of NYC, where delivery bikes can be dispatched from, instead of trucks traversing the city.
• If goods are to be delivered by truck, they should be delivered between 7pm and 7am, to avoid rush hour on city streets.

He also announced that his office is working on legislation to look at requiring garbage pick ups to be completed at night, to ensure they do not contribute to congestion during morning rush hours.

Additionally, Council Member Rodriguez called for a complete overhaul to bus service in New York City so that they are prioritized over car traffic; for the private sector in New York City to contribute to improving the subway system that benefits them tremendously, through an "adopt-a-station" model and more; and re-emphasized his call to continue expanding Citi Bike.

"Fundamentally, we must make the experience of not driving a car cheaper, faster, safer and more enjoyable than the alternative," said Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. "We cannot expect New Yorkers to give up their cars until this happens, which means the pressure is on us as policy makers to improve public transit and our growing bike network. I am glad to take on this challenge and events like Car Free Day are just the start, aiming to bring attention to these issues."

The event was organized by the University Transportation Research Center, Region 2 as part of the countdown to Car Free Day on Earth Day this year. 

EDITOR's NOTE:

While Portland Oregon is half the size of New York City the population of Portland Oregon is 632,000 people compared to the over 8,000,000 people living in New York City. The entire Metro Portland area comprises 2,350,000 people while the Metro New York City area comprises 19,800,000 people. 

As for e-bikes the price listed on one Portland E-bike company lists several different models ranging in prices starting at $1,650.00 up to $4,399.00 for e-bikes that can range from a 500 watt motor up to a 2,000 watt motor. The top speed of these e-bikes range from a low of 18 MPH to a high of 28 MPH. the speed limit in NYC is 25 MPH. A license is only needed if the e-bike is 750 watts or higher, and the rider must be over 16 years of age.

The e-bike information comes from Cynergy E-Bikes of Portland Oregon.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Settles Civil Rights Suit Against New York City For Violating The Americans With Disabilities Act

NYPD Refused to Hire HIV Positive Applicant for the Position of Police Communications Technician

   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the CITY OF NEW YORK (the “City”), and specifically the NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT (“NYPD”), violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) through its medical disqualification of an HIV positive applicant for a Police Communications Technician position. The settlement agreement was entered today by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “The ADA prohibits employers from denying job applicants employment opportunities on the basis of a disability or perceived disability. As a result of this lawsuit, the City of New York has acknowledged that HIV status is not a basis to deny an individual employment. We will continue to work to ensure that employers do not discriminate against job applicants with disabilities.”

According to the Complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan on January 17, 2017, the applicant – who is HIV positive – applied for the position of Police Communications Technician. The applicant successfully underwent an initial screening process, which included a background check, and received a conditional offer of employment. Following receipt of the conditional offer of employment, the applicant was required to undergo a medical examination. Shortly after completion of the medical examination, the NYPD informed the applicant that he needed to submit additional paperwork, including a blood test. After the applicant submitted the requested paperwork, the NYPD disqualified him solely because of his “HIV low CD4 count.”

The NYPD’s failure to hire the applicant because of his HIV status was in clear violation of the ADA. ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals solely on the basis of a disability, such as being HIV positive, in the hiring process.

As part of the settlement, the City extended the applicant a conditional offer of employment, is paying the applicant $85,000, and acknowledges that its disqualification of the applicant based on his HIV low CD4 count was in error.

More information on the obligations of employers with respect to job applicants with disabilities is available at www.ada.gov and www.eeoc.gov.

Mr. Kim thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for its initial investigation of the Complaint.

NEW INDICTMENT IN 2012 MURDER OF HANSEL ARIAS; TWO GANG MEMBERS CHARGED IN FATAL STABBING

Re-Investigation of Killing Followed Bronx DA Darcel D. Clark’s Dropping of Charges Against Enger Javier in 2016  

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that, after a thorough reinvestigation of the murder of Hansel Arias, two Bronx men have been indicted for fatally stabbing Arias on August 19, 2012 in the Claremont section of the Bronx. 

   District Attorney Clark said, “After I moved to dismiss the case against Enger Javier in February, 2016, Bronx Homicide started a re-investigation of the crime, and I assigned a new Assistant District Attorney to the case. They re-interviewed witnesses and re-examined physical evidence. We re-examined the killing of Hansel Arias very carefully and we would not be pressured or hurried to a conclusion. 

  “We needed to make sure that we could bring justice and a semblance of closure to Hansel Arias’ family. Now, two men will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for this brutal crime.” 

  District Attorney Clark said that defendants, Jose Rodriguez, AKA “Bebo,” 24, of 184 East 164th Street and Jesus Reyes, AKA “Cibao,” AKA Darinso Marte, 26, of 291 East 162 Street were arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. They were remanded and are due back in court on September 5, 2017.

  The defendants were indicted on second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter and first-degree Gang Assault. They face up to life in prison if convicted. 

  According to the investigation, on August 19, 2012, at about 2:15 a.m., the defendants, members of the Trinitarios gang, were part of a large group that had been dispersed by police and then re-congregated near 1645 Webster Avenue. 

  Arias was asked about his gang affiliation and an argument broke out, and Arias was attacked by several people. According to the investigation, Rodriguez allegedly grabbed a knife from Reyes and allegedly stabbed Arias in the chest, killing him.

  An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

MAYOR DE BLASIO’S MEETING WITH STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT JIMMY ODDO

   Mayor Bill de Blasio and Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo had a late lunch in Borough Hall to discuss issues of shared interest. They were joined by First Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris and Jason Razefsky, Borough President Oddo’s Chief of Staff. They ate sandwiches and wraps from Leo’s Sandwich Shop on Forest Avenue. Borough President Oddo showed off a bat that belonged to Jose Reyes and they discussed the start of baseball season. They agreed on the need for more transportation options, expediting new community space across the island and the importance of bringing new jobs directly to Staten Islanders. Borough President Oddo highlighted details of his ‘quadrangle plan’, the positive impact of a successful Matrix project, Staten Island Ferry boarding issues and his desire for additional ferry service. They also discussed new ways to improve health and wellness on Staten Island and across the city. Borough President Oddo recommended the Mayor read “Spark,” a book by Dr. John J. Ratey about how exercise enhances academic performance. Mayor de Blasio assigned specific staff and agencies to resolve outstanding issues related to many of these projects to ensure resolution.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  

I can't wait for Mayor Bill de Blasio to come to the Bronx, and do the same with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Bronx BP Diaz Jr. can show the mayor a New York Yankee bat, and then they can have a conversation about the Kingsbridge National Ice Center.