Wave Hill Events Jan 12‒Jan 19

  Sat, January 13    Family Art Project: Freedom Quilting Bee

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. These now-famous quilts would later go on to fund aspects of the community’s freedom. Create your own brilliant, improvisational compositions out of bountiful squares of donated fabric, just for the joy of it and to honor Dr. King’s birthday and the inspiring women quilters of Gee’s Bend. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, January 14    Winter Birding

The Hudson River Valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species during the winter months. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats. Birders of all levels welcome. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds; NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission to the grounds. 

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM

Sun, January 14    Family Art Project: Freedom Quilting Bee

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. These now-famous quilts would later go on to fund aspects of the community’s freedom. Create your own brilliant, improvisational compositions out of bountiful squares of donated fabric, just for the joy of it and to honor Dr. King’s birthday and the inspiring women quilters of Gee’s Bend. Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, January 14    Pre-Concert Tea

Enjoy Afternoon Tea in the Mark Twain Room prior to today’s concert in Armor Hall. The Café at Wave Hill pairs a classic menu with an assortment of green, black and herbal teas. This traditional tea service includes the four classic elements of savory, scones, sweets and tea. The menu, presented by Great Performances, includes an array of tea sandwiches, scones and bite-sized desserts. Afternoon Tea also includes a glass of sparkling wine. Afternoon Tea Service is $36. Wave Hill Members receive a 10% discount. Advanced registration is required online. We will take reservations until 5PM, Thursday, January 11.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, NOON–2PM

Sun, January 14    Winter Workspace Drop-In Sunday

Artists in the Winter Workspace program share their studio practice with visitors on this Drop-In Sunday. Artists in Session 1 of this program are Tomie Arai, Camille Hoffman, Pedro Ramirez, Jessica Rohrer, Jean Shin and Austin Thomas. For more about who is in residence on Sundays, visit wavehill.org. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1–4PM

Sun, January 14    Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

Sun, January 14    Concert: Zig Zag Quartet

Anchored by Bronx-based upright bass player Hilliard Greene, this jazz ensemble has been a huge hit with Wave Hill Sunset Wednesday audiences. In addition to Greene, Quartet members are Francisco Roldán (guitar), Alexander A. Wu (piano) and Danny Mallon (percussion). Indoors in Armor Hall, Zig Zag will play jazz standards by Dave Brubeck and Claude Bolling, original tunes and arrangements of enduring American spirituals, such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Wade in the Water” and “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore,” as a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Tickets for this concert are $28 plus admission to the grounds/$24 Wave Hill Member/$12 Children ages 8–18. Order tickets online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. For additional information, please call 718.549.3200 x251.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM

Mon, January 15   

Closed to the public.

Tue, January 16    Nature Photography Workshop Series Begins: The Long-Term Project

Whether it’s a book idea or a simple album, photographers rarely get the chance to present larger bodies of work in a collegial, studio setting. And because editing work that one loves is a challenge, feedback can be enormously helpful. Nature photographers are invited to share projects at any stage of completion, from pie-in-the-sky to exhibit-ready, with nature photographer Benjamin Swett and fellow participants. Come to the first session with a group of prints or digital files to discuss. $165/$135 Wave Hill Member. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. The three-session series continues January 23 and 30.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM−1PM

Wed, January 17    The Farm to Garden Movement: Influencing American Gardens from the Ground Up—Deborah Needleman, in conversation with Jenny Elliott and Sarah Ryhanen

A new wave of flower designers and growers are working in tandem—bringing new varieties into cultivation and affecting our ideas of what’s beautiful. Join writer and editor Deborah Needleman in discussion with Sarah Ryhanen, owner of Saipua, the influential floral studio and retail shop in Brooklyn, and World’s End, her farm and education center in upstate NY; and Jenny Elliott, owner of Tiny Hearts, a young and burgeoning flower farm in Copake, NY. Both will show slides of their work as they talk about the latest trends in flowers, floristry and growing. Wave Hill’s annual horticultural lecture series is held at the New York School of Interior Design. Three-lecture series: $60/$50 Wave Hill Member or student. Individual tickets: $25/$20 Wave Hill Member or student. Seating is limited, and advanced reservations are recommended, online at wavehill.org beginning November 15. The second lecture of the series takes place on February 21, when inspirational and passionate teacher and award-winning author Sarah Riven will speak about the cutting garden. 

NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, 6‒7:30PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM, November 1–March 14. Closes 5:30PM, starting March 15.

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ SWORN IN FOR THIRD TERM

 Ruben Diaz Jr. was sworn in for his third full term as the 13^th Bronx Borough President at a ceremony held at The Bronx County Building, Veterans’ Memorial Hall.

Borough President Diaz first took office as Bronx Borough President in May 2009, and was reelected last year to serve his third and final term. Borough President Diaz was sworn in to office by Hon. Elizabeth A. Taylor, Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County.

“Over the past eight and a half years we’ve done so well in moving the needle forward on our agenda to make The Bronx an even better place to live, work and raise a family,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “During the next four years we will continue our efforts to improve our borough, as we show the entire world how far The Bronx has come and how much further we are ready to go.”

Deputy Bronx Borough President Marricka Scott-McFadden was also sworn in by Judge Taylor during the event.

The ceremony was streamed live on the borough president’s social media accounts, and can be watched at http://bit.ly/2CwJTFk.

NEW YORK CITY TO CLOSE FIRST JAIL ON RIKERS ISLAND BY SUMMER 2018

Made possible by historic reductions in jail population, the closure of a facility is a major step in Mayor de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers Island

  The de Blasio Administration announced today that it will close its first jail on Rikers Island this summer as part of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to close Rikers Island. The closure is made possible by the dramatic reduction of the City’s jail population, which fell below 9,000 for the month of December, a record-low figure last reported in 1982. As of January 1, the Department of Correction’s jail population is 8,705.

“Every day we are making New York City’s jail system smaller and safer,” said Mayor de Blasio. “This announcement is an important step in our plan to close Rikers Island and create more community-based facilities to better serve people in custody and our hard-working correctional staff.”

“The Department of Correction and the City are committed to closing Rikers and today, we begin delivering on that commitment,” Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann said. “It is something we are able to do because of our Department’s reforms in creating safer jails and the City’s work in creating a fairer criminal justice system. Under Mayor de Blasio’s administration, we have reduced our jail population by 21 percent and have helped make our jails safer. We will continue building on our progress in reducing our jail population through programs that provide life and work skills that help individuals in custody re-enter our community.”

Elizabeth Glazer, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and co-chair of the Justice Implementation Task Force said, “Closing a jail is one of many steps toward modernizing our entire justice system. We are reimagining and reforming how jails function as we are safely shrinking the size of the population. This work is possible because of the partnership, from both inside and outside government, to reduce the jail population in a way that makes New York City safer for everyone.” 

Corporation Counsel Zachary Carter, who co-chairs the Justice Implementation Task Force, said, “The closure of GMDC recognizes the new reality of a substantially smaller jail population whose programmatic and facilities needs must be managed toward a safe and humane environment.”

The DOC will close the George Motchan Detention Center, which currently houses about 600 men in custody. Its closure will bring the total number of operational Rikers Island facilities from nine to eight and it will not result in layoffs or a reduction in DOC uniformed staff. Instead, it will help DOC reduce overtime, provide important training and support, and strengthen staff in other key areas. In the coming months, DOC will develop plans on the transfer of uniformed staff and detainees to other facilities. 

In March, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito announced the plan to close Rikers Island and create a jail system that is smaller, safer and fairer. Because existing borough-based facilities have the capacity to house only approximately 2,300 people, there is no immediate way to safely house the current DOC population off-Island. Expanding the capacity in the boroughs while simultaneously implementing a series of strategies to significantly reduce the jail population is currently underway. The Justice Implementation Task Force will coordinate the work of the many groups inside and outside of government to ensure effective implementation of the Mayor’s roadmap. The complete Roadmap, along with real-time updates and opportunities to get involved, is available at nyc.gov/CloseRikers. 

The City recently launched a request-for-proposals to identify sites that can eventually replace the jails on Rikers Island as well as assess the capacity of the three existing Department of Correction facilities in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The City’s jail reduction strategies include alternatives to incarnation as well as specialized services to reduce reoffending and put people on a path toward stability. This includes a citywide alternative to bail program – Supervised Release – that has diverted over 6,000 people from jail since launching in 2016. This program allows judges to assign eligible, lower-risk defendants to a supervisory program that enables them to remain at home with their families and continue working while awaiting trial. Supervised Release has been funded in part by the District Attorney of Manhattan’s office.

Last October, the City launched a new program that will replace short jail sentences for minor, low-level offenses (typically under 30 days) with services that help prevent recidivism. Working with the district attorneys in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, the program gives judges the option of sentencing people to these community-based programs rather than jail. Additionally, in 2017, the Administration also announced that every person in the Department of Correction’s custody will receive re-entry services to help connect them with jobs and opportunities outside of jail, as well as five hours of programming per day to address vocational, educational, and therapeutic needs.

Within jails, the Department of Correction began a series of sweeping reforms in late 2015 that included programs for individuals in custody, increasing security camera coverage, equipping officers with training in de-escalation techniques, safety equipment and protective gear, and creating a classification and housing strategy to safely house individuals in custody. The Department’s reforms have resulted in a 65 percent drop in assaults on staff with serious injury and a 53 percent drop in uses of force with serious injury since 2014.

New York City has the lowest incarceration rate of any large U.S. city with an incarceration rate of 167 per 100,000 versus 229 in LA, 252 in Chicago, 338 in Houston and 784 in Philadelphia in 2016. In addition to New York City’s plunging jail population crime rates also fell to historic lows not seen in generations.

Friends of VCP's January 2018 Enewsletter

Bringing Youth, Community and Nature Together for 25 Years!

January 2018

Happy 2018!  We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season!

The Friends are busy planning our 2018 programs and events and will have our Spring events, including a few new ones, posted on our website by the end of this month. 

Don't forget- Mulchfest is this weekend! If you haven't already disposed of your Christmas tree then please bring it to Van Cortlandt Park (free lot near the VC Golf House) to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city! MulchFest will be on Saturday and Sunday January 6th and 7th from 10am to 2pm at various locations- for more information please visit NYC Parks website. 

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park would like to wish you all a Happy and Healthy 2018 and we hope to see you in the Park soon!  

Christina and all of your Friends at the Friends of VCP!

Friends of Van Cortlandt Park

vancortlandt.org

718-601-1553

info@vancortlandt.org

80 Van Cortlandt Park South Ste. E1

Bronx, NY 10463, US

NYC Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez - Looking Forward, Happy New Year 2018

  Happy New Year 2018! Looking forward to a new and exciting time in New York City. This was truly the year of the progressive shift, not only in New York City, but in communities across the United States and the world. So many rose up, came together and brought important issues to the forefront of our social discourse that helped for foster change and set the framework for a brighter future.

I also want to take this opportunity to update you on some of the milestones we have reached at the City Council, specifically in my role as Chair of the Transportation Committee.

We started 2017 with hearings on the Progress of Vision Zero & strategies to reach our goals more quickly, and on how public transportation can better serve the needs of its riders and provide more equitable service for many New Yorkers, who depend on public transit as their only option to go to work, school or the doctor's office.

In a city with over 8.5 million residents and over 60 million tourists, pedestrian safety must always be at the top of our minds. The terror attacks in May 2017 and October 2017 are stark reminders of how pedestrians in our city and around the world have become more vulnerable as cars are more and more frequently used as weapons. We passed a law at our last stated meeting of the 2014-2017 session, requiring the DOT to study areas of high pedestrian traffic and install Pedestrian Safety Bollards throughout the city.

New York City witnesses 4,000 hit and run crashes a year that result in serious injury or death. New York City joined other cities in the nation in creating the "Hit and Run Alert System" that would notify the public of information about a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run crash. With this law, the over 8 million residents of this city can better help authorities bring justice to the families tragically affected by this cowardly act.

I drove a taxi to sustain my family and make ends meet; therefore, I can relate to many of the challenges drivers face and the importance that good service be rewarded to supplement fares. We passed a law to require for-hire vehicle bases allow passengers to Tip Drivers through the same method the passenger used to book the trip, including through a website or smartphone application.

We also passed laws to safeguard our youth, primarily in communities of color, who are easily drawn in to consuming hookah by alluring advertisement and packaging. Now the laws require that Hookah product sellers post signage stating the health risks associated with smoking hookah and raise the age of consumption to 21. These were part of a package of bills aimed at busting the myth that hookah is not harmful to New Yorkers' health and assert that it be treated like cigarettes.

These accomplishments exemplify the continued push for a more just and more safer City and make me particularly excited for the coming year.

The coming year, we will continue the push for Immigration Reform, making New York City streets safer, and supporting Amanda Morales-Guerra, her children, DACA recipients, refugees, immigrants, and all minorities who thirst to live in dignity and make our nation strong. We are a country built by immigrants from all over the world who, regardless of their legal status, make countless economic, social, and cultural contributions to this country.

I would like to thank you for your continued advocacy in and on behalf of our community. Thanks for your support and look forward to a productive 2018.

"PA' LANTE."

Sincerely,

Ydanis Rodriguez

Representing Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill

100 PERCENT December 31, 2017

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Looking Ahead to 2018

  As of tomorrow January 1st, Melissa Mark-Viverito will no longer be the speaker of the City Council, and she will no longer be a member of the City Council. There will be a new speaker chosen from the members which were elected in the 2017 general election. As of the end of 2017 the new Speaker of the City Council should be Councilman Corey Johnson of Manhattan. Speaker Johnson will owe his new post to the Queens and Bronx Democratic County Leaders, Congressman Joe Crowley of Queens, and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo of the Bronx. So what will the Bronx and Queens be rewarded with?

 I for one look to see a major council committee such as the Land Use Committee going to current Bronx Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson. I also look for a plum committee for Councilman Rafael Salamanca. New Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. could wind up with the Aging Committee, while the rest of the Bronx delegation either keep their current committee chairs or move up a notch or two in the standings. As for the other new Bronx Councilman, there is no reading on where he may wind up yet. One thing is for sure though, his name is Mark Gjonaj not Mark Gjonah, as new Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. spells it. 

  As for the two open seats in the Bronx now, the 32rd State Senate District and the 80th Assembly District, it will be a game of waiting for a special election to be called or not. Odds are since there another local vacant State Senate seat (Westchester County) of which both were in Democratic control there are those who think a special election will be called by the governor. However there is always the chance of the vacant Westchester County State Senate seat going Republican, and that is why I do not think a special election being called. 

  87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda had already announced that he would be running for the vacant 32nd State Senate seat before it even became vacant. Sepulveda even did away with his main competition that he would of had in the election to fill the vacant seat by getting former (as of January first) Councilwoman Annabel Palma a position in the de Blasio administration as a Deputy Commissioner of Homeless Services. Now with a clear path to the 32nd State Senate Seat, and the only thing that can stop Assemblyman Sepulveda is if no special election is called. That would mean that Speulveda would have to decide if he was to keep his assembly seat or run for the state senate in the September primary. Then again Sepulveda could call his friend Mayor Bill de Blasio to see if the mayor could convince Governor Cuomo to call a special election. 

 As for the 80th Assembly District, there are several local players jockeying for positions. If the former Chief of Staff to former Assemblyman Gjonaj currently working as the Bronx liaison to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Nathalia Fernandez runs that race should be over before it starts. 

 All of the above may happen even before the mid-term Congressional election, and September Bronx Democratic Primary which is the real election here in the Bronx. 

 Surprises to look for in the upcoming election season - A possible challenge to Congressman Jose Serrano. After all the Democratic County Leader of Queens is a Congressman not a State Assemblyman. 

- The possible retirement of a long time Bronx assemblyman, and the possible fight for his seat in the East Bronx.

- The coming up of a North West Bronx District Leader.

- Lastly, has there been peace made with a certain State Senator, and it is not the one you are thinking of. 

 This column was written on December 31, 2017. If you have any comments about this column you can e-mail 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com Mr. Robert Press.

Happy New Year, it's going to be a fun political year.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz - A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

  You Should know that there was a fire where twelve people lost their lives because according to   The City of New York Fire Department a door that was supposed to be closed was left open allowing the fire to spread quickly. 

You should also know that The New York City Fire Department reported that this tragedy that occurred Thursday night is the worst since the Happy Land fire over twenty-five (25) years ago. 

The New York City Fire Department also reported that this tragedy was preventable with the help of an inexpensive hardware item.  This item is an automatic interior door closer, which was missing, from the apartment doors within this building at a cost of $118.00. 

Understandably, as the fire spread tenants opened their doors and windows, causing a rush of oxygen making the fire spread in moments. 

Right now, no one knows for certain how many such apartments exist within the City of New York with the same problem.  Yes, it is a time to grieve and honor the heroes such as the Army soldier Emmanuel Mensah. However, wouldn't we honor his heroic memory better, if we could prevent such future occurrences? 

 First, we need to know the extent of the problem, hence I hope the Mayor IMMEDIATELY sets up a toll-free number within the NY City Building Department (DOB).   

This was done back in 1993, by then-Commissioner Mr. Christopher Lynn. According to Mr. Lynn, this was easy and quick to do and that was 20 years ago. 

The toll-free number could be advertised with PSA, public service advertisements, so people could call in if their apartment door doesn't automatically close.   

Once we learn how many units exists, then we partner with the Rent Stabilization Association and the Real Estate Board, to contact each and every building owner, directly (these groups can do it quickly) and inform them that they must install these devices and the City will then provide a one time tax credit against their outstanding real estate sewer or water bills, for the amount spent. 

The idea is to involve as many participants as possible, fix the problem, avoid creating bureaucracy and additional expenses, and not just pass a law.  If there are some owners who fail to comply then the Buildings Department could be authorized to issue a "when and where" contract, hire companies and do it for the owners at a 50% markup, there will be no tax credit. 

We urge the Mayor’s Office of Community Assistance to continue their great efforts in finding permanent housing and burial assistance for the victim’s family.  Let's make their job easier by ending all such future horrors. 

We need to FIX this problem…. 

This is Senator Rubٞén Díaz and this is what you should know.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Very soon to be former State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. will be able to convey this message when he arrives at City Hall to represent the 18th City Council District in less than 48 hours. As a matter of fact if Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. is attending the swearing in of Mayor Bill de Blasio he may want to start the conversation right there. 

Since the address is in the 32nd State Senate District and 87th Assembly District, maybe Councilman Diaz Sr. and the wannabe be State Senator currently the Assemblyman from the 87th A.D. should look in the mirror and say 'Why did I not think of this before this tragedy, and not now after it has happened'.

What other such similar problems are there in the 32nd State Senate District which the soon to be former, and wannabe state senator have neglected.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - How You Can Help the Victims of Thursday's Fire

 

HOW TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF THURSDAY'S FIRE

Dear Friend: On Thursday evening, The Bronx faced an unimaginable tragedy. Twelve of our neighbors passed away in a horrible fire in Belmont, including a one year old child. As we pray for the victims, we are working to assist those families dispaced by the fire. The NYPD, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office Community Affairs Unit, Office of Emergency Management, and the FDNY, have established a collection site where people can donate new or lightly used clothing to help the families affected by this tragedy. Location: Church of Saint Martin of Tours 2239 Crotona Avenue (E. 182nd St/Garden Ave) Bronx Date: Saturday 12/30, 9am -4pm Sunday 12/31, 9am -4pm In addition, my office is partnering with the Red Cross of New York to coordinate relief efforts for the victims. Please call 877-RED-CROSS if you want to help. And please share this information with everyone you can. Sincerely, Ruben Diaz Jr.