COUNCIL MEMBER ANDY KING TO HOST CONSTITUENT NIGHT ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 at Edenwald Community Center

  In order to better serve his constituents beyond the hours of 9-5, New York City Council Member Andy King and his staff will be hosting “Constituent Services Night” in a different NYCHA housing development in the 12th Council District.

A Constituent Service Night Event will be held on Thursday, February 8, 6:30 -8:00 p.m. at Edenwald Community Center, 1150 East 229^th St., Bronx. Services will include resources and solutions for housing, food stamps, immigration status and basic services. Representatives from Home Base/Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York and Urban Justice Center will be in attendance to address constituents’ needs as well as provide information and resources.

There are five NYCHA housing developments in the 12th District: Gun Hill Houses, Baychester Houses, Boston Secor, Eastchester Gardens and Edenwald.

NYCHA residents can preschedule an appointment by calling the Office of Council Member Andy King at (718) 684-5509.

Engel, House Democrats Work to Protect Mueller Investigation with H.R. 3654, the “Special Counsel Independence Protection Act”

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel and House Democrats are working to protect the integrity of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump-Russia ties by sponsoring legislation designed to insulate the Special Counsel from interference and arbitrary action by the President.

H.R. 3654, the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act, would limit the President’s ability to unilaterally end the Mueller investigation by requiring that a Special Counsel may be removed only upon the following conditions:

1. The attorney general files an action in federal district court in Washington, D.C., and files a contemporaneous action with the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee; and,

2. A panel of three federal judges sitting in Washington, D.C., finds removal appropriate based on a finding of misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest or other good cause. 

“According to various reports, the President has already demonstrated his willingness to fire Robert Mueller, which would trigger a Constitutional crisis,” Engel said. “If the President is willing to go to those lengths to hide the truth surrounding the Trump-Russia scandal, then Congress has no choice but to act in defense of our Constitution and country by passing legislation to stop him.

“The Mueller investigation must be allowed to continue unimpeded, and House Republicans need to stop shielding the White House from scrutiny by stifling our efforts. Protecting the integrity of our country shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Yet right now we have a Republican party that is openly trying to discredit the FBI by releasing a highly misleading, dishonest memo, all for their own political gain. Their behavior is shameful and all the more reason why we must protect Robert Mueller and his team at all costs.”  

Wave Hill Events Feb 16‒Feb 23

This week, we celebrate Black History Month with an exceptionally lively Family Art Project, giving grown-ups and their kids—or grandkids, nieces or nephews!—an opportunity to use movement and sound and storytelling to mark this important moment in the calendar. This is also Presidents Week, and we encourage families to visit if they are off from school: Admission will be free for children ages 18 and younger, Tuesdaythrough Friday, February 20 through 23.

If you are Manhattan-bound mid-week, don’t miss the second in our 2018 Horticultural Lectures. Sarah Raven, flying in from her farm in East Sussex, will talk flowers. What a wonderful subject for mid-February in NYC! Don’t wait to purchase a ticket. I hear it’s almost sold out.

Sat, February 17    Family Art Project: Josephine Baker Dances Out the Winter Blues

In conjunction with Black History Month, celebrate the renowned entertainer Josephine Baker, famous for her activism and for refusing to perform for segregated audiences in the U.S. Make handmade musical instruments and join visiting storyteller Channie Waites, who reinterprets Jazz Age Josephine, by Jonah Winter, through interactive movement and sound. Interactive storytelling at noon. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, February 18    Family Art Project: Josephine Baker Dances Out the Winter Blues

In conjunction with Black History Month, celebrate the renowned entertainer Josephine Baker, famous for her activism and for refusing to perform for segregated audiences in the U.S. Make handmade musical instruments and join visiting storyteller Channie Waites, who reinterprets Jazz Age Josephine, by Jonah Winter, through interactive movement and sound. Interactive Storytelling at noon. Free with admission to the grounds. 

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM

Sun, February 18    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

Mon, February 19

Closed to the public.

Tue‒Fri, February 20‒23    Presidents Week

Admission to the grounds is free to children ages 18 and younger.

Wed, February 21    Sarah Raven: The Cutting Garden

An inspirational and passionate teacher and award-winning author, Sarah Raven has been running cooking, flower arranging, growing and gardening courses at Perch Hill—her farm in East Sussex—and across England, since 1999. Her talk is all about how to prepare, plant, maintain and harvest buckets of flowers from your garden—from March to November—with her best sowing and growing techniques. Raven has written forThe Saturday Telegraph, Country Living, Gardens Illustrated, The English Garden and more. 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 advance reservations are recommended, online at wavehill.org beginning November 15. The final lecture of the series takes place on March 21, when Timothy Young focuses on the archival legacies of several 20th-century writers and artists who built gardens, including Vita Sackville-West, Robert Dash and Rupert Barneby and Dwight Ripley.

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.

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ RE: Mayor de Blasio's Plan to Replace NYCHA Boilers

"Mayor de Blasio's announcement today is cold comfort for the tenants of NYCHA, as it does nothing to accelerate the timeline of the procurement process. Even on the most optimistic schedule the city will have a different mayor when these new boiler installations are completed. 

"We cannot afford to wait any longer to make critical, long overdue repairs. NYCHA must issue an emergency declaration and take the necessary steps to cut through the red tape of the procurement process and replace broken boilers faster. This heat crisis is a dire health emergency, and it requires an immediate, permanent solution," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

After questioning Mayor Bill de Blasio about the sad conditions at many NYCHA housing developments as to why residents have to wait over five years to have their broken refrigerators, and stoves replaced, we agree with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. that the city can not afford to push these repairs off any longer. 

However we go one step further in calling for something that has not be happening the past four years of the de Blasio administration, and that is accountability. If the mayor believes that the chair of NYCHA is doing her job well, then maybe she should stay and the mayor should resign.

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ CO-HOSTS 2018 HIP-HOP ELEMENT AWARDS

This year's honorees included Grammy award-winner Swizz Beatz, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Kool DJ Red Alert, and "Street Soldiers" Lisa Evers

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Windows of Hip Hop co-hosted the annual 2018 Hip-Hop Element Awards at Pier 132 in The Bronx.

 

The event honored those musical luminaries who have promoted the Bronx-born phenomenon known as hip-hop and advanced the culture forward by instilling civic mindedness and giving back to the community.

This year's honorees included Grammy Award-winner Swizz Beatz; hip-hop icons Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh; and “Street Soldiers” and FOX 5 news reporter and media personality Lisa Evers. Legendary New York City DJ and groundbreaking radio personality, Kool DJ Red Alert, received The Hip-Hop Element Award Lifetime Achievement Award; as well as a performance by Bad Boy Entertainment/Epic Records’ artists CYN.

“Whether you listen to Lil Uzi Vert or Migos; or you came up rocking to the sounds of Biggie Smalls and Fat Joe; or you grew up on Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh; this global phenomenon that is called hip-hop was birthed in our great borough,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “The genre has grown to the point where it now influences mainstream pop culture. You see hip-hop’s influence everywhere, in all aspects of society; whether it’s Cardi B’s swagger making red-bottom Louboutin shoes highly popular, Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance at the Grammys, Fat Joe using his resources to help us help Puerto Rico in their time of greatest need; or Jay-Z sitting down with CNN’s Van Jones to discuss the state of politics under the Trump presidency; you can see the impact this genre has left on pop culture. But make no mistake; there is no Migos, or Jay-Z, or Kendrick without pioneers like the ones we have honored tonight.”

Windows of Hip Hop (WoHH), who co-hosted the event with the borough president, is a non-profit, economic development project that promotes educational, communal, and historical perspective of hip-hop.

 

“This award, to me, is way beyond my Grammy Award,” said Swizz Beatz. “This award comes from the heart of hip-hop.”

 

“This is always a blessing to be recognized while you’re alive, a lot of us wait until someone passes away to recognize,” said Doug E. Fresh. “This is what life is all about, this is the celebration of life. These awards, people giving us things, people showing us appreciation, the times that you spend with your family, we’ll never forget these moments.”

 

“I’m not one of the originators of this, I came after them;” said Big Daddy Kane, “But I’m a student. To be on this stage, with them, it’s truly an honor.”

“I’m privileged and honored to accept this award,” said Kool DJ Red Alert. “We do what we love in life. We could have chosen anything else in life. But we stuck to what we love doing, and [hip-hop] took us around the world. In order for our elders to see around the world, they had to be in the service. Music took us around the world. Two turntables took me around the world.”

 

“I want to thank all the hip-hop legends who are here,” said Lisa Evers. “I remember Swizz Beatz coming up to The Polo Grounds, supporting ‘Street Soldiers’ early on; and DJ Red Alert supporting me; and everyone who schooled me in the hip-hop community; and also supported all our of initiatives.”

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to a Valentine Networking Party

Mayor de Blasio Releases Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2019

This Administration is focused on making New York the fairest big city in America. Every decision in this budget was weighed on whether it brought us closer to that goal. We have no illusions about the real threats we face from D.C. and Albany. That’s why we’re investing in our people while maintaining historic reserves and safeguarding our city’s financial future.

– Mayor Bill de Blasio

  Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio presented New York City’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19).

The FY19 Preliminary Budget is balanced, totaling $88.67 billion. In particular, this budget:

·         Makes strategic investments that build upon continued efforts to make New York City the fairest big city in America.

·         Includes $900 million in savings – the result of the Partial Hiring Freeze, agency and debt service savings – that offset all new spending. Plus, a goal of at least $500 million more in the FY19 Executive Budget.

·         Demonstrates fiscal responsibility and caution during a time of uncertainty and threats from Washington, D.C. and Albany.

Click here to view the FY19 Preliminary Budget.

ON THE HORIZON

Last year, President Trump passed the most draconian tax law in recent history. While the City is still analyzing the budgetary impacts, the facts are clear: middle- and lower-class New Yorkers will pay. This budget continues to provide the services New Yorkers rely on, while preparing for potential hits to New York City.

New York City’s current total risk from Washington is up to $700 million – and that could easily go up when the president puts out his budget this month. If Congress does not reinstate the Disproportionate Share Hospital funding, NYC’s Health + Hospitals could be facing a loss of $400 million per year. As of January 1, the City lost its ability to refinance with tax-exempt bonds – an estimated cost of up to $100 million annually. Additionally, by taking actions that reduce investor interest in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the Trump’s tax law threatens another $200 million a year in capital funding.

The cuts in the state Executive Budget are no less alarming. New York City is facing $400 million in cuts and cost shifts that would directly impact our City’s most vulnerable and deeply threaten our ability to provide the services we’re solely responsible for.

RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING

In the face of uncertainty, the City is maintaining the reserves it’s built up in historic fashion. Specifically:

• The General Reserve is at $1 billion in FY19 and every year of the financial plan, compared to the traditional $300 million.
• The Capital Stabilization Reserve that was established under this Administration is at $250 million.
• The Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund is at $4.25 billion, $3.5 billion the result of actions taken by this Administration.

As a result, independent monitors and rating agencies continue to affirm the City’s strong budgetary management.

The Administration is also managing out-year gaps and continuing to find savings across City government. As of the Preliminary Budget, agency, partial hiring freeze and debt savings will reduce expenses by $900 million in FY18-19. This is in addition to the nearly $500 million found in the FY18 November Plan and with more to come in the Executive Budget this spring.

TARGETED INVESTMENTS TO MAKE NYC THE FAIREST BIG CITY IN AMERICA

This budget makes targeted investments to make good on the Mayor’s promise to bring fairness to all New Yorkers. Mayor de Blasio’s prior budgets have invested in priorities that can be felt across the five boroughs, such as building and preserving more affordable housing units than any other administration; providing free high-quality, full-day Pre-K for All; and moving nearly 2,000 additional NYPD officers onto the street helping secure New York City’s record-low crime rate.

The FY 2019 Preliminary Budget builds on that foundation and touches the lives of all New Yorkers. Specifically, the budget:

·         Accelerates the rollout of body-worn cameras for all NYPD patrol officers a year ahead of schedule totaling $5.9 million in FY18 and $12 million in FY19.

·         Invests $200 million in capital and $13 million in expense funding to improve the quality of life for NYCHA residents by facilitating immediate and long-term heating needs.

·         Strengthens the Department of Buildings’ ability to protect tenants from construction harassment via $1.6 million in FY18 and $5.2 million in FY19.

·         $750 million in capital funding across the life of the plan to expand upon our commitment to build and preserve move affordable housing than ever before.

·         Extends NYC Safe service to seven days a week for an additional $6.38 million in FY19 and out.

·         Expedites the completion of exams given to criminal defendants that assess their mental competence to understand charges against them for an additional $430 thousand in FY18 and $1.54 million in FY19.

·         Unleashes capacity through the basement apartment program pilot in East New York for $2.4 million in FY19.

·         Improves services for incarcerated women and their families for $200 thousand in FY18 and $5.72 million in FY19.

·         Expands jail diversion health screenings for detainees for an additional $700 thousand in FY18 and $4 million in FY19.

·         Helps 4,000 seniors in five years via DFTA’s Home Sharing program for $1.4 million in FY19.

·         Accelerates and expands 3-K for All with the addition of 4 new districts, bringing the total to 12 by 2020 for $46.4 million in FY21,

·         Builds 4 additional Pre-K locations for $46 million in capital funding in FY18 and $26 million in capital funding in FY19.

·         Expands anti-bullying efforts in schools for an additional $1.9 million in FY18 and $8.2 million in FY19.

Two Defendants Charged With 1997 Double Murder For Hire In The Bronx

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging ROBERT ACOSTA and JOSE DIAZ, a/k/a “Cano,” with the December 22, 1997, murders of Alex Ventura, 25, and Aneudis Almonte, 20.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Today’s indictment alleges that more than two decades ago, Robert Acosta orchestrated, and Jose Diaz carried out, the murders of Alex Ventura and Aneudis Almonte.  Now, thanks to the outstanding work of the NYPD and FBI, the long arm of the law has reached back over two decades to charge Acosta and Diaz with those terrible crimes.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “This case proves why there is no time limit on holding someone responsible for murder; taking a human life is the worst crime a person can commit. Our agents and law enforcement partners work daily, pursuing suspects in crimes that seem unsolvable.  The time and dedication make it worth the effort.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “After more than twenty years on-the-run, NYPD detectives and FBI agents have arrested two defendants for a double homicide in the Bronx. The focus and precision this case embodies is what has enabled this city to become the safest city in America. We will continue rooting out crime and violence wherever we find it, until every neighborhood and block of this city is safe.”

According to the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1] 

In late 1997, ACOSTA agreed with DIAZ and others to pay DIAZ and others to kill persons who had stolen drug money from ACOSTA.  As a result of this agreement, Alex Ventura and Aneudis Almonte were murdered by DIAZ and others on December 22, 1997, in the vicinity of 2769 University Avenue in the Bronx, New York. 

ACOSTA, 46, of Yonkers, New York, and DIAZ, 52, of the Bronx, New York, were arrested this morning by the NYPD and the FBI.  The defendants will be presented later today before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge P. Kevin Castel.

The Indictment charges each of the defendants in six counts: murder while engaged in a conspiracy to distribute five and more kilograms of cocaine and aiding and abetting the same (Counts One and Two); murder-for-hire conspiracy (Count Three); murder-for-hire and aiding and abetting the same (Counts Four and Five); and use of a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting the same (Count Six).  ACOSTA and DIAZ each face a maximum sentence of life in prison or death.  The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Laurie A. Korenbaum, Michael Kim Krouse, and Nicholas Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.