Saturday, May 12, 2018
Broadway Democrats, Village Independent Democrats & Three Parks Independent Democrats All Endorse Cynthia Nixon for Governor
Hard on the heels of several major progressive endorsements, Democratic candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon was endorsed by the Broadway Democrats, Village Independent Democratic Club and Three Parks Independent Democrats. The groups are some of the New York City’s most active, grassroots political organizations dedicated to a stronger, more accountable State Democratic Party.
“I am honored to receive the support of the Broadway Democrats, Village Independent Democratic Club, and Three Parks Independent Democrats,” said Cynthia Nixon. “These organizations understand that in order to implement progressive policies we need progressive leaders at all levels of government. As I continue my campaign, I know that the hardworking organizers and activists in these groups will be vital in energizing voters on Primary Day.”
Cynthia won the Broadway Democrats endorsement Thursday evening after addressing its members. Though Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was also in attendance on behalf of Governor Andrew Cuomo, over 60 percent of the club voted in favor of endorsing Cynthia. She also received the Village Independent Democrats and Three Parks Independent Democrats endorsement, with members voting overwhelmingly in favor of Cynthia.
The Broadway Democrats, Village Independent Democrats, and Three Parks Independent Democrats endorsements mark the fifth, sixth and seventh endorsements in just two weeks. Since the beginning of May, the New Kings Democrats (NKD), Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Democracy for America, and Daily Kos have also thrown their support behind Cynthia’s bid for governor. This adds to an even longer list of endorsements over the last few weeks, including the Working Families Party, Make the Road Action, Citizens Action, and the New York Progressive Action Network, with more announcements expected in the coming weeks.
News From Congressman Eliot Engel,
Trump “Failed to Offer Better Deal” on Prescription Drug Pricing
Congressman Eliot Engel, a top member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on today’s speech by President Trump on prescription drug pricing:
“Today, President Trump had an opportunity to champion meaningful, comprehensive action for American consumers struggling with the rising costs of prescription drugs – and he failed.
“This is nothing new for the GOP. Earlier this week, House Republicans said no to even considering an ambitious Democratic plan to address the high cost of drugs. Last month, in the Energy and Commerce Committee, they voted to block an amendment that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to simply examine the rising price of the overdose reversal drug naloxone.
“And back in October, when I and other Energy and Commerce Democrats voted in favor of allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices—something the President once claimed to support—the GOP voted it down. That proposal was, unsurprisingly, absent from President Trump’s speech today – another in a long list of broken promises.
“Rising prescription drug prices are a key concern of millions of American seniors and working families. Prices of many medications that have been on the market for decades are surging. Medication for Americans with chronic conditions more than doubled in price over the past decade to nearly $13,000 – taking up four-fifths of the average Social Security retirement benefit.
“These rising costs have real implications for working families: the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about a quarter of Americans didn’t fill a prescription in the previous year because of the prohibitive cost.
“This cannot stand. Americans demand a better deal – and today, President Trump failed to offer one.”
Engel Announces $20,000 in NEA Funding for Wave Hill
Congressman Eliot Engel, a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, today announced the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded a $20,000 grant for Wave Hill, Incorporated in the Bronx. The grant money will be used to provide workspaces, professional opportunities, and resources to encourage and support the development of local artists.
“I am pleased the NEA has recognized the artistic and creative contributions made by Wave Hill, one of the great havens for artistic expression in New York’s 16th District,” Engel said. “As a long-time advocate of federal funding for the arts, I am always pleased to see vital federal dollars come into our community, especially when they will help expand creative and learning opportunities for local artists. I know Wave Hill will do a wonderful job ensuring this NEA grant will provide great benefits.”
““The NEA’s support is crucial to Wave Hill’s commitment to offering artists access to our incomparable site and our horticultural and curatorial expertise, as well as giving them an opportunity to engage with the public,” said Wave Hill Senior Director of Arts, Education and Programs, Jennifer McGregor.
Wave Hill Events May 24‒May 31 Memorial Day
Sat, May 26 Family Art Project: At Home in the Sky
With watercolor brush in hand, find a place to perch and view the vistas unique to Wave Hill. What do you see flying off into the wild blue yonder? Experiment with the scale of birds near and far, and with brushy, atmospheric strokes in our outdoor sky-painting project. Rain or shine! Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
Sat, May 26 Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM‒NOON
Sat, May 26 Gallery Tour
Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. Avifauna: Interplay of Birds + Habitatfeatures artworks that delve into the relationship between birds and their habitats—from the role birds play in propagating plants to changes in how natural and built environments affect migration patterns. Artists working in photography, video, artist books, wall painting, installation, drawing and sound include Tatiana Arocha, Tanya Chaly, Marna Chester, Nina Katchadourian, Paula McCartney, Jeff Mertz, Peter Morgan, Sarah Nicholls, James Proseck, Jenna Spevek and Fred Tomaselli. In the Sunroom Project Space, Austin Ballard: Rumors is on view. Fabricating furniture using cane webbing and epoxy clay, Austin Ballard constructs an immersive domestic setting. Intended as functional sculpture, the forms are reminiscent of Victorian furniture and recall Wave Hill’s history as a private home. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM
Sun, May 27 NO YOGA IN THE GARDEN
Sessions of Yoga in the Garden resume on June 3.
Sun, May 27 Family Art Project: At Home in the Sky
With watercolor brush in hand, find a place to perch and view the vistas unique to Wave Hill. What do you see flying off into the wild blue yonder? Experiment with the scale of birds near and far, and with brushy, atmospheric strokes in our outdoor sky-painting project. Rain or shine! Free admission to the grounds.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
Sun, May 27 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, May 28 Memorial Day Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights on this holiday Monday. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM
Tue, May 29 Garden Highlights Walk
Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM
Tue, May 29 Gallery Tour
Learn about Glyndor Gallery exhibitions on a tour led by Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow. Avifauna: Interplay of Birds + Habitatfeatures artworks that delve into the relationship between birds and their habitats—from the role birds play in propagating plants to changes in how natural and built environments affect migration patterns. Artists working in photography, video, artist books, wall painting, installation, drawing and sound include Tatiana Arocha, Tanya Chaly, Marna Chester, Nina Katchadourian, Paula McCartney, Jeff Mertz, Peter Morgan, Sarah Nicholls, James Proseck, Jenna Spevek and Fred Tomaselli.In the Sunroom Project Space, Austin Ballard: Rumors is on view. Fabricating furniture using cane webbing and epoxy clay, Austin Ballard constructs an immersive domestic setting. Intended as functional sculpture, the forms are reminiscent of Victorian furniture and recall Wave Hill’s history as a private home. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM
Thu, May 30 Members Trip: Storm King Art Center
Experience art and nature in harmony at Storm King Art Center, one of the world’s leading sculpture parks. Explore its 500 acres of rolling hills, verdant fields and woodlands, and a collection of more than 100, large-scale sculptures by Alexander Calder, Maya Lin, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi and more. Our day trip includes transportation, a docent-led walk and time to explore. Lunch on your own at the Storm King Café, then visit a local sculptor’s studio. $75. Registration required, online at wavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.
MEET AT WAVE HILL FRONT GATE, 9:30AM–5PM
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–5:30PM, March 15–October 31. Closes 4:30PM, starting November 1.
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/
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.
VISION ZERO: WITH WARM WEEKEND WEATHER IN THE FORECAST, MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES NEW MOTORCYCLE-FOCUSED SAFETY EFFORTS
NYPD’s “Warm Weather Weekends” education and enforcement will again be in effect this weekend; Data show strong correlation between rising temperatures and a springtime surge in traffic crashes –serious motorcyclist injuries/fatalities on warm weekends increase by 88 percent
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that with warm weather in the weekend forecast, the NYPD and the DOT would continue their new Vision Zero safety campaign, “Warm Weather Weekends.” The new effort is aimed especially at motorcyclists, whom crash data indicate are a far higher crash risk on warmer spring weekends.
“This weekend and all weekends this spring, we need to keep our Vision Zero focus on safety, particularly among motorcyclists,” said Mayor de Blasio. “On warm weekends, we have seen dangerous driving increase. So we are telling both drivers and motorcyclists: when and if the sun comes out this weekend, there will still be absolutely no excuse for dangerous driving. The NYPD will be out in force to ensure you do not travel at speeds that endanger you and your fellow New Yorkers.”
City officials specifically offered data on the increased dangers of motorcycle riding on warmer spring weekends, and DOT also offered helpful tips to both motorcyclists and drivers.
Motorcycle Dangers: Motorcyclists are over–represented among traffic fatalities in New York City. Motorcycles comprise only 2 percent of registered vehicles in New York City, yet from 2010-14, motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of traffic fatalities in New York City. In that same period, fatalities among motorcyclists also skewed far younger (56 percent of deaths were under 35 years old) and more male (98 percent of fatalities) than any other mode of travel.
Warm Weather Weekends: The danger in the spring is most pronounced for motor vehicle occupants and motorcyclists on warm weather Saturdays and Sundays. On spring weekends when high temperatures exceed 60 degrees, the rate for drivers and car occupants killed or seriously injured (KSI) is 41 percent higher than the winter weekend rate. For motorcyclists, the KSI danger on weekends rises by 88 percent.
Ron Whittaker, Director of Vision Zero Operations in DOT’s Education and Outreach division and a Harley-Davidson rider, offered riders and drivers the following safety tips for motorcycling season.
FOR MOTORCYCLISTS
· Ensure Proper Licensure and Registration – Motorcyclists must carry a Class M or Class MJ New York State driver’s license. The most common license, the Class D passenger vehicle license, is not sufficient to legally operate a motorcycle. Riders also need to verify that their bike is properly registered and insured. Improper documentation can lead to seizure of the motorcycle by the NYPD.
· Stay off the White Line – Passing between vehicles is risky, especially this time of year when cars are not used to seeing motorcyclists out on the highways. Stay in middle of travel lane, and be predictable when passing.
· Pass on the Driver’s Side – You are much more visible in the driver’s side mirror than the passenger’s side. Make sure you are seen.
· Get Practice Before Riding the Open Road – As motorcycling season begins, you should not expect to be at 100%, and should take your time getting on the open road. Take your motorcycle to a parking lot or out-of-the-way street to gradually get your bike under you again. If possible, take a refresher class.
· Watch the Tires for Turns – The car in front or you may turn unexpectedly. Look to their front tires for sudden turns and keep a safe distance. Expect the unexpected.
FOR DRIVERS
· Be Mindful of Motorcyclists -- Especially on warm weather weekends when the number of bikers on the road increase, car drivers should always check their mirrors, look twice for motorcycles and deliberately use direction signals, giving ample time before making turns.
“It is imperative that motorcyclists understand that the exposed nature of a motorcycle leaves him or her particularly vulnerable to serious injury or death,” said Chief Thomas M. Chan, the NYPD’s Chief of Transportation. “The chances of sustaining such injuries are substantially increased when coupled with dangerous or inattentive driving behavior, either by the motorcyclist or another vehicle operator. The Police Department reminds motorcyclists to operate in a safe manner, be alert to all vehicles operating around them, and to be equipped with all the required safety equipment. Additionally, car and truck operators are reminded to be watchful for motorcyclists in their blind spots. Please also keep in mind that speeding is another leading cause of motorcycle collisions, therefore the NYPD will continue its speeding enforcement. Our enforcement efforts will include seizing the motorcycle if necessary.”
“We are grateful that we may see some warm weather for Mother’s Day weekend, but we want to once again remind drivers and motorcyclists of the need to stay vigilant about safety,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Our message to New Yorkers remains simple: go out and play this weekend and all spring. However, if you are out riding a motorcycle, please follow our safety educator Ron Whittaker’s sage tips for safe riding. You will not only make your mother happy, you could even save a life -- including your own.”
"It’s getting warmer and motorcycles are out!” said Michael "Rock" Whetstone, President of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) of NY 5 Boroughs Chapter. “Motorcyclists are nearly 5 times more likely to be injured and 29 times more likely to be killed in a crash than car or truck occupants are. So Look Twice for Motorcycles…and save a life!"
Last year was the fourth consecutive year of declining traffic deaths under Vision Zero, with the fewest-ever overall traffic fatalities citywide, driven by a 28 percent one-year decline in pedestrian fatalities. As part of the initiative, DOT implemented its most aggressive street redesign safety program, with increased investment in street redesign and traffic-calming measures citywide. Unfortunately, even with historic fatality declines, 2017 was marked by increases in both motorcyclist and motor vehicle fatalities – trends that Warm Weather Weekends is designed to address.
For more information about the de Blasio Administration’s Vision Zero initiative, please seewww.nyc.gov/visionzero.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Bronx Jewish Community Council - Breakfast for Champions: Register NOW!
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STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA INTRODUCES BILL TO EXPAND CHIP TO IMMIGRANT YOUNG ADULTS
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, who serves as the Ranking Member of the New York State Senate Health Committee, introduced S8618, which would expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by extending the age that immigrant young adults are eligible for coverage to 29 years old. The introduction of this bill comes as New York faces relentless attacks by the Trump Administration and the Republicans in Congress which will decrease its residents' access to healthcare and make life for the immigrants who call New York home even harder. On Monday, May 7, Trump called on Congress to cut spending on CHIP by several billion dollars, specifically targeting the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, which ensures states have funds to cover higher than average enrollment. Despite efforts from the federal government to cripple access to healthcare, New York State continues to have the lowest uninsured rate in the nation. This bill would make that rate even lower by expanding access to ensure young immigrants continue to have access to healthcare as they move into adulthood. Additionally, this measure is also in line with New York State's goal of reducing overall health care costs. It would cost the state approximately $81 million a year, which would be substantially less than the financial burden the State would incur if these New Yorkers wait to seek care in an emergency setting rather than accessing primary and preventive care. Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, who serves as the Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, sponsors this bill (A8054A) in the Assembly.
"As our right to health and affordable care is under attack at the Federal level, I am proud to be the Senate sponsor of the Children's Health Insurance Program Expansion bill," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. "Healthcare should be a right and not a privilege for every New Yorker and every American, and that includes extending coverage to include immigrants. CHIP provides coverage for children and also helps young people just graduating high school and navigating their education, job search, and other opportunities and challenges to not worry about their health insurance coverage. It is irresponsible to restrict access to care for young adults and put their health in jeopardy simply because of their immigration status."
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We can only say to Senator Rivera that we have heard from parents who wanted to know why their children were not covered up to the age of 29 in the past.
There was a program set up by the Bloomberg administration that gave incentives to schools for signing children into the CHIP program.
Perhaps Senator Rivera should not only look to pass legislation, but how to get the benefits of said legislation to those who need.
FORWARDING: HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASES DATA ON BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN CHILDREN SHOWING A 13 PERCENT DECLINE FROM 2016 TO 2017
Data show continued progress in reducing elevated blood lead levels in children
More than 80 percent of New York City children are tested for lead at least once before their third birthday; more than 90 percent
of New York City children have had a blood lead test by age 6
“The City has been at the vanguard of addressing child lead poisoning concerns, which began when the Board of Health banned lead in paint in 1960 – 18 years before the federal ban,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “New York City continues to make tremendous progress in reducing childhood lead poisoning in children with blood lead levels at or above 5 mcg/dL for children under age 6. As we move forward, we will continue this significant progress.”
Preliminary data from 2017 shows:
· The number of children under age 6 with blood lead levels at or above CDC reference level of 5mcg/dL declined 13 percent (from 4,928 to 4,293 children).
· The rate of children under age 6 with blood lead levels at or above CDC reference level of 5mcg/dL declined 11 percent (from 16.5 to 14.7 per 1,000 children tested).
New York State law requires all children to be tested for lead at ages 1 and 2, and children up to age 6 to be tested if they are found to be at risk. New York City law also requires blood lead testing of children under age 6 who are enrolled in child care.
New York City has one of the highest testing rates in the state – more than 80 percent of New York City children are tested at least once before their third birthday. The Health Department collaborates with Medicaid Managed Care Plan to improve testing and do annual reminders to health care providers.
The Health Department, through its Healthy Homes Program, has developed a comprehensive and proactive approach to childhood lead poisoning prevention and control, which includes:
· Lead hazard reduction in homes and communities.
· Education and outreach to families and health care providers to promote prevention and early detection.
· Care coordination for children with lead poisoning and pregnant women with lead poisoning and their newborns.
· Environmental investigation and enforcement.
· Surveillance and research.