Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Attorney General James Obtains $100,000 For Homeowners After Developer Failed To Provide Promised Warranty For Condo's Roof


   New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with 102 Gold Development LLC and its principal, Anthony Morena, based on their failure to provide the comprehensive, no-dollar-limit (NDL) warranty, initially guaranteed to residents, for the roof at the 102 Gold Street condominium in Brooklyn. After the Attorney General’s office initiated its investigation, the developer agreed to pay the condominium board $100,000 to cover the cost of replacing the building’s roof.

“When New Yorkers invest their savings into buying a new home, they deserve to be treated fairly, and not ripped off,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This company broke its promise to provide a warranty for the roof at 102 Gold Street to homeowners. My office will continue working to hold developers accountable when they fail to honor their promises.”
102 Gold is an 11-unit residential condominium located at 102 Gold Street in Brooklyn. The condominium’s original offering plan clearly states, under “Roof Warranty,” that a “10 Year NDL [no dollar limit] manufacturer’s warranty shall be provided.” Yet, when a resident tried to submit a warranty claim to the roof’s manufacturer, the resident discovered that there was no evidence that 102 Gold Development LLC ever obtained the 10-year NDL manufacturer’s warranty. In its absence, the condominium’s roof would only be covered by the less expensive, default warranty offered by the roof’s manufacturer, which does not cover workmanship errors in installing the roof.
In addition to the $100,000 the developer has already paid to the condominium board, the developer has also paid a $5,000 penalty for failure to provide the promised warranty.

To Combat Teacher Exodus From New York City Schools, Comptroller Stringer Proposes Largest Teacher Residency Program in America



A staggering 41 percent of all teachers hired in the 2012-13 school year left within five years

Comptroller Stringer’s plan would create largest teacher residency program in America, setting a standard for a full year of in-classroom teacher preparation
Stringer plan establishes year-long, paid, classroom residency program to train 1,000 new teachers each year

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today proposed a nation-leading investment in teachers and the City’s public school system to combat persistently high teacher turnover rates, especially among new teachers, that disadvantage high-need school districts and set back the City’s most vulnerable students. In the new report, “Teacher Residencies: Supporting the Next Generation of Teachers and Students,” Comptroller Stringer calls on the City Department of Education (DOE) to establish a large-scale, paid, year-long residency program to vastly expand in-classroom experience for new teachers, and equip them with the classroom skills they need to teach in the country’s largest school district and support New York City’s 1.1 million schoolchildren.
The Comptroller’s analysis reveals how the DOE is failing to keep new teachers, finding that a staggering 41 percent of all teachers hired in the 2012-13 school year left within five years and nearly 20 percent of all public school teachers with less than five years of experience left the classroom in 2017-18 alone. When schools have high teacher turnover, it weakens schools – and weak schools cause students to be left behind, or drop-out. The Comptroller’s plan would close a glaring gap in teacher preparation that fuels teacher workforce attrition, by providing all educators with the skills to identify and support a wide range of academic needs in students – particularly our most vulnerable children, including students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students experiencing homelessness.
“Our children deserve the very best, and we have to take every step we can to give them a brighter future. That’s what this proposal is all about. If we’re going to give all students a fair shot, adults have to put them first, which means rethinking old approaches and breaking down outdated systems. It’s just a fact – a well-prepared teacher can transform a child’s life. But right now, the City is sending new teachers into the classroom without the experience or tools they need to help our students thrive. We’re throwing them into the deep-end and when they leave, too many of our students can’t stay afloat, as a result,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “We all know that inequality runs straight through our school system, and that’s why we need to make sure our schools can recruit the best teachers – and support them to ensure they stay, and tap the potential of every student in every classroom. Investing in our kids means investing in our future – and part of that, means helping our teachers be the best they can be. As the nation’s largest school district, New York City should lead for our teachers, our parents, and our 1.1 million schoolchildren.”
“Teacher churn is a major problem for our schools and our students, and we want to thank the Comptroller’s office for their work on this key issue,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “The UFT would love to see a strong collaboration with local universities and a teacher residency program that would help give all incoming teachers a stronger start in their profession.”
Comptroller Stringer Calls for Largest Teacher Residency Program in the Nation
Comptroller Stringer’s proposal creates a large scale residency program for new teachers, in partnership with local higher education institutions, that could train up to 1,000 new teachers each year – paving the way for classroom success and stemming the tide of high teacher turnover.
  • Aspiring teachers work alongside a single, accomplished mentor-teacher in a public school classroom for a year, in-tandem with their studies. This would substantially increase the amount of classroom training most new teachers receive, which for most in the City’s alternative preparation programs, can be just a few weeks.
  • Candidate teachers would receive a stipend to cover living expenses during the residency year, and mentor-teachers would receive a salary boost.
With proper planning, this residency would reflect a well-aligned collaboration between DOE and our City’s institutions of higher education, including CUNY and SUNY, with regular feedback channels to inform both curriculum and instructional practice, and ensure that new teachers are ready on “day one” to contribute to goals for educational quality needs set by DOE. At full scale, this proposal would replace the current NYC Teaching Fellows program.
Dismal Teacher Retention Rates
Comptroller Stringer’s report shows that in the last ten years, New York City has experienced steady rates of high teacher turnover, peaking in the 2012-13 school year at 18.6 percent turnover for all teachers and 20.5 percent turnover for new hires. Of the 4,600 teachers hired in the 2012-13 school year, 1,882 had left the system by 2017-18 – roughly 41 percent in just five years.
The Department of Education hires an astounding 6,000 new teachers each school year to replace the legions of teachers who leave – racking up significant costs each year to train and replace staff. Citywide, about one-third of teachers in the City have fewer than five years of experience. Moreover, high rates of turnover are concentrated in higher-need school districts, where the surrounding community is often lower-income and where the majority of students are children of color. The report shows:
Turnover Impacts High-Need Students Most
  • In the 2017-18 school year, the Bronx and Manhattan experienced the highest rate of teacher turnover among teachers with less than five years of experience, at 22 percent, while Staten Island had a much lower turnover rate of just 8 percent.
  • In specific Community School Districts, the turnover rate is much higher. The turnover rate among new teachers in the Bronx’s District 12 was 31 percent, compared with 22 percent across the borough.
  • Turnover among teachers at the City’s former Renewal Schools was 21 percent during the 2015-16 school year, higher than the city average.
  • Resignations are by far the most common reason for early career teachers leaving the classroom and account for about 80 percent of all departures after two years of teaching.
  • In addition, despite the diversity of New York City’s student body – which is 41 percent Hispanic, 26 percent African-American, 16 percent Asian and 15 percent white – approximately 60 percent of New York City teachers are white, highlighting the need for significant recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
  • Moreover, the shortage of teachers trained to educate multilingual learners is out of compliance with State regulations to provide equal opportunity across communities. With over 160,000 multilingual learners enrolled in New York City schools, recruiting and retaining well-qualified teachers who can support this population is crucial.
To read Comptroller Stringer’s report, click here.

Bronx Progressives June Summer Meeting and Presidential Debate Watch Party 6/26/19 at 6:00pm!



Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 26th at 6:00pm for our upcoming Bronx Progressives June monthly meeting...we will have guest speakers come and talk to membership about health justice in the Bronx!

June Membership Meeting Location 6:00pm

597 East 139th Street
Bronx, NY 10454
Community Room
(East 139th Street, between Cypress and St. Ann's Avenue)
Take 6 train to Cypress Avenue

We will also have the members who applied for Bronx Progressives Executive Leadership positions describe their backgrounds and what they hope to bring to the roles!

This is also the night of the first Presidential Debate so join us after the meeting for a watch party at St. Ann's Cafe located at 283 St Ann's Ave, The Bronx, NY 10454 (on East 139th Street between St. Ann's and Brook Avenue). 

The Presidential debate starts at 8:30pm!

After the meeting, we will walk to the debate watch party location together (only a block away)! We will provide FREE appetizers and beer for the first 20 people and after that, since St. Ann's Cafe is a local business in the community, we encourage you to choose from their delicious food offerings!





We are excited to share our newly updated list of honorees, which we will be acknowledging and celebrating during our 2019 Bronx Democratic Party County Dinner, taking place this coming Wednesday, July 17th at 6PM.

The Bronx Democratic Party feels privileged to be able to bring together transcending individuals who represent the very best throughout their respective sectors. Our Chairman Marcos A. Crespo and the rest of the team are thankful for your support, and we truly hope to see you at our 2019 dinner.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Deploys 85,000 Additional Bottles of Water to Long Beach After E. Coli Found in Drinking Water


 "With the boil water notice on Long Beach still in effect and with the influx of people to the area to celebrate Pride earlier today, I directed State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to send in a team to work with Nassau County and the City of Long Beach to find the source of contamination and directed the State Office of Emergency Management to deliver an additional 85,000 bottles of water to the area. This deployment is on top of the 30,000 bottles of water the State distributed earlier this weekend to support residents on Long Beach. Dr. Zucker and his team remain in constant communication with Nassau County health officials and have offered whatever assistance is needed. Our number one priority is the health and safety of New Yorkers, and we will provide clean drinking water to the people of Long Beach and continue working hand in glove with local leaders to provide whatever resources are needed until this situation is fully resolved." 

Briefing on the Investigation in the 122 Precinct, Staten Island


June 22, 2019
Remarks as delivered by Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey
Hello I am Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Staten Island. I am joined by Inspector Mark DiPaolo, Commanding Officer of Staten Island Detectives and Deputy Inspector Melissa Eger, Commanding Officer of the 122nd Precinct.
Today at 10:30 a.m. police responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress at a private residence behind us on Palisade Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered a smoke filled residence. FDNY personnel responded and extinguished a small fire. Upon entry to the residence, the bodies of a 36-year-old female, a 3-year-old child and a 2-year-old child were discovered. EMS responded and pronounced all three individuals deceased at the scene. Through the course of the preliminary we discovered that a 36-year-old male, who is believed to be the father of the children, was found walking along the BQE at approximately 7:48 a.m. and was transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
We are in the early stages of an investigation, which is ongoing at this time. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death, however, we are treating this as a homicide investigation.

DOI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO ARREST OF CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION EMPLOYEE FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING MORE THAN $30,000 IN CONTRACT PAYMENTS


  Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), in partnership with Queens County Acting District Attorney John M. Ryan, announced today the arrest of NICOLE GAMORY, a Community Associate with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (“DPR”), for allegedly using her position with DPR to execute contracts to divert into her own bank accounts more than $30,000 in payments she collected from clients reserving event space in a Queens park. DOI was notified of the allegations by the Parks Advocate Office, which had received a complaint from the Forest Park Trust (“FPT”), which is a nonprofit organization that supports and maintains various programs in Forest Park. The Queens County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “This defendant was entrusted with payments from clients looking to reserve a singular experience for joyous milestones, including birthday celebrations and wedding receptions, and instead, crashed their parties by allegedly pocketing the funds, according to the charges. DOI thanks the Queens District Attorney’s Office for their partnership and prosecution of this case and the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Forest Park Trust for bringing this matter to DOI.”

 Queens County Acting District Attorney John M. Ryan said, “Our community parks are there for everyone to enjoy for everyday recreation as well as special occasions. Money collected for events is supposed to support the Forest Park Trust, instead this employee allegedly decided to funnel deposits to her own bank accounts. This kind of conduct is unacceptable. I want to thank the DOI for their commitment to uncovering criminal activity wherever it occurs. This office will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues to weed out corruption and hold all those who would cheat the system accountable.”

 GAMORY, 44, of Brooklyn, NY, was arrested today, June 20, 2019, and charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, both class D felonies; 12 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, and one count of Official Misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. Upon conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a class E felony is punishable by up to four years in prison, and a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year’s incarceration.

 GAMORY has been employed by DPR as a Community Associate since December 2005 and receives an annual base salary of approximately $59,363. She was suspended immediately after her arrest.

 According to the criminal complaint and DOI’s investigation, GAMORY was employed by DPR to execute contracts for the rental of the Oak Ridge building in Forest Park on behalf of FPT for social events including weddings and birthday parties. According to the charges, between approximately February 2014 and June 2018 GAMORY allegedly steered 54 client payments from 36 events contracted by Forest Park Trust into bank accounts that she controlled through certified checks and money orders that were provided to her as deposits to reserve the event space, additional payments towards the balance on contracts and other payments. In total, $30,911 in fees and payments were allegedly diverted into GAMORY’s bank accounts. In some cases, the original payee’s name was altered to GAMORY, or GAMORY’s name was later added as the payee, where the payee’s name had originally been left blank.

 GAMORY was also responsible for recording these contract payments in a ledger kept in Oak Ridge, however, during interviews with Forest Park staff, investigators learned that the original ledger has been missing since the defendant last worked at Oak Ridge and that GAMORY was the last person to be in possession of the book. A photocopy of the ledger book maintained at the FPT office and reviewed by DOI failed to show entries for multiple payments made by clients for their events.

 The investigation found a pattern of similar activity in the defendant’s bank accounts consisting of client deposits and payments for rentals at Oak Ridge that should have been deposited into FPT’s bank account but were instead deposited into the defendant’s banks accounts, including the following six incidents:

 • A client contracted in March 2015 with Oak Ridge for a Sweet Sixteen event and submitted the following payments to the defendant: a $400 deposit, a security deposit of $800 and the contract balance of $1,050. The $400 was properly deposited into the Forest Park Trust account. The investigation found that three payments from the client that equaled the security deposit and contract balance had been deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account. In addition, FPT bank records indicated that the value of the $800 security deposit was returned to the client when it was actually deposited into the defendant’s bank account. 

• A client contracted with Oak Ridge for a wedding reception in December 2016, submitted a $400 deposit and five other payments, which included an $800 security deposit to the defendant. Two payments, totaling $1,150 were properly deposited, while four remaining money orders, totaling $1,936 were deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account. The investigation reviewed the FPT ledger book, which only included the client’s payments that were properly deposited not the payments that were deposited into the defendant’s bank account. In addition, FPT bank records indicated that the value of the $800 security deposit was returned to the client when it was actually deposited into the defendant’s bank account. The photocopied FPT ledger reviewed by investigators does not reflect the payments deposited into the defendant’s bank account. 

• A client contracted with Oak Ridge for a birthday party in July 2016 and submitted a $400 deposit and then two other payments in the amount of $1,050 and $800. The investigation found that the $400 was properly deposited but three payments totaling the $1,050 and $800 were deposited into the defendant’s bank account and the FPT ledger failed to show any of the payments from the client. In addition, FPT bank records indicated that the value of the $800 security deposit was returned to the client when it was actually deposited into the defendant’s bank account. 

• A client contracted with Oak Ridge for a wedding ceremony in August 2016 and submitted to the defendant a $500 money order and later another $500 money order in connection with the security deposit. While the security deposit was properly deposited, the other $500 money order was deposited into the defendant’s bank account and the payee line was altered to be made payable to the defendant instead of FPT. In addition, the FPT ledger book failed to include the two money orders submitted by the client. 

• A client contracted with Oak Ridge in October 2016 for a birthday party and submitted a $400 deposit by money order, an $850 payment by money order and a $800 security deposit. The investigation found that the $800 security deposit and the $400 money were actually deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account. In addition, the payee line on the $400 money order was altered to be made payable to the defendant instead of FPT. In addition, the FPT ledger book failed to include an entry for the client’s $800 security deposit. 

• A client contracted in June 2017 with Oak Ridge for a ceremony and provided a $500 money order and subsequent $500 money order for a security deposit. The investigation found that the initial $500 money order was deposited into the defendant’s personal bank account and the payee line was altered to be made payable to the defendant. In addition, the FPT ledger failed to include the initial $500 payment from the client.

 Commissioner Garnett thanked Queens County Acting District Attorney John M. Ryan and his staff for their prosecution of this matter and DPR Commissioner Mitchell Silver and his staff for their cooperation in this investigation.

 A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

DRUG DEALER TARGETED BUSY UNION SQUARE BUSINESSES IN SALES OF HEROIN, FENTANYL AND COCAINE


  Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced today the indictment of ANTHONY MORALES for allegedly selling large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine inside fast food restaurants and a supermarket in the vicinity of Manhattan’s Union Square.

MORALES, 49, is scheduled to be arraigned on an indictment today before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Felicia A. Mennin, Part 22, 111 Centre St. MORALES faces charges of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First, Second and Third Degrees and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. The charges are the result of an undercover investigation by the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Narcotics Borough Manhattan South.
On seven dates between March 27, 2019 and May 9, 2019, MORALES allegedly sold a total of $16,280 in narcotics to an undercover officer. In each instance, the undercover requested heroin and/or cocaine. However, subsequent NYPD laboratory analysis of the drugs revealed that the purported heroin was in fact fentanyl (a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more potent than heroin) or a mixture of fentanyl and heroin.
In setting up the first six drug sales, MORALES directed the undercover to meet him in the vicinity of Union Square and guided him into busy local businesses. The majority of sales took place between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. inside fast food restaurants, including Chipotle, McDonald’s and Au Bon Pain. An additional sale occurred inside a Food Emporium supermarket location at Union Square.
MORALES allegedly handed narcotics to the undercover inside a bag or box. The undercover observed families with young children and babies in strollers nearby while the sales were taking place.
NYPD officers arrested MORALES on May 9, 2019 following the final sale in the investigation, which occurred at a Dunkin’ Donuts location on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem. The undercover paid $3,700 for cocaine and purported heroin. Subsequent laboratory analysis determined the narcotics sold were cocaine and fentanyl. A total of approximately $4,470 cash was recovered from MORALES at the time of his arrest.
Overdose deaths are at record high levels in New York City, with fentanyl involved in more than half of all drug fatalities, according to data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan commended SNP’s Trial Division and the New York City Police Department’s Narcotics Borough Manhattan South for their work on the investigation and thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “Fentanyl is responsible for hundreds of overdose deaths across our city. It is being exchanged for cash in popular fast food shops and grocery stores in our city. The single most important thing we can do to reduce the number of overdose deaths, is cut off the supply of poison that is killing people. I commend the efforts of all involved in this investigation.”
"Today's charges show that criminals often believe they can operate in plain sight, with apparent impunity. The NYPD and our law enforcement partners exist to shatter that notion and hold them responsible for distributing dangerous drugs into our communities. I commend and thank the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office, the Manhattan District Attorney, and the hardworking NYPD investigators for their professionalism and dedication to this investigation," said Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill.
DefendantsCharges
Anthony Morales; New York, NY; 9/4/1969CSCS 1st – 1 ct; CSCS 2nd – 4 cts; CSCS 3rd – 6 cts; CPCS 3rd – 1 ct

The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty