Bronx, New York, Man Admits Role In Conspiracy To Distribute Heroin And Fentanyl From A Drug Mill In The Bronx

  NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl from a drug mill in the Bronx to locations in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jose Antonio Vasquez Pena, a/k/a “Tono,” 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Dilson Vazquez Genao, 23, Eddie Urena Rodriguez, 35, and Francisco Mercedes Gil, 31, also of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty before Judge Salas to the same charges in September 2019.

Three other individuals – Jhan Carlos Capellan Maldonado, 31, Daury Contreras Ulerio, 34, and Reimon Genao Rosario, 23 – were indicted on the same charge as Pena in August 2019. Their cases are pending.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In early February 2019, law enforcement officers learned that Maldonado used an apartment in Bronx to store, mix, and package heroin and fentanyl in distribution quantities. Pena stayed at the apartment in order to safeguard the narcotics and narcotics supplies. Maldonado employed approximately five workers at a time—including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, and Genao—to assist in preparing the heroin and fentanyl for distribution, which Maldonado then distributed to customers in New Jersey.

On Feb. 25, 2019, law enforcement officers saw Maldonado drive to a retail store and emerge with several full shopping bags and then drive to the apartment. Genoa came out of the building and met with Maldonado, who got out of his vehicle and gave Genoa the plastic shopping bags. Through its investigation, law enforcement later learned that the plastic shopping bags contained materials to package heroin and fentanyl.

Genoa went back inside the building and was followed by law enforcement officers, who watched as Genoa entered Maldonado’s apartment with a key, still carrying the shopping bags. On Feb. 27, 2019, law enforcement searched Maldonado’s apartment and found seven individuals inside, including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, Maldonado, Pena, and Genao. All seven defendants attempted to escape out a window, but all but one – Rosario – were apprehended and arrested by law enforcement officers waiting outside. Rosario was arrested at a later date. Law enforcement recovered nearly a kilogram of fentanyl from the apartment, along with materials to grind and package fentanyl for distribution.

Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 27, 2020.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We have left in the City of Newark N.J. 

We now have to question if this was a man/men who was/were placed in living quarters in Newark N.J., unsupervised by the NYC Department of Homeless Services.

SIX NEW YORK CITY CORRECTION OFFICERS AND 15 OTHERS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING TO ACCEPT BRIBES AND SMUGGLE CONTRABAND INTO RIKERS ISLAND FACILITIES

Illegal Narcotics and a Smart Phone Seized by Law Enforcement Officers

  Three criminal complaints were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging 21 defendants with conspiring to bribe correction officers employed by the New York City Department of Corrections (“DOC”) as part of narcotics smuggling conspiracies. Three defendants remain at large. The initial appearances for 12 of the defendants are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. 

 Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Margaret M. Garnett, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the charges. 

 “The corruption of correction officers presents a security risk to the entire jail population, and a potential danger to the residents of our communities,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who place their personal enrichment over the public duties they have sworn to perform.” Mr. Donoghue thanked Homeland Security Investigations, New York, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the investigations.

 “The correction officers charged today allegedly accepted bribes to sneak contraband onto Rikers Island—propagating behavior that has the potential to harm other officers and prisoners alike. The smuggling of contraband into our jails is a common Hollywood storyline, but while there’s an element a fiction in many a screenplay, there’s nothing fake about this real-life threat to our correctional facilities. Along with our partners at the DOI, we are dedicated to confronting this issue head-on,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. 

 "Contraband smuggling enterprises have long plagued City jail facilities. The arrests today are another example of a pattern in which inmates and outside conspirators identify correction officers vulnerable to corruption, and use them to carry drugs and other illegal substances into the jails,” stated DOI Commissioner Garnett. “These schemes threaten the safety of fellow officers and other inmates, and undermine order and discipline in the City’s jails. DOI will continue to prioritize safety and integrity in the jails, and continue to relentlessly pursue those who threaten it. DOI thanks its partners at the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership in the pursuit of these individuals charged today in our shared effort to root out criminal activity in the City's correction system." 

 Since early 2019, the FBI and DOI have been investigating contraband rings involving the payment and receipt of bribes by DOC officers in exchange for transporting marijuana, the narcotic Suboxone and K2 (a synthetic cannabinoid) and an unauthorized smart phone into the George R. Vierno Center and the Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Rikers Island.

 As set forth in the complaints, the defendants conspired to smuggle the contraband into Rikers Island facilities with the assistance of New York City Correction Officers Darrington James, Patrick Legerme, Aldrin Livingston, Michael Murray, Angel Rodriguez and Christopher Walker. Defendants James Albert, Clarence Brooks, Kyle Charles, John Mohammed and Christopher Rivas, who were incarcerated for unrelated offenses, arranged for marijuana and other contraband to be packaged and secretly delivered to those correction officers by defendants Celena Burgess, Veronica Jagdeo, Jorcetta King, Aboudou Krigger, Jonathan Medina, Styles Shephard and Tony West. The defendant correction officers allegedly received thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle the drugs past DOC security, for distribution inside the Rikers Island facilities.

 As a part of their investigations, law enforcement officers reviewed financial records related to online money transfer tools, such as CashApp, conducted surveillance and reviewed recorded telephone calls made by defendants who used coded language in their conversations. For example, on February 19, 2019, an inmate at the Vierno facility called a coconspirator to discuss supplying the inmate and Albert with marijuana: “I’m trying to get, um four ‘Oakland Raider jerseys’ [code for marijuana]. “…’Got Pink Panties’ [code for correction officer] on the line right now, you heard? Gangsta. You just gotta make it to the ‘Jungle’ [code for Brooklyn] to drop it off to them and, more or less, we lit from there.” In recorded telephone calls between Rivas and a co-conspirator in October 2019, Rivas requested a ‘joint’ [code for a cellular telephone] with a Facetime application. In a subsequent telephone conversation, Rivas asked West whether the joint is a Size 5 or Size 6 [code for iPhone 5 or iPhone 6], and West replied that it was a Size 6, referring to an iPhone 6 that was delivered to the Vierno facility the previous night.

 On October 25, 2019, a DOC Special Search Team seized an iPhone 6 and an iPhone charger from Rivas’s laundry bag and 12 clear plastic bags containing marijuana from his person. 

 The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

 The Defendants:    ---

JAMES ALBERT Age: 43 Comstock, New York 

CLARENCE BROOKS Age: 39 Bronx, New York 

CELENA BURGESS Age: 43 New York, New York 

KYLE CHARLES Age: 32 Brooklyn, New York 

VERONICA JAGDEO Age: 24 Freeport, New York 

DARRINGTON JAMES Age: 30 Queens, New York 

JORCETTA KING Age: 33 Bronx, New York 

ABOUDOU KRIGGER Age: 25 Bronx, New York 

PATRICK LEGERME Age: 29 Queens, New York

 ALDRIN LIVINGSTON Age: 31 Queens, New York 

JONATHAN MEDINA Age: 29 Queens, New York 

JOHN MOHAMMED Age: 27 Rome, New York 

MICHAEL MURRAY Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York 

CHRISTOPHER RIVAS Age: 32 New York, New York 

ANGEL RODRIGUEZ Age: 23 Bellport, New York

STYLES SHEPHARD Age: 24 New York, New York 

CHRISTOPHER WALKER Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York 

TONY WEST Age: 24 Brooklyn, New York 

CITY FLEET VEHICLES TO BEGIN MOBILE TESTING OF LOCAL AIR QUALITY

New technology could help City better understand and address air quality concerns

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Lisette Camilo, and the City of New York’s Chief Technology Officer John Paul Farmer (CTO) today announced the launch of CityScanner, a pilot program that will use city fleet vehicles to test local air quality. Using a new technology developed by the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), five vehicles that service the South Bronx will be equipped with sensors that collect air quality data. Air quality data is often used by city government to identify problem areas, determine causes of poor air quality, and make policy decisions to improve air quality. The existing municipal fixed-sensor network – the New York City Community Air Survey – tracks six different kinds of air pollution and how levels vary by neighborhood across the city. Mobile sensors have the potential to augment this existing air quality surveillance by collecting hyper-local data on fine particulates – street by street – at low cost.

“New Yorkers’ air quality shouldn’t be determined by zip code,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We’re piloting technology that can lead us to a greener, cleaner and safer city for all.”

“Every New Yorker deserves the right to breathe air that is clean and safe, and the city is finding new and creative ways to make this a reality,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “This innovative pilot program will help the city assess whether its fleet vehicles – many of which are electric and hybrid models – can help us collect data to make our city even greener.”

“The City continues to focus on deploying new technologies that improve quality of life for all New Yorkers,” said John Paul Farmer, Chief Technology Officer of the City of New York. “Air quality in New York City is important for everyone, and this pilot promises to help us understand the issue on a more granular level, which will enable us to tailor solutions and make key improvements.”

The solar powered air quality sensors being used for the pilot program are being installed today and will be used for a four-week trial period. Based on the outcome of the pilot, the technology could be installed on additional fleet vehicles.

The CityScanner technology is based on small, solar-powered sensors affixed on top of vehicles, that use a laser-based technology to detect pollutants in the air at an unprecedented level of space and time resolution. This information is used by environmental scientists to dynamically detect pollution hotspots and air quality trends in the city.

In a previous study, MIT deployed City Scanner sensors on trash trucks in the city of Cambridge, MA. Over a twelve months period, the sensors collected more than 1.6 million datapoints, which helped the city map hotspots and gain insights regarding sources of pollution.

In addition to DCAS, CTO, and MIT, this program is supported by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, the NYC Department of Sanitation, and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). EDF has worked on similar mobile sensing pilots and will serve as advisors on this initiative. The program will have no cost for the City of New York.

This pilot program builds upon the success of similar pilots spearheaded by EDF and governments in Houston, West Oakland, and London:

Houston, TX – In Houston, EDF has worked with city officials to deploy rooftop-mounted air quality sensors on municipal vehicles and is now developing analytics tools and procedures to support city efforts to use mobile air pollution data to target and plan enforcement efforts. In 2019, the city announced a new toxic alert system for detecting high concentrations of benzene, including during disaster events. This first-of-its-kind tool was developed in response to an EDF air pollution monitoring campaign in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to measure emission events that occurred following damage to the region’s petrochemical facilities.

West Oakland, CA – EDF and partners developed air pollution maps using data from a combination of stationary and mobile monitors. The results were then used to highlight impact zones - areas where residents lived among elevated levels of pollution - and to develop emission and exposure reduction strategies that span from truck management and electrification to improved land use zoning and permitting to create greater buffers between industrial areas and vulnerable populations. Community leaders used the maps to advocate for mitigation efforts under a new air quality law seeking to cut pollution in California’s most affected communities.

London, UK – EDF along with the Mayor of London, Google, C40 Cities and others launched Breathe London, which combines sophisticated data analytics with state-of-the-art technology — such as mobile monitoring on Google Street View cars and over 100 stationary monitors — to collect air pollution data points at thousands of locations. Hyperlocal data is being used to create a baseline to help London design, tailor, and understand the impact of future clean air actions.

"Public vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art sensors are a powerful, underutilized tool in the battle against air pollution, given the vast urban footprint they cover," said Harold Rickenbacker Ph.D., Environmental Defense Fund Clean Air & Innovation Manager and advisor on the CityScanner project. "Municipal vehicles performing their routine jobs are capable of detecting pollution at a block-by-block level, giving policymakers unprecedented levels of data to inform environmental and public health decisions. This innovative project has the potential to position New York City as a leader with other cities, the tech community, and the private sector."

“NYC Fleet is one of the nation’s largest adopters of telematics technology,” said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer and DCAS Deputy Commissioner. “Air quality monitoring through CityScanner will work in conjunction with our telematics solution, adding an exciting new dimension to our efforts to use data to make the City cleaner and safer.”

“Clean air means better health,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The Health Department’s New York City Community Air Survey shows continued improvement in the City’s air quality but neighborhood inequalities in related health impacts remain. Additional hyper-local data can help inform community-centered policies to make the air all New Yorker’s breathe even cleaner.”

“From requiring the use of less-polluting fuel in building boilers to creating a cleaner fleet of City vehicles, we have taken many steps that have resulted in much improved air quality in New York City,” said Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Collecting additional data on localized air quality will help us understand where further measures should be taken and we look forward to reviewing the results of the City Scanner pilot program/

“Air quality is closely tied to many health outcomes and I’m thrilled to see the city embrace this cutting-edge measure to utilize existing resources toward such an important new purpose,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This is a model for how effective it can be to incorporate sustainable technology into municipal operations. We owe it to future generations to identify these areas of opportunity and innovation in sustainability and to make use of them as much as possible. Thank you to the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services for making this change and for working toward a greener future.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COMPTROLLER STRINGER AND TRUSTEES TAKE MAJOR NEXT STEP TO ACHIEVE FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT

Advisers selected to analyze, evaluate and recommend fossil fuel divestment plans for New York City’s largest pension funds

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, along with trustees of three of the City’s pension funds, announced today the next major step toward achieving a first-in-the-nation goal to divest New York City’s largest pension funds from fossil fuel companies. The selection of advisers to evaluate options and recommend divestment actions has been completed and will inform the development of a comprehensive and prudent divestment strategy to preserve the retirement funds of City employees and address climate change risks, consistent with fiduciary duty. New York City is the first city in the nation to take this major and necessary step to address the financial and environmental risks of fossil fuel holdings to the funds and to our planet.

The Comptroller’s office also released a new Notice of Search (NOS) for City pension funds’ investment in climate solutions. The pension funds will select public markets investment managers to help double the City’s investments in climate solutions, investment in companies that generate revenue from climate mitigation, adaption and resiliency such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings and electric vehicle energy storage, which supports the City’s efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement.

“While the Trump Administration fails to address global warming as the crisis it is, New York City is taking action,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are dedicated to delivering what we owe to our children and grandchildren, which is why we’re the first in the nation to take major steps to divest from fossil fuels and invest in climate solutions.”

“New York City is standing up for our people, our pensioners, and the only planet we have because the future is on the side of big ideas in clean energy--not big polluters,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, and we need to meet our climate emergency with every tool at our disposal to protect our children and our children’s children. In accordance with our fiduciary duty, the Trustees are taking the next major step in our first-in-the-nation divestment goal and leading the charge toward a clean, green and sustainable economy.​ Our city workers and our future deserve nothing less.”

Divestment Contracts:

In January 2018, the trustees announced a goal to divest from fossil fuel reserve owners within five years. The contracts to advise on the divestment plan will be awarded to Meketa Investment Group for New York Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) and New York City Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS). TRS will also contract with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. These three funds, with total holdings of more than $155 billion, hold roughly $3 billion in the securities of fossil fuel reserve owners.  The pension funds’ move to divest from these companies is among one of the most significant divestment efforts in the country to date. 

With the award of these contracts, the City pension funds are on track to have actionable plans to divest from fossil fuel reserve owners by late 2020.  The expectation is that the pension fund boards will be able to adopt a plan and begin execution in 2021.

Climate Solutions Investment Search:

The funds’ goal is to double investments in climate solutions such as wind, solar power, energy efficient buildings and more to over $4 billion by 2021. The search issued by the Comptroller’s office Bureau of Asset Management seeks to identify public market investments in companies and strategies engaged in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency.  

Toolkit and Divest/Invest Forum:

In addition to the progress mentioned above, the City is working to leverage our national and international partnerships to inspire other municipal leaders and governments to take similar actions, scale up their climate actions, and help to create a more inclusive economy for everyone. As such, New York City launched a toolkit in close partnership with the city of London and C40 Cities. This new guide was prepared as part of the C40 Divest/Invest Forum, a first-of-its-kind initiative that helps urban leaders make the leap to effective and efficient divestment and accelerate green investment. The Forum has fourteen participating cities to date, including the latest joiners Auckland, Melbourne and Stockholm.

From March 16-18, 2020, city leaders will come together in New York City to share their progress and experience in divesting from fossil fuel companies and increasing investment in climate solutions. 

“Confronting our climate crisis requires bold action and leadership.  By divesting from fossil fuels and investing in climate solutions, New York City is demonstrating a Green New Deal to the world and protecting the retirements of the City workforce,” said Daniel Zarrilli, NYC’s Chief Climate Policy Advisor and OneNYC Director. “We encourage all investors to follow our lead so that we can end the age of fossil fuels and secure a livable future for the next generation. Thanks to the pension trustees for their continued leadership.”

Henry Garrido, DC37 Executive Director and NYCERS trustee said, “As NYCERS trustee and as Executive Director of District Council 37, New York City’s largest municipal employee union, I’m pleased to support the hiring of Meketa Investment Group as fossil fuel stocks divestiture consultant for NYCERS. Fossil fuel divestment must be responsible and thoughtful and the vast experience that Dr. Sarah Bernstein and her team at Meketa bring to this assignment helps ensure that it will be. Divestment of NYCERS’ investment portfolio away from fossil fuels is a necessary first step to transitioning to a renewable and sustainable future and there is no time to lose. I am proud to stand with Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Stringer, and my fellow trustees on this historic occasion.”

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “Climate change is a pressing issue, and divestment from fossil fuel companies is one tactic to combat it. Our goal with these studies is to find strategies that help address this critical worldwide problem while ensuring the health of our pension system and the safety of our members' contributions.”

OcasioCortez.com - Double standards

One thing is clear: the DCCC has a double standard for how they talk about moderate, Blue Dog Dems and progressive candidates for Congress.

Blue Dogs in Congress have spent years attacking progressive values, breaking the party line, and sinking progressive legislation.

Many of them have refused to pay their dues to the DCCC.

But the moment that AOC says she’s not going to hand over your contributions to help protect corporate Democrats? The head of the DCCC goes on national television to criticize us.

But their words won’t deter us. This week we founded a new PAC, Courage to Change, to build infrastructure for progressive candidates who need our help.

The DCCC’s bias against progressives hurts our party. It’s bad enough that they use pour millions of dollars into campaigns to help protect anti-choice, pro-corporate, pro-Trump incumbents who don’t listen to Democratic voters.

But they also have an on-the-books policy of blacklisting teams that work with progressive challengers — even if the people they’re primarying vote with Trump, advocate for the end of Roe v. Wade, or side with the NRA.

Here’s a promise: we’ll never hand over your small-dollar contributions to organizations like the DCCC as long as they support conservative, corporate Democrats.

We’ll directly support red-to-blue progressives, political newcomers, and working-class candidates — because someone has to.

In solidarity,

Team AOC

Our Bronx Revolution/Carlos Suarez - Electing Bernie Sanders the Democratic Nominee

OUR BRONX REVOLUTION (OBR)

We have finished collecting petitions for Bernie Sanders and his delegates in the Bronx. Thanks to so many volunteers, we have gathered more than enough signatures to put a champion on the ballot (Bernie Sanders). Next stage in the campaign is promoting the candidate and mobilize voters. Soon we’ll announce future events to take place in the Bronx.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark Town Hall Meeting on the New Criminal Justice Reform

South Bronx Unite - Sat, Jan 18, 1-3 pm, SBX Confronts Asthma Epidemic Head On

  

SBX Confronts Asthma Epidemic Head On Sat, Jan 18, 1-3 pm BronxArtSpace - 305 East 140th Street (at Alexander Avenue)

Join South Bronx Unite and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for the release of the findings on FreshDirect's impact on levels of black carbon, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and noise in our community. Then help us: CONSTRUCT mobile air quality monitors as citizen scientists (with Columbia);  BUILD the case for community education and action for/towards environmental mitigation; and  UTILIZE grassroots healing efforts for health and well-being   *LUNCH, TRANSLATION, AND CHILDCARE PROVIDED*

RSVP THE RESULTS ARE IN: FOR 2 1/2 YEARS, WE HAVE SCIENTIFICALLY STUDIED AND RECORDED THE IMPACT ON AIR QUALITY OF FRESHDIRECT’S SUBSIDIZED MOVE TO THE SOUTH BRONX.  For the first time ever in the Mott Haven-Port Morris neighborhood, air quality, traffic counting and noise monitoring has occurred in one combined study. Since May 2017, South Bronx Unite has been collaborating with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory* to measure black carbon, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and noise before and after the opening of the $150 million city- and state-subsidized relocation of FreshDirect and its diesel trucking operation to Mott Haven. We now have the results! Join us to discuss the summary of our findings and the launching of a new citizen scientist pilot project to build and operate mobile air quality monitoring devices. BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST, BUILD A MOBILE DEVICE AND DOCUMENT AIR QUALITY IN MOTT HAVEN. Join us in the next phase of documenting our air quality crisis to demand active and aggressive mitigation efforts in the South Bronx. We are continuing our collaboration with Columbia researcher to organize - for the first time ever -  an effort that enables our local community to build and operate mobile air quality monitors. Five community members will be the first to participate and record in real time air quality standards that they live and breathe every day.  HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SUBSIDIZE ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN MOTT HAVEN-PORT MORRIS - NOT $1 GOES TOWARDS IMPROVING OUR AIR QUALITY! HELP US USE DATA TO ADVOCATE FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER CREATIVE MITIGATION MEASURES! There are more than 3,000 linear miles of noise barriers built along US highways to divert noise. Not one inch is in Mott Haven-Port Morris. And cities all over the world are building green infrastructure - green walls, green roofs, vegetation barriers and street trees -  as one important part of improving air quality. Not one of these efforts have taken place in Mott Haven. Join us to brainstorm these and other outside-the-box solutions to the environmental crisis that exists in the South Bronx.  LEARN OTHER TECHNIQUES FOR HEALTH AND HEALING THROUGH ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE Learn about efforts to build a SAPP Healing in Community/Sanando en Comunidad in the South Bronx (see background here.) Also learn about and receive magnetic bead acupressure from Jo Ann Lenney - the very simple but profound technique of using a magnetic bead on each ear to help with trauma recovery and healing, the quieting of stress and anxiety (which trigger asthma attacks,) and relieving migraines and helping with wellness.  * Full academic collaborators included: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Area of Cardiometabolic and Renal Risk, Institute for Biomedical Research INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain; Department of Statistics and Operational Research, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. ASTHMA ALLEY - Why we fight! ASTHMA ALLEY