100PercentBronx

Monday, February 15, 2021

Assemblywoman Fernandez Hosts Small Business Valentine Pop Up

Saturday February 13th the day before Valentine's Day Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez hosted a Small Business Saturday Pop Up event at 'The Sanz Banquet Hall' located on Allerton Avenue. The event ran from 12 PM to 5 PM, with 17 vendors selling various Valentine Day related merchandise.

The vendors at the event were hard hit by the pandemic, because events like this were cancelled for most of last year with this event being the first or second of 2021 for most of the vendors. Items on sale ranged from various cosmetics including, beautiful handmade scented candles, items for the bath and body, decorated face masks, T-shirts, Valentine Day items, and some different food vendors.

Assemblywoman Fernandez was pleased with the quality of the merchandise being offered that she stopped at several tables to purchase various different items. We both wound up at the Top-Notch Catering tables where we each bought a very tasty lunch. The event was put together by MAS Marketing of the Bronx for Assemblywoman Fernandez.

Above - The Mary Kay Cosmetics table with Jacqueline Acevedo-Villanueva owner of MAS Marketing on the right.

Below - Assemblywoman Fernandez stops at one of the cosmetic tables to buy some of the products.

Above - Assemblywoman Fernandez stopped by the scented candle table to purchase some candles.

Below - Rebecca Huertas of Rebecca's Sweets and Spices who is trying to get her products into more stores.

Above - Yolanda Berry of Kamari Bath & Body.

Below - Another table of scented bath products.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Michael Beltzer - My Story

The story of how I came to make the Southeast Bronx my home for the past 13 years is one of love. I began as a New York love story: my mother was a houseless Dominican immigrant and my father came into a Manhattan soup kitchen every Saturday. She would come on the line and sing to him.

That lead to me being born in Southeast Queens. Unfortunately, my mother never got the mental health services she needed ( i remember the bruises from the police) and my father has spent the rest of his life fighting addiction. So I was raised in a loving household in a well resourced Long Island town by my aunt and uncle. Their love and care saved my life.

Fast forward to a night out at Webster Hall and i end up in love and living on Noble Ave! It was there I began to feel a new type of love: community love. That is the reason I've raised my family here. My neighbors look out for each other, are generous, and care deeply about their family and friends. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Governor Cuomo Signs Executive Order Extending Party Registration Enrollment Period

Party Registration Enrollment Period Extended from February 14 until Tuesday, February 16

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he has signed Executive Order 202.94 extending the enrollment period for voters to make changes to their party enrollment until Tuesday, February 16, setting forth a uniform statewide policy that ensures voters can take advantage of this option regardless that the deadline this year falls on a Sunday. This change is necessary to ensure that Boards of Election have adequate time to process these voter-requested changes considering many Boards are short-staffed and operating with reduced density due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The change will go into effect immediately.

"The right to vote is one of the sacred pillars of our democracy, and as we continue to fight the war on COVID, we can't put democracy on hold," Governor Cuomo said. "Today we are extending the period for voters to change their party enrollment until Tuesday, February 16 to help break down more barriers to the ballot box and help ensure everyone has a chance to exercise this fundamental right."

In 2019, the Governor signed legislation (S.6532A/A.8228B) expediting party enrollment changes to make it easier for voters to participate in primary elections. Previously, changes to party enrollment did not take effect until after the November general election, requiring voters to wait as long as a year for changes to take effect. The new law removed the October 11 deadline and gave voters until February 14 to make changes to party enrollment. Due to the public health emergency and the fact that this February 14 is a Sunday followed by a holiday, this common-sense measure ensures the spirit of the law is complied with uniformly statewide.

E X E C U T I V E O R D E R No. 202.94

Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency

WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, I issued Executive Order Number 202, declaring a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York; and

WHEREAS, both travel-related cases and community contact transmission of COVID-19 have been documented in New York State and are expected to continue;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ANDREW M. CUOMO, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to temporarily suspend or modify any statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation, or parts thereof, of any agency during a State disaster emergency, if compliance with such statute, local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster emergency or if necessary to assist or aid in coping with such disaster, do hereby continue the suspensions and modifications of law and any directives, unless superseded, modified or otherwise expired, made by Executive Order 202 and each successor Executive Order to 202, for thirty days until March 16, 2021, and do hereby temporarily suspend or modify the following from the date of this Executive Order through March 16, 2021:

Sections 201, 202, and 203 of the Eminent Domain Procedure Law, to the extent necessary to permit the MTA or subsidiary entities to hold public hearings remotely and through use of telephone conference, video conference, and/or other means of transmission, provided that public comments must be permitted electronically or by mail, and to permit all required documentation and records to be available electronically upon request; and
Subdivision 3 of section 5-304 of the Election Law, only to the extent necessary to provide that for the calendar year 2021, the deadline for a change of enrollment, or a new enrollment, of a registered voter shall be accepted by the Board of Elections through the next business day following February 14th, and any such change of enrollment received by the Board of Elections shall be processed until February 16, 2021, whether or not transmitted prior to February 14th.

IN ADDITION, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 29-a of Article 2-B of the Executive Law to issue any directive during a disaster emergency necessary to cope with the disaster, I hereby issue the following directives for the period from the date of this Executive Order through March 16, 2021:

The directive contained in Executive Order 202.74 that required all businesses that are licensed by the State Liquor Authority under sections 63 and 79 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (“liquor stores” and “wine stores”) to cease all off premises sales and close at or before 10:00PM, is modified only to the extent that all such businesses shall cease off premises sales and close at or before at 11:00PM;

The directive contained in Executive Order 202.74 that required all restaurants, irrespective of whether such restaurant is licensed by the State Liquor Authority, to cease in-person dining at 10:00PM, is hereby modified only to the extent that all such restaurants shall cease in-person dining at or before 11:00PM;

The directive contained in Executive Order 202.74 that required all businesses that are licensed by the State Liquor Authority for on premises service of alcoholic beverages, to cease all on premises service and consumption of food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages), inside or outside, at or before 10:00PM is hereby modified only to the extent that all such businesses shall cease all on premises service and consumption of food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages), inside or outside, at or before 11:00PM; and provided further licensees operating bowling alleys or casinos shall cease all operations at or before 11:00PM.

The directive contained in Executive Order 202.74 that required any gym or fitness center to cease operation and close to the public at 10:00PM is hereby modified only to the extent that any such business shall cease operation and close to the public at 11:00PM.

G I V E N under my hand and the Privy Seal of the State in the City of Albany this fourteenth day of February the year two thousand twenty-one.

BY THE GOVERNOR

Secretary to the Governor

Bronx Progressives February Annual Virtual Meeting

Join Fellow Progressives for our February Annual Virtual Meeting!

Topic: Bronx Progressives February Annual Virtual Meeting

Time: Feb 24, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89063327145

Meeting ID: 890 6332 7145

Greetings Bronx Progressives Members!

We're now in February! Hope this email finds you well and that you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. And hope we're still breathing sighs of relief now that you know who is out of the White House.

Yet, we're still reliving the pain and harrowing images of what happened on January 6 on the news and in the current impeachment trial.

As we mentioned at our January meeting, the Working Group to Reactivate Bronx Progressives agreed to push our January Annual meeting (as inscribed in our bylaws that should happen in January) to February. We made this decision because we needed more time to thoughtfully plan out the Annual meeting, as we focus on revising the bylaws, and discussing ideas on issues and movements we should be involved with as a group; and once we reached consensus, we would then present them to you--our members, to collectively discuss and vote on the issues we should get involved with.

The Working Group is recommending that we focus on two or three issues for 2021. One of the idea is to join the Campaign for New York Health, and support that movement. Another idea is to join the Tax the Rich Campaign. And lastly, supporting the Homes Guarantee Movement. But we also want to hear from you, and get feedback on what other issues you think we should get involved with.

We will also be joined by Omar Suarez, Director of Partnerships and Outreach at NYC Votes, who will give us a presentation on Ranked Choice Voting. RCV is a newly implemented electoral system that will only apply for local city elections.

Join us Wednesday, February 24 at 7pm, for our Annual Virtual General Meeting. Link below:

Agenda:

Greetings and Welcomes (2 Mins.)
Quick review of the agenda (3 Mins.)
House Rules (3 Mins.)
Introducing Omar Suarez (3 Mins)
Omar Suarez gives presentation (20 Mins.)
Q&A (10 Mins.)

EC Roles/Priority in forming an EC (15 Mins)
Working Group Proposes Issues we should focus on (20 Mins)

NY Health Act Movement
Tax the Rich Campaign
Housing Justice for All Campaign
What else?

New Business/Announcements (20 Mins.)

Meeting with Bronx Indivisible and Concerned Citizens
Groups and Orgs that reached out to us
Meeting with Our Bronx Revolution
Other?

BylawsReminder
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dupzQcNBbEhBbSAZBe5GF24vAIeMMBEdYHLcTwvE_gA/edit?usp=sharing

Adjourn

Governor Cuomo Announces More Than 100,000 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours and Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic FEBRUARY 14, 2021

102,907 First and Second Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in 24 Hours

Individuals with Comorbidities and Underlying Conditions Can Begin to Schedule Appointments at State Mass Vaccination Sites

As of 11 AM today, New York's Health Care Distribution Sites Have Administered 89% of the Total First Doses Received from Federal Government

Vaccine Dashboard Will Update Daily to Provide Updates on the State's Vaccine Program; Go to ny.gov/vaccinetracker; Dashboard Now Includes Demographic Data

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 102,907 first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the last 24 hours. The total week 9 federal allocation of vaccine delivery to providers will be complete today. As of 11AM today, New York's health care distribution sites have received 2,192,675 first doses and already administered 89 percent or 1,957,681 first dose vaccinations and 83 percent of first and second doses. The week 10 allocation from the federal government allocation from the federal government begins mid-week.

"We remain locked in a footrace between the infection rate and the vaccination rate, and while we are making significant progress on both fronts thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers, but can't become complacent - now is not the time to get cocky with COVID," Governor Cuomo said. "With more than 10 million New Yorkers now eligible for the vaccine, we have the infrastructure in place to get it administered quickly and fairly but continue to only be held back by the supply. Thankfully, with real leadership now in Washington, we've begun to see that supply increase and expect that trend to continue until New York is COVID-free."

The 'Am I Eligible' screening tool has been updated for individuals with comorbidities and underlying conditions with new appointments released on a rolling basis over the next weeks. Starting next week, local health departments will also receive vaccine allocations for these individuals. New Yorkers can use the following to show they are eligible:

Doctor's letter, or
Medical information evidencing comorbidity, or
Signed certification

Approximately 10 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. The federal government has increased the weekly supply by more than 20 percent over the next three weeks, but New York's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government. Due to limited supply, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to show up at vaccination sites without an appointment.

Vaccination program numbers below are for doses distributed and delivered to New York for the state's vaccination program, and do not include those reserved for the federal government's Long Term Care Facility program. A breakdown of the data based on numbers reported to New York State as of 11AM today is as follows. The allocation totals below include 100 percent of the week 9 allocation which will finish being distributed to New York provider sites today. The total week 9 allocation is also inclusive of some excess vaccine doses that have been reallocated from the federal Long Term Care Facility program.

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

First Doses Received - 2,192,675

First Doses Administered - 1,957,681; 89%

Second Doses Received - 1,178,350

Second Doses Administered - 842,195

6,593 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide - Down 29% From Post-Holiday Peak

1,285 Patients in the ICU; 881 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 3.54%

Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate 3.83% - Lowest Since November 29

37 Consecutive Days of Decline - Down 52% from Post-Holiday Peak

107 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Thanks to New Yorkers' actions — like wearing masks, maintaining distance, and making smart decisions — hospitalizations and the positivity rate continue to head down, and the holiday surge is in our rear-view mirror. This progress is a testament to New Yorkers' personal choices, and I thank the family of New York for once again putting public health first," Governor Cuomo said. "The vaccine is the weapon that will win the war against COVID, and we have the infrastructure in place to administer hundreds of thousands of more shots as soon as supply is available. Today's news shows that as long as New Yorkers remain Tough, Smart, United, Disciplined, and Loving, we can and will beat back COVID."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

Test Results Reported - 234,708
Total Positive - 8,316
Percent Positive - 3.54%
7-Day Average Percent Positive -
Patient Hospitalization - 6,593 (-295)
Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -1056
Patients Newly Admitted - 652
Hospital Counties - 55
Number ICU - 1,285 (-43)
Number ICU with Intubation - 881 (-27)
Total Discharges - 138,050 (+744)
Deaths - 107
Total Deaths - 37,118

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) - Beyond the "Encuentro" Virtual Artist Talk

Bronx River Art Center presents:

In conjunction with the exhibition

Beyond the "Encuentro"

Curated by Felix Angel

A Virtual Artist Talk

February 20th at 6:30pm

Click here to RSVP for Zoom link

Bronx River Art Center is pleased to present an evening of artists in conversation in response to our current exhibition Beyond the “Encuentro,” as it comes to close. This show, composed of eighteen printmaking artists from Medellín, Colombia, gives more exposure to the rich history this art form has in the country while also acting as a reflection of contemporary Colombian printmaking. This talk will be moderated by renowned New York printmaker, Luanda Lozano, and will occur on Saturday, February 20th, over zoom at 6:30 pm. The show has been extended one week to February 27th and the gallery is open for viewing at limited capacity.

Installation shot: (L to R) Álvaro Botero Gallego, Jessica Paola Sánchez Barba, Mónica Lorenza Taborda G.

Luanda Lozano and participating artists will engage in conversation about their chosen style of printmaking, how Colombia has affected their work and inquire about the printmaking community in the city of Medellín.

Beyond the “Encuentro” is a substantial exhibition of Colombian printmakers curated by Felix Angel and assisted by co-sponsor Julio Valdez. This exhibition is the next step of the project, Encuentro de Artistas Grabadores de Medellín (Medellín’s Printmaking Artists Gathering) that originated in Colombia, South America. This event, which was organized by Angel in November of 2018, brought together over seventy printmakers working in the city of Medellín — a feat never before accomplished. Beyond the “Encuentro” features a selection of eighteen artists that participated in the original show.

Join us for an Artist Talk February 20th at 6:30pm

Click here to RSVP for Zoom link

Installation shot: (L to R) Jorge Rodriguez, Male Correa, Hernando Guerrero, Camila Maya Monsalve, Ana Fernández, Juan Ernesto Correa, Fabián Rendón

About the Artists:

Artists participating in the discussion are Diego Arango, Male Correa, Ana Fernández, Álvaro Botero Gallego, Hernando Guerrero, Camila Maya Monsalve, Victoria Ortiz and Jorge Rodriguez who each represent a form of printmaking that varies in age, style and technique. From the figurative to the abstract, each artist uses their own unique process to create distinctive, eye-catching work that demonstrates proficient ability, artistry and talent.

About the Moderator:

Luanda Lozano is a printmaker who was born in Humpata, Angola and later raised in the Dominican Republic before moving to New York City to pursue her education and career in the arts. Earning her BFA degree in illustration at Parsons School of Design, she developed her skills and love of printmaking at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop facilitated by Peruvian artist, Claudio Juarez. She has taught printmaking in several institutions including the Bronx River Art Center, and her work is part of several prestigious collections across the globe.

About the Curator and Co-Sponsor:

Curator Felix Angel and co-sponsor Julio Valdez are both accomplished artists. Graduating from the School of Architecture of the National University of Colombia in 1974, Angel has received numerous awards and participated in more than 100 exhibitions internationally. He has also published multiple books about literature, art and poetry. Valdez is a graduate of the Altos de Chavόn School of Design, the Parsons School of Design affiliate in the Dominican Republic. His work has been shown internationally since 1984. Valdez received a fellowship from the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in 1994, after which he founded Julio Valdez Studio, which specializes in non-toxic contemporary printmaking processes. Both of these individuals are committed to giving support to underrepresented artists.

Installation shot: (L to R) Julio Sampedro Longas, Luis Fernando Uribe, Diego Arrango, Luis Fernando Mejía Jaramillo, María López, Carlos Marín

About BRAC:

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) is a culturally diverse, multi-arts, non-profit organization that provides a forum for community, artists, and youth to transform creativity into vision. Our Education, Exhibitions, Artist Studios, and Presenting programs cultivate leadership in an urban environment and stewardship of our natural resource — the Bronx River.

History: Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) was founded in 1987 to bring professional arts programming to a culturally underserved population. For more than 30 years (including several years of arts programming under the umbrella of the first Bronx River Restoration project), this multi-arts center has filled the West Farms community of the Bronx with art and environmental experiences. Our programs are designed to encourage our residents to engage in creative activism towards the revitalization and future of their neighborhood.

Governor Cuomo Signs Executive Order Extending Restaurants, Bars & Other SLA-Licensed Entities Closing Times to 11 P.M. Statewide FEBRUARY 14, 2021

11 P.M. Closing Time Extended to Gyms and Fitness Centers, Casinos, Billiards Halls, Takes Effect Today

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that, given the continued decline in hospitalization and infection rates throughout New York State, he has signed Executive Order 202.94 extending closing times for bars, restaurants, gyms and fitness centers, casinos, billiards halls, as well as other State Liquor Authority-licensed establishments, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. statewide beginning today.

"Hospitalizations and the positivity rate continue to decline, and with the holiday surge now in our rear-view mirror, we must keep taking steps to further re-open the economy safely and responsibly," Governor Cuomo said. "Accordingly, I have already signed an Executive Order to move the closing times for restaurants and bars to 11 p.m. statewide, and now we will do the same for gyms and fitness centers, casinos, billiards halls and any other location with an SLA license. As we move forward, we will continue to follow the science and data and take these kinds of steps to help us finally return to normal."

On Friday, the Governor announced closing times for restaurants and bars would be extended from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. statewide, and this executive order extends that closing time for gyms or fitness centers, casinos, billiards halls, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment.