Bronx Borough President Candidate Fernando Cabrera Meets 15th City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara

 

Wednesday evening City Council District 15 candidate Bernadette Ferrera was hosting a fundraiser, when Bronx Borough President candidate Fernando Cabrera stopped in. This was not an endorsement, as is going around, but a meet and greet for the two candidates.

15th City Council candidate Ferrera gave a history of herself, a candidate from a family of immigrants, single mother with deep roots in her Bronx community, Founding member of the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance being its President since 2015, member of Community Board 11 serving on various committees, and sit on the Morris Park Business Improvement District.

Bronx Borough President candidate then spoke saying it will take a strong Borough President such as himself to bring the Bronx back to Pre-Covid days. Cabrera went on to say how much better he is than the other candidates, and how he has done more for the Bronx. He rattled out several ideas he had for the future Bronx. Interestingly, Borough President candidate Cabrera was in no hurry to leave, as he spoke to everyone in the room who he met.

15th City Council candidate Bernadette Ferrara speaking.

Bronx Borough President candidate Councilman Fernando Cabrera speaking.

Morris Park Community Association President Al D'Angelo was on hand, and posed with the two candidates.

Governor Cuomo Announces Lowest Single-day COVID-19 Positivity Rate since October 22

 

Statewide Positivity Rate Drops to 1.27%

Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 1.62%—Lowest Since November 3

Western New York's 7-Day Average Positivity Rate Drops to 2.82%—Every Region of New York State Below 3 Percent for First Time Since November 5

Hospitalizations Drop to 2,335—Lowest Since November 18; Down 599 Over Past Week

ICU Patients Drop to 605—Lowest Since November 24

Intubations Drop to 371—Lowest Since November 30

23 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the statewide COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 1.27 percent yesterday, the lowest since October 22.

Western New York's 7-day average positivity rate dropped to 2.82 percent yesterday. The positivity rate in every region of New York State has now dropped below 3 percent for the first time since November 5, 2020.

"As we make progress defeating the COVID beast and the numbers continue to come down, we are incrementally reopening our economy based on the science and the data," Governor Cuomo said. "This is all good news, but we aren't through this pandemic yet and it's essential that New Yorkers continue practicing safe behaviors like washing hands, wearing masks and socially distancing to slow the spread. We will get past COVID, but only if we do it together, so we need every single New Yorker to do their part and get vaccinated so we can begin to recover, reimagine and rebuild."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 203,644
• Total Positive - 2,585
• Percent Positive - 1.27%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 1.62%
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,335 (-123)
• 7-Day Average Patient Hospitalization - 2,572
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week - -599
• Patients Newly Admitted - 287
• Number ICU - 605 (-5)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 371 (-8)
• Total Discharges - 177,356 (+344)
• Deaths - 23
• Total Deaths - 42,185

241 Days and Counting

 King Cuomo is now trying to blame me for the Homeless situation in New York City, where has he been all these years?

Bronx Man Charged With 2012 Murder Of Michael Perez

 

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging SHAREEF LANDSMARK, a/k/a “Reef, a/k/a “Wreef,” with murdering Michael Perez in the Bronx, New York, on September 17, 2012.  LANDSMARK was arrested yesterday and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “As alleged in the Indictment, almost nine years ago, Shareef Landsmark executed Michael Perez in the streets of the Bronx.  Thanks to the perseverance of the NYPD, Landsmark now stands charged in federal court.”

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said:  “Today’s charges prove that the best investigators in the world will never cease to secure justice that is owed to victims and their families.  I would like to thank the NYPD Detectives, our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their dedication to this investigation.”

As alleged in the Indictment[[1]] unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court:

On September 17, 2012, LANDSMARK was hired by a co-conspirator to kill Michael Perez in furtherance of a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.  Later that night, LANDSMARK shot and killed Perez, who was standing in the street near the intersection of East 213th Street and Willett Avenue in the Bronx.

LANDSMARK, 35, from the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; one count of murder in connection with a drug trafficking crime, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

 Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding work of the NYPD.  She also thanked the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their assistance in the investigation.

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

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

BRONX MAN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING 12 YEAR-OLD-GIRL IN BUILDING ALLEY

 

Defendant Pleaded Guilty to First-Degree Criminal Sexual Act

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Mount Eden in 2017. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant followed a 12-year-old girl, who was on her way back home from a store, and sexually assaulted her in broad daylight. He also terrified the child by threatening to kill her and her family. We hope today’s sentence brings some solace to the victim and her family.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Malcolm Lugo, 24, last of 3988 Bronxwood Avenue, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and 20 years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. The defendant will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from incarceration. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree Criminal Sexual Act on March 12, 2021.

 According to the investigation, at 11:00 a.m. on August 13, 2017, near 1686 Weeks Avenue, the victim was returning from a store when the defendant spotted her and followed her for a block. Video surveillance shows Lugo grabbing the victim from behind and dragging her into an alley. Lugo pressed what the victim believed to be a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. The defendant then sexually assaulted the victim and engaged in oral sexual conduct. Before fleeing the scene, the defendant told the victim he knew where her family was and threatened to kill them. When the child returned home, she told her mother what had happened and she called 911.

 Surveillance videos show the defendant changing and throwing away his clothes after the incident, and at several friends’ houses across the city, in an attempt to evade authorities. Lugo fled to Massachusetts and was arrested after a six-week manhunt.

 District Attorney Clark also thanked NYPD Detective Harris Goldner of the Bronx Special Victims Squad and retired NYPD Detective Daniel Robbins of the Bronx Warrant Squad.

Governor Cuomo Signs Extension of the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 and the COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Businesses Act of 2021

 

Legislation (S.6362-A/A.7175-A) Extends the Moratorium on COVID-related Residential and Commercial Evictions and Foreclosure Proceedings for Those Filing a Hardship Declaration Until August 31, 2021

Adds to New York State's Efforts to Protect Tenants and Homeowners Undergoing Economic Hardship Due to COVID-19

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed an extension of the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020 and the COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Businesses Act. The legislation (S.6362-A/A.7175-A) extends protections prohibiting residential and commercial evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic until August 31, 2021. The legislation adds to New York State's efforts to protect tenants and homeowners from the economic hardship incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at a critical time in the pandemic's trajectory as the State begins to lift restrictions on public gatherings and businesses.

"As we approach the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, it is critical that we continue to protect both New York's tenants and business owners who have suffered tremendous hardship throughout this entire pandemic," Governor Cuomo said. "Extending this legislation will help to ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers and business owners who are facing eviction through no fault of their own are able to keep their homes and businesses as we continue on the road to recovery and begin to build back our economy better than it was before."

Senate Housing Committee Chair and Bill Sponsor Brian Kavanagh said: "The COVID-19 numbers in New York continue to be stubbornly high throughout the state and we need public health measures like the eviction and foreclosure moratorium to keep New Yorkers safe, and ultimately to get past this terrible pandemic as soon as possible. The Centers for Disease Control have specifically found that permitting evictions increases the spread of COVID-19 and that moratorium laws like New York's work to prevent transmission. Ensuring that everyone has access to a stable, safe place to live is always a priority, but it's never been more important than it is now."

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: "I am very pleased that the Assembly passed this critical legislation that will help keep people in their homes and small business owners in their stores. This is life-changing legislation that allows the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and other relevant agencies more time to disburse the billions of dollars in state and federal funding to people who need it. We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes. I believe it would be immoral to allow the current moratorium to lapse. This law will save lives."

The previously enacted legislation helps both residential and commercial tenants facing eviction and mortgagors facing foreclosure proceedings due the pandemic:

Residential Evictions

The legislation places a moratorium on residential evictions until August 31, 2021 for tenants who have endured COVID-related hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions. Landlords can evict tenants that are creating safety or health hazards for other tenants, and those tenants who do not submit hardship declarations.

Residential Foreclosure Proceedings

The legislation also places a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings until August 31, 2021. Homeowners and small landlords who own 10 or fewer residential dwellings can file hardship declarations with their mortgage lender, other foreclosing party or a court that would prevent a foreclosure.

Commercial Evictions:

The legislation places a moratorium on evictions until August 31, 2021 for commercial tenants have endured COVID-related hardship. The legislation applies to small businesses with under 50 employees that demonstrate a financial hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions.

Commercial Foreclosure Proceedings:

The legislation places a moratorium on commercial foreclosure proceedings until August 31, 2021. 

Tax Lien Sales

The legislation prevents local governments from engaging in a tax lien sale or a tax foreclosure until at least August 31, 2021. Payments due to the locality are still due.

Credit Discrimination and Negative Credit Reporting

Lending institutions are prohibited from discriminating against a property owner seeking credit because the property owner has been granted a stay of mortgage foreclosure proceedings, tax foreclosure proceedings or tax lien sales. They are also prohibited from discriminating because the owner is in arrears and has filed a hardship declaration with the lender.

Senior Citizens' Homeowner Exemption and Disabled Homeowner Exemption

Local governments are required to carry over SCHE and DHC exemptions from the 2020 assessment roll to the 2021 assessment roll at the same levels. They are also required to provide renewal applications for anyone who may be eligible for a larger exemption in 2021. Localities can also set procedures by which assessors can require renewal applications from people who the assessors believe may no longer be eligible for an exemption in 2021. Recipients of the exemption do not have to file renewal applications in person.

Governor Cuomo first announced a State moratorium on residential and commercial evictions on March 20 to ensure no tenant was evicted during the height of the public health emergency. The Governor signed the Tenant Safe Harbor Act on June 30 which became effective immediately as well as additional legislation providing financial assistance to residential renters and landlords. Additionally, previous Executive Orders have prohibited charges or fees for late rent payments, and tenants facing financial hardship can still use their security deposit as payment and repay their security deposit over time.

Mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia visits Kingsbridge with Bronx Borough President Candidate Nathalia Fernandez and new Councilman Eric Dinowitz

 

Mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia, Bronx Borough President candidate Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and new Councilman Eric Dinowitz walk down Broadway in Kingsbridge at West 231st. Street, stopping in to talk to merchants to see how the pandemic has affected their business. 

This was not an endorsement of each other, but a tour of an area that has been hard hit by the pandemic as you will see in other photos. Stores have closed, some have been replaced by others or still remain closed. Not having been in the area myself the past year, and talking to some of the store owners it seems that the pandemic has hit this area of West 231st Street and Broadway very hard.

Mayoral candidate Garcia talks to her Campaign Manager as Councilman Dinowitz talks to Bronx Borough candidate Fernandez as they leave one of the stores that has been able to make it through the pandemic.

The trio stand in front of a store with a 'We're Open' sign, but next door is a closed Loser's Deli that once featured the best pastrami sandwich in the Bronx.

The trio ended up at the once famous Cold Cut-City that featured the best hero's and other fine food which closed and was replaced by a store that recently put these unsightly gates on their windows in fear of rioting. 

Councilman Dinowitz, the next Bronx Borough President, and next Mayor have a big job to do for this area and the rest of New York City to recover from the Pandemic that almost crippled New York City and has changed the world as we know it.

242 Days and Counting

Some of you think I am a bad mayor, but I would like to see any of you run this city. Dealing with King Cuomo, a whining comptroller, all those city council members who think they can be borough presidents, and then there is all the union leaders who want more for their members than other unions. It isn't an easy job, so I would like to see any of you run the city for a week, or even a day.