Sammy Ravelo Opens Bronx Borough President Headquarters in Morris Park

 

Saturday afternoon Bronx Borough President candidate Sammy Ravelo took over the Bronx Conservative Party office to make it his Bronx Borough President's race headquarters. As you can see in the photo above people blocked us from getting a photo of candidate Ravelo at first. 

As the event continued residents who passed by were wondering what was going on. There were supporters of candidate Ravelo, but none were from the local area, and in fact many were not from the Bronx, but from Manhattan.

Candidate Ravelo a former police officer announces his platform which included no cuts to the NYPD. 

Here Manhattan Borough President candidate Guillermo Perez talks about his candidacy.

Inside there is a giant photo of Candidate Ravelo who is with write in 17th Council District candidate Lattina Brown, and Anthony Rivieccio of the Northwest Bronx Democrats..

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS RACHEL LOEB AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NEW YORK CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

 

 Mayor de Blasio appointed Rachel Loeb the President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) effective today. Loeb has been NYCEDC’s Acting President since March, when she succeeded James Patchett. 

“New York City will build a recovery for all of us by driving economic growth in every neighborhood. That’s a tall order – but visionary, forward-thinking leaders like Rachel Loeb can help us get it done,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Rachel has been an extraordinary public servant at several roles at EDC. The creativity and hard work she demonstrated in helping us fight back COVID-19 this past year will help New York City become the public health capital of the world, and create a lasting, equitable economic recovery.”

 

“During her tenure as EDC’s Chief Operating Officer, Rachel Loeb met the unexpected challenges of the past year with grace and effectiveness,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Recovery Vicki Been. “She demonstrated exceptional leadership on matters ranging from obtaining necessary PPE and technology at the height of the pandemic to creating the city’s first-in-its-class Pandemic Response Lab. Rachel has the tenacity, vision, and thoughtfulness to deliver on the Mayor’s plan for a recovery for all of us. I congratulate her on this well-deserved promotion, and look forward to continuing our work together to bring back the city we both love.”

 

"It is my pleasure to accept this permanent role leading NYCEDC. Thank you to Mayor de Blasio and Deputy Mayor Been for continuing to have faith in me as we work together toward a full recovery for New York City,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Rachel Loeb. “I am amazed and inspired every day to work alongside my excellent colleagues at EDC as we focus on rebuilding our economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and make this city more resilient for the future.”

 

“I look forward to working with Rachel during this important time in NYC’s re-opening and recovery. Her thoughtfulness, strength and vision for New York City are crucial to our city’s long-term renaissance,” said Danny Meyer, CEO Union Square Hospitality Group, who was recently appointed Chairman of the NYCEDC Board of Directors.

 

Rachel Loeb joined NYCEDC in 2018. In both her roles as Acting President & CEO and as former Chief Operating Officer, she helped lead the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis and focused on infusing equity and inclusion more deeply into the work of NYCEDC.

 

As President and CEO, she will continue to oversee NYCEDC’s portfolio of projects in life sciences, ferries, investments in infrastructure, sustainability, and innovation. Recently, Loeb led elected officials on a tour of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where she spearheaded plans to activate the site to support offshore wind development, and laid out a vision for the future, including a plan for sustainability and growth in green jobs for New Yorkers.

 

She also negotiated the deal with Steiner Studios to develop a new film and television production hub at the Made in New York campus in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which will support 2,200 jobs and fund local workforce development to diversify the film and television industry.

 

Prior to joining NYCEDC, Loeb was a senior executive member of World Wide Group, overseeing all aspects and phases of the development process. Before joining WWG, Loeb was a Senior Director of Development for AvalonBay, where she was responsible for the development of over 1,400 apartments. She began her career in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where she worked on the Saigon South development, an 8,000-acre new town community.

 

Loeb is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she earned a master's in City Planning. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

Former Honduran National Police Officer Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States And Related Weapons Offense

 

Ludwig Criss Zelaya Romero Is the Seventh Former Member of the Honduran National Police To Be Convicted And Sentenced For Drug Trafficking Offenses In SDNY

 Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LUDWIG CRISS ZELAYA ROMERO, a former member of the Honduran National Police (“HNP”), was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and conspiring to use machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of drug trafficking.  ZELAYA ROMERO previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who imposed today’s sentence. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said:  “Ludwig Criss Zelaya Romero was a lawless law enforcement officer, a purported crime-fighter working for a murderous criminal enterprise.  For the personal role he played in cocaine trafficking and multiple murders, Zelaya Romero has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term.”

According to the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings: 

Between at least approximately 2004 and 2014, ZELAYA ROMERO worked with members of a drug trafficking organization known as the Cachiros, which was a prolific and violent criminal syndicate that relied on connections to politicians, military personnel, and law enforcement to transport cocaine to, within, and from Honduras.  During that time, and while ZELAYA ROMERO was purportedly enforcing the law as member of the HNP, he participated in the Cachiros’ criminal enterprise by engaging in cocaine trafficking and violence.  Among other things, ZELAYA ROMERO participated in Cachiros drug shipments, recruited other members of the HNP to join the Cachiros, located teams of hitmen in Honduras to carry out murders for the Cachiros, and himself committed and attempted to commit murders to protect and strengthen the Cachiros’ criminal enterprise. 

Beginning in about 2004, ZELAYA ROMERO personally helped escort large drug shipments belonging to the Cachiros as they were transported through Honduras over land toward the Guatemalan border, so that the drugs could be brought by others to the United States via Mexico and Guatemala.  ZELAYA ROMERO helped transport cocaine from the Atlantic coast of Honduras, where many maritime shipments arrived on their way to the United States, and also coordinated with other members of the HNP along the planned drug routes to ensure that tons of cocaine would transit Honduras unimpeded.  With the help of ZELAYA ROMERO and other members of the HNP, the Cachiros were able to distribute over 130 tons of cocaine to the United States.    

In addition, ZELAYA ROMERO participated in violence and murder for the Cachiros.  ZELAYA ROMERO participated in a 2011 massacre at the airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, that left six dead, and recruited a hitman who murdered Honduran journalist Anibal Barrow in 2013.  ZELAYA ROMERO also himself shot and killed a victim at the Cachiros’ request, murdering an individual who had participated in the robbery of a truck containing a large quantity of concealed currency.

This prosecution resulted in the drug trafficking convictions of Fabio Porfirio Lobo, the son of former Honduran president Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and seven former members of the HNP: Zelaya Romero, Mario Guillermo Mejia Vargas, Juan Manuel Avila Meza, Carlos Jose Zavala Velasquez, Victor Oswaldo Lopez Flores, Jorge Alfredo Cruz Chavez, and Carlos Alberto Valladares Garcia.  On September 5, 2017, Judge Schofield sentenced Lobo to 24 years in prison.  On February 6, 2018, Judge Schofield sentenced Lopez Flores to five years in prison.  On June 27, 2018, Judge Schofield sentenced Zavala Velasquez to 12 years in prison.  On September 27, 2018, Judge Schofield sentenced Valladares Garcia to 14 years in prison.  On March 29, 2021, Judge Schofield sentenced Avila Meza to 12 years in prison.

In addition to the prison term, ZELAYA ROMERO, 44, was sentenced to four years of supervised release and forfeiture of $120,000.    

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, New York Strike Force, and Tegucigalpa Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Attorney General James Leads Bipartisan Coalition Calling on Congress to Support Federal Funds for State Antitrust Enforcement

 

AG James Leads Coalition of 45 AGs in Requesting Congress to Support Critical State Enforcement Efforts that Promote Competition and Benefit Consumers 

 New York Attorney General Letitia James continued her work fighting for New York’s consumers and small businesses by calling on federal leaders to provide funding to support state antitrust enforcement efforts. Attorney General James co-leads a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general in sending a letter to congressional leaders requesting the federal government to provide the necessary support to states so that antitrust efforts are not hamstrung as state budgets tighten, many now being exacerbated as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis continues to ravage state and local economies.

“All too often we’ve seen powerful firms use their clout to stop competition from gaining a foothold, leaving every day New Yorkers and Americans across the nation to suffer,” said Attorney General James. “States investigate and litigate antitrust matters to ensure that consumers benefit from higher quality, increased innovation, and lower costs — all direct results of increased competition in the market. But these initiatives require massive commitments of resources, which is why we are asking the federal government to partner with us and help fund efforts to support state antitrust enforcement.”

State attorneys general around the country — from both parties — are currently leading cutting edge, resource-intensive antitrust cases against powerful and sophisticated Big Tech firms. Attorney General James is leading a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Facebook for anticompetitive conduct, and is simultaneously co-leading another bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general in suing Google on antitrust grounds. Additionally, in 2019, Attorney General James led a coalition of attorneys general in filing an antitrust lawsuit to stop the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.

These are just some of the examples of the many types of enforcement actions states have and can bring to challenge anticompetitive conduct by major players with vast resources in a variety of industries. Often working closely with federal partners, states bring these enforcement actions in the public interest to protect consumers and the competitive process.

The coalition notes in their letter to the chairs and ranking members of the respective Senate and House committees, that, as the nation’s economy has grown, so too has the need to staff and finance a greater number of antitrust enforcement actions that are fundamentally more complex and resource-intensive than in the past. There is a growing bipartisan consensus that antitrust is at a turning point, and Congress currently is considering a number of bills that would enable more robust enforcement. Whether antitrust investigations and litigation are pursued together with federal partners or in multistate coalitions they require massive commitments by lawyers and experts, as well as significant technological resources. Congress is already considering additional funding for the federal agencies, but additional funding for state agencies will enhance the states’ ability to fulfill their obligations as integral partners to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission and as part of Congress’ plan for protecting competition.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz 18 District, Bronx

 

REV. AURELIA GREEN

REST IN PEACE

 

You should know, that the Rev. Hon. Aurelia Green, one of the noblest human beings I have ever known, has gone to live with our Lord in heaven.

 

I knew Rev. Aurelia Green many years back, when together with her husband the Rev. Jerome Alexander Green, started the re-development of then “the disastrous and abandoned Bronx County.

 

When the banks, factories, businesses, and most of the population abandoned the “Burning Bronx” The Rev. Aurelia & Jerome Green stood firmed, to help create the new Bronx.

 

With the deepest sadness, I liked to share a few words about Aurelia Green, first, she was a champion for human rights, a real down to earth advocate for our communities, never giving up to achieve the best for the peoples she served, as a dearly Reverend, she was committed to a ministerial cause of serving everyone, I could count myself to be blessed that she considered me her friend, today I would like to express my deepest condolences to her family and friends.

 

Rest in peace my dear friend 

I am Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz, and this is what you should know.

Governor Cuomo Announces SUNY and CUNY Boards to Require Vaccinations for All Students Attending In-Person Classes This Fall

 

Governor Encourages All Private Colleges to Require Vaccinations 

112,150 Doses Administered in the Last 24 Hours 

Nearly 1.1 Million Doses Administered Over Past Seven Days 

Vaccine Dashboard Updated Daily on the State's Vaccine Program Here

 

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the SUNY and CUNY boards will require proof of vaccination for all students attending in-person classes this fall, and encouraged all private universities and colleges to adopt the same guidelines. 112,150 doses have been administered across the state's vast distribution network in the last 24 hours, and nearly 1.1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days.  

"More than 60 percent of the population here in New York has gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, but we remain aggressive in our efforts because the reality is we are seeing a decline in the vaccination rate not only here in our state but nationwide," Governor Cuomo said. "There is no factual argument against the vaccine, and there is no excuse not to get your shot. This vaccine is the weapon that will help us win the war on COVID, and so I urge everyone who still needs to take it to do so quickly at one of our many sites across the state."   

All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first come first serve basis. The walk-in appointments are reserved for first doses only with second doses to be scheduled automatically after administration of the initial shot. In addition, all vaccine providers are encouraged to allow walk-in appointments for eligible New Yorkers. People who would prefer to schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site can do so on the Am I Eligible App or by calling 1-833-NYS-4-VAX. People may also contact their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital to schedule appointments where vaccines are available, or visit vaccines.gov to find information on vaccine appointments near them.                       

STATEWIDE BREAKDOWN

Total doses administered - 16,826,409

Total doses administered over past 24 hours - 112,150

Total doses administered over past 7 days - 1,092,045

Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 60.2%

Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 48.9%

Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 48.4%

Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 39.1% 

STREETS WEEK!: MAYOR DE BLASIO COMMUTES TO WORK BY BICYCLE

 

 

Under Red Carpet to Recovery, DOT will create a record-breaking series of dedicated bus priority projects; DOT will also install 30 miles of protected bike lanes and “Bike Boulevards” in all five boroughs  

 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman today announced plans to further transform City streets in 2021, by increasing last year’s record protected bike lane installation and nearly doubling last year’s record bus project totals. The administration plans to install 28 miles of new and improved busways and bus lanes in 2021, along with thirty miles of protected bike lanes. Both will be the most installed in one year in New York City history, breaking records set by this administration just last year.

 

The mayor also announced the proposed locations of new “Bike Boulevards” in each borough, as originally announced in the State of the City address. The announcements continue Streets Week!, a suite of transportation, traffic safety, and open space policy announcements to double down on the transformative Vision Zero initiative.

 

“A recovery for all of us means reducing our dependence on fossil fuels while deepening Vision Zero. This administration has made historic investments in bus and bike lane infrastructure, and now is the perfect time to deepen that commitment,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “From record bike lane installations, to more busways and bus lanes than ever, to brand-new Bike Boulevards, New York City is proud to transform its streets to make them more accessible for everyone.”

 

“New York City made historic progress in building a safer, more accessible city for cyclists and pedestrians last year. Now, it’s time to double down on that progress and expand Vision Zero even further,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Laura Anglin. “Historic investments in bus and bike lane infrastructure will help New Yorkers move around their city more easily than ever and help us build a recovery for all of us.’

 

“Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s leadership, we will not only get a record number of bus lanes built or improved this year, we will continue breaking records with our protected bike lane mileage,” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “We will focus our bus projects where we can help the most riders, with a special focus on communities like those in the Bronx where buses have maintained strong ridership levels, even through the pandemic. Meanwhile, New York City will see even more protected bike lanes than the record number we created last year – and for the very first time, new Bike Boulevards.”

 

Better Buses Restart: “Red Carpet to Recovery”

As part of its Red Carpet to Recovery in 2021, DOT will build or improve 28 miles of Better Buses projects, serving 951,000 bus riders a day, to get essential workers to jobs, minimize congestion and pollution from private automobiles, and support the city's economic recovery.

 

New and improved projects will include:

*  Busway Pilots: By the end of 2021, DOT and MTA will complete five busways – four more than have ever been completed in one year. In addition to already-completed projects on Main Street in Flushing and 181^st Street in Manhattan, busways will be constructed this year along Jamaica and Archer Avenues in Queens, and along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In total, these five busways will improve service for 657,000 bus riders daily.

*  New and Improved Bus Lanes in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island: Both new and improved bus lanes will serve bus riders citywide, with changes including new red paint and markings, signals improvements, pedestrian safety and clearer signage. These bus lanes will benefit an additional 200,000 bus riders daily and include projects on 1st and 2nd Avenues, Battery Place and Avenues A and D (Manhattan), Merrick Blvd (Queens), and Hylan Blvd (Staten Island). In total, DOT will this year create 11.5 miles of new lanes and 16.3 miles of improved lanes.

*  Bronx Buses Transformed: DOT continues its radical transformation of bus corridors throughout the Bronx. Building on the work done in 2020 along critical streets like 149^th Street and E.L. Grant Highway, DOT will build more bus lanes, bus boarding islands, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements. Together, these Bronx projects will serve 175,000 bus riders a day. Projects include:

*  University Avenue Transformation: DOT will install dedicated bus lanes along University Avenue from Washington Bridge to Kingsbridge Road, including six new bus boarding islands. New protected bike lanes will also be installed along University Avenue from at least Washington Bridge to Tremont Avenue. 

*  Re-envisioning Fordham Road Select Bus Service: In 2010, Fordham Road was the site of New York City’s first Select Bus Service route. Now, DOT will reinvigorate the street through an inclusive outreach plan with businesses, community leaders and families. The redesign of the street will follow as DOT listens closely to the needs of this community.

* New Bus Lanes along Story Avenue and Gun Hill Road, along with changes to improve bus circulation near the Pelham Bay Park subway station, the terminus of the 6 train that also serves as closest stop to City Island. Changes here will eliminate the current indirect bus routing to the station, saving transferring bus riders up to two minutes per trip.

* New pedestrian islands on Webster Ave and 149^th Street to ensure safe crossings to and from bus stops.

• Signal Priority: In line with the Better Buses Action Plan, DOT will activate technology to give priority to buses at over 300 locations, ensuring that buses are waiting at fewer red lights.
• MTA Coordination: DOT will continue to work with the MTA on including bus priority in their essential Borough Network Redesign work as that process works forward and encourage MTA to implement all-door boarding on all bus routes, now that OMNY contactless payment has been installed systemwide. 

 

Last year, the Mayor’s Better Buses Restart created more than 16 miles of new bus lanes and busways across all five boroughs – the most ever in one year. Completed projects include Jay Street and Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn, 14th Street extension and 181^st Street in Manhattan, Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island, E.L. Grant Highway, University Ave and 149th Street in the Bronx and Merrick Blvd and Main Street in Queens.

 

Protected Bike Lanes

DOT plans to build a record 30 miles of protected bike lanes in 2021, including:

 

“Return to Manhattan”

• East 61^st and 62^nd Street, Manhattan/Northern Blvd, Queens: Connecting midtown to the Queensboro Bridge and the 34^th Ave Open Street in Jackson Heights
• 7^th Avenue – Connecting Central Park to midtown
• Varick Street/West Broadway/Church Street/6^th Avenue and Centre Street: Connecting Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan to Tribeca and Chinatown

 

Bronx Network Development

• Bronxdale Avenue and White Plains Road: Building protected lanes into the existing neighborhood network, hosting e-scooter pilot starting this summer.
• Morrisania Neighborhood Network: Improving access and safety for local community and schools

 

Brooklyn Parks and Community Connectors

• Meeker Avenue: East/West connection from new Kosciusko Bridge to Williamsburg

 

Bike Boulevards

As Mayor de Blasio outlined in his State of the City address, DOT will create a Bike Boulevard in each borough in 2021. Bike Boulevards slow vehicular speeds and limit volumes to create low-stress bike infrastructure in a pedestrian-friendly environment.

 

The planned boulevards will include a portion of:

• 21st Street (South Slope, Brooklyn)
• 39th Avenue (Sunnyside, Queens)
• Jackson Avenue (Mott Haven, Bronx)
• University Place (Greenwich Village)
• Netherland Avenue (Mariners Harbor, Staten Island)

 

In coming weeks, DOT Borough Commissioners and planners will present proposed plans to elected officials and community boards, with the expectation that they will be completed this year.

"As our city and economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding access to public and clean transportation is critical for our essential workers, students, and the environment. I thank Mayor de Blasio and the New York City Department of Transportation for their commitment to prioritizing and expanding public transportation in the Bronx and across the city,” said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

 

Editor's Note:

We wonder why there are no bike lanes anywhere near Senator Biaggi's office in Riverdale. There is only one Bike lane by Van Cortlandt Park that turns into a shared bike lane on a very narrow street that runs through Kingsbridge to West 230th Street.

236 Days and Counting it's Bike to Work Day

 

We lowered the speed limit on many streets yesterday. Today we increased the miles of bike lanes. Tomorrow we increase the Congestion Pricing on cars from New Jersey. How's that Governor Murphy?