That's It, I'm No Longer Your Mayor

 

As of 12:30 AM I was no longer your mayor. Hey Ruben you were out of a job at 12:01 AM. Let's smile for this photo by my favorite Bronx Reporter who would not stop giving me such hard questions, I told my moderator not to call on him. Are you really going to work for a developer like he said, but I liked that photo of you picking up trash in the park.

At least he can't pick on me anymore now that I am no longer mayor, and he is going to have to do it now to the new Mayor Eric Adams. At least the Bronx will have a better borough president in Vanessa Gibson, and she can't do any worse than you, because you set the bar so low, but then again you took over for someone who wound up working for a developer. They could have waited in announcing that 17 story building in Pelham Bay until you were out of office. Good luck Amigo.

Ice Skating in the Square at Owen Dolan Park

 

Thursday December 30th from 3 - 6 PM Owen Dolan Park in Westchester Square was transformed into an Ice Skating area provided by Magical Entertainment. Fitted hard plastic squares were set up in a rectangular rink, and ice skates were provided free to those who wanted to skate. There were also training aids for the very young children who did not know how to ice skate.

Experienced skaters did have some problems on this hard plastic surface, and they explained that real ice gives a little when an experienced skater tries to push off, whereas the hard plastic did not give at all. In fact many of the skates had to be ground down after being used, because the hard plastic took away the shark edge used on real ice to skate. Those who had the best time seemed to be the young people who knew how to skate, but only did it once in a while. Some said that since they did not skate often it was easy to get use to the hard plastic surface. 

Precast hard plastic squares were set up as in a rectangle shape, with skates that were given to use for free on the wall, and seats to change into the skates before entering the rink. 

Training skating aids were available to those who did not know how to skate. 

Older children such as these boys who knew how to skate, were able to skate on the hard plastic squares set up as a rink.

At times people would fall down, and in order to go skating waivers had to be signed by the person or the parent of a child. 

Because it was a hard plastic surface not real ice, some of the blades of the skates had to be ground down after being used.

Lights were used to allow for skating after the sun went down until 6 PM.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

137,298 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours      

80 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. 

“On this New Years Eve I wish everyone a safe and healthy celebration," Governor Hochul said. “It was a difficult year for so many New Yorkers, lets do the right thing and get vaccinated, and let's welcome the new year with lots of good health and happiness. If we work together and get vaccinated, we can make 2022 the year we beat the pandemic.”

Today's data is summarized briefly below:  

• Test Results Reported - 339,853
• Total Positive - 76,555
• Percent Positive - 22.53%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 17.91%
• Patient Hospitalization - 7,919 (+546) 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 1,718 
• Patients in ICU - 1,072 (+52) 
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 525 (+7) 
• Total Discharges - 230,850 (+1,194) 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 80 
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 48,405
  
  
  The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.  

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 61,242
  
  
  This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.  

• Total vaccine doses administered - 33,651,483
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours -137,298
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days -671,674 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 89.2%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 80.6%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0% 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 82.8% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 78.0% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 69.7%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 84.0%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 71.8% 

FIRST LADY CHIRLANE MCCRAY AND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION ANNOUNCE PLANS TO RELOCATE ARTWORK BY FAITH RINGGOLD FROM RIKERS ISLAND TO THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM

 

As the city moves to close jails on Rikers Island, the agency is planning to relocate the Faith Ringgold painting “For the Women’s House” to a permanent home

 

 First Lady Chirlane McCray and the Department of Correction (DOC) today announced that For the Women’s House, an iconic painting by celebrated artist Faith Ringgold is expected to be moved out of the Rose M. Singer Center (RMSC) on Rikers Island to the Brooklyn Museum, subject to review by the NYC Public Design Commission.

 

“The history of New York City's success is very much about how women contributed in every aspect of the city’s development. But too many of those stories remain untold, particularly for women of color whose achievements were literally erased from history books,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “This Administration has made it a priority to showcase unseen and unheralded artworks that give us another perspective on the important issues of our time. I’m proud that this historic painting will be preserved at the Brooklyn Museum where children can see it and know that they too can create works of art that ignite change, expand awareness and fire the imagination.”

 

The mural was dedicated to the women at the Correctional Institution for Women on Rikers Island in January 1972. When men began to be housed at the facility in 1988, the painting was whitewashed before it was saved by an officer. The piece was then restored and relocated to the new women’s facility, the RMSC or “Rosie’s,” where it remains on display.

 

“While we rightly move off Rikers, there is much history to remember and reflect upon,” said DOC Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi. “Bringing this piece into public view is an important part of learning and growing from this history. We thank Faith Ringgold who dedicated her talents to offer a bit of beauty in an otherwise difficult place.”

 

The Administration has advanced several progressive initiatives including: Catalyst Art and Social Justice, the largest ever art exhibition at Gracie Mansion to examine art and social justice through over 75 works by more than 50 artists and activists since the 1960s, and SheBuilt NYC, an effort to create monuments and other public art honoring women. CreateNYC, the City’s first-ever roadmap for cultural investment and equality, has increased equitable funding and support for culture, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods, and provided high-quality arts education for all NYC public school students.

 

Incorporating suggestions given to Ringgold by incarcerated women, For the Women’s House depicts the first female president, professional women basketball players and other positive female role models.  The piece is expected to be added to the Ringgold collection at the Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum to ensure it is accessible to the public.

 

In order to replace the artwork, and to promote beauty and healing within the jails, the Art for Justice Fund has kindly offered to fund the creation of a new community mural in RMSC in the space vacated by Ms. Ringgold’s work.

 

Attorney General James Secures $50,000 for RV Owners Who Could Not Obtain Timely Repairs

 

Agreements Require Both Current and Former Owners of RV Dealerships to Make Significant Changes to Business Practices

 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced agreements with the former and current owners of two recreational vehicle (RV) dealerships in upstate New York, Albany RV and Buffalo RV, for failing to provide consumers with timely repairs. The agreements with RV One Superstores, Inc. and RV Retailer East, LLC — the former and current owners, respectively, of Albany RV and Buffalo RV — resolve an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) that found both companies engaged in deceptive practices and failed to make timely repairs to consumers’ vehicles. The two dealerships have already repaired consumers’ RVs, and RV One Superstores will pay $50,000 to compensate consumers who were harmed by the dealerships’ dishonest business practices. 

“RVs are costly investments, which is why it’s so important that consumers get accurate information and timely repairs when they make these purchases,” said Attorney General James. “Because of our action, repairs have already been completed and consumers will be compensated for delays. New Yorkers can trust that my office will always fight to protect their wallets and help them get what they have paid for.”

Since 2015, the OAG has received approximately 70 complaints against Albany RV and 16 against Buffalo RV. The OAG’s subsequent investigation revealed that many consumers faced lengthy delays when they sought to obtain repairs from the dealerships — waiting weeks or months to schedule or obtain a repair. Many consumers also complained that the dealerships were not responsive to their phone calls and inquiries concerning the status of their repairs. Additionally, some consumers complained that sales representatives misled them during the sales process about the scope of warranty coverage or the condition of the used vehicles they agreed to purchase, or made false promises concerning repairs or cleaning services that would be provided before consumers would take possession of their RVs.

In December 2018, RV One Superstores sold the two dealerships’ assets to RV Retailer East, which has owned and operated the dealerships since that time.

During the course of the investigation and, at the OAG’s request, both the former and current owners made many of the overdue repairs that were the subject of consumer complaints. Additionally, today’s agreements require both the current and former owners to make significant changes to their business practices, including:

• Prohibiting the businesses from misrepresenting any material fact about the condition of an RV or the terms of any warranty or service contract,
• Responding to phone calls and inquiries from consumers who purchased RVs within three business days,
• Providing timely service appointments to consumers,
• Keeping consumers apprised of the status of their RV repairs, and
• Providing consumers with a copy of the warranty, or a written document describing its terms before contracting with them for it.

Consumers who believe they paid for repairs that should have been made without charge from either Albany RV or Buffalo RV are encouraged to file a consumer complaint online on the OAG’s website or contact the OAG’s Consumer Hotline by phone at (800) 771-7755.

Team AOC - 2021 in photos

 

A look back at 2021 in photos...

January 2021

Alexandria joined a picket line with Teamsters Local 202 in The Bronx to support food and manufacturing workers on strike - they ultimately won their largest pay raise in 30 years.

February 2021

Alexandria visited with families impacted by the winter storm in Texas and worked with volunteers to provide food and water to those who were without power for days. Together, we raised over $5 million toward relief for families across the state.

April 2021

Alexandria and Senator Markey reintroduced the Green New Deal in Congress with 13 new cosponsors.

Alexandria hosted an Earth Day celebration at Astoria Park to discuss the Green New Deal and the campaign’s work to stop the NRG power plant proposed for Astoria. (Which we later defeated!)

June 2021

In our local City Council elections, we organized our first slate of Courage to Change Candidates, all of whom committed to a series of policy pledges aimed at achieving social, racial and economic justice — and 16 of them won!

September 2021

After Hurricane Ida brought catastrophic, deadly flooding to New York City, AOC visited with families.

Our team of volunteers went door to door to get resources and information out to affected neighborhoods for six straight weeks.

October 2021

Annual Halloween fair hosted by Team AOC at Pelham Bay Park. We know trick or treating can be tough in the City, so each year we bring the celebration to our families!

November 2021

At Thanksgiving, we distributed over 170 turkeys to families in our district. And during the start of the school year, we provided 800 backpacks to students in need. We also raised $34K for local organizations doing food relief work this fall.

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Thank you for making this year so special, None of this would be possible without your support.

We’re excited to continue growing and building with you in the year to come.

With thanks,

Team AOC

Eric Adams, A Farewell for Now, Brooklyn.

Friend, As we get ready to welcome 2022, we reflect on the past year, which has not been easy by any metric. However, as Anne Frank once wrote: “Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.” Despite the ongoing surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and the devastation Hurricane Ida wrought upon our communities in September, as well as the pervasive economic, racial, and social inequities that plague our communities, it’s easy to feel down, but Brooklynites are stronger when they stand together, and are never down for the count. I am filled with renewed hope that the coming year will bring us to places of greater equality, health, justice, and safety for all Brooklynites and New Yorkers. Yes, there is a lot of work that must be done, and no, it is not going to be easy, but in the words of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who we lost earlier this week, “To choose hope is to step firmly forward into the howling wind, baring one’s chest to the elements, knowing that, in time, the storm will pass.” If these past eight years have taught me anything about Brooklynites, it’s that when our communities face difficult times, I always see neighbors rise to lend a hand, whether bringing home-cooked meals to those who are homeless or homebound, or collecting clothing and toiletries for families whose home was tragically gutted by fire. Brooklynites always find a way to come together to help other Brooklynites. That is spreading love, the Brooklyn way! And so, on this final New Year’s Eve of my borough presidency, and in the enduring spirit of One Brooklyn, I hope all of you reading will continue to do all you can to elevate and empower others in Brooklyn and beyond who may be less fortunate. When we welcome 2022, let’s resolve to do what we can to make this borough, this city, and this world a better place. Wishing all of you a very happy, joyful, peaceful New Year! -Eric

2 Days and Counting

 

Today is my last official day as your mayor, however I will still be your mayor on January 1, 2022 until Eric Adams is sworn in as your new mayor. Be it one minute or hours, I will still be your mayor. I will make my decision on entering the governor's race or not after I am out of office so it does not interfere with my job as your mayor.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, hope that everyone is vaccinated, but as we see Governor David Patterson, I mean Kathy Hochul has said in her Executive Order 11.1 that the current vaccines we have do not stop the Omicron variant while still telling people to get vaccinated. So Kathy, what is it are the vaccine working, or is it just Kool Aid?