Third Avenue Business Improvement District - Reminder: Sexual Harassment & Respectful Workplaces

 

Sexual Harassment & Creating Respectful Workplaces Employee Training Program

Join Third Avenue Business Improvement District and the Bronx Chamber of Commerce for this important employee training to comply with New York State Department of Labor requirements. The training program focuses on respect, acceptable workplace conduct, and the types of behaviors that contribute to a respectful and inclusive, and therefore ultimately more profitable, workplace. This training includes two components, and meets the standard for required Sexual Harassment Training in the State of New York: Leading for Respect (for supervisors) and Respect in the Workplace (for all employees). Instead of traditional compliance training that solely focuses on legal definitions and standards for liability, the new program provides an exciting training alternative for harassment prevention. The training program is an outgrowth of the Report of the Co-Chairs of the EEOC's Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. The trainings will be conducted by EEOC Training Institute staff.

Permits Filed For 1351 Jerome Avenue In Mount Eden, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for an 11-story residential building at 1351 Jerome Avenue in Mount Eden, The Bronx. Located between Marcy Place and Elliot Place, the lot is one block from the 170th Street subway station, serviced by the 4 train. Joseph Riegler is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 115-foot-tall development will yield 89,176 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 131 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 680 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a 42-foot-long rear yard and 26 open parking spaces.

Baobab Architects is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Renderings Revealed For Sol On The Park Affordable Housing Development In Morrisania, The Bronx

 

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Housing Development Corporation, and NYCHA have announced plans to construct Sol on the Park, a 195-unit affordable housing property in the Morrisania section of The Bronx. Located at the corner of St. Paul’s Place and Park Avenue, the project sits within the Morris II public housing development.

The Sol on the Park development team includes NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management, which were selected as part of “Seniors First,” a larger request for proposals to redevelop a collection of sites identified by the HPD and NYCHA in Morrisania, as well as Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

This first project will create 195 deeply affordable units for senior households earning up to 50 percent area median income, or approximately $41,800 annually for a single occupant. All households will receive project-based Section 8 vouchers, with a portion of homes set aside for both NYCHA residents and seniors experiencing homelessness.

Daytime rendering of Sol on the Park

Aerial rendering of the Sol on the Park roof deck

Designed by Magnusson Architecture and Planning, the 15-story building features a stepped design that cascades along the boundaries of the wedge-shaped lot. The building will also feature a mix of open-air and partially enclosed balconies, a roof deck with light landscaping, and communal lounge area.

Additional components include a new community health center, a nutrition education facility, and vocational training available to residents and surrounding communities. Social services for senior residents will be provided by Selfhelp’s Active Services for Aging Model with a focus on those struggling with chronic health issues, aging, and access to health programming.

Sol on Park is also designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification for sustainable design, an ENERGY STAR certification for emitting fewer greenhouse gases, and the highest rating from Fitwel, which sets global standards for the building design and development practices in support of healthier and equitable access to a higher quality of life.

Aerial rendering of Sol on the Park

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR BANKS JOINED BY UNION LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF MAYORAL ACCOUNTABILITY

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

You need to know that in order to have Mayoral control passed over twenty years ago former Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed to many Republican State Senators who voted to pass Mayoral Control of the New York City Public Schools.

The United Federation of Teachers who went without a contract for the last few years of the Bloomberg administration said that student gains under mayoral control was no better than gains made without Mayoral Control, However when Mayor de Blasio cane into office giving the UFT a big fat contract, the UFT then said Mayoral Control was the best thing ever, while student performance still lags far behind expected goals in many public schools due to Mayoral Control. It is interesting that Mayor Adams has only union leaders of the employees of the DOE, an no elected officials who want public school accountability.

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR BANKS JOINED BY UNION LEADERS IN SUPPORT OF MAYORAL ACCOUNTABILITY

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David Banks, and union leaders and members today urged the New York State Legislature to extend mayoral accountability for New York City schools and its nearly 1 million students. Representatives of District Council 37 (DC37), Hotel Trades Council (HTC), 32BJ SEIU, Local 372, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) joined the mayor and chancellor in support.

 

Mayor Adams highlighted the numerous successes of mayoral responsibility, including the launch of Pre-K for All, a more than 20 percent increase in graduation rates, ensuring every school receives 100 percent Fair Student Funding, and coordinating the massive inter-agency COVID-19 response. If the state does not take action by June 30^th, control of city schools would revert to the decentralized system of 32 school boards that existed prior to 2002 — a system that proved vulnerable to politics, corruption, and bureaucracy.

 

“Continuing mayoral accountability will benefit every one of the nearly 1 million New York City students and will allow us to make transformative changes in the education system to address systemic inequities that plagued public schools for years,” said Mayor Adams. “Mayoral accountability will also provide parents with certainty as we prepare for the summer and the following school year.  We look forward to  working closely with our colleagues in Albany to ensure our schools continue moving in the right direction.”

 

“Mayoral accountability made it possible to put mental health services in every school, open the largest summer enrichment program ever, and find innovative ways to respond to the needs of our families and students,” DOE Chancellor David Banks. “Whether it is responding to a crisis or providing the supports for our children's bold futures, it is clear that our students, schools, and communities deserve to have the stability that a quick renewal provides, and I look forward to continuing to work with the legislature on how to best serve future generations of New Yorkers.”

 

Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks have outlined a bold agenda for New York City Schools that includes expanded opportunities for summer learning; a renewed focus on literacy, screenings, and early interventions for dyslexia; and providing every student with a pathway to a good paying career. Mayoral accountability is essential to driving these and other new initiatives that will help address the impacts of the pandemic on learning and puts all students on the path to success.

 

“Mayoral control has proven to be an accountability tool for our schools that we cannot ignore,” said DC37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “It is important that we have in place an educational system that seeks to create standards, push back against inequities from one school district to the next, and provide a strong foundation for our 1.1 million students. We support the extension of mayoral control and recognize the valuable impact it has had on the Department of Education's operations.”

 

“New York City’s 1.1 million school children should be above politics and our schools system should embrace clear accountability,” said 32BJ SEIU President Kyle Bragg. “There is absolutely no doubt that extending mayoral control is to everyone’s benefit – students, teachers, and parents alike. Going back in time to a pre-mayoral control system would be a disaster. Our kids would lose out and our schools would be thrown into chaos.”

 

“With thousands of our members who have children in the city’s public schools, ensuring that they have an effective and accountable leadership structure is a major priority,” said HTC President Rich Maroko. “We’ve seen how educational outcomes and opportunities have improved during the past 20 years of mayoral accountability and now is not the time to take a step backward. We urge the legislature to continue the path to success for more than 1 million children and extend this essential policy.

 

“Our members depend on public schools to provide opportunity for their children. These families deserve the accountability and streamline decision making that only continued mayoral control can provide,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. “As mayoral control’s expiration date draws near, no viable alternative has been put forward. That is unacceptable - our city’s children must not be left in the lurch or subjected to stifling bureaucracy and unaccountable boards. The RWDSU supports the continuation of mayoral control for our city’s public schools.”

 

“Extending mayoral accountability is a critical priority for New York City families and for the food service employees that we represent,” said Local 372 President Shaun D. Francois. “Having accountability starts with oneself, and in order to lead, you yourself have had to be in the trenches to actually feel and understand what a person is experiencing. That is what Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks have done, and under their leadership we will keep our schools and our city aggressively moving forward! Stay Ready!”

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Former NYC Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz

 

Where Are the Great Advocates For Women's Rights And Their Progress?

You should know that, at a time when some are claiming to be advocates and the voice for women’s rights and progress, they have remained silent regarding the two female candidates seeking the position of Lieutenant Governor for New York State.  

 

As you know the upcoming Democratic Primary is to be held on Tuesday, June 28. There are (2) two Hispanic women, who are Prepared, Experienced and highly Qualified, running to fill said position making History, not only as the first Hispanic, but the first Woman to become Lieutenant Governor in the State of New York.

 

The Dominican American, Ms. Diana Reyna and the Colombian American Ms. Ana María Archilla, are running as Democratic Candidates in this upcoming primary.

 

However, there is a problem with the so-called champions, and the voices for Women’s Rights. They have remained silent regarding these two Hispanic Women who are fighting to make history by becoming New York’s next Lieutenant Governor. These two women arduously seek to break that “Glass Ceiling” of a historically Male dominated position.

 

First: Governor Kathy Hochul sends several tweets daily, where she boldly proclaims her defense of Women’s Rights and her interests to See Women elevated to higher positions.  Now that she is presented with the great opportunity to back her words with actions, instead of supporting a woman, she throws her support behind Mr. Antonio Delgado, a Portuguese man with a Hispanic name. Our honorable Governor ignores two qualified Hispanic women for the position of Lieutenant Governor. So, we must ask ourselves: What the Heck happened? Hypocrisy? Lack of recognition for women? Rejected because they’re Hispanic?  I don't know! I’m just saying!

 

Take Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the two powerful U.S. Senators, Democrats representing New York State in Washington D.C. This week they have spent their time accusing the Republican Party of violating Women's Rights. Both these U.S. Senators held press conferences to criticize the Republicans and the Supreme Court justices. They showed us how “emotionally affected” they were for the sake of Women’s Rights and yes, they shed "Tears” in an emotional display of their “Defense of Women."

 

Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand now have the opportunity to show that their “Tears” for Women’s Rights are genuine. But so far, it appears that the cat got their tongues and they have remained mute when it comes to supporting one of these two women struggling to “Break the Glass Ceiling” in New York State . So, I ask, What the Heck happened? Hypocrisy? Lack of recognition for women?  Rejection because they are Hispanic? I don't know, I’m just saying!

 

Here in New York City last year, the current Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and most of the NYC Councilwomen, loudly cried out that Councilman Francisco Moya must not be appointed as their next City Council Speaker. Why? Because, according to them, he was a man, and it was time for a woman to hold the highest position in the New York City Council.

 

You should know that the Councilmembers rejected the Hispanic Francisco Moya because he was a man and they appointed City Councilwoman Adrienne Adams, an African American, to the position because it was "The Time for a Woman." All these great so-called defenders of women now have swallowed their tongues, and none have come out in defense of Diana Reyna or Ana María Archilla.  I wonder. What the Heck happened? Is it Hypocrisy? Lack of recognition of women? Or because they are Hispanic?....... I don't know, I’m just saying!

 

As for me, my dear readers, I will continue to be "The lone voice of one who cries out in the wilderness."   And I will continue to ask where are the voices of those who claim to be the "great defenders and the voice of Women’s Rights?  Don't Hispanic women also have that same right?

 

These two women, Dominican American Diana Reyna and the Colombian American Ana María Archilla, are well qualified. They can serve New York State well and can make history by occupying the position of Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York.  The ball is now in the hands of those so called great defenders of Women’s Rights, but where are they?

 

I am Rev. Ruben Diaz, and this is "What You Should Know."

Two Former Managers of National Grid Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Kickback Scheme

Defendants Took Bribes and Kickbacks Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Exchange for Steering Lucrative Contracts 

 Friday, in federal court in Brooklyn, Patrick McCrann and Richard Zavada, two former managers in the facilities department of the New York utility company National Grid, were sentenced by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon for their participation in a years-long bribery and kickback scheme.  Zavada was sentenced to a year and one day in prison, with a $10,000 fine and $330,735 forfeiture and McCrann was sentenced to a year and one day of prison, with a $10,000 fine and $200,000 forfeiture.  The defendants each pleaded guilty to a violation of the Travel Act in October 2021.

Carolyn Pokorny, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.

“This sentence metes out just punishment to these bid riggers who accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, including cash, international vacations, home improvements, and recreational vehicles,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pokorny.  “This Office will continue to root out corruption that undermines the integrity of competitive bidding in the procurement process.”

McCrann and Zavada were National Grid managers employed in the facilities department, who steered contracts to certain contractors in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.  One contractor (the “Contractor”) secured more than $50 million in facility maintenance contracts from National Grid during the time that the Contractor was paying bribes to the defendants.  As managers, the defendants had the authority to approve “no-bid” contracts valued at less than $50,000.  The Contractor understood that if it did not pay bribes, these defendants would award National Grid’s work to the Contractor’s competitors.  In exchange for the bribe payments, the defendants also took various steps to assist the Contractor in obtaining contracts from National Grid, including, among other things, offering favorable reviews of the Contractor’s work. The Contractor paid bribes to ensure that the defendants did not slow or stop disbursement of project funds to the Contractor, provide negative performance reviews regarding the Contractor’s work, or otherwise claim that the Contractor’s work did not meet contractual specifications. 

The illicit payments to the defendants took multiple forms, including cash, the purchase of recreational vehicles, home improvements, landscaping and overseas vacations.  As part of the investigation, agents recovered approximately $300,000 in cash from a safe deposit box held by Zavada. 

Three other former National Grid managers, Devraj Balbir, Ricardo Garcia and Jevan Seepaul, have previously entered pleas of guilty to accepting bribes from the Contractor and are awaiting sentence. 

Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study - Station-Area Planning Moves Forward

 

Station-Area Planning Moves Forward   Mayor Eric Adam’s Administration is committed to pursuing the Bronx Metro-North Station Area planning, City Planning Chair Dan Garodnick confirmed at a recent speaking event. As noted in a Politico article, “There's 23,000-plus jobs within a stone's throw of this new Metro-North station,” he said of the planned Morris Park station, noting the presence of Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “And this is an opportunity for us to help connect that opportunity with existing jobs, promote growth and to do this in a way that really makes sense.” The Department of City Planning, in partnership with the Department of Transportation and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, released the draft plan for the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study in December 2021 after more than three years of engagement and planning. What’s next? MTA Metro North is working to break ground on the stations and track work in 2022 and start service in 2027. To stay in step with the MTA and ensure the city is ready for the new service, DCP and sister agencies aim to finalize the station-area plans and begin implementation in 2022. Stay in touch and learn about future events by subscribing to the BMNS email list (here). Future conversations will center around jobs and workforce development, wellness and health, and public spaces and amenities. For questions related to the BMNS, you can reach the planning team at BMNS@planning.nyc.gov or (718) 220-8500.

Would you like to know more? Visit Building the Plan at www.nyc.gov/bmns. Have only a few minutes? View the overview videos. Interested in the details? Review the draft recommendations. Want to share your opinion? Use the feedback form for each station. Building the Plan

Attorney General James Announces 240 Guns Turned in at Syracuse Gun Buyback

 

AG James Has Taken Nearly 3,000 Firearms Out of Communities Since 2019

 New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that 240 firearms were turned in to law enforcement at a gun buyback event hosted by her office, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, and the Syracuse Police Department. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) accepts — with no questions asked — working and non-working, unloaded firearms in exchange for compensation on site. Today’s event is a part of Attorney General James’ initiative to vigorously combat gun violence and protect New Yorkers throughout the state. To date, Attorney General James has taken nearly 3,000 firearms out of communities through gun buyback events and other efforts since taking office in 2019.

“Communities throughout New York and the country are dealing with a rise in gun violence, and we must do all we can to protect people from harm,” said Attorney General James. “Our gun buybacks have been one of the most successful ways to get guns off the streets and out of homes, and today’s event is no exception. Every gun turned in today will help make a difference in protecting communities in Syracuse and across Onondaga County, and I thank our partners for their invaluable support.”

This community gun buyback resulted in the collection of 240 guns, including 91 long guns, 104 handguns, 39 non-working guns, and six assault rifles. Since 2013, OAG has hosted gun buyback events throughout New York state and has successfully collected nearly 5,000 firearms. To date, Attorney General James has taken a total of nearly 3,000 guns out of communities since 2019.

In exchange for the firearms, OAG offered monetary compensation, in the form of prepaid gift cards, when an unloaded gun was received and secured by an officer on site.