Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - The End of Bronx Week 2022!

 

Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday, we concluded a truly unforgettable Bronx Week 2022! We had the honor of celebrating so many facets of our vibrant community alongside all of you. We celebrated our older adults, small businesses, veterans, bankers, community board members, parents, teachers, school safety agents, artists, and so many others.

Since taking office in January, my staff alongside the Bronx Tourism Council and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation has worked tirelessly to bring Bronx Week back after a two-year hiatus. I want to take this moment to acknowledge the tremendous effort and labor of love from my team. It takes a village and I could not have done this without their dedication and hard work.

I also want to thank our sponsors who continue to invest in our community and for them seeing our Borough for what it truly is: a vibrant, booming community on the verge of a renaissance.

And although we are still celebrating a huge win for the Borough today, I would also like to express my condolences to our neighbors in Buffalo. Please take a moment to join me in prayer and solidarity for the 10 victims of the Buffalo shooting that took place on Saturday, May 14th. We mourn with the families whose lives have been forever changed and marked by this horrific event. The victims and their families did not deserve this. Our federal government needs to implement the measures and regulations necessary to end racially motivated gun violence in our country. This is unacceptable and cannot continue to happen. As Americans, we deserve and demand better.

In response to the New York City Health Commissioner's statement on the rise in COVID-19 cases in our city, we urge all of you to take care of yourselves: get tested, get vaccinated, and get boosted. You can find more information on COVID-19 resources for New York City residents on the NYC Covid-19 City-wide Information Portal.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Bronx Week Recap!

Before launching #BronxWeek, we thanked all of our incredible sponsors for their labor of love and contributions to making Bronx Week 2022 a success! Thank you to all of our sponsors who made this year`s Bronx Week possible: Humana Altice Bronx Community College BronxCare Con Edison Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HOSTOS Community College Lincoln Hospital Montefiore Einstein PepsiCo United Health Care Visiting Nurse Service of New York Waste Management : @geniusexposuremedia

We partnered with the Bronx Community Foundation and Tech FIN (Technology For Families In Need) to address the digital divide in our community and distribute tablets. We understand the importance of having access to up-to-date technology, it gives us access to the world and people around us. We want to make sure that as we move forward with our technology, we are not leaving anyone behind. Thank you to the Bronx Community Foundation and Tech FIN (Technology For Families In Need) for collaborating with us on this endeavor.

Who better to jump-start our Bronx Week than our older adults! We had a wonderful time at Golden Corral during our Senior Event! We sang, we danced and we praised! We are all the product of those that came before us and it is only right that we celebrate them! Thank you Humana and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield! And a big thank you to Golden Corral and their staff for hosting us! : @geniusexposuremedia

We hosted our Small Business event with NYC Small Business Services and we honored and celebrated our immigrant small business owners in Little Yemen. They are vital to our community and our city. We honored community trailblazers: Bronx Muslim Center Yemeni-American Merchants Association Alliance of Yemeni American Businesses Morris Park BID The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce Thank you for all that you do and for serving our community! : @geniusexposuremedia

We had the honor of recognizing our incredible veterans at our Veteran’s Appreciation Breakfast! So much of who we are and so much of what have in this country we owe to those who have put their lives on the line for our civil liberties. In honor of their sacrifice and their service, we honored: Detective Roberto Oviedo (U.S. Marine Corps) Rene Cabrera Gonzalez (U.S. Marine Corps) Abigail Taylor (U.S. Army) Lauren Patterson (U.S. Army) David Carman (U.S. Navy) To all of of our veterans, you have our eternal gratitude for all that you have done to keep us safe. : @geniusexposuremedia

We celebrated our business owners at our Bronx Week Business Luncheon! Our business owners sustain our city and are the lifeblood of our economy. When things got rough in 2020, our business owners persisted and turned their pain into purpose. Last year, our Borough saw $3.2 billion in total development, the highest amount ever invested in the Bronx. Thank you for your investment in our community and your commitment to growth in the Bronx. At our luncheon, we recognized ten Bronx businesses that thrived in our Borough through challenging times:   Agape Transportation Management Boulevard Menswear Bronx Restaurateur - Jimmy Rodriguez Conti’s Pastry Shoppe E.A.T. w/ Culinary Professionals Inc. Infinity Fitness Super Fresh Supermarket The Hoodspitality Group The Lit. Bar York Studios : @geniusexposuremedia

We honored our incredible labor workers and unions for their effort and dedication to our city.   Our labor workers are the essential workers who kept our city moving during the onset of the pandemic and they continue to do so. We are eternally grateful for all you have done for us. As a token of our appreciation, we honored: Aly Y. Waddy, UFCW, Local 1500 Barrie Smith, Local 79 Christian Smalls, President, Amazon Union Derrick Palmer, Vice President, Amazon Union Henry Garrido, Executive Director, DC37 Shaun D. Francois I, President Local 372

Our Community Board members are vital to the growth and advancement of our Bronx community. We honored the three longest-serving Community Board members in each board who, over the years, have demonstrated an immense commitment to their neighborhood and city. We also honored three Board members who are COLLEGE BOUND this fall: CB #2 Johnathan Martir - Williams College   CB #3 Sarah Torres - Syracuse University   CB #12 Hannah Gadpaille – Penn. State

We held our Bankers Breakfast to celebrate and recognize our incredible private sector partners.  Public-private partnerships are essential in bringing grants, loans, financial literacy and other economic opportunities to our small business communities.  Together, we can move the Bronx forward. Thank you BICNY, BOEDC and all of our incredible sponsors for your incredible work and partnership. : @geniusexposuremedia

We had a wonderful evening honoring our parents, teachers, superintendents and school safety agents during our Parent Leadership Event.  A huge thank you to the Bronx parent leaders who dedicate and volunteer their time throughout the year to support parents and families. Our youth are better for their efforts and we are so grateful for their dedication. Thank you to our school safety agents who work tirelessly year-round to ensure the safety of our youth and faculty in and outside of school buildings. And guess what? 90% of school safety agent officers are WOMEN.

Silent Disco We had so much fun at the Woodlawn Cemetery during our Silent Disco on Friday night! Thank you to everyone who joined us for a night of dancing. : @geniusexposuremedia

The Bronx’s Very Own! We hosted our long-awaited Induction Ceremony to the Bronx Walk of Fame!   The Bronx Walk of Fame is a high honor, wherein we award our very own Bronx trailblazers for their work and talent. This year, the honor was bestowed upon: Eif Rivera - Cinematographer, Artist Luis Antonio Ramos - Actor Remy Ma - Poet, Artist, Writer  : @geniusexposuremedia

Our Bronx Ball was INCREDIBLE. It was wonderful to celebrate the culmination of our first Bronx Week with The Bronx Ball 2022!  : @geniusexposuremedia

What an honor it has been to see months of planning come to life. Bronx Week 2022 was for our community. We believe our borough deserves the very best that our city has to offer. We will continue to work to ensure that Bronxites have access to resources they need and deserve. The Bronx is so much more than the narrative that has been written for us by others. We will tell our story the way we lived it: in community, in fellowship and with joy. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to every single person who joined us along the way. We are better together. See you all next year! This is just the beginning.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - MAY 16, 2022

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

30 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday

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

"The best way to prevent serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19 is by getting fully vaccinated and staying up to date on your booster doses," Governor Hochul said. "We need more New Yorkers to use this important tool so we can continue to protect our loved ones from COVID-19 and move forward safely through this pandemic."

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Cases Per 100k - 35.37
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 48.98
• Test Results Reported - 66,348
• Total Positive - 6,912
• Percent Positive - 10.01%**  
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 7.34%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,497 (+124)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 396
• Patients in ICU - 233 (-2)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 91 (-1)
• Total Discharges - 301,835 (263)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 30
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 55,792

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.  

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.    

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.  

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 71,200

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 - 38,672,134
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 15,246
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 150,723
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.6%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 83.9%  
• 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) - 87.2%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 83.3%  
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.3%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.1%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.3%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 90.4%  
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.2%  

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:  

Borough	Friday, May 13, 2022	Saturday, May 14, 2022	Sunday, May 15, 2022
Bronx	3.68%	3.63%	3.76%
Kings	3.92%	3.75%	4.01%
New York	5.65%	5.49%	5.62%
Queens	4.94%	4.98%	5.16%
Richmond	5.77%	5.89%	6.02%

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation Into Civilian Death in the Bronx

 

 The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Rameek Smith, who died on May 11, 2022, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

On the evening of May 10, a member of NYPD pursued Mr. Smith on foot along Third Avenue, Claremont Parkway, and Bathgate Avenue in the Bronx. Mr. Smith fired a handgun, injuring the officer. That officer and a second officer fired their service weapons, wounding Mr. Smith, who was later pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital. The injured officer was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital and was later released. The NYPD recovered a handgun at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Announces Availability of Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program

 

Repair of Historic Barns Can Qualify for 25% New York State Tax Credit

 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation announced the launch of the revitalized Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. The new program allows state taxpayers who rehabilitate their historic barns to earn a credit against state income tax owed.

“New York’s rural landscapes are characterized by historic barns, forming the identities of many communities,” said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “Retaining these historic structures, are among the state’s most threatened historic resources, contributes to heritage tourism and expands opportunities for the state’s agricultural economy. State Parks is pleased to add this program to its existing historic tax credit programs.”

The amount of the tax credit is equal to 25% of the expenditures incurred to rehabilitate a historic barn. To qualify, a barn must have been built prior to 1946, and the work must be approved by the Division for Historic Preservation. Taxpayers can begin to claim the credit on their 2022 New York State taxes.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation reinstating and improving the barn tax credit program, which had been limited in availability due to 2018 federal tax code changes. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Michelle Hinchey of the 46^th District, and Assemblymember Didi Barrett of the 106^th District.

“New York’s historic barns are emblematic of our agricultural heritage and a testament to upstate’s economic leadership as the original breadbasket of America,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “Thanks to our bill to revive the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit program, we are making it more affordable for New Yorkers to give these beloved buildings a new shot at life. Historic preservation is an important driver of rural revitalization, and I am so proud to have sponsored the legislation that will help save thousands of historic barns from disrepair, boosting local economies and local pride in the process.”

“I was proud to sponsor legislation to resurrect the New York State Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit, and I am delighted that the statewide application process is now open,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “In the Hudson Valley – once the breadbasket of our young nation – historic barns are an iconic testament to our region's deep agricultural roots. This tax credit will incentivize the next generation of farmers and small business owners to grow their businesses here in New York State, while preserving some of our most picturesque and historic structures!”

“The Preservation League of NYS is grateful to Governor Hochul for signing the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit into law, and to Senator Hinchey and Assemblymember Barrett for their leadership on this important preservation issue,” said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. “This credit is a much-needed resource for barn owners across the state, who thanks to this program, will be able to make vital repairs and bring countless barns back to life – either reinvigorating their agricultural function or adaptively reusing them for innovative new purposes.”

Program information and staff contact information can be found on the Division for Historic Preservation’s website www.parks.ny.gov/shpo/tax-credit-programs/. Applications can be mailed to 1 Delaware Avenue North, Cohoes, 12047 (for express mail services) or to P.O. Box 189, Waterford, NY 12188 (for USPS mail service).

On Wednesday May 18, 2022 at 6:00 PM, a Historic Barn Tax Credit Information Session will be held at Glimmerglass State Park, Lakeview Pavilion, 1527 County Road 31, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Olivia Brazee from the State Historic Preservation Office and Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000, will walk participants through the requirements for receiving the credit. The event is free but registration is recommended at: https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=315d40c2-8bcc-4086-87c6-df061aeed264

Join Manhattan BP Levine for traditional food and entertainment at the MBPO's Jewish American Heritage Month Celebration

 

Join BP Levine Tomorrow for Traditional Jewish Food and Entertainment!

Jewish American Heritage Month Event

 Tuesday, May 17, 2022
 6:00pm-8:00pm (Doors Open 5:30pm program promptly starts at 6pm)
 Surrogate’s Court, 31 Chambers Street

Register for our Event HERE

March & Rally Bronx to Yonkers w/ the #PassNYHealth Care-avan on Friday, May 20

 

Hello Bronx Progressives,  Hope you're all having an awesome May. We are thrilled to share with you the invite below on behalf of Northwest Bronx Community, Clergy, and Coalition, and Campaign for New York Health Act. The end of the legislative session is fast approaching, while the New York Health Act remains stalled in the legislative process, with little hope to going to a vote for this session. Well, this campaign is not giving up without a good fight!  Join Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, Campaign for NY Health and partners at our state lawmakers’ offices in the Bronx and in Yonkers to demand a vote this session on the New York Health Act — comprehensive, affordable, universal healthcare. The physical, mental and financial lives of their voters are needlessly suffering because of their inaction! March and Rally to Demand Universal Healthcare Now!  Join at points that make sense for you. Transportation and refreshments available. 9:00AM   Transportation available from Northwest Bronx to East Bronx 10:45AM March & Rally at Assembly Speaker Heastie’s Bronx office 12:00PM Care-avan from Bronx rally to Yonkers rally 1:45PM   March & Rally at Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins’ Yonkers office RSVP for more details: https://bit.ly/May20Actions Wear your organization’s regalia, wear RED, wear your scrubs or white coats! Rally signs will be available, but we welcome homemade signs!  *Negative COVID test results within 24 hours of using our transportation is required. Masks are required on the bus and throughout the actions. Invite your community by forwarding this email to 3 of your friends or organizations!