Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - September is Perfect for Volunteering!

 

Floodplain Forest Fridays

Fridays - Meet at 9am

With 640 acres of urban woodland, Van Cortlandt Park could use your help! 

This month, we are focusing on the floodplain forest  and Tibbetts Wetland in the park.

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Meet in front of the Van Cortlandt Golf House.

Volunteer Clean Up Day

Tuesday, September 5, meeting at 9am

Summer holidays bring lots of visitors to the park.

Volunteers are needed to help park staff tidy up.

This week, lend a hand after Labor Day weekend!

We provide gloves and materials to help keep this park in tip-top shape.

You provide can-do spirit and sturdy shoes for walking!

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Meet in front of the Van Cortlandt Golf House.

Trail Work Wednesdays

Wednesdays - Meet at 9am

Miles of trails traverse the natural areas of Van Cortlandt Park, and they are in need of regular maintenance. Volunteers will assist staff on maintenance of the cross country course and other trails throughout the park. Work includes waterbar and checkstep maintenance, corridor clearing, raking, etc. Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants; bring water and a snack.

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Meet at VCPA Garden & Compost Site.

Wetland Planting Days

Thursday, September 7 + Saturday, September 9 - Meet at 9am

Join VCPA and Manhattan College for an immersive, hands-on experience in nature conservation improving a section of wetlands in Van Cortlandt Park.  We have been eradicating invasive species at the site and now we are ready to plant. 

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Meet in front of the Van Cortlandt Golf House.

Garden Tune Up Tuesdays

Tuesdays, September 12 + 26, 10am to 1pm

Let’s tend to our growing veggies together. 

Volunteers are needed for maintaining the compost bins, weeding, planting, and building garden beds.

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Meet at VCPA Garden and Compost Site.

Support Our Work in Van Cortlandt Park

Hike-toberfest 2023

Saturday, October 21

Hike in the park followed by a classic Oktoberfest celebration, complete with local beer, German food, live music, lawn games, and more.

Early Bird Ticket Specials until September 15

Make a Donation

The park is really big. Our staff is really small. Only with your help can we grow our capacity, hire more staff, and take on projects to improve Van Cortlandt Park… for YOU!  Please consider a gift to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance today.

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VCPA Merch Shop!

Show your love for Van Cortlandt Park while supporting the Alliance!

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Become a Member

Members get VCPA merch and invitations to member only hikes while supporting their favorite park!

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Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org

Attorney General James Recovers $510,000 for Charity from Long Island Lawyers Accused of Misusing Charitable Assets for Personal Benefit

 

Paul Marchese and Robin Maynard Made Improper Payments to Themselves from Deceased Client’s Funds Intended for Charity

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a settlement with Paul Marchese and Robin Maynard, two Long Island lawyers who allegedly illegally paid themselves more than $1.3 million from a deceased client’s trust and charitable foundation. Following the death of their client, Helen Gottlieb, Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard were in control of funds that Ms. Gottlieb had left for charity. Mr. Marchese unilaterally paid his law firm nearly $600,000 in fees without reporting the financial transactions to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), as required by law. Additionally, he and Ms. Maynard improperly paid themselves salaries from the foundation in excess of $750,000. As part of the settlement, Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard will have to pay $510,000 in restitution and may not serve as officers or directors of a not-for-profit corporation or any other charitable organization for three years unless authorized by OAG to do so.

“New Yorkers who generously donate to charity upon their death deserve to have their wishes honored,” said Attorney General James. “Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard abused their positions and misused funds entrusted to them, depriving others of significant charitable donations intended to help the most vulnerable. My office will ensure that these funds will be used as intended and continue to enforce the laws that protect charitable organizations.”

Mr. Marchese established a charitable foundation and a trust for Ms. Gottlieb. The trust held $2 million in assets to fund her foundation upon her death. After Ms. Gottlieb died in 2008, Mr. Marchese directed the trust to pay his law firm, Marchese & Maynard LLP, fees totaling $598,931.42. Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard were unable to provide attorney time sheets, invoices, or receipts to prove that they provided legal services worth nearly $600,000 or that Ms. Gottlieb knew of or agreed to pay Marchese & Maynard LLP that amount.

Over the next decade, Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard also paid themselves salaries totaling $758,334 as directors of Ms. Gottlieb’s charitable foundation, in violation of New York law. These salaries were substantially greater than the amount the foundation disbursed in charitable grants.

In the settlement, Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard admitted to failing to register the trust after Ms. Gottlieb’s death, failing to retain timely records of the trust’s expenditures, and operating Ms. Gottlieb’s foundation without a legally constituted board of directors. As a result, they set their own compensation without review by nonconflicted directors. They also failed to adopt and adhere to a conflict of interest policy.

As part of the settlement reached with OAG, the foundation will be dissolved and all of its remaining assets, which together with the restitution funds exceed $1 million, will be disbursed to other charitable organizations under the supervision of OAG.

Justice Department Files Complaint to Enjoin Arizona Company and Its Owner from Manufacturing and Distributing Unapproved Animal Drugs

 

The Justice Department announced today that the United States filed a complaint to enjoin a Gilbert, Arizona, company from manufacturing and distributing products the government alleges to be adulterated and unapproved new animal drugs, the Justice Department announced today.

In a civil complaint for permanent injunction filed Aug. 29, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the United States alleges that AniCell Biotech LLC and its owner, Brandon T. Ames, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). According to the complaint, the defendants manufacture products under the brand names EquusCell and CanisCell consisting of injectable and intravenous liquids, eye drops and grafts derived from the amniotic tissue of horses. The complaint alleges that the defendants claim on their website and in promotional pamphlets that their products are intended for use in horses, dogs and cats to treat various diseases, such as osteoarthritis and renal failure, and to promote tissue regeneration and healing.

According to the complaint, the defendants’ products are not generally recognized by qualified experts as safe and effective for the purposes claimed by the defendants and lack approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The complaint further alleges that new animal drugs sold in interstate commerce without FDA approval are considered adulterated. The complaint states that FDA repeatedly told the defendants, including through a 2018 warning letter, that their products constituted new animal drugs under the law and could not be sold without FDA approval.

“The FDCA is critical to ensuring the safety of animal drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work with FDA to take action against animal drug manufacturers that do not comply with the law.”

“New animal drugs must undergo FDA review to ensure that, among other things, they are safe and effective for their intended uses,” said Director Tracey Forfa J.D. of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “When companies distribute unapproved new animal drugs like these by ignoring or attempting to bypass the public health safeguards of FDA pre-market review and post-market monitoring, they not only violate the law, but they also violate the trust of their people who rely on their products to be safe and effective to treat animals in need.”

Trial Attorney Coleen Schoch of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is handling the case with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Jaclyn E. Martínez Resly of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

As Long-Range Impacts of Hurricane Franklin Reach New York, Governor Hochul Directs State Parks to Suspend Swimming on Long Island Ocean Beaches Facing Dangerous Conditions

 

Beaches at Robert Moses, Hither Hills and Jones Beach State Parks Experiencing Flooding and Rough Surf Conditions

New Yorkers Encouraged to Sign Up for Real-Time Emergency Alerts via NY-Alert to Receive Real-Time Weather and Emergency Alerts During Hurricane Season

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed State Parks to suspend swimming at Long Island ocean beaches due to flooding and rough surf conditions resulting from Hurricane Franklin.

“As peak hurricane season approaches, the safety of all New Yorkers remains my top priority,” Governor Hochul said. “With tropical storms and hurricanes affecting our beaches on Long Island, we are taking proactive steps to protect New Yorkers, and I urge everyone to remain vigilant.”

The restrictions are expected to be in place at Robert Moses, Hither Hills and Jones Beach State Parks as long as adverse conditions persist. All three ocean beaches experienced significant water levels today, including flooding at the Jones Beach beachfront and unpassable areas at Robert Moses and Hither Hills.

These three State Parks posted red flags on the beachfront to warn visitors that swimming is prohibited. Lifeguards remain on duty to prevent anyone from entering the water. Swimming remains available at Sunken Meadow and Wildwood State Parks on Long Island Sound, which are not experiencing dangerous impacts from the storm. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation will continue monitoring conditions across state parks

New York State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “Even if they are far away, hurricanes and tropical storms are powerful events that cause dangerous and unpredictable conditions at our swimming beaches. We urge all park visitors to take these events seriously and follow all direction of our lifeguards and park staff.”

While the Atlantic hurricane season began in June, the threat of tropical storms impacting New York state is traditionally highest in the months of September and October. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently increased its prediction for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, shifting from a “near-normal” level of activity to an “above-normal” level of activity. As of August, NOAA forecasters predicted a total of 14-21 named storms during the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.