News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera

 

SENATOR RIVERA'S HEALTH COMMITTEE PASSES 22 BILLS

This week, the New York State Senate Health Committee passed 22 bills, including Senator Rivera's Safer Consumption Services Act (S.399B), which will establish a pilot program to open Overdose Prevention Centers statewide.

So far, in the two Overdose Prevention Centers operating in New York City, over 1500 overdoses have been averted. Senator Rivera is pushing for this legislation to pass both houses this year in order to end overdoses, address public drug use, connect New Yorkers to care, and save lives.

SENATOR RIVERA WELCOMES FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF COSTA RICA TO ALBANY 

This week, Senator Rivera welcomed Carlos Alvarado Quesada, former President of the Republic of Costa Rica, to Albany and the Senate Chambers. President Alvarado joined colleagues and advocates to support Senator Rivera's Sovereign Debt Stability Act (S.5542A).

Many low and middle income countries are facing unsustainable debt. This debt creates conditions of poverty and political instability that often lead to mass migration to countries like ours. Senator Rivera's bill will provide these debtor countries with options to restructure their debt and help them build a path towards a real financial recovery.

Recently, Senator Rivera co-wrote an op-ed with United Kingdom Parliamentarian Liam Byrne for Devex, where they went more in-depth on the need to pass legislative measures such as the Sovereign Debt Stability Act to facilitate fast and fair debt restructurings and protect taxpayers’ money from being used to bail out reckless private lenders. You can read it here.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Senator Rivera wishes all mothers, grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, foster moms, sisters, and all mother figures a very Happy Mother's Day. This special day is always an opportunity to honor, cherish, and recognize the efforts, sacrifices, and courage of the women who give us their unconditional love every day.

SENATOR RIVERA AND THE 52ND PRECINCT HOST ELECTRONIC DISPOSAL & PAPER SHREDDING EVENT

This week, Senator Rivera hosted an electronic waste and paper shredding event with the 52nd Precinct and the NYC Department of Sanitation. Residents were able to dispose of their electronics and personal documents in a safe, sustainable manner free of charge.

Thank you to 52nd Precinct Council President Brenda Caldwell-Paris, Community Affairs Officer Ricardo Acosta, and the 52nd NYPD Precinct for hosting this event.

SENATOR RIVERA VISITS

PS 33 IN FORDHAM HEIGHTS

This week, Senator Rivera continued his tour of schools throughout the 33rd district this week with his visit to P.S. 33 in Fordham Heights. Senator Rivera toured the school, met with students and school administrators, and discussed how his office can support the school community. If you want to invite Senator Rivera to visit your school, contact the District Office at 718-933-2034 or grivera@nysenate.gov.

SENATOR RIVERA'S OFFICE PROVIDING FREE LIFE-SAVING NALOXONE SPRAY AND TESTING KITS

THURSDAY 5/16: THE BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & THE NYPL BELMONT BRANCH PRESENT

"BRONX HISTORY IN 5 OBJECTS"

CELEBRATE BRONX WEEK!

WEDNESDAY 5/29: NYC SMALL BUSINESS MONTH EXPO

WEDNESDAY 6/12: JUNETEENTH JUBILEE AT THE BRONX LIBRARY CENTER

The East Bronx History Forum

 

Dear East Bronx History Forum Members,

The East Bronx History Forum is pleased to announce its 185th meeting on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:30p with a presentation by Forum member Mike Gupta, “The New York Westchester and Boston Railroad.”

100 years ago, the last elevated subway stations built in The Bronx reached their last stops. Included are W. 242nd Street at Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn on the Jerome Avenue line and E. 241st Street on The Third Ave El & White Plains Line. The population in the Bronx has expanded greatly since 1920 and many plans to extend the lines came and went. In the 1920’s, a dream of a second ave underground to the Bronx and Throggs Neck disappeared.  The underground IND Concourse Line made it to 205th Street.

Mike Gupta is a Forum member and past lecturer of the Third Ave El and has a passion for all things “on the rails”.  Mike Gupta is an IT Professional and Forum Webmaster dedicated to keeping the amazing history of the Bronx alive.  He has researched the NY, Westchester and Boston Railroad, that was one of the most expensive rail lines and stations to be built in the country.  The Italian villa style Administration Building is landmarked and was beautifully renovated in 2013.  It is also an entrance to the 180th street station on the Dyre Avenue Line, that was purchased due to the NYW&B’s bankruptcy.

This presentation will cover the “Lost Stations” that Mike has discovered and explored.  The free event is located at 1027 Rhinelander Ave (entrance on Paulding Avenue in Msgr. Joseph Raimondo Hall).  Let’s take a ride on one of the best engineered railways of all time! 

 For more information, please visit BronxNYC.com and if you enjoy our programming, feel free to use the donate button, all contributions are fully tax deductible. We can also be followed on our Facebook and Instagram pages as well. Looking forward to seeing you.

Dorothy A. Krynicki

Secretary 

Wave Hill Weekly Events May 30 – June 6 | Yoga, Gala, Monet & Death Café

 

Wave Hill will close early at 2PM on Thursday, May 30th as we prepare for our annual evening Spring Gala.  

Don’t forget Wings Over Wave Hill on May 18-19 for a weekend of birds! Our popular annual falconry demonstration returns and there’s fun for all ages with hands-on activities, walks, talks and a bird-themed Family Art Project. Adults are invited to stay late on Saturday for our Birders Lounge – an evening of birding trivia, sunset walks and drinks on our cafe terrace. Birding knowledge is not necessary to take home the trivia winning prize! 

Garden Highlights Walk  

Thur, May 30, 1:00PM – 1:45PM  

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required  

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide--come back for an encore; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Public Garden Walks are most appropriate for adults or young adults. 

Spring Gala honoring Tom de Witte 

Thu, May 30, 6:30PM – 10:00PM 

Free with admission to the grounds 

Registration not required 

Celebrate spring in Wave Hill’s beautiful gardens on Thursday, May 30 as we honor Tom de Witte, Netherlands-based international landscape designer, and kick-off the creation of our new meadow.  

Drop in for an in-depth look at artworks on view in Glyndor Gallery and in the Sunroom Project Space, showcasing the work of both emerging and established artists in the unique context of a public garden.    

Family Art Project: Monet’s Magnificent Pond

Sat, Jun 1, 10:00AM – 1:00PM  

Sun, Jun 2, 10:00AM – 1:00PM

Free with admission to the grounds  

Registration not required 

Dive into the world of artist Claude Monet and his water lilies. Make a splash as you create your very own mixed-media paintings inspired by Wave Hill’s Aquatic Garden. This project was designed by participants of our ACES internship program.  

Death Café

Sat, Jun 1, 1:00PM – 4:00PM

Free with admission to the grounds

Registration not required  

Death as a concept is avoided and hidden, especially where there’s a lack of respect for the living. Expressing grief is a survival mechanism; the way we mourn reflects the way we live. Guided by artist Anastasia Corrine (Wave Hill Winter Workspace 2024) and death doula Nancy Huang, Death Café is an opportunity for people to gather and share thoughts, fears, dreams about mortality, and plan for the future. 

What world do we want our descendants to live in? What does grief reveal about human experience? How does collective grief deepen our commitment to love and dignity for the living, sick and dead? This program explores these questions and more with herbal companions, multiple lineages of death writing, and sound meditation. 

Yoga in the Garden 

Sun, Jun 2, 10:00AM – 11:00AM 

$25, including admission to the grounds. Wave Hill Members save 10% 

Registration required 

Root your feet in the grass and look out upon the vistas as you enjoy a gentle yoga class led by Susie Caramanica. All levels welcome. Continues through June; no class May 26.   

Garden Highlights Walk 

Sun, Jun 2, 1:00PM – 1:45PM 

Free with admission to the grounds 

Registration not required 

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide--come back for an encore; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. This walk lasts a half-hour to 45 minutes. Public Garden Walks are most appropriate for adults or young adults.  

Public Gallery Tour 

Thu, Jun 6, 2:00PM – 3:00PM 

Free with admission to the grounds 

Registration not required  

Drop in for an in-depth look at artworks on view in Glyndor Gallery and in the Sunroom Project Space, showcasing the work of both emerging and established artists in the unique context of a public garden.   

HOURS: 10AM–5:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday 

Shuttle Service is Back! Free from Subway and Metro-North, Thursday–Sunday 

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.  

DEC RELEASES FINAL POLICY FOR EVALUATING AND AVERTING DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS OF PERMITTING ACTIONS ON DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced the finalization of a new DEC policy, Division of Environmental Permits Policy "Permitting and Disadvantaged Communities (DEP-24-1), to implement environmental justice provisions of the historic Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). The policy, previously released as draft DEP-23-1, provides guidance in DEC's permitting processes for considering impacts and existing burdens on New York's most vulnerable communities.

“New York continues to lead the nation on environmental justice by implementing key Climate Act policies to directly address and prevent pollution burdens on disadvantaged communities that have borne the brunt of harmful climate impacts, including air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York State continues to advance critical climate justice policies that help create a cleaner, greener, and more equitable state for all New Yorkers and support communities historically impacted by environmental pollution and climate change.”

The new policy provides guidance for implementation of Section 7(3) of the Climate Act, which requires all state agencies, offices, authorities, and divisions to avert disproportionate burdens on disadvantaged communities and prioritize reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants in disadvantaged communities when issuing permits, licenses, and other administrative approvals and decisions. DEP-24-1 describes the analyses required by DEC staff pursuant to the requirements of Section 7(3) and the procedures DEC staff will follow when reviewing those analyses to ensure compliance with Climate Act requirements.

In March 2023, New York's Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG)—which includes representatives from environmental justice groups from across the state and representatives of several State agencies—finalized criteria to identify disadvantaged communities. A list of disadvantaged communities, along with maps, is available on the Climate Act website. The criteria and methods for identifying disadvantaged communities will be reviewed annually by the CJWG to ensure the State is accurately targeting emissions reductions and investments.

DEP-24-1 is among the most recent administrative steps underway to implement the Climate Act, including finalization of Commissioner's Policy 49 (CP-49), "Climate Change and DEC Action," and Division of Air Resources Policy 21 (DAR-21), "CLCPA and Air Permit Applications.” Additional steps to implement the Climate Act include adopting limits on the statewide emissions of greenhouse gases of 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050, completing the Value of Carbon guidance and updates, and issuing the annual greenhouse gas inventory, among other measures.

To further ensure equitable treatment in state permitting actions, Governor Kathy Hochul signed landmark environmental justice legislation to ensure existing burdens in disadvantaged communities are considered in New York State's environmental decision-making beyond the Climate Act's requirements. DEC is developing updated regulations and guidance to implement the law.

Governor Hochul’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors, and ensures that at least 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is advancing a suite of efforts – including the New York Cap-and-Invest program (NYCI) and other complementary policies – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. New York is also on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and economy-wide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $40 billion in 64 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, nearly $3 billion for clean transportation initiatives and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 170,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector as of 2022 and over 3,000 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with more than 400 registered and more than 130 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the state’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.