BRONX RIVER ART CENTER 

Celebrating 37 Years of Bringing Arts & Cultural Programs to the Bronx

OCTOBER 2024 at BRAC

Party with us on October 16!

Join us for a gala celebration honoring Gail Nathan, Executive Director Emerita of the Bronx River Art Center, who retired earlier this year after twenty-five dedicated years of service.

Purchase Gala Tickets or Sponsorships

Education Free Program for Middle Schoolers MSCreate Begins October 21 Looking for a free and safe space for your middler schooler to explore the arts and prepare for high school? Check out MSCreate, BRAC's new and free after-school program designed to build critical thinking skills in a safe and supportive environment through engagement with a wide array of visual arts. Read about MSCreate in The Riverdale Press, Bronx River Art Center launches free after-school arts program with $100K grant, recognizing the competitive Aim High grant award from the New York Life Foundation in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance.  Find out more about MSCreate  Free Program for Teens + Young Adults Teen Project Studio+2.0 The Fall 2024 session will meet from October 21 to December 16, meeting Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. This program is a unique opportunity to learn about the role of the visual arts in addressing environmental and social justice concerns. Taught by professional artists and designers, it is also an occasion to interact with fellow students with similar interests and an eagerness to learn and create together. Apply for TPS+2.0 Last Call for Fall Classes! Fall Semester runs until December 20 Registration is now open for BRAC's Fall Afterschool and  Saturday Classes! Our 2-hour classes meet once a week for  ten weeks in our state-of-the-art studio art and ceramics  spaces. Classes are taught by professional teaching artists  with fine arts degrees and multiple years of teaching  experience. Space is still open in: Thursday afternoon watercolor painting Thursday afternoon ceramics class Saturday afternoon digital art and animation  course. Please note we have changed our price structure. We have  reduced class prices for our Bronx neighbors in priority zip  codes. Register for Fall Classes "Finally, It's Friday" Drop-in Art Workshops! In addition, starting this Friday, October 11 we're offering  three-hour evening art workshops running from 5:30pm to  8:30pm, covering a range of activities from dyeing textiles  with the batik technique, to mixed-media painting, to ink  drawing. Workshops are $15 per session and are open to  everyone ages 11 and above; with the exception of the  Figure Drawing workshops, which are $20 and adults only.  Head over to bracbx.eventbrite.com to register! Register for Friday Workshops Go to our Education Page for class and workshop descriptions and full schedule. Email info@bronxriverart.org with questions.

DEC Reminds Outdoor Enthusiasts to Share the Woods Safely This Season

 

Be Seen, Stay Safe, and Show Respect During Fall and Winter Hunting Seasons

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) encouraged outdoor enthusiasts to respectfully share the woods and follow safety precautions this fall and winter. Hikers, nature photographers, leaf peepers, mountain bikers, hunters, and trappers are encouraged to follow safety measures while afield. Regular big game hunting season in the Northern Zone begins Oct. 26 and closes Dec. 8. Bowhunting season for deer and bear is ongoing in the Southern Zone and ends at the beginning of the regular firearms season on Nov. 16.

 

Tips for hikers and hunters venturing afield this fall include:

• Tell someone intended destinations and return times. If plans change, notify them;
• Dress for the weather and plan for both location and elevation changes;
• Become familiar with planned hiking trails or hunting areas;
• Wear bright clothing; blaze orange or blaze pink. Bright colors allow hikers and hunters to be seen more easily and from farther away; and,
• Pack the 10 Essentials, especially a light source, map, and first aid kit.

For more tips on sharing the woods this fall, check out this recent DEC video.

 

While hunting-related shooting incidents involving non-hunters are extremely rare, DEC encourages all outdoor adventurers to be aware of the presence of others enjoying New York’s natural resources. Hikers should be aware they may meet hunters bearing firearms or archery equipment while hiking on trails. Hunters are fellow outdoor recreationists and hunting is permitted on Forest Preserve and Conservation Easement lands. Hunters should likewise recognize they may encounter hikers and others enjoying the outdoors.

 

Hunting is among the most popular forms of wildlife recreation in the state, with almost 600,000 New Yorkers participating. Hunting is safe and economically important, helping to manage wildlife populations and promote family traditions while fostering an understanding and respect for the environment.

 

Hunting is safe and is getting safer thanks to the efforts of DEC’s Hunter Education program, volunteer instructors, and the vigilance of hunters. The last few years have been the safest on record with 2021 and 2022 having the fewest ever number of hunting-related shooting incidents, and 2019 and 2023 tying for second.

 

Hunters looking for solitude can minimize the disturbance associated with other forms of recreation by following a few tips. Before a season opens, when hunters are scouting for the perfect spot or stand location, take the time to check if the planned location is a popular one. Avoid crowding other hunters and recognize that if a hunting location is near a popular hiking spot, noise can be a factor. If a preferred hunting spot is too crowded, identify an alternative location ahead of time.

When adventuring with a pet, make sure to keep them on a leash. Loose pets can cause problems with other recreators and can get into trouble with wild animals. Also, to make pets more identifiable in the woods, give them a brightly colored collar, leash, or other covering.

DEC maintains hiking trails and permits hunting in many areas of forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, as well as in state forests, wildlife management areas, and unique areas. Find a place by visiting our website, checking out DECinfo Locator, or downloading the HuntFishNY Wildlife App. Many trails are also accessible to people with disabilities.

Chronic Wasting Disease

Hunters are critical to protecting New York deer and moose from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is an untreatable, fatal disease for deer and moose, effecting the brain and nervous system. It is caused by a misfolded protein called a prion that is spread in deer tissues, saliva, urine, and feces. Hunters may bring CWD prions into to New York without realizing it. To protect deer, do not bring hunter-killed deer, elk, moose, or caribou carcasses into New York from other states and do not use deer urine-based lures.

DEC reminds hunters of the importance of reporting their harvest. Harvest reporting is critical to wildlife management, and hunters are required to report their harvest of deer, bear, and turkey within seven days of taking the animal. Hunters may still use the phone report system, but the online and mobile systems are fast, convenient, and easy for hunters to accurately enter information.

For more information on harvest reporting: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hunting/report-your-harvest

For more information on CWD: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/wildlife-health/animal-diseases/chronic-wasting-disease

DHS Statement on Safety and Enforcement During Hurricane Milton

 

During emergency events, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works with its federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners to support the needs of the people in the areas that may be impacted.

In such circumstances, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remind the public that sites that provide emergency response and relief are considered protected areas. To the fullest extent possible, ICE and CBP do not conduct immigration enforcement activities at protected areas such as along evacuation routes, sites used for sheltering or the distribution of emergency supplies, food or water, or registration sites for disaster-related assistance or the reunification of families and loved ones.

At the request of FEMA or local and state authorities, ICE and CBP may help conduct search and rescue, air traffic de-confliction and public safety missions. ICE and CBP provide emergency assistance to individuals regardless of their immigration status. DHS officials do not and will not pose as individuals providing emergency-related information as part of any enforcement activities.

DHS is committed to ensuring that every individual who seeks shelter, aid, or other assistance as a result of a natural disaster or emergency event is able to do so regardless of their immigration status.

DHS carries out its mission without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity, ethnicity, disability or political associations, and in compliance with law and policy.

For information about filing a complaint with the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties about these matters, please visit our Make a Civil Rights Complaint page.

U.S. Attorney Announces Voluntary Forfeiture And Pending Repatriation Of 16th Century Hebrew Religious Text

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres confirmed the voluntary forfeiture to the United States of the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses), Venice, Giovanni di Gara, 1588, and Haftarot, 1589, Miniature, 162+60 Leaves (the “Di Gara Text”).  The United States anticipates repatriating the Di Gara Text to the Jewish Theological Seminary of the University of Jewish Studies in Budapest, Hungary (the “Budapest Rabbinical Seminary”), in the coming weeks. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “With this forfeiture, a small, but meaningful, piece of the history of the Jewish faith will be returned to its rightful owner, the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary. The Di Gara Text went missing for nearly 80 years after it was looted from the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary during the city’s occupation by Nazi forces in 1944. We may never know how it ended up in the Southern District of New York, but it is now returning home. My Office retains its firm commitment to protecting priceless cultural property and, where it has been illegally taken, returning it to its rightful peoples.” 

According to the stipulated facts in the voluntary forfeiture order, statements made in court filings, and relevant online publications:

Giovanni di Gara was a Venetian printer of Hebrew books in the 16th century.  The Di Gara text is comprised of two works from the Jewish faith: (1) the Chamisa Humshe Torrah (Five Books of Moses), or the Jewish Torrah in book form, and (2) the Haftarot, a series of selections from the Hebrew Bible. An image of the leatherbound Di Gara text is included below.

Lelio Della Torre was an Italian Jewish scholar and rabbi who lived from approximately 1805 to 1871.  At some point during his life, the Di Gara Text came into Della Torre’s personal collection (the “Della Torre Collection” or the “Collection”).  Works in the Della Torre Collection were stamped to indicate that they belonged to the Collection, as set forth below.

In or about 1877, after Della Torre’s death, the Collection was sold to the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.  The Collection catalogue, which was published in or about 1872, is in the custody of the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.  The Di Gara Text is listed in the catalogue of the Della Torre Collection as “(Homasc) Pentateuc. sine accentis et punctis vocal., Venetiis, 5348, vol. 1, in-3.”  The Jewish year 5348 equates to 1588 and the place of publication (Venetiis) is the Latin translation of Venice, Italy.

In 1944, in the midst of World War II and the Jewish Holocaust, Nazi forces invaded Budapest and seized and occupied the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary, looting its holdings.  The Di Gara Text is believed to have disappeared during this period. At no point did the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary deaccession—that is, formally remove from its collection—the Di Gara Text.

In March 2023, Hungarian officials notified the Department of Homeland Security that a volume that appeared to be the Di Gara Text was for sale for $19,000 on www.abebooks.com. AbeBooks is an online marketplace used by independent vendors to sell, among other things, rare books.  The vendor (“Vendor-1”), who was based in Manhattan, specialized in selling Judaica in various languages.  The description of the volume on Vendor-1’s AbeBooks page was consistent with the description of the Di Gara Text in the catalogue of the Della Torre Collection.  Furthermore, an image of a stamp in the volume was consistent with the stamp used by Della Torre, as set forth below.

In late March 2023, Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) met with Vendor-1 in Manhattan.  Vendor-1 admitted that he possessed the Di Gara Text, having acquired it during the 1980s without knowledge of its provenance, and stated that he was willing to give the book to HSI if served with valid legal process.  In early April 2023, Special Agents with HSI served Vendor-1 with a seizure warrant issued by United States Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses and took custody of the Di Gara Text.  On October 4, 2024, Judge Torres issued an order confirming Vendor-1’s voluntary forfeiture of the Di Gara Text.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from HSI’s Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Squad.  Mr. Williams also thanked the Hungarian Inspectorate of Cultural Goods for notifying the Government of the Di Gara Text’s presence in the Southern District of New York and providing helpful information to effectuate its seizure and forfeiture.  Finally, Mr. Williams thanked Vendor-1 for his cooperation in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Gianforti is in charge of this matter.

Owner of Massachusetts Cellular Phone Tower Installation and Repair Business Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to willful failure to collect, account for and pay over any payroll taxes owed by businesses he owned and controlled.

According to court documents, Kenneth Marston, of Kingston, was the owner and operator of Bowmar Steel Industries Inc., a steel fabrication company, and Teleconstructors Inc., which provided installation services on cellular phone towers. Marston was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ paychecks and paying those funds over to the IRS.

However, from approximately March 2015 through December 2018, Marston caused Bowmar Steel and Teleconstructors to not withhold taxes or pay them to the IRS on approximately $3.8 million in wages.

In total, Kenneth Marston caused a tax loss to the IRS of between $550,000 and $1.5 million.

Marston is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 3. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. 

NYS OASAS LAUNCHES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY TO SUPPORT NEW YORK STATE’S ADDICTION WORKFORCE

 

More than $2.3 Million Partnership Will Offer Enhanced Training for Hundreds of Addiction Professionals Across the State

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) today launched the OASAS Leadership Academy, a new initiative to train hundreds of addiction professionals which will support and enhance the addiction workforce through the state, with the goal of retaining current and attracting new mid-level managers to the field. The leadership academy is a partnership with Kingfisher Services, and OASAS is providing $2,375,000 through the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund to support this initiative. 

“The dedicated professionals in New York State’s addiction workforce provide lifesaving care every day to thousands of individuals impacted by addiction,” OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said. “Thanks to this innovative new leadership academy, we are helping to further their education and provide important training to support their career advancement, while also expanding and enhancing the valuable services available for New Yorkers in need.” 

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Addiction professionals are at the front lines of the drug overdose epidemic in New York State and this partnership will put more trained and trusted individuals in a position to provide critical care to those in need. I thank our partners with OASAS and Commissioner Cunningham for spearheading the Leadership Academy along with Kingfisher Services that will add hundreds more addiction professionals to the workforce.”

Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “This leadership training will provide our workforce of dedicated behavioral health professionals with the skills they need to become effective and innovative leaders. It will help ensure that our next generation of leaders is well equipped to move our system forward with excellent, well-integrated, quality services for New Yorkers.” 

Through the Leadership Academy, up to 1000 mid-level or mid-level ready managers will have the opportunity to access training specifically targeted towards addiction and behavioral health professionals, free of charge, with travel costs also being reimbursed. These trainings are being offered on a combination of an in-person and virtual basis. 

Staff who work in OASAS prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery programs will be eligible to apply, including clinical managers and administrative managers in various departments. Additionally, those identified by employers as up and coming managers may also apply. Employees at OMH and DOH integrated treatment programs and DOH drug user health programs will also be eligible to apply with other OMH and DOH programs being eligible on an as available basis. 

New York State leads the nation in making settlement funding available, and has made $335 available to providers across the state to support various initiatives to address the opioid and overdose crisis. Additional funding from the settlement fund is being used to support other initiatives to increase medication for addiction treatment, as well as outreach services to connect at-risk individuals to services and resources, increased support for recovery centers, and more than $100 million delivered directly to municipalities across the state for them to address the opioid and overdose crisis on a local level. Details of this spending are available on the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund Tracker. 

 

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees one of the nation’s largest systems of addiction services with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs serving over 731,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where our doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year. 

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369). 

Atlanta Businessman Convicted Of Defrauding Former NBA Players Dwight Howard And Chandler Parsons

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction of CALVIN DARDEN, JR. for his role in defrauding former National Basketball Association (“NBA”) players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of $8 million.  The defendant was found guilty following an 11-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Calvin Darden, Jr. exploited the trust of former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons, using elaborate lies and deception to line his own pockets with millions. This conviction serves as a stark reminder that financial deceit will not be tolerated. This Office remains committed to pursuing those who exploit others, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served.” 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:

In the fraud against Howard, DARDEN, JR. deceived Howard into sending him $7 million, purportedly for the purpose of buying the Atlanta Dream (the “Dream”), a team in the Women’s National Basketball Association.  DARDEN, JR. worked with Charles Briscoe, Howard’s agent, to perpetrate the fraud. DARDEN, JR. sent a “Vision Plan” to Howard about the purported purchase of the Dream.  The Vision Plan falsely claimed that a number of celebrities and companies—including Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Naomi Osaka, Aflac, and Starbucks—had agreed to be advisors to the Dream or to sponsor the Dream after Howard purchased it.  In truth and in fact, those individuals and companies had never agreed to be advisors or corporate sponsors to the Dream and many had never even heard of DARDEN, JR. or the plan to purchase the Dream.

DARDEN, JR.’s father (“Relative-1”) is a prominent businessman.  DARDEN, JR. repeatedly impersonated Relative-1 in an attempt to add credibility to his fraud scheme.

DARDEN, JR. directed Howard to send the $7 million to a shell company he controlled, in order to effectuate the purported purchase of the Dream.  DARDEN, JR. then laundered the money through a number of different bank accounts he controlled.  DARDEN, JR. did not spend any money on the purchase of the Dream.  Instead, he spent the money on a $3.7 million mansion, a Rolls-Royce, a Lamborghini, a Porsche, Basquiat paintings, and other luxury goods for himself.

Howard learned that he did not in fact own the Dream only when ESPN reported that the Dream had in fact been sold to someone else.

In the fraud against Parsons, DARDEN, JR. deceived Parsons into sending him $1 million, purportedly for the purpose of loaning the money to James Wiseman, a prospect in the 2020 NBA draft.  DARDEN, JR. and Briscoe falsely claimed to know Wiseman, and forged a document stating that Wiseman had agreed that Briscoe would be his agent in order to convince Parsons to send the money.  In truth and in fact, DARDEN, JR. and Briscoe did not know Wiseman and did not send any of the money to Wiseman.  Instead, DARDEN, JR. spent his cut of the fraud proceeds on watches, a Mercedes, and other personal expenses.

DARDEN, JR. was previously convicted of fraud in New York state in 2005.  He was also convicted of fraud in the Southern District of New York in 2015. In the 2015 case, DARDEN, JR. committed frauds involving a purported purchase of Maxim magazine and a purported NBA exhibition game in Taiwan.  In that prior fraud, DARDEN, JR. also impersonated Relative-1 in an attempt to add credibility to his fraud scheme.

DARDEN, JR., 50, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.  DARDEN, JR. is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Broderick on January 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI.