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Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Presents
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
Women's History Month 2013
Van Cortlandt Senior Center Newlsetter
VAN CORTLANDT NEIGHBORHOOD SENIOR CENTER - 3880 SEDGWICK AVENUE - BRONX, N.Y. 10463 – (718) 549-4700
| MONDAY | TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY
| THURSDAY | FRIDAY |
| * | * | * |
MARCH 1
10:00 TONE & STRETCH W/LIDIA11:00 INDOOR GARDENING W/VICTOR 11:45 CAMP FREEDMAN PRESENTATION | |
| MARCH 4 10:00 PAINTING 10:30 SENIOR FITNESS W/DORIANA 12:15 ART SALON 1:00 NARRATIVE PORTRAIT W/MICHAEL FERRIS JR. | MARCH 5 10:15 MOVEMENT W/CAROLINE 10:30 EMPIRE CITY CASINO 1: 15 MEDITATION & RELAXATION W/CLARA FERRER | MARCH 6 10:00 GENTLE EXERCISE W/LIDIA 1:00 SHORT STORIES 2:00 CURRENTS EVENTS W/DR. HELLER | MARCH 7 10:00 YOGA W/GERTRUD 10:30 KNITTING W/PHYLLIS -LIONYARN BRAND 11:00 FOLK SING ALONG 1:00 BINGO |
MARCH 8
10:00 TONE & STRETCH W/LIDIA11:00 HOT TOPICS W/LUCY & NEAL 11:00 MOVIES AT CROSS COUNTY TRIP |
| MARCH 11 10:00 PAINTING 10:30 SENIOR FITNESS W/DORIANA 1:00 NARRATIVE PORTRAIT W/MICHAEL FERRIS JR. | MARCH 12 10:15 MOVEMENT W/CAROLINE 11:00 CONVERSATIONAL YIDDISH W/SARAH 1: 15 MEDITATION & RELAXATION W/CLARA FERRER | MARCH 13 10:00 EXERCISE VIDEO 1:00 VIVA VERDI W/I. JAQUELINE BALLARIN, SOPRANO & ALLEGRO SINGERS | MARCH 14 10:00 EXERCISE VIDEO 10:30 KNITTING W/PHYLLIS 11:15 DOT – PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WORKSHOP 1:00 BINGO |
MARCH15
10:00 TONE & STRETCH W/LIDIA9:30 IKEA TRIP 1:00 ART HISTORY W/LUCY |
| MARCH 18 110:00 PAINTING 10:30 SENIOR FITNESS W/DORIANA 10:30 STEW LEONARDS TRIP 1:00 NARRATIVE PORTRAIT W/MICHAEL FERRIS JR. | MARCH 19
11:00 AM. – 12:30 P.M.
BRONX
MODEL SEDER
1:15 KLEZMER- ENTERTAINMENT BY: DOUG LEBLANG
| MARCH 20 10:00 GENTLE EXERCISE W/LIDIA 1:00 SHORT STORIES 2:00 CURRENTS EVENTS W/DR. HELLER | MARCH 21 10:00 YOGA W/GERTRUD 10:30 KNITTING W/PHYLLIS 11:15 DOT SAFE STREETS FOR SENIOR PROGRAM, “THE FIRST STEP”, PLAY 1:00 BINGO |
MARCH22
10:00 TONE & STRETCH /LIDIA11:00 HOT TOPICS W/LUCY & NEAL |
| MARCH 25 10:00 EXERCISE VIDEO 10:00 PAINTING | MARCH 26
PASSOVER 1ST DAY
| MARCH 27
PASSOVER 2ND DAY
| MARCH 28 10:00 EXERCISE VIDEO 10;30 KNITTING W/ PHYLLIS 11:15 DOT – WORKABILITY SURVEY |
MARCH29
10:00 TONE & STRETCH W/LIDIA |
NYC COMPTROLLER LIU, PENSION FUNDS TO VOTE AGAINST HEWLETT-PACKARD DIRECTORS
Board Members Failed to Safeguard Investors from Company’s Costly Missteps
City Comptroller John C. Liu today announced that the New York City Pension Funds will vote against two Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) directors because of their failure to protect investors from costly, misguided acquisitions. The vote will take place at the company’s annual shareowner meeting on March 20, 2013.
The
directors, John H. Hammergren and G. Kennedy Thompson, are members of
the board’s Finance and Investment Committee, which bears primary
responsibility for oversight failures that led to HP’s disastrous 2011
acquisition of Autonomy Plc. As the two longest-serving directors, they
also bear responsibility for approving HP’s ill-advised acquisitions of
EDS and Palm, and for the board’s hasty decision
to hire Leo Apotheker, whose short-lived tenure as CEO ended shortly
after the Autonomy acquisition that he engineered.
“The
Autonomy debacle is the latest and most expensive in a series of
ill-advised acquisitions and boardroom fiascos that have destroyed tens
of billions of dollars in shareowner value,” Comptroller Liu said.
“While the board now appears to be taking steps to improve oversight, it
will be unable to restore investor confidence without swiftly replacing
these two directors.”
HP,
which paid $11 billion for Autonomy in 2011, wrote off $8.8 billion of
its investment in 2012. HP has attributed $5 billion of the write-off
to improper accounting at Autonomy that inflated its pre-acquisition
revenues and earnings. HP took additional impairment charges of $9
billion in 2012 in connection with EDS and nearly $1 billion in 2011
that related to Palm.
In
approving the Autonomy acquisition, the board and its Finance and
Investment Committee ignored the opposition of the company’s own CFO,
who believed it cost too much. The Committee also failed to challenge
management’s decision to have those responsible for the acquisition’s
due diligence report to the strategy group, rather than to the CFO, as
is considered best practice. The board also
reportedly assumed more revenue growth as a result of the combination than it normally assumes in acquisitions.
HP’s shares are down 61
percent from their 2010 peak. The company, whose performance is in the
bottom quartile of its peers over the past three and five years, was
among the worst
performers of the S&P 500 in 2012.
New York City Comptroller John C. Liu serves as the investment advisor
to, custodian, and trustee of the New York City Pension Funds. The New
York City Pension Funds are composed of the New York City Employees’
Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System,
New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department
Pension Fund, and the Board of Education Retirement System. The New York City Pension Funds hold a combined 5,544,018 total shares in Hewlett-Packard for a combined
asset value of $115,592,775.30 as of 3/7/2013.
In addition to Comptroller Liu, the New York City Pension Funds’ trustees are:
New York City Employees’ Retirement System: Janice
Emery, Mayor’s Representative (Chair); New York City Public Advocate
Bill de Blasio; Borough Presidents: Scott Stringer (Manhattan),
Helen Marshall (Queens), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn), James Molinaro
(Staten Island), and Ruben Diaz, Jr. (Bronx); Lillian Roberts, Executive
Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; John Samuelsen, President
Transport Workers Union Local 100; Gregory Floyd,
President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.
Teachers’ Retirement System: Janice
Emery, Mayor’s Representative; Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm, New
York City Department of Education; and Sandra March, Melvyn Aaronson
(Chair)
and Mona Romain, all of the United Federation of Teachers.
New York City Police Pension Fund: Janice
Emery, Mayor’s Representative; New York City Finance Commissioner David
Frankel; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair);
Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino,
Detectives Endowment Association; Edward D. Mullins, Sergeants
Benevolent Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association;
and, Roy T. Richter, Captains Endowment Association.
New York City Fire Department Pension Fund: Janice
Emery, Mayor’s Representative; New York City Fire Commissioner
Salvatore Cassano (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner David
Frankel; Stephen Cassidy, President, James Slevin, Vice President,
Robert Straub, Treasurer, and John Kelly, Brooklyn Representative and
Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; John
Dunne, Captains’ Rep.; James Lemonda, Chiefs’ Rep.,
and James J. McGowan, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers
Association; and, Sean O’Connor, Marine Engineers Association.
Board of Education Retirement System:
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott; Mayoral: Joseph Lewis, Jeanette Moy,
Ian Shapiro, Tino Hernandez, Judy Bergtraum, Allison Rogovin, and
Milton Williams; Patrick Sullivan (Manhattan BP), Kelvin Diamond
(Brooklyn BP), Dmytro Fedkowskyj (Queens BP), Robert Powell (Bronx BP)
and Diane Peruggia (Staten Island BP); and employee members Joseph
D’Amico of the IUOE Local 891 and Milagros Rodriguez
of District Council 37, Local 372.
Albert Alvarez Fund Raiser 15th Council District
The Albert Alvarez for City Council campaign got a big shot in the arm last night as over 200 people (mostly from the 15th council district) came out to support Mr. Alvarez in his bid for current term limited (and his boss) Councilman Joel Rivera's council seat. Albert has been the chief of staff for Councilman Joel Rivera since he was elected was the story told by Community Board 6 District Manager Ivine Galarza, and repeated by Councilman Rivera. Rivera went on to say that he and Albert Alvarez have walked the district, talked to the people, found out the problems, and worked together to solve those problems.
When candidate Alvarez started to speak it was a different person you saw. The mild mannered Chief of Staff first spoke in his native language (Spanish), and repeated what he had said in English mentioning that it was his sister who pushed him to learn English also. Candidate Alvarez thanked god and his parents, and then said no matter where you come from "the campaign begins tonight". "I am not going to be pushed around, I am from the neighborhood not a person who just moved into the 15th district, I have lived in the district for over 40 years, I don't need to prove what I am going to do because we need continually in the district, and I have been working to improve our community" he said. Candidate Alvarez thanked those who came out to support him, he thanked Councilman Rivera and CB 6 District Manager Ivine Galarza for their support, and all the others who have and will volunteer on his campaign.
A women of Distinction presentation was given by Candidate Alvarez to nine women (pictured below) who all thanked candidate Alvarez for the honor, and pledged their support to his campaign 100 percent or more. You can enlarge a photo by clicking on it.
Left - CB 6 DM Ivine Galarza introduces Councilman Joel Rivera.
Right - Councilman Rivera tells the story of the hard work and dedication of his chief of staff Albert Alvarez.
Left - Candidate Alvarez speaks to the crowd.
Right - Candidate Alvarez with the nine Women of Distinction honored. From left to right - Wilma Alonso, Annette DeJesus, Ivine Galarza, Sara Logan, candidate Alvarez, Nerida Medina, Yolanda Negron, Rosemary Ordonez-Jenkins, Zola Pena, and Fiordaliza Rodriguez.
Left - Many of the crowd present gets together for a group photo. In the front are Councilman Joel Rivera, Albert Alvarez, and Albert's Parents.
Right - The party began with the "Albert Shuffle", as Albert Alvarez dances with Ivine Galarza and some of the other women present.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Jimmy Vacca Birthday Party / Richie Torres Fundraiser
It was Jimmy Vacca's 39th birthday party last night at Villa Barrone, but it was Vacca Housing Coordinator and candidate for the 15th City Council seat Richie Torres who got the presents. Close to 200 people cane in the cold snowy weather to help Councilman Vacca celebrate his birthday (with many different answers as to just how old Jimmy is), but Vacca did say that he spent 26 years as a district manager and now seven in the city council.
On hand to help celebrate Councilman Vacca's birthday were two good friends of his also in elected office, Assemblymen Mike Benedetto and Mark Gjonaj. Of course Jimmy's mother Elizabeth was in attendance also.. While Benedetto and Gjonaj spoke of their friendship with Councilman Vacca, both also had only words of praise for Vacca staffer Richie Torres. When it came for Councilman Vacca to speak, he thanked everyone in the room for coming out in such horrid weather. While he started talking about how he met staffer Richie Torres who was a student at Lehman High School, Vacca said that the Department of Education was not going to close down Lehman High School as was planned this year. In 2004 Mr. Torres spent a day as an honorary District Manager, and in 2005 Torres worked on the Vacca's campaign for City Council. Jimmy then introduced Richie Torres after some more words of praise for the young man.
Torres opened up by saying that the 15th council district was one of the poorest districts in the city, and how he attended Bronx public schools while living in public housing. He went on to say how his single college educated mother lost her good paying job of $13.00 only to find work at the minimum wage which was $5.15 then. Torres went on to talk on how he was given a chance by Councilman Vacca, and how that has paid of in not only tonight's event for him, with the endorsement of not only Councilman Vacca but also assembly members Benedetto and Gjonaj. Torres ripped into all the empty stores on Aurthur Avenue, and said good schools and good jobs are what is needed in the 15th council district being careful not to step on any toes such as the current 15th Councilman Joel Rivera.
Left- Councilman Jimmy Vacca with old friend Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj.
Right - Councilman Vacca thanks all who came to his 39th birthday party as assembly members Mike Benedetto and Mark Gjonaj listen.
Left - Councilman Vacca along with assembly members Benedetto and Gjonaj stand with State Committeeman Joe McManus as they raise 15th council candidate Richie Torres arms in victory.
Right - another shot of the group.
Senator Jeff Klein’s Statement on Decision to Keep Lehman High School Open
"I am thrilled to hear that
Lehman High School has been removed from the Department of Education’s
proposed school closure list. Given that they're in the middle of a new
turnaround program, Lehman should not have been on that list in the
first place. When Lehman was first placed on the closure list, I wrote
multiple letters to the Chancellor and delivered testimony, urging the
DOE to keep Lehman open. During this process, students, parents,
educators and community leaders came together to support Principal
LoBianco and her vision for Lehman High School. Under the strong
leadership of Principal Rose LoBianco, Lehman has been heading in the
right direction. Given the turnaround program's initial success,
we believe that Lehman should be given the opportunity to prove that it
can be a success. This decision gives us the chance to work together to
make Lehman great again for generations to come.”
Councilman Jimmy Vacca was also very happy to hear that the DOE decided to keep Lehman High School open, and said so at his 39th annual Birthday Party last night.
BP Diaz Observes National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Bronx
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will observe Sunday, March 10, as
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day by adding the Bronx
Borough President’s Office to the list of locations where NYC Condoms
are available.
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day sheds
light on the disease's often overlooked impact on women and girls, and
empowers them to make a difference by taking action in different ways,
such as:
· Telling women and girls how to prevent HIV/AIDS
· Getting more women and girls to get tested in an effort to reduce the number of people who become infected with HIV/ AIDS
· Providing services to those living with the disease
Women
and girls are not the only ones who are at risk of getting infected.
All age groups, nationalities, and people of varying sexual orientation
are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Everyone must take responsibility to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. In
December 2012, the New York Post reported that 68 percent of neighborhoods in the Bronx “were found to have ‘high’ rates of more than one STD.”
“If
you mean to be sexually active, you must do so responsibly. My office
will continue to offer NYC Condoms for distribution, and I hope that
this access will help curb the spread of STD’s in our borough,” said
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
NYC
Condoms will now be available in the Borough President’s constituent
services unit, 851 Grand Concourse, Room 209, Bronx, NY 10451.
The following link is a listing of NYC’s Health Department FREE Clinic in the Bronx:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hia/Thursday, March 7, 2013
Wave Hill Events March 22–March 29
Just
a reminder that our hours changed March 15, when we start staying open
until 5:30pm, taking advantage of the increasingly long, lovely days of
spring.
SAT, MARCH 23 FAMILY ART PROJECT—UP POPS SPRING!
Up Pops Spring!/Primavera en accion
Look
around and see the very early signs of spring. Guest artist Moses Ros
invites us to use the everyday cardboard container as a springboard for
handmade stamps in fantastic, nature-inspired, pop-up collages and
mobiles that celebrate the budding season. Free, and admission to the
grounds is free until noon.
ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM
SUN, MARCH 24 FAMILY ART PROJECT—UP POPS SPRING!
Up Pops Spring!/Primavera en accion
Look
around and see the very early signs of spring. Guest artist Moses Ros
invites us to use the everyday cardboard container as a springboard for
handmade stamps in fantastic, nature-inspired, pop-up collages and
mobiles that celebrate the budding season. Free with admission to the
grounds.
ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM
SUN, MARCH 24 WINTER WORKSPACE OPEN STUDIOS—SESSION 2
For
the fourth winter, Glyndor Gallery is transformed into studio spaces
for artists to develop new work and offer opportunities for public
interaction in the context of the garden. Individual artists share their
studio practice with the public on this open studios day. Artists
include Firelei Baez, Onyedika Chuke, Francisco Donoso, Tessa Grundon,
Lina Puerta and Naomi Reis. Registration not required for this drop-in
event. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 1:30‒3PM
SUN, MARCH 24 TERRARIUM WORKSHOP
Don’t
have a garden or greenhouse? Create your own tabletop landscape perfect
for home or office, with Assistant Director of Public Programs Laurel
Rimmer. Tiny ferns, creeping fig and other tropical plants thrive in the
humid conditions of an enclosed glass jar as if in their own miniature
greenhouse. Ages eight and older welcome with an adult. $35 Member/$50
Non-member per project. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center.
ECOLOGY BUILDING, 2PM
SUN, MARCH 24 GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM
MON, MARCH 25
Closed to the public.
TUE, MARCH 26 THROUGH FRI, MARCH 29 SPRING BREAK VACATION WEEK
Take
a break from the spring school break and join us for a family walk, or
for one, two or three afternoons of hands-on, down-and-dirty,
delightfully fun paper-making with renowned papermaker Randy Brozen.
TUE, MARCH 26 FAMILY WALK: EARLY SIGNS OF SPRING
Track
down hints of spring in the garden. Search for early-blooming flowers,
creepy crawly critters and other garden goodies with Assistant Director
of Public Programs Laurel Rimmer. Ages six and older welcome with an adult. Free, and admission to the grounds is free all day.
MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM
WED, MARCH 27 SPRING BREAK: PAPERMAKING 101
Learn
how to make your own sheets of beautifully textured paper and
experiment with using different kinds of pulp, with renowned papermaker
Randy Brozen. Geared for children between the ages 5 to 10 and a parent or caregiver.
$15/Member/$23 Non-member per session includes one child and one
adult. Additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Space is limited.
ECOLOGY BUILDING, 1:30–3PM
THU, MARCH 28 SPRING BREAK: NEW PAPER FROM OLD
Use
a variety of recycled papers including tissue paper, wrapping paper and
construction paper, plus assorted bits of chopped leaves and other
found materials, to create new papers with different colors, textures
and patterns, with renowned papermaker Randy Brozen. Geared for children between the ages 5 to 10 and a parent or caregiver.
$15/Member/$23 Non-member per session includes one child and one
adult. Additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Space is limited.
ECOLOGY BUILDING, 1:30–3PM
A
28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River
and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and
legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views,
and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs
in horticulture, education and the arts.
HOURS Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—5:30PM. Closes 4:30PM, November 1—March 14.
ADMISSION $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free all day Tuesdays in March. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.
PROGRAM FEES Program s are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.
Visitors
to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer.
Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the
gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/
DIRECTIONS
– Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan,
Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate
and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242nd
Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available
for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with
continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot
and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.
Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.