BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ BRINGS 'PEACE IN OUR STREETS' TO SOUNDVIEW

On Saturday, September 17, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., together with members of the Bronx Clergy Task Force as well as elected officials and local community leaders, will bring his office’s “Peace in Our Streets” initiative to the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx.

This program, launched in September 2010, brings Borough President Diaz, religious leaders, law enforcement officials and other concerned citizens into direct contact with Bronx residents to discuss growing concerns about violence in their neighborhoods, especially the threat of illegal guns. In addition, Borough President Diaz and others will hand out literature promoting 866-GUN-STOP, an NYPD program that offers rewards to citizens who report illegal guns anonymously.

WHEN:                      Saturday, September 17, 2011

TIME:                        Participants will convene at 12:30 p.m.

WHERE:                   Monroe Houses Community Center

1780 Story Avenue (bet. Rosedale & Taylor Avenues)

 

 

Free Community Civics Classes

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will be teaching a series of civic classes at the Bronx Library Center starting Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 6:00PM. This course is FREE TO THE PUBLIC and we encourage Bronxites of all ages to attend. The course will focus on learning about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the different levels of government, as well as how government and elections work. Senator Rivera’s civics course will start on  October 13th and will continue every Thursday until November 3rd with a graduation ceremony to celebrate the completion of the course.

We encourage that you attend all four classes, but it is not necessary in order to participate. As a college professor in Political Science, Senator Rivera is excited to be teaching his first community civics course in the 33rd Senate District.

FREE CIVICS CLASSES

Taught by Senator Rivera

Starting Thursday, October 13

6:00PM—8:00PM

Bronx Library Center

3101 E. Kingsbridge Rd.

Bronx, NY

Please register for the course by calling our office at 718-933-2034 and asking for Maryann Rosa. You can also email her at rosa@nysenate.gov.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ URGES DOE TO ADOPT 'START STRONG' POLICES ON DATING ABUSE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

In advance of tonight’s meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is urging the Department of Education to strengthen its regulations on dating abuse prevention and intervention.

Specifically, Borough President Diaz is calling on the PEP to adopt many of the policies outlined through the “Start Strong Bronx” program. Launched in 2009, “Start Strong Bronx,” which is funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is part of the largest ever national initiative targeting 11-to-14-year-olds to promote safe and healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence and abuse.  Programming includes implementation of a healthy relationship curriculum, training of DOE leadership, principals and teachers and advocacy for system wide policy change.  Partners include Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, the New York City Department of Education and Pregones Theater. 

“The concepts outlined in ‘Start Strong Bronx’ are solid, and are proven to help reduce dating abuse among teenagers. The Department of Education should adopt these concepts, and I urge the Panel for Educational Policy to move forward on these recommendations,” said Borough President Diaz.

Borough President Diaz is urging the Department of Education to strengthen the Chancellor's Regulations A-831 and A-832 in the following ways:

·         Expand the definition of dating abuse in A-831 and add dating abuse as a prohibited behavior in A-832;

·         Mandate age-appropriate healthy relationship and dating abuse prevention education for all students;

·         Add a new dating abuse code to the OORS reporting system to track the number of dating abuse incidents. This change has no cost and can be implemented immediately;

• Make accommodations for student victims, such as changing classrooms to avoid the perpetrator or requesting an involuntary transfer of the perpetrator. A resource list of community based services should be given to victims;
• Mandate annual dating abuse training for Respect for All and Sexual Harassment liaisons as well as teachers and staff in the schools; and 
• Mandate opportunities for parent to learn how to talk to their children about healthy relationships and dating abuse before they start dating.

"I think it would have been different if the teachers in my middle school understood dating violence and how to help others in need. If students learned about dating violence in school, I personally think that the number of people that are being bullied and treated badly in relationship would decrease,” said Xavier McGarrity, a member of the Start Strong Bronx Teen Advisory Board.

 

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting Thursday Sept. 15th

Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Thursday, September 15, 2011 – 7:00 PM

DEP Community Office – 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 - (718) 231-8470

I  Welcome                        Father Richard Gorman, Chair

II Consider, Adopt 7/28/11 Meeting Minutes    CFMC Representatives

III Status of DEP’s consideration of JPR Public Access and Fund Pedestrian Bridge over MDE      Mark Lanaghan, DEP

IV Status of CRO 334                    Carl Pannuti, P.E., DEP

V Construction Update, Schedule & Costs,         Bernard Daly, P.E., DEP
   

Status of CRO 312,OS, 313, 334 &

Construction at Goulden Ave.

       

VI Croton Jobs & Bronx Purchases    Mark Lanaghan, DEP       

VII Federal & State Mandate Relief    Mark Lanaghan, DEP

VIII CFMC Discussion, Set Next Meeting        CFMC Representatives

IX Adjourn

 

Liberty Democratic Association Award Dinner