Election Day 2012

   Election Day 2012 is certainly turning out to be very different from previous elections. Not only are there different voting machines from the presidential election four years ago, but many people are voting in different poll sites. There is also the added number of Hurricane Sandy displaced voters who have been allowed to cast their ballot for President and U.S. Senator at the nearest poll site. 

   Election Day 2012  started off cold, but the lines were long as soon as the polls opened. Turnout is much heavier than usual this year due to the Presidential election. Polls will shut down after the last person that was on line at the scheduled closing time is allowed to cast their ballots. It is expected that may take up to one hour after the scheduled closing tome. 

   Results will be posted as soon as they come in.

 
  

Governor Cuomo Announces Affidavit Ballot Voting

    During an update of the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy Governor Coumo announced that people displaced by the hurricane will be able to go to any poll site where they may be and vote by affidavit ballot. An affidavit ballot is used when there is a question of a voters registration or no name appears in the voting book. Coumo when questioned said that this way anyone displaced will be able to vote for president and U.S.Senator. When it comes to a local election if the poll site is not in the voters district that vote for the local elected official will not be able to be counted. 

    

     Also during the update Governor Cuomo became heated when answering a question about notification and restoration of power and other services. He said that power companies have franchises that are reviewed by the state. He added that he was unhappy with the response by most power companies naming Con Edison. Cuomo stressed that there was no plan to deal with what happened, and that must change or the power companies will change.

Election day changes of poll sites For tomorrow

UPDATED

    The Board of Elections has moved poll sites andsetup new poll sites due to Hurricane Sandy.
Changes in the Bronx include the following=
* Locust Point Civic Hall, 4400 Locust Point Drive, Bronx, NY 10465
has been moved to: MTA Throggs Neck Parking Lot, 4260 Throggs Neck Expressway, Bronx, NY 10465
* PS 69 Journey Prep School, 560 Thieriot Avenue, Bronx, NY 10473
has been moved to: Archimedes Academy for Math, 456 White Plains Road Bronx, NY 10473

* Manhattan College Draddy Hall, 4513 Manhattan Coll Parkway, Bronx, NY 10471
has been moved to: Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway, Bronx, NY 10463
 

Also If you voted at:

1920 McGraw Avenue 

2051 St. Raymond Avenue 

1591 Metropolitan Avenue

You may now have to vote at: 

1640 Bronxdale Avenue

There will be shuttle bus services available for those in need, courtesy of City Council Member Annabel Palma, and DJ Ambulette. These buses will provide transportation from the old polling sites and from Parkchester RAIN Senior Center, on the hour, beginning at 9AM until 8PM.

For more information, please contact:

Councilmember Palma's office: (718) 792-1140

Or  (718) 684-3407

South Riverdale Little League Awards & Auction Night

    Due to Hurricane Sandy the South Riverdale Awards and Auction Night had to be moved from PS 24 to the College of Mount Saint Vincent Saturday night. Hundreds of  Little League baseball players from South Riverdale received awards for their hard play, and got to meet a real hometown New York Met player Mike Baxter. Baxter answered questions from the kids as their parents got to bid on some great sports items. 

    You may ask who is Mike Baxter, and what is his claim to fame? Mike Baxter grew up in Whitestone Queens a few miles away from the old Shea Stadium. It was his dream to play baseball, and to play for the Mets. Baxter was drafted in 2005 by the San Diego Padres, but played in their minor league system until he was called up on September 6, 2010. On July 22, 2011 Baxter was selected off waivers by the Mets. In 2010 and 2011 Baxter played in 31 games with 49 plate appearances for the Padres & Mets, and was granted free agency by the Mets on December 12, 2011. On December 16, 2011 Mike Baxter signed as a free agent with the Mets

     In 2012 Baxter played in 89 games with 211 plate appearances, hit 3 home runs, had 17 RBI's, and stole 5 bases. He played all three outfield positions making 81 put outs in 85 chances with only one error. Mike Baxter's claim to fame right now is that he made a diving catch to preserve Met pitcher Yohan Santana's no hitter June 1, 2012 (the first no hitter in Met history). In 2012 Met Pitcher Yohan Santana was paid 25 million dollars to pitch for the Mets. Not every baseball player makes millions of dollars to play, and Mike Baxter signed for a salary of $484,000.00 to play for the Mets through at least 2017. Baxter will be able to go to salary arbitration in 2014 should he prove to become a regular player. While Baxter said he prefers center field I don't see Baxter playing center field with Andre Torres the current Met center fielder, and Angel Pagan the former Met center fielder (who the Mets traded to San Francisco) now a free agent. 

     Mike Baxter in talking to the children in the audience stressed the iimportance of good team work and being a team player. After the auction was over Baxter stayed to talk some more and sign free autographs for those who also stayed. While he may not have been Derek Jeter or A-Rod, Mile Baxter looked as though he had as much excitement as those who were there to see him. 

    Registration for the 2013 SRLL season is underway and will continue through March of 2013. Last year there were almost 400 children (boys & girls), in different age groups up to 16 years of age in different divisions from T-ball to the senior league. The President of the South Riverdale Little League is Mr. Mike Farber who said that the league is also looking for more sponsors, as well as the many other volunteer positions that are needed. Mr. Farber can be contacted at srllmike7@gmail.com , and you can visit the South Riverdale Little League at their website at www.srll.org for more information on the league.

    Below are some photos that were taken at the event

South Riverdal Little League players pose with their awards and respective division.   

More kids with their awards and respective divisions. Left - you see the girls Division.

Left - Even the elected officials were on hand. State Senator Jeff Klein & Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

Right - Mike Baxter speaking to the audience.

Baxter poses with Jack Buckley and Stavri Anopolus winners of special auction packages. 

After the event Baxter stayed to sign for the kids.

Baxter even posed with SRLL President Mike Farber and Board member Ken Katrzman.

   

 

New York City Marathon Cancelled

    Late last evening it was announced that the New York City Marathon was being cancelled. The New York Post had an article the previous day about how generators and precious resources needed in hard hit areas by Hurricane Sandy were being stored for the marathon race.

    

   The Post reported that two giant emergency generators able to crank out to out power to 400 homes in an areas that have been hard hit, have been going 24/7 in Central Park for the Marathon, while a third generator sits idle as a back up. Also reported was that hundreds of cases of water was dropped off at the park site that also are needed in Hurricane Sandy ravished areas where there may be no safe drinking water.

    "He is clueless without a paddle to the reality of what everyone else is dealing with," was the comment about Mayor Bloomberg by one Staten Island resident. "If there are any resources being put toward the marathon, that's wrong". 

   The New York Road Runners Club, which organizes the world-famous race, is paying for the generators, and the Post also added in its story that a Fire Department permit revealed a $37,500 fee to run them constantly through Nov. 6. “These are our private generators. We are not draining any resources from the city’s plan to recover,” Road Runners spokesman Richard Finn angrily insisted. 

   The Post story goes on to tell of other city resources such as Police Department barricades, trucks and other personal that are being used to help set up for the marathon, and plans to deploy about 100 much needed police officers. The entire Post story can be found here.

    

Baseball Auction & Awards Night Change of Location

Please note that the Baseball Auction & Award night scheduled for Saturday November 3rd has been moved from PS 24 to The College of Mount Saint Vincent. See Below

Henry Hudson Parkway South Back-Up

    It is not the AM rush hour, but 1:15 PM on Friday afternoon on the southbound Henry Hudson Parkway. as traffic is backed up past the West 239th Street exit (as you will see in the next photo).

    You can see the northbound lanes are empty by exit 20 for West 239th Street. The reason that the southbound lanes are so jammed is that as cars travel under West 232nd Street the roadway is narrowed to one lane and each car is looked at to make sure that they have three occupants or more. Any car with less than three occupants is asked to exit at Kappock Street, the last exit before the Henry Hudson Bridge.

     The photos were taken from the West 235th Street pedestrian overpass.

UPDATE --
     As of 6 PM the restriction to have three occupants in cars crossing the Henry Hudson Bridge, and other NYC bridges was lifted.