Upcoming Events From Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez

Office of Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez 

Have Young Kids in Northern Manhattan?

Check out these great opportunities and events!

District 6 Kindergarten Fair

Learn what elementary school fits your child best! The CEC6 is hosting a fair for incoming kindergarten students on Saturday, November 2nd from 11:00AM to 3:00PM, giving parents and kids a chance to check out everything District 6 has to offer. Schools will include zoned, choice and charter schools, ensuring all options are presented to parents. The fair will be held ad PS 128 on 560 West 169th St. (between St. Nicholas and Amsterdam Ave.

For more information, email CEC6@schools.nyc.gov

Trick-or-Treat at the Inwood Center

 For children 12 & under, accompanied by an adult. Trick-or-treat in a safe, dry, warm environment. Games, prizes, CANDY, and more! At the Inwood Center, 5030 Broadway (btw. W. 213^th & W. 214^th Streets) on Wednesday, October 30^th. Trick-or-treating & Carnival, 3:30pm-5:30pm; party games with the People's Theatre Project from 5:30pm-6pm.  

KidCinemaFest Returns to Washington Heights!

With the opening night on November 8th, the fifth annual KidCinemaFest will make its triumphant return to Washington Heights, to the delight of kids and parents. The opening night will feature the film "Tio Papi" (Uncle Dad), a movie filmed in Washington Heights featuring extras from the neighborhood. The opening night will be held at the Columbia University Medical Center Auditorium at 650 West 168th St. at 7:00PM (Director and Cast will have Q&A session after the movie). Other films will then be shown throughout the week at schools throughout District 6 in Washington Heights and Inwood. The program will close on Thursday, November 14th at the Alianza Dominicana Triangle Building with the film "Tanta Agua" (So Much Water) at 7:00PM. A full program can be found at KidCinemaFest.com or by emailing kidcinemafest@gmail.com

NYC Public School Gifted & Talented Admissions process

Families seeking Gifted & Talented placement for September 2014 in kindergarten through third grade must submit a Request for Testing (RFT) form by November 8, 2013. Families are encouraged to submit the form online (https://prod.semsnycdoe.com/parentsite/), but if they prefer to submit a paper RFT, they can review the application guidelines in the Handbook, available online through the link below and at public elementary schools. The Handbook also includes practice tests. For more information, please call 718-935-2009 or visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/GiftedandTalented/default.htm.

Nov 7th Veteran's Luncheon Bronx Chamber of Commerce

 

  

  

 
Join us for the Veteran's Luncheon

Thursday, November 7th

11:30 AM to 2PM

F&J Pine!

  

  

 

  

Mark your calendars for our upcoming events!  

  

What are Some of the Effects of Obamacare on Seniors?

  This comes from the New York Post that reports "Elderly patients sick over losing doctors under Obamacare". The Post writes that seniors are getting notices from their insurance companies that the doctors they may be seeing under the Medicare Advantage plans are no longer in those plans. This leaves the senior with the options of staying in their current plan and choosing a new doctor still in the plan, changing insurance companies where their doctors are in, or pay out of pocket for visits to their doctor.

   The Post reports that UnitedHealthcare is dropping up to 2,100 doctors that serve 8,000 Medicare Advantage patients in the metro New York Area. While there are 2.6 million elderly New Yorkers on Medicare only about 900,000 are in Medicare Advantage HMO's by private companies. The reason for the pairing down of doctors is given to encourage higher quality health care, and to keep cost down as the under the national Affordable Care Act.

   As for responses by the insurance companies UnitedHealthcare defended the doctor roster cuts, as did Emblem and Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield which both said the cuts were less than one percent of the current rosters. You can see the entire New York Post article here.

No #1 Subway Service This Weekend

   This is what greets you as you come to the # 1 train entrance. From 11:30 PM Friday Oct. 25 to 5 AM Oct 28 "No trains between West 242nd Street and 137th Street". There is a shuttle bus that will take you from the Broadway and West 242nd, West 238th, West 231st, West 225th, and West 215th Street stations to the A train at West 207th Street & Isham Avenue for continued travel downtown. 

   That means if you want to go to any stop below 207th Street on Broadway you have to either take the local bus down, or go down 59th Street to transfer to the # 1 train to go uptown as far as 137th Street & Broadway.

   The shuttle buses wait in the northbound lane of Broadway before West 242nd Street (as you will see in the photos below), and that will cause a traffic problem that leaves only one lane of traffic to flow. This is also right near the left turn only lane for north bound Broadway and the Westchester bus stops & dead head area.

The final problem is that little if any people who use the # 1 line knew of this service change. 

Left - a sign by the # 9 bus tells of the free shuttle bus for # 1 line users, so why would anyone use the # 9 bus down Broadway to West 225th Street. 

Right - A crowd of people waiting for the # 1 shuttle bus. In the background are three MTA employees to help.

 

Left - Just some of the work being done on the # 1 line between West 242nd and 137th streets this weekend.

Right - One of the many shuttle buses that will take # 1 riders to the A train at West 207th Street.

 

Left - # 1 Shuttle buses are double parked northbound on Broadway before West 242nd Street.

Right - Cars are blocked in by the double parked shuttle buses.

 

Left - # 9 bus riders are forced to exit the bus in the middle of the street as the Westchester & # 1 shuttle buses block part of Broadway northbound.

Right - This results in people crossing in between traffic, and only one lane northbound on Broadway by West 242nd Street. That lane being the left turn only lane.

VCP Ice Skating Rink UPDATE

  UPDATE:

   The temporary ice skating rink at Van Cortlandt Park is almost ready to open. In the photos below  the ice is in place, and poles are also in place to hold the barrier that will keep the skaters in the ring. There has been talk in the comments section that I am claiming to have had the rink set up, and that is false. There is also talk that I opposed the rink, and that is false again. Then there was the comment about the head of the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy and myself, again false. He was a candidate for City Council and I am a political columnist. I was doing what is expected of me, covering the candidates. After the election was over it appears that we switched roles. I was now on the Community Board and he was not. Enough said as I will answer any sound comment, and remember the comments are moderated here unlike elsewhere. 

Above - The chiller lines are in place to make the ice.

Left - The ice is now in place, and with the cold weather setting in the rink should open soon.

Right - The poles are in place to hold the barrier that will keep the skaters from falling over the side of the rink.

BP DIAZ KICKS OFF 'SAVOR THE BRONX' RESTAURANT WEEK'

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ KICKS OFF

3^rd ANNUAL ‘SAVOR THE BRONX’ RESTAURANT WEEK

   Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., kicked off the 3^rd Annual “Savor the Bronx” Restaurant Week at Jake’s Steakhouse in Riverdale.

  “Savor the Bronx” Restaurant Week, produced by the Bronx Tourism Council and co-hosted by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), showcases the borough’s best eateries by offering special values and discounts. 

This 12-day event, which runs from November 4^th to November 15^th, is the perfect opportunity to explore your taste buds and the Bronx.  From Italian cuisine in Little Italy to seafood on City Island and everywhere in between, “Savor the Bronx” offers everyone a chance to enjoy the diverse flavors our borough has to offer. Below are some photos of the event, and the delicious food that was sampled.

Above - Bronx Brewed Beer was also featured at the Kick-Off.

Right - Soon to Councilman Andrew Cohen poses with Mr. Lenny Caro President of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce.

Left - Paul DelDuca Chief of staff to BP Diaz & Ray Sanchez (also of BP Diaz's staff) chat with Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz and soon to be Councilman Andrew Cohen.

Right - BP Diaz gives a proclamation to the manager of Jake's Steak House for the excellent food, and for hosting the event.

Halloween Parade This Saturday

Free Mammogram and Clinical Breast Exams

Free Mammograms and Clinical Breast Exams!

Sunday, November 3rd

(9am-4:30)

 sponsored by the 

Albanian American Women Organization

Detect breast cancer early!  Look for the Mobile Van at:  The Bronx House Community Center 990 Pelham Parkway, Bronx NY 10461 - Services will be provided by the Multi-diagnostic Services For more information click here