Cuomo Wins, Senate Dems Loose at the Federal and State Levels.

Above Andrew Cuomo was victorious as the polls predicted, but it was a tighter race than thought with other fallout state wide and nation wide.

  Nation wide in his next two years of being a lame duck President, Barack Obama should have trouble as both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are now in Republican control. What that means for the people will be played out over the next two years. 

   State wide it was the fall of the hopes for Democratic control of the State Senate as Republicans won 32 of the 63 seats for a clear majority. Then there is also Brooklyn Democrat Simca Felder who has caucused with the Republican Conference the past two years. There is no reason now to believe that is going to change. There is also indicted Brooklyn State Senator John Sampson who won his seat back, for now that is. Things look bad for the Senate Democratic Conference as members will look to point fingers and blame others. 

   Things now could look even worse for the five current members of the Independent Democratic Conference led by soon to be former State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein. Senator Klein came to his victory party at his campaign headquarters on Williamsbridge last night to thank everyone who helped him, but he quickly left after answering some questions by myself and another reporter. To me Senator Klein was not his usual self as I have seen him in the past. He reminded me of the night I was with State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. It was the night Pedro Espada Jr. lost to now State Senator Gustavo Rivera. Diaz Sr. knew five minutes after the polls closed what the outcome would be, and told me "It looks like I am going to loose one of my Amigo friends" referring to Pedro Espada, and the 'Four Amigos' that he was a part of.. Diaz Sr. won, but wound up a loser when the Republicans won back the State Senate after the two short years of Democratic control.

 It was a joyous event for the three victors. State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, and Bronx Supreme Court Judge John A. Barone.

  Senator Klein in a happy and joyous mood, as he thanks his supporters at his campaign Headquarters.

A more subdue Senator Klein as he answers questions from a reporter outside the campaign office as he is about to leave. When Senator Klein told me that the Republicans were going to win three Democratic seats it reminded me of the night I was with Senator Diaz Sr. when the 'Four Amigos' were finished. Senator Klein however said that the IDC is here to stay, and may be adding to its ranks another member.

Mickey Mouse for Governor

  With the Mickey Mouse way this election for New York State Governor has gone on, I decided to make a statement, and keep my word that I printed in last week's 100PERCENT column in the Bronx News. When I went into vote today, and I asked the poll coordinators exactly how I should write my choice of Mickey Mouse in. I say this because there was confusion with the way the ballot was set up with a huge area in which to write in a name. I asked should I write the name in at the top. middle or bottom of this huge space to write in a name. I say this because in looking at past election results for the ballot scanning machines in New York more than half of the write in votes were not counted and marked as an 'UNATTRIBUTABLE WRITE IN'. I wanted my vote for Mickey Mouse for governor to count.

  It was amazing to me that no one in my poll site knew exactly where to place a write in name, but I will say that I was told to make sure that I filled in the circle next to the words 'write in'. I left one other way that I would know if my write in ballot will count by writing in another name elsewhere on the ballot. I now will wait to see who tells me of my second choice and for what ballot line it was for. As for the 3 ballot proposals on the back in case you did not see then as many people did not, I voted NO on all 3, If it came out of the current Albany legislation, I wanted no part of it.

  I await any comments, but they will be moderated so keep them clean and not offensive.  

 

BP DIAZ KICKS OFF 4th ANNUAL 'SAVOR THE BRONX' RESTAURANT WEEK

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and a variety of local epicureans sample the flavors of The Bronx Beer Hall as part of the kickoff of the 4^th annual “Savor the Bronx” restaurant week. The Bronx Beer Hall, which is located in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, is one of restaurants participating this year. For more information, visit www.savorthebronx.com. 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. officially kicked off the 4^th Annual “Savor the Bronx” Restaurant Week today at The Bronx Beer Hall in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.

“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. 

“We have so many great flavors in our borough, and I hope everyone—visitors and locals alike—will take advantage of this promotion and try something new. Our borough has an amazing food culture, and ‘Savor the Bronx’ is a great way to explore our epicurean delights,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

"Savor The Bronx Restaurant Week is our way of featuring some the borough's best eateries. We invite visitors to sample a few and enjoy the diverse flavors we have here,” said Olga Luz Tirado, executive director of The Bronx Tourism Council. 

This 12-day event, which runs from November 3^rd to November 14^th, is the perfect opportunity to explore your taste buds and the Bronx.  From Italian cuisine in Little Italy to seafood on City Island, from sushi in Mott Haven to burgers in Kingsbridge and everywhere in between, “Savor the Bronx” offers everyone a chance to enjoy the diverse flavors our borough has to offer. 

The Bronx Beer Hall highlighted its new menu while also providing samples from two borough breweries: Gun Hill Brewery’s Void of Light Stout, which recently won a gold medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival; and Jonas Bronck’s Beer Company’s New York Chocolate Egg Cream Stout, which includes the iconic Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup among its ingredients.

In addition, Chef King Phojanakong of Small Axe Peppers was on hand to provide samples of The Bronx Hot Sauce, a new product that is made using peppers grown in community gardens across the borough.

For more information, visit www.savorthebronx.com.

L=Lunch Pre Fixe Menu $16.41       D=Dinner Pre Fixe Menu $20.14
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ITALIAN	MEXICAN
LATIN AMERICAN	ASIAN
AMERICAN	HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
FRENCH	COUPONS

ITALIAN

Antonio’s Trattoria2370 Belmont Avenue antoniostrattoria.com  
718-733-6630                         %

Arties Steaks and Seafood 394 City Island Avenue artiesofcityisland.com
718-885-9885                         L/D

Giovanni Restaurant579 Grand Concoursegiovanninyc.com
718-402-6996                         %

Giovanni’s Restaurant2343 Arthur Avenue giovannisrestaurant.net
718-933-4141                         L/D

Ice House Café
and Restaurant140 Reynolds Avenue icehousecafebronx.com
718-863-5580                       L/D

John’s Pizzeria
2326 Arthur Avenue
718-220-0000                        %

Lucca Restaurant3019 Westchester Avenue lucca-restaurant.com
718-892-8282                       %

Spoto's4005 East Tremont Avenuespotosnyc.com        
718-828-5613 D

Tosca Café       
4034 East Tremont Avenue toscanyc.com
718-239-3300                      D

LATIN AMERICAN

 Babalu3233 East Tremont Avenue babalubx.com718-824-8400                          L/D

Don Coqui565 City Island Avenue doncoqui.tv718-885-2222                          D/O

 Havana Café3151 East Tremont Avenue bronxhavanacafe.com718-518-1800                                L

Siete Ocho Siete3363 East Tremont Avenue sieteochosiete.com718-430-6600                             %

AMERICAN

Charlies Bar & Kitchen 112 Lincoln Avenuecharliesbarkitchen.com718-684-2338                               %

Hard Rock Café - Yankee Stadium1 East 161st St, Gate 6hardrock.com/yankeestadium646-977-8888                                 %

 Jake's Steakhouse6031 Broadwayjakessteakhouse.com718-581-0182                                %

 P & K’s Grille170 West 231st Streetpkgrille.com347-602-7880                                  O

The Bronx Beer Hall 2344 Arthur Avenuethebronxbeerhall.com347-396-0555                                     %

FRENCH

Bistro SK273 City Island Avenuebistrosk.com718-885-1670                                            D

MEXICAN

 Cabo3764 East Tremont Avenuecabobx.com718-863-0091                                               L

 RJC Family Café2338 Jerome Avenue718-220-4888                                            L/D

 Santa Fe Grill & Bar6025 Broadwaysantafegrillrestaurant.com718-796-5095                                           %

 Xochimilco Family Restaurant653 Melrose Avenuexochi-restaurant.com718-402-5400                                          %

ASIAN

 Ceetay129 Alexander Avenue ceetay.com718-618-7020                                  D

HEALTHY
ALTERNATIVE

 Muscle Maker Grill4041 East Tremont Avenue musclemakergrill.com718-822-6992                                          %

Police Chief Gerald Nelson, an African-American, and Inspector Manuel De la Rosa, a Puerto Rican: They have both endured the same injustice

What You Should Know
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District

You should know that both New York City Police Chief Gerald Nelson and New York City Police Inspector Manual De la Rosa have been confronted with difficult times and apparent discrimination toward them, within the NYPD.

You should know that I met Chief Gerald Nelson – who calls me “Dad” – back in mid-2000 when he visited me in my office.  At that time, he was just a Police Inspector. Inspector Nelson provided me with a copy of his Curriculum Vitae and made me aware of the fact that he had been an Inspector for 6 years.  I was afraid that his future in the NYPD had come to a halt because it is very rare that anyone remains an Inspector for 6 years without getting promoted to Deputy Chief. It appeared to me that he was being punished by remaining a Police Inspector for 6 years.

You should know that I immediately called the Office of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and I spoke with the First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro. I followed that telephone conversation with a letter in which I explained Police Inspector Gerald Nelson’s situation, and I included a copy of his resume.  In both my telephone call and in my written correspondence, I notified the Office of the Mayor of the apparent discrimination that Inspector Gerald Nelson was confronting.  I asked them to please take a look at his resume and pay attention to Inspector Nelson’s trajectory, capacity, experience and education.

I was not asking for any special favor. I was just asking them to review the facts. I was asking for justice because there was no reason why – with all of Inspector Gerald Nelson’s preparation and all of Gerald Nelson’s qualifications – that after 6 years, he was still an Inspector, blocked from his opportunity to become a Deputy Chief while others under his command had already been promoted.

It is important for you to know that a few weeks after my telephone conversation and letter – and to be even more exact – in September, 2000, Police Inspector Gerald Nelson was promoted to Deputy Chief. Since that time, no one has ever again ignored Gerald Nelson’s ability and competence, to the point that now Gerald Nelson holds one of the highest positions in the New York City Police Department. His name has been included among those to be considered for NYPD First Deputy Commissioner.

You should know, my dear reader, that the same thing that happened to Gerald Nelson, an African-American, is happening to Inspector Manuel De la Rosa, a Puerto Rican.

Manuel De la Rosa was promoted to Police Inspector in January, 2004. For the past 10 years – almost 11 – Inspector De la Rosa has been ignored, and I am afraid to say that to me, this looks like discrimination. Many others who have served under the supervision of Police Inspector De la Rosa have been promoted.  Sergeants, Lieutenants and Captains who  have served under Inspector De la Rosa have already been promoted to Chief, while Manuel De la Rosa remains an Inspector, the same rank he had almost 11 years ago.

What a shame!

You should know that Police Inspector De la Rosa is a humble, professional and well-educated person. His vast experience and preparation was brought to the attention of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Administration.  They never showed interest, and instead, ignored and refused to take a look at De la Rosa’s situation.

Today, as in 2000, when I wrote about Gerald Nelson, I write with respect for Manuel De la Rosa. Today, like in 2000, I am not asking for any personal or political favor. I am not asking for special treatment. I am simply asking for justice.

You should know, my dear reader, that even though I did not support Bill de Blasio when he ran for Mayor of the City of New York, and I did not vote for him, I still believe as the Mayor of all the people in New York, he should take a look at Manuel De la Rosa's situation. I do not expect any special favors.  I am simply asking for justice.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, I write with the purpose of having someone in authority review Police Inspector De la Rosa’s situation, his trajectory, behavior, education, experience. I write to ask for justice for this man who, for more than 10 years, has seen his friends being promoted while he remains ignored with no one offering any reason or explanation about why this injustice has been allowed.

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz kicks off annual holiday canned food drive

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has kicked off his annual canned food and turkey drive with students from local schools and participating residential buildings.

The Assemblyman’s office will be accepting donations until December 15^th with a pick-up for Thanksgiving scheduled for November 17^th. Food will be donated to the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and the food pantry at Saint Francis of Rome Church in Wakefield for families in need during the Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas holiday seasons.  The following canned and non-perishable food items are accepted: canned fruits and vegetables, cereals, dried beans, pasta, rice, tuna, coffee, teas, canned juices, powdered milk, jell-o, and soups.  No glass jars are acceptable except for baby food.

Some of the schools are also collecting one-dollar donations for the purchase of turkeys for needy families on Thanksgiving.

“Our annual food drive is always such a wonderful event, and I know this year’s will be our best yet,”said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “I am always impressed by the selfless actions of our community, who year after year donate food for those in need. I look forward to another great year of giving, and thank in advance everyone who participates through their donations.”  

Residents may donate their canned goods to Assemblyman Dinowitz’s office located at 3107 Kingsbridge Avenue; one block west of Broadway, just off of West 231st Street.  For more information, call (718) 796-5345.

20 Bronx Church's to Merge into 10

  The Archdiocese of New York has announced that as of August 1, 2015 115 church's Citywide and in lower and upper Westchester will be merged. This means two church's will become one. This is being done as the Archdiocese can no longer keep many of its local church's open due to population shifts. 20 Bronx church's are affected by this move by the Archdiocese, and are listed below. The church on the left will remain open, while the church on the right will be closed and merged into the one on its left.

The following parishes will merge. The designated parish church is identified with an asterisk (*) in the column on the left. As of August 1, 2015, although remaining a church which may be used on special occasions, Masses and the sacraments will no longer be celebrated on a regular weekly basis at the church on the right.

Bronx County
1. *Saint John                                     Visitation
 3021 Kingsbridge Avenue            160 Van Cortlandt Park South
 Bronx, New York 10463                Bronx, New York 10467
_____________________
2. *Saint Brendan                             Saint Ann
 333 East 206 Street                       3519 Bainbridge Avenue
 Bronx, New York 10467              Bronx, New York 10467
___________________  
3. *Saint Anselm                               Saint Roch
 685 Tinton Avenue                         525 Wales Avenue
 Bronx, New York 10455              Bronx, New York 10455
____________________
4. *Saint Rita of Cascia                     Saint Pius V
 448 College Avenue                        420 East 145 Street
 Bronx, New York 10451                Bronx, New York 10454
____________________
5. *Holy Family                                 Saint John Vianney
 2158 Watson Avenue                      715 Castle Hill Avenue
 Bronx, New York 10472                Bronx, New York 10473
____________________
6. *Holy Rosary                                Nativity of the Blessed Lady
 1510 Adee Avenue                          1531 East 233 Street
 Bronx, New York 10469                Bronx, New York 10466


Bronx merging church's * denotes home church only.

Parish Church
1. *Saint Margaret of Cortona            Saint Gabriel
 6000 Riverdale Avenue                     3250 Arlington Avenue
 Bronx, New York 10471                    Bronx, New York 10463
______________________________________________________________
2. *Saint Jerome                                     Saint Luke
 230 Alexander Avenue                       623 138th Street
 Bronx, New York 10454                     Bronx, New York 10454
______________________________________________________________
3. *Holy Family                                       Blessed Sacrament
 2158 Watson Avenue                           1170 Beach Avenue
Bronx, New York 10472                      Bronx, New York 10472
______________________________________________________________
4. *Our Lady of the Assumption           Saint Mary Star of the Sea
 1634 Mahan Avenue                                595 Minneford Avenue
 Bronx, New York 10461                         Bronx, New York 10464

Veterans Day Blood Drive

Assembly Member Mark Gjonaj from 80th District & New York Blood Center Welcomes You to the 1st Annual Veterans Day  Blood Drive

At 2018 Williamsbridge Road Bronx, NY, 10461           On Wednesday, November 12, 2014                     From 12:00 PM - 6:00PM Appointments appreciated Bus Mobile - Walk-ins are welcomed! To schedule an appointment or for more information contact the office at   (718) 409-0109 *Please bring identification with photo or signature* For questions about eligibility to donate due to travel outside the U.S. medications or medical conditions contact   1 (800) 688-0900

Bronx Chamber of Commerce 'Bronx Builders Awards'

  The first Bronx Chamber of Commerce 'Bronx Builders Award Night' brought over 200 people to Marina Del Rey Wednesday to celebrate the wonderful job that the Bronx Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has done. Several elected officials were also on hand including Congressmen Eliot Engel and Charles Rangel, Former mayor David Dinkins, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson, And Assembly members Luis Sepulveda, Mark Gjonaj, Victor Pichardo and the newest member of the assembly Michael Blake (that is on Wednesday November 3rd).. 

   The eight awardees included Barica College Village, Via Verde, Carl Ledds New York Junior Tennis League, The Mall at Bay Plaza, The Banknote Building, Montefiore Hutchinson Campus Ambulatory Care Center, Heritage Fields, and the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts. There was also 34 items of memorabilia from a 24 karat gold Elvis Presley gold record, an autographed 'Good Bye photo' of Derek Jeter, to an autographed Joe Namath photo to name a few. 

   "The Bronx is Burning" has been replaced with "The Bronx is Booming" said Lenny Caro the president of the BCC. He added that this was only the first Awards Dinner, and that many more will come every year. The Special Guest of Honor was Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York who during his speech told of a wonderful woman who was the first female Prime Minister of Israel.. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was the Keynote Speaker who said no matter where you go in the Bronx there is development, and that means Bronx jobs. Diaz Jr. also mentioned that the Bronx unemployment level is at the lowest rate in many years, below 10% from its high of over 14%. That is still to high Diaz Jr. cautioned, and he is looking to the Bronx Chamber of Commerce to help him lower the rate even more.