Thursday, March 19, 2015

Wave Hill Events Apr 3–Apr 10



Commuters may breathe a sigh of relief when the schools close for a week, but for those of us with school-age kids, the week can be a challenge…or an opportunity to share some engaging time with your young one—son, daughter, nephew, niece or grandchild! Family programs this week are part of Spring Wings Week at Wave Hill, a time to enjoy the return of the much-loved birds with whom we share the landscape.
P.S. Do stop in The Shop, too, for the sale going on this week. I fell in love with a very soft, squishable bunny hand-puppet yesterday. The space is full of life and color, a wonderfully appealing collection of gifts to engage little ones.


FRI, APRIL 3    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM


SAT, APRIL 4    TAI CHI CHUAN
Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions in April are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SAT, APRIL 4    FAMILY ART PROJECT: ECO FAIR 
Display your care for our planet with your own nature-inspired crafts. Fashion a fancy flower from a discarded CD, binoculars from cardboard tubes, little insects from found metal zippers, a board game from bottle caps or an Earth Day pin from a recycled jar-top.  Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. 
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM


SAT, APRIL 4    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM


SUN, APRIL 5    FAMILY ART PROJECT: ECO FAIR
Display your care for our planet with your own nature-inspired crafts. Fashion a fancy flower from a discarded CD, binoculars from cardboard tubes, little insects from found metal zippers, a board game from bottle caps or an Earth Day pin from a recycled jar-top.  Free with admission to the grounds. 
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM


SUN, APRIL 5    HATHA YOGA
Reduce stress, increase your energy and bring strength and flexibility to mind, body and spirit with a yoga practice. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss directorNeem Dewji and other certified instructors. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions in April are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11:15AM


SUN, APRIL 5    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

SUN, APRIL 5    MEDITATION
Let nature inspire you to find your center and reconnect with your true self using guided mindfulness and other meditation practices. Each session, led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors, includes instruction in simple techniques, followed by guided meditations. Sessions are held indoors. All levels welcome. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $20/$10 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:45AM‒12:45PM

SUN, APRIL 5    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, APRIL 6
Closed to the public

TUE, APRIL 7    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

TUE, APRIL 7    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

TUE, APRIL 7    FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: PASTE PAPERS
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, learn how to use an acrylic paint and paste medium to make decorative and textured paste papers. Embellish yours with plumy marks that you make from actual feathers. Participants will make multiple sheets to take home or use atWednesday’s workshop. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online atwww.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11.Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM

TUE, APRIL 7    DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: SHELLS AND FEATHERS
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Feathers and eggs are two of the most recognizable attributes of birds, but how do they work? Using water, sand, fabric and soil screens, explore how water and air pass through the egg’s membrane, while its shell protects it. Learn how feathers camouflage birds and keep them warm, dry and aloft. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds. Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM

WED, APRIL 8    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM

WED, APRIL 8    FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: BIRDY PAMPHLET BOOK
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, delve into the art of bookmaking using a simple pamphlet stitch. Choose a local bird species for the silhouette cover, along with textured paste papers to give your homemade book special character. We’ll provide a list of bird songs to include; add your own notes about the birds you see at Wave Hill. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM

WED, APRIL 8    DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: BIRD CALLS
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Watch a balloon demonstration of how a bird’s voice box—its syrinx—works. Listen to bird-call recordings, and learn simple mnemonics to help you identify the birds you hear at Wave Hill. Make a homemade bird-call using clothespins, electric tape and rubber bands. Learn some tips to sound like a convincing bird. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds. Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM

THU, APRIL 9    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.


THU, APRIL 9    FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: MIGRATING KITES
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, we look at how birds fly. Study their wing structure, then using a simple building technique, assemble a flyable kite with wings as your inspiration. Fashion your kite with color and flare to make a real or imagined migrator. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM

THU, APRIL 9    DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: FASTEN SEATBELTS!
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Learn about the mechanics of bird flight, and how wing length and the shape of a bird’s body determine their flight patterns. Make paper airplanes to recreate different patterns of bird flight, and test how weight distribution and wing shape influence flight. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds.Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM

FRI, APRIL 10    IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.


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. FreeSaturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs 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/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 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.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Congratulations to Eric Schneiderman


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


You should know that I offer my congratulations to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for proposing a ban on outside income for legislators, as was reported in every newspaper today.

You should also know that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is no “Johnny-Come-Lately” to this matter.  In 2009 and in 2010, when I first introduced Senate Bill 3149 asking for the same thing - barring outside income for legislators - the only State Senator at the time who supported my bill and co-sponsored it was Eric Schneiderman.  (I have continued to introduce this legislation every year and so far, only a handful of my colleagues have offered their support.)

Ladies and gentlemen, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s record speaks for itself, and I congratulate him for having the moral fiber to remain strong on this much-needed piece of ethics reform.

I am State Senator Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.


Assembly Speaker Heastie's New Car




 
  It may not be this color, but new Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is driving a new 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited according to a Daily News article . The new Jeep cost $39,448 according to the Daily News, and fits the new speaker as does his new larger office and higher pay he receives as Speaker. The Daily News also points out that Heastie's predecessor drove a 2011 Ford Taurus which had 40,000 miles. 


Bronx Chamber of Commerce Upcoming Events


 
Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce at our upcoming events: 

 Save the date for our following events: 
 Irish Heritage - Wednesday, March 18
CDL Interview Job Fair - Thursday, March 19
Women of Distinction -Friday, March 27
Annual Golf Outing - Wednesday, May 6 
Business Expo -Tuesday, June 16


 Call 718-828-3900 or go onto our website www.bronxchamber.org for more
 information

Apply For Pre-K For All Today!



PRE-K FOR ALL
Application Period Starts Today!
March 16 - April 24
It's a big day for our city.

Applications are now open for free, full-day, high-quality pre-K starting this fall. And for the first time ever, there's a seat waiting for every four-year-old in New York City who wants one.

Each child enrolled in pre-K means one more kid in our city who gets a stronger start on his or her education and one more family that can put itself on a stronger financial footing, thanks to less time and money spent on childcare
If your child was born in 2011 and you live in New York City, you can apply to district schools or NYC Early Education Centers for the 2015-2016 school year.

Apply now: 
Online at nyc.gov/prek
Over the phone by (718) 935-2067
In person at a Family Welcome Center (Find one here.)

Attend an information session to learn about Pre-K admissions for September 2015. You can also use the Pre-K directory, which we have in our office, to research your school choices

Monday, March 16, 2015

Homeless Coming to Riverdale





   Just what was this 'Coalition for the Homeless' van doing in front of a 'rent stabilized' building in Riverdale? Pictured above is the van, and you can see the Whitehall in the background. The building is managed by Goodman Management, and calls to Goodman Management were answered with, 'Not in that building'. To a question of homeless or transition housing in any building managed by Goodman Management the answer was Mr. Goodman will have to call you back. 

   Calls to the Coalition for Homeless went to voicemail, and I am waiting for a response. It will be in the next version of "Is There Homeless or Transition Housing in Riverdale" Good work guys in getting Montefiore not to build on Riverdale/Oxford Avenues. Now it looks like housing will go up on the site, but what type?




Radio Shack Closes on Johnson Avenue





   You can see the signs in the windows of the former Radio Shack saying 'For Rent' on what was an anchor store of Johnson Avenue. On a street that housed many different long standing stores only a couple of the current stores on Johnson Avenue can say that they have been in business for more then 10 years. With rents increasing, and a landlord who would rather have empty stores than lower the rent Johnson Avenue is becoming a street no one can afford to do business on. 


It's That Time of the Year for Con Edison


  With the last of this year several feet of snow, which has all but melted by now Con Edison Is checking their underground transformers. As in the photo below the run off of water from the melting snow has carried snow melting salt which can damage the insulation. 





  The FDNY was called to this Con Edison underground transformer site which was belching up smoke from below ground. Firefighters roped off the area, and Con Edison came the next morning to repair the damage. The response to my question of how often this happens, was 'It happens every spring thaw when the snow melts'.