Friday, February 5, 2016

Senator Klein to NFL: Tackle K2 Use



On Super Bowl Weekend Klein Urges Roger Goddell to test players for synthetics after rash of arrests and problems stemming from synthetic cannabinoid use

As the country heads into Super Bowl Sunday, State Senator Jeff Klein called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to set a national example by expanding current drug testing of professional football players to include synthetic cannabinoids. In a letter to Goodell, Senator Klein pointed to the increasing problem of players using K2, because most drug screens fail to test for the chemical compounds.

“The NFL must tackle the problem of K2 use among its players who are role models to our youth and test for these drugs. Synthetic cannabinoids are dangerous, sometimes lethal, and have no place in professional sports and players are sending the wrong message to those who look up to them. The league must take a page out of the New York State Senate’s playbook. We just took serious steps to stop the scourge of synthetics that sent over 6,800 of our citizens to emergency rooms last year. We urge the NFL to do the right thing for the safety of of their players and those they inspire,” said Senator Klein.

Recent reports across the nation have detailed multiple arrests of professional football players for using drugs like synthetic marijuana, K2 or Spice, with other instances ending in trips to the hospital for the highly trained athletes.

In January, the hospitalization of the New England Patriots’ Chandler Jones was reported as a result of K2 use, while Seattle Seahawks player Derrick Coleman recently revealed that he had used K2 prior to committing a hit-and-run in October.

College athletic programs have already taken steps to incorporate synthetic marijuana into their banned substances and drug testing programs. The NCAA added it to its list of banned substances in 2011, and the National Center for Drug-Free Sport offers testing resources to combat this problem.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Bronx Democratic County Committee - Upcoming Events







Below is a list of upcoming events. Attached you will find flyers for each event.
 
Financial Literacy Workshops
When: Fri. 2/5/16 at 12 - 3p
Where: Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community Center - 1000 Rosedale Ave, Bronx, NY
The Office of Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo in conjunction with State Farm, Intuit, and Experian present a Financial Literacy Workshop. 

For more information, contact Assemblyman Crespo's district office at 718-893-0202.
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Bronx Dems' Winter Reception
When:  
Thurs. 2/18/16 from 6:30 - 9:30pm
Where  
Michaelangelo's - 2477 Arthur Avenue, Bronx, NY

You are cordially invited to join Hon. Marcos A. Crespo & the Bronx Democratic County Committee for a Winter Reception.

To RSVP or for more information, please call347-281-9759 or emailevents@bronxdems.org.

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Black History Month Celebration: Keeping Our Communities Healthy
When: Sat. 2/6/16 from 12 - 2p
Where: Claremont Neighborhood Center - 8489 E. 169 Street

Join State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Councilmember Vanessa Gibson, and Assemblymember Michael Blake in a celebration of Black History Month. There will be live musical performances, health screenings and information, awards, raffles, and complimentary food.

RSVP by sending your name, address, and telephone number toRSVPSenatorRivera@gmail.com.
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Black History Month Celebration
When: Fri. 2/26/16 at 5:30p
Where: Bronx Museum of the Arts - 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
Join State Senator Jose M. Serrano, Councilmember Vanessa Gibson, and Assemblymember Latoya Joyner for a night of award presenations, entertainment, giveaways, and refreshments. 

RSVP by contacting Councilmember Gibson's District Office at 718-588-7500 or by emailingdistrict16bronx@council.nyc.gov.
Click to Enlarge
 


 
In solidarity,
 
Hon. Marcos A. Crespo, Chair
The Bronx Democratic County Committee
1640 Eastchester Rd.

Bronx Borough President - You're Invited to Celebrate....





Dominican Heritage Month




Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
 
Cordially Invites You To
 
The 2016 Dominican Heritage Month Celebration
 
Thursday, February 25, 2016
12:00 pm
 
Mistress of Ceremonies
Victoria Sosa
Weather Anchor Noticiero Telemundo 47
 
Fiesta Deluxe Catering Hall
2341 Hoffman Street
Bronx, New York
 
For information & to RSVP call 718-590-3989 o r email smalave@bronxbp.nyc.gov

 


2016 Lunar New Year Events Around New York City



  The 2016 Lunar New Year begins on February 8 and ends on March 5, and New York City will celebrate with festivities taking place throughout the five boroughs this February. In addition to the traditional celebrations of the Lunar New Year in Flushing, Queens, Sunset Park, Brooklyn and Chinatown, Manhattan, events will take place on Madison Avenue, at the Javits Center North, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rudin Museum, Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) and many more locations around New York City.

  For the first time ever, the City will welcome the "Madison Street to Madison Avenue,” onFebruary 6, where the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations will extend from Chinatown to the Upper East Side. Held the week preceding the traditional Chinatown parade in New York City, the activities will include traditional Chinese lion dancers and dragons traveling from Chinatown to the Upper East Side in a decorated double decker bus. The celebrations will continue at the Harman Store and 527 Madison and will include family-friendly entertainment such as Chinese face painting, calligraphy, and a themed photo booth. Special performances will take place throughout the day from New York Eastern Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dr. Fei Fang and Peng Li, who will showcase the Chinese art of face mask changing.

Additional Lunar New Year celebrations and events taking place in the five boroughs include:

Lunar New Year is a time for families. Join the Rudin Museum for an afternoon of art, crafts, and music to celebrate Losar, the Himalayan New Year. Learn about traditional celebrations, go on a family tour of the galleries, listen to traditional music, and make auspicious crafts to take home.

Asia Society rings in the Year of the Monkey with performances and craft activities inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. Guests will enjoy a Lion Dance, kung fu demonstration, musical performances, and more.

The five-day-long Fantastic Art China: International Creative Festival marking the Lunar New Year holiday will be held Feb. 6-10 at iconic locations across the city and headlined by the Fantastic Art China exhibition at Javits Center North. The festival programs, events, and activities – all free and open to the public – will not only highlight Chinese arts and culture but also environmental conservation for monkeys in China. The festivities are presented by the China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA).

Gung Hay Fat Choy – Happy New Year!  Learn about the history of this ancient celebration and the symbolism of the Monkey.  Create fun crafts and enjoy traditional snacks at the Greenbelt Nature Center.

Blast off into the New Year at the Better Chinatown Society's Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park at Grand Street. Activities start at 11:00 a.m., with the fireworks scheduled for 12:00 p.m. 

Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with the New York Philharmonic. The festive Chinese New Year Concert features violinist Maxim Vengerov plus Nu Shu: The Secret Songs of Women by Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), in which ethereal harp and film projection draw you into the rarely seen, intimate world of a secret language created by Hunan women.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the sounds of the bamboo flute performed by renowned artist Han Chung Eun and his band Forest. Well known for his genre-crossing performances from jazz and classical music to K-pop, Han creates a uniquely beautiful and energetic program that celebrates Flushing’s colorful and rich cultural heritage through the fusion of sound and rhythm with Korean, Nordic, Celtic and American roots.

Kick off the Year of the Monkey with a free lion dance and kung fu performance in front of our new space at 100 Washington Street. Following the lion dance, enter the China Institute for traditional food and New Year-themed workshops and activities including dumpling making, paper cutting, and a special Year of the Monkey craft.

February 13th Lunar New Year Parade
Downtown Flushing is the site of Queens' main Lunar New Year celebration. Meet up with marchers beforehand at the Chamber of Commerce  and then head to 37th Avenue and Union Street for the parade's 11:00 a.m. start. Expect music, floats, food and fun. If you're looking for a meal afterward, consider these spots

February 14th - Lunar New Year Celebration
Find a spot along Sunset Park's Eighth Avenue to watch singers and dancers ring in the Lunar New Year. The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. at 50th Street and heads north; it's a lively neighborhood affair sponsored by the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association. While in the neighborhood, be sure to enjoy a banquet or dim sum.

Check out Chinatown's annual Lunar New Year celebration for stunning visuals, tantalizing treats, and impressive performances. This street party features all sorts of vendors, food, and festivities for all ages to welcome the Year of the Monkey. The parade goes through the main streets of Little Italy and Chinatown, and festivities start at 1:00 p.m.

February 20th -21st – Lunar New Year at the Queens Zoo
What better of a place to celebrate the year of the monkey than at a zoo? Activities each day include a Lunar New Year zodiac scavenger hunt, crafts, Chinese theatre works performances, tea, fortune cookies, and sea lion feedings.

February 21st Calligraphy on Silk Fan
Welcome the Year of the Monkey with a calligraphy workshop led by Asian arts specialist Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou. Learn basic calligraphy to write wishes for the new year. Participants will begin by writing on paper and then write their messages of good fortune on Chinese silk fans. Every time you wave your fan you’ll be spreading your positive message into the New Year!

February 27th -28th – Lunar New Year at the Prospect Park Zoo
Ring in the new year at the Prospect Park Zoo with the Hao Bang Ah Monkey puppet show, monkey treats, Lunar New Year Zodiac scavenger hunt, calligraphy, Lunar New Year crafts, Discovery Center introduction to zodiac animals and sea lion feedings.

Visitors of all ages are invited to celebrate Chinese and Chinese American traditions and folk arts! Enjoy an awe-inspiring lion dance, create zodiac themed crafts, embark on storytelling journeys, and sway along with Chinatown's Red Silk Dancers – and much more family fun at MOCA.

In this creative and engaging workshop, children will discover the beauty of Korean culture while crafting and dancing. After a brief introduction about Tal Chum (Korean traditional mask dance), children can make their own Monkey Tal to celebrate the Year of the Monkey and learn Tal Chum moves. This workshop will stimulate your child’s eye-hand coordination, movement skills, and most importantly, curiosity about new cultures.

In celebration of the Year of the Monkey—as per the Chinese Zodiac—the Metropolitan Museum of Art presents this exhibition that highlights artistic representations of monkeys in a variety of media, including ceramics, metal work, painting and jade carving. Some of the most coveted pieces are a 12th-century painting of three monkey's raiding an egret's nest, along with a porcelain plate that depicts monkeys and deer under a tree.

VALENTINE’S DAY HIV TESTING - Thursday 2/11 at Jacobi and NCB!



VALENTINEDAY TESTING
Show Your Love, Share Your HIV Status

February 11, 2016 10 AM - 2 PM
Jacobi Atrium (Building 8) and Emergency Room (Building 6)
NCB Lobby

·       HIV Testing for you and your partner, family or friend.
·       Health Education Information
·       Giveaways


Wednesday, February 3, 2016

BP Diaz Issues Report on Platform Development Opportunities



  Report Finds Potential for Nearly Two Million Square Feet of Development at Concourse Yard

Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. issued a preliminary report cataloging the potential of platform development at three borough railyard sites.

The report found that the Concourse Yard, located adjacent to Lehman College in the Northwest Bronx, offer the most immediate potential for development. Creating a platform at this location would allow for nearly two million square feet of new development without a significant upzoning, according to the report. The cost of the platform would range between $350 and $500 million.

“Developing a platform at the Concourse Yard is a creative way to continue the revitalization of our borough while bringing new amenities and resources to the Northwest Bronx,” said Borough President Diaz. “Smart planning for the future requires us to consider all options, including real estate that does not yet exist.”
The full report can be viewed at http://on.nyc.gov/1Koburv.

Borough President Diaz’s report considers a variety of options for the Concourse Yards platform, including mixed-income housing, homeownership opportunities, new retail space and an expanded Lehman College campus. The report also notes that the numerous amenities in the surrounding neighborhoods, including numerous school campuses, parks and the future Kingsbridge National Ice Center, make the location ideal for transit-oriented development.

“This is not only a great opportunity to help the neighborhood to continue to develop commercial space as well as affordable housing for all, but this plan could allow one of the best colleges in our city, Lehman College, the opportunity for expansion it deserves,” said Borough President Diaz. “In the coming year my office will reach out to stakeholders from the area to discuss the potential of the site and to outline the future of its development.”

Borough President Diaz added that, following that stakeholder outreach, his office would consider urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to issue a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the development of the Concourse Yard, in order to further study the costs and potential of a platform at the site.

In his 2015 “State of the Borough” address, Borough President Diaz announced that his office would conduct a preliminary study of the feasibility of building platforms over three railyards operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)—the Concourse Yard, 149thStreet in Mott Haven, and the 1 train yards connecting Riverdale and Kingsbridge at West 240th Street and Broadway. The borough president’s office found the 149th Street and 240thStreet yards unsuitable for platform development at this time.



Above - Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. is all smiles when talking about his Platform Development Opportunity.
Below - BP Diaz holds up a copy of the report of building over the Bronx MTA Concourse subway yards Diaz said that this is a win win for all.




Above - A view of the MTA subway yards south of Bedford Park Blvd.
Below - A view of the MTA subway yards north of Bedford Park Blvd. Scott Towers and Tracy Towers are in the background, and are above part of the MTA subway yards north of West 205th Street. 





HISPANIC MINISTERS TO DEMAND THE END OF ABUSIVE TACTICS USED AGAINST TAXI DRIVERS



  This Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 12 noon, on the steps of City Hall, New York State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, Former Mayoral Candidate Rev. Erick Salgado and The New York Hispanic Clergy Organization will demand that Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission end abusive tactics used against taxi drivers once and for all. 
  
Senator Rev. Diaz and Rev. Salgado will detail the serious issues that the taxi drivers continue to face, along with the ongoing mistreatment by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. 
  
They will outline their demands, which include: lowering the excessive fines that are being levied against drivers, providing additional protections and the equipment required to keep drivers secure, stopping the illegal seizure of cabs and ending the criminalization of taxi drivers. 
  
For more information please call Senator Ruben Diaz at 718-991-3161 or Rev. Erick Salgado at 718-795-5645.

Making a Greater Bronx Chamber of Commerce



Let's make a Greater Bronx Chamber of Commerce. 
I need your support and cooperation to require companies that you do business with to join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. If you do not ask, it does not happen.

Inform your contacts that "if they want do continue to do business with you and your company, they must join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce". If you make it a requirement, they will join!

We are witnessing a renaissance in our great borough that is unprecedented. Together, we will grow the Chamber, enhance its influence and further improve the image of "The Bronx"!
 
Below is a Brochure that includes a Membership Application. If you need a supply of the printed Brochure to distribute or display in your office or place of business, please contact Josann Ferguson at (718) 828-3900.

Nunzio Del Greco
President and CEO
Bronx Chamber of Commerce
"The Network For Business Success"
1200 Waters Place, Suite 106
Bronx, NY 10461
718-828-3900
Nunzio@bronxchamber.org



 
February 11, 2016   
Annual Valentine's Business Networking
                                Marriott Resident Inn 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
 
February 24, 2016   
African American Heritage Cocktail Party
                                Tosca Marquee 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
 
March 9, 2016         
Irish Heritage Luncheon
                                Rambling House 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
 
March 18, 2016       
Women of Distinction Luncheon
                                Villa Barone Manor 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
 
April 13, 2016          
Annual Gala
                         Marina del Rey Caterers 5:30 pm -10:30 pm
 
May 3, 2016            
Annual Golf Outing
                                Trump Links 11:30 am - 8:00 pm
 
June 16, 2016          
Annual Business Expo
                         The Mall at Bay Plaza 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

December 14, 2016   
Annual Holiday Party  
 Villa Barone Manor 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm