Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Bronx Community Board No. 8 - Special Monday July 10 Traffic & Transportation Committee Meeting
NOTICE OF MEETING
TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
DATE: Monday, July 10, 2017
(please note day and time)
TIME: 7:00 PM
PLACE: Kingsbridge Heights Community Center
3101 Kingsbridge Terrace
Bronx, NY 10463
AGENDA
1. Presentation by NYC Department of Design & Construction to modify its scope of work for the West 229th Street step-street reconstruction by removing the temporary staircase during reconstruction in order to expedite the completion date for the project by 6 months.
2. Application for unenclosed sidewalk café
# 8513-2017- ASWC –
Blackstone Bar & Grill, 3713 Riverdale Avenue.
3. St. Jemuel Back to School Rally – Block Party – with full street closure on September 2, 2017, to be held on Webb Avenue between West 197 Street and Reservoir Avenue/2836 Webb Avenue.
4. Follow-up by the Traffic & Transportation Committee on Broadway Corridor recommendations.
5. Review of Minutes.
6. Old and New Business.
Monday, July 3, 2017
Michael Beltzer City Council Candidate 18th Council District
EDITOR'S NOTE:
This is in no way to imply that this blog or the writer of this blog is endorsing or working with the above candidate. This posting is for informational purpose only, as has been done for other candidates in this race and other races.
MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF SUMMER JOBS IN LADDERS FOR LEADERS
Pro-bono ad campaign helps secure a projected 600 employers this summer, up from 475 in 2016
Mayor de Blasio and Office of Strategic Partnerships Director Gabrielle Fialkoff today announced that for the third consecutive year, New York City has placed a record number of young adults in high-quality, paid summer internships through the Ladders for Leaders program. A pro-bono ad campaign urging employers across the City to hire local talent helped secure 600 participating employers this summer, as projected, up from 475 in 2016.
"New York City is a hub for talented youth,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Through the Ladders for Leaders program, not only do we help our young people explore potential career paths, we also introduce them to the very people who may hire them one day - and the annual increase in employers shows just how mutually beneficial that is."
“The Center for Youth Employment continues to support NYC’s youth with better access to employment and job skill enrichment opportunities,” saidFirst Lady Chirlane McCray, who serves as Chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “With more than triple the number of projected interns from when the program began, the Ladders for Leaders Program is a rapidly growing workforce pipeline for our City agencies and participating business partners.”
“Providing meaningful work experiences early on is a great way to help young people – it also helps us to grow the pipeline of future professionals right here in New York City,” said Richard Buery, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “I am proud of this year’s unprecedented progress in giving so many talented young people the critical skills needed to take part in the workforce through the Ladders for Leaders program.”
“Our aim with Ladders for Leaders is twofold: to put as many youths as we can on the road to success by connecting them to employers in the City’s most thriving industries and to provide employers with a strong, homegrown workforce,” said Gabrielle Fialkoff, Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships. “The continued growth of this program shows that employers agree that we must work together to increase access and opportunity for all young people across the City. We look forward to finding innovative ways to do so.”
“DYCD is proud to work with the Mayor’s Fund to ensure our Ladders for Leaders participants get even more unique job opportunities to help them build the necessary skills to succeed and advance in any career path,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong. “Ladders for Leaders is training our homegrown talent pool to compete and succeed in the 21st century marketplace. Helping our young people get first-hand, real world job experience with the most dynamic companies in the City will go a long way toward building the next generation of leaders who will make meaningful contributions to our global economy.”
Since 2014, Ladders has grown from 89 participating employers to 600, and from 475 interns in 2014 to over 1,600 projected for this summer. This growth has been driven by a team of dedicated staff at the Center for Youth Employment (CYE), an initiative of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC, in partnership with the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and increasing interest from local industry to support pathways to work exposure and experiences for young adults. CYE aligns employers’ summer hiring needs with the interests and skills of prospective interns.
These most recent gains are the result of a targeted multi-media advertising campaign unveiled in March, calling on New York City’s employers to hire interns. This first-of-its-kind campaign served as a call-to-action for employers across the City to hire local talent. The campaign garnered widespread interest among employers allowing the program to expand into new business sectors.
The record gains are also the result of an ongoing sector-based approach to employer engagement and recruitment. In spring 2016, the Center for Youth Employment launched a series of “Industry Partnerships, ” targeting businesses in five key NYC sectors: real estate, fashion, media and entertainment, hospitality and travel and tourism. These partnerships brought together the public and private sectors to create meaningful pipelines into NYC’s growing industries, offering workplace exposure, experience and training for young adults. Continuing to tap into private sectors representing the strongest career pathways in New York City, this year the City is expanding the program to support pathways into two new local industries: Technology and Healthcare. Thirty-four percent of last summer’s interns received full-time job offers, setting hundreds of students on a successful career path and providing homegrown expertise for NYC companies.
Growing the Ladders for Leaders program is a prime example of Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to increasing access to a good job for all New Yorkers and creating more opportunities for underserved communities. The program provides a turn-key solution for companies seeking to engage with and invest in local talent, giving the youth crucial early career training and creating a strong workforce pipelines for companies looking to foster diversity and inclusion.
The NYC Center for Youth Employment, an initiative of the Mayor’s Fund, is focused on expanding and improving New York City’s programs to help youth and young adults add skills, gain work experience, build networks and explore potential career paths.
Ladders for Leaders, part of the City’s Department of Youth and Community Development Summer Youth Employment Program, is a competitive summer internship program connecting businesses of all sizes to local, high-achieving high school and college students. Applicants must have a 3.0 grade point average, undergo a rigorous review process and receive 30 hours of training prior to their internship. They are guaranteed a minimum of 25 hours of work per week in the six week program.
The print and broadcast ad campaign – the first of its kind geared toward employers – was driven by pro-bono, public-private partnerships with Discovery Communications as part of its annual “Creating Change” pro-bono initiative, Young & Rubicam (Y&R), Clear Channel Outdoor, OUTRFRONT Media, JCDecaux and iHeart Media. It featured two 30-second public service announcements and a print ad campaign. The PSAs ran across city broadcast channels (NYC Life/NYC Gov) and Taxi TV and featured alumni from Ladders. An accompanying radio spot played on iHeart Media Online, WNYE 91.6 FM and New York City’s on-hold messaging reel. Original print and digital ads appeared via LinkNYC kiosks; Clear Channel Billboards; OUTFRONT Media Digital Billboards; and in JCDecaux bus shelters across all five boroughs.
Growth in Ladders for Leaders was driven by the Center for Youth Employment (CYE), which was launched in May 2015 by Mayor de Blasio, to expand, improve and coordinate publicly funded programs that help prepare New York City’s young adults for steady work and career success.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Individual For Defrauding Investors In Digital Media Company
William McFarland Made False Representations to Investors in Fyre Media LLC and the Fyre Festival
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint charging WILLIAM McFARLAND with wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a company controlled by McFARLAND, Fyre Media LLC (“Fyre Media”), as well as a related entity responsible for organizing a music festival set to take place in the Bahamas (the “Fyre Festival”). McFARLAND was arrested today in New York, New York, and is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox tomorrow.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said: “As alleged, William McFarland promised a 'life changing' music festival but in actuality delivered a disaster. McFarland allegedly presented fake documents to induce investors to put over a million dollars into his company and the fiasco called the Fyre Festival. Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, McFarland will now have to answer for his crimes.”
Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Under McFarland's direction, Fyre Media created a promoter's marketplace for entertainment bidding. In addition to this initial business venture, McFarland went one step further in establishing a subsidiary of the company, Fyre Festival LLC. But in order to drive the success of both entities, as alleged, McFarland truly put on a show, misrepresenting the financial status of his businesses in order to rake in lucrative investment deals. In the end, the very public failure of the Fyre Festival signaled that something just wasn't right, as we allege in detail today.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
McFARLAND was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fyre Media. In 2016, McFARLAND started Fyre Media to build a digital app that would allow individuals organizing commercial events, such as concerts, to bid for artist and celebrity bookings at such events. According to Fyre Media documents provided to investors by McFARLAND, Fyre Media’s historical and projected revenue from at least April 2016 to November 2017 consisted solely of artist bookings. In late 2016, McFARLAND established a subsidiary of Fyre Media known as Fyre Festival LLC and began promoting the Fyre Festival. McFARLAND promoted the Fyre Festival in part by claiming that it would bring a global audience together to share a life changing experience. Ultimately, the Fyre Festival was widely deemed to have been a failure.
From in or about 2016 through in or about May 2017, McFARLAND perpetrated a scheme to defraud, inducing at least two individuals to invest approximately $1.2 million dollars in Fyre Media and an associated entity based on misrepresentations about Fyre Media’s revenue and income. In order to procure these investments, McFARLAND provided materially false information. For example, McFARLAND told investors that Fyre Media earned millions of dollars of revenue from thousands of artist bookings from at least July 2016 until April 2017. In reality, during that approximate time period, Fyre Media earned less than $60,000 in revenue from approximately 60 artist bookings.
In addition, McFARLAND provided at least one investor an altered stock ownership statement, in an effort to make it appear that McFARLAND could personally guarantee the investment. Specifically, McFARLAND provided an altered brokerage statement that purported to show that he owned shares of a specific stock worth over $2.5 million, when in reality he owned shares of that stock valued at less than $1,500.
McFARLAND, 25, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Charges Unsealed Against British Citizen For Defrauding Investors Of More Than $36 Million
Renwick Haddow Misappropriated Investor Funds And Made False And Misleading Representations To Investors In Bitcoin Store, Inc., Bar Works Inc., And Related Entities He Controlled
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging RENWICK HADDOW, a British citizen, with engaging in schemes to defraud victims by soliciting, through material misrepresentations, and misappropriating investments in companies created by HADDOW called Bitcoin Store Inc. (“Bitcoin Store”) and Bar Works Inc. (“Bar Works”) as well as related entities HADDOW controlled. HADDOW remains at large.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As alleged, Renwick Haddow misled investors about critical facts, including the performance and operations of companies he controlled, in order to get them to invest more than $36 million. Haddow also allegedly used the alias ‘Jonathan Black’ to disguise his connection to the companies, and then allegedly misappropriated investors’ money for his own use. Along with our partners at the FBI and SEC, we will continue to root out fraud schemes perpetrated on investors.”
Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “While seeking investor funding for his purported start-up companies, Haddow allegedly misrepresented key elements of their performance, operations, and management. The alleged twisting of facts not only involved concealing his financial interests, but also his true identity. And just as Haddow adopted an alias to hide behind, so, too, did he disguise the true state of the businesses he controlled. But, as alleged, it appears it was all smoke and mirrors—until today.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
RENWICK HADDOW is a citizen of the United Kingdom From November 2014 through June 2017, HADDOW solicited investments in start-up companies he created and controlled, including Bitcoin Store — a purported online platform for purchasing, selling, and storing the digital currency known as “Bitcoin”—and Bar Works, which purports to be a company that adapts former restaurants, bar premises, and other locations into co-working spaces. When doing so, HADDOW made material misrepresentations about, among other things, the management, operations, and historical performance of those companies.
For example, HADDOW concealed his interest in Bitcoin Store and fabricated the purported “experienced team of leading investment professionals” working at the company. In connection with Bar Works, HADDOW adopted the alias “Jonathan Black” to further hide his role in the schemes. HADDOW claimed that “Jonathan Black” had an extensive background in finance and had a role in setting up “Car Share,” a car-sharing app.
HADDOW solicited investments through his control of InCrowd Equity Inc. (“InCrowd”), which represented itself as a type of crowdfunding portal through which investors could purchase shares of start-ups supposedly vetted by InCrowd. HADDOW did so without disclosing to investors that he had an ownership interest in both InCrowd, on the one hand, and Bitcoin Store and Bar Works, on the other. HADDOW also misappropriated without permission funds purportedly invested in Bitcoin Store and Bar Works for his own use and the use of others.
RENWICK HADDOW, 48, of the United Kingdom, has been charged in the Complaint with two counts of wire fraud — one relating to the Bitcoin Store scheme and the other relating to the Bar Works scheme. Each charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has brought civil actions against the defendant, for its assistance.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.