Calling All Choirs

NEW YORK, NEW YORK, July 5- The Pathmark Gospel choir competition is back and better than before! 

Does your church, school or community choir have what it takes to compete? All gospel singing groups are invited to audition and compete in the 12^th Annual Pathmark Gospel Competition for over $10,000 worth of prizes. 

This year the historic contest takes place on Saturday, July 21, at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Entries are on a first-come, first-serve basis, so sign your choir up quickly.

For more information or to register for the competition, please visit http://www.pathmark.com/gospel_choir.asp.

NYPD Pours Cold Water on Illegal Fireworks

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 3- The NYPD reminds all New Yorkers to celebrate the 4^th of July safely and legally this week. 

Through July 1, police have made 93 separate seizures of assorted illegal fireworks in various volume through arrests, vehicle check points and buy operations. The firecrackers, aerial displays, rockets and fireworks cakes confiscated so far fill more than 300 boxes and bags, from individual packages up to gallon trash bags.

Fifty-six individuals have been arrested for illegal fireworks and an additional 33 issued summonses. Fifty cars were found to have been transporting illegal fireworks, 12 of which were confiscated from their operators. Citizens are encouraged to call 311 to provide information about anyone using or selling illegal fireworks, and 911 to report crimes in progress.

Fireworks violations increase as the Fourth of July approaches. From Jan. 1 to July 5 last year the NYPD made 579 seizures of illegal fireworks, or an estimated 6,500 lbs – more than three tons – of assorted pyrotechnics. Confiscated fireworks are destroyed in controlled burns at the NYPD range in Rodman’s Neck, the Bronx.

Strike Heats Up

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Workers Protest Con Ed Lockout

(Photos by David Greene)

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, July 3- More than 8,500 union employees of Consolidated Edison were locked out at plants across the city, as contract negotiations broke down after a midnight deadline on June 30.

The workers, who repair and maintain the electric power grid that keeps our computers, televisions and air-conditioners running are now picketing outside plants across the city, as some 5,000 managers are now performing the emergency repairs needed to keep the power flowing.

One worker outside the Van Nest plant, that employed about 500

workers, claimed workers were fighting for maintaining their pension and medical benefits that he claimed management wanted to eliminate completely.

The worker, who would only give his first name, "Henry," continued, "They want to eliminate our benefits completely, so that's one of the sticking points."

Henry claimed that management wanted to change the federal mandate of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), allowing injured workers to be fired when the compensation runs out, explaining, "They want to fire your ass when your FMLA is over."

"It's going to be a very hot summer for the people of New York," Henry continued, "Management can't do the job that we do. They can supervise the job, but the qualified people are the people in the field and with 8,500 less people, there's no way they can handle the job."

Members of Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America claim that Con Edison CEO Craig Ivy was brought in from Virginia two-years ago after cutting benefits to union worker's in that state.

One Van Nest resident stated, "It's about time for the unions to start showing some muscle. The company is obviously making a lot of people money, let’s be honest. New York State and New York City residents pay a lot of money for something that everybody else gets for half-price or less. I don't think these guys are getting the money, but the shareholder's and the CEO are."

According to Con Edison's website, "All company personnel have been preparing for the possibility of a union work stoppage for months."

Con Edison's walk-in payment centers are now closed and normal meter readings have also been suspended for the immediate future.

Both the offices of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Andrew Cuomo continue to monitor the situation.

Con Edison currently serves 3.2 million customers that represent

nearly 9 million people in the New York City's five boroughs and Westchester County.

Workers at Con Edison last went on strike in the summer of 1983, when the company had 16,500 workers. That strike lasted nine-weeks.

Fireworks

(Photos by Gary Quintal) 

Independence Day came early this year as Bronxites celebrated the birth of our country. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and State Sen. Jeff Klein held the annual Salute to America fireworks event at Orchard Beach on Friday. In addition to a host of fireworks which rivals Macy’s annual event, Bronxites were treated to the sounds of Alive N Kickin’.

Crackin' Up

Yankees Bullpen Fails to Save

White Sox Win, 4-3

(Maybe it's the heat but Yankee fans weren't the only ones who exhibited strange behavior. The bullpen blew Ivan Nova's stellar performance. Photos by Ken Carozza)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 29- The Yankees relievers in the ninth inning of Thursday night’s contest failed to preserve a 3-1 lead. A three-run homer by Dayn Viciedo of Chicago ended the Yankees five-game winning streak and the six-game winning streak over the White Sox. New York remained five games in front in the American League East as every team in the division lost on Thursday.

Yankees starter Ivan Nova made a strong attempt to win his sixth straight decision. The 25-year old pitched 7.1 innings. He gave up only a single run during his impressive stint on a two-out home run to Alejandro de Aza in the fifth. He surrendered five other hits, walked three batters and fanned five.

The Sox threated Nova only in the fourth as base hits put runners on first and third with no one out. A short fly to Center and a double play ended the threat without a run being scored.

Chicago starter Dylan Axelrod also pitched an outstanding game. Axelrod only faced difficulty in the fourth and fifth frames. A-Rod doubled to lead-off the fourth. After two batters were retired, Nick Swisher and Raúl Ibañez walked to load the bases. Eric Chavez grounded to third to end the inning without a Yankee run.

The Yankees put their first runs on the scoreboard after two were retired in the following inning. Curtis Granderson singled. He scored on A-Rod’s second double in two innings. Rodriguez crossed the plate on a double by the next batter, Robinson Cano.

A two-out homer by Mark Teixeira, his 13^th of 2012, in the bottom of the eighth put the Yanks ahead, 3-2.

The outcome was determined in the top of the ninth as the White Sox put three on the board against Yankees relievers. The Yankees pen men entered the contest second in the majors in ERA and second in allowing inherited runners to score.

Alex Rios began the ninth with a single off Cody Eppley, who retired the final batter in the eighth. Yankee skipper Joe Girardi then brought in Clay Rapada. The lefty did what was hoped for, got A.J. Pierzyinski to ground to the pitcher for what appeared to be an easy double play. Instead of two men being out, Rapada threw the ball into center field. David Robertson a righty, then came into the game and gave up the winning blow.

In the post-game press conference, Girardi faced a barrage of questions regarding his use of the relievers. Of not using closer Rafael Soriano, who has 17 saves in 18 opportunities this year, “I can’t run him out five out of six days after the very tough day yesterday and get him hurt.”

Explaining why he didn’t begin the ninth with Robertson, he said, “We’ve only used him once back-to-back. I’m going to be cautious.”  Robertson was on the disabled list from May 15-June 14.

Adam Warren of the Yanks will make his Major League debut in the second contest of the four game series on Friday night. He will face Jose Quintana (2-1) will a minuscule Era of 125.

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BP Hails Supreme’s Upholding of Obamacare

(Views on the News)

The following statement is from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. on the ruling by the Supreme Court upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:

“Today the Supreme Court delivered a major victory for the American people by upholding the‘individual mandate’ of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act today.

“This is an important law that affects millions of residents across the country. In a Borough where a high percentage of residents are uninsured, it is imperative for this law to remain so that Bronxites can access and afford the care they need. According to the Bronx Health Link, had the bill been upheld in its entirety, about 99,000 Bronx residents would have gained insurance coverage, and the uninsured rate would have gone down from 21 percent in 2009 to 14 percent. Moreover, up to 70,000 more New York State residents would have been eligible for Medicaid starting in 2014.

“It is because of this law we have made a fundamental and transformative change to how those with preexisting conditions will receive the care they so desperately need. It is because of this law we have taken a substantial step in fixing a broken system.

“But there is more work to be done; by striking down the Medicaid expansion we have missed a tremendous opportunity to impact those areas with the greatest economic need. We must continue push Congress to make the needed reforms to Medicaid so that more Americans can receive benefits under this important program.

“We thank the President for his leadership. Residents in our Borough and those across the country will have greater rights and protections when it comes to healthcare. Today is a victory for all Americans,” said Bronx borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Filter Plant, Homeless Shelter Debates Heat Up

COMMUNITY BOARD

NEWS N’ VIEWS

by

Father Richard F. Gorman

Chairman

Community Board #12 (The Bronx)

Summer has arrived. 

Officially, it came at 7:09 p.m. on Wednesday evening, 20 June 2012. Even if we were not aware of the official starting time for the season, we have already witnessed indications of its advent.  School is out and our children are on their annual 10-week hiatus from pens, pencils, and books for reading, writing, and arithmetic. We had our first blast of “triple-H”  --  as in “H”azy, “H”ot, and “H”umid  --  weather. The Fourth of July is upon us and already there is talk of expeditions for sales at shopping malls and of excursions to a favorite park site or beach front.  Swimming pools have had pool covers and tires subtracted and chlorine to the water added. Barbeques have lost their cold weather coat. Yes, it is time for relaxation, refreshment, and renewal. Now is the moment to cast routine aside and take a break from the humdrum of the usual.

I am afraid, though, that such is not going to be the case for us folks at the Town Hall Headquarters of Community Board #12 (The Bronx) this Summer. In addition to the usual Summertime public safety and quality of life issues  --  and those problems have already begun to rear their ugly head  --  many other concerns appear not to be taking Summer vacation at this point.  For example, in my column last week, I related to you some of the controversies that continue to attend the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Plant in what used to be Van Cortlandt Park’s Mosholu Golf Course and Driving Range. It never ceases to amaze me how the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (N.Y.C.D.E.P.) can find every nickel it needs  --  not to mention literally tens of millions of dollars  -- to accommodate its unquenchable thirst for additional funding in order to cover the ever-escalating costs of this behemoth of a project. N.Y.C.D.E.P. even knows how to spend our money in covering the costs of projects connected to the Croton Water Filtration Plant that proved to be unnecessary  --  e.g., the force main that was supposed to run the length of our Borough from the plant site to Hunts Point, for the most part under Webster Avenue. Meanwhile, there is not a solitary cent from the City of New York  --  and specifically, its Department of Environmental Protection (N.Y.C.D.E.P.)  --  to honor the commitments made to the people of the Borough of The Bronx, such as building the long anticipated pedestrian bridge in Van Cortlandt Park! What must Bronxites do to get the Bloomberg Administration and N.Y.C.D.E.P. to abide by its promises to the people, not to mention legislative actions of the New York City Council? Must we occupy a park on Wall Street or scream at night outside the Mayor’s Manhattan townhouse?

While we are on the matter of the Croton Water Fleece-the-Taxpayer Project, at last week’s June meeting of the Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee (C.F.M.C.), N.Y.C.D.E.P. representative Mark Lanaghan matter-of-factly announced that there would be no Summer meeting of the Monitoring Committee and that he would only be attending quarterly meetings of the Monitoring Committee henceforth.  The absence of a Summer C.F.M.C. Meeting is no great deficiency as the Monitoring Committee only met once during the Summer since its inception. When “YOURS TRULY” was C.F.M.C. Chairman last year, I called a Summer meeting since N.Y.C.D.E.P. was completely closing down and totally tearing up Goulden Avenue during July and August. I felt that convening a meeting of the Monitoring Committee would provide local residents with a public forum at which to register any complaints or inconveniences arising from the street closure as well as affording the C.F.M.C. an opportunity to keep an eye on it.  

As far as Mr. Lanaghan’s “four-meetings-only” decree, it is any surprise that he and his bureaucratic cohorts would disregard the majority decision of the Monitoring Committee to conduct monthly meetings if N.Y.C.D.E.P. ignores with impunity legislative decisions of the New York City Council?  Curiously, Bronx Community Board #7 Chairman Paul Foster, who is serving as Monitoring Committee Chairman for 2012, is neither as surprised nor outraged at this disrespect to his C.F.M.C. confrères as is “YOURS TRULY,” who vigorously challenged Mr. Foster on his determination to forget about Mr. Lanaghan’s impertinent effrontery until the Committee’s September gathering. 

Fortunately, Council Member G. Oliver Koppell, also a member of the Monitoring Committee, has indicated that he will again approach N.Y.C.D.E.P. Commissioner Carter Strickland on this issue as I trust will our Borough President of The Bronx, The Honorable Ruben Diaz, Jr., who weighed in along with Council Member Koppell in support of the Monitoring Committee’s majority vote to meet on a monthly basis.

Closer to Town Hall, however, after months of no news, there is no good news about the homeless colony being planned for the intersection of Bronx Boulevard and East 238^TH Street/Nereid Avenue in the Wakefield section of Bronx Community District #12.  

On Monday morning, 18 June 2012, Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond paid a visit to me and District Manager Carmen L. Rosa at Town Hall accompanied by his aides Douglas C. James and Alex T. Zablocki.  Commissioner Diamond is well aware of our continued opposition to the homeless facilities to be operated by PROJECT RENEWAL at 4380 Bronx Boulevard and by THE DOE FUND at 555 Nereid Avenue/East 238^TH Street in the shuttered Sergeant Joseph A. Muller United States Army Reserve Center (Muller U.S.A.R.C.). Nonetheless, Community Board #12 (The Bronx) is prudently pursuing a two-pronged approach in this regard. While seeking every avenue available to prevent either or both shelters from ever opening, the Community Board will simultaneously engage in a respectful dialogue with Commissioner Diamond and the New York City Department of Homeless Services (N.Y.C.D.H.S.) in an effort to pre-empt altogether, or at least to mitigate, any injurious impact upon the local neighborhood due to the operation of these shelters. Issues such as the congregation of the shelter residents on sidewalks outside of these facilities for purposes of recreation, socialization, or smoking; the presence of security measures, such as cameras, within and without the facilities; staffing levels; and the involvement of shelter residents in the daily life of our neighborhood were discussed. The lack of straightforward and ongoing communication with the proposed operating agencies of these facilities as well as the operators’ need for recurrent participation in Community Board and in other meetings and events in Bronx Community District #12 were examined as well. I wish to thank most sincerely N.Y.C.D.H.S. Commissioner Seth Diamond for his courtesy and respect to me and to Ms. Rosa in coming to Town Hall in order to confer with us on a contentious matter. Perhaps, Mr. Lanaghan and Commissioner Diamond’s fellow supposedly “civil” servants at N.Y.C.D.E.P. could learn a lesson or two (2) from him on how to deal maturely with the taxpayers who pay their salary

Commissioner Diamond’s appearance at Town Hall presaged, and, perhaps, was in his anticipation of our impending receipt of correspondence from Federal agencies involved in the closure and the transfer of the Muller U.S.A.R.C. to Mayor Bloomberg and to Borough President Diaz that likewise arrived at Town Hall last week. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S.H.U.D.) has written to Mayor Bloomberg indicating that, since the procedures for legally transferring jurisdiction of the Muller U.S.A.R.C. to the City of New York have been suitably complied with, the City’s Department of Homeless Services (N.Y.C.D.H.S.) may now proceed to utilize the former National Guard base for homelessness assistance. Concurrently, an official in charge of the Environmental Division of the 99^TH Regional Support Command of the United States Department of the Army corresponded with our Borough President in order solicit concerns relative to the environmental impact upon the neighborhood as a consequence of the transfer and the re-use of the Muller U.S.A.R.C. Appropriate courses of action have been undertaken and/or are being contemplated relative to both of the issues addressed by the aforementioned letters  --  viz., adherence to the prerequisites of the transfer process and the environmental safety of the site. Our side is certainly at a disadvantage, but we are neither out of options nor ready to throw in the towel as of yet.

Summer may be the time for vacation, but there will be no vacation for Community Board #12 (The Bronx) on any number of concerns confronting our neighborhood. Hopefully, all will be able to find cool spots and moments from the hot weather that comes with this season. Your Community Board promises to maintain a cool head as it deals with these and several other hot topics during July and August.

Until next time, that is it for this time!

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