Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wakefield News: Andy King rolls to big win in Council election
Wakefield News: Andy King rolls to big win in Council election: By Michael Horowitz BRONX, NEW YORK, November 8- Labor organizer Andy King rolled to an overwhelming victory in Tuesday's speci...
Andy King rolls to big win in Council election
By Michael Horowitz
BRONX, NEW YORK, November 8- Labor organizer Andy King rolled to an overwhelming victory in Tuesday's special election for the City Council in a district that includes Co-op City, as well as the Baychester, Edenwald, and Wakefield communities.
King, with his victory, will immediately take the seat that had been left vacant when Larry Seabrook was convicted on federal-corruption charges.
Next year, there will be another City Council contest in the 12th Councilmanic District, this time for a four-year term in office.
King could not be reached for comment on Tuesday morning.
In Tuesday's contest, King, with organized backing from key labor unions and from virtually the entire Bronx Democratic Party establishment, easily prevailed in a race against five other candidates.
In a bit of a surprise, Pamela Johnson, an organizer of youth and senior-citizen program in the Eastchester area, reportedly finished second in the six-candidate contest.
Other losing candidates in the 12th Councilmanic District race included Cheryl Oliver, a long-time aide to Rep. Jose Serrano and Co-op City shareholder who had the backing of State Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson and political activists Frederick Lewis II and Carrie Mobley; Garth Marchant, a former Albany correspondent for WLIB; Neville Mitchell, a civil-rights attorney, and Rev. Joseph Nwachukwu, a long-time minister and welfare department supervisor and caseworker.
King, a long-time organizer of youths in the Baychester/Edenwald area, first came to the Co-op City public's attention in 2009, when Seabrook handily defeated him in a Democratic Party Primary that was held five months before the long-time legislator's indictment in Federal Court.
King had geared up for the 2009 election for the City Council thinking that Seabrook, like Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would be forced to give up his seat because of term limit for city officeholders.
However, when the City Council voted to overturn term limits, Seabrook, like Bloomberg and other city officeholders, was allowed to run for reelection.
In this year's contest against a field of candidates who were not as well-known as he was, King had a huge organizational advantage against his opponents, Marlene Smith, a retired organizer for Local 1199 of the hospital workers' union, stressed on Wednesday morning.
Smith, a key organizer in King's candidacy, stressed, this week, “Andy King, unlike many other candidates who lose a race, didn't run away and hide after Larry Seabrook beat him. He continued to work, harder than ever, on behalf of the people in the neighborhoods who make up the 12th Councilmanic District.”
Smith added, “This year's race was a good race. I worked my butt off, but so did a number of other retired organizers for Local 1199 and a number of other unions. We were out there for Andy King because he's been out there, for years, for people in the neighborhoods that make up the 12th Councilmanic District.”
Smith noted, “Andy King, after Hurricane Sandy, was the only candidate who was out around the neighborhoods of the 12th Councilmanic District in an effort to help people who lost power during the storm. I predict that the people in the 12th Councilmanic District are going to love Andy (King) because he, unlike some other elected officials in our area, will be out there in varied efforts to help his constituents.”
The long-time organizer for Local 1199 added, “State Senator4 Hassell-Thompson made a bad political move by backing Cheryl Oliver against Andy (King), and Cheryl (Oliver) made a bad political move by running in this race.”
Smith concluded, “The long and the short of it is that we out-organized the other candidates in the City Council race. That's how you win in politics. That's how Andy King, and that's how President Obama won, too.”
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Helping Hurricane Victims
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, November 1- Many millions of Americans living on the Atlantic coast had their lives disrupted, if not much worse, by the power of Hurricane Sandy during the past few days. Double figures of lives were lost, homes were demolished, large numbers of people were stranded in their homes, millions lost power, public transportation in the tri--state area could not run.
Those fortunate to have power have watched the mesmerizing story of the unwelcome visit on TV or look at the photos on this website or in this week’s Bronx News.
First responders who work in the metropolitan area, members of the National Guard and volunteers from other sections of the nation are working to better the lives of local residents and repair the damaged infrastructure.
Individuals and organizations make also being looking for ways to aid the relief effort. Those who do can follow the example of the New York Yankees. The Bronx sports franchise donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross, which is trying to assist the victims of the super storm.
The Yankees Managing Partner Hal Steinbrenner made a statement regarding the natural disaster, “The damage and destruction to the Tri-State area caused by Hurricane Sandy is daunting, but we have seen the great resiliency of this region before. As a neighbor and community member, the Yankees embrace our role of stepping forward and assisting the American Red Cross, which comes to the aid of so many people through their tireless efforts.”
This is not the first time the Yankees under the Steinbrenner ownership have become involved in charitable undertakings. The organization as a unit as well as individual players has formed foundations to aid a variety of causes. The organization today is setting an example that hopefully that hopefully will be followed by other sports organizations and businesses of all types.
The easiest way to donate $10 to the Red Cross is texting RedCross to 90999. The money will be used to benefit, family, friends and neighbors in a time of need.
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Signs of the times
Wakefield Area News
By Mary Lauro
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- Some communities look like picture postcards and others as if a whirlwind of garbage had deposited its detritus on it. What is the difference? Are some people cleaner than others?
Not at all. It is not a matter of personal cleanliness. It is a matter of civic awareness. Children who drop their plastic soda cups on the sidewalk, or adults who throw garbage out of car windows would not do so in their own homes. Very possibly, their own homes are sparkling clean. They simply do not see the area outside their homes as part of their responsibility.
While we agree with some critics that the Sanitation Department, like so many other agencies in the city, spends more time and gives better service in communities that are in the higher income tax bracket, we also feel that the wealthier communities are more apt to voice complaints more quickly and effectively than the poorer ones. For example, think of the number of illegal vendors that are now moving on to White Plains Road. The same vendors would not dream of offering their wares in Riverdale. They know full well that the police would be on them in no time at all, not because the police are anxious to ticket them, but because members of the community would not tolerate their presence.
On White Plain Road, it is a different story. Barbecue chicken is roasted in the open behind a parked car or truck. Many ungloved fingers handle the chicken. On another block, a gleaming, well-structured conveyance sports utensils for boiling frankfurters and sauerkraut. It parks itself between two restaurants. And so on. Patrol cars whiz by. The one or two voices that dial 311 are lonely.
Another feature which downgrades communities is the proliferation of illegal signs. Actually, no signs are to be posted on city streets other than those designated by city agencies. Riverdale has no illegal signs. They are immediately reported and just as quickly removed by the Sanitation Department. We, too, can get such service, if we report the signs. We urge you to do that. It is simple enough.
See a sign anywhere in the community, note the address. You must have the address or a description of its location. Call 311. You will be connected with a person who will take your information and give you a complaint number. Call the next day to see if the sign was removed. Or, better yet, go yourself to the location to see if the sign was removed. If it was not removed, call 311 again, as well as CB 12 at 718-881-4455 to report that it was not removed. We must be persistent to get the service we deserve.
We asked you to do this once before and it worked for a while. But is has begun again with a vengeance. Those signs are now making headway into our side streets. Nothing can be so cheapening. Think of the money spent in upgrading our homes and the thoughtlessness of those who would destroy that effort. Report them!
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Google Helps Bronx Small Biz Get Online
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- This week, Google brought its New York Get Your Business Online program to NYC with events throughout all five boroughs. Launched last year in Albany and Buffalo, New York Get Your Business Online helps drive economic growth by giving small businesses the tools and resources to establish a website, find new customers, and grow their business.
The event, held at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, is the final one in a week-long series that has reached all five boroughs and included almost a thousand of NYC’s small businesses. At each event, Google has worked with small business owners to create their own websites courtesy of Intuit. Businesses have also received a customized domain name, free web hosting for one year, a local business listing on Google Maps, free tools, training and resources. Google experts have been on hand to train the business owners on how to reach more customers online.
“We are committed to making sure the City’s small businesses are online so potential customers can find them,” said Susan Molinari, Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations, for Google. “Many small businesses do not have a website because they think it is too expensive, too difficult or too time consuming to create. New York Get Your Business Online helps small businesses easily and quickly create their own web presence and start growing their businesses online.”
New York Get Your Business Online is an easy and fast way for Bronx small businesses to get a website and become more visible online, where the majority of people are going to find goods and services. While 97 percent of Americans look online for local products and services, 53% percent of New York’s small businesses do not have a website or online presence.
“As a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee I am deeply involved in matters involving the internet and I know that having a presence on the internet is an absolute necessity today,” said Congressman Eliot Engel. “More and more, commerce is becoming e-commerce. This is an opportunity to raise your presence beyond your neighborhood and spread the word much further afield about what you can do for your customers and to attract new ones.”
During this morning’s session, State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson stopped by to visit and speak with the business leaders who were participating.
Businesses unable to attend the event can still get a free website, resources and more information about the program by going to www.NewYorkGetOnline.com.
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