Thursday, August 28, 2014

TONY ORLANDO TO TAKE THE STAGE IN SETON PARK FOR FREE SUMMER CONCERT


Music Legend to Perform for Hundreds of Bronx Fans under the Stars

State Senator Jeff Klein will host one of America’s most endearing and enduring stars, Tony Orlando, for what is expected to be an exciting evening of music and fun for Bronx families to enjoy free of charge Thursday night.  Orlando is performing as part of Senator Klein’s 2014 Summertime Symphonies Series, an annual event that provides free concerts throughout the month of August to Bronx residents.

Born and raised in New York City, Orlando began hitting the national charts at age 16 and quickly became a sensation. His 1973 recording of  Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree was number one for the year, became Orlando's theme song and grew into an American anthem of hope and homecoming.

WHO:  Performer Tony Orlando
State Senator Jeff Klein
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz (D-Bronx)
Councilman Andy Cohen (D-Bronx)
Hundreds of concert goers

WHEN: Thursday, August 28th, 2014, 7PM.
WHERE: Seton Park, Independence Ave, Bronx, NY 10463

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Annual Bronx Democratic County Barbecue Sat. Sept. 6th


COME TO OUR ANNUAL BBQ

KLEIN & COHEN ANNOUNCE NEW PLAYGROUND AND TRAIL UPGRADES FOR VAN CORTLANDT PARK


  More than $1.8 Million in State and Municipal Grants slated for projects at Scenic Bronx Park to Enhance Outdoor Activities for Families

(in the photo with Senator Klein, Councilman Cohen, Assemblyman Dinowits, and Bronx Parks Commissioner Aponte are Eric Seiff from the Friends of VCP, and M. Perron VCP administrator. 

State Senator Jeffrey Klein and Council Member Andrew Cohen announced Wednesday that more than $1.8 million in state and municipal capital grants is being provided to the NYC Parks Department as part of an effort to enhance Van Cortlandt Park. The funding will be used to construct a new playground and make environmental and infrastructure improvements to two trails at Van Cortlandt Park.

State Senator Jeff Klein said: “Van Cortlandt Park is a Bronx treasure. I am pleased that I was able to secure funding in this year’s state budget that will help enhance the park’s natural attraction to New Yorkers of all ages. With this new playground and trail upgrades we’ll attract more visitors and ensure that our residents continue to enjoy outdoor fun and a beautiful connection to the environment.”

Council Member Andy Cohen said:After I took office, it became a priority of mine to secure the funding to help NYC Parks create a new playground in the north-west section of Van Cortlandt Park. This particular area was lacking a recreational space for the youth of the community to enjoy. I believe that this new addition, along with the improved park trails, will draw more families to this beautiful space and utilize every portion of the park.  Park improvement is something I am very dedicated to and I am proud to help make this particular need for more recreational space a reality.”
Bronx Parks Commissioner Hector Aponte said: “Last year, NYC Parks worked with the communities surrounding Van Cortlandt Park to create a plan which would improve the park and better serve parkgoers. We identified priority projects – including creating a new playground on Van Cortlandt's western side and upgrading park trails.  The plan started to become a reality after allocations by Council Member Cohen were bolstered by grants secured with the help of State Senator Klein.”

Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz said: "All kids deserve to have public spaces in their neighborhoods where they can play safely. Residents in Riverdale enjoy access to many amenities in the world-class Van Cortlandt Park, yet for some, playgrounds are few and far between: the Parks Department’s Van Cortlandt Park Master Plan, released earlier this year, noted the lack of play areas  in the northwest corner of the park and identified the construction of these spaces as a top priority.

A total of $1.275 million was secured in a combination of state ($500,000) and municipal ($775,000) grants for the new playground which is expected to be located in the general vicinity of the Riverdale Stables.  

Senator Klein also secured $542,388 in state grants for NYC Parks to implement two of the remaining projects in the Van Cortlandt Park Trails Plan. Specifically, The John Kieran Nature Trail and the John Muir Nature Trail. The upgrades and improvements to the trails will help to better serve Park users and highlight and protect the Park’s unique natural resources.

Van Cortlandt Park is New York City’s third largest park, encompassing more than a thousand acres atop the ridges and valleys of the northwest Bronx. It is surrounded by five diverse NYC neighborhoods (Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, Norwood, and Woodlawn). The park is home to the country's first public golf course, the oldest house in the Bronx, and the borough's largest freshwater lake.

More photos are below.






BP DIAZ, NEW YORK YANKEES & AT&T HOST FOURTH ANNUAL 'BOROUGH PRESIDENT'S CUP'


Tuesday August 26th Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., the New York Yankees and AT&T co-hosted the fourth annual “Borough President’s Cup” Little League Championship. The game featured a match-up between the 2013 champions Grand Slam Little League and the Bronx Bombers, who competed for this year’s title in a game at Yankee Stadium.

The Bronx Bombers took the championship with a 14-2 victory over Grand Slam Little League.

To compete for the “Borough President’s Cup,” players for each Little League had to meet a set of requirements unrelated to their performance on the field. Those included a B-average in school, 90 percent or greater school attendance and a demonstrated commitment to community service. This year, some of the teams participated in a cleanup of Claremont Park as part of their community service, in partnership with a borough non-profit organization, The Bronx is Blooming.

“For the fourth straight year, we’ve given Bronx Little Leaguers a chance to walk in the footprints of legends like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, and in the shadows of the all-time greats like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. I would like to thank AT&T and the New York Yankees for once again helping my office make this a wonderful event, and for giving these young men a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH SENATOR RUBEN DIAZ









Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Is It Jeff Klein Vs. Oliver Koppell or Jeff Klein Vs. Lorraine Coyle Koppell in the 34th State Senate race?


   Having just watched the the 34th State Senate debate on New York 1, - I have to wonder just who is State Senator Jeff Klein running against. Is it former Councilman Oliver Koppell as the ballot will say or is it former 34th State Senate candidate Lorraine Coyle Koppell who lost to then State Senator Guy Velella in the year 2000.  I come to that conclusion because this election seem to be a repeat of the 2000 election by many of the comments by candidate Oliver Koppell which I remember from his wife in 2000. Lorraine Coyle Koppell tried to portray then State Senator Guy Velella as the evil Republican much the same way Oliver Koppell is trying to do to Democratic State Senator Jeff Klein. Also Lorraine Coyle Koppell had her problem in Morris Park much the same way that Oliver Koppell is having. 

  The only real difference in this years election is that candidate Oliver Koppell does not know when to quit. He says that he has already won because Senator Klein and the IDC are returning to work with the Senate Democratic Conference as Senator Klein, Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and many others have said. If Senator Klein goes back on his word as challenger Koppell says there will be another election in 2 years. It looks like the 2000 election all over since only the incumbent is running on his record, and the Koppell challenging the incumbent is saying vote for me I'm a Democrat. 

  As for the NY 1 debate candidate Koppell said that he knows the problems in Throggs Neck and Hunts Point not just Riverdale. Koppell had to apologize for a comment about the communities, saying that he meant the district set up. Senator Klein blasted Koppell for a lack of listening to his constituents about a proposed 11 story senior/criminally mentally ill building Klein said that one community opposed. Klein added that the building will now be for seniors only. The subject of the proposed 11 story medical center in Community Board 8 came up with Senator Klein saying that the law he and Assemblyman Dinowitz got passed has halted that. Klein added that it will be no larger than 6 stories with several stories of parking. After a few minutes of just what went on when Democrats had control of the state senate for 2 short years and the dysfunction Klein said went on, Koppell came back calling Klein the new Pedro Espada.  
  
  Senator Klein rattled off endorsement after endorsement from Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and union after union, Koppell claimed that Klein got those endorsements by extortion for fear of continuing on with the Republican Senate Conference. Koppell called Klein the 'King of Pay to Play' and anti tennant, Klein responded with the legislation he had passed in Albany to protect homeowners and tennant's  

  This debate ended with Senator Klein calling Oliver Koppell the puppet of Mayor Bloomberg in helping Bloomberg repeal term limits in 2009 over the will of the voters. Klein added that Koppell's reason was that the voters were not sophisticated enough, and that Koppell believes people in the East Bronx are not broad minded. Koppell responded that he was not Bloombergs lap dog, he does not believe in term limits, and that he (Koppell) goes to Morris Park often to eat. 


Con Edison Digging Again



  You may be saying - What is an Express Bus doing on Johnson Avenue at the corner of West 235th Street. The answer is in the two photos below as Con Edison is digging a trench on the Henry Hudson Parkway northbound service road up to West 238th Street. 















 Left - The sign on the West 235th Street bus stop on the HHP northbound service road says that the bus is running on Johnson Avenue due to street repaving work.

Right - A different sign at West 238th Street bus stop on the HHP service road northbound just says that the buses are not stopping here.
  
  However as you will see in the photos below Con Edison has marked off and even made a few cuts in the street where it thinks the new high pressure gas line should go, or do they? By the way the Public Service Commission issued a report that up to 70 percent of the Con Edison workers, and contracted workers are not fully trained in this construction work. Con Edison has had different contractors, and has had to redo some areas that some of the contracted workers did. Con Edison also has a special truck out to detect leaks in the high pressure gas lines where parts of streets have to be dug up again to repair inferior work by a contractor.   
















Left - You can see that the HHP service road by West 236th Street has already been marked off and even cut into.
Right - You can see the markings that by the West 238th Street entrance to the parkway, which will mean that this entrance will have to be closed for up to a month the way Con Edison has been working. 














Left - Just how wide and where will Con Edison do their digging at this spot on the HHP service road.
Right - Con Edison has already cut one part of the street here, but their markings do not line up. Will the contractor for Con Edison have to redo their digging as has had to be done on some other streets.















Left - This is how this contractor has left this staging site, which will stay this way for over a month.
Right - These heavy gas pipes are just sitting at the curb with little protection right across the street from the busy Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. However these are common sites where ever Con Edison contractors are digging up the street to install the new high pressure gas lines.