Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories in this week's issue (November 22 - November 28) of the Riverdale Review:

Andrew Cohen kicks off his election campaign 
* Cohen throws hat in ring for Council run > It's official: Community Board 8 member Andrew Cohen has entered the race for Councilman G. Oliver Koppell's seat in the 2013 citywide elections. Cohen, a Riverdale resident, ended weeks of speculation and declared his intention to jump into the electoral race during a press event on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan on Tuesday. The announcement means Cohen will now be pitted against Cliff Stanton, the only other candidate in the hotly anticipated City Council District 11 race.
* Bidding war erupts as Delafield Estates goes under the hammer > A Long Island-based developer has snapped up the remaining lots in the troubled Delafield Estates development for a whopping $6.375 million. The 22 parcels were sold off as a single lot during a frenzied public auction at the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale on November 19.
* Community Board approves street renaming > Efforts to rename a local street in honor of James V. Downey has moved a step closer to reality after it got the Community Board 8 nod. Members of CB8 voted 32 to 0 in favor of renaming the stretch of Mosholu Avenue between West 254th Street and West 256th Streets to 'James V. Downey Way.'
* City officials break ice on new Van Cortlandt Park skating rink > The brand-new Van Cortlandt Park ice-skating rink in officially open for business. The Bronx's first public skating rink in nearly 30 years was unveiled by a slew of city officials during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday.
* Hebrew Home takes in displaced Sandy victims > The Hebrew Home at Riverdale has announced that it will temporarily house 130 adult home residents displaced by superstorn Sandy at its recently acquired Passionist Retreat House, a dormitory formerly used by the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale. The Hebrew Home will host the displaced residents until their permanent homes, damaged by the storm, are fully repaired.
* NYPD Bronx Task Force in Riverdale following Gaza crisis > The NYPD is taking steps to keep Riverdale synagogues safe while demonstrators gather in Manhattan to express their anger at Israel's retaliation for ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza. Officials said eight to 12 police officers from the Bronx Task Force are in the area to supplement precinct staff.
* Diaz to seek reelection as Bronx BP > Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has abandoned plans to run for office of public advocate and will instead seek to keep his current job during the 2013 citywide elections. In a lengthy email to supporters on Tuesday, Diaz said he would not pursue the city's second-highest post because he still had several loose ends to tie up in The Bronx.
* Local restaurants take advantage of Thanksgiving trend > Restaurants in Riverdale are accommodating guests who don't have time or energy to cook an elaborate Thanksgiving feast by opening their doors on the holiday.
* Local artists exhibits tiny whimsical portraits at library > More than 200 portraits by Riverdale artist Nina Seigenfeld-Velazquez are on display in an exhibition called 'What's Mine is Yours' at the Riverdale branch of the New York Public Library through the end of May.
* Area merchants host food drive > Local politicians and members of the North Riverdale Merchants Association came together to do a little good for the community on November 16. The NRMA spearheaded a new food drive to collect nonperishable items for those in need.
* Bronx residents object to MTA fare hikes during public hearing > The Metropolitan Transportation Authority  held a public hearing on November 13 for Bronx residents to voice their opinions on the proposed fare hikes.

Also, in the Bronx Press:
* Three wounded at funeral home shooting > Three people were wounded when a gunman opened fire on a crowd in the doorway of a Parkchester funeral home. Cops were called to the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home, located at 2121 Westchester Avenue, at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. Police said the three victims were shot in the parking lot of the funeral home, around the vicinity of the parlor's entrance.
* Bronx father sought in bizarre kidnapping > Police continue to hunt for the father wanted in connection with a one-man crime spree that included firing a handgun, setting an apartment on fire, kidnapping his own kids, carjacking a man and fleeing the scene.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Diaz Jr. doling out the turkey

On Monday, Nov. 21, 2011, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. teamed up with Western Beef for the company’s annual giveaway of 2,500 free turkeys to Bronx families in need. Borough President Diaz participated in the turkey distribution at the corner of West Burnside Avenue and Grand Avenue, where more than 400 free turkeys were given away to residents.

Diaz will be giving away hundreds of free turkeys as part of his annual turkey giveaway at various locations in the Bronx throughout this week.

Friday, November 18, 2011

MTA Service for Thanksgiving Weekend

If you manage to get through the possible school bus strike next week, expect to be rewarded with increased MTA service for Black Friday and the weekend.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) services will operate on special schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27, in honor of the Thanksgiving weekend.

New York City Subways and Buses

MTA buses and subways will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day. On Black Friday, service will operate on a weekday schedule with some exceptions.  The closest subway stations to the start of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the 1 at 79th Street and the B, C, at 81st Street. Selected north and southbound A and D trains will operate as locals and extra trains will be made available as needed. There will be additional service on the 42nd Street S shuttle as well as increased early morning service on the 1 line. A number of bus routes will be impacted by the parade.

Long Island Rail Road 

The LIRR will operate additional trains on Wednesday, Nov. 23, and on Thanksgiving. Off-peak fares will be in effect for the entire four-day holiday weekend. On Black Friday, Nov. 25, traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the LIRR will run a full weekday train schedule even though off-peak fares will be in effect all day. 

Metro-North Railroad 

MTA Metro-North Railroad will operate extra trains on Wednesday, Nov. 23, departing Grand Central beginning at 1 p.m. On Thanksgiving Day, Metro-North will operate a holiday schedule with extra AM inbound service for those going to see the Macy’s Parade, and extra late morning and early afternoon outbound service. And for the first time this year, Metro-North is providing train service to a popular annual five-mile road race in Southport, Conn., on Thanksgiving morning.

On Black Friday, Metro-North will operate a Saturday schedule with a lot of extra service during the AM and PM peaks. Metro-North is also operating weekend Shoppers’ Specials service on the New Haven Line and Hudson Line from Nov. 19 to Dec. 17.

West of the Hudson River, bus service has replaced Port Jervis Line trains between Suffern and Harriman. Shoppers’ traffic jams around the Woodbury Common outlet center mean Metro-North is allowing more time in the Port Jervis Line bus schedule to ensure that buses make their train connections in Ramsey/Route 17.

Off-peak fares will be in effect for the entire four-day holiday weekend.

Staten Island Railway 

Staten Island customers looking to get a head start on their holiday weekend will be able to catch earlier afternoon express train service on Wednesday, Nov. 23, with extra SIR trains added earlier in the afternoon beginning at 2:31 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal. There will be one express train and one local train awaiting every boat until 7:50 p.m.

On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, SIR will operate a Sunday schedule, while on Friday, Nov. 25, trains will run on a regular weekday schedule.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels

To ease travel for its customers this Thanksgiving, routine maintenance and temporary construction work at all MTA Bridges and Tunnels crossings will be suspended beginning Noon on Wednesday, Nov. 23, until early Monday morning, Nov. 28.

Dinowitz feeds the needy then fights Verizon

A pair of photos popped into my inbox yesterday. Looks like Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has been busy fighting the injustice in the world.

Dinowitz collected donations from P.S. 81 students for the purchase of Thanksgiving turkeys for needy families. Here, he is pictured with members of the P.S. 81 Student Government and Student Government Advisors Steve Ozer and Shari Galligan after collecting their donations.

Also, Dinowitz joined with Verizon workers today in their ongoing contract battle against Verizon's efforts to reduce their health and pension benefits.
(L-R) State Senator Gustavo Rivera, Dinowitz,
Council Member Fernando Cabrera, and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Diaz Sr. planning surprise visits to senior centers with Thanksgiving gifts

State senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. will be making surprise visits to 23 senior citizen centers between Nov. 14 and Nov. 23 to distribute 1,500 Thanksgiving gift cards worth $10 each to senior citizens at the centers when he arrives. These gift cards have been sponsored by Diaz and Access Health Care.
 
"During the next two weeks, I will visit 23 senior citizen centers unannounced and all seniors who are present will receive a gift card to help them purchase their Thanksgiving meals," Diaz said. "At Thanksgiving we count all of our blessings, and our senior citizens who are our parents, our aunts, our uncles, our neighbors and our friends are at the top of the list to thank God for being part of our lives."

Jump below for the list of centers he is visiting.