Where's Miss Frizzle's Magic School Bus? Probably on strike

The school bus union is prepared to strike if they don't get a better contract. That means no school bus service for the kids until it's resolved.

"We regret the possibility of what could be a major disturbance in the lives of students and their families. We continue to hope that the bus driver and escort union will not take such unwarranted action in response to what is the proper, legal course of action for the Department of Education to take on behalf of our students and the City taxpayers," Walcott writes.

He says that parents can request MetroCards for their children through the school, or for children in IEP classes, parents who will need to drive their children can get reimbursed 51 cents per mile or the cost of the taxi fares (you'll have to fill out a reimbursement form, of course).

The worst news, to the students, is that any field trip that is suppose to use school buses during the strike is cancelled!

On the bright side, at least next week's only a three day week! Good luck, parents.

Parents Bus Transportation Chancellor Letter_English

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.

3 billion people have used EZ-Pass

The MTA announced today that they recorded its three billionth E-ZPass transaction some time Tuesday morning, which leads me to not praise their success, but ask: HOW THE HELL DO YOU LOSE MONEY WHEN THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE USING BRIDGES, TUNNELS AND HIGHWAYS???

The MTA is touting this milestone "that illustrates the enthusiastic acceptance by motorists of an easier and more convenient way to pay tolls," they said in a press release.

“This is an exciting benchmark and shows how popular E-ZPass has become,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Jim Ferrara. “Using E-ZPass not only saves motorists time and money, it helps keep traffic moving and benefits the environment by reducing vehicle emissions.”

Based on traffic data, the milestone transaction was reached sometime Tuesday morning. An average 800,000 vehicles use MTA crossings daily. And yet for some reason, it still costs $9.50 per car to cross the GW Bridge.

By the way, according to an MTA board member, bridges and tunnels is the only MTA service that actually makes money. Subways, buses and whatever else they have lose money.

Jump below for the rest of the MTA's release.

Bronx outraged over post office closings

Another story from the Bronx Press. It's like I'm giving away the paper today! But there are even more stories in the print edition, so go find it!

By Brendan McHugh 

“Keep it open!” 

Going Postal: U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley and residents of Co-Op City
get just a bit hot under the collar over proposed closings of 17 postal substations
in the Bronx, including this one at Einstein Loop.

That was the chant Co-Op City residents hollered Monday morning in front of the Einstein Loop Post Office, one of 17 offices that are currently being reviewed for possible closure by the United States Postal Service. 

The USPS is looking at 34 offices throughout the city, but Bronxites say everyday chores will become near impossible if the Feds close their post office. 

“Bad, bad,” said Co-Op City resident Olga Powell. “I’m a senior. It’s very hard to go over to another office. We can’t afford to have it closed."

The USPS is also considering closing the Dreiser Loop office, which would mean residents in Co-Op City would have to travel all the way to the north end of their neighborhood to Conner Street—two miles away for some—to send packages, pay bills and pick up mail.

Jump below for the full story.

Macy's will open new store in Bay Plaza shopping center

A story from this week's Bronx Press.

By Brendan McHugh 

Another chain store is finding the Bronx is open for business. 

Macy’s will anchor The Mall at Bay Plaza, a new $270 million, 780,000-square-foot enclosed fashion mall that will be combined with an existing JC Penney. 

The three-level, state-of-the-art mall will be located on a corner parcel at Prestige’s thriving Bay Plaza Shopping Center in the Bronx, already the largest shopping center in New York City. 

Macy’s is leased for 160,000 square feet and will have three levels. 

Last week, the Bronx Press reported that chain stores were beginning to flock to the Bronx, with 3.8 percent more stores in the borough than 2010. The total amount of chain stores in Manhattan dropped 2.1 percent and the city average was only 1.6 percent.

Jump below for the full story.

Body found in Van Cortlandt Park Lake emphasizes need for more park patrol

Another story from this week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press.

By Brendan McHugh 

A body was found Monday in the lake.

A body was found in Van Cortlandt Park Lake Monday afternoon, highlighting a lack of patrol in the city’s parks.

Anthony McGurran, 77, was missing from his Bailey Avenue home since Friday. Police say the investigating is ongoing and that the cause of death is not yet known. There were no immediate signs of foul play.

The news of the tragic death, whatever the cause may be, has underlined a problem with parks and crime.

“The Parks Department is responsible for 14 percent of the city’s land and it’s completely unacceptable that the city is not tracking and reporting crime,” said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Parks Advocates, a parks watchdog group.

Jump below for the full story.

Will this be the last Veterans Day that our heroes are made to wait for memorial?

Here's a story from this week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press.

By Brendan McHugh

ROTC students from several Bronx colleges
participated in the ceremonies to mark Veterans Day
in Van Cortlandt Park.

This past Sunday, about 100 people showed up on a brisk November afternoon to honor Riverdale’s veterans at the Van Cortlandt Park Memorial Grove. 

Herb Barret and Don Tannen, the leaders of the Memorial Grove Restoration Group and two veterans themselves, have held the ceremony for the past five years, not only for the veterans in the area, but also to highlight the need to restore the war memorial. 

“We were hoping that a good part of the grove would be completed,” Barret said at the ceremony. “We’d just like to see it finished.” 

The grove is set for completion this January, though Barret and Tannen have had to be relentless in getting the Department of Parks and Recreation in moving quickly. The grove is suppose to honor 37 deceased war heroes—including two Medal of Honor recipients—with 37 trees and plaques, but a handful of trees weren’t there and many of the plaques disappeared over the years. Many of those honored in the grove are from World War II, though a small number honor those who fought in World War I and the Korean War. 

Jump below for the full story.

New operators for food services coming to Orchard Beach

Orchard Beach needs a new vendor for food services.

The Bronx Riviera is in need of food.

The city's Department of Parks & Recreation announces that a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) has been issued for the renovation, operation and maintenance of three snack bars and the operation of up to 20 mobile food units at Orchard Beach.

“For more than 75 years, Orchard Beach has served as the Riviera of the Bronx, delighting New Yorkers with its 1.1 mile sandy beach and promenade,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “No trip to the beach is complete without delicious food and we are hoping to find high quality, interesting food offerings for the beach’s snack bars and carts.”

The deadline for RFP submissions is Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 at 3 p.m.

The contract expired at the end of the 2011 summer season for the previous company that ran food services.

Jump below to find out where you can obtain the RFP if you're interested.

This week's Riverdale Review & Bronx Press

Here are the stories from this week's (Nov. 17-23) issues of the Riverdale Review and Bronx Press.

Mayor stunned by delays with skating rink
Will this be the last Veterans Day that our heroes are made to wait for memorial?
Body found in Van Cortlandt Park Lake
Community goes postal over closings
State Education Department gives Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy even more bad news on reading tests
Bell Tower is named landmark
Sisters of Charity fetes one of its centenarians

Also in the Bronx Press:
Bronx outraged over post office closings
Seabrook corruption trial: the hole in the bagel
Macy's will open new store in Bay Plaza shopping center

Legislative Gazette Publishes Special Section on the Bronx

Check out this brand new special section on the Bronx, published by the Legislative Gazette, that was produced jointly by the Office of the Borough President and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. This special section will be mailed to all 17,000 subscribers of the Legislative Gazette. In addition, the BP's office will receive 5,000 hard copies to distribute.

The section recaps 2011 in the Bronx, from a March groundbreaking in Hunts Point for a new Jetro facility to October's education summit.

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