The proposed 81st Assembly district (UPDATE)

Maps of Assembly districts drawn by the legislative redistricting task force (LATFOR) have been sent to the relevant Assemblymember. We've reached out to the Bronx members and are waiting to hear back to get each one. Here's the first we've gotten, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz's 81st. 

UPDATE: All the lines are out now on the LATFOR site, and you can check another post on Bronx Press Politics to see our breakdowns of the Senate. 

The proposed lines add the rest of Van Cortlandt Village, the Jerome Park Reservoir, Clinton HS, Bronx HS of Science, Harris Field and Lehman College, much of Kingsbridge Heights, the four buildings from the Marble Hill Houses that are in the Bronx, and returns the one election district at the bottom of Riverdale (2400 and 2500 Johnson Ave) that was taken away in 2002. Several election districts in Norwood were moved to the 80th Assembly District. The population of the new district is 126,402, a -2.08 percent deviation from the statewide average. The current district has 119,653. 

Every single Bronx AD is within 31 people of one another.


Dinowitz said he absolutely loves this proposed district because it puts nearly all of Community Board 8 in his district. It also gives him Lehman College and Bronx High School of Science, both which he attended, as well as a junior high school that goes by a different name now. It also has a good portion of Kingsbridge Heights, which is the neighborhood he grew up in.


In terms of the overall Bronx Assembly districts, "they're very reasonably drawn," he said. There aren't many "zig zags" but instead you see a lot of straight lines that keep communities together.

"To the extent that you can not divide neighborhoods," LATFOR did a good job with the Bronx.

For your consideration, here is Dinowitz's district as it looks now, drawn up in 2002:

It's official: Boycotter leader just another politician

Another story from this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

Stanton is running for City Council.

Cliff Stanton, a Van Cortlandt Village resident who is involved in the boycott of the Riverdale Review, has opened a campaign committee with the Board of Elections to run for City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell’s seat in 2013. 

Koppell is term limited, forcing him to vacate the seat. 

Stanton also runs United Snacks, which has a relationship with the Nuts4Nuts street vendors. Locally, he is involved with the parents associations of P.S. 24 and Bronx High School of Science and is the treasurer of the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation. 

During a brief phone interview, Stanton said he is not inclined to speak with this newspaper. 

"This is not the best time to have the conversation. Frankly, I'm not going to have a whole lot to say," he said. 

When asked if he would continue to boycott our newspaper, he would not say. "Listen, we have nothing to say to each other. I have nothing against you personally, OK?" he replied. 

And when pressed further, he stuck to his guns. "I have nothing to say to you." 

After trying to change topics, asking what he would bring to office, he abruptly hung up. 

Stanton did speak with the Observer, blaming the Bronx Democratic Party for spreading political cynicism. “I’m certain that it is responsible. I’m not opposing individuals here, but I’m opposing this culture, and I’m holding them responsible for perpetuating this culture,” he said. 

Hebrew Home explores options for expansion on Palisade Ave.

Here's a story from this week's edition of the Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh

Reingold (right) and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
listen to constituent complaints at the Hebrew Home.

The Hebrew Home is planning to add new buildings for more senior services on the adjacent 14-acre plot, recently sold to them by the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale. 

A meditation center, possibly an underground garage and a consolidated entrance are also preliminary ideas Hebrew Home president and CEO Daniel Reingold said he has for the future. 

The land was bought for $16 million about two months ago from the Passionists, who could no longer afford the land with increased expenses, fewer retreat guests and fewer new recruits. 

“We are excited about this opportunity,” Reingold said Friday. “We think it will be something the community will be proud of. We hope to involve the community early on in discussions about what we’re going to try and do.” 

He added that the Hebrew Home will go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which requires months of public review and community involvement. 

“The Hebrew Home is considered among the best, if not the best nursing institution in the country,” Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said. “Increasing their ability to provide services to seniors is a good thing.” 

Reingold said he was excited to work with the community, noting that the Hebrew Home was the first institution in the area to submit a ‘master plan’ to the community board. 

“This is very premature, but our plan would be to demolish the existing structures and replace them with an environmentally sound green building,” he said, calling the larger building an “eyesore.” 

Mayoral hopeful Scott Stringer stresses his local ties

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

Stringer has been on the campaign trail, coming to Riverdale twice in a month.

By Brendan McHugh 

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer toured the Riverdale Y last week, making his second trip to the neighborhood in less than a month. 

Following in the footsteps of other 2013 prospective mayoral candidates, Stringer schmoozed with the seniors at the Riverdale Y during their Friday lunch on Jan. 13 with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. 

Previously, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn toured the facilities with City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell and City Comptroller John Liu followed Dinowitz through the Y. 

But Stringer, a suspected candidate for mayor, has an extra connection to the area that his opponents do not: his mother is a Kappock Street resident. Stringer showed off pictures of his five-week-old baby, Maxwell, and talked to the seniors about saving critical services in the upcoming budget. 

“There is a real vitality in the area, especially among the seniors in this community,” Stringer said. “We need to mobilize seniors to prevent budget cuts to vital services.” 

Dinowitz, leading Obama reelection campaign locally, named delegate for national convention

Here's a story from this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, leading the local charge to reelect the president of the United States, has been selected by the Obama for President Campaign as a candidate for delegate to the Democratic National Convention. 

Dinowitz, who has been selected five times before, would be the only Bronxite representing the 17th Congressional district. 

In 1980, Dinowitz was one of the youngest delegates in the convention held in New York City. He was elected as a Ted Kennedy delegate. He was a Bill Clinton delegate in 1996, an Al Gore delegate in 2000, a John Kerry delegate in 2004 and a Hillary Clinton delegate in 2008. 

Both President Obama and the candidates for delegates to the DNC are running in the April 24 New York presidential primary. It would appear that they are unopposed. The 17th CD elects eight convention delegates; the other candidates on the slate include Mario Cilento, the President of the NYS AFL-CIO, State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and several local legislators and party officials from Westchester and Rockland counties. 

The convention is Labor Day weekend in Charlotte, N.C. 

New York State prohibits itself from doing business with businesses that do business with Iran

Nice headline, right?

The state Senate and Assembly passed a bill prohibiting local governments from entering into new contracts or renewing existing contracts with any company that has more than $20 million in dealings with the Iranian oil industry

Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz released a statement on the Iran Divestment Act: 

“The Iran Divestment Act of 2012, which I co-sponsored and helped pass in the Assembly yesterday, would prohibit New York State from doing business with companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

“This legislation renews New York’s commitment in the fight against terrorism, taking a bold stand and sending a message loud and clear that our great state will not help fund Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. Under our bill, people, businesses and organizations that invest substantial sums of money in the Iranian energy sector would be identified by the state Office of General Services and prohibited from doing business with state and local governments, helping keep taxpayer money out of the hands of known international terrorists.”

There are 47 companies affected by this, though it looks like only one, Siemens, has divisions that do business with New York. The list was compiled last month by the California Department of Insurance. All are based overseas.

Here is the video of Assembly Majority Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos discussing the ban as well as other issues, such as redistricting the state Senate to 63 seats, from the Albany Times Union.

Newest Yankee helps give out toys at P.S. 7

Most people have never heard of Matt Duran, and certainly none of the students at P.S. 7 today have, but that didn't stop the hundreds of kids from exploding in cheers when they realized a New York Yankee was in the building.

Matt Duran and Ray Negron of the NY Yankees, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, PS 7 Principal Frank Patterson, Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lenny Caro, NY Yankees mascot Sultan and puppet Lucky pose with students from PS 7.

Duran joined Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lenny Caro in giving away toys to the students, part of the annual toy drives that the Yankees, the Chamber and Dinowitz each do (separately).

Also helping out was an adviser to the Yankees, Ray Negron, who told the students they need to show their teachers "that [you] are going to grow up and become really good people."

Duran, 18 years old future 3rd baseman for the Bronx Bombers, added that they need to follow their dreams and work hard at school.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz hands out soccer balls to PS 7 students.

City pulls plug on Bronx skating rink

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

By Brendan McHugh 

There will be no ice-skating in the Bronx this winter. 

After months of delays, the Department of Parks and Recreation says the electrical upgrade needed to operate a skating rink will not be completed in time to operate this season.

This puts a black eye on Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, who partnered together to bring a full-size rink to the Bronx, Bloomberg said in his 2011 State of the City address at the beginning of this year. 

"Parks has explored every possible means of bringing ice skating to the Bronx this winter. The engineering and capital construction issues involved with bringing the power needed for a skating rink make it necessary to forgo, for this season, what we had hoped would be a fun activity for all,” Bronx Parks Commissioner Hector Aponte.

The electrical hookup, needed for a rink of any size, will require the installation of an underground vault that will not be ready this winter.

Jump below for the full story.

Dinowitz says Common Cause proposed redistricting lines are anti-reform

The Bronx has begun speaking as one voice, borough politicians have been noticing. But that will all disappear if Common Cause had its way.

Proposed Bronx Assembly districts by Common Cause.

Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is highly critical of proposed redistricting lines drawn by Common Cause, a government watchdog group. He says the lines make things worse for the Bronx; it would dilute the Bronx's ability to influence government, both at the state and federal level, he says.

His northwest Bronx district, currently all of which is in the borough, would become a 'Hispanic district' and expand into northern Manhattan. Another district would also go into Manhattan, and two Assembly districts would reach into Westchester (see the photo, right).

He also rips into the Congressional lines, calling them "absurd."

Their “reform” proposal would give the Bronx parts of four Congressional districts, yet none would be totally within the borders of the Bronx. One only has to look at the Brooklyn-Queens-Manhattan district they drew for Nydia Velasquez to realize that racial- and ethnic-based gerrymandering in their plan trumped the neighborhood integrity that they claim is so important.

Jump below for the full statement, as well as photos of the Congressional districts in the Bronx, the state Senate picture and Nydia Velasquez's doozy of a district.

A short photo essay of my night yesterday

For those of who have noticed a slight decline in posts the past week or so, it's been because our other reporter, Miawling, has been on vacation in her homeland of Australia (It's summertime there, by the way). Anyways, it's caused me to pick up the other half of the newspaper, leaving me less time to blog.

Here's some of what I was up to yesterday afternoon.

5 p.m.: Driving down Riverdale Ave, I ran into these two cars near W. 238th St.,
which ran into each other. No one was injured.

6:45 p.m.: On my way to the 50th Precinct for a Community Board 8
public safety committee meeting, I hit two of the most decorated houses
in the Riverdale Kingsbridge area, right behind the Riverdale Diner.
If you've decked your house out, email us a photo!

To cap off the night, I dropped by the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club's
holiday party. Among the guests were Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.,
Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz,
and state Sens. Gustavo Rivera and Jeff Klein.

Bronx Board 8 "deplores" process with temporary ice rink in Van Cortlandt

Here's a story from this week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press. But before we get to that, let us provide you with an update:

Community Board 8 overwhelmingly passed a resolution at last night's (Tuesday) general board meeting saying they "deplore" the parks department's decision to circumvent the public-review process by introducing a smaller, temporary rink that only needs a permit to operate. The board is planning a public forum to discuss the ice rink--both the temporary permit rink and the full concession rink--for January with the community, though a date has yet to be finalized. We will have a full story on the actions of Board 8 in next week's paper.

By Brendan McHugh 

As the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation continues to negotiate with Ice Rink Events to try and bring the boroughs only public skating rink to Van Cortlandt Park, their efforts to appease the community may have only enraged them more. 

A number of Community Board 8 members have expressed outrage over a new plan for a smaller—“mini”—29-day rink that skips public scrutiny. 

“There are a lot of disturbed people,” said one member of the board, who wanted to be kept anonymous until the general board meeting Tuesday night. 

The Tuesday, Dec. 13 meeting at the Rivedale YM/YWHA, which is after press time, is the community board’s best chance to collect public input on the skating rink. 

The board had scheduled—and subsequently cancelled—five meetings over the past few months as they attempted to hold a public meeting to discuss the larger, 15-year rink. However, with very little details, they did not want to hold a meeting. 

Community Board 8 has a resolution they plan to vote upon Tuesday night that, if passed, would say the board “deplores DPR’s decision to circumvent the public-review process…” 

Jump below for the full story.

Electeds wait until December to kick off Christmas in the Bronx

While businesses around the country began kicking off the winter holidays pretty much the day after Halloween, the Bronx's elected officials managed to hold off until December actually started.

On Saturday, Dec. 3, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. (far right) welcomed Santa Claus to the Bronx as he joined City Council Member G. Oliver Koppell (far left), Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (third from left) and members of the board of directors of the Woodlawn Heights Taxpayer & Civic Association at the organization’s annual Christmas tree lighting event.

Get back from Israel, go to Albany

I'm from Albany. I've never been to Israel. But I'd be willing to bet that going straight from Israel to Albany is going to make you appreciate Israel a lot more.

The Legislature's near-certain return to action for a special session is going to be very difficult for a handful of elected officials who are in Israel this week.

Bronx/Manhattan state Senator Adriano Espaillat and Bronx Assemblyman Nelson Castro are two of 18 lawmakers from America, Chile and Uruguay who are currently visiting the Middle East nation, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.

But the governor is about ready to call a special session to have the elected officials vote on a budget that will hopefully fix a rising deficit.

Espaillat spokesman Ibrahim Khan said the state senator will be back Wednesday night and could be in Albany Thursday if need be.

The Daily News has the full saga:

During their eight-day trip the lawmakers are visiting “places of religious, political and historical importance and meeting with Palestinians, Arab Israelis, Bedouins, Holocaust survivors, members of the Knesset, the Supreme Court and representatives from the Israeli government and civil society,” according to a press release from the ADL.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who was not on the tour and is on his way up to Albany today, is a bit upset at the lack of clarity over the past week.

"They need to give us a little notice," he said. "It's a little ridiculous. People have plans."

Dinowitz highlighted Espaillat's trip (they share a bit of Riverdale), saying that it could "easily cost $1,000 to change that flight," and it would come out of Espaillat's own pocket.

Quickly checking Expedia, one-way flights from Israel to the NYC area range from $662 to $4,950, with many around the $1,000-$2,000 range.

There's at least one assembly member won't be ending his in-country vacation short for the special session. 

Related side note: the Riverdale Review will hopefully have a story about Espaillat's trip in the Dec. 15 issue.

Yankee great helped bring in holiday season in the Bronx

 Former New York Yankee Mickey Rivers helped the Bronx Botanical Gardens launch their holiday season last week.

-Photo by Talisman Brolin

Rivers (far right), the former center fielder who won two World Series with the Bronx Bombers in 1978 and 1979, joined a handful of elected officials, including Assemblymen Marcos Crespo (far left) and Jeffrey Dinowitz (second from right) and state Senator Jose Serrano (second from left), to help bring in the holidays.

Dinowitz turned on the lights for the Botanical Gardens' menorah.  -Photo by Talisman Brolin

Dinowitz speaks out against potential cuts to senior centers

We touched upon this in a budget article in this week's Riverdale Review, so make sure to check that out if you can.

Dinowitz (at podium) speaks out against possible cuts to senior services
with (l-r) NYC Department for the Aging Commissioner Lilliam
Barrios-Paoli, state Senator Diane Savino, and
Assemblywomen Grace Meng and Joan Millman.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz spoke out against potential cuts to Title XX funding for senior centers at a rally at City Hall yesterday, sponsored by the Council of Senior Centers & Services of NYC. For each of the last two years, the Governor's budget proposed cutting tens of millions of dollars from Title XX funding, which resulted in New York City threatening to close over a hundred senior centers. Dinowitz, the former chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging, led a successful fight this year to prevent this cutback and the closing of senior centers.

With Governor Andrew Cuomo pondering calling a special session that would bring legislators back to Albany to discuss more cuts, in order to balance the budget after the tax revenue did not match expectations, Dinowitz and others are worried that senior services could end up back on the chopping board.

"This time around, we want to convince the Governor to not propose this cut in the first place. I will fight together with Speaker Sheldon Silver, Aging Committee Chair Joan Millman, and my other colleagues to make sure that seniors will not have to live in fear that the senior centers that so many of them depend upon would be closed," Dinowitz said in a statement.

'Slow Zones' latest DOT measure to curb speeders

Here's the story from this week's Bronx Press that explains the new 'slow zone' that will be coming to more neighborhoods throughout the city. A Riverdale elected official has already said that he wants to bring the zone to part of his district, which you can read about here.

By Brendan McHugh 

Those with a lead foot are about to find it much more difficult to drive through the city. 

Slow zones create 20 mph
speed limits throughout a neighborhood.

The Department of Transportation began the city’s first-ever Neighborhood Slow Zone on Monday, reducing the local speed limit in Claremont from 30 mph to 20 mph and adding certain traffic calming measures.

Chosen because of the neighborhoods high accident and fatality rate, Claremont is getting nine new speed bumps in addition to the five already present, and other traffic calming measures such as signage and street markings are being added to the roads. 

Signs posting the 20 mph speed limit are at 14 entranceways to the quarter-square mile zone. Also, 14 more speed limit signs are post throughout the neighborhood and stencil speed limits on the street itself are in 45 different places.

Jump below for the full story.

New answer for school traffic woes?

A story from this week's Riverdale Review. There is a similar story in a separate post that fully explains the 'slow zone' practice that debuted in Claremont this week.

By Brendan McHugh 

Last month, elected officials requested slower speed limits, new signage and speed bumps for the area around PS 24 and MS/HS 141. 

Turns out, the City has a new program that can do just that. 

On Monday, the Department of Transportation announced its first-ever Neighborhood Slow Zone in Claremont. The slow zone reduces the speed limit in the quarter-square mile neighborhood from 30 mph to 20 mph, adds nine new speed bumps and over 50 new signs—both on poles and stenciled onto the street—to the area alerting drivers of the speed limit. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, one of three legislators who wrote to DOT in October, says Independence Avenue is a model candidate for the new traffic safety program. 

“Given the area’s proximity to several schools, a public library, and houses of worship, I believe this stretch of Independence Avenue would be an ideal location for a Neighborhood Slow Zone,” he wrote in a letter to DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan earlier this week. 

Jump below for the full story.

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.

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.

Williamsbridge Oval Park open to community

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe were joined by Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Hector Aponte, District Manager of Community Board 7 Fernando Tirado, Jerome-Gun Hill BID Executive Director Michael Lambert, Community Board 7 Parks Chair William Francis and others to celebrate the ribbon cutting this afternoon at the Williamsbridge Oval Park. Also attending the event were members of the Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval, the St. Brendan's school choir and other members of the Norwood community.

This looks like a nice playground.

“Williamsbridge Oval originally served as a reservoir of drinking water for the Bronx, and as a park it has long been a 'wellspring' of recreational opportunities,” Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in a statement. “Along with the recently completed running track and synthetic turf field, and the soon-to-be-opened recreation center, these new playgrounds and basketball courts will allow the Norwood community to continue to 'draw from' Williamsbridge Oval for years to come."   

The reconstruction includes two new playgrounds: one that is handicapped-accessible and contains play equipment for toddlers and preschoolers, the other with more challenging climbing features for older children. The site is united by a centralized spray plaza that recognizes the site’s history as a reservoir with the embedded names of New York’s aquifers and watersheds. The renovation also includes a new basketball complex, seating, ornamental planting beds, pathways, and restoration of the site’s promenade.

This $6.1 million project is part of a $200 million investment in Bronx Parks paid for with mitigation funds from the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Plant through the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Municipal Water Finance Authority.

Croton funding has also allowed us to reconstruct park’s recreation center. The $3.6 million dollar overhaul is almost complete, and includes a new roof, façade, drainage system, upgraded restrooms, and handicapped accessibility. This is in addition to a new synthetic turf field and running track that were completed using Croton funds in 2008. In total, nearly $14 million in Croton mitigation funds have been spent on improvements to Williamsbridge Oval Park.

Also, ribbon cuttings are just as dumb as groundbreakings.