Riverdale News: What is CB 8 Chair Bob Fanuzzi Hiding?

Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, December 3- With last week’s article by our fellow columnist Mary Lauro about Community Board #12 comparing CB 12 to CB 8, I must tell you things are not what you may think they are in CB 8 Mary.

One has to pry an answer out of CB 8 Chairman Bob Fanuzzi, because he is not forthcoming with information. The CB 8 Economic Committee is meeting on Tuesday, December 4th (which is after our deadline), and the agenda was revised to add a renewal application of a Sidewalk Cafe. The matter of sidewalk cafes is taken up in the Traffic and Transportation committee, and this particular application was approved last year by the T&T committee. One has to wonder why this has been placed on the agenda of the Economic Development Committee when it was sent in only two weeks ago, and there is plenty of time for it to be placed on the next T&T Committee agenda for a proper public hearing. The matter of Street Activity Permits (SAPO) is also on the December 4th Economic Development agenda, but that matter was discussed at the last T&T committee meeting with a resolution for the entire board being approved by the committee at the meeting. We will have the answers for you in next weeks paper, and have to ask what will be next for CB 8 liquor license applications or renewals being heard in the Youth Committee.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz had city council candidate Andrew Cohen with him at a recent call for Con Edison to place power lines underground in what has become the “Spuyten Duyvil Triangle” where nine apartment buildings experience power outages on a regular basis. Several of the 40 area residents gave accounts of how even a gap of a second requires all appliances, building elevators, boilers, and washing machines to be reset. Ms. Blance Morganstern who needs a walker to get around said that she was a prisoner in her cold 4th floor apartment for ten days while the area had no power. She thanked her neighbors who brought her bread, non dairy cheese, and canned milk to go along with the few cans of soup she had to live on.

City council candidate and Community Board #8 Aging Committee Chair Andrew Cohen said that it is seniors like this woman who have to throw away spoiled food or medicine, are cold since there is no heat, and are trapped in their apartments when the power goes out for an extended period of time. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to read more on the protest see the photos of Assemblyman Dinowitz, Candidate Cohen, the crowd, trees that are currently on top of other area power lines, and poles that have been or should be replaced. It has been estimated by Con Edison that the cost could be $5,000.00 per foot to put overhead wires underground.

Finally if you did not attend the Riverdale Avenue Street Festival here is what you missed. There were pony rides, a petting zoo, the RKA Middle School Chorus (led by vocal teacher Ivan Salnas), an Elvis impersonator, other entertainment, speeches by the local elected officials, and a possible preview of the 11^th City Council race as both candidates Mr. Andrew Cohen and Mr. Cliff Stanton were on hand to try to woo voters for next years race to replace current Councilman G. Oliver Koppell. Go to my blog to see photos of the ponies, petting zoo animals, entertainment, the many different offerings by the Riverdale Avenue Merchants, local elected officials, and the two candidates for Councilman Koppells seat next year.

Don't forget to check my blog for items that may come in after our deadline, more details on stories in this column, and photos of the events, like the Riverdale Avenue Street Festival.. If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.