Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Riverdale News: Riverdale Avenue Street Festival
Riverdale News: Riverdale Avenue Street Festival: Riverdale Report By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- Sunday December 2 nd is the scheduled date for the 2 nd Ri...
Riverdale Avenue Street Festival
Riverdale Report
By Robert Press
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- Sunday December 2nd is the scheduled date for the 2nd Riverdale Avenue Street Festival. This year Riverdale Avenue should be closed to all traffic between West 236th and West 238th Streets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. #7 buses will be rerouted to the Henry Hudson Parkway service road where the #10 and #20 buses currently run. It may be a slight inconvenience, but drivers can go easily around the two blocks at either W. 236th or W. 238th Streets. There are several different ideas for the festival including food tastings of the many new restaurants on the street, and musical entertainment to be provided. As more details on the event are announced we will have them for you.
Councilman G. Oliver Koppell wants to make sure that tenants know their rights as “Heat Season” has begun. Heat Season is from October 1st through May 31st. Landlords must provide heat and hot water between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., if the temperature outside falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Councilman Koppell says to first notify your Building owner, management agent, or superintendent. The next step would be to call 311 and put in a complaint if heat is not restored (being sure to get the complaint number from the 311 operator). Councilman Koppell adds that his expert staff at his district office can be called on if needed at 718-549-7300.
For the latest listing of events that are going on at Wave Hill you can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com and check the archive section on the left for Wave Hill.
At last week’s Community Board #8 Traffic & Transportation Committee meeting the possible closure at times of West 230th Street between Broadway and the Degan Highway for tractor trailer trucks to back in to the new shopping center was brought up by CB 8 Vice-Chair Maria Kurry. The developer has said that there is no way other than having the trucks to the new shopping center cross over the entire length of W.230th Street (and stop traffic both ways) in order to back the tractor trailer trucks into the unloading area. Ms. Kurry said that she owns a business around the corner on Broadway, and other merchant friends of hers are concerned about the possible closure of W.230th Street. It was said that in certain areas of Manhattan truck size is limited, and maybe that could be done here. We have to wonder however if the Vice-Chair of Community Board 8, who owns a business (and spoke for other merchants in the area), could then have a possible conflict of interest when it comes to any involvement (as she has) in new business or development near her and her friends businesses such as the new shopping centers on West 230th or West 238th Streets that has come before CB 8.
There are proper procedures and rules when it comes to being a public official, and we have seen far too many of our public officials removed from office. A Community Board member is an appointed public official, and must remember that he or she must abide by the rules that are in place for such public officials. At times rules and regulations do change, and it is crucial that Chairpersons and District Managers of Community Boards know and keep up with any changes as they happen. It should be clear that Community Board #8 in the existence of a youth committee that was out of compliance, and the street activity permit process that was not updated by its Chairman or District Manager needs to be looked at closer.
Finally, if CB 8 Chairman Fanuzzi is complaining how long meetings of CB 8 are and the nitpicking over procedure, he has only himself or his District Manager to blame.
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.
Free iPhone
Full Retail Price
$449.99
PRICE with 2-Year contract
FREE
Monday, October 22, 2012
Riverdale News: Google Helps Bronx Small Biz Get Online
Riverdale News: Google Helps Bronx Small Biz Get Online: BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- This week, Google brought its New York Get Your Business Online program to NYC with events throughout all fi...
Google Helps Bronx Small Biz Get Online
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- This week, Google brought its New York Get Your Business Online program to NYC with events throughout all five boroughs. Launched last year in Albany and Buffalo, New York Get Your Business Online helps drive economic growth by giving small businesses the tools and resources to establish a website, find new customers, and grow their business.
The event, held at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, is the final one in a week-long series that has reached all five boroughs and included almost a thousand of NYC’s small businesses. At each event, Google has worked with small business owners to create their own websites courtesy of Intuit. Businesses have also received a customized domain name, free web hosting for one year, a local business listing on Google Maps, free tools, training and resources. Google experts have been on hand to train the business owners on how to reach more customers online.
“We are committed to making sure the City’s small businesses are online so potential customers can find them,” said Susan Molinari, Vice President, Public Policy & Government Relations, for Google. “Many small businesses do not have a website because they think it is too expensive, too difficult or too time consuming to create. New York Get Your Business Online helps small businesses easily and quickly create their own web presence and start growing their businesses online.”
New York Get Your Business Online is an easy and fast way for Bronx small businesses to get a website and become more visible online, where the majority of people are going to find goods and services. While 97 percent of Americans look online for local products and services, 53% percent of New York’s small businesses do not have a website or online presence.
“As a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee I am deeply involved in matters involving the internet and I know that having a presence on the internet is an absolute necessity today,” said Congressman Eliot Engel. “More and more, commerce is becoming e-commerce. This is an opportunity to raise your presence beyond your neighborhood and spread the word much further afield about what you can do for your customers and to attract new ones.”
During this morning’s session, State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson stopped by to visit and speak with the business leaders who were participating.
Businesses unable to attend the event can still get a free website, resources and more information about the program by going to www.NewYorkGetOnline.com.
Free iPhone
Full Retail Price
$449.99
PRICE with 2-Year contract
FREE
Clinton Beats Kennedy
(Photos by Gary Quintal)
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22 Dewitt Clinton beat Kennedy 24-21 to improve to 2-5 while Kennedy slips to 4-3. The game was capped with an exciting fourth quarter that highlighted by Clinton and Kennedy trading touchdown runs and two point conversions in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Free iPhone
Full Retail Price
$449.99
PRICE with 2-Year contract
FREE
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Are Yanks Really Thinking of Keeping A-Rod??
Fans Angry Over Slumping Sluggers
By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 20- MLB will not be played in the Bronx again in 2012. Most Yankees fans felt a combination of surprise, disappointment, sadness and embarrassment after the team was swept by the Detroit Tigers in four games in the recently completed American League Championship Series (ALCS). This reaction was amplified by the comments in the daily press, sports talk radio and internet blogs.
The balanced statement issued by the Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner on Friday was very different than those heard or read in the above listed sites and also different in tone from the emotional responses remembered from his late father, George.
Steinbrenner started his statement with words that reflect the hurt of devoted fans of the club, “We fell short of our singular and constant goal which is a World Series Championship…this was a bitter end to our year.”
While the Steinbrenner family, the franchise and its fans hold to that goal every year, it is unrealistic. Even though the New York Yankees are the most successful organization in professional sports, they have won the World Series 27 times since 1923.
In recent years, the Yanks have been regulars in post-season baseball. Under the direction of three managers, Buck Showalter, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi, the Yanks have been in the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons. If this pattern of continued success does not lead the followers of the club to unrealistic expectations, what can? It was this expectation of success for the Yankees that when not met led to the jeering of Yankees players during the final two games in the Bronx. Privately some Yankees players claimed the booing had a negative effect on their performances at home.
While past success may be forgotten or disregarded each year the Yanks are crowned champions, Steinbrenner included this year’s full record for deserved praise, “We earned the best record in the American League and were one of four teams to advance to the League championship Series (LCS).”
It’s clear that the loss in the ALCS can be blamed on the lack of batting prowess. Even in the victory over Oakland in the five game ALDS, the Yanks hit poorly. The team had an anemic batting average of .211 while the pitching staff of New York had an ERA of 1.76 and held Oakland batters to an average of .187. The average of the Yankees batters fell to .157 and the team only scored six runs in the four contests of the ALDS. Although Alex Rodriguez only hit safely three times is 25 at bats (.120) in the eight playoff games, he was not who failed offensively.
Curtis Granderson was 3 for 30 (.100) with 16 strikeouts. It was especially disturbing when one contrasts Granderson’s 0 for 11 in the ALCS with the two players who were traded to Detroit in exchange for Granderson in December 2009. Center fielder Austin Jackson batted .353 against the Yanks and reliever Phil Coke pitched in all four contests and earned two saves. He went a total of 5.2 innings without giving up a run. He fanned four, gave up three hits and did not issue a walk.
The others who were absent from the hit parade during the post-season included Nick Swisher, 5 for 30 (.167), Eric Chavez hitless in 16 at bats, Russell Martin, 5 for 31, Robinson Cano, 3 for 40, Gardner, hitless in 8 at bats and Chris Stewart, hitless in 4 at bats. Failure generally breeds a scapegoat and A-Rod has clearly been given that role in the 2012 post-season.
After game four concluded, Girardi attributed the series loss to a lack of hitting among many players, not just one, “We didn’t swing the bats. It wasn’t one guy, it wasn’t two guys, it was a bunch of guys, and it’s hard to win if you don’t score runs.”
He spoke of the unfairness of the all the blame being placed upon Rodriguez, “There were a lot of guys mightily struggling, not a little bit, a lot. He [Rodriguez] is going to be the one talked about the most.”
Another significant factor was the injury suffered by Yankee captain Derek Jeter. Jeter’s loss counted twofold, one of leadership and the second his high level of play. Jeter was one of the very few who hit well in the post-season, .333 in 2012. His return is not expected for five months, which means he will miss most if not all of the 2013 Spring Training.
Steinbrenner promised the fans to continue, “A long standing commitment to provide our fans a championship caliber team year after year.” The period of assessment and decision may not begin immediately, but one can be assured that many changes will be made in an attempt to improve the club before the 2013 season begins. As very few Yankees have contracts that extend beyond 2012, many of this year’s team may not return in 2013.
Free iPhone
Full Retail Price
$449.99
PRICE with 2-Year contract
FREE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)