Riverdale News: Bronx DA SEEKS JUDGESHIP

Riverdale News: Bronx DA SEEKS JUDGESHIP: BRONX D.A. SEEKING JUDICIAL NOMINATION BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)-  -- Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that, today, ...

Bronx DA SEEKS JUDGESHIP

BRONX D.A. SEEKING JUDICIAL NOMINATION

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)-  -- Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson announces that, today, he informed his staff he has now requested that Bronx County Democratic Chairman Marcos Crespo support his nomination for a  position as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court.

Johnson said, "This spring, I did what I have done every four years, which was to submit my name for re-election to continue in the role of District Attorney for another term.  And once again, the Bronx Democratic Party, as well as the Republican and Conservative Parties, bestowed upon me their nomination to serve as District Attorney for another term.

“I have gained tremendous satisfaction from working with this Office and all its staff to provide justice and fairness for the people of The Bronx.  However, after 42 years of public service, including the U.S. Navy, The Legal Aid Society, as a Bronx Assistant District Attorney, as a Criminal Court Judge, and as the D.A. for the past 27 years, after much inner reflection, I have concluded that I would like to serve in another capacity. It is time for change in my life. The judicial position will allow me to make  a career move that provides the change that I seek without giving up public service.

“Contrary to what has been reported, no one, including anyone associated with the Bronx Democratic Party, has ever offered me another position, nor has anyone asked me to step down or retire as the District Attorney. I have, over the years, enjoyed their full faith and support both personally and through many electoral processes.

“I understand that this position cannot be offered to me prior to the Judicial Convention on Thursday, September 24th. I would not make that presumption. In fact, having gone to the Convention in 1987 as the candidate of the then County Chairman and coming out without the nomination, I understand the process better than most. I realize that the decision rests solely with the Judicial Delegates.

“Should I not be granted the nomination, I will stand for reelection in November to the position of District Attorney in order to continue to serve the people of the Bronx, a job that I love.  It is a position that allows me to secure justice for Bronx residents and the people of New York.

“I will be making no further comment on this subject."

#BronxDA #Robert t. Johnson

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Riverdale News: Despite Hype Ice Rink Sits Unused

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Despite Hype Ice Rink Sits Unused

Despite Hype Ice Rink Sits Unused

What to Do With An Empty Ice Rink?

Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- It seems that after Mayor Bloomberg had to have an ice skating rink in Van Cortlandt Park, the space is now empty, and becoming an eyesore to the community. 

I am talking about the old unused tennis court that sits on Broadway just south of the end of the # 1 Subway line. Over 3 years ago Mayor Bloomberg had the Parks Department put out a Request For Proposal to have an Ice Skating Rink be put in the unused tennis court on Broadway. The RFP was sent out, and a contract was drawn up with the vendor and the city. It was for 15 years with an increasing scale of fees to be paid to the city after the first two free years of the contract.

Ice Rinks Inc. which has other ice skating rinks in city parks was the vendor, and for the first year of operation of the Van Cortlandt Park Ice Skating Rink everything seemed to be going well. In the second year of operation was where things seemed to fall apart. It was a rather warmer winter, and the equipment that Ice Rinks Inc. had put in seemed to be having problems. The ice was soft at times, and the rink could not be used. This led to a decline in attendance and in revenue for Ice Rinks Inc. The rink was shut down more than two weeks before its scheduled closing as the chillers were no longer effectively making the ice hard. Ice Rinks Inc. was unsure if they could return the next year as new chillers would have to be installed, and that was going to cost to much money to be profitable. It seemed that the vendor wanted to redo the contract that gave them two free years of operation, so they could continue rent free.

The result was that Ice Rink Inc. pulled out of the contract with the city, and the city and community were back to having an eyesore of an empty area that now had permanent electrical equipment, and other permanent large metal casings so tennis was no longer an option for this space in Van Cortlandt Park. That was over a year ago, and looks like it will be permanent since the Kingsbridge National Ice Center in the nearby Kingsbridge Armory will become a reality.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Councilman Andrew Cohen have come up with an idea for the unusable tennis area on Broadway. The four elected officials want to have a weekend market similar to the one that is currently in Bryant Park, which by the way Bryant park also has an ice skating rink that is very successful. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see the letter that the four elected officials have sent to NYC Parks Commissioner Michael Silver requesting that this eyesore of an area in Van Cortlandt park be transformed into a marketplace such as is in Bryant Park in Manhattan.

This Sunday is the North Riverdale Block Festival sponsored by the North Riverdale Merchants Association and KRVC. Riverdale Avenue between West 258^th and West 259^th Street will be closed to traffic with the exception of a lane for emergency vehicles and regularly scheduled buses that will be running on a Sunday schedule. The event will run from 12 – 4 PM -, and will feature live music all day, clowns, face painting, many more children s activities, and also pony rides.

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.  

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