Folks, let’s face it. When it comes to equality, we’re still living in the dark ages and women still are our unequal partners.
Please take a quick moment of your time and call Senator Klein and urge to pass WEA!!
Here’s a handy script of a sample message and feel free to use! Calls do work!
Sample message for calling legislators:
Hello, I’d like to leave a message for Senator/Assemblymember_________. My name is ____________ and I am a constituent who lives in [your neighborhood or town]. I want to see the Women’s Equality Act passed this legislative session.
Thank you!
Let’s Pass the WEA TODAY!
The Final Hours in the Fight to Pass the WEA! Assembly passes all 10 Points!
On Thursday the Women’s Equality Coalition rallied in Albany, fighting in the final hours of the legislative session to pass the Women’s Equality Act. Our coalition has given our full support to this bill for months, and time is nearly out.
WEA passed in the Assembly on Thursday and now it is on to the Senate for a vote on Friday.
We’re calling on the Republicans and Independent Democratic Caucus to bring all 10 planks of the WEA to the Senate floor for a vote. We want every Senator’s vote on the record and see where they truly stand on women’s equality.
We have been discussing this bill for months. The time for debate is over. The time to vote is now.
Help Pass the Women’s Equality Act!
1. Call Senators
Sen Klein:
(518)455-3595
Sen Skelos:
(518) 455-3171
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NEW YORK WOMEN’S AGENDA (NYWA) is a coalition of women professionals, organizations, and community activists who support the diversity and interests of NY women through collaboration, advocacy, and education.
New York Women’s Agenda
P.O. Box 8419, FDR Station, New York, NY 10150-8419
Justice Sonia Sotomayor comforted a student during her visit to her childhood school, Blessed Sacrament in the Bronx, in March. The school is closing. OZIER MUHAMMAD/THE NEW YORK TIMES
Today David González, of the New York Times, published an article which transported me back to 2nd grade at St. Anselm’s elementary school on Tinton Avenue in the South Bronx. The smell of pencil shavings and erasers permeated the air mixed with that of chalk dust. I didn’t know it then but I owe my life to the Catholic School education system and to the sacrifices my parents – papi y mami – made to make sure I received the best education possible.
David González writes about our wonderful leaders that came from the Bronx, folks of color just like myself and the majority of the borough, and were also products of the New York Archdiocese Catholic Schools. These folks such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer (both graduates of my alma mater, Cardinal Spellman and Ferrer also graduated from St Anselm’s as well) came from working class families who also sacrificed to send their children to parochial schools so that they would have a chance at the best possible education.
During the not so pleasant days in our borough’s past, these schools were havens that gave those who attended a chance at brighter future since almost 100% went on to attend college. In St Anselm’s and Cardinal Spellman High School it was never an option not to go or at least it didn’t seem to be. Since as young as I could remember in St Anselm’s, it was drilled into our heads that we were to go on to higher education. The same went through high school which also from day one we were prepped for that eventuality.
It wasn’t all roses and of course we had several teachers who had no right being in that profession but it provided structure and stability where there was none to be had beyond those gates and outside of our own homes. Catholic schools tend to host pre kindergarten or earlier straight through the 8th grade so one ends up growing up with the same folks in school, something public schools can’t relate to. Then there’s also the issue of a relatively small class size offering a more intimate approach to education.
I hated the uniforms and rigidity of the schools and always felt like an outcast on my block since many in my building did not attend parochial school. Many of us were bullied by public school kids to and from school making it a bitter pill to swallow. Lots of us would often wonder why our parents tortured us so by sending us to such schools. Those same bullies today either never finished high school, didn’t attend college, in dead end jobs or are dead today.
It wasn’t until many years later after college (which was also Catholic) that I realized what a world of opportunity I had been given by attending catholic schools all my life. I had never seen the inside of a public school thanks to the major sacrifices of my parents and papi driving the 5 train overtime to make sure that not only I had the best possible education but that we were also comfortable at home.
The education I received was top notch and let me explore worlds that seemed off limits to a Puerto Rican kid from the South Bronx because we were always encouraged to explore them.
Although I broke up with the Catholic Church decades ago and I do not agree with the Church on so many issues, if I ever have kids I do know that I will not hesitate in putting them in Catholic schools.
Please do not forget to read this wonderful article by David González on the Catholic school closures that our affecting our communities:
For months we heard about it. For months we knew it was coming yet assumed that eventually it would spread beyond lower Manhattan and the general downtown Brooklyn area but right before it launched, we were told that Bronxites shouldn’t even bother waiting for the program to come up here Citibike, the wildly popular and successful bike share program.
Already the 2nd expansion phase is being planned but not for the Bronx. Queens of all places, with only ONE bridge connecting it to Manhattan is getting Citibike before the Bronx. You would think that the Bronx, having the most bridges to Manhattan (about 8 pedestrian friendly bridges followed by Brooklyn with only 3 bridges) would be included in the 2nd phase.
The current stations as well as future expansion areas are located in predominantly white neighborhoods yet the current make up of the city is far from that. At $99 a year, Citibike is a great savings to those who pay over $100 a month on metro cards to get to and from work. This would be a boon to folks in poorer neighborhoods who do ride bikes and would like to save major money.
Let’s also not forget that we have some of the highest rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease as a result of lack of exercise and poor diet. The city and and Citibike have a moral obligation to these folks and not leave them in the dust. Imagine having Citibike kiosks at 161st and Grand Concourse with access to Yankee Stadium and most courts and government offices? How about at Boricua Village and Northrose so residents no longer have to wait for buses to the subway that are infrequent and are crowded to inhumane extremes?
Locations to all our great destinations like Fordham Road, The HUB, Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden. Orchard Beach, City Island, Throggs Neck, Port Morris, Mott Haven, Arthur Avenue, I mean the list goes on and on. It would provide an excellent alternative to our current miserable intraborough transportation system which, like for every other borough, designed to be Manhattan-centric.
We’re also a borough of colleges and universities with that base alone you would open the borough to these students as well!
So as awesome as the Citibike concept is, I have no choice but to give it an epic fail along with a Bronx Cheer for the sheer systemic racism of the design this model continues to perpetuate when it comes to the Bronx, the outer boroughs and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
This also goes to our politicians who let this happen. They had the option of insisting this would be equal opportunity and access but instead, as usual, sold us to the highest bidder. Get your act together!
Let us know below how you feel about this program! Likes, dislikes, don’t care? We always want to know!
This is a major offense since 501-3(c) non profits are prohibited from campaigning on behalf of any candidate. Will Arroyo truly stop at nothing to continue her life in crime politics?
Students at Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Melrose win the Grand Prize in a science contest. Not only are the students from the Bronx but they are also from ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the science and technology industry.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the organization which sponsored the experiment says:
“Kids are hungry for hands-on science and technology experiences and it is the mission of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNALC to make genetics accessible to them,” said CSHL President and CEO Dr. Bruce Stillman
The students collected ants from St Mary’s park and proceeded to catalog them based on their DNA barcodes. The resulting data showed a rich biodiversity of the ant population in just one park.
Check out the link for more information and videos about this exciting victory for a South Bronx school.
Congratulations to students Kavita Bhikhi and Hillary Ramirez !
NYC just released the new Hurricane Evacuation Zones which now includes an additional 600,000 New Yorkers.
This is the long awaited and revamped map since we were struck by superstorm Sandy last year which left us with unprecedented damage and destruction which our city and our region are still recovering from. Gone from the map are zones A, B, and C which have been replaced by zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Hurricane season is well under way so it’s a good thing that it was finally released.
Make sure to read the rest on Gothamist as they have a pretty neat breakdown of the new zones, what they mean as well as important links for more information.
This has been an ongoing hot topic in Melrose for quite some time: One of the most underestimated retail destinations is the HUB in Melrose.
The area has a long and vast history as not only one of the oldest shopping districts in the Bronx that was once filled with boutiques and department stores but movie palaces, movie studios, vaudeville theatres and an opera house!
The area is anchored by 3rd Avenue / 149th Street on the 2 and 5 express trains – the 2nd busiest subway station in the Bronx and almost a dozen bus lines intersecting the area. Not to mention that the HUB is 2 stops away from Harlem (less than 5 minutes on the 2 train) and draws folks from all of the Bronx and northern Manhattan as well.
Thousands of Bronxites get off their buses to transfer to the subway and viceversa as they make their daily commute. Let’s not also forget that the HUB is located in the fastest growing neighborhood in the Bronx according to the last census in 2010. Since then, literally thousands of apartments have been added with thousands more on the way serving middle income families as well as low income working families: all within walking distance of this vibrant shopping district.
H&M, the Gap and many other retailers are insane not to join the growing number of stores in the neighborhood as rents are still low and would give these companies an excellent profit margins. The HUB or La Tercera as the latino community calls it is a place that everyone knows how to get to since it’s been a part of our culture for over a hundred years. Such longevity is nothing to sneeze at.
Just recently, developers were asked to think BIG on several remaining parcels of land in the area which are some of the largest available lots in the Bronx.
Finally some good news in Bronx politics – Pedro Espada Jr is going to do time for his crimes. No amount of good deeds will cover the fact that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars
Bob Abbott, chair of Community Board 8’s Libraries and Cultural Affairs Committee, has not been reappointed to the board, an apparent punishment for a vote he made two years ago.
Councilman Oliver Koppell asked the borough president’s office not to reappoint Mr. Abbott. Community board appointments, all for two-year terms, are made by the borough president’s office, though local elected officials often give their input.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Mr. Koppell would not comment specifically on why he did not nominate Mr. Abbott, but he said he was unhappy with Mr. Abbott for a vote he made in 2011.
Bronx politicians play dirty, disgusting tactics and our Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr is no exception as he’s proven to be just another politician from yet another Bronx political dynasty who pretends to be on our side.
Last week, as A. Mychal Johnson was told by the BP that he was not being reappointed to Community Board 1, Diaz bestowed the honor to Desiree Joy Frias, daughter of the executive director of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, Marlene Cintron. Cintron’s office has already granted $3.5 million to FreshDirect along with $1 million by Ruben Diaz, Jr’s office. Does anyone else smell something rotten here?
But it doesn’t end there.
The once beloved BoogieDowner blog is now owned by Desiree Joy Frias as well. When the blog was started by former Bronxites Erin and Lou Cicalese (affectionately known as ErLou in their postings) it was a great voice of the community with a lot of locals engaging in debate on the various issues that affect our borough. A lot of us met through connections on that website but after the Cicaleses transfered the site to Gregory Tsougranis, the quality of the blog took a downward spiral overnight.
Not only did the quality suffer but Tsougranis quickly went on a censoring campaign by deleting comments left and right whenever they weren’t in line with his views – something I have never done on welcome2thebronx.com or welcome2melrose.com nor I intend to ever do. Almost immediately, folks stopped commenting on the blog and it quickly faded into obscurity as Tsougranis loyalty to the BP’s office became more and more clear.
Because of that loyalty, Ruben Diaz, Jr once again waved his wand and began endorsing Gregory Tsougranis to be a film scout for the Bronx. You see, in the Bronx, when you kiss politicians’ asses suck up to politicians, doors open up for you. Now, it appears that the BoogieDowner will essentially be a voice for Diaz’s office.
Already the hypocrisy can be easily seen in two of Desiree’s pieces. In one entry she’s heaping praises over the Kingsbridge Armory deal and how, “… the rights and consent of the community must always come first.”
The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), includes more than 30 community groups. This project has been their passion for months now and to come to an agreement is satisfying.
The community agreement also sets a precendent for future projects. Although economic development is always welcome in The Bronx, the rights and consent of the community must always come first.
But when she writes about FreshDirect, Frias makes absolutely no mention that over 35 Bronx organizations are AGAINST the FreshDirect sweetheart deal and just says:
Judgement was passed today on the lawsuit against FreshDirect’s move to Harlem River Yards. The dismissal came to the satisfaction of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., FreshDirect CEO Jason Ackerman and Marlene Cintron, president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; as well as Bronx foodies and busy families across the borough. The
FreshDirect move was a contested one, however many feel that the business will bring much needed economic benefits to the Bronx.
There is also no mention that NYC Comptroller, John C. Liu is against the deal as well but she does mention that the lawsuit was dismissed much to the satisfaction of her mother, Marlene Cintron.
So folks, those are two critical two items you heard here first. Never forget that YOU, each and every Bronxite will ALWAYS come first here and never a politician.
Now what are we going to do about the community boards that are supposed to be filled with our neighbors and colleagues but instead are filled by puppets with strings tied to the Borough President’s office?
Oh and one more thing. BoogieDowner, let’s set the record straight: Erin and Lou Cicalese created a wonderful opportunity for Bronxites to communicate and Gregory Tsougranis destroyed that opportunity almost overnight. It was no longer unbiased. You have an opportunity to be another voice for the Bronx – one without strings to any politician, specifically your mother’s boss.
ProjectBronxis the brainchild of Bronxite Adam Levine-Pereswho, like myself and many others, became fed up with the negative narratives about our beloved Bronx. Check out the video below as Adam asks Bronxites why they love our borough.
Also, please remember: I have created the hashtags #ilovethebronx and #thebronxisbeautiful so please feel free to use them on flickr, twitter, instagram and any other social media that accepts them or join The Bronx Is Beautiful on Flickr! Show your Bronx Pride!
