Yonkers Insider: Statement from New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh Representing Yonkers.

 

New York has 454,000 fewer jobs than when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many were lost in the hospitality industry downstate. Awarding Casinos Licenses will create thousands and thousands of good paying jobs in my Assembly district at Empire City Casino Yonkers Raceway by MGM Resorts in hospitality and construction. The economic impact will spread across Westchester and the Bronx, where working families need jobs now. I support Governor Hochul's proposal to move on the licencing now. Working families need these jobs now. Let's get this passed, in the budget, now. #familiesfirst

 New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh

Yonkers Insider: Statement from New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh Representing Yonkers.

 

Tonight, Mayor Mike Spano presented his State of the City address, demonstrating the incredible resilience and determination of our community to move forward after the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yonkers has once again bucked trends, silenced skeptics, and demonstrated that a bet against us is always a bad one to make.

Held at the newly commemorated Josephine A. Caruso Auditorium at Lincoln High School, Mayor Spano unveiled the progress our City has made and the path forward we continue to forge. While I couldn’t attend as I’m in Albany negotiating the New York State budget, I thank him for his acknowledgment for the funding I helped obtain for various initiatives, including the newly inaugurated auditorium where this wonderful event was held. I also share his robust vision for our City, and will continue to fight for our city, including obtaining more funding for our schools, a full-table casino license at Empire City, and more in this year’s budget. We are Yonkers Strong, and together we will continue to be Yonkers Unstoppable.

New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh

Yonkers Insider: Westchester County District Attorney: TWO YONKERS TEENS SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON FOR SHOOTING A SIX-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY

MIRIAM E. ROCAH

 

 

***NEWS RELEASE***

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 30, 2022.

 

TWO YONKERS TEENS SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON FOR SHOOTING A SIX-YEAR-OLD CHILD.

 

White Plains, NY – Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced that two Yonkers teens who engaged in a gunfight on a Yonkers street were sentenced for shooting a six-year-old bystander in the chest.  

 

On March 29, 2022, an 18-year-old adolescent offender was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, with five years of post-release supervision. A 16-year-old juvenile co-offender was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in state prison. Both defendants pled guilty to Assault in the First Degree, a violent felony.  

 

“An innocent young child was left in critical condition after being shot by these two defendants who opened fire on a city street,” DA Rocah said. “There is no place for gun violence in Westchester County and we will continue to hold those who commit acts of violence such as this accountable to the fullest extent possible under the law. We are grateful the victim survived and we hope these sentences bring an additional measure of healing to the victim and his family.” 

 

On April 29, 2021, at approximately 6:03 p.m., the defendants each fired multiple shots at two individuals striking the six-year-old bystander in the chest. The shooting resulted in the victim suffering a punctured left lung, two rib fractures and a small splenic laceration. The victim was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where he underwent life-saving surgery.  

 

The Yonkers Police Department arrested the defendants shortly after the incident. 

 

The case was before Judge Helen Blackwood in Youth Part, and was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Catalina Blanco Buitrago. 

 

Yonkers Insider: Yonkers City Council: 04-05-2022 Real Estate Committee Meeting.

Please be advised that a Real Estate Committee Meeting has been scheduled ‎for Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Yonkers‎ ‎City Hall, 4th floor.‎ 

Agenda Items:

1.     Local Law authorizing the sale of city-owned property on Warburton Avenue and Woodworth Avenue to the City of Yonkers Industrial Development Agency for purpose of developing affordable housing.

 

2.     Resolution finding that the transfer of certain city-owned property on Warburton Avenue and Woodworth Avenue to the City of  Yonkers Industrial Development Agency for the development of affordable housing will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

 

3.     Resolution requesting the introduction of a bill which would amend chapter 125 of the laws of 2013 to, among other things, reinstate approximately 8.97 acres of Parkland.

 

4.     Resolution to accept a fee-in-lieu of parking in connection with the site plan approved by the planning board for a 10 story 76 unit apartment building with mixed use development on the properties known as 32, 36 & 38 main street and 1 & 3 Riverdale Avenue.

 

5.     Resolution of the City Council approving plan modification to the modified urban renewal plan for N.D.P. area No. 1 and N.D.P. area No. 2 by adding a newly defined developmental area 14 to the plan.

 

6.     Any additional items that may properly come before this committee.

 

Regards,

Mike Ramondelli

Deputy City Clerk

Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator James Nolan 15th District: Mobile Shredder is coming to Yonkers - Wednesday, 4/13.

Mobile Shredder is coming to Yonkers.

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

Murray's Skating Rink, 348 Tuckahoe Road.

First come, first served

Residents can bring up to 4 file-size (10”x12”x15”) boxes of confidential papers per household for shredding.  Please remove all large binder clips and covers.  Papers from businesses, institutions or commercial enterprises are not acceptable and will be rejected, as will any junk mail or newspapers.

Service at the events works on a first-come-first-served basis, as the Mobile Shredder unit can reach its maximum capacity before closing time. In extreme weather, events may be cancelled or terminated early.

Please call the county's Recycling Helpline at (914) 813-5425 to check on a cancellation or early closure.

Important information

It is important to be aware of what you place the paper to be shredded – no matches, lighters or anything combustible. Staff at the events will be checking the material prior to being shredded.

Kinds of documents to shred

Remember, it's best to shred documents you're no longer using, that contain personal identifying information such as name, address, phone number, credit card number or social security number. Such documents should be shredded before they are thrown out for recycling. Some examples are:

• expired credit card statements and receipts
• old tax returns or any other personal documents containing you name, address or other identifying information.
• pre-approved credit card applications
• licenses

As this service is gaining in popularity, residents should be prepared to wait as lines are sometimes long. However, the wait doesn't have to be that long. Come prepared. This means you've removed all metal clips, fasteners, binders, folders and hard covers and placed the papers loosely in a box. Hard covers – cardboard or plastic covers on items such as ledger books, marble composition books and hard-cover books – cannot be shredded and will be turned away. Residents must rip pages out from hard cover books for shredding and throw the covers in their regular household trash. Up to four boxes of papers are allowed for shredding.

For more information about identity theft, call the Dept. of Consumer Protection (914) 995-2155. For questions about recycling, call (914) 813-5425, the Recycling Helpline.

For more information about the mobile shredder, visit https://environment.westchestergov.com/residents/recycling-guidelines/mobile-shredder

Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator James Nolan 15th District: Support for Gas Tax Relief.

 

Click to Read The Letter: https://www.westchesterlegislators.com/images/enews/2022/gas-tax-relief-support-nolan.pdf

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

My office has sent out a letter, which I am proud of, to our elected New York State delegation asking and encouraging them to pass legislation to suspend the sales tax on gas. The constituents need a relief at this time with the cost of things rising.

The suspension of the sales tax for one of the laws that is being proposed will direct 83% of the tax money to a general fund for the state and the remaining 17% to help pay for infrastructure improvements for bridges and tunnels. The law could help save us 43% on every gallon that is being purchased.

There are a few proposals and any one of them would help go a long way. I would like to thank my colleagues from the Westchester County Board of Legislators that have signed on in support of this effort, Legislators Margaret Cunzio, MaryJane Shimsky and David Tubiolo. This is a bipartisan effort to help each constituent during this time at the gas pump because of the rising cost!

Sincerely,
James Nolan

Yonkers Insider: City of Yonkers: MAYOR MIKE SPANO TO ADDRESS YONKERS IN ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY - Wed., Mar. 30 @7 P.M.

 

MAYOR MIKE SPANO TO ADDRESS CITY OF YONKERS IN ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY, MARCH 30 AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL.

 

Mayor Mike Spano will present the his annual State of the City address on Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm at Lincoln High School [Josephine A. Caruso Auditorium] located at 375 Kneeland Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704.

 

Residents will be able to view Mayor Spano’s address live at www.yonkersny.gov, channel 78 (Optimum) and channel 39 (FiOS) and on Facebook LIVE at www.facebook.com/cityofyonkers.

 

Yonkers Insider: Our Courts Corner: Judge Focus: New York State Supreme Court Judge Hon. Joan B. Lefkowitz: Our Courts Corner.

We do a Focus on Our Court System in Westchester County. We do this Judge Focus on New York State Supreme Court Justice Hon. Joan B. Lefkowitz. 

She has been on the New York State Supreme Court Since 1991 till Presently still serving in the New York State Supreme Court Bench. Before this She was a Family Court Judge in Westchester County from 1987 till 1990. 

Other Professional Experience includes: Pace Law School, Adjunct Professor from 1989 to 1990, Former Family Court Hearing Examiner from 1985 to 1987 and Civil Court New York, Law Assistant from 1974 to 1975.

Her Education was from: JD at Brooklyn School of Law in 1973 and BA from New York University in 1970. She was Admitted to the Bar in NYS Appellate Division in the 2nd Department in 1974, United States District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts in 1975 and United States Supreme Court in 1982.

She has A Stellar Record as a Justice in Our County of Westchester in terms of being A Family Court Judge and Now A New York State Supreme Court Justice, We thought that we would write this Judge Focus on this Incredible Judge that we have in Westchester County in our Court System. 

She gets very high grades from Courthouse Insiders and We thought we would do a Piece on this Judge, who has Great Integrity and Ethics and it is said that Her Courtroom is always A Courtroom of Fairness. 

We give Major Kudos to New York State Supreme Court Justice Hon. Joan B. Lefkowitz.

A Job Well done and Thank you for your Service and your Commitment to Our Court System in Westchester. A Job Well Done!!!

Yonkers Insider Publisher Delfim Heusler

Yonkers Insider: Westchester County District Attorney: YONKERS MAN SENTENCED FOR DRUNK DRIVING CRASH THAT PINNED MOTHER AND HER INFANT UNDER HIS CAR.

 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY

MIRIAM E. ROCAH

 

 

***NEWS RELEASE***

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 29, 2022.

 

YONKERS MAN SENTENCED FOR DRUNK DRIVING CRASH THAT PINNED MOTHER AND HER INFANT UNDER HIS CAR.

 

White Plains, NY – Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah announced the sentencing of a Yonkers man who, while intoxicated, hit a mother and her infant child with his car moments before he crashed through a Yonkers storefront and trapped both victims under the vehicle.  

 

David Poncurak, 44, was sentenced on March 29, 2022, to an indeterminate term of 2 ½ to 7 ½ years in state prison after his plea of guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a felony. He also pled guilty to Driving While Intoxicated, Driving While Ability Impaired by the Combined Influence of Drugs or of Alcohol, and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, all misdemeanors.  

 

The District Attorney’s Office had requested that the court impose a sentence of 4 to 12 years in state prison.  

 

“David Poncurak recklessly got behind the wheel of his car after drinking heavily and using illegal narcotics and placed a mother and her daughter in extreme peril,” DA Rocah said. “I am thankful for the heroic actions of the Yonkers Police Department, the bystanders, and the ambulance crew. Because of them, the victims are alive and healing today. We will continue to vigorously prosecute unlawful and dangerous drivers to keep Westchester’s roads safer for all.” 

 

On July 23, 2021, at approximately 8:25 a.m., Poncurak hit a mother who was carrying her infant child with his car. Both victims were thrown onto the hood of the car, which Poncurak then crashed through the storefront of a barbershop on Lake Avenue in Yonkers. The crash trapped both victims under the vehicle, and Yonkers Police, with the help of bystanders, were able to lift the car off the victims. Poncurak had a blood alcohol content of .13 and illegal narcotics in his system at the time of the collision.  

 

Both victims were transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where the mother underwent surgery for a fractured femur. The infant suffered a fractured skull and severe burns. 

 

The case was before Judge Barry Warhit in Westchester County Court, and was prosecuted by Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Nadine Nagler. 

Yonkers Insider: Statement from New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh Representing Yonkers.

 

News reporter John Whittaker reports on my proposed legislation to outlaw refugee resettlement refusals, understanding that many upstate communities, in addition to Yonkers, have a long history of welcoming immigrants forced to flee their homelands.

https://www.observertoday.com/news/page-one/2022/03/legislator-seeks-bill-to-outlaw-refugee-refusals/?fbclid=IwAR2uHysZDxtEYIIzz2I2UwYrHEr1YrY-gicrko8vpyUxpDBLITHPMmVWuow

New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh 

Yonkers Insider: From the Desk of New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh Representing Yonkers.

 

A rooftop solar record was set in NY March 22. The people who operate our power grid estimate that solar energy production from homes and businesses (BTM) reached a record of 2,328 MegaWatts during the noon hour on Tuesday, March 22nd. One megawatt is approximately the amount of electricity needed to supply 800 to 1,000 homes. Powering homes and businesses with affordable solar energy cuts electricity bills while moving us forward on the State's ambitious clean energy goals.”

New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh

Yonkers Insider: Election 2022 Desk: Reminder - Abinanti Party Tonight: Elections 2022.

 

To Donate: https://abinanti.com/donate/

Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator Jose Alvarado 17th District: St. Joseph's Medical Center Mobile Food Distribution.

 

Yonkers Insider: City of Yonkers: MAYOR MIKE SPANO TO ADDRESS YONKERS IN ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY - Wed., Mar. 30 @7 P.M.

 

MAYOR MIKE SPANO TO ADDRESS CITY OF YONKERS IN ANNUAL STATE OF THE CITY, MARCH 30 AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL.

 

Mayor Mike Spano will present the his annual State of the City address on Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm at Lincoln High School [Josephine A. Caruso Auditorium] located at 375 Kneeland Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704.

 

Residents will be able to view Mayor Spano’s address live at www.yonkersny.gov, channel 78 (Optimum) and channel 39 (FiOS) and on Facebook LIVE at www.facebook.com/cityofyonkers.

 

 

Yonkers Insider: City of Yonkers: CITY OF YONKERS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO VIETNAM VETERANS - Today, 3/29 @3 P.M.

 

CITY OF YONKERS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO VIETNAM VETERANS.

 

Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day Ceremony to be Held at City Hall.

 

The Yonkers Department of Veterans Affairs and Mayor Mike Spano will pay tribute to those who fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives during the Vietnam War in a ceremony today, March 29 at 3:00PM, at the Unity Fountain at City Hall.

 

March 29^th is an annual, national day of recognition to remember those who fought in the Vietnam War.

Yonkers Insider: City of Yonkers: Yonkers City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda Issac 2nd District: Annual Neighborhood Clean-Up.

 

Brian Harrod: A SAFE CITY AGENDA: A Few Common Sense Suggestions For Yonkers Police Department Commissioner John Mueller.

 

1). Commissioner Mueller Should Turn The GPS on In All Patrol Cars So That Dispatchers Can Properly Deploy Officers To Complaints And We Can Stop Having A Dozen Officers Respond To A Fender Bender 2). Commissioner Mueller Should Reverse his Decision To Close Down The Youth Bureau And Fold It Into Community Affairs To Help Pass Out Books - These Officers Need To Be On The Streets Addressing The Growing Youth Gang Problem In Yonkers. 3). Bring Back Downtown Foot Patrols To Address Quality Of Life Issues In Our Multi- Billion Dollar Development Area And Pull Out Those Expensive #YPD Segways That Are Just Collecting Dust. 4). Get Up A Gang Intelligence Unit Focused On Yonkers - That Doesn't Farm Its Detectives Out To Westchester County And The FBI. 5). Start To Address Emotional Disturbed Persons - In Need Of Medical Care- Who Are Loitering And Sitting On Side Walks 6). Address The open Air Illegal Drug Markets That Are Allowed In Front Of Deli's In The City. 7). Answer All Residents Calls For Assistance - Including Calls About Quality Of Life Issues. 8.Put Up A Police Blotter Showing All Calls Answered In Yonkers That Is Updated Daily. 9). Require Police Officers To Actually Live In New York's Third Largest City 10). Hire More Minority Officers To Police Our Minority Majority City. 11). Be Fully Transparent With All Media And Community Groups. 12). Set Up A Fifth Precinct In The Downtown / Waterfront Area. https://www.facebook.com/groups/YonkersNewswire/posts/3205785339679022/

Yonkers Insider: New York League of Conservation Voters: Environmental News for March 28th.

 

Here’s what we’re reading this week:

NY’s Electric School Bus Push: What to Know We’re all familiar with the yellow school buses of our childhood: the rattling sounds of metal, the squeals of our peers, leather seats that had seen better days. Their presence was an integral part to so many childhoods – so what’s being changed?  Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York, accounting for a third of total overall emissions. Not only are these emissions harming the planet, but research has shown that they are also harming New York’s children, leading to higher levels of asthma.  Read More

Cumulative Impacts Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are continuously burdened by the cumulative impacts of multiple hazardous environmental facilities being placed in their communities. Historically, minority communities and economically distressed communities have borne a disproportionate and inequitable share of environmental facilities such as landfills, waste transfer stations, and fossil fuel power plants. These industrial facilities cause significant health impacts such as asthma, lung and heart disease, increased birth defects, and learning impairments. The negative health impacts of poor air quality, polluted waters, toxic gasses, and more are exacerbated in these communities as a result of the cumulative burden of multiple sites. Read More

Photo by Adrian Childress Elected officials stood and rallied with open space advocates ahead of the New York City Council on Parks Committee Budget Hearing, to demand that Mayor Adams and the City Council commit 1% of the NYC Fiscal Year 2023 budget to the city Parks Department. If fulfilled, this pledge would amount to roughly $1 billion allocated to the Parks Department for existing park maintenance and the development of new park facilities. “Parks are vital environmental assets to New York City and we must treat them that way by allocating 1 percent funding to the NYC Parks Department,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “Without this proper funding, these vital resources fall into disarray, which negatively impacts all New Yorkers. Our parks and open spaces mitigate climate change, promote resiliency, lower air temperatures by up to 9 degrees, and remove 1,300 tons of pollutants from the atmosphere each year. It is time for Mayor Adams and the City Council to provide historic investment in our parks and open spaces across the five boroughs.”   (amNY)

On International Day of Forests, State Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Kenneth Zebrowski launched a renewed push to pass the New York Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. The bill would ensure New York State government procurement practices do not drive deforestation or intact forest degradation in tropical and boreal forests.  The Deforestation-Free Procurement Act will tighten an existing state ban on the use of tropical hardwoods for government projects and create a new statute requiring state contractors who deal in forest-risk commodities to certify that their products don’t drive deforestation. Key forest-risk commodities covered by the law include soy, beef, palm oil, coffee, and wood products, with cocoa and rubber to be considered subsequently.     (FOE)

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York has become the top community solar market in the United States with more than one gigawatt of community solar installed and operational – enough to serve 209,000 homes across the state. New York also has the largest pipeline in the nation with enough community solar under construction to serve an additional 401,000 homes, ensuring continued access to clean affordable solar for all New Yorkers for years to come. Community solar made up 70 percent of total solar installations across the state in 2021. In addition, New York’s distributed solar pipeline is now comprised of more than 708 of these projects totaling 2,300 megawatts, which once completed will help expand access to clean energy for all New Yorkers, including low-to-moderate income (LMI) households and those living in disadvantaged communities (DACs).    (NYS Governor)