In Letter to Mayor, Bronx Elected Officials Seek Reprieve for Pelham Parkway Trees

Vacca, Diaz, Crowley, Klein, Rivera & Benedetto Seek Community Input on Working Group and Reassessment of Guardrail Design and Tree Health

In an open letter to Mayor Bloomberg sent earlier today, a group of Bronx elected officials representing the Pelham Parkway community are seeking a reassessment of City plans to remove 80 trees as part of the Pelham Parkway Reconstruction project. The letter is signed by Council Member James Vacca, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Congressman Joseph Crowley, State Senator Jeff Klein, Assembly Member Naomi Rivera, and Assembly Member Michael Benedetto.

The Pelham Parkway Reconstruction is a $36 million capital project led by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) to improve the road and sewer network on one of the borough’s main east-west thoroughfares. The City plans to remove up to 50 trees to make way for a guardrail along the parkway; an additional 30 to 40 trees have been designated by the Department of Parks and Recreation as unhealthy and in need of removal.

Click here to download the letter.

Click here to read the full press release.

Bronx Borough President Diaz Hosted the Iftar Dinner “Break the Fast” in Honor of the Blessed Month Of Ramadan

On Wednesday, August 18, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined the Bronx’s Muslim community to celebrate the Iftar Dinner “Break the Fast”, in honor of the blessed month of Ramadan. Ramadan is observed by more than one billion Muslims around the world.

A group of community leaders were honored during the event. This year’s honorees were: Abdulrahman Abdulla, from the Muslim American Society Bronx Youth, Muna Hagazi, from the Bronx Muslim Center, and Imam Abdallah Bajaha, from the Islamic Cultural Center.

“Today we are celebrating with the Muslim community, proving one more time that the strength of our borough comes from our diversity. Our Muslim residents play an important role in the development and improvement of the Bronx, and I am proud of sharing a table with them during this significant religious festivity”, said Diaz Jr.

Jamaican Heritage and Culture Celebration in The Bronx

On Tuesday, August 17, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Jamaica Progressive League, Inc. commemorated the 48th Year of the Independence of Jamaica and the 123rd birthday anniversary of Marcus M. Garvey, Jamaica’s First National Hero. During the event, Diaz Jr. presented a proclamation to the president of the Jamaica Progressive League, Sadie Campbell.

“I extend my gratitude and appreciation to the Jamaica Progressive League and its committed members for keeping alive the memory of Marcus Garvey and for highlighting Jamaican culture. Today we acknowledge the cultural and political contributions Jamaican-Americans have made to our great borough,” said Diaz Jr.

Bronx and Brooklyn Borough Presidents Write to Charter Revision Commission

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz have written a letter to Matthew Goldstein, Chair of the New York City Charter Review Commission, expressing their dismay with the manner in which hearings on baseline budgeting were conducted. In their letter, the borough presidents addressed inaccurate statements made by the City budget director regarding baseline budgeting and the function and role of the office of borough president in New York City government.

Click here to read the letter.

Borough President Diaz Encourages Safe Swimming

Following the deaths of David Luccioni and Crystal Reyes, two teenagers who drowned in an off-limits area of the Bronx River on Sunday, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is urging Bronx families to use caution this summer and swim in pools and beaches operated by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

“Everyone wants to cool off in the heat, but the tragic deaths of David and Crystal should remind us that we have to be safe. The Bronx River is beautiful, but it is a natural area with uncertain depths and no lifeguards on duty, making it too dangerous for swimming. We are fortunate to have numerous options for safe swimming in the Bronx, most of which are free, and I encourage Bronxites to take advantage of them,” said Borough President Diaz.

Borough President Diaz’s office is making available a list of beaches and pools that offer safer swimming options in the Bronx. Download the list of beaches and pools here. Information on water safety and other summer swimming programs can be found at the Parks Department’s website nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools.

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