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May 29, 2024

I attended a town hall hosted by the Amalgamated Board of Directors, which included residents and shareholders of Amalgamated Houses & Park Reservoir. We discussed affordable housing, capital improvements, and crucial investments needed to stabilize families in our community.

Amalgamated, the oldest limited equity housing cooperative in the U.S., was sponsored by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union under Sidney Hillman and founded by Abraham E. Kazan, the "father of cooperative housing in the United States."

The first 303 residents moved in on November 1, 1927. Today, Amalgamated houses 1,482 families in eleven buildings. The oldest is Building 6, and the newest are two Towers completed in 1968 and 1970, replacing the original first building.

Amalgamated provides both housing and community. Its Education Department, established early on, oversees co-op education and activities. "Community News" has been published since 1929, and there are programs for all ages, including a Playgroup, Nursery, and a NORC Program for seniors.

Amalgamated has inspired moderate-income cooperative housing. The United Housing Foundation, which built tens of thousands of homes for moderate-income families, was created by Amalgamated leaders, drawing on its experience.

Top picture (from left to right): State Senator Robert Jackson, Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, President of the Amalgamated Housing Board of Directors Jack Speigel, and Congressman Adriano Espaillat Staffer Maximo Javier.

Center-left picture: Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz speaking to residents of the Amalgamated Houses.

Bottom picture (from left to right): Treasurer of the Amalgamated Housing Board of Directors Ed Yaker, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, and President of the Park Reservoir Co-op Board Andy Kimerling.

I joined Jewish Community Leaders and elected officials at SAR Academy to address antisemitism in a post-October 7th world. We discussed robust initiatives to combat hate and ensure safety for all. Together, we stand united against intolerance and bigotry.

Center-right picture (from left to right): Three representatives from the Riverdale Y, SAR Academy President Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, JCRC-NY CEO Mark Tregyer, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and Israel's Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism Michal Cotler-Wunsh.

Bottom picture (from left to right): JCRC-NY CEO Mark Tregyer, Israel's Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

My bill (A.1745A) passed the Assembly.

This legislation provides essential guidance and enforcement mechanisms for resolving consumer complaints against utilities, primarily about disputed billing charges. Despite the New York State Department of Public Service's commitment to prevent power or heat loss for customers affected during and since COVID-19, utility-related consumer issues have worsened during the pandemic. Utilities' refusal to refund customers and address billing complaints contradicts public interest, especially when financial assistance is urgently needed.

Consumers deserve continuous essential electric and gas service and any money owed during this period of severe financial hardship. Wrongfully withholding millions from customers or failing to address complaints promptly worsens the economic struggles of many New Yorkers.

The current process lacks enforceable timelines, due process, clear evidentiary standards, and penalties for utilities' non-compliance. The absence of procedural guidelines and consequences necessitates this legislation. Large utilities often ignore legitimate complaints, highlighting the need for these reforms.

I successfully implemented the Henry Hudson Bridge Toll Rebate Program for Bronxites on February 3rd, 2024, after negotiating its inclusion in the state budget 2019.

• Bronx residents with Bronx-registered cars and funded E-ZPass accounts will receive instant rebates for Henry Hudson Bridge crossings, addressing historical toll grievances.
• This initiative aims to alleviate congestion and pollution caused by alternative routes into Manhattan.

Each week, we provide new streets and their histories, all reprinted from John McNamara's "History in Asphalt," which gives in-depth origins of how current and former Bronx Streets got their name! I picked the two streets for this week from Woodlawn: Katonah Avenue and Matilda Avenue.

Katonah Avenue: Until March 1896, this was 2nd Street in the village of Woodlawn Heights. Richard Lederer, placename authority of Westchester County cities, an Indian Sachem, Ketatonah, meaning 'Great Mountain.' The surmise is that Heights residents thought the name was appropriate to the elevation.

The area figured in a Revolutionary War battle between British Calvary under Simcoe and the American Patriots assisted by the Indian, Nimham, and his Stockbridge tribesman.

Matilda Avenue: Matilda Feth was a 1900 landowner with property fronting on this avenue at East 241st Street. Folklore has it that Henry Haffen, Commissioner of Streets, named it for his wife Matilda (Stoller).

In the 1850s, a famous operatic star, Adelina Patti, lived in the village of Washingtonville on what is now Matilda Avenue.

City Limits, May 23rd, 2024 — NY Assembly Could Stall ‘Polluters Pay’ Bill For Second Year in a Row

Newsday, May 29th, 2024 — New York State lawmakers OK new measures regulating lithium-ion batteries

A group of alpacas on an Idaho farm has recently tested positive for H5N1 bird flu for the first time, according to the USDA. The gene sequence of the viruses isolated from these alpacas is closely related to the H5N1 strains circulating in dairy cattle. For over two decades, H5N1 primarily affected birds. However, in the past two years, the virus has been infecting a more comprehensive range of wild and farmed mammals, raising concerns about its potential to become a pathogen that can easily be transmitted between humans. While human cases have occurred sporadically worldwide, including three in the US, no person-to-person transmission has been reported in the ongoing US cattle outbreak.

Last week, I asked, "Do you believe these tariffs will successfully curb Chinese influence in the US?"

Yes — 56%

No — 46%

Other / No Opinion — 2%

» MTA Mobile Sales Van Bus Schedule — Monthly

Need to refill your Metro card? The Metro Card Bus is coming near you! Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, the MTA will bring the Metro Card Bus to the following locations to assist you in refilling your card *Schedules are subject to change*. Note: Mobile Sales are Cash Only. You can still buy a MetroCard using cash or transfer value from a Reduced-Fare MetroCard.

1st Wednesday

• Riverdale at 235th Street and Johnson Avenue
• 9 AM – 11 AM

3rd Wednesday

• Riverdale at Skyview Shopping Center (Riverdale Ave between 256 St & 259 St)
• 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

3rd Wednesday

• Kingsbridge at 231 St and Broadway
• 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

2nd & 4th Friday

• Knolls Crescent Mall (11-21 Knolls Crescent)
• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

1st Wednesday

• Woodlawn Heights at Woodlawn Heights Library
• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

• Get help with a Reduced-Fare Application

• Transfer MetroCard balances (Full fare and Reduced-Fare)

• Exchange a damaged Reduced-Fare MetroCard for a temporary replacement

• Report a lost/stolen Reduced-Fare MetroCard

• Ask about any MetroCard-related issues

• Sign up for OMNY

» Van Cortlandt Park Alliance — Events in May 2024

Forest Restoration Fridays

Friday, May 31 - Meet at 9 am

Gear up for some hands-on conservation work, including tree planting, all while learning about the forest’s ecosystem in the Northwest Woods.

RSVP Now

Meet at VCPA Garden & Compost Site.

» KRVC — Free Narcan Training, May 29th

• Wednesday, May 29th at 7:00 PM at Gallery 505 (505 W 236th St, Bronx, NY).

• Lillian Neuman will be the speaker and instructor on how to prevent an opioid overdose. She is the Community Outreach and Prevention Education Director at St.Vincent's Hospital Westchester, a Division of Saint Joseph's Medical Center. She will train the participants on administering nasal Narcan and guide them through crisis intervention.

• For more information, contact Laura4Bronx@gmail.com or visit KRVC.

» English Language Learners International Support Academy (ELLIS) — YES To College, May 29th

• Your friends and neighbors are engaged with a very special local public high school, and we'd love your help, too.

Meet the leaders and inspiring alums of ELLIS: 

Tortoise & Hare; 6112 Broadway

Wednesday, May 29, 6 PM to 8 PM

ELLIS (English Language Learners International Support Academy) students enter high school within six months of arriving in the US, without English, ambitious to build our community's future. They're intelligent and driven, receiving financial aid from colleges, but their trajectory is fragile without added resources. Friends of ELLIS make their higher education possible. 

Your “yes” to sponsoring becomes their “YES!” to college.

If you can’t join the fun in person on May 29, please chip in with any sponsorship level you wish. We’ll thank you at Tortoise & Hare, in person or absentia, and ELLIS students will thank you forever.

Contact John Kelly at jplk@hotmail.com for more information.

» Bronx River Alliance — Virtual Public Input Meeting on the Bronx River, June 4

• The Bronx River Alliance is proud to announce that a draft of the updated Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed Management Plan is available for review!

• Please join the Bronx River Alliance *virtually* on Tuesday, June 4, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a Public Input Meeting to give your feedback on updates to the plan!

• Drafts of the updated plan and a new Climate Resilience Strategy chapter are currently available for review on the event page. If you can't attend the meeting, you are welcome to submit your feedback through this form. 

» Riverdale Neighborhood House — Riverdale Pride Day, June 9

• Sunday, June 9th, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Riverdale Neighborhood House (5521 Mosholu Avenue, Bronx, NY).

• Fun for the Whole Family! Music, Art, Food, and Drag.

• Keep Up To Date With Us at Riverdalepride.org.

» KRVC — Community Karaoke at KRVC, May 2024

• Fridays from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Gallery 505 (505 W 236th St, Bronx, NY).

• All ages and all languages are welcome. Bring your snacks and support your local food spots.

• For more information, contact LindaKRVC@gmail.com or visit KRVC

» 9/11 Memorial & Museum — Spring 2024 Field Trips, FREE for New York City Schools, Started January 16th

• Reservations are now open for Spring 2024 field trips at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Beginning January 16, we'll offer interactive on-site and virtual programs that help students understand what happened on 9/11 and its ongoing relevance today.

•Thanks to public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, on-site and virtual field trips are FREE for New York City schools. Proof of eligibility will be determined using a school’s zip code and confirmed by Museum staff.  

•Fill out a booking request form to plan your on-site student field trip to the Museum. To schedule a virtual field trip, visit our Virtual Field Trips page. Space is limited for all programs, and requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Programs are appropriate for students in grades 3 through 12. We look forward to welcoming you!

» E-ZPass NY — 24/7 E-ZPass NY Account Access!

• Preparing for a trip or already on the road? Forget to add that new license plate before your vacation? Want to check your balance? Is your account balance low? No worries! Use our Tolls NY Mobile App.

• Real-time payments and account updates are made without speaking to a representative.

• Scan the QR code or click the link below to easily download the app from the App Store or Google Play today!

Please visit our YouTube channel to learn more by clicking here.

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Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

3107 Kingsbridge Avenue

Bronx, New York 10463

Phone: 718-796-5345 | E-Mail: dinowitzj@nyassembly.gov