Bronx Week Caps Off This Sunday
100 PERCENT
By Robert Press
BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 15- If you read the first sentence of last week’s column it said that the headline refers to the kickoff of Bronx week 2015. There were three items that came in at the deadline, and the headline was changed after it left my hands. I am not the editor, and sometimes the column will be edited, or the headline I suggest will be changed for one reason or another. Of the 3 deadline items no one said anything about the State Senate Majority Leader being indicted by the U.S. Attorney part, which I had been waiting for. You knew that part if you regularly checked my blog where I commented back on April 17th that Senate Majority Leader Skelos and his son Adam were being investigated by the U. S. Attorney.
The second item that came in at last week’s deadline was a rumor that Assemblyman Jose Rivera was going to step down due to health related reasons. The story of the rumor going around was confirmed by more than one elected official, and I only wrote what I have written the past two election cycles about Assemblyman Rivera. I am fully aware of Assemblyman Rivera's health problems, and very short periods of absence from the assembly chamber to get some much needed rest. However if you read my column a few weeks ago where I quoted the good assemblyman that he was running for re-election in 2016, and when I saw Assemblyman Rivera at the Ben Franklin club Dinner last week he said to me the rumor is a lie, and he reconfirmed that he will be running for re-election in 2016. Assemblyman Rivera is sometimes a hard man to reach, especially if you are in the media, but our love-hate relationship seems to continue as it has since the last century. My apologies to you Jose, but I seem to give you the energy that you need to win every year. It looks like 2016 will not be that much different, but I do have a surprise that you are going to like in store for you.
The third deadline item really was not on deadline, and if you have followed my column over the years you will find that I have supported Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie ever since he was elected county leader at the infamous Paradise Theater 2008 County Committee election. When Assemblyman Heastie ascended to the speaker position in the state assembly there were those in the media who began attacking him and looking for anything wrong that he may have done. In early 2010, I exposed a plot to gather district leaders for a possible coup against County Leader Heastie. I defended Speaker Heastie when he was attacked on the sloppy record keeping that was brought out by others, because I knew the exact reason and County Leader Heastie was not at fault. When the Bronx DA and U.S. Attorney sent in a spy to try to get something on County Leader Heastie, I was there to watch former Assemblyman Nelson Castro try to cozy up to the same person who made the bookkeeping mistakes as he was wearing a wire for the Bronx DA and U.S. Attorney. So Assemblyman Carl Heastie I have been there for you over the years, and you know I am right, after all I did announce your replacement weeks before it was official.
It appears that certain items, certain elected officials, and even certain elections that I cover are because of my sixth sense (or could it be the inside knowledge) to keep things honest. Just look at the 80th A.D. race between former Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera and current Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj as one example that I covered and was the only one to project Mark Gjonaj as the winner. It seems that my sixth sense is telling me that the 2016 primary for the 36th State Senate is the race to cover.
I have been told much in the past week about what I wrote about Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and 1199. I have been told that was done by County Leader Heastie, not to go after the first black Assembly speaker, and even have been given a thumbs up by some of the speaker's friends, but most of all support by many in the 36th State Senate District (and even 83rd Assembly District) who want honest representation. I am not going to repeat the words Speaker Heastie said to me at the Ben Franklin Dinner responding to last week’s article, but I do say to Speaker Heastie the following. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat those first four words to yourself, and then ask your self the following: Why is the Speaker of the Assembly getting involved in a State Senate race, and is it worth possibly throwing away a position that everyone knows can lead to higher office and help the Bronx, as you have in your short time as speaker? Is it really worth it Carl?
Back to Bronx Week 2015 that wraps up this Sunday with the induction to the Bronx Walk of Fame of Author and Actress Ms. Stacy Dash, Actor Mr. Malik Yoba, NBA Legend Mr. Dolph Schayes, and Bronx businessman and Philanthropist the Late Alfredo Thieband. That is followed by the ever growing Bronx Week parade across Mosholu Parkway, and then the Grand Finale to Bronx week 2015 is the Bronx Food and Arts Festival on the other side of Mosholu Parkway which runs from 12 – 6 PM.
Check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see the latest listing of events going on by the Bronx Chamber of Commerce whose President and Bronx Goodwill Ambassador Mr. Lenny Caro was Honored by the Ben Franklin Club last week for his tremendous work in making the Bronx a better place to own a business.
Senator Jeff Klein will be speaking about his recent trip to Cuba with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Speaker Heastie on Thursday night May 21st,7:15 PM at the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center located at 3880 Sedwick Avenue (off Van Cortlandt Avenue). The public is invited, and for more information you can call 718-884-6105.
If you have any political information that you want to share or have checked out, 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.
#BronxWeek #JoseRivera #Politics #Bronxnews
