Christmas Sale in Bay Ridge – 12/22

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Melissa Mark-Viverito is Not an Advocate for NYC

I’m glad there are so many choices for Public Advocate for NYC.

 
There is definitely one person who should not be running for Public Advocate……Melissa Mark-Viverito.

Photo: Ser Amantio di Nicolao

• Melissa Mark-Viverito supported Brooklyn’s corrupt Assemblywoman, Pam Harris. Viverito endorsed and campaigned for Harris in November 2016, even after Assemblywoman Harris admitted to newspapers in the Summer of 2016 that she had done dishonest things. Mark-Viverito felt the media did Harris wrong.

• The money Pam Harris received was from Councilman Mark Treyger, so as the Speaker of New York City Council, Melissa Mark-Viverito should have been able to check into how that money was spent. We got stuck with Harris for two years until she was charged, arrested and brought to court this year! Harris was found guilty on fraud and witness-tampering and was sentenced to jail and fined.  Viverito couldn’t be straight with Harris and say, “Boo, move onto something else.”  (Harris probably would not have been investigated or be going to jail if she hadn’t remained in office)
  

Three words could have helped Pam Harris:

• When I asked Melissa Mark-Viverito’s office for transparency on this issue, she would not provide it. After we called her office multiple times, her staff would not return calls. I wrote about it on Twitter and Melissa Mark-Viverito did not respond – even though she is an active Twitter user who shares hundreds of pictures of herself and has someone help her manage the account.
  

• That year,  NYC Councilman Treyger assigned Pam Harris’ not-for-profit MORE money than the year before. (Residents screamed NOOOOOOOOOOO).  I called on Melissa Mark-Viverito to watch that money and not allow Treyger to fund Harris’ not-for-profit. Initially it was held, but then the city records showed it was released. Later, newspapers said that Harris was no longer in charge of the group, but Melissa Mark-Viverito didn’t think she, Councilman Treyger or Pam Harris should have to answer to residents about it. We also asked Scott Stringer, the NYC Comptroller to look into it. Stringer didn’t do anything – he didn’t act as a watchdog for the city’s money because he and Treyger are friends.
  

• In 2015, I wrote to Melissa Mark-Viverito about my property taxes being twice the cost of Bill de Blasio’s property tax when his home is 4 miles from my home and worth twice the value of my home. This is happening to many residents in Brooklyn. Why didn’t Melissa Mark-Viverito issue a moratorium on the property taxes and investigate? Mark-Viverito’s response was to send my letter to my local councilman (Gentile) and told him to respond. #FAIL When people write to the head of NYC Council, it means they need more help. Pushing the problem onto someone else instead of addressing the problem is not leadership. This tells NY’ers their issue is not important and isn’t going to be heard. See article on MMV and property taxes.
  

• Melissa Mark-Viverto’s office took a month to respond to my letter. No one at her office provided a name or contact number. No one followed up to see if anything was done. In fact, according to this letter, NYC property owners should have received help from the “NYC Council Finance Division” over three years ago!
  

Click here to see a larger version

• In 2017, Melissa Mark-Viverito showed NYC she was done being in political office. She pushed for Oscar Lopez Rivera to be honored at the Puerto Rican Day Parade. There was a lot of controversy about this man because of his past, yet Melissa Mark-Viverto thought it should be overlooked because she liked it him (just like Pam Harris). There are so many Puerto Rican people in America who could have received that honor, but Melissa Mark-Viverito couldn’t hear anyone else. Mark-Viverito wouldn’t even take reporters questions about it.

Photo: William Lopez

• Melissa Mark-Viverito banned the press from City Hall. She was term-limited and wasn’t running for anything else, so she banned he press from City Hall. This is not a person with integrity and won’t make NYC more transparent.

• Melissa Mark Viverito wants to put jails in our communities because those in jail are “our family members” and neighbors. I don’t have any family members in jail. People who go to jail are people who think the laws don’t apply to them – no one wants that in their neighborhood. Of course teens shouldn’t have been sent to Rikers, but what’s wrong with people who do the wrong thing serving their time?
  

• Melissa Mark-Vivierto took a knee in September 2017, but she wouldn’t let New York City Council vote on the Right to Know Act. Again, photo ops ruled NYC instead of legislation.When MMV had the power to change the law for the people, she didn’t. See here

• Melissa Mark -Viverto took a job with a PAC named the Latino Victory Fund. NYC has had enough with politicans and PACs. Melissa Mark-Viverto is where she should be and doing what she enjoys doing. The government is for all nationalities – not just Latinos. While the United States should be helping Puerto Rico, this is not NYC’s burden to bear. Melissa Mark-Viverto
  

Melissa Mark-Viverito has shown she is not a person who is interested in serving people, helping people or making the government more transparent. She is interested in helping a few people (like Marty Golden was) and taking a lot of pictures of herself (like Nicole Malliotakis).

More importantly, Melissa Mark-Viverito is a woman who became part of “the machine” and believes that we all should be lucky to have someone like her in office.

I haven’t investigated all of the people running for Public Advocate, but we need to make sure machine politicians aren’t running this election.

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Radio Daze Jingle Bell Rock

Radio Daze sounds greats – playing at Mussels and More in #BayRidge

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Happy Birthday Bay Ridge!

The Bay Ridge Historical Society invites Bay Ridge  residents to celebrate the 165th Birthday of Bay Ridge.

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Reconciliation at Saint Ephrem

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Blink Fitness Club to Open in Bay Ridge

Councilman Brannan announced the opening of Blink Fitness Club at 437 – 88th Street in Bay Ridge. This was formerly  Capri / Legacy / Pastels nightclub space years ago.

Blink will be opening here in early Summer 2020.

Blink Fitness is a low-cost gym so many people may enjoy the rates.

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Did You Hear the Smack? Or Did Malliotakis Eating Breakfast with a Democrat Fool You?

SMACK!  It was fast, hard and a sound that traveled over the bridge, as Staten Island Republicans endorsed Eric Ulrich for Public Advocate. Poor Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, after all these years she hasn’t learned the game of politics. 

Malliotakis wanted the Staten Island Republicans to turn their back on Eric Ulrich because Ulrich didn’t support her when she ran for mayor. Yet the Staten Island Republicans jumped behind Ulrich with a grand endorsement. Twitter lit up with retweets from Staten Islanders who were supporting Ulrich. We heard the *Smack* all the way over the bridge in Bay Ridge. The Bronx Republicans followed with an endorsement for Ulrich.

Malliotakis and a supporter/employee of her campaign went after Eric Ulrich in a Twitter battle recently (see here).  Malliotakis didn’t call off her supporter, but she should have because Ulrich was easily able to burn Malliotakis with her poor election statistics next Mayor de Blasio.

Still resentful at Ulrich for not supporting her mayoral campaign, Malliotakis should have taken the high road for the Republican party….but she is unable to do that.  Nicole Malliotakis may be the Republican party’s weakest link as she would rather be divisive than swallow her pride and help her party. A lot of people were glad to see Ulrich publicly support Bo Deitl over Malliotakis in the mayoral election.

While the news is all over about the Public Advocate position, Nicole Malliotakis convinced two reporters to take a picture of her eating breakfast with her former election opponent. Both Paula Katina (from the Brooklyn Reporter) and Sonia Colon (from Kings County Politics) thought this was news worthy over the Staten Island Republican Party SMACKDOWN?!

Colon may not be aware that the news in Staten Island is important to Bay Ridge because she is a newer journalist. Paula Katinas has been writing for this community for years, but writes favorable articles for Malliotakis and other Republicans (seen here, here, here, here, here, and here).  In Bay Ridge, my neighbors now check to see what journalists are writing articles before they read them because no one has time for “what did Nicole Malliotakis eat at the diner stories”.

Why wouldn’t Nicole Malliotakis meet with Senator Gounardes or Councilman Brannan if she wanted to work with Democrats in Bay Ridge?  Brannan shares pics he works with Republicans. Why didn’t Paula Katinas or Sonia Colon question that?  Do journalist stop questioning when breakfast is involved?  Interestingly, one reporter sat next to Malliotakis and ate breakfast (see glass and plate in picture).  A reporter has to eat,  right?

Sonia Colon’s  Photo

If only I could whisper into Sonia and Paula’s ears: “Ladies report the news – don’t allow Nicole Malliotakis to smother news outlets with silliness so Bay Ridge residents can’t get the real news.”   Nonsense tweet:

In the 2018 election, the paper that Katinas works threw out an endorsement for Senator Marty Golden right before the election. Sonia Colon writes for Kings County Politics which wrote favorably towards Steve Saperstein, but didn’t tell us what was really going on like other papers did.  Neither publication swayed the public as the residents here are aware that things aren’t getting done and we are tired of journalists taking pictures in diners.  

Since Nicole Malliotakis’ staff in Albany reads this, please deliver this message: For 2019,  be authentic. Let the news be fresh, raw news – no press releases or “politicians calling in with a tip”  to promote themselves in the paper.

And reporters: If a pol is calling you to meet them at the diner, they probably want a puff piece to cover some not so pleasant news. Go for the real news for the readers.

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Helen Klein – Did She Get Demoted or Was It Just a Scheme? How the Home Reporter Lost Readers….

While politicians like to play politics, some local newspapers and their editor(s) participated in our election in a pretty horrible way.

The Brooklyn Reporter announced that Chuck Otey was (reinstated) as the Executive Editor of Home Reporter paper and Paula Katinas would be the executive editor of The Spectator.

Kadia Goba, a journalist for Bklyner confirmed this new:

After Chuck  Otey became the executive editor OVER OR INSTEAD OF HELEN KLEIN,  Otey endorsed his friend, Marty Golden. Although politicians loved this move…..

Residents weren’t fooled by the “hello cronyism” endorsement.

The Home Reporter paper had a history of not endorsing a candidate, but the new owners and Chuck Otey didn’t care about the paper’s history. The history of the paper meant nothing to them.  Thankfully, Ridgites came out to vote out the 16-year incumbent. It’s strange to us that Chuck Otey would disregard the newpapers’ pioneers….as if what they did meant nothing because he wanted to use the paper to help his friend.  It’s a trend of the times that history doesn’t mean much to people anymore.

Here’s the sad part….either Helen Klein was demoted from being the head editor of the paper at the paper’s discretion  OR Helen Klein fell over and let Bay Ridge get a snowjob of an endorsement.

It’s sad either way….for our community and for women in journalism.

If the owner of the Home Reporter made Helen Klein step down from being the editor of both papers, it means the owner doesn’t respect her and her work. Many residents talked about Otey stepping on Klein because she was a woman. People thought it was strange that Klein would report to Katinas. But Katinas confirmed that she was the executive editor over Klein when she thanks Kassar:

But if  the truth is the other way around, Helen Klein doesn’t respect this community and she allowed a silly endorsement to be printed on the cover of the paper to try to influence a neighborhood’s election. Didn’t Klein care about the history of the paper not endorsing a candidate?  While the streets in Bay Ridge were filled with a blue spirit and optimism for Gournades and “22 Ought to Be Blue,” the paper posted the contrary.

How many readers did that move cost the Home Reporter? Residents laughed when they saw, “Marty Golden: Actions Speak Louder than Words.”  #Fail

When Andrew Gourndes won the Senate seat, the Home Reporter would not give him the cover.  Gounardes and the people ousted a 16-year incumbent and the paper couldn’t be respectful and wish him well? Nope….the paper ran Marty Golden on their cover. As Ridgites cheered, the paper reflected Chuck Otey’s sadness.  A tiny violin played for Otey.

Whoever chose that picture on the cover, doesn’t have much sense because why would they have frozen Marty Golden defeat and his sons’ disappointment in time like that?

Further, Klein is still listed as the editor of both The Spectator and the Home Reporter – neither Charles Otey or Paula Katinas are listed as executive editors in any bylines. It’s Helen Klein who has the say on what goes on and into the paper.

The Spectator made an endorsement days later for Gounardes on the cover. Our local papers aren’t reflective of the ideals of this community if they are printing contrary information in two papers by the same publisher with Helen Klein as the editor of both.

Paula Katinas confirmed the new title when she thanked people for congratulating her.

Was Helen Klein part of the scheme to push a politician onto a community when clearly the community had enough of him? I have written to Helen Klein several times about articles that have appeared in the Brooklyn Reporter, but she doesn’t respond. Helen Klein, like all of the elected politicians of this area, have my full name and my e-mail address too.

While I don’t think Helen Klein reads my blog, I know a few people on her staff do.   So….Helen Klein or Chuck Otey – whoever is the editor – please report the news in the Brooklyn Reporter and tell reporters to stop with these type of articles. No one needs to know what Nicole Malliotakis ate for breakfast in the diner (yes, that’s what Paula Katinas told us about this week). Why would the executive editor of a newspaper think this was news when the endorsement of Eric Ulrich in Staten Island was news for everyone else in NYC? It showed that Nicole Malliotakis continues to have only a small role in the Republican Party. While a few local reporters may play up Malliotakis’ press releases, no one is fooled by it.

As an editor, don’t you think residents should be able to pick up your paper and know what is going on in the community rather than having to search for it online?

Incidentally, Chuck Otey reads my blog and has written to me twice to let me know I am not a journalist. I have politely responded TWICE – the second time publicly,  so Otey can’t claim I didn’t respond. 

Clearly, Chuck Otey doesn’t realize that newspapers no longer control the community and the Internet allows residents to speak the truth (as far as they know) for their neighbors. I have never had any politician write to me and tell me I didn’t print the truth (and you know they would have).

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Santa for Pets – Free in Bay Ridge 12/15

Vinny’s Pet Store will have Santa for your pets this Saturday, December 15, 2018. It’s free so bring your pet and your camera. And buy some pet food and Xmas stuff for your pet, so Vinny’s stays open and continues to have nice events like this.

Vinny’s Pet Store 451 Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) Brooklyn  2:00 –5:00 pm.   718-745-9074

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Volunteer – Christmas Opportunity

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Baby Dolls Invited to Church – Sunday 12/16

• Saint Ephrem

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

Padre Pio Mass on December 17, 2018

I’m not sure when Padre Pio became so popular, but has a great following now.

Mass at saint Finbars on December 17th at 7:30 pm.

Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »