Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Workers Flunk Repair

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Workers Flunk Repair: Workers Flunk Repair 1 Month After it was Taken Down, Construction Scaffold Returns Overnight at P.S. 86 By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, ...

Workers Flunk Repair

Workers Flunk Repair

1 Month After it was Taken Down, Construction Scaffold Returns Overnight at P.S. 86

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 13- A dozen burly construction workers arrived just before twilight, hours after the last child had left P.S. 86 in Kingsbridge Heights. Workers began putting up the steel and wood sidewalk-shed in the front of the school-- a month after the same workers had dismantled it.

Many of the parents of the 1,600-plus kindergarten and elementary school children who attend the Reservoir Avenue school, dubbed "The Kingsbridge Heights School," and residents of the block were surprised to see what is called a construction scaffold or sidewalk-shed, back in front of the school on the morning of May 1.

One resident recalled, "Yeah, they took it down and it went away and then it came back. It's crazy."

According to Jason Fink at the Department of Education (DOE), "This is an exterior modernization project. Some of the decorative terracotta that was part of the project had to be replaced by the manufacturer, so the contractor is going back to install the replacements."

Fink added that the contractor Vardaris Tech, Inc., was doing the work on the $4.5 million project.

Additional details were revealed when Anjaykumar Shaw of the DOE's School Construction Authority (SCA) stated, "At the time everything was fine and everything was done, but ultimately whatever winter conditions we went through, they went up there and found out what had happened."

Shaw elaborated on the problem, explaining, "Bolsters are the decorative pieces there (in the front of the building) and that bolster had some cracks in it."

Unable to provide an exact timeline, Shaw recalled, "We just realized after the winter, I would say... I don't know exactly, but in the last three or four weeks we came to know there was a problem."

Asked why the scaffolding came down in the first place, Shaw replied, "Oh, because work at the time seemed complete."

A follow up call to Shaw was re-directed to Nicole Halloway, the Bronx Community Relations Manager and the Project Support Manager for the School Construction Authority, who could not provide additional details, stating, "Because the building in question is a DOE facility, we cannot answer questions pertaining to that, only the DOE can."

Several parents stated they were very happy with the school, one believed it to be the largest public school in the borough.

One teacher called it an "A-plus" school and added, "Teacher morale here is great."

However, one parent who claimed her daughter was recommended powerful drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) fumed,  "They told me I had to be sympathetic to the fact that the teacher had 37 students."

Referring to P.S. 86, that parent added, "I feel like every time I hear a teacher, there telling a parent their child has ADHD."

In a follow-up e-mail, Fink stated there would be no additional cost to the SCA, and added the completion date is not yet known.

Calls to P.S. 86 Principal Fiona Tyson and contractor Vardaris Tech were not immediately returned.   

#Schools #Construction #Education #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Firefighters get Sinking Feeling

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Firefighters get Sinking Feeling: Firefighters get Sinking Feeling                 Photo by Andre Rivera     Members of FDNY's Engine 90 were responding to a medic...

Firefighters get Sinking Feeling

Firefighters get Sinking Feeling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Andre Rivera

 

 

Members of FDNY's Engine 90 were responding to a medical emergency at 1857 Colden Avenue when their right front tire got caught in a sink-hole. An FDNY heavy-duty towing vehicle was called out and the rig was removed from the hole. No injuries were reported. 

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Skelos out

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Skelos out: Skelos  Out - Flanagan in as New Republican Senate Leader By Robert Press  BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 12- On January 22 nd  U.S. Attorney P...

Skelos out

Skelos Out - Flanagan in as New Republican Senate Leader

By Robert Press 

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 12- On January 22^nd U.S. Attorney Pheet Bharara announced the arrest of New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Corruption Charges. By the end of January Silver became former Speaker Silver as he stepped down after leading the state assembly as its speaker for over 20 years. This led to a new leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie who became the new speaker in a much different way from his battle to become the Bronx Democratic County Leader in 2008. 

On April 17^th I reported on my blog and in my next column of 100 PERCENT (in this newspaper) that State Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam were being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's office. On May 4^th the U.S. Attorney's office announced the arrest of State Senator Dean Skelos and his son Adam Skelos on Corruption Charges. Skelos vowed to continue on as Majority Leader of the state Senate despite the indictment of him and his son by the U.S. Attorney on corruption charges. However giving into pressure from Democrats as well as fellow Republican State Senators, Dean Skelos has stepped down as the State Senate Majority Leader. 

Replacing Skelos as Majority Leader is fellow Republican State Senator John J. Flanagan, who was the Senate Education Chair. Flanagan has his private practice at the law firm of Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana, saying that the job of majority leader will be a 24/7 job. Flanagan is confident that he has the support of his fellow Republican Conference members, and is probably going to make an even better offer to the IDC and State Senator Jeff Klein. 

Klein in a statement said, "I offer my sincerest congratulations to Senator John Flanagan in his new role as Majority Leader. I look forward to a positive and productive six weeks ahead as we focus on the remaining legislative session and working together to improve the lives of all New Yorkers."

Albany has become a very different place since the beginning of this year. One problem that still looms over the head of State Senate Republicans is that State Senate Republican Deputy Majority Leader Tom Libus is under federal indictment awaiting his trial to begin soon. Libus is reported to be in poor health suffering from cancer, but is said to be continuing in his role as Deputy Majority Leader of the State Senate. 

#DeanSkelos #Albany #JeffKlein #Politics #Bronxnews

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Tickled Pink

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Yanks Tickled Pink: Yanks Tickled Pink Pineda Fans 16, Remains Undefeated in 2015  By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 11- Sunday’s starting pitcher for th...