CHatter
August 11th, 2008
Reyna Picks Maltese in Senate Race
Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn/Queens) may serve on the City Council with Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens), but she does not seem to want her colleague and fellow Democrat to win his race against State Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Queens).
Reyna’s district covers Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn, but stretches into the Ridgewood section of Queens, where she was on July 18 to attend the 35th anniversary celebration for the Glenridge Senior Center.
Maltese attended as well, with new State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau) along for the event, lending his help to the targeted senator in a race Democrats have called the tipping point in their quest to gain control of the Senate.
After embracing and kissing Maltese, Reyna made a short speech to the crowd of seniors, rallying them to do their part in giving Maltese an 11th term in Albany.
“Let’s make sure that our friend Serf continues to remain in our community because without Serf, I don’t think this community could have struggled and survived and improved,” she said. “I have great respect for this man and he has always been a friend. I don’t see partisan lines. I see a human being who cares and never says no.”
Reyna also offered words of praise for new Council Member Anthony Como, a former Maltese aide who in June won the special election for the neighboring Council district and was also on hand for the event.
But perhaps Reyna’s lack of enthusiasm had something to do with her apparent chafing at having to spend more time at Council meetings than in the district. Apologizing for not being at the Glenridge Center more recently, she explained that unfortunately, “City Hall has tightened the belt when it comes to the scheduling and attending meetings out there.”
At Clinton Homecoming, Jokes of the Bloomberg Presidential Run and the Thompson-Weiner Race
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Ind.) welcomed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) back to New York at a Gracie Mansion reception Aug. 4, and Clinton returned the favor with a gentle tease about the mayor’s in-depth questions about what worked and what did not during her presidential campaign.
“I’ve always liked him, but my gosh, I felt so special,” she said, as Bloomberg reddened slightly, laughing with the crowd. “And I noticed all through the conversation, he was taking notes, and Kevin was recording. So I know that somewhere all this information will be put to good use.”
Those who were listening closely could hear the man in question, Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, having a good laugh from his perch on the press riser.
The event drew a big crowd, including Chevy Chase and Barbara Walters, who both spoke of their admiration for Clinton. But the more surprising faces in the crowd, perhaps, belonged to Rep. Peter King (R-Nassau), a former backer of Rudy Giuliani who has indicated he might run against Clinton in 2012, and former City Council President Andrew Stein, who has kept a very low profile since his retirement from public life in 1993.
The reception was to honor Clinton after the end of her primary campaign. But two of those applauding her, at least for a moment, were focused on their primary to come.
On his way out of the event, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) passed City Comptroller William Thompson, a likely rival in next year’s mayor’s race. As he did, he nodded back in the direction of the porch of the house they are both hoping to move into on Jan. 1, 2010 and suggesting a photo-op.
“Would have made a nice picture, by the way,” Weiner said. “I’m just saying.”
Thompson laughed, then suggested another setting where Weiner’s competitiveness is well known.
“I was thinking of a hockey rink,” Thompson said.
Dog Day Afternoon
While Mayor Michael Bloomberg played host to Sen. Hillary Clinton at her Gracie Mansion welcome home party August 4, his companion, former State Banking Superintendent Diana Taylor, stood at the back of the tent entertaining her own special guests, labradors Bonnie and Clyde.
Rivera Suspends Council Campaign to Work Miami for Obama
Bronx Democrat Haile Rivera has been named field organizer of Miami-Dade County for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Rivera has suspended his own campaign for City Council in the Bronx until he returns to New York after Election Day.
Rivera, who left his job at Food Bank in New York City in December in order to work full time for Obama, first came to admire the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee during Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign.
Rivera recalled seeing Obama on television in 2004.
“I saw passion,” he said.
In July 2007, he gained national attention for being one of four small donors selected to have dinner with Obama in a webcast event.
In Florida, Rivera will register new voters and work to win over Democrats who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton but dislike Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Rivera is glad to be working in Miami, where his fluency in Spanish will be particularly useful.
Elected Officials Decry Rise in Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are on the rise around the city, and government officials are up in arms. The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit reported a 20 percent rise in hate crimes in recent years. Just in the past few months, Surrogate Court Judge Diana Johnson was targeted, in addition to several reported incidents in Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, Eastern Queens and elsewhere. Victims have been targeted for their race, sexual orientation and religion.
Several members of the City Council, State Senate and Assembly have publicly denounced the crimes and called on the NYPD to deal with the crimes swiftly and decisively.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Gets Judge as Executive Director
Judge Michael Corriero of Manhattan’s Youth Part Court became the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York in July. As judge, he presided over a court that handles violent crimes committed by 13- to 15-year-olds.
He previously served as a Big Brothers trustee.
An advocate for improving the juvenile justice system, Corriero wrote the book Judging Children as Children: A Proposal for a Juvenile Justice System. He has traveled internationally promoting juvenile justice. In Sierra Leone, for example, Corriero assisted the local bar association to reintegrate the former child soldiers into society.
The City Council has cut the funding for the Big Brothers program, so one of Corriero’s primary goals is to identify new sources of funding.
“I think that the City Council situation is to some degree fluid, but it’s the not-for-profit world’s reasonability to maintain the quality of its mentoring services to the city’s children,” Corriero said.
In addition, Corriero hopes to use his judicial experience to expand the Big Brothers program to the courts. As a judge, he said, he frequently recommended children to the mentoring program.
Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn/Queens) may serve on the City Council with Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens), but she does not seem to want her colleague and fellow Democrat to win his race against State Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Queens).
Reyna’s district covers Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn, but stretches into the Ridgewood section of Queens, where she was on July 18 to attend the 35th anniversary celebration for the Glenridge Senior Center.
Maltese attended as well, with new State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau) along for the event, lending his help to the targeted senator in a race Democrats have called the tipping point in their quest to gain control of the Senate.
After embracing and kissing Maltese, Reyna made a short speech to the crowd of seniors, rallying them to do their part in giving Maltese an 11th term in Albany.
“Let’s make sure that our friend Serf continues to remain in our community because without Serf, I don’t think this community could have struggled and survived and improved,” she said. “I have great respect for this man and he has always been a friend. I don’t see partisan lines. I see a human being who cares and never says no.”
Reyna also offered words of praise for new Council Member Anthony Como, a former Maltese aide who in June won the special election for the neighboring Council district and was also on hand for the event.
But perhaps Reyna’s lack of enthusiasm had something to do with her apparent chafing at having to spend more time at Council meetings than in the district. Apologizing for not being at the Glenridge Center more recently, she explained that unfortunately, “City Hall has tightened the belt when it comes to the scheduling and attending meetings out there.”
At Clinton Homecoming, Jokes of the Bloomberg Presidential Run and the Thompson-Weiner Race
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Ind.) welcomed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) back to New York at a Gracie Mansion reception Aug. 4, and Clinton returned the favor with a gentle tease about the mayor’s in-depth questions about what worked and what did not during her presidential campaign.
“I’ve always liked him, but my gosh, I felt so special,” she said, as Bloomberg reddened slightly, laughing with the crowd. “And I noticed all through the conversation, he was taking notes, and Kevin was recording. So I know that somewhere all this information will be put to good use.”
Those who were listening closely could hear the man in question, Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, having a good laugh from his perch on the press riser.
The event drew a big crowd, including Chevy Chase and Barbara Walters, who both spoke of their admiration for Clinton. But the more surprising faces in the crowd, perhaps, belonged to Rep. Peter King (R-Nassau), a former backer of Rudy Giuliani who has indicated he might run against Clinton in 2012, and former City Council President Andrew Stein, who has kept a very low profile since his retirement from public life in 1993.
The reception was to honor Clinton after the end of her primary campaign. But two of those applauding her, at least for a moment, were focused on their primary to come.
On his way out of the event, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) passed City Comptroller William Thompson, a likely rival in next year’s mayor’s race. As he did, he nodded back in the direction of the porch of the house they are both hoping to move into on Jan. 1, 2010 and suggesting a photo-op.
“Would have made a nice picture, by the way,” Weiner said. “I’m just saying.”
Thompson laughed, then suggested another setting where Weiner’s competitiveness is well known.
“I was thinking of a hockey rink,” Thompson said.
Dog Day Afternoon
While Mayor Michael Bloomberg played host to Sen. Hillary Clinton at her Gracie Mansion welcome home party August 4, his companion, former State Banking Superintendent Diana Taylor, stood at the back of the tent entertaining her own special guests, labradors Bonnie and Clyde.
Rivera Suspends Council Campaign to Work Miami for Obama
Bronx Democrat Haile Rivera has been named field organizer of Miami-Dade County for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Rivera has suspended his own campaign for City Council in the Bronx until he returns to New York after Election Day.
Rivera, who left his job at Food Bank in New York City in December in order to work full time for Obama, first came to admire the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee during Obama’s 2004 Senate campaign.
Rivera recalled seeing Obama on television in 2004.
“I saw passion,” he said.
In July 2007, he gained national attention for being one of four small donors selected to have dinner with Obama in a webcast event.
In Florida, Rivera will register new voters and work to win over Democrats who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton but dislike Obama and Arizona Sen. John McCain.
Rivera is glad to be working in Miami, where his fluency in Spanish will be particularly useful.
Elected Officials Decry Rise in Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are on the rise around the city, and government officials are up in arms. The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit reported a 20 percent rise in hate crimes in recent years. Just in the past few months, Surrogate Court Judge Diana Johnson was targeted, in addition to several reported incidents in Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, Eastern Queens and elsewhere. Victims have been targeted for their race, sexual orientation and religion.
Several members of the City Council, State Senate and Assembly have publicly denounced the crimes and called on the NYPD to deal with the crimes swiftly and decisively.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Gets Judge as Executive Director
Judge Michael Corriero of Manhattan’s Youth Part Court became the new executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York in July. As judge, he presided over a court that handles violent crimes committed by 13- to 15-year-olds.
He previously served as a Big Brothers trustee.
An advocate for improving the juvenile justice system, Corriero wrote the book Judging Children as Children: A Proposal for a Juvenile Justice System. He has traveled internationally promoting juvenile justice. In Sierra Leone, for example, Corriero assisted the local bar association to reintegrate the former child soldiers into society.
The City Council has cut the funding for the Big Brothers program, so one of Corriero’s primary goals is to identify new sources of funding.
“I think that the City Council situation is to some degree fluid, but it’s the not-for-profit world’s reasonability to maintain the quality of its mentoring services to the city’s children,” Corriero said.
In addition, Corriero hopes to use his judicial experience to expand the Big Brothers program to the courts. As a judge, he said, he frequently recommended children to the mentoring program.
