Message from Councilman Mark Gjonaj
Assemblyman Benedetto provides free tax prep for seniors
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,52 FEBRUARY 7-13, 2020 BTR
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
Assemblyman Michael R. Benedetto,
in conjunction with the Iona College
Accounting Department, is once
again offering free income tax preparation
for seniors 62 years of age or older
who reside within the boundaries of
his district (Co-op City, Throggs Neck,
Morris Park, Pelham Bay, and City Island).
Tax documents can be dropped
off at the Assemblyman’s offi ce beginning
on Monday, February 3 and is limited
to seniors who meet the following
criteria:
• Simple fi lings only!!
• Complete copies of 2019 federal and
state returns must be included
• Name, social security number, and
date of birth of all people claimed on the
return as taxpayers and dependents
• Adjusted gross income (AGI) for
2019 must be under $50,000
• All necessary paper work must be
included as a complete fi le and brought
to the offi ce, otherwise it will be returned
• You must provide us with a telephone
or cellphone number at which
you can be reached during normal business
hours and on Saturdays
Let us know if there have been any
changes in taxpayers or dependents
from your 2018 return, such as birth or
death of a taxpayer or dependent.
Seniors are encouraged to bring all
their tax documents to Assemblyman
Benedetto’s offi ce at 3602 East Tremont
Ave, Suite 201 or 177 Dreiser Loop,
Room 12, anytime from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday. (The tax preparer
will collect documentation until
Friday, March 13 and no more taxes
will be done after that date. All participants
will be contacted when the forms
are completed.)
This free service is limited to the
fi rst 150 constituent respondents, so
please present your materials early.
All returns are prepared by student
volunteers from Iona College as a service
to the community. All returns will
indicate that they were prepared by a
non-preparer. For more information,
contact Assemblyman Benedetto’s offi
ce at 3602 E. Tremont Avenue, Suite
201, (718) 892-2235; or 177 Dreiser Loop,
Room 12, (718) 320-2220.
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Back from another successful
Albany conference. Da
Bronx- Home of Doo Wop provided
memories as did the offi
cial NYC hot dogs. Thanks to
all for the extra effort and hard
work necessary to operate a
hospitality suite.
This summer’s state convention
is at Binghamton, NY and
next year (drum roll please)
plans for White Plains, NY.
First time downstate in many,
many years. We always comment
about this so no excuse
not to attend.
Our next post family meeting
is the 3rd Sunday, 10:30
a.m. coffee, 11 a.m. meeting
and noon lunch with cash bar.
As always at American Turners
NY.
We had a small but meaningful
SAL activity, tending
to a damaged American Flag
and how about a shout out to
the Throggs Neck Post Offi ce
for the addition of a POW-MIA
Flag. Remember, we have Belly
Bomber Bingo at the VA and
the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
coming up. On April 17 we have
our big annual and extremely
popular Support the Troops
Bingo (and more) fundraiser at
Sam Young Post 620, confl icting
unfortunately with the National
Commander’s downstate
formal visitation at Antun’s of
Queens Village. I guess we’ll
have to split ourself in two? Not
easy being us.
Until next time: More info
about events to follow. Don’t
wait for me, come to the meeting
and fi nd out fi rst hand, get
lunch too.
P.S. we have the Theodore
Korony Yahoo group, friends
of Korony 253 on Facebook for
time sensitive info or changes.
Committee members should
have each other’s cell phone
numbers too.
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
A community by contemporary
defi nition is a blended
convergence of a diverse populace
reliant on guidance and
leadership. A key component to
a community’s success is quality
leadership properly administrating,
delegating, and legislating
to instill confi dence,
promote order, and avoid haphazard
misperception. Recent
events within our footprint
have created doubt and confusion
among many area residents.
Well-known low-level criminals,
despite multiple arrests,
continue their maladaptive behaviors
and gallivant throughout
our neighborhood. This
circumstance has many area
residents questioning the effi -
cacies of law-enforcement, judiciary,
and our legislators. The
responsibility of law enforcement
and judiciary within a
community is clear: they must
abide by the rules crafted by
our legislative leadership. Like
fi shermen with a sub-standard
catch, legislators have mandated
our law enforcement and
judiciary to quickly release
most of the arrested back into
society.
Remember the words of
the immortal Maya Angelou:
“If we don’t plant the right
seeds we will reap the wrong
things…common sense tells
you to be kind.” The incomparable
Franklin D. Roosevelt
stated, “It is common to take a
method and try it. If it fails admit
it frankly and try another.”
It is time for our knowledgeable
legislators to heed the words of
these two guiding lights by utilizing
conductor like intuitiveness
to properly lead the community
orchestra. They must
logically amend the music, pick
up their batons and lead us in
harmonious melodies that resonate
throughout our entire
community.
Sector B Build the Block
The Build the Block program
is a forum in which community
residents can have public
or post meeting personal
dialogue with their neighborhood
Police Offi cers. This event
presents prime opportunities
for voicing concerns while displaying
binary support for our
community and the fi ne men
and woman of NYPD that protect
our neighborhoods
On Thursday, January 30
our Neighborhood Community
police offi cers from the 45th
Precinct gave an informative
presentation to area residents.
Crime Prevention police offi cer
Singleton provided a detailed
proactive plan for area residents
to safeguard against an
array of problems. In an alphabetic
like sequence, she brilliantly
covered topics ranging
from auto thefts to social security
scams. Our primary Sector
B NCO’s police offi cers Singh
and Trinidad adeptly engaged
the audience. In mechanistic
fashions they dissected the aspects
of neighborhood policing
and in an informative, spirited
Q and A session touched upon
many unresolved community
issues.
Unfortunately, those in attendance
left with more questions
than answers. However,
these questions are clearly directed
at our legislators. The
legislators that drafted and enacted
questionable rules that
must be strictly followed by
law enforcement. Extremist
ideologies thrive when social
responsibilities of government
neglect the welfare of the people.
The reactions of those in attendance
strongly suggest that
many residents in low-density
communities feel neglected
and marginalized by their authoritative
legislators.
Political leaders to gauge
a community’s interest and
fortitude use attendances at
local civic association meetings.
Large turnouts show our
elected offi cials that we possess
the resolve to confront adversity.
Any area homeowner or
renter interested in membership
to the all inclusive Spencer
Estate Civic Association in
box George Havranek on Facebook
or send-email to spencerestatecivic@
gmail.com. If
we want to “keep and reap the
blessings” of our fi ne quality
of life “we must undergo the fatigue
of supporting it”.
Remember: ‘Inclusion
brings solutions.’
The placement of a 200-men homeless
shelter at 1400 Blondell Avenue, a mere
block away from Westchester Square
and other centers of community gathering,
is against the best interests of our
district. As such, I adamantly oppose it
and will actively fi ght its construction.
I am currently evaluating all potential
means by which we can prevent this
happening, from zoning to cooperation
with community boards 10 and 11.
Homelessness is a citywide problem
that undoubtedly needs to be addressed,
but the location of the shelter
is problematic and the Bronx already
shoulders an unfair share of the city’s
necessary homeless shelters. I strongly
support the promising development of
the Blondell Commons, a set of affordable
apartments with units set aside for
veterans and with a nearby school proposed.
I hope that the risk posed to this
area’s need for safe, affordable housing
by recognized by the shelter’s proponents.
Issues of homelessness and affordability
are serious issues that require
a serious response. It is no secret that
the Bronx is often called on to do more
than its fair share to help bring about a
solution. To adequately address these
problems all communities throughout
the city will need to roll up their sleeves
and play an active part. No one community
or borough should shoulder the solution
on their own.
To address these legitimate community
concerns, I am working swiftly
with community boards 10 and 11 to fi -
nalize a date for a town hall meeting.
Meeting details will be posted as soon
as they are solidifi ed. As always, you
are encouraged to call my district offi
ce at (718) 931-1721 to register your concerns
and comments, regarding this
matter or any others. Thank you for
your support.
link
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