Message from Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BY GENE DEFRANCIS
This years Holiday Lights
was a special experience. For
years we labored in the cold
weather to knock on doors
and collect enough to get Allerton
lit up. Many neighborhoods
don’t even attempt
the feat. Others rely on large
donations from elected offi
cials. And others resorted
to organizing a business improvement
district that designates
a minimum contribution
that everyone in that
zoned area must pay.
We don’t beg and we don’t
force merchants to participate
but we do celebrate those
that do support us and this
community. Still every year
there is someone within the
political arena that wants to
play games and get involved
in our progress.
They use these events to
infl uence our decisions. We
won’t go too deep into the details
but the stories would
make you cringe as to how
petty some can be. Slowly
these individuals are fi nding
their way out of the Bronx.
This year our vendor decided
the $500 we were paying
per strand was not enough and
before installing the lights he
wanted the full amount. This
year when we went to deliver
the deposit it was asked we pay
$10,000 to rent the lights and
to pay the full amount. We decided
to go in a different direction.
We decided we will own
and operate our own lights.
We met some great people this
month that were eager to work
with us however it was too late
to place orders for this year’s
decorations.
We heard you when you
said you wanted some more.
More lights bigger and
brighter. Something different
you told us. We heard
you. With the money we will
save we will include a holiday
theme you will be proud
of every year. In January
we will unveil our concept
at our monthly meeting. If
you attend and work or live
in Allerton you will have
a say. February we will be
meeting our design team and
confi rm our order in March.
Fundraising begins immediately
so the more we raise the
more we can do. It will cost
more the fi rst year but immediately
following we will
see the savings and the difference.
All of the logistics
have been considered and
prepared and we are excited
to get started. We will have
a Welcome to Allerton and a
Menorah Lighting to go with
our beautiful tree.
So we thank you for your
support and suggestions thus
far. Follow us on Facebook
to stay up to date on this and
other events in our community.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 42 ECEMBER 7-13, 2018 BTR
Thank you to our Bronx
Zoo. Some of our lucky residents
are going to win a family
four pack along with a
bag full of goodies. The fi rst
drawing will occur at this
years tree lighting. And the
second raffl e will be selected
Saturday, December 15.
Members of our association
were proud to attend this
years Bronx Veterans Day Parade
in Throggs Neck. Our
men and women in uniform
serve no matter the temperature.
So the least we can do
is show up to honor them no
matter the weather. A blizzard
could not keep us away
from this parade. A special
thank you to The John Frasier
Bryan Post 19 of the American
Legion. For the past 16 years
they have been distributing
refreshments to participants
of the Parade in the Bronxonia
Yacht Club. They welcome all
veterans to attend their meetings
which are held on the
third Sunday of each month at
11:30 a.m. at the Morris Park
Assocociation located at 1824
Bronxdale Avenue. If you are
a veteran and live in Allerton
or Morris Park this is your
closest American Legion Post.
Make the time, get involved,
become a member.
Upcoming events in Allerton
include:
• Tree dedication ceremony
for Bill Suriani at Allerton
and Radcliff avenues on Sunday,
December 9 at 1 p.m.
Bill was a resident of Allerton
for eight decades and
served during WWII in the
US Navy. His memory lives
on and this Cherry Blossom
tree will look over our community
like he did.
• Santa at the Sanz, Saturday,
December 15 from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. Come take a
free photo with Santa. Sponsored
by AIM and the Sanz
Banquet Hall. Our annual
event is your last chance to
hand deliver your letter to
Santa and take a family picture.
Raffl es and treats will
also be available.
Small businesses are the
spine of every community.
A thriving shopping district
with variety and safety is
pivotal to a healthy community.
We do not and will not
turn our back on ‘mom and
pop’ shops in our community.
We will push them to maintain
their drive and passion.
To offer the best quality and
service. And we will not allow
Allerton to be taken over
by corporate organizations.
We encourage our residents
to shop locally and our merchants
to hire locally. But the
positive shopping experience
must be nurtured and proper
skills required to work at local
stores must be obtained.
If you connect with us we
won’t guarantee success but
we guarantee our commitment
when we offer it to you.
If you wish to start a small
business on Allerton or looking
for work it’s important
we stick together and work
together. 2018 has been a
hard fought battle. We made
it out stronger than ever and
2019 will be even better if we
continue to stick together.
We were disappointed to
learn that some of our respected
community leaders
believe the future of this
community is to tear down
our houses and build taller
buildings. This is not the future
of Allerton. Sure we can
consider a new building here
or there. But we will not consider
rezoning to open the
fl oodgates of development.
That is not the future we
want. Especially not without
the proper infrastructure.
That is a future of oppression.
Where childbirth
is regulated and residents
are forced to live in 10 by 10
boxes and share bathrooms
with other tenants.
Allerton is a residential
community. We have many homeowners
and they are here to
stay. We will do everything in
our power to protect our residents.
To uplift our schools.
And ensure our medical care
is satisfactory. We will also
continue to fi ght to make sure
it does not take an hour to get
onto the Bronx River Parkway
to and from our homes.
We want jobs and community
spaces for our residents.
We are also concerned that
many who build here do not
live here. Some once lived in
the Bronx but they moved. We
do not believe you have a right
to build in our community if
you do not live in our community.
We will especially fi ght
you if you do not listen to the
voice of the community.
More importantly we will
not be bullied or intimidated.
We have been active a long
time now and our numbers
continue to grow. We will continue
to stand up and speak
for this community and we
ask you to join us. You are a
resident of Allerton and you
have a voice. Together we
will shape our community.
Because your community is
your business.
BY TONY
SALIMBENE
Upcoming
dates: Friday,
December 7 is
Pearl Harbor
Day, noon at
Veterans Memorial
Park, gathering afterwards
at Bronxonia Yacht
Club; Sunday, December 9
is our annual holiday party
and gift shop at Bronx VA;
and Sunday,
D e c emb e r
16 is our 3rd
Sunday post
meeting and
our 91st Annual
Christmas
Party at
the Turner Club. Members
may bring a guest.
Until next time: We hope
everyone has a happy and
healthy holiday season.
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
In the last several weeks there
have been reports of abrupt and
increased enforcement by the Department
of Buildings of our city’s
archaic and forgotten store sign regulations.
The current store sign laws were
written in 1961, but due to a moratorium
on enforcing these laws businesses
have been placing signs up
that are not in compliance with the
law for decades.
Now, our city’s businesses, which
have routinely passed all inspections
and requirements that come
with having a sign, are suddenly facing
fi nes and fi nancial burdens or
sign removals that could cost up to
$20,000.
As the chair of the City Council’s
committee on small business, and as
a supporter of neighborhood ‘momand
pop’ shops, I am concerned that
the sudden decision to enforce these
laws will force result in local businesses
having to shut down.
As a result of the sudden ticketing,
there are fraudulent and predatory
companies going around and
trying to take advantage of the fear of
small business owners and charging
unfair prices for sign removal. If you
have been a target of this please contact
my offi ce and we will work with
you to fi nd a solution.
Small businesses are our communities’
job creators and service providers.
It is imperative that we do everything
we can to help them thrive.
That is why I am proudly a cosponsor
of Intro 728, a bill that would
temporarily restore the moratorium
on enforcement of the store sign laws
and pay-back businesses that have
been fi ned.
In addition to co-sponsoring this
bill, I am currently working on creating
a task force that would review
the store sign laws and explore ways
to help get businesses to have their
signs in compliance. That includes
revisiting the law as well as nay potential
programs to help businesses
adjust their signs.
“You can only get out of a community
that which you get into it” – Councilman
Mark Gjonaj