NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg is once again planning to close 20 fire companies citywide, most likely including City Island’s Ladder Company 53, which could come as early as July 1, 2012. Councilman Jimmy Vacca says City Islanders already expect that their ladder company is once again on that list.

Vacca and City Islanders have fought the proposed closure of our ladder company four times before and won. We will be out in full-force fighting once again. Every year it has been the same fight and every year the City has heard our defense.

Today @ 11:00A, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) and NY State Senator Tony Avella, Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, Steve Cassidy, President, Uniformed Firefighters Association, Capt. Alexander Hagan, President, Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Bob Astrowsky, Assistant Secretary, United Federation of Teachers, Detective. Michael Palladino, President, Detectives’ Endowment Association and other local leaders announced a new effort to protect and create thousands of jobs for teachers, firefighters and police officers.

As funeral services the victims begin today from 4P to 9P at the Parkchester Funeral Home and tomorrow at 9:45A, New York State Transportation officials are going to be installing concrete barriers on Bronx River Parkway to hopefully prevent another tragic crash, which killed seven people.

According to officials, those 2-foot, 8-inch concrete slabs will be installed on the right-hand side of the lanes to block vehicles from hitting the existing fence and falling off the elevated roadway.

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New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald said today: “The New York State Department of Transportation shares community concerns about the safety of the Bronx River Parkway in the wake of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of seven family members on April 29.

“Since Sunday’s accident, we have been working on interim actions that will be implemented on the parkway beginning this morning.

NYC Council Member James Vacca, Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway, Tishman Construction, NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC), and NYC Small Business Services (SBS) today convened an information session on construction jobs and opportunities for the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) for Bronx residents and firms.