Bronx Art Association Fosters Greater Inclusivity

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

When 2020 started, Doris Cordero was thrilled to assume the position of president of the 45-member Riverdale Art Association. She is the first Puerto Rican to hold the position, but then COVID-19 came along, disrupting the monthly, in-person meetings. Later, on a more personal level, a cancer diagnosis in early summer left her facing what she described as an ordeal. “I was in recovery during August, September, and October. I’m now 100 percent,” Cordero told the Norwood News in a phone interview. She is philosophical, and even somewhat upbeat about having slowed down to assist her recovery. “Because of

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Wednesday Dec. 2, 2020, at around 7.41 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a man who was shot inside 1000 Grand Concourse in the 44th precinct. Upon arrival, officers observed an unconscious and unresponsive 32-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the lower back and torso. EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to NYC Health & Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced deceased. On Dec. 4, pursuant to the ongoing investigation, the deceased was identified as Joenathan Pabon of 1000 Grand Concourse. On Thursday, Dec. 17, pursuant to the ongoing investigation, police confirmed

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Luna Romero, 14, of 1560 Selwyn Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx, who was reported missing in the 44th precinct. It was reported to the police that Luna was last seen Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020 at approximately 9.30 p.m., leaving her home. She is described as being approximately 5 feet tall, of a medium build, has brown eyes and short hair. She was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, red pants and black shoes. Anyone with information in regards to this incident

By DAVID GREENE

Children and their parents received a well deserved “snow day” from both in-person and remote learning this week as a winter nor’easter dumped close to a foot of snow in some parts of the Bronx by Thursday morning, Dec. 17. Residents awoke to blankets of blinding, white snow spread all across the borough’s streets and parklands ushering in, for those receptive to it, an atmospheric, Christmas-like, peaceful silence at the end of what has been a tumultuous 2020. The National Weather Service reported six to ten inches of snow fell across the five boroughs, as bus services from the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson formally kicked off her campaign launch for the Bronx borough presidency on Thursday, Dec. 17, issuing a press release in both English and Spanish to confirm the news. The councilwoman for Bronx’s 16th City Council district focused her message on the inequities in healthcare and food security prevalent in the Bronx, in her bid to win the hearts and minds of voters, highlighting that the last year has been especially hard for those at the lower end of the income scale, but offering hope by saying together the community would make it through the crisis and emerge

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

A coalition of local community groups made up of many young volunteers joined forces on Dec. 9 during a “Sticker Shock Campaign,” to alert local alcohol retailers of the dangers underage drinking presents to young people. The groups made in-person visits to various stores in Community Boards 5, 7, and 8 with oral presentations, stickers, and posters reminding both store owners and customers that it is illegal and dangerous to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. The campaign was spearheaded by “We Engage in Prevention Awareness,” (WEPA), a community coalition seeking to eliminate substance abuse,

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers for their thoughts and wishes for the coming year, and whether the events of 2020 have impacted their New Year’s resolutions. “Yeah, oh God! I just want this COVID to disappear, you know what I mean? Maybe some people should stop reading these conspiracy theories and get behind the vaccine. That should be the number one thing, because if people don’t take the vaccines, this thing is not going away. For 2021, I’m wishing myself for some good health. That will be my resolution, to stop smoking and getting myself back into decent health.”

By DAVID GREENE

In the year of masks and face coverings, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan, Bronx) may have been hoping for either some good luck or perhaps he was hoping to chase away some evil spirits from America’s capital. Whatever the reason, the congressman ended up purchasing a traditional African mask during a recent browse through the Bronx, confirming that he would be taking his purchase back with him to Washington D.C. Espaillat, together with New York City Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner, Jonnel Doris, was seen browsing local businesses in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, on Saturday, Nov. 28, in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the driver, the vehicle or both seen in the attached video. The driver is sought in connection with a reckless endangerment incident that occurred in the 52nd precinct. On Monday, Nov. 30, at around 11.13 p.m., the unidentified driver of a black SUV shot multiple times at a group of four or five men who were standing in front of 3330 Hull Avenue in Norwood, before driving away. No injuries were reported as a result of the shooting. The vehicle is described as a