Dental Assistants Forced to Treat COVID-19 Patients, then Terminated, Cancel Planned Protest On May 22

By Síle Moloney

A group of dental assistants employed by Union Community Health Center in the Bronx, who were terminated after being transferred to St. Barnabas Hospital, and reassigned to care for COVID-19 patients, abruptly cancelled a planned protest which was due to take place on Friday, May 22 at 12:30PM. The rally was planned to highlight what activists say were unjust terminations, and lack of transparency at both Union Community Health Center and at St. Barnabas Hospital. The dental assistants – members of 1199SEIU- were told they were being transferred from Union Community Health Center, then put on a

By Síle Moloney

As New York State prepares to gradually re-open, State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and Councilman Andrew Cohen distributed free face masks, gloves and hand sanitizers to residents on May 20, 2020 outside Lexa Bar & Grill on East 204th Street. Norwood News previously reported that although a number of free mask distribution events were held in the local area throughout May, mask supplies tended to run out in a very short space of time. So, why are masks so important? A new study from the University of Hong Kong shows that wearing a mask does

By Síle Moloney & David Greene

Jason Holloman, 42, has lived in Norwood for the last 15 years. He is a husband, father and recently became a grandfather. He was furloughed in March from his care coordinator role at BHRAGS Home Care Corp., where staff was initially cut by a quarter after the pandemic hit, and later by half. “We help seniors find aides to help them in their home,” he said, explaining that he often works with seniors in low-income neighborhoods, who are on dialysis or who can’t cook, clean or get around at home. Holloman said [prior to the pandemic] he would

By David Greene

An early Wednesday morning crash in the Soundview section of the Bronx has claimed the life of a 25-year-old motorcyclist from Patterson Houses. According to NYPD, officers from the 43rd precinct responded to a 911 call about a crash involving an automobile and a motorcycle at Bruckner Boulevard and White Plains Road, at 4:43 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. A brief statement issued by NYPD read in part, “Upon arrival [at the scene], officers observed an unconscious and unresponsive 25-year-old male motorcyclist, lying on the roadway with severe trauma about the body. EMS responded to the location

On Thursday, 21 May, at 2:00 p.m., Voices Of Community Activists & Leaders (VOCAL-NY) will be joined by members of the City Council who have pledged to advance a call for a new vision and drastic realignment in City budget priorities. VOCAL-NY are calling for the creation of a housing, public health and social services workforce. The group also wants to see a collaborative effort by the Department of Social Services, Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, and Housing Preservation and Development, to tackle issues of incarceration, homelessness, overdose, substance use and mental health. VOCAL-NY is a statewide

The Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement are asking the public to join them today at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 21, for a virtual rally and socially distant actions to demand the legislature pass #HALTsolitary, Elder Parole, and Fair and Timely Parole. People can register for the Zoom here, read this pdf flyer and this png flyer, and amplify action using this social media and call-in guide. Activists are asking anyone who can travel safely, to join in person (with masks and gloves, and at least six feet apart) outside the offices of Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie,

In response to a distinct uptick in midnight fireworks concentrated in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and Congressman Eliot Engel have issued the following statement: “We appreciate that some of our neighbors want to show their support for essential workers and that using small firecrackers – although illegal in New York City – is a way for them to do that during the 7pm clap. However, the fireworks being set off later into the evening – even after midnight – are not firecrackers. They are massive, loud, and startling for many

Council Member Fernando Cabrera, Victor Rivera, CEO of Bronx Parent Housing Network, and community residents distributed free food and masks on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at Jerome Avenue and W. Kingsbridge Road. Fresh and hot food (rice and chicken) was given out to everybody in line. “The most recent numbers show the Bronx still has the highest COVID-19 infection rate per capita among the five boroughs,” Cabrera wrote in a press release dated Monday, May 18. “At this time when people are struggling to stay healthy, everyone must practice social distancing and everyone must have food to eat.

By Síle Moloney

The Academy of Mount St. Ursula (AMSU), located in the Bedford Park area of the Bronx, recently earned re-accreditation by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, a worldwide leader in accreditation and continuous school improvement for over 130 years. Sr. Jean Marie Humphries, PhD is the school’s principal. A member of the Order of St. Ursula, she is also a former student of AMSU, having graduated with the Class of ‘89. Sr. Humphries said she is proud to have earned re-accreditation, since she said it serves as an independent validation of the good work