Community

Elections 2022: Community Voices Heard Power Endorses Jessica Altagracia Woolford in A.D. 81 Race

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Jessica Altagracia Woolford, Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly District 81 in the Northwest Bronx, announced on Thursday, March 31, that she has received the endorsement of Community Voices Heard Power (CVHPower) in her bid to win the June primary. According to the group’s website, CVHPower is a member-led, multi-racial organization principally comprised of women of color and low-income families in New York State. Members say they tackle tough issues and build power to secure racial, social and economic justice for all New Yorkers. They do this through grassroots organizing, leadership development, policy changes, and creating new models of


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Spuyten Duyvil: John J. McKelvey Sr. Honored with Co-Naming of Villa Rosa Bonheur Way on April 8

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Local Spuyten Duyvil resident, Stephanie Coggins, is encouraging families, friends and neighbors to attend the co-naming ceremony of Palisade Avenue / John J McKelvey Sr. Villa Rosa Bonheur Way, on April 8, an event hosted by District 11 Councilman Eric Dinowitz.   On December 15, 2021, legislation created and advanced by the councilman was passed at City Council which paved the way for the co-naming of the intersection of Palisade Avenue and Independence Avenue. According to Coggins, the co-naming celebrates the wide-ranging and historical contributions of McKelvey Sr. to modern day Spuyten Duyvil and the larger community encompassed by Bronx


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LGBTQ+ Coalition Makes Bronx History, Welcomed to March in St. Patrick’s Day Parade

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   Were it just “the luck of the Irish” that was needed, it might not have taken two decades for an Irish LGBTQ+ group to finally make history, marching this year for the first time ever, under the group’s identifying banner, in the annual Bronx St. Patrick’s Day parade in Throggs Neck, on Sunday, March 13. But as parade participant, Brendan Fay, knows, changing the world sometimes means shifting hearts and minds, which itself requires imagination, patience, persistence, grace in the face of opposition,


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UPDATE Pelosi Addresses Ukraine & Other Domestic Priorities during Bronx Visit  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) for a Community Town Hall in the Riverdale section of The Bronx on Monday, March 14, on the first anniversary of the American Rescue Plan. During the event, which was held at the College of Mount Saint Vincent Athletic Center, located at 6301 Riverdale Avenue, the two discussed U.S. support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, as well as other key, domestic, legislative priorities, in the form of a Q&A session.   In introducing Pelosi, whose visit coincided with Women’s History Month, Bowman


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Kingsbridge Armory Back to Square One, as Annexes See $10 Million Renovation for Military Use

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT & SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that recently appeared in our latest print edition.   Big news about what’s going to happen to the Kingsbridge Armory is nothing new at Community Board 7 (CB7) meetings. Discussions on the seemingly ill-fated development have been dragging on for years. At a recent CB7 general board meeting held on Feb. 22, Emmanuel Martinez, chairman of CB7, announced plans to gather input, once again, from the community on what will happen to the landmark building located on Jerome Avenue and West Kingsbridge Road.   “I want to make the board aware


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Women’s History Month Celebrated in The Bronx

By DAVID GREENE
Women’s History Month kicked off with a pair of celebratory events held at Monroe College in Fordham Manor and at Jacobi Hospital in Morris Park, following International Women’s Day on March 8.   On March 9, Mayor Eric Adams was expected to speak at the “My Sister’s Keeper Female Empowerment Conference,” held in the Mintz auditorium of Monroe College, located at 2501 Jerome Avenue. However, the mayor reportedly cancelled at the last minute.   Judging by the reaction of the crowd of young, female, high-school students in attendance, they did not appear to be too disappointed, however. Stepping in for


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Dinowitz, Torres Discuss Antisemitism at Roundtable

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   On Jan. 15, an 11-hour standoff at the Colleyville Congregation in Texas ended when the gunman was distracted by Rabbi Charlie Cytron Walker, allowing the Rabbi and three others to escape. Once alone in the synagogue, Malik Akram was killed by an FBI hostage team. The incident ushered in a new year of national attention on the rise in antisemitic crimes.   Figures released by the FBI reveal that more than half of all religious bias crimes target Jews according to the American


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First Generation and Low-Income Students Find a Path to College at Columbia

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
Most of the attention on COVID-19 revolves around the physical consequences of its spread, especially in communities of color, but a secondary effect has to do with a decrease in academic attainment, especially in the Latino community.   The educational fallout from the pandemic is seen in figures collected by the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). During 2020, the first year of the pandemic, Hispanic enrollment in higher education fell overall by 5.4 percent.  More alarming is the decline in first-time enrollment among Hispanic students, at almost 20 percent. These statistics present a difficult future for one of the fastest-growing segments


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the United States Accepting Refugees from Ukraine

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers for their thoughts on the United States accepting refugees displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.   “Anything we can do to help them out would be great. They have no place to go, and Russia is bombing them like crazy; it’s sad. It’s sad what’s going on. I hope there is a good ending, I hope there is peace for everyone there, and I hope Russia doesn’t team up with China because that’s scaring everybody.” David Glickenstein, Jerome Park       “I think it’s a good thing because the innocent people get to


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