Community

Former District 15 City Council Candidate, Troy Blackwell, Forms “Ready for Change” PAC

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Troy Blackwell, an Afro-Latino voting rights activist and former District 15 City Council candidate, as reported, has founded “Ready for Change,” a political action committee dedicated to promoting youth voter education and supporting “forward-thinking Democrats” at the local and state level. According to Blackwell, Ready for Change aims to make democracy more representative by increasing voter participation among youth, especially youth of color.   Blackwell will lead the PAC and oversee potential partnerships. Educational resources will be provided in English, Spanish, Arabic, and French to reach diverse voters, and the key issues the PAC will focus on include climate change,


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Laconia: Search for Missing 13-Year-Old Girl

By SÍLE MOLONEY  
The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 13-year-old girl who has been reported missing from the 49th precinct in the Laconia section of the Bronx. It was reported to police that Shiloh Lalondriz, 13, was last seen on Sept. 9, at approximately 6.30 p.m., in front of her home at 2725 Throop Avenue in Laconia.   She is described as female, weighs approximately 123 pounds, is Hispanic, is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, has brown eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with a “2” printed on the back, blue socks and


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New York State Eviction Moratorium Extension Follows Bronx Rally   

By SARAH HUFFMAN
  A housing rally organized by Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) in Hunts Point on Aug. 3 achieved the desired result: an extension of the State eviction moratorium. In addition, the State moratorium offers greater protections than its federal counterpart, which is also fortunate as in the meantime, the federal moratorium extension has been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.   Torres was joined at the Aug. 3 rally, held at 1231 Lafayette Avenue, by New York City Council Member Vanessa Gibson (C.D. 16) and advocates from Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), the Supportive Housing Network of New York,


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Bronxites Pick up the Pieces & Seek Relief in the Wake of Storm Ida

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
  The relative and literal “calm before the storm” on the afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, Sept. 1, perhaps lured many Bronxites into a fall sense of security that then-impending Storm Ida would not be as extreme as forecast. The consequences of such nonchalance proved to be devastating.   Between noon and 6 p.m., the day was overcast, humidity was at 82 percent, temperatures ranged from 68 to 72 degrees F, southwesterly winds were traveling at 11.8 mph but there was no rain. At 6.18 p.m., the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted that tornado warnings had been issued for


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Remembering 9/11, Twenty Years On: MTA Pays Special Tribute on Public Transport Vehicles

By SÍLE MOLONEY
To honor and pay tribute to those who were lost on Sept. 11, 2001, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will launch visual memorials on New York City buses, subways and both commuter railroads on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center.   “I remember the day vividly,” said New York City transit interim president, Craig Cipriano. “I was working in the Brooklyn division of buses facilitating a new bus operator orientation. When we heard that the first plane had hit the North Tower, we thought it was some kind of an accident. But when we


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Remembering 9/11, Twenty Years On with Launch of NYPD Documentary “NYPD’s Women at Ground Zero”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced on Friday, Sept. 10, that the NYPD has launched the distribution of a new film commemorating, for the first time, the range of contributions made by the women of the NYPD on Sept. 11, and in the two decades since.   The documentary-style film, “NYPD’s Women at Ground Zero,” features the stories of women officers and civilians who selflessly served during and after the large-scale terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan. It recounts the experience of Moira Smith, who was the only city policewoman to die on Sept. 11.   It is anchored by interviews with


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UPDATE For Police Officers and Community, the Battle Continues Over Loud Music

By DAVID GREENE
  Many Bronxites across the borough are patiently waiting for the cold weather to arrive so that those prone to carousing outside, blasting loud music from speakers, while in the parks or in cars, will gradually move indoors, and badly affected neighborhoods will return to the once peaceful communities they used to be.   For years, despite hundreds of noise complaints sent to 311 by Bronxites across the borough, meetings with elected officials, and enforcement by NYPD officers, the goal of eliminating unwanted noise, particularly over the summer months, has remained elusive. Now, however, a new law, along with new technology,


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UPDATE Neighborhood Notes on 9/11 Commemoration, Back-to-School Events, Help with Flooding & More

  9/11 Memorial Events Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Supreme Court of Bronx County is hosting a 9/11 memorial service on Monday, 13th Sept. at noon, at Lou Gehrig Plaza. See attached flyer for more information.   Partnerships for Parks announced that on Saturday, October 16th, nearly 1,000 volunteers will gather in parks across the city for Fall IMP-act Day, the group’s annual citywide park beautification day.   For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, volunteers will begin planting 70,000 daffodil bulbs which will bloom in the spring of 2022, honoring the lives lost to the terrorist attacks through the Daffodil


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Op-Ed: What to Know About the Delta Variant  

By Dr. DAVE A. CHOKSHI  
  From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our knowledge about the virus has constantly evolved, and we are now confronting a new challenge. Over the past several months, we have seen a rise in COVID-19 infections as a result of the delta variant, a new strain of the original virus causing COVID-19. As of last week, delta made up over 99% of COVID-19 cases in New York City, up from 9% in early June.   Understandably, many New Yorkers have questions about what delta is and how it will impact everyday life. Here are three things to know.  


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