Consumer Costs

DC 37 Ratify New Contract with City with 1/4 of City’s Workforce Receiving a Raise & One-Time Bonus

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the commissioner of the New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR), Renee Campion, hailed District Council (DC) 37 for voting to ratify its contract with the City on March 31 — passing with 97 percent of all members voting in favor.   The five-plus year contract is the first reached under the Adams administration, according to government officials and will cover roughly one-quarter of the city’s total unionized workforce, providing annual raises of 3 percent in the first four years, and 3.25 percent in the fifth year, as well as a one-time


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Feds Recall 53,000 Scooters/Hoverboards Made by Brooklyn Company Due to Fire Hazard & Deaths of Two Children

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Jetson Electric Bikes LLC, of Brooklyn, New York, announced the recall of about 53,000 42-volt, Jetson Rogue, self-balancing scooters/hoverboards on March 30, due to a fire hazard and two deaths. According to CPSC and Jetson, the lithium-ion battery packs in the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards can overheat, posing a fire hazard.   In the context of the recall, representatives of CPSC and Jetson, said a 10-year-old girl and her 15-year-old sister died from a fire on April 1, 2022 in Hellertown, Pennsylvania and that the Hellertown Borough Fire Marshal determined that a 42-volt Jetson


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John Zaccaro Jr. Sworn in as Assemblyman of A.D. 80

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  The Rotunda of Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park was filled with some of New York’s political constellation on Saturday, March 4 for the inauguration ceremony of Democratic Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr. (A.D. 80). The guest list included U.S. Sen. and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Councilman Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15), among many others. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was scheduled to attend three other events the same day, sent well wishes, via video message, to Zaccaro Jr., profiled last year by Norwood News.   Before administering the oath of office, State Assembly


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Montefiore Einstein Announces $100 Million Contribution to Albert Einstein College of Medicine 

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Montefiore Einstein announced on Thursday, March 2, that an anonymous donor is making a $100 million contribution to Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Representatives from Montefiore-Einstein say the gift, one of the largest in Einstein’s history, will support biomedical research that includes basic, clinical, and translational research programs serving the nation and the world. They added that it will also provide direct financial support to students, ensuring greater access to what was described as “the vibrant and innovative learning environment that Einstein provides.”   Reacting to the news, Philip Ozuah, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, the


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Montefiore Residents & Fellows Vote to Re-Unionize after Four Decades

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Resident doctors at Montefiore Medical Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City, have successfully won union representation with a supermajority of 82 percent, voting in favor of joining the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU), the union announced on Feb. 23. The move will re-establish a union presence at Montefiore more than four decades after their original union, one of the first nationwide, was removed, union officials said. The union’s re-establishment is the result of recent organizing efforts by residents and fellows, as reported.   Resident-led organizing efforts began early in the pandemic, when, according to


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Wakefield: Ridgewood Savings Bank’s White Plains Road Branch Has Moved 4 Blocks

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Leonard Stekol, chairman, president and CEO of Ridgewood Savings Bank (Ridgewood), announced on Jan. 11 the relocation of Ridgewood’s White Plains Road branch to a new state-of-the-art space at 3951 White Plains Road, just four short blocks away from its former site. With the new location arrives the recently launched Ridgewood BankOn Checking and SBA 7(a) loan program, which Ridgewood officials said furthers the availability of financial products for the community and small businesses.   “Our roots have always been firmly planted in the local communities to help our customers grow and prosper,” said Stekol. “With the relocation of the


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“Skip The Stuff” Bill Becomes Law, Ending Single-Use Plastics in Takeout and Delivery Orders

By SÍLE MOLONEY
District 13 Council Member Marjorie Velázquez and colleagues rejoiced as Int 559-A, also known as “Skip The Stuff” bill was signed into law by New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Jan. 19.   Representatives for the Northeast Bronx council member said for years, local advocates have urged the City Council to pass legislation to decrease the usage of single-use plastics and unnecessary condiment packets or extras. They said the majority of these items are tossed directly in the garbage or a drawer, never to be used and local businesses simultaneously throw away thousands of dollars while overwhelming our landfills.


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UPDATE Bronx CB7 Looks Forward to Subway Upgrades & More in 2023  

By ARIEL PACHECO
Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) held their final board meeting of 2022 on Dec. 13, following a successful annual tree-lighting event in Bedford Park on Dec. 8. The meeting was attended by around two dozen people, updates were shared by the different CB7 committee chairs and concerns of some community members were also heard.   The meeting was the first to be presided over by recently elected Bronx CB7 chair, Yajaira Arias, following her election to the position on Nov. 15. As reported, Arias, the incumbent CB7 secretary, succeeds Emmanuel Martinez, who stepped down as chair in the summer of 2022.


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