To Celebrate Pride, Rockefeller Center Offers Complimentary Wedding Opportunity to Couples

In celebration of Pride Month, and kicking off New York City’s post-pandemic summer, Rockefeller Center opened submissions on Friday, May 14, for couples to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate a complimentary wedding at the center. The “Love Above All” series is an annual Rockefeller Center tradition to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community during Pride. Following the “Love Above All Ball,” held in 2019 at the Rainbow Room, the 2020 “Love Above All Virtual Auction” raised over $42,000 for The Ali Forney Center, the largest LGBTQ community center helping LGBTQ homeless youth in the United States. This year,

There’s been a sudden boom in traffic on the corner of Burke Avenue and Holland Avenue in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx. Fans of hip-hop artist, DMX, and members of the Ruff Ryders motorcycle club have flocked to the intersection to memorialize the hip-hop icon who died on Friday, April 9. “Where my dogs at?” is a phrase and a song popularized by DMX. According to the late, multi-platinum selling rapper, whose real name was Earl Simmons, his “dogs” were his brothers and sisters from the “hood,” and for the past month, they’ve been out in packs, making

Editor’s Pick The end of Bronx Week 2021 will be marked by a Drive-in concert and awards presentation on Saturday, May 15, from midday to 6 p.m. The newest Bronx Walk of Fame inductees, Joe Conzo Jr., Sal Abbatiello and Kid Capri will be honored amid performances by Frankie Negron, Ja Rule, Coro and DJ Ted Smooth. This is a ticketed event and registration is required on http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/bronx-week/. EVENTS As part of Bronx Week 2021, a Day of Remembrance will be held on Thursday, May 13 to remember those lost to COVID-19. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Many Americans have postponed medical appointments, including preventative cancer screenings, for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported recently in The Wall Street Journal. Researchers estimate this could lead to 10,000 breast and colorectal cancer deaths over the next decade. Montefiore Health System representatives say this is especially troubling in the local Bronx community since: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in New York State, and pre-COVID, was reported to be a leading cause of death for Hispanic women in the U.S. Women in the Bronx are 23 percent more likely than the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. kicked off Bronx Week 2021 last week, and during the opening ceremony, he announced that The Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy will receive the Tourism Award from The Bronx Tourism Council on Saturday, May 15th at Orchard Beach. “Woodlawn Cemetery is one of our most important cultural institutions and is a rich source of information on people who helped shape our city and country,” said Diaz Jr. “In The Bronx, we all know how special Woodlawn Cemetery is, and The Bronx Tourism award recognizes the work and commitment they have contributed to our borough.”

By DAVID GREENE

A small team of medical and pharmacy students assisted in vaccinating more than fifty Norwood residents and worked to inform members of the growing Bengali community in Norwood on how to properly take their medication while fasting during Ramadan, which runs until May 12. Fifty patients arrived at the Safe Medical Center, located at 3099 Bainbridge Avenue and East 204th Street in Norwood, for a pop-up vaccination event held on Monday, April 26. A team of medical students offered patients free health screenings, as well as the COVID-19 vaccination. During the event, pharmacy student, Maliha Tabassum, and medical

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A new flea market will open on Fordham Plaza this summer. MASC Hospitality Group, the creator of Bronx Night Market and the upcoming Uptown Night Market, is working on a new market which will be dedicated to merchandise, arts & crafts, apparel, accessories, self-care products and more. Fordham Flea market will be located at Fordham Plaza on the last Sunday of the month from May to October, from midday to 7 p.m. Its organizers say the concept is just another way to support the borough’s local entrepreneurs and micro businesses by producing “world-class, affordable, and fun experiences.” Marco

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York Public Library is expanding its services effective Monday, May 10, at some branches to allow limited browsing and desktop computer use under Phase 2 of its reopening. In the Bronx, the branches that have reopened under Phase 2 include Allerton, Baychester, Belmont, Edenwald, Francis Martin, Highbridge, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Parkchester, Van Cortlandt, West Farms and Woodstock. The library system also plans to open all available branch libraries (except those undergoing renovation or being used by the City) with expanded service by mid-July, with the full complement of services such as general space use, programs, and classes

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Under dark, gray skies, with an intermittent drizzle falling, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced the resumption of Bronx Week 2021 on Wednesday, May 6, another welcome sign of things slowly returning to normal, after last year’s celebrations were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Usually, Bronx Week is an annual 10-day series of events whereby The Bronx celebrates the best of the borough. “The fact of the matter is, what we’ve been going through, the last 13/14 months, there was an uncertainty,” Diaz Jr. said. “We weren’t able to do Bronx Week last year. [Now] we’re doing all