Education

Let’s Stop The Bleed Together!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The tragic killing on Aug. 5 of 14-year-old local resident Ángel Miguel Mendoza Hernández in the Williamsbridge Oval park in Norwood, allegedly by an armed gang, shocked the community and lead to numerous calls for the installation of better lighting and security cameras in the Oval, and while every measure taken to date to address safety for all is, of course, valued, necessary, and appreciated, it won’t, unfortunately, bring Ángel back.

BP Gibson Hosts Kick-Off Event to Mark the Beginning of Veterans Appreciation Month in NYC

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, in partnership with her office’s veterans advisory council, NYC Department of Veterans’ Services, Worldwide Veterans and Family Services, and the Sam Young American Legion Post 620, hosted a Veterans Appreciation Month kick off event to honor and celebrate Bronx veterans from all five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces on Wednesday, Oct. 29. As reported, the recognition in New York City of November as Veteran Appreciation Month began in 2023. Prior to that, just one day was marked to honor New York City’s veteran community.

UPDATE Relief Drive Launched in Bronx for Victims of Hurricane Melissa as Jamaican Consul General to NY Dies

By SÍLE MOLONEY
State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36), chair of the Bronx Democratic Party, was among the New York elected officials who recently issued statements on the devastation caused to the island of Jamaica after it was recently hit by Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane later made its way to other Caribbean islands, and according to various media reports as of Oct. 29, 30 people had died across Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic as a result of the category 3 hurricane.

University Heights: Sepúlveda Presents $50,000 Check to NMIC Nonprofit to Support Bronx Families

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In the face of imminent federal cuts, as reported, State Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda (S.D. 32) presented a check for $50,000 in funding to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), during a formal ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at NMIC’s University Heights-based Bronx office, in what the senator’s team said was a recognition of NMIC’s “invaluable community work and dedication to the progress and well-being of families in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx.”

An Overview of Puerto Rico’s Political Status and Future

By GENE ROMAN
Puerto Rico’s political future is never far from the minds of its citizens and in recent months, its political status has, once again, been the subject of debate. Puerto Rico (the “Island”) is a territory of the United States. The U.S. acquired the Island from Spain in 1898, and it has belonged to the United States ever since. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens. Everyone born in Puerto Rico is a citizen of the United States, but Puerto Rico is not a state; it continues to be a territory.

Op-Ed: Creative Arts Therapy, A Lifeline for New Yorkers in Crisis

By MARIA PATUHAS
As a social worker working on an acute psychiatric unit in The Bronx, I see every day how creative arts therapists make a profound difference in the lives of some of our city’s most vulnerable residents. It’s time for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make creative arts therapy accessible outside of the hospital, too, by signing S1001/A3391 into law [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1001].