Environment

Recycle Your Holiday Trees at NYC Parks’ MulchFest or Arrange for Bulk Pick-Up of Large, Artificial Trees

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  NYC Parks and NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) officials are encouraging New Yorkers to wrap up their holiday season by saying goodbye to their respective holiday trees during the annual Mulchfest, a New York City holiday tradition of recycling holiday trees.   Residents can put on their boots, haul their trees to a nearby Mulchfest drop-off location near them, between Saturday, Dec. 26, 2021 and Sunday, Jan 9, 2022. City workers will then chip the trees into wood chips for residents to take home and use to nourish trees, and make the City even greener.   More than 29,000


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Adams Reforms Process for Small Business Violations & DSNY Pilots New “Smart Bins”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a “Small Business Forward” executive order on Tuesday, Jan. 4, to reform existing business regulations, with the aim of helping local businesses face fewer and what was described as “needless” fines and penalties.   The executive order builds upon Local Law 80, and calls on the City’s Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Fire Department (FDNY), Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (CWP), and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to review business regulations with the goal of reducing fine schedules, and allowing


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DSNY Issues ‘Winter Operations Advisory’ for Monday, Jan. 3

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Due to the possibility of snow and, especially, ice accumulation, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) issued a Winter Operations Advisory for Monday, Jan. 3. Snow accumulation during the overnight hours is likely to be less than two inches in all parts of the city. However, given this weekend’s rain, the sudden drop in temperatures may lead to ice buildup on roadways. Department officials said the City’s salt spreaders are filled and will be active across the city beginning at 12:00 a.m., and if snow is heavier than anticipated, the department is prepared to deploy plows. All residents


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Bronx CB7 Prepares Budget for Fiscal Year 2023

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
July 1, 2022, will mark the start of another fiscal year for New York City government, designated as FY 2023 (FY23). Although still seven months away, community boards across the city have started the process of submitting their annual Capital and Expense Budget Requests which inform the borough president, city council, and mayor about the priorities in each community district. Officially known as the Statement of Community Needs and Community Board Budget Requests Fiscal Year 2023, the 37-page document identifies the most pressing concerns in each local community.   On Nov. 30, Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) voted on, and


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FEMA FAQ: Setting the Record Straight on FEMA Assistance for Hurricane Ida

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  FEMA officials issued a press release on Friday, Dec. 10, in which they listed some questions which Bronx residents, who incurred damage or losses following Hurricane Ida and who are applying for FEMA disaster assistance, may have.   Listed below are the answers to these Frequently Asked Questions: Q: I am receiving temporary rental assistance from FEMA, but it is only good for two months. Can it be extended? A: FEMA may provide Continued Temporary Housing Assistance to eligible applicants based on need. It is usually only granted when adequate, alternate housing is not available, or when the applicant’s permanent housing


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Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman Send Letter to FEMA, Requesting Additional Aid for Ida Victims

By SÍLE MOLONEY
    Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) sent a letter dated Nov. 30 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking them to provide additional aid to victims of Hurricane Ida. This follows the release of data which shows that nearly 10,000 applications for disaster relief in Queens and The Bronx were denied. The full letter is available here. “We have heard from countless residents in New York’s 14th and 16th districts that the aid coming from FEMA has been insufficient, and in some cases, non-existent,” wrote Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez. “For example, a constituent in the Village of


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UPDATE Out & About: Plena Libre at the Lehman Center, Holiday Tree Lighting, Art Classes & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Editor’s Pick Bronx Community Board 7’s Holiday Tree Lighting event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at Mosholu Parkway Lawn at the intersection of Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue. Come and enjoy this year’s Winter Wonderland where there will apple cider, hot chocolate, holiday activities & entertainment and of course, the tree lighting.   EVENTS  Van Cortlandt House Museum is hosting a Cozy Community Campfire on Sunday, Dec. 5, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Gather together outdoors for a festive campfire, complete with free marshmallows and warm, mulled cider while supplies last. There will also be DIY s’mores kits


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UPDATE “Community Not Cops” & “Public Land in Public Hands” Rally Held in Crotona

By DAVID GREENE
Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) and its youth arm, Sistas & Brothas United, recently held a joint rally billed “Community Not Cops” and “Public Land in Public Hands,” in the Crotona section of the Bronx. During the event, they called for community input into the future development of City space, as well as an end to police officers patrolling the halls and stairways of New York City public schools.   The two dozen or so teens joined community land trust leaders on Saturday, Oct. 16, outside a fenced-off vacant lot located across the street from Crotona Park, at


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Trash, Curbside Composting and Recycling Collection Changes over Thanksgiving Weekend

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Department of Sanitation announced that in observance of Thanksgiving Day, there will be no trash, curbside composting or recycling collection on Thursday, Nov. 25.   Residents who normally receive Thursday trash or curbside composting collection may place their material at the curb between 4 p.m. and midnight Thursday evening. However there will be collection delays, as is common after holidays. They ask residents to be patient while they await collection. Residents who normally receive Thursday recycling collection should place their material out at curbside between 4 p.m. and midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 1, for pick-up on Thursday, Dec. 2.


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