Environment

DOT Announces Launch Date of E-Scooter Pilot Program in the East Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced Thursday, Aug. 12, the official launch of the city’s e-scooter pilot program in the East Bronx. Bird, Lime and Veo, the three companies participating in the pilot program, will bring up to 3,000 e-scooters to the East Bronx during Phase 1 which starts Tuesday, Aug. 17, with an increase to as many as 6,000 in the second phase next year.   According to DOT officials, both the department and each e-scooter company underwent an extensive community engagement process to locate sites for the e-scooter parking corrals and to educate the public about


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How to Beat the Heat & Stay Cool Amid Rising August Temperatures

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The U.S. National Weather Service, New York has advised New Yorkers to take precautions to beat the heat. High heat and humidity are in the forecast from Wednesday, Aug 11 through the weekend, with an average high of 84 degrees.   To help New Yorkers beat the heat, New York City will open cooling centers throughout the five boroughs. Attendees must wear face coverings inside all cooling centers and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Cooling center locations may have changed from last year. To find a cooling center, including accessible facilities closest to you, call 311 (212-639-9675 for Video Relay


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Out & About: Bronx Homecoming Concert, Silver Shoes Dance Club, Movies Under the Stars & More!

By SHANIA DEGROOT & SÍLE MOLONEY
                                                                                        Editor’s Pick  I’Raise Boys & Girls Intl in conjunction with the City of New York presents a North Bronx Homecoming Concert on Saturday, Aug. 21, from noon to 3 p.m. at Evander Childs Campus, located at 800 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx, NY 10467. Come and enjoy live performances, honor the past, celebrate the present and


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Op-Ed: NYC Department of Transportation, Stay Out of Parks!

By ROXANNE DELGADO
Two months after New York State legalized e-bikes and e-scooters, the City Council passed a bill, on June 5, 2020, to create a pilot program for the operation of shared electric scooters to exist for a duration of no less than one year and no more than two years. Earlier this year, NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the East Bronx as the program’s pilot zone and selected three companies, Bird, Lime and Veo, to participate in the pilot project, starting with 3,000 e-scooters. Why NYC DOT chose an area that lacks biking infrastructure is so confusing.   NYC DOT proposed 24


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Bronxites Celebrate Dominican Heritage at Annual Dominican Day Parade

By SARAH HUFFMAN and MIRIAM QUIÑONES
The Bronx celebrated its many residents of Dominican heritage on Sunday, July 25, at the annual Dominican Day Parade which kicked off at the Grand Concourse and 172nd Street. The celebration brought together a host of Dominican Americans and Bronxites from all walks of life, many decked out in red, white and blue to honor the colors of the Dominican flag.   New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and various elected officials, political candidates and community leaders led the parade behind a gigantic Dominican flag. Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY13), Bronx District Attorney, the Hon. Darcel Clark, State Sen. Jamaal.


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New Committee Elected to Bronx CB7 for Upcoming Year

By SARAH HUFFMAN
The election of the various officer positions to Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) for the upcoming year took place at the last general board meeting of the year on June 23. Most of the incumbent officers were re-elected, apart from one. In addition, four motions were passed on various, different matters. Most had already been reviewed at the board’s June 17 meeting, as reported.   Nominating committee chair, Sandra Erickson, gave each candidate a chance to pitch their candidacy to the board members at the beginning of the meeting before voting took place. Most positions ran uncontested, except for second


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Composting is Coming Back: Sign Up to Let the City Know You Want Free Curbside Composting

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has announced that curbside composting, put on hold during the height of the pandemic, as reported, is on the way back to many city residents! By composting, New Yorkers keep their neighborhoods clean, reduce waste being sent to landfills, create compost for City Parks, and produce clean, renewable energy to heat homes.   While service was “automatic” in pre-pandemic times, residents interested in participating will now need to sign-up or express interest at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting. The registration process will allow the DSNY to best understand who is most interested in participating in the program, and


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Congress Approves AOC’s Funding Request for Jacobi Hospital’s Cure Violence Program, Among Others

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Congress has approved nine out of ten funding requests for community projects put forward by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), the congresswoman’s office confirmed on July 30. The various requests for the 2022 fiscal year included additional funding for Jacobi Hospital’s anti gun-violence initiative which Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had highlighted as a priority in early July, as reported at the time by Norwood News.    Late Thursday, July 29, the nine approved funding requests for various community projects in New York’s 14th congressional district, which encompasses parts of the Bronx and Queens, passed


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DOH Three-Day Mosquito Treatment on Bronx Marshes and Wetlands Starts Monday Aug. 2

By SÍLE MOLONEY
To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of the West Nile virus, the City’s health department will conduct a third aerial “larviciding treatment” of the season on certain marshes and wetland areas in the Bronx from Monday, Aug. 2 to Wednesday, Aug. 4, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., weather permitting.   A helicopter will be used to treat non-residential areas only. While three days have been allotted for the aerial larviciding, the process may be completed in less time. In case of bad weather, the process will be delayed until Thursday, Aug. 5, to Friday, Aug.


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