Executive Director of North Central Bronx Hospital Promoted to New Position in Harlem

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Mitchell Katz, MD and president and CEO at NYC Health + Hospitals, the City’s public hospital system, announced on Friday, Feb. 26, that Cristina Contreras, executive director of NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx (NCB), located in Norwood, will be promoted to CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan based in East Harlem. It was also announced that Christopher Roker, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in East Harlem, will serve as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in Mott Haven. In these roles, Katz said Contreras and Roker will help lead the hospitals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Assemblywoman for the 80th Assembly District in the Northwest Bronx, Nathalia Fernández, called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday, Feb. 24, to bring a mass COVID-19 vaccination site to the North Bronx. Despite the City providing free transportation for seniors to get vaccinated as well as efforts to deliver expanded access to the COVID-19 vaccine across those communities most at risk, vaccination rates are still relatively low, as reported earlier this week by the Norwood News, particularly in low-income and minority communities. “If the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department has arrested a woman in Manhattan, for attempted murder for pushing another middle-aged woman onto the subway tracks at a Bronx subway station earlier this month. The police had asked for the public’s assistance on Feb. 9, in ascertaining the whereabouts of the unidentified woman seen in the attached photos and video, who had been sought in connection with the incident, which took place in the 42nd Precinct / Transit District 12. It was reported to police that on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at around 7.50 p.m., on the platform of the 174th

By MARGARET GROARKE

Presidential elections are important. But your vote also matters, probably even MORE so, in local elections. In New York City elections, we choose the people who will be in charge of many of the things that affect our daily lives. If you care about the quality of local schools, the way NYPD polices your community, the state of the parks, how safe it is to walk, drive or bike on our streets, those are all issues that are dealt with by the mayor and the City Council. So, why did five times as many people vote in the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Like shows on Broadway, live performances by Bronx Community College (BCC)’s Theatre Workshop have been shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its students found another outlet for their talents in Essential Bronx COVID Stories Part 1, a powerful short film written, performed and shot by the students themselves. Chronicled over the past year, these unique stories are now available to watch, and the public can get to know the lives of the students affected by the pandemic and experience them recounting their stories of struggle. Dr. John Socas is director of the workshop at BCC.

By DAVID GREENE

For the first time in over thirty years, the Bronx Polar Bears Club cancelled its annual St. Valentine’s Day swim at Orchard Beach, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, February 13, Anna Romanovich of Brooklyn, a 10-year member of the club, said, “This year is the first year we will have to skip the annual arctic adventure, a frosty tradition that brought the Polar Bear plunge to the Bronx.” The annual event sponsored by BronxNet and BronxWorks, helps raise funds and brings awareness to local groups working with the homeless. Romanovich continued, “This year, it’s become yet

By DAVID GREENE

Recently, the Bronx V.A. Hospital, also known as the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has quietly begun vaccinating veterans of all ages. Soldiers from the different branches of service have been invited to the Kingsbridge Road medical center to get inoculated with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine since Friday, Feb. 12. Current guidelines from the New York State Department of Health only include people over the age of 65, frontline workers, public safety workers, public transit workers, teachers and adults with pre-existing conditions. Arnaldo Colon, of Pelham Parkway is a retired staff sergeant with the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Despite measures taken in recent weeks to increase the pace of the roll-out of the various COVID-19 vaccines across New York State, some residents still have questions about the different vaccines, and in some cases, they are still reluctant, skeptical and concerned about getting vaccinated. In the Bronx, the percentage of adults vaccinated to date varies per zip code and no one zip code has had more than 15 percent of adults fully vaccinated to date. Listed further below is a breakdown of adult vaccinations per zip code. In order to address the matter, Lehman College will be holding

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

On a cold but bright and sunny afternoon, members of Masjidus Sabur set up a table on Bainbridge Avenue in Bedford Park for their annual winter coat and essentials drive. Masjidus is the Islamic term for mosque. Iman Alprentice Talibudeen McCutchen helped manage the event on Feb. 5 in front of the mosque, located at 2975 Bainbridge Avenue. “In today’s event, we’re giving away [free] coats for children as well as teenagers and adults… and book bags,” McCutchen said. A group of four to five volunteers joined McCutchen in manning a folding table surrounded by multiple boxes of coats