$50 Fine Effective Sept. 14 for Not Wearing a Mask on Public Transit

Crime File: Another Heroin Death in the Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that as of Sept. 14, all customers who refuse to wear a mask on public transit will be subject to a $50 fine. The new measure follows Governor Cuomo’s executive order directing the MTA to develop a plan to bolster mask compliance across public transit. MTA officials reiterated that the rule is to ensure that customers are adhering to the best possible public health practices and to further improve upon current rates of mask usage, which are already above 90 percent across New York City Transit subways and buses, the Long Island Rail Road and

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Following the news that 24 New York City teachers tested positive for COVID-19 across all five boroughs after returning to school, on Monday, Sept. 13, Bronx Council Member Fernando Cabrera reiterated his earlier warning that the Department of Education (DOE) must carefully plan with UFT before re-opening schools. “I’m saying again, the DOE must engage in careful planning with the UFT and CSA before we can open our schools,” he said. “Having 24 teachers across the city testing positive for COVID-19 after returning to school buildings is a dire warning sign. As I have said previously, the DOE needs

By SÍLE MOLONEY & MIRIAM QUINONES

On Thursday Sept. 3, 2020, a commemorative “Care” mural was unveiled in the patio of the rotunda building (building 4) at Jacobi Medical Center in the Morris Park section of the Bronx. The idea behind the mural was to promote greater neighborhood wellness, and to help build trust and engagement between the community and the hospital. Designed by artists, Andrei Krautsou and Yulia Puhach, the project was an artistic collaboration with the staff of Jacobi Medical Center, in conjunction with the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. Since Friday, Aug. 21, the project participants had been painting, in stages,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

When Elizabeth Quaranta began fundraising two years ago with Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP) for a community mural in Azalea Garden, she had no idea that fundraising would turn out to be the easier part of the project. The volunteer community association’s plan was to paint a mural on the park-facing side of the wall behind Azalea garden, adjacent to Mosholu Parkway subway station, located at Mosholu Parkway and Jerome Avenue. Their objective was to beautify a leafy corner of Mosholu Parkland, loved and frequented by the elderly, the homeless, veterans, and local residents, some of whom live

By DAVID GREENE

Everyone’s got to eat. When the pandemic hit the United States in March, it came as no surprise to the owners of Foodtown supermarkets that their business would be deemed essential, but they also knew that they would have to adapt to “a new normal” in order to maintain a safe operating environment for both their staff, and their customers. They did their research, acted on their plan and little did they know, it would subsequently become nationally recognized, and is now an online model for similar businesses. Noah Katz is the co-president of PSK Supermarkets which owns

By DAVID GREENE

Members of the United Bodegas of America (UBA) have come together demanding officials do something, after a woman went berserk, and attempted to destroy a store with a butcher’s knife in the Soundview section of the Bronx on July 31 after she was asked to wear a face covering. Members of the UBA gathered on Sunday, Aug. 30 for a press conference outside LizBeth Supermarket, where the incident occurred, and which is located at 1702 Watson Avenue, to publicly voice their concerns about the dangers and harassment bodega owners and employees face from some customers. Supermarket owner,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Tuesday, Aug. 8, leading advocates challenged the Cuomo administration to keep its commitment to the linked goals of environmental justice and fighting climate change by dedicating $89.7 million in funds, collected this year from polluters, to frontline communities and clean energy projects. The advocates call on the Governor to reject any plan that will use these funds to fill other budget holes. Specifically, they are asking that $31.4 million be directed to communities on the frontlines of climate change in compliance with New York’s Climate Law—The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). They said this figure

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Friday, Sept. 4, the ongoing, apparent feud between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio was, once again, played out in public when the governor undercut plans by Mayor Bill de Blasio to re-schedule the City’s annual tax lien auction to Sept. 25. According to the Coalition for Affordable Homes, every year, homeowners who fall behind on their tax or water bills can find themselves subject to the City’s annual lien sale, a process through which the City sells outstanding tax and water debts, and the ability to collect them, to private investors. After the sale, the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of the West Nile virus, the City’s health department will conduct an adulticide treatment in the Bronx. Adulticide is an insecticide or agent used to kill adult insects. Trucks will spray pesticides in sections of the Bronx on Wednesday, Sept. 9, between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather or equipment malfunctions, application will be delayed until Thursday, Sept. 10. The health department said it will use very low concentrations of DeltaGard® and/or Anvil®. The agency also said that the risks of