New NYC Health Commissioner Appointed

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced, at a press conference on Aug. 4, the appointment of Dr. Dave A. Chokshi as the new commissioner of the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. According to the announcement, Chokshi has served at the highest level of local, state, and federal health agencies, including NYC Health + Hospitals, where he was in senior leadership roles over the past six years. As Chief Population Health Officer, Dr. Chokshi’s team transformed healthcare delivery for over one million New Yorkers. Most recently, he served as a key leader in the City’s COVID-19 response. “Dr.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, at approximately 8.20 a.m., police responded to a 911 call about a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian who was struck on the southbound Major Deegan Expressway in the vicinity of Fordham Road, within the confines of the 52nd precinct. Upon arrival, responding officers discovered an unidentified male pedestrian lying on the roadway, with trauma to the body. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the man deceased at the scene. Further investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that a 2019 white Volkswagen Golf SE, operated by a 28-year-old man,

By DAVID GREENE

For our latest print edition, we asked readers for their thoughts on the recent spike in shootings across the City. I like this area here in Belmont, and I prefer to do most of my activities here because I don’t feel comfortable where I live. It’s safer in Belmont than it is anywhere else around here. I like to do all my shopping. I even come here to do all my laundry and in the other neighborhood I see a lot of homeless people, and homeless shelters spread all over the Tremont Area and yes, I see crazy

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Dear Readers, Hope you’re well. As if we hadn’t enough to contend with already, what with the ongoing pandemic, a global recession, stifling humidity, a rise in gun violence, and random shark-sightings in New York City, it seems we’re also set to be hit with the tail end of Tropical Storm Isaias later this evening, August 3, so batten down the hatches, hang tight, and check out this year’s ninth and latest edition of the Norwood News. Following the arrest earlier this month of Ghislaine Maxwell on charges relating to human trafficking, which she denies, our cover

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual depicted in the attached video in connection to a homicide that occurred within the confines of the 43rd precinct in the Bronx. On Friday, July 31, 2020 at approximately 10.41 p.m., police responded to a 911 call about a man who was shot in front of 1741 Randall Avenue, within the confines of the 43rd precinct in the Clason Point section of The Bronx. Upon arrival, officers observed a 21-year-old man, unconscious and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to the torso. EMS

By SÍLE MOLONEY

It was not the high-profile nature of Ghislaine Maxwell’s arrest for various, alleged sex trafficking crimes on July 2 that shocked the world. After all, we’d grown accustomed to seeing various photo evidence, interviews with her accusers, and documentaries purporting to describe her relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein. More unsettling to some people, perhaps, was realizing just how ordinary the former girlfriend and alleged co-conspirator was. She is described invariably as funny, intelligent and charming. She may well be all of those things, and of course Maxwell denies all charges against her, but some would say that therein

By DAVID GREENE

After being shut for several months during the global coronavirus pandemic, the staff of the Dominguez Expert Martial Arts School on East 204th Street have restarted Tae Kwon Do classes. More than a dozen young students were taken outside of the Norwood school, for their first resumed Tae Kwon Do class since the shutdown, ensuring adequate social distancing and more access to fresh air. The youngsters were spotted on the open field of Mosholu Parkway at Bainbridge Avenue, throwing punches and kicks on Friday, July 24. According to Wikipedia, Taekwondo, Tae Kwon Do or Taekwon-Do is a Korean

By DAVID GREENE

In a pre-dawn raid on July 22, City officials reported that members of the NYPD moved in on the fifty or so remaining demonstrators who were part of the larger group of protestors to have occupied City Hall Park since June 23, and removed them from the area. As reported previously by Norwood News, the demonstrators vowed not to leave until the NYPD’s budget was slashed. On June 30, the much-anticipated vote on the revised $88.2 billion City budget was presented and passed by 32 votes to 17 in the City Council. Local elected Bronx councilmen Fernando Cabrera,

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Next year, residents of New York City’s 14th District will vote on a new representative. Incumbent Councilman Fernando Cabrera has reached the end of his last term. He has represented the district, which extends from just south of the Cross Bronx Expressway to Kingsbridge Heights in the north, since 2010. In June 2020, Pierina Sanchez, 32, announced her candidacy to replace Cabrera with a focus on improving permanent housing and education, among other issues. “With 70 percent of our residents unable to afford their rents, I want to work to improve that number,” Sanchez said. “I want more