Out and About

Fordham Manor: Teachers’ Rally Highlights Dissatisfaction with Health, Safety & Preparedness at Schools

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  A group of teachers held a rally on Sept. 18, in front of the Bronx office of the Department of Education (DOE) at 1 Fordham Plaza in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx, to publicize their concerns about the reopening of schools. They say the schools are not prepared to welcome students or staff back. Holding signs that read, “You Can’t Fix a 100-Year-Old Building in a Week! Duh!” and “Under-Staffed, Under-Funded, Under-Valued!” the teachers and their supporters are worried the DOE has not done enough to clean schools, staff them properly for in-person learning, nor equip students


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Fordham Manor: Volunteers Turn Out for Poe Park Clean-Up & Census Outreach Event

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Members of Northwest Bronx Democrats 4 Change were out in force to participate in a park clean up and census outreach event at Poe Park in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx on Saturday, Sept. 12.   The event was sponsored by Northwest Bronx Democrats 4 Change, the organization’s president, Rachel Bradshaw Miller, Board member and candidate for District 15 City Council seat, Oswald Feliz, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, the City’s Parks’ department, North West Bronx Democrats, and the NYC Census 2020 office.   Also in attendance were State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, City Parks’ employees and a number of other


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Bedford Park: “Food For All” Event Held

By SÍLE MOLONEY & JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  A “Food For All” event was held on Jerome Avenue on Sunday, Sept. 20, in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. The event was organized by Aleksander Nilaj of The Albanian American Open Hand Association Inc. (AAOHA), Bake Back America, News Reporter and Photographer Miriam Quinoñes, and Melisa Subin of Subin Associates, LLP.   Around 80 boxes of dried and fresh food were given out to about 75 local residents. The AAOHA has arranged similar food drives in the Bronx in recent months, and it plans to do more in the future as food insecurity in the borough


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University Heights: Street Renamed in Honor of Local Hero, Purple Heart Recipient

By DAVID GREENE
Almost two years after the death of Staff Sergeant Santiago Frias, a  local hero and army veteran who was seriously wounded during the Iraq war, a street renaming ceremony was held in his honor in the University Heights section of the Bronx last month.   Following his return to the U.S., the young man recovered from his wounds, helped raise a family, and devoted time to local children, teaching them the art of self defense. He was one semester shy of a degree in social work.   Family and friends of Frias gathered at West 183rd Street and Grand Avenue,


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Fernandez, Other Elected Officials to Hold Rally Denouncing Hate in Community, after Mural Defacing

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Friday Sept. 18, a mural, located at 296 East 204th Street in the Norwood section of the Bronx, painted to support Black trans lives, was found defaced with hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community. The attached photo has been cropped to exclude expletives.   This #BlackTransLivesMatter mural was created by us earlier this summer we made it with love + joy among all the hate so this all hurts we are mourning + surviving continued violence against our communities, we won't be erased, we keep us safe not the nypd #blacktransloveiswealth — BlackTransMedia (@BlackTransMedia) September 19, 2020   Assemblywoman


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Espaillat, Bailey, Dinowitz & Cohen join Montefiore Health System for Community Flu Shot Event

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Sept. 18, Congress Member Adriano Espaillat, Senator Jamaal Bailey, Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz and Council Member Andy Cohen joined Montefiore Health System for a community flu shot event at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.   Congressman Adriano Espaillat received his shot on-site. Montefiore, Duane Reade and Walgreens are working together to keep Bronxites healthy this flu season by offering low to no-cost flu shots where community members live, work, and play.   According to Montefiore Heath System, the following are the top concerns Bronx residents have shared about getting a seasonal flu (influenza) vaccination, as well as the facts on


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Alternate Side Parking Reforms to Continue Until Further Notice

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sept. 18 that reforms to Alternate Side Parking (ASP) would be in place until further notice. The City first unveiled the reform in June, announcing that non-metered side streets with multiple ASP days would be cleaned once per week, the most dramatic change to ASP in decades.   Amended rules pertain to non-metered residential “side streets” and not to commercial areas. Streets with multiple ASP days would be cleaned on the last day of the week, as posted on each street’s currently posted sign. For example, a street with ASP regulations posted


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Indoor Dining to Commence on Sept. 30 at 25 Percent Capacity

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Indoor dining is to recommence in New York City on Sept. 30, at 25 percent capacity.   On Monday, Sept. 14, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio held a virtual hearing with interested parties from the hospitality sector and signed the extension of two bills in support of New York City restaurants.   The first bill extends an existing ban on charging for unconfirmed phone orders until 90 days after restaurants are allowed to operate at a hundred percent capacity. The second extends an existing cap on fees that delivery apps can charge restaurants until 90 days after restaurants are


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Commemorative “Care” Mural Unveiled at Jacobi Medical Center

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,


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