Bronx CB7 Prepares for Budget Cuts

By José A. Giralt & Síle Moloney

Over the past few months, most New Yorkers have focused their attention on the public health aspects of the coronavirus. Now that all indicators show a downward trend, and the spread of the virus is relatively controlled, elected officials and community leaders are facing hard decisions on budgets for public services. From Albany to City Hall to all 59 City community boards, officials are being asked to slash previously agreed budgets due to reduced revenue sources like sales taxes. Locally, Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) is assessing what adjustments may need to be made to its budget. In

By David Greene & Síle Moloney

The “Occupy City Hall” movement gathered further steam over the last week as the City Council vote on the City budget on Jun. 30 drew nearer. Protestors consolidated pressure on elected officials, calling for specific changes to the budget process, with the defunding of police at the top of the agenda. The Occupy City Hall movement appeared to morph out of a month of sustained Black Lives Matter protests across New York City, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on March 25, 2020. Despite a series of recently passed State and City

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The following article is a two-part feature story on the Black Lives Matter protests. Part I The following stories are all too familiar in the Bronx. On a summer afternoon in July 2016, a man saw a tense situation unfolding between NYPD officers and three people at Morris Houses in Claremont Village. One woman was cuffed, and the arguing escalated. The man thought he could help diffuse the situation, but in an instant, he was thrown against a gate by an officer who later defended his action by saying he felt the sergeant at the scene needed to

By Síle Moloney

A week after Woodrow Wilson was sworn in as the 28th President of the United States, Julia Bizzarri was born in the Bronx on Mar. 13, 1913. In a curious twist of fate, in the same year that now, 107-year-old Bizzarri has astonishingly shown COVID-19 who’s boss, Wilson’s name is to be removed from Princeton University buildings, one of a number of moves by age-old institutions to address the legacy of racism in the country. At 107, Bizzarri has lived through not only one civil rights movement, but what many are calling a second. Like others of her generation,

By Síle Moloney

Dear Readers, I hope you’re all well! I don’t say that lightly. Thank you for your patience, and for sticking with us during what we know, you know, has been a pretty crazy, and unprecedented time for everyone. After two and half months on hiatus due to circumstances related to the pandemic, this year’s seventh edition of the Norwood News is out now. Indeed, that is a story in itself (but for another day). We’re happy to be back, and to share plenty of interesting community news with you, so let’s get to it! After months of lockdown

By Síle Moloney

The COVID-19 surge has passed through New York City, and as local communities now enter a new normal, Montefiore Health System is encouraging people to prioritize health and resume regular check-ups. Studies on heart, cancer diagnoses and vaccines show that avoiding hospitals and doctor’s offices can have detrimental long-term effects. Montefiore Health System has launched the following services to help the local community, to make sure people are comfortable and seeking the healthcare services they need: A hotline (833-311-SAFE (833-311-7233)) and website (https://covidsafecare.montefiore.org/covid-safe) so people can ask questions and receive the most appropriate care going forward, whether it’s in-person or via a telemedicine visit. A follow-up clinic,

By Gary J. Kennedy MD

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 has changed many things in our world over the past few months. I’ve heard concerns from families and communities about how older adults will cope with physical distancing, but we see that with age comes some advantages. Positivity bias – Older adults exhibit what has been described as a “positivity bias”. They tend toward optimism more so than their younger counterparts. They have rebounded from adversity before, likely many times over their lives, and expect to do so again. Even in the face of uncertainty older adults often have a positive outlook and

By Síle Moloney

Phase III of the City’s reopening plan is set to go into effect on Monday, Jul. 6, incorporating personal care services like manicuring and tattooing. Indoor dining has been postponed because of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in cities which reopened indoor dining too soon. In June, Mayor Bill de Blasio, in conjunction with the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that nine major bus lane projects were underway in preparation for reopening, including one major bus project along the 149th Street corridor in the Bronx. The corridor incorporates four bus routes, Bx2, Bx4, Bx17 and Bx19, and

By Síle Moloney

An extensive, industrial-style, subway clean-up is underway at Norwood’s 205th Street subway station, and will continue throughout the coming days. A professional team of about ten cleaners, suited in protective equipment and masks, began a major clean-up at the station on Jun. 29. The workers were seen getting into all the nooks and crannies in the ceiling and along the walls and stairs using a power spray, and various chemical agents. Initially, because of hoses seen on the subway floor, some people thought that the station had been flooded by the heavy rain which fell late on the