Transportation Alternatives Bronx Activist Committee Holds Christmas Bike Event

By SÍLE MOLONEY & MIRIAM QUIÑONES

The folks at Transportation Alternatives Bronx Activist Committee, headed up by Kevin Daloia, held their annual, novel, festive bike ride around the borough on Thursday, Dec. 16, in the lead up to the year-end holidays, all in an effort to spread some much-needed holiday cheer and spirit, amid the then-latest wave of coronavirus infections caused by the omicron variant. Volunteers saddled up, dressed in festive outfits and took a late bike ride around some of the various tree-lighting displays in Belmont and Morris Park, before finishing up at Metropolitan Circle in Parkchester. The event kicked off at Poe Park, at

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Assembly Member Nathalia Fernández (A.D. 80) and her team held one of several toy giveaways which were organized by various elected officials, local community groups and police precincts, in the lead up to the holidays. The event which was held on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, was for children in the local Norwood and Bedford Park areas, and included special guest, Santa Clause. The event was held outside Lexa Express, located at 347 East 204th Street in Norwood, and the assemblywoman said she and her team of volunteers rushed to start the giveaway early, such was the line of

By DAVID GREENE

Over 300 Bronxites turned out for a day of learning, planning, and healing, as dozens of local organizations converged on The Mary Mitchell Center, located at 2007 Mapes Avenue in the Crotona section of the Bronx, for “The Bronx People’s Festival” on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Participating groups included Mothers on The Move, Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, Laborers International Union of North America, The Point, The Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative and others. The various groups were on hand to provide guests with assistance, as well as free gifts, as

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Thursday, Jan. 20, the New York City Council appointed recently elected, Bronx, District 14 City Council Member, Pierina Sanchez, as chair of the council’s powerful housing & buildings committee, which has jurisdiction over New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of Buildings (DOB), as well as rent regulation policies and practices. HPD is responsible for promoting the quality and affordability of the city’s housing by developing new, affordable housing, enforcing the housing maintenance code, and engaging neighborhoods in planning. DOB is the primary regulator of the construction and real estate industries in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro announced his retirement from the department on Friday, Jan. 21, effective Feb. 16. He started his career 53 years ago and has served as commissioner for seven years. Nigro is the fourth longest-serving fire commissioner in FDNY history, according to the FDNY, one of only six individuals to hold every rank in the department. Tributes have been paid to him, including from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Dan and I have had an amazing relationship over our long careers in public service. He’s a tireless champion for New Yorkers, and a friend who

By DAVID GREENE

Bronxites are angry, and beyond exhausted. Yet, they continue to persevere and show up for one another. Attached are some of the scenes from Friday evening’s prayer vigil, held at the corner of Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street in Bedford Park, the exact location where, as reported, an 11-month-old infant named Catherine was the unintended victim of a shooting to her cheek, while she was with her mother inside a parked vehicle on Wednesday evening, Jan. 19. The vigil, organized by Pastor Jay Gooding and Brenda Caldwell-Paris, president of the 52nd Precinct Community Council, was attended by, among other

By SÍLE MOLONEY & JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D (NY-16) who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester counties, has been released following his earlier arrest on Thursday, Jan. 20, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington D.C., his communications’ team has confirmed to Norwood News. The congressman was arrested, alongside at least 20 others, including faith leaders and youth who have been hunger striking to protect the country’s democracy, amid the ongoing debate in Congress over the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The congressman released the following statement on Friday, Jan. 21. “Throughout the last year, my first year in Congress, I’ve spent a

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson is inviting Bronx residents to make a difference in their community by applying to join their local community board. The Office of The Bronx Borough President will be accepting applications for all 12 Bronx Community Boards from city residents who reside, work or have professional or other significant interests in the borough. “Participation on local Community Boards can provide Bronx residents with a forum to share with their community their expertise and talents,” said Gibson. “There are great things happening in The Bronx that involve the participation of community boards. It is important that

By Dr. DEBORAH JENKINS

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Those are perhaps the most famous words uttered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we celebrated this week. They are also the words that run through my mind when I think about the withering injustice of mass incarceration. 160 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, we still are not free. In many ways, we have made progress, but

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Politics

Transportation Alternatives Bronx Activist Committee Holds Christmas Bike Event

Norwood: Assembly Member Natalia Fernández Holds Toy Giveaway

NWBCCC Bids Fond Farewell to Karen Washington at The Bronx People’s Festival

Sanchez Chairs Council Committee on Housing & Buildings, as Women Comprise Council Majority

Tribute Paid by Mayor to FDNY Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro on Retirement Announcement

Bedford Park: Vigil for Baby Catherine on First Birthday Marks End of Another Week of Tragedy

UPDATE: Congressman Jamaal Bowman Released following Arrest in D.C. Amid Protests Over Voting Rights

Bronx BP Urges Bronx Residents to Apply to Their Local Community Board

Op-Ed: From Dr. King’s Dream to Parole Justice