Politics

Commencement Ceremonies at Fordham, Lehman Celebrate Student Resilience

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  With a series of sunny, yet smaller-than-usual, diploma ceremonies held on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University, as well as a university-wide commencement videocast, streamed on Saturday, May 22, graduates of the university were honored for their bravery and determination amid the pandemic, and Fordham flipped the script on an unprecedented year, offering the Class of 2021 a chance to celebrate their resilience, and look forward with hope.   During the videocast, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, officially conferred degrees upon nearly 5,500 graduates from ten different college schools, while acknowledging that it was not the commencement


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Big Guns Turn out for Swearing in Ceremony for Oswald Feliz as New District 15 City Councilman

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
A host of local elected officials joined former tenant lawyer and Hostos Community College adjunct professor, Oswald Feliz, as he was sworn in as city councilman of the 15th Council District, following his win in the March 23rd special election. Feliz assumes the seat left vacant for a few months following the resignation of the former councilman, now Congressman Ritchie Torres, after the latter won the 15th congressional race in November 2020.   The swearing in ceremony for Feliz was held on Sunday, May 2, at the Serviam Gardens, located at 2848 Bainbridge Avenue in Bedford Park. Officials in attendance included


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District 14 Primary: Abreu Continues Pop-Up Rental Clinics as Rivera Ranks Him Number 1

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
District 14 City Council candidate and long-time community organizer, Adolfo Abreu, last month, held another of several pop-up rental clinics he’s been hosting in the district in recent months. On Friday, April 30, ahead of the extension of the eviction moratorium by state legislators, Abreu set up shop at the corner of University Avenue and West Tremont Avenue in University Heights and offered residents information on how to force landlords to make needed repairs, as well as how to prevent eviction.   Last month, Norwood News reported on Abreu’s involvement in a rally held at 2770-2780 Kingsbridge Terrace in the


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Unmasking with just 33 Percent of Bronxites Vaccinated

By DAVID GREENE
  This week, we asked readers how they felt about unmasking, if fully vaccinated against COVID-19, knowing that the vaccination rate in the Bronx remains the worst in the city. As of May 24, only 33 percent of Bronxites were fully vaccinated, while 40 percent have had one shot.   “Everyone has to wear a mask because you don’t know if the next person has the coronavirus and then they give it to you. No, I can’t trust some people because I don’t know who’s vaccinated. When I’m among people, I wear the mask regardless of vaccinations or not.” Richard


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Cabrera, Filius Mutually Endorse Each Other in Upcoming Primary Elections

The Yves Filius Campaign for City Council announced on Wednesday, May 26, that momentum is growing for the Bronx-based movement to elect Filius to City Council District 16, as he received the endorsement this week of District 14 City Councilman Fernando Cabrera. In return, Filius pledged his full support to Cabrera in the councilman’s bid to win the Bronx borough presidency, currently held by Ruben Díaz Jr.   Filius’s campaign said Cabrera, who represents the Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham, and Kingsbridge neighborhoods, has been a mentor to the young District 16 candidate, showcasing what a career in public service


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Three Bronx Judges Appointed to the Appellate Division of NYS Supreme Court 

In a first for New York State, three Bronx judges were simultaneously appointed to the appellate division of the Supreme Court in the first department of New York State, it was announced on Tuesday, May 25. Justices Julio Rodriguez, Bahaati Pitt, and John Higgitt have filled the vacancies in a jurisdiction that covers Manhattan and The Bronx, marking the first time that three Bronx judges have been nominated to the appellate division simultaneously.   According to the New York State court system, there are four appellate divisions of the Supreme Court, one in each of the State’s four judicial departments


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Latinx Organizations & Elected Officials Launch Week of Action on Voter Education

Ahead of the May 28 voter registration deadline for the upcoming primary elections, Latinx elected officials and leading Latinx organizations like LatinoJustice PRLDEF and NALEO Educational Fund launched a Week of Action on Monday, May 24, to promote a series of public events throughout the week, urging the New York City Latinx community to register to vote.   The week kicked off on Monday at 10 a.m. at Roberto Clemente Plaza, outside 530 Willis Avenue (off Third Avenue) in the South Bronx. The groups plan to use the occasion to highlight educational efforts on ranked choice voting, early and absentee


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Family & Friends Say Goodbye to Former Bronx Deputy BP, the Hon. Aurelia Greene

By DAVID GREENE
Family and friends paid their final respects to the Hon. Aurelia Greene, the former New York State assemblywoman and Bronx deputy borough president, who died on Saturday, May 8, as reported by Norwood News.    The former deputy borough president lay-in-state in the Rotunda of the Bronx County Courthouse from Monday, May 17 until Wednesday, May 19.   A service was held on Thursday, May 19, at the Bronx Christian Charismatic Prayer Fellowship at 1069 Morris Avenue, the same church where her husband, the late Dr. Jerome Greene, had been pastor. A homegoing service was then held on Thursday, May


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Jacobi & Montefiore Celebrate Nurses Week, as PPE Giveaways Still Very Much Welcomed

By MIRIAM QUIÑONES & SÍLE MOLONEY
Nurses Week, a week-long, annual celebration, honoring nurses kicked off on Thursday, May 6, with many Bronx hospitals organizing special events to mark the occasion, all of which held special significance for the profession after such an unprecedented year. To date, 42,503 people have died from COVID-19, including 4,538 Bronxites. Over 2 million New Yorkers tested positive for the virus at one point or another.   Among other events, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi honored their nurses with a large breakfast on May 7. Chief nursing officer, Suzanne Pennacchio, addressed her colleagues with a heartfelt message of gratitude thanking them and


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