Politics

NYC will Pay Youth $1,200 to Take Online Courses This Summer, Application Deadline June 15

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City will pay youth from designated city areas $1,200 to take online courses this summer, following the success of the NeON Summer initiative which was launched in 2020. Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced the 2021 initiative will enroll 2,700 youth in six weeks of online instruction. It is hoped the program will help the city’s youth build skills, focus their career goals and express their creativity.   According to City officials, participating eligible New Yorkers will receive a stipend, and could earn up to $1,200. NeON Summer is open to three groups: young people aged 14 to


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Stop the Hate Rally Held in Fordham Manor

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Hate crimes across New York City rose by 366 percent during the week ending May 30, compared to the same period last year, according to NYPD data. In the Bronx, year-to-date hate crimes have risen by 200 percent, compared to 2020. Attacks against the Asian American community, fueled by ignorance regarding the spread of the coronavirus have been widely reported by various news outlets, while Norwood News has previously reported on hate crimes carried out against the LGBTQ+ community and the Jewish community in recent months.   In an effort to address this, a Stop the Hate rally was held


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Bronx Civil Court Judgeship Election: NYC Fire Officers Endorse Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Fire Officers’ Association (UFOA) announced its endorsement on Sunday, June 6, of judicial candidate, Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor, in her run for a civil court judgeship in Bronx County’s Second Municipal Court District, marking the candidate’s second union endorsement from a major city union.   Jake Lamonda, president of the UFOA, wrote in the letter of endorsement, “The executive board of the UFOA unanimously and enthusiastically voted to endorse life-long New Yorker, Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor, an ambitious attorney and long-time advocate for civil servants.” The letter continued, “Her experience, commitment to justice, and passion for public service will make


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Bronx BP Race: United African Coalition (UNAC) Endorses Nathalia Fernández

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The United African Coalition (UNAC) announced its endorsement on Friday, June 4, of Assemblywoman for the 80th A.D., Nathalia Fernández, in her run for the position of Bronx borough president.   Bukola Shonuga, executive director of the organization said  that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 carnage that has further exposed inequality in America, and has disproportionately impacted the poor, and black and brown communities, it was time to elect progressive candidates who genuinely care about the community, and who are not afraid to stand up to the status quo and fight for socio and economic justice for Bronxites.  


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Sen. Biaggi, Planned Parenthood, Brigid Alliance & Legislators Call for NYS Abortion Access Fund

By SÍLE MOLONEY
State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi joined legislators and advocates on Wednesday, June 2, in calling for the passage of the New York State Abortion Access Fund in the final days of the legislative session. Bill S758/A1926 creates a fund which allows taxpayers to voluntarily contribute financial support for organizations that provide financial and logistical assistance to people with limited access to abortion care, on their personal income tax returns.   According to a press release issued by the senator’s office, while abortion access is deemed a right under New York State law, many people face financial barriers such as travel expenses,


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District 11 City Council Race: Jamaal Bowman Endorses Mino Lora

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Rep. Jamaal Bowman has endorsed founder and executive director of the People’s Theater Project in the District 11 City Council race. Images via Twitter Congressman Jamaal Bowman, who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester counties, has endorsed executive director and founder of the People’s Theater Project, Mino Lora in the upcoming June 22 District 11 City Council primary election. Bowman referred to Lora as a proven leader, educator and a 20-year advocate for the community.   “We have a very important election coming up on June 22nd,” Bowman said in a May 27th Twitter post. “It is primary season


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Latchmi Gopal Suspends Campaign for District 15 City Council Primary

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
Having qualified to be on the ballot in the upcoming June 22 primary election, Latchmi Gopal, a community organizer, former staffer for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and candidate in the District 15 City Council race, suspended her campaign, announcing her decision via an Instagram live post, last month.   Gopal thanked her supporters and said running for City Council in the recent March 23 special election in District 15, in the heart of the Bronx, her home, had been one of the greatest honors of her life. “I couldn’t have done it without you all, everything from door knocking, food


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Norwood News Website Available in Spanish, Bengali, French, Arabic, Chinese & English!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Dear Readers, In 2020, in acknowledgement of the diverse composition of the local communities the Norwood News serves, we updated our website, www.norwoodnews.org, to allow users to read our site in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, Chinese and French, using a Google Translate function.   Readers can translate the site from English into each of these languages by selecting the relevant language from the drop-down menu located in the top, right-hand corner of the home page.   As a nonprofit news organization, with limited resources, we decided to include this translation function on our site to help you, our community of readers, access local


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UPDATE: Student Farmers Dismayed Over Eviction from DeWitt Clinton Campus Garden    

By DAVID GREENE
  A local gardening group, founded by a former DeWitt Clinton High School teacher, has been ordered to vacate a beloved garden created on the school’s campus a decade ago, much to the dismay of some local student farmers and others in the community.   Former English teacher and later DeWitt Clinton sustainability coordinator, Raymond Pultinas, said he taught at the school, located in Jerome Park, for more than 25 years, cultivating the one-acre garden in question and facilitating hands-on work experience for student farmers.   Pultinas said he started the garden, a fenced off section of the school’s campus, located


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