Politics

UPDATE Relief Drive Launched in Bronx for Victims of Hurricane Melissa as Jamaican Consul General to NY Dies

By SÍLE MOLONEY
State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36), chair of the Bronx Democratic Party, was among the New York elected officials who recently issued statements on the devastation caused to the island of Jamaica after it was recently hit by Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane later made its way to other Caribbean islands, and according to various media reports as of Oct. 29, 30 people had died across Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic as a result of the category 3 hurricane.

University Heights: Sepúlveda Presents $50,000 Check to NMIC Nonprofit to Support Bronx Families

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In the face of imminent federal cuts, as reported, State Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda (S.D. 32) presented a check for $50,000 in funding to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), during a formal ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at NMIC’s University Heights-based Bronx office, in what the senator’s team said was a recognition of NMIC’s “invaluable community work and dedication to the progress and well-being of families in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx.”

An Overview of Puerto Rico’s Political Status and Future

By GENE ROMAN
Puerto Rico’s political future is never far from the minds of its citizens and in recent months, its political status has, once again, been the subject of debate. Puerto Rico (the “Island”) is a territory of the United States. The U.S. acquired the Island from Spain in 1898, and it has belonged to the United States ever since. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens. Everyone born in Puerto Rico is a citizen of the United States, but Puerto Rico is not a state; it continues to be a territory.

Álvarez Announces $3M Capital Funding for Keith Plaza & $50K for Kelly Tower’s Senior Center

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Assembly Member George Álvarez (A.D. 78) announced a $3 million capital funding award for Keith Plaza in Belmont on Oct. 22, and $50,000 for adjacent Kelly Towers for their senior center, marking what was described as a major investment to improve housing infrastructure and strengthen community resources for local residents. The announcement was made during a press conference and check presentation at Keith Plaza Deck, located at 2475 Southern Boulevard.

Op-Ed: Creative Arts Therapy, A Lifeline for New Yorkers in Crisis

By MARIA PATUHAS
As a social worker working on an acute psychiatric unit in The Bronx, I see every day how creative arts therapists make a profound difference in the lives of some of our city’s most vulnerable residents. It’s time for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to make creative arts therapy accessible outside of the hospital, too, by signing S1001/A3391 into law [https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1001].

UPDATE City Council Votes “Yes” on Latest Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment “The Kingsbridge Center”

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In the most hopeful sign yet for residents of Kingsbridge Heights, who have long awaited real momentum behind the redevelopment of the long-vacant, City-owned Kingsbridge Armory, the New York City Council voted “yes” on the latest redevelopment project, “The Kingsbridge Center (El Centro Kingsbridge),” on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The happy news follows dozens of envisioning meetings, surveys, outreach, workshops,, various hearings, set-backs, drama and more drama along the way.