Chase Bank Branch on Burnside Avenue Reopens

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

After an almost two-year wait, a new Chase Bank branch has opened at 7 E. Burnside Avenue, just east of Jerome Avenue on the border of Fordham Heights and Mount Hope, close to the University Heights border. A former Chase branch located at 5 W. Burnside Avenue closed in October 2019, serving a blow to the local community. The impact of that closure was compounded by the subsequent closure of a local Amalgamated Bank branch in September 2020, as reported. Elected officials, including Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Assemblyman Victor Pichardo (A.D. 86) delivered remarks at the grand

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Last spring The New York Times described Fordham Road as one of the city’s “retail zones [that] have bounced back.” The article included data that described the Bronx as a borough that had lost 40 percent of its businesses, had the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths, and an unemployment rate near 18 percent. Yet, the biggest shopping district in the Bronx, Fordham Road with its 175 storefronts, located between Washington and Jerome Avenues, has retained a 3 percent vacancy rate, the same as before the pandemic hit. The significance of the robust numbers is not lost on city

By DAWN CLANCY

With bullhorns in hand, about 20 parents and teachers from the Bronx rallied outside the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) offices in Manhattan on Monday, July 26, to push for a remote learning option for New York City public school students this fall. The rally, organized by the Bronx Parent Leaders Advocacy Group (BPLAG), follows Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement, on May 24, that all public schools which had closed for on-site instruction in March 2020, in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, will fully reopen in September without any option for students to learn remotely.

By DAVID GREENE

Several hundred Yemeni Americans and their supporters in the Bronx celebrated the 3rd Annual Yemeni American Day Parade as they marched through the streets of “Little Yemen” on Sunday, Aug. 1. The parade was led by two NYPD police officers on horseback, followed by an NYPD color guard and marching band, as well as the New York City Police Department’s brass band. Joining the Muslim American Society of New York (MAS), the organizers of the parade, were members of the Morris Park Business Improvement District, the Morris Park Community Association, and more than two dozen other groups and organizations, as

By JEFFREY JACOMOWITZ & SÍLE MOLONEY

In well-deserved recognition of his 27 years as a stellar employee of University Center nursing home, John White was finally honored in July 2021 and declared June Employee of the Month. White, a veteran who is also known as “John W” has been working at the nursing home, located at 2505 Grand Avenue in Fordham Manor, even before Centers Health Care took over the facility in 1999. He continues to work there as one of the heads of maintenance, kitchen, and housekeeping, and he also works in recreation. According to University Center administrator, David Schorr and the center’s

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a 14-year-old missing girl who lives in Norwood and was reported missing in the 52nd precinct. Britnee Gutierrez, 14, of 3511 Putnam Place, Bronx, NY was last seen Wednesday, August 4, at around 1 p.m. inside her home. She is approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 145 pounds, has brown eyes and salt and brown hair. She was last seen wearing black jeans and a pink t-shirt. Anyone with information regarding this missing person is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)

By DAVID GREENE

A 29-year-old male motorcyclist has died following a two-vehicle motor collision in the vicinity of Kingsbridge Heights. On Thursday, Aug. 5, at around 11.13 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a crash near the corner of West 229th Street and Bailey Avenue (in the vicinity of 2860 Bailey Avenue), in the 50th precinct. Upon arrival, officers observed the 29-year-old motorcyclist lying on the roadway with head and body trauma. EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Further investigation by the NYPD highway district’s collision investigation

By DAVID GREENE

According to a pair of witnesses, a dog slipped through a partially opened window in a Norwood building and was stuck on a second-floor window ledge for at least 20 minutes. Several passersby called 911 but said no emergency personnel ever made it to the scene. The dog was eventually rescued and is now believed to be back with its owner. As reported by Norwood News, and according to Citizen App user, “paoladlc,” who posted a brief video clip of the scene on the app, on Thursday, July 22, at 7.26 p.m., residents and visitors passing by 3202 Kossuth Avenue,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The FBI warned Americans, on July 27, of fraudsters who are swindling investors while pretending to be registered financial brokers or investment advisers. They said fraudsters may falsely claim to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or a state securities regulator in efforts to lure investors into scams. They may also impersonate real investment professionals who are actually registered with these organizations. Red flags include promises of guaranteed high investment returns, unsolicited offers, and suspicious or unusual requests relating to payment methods for investments. Report possible securities fraud to the SEC