How Foodtown’s Re-Opening Plan Became a Model for All Businesses

By DAVID GREENE

Everyone’s got to eat. When the pandemic hit the United States in March, it came as no surprise to the owners of Foodtown supermarkets that their business would be deemed essential, but they also knew that they would have to adapt to “a new normal” in order to maintain a safe operating environment for both their staff, and their customers. They did their research, acted on their plan and little did they know, it would subsequently become nationally recognized, and is now an online model for similar businesses. Noah Katz is the co-president of PSK Supermarkets which owns

By ANTHONY RIVIECCIO

By the time you read this, school will have started; many, now virtually. At CUNY, this fall semester, I am teaching Retirement Planning. In our temporary “new world,” this should be a very interesting topic this semester. But let’s start with a very simple premise. What is Retirement Planning? For many, it is the objective of achieving financial security and independence. While we all, I am sure, want to achieve a desired financial lifestyle – what many do not understand is that to achieve that future financial independence, one has to be willing to forego a certain sum

By DAVID GREENE

Members of the United Bodegas of America (UBA) have come together demanding officials do something, after a woman went berserk, and attempted to destroy a store with a butcher’s knife in the Soundview section of the Bronx on July 31 after she was asked to wear a face covering. Members of the UBA gathered on Sunday, Aug. 30 for a press conference outside LizBeth Supermarket, where the incident occurred, and which is located at 1702 Watson Avenue, to publicly voice their concerns about the dangers and harassment bodega owners and employees face from some customers. Supermarket owner,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual shown in the attached video in connection with a commercial burglary which occurred within the confines of the 52nd precinct. It was reported to police that on Aug. 29, 2020, at approximately 00:35 a.m., at 2467 Jerome Avenue, in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx, an unidentified man entered the location, which is under construction, and removed tools totaling approximately $4,500. The man is seen pushing a generator along the sidewalk in the attached video, which he took from the location.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Tuesday, Aug. 8, leading advocates challenged the Cuomo administration to keep its commitment to the linked goals of environmental justice and fighting climate change by dedicating $89.7 million in funds, collected this year from polluters, to frontline communities and clean energy projects. The advocates call on the Governor to reject any plan that will use these funds to fill other budget holes. Specifically, they are asking that $31.4 million be directed to communities on the frontlines of climate change in compliance with New York’s Climate Law—The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). They said this figure

By SÍLE MOLONEY

On Friday, Sept. 4, the ongoing, apparent feud between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio was, once again, played out in public when the governor undercut plans by Mayor Bill de Blasio to re-schedule the City’s annual tax lien auction to Sept. 25. According to the Coalition for Affordable Homes, every year, homeowners who fall behind on their tax or water bills can find themselves subject to the City’s annual lien sale, a process through which the City sells outstanding tax and water debts, and the ability to collect them, to private investors. After the sale, the

By DAVID GREENE

Two men are recovering after two separate shootings that occurred within hours of each other in pre-Labor Day incidents reported in the 52nd precinct, in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx. In the first incident, a police source reported that a 34-year-old man was shot twice “about the body,” at the corner of Briggs Avenue and East 194th Street. According to the source, the unidentified victim was reported wounded at the corner of Briggs Avenue and East 194th Street at 11:24 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6. The police source added that the victim was transported to

By SÍLE MOLONEY

To reduce mosquito activity and the risk of the West Nile virus, the City’s health department will conduct an adulticide treatment in the Bronx. Adulticide is an insecticide or agent used to kill adult insects. Trucks will spray pesticides in sections of the Bronx on Wednesday, Sept. 9, between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, weather permitting. In case of bad weather or equipment malfunctions, application will be delayed until Thursday, Sept. 10. The health department said it will use very low concentrations of DeltaGard® and/or Anvil®. The agency also said that the risks of

By SÍLE MOLONEY

At the last hour, New York City’s executive budget restored $2.8 million to community composting for the financial year 2021. The City’s department of sanitation (DSNY) now has funding to reactivate all of the NYC Compost Project mid-scale, compost educational facilities, provide support to some small compost sites, and reopen some local food scrap drop-off sites throughout all five boroughs. The NYC Compost Project, created in 1993, works to rebuild NYC’s soils by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to produce and use compost locally. Meanwhile, GrowNYC Zero Waste Programs were created by