Culture

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Racism Against Puerto Ricans & West Side Story Depiction

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers if they believe the original West Side Story movie accurately portrayed the racism experienced by Puerto Ricans in New York City at the time the movie was made.   “I don’t know about the racism; that was, like, 50 years ago, but I saw the coming attractions to the new film, and it doesn’t look anything like the original.” Phyllis Butler, Norwood “I guess that was before most people’s time. I’m 73, I grew up in the South Bronx in the 50s and 60s… I was traumatized, man. My brother had to fight and run from


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UPDATE Dinowitz Responds to 2nd Rally in a Month Where Anti-Semitic Imagery was Displayed

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bronx Jewish Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) has formally responded to the organization of a second rally in a month, the latest held outside his Riverdale home on Sunday, Dec. 12, during which anti-Semitic imagery was, once again, on display. As reported by Norwood News, about 50 protestors showed up for the rally to oppose the assemblyman’s proposed bill A8378, according to one witness who works for the assemblyman.   The bill, if passed, and which is still at the committee level stage of the legislative process, would authorize an immunization program against COVID-19 for schools funded with State aid,


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Victoria Sanabria, Plena Libre, Prodigio Claudio Perform at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The folkloric sounds of Puerto Rican music will be flowing through the halls of Lehman Center for the Performing Arts as it presents Victoria Sanabria, with Puerto Rico’s number one plena group, Plena Libre, on Saturday, Dec 4, at 8 p.m., with special guest, Prodigio Claudio. Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a 26-year, 15-album career, Lehman Center officials say this fine-tuned ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent GRAMMY® nominations and world-wide touring schedule. Lehman Center officials said Victoria Sanabria was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico into a


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Movie Review: Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” Doesn’t Shy Away from History

By ADAM MCPARTLAN
Editor’s Note: The movie, The Last Duel, and the following review, contains content which some viewers and readers may find triggering and/or distressing.   Ridley Scott is not known for making movies that shy away from their subject matter. More than that, he has become known for making movies that are societally appropriate. In 2005, just a few years into what then-President George W. Bush called “The War on Terror,” and at the height of Islamophobia, Scott made Kingdom of Heaven, a film about the Crusades, depicting the fight for Jerusalem.   More than that, the film featured the Muslim


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Balloon Inflation Day & Thanksgiving Day Parade Traffic Advisories

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The NYPD announced that the annual balloon inflation ahead of the Thanksgiving Day parade celebrations in Manhattan will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 24, from noon to 6 p.m. Spectators may enter the queue at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Large backpacks, coolers, alcoholic beverages, chairs and umbrellas are expressly prohibited and participants will be screened prior to entering the viewing route.   At the organizer’s request, all attendees over aged 12 must be vaccinated and provide proof to the screeners in order to attend the balloon inflation. Children under 12 years may attend with a fully vaccinated adult.


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UPDATE Out & About: Thanksgiving Giveaways, Public Art Unveiling, NYBG Holiday Train Show & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Editor’s Pick Bronx Film 48, founded in 2019, the group behind the annual, 48-hour film challenge has announced a fundraising drive to raise $20,000 for the 2022 fiscal year, to expand its offerings. The team is looking to offer an outdoor summer film series, more networking events and the return of its annual, “48-hour film challenge: The Bronx.” The summer film series is aimed at hosting roof-top, drive-in, and outdoor film screenings of curated, independent films across the Bronx, from Orchard Beach to the Andrew Freedman Home.   The fundraising campaign will allow the group to connect Bronx filmmakers with


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Neighborhood Notes: Booster Shots, Public Hearing on Ethics Oversight, Mommy to Be Expo & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Local People Reported Missing in the last Two Weeks   A 72-year-old woman was reported missing in the Mt Hope section of the Bronx. Click here for more details. A 44-year-old Brooklyn man was reported missing in the 52nd precinct. Click here for more details. A 15-year-old girl was reported missing in Jerome Park. Click here for more details. A missing South Carolina Man Last Seen in Fordham Heights. Click here for more details.   COVID-19 Updates As of Aug. 17, people 12 and older are required to show proof they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine


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Lehman College Students Showcase on Film Resiliency of New Yorkers amid COVID-19 Pandemic

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Nearly two years after COVID-19 shut down New York City and changed life as we know it, a new series of public service announcements created by Lehman College students for the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is exploring how New Yorkers adapted, endured, and came together during the pandemic’s early days.   The series, “Shift NYC,” was shot and recorded by 10 Lehman students, working with a team of 11 faculty and staff from Lehman’s Multimedia Center and School of Arts and Humanities, over the summer. It debuted this month, with five episodes set to air in weekly installments on Lehman’s Instagram account through early


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UPDATE Neighborhood Notes: COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives, Prematurity Awareness Month, Build the Block & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Local People Reported Missing in the last Two Weeks   A missing South Carolina Man Last Seen in Fordham Heights. Click here for more details. An 11-year-old boy from Jerome Park has been reported missing. Click here for more details. A 13-year-old girl has been reported missing in Bedford Park. Click here for more details. A 22-year-old woman has been reported missing in Mount Hope. Click here for more details. A 30-year-old man was reported missing in Fordham Manor and was later found deceased. Click here for more details. A 22-year-old woman has been reported missing in University Heights. Click


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