Out & About: The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Annual Gala & More

In Fight to Debunk Census Myths, MMCC Secures Grant (Picture)

By Dawn Clancy

Editor’s Pick The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center will hold its annual gala on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. Hosted by former NFL Denver Bronco, Reggie Rivers, the event will honor Melissa Bindra, a real estate executive and affordable housing developer in the Bronx, and Stephen Ritz, the founder of Green Bronx Machine. MMCC will also bestow special honors on its COVID Superheroes. The event is virtual, and tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information and for ticket pricing, visit https://www.mmcc.org/. Events Are you itching to travel, and want to have fun while testing your U.S. geography knowledge?

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Picking up where it left off when the pandemic hit last spring, Teddy Cars, car dealers in Nissans and Volkswagens, located on Boston Road in the Edenwald section of the Bronx announced on Friday, Jan. 15, that it will be continuing its $20,000 commitment to music education in the Bronx. A year ago, the Teddy Cars Bronx Music Grant Program promised $20,000 in funding to ten school and community music programs in the Bronx. After funding five, the “Music Matters’ program was put on hold because of the pandemic. Beginning this month, once again, representatives said the dealership will resume

By SÍLE MOLONEY

“Brooklyn Burial” is a new short film, shot in Woodlawn Cemetery, which co-stars and is written and directed by Christine Sloan Stoddard, who plays opposite Disnie Sebastien. The film follows two friends, Cammy and Victrice, during an exchange which takes place in a cemetery after Cammy’s broken engagement. The film asks how Victrice will react to Cammy invoking a poetry spell to address her heartache. Following a successful Facebook fundraiser, and shot in November 2020 using New York City talent from the Bronx and Brooklyn, the film is now available to watch, password-free, here through Jan. 12. After

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Bronx is celebrating with cheerful holiday performances, and viewers can share in that holiday spirit by tuning in to BronxNet. The seasonal line-up includes Handel’s Messiah performed by The Orchestra of The Bronx and Bronx Opera Company, Manhattan College’s Lessons and Carols, a virtual Nutcracker by the Paige Fraser Foundation, a Parranda celebration by Casita Maria, and Pregones PRTT’s Fiesta Navideña. Handel’s Messiah features readers from the Bronx community including Dr. Ruth Westheimer, NYS Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, NYC Councilman Andrew Cohen, Congressman José E. Serrano, Bronx Community College President Thomas Isekenegbe, Riverdale Press Editor Michael Hinman, and BronxNet

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

When 2020 started, Doris Cordero was thrilled to assume the position of president of the 45-member Riverdale Art Association. She is the first Puerto Rican to hold the position, but then COVID-19 came along, disrupting the monthly, in-person meetings. Later, on a more personal level, a cancer diagnosis in early summer left her facing what she described as an ordeal. “I was in recovery during August, September, and October. I’m now 100 percent,” Cordero told the Norwood News in a phone interview. She is philosophical, and even somewhat upbeat about having slowed down to assist her recovery. “Because of

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

A coalition of local community groups made up of many young volunteers joined forces on Dec. 9 during a “Sticker Shock Campaign,” to alert local alcohol retailers of the dangers underage drinking presents to young people. The groups made in-person visits to various stores in Community Boards 5, 7, and 8 with oral presentations, stickers, and posters reminding both store owners and customers that it is illegal and dangerous to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. The campaign was spearheaded by “We Engage in Prevention Awareness,” (WEPA), a community coalition seeking to eliminate substance abuse,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi was celebrating, on Dec. 15, the signing into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo of a new bill S8298B, for which she was the lead sponsor, which prohibits the State of New York from selling or displaying symbols of hate. The bill states that the State shall not sell or display any symbols of hate or similar image, or tangible personal property, inscribed with such an image, unless the image appears in a book, digital medium, museum, or otherwise serves an educational or historical purpose. The term, “symbols of hate” shall include, but

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The final virtual police reform and reinvention listening session for 2020 was held on Wednesday, Dec. 9, in further efforts to continue to connect with New Yorkers, and address concerns around police and policing. About 90 people participated in the citywide virtual event, which was advertised as a multi-lingual session with translators available to take questions from callers in a number of languages. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, Chief of Patrol Juanita Holmes, who was promoted to the role on Oct. 29, and other senior police officials took questions on issues ranging from how to report police misconduct to

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers if they agree that presidential pardons should be given when a president leaves office. Is it right and just? “That’s a good question. I believe that if you have a lot of proof, proof like they have on this person, Michael Flynn, there’s so much proof that this guy didn’t do anything wrong, so yeah, I believe in the pardons, even if the president is leaving office. Hey, he still has the ability. He’s still the president, yeah.” Dawn Marie, Indian Village “That’s a very interesting question. I don’t know if it’s