Environment

Gibson Hails Bronx “Borough of Opportunities” in First State of the Borough Address

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  The following is an extended version of the story which appears in our latest print edition.   Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, the borough’s 14th president, delivered her first State of the Borough address in sparkling attire at Manhattan College on Wednesday, March 1, outlining the accomplishments of her administration during 2022 and unveiling her strategic agenda for 2023.   With the college celebrating its 100th year this year, its president, Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, said college officials were honored to host the event. “We recognize that The Bronx is a special place and look forward to partnering


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Applications Now Open for Summer Camp Named in Memory of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Calling all Bronx Parents! Now is the time for New York City families throughout the five boroughs to register their children for an unforgettable summer of free Fresh Air Fund experiences at sleepaway camps in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, or for them to visit volunteer host families along the East Coast.   The Fresh Air Fund’s Camp Junior in Harriman State Park, New York is named in memory of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, a 15-year-old victim of gang violence who was murdered on East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue in the Belmont section of The Bronx in June 2018. “Camp Junior,”


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UPDATE Applications Open for Fourth Annual Brandon Hendricks Scholarship

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Applications for the fourth annual Oyate Group  Brandon Hendricks Scholarship have officially opened, with an award of $20,000 going to each of two applicants for the first time in the scholarship’s history, organizers announced on March 2.   Previously, as reported, the organization offered $5,000 in total in scholarship funds. Founded in honor of Brandon Hendricks, a 17-year-old, rising basketball star, who, as reported was fatally shot in crossfire at 1726 Davidson Avenue in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx on June 28, 2020, the scholarship, according to Oyate Group officials, provides graduating seniors the opportunity Brandon never received,


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The Bronx Fights Rats: DSNY to Collect Compostable Material from All Bronx Public Schools

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Coming quickly on the heels of last month’s announcement of the roadmap for citywide curbside composting service, NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) announced on Monday, March 6, that all NYC Department of Education (DOE) schools in The Bronx will receive five-nights-per-week collection of compostable material. This means less rat food out in the black bags each night, cleaner streets, and cleaner air – led by students. “Just like with recycling decades ago, young people are our best ambassadors for composting,” said DSNY commissioner, Jessica Tisch. “They see the difference it makes to compost at school, and they tell their parents


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Montefiore Einstein Announces $100 Million Contribution to Albert Einstein College of Medicine 

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Montefiore Einstein announced on Thursday, March 2, that an anonymous donor is making a $100 million contribution to Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Representatives from Montefiore-Einstein say the gift, one of the largest in Einstein’s history, will support biomedical research that includes basic, clinical, and translational research programs serving the nation and the world. They added that it will also provide direct financial support to students, ensuring greater access to what was described as “the vibrant and innovative learning environment that Einstein provides.”   Reacting to the news, Philip Ozuah, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, the


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UPDATE DSNY Issues ‘Snow Alert’ for Monday, February 27, from 4 p.m.

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has issued a snow alert for Monday, Feb. 27, from 4 p.m. The alert is in effect through 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28. A snow alert is the department’s “higher-level” winter weather message, as opposed to the “lower-level” winter operations advisory.   Based on current forecasts, 2 to 5 inches of slush or wet snow is possible, according to department officials. The snow is expected to mix with sleet late Monday before becoming a mix of rain and sleet by early Tuesday morning, they said.   During a snow alert, DSNY officials said


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Op-Ed: Bronxites Will Create New Kingsbridge Armory

By ELISABETH ORTEGA-BAILEY
I live on Aqueduct Avenue with my 4-year-old son, Nori, and my husband, Nelson, close to the landmark Kingsbridge Armory that is now 514,000-square-feet of nothingness, thanks most recently to a failed plan to fill it with nine ice hockey rinks.   I’m 34, in my second year at Bronx Community College, and have been organizing around the Kingsbridge Armory with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) since I was 16 and attending DeWitt Clinton High School.   Nelson and I often joke that in order to live in New York City, you need both a job and a


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Bronx CB6 Wants Answers on Fordham Plaza Reconstruction as City Assesses Fordham Corridor Needs

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Extremely concerned members of Bronx Community Board 6 (CB6) sent a letter dated Feb. 20 to Keith Kalb, interim commissioner at the Bronx borough office of NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) on “the current state of Fordham Plaza.” In it, they refer to what they describe as DOT’s prior eviction of vendors and businesses previously operating in the Plaza, located in Belmont on the border with Fordham Heights and Fordham Manor, to facilitate reconstruction works at the site. The works were completed in 2016, according to CB6.   At the time, CB6 members said DOT committed to filling the newsstands


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