Housing

University Heights: Popular Deli, Discount Store Destroyed in Fire

By DAVID GREENE
A fire that broke out inside a popular University Heights deli and that spread to an adjacent 99 Cents store took firefighters more than 90 minutes to extinguish, FDNY officials said. The fire caused a lot of damage to the two businesses, leaving a shell of the one-story structure remaining.

Petition Launched on Change.Org to Stop the Sale of Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

By SÍLE MOLONEY
An online petition was launched by a group called “Van Cortlandt” on June 9 on www.change.org to stop the proposed sale to a developer, as reported, of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC), located in the Van Cortlandt Village section of The Bronx. Though petitioners were asked to sign the petition by June 21, it appears to still be available.   

UPDATE U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders Holds Roundtable to Discuss His Support for Bowman in Mott Haven

By DAVID GREENE
Independent U.S. Senator for Vermont and former U.S. presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders held a roundtable for roughly ten minutes with four selected journalists from the New York City area on Saturday, June 22, in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx, just before he joined Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) at a rally in Mott Haven’s St. Mary’s Park.

Norwood Residents Hold Art Event in Support of Gaza in the Williamsbridge Oval

By SÍLE MOLONEY & MIRIAM QUIÑONES
Bronx Neighbors for Palestine held a “Make Art to Let Gaza Live” event in the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood, by the Reservoir Oval West entrance, on Sunday afternoon, June 9. The event was organized in efforts to raise awareness about the plight of everyday Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank amid the ongoing war with Israel.

City Council Passes Sanchez Bill Inspired by Billingsley Terrace Partial Building Collapse

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York City Council announced on Thursday, June 20, the passage of Int. No. 904-A, a bill designed to establish a first-of-its-kind, proactive inspection program at NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). The Billingsley Terrace Structural Integrity Act was introduced by City Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) on April 25, as reported, in response to the partial building collapse that occurred at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights on Dec. 11, 2023, forcing over 150 tenants to lose their homes, as reported.

Op-Ed: The VCJC Disinformation and Distortion Campaign

By GARY AXELBANK
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) President Stu Harris and Board Chair Jack Kleinfeld have succeeded in boasting about their disinformation and distortion campaign that has resulted in the worst possible real estate deal available, not only for the VCJC congregation, but for the community at large as well.