Page 8 - Eric Dinowitz News Today

For those who cherish the diversity of the Bronx, New York City and the entire country, Sunday at Van Cortlandt Park’s Parade Ground was the place to be.

Over the past few years, municipal retirees have had to anxiously grapple with the prospect that they may have to switch health care plans from the Medigap plan promised to them, to a Medicare Advantage plan. I know that promise — I was made the same promise when I began my career as a public school special education teacher more than years ago.

Several families seeking asylum in the city-operated shelter at Van Cortlandt Motel have spoken out against poor living conditions there. These alleged conditions include bed bugs, mice, nauseous smells, moldy ceilings, an abundance of food being unnecessarily thrown out, and abusive management.

What do you do when the sidewalk is covered head to toe in vegetation and garbage for years without anyone wanting to take responsibility for it? Angel Ortega, superintendent at Briar Oaks and senior north regional shop steward 32BJ, and several others took out the chainsaws and machetes and did it themselves.

Councilman Eric Dinowitz discussed education, housing, mental health, and literacy funding with residents at a budget forum last Thursday at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

Mark your calendar in September. That’s when its residents and electeds expect to get some answers about Overlook Manor.

The fatal stabbing of a gay Black man outside a Mobil Gas station in Brooklyn has caused an outpouring of tributes from community members and legislators.

The 50th Precinct’s new commanding officer said she was proud to see the turnout of community members joining with officers to stand against crime last week in the annual National Night Out.

As asylum seekers seek shelter, they might have imagined what a safe haven might look like in the United States. New York City was not one of them; it was probably their worst nightmare. They sleep on the street under the beating heat or take shelter in buses capable of holding 15 people.

Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed budget cuts for older adult centers and home-delivered meals has left many in Riverdale upset. It was previously announced that $12 million would be cut from the New York City department for the aging budget causing some older adult centers to fear that they would have to close or limit services.