Bronx advocates join rally urging Gov. Hochul to sign Climate Change Superfund Act
Advocates for climate change laws — including Bronx residents — gathered outside Gov. Hochul’s Manhattan office on Aug. 2, urging her to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act, which would require fossil fuel companies to share the cost of climate change mitigation.
The act, which passed through the state Legislature in June, would require polluting companies to pay a combined $3 billion per year over the next 25 years. It was co-sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, who represents the northwest Bronx — and now only requires Hochul’s signature to become law.
“For decades [fossil fuel companies] have been knowingly polluting our atmosphere to maximize their profits, and they continue to do so,” Dinowitz said in a 2023 statement announcing the bill’s passage in the Assembly.
Extreme heat linked to climate change is a deadly problem, contributing to the death of approximately 350 New Yorkers per year — most often in their own homes, according to city environmental data.
On the sweltering day of the rally, demonstrators brought handheld fans and a kiddie pool for children in attendance. Sarah Fecht lives in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood and spoke as a member of the advocacy group Climate Families NYC.
“This summer of endless heat waves is going to be one of the coolest summers of my kids’ lives,” said Fecht, who has 3-year-old twins. The climate crisis isn’t a distant problem for future generations, she said. “It’s here now.”
Bronx Metro-North rezoning set to be approved by City Council
The City Council is set to approve an ambitious rezoning proposal to develop thousands of new housing units around new Metro-North stations being built in the Bronx.
The Council’s Zoning Subcommittee and Land Use Committee on Tuesday each voted to advance the modified proposal, which would allow the development of thousands of new housing units around new train stations in the eastern Bronx serving Metro-North’s New Haven Line. The proposal now goes to the full Council for a vote, where it will likely sail through with support from the local Council Members.
“Overall, this proposal with modifications we are recommending is a step in the right direction,” said Bronx Council Member Kevin Riley, the zoning chair who represents part of the rezoned area. “It will provide new housing for all, the size of new developments will be appropriate, and needed investments in our communities will be made.”
The MTA plans to build new commuter rail stations at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City. It’s part of a larger, years-in-the-making plan called “Penn Access” to bring Metro-North trains from Connecticut to Penn Station, using railroad tracks currently used for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor service.
mPox is on the increase across the city, Bronx LGBTQIA service provider responds
Despite the mpox outbreak in New York City being declared over in February 2023, the city has seen a dramatic increase in recent cases, with 281 reported since January 2024, up from 100 in 2023.
Although those numbers remain far below the 3,822 cases in 2022, the recent spike has local advocacy groups — including the Bronx’s Destination Tomorrow — on alert and ramping up efforts to promote the vaccine that helps prevent it.
Sage Rivera, chief strategy officer for Destination Tomorrow, the borough’s center for LGBTQIA services and outreach, said the 250 reported cases might actually be an undercount.
The organization has been active in tackling mpox— previously known as monkeypox—because it has primarily been infecting people ages 25 to 44, Black or Latino, and those in the LGBTQ community.
But in the realm of sexually-transmitted infections, many people remain unaware of mpox. “The biggest spreader of this disease is ignorance,” Rivera told the Bronx Times.
Orchard Beach Nature Center reopens after $2.35m renovation, officials hold ribbon cutting event
City officials cut the ribbon Thursday on the revamped Orchard Beach Nature Center.
The center, located near section two of the beach in Pelham Bay Park, has reopened after undergoing a $2.35 makeover that began in 2018. The city has renovated the interior of the building to provide ADA accessibility and an open layout to enhance programming.
The center serves as a hub for Urban Park Rangers, who arrange tours and adventure excursions on the trails adjacent to Orchard Beach at Hunter Island and Twin Islands and throughout the park. The rangers also use the facility to teach students about the Long Island Sound and adjacent areas.
“The upgrades to Orchard Beach Nature Center enhance the visitor experience at New York City’s largest park, providing a state-of-the-art facility for public programming and environmental education,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue at the ribbon cutting. “Our nature centers serve as hubs for learning, offering workshops for the entire family and educational displays that foster a deeper connection with the natural world.”
The center provides programming hosted by the Urban Park Rangers, as well as educational displays about wildlife and nature at Pelham Bay Park. It also features marine creatures from the Long Island Sound.
According to the NYC Parks Department, the trails feature scenic views of the Long Island Sound and many species of birds and coastal marine wildlife.
Union representing Catholic school staff expanding to include teachers’ aides
For the first time in its history, the Federation of Catholic Teachers — the union representing Catholic school teachers, librarians and guidance counselors — announced it is expanding to include teachers’ aides and assistants. Approximately 7,500 Bronx students attend its 22 Catholic elementary schools.
The expansion will increase current membership by about 30%, giving the group more bargaining power overall, said Theresa Clarke, vice president of the Federation of Catholic Teachers, which represents about 120 schools within the Archdiocese of New York. The Archdiocese covers the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, and several counties north of New York City.
Clarke told the Bronx Times that the union has a “very good relationship” with the archdiocese, which was in agreement with the expansion.
Teachers’ aides used to be seen as simply “classroom helpers” who might assist with art projects and little more. But their role — and schools’ dependence on them — has grown more and more over the years, said Clarke.
Aides are now “instrumental” in classroom instruction and building relationships with students. According to Clarke, many parents and students see virtually no distinction between a regular teacher and an assistant.
“The nature of the beast is still the same,” she said.
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