Gjonaj letters & comments
Orange Bank and Trust Company
Orange Bank and Trust Company at 1978 Williamsbridge Rd., held their fi rst meet and greet
with the Bronx Chamber and Bronx Tourism Council on Thursday, Oct. 22,
Pictured (l-r) Sashee Rivera, Bronx Chamber of Commerce; Vanessa Baijnauth, AVP/Relationship Manger,
Orange Bank and Trust Company; Anthony Mormile, SVP/Seniors Loans Offi cer, Orange Bank and Trust Company;
and Dolores Saldana, Bronx Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of Orange Bank and Trust Company
PRESTON HIGH
LET US HEAR
FROM YOU
SCHOOL DONATES TO
LAMP MINISTRIES
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR OCT. 30-NOV. 5, 2020 13
BY COUNCILMAN
MARK GJONAJ
Earlier this week, on
Monday, I joined Bronx Borough
President, Ruben Diaz
Jr., in our Tech Equity Day of
Action where we highlighted
the major gap in access to
technology that Bronxites
experience. The two most
major inequities in access
are to internet-capable devices
and working, dependable
WiFi, and we call on the
city, specifi cally the Department
of Education, to provide
the resources necessary for
students and their families
to thrive.
We called on the Department
of Education to begin
working to provide their students
with the devices they
need to continue their learning
and intellectual development.
It is unreasonable to
shift to full or blended online
learning when many students,
disproportionately residing
in the outer boroughs
and in the Bronx in particular,
lack the tools to participate
fully. If students need to
learn from home, then it is on
DOE to provide the devices
and access to the students
they are accountable to.
Even prior to COVID, the
inequitable access to technology
presented a professional
obstacle to Bronxites,
but now the COVID- caused
shift to remote work, remote
learning for students and
other technologically-dependent
changes, has forced this
issue to light. In addition
to provision of devices and
WiFi access, there is a startling
lack of access to reliable
troubleshooting information
and room for improvement
on communication
to families.
If you have a concern related
to technology access
and equity, please contact
my district offi ce by email at
MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov,
by phone at 718-931-1721 or
in-person at 1478 Williamsbridge
Rd., Bronx, NY 10461.
I will continue to fi ght for
improved equity in access to
technology, especially for our
students having to contend
with so many changes as we
fi ght this virus. Every child,
irrespective of borough, deserves
the same access to the
education the city is required
to provide them.
Dear editor,
Once again, the BTR has
given a pass to the resident
hard-right columnist, who
without citing any evidence,
(since the evidence does not
exist), claimed last week that
the Democratic party leaders
“condone the aggressive
tactics of Antifa.” Funny, but
I do not recall any instance
where a Democratic politician
praised the antics of
this group. Hmm, maybe this
wild assertion is baseless. Yet
the charge is right there on
page 60.
The COMACTA “journalist”
also assails Socialism,
mentioning the countries
where this system has failed,
but not mentioning the success
stories of Denmark, Finland,
Norway and Sweden,
where equality is the most important
value and workers are
treated with respect. Other
nations, such as New Zealand,
Belgium and even Canada
have robust social welfare systems.
The “think tanker” has
once again cherry picked his
data, using only that which
conforms with his ideology,
a glaring omission and another
example of intellectual
dishonesty. Yet there it is on
page 60.
In this country, Social Security
and Medicare are the
most popular government programs,
assisting millions of
Americans and defi nitely socialist
in nature. But wait, the
Republicans want to gut these
programs as part of their
phony calls for austerity in
view of the increasing federal
defi cit — but only when the
Democrats are in power.
The writer also reveals his
authoritarian streak, envisioning
a “substantial crackdown”
after a Trump re-election
victory, First Amendment
be damned. Yep, right there
on page 60. How do such biased
and extreme views merit
space in the BTR?
– Pasqual Pelosi
Photo courtesy of the New York City Council
Preston students in
Ms. DeMaio’s Italian 3
class and members of
the Italian Club made
inspirational Thanksgiving
cards written in
Italian and English to
be sent to Lamp Ministries
in the Bronx.
Sophomore Domenica
Zallo generously donated
hand sanitizers
and masks and baggies
while everyone
added their notes along
with chocolates.
Gjonaj talks tech
equity for Bronx
Preston High School
Photo courtesy of Preston High School
Letters to the editor are welcome
from all readers. They should be addressed
care of this newspaper to
Laura Guerriero, Publisher, the Bronx
Times Reporter, 3604 E. Tremont Ave.,
Bronx, NY 10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@
cnglocal.com.
All letters, including those submitted
via e-mail, MUST be signed and with
a verifi able address and telephone
number included.
Note that the address and telephone
number will NOT be published and
the name will be published or withheld
upon request.
No unsigned letters can be accepted
for publication. The editor reserves
the right to edit all submissions.
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