Suffering through a pandemic
ridden 202o, 2021 was supposed
to be a return to normalcy.
Yet, there was more of the same as
the COVID-19 pandemic continued
to take its toll on the borough.
There were some glimmers of
change, however, with the rollout
of the COVID vaccines citywide,
the election of a new NYC mayor
and a new historic Bronx borough
president — the fi rst female
and fi rst Black candidate elected
to the position. The Bronx also
had its fair share of protests, rallies
and street renamings in what
can only be described as an eventful,
newsworthy year.
Here are just some of the headlines
that appeared in the pages
of the Bronx Times and Bronx
Times Reporter in 2021.
JANUARY
Bronx business leaders
started off the year unsupportive
of a new measure. Since the
cap on the number of food vendor
permits has been the same since
the ’80s and many vendors operate
illegally, NYC was hoping to
change this with legislation that
would nearly double permits. On
Jan. 28, the council approved Intro
116, a bill to increase permits
from 5,000-9,000, create an offi
ce of street vendor enforcement
and establish a street vendor advisory
board.
The bill had 31 sponsors, including
then-Councilwoman
Vanessa Gibson — elected Bronx
borough president in November
— Councilwoman Diana Ayala
and Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr.
The legislation could eliminate
the “black market” for licenses
and help people primarily living
here illegally make a living, although
many in the Bronx were
not in favor of it.
“Nobody has ever argued
the fact that food vendors play
an integral part of what is the
food business of NYC,” said Lisa
Sorin, president of the Bronx
Chamber of Commerce. “That
being said, over the course of the
year you have had a multitude of
vendors who are unlicensed or
bought their license from someone
else for thousands of dollars.”
As of Jan. 1, the contract between
United Healthcare and
Montefi ore expired to cover the
care that Montefi ore provides
to patients with United/Oxford
commercial health plans, United
Medicaid Community Plans and
United Medicare DSNP Plans.
That same month, Bronx
Borough President Ruben Diaz
Jr., called for United Health
come to the table, put greed aside
and shown good faith in negotiations.
As a result of the expired
contract, many residents of the
Bronx, Westchester and Rockland
counties have lost their innetwork
access preferred Montefi
ore doctors and hospitals in
the middle of a global pandemic.
Diaz had previously written a
letter to United in October 2020,
but received a very perfunctory
response.
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, DEC.6 31, 2021-JAN. 6, 2022 BTR
FEBRUARY
In February, City Councilman
Mark Gjonaj dropped a
bombshell announcing he was
not running for re-election to a
second term in offi ce. Gjonaj began
his political career in 2012
in the state Assembly and four
years ago became the fi rst ever
Albanian American to serve on
the City Council. The 52-year-old
Morris Park resident, who is the
chair of the council’s Small Business
Committee, is ready for a
new chapter in his life.
The 45th Precinct welcomed
a new captain as Issac Soberal
took over as commanding offi cer
of the northeast Bronx precinct.
Soberal, who lives in Astoria
with his wife and kids, considers
himself was born and raised
in the Bronx and loves the borough
— even going as far as tattooing
the Bronx motto “Ne cede
Malis,” meaning “Yield not to
evil,” on his body.
“The Bronx has a special
place in my heart,” he told the
Bronx Times. “I think being
from the Bronx is different from
being from NYC.”
MARCH
With classic songs like
“Twins,” “You came up” and
“Still not a player,” Big Pun
was not only a Bronx legend,
but widely considered one of the
greatest hip-hop artists of all
time.
On March 22, family, friends
and elected offi cials gathered
at the intersection of Fordham
Road and Grand Concourse
where a joyous ceremony was
held renaming the street area
Big Pun Plaza in honor of the
late rapper.
In recognition of the one-year
anniversary of COVID-19, state
Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner
held a Day of Remembrance
ceremony on March 5 at Joyce
Kilmer Park, honoring Bronxites
whose lives were lost to the
pandemic.
“We are coming together to
honor the memories of those
we’ve lost in the Bronx and truly
celebrate their lives,” Joyner
said. “Even now a year later
we’re still trying to recover from
the impact from this pandemic.”
APRIL
With recent mass shootings
in Atlanta and Colorado,
U.S Rep. Ritchie Torres began a
push to curb gun violence. Torres
called for gun violence to be
declared as a public health emergency.
Torres, vice chair of the
House’s Homeland Security
Committee, was joined by fellow
lawmakers, gun reform advocates
and families of victims
of gun violence at a press conference
calling for immediate
Congressional action on lifesaving
legislation to prevent
mass-shootings and require
background checks for fi rearm
purchases.
“The shootings in Georgia
and Colorado represent a
wakeup call,” Torres stated.
“There are too many guns and
there’s too much access to guns.”
On April 21-22, a man vandalized
four synagogues in Riverdale.
He threw rocks and shattered
windows at the Chabad of
Riverdale and Riverdale Jewish
Center, located at 535 W. 246th
St. and 3700 Independence Ave,
respectively. The next day, he
smashed the windows and doors
at the Conservative Synagogue
Adath Israel and Young Israel of
Riverdale, at 475 W. 250 St. and
4502 Henry Hudson Parkway
East, respectively.
-Jason Cohen
continued on page 16
Year in Review
People line up outside Yankee stadium in early February as the vaccine
rollout began in full force. Photo REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. speaks about Big Pun at a street
renaming to honor the late rapper. Photo Jason Cohen
Vendors and advocates are calling on city offi cials to place a moratorium
on fi nes that reach up to $1,000 toward non-permitted mobile food vendors.
Photo Adrian Childress
Capt. Isaac Soberal, the new commanding
offi cer at the 45th Precinct
in the Bronx. Photo courtesy
NYPD
Congressman Ritchie Torres demands gun violence be declared a public
health emergency. Photo Jason Cohen