BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Grab your best costume and
Benedetto sponsors
driver safety program
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR SEPT. 17-23, 2021 13
head to the Bronx Zoo this October
for a yearly tradition that
is fun for the whole family.
Boo at the Zoo is returning
this October for a month of Halloween
themed fun. The events
will take place starting Saturday,
Oct. 2 and will run every
Saturday and Sunday in October,
including Monday, Oct. 11.
Ticketholders can experience
outdoor activities such as
the popular professional pumpkin
carving demonstrations
and displays; trick or treating
on the Candy Trail; the spooky
extinct animal graveyard; and
the magic and mind-reading
shows. The annual costume
parade will be lead by animalthemed
costumed stilt walkers
and Halloween animal puppets,
and the Wildlife Theater
will perform each day at Astor
Court.
In an effort to keep guests
safe, events have been adjusted
in accordance with all safety
guidelines as directed by the
City and State of New York. All
guests 12 and older must show
proof of vaccination (at least
one shot) to attend indoor exhibits,
and masks are required
for all rides and indoor areas
for all guests over the age of 2
regardless of vaccination status.
Guests who have not been
vaccinated (over the age of 2
years old) are required to wear
masks at all outdoor areas
where social distancing cannot
be maintained. Face coverings
remain optional for vaccinated
guests in outdoor areas.
The event is sponsored by
Coca-Cola. Tickets for Boo at
the Zoo and a full schedule of
events are available at Bronx-
Zoo.com/Boo-at-the-Zoo.
To the Editor,
A cat has nine lives and
so does the Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation
(LMDC). November
2021 will mark the 20th anniversary
for this quasiindependent
government
agency. They were formed
in November 2001, following
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Its original mission
was to plan the reconstruction
of lower Manhattan and
distribute nearly $10 billion
in federal funds to support
rebuilding downtown Manhattan.
Anyone can clearly
see that this mission has
been completed.
What are the political
motivations for Gov. Kathy
Hochul, her predecessor Andrew
Cuomo, state Sen. Majority
Leader Andrea Stewart
Cousins, state Assembly
Speaker Carl Heastie and
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
for continuing to allow this
agency to remain open?
Has state Comptroller
Tom DiNapoli or City Comptroller
Scott Stringer conducted
any recent audits of
this agency? After 20 years,
this agency should have
completed its mission years
ago. It is time for the LMDC
to close its doors and move
on.
Larry Penner
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
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.
letters & comments
Photo courtesy Getty Images
As a service to his constituents,
New York State Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto
will be sponsoring a state
DMV-approved Insurance Reduction
Program on Saturday,
Oct. 9, 2021, from 9 a.m.-4
p.m. The course is held at Fort
Schuyler House, 3077 Cross
Bronx Expressway.
Registration for this class
begins on Monday, Sept. 20.
To reserve a seat, please call
Benedetto’s offi ce at (718) 892-
2235. The cost for this class is
$30.
This 6-hour course will refresh
your driving knowledge
with a review of time-tested
safe driving tips. Those who
complete the course will receive
a reduction of approximately
10% from the base rate
of automobile and motorcycle
liability premiums each year
for three years.
BY JASON COHEN
With children having been
shuttered home for the past
18 months, returning to inperson
learning will be a real
adjustment for many of them,
according to one psychologist.
Montefi ore Child Psychologist
Dr. Marie Joane Cardin
spoke with the Bronx Times
about ways to help students
prepare for their return to the
classroom. Cardin, who has
been at Montefi ore for three
years, said many parents are
concerned if their children
will be able to handle the
workload, schedule and overall
getting used to not being at
home as much again.
According to Cardin, numerous
students struggled
during remote learning as
they did not have Wi-Fi or laptops,
or simply did not learn
the same via Zoom or Google
Meet. As a result, there is concern
that some children have
regressed academically.
“Learning on the computer
is diffi cult,” she said. “I think
there is a concern that when
they return to school perhaps
they aren’t going to take the
time to see if there are areas
that need to be reviewed from
the year before.”
Socially
Parents are also worried
about social interaction. As
every kid has a different set
of social skills, returning to
school in-person will be an
adjustment for everyone, she
said.
“Some of the kids are more
excited to hang out with their
friends,” Cardin said.
Another concern for parents
is returning to a routine,
Cardin added. Kids can no longer
sleep late, eat meals whenever
they choose or stay in
their pajamas all day. The doctor
hopes parents have gotten
their children back in normal
sleeping and eating patterns.
“Having a structure back
in place will be a treat for
them,” she said.
COVID-19
As kids are eager to return
to the classroom, some moms
and dads question how schools
will follow masks mandates or
social distancing guidelines.
Additionally, the coronavirus
affected children emotionally
as well, the doctor said.
Cardin said many students
were impacted by their parents
loss of work and or family
members that were sick or
died from the virus.
“They pick up on things
that happened with their parents,”
Cardin said.
After surviving the pandemic,
Cardin said the hardest
part is over. Now, everyone
must learn how to adapt and
return to the classroom safely.
“I would like them to know
that this is going to be hard,”
she said. “Parents and kids
are going to be sad.”
Cardin and her colleagues
at the Children’s Evaluation
and Rehabilitation Center
at the Children’s Hospital at
Montefi ore also created back
to school webinars in six languages,
to help parents prepare
children for their return
to school this fall.
Boo at the Zoo returns to the Bronx Zoo on Oct. 2, 2021, for the Halloween
season. Photo Julie Larsen Maher/ Bronx Zoo
Child expert discusses
back to school challenges
Dr. Marie Joane Cardin, a Montefi
ore child psychologist, shares
advice on how to help children
prepare for the classroom setting
again after learning remotely. Photo
courtesy Montefi ore
Boo at the Zoo to return with Halloween fun
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/Boo-at-the-Zoo
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