Vol. 55 No. 42
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Early voting in New York begins next Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020 Eligible New York voters can begin to cast their ballots in the Nov. 3, 2020 general election – this year also a presidential election – on Saturday, October 24, 2020 through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. All polls are closed on Monday, November 2, for Election Day preparations. The early voting poll site for Co-op City shareholders is Truman HS located in Education Park, 750 Baychester Av- NY Fast Pass Tag is bar coded and enue, Bronx, NY 10475 (back entrance can be attached to your keyring for labeled, “Exit 21,” to the gymnasium). contactless voting. During early voting, polls will be open according to the following schedule: • Saturday, October 24, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Monday, October 26, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. • Tuesday, October 27, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. • Wednesday, October 28, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. • Thursday, October 29, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. • Friday, October 30, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. • Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Sunday, November 1, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Voters must wear a face mask and observe social distancing while at the poll location. All registered voters are eligible to vote early. Voters who have received their “Fast Pass Tag” which is bar coded for contactless voting should bring it along when heading to the polls. BY ROZAAN BOONE
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2020 Count ends as a result of Supreme Court ruling BY TORIEA McCAUSELAND
A Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday, October 13, brought the Census count to an abrupt end, leaving workers in a last-minute scramble to collect as many responses as possible, with only two days to go. The Supreme Court greenlit requests from the Trump administration to stop the 2020 count ahead of the original October 31 deadline. According to a media release from the 2020 Census, “… The Supreme Court allowed President Trump to cut the 2020 Census count by two weeks, a move designed to depress responses among Black, Brown, and immigrant New Yorkers and rob New York City of billions for critical programs, as well as congressional representation and seats in the Electoral College for the next 10 years.” Immediately after the announcement, the Census focused its outreach on neighborhoods with low response rates. People who did not fill out the survey at that point were urged to postmark mailin responses by Thursday and complete the online form by 6 a.m. Eastern on Friday morning. (Continued on page 2)
Random COVID-19 testing in schools begins this month BY BRANDON ORTIZ
The New York City Department of Education announced that random COVID19 testing began earlier this month in public schools across all five boroughs and will continue throughout the school year. The initiative was organized by NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and the NYC Test & Trace Corps. According to the NYCDOE website, testers will visit different district schools every month and test a randomly selected group of staff and students from first grade through high-school. Additionally, the specific number of people tested each time will depend on the size of the school. (Continued on page 6)
Pedestrian islands being installed in Hutchinson River P’way school zone
New York City Department of Transportation has begun school safety improvements at Hutchinson River Parkway East, Palmer Avenue to Einstein Loop North, in the vicinity of the location of PS 160, P168X and Equality Charter Middle School in Co-op City, as part of the city’s Vision Zero program. To increase safety around the school loading zones and organize traffic, the DOT plans to shorten crosswalks and install pedestrian islands to improve visibility and improve crossing distances. Planned changes also include new parking markings and the loss of 11 parking spots, and restrictions on 16 parking spaces. Photos by John Alexander