Police Offi cer Manny Vargas will he honored posthumously with a street co-naming in front of the 49th
Precinct. Photo courtesy of Cindy Noesi
He said he worked with
Councilman Mark Gjonaj’s
offi ce to get the street named
in Vargas’s honor.
Gjonaj said that P.O. Vargas
is remembered at the
precinct, and that his fellow
NYPD members would visit
their friend in the hospital
and pray with his family for
his recovery.
“This is a way we can remember
Manny Vargas and
honor him for his service,”
said Gjonaj. “We can never
do enough to honor the brave
men and women who serve
this city, and this is a small
token of appreciation for
P.O.Vargas’ sacrifi ces.”
Vargas was a cop for a
quarter of a century, said
his sister, and he was down
at Ground Zero for at least a
couple of months in the aftermath
of the September 11th
attacks.
“He was very friendly
and he got along with everybody,”
said Cindy Vargas,
adding that he would often
mentor rookie cops or police
offi cers that were new to his
precinct.
Vargas’ health issues
began when he had a seizure
in 2016 while working.
He was taken to Jacobi
Medical Center where he
was diagnosed with a brain
tumor, said his sister.
“He had surgery (in
2016) and went into remission,
but all of a sudden the
cancer came back strong,”
said Cindy Vargas.
Eventually, the tumor
affected his memory and
gross motor ability.
Her family chose to
honor her brother’s memory
by having the co-naming
on his birthday, said
his sister.
Community Affairs police
offi cer David Lepore of
the 49th Precinct said that
Vargas more than deserves
the honor.
“We are extremely grateful
to have such dedicated
people in our community
to make this happen,” said
Lepore, adding that community,
members of the
department and DiPierro
were instrumental in advancing
Vargas’ trbute.
The police offi cer is survived
by his mother and
sister, his brother Ariel and
son Manuel Vargas III, said
Cindy.
CNR’s Co-op City Campus. Schneps Media/ Alex Mitchell
tially be a formality for the
two schools.
“CNR felt it needed to
inform its bond holders of
its current fi nancial situation
immediately, and at
the same time make its community
aware of matters,”
Hall’s statement continued.
Until that formal vote is
cast, details on the merger
can’t be disclosed, according
to Thompson.
“I promise in the upcoming
weeks to provide additional
information through
updates and town halls so
that you can be part of the
effort to welcome the members
of the CNR family into
the Mercy family,” Hall’s
statement saod.
Thompson confi rmed
to an anxious CNR community
that any student
in good academic standing
will be allowed admittance
to Mercy College without going
through a cumbersome
transfer process.
“Every effort will be
made to ensure that, to the
extent possible, students are
not displaced physically in
terms of where they study,”
CNR released in a statement.
Both Westchester-based
colleges have Bronx campuses
such as Mercy’s Hutch
Metro Center campus and
CNR’s Co-op City School of
New Resources.
That Co-op City campus
may be closed because of
Mercy’s Hutch Metro campus’
close proximity, stated
Thompson.
“It’s up in the air right
now,” he said.
CNR representatives
also explained that Mercy’s
90 plus undergraduate and
graduate degree and certifi
cate programs within its
fi ve schools align well with
CNR.
“The discussions are
now focused on fi nalizing
an arrangement with that
institution that would meet
the continuing educational
needs of CNR’s students
without interruption and
may necessitate the retention
of a number of faculty
and staff,” the CNR statement
continued.
One strategy Mercy College
has considered is to
lease portions of CNR’s New
Rochelle and Bronx campuses
for “a period of time.”
In the wake of the news,
both Hall and CNR president
William Lattimer hosted
town hall style meetings
with students and faculty
of the respective schools on
Tuesday, February 26.
Both presidents had also
ensured that the colleges
are aiming to make sure
that the transfer process to
Mercy will not result in a tuition
increase.
The exact timing of
CNR’s closure is still undetermined
according to
Mercy College.
“It may go until the end
of the summer semesters or
be closed immediately after
the spring one,” he said.
Amidst the rush and
confusion, Hall’s sentiment
of unity between the schools
had remained.
“This is a diffi cult time
for the CNR community, but
Mercy is committed to helping
CNR’s students along
their educational journeys
and to helping preserve the
history and legacy of CNR
into the future,” he stated.
Iona College, also in
New Rochelle had its eyes
on CNR’s nursing program.
It is not clear at press time
whether Iona will pursue
its own nursing degree program.
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MEMBER:
from Page 1
from Page 1
Mercy College absorbs
College of New Rochelle
49th Precinct remembers fallen
P.O. Manuel Vargas, Jr.
Deceased 49th Precinct Police
Offi cer Manuel Vargas Jr.
Photo courtesy of Cindy Noesi
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