Spelling Bee Champs Hailed at PS 94

By MICHAEL BROWN JR.

Students at PS 94 Kings College School took part in the elementary school’s ninth annual spelling bee completely abuzz with support from proud parents, faculty, and community police officers. Nadia Sharia won the coveted first place prize after beating out second place finisher Brian Puma in the final round of the Oct. 21 competition, correctly spelling “absence.” Nadia is in the 4th grade and like a typical nine-year-old was nervous as she stood in front of the auditorium with a crowd of cheering supporters. But she certainly came to the spelling bee to win, studying with her sister every night

Editor’s Pick: Halloween Happenings The public is invited to the following Halloween events in the Bronx: Oct. 29 and 30, store hours – Jerome-Gun Hill BID offers special Trick or Treat Bag Giveaway, on Jerome Avenue between Mosholu Parkway and Gun Hill Road and on Gun Hill Road from Jerome to Webster avenues. For more information, call (718) 324-4946. Oct. 30, 3 to 6 p.m. – Safe Treats – Safe Streets and Treats, East 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue (between Perry and Hull avenues). Oct. 29, 4:30 to 6 p.m. – Healthy Halloween Celebration, PS 9 Ryer Avenue Elementary, 230

By JANET NORQUIST-GONZALEZ

It’s been nearly four decades since I last visited Sweden. In 1976 my college roommate, Elisabet, suggested I visit her in Stockholm. It sounded like a good way to explore my Swedish roots for a few months, so I gladly accepted the invitation. I ended up staying nearly two years, long enough to fall in love with the culture. For years after returning to the U.S.A., I subscribed to the children’s comic book, Bamse, to keep in touch with the language. Would I be able to communicate in Swedish with real people after such a long time? I was determined

By DAVID CRUZ

Determining Kossuth Playground’s destiny came with plenty of help from neighbors, who pitched ideas to Friends of Mosholu Parkland on how to better the playground. The interactive visioning session, held at the park Oct. 10, featured arts and crafts, charts and other visual aids to encourage an exchange of ideas. The 85-year-old playground, equipped with a jungle gym, basketball court and sprinkler system, is the only recreational space along the leafy roadway. The span connects drivers from the Bronx River Parkway to several Norwood/Bedford Park side streets and the Saw Mill River Parkway. In March, community stakeholders and cultural

Poetry Workshop The Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St., offers a free six-week poetry workshop Saturdays through Nov. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For more information or to register, call (718) 882-8239. Gifted & Talented Exams Parents interested in having their kindergarten, first, second or third grade children take the Gifted and Talented exam can submit a request online at https://prod.semsnycdoe.com/parentsite/, in person at their school, or at a Family Welcome Center until Nov. 9. An information session will take place at the Theodore Roosevelt Educational Campus, 500 E. Fordham Rd., on Oct. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Editor’s Pick: Tour de Bronx The Bronx Tourism Council and the Office of the Bronx Borough President invite the public to the 21st Annual Tour de Bronx, to bike ride 25 or 40 miles and explore Bronx neighborhoods, historic districts, and beautiful waterfronts, Oct. 25, ending at the New York Botanical Garden, with live music and light snacks. Check in at 9 a.m. at the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse (161st Street). The Department of Transportation will fit and distribute free bicycle helmets from 8 a.m. to noon while supplies last. Riders must sign a waiver. Participants 17 or younger

By DAVID CRUZ

Community news is alive and well here at the Norwood News, serving up another edition filled with plenty of community news you can use. We take you to Bedford Park first and speculation surrounding investment speculation on Webster Avenue that’s revolving around a tiny piece of property currently occupied by the US Postal Service. Reporter William Mathis digs up what is happening at the post office that’s making residents worry. Going inside the award-winning newspaper, and a story on the Norwood News crunching some numbers on the number of 311 complaints Community Board 7 has logged. The results surprised us. And this

By VIVIAN CARTER

Chipmunks were not the only creatures scurrying among the headstones and fall leaves at Woodlawn Cemetery on Sept. 26. Dozens of people of all ages enthusiastically competed in the “Great Woodlawn Cemetery Scavenger Hunt,” sponsored by Women of Woodlawn and the Historic Districts Council of New York City (HDC). Proceeds were donated to Woodlawn Conservancy. Competing teams paid a small registration fee, then selected one of five routes to search (see photo at left). They looked for items such as famous stained glass windows in tombs, faces carved into headstones, and the monuments of the famous robber barons buried at

By DAVID CRUZ

With lawmakers now ramping up efforts to rid synthetic marijuana from the streets, Community Board 7 is once again doing its part by sponsoring a forum on the impact the drug has had on neighborhoods. Synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, has seen a growing number of users across the city, including the Bronx. The substance, packaged as incense, causes severe side effects that are potentially fatal. They are usually sold at bodegas with little to no oversight. Details are still being worked out by CB7 organizers. The first K2 forum by CB7 was held at North Central Bronx Hospital