Did First Bomb Threat Reveal Dysfunction at P.S. 20, as Three More Bomb Threats Received?

By SÍLE MOLONEY & DAVID GREENE

The following story is an extended version of the story that appeared in our latest print edition. Around two and half hours after students and teachers were evacuated from The Bronx’s P.S. 20 due to a bomb threat on Friday, March 4, the building was, thankfully, declared clear by police and safe for reentry. However, according to some P.S. 20 staff members, the incident served to highlight what some say is a dysfunctional environment at the school, especially given a reported delay with the initial evacuation. In the meantime, three further bomb alerts have been reported at the school, on

By JULIAN NAZAR

One hundred and fifty Bronx-area high school students filed into Monroe College’s Mintz auditorium in Fordham Manor on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for the second annual Bronx event, celebrating the nonprofit, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK). As “The Champion” played on a loop before the event got underway, on top of each table were small water bottles, snack bars, yellow Monroe College folders, and framed inspirational quotes from notable figures like basketball legend, Michael Jordan, and rapper, songwriter and record producer, Kendrick Lamar. Four TV monitors projected various PowerPoint presentations during the event. Launched in February 2014 by former

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Nearly two out of three children affected by systemic poverty cannot read at grade level, according to Literacy Incorporated (LINC), a New York City nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy. The organization said children who cannot transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by third grade are 13 times more likely not to graduate on time from high school. Childhood literacy, along with resources for youth, schools and libraries formed the main topics of discussion at last month’s Bronx Community Board 7’s education committee meeting, held on Feb. 2, and the first of the year to be

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx Fashion Week, JoJo’s Fabulous Corner, an accessories business, and Straight Walk Runway modeling agency are appealing for donations for The Bronx’s 2nd Annual Prom Dress and Suit Donation Drive. The donation drive has been running since Feb. 16, and ends on Saturday, April 30, and is sponsored by Bronx Fashion Week, JoJo’s Fabulous Corner, Make-up Designory (MUD), a private, for-profit trade school focused on make-up artistry, Straight Walk Runway, graphic designer, Isabela Designer, and Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School, located at 333 E 151st Street in the Melrose section of The Bronx.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Students and teachers were evacuated from P.S. 20 in the Norwood section of the Bronx on Friday, March 4, due to a reported bomb threat. The area was later declared clear by police and safe for reentry. A police official told Norwood News that an anonymous call had been placed with the school, located at 3050 Webster Avenue, next door to the 52nd precinct, at around 8.50 a.m., advising that there was a bomb on the premises. The NYPD spokesperson was unable to confirm on which extension or number the call had been placed, but confirmed that the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Police Athletic League (PAL) youngsters from all five boroughs of New York City participated in the citywide PAL Tournament of Champions STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Challenge, on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Activities focused on STEM and physical education learning, featuring engineering, design and physics skills building. The 2022 competition was an individual, center-based competition held at each PAL center with participants in Kindergarten through eighth grades working within age groups. Dana Wheeler, PAL director of education and program development, said the academic needs of the participants continue to be a top priority at PAL, with STEM activities serving

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Freedom Youth Family Justice Center Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 2019, which provides support to people, particularly youth, affected by human trafficking and domestic violence, recently opened a new office in The Bronx, located at 555 West 235th Street, in Riverdale. The organization runs a number of programs, one of which is the Young Adult Discovery (YAD) program. This serves victims and survivors of human trafficking and prostitution aged 12-17, who are seeking a holistic approach to making positive changes in their lives by providing tools and support for those re-entering society. Norwood News has reported

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York State Archives and Archives Partnership Trust are now accepting entries for the 2022 New York State Student Research Awards program, according to State education commissioner, Betty A. Rosa, who made the announcement on Thursday, Feb. 16. Now in its 32nd year, the Student Research Awards program is a statewide historical research competition for students in grades four through twelve. The annual program provides an award to students whose projects are selected as winners in the elementary, middle school, and high school divisions. The program encourages students to explore the wealth of historical records held in repositories

By SÍLE MOLONEY

After anti-Black and vulgar graffiti was photographed in the Spuyten Duyvil Playground on Saturday, Feb 12, a number of elected officials, city agencies and others issued public statements condemning the incident, and took various actions on the matter. In the meantime, for the second consecutive weekend, a park in the Northwest Bronx was discovered to have been targeted with more anti-Black graffiti. Elected officials are now planning to join together for a formal press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 22, to stand firm against the hateful incidents, and to continue to call for a thorough investigation into both incidents.