Norwood Community Library Brings Free Books to The Bronx

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Outside the Keeper’s House on Reservoir Oval East in the Norwood section of the Bronx is a light blue library mailbox which, since around July 2021, has been regularly filled with used books, all waiting for new homes. The library mailbox is a recent initiative by “Norwood Community Library,” an outdoor, mutual aid, book exchange program. 30-year-old Brandon Montes is the founder of the volunteer-run library which launched in 2018, and he hopes the addition of the library mailbox will further strengthen his growing engagement with the community, through a love of reading. “For a long time, we

By SÍLE MOLONEY

There was plenty of holiday cheer to be had on Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue on Tuesday, Dec. 7, as the annual, holiday, tree-lighting event, organized by Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) and Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP), made a welcome return. Amid the ongoing pandemic, and prior to the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, last year’s tree-lighting event was carried out discreetly, with no formal gathering. This year, the event which took place on the Bedford Park/Norwood border, where masks were required, saw about 200 people gather in front of a large stage set-up specifically for the occasion. They

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers if they believe the original West Side Story movie accurately portrayed the racism experienced by Puerto Ricans in New York City at the time the movie was made. “I don’t know about the racism; that was, like, 50 years ago, but I saw the coming attractions to the new film, and it doesn’t look anything like the original.” Phyllis Butler, Norwood “I guess that was before most people’s time. I’m 73, I grew up in the South Bronx in the 50s and 60s… I was traumatized, man. My brother had to fight and run from

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The folkloric sounds of Puerto Rican music will be flowing through the halls of Lehman Center for the Performing Arts as it presents Victoria Sanabria, with Puerto Rico’s number one plena group, Plena Libre, on Saturday, Dec 4, at 8 p.m., with special guest, Prodigio Claudio. Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a 26-year, 15-album career, Lehman Center officials say this fine-tuned ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent GRAMMY® nominations and world-wide touring schedule. Lehman Center officials said Victoria Sanabria was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico into a

By DAVID GREENE

For the 25th consecutive year, volunteers with Part of the Solution (POTS), soup kitchen and food pantry, and the Church of the Resurrection in Rye, New York, joined forces to serve an estimated 350 turkey meals on site to community residents at Our Lady of Refuge Church, located at 290 East 196th Street in Fordham Manor on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25. Another 300 or so residents who had concerns about sitting and eating in a public setting amid the ongoing pandemic, or who were unable to provide proof of vaccination to enter the venue’s cafeteria, were provided with a

By DAVID GREENE

This week, following the not-guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, and the guilty verdicts in the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, we asked readers if they have faith in the criminal justice system. “The two very different decisions make me believe, more than ever, that when a case is properly prepared and adjudicated with care, the justice system works. The biggest problem with the system, as I see it, is in the people who are responsible for running the courts. Would Rittenhouse have been found guilty with a more thoughtful judge in the case? I don’t know, but we heard

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A “coquerel’s sifaka” baby (propithecus coquereli), born at the Bronx Zoo, has made its public debut. According to Bronx Zoo officials, the birth is the result of the hard work and husbandry expertise of the zoo’s keepers and will be featured on this week’s episode of Animal Planet’s THE ZOO. The story follows the adult sifakas as they are introduced for the first time in hopes that they will eventually mate. The baby is a male and was born over the summer. The Bronx Zoo breeds sifakas as part of its Species Survival Plan (SSP) program, a cooperative breeding

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD announced that the annual balloon inflation ahead of the Thanksgiving Day parade celebrations in Manhattan will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 24, from noon to 6 p.m. Spectators may enter the queue at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Large backpacks, coolers, alcoholic beverages, chairs and umbrellas are expressly prohibited and participants will be screened prior to entering the viewing route. At the organizer’s request, all attendees over aged 12 must be vaccinated and provide proof to the screeners in order to attend the balloon inflation. Children under 12 years may attend with a fully vaccinated adult.

By SARAH HUFFMAN

Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC) held its annual Harvest Fest at the center, located in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood, on Oct. 28. The event featured raffles, vaccine and voting information, and various activities and stands. Margaret Della, chief executive director of KHCC, said the Harvest Fest used to be held indoors, but last year they moved it outside as a COVID-19 safety precaution. “This was, like, the first event that we had where we were bringing people back together again, and it was so fun,” she said. Activities on the day included temporary tattoos, a Wii station, a photo

Norwood News

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Out and About

Norwood Community Library Brings Free Books to The Bronx

Bronx CB7 & Friends of Mosholu Parkland Tree-Lighting Event Brings Back Holiday Cheer

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Racism Against Puerto Ricans & West Side Story Depiction

Victoria Sanabria, Plena Libre, Prodigio Claudio Perform at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

POTS & Church Volunteers Serve 600 Free Meals as Physical Thanksgiving Gatherings Resume

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on People’s Faith in the Justice System

“Coquerel’s Sifaka” Baby Born at Bronx Zoo Makes Public Debut

Balloon Inflation Day & Thanksgiving Day Parade Traffic Advisories

Kingsbridge Heights Community Center Hosts Annual Harvest Fest