New Appeal in Search for Missing 14-Year-Old Girl from Norwood

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD re-issued an appeal on Wednesday, April 14, for the public’s assistance in locating a teenager who was reported missing in the 52nd precinct in August 2020. A photograph of the missing girl is attached. It was reported to police that Yessica Nivarrez Castro, 14, was last seen at around 11 p.m. on Monday, August 17, last year, inside her home located at 323 East Mosholu Parkway North in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Yessica is described as female, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, Hispanic, weighs 95 pounds, and was last seen wearing all dark clothing.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)’s expansive 2021 exhibition, KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, which features the vibrant, fun-filled, colorful work by internationally celebrated Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, is sold out for Sunday, April 11. The exhibition is installed across the Garden’s landscape, in and around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building. A video of the exhibition can be viewed here. Tickets for future dates can still be booked via e-mail at Ticketing Support or by calling (718) 817-8716 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. KUSAMA TICKETS All visitors, including members, need advance

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Friends of Aqueduct Walk (FoAW) are hosting a clean-up event along the walk on Saturday, April 10, and are calling on volunteers to join their efforts. The group is meeting at 10 a.m. at the south side of Fordham Road inside Aqueduct Walk. It is anticipated they will work their way down the south side of Fordham Road and will finish up around 2 p.m. Grabbers will be available for volunteers and the group will be practicing social distancing. All volunteers are welcome. As reported previously by Norwood News, the group collaborates frequently with Partnership for Parks liaison, Pilar Maschi,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

As the warmer weather starts to kick in, as Bronxites venture outdoors, and barbecuing season approaches, Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP) has launched a Clean Air initiative to remind community members to be mindful of those with asthma, and to take pro-active measures to maintain clean, healthy air in their respective communities. “The community of Mosholu deserves clean, fresh, and unpolluted air,” said Elizabeth Quaranta, executive director of FOMP, adding that with the high rates of asthma in The Bronx, the message was even more important. As reported previously by Norwood News, according to the New York City

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The supermarket chain, Stop & Shop, is expanding its reach in the Bronx, announcing a new pick-up location in Crotona at 961 East 174th Street on Tuesday, March 30. The new Crotona store joins the first Bronx Stop & Shop store at Castle City, located at 1720 Eastchester Rd., which opened in January, as reported by Norwood News. The store concept brings a certain level of comfort to both the public and employees in terms of its novel approach to shopping by minimizing contact with crowds. Customers can order their groceries online, schedule a pick-up time at the store,

Editor’s Pick Join the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Center for Health Equity & Community Wellness for a discussion on steps for getting vaccinated in NYC, COVID-19 demographic data in communities, CDC and DOHMH safety guidance and resources, and questions about the vaccines. The department will be focusing on The Bronx on April 8. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/, search “How to Sign Up for the COVID-19 Vaccine,” and select April 8. Events From December 2020 to June 2021, the Norwood Farmstand will be open to the community on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at E.

By DAVID GREENE

Though we’re still living through a pandemic, another welcome sign that life is slowly returning to normal is the return, for the 2021 season, of The Bronx Night Market, a spring to fall smorgasbord laid on by a range of food vendors who line Fordham Plaza, as visitors sample the savory delicacies of different, local eateries. The 2021 season kicked off on Saturday, April 4, and featured a rotating line-up of over fifty vendors from 20 countries, including “Crabman Mike’s Famous Uptown Crab and Seafood Boil,” “Downeast Lobstah,” and “Fried Lasagna Mama.” As many as twenty individual eateries are expected

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY

As part of a new, holistic approach aimed at combatting the culture of gun violence, concentrated in a few specific blocks of the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx, the NYPD’s 52nd precinct has launched a multi-agency, community collaboration to tackle the issue. Announced by Deputy Inspector Thomas J. Alps during the Bronx Community Board 7 executive meeting on March 18, part of the initiative involves giving the area a type of physical make-over, while also partnering with City agencies and community-based organizations to address unemployment and quality of life issues that plague the neighborhood. As a first

COVID-19 Vaccinations Appointments are required to receive a vaccination. To determine your eligibility, access a list of nearby providers, and schedule your vaccination appointment, use New York State’s Am I Eligible app. Prior to receiving your scheduled vaccination, you must complete the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form. Please be patient and continue to monitor these links frequently for available vaccine appointments: New York City: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/ or 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692) New York State: https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829) VaccineTogetherNY: https://vaccinetogetherny.org/Pages/default.aspx or call 646-697-VACC To schedule an appointment, go to: https://vax4nyc.nyc.gov/patient/s/. To find a vaccination site, go to: https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/locations. Your physician or local