Bronx Library Center Selected for Citywide ThriveNYC Initiative

By DAVID CRUZ

Thirteen library branches, including the Bronx Library Center in Fordham, will now join the fight for increased mental health awareness services in areas where such services are considerably low. First Lady Chirlane McCray, who helps oversee the office of ThriveNYC, made the announcement today alongside New York Public Library CEO Anthony Marx and ThriveNYC director Susan Herman at the Fordham branch that will see greater mental health resources, joining schools, senior centers, shelters, and police precincts across the city. The initiative, dubbed “Spaces to Thrive,” also includes Pelham Bay Library. “Libraries are in the heart of our communities, and we

A Solemn Goodbye to a Community Activist, MTA Reroute Bus Plan, and More: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By NORWOOD NEWS

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s twenty-fourth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on the death of well-known community activist Heidi Marie Schloegel Hynes. Hynes lost her battle with cancer at 51 years old on Nov. 24. Though she may have passed, her legacy will continue to inspire many activists across the Bronx, according to her supporters. Inside the cover you’ll read a piece on the MTA’s proposed bus route revamp

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

So what is the purpose of work? To take care of yourself? To take care of family? To build a career? Is having a job the same as a career? And does it provide you the same satisfaction? While you think I might be talking about today’s gig economy, I was actually thinking about the entrepreneurship wave that took place in the 1980s and 1990s. From former President Ronald Reagan’s supply-side presidency, to former President Bill Clinton’s workers throughout the nation were getting hired, albeit with low wages, watching the new technology of the 1980s and 1990s slowly start to

Revered Catholic Statue Packs the Pews at St. Patrick’s Home

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

Rosary prayers hummed as residents of St. Patrick’s Home Rehabilitation and Health Care Center made their way into the service hall for a day honoring Our Lady of Fatima, more commonly known as the Virgin Mary, whose statue arrived during the early morning hours of Nov. 13 as patrons celebrated Mass. For the director of pastoral care, Kathleen Mayer, the arrival of the bust represents a major honor. The Archdiocese of New York had advertised the availability of the statue in Catholic New York, advising anyone interested in having it shown off at its institute to contact them. Meyer put

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers if former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a chance at securing the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Yes, I do think he’ll get the nomination because he’s a billionaire and he knows politics; he’s been involved; he was a good mayor. But the stop and frisk policy for the NYPD was very questionable. The only thing he’s good at is being a businessman, which would help with jobs and help developers. There wouldn’t be much difference between him and [President] Donald Trump. Shirley Velasquez Mount Eden I think he can win

By MICHAEL TURAY

It didn’t come as a surprise as the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club (BFRDC) came in support of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz in his primary bout against George Diaz for the 81st Assembly District seat, but there was some heckling he did receive from non-members. As Dinowitz and Diaz laid out their platforms to the club on Nov. 20, in which Dinowitz was unanimously voted as the preferred candidate, Dinowitz was criticized by anti-vaxxer protesters whose chants could be heard from inside the packed room at Tibbets Towers. The protestors voiced their displeasure with the Assemblyman since he was a prime

Heidi Hynes, A Model for Community Activism, Passes Away at 51

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Heidi Marie Schloegel Hynes, 51, executive director of the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center [MMC] in Crotona died on Nov. 24 after a battle with cancer. She lived in Bedford Park with her husband Brian and daughter Frieda, leaving behind a legacy of community service that inspired many activists across the Bronx. Heidi was born on Jan. 19, 1968 in Kansas City, MO. She married Brian Hynes in 1995 and lived in Bedford Park since then. “I think the key to understanding Heidi and her commitment to activism came from the realization that there was nothing wrong with the

In the race for the 15th Congressional District, Councilman Ritchie Torres leads the pack on endorsements, grabbing his latest backing from the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU, an 8,500-member strong union in the city alone. This is Torres’ eighth union endorsement since entering the race in March, beginning with Teamsters Local 237, Steamfitters, Ironworkers Local 46, Hotels Trades Council, LiUNA, and Machinists have also thrown their support. Members include laundry workers that work for Unitex, Arrow Linen, and Elite Airline Linen. Members also work for Manhattan Beer, which holds its headquarters in Hunts Point, one of the areas the 15th

Elected Officials Organize Thanksgiving Dinner at Norwood Eatery

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Before a young man begging for money enters a deli on East 204th Street and Decatur Avenue Yolanda Jimenez raises her voice and tells him in Spanish that he does not need to ask for help tonight. “They have free food over there,” Jimenez yells as she points to the Lexa Bar & Garden. Her statement is only partially true since on this night the guests at the Norwood eatery had to RSVP to the Nov. 25 event before enjoying the free food. The Thanksgiving Community Dinner was organized by Councilman Andrew Cohen, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and State Sen. Jamaal