Freilich Jewelers, a Norwood Fixture, to Close in December

By DAVID CRUZ

One of Norwood’s crown jewels is slated to close after 76 years. Freilich Jewelers, a business fixture in the neighborhood and one of the Bronx’s oldest jewelry shops, is expected to remain open until Dec. 24. For Allan Freilich, who’s owned the East 204th Street store for decades after inheriting it from his father Norman, the decision to close did not come lightly. Retirement age certainly weighed into the decision. So has been the question on whether to renew his lease. Though he professes no belief in superstition, he made an exception this time around. “This is a message being sent that

Hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Williamsbridge Oval to recognize Eid al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. What a HUGE gathering. It was quite grand. Organizers for the North Bronx Islamic Center, which has been building a religious center in Norwood, once again pushed for donations in kind for its impending center. Photo courtesy of the Norwood News. As has been the case for several years, Muslim organizers have pleaded for the completion of the center. It has largely relied on private donations to reach the $2 million needed to build the center.

Venezuelan Band to Perform at Crotona Pk. Sept. 27

From the UN to the BX! A Venezuelan band set to perform before the UN General Assembly is traveling up to Crotona Park for a rousing musical venue marking ten years since Venezuelan emissaries sought to improve the quality of life in the Bronx. The performance, dubbed “A Concert of Hope,” will star the Youth Orchestra De Caracas, a 160-member band hailing from the Latin American country. Typically decked in jackets sporting the Venezuelan flag, the band is comprised of young musicians that were part of the Venezuela National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestra and Choirs. The program

By DAVID CRUZ

Kossuth Playground is in need of a makeover, say park advocates. But it first needs a vision. As part of a broader discussion on the revitalization of Mosholu Parkway, a green freeway linking from the Bronx River Parkway to the Saw Mill River Parkway, Friends of Mosholu Parkland plan to survey residents over the needs of the playground’s improvements. For the past few years Kossuth Playground, found on East Mosholu Parkway North between Kossuth and Steuben avenues, has been eyed for renovations. The only section where neighbors are legally permitted to recreate by the parkway, Kossuth Playground is heavily used,

By WILLIAM MATHIS

In 2011, Edwin Rivera was serving time in the Bear Hill Correctional Facility in upstate New York when he learned about a new drug. “We started hearing about it,” Rivera said. “People were talking about this new thing, K2.” K2, a nickname for synthetic marijuana, has become the new “it” drug in the northwest Bronx. Rivera’s story, complete with moments of hallucinations, explains why K2 has been popularized despite its harsh and unpredictable effects. The state of New York banned the sale of K2 back in 2012 after a number of its users were hospitalized. However, many bodegas, including 14

By DAVID CRUZ

Vital Stats: 23K Number of workers employed by Montefiore Medical Center. (Source: Montefiore Medical Center) Maintaining a healthier Bronx has consistently been the mission of Montefiore Medical Center. And the hospital’s crop of employees is no exception, a reason why Monte launched To Your Health!, an initiative to bolster the well-being of its 23,000 employees at every level.

SEE PHOTOS: 14th Annual JGHBID Fall Festival

By DAVID CRUZ

Thousands of Bronxites headed to the Norwood section of the Bronx to hoot, holler and shop at the 14th annual Fall Festival hosted by the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District. The free event on September 19 showcased the BID’s best of the best, which also featured live singing acts the whole family enjoyed. As a basketball clinic went underway, business vendors and food trucks lined up Jerome Avenue between Gun Hill Road and Mosholu Parkway, showing off some of their wares and food items. A singing event dubbed “Bronx Idol” drew burgeoning singers vying for the $500 grand prize. Major

This week we asked readers their thoughts on a proposal to raise the New York State minimum wage to $15 per hour for all hourly workers by 2021 (in the city, the $15 wage would take effect in 2018). It should be $15 an hour, but they’re talking about raising it to $10 [by Dec. 31 of this year]. People can’t live on that. So they really should get off their butts and try and help us out a little bit more. Chris Gardella Bedford Park I like it; they should do it all at once. It shouldn’t

Bronx Youth Heard The Norwood News is accepting applications for Bronx Youth Heard, a free afterschool program that teaches journalism skills to Bronx high school students ages 14 to 18. Applications are available online at http://bit.ly/BYHFall2015. For more information, contact David Cruz, program director for Bronx Youth Heard and editor-in-chief of Norwood News, at dcruz@norwoodnews.org or at (718) 324-4998. Mosholu Pkwy. Informational Walk Community Board 7’s Transportation Committee Chair, Lowell Green, will host an informational tour of Mosholu Parkway on Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. Residents can meet in front of the Mosholu Parkway #4 subway station on Jerome Avenue.