25 Bronx Residents Pick Up BRIO Distinctions

By DAVID CRUZ

Celebration of the arts and its artists was the order of the evening for the Bronx Council of the Arts. The nonprofit group, boosting the Bronx’s artistic side, hosted the yearly Bronx Recognizes Its Own, or BRIO Awards, on June 1. Twenty five Bronx residents took home a distinction for their contributions to a specific medium, be it literary, media, performing and visual arts. The awards come with a $3,000 cash prize. “Each year we are overwhelmed by the breadth of media and the artistry of the entrants. This group utilizes sophisticated digital resources and demonstrates how technology is giving

By DAVID CRUZ

The Mosholu Library is one of the borough’s rare public depositories with one singular amenity: a spacious backyard used for daily programming. It was only natural that the sleepy patio was ideal for a tiny greenhouse funded by a private grant. It debuted on May 24, capping several months of preparation by library staffers. It rests at a corner of the hooded yard, a translucent hut that traps heat used to nourish budding plants. “We’re one of the lucky libraries that actually has a backyard,” said Lauren Uruchima, one of the branch’s senior librarians. “There’s always been that missing

It was a big night for the Norwood News, picking up three awards at the 14th annual Ippies Awards on June 2. The awards ceremony, sponsored by the Center for Community and Ethnic Media and CUNY School of Journalism, is the only awards show to honor multi-language newspapers and community press. The almost 28-year-old newspaper once again took home a First Place prize for Best Small Circulation Publication, this time tying with The Riverdale Press. “Both Bronx news outlets prove that small independent news outlets that serve their communities well can survive and thrive in this era of journalistic turbulence,” read Tom Robbins,

By TATYANA TURNER

The crowd assembled on the corner to see the unveiling of a street bearing Reverend Flynn’s name. A crowd of around 100 people gathered together to eagerly witness the unveiling of a street named after a beloved priest who passed away four years ago. Reverend John Flynn served the Roman Catholic Church of St. Martin of Tours for more than 20 years and was honored on May 27. Since his death, the community admired Revered Flynn for his services around the Bronx. Residents and church members sought to pay tribute to him. Joe Padilla, a community member who was touched

By TATYANA TURNER

The results are in! A local grassroots group has finally gotten a clearer idea of how to a plant a greener future for a neighborhood park. The Friends of Mosholu Parkland tallied the results of a survey and found Norwood wants a new comfort station, improved lighting, and renovated water features for Kossuth Playground, which opened in 1930. To bring the proposal to life, FOMP reached out to the office of Councilman Andrew Cohen, who represents Norwood, and Partnerships for Parks to help organize an event that would allow residents to voice the needs for Kossuth Playground. “We had a

Bronx Teens Get Certified in CPR Training is an innovative service project designed to increase the number of teens certified in the life-saving technique taught globally. Sachi Penha, who at 16 is a certified life guard, a member of the First Tee and the LPGA Big Apple Girls Golf Program located at Mosholu Golf course in the Bronx, wanted to do something that she felt could positively impact her community. “According to the American Heart Association- people who live in African-American, Hispanic, and lower-income neighborhoods are more likely than others to die from a cardiac arrest, ” said Sachi, “but when

By David Greene

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the cause of the nagging logjam in the New York State Court System and their suggestions for a solution. When a person is indicted for a crime, let’s say involuntary manslaughter, and he goes into the system, first he’s arraigned and he sees the judge. Then they postpone it until he sees his lawyer. If the procedure is a, b and c, then it’s a good thing. But it depends on the individual. If he was born with a silver spoon [in his mouth], nine times out of 10 he will get

By DANIELA BEASLEY

Call it an early birthday present for a Norwood centenarian. Longtime member of the 52nd Precinct’s Community Council, Mary Vallati, was recognized yesterday with the unveiling of a public bench right in front of the landmark precinct on Webster Avenue, engraved with her name. Vallati will be turning 101 in July, and although she faced some health problems recently, she was all smiles yesterday as eponymous bench was revealed to the public. Accompanied by family and friends, Vallati was acknowledged for her involvement in the 52nd Precinct with a proclamation by outgoing state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson. “I still can’t believe

Dear Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering community news in the Bronx, is out with its latest edition covering the northwest part of the borough. We begin with page one, and a confounding story on current zoning rules in Bedford Park and its impact on a three-story home in the neighborhood. Learn why so-called downzoning is nearly impossible for the low-key community. Over the course of our production we learned of a major bust of a Norwood resident in trouble for aiding the ISIS terror network. Read who the suspect is and what neighbors had to say