With Oval Park in the Dark, Nighttime Football Practice a Blur

By DAVID CRUZ

The gridiron bustle could only be heard, not seen, at Williamsbridge Oval Park. A gruff voice barks “Get up! Get down!” as a sharp whistle signals an invisible command. Tiny helmeted silhouettes buzz about mid-field in a pre-determined pattern, shifting carefully between the goalposts. It’s dusk at the Oval, with virtually no visibility save for distant, orangey glows illuminating over the multi-purpose field. It’s there where Drake Holliday blindly feeds a plug from a generator to a socket. It’s past 5 p.m. on Nov. 3, pitch black after Daylight Saving Time, and practice for the Bronx Knights, a peewee team

Snow Laborers Early registration has begun for part-time emergency snow laborers for the upcoming snow season. Pay is $13.50 per hour, and $20.25 per hour after 40 hours are worked in a week. To register, visit the Bronx Yard at Mosholu Avenue and Broadway in Van Cortlandt Park, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applicants must be at least age 18, bring two small photos (1 ½ square), original and copy of two forms of ID and a Social Security card. Free Flu Shots Free flu shots will be administered on Nov. 9 at the Riverdale YM-YWHA at

City To Grant Jerome Park Reservoir Access on May 20 and 21

By DAVID CRUZ

A walk-through of the still-closed Jerome Park Reservoir has been rescheduled for Nov. 14 after city officials postponed it due to severe weather forecasts. The tour of the massive manmade reservoir was supposed to have taken place Oct. 3, following years of prodding by park advocates who have long hoped for the public reservoir access. As it stands, residents are prohibited from walking the reservoir’s scenic two-mile perimeter for security reasons, a position long held by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the agency that holds oversight of the reservoir. A fraction of the city’s drinking water, originating from

By MICHAEL BROWN JR.

Students at PS 94 Kings College School took part in the elementary school’s ninth annual spelling bee completely abuzz with support from proud parents, faculty, and community police officers. Nadia Sharia won the coveted first place prize after beating out second place finisher Brian Puma in the final round of the Oct. 21 competition, correctly spelling “absence.” Nadia is in the 4th grade and like a typical nine-year-old was nervous as she stood in front of the auditorium with a crowd of cheering supporters. But she certainly came to the spelling bee to win, studying with her sister every night

Editor’s Pick: Halloween Happenings The public is invited to the following Halloween events in the Bronx: Oct. 29 and 30, store hours – Jerome-Gun Hill BID offers special Trick or Treat Bag Giveaway, on Jerome Avenue between Mosholu Parkway and Gun Hill Road and on Gun Hill Road from Jerome to Webster avenues. For more information, call (718) 324-4946. Oct. 30, 3 to 6 p.m. – Safe Treats – Safe Streets and Treats, East 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue (between Perry and Hull avenues). Oct. 29, 4:30 to 6 p.m. – Healthy Halloween Celebration, PS 9 Ryer Avenue Elementary, 230

By JANET NORQUIST-GONZALEZ

It’s been nearly four decades since I last visited Sweden. In 1976 my college roommate, Elisabet, suggested I visit her in Stockholm. It sounded like a good way to explore my Swedish roots for a few months, so I gladly accepted the invitation. I ended up staying nearly two years, long enough to fall in love with the culture. For years after returning to the U.S.A., I subscribed to the children’s comic book, Bamse, to keep in touch with the language. Would I be able to communicate in Swedish with real people after such a long time? I was determined

By DAVID CRUZ

Determining Kossuth Playground’s destiny came with plenty of help from neighbors, who pitched ideas to Friends of Mosholu Parkland on how to better the playground. The interactive visioning session, held at the park Oct. 10, featured arts and crafts, charts and other visual aids to encourage an exchange of ideas. The 85-year-old playground, equipped with a jungle gym, basketball court and sprinkler system, is the only recreational space along the leafy roadway. The span connects drivers from the Bronx River Parkway to several Norwood/Bedford Park side streets and the Saw Mill River Parkway. In March, community stakeholders and cultural

Poetry Workshop The Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St., offers a free six-week poetry workshop Saturdays through Nov. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. For more information or to register, call (718) 882-8239. Gifted & Talented Exams Parents interested in having their kindergarten, first, second or third grade children take the Gifted and Talented exam can submit a request online at https://prod.semsnycdoe.com/parentsite/, in person at their school, or at a Family Welcome Center until Nov. 9. An information session will take place at the Theodore Roosevelt Educational Campus, 500 E. Fordham Rd., on Oct. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Editor’s Pick: Tour de Bronx The Bronx Tourism Council and the Office of the Bronx Borough President invite the public to the 21st Annual Tour de Bronx, to bike ride 25 or 40 miles and explore Bronx neighborhoods, historic districts, and beautiful waterfronts, Oct. 25, ending at the New York Botanical Garden, with live music and light snacks. Check in at 9 a.m. at the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse (161st Street). The Department of Transportation will fit and distribute free bicycle helmets from 8 a.m. to noon while supplies last. Riders must sign a waiver. Participants 17 or younger