Bronx New School Parents Still Fighting for Meeting As Council Approves Toxins Bill

The City Council voted unanimously to pass two bills yesterday that advocates and supporters say will increase transparency from the Department of Education concerning chemicals found in school building. The legislation comes at a time when the DOE has faced biting criticism from Bronx parents over their handling of the discovery of harmful toxins in schools.

Borough President’s Survey Finds Bronxites Want Better Schools, More Jobs

This summer and fall, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s office asked residents to fill out an online “wellness” survey, asking questions to gauge how Bronxites feel about living in the Boogie Down, what areas they’re happy with and what things they think need fixing. Last week, Diaz’ office released the results of the survey, which 1,901 people filled out. The majority of respondents said they think Bronx schools are the area that needs the most improvement, with 57 percent listing education as their number one priority. Other areas ranking as less-than-stellar were crime/public safety and economic development/jobs. However, just

By Jeanmarie Evelly On a recent weekday morning, dozens of people sat on folding chairs in the recreation room of the Andrew Jackson Senior Center in Melrose, listening to Minerva Velazquez-Munoz, a registered nurse, give tips on getting a reluctant patient to take their medication. You can cut the pills in half, she said; you can mix some of them with orange juice. Next was a lesson in properly changing the dressings on a wound, and how to lift a patient from a bed without straining your back. Afterwards, those in attendance chatted over free coffee and bagels. This wasn’t

In the Bronx, Lack of Shelter Leads to Local Cat Colonies

The lack of a full-service animal shelter in the Bronx has prompted some residents to create “cat colonies” in their neighborhoods where they feed and care for feral cats in their own backyards.

Got An Old Winter Coat? Donate to Keep the Bronx Warm

Got an old winter coat hanging in your closet that you never wear? Have the kids outgrown theirs from last year? Earn some good karma points by donating them to Keep the Bronx Warm, the borough-wide annual coat drive sponsored by the Bronx Borough President, New York Cares and Healthplus. Through the rest of December, dozens of Bronx locations will be serving as donation drop-off sites, including local NYPD Precinct stations and even the Bronx Zoo (where your donation can earn you a free entrance ticket!) We all can truly make a difference in the lives of many families in

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, which is actually today, Dec. 1, Fordham University will be hosting a conference titled “HIV Prevention 30 years into the Epidemic: National Strategies and Local Realities,” on Dec. 2 at 9 a.m.

Local News & Links

Happy Wednesday, readers! The latest print issue of the Norwood News is hitting the streets today, and it’s chock full of good stuff: an update on the living wage debate, a look at the end of Clinton’s football season, a farewell to Sal of Sal’s Pizza fame (he’s retiring this week) and more. Pick up a copy today, but until then, here are some other noteworthy news stories to keep you in-the-know. The latest twist in Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook’s corruption trial: his former mistress, and the prosecution’s star witness, says she has early onset dementia. This is after she

By Jeanmarie Evelly The food pantry at Tolentine Zeiser Community Life Center, on University Avenue and Fordham Road, doesn’t open until 9 a.m. But the line of people who queue up at the building for the bags of groceries the center hands out starts to form some three hours earlier, around 6 a.m. “The line has gotten longer,” said Sister Margaret McDermott, who runs the center. “A lot more working families need food now. It’s either your rent, or your food.” At Christ Eternal Refuge Church, in Bedford Park, the weekly food pantry opens at 1 p.m. on Fridays. Sometimes,

Thanksgiving Recipes from The Norwood News’ Be Healthy! Section

There’s no doubt the turkey is the inevitable star of the Thanksgiving spread. But if you want to boost the health quotient of your holiday meal, let your vegetable side dishes share some of that spotlight.