Bronx Notes: Mentors Needed for Abbott House

The Abbott House, a multi-faceted agency that serves families and youth in the Bronx and New York City, is looking for mentors in the Bronx area. If you are looking to make a positive impact on a child’s life, call mentoring coordinator at (718) 329-4968 ext. 3454.

Bronx Links, Tuesday

Good morning, everyone. Here are the Bronx news stories we’re following today.

Crash on Jerome Avenue Leaves Three Injured (Video)

Three men were injured, two critically, after a car traveling at a high rate of speed recently slammed into a subway pillar underneath the elevated No. 4 Train on Jerome Avenue.

Bronx Crime Watch: NYPD ‘One Step Closer’ to Hit-and-run Driver

After releasing a building’s surveillance video that they say shows the driver of a stolen car who struck and killed a Norwood man on the morning after Christmas, police say they are one step closer to catching the suspect.

Bronx Notes: Workshops to Improve Communities

The Department of City Planning will hold interactive community workshops in University Heights, Saturday, March 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Monroe College’s gymnasium, Ustin Hall, at the corner of Jerome Avenue and 190th Street, and in Melrose, Saturday, March 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Boricua College’s 4th floor conference room, 890 Washington Ave., to encourage participation in exercises that address important community issues. For more information or to RSVP, call Shawn Brede at (718) 220-8505.

Bronx Links, Monday

Happy Monday, everyone! Lots of Bronx news to catch up on today and from this weekend. If you missed it, Alex Kratz took a look at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s State of the Borough speech in Friday’s Bronx Breakdown. We’ll have more on that–with some photos from the event–later today. In the meantime, here are some local stories we’re following this morning: An elderly Parkchester man and his 46-year-old mentally handicapped son were discovered dead in their apartment on Saturday. Though the cause of their deaths is unclear, neighbors speculated that Joseph Valerio Sr., 85, may have died

Welcome to another thrilling edition of the Bronx Breakdown. This week we talk about the real state of the Bronx, hypocrisy in the FreshDirect deal, an ongoing racism problem at Fordham University and one ridiculously sad crime story and what you should do this weekend. Let’s break it on down.

Locked Out of Schools, Bronx Religious Groups Seek Alternatives

An ongoing tug of war over a city policy banning worship in public school buildings during non-school hours caused confusion this past weekend, sending many churches that rent space from local schools scrambling to find sites to hold their Sunday services.

Bronx Business: Fordham’s One-Stop Santeria Shopping Destination

Stepping into Original Products Botanica on the corner of East 189th Street and Webster Avenue, visitors are welcomed with the aroma of fresh herbs, smiling employees and Spanish-Caribbean music playing from overhead speakers. It’s an expansive 15,000-square-foot store housing a vast collection of items — from altar tools and supplies, to ritual and saint candles, tarot cards and everything else in between.