For Family Caregivers, Lessons on Avoiding Burnout

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

Starting today, you’ll be able to take your laptop/smartphone/tablet over to Devoe Park and do some web surfing in the great outdoors. The park just got free Wi-Fi, thanks to AT&T, under a five-year digital initiative Mayor Bloomberg launched last spring. Since June, 20 parks across the city have gotten the digital hookup, including Joyce Kilmer and Bronx River Park. “Parks are not only great places to throw a ball, read a book, or catch some rays or waves, they are also ideal for surfing the net,” Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in a statement.

A Year After Split, Klein’s Independence Holds Weight

As the one-year anniversary of Bronx/Westchester State Sen. Klein’s Independent Democratic Conference approaches in January, the senator defends his caucus with pride, calling it a productive division from the Democrats’ dysfunctional leadership, and from the partisan gridlock that characterized the tumultuous two years the party was in power.

Bronx Neighborhood Rallies to Save Its Post Office

Bedford Park and Norwood residents are fighting the possible closure of a local post office, saying it would leave the neighborhood with a lack of access to most mail services.

Bronx LGBT Group Moves Into Enemy Territory

The Bronx Community Pride Center, the borough’s only organization that caters specifically to the needs of the LGBT community, cut the ribbon at its new location last week — inside a building named after State Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., a fierce gay rights opponent.

Mobile Legal Help Coming to Bronx Community Center

A mobile legal help center with a fully functioning law office and courtroom will be parked in front of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 Dekalb Ave., today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Battle of the Bronx, Part 2: Wings Soars over JFK, 56-50

It was the kind of game neither team appeared to want. In a battle for Bronx high school basketball dominance, John F. Kennedy lost to Wings Academy 56-50, but both coaches admitted to being disappointed with their team’s play.

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.

The Bronx Breakdown: Cabrera Stands Up for Church in Schools, Bagel Larry’s Free, the Hoops Massacre of the Bronx and More

The Bronx Breakdown, a re-imagined and re-invigorated version of what we once called “Friday News & Notes,” consists of (1) a subjective breakdown of the week’s biggest and most intriguing news stories, (2) tidbits and newsbits we’ve come across and thought you should know about (3) a youtube clip and (4) recommendations for things to do in the Bronx this weekend. So settle in, grab a cup of coffee or a Bronx Brewery Pale Ale and enjoy the Breakdown.