Heidi Hynes, A Model for Community Activism, Passes Away at 51

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Heidi Marie Schloegel Hynes, 51, executive director of the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center [MMC] in Crotona died on Nov. 24 after a battle with cancer. She lived in Bedford Park with her husband Brian and daughter Frieda, leaving behind a legacy of community service that inspired many activists across the Bronx. Heidi was born on Jan. 19, 1968 in Kansas City, MO. She married Brian Hynes in 1995 and lived in Bedford Park since then. “I think the key to understanding Heidi and her commitment to activism came from the realization that there was nothing wrong with the

In the race for the 15th Congressional District, Councilman Ritchie Torres leads the pack on endorsements, grabbing his latest backing from the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board, Workers United, SEIU, an 8,500-member strong union in the city alone. This is Torres’ eighth union endorsement since entering the race in March, beginning with Teamsters Local 237, Steamfitters, Ironworkers Local 46, Hotels Trades Council, LiUNA, and Machinists have also thrown their support. Members include laundry workers that work for Unitex, Arrow Linen, and Elite Airline Linen. Members also work for Manhattan Beer, which holds its headquarters in Hunts Point, one of the areas the 15th

Elected Officials Organize Thanksgiving Dinner at Norwood Eatery

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Before a young man begging for money enters a deli on East 204th Street and Decatur Avenue Yolanda Jimenez raises her voice and tells him in Spanish that he does not need to ask for help tonight. “They have free food over there,” Jimenez yells as she points to the Lexa Bar & Garden. Her statement is only partially true since on this night the guests at the Norwood eatery had to RSVP to the Nov. 25 event before enjoying the free food. The Thanksgiving Community Dinner was organized by Councilman Andrew Cohen, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, and State Sen. Jamaal

Two Arrested in Hostage Situation in Bedford Park. That Includes the Hostage (Picture 1)

By DAVID CRUZ and DAVID GREENE

Police have charged both a man and woman, believed to be the man’s hostage, involved in a dramatic standoff with police that only ended after heavily armed officers stormed an apartment. Seized in the house was a makeshift claw resembling those attached to the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. According to a police source, officers from the 52nd Precinct were called to a second-floor apartment at 3180 Villa Ave., at just after 2 p.m. on Nov. 30. “Upon arrival, the occupants refused to come out of the apartment and officers suspected someone was being held against their will inside of the

The $1 Million in Participatory Budgeting Results Are...

By DAVID CRUZ

When it came to the New York City Council’s Participatory Budgeting initiative—which lets constituents decide how $1 million in capital monies—one couldn’t find a stauncher advocate than Councilman Andrew Cohen. But after six years on the Council, and two more years to go as the representative for the 11th Council District, Cohen is no longer running the months long, bureaucratic program. “It doesn’t feel fresh anymore,” Cohen told the Norwood News in a phone interview. The process begins in October, lasting through May following meeting upon meeting of what exactly the needs were for the communities Cohen reaches, which include

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

Patients, staff, and community residents crowded near a triad of first floor elevators inside North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) as they awaited the unveiling of a collaborative mural dubbed “The Cycle of Caring” on Nov. 25. A component of the New York City Health + Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine program, the project was funded by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, a 12-year-old organization that offers supportive grants to tackle long-term issues in the city. “[NCBH] is a wonderful place to work but inherently working in a hospital is stressful,” says Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund executive director Rick Luftglass,

By GREGG BISHOP

The holiday season is upon us and we all know the temptation of online shopping. The ease of getting the things we want at the click of a button might seem harmless, but it has major consequences for local small businesses. Shopping online takes away from the livelihood of local residents and strips the community of its extraordinary businesses. E-commerce also means you don’t have the ability to inspect your purchases before receipt, you have to go through the hassle of repackaging and returning your item and you’re depriving yourself of getting to know the business owners on your block.

Questions, Some Answered, on MTA’s Proposed Bus Revamp in NW Bronx

By DAVID CRUZ

There were more jeers than cheers from northwest Bronx residents over the MTA’s proposed bus network redesign plan, calling out modifications they say can hurt not help their commuting experiencing at a town hall-style meeting. Those feelings were backed by Community Board 7, which approved a motion calling on the MTA to modify its overhaul plan. At the latest Community Board 7 general board meeting that doubled as a seemingly rushed town hall-style meeting on the proposed changes, where some service changes to buses that run through the northwest Bronx were glossed over (another meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5),

Inquiring Photographer: Thanksgiving Thoughts

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their plans for Thanksgiving, what’s on the menu, and how they hope to spend the day. Well, my plans are to visit my sister, her husband and family, and my other sister and her husband and family up in White Plains. I’ll have some turkey and watch the football game. It’s either Dallas or Detroit. And of course will have all the trimmings. Robert Rowe Morrisania I’ll probably be at home. Yes, I hope to be eating on Thanksgiving Day; my vegan Thanksgiving with Portobello mushrooms and cranberry-orange relish and cauliflower rice and a glass