Out and About

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Whether Puerto Rico Should Become the 51st State

By DAVID GREENE
  With the spotlight on Puerto Rico following the recent Somos conference, this week, we asked readers for their thoughts on whether the island should become the 51st state or maintain its independence.   “I feel that Puerto Rico should stay the way it is and maintain their independence. They don’t get enough support. I really don’t know. I don’t live there so I don’t know what’s going on exactly. But I know from what I see, and from what my family tells me, it would be nice to maintain their independence, but I don’t think they will be able


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UPDATE Neighborhood Notes: COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives, Prematurity Awareness Month, Build the Block & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Local People Reported Missing in the last Two Weeks   A missing South Carolina Man Last Seen in Fordham Heights. Click here for more details. An 11-year-old boy from Jerome Park has been reported missing. Click here for more details. A 13-year-old girl has been reported missing in Bedford Park. Click here for more details. A 22-year-old woman has been reported missing in Mount Hope. Click here for more details. A 30-year-old man was reported missing in Fordham Manor and was later found deceased. Click here for more details. A 22-year-old woman has been reported missing in University Heights. Click


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UPDATE Out & About: Youth Basketball, Native American Heritage Month, Puerto Rican Film Festival & More

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Editor’s Pick Van Cortlandt House Museum is hosting a Cozy Community Campfire on Sunday, Dec. 5, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Gather together outdoors for a festive campfire, complete with marshmallow and warm, mulled cider. Free marshmallows and cider will be available while supplies last and as a special treat and there will be d.i.y. s’mores kits available for purchase. ($5 each or 3/$12). In addition to the campfire, there will be a storyteller, an elf house hunt, and other fun activities (depending on the weather).   There will be two campfire stations to help with social distancing. The event


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UPDATE Bronx Elected Officials Hold Various Halloween Celebrations Across the Borough

By DAVID GREENE
Bronx elected officials teamed up in various groups to co-host a number of Halloween celebrations for youngsters across the borough last weekend, ahead of Election Day.   In Pelham Bay Park in the Northeast Bronx, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez (NY-14) and State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (S.D 34) co-hosted a Halloween celebration for families in the area, which included face painting, mask decorating, candy, and socially distanced, family-friendly games.   Others contributing to the festivities included City Councilman Kevin Riley (C.D. 12) and, as reported, projected winner of the District 13 City Council race, Democratic candidate, Marjorie Velázquez, as well as community


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Norwood: Pumpkin Party at the Williamsbridge Oval

By DAVID GREENE
Children of all ages, dressed in various costumes, turned out for the annual Pumpkin Party at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval East, in Norwood on Saturday, Oct. 30.   Carnival games, a smaller and less scary “haunted house,” a photo booth for taking festive photos, and arts and crafts were all on offer this year at the event which was organized by Parks’ department officials. Castle Hill mom, Joanna Boala, brought along her two daughters Jasleen, 6, and Abbie, 2, to the spooky event, having learned of it from the Parks’ department website.   Boala


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Organ & Tissue Donation

By DAVID GREENE
With roughly 8,486 people across the State waiting on an organ transplant, as reported, some will die before they receive one. In recognition of Organ Donor Enrollment Day in New York State on Oct. 7, we asked some residents if they were organ donors, and if not, if they would consider becoming donors.   “I am an organ donor. I’ve been an organ donor for over 14 years now. I think if we can give the last gift of life, that’s the greatest gift to give. I think we should follow Spain’s direction where they actually have opt-out donors. You’re automatically


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Out & About: Ballet Hispánico, Illuminated Mausoleums Tour, Pumpkin Carving Demonstrations & More!

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Editor’s Pick  Plentiful pumpkins and hordes of gourds will be on display at New York Botanical Garden’s ongoing Scarecrows & Pumpkins event, through Sunday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building, and on the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Plaza, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458. To add to the seasonal fun, more than 100 whimsical scarecrows will line the twisting trails of the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. For more information, go to: https://www.nybg.org/event/scarecrows-pumpkins/.   Events NYC Parks is hosting a True Crime Group hosted by Allerton & Eastchester libraries at Allerton Library,


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Latest “Rebel Girls” Book Brings #BlackGirlMagic to The Bronx

By SARAH HUFFMAN
  Fans of the “Rebel Girls” book series celebrated the publication of the newest addition to the series during an outdoor book launch, held on Saturday, Oct. 2, at The Lit. Bar bookstore in Mott Haven.   Rebel Girls is a series of books that tells the stories of powerful Black women of different racial and cultural backgrounds, who live or lived in different time periods, going back to the 17th century, in different parts of the world. Examples include activist and poet, Amanda Gorman, Shirley Chisholm who was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, and


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UPDATE Residents Unhappy with Tent “Encampment” on Mosholu Parkway  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Bedford Park residents have been getting more and more vocal about the unsightly, overflowing trash situation on Mosholu Parkway during their regular Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) meetings, as reported, but another issue which has also raised concern is the growing number of make-shift tents erected by homeless people along the parkway in recent weeks.   As one resident, who went by the Twitter username, @maminature30, tweeted on Monday, Oct. 18, “@EricDinowitzNYC, @norwoodnews, @NYCDHS, @NYPD52Pct How long before the encampment at Moshulu Parkway becomes a tent city? It already doubled in size since last week. Somebody needs to intervene.”  


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