Gaining Access to the Reservoir

City To Grant Jerome Park Reservoir Access on May 20 and 21

By ADEDAMOLA AGBOOLA

The Jerome Park Reservoir, which has been closed off to the public, will be opened for a trial run in November. The massive reservoir, bordering Goulden, Sedgwick and Reservoir avenues, has been cordoned off with two chain-link fences by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which holds joint oversight of the reservoir with the Parks Department. The DEP has long cited security concerns and operational costs as one reason why it has kept the reservoir closed. “Within the last 20 years, the only time the public has been allowed access beyond the fences was for a one-day event called

By DAVID CRUZ

One of Norwood’s crown jewels is slated to close after 76 years. Freilich Jewelers, a business fixture in the neighborhood and one of the Bronx’s oldest jewelry shops, is expected to remain open until Dec. 24. For Allan Freilich, who’s owned the East 204th Street store for decades after inheriting it from his father Norman, the decision to close did not come lightly. Retirement age certainly weighed into the decision. So has been the question on whether to renew his lease. Though he professes no belief in superstition, he made an exception this time around. “This is a message being sent that

By DAVID CRUZ

Longtime Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson ended his 27-year run as the borough’s top prosecutor, accepting the nomination as a state judge in what many deemed a plot by Bronx Democrats to deliberately replace Johnson with an appellate court judge. Johnson secured an easy primary win for reelection as DA in early September, only to relinquish the seat just a week after. This left it up to the Bronx Democratic County Committee (BDCC) with a legal obligation to find a replacement, which it did at the party’s judicial convention with party favorite Darcel Clarke nominated to replace Johnson. Many political

Hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Williamsbridge Oval to recognize Eid al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. What a HUGE gathering. It was quite grand. Organizers for the North Bronx Islamic Center, which has been building a religious center in Norwood, once again pushed for donations in kind for its impending center. Photo courtesy of the Norwood News. As has been the case for several years, Muslim organizers have pleaded for the completion of the center. It has largely relied on private donations to reach the $2 million needed to build the center.

Venezuelan Band to Perform at Crotona Pk. Sept. 27

From the UN to the BX! A Venezuelan band set to perform before the UN General Assembly is traveling up to Crotona Park for a rousing musical venue marking ten years since Venezuelan emissaries sought to improve the quality of life in the Bronx. The performance, dubbed “A Concert of Hope,” will star the Youth Orchestra De Caracas, a 160-member band hailing from the Latin American country. Typically decked in jackets sporting the Venezuelan flag, the band is comprised of young musicians that were part of the Venezuela National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestra and Choirs. The program

By DAVID CRUZ

Kossuth Playground is in need of a makeover, say park advocates. But it first needs a vision. As part of a broader discussion on the revitalization of Mosholu Parkway, a green freeway linking from the Bronx River Parkway to the Saw Mill River Parkway, Friends of Mosholu Parkland plan to survey residents over the needs of the playground’s improvements. For the past few years Kossuth Playground, found on East Mosholu Parkway North between Kossuth and Steuben avenues, has been eyed for renovations. The only section where neighbors are legally permitted to recreate by the parkway, Kossuth Playground is heavily used,

By WILLIAM MATHIS

In 2011, Edwin Rivera was serving time in the Bear Hill Correctional Facility in upstate New York when he learned about a new drug. “We started hearing about it,” Rivera said. “People were talking about this new thing, K2.” K2, a nickname for synthetic marijuana, has become the new “it” drug in the northwest Bronx. Rivera’s story, complete with moments of hallucinations, explains why K2 has been popularized despite its harsh and unpredictable effects. The state of New York banned the sale of K2 back in 2012 after a number of its users were hospitalized. However, many bodegas, including 14

By DAVID CRUZ

Vital Stats: 23K Number of workers employed by Montefiore Medical Center. (Source: Montefiore Medical Center) Maintaining a healthier Bronx has consistently been the mission of Montefiore Medical Center. And the hospital’s crop of employees is no exception, a reason why Monte launched To Your Health!, an initiative to bolster the well-being of its 23,000 employees at every level.

SEE PHOTOS: 14th Annual JGHBID Fall Festival

By DAVID CRUZ

Thousands of Bronxites headed to the Norwood section of the Bronx to hoot, holler and shop at the 14th annual Fall Festival hosted by the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District. The free event on September 19 showcased the BID’s best of the best, which also featured live singing acts the whole family enjoyed. As a basketball clinic went underway, business vendors and food trucks lined up Jerome Avenue between Gun Hill Road and Mosholu Parkway, showing off some of their wares and food items. A singing event dubbed “Bronx Idol” drew burgeoning singers vying for the $500 grand prize. Major