The City by the Sea: My life raising three “Clam Diggers”

By MELISSA CEBOLLERO

I have been a proud “Mussell Sucker” for more than a decade. If you are not a City Islander, named for those living in the City Island section of the Bronx, you may be asking yourself, “What in the world do you mean?” The legend goes as far back as the early 1900s, when the term referred to City Islanders who were not native to the island. Back in that century, it literally meant that you were not born on the island once tethered to the nearby town of Pelham in Westchester County. If you were literally born on the island (home births were a normal occurrence at the time),

Dear Fellow Readers: How much does your neighborhood mean to you? For some, it’s a place to reside. For others, it’s a place to build a family. Whether transient or a mainstay, we are all products of a neighborhood, charged up by its tempo and space. In the Bronx, a kaleidoscope of communities east and west, north and south, give the borough a uniqueness unlike most of the city. If you look to the west, a bustling Fordham shopping district sees some 80,000 people overrun the ever-growing strip while City Island, resting at the eastern tip of the Bronx, offers

New York City kids converged at Norwood’s Williamsbridge Oval Park for a day of flag football, softball and other adrenaline-inducing activities at the annual Summer Sports Experience Jamboree. The event, sponsored by the New York City Parks Department, drew an estimated 1000 young people to the Aug. 17 event. At its heart, the all-day event encouraged exercise at New York City’s parks. Photos by Miriam Quinones. [URIS id=21604]

NWBCCC Unveils Roadmap to Abundance

By DAVID GREEN

Paving the way to housing equality stood on the top of an agenda for a social justice group the last week of July. Hundreds of Bronx residents turned out for the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition’s (NWBCCC) unveiling of its Roadmap From Displacement to Abundance Community Resource Fair, held on Sunday, July 31 at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church on Andrews Avenue North in Fordham. The campaign, part of NWBCCC’s core mission tenets, offers information to combat displacement. The group took a broader look at fighting issues of tenant harassment in the Bronx. Invited guests included state Senator

Norwood residents gathered at Oval Park to hear music from Orquesta SCC, a salsa dura band with quite the following. The group performed August 11, and was sponsored by local Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz as part of the 2016 Summer Concert Series in the Northwest Bronx. Photos by Miriam Quinones. “There is no better way to spend a beautiful summer evening than by listening to talented musicians play music with friends and family,” said Dinowitz. “I was so excited to see hundreds of community members attend these concerts which are excellent opportunities for people of all ages to relax and enjoy quality music together. I am proud to

By DAVID CRUZ

Amid a legal battle with their landlord, tenants of an apartment building were thrown a curveball when their Bedford Park home they’re fighting to stay in went up in flames. The fire at 267 East 202nd St. injured ten people and killed a family dog. FDNY initially said the cause of the fire was electrical, with a tenant’s air conditioner to blame. The home was left vulnerable, as no fire alarms were functioning. The fire marshal’s office is now conducting an investigation. News of the fire, resulting in the building deemed unlivable, complicates a bitter lawsuit filed by tenants who attempted

The 52nd Precinct and community members came together as one at the annual National Night Out Against Crime, a nationwide event intended to bring communities and police departments closer together. Check out photos at the August 2 event held at Poe Park in the Kingsbridge/Fordham section of the Bronx. [URIS id=21560]

State Says Park Reservoir Board Must Follow Mitchell-Lama Guidelines

By DAVID CRUZ

A state agency that oversees administrative decisions for Mitchell-Lama cooperatives has told the Board of Directors of Park Reservoir to comply with rules when it comes to changing management firms. The latest comes as a majority of board members for the Van Cortlandt Village complex seek to officially replace its longtime management company, Amalgamated Housing Cooperatives, at a board meeting scheduled Sept. 11. The letter could delay the vote, resulting in board members starting its vetting process all over again and giving supporters of Amalgamated more time to hammer out any differences. In a two-page letter obtained by the Norwood News, the

Bluestone leaves legacy 27 years in the making The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC) embodies an energy that courses throughout its three-story building on DeKalb Avenue and East Gun Hill Road in Norwood. Kids in MMCC summer camp T-shirts walk single file within the halls while a crowd of teenagers is ushered into a room to fill out forms for the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. At the entrance to the center, senior citizens chitchat over what’s next on their agenda. For all intents and purposes, the building is constantly breathing, with the community serving as its lifeblood. At its