Ischia Bravo

Bronx CB7 District Manager, Ischia Bravo, Appointed as County Clerk for Bronx County at Supreme Court

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Ischia Bravo, district manager for Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), has been appointed as the county clerk for Bronx County at the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, effective Jan. 2, 2023.   The news was announced in a press release on Wednesday, Oct. 19, by presiding Justice Rolando T. Acosta. According to Acosta, in her new capacity as county clerk, Bravo will be responsible for the oversight of one of the State’s busiest county clerk’s offices and will serve several functions, including as clerk of the Supreme Court, civil branch, Bronx County


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NWBCCC Pushes for Local Input on Kingsbridge Armory’s Next Phase

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
This following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   Members of the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) were back organizing, yet again, to ensure residents living in the shadow of the majestic Kingsbridge Armory have a say in how the iconic, city-owned structure will finally be used, following news that the latest proposal has reportedly been shelved. Community members came from all over The Bronx for a recent rally, though most were from the Armory’s surrounding area.   As reported at length previously, developers behind the most recent proposal, the


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UPDATE Project Renewal’s Longtime Venture, Bedford Green House, Officially Opens

By EMILY SAWAKED & SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   Nearly 1,500 people are recorded as being homeless every month in The Bronx, according to City data, with many living in shelters located around the borough. According to State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) and one city agency representative we spoke to, various non-profits, government representatives, elected officials and some candidates running for office have been pushing over many years to reduce these numbers and raise awareness of the homelessness crisis in the city.   One positive result of these sustained local efforts


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Lime Says “Break Up With Cars” but Not Everyone in Bronx Community District 7 Agrees

By SÍLE MOLONEY & JULIAN NAZAR
Lime e-scooter company is one of the many organizations hosting events this week to celebrate Earth Day and New York City’s Car Free Day. However, as previously reported, not everyone is on board when it comes to the impact transportation alternative programs like e-scooters and e-bikes are having on day-to-day living in The Bronx. Perhaps because of the additional focus on such green programs around Earth Day, the topic has heated up once again.   On Friday, April 22, Lime hosted a helmet giveaway at the Westchester Square Business Improvement District (BID)’s Earth Day celebration, which was focused on planting


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Bronx Buccaneers Herald Sport as Path to Academic Advancement  

By JULIAN NAZAR
Editor’s Note: The following is an updated version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   Bronx Buccaneers presented their case for getting kids more involved in sport during the March meeting of Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) Education, Youth & Libraries committee. The local sports group are of the view that sports ultimately help students advance along their educational path and do all they can to support kids on that journey.   Keith Spivey Jr., president of the Bronx Buccaneers Youth Football Program, spoke at length about the group’s football program. He thanked the committee for


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Kingsbridge Armory Back to Square One, as Annexes See $10 Million Renovation for Military Use

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT & SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that recently appeared in our latest print edition.   Big news about what’s going to happen to the Kingsbridge Armory is nothing new at Community Board 7 (CB7) meetings. Discussions on the seemingly ill-fated development have been dragging on for years. At a recent CB7 general board meeting held on Feb. 22, Emmanuel Martinez, chairman of CB7, announced plans to gather input, once again, from the community on what will happen to the landmark building located on Jerome Avenue and West Kingsbridge Road.   “I want to make the board aware


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Women’s History Month Celebrated in The Bronx

By DAVID GREENE
Women’s History Month kicked off with a pair of celebratory events held at Monroe College in Fordham Manor and at Jacobi Hospital in Morris Park, following International Women’s Day on March 8.   On March 9, Mayor Eric Adams was expected to speak at the “My Sister’s Keeper Female Empowerment Conference,” held in the Mintz auditorium of Monroe College, located at 2501 Jerome Avenue. However, the mayor reportedly cancelled at the last minute.   Judging by the reaction of the crowd of young, female, high-school students in attendance, they did not appear to be too disappointed, however. Stepping in for


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New Bronx CB7 Education Chair Hosts Jam-Packed Meeting

By SARAH HUFFMAN
Nearly two out of three children affected by systemic poverty cannot read at grade level, according to Literacy Incorporated (LINC), a New York City nonprofit focused on early childhood literacy. The organization said children who cannot transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” by third grade are 13 times more likely not to graduate on time from high school.   Childhood literacy, along with resources for youth, schools and libraries formed the main topics of discussion at last month’s Bronx Community Board 7’s education committee meeting, held on Feb. 2, and the first of the year to be


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UPDATE Bronx CB7 Voice Frustration with City Parks’ Forestry Unit

By SARAH HUFFMAN
  Frustrations were evident among the attendees at Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7)’s Parks meeting on Feb. 9, as members and residents expressed their exhaustion when it came to dealing with the Forestry unit within New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.   Parks committee chair, Barbara Stronczer, shared that she had recently attended a meeting with a Bronx representative of the Forestry unit, along with Ischia Bravo, CB7 district manager, and Karla Cabrera-Carrera, community coordinator for CB7.   Stronczer said Forestry informed her the unit does not usually attend community board meetings, even though CB7 has been trying


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