Most of the small audience at the public hearing on the sale of thirty-four acres of the old Bronx Psychiatric Center were members of the Carpenters Union. Only four members of the public spoke with two from the Carpenters Union […]

“Mama” Cass Elliot (1941) Elliot was an American singer and member of the vocal group The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she had a successful solo career, releasing several studio albums. In 1974, after a series of performances at the London Palladium, Elliot was found dead in an apartment loaned to her by singer Harry Nilsson—the same apartment where drummer Keith Moon died four years later. Although Elliot died from a heart attack, an often repeated urban myth states that she died by choking on what? More…

As to people saying a few idle words about us, we must not mind that, any more than the old church-steeple minds the rooks cawing about it. George Eliot (1819-1880) 

chasten  Definition: (verb) Censure severely. Synonyms: castigate, chastise, objurgate, correct Usage: His mother will undoubtedly chasten him for those insensitive remarks. Discuss.

Samuel Johnson (1709) Johnson was a British man of letters and one of the outstanding figures of 18th-century England. In 1755, after eight years of work, he published his monumental Dictionary of the English Language, considered the first great English dictionary. His aphorisms helped make him one of the most frequently quoted English writers. His biography, written by his contemporary James Boswell, is one of the most admired biographies of all time. How many entries did Johnson’s dictionary include? More…

Do we not all agree to call rapid thought and noble impulse by the name of inspiration? George Eliot (1819-1880) 

counterbalance  Definition: (verb) Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions. Synonyms: countervail, neutralize, counteract Usage: That gentleman grew every day fonder of little Tommy, as if he intended to counterbalance his severity to the father with … affection towards the son. Discuss.

Maureen Connolly (1934) Known as “Little Mo,” Connolly was one of America’s greatest female tennis players. At 14, she became the youngest winner of the National Girl’s Tournament. At 16, she became the youngest player to win the US national singles championship and successfully defended the title in the two years that followed. She also won three straight Wimbledon championships starting in 1952. In 1953, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year. Why did she retire at age 19? More…

That is the natural way of women…to scorn the one that loves them, and love the one that hates them. Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)

dapper  Definition: (adjective) Marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners. Synonyms: jaunty, natty, raffish, rakish, spiffy, spruce, dashing, snappy Usage: He smiled pleasantly upon her, looking very dapper in evening dress and a silk hat. Discuss.

Bronx State Senators Jamaal Bailey, Alessandra Biaggi, Gustavo Rivera, and Luis Sepulveda, Thursday night held a Legislative Update of what went on in Albany this year. Nine-hundred and thirty-five bills were passed in the 2019 legislative session. State Senator Gustavo […]

 It was a cloudy Saturday morning similar to last years Bronx Democratic County Picnic where the softball game was cancelled due to rain. This year there was only clouds however and the picnic had many Bronx elected officials in attendance. […]

Summer is over  – no worries “swing into fall fitness” to maintain your perfect beach body. Across the boroughs, City Parks Foundation is kicking off its 2019 Fall Sports Program for seniors this month. This Fall, 500 seniors in 26 neighborhood parks and recreation centers are […]

Julia Drusilla (16 CE) Drusilla was the sister of the Roman Emperor Caligula, a man widely characterized as insane, autocratic, and cruel. Drusilla was reportedly her brother’s favorite sibling. During banquets at his residence, she consistently occupied the seat of honor normally reserved for the host’s wife and, perhaps because of this practice, was rumored to be Caligula’s lover. Upon Drusilla’s death, Caligula had the Roman Senate declare her “Diva Drusilla,” deifying her as a representation of what goddess? More…