Bronx News Network

The Mysterious Death of Norwood 'Fixture' Billy (Peanut) Murphy

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Born premature on Aug. 25, 1962, Billy Murphy was a tiny baby who looked like a little “peanut,” one of his older brothers said at the time. The name stuck. Even as a grown-up, everyone knew him as “Peanut.” Last Wednesday night, a gimpy-legged “Peanut” Murphy walked out of Whalen Park, on the corner of 205th Street and Perry Avenue in Norwood, where he drank Cobra malt liquor – on most nights and days for the past two decades – to pick up some more beer.

Bronx News Network

West Farms Library Closed Until November

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The West Farms branch of the New York Public Library, at 2085 Honeywell Ave. (between E. 179th and 180th Streets), is being closed for four months while construction crews replace all of the building’s windows, according to a library spokesman. The current windows are “old and not energy-efficient,” he said.The local branch shut down July 1 and won’t open its doors again until Monday, Nov. 1. In the meantime, patrons can pick up items at the Tremont Branch, at 1866 Washington Ave., which will be housing the library’s reserve collection.

Bronx News Network

Bobby Sanabria's Big Band Plays 52 Park

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One thing we forgot to include in the previous “What’s Going On” post (OK, now it’s in there) is the free concert at 52 Park/El Teatro Miranda (Kelly Street, between Avenue St. John and Legett Avenue) at 7:30 tonight. Bronx Walk of Fame member and salsa percussionist legend Bobby Sanabria’s Big Band is a must see.It’s part of Lincoln Center’s “LC in the BX” (or “Lincoln Center Celebrates the Bronx”) campaign. Click here for more information.

Bronx News Network

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 18

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The Village Voice’s Tom Robbins continues to shed light on the dealings of State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. with a story about how a Manhattan tailor is suing Espada for failing to pay for $7,200 worth of custom-tailored suits.In a sworn statement, Espada said he returned the suits for being “defective,” but the tailor says he’s seen Espada on television wearing his suits.Robbins also writes about Gustavo Rivera’s efforts to unseat Espada (no mention of fellow challenger Dan Padernacht) and again points out Espada’s numerous connections to the real estate and landlord lobby, including how his part-time spokesman, Steve Mangione, was paid $270,000 to produce radio ads for the Rent Stabilization Association, the city’s largest landlord group.The Bronx Zoo is shipping 100 rare Kihansi spray toads to Tanzania where the species is near extinction. The Bronx detective who solved the Happy Land fire case, Kevin Moroney, retired yesterday after 42 years on the job. The NY Times has used the word “hipster” in stories more than 250 times in the past year. They used it in connection with the Bronx “only a handful” of times, but they used it in connection with Brooklyn 96 times, Manhattan 87 times, Queens 33 times, and Staten Island, just twice. Thought you needed to know this.