NorwoodNews.org

Stories by Edition: February 5, 2009 (17 Stories)

Success and Controversy Follow New State Senator - Sitting in his office at Soundview Health Center, one of four Bronx health centers he's created, Pedro Espada, Jr. looks like a success. Twice, the people of two different Bronx state senate districts have voted him into office and his health centers have employed hundreds of people and provided care for thousands.

So, why is it, he wants to know, that the media and his political rivals always focus on the negative aspects of his political career? | Read the Story

Homeless Shelter Surprise Riles Bedford Park - Bedford Park residents are livid about a new homeless shelter that began operating in December without notifying anyone about it. The shelter will remain, city officials said, unless it can be proven that the building's owners forced out previous tenants through harassment. | Read the Story

Campaign Finances Disclosed; 2009 Races Take Shape - On Jan. 15, with nine months to go until the 2009 citywide elections, candidates for office were required to file campaign finance reports. Based on the reported figures, some local races are beginning to take shape, while others remain unsettled. | Read the Story

Bronx Greens Face Hurdles - The Bronx County Green Party, newly established in July 2008, declared its intention to wade into Bronx politics, but is facing an uphill battle. | Read the Story

Rivera Challenges Gillibrand on Immigration - Over the past couple of weeks, City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera has been speaking out against new U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's positions on immigration issues. | Read the Story

Public and Community Meetings - A listing of public and community meetings in the northwest Bronx. | Read the Story

Funding Loss Leads Monte to Reduce Sickle Cell Services - Spurred by reductions in federal funding, Montefiore Medical Center has restructured its treatment plan for patients suffering from sickle cell disorders. The new plan, which officially went into effect on Jan. 12, means outpatient services have been relocated and patients suffering from flare-ups will have to rely more on emergency rooms for immediate care. | Read the Story

Tear Down the Stadium - Now! - The list of injustices emanating from the deals surrounding the construction of the new Yankee stadium is long and depressing.

But the greatest civic offense is the theft of invaluable public green space and the broken promises to provide replacement parkland to the community in a timely fashion.

Several parks were promised as replacements for the centrally located Macombs Dam and Mullaly parks now occupied by the new stadium. None are on-line and most have experienced delays.

The most substantial of the replacements, a waterfront park on the Harlem River, has run into repeated delays, as Jose DeJesus, a student in our youth journalism program reported in the most recent edition of Bronx Youth Heard.

As journalists Gary Axelbank and Harvey Araton recently commented, perhaps the grandest monument to the city's unforgivable heist of green space in a community struggling with asthma and other public health problems, is the old Yankee Stadium, which still stands despite city promises it would be razed to make way for new baseball fields, so local kids can start running the bases again.

We have one more question: Why is it that only reporters are making noise about this? Is there not one elected official who considers this important enough to at least issue a press release, especially since every elected official save one supported the project? | Read the Story

Kenyans Embrace Obama - If there is another place on earth as focused on our inauguration today as we are, it is the small East African nation of Kenya. The home of President Barack Obama's father, Kenya declared a national holiday after Obama's election in November. Since then their pride and interest has continued to grow. | Read the Story

MTA Spending Wasteful - The MTA is taking advantage of the legal requirement to balance its operating budget to secure more money for pursuing their wasteful and unnecessary projects. | Read the Story

Obama Fallible Too - As we welcome our nation's first African-American President, let us remember not to put him on any higher a pedestal than we did our previous ones for he is just as fallible as they were and he, too, has his flaws. | Read the Story

Bronx Boot Camp: 'A Girl's Night Out' - Group exercise classes usually conjure up images of tedious and demanding workouts in a room full of strangers.

But that's not the case for the small army of women who exercise together on a weekly basis in the gym at the Holy Nativity Church in Norwood.

They're all participants in the Belin Challenge Fitness Camp, a month-long series of "boot-camp" style classes that promote a personalized, holistic approach to getting in shape. | Read the Story

Out & About - A listing of arts and entertainment events for our readers in the Northwest Bronx. | Read the Story

Contest: Meet the Pointer Sisters! - Meet the Pointer Sisters!-and celebrate Valentine's Day with the one you love. Enter for your chance to win 2 free tickets to see The Pointer Sisters (who you will meet before the show) and Kool and the Gang on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. Read on for more details. | Read the Story

Neighborhood Notes - A listing of program, events, notices and services for our readers in the northwest Bronx. | Read the Story

Schools Rezoned to Ease Overcrowding - The Community District 10 Education Council unanimously approved a Department of Education proposal that would rezone seven local schools, an effort the agency hopes will help alleviate overcrowding problems in the district. | Read the Story

PS 56 Tribute To Change - | Read the Story