NorwoodNews.org

Stories by Edition: December 17, 2009 (16 Stories)

City Council Defeats Armory Mall Proposal, 45-1 - The City Council voted nearly unanimously on Monday to defeat a developer's proposal, backed strongly by Mayor Bloomberg, to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall.

The vote was 45 to 1. Only Helen Sears of Queens dissented. Council members said it was the first time they had defeated an economic project backed by the Bloomberg administration. | Read the Story

Joy and Indifference for Local Merchants - During the holiday season on Kingsbridge Road, colorful, festive items from local mom and pop shops spill out onto the sidewalk as passersby cheerfully make their purchases. However, many feet above the holiday crowds, the empty towers of the Kingsbridge Armory loom over the street like an eerie castle-and they will remain that way for the foreseeable future. | Read the Story

After Postal Victory, Final Decision Still Looms - The Bedford Park community is giving themselves a pat on the back and rightfully so. After months of petitioning, rallying elected officials, and pleading their case to postal agencies, they accomplished their mission of removing their local post office, the Botanical Station located on Webster Avenue, from the national list of post offices being considered for consolidation. | Read the Story

Norwood News and Sister Paper Take Home Awards - Earlier this month, the Norwood News and the Mount Hope Monitor (the News' sister paper, both are part of the Bronx News Network) took home three awards at the New York Community Media Alliance's 8th annual Ippies awards dinner. | Read the Story

Greener Building Plan Passes - Last week, the City Council passed legislation that will effectively reduce greenhouse gases emitted by New York City buildings. | Read the Story

Bronx Reps Want U.S. Out of Afghanistan - Two Bronx lawmakers have made it clear that they do not support President Obama's escalation of the war effort in Afghanistan. | Read the Story

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

Yes, A Victory for Armory - While the defeat of the Related Companies' proposal to build a giant shopping mall at the Kingsbridge Armory was not a final victory by any means for community residents, it was a victory nonetheless.

It was a victory for local residents who went to years of meetings, rallies and planning sessions and laid out their vision for a redeveloped Armory that addressed community needs like schools, recreation and community programs. Now they, and anyone else who wants to get involved, have a chance to see their collective vision realized. It's important to remember that there would have been no new roof on the Armory, no request for proposals, and no City Council vote at all were it not for more than 16 years of local efforts to put the Armory on the radar screen of City Hall. Participation matters.

It was a victory for the political process and community organizing. Faced with a strong local coalition of residents and community leaders, Bronx politicians were encouraged and emboldened to take up this cause and bring it across the finish line. We hope this sets a precedent for the Bronx delegation whose unity convinced every other borough's delegation to join them.

It was a victory for residents in every borough who want their voices heard in the planning of their communities. Though the city's land use review process does not prioritize the views of the neighborhoods most affected, concerned citizens now know it's not impossible to fight City Hall. It was a victory for workers citywide who may soon see a boost in their incomes if Bronx Council members follow through on their promise to introduce legislation to require a living wage at projects subsidized by taxpayers. It was a victory for the Bronx which has set the tone for development in Mayor Bloomberg's third term. | Read the Story

Council Should Endorse an Open Internet - For many of us, the diversity and abundance of information on the Internet has become part of our daily lives. We assume that we will always be able to view the Web sites of our choosing and even upload our own photos and videos onto the Internet.

However, as an organization that teaches radio journalism to immigrants and public school students, we can't take net neutrality - the principle that prohibits discrimination of content and applications on the Internet - for granted. | Read the Story

Poe Park Welcomes New "Bird-Shaped" Visitors Center - "It's supposed to look like a raven taking off," said Zach Hudson, an education assistant at the Bronx Historical Society, referring to the design of Poe Park's new visitors center. The structure's floor plan pays homage to the 'The Raven,' the famed poem by Edgar Allan Poe, the park and center's namesake. | Read the Story

Bronxites Shed Some Serious Pounds - This fall, local trainer Todd Belin sent out dozens of e-mails and text messages a day telling his clients to eat better and exercise harder. "I'm trying to motivate them, get them fired up!" said Belin, the program director of Belin Sport and Fitness, who sent out motivational texts and e-mails to ensure his fitness camp participants reached their goal of collectively losing 100 pounds in one month. | Read the Story

Bedford Park's New Latin Flavor - El Rinconcito opened its glass doors to the public around six weeks ago. Since then, the restaurant has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and delivering quality Latin food to the surrounding Bedford Park area. | Read the Story

More Support for Local Business Districts - For the first time in 10 years, holiday lights can be seen running along Kingsbridge Road. With help from Senator Pedro Espada, support from local merchants, and backing from the Montefiore Medical Center (and its affiliate, the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, the publisher of the Norwood News), both Kingsbridge Road and Gun Hill Road-Jerome Avenue business districts will be receiving more resources this holiday season. | Read the Story

Out & About - A listing of arts, entertainment and recreational events for all our readers in the northwest Bronx and beyond. | Read the Story

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

School Overcrowding Crisis Needs 'Volcanic Intervention' - After listening to the Department of Education's underwhelming report on new school construction, Deria Senac called for an intervention of supernatural proportions to solve the northwest Bronx's overcrowding crisis. "We need a volcanic intervention to create more land for schools," she said. | Read the Story