Norwood News

Editor’s Note: The Norwood News has launched a new feature–The Bronx Beltway, covering stories you’ll hear about in the world of Bronx politics. 

By DAVID CRUZ 

State of the City
The Bronx was mentioned by name five times during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s State of the City speech, where he outlined an unheard of $200 million capital improvement project intended to spruce up the still dormant South Bronx waterfront.

Funds will be earmarked for parks, schools, commercial development and 4,000 more units of housing, mostly affordable, keeping in track with de Blasio’s agenda of more equity around throughout the city. He also pledged a plan to include ferry service from the southeastern community of Soundview to Manhattan.

There was also a mention of the Jerome-Cromwell neighborhood, a burgeoning community that can see more affordable housing. It first needs upzoning options, which Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. may consider. Speaking of which…

State of the Bronx
Diaz is running high ahead of his annual State of the Borough speech slated for Feb. 19 at the new Macy’s mall in Bay Plaza. His political pal, Carl Heastie was voted Assembly

Speaker (no doubt he’ll sing Heastie’s praises), crime continues to drop (the NYPD shaved off crime in the Bronx by 3 percent in 2014), and major developments have been completed under Diaz’s tenure.

Economic Development, an influx in housing and the creation of four Metro-North stations in the east Bronx will no doubt be touted accomplishments. But it’s worth wondering whether the borough’s rise in homeless shelters and supportive housing will be mentioned, along with the troubling drug culture hurting central and South Bronx.

Arrests on the Horizon?
Aside from U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara issuing a coded message of more political corruption cases coming down the political pipeline, rumors are swirling over whether the feds are eyeing Bronx legislators involved in alleged voter fraud and corruption.

Several recent political stories are suggesting so, including a Facebook blog post by roving political reporter Bob “Kappy” Kappstatter, who continues to maintain the political pulse of the Bronx.

The reports indicate the feds are investigating possible voter fraud in two separate races for the New York State Assembly. Looking back, there were issues involving the race between 86th Assembly District lawmaker Victor Pichardo and perennial candidate

Hector Ramirez, who lost the election by a mere two votes. Quite an anomaly. Last check the Bronx District Attorney’s Office was investigating, recently offering a simple two-word response—“Investigation ongoing.” As prosecutors look into that, an undisclosed Senate race in the Bronx is supposedly under review.

All this negative attention puts pressure on newly appointed Heastie to address corruption on the state level. However, his line that the State Legislature as a “few bad apples” makes us believe the comments could have been said with a dash of wishful thinking. Guess we’ll have to “stay tuned.”

Klein’s Squeaky Clean Plan
Sen. Jeff Klein has said good-bye to litigating in a show of support for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s renewed anti-corruption efforts. In early February, Klein unveiled a four-point plan that looks to ban outside income, setting aside outside income in escrow, closing disclosure loopholes and limiting per diem stipends.

Klein’s martyrdom has yet compelled other lawmakers to do the same, though the plan is, on its surface, gaining support from Heastie.

Serrano Lobbies Pope
Congressman Jose Serrano, representing virtually the entire South Bronx, is hoping Pope Francis considers a visit to the Bronx’s open air cathedral—Yankee Stadium. Previous pontiffs have carried the tradition in holding service at Yankee Stadium. But Pope Francis’ visit would be different—he’d be the first to christen the new Yankee Stadium as being the first Pope to hold mass at the South Bronx stadium.

Other electeds have joined the holy fight to host His Holiness, a liberal clergyman by most standards. His visit could give major brownie points to the Boogie Down and New York City, home to 2.6 million Catholics.

311 Tracking System
The 311 call system could use an online tracking system to ease frustrations and build accountability, according to Councilman James Vacca. The chair of the City Council’s Committee on Technology, Vacca introduced a bill that would allow New Yorkers to determine how far their complaint has gone. The service is already available through a mobile app—Vacca’s bill simply expands it.

So, if enacted, the bill would clear the mystery on whether that noise, garbage or heat complaint has made it through.

Opponents Vie For Rangel’s Seat
The political season is starting early in the 13th Congressional District, held by career legislator, Congressman Charles Rangel, who does not plan on running. Adam Clayton Powell, a perennial candidate based in Harlem, has now organized a kickoff fundraiser in Spanish Harlem for Feb. 25. Organizers are asking for donations starting from $100 and up.

Rangel has made spotty and boisterous appearances in the borough, more notably the Bronx Democratic County dinner where Heastie was the man of the hour. Rangel’s district, redrawn a couple of years ago following the 2010 U.S. Census, covers a slab in the Bronx, including Norwood. Though Rangel has pledged at least a mobile office within the Bronx side of his district, nothing has materialized so far. Guess we’ll never see it.

Editor’s Note: The newspaper version of this article misstated Congressman Charles Rangel would run for office again in 2016. He has reportedly stated he will not run.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.