Death once again came to Norwood on May 29, when 18-year-old Damion C. Gilbert, Jr., a lifelong Norwood resident, was stabbed to death following a nighttime barbecue. A makeshift memorial was set up in front of where Gilbert drew his final breaths at the corner of East 211th and DeKalb Avenue. Police later charged Roshawn Pine with murder, manslaughter, and weapons charges.

Five more homicides were reported in 2018, the most recent happening on Dec. 10 when 17-year-old Angel Reyes-Godoy was pushed into oncoming traffic near 2670 Bainbridge Ave., killing him. Police later determined that Angel was the unintended victim of the Trinitarios gang, which gained greater notoriety early this year for another killing of an unintended target.

The killings contributed to a rise in overall serious crime, rising 5.91 percent as of press time.

Trinitarios
Gang violence became front and center at the midway mark in 2018, when 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz was killed in an incident that stunned the world. Junior, a baby-faced teen from Belmont, was repeatedly stabbed outside Cruz and Chiky Grocery on June 20 allegedly by members of the Trinitarios. The police ruled Junior was the victim of mistaken identity.

The horrific incident was captured on surveillance video, putting the gross reality of gang violence on the forefront of the public’s conscience. Periods of mourning by the community was soon followed by outrage. Residents sought justice for the young man, becoming a popular Twitter hashtag thousands of times. Elected officials sounded the alarm on the dangers of gangs, prompting Councilman Ritchie Torres to pump $1 million in funding towards anti-gang measures.

Meantime, police launched an aggressive pursuit in finding suspects responsible for the teen’s death, eventually rounding up 14 members of the Trinitarios. They faced numerous charges, including murder. Police later determined that a feud between two Trinitario subsets sparked the violence, with Junior becoming the unintended victim.

The incident became the inspiration for a five-part series by the Norwood News, WFUV Radio, and BronxNet Television dubbed “Bronx Connections: The Gang Impact,” which examined the community’s impact on gang violence in the Bronx.

Change of the Political Guard
It was certainly the year of the woman for the borough’s political spectrum, with two heavyweights Democrats toppled by newcomers in what’s been viewed as a referendum of the old way of politics.

Locally, Nathalia Fernandez, chief of staff to Mark Gjonaj, ascended to her old boss’s 80th Assembly District seat to become the new Assemblywoman representing Norwood. Fernandez locked in her nomination ahead of the April 24 special election where she be- came the interim Assemblywoman. She proved her mettle in the September Democratic Primary, beating challenger Gene DeFrancis.

Over in the East Bronx, in a cautionary tale a la the “Tortoise vs. Hare,” political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Congressman Joe Crowley in a contest that sent shockwaves across the Bronx and to the other side of the country. Ocasio-Cortez had given it her all in her race against Crowley, who was considered a successor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and appeared to underestimate his opponent.

But on the night of the June 26 congressional primary, a stunned Ocasio-Cortez beat Crowley for the 14th Congressional District seat in what was viewed as a David vs. Goliath defeat.

Crowley’s defeat lines up to the biggest defeat of them all—state Sen. Jeff Klein, whose deal with the Republicans in 2011 came back to bite him. Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, a group of seven breakaway Democrats who caucused with the Republicans, an unusual setup, was defeated by Alessandra Biaggi. Biaggi, granddaughter of the late Bronx Congressman Mario Biaggi, ran on a platform that sought to turn the 34th Senate District into a true-blue Democratic stronghold.

With a fraction of Klein’s $3 million campaign war chest, the millennial Biaggi utilized social media to amplify her message. In the end, voters gave Biaggi a chance, unseating Klein 17,243 to 15,736. Riverdale swung the election, effectively ending Klein’s 20-year political career. His future plans have so far been kept under wraps. Following the election, Klein made no public statements or appearances for months. The defeat capped a year of headaches for Klein, who was accused of sexual harassment by a former staffer.

Klein’s finish forced the Bronx Democratic Party to shift gears some, scrapping its original plan to put Councilman Andrew Cohen on the path towards a judgeship. Behind the scenes, Klein had unsuccessfully lobbied for the job following his loss, which would have opened up Cohen’s 11th Council District seat. The seat was eyed by Riverdale community advocates Eric Dinowitz and Daniel Padernacht, with the latter already considering a run and the former just seriously considering it. In the end, things were kept exactly where they were.

Development
Bedford Park became the target of intense real estate speculation, as more and more homes were put up for sale, with developers offering lucrative buyouts to homeowners.

Their presence was plainly evident along East 202nd Street, where a massive building is slated to go up, once again chipping away at Bedford Park’s small-town feel. The plan by CAMBA has drawn fierce criticism by Community Board 7, who believed high-rise developments simply didn’t belong in Bedford Park. The proposal by CAMBA is still open in the area, and it’s only in 2019 when the community will learn the fate of those projects.

Norwood News’ Milestone
The Norwood News achieved a milestone, hitting the 30-year mark in providing news coverage to the northwest Bronx. A gala took place at Lehman College on Nov. 1, with past and present faces breaking bread and showing their support for the community paper.

Four awards were handed out to various people and one institution that have made the paper a bedrock of the community. They went to Bronx journalist Gary Axelbank, housing advocate Sally Dunford, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, and longtime Norwood News proofreader Judy Noy, in what was a surprise honor for Noy.

The Norwood News will be here next year, recapping the major stories for 2019.

Neighborhood Natives Lost
The latter half of 2018 saw the loss of two cultural giants with roots in the Norwood area. Stan Lee, the comic book pioneer and media mogul, died from cardiac arrest caused by congestive heart failure in November at the age of 95.

Known for his New York-native superheroes (although notably never a Bronx-based one), Lee grew up in University Heights and attended DeWitt Clinton High School at the same time as fellow comic book giants Will Eisner and Bob Kane.

Then, with two weeks left in the year, Bronx icon Penny Marshall, who grew up at 3235 Grand Concourse and attended Kingsbridge’s Walton High School, died at age 75 from complications of diabetes.

Marshall was known for her co-starring role in the 1970s TV sitcom, Laverne & Shirley, and her ground-breaking directorial career that included 1988’s Big and 1992’s A League of Their Own.