Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, the award-winning publication covering all things Norwood and its surrounding Bronx communities, is out with plenty of news you can use. We start at the beginning, and on page 1. There, we have a story on the battle to preserve the character of Bedford Park and Norwood. A report yet finalized by the all Community Board 7 members was approved by the Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee. What does this mean for the neighborhood? Read to find out more! Turning to inside-the-cover stories, the Bronx Borough President’s Office has released a

Activists Fume Over Hours Long Partying on Mosholu Parkway

By DAVID CRUZ

Activists are demanding answers over how the local 52nd Precinct could allow illegal barbecues to go on for hours along Mosholu Parkway over the July 4th weekend, despite the presence of “No Barbecuing” signs throughout parkway. They’ve now reached out to local elected officials and are in the stages of planning a meeting to get answers. Many residents vented frustration on Facebook, posting photos of other residents setting up tents, lounge chairs and speakers across the leafy mall. The day after July 4th, mounds of trash can be spotted around Mosholu Parkway. Leftover trash and burnt out ashes the day after

INDEPENDENCE DAY CAME five days early in the Bronx as fireworks light up the night sky on June 29 at the holiday celebration held at Orchard Beach. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted the yearly gathering, which attracted hundreds of spectators. Food vendors were on hand, and the annual Bronx Empanada Eating Contest did not disappoint. Photo by Miriam Quinones

Bus Countdown Clocks Come to the Bronx

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

Three. Two. One. Zero. Your bus has arrived. Four bus stops in the Bronx were upgraded with Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) countdown clocks. The corners of East Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse; University Avenue and West Tremont Avenue; University and West Burnside avenues; and East Burnside and Jerome avenues are the first in the Bronx to get such clocks. Councilman Fernando Cabrera announced June 26 that the clocks were being installed. “Now, our communities will have the technology tools they need to make public transit easier to use,” Cabrera, who allocated funding for the clocks, said in a statement.

Report: Give and Take for Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights Downzoning

By DAVID CRUZ

At its June 14 meeting, Community Board 7’s Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee approved the findings of an independent study that would limit height restrictions on new buildings in two Bronx neighborhoods, despite the study’s author recommending more neighborhoods be assessed before submitting them to the city. For Lois Harr, a resident in Bedford Park, the motion represented a victory in preventing further construction of high-rise properties in Bedford Park and Kingsbridge Heights, the two neighborhoods studied. Concerns of overdevelopment at a rapid clip in Bedford Park had especially prompted the study. “Time is running out,” Jean Hill, committee chair,

By DAVID GREENE

In honor of Independence Day, this week the Norwood News asks readers their thoughts on the state of America and what areas should be improved upon.

Reconstruction to Begin on Step Street in Kingsbridge

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER

A so-called step street in Kingsbridge is set to undergo a $6.6 million reconstruction following years of complaints. The multi-agency operation between the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), and local officials united to “make the necessary upgrades that will allow this step street to flourish, and create a safer, more efficient passageway for the community,” according to DOT’s Bronx Borough Commissioner Nivardo Lopez. The 230-foot long step street, comprised of ten flights of concrete steps, connects Heath Avenue and Kingsbridge Terrace. It will be given a complete

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER

Bring Citi Bike to the Bronx! That’s the call from supporters and organizers who’ve proposed a $12 million expansion plan to include the rental bikes to the Bronx and other low-income neighborhoods in New York City. The price tag accounts for .01 percent of the city’s 2018-19 Fiscal Year budget and could mean transportation availability for more than six million New Yorkers, according to organizers. The daily rental price is $12 while a three-day pass runs $24. The prospect of the bikes coming to the Bronx sparked logistical questions from Norwood resident Edward Aucay, who suspected that “lack of space

Fordham Stores Learn to Avoid Fines by Agencies Who Dole Them Out

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Lorelei Salas headed to East Fordham Road the morning of June 23. Although anytime is a good time to shop in the Bronx’s largest shopping district, she was there to educate. Salas was joined by Councilman Ritchie Torres, and officials from the city Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Department of Sanitation and the Fordham Road Business Improvement District for a door-to-door trek for Business Education Day along the Bronx’ Fordham Road Business Improvement District. Salas said the agency’s goal was to reach at least 80 businesses along the East Fordham Road strip to keep