Neighborhood Notes

Open House A meet and greet event with officers of the 52nd Precinct takes place June 17 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the stationhouse, 3016 Webster Ave. Children are encouraged to come to the free event and take advantage of rock wall, a hot dog stand, and try out some officer equipment. For more information, call (718) 220-5807. Rent Freeze Meeting A Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) workshop will be held on June 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Serviam Gardens, 323 E. 198th St. Those eligible may be able to receive a rent freeze, and

By DAVID CRUZ

A Bronx judge presiding over three of four intertwining cases linked to the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC), proposed to city lawyers it allow the ice center’s lease be freed from escrow “forthwith” until next February so it can raise funds needed to begin the long-awaited project. But Judge Ruben Franco of Bronx Supreme Court, blatantly nudging to advance the $350 million project, warned KNIC it would have to relinquish the lease if it doesn’t obtain the $138 million needed to proceed with the project’s first phase. “All deals are off,” said Judge Franco. The recommendation bore similarities to a proposal

By ADRIANNA LOMBARDO

After many years of lobbying for a full-service animal shelter in the Bronx, the voices and barks of those in need have finally been heard, thanks to $10 million earmarked by the city to create a state-of-the-art shelter. While talk of a shelter’s amenities has stood at the forefront, one remaining question lingers: where will it be located? The answer depends on where several animal advocates live. For now, Marion Koenig, a co-founder of the Bronx Animal Shelter Endeavor (B.A.S.E.), believes that an animal shelter in the Bronx is long overdue. Koenig said the site should be a sustainable, eco-friendly

Vivian R. Carter, the boisterous sales person for the Norwood News, has parted with the bi-weekly community newspaper and now serving as director of communications for local Councilman Andrew Cohen. Ms. Carter embodied the spirit of community. Working on a modest commission, she invested hours into the almost 28-year-old newspaper, offering a wealth of ideas, attending community cultural events, and lending a wealth of personal knowledge to the newsroom. Ms. Carter worked in the fields of law (she had worked alongside current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch) and education before focusing her attention on the history of Rockaway, a neighborhood

Dear Fellow Readers, The multi-award winning Norwood News, bringing you plenty of community news you can use is out with its latest edition. We have 20 packed pages full of news, with one page devoted to several nods the paper received within the last first. As usual, we take you to page one, and a story about a notorious landlord who faces mounting pressure from Bronx tenants looking to improve their buildings’ quality of life. Tatyana Turner tells you all she knows about Ved Parkash, who owns some 40 residences in the Bronx. Definitely worth a read. Inside the cover, an

By TATYANA TURNER

The results are in! A local grassroots group has finally gotten a clearer idea of how to a plant a greener future for a neighborhood park. The Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP) tallied the results of a survey and found Norwood wants a new comfort station, improved lighting, and renovated water features for Kossuth Playground, which opened in 1930. To bring the proposal to life, FOMP reached out to the office of Councilman Andrew Cohen, who represents Norwood, and Partnerships for Parks to help organize an event that would allow residents to voice the needs for Kossuth Playground. “We had

By DAVID CRUZ

Celebration of the arts and its artists was the order of the evening for the Bronx Council of the Arts. The nonprofit group, boosting the Bronx’s artistic side, hosted the yearly Bronx Recognizes Its Own, or BRIO Awards, on June 1. Twenty five Bronx residents took home a distinction for their contributions to a specific medium, be it literary, media, performing and visual arts. The awards come with a $3,000 cash prize. “Each year we are overwhelmed by the breadth of media and the artistry of the entrants. This group utilizes sophisticated digital resources and demonstrates how technology is giving

By DAVID CRUZ

The Mosholu Library is one of the borough’s rare public depositories with one singular amenity: a spacious backyard used for daily programming. It was only natural that the sleepy patio was ideal for a tiny greenhouse funded by a private grant. It debuted on May 24, capping several months of preparation by library staffers. It rests at a corner of the hooded yard, a translucent hut that traps heat used to nourish budding plants. “We’re one of the lucky libraries that actually has a backyard,” said Lauren Uruchima, one of the branch’s senior librarians. “There’s always been that missing

It was a big night for the Norwood News, picking up three awards at the 14th annual Ippies Awards on June 2. The awards ceremony, sponsored by the Center for Community and Ethnic Media and CUNY School of Journalism, is the only awards show to honor multi-language newspapers and community press. The almost 28-year-old newspaper once again took home a First Place prize for Best Small Circulation Publication, this time tying with The Riverdale Press. “Both Bronx news outlets prove that small independent news outlets that serve their communities well can survive and thrive in this era of journalistic turbulence,” read Tom Robbins,