Debates For Police Accountability Rage at Five-Two Mtg.

By David Cruz One day after celebrating her 24th year at the NYPD, Inspector Nilda Hofmann faced a tense standoff with two police skeptics calling for more accountability within the Police Department. Their weapons: debate and rebuttals that seared with hostility.

Spelling Bee C-R-A-Z-E At P.S. 94

By Anton K. Nilsson Emotions ran high at the eighth annual P.S. 94 spelling bee. For the 26 participating fourth and fifth graders, the dominant feelings were of excitement and stage-fright; for the three finalists, it was all P-R-I-D-E and J-O-Y.

Neighborhood Notes

Gjonaj Mobile Office Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj’s mobile office van is open each Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. at the corner of East 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue for constituents to voice community concerns. For more information, call (718) 409-0109. NYPD Career Community Day NYPD recruiters will be at Poe Park at East 192nd Street and the Grand Concourse on Saturday, Oct. 18 from noon to 4 p.m. as part NYPD Community Career Day. Various departments include police, school safety and traffic divisions. For more information, contact your local precinct. Free Flu Shots Free flu shots will be administered to

Getting a Say: More Participatory Budgeting Sessions Set

By DAVID CRUZ If you had the chance to fill the role of New York City Councilmember, where would you earmark $1 million in capital funds? It’s a question Councilman Andy Cohen will continue posing in his latest round of Participatory Budget sessions, a yearlong process where locals as young as 14-years-old in his 11th Council District can offer input on how to spend taxpayer monies to better their communities. Six workshops are slated for this month: Monday, Oct. 20 – Schervier Nursing Home, 2975 Independence Ave. at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 – Rambling House, 4292 Katonah Ave. at

Compiled by Judy Noy Editor’s Pick The Bronx by Bike The 20th annual free Tour de Bronx will take place on Sunday, Oct. 26, offering a 25- or 40-mile ride, starting from the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse at 161st Street and will culminate at the New York Botanical Garden with live music and light snacks. Check-in time is at 9 a.m. Free bike helmets will be fitted and distributed from 8 to 11:30 a.m., while supplies last. Participants must sign a waiver. To register, go to www.iLoveTheBronx.com.

KNIC Officially Inks Lease To Bring Ice Center To Armory

by David Cruz The i’s have been dotted. The t’s crossed. The lawsuits cleared. Now the Kingsbridge National Ice Center is officially set to bring the world’s largest skating center to the long vacant Kingsbridge Armory after a bumpy start. Kevin Parker, the lead developer of the complex, officially signed a 99-year lease with the city Economic Development Corporation this week, two weeks after a judge ruled he is the sole developer of the $350 million project. “Reaching this juncture caps a monumental effort from community partners, elected officials and local residents who joined us in dreaming big – in

by David Cruz Take participatory budgeting, a Tour de Bronx, the rebirth of the NCBH maternity ward and the list of Norwood’s worst landlords and you have the latest edition of the Norwood News, hitting newsstands at over 200 locations in the northwest Bronx. This week we explore key events happening in the community for you to share with friends and family. Check out roving reporter Hayley Camacho’s article on shady landlords whose buildings have made life hell for tenants in Norwood and Bedford Park. The responses she gathered are quite interesting. Next, we give you an update to a murderous

by David Cruz Strap on your helmet, tune up the two-wheeler and get set for the 20th annual Tour de Bronx. The state’s largest bike outing, according to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., is a way of shattering the nagging stigma of the Bronx. “And the best way to do that is to show people that the Bronx is not what it was, but so much more,” said Diaz, as he stood outside the Bronx YMCA in Castle Hill, overlooking a scenic view of the East River and Whitestone Bridge. The largest free bicycling event in the state, the

By David Cruz The Edward R. Murrow of the Bronx is celebrating 20 years on the air. Gary Axelbank, the even-handed Bronxite who’s been the host of BronxTalk since 1994, is slated to hold an anniversary bash that doubles as a taping of the public access show on Oct. 22.