Miles More Open Streets and Protected Bike Lanes From May 14

The City will open 12 more miles of streets and an additional nine new miles of temporary protected bike lanes to pedestrians and cyclists starting tomorrow, May 14. The combined 21 new miles brings the City total to 30 miles of Open Streets since the program was announced on Apr. 27.

A Farewell: I Will Miss the Readers

Farewell: I Will Miss The Readers (Picture)

By DAVID CRUZ

I never thought I’d reach this moment; writing a farewell article in the Norwood News, which is my last as editor-in-chief. After painstakingly trying to find where to start, I realized I was suffering from writer’s block. To undo that, I took some inspiration from what my predecessor for the Norwood News, Alex Kratz, wrote in his personalized farewell to readers. His exit came as the paper reached its 25-year milestone. “Here’s to the next 25 years of the Norwood News giving voice to the voiceless and a grand purpose to another editor looking for a job,” wrote Alex. Not

ALL EVENTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CANCELLATION DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS SCARE. CALL IN ADVANCE. Editor’s Pick St. Patrick’s Day at Woodlawn Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing your green on March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Irish Heritage Trolley Tour at Woodlawn Cemetery. Visit the final resting places of some of new York’s most prominent Irish men and women including George M. Cohan and Geraldine Fitzgerald. Meet at the Jerome/Bainbridge avenues gate at 1:45 p.m. Info/tickets: (718) 408-5600. Onstage Lehman College for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents Forever Freestyle 14, featuring live

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s sixth edition (and my final one as editor-in-chief) of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. In a rare instance, which we hope will be a regular thing moving forward, we’ve packed a whopping 32 pages into this community paper! So let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses continues our look into the changing Bronx political landscape, which shifted once again after Assemblyman Marcos Crespo announced he will not seek re-election for his seat. The story looks at a number of upcoming races, including two

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By JASON CARABALLO

The 2020 Census kicks off on March 12 with nearly every household in the country receiving an invitation to complete the census online, over the telephone, or by mailing in a paper form, all in an effort to count every person residing in the United States. The decennial census is a requirement of the United States Constitution and the results determine a number of very important things, including the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives, congressional and state legislative districts, school districts, voting precincts, and the annual allocation of $675 billion dollars of federal

Merchant Spotlight: A Family Business Grows at JGHBID

By JEROME GUN HILL BID

Shary and Ricky Rodriguez, the team behind Craft Empanadas and Shary’s Daycare on East Gun Hill Road, have opened their latest venture within the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (JGHBID). Craft Dance Studio, located below Craft Empanadas at 261 E. Gun Hill Rd., opened on Feb. 24 and serves as a space for dance classes, event rentals, and more. Children aged 3 and up can sign up for ballet, salsa, hip hop, and bachata classes on Mondays, Wednesday, and Thursdays. Adults can expect salsa and bachata classes to become available in the coming weeks. The studio space is also

Heastie Joins NCBH in Celebrating Black History Month

By HENRY MCEACHERN

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie spoke to a crowd of residents on the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the future of criminal justice reform at North Central Bronx Hospital’s (NCBH) Black History Month Celebration, a first for the state’s first African American speaker. Heastie, whose public visit to NCBH was rare, reflected on his accomplishments as a head of state, including the raising of minimum wage to $15 an hour. He also spoke on education, saying, “We’ve added over $6 billion in education funding since I became speaker. We increased the opportunity programs for people wanting to go

A Tribute for the Bronx's 'Unsung Heroes' and a Vital Bus Stop That Could Be Cut: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fifth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a unique State of the Borough address delivered by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. The speech, Diaz’s penultimate before he heads into retirement in 2021, put the focus on the borough’s men and women who “put in the work” to better the borough. The story focuses on one Fordham local who certainly

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. delivered his annual State of the Borough speech in a rather interesting way, sidestepping its usual ceremonial proclivities that involve absorbing all the attention while unveiling his to-do list for the upcoming year by honoring the borough’s unsung heroes (more on this can be found in our front page story). But missing in that retrospective speech complete with pomp and swagger, bespoke of Diaz’s own personality, were ideas for the borough. Where were they? Checking back on previous state of the borough speeches (unlike this year, his office would send reporters a transcript of