The Bronx Mobilizes to Ensure Everyone Counts in 2020 Census

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Representatives for the impending U.S. Census count have converged onto the Bronx, stopping by various organizations to lay out what residents should expect for the nationwide tally aimed at determining federal funding and electoral lines. Among the biggest takeaways from census reps is reassuring people with an undocumented status that their participation is not only crucial but also protected. Maria Matos, a partnership specialist assigned to the Bronx by the U.S. Census Bureau, spends part of her time informing Bronxites that census information is confidential and protected by federal law. She was most recently at the monthly Bedford Mosholu Community

Editor’s Pick Help for Puerto Rico Elected officials are holding the following two humanitarian relief effort for Puerto Rico. Info: (718) 792-1140: Jan. 18 at noon – Held at Southern Boulevard and Aldus Street. Bring bottled water, batteries and flashlights, first aid kits, Pampers and baby formula, and canned foods. Onstage Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. ($25 to $45); Yamato, the Drummers of Japan, Jan. 19 at 4 p.m.; and Elvis Crespo performing Latin music, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. Info/tickets/ fees: (718) 960-8833. Bronx

By DAVID CRUZ

When it comes to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement to further cut state-covered Medicaid beginning April 1, on top of his decision to cut Medicaid by one percent, state Sen. Gustavo Rivera told the Norwood News that Bronxites will not be directly impacted. “The services are still going to be provided,” said Rivera, who chairs the Senate Health Committee, which hears all matters pertaining to health. “You’re not gonna get turned away. You’re not going to be told, we can’t afford to provide this for you.” But it doesn’t mean the area’s hospitals won’t bleed money, given Medicaid’s ability to help

Traffic Tie-Ups Worsen on Bainbridge Avenue

By DAVID CRUZ

The MTA has temporarily set up new bus stops in Norwood, take effect today as crews continue its work to replace underground pipes. Notices were emailed to community stakeholders alerting them to changes to the northbound Bx16, Bx34, and BxM4 bus stops. Commuters catching their bus at Bainbridge Avenue between East 212th Street and Jerome Avenue will now have to catch it on Jerome Avenue between East 212th Street and Jerome Avenue. Crews with the city Department of Design & Construction (DDC) note the change is intended to “facilitate the installation of a 72-inch Trunk Water Main.” The DDC also

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s second edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 20 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story looks back at the professional life of Sally Dunford, the West Bronx Housing executive director who retired in early January. Dunford leaves behind a legacy of helping thousands of renters who faced unscrupulous landlords over the years. Read what exactly she wanted to do with her life and her philosophical outlook on empowerment. Inside the

If you read part one of our seven-part series on how to get all your tax money back, we will now discuss one of the best, one of the most complicated and one of the most fruitful ways: children. According to the IRS, children are not your babies but people that are growing fast! What the IRS wants to know is whether they are your dependents. Do they produce income? Do you maintain their support? How old are they? Are you separated or divorced? Do both of you share the burden? Maybe only one? Therefore, what is a dependent? Children and

She Helped Thousands With Their Housing Cases, and Now She's Retired

By DAVID CRUZ

“I’ve always wanted to change the world,” says Sally Dunford, sitting inside a cubicle less than seven hours before capping 28 years as executive director of West Bronx Housing. It’s Jan. 7, and for Dunford—wearing a maroon shirt, black pants, and white shoes– it’s retirement day, a moment she never thought would come, capping a lifetime of housing advocacy that’s kept thousands of Bronx residents in their homes while also empowering them to reclaim their quality of life against unscrupulous landlords. Making her indispensable over the years was her encyclopedic know-how of the daunting housing system, which over the years,

State of the State: What Your Bronx State Reps Had to Say

By DAVID CRUZ

Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his tenth State of the State address that received praise and some criticism from the borough’s state legislators covering Norwood. Among Cuomo’s proposals include expanding its tuition-free state college program to families make $150,000 or less, categorizing hate crimes a type of domestic terrorism, and legalizing marijuana, a measure that received intense pushback from critics in the last session. Cuomo also reaffirmed his commitment to revitalizing Hunts Point and seeing the installation of four Metro-North stations to the Bronx. But the Governor stood silent on the issue of bail reform for misdemeanor and nonviolent felonies, where

Tracey Towers Residents Wonder How Their Complex Became Little Ghana

By DAVID CRUZ

Tracey Towers is known for its robust representation of Ghanaian Americans new to the country or second or third generation. And their ample presence—complete with their own tenants association and yearly events highlighting the colorful culture of the West African country—has earned it a cute name among residents: “Little Ghana.” The fun fact has extended beyond the looming towers and to published works, where one book, African & American: West Africans in Post-Civil Rights America, mentions Tracey Towers as being home to “literally hundreds of Ghanaians and became the basis for the development of the most recognizable physical enclave of this