Opinion

Financial Focus: Want The Biggest Tax Refund of all Next Year? Change your W-4 at Work!

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service
By PROFESSOR ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA PFA
Are you paying too little in taxes? Too much? Who cares as long as you get a gillion-dollar tax refund, right? Boy, do you have a lot to learn. But don’t worry, you’re in the right place! In short, every taxpayer has a tax bracket. Of course, as our income goes up, so does our tax bracket. Based on your income at the last day of the calendar year that will put you in your tax bracket at the end of the year. So, by the end of the year, if you paid too little in taxes, you will owe


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Inquiring Photographer: Bronx Thoughts on Bail Reform

Crime File: Who's Wanted In the Bronx?
By DAVID GREENE
With the state’s new bail reform measure in effect for the last two months—and a faction of state senators looking to tweak the law—we asked readers their thoughts on the existing law as it is and whether it’s fair to link the increase in crime to the new law. [Bail reform is] a bad idea. What they’re doing now is not a good idea. I do think bail reform will bring more crime [and] even the police are angry about this. If someone gets arrested today…tomorrow they’re out. Oh yeah, bail was a good idea because some criminals need to


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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!

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


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Editorial: We Hope He Hasn’t Checked Out

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


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In the Bronx, State of the Borough Speech Offers Personal Retrospective

Crime File: Who's Wanted In the Bronx?
By DAVID CRUZ
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. threw away the oft-formulaic State of the Borough speech he’s delivered over the last decade for a retrospective of sorts while honoring a who’s who of civic activists, educators, and captains of industry. His penultimate speech at Borough Hall comes a few weeks after announcing he won’t be running for New York City mayor after all. Diaz, 47, told reporters he’s “at peace” with his decision, mentioning that the Bronx certainly has a crop of elected officials ready to pick up the baton. He mentioned by name Assembly Members Marcos Crespo, Michael Blake, Victor Pichardo,


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Financial Focus: The Path to a Bigger Tax Refund for 2021 – Investments (Part 6 of 7)

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service
By PROFESSOR ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA
Do you own stock? Bonds? Mutual funds? Congratulations, then you could have investment interest or dividend and capital gains. Or God forbid, capital losses! Is the interest, dividends and capital gains taxable? Can you deduct your capital losses? Investment interest Deductible investment interest is interest paid on margin accounts or interest paid on loans used to buy or carry investments. For example, if you get a margin loan through your brokerage account and use it to buy more stocks, then the interest you pay is investment interest. Another example would be if you bought land to hold as an investment,


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Inquiring Photographer: State of the Bronx

Inquiring Photographer: State of the Bronx
With Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. set to deliver his State of the Borough address on Feb. 20, we asked readers to offer their take on the state of the Bronx. Right now, the main thing I’m concerned about is police actions. Other than that, the Bronx is a good place to live. Yeah, they’re still doing stop and frisk. They stop people for anything: weed, guns. I don’t mind them getting the guns off the street, but stopping everyone is harassment … I do worry about gentrification and that’s scary because it pushes the poor people right out of


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NYBG Enters Residential Housing Market, Five-Two’s Thoughts on Criminal Justice Reform: Check out the Latest Norwood News!

By DAVID CRUZ
Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fourth edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We’ve loaded up 24 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a long-awaited project announced by the New York Botanical Garden, which is now entering the residential housing market. The affordable housing residences, with one set aside exclusively to seniors, will soon pop up along Webster Avenue. The area had been rezoned in ten years, clearing the path for projects such as this.


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Jules Ira Rubenstein, the Original Inquiring Photographer, Dies at 74

By DAVID GREENE
Life-long Van Cortlandt Park resident Jules Ira Rubenstein, the original “Inquiring Photographer” who produced that popular feature for the Norwood News for 14 years until his retirement more than a decade ago, died from complications of pneumonia. He was 74. A source at Montefiore Hospital, where Rubenstein had been hospitalized since October, stated he had died on Feb. 4, confirming that at around 4:30 a.m., he was found unresponsive. “They tried to resuscitate him [but] he expired,” the source added. Rubenstein was the Norwood News’ first “roving reporter” who covered local breaking news events such as police and fire department activity. He was first hired by


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