Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out!

Dear Readers, Happy belated Thanksgiving Day! If you’re at home or work, you could spend some time to check out some community news you can use with the Norwood News, covering the northwest Bronx. The digital edition, and physical paper are out with news you won’t find anywhere else. Our front page focuses on an issue impacting the 63 percent of rent burdened Bronxites living in the northwest Bronx–two zoning proposals rejected by Bronx officials. Considered the DNA of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York Plan, the zoning text amendments were not well-received by Bronx elected officials and community boards.


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Out & About

  Editor’s Pick Christmas Tree Lightings  The public is invited to tree lighting ceremonies by the Jerome-Gun Hill BID on Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. at East Mosholu Parkway North and Jerome Avenue; and by Community Board #7 on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. on the center island at Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue. Onstage Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse, presents Henry’s Law performed by the Hostos Repertory Company, through Dec. 4 (call for times), in the Repertory Theatre (tickets: $10; free/students and under 18), a friendship develops when popular female student is tutored by


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New Petition to Improve Voter Experience Under Way

In the 2013 election, turnout on Election Day was historically low, despite a mayoral election and a swell of New York City Council races that year. That sentiment was viewed in the numbers during the mayoral election– roughly 19 percent of the Bronx voting age population came to the polls. More stunning, 8,000 ballots casted by Bronxites were tossed out since their ballot cards were filled out incorrectly, relinquishing the vote. Invalid ballots are one of a litany of election problems that have long troubled good government groups such as the League of Women Voters (LWV). But now, the New


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Some Hopes and Worries In Community Board 7’s Health Profile

A snapshot of Community District 7’s health status has just been released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, offering glimmers of hope and areas of concern. The agency compiled health profiles for each of the city’s 59 Community Districts, which included statistics ranging from life expectancy rates, leading causes of death, and the effects of housing and air quality on one’s health. Each profile also highlighted comparisons in each district to the Bronx and city overall. The average life expectancy of residents in Community District 7, covering Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford, Fordham, University Heights, and Norwood,


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Inquiring Photographer

With some recent high-profile motor vehicle crashes, we asked readers their thoughts on the implementation of Vision Zero and whether pedestrian safety has gotten better or worse. It doesn’t matter because the drivers don’t abide by the law anyway. People complain when you go too slow; they beep you and try and make you go faster and if people don’t see police around, they’re moving. Who wants to do 25 miles per hour? They’re in a hurry. You ever drive 25 and see how far you get? You hold other drivers up. T. Becerra Norwood I believe that traffic has gotten


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Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out!

To our faithful readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News is out and hitting the stands as we write, with plenty (and we do mean plenty) of community news you can use. We go to the epicenter of Norwood, Williamsbridge Oval Park, where football practice has to be cut short for one club that’s working on its plays without any adequate lights. Requests from club organizers have gone unchecked. Read how no lights is impacting their game. We also delve into a growing trend that’s happening across the Bronx: priced out commercial tenants. For rent signs are popping up


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Editorial – Dismal Voter Turnout Only Hurts You

On Election Night, the Norwood News stood glued to the results of voter returns in the race for Bronx District Attorney, a contest rife with political intrigue wrapped in rarity. The news of an actual race, the first in 27 years following the long tenure of borough District Attorney Robert Johnson, could have spurred a big presence in a contest that’s lain dormant for nearly three decades. One would think it would at the very least signal a spike in voter turnout in an otherwise lackluster political season. We expected that. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. When the returns trickled in, we


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Editorial: A Bronx Newspaper Now Shadow of Its Former Self

It came as a surprise to us when a Facebook post read that the Bronx News, established for the past 42 years, would downgrade. Instead, the paper will serve as an advertising vehicle loaded with horoscopes, trivia, random fun facts, comics and virtually no original reporting. For all intents and purposes, the new Bronx News is a trivialized version of its former self. The publication certainly had an edge, with stories largely focusing on the darker side of the Bronx with a sprinkle of good news thrown in here and there. But say what you will about the newspaper, the


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Inquiring Photographer: Unresolved 311 Complaints

This week we asked readers about complaints to the city’s 311 hotline and how fast they got results. [A woman claimed to be a landlord and wasn’t.] 311 responded quickly, but they just put in the paperwork saying they gave the woman a violation. On that side it went fine. But we’re still left homeless and without a place to stay because this lady took our rent money and now eight people are left in the cold. Anthony Simpson                                        Fordham I called


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