Following Through on a Promise, Norwood Shelter to Get Peace Officers

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

The Jerome Avenue Men’s Shelter (JAMS) in Norwood will finally receive peace officers following efforts from Councilman Andy Cohen, Community Board 7, and several other elected officials, following through on a promise made by the New York City Department of Homeless Services for some. “I am really pleased they’re coming. I am very optimistic that they are going to reduce the overall impact of the shelter on the community,” said Cohen in a telephone interview with the Norwood News. DHS hopes the peace officers, who are expected to report for duty on Oct. 1, will relieve the 52nd Precinct from constantly

Editor’s Pick Freebies at the Oval Williamsbridge Oval (info: (718) 543-8672) presents the following free events: Aug. 30 from 11 a.m. to noon – Puppet Show – Bessie’s Big Shot Aug. 31 at 8:30 p.m. – Outdoor film – “Uncle Drew” Onstage Woodlawn Cemetery holds free outdoor concert featuring Boricua Legends performing the music of Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz and other Latin American artists, Sept. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Bring chair or blanket; chairs will not be provided. Bags are subject to search. The Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight mausoleum will be open for

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

Skaters can’t seem to wait any longer for the new skateboard park at Williamsbridge Oval Park. Though the park is not officially open there has already been several sightings of skaters getting their wheels dirty. Video taken by the Norwood News shows three skaters practicing on in the skateboard park’s open space that’s surrounding by a perimeter fence on Aug. 14. Demands for a skateboard park go back to 2004, though it wasn’t made possible yet until after a $750,000 allocation by Councilman Andrew Cohen in 2013. Design of the skateboard park was finished in June 2015 with construction beginning

The $1 Million in Participatory Budgeting Results Are...

By JOE KONIG

There will not be a special election for the 11th Council District. At least, not this year. The Bronx Democratic Party nominated three candidates to the Bronx Supreme Court at a judicial convention on Aug. 8. None of the nominees were Councilman Andrew Cohen, delaying the long-anticipated campaign to succeed the term-limited councilman for at least another year and squashing theories of party orchestration. Instead, Bronx Democrats nominated Bahaati Pitt and John Higgit to two open seats and re-nominated Wilma Guzman to the seat she’s held since 2006. Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Higgit to the New York State Court of

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Picnics and yoga? Forget about it. It’s more like an open-air rave each weekend at the Gun Hill Meadow inside Van Cortlandt Park, which stretches along West Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue. After years of filing 311 noise complaints, residents at Knox Place, Gates Place, DeKalb Avenue, and West Mosholu Parkway say the late-night open-air sprees have gotten progressively worse each year, and are already untenable as the summer surpasses its halfway mark. After 165 noise complaints were logged for the area this year alone, the majority between June and July, 98 residents penned and signed a formal letter

By DAVID CRUZ

For candidates in the impending 11th Council District race, Eric Dinowitz still leads when it comes to fundraising, building an $80,990 war chest compared to main rival Dan Padernacht, who raised $28,026, according to the latest campaign finance figures. Dinowitz, a school teacher, district leader, and the son of Assembly Jeffrey Dinowitz, also has 50 percent of his donors coming directly from the 11th Council District, which covers Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Fieldston, and Woodlawn. But Padernacht, an attorney, isn’t far behind. Of the 113 donors coming from the Bronx, 84 percent of them live in the

A Bengali Womens’ Empowerment Group Walks A Tightrope in Norwood

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Sanjana Khan and Ayesha Akhtar grew up just a block apart in Norwood. Both their families hail from the city of Sylhet in eastern Bangladesh on the Surma River. Yet, it took a Bronx Narratives event last August at the Bronx Museum of the Arts for the two to finally meet. A month later, they founded LAAL, a non-profit group supporting Bengali women in Norwood live healthy, engaged, joyful lives. The two women spent June 23 “womanning” the group’s table stand at the “Bangla Bazzar Street Fair”, which took place at Decatur Avenue and East 204th Street in Norwood. Together, with

Why the CFB’s New Program Could Disrupt Purported 11th CD Race

By DAVID CRUZ

Next year will likely be an election season for the ages. And the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) is preparing so. With 35 New York City Council seats up for grabs, five of which are in the Bronx, more candidates will be on hand (CFB expects 500 candidates), especially those new to politics. Meantime, all five borough presidents, including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., will have vacancies. Running campaigns is not cheap, leaving many candidates who believe they can make a difference to not even consider the thought. But CFB is looking to undo that by reminding

Skateboard Project Hits Another Snag, Delayed for Several More Months

By DAVID CRUZ

Just as crews were at the tail end of the long-anticipated skateboard park inside Williamsbridge Oval Park, the project hit a snag, delaying the project for several more months. News of the delay “We thought the skate park in the Oval was completed, however we found out that the surface, whatever they put down, cracked, and it all has to be ripped up again and redone,” said Barbara Stronczer, chair of Community Board 7’s Parks Committee, shared the news to a surprised audience at the latest Community Board 7 general board meeting. The delay, which was updated on the New