How Cuomo’s Medicaid Cuts Impact Bronx Recipients

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

City to Pick Up Tab on Tree-Damaged Sidewalks Near Homes

By DAVID CRUZ

Homeowners will be getting a reprieve from the city which will begin fixing sidewalks damaged by uprooted trees, a constant headache for homeowners. “It will not happen overnight. I mean as much as I appreciate the gratitude, I also know my colleagues and I are all realistic,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference on Sept. 10. He was joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, who represents Norwood, for the announcement at Community Board 12 in Wakefield. The Department of Transportation (DOT) holds oversight of sidewalks. In the past, if a city-owned tree

NYC Prepares for Impending ICE Raids. What You Should Know.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

With Norwood home to a burgeoning Bangladeshi and established Hispanic community, and the Trump administration’s promise for a major ICE raid of roughly 2,000 undocumented immigrants this Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio reaffirmed the city’s ongoing commitment to protecting immigrants by informing them of their rights, providing free legal services should they require them and reassuring immigrants that city agencies would not cooperate in any way with ICE officials. Speaking on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC on July 12, de Blasio said, “If anyone is afraid or concerned, you know, they can, whether their kids go to a school,

Blake, Congressional Candidate, Backs One Fair Wage At Edge of District

By DAVID CRUZ

Assemblyman Michael Blake is backing a state bill that would mandate the restaurant industry establish a living wage for restaurant workers that predominantly rely on customer tips to make ends meet. The bill has stalled in the Albany Legislature despite a pledge from Governor Andrew Cuomo to see look into it. A portion of Blake’s announcement saw him work as a waiter for an hour at Bronx Draft House on May 28, a move intended to underscore the difficulties of the serving trade. “There will be some impact to your bottom line,” said Blake should the bill pass. While the

The genesis of this edition’s cover story came about after editor David Cruz and reporter Alondra Vasquez drove around Norwood and Bedford Park, taking stock of the myriad of hard hats, construction equipment, and the oft rerouted traffic patterns that comprise typical ordinary construction. Yep, Norwood and Bedford Park have entered another wave of construction, the first happening after 2012, a year after the city authorized a massive rezoning effort along Webster Avenue. This new wave of construction was evident in the intricate grid in Norwood, where crews clad in orange vests were spotted in front of the Capital Bank

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The goal of guaranteeing healthcare for all New Yorkers advanced on May 7. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at Lincoln Hospital the initial offering of the NYC Care card, guaranteeing all New Yorkers access to healthcare. “Healthcare is a human right. It’s as simple as that. . . . It’s a universal right. And we need, in this city, to prove that things can be done differently,” de Blasio said, at a news conference on May 8. The city estimates that 600,000 New Yorkers do not have insurance to receive healthcare, half of those are thought to be undocumented. As

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s possible bid to run for President of the United States. I wouldn’t let him walk my dog, and I don’t even own a dog. He shouldn’t even be running the city of New York because he’s a complete imbecile. Edward Burroughs Norwood Maybe, I think he’s trying to do a good job, but it would be better for him to be in the White House, so he could do the right thing for people. But he has to deliver for the city first and then he

Bronx BP Blasts NYCHA for Evicting Newly Elderly Tenant

By DAVID CRUZ

In a continued rebuke against the New York City Housing Authority, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. lashed out at the beleaguered agency for kicking out a senior citizen tenant from his apartment for not paying his rent while he was recuperating from a leg amputation elsewhere. But hours after Diaz’s news conference, NYCHA is slated to reinstate the tenant. “He’s a good tenant,” said Diaz at a news conference April 11, calling NYCHA out for evicting Bienvenido Martinez, a 72-year-old resident at NYCHA’s Union Avenue Consolidation, a nine-story residential building, in Longwood for the last 14 years. Martinez was

Norwood Among Nabes Targeted for Lead Awareness Campaign

By EMILY SUZANNE LEVER

City health officials are sounding the alarm about lead poisoning that comes not from peeling paint but everyday foods and cosmetics. The city Department of Health & Mental Hygiene announced a lead prevention awareness campaign—which will include flyers, trainings and outreach through community organizations—targeted specifically at South Asian immigrants, who are particularly at risk. The rollout is part of LeadFreeNYC announced at North Central Bronx Hospital on Jan. 28 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who pegged it as a roadmap to the “literal eradication” of childhood lead exposure. The initiative includes free blood lead level testing and lead inspections for