http://www.norwoodnews.org/news/ The latest news stories from the Norwood News. en-us Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT ian@ondeckstudio.com (Ian Koski) ian@ondeckstudio.com (Ian KoskI) http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2018 Jose Rodriguez gets ready to do battle with a fallen tree in Williamsbridge Oval Park following a vicious Sunday afternoon storm that uprooted, knocked down and ripped the limbs off dozens of area trees. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2018 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2019 Woodlawn Cemetery has contracted out an independent review to investigate racism and favoritism allegations made by employees who claim the cemetery has ignored past complaints and has done little to improve their work environment. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2019 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2021 A local man was shot dead two weeks ago inside of Williamsbridge Oval Park, apparently after a dispute involving an iPhone. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2021 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2022 State Senate candidate Gustavo Rivera has picked up significant support in his bid to topple incumbent Pedro Espada, Jr. in the 33rd Senate District. The Working Families Party and the New Roosevelt Initiative have gotten behind Rivera, and the latter promises to independently spend $250,000 on his behalf. Meanwhile, Daniel Padernacht, a Kingsbridge Heights housing lawyer, and Fernando Tirado, the district manager of Community Board 7, are committed to staying in the race, despite pressure to withdraw so Rivera can take on Espada one-on-one. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2022 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2023 Bill Samuels has pledged $250,000 to help get Gustavo Rivera elected in the 33rd Senate District, though he's only ever met the man for 30 seconds, total. Samuels, a businessman whose family has political roots and founded the plastics company Kordite (think Hefty Trash Bags), is on a mission to get State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., voted out of office. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2023 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2024 While there's been no shortage of talk about the candidates running in the 33rd State Senate District-the seat currently occupied by Pedro Espada, Jr.-we thought we'd provide a rundown of who's competing in myriad other local races. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2024 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2025 News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2025 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2026 The owners of the Foodtown supermarket on 204th Street in Norwood that burned down in a horrific fire last winter say they have successfully navigated the city's building bureaucracy and are poised to begin construction on a new facility. Now, all they need is the steel that will form the framework of the structure. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2026 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2028 After reports of a foul odor, NYPD investigators discovered a dead body of a man at Harris Field in Bedford Park on July 15. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2028 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2030 Soon after Pedro Espada, Jr. toppled indicted incumbent Efrain Gonzalez to take over as the state senator in the Bronx's 33rd District in the fall of 2008, he began negotiating an appointment to chair one of the state's most coveted committees, the Housing Committee. So began Espada's stint as head of the Senate Housing Committee, which has managed not to address any of the tenant protection bills favored by pro-tenant groups and the Assembly. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2030 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2034 News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2034 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2012 Embattled State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. angrily fired back at State Democratic leaders who formally requested that he be ousted from the party, saying he had the backing of nearly 10,000 registered Democrats. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2012 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2006 Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, the community activist who led the local fight to defeat the mayor's plans to build a mall in the Kingsbridge Armory, told the Norwood News on Tuesday that she was ending her candidacy for state Senate in the 33rd District. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2006 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2008 Daniel Padernacht, a 33-year-old housing lawyer who has joined the crowded list of challengers to incumbent Pedro Espada, Jr. in the race for 33rd District Senate seat, is a homeboy. A Kingsbridge homeboy. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2008 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2009 Gustavo Rivera, one of several candidates looking to unseat State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. in the 33rd Senate District, has been endorsed by Bill Samuels and his organization, the New Roosevelt Initiative. "Rivera is simply the strongest candidate to challenge Espada and I urge everyone who wants a better legislature to unite behind him," said Samuels in a statement. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2009 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2010 New York State is poised to pass legislation allowing for a no-fault claim as reason for divorce. New York is currently the only state that says one spouse must be at fault in order for a marriage to legally fail. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2010 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2011 Following a series of service changes and cuts by the MTA, which is looking to bridge an $800 million budget gap, some commuters in the northwest Bronx say they are being inconvenienced and overcharged. Others say the changes have largely not affected them. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2011 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2005 State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., who has spent the past year boasting of the "millions" of dollars he has brought into his Bronx district as one of the state's most powerful lawmakers, appears to have left the vast majority of that money on the table. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2005 http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2013 Across the street from St. Brendan's Church last Saturday, State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. deflected questions from reporters as he shook hands and gave out free bags of groceries to dozens of residents. News Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=2013