Rare Fires Spotted at Williamsbridge Oval Park, Residents Worry

By DAVID CRUZ

A trio of brush fires at Williamsbridge Oval Park have been reported for the past week, sending fire crews to knock out the flames while worrying residents encircling the heavily used playground. The fires happened on Nov. 24, 27 and 29 between 8 and 9:30 p.m., according to witnesses who took notice of the bright flames from their apartment windows. No injuries were reported. “There’s someone going around and setting leaves on fire,” said Adi Talwar, a freelance photographer for the Norwood News who captured video of the fire. “I feel it’s such a drain on resources. Hats off to the Fire Department

By ADEDAMOLA AGBOOLA

Noise pollution and road closures are just some tiny inconveniences residents will have to endure as a mandatory, ongoing oil-to-gas renovation project by Con Edison continues around Norwood. For the past few months, crews have dotted parts of Norwood and Bedford Park, replacing oil pipes and introducing natural gas. On Reservoir Oval East, crews closed off the one-way street which, during daytime hours, limited parking spaces while causing some traffic backups. On Perry Avenue, where crews have dug holes abutting the perimeter of residential buildings, the oil-to-gas changeover will be completed in the first week of December with permanent

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.

Vital Stats: 200 – Number of liters of blood a human kidney filters daily. (Source: Kean University) A four-way kidney transplant was performed at Montefiore Medical Center on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, thanks to the generosity of 30-year-old Army veteran Christopher Forthman , who decided to be an altruistic kidney donor. Forthman, a neighbor in Norwood, donated one of his organs to Juan Garcia, sparking a rare pay-it-forward style chain that would lead to three other Bronx patients in need of a donated kidney. Garcia was initially supposed to receive a kidney from his daughter Sagracio, but she was not a match for him.

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

By David Cruz

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

By DAVID CRUZ

The City Planning Commission will meet in December to vote on whether to approve zoning amendments for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s lofty plan to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing by 2025. The move is part of a public review assessing de Blasio’s $41.4 billion Housing New York proposal that, despite a citywide low-rent housing crisis, was unanimously rejected by Bronx officials. With a vote of 0 to 19, the Bronx Borough Board, a 22-member panel comprised of heads of all 12 community boards, the borough president, and nine New York City Council members, rejected two zoning law

It’s still unclear who staged a daring daytime robbery in the heart of Norwood’s commercial district on Nov. 19, but police have now released video of a suspected vehicle involved in the heist. Police in the 52nd Precinct say the robbery happened at just before 9 a.m. at an AT&T store on East 204th Street. An employee of the store was just about to open when two masked men pulled a gun on him. The suspects forced the worker to disable the alarm system and later restrained him to a chair with duct tape inside the stock room. It’s then

By JASMINE GOMEZ

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,