Taking Charge of the Parkway, Advocates Pick Up After Polluters

By Justin McCallum With warmer weather approaching, the many snowbanks along Mosholu Parkland are melting to reveal not budding flowers but heaps of trash discarded over the winter months. A walk along just ten concrete slabs of park sidewalk finds used cigarette boxes, a tomato sauce can, shattered beer bottles, motor oil and a moldy box of coffee along with paper cups. A felled “No Litter” sign lays discarded alongside debris, adding irony to a prairie that’s often treated like a wasteland. More trash lines the street, sidewalk, in the roadway and between cars.

Bronx News Roundup: Shakeups In NYPD Higher-Ups

by David Cruz The Bronx News Roundup is back from its one-week hiatus, loaded with some interesting tidbits happening in the world of Bronx news. First up, our pal Kappy at The Bronx Times Reporter serves up some gossip on police shakeups happening across the borough. It’s all positive stuff, as the Bronx men in blue have been bumped to better positions, most notably Borough Borough Commander Carlos Gomez, earning a third star as chief of the housing bureau. The Daily News reports on a narco bust involving an elaborate drug-buyback scheme, alleged to have operated at the 184th Street

Neighborhood Notes

Homebuyer Counseling & Free Tax Prep The University Neighborhood Housing Program holds a homebuyer counseling session on March 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Northwest Bronx Resource Center, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., offering free one-on-one professional assistance (appointments are available on the first and third Friday of every month); and free tax preparation sessions most Wednesdays (1 to 5 p.m.) and Saturdays (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) until April 9. For more information or an appointment, call (718) 933-2539. SYEP NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program is accepting applications for residents ages 14 to 24 through April 25. Those

Man Shot Dead, Another Beaten During Fordham Heights Home Invasion

by David Greene Police have launched a search for the killer of a 43-year-old man shot dead inside his home in an apparent home invasion, according to police. Officers from the 46th Precinct were dispatched to 355 E. 187th St. in Fordham Heights, a known hotspot for cops in the Four-Six. After callers reported shots fired to 911 operators during the early morning hours of Sunday, March 9, police arrived to find the victim shot multiple times—once in the head and the other in the torso. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Espaillat Notches Another Endorsement In Run For Congress

In his run against Congressman Charles Rangel, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat is intent on siphoning loyal black votes away from Rangel on the hopes of securing a stronger black voting bloc. He could very well have secured more votes with help from Brooklyn Assemblyman Karim Camara, chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. Camara, an ordained minister, officially endorsed Espaillat at a ceremony in City Hall. Camara’s endorsement is largely symbolic, a way to attract more black voters to Espaillat. At a ceremony, Camara labeled Espaillat a unifier, citing Espaillat’s success in forging stronger bonds within the

By the NORWOOD NEWS Vital Stats: 4 million – Number of Americans enrolled in healthcare under the Affordable Care Act. (Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is slated to take effect April 1, offering folks cheaper healthcare for everyone, including those with pre-existing conditions. In the Bronx, an estimated 250,000 are uninsured for various reasons, inspiring healthcare firms to launch efforts in enrolling them in insurance. The end result, according to President Obama, will save families from going bankrupt and further a healthier America.

Looking Back 45 Years: A Regular Joe’s Reflection of the Jolly Tinker

by Shayla Love As the 45th anniversary of the Jolly Tinker passes by, the Norwood News met the man for whom the birthday is just another notch in the wood. Kenny Franklin leaned against the weathered bar of the Jolly Tinker and looked at the photos and relics that line the walls. “We must of done something good,” he said. “We’re still here 45 years later.”