Few Norwood residents have failed to notice how shabby Williamsbridge Oval, the neighborhood’s 19-acre park, has become in recent years. The main field is almost completely devoid of grass and the crumbling perimeter walls and rickety fences are in urgent need of repair. The good news, however, is that significant renovations are in the pipeline.

“Contractor promises work will be complete by May 12, 2004," says a fading sign next to St. James Park House (officially known as the Comfort Station and Community Meeting Center). As local residents will attest, this promise was broken, and today the building remains fenced off, boarded up, and in a sad state of disrepair.

The fates of the Leadership Institute, a small high school, along with 22 other school construction projects are in limbo because the state has not delivered additional education funds.

Havana, CUBA – Karen Washington and Justo Torres have a lot in common. Both turned plots in their dense urban environs into gardens. Both are fresh food advocates, selling their produce in local markets and teaching gardening workshops.

Some officials in the Bloomberg administration want a new police academy inside the Kingsbridge Armory, and that is more of a stumbling block than where to put the two National Guard units who still use the site, say local elected officials.

After weeks of speculation and negotiation, City Council members formally received their committee assignments last week. Every borough representative will chair something in exchange for the Bronx’ loyalty to new Speaker Christine Quinn, though some got more lucrative posts than others.

The former commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been hired to run the General Contractors Association (GCA), raising concerns from local officials over the possibility of a conflict of interest.

The state has found that a controversial management company intentionally overcharged some Bronx tenants after the buildings were purchased. The Pinnacle Group was caught flouting the legal limit for a rent increase in two cases, but advocates and tenants charge that the practice is rampant.

Hundreds gathered last week to officially open the Bronx’ breathtaking new central library. The unveiling of the $50 million project was a shot in the arm for a borough that too often gets the short end of the stick.