Developers continue to break ground on new construction projects in the northwest Bronx at a furious pace. As the Norwood News reported last month, University Heights is in the midst of a building boom like it hasn’t seen in years. But the entire area, including Norwood and Bedford Park, are receiving an unusual amount of attention from developers.

It’s that time of year again. Every elected official from the president down to the speaker of the New York City Council steps up to their respective podiums to make a speech about the "state of" whatever jurisdiction they’re in charge of. These types of addresses are an opportunity to set a clear agenda and rally support for it.

The Norwood News editorial in the last issue (January 13-26, 2005) suggests Bronx Environmental Health and Justice (BEHJ) has acted with "misplaced activism." We’d like to defend a sister organization. The mission of BEHJ is to educate, litigate, and mobilize neighbors against environmental threats to the neighborhood. BEHJ has brought a lawsuit that could stop construction of the filtration plant in this neighborhood. The suit, an Article 78 petition charging fraud, seeks a permanent injunction to stop the city’s construction in Van Cortlandt Park. Right now, they have a temporary restraining order (TRO), which means no work can be done by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). They were scheduled to argue their case before the judge on Jan. 25.

Region 1 Superintendent Irma Zardoya is pushing to create yet another small school in Walton High School, potentially furthering the intense overcrowding that has fueled tensions between the schools housed there.

Last January, advocates descended on the Kingsbridge Armory to demand, as they have for several years, that schools be included in its redevelopment. While frustrating hurdles remain, the dream came much closer to fruition in 2004.

2004 ended like no other in the decade-long battle over the Croton water filtration plant, with work beginning in Van Cortlandt Park, the site the city has preferred for the project for at least five years.

The Bronx’ Meals on Wheels program underwent a huge shakeup this year that altered the service for homebound seniors which had operated, basically untouched, since the 1970s. The process of implementing the controversial pilot pitted Bronx Democratic regulars and the city against advocates and other officials in a nasty fight over a program many would consider politically untouchable.

District 10’s new Community District Education Council led one of its first public meetings last fall from a long table on PS 85’s auditorium floor. The move down from the stage where their predecessors, the more insular community school boards, reigned, was a symbolic gesture to bring themselves closer to parents.

It was anniversary season this year, with several venerable organizations and institutions marking their tenure. The youngsters of the bunch, BronxTalk PrimeTime and Bronx Talk AM, celebrated their 10th and fifth years, respectively, of bringing news and views to borough residents. As of last October, the cable programs, which air on BRONXNET channel 67, had logged over 1,100 segments of live discussion with officials and leaders, airing residents’ phone calls, and delivering valuable community information.