Manhattan Councilman Latest to Enter Crowded 15th Congressional District Race

By DAVID CRUZ

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a legislator who represents the 10th Council District in Upper Manhattan, opened a committee to enter the 15th Congressional District race. The move pits him in direct competition with fellow Council members Ritchie Torres and Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., arguably the top two contenders in the race. It also puts him back in competition against former New York Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Assemblyman Michael Blake, both of whom are also running for the seat several months after respectively losing in the New York City Public Advocate’s race. Rodriguez did nothing to draw attention to his candidacy,

By DAVID CRUZ

Call this a glass act. The newly-minted Lehman Center for the Performing Arts was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting that hailed the completion of the boxy, glass-exterior concert hall. The timing of the occasion came at the eve of the center’s 40th concert season debut. Dubbed the borough’s Lincoln Center, the $15.4 million redesign of the three-story venue adds another 5500 square feet of space that went towards a new lobby and restrooms. Guests couldn’t help but look up, admiring the grandiose look of the hall that was built in 1980. The building’s prior state was somewhat obsolete since it was

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA PFA

We all want a better life! To have a good job or career. Make reasonable income. Be able to prioritize and budget. To be able to straighten out any debt or credit problems. Maybe buy a home or refinance a mortgage? To be able to save, invest, and retire, properly? How does one do that? Is their a magic formula? In short, yes. And it is called the financial planning formula. Or in short, ask yourself: Can you analyze where you are today? To get where you what to be tomorrow and the plan to get there for the future? Of

Pop-up Storytime in Norwood Looks to Boost Literacy Rates

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

Olga Baez is so worried over the Bronx’s low literacy rates it compelled her to improve them. And she called on her local cell phone store for help. “I know that the literacy rates in the Bronx are very low, so I wanted to start within my community a local storytime activity. Because I know the local library has a storytime, but they do it for toddlers; there’s no reason that kids that are a little bit older cannot enjoy storytime, especially elementary-age kids,” Baez said in a phone interview with the Norwood News. Illiteracy rates in the Bronx stand

By JOSE A. GIRALT and DAVID CRUZ

After reassuring worried tenants at Tracey Towers last week about two cases of Legionnaires’ disease at the complex in the last 12 months, the Health Department (DOH) returned last night to inform the residents of two new cases. This brings the total number of cases to four. DOH officials confirmed the pair of cases originating at 20 W. Mosholu Pkwy. N., the same looming tower as the two original cases. So far the tower’s adjoining structure at 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. S. remains free of the waterborne illness. Ricky Wong, director of DOH’s community affairs unit, broke the news at

Sale of E-Cigarettes Face Ban Across the State

By DAVID GREENE

E-CIGARETTES SOLD at this store in Morris Park will be a thing of the past after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday, Sept. 15, that his administration was working on emergency legislation to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes across the state. The flavored e-cigarettes have already been removed from many store shelves after at least six deaths reported across the country. Those who have fell ill from smoking e-cigarettes reported symptoms that include shortness of breath, vomiting and fever. Cuomo signed a bill in July raising the age to purchase any tobacco products from 18 to 21. The new

Health Check: Back-to-School Snack Ideas

By KATIE PANCZNER

With the school year in full swing, parents may be wondering how to keep kids nourished during the school day and after school. Providing your child with healthy snacks is an excellent way to keep them focused and full throughout the day. A healthy snack can include foods from all five food groups—fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy—to give children the energy they need between meals. Snacks can provide a great energy boost between meals and supply important vitamins and minerals. With a bit of planning and a little creativity, you can offer kid-friendly snack ideas that can please even

Get to Know Your Local Businesses at Annual Jerome Gun Hill Fall Festival

Mark your calendars! The Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District’s 18th Annual Fall Festival is just around the corner! On Saturday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jerome Avenue between East Mosholu Parkway North and East Gun Hill Road will fill with thousands of festival-goers enjoying live music, free activities, and more than 100 vendors and small businesses selling their wares. This year’s festival is generously sponsored by Montefiore Health System, Agape Luxury Corp., Ridgewood Savings Bank, Con Edison, HealthFirst, and MetroPlus. “The BID provides convenient, affordable shopping for residents and the local workforce,” Jennifer Tausig, the BID’s

By DAVID CRUZ

Inside a busy convenience store in Norwood stood a goldmine that someone’s ready to collect. And while it’s still unclear who won the $10.7 million lottery prize at TS Stationery at 3401 Jerome Ave., one thing’s certain: the winner’s a store regular. News of the jackpot winner on Monday caused quite the buzz at the store that falls within the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District, one of the few stores within the strip where customers can play the lottery. It’s there where Ms. Lee, the owner, worked the lotto machine on Friday. An employee with the New York State