Health Check: Eating Right During the Holiday Season

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By KEYLA GARCIA

This time of year is filled with holiday cheer, gatherings, and lots of great food. For many folks the holiday season means eating more than usual, putting on a few extra pounds followed by weight loss being a New Year’s resolution goal. However, the holiday season doesn’t have to include weight gain if you eat in moderation, use portion control, and exercise regularly. It’s important to take a healthier approach to what we eat during the yuletide. The American Heart Association offers several tips toward a healthy approach. Small changes make a big difference. Control portions. Especially during the holidays,

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Norwood section of the Bronx and its surrounding neighborhoods, is out with its last edition of 2017! It’s certainly been a ride. To refresh your memory of some of this year’s happenings, we encourage you to take a look at our editorial. It’s worth a read. But let’s get back to the beginning and page one! On Dec. 19, Bronx Community Board 7 finally found another district manager. This time it’s Ischia Bravo, who becomes the first female district manager since the late Rita Kessler. Her hiring was met

BRONXITE MIKE BUFFALO (seated front center), an alum of Wings Academy, returned to his home borough on Dec. 8 for an event at The New School for Leadership and The Arts. After realizing his professional basketball dreams in Europe, the 26-year-old founded the Westchester-based Faith & Grind Basketball School. Photo by Miriam Quinones

Community Board 7 Finds New District Manager…Again

By DAVID CRUZ

Ischia Bravo, the former executive director of the Bronx Democratic County Committee (BDCC), was hired as the new district manager for Community Board 7, becoming the fifth district manager for the board in the last five years. Her hiring was met with some questions over whether she was truly fit for the job. Bravo, who’s hiring was approved by the board 16 to 3 with nine abstentions, succeeds the late Andrew Sandler, who resigned from the job three weeks before passing away from cancer in August. “Helping my neighbors on behalf of the community board is deeply personal for me,” Bravo,

Water Main Break in Bedford Park Shuts Down Street

Several business are working feverishly to open tomorrow after holiday shoppers visiting a strip of stores along East 198th Street will be turned away after an early morning water main break in Bedford Park. The FDNY was called to the “major water main break” at 7:17 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, in front of 2842 Grand Concourse, at East 198th Street. According to witnesses, the water cascaded down the incline street, flooding parked cars and the basement of at least one apartment building and two stores. According to Genaro Parra, the owner of Lena’s Restaurant at 206 E. 198th Street, who told the Norwood News late Tuesday afternoon,

Volunteers Spread Holiday Cheer to Kingsbridge’s Vulnerable (Web Picutre)

By STEPHANIE LUCIANO

Amid the season of giving, volunteers filled the space with holiday spirit at Jericho Project’s Kingsbridge Terrace Veterans Residence to spread some cheer. This year Jericho kicked off the holidays raising awareness on homelessness and formerly homeless individuals at the Jericho Project’s Day of Action on Dec. 8 at 2701 Kingsbridge Terr., one of their buildings reserved exclusively for veterans. Jericho Project provides supportive housing owning eight different buildings in Harlem and the Bronx. The residents are provided assistance, employment and educational credentials, to keep them from returning to the streets. Tori Lyon, Jericho Project’s CEO, employees and their supporting

Cohen’s Construction Accountability Bill Clears Council

By DIEGO BARCACEL PENA

A bill that will increase accountability for roadwork has been passed by the New York City Council and awaits the mayor’s signature. Norwood Councilman Andrew Cohen, who represents the 11th Council District, co-sponsored the bill. He has noticed the amount of construction work around the area as of late. Norwood has seen work along East 208th Street and DeKalb Ave. and pockets of East Gun Hill Road. “Obviously, there’s a number of different people who tear up the street, whether it’s Con Ed, or DEP [Department of Environmental Protection],” said Cohen. “I’m sure the Norwood News has observed that there

This week we asked readers their thoughts about the Thanksgiving holiday (Editor’s Note: This question ran in our November 23 to December 6 edition). Thanksgiving I spend with my family, my daughter, and it’s one of the best holidays because it’s also my birthday. I was born on Thanksgiving Day. So Thanksgiving is special to me because it’s about gratitude and about all the things to be thankful for. Merrill Robert Van Cortlandt Park South I am a religious person and we’re planning a gathering at the church and we’re going to share the day with the homeless. We will prepare meals

COMMUNITY BOARD 7, covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Fordham and University Heights sections of the Bronx will hold its monthly board meeting on Dec. 19 at Kittay House, 2550 Webb Avenue, at 6:30 p.m. CB7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Housing, Land Use & Zoning Committee meets on Dec. 12; and Executive Committee meets on Dec. 14. There will be no Parks Committee meeting as it’s happening on Dec. 7, the same time as the CB7 Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. For more information,