Ground Finally Breaks for Whalen Park Renovations

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER, DAVID CRUZ, and REGGIANIE FRANCOIS

Whalen Park in Norwood will finally undergo a near $1.7 million transformation it was promised years ago. The improvements are likely intended to revitalize the ‘dilapidated’ Bronx park. Officials and community organizers gathered Tuesday morning to officially break ground. “We want to make sure it’s multi-generational,” said Mitchell Silver, commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks, on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony. The renovated park, which is located on Perry Avenue between 205th and 208th streets is expected to include game tables, a playhouse, climbing rocks, a bicycle rack, new seating areas, a spray shower and a water fountain, according

Prepping for Mayoral Debate, Media Seeks Out Bronx Residents

By DAVID CRUZ

Media outlets from print, radio and television visited Lehman College on June 12 to hear what a handful of Bronx residents want to ask candidates in the New York City race for mayor. The questions will be used for several upcoming debates heading into the election season. Questions on homelessness, street policing, and double parking were on the minds of residents, with WCBS-TV’s Marcia Kramer, WCBS-AM’s Peter Haskell, and Daily News City Hall Bureau Chief Jillian Jorgensen hearing them out. The event was part of the citywide Debate Program organized by the New York City Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB). Amy

Bronx Photographers Put on the Spotlight

A group of Bronx photographers are turning the cameras on themselves, with an extensive art show titled “Capturing the Bronx.” Among the photographers whose work is on display is Miriam Quinones, a freelance photographer for the Norwood News. The exhibit served as a kind of chronicle of the Bronx, with neighborhoods explored and recorded. An exhibit program noted that the reality of neighborhoods could change in the next few years. “[W]e also know that what is true today will be different, perhaps radically different for us and for the Bronx in a few years or even a few months,” read

By DAVID CRUZ

An underused play area in Norwood is finally getting its $2 million makeover it was promised seven years ago. Officials from the New York City Parks Department and Bronx Borough President’s Office will break ground for the revamping of Whalen Park tomorrow. The park found off Perry Avenue between 205th and 206th streets and abutting the Mosholu Public Library, houses nothing but public benches surrounded by a perimeter fence. At the moment, the park seems neglected, with mounds of unpicked trash spotted pile high on its trash cans. By next year, residents can expect a playhouse, spray shower and a

Farmer’s Market Opens at Fordham Plaza for Trial Run

By DAVID CRUZ

Freshly grown vegetables and baked goods from as far away as Goshen, New York are up for sale at Fordham Plaza, part of the newly opened farmer’s market along the Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID). And if the 29-week trial run works out, the greenmarket will be managed by BID managers. It’s a model similar to the robust greenmarket established in Manhattan’s Union Square. “We like the Union Square concept. That’s what we like to build here,” Wilma Alonso, the BID’s co-executive director, said. For now, the BID will co-manage the 1.7-acre mall with the New York City Department

Family Fitness Festival The public is invited to the 4th annual Family Fitness Festival Healthy Alternative Eating, June 17 from noon to 3 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval. Activities include zumba, kickboxing, yoga, face painting, relay races, music, healthy cooking demonstrations, raffle prizes, gifts and giveaways. For more information, call (718) 324-4461. Onstage The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., presents Let’s Do It, featuring songs by Cole Porter, June 10; and The Music of Stevie Wonder, performed by Cody Childs & The Ladies of Soul, June 17; both at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46/57 or visit

Sexual Predator on the Loose in the Bronx

By DAVID CRUZ

Police have released a sketch of an sexual predator on the run after allegedly attempting to sexually assault a woman near the New York Botanical Garden. The incident happened during the late hours of May 29 between 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. in the area of Mosholu Parkway and Southern Boulevard, according to police. The suspect approached the 29-year-old victim and struck a conversation. They eventually walked to a nearby park where the perp exposed himself and offered cash to the victim in exchange for groping him, according to police. The woman refused, stalked off until the man grabbed

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers! The twelfth edition of the Norwood News covering the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use! While we normally begin with page one, we want to divert your attention to page 8 and the paper’s winning of a New York Press Club Award. The award went to our coverage of efforts to stop overdevelopment in Bedford Park following an eviction of building tenants. So proud of how far we’ve come to put our name out there! Especially grateful to Daniela Beasley, Deborah Cruz and Adi Talwar for sharing in the prize! Read the series that

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Job Fair A job fair with city agencies expected to attend will take place on June 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 991 Longwood Ave. For more information, call (718) 931-2620. Free STEP Program Rising seventh and eighth grade students in the Bronx can apply for a free summer long Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP) that offers academic preparation, science classes, personal development, lunch and MetroCards. For more information, and to obtain an application, call Deborah Negron Cordero at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at (718) 430-41666. LGBTQ Needs Assessment An assessment survey on the needs of the