Out & About: Family Fitness Festival

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

Norwood News Wins NY Press Club Award, a First

The Norwood News was honored June 5 by the New York Press Club in the first ever Community Coverage category. The paper was recognized for its series on efforts to stop overdevelopment in the neighborhood of Bedford Park amid an eviction proceeding that went awry for residents. The award honored the paper’s editor-in-chief, David Cruz, along with former reporter Daniela Beasley, freelance reporter Deborah Cruz, and freelance photographer Adi Talwar for contributing to the series. “We wish to thank Mosholu Preservation Corporation, publisher of the Norwood News, for supporting local community journalism for nearly 29 years,” David said. Ironically, it was David who lobbied the New York Press Club’s board of governors to consider creating the award, given the large number of small but incredibly relevant community journalism outlets across the city.

Building Woes for Stagg Properties in Norwood

By DAVID CRUZ

For more than a decade, The Stagg Group, a family-owned real estate and construction firm, has been a powerhouse in building hundreds of units of affordable housing across the Bronx, becoming a saving grace to many low-income New Yorkers. But an incident at one of its Norwood sites in late April, which exposed some deviations from approved construction work, represented some setbacks for the omnipresent construction group. Meantime, residents have some environmental questions for one of the group’s other properties slated to be built in Norwood. “I think we still need to keep asking questions. We’re not making accusations, but

Crime File: Another Heroin Death in the Bronx

By TATYANA TURNER

In the early hours of Thursday, May 25, a man walked into Montefiore Medical Center carrying a needle and a bag of heroin. He made his way to the bathroom, locked the door, and never stepped out. “He passed away,” said Lieutenant Brian Hogan of the Narcotics division as he informed the crowd of nearly 50 who attended the 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting. “That’s up to number 11 [this year]. Last year we had 23; we’re going to surpass that number.” Overdose and addiction is an issue that has been plaguing the Bronx, including Norwood. Authorities blame the spike in heroin deaths on fentanyl, a powerful narcotic that’s now mixed with heroin. “If you inhale a small amount, you’re going

By DAVID CRUZ

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who held off on advancing the $350 million reconfiguration of the Kingsbridge Armory into an ice center since entering office, is expected to turn over the lease to developers once the state releases a loan needed for the first phase of the massive project. “We’re ready to move forward with all the legal paperwork to make the project happen,” said de Blasio of the latest news as first reported by The New York Post. But the city is still waiting on the $138 state loan Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to release to developers of the Kingsbridge

New Website Centralizes Bronx Stories for Bronxites

By TATYANA TURNER

Long time BronxTalk host, Gary Axelbank, a veteran newsman who spent more than two decades leading many televised discussions of Bronx issues, launched a new website devoted to a variety of Bronx-specific news. Several dozen guests from organizations such as BronxWorks and SoBro, gathered at Bronx CoWorks, a shared office space at the Third Avenue HUB, providing a setting for start-ups and small businesses. In mirroring the concept of a daily newspaper, thisistheBronX.info will also collate content from multiple publications around the Bronx, allowing visitors to read a range of borough-related stories from different news sources. “Part of the reason