HOPE Count, Set for Feb. 6 Aims to Get Snapshot of Homeless Population

By DAVID CRUZ

Survey comes amid surge of homeless-related calls to 311 in community The makeshift camp on a hilltop on East Mosholu Parkway North stood empty, and the circumstantial evidence of occupancy was clear: pillows, cookware, and empty gallons of water. Residents say it’s an encampment for the homeless, a retreat for the night. And should anyone be camped there at the predawn hours of Feb. 6, they will be among those counted by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The agency, still attempting to find homes for the 62,000 homeless individuals, will once again conduct its annual

By DAVID CRUZ

For 50 years, John McKee has lived the pious life in Norwood. He’s adamant in keeping it that way. But a misunderstanding has blunted that life. Now McKee, 79, a retired plumber and devout member of St. Ann’s Church, is in the worst shape of his life following a stroke that’s rendered him frail and homebound. Notwithstanding his condition, the landlord wants to throw him out of two-bedroom apartment on Perry Avenue. And there are no signs of letup from the landlord. McKee, a skilled plumber who uses a walker to get by, considers himself a target of MK Realty Group LLC,

As we ring in the New Year and wish all a prosperous and healthy 2017, hundreds of families with loved ones behind bars could face the prospect of not knowing if their mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter has died in a New York State prison. For instance, Lonnie Hamilton, an inmate at Marcy Correctional Facility, died in March 2016 without his family knowing. His father said in media reports that he only realized his son had died after he decided to look for his prison address on the New York State Department of Corrections and Community

By DAVID CRUZ

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his administration will issue an $108 million loan to the beleaguered Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) project, once again jumpstarting a project that plunged into judicial turmoil last year. The announcement came during Governor Cuomo’s roving State of the State address, this time held in Manhattan. There, Cuomo also announced $40 million in funding for Orchard Beach. “We will invest in the Kingsbridge Armory and Orchard Beach for more desperately needed urban recreation opportunities,” Cuomo said in his speech. Two state agencies, the Empire State Development Corporation and Public Authorities Control Board, had approved a $130

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By ANTHONY RIVIECCIO,, MBA, PFA

Holiday time is over! The time for spending has finished! It is time to pay those holiday bills. Maybe you’re thinking your income tax refund will help? In some ways, it can. After all, who isn’t going to need a higher tax refund? Okay, cool. Did you tax plan? Tax plan? What’s that? What is tax planning? No, it is not tax preparation. That can take anywhere from 15 minutes to six hours, based on the preparation of the worksheets and schedules. Tax planning is much more comprehensive. I like to say that the difference between tax preparation and planning

By By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers if they believe the accuracy of the most current statewide jobless figure of 5.1 percent and whether these jobs pay enough for a person to pay their bills and grow into the job. I don’t think so. Maybe these jobs can pay a part of a month’s rent. I mean, I’m a college student. They’re not the kind of jobs you can sustain a life by yourself, but if you had a roommate or lived with family, it could help. A lot of these jobs seem like fast-food jobs. I’ve noticed that if you know

“Treecycling” Recycle your holiday tree to nourish parks throughout the city. Free mulch and collection bags will be provided at Van Cortlandt Park’s golf course at Bailey Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park South, Jan. 7 and 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donors may bring trees until Jan. 8 to local drop-off sites for future recycling: Williamsbridge Oval Park, Kossuth Playground at Mosholu Parkway North and Kossuth Avenue, St. James Park at West 192nd Street and Jerome Avenue, or Poe Park at the Grand Concourse between East Kingsbridge Road and East 192nd Street. For more information and additional sites,

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

The long-abandoned two-family house at 3259 Decatur Ave., next to PS 56’s recess yard and considered an eyesore for nearly a decade, is once again legally reoccupied, but is far from fixed up. Elisabeth Von Uhl, a resident in the Norwood neighborhood, has been concerned for a while that the home is an unsafe property that could put school children in harm’s way. Like other neighbors, she’s called 311, and Von Uhl said she reached out to the police and wrote letters to local officials pleading they do something to address the neglected home. A tenant has moved in since

Editor’s Pick Elvis Is in the House The public is invited to go down memory lane with Elvis Presley in one of his best films, “Jailhouse Rock,” on Jan. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46/57 or visit www.nypl.org. Onstage The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd.,