Picking Your Brain – Norwood News Survey Results Are In

By VIVIAN CARTER

The Norwood News conducted a survey in the past month, producing a snapshot of local concerns. Overwhelmingly, area residents want a cleaner neighborhood. The survey was begun with visits to local venues by newspaper staffers, who asked passers-by to answer a list of questions. The survey was then posted on the paper’s website until a roughly equal number of individuals had responded. Results proved that the Norwood News has succeeded with its own marketing mission, as 86 percent of those surveyed said they know about the award-winning publication. In contrast, only 65 percent of respondents know their New York

Editor’s Pick Clothing and Food Drives Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Rd., is having a clothing drive to benefit Part of the Solution (POTS), where clothing is distributed to the homeless, people going back to work in need of business attire, and anyone else in need of new clothing. Please only donate suitable clothing, including shoes, belts, ties, and bedding until the end of October. RYSEC is also having an ongoing food drive to benefit the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Marble Hill Food and Hunger Project, Inc. (KRMH). Donate canned food (nothing perishable or expired) for low-income families, homeless, underemployed and unemployed

Back-to-School Giveaway By Your Side Tutoring hosts a Kids Launch Free Event on Sept. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park. Enter at the entrance of Broadway and 242nd Street. One hundred free backpacks filled with a shirt and school supplies will be given away to students who register for fall tutoring. Attendants will receive a free raffle ticket for a bike, a gift, and wrist band to participate in each activity. Events include face painting, magic show, games, concert, and more. Students receive free drinks and snacks. For more information, call (347) 280-7919. MetroCard Buses/Vans The

By JASMINE GOMEZ

A Bronx street will be renamed after a tireless advocate who provided service for a north Bronx community board for more than 20 years. The corner of East 229th Street and White Plains Road will be renamed Carmen Rosa Way, an eponymous tribute to the district manager of Community Board 12. She died in March from cancer-related illness. During her tenure as district manager of CB12, Rosa’s most celebrated accomplishments included pushing the Federal and State Department of Environmental Protection to clean the toxic site, Hexagon Labs, and playing a vital role in the creation of a revitalization program with

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will hold its general board meeting on Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. CB7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Public Safety & Quality of Life, Sept. 3; Environment & Sanitation, Sept. 8; Health & Hospitals, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Senior Services, Sept. 9; Parks & Recreation, Sept. 9 at 7:15 p.m.; Traffic & Transportation, Sept. 10; and Veterans, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.

Shelter Plan Nixed for Bedford Park Building, Tenants Hail

By DAVID CRUZ

In a rare reversal, a Bedford Park landlord has halted a process to convert a significant portion of their seven-story building into a shelter, a win for tenants who are celebrating with cautious optimism.

Recent Gang Arrests Shed Light into Allure of Gang Culture

By JASMINE GOMEZ This summer’s arrest of 14 individuals related to the “Blood Hounds” gang, have raised concerns about the prevalence of gang activity in the Kingsbridge/Bedford Park community.

Neighborhood Notes

Education & Resource Fair Learn about free computer and ESL classes, NYCID registration, citizenship applications, health insurance, and more, at the free Community Education & Resource Fair on Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. For more information, call (718) 579-4244. Free Curb Your Dog Signs Free “Curb Your Dog” signs are available to homeowners and building superintendents at Community Board 7’s office, 229A E. 204th St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to schedule a pickup, call (718) 933-5650. Daycare Provider Workshop NYC Small Business

In a penultimate hurrah for the summer weekends, neighborhood kids are encouraged to run, hop and build up those muscles at a Summer Sports Jamboree at the Williamsbridge Oval this Friday. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the sports extravaganza will host a bevy of activities for children ages 6 to 17, with organized basketball, volleyball, soccer and lacrosse games available for young people. For spectators, arts and crafts activities and face painting will be available. Blending exercise and fun, the event is some of many events closing out the unofficial end to the summer before children head back to