By DAVID CRUZ Mr. Obama’s Visit to the Bronx President Barack Obama’s first visit to the Bronx was short and sweet, though attendance to see the Commander-in-Chief in person was somewhat of an exclusive affair, and away from the community at large. The Norwood News was granted access to hear the President’s half hour address on a new nonprofit for young minority men (see front page story).

Community Board 7 to Host First-Ever Public Forum on Synthetic Marijuana

By DAVID CRUZ Across 24-hour bodegas in the Norwood/Bedford Park area, buying synthetic marijuana requires little to no screening. Its legality is caught in murky technicalities, and virtually no enforcement, leaving prosecutors little room to try a synthetic marijuana case.

Remembering Margaret J. Mack With a Bittersweet Street Renaming

By WILLIAM MATHIS A crowd of about 70 community members, many of whom live in nearby Tracey Towers, gathered with local officials for a ceremony to rename a tiny strip of Jerome Avenue after Margaret J. Mack. Mack, who lived most of her life in Tracey Towers, passed away in February 2014.

Montefiore Honored for Listening to Westchester Sq. Residents

By JASMINE GOMEZ A local civic group in the east Bronx has recognized Montefiore Medical Center for its outreach efforts.

Op-Ed: The Consequences of Over-Development in Bedford Park

By SHANNON LEE GILSTAD For over six years residents in Bedford Park, which lies in Community District 7, have heard buzz about the future of 150 Van Cortlandt Avenue East/186 St. George Crescent, a small curved street that currently has just five buildings on it. The block is a local gem hidden in plain sight, just off the Grand Concourse and Mosholu Parkway, yet quiet and serene, away from the bustle. Residents say that this is exactly how they like it and want it to stay.

Bailey Avenue a Stretch Too Chaotic, Say Residents

Bronx Cops Warn Ford Drivers to Secure Cars Following Thefts

By JENNY SHARP Concerned residents describe Bailey Avenue in Kingsbridge as a hotbed of logistical dysfunction and a hazard to public safety.

Be Healthy – Cuddling a Teddy Bear a Lesson on Caring for People

By JASMINE GOMEZ Vital Stats – 30: Percentage of non-emergency patients who visit the emergency room. (Source: American Journal of Managed Care) The Pediatric Emergency Department at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) treats about 60,000 patients a year, about 150 to 200 a day, making it a goal for the hospital to decrease the stress and fear that overcome many parents and children during a visit to the emergency room.

In First Bronx Visit, President Obama Touts Mentoring Nonprofit for Minority Men

By DAVID CRUZ In his first, and perhaps, only stop to the Bronx, President Barack Obama visited Lehman College in Bedford Park to promote a non-profit aimed at reversing the disproportionate ill fates of minority men, a topic that continues to resonate in Bronx communities.

President Obama to Visit Lehman College for Nonprofit Announcement

By DAVID CRUZ In his first, and presumably, only official visit to the Bronx, President Barack Obama will deliver remarks at Lehman College on Monday, announcing the launch of a nonprofit initiative geared towards young minority men. The nonprofit, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, is an offshoot to the White House’s initiative of the same name. It was launched last year as a way to reverse the national trend of young men of color falling behind academically, which can often lead to fewer opportunities. President Obama has consistently pushed education as a gateway towards stability and future success, according to