A Month Following ‘Toxic School’ Bill Passage, Victory Lingers

By KIMBERLY JACOBS Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the Intro 126 bill inspired by a toxic exposure case in P.S. 51 in Norwood, last month.

Out & About: Salsa at The Bronx Library Center

Editor’s Pick Get Your Groove On The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., presents Latin Jazz Concert featuring Ray Martinez music, March 21; and Celia Cruz Bronx H.S of Music, featuring Chamber Orchestra and Saxophone Quartet in Concert, March 28; both at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46/57 or visit www.nypl.org.

Equalizing the Specialized HS Test, With Lumbering Results

By JENNY SHARP The admissions race to the city’s specialized high schools continues to show signs that Bronx students are falling behind with little recourse.

Latest Edition of the Norwood News Is Out

By DAVID CRUZ With the seasons changing hands and temperatures climbing (I also think I heard birds chirping), it’s a good time to head to your local business to pick up the latest copy of the Norwood News. We’ve packed 20 pages of community news you can use in the area, with a crime spike in the 52nd Precinct topping our news fold. Find out what the numbers are and what folks in some of the tougher neighborhoods have to say about the crime trend. We’re also following some major development news coming out of the Bedford Park/Norwood areas, beginning with

Jericho Project Given $200K for Homeless Vets

By KIMBERLY C. JACOBS The Jericho Project, a nonprofit that offers housing to homeless veterans, is slated to expand services and open its third home in the Bronx thanks to a hefty, two-year grant.

ShotSpotter Online Within 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ A high-tech sound system aimed at detecting gunfire is now operational within the 52nd Precinct, covering the northwest Bronx. Commissioner Bill Bratton announced that ShotSpotter, billed as a gun fire detection system with pinpoint accuracy, was installed throughout the 52nd Precinct, along with six others throughout the Bronx. Inspector Nilda Hofmann, the precinct’s commanding officer, had spent several weeks mulling over where to install acoustic sensors needed to detect gun shots, which required building owners consent. The system is activated once gunshots are picked up by sensors, where a real-time signal is sent to a 911 operator’s computer

By DAVID CRUZ Crespo Leads Bronx County As expected, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo was crowned the new leader of the Bronx Democratic County Committee, succeeding Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. It’s certainly a steppingstone for Crespo, who’s yearned to raise his profile. The vote was unanimous, something lawmakers kept emphasizing at a dinner party shortly after the March 5 vote, perhaps to ensure party unity remains intact.

Crime Spike at 52nd Precinct Borders

By DAVID CRUZ On one hand it’s number two. On the other hand, it’s number four. But regardless of how crime is assessed in the 52nd Precinct, the trend has shifted upward, resisting a continued drop in crime across the Bronx.

Funding public schools in New York City

By Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz The state of public schools in New York was rightly highlighted in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address in January. With fewer than 36 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 proficient in math, fewer than 32 percent of students proficient in English literacy, and only 38 percent of high school students deemed college ready, it is undeniable that much more must be done to improve our public school system in New York.