Mark-Viverito Picks Up UAW Support, First Labor Union to Back Former Council Speaker in Run for 15 CD

By DAVID CRUZ

United Auto Workers Region 9A union (UAW) is throwing its support behind former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the first labor union to support Mark-Viverito in her run for the 15th Congressional District race. The endorsement comes a day before candidates in the crowded race start collecting signatures to get on the June Democratic primary ballot. “Although we have relationships with several of the candidates in this race, our bond with Melissa is strong,” Beverley Brakeman, UAW Region 9A director, said in a statement. “From her days as a City Councilwoman and then Speaker, Melissa always stood by

By DAVID CRUZ

Samelys López, a grassroots community organizer, indirectly picked up the official endorsement of Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, through a political action committee she began in January. López was endorsed by Courage for Change, a political action committee controlled by Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic socialist legislator (who’s also facing multiple challengers to her seat), boosting López’s chances at securing the seat long held by Congressman Jose Serrano. Her endorsement was first reported by the New York Times. “Growing up homeless in the shelter system, while facing housing insecurity like many of our neighbors in the Bronx, I have made it my mission

The One Bronx Bus Stop That Could Spell Bad News for Hundreds of Riders

By ELEANOR DECKER-GAVIN

The Bx34 stop on the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 198th Street in Bedford Park is a crucial stop for residents of Serviam Gardens, a local senior affordable housing community. The bus stop touches the gate of the residence, making it extremely easy for elderly riders to get to and from where they need to go. But the MTA’s Bronx Bus Network Redesign–a plan that would cut 400 stops along routes to make bus lines more efficient for drivers and commuters by the fall of 2020–looks to upend that route as a way of streamlining the route by moving

By DAVID CRUZ

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. threw away the oft-formulaic State of the Borough speech he’s delivered over the last decade for a retrospective of sorts while honoring a who’s who of civic activists, educators, and captains of industry. His penultimate speech at Borough Hall comes a few weeks after announcing he won’t be running for New York City mayor after all. Diaz, 47, told reporters he’s “at peace” with his decision, mentioning that the Bronx certainly has a crop of elected officials ready to pick up the baton. He mentioned by name Assembly Members Marcos Crespo, Michael Blake, Victor Pichardo,

With Two New Buildings Coming to Bedford Park, Concerns Over Safety Surface

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Representatives of CAMBA Housing Ventures reassured residents of Bedford Park that their impending construction project comprised of two buildings will take into account their concerns about traffic safety, increased amount of formerly homeless people, and over-burdened city services. The representatives updated Community Board 7 at the latest meeting of the Housing, Land Use & Economic committee meeting on Feb. 11, showing renderings of the pair of buildings. The two buildings–one at 257-271 E. 202nd St., and the other at 258-278 E. 203rd St.–will go up on a shared plot of land in a section of the neighborhood that’s extremely narrow,

By DAVID CRUZ

The architectural firm behind the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) first-ever residential development released a rendering of the impending property that will contribute to an evolving Webster Avenue corridor. Stephen B. Jacobs Group, the architectural firm, sent the Norwood News the rendering showing a 12-story modern-looking building that’s expected to be a senior residence. While the land is owned by NYBG, the Bronx institution entered into a 99-year lease deal with Douglaston Development to build and manage the property. Douglaston Development hired the architectural firm to draft renderings and schematics. The rendering also shows 12 stories, an extra floor space

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROFESSOR ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

Do you own stock? Bonds? Mutual funds? Congratulations, then you could have investment interest or dividend and capital gains. Or God forbid, capital losses! Is the interest, dividends and capital gains taxable? Can you deduct your capital losses? Investment interest Deductible investment interest is interest paid on margin accounts or interest paid on loans used to buy or carry investments. For example, if you get a margin loan through your brokerage account and use it to buy more stocks, then the interest you pay is investment interest. Another example would be if you bought land to hold as an investment,

UFT Gives Early Endorsement to Eric Dinowitz's 2021 Run for Council

By DAVID CRUZ

Eric Dinowitz, the scion of Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz and a special education teacher in the New York City public school system, received his first endorsement from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), representing rare public support in an election cycle that’s less than two years away. Such an endorsement was also embroiled in an awkward rollout last year when the younger Dinowitz put the cart before the horse, telling supporters in May he was endorsed by the 200,000-plus strong union well before the union publicly supported him. Educators, school staff, classroom paraprofessionals, psychologists, and retirees make up the union. Dinowitz

By HENRY MCEACHERN

Prepare yourselves, Bronxites, the state-wide Bag Waste Reduction Law starts March 1, barring grocery and retail stores from providing plastic bags to customers in an effort to reduce waste. “City residents use billions of single-use carryout bags every year, and they are frequently used for only a few minutes at a time,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia in a press release. “Plastic bags are particularly troublesome as contaminants in our recycling, as they often clog machinery, and we’ve all seen plastic bags stuck in city trees around the city. This is not sustainable.” To prepare, the city Sanitation Department is