Samelys Lopez Gets Endorsement From NYC Democratic Socialists of America

By DAVID CRUZ

Giving her candidacy a much-needed boost, Samelys Lopez received the backing of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA) in the race for the South Bronx’s 15th Congressional District seat. The endorsement, coming roughly six months before voters head to the polls, comes with a heavy volunteer base that’s ready to pound the pavement for Lopez, whose campaign is among those on a shoestring budget. The New York chapter currently boasts a membership of 5,500. “In a country with unsustainable levels of income inequality, worsening health outcomes and profound housing insecurity, and in a world with dangerously rising

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

USPS Holiday Hours The following United States Postal Service locations will be operating on Sundays during Dec. 8 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Williamsbridge Station, 711 E. Gun Hill Rd.; and Parkchester Station, 1449 West Ave. For more information, call (800) 275-8777. Heating Assistance Applications for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) for older adults and low- and middle-income New Yorkers will be accepted by local departments of social services. Eligibility is based on income, household size and how the home is heated. Residents can apply online at https://on.ny.gov/2Fn062M and mail it to NYC DSS/HRA/HEAP, P.O. Box

Bronx Music Teachers Look to Take $20,000 Grant a Long Way

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

This was music to these young teachers’ ears. The next generation of young musicians from the Bronx is getting a $20,000 grant from Edenwald-based Teddy Cars. The automobile dealership on Boston Road announced it is distributing the funds equally among 10 school music programs. The Teddy Cars Bronx Music Program is a year-long campaign aimed at providing funds to a diverse group of school music programs in the borough, where funding for music programs is sorely needed. The money couldn’t come sooner for Bronx teachers, who already envisioned what they plan to do with the funds. Travis Washington is a

By ELIOT SCHIAPARELLI of WFUV

The Multi-Prong Approach to Reducing Gun Violence in the 41st Precinct The Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet Television, continues a five-part series on the impact gun violence has had on Bronx neighborhoods and the people who live in them. Since the 1990s, gun violence in New York City, including the Bronx, has been on the decline. Its drop over the past two decades has contributed to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s declaration of the Big Apple being America’s safest big city. City officials and experts attribute the recent drop in crime to neighborhood policing, an approach to

Hot Deals Wait for You This Holiday Season at the JGHBID

By JEROME GUN HILL BID

Holiday shopping season has begun at the Jerome Gun Hill BID, and we won’t want you to miss it! Stores across the district are offering great deals on everything from sneakers and clothing to electronics and home appliances. Just under one mile from end to end, the BID is home to 230 small businesses on Jerome Avenue and East Gun Hill Road. With national retailers like Children’s Place and GameStop, as well as small mom and pop shops like Evita USA and BX Sports, there is something for everyone in the Jerome Gun Hill BID this season. If you are

Out & About: Free Holiday Events in the Bronx

Editor’s Pick Holiday Events The public is invited to the following free events: Tree Lighting – Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Lou Gehrig Plaza, East 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, featuring Christmas carols with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot chocolate, cookies and a special treat from Santa while supplies last. Tree Lighting – Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at the center mall at the intersection of Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue, featuring hot chocolate, carolers, small gifts while supplies last, and a visit from Santa Claus. Info: (718) 933-5650. Winter Wonderland – Dec. 14 from 12:30 to 2:30

By DAVID CRUZ

The Stagg Group is on the cusp of finishing its newest building in Norwood, and while a quarter of those units are deemed affordable, it appears affordability is in the eye of the beholder. St. George Gardens, a 68-unit, mixed-income building at 186 St. Georges Crescent, a tiny street near Van Cortlandt Avenue East and the Grand Concourse, boasts 18 affordable units with rents that begin at $1,075 for studio apartments dedicated to renters with a maximum income of $52,290. Those renters fall within the 70 percent Area Median Income (AMI) range. For those at the 130 percent AMI, rent

By DAVID CRUZ

Thirteen library branches, including the Bronx Library Center in Fordham, will now join the fight for increased mental health awareness services in areas where such services are considerably low. First Lady Chirlane McCray, who helps oversee the office of ThriveNYC, made the announcement today alongside New York Public Library CEO Anthony Marx and ThriveNYC director Susan Herman at the Fordham branch that will see greater mental health resources, joining schools, senior centers, shelters, and police precincts across the city. The initiative, dubbed “Spaces to Thrive,” also includes Pelham Bay Library. “Libraries are in the heart of our communities, and we

A Solemn Goodbye to a Community Activist, MTA Reroute Bus Plan, and More: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By NORWOOD NEWS

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s twenty-fourth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on the death of well-known community activist Heidi Marie Schloegel Hynes. Hynes lost her battle with cancer at 51 years old on Nov. 24. Though she may have passed, her legacy will continue to inspire many activists across the Bronx, according to her supporters. Inside the cover you’ll read a piece on the MTA’s proposed bus route revamp