Bronx Teen First Vaping-Related Death in New York State

A Bronx teen has died from a vaping-related illness, marking the first such death in the state, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who has taken up the issue of vaping, announced the death at a news conference. “This vaping is a public health crisis. It is affecting our young people. It has been marketed to young people,” Cuomo told reporters. The teen was rushed to Montefiore Medical Center after the teen became ill, according to published reports. The Journal News, citing the state Health Department, reports the teen was admitted in early September for a vaping-related respiratory illness, released, then

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROFESSOR ANTHONY RIVIECCO, MBA PFA

It’s been nearly 100 years in the making. For over 90 years, if one wanted to experiment with the financial markets, all one had to do was call their non-salaried “broker,” place a trade, charge a commission, and off you go. Until the commissions became too high. Then, by the revolution of financial planning in the 1990s, Wall Street mucky mucks came up with another idea: clients would pay financial “brokers” a fee for constructing portfolios and financial planning, typically a percentage of assets under management, and custodians collected interest on clients cash and margin, distribution fees from mutual funds and,

By DAVID GREENE

The son of a man killed outside of a Norwood church is speaking out for the first time–as police continue to hunt for the suspect, five weeks after the homicide. Edgar Perez, 46, was hosting a late-night baptism party on Aug. 25 around 3:20 a.m. in the basement of Holy Nativity Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Avenue when a man who had attempted to crash the party earlier in the evening shot Perez outside the church. Edgar Perez, Jr., 22, said his family moved out of their home in the days after the killing, but still reside in Norwood. “They haven’t

Is It Trespassing? Norwood Neighbors Wage Fight Over Construction Rights

By MICHAEL TURAY

When Michael Acton saw his neighbor digging holes just at the foot of his home, he left his house, and it wasn’t pretty. Police were called to 271 Van Cortlandt Ave. E. and Acton was given a court order for trespassing. And in the space of a month, the feud between Acton and his neighbor, Nazmul Alam had gone from bad to worse after Alam removed the 100-year-old retaining wall that separates the neighbors’ homes. This happened without the approved city Department of Building (DOB) permits, resulting in the agency issuing a full stop work order. For Acton, much of

By DAVID CRUZ

When Frangell Basora heard Congressman Jose Serrano would not seek re-election, the news struck a nerve for him. After all, Serrano’s not only been Basora’s Congressman his entire life, he was also his boss. Now Basora, 27, is among the least known candidates launching a run to succeed Serrano as the next representative for the 15th Congressional District in a field that includes established lawmakers, community activists, and city employees. But Basora is familiar to the world of politics, getting closer than most candidates by experiencing Congress firsthand. It happened five years ago when he received a competitive internship through

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

I have always believed that the growth of government, in regard to social services, is irrelevant. However, I am a strong advocate on how specifically it is used. Some countries like The European Union treat social service payments differently than we do. The Working Family Payment in Europe, for example, works by giving a tax-free payment each week, to people on low incomes who have at least one child who lives with them and is financially dependent on them. The payment is linked to the number of children you have and the income you are in receipt of. If your income is less

Major Disruptions Ahead for Norwood in Last Leg of Sewer Project

By DAVID CRUZ

Those living or traveling through Norwood will have to brace for another round of patience-challenging congestion as the city finally resumes completion of a massive sewer replacement project. And the city put the holdup on the state’s largest utility. The epicenter of the project will once again happen on Bainbridge Avenue, a busy arterial roadway that virtually cuts through the neighborhood, serving as a nexus for travelers in and around Norwood. There, between East 211th Street and Jerome Avenue by the Woodlawn No. 4 station (Jerome and Bainbridge avenues intersect at that point), the city will temporarily convert the two-way

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

After over a year of petitioning, commuters who rely on the No. 4 train at Mosholu Parkway can finally expect an elevator to be installed. But just how long the process or even when that installation will take place is up in the air. Under the persistent roar of uptown and downtown service, elected officials gathered under the train station on Sept. 25 to announce the plan, which is to be funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) $51.5 billion capital budget for 2020-2024. A total of 70 stations in the city are expected to receive accessibility improvements. Though plans

Crime File: Police Officer Shot Dead in Edenwald

Police Officer Shot Dead in Edenwald This weekend saw a Bronx police officer fatally shot after struggling with a suspect he was trying to arrest for refusing to stop for questioning. The suspect was later shot by police. According to officials, officers from Patrol Borough Bronx’s anti-crime unit were patrolling at the New York City Housing Authority’s Edenwald Houses, following a recent shooting and reports of gang activity. The officer attempted to stop the man for questioning, when a foot chase and struggle began and multiple shots were fired at 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 29 behind 1129 E. 229th St.