Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s seventeenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, capturing all kinds of stuff happening in the borough. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! For our front-page story, we delve into the ongoing heroin epidemic that appears to be a permanent fixture in the Bronx. A report from the New York City Health Department shows an increase in the number of opioid-related deaths in 2018, an eight percent increase. Reporter

By DAVID CRUZ and MICHAEL TURAY

Skaters rejoiced at the opening of the much-anticipated skateboard park in Norwood’s Williamsbridge Oval Park, a project many agreed had been a long time coming. Mitchell Silver, Commissioner for the New York City Department of Parks, led a ribbon cutting ceremony that included skaters who had advocated for the park from its very beginning. Even before the park was ceremoniously opened on Aug. 27, skaters were already found zipping and speeding along the park’s concrete slabs. Silver, reading off a list, said the park includes quarter pipes, half bowls, and a manual pad. “I have no idea what I just

Bronx Opioid Crisis, Still Problematic, Gets State's Senate's Attention

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Officials from the New York City Health Department announced a three percent decrease in overdose deaths from 2017 to 2018. But of the 1,444 overdose deaths citywide, the Bronx saw an increase with 391 in 2018, an eight percent increase, designating it as the only borough with more than 300 overdose deaths in 2018, continuing the unbreakable trend of opioid-related fatalities. In the written announcement, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, commissioner of the Health Department, said, “The decrease in drug overdose deaths is promising, but far too many New Yorkers are still dying.” The news came three weeks after state senators held

Worker Dies After Being Crushed in Norwood Building Collapse

By MICHAEL TURAY

A building under construction at 94 E. 208th St. near Steuben Avenue collapsed, leaving one worker dead and two injured. Police and fire crews flocked to the scene within minutes. The incident took place just before noon on Aug. 27. Multiple eyewitnesses recalled hearing a loud noise, but assumed it was a normal construction protocol. However, cries for help from the workers confirmed otherwise. “Three of them [workers] ran out. The initial person who told us to call 911, he had lacerations to the head, a lot of blood leaking down on his face. I think he was trying to

Partial Building Collapse in Norwood Traps One Worker

By DAVID CRUZ

Fire and police crews are on the scene of a partial building collapse at 94 E. 208th St. by Steuben Avenue in Norwood that has claimed the life of one worker. The collapse happened just before noon, according to an FDNY spokesman, prompting a contingent of fire, police, and paramedics to rush to the scene. At least one worker is dead. He was taken by ambulance. Six others were also injured. Three of them were considered minor and two were critical. Just before it collapsed neighbors can overhear workers complaining about the durability of the scaffold. One neighbor heard a

By DAVID CRUZ and JOSEPH KONIG

It was only recently that the Bronx began to see a gender shift in representation on the legislative front, with more women representing districts at all levels of government. Last year, the borough elected state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi to replace Jeff Klein while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the first woman to represent the Bronx/Queens 14th Congressional District. Nathalia Fernandez and Karines Reyes were also elected to represent their Assembly districts in 2018, doubling the number of women in the Bronx Assembly Delegation. Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former Speaker of the New York City Council, and Marlene Cintron, president of the Bronx Overall

Norwood Man Fatally Shot, Marking Sixth Homicide Within 52nd Precinct for '19

By DAVID GREENE

Police are looking for two gunmen wanted in a pair of unrelated killings along Bainbridge Avenue, taking place just nine days apart, marking the 5th and 6th homicides of the year for the 52nd Precinct. In the latest incident, police say that officers responded to a 911 call, reporting a male shot at 3:21 a.m. at Bainbridge and Rochambeau avenues, near the entrance to Williamsbridge Oval Park, on Aug. 25. EMS transported a man with one gunshot wound to the back. He was rushed to Montefiore Medical Center, where he died a short time later. Police would identify the victim

SEE PICTURES: North Central Bronx Hospital Host Back-to-School Fair

By DAVID CRUZ

Norwood residents came out on Aug. 21 for the annual Back-to-School Health Fair courtesy of North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH). And it wasn’t just health- or school-related giveaways handed out at this event. Stakeholders were honored and there were numerous raffles! Settled in Norwood, NCBH is part of the New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation. The day before the health fair, hospital officials cut the ribbon on a new physician wellness center dubbed the PAGNY Physician Wellness Center. The center serves as a refuge for doctors to refresh their minds and stay connected with contemporaries. Check out these photos

By MICHAEL TURAY

The Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) received quite the financial bump from their local Assemblywoman. Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, whose 80th Assembly District partially covers Bedford Park, gave BMCA a $10,000 allocation. The group was one of three organizations–Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association and the Allerton Homeowners Association–falling within Fernandez’s district to receive a separate grant in the same amount. “These organizations have brought service and attention to our neighborhood for collectively over 40 years,” said Fernandez. “They have given us different programs and events such as neighborhood beautification, civic engagement, and programs for our seniors,” added Fernandez. Barbara Stronczer, BMCA’s fifth