Torres: Home Seizure Program Has Sights on Black and Hispanic Homeowners

By DAVID CRUZ and MICHAEL TURAY

A city program that takes away distressed homes from owners is doing more harm than good, robbing its owners of its home valued at millions of dollars in market assets, according to an investigation by the New York City Council. And their findings have found the Bronx is among those hardest hit. “Our investigation found that out of 420 properties, 210 of them had no financial distress. The legal standard for financial distress is a 15 percent lien-to-value ratio, those 210 properties on average had a 3 percent lien-to-value ratio,” said Councilman Ritchie Torres at a news conference outlining his findings

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Cellphone Thefts Police have reported eleven linked incidents of cellphone theft from June 8 to July 7 happening within the 52nd Precinct. One of the thefts occurred on 3222 Bainbridge Ave. and was captured by surveillance cameras (below). The suspects also roam East 207th Street, Reservoir Oval, and Perry Avenue, all within the Norwood area. Police are looking for the individuals, who are males and females between the ages of 15-18. Nabbed Necklaces On June 29, a nineteen-year-old was approached by two men on a scooter, who then snatched his necklace. A similar instance occurred on July 4 when two

Empty for More Than a Decade, Developer Looks to Build on Perry Avenue Lot

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

The empty lot at 3067 Perry Avenue has been vacant for over a decade, taking up 2,500 square feet of the Norwood neighborhood. At a time when developers have swept into Norwood and its adjacent neighborhoods, building at a rapid clip during this construction boom, the demand for space is critical. The owner, Joe Quintessenza, purchased the lot with a plan to construct a seven-story apartment building with 32 units and a parking garage on the ground floor. But when zoning laws downsized the area, Quintessenza’s plans fell through. “We were planning on building 32 units eleven, ten years ago,

Montefiore Wakefield Campus Hails Decade in Neighborhood (Web Picture)

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

As the thermometer hit 96 degrees, visitors to the Montefiore Wakefield Community Health Fair on July 20, were glad to see plenty of bottled water, cooling fans, and an invitation by hospital officials like Toni Hayes to rest inside the air-conditioned lobby. “Be sure to stay hydrated,” Hayes reminded visitors. The oppressive heat, however, did not keep elected officials and hospital administration from celebrating Montefiore’s 10th anniversary managing the Wakefield campus. The hospital located at East 233rd Street near the Bronx River Parkway was formerly known as Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center. Montefiore officially took over the former hospital

By DAVID CRUZ

For candidates in the impending 11th Council District race, Eric Dinowitz still leads when it comes to fundraising, building an $80,990 war chest compared to main rival Dan Padernacht, who raised $28,026, according to the latest campaign finance figures. Dinowitz, a school teacher, district leader, and the son of Assembly Jeffrey Dinowitz, also has 50 percent of his donors coming directly from the 11th Council District, which covers Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Fieldston, and Woodlawn. But Padernacht, an attorney, isn’t far behind. Of the 113 donors coming from the Bronx, 84 percent of them live in the

In the last few weeks, the Norwood News has been peppered with calls and personal accounts of the conditions at the neighborhoods nearby parks, namely Mosholu Parkway and Williamsbridge Oval Park. The parks are routinely utilized by nearly every member of the community. From mothers sitting on benches watching their children running through sprinklers, to residents staying fit as they do laps around the track. It’s all there. Yet, despite this precious amenity that’s enriched the lives of many, a troubling aspect is rising two-fold. The first is the apparent neglect of Williamsbridge Oval Park the paper has seen in

Editor’s Pick BAE Free Concerts Bronx Arts Ensemble presents two free West African Drumming and Dance shows on July 21 at 4 p.m. in the McGinley Ballroom of Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd. Also scheduled is Oldies, Pop, and R&B Favorites, July 28 at 2 p.m. in the Van Cortlandt House Museum. For more information, visit bronxartsensemble.org. Onstage Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. presents Sunday summer concerts at Orchard Beach at the main stage at section 9, subject to change, including Raulín Rosendo on July 28. For more information, call (718) 590-8989. The Botanical Garden offers a variety

Anti-Vaxxers Follow Jeffrey Dinowitz to the Bronx for Town Hall Protest

By JOSEPH KONIG

When Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s bill eliminating the religious exemption for childhood vaccinations passed the Assembly in June, angry anti-vaxxers shouted and cursed at him from the viewing gallery above the assembly floor. “We’ll be back Jeffrey,” they promised. Over 100 anti-vaxxers delivered on that promise with their protest outside the Riverdale YM-YWHA on July 16. Inside the building, Dinowitz and state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi were hosting a town hall on the achievements of the recent legislative session, including Dinowitz’s vaccine bill signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month. “My kids, my choice,” the protestors chanted. At least two

Diaz Sr. (Yes, Diaz Sr.) Allocates $11,000 to LGBTQ-Supporting Groups

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., a candidate for the 15th Congressional District who’s been routinely chastised for making anti-gay remarks, surprisingly contributed a total of $11,000 to LGBTQ-supported groups, according to a review of the recently enacted Fiscal Year budget. Diaz Sr., a self-proclaimed social conservative Democrat and pentecostal minister, doesn’t see this as a form of contrition. “Why did I give money to these groups? Because they need it,” Diaz Sr. plainly told the Norwood News in a phone interview. Diaz Sr. has allocated $6,000 to Pride Not Prejudice, an organization that uses art to present current issues, such