Bronx Connections: The Health Impact (Part 5 of 5)

By DAVID CRUZ

The Fail-Safe Fight Against Obesity The Norwood News, WFUV Radio, and BronxNet Television complete their five-part series focusing on health-related struggles impacting the Bronx. Jennifer Hernandez, 43, of Soundview faced a brick wall when it came to losing weight. At 248 pounds, Hernandez attempted to reverse the outcome for her obesity, a disease that’s often a nexus to even more debilitating conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. And so it goes for the 28 percent of Bronx residents considered obese, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2015 Health Rankings. Stubborn obesity genes can be the culprit, with poor

In Front of Bronx Housing Court, Advocates Bolster Benefits of Right to Counsel (Picture)

By DAVID CRUZ

As rent reform continues to be debated in the Albany Legislature, housing groups across the Bronx are spreading word on the city’s already established Right to Counsel law, which advocates say tenants may still be unaware of even as it’s helped many stay inside their home. The law, passed by the New York City Council in 2017 and fully implemented by 2022, offers tenants facing eviction with a free attorney to represent them in Bronx Housing Court. Still, families living within the Bronx zip codes of 10457, 10467, 10468, and 10462—where Right to Counsel has been activated—have still been evicted.

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s tenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into. There’s never a dull moment in the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story looks at the results of the annual Participatory Budgeting process that’s become a staple for Councilman Andrew Cohen. The results were unveiled on May 6, with some surprising results. Read the story by Emily Suzanne Lever and myself. Inside the cover you’ll find a piece on Assemblyman Michael Blake, who has ties

Bronx Week Underscores Borough’s Best With Three Honorees

By NORWOOD NEWS

What does a musician, prizefighter, and planetary scientist have in common? They all had roots in the Bronx. And they’re being celebrated for it by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. during the perennial Bronx Week celebration. Though the name implies seven days of highlighting the finer points of the borough, Bronx Week is actually an 11-day event that begins May 9. Diaz Jr. will be honoring the following individuals on May 19, whose names will be immortalized in the Bronx Walk of Fame located on the Grand Concourse near East 161st Street: Regina Spektor Born in the Soviet Union,

Top Cops Hurt, Five Arrested After Wild Chase in Bedford Park

By DAVID GREENE

Two police officers were injured and five suspects were quickly tracked down and arrested after a routine traffic stop turned into a wild chase through the streets of Bedford Park. According to police, the incident began at 4:50 p.m. on May 2, when officers on routine patrol “observed a vehicle travel through a steady red light” at the corner of Briggs Avenue and East 194th Street. When officers attempted to pull the vehicle over, the vehicle sped off. “He continued to drive in a reckless manor, striking multiple vehicles, evading police and disobeying their orders,” said Det. Annette Shelton. The

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Two pressing issues impacting the latest 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting took center stage: robberies and opioid overdose awareness. “Year-to-date, we have 26 more robberies than 2018,” said Deputy Inspector Thomas Alps, the Five-Two’s commanding officer. “We do notice that there remain pockets of crime, like St. James Park and gang violence, that we see as a cause for the increase.” Alps also introduced seven new officers assigned to the precinct, expressing hope that an increased police presence on the streets will help reverse the trend in robberies. They also look to quash the number of overdoses that continue to

The $1 Million in Participatory Budgeting Results Are...

By EMILY SUZANNE LEVER and DAVID CRUZ

Norwood Councilman Andrew Cohen announced on May 6 that he’ll be contributing funds for bus countdown clocks, pothole repairs, and technology upgrades for public libraries as per the public through Participatory Budgeting initiative. The projects add up to $600,000, part of the $1 million the public has a direct say in spending through the initiative. The lion’s share, about $400,000, will go towards safety upgrades at Woodlawn Playground, with no specific projects for Norwood, unlike years before, which saw improvements to the Mosholu Public Library. “No projects specific to Norwood were available to vote on,” said Cohen, at a news

By DAVID CRUZ

Police are looking for a man who punched a shopkeeper at the CS 99 Cents Store & Plus in Norwood on April 28, before rushing out. The suspect entered the store at 368 E. Gun Hill Rd. at around 3:35 p.m., picked a pack of t-shirts and pay with what police say was a fake $20 bill. When the employee went to the back to use a counterfeit detector pen, the suspect tried taking back the bill and brazenly tried walking out of the store with the t-shirts in hand. The employee followed the suspect out when he was punched

At French Charley’s Park, Dead Bodies Reveal Park’s Dark Side

By EMILY SUZANNE LEVER, DAVID CRUZ, and DAVID GREENE

On the morning of April 26, police found the body of a man who had apparently hanged himself from a railing on the stairs leading down into French Charley Park, the sprawling 718-acre park that connects Norwood to Allerton. He was not the first dead body to be found in that park this year. A stone’s throw away, on the Metro-North tracks that run under the bridge to the park entrance on East 204th Street and Webster Avenue, the decomposed body of another man was found, his body decayed and frozen. Though unrelated, the two deaths add to the mixed