With an Uptick in Homeless, Is Anyone Paying Attention?

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

With a cigarette hedged between his fingers, the plainly-clothed man spoke of hardship. The man, whose name is being withheld by the Norwood News out of concern over any reprisals, is a resident at the recently opened men’s only homeless shelter at 3600 Jerome Ave., in front of Van Cortlandt Park. The 200-bed shelter, which opened this past summer, houses the homeless who are mentally ill. A curfew is set at 10 p.m. and only clients who work late nights are allowed to skip it. “The shelter’s not ready,” said the inside source. “Where is the security? There’s no maintenance

By DAVID CRUZ

Cops have released video of a suspect wanted for allegedly touching a 12-year-old girl after taking her pictures and grabbing her backside. The incident happened Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. in the area of Jerome Avenue and West 193rd Street in Fordham, cops said. After the suspect grabbed her he quickly ran off on Jerome Avenue. He was captured on surveillance video. The suspect is described as light-skinned, standing at 5′ 5″ and weighing around 160 pounds with dark hair and brown eyes. He was spotted wearing a white T-shirt, black pants and black sneakers. Anyone with information is asked

By RACHEL MILLER-BRADSHAW

The bus was filled with anxious Fordham Hill Owners Corporation (FHOC) shareholders on the way to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) meeting set to take place that morning on Sept. 19, 2017. Empowering conversations on what the corporation could do to advocate for improvements to uplift University Heights was the discussion during the ride. Fordham Hill’s Community Engagement Committee (CEC) had to quickly galvanize and coordinate their shareholder community after learning that oil giant BP resubmitted an application to build a gas station at 205 W. Fordham Rd. In addition to getting shareholders to send in emails before

Editor’s Pick Weekend Walks in Norwood East 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue Merchants Association presents two free Weekend Walks, featuring family friendly activities.from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. along East 204th Street between Bainbridge and Decatur avenues. Sept. 29 events include Youth Expo “Anti Bullying & Literacy Programs” from noon to 4 p.m., and Oct. 6 events include Octoberfest “Food, Wine & Beer Festival” from 3 to 7 p.m. Streets will be closed to traffic. For more information, call (917) 640-1003. Onstage Lehman College for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents Latin artist Olga Tañón, Sept. 29

Bronx Gang Squad Identifies 12 Gangs Within 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ

When it comes to tracking gang activity, the Bronx Gang Squad on it. All 22 of members. It’s a small number, putting two detectives per precinct, but keeping them busy. And within the 52nd Precinct, roughly a dozen gangs have been identified within the northwest Bronx precinct. And their makeup varies. “You have Hispanic gangs ranging from the Latin Kings to the Trinitarios, which are Dominican. We used to have DDP’s, they seem to fallen out of favor with the Dominican gangs. You also have some Mexican gangs,” said gang squad detective James Shanahan. Shanahan appeared at the latest 52nd

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By JOSEPH KONIG

North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) will “absolutely” stay open for the foreseeable future, New York Health + Hospital President Dr. Mitchell Katz said following longstanding rumors that the Norwood hospital will eventually close. In fact, Katz says, services will expand. “If it’s going to be closed, it should be closed. If it’s going to be open, it should be open,” Katz, appearing at a “Newsmakers Q&A” at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Sept. 27, said. “So now I’ve looked at it and we’re going to expand services to the North Central Bronx” New York City Health + Hospitals,

College Fair SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center, 1666 Bathgate Ave., hosts a free college fair on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can speak with college reps and learn about scholarships, financial aid and admission requirements. For more information, call (718) 530-7017. Grant Campaign NYC Service and Citizens Committee for New York City launched the 2019 “Love Your Block” grant campaign to support communities making local change in transforming public spaces. Resident-led volunteer groups should submit project proposals that address community concerns and highlight how the project will transform public spaces. Twenty-five community group winners will receive

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA PFA

Thirty years ago SoHo was created. Dumbo was created 15 years ago. Is Mott Haven in the Bronx next? Was it gentrification? Was it revitalization? Many people do not seem to understand the difference. According to Wikipedia, gentrification is a process of renovating deteriorated urban neighborhoods by means of the influx of more affluent residents. This is a common and controversial topic in politics and in urban planning. Many say this is the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. Or, as summed-up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

More New York City Students Passing State Test, But Bronx Still Lags

By DAVID CRUZ

Test scores for New York City students from third through eighth grade have gone up this year, but the Bronx still lags. Scores released by the state Department of Education show 46.7 percent of all New York City public students met proficiency standards in the English test, according to city officials. They also saw 42.7 percent of students pass the math test. A borough breakdown shows 32.3 percent of Bronx students from third to eighth grade passed their English test, according to raw data by the state Education Department. This year represents a “reset moment” as Mayor Bill de Blasio