Inquiring Photographer: Rezoning Jerome Avenue

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked local residents their thoughts on the recent decision to rezone a large chunk of Jerome Avenue, a lofty plan that looks to bring 4000 units of affordable housing in the coming years. Before you rezone the area, where are the parking spaces going to be? You have no parking, the garages are filled, the schools are overcrowded. Before you start rezoning you need to come up with a cohesive plan. This is just taking the people who have been here for 20 or 30 years and throwing us to the sidelines and making it whatever the

Jerome Avenue Approved for Massive Rezoning

By MARY MELLON

After three years of back and forth talks, the Jerome Avenue Rezoning Plan was approved, opening the door for the rezoning of 92 blocks of Jerome Avenue, ushering in 4600 units of affordable housing, of which 1500 will be permanently affordable. The rezoning plan is the largest since the 1970s, and can jeopardize the neighborhood’s existing automotive sector. The plan represents a major win for City Council members Vanessa Gibson and Fernando Cabrera, whose districts cover the area to be rezoned. They believe rezoning will allow current residents to remain in place while adding to the stock of affordable housing.

COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM the various professional sectors were honored at Community Board 7’s second annual Women’s Empowerment Summit, “Powerful Women Share Their Secrets of Financial Independence and Success.” The event happened March 28 at Herbert H. Lehman College and involved panels, mentoring sessions, and workshops about how women can network for success. The event comes at the end of March’s National Women’s History Month. Photo courtesy Marketing and Advertising Solutions

Battle Sprouts at Risse Street Garden

By DAVID CRUZ

In the last five years, Elizabeth Carson has enjoyed cultivating her horticultural passions at Risse Street Garden, a tiny oasis insulated from the malaise of traffic at Jerome Avenue and Risse Street on the tip of Norwood. She’s proud to have put in the time. As a full-fledged volunteer gardener, Carson is entitled to keys to the city-owned garden, allowing her time to work the landscape, tend to perennials and enjoy the therapeutic thrill of seeing the birth of plants. But since last year, Carson’s sense of tranquility at the garden has been disrupted by a war of words with

By DAVID GREENE

A special fund created to help the family of an M.S. 280 student who died in a horrific fire in Belmont has so far raised $5,000 and hopes to raise a total of $15,000. Jordan Conde, 14, was a 7th grader at the Norwood school. According to the posting by an unknown author, “Jordan was the class clown that everybody loved,” adding, “[Jordan] was able to attract everyone’s attention in the entire school.” The blaze broke out on the first floor of an apartment building at 2381 Hoffman Street at 1:30 a.m. on March 5, where the Conde family lived on the

NCBH Spreads Benefits of Nutrition at Health Fair

By DAVID CRUZ

Atop North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH), staffers at the city-owned hospital joined nutritionists in spreading the word of a healthier diet at the National Registered Dietician/Nutritionist Day Conference on March 14. Check out these photos by Miriam Quinones. North Central Bronx Hospital in Norwood specializes in behavioral services, women’s health, and children’s health services. The event was part of March’s National Nutrition Month.

No One Seriously Injured in Norwood Blaze

By DAVID CRUZ

Three people, including two firefighters, suffered minor injuries in a fire that displaced one family in a sixth-story apartment in the Norwood section of the Bronx. The fire happened just before noon at 55 East 208th St., between DeKalb and Kossuth avenues, sending families fleeing out the building. Plumes of smoke wreaked out the sixth floor for at least 45 minutes, according to one resident. Odors of smoke could be picked up for a least a quarter mile. “It looks like a possible plumber’s torch on the fifth floor–lit a fire which got into the large space underneath the roof and the

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Free Commercial Lease Help Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition offers free legal help to small businesses in negotiating commercial leases with their landlords. Businesses have to be in New York City, must be non-franchise, have a household income below 500 percent of the federal poverty guideline, and have a new or renewal lease. For more information, contact Evy Viruet at (718) 584-0515 ext. 100. GEDs and Paid Internships Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers the following for young adults ages 18 to 24: free classes and tutoring sessions to prepare for the exam to get their GED (orientation/registration sessions are

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on KNIC's Progress

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked Kingsbridge residents their thoughts on the re-development of the Kingsbridge Armory which has now languished for years, and a recent behind-closed-doors meeting. Well, I always thought that people should be notified at any time and there should always be an open door for any comments. If you’re going to do it under the table, then it’s not worth it. And if you’re going to spend $500 million dollars, help the homeless first. Hell no! I don’t want an ice skating rink here. They need to make it a building for homeless people, something for the homeless.