Judge in Amory Suit Considers Bowing Out of Case

Negotiations between city officials and the developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) were not only left at a standstill after a hearing last Thursday, but without its presiding judge. “This appears to be going nowhere, so let me just share something,” said Bronx Supreme Court Judge Ruben Franco, half hour into the proceeding, “this may be it for me on this case.” The two sides had returned to court after Franco recommended the lease to the Kingsbridge Armory, which would be home to the ice center, be temporarily released to KNIC so it can pursue construction-funding options. Franco

Congratulations are in order to veteran officer Lt. Elliott Alicia, a detective now promoted to supervisory specialist for the 52nd Precinct, covering Norwood. Deputy Inspector Peter Fiorillo, commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct, told the Norwood News he’s “impressed with the good work [Alicia] has done in such a short amount of time” the inspector has been assigned there. Alicia heads the precinct’s detective squad.

Unions Expected to Protest for Unionized Jobs at Armory

By DAVID CRUZ

A flood of rank and file union reps is expected to take the streets blasting the Kingsbridge National Ice Center’s noncommittal position over whether it intends to use labor unions to build the massive project, the Norwood News has learned. The demonstration, happening at 3pm in front of the armory, caps several months of questions from union officials on how the armory project would be built. Union brass have asked elected officials to aid them in their cause. The demonstrations come amid several lawsuits that look to jeopardize the $350 million project, said to be the world’s largest ice skating

By DAVID CRUZ

It’s not over til it’s over. The crowded Democratic race for the 13th Congressional District seat did not appear to go for the frontrunner, Assemblyman Keith Wright, but to his lead opponent, state Senator Adriano Espaillat. But Wright told supporters he’s not ready to concede until “every vote is counted.” He also called on the Justice Department to examine the vote count process following news reports of voter irregularities in pockets of the district, which extends into the Norwood section of the Bronx following redistricting in 2012. Voters have long complained the borough, which makes up 20 percent of the

By DAVID GREENE

The owner of a popular deli in Norwood faces a slew of charged after he and several others were arrested in an early morning raid last week, followed by a second raid the following day at the man’s home. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office confirms that the entire family has been charged in a $296,000 food stamp fraud scheme. Police stormed into the AKS Halal Deli and Grill at 319 E. 204th St. on June 24. The popular deli boasts a large spread of hot food for its regulars and passersby. Police say the owner, Ali Shahzad, 61, was taken into

By Bronx Community Health Leaders

Don’t think there are opportunities in the Bronx to achieve your dreams? Think again. Julissa de La Cruz is a young, single mom, living in the Bronx, but any standard narrative ends there. Every Tuesday night she gathers young Bronx college students at Family Health Center, Montefiore’s primary care site, to cultivate their dreams of becoming doctors and serving their communities. The group of 40 students – some of whom are the first in their families to attend college – is named Bronx Community Health Leaders (BxCHL), a yearlong peer network support group where its recent crop of students graduated. Members start

Bronxites head to the polls today to do something that hasn’t happened in nearly 50 years: putting someone else other than Congressman Charles Rangel in the 13th Congressional District seat. Nine candidates are vying for the seat, in a race that’s become quite ugly within the last few days. Rangel, who announced his retirement over a year ago, was considered a political giant in Washington D.C., bringing concerns of Harlem to Capitol Hill. The 13th Congressional District was reconfigured a few years ago to include the Bronx, including the Norwood section of the borough. Learn about the candidates in this

By JASMINE GOMEZ

For the past few years, about 250 dogwood trees have been blooming in what was once an open field covered in green grass. But the fate of those trees has been left dangling like a dead tree limb. The dogwoods, found along Mosholu Parkway, were planted by the forestry division of the New York City Department of Parks in 2014. An official explanation on why they’re being removed in September is not clear. But Elizabeth Quaranta, president of Friends of Mosholu Parkland, said she first heard the news by a Parks employee who explained the dogwoods would be removed citing

This week we asked readers if they think domestic terrorism is on the rise and if stricter federal gun control laws would solve the problem. Most certainly domestic terrorism is definitely on the rise as shown in Orlando, Fla. I believe what [President] Barack Obama was saying at a town hall meeting, and he made a great analogy with driving and guns. People were dying in accidents at a phenomenal rate until they did a study and they were able to determine that seat belts save lives. The gun lobbyists won’t let us do any kind of research at all,