Judge’s Proposal to Release KNIC’s Lease Attached with Stipulations

By DAVID CRUZ

A Bronx judge presiding over three of four intertwining cases linked to the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC), proposed to city lawyers it allow the ice center’s lease be freed from escrow “forthwith” until next February so it can raise funds needed to begin the long-awaited project. But Judge Ruben Franco of Bronx Supreme Court, blatantly nudging to advance the $350 million project, warned KNIC it would have to relinquish the lease if it doesn’t obtain the $138 million needed to proceed with the project’s first phase. “All deals are off,” said Judge Franco. The recommendation bore similarities to a proposal

Editor’s Pick Family Fitness Festival The Jerome-Gun Hill BID in cooperation with a number of local organizations, presents the Third Annual Family Fitness Festival, June 18 from noon to 2:30 p.m., at the Williamsbridge Oval. Events include entertainment, food, activities, zumba exercise, relay races, cooking demos, health screenings and workshops, face painting, gifts, prizes, and giveaways. For more information, call (718) 324-4946. Onstage The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., presents Senor Lucky Jazz Duet, featuring guitar and vocals, June 11 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46/57 or visit www.nypl.org. The New York Philharmonic will present

By ADRIANNA LOMBARDO

After many years of lobbying for a full-service animal shelter in the Bronx, the voices and barks of those in need have finally been heard, thanks to $10 million earmarked by the city to create a state-of-the-art shelter. While talk of a shelter’s amenities has stood at the forefront, one remaining question lingers: where will it be located? The answer depends on where several animal advocates live. For now, Marion Koenig, a co-founder of the Bronx Animal Shelter Endeavor (B.A.S.E.), believes that an animal shelter in the Bronx is long overdue. Koenig said the site should be a sustainable, eco-friendly

Vivian R. Carter, the boisterous sales person for the Norwood News, has parted with the bi-weekly community newspaper and now serving as director of communications for local Councilman Andrew Cohen. Ms. Carter embodied the spirit of community. Working on a modest commission, she invested hours into the almost 28-year-old newspaper, offering a wealth of ideas, attending community cultural events, and lending a wealth of personal knowledge to the newsroom. Ms. Carter worked in the fields of law (she had worked alongside current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch) and education before focusing her attention on the history of Rockaway, a neighborhood

Admission into a New York City high school fares way more difficult than neighboring Westchester County, where municipalities typically have one public high school. In some extreme cases, the process to enter a New York City high school can begin at the end of sixth grade. It is a cumbersome process that, given its length, could turn parents off. But the investment and time one puts into it can change the direction of their young child’s life. The New York City Department of Education (DOE) released an updated high school directory, a profile listing of every high school in each

Dear Fellow Readers, The multi-award winning Norwood News, bringing you plenty of community news you can use is out with its latest edition. We have 20 packed pages full of news, with one page devoted to several nods the paper received within the last first. As usual, we take you to page one, and a story about a notorious landlord who faces mounting pressure from Bronx tenants looking to improve their buildings’ quality of life. Tatyana Turner tells you all she knows about Ved Parkash, who owns some 40 residences in the Bronx. Definitely worth a read. Inside the cover, an

By TATYANA TURNER

The results are in! A local grassroots group has finally gotten a clearer idea of how to a plant a greener future for a neighborhood park. The Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP) tallied the results of a survey and found Norwood wants a new comfort station, improved lighting, and renovated water features for Kossuth Playground, which opened in 1930. To bring the proposal to life, FOMP reached out to the office of Councilman Andrew Cohen, who represents Norwood, and Partnerships for Parks to help organize an event that would allow residents to voice the needs for Kossuth Playground. “We had

By DAVID CRUZ

Celebration of the arts and its artists was the order of the evening for the Bronx Council of the Arts. The nonprofit group, boosting the Bronx’s artistic side, hosted the yearly Bronx Recognizes Its Own, or BRIO Awards, on June 1. Twenty five Bronx residents took home a distinction for their contributions to a specific medium, be it literary, media, performing and visual arts. The awards come with a $3,000 cash prize. “Each year we are overwhelmed by the breadth of media and the artistry of the entrants. This group utilizes sophisticated digital resources and demonstrates how technology is giving

By TATYANA TURNER

Though he’s ranked the worst landlord in New York City, Ved Parkash told the Norwood News in a phone interview that his buildings are in “excellent” shape. But tenants have long painted a different picture that’s finally prompted the city to take action. Residents living in several of his buildings in the northwest Bronx have formed the Parkash Tenant Coalition. The group plans to meet with the landlord to address their frustrations. To initiate their plan, the group representing 15 Parkash-owned buildings coordinated a rally against the landlord to present a letter demanding repairs. Those requests were immediately rejected