Verizon Workers, on Strike, Rally in Fordham

By DAVID GREENE

Hundreds of workers with Verizon held a demonstration along the Grand Concourse at East Fordham Road on April 20. Nearly 40,000 workers walked off the job over a week ago after executives declined to negotiate a new contract with retail workers and technicians. Verizon execs also tried to implement a waiver in the new contracts that stated Verizon can change any stipulations in the contract at any time. For Faith Griffith, a three-year Verizon employee living in nearby Tracey Towers for the last five years, the strike signified her “last paycheck” from Verizon the week of April 18. Griffith, a single

By DAVID CRUZ

Developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) have shot down a deal with the city allowing them access to the vacant Kingsbridge Armory while their lease remains in escrow, among other things. The development came roughly a week after the city reached out to local and state elected leaders to support its new compromise that remains on the table. In a two-page letter emailed to the media before KNIC saw it, New York City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen offered developers entry into the armory, with the lease still in escrow, so it can begin some major asbestos removal work. Glen,

By DANIELA BEASLEY

Commuters in Norwood can expect transit and pedestrian safety improvements along the Webster Avenue Bx41 Select Bus Service route now that the city green-lit a contractor to complete the project. The project is building on already completed upgrades that include one lane dedicated to buses and pockets of pedestrian islands that pepper the thoroughfare. Services included in the renovations are real-time bus arrival information and additional shelters and seating. Construction will take place between East 205th Street in Norwood and East 165rd Street in Claremont Village with a sidewalk extension on the East side of Webster Avenue between East 194th

By VIVIAN CARTER

Angela Velez is back home again, and she can thank a compassionate Norwood nursing home for that. Velez, who turned 26 in April, was admitted to a local hospital in May 2015 with gallstones and acute pancreatitis. After most of her pancreas was removed, she was told by doctors that she had 24 hours to live, say her parents, Juana and Luis Velez. But Angela endured for months in the hospital, aided by a ventilator and feeding tubes. By the end of September, she had completed her course of hospital treatment, and was ready to be released for rehabilitation

Small businesses are booming in the Bronx, according to a small sample survey. The analysis, conducted by TD Bank, asked 495 New York businesses about their prospects for the coming year. Some 100 participatory businesses are located in the Bronx. The survey detailed citywide optimism for the year, with 86 percent of Bronx small business owners expecting higher revenue, the strongest mark of any borough. Additionally, 93 percent of those Bronx small business owners surveyed are optimistic or excited about 2016, making it the most optimistic borough in the city. Some indicators for a positive outlook included cost of office

With the presidential primary underway, a special hotline has been set up to take in complaints of alleged voter fraud or voter intimidation by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara. The office is on hand to hear complaints at (212) 637-0840 on Tuesday, April 19, 2016: Complaints can also be made to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (212) 384-1000. Federal laws mandate local election authorities make voting accessible to disabled and elderly voters. Voters who require assistance because of blindness, disability, or inability to read and write have the right to receive such assistance from a person

By DAVID CRUZ, DAVID GREENE & DANIELA BEASLEY

SpA recap of how the candidates schmoozed voters in the Bronx From Mott Haven to University Heights, presidential candidates vying for the White House converged in the Bronx, bringing to the borough a week full of rallies, surprise stops, condemnation and a boost to its political influence. Those visits all boil down to today, with New York holding its most critical presidential primary in recent years. CHECK OUT THIS HANDY BREAKDOWN OF CANDIDATES ON BALLOTPEDIA Bernie Sanders, the U.S. Senator from Vermont, was the first to arrive, launching his New York campaign tour in the Bronx. Three weeks before the April

This week we asked readers who they would consider voting for in the upcoming presidential primaries set for April 19 in New York State. I think that Donald Trump would be a fine president. Donald Trump is the right man for the right job. We need Mr. Trump as President of the United States of America. Phillip Daniel Chandler Norwood I wish Hillary Clinton would be president. She will help with the job situation and with Social Security benefits and housing. I think she’s more for the people. I’m praying that Donald Trump doesn’t become president. I don’t

There are exceptions to everything. For reporters, that mostly involves revealing your personal biases, good or bad. That’s why it was so uncommon to witness some 200 journalists standing in a celebratory cheer for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, the keynote speaker at the 2016 New York Press Association spring convention. The Norwood News stood with them, joining in several applauses, including a long ovation for Mr. Bharara at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs. Indeed, it’s largely his relentless assault against the culture of corruption long linked to the Albany Legislature that’s earned him rock star status among New