Amid Activation of Filtration Plant, $12 Mil for Pedestrian Bridge

By JANAKI CHADHA Community advocacy for the building of a pedestrian bridge over the Major Deegan Expressway to connect the two sides of Van Cortlandt Park has gone on for over a decade. On May 8, community leaders and representatives announced $12 million has been allocated for the proposed bridge, thanks to collective efforts from community, city, and state officials.

Developing a New Roadmap to Upgrade Mosholu Parkway

By DAVID CRUZ They’re going back to the drawing board. A 2007 blueprint to rehab Mosholu Parkway has been tossed out, and community members have offered new input on some of the priorities needed to fix the parkway.

Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ The latest edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community news you can use! There’s plenty to talk about, so here goes: The big story is on something of a rarity: a stop by a U.S. sitting President in the Bronx. President Barack Obama did just that, spending an afternoon at Lehman College. The Norwood News was there to capture Mr. Obama’s rare event, which detailed the formation of a nonprofit geared towards young minority men. Heading back to more hyperlocal terrain, we go to Mosholu Parkway, where community residents are hammering out a

Public & Community Meetings

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will hold its general board meeting on May 19 at Montefiore Medical Center’s Cherkasky Auditorium, 111 E. 210th St. CB7 committees are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Traffic & Transportation meets May 14; Housing/Land Use & Zoning Committee meets May 20; Education/Libraries & Youth Services meets May 21; Economic Development meets May 26; Community Relations/LTP meets May 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Parks & Recreation meets May 27. For more information, call (718) 933-5650. COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will host a K2 Forum at North

By DAVID CRUZ Mr. Obama’s Visit to the Bronx President Barack Obama’s first visit to the Bronx was short and sweet, though attendance to see the Commander-in-Chief in person was somewhat of an exclusive affair, and away from the community at large. The Norwood News was granted access to hear the President’s half hour address on a new nonprofit for young minority men (see front page story).

Community Board 7 to Host First-Ever Public Forum on Synthetic Marijuana

By DAVID CRUZ Across 24-hour bodegas in the Norwood/Bedford Park area, buying synthetic marijuana requires little to no screening. Its legality is caught in murky technicalities, and virtually no enforcement, leaving prosecutors little room to try a synthetic marijuana case.

Remembering Margaret J. Mack With a Bittersweet Street Renaming

By WILLIAM MATHIS A crowd of about 70 community members, many of whom live in nearby Tracey Towers, gathered with local officials for a ceremony to rename a tiny strip of Jerome Avenue after Margaret J. Mack. Mack, who lived most of her life in Tracey Towers, passed away in February 2014.

Montefiore Honored for Listening to Westchester Sq. Residents

By JASMINE GOMEZ A local civic group in the east Bronx has recognized Montefiore Medical Center for its outreach efforts.

Op-Ed: The Consequences of Over-Development in Bedford Park

By SHANNON LEE GILSTAD For over six years residents in Bedford Park, which lies in Community District 7, have heard buzz about the future of 150 Van Cortlandt Avenue East/186 St. George Crescent, a small curved street that currently has just five buildings on it. The block is a local gem hidden in plain sight, just off the Grand Concourse and Mosholu Parkway, yet quiet and serene, away from the bustle. Residents say that this is exactly how they like it and want it to stay.