Crime File: Fake Undercover Cop Allegedly Robs Teen in the Bronx

By DAVID CRUZ

Fake Cop Robs Boy A month has passed since police were made aware of a 13-year-old robbed by a man pretending to be an undercover cop inside the PC Richard in Fordham. The incident happened on Jan. 3 around 6:42 p.m., according to police, who say the teen was inside the store when he was approached by the fake cop. The victim was told that he was investigating credit card fraud and demanded money from the boy, who complied, giving the man $200. The man is described as being around 45 to 50 years old, standing at six feet, and

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Social Security Expanded Office Hrs. Social Security offices in the Bronx will be remain open to the public until 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. The nearest Social Security offices from Norwood is located at 2501 Grand Concourse. For more information, call (800) 772-1213. Recreational Volleyball Join members of the NYPD, FDNY/EMS, and Community Board 6 every Saturday through April 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Aquinas High School, 685 E. 182nd St. (corner of Cambreleng Avenue and Grote Street). For more information or to register, call Rosie at (917) 569-7034, Victor at (917) 603-5600, or email mattersofsports@gmail. com. Comment

Editor’s Pick Juggling at Jerome Park Library Jerome Park Library, 118 Eames Pl. (near Kingsbridge Road), offers for teens/young adults: Juggling 101: Watch jugglers followed by participant juggling and a juggling ball making workshop, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. Info: (718) 549-5200. Onstage Bronx River Art Center (BRAC), 1087 E. Tremont Ave., presents Edsel Gomez’s Triumvirate, performing Latin jazz, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. Suggested donation: $10/adults; $5/seniors/students. Info: (718) 589-5819. Events Wave Hill, a Bronx oasis at 675 W. 252nd St. in Riverdale, offers Family Art Projects: Sleepy Seeds, and Winter Dormancy, to create a variety of masks, Feb.

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Members of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club—which has heavy influence in local races—kept club matters status quo this week after its incumbent president Michael Heller overcame a challenge by newcomer Morgan Evers by a count of 243 to 153 for club president. The election drew hundreds to the American Legion Hall in Kingsbridge, where candidates were given five minutes to lay out their platforms. Heller pointed to his decades of public service and politics dating back to his teenage years when Mayor John Lindsay spoke at his junior high school. “Through my entire life I’ve chosen to work in

Inquiring Photographer: The Bronx Driving Experience

By DAVID GREENE

After a recent 15-car pile-up on the Bronx River Parkway on Jan. 18, we asked readers about their driving experiences in the Bronx. I’m new to the Bronx, but the few highways I’ve been on have potholes, signs that say construction, and where they are going to dig. I keep asking myself, ‘why do they keep digging?’ They dig, they resurface the roadway and then they dig again and that has an effect on the ground. The road sinks, because it’s unsettled because of all the digging. Patrick Sing Belmont The problem with the highways for me is I

PS 94 Spelling Bee Competition Doubles as a Mountain of Honey

The word was “amnesia.” It served as the deciding factor in who took home the first place prize for PS 94’s annual Spelling Bee. And this year’s victor went to Fatima Ali, a 10-year-old, who leaped into the air after beating out classmate Dion Florencio in the tense competition. Aafreen Mamsa was not too far behind. She won third place. “This will go in my trophy collection,” said Fatima, holding her trophy showing her first place ranking. Last year, Fatima placed third in the same spelling bee. On top of spelling “amnesia,” Fatima also had to spell the word Dion

The Bronx political landscape was thrown into a tailspin when Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced out of nowhere that he would not be running for mayor of New York City. For anyone following Diaz Jr.’s career such as this publication, one would know that rumors of a mayoral run began more than a decade ago. Then Diaz Jr., then in his 30s and with a receding hairline, represented the energy the Bronx needed at the moment. He brought a charisma that sought mega projects arrive to the Bronx, though some remain pending. Even so, he had the makings of

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s third edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 28 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a bill being championed by Councilman Andrew Cohen and housing advocacy groups that expands Right to Counsel. The act–which provides free legal counsel to those facing eviction–covers those considered extreme low income. New legislation looks to expand the income eligibility standards. Jose A. Giralt breaks it all down for us. Inside the

By DAVID CRUZ

It’s something of an open secret: political incumbency serving as an entryway for incumbents to poke into matters happening within the district they seek to represent in the near future. And it’s a controversial tact that Councilman Fernando Cabrera, the 14th Council District representative, appears to have adopted, with one questionable trick in his employ. Cabrera is now seeking the 14th Congressional District seat occupied by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who, given her massive campaign war chest and national popularity with uber-left Democrats (Ocasio-Cortez is now in Iowa to campaign with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders), gives her a well-defined competitive