Local Faces, Old and New, Surface on Bronx Political Scene

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

With seats on the city and state level up for grabs in 2018, several faces both familiar and in the background, have emerged well before the political season truly gets under way in the Bronx. All this comes as the Bronx Borough President welcomed his new second-in-command. Special Elections With Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj having vacated his post at the 80th Assembly District to become the next Councilmember for the 13th Council District, his Norwood seat is up for grabs. And though Governor Andrew Cuomo hasn’t formally announced it yet, he is expected to call for a special election sometime in

Bronx Braves First Storm of 2018 (Picture)

By DAVID CRUZ

The first major snowstorm of 2018 forced the closure of the entire public school system, lawmakers offices, while emptying streets usually busy. The storm began at 1 a.m., intensifying during the morning rush. Trains operated smoother, with no outrageous delays. The MTA warns anyone traveling via the Metro-North should anticipate possible train delays. By noon, some six to eight inches of snow fell in the Bronx. For the last few hours, officials have warned New Yorkers to stay home and only travel if absolutely necessary. They’ve also asked loved ones to check on neighbors. Hazardous travel warnings have also been

By DAVID CRUZ

The Norwood News produced a total of 284 stories (not counting Public & Community Meetings, Neighborhood Notes and Out & About) throughout the 25-issue print run for 2017. The issues the paper called attention to ranged, though some stories bore greater urgency in the hopes action from local legislators could be taken. Below are some topics that surfaced and resurfaced throughout the last 12 months, and are once again highlighted in the Norwood News’ annual Year in Review: Homeless Crisis Norwood was not immune to homelessness, an issue that continues pressing across the city. In the 25 Norwood News issues

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, As you stay snug in your homes or brave the temperatures in your winter coats, you might want to check out the latest edition of the Norwood News. The first issue of 2018 is packed with plenty of Bronx community news. We begin the first issue of 2018 by looking back at 2017 in our annual Year in Review write-up anchoring the paper. Our two-page spread takes you back to some of the more pressing stories of the year, with some numbers to support it. If there’s a local story we missed, be sure to send us a

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their New Year’s resolutions and hopes and wishes for 2018. I don’t want to be a downer for the New Year, but honestly, we have a lot of work to do. There’s a lot of corruption going on politically speaking and a lot of money that’s influencing politicians. [A]nd with the Net neutrality–the FCC voted 3-2, which means the Internet can change possibly, because all of these big Internet companies are trying to monopolize the Internet. So I hope we just focus on peace, love and more positivity because a lot of people are depressed,

This year could once again be characterized as transitional for Norwood, full of business closures and nascent construction projects. The neighborhood crossed off another year with more bulldozers dotted around the once sleepy community. On a stretch of Webster Avenue between Gun Hill Road and East Mosholu Parkway, four construction projects are well under way. The assumption is clear: more construction means more people are moving into to a neighborhood that is waking up to the realities of overdevelopment. Greater interest in Norwood is a good thing, though a population boom in the next few years should signal greater concern

Norwood Man Brings the Bronx to Cannes Film Festival

By DIEGO BARCACEL PENA

If anyone would describe Matt Raimo of Norwood, they’ll likely describe a resident with a true love for neighborhood. “Norwood born, Norwood bred, Norwood ‘til the day I’m dead,” Raimo says, talking to the Norwood News from the Keeper’s House. Those who know Raimo will also describe a budding filmmaker whose passion for the silver screen goes back to the 1990s. Today, with help from his job at Empire City Casino in nearby Yonkers, Raimo’s love for film has reached another echelon—entering his movies to the prominent Cannes Film Festival. Three of his films–In God We Trust, Kharon’s Fare, and

By DAVID CRUZ

Twelve people, among them one child, are dead and four critically injured in a fire called one of the “worst fires in several decades.” The fire in the Belmont section of the Bronx comes amid the city experiencing a deep freeze. “This is the worst fire tragedy we have seen in this city in at least a quarter century,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio at the scene of the fire at 2363 Prospect Ave. “Based on the information we have now, this will rank as one of the worst losses of life to a fire in many, many years.” Eric

Four-Alarm Fire at Building Owned By Norwood's Worst Landlord

By DAVID CRUZ

An overnight fire at a building owned by Norwood’s reported worst landlord displaced every tenant on one of winter’s chilliest nights. It was a fire that woke up Michael Cotto, a six-year tenant at 3414 Knox Pl. His daughter first woke up, inhaling smoke. “Everything is gone,” said Cotto, standing alongside his wife, Jacqueline Colon. Luckily, the pair and their daughter have found a home at his mother-in-law’s house. He and dozens of others in the 36-unit building have been displaced. The building was listed as being owned by Narsinh Desai. In November, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James placed