Opinion: Acknowledge Oval Park’s Milestone

By FRANK DA CRUZ

Williamsbridge Oval Park — or simply “The Oval” — turns 80 this September. It’s Norwood’s epicenter on the map and in our hearts. It was built between 1934 and 1937 on the site of an abandoned reservoir by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, which was also responsible for countless other landmarks all over New York City and the entire country. The park opened on Saturday, Sept. 11, 1937, with a ceremony featuring Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, Bronx Borough President James Lyons, and WPA administrator Howard Peckham addressing a crowd of 2000 in bleachers constructed

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Sen. Bailey Office Hrs. at MMCC Constituent service hours by the office of state Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey are now available at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC), 3450 DeKalb Ave., every first and third Wednesday of every month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and every second and fourth Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 547-8854. Citizenship Help Free, confidential help in obtaining citizenship and immigration information services is available via phone through CUNY Citizenship Now! through June 23 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be numerous languages available. For English/multilingual services, call

Editor’s Pick Horses and K9 Dogs, Oh My! The public is invited to the 52nd Precinct’s 3rd annual Open House Meet and Greet on June 23 from 3 to 6 p.m. at 3016 Webster Ave. On hand will be officers and executive staffs, civilian staff and special units as well as horses and K9 dogs. In addition, there will be giveaways and refreshments. For more information, call (718) 220-5824. Events Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. presents the Fireworks Show at Orchard Beach on June 29, beginning at 9pm. Free to the public. NYC Department of Parks presents Movies Under the Stars. Films are

52nd Precinct Warns of More Patrols at St. James Park

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

The 52nd Precinct is upping patrols in and around St. James Park in Fordham after noticing a rise in gang-related disputes over the last month. “St. James Park is going to be a big concern for us,” said Deputy Inspector Peter Fiorillo in a 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting. “I’m already starting to see problems in there.” The precinct has identified four gangs that have been involved with the activity: Bloods, Crips, Black Kings and Trinitarios. Over the past month, Fiorillo cited two shootings with no injuries and four stabbings. He said the goal is to make the park, and surrounding

Celebrating Centenarians at St. Patrick’s Home

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER

St. Patrick’s Home for the Aged and Infirm held its annual Centennial Celebration for their residents who have reached the milestone of 100 years of age. The senior residence honored five centenarians: Julia Bizarri, 104, Annina Walsh, 102, Antoinette Cortina, 102, Sr. Benigna Consolata, O. Carm., 101, and Mary Palermo, who is 99 years old and hitting the century mark in November. Honorees Irene Kuchma, 100, and Mary Cordillo, 99, also received recognition but were not present. “This is indeed a wonderful celebration for all of us who have the privilege of knowing or being related to these wonderful women,”

Dear Fellow Readers! The latest edition of Norwood News, covering community news in the Bronx, is out with plenty of stories that will get you talking. We can start with the beginning, with page 1 and a local story on Whalen Park receiving a $2 million upgrade. We go back in time to the days that Henry Whalen, the civic activists named after the eponymous park, was alive and making a positive contribution to Norwood in the 1960s and 70s. Read what his daughter had to say about him and the pending renovations for the park. Norwood News would also like to

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

A popular bar lounge in Norwood had its final hurrah the weekend of June 9, closing its doors after its restaurateur couldn’t agree on a lease renewal deal with the building’s owner. Gino Pacheco, owner of Beso Lounge, said the nighttime bar underwent renovations for three years and had been promised a lease for five more years. Despite a new owner buying the building for more money, Pacheco negotiated the lease in hopes for a similar lease deal he had when he first opened the business. The lounge’s original rent was $3,000 and the new building owner doubled the rent

Ahead of Mayoral Control of Schools Fate, Bronx BP Releases Report on G&T Inequity Fix

By DAVID CRUZ

Under a cloud over whether the fate of mayoral control of schools will be killed by the Albany Legislature, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his Brooklyn counterpart released a report outlining ways to equalize the public school system’s gifted and talented program (G&T), claiming it grossly excludes minority students. “We are totally optimistic…that before 12 o’clock strikes tonight the Legislature will come up with mayoral control expansion,” Diaz, standing next to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, said at a press conference in front of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) headquarters. “Should we go back to

Many of the residents of 3050 Perry Ave. returned home the day after a two-alarm fire tore through three apartments and injured 7, including four children June 15 in the Norwood section of the Bronx. The fire was the talk of the neighborhood. Perry Avenue resident Sonia Gonzalez heard screams moments before the sounds of several dozen emergency vehicles converged on the block. “I saw the flames when they started to blow out the front windows and some people were on the fire escape and they climbed down and the fireman went up,” Gonzalez recalled. Gonzalez added, “I just know one family