Officials Usher the Kingsbridge Heights Residence, a Model of Integrated Housing

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

City and state officials joined in celebrating the grand opening of Kingsbridge Apartments, a $70 million supportive/affordable housing residence financed by both city and state agencies. “This is a game changer because so many supportive housing developments have typically focused on homeless, singles, individuals, and those are very important homes to provide, but we also need to be providing housing for these children,” Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, who manages the city’s housing policies, said in her remarks on May 22. The modernized residence–which includes a 24-hour attended lobby, a children’s library, fitness room, laundry room, a children’s playground and 17

A Tennis Court Gets a Major Facelift at St. James Park. Will it Be Used?

By DAVID CRUZ

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony ushering the completion of a rehabbed tennis court in St. James Park, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who allocated funds for the court, posed a question to his special little guests: third grade students from PS 246. “How many of you like tennis?” asked Cabrera. Several perfunctorily answered with hands raised. But just outside the fence facing the court, a heckler randomly shouted that he’s barely seen anyone use the court in his 35 years as a resident. The court, prior to its substantial upgrade, was severely cracked, barely suitable for a set. It was enough for Cabrera

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Educational Resource Fair Community Board 7’s Education Committee hosts an Educational Resource Fair on June 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. Events include health, education, and school readiness information, local community resources, along with free entertainment. For more information, call CB 7’s office at (718) 933-5650 or email ibravo@cb.nyc.gov. Beach Season Begins Beach season officially begins on May 25, with operating hours for Orchard Beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sept. 8. For more information, call 311. UFT Bronx Fair United Federation of Teachers and NYC Department of

Editor’s Pick Memorial Day Concert The public is invited to bring a picnic and come to a free Memorial Day holiday concert presented by the Bronx Arts Ensemble, featuring all-American music, May 26 at 2 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park. For more information, call (718) 601-7399. Onstage Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents Invincible, a tribute to Michael Jackson, featuring singers and dancers, May 25 (tickets: $25 to $45; $75/VIP; $10/ages to 12); and Los Van Van, 50th anniversary celebration, June 1 (tickets: $50 to $75; $100/VIP); both at 8 p.m. VIP tickets

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s eleventh edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into. There’s almost something happening in this corner of the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story analyzes the ongoing construction happening in Norwood and Bedford Park. It’s part of a larger trend of construction happening in the city. Read the story by me and Alondra Vasquez. Also, you maybe want to check out our map outlining some projects. Inside the cover you’ll find a piece

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The goal of guaranteeing healthcare for all New Yorkers advanced on May 7. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at Lincoln Hospital the initial offering of the NYC Care card, guaranteeing all New Yorkers access to healthcare. “Healthcare is a human right. It’s as simple as that. . . . It’s a universal right. And we need, in this city, to prove that things can be done differently,” de Blasio said, at a news conference on May 8. The city estimates that 600,000 New Yorkers do not have insurance to receive healthcare, half of those are thought to be undocumented. As

By DAVID CRUZ

Of all the bus complaints Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz’s office receives, the ire is usually directed at the oft unreliable Bx10, which snakes virtually around Dinowitz’s 80th Assembly District, ending and beginning in Norwood. The Norwood Assemblyman hears the usual about the beleaguered bus route: there are long waits, it’s overcrowded, and the idea of “bus bunching,” where two Bx10 buses arrive simultaneously, is the norm. “It’s such a long, convoluted route that has to be looked at,” said Dinowitz, joining advocates from the Riders Alliance, a transit advocacy group, in calling for greater resources to the bus route. Their calls

By DAVID CRUZ and ALONDRA VASQUEZ

Along the neighborhoods of Norwood and Bedford Park, jackhammers can be heard repeatedly jutting concrete. It’s the sound many have heard before, though in the last few months, as warmer temperatures climb, it’s become the norm. Yes, Norwood and Bedford Park are undergoing another wave of construction. And it’s not just multi-story projects that have swept the neighborhoods, but smaller-scale projects that have either knocked out spots, forced residents to walk in the street, or pose the question, “What is happening?” The projects add to the 1,020 residential construction or infrastructure projects changing the overall landscape of Norwood and Bedford

At Rally for Blake, Supporters Outline 15th Congressional District's Issues

By DAVID CRUZ

At the epicenter of a district partially on the mend, Assemblyman Michael Blake, who officially declared a run for Congress for the 15th Congressional District, told supporters he sought to remove the label that the district is the country’s poorest. “I’m not proud of that,” said Blake, standing before supporters on a stage erected on East 134th Street between Alexander Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard. Serving as the nation’s most impoverished district has prevailed since the current seat-holder, Congressman Jose Serrano–who announced he’ll retire after his current 15th term is up–took office in 1990. While the quality of life within the