Parking. Rent. Congestion Pricing. Topics Explored at Norwood Town Hall

By JOSEPH KONIG

Fresh off passing the state budget in Albany this week, legislators returned to their districts to laud their successes and discuss their next moves at a town hall specifically geared for Norwood residents. State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, Assembly Members Nathalia Fernandez and Jeffrey Dinowitz, joined Councilman Andrew Cohen in getting those ideas out. Guests in the Cherkasky Auditorium submitted questions covering everything from the plastic bag ban (Dinowitz: “We didn’t need them 35 years ago, we don’t need them today.”), to parking, congestion pricing and marijuana legalization (Bailey: “Conversations continue to be ongoing… my main concern with legalization is impacted

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

Where’s my tax money? Well, after now, our recent two-year experience with the change in the tax code we now know: Many things! From the new IRS postcard to the new formulas and worksheets. Of course, many people were happy with the front end of the new tax bill when passed by Congress in 2017. In 2018, on average, everyone received a two percent tax cut. Yes, you did. If you got paid , every two weeks, yes you probably received it. And, for example, on $50,000 of income, that would be a $1,000 total tax cut. And yes, evidence

Norwood News Grabs Eight Awards at Statewide Journalism Contest

By NORWOOD NEWS

The Norwood News had a good year at the statewide Better Newspaper Contest awards ceremony, picking up eight awards for its coverage of the Bronx last year. Among the big awards was the Thomas G. Butson Award for In-Depth Reporting, where editor-in-chief David Cruz placed third in a widely competitive category. “Thorough reporting,” read the judge’s comments on the story examining the complexities behind affordable housing in New York City, and the repercussions. The series, dubbed “Housing Matters,” was made possible through a fellowship with the Marguerite Casey Foundation. Other awards included a second place prize for Feature Story, which

Bronx Night Market Brings Evenings of Music and Food to Fordham

By DAVID CRUZ

The city is restarting the vetting process for a manager overseeing the massive $34 million Fordham Plaza, after the neighboring business improvement district could not agree to the city’s stipulations. The Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID), the largest BID in the Bronx, was on the cusp of signing a multi-year contract that would have allowed it to oversee Fordham Plaza, built in 2016 and complete with a café along with three vendor kiosks. The city Department of Transportation, which manages the plaza and was involved in talks, offered a tailored deal that included the city’s offer to fix and

Electeds Want Your Questions for Town Hall Forum in Norwood

By DAVID CRUZ

Norwood’s representatives on the city and state level want you to bring your gripes to a town hall forum they’ve organized for tomorrow. The legislators–Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, Assemblywoman Nathalia, and Councilman Andrew Cohen–will be on hand for the forum starting at 7 p.m. at Montefiore Medical Center’s Cherkasky Auditorium. The forum allows residents to share any community concerns with the four representatives. For Dinowitz, this represents his fourth town hall since November, which has drawn roughly 100 residents on average. “I’m hoping we get a good crowd. We have, in the past, trouble getting crowds,” said

Soma Health Club Abruptly Closes in Norwood, Shocking Customers

By DAVID CRUZ

Soma Health Club, Norwood’s family-owned exercise gym, closed its doors a week after telling its clients of its plans to shut down. The closure presents fewer options in the immediate area for health-conscience residents and neighborhood employees. A rise in rents caused the exercise gym to close its doors after more than a decade, said Kip Silva, the gym’s general manager. Silva said owners found the decision to close a tough one. “We can’t fully express our deepest gratitude for your business and support. Working with you has been nothing but an absolute pleasure,” wrote Soma Health Club’s owners. The

Bronx Connections: The Health Impact (Part 3 of 5)

By JULIA ROSE HERMAN of WFUV

The Norwood News, WFUV Radio, and BronxNet Television present a five-part series on health-related struggles affecting residents of the Bronx. Urgent Care Offers Lower Costs and Wait Times, But at a Price As urgent care centers pop up across the Bronx, Dr. Barry Baker, a private practitioner, prefers the traditional physician-patient model. But it doesn’t mean he doesn’t keep one foot in the urgent care trend. Dr. Baker, who has an office in Throggs Neck, always knew he wanted to go into private practice. “I saw an ad in The New York Times ‘Practice for Sale’–I contacted the husband and

Bronx Connections: The Impact of Legal Weed (Part 1 of 2)

By JULIA RIST and THERESA SCHLIEP of WFUV

The Norwood News, WFUV Radio, and BronxNet Television present a two-part series on the debate to legalize recreational marijuana use in New York State. In 2003, 17-year-old Anthony Posada was thrown against a wall and held at gunpoint by two plainclothes NYPD detectives in Jackson Heights, Queens. With no uniform, Posada initially thought he was being robbed by two men. “The feeling of powerlessness was stunning,” Posada said. “It was paralyzing. My experience with law enforcement up to that day was already one where I couldn’t say or do anything.” The plainclothes detectives found a small amount of marijuana in

At E. 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue, Changes to its Retail Landscape

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

Change is always a constant at commercial strips, and the line of small businesses along Bainbridge Avenue and East 204th Street is no exception. The last 12 months have seen changes at the corridor that’s home to mom and pop, regional, and national retailers. From construction of new housing and office space, to the expansion of some businesses, to the establishment of new ones. All this comes amid the ongoing presence of empty storefronts that yearn to be occupied. The vacancies are certainly on the mind of Daniela Beasley, program manager at Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC, publishers of the Norwood