Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering Bronx communities, is out this week! Check out these stories put together by our dedicated interns and freelancers that can get the conversation going. We begin, of course, with page one! The political season came early this year as a special election impacting Norwood happened on April 24, with Democrat Nathalia Fernandez becoming the interim Assembly Member for the 80th Assembly District. Learn Fernandez’ goals and whether others are gunning for the seat. It will be interesting to see who throws their hat into this seat. Other stories include the

By NIALL RIDGLEY

Luis Diaz, a Bronx resident, is overjoyed as he shakes Councilman Andrew Cohen’s hand. He asks for a picture, saying, “I want to show people that, you know, I know big people.” A photo was snapped at Unique People Services (UPS), located at 3510 Bainbridge Ave. Diaz has been getting assistance there since 2014. He’s since moved into a role as a pantry volunteer. Diaz put the need for pantries in clear terms, saying, “It’s more than just food, it’s being aware.” The Bainbridge UPS pantry was founded in 2009 and operates via discretionary funds from the New York City

State Strong-arming Park Reservoir Houses into Loan Tenants Say

By DAVID CRUZ

Rosa Perez, 61, a retired social worker, has called Park Reservoir Houses (PRH) home for the last 30 years calling it a “hidden gem of the city.” Like all cooperators, she pays her monthly maintenance fees for the state-funded Mitchell-Lama complex in Van Cortlandt Village. But those fees could skyrocket by 100 percent if the state Department of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), which regulates Mitchell-Lama buildings, gets its way. “Many have spoken to me indicating that they will need financial support from their family and friends to make up the difference of the proposed increases because of DHCR delays,”

By DAVID GREENE

It took four hours and nearly 200 firefighters to knock out a massive blaze that destroyed seven businesses in Fordham. Fire officials say the blaze broke out at 5:28 a.m., on April 24, inside JaveMTS Income Tax, at 316 E. 194th St., between Marion and Bainbridge avenues. The blaze then spread to stores on either side of the income tax business, gutting the blaze was the Spin City Laundromat, 3 Sisters Pizza, Marion Pharmacy, the Unisex Barbershop, the Hnos Perez Beauty Salon, and the Fu Wang Chinese Restaurant. Plumes of smoke spread across the neighborhood, permeating into neighboring Kingsbridge Heights. A

By NATALIE MIGLIORE

The Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet television, continues its five-part series on food insecurity issues impacting the Bronx and its residents. In PS 109 Sedgwick in Morris Heights, students learn the importance of eating healthy with Edible Schoolyard NYC, which incorporates healthy eating in classroom lessons. From classroom to cafeteria, PS 109 makes sure its students grow up with healthy eating habits through programs like afterschool family cooking activities. Edible Schoolyard NYC is just one group trying to reverse statistics outlined in a recent state health department report that showed the Bronx as the unhealthiest county

Housing Advocates Alert Tenants of Right to Counsel

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

The citywide effort to spread word on the city’s Right to Counsel (RTC) law continued at Monroe College on April 12 by a coalition pushing for greater awareness of the law. The Right to Counsel NYC Coalition (RTCNYC) brought a cadre of lawyers and activists under one roof for the town hall, warning residents of the unscrupulous methods some landlords employ to evict tenants. The Right to Counsel law was enacted last year, offering low-income New Yorkers legal representation in the ever chaotic housing court. Tenants attending housing court because of a nonpayment notice or those being sued by landlords

CB7 Chair Unexpectedly Resigns, Will Remain Member

By DAVID CRUZ

Adaline Walker-Santiago, the chair of Community Board 7 who brought a cheerleading style to her leadership, unexpectedly resigned on April 17. In her announcement to members and the general public at the latest community board, Walker-Santiago pledged to remain a member of the north Bronx board. Her resignation as chair is effective April 30. Walker-Santiago told the Norwood News shortly after her announcement that her decision to step down stemmed largely from freeing up her time. She said she plans to travel abroad, spend more time with family, and continue serving as a life coach. For the last five years, Walker-Santiago

Debate for Norwood Assembly Seat Tonight

By DAVID CRUZ

The Norwood News is a media sponsor for tonight’s televised debate between Democrat Nathalia Fernandez and Republican Gene DeFrancis for Special Election in the 80th Assembly District seat left vacant by Councilman Mark Gjonaj. But while Fernandez will lay out her platform on television, you won’t find it on the city Campaign Finance board’s special election guide. Fernandez, who previously worked for Gjonaj, secured the Democratic nomination for the district, which covers Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Morris Park, Van Nest, and Pelham Parkway. The nomination put her on the Democratic ticket. The Bronx is overwhelmingly Democratic. The Special Election Guide

Norwood News Wins Four Prizes at NYPA Awards

By THE NORWOOD NEWS

Four awards went to the Norwood News took by the New York Press Association (NYPA), the best number in recent memory. David Cruz, editor-in-chief of the paper, took home a First Place prize in the News Story category at the Better Newspaper Contest, for his piece on rent histories questioned by a nonprofit housing advocacy group. The story was written in March. Judges called the story, “Fundamental reporting at its best.” Though the prize put him at the top, it was Adi Talwar’s Third Place award for Photographer of the Year that stood out. Talwar beat out 17 other photographers