Let There Be Light at E. 204th St. and Decatur Ave.

By DIEGO BARCACEL PEÑA

The intersection of East 204th Street and Decatur Avenue is finally getting a traffic light, which could ease congestion at the busy crossroad. There is currently a stop sign, but Norwood residents still cross with caution. The crossroad is located near a commercial strip that is home to many businesses including Lexa Bar & Garden, Price Busters, and Leroy Pharmacy. Because of this, there is constant traffic among pedestrians and drivers there. There are four schools in the surrounding areas of the intersection, including PS 20, Headstart Archdiocese of New York, Bedford Park Elementary School, St. Brendan’s School, and PS

By DAVID GREENE

One person, a firefighter and a paramedic suffered minor injuries after a fast-moving house fire destroyed a three-story home on Decatur Avenue. According to fire officials, the fire broke out at 7:30 a.m., on the second-floor of 3080 Decatur Ave. between East 204th Street and Mosholu Parkway North in Norwood. The street comprises three-story homes mixed with residences six stories or more. One resident remembered emergency crews rushing to the scene. “The fire trucks woke me up and I came out side and the fire was coming out the roof,” said the resident, who pulled out his cell phone and showed video of the

City Announces Hurricane Relief Efforts for Puerto Rico

By DAVID GREENE

City officials and members of the techno-pop music group Black Eyed Peas stood outside of FDNY’s EMS Station 26 on Boston Road, announcing New York City’s relief efforts for hurricane-torn Puerto Rico. Mayor Bill de Blasio was on hand for the Oct. 7 announcement. From now until the end of the month, the city will be accepting needed donations for the commonwealth at 17 Bronx police stations and five FDNY/EMS stations across the borough until Oct. 31. “They may be more than 1,000 miles away in terms of geography, but there right here in terms of our hearts, we are Puerto

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use! We begin with a special report on the issue of homelessness crisis. Our reporters fanned out over the last two weeks interviewing the borough’s downtrodden and learn why they prefer the streets over a shelter. The story comes amid the city’s plan to bring more shelters to Norwood. It’s a can’t miss story by me, Aaron Mayorga, Yara Palin, and Adi Talwar with help from Diego Barcacel Pena and Stephanie Luciano. Be sure to check out this eye-opening story and

By DAVID GREENE

Although the latest stop work order for a troubled building under construction in Norwood has been lifted, unpaid fines levied against the developer are expected to pass $83,000. The property at 3084 Webster Ave., at the corner of East 203rd Street, an 11-story residence under construction by The Stagg Group, currently has a total of 19 violations, seven which are still pending before an administrative court, according to records by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). The most recent stop work order was issued on Oct. 2, when inspectors found a construction elevator, also known as a hoist, that

By YARA PALIN

It’s very easy to see the positive impact that the midwifery program at North Central Bronx Hospital (NCB) has had since its inception 40 years ago. The unit has delivered 90,000 babies since its inception in 1977, and about 1,500 annually. NCB midwives provide a spectrum of care for labor and delivery care during pregnancy, and well care, birth control, menopause, and care related to female gynecological disorders after delivery. The hospital serves Norwood and the entire north Bronx community, which has a diverse ethnic population. At the midwifery’s 40th anniversary on Oct. 5, midwives from past and present joined

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

College students from all over New York are protesting Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State, requesting that college education be like it was before 1976: free. Today, more than 40 years later, it costs about, minimum, $6,000 a year. So is it worth funding the system with your tax dollars? At 200,000 students per year going through the CUNY, that will be $1.2 billion a year. Is a public education worth this cost as a state and can we make it cheaper? If my memory serves, in 1986, I paid $1,200 a year. Based on current inflation, this would now be $1,920 a year in 2017. While $1,920 might be

By DAVID CRUZ, AARON MAYORGA, and YARA PALIN

From the freneticism of Fordham to the more bucolic parts of Mosholu Parkway, the uptick in homelessness has not gone unnoticed by residents. In many instances, makeshift beds can be spotted in parts of Fordham while a camp for the homeless is commonly used in a leafy section of Dead End Park by Allerton Ballfields. For the number of homeless the Norwood News spoke to, living on the streets is a life more familiar than a roof over their head. It also presents the safest option. And as the city Department of Homeless Services (DHS) mulls over the site of

Crime File: Suspect Chucks Credit Card Reader at Victim

By DAVID CRUZ

The Norwood News’ Crime File takes a look at some high profile cases the NYPD needs help with. This week there are cases involving a credit card reader used as a weapon, a $22000 grand larcenist, and a wallet thief.