Neighborhood Notes

Fresh Air Fund Registration is open for the Fresh Air Fund, which offers free summer experiences for children from low-income communities throughout the city for ages 7 to 12 with volunteer host families and sleep-away camp for ages 8 to 15. For more information, visit www.freshair.org or call (800) 367-0003. Safety Summit Residents living within Norwood, specifically Webster Avenue from East Mosholu Parkway North to Jerome Avenue; Jerome Avenue to Bainbridge Avenue; Bainbridge Avenue to East Gun Hill Road and down to Webster Avenue, are encouraged to attend a “Safety Summit” meeting on June 6 at 7 p.m. at 3400

COUNCILMAN FERNANDO CABRERA celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a street renaming fittingly named after the Mexican holiday. Cinco de Mayo Place (May Fifth Place) can be found at the corner of Jerome Avenue and East 193rd Street in Kingsbridge. Cabrera sponsored the bill that saw the street renaming become law. He joins in celebrating the occasion with members of the Mexican Coalition that include (l-r) President of Migrant Affairs Committee Estado Puebla Mexico Maritz Marin, an unidentified woman, Consul General of Mexico ambassador Diego Gomez, secretary of Migrant Affairs for Estado Puebla Mexico Ernesto Leyva, President of the Mexican Coalition

Bronx Week to Induct Four to Walk of Fame

By TATYANA TURNER

The annual Bronx Week celebration, an 11-day extravaganza underscoring the borough’s strengths, is under way in the Boogie Down. At a media preview three days before, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. presented this year’s inductees to the Bronx Walk of Fame, which include a celebrated doctor, actress, DJ, and musician. Roughly 100 guests gathered inside Bronx Borough Hall for a media preview of inductees who’ve achieved significant success in their fields. Their names will be etched along the 106 names that make up the Bronx Walk of Fame, running along Grand Concourse south of 161st Street. This year’s honorees

By JOLIE MILSTEIN

From the Mill Brook Houses to Lafayette Boynton, families in the Bronx have always been on the front line of fighting for affordable housing. That fight has only taken on greater importance as the borough gets less and less affordable for low- and middle-income families who are struggling to make ends meet. Thankfully, the borough of the Bronx – and all of New York – has taken a huge step forward in combating our state’s dire housing crisis, as the Governor and State Legislature recently approved $2.5 billion for affordable and supportive housing. With over 88,000 New Yorkers still homeless

"Villa Gardens" to Bring 52 Affordable Units to 204th Street and Villa Avenue

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Excavation is under way to bring 52 units of affordable housing to Bedford Park by mid-2018, continuing the trend of more neighborhood development. Ground broke on the complex at 16 E. 204th St., at the corner of Villa Avenue, just east of Jerome Avenue, earlier this year. Galaxy General Contracting Corp., which develops properties throughout the five boroughs, is planning to call the mixed-income rental building “Villa Gardens.” As standard practice, those hoping for an apartment will need to enter a lottery through the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Richard Sica, Galaxy’s vice president, said the

By DAVID GREENE

With the recent closings of several popular stores in Norwood, we asked residents what types of stores the community needs. I think the neighborhood could use a gym and some more clothing stores. I just moved out here, maybe a movie rental store. Millie Sanchez Norwood Of course I noticed the stores closing. The butcher shop is not the same as they used to be. I don’t think the quality of the products is there because they no longer have the clientele of the community, so there’s not as much traffic to the store. So there’s less business.

After Three Years, Oval Skate Park Project Yet to Start

By DYLAN CROLL and DAVID CRUZ

When it comes to a skate park project that hasn’t begun, the progress, or lack thereof, particularly miffs the Norwood Council Member who earmarked funds to build it more than three years ago. “If I could build it myself, I would,” Councilman Andrew Cohen, who allocated $750,000 in capital funds to the New York City Department of Parks to build the skate park, told the Norwood News. The proposal to build the skate park was hailed by neighborhood skaters who’ve longed for an appropriate space to perfect their skating skills. Indeed, a vision for the skate park stretches back to

Power Walk at NYBG Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and J Train Wellness invite the public to join the B’N Fit Annual Power Walk to Wellness at the New York Botanical Garden on May 6 at 9 a.m. rain or shine ($10 p/p; raise $50 and walk free). Event helps educate the community about how to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent the adverse effects of obesity. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. Whoever raises the most in donations receives $100 gift card and a B’N Fit trophy. Meet at Everett Garden Gate school group entrance. For more

By ADELINE HANSSEN

Covered in student artwork and colorful murals, a renovated basement located between Knox and Gates Places in Norwood serves as the center for Community Organized with a Vision of Excellence (COVE), a local nonprofit that will be home to Dare to Revitalize Education through Arts and Mediation (DREAM!) when the two nonprofits merge this summer. “The combination just makes us a more powerful unit,” said Aisha Norris, who doubles as co-founder of DREAM! and program director of The COVE. The merger of the two nonprofits is somewhat of a no-brainer. The COVE was founded by the Knox Gates Neighborhood Association