Request to Down Zone Bedford Park Comes Amid Race to Stymie Evictions

By DANIELA BEASLEY

After learning of the recent down zoning of a portion of streets in the neighborhood of Woodlawn, the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation (FBHC) is now fighting even more for portions of Bedford Park to receive the same outcome. A request was put into the New York City Department of City Planning (NYCDCP) to down zone 202nd and 203rd streets five years back when other areas of Bedford Park underwent rezoning. The request called for R5B or R7B zones to be adopted on these narrow streets, mandating developers to put up structures at the same height as the century-old houses that

Dear Loyal Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering all things northwest Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin, as always, on page 1 with an in-depth story on the 52nd Precinct’s newest commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Peter Fiorillo, who succeeds Inspector Nilda Hofmann. Read where Inspector Hofmann landed (it’s a very interesting place), and her thoughts on the borough she had once called home. Inside the cover you’ll read results on participatory budgeting, politics in the Bronx, and the latest in the Kingsbridge Armory saga. We’ll also bring you Bronx Youth

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will hold its general board meeting on May 17 at the Rain Bailey Senior Center, 2660 Bailey Ave., at 6:30 p.m. CB7 committees are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Traffic & Transportation Committee meets on May 12; Veterans Committee on May 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Housing/Land Use & Zoning Committee meets on May 18; Environment & Sanitation Committee meets on May 25. For more information, call the Board office at (718) 933-5650. THE 52ND PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL meets May 26 at a to

Candidates in the race for the 13th Congressional District seat, sprinting to secure votes ahead of the June primary, gathered to address community concerns in a debate framed as a town hall forum. Organized by the Muslim community, the forum featured two hours of outbursts, gang-ups, and comings and goings. The crowded field of candidates, including Mike Gallagher, Clyde Williams, ambassador-at-large Suzan Johnson Cook, state Senator Adriano Espaillat, Sam Sloan, Adam Clayton Powell IV, state Assemblyman Keith Wright, and Yohanny Caceres, converged at the Sanctuary Grand Hall at 2773 Webster Ave. in Norwood to plead their stances at the event

By DAVID CRUZ

A pair of rallies, held on different days, focused on the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC). But while one called for the city to finally hand over the keys to the ice center developers, another once again urged the public to know the consequences should it be built. People Power Movement, a progressive grassroots group, staged a rally on May 1, a date corresponding with the yearly May Day, also known as International Workers Day. A group of people (picture left) stood in front of the Kingsbridge Armory, the purported site of the impending Kingsbridge National Ice Center, calling on

By DAVID CRUZ

POLICE ARE SEARCHING for this masked thief wanted for the brazen bank robbery at the Chase Bank at 3408 Jerome Ave. on May 7 just after 9 a.m. Police say the thief, wearing a mask, waited 10 minutes inside the bank before approaching a teller, brandishing a black gun from his waistband and demanding cash. After getting the money, the thief fled. Police describe the suspect as approximately 30 years old, medium complexion and weighing 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red hoodie, blue jeans and black sneakers. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers

This year’s lineup of honorees in the Bronx Walk of Fame includes an actor, animator/director, author, and dance pioneer. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and The Bronx Tourism Council, hailing May 5 as the start of the 11-day, 45th annual Bronx Week, announced the new roster of inductees. The honorees are actor Vincent Pastore, animator and director Peter Sohn, author Arlene Alda, and dance pioneer Eduardo Vilaro. The quartet was chosen primarily because of their roots to the Bronx. They will be officially inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame as part of Bronx Week, a program celebrating the borough’s finer

For anyone who’s lived in the Bronx long enough, they’ll learn it can take an insane amount of time to fix a quality of life problem. So if it’s a busted fire hydrant, perpetually loud neighbors, an overpopulated cat colony, or a lost coin (it’s been known to happen), resolve is almost never instantaneous, a curse that bedevils anyone making a complaint through the city’s 311 hotline. The system, implemented in 2003 during the Bloomberg years, serves as the city’s official customer service line, though that depiction is a stretch, depending on who you talk to. It functions more as

Volunteers make the difference at St. Patrick’s Home Rehabilitation and Health Care Center located just at the tip of Norwood. We are blessed to have dedicated volunteers who give of themselves and their time to our beloved residents. On April 16, the home celebrated and recognized their Volunteers for National Volunteer Week with a Mass of Thanksgiving and brunch. A wonderful time was shared by all who attended and participated. The home is always seeking new volunteers to share their time, treasure and talent serving the residents and the facility. Volunteering in a nursing home can be a rewarding, life