52nd Precinct Equips All Officers With Phones

By MICHAEL BROWN JR.

At the recent 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting, Inspector Nilda Hofmann announced that officers of the 52nd Precinct had received their NYPD-issued mobile phones and tablets intended to aid them in their fight against crime. The gadgets were given out earlier in December to the Five-Two as part of an initiative by Commissioner Bill Bratton that was funded by the New York City Council. Under Bratton, every precinct in the city will have equipped its officers with a phone or tablet. Previously, high ranking NYPD officials, commanding officers, and some squad supervisors were assigned an NYPD-issued phone. “You can reach

By DAVID CRUZ

The door buzzed open at Freilich Jewelers, letting in Marilyn Maldonado, a faithful customer still stunned to learn the news–it would be less than a week until the store she frequented for 32 years would close after 76 years of business in the Bronx. “It’s Marilyn, with a broken heart,” said Maldonado, who has entrusted the store with her personal life’s milestones. “Why is your heart broken?” asked Allan Freilich, the bespectacled owner of the neighborhood jewelry shop. “Because you’re going,” said Maldonado, eventually awash in tears. “Is there someone we can call? We need you here.” “This is

Dear Loyal Readers! The Norwood News has come out with its final newspaper of the year! It was a great year in news, which became the basis of our Year in Review story that traveled back to the early part of 2015 and all the stories we’ve chronicled. The year was filled with a lot of pluses and minuses, as in any year, and we give our take on how the Bronx fared this year in our editorial found on page 2. Every year has beginnings and endings, the latter being the more sadder of the two. This year Norwood residents

By WILLIAM MATHIS

It’s been an eventful year in Norwood, with developments in housing, politics and parks making headlines. As 2016 approaches, the Norwood News looks back at some of the year’s biggest stories. Housing and Development It was the year of housing in New York as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration worked throughout the city to advance his Housing New York initiative, which would build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing citywide. However, community boards around the city, including in the Bronx, pushed back against two zoning amendments that would have made the building possible. Community Board 7 and the Bronx

By DAVID CRUZ

For the past 15 years, toasty whiffs of natural smoke would puff out a tiny shop on East Gun Hill Road in Norwood, emitting an acquired scent. If customers look behind the store’s window pane, a quad of workers carefully roll brown thick cigars. In front of them, a row of brown lounge chairs are available for the casual smoker looking to sit and reflect as they inhale sweet tobacco. “A cigar is meant to relax yourself,” said Francisco Rosario, owner of Rosario’s Cigars LLC. Rosario’s family-operated shop is a true family collaboration in every sense of the word. He

By JASMINE GOMEZ

A so-called bus bulb is currently under construction below the #4 Woodlawn elevated subway station on Jerome Avenue. While it’s viewed as an added safety measure for riders, it also means the elimination of an unofficial taxi stand. The bus bulb– a method that extends a sidewalk to a bus stop– is being built at the corner of Jerome and Bainbridge avenues directly below the elevated #4 subway line. Crews have begun elongating the sidewalk towards the existing BxM4, Bx16, and Westchester County’s Bee Line stops, eliminating side lanes. The new sidewalk design is part of a long-term campaign to

To our readers, The Norwood News is out with its latest edition, offering you plenty of Bronx community news you can use. We begin in the heart of Norwood, or as some locals call it, the Jewel of Norwood: Williamsbridge Oval Park. It’s there where a series of vandalistic acts and arsons have creeped out neighbors with big pride of their storied park. Learn what police and the New York City Parks Department are doing about it. We also write some sad news of a longtime piano teacher in Norwood, Mabel Gerber, who passed away last month. Learn about her

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers what is their favorite Bronx eatery. (Editor’s Note: Thanks to Norwood resident Helene Hartman-Kutnowsky, member of Community Board #7, for suggesting this question.) It’s really hard to pick one out because I have so many. I can’t remember which is the best one, but Nicky’s Pizzeria is good. They have pasta and they’ve got meatballs. The meatballs, definitely the meatballs, are my favorite. I think Subway is good, I always get my sandwiches there. Alen Peisel Norwood My favorite restaurant is the Star Restaurant on Webster Avenue. The chicken is good and they have a nice soup over there and they have

By ADVERTORIAL

Located just a block from Montefiore Medical Center in the Norwood section of the Bronx, Bainbridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center enjoys a well-earned reputation for providing excellence in person-centered healthcare in a warm and inviting “home-like” atmosphere. We have private and semi-private rooms with access to tastefully decorated recreation areas and outdoor patios where residents can enjoy a breath of fresh air. Guests at Bainbridge enjoy life to the fullest with a variety of activities to choose from; including regularly scheduled leisure outings, games, fitness activities, movies, spiritual, beauty and barber services on-site. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to join