Community

Feds Recall Chinese-Manufactured Lithium-Ion Batteries as Mayor Devises New Plan to Curb E-Bike Fires

By SÍLE MOLONEY & DAVID GREENE
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 7,250 units of Chinese-manufactured RELiON InSight Series® lithium batteries, due to “thermal burn and fire hazards,” the commission announced on March 2. Meanwhile, following a number of Bronx and New York City fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined other elected officials on Monday to announce the signing into law of the latest package of City fire legislation regulating the sale of lithium-ion batteries, as well as a new action plan targeted at education around the use of such batteries and the prevention of future fires caused by


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EDC Provides Recap to Bronx CB7 on Kingsbridge Armory Project as Future Use Ideas Flourish

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Representatives from New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) provided a recap to Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) residents on the latest discussions around the future use of the Kingsbridge Armory during the Bronx CB7 general board meeting held Feb. 22, following EDC’s presentation to the board’s land use committee on Feb. 14. It included an overview of the latest envisioning workshops, meetings held by the “Together for Kingsbridge” working group/steering committee, as well as previous updates on the project.   “On Feb. 28, we’ll be doing a focus group with faith-based institutions across the Bronx, and then we


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Bedford Park: Film Crew for “FBI” TV Show Shoot Scenes in Botanical Square

By DAVID GREENE
Dozens of crew members from Universal Television LLC’s TV crime drama, “FBI,” which is broadcast on CBS, recently spent the day in and around Botanical Square in Bedford Park, filming an episode for the show’s 5th season.   Film crews arrived with a dozen or more large trucks early on Thursday, Feb. 16, and stayed until rain appeared to stop the shoot in the late afternoon. According to a flier seen posted to street poles around the neighborhood, the crew had planned to film on the day up to 10 p.m.   According to CBS, from Craig Turk, Emmy award


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Possible Vulture Seen in Morris Park Amid Warm Temperatures

By DAVID GREENE
With some rather balmy weather experienced in February, when temperatures were hovering at around 50 degrees, the large bird seen in the attached photos seemed to be home-hunting in Morris Park on Monday, Feb. 13.   According to Max Pulsinelli of the Wildlife Conservation Society and who sometimes speaks on behalf of the Bronx Zoo, the bird is likely a turkey or possibly a vulture. He said this was “very common” for the area.   Though seemingly startled by foot and automobile traffic, the bird was seen flying from the roof of one building to another, apparently enjoying the unseasonably


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Norwood Students, Parents Rally to Save St. Brendan School

By DAVID GREENE
Nearly 200 young students and parents rallied outside of St. Brendan School in Norwood to protest plans by the Archdiocese of New York to close 12 Catholic schools across the City, including six in The Bronx, as well as the merger of four additional Catholic schools in The Bronx into two, at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.   The rally was held on Friday, Feb. 24, outside the East 207th Street school, founded in 1908. As previously reported, the rally was organized in response to a decision taken by the Archdiocese of New York in mid-February to close St.


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Torres Introduces New Federal Safety Laws and Feliz New City Laws on Litihum-Ion Batteries and E-Bikes

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) joined City fire officials and local elected leaders in Fordham Heights on Tuesday, March 7, to announce new federal legislation mandating consumer product safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The announcement by the congressman, who represents a large swath of The Bronx, including Norwood, Fordham, and much of the northwest of the borough, comes on the heels of a 5-alarm supermarket and food plaza fire at 2096 Grand Concourse in Fordham Heights, caused by the explosion of lithium-ion batteries powering an e-bike on Sunday morning, March 5.

No Access to Jerome Park Reservoir Despite $15.7M Upgrade

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Pedestrian access to The Bronx’s Jerome Park Reservoir is a no go according to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), news that is bound to disappoint local residents of Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park and Van Cortlandt Village, neighborhoods which border the reservoir.

Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on E-bike Fires Caused by Damaged, Illegal or Improper Chargers or Batteries

By DAVID GREENE
This week, in the wake of the 5-alarm fire in Fordham Heights on Sunday, March 5, caused by a lithium-ion battery explosion from the charging of an e-bike, we asked readers their thoughts on the use of illegal, damaged or improper chargers or lithium-ion batteries.   “It’s an urban nightmare! Bringing something that’s flammable and explosive into a city of eight-and-a-half million people is crazy. To risk your neighbor’s life, firemen’s lives, your life, and the ruination of housing stock that’s depleted as it is…for what? Deliveries? You can’t pick up your own stuff? And I think the city really has to


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John Zaccaro Jr. Sworn in as Assemblyman of A.D. 80

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  The Rotunda of Jacobi Medical Center in Morris Park was filled with some of New York’s political constellation on Saturday, March 4 for the inauguration ceremony of Democratic Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr. (A.D. 80). The guest list included U.S. Sen. and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Councilman Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15), among many others. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was scheduled to attend three other events the same day, sent well wishes, via video message, to Zaccaro Jr., profiled last year by Norwood News.   Before administering the oath of office, State Assembly


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