OpEd: Fordham Hill Owners Corp., a Vital Influencer for Growth

By RACHEL MILLER-BRADSHAW

The bus was filled with anxious Fordham Hill Owners Corporation (FHOC) shareholders on the way to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) meeting set to take place that morning on Sept. 19, 2017. Empowering conversations on what the corporation could do to advocate for improvements to uplift University Heights was the discussion during the ride. Fordham Hill’s Community Engagement Committee (CEC) had to quickly galvanize and coordinate their shareholder community after learning that oil giant BP resubmitted an application to build a gas station at 205 W. Fordham Rd. In addition to getting shareholders to send in emails before

Bronx Gang Squad Identifies 12 Gangs Within 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ

When it comes to tracking gang activity, the Bronx Gang Squad on it. All 22 of members. It’s a small number, putting two detectives per precinct, but keeping them busy. And within the 52nd Precinct, roughly a dozen gangs have been identified within the northwest Bronx precinct. And their makeup varies. “You have Hispanic gangs ranging from the Latin Kings to the Trinitarios, which are Dominican. We used to have DDP’s, they seem to fallen out of favor with the Dominican gangs. You also have some Mexican gangs,” said gang squad detective James Shanahan. Shanahan appeared at the latest 52nd

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

The Sept. 13 primary in the Bronx is one for the ages. It’s usually a tough one for challengers, but in the year when the reckoning on establishment Democrats reached its peak, no one was safe. Not even the state’s most powerful senator, Jeff Klein, ousted as the Democratic representative for the 34th Senate District by Alessandra Biaggi, a candidate with a Democratic platform that translates to a complete condemnation against President Donald Trump. The people made their voices heard in a race that should be seen as an example of what happens when there’s a more engaged voting bloc

By DAVID CRUZ

Prosecutors have now charged a fourteenth Trinitarios suspect in the killing of a 15-year-old in Belmont which sparked citywide outrage throughout the summer. Frederick Then, 19, of Reading, PA, faces a litany of charges including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree conspiracy, in the killing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz. Junior was stabbed outside a Bronx bodega on June 20 by a group of men. His killing was caught on surveillance video, prompting outrage over the brutality of his death. “The defendant, along with 13 others already indicted, allegedly plotted an act of violence with members of the “Los Sures” set

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, After taking a tiny break to rejuvenate ourselves, the Norwood News is back with its latest edition. Check out 24 pages of community news happening in and around your Bronx neighborhood. We begin with page one! This story previews the impending traffic headaches set to fall on Norwood. It’s thanks to two road projects that will take out lanes and test your patience. Jonathan Custodio spoke with residents on their thoughts on the dual projects. Read the city’s response to the first project. Inside the cover you’ll find my first-person account of serving jury duty with Mayor Bill

One Assault-Robbery Solved, Another Unsolved in Norwood

By DAVID GREENE

The NYPD has arrested a suspect while also looking for a duo wanted in unrelated assault and robberies cases in Norwood. In the most recent incident, police were looking for the man who “shoved and punched” an 88 year-old woman at 2:25 p.m., on Aug. 3 inside the Bank of America at 299 East 204th Street. The suspect took the victim’s $2,500 she withdrew from the ATM before fleeing on foot. Surveillance video captured the suspect as the 52nd Precinct’s Twitter feed posted photos and updates on the case. Apparently identified through facial recognition software, police eventually released a mugshot of the suspect,

By DAVID CRUZ

Three suspects are on the loose for a series of robberies around Bedford Park and Norwood over the last month. The suspects have struck four times–two in Bedford Park, the other in Norwood, and another in Manhattan. Police say the first incident happened Aug. 7 when the suspects attacked a deliveryman who was bringing an order to 2770 Briggs Ave. Police say the thieves slashed him in the mouth, and stole his wallet containing $200 in cash along with the food. The second incident happened four days later when the suspects repeated their modus operandi–calling in a delivery to rob

By DAVID CRUZ

An 18-year-old is in cuffs for allegedly slitting his uncle’s throat and leaving him to die in the corner of East 196th Street and Briggs Avenue in Fordham. The incident marks the fifth homicide for the 52nd Precinct so far this year. Police say 55-year-old Eric Shaw was the victim of Travis Mason in the stabbing incident that happened just after midnight on August 18. Police found him bleeding at the corner just near P.S. 46 Edgar Allen Poe. Shaw, employed as a construction worker, was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, but did not make it. He was pronounced dead.

By DAVID CRUZ

A man remains in critical condition at St. Barnabas Hospital after being shot last night at 2492 Devoe Terrace in University Heights, according to police. Police from the 52nd Precinct say the victim, who was shot just before midnight on Aug. 16, had a lengthy criminal history. They did not release more details other than he is 29 years old and was shoot in the upper left torso. Police are reportedly looking for two assailants involved in the shooting. The residential neighborhood where the victim was shot is steps from Devoe Park.