Campaign Champions Bronx Postal Banking System

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

Several proposals are under way to provide banking services, such as ATMs, paycheck cashing, bill payment, electronic money transfers and small-dollar loans, at Bronx post offices in hopes of making residents less reliant on alternative financial services. While the proposals are being championed by the postal union and federal legislators representing the Bronx, Community Board 7’s district manager, Ischia Bravo, worries about the Postal Service biting off more responsibility than it can chew. “Overall, and my board agrees, we think it’s a good idea for a pilot program to begin; however, you know, given the underlying issues that the post

By DAVID CRUZ

I didn’t expect to have one foot in as a private citizen and the other as a reporter during my sole day as a juror at Manhattan Criminal Court. I figured I’d brace myself for two days of killing my hours in a giant room nervously awaiting my name to be called as though it were some kind of death sentence. But, the day before as I was wrapping up a long production day, in came the email showing the next day’s public schedule for Mayor Bill de Blasio: jury duty. I immediately told this to my wife via text,

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the decision by the Daily News to cut its newsroom staff by nearly 50 percent and what effect, if any, would it have on coverage of our borough. That’s discouraging for the simple fact that those resources they’re letting go are the resources that scoop the information from this area that is valuable to us, and I think it makes us vulnerable now with what’s going on around us. I get my news from the Daily News and I’m disappointed about this decision. Alexander Vega Kingsbridge People today are getting their

For those who haven’t heard, the New York Daily News saw some of the most brutal cuts to its reporting staff in recent memory. No one was safe, not even the librarians who archive the paper’s work. You may not notice it right away—no sector is immune to layoffs–but the pain of the layoffs could easily affect you. Follow us here: Without reporters you may not know what’s happening down the street, how to best shame a bad landlord putting tenants in harm’s way, and what the people you elected to represent you in public office are up to. That’s

Outrage in North Bronx Sparks Plan to Reveal Shelter Addresses

By DAVID CRUZ

Following acrimony by residents over the sudden boom in homeless men roaming the streets of Wakefield and Edenwald sections of the Bronx, Comptroller Scott Stringer plans to share the locations of shelters that have quietly opened across the neighborhood. Stringer, a critic of the mayor’s handling of the homelessness crisis that’s swept the city, promised residents that an investigation will be launched. He distinguished an investigation with an audit, which the latter can take a year and a half to complete. “[Y]ou don’t want that,” Stringer told an audience at a town hall event his office hosted on July 24.

Whalen Park's Official Re-Opening Draws Namesake's Family

By SOPHIA EBANKS

After one year of reconstruction, Norwood’s Whalen Park officially reopened to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local officials and family members of the patriarch behind the park’s name. “I couldn’t stop crying,” said Kate Armstrong, daughter of the late Henry A. Whalen, a Norwood resident and the park’s namesake. “Our father would be so proud of this. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that it would turn into this great park that it is today.” The park, located on Perry Avenue and 205th Street, has been revamped with the installation of new playground equipment, including

From the South Bronx to Riverdale, more than 30 vendors from all over the borough are expected to showcase the best culinary fare amid the backdrop of live music and the frenetic pace of Fordham. The Bronx Night Market is expected to take place on July 28 beginning at 4 p.m. The joint collaborative effort is being hosted by Edible Bronx and Blox NYC in conjunction with the Fordham Road Business Improvement District. The Fordham Road BID manages Fordham Plaza, the city-owned property falling under the Transportation Department. While food will be the standout attraction of the event, guests can

Cohen Intends to Swap Council Role for Judgeship

By DAVID CRUZ

For more than four years, Councilman Andrew Cohen has represented Norwood at the ready, overseeing a robust constituent services department, regularly appearing at community meetings across the 11th Council District, and carrying himself wholesome and scandal-free. But despite his popularity among constituents, political rumblings originating in Riverdale indicate Cohen is considering a judgeship nomination that’s guaranteed, triggering a vacancy, according to several sources who spoke to the Norwood News. Cohen, a Democrat in his second term, was upfront about the rumors, telling the Norwood News he is mulling the prospect of serving on the bench. “If it comes this year

A Refuge for Vets and LGBTQ Youth Opens in the Bronx

By SOPHIA EBANKS

Several homeless military veterans and LGBTQ youth now have a place to call home with the opening of a new supportive housing residence in the University Heights section of the Bronx. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the opening on July 17. Walton House, located between Walton Avenue and East Burnside Avenue, holds 89 affordable housing apartments that have been leased to 56 military veterans and 33 young adults, 40 percent of whom identify as LGBTQ. The property is the third residence for veterans managed by the Jericho Project, a non-profit that provides housing and services for the homeless