Mary Vallati, Bedford Park Stalwart, Dies at Age 102

By DAVID CRUZ

The Bedford Park apartment home of Mary Vallati, the outspoken community activist who died at the age of 102, captures the character of an altruistic community leader. There’re the portraits of her family, including a vintage photo of her mother, Catholic imagery, personally crocheted items, and proclamations from various elected officials that adorn the walls of her living room. Words like “role model” and “community leader” were the watchwords for Mrs. Vallati. Mrs. Vallati never sought the recognition, wasn’t motivated by it, her daughter Linda McCauley, recalled. Her faith and love lay in the community. “She didn’t want the glory,” McCauley

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By AARON MAYORGA

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. did not offer a site over where Amazon can build its so-called HQ2, which would cover 8 million square feet of space.

Bronx to Host Drive for Hurricane Maria Victims

The drive to aid victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico is scheduled for Sept. 30. The Bronx is home to some 300,000 Puerto Ricans.

To Stop Violence at Oval Park, Locals Propose Locking it Up

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

The request comes three weeks from when a teenager was stabbed inside the Bronx park’s tunnel in what police say was gang-related.

Norwood to City: No Shelter at Sam’s Carpeting

By DAVID CRUZ

Norwood residents are looking to pull the rug out from under a proposed shelter at a carpet store on Webster Avenue. Elected officials, community stakeholders and schoolchildren demonstrated across the street from Sam’s Floor Covering, in front of PS/MS 20, on Sept. 19. The business, also known as Sam’s Carpeting, at 3041 Webster Ave., filed paperwork to convert the business to a homeless shelter. Opponents of the shelter have continued to pressure the city to relocate the shelter, which would be located diagonally across from the K through 8th grade school. Parents fear the shelter would endanger their kids. “This

Jerome-Gun Hill BID Board Mtg. The Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District will be holding its quarterly board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. at the Reservoir Keeper’s House, 3400 Reservoir Oval E. The meeting is open to everyone. For more information, and to RSVP, call Jennifer Tausig, executive director of the Jerome-Gun Hill BID, at (718) 324-4946. Free College Prep Class The SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center is hosting a free college prep course on Oct. 2. Students will be given pre-college level instructions in reading, writing and math. Instructors can also help in the college and financial

By DAVID CRUZ

Community stakeholders are gearing up to protest a proposed homeless shelter at an existing carpeting store on Webster Avenue in Norwood. The move follows weeks of unanswered questions by the New York City Department of Homeless Services, which has remained mum on the project. Sam’s Carpeting Inc. at 3041 Webster Ave. is under consideration to become a homeless shelter. The business is across from PS/MS 20, angering residents who would like to see the shelter placed elsewhere. “We feel strongly that the Mayor’s Office and DHS should work with the neighborhood into finding an appropriate site,” Barbara Stronczer, president of

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the upcoming Primary Election (asked prior to the Sept. 12 Primary), particularly the races for mayor, Bronx borough president, and City Council. The universal Pre-K has definitely been a huge benefit. It’s not surprising that he (Mayor Bill de Blasio) has so [few] challengers. We just need to give him a chance. He’s had some rough patches. For us, with two little guys, it’s a huge benefit. For City Council, I’m voting for Majorie Velazquez; I think she will make the changes that we need. Andrej Kozikowski Pelham Bay Voting is

Editorial: Bedford Park Locals Should Consider a No Solicitation Zone

On Oct. 1, the Country Club section of the Bronx, a middle class enclave that overlooks the Long Island Sound, will officially be considered a “non-solicitation real estate zone.” This should matter to residents living in Bedford Park. This community, just five miles west of Country Club, should add it to its arsenal of neighborhood preservation tools to help thwart the issue of over development that’s become an ongoing problem within the community. Here’s the catch: there has to be proof. The designation stops pesky realtors from pitching homeowners to sell their homes. The Country Club section evinces a suburban-like