Proposed Cuts in College Readiness Program Inspire Social Message Video

By DAVID CRUZ

Imani Martinez sat slightly coy as a video bearing her image boomed across the East Dining Room of Lehman College. On screen, Martinez stood confident, revealing moments and milestones that have contributed to her character. “Why must I have to put double the blood, sweat and tears I normally would have to put in order to accomplish my goal? Because I’m poor, Latina and I live in the Bronx,” Martinez, who dreams a career in law enforcement, said. Martinez’s verbal purge, a raw, coming-of-age message chronicled her personal struggles, ambitions, and a love for borough, warts and all. She intertwined

Out & About: Happenings at Van Cortlandt Park

Editor’s Pick: Summer Activities at VC Park Van Cortlandt Park, West 242nd Street and Broadway, offers a variety of summer activities including: Rowboating on VC Lake: Fridays through Sept. 1 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., free. Enter the park at VC Park South and Bailey Avenue. Meet near the lake. Barefoot Dancing: Thursdays through Aug. 3, on the VC House Museum lawn (details under “Events”). Horseback Riding Instruction: Daily lessons by the Riverdale Stables. For more information, visit riverdalestables.com. Fishing: Join the Rangers on Aug. 13 at noon for free fishing program catch and release only. NYS fishing license is required.

Hate Has No Business Here Canvases Jerome-Gun Hill BID

EXPECT TO SEE more signs like this one (inset) located at Anthony’s Famous Deli, 169 E. Gun Hill Rd., hung at stores around the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District. The Norwood business strip, running along Jerome Avenue between Mosholu Parkway and East Gun Hill Road, and along East Gun Hill Road between Jerome and Webster avenues, joined a campaign dubbed “Hate Has No Business Here” to spread a message of tolerance across Bronx commercial corridors. Photos courtesy Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District

De Blasio to Host Town Hall in the Northwest Bronx

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Mayor Bill de Blasio will once again host a town hall forum in the Bronx. De Blasio, who is running for re-election, will take questions from folks living within the 14th Council District. Councilman Fernando Cabrera is the presiding councilman there. As usual, he will take questions only from the general public. De Blasio won the Bronx when he ran for mayor the first time out. Those wishing to attend must RSVP by today. The forum is scheduled for July 12 at Creston Academy, 2160 Creston Avenue, at 7 p.m. Residents are asked to come by 6 p.m. To RSVP,

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, the award-winning publication covering all things Norwood and its surrounding Bronx communities, is out with plenty of news you can use. We start at the beginning, and on page 1. There, we have a story on the battle to preserve the character of Bedford Park and Norwood. A report yet finalized by the all Community Board 7 members was approved by the Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee. What does this mean for the neighborhood? Read to find out more! Turning to inside-the-cover stories, the Bronx Borough President’s Office has released a

Activists Fume Over Hours Long Partying on Mosholu Parkway

By DAVID CRUZ

Activists are demanding answers over how the local 52nd Precinct could allow illegal barbecues to go on for hours along Mosholu Parkway over the July 4th weekend, despite the presence of “No Barbecuing” signs throughout parkway. They’ve now reached out to local elected officials and are in the stages of planning a meeting to get answers. Many residents vented frustration on Facebook, posting photos of other residents setting up tents, lounge chairs and speakers across the leafy mall. The day after July 4th, mounds of trash can be spotted around Mosholu Parkway. Leftover trash and burnt out ashes the day after

INDEPENDENCE DAY CAME five days early in the Bronx as fireworks light up the night sky on June 29 at the holiday celebration held at Orchard Beach. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted the yearly gathering, which attracted hundreds of spectators. Food vendors were on hand, and the annual Bronx Empanada Eating Contest did not disappoint. Photo by Miriam Quinones

Bus Countdown Clocks Come to the Bronx

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

Three. Two. One. Zero. Your bus has arrived. Four bus stops in the Bronx were upgraded with Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) countdown clocks. The corners of East Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse; University Avenue and West Tremont Avenue; University and West Burnside avenues; and East Burnside and Jerome avenues are the first in the Bronx to get such clocks. Councilman Fernando Cabrera announced June 26 that the clocks were being installed. “Now, our communities will have the technology tools they need to make public transit easier to use,” Cabrera, who allocated funding for the clocks, said in a statement.

Report: Give and Take for Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights Downzoning

By DAVID CRUZ

At its June 14 meeting, Community Board 7’s Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee approved the findings of an independent study that would limit height restrictions on new buildings in two Bronx neighborhoods, despite the study’s author recommending more neighborhoods be assessed before submitting them to the city. For Lois Harr, a resident in Bedford Park, the motion represented a victory in preventing further construction of high-rise properties in Bedford Park and Kingsbridge Heights, the two neighborhoods studied. Concerns of overdevelopment at a rapid clip in Bedford Park had especially prompted the study. “Time is running out,” Jean Hill, committee chair,