Norwood News Wins NY Press Club Award, a First

The Norwood News was honored June 5 by the New York Press Club in the first ever Community Coverage category. The paper was recognized for its series on efforts to stop overdevelopment in the neighborhood of Bedford Park amid an eviction proceeding that went awry for residents. The award honored the paper’s editor-in-chief, David Cruz, along with former reporter Daniela Beasley, freelance reporter Deborah Cruz, and freelance photographer Adi Talwar for contributing to the series. “We wish to thank Mosholu Preservation Corporation, publisher of the Norwood News, for supporting local community journalism for nearly 29 years,” David said. Ironically, it was David who lobbied the New York Press Club’s board of governors to consider creating the award, given the large number of small but incredibly relevant community journalism outlets across the city.

Building Woes for Stagg Properties in Norwood

By DAVID CRUZ

For more than a decade, The Stagg Group, a family-owned real estate and construction firm, has been a powerhouse in building hundreds of units of affordable housing across the Bronx, becoming a saving grace to many low-income New Yorkers. But an incident at one of its Norwood sites in late April, which exposed some deviations from approved construction work, represented some setbacks for the omnipresent construction group. Meantime, residents have some environmental questions for one of the group’s other properties slated to be built in Norwood. “I think we still need to keep asking questions. We’re not making accusations, but

By DAVID CRUZ

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who held off on advancing the $350 million reconfiguration of the Kingsbridge Armory into an ice center since entering office, is expected to turn over the lease to developers once the state releases a loan needed for the first phase of the massive project. “We’re ready to move forward with all the legal paperwork to make the project happen,” said de Blasio of the latest news as first reported by The New York Post. But the city is still waiting on the $138 state loan Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to release to developers of the Kingsbridge

New Website Centralizes Bronx Stories for Bronxites

By TATYANA TURNER

Long time BronxTalk host, Gary Axelbank, a veteran newsman who spent more than two decades leading many televised discussions of Bronx issues, launched a new website devoted to a variety of Bronx-specific news. Several dozen guests from organizations such as BronxWorks and SoBro, gathered at Bronx CoWorks, a shared office space at the Third Avenue HUB, providing a setting for start-ups and small businesses. In mirroring the concept of a daily newspaper, thisistheBronX.info will also collate content from multiple publications around the Bronx, allowing visitors to read a range of borough-related stories from different news sources. “Part of the reason

By DAVID GREENE

More than 350 volunteers spent the last two weekends at Woodlawn Cemetery, placing American flags at the graves of members of the U.S. military in honor of Memorial Day. According to Lynn Radke and Bruce Campbell of the non-profit group Woodlawn Conservancy, members of the Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, the Washington Grey Cadets, employees of Mellon Bank and other groups were handed a map of the cemetery and located about 7,000 known members of the military. For each servicemember’s grave, an American flag was placed, considered “flagged.” Capmbell, a 32-year resident of Norwood where part of the massive cemetery is

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Free Rain Barrels The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is giving away free rain barrels on June 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the office of Community Board 12, 4101 White Plains Road. Barrels MUST be reserved in advance. RSVP by calling Community Board 12 at (718) 881-4455. Tour MMCC Camps Free transportation will be provided to take a tour of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s Mosholu Day Camp at Harriman State Park on June 10. For more information about the camp, or to schedule the visit, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0 or www.mosholudaycamp.com. Another tour with no

A Bittersweet Street Renaming for Kalief Browder

By DAVID CRUZ

A street renaming in the memory of a dead man was unveiled on his birthday. “To Kalief, I want to say happy birthday to him. My brother would’ve been 24 today,” Dion Browder said of his late brother, Kalief Browder. With a blue tent shielding him from punishing rain, Dion was joined at the street renaming by Kalief’s friends and family, and lawmakers who’ve used Kalief’s death as an example of the effects a flawed criminal justice system on an individual. A large black and white portrait of Kalief, staring stoically off camera, was propped up alongside the Browder family

Editor’s Pick Yiddish Klezfest The public is invited to attend the 5th annual Yiddish Klezfest, including music and dance, at Sholem-Aleichem Cultural Center, 3301 Bainbridge Ave. on June 4 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Admission is $10. For more information, call (917) 930-0295. Onstage The Bronx Arts Ensemble presents a free Memorial Day Weekend concert, May 28 at 2 p.m. featuring tango songs and movie music, at Van Cortlandt Park, slightly east of the VC House Museum. For more information, call (718) 601-7399. The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., presents Let’s Do It, featuring songs by Cole Porter,

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers, It’s that time again! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin with the front page and the story that impacts you the most. We’re talking about the impending return of the Community Board 7’s district manager. If you live in the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge Heights, and University Heights, then the return could affect you. Read the story about Andrew Sandler, who’s been on medical leave for four months. Politics is on the mind of the Norwood News and we have a story