Bronx Bus Improvements Underway as Phase III of Reopening Approaches

By Síle Moloney

Phase III of the City’s reopening plan is set to go into effect on Monday, Jul. 6, incorporating personal care services like manicuring and tattooing. Indoor dining has been postponed because of the recent rise in coronavirus cases in cities which reopened indoor dining too soon. In June, Mayor Bill de Blasio, in conjunction with the City’s Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that nine major bus lane projects were underway in preparation for reopening, including one major bus project along the 149th Street corridor in the Bronx. The corridor incorporates four bus routes, Bx2, Bx4, Bx17 and Bx19, and

By Síle Moloney

An extensive, industrial-style, subway clean-up is underway at Norwood’s 205th Street subway station, and will continue throughout the coming days. A professional team of about ten cleaners, suited in protective equipment and masks, began a major clean-up at the station on Jun. 29. The workers were seen getting into all the nooks and crannies in the ceiling and along the walls and stairs using a power spray, and various chemical agents. Initially, because of hoses seen on the subway floor, some people thought that the station had been flooded by the heavy rain which fell late on the

By Síle Moloney

Police confirm on Jun. 28, 2020, that the man shown in the attached photos and videos who was wanted for questioning by the NYPD in connection to an attempted rape on Jun. 26, within the confines of the 52nd precinct, has been identified and charged. Pursuant to the ongoing investigation, Michael Rosa, 25, of Melrose, Bronx, NY has been arrested and charged with attempted rape, strangulation, sexual abuse, forcible touching and assault. On Friday, Jun. 26, 2020, at approximately 8:00 a.m., a 27-year-old female victim was entering a residential building located at 3345 Reservoir Oval West when a man

By Síle Moloney

The New York City Police Department confirm that an 18-year-old female was shot once in the face at 4:35 a.m. on Jun. 26, 2020 in front of 2591 Briggs Avenue in the Fordham Manor area of the Bronx. The bullet from a firearm grazed her left cheek. The woman was watching fireworks in front of the location at the time of the incident. There is currently no perpetrator description at this time. The victim was removed to Saint Barnabas Hospital by EMS. She is not likely to die, and is in a stable condition. The NYPD’s Emergency Service

By Síle Moloney

Following a historic week of legislative reform aimed at addressing racial injustice and inequality at both City and State level, a group of about 50 local residents gathered peacefully at Williamsbridge Oval Park in Norwood on Friday Jun. 19 for a kid-friendly Juneteenth celebration in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Norwood Neighbors for Racial Justice and allies is an unofficial, local group recently formed and spearheaded by four local, multiracial women, Miriam Neptune, Jatnna Ramirez, Carissa Smith and Pam Sporn. In addition to organizing the Juneteenth event, the first of its kind in Norwood, the group

By Síle Moloney

Following the conclusion of an internal investigation, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Jun. 26 that 17 uniformed Department of Correction staff will be charged for their conduct surrounding the death of 27-year-old trans woman, Layleen Polanco, at Rikers Island in June 2019. As reported recently by Norwood News, Polanco, according to earlier reports, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a cab driver and for possession of a controlled substance, and was being held at Rikers Island on a $500 bail. She died on Jun. 7, 2019 following an epileptic seizure, according to a medical examiner. She had been

By David Greene

A flyer circulating on social media under the title National Economic Withdrawal Boycott has called for a week-long boycott of large box-store chains, fast-food restaurants, and online retailers from Sunday, Jun. 21 through Saturday, Jun. 27. The week-long call to action appears to have grown out of other social media campaigns that aim to empower Black people through the control of economics, and to highlight the fight against racism in America through the power of the Black Dollar. A number of social media campaigns supporting the Black Lives Matter movement have existed since the group was founded. However, as

By Síle Moloney

Poe Park Greenmarket is opening for the summer season on Tuesday, June 30th, with Emil Alummootil, the market manager, saying, “It will be a great opportunity for community members to shop for the freshest, locally grown produce in their own neighborhood”. Community members will be able to use their SNAP/EBT benefits at the market, including the new P-EBT program, at the market. For every $5 spent using an EBT card, the person will receive an extra $2 Health Bucks coupon to spend on more fruits and vegetables. Greenmarkets are one of many programs falling under the GrowNYC

By David Greene

A video which was briefly uploaded to social media but later removed, showed an emotionally disturbed man brawling with half a dozen people along a busy East Fordham Road, close to Jerome Avenue on Jun. 1, a few hours before dozens of looters destroyed stores and removed property from the popular shopping district. According to NYPD, the video was shot on the afternoon of Jun. 1 and began with the man, dressed only in a pair of white socks, crossing East Fordham Road. Another man in a red and black jacket walked up behind him and struck him in