Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s sixteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, capturing a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! For our front-page story, we dive into the issue of loud partying at Van Cortlandt Park. Residents are so upset that after logging 165 noise complaints this year that were not heard, they penned and signed a letter of complaint to elected officials. Inside the cover you’ll find

Fighting Pediatric Asthma With a Personal Touch in the Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A new asthma-free Bronx program aims, within five years, to reduce asthma-related emergency room visits by 50 percent and asthma-related hospitalizations by 30 percent among children aged 5 to 17 at three of the Bronx’s public hospitals – North Central Bronx (NCBH), Jacobi, and Lincoln hospitals, which collectively serve about one third of all Bronx kids with asthma, a borough hardest hit by asthma. Each year, approximately 20,000 children in New York City end up in the emergency department or are hospitalized due to asthma. About 40 percent of these children live in the Bronx with black and Latino communities

Montefiore Wakefield Campus Hails Decade in Neighborhood (Web Picture)

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

As the thermometer hit 96 degrees, visitors to the Montefiore Wakefield Community Health Fair on July 20, were glad to see plenty of bottled water, cooling fans, and an invitation by hospital officials like Toni Hayes to rest inside the air-conditioned lobby. “Be sure to stay hydrated,” Hayes reminded visitors. The oppressive heat, however, did not keep elected officials and hospital administration from celebrating Montefiore’s 10th anniversary managing the Wakefield campus. The hospital located at East 233rd Street near the Bronx River Parkway was formerly known as Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center. Montefiore officially took over the former hospital

Anti-Vaxxers Follow Jeffrey Dinowitz to the Bronx for Town Hall Protest

By JOSEPH KONIG

When Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s bill eliminating the religious exemption for childhood vaccinations passed the Assembly in June, angry anti-vaxxers shouted and cursed at him from the viewing gallery above the assembly floor. “We’ll be back Jeffrey,” they promised. Over 100 anti-vaxxers delivered on that promise with their protest outside the Riverdale YM-YWHA on July 16. Inside the building, Dinowitz and state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi were hosting a town hall on the achievements of the recent legislative session, including Dinowitz’s vaccine bill signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month. “My kids, my choice,” the protestors chanted. At least two

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fifteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into and share. We’ve packed 24 pages of news from this corner of the Bronx, capturing a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story looks at the possible implications behind the Bronx Bus Network Redesign Plan, that could knock out several bus routes cutting through Norwood. Read what residents have to say about the news, and what can be done about it. Inside the cover you’ll find a piece on the

By SÍLE MOLONEY

NYC Health + Hospitals has confirmed that it plans to operate Jacobi Medical Center (Jacobi) and North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) under one license, subject to the approval of the state Department of Health (DOH). The news could make it easier for patients to be seen a lot faster, by cutting down wait times for patient transfers between the two publicly-funded hospitals. “The license merger will streamline the transfer process between hospitals for patients and the credentialing process for our clinicians,” said John Doyle, spokesman for NYC Health + Hospitals, “In short, it allows us to better navigate some regulatory

In Aftermath of Unsanctioned July 4th Parties- Trash, Lots of It

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

Despite signs banning open flames at certain green spaces across the Bronx, every year on the July 4th, for at least five years, ashes, bottles, and leftover trash are found along Mosholu Parkway the day after the holiday. The grassy strip that’s lined with benches on either side is home to several dozen trees, which the Parks Department is mandated to protect from fires. Yet despite several community meetings, and a history of complaints from Community Board 7 urging the Parks Department and NYPD to step up its ‘no barbecue’ enforcement ahead of the agency’s busiest time of the year,

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fourteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into and share. There’s plenty of news to report in this corner of the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story focuses on the results of the latest Community Board 7 elections, with board members going a different direction in voting for a new chair. Read about the new agenda for Emmanuel Martinez, the newly installed chair of Community Board 7 by myself and Síle Moloney.

CB7 Sees Mix of New and Veteran Members to Executive Dais

By DAVID CRUZ and SÍLE MOLONEY

Community Board 7 saw a shift in civic power, as Jean Hill, who presided as chair of the northwest Bronx board, was voted out in favor of 31-year-old Norwood resident Emmanuel Martinez, a relative newcomer to the board. Several familiar faces have stayed on the executive dais, likely adding a mix of fresh ideas and institutional knowledge. Martinez currently serves as chair of CB7’s Veterans’ Committee, having recently hosted the annual Veterans’ Day Brunch, now in its third year. It’s unclear what the vote tally was as CB7 continues to ensure the proper vote count was met but 33 board