Opinion: The Great Equalizer, Serving as a Juror With Mayor Bill de Blasio

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

I didn’t expect to have one foot in as a private citizen and the other as a reporter during my sole day as a juror at Manhattan Criminal Court. I figured I’d brace myself for two days of killing my hours in a giant room nervously awaiting my name to be called as though it were some kind of death sentence. But, the day before as I was wrapping up a long production day, in came the email showing the next day’s public schedule for Mayor Bill de Blasio: jury duty. I immediately told this to my wife via text,

A Refuge for Vets and LGBTQ Youth Opens in the Bronx

By SOPHIA EBANKS

Several homeless military veterans and LGBTQ youth now have a place to call home with the opening of a new supportive housing residence in the University Heights section of the Bronx. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the opening on July 17. Walton House, located between Walton Avenue and East Burnside Avenue, holds 89 affordable housing apartments that have been leased to 56 military veterans and 33 young adults, 40 percent of whom identify as LGBTQ. The property is the third residence for veterans managed by the Jericho Project, a non-profit that provides housing and services for the homeless

Months After Jerome Avenue Rezoning an Aggressive Eviction

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

When Francisco Moran, owner of American Tires at 1331 Jerome Ave. in Mt. Eden, received notice that he had a new landlord, he had no idea he would be asked to close his business at the location by August so the property can be redeveloped. The new property owner sees Moran as an impediment to his plans for a new 15-story building at the location. Peter Fine of Atlantic Development Group bought the property in May for $11.1 million and is the first developer to take advantage of the City Council’s rezoning laws for the neighborhood designating the properties as

Free Air ConditionerFree air conditioners are available to low income NYC residents who have a medical condition made worse by heat, and either receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Temporary Assistance (TA), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and did not receive an air conditioner by the Home Energy Assistance Program within the past 10 years. Income-eligibility requirements also apply. For more detailed information and requirements, call (212) 331-3126, or visit the Department of Human Resources Administration at 1932 Arthur Ave. Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Secure Valuable Electronics The NYPD’s Operation I.D. helps residents register their

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

When Destiny Armstead moved into 1561 Walton Ave. with her son Destin, 6, last December they were both excited. “We couldn’t even sleep the first night because everything was new and beautiful. It’s like a dream come true for me,” said Armstead. Mayor Bill de Blasio came to Armstead’s building in Mt. Eden to see an example of how his initiative to provide 300,000 affordable apartments by 2026 is progressing. After taking a tour of Armstead’s $509 per month two-bedroom apartment, led mostly by Destin, the mayor announced that the city financed more than 32,000 affordable homes in the 2018

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer is proposing new ways for New Yorkers to pay for security deposits because of the alarming number of issues specifically faced by low-income tenants. A report released by Stringer’s office shows that in the Bronx tenants are paying on average more than 10 percent of their annual income to secure an apartment. In Melrose, Longwood, and Hunts Point, tenants are paying 15.8 percent of their annual income, and in Claremont-Bathgate they pay 25 percent. “Every day, New Yorkers are working harder and saving less – and right now, huge proportions of their annual incomes are

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out and loaded with 20 pages of original news content covering the Bronx. In keeping with tradition we begin with page one! This one focuses on the re-opening of Whalen Park, which unlike other park projects has opened in record time (see headline). Find out how what prompted this park to open so quickly. Also, you can hear from what parents think of the revamped park. On page 3 you’ll find a great feel-good story of Bobby Gonzalez, a Norwood man who will be honored for his

Excelsior Scholarship Applications for the Excelsior Scholarship are now open for new applicants pursuing a college degree at city- or state-funded colleges/universities for the 2018-19 academic year. Eligible candidates must be New York State residents, take 30 credits per year (including summer and winter sessions), a family whose annual household income is below $110,000, and be on track to graduate on time with an associate’s degree in two years or a bachelor’s degree in four years. Applications will be accepted through July 23. For more information, and to apply, go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior/. Bird Walks Free bird walk tours with guides

In the aftermath of the street murder of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, the U.S. Attorney’s Office should once again take a hard look at the gang responsible for his murder, the deadly Trinitarios gang. It has been done before, with help from RICO. And it can be done again. An investigation under RICO, acronym for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, certainly fits well for the Trinitarios. The machete-wielding group, with roots in the Bronx, has engaged in racketeering, murder, attempted murder, illegal gun carrying, and drug dealing, according to an indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2013. The