At 76 Years Old, Bedford Park Local Fights for Quieter Quality of Life

At 76 years Old, Bedford Park Local in Fight for Better Quality of Life

By DAVID CRUZ

All Andrea Ortiz wants is peace and quiet. Sitting on her flowery couch in her fourth-floor one-bedroom apartment on Briggs Avenue, Ortiz is at her wits end, frustrated over the ongoing noise originating from her upstairs neighbor. But the problems didn’t just spring up this year, or the year before, but in February 2015, shortly after the sale of her building to The Related Cos., a multi-billion-dollar real estate firm that purchased a portfolio of properties with funds from the New York City Pension Fund. “From there, it’s been hell,” Ortiz said. Her only theory is that management is attempting

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, After taking a tiny break to rejuvenate ourselves, the Norwood News is back with its latest edition. Check out 24 pages of community news happening in and around your Bronx neighborhood. We begin with page one! This story previews the impending traffic headaches set to fall on Norwood. It’s thanks to two road projects that will take out lanes and test your patience. Jonathan Custodio spoke with residents on their thoughts on the dual projects. Read the city’s response to the first project. Inside the cover you’ll find my first-person account of serving jury duty with Mayor Bill

CB7 to Review Proposed 11-Story Building Plan

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

Community Board 7 has plans to discuss the proposed 11-story building in Bedford Park at its next Land Use, Zoning and Housing Committee meeting on Sept. 4. Fresh renderings of the apartment residence coming to Bedford Park Boulevard were recently released. Images of the future site of 33 Bedford Park Blvd. show a narrow 11-story residential and commercial building, with balconies on every floor and a roof deck. The mixed-use property will look somewhat out of place on the boulevard, with adjacent buildings averaging a more maximum five-stories in height. The irregularity of the planned building’s height isn’t lost on

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

A regulatory body empaneled to update the city’s written policies looks to impose term limits on community board members, a rule that will likely be on the ballot for a vote in the November general election. The City Charter Revision Commission, charged with updating the New York City Charter, a document akin to the U.S. Constitution, said the proposal will allow board members a maximum of four consecutive two-year terms. Currently there are no term limits. Members would have to reapply one year after they are no longer on the board, under the proposal. Community boards serve as ad hoc

As has been the case for years, the Norwood News will be taking its summer hiatus, and this current edition will cover virtually the entire month of August. This means readers won’t see another print edition until Aug. 30. We’ll be around, of course. You’ll find our bylines on the website, www.norwoodnews.org. You may also continue to send tips, letters, and story ideas to Editor-in-Chief David Cruz at dcruz@norwoodnews.org or norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org.

Twin Donut Closes Suddenly, With No Word on Reopening

Twin Donut Suddenly Closes With No Word on Reopening

By SOPHIA EBANKS

A long-standing donut shop in Norwood closed suddenly towards the end of July without notice. Twin Donut Plus, located at 3396 Jerome Ave. at the corner of East 210th Street, has inexplicably shut down since July 23. The eatery appears vacant, with a few tables left and dozens of handwritten “closed” signs taped to the windows. Passersby have paused in front of the fast food casual restaurant, peering inside to spot tables and chairs left just where they’re normally spotted. The store was usually open 24 hours a day, serving sandwiches, donuts, and other desserts. “They might come back. They

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News is out, though this time it’s our traditional one-month edition. That’s right, one month. But it’s packed with plenty of news that will get you talking for the month so let’s start with page one. Our epic page one story focuses on several political rumblings and races heading into the September primary. For the Bronx, that’s usually a time where Democrats will decide who will want to be their general election nominee. You’ll hear from the candidates in the closely watched 34th Senate District and the lone nominee for the

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