Four-Alarm Fire at Building Owned By Norwood’s Worst Landlord

By DAVID CRUZ

An overnight fire at a building owned by Norwood’s reported worst landlord displaced every tenant on one of winter’s chilliest nights. It was a fire that woke up Michael Cotto, a six-year tenant at 3414 Knox Pl. His daughter first woke up, inhaling smoke. “Everything is gone,” said Cotto, standing alongside his wife, Jacqueline Colon. Luckily, the pair and their daughter have found a home at his mother-in-law’s house. He and dozens of others in the 36-unit building have been displaced. The building was listed as being owned by Narsinh Desai. In November, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James placed

Work on Mosholu Grand in Norwood to Start in March 2018

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Mosholu Grand, the planned site of a 152-unit apartment building at a former auto repair shop and gas station location, is environmentally cleared for development following a monthslong debate over the property’s safety. Throughout the planning and demolition process, the community board and neighborhood residents were worried that the site at 150 Van Cortlandt Ave. E. might be environmentally unfit for living. But according to an environmental assessment statement signed off on Dec. 6 by Aaron Werner, the director of environmental planning at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), construction at the site “would not result in

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Apply to Local Community Board Applications for placement into a local community board are available. City residents who qualify must either reside, work or have a professional or other significant interest in the Bronx. Applications are open to anyone as young as 16 years old. Deadline for application submission is Feb. 9, 2018. For more information and to apply, call (718) 590-3913 or visit bronxboropres.nyc.gov/community-boards/. Summer Camp Applications Applications for summer camps sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will open Jan. 24, 2018. Applications should be submitted through the online registration program at http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html. Parents

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Norwood section of the Bronx and its surrounding neighborhoods, is out with its last edition of 2017! It’s certainly been a ride. To refresh your memory of some of this year’s happenings, we encourage you to take a look at our editorial. It’s worth a read. But let’s get back to the beginning and page one! On Dec. 19, Bronx Community Board 7 finally found another district manager. This time it’s Ischia Bravo, who becomes the first female district manager since the late Rita Kessler. Her hiring was met

Water Main Break in Bedford Park Shuts Down Street

Several business are working feverishly to open tomorrow after holiday shoppers visiting a strip of stores along East 198th Street will be turned away after an early morning water main break in Bedford Park. The FDNY was called to the “major water main break” at 7:17 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, in front of 2842 Grand Concourse, at East 198th Street. According to witnesses, the water cascaded down the incline street, flooding parked cars and the basement of at least one apartment building and two stores. According to Genaro Parra, the owner of Lena’s Restaurant at 206 E. 198th Street, who told the Norwood News late Tuesday afternoon,

Volunteers Spread Holiday Cheer to Kingsbridge’s Vulnerable (Web Picutre)

By STEPHANIE LUCIANO

Amid the season of giving, volunteers filled the space with holiday spirit at Jericho Project’s Kingsbridge Terrace Veterans Residence to spread some cheer. This year Jericho kicked off the holidays raising awareness on homelessness and formerly homeless individuals at the Jericho Project’s Day of Action on Dec. 8 at 2701 Kingsbridge Terr., one of their buildings reserved exclusively for veterans. Jericho Project provides supportive housing owning eight different buildings in Harlem and the Bronx. The residents are provided assistance, employment and educational credentials, to keep them from returning to the streets. Tori Lyon, Jericho Project’s CEO, employees and their supporting

COMMUNITY BOARD 7, covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Fordham and University Heights sections of the Bronx will hold its monthly board meeting on Dec. 19 at Kittay House, 2550 Webb Avenue, at 6:30 p.m. CB7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Housing, Land Use & Zoning Committee meets on Dec. 12; and Executive Committee meets on Dec. 14. There will be no Parks Committee meeting as it’s happening on Dec. 7, the same time as the CB7 Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. For more information,

The following letters to the editor were published in the Norwood News December 7-20, 2017 edition Shelter Needs More Checks and Balances The title of the article from the Nov. 9-22 issue (“Fordham Shelter Housing Site Here to Stay”) written by Reggie Francois gives the impression that FHOC [Fordham Hill Owners Corporation] and the neighborhood were defeated when in fact FHOC played a vital role in mobilizing our community so that our voices could be heard. It was written recklessly and in an insensitive tone, where fear was invoked in the commentary. Francois mentioned many of the local legislators present

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Norwood and the surrounding Bronx communities, is out with our second to last issue before year’s end (time flies when you’re having fun). With 16 pages of news from end to end, it’s best we get into it. We begin with page one, of course, and the issue of the Jerome Avenue Rezoning plan still in the making. The plan has received the blessing from the Bronx Borough Board, though with stipulations attached. Critics say it does not go far enough. Read what reporter Aaron Mayorga dug up. Inside