In Forum for 14th Council District Seat, Incumbent a No Show

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Councilman Fernando Cabrera couldn’t make it to a forum that would have seen him defending why he should remain the representative for the 14th Council District. Instead, he was represented by a portrait of him. The Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition held the forum at Monroe College, with residents in the district getting better acquainted with the two men challenging the incumbent ahead of the Sept. 12 primary. Randy Abreu, a lawyer who briefly worked for the U.S. Department of Energy under former President Barack Obama, and Felix Perdomo, a teacher who was born in the Dominican Republic, are

Andrew Sandler, Former CB7 District Manager, Passes Away

By DAVID CRUZ

Andrew Michael Sandler, the young, baritone civil servant who poured his life to civil service, died on Aug. 5 from a monthslong battle with cancer. He was 31. His passing came three weeks after resigning as district manager for local Community Board 7, serving the northwest Bronx board for a year and a half. “He was one of the rare ones who selflessly just wanted to help people,” said Stephanie Sandler, Andrew’s sister, who confirmed his death to the Norwood News. Sandler was born on May 8, 1986 to parents Sandra and the late Albert Sandler, living his entire life

City Hosts Shelter/Housing Media Tour at Fordham Landing Site

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

The tour follows acrimony from residents of the Fordham Hill Oval Cooperative complex a block and a half away.

Family Displaced by Two-Alarm Fire in Norwood

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER

Two families have been displaced after a two-alarm fire broke out on Decatur Avenue near East 204th Street on Tuesday night. The fire at 3138 Decatur Ave. damaged the property next door at 3140 Decatur Ave. The fire at 3138 Decatur Ave. damaged the property next door at 3140 Decatur Ave. The fire reportedly broke out on the second floor at 10:44 p.m., turning to a two-alarm fire. “I was standing on the corner and I heard somebody screaming,” said Norwood resident Bruno Hand. “I ran toward the house, it was engulfed in flames.” No injuries were officially reported, but one

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Resolve Warrants The Bronx District Attorney’s office holds a workshop on resolving outstanding summons warrants to clear one’s criminal record at Eastchester Presbyterian Church, 3154 Fish Ave. (corner of East Gun Hill Road) on Aug. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Defense attorneys will be available to help resolve summons warrants that include loitering, noise violation, littering, and/or disorderly conduct. For more information, call (718) 590-2272. Norwood Writers Club The Norwood Bronx Writers Group meets on July 25 at 7 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center. Writers can share and critique one another’s work. Participants are asked to bring

By DEVIN DAE TUCKER

The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use. Our 15th edition of the year runs for four weeks as the Norwood News takes a break from producing its print publication. With that out of the way, we can start with the beginning…and page one! This week we look at illegal barbecues that swept through Mosholu Parkway during the July 4 weekend, and longtime residents rage over NYPD not enforcing the rules along the parkway. We hear from park advocates and police on could be done about it in the near

Mayor Bill de Blasio will once again host a town hall forum in the Bronx. De Blasio, who is running for re-election, will take questions from folks living within the 14th Council District. Councilman Fernando Cabrera is the presiding councilman there. As usual, he will take questions only from the general public. De Blasio won the Bronx when he ran for mayor the first time out. Those wishing to attend must RSVP by today. The forum is scheduled for July 12 at Creston Academy, 2160 Creston Avenue, at 7 p.m. Residents are asked to come by 6 p.m. To RSVP,

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, the award-winning publication covering all things Norwood and its surrounding Bronx communities, is out with plenty of news you can use. We start at the beginning, and on page 1. There, we have a story on the battle to preserve the character of Bedford Park and Norwood. A report yet finalized by the all Community Board 7 members was approved by the Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee. What does this mean for the neighborhood? Read to find out more! Turning to inside-the-cover stories, the Bronx Borough President’s Office has released a

Report: Give and Take for Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights Downzoning

By DAVID CRUZ

At its June 14 meeting, Community Board 7’s Land Use/Zoning & Housing Committee approved the findings of an independent study that would limit height restrictions on new buildings in two Bronx neighborhoods, despite the study’s author recommending more neighborhoods be assessed before submitting them to the city. For Lois Harr, a resident in Bedford Park, the motion represented a victory in preventing further construction of high-rise properties in Bedford Park and Kingsbridge Heights, the two neighborhoods studied. Concerns of overdevelopment at a rapid clip in Bedford Park had especially prompted the study. “Time is running out,” Jean Hill, committee chair,