Bedford Park Livable Neighborhoods Program Draws Big Crowd

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

How do we demystify the Bronx as being “thuggish”? How do you get more employees from Montefiore Medical Center to spend their hard earned dollars on Jerome Avenue during their lunch hour? How can we attract businesses that aren’t 99 cent stores? For the roughly 90 residents attending the Bedford Park Livable Neighborhoods Program on March 26, these were pertinent questions. The event, sponsored by Bronx Community Board 7’s Long Term Planning and Community Relations Committee, the Municipal Arts Society and New York City Small Business Services, had residents spend several hours learning how to better their neighborhoods. Presenters broke

Dear Loyal Readers, The Norwood News, the Bronx community newspaper bringing you plenty of community news you can use, is out with its seventh edition of 2016! This week we once again go back to Kingsbridge Heights and a faceoff brewing between city officials and developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Apparently, the city is not satisfied with an explanation from KNIC saying it has money committed for the project. The New York City Economic Development Corporation is asking, “Show us the money!” Ice developers now have 30 more days to present funds. We also bring you stories on the

New zoning laws championed by Mayor Bill de Blasio with the approval of the City Council now make it easier for developers to build affordable housing without the addition of parking units, which could vastly impact the hundreds of drivers who rely on street parking in Norwood. The complex zoning laws, falling under Zoning for Quality & Affordability (ZQA), and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), are considered the DNA of de Blasio’s lofty Housing New York plan introduced in May 2014. The plan seeks to build 80,000 new units of affordable housing while repairing 120,000 more affordable units over the next

By DAVID CRUZ

For years, city officials and developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) have been on the same page with respect to the impending project at the Kingsbridge Armory: They would like to see an ice center built. But until recently, the city has raised questions over whether KNIC has the proper financing needed to move forward with construction despite KNIC’s position that it does. KNIC was told to show it has the funding by March 25. But the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the city’s real estate arm, is not convinced. It’s now given developers another month

Free Financial Counseling Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Phipps Neighborhoods are offering one-on-one free financial counseling for Bronxites at Diaz’s office. Trained counselors will be able to discern and help with your financial challenges, bad credit, identity theft and other concerns. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call (718) 590-3554. “Save Easter” Mission Victorious Warriors III Inc., a nonprofit football club, is looking for financial assistance for their “Save Easter” project that services the Crystal Place Shelter in Ferry Point. The group is asking for $10.00 or more per child, as well as coloring books, puzzles,

Beginning the last week of March, residents living in the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Woodlawn and Riverdale will be able to vote on what community improvement projects will be added to their Council District’s capital budget through Participatory Budgeting. The process, whereby a member of the New York City Council offers residents the chance to decide how to spend $1 million in capital funding, is approaching the final stretch of its process. The office of Councilman Andrew Cohen, who once again hosted a Participatory Budgeting session, has released a voter guide that details the nature and prices of 12

This week we asked readers their thoughts on Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s time in office, and asked them to name some of his successes or failures during his administration so far. Well, so far he’s been Borough President for more than four years. It must be more and he’s done a lot of good things. He cleaned up the Bronx River and he’s got us more housing. He’s interested in that stuff, better living and better jobs for us. I think he’s been a good borough president. I think he wants to accomplish a lot for the Bronx and for

By DAVID CRUZ

BP Reflects on Development, Drawing Professional Workers, and Mayoral Ambivalence His innuendos were obvious, if not passive aggressive. But there he stood, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. spending 45 minutes in his seventh State of the Borough address chastising the de Blasio Administration for a number of perceived missteps. For political observers, it was a diatribe that once again stoked the burning question. Does Mr. Diaz want to be mayor of New York City? Can he really run the city? It’s an elephant in the room nurtured by daily speculation from inquisitive media and its propensity for validation. Though

Hello Faithful Readers! The digital edition of the latest Norwood News, bringing you plenty of Bronx community news you can use, is out and hitting stands as I write. So many stories, it’s hard to know where to begin. We can start at the front page, with a missing persons case that’s rattled Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights and the Bangladeshi communities in the Bronx. Mahfuza Rahman, an aspiring nurse and mother, has not been seen since December. Police are now looking to question the husband, who flew back to his native Bangladesh with their 9-year-old daughter. Find out what representatives from