Op-Ed: The Consequences of Over-Development in Bedford Park

By SHANNON LEE GILSTAD For over six years residents in Bedford Park, which lies in Community District 7, have heard buzz about the future of 150 Van Cortlandt Avenue East/186 St. George Crescent, a small curved street that currently has just five buildings on it. The block is a local gem hidden in plain sight, just off the Grand Concourse and Mosholu Parkway, yet quiet and serene, away from the bustle. Residents say that this is exactly how they like it and want it to stay.

In First Bronx Visit, President Obama Touts Mentoring Nonprofit for Minority Men

By DAVID CRUZ In his first, and perhaps, only stop to the Bronx, President Barack Obama visited Lehman College in Bedford Park to promote a non-profit aimed at reversing the disproportionate ill fates of minority men, a topic that continues to resonate in Bronx communities.

President Obama to Visit Lehman College for Nonprofit Announcement

By DAVID CRUZ In his first, and presumably, only official visit to the Bronx, President Barack Obama will deliver remarks at Lehman College on Monday, announcing the launch of a nonprofit initiative geared towards young minority men. The nonprofit, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, is an offshoot to the White House’s initiative of the same name. It was launched last year as a way to reverse the national trend of young men of color falling behind academically, which can often lead to fewer opportunities. President Obama has consistently pushed education as a gateway towards stability and future success, according to

By DAVID CRUZ Elected officials and community stakeholders are calling for the closure of a Wakefield homeless shelter that once housed a client now charged in the shooting of its director.

Jerome Avenue Rezoning Plan Sparks Debate Over Change

By NORISHA MENSAH Editor’s Note: Norisha Mensah is a dynamite intern working for the Norwood News on behalf of the Riverdale Neighborhood House. Residents of the Bronx are engaged in a debate over Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to rezone 73 blocks of Jerome Avenue in favor of affordable houses.

Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out

By DAVID CRUZ From the pages to your smartphone, computer or laptop, the latest digital edition of the Norwood News is out with pages of community news you can use. First up, we delve into the latest stage of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, set to be in the home of the Kingsbridge Armory. While developers emphasize the project’s ready to go, and it is, construction may not start until a year from now. (Editor’s Note: While this topic may have been briefly mentioned in another publication, the Norwood News has made an attempt to bring this back to the forefront of the conversation given its lack

By DAVID GREENE Police are looking for the driver who ran over a 24-year-old NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent and sped away, fleeing down East Gun Hill Road last week. Police officers from the 52nd Precinct and paramedics were called to 275 East Gun Hill Road at Putnam Place at 11:59 a.m., on Thursday, April 23. According to the FDNY, paramedics arrived in four-minutes and transported the victim to Jacobi Hospital, who was listed in serious condition. According to one NYPD source, “The on-duty traffic agent was crossing the street in the crosswalk, when he was struck by an unknown vehicle, a blue Dodge minivan.

By DAVID CRUZ Further insight into the New York Comptroller’s Office approval of a multi-billion dollar real estate firm’s purchase of Bronx properties paid with city pension funds came short, despite a Freedom of Information request from the Norwood News. The documents came amid the president of the real estate firm meeting privately with community stakeholders to apologize.

Neighborhood Notes

Constituent Services Councilman Andy King of the 12th Council District will hold a Constituent Night Event at Eastchester Gardens Community Center, 3016 Yates Ave., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Services will including resources and solutions for housing, food stamps, immigration, Access-A-Ride and basic services. Residents living Eastchester Gardens can pre-schedule an appointment by calling the Office of Councilman Andy King at (718) 684-5509. MMCC Pre-K Applications The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is accepting applications for its Pre-K, Head Start and child care programs at the Van Cortlandt Village Child Development Center, located inside the VC Jewish Center, 3880 Sedgwick Ave.