10:00 a.m. Rally Today May 21 to Halt Solitary Confinement

The Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement are asking the public to join them today at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 21, for a virtual rally and socially distant actions to demand the legislature pass #HALTsolitary, Elder Parole, and Fair and Timely Parole. People can register for the Zoom here, read this pdf flyer and this png flyer, and amplify action using this social media and call-in guide. Activists are asking anyone who can travel safely, to join in person (with masks and gloves, and at least six feet apart) outside the offices of Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie,

Despite the prevailing PAUSE order and the economic hardship that many residents are facing right now, daily life goes on in other respects, and may require the provision of certain notarized documents. This could cover anything from marriage certificates to divorce papers, wills to letters of reference, and contracts to power of attorney documents which may be required to access bank records. Anyone wishing to minimize the risk of contracting Covid-19 through a “no contact” notarization service can do so at Remote Notary NY, based in Riverdale. Stephen Reich said the agency is providing a free notary service to

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a water shutdown for Monday, Apr. 20, 2020 to complete water main repairs on East 204th Street between Grand Concourse and Valentine Avenue. The shutdown hours are anticipated to be from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with impacts expected to be minimal. *An earlier version of this story cited Monday, Apr. 4 as being the date of the water shutdown. Apologies.

De Blasio Announces Budget Cuts but Prioritizes Health, Safety, Shelter and Access To Food

By Síle Moloney

Mayor Bill de Blasio released New York City’s Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) on Thursday, Apr. 16. The budget prioritizes health, safety, shelter and access to food for all New Yorkers, and outlines the spending cuts that will be made to other services to address revenue shortfalls and budget gaps. The mayor said, via a press release, that the cuts, detailed in the so-called Program to Eliminate the Budget Gap (PEG), would be temporary, that there would be no gap in “necessary” services, and that the budget plan would be reevaluated by officials over the course of

By Síle Moloney

The City’s business community and their partners have called on New York’s elected leaders to implement an economic relief package called The Blueprint to Save Small Business to help small businesses cope with the unexpected economic pressure resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. It outlines four key policies which the group hopes will help resuscitate the thousands of ailing small businesses that make up the economic and social fabric of New York City, and help revamp the economy. In a letter dated Apr. 13, 2020, the business community outlined the proposed measures and presented them to Gov. Andrew Cuomo,

A Tribute for the Bronx's 'Unsung Heroes' and a Vital Bus Stop That Could Be Cut: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fifth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a unique State of the Borough address delivered by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. The speech, Diaz’s penultimate before he heads into retirement in 2021, put the focus on the borough’s men and women who “put in the work” to better the borough. The story focuses on one Fordham local who certainly

By DAVID CRUZ

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. threw away the oft-formulaic State of the Borough speech he’s delivered over the last decade for a retrospective of sorts while honoring a who’s who of civic activists, educators, and captains of industry. His penultimate speech at Borough Hall comes a few weeks after announcing he won’t be running for New York City mayor after all. Diaz, 47, told reporters he’s “at peace” with his decision, mentioning that the Bronx certainly has a crop of elected officials ready to pick up the baton. He mentioned by name Assembly Members Marcos Crespo, Michael Blake, Victor Pichardo,

With Two New Buildings Coming to Bedford Park, Concerns Over Safety Surface

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Representatives of CAMBA Housing Ventures reassured residents of Bedford Park that their impending construction project comprised of two buildings will take into account their concerns about traffic safety, increased amount of formerly homeless people, and over-burdened city services. The representatives updated Community Board 7 at the latest meeting of the Housing, Land Use & Economic committee meeting on Feb. 11, showing renderings of the pair of buildings. The two buildings–one at 257-271 E. 202nd St., and the other at 258-278 E. 203rd St.–will go up on a shared plot of land in a section of the neighborhood that’s extremely narrow,

By DAVID CRUZ

The architectural firm behind the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) first-ever residential development released a rendering of the impending property that will contribute to an evolving Webster Avenue corridor. Stephen B. Jacobs Group, the architectural firm, sent the Norwood News the rendering showing a 12-story modern-looking building that’s expected to be a senior residence. While the land is owned by NYBG, the Bronx institution entered into a 99-year lease deal with Douglaston Development to build and manage the property. Douglaston Development hired the architectural firm to draft renderings and schematics. The rendering also shows 12 stories, an extra floor space