Q&A With Lloyd Ultan, Bronx Borough Historian

On Oct. 26, Lloyd Ultan—a veritable human encyclopedia of all things Boogie Down—marked his 15th year as the Bronx Borough Historian. Ultan, 73, is the longest-serving of the five borough historians, his term spanning those of three different borough presidents. The Norwood News caught up with Ultan recently to get his take on how the Bronx has changed during his tenure, and to hear what he’s been up to lately. Q:Where in the Bronx did you grow up, and where do you live now? A: I was born on the Grand Concourse, near Morris Avenue, in a building that no

A 21-year-old man was shot and killed on Saturday on Bainbridge Avenue and E. 198th Street — the third homicide this week in the 52nd Precinct.

DOT Looks to Put Gun Hill Road on Fast Track

Despite its name, traffic on Gun Hill Road is known to be anything but bullet speed. That’s why the Department of Transportation has presented a new study that includes a slew of fixes it hopes will speed up the molasses-slow road.

MS 80 Program Aims at Opening Elite School Doors

On a recent rainy Saturday morning, seventh-grader Mehrina Tabassum sat quietly at the front of a classroom inside MS 80 on Mosholu Parkway, listening as a tutor instructed the small group of students to tackle a math problem. Through a new tutoring program, she hopes to buck history and gain admittance into one of the city’s elite and selective public high schools.

16 Cops Indicted in Bronx Ticket Fix Probe

Following a three-year probe by the Bronx District Attorney’s office into alleged ticket fixing practices inside the NYPD, 16 Bronx police officers and five civilians were indicted by a grand jury last week.

Editorial: Empty Lot, Empty Promises

Two years ago, in the wake of an early Halloween morning fire on Bainbridge Avenue that destroyed 10 Norwood businesses and deflated an entire neighborhood, there was much talk of renewal — from city agencies, elected officials and the landlord who owned the lot where those businesses once thrived. But talk has not resulted in action and only a sad, empty lot remains.

Bronx’s Marathon ‘Challenge’ Rep Outruns his Addiction

Six years ago, Rob Vassilarakis was coming up from the East 138th 5 train station when he was suddenly hit with a wave of energy that would change his life for good. It turned out to be New York City marathon runners charging through the 20-mile mark.

Video of Suspects in Murder of Bronx Father

The NYPD released video footage of two male suspects who detectives believe may be connected to the murder of Bimal Chanda, who was beaten on Saturday morning and died from his injuries yesterday morning. The story is now getting picked up citywide. Reports say Chanda used to be a cab driver and that he hoped to start a nonprofit to fight unemployment. Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

Man Dies After Severe Beating on 190th Street

Bimal Chanda, a 59-year-old man with deep ties to the northwest Bronx community where he lived for nearly three decades died yesterday morning from injuries suffered during a severe beating on Saturday morning. In a cruel twist, Chanda and his family were in the final stages of moving out of the neighborhood, near West 190th Street and Grand Avenue, because of concerns about increasing crime, according to Chanda’s longtime friend, Mohammed Ali, who is a member of Community Board 7. At around 9 a.m., Saturday morning, Chandra left the family’s longtime apartment building, 30 W. 190th St., to pick up