Inquiring Photographer: The Bronx Driving Experience

By DAVID GREENE

After a recent 15-car pile-up on the Bronx River Parkway on Jan. 18, we asked readers about their driving experiences in the Bronx. I’m new to the Bronx, but the few highways I’ve been on have potholes, signs that say construction, and where they are going to dig. I keep asking myself, ‘why do they keep digging?’ They dig, they resurface the roadway and then they dig again and that has an effect on the ground. The road sinks, because it’s unsettled because of all the digging. Patrick Sing Belmont The problem with the highways for me is I

PS 94 Spelling Bee Competition Doubles as a Mountain of Honey

The word was “amnesia.” It served as the deciding factor in who took home the first place prize for PS 94’s annual Spelling Bee. And this year’s victor went to Fatima Ali, a 10-year-old, who leaped into the air after beating out classmate Dion Florencio in the tense competition. Aafreen Mamsa was not too far behind. She won third place. “This will go in my trophy collection,” said Fatima, holding her trophy showing her first place ranking. Last year, Fatima placed third in the same spelling bee. On top of spelling “amnesia,” Fatima also had to spell the word Dion

The Bronx political landscape was thrown into a tailspin when Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced out of nowhere that he would not be running for mayor of New York City. For anyone following Diaz Jr.’s career such as this publication, one would know that rumors of a mayoral run began more than a decade ago. Then Diaz Jr., then in his 30s and with a receding hairline, represented the energy the Bronx needed at the moment. He brought a charisma that sought mega projects arrive to the Bronx, though some remain pending. Even so, he had the makings of

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s third edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 28 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a bill being championed by Councilman Andrew Cohen and housing advocacy groups that expands Right to Counsel. The act–which provides free legal counsel to those facing eviction–covers those considered extreme low income. New legislation looks to expand the income eligibility standards. Jose A. Giralt breaks it all down for us. Inside the

By DAVID CRUZ

It’s something of an open secret: political incumbency serving as an entryway for incumbents to poke into matters happening within the district they seek to represent in the near future. And it’s a controversial tact that Councilman Fernando Cabrera, the 14th Council District representative, appears to have adopted, with one questionable trick in his employ. Cabrera is now seeking the 14th Congressional District seat occupied by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who, given her massive campaign war chest and national popularity with uber-left Democrats (Ocasio-Cortez is now in Iowa to campaign with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders), gives her a well-defined competitive

Body Cam Videos Reveal Moment That Lead to Fatal 52nd Precinct Shooting in October

By DAVID CRUZ

Three months after a sergeant from the 52nd Precinct fatally shot a Yonkers man following a traffic stop, the NYPD released body cam footage of the incident leading to the moments that went from jovial to chaotic in a matter of seconds. The videos, released on Jan. 24 and posted onto YouTube, shows three angles recorded by the body cameras worn by the sergeant, identified as Sgt. Jonathan Rivera, and two officers, Edward Barrett and Michelle Almanzar, on Oct. 17, 2019 just before 3 p.m. The three had pulled over Allen Feliz, who police say was driving his 2018 Volkswagen

Cohen Backs Bills to Expand Right to Counsel, Which Could Benefit Thousands

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Bronx residents in fear of landlords’ common use of initiating eviction proceedings are waiting for two bills before the City Council to pass soon. And while few New York City Council members from the Bronx have committed to backing the bill, they have support from Norwood’s Councilman Andrew Cohen. The two bills—Intros 1529 and 1104—look to expand Right to Counsel not only geographically but also economically. The bills, signed into law in 2017, are collectively known as Right to Counsel (RTC). New York City was the first in the country to implement them. On Jan. 15, local residents joined housing

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

If you have been keeping track of our income tax deduction series, you should have learned much already on our first two subjects: children and itemized deductions. Please go to our prior issues to look up these subject matter specifically, this issue will be special, geared toward the world of small business and self employment. Whether you own a storefront or provide goods or services in your home for other income, entrepreneurship, over the last 30 years, has helped to spur economic growth. And in the last two years, the federal government has lowered business tax rates, significantly even more,

Bronx Projects Take Center Stage in State of the City

By DAVID CRUZ

The chances of the Bronx seeing one of its own run City Hall–and being the city’s first Latino mayor–have come to an end. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced he is withdrawing his run for Mayor of New York City and not seeking any other elected title when his current tenure ends in 2021, an unexpected move as many believed his entire career was built for a mayoral run. The news, first reported by The New York Times, sent shockwaves throughout the Bronx political landscape. Diaz Jr. cited his need for spending more time with his family as a

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Inquiring Photographer: The Bronx Driving Experience

PS 94 Spelling Bee Competition Doubles as a Mountain of Honey

Editorial: Making Sense of the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s Announcement

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Is Cabrera Blurring Legislative Commitment With Campaigning?

Body Cam Videos Reveal Moment That Lead to Fatal 52nd Precinct Shooting in October

Cohen Backs Bills to Expand Right to Counsel, Which Could Benefit Thousands

Financial Focus: The Path to a Bigger Tax Refund for 2021 – Business & Self-Employment (Part 4 of 7)

In Stunner, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. Withdraws From Mayor’s Race