Bronx Connections: Faces of Gun Violence (Part 4 of 5)

By SABRINA BOYD of WFUV

The Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet television, continues its five-part series on the impact gun violence has had on Bronx neighborhoods and the people who live in them. The Cure to Gun Violence? Treat it Like a Disease At Jacobi Medical Center, health professionals and community members are teaming up to combat gun violence, adopting a method akin to fighting an infectious disease. It’s where Dr. Noe Romo, director of Pediatric Inpatient Services at the hospital who doubles as medical director for Stand Up to Violence program, comes in. The program, which has spread across parts

Editor’s Pick Holiday Events The public is invited to the following events: Los Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo – Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. (includes post-show party), at BAAD, 2474 Westchester Ave., a Latino queer comedic Christmas play about a gay couple that combines “The Nutcracker” and “A Christmas Carol,” $25. Info and tickets: (718) 918-2110. Breakfast With Santa – Dec. 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Lehman College’s faculty dining room, Music Building, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W. Included are breakfast buffet, activities, live music, theatre, take-home arts and crafts, and Santa.

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s final edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We’ve crammed plenty of news into this 28-page paper, so let’s begin with page one! Our top story focuses on improving safety at DeWitt Clinton Campus in the aftermath of a stabbing that happened on Nov. 20. Hear what the commanding officer has to say on the plan to keep students secure. Inside the cover we update you on the 15th Congressional District race, and a much-needed endorsement for candidate Samelys Lopez. Read up on why the New York City

The stabbing of a 16-year-old boy outside DeWitt Clinton Campus was the talk of the four schools housed in that storied campus: DeWitt Clinton High School, World View High School, a D75 school, and Bronx Collaborative High School, where the victim’s enrolled. The stabbing stood at the heart of an hour-long discussion into ways violence can be reduced outside the school, with the commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct, Thomas Alps, taking a pragmatic look at the situation he’s tasked to quell. It was a frank discussion given the belief that no reporter was expected to show (Sirio Guerino, the

By MICHAEL TURAY & JONATHAN CUSTODIO

Four buildings in Norwood are among those on the notorious Worst Landlords Watch List compiled by the New York City Public Advocate’s office. On the list is 3366 Decatur Ave., a 60-unit building with 201 violations listed on the city Department of Housing Preservation & Development’s (HPD) website and 14 violations through the city Department of Buildings (DOB) along with three evictions this year alone. The majority of the HPD violations were filed under Decatur Enterprise LLC and Matt Levi, who was listed as the 14th worst landlord in the city. While a stop work order has been activated on

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

Having been removed from their base in 2017 over safety concerns, the Washington Greys Military Cadets are one step closer to returning to the annex abutting the Kingsbridge Armory which they’ve called home for decades. Community Board 7 has approved a critical letter advocating for the group’s return which would relieve the military group of any rent it would have to pay to stay at the annex. Known also as “the Greys,” the non-profit organization operates to instill discipline in youth who have been involved with or at risk of juvenile delinquency. Without the support of the community board,

By MICHAEL TURAY

Scattered Budweiser cans, shabby clothes, and pieces belonging to a worn out cabinet lay strewn about the front lawn of a two-family home at 290 Reservoir Pl. near East Gun Hill Road. For all intents and purposes, the property appears vacant from the outside. Inside, squatters had invaded, creating an unsettling feeling shared by longtime residents. Things reached a tipping point on Dec. 2 when a shootout happened inside the property, sending officers to the home. Near a second-floor window of the house, multiple bullet holes can be spotted from the shots fired following the nighttime dispute that led to

Gates Place Tenants Unveil Anti-MCI Sign, Ratcheting Up Against Landlord

By DAVID CRUZ

The banner sign that hung diagonally above Silvia Estulillo captured her fellow tenants’ story: “Rent Strike; No Mas MCIs,” referring to Major Capital Improvements that took effect shortly after the landlord’s $1.9 million, top-down renovation of the six-story building on Gates Place in Norwood. It wasn’t easy for Estulillo—who’s joined in the MCI strike—to share her story, bursting into tears after speaking openly on the ongoing strife she and a handful of tenants, fueled by gumption, have had to endure. Last year, the tenants decided not to pay for the MCI fees they say are too costly. “We’re working. We’re

In Fight to Debunk Census Myths, MMCC Secures Grant (Picture)

By DAVID CRUZ

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC) is among the 150 groups slated to receive a financial boost in its quest to ensure everyone is counted in the U.S. Census, which is slated to touch off in March under new methods of getting counted amid the political climate that’s been hostile to undocumented immigrant communities such as Norwood. Lenora Sealey, MMCC’s director of support services, is mapping out what the organization will do with the $150,000 boost it received from New York City as part of a coordinated effort in ensuring New Yorkers are counted. So far, the monies will be earmarked