NYC Prepares for Impending ICE Raids. What You Should Know

By SÍLE MOLONEY

With Norwood home to a burgeoning Bangladeshi and established Hispanic community, and the Trump administration’s promise for a major ICE raid of roughly 2,000 undocumented immigrants this Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio reaffirmed the city’s ongoing commitment to protecting immigrants by informing them of their rights, providing free legal services should they require them and reassuring immigrants that city agencies would not cooperate in any way with ICE officials. Speaking on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC on July 12, de Blasio said, “If anyone is afraid or concerned, you know, they can, whether their kids go to a school,

Raising Parental Awareness on Gangs in the Five-Two

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

Within the big picture story of decades of downward crime rates, one aspect of street life that the NYPD continues to grapple with is the lure of gangs. Responding to a growing concern over increased gang activity in the north Bronx neighborhoods Deputy Inspector Thomas J. Alps, commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct, said “gangs are a big problem in the Five-Two.” In an ongoing effort to counter gang life, and root it out of neighborhoods, the precinct invited members of the NYPD Bronx Gang Squad to a summit at the Bronx Library Center on July 3. The meeting included

By SÍLE MOLONEY

NYC Health + Hospitals has confirmed that it plans to operate Jacobi Medical Center (Jacobi) and North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) under one license, subject to the approval of the state Department of Health (DOH). The news could make it easier for patients to be seen a lot faster, by cutting down wait times for patient transfers between the two publicly-funded hospitals. “The license merger will streamline the transfer process between hospitals for patients and the credentialing process for our clinicians,” said John Doyle, spokesman for NYC Health + Hospitals, “In short, it allows us to better navigate some regulatory

By DAVID CRUZ

Monroe College in Fordham has been reportedly hacked, with hackers demanding $2 million worth of Bitcoin to undo the now encrypted files. The breach, first reported by the New York Daily News, is now being investigated by the NYPD. Monroe College, founded in 1933, has campuses in Fordham, Manhattan, and New Rochelle in Westchester County. The website is currently down. My school’s servers are currently being held hostage for $2M in bitcoin. Thank God. I had a term paper due today. #bitcoin #hostage #monroecollege #miracle — Jacklynn Hyde (@HydeJacklynn) July 11, 2019 Officials have turned to its Facebook account

A Bengali Womens’ Empowerment Group Walks A Tightrope in Norwood

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Sanjana Khan and Ayesha Akhtar grew up just a block apart in Norwood. Both their families hail from the city of Sylhet in eastern Bangladesh on the Surma River. Yet, it took a Bronx Narratives event last August at the Bronx Museum of the Arts for the two to finally meet. A month later, they founded LAAL, a non-profit group supporting Bengali women in Norwood live healthy, engaged, joyful lives. The two women spent June 23 “womanning” the group’s table stand at the “Bangla Bazzar Street Fair”, which took place at Decatur Avenue and East 204th Street in Norwood. Together, with

New Senior Residence In the Works Along Webster Avenue

By MICHAEL TURAY

The years-old rezoning of Webster Avenue could advance once again with the construction of a 12-story affordable housing senior residence near Bedford Park looming. The property at 2850 Webster Ave. by Bedford Park Boulevard is expected to see a 189-unit property exclusively for seniors. The property was recently owned by the New York Botanical Garden before selling it to Douglaston Development. The units, once built, will have an average size of 499 square feet. The development group applied for permits that are still pending before the Buildings Department. The building is expected to stand at 113 feet yielding 107,158 square

In Aftermath of Unsanctioned July 4th Parties- Trash, Lots of It

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS

Despite signs banning open flames at certain green spaces across the Bronx, every year on the July 4th, for at least five years, ashes, bottles, and leftover trash are found along Mosholu Parkway the day after the holiday. The grassy strip that’s lined with benches on either side is home to several dozen trees, which the Parks Department is mandated to protect from fires. Yet despite several community meetings, and a history of complaints from Community Board 7 urging the Parks Department and NYPD to step up its ‘no barbecue’ enforcement ahead of the agency’s busiest time of the year,

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s fourteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into and share. There’s plenty of news to report in this corner of the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story focuses on the results of the latest Community Board 7 elections, with board members going a different direction in voting for a new chair. Read about the new agenda for Emmanuel Martinez, the newly installed chair of Community Board 7 by myself and Síle Moloney.

Editor’s Pick Free Activities at the Oval Williamsbridge Oval offers a variety of free summer programs including sports, exercise, and dance. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 543-8672. Onstage The Botanical Garden offers a variety of Brazilian musical performances weekends in July. For detailed information, fees, and a schedule, call (718) 817-8700. Events Wave Hill, a Bronx oasis at 675 W. 252nd St. in Riverdale, offers the following concerts: Niall Connolly, performing with his four-piece band, July 10; and Sweet Meg & the Wayfarers, band performing a variety of music, July 17; both on the Great