SEE PICTURES: Oliver Place Gets Much-Needed Cleanup

By DAVID CRUZ

Cleanup crews were all in for a cleanup job at the corner of Oliver Place and Decatur Avenue. The troubled grounds have been quite the eyesore for the neighborhood over the last few decades, as many treat it as a dumping ground. Teams from the nonprofit group FEDCAP were on hand, as well as employees of Councilman Ritchie Torres, whose 15th Council District covers the Bedford Park lot. Torres’s office allocated $100,000 for the cleanup crew. Some items collected included bicycle wheels, parts of a fan, and small wooden planks. But just where the trash is coming from bewilders Joe

By DAVID CRUZ

With the northwest Bronx surrounded by some of the city’s largest parks, the city’s wildlife calls these greenspaces home. That includes coyotes. “[Y]ou’re surrounded by coyotes,” Sunny Carrao with the Parks Department’s Wildlife Unit said at a presentation before Community Board’s 7’s Parks Committee. From nearby Van Cortlandt Park to Pelham Bay Park, coyotes have settled deep into the woods, said Carrao. It’s common to see the the four-legged feral dogs out in the open. Mating season is over, and coyotes are now scavenging for food for their new pups. “They do what a coyote does best, and that’s avoiding

By JOSE A. GIRALT

The bright blue sky triggers a special memory for Stephanie Sandler. “This is the type of day my brother loved to walk around the neighborhood. He loved meeting the people of this community,” says Sandler of her brother Andrew. A street renaming ceremony in honor of Andrew Sandler happened at his home neighborhood of Riverdale on April 28. Sandler, who served as district manager of Community Board 7, died last August at the age of 31 from cancer. The event was attended by Sandler’s family, friends and colleagues. The street renaming, which can be found at the corner of West

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the dramatic changes to the weather as well as plans for the unofficial start of summer. I don’t know, you just have to dress for this crazy weather, that’s the best way to deal with it. I think we’re going to get a very hot summer. I’m a music artist, so I’ll be working on my music a lot over the summer and I’ll make a record. Other than that, the summer is all about the family. Eli Staxx Norwood I don’t even want to talk about it. Yesterday it was mad

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering Bronx communities, is out this week! Check out these stories put together by our dedicated interns and freelancers that can get the conversation going across the Bronx. We begin, of course, with page one! The uncommon fatal shootings of two people in the Norwood section of the Bronx prompted it to be our front page. Read the story of 37-year-old Dwayne Saunders, shot to death in broad daylight. Read what the local commander for the 52nd Precinct has to say about these rarer homicides in Norwood. Other stories include the

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By VNSNY

Cramped apartments, amazing skyline views; train delays, a city that never sleeps; suffocating crowds, neighborhoods bursting with cultural diversity – New York City is a place of extremes and our lifestyles and careers are often shaped and impacted by its unique benefits and challenges. For NYC homecare nurses, the adage “There’s No Place Like Home” rings especially true as the communities where they live and work have an enormous impact on the way they deliver care to the city’s most vulnerable populations. May 6th through 12th is National Nurses Week, a time set aside to recognize the men and women who dedicate their

By MARIYA MOSELEY

Amidst the fraught race relations between communities of color and law enforcement, one organization is working to improve that bond and the lives of teenagers of color. The United Chaplains State of New York Athletic League (UCSNY) is a community group geared towards empowering youth. The organization is not only comprised of chaplains, but also members from the NYPD, FDNY and EMT. Within UCSNY, more than 200 students from around the city take part in a comprehensive sports program, mentorship and interactive workshops. Lesly Roscha, 16, a student coming from Staten Island, said her two-hour commute to the UCSNY’s gym

By DAVID CRUZ

Elections for the Tracey Towers Tenants Organization are slated for May 17, and at least one challenger has come forward. What is known is that Jean Hill, the incumbent president of the TTTO, is not concerned over who’s running. She’s taking it very seriously having taped up fliers that show a photo of her slate while also running through the list of her board’s accomplishments. “I see the need to have a strong, exceptional board; people who go in and get the job done,” said Hill, a resident of Tracey Towers for more than 40 years. “It’s not an easy

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

Low-income residents can save some green by going green. “Weatherization is not like a sexy subject. The fact of the matter is that it really helps families, and it helps the planet, and it helps neighborhoods, and it’s a great addition to housing,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat, representing Norwood’s 13th Congressional District at a news conference announcing additional funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The program increases the energy efficiency of low-income homes, which leads to lower utility bills. Some services WAP provides include repairing indoor heating systems, replacing windows and doors, sealing holes to reduce heat loss, installing