Nathalia Fernandez Wins Assembly Race, Must Run Again in September

By DAVID CRUZ

Nathalia Fernandez was so used to working behind the scenes. Now she’s front and center. Fernandez secured her victory on the April 24 special election for the 80th Assembly District seat, allowing her to soundly defeat Republican challenger Gene DeFrancis, founder of the Allerton International Merchants Association. Fernandez, winning by more than 1500 to DeFrancis’s 300 (official numbers by the Board of Elections won’t be available for a few weeks) now succeeds her former boss, former Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj. Her win automatically makes her the district legislator serving Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Allerton, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, and Van

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

The 52nd Precinct’s first homicide in 2018 happened at a six-story building in Norwood. Police report a 38-year-old took a few shots to the body just before 4 p.m. on April 23 inside 3152 Hull Ave., a largely residential section just off East 204th Street. The victim, unresponsive, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital’s trauma unit where he was pronounced upon arrival. So far the police have no reported leads on who may have killed the victim. His name is being withheld until the family is notified. The shooting ranks as the first reported homicide of the year. Around the

State Strong-arming Park Reservoir Houses into Loan Tenants Say

By DAVID CRUZ

Rosa Perez, 61, a retired social worker, has called Park Reservoir Houses (PRH) home for the last 30 years calling it a “hidden gem of the city.” Like all cooperators, she pays her monthly maintenance fees for the state-funded Mitchell-Lama complex in Van Cortlandt Village. But those fees could skyrocket by 100 percent if the state Department of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), which regulates Mitchell-Lama buildings, gets its way. “Many have spoken to me indicating that they will need financial support from their family and friends to make up the difference of the proposed increases because of DHCR delays,”

By DAVID GREENE

It took four hours and nearly 200 firefighters to knock out a massive blaze that destroyed seven businesses in Fordham. Fire officials say the blaze broke out at 5:28 a.m., on April 24, inside JaveMTS Income Tax, at 316 E. 194th St., between Marion and Bainbridge avenues. The blaze then spread to stores on either side of the income tax business, gutting the blaze was the Spin City Laundromat, 3 Sisters Pizza, Marion Pharmacy, the Unisex Barbershop, the Hnos Perez Beauty Salon, and the Fu Wang Chinese Restaurant. Plumes of smoke spread across the neighborhood, permeating into neighboring Kingsbridge Heights. A

Editorial: Bedford Park Locals Should Consider a No Solicitation Zone

By MARY MELLON

Bedford Park residents are trying another tactic to ward off overdevelopment in the neighborhood: preservation. Kelly Carroll, who works for the Historic Districts Council (HDC), a landmarks advocacy group, met with neighborhood residents at the April 4 Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) meeting to discuss the prospect of landmarking certain sections of the neighborhood. Apart from making sure “the landmarks preservation commission behaves itself,” HDC educates the public, and meets with communities to address their concerns about preservation. “So what we can help with is getting to know the neighborhood. If there’s an active interest in preservation here it would

By NATALIE MIGLIORE

The Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet television, continues its five-part series on food insecurity issues impacting the Bronx and its residents. In PS 109 Sedgwick in Morris Heights, students learn the importance of eating healthy with Edible Schoolyard NYC, which incorporates healthy eating in classroom lessons. From classroom to cafeteria, PS 109 makes sure its students grow up with healthy eating habits through programs like afterschool family cooking activities. Edible Schoolyard NYC is just one group trying to reverse statistics outlined in a recent state health department report that showed the Bronx as the unhealthiest county

Owner of Dilapidated Home Dies, Cats Rescued (

By DAVID GREENE

A Norwood man who appeared to have hoarding tendencies had passed away inside his dilapidated home on East 206th Street, with many suspecting his body had been inside the home for days. Police confirmed they discovered the body of homeowner Martin James Brennan, 55, at midnight on Sunday, March 25, inside the home at 306 E. 206th St. off Perry Avenue. The city Medical Examiner said he died of natural causes. “I saw them going in there with hazmat suits and the police were outside, so I knew something was going on,” said Natasha Ferrell, an eyewitness. A second eyewitness

Housing Advocates Alert Tenants of Right to Counsel

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

The citywide effort to spread word on the city’s Right to Counsel (RTC) law continued at Monroe College on April 12 by a coalition pushing for greater awareness of the law. The Right to Counsel NYC Coalition (RTCNYC) brought a cadre of lawyers and activists under one roof for the town hall, warning residents of the unscrupulous methods some landlords employ to evict tenants. The Right to Counsel law was enacted last year, offering low-income New Yorkers legal representation in the ever chaotic housing court. Tenants attending housing court because of a nonpayment notice or those being sued by landlords

CB7 Chair Unexpectedly Resigns, Will Remain Member

By DAVID CRUZ

Adaline Walker-Santiago, the chair of Community Board 7 who brought a cheerleading style to her leadership, unexpectedly resigned on April 17. In her announcement to members and the general public at the latest community board, Walker-Santiago pledged to remain a member of the north Bronx board. Her resignation as chair is effective April 30. Walker-Santiago told the Norwood News shortly after her announcement that her decision to step down stemmed largely from freeing up her time. She said she plans to travel abroad, spend more time with family, and continue serving as a life coach. For the last five years, Walker-Santiago