Housing Matters: The Legal Challenge to Desegregate the City

By DAVID CRUZ

Just what would become of a plan to rezone a large chunk of Jerome Avenue remains to be seen. The New York City Council’s Land Use Committee voted to approve the rezoning on March 6. The rezoning paves the way for developers to build as much as 4,000 units of affordable housing by changing zoning rules between 184th and 167th streets, allowing for buildings as high as 19 stories. It’s now cleared to go to the full New York City Council, which could approve or reject the rezoning come March 21. If it goes through, city policy dictates that the

Scores of residents stopped by the Bedford Mosholu Community Association for its annual flea market aimed at filling the tiny coffers for the 42-year civic groups. Some pricey items were up for sale for some unbeatable costs. Photos by Miriam Quinones

Norwood Local Facing Webster Construction Hits Brick Wall

By NIALL RIDGLEY

Wooden two-by-fours jut out and over the backyard where children used to play, a giant pit has been dug in the basement, and fast food odors from a nearby restaurant creep straight into a three-story home owned by Darrell Burgess of Norwood. It’s been quite the living nightmare for Burgess, whose struggles stem from construction of a building addition owned by Edward Khalil, the developer of an impending six-story structure that rests at 3103 Webster Ave. by East 204th Street and just across from another building under construction by The Doe Fund. The pair of buildings are the result of

By DAVID CRUZ

Something old can be new again at the annual Bedford Mosholu Community Association (BMCA) Flea Market scheduled for March 10. In the basement of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, 360 Bedford Pk. Blvd., residents can check out some of the offerings up for sale at modest prices. Much of these knickknacks include books, appliances, picture frames, and music items, to a name. Much of these goods came from donations BMCA volunteers cobbled since the beginning of the year. This time, BMCA leadership forewent clothes. “It’s our annual fundraiser, it’s our only fundraiser,” Barbara Stronczer, BMCA president, said. “It’s a big community

Illegal Parking Takes a Back Seat Following Crackdown (Picture)

By DAVID CRUZ

Van Cortlandt Village residents are getting their spots back! After months of illegal parking on Goulden Avenue by commercial vehicles for a litany of reasons, a major crackdown by the 52nd Precinct at the behest of electeds saw plenty of those vehicles not come back. The stretch on Goulden Avenue between West 197th Street and Sedgwick Avenue is close to Van Cortlandt Village’s heavy residential population, making those spots a premium. When a major, monthslong Con Edison project on Sedgwick Avenue saw a number of spots reserved exclusively for work trucks, it squeezed parking even more. “Parking is one of

By DAVID CRUZ

Two men are wanted for questioning in a case involving a stolen $8,000 watch from a Fordham jewelry store. Police say the theft happened on Feb. 19 at around 3:45 p.m. They say one of the suspects was inside 13 W. Fordham Rd. looking at a watch. Once the suspect was allowed to look at the watch, the employee let the suspect’s accomplice inside. The suspect holding the quickly ran out the store along with his accomplice holding the door open, police say. Both men took off in an unknown direction with the pricey watch. No one was hurt. Police

KNIC Founder Reaffirms Commitment to Build Project (Thumbnail)

By DAVID CRUZ

Kevin Parker, founder of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center project, told community stakeholders at a closed-door meeting today that the massive project is under way despite being stalled for four years. The meeting, held at Concourse House just blocks from the Kingsbridge Armory, the expected home of the center, was organized by State Sen. Gustavo Rivera. “I felt confident going into the meeting and I feel much more confident after I left the meeting that the project is going forward,” Rivera told the Norwood News several hours after the meeting wrapped up. “Is the [project] happening tomorrow? Sadly, no.” Much of the

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

Ladies and gentleman. Identity theft and tax scamming today have become so simple. Over the course of the last several years, many sad things have happened during tax season: from mailbox fishing, where thieves “fish” for your check in the mail to the “Fake IRS Email” where thieves instruct you to pay your adjusted tax bill on their fraudulent website. Over the course of the next few articles, we want to highlight the tax scamming ways people are getting ripped off. Tax scamming can be done, in many ways. They’re made even easier once they have some of your identification

By DAVID GREENE

With the recent school shooting in Florida, we asked readers if such a tragedy could happen here. To be honest, it is possible because people get bullied a lot. I’d heard about the student who stabbed two students here in the Bronx and the killer was actually bullied. So it is possible. The victims of bullying like to take things into their own hands. When you’re in school you don’t really think about these things, but sometimes you do see signals and I’ll think about it. People need to ask a person how he feels; he could be suicidal. Friends