Lead Testing at Schools Law Takes Effect

By DAVID CRUZ

It is now law that schools test drinking water for lead contamination. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to identify traces of lead, a toxin that can cause brain damage if overly exposed. The state Department of Health issued emergency rules mandating school districts test their water for lead contamination by Oct. 31 and report results to parents, the state Department of Health and local government officials. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, representing the northeast Bronx, said the new law gives “parents, students and faculty the peace of mind they deserve. If lead levels are detected above 15 parts per billion at any

Editor’s Pick Fall Festival Fun The public is invited to the Jerome-Gun Hill BID’s 20th anniversary free celebration at its 15th Annual Fall Festival on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine, on Jerome Avenue, between East Gun Hill Road and East Mosholu Parkway North. Events include live musical performances, children’s activities, vendors and food, and a variety of BID merchants. For more information, call (718) 324-4946. Onstage Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd., W., presents Eddie Palmieri & Friends performing salsa, and Del Caribe Latin Jazz All Stars, on Sept.

Job Expo The 6th annual Job Expo takes place on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Concourse level of The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (718) 579-4260. Free School Supplies Provident Loan Society is giving away free school supplies for those who sign up to receive their newsletter. Supplies can be picked up at 2573 Decatur Ave. off Fordham Road. Supplies include a calculator, pen and pencil, eraser, ruler and pencil case. Food and Clothing Drive A food and clothing drive to

Greetings Loyal Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin, of course, in the beginning with page one: coverage of the September Primary in the Bronx. It was a pretty predictable ending for the candidates, with no upsets. Typical for incumbents and party-backed candidates in the Bronx. Read up on the five races that could impact residents of the northwest Bronx. Inside the cover you’ll read on the opening of a dormant pizza stand in Norwood, and a stalwart saloon in Norwood that could be serving its last

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

The days of grabbing a pint at the last Irish bar in Norwood might be numbered. A dispute between McDwyer’s Pub and its landlord, 3120 Hull Realty Corp., has been working its way through Bronx Housing Court all this summer. A trial to determine whether Eamonn McDwyer’s neighborhood saloon can stay or go is scheduled for Sept. 15. McDwyer’s Pub opened at 331 E. 204th St. at the corner of Hull Avenue in 1966. McDwyer’s attorney, Jeffrey Frank Cohen, said that the landlord is claiming that the bar is on a month-to-month lease. Cohen, who agreed to discuss aspects of

By DAVID CRUZ

Though Tracey Towers, Norwood’s largest cooperative and the borough’s tallest buildings, is home to some 869 families, refurbishing the towers’ lone playground remained low on management’s priority list for years. Sitting atop the towers’ parking garage, the aging centerpiece, a jungle gym, shows plenty of signs of wear and tear. Flaky and rusted, the gym stands unattractive and almost uninviting. A basketball court equipped with concrete risers, meantime, takes up half the rooftop. The playground and court’s sizes could barely accommodate the towers’ adolescent population. “Forty-two years, people. We’ve been trying to get this done for 42 years. It was

By DAVID CRUZ, WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE, and JALEESA BAULKMAN

The Bronx political landscape stayed on course in the northwest part of the borough, with incumbents and frontrunners predictably winning in the September Democratic Primary, a contest that closely predicts the outcome of Bronx races in November’s General Election. The victories once again signaled the party machine at work, as major support and campaign money helped secure victories for the favorites. 36th Senate District The 36th State Senate District, covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Wakefield, Edenwald, Co-Op City, and Mount Vernon in Westchester County, saw Jamaal T. Bailey edge out four other contenders in a decidedly easy victory for the young

By the time the next edition of the Norwood News rolls in, droves of voters will have headed to schools, community centers and the like to cast their ballot for their next legislator this primary election cycle. Or, if the cynical side prevails, they’ll stay home. Voting, it seems, has become blasé and an avoidable chore. Sadly, the Bronx, a borough that’s home to some 619,241 voters facing issues of income inequality, housing and health disparities, only saw 6 percent of its electorate go to the polls in 2015 (coincidentally, Norwood also had 6 percent of its residents go to

With the Primary set for Sept. 13, this week we asked readers whether they vote and their thoughts on voting. I do vote. I voted for Obama in his two terms. I wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders, but now I’m going to vote for Hillary Clinton. It’s important to vote because they represent the people, and I think Donald Trump is an (expletive). I think Clinton has the backing of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, so I think she is fit for the job. Jamise Smith Norwood Yes, I do vote and I think it’s very important