Digital Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

The newest edition of the award-winning Norwood News is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin in Bedford Park with yet another homeless shelter sneaking into the neighborhood, only there’s a twist: the tenants won the fight! Read up on suspicions by tenants and what conditions were like inside the building. Switching to lighthearted fare, with an article by salesperson/reporter extraordinaire Vivian Carter on results of the Norwood News survey we asked neighbors to take over the summer. We crunched the numbers and the results were pretty surprising. Definitely worth a read. Next, Jasmine Gomez takes a look at a

By CARMEN FARIÑA, Schools Chancellor

As Chancellor, I love talking to our students and parents at community meetings, forums, town halls and even in the grocery store–and I hear the same message time and again: every parent wants to see their child graduate and ready to conquer the world—and every child wants to follow their dreams and achieve. I took this job specifically to make success a reality for every child and every family across New York City.

2015 Back-to-School Guide

By NORWOOD NEWS

Bronx students are prepping to hit the books this year, and the Norwood News is your place for some compelling stories that can get you nice and ready for the new school year. Check out the list of stories below to get a snapshot of what lies ahead for the new school year. Enjoy the reading, and send thoughts to dcruz@norwoodnews.org: Op-Ed: Building Stronger Community Schools: Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina champions parent engagement as a way to bolster a student’s success. PS 94x: Better Preparing Students Through Key Initiatives: We begin in Norwood, at a neighborhood school that’s pushing

By VIVIAN CARTER

The Norwood News conducted a survey in the past month, producing a snapshot of local concerns. Overwhelmingly, area residents want a cleaner neighborhood. The survey was begun with visits to local venues by newspaper staffers, who asked passers-by to answer a list of questions. The survey was then posted on the paper’s website until a roughly equal number of individuals had responded. Results proved that the Norwood News has succeeded with its own marketing mission, as 86 percent of those surveyed said they know about the award-winning publication. In contrast, only 65 percent of respondents know their New York

Back-to-School Giveaway By Your Side Tutoring hosts a Kids Launch Free Event on Sept. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. at Van Cortlandt Park. Enter at the entrance of Broadway and 242nd Street. One hundred free backpacks filled with a shirt and school supplies will be given away to students who register for fall tutoring. Attendants will receive a free raffle ticket for a bike, a gift, and wrist band to participate in each activity. Events include face painting, magic show, games, concert, and more. Students receive free drinks and snacks. For more information, call (347) 280-7919. MetroCard Buses/Vans The

By JASMINE GOMEZ

A Bronx street will be renamed after a tireless advocate who provided service for a north Bronx community board for more than 20 years. The corner of East 229th Street and White Plains Road will be renamed Carmen Rosa Way, an eponymous tribute to the district manager of Community Board 12. She died in March from cancer-related illness. During her tenure as district manager of CB12, Rosa’s most celebrated accomplishments included pushing the Federal and State Department of Environmental Protection to clean the toxic site, Hexagon Labs, and playing a vital role in the creation of a revitalization program with

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will hold its general board meeting on Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. CB7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Public Safety & Quality of Life, Sept. 3; Environment & Sanitation, Sept. 8; Health & Hospitals, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Senior Services, Sept. 9; Parks & Recreation, Sept. 9 at 7:15 p.m.; Traffic & Transportation, Sept. 10; and Veterans, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.

Shelter Plan Nixed for Bedford Park Building, Tenants Hail

By DAVID CRUZ

In a rare reversal, a Bedford Park landlord has halted a process to convert a significant portion of their seven-story building into a shelter, a win for tenants who are celebrating with cautious optimism.

Recent Gang Arrests Shed Light into Allure of Gang Culture

By JASMINE GOMEZ This summer’s arrest of 14 individuals related to the “Blood Hounds” gang, have raised concerns about the prevalence of gang activity in the Kingsbridge/Bedford Park community.