Explosion at John F. Kennedy High School Injures Three

By DAVID CRUZ A gas explosion was reported at John F. Kennedy High School in Marble Hill, injuring three people, one critically, according to fire officials. The evening blast happened just after 8pm in the building’s top floors. Seven employees were working on upgrades to the building’s science lab when one worker hit a gas main. All three were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center. “Incredibly loud, a scary scene,” said Mike Allan, a neighbor living just blocks from the school. Witnesses could see materials and equipment blasted through glass windows on the upper floors at the Terrace Avenue school. The rumble was

By DAVID CRUZ Crews with the DOT are in the middle of building this pedestrian island (pictured) at a five-point intersection in Norwood. Crews began working on the island, set up at Perry Avenue and East Gun Hill Road, in mid-August. The area is often jam-packed during rush hour, with drivers sometimes left stuck with little room to go. Norwood is one of several northwest Bronx communities dubbed a Neighborhood Slow Zone, which mandates drivers go at 20 miles per hour given its heavily congested layout and proximity to schools. A cadre of neighborhood activists and lawmakers applied to designate

Progress at the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) can be seen in Google Maps. Even though it’s yet to break ground since winning a bid in 2013, the impending project slated inside the cavernous Kingsbridge Armory was still recognized by the online map provider. Under a rule imposed by the city Economic Development Corporation, which cleared KNIC to occupy the space, developers have a deadline of March next year to show it has funds to start the project. The project is estimated to cost $350 million. Developers plan to house nine ice skating rinks and a 5,000-seat arena inside the vacant castle that

By Jasmine Gomez

For the past year, neighborhood resident Aldo Perez has waged a war on a homeless shelter and synthetic marijuana use in Bedford Park. He’s now turning to a halfway house for recovering addicts, which he claims, condones drug use, loitering and fistfights in front of the building. And he’s fed up.

Project Renewal to Build Another Supportive/Affordable Housing Complex in Bedford Park

By DAVID CRUZ Residents can expect another supportive/affordable housing hybrid in the neighborhood, adding to a cluster of new specialized housing sites in Norwood/Bedford Park and fueling an ongoing tug of war between residents and non-profit housing groups over the community’s vision.

New York Skyscrapers and Friends Perform at Williamsbridge Oval Park

By VIVIAN CARTER Rainy skies didn’t halt the free neighborhood concert planned for Williamsbridge Oval Park on August 11—the event just moved inside to the recreation center. New interpretations of favorite soul, R&B, and rock classics rewarded the scores of audience members who gathered to hear New York Skyscrapers and Friends, an accomplished American contemporary musical group. The selection of songs came from many decades of history–the age of Duke Ellington and Etta James, the heyday of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, and Michael Jackson’s 1980s-era hits. The three vocalists and six instrumentalists, all experienced professional musicians, handled it quite

Take Our Norwood News Survey!

The Norwood News has created a survey targeted at residents of Community Board 7 (Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Fordham and University Heights). We are looking for your input about quality of life issues in the neighborhood, parks, politicians, and most importantly, the newspaper. Please take a moment to share your opinions and let us know how you feel about your community by filling out the brief survey. Many thanks in advance! http://svy.mk/1K8daie via Norwood News.

Combatting Legionnaires’ Disease, State Offering Free Testing of Cooling Towers

By DAVID CRUZ Though cases of Legionnaires’ disease have not crept up to the Norwood area, the state is offering building landlords free testing of rooftop cooling towers, considered a kind of petri dish for the water-borne ailment. The program is in response to the largest outbreak on Legionnaires’ disease in New York City history, claiming 10 lives and sickening 100, with 65 of them treated and released. Building landlords are eligible for the free service, intended to quell fears and contain the outbreak. So far Legionnaires’ disease has been confined to the South Bronx, though officials are not taking any

By JASMINE GOMEZ A mother’s breast milk can provide her newborn with the necessary vitamins, proteins, fat, and antibodies to sustain a baby’s healthy growth.