Financial Focus: What Recession?

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By PROF. ANTHONY RIVIECCIO, MBA, PFA

Like room temperature, economists like myself look at the economy to see if it is under- or over-heating, quarterly and annually. Most economists use many tools for their analysis. Underneath are some from the Bureau of Economic Statistics (BES). The GDP “growth rate” shows how much more the economy produced than in the previous quarter. The ideal rate is between 2 and 3%. In a healthy economy, unemployment and inflation are in balance. In 2017 current GDP increased 4.7 percent. It follows a 4.2 percent expansion in the previous period which was the highest since the third quarter of 2014.

$46M Annex in the Works for Kingsbridge Heights School

By MICHAEL TURAY

An 18-wheeler truck beeps as it slowly backs into a construction lot on 2751 Jerome Ave. in Kingsbridge Heights. “Danger zone, hard hat area,” reads one sign as two men with bright orange helmets urge pedestrians to stay put as the truck moves into the grounds of P.S. 340. Above, a Woodlawn-bound 4 train rumbles past to its next destination. Across the street a noisy retaining wall job is also underway. This project however, is strictly for the kids, as a Kingsbridge Heights elementary school is set to expand. P.S. 340 will get more space, as a new four-story annex

Police are continuing their investigation into the death of a 27-year-old man found dead with several bullets to his body, marking the fifth homicide within the 52nd Precinct this year. Detectives are looking to find out who killed Isael Lagares, who was fatally shot in front of 2734 Bainbridge Ave., just blocks from Lagares’ Bedford Park home. Lagares rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Five-Two has seen a small drop in major crime, with 1158 reported crimes this year compared to 1163 the same time last year, according to NYPD stats. There have been

Crime File: Charges for Fatal Car Wreck in Norwood

By DAVID CRUZ

Suspect Arrested in Jerome Ave. Crash A Morrisania man faces a litany of charges, including driving while intoxicated vehicular assault and reckless endangerment, related to the death of a Brooklyn woman who was near a bus stop when she was hit. Police say Francisco Rosario drove his Nissan minivan southbound on Jerome Avenue on Aug. 11 at around 10 p.m., mounted a sidewalk at the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and struck two people at the bus stop by the Woodlawn train station. One of them, Natasha Mar, was struck. She was later transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where she died.

By SHA-NIA ALSTON

Skaters can’t seem to wait any longer for the new skateboard park at Williamsbridge Oval Park. Though the park is not officially open there has already been several sightings of skaters getting their wheels dirty. Video taken by the Norwood News shows three skaters practicing on in the skateboard park’s open space that’s surrounding by a perimeter fence on Aug. 14. Demands for a skateboard park go back to 2004, though it wasn’t made possible yet until after a $750,000 allocation by Councilman Andrew Cohen in 2013. Design of the skateboard park was finished in June 2015 with construction beginning

SEE PHOTOS: Sports Jam at Williamsbridge Oval Park

By DAVID CRUZ

The New York City Parks Department hosted its annual Summer Sports Experience Jamboree, an all-day event on Aug. 14 that allowed kids around the Bronx to sample a variety of sports including basketball, softball, soccer, field hockey, track & field, hurdles, and wheelchair basketball. At the Oval, tried out a litany of sports but also had the chance to check out the bounce house and a play mobile. Summer is typically a time when children exercise less, making the Jamboree a critical outlet for kids to stay in shape. Check out these photos by Miriam Quinones!

SEE PICTURES: National Night Out at the 52nd Precinct

By DAVID CRUZ

Families and their children joined police officers from the 52nd Precinct for the 35th annual National Night Out Against Crime. At Poe Park on Aug. 6, there was plenty of fun and games to go around at the event aimed at forging greater bonds between police and the community. National Night Out Against Crime was established in 1984 as a way of raising police awareness in community. Check out these photos by Jose A. Giralt!

Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway Event Offers Good Start for Students

By DAVID CRUZ

Students got a good head start in preparing for school with a recent back-to-school book bag giveaway event sponsored by state Sen. Gustavo Rivera. The first of three events happened at Slattery Playground in Mt. Eden, with dozens of children picking up a backpack ahead of the new school year, which is slated for Sept. 5. The event was one of three events sponsored by Rivera’s office. Another events are scheduled for Aug. 15 and Aug. 22. Families living within Rivera’s 33rd Senate District are welcome to receive a backpack and obtain a free health screening. For more information, call

City & State Leaders Look to Reduce Hot Car Deaths Following Kingsbridge Incident

By DAVID GREENE

City and state officials are mobilizing in reducing hot car-related deaths following an incident where a pair of twins died from heatstroke after they were left in a car in Kingsbridge Heights for hours last month. The pair was left behind by their father. Councilman Fernando Cabrera, whose district represents the neighborhood where one-year-old twins were left in a hot car for hours by their father, announced legislation aimed at preventing the deaths of children left to bake in unattended vehicles. Exactly a week after one-year-old twins Luna and Phoenix Rodriguez were left for eight hours, as their father went