He Once Interned at Serrano’s Office. Now He Wants to Succeed Him

By DAVID CRUZ

When Frangell Basora heard Congressman Jose Serrano would not seek re-election, the news struck a nerve for him. After all, Serrano’s not only been Basora’s Congressman his entire life, he was also his boss. Now Basora, 27, is among the least known candidates launching a run to succeed Serrano as the next representative for the 15th Congressional District in a field that includes established lawmakers, community activists, and city employees. But Basora is familiar to the world of politics, getting closer than most candidates by experiencing Congress firsthand. It happened five years ago when he received a competitive internship through

Samelys Lopez, Bronx Progressive Activist, Launches 15th Congressional District Run

By DAVID CRUZ

Another progressive Democrat has announced a run for the 15th Congressional District seat, by far the most crowded political contest in the city. And she stands among the pack in grabbing a marquee endorsement from a prominent congressional Democrat. Samelys Lopez, a grassroots community activist who helped propel Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to victory last year, became the 13th candidate to announce a run for the South Bronx seat. “I just feel like it’s a time for something different, a fresh perspective; someone who is connected to the grassroots, the progressive community; someone who has an independent voice that can challenge

More Accolades for Kingsbridge Road Subway Heroes

By DAVID CRUZ

Jairo Torres, nudged between Councilmembers Fernando Cabrera and Andrew Cohen, graciously accepted a proclamation from Cabrera for saving the life of a little girl whose father pulled her onto the tracks of the Kingsbridge Road No. 4 subway station before killing himself. The setting was more intimate compared to the first proclamation he received two days before by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., the first to honor Torres in a news conference full of pomp. It’s the latest in the kind of attention Torres has received since he saved Ferni Balbuena, the five-year-old girl who was nearly crushed by

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s nineteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on two more Legionnaires’ cases popping up at Tracey Towers. The New York City Health Department is now collecting water samples as part of the city Health Department’s investigation. Reporter Jose A. Giralt continued his coverage with a meeting urging residents to heed the city’s advice. Inside the cover you’ll read Michael

By JONATHAN CUSTODIO

Smoke shops across the state are pulling flavored e-cigarettes off their store shelves after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an emergency ban of vaping products, considered to be heavily targeted towards youth. A Norwood smoke shop on the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 207th Street is breathing easy on this. Mo, who works there, says that e-cigarettes don’t make up a large percentage of the store’s revenue. Among those is Juul, a vaping product he says sells. “Juul is one section that sells. I sell other stuff. It’s a big loss but it’s not really gonna close me,” notes Mo.

Manhattan Councilman Latest to Enter Crowded 15th Congressional District Race

By DAVID CRUZ

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a legislator who represents the 10th Council District in Upper Manhattan, opened a committee to enter the 15th Congressional District race. The move pits him in direct competition with fellow Council members Ritchie Torres and Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., arguably the top two contenders in the race. It also puts him back in competition against former New York Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Assemblyman Michael Blake, both of whom are also running for the seat several months after respectively losing in the New York City Public Advocate’s race. Rodriguez did nothing to draw attention to his candidacy,

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers if they have noticed a union-suggested work slowdown by NYPD officers following the firing of Officer Daniel Pantaleo for using an illegal chokehold that killed Eric Garner. I actually haven’t noticed any slowdown. Where I live, there’s always cops; they just pass by all the time and they’re always running around. They’re very kind and we thank them all the time for being around. They’re also always around when I see them at six in the morning. I don’t believe there should be a slowdown because we still need the police around here to help

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s eighteenth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of interesting community news stories to read and share. We have 28 pages packed full of news from this corner of the Bronx, capturing all kinds of stuff. We’re actually veering from our page one, and moving to page two! Our other top story focuses on a Legionnaires’ scare impacting Tracey Towers. The New York City Health Department is now investigating how the bacteria caused two residents to contract the disease. Reporter Jose A. Giralt stopped by a meeting to get a complete breakdown. Back

By DAVID CRUZ

A report released by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. ahead of the first day of school proposes major fixes to the School Construction Authority (SCA), the body tasked to build new schools across the city, pointing out “inefficiencies” at a time when the borough’s public school districts are grossly overcrowded. After examining the SCA, which was created in 1988, Diaz Jr.’s office outlined 10 recommendations needed to streamline the authority. Among them is greater transparency, citing the lack of information that came out of a task force created by the New York City Council last year that studied the