More Add-ons On the Way for Norwood Shelter, Sparking Concerns

Following Through on a Promise, Norwood Shelter to Get Peace Officers

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Last July, the Jerome Avenue Men’s Shelter (JAMS), managed by BronxWorks, opened at 3600 Jerome Ave. a block from the Woodlawn station of the 4 train. The location was chosen after Norwood parents, local officials, and Community Board 7 (CB7) protested the original site on Webster Avenue across from PS/MS 20, a K-8 school on the other side of Norwood. At the latest meeting of Community Board 7’s Housing, Land Use & Zoning Committee, members learned of the addition of a permanent clinic within the one-year-old facility. News of the expansion drew concerns, even surprising the committee, given how no

After Spate of Elder Abuse Cases, Officials Highlight Senior Resources

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS and DAVID CRUZ

In response to recent assaults on the elderly, city and borough officials are making a greater effort at underscoring the litany of resources and safety tips for seniors. “We know that in recent weeks here in the Bronx, in the city of New York, in the media we have seen horrific, horrific examples of abuse, of violence, of assaults, harassment towards our senior population. And what we are here to say is,” said Bronx Borough President Rueben Diaz Jr. at a news conference, “We are here for you. We are here to help you.” Diaz mentioned a specific incident in

Children Unaccompanied at US-Mexico Border to Be Housed at University Heights Home

By DAVID CRUZ

A social services nonprofit is slated to operate a federally-funded home in University Heights that’ll house unaccompanied children found illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, the Norwood News has learned. The move caught every elected official representing the neighborhood by surprise. In a letter intended for Community Board 7, but initially sent to neighboring Community Board 5, Catholic Guardian Services (CGS) will look after a maximum of 24 kids aged 12 to 17 at a residential three-family home at a sleepy section of University Heights. The letter does not indicate when the children will be placed. Such an announcement is rare

State Legislature Passes Rent Reform Laws. How Will This Impact Bronx?

By DAVID CRUZ

New layer of protections to safeguard about 1 million rent stabilized apartments in the city, with a majority of them in the Bronx, have now been hammered out after the State Legislature announced reforms to the state’s existing rent laws. The measure is now headed to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s desk, who announced he will “sign it.” The measures aim to prevent de-regulation of rent stabilized apartments, which are much more affordably priced than market rate apartments priced beyond $2700. Deregulation has long been blamed for aggressive displacement of low-income tenants, a problem that’s very familiar for the Bronx, which is

$7M Drug Takedown Linked to University Heights and Kingsbridge Heights Dealer

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Bronx District Attorney’s Office indicted 16 men and two women–with at least two suspects connected to Kingsbridge Heights and University Heights–on charges of dealing heroin and enough fentanyl to “kill the population of New York” in the South Bronx following a drug seizure on May 28 worth $7 million. The arrests come as portions of the Bronx continue to grapple with a deadly heroin epidemic. Those charged have ties to the world’s most powerful drug organization, the Sinaloa Cartel, formerly headed by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán until his arrest. Fifty pounds (23 kilos) of fentanyl, a semi-automatic rifle, and

The Long Fight: Advocates Push Long-Sought Rent Reform Package

By SILE MOLONEY, DAVID CRUZ, and EMILY SUZANNE LEVER

In the cramped venue of The Sanz in Allerton on May 30, a feeling of optimism and empowerment infused the room. Passionate residents waved protest signs and chanted refrains of, “Fight, Fight, Fight! Housing Justice is a Right!” as they urged Norwood Assemblywoman, Nathalia Fernandez, and State Sens. Jamaal Bailey and Alessandra Biaggi, to pass all nine proposed bills on universal rent control when the state’s rent stabilization laws expire on June 15. The event was hosted by Bronx Park East Community Association, which also drew Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to offer her take on housing issues. Housing activists, including Northwest

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s twelfth edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of great community news stories to dive into. There’s almost something happening in this corner of the Bronx, and we’ve captured a good chunk of it. And as usual, we’ll start with page one! Our front-page story captures the conclusion to the New York City Department of Education’s plan to co-locate another school at the DeWitt Clinton Campus. Read the story by Jose A. Giralt. Read what Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza said about the hard fought, yet unsuccessful, campaign by the opposition. Inside the cover

Fisher House, a Home Away From Home, Opens at Bronx VA

By DAVID GREENE

Officials with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, which included a personal visit from the federal agency’s Secretary, Robert Wilkie, were on hand for a ribbon cutting for two new homes that will house families of wounded or ailing service members at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs in Kingsbridge. A ribbon cutting for the new homes was held on Wednesday, May 22, the homes will temporarily house 32 families free of charge, allowing family members to be close to their loved ones as they seek medical care at the hospital. The Fisher Houses at the James J. Peters

When students show up for the start of the new school year in September at DeWitt Clinton High School, they can expect to find their building split up yet again. By a unanimous vote of 9 to 0, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) voted on May 29 to use some of the space deemed underutilized at DeWitt Clinton Campus (DWCC) to co-locate the District 75 school known as PS X721 Stephen McSweeney within its walls. The new school will move into the building already shared by Clinton, Bronx Collaborative H.S., World View H.S., and PS X168—serving students in grades