CB7 Sees Mix of New and Veteran Members to Executive Dais

By DAVID CRUZ and SÍLE MOLONEY

Community Board 7 saw a shift in civic power, as Jean Hill, who presided as chair of the northwest Bronx board, was voted out in favor of 31-year-old Norwood resident Emmanuel Martinez, a relative newcomer to the board. Several familiar faces have stayed on the executive dais, likely adding a mix of fresh ideas and institutional knowledge. Martinez currently serves as chair of CB7’s Veterans’ Committee, having recently hosted the annual Veterans’ Day Brunch, now in its third year. It’s unclear what the vote tally was as CB7 continues to ensure the proper vote count was met but 33 board

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on the sweeping new rent laws passed last week in Albany, and if these new laws will affect and protect local residents. The new rent laws are very good; I mean, rent is too exorbitant now. It’s a serious problem. You need two people, [each with a job], just to pay the rent, otherwise you can’t survive. The new laws will protect people from being thrown out by a landlord, so it’s good that the new laws protect us. Teddy Equal Norwood I have been looking for an apartment and I’ve got

Why the CFB’s New Program Could Disrupt Purported 11th CD Race

By DAVID CRUZ

Next year will likely be an election season for the ages. And the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) is preparing so. With 35 New York City Council seats up for grabs, five of which are in the Bronx, more candidates will be on hand (CFB expects 500 candidates), especially those new to politics. Meantime, all five borough presidents, including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., will have vacancies. Running campaigns is not cheap, leaving many candidates who believe they can make a difference to not even consider the thought. But CFB is looking to undo that by reminding

Bronx Tenants to New NYCHA Chair: Deliver

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS AND SHA-NIA ALSTON

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) recently hired Gregory Russ as the new chairman with a salary of over $400,000. Tenants in public housing and city officials are concerned. Russ has managed housing before, but never anything the size of NYCHA. In Minneapolis, he managed 6,300 units, and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he managed 2,700. NYCHA has 400,000 New Yorkers living in 170,000 apartments, which is a difference of 163,700 units from where Russ started. “He managed a quarter of what NYCHA has,” said Linda Bailey, a tenant in Gun Hill Houses. “How are you going to manage this? What can

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s thirteenth 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 focuses on more additions slated for the Jerome Avenue Men’s Shelter, which will now see a drug treatment center offered to those not housed at the shelter. Read the story by Jose A. Giralt. Read why the move has irked Community Board 7. Inside the cover you’ll find a piece on a barely

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

The Bronx shoreline along the Harlem River is poised to undergo a massive change within Community Board 7’s (CB7) borders if developers win approval for their projects. But the city has already said this will be a complicated process. The area just south of the University Heights Bridge was bought for $31.5 million by Dynamic Star, a Connecticut-based developer headed by CEO Gary Segal. Their goal is to invest $3.5 billion in 5 million square feet that will include 2,800 residential units, with 30 percent set aside as affordable. A 700,000 square-foot Life Science Center, esplanades, and a stadium for

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