Inquiring Photographer: Should de Blasio Run for President?

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s possible bid to run for President of the United States. I wouldn’t let him walk my dog, and I don’t even own a dog. He shouldn’t even be running the city of New York because he’s a complete imbecile. Edward Burroughs Norwood Maybe, I think he’s trying to do a good job, but it would be better for him to be in the White House, so he could do the right thing for people. But he has to deliver for the city first and then he

By DAVID CRUZ

Norwood’s Councilman is exploring a run for Bronx Borough President, adding to a list of potential suitors for the borough’s top executive post. Councilman Andrew Cohen, the 11th Council District representative covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Woodlawn, Wakefield, Riverdale, Fieldston, Kingsbridge, and Marble Hill, told the Norwood News he’s weighing considering whether to enter a race that’ll open in 2021. He’s laying the ground work in some ways, crisscrossing different parts of the Bronx as a way of understanding its nuances and putting his name out there. “I’m not shy about it. I’m thinking about it,” said Cohen. “We’re approaching the

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers where the money collected through Congestion Pricing tolls should go to improve the buses and subways. Well, they need to accommodate women with carriages on buses; so I think they need to install more wheelchair snaps in so we would be able to snap in baby strollers in the same blue chair accessible spots. Right now, we’re not allowed to do that so they need to put some money into that, because their excuse is they are unable to accommodate so many mothers. Money should also be spent so that there’s elevators at every train station and create

Diaz Sr. Formally Declares Run for Congress

By DAVID CRUZ and DAVID GREENE

Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., the socially conservative Democrat representing the Bronx’s 18th Council District, formally declared a run for the 15th Congressional District long held by Congressman Jose Serrano who opted not to seek re-election after nearly 30 years in office. Diaz is the second candidate to formally declare a run in a contest that’ll likely be one of the more closely watched and hotly contested. The first candidate to file was by political newcomer Jonathan Ortiz, according to federal campaign filings. “I could do a lot there in Washington,” said Diaz, in a phone interview with the Norwood News.

By EMILY SUZANNE LEVER

Only five percent of Norwood residents commute by car into Manhattan below 60th Street and so would be affected by an impending congestion pricing toll, according to an analysis of census data by the Tri-State Transportation Commission (TSTC), a nonprofit focused on public transit. In other parts of the northwest Bronx, that number is closer to three percent, the report said. But some residents told the Norwood News they were against the measure even if it would not affect them personally, saying it amounted to squeezing poor people. “It’s an abuse. They need to stop raising the prices on everything,”

Norwood Okays Projects With a Stroke of a Pen Thanks to PB

By DAVID CRUZ

Inside tower one at Tracey Towers, volunteers man a small table inside the lobby. It’s the day before Participatory Budgeting—an initiative that allows residents within a Council District to decide how $1 million in capital funds should be used—and some tenants stop to make their voices heard on paper. It’s the afternoon of April 4, and Delores Edwards and Evelyn McDonald, lure some familiar faces to complete ballots featuring the list of Participatory Budget projects residents spent months hammering out. The projects would impact the neighborhood, part of the 11th Council District that’s represented by Councilman Andrew Cohen. For the

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s eighth edition of the Norwood News with plenty of community news you can use. We’ve packed 20 pages full of great stories impacting the Bronx. And as usual, we’ll begin with page one! Our front-page story looks at the contentious issue of bringing another high school into the DeWitt Clinton Campus. Students and staffers of DeWitt Clinton High School oppose the decision by the New York City Department of Education. Jose A. Giralt was there for a hearing where there was more opposition than support. Find out why this is happen at a critical point in

3425 Gates Pl. Tenants Strike Against MCI Increase

By DAVID CRUZ and SHA-NIA ALSTON

When construction work on Phoenicia Herbert’s kitchen and bathroom was under way, she was expecting some kind of inconvenience. She just didn’t think it would turn out the way it did. It was at 3425 Gates Pl. in Norwood in 2016 where Herbert was forced to share a bathroom and kitchen with other tenants while work inside the apartments, which also included the installation of new windows and a front door, was under way. “They allowed one apartment that was already empty to be used per floor.” She even had to wait over half a day for a bathroom, causing

Norwood News Grabs Eight Awards at Statewide Journalism Contest

By NORWOOD NEWS

The Norwood News had a good year at the statewide Better Newspaper Contest awards ceremony, picking up eight awards for its coverage of the Bronx last year. Among the big awards was the Thomas G. Butson Award for In-Depth Reporting, where editor-in-chief David Cruz placed third in a widely competitive category. “Thorough reporting,” read the judge’s comments on the story examining the complexities behind affordable housing in New York City, and the repercussions. The series, dubbed “Housing Matters,” was made possible through a fellowship with the Marguerite Casey Foundation. Other awards included a second place prize for Feature Story, which