Outrage in North Bronx Sparks Plan to Reveal Shelter Addresses

By DAVID CRUZ

Following acrimony by residents over the sudden boom in homeless men roaming the streets of Wakefield and Edenwald sections of the Bronx, Comptroller Scott Stringer plans to share the locations of shelters that have quietly opened across the neighborhood. Stringer, a critic of the mayor’s handling of the homelessness crisis that’s swept the city, promised residents that an investigation will be launched. He distinguished an investigation with an audit, which the latter can take a year and a half to complete. “[Y]ou don’t want that,” Stringer told an audience at a town hall event his office hosted on July 24.

Cohen Intends to Swap Council Role for Judgeship

By DAVID CRUZ

For more than four years, Councilman Andrew Cohen has represented Norwood at the ready, overseeing a robust constituent services department, regularly appearing at community meetings across the 11th Council District, and carrying himself wholesome and scandal-free. But despite his popularity among constituents, political rumblings originating in Riverdale indicate Cohen is considering a judgeship nomination that’s guaranteed, triggering a vacancy, according to several sources who spoke to the Norwood News. Cohen, a Democrat in his second term, was upfront about the rumors, telling the Norwood News he is mulling the prospect of serving on the bench. “If it comes this year

Months After Jerome Avenue Rezoning an Aggressive Eviction

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

When Francisco Moran, owner of American Tires at 1331 Jerome Ave. in Mt. Eden, received notice that he had a new landlord, he had no idea he would be asked to close his business at the location by August so the property can be redeveloped. The new property owner sees Moran as an impediment to his plans for a new 15-story building at the location. Peter Fine of Atlantic Development Group bought the property in May for $11.1 million and is the first developer to take advantage of the City Council’s rezoning laws for the neighborhood designating the properties as

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out and loaded with 20 pages of original news content covering the Bronx. In keeping with tradition we begin with page one! This one focuses on the re-opening of Whalen Park, which unlike other park projects has opened in record time (see headline). Find out how what prompted this park to open so quickly. Also, you can hear from what parents think of the revamped park. On page 3 you’ll find a great feel-good story of Bobby Gonzalez, a Norwood man who will be honored for his

By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS and ANGEL MINDANAO

Whalen Park quietly re-opened to the public in June with a colorful, brand new playground that features two slides, monkey bars, and toddler-friendly climbing blocks. To the delight of parents, the area previously known as the “sitting park” was revamped into a more traditional playground. Though the project was first proposed seven years ago, building the Norwood park took less than a year, an unusual time frame given the city Parks Department’s poor track record in completing projects promptly. In 2017, there had been seven projects delayed since 2009, including a bathroom for Ferry Point Park that had been in

Crime File: City Touts Low Crime Numbers

By MARTIKA ORNELLA

City Touts Low Crime Stats Overall crime is at record lows, according to newly released stats by the NYPD. Speaking to a room of reporters in the 40th Precinct on July 10, Mayor Bill de Blasio said total crime in the city is down 1.8 percent for the year to date compared to last year’s numbers. However, not all crime is down. Rape has gone up over 33 percent this year compared to the first six months of 2017, and shooting deaths have also risen. In the Bronx, fatal shootings are on the rise, with 12 more this year than

By JOSE A. GIRALT

Five blocks from where Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz was attacked by members of the Trinitarios gang, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced an $18.4 million investment for youth-based programs in the Bronx. Inside the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Belmont the governor described the initiative as “unprecedented” and revealed a multi-faceted approach to support activities for Bronx kids. The initiative, dubbed New Opportunities for Bronx Youth, will offer kids a variety of activities from academics to sports to the arts, in the hope that gang-related activities will decrease. The murder of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz was still fresh on the minds of

“Junior’s Law” Orders Bodegas to Keep Minors Safe

By SOPHIA EBANKS

Following the brutal murder of 15-year-old Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz outside a bodega in Belmont, two Bronx lawmakers look to make sure small businesses step it up to protect young children in the community. State Senator Luis Sepulveda and Assemblyman Victor Pichardo announced the “Safe Havens for Endangered Children” law, nicknamed “Junior’s Law,” alongside community advocates, religious leaders, and some of Junior’s family members outside of the bodega where Junior sought refuge. The proposed law would require small businesses to provide refuge and call police if a minor in danger were to seek their help. Another measure of the bill will

For some teachers at DeWitt Clinton High School, the last day of school means cleaning out desks until the fall semester. For other staffers, they had to clean their desks out permanently. The Department of Education confirmed to the Norwood News that out of 116 staffers, 74 were let go, including 18 teachers. The DOE classified them as excessed, a term describing a staffer that “no longer has a position at the school.” June 26 was the last day of school, with teachers seen hauling boxes full of paperwork, stationery, and plants. At the end of the previous academic year,