Special Election Date Set for 80th Assembly Seat

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

Governor Andrew Cuomo has marked April 24 as the day a special election will be held for the vacant 80th Assembly District seat that covers Norwood. The seat was held by Mark Gjonaj, a Democrat, who relinquished his seat after he was voted Councilman for the East Bronx’s 13th Council District in November. Some possible names floated to fill his seat include Gjonaj’s former chief of staff, Nathalia Fernandez and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, a veteran political operative whose résumé includes serving as the former secretary of state for New York. Cuomo has also called a special election for the vacant senate seat

Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

Dear Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, largely covering the northwest section of the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use. We pack 16 pages worth of news so let’s get started! We begin, as usual, with page one. There you’ll find a nice human interest story on Nilda Hofmann, a born-and-bred Bronxite who rose to the rank of NYPD Chief of Community Affairs in January. We’ll take you to the ceremony where the 28-year veteran received her gold star from NYPD top cop James O’Neill. You’ll also hear how the NYPD’s Neighborhood

Five-Two Inspector Responds to Precinct Probe

By REGGIE FRANCOIS

Following pending investigations by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, 52nd Precinct Deputy Inspector Peter Fiorillo contested allegations that officers were using illegal methods to up their 2017 gun arrests at the precinct’s monthly council meeting Jan. 25. The investigation was first reported by the New York Daily News. Fiorillo described the article as “horrible,” affirming that officers at the precinct targeted specific individuals rather than running through the streets trying to confront people spontaneously. Peter Jones of the Legal Aid Society said in the Daily News article that the non-profit noticed patterns of complaints of officers falsifying consent and illegally

Become Civically Engaged Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. encourages New Yorkers to become more civically engaged as part of the “Hour New York Challenge.” Those interested take a pledge to dedicate at least one hour each month throughout 2018. Activities include attending community board meetings, volunteering with a nonprofit, and generally being a more informed and active citizen to improve neighborhoods. For more information, call (718) 590-3543. Catholic Schools Open Houses Bronx Catholic elementary schools are holding “Touring Tuesdays” open houses: Jan. 30, Feb. 13, March 13 and April 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. or by appointment. Local

Dear Fellow Readers, The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the northwest section of the Bronx, is out with plenty of community news you can use. There are 16 pages filled with a lot of useful information intended to make your aware of where you live. We begin, of course, with page one. In one of the more hotly controversial stories of the year (we’re only the second edition of 2018) teachers and staffers of JHS/MS 80 came in the defense of its principal, Emmanuel Polanco. The five-year principal and the school are under investigation for covering up a fight

State Ethics Panel to Probe Forcible Kiss Claim Against Jeff Klein

By DAVID CRUZ

A state investigative body is looking into claims Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), forcibly kissed a former employee in 2015. The former staffer, Erica Vladimer, told the Huffington Post that the incident happened on April 1, 2015 at an Albany bar. Klein and his staffers were celebrating the passage of the New York State budget, according to the report. Vladimer and Klein then exited the bar to smoke a cigarette. “All of a sudden there was a hand on the back of my head and he shoved his tongue down my throat,” Vladimer said in

By ROSSE MARY SAVERY

As a sixth grade teacher at MS 80, I was deeply disheartened to see recent negative news stories that have attacked our students, staff and community. Our students are upset and hurt that they have been made to look like delinquents. Simply put, what has been written about MS 80 is false—if you take the time to talk to our students and teachers, it is easy to see that there are amazing opportunities and programs at our school. Not only are teachers coming in prepared to provide the strongest academic experience possible, students are eager to learn each and every

By DAVID CRUZ

With seats on the city and state level up for grabs in 2018, several faces both familiar and in the background, have emerged well before the political season truly gets under way in the Bronx. All this comes as the Bronx Borough President welcomed his new second-in-command. Special Elections With Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj having vacated his post at the 80th Assembly District to become the next Councilmember for the 13th Council District, his Norwood seat is up for grabs. And though Governor Andrew Cuomo hasn’t formally announced it yet, he is expected to call for a special election sometime in

By DAVID CRUZ

The Norwood News produced a total of 284 stories (not counting Public & Community Meetings, Neighborhood Notes and Out & About) throughout the 25-issue print run for 2017. The issues the paper called attention to ranged, though some stories bore greater urgency in the hopes action from local legislators could be taken. Below are some topics that surfaced and resurfaced throughout the last 12 months, and are once again highlighted in the Norwood News’ annual Year in Review: Homeless Crisis Norwood was not immune to homelessness, an issue that continues pressing across the city. In the 25 Norwood News issues