IDC Disbands Ahead of November Election

By DAVID CRUZ

Democrats in the Albany Senate are looking forward to April 16 when Bronx Senator Jeff Klein, who as head of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) had caucused with Republicans for years, and will now caucus with his counterparts after agreeing to disband the IDC. The IDC wielded some of the greatest political power in Albany for nearly six years when Klein formed it in 2011 as a way to fix Albany dysfunction. Its largest criticism came when the group—comprised of eight Democratic senators—routinely caucused with Republicans, effectively broadening the IDC’s and Republicans’ influence on legislation. But with a critical November

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

In the wake of the Trump administration’s plan to ask Americans about their citizenship status in the 2020 census, city officials say answering the question is actually a way of fighting back. On April 3, J. Phillip Thompson, New York City Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives; Marisa Lago, director of the City Department of City Planning; and Bitta Mostofi, Acting Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, spoke at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism’s Center for Community & Ethnic Media to discuss the impact of the Trump administration’s latest move, which they say is politically motivated. Thompson,

A Tour of Bailey Houses Comes Amid NYCHA Changes

By DAVID CRUZ

Teisha Jones shows no signs of stopping her quest to increase the standard of living at her building managed by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the beleaguered agency that recently received a rare $550 million infusion of state funds and the resignation of its CEO. Jones has taken on NYCHA before, with a Bronx jury awarding a $57 million judgment against NYCHA for failing to inspect her apartment at Fort Independence Houses for lead. Conditions left her four-year-old daughter developmentally delayed. Jones’s daughter had lead levels 10 times the normal rate. She’s since left Fort Independence Houses,

Torres Plugs Free Tax Service Warns Against Predatory Tax Prepararers

The warning from Councilman Ritchie Torres was dire: take advantage of his office’s free tax preparation service or risk being exploited by a predatory tax preparer. “Residents of the Bronx paid hundreds of dollars of their own pockets for tax prep services that we provide for free,” said Torres, standing outside his Hofmann Street office to plug the service by Urban Upbound, which has prepared taxes at the office for four years. “And so no longer do residents have to subject themselves to predatory tax prep.” With an April 17 tax preparation deadline looming, Torres urged locals to take advantage of his

Housing Matters: Chipping Away at School Segregation

In the school cafeteria of PS 73 in the Concourse section of the Bronx on March 8, a discussion on how to improve diversity across the city’s public school system had finally put the issue of school desegregation at the forefront. It was the first of five town hall discussions on the topic, a product of the city Department of Education’s (DOE) Equity & Excellence for All plan. The plan, announced last year, seeks ways to promote a healthier mix of ethnicities across the borough. The plan was also the product of Bronx Councilman Ritchie’s Torres’ bill he co-authored with

By DAVID CRUZ

It could be another 8 to 10 months until developers of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center could see shovels in the ground. Those are some of the new details outlined in a letter drafted on March 5 that recapped a closed-door meeting between Kevin Parker, founder of the project, and community stakeholders tied to the project on March 2. The Norwood News obtained a copy from a source who asked for anonymity as they are not authorized to speak on the project. “[T]he bottom line is that KNIC has basic agreements for the financing for Phase I and Phase II but

Dear Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering the northwest Bronx, is out with its latest edition for 2018. We welcome you to check out plenty of stories featured in this fresh edition. We begin, of course, with page one and a story involving a community garden and one headstrong neighbor who refuses to throw in the towel. Read about Elizabeth Carson and her quest for governance at Risse Street Garden. Also, get a sense of how the agency tasked to bring order to community gardens is handling this. Inside the cover you’ll find a recap of

Inquiring Photographer: Rezoning Jerome Avenue

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked local residents their thoughts on the recent decision to rezone a large chunk of Jerome Avenue, a lofty plan that looks to bring 4000 units of affordable housing in the coming years. Before you rezone the area, where are the parking spaces going to be? You have no parking, the garages are filled, the schools are overcrowded. Before you start rezoning you need to come up with a cohesive plan. This is just taking the people who have been here for 20 or 30 years and throwing us to the sidelines and making it whatever the

The Bronx Food Fight: For SNAP Beneficiaries, a Refuge When Falling Short

By KACIE CANDELA of WFUV

The Norwood News, in partnership with WFUV radio and BronxNet television, continue its five-part series on food insecurity issues impacting the Bronx and its residents. “I come here when the food in my house runs out and I don’t have enough money to buy more,” said Altagracia Peña, a regular at Part of the Solution (POTS), a food pantry and community dining room serving Fordham, Bedford Park, and its surrounding Bronx communities. POTS is a one-stop-shop for the food insecure and those who need a stable mailing address, access to showers or haircuts, and free legal services, said Jack Marth,