Public & Community Meetings

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Executive Committee meets on April 4; Public Safety & Quality of Life Committee meets on April 6; Environment & Sanitation Committee meets on April 11; Health & Hospitals Committee meets on April 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Senior Services Committee meets on April 12; and Parks & Recreation meets on April 12 at 7:15 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650. COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER hosts a meet and greet at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Parkway

By DYLAN CROLL

Buses in New York will now have Wifi and USB charging ports. On March 21, the first of 83 new buses with these features arrived in the Bronx. Three to five MTA buses will be delivered per week after the initial delivery of four buses for a total of 83 buses by the end of the year. They will be based at the MTA’s West Farms depot station and on Bx10, Bx30, and Bx38. Select Bus Service, a bus service that resembles train service with off-board technology that allows passengers to pre-pay their fare with less time per stop, SBS

Task force hears strengths and weaknesses of gifted and talented programs A task force is learning the city Department of Education’s gifted and talented program (G&T) is in high demand, short supply, poorly publicized, and poses logistical nightmares for the hundreds of parents whose children enroll in the program. They’ve also found persisting racial inequities in a city where minorities dominate. The task force, jointly led by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his Brooklyn counterpart, Eric Adams, held its first session on March 20 at the Bronx High School of Science, a specialized high school where entry becomes

With 23,800 residents relying on healthcare through the Affordable Care Act within his 13th Congressional district, Congressman Adriano Espaillat blasted the so-called “Empire State Kickback” provision, the Republican-led provision that cuts off billions of dollars of Medicaid to New York State. Attached to the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the stipulation could see low-income residents thinking twice about seeing the doctor. “This provision is a shameful political ploy dressed as an attempt to lower local property taxes,” Espaillat, whose comments came on the heels of Congress voting on the AHCA, said in a statement. For weeks, the Republican-led Congress has attempted

By ADELINE HANSSEN

A Bronx representative wants to make so-called “ghost guns” disappear. “[They] are called ghost guns because they are oftentimes completely untraceable, assembled using a receiver that does not have a serial number, and are almost impossible to be tracked by law enforcement,” Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who represents Norwood and has introduced a bill to close the loophole, said. “These guns are more often used in violent crimes and pose serious safety concerns to our communities and law enforcement.” Espaillat announced the introduction of the Ghost Guns Are Guns Act on March 1, with Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider co-sponsoring the bill.

By REBECCA LEWIS of WFUV

The Norwood News and WFUV continue their five-part series profiling ongoing challenges impacting the Bronx. The life of Bronx resident who only went by Mitchell could have taken a different turn had he known his rights. Mitchell, who is 22, was just 14 years old when he entered the criminal justice system, arrested on a gun possession charge. He was living in the Crotona section of the Bronx and said he was on his way to the local precinct to drop off a gun he had found for a gun buyback program. But a recent stabbing in the area had

By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers their thoughts on President Donald Trump’s revised Executive Order calling on a temporary ban of citizens from six largely Muslim countries. It’s basically the same thing. He’s still targeting certain countries, even though Iraq is no longer on the ban, but it’s really the same thing. It’s just that this time he’s going through the proper protocols. I support protecting our borders and I believe there are rules, there are ways to come into this country. However, I don’t think it should just target certain countries and not just mainly minority countries. Marie Destin Norwood

By CHRISTINA OWUSU-AMPAW

On Monday, Feb. 13, a meeting was held by the New York City Council discussing ways to improve public transportation to impact the lives of New Yorkers under the so-called Fair Fares campaign. Among the supporters is Councilman Andrew Cohen. Council Members argue the cost of a subway ride has been an issue for citizens, keeping them from job opportunities, education, cultural experiences, and more. The campaign looks to reduce the cost of a subway ride for low-income New Yorkers to as much as half price to ensure riders are able to travel affordably. “The cost of public transit continues

By DEBORAH CRUZ

With fears of deportation engulfing immigrant communities, an information session addressing those concerns was organized, with a veteran immigration lawyer telling a Norwood crowd to get organized. Sharron Williams, a former Norwood resident who now runs the California-based JINA Immigration Legal Services, led the Feb. 23 workshop at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center. She reiterated the uptick in raids launched by agents from Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), which have rattled communities comprised of the foreign-born. For immigrants to get ahead of this, Williams ran through some of the many visas that the government offers, as well as some that might