Parranda Celebrated in Kingsbridge Heights, Capping Holiday Season

By DAVID CRUZ

At the corner of Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue, amid snow, onlookers were attracted to the sounds of tambourines clanging and drumbeats popping from a roving band of residents in Kingsbridge Heights celebrating the Caribbean-born holiday of parranda. The holiday, usually celebrated during the Christmas season in the Caribbean, saw participants singing lively songs throughout Kingsbridge Heights, a largely minority neighborhood that’s home to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. The island of Puerto Rico is known to celebrate parranda yearly. Jose Ortiz, a.k.a. Dr. Drum of BombaYo Culture En Vivo, a music group, led the crowd along Kingsbridge Heights on Jan.

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

More than a dozen convicted sex offenders, with convictions that include the rape of a 10-year-old child, have moved within the confines of the 52nd Precinct. Officers at the precinct, which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights, were made aware of the move by probationary officers. Officers have since stopped by community meetings to alert residents. Sex offenders are required to register their name on a database following their conviction and release. They must tell authorities they’ve moved to a new neighborhood each time, or possibly serve time. The registry can be found

WITH CHILDREN BY their side, officials hold up a $50,000 check awarded to Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that’s been earmarked for scholarships allocated to at-risk youth looking to complete an advanced certificate training program and other costs. Sharing in the celebration is (l-r) John P. McGann, Chief Administrative Officer, Bank Leumi; Avner Mendelson, Chief Executive Officer, Bank Leumi; MMCC Chief Executive Officer Rita Santelia; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; MMCC educational advisor Jeff Coopersmith; MMCC Director of Development Laurie Meltzer Bandremer; and Jaya Bateman Nahmiyas, Associate Director, UJA-Federation of New York. Photo by Adi Talwar

HOPE Count, Set for Feb. 6 Aims to Get Snapshot of Homeless Population

By DAVID CRUZ

Survey comes amid surge of homeless-related calls to 311 in community The makeshift camp on a hilltop on East Mosholu Parkway North stood empty, and the circumstantial evidence of occupancy was clear: pillows, cookware, and empty gallons of water. Residents say it’s an encampment for the homeless, a retreat for the night. And should anyone be camped there at the predawn hours of Feb. 6, they will be among those counted by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The agency, still attempting to find homes for the 62,000 homeless individuals, will once again conduct its annual

By By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers if they believe the accuracy of the most current statewide jobless figure of 5.1 percent and whether these jobs pay enough for a person to pay their bills and grow into the job. I don’t think so. Maybe these jobs can pay a part of a month’s rent. I mean, I’m a college student. They’re not the kind of jobs you can sustain a life by yourself, but if you had a roommate or lived with family, it could help. A lot of these jobs seem like fast-food jobs. I’ve noticed that if you know

Dear Fellow Readers, The Norwood News, covering the Bronx, is out with its latest edition of the community newspaper, bringing you plenty of news you can use. We begin, of course, with page one, and a retrospective look at 2016, a year filled with plenty of tumult. We look back at some key stories that the Norwood News followed over the year, along with some departures and so longs. Moving ahead into 2017, we have a story on a proposal to revert Mosholu Parkway back to the days when six-story buildings were considered tall in the grassy neighborhood. Hear about one community

By DAVID CRUZ

Anthony Rivieccio, a community activist known to harangue developers chipping away at Bedford Park’s past and present, has a surefire way to stem development: restricting building size. That idea is already being examined by Community Board 7, which hired an urban planning consultant to gather testimonials on neighborhood needs, which appear to trend towards a more suburban-like setting. Her hiring was intended to follow up on a promise the New York City Department of City Planning made to the community in 2011, ensuring that it would revisit a proposal to downzone parts of Bedford Park, which include Mosholu Parkway, the

Toll attendants will be a thing of the past this year. The MTA is expected to roll out cashless tolls for the Bronx’s Whitestone and Throggs Neck bridges in Fall 2017, applying even for drivers who don’t use EZ-Pass to pay for a toll. Non-EZ-Pass drivers will have a bill mailed to them, a practice already in effect at the Henry Hudson Bridge. While non-EZ-Pass drivers pay the full rate, drivers with the tag get a reduced rate. Toll beaters will be subject to stiffer fines starting in February, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office.

Year in Review: A Retrospective Look Back at the Bronx in 2016

By DAVID CRUZ

Continuing a tradition established for at least five years, the Norwood News took a look back at its 25 editions it puts out every year to highlight stories that consistently stood in the main pages of the paper. These stories caused plenty of readers to pause and think. Among the recurring themes playing out in 2016 was development of Norwood, which continues to be a hot commodity for wary developers. The stories were among the three following categories: Armory The Norwood News opened 2016 with the front page headline, “Ice Project Thawing Out,” referring to the Kingsbridge National Ice Center