Daylong Schools Forum for Spanish-Speaking Parents Held Nov. 19

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

With nearly half the Bronx population Hispanic or Hispanic-American, the New York City Department of Education is hosting a daylong forum exclusively in Spanish, offering workshops on how to navigate the school system. Carmen Fariña, head of the DOE, is scheduled to make opening remarks. She’s expected to be joined by Yolanda Torres, head of the Division of Family and Community Engagement (FACE). The division has spent the last year attempting to forge stronger ties between parents and schools. There are roughly 741,000 Hispanics or Latinos living in the Bronx, according to U.S. Census data, with residents of Puerto Rico

Hello Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, serving Norwood and other Bronx communities, is out with plenty of neighborhood news you can use. We’ve packed the paper with coverage on the historic general election, and our take on what lessons may have been learned. We first begin with a local story on a move by Community Board 7, the all-volunteer civic panel, looking to take the wheel in deciding Bedford Park’s future look. The Board has hired a consulting firm to carry out an independent study on the needs for the neighborhood, home to a hodgepodge of two-story

This presidential election will undoubtedly be pored over in history books for decades, examined by political scientists for its penchant for division over unity. It saw one of the unlikeliest of Republican presidential candidates, now President-elect Donald Trump, square off against Hillary Clinton, an entrenched politician whose road to the White House was indeed bumpy. Their common denominator? They were pretty unpopular outside their base. The race, bombarded into American minds to the point of exhaustion, also led to a civil war among Americans, turning political graciousness into a dysfunctional affair among the pols. It stands to reason that partisanship,

By DAVID CRUZ

Lehman College, which largely serves a Hispanic student body, is set to receive more than $1 million in federal funding for its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, in a move to close the gap between STEM-related jobs and minorities. The funds will be used to sponsor extra classroom help for students attending Bronx Community College and Hostos Community College, two-year colleges, and looking to earn a STEM degree from Lehman College. “This award will accelerate Lehman College’s efforts to advance its role as an engine of upward mobility,” Dr. Harriet Fayne Lehman College’s provost, said in a statement. “Through

By JALEESA BAULKMAN

DeWitt Clinton High School held its first annual “Commit to Graduate” event to increase student motivation by emphasizing the value of a high school diploma and the steps needed to complete their secondary studies, all in a major effort to reverse low graduation rates. “Every single day we make decisions,” Principal Santiago Taveras told his students at the pep rally-style announcement. “And when you make decisions, they have consequences.” During the campaign launch on Sept. 23, students spent the majority of their school day learning about graduation requirements, the college application process, and the importance of school attendance. “Commit to

By DANIELA BEASLEY

The new school year is underway, and for the kids who attend Public School 56 in Norwood, that means taking advantage of a new addition to their school that has been under construction since 2014. “They were over at a different school for first and second grade before the construction was finished,” Denise Gonzalez, a parent, said referring to her children who now attend PS 56. For a time, students were relocated to 3177 Webster Ave., a co-located school. “I’m so happy that our kids are over here again. I graduated from here, this is our school,” Gonzalez added. Construction

With school now open, this week we asked past and present students and teachers their thoughts on the troubling performance numbers for DeWitt Clinton High School.* I am surprised. I know in my day they had a really great Macy’s program, which was an elite program. At one point it was a really good school. I don’t know what happened over the years, but I’m sorry to hear that. My son won’t be going to Clinton because by the time he’s of high school age we won’t even be in New York. It’s a shame. Michelle Matias, former student Van

By DAVID CRUZ

It is now law that schools test drinking water for lead contamination. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to identify traces of lead, a toxin that can cause brain damage if overly exposed. The state Department of Health issued emergency rules mandating school districts test their water for lead contamination by Oct. 31 and report results to parents, the state Department of Health and local government officials. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, representing the northeast Bronx, said the new law gives “parents, students and faculty the peace of mind they deserve. If lead levels are detected above 15 parts per billion at any

Greetings Loyal Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of community news you can use. We begin, of course, in the beginning with page one: coverage of the September Primary in the Bronx. It was a pretty predictable ending for the candidates, with no upsets. Typical for incumbents and party-backed candidates in the Bronx. Read up on the five races that could impact residents of the northwest Bronx. Inside the cover you’ll read on the opening of a dormant pizza stand in Norwood, and a stalwart saloon in Norwood that could be serving its last