Digital Edition of the Norwood News Is Out!

by David Cruz Thursday ushers in the latest edition of the Norwood News, available at nearly 300 locations throughout the northwest Bronx. This week we delve into a five-year cluster site in Norwood that’s apparently worn out its welcome, according to rent paying tenants. The Norwood News spoke to both sides, who largely feel misunderstood. We also look at the Stagg Group as it edges closer to opening its three-building complex along Webster Avenue. By and large the buildings are deemed the linchpin to the building boom happening along the northwest Bronx corridor. Hear what residents have to say about the market rate

By Janaki Chadha Kingsbridge native Jade Vasquez has wanted to join the Peace Corps since she was a high school student. Now, she is part of the organization as a Youth Development Volunteer in rural El Salvador, working with at-risk youth in a community where higher education is scarce and gang violence and poverty are rampant.

School Briefs – How to Fix the Cramped Schools Issue

By JANAKI CHADHA The de Blasio administration recently tackled the nagging problem of overcrowded schools, outlining steps that could reverse a trend in District 10, a northwest Bronx district that’s home to mobile classroom trailers.

With Mild Weather, No Excuse Not To Vote

by David Cruz The forecast this Election Day is calling for mild weather for early November. It’s a perfect time to vote! Polls at schools, community centers and senior centers are open until 9 p.m. in a General Election that’s already perceived as having a very low voter turnout despite a New York gubernatorial contest that needs to be decided. The top races in the Bronx have already been decided during the September Democratic primary, considered more important given the overwhelming number of registered Democrats in the Bronx. The Bronx Democratic County Committee helped garner wins for its incumbents, though

The Norwood News, your bi-weekly community newspaper you know and love to read is out once again, both on the digital format and over 200 locations in the northwest Bronx. In this edition we take an in-depth look at the super high-tech ShotSpotter system slated to arrive within the 52nd Precinct. Hear from Inspector Nilda Hofmann who can’t wait to see the system up and running in the station house that covers Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and Kingsbridge. We’ve also bridged the divide between newspaper and digital news with Norwood News Online, a feature showcasing some web exclusives that can only

Getting a Say: More Participatory Budgeting Sessions Set

By DAVID CRUZ If you had the chance to fill the role of New York City Councilmember, where would you earmark $1 million in capital funds? It’s a question Councilman Andy Cohen will continue posing in his latest round of Participatory Budget sessions, a yearlong process where locals as young as 14-years-old in his 11th Council District can offer input on how to spend taxpayer monies to better their communities. Six workshops are slated for this month: Monday, Oct. 20 – Schervier Nursing Home, 2975 Independence Ave. at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 – Rambling House, 4292 Katonah Ave. at

The 18th edition of the Norwood News is out with plenty of news to consume. First, we check in what’s happening along Webster Avenue, and plans by a family-owned developer to build two eight-story buildings along the relatively barren corridor. On Decatur Avenue in Norwood, families will get a helping hand from a local councilman and community board as they rebuild after a devastating fire in September 10. The Norwood News also takes a look at building conditions along Kingsbridge and Fordham, where some tenants have banned together and another tenant is on her own. We also have your Norwood News fixtures–Inquiring Photographer,

Bronx Youth Heard (Fall application deadline September 18.) The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Heard (formerly known as the Bronx Youth Journalism Initiative), a free after-school journalism program for Bronx high school students. There are two sessions each school year: one in the fall and another in the spring. We are currently accepting applications for our fall 2014 semester, which is scheduled to start on Thursday, September 25. Classes are held at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse, on Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6:00p.m., and run for 12 weeks. [ATTENTION: Fall applications are DUE THURSDAY, September 18. Download your application now!] Students learn the

Be Healthy: Mentally Prepping the Kids for Back to School

Vital Stats: Number of students enrolled at Bronx public schools. (Source: New York City Department of Education) No matter if your child is starting their first day of pre-K or their last year of high school, back-to-school season can often stir feelings of anxiety, stress and even fear. While many of these feelings quickly dissipate once the child makes friends and settles into their new environment, some children find the transition to a new grade or school a little more difficult.