It is with great sorrow that I write this message. For almost 40 years, the Norwood News has been much more than a newspaper. It has been a trusted source for so many communities in the Northwest Bronx including Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and Norwood.

 

The Norwood News always shows up to tell the stories that matter to my neighbors. They dutifully covered a decades-long fight to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory. They are there when tragedies leave deep marks on our neighborhoods. They have told countless stories about the people and issues that shape our communities as a steadfast champion of local journalism.

As a longtime elected representative of this community, I will always be thankful to the Norwood News for its willingness to ask difficult questions, hold those in power accountable, and, most importantly, to go above and beyond to give a voice to the residents of The Bronx.

 

Generation after generation of Bronx readers knew they could turn to the Norwood News to understand what was happening in their own backyard. That kind of journalism cannot be measured in clicks or circulation numbers. It is measured in the trust built between a newspaper and the community it serves.

 

It is a sobering reminder of today’s troubling state of local journalism that we are losing this paper. Across our country, community newspapers are disappearing, leaving our communities without a platform to tell our stories.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who dedicated their time, talent, and passion to this newspaper over the past four decades. From David Cruz to Síle Moloney, to every editor, reporter, photographer, staff member, and contributor in between, I personally want to thank you for showing up for our community week after week, year after year, despite the challenges that you faced.

 

And to you, the readers who picked up the paper for all of these years: thank you for supporting your local newspaper.

The Norwood News may be coming to an end, but their legacy will remain for empowering our community by telling our stories. We owe all those who made it possible a tremendous debt of gratitude.

 

Gustavo Rivera is New York State senator for the 33^rd senatorial district, which covers a large area, including some of the Northwest Bronx.

 

Editor’s Note: Online readership of the Norwood News has more than doubled since 2020.