Serving Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights
Farewell to Norwood News from Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark
I am saddened that the Norwood News will cease to play its pivotal role in The Bronx as a vital source of local news and information. Its intrepid reporters and journalists, Síle Moloney and David Greene, will be sorely missed for their thoughtful, thorough and astute coverage. The post Farewell to Norwood News from Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark first appeared on Norwood News.
<img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137130 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-712x475.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bronx-Week-964x643.jpg 964w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT Vanessa Gibson and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark watch the Bronx Week Parade 2026 participants from the viewing stand in May 2026. Photo by Síle Moloney I am saddened that the Norwood News will cease to play its pivotal role in The Bronx as a vital source of local news and information. Its intrepid reporters and journalists, Síle Moloney and David Greene, will be sorely missed for their thoughtful, thorough and astute coverage. <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-137137 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="713" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1-300x214.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1-768x548.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1-712x508.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_6560-2-scaled-1-964x687.jpg 964w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY, Darcel Clark, gives a high 5 to one of the runners at the finish line of the Bronx’s Annual 5K Run/Walk/Roll to End Domestic Violence on Oct. 15, 2022. Photo by Miriam Quiñones They covered Norwood and the broader Bronx community with professionalism, fairness, accuracy and genuine compassion. When reporting on my office’s work and community events, they brought stories to life with detailed reporting, and photographs capturing the sorrow of victims, the joy of our 5K runs, and the solidarity of our anti-gun violence marches. Síle Moloney was never afraid to ask pointed questions, while David Greene took the time to verify facts with our public information officers. Their commitment to responsible journalism helped keep our community informed and our public institutions accountable. <img decoding="async" class="wp-image-137131 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson-.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson-.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson--300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson--768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson--712x475.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Darcel-Clark-Vanessa-Gibson--964x643.jpg 964w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86) and Council Member Perina Sanchez (C.D. 14) are seen at a Kingsbridge Armory event on Sept. 17, 2023. Photo by Síle Moloney I will deeply miss the Norwood News and the important role it played in The Bronx. Thank you to Síle, David, and the entire Norwood News team for your dedicated service to our community. If you are a victim of domestic violence, you can call the Bronx District Attorney’s Crime Victims Assistance Bureau at (718) 590-2115. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137141" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1-712x401.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bean_Garden-1-964x543.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> AT A NATIONAL Gun Violence Awareness Day event held at the Bean Morris Community Garden at 2096 Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, The Bronx on Friday, June 5, 2026 are (l-r) Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Carrie Cuthbertson (second row), and Bronx Borough Vanessa Gibson. Photo by David Greene As previously reported, the nonprofit, Freedom Youth NYC, has long been working to help survivors of both domestic abuse and human trafficking in The Bronx. Email Moniqueriley@freedomyouthfamilyjusticecenter.org or call (929) 612-3667 for more information. For more information on stalking, click here. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137133 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-6-Tributes-from-Elected-Officials-Darcel-Clark-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY Darcel Clark attends a gun buyback event with a local clergy member on the grounds of St. James Episcopal Church in the Fordham Manor section of The Bronx on Nov. 22, 2025. Photo by Síle Moloney Darcel D. Clark is the Bronx District Attorney for Bronx County since January 2016. Editor’s Note: Freelance photographer Miriam Quiñones, among others, captured many of the district attorney’s 5K runs that each year raise awareness of domestic violence, among other events. The post Farewell to Norwood News from Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark first appeared on Norwood News.
Health Check: Low Dose, Big Benefits: Helping Bronx Families Prevent Preeclampsia
Office of Community and Population Health
Each pregnancy is unique, and all pregnant people deserve the best chance of three healthy trimesters and a safe, fulfilling delivery. Unfortunately, a serious pregnancy complication called preeclampsia threatens this hope for many families. Preeclampsia causes dangerously high blood pressure and can damage the kidneys or liver. When it goes undetected or untreated, it can lead to preterm birth (baby being born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), serious health complications and, in the worst cases, the death of a mother or baby. The post Health Check: Low Dose, Big Benefits: Helping Bronx Families Prevent Preeclampsia first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-117299" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1.jpg 2000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-712x475.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Montefiore-Medical-Center-1-964x643.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" /> MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER, Moses Campus, East 210th Street, Norwood Image / rendering courtesy of Montefiore Health System Each pregnancy is unique, and all pregnant people deserve the best chance of three healthy trimesters and a safe, fulfilling delivery. Unfortunately, a serious pregnancy complication called preeclampsia threatens this hope for many families. Preeclampsia causes dangerously high blood pressure and can damage the kidneys or liver. When it goes undetected or untreated, it can lead to preterm birth (baby being born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), serious health complications and, in the worst cases, the death of a mother or baby. Pregnancy is a time of hope, but also risk. Fortunately, the risk of preeclampsia can be reduced. Bronx Healthy Start Partnership, in collaboration with the March of Dimes, is launching the Bronx Preeclampsia Prevention Campaign, a borough-wide effort focused on education, early screening, and raising awareness about one simple but powerful intervention: giving low-dose aspirin to pregnant people who may be at higher risk for preeclampsia. Why This Matters in the Bronx The Bronx continues to face some of the highest rates of maternal health challenges in New York City and across the nation. Preeclampsia affects approximately 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States and remains one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related illness, preterm birth, and maternal mortality. The good news is that many of these complications can be prevented or reduced through early prenatal care, routine screening, and timely education. By helping families recognize risks and connect with trusted healthcare providers, we can improve outcomes for parents and babies alike. Bringing Information Directly to the Community The Bronx Preeclampsia Prevention Campaign is built around a simple idea: people are more likely to act on health information when it comes from trusted sources in their own communities. To make that possible, the campaign will work with six local hospitals to bring maternal health education to neighborhood locations. Major Bronx health systems including Montefiore Einstein, NYC Health + Hospitals, BronxCare Health System, SBH Health System and Jacobi Medical Center, are partnering with community-based organizations, faith leaders, WIC programs, prenatal care providers, libraries, and local health advocates to reach families where they live, work, worship, and receive care. Over the course of the campaign, more than 2,400 Bronx families are expected to receive maternal health education, blood pressure screening resources, and blood pressure cuff kits. More than 100 community organizations have joined the effort, creating a powerful network dedicated to healthier pregnancies and safer births. Low Dose, Big Benefits One of the campaign’s most important messages is that a small daily dose of aspirin can make a big difference. For pregnant individuals who are at increased risk of preeclampsia, taking low-dose aspirin (81 mg) under the guidance of a healthcare provider can significantly reduce the risk of developing preeclampsia, experiencing a preterm birth, or facing pregnancy complications. Clinical guidelines recommend that eligible patients begin taking low-dose aspirin after 12 weeks of pregnancy, but only after discussing it with their prenatal care provider. People who may benefit include those who have: Had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy Chronic high blood pressure Diabetes Kidney disease Autoimmune disorders A multiple pregnancy, such as twins or triplets The campaign encourages all pregnant individuals to talk openly with their healthcare providers about their personal risk factors and whether low-dose aspirin may be right for them. Know the Warning Signs Preeclampsia can develop quickly, so recognizing early warning signs and seeking care can save lives. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience: A severe headache that will not go away Blurred vision or seeing spots Swelling of the face or hands Pain in the upper right abdomen or shoulder Sudden weight gain Difficulty breathing Persistent nausea or vomiting later in pregnancy A Shared Commitment to Healthier Births The strength of the Bronx Preeclampsia Prevention Campaign lies in partnership. Hospitals, community organizations, doulas, healthcare providers, faith leaders, and neighborhood advocates are coming together with the goal of reducing preeclampsia and helping more families experience healthier pregnancies, safer births, and brighter beginnings. For information about the Bronx Preeclampsia Prevention Campaign or to request a community presentation, contact: Bronx Healthy Start Partnership at bxhealthystart@einsteinmed.edu. For more information, visit https://einsteinmed.edu/departments/family-social-medicine/community-health/bronx-healthy-start. Raisha Hernandez MA is a community health program manager with the Office of Community and Population Health at Montefiore Einstein. The post Health Check: Low Dose, Big Benefits: Helping Bronx Families Prevent Preeclampsia first appeared on Norwood News.
On the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Let Us Never Forget
At 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, my manager informed me by phone that she would miss a review deadline critical to my work. She rhetorically asked if that was OK. Of course it wasn’t, but through gritted teeth I replied, “Sure, what difference does a day make?” The post On the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Let Us Never Forget first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137116" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="1918" height="2560" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--scaled.jpeg 1918w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--767x1024.jpeg 767w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--768x1025.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--1151x1536.jpeg 1151w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--1535x2048.jpeg 1535w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--712x950.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-11-Cynthia-Tuohy-Photo--964x1286.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1918px) 100vw, 1918px" /> CYNTHIA TUOHY IS seen in a recent selfie. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Tuohy At 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10, 2001, my manager informed me by phone that she would miss a review deadline critical to my work. She rhetorically asked if that was OK. Of course it wasn’t, but through gritted teeth I replied, “Sure, what difference does a day make?” The next morning, I awoke early to vote in New York City’s mayoral primary. Because there had been no line at Norwood’s Mosholu Montefiore Community Center polling location, I arrived at my desk on the 32nd floor of 3 World Financial Center, the iconic Lower Manhattan building with the green pyramid on top, about 15 minutes earlier than usual. As I waited for my computer to start, I turned toward my north-facing window. It was a picture-perfect view broken by the sight of an American Airlines jet, silver with red, white and blue stripes, flying down the middle of Manhattan toward the World Trade Center, directly across West Street from where I stood. The plane was high enough to clear my 52-story building, so I felt no immediate danger. Its wings rocked up and down and I assumed the pilot was fighting mechanical trouble. Years later, I learned that motion was likely the struggle to control the aircraft through the dense air of low altitude. When the plane drifted to its right, I thought the pilot was aiming to ditch in the Hudson River. Then it banked hard left and up. I held my breath, knowing it had to clear the Twin Towers. After what felt like minutes, not seconds, I heard the crash. It wasn’t like a movie explosion. It sounded like a locomotive slamming into a mountain, muffled by more than 50 floors between me and the impact. In that instant, my body reacted before my brain could catch up and I was soaked with sweat. I called my parents, still in bed at Knox Place in Norwood. When my mother answered, groggy with sleep, I said with no further explanation, “Turn on the TV and just know that I’m all right.” Then I left a friend a message: “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. A passenger jet just hit the World Trade Center. Hundreds of people on the plane and in the building are dead. This is going to be the worst thing that ever happened. I’ve got to go.” I ran to the northeast windows and looked down at the World Trade Center plaza, expecting wreckage. Instead, everything was gray and still. The only motion was paper, what seemed like all the paper in the world, floating down from above. I saw a wheel from the landing gear, but I did not yet know that a colleague who sat nearby was beneath it. Miraculously, she survived. When I looked up, I expected to see the plane’s tail. There was nothing but a massive scar across the side of the building, pouring flames and smoke into the sky. A colleague asked what had happened. When I told her, she said, “You mean a private plane? A prop plane?” Nearly losing patience, I pointed out the window and said, “You think a prop plane did that? It was an American Airlines jet.” Minutes later, a public-address announcement told us the events across the street did not affect us and we should shelter in place. Then I heard a real explosion. A visible shockwave rolled through our building. I thought a fuel tank had blown inside the North Tower. Someone ran from the southeast side of the floor and said another jet just hit the South Tower. In that moment, we knew our city was under attack. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137118" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-Street-Renaming-9-11-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A MAY 31 2007 Norwood News front-page story covers the renaming of the corner of the Grand Concourse and Minerva Place in Bedford Park, The Bronx to “Luke Nee, 9-11-01” Photo by Síle Moloney After a brief phone outage, I reached my sister who saw from the caller ID that I was still at my desk. She ordered me to “get out of there!” Simultaneously, another announcement told us to remain inside. I listened to my sister. I took the elevator down, exited onto Vesey Street, and was directed toward North End Avenue. I found members of our chairman’s office in the crowd. We watched people high above us at the Windows on the World restaurant waving tablecloths toward hovering helicopters. Part of my mind still tried to make the day normal. I wondered how they would repair damage that high in the sky and how many days it would be before we returned to work. Then, a person fell from more than 100 floors up. A collective gasp rose from the crowd. Then it happened again, and again. We realized people were actually jumping. We wondered how terrible it was inside if that was the better choice. Only the four lanes of West Street separated us from people who, just like me, had gone to work expecting an ordinary day. Later, watching the news, I understood that television viewers had been spared much of the horror we witnessed from the ground. When I saw what looked like pieces of the South Tower’s roof shooting downward, I knew I didn’t want to be there when the antenna atop the North Tower became a giant javelin. I started the 17-mile walk home to Norwood, where I still live. No one had to tell me the subways would not be running. I had reached 23rd Street before I turned back and saw, in total disbelief, a giant smoke cloud where the Twin Towers had stood. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137117" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Luke-Nee-911-Story-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A MAY 31 2007 Norwood News page story covers the renaming of the corner of the Grand Concourse and Minerva Place in Bedford Park, The Bronx to “Luke Nee, 9-11-01” Photo by Síle Moloney Now, 25 years later, when social media-driven conspiracy theories travel around the world in seconds, I feel a responsibility to say what I saw. I was there. I saw the plane. I heard the crash. I saw the papers fall, the towers burn, and people make impossible choices in the sky above New York. I carry that day with me because I lived it, and because the truth of what happened must be told by those who were there. Cynthia Tuohy, 68, is a life-long resident of Knox Place, Norwood, The Bronx. She still works at the World Financial Center, now known as Brookfield Place. The post On the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Let Us Never Forget first appeared on Norwood News.
The Norwood News has been a part of my life for nearly as long as I have been building my career, and that makes writing about this moment particularly difficult. The post A Letter to Our Readers first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137106" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1452" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley-207x300.jpg 207w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley-705x1024.jpg 705w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley-768x1115.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley-712x1034.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-1-Daniela-Beasley-964x1400.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> DANIELA BEASLEY Photo Photo courtesy of Daniela Beasley The Norwood News has been a part of my life for nearly as long as I have been building my career, and that makes writing about this moment particularly difficult. My own story with the Norwood News began as an intern. I was a journalism student, eager to learn and excited by the possibility that reporting could make a tangible difference in the community around me. I had the opportunity to work under then-Editor-in-Chief David Cruz, and that experience gave me my first real window into what it meant to cover a neighborhood, not simply reporting what happened, but understanding why it mattered to the people who lived there. After graduating, I continued to contribute to the Norwood News and was involved in a series that went on to receive a New York Press Club award. I also got to indulge my more creative side with a piece called “Nightlife in Norwood,” a story that I enjoyed writing so much that I still have a copy hanging in my office today. I never could have imagined then just how much the Norwood News would continue to shape my life. The publication introduced me to Mosholu Preservation Corporation overall, the organization I now have the privilege of leading. The Norwood News became the bridge between the career I thought I was pursuing, and the work I ultimately found myself called to do. Journalism taught me to ask questions, challenge the easiest answers, and most importantly, to understand that every community has stories worth telling. Those lessons have stayed with me. Over the years, MPC has worked hard to keep the Norwood News going because we have always believed that a community deserves a place to find information about the people and issues that affect their daily lives. Keeping a small community newspaper alive is no small undertaking. Every edition represents hours of reporting, editing, designing, photographing, coordinating, printing and distributing, often accomplished by a small number of people who care deeply about the work and the community behind it. There are so many people who deserve recognition for making that possible. To our freelancers: thank you for your reporting, curiosity and willingness to chase down the stories that mattered. To our advertisers: thank you for investing in a local publication and helping make each edition possible. To our community organizations and partners: thank you for sharing your work with us and allowing the Norwood News to help connect residents with the resources and events happening around them. To our elected officials and their offices: thank you for continuing to provide information and work with us to keep the community informed. And, of course, to our editor-in-chief, Síle Moloney: thank you for your dedication to the publication and for the countless hours you have put into keeping the paper moving forward. I deeply value the work that has gone into every edition of the Norwood News. I cherish the stories, the photographs, the community announcements, the profiles, the celebrations, and even the occasional stories that required far more digging than anyone anticipated. Together, they created a record of a community that is constantly changing while still holding onto the things that make it distinctly Norwood. And now, after years of working to sustain the publication, we have reached a point where an indefinite hiatus is necessary. That is a difficult sentence to write. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137107" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-2-.png" alt="" width="485" height="472" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-2-.png 485w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-13-Photo-2--300x292.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /> ADI TALWAR, FREELANCE photographer, Daniela Beasley, executive director of Mosholu Preservation Corporation, David Cruz, former editor-in-chief of the Norwood News, and a colleague are seen at a prior New York Press Association awards. Photo courtesy of Daniela Beasley But I also don’t believe it needs to be the final sentence in the Norwood News‘ story. The world of journalism has changed dramatically since the paper first launched 38 years ago. The challenges facing local news, and the way people receive information, look drastically different. And yet, the need for trustworthy, community-focused journalism has not disappeared. If anything, at a time when residents are surrounded by more information than ever before but often have less certainty about what they can trust, local journalism matters tremendously. While this marks the end of the Norwood News as we know it today, I don’t believe that has to mean the end of its legacy. What the future may hold is something we can leave for another chapter. For now, our focus is on closing this one thoughtfully and celebrating what the publication has meant to this community. Thank you to everyone who picked up an issue, contributed a story, placed an advertisement, sent us a tip, shared an announcement, appeared on our pages, or simply took the time to read. Thank you to everyone who helped make the Norwood News part of our neighborhood’s story and thank you for allowing me to be part of its story, too. I hope that what the Norwood News placed in your hands over the years, information, stories, connection and a deeper understanding of your community, stays with you long after this final edition. Until next time. Daniela Beasley is executive director of Mosholu Preservation Corporation and of the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID). The post A Letter to Our Readers first appeared on Norwood News.
Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Kingsbridge Armory
On reviewing the various development projects in the Northwest Bronx over the last 38 years, ahead of the final edition of the Norwood News, the first thing that comes to mind in some but not all cases is, of course, just how seemingly arduous and protracted they can be. Often surpassing the durations of successive gubernatorial and mayoral administrations, and the tenures of various politicians, this was certainly the case with the Kingsbridge Armory, which Norwood News first reported on decades ago. The post Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Kingsbridge Armory first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137028 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1000" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory-712x712.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Kingsbridge-Armory-964x964.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> THE KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY in Kingsbridge Heights is seen on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. Photo by David Greene On reviewing the various development projects in the Northwest Bronx over the last 38 years, ahead of the final edition of the Norwood News, the first thing that comes to mind in some but not all cases is, of course, just how seemingly arduous and protracted they can be. Often surpassing the durations of successive gubernatorial and mayoral administrations, and the tenures of various politicians, this was certainly the case with the Kingsbridge Armory, which Norwood News first reported on decades ago. Among the many ideas proposed for the Kingsbridge Heights-based Armory over the intervening years have been, of course, the infamous Ice Center, a Salsa museum, a shopping mall, a brewery and a sports-related venue. Meanwhile, the Armory’s vast interior and adjacent annexes have actually been used as a film and TV set, as a food hub during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a women’s shelter at one point, and of course by the Washington Greys Military Cadets, overseen by the National Guard. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-137021" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> As reported, at least two if not three lawsuits relating to the Armory’s redevelopment have prolonged the misery for Bronxites eager to see it put to use, one stemming from a dispute over financing arrangements between the City and a former developer of the now-abandoned Ice Center, another filed by Agallas Equities over alleged favoritism by the City of the winning bidder, 8th Regiment Partners LLC, following the most recent Request for Proposal and the selection of “The Kingsbridge Center” (“El Centro Kingsbridge“) project. However, as reported, an end is in sight. After a funding boost of $200 million from federal, City and State governments, multiple hearings and numerous workshops to collate community input, an agreed new labor agreement, a deal was struck which includes a community benefits agreement, and the New York City Council voted “yes” on the latest multi-purpose, two-phase Kingsbridge Center project on Oct. 29, 2025. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137078 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/1.-Jan-1-2004-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A JANUARY 2004 front page article on repairs to the Kingsbridge Armory roof is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney Under Phase I, City officials said the long-vacant, City-owned structure will be home to a 17,000-person capacity, live events venue created for concerts, graduations, and other events, an entertainment arcade for youth sports, e-sports to be managed by established operators, a 95,000 square-foot community facility for cultural uses, 31,000 square feet of commercial offices, a 100,000 square-foot, below-market space to incubate small-scale, light manufacturing businesses in The Bronx, 250 parking spaces and loading areas, and 65,000 square feet of new public open space. Under Phase II, they said there will be 450 to 500 affordable apartments, with a goal of 50% 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units, 20,000 square feet of below-market commercial space, 80 parking spaces, around 3,000 construction jobs, 600 permanent jobs, and more. The housing will be located adjacent to the Armory, where currently the National Guard operates from two annexes on West 195th Street, between Jerome Avenue and Reservoir Avenue. Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson said in part at the time, “With the reimagining of the Kingsbridge Armory, we will see affordable housing opportunities, good-paying union jobs with pathways to the middle class, recreational space for youth and families, support for small businesses, and a true commitment to equitable economic development in the Bronx that we have not seen for decades.” The project is expected to be finalized some time in 2030 and 2032, respectively, according to EDC. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137080 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-17-2011.png" alt="" width="662" height="862" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-17-2011.png 662w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-17-2011-230x300.png 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px" /> A NOVEMBER 2011 front page article on a Kingsbridge Armory bicycling project proposal is seen in the Norwood News digital archives. Photo by Síle Moloney The eventual deal was, of course, in no small part thanks to the dogged advocacy of community nonprofit organizations like Our Bronx, formerly Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition, which actively lead and participated in dozens of envisioning meetings, surveys, outreach sessions, hearings and more, all before securing the latest community benefits agreement, valued at $130 million. In doing so, Our Bronx has reimagined the way other community-based organizations may go on to negotiate public land use in New York City. Those interested in training, workforce resources, and opportunities connected to the Armory are being asked by Our Bronx to sign up and get connected to the workforce pipeline by filling out the workforce training interest form at https://bit.ly/ourarmoryworkforce. You can also email info@ourbronx.org for more information. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137079" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1197" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610-251x300.jpg 251w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610-855x1024.jpg 855w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610-768x919.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610-712x852.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2610-964x1154.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A JUNE 2021 front page article on a Kingsbridge Armory Salsa museum proposal is seen in the Norwood News digital archives. Photo by Síle Moloney To read some but not all of the history of the Kingsbridge Armory over the years, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here. here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here here, here, here, here, here and here. (Stories on the armory prior to circa 2005 are archived in print.) The post Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Kingsbridge Armory first appeared on Norwood News.
Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Final Edition and Indefinite Hiatus of the Norwood News
This week, ahead of the final edition of the Norwood News and its indefinite hiatus, after 38 years, both in print and online, we asked readers for their thoughts on the matter. The post Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Final Edition and Indefinite Hiatus of the Norwood News first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137065 size-medium" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-712x712.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1-964x964.jpg 964w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-1.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> TONY ENAMORADO, NORWOOD Photo by David Greene This week, ahead of the final edition of the Norwood News and its indefinite hiatus after 38 years, both in print and online, we asked readers for their thoughts on the matter. “I never missed an issue because you brought it here to the hardware store all the time. I would see our customers in the paper all the time and sometimes they come in here to get a copy. There were so many good topics I cannot remember at the moment. I enjoyed the different topics and seeing what local residents had to say about it.” Tony Enamoredo, Norwood <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137066 size-medium" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-712x712.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2-964x964.jpg 964w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-2.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> SONIA DECICCO, NORWOOD Photo by David Greene “The Norwood News is the only paper we get here. I often see it at the bank. It’s the only free paper I see around here, and it tells you what is happening around the neighborhood. The people I see in the Inquiring Photographer; it tells you who they are and their thoughts on a particular issue. Sometimes, I see Raven in it who works here. It would tell you what’s going on around the neighborhood, that’s the most important thing, because there is no other paper and I don’t watch the news, so this was how I’d get my news.” Sonia DeCicco, Norwood <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137067 size-medium" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-712x712.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3-964x964.jpg 964w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-3.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> MARIO DEBONA, BEDFORD Park Photo by David Greene “I see the paper in all the stores around the neighborhood. I see people I know in the Inquiring Photographer all the time. I’ve seen so many different people from the neighborhood who were in the paper, but I don’t remember the subjects. I enjoyed the pictures and the stories that people shared. It informed you about a lot of different things about what is happening around us, how the neighborhood is changing.” Mario DeBona, Bedford Park <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137068 size-medium" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-712x712.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4-964x964.jpg 964w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-4.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> RANDY RIVERA, BEDFORD Park shop owner and Morris Park resident Photo by David Greene “I hope they don’t end this because it was good for the neighborhood and it makes [residents] aware of what’s happening around the neighborhood. They should keep it because a lot of people aren’t online. My customers come in all the time to get the paper. I remember when I first opened here you came in when I first started eight years ago. The article was always fair and had different opinions.” Randy Rivera, Bedford Park shop owner, Morris Park resident <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137069 size-medium" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-279x300.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="300" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-279x300.jpg 279w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-953x1024.jpg 953w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-768x826.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-712x765.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5-964x1036.jpg 964w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Inq_Photo-5.jpg 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px" /> CHRIS PERKINS, NORWOOD Photo by David Greene “I would pick up the paper at Williamsbridge Oval Park when I go to the gym. It’s how I would find out about a lot of local events. Sometimes I would see people I know in the Inquiring Photographer, and it would be interesting to see the response of people I would not talk politics with, and that was interesting to read their views. I have been reading the paper since moving into the area in the late 1980s. It was also interesting to see the opinions of local people addressing national issues.” Chris Perkins, Norwood The post Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on the Final Edition and Indefinite Hiatus of the Norwood News first appeared on Norwood News.
Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Croton Water Filtration Plant
On reviewing the various development projects in the Northwest Bronx over the last 38 years, the first thing that comes to mind in some but not all cases is, of course, just how seemingly arduous and protracted they can be. Often surpassing the durations of successive gubernatorial and mayoral administrations, and the tenures of various politicians, one local mammoth redevelopment project has been the Croton Water Filtration Plant. The post Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Croton Water Filtration Plant first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137029 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant-712x534.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-3-Photo-Croton-Water-Filtration-Plant-964x723.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> AN AERIAL VIEW of the top of the Croton Water Filtration Plant which lies beneath Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park, Norwood, as seen during construction in 2014. Photo courtesy of NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) On reviewing the various development projects in the Northwest Bronx over the last 38 years, ahead of the final edition of the Norwood News, the first thing that comes to mind in some but not all cases is, of course, just how seemingly arduous and protracted they can be. Often surpassing the durations of successive gubernatorial and mayoral administrations, and the tenures of various politicians, one local mammoth redevelopment project has, of course, been the Croton Water Filtration Plant. Built underneath Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park, the plant is located along Jerome Avenue in Norwood. The federal government ordered New York City to build the filtration plant for its Croton water supply, and the City secured passage of State legislation authorizing use of the Mosholu Golf Course site for construction of the Plant, subject to certain conditions. According to greenroofs.com, the Plant is nine acres wide, and sinks 12 stories into the earth. Opposition to the project by the local residents was in part due to fears over lack of public walkway access to the nearby Jerome Park Reservoir. They argued access to the walkway promoted a healthy lifestyle with related health benefits in a borough which ranks last out of New York State’s 62 counties when it comes to the health of its residents. However, NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials continually denied the requests citing bio-terrorism concerns. In 2017, residents were granted temporary access for two days as part that year’s Bronx Week celebrations. However, residents’ fears over lack of permanent access have since been realized. DEP informed Norwood News in 2023 that at some points in the past, the city agency had allowed periodic, limited access to the waterfront, but because the reservoir is an active part of the water supply system, DEP no longer permits such public access to the facility. DEP officials said there was no amount of additional security measures DEP or the NYPD could recommend that would make the facility safe for consistent public use. Other fears were the effects of years of construction on quality of life for Norwood residents particularly, including increased air pollution, noise and traffic. Park advocates also said the knocking out public parkland for an industrial facility was a dangerous precedent. Construction for the plant began in 2005 and was supposed to be completed in 2011 under a federal order, but was marred by the enormity of the project, which ultimately went $3 billion over budget. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137035" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Jan-1994-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A JANUARY 1994 front page article about residents opposing the Croton Water Filtration Plant is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney Following the completion of a $15.7 million upgrade to the reservoir in February 2022, DEP was set to begin a further $38 million project “to further improve structural components of the reservoir to ensure it continues to fulfill its critical role in the City’s water supply system.” Norwood News was informed by DEP that the work also coincides with the “Washington’s Walk” retaining wall construction project, a nearly $1 million project that will reconstruct retaining walls at the southeast corner of Claflin Avenue and Reservoir Avenue, south of the reservoir, and along West 197th Street between Reservoir Avenue and University Avenue at Washington’s Walk in Kingsbridge Heights. According to NYC Parks, the schematic design for the Washington’s Walk project has been approved internally at Parks and is now going through review by the community board and external regulatory agencies for comment and approval. In terms of a timeframe, the review process began in November 2024 and is expected to be completed in October 2026. Other community concerns related to fire safety at the plant and adherence to employment contract terms. Following the selection of Mosholu Golf Course / Van Cortlandt Park as the site for the Plant and in accordance with the terms of the 1999 ULURP approval of the project, various Bronx Parks benefits valued at $43 million in Van Cortlandt Park were promised. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137033" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Aug-10-2000-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> AN AUGUST 2000 front page article about then-candidate for U.S. Senate and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton opposing the Croton Water Filtration Plant is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney These included the restoration of the Mosholu Golf Course & Driving range, the implementation of a forest management plan, the renovation of the Shandler Recreation Area, the renovation of the Saturn Playground, the upgrade and improvement of the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, and the provision of signage describing flora and fauna within Van Cortlandt Park wetland areas adjacent to the site. Other commitments were the renovation of the entranceway west of Dickinson Avenue near Van Cortlandt Park South, the complete restoration of the area adjacent to the Van Cortlandt Valve Chamber, evaluating the feasibility of building a bridge over the Major Deegan Expressway to connect the east and west portions of Van Cortlandt Park, and the creation of a facilities monitoring committee. Additionally, the City was due to commit to spending $200 million on projects to acquire and / or improve parks and recreational facilities and to improve the environment in The Bronx. Norwood News has reached out to NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ask for an update on these commitments. We will endeavor to include DEP’S feedback on www.norwoodnews.org, should we receive it prior to Sept. 1 [the day we close]. In 2015, Norwood News reported that community leaders and representatives announced $12 million had been allocated for the proposed bridge, thanks to collective efforts from community, City, and State officials. Meanwhile, Park equity was included as part of discretionary funding from the City in 2023. The proposed bridge would have allowed residents on the east side of Van Cortlandt Park, in Woodlawn/Norwood, access to amenities located on the west, more affluent side of the Park, in Fieldston. In July of this year, Woodlawn resident Matthew Young shared his concerns that now, $23 million in funding, allegedly including the original Croton Filtration Plant mitigation money meant to compensate the heavily impacted Jerome Avenue corridor, was allegedly being diverted to fund a luxury golf cart bridge, a “Birding Bridge,” servicing the Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course on the wealthier west side of the Park. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-137034" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/March-11-2004-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A MARCH 2004 front page article about residents of Amalgamated Houses, including the late Muriel “Mickey” Axelbank, mother of BronxNet TV host, Gary Axelbank, opposing the Croton Water Filtration Plant the Croton Water Filtration Plant is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney Meanwhile, Young alleged the east side (Van Cortlandt Park East, Gun Hill Road, and East 233rd Street) had been left completely unbudgeted and that bridge connectivity would be assessed based on any leftover funding. “Our local families are dodging traffic at the dangerous Jerome Ave/233rd intersection just to get kids into the park, but the city is prioritizing country club amenities,” he said, telling Norwood News that he is among other Woodlawn residents who are not happy about the situation. In a letter dated July 1 from NYC Parks to Young, a copy of which has been seen by Norwood News, the agency indeed confirmed that two Van Cortlandt Park projects i.e. Van Cortlandt Park Woodland Crossings and Birding Bridge Reconstruction Projects have been funded and an engineering consultant has been selected to help with the site assessment, permitting, and design. Parks went on to say that the “east side perimeter restoration project” has not yet been assessed in terms of size and scope and that Parks plans to study and coordinate with NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) on “intersection safety on Jerome Avenue.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137043 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Croton-water-filtration-plant-12.-Dec-26-2013.png" alt="" width="648" height="866" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Croton-water-filtration-plant-12.-Dec-26-2013.png 648w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Croton-water-filtration-plant-12.-Dec-26-2013-224x300.png 224w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px" /> A DECEMBER 2023 front page article about another setback to the Croton Water Filtration Plant project is seen in the Norwood News digital archives. Screenshot by Síle Moloney Parks further confirmed that funding for all Van Cortlandt Park Improvement projects includes around $9.5 million in mayoral funding, $9.9 million from DEP, $3 million from New York State Assembly Members Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) and Carl Heastie (A.D. 83) through the Dormitory Authority (DASNY), and $1 million from former New York State Senator Jeff Klein via DASNY, totaling $23.4 million. Norwood News has reached out to Parks for comment on the resident’s concerns. We will endeavor to include Parks’ feedback on www.norwoodnews.org, should we receive it prior to Sept. 1 [the day we close]. The Van Cortlandt Park masterplan for 2034 posted on Parks’ website, which outlines the various planned projects for the park, and which was seemingly last updated in July 2015, can be viewed here. More recently, Norwood News reported how the Jerome Park Reservoir is to remain dry until 2028, and that a woman was reported unconscious at the Reservoir amid probes by the FBI into cyber threats to U.S. water systems. A memorial ceremony for those lost amid the COVID-19 pandemic has been held annually in the vicinity of the Reservoir since 2022 organized by Friends of Jerome Park, as reported. Read more about the Jerome Park Reservoir here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here. here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. The post Then & Now: The Northwest Bronx’s Evolving Development Landscape – Croton Water Filtration Plant first appeared on Norwood News.
Then & Now: Part of the Solution (POTS): Redefining Stability in The Bronx
For more than four decades, Part of the Solution (POTS) has grown alongside The Bronx communities it serves, responding to changing needs while remaining grounded in a vision established by its founders in 1982. That was to create a loving community and a network of support for New Yorkers facing hardship. Food assistance was the first expression of that vision, beginning with a soup kitchen, but POTS quickly recognized that helping people overcome poverty would require addressing the many challenges affecting their lives. The post Then & Now: Part of the Solution (POTS): Redefining Stability in The Bronx first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137015 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="668" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS.jpg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS-768x513.jpg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS-712x476.jpg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Photo-POTS-964x644.jpg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> (L-R) ASSEMBLYMAN GEORGE ALVAREZ (A.D. 78), Ana Chapman, chief program director at The HOPE Program, Christina Hanson, executive director at POTS, and Keith Pagnani, chair of POTS’ board of directors, cut the ribbon at the second location of POTS in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx on Thursday, June 29, 2023. Photo by José A. Giralt Editor’s Note: For the final edition of the Norwood News, after 38 years, we are looking back at some local community organizations which have helped shape the Northwest Bronx to see how they have evolved, and what they have been working on since we first launched the newspaper in October 1988. The nonprofit, Part of the Solution (POTS), is one such organization. According to its website, POTS is a loving community in The Bronx striving to serve all who come to its doors. From meeting immediate needs, to offering long-term comprehensive services, POTS partners with each individual to empower them to reach their potential. Christina Hanson, POTS executive director, and Diego Padilla, POTS director of external relations and communications, provide an overview of how the nonprofit is redefining stability in The Bronx. For more than four decades, Part of the Solution (POTS) has grown alongside The Bronx communities it serves, responding to changing needs while remaining grounded in a vision established by its founders in 1982. That was to create a loving community and a network of support for New Yorkers facing hardship. Food assistance was the first expression of that vision, beginning with a soup kitchen, but POTS quickly recognized that helping people overcome poverty would require addressing the many challenges affecting their lives. That understanding shaped the organization POTS is today. A food pantry opened in 1996, followed by a legal clinic in 2000 to help neighbors facing eviction and other challenges. Over time, POTS continued adding services addressing public benefits, housing, employment, education, personal care and other barriers to stability. Mentoring created opportunities for clients to establish longer-term goals, while showers, haircuts and other Dignity & Wellness services ensured that people facing hardship could access essential care with dignity. That evolution has also made POTS a trusted resource during periods of extraordinary uncertainty. The organization remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as need surged across The Bronx. In 2025, the federal government shutdown and uncertainty surrounding food assistance once again left families concerned about their ability to meet basic needs. POTS responded with food, services, information and reassurance while advocating alongside partners for stronger solutions. The circumstances have changed considerably since 1982, but the ability to listen and adapt to what Bronx families need has remained central to the organization. New and expanded facilities followed as the number of people seeking assistance grew. Today, POTS brings these resources together with its own methodology so that someone who first comes through its doors for groceries or a hot meal can connect with a broader network of support that improves their chances of finding a better future. The scale of that work now reaches around 37,000 New Yorkers each year. In 2025, POTS’ pantry provided the equivalent of more than 2.8 million meals. Its legal team prevented 413 evictions, while case management and benefits services helped households access approximately $17 million in public benefits. Across the organization, these programs provide immediate relief while creating opportunities to address the underlying circumstances that can keep individuals and families in cycles of poverty. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137014 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS-.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS-.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS--225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS--768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS--712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/POTS--964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A DEC 6, 2001 front page article about the work of Part of the Solution is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney POTS is now undertaking a major transformation built around an ambitious next step: scaling a model designed to help more families achieve lasting stability and intergenerational upward mobility. Central to that effort is the Stability Index, a methodology developed by POTS to track client progress across five interconnected areas: housing, finances, health, education and day-to-day essentials. It represents an important shift in how the organization holds itself accountable. Success cannot be measured only in meals provided, applications completed, or appointments held. POTS also wants to understand whether people’s lives are changing, and which strategies are most effective in helping them progress. Decades of relationships and trust within the community provide the foundation for this next stage. With a larger team and expanded physical capacity, POTS will be able to bring its model to more families, strengthen coordination across services, and use the Stability Index to identify which interventions are most effective at helping clients make measurable progress. After more than four decades, POTS’ ambition extends beyond increasing the number of people it serves. The organization aims to demonstrate what is possible when trusted community relationships, integrated services and meaningful measures of long-term progress come together to help families achieve greater stability across generations. By testing and strengthening that approach in The Bronx, POTS hopes the lessons learned locally can eventually inform how other organizations and communities confront poverty beyond the borough. In the decades of Norwood News documenting The Bronx, its coverage of POTS also provides a record of an organization that has continued to evolve alongside its community. In the words of our executive director, Christina Hanson: “We are firm believers in the potential that resides in local communities, our ability to connect despite our differences, and the power that sharing our experiences has to effect positive change in society.” She adds, “In the past decades of reporting our work and impact, we have been extremely appreciative of Norwood News for having kept the humanity at the center of its storytelling, giving people an opportunity to feel the heart of The Bronx.” Christina Hanson is executive director of Part of the Solution and Diego Padilla is director of external relations and communications at Part of the Solution. To read more about POTS, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, The post Then & Now: Part of the Solution (POTS): Redefining Stability in The Bronx first appeared on Norwood News.
Then & Now: From NWBCCC to Our Bronx – Building Community Power Across Generations
Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation (FBHC)
New York State’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act
Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition
University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP)
When the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) was founded in 1974, The Bronx was facing redlining, arson, landlord abandonment, and decades of public and private disinvestment. Entire neighborhoods were being written off. But Bronxites were organizing building by building and block by block. Residents came together through faith institutions, tenant associations, neighborhood groups, and local committees to fight for safe housing, functioning city services, decent schools, investment in their neighborhoods, and a meaningful say in the decisions shaping their lives. The post Then & Now: From NWBCCC to Our Bronx – Building Community Power Across Generations first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136993" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Our-Bronx-Photo.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="640" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Our-Bronx-Photo.jpg 480w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Page-8-Our-Bronx-Photo-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /> A MEMBER OF Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition holds up a reads, “Whose armory? Our armory” during a press conference held at the vacant Kingsbridge Armory in the Kingsbridge Heights section of The Bronx on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, during which joint City and State funding of $200 million to boost the redevelopment of the armory was announced. Photo by Síle Moloney Editor’s Note: For the final edition of the Norwood News, after 38 years, we are looking back at local community organizations which have helped shape the Northwest Bronx to see how they have evolved, and what they have been working on before and since we first launched the newspaper in October 1988. The nonprofit, Our Bronx, (formerly Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition) is one such organization. Founded in 1974, Our Bronx unites diverse peoples and institutions to fight for racial justice and economic democracy through intergenerational community organizing to transform The Bronx and beyond, according to its mission statement. Our Bronx Executive Director Sandra Lobo provides an overview of how the nonprofit is building community power across generations. When the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) was founded in 1974, The Bronx was facing redlining, arson, landlord abandonment, and decades of public and private disinvestment. Entire neighborhoods were being written off. But Bronxites were organizing building by building and block by block. Residents came together through faith institutions, tenant associations, neighborhood groups, and local committees to fight for safe housing, functioning city services, decent schools, investment in their neighborhoods, and a meaningful say in the decisions shaping their lives. Fourteen years later, the Norwood News began documenting our communities and the people and institutions working to rebuild the Northwest Bronx. For nearly four decades, the paper has chronicled NWBCCC’s campaigns, victories, challenges, and evolution alongside the larger story of the Northwest Bronx. Much has changed since those early days, including our organization, now known as Our Bronx, but the foundation of the work has remained the same. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137020 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/9.-Sept-1993-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A SEPTEMBER 1993 front page article on community ownership is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney In our early years, NWBCCC’s organizing was deeply neighborhood-based. Residents formed local committees to identify the most urgent issues on their blocks and develop solutions together. Those committees addressed immediate problems while also developing community leaders. Neighbors learned how to organize with each other, negotiate with public officials, understand how decisions were made and build campaigns that produced real improvements. That organizing also created institutions that remain important to The Bronx today. NWBCCC helped establish organizations such as Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation (FBHC), Mount Hope Housing Company, University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP), creating lasting infrastructure to preserve affordable housing and strengthen neighborhoods. The organization also joined campaigns that helped win the federal Community Reinvestment Act, and, in later decades, worked in coalitions that advanced New York City’s Student Safety Act, New York State’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, and the Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act. As conditions in The Bronx changed, so did the issues residents brought forward. Housing remained central, but our organizing expanded to include youth leadership, education, health equity, environmental justice, and community and economic development. We increasingly understood that these issues are connected and that addressing them required looking beyond individual problems to the systems that shaped people’s lives. By the early 2010s, members and staff were asking another question. After decades of organizing victories, improving housing conditions, stopping harmful development, and winning important public policies, why were so many Bronx residents still struggling economically while significant new investment and wealth were coming into the borough? That question helped shift the organization’s thinking about economic development. In 2012, NWBCCC co-founded the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI), with organizations from across the borough to explore a different model. The effort was informed by years of organizing around projects such as the Kingsbridge Armory and Sheridan Expressway, where communities spent an enormous amount of time and energy fighting proposals that did not reflect their priorities. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137021 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1993-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A NOVEMBER 1993 front page article on the Kingsbridge Armory is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney We began asking not only how to stop harmful development, but what community-led development should look like and who should own, govern, and benefit from growth in the Bronx. That same year, NWBCCC began a year-long process with staff, board members, and community leaders focused on economic democracy. In 2013, the organization formally centered racial justice and economic democracy in its mission, leading to a deeper focus on community ownership, shared governance, and long-term systems change. The distinction between “fighting back” and “fighting forward” became important to our organizing. Fighting against harmful policies, negligent landlords, and inequitable development remained necessary, but communities also needed to build the capacity to create the alternatives our communities wanted. That approach has shaped much of the organization’s work over the past decade. We founded the Bronx Community Land Trust and began developing pathways for tenants to expand organizing around housing conditions toward collective ownership. We’ve organized for policies such as the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act and Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, and brought organizations and institutions together to develop a longer-term economic vision for The Bronx. More recently, we returned to the Kingsbridge Armory. For decades, the Armory represented the question of who gets to decide what development looks like in our communities. In the most recent redevelopment process, thousands of residents participated in developing a community vision before a project was selected. That organizing helped secure a legally binding community benefits agreement with commitments around family-sustaining jobs, local hire, community oversight, and long-term community benefits. Our Bronx also secured a direct community ownership stake in the project and will own and govern community and manufacturing space within the Armory. For us, that represents the evolution of the same organizing approach that began decades ago. Residents come together around the conditions they face, develop leadership and a shared analysis, organize for change, and build the institutions needed to sustain that change. Increasingly, that has meant creating opportunities for Bronx residents to own assets and have greater decision-making power over their lives. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-137022 size-full" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="1333" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992-712x949.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/11.-Nov-1992-964x1285.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A NOVEMBER 1992 front page article on community ownership is seen in the Norwood News print archives. Photo by Síle Moloney Our recent merger with BCDI and transition to the name Our Bronx reflects another stage in that evolution. Our roots remain in the Northwest Bronx, but many of the forces affecting our communities operate across neighborhoods and across the borough. We are working to connect organizing, planning, and economic development at a larger scale, in coordination with organizations and institutions across The Bronx. Despite these changes, much of what defined NWBCCC in 1974 remains central today. We continue to believe that people directly affected by an issue bring expertise to solving it. We continue to invest in leadership development and coalition-building, bringing together groups who may not have traditionally worked together. And we continue to create new approaches and institutions when existing ones do not meet our communities’ needs. The Norwood News has witnessed and documented much of that history. Its reporters have covered community meetings, hearings, neighborhood events, and moments that might otherwise have gone undocumented. The newspaper has helped residents understand what was happening in their neighborhoods, follow important public decisions, and hear from people working to change their communities. That makes the paper’s closing a real loss for the community. The Bronx of 2026 is not The Bronx of 1974. Some of the challenges have changed, from disinvestment to displacement, an affordability crisis, and fundamental questions about who will own and benefit from the borough’s future. Yet the need for residents to organize, develop leadership, build coalitions, and have a meaningful role in shaping their communities remains. For nearly 40 years, the Norwood News helped document that work and the people behind it. We are grateful that it did. Sandra Lobo is executive director of the nonprofit, Our Bronx. To read some but not all of the history of the Kingsbridge Armory over the years, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here. here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here here, here, here, here, here and here. (Stories on the armory prior to circa 2005 are archived in print.) The post Then & Now: From NWBCCC to Our Bronx – Building Community Power Across Generations first appeared on Norwood News.
Norwood: Shocked Residents Share Reaction to 4-Alarm Residential Fire at 3435 Dekalb Ave
Following the four-alarm fire that broke out at 3435 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood on Thursday, Aug. 20, Norwood News spoke to some residents at the scene about what they witnessed and how they escaped from the building. The post Norwood: Shocked Residents Share Reaction to 4-Alarm Residential Fire at 3435 Dekalb Ave first appeared on Norwood News.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136959" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Photo-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> FIREFIGHTERS ARE SEEN responding to a fire at 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo by Síle Moloney Following the four-alarm fire that broke out at 3435 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood on Thursday, Aug. 20, Norwood News spoke to some residents at the scene about what they witnessed and how they escaped from the building. As reported, four people incurred minor injuries following the fire. An FDNY spokesperson said the department received a call at 5.49 a.m. on Thursday for a report of a fire on the top floor. Read our initial story on the fire here. Jenny, who looked emotionally distraught as she waited with her two dogs, her son, Isaiah, and other family members and neighbors outside the affected building on Thursday, told Norwood News, “My son ran into my room and started saying that it was a fire around 5.50 in the morning, and about 6 in the morning, I came out. I saw the firemen already going upstairs to turn the fire off. I just grabbed my dogs and grabbed my family and some important documents, and we ran out of the house, and everybody got out.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136954" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2176-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND local employees are seen looking at the scene as firefighters work to extinguish a fire across the street at 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo by Síle Moloney Jenny continued, “Everybody got out. My son went right back in to go and get his school stuff and he, my next door neighbor, ended up falling, and he [Isaiah] had to help them down the stairs. My elderly next door neighbor fell down coming out of the apartment, and my son had to literally pick him up and bring him down the stairs.” Asked how old the elderly neighbor was, Jenny said, “80s.” She added, “He [Isaiah] had to help two people downstairs and we got everybody out safe, and I hope nobody got hurt or there’s no casualties.” She said it took quite a while for Isaiah to help his neighbors out. Asked how old Isaiah was, Jenny, who lives on the 4th floor of the building, said, “22.” We asked Jenny if she had heard a fire alarm. “No,” she said. “Actually, I’m supposed to have a smoke detector in front of my door and there’s not one there. So, there was no alarm going off in the building.” Asked how she woke up, Jenny said her son smelled the smoke. Asked if she encountered flames as she was exiting, Jenny said, “No. I ran out. They were above me. I wasn’t going… I’m not a firefighter. I ran out and I’m asthmatic so I need to get out. But other than that, we got out safe, and that’s all that matters right now. We’ll deal with the destruction after. So, that’s what we’re waiting for. Hopefully, the Red Cross will come and help us because the Red Cross didn’t help the last fire on 209th [Street, also in Norwood.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136955" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2186-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND their pets are seen outside 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after the building went on fire earlier that morning. Photo by Síle Moloney Norwood News mentioned that the residents at the recent East 209th Street building fire [on Aug. 5] had been placed in emergency hotel accommodation temporarily via the Red Cross but that indeed, we interviewed some of the affected residents again a few days after the fire, and indeed, they said how they were looking for help with long-term accommodation for when they would have to leave their hotel. Norwood News informed Jenny and others where they could obtain the number for the Red Cross in case they missed them onsite for whatever reason. “We’re waiting to see what happens,” Jenny said. “Because I know my apartment is very much damaged.” Referring to her dog, which was seen panting heavily, Jenny added that she was able to get some water for him at North Central Bronx Hospital, “He’s calm now,” she said. “He was worse earlier.” We asked if Isaiah wanted to say anything and Jenny said he was shy to do so. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136957" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2191.jpeg" alt="" width="879" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2191.jpeg 879w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2191-300x256.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2191-768x655.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2191-712x608.jpeg 712w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px" /> DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND their pets are seen outside 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo by Síle Moloney Residents of the other two buildings in the three-building complex were also evacuated even though it seems the fire did not spread to those buildings/towers. One woman who lives on the third floor of the center building said the firefighters advised them to evacuate even though there was no smoke in their building. Speaking in Spanish, another female resident seen holding a small infant who was pointing at the burning building, said, “Well I heard all the noise from the firefighters. I opened the window and saw that the fire was in the third building. It’s painful that the third building burned.” Referring to her own building, she said, “I live in this one, thanks be to God.” The woman continued, “I got a shock and I went out with my nephews.” Asked if she had heard an alarm, she paused and then said, “no.” She turned to a friend / family member and asked if she had heard an alarm and the friend / family member said she had not. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136951" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2155-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> BROKEN WINDOWS ARE seen on the top floor of 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after the building went on fire earlier that morning on the 6th floor and cockloft. Photo by Síle Moloney Norwood News also spoke to another young man who was seated on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street from where the fire was along with his parents. As we approached him, he was resting his head in his hands. We asked if he wanted to say anything. “We were in our apartment and we got a hint of the smoke,” the young man said. “We were smelling it and then my mom woke up, my dad woke up. I woke up last, and then suddenly, it just got overwhelming, and we went out of the apartment and stood in front and we were checking if anything, anyone was saying anything…. We called the super. The super didn’t pick up and we didn’t really see anyone, but then we saw like a family leave downstairs.” The young man continued, “So we went back inside, and we continued thinking about what we were going to do, and we took our things and we decided to just leave, and then after we left, we saw more people coming down. So, the smoke was like entirely covering our apartment. It was so hard to breathe. We had to put towels on to try to breathe.” Several residents were seen wearing masks. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136952" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2164-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> FIREFIGHTERS ARE SEEN outside 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after the building went on fire earlier that morning. Photo by Síle Moloney Asked which floor he had been on, the young man said “We were on the fifth floor, so the the one floor down beneath the… what happened.” Asked if they saw the flames as he and his parents were exiting the building, the young man said, “No. So, no flames when we were coming out, but what shocked us when we were coming out, we saw like the amount of smoke and a lot of flames through the windows. So, we were shocked that it was happening right above our heads.” Asked if they could feel the heat of the flames, the young man said, “No, but it was like the smoke was so overwhelming. Like it almost it was like suffocating almost, yeah.” Asked if they heard a fire alarm, the young man said, ‘Well, we heard an alarm, but it was a very faint alarm that came from the sixth floor, but it was not loud enough to really wake up anybody. The fifth alarm didn’t work.” Asked if they heard any other alarms on the other floors as they went down, the young man said, “No. As we went down, we didn’t hear any other alarms.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136950" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2152-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> DISPLACED RESIDENT, LORENS and his girlfriend, are seen outside 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after the building went on fire earlier that morning. Photo by Síle Moloney Norwood News also spoke with Lorens, 22, and his girlfriend, Maryann, 20, and asked if they could tell us how they got out. “I’m gonna be honest. I’m not sure what happened because I was sleeping,” Lorens said. “My mom was the one that woke me up, and the neighbors. So, from what I heard, as soon as I woke up, I heard that it started from the sixth floor, like towards the front of the building and then started moving like towards the back. From there, I think there was a mom with a kid that came running down and she was like, ‘The building is burning. The building is burning.'” Lorens continued, “But we didn’t hear alarms so we didn’t think much of it. So, I could have been sleeping right now still if it wasn’t for my mom, because I didn’t hear no alarm. After that, I just ran down from 6 a.m. Like it started at 6 a.m. We grabbed the animals, and from there we didn’t know how it started or what caused it.” Asked if the pets were ok, Lorens said they were. “Yeah, my mom got them. Yes, a blessing. Thank God that we okay. I can’t complain. I can’t complain. Yeah, I didn’t hear no alarm at all, not a single alarm. Then, that’s when we heard the neighbors running down because I guess it went towards like the back of the building, and the mother and her kids ran down the street.” <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-136956" src="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189.jpeg" alt="" width="1000" height="750" srcset="https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189.jpeg 1000w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189-712x534.jpeg 712w, https://www.norwoodnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2189-964x723.jpeg 964w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /> A DISPLACED DOG is seen panting with its owner, Jenny, after evacuating 3435 Dekalb Avenue in Norwood, The Bronx on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, after the building went on fire earlier that morning. Photo by Síle Moloney Asked how his mom had woken up, Lorens said, “She smelled the smoke, but she also said the neighbors knocked on her door, trying to wake her up, trying to like alert her. When they alerted her, I heard her. She came to me and alerted me. That’s when I woke up and I try to like make my way down as fast as possible.” Reflecting on the close call, Lorens said, “We can’t complain. We can’t. We can’t hate nobody for this. We can’t blame nobody for this. Ah, you just gotta thank God for being alive. That’s it.” Asked if he heard any type of explosion, Lorens said, “No. Yeah, just straight. No, yeah. I mean, the neighbors screaming. Yeah, you can hear the neighbors screaming too.” Maryann said she didn’t even smell the smoke. “Hardly, because it was in the other side of the building,” Lorens said. “Three towers, they all connect. We didn’t really smell it or mentally experience it until we came out the apartment, and that’s when I seen everybody brought in water and it was a mess! It was a mess! It was a mess! Scary, because I just woke up.” Asked if there are a lot of older people living in the building, Lorens said there are. “Like my mom, she’s not well, like going up the stairs or going down the stairs.” Asked if he saw flames as he exited, he said, “When I came out, I definitely seen the windows and flames – really scary.” He said the firefighters broke the windows from the outside. Asked if all three buildings had been evacuated, he said he believed they were. Lorens added, “I’m glad that you came to me because now that you came to me and asked, I really do feel okay. Not like that because out there, the front cameras don’t work, the alarms don’t work. I’m also not like feeling safe. I don’t know if you know about the fire doors that’s in the building that they closed out?” Lorens explained that the fire safety doors are closed for safety at night time and added, “Because we close them in for safety, we’re causing ourselves to be trapped between certain parts of the building, which makes it more unsafe.” He said where an apartment opened onto a section of an internal corridor located between two closed fire doors, it was hard to open the fire doors due to the smoke affecting visibility. [The purpose of keeping fire doors closed is to contain the fire and smoke and stop it from spreading.] “So, after I experienced that today, I feel unsafe, I’m gonna be honest,” Lorens said. “After today, it was unsafe. I didn’t hear no alarm. I could have been…. If my mom went to work like she does at 6 a.m., and I would have stayed sleeping, I would not know [about the fire].” Lorens added that his mom was supposed to leave at 6 a.m. but didn’t in the end because of the fire. “I’m gonna be honest. I’m a heavy sleeper. Yeah, I would have not known nothing. I would have slept right through this.” He said his adrenaline and heart were racing. “I’m scared,” he said. “That’s when they told me the building was burning down so I really had to evacuate. I didn’t hear nothing so I thought they were lying. Oh my God! I thought they were lying so I came outside. I see the fire!” Later, the Red Cross provided a further update on the status of displaced residents, saying 60 households, comprising 159 residents, [29 children and 130 adults] and 30 pets were registered for recovery resources by the organization following the fire, and that the reception center which had been opened at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center on DeKalb Avenue to assist residents had since closed. Red Cross officials said resources offered included securing a safe place to stay through the weekend while residents await more information about their homes, service of hot lunches and dinners, and registration for Red Cross casework assistance in the coming days. Residents who have not yet connected with the Red Cross and need help with their recovery after the fire should call 1-877-RED CROSS (877-833-2767) and select Option 1. The Red Cross thanked Mosholu Montefiore Community Center for sharing space with the impacted residents, as well as helping support resident needs with clothes, meals, shelf-stable food, and personal and pet care items. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Sign up for a free smoke alarm here. Click here to read FDNY’s fire safety tips. “During a fire, always close the door behind you!” fire officials say. “It helps contain smoke and flames, giving you precious time to escape.” The post Norwood: Shocked Residents Share Reaction to 4-Alarm Residential Fire at 3435 Dekalb Ave first appeared on Norwood News.