Once again, we urge our readers to shop locally this holiday season wherever possible.

In this issue, we report on a National Guard unit based at the Kingsbridge Armory that will soon be headed for Iraq.

Suzana Dedivanaj-Spruck’s abrupt death earlier this year sparked media attention across the tri-state area, but last month it was those closest to the dedicated teacher – her colleagues, her students and her family – who took time out to remember the young educator who returned to work at the school she had gone to herself.

A little-known board’s process of doling out thousands of dollars in community funding ignited a torrent of criticism when its selections broke with tradition.

Site preparation work at the Mosholu Golf Course for the Croton filtration plant has already begun. Archaeologists have begun to identify areas to look for historic artifacts at hundreds of points around the golf course (marked by tiny red flags), and it appears that the red Xs pictured here identify trees that will be cut down to make way for the facility.

Two Bronx Democrats often on opposite sides of the Bronx Democratic Party divide came together to agree on one thing last month — the Kingsbridge Armory. Assemblyman Jose Rivera and Council Member Oliver Koppell sealed their commitment to pushing together for the armory’s redevelopment with a handshake on Oct. 27 at a Norwood News anniversary celebration.

Though they’ve seen some improvements, many homebound seniors are still unsatisfied with the Bronx Meals on Wheels program since it was overhauled last month. Complaints to the Department for the Aging (DFTA) are down, but delivery times and the food quality are erratic, according to critics.

The MTA is celebrating the 100th birthday of the New York City subway system. Unfortunately, many area commuters feel like their stations have not been repaired in at least that long.

Every June, the Bronx Tourism Council puts on the best bash in the borough – the I Love the Bronx Ball. It’s a gala affair usually held at a Bronx landmark like the Bartow-Pell Mansion or Orchard Beach.