After eight years of reviving a major Norwood commercial area, the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID) has been granted a five-year contract by the city to continue its work.

It appears that there is one final hitch in getting things going on the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory. For the project to include schools, the National Guard units that occupy the buildings on the northern perimeter of the facility need to find another home.

Two months ago, the Norwood News sent a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. We simply asked for the feasibility study for the Kensico City Tunnel, a massive and important project that could have a significant impact on the cost of building the water filtration plant at Eastview in Westchester.

The City Council overwhelmingly approved a watered-down version of legislation to ban the sale of certain egregious car alarms. Advocates wanted a strict ban on all car alarms, but the mayor promised to veto even this weakened version.

On Friday, July 16, the entire block of East 207th Street between Bainbridge and Perry avenues was closed to all motorists – except those headed for the Church of St. Brendan. Police officers clustered at either end to admit vehicles, which double-parked in long rows lining the street.

In her over two decades teaching at city high schools, Norwood resident Pam Sporn has kindled her students’ love of learning in some unlikely places, such as the deep recesses of libraries, storage rooms and other far-flung locales.

Saying he’s “had it” with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), State Senate candidate Jeff Klein changed his position to oppose the construction of a water filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park.

In a battle of some very well connected progeny, the race pits the daughter of current Bronx Democratic Party boss Assemblyman Jose Rivera against the son of former leader George Friedman. Throw in community activist Joseph Thompson and Anthony Chiofalo, an attorney, and you have the makings of an actual competitive campaign.

It’s back to the drawing board for those looking to relocate the Kingsbridge Armory’s remaining National Guard units, a final stumbling block for moving the long-delayed redevelopment project forward.