Bronx Barriers: Managing Your Money

By ANTHONY ALI

The Norwood News and WFUV complete their five-part series profiling ongoing challenges impacting the Bronx. With the Bronx experiencing the highest rates of poverty and the lowest median income of all the five boroughs, money is tight. Compounding the problem is education on how to use that money wisely. After all, New Yorkers do not have to learn about personal finance in order to graduate high school — something required in only five other states. The end result is that many Bronx residents are on their own when learning how to properly manage their finances. A lack of understanding personal

As has been the case for the last several years, Norwood’s St. Brendan and St. Ann Church and Bedford Park’s St. Philip Neri held their annual Good Friday processions. On the public streets of the two neighborhoods, actors reenacted the Stations of the Cross, which tell the story marking the final moments of Jesus Christ. Check out these photos from experienced photographers David Greene and Miriam Quinones.

Cambodian-Born Gardener Cultivates Passion at Bedford Park Garden

By ADELINE HANSSEN

Between towering brick apartment buildings and a bustling train station in Botanical Square, Rem Kim, a thin, lightly-wrinkled man can be seen working in a small community garden. The ground is finally beginning to thaw after an uneven winter, and Kim is getting ready for the spring. Kim, 62, has been volunteering in the Botanical Square Community Garden for the past three years. Although he speaks limited English, his passion for gardening was immediately apparent upon meeting him. His face lit up when he listed the vegetables that would soon be available to Bronx residents in the latter part of

Editor’s Pick: Spring Has Sprung! The public is invited to a free Spring Egg Hunt at the Williamsbridge Oval on April 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Events include an egg hunt, relay races, carnival games, a helmet giveaway (while supplies last), a visit from the bunny, and more. Egg hunt for ages 3 to 6 is 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and for ages 7 to 11 from noon to 1 p.m. Sponsors include Mosholu Preservation Corporation, Jerome-Gun Hill BID, NYC Parks, and New York Cares. For more information, visit nyc.gov/parks. Onstage Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts,

Dear Fellow Readers, The eighth edition of the award-winning Norwood News is out with plenty of Bronx community news you can use. We’ve packed 16 pages full of news you can share with your family and friends, so let’s get to it. We’re keeping education on the front lines in our coverage and bring you a story out of Junior High School 80, where a three-judge panel ruled the 95-year school should receive a $3 million grant it was approved and then denied by the state. Hear why JHS 80 is in dire need of these funds, and hear from

By DYLAN CROLL

Growing up in Norwood with his single mother, Shamir Arzeno knew the odds were stacked against him. Though determined to succeed, little did he know that his tenacity would one day land him a job at Goldman Sachs and a spot as the first Dominican contestant in the Amazing Race, an Emmy Award-winning reality TV series on CBS, in which the winner walks away with a $1 million prize. He grew up watching the show while living on East 207th Street and Decatur Avenue. The show critically altered Arzeno’s conception of what was possible. “For a long period of time,

By DAVID GREENE

A diverse group of successful women who all grew up or lived in the Bronx gathered for the first annual Women’s Empowerment Summit 2017, extending March’s Women’s History Month into April. The panelists came from high positions in government, with a surprise televised appearance from Merryl Tengesdal, an astronaut who grew up in the northwest Bronx. She was introduced by her cousin, Gwendolyn Thomas-Steed, a member of Community Board 7. The civic panel hosted the event at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater on April 8. On hand panelists included Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, New York City Public Advocate Leticia James,

Could the curse of the Kingsbridge Armory be lifted? For decades, it seemed any time there’s some headway in turning it into a promising venue, a barrier gets in the way. There was the failed attempt to repurpose the enormous castle into a public school and then a mall by the Related Companies. The latest proposal that’s within reach of reality is the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC). And even then, that project has hobbled along, facing lawsuits along the way. But Governor Andrew Cuomo appears to have broken the spell. Even as the now-approved Fiscal Year 2018-19 $153 billion

NEW YORK CITY Comptroller Scott Stringer (r) glad hands members of the Tracey Towers Tenants Association at a meet-and-greet hosted at the Norwood towers on April 3. It had been more than three years since Stringer stopped by the Mitchell-Lama complex. This time, the city’s so-called “moneyman” ran down his role in the city and some reports his office has released including a report on the city’s senior population. Jean Hill (l), president of the tenants association, awaits him at the podium. Photo by Miriam Quinones