Public & Community Meetings

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Community Relations/Long Term Planning & Economic Development Committee is on Jan. 19; and Website, Acknowledgment & Media Committee is on Jan. 25. For more information, call (718) 933-5650. There is no 52ND PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL meeting in January. The NYPD and Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit will host TOGETHER AS ONE NYC on Jan. 26 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Latino Pastoral Action Center, 14 W. 170th St., between Inwood Avenue and Plaza Drive. To

By DAVID CRUZ

Residents opposing a plan to rearrange trees along Mosholu Parkway secured a victory after Community Board 7’s Parks Committee voted down the plan, ending a yearlong question over whether the New York City Department of Parks (DOP) would move forward with a project that wasn’t well received. Elizabeth Quaranta, president of Friends of Mosholu Parkland, an advocacy group for the lea, didn’t characterize CB7’s decision as a win, but an education for the Parks Department. “[This] is really just doing the right thing for the environment and our future for Mosholu [Parkway],” Quaranta said via a Facebook chat. “I wouldn’t

Hello Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering all things Bronx, specifically Norwood, is out with plenty of community news you can use. As all stories go, we’ll begin on page one and our front page story focusing on the upcoming HOPE Count by the New York City Department of Homeless Services, which is still dealing with a major homeless crisis. Read what the count is all about and why it’s been met with controversy over the years. Turning to the inside pages, we take a look at some glimmer of hope to the topsy-turvy saga that’s

By DAVID CRUZ

At the corner of Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue, amid snow, onlookers were attracted to the sounds of tambourines clanging and drumbeats popping from a roving band of residents in Kingsbridge Heights celebrating the Caribbean-born holiday of parranda. The holiday, usually celebrated during the Christmas season in the Caribbean, saw participants singing lively songs throughout Kingsbridge Heights, a largely minority neighborhood that’s home to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. The island of Puerto Rico is known to celebrate parranda yearly. Jose Ortiz, a.k.a. Dr. Drum of BombaYo Culture En Vivo, a music group, led the crowd along Kingsbridge Heights on Jan.

Editorial: USPS and Bronx DA Need to Squash Mailbox Fishers

By DAVID CRUZ

NORWOOD RESIDENTS ARE confidently using this mailbox at the corner of East 207th Street and Perry Avenue after its swing flap was replaced with a slit cover to fend off so-called “fishing.” The scheme involved thieves feeding a lassoed bottle affixed with glue traps into the mailbox to fish out mail containing checks or gift cards. So far, this is one of three mailboxes with the new slit cover, with the second one found at the corner of East 207th Street and Decatur Avenue, and the third at the southeast corner of Jerome Avenue near Gun Hill Road. Mailboxes along

By DAVID CRUZ

More than a dozen convicted sex offenders, with convictions that include the rape of a 10-year-old child, have moved within the confines of the 52nd Precinct. Officers at the precinct, which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights, were made aware of the move by probationary officers. Officers have since stopped by community meetings to alert residents. Sex offenders are required to register their name on a database following their conviction and release. They must tell authorities they’ve moved to a new neighborhood each time, or possibly serve time. The registry can be found

WITH CHILDREN BY their side, officials hold up a $50,000 check awarded to Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that’s been earmarked for scholarships allocated to at-risk youth looking to complete an advanced certificate training program and other costs. Sharing in the celebration is (l-r) John P. McGann, Chief Administrative Officer, Bank Leumi; Avner Mendelson, Chief Executive Officer, Bank Leumi; MMCC Chief Executive Officer Rita Santelia; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; MMCC educational advisor Jeff Coopersmith; MMCC Director of Development Laurie Meltzer Bandremer; and Jaya Bateman Nahmiyas, Associate Director, UJA-Federation of New York. Photo by Adi Talwar

HOPE Count, Set for Feb. 6 Aims to Get Snapshot of Homeless Population

By DAVID CRUZ

Survey comes amid surge of homeless-related calls to 311 in community The makeshift camp on a hilltop on East Mosholu Parkway North stood empty, and the circumstantial evidence of occupancy was clear: pillows, cookware, and empty gallons of water. Residents say it’s an encampment for the homeless, a retreat for the night. And should anyone be camped there at the predawn hours of Feb. 6, they will be among those counted by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The agency, still attempting to find homes for the 62,000 homeless individuals, will once again conduct its annual

By DAVID CRUZ

For 50 years, John McKee has lived the pious life in Norwood. He’s adamant in keeping it that way. But a misunderstanding has blunted that life. Now McKee, 79, a retired plumber and devout member of St. Ann’s Church, is in the worst shape of his life following a stroke that’s rendered him frail and homebound. Notwithstanding his condition, the landlord wants to throw him out of two-bedroom apartment on Perry Avenue. And there are no signs of letup from the landlord. McKee, a skilled plumber who uses a walker to get by, considers himself a target of MK Realty Group LLC,