Kingsbridge Step Street to Get $7M Facelift

Call it a step in the right direction. Funds have been earmarked to fix an elongated staircase in Kingsbridge. The $7 million bid to fix the so-called step street at 229th Street between Heath and Summit avenues. Residents have long complained about the treacherous step street, which remained in use despite barricades by the city Department of Transportation. Long Island-based construction firm Padilla Construction Services Inc. won the bid to restore the concrete steps.

Plan for Mosholu Parkway Trees to be Removed Only to be Replanted

It seems money grows on trees for the Parks Department. The city agency looks to spend several hundred thousand dollars to dig up close to 200 trees along Mosholu Parkway and replant them, leaving those want the young arbors exactly where they are scratching their heads. Parks explained in a letter to Elizabeth Quaranta, president of Friends of Mosholu Parkland, a volunteer advocacy group, that the agency “is currently reviewing its plans for the transplanting of these trees,” adding “no work will be done until the plans are reviewed by and confirmed with the community.” Still, the mere decision

By DAVID CRUZ

The NYPD has seized this trove of dirt bikes in the last few days, and are warning riders if they see them on Bronx streets, they will be confiscated. This latest crop of bikes was brought to the 52nd Precinct in Norwood, where over the weekend, a parade of cyclists took over Grand Concourse and Mosholu Parkway. Cops grabbed some of the bikes, though some took off. The Police Department instituted a policy several years ago barring officers from pursuing high speed cyclists, seeing it could have a greater danger on bystanders. The NYPD can make arrests. Flash mob of riders

City To Grant Jerome Park Reservoir Access on May 20 and 21

By DAVID CRUZ

The city is once again reopening Jerome Park Reservoir for one November weekend, throwing a bone to residents who’ve longed for permanent access to the closed-off site. “No restrictions,” said Adaline Walker-Santiago, Community Board 7 chair and member of the Filtration Monitoring Committee (FMC), the group that campaigned for access. “All residents will be able to go inside the gates of the reservoir. We’ll walk around the reservoir.” The city Department of Environmental Protection has kept the public off the reservoir grounds, citing safety concerns to the millions of gallons of drinkable water to the city. This is the second

By DAVID CRUZ

For neighbors living in one section of Fordham/Bedford Park, scouring for an overnight spot means traveling outside the neighborhood to look for one. In an ironic twist, spots are indeed available overnight in the neighborhood; residents just can’t utilize them. The roughly 80 street spots can be found at East 194th Street, between Valentine and Marion avenues. But a near 15-year parking rule restricts cars from parking there between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., a stipulation instituted after crime spiked so much in the neighborhood it warranted the provision. It was intended to last for one year, but has since stretched for

By DAVID CRUZ

Parking Lot Attendant Robbed Police are looking for two suspects wanted for robbing a parking lot attendant at gunpoint in Fordham. Police say the robbery happened on just after 4 a.m. Nov. 11 at BK Parking Group Inc. at 205 W. Fordham Rd., where the suspects flashed a gun and demanded cash from the 36-year-old employee. The thieves ran off with money and a cell phone. Photos released describe the suspects as follow: Individual 1: Male, Hispanic, mid-20’s, 5’8″, dark complexion, brown eyes, last seen wearing a black jacket, and black sneakers. Individual 2: Male, Black,

Free Legal Services The Office of Councilman Andy King is hosting a free civil legal services mobile van for Bronx residents in front of his district office, 940 E. Gun Hill Rd., on Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lawyers will be on hand to assist with family issues, immigration, and more. To set up a required appointment, call (718) 684-5509. Heating Assistance Available Assistance in having your heating bill paid for is available through the state government. Eligible households can receive a one-time benefit of up to $626, depending on income, household size and heating source. A

By DAVID CRUZ

Employees at a Kingsbridge Heights supermarket woke up to find the place they worked was scorched, following a two-alarm fire sparked by a gas explosion. Fire officials say the blaze at Morton’s Supermarket, one of the few supermarkets on the east side of the neighborhood at 19 E. Kingsbridge Rd., was reported just after around 4 a.m., escalating to a two-alarm blaze. According to the FDNY, the fire was brought under control at 5:10 a.m., the department reported that 106 members from 25 units responded to the call. Fire marshals continue to investigate the cause of the explosion and blaze. John

By JALEESA BAULKMAN

A pop-up museum on the Bronx River saw an exhibit that took a different tact: students opening it directly at the water source. It was the kind of exercise that made for an interesting day at Bronx Community Charter School (BCCS) in Norwood, where students set up interactive exhibits at the Bronx River Forest, learning about the 24-mile waterway’s history and restoration efforts. “It’s pretty incredible to go from our very urban environment and then walk behind our school building and be in the middle of a forest,” Sasha Wilson, one of BCCS’ founders leading the exhibit, said. “I think