New from the Norwood News

The latest edition of the Norwood News is hot of the presses and on the streets and online now. Here's a quick preview of our stories and features:

Here's our guide to Bronx Week 2009, which kicked off yesterday and concludes next weekend with a parade and party on Mosholu Parkway. Enjoy the festivities! This is what our readers love about the Bronx. Let us know what you love about the Bronx in our comments section below.

We recap Pedro Espada's role in the Republicans' Senate takeover. Our editorial says Espada's move can't be good for locals.

A look at what the recent endorsements for pastor and college professor Fernando Cabrera mean for 14th District Council race. Note: in the print edition, we also presented quick profiles of all the candidates. If we have time, we'll put them up on the blog later today.

The city has extended it's Grand Concourse bike lane all the way up to Mosholu Parkway on the northbound side of the street.

The MTA is experimenting with an express line for the 4 Train. The city says it will cut commuting time from Woodlawn to 149th Street by 4 minutes. [Note: already we've had some angry calls from Bronx commuters about this. One woman, a teacher who commutes from Woodlawn to Fordham Road, says she think her commute time has increased 10 minutes. Write in if you have any complaints or praise for the new express line, use the comments section below or email norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org.]

The Landmark Preservation Commission wants to designate a stretch of Perry Ave. in Bedford Park as a Historic District.

Plus, check out our extended Neighborhood Notes guide to local programs and services and our Out & About arts, recreation and entertainment guide.

Bronx News Round-up, Sept. 10

Welcome to Monday, hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Here' some links to news stories that should get you going and informed this week.

The big story over the weekend was a bloody shootout on Friday night between an undercover transit policewoman and "a parolee with an extensive criminal record" on the 4 train at the 176th Street stop. The story in the Times is kind of convoluted, but basically it appears the "parolee" put a female officer in a headlock when she and two other cops tried to escort him off the train for violating transit rules. The suspect then started shooting at the two other officers, who returned fire, with 13 shots, and killed the gunman.

The female officer was shot three times, but is in stable condition. It's unclear whether the female officer was the victim of friendly fire or was hit by the now-deceased gunman.

More tragic news came last night/early this morning, when a fire took the life of an unidentified 22-year-old woman in Williamsbridge. The woman was sleeping on the second floor of a small two-story house on East 224th Street. Two other residents were injured and taken to the hospital. NY1 reported that more than 100 firefighters showed up to fight the blaze and that three of them were injured.

Bunch of stories out today about how bank branches are popping up all over New York City, except for in the city's poorest neighborhoods. From 2000 to 2006, 168 banks branches opened citywide. Of those, only 24 opened in the Bronx, according to a report released by Queens and Brooklyn Congressman Anthony Weiner and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James.

The report also said the banks were concentrated in wealthy neighborhoods. In Murray Hill there a bank for every 1,500 people, while in Tremont, here in the Bronx, there is one for every 69,000 people.

Weiner and James pointed out that the disparity means people in poorer neighborhoods are forced to cash paychecks at rip-off check cashing shops (which are not surprisingly more prevalent in those poorer areas) and also that people in places like Tremont will “have less take-home pay, are less able to accumulate long-term and emergency savings (making them more vulnerable to high-interest loans), and have a harder time establishing credit or qualifying for a loan.”

Here's links to the stories on the Times blog, The Post, and the Daily News

And also, while we're talking about money, here's a story int the Daily News about Bronx boy turned international fashion icon, Ralph Lauren, who was born Ralph Lifshitz. He celebrated his 40th year in fashion on Saturday night in Central Park.

Congrats Ralph! Don't forgot about us!

Subway Construction

As some of you may have discovered by experience this week, the 4 train is only running express from 167 St. to Woodlawn from July 9-13 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., stopping also at Burnside Ave. To get to 170 St., Mt. Eden Av., 176 St., Fordham Rd., Bedford Park Blvd. and Mosholu Pkwy take the 4 to Burnside Ave. or Woodlawn and transfer to the Manhattan-bound 4, which will be running as usual.

Additionally, Kingsbridge Rd. and 183 St. stations are currently closed due to construction. Both will be open starting at 5 a.m. July 16. In the meantime, the MTA website suggests taking the D or 4 to Fordham Rd. and transfering to Bx32 or the shuttle bus to get to Kingsbridge, but only after 3 p.m. when the 4 starts running local again. To get to 183 St. take the 4 to Burnside Ave. and transfer to the Bx32 or shuttle bus or take the D to 182-183 Sts. and transfer to the shuttle bus.

For more information about what has been done to the Kingsbridge Rd. station, as well as updates on subway construction, click here.