Norwood Walks Aim to Build Community and Commerce

Kids line up for face painting during a Weekend Walks event on E. 204th Street in Norwood.
(Photo by Alex Kratz)

By Alex Kratz

On Sunday, hundreds of local residents spilled onto the middle of E. 204th Street for the Weekend Walks event, which included shopping, face painting, fitness instruction and lots of kids playing in an open fire hydrant courtesy of the fire department.

Hosted by Community Board 7 and Mosholu Preservation Corporation, Weekend Walks is a city initiative designed to bring community and commerce together on streets throughout the five boroughs. On E. 204th Street, a two block stretch between Bainbridge and Hull avenues was blocked for shopping and a host of other activities.

Lowell Green, the chair of Board 7’s transportation committee, first learned about the Weekend Walks program last summer and signed the board up to help host the event over the winter. Green, however, was skeptical that the board could pull it off without a co-host. In the early spring, Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC), a nonprofit that manages affordable housing and promotes economic development in the Norwood area (and also publishes the Norwood News), teamed up with Board 7 to help organizing and promoting the event.

Michael Lambert, the deputy director of MPC, said he hopes Weekend Walks will help build momentum and interest for an E. 204th Street business corridor beset by two tragic fires in the past two years.

Representatives from several area businesses, including Ridgewood Furniture, Foodtown, Freilich Jewelers, McKeon Funeral Home, Papa John’s Pizza and the new Beso Lounge, participated in the event.

Weekend Walks continues the next two Sundays, July 31 and Aug. 7, from noon to 5 p.m.

New Webster Ave. Plans Bring Cheers and Jeers

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the latest edition of the Norwood News, on the streets and online now.

Construction has begun at 3600 Webster Ave. on a four-building
affordable housing complex. (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

By JEANMARIE EVELLY

Change is coming to Webster Avenue.

The gritty, industrial stretch that runs through the neighborhoods of Norwood and Bedford Park was rezoned by the City Council this past March, with a plan designed to encourage more retail stores and residential housing in an area now largely composed of parking lots and auto body shops.

Though not necessarily a direct result of the city’s change—zoning plans are more like gentle hands that shape a neighborhood, and depending on market conditions, it can take years before any real changes are seen—new projects already underway or in the pipeline along Webster are a portent for what the street could look like down the road.

Two developers are eyeing the avenue as the site of separate affordable housing complexes. One is already underway, in a lot technically located in Community Board 12, along the south end of Woodlawn Cemetery and just north of Gun Hill Road. Jackson Development Group is constructing over 400 new apartments in four buildings, calling the massive development “Webster Commons,” and advertising the rentals for low and moderate-income tenants.

Bronx News Roundup, Friday, July 29

We're short-staffed today, so a quick but substantive round-up folks ... Have a great weekend!

This story in the Riverdale Press caught our eye. The Amalgamated Houses, the sprawling, leafy limited-equity co-operative wedged in between Norwood and Kingsbridge Heights, has hired a new property manager, Charles Zsebedics, who was convicted for participating in a scheme a decade ago that defrauded his former company of $1.3 million. The Amalgamated's board was well aware of Azebedics'history but did its due diligence and decided that he had learned from his mistakes and that he was the best person for the job.

Andrew Boryga, a graduate of BxNN's youth journalism program for high school students, continues to do great work for the New York Times in between his academic pursuits at Cornell. In this Times' City Room blog piece, which also appeared in today's print edition, Boryga profiles artist Nicolas Dumit Estevez who had himself baptized on the Bronx River as a new Bronxite and to bring attention to his new exhibit at the Longwood Art Gallery on the Hostos Community College campus.

A plan to close 17 Bronx post offices, the most in the city, continued to roil postal workers and those who say local post offices are a lifeline for seniors and local communities.

The Daily News reports that 60 Bronx businesses are in danger of going under following the massive Jerome Avenue water main break on Wednesday morning.

Cops are looking for the shooter responsible for shooting a 5-year-old boy in the leg while he was walking with his mom near Holland and Astor avenues in the east Bronx last night.

Four police officers assigned to the Bronx district attorney's office have been caught cheating on their timesheets, the Post reports.

Lots of tasty morsels in Bob Kappstatter's column as usual this week, including the possibility that the financially struggling Bronx Museum of the Arts might try to emulate the Museum of Modern Art by developing a new, substantial revenue stream by building housing for artists on an adjacent property.

Mail Employees Go Postal on Closure of Bronx Plant

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the latest issue of the Norwood News, on the streets and online now.

By Alex Kratz

James Perez, a Kingsbridge Heights resident and 24-year veteran of the United States Postal Service, is having a hard time imagining working outside of the Bronx. But he might not have a choice in the matter.

By the end of the fall, his position and at least 231 others at the Bronx mail processing plant will be eliminated as the USPS consolidates all of the Bronx’s mail processing and distribution into the Manhattan plant. Perez and his co-workers may end up in Manhattan, but they could be transplanted to any postal location within 50 miles of the five boroughs.

The USPS, citing budget concerns due to a “dramatic” drop in mail volume, said this is a done deal, but the postal workers union is not giving up without a fight.

They organized a rally to protest the elimination of the Bronx plant for Wednesday afternoon, July 27. It will start at the recently-closed Oak Point station on E. 149th Street and end at the Bronx General Post Office (where the processing plant is located) at E. 149th Street and the Grand Concourse. There, at 11:30 a.m., along with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., the union will list the reasons why eliminating the borough’s processing center is a bad move and should be reconsidered.

Riverdale Press Echoes Our Call for Release of Neighborhood Crime Stats

When we first sought neighborhood crime stats from the 52nd Precinct a few years ago, I seem to recall it was because we saw that the Riverdale Press has published just such data for the 50th Precinct. In fact, the Five-O is still providing that information to the Press, which they should be commended for. But somehow the NYPD feels that the 52nd Precinct (Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights) and the rest of the Bronx, for that matter, no longer deserves this most basic of public information that is routinely gathered using their taxpayer money. We've been waiting 420 days for the NYPD to respond to our Freedom of Information Law Request, adhere to state law, and release this very public information.

Our journalist pals at The Riverdale Press also found this rather disturbing and published this editorial echoing our call for the release of so-called sector data. Their headline says it all: "All Crime Stats Should Be Public."

If you missed News Channel 4's coverage earlier this week of our campaign you can see it here.

We'll keep marking the minutes until the NYPD does its duty. 

Creston Ave. Crew Busted in Drug Raid

Editor's Note: This article was first published in the latest edition of the Norwood News, on the streets and online now.

By Alex Kratz

Over the past several years, the area around Creston Avenue, just north of St. James Park, has built a reputation as a hot spot for the drug trade. Periodic violence highlighted the turf wars that accompanied it. Earlier this month, however, local and federal authorities made a big dent in curbing Creston’s infamous image.

Culminating a year-long investigation by the FBI and NYPD with an early morning raid on the so-called “Creston Avenue Crew,” police arrested eight people in the Bronx and three in Puerto Rico. A handful of others were already in custody, while two other Bronxites and a mysterious man named Fnu Lnu (no address was given), also known as “Jesse,” remain at large. In total, charges were filed against 20 people for drug trafficking, firearms and money laundering.

In the course of the raid, authorities discovered three guns, pounds of marijuana, marijuana growing equipment, scales, a police scanner, cocaine and thousands of dollars in cash. It amounted to a fraction of what the organization brought in and distributed over the past five years, law enforcement officials said.

Bronx News Roundup, July 28

Weather: Not too hot today, partly cloudy, with a high 85. Enjoy it now, thunderstorms in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

Story of the Day:
Yesterday's massive water main break in Mount Hope caused some serious damage to the surrounding area. In addition to shutting down the 4 train and rerouting various Bronx buses, the breakage has left residents with flooded basements, disrupted utility lines disrupted, and 500 local business and residents are waiting for Con Edison to hook their service back up. In addition, ABC reports that the BX32 and BX 36 are still being rerouted due to a 6 foot deep crater in the middle of the street. See some the damages here:


Quick Hits:
Yesterday, the city announced a plan to revamp Bronx and Queens animal shelters. The city's allocated $10 million to improving these borough's animal care system. Currently, Animal Care & Control Agency operated eight hours a day one or two days a week. With the extra funding, the New York Post says the agency will eventually operate receiving centers and mobile vans in The Bronx and Queens 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Local education activist, Jesse Mojica was named the new executive director for Family and Community Engagement in the city Department of Education. Mojica has recently worked as director of education policy and youth services for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

A Bedford Park guardian wants her 16 year-old-son, who suffers from ADHD, to learn a lesson, so she has decided not to bail him out of Rikers Island. The would-be high school sophomore is accused of selling four Ziploc bags of crack cocaine to an undercover narcotics officer.

Police are looking for a suspect caught on tape trying to rob a woman at a Bronx ATM on Westchester Ave. The suspect placed the woman in a choke hold, but when she was unable to withdraw any money, he threw her to the ground and ran off. If you have any information, call police or Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Students at Bronx Community College rallied yesterday to save Julio Hernandez Moreno, a 24-year-old radiology student from El Salvador, who is at risk of being deported. Hernandez told NY 1 that he came to the United States in 2007 as an undocumented immigrant after he was threatened by gang members for being gay.

The family of a 67 year old South Bronx woman, who died of lung cancer, is holding the New York City Housing Authority responsible for her death due to the horrible living conditions of her apartment. The Daily News Reports that the 67-year-old nonsmoker starting having breathing problems about five years ago, when "leaky plumbing first ravaged the bedroom and bathroom walls of her unit at the Morris Houses."

The Yankees go into serious training to prepare for playing the Red Sox.


As has been reported before, Fat Joe might have to change his name. The world famous Bronx born hip-hop has lost over 80 pounds. "I always loved being fat, obviously. I'm Fat Joe," the rapper told the Daily News in June. "If I could gain 1,000 pounds and be healthy, I would love to do that. The biggest killer of people is food." In addition to his weight loss improving his health, it has also had an impact on other hip-hop artists, according to MTV. See what DJ Khaled has to say about how Fat Joe's weight loss inspired him.

Two Wounded in Bedford Park Shooting

By David Greene

A wild early morning shootout on Tuesday in Bedford Park sent two victims to the hospital, police and witnesses said.

The incident was reported at 1:15 a.m., on Tuesday, July 26. Upon their arrival, police discovered two people shot outside of 264 E. 199 Street, near Briggs Avenue. According to a NYPD source, one victim was shot in the leg and the other in the arm. Both were transported to St. Barnabas Hospital and were expected to fully recover.

A second police source said detectives were looking for a black male wearing a purple jacket who was seen running from the scene. One resident of the building, who declined to give her name, said, "They were arguing. It was horrible. One of the victims was in front the building until the first two gunshots went off."

The resident said a second person was shot a minute or two later, a short distance away.

By late Tuesday morning, police still had no suspects in connection to the case.

Long Time Resident Killed in Decatur Blaze

Fire Marshal's continue to investigate the source
of the Decatur Avenue fire that
 killed a long time resident. (Photo by David Greene)

By David Greene

A Saturday afternoon fire on the top floor of a five-story Decatur Avenue building in Norwood claimed the life of a 37-year-old resident Chris Podesta who died of smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Press officers for the fire and police departments could not confirm the death by press time, but neighbors confirmed that it was Podesta who had died in the fire.

One resident of the block, who declined to give his name for this article, stood in shock after firefighters removed his friend Podesta from the building.

"They brought him out and he was all full of smoke and they were performing CPR on him,” the resident said.

Bronx Events: Classical Guitar Concert, Blood Drive and more

The Bronx Council on the Art’s ‘Bronx Beat Concert’ series continues tonight from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Wave Hill. Renown Classical Guitarist Andrew Geddis, who has played for former Mayor David Dinkins, will perform. You’ll have to pay $8 admission to the grounds for adults, $4 for students and seniors 65 or older, and $2 for children over six, but the concert is free. For more information, head to www.bronxarts.org.

In other local events: Twin Park Kids and Aquinas Housing is holding a blood drive tomorrow from 2 to 8 p.m. in honor of Daisy Perez, who while pregnant with her daughter, had to get several blood transfusions due to complications. The blood drive will be held at 961 Cassella Plaza, at East 180 Street and Vyse Avenue.

Check out our calendar for more upcoming events.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Gay Bronx Couples Waste No Time in Making History

Editor's Note: This story first appeared in the latest Norwood News, on the streets and online now.

Karen Cofield and Gwendolyn Williams, who met 5 years ago, were married at the
Bronx County Courthouse on Sunday. (Photo by Jordan Moss)

By Jordan Moss

The signs of a highly unusual Sunday at the Bronx County Courthouse, where profound new rights were being conferred on a large group of New Yorkers, were hard to miss.

Staff of the mayor’s office, sporting orange baseball caps, warmly greeted anyone who came within 50 yards of the courthouse’s Concourse entrance. There was no crammed line-up leading to the metal detectors. Cameras, forbidden from courtrooms and confiscated for the duration of one’s visit if found, were waved on through.

History, after all, was waiting for its close-up.

Bronx News Roundup, July 27

Story of the Day: Jerome Avenue Flood Update

The AP reports that the floods from this morning's massive water main break on Jerome Avenue have started to recede. And though the MTA website says No. 4 train service is suspended between 167th Street and Bedford Park Blvd., there were no trains going to Mosholu Parkway or Woodlawn, either, at least not during my morning commute. An MTA service update now says there are shuttle buses running.

Some video footage:


A BxNN reader says she had no running water at her home on E. 162nd and Grand Concourse; another woman I chatted with this morning said the water was waist-deep on 176th Street, and she put plastic bags over her legs to walk up the road. 

Quick Hits:

The U.S. Postal Service could close as many as 17 post office locations in the Bronx because of funding losses (a plan many are protesting, as we reported last week.) The Bronx closures account for more than half  of the locations on the chopping block list. Another office in Crotona Park was already shuttered this spring.

Here's a full list of the USPS spots that could close.