Riverdale Review, March 8, 2012

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Volume XIX • Number 9 • March 8 - 14, 2012 •

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Second woman nabbed in local prostitution sting By MIAWLING LAM A local massage parlor could be shuttered after a second employee was busted for soliciting sexual services. Undercover NYPD investigators swooped on New Healing Touch, a massage parlor located at 4685 Manhattan College Parkway, at around 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday, February 29. Commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Captain Kevin Burke said the sting operation was ordered after an employee was nabbed for offering sexual services in December. “Based on that, we wanted to retest them to see if that criminal activity was still going on. And so another vice undercover went there…and same thing but a different individual,” he said. “[She] agreed to do a massage, took him to the room and also agreed to a prostitution act.” Ying Al Li, 43, from Queens, was

arrested and charged with one count of unauthorized practice of a profession and another misdemeanor prostitution count. It is understood Li offered to manually stimulate her client’s penis for $20. Captain Burke said authorities now had legal grounds to pursue New Healing Touch’s closure. “We’re required to make two arrests within a year for this type of offense—which we’ve met—so the next step forward is to submit them for a nuisance abatement,” he said. Under a nuisance abatement order, a city judge can order a building to be boarded up if there is sufficient evidence that two counts of prostitution occurred on the premises. However, Captain Burke warned it could take a couple of months for the case to progress through the courts. The latest arrest comes after Yingji Li, 40, was busted and Continued on Page 10 Police arrested a second suspect at New Healing Touch on Manhattan College Parkway near Broadway.

Specialized HS admits from RKA soar

Sleeping Beauty (Deanna Sherman) and Rapunzel (Samantha Bowden) take a break from working the slides, tunnels and bounce castle at the Riverdale Y Purim Carnival last Sunday. The Jewish holiday of Purim, observed this Wednesday night through Thursday, commemorates the miraculous survival of Persia’s Jewish population. Celebrations typically involve costume parties, reveling, gifts to the needy and food baskets for friends.

By MIAWLING LAM Thirty students from the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy won coveted seats in the city’s nine elite specialized high schools this year. Data released on Tuesday by M.S/H.S 141 shows the number of students receiving offers to the prestigious schools has nearly doubled within the past year. Of the 30 students who gained admission to the city’s crème de la crème of high schools, 11 received an offer from the traditional powerhouses—Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn Technical High School. Seven students received an offer from Bronx Science; another three were granted entrance to Brooklyn Tech; and one made the cut-off score for Stuyvesant. Eight RKA students were offered seats at the High School of American Studies at Lehman College; five were accepted at the High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College; two at Brooklyn Latin

and four at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. In comparison, RKA sent just 16 students to the city’s nine prestigious schools last year and 25 eighth-graders in 2010. This year as well, one student gained admission to the highly competitive Eleanor Roosevelt High School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and another was accepted to The Beacon School on the Upper West Side. RKA principal Lori O’Mara said of the 196 eighth-graders who sat for the Specialized High School Admissions Test, 15 percent were accepted. “We are, by far, the numberone Bronx feeder school to the specialized high schools,” she said. “Twenty-six of the 30 acceptances were from the eighth-grade honors classes. This is an acceptance rate of 46 percent for the 63 students in the honors classes.” She attributed the school’s positive results to the formation of new enrichment clubs including Math Olympiad, a rigorous

middle-school math club that pushes students to challenge their thinking; an Art Portfolio Club, where students have the opportunity to work with an art teacher to develop a portfolio; and a Chorus Club, which helps students hone their musical skills. O’Mara also cited the inclusion of more rigorous reading material in all English language arts classes as helpful in promoting vocabulary development and critical reading skills. The latest results represent a stunning reversal of the decline in RKA students being offered seats at specialized high schools. However, the numbers are still a far cry from the 150 students the school sent to the prestigious schools in the early ‘90s. Meanwhile, Riverdale’s tiny Kinneret Day School boasted that 75 percent of its students who sat for the Specialized High School Exam received an offer. Kinneret Day School assistant principal Simone Nenner said that the High School of AmeriContinued on Page 11


Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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City may order new buildings to reduce stormwater overflows By MIAWLING LAM They’ve tackled the heating oil issue, and now city officials are turning their attention to stormwater discharge. Residential buildings could be forced to capture more stormwater runoff and store it on-site, under a city plan designed to alleviate street flooding and reduce combined sewer overflows. The proposal, flagged by Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter H. Strickland Jr., will require new construction and major alteration projects to cut runoff flows by 10 percent. Officials said the reductions would be achieved through natural measures such as blue roofs, green roofs, subsurface gravel beds and stormwater chambers. If approved, they estimate combined sewer overflows will be reduced by up to 800 million gallons over the next 20 years. They also predict the costs for compliance will be less than 1.5 percent of the total development budget for new developments and major alterations. Existing homes will not be affected. But members of Community Board 8 are anxious about the proposed changes. CB8 housing chair Thomas Durham was concerned the so-called “negative declaration” would snowball further and follow in the footsteps of the heating oil mandate imposed last year. “Declarations like this usually precede things like water meters and oil fuel conversions,” he said. “This is how it starts. It starts in conversation and it starts as a declaration or a proposal with no numbers, no kind of financial plan in place. And then all of a sudden, some executive officer decides we’ll make it a regulation or we’ll make it a rule.” Durham alerted the community of the proposal at last month’s CB8 environment and sanitation committee meeting. He said although the plan was vague

ADVISORY

Motorists traveling northbound on the Henry Hudson Bridge early next week may want to allow more time for their commutes, with officials preparing to close two lanes for construction. Two of three northbound lanes on the upper level of the Henry Hudson Bridge will be closed on Monday, March 12, from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, so a new work zone can be established. Authorities say two lanes will remain open during peak times on weekdays. However, the far right-hand side lane on the northbound side of the bridge, extending from the toll plaza to the Bronx tower, will be closed around-theclock while workers replace the original 1930s-era steel curb stringers. Once the steel curb stringers are removed, officials said new sub-stringer steel beams will be installed to support the upper-level roadway. Meanwhile, drivers have been warned the Kappock Street exit on the northbound upper level of the Henry Hudson Bridge will also be closed for two weeks starting next Monday. MTA authorities said the exit closing will allow workers to install a new safety attenuator, which helps reduce damage to vehicles and motorists by absorbing impact during crashes. During this period, motorists are advised to follow the posted detour signs or take the 232nd or 235th Street exits.

and not yet fully defined, he predicted that it could eventually lead to water discharge meters being installed on all homes across the city. “It’s not written in fine print, but I’m telling you…this is going to eventually lead to water metering of discharge coming off property,” he said. “What they’re going to do is see the difference of what you’re intaking, and if the discharge is greater than what you’re intaking, you’re going to be paying for that difference.” DEP spokeswoman Mercedes Padilla refused to answer any specific questions relating to the proposal, including whether the future installation of water discharge meters was a possibility.

Instead, she provided a link to comments made by Strickland last month, where he explained the proposal. “The new stormwater rule requires new construction and major building alterations to capture substantially more runoff through cost-effective measures, providing additional capacity in the combined sewer system,” he said in the statement dated January 4. According to city documents seen by the Riverdale Review, officials speculate that the plan could even lead to tighter discharge volumes. “Implementation of the proposed rule amendment would allow for a phased approach toward attaining future and potentially more stringent federal and state

stormwater requirements,” it states. Currently, New York City operates on a combined sewer system, where stormwater and wastewater are carried through a single pipe. During heavy storms, the system can exceed its capacity and must discharge a mix of stormwater and wastewater into waterways. The new rule is a key component of the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2010, which will invest $2.4 billion over the next 20 years on green infrastructure to improve harbor water quality and reduce the flow of sewage. CB8 said they would invite a DEP representative to explain the proposal further at a future environment and sanitation committee meeting.


Local pols to play musical chairs in redistricting Serrano adds Bedford Park, Norwood and Morris Park to his district—once again the only district wholly contained within the borough. Similarly, maps submitted by the Senate Republicans also propose expanding Rangel’s District into Bedford Park, Norwood, Spuyten Duyvil and parts of Riverdale south of West 239th Street, cutting into territory historically represented by Engel. Among the leaders who have spoken out against both plans is Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “For months, there has been countless speculation and innuendo concerning the future of our city’s congressional districts. Almost all of this discussion has revolved around carving up The Bronx in order to benefit other counties,” he said. “We will not stand for any congressional redistricting plan that dilutes the voting power of The Bronx for the benefit of another county….We will not stand for any plan that would slice The Bronx into many small pieces. For decades, The Bronx has had at least one congressional district entirely within its borders, and this should not change.” Bronx Democratic Party chairman Carl Heastie said he, too, was disappointed with the proposed maps and said they failed to pay respect to the borough’s residents and communities. “With all due respect to the proposed leaders expected to serve the residents of The Bronx, we believe that the natural way to empower the residents would be to place as many as possible in common districts instead of dividing up their communities between five districts,” he said.

“Bronx residents deserve better than to be designated as minorities in the minority. In fact, we regard these proposals as a slap in the face, intent on weakening the growth and unity of the Bronx electorate.” Congressman Eliot Engel declined to comment on the plans. A legislative task force, LATFOR, redraws the political boundaries for the state Assembly, Senate and congressional districts every 10 years to reflect the most current census data. But because both Republican and Democratic political leaders control the task force, the plans are usually the result of accommodations to protect incumbents rather reflect demographics.

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By MIAWLING LAM Parts of The Bronx could be included in five different congressional districts under controversial new redistricting lines proposed by the New York State Senate and Assembly. The plans, which would effectively reduce the borough’s political clout, have been universally panned for being gerrymandered by community and political leaders. Three congressional districts now share parts of the borough. Under the Assembly Democrats’ plan, New York state’s longest-serving member of Congress, Rep. Charles Rangel, will partially move into The Bronx. Rangel’s historic Harlem-based district, previously represented by Adam Clayton Powell Jr., is said to no longer contain enough black votes to sustain the embattled elected official. Even as proposed, Rangel’s district may still have a Latino majority. With Rangel widely believed to be on the cusp of retirement, Bronx political leaders allege that the district is stacked so that Manhattan Democratic Party leaders will be positioned to name Rangel’s successor without submitting their choice to the voters in a Democratic Party primary. The party’s redistricting plan could also mark the return of Westchester Rep. Nita Lowey, who represented parts of the borough a decade ago. Lowey’s district would now include Co-op City, while Congressman Eliot Engel would lose Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge Heights but gain areas north of the city line. Meanwhile, Congressman Joseph Crowley would keep two-thirds of his current district, of which 43 percent is in The Bronx, while Congressman Jose

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Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Around the schools... P.S. 24

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Students will be dismissed for the day at 11:20 a.m. During the 5:30 to 8 p.m. session, a representative from Metro Plus, a citywide program, will offer information on free or low-cost health insurance plans. For more information, contact program representative Ivelisse Fabian at 917-288-1235.

Horace Mann School

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn addressed members of both the Women’s Issues Club and the Gay Straight Alliance last week in the head-of-school’s office. Senior Sam Bauman has been named a semifinalist on the United States Physics Team under the guidance of faculty advisor Dr. Stephen Palfrey. Bauman scored among the top 400 out of 10,000 students nationally and became the only student selected to compete internationally. The school’s AP physics class sends an average of two students per year to the semifinalist exam. Record numbers of new and gently used children’s books were donated for this year’s book fair to benefit Katz Library. Unsold books were donated to Project Cicero, a nonprofit created to enhance classroom and school libraries for under-resourced NYC public schools. Other books went to Better World Books, an organization dedicated to expanding literacy in developing countries, or to the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and the Marble Hill Community Center through the service learning team, headed by Dr. Jeremy Leeds.

Manhattan College

High school students are invited to apply for the college’s 10-day summer Engineering Awareness Program scheduled for July 9 to 12, July 16 to 19, and July 23 to 24. Now in its 31st year, the program introduces high school students to potential careers in the various fields of engineering. The program is directed by Dr. Walter Saukin, associate professor of civil engineering, and is cosponsored by the Metropolitan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers,the ACE Mentorship Program of New York, and individual corporate sponsors. Participants take a field trip to a structural engineering firm in New York City, explore the fields of mechanical, civil, electrical, environmental and computer engineering, attend class lectures with guest speakers, learn about the college admission process and get free SAT

preparation. The program also examines engineering careers in the fields of law, business, medicine and education. Minority and female students are encouraged to explore the field of engineering, and the college will provide them with information about scholarships and financial aid. To qualify, students must possess strong mathematics and science abilities and have an interest in engineering. For more information, visit manhattan.edu, contact Dr. Saukin at 718-862-7171 or email janet.horgan@manhattan.edu. Applications are due May 25.

College of Mt. St. Vincent

The college is now offering new certificate programs geared toward career advancement and practical training. The CIW Internet business associate course teaches the tasks and skills involved in Web technology jobs. Classes meet on Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. from April 28 through June 9. The fee is $495. The pharmacy technician program teaches the skills used by a pharmacy technician in a hospital or retail setting. Students get one-on-one instruction and possibly a 40-hour externship. Classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9:30 p.m. from June 4 through July 25. The fee is $999. The medical assistant administration program is a 50-hour course on background information for the medical assisting profession. It covers interpersonal skills, medical ethics and law, medical terminology, basics of insurance billing and coding, telephone techniques, scheduling appointments, medical records management, and management of practice finances. It provides an introduction to medical administration that can serve as a basis for learning the skills required in an administrative medical assistant position. The course itself does not lead to national or state certification. Classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9:30 p.m. from June 5 through July 24. The fee is $999. The Medical Coding and Billing course outlines payment processes in the medical field. Medical coding trainees learn how to translate medical services into the numerical codes used in billing, and medical billing trainees learn how to use those codes to bill insurance companies and clients so that medical professionals can get paid. Classes meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 6 to 9:30 p.m. from June 5 through August 2. The fee is $1,799. To enroll in these programs, contact Belgica Collado at 718-405-3322.


By MIAWLING LAM Merchants have joined elected officials in deriding plans to eliminate “Riverdale Avenue” from new Henry Hudson Parkway road signs, arguing the omission will negatively impact the area’s identity. The North Riverdale Merchants Association raised concerns about the proposed change at last Thursday’s Community Board 8 economic development committee meeting. President Gary Wartels said the plan to remove all references to “Riverdale Avenue” on overhead northbound exit signs at the West 239th and West 253rd Street exits was a grave mistake. He said the elimination would turn the area into another anonymous neighborhood and feared motorists would get lost

if the signage design process proceeded as planned. Wartels said he already receives up to 15 calls a month from members of the public wanting to reach his store. “I clearly see both sides of the issue between upgrading the signage for the environment,” he said. “On the other hand, given the economy right now, anything we can do to promote Mosholu and Riverdale Avenue as a cohesive shopping area and business area is what we need to do.” Wartels said an apt compromise would be to erect a smaller sign on the highway that advertises the exit as feeding into a Riverdale shopping district. As the Riverdale Review reported last month, dozens of traffic signs along the parkway will be moved, replaced or re-

moved completely under an ambitious $8 million program. Officials assert the changes would improve safety, upgrade communication effectiveness, boost aesthetics, save money and cut extraneous messages currently bombarding drivers along the parkway, starting from West 125th Street in Manhattan to the Westchester County border. With respect to the contentious removal of “Riverdale Avenue,” authorities

argue if the cross street were to remain on the new signs, a costly overhead sign would need to be erected—a structure that costs around $150,000 to install and maintain. CB8 economic development committee chair Sergio Villaverde threw his support behind preserving existing references to “Riverdale Avenue.” “My sense with discussing with the other chairs and others outside of this community board is that it’s unanimous that we all want to keep the nature of the Continued on Page 9

Mystery surrounds death of RKA alum in Illinois By MIAWLING LAM Tributes have begun to flow in for a Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy graduate whose lifeless body was found in the woods in Illinois last weekend. Authorities say Brandon Landau, 18, was found unconscious in a creek at White Pines State Park in Mount Morris, located about 100 miles west of Chicago, on Sunday morning. He was transported to Rockford Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead at 12:40 p.m., according to the Winnebago County Coroner’s office. Officials have yet to determine the cause of death. An autopsy report released on Monday was inconclusive, so authorities are now waiting on toxicology results. Landau graduated from M.S/H.S 141 last year and was a freshman at Illinois Wesleyan University, majoring in political science. The Wall Street Journal reported that Landau was also a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity and was attending a fraternity party at the state park on Saturday night. RKA principal Lori O’Mara said the school was in a state of mourning follow-

ing the sudden death. “He was just a really nice kid,” she said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “He was immensely responsible and supportive of his friends. He had grown up in this community, so many of the students have gone from kindergarten with Brandon.” O’Mara said Landau’s mother, who has worked at RKA as a school aide for at least 15 years, was inconsolable. “By all accounts, she’s devastated,” she said. “This was a very close-knit family. She’s very involved in her kids’ lives. The kids are at the peak of their lives, and it’s unimaginable what she would be going through.” Department of Education officials were on hand and provided counseling services to RKA students and faculty members on Monday. O’Mara said the school would hold a memorial in the coming weeks so students can pay their respects. Friends in Illinois told investigators they last saw Landau in the park at 2 a.m on Sunday. The coroner’s office said the only visible signs of trauma were superficial cuts and abrasions to his body.

5 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

Merchants lobby to keep Riverdale Ave. identified


located at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. in the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center, next door to the Van Cortlandt Branch of the NYPL.

Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Documentary film to be shown at HIR

Intimate Voices final concert of the season

Intimate Voices, a Riverdale-based chamber music series featuring worldclass musicians, will present the final concert of its third season on Saturday, March 10, at 8 p.m., at its home, the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR), 475 West 250th Street. The evening will include a wine-tasting provided by Skyview Wine and Spirits, complemented by cheeses from the Riverdale Kosher Market. The concert will present quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn as well as a 1991 string quartet by Uzbek émigré Dmitry Yanov-Yanovsky. Music director Sheila Reinhold says, ‘Yanov-Yanovsky’s music evokes the world of Uzbekistan and its ancient culture in a haunting soundscape that transports us and speaks directly to our hearts.’ Doors will open at 7:30 for wine-tasting, coffee and tea. The concert begins at 8 p.m., and refreshments will be served at intermission and at the reception with the musicians following the concert. Ticket price includes all food and drink. Participating musicians violist Danielle Farina, violinists Renee Jolles and Sheila Reinhold, and cellist James Wilson have performed in venues all over the United States and abroad as soloists as well as in ensembles ranging from major string quartets to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. This is their third season perform with Intimate

Voices in Riverdale. For tickets of further information, go to www.intimatevoices.org or call CSAIR at 718-543-8400.

‘Three Little Pigs’ at Lovinger Theatre

The Three Little Pigs meet Charlie’s Angels in a hilarious Kung Fu Wolf Caper spoof of the classic children’s story at Lovinger Theatre/Lehman College on Sunday, March 11 at 2 pm, 250 Bedford Park Blvd West and Paul Avenue, Bronx on the #4 & D Trains. Children will be introduced to the oboe, clarinet and bassoon in musical selections before the show. Music arranged by William Scribner. Adaption by Dante Albertie. Performance is appropriate for children 3 - 10. All tickets are $6. For tickets and information, please visit bronxartsensemble.org or call 718.601.7399.

CSAIR to welcome scholarin-residence

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) will welcome Judy Klitsner as its scholar-in-residence with programs on Friday, March 9; Saturday, March 10; and Monday, March 12. Klitsner, a disciple of renowned Torah scholar Nehama Leibowitz, is a Senior Faculty Member of the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She has been teaching Bible and biblical exegesis for more than two decades and has had a profound

impact on a generation of students. Her topic for the weekend will be ‘Biblical Reflections on the Origins of Leaderships: Unlikely Mentors and Models.’ There will be a Shabbat dinner and program on Friday evening, March 9 (prepaid reservations required for dinner); a Lunch and Learn on Saturday, March 10 following services (free and open to all; babysitting provided); and a talk on Monday, March 12, 7:45 p.m. (free and open to all. CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street. For more information, call 7181543-8400 or visit www.csair.org.

Brian Skinner presentation on Cliché Verre

Riverdale Art Association member Brian Skinner will present a talk and demonstration of his recent explorations in the medium of cliché verre at the association’s March 13th open meeting, held at the Atria, 3718 Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverdale, beginning at 7:00 PM. The technique, French for ‘glass negative,’ has been around almost since the invention of photography. It entails etching or drawing images on glass and celluloid negatives, often in layers, using inks, paints, chemical dyes, watercolors, and even felt markers. The scale of the originals is usually no larger than a 35mm negative, but they can be enlarged and printed without losing their high resolution and vibrant colors. Mr. Skinner has employed the technique in his own work for over forty years. Materials to produce a cliché verre will be offered to those who would like to try creating one at home. For more information, go to www. riverdaleartassociation.org. Riverdale Art Association meetings are open to the public and are the second Tuesday each month at the Riverdale Atria’s Community Room. The next meeting is scheduled for March 13th at 7:00PM. www.riverdaleartassociation.org

JASA Senior Center remembers Jerry Orbach

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center presents: Remembering Jerry: A Lullaby of Broadway, Film and Television Legend Jerry Orbach on Wed. March 14th, 2012 at 1:15 PM This presentation draws from John Anthony Gilvey’s biography, Jerry Orbach, Prince of the City (Applause Books, 2011) and is illustrated with archival video and film footage of the actor’s life and work. John Anthony Gilvey is an educator, stage director, and graduate of New York University’s doctoral program in Educational Theatre. He is a noted authority on the Broadway musical and the author of Jerry Orbach, Prince of the City (Applause Books, 2011) and Before the Parade Passes By: Gower Champion and the Glorious American Musical (St. Martins Press, 2005). Lunch served at 12:30 PM. Menu: Beef Stew, Brown Rice, Broccoli & Cauliflower and Fruit. Suggested Senior Contribution for Lunch: $2.00. Suggested Contribution for Event: $2.00 Please call the senior center office at 718-549-4700 to rsvp by Mon. March 12th. JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center is

Screening his rare footage of composer-performer Shlomo Carlebach’s triumphant concert tour of Poland in 1989, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Menachem Daum will discuss how ‘the singing rabbi’ helped reshape Jewish-gentile relations in a program to be held at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 3700 Henry Hudson Parkway in Riverdale, N.Y., on Saturday, March 10, at 8:30 P.M. Admission is a suggested $5 donation. For information: ravsteven@thebayit.org, tel: 718-796-4730, ext. 108. Daum, who co-directed and co-produced with Oren Rudavsky the Emmynominated ‘A Life Apart: Hasidism in America’ and ‘Hiding and Seeking,’ a film on Polish gentiles who sheltered Jews during World War II, is offering a peek at his new film-in-progress, tentatively titled ‘Opening the Gates,’ which will explore the changes since the fall of Communism in how Polish Jews and Christians view each other. In discussing the theme of his Riverdale talk and film, Daum said Reb Shlomo (as the late musician is known to his followers) utilized his genuine warmth, embrace of all Poles and uplifting spiritual music to captivate largely Catholic audiences in eight sold-out concerts held during his 10-day tour. Daum, who has returned numerous times to Poland with his camera, said the 1989 concert tour was pivotal ‘not only in shattering gentile stereotypes of Jews but in encouraging Jews themselves to ‘come out of hiding and see that it is okay to declare themselves both a Jew and a Pole.’ Daum will end his presentation with a scene of some 10,000 young Poles dancing at the 2010 Krakow Jewish Culture Festival to the same music he filmed Shlomo Carlebach performing in Poland two decades earlier.

Einstein orchestra to perform in concert

The Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra, under conductor/music director Stephen Moshman, will present a concert. The program will consist of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore. A complete concert performance featuring these performers: Filis Forman, Paul Geidel, John Holmboe, Christine Osborn, Jefferson Osborn, Christopher Silsby, John Thomas, and Eileen White. The performance will be held on Sunday, March 11 at 2 p.m. at Robbins Auditorium, Forchheimer Building, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue. Contributions suggested.

Toastmasters Club invites new members

Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale invites new members to join in at their free meeting on March 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Riverdale Neighborhood House, 5521 Mosholu Avenue. Wouldn’t you like to communicate effectively? Now you can! Toastmasters will show you how to listen effectively, think on your feet, and speak confidently. You will learn valuable leadership skillsall in a supportive, non-intimidating environment. Come as a guest and witness for yourself what they accomplish. They meet every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. For further information, visit their website http://www.bronxtoastmastersclub.org or call 718-796-6671.


Bronx Community College’s Irish heritage and culture committee will honor Riverdalian Derek Woods at a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon on Friday, March 16, from noon to 2:30 p.m. in Colston Hall. The community is invited to attend. The event will feature traditional Irish food and drink and entertainment by the Pete McKiernan Band and the Keltic Dreams Dancers. Derek Woods was deemed one of The Bronx’s leading Irish Americans in 2007. His video ‘Memory Brings Us Back,’ a documentary about Irish immigration in America, was nominated for an Emmy Award. For nearly two decades Woods has been Derek Woods part of BronxNet, a community cable television network housed on the Lehman College campus. Well known as host of the program ‘Bronx Magazine,’ he’s done features on nearly every neighborhood in the borough. He was a reporter for BXNY News, a precursor to News 12 The Bronx. In 1998 he founded DWI Productions, a company that creates custom videos including commercials, public service announcements, corporate brochures and training materials. He captured the 2009

inauguration of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day luncheon are $30 at the door. To place an ad in the souvenir program, contact Robert Whelan at 718-289-5162 or robert.whelan@ bcc.cuny.edu. The copy deadline is this Friday, March 9. Proceeds will benefit the college’s Early Childhood Center. Bronx Community College is located at 2155 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453.

Upcoming activities at Riverdale Temple

Purimspiel Returns!!! This Wednesday, March 7, 2012 @ 6:30 pm . Come enjoy “the Shpiel” and wine tasting at Riverdale Temple.. YIVO Lecture on “The Complicated World of Yiddish Folklore” by Itzik Gottesman, Associate Editor of the Yiddish Forward. Sunday, March 11 at 2pm. Learn more at www.yivo.org or call 212294-6127. Event will be held in the main floor ballroom at Riverdale Temple. Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Lewis. Tuesday March 13th, , 12-1:30pm at Riverdale Temple, downstairs in the Social Hall. 4545 Independence Ave. Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 Modernity in Yiddish Short Stories, led by Rabbi Lewis. March 13th at 7pm at Riverdale Temple... Adult Education with Steve Altarescu at Riverdale Temple, Thursday, March 15th, 6pm 4545 Independence Ave. Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800

Sisters of Charity offering ESL class and service opportunity

The Sisters of Charity, headquartered at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, are offering free evening English as a second language classes, both for those who want to learn how to read and write English and for those who just want to improve their everyday conversation skills. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. from Monday, March 26, through Wednesday, May 16. First-time participants may register on Monday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 21, from 4 to 7 p.m. in LeGras Hall on the CMSV campus, 6301 Riverdale Avenue at West 263rd Street. Returning students may register by phoning the office. For more information, contact Luz Reyes Devine at 718-549-9200, x244 or LDevine@scny.org. The Sisters of Charity of New York are offering their fifth year of Charity in the City, a two-week service program offering women volunteers between the ages of 18 and 25 a chance to live and work with the sisters in their ministries to the poor. Think of it as a short-term Peace Corps. The program runs from June 2 through June

17. Applications are due by May 15. For details, visit scny.org or contact Sr. Mary Lou McGrath at 718-549-9200, extension 244, or mlmcgrath@scny.org.

Morning of Jewish Stories at CSAIR

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale will welcome Peninnah Schram on Sunday, March 11 at 10:30 a.m. Schram is Professor of Speech and Drama at Stern College of Yeshiva University and an internationally-known storyteller. This program, for participants of all ages, will interweave folktales of various genres from the Sephardic (Middle Eastern) and Ashkenazic (Eastern European) oral traditions. Some are filled with intrigue and clever wit; all focus on wisdom and values that have been treasured by the Jewish people for generations. This multigenerational program is free and open to the community. CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street. For more information, call 7181543-8400 or visit www.csair.org.

Anti-Bullying Workshop at Riverdale Y

The Riverdale Y will host an ‘Anti- Bullying Workshop’ on Thursday, March 15 on the second floor at 6:30pm. This workshop is designed for children in grades 3 through 5 with their parents. There will be a panel and discussion about bullying led by Rabbi Gerson, followed by teens re-enacting different scenarios about situations that your child may encounter. A pizza dinner will be provided to all. This program is sponsored by Congregation Tehilla. For more information regarding this workshop, please contact Marilyn Raider at 718-548-8200 ext 203.. The Y is located 5625 Arlington Avenue.

7 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

Derek Woods honored by Bronx Community College

Riverdale Temple Women’s Seder, March 19th @ 6:30 pm . Please call the temple office at 718-548-3800 ext 0 for further details and registration information. Riverdale Temple Mommy, Daddy & Me group meets Thursdays and Sundays from 10am to 11am in our new playroom off of the 3rd floor library. Enjoy a snack and socialization with neighborhood moms, dads, and children ages birth to 3! Storytime, music and movement, guest speakers, and more! Only $20 each session. Next session beginning March 15th and 18th. Call 718-548-3800 ext. 0 for details.


Van Cortlandt

Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

8

REMEMBERING JERRY ORBACH 1:15 p.m. Van Cortlandt Senior Center 3880 Sedgwick Avenue This presentation draws from John Anthony Gilvey’s biography, Jerry Orbach, Prince of the City (Applause Books, 2011) and is illustrated with archival video and film footage of the actor’s life and work. Please call the senior center office at 718-549-4700 to RSVP.

Riverdale

Thursday, March 8 Riverdale

OPEN COMPUTER LAB 11 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Come to the Riverdale Library and get assistance on the computers. Bring your e-readers and we’ll show you how to download ebooks from the Library. Practice your new skills at your own pace. Ask questions and learn from doing. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Kingsbridge

GIRLS ARE HEROES, TOO 4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Clever girls, brave girls, feisty girls who outwit the ogre and get what they want! Regina Ress tells folktales from around the world that celebrate the strength and smarts of women and girls. Good fun for the boys too! For ages 5 and older. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Friday, March 9

BILINGUAL BIRDIES 10:30 a.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street A foreign language and live music program for children ages newborn to five years old with parent/caregiver. The bilingual musicians teach through live music, movement, puppetry and games. Each session ends with a lively bubble dance party! Children learn basic vocabulary and short phrases while playing with instruments and fun props. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Spuyten Duyvil

POT OF GOLD 3:30 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Master storyteller Patrick Richwood brings three Irish folktales to life using innovative costumes, props, and music. His interactive storytelling allows audience members to actively participate in the program by engaging with call and response chants and embodying the movements from the characters in the folktales. For ages 5 to 12. For info, call 718-796-1202.

Saturday, March 10 Spuyten Duyvil

ONE-WOMAN SHOW 2 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Dorothy Leeds will perform unique and often comic portraits of real women that eventually become facets of one woman’s wish to live a spirited life. For more info, call 718-796-1202.

Riverdale

CONCERT 8 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 475 West 250th Street Iintimate Voices will present their final concert of the season. For tickets, go to www.intimatevoices.org or call 718-543-8400.

Sunday, March 11 Riverdale

JEWISH STORIES 10:30 a.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 475 West 250th Street Peninnah Schram will interweave folktales of various genres, focusing on wisdom and values treasured by the Jewish people for generations. For more info, call 718-543-8400.

Riverdale

LENTEN LECTURE 1 p.m. St. Gabriel’s Church 3250 Arlington Avenue Maurice Timothy Reidy will speak on the topic, ‘The Church.’ For more information, call 718-548-4471.

Bedford Park

THREE LITTLE PIGS 2 p.m. Lehman College Lovinger Theatre The Three Little Pigs meet Charlie’s Angels in a hilarious Kung Fu Wolf Caper spoof of the classic children’s story. Performance is appropriate for children 3 - 10. All tickets are $6. For tickets and information, please visit bronxartsensemble. org or call 718.601.7399.

Riverdale

JEWISH CULTURE SERIES 2 p.m. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue

Itzik Gottesman, Associate Editor of the Yiddish Forward will be speaking on “The Complicated World of Yiddish Folklore.” The event is free.

Monday, March 12 Riverdale

CB8 MEETING 7 p.m. Community Board 8 5676 Riverdale Avenue Meeting of the Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee of Community Board 8. For more info, call 718-884-3959.

Riverdale

WRITING CLASS 7 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue The Riverdale Y recently opened a Writers’ Center to foster people’s love for the written word. Class for ‘Elements of Writing Fiction’ on March 12. For more information and to register, please visit riverdaley.org. For those interested in the poetry workshop, please contact Sarah Stern directly at 718-432-9042 or 917-667-6528.

Tuesday, March 13 Riverdale

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT 10:30 a.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue Simon Senior Center presents “The Greatest Hits from the Past” with Joe Salvatore. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224.

Riverdale

TODDLER STORY TIME 11:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Toddlers from 18 months to 3 years old and their parents/caregivers can enjoy interactive stories, action songs, and fingerplays, and spend time with other toddlers in the neighborhood. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Riverdale

HADASSAH MEETING 2 p.m. Atria Community Room 3718 Henry Hudson Parkway East The Bronx Chapter of Hadassah will meet. Fern Tannenbaum, past-president of the Westchester Region, is the guest speaker.

Riverdale

FIERCE AND FABULOUS FASHION 4 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue West African traditions meets New York styles in this fun fashion workshop. Join Vickie Freemont as you create your own t-shirt, bag, or bracelet! All materials will be provided. For ages 12 to 18 years old. For more info, call 718-549-1212.

Riverdale

WRITING CLASS 7 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue The Riverdale Y recently opened a Writers’ Center to foster people’s love for the written word. Class for ‘How to Make a Poem’ on March 13. For more information and to register, please visit riverdaley.org. For those interested in the poetry workshop, please contact Sarah Stern directly at 718-432-9042 or 917-667-6528.

Riverdale

RAA MEETING 7 p.m. Atria Community Room 3718 Henry Hudson Parkway East Brian Skinner will present a talk and demonstration of his recent explorations in the medium of cliché verre. For more information, go to www.riverdaleartassociation.org.

Wednesday, March 14 Kingsbridge

TODDLER STORY TIME 11 a.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Stories, songs, fingerplays, puppets for toddlers 18-36 months for parents and caregivers. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Riverdale

DANCING 1 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue Simon Senior Center presents ‘Dancing with Henry Covner.’ The entire community is invited. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224.

TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING 7 p.m. Riverdale Neighborhood House 5521 Mosholu Avenue Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale invites new members to join in at their free meeting. For further information, visit their website: www.bronxtoastmastersclub.org or call 718-796-6671.

Riverdale

CB8 MEETING 7:30 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 475 West 250th Street Meeting of the Land Use Committee of Community Board 8. For more information, call 718-884-3959.


By MIAWLING LAM Straphangers who cram onto overcrowded Bx7 buses will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials last week announced that starting on April 8, buses on the hugely popular route would run every six minutes, up from the current eightminute headway. The change, which applies strictly to the evening peak hours of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., was officially unveiled at last month’s Community Board 8 traffic and transportation committee meeting.

MTA transportation planner and engineer Lewis Thorwaldson said the timetable change means bus commuters should experience shorter waits and less crowded buses. “During the p.m. peak hour, the Bx7 will be going from an eightminute to six-minute headway,” he said. “It’s a 20 percent change increase, and it goes from approximately 7.5 buses per hour to 10.” Documents also reveal the enhanced timetable will bring the route’s “guideline capacity” down from the existing 109 percent to 87 percent.

Riverdale Avenue signage

Continued from Page 5 neighborhood identified in some specific way,” he said. “So whatever the Department of Transportation does, it should actually work to promote the business districts and the unique characters of all the neighborhoods, especially those within our community board.” New York State Department of Transportation spokesman Adam Levine said authorities were still in the design process and assured the public that no final decision has been made. He also stressed that officials have been made aware of the community’s concerns. “We anticipate that there will be additional conversations and some get-togethers in the near future to try and discuss things

and see all the different sides of the issue,” he said. The signage design process is set to finish in October, before construction begins in spring 2013. Work is set for completion by fall 2014. Just last month, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz panned the idea after NYSDOT representatives presented their plans at a joint CB8 meeting. “Taking ‘Riverdale Avenue’ off those signs is a mistake,” he said at the time. “The streets in Riverdale are confusing to many people, and saying there’s not enough room for ‘Riverdale Avenue’ is a pretty lame reason. “I’m sure they can find a way to include the words ‘Riverdale Avenue’ on those signs.”

The rare scheduling improvement afforded to the Bx7 service, which runs between Riverdale and Washington Heights, was won after Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz complained about the lengthy waits his constituents had to endure on weeknights. The change has been deemed cost-neutral because straphangers riding on the Bx1/Bx2, Bx4/Bx4A and Bx33 during the week will face slightly longer waits, while those traveling on the Bx7, Bx10 and Bx18 will see more frequent service. For the Bx 10, headway will be reduced from 10 to 9 minutes during evening peak hours and from 12 to 9 minutes during evening travel. On weekends, there will be fewer Bx1/Bx2, Bx4/Bx4A and Bx31 buses but enhanced service on the Bx7 and Bx10. In a wide-ranging and brutally frank presentation, MTA representatives told Community Board 8 that budget cuts have been particularly damaging. Jacqueline Carter of the MTA’s office of Government and Community Relations said spending cuts have put ambitious plans, such as possible extensions to the Bx1 route and service rationalizations with Westchester routes, on the back burner. “At this point in history, our big problem is money,” she said. “Right now, we’re not looking at it because we don’t have money to extend bus routes.”

Officials also provided an update on the ongoing station repairs along the No. 1 subway line and predicted work would be completed by July. Since last year, workers have been refurbishing the 225th, 238th and 242nd Street stations and replaced canopies, installed new staircases and repaved platforms.

Carter said work at the 242nd Street subway terminal was 75 percent complete. Meanwhile, MTA officials announced that between April 2 and May 7, all northbound No. 1 services will bypass the 225th Street station so workers can put in a new staircase and fix the canopy. Southbound service will remain in operation.

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9 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

Enhanced local bus service coming in April


Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

10

Manhattan College cafeteria workers regain lost jobs By JEANETTE SETTEMBRE Recently, the National Labor Relations Board said that Gourmet Dining Services, the food service vendor at Manhattan College must agree to hire all former Sodexo employees as of Wednesday, February 29. Sodexo was replaced as the College’s vendor last year. “I can confirm that there was a charge filed on the basis of a discriminatory hiring practice,” Regional Attorney for the NLRB, David Leach said Friday. Back in May, Gourmet told former Sodexo employees that they could reapply for their jobs at a job fair with no guarantee of employment. Those few who were eventually hired were offered significantly lower wages under the new dining service. According to Leach, when a new company takes over, they are obligated to bargain with the former union if the majority of the workers are kept on. Because only 20 out of the 80 Sodexo employees were hired, their previous union, Unite Here, was soon replaced by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a construction union selected by Gourmet, to represent the current food service staff. After being dismissed, representatives from Unite Here went to the NLRB claiming that Gourmet violated federal employment law by not hiring the former employees and bringing in a union that was not of the current workers’ choice. Instead of directly pursuing a trial, the NLRB gave Gourmet the option to rehire former Sodexo employees, compensating them with six months of lost pay and benefits from May 31, and also have the Unite Here union resume its representation. If the

parties are unable to resolve the issue, a trial will be held before a judge as to whether or not there was a violation. Failure to comply could result in criminal charges against Gourmet Dining Services. Gourmet General Manger, Anthony Frungillo, verified that the dining service was using both an internal legal counsel as well as an outside law firm. “We’re still in negotiations right now. Nothing is finalized yet,” Frungillo said Friday afternoon. Although the college is free to sign a contract with any agency, there has been a tradition that the workers from the old company continue to work for the new one. Vice President for Finance and Capital Projects, Thomas Ryan, who negotiated Gourmet’s contract claimed to have been unaware of the conflict. “Manhattan is impartial and uninvolved in the legal matter,” he said. President Brennan O’Donnell was unable to be reached for comment. Religious Studies professor and Director of the Labor Studies Program, Dr. Joseph Fahey said, “Gourmet may be legally responsible, but Manhattan is morally responsible” using principles of Catholic Social Teaching as precedent. Senior James Splendore helped organize students to join the Unite Here rally this past fall. “It seems that Manhattan College and Gourmet Dining were acting in their best economic interest throughout this process, at the expense of sensible social action,” Splendore said. Leach assured, “The investigation is under control. There have been some decisions made by the regional director, Karen Fernbach, giving the parties time to attempt to resolve the issue without any further litigation.”

As for back pay and restored benefits, Leach confirmed Monday that, “the workers are entitled to what they would have earned have they not been discriminated against. They just should have known better,” Fahey said in regard to Gourmet Dining Services. “The good news is the parties came to a resolution,” Leach said. Although the issue is still under consideration, it was confirmed that a training period will begin

March 12 for the former Sodexo employees, and they will resume work following the spring recess on March 19. “I think that justice has definitely been served. We as students saw an opportunity to stand up for those in need of help in our community and luckily there were professors and institutions (namely the NLRB) that facilitated that process. Hopefully this victory can inspire other students to stand up when they see injustice. It will be an uplifting moment when I see these men and women back on campus,” Splendore said.

Police seek closure of massage parlor Continued from Page 1 charged with one count of prostitution count during a similar sting at the premises on December 22. It is not known whether the two women are related, but both women reside in the same house. The NYPD Vice Squad, which is attached to the Organized Crime Control Bureau, is charged with investigating matters relating specifically to prostitution, gambling and alcohol-related issues. Councilman G. Oliver Koppell’s community affairs director Andrew Sandler welcomed the latest arrest, particularly in view of previous run-ins with The Lounge, a bar located within the same facility as the massage parlor. He said although complaints about the watering hole have centered on liquorlicense compliance, “the problem has always been what’s been above it and what kind of business they were doing there, so it’s welcome news if they’re going to be shutting that down.” However, Sandler stressed that The

Lounge will not be affected by any courtmandated closure. Manhattan College declined to comment on the latest development, despite having previously expressed concerns about the parlor. State Senator Jeffrey Klein, who alerted Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to the facility’s alleged illegal conduct in a letter last month, said such behavior didn’t belong in Riverdale. “This suspected activity has no place in our communities, and I am grateful that the 50th Precinct has shown time and time again that it will not tolerate illegal and illicit behavior,” he said in a statement to the Review. “Assemblyman Dinowitz and I have introduced legislation that will help uproot and shut down massage parlors that act as a front for prostitution.” Under the proposed legislation, state officials would revoke the operating license of a massage parlor if police rack up three prostitution arrests. As of press time, attempts to contact New Healing Touch were unsuccessful.


Continued from Page 1 can Studies at Lehman College, Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College and LaGuardia High School were among the schools that offered seats to their students. “We are proud to announce the great achievement our eighth-graders have made this year at Kinneret Day School,” she said. “A special thank you to all the teachers who motivated our students, set high goals and provided them with an excellent education.” Admission to eight of the city’s nine specialized high schools are based on the results of the Specialized High School Admissions Test, a competitive exam taken by around 28,000 eighth-graders each year. The schools that admit students based on these test results are The Bronx High School of Science; The Brooklyn Latin School; Brooklyn Technical High School; High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College; High School of American Studies at Lehman College; Queens High School for the Sciences at York College; Staten Island Technical High School; and Stuyvesant High School. Entrance to the ninth prestigious school, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, is judged on an audition and a review of academic records. Overall, 5,360 eighth-graders across the five boroughs this year received an offer based on their test results.

Students from Queens accounted for the bulk of admissions with 1,919 securing offers, followed by those living in Brooklyn with 1,676 and Manhattan with 1,074. Only 322 students from The Bronx snared a coveted seat this year, compared with 333 last year and 334 in 2010. As of press time, the number of Bronx students accepted at LaGuardia was unavailable. The disappointing figures come despite a citywide breakdown showing that Bronx students comprised of 17 percent of test-takers. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said the results were discouraging. “I am, of course, happy for the Bronx students that have been granted admission to our city’s specialized public high schools,” he said. “With that said, I remain concerned that the number of Bronx students who are able to take advantage of this opportunity remains far too low, and my office will continue to work to increase the number of borough students in our specialized high schools through our education consortium and other initiatives.” Admission statistics also show Asians secured a whopping 46 percent of spots while whites were offered 23 percent of the slots. However, education officials tried to spin the results by highlighting the uptick in blacks and Latinos who were admitted to the elite schools. Records show blacks received 6 percent of offers and Latinos 8 percent, slightly higher than the number of those admitted in the previous two years.

11 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

RKA students win spots in top schools


Diaz releases ed summit report By MIAWLING LAM Better collaboration among parents, teachers, elected officials and city authorities is the key to lifting the performance and graduation rates of Bronx students. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced the finding—as part of a shopping list of school reforms—in a 21-page policy paper released on Friday, March 2. The white paper, entitled “Unclogging, Strengthening and Insulating the Bronx Educational Pipeline: A Call to Action,” proposes a handful of reforms at every level. Recommendations are based on the inaugural Bronx education summit held at Lehman College last October.

Writing classes at Riv. Y

FELD ENTERTAINMENT

©2011 Feld Entertainment

Why travel to Manhattan to satisfy that itch to write? The Riverdale Y recently opened a Writers’ Center-the first of its kind in Riverdale-to foster people’s love for the written word. To celebrate the launch, three workshops will begin in mid-March encompassing fiction writing, poetry and memoirs. Classes for ‘Elements of Writing Fiction’ starts on Monday, March 12 at 7 p.m., ‘How to Make a Poem’ on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. while ‘Writing a Spiritual Memoir’ begins on Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m. Registration fees are $180 for nonmembers and $150 for Riverdale Y members and cover 10 sessions. Each class will run for up to three hours. For more information and to register, please visit riverdaley.org. For those interested in the poetry workshop, please contact Sarah Stern directly at 718-432-9042 or 917-667-6528.

pipeline means preventing students from of Department of Education policies and falling through its cracks during critical higher-performing students in The Bronx transitions under the current K-16 sys- and citywide,” Diaz said in a statement. “In the future, when we look at how The paper suggests that bolstering tem,” the report concludes. “If we expect to prepare every Bronx much education has improved in The outcomes for all students, particularly English-language learners and those student to compete and succeed well into Bronx, we can look back on how the with special needs, will unlock the the future, where a pipeline exist, it must education policy paper findings played untapped capacity and talent of the be strengthened and insulated; where an important role in enhancing Bronx there is none, it must be created.” education for the 1.4 million Bronxites, borough’s youth. Diaz said the paper would become a who strongly believe that children only “[The] institutional disregard for satisfying the educational needs of our blueprint for future educational policies get one chance at a quality education, Bronx students must stop,” the docu- and that if the reforms are enacted, they which is the key to a better life and a road would help lift the graduation rates of out of poverty.” ment states. At last year’s summit, education reform “Collaboration and strategic action are Bronx students. BL195740 Job No.: He said his administration would con- advocate Diane Ravitch delivered the keythe appropriate response for tapping into NEWARK/E. Ad Size: working with educational institu- note address and ripped into officials for the potential that every student tinue RUTHERFORD/UNIONDALE Engagement City: Bronx tions, community-based organizations, creating a dysfunctional school system. possesses. The students andTRADE families re- AD Section: Media: She accused Tweed authorities of siding in The Bronx have the capacity to service providers and parents to push treating public school students like excel in education, if they are given the through the batch of reforms. Insertion Date(s): “This paper will serve as the roadmap stepchildren, branded mayoral control opportunity to do so.” Reforms are organized according to toward making substantive change that as disastrous and said parent voices were pipelines, or important stages along the will lead to both better implementation being stifled. educational cycle, such as early childhood through pre-K, grades K through 5, grades 6 thorugh 8, grades 9 through 12, and higher education. Among the key recommendations are improving the quality of science and math instruction in elementary schools, creating additional funding that allows schools to provide tutoring and mentoring for Engligh language learners and affiliating each Bronx high school with at least two college readiness programs so students are better equipped. Suspending public tuition for students undertaking remediation, developing a more comprehensive and consistent outreach program for parents, and creating an online portal connecting members from all boroughs with best practices and relevant information are also recommended. “Sealing gaps in the Bronx education

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Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Yonkers

JOURNAL PARTY 4 p.m. Riverfront Library One Larkin Center Come to the Riverfront Library Community Room (2nd Floor) on Thursday to learn about journaling and to play games based on the books. Each partygoer will receive a free journal! The Wimpy Kid/Big Nate Journal Party is for children ages 8-14 and is limited to twenty children. Registration is required. Call the Children’s Department at (914) 337-1500 ext. 428 for more information and to register.

Pleasantville

PANEL DISCUSSION 6:30 p.m. Pace University Kessel Student Center What’s the secret to sustaining balance in a fast-moving society? What defines a “Good Life” and how do we get it? These questions will be explored at the first event in the Pace University spring lecture series. “The Good Life: Your Guide to Living a Life You Love” will be a panel discussion. The event is free and open to the public. For info, email PaceCounseling@Pace.edu.

Friday, March 9 Yonkers

EVENING OF IRISH CULTURE 7 p.m. Saunders High School 183 Palmer Road The McLean Avenue Band and Emerald Fire Dancers will be featured at an “Evening of Irish Culture” hosted by the Untermyer Performing Arts Council (UPAC). Admission is free. For more information, call 914-375-3435.

Bronxville

Yonkers

DOCUMENTARY FILM 7 p.m. Beczak Environmental Education Center 35 Alexander Street Explore the connection between gas drilling and drinking water at the screening of Gasland, the Sundance award-winning documentary. For more information, call 914-377-1900 x 13. COLLEGIUM WESTCHESTER CONCERT 8 p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Ossining 34 South Highland Avenue Collegium Westchester’s chorus and orchestra will perform Bach’s Motet BWV 118, Stravinsky’s Symphonies of Wind Instruments, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27. Suzanne Rossini is the soprano soloist, and Eric Kramer is piano soloist and conductor. Admission is free. For more information, call 914-282-8611 or visit www. collegiumwestchester.org.

MAPLE SUGARING PARTY 11 a.m. Greenburgh Nature Center 99 Dromore Road Family fun to celebrate the end of winter and the peak of the maple sugaring season, when the warming daytime temperatures encourage the sap to flow. Featured events include depictions of Native American and Colonial style sugaring sites, crafts, candy and ice cream making. For discounted rate, register and pre-pay online by Saturday, March 10. Visit our homepage to purchase your tickets. Early registration rates: Members-$4, Non-members-$8. Day of event rates: Members-$8, Non-members $12. Sponsored in part by WFAS, ShopRite, L.L. Bean, Whole Foods Market and Westchester County Parks. For more information, call 914-723-3470.

HISTORY TALK 1 p.m. St. Paul’s Church 897 S. Columbus Avenue Please join us for a talk and discussion about “How did the Americans win the Revolutionary War”? For more information, call David Osborn, 914-667-4116.

Saturday, March 10 Dobbs Ferry

GENEALOGY 10 a.m. Aldersgate Methodist Church 600 Broadway The Westchester County Genealogical Society welcomes Joe Buggy, who will talk on ‘Researching Irish Ancestors in New York City.’ There will be refreshments and genealogical networking starting at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call Philomena Dunn at 914-953-9173.

Mt. Vernon

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 12 p.m. St. Paul’s Church 897 S. Columbus Avenue In recognition of March as Women’s History Month, at 1:00 enjoy a dramatic presentation by Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, who lived near St. Paul’s in the 1790s. At 2:00, the world renowned Ajkun Ballet Theatre presents a special dance sequence evoking the lives of three prominent women from American history associated with St. Paul’s - Anne Hutchinson, Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt. For info, contact David Osborn, 914-667-4116.

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ONE-ACT PLAYS 8 p.m. Arts Westchester 31 Mamaroneck Avenue Two evenings of one-plays featuring Red Monkey Theater Group production of James McClure’s “Lone Star” and Axial Theatre presents “The Magician” by Linda Giuliano. For more information, email Tom VanBuren at tvanburen@artswestchester.org

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MUSICAL 7 p.m. Sarah Lawrence College Reisinger Concert Hall Spring Awakening. A student produced and directed musical set in late-19th century Germany, the story follows Wendla Bergmann, Moritz Stiefel, Melchior Gabor and their peers as they struggle to understand the meaning of sexuality and violence. Join this group of German students on their passage as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion in the daring, remarkable Spring Awakening. March 9 and 10. Please RSVP at (914)-395-2412. DANCE 7:30 p.m. Sarah Lawrence College Schonberg Dance Studio Open Dance Concert. Sarah Lawrence College Dance student performances. March 9 and 10. For more information, please call (914) 395-2433.

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SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH 12 p.m. Wainwright House 260 Stuyvesant Avenue A resourceful and flexible bassist, Ron McClure has thrived in hard bop, jazz-rock, and free and bebop sessions and bands. One of the finest upper register players on either acoustic or electric, his rhythmic skills are tremendous. Reservations are Required. $35 per person. Call 914-967-6080 or register online at www.wainwright.org

Wednesday, March 14 Mt. Vernon

Thursday, March 15 Yonkers

DIARY PARTY 4 p.m. Riverfront Library One Larkin Center Yonkers Riverfront Library will host a Dumb and Dorky Diary Party. Come to the 2nd floor Community Room to learn about journaling and play games based on the books Dear Dumb Diary and The Dork Diaries. Each partygoer will receive a free diary to keep. The Dumb and Dorky Diary Party is for children ages 8-14 and is limited to twenty children. Registration is required. This is a free event. Call the Children’s Department at (914) 337-1500 ext. 428 for more information and to register.

Sunday, March 18 Scarsdale

GOAT STROLL 11 a.m. Greenburgh Nature Center 99 Dromore Road Come meet our goats and help take them for a walk around the Nature Center. Join naturalist Greg Wechgelaer and the goats on an informative stroll through our trails. Members-$2, Nonmembers-$6. For more information, call 914-723-3470.

Friday, March 23 Bronxville

BOOK DISCUSSION 4 p.m. Sarah Lawrence College Heimbold Visual Arts Center Sarah Lawrence College alumna, Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire, will read and discuss her book on the involvement of Great Britain in the US Civil War. This event is presented by the Friends of the Library, and is free and open to the public. For more information please call (914)-395-2412.

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The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

Thursday, March 8


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The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012


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Runners, walkers and hardcore fitness enthusiasts are being encouraged to register for Riverdale Mental Health Association’s annual Healthy Minds/ Healthy Bodies 5K run/walk. The fun run will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 11 at Van Cortlandt Park, with the course meandering around the picturesque grounds. Shorter fun runs will be available for children and toddlers. Acclaimed ESPN broadcaster Jeremy Schaap will be the event’s honorary celebrity starter and will kick off proceedings at Van Cortlandt Park’s stadium. Entry fees are $20 for adults and $15 for those under 21, and include refreshments, commemorative t-shirts and awards. All proceeds will benefit RMHA’s programs and services. Interested participants can pre-register at rmha.org/rmha5k, or on the day of the event from 9 a.m. For more information, please contact Emily Ross at 718-796-5300 ext. 106 or via email at eross@rmha.org

CB 8 seeks nominations for Community Service Award

Bronx Community Board No. 8 is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for the Bronx Community Board No. 8 2012 Community Service

Award. The Community Service Award was established to acknowledge the many volunteer efforts of groups and individuals within our community. It is our belief that by recognizing our committed community volunteers, we can in some small way reward those most deserving and inspires others to follow their example. The only criteria for consideration is that the nominee has acted on a volunteer basis to improve or enhance, in some way, the quality of life of those living or working in the Bronx Community Board No. 8 area. The nominations are open to individuals, students and organizations or groups with an interest in the community. Those who are salaried for their efforts or who perform these services as an extension of their professional responsibility are not eligible for this award. Entries must include the name of the person or group being nominated, contact information; i.e., address and phone number, a description and nature of the volunteer work for which the nominee is being considered, including its duration and the resulting impact on the community. All contributions to our community, big and small, will be considered. The individual or organization offering the nomination must also be identified, including a contact number. Nominations must be received by Friday, April 6, 2012, emailed to brxcb8@optonline.net or addressed to:

Robert G. Abbott, Chairperson, Community Service Award Committee, Community Board No. 8 Bronx, 5676 Riverdale Avenue, Suite 100, Bronx, NY 10471. For more information, visit our website at http://www.nyc.gov/bronxcb8

At the Riverdale Y Simon Senior Center

Come enjoy ‘The Greatest Hits from the Past’ with Joe Salvatore on Tuesday, March 13 at 10:30AM at the Riverdale Y’s Simon Senior Center. Salvatore will be playing hits by Dean Martin, Sinatra, Motown classics and more on his saxophone. The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Ave. The entire community is invited. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224. ‘Dancing with Henry Covner.’ Wednesday, March 14 at 1PM join the Simon Senior Center of The Riverdale Y for dancing with music from around the world by the talented Henry Covner. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes and a smile! The entire community is invited. The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Ave. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224. The composer and pianist, Isaac Ben Ayala will be giving a lecture ‘Big Bands,’ Tuesday, March 20 at 1PM at The Simon

Senior Center of The Riverdale Y. Ayala will explore the rich American tradition that has come to be known as ‘Big Band Music’ including greats, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, and more! The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Ave. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224. The entire community is invited. ‘Chair Yoga.’ Join the Simon Senior Center Wednesday, March 21 at 1PM for Chair Yoga with Sandra Bernstein. Breath easier, release stress, and feel renewed! The Simon Senior center is located in the Riverdale Y on 5625 Arlington Ave. For more information please call Vicki at 718-548-8200 ext. 224

Riverdale Hadassah to meet at Atria

The Bronx Chapter of Hadassah will meet on Tuesday, March 13, 2 p.m., in The Atria Community Room, 3718 Henry Hudson Parkway. Centennial Celebration Tea. Fern Tannenbaum, past-president of the Westchester Region, is our guest speaker. She will join us as we celebrate the many accomplishments that your membership and generous support has helped Hadassah achieve. We are looking forward to seeing all of you and having you enjoy the refreshments that our sponsor, The Atria, will provide.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

RMHA to host 3rd annual 5K run/walk


Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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GUEST EDITORIAL

A Green Light for Israel (Editorial of The New York Sun – nysun.com • March 6, 2012)

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s summit meeting with President Obama turned out to have quite a satisfactory outcome, as far as we’re concerned, in that, at least from what one can deduce from the public record, Israel has gained a green light to do what it wants in respect of Iran. It is true Mr. Obama offered cautionary words about loose talk of war and expressed his preference for a diplomatic solution. But in his interview with Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic, the president made a point of declaring that he tries constantly to reinforce the assumption that “we’ve got Israel’s back.” He reiterated the point to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. What else can that mean in plain language other than that America will cover Israel’s back come the battle? We’re well aware that our view of this whole debate is at odds with received wisdom. We don’t share the preference for a diplomatic solution. We’ve sometimes quipped that the Sun’s policy is “diplomacy as a last resort.” We don’t mean that we prefer war to peace. We do mean that a long newspaper life has taught us that the frequent restatement of a preference for a diplomatic solution provides an incentive for our adversaries to weave and dodge and string things out. In the case of Iran, it has gone on for something like a generation. The same can be said in respect of the Palestinian Arabs. What possible incentive could our adversaries have to settle if our preferred process is diplomacy? The sad truth is that diplomacy is an invitation to appeasement. It is one of the things that becomes ever more clear in retrospect of Munich. Was it merely the pact signed in 1938 that was the error? Surely it was an error. But the real error was going to Munich in the first place. The talks were the appeasement. It would be a mistake to draw too much of a comparison between what is happening in the Middle East today and Munich. But it would not be a mistake to warn that diplomacy has its own dangers. It is hard to imagine a diplomatic settlement to the Iranian crisis that does not leave in place, even legitimize a regime that is anti-democratic and hostile not only to Israel but to America. The overlap, the unity of the national interests of America and Israel was also well put by both Messrs. Netanyahu and Obama, at least in the public record. Hearing it no doubt it drives the European elites and the anti-Israel factions here a bit crazy. The Financial Times even ran out a piece on the summit by Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, who characterized the Israeli premier as Mr. Obama’s “least favorite foreign leader.” Said the FT in its headline: “Mr. Obama must take a stand against Israel over Iran.” Their advice seems to have slid right past Mr. Obama. Does the fact that the public record of this summit makes it clear that Israel has a green light to use its judgment mean that an attack on Iran is inevitable? We’d figure the answer is no — or up to Iran. It does make it logical for the season of threats and warnings to come to an end. No doubt Iran’s nuclear program poses a great deal more difficult a military problem than Iraq’s did a generation and a half ago. But one feature is similar. It is the notion that should war come, the best way would be out of the blue, the way it did when Menachem Begin sent American-built warplanes into the skies over Iraq and destroyed the nuclear plant at Osirak, and the sun stood still over Gibeon. One morning Iraq had a nuclear program and the next it didn’t, and the debate became something for academic historians.

Stone thrown at Engel meant for all Jews

To the Editor: The recent article by Miawling Lam, “Attack on Engel, others in Israel fizzles” opens with the following quote: “Vandals hurled a large rock at Congressman Eliot Engel in a dramatic turn of events during his recent visit to a Jewish cemetery in Israel. Engel, fellow Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein escaped unscathed after they dodged a large baseball sized rock at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives last Friday.” Located in Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives is the most famous Jewish Cemetery in the world. It contains the graves of 150,000 people including such notables as Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Henrietta Szold the founder of Hadassah and various other cultural figures, well known Rabbis and politicians. One would think that such a site would be protected by the

Israeli government. Sadly, this is not the case. According to an Editorial in the Jerusalem Post on February 29, 2012: “This incomparable site is systematically targeted by its Arab neighbors, who regularly desecrate it and attack mourners and visitors.” “Vandals still smear human feces on tombs and deluge them with household rubbish and construction debris. Markers are daubed in tar and paint. Hate graffiti are scrawled and gravestones are hammered and shattered. Nocturnal devastation is accompanied by daytime assaults. Mourners fear going there. Vehicles are habitually stoned from the yard of a nearby Arab school in an especially

Muslim surveillance—a matter of life or death

To The Editor: The main section of the N.Y. Times is divided into three main parts: international news, national news and local news. The international news compo-

ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher

Note our New Address: 5752 Fieldston Road Bronx, New York 10471 (718) 543-5200 FAX: (718) 543-4206

JOEL PAL Production Manager ROBERT NILVA Marketing Director

eerie expression of enmity.” “Inconceivably, there’s no respite from the deliberate predations on the mountain slopes where Jews have been interring their dead for over 3,000 years.” The writer closed his editorial with this apt summation: ” A state which aspires to keep its capital undivided must surely be capable of stopping the rampant anarchy and abandon on the Mount of Olives.” One must wonder what this type of behavior says about the Arabs. How can they be trusted to live in peace with Israel when they can’t even let dead Jews rest in peace and harass people going to the cemetery to visit graves of loved ones? David Frankel

CECILIA McNALLY Office Manager MIAWLING LAM Associate Editor

STAFF: Robert Lebowitz, Brendan McHugh, Richard Reay, Paulette Schneider, Lloyd Ultan, Daniel R. Wolf

nent gives extensive coverage to events going on all over the world, and has for many years exposed the countless instances of savagery, butchery and murder committed by Muslim fanatics in countries throughout half the globe -- with all this violence and brutality being perpetrated solely to promote the expansion of Islam and Sharia law. Not only have these religious zealots maimed, beheaded and slaughtered Christians and Jews, but they have also massacred millions of their fellow Muslims — even murdering those on pilContinued on Page 19


By MIAWLING LAM Local merchants and residents are devising strategies to boost economic development and capitalize on possible increased foot traffic from the yet-tobe-built Van Cortlandt Park ice skating rink. Preliminary discussions on how to keep local cash registers ringing kicked off at last Thursday’s Community Board 8 economic development committee meeting. With the rink set to open for business in less than seven months, members have turned their attention to ensuring local businesses benefit from the expected spike in visitors. Ideas suggested include encouraging merchants in Riverdale and Kingsbridge to offer coupons or special promotions such as selling discount hot chocolate to skaters. CB8 economic development chair Sergio Villaverde said the skating rink could represent a boon for the area if the community plays its cards right. “I feel that our role is to make the connections between local merchants and the project that’s coming in,” he said. “In the winter time, [local businesses] are basically dead. It’s really feast to famine, so they’re looking forward to anything that will get people through in the winter time,” he said. Villaverde said he has reached out to representatives from the concessionaire, Ice Rink Events, and hopes for a joint meeting with several other committees by June. At a public hearing last month, three of the 20 people who signed up to de-

liver testimonies spoke of the economic development benefits of the rink, including Skyview Wines & Spirits owner Gary Wartels. “I think the skating rink would really be a tremendous boost for businesses,” he said at the time. “Something like an ice rink can really help vitalize the area, and this is just a really unique opportunity to make it happen.” However, not everyone is convinced skaters will remain in the area long enough to part with their cash. CB8 member Robert Press predicted many parents would drop off their children at the rink and pick them up once they’re finished. “People are going to go over to the park and not cross over the street,” he said. “I say this because I’ve seen developments go up where you have the large store on one side and then you have smaller stores away from it, and those smaller stores see less than half of the business at the larger store.” But fellow CB8 member Xaxia Sanchez said with the rink slated to offer a limited amount of snacks, patrons may explore their surroundings and eat in the area. “What may happen is that people may come outside to eat or eat across than street rather than actually purchasing inside the ice skating rink,” she said. According to the 15-year license agreement, the skating rink will operate the entire winter season, from October 15 through March 30. The rink will measure 80 feet by 170 feet—just shy of an NHL regulation

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Muslim surveillance—a matter of life or death Continued from Page 18 grimage or praying in mosques. These are indisputable facts! Proponents call Islam “a religion of peace.” Humbug! Try telling that to its many millions of maimed, wounded or dead victims. We all know what happened on 9/11 when almost 3,000 innocent people were murdered in the callous destruction of the World Trade Center buildings. Who were the culprits? Radical Muslims who (in the name of Allah) were even willing to sacrifice their own lives to cause this destruction. Thank Gd, through the vigilance and extraordinary efforts of various law enforcement agencies, including in great part through the efforts of the NYC Police Department, the city has been protected from further harm for the last 10 1/2 years. However, at the present time, a big stink is being made by Muslim organizations, the ACLU, and the politically-correct “kumbaya crowd” over NYC Police surveillance activities that was (and is) focused almost entirely (and appropriately so) on the Muslim community. Who else do these fools think the police should

target? Should they monitor Christian Science reading rooms, Dominican social clubs, Unitarian churches…? Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, NJ, made the following statement, “It is deeply offensive for me to do blanket surveillance for no other reason than religious affiliation.” This politically-correct moron is dead wrong! The threat to the lives of all of us (including Mayor Booker) comes solely because of religious affiliation. The threat to New York City and to the United States comes solely from radical Muslims who are fiercely determined to expand the religion of Islam and Sharia law throughout the world, and who will ruthlessly try to destroy anyone who stands in their way. I am speaking out because I, for one, am not willing to sacrifice my life and the lives of my loved ones on the altar of political correctness. It is an indisputable fact that there are Muslims trying to kill us. The current surveillance of Muslims by the NYC Police Department must be continued. It is (with no exaggeration) a matter of life or death! Alvin Gordon

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19 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, March 8, 2012

Businesses hopeful for skating rink bonanza


Thursday, March 8, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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SUNDAY, MARCH 11 at 2 pm Lovinger Theatre/Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West ����������������������������������������������������������

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All tickets: $6.00 bronxartsensemble.org or 718 601-7399


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