Winner of Vol. 72, No. 38
What’s inside?
the Pulitzer Prize
Thursday, October 28, 2021
$1.00
Harris shows solidarity with Bowman, Squad n Veep touts signature Build Back Better plan, even as new threats against it emerge By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Captain on deck There’s a new leader at top of 50th Precinct, but then again he might not be quite as new as many might think he is. Page A3
It’s no secret: There is a serious health crisis in the Bronx. The coronavirus hasn’t helped, but inaccessibility of medical care, poor air quality and a number of other factors have exacerbated already high rates of asthma, diabetes, infant mortality and other issues in the borough. Yet even the bad sometimes comes with a little good. It was something that helped a new congressman click well with the Vice President of the United States. In the process it’s created a collaborative effort shining a bright light on U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s district, and culminated with a visit to the Bronx last week by Kamala Harris herself. Bowman and Harris met this past sum-
MICHAEL HINMAN
Vice President Kamala Harris refuses to give up on the Biden administration’s Build Back Better infrastructure plan, visiting the Northeast Bronx YMCA in Edenwald last week. mer when President Joe Biden signed a bill her days as vice president, working with into law making Juneteenth a federal holi- Dr. Nadine Burke Harris — who would day. The congressman had already been a go on to become that state’s first surgeon fan of what Harris did in California before general — in a San Francisco-based project
NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE?
Flood denial Joanne Heyman just wanted help repairing her flooded basement. But getting federal dollars required a credit check. Page A7
Very few surprises expected in election next week By ETHAN STARK-MILLER estarkmiller@riverdalepress.com
HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
Biz owners fear mixing kids, shelter If you’re a fan of enjoying the environment, then you might not want to miss your chance to help it on Tuesday. Page A5
Di
n After 6 months, Dinowitz not even really campaigning against his GOP challenger
Julissa Freire, owner of La Escuelita de Sofia near Mosholu and Spencer avenues, is concerned the placement of a men’s homeless shelter in her North Riverdale neighborhood could convince parents to stop bringing their children to her preschool.
Breathe deeply
designed to prevent what they called “adverse childhood experiences,” believed to have a significant impact on the health of children. “I would love for our offices to work together to do more of that work legislatively and in our communities,” Bowman told the vice president at the signing ceremony. “And one of the reasons why I think she came (to the Bronx) is because every time I had the chance to see her or her staff, I would bring it up, and we would have a working session around that issue.” Although Harris’ visit to the newly built Northeast Bronx YMCA in Edenwald was primarily focused on the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan of “Build Back Better,” Bowman knows the vice president remains committed to creating healthier communities for children and teens. “Especially now, because again, rising violence and trauma from COVID,” Bowman said. “This is the moment to take a holistic approach to solve these problems. It’s not going to be just health care, just KAMALA HARRIS, page A4
n Some fear single men living at 6661 Broadway may have criminal pasts By JOSEPH DE LA CRUZ jdelacruz@riverdalepress.com
Julissa Freire would be the first to tell you she’s as compassionate as a human being can be. But with the city’s plan to construct a homeless shelter near her North Riverdale preschool, Freire is simply torn. “I want to help homeless people, and I believe that they should have a place to sleep and eat at night,” she said. “But I’m worried about the (location of the shelter) being so close to my business.” That business is La Escuelita de So-
fia, which sits on the corner of Spencer and Mosholu avenues — what Freire describes as the only dual-lingo school in the Bronx. She welcomes students between 2 and 8 who can expect to learn both English and Spanish through a variety of lessons and activities. But that school could be threatened by plans to build a shelter for 130 homeless men at 6661 Broadway, just south of the Yonkers city line. And Freire is not alone in her sentiment — something she and a good number of people have already addressed publicly during at least one recent Community Board 8 committee meeting. Freire isn’t necessarily against where the shelter is planned, but more who is expected to live inside. Unlike the family-oriented transitional facility at 5731 Broadway two miles south, this particu-
‘It’s uncomfortable for the parents. It’s uncomfortable for the kids.’ DEENA DIAZ
owner, Uptown Sports Complex lar facility will cater only to single men — a particular demographic she believes could make her business vulnerable. “If this were a family or domestic violence shelter, I would be all for it,” Freire said. “But a single men’s shelter that would house people who may have criminal backgrounds worries me.” SHELTER, page A4
It’s only been a half-year since Eric Dinowitz won his city council seat in a special election to replace now-Bronx Supreme Court judge Andrew Cohen. And only about four months since the Democratic primary where Dinowitz all but assured he’d hold onto his seat for the next two years. But the councilman must still overcome one last hurdle — albeit a very small one — to solidify his job security: the Nov. 2 general election. There, he’ll square off ERIC against Republican indeDINOWITz pendent filmmaker Kevin Pazmino in a contest Dinowitz is almost assured a win because of his district’s solidly blue makeup. In fact, Dinowitz tells The Riverdale Press he’s not putting nearly as much energy into campaigning as he did in two straight elections earlier this year. Instead, Dinowitz is more focused on simply being this area’s councilman. “In the short six months that I’ve been in office, I’ve been able to get an incredible amount done for the community,” he said. “And a lot of the things I spoke about in the campaign, I’ve already started to address.” Those accomplishments include convincing the city’s sanitation department ELECTIONS, page A4
Living, working in city filled with speed cameras that never sleep? n DOT report reveals fewer deaths and less speeding wherever these cameras are, despite limited usage By SARAH BELLE LIN sblin@riverdalepress.com
Technology is a tool many use to better their lives. But what happens when even those god-like powers of the digital age reveal blind spots? It’s no secret: Cameras designed to catch motorists speeding simply can’t capture everything. Especially when their work days are limited to only when school is typically in session. So, the city has set its sights set on flipping on
the switch 24/7, and with it renewed hope fast and furious drivers are held accountable, and more importantly, more lives are saved. Speed cameras first started popping up in nearly two-dozen school zones in 2013. The following year, 120 more zones were added across the city — selected for their relatively higher proclivity to be plagued with speeders and serious crashes involving pedestrians. Cameras would typically clock and capture the license plate of speeders only on weekdays, between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Each are typically located within a quarter-mile from a school, many hidden from the public’s wandering eyes, although signs do warn motorists that such cameras are present. Penalties from speed cameras are quite different SPEED CAMERAS, page A4
SARAH BELLE LIN
New York City likes its speed cameras, so much so city officials are pushing lawmakers in Albany to keep those cameras — like this one at West 238th Street and Riverdale Avenue — operating not just during class time in hundreds of school zones, but all day and all night.