Winner of Vol. 71, No. 39
What’s inside?
the Pulitzer Prize
Thursday, November 5, 2020
$1.00
Ceiling collapse buries Picture Perfect owners n Luckily, both Nohad and Samia Jourdy escaped any serious injury in accident
‘I had no idea what happened. The whole thing was on top of me. All of a sudden I was on the floor, and it was dark. All I could do was scream.’
By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Waiting game The election isn’t over until it’s over, but some voters say this whole early balloting thing should have happened a long time ago. Page A3
If there was ever a chance for State Farm Insurance to live up to its slogan of being “like a good neighbor,” it was early Monday afternoon in the Bronx. Alex Gandia, who works at Jim Hockemeyer’s State Farm branch on West 231st Street, came to the rescue of his neighbors after their ceiling crashed on top of them. “We heard a rumbling sound, like a freight train, coming from the back of the store to the front of the store,” Gandia said. “And then it stopped. I’d never heard anything like it, so we walk outside, but we don’t see anything.” But then Gandia glanced at the storefront to Picture Perfect Frames, which has operated next door at 267 W. 231st St., for the last two decades. “The windows and doors were covered up in smoke and dust,” Gandia said. “I could see the light fixtures hanging down,
— Samia Jourdy
HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
New York City firefighters take a moment to assess the rubble they pulled out of the Picture Perfect Frames store at 267 W. 231st St. The wire lath and plaster ceiling fell Monday, burying owners Nohad and Samia Jourdy. and I heard someone yelling. That’s when we called 911.” Trapped inside Picture Perfect Frames were its longtime owners, Nohad and
Samia Jourdy. What appeared to be hundreds of pounds of ceiling material had fallen on top of them — and it had all come with absolutely no warning. Especially for
Samia, who was working in the back of the store, and the first to be buried by the rubble. “I had no idea what happened,” Samia said. “The whole thing was on top of me. All of a sudden I was on the floor, and it was dark. All I could do was scream.” It’s not exactly clear what happened to Picture Perfect’s ceiling, except that crushed just about anything in sight. Firefighters arrived on the scene almost immediately, Gandia said, and minutes later, they were pulling both Nohad and Samia out of the rubble. No other customers were in the store at the time. Both appeared to be more shaken up CEILING, page A4
Could police give up traffic patrols?
Final answer? Public school parents have until Nov. 15 to decide whether kids will stay home for rest of school year. Page A9
No the out swe
n Alessandra Biaggi offers bill intended to restructure state DOT By PETE JANNY Intern
BRIAN ASARE
Cathy Sanacore teaches kids the trick to bubble-blowing at her socially distant Halloween party at Yo-Burger last weekend. Sanacore taught arts and crafts at Yo-Burger on Riverdale Avenue before the coronavirus pandemic, and used it as a site for a safe but fun Halloween party for neighborhood kids.
Starting early Elections don’t have to be confusing to children anymore thanks to a new book from a popular local author. Page A5
Socially distant, but still spooky, soiree n No trick-or-treating? No problem for Halloween party hosted by Cathy Sanacore By ROSE BRENNAN rbrennan@riverdalepress.com
T
here are few things young children look forward to more than Halloween night. They get to dress in their favorite costume, maybe stay up a little past their bedtime — and who could forget
the reward of candy after hours of walking through the neighborhood? But this year, the world faced its own scare — the coronavirus pandemic. That meant Halloween would look a bit different. While Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the OK for trick-or-treating, parents needed to take extra precautions, like wearing a much different kind of mask and maintaining social distancing. There was no doubt: All Halloween festivities needed to be outside this year. Even so, some parents weren’t quite ready to take that leap. But Cathy Sanacore
was ready, and she wanted to ensure no child was excluded from Halloween festivities. The local artist took it upon herself to make this a Halloween the neighborhood’s kids wouldn’t soon forget. She chose Yo-Burger on Riverdale Avenue to host her party — a familiar place for Sanacore, because this is where he held weekly craft classes for kids before the pandemic. Sanacore often would throw seasonal parties for the children she taught. While that, too, may have become a victim of the SPOOKY SOIREE, page A4
The do’s and don’ts of operating a vehicle is not an arcane topic. These traffic rules are common to nearly every street and interstate. But getting stopped by a police officer for typical moving violations like speeding or flaunting street signs can be a much different experience for those drivers — many times depending primarily on the color of their skin. Despite common belief, many of these traffic stops are handled without incident. But when problem do arise, a simple speeding ticket could become a matter of life and death — especially for Black drivers. Alleged police brutality in these specific incidents have become prominent in American culture. The stories almost never have happy endings, typically with someone ending up in the hospital, or worst yet, killed. State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi TRAFFIC, page A4
Capital critical for small biz, but it might not be enough n CB8 fights to keep mom and pops afloat, but more loans will be needed soon By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Earning a line of credit with a bank can be critical to opening — and maintaining — small businesses as it gives them access to loans that could be used to keep the lights on, especially in the early years of an enterprise before they can actually turn a profit. But it’s even more important right now as many businesses struggle to stay afloat in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic
and its ensuing economic recession. Small businesses find themselves in a particularly precarious situation, especially those in New York City where COVID-19 hit harder than really anywhere else. In fact, the city’s planning department said businesses big and small in the five boroughs struggled especially hard, especially those that depended heavily on tourists and commuters. Still, it’s small businesses like this that are integral to the city’s economy and a successful recovery. Not only that, but small businesses are key to upward social mobility and thousands of jobs, according to Nick Fazio, chair of Community Board 8’s economic development committee. And CRITICAL CAPITAL, page A4
BRIGHT & SPACIOUS 5601 Riverdale Avenue, Apt. 6L 2 BD | 1 BA | 1,050 SQ. FT. // $299,000 ELLEN CURTIN // 718.415.9915
CRITICAL
HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
Bobby Patel, owner of Te-Amo Convenience Store at Broadway and West 231st Street, says loans from his family allowed him to open his business. Now, months into the coronavirus pandemic, he’s not so sure loans will be enough to save it.