Winner of Vol. 71, No. 49
What’s inside?
Thursday, January 14, 2021
n Coronavirus cases are on the rise again citywide, but many schools remain open rbrennan@riverdalepress.com
Colleges are welcoming students back to campus, which could be bad news for people living near them. Page A3
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Cuomo throws out 9% threshold, angers UFT By ROSE BRENNAN
No-good neighbor
the Pulitzer Prize
Keeping the country’s largest public school system running during a pandemic is no mean feat. But it might be easier now that one variable that could single-handedly shut those schools down has gone out the window.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo told school districts Jan. 4 he was doing away with the positive coronavirus test rate that would automatically shutter public school districts. The number was originally 9 percent, and all eyes were on the governor when anDrew the city’s weekly positive CuOmO test rate started hovering around that number. But instead, the city’s preschools, elementary schools and specialized District
75 schools reopened after the holidays — and with the final percent threshold now out of the way, it doesn’t look like the schools will close anytime soon. However, there’s still no reopening date on the horizon for the city’s middle and high schools, at least as of this week. The United Federation of Teachers, which represents public school educators in the city, still believes 9 percent positivity should close schools. But at least for now, that remains a moot point, as the city’s positive test rate is at 6 percent as of Jan. 9, according to the state, while the Bronx has inched up to 7.2 percent.
Writing on the wall
Still, that means there’s a long way to go to 9 percent — even if the city’s own number is hovering around it. “Using that state measure, if the community infection rate in the city hits 9 percent, the safe thing to do is to close the schools, even if the in-school rate is lower,” UFT president Michael Mulgrew said in a release. “Safety comes first, as shown by the fact that hundreds of our elementary schools and classrooms are closed temporarily every day because the virus has been detected.” Mayor Bill de Blasio maintains, howOPEN SCHOOLS, page A4
Rats, trash, broken elevators plague nabe’s ‘worst’ buildings
By ETHAN STARK-MILLER & HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
W
hen a typical New York City apartment dweller has something that needs fixing — a water leak, or the heater isn’t working — it’s normally addressed with a quick call to the superintendent or landlord. That’s not the case for handyman Nelson Talavera. There’s no calling anybody. If he needs something in his apartment fixed, he fixes it himself. “I take care of that — anything it needs, liquid or other things I take care of it,” Talavera said, in Spanish. “Right now, I remodeled the bathroom because there was a leak. I had to remodel it from top to bottom to fix the leak and prevent another one from happening.” Talavera does his own repairs because he knows he can’t rely on his building’s superintendent or landlord to come by and fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time. At last check, Talavera’s superintendent lives in Westchester County. “If you want anything fixed inside your apartment, you’re going to have to do it yourself,” Talavera said. BAD LANDLORDS, page A4
Staying course COVID-19 has shrunk the list of those running in the special election, so what about who’s left? Page A5
HIram aLeJanDrO DurÁn
Juan Peña’s first floor apartment at 2707 Sedgwick ave., is located right next to the building’s garbage bins. He says he often sees rats running outside his apartment. Kenny nasab, Peña’s landlord, has made the public advocate’s worst landlord watchlist this year with more than 200 violations from the city’s housing preservation and development department.
Trying it again Carlton Berkley is no stranger to the political scene, but he would like to try one thing new: win. Page A6
Dream come true for Lauren Wexler Council n She only wants to help others the same way her candidates nurses help her right now to debate on Feb. 2 F n Five look to fill final By ROSE BRENNAN
rbrennan@riverdalepress.com
or most of Lauren Wexler’s life, the odds have been stacked against her. She was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes bones in the skull to fuse prematurely, leading to severe mental and physical disabilities. She’s had more than 30 surgeries throughout her life to address those disabilities, contracting near-fatal cases of MRSA and pneumonia along the way. And to top it all off, last year, Lauren was stricken with COVID-19. But Lauren survived it all. And through her seemingly never-ending health ordeals, she maintained a positive attitude and an indomitable spirit. That didn’t go unnoticed. Bayada Home Health Care — the in-home agency that cares for Lauren — wanted to do something to honor her overall optimistic demeanor and desire to live every day to the fullest by making one of her lifelong dreams come true. Lauren’s physical and mental disabilities are severe enough to require the full-time care of a nurse — albeit at home. And for many years, Lauren herself has dreamed of becoming a nurse. But she didn’t want to take care of patients in their homes. Instead, she wanted to be front and center to all of the action of a hospital as an emergency room nurse. It was something Lauren saw firsthand from her experiences battling the coronavirus in the hospital, according to her mother, Daisy Concepcion. “Lauren was … on a ventilator for two weeks (and) couldn’t even talk,” Concepcion said. She “comes out and says, ‘Now
year of Andrew Cohen’s final term at City Hall
By STAFF REPORT
Courtesy of norman wexler
Lauren wexler, left, and nancy Lonergan embrace after Lauren was presented with an honorary nursing certificate. Lauren dreamed of attending Columbia School of nursing, but was never able to because of severe mental and physical disabilities. I understand what’s happening in the hospitals, and I need to help.’” Norman Wexler, Lauren’s father, said she began a well-thought-out plan to make her dream of becoming a nurse come true. He noted her prowess on the computer, which allowed her to research nursing schools. And before long, she had her whole life at Columbia School of Nursing planned out. “Just today she wrote me a note: ‘When are we going to visit Columbia School of Nursing?’ Norman said. “She also identifies that as the place where she’s going to meet a boyfriend. She has this pretend fantasy that she’s going to get a boyfriend and that (they’ll) take the nurse with them, and they’re going to live on their
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own in Queens.” Unfortunately, due to Lauren’s disabilities, she wouldn’t actually be able to attend Columbia — or any nursing school, for that matter. Nevertheless, Bayada wanted to honor her for exemplifying nearly every characteristic they wanted to see in a nurse, short of a nursing degree itself. And the answer was clear: Make Lauren an honorary nurse. According to Chris Dunn, Bayada’s client service manager, Lauren’s desire to become a nurse was no secret. As a result, they wanted to give her an experience she’d never forget to reward her for her perseverance and optimism. LAUREN’S DREAM, page A4
Now that Mayor Bill de Blasio has made official the special election to replace Andrew Cohen on the city council, two Bronx-based media outlets are creating a forum allowing the five remaining candidates in the race a chance to debate. And while you can read all about it in The Riverdale Press, you’ll first have a chance to watch it all play out on television. The Press is partnering with BronxNet and Lehman College to host the debate, set to debut on its cable channels — and online — Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. All five current candidates who have announced for the special election at this point — Carlton Berkley, Eric Dinowitz, Jessica Haller, Mino Lora and Dan Padernacht — have been invited to participate. Riverdale Press editor Michael Hinman and BronxNet reporter Sonyi Lopez will moderate the 90-minCOUNCIL DEBATE, page A4