Winner of Vol. 71, No. 15
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Thursday, May 21, 2020
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After further review, Hebrew Home leads Bronx COVID deaths
What’s inside?
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Stay cool It’s going to be a hot summer, but finding a place to relax and cool off may not be easy this year because of the coronavirus. Page A11
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Roxana Vazquez carries daughter Mia to the car after picking her up from The Learning Experience, where she receives free day care. Vazquez is an ‘essential’ worker, counseling young children as a social worker in Westchester County.
Always art time Nina Velazquez wasn’t sure how she would continue to create, but at least for her, staying home is quite great. Page A8
Saluting heroes They are on the front lines — and maybe not necessarily the jobs you think. We celebrate our heroes who work to keep us safe. Always. Page A7
Being the biggest is a great way to draw attention — just not always the attention one might want. The Hebrew Home at Riverdale is the state’s largest non-profit nursing home with more than 750 beds. And as critics, government officials and the public as a whole keep a close watch on coronavirus data coming out of facilities like the Palisade Avenue facility, a so-called “reclassification” of more than two dozen deaths in the past 90 days has now put the Hebrew Home a hair above all other facilities in the Bronx when it comes to coronavirus deaths. After the state’s data audit, the Hebrew Home now has 63 deaths believed to be related to the coronavirus, a tad more than the reported 61 deaths at The Plaza Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Kingsbridge Road. Yet it’s unclear how the Hebrew Home would compare to neighboring facilities if state health officials more closely scrutinized their on-site deaths. And state health officials are doing just that, visiting 160 nursing homes and 215 adult care facilities through the middle of the month, according to health department spokeswoman Jill Montag. Those visits include scrutiny on how coronavirus-related data is compiled and reported.
‘We were screening every employee that came through the gate. Testing gives us the information we need to make the right decisions.’ — Daniel Reingold
CEO, Hebrew Home at Riverdale
Getting a handle on the situation
Citywide, more than 3,100 people have died in nursing homes and adult care facilities since the beginning of March, including nearly 750 in the Bronx alone, as of Monday. Before the health department showed up at the front door, the Hebrew Home reported just 35 confirmed or presumed COVID-related deaths, although a daily report released by the state shows just 18 as of Monday. But just as health officials’ understanding of the coronavirus seem to change on HEBREW HOME, page A4
Essential workers of all kinds settle into some new routines City steps carefully as By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN
kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Thousands of businesses in New York are closed, deemed “non-essential” by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the state continues following social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Even “non-essential” office workers are working from home, often juggling child care, school, and their day-to-day home lives, while trying to fit in work where they can. Of course, there are ROxANA also the workers deemed VAzqUEz “essential.” Often health care, transit or education employees — they’re still headed to work every morning to keep the city moving and healthy, even in a pandemic. Every morning, Roxana Vazquez drops off her daughter at The Learning Experience on Riverdale Avenue before driving to Westchester County, where she works with children as a clinical social worker. “It feels like the world completely stopped, but I’m still moving,” Vazquez said. “It’s really confusing. But I know I have to
be at work every day. I work with children, so there’s a lot of kids that need me right now, so I have to be present.” Vazquez’s work has changed dramatically as she’s tried to coach her clients through their everyday problems as well as the abrupt shift in their lives since the pandemic began in earnest two months ago. “I have my caseload that’s kids that I’m checking in with daily via video or via telephone,” she said. “These are kids who, even before the pandemic, were struggling emotionally. And now, after the pandemic, it’s like, you know, ten times worse for them. That’s why I have to be present every day, to help them get through this.” Trying to explain what’s going on to those children has also been difficult. Her older clients know what’s going on, to some extent, but the younger children she deals with can’t quite wrap their heads around how their lives look under distancing rules, with school cancelled and parks closed. They often can’t articulate how they feel, Vazquez said, but they may start to act out or regress in their progress working with her. “You know, before I make the calls, or before I make the video calls (to patients), I sort of brace myself,” she said. “Because I know that these kids, and even the parents SETTLING IN, page A4
Bronx fights to catch up
By ANTHONY CAPOTE of The Riverdale Press
Upstate New York is enjoying what Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls the first phase of an extended statewide stay-athome order — one that continues full force downstate until at least June 13. But New York City — and the Bronx, in particular — might not have to wait that long if it can meet the criteria of seven different metrics established by the state health department, including a 14-day decline in total hospitalizations and deaths, having at least 30 percent of hospital and intensive care unit beds available, and a sophisticated testing and contact tracing apparatus deployed. The testing and tracing mechanism is among the most important for regions in New York to hit in the city, not least because the more people the city can test in a day, the better overall picture officials will have on the sick or those who could potentially become sick in the coming weeks. Regions looking to start reopening must have at least 30 available tests
and 30 contact tracers per 1,000 residents. For a city of roughly 8.5 million people, that translates to somewhere in the ballpark of 250,000 available tests and the same number of contact tracers per month. As of May 15, more than 17,500 people were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in New York City across 23 city-run testing sites and various hospitals administering tests. By May 18, the number of city-run testing sites had expanded to 29, of which nine are in Manhattan, eight in Brooklyn, six in the Bronx, four in Queens and just two in Staten Island. The Bronx, however, still has one of the highest infection rates in the state. An analysis of COVID-19 data by the city’s health department revealed that of the top 10 most impacted ZIP codes in the city, five were in the Bronx. But that’s not even the most concerning news: The Riverdale-Kingsbridge area ranked ninth on that list, with an infection rate of 3,577 per 100,000 residents. In ZIP code 10471 — which spans north from about West 238th Street — there were 760 open cases according BRONX FIGHTS, page A4
Schools get tested on when — and how — to reopen By PATRICK LINDO plindo@riverdalepress.com
School doors remain tightly shut as the coronavirus makes its way through thousands of people in New York. But they won’t remain closed forever. When it’s time once again to reopen classrooms and school buildings, how will that happen? And what can administrators — and even parents — do to keep children safe? Gov. Andrew Cuomo closed all schools in the state as the coronavirus crisis erupted, and earlier this month said the closings will remain in effect for the rest of this academic year. But Cuomo hasn’t ruled out a reopening in the fall — but in order for that to happen, school administrators will need to draft plans on how they’ll keep students safe, and away from the virus that already has killed nearly 23,000 people in New York alone. “We want schools to start developing a plan to reopen,” Cuomo said in his daily coronavirus briefing on May 1. “The plan has to have protocols in place that incorporate everything that we are now doing in society, and everything that we learned.” That could mean social distancing, wearing face coverings and staying away from large gatherings of any kind.
‘We haven’t said ‘no’ to anything. We haven’t said ‘yes’ to anything.’
Richard Espinal, a member P.S. 7’s parent association, doesn’t think schools were ready for the sudden shift to remote learning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He believes that one way schools can adapt once they reopen is to move to alternating schedules, easing the burden on teachers and students, while keeping them separate.
— Hugh Keenan
Principal, St. Margaret of Cortona School While some researchers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, believe they’ve made some significant strides toward a potential vaccine, the uncertainty of how long the coronavirus pandemic may continue leaves many — like parents — wondering how or what schools should do if societal social distancing rules are still in effect when their kids return to a physical classroom. Richard Espinal is a father to two children and a member of P.S. 7 Milton Fein’s parent association. While he understands the importance of getting schools open again, he remains unsure if schools will be ready. Prior to the pandemic, many schools like P.S. 7 suffered from large class sizes — a scenario that doesn’t necessarily lend to good social distancing. Espinal did have a few creative solutions in managing classes, such as alter-
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SCHOOLS TESTED, page A4
Courtesy of Richard Espinal
A2 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
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Doing a little bit of off-roading You might think your car is parked safely on the street corner, but maybe it’s time to consider a safer spot. One man learned that the hard way after parking his 2014 Jeep on the corner of West 238th Street and Tibbett Avenue on the evening of May 1. Police say he returned the next morning to find his car had disappeared from its stretch of curb. The corner isn’t equipped with cameras and there were no witnesses to the theft, police said, so investigators are working to find the Jeep without many clues.
electricity, anyone?
With the passage of the state budget, electric bikes are now legal to ride at low speeds throughout the city. Yet, it seems someone might have taken things into their own hands when they stumbled upon a garage on Palisade Avenue. The garage’s owner noticed his door ajar on the morning of May 10, police said. When he went inside, he found that his Schwinn bicycle — worth about $500 — and two DeWalt power
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Just going for a ride
A 22-year-old parked his 2004 Honda Civic outside of a deli on the 2600 block of University Avenue on the morning of May 4, leaving the keys inside. He was only going to be a minute, picking up some food and heading straight back to his car. Lo and behold, it was gone. Police canvassed the area, but no sign of the Honda turned up. Even worse, investigators couldn’t access camera footage that may have showed them what happened. The owner solved his own problem, however, when he found his car parked on West Kingsbridge Road — again with the keys inside. Police collected fingerprints, but that was all they could do for now, as the man hopped back into his Civic and was gone. Also gone? The joyrider, police said.
least one person familiar with the building at the time of its construction has suggested some aspects of the tower may have been fabricated off-site, but it’s not clear how much of it — if any — was assembled somewhere other than Faraday Woods. • David Pomeranz is the chief operating officer for the Hebrew Home at Riverdale. A story in the May 14 edition misspelled his name. To bring errors to the attention of The Press, contact editor Michael Hinman at mhinman@ riverdalepress.com, or at (718) 543-6065, Ext. 374.
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! le a d r e iv R , s o b b a h S Good Friday May 22 Yom Yerushalayim
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boosters, used to jump car batteries, had been stolen. There were no cameras installed in the garage and no witnesses. Yet investigators continue to look for the thief.
corrections and clarifications It is the policy of The Riverdale Press to correct errors of substance and clarify misleading stories promptly and prominently. Typically, corrections and clarifications from previous issues can be found on A2. • The Russian Mission building, more formally known as the Russian Diplomatic Compound, had most, if not all, of its floors constructed on-site before being lifted to construct the 20-story building from the top down. A story in the May 14 edition surmised floors were built off-site as to prevent American intelligence “hacking.” At
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A3
CB8 very close to crowning Laura Spalter its chair By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Laura Spalter has been waiting — and working — a long time for this moment. And she was ready for the five members of Community Board 8’s nominating committee, keeping her hefty resume near her computer as she tried to connect with the people she hopes will help elevate her to CB8’s top spot: chair. Every person coming before the nominating committee was supposed to be limited to between 15 and 20 minutes. But Paul Ellis, who Spalter succeeded as vice chair when he abruptly resigned in 2018, briefly interrupted the fast-talking candidate, letting her know her time had already run to 27 minutes. “But I’m worth it,” Spalter said during the May 14 online videoconference. Joking aside, Spalter said her twoplus decades on the community board put her in a prime position to lead the advisory group for the next year, and maybe two more years after that. “I am very problem solving-oriented,” Spalter said. “I live for that. If I can help a (committee) chair in that capacity because of my own experience, my years of experience, I’ll jump to do that.” CB8 is gearing up for its first contested chair race since 2014 when Dan Padernacht beat Maria Khury for the top spot. That year, the nominating committee put forward both Padernacht and Khury’s names. This year, however, a new nominating committee under the leadership of Steve Froot is expected to go in a different direction when it met one last time May 20: It’s going to recommend only Spalter. That likely isn’t good news for Sergio Villaverde, the chair of CB8’s eco-
EIAN KANTOR / File
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
Community Board 8 will decide whether economic development committee chair Sergio Villaverde, left, will be its new leader, or if current vice chair Laura Spalter will succeed Rosemary Ginty instead. CB8’s nominating committee is poised to back Spalter, but might keep Villaverde part of the board’s executive committee by suggesting he keep his current committee leadership role. nomic development committee, who had hoped to succeed Rosemary Ginty in the top spot. He also interviewed in front of the committee last week, focusing less on what he’s accomplished with the board in the past, and more on what he could accomplish in the future. “My philosophy in leadership from my experience as a military leader and as a business leader ... is that being a leader is being a servant,” Villaverde said. “It’s not about you. I try to never make it ‘The Sergio Show.’” Keeping the community board vibrant, he said, requires strong development of new members, ensuring they not only come and go, but that they stay and become active and productive. Villaverde’s words, however, were
not enough to sway the committee, with four members ready to back Spalter right away. A fifth member, former board chair Padernacht, said he was willing to recommend Spalter as well — but only if the committee pushed to keep Villaverde as chair of the economic development committee. The nominating committee is limited to recommending an individual for only one position, so if it decided to back Villaverde as a candidate for overall CB8 chair, it couldn’t also back him to chair economic development. Padernacht’s suggestion seemed to catch Froot by surprise. The committee had interviewed two others to lead that particular committee earlier in the meeting: Nick Fazio, the owner of an athletic training company, and Camelia Tepelus, the executive director of the
Morris Park Business Improvement District. Yet, the committee didn’t seem too solid on either of them to lead the committee. Froot said he was interested in considering Villaverde return to his old committee, but by that point in the evening — well over three hours in — the retired NYPD officer wasn’t available. Uncomfortable with nominating someone for a leadership role they hadn’t sought, Froot decided to delay finalizing a slate of candidates for the full board until its May 20 meeting. When that does happen, the slate will likely include Spalter as chair, outgoing parks and recreation committee chairman Bob Bender as vice chair, Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee Ed Green taking over the
public safety committee, and current CB8 chair Ginty finding a new home leading Bender’s old committee, parks and recreation. “I will work,” Ginty told the committee last week. “I will serve. I have something to offer, I do. I am able, I am willing. Anybody who knows me knows I’m a hard worker, and I will work on any issue that is put in front of me.” The full board will elect its final slate during its regular monthly meeting in June. Board members are not limited to the slate offered by the nominating committee, and additional nominations can be made by the floor. Whoever ends up becoming the new chair — whether it’s Spalter, Villaverde or even someone else — will gavel their first meeting in the fall.
POLITICAL ARENA Bowman picks up NYSNA endorsement The New York Nurses Association says it will back middle school principal Jamaal Bowman in his race challenging U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel. As the state’s largest union of more than 42,000 front line nurses — and 3,000 of them living within Engel’s congressional district — Bowman hopes the organization can help push him over the hump of trying to unseat the longtime congressman in June’s Democratic pri-
By Michael hinMan
mary, which includes several other candidates, including Andom Ghebreghiorgis and Chris Fink, among others. “NYSNA nurses are excited to endorse a candidate who believes as we do that health care is a human right,” said Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, the union’s president, in a release. “The COVID-19 crisis has shown more clearly than ever that our health care system is broken, and that we must push for a more just Medicare for All system where everyone can access and afford the care they need.”
Engel pushes more education dollars Although it’s not expected to even warrant a vote by the Republican-led Senate, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel is touting more than $5 billion in additional educational funds he says he pushed into the latest House coronavirus aid proposal. “As a former educator, I understand how critical it is to always fund our state’s public education system, but especially during these uncertain times,” Engel said, in a release.
“Our public school teachers are doing truly remarkable work under extremely difficult circumstances. They deserve our full support, and I was proud to lead the New York delegation in this fight to protect them.” If the bill had made its way through the Senate and onto President Trump’s desk, it was intended to fund remote learning technology, WiFi hotspots, and pay for summer school. “The time to act on behalf of our New York schools is now,” Engel said. “We need to pass this bill quickly.”
Cohen, Chin seek to expand SNAP
Councilman Andrew Cohen has joined forces with Manhattan councilwoman Margaret Chin to introduce legislation at the city level that would expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The goal isn’t to add more funds, but instead to increase the choices users of SNAP’s EBT card have in buying food, according to a release. Right now, EBT card users can receive grocery deliver-
ies through Amazon, ShopRite and Wal-Mart. Cohen and Chin want to include even more retailers, to help especially vulnerable members of the community who can’t get out to buy food during the coronavirus pandemic. “SNAP recipients should have the same shopping options and be able to order groceries online the same way anyone else can, regardless of how they pay for it,” Cohen said, in a release. “This lifeline must be expanded to serve the most vulnerable.”
STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19!
LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS AT HOME. • The most common symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include feeling achy, loss of taste or smell, headache, and diarrhea. • Most people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will have mild or moderate symptoms and can get better on their own.
WHO IS MOST AT RISK FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS? • People age 50 or older (people age 65 or older are at the highest risk) • People who have other health conditions, such as: Lung disease Diabetes A weakened Asthma Kidney disease immune system Heart disease Liver disease Obesity Cancer
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET SICK WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS? If you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, assume you have it. When you are sick: • If you have trouble breathing, pain or pressure in your chest, are confused or cannot stay awake, or have bluish lips or face, call 911 immediately. • Call your doctor if you are age 50 or older or have a health condition that puts you at increased risk, or if you do not feel better after three days. • Always contact a doctor or go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms of COVID-19 or another serious health issue. • Do not leave your home except to get necessary medical care or essential food or supplies (if someone cannot get them for you). • If you must leave your home: Avoid crowded places. Stay at least 6 feet from others. Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering. Wash your hands before you go out, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer while outside. • Household members can go out for essential work and needs but should monitor their health closely.
If you or someone in your home is sick: • Create physical distance: Do not have visitors.
Stay at least 6 feet from others. Sleep head-to-toe if you share a bed with someone who is sick, or sleep on the couch. Keep people who are sick separate from those at risk for serious illness. • Cover up: Cover your nose and mouth with a bandana, scarf or other face covering when you are within 6 feet of others. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your inner elbow. • Keep it clean: Throw tissues into the garbage immediately after use. Wash your hands often with soap for 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if you are unable to wash your hands. Frequently clean surfaces you touch, such as doorknobs, light switches, faucets, phones, keys and remote controls. Wash towels, sheets and clothes at the warmest possible setting with your usual detergent, and dry completely. Do not share eating utensils with others, and wash them after every use.
WHEN CAN I LEAVE MY HOME AFTER BEING SICK? • If you have been sick, stay home until: You are fever-free for three days without Tylenol or other medication and It has been at least seven days since your symptoms started and Your symptoms have improved • Reminder: New York is on PAUSE. This means that even if you have been sick, you should only leave your home for essential work or errands, or to exercise, while staying at least 6 feet from others.
NEED HELP?
• If you are having a medical emergency, call 911. • If you do not have a doctor but need one, call 844-NYC-4NYC (844-692-4692). New York City provides care, regardless of immigration status, insurance status or ability to pay. • For more information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/coronavirus. The NYC Health Department may change recommendations as the situation evolves. 4.20
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WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19?
A4 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
Hebrew Home reclassifies 28 deaths as COVID HEBREW HOME from page A1 a daily basis, so does how state officials collect data related to the disease. “Initially the deaths were recorded based on the physician’s clinical impression at the time of the death,” said Dr. Zachary Palace, the Hebrew Home’s medical director. “Each individual death was viewed and determined by the physician independently to determine the cause of death based on reviewing the charts.” Over time, Palace said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added more symptoms associated with COVID-19 beyond the initial three primary symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. As far as the Hebrew Home was concerned — and likely many of its counterparts across the borough and city — any death that exhibited fever, cough or shortness of breath would be classified as a COVID death, whether they had been tested or not. “Subsequently at the end of April, the CDC updated the guidelines in terms of what would be considered a diagnostic criteria for COVID,” Palace said. “So it was very important for us to look, in real time, at what the diagnostic symptoms were for COVID at the time that that patient had passed away.” The Hebrew Home has 751 beds and 1,200 employees, including nurses, housekeeping staff, chefs and cooking staff, and administrators, according to a letter to the “Hebrew Home community” sent by nursing home chief executive Dan Reingold. State health officials’ visit to the home last week was unannounced, Montag confirmed, which is standard practice for the agency. “We’re here on Mother’s Day giving chocolate roses to our staff and residents,” Reingold told The Riverdale Press. “I gave a rose to a woman who, when I said, ‘Do you work here?’ she said, ‘No, I’m with the New York State Department of Health.” But health officials weren’t just focused on deaths, Reingold said. They also explored other aspects of the He-
Testing anyone ... and everyone
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
The Hebrew Home at Riverdale has updated its total number of deaths from complications related to COVID-19 to a borough-leading 63, following an investigation by the state health department. brew Home’s coronavirus response, including the number of positive cases, suspected cases, symptoms of infected residents, and the severity of those symptoms, Montag said. Infection control procedures are also reviewed.
Taking a closer look
In the letter to families, the Hebrew Home said health officials spoke to staff members across all departments, visited every floor of the home, and examined the facility’s inventory of personal protective equipment, like gloves, masks and face shields. Yet, the facility has not been able to do “widespread testing” since the start of the pandemic, as nurses and administrators simply didn’t have access to enough tests.
The health department “informed us that they would be testing all the residents throughout the entire facility,” Palace said. “They would get what’s called a ‘point prevalence’ survey, so they would know what the prevalence of COVID is at this point in time.” The campus-wide tests found 64 staff members who tested positive for the virus that causes COVID — including 43 from the nursing staff — as well as positive tests for 109 residents. In his letter released to the public on Monday, Reingold said all staff members and most of the residents who tested positive were asymptomatic. While that’s good news for those who are infected, it’s bad when it comes to trying to identify the presence of the
virus when there aren’t adequate tests. Any staff member who tested positive can’t work for at least two weeks. Once that isolation period is over, they would be tested again and allowed to return only if they test negative. The current number of positive tests represents a little more than 5 percent of the Hebrew Home’s total work force. Residents who test positive are being moved into a building separate from those who test negative, Reingold said, and rooms that had previously housed positive residents were being sanitized. There was a separate “cohort” of residents who had been exposed to COVID but tested negative — they will be quarantined and monitored for symptoms without risking further exposure.
Going back to school won’t be easy at all
Bronx leads state as virus battleground, but test sites remain scarce BRONX FIGHTS from page A1 to the city’s data as of May 18, with another 1,800 in neighboring 10463, which covers most of Kingsbridge and Marble Hill. The high infection rates in the Bronx — particularly in working class communities — have been a huge point of contention at both the state and city levels, with many in the borough feeling left out of the COVID-19 response and recovery processes. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera voiced his concerns at a virtual hearing May 18, pushing for his fellow Albany lawmakers to address the impact the coronavirus has had on working class neighborhoods and communities of color. “I know that there is a crisis here and there have been many issues that we have not been able to foresee, but there a lot that that we should have been able to foresee,” Rivera told The Riverdale Press. For Rivera, the high infection rate in the Bronx in particular is a result of some glaring discrepancies in citywide access to testing. This has largely been the result of failures at the federal, state and city level to account for the needs of people living in his district, the senator said. One example he cites was early testing facilities in the Bronx were drive-thru only. “Seventy percent of my constituents don’t even own a vehicle, so how are they going to get tested?” Rivera asked. And that doesn’t even begin to cover the pre-exist-
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Testing for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is available at six centers in the borough, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Belvis. ing issues involving racial and economic inequality in the Bronx that also may have contributed to the outsized impact of the coronavirus in the borough. “I do know the rate of infection was very high and the number of deaths of was higher than in other places,” Rivera said. “That is certainly true because there have been health care disparities in the Bronx before all of this.” The senator went on to criticize Cuomo’s response to those inequalities after a reporter mentioned the health care access gap in the Bronx at a briefing last week. “Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘Columbusing’?” Rivera asked, referring to the internet meme by the same name, which describes the act of discovering something that is not new. “Well that’s how the governor reacted when someone asked him about racial disparities in the Bronx. He just was like, ‘Wow, we have to look into that.’”
Over the next week, city officials aim to increase the number of available daily tests to 20,000, which Mayor Bill de Blasio seems certain the city can achieve by May 25. City Hall, however, couldn’t share granular data on how many tests had been administered in the Bronx specifically. It seems, for now, city residents — especially in the Bronx, will remain in limbo until June 13, or until if and when the region meets the state’s seven metrics. On that front, Mayor Bill de Blasio seemed optimistic in one of his daily coronavirus briefings last week, saying the city’s numbers continue to improve, especially when it comes to new hospitalizations for those suffering from severe COVID-19 complications. “That’s 800 fewer people per day being admitted compared to the end of March,” de Blasio said during his May 15 briefing. “That’s just breathtaking.”
Making the ‘new normal’ work for everyone SETTLING IN from page A1 who are home with the kids, are really struggling.” While Vazquez works to help young people cope with a new reality, Melissa Kane is focused on a different demographic, working in recreation at an Upper West Side nursing home. Activities at the nursing home would usually mean gathering everyone in one room for a movie or a game. For now, though, residents mostly stay in their own rooms, avoiding large groups to slow the potential spread of the coronavirus. “Right now, our day-to-day operation is more one-to-ones, providing for the residents,” Kane said. “Crossword puzzles, reminisce. We do WhatsApp and Skype for the families, we reminisce, listen to music.” Heading out every day while the city is quiet is hard, she said, but it’s just a part of the job. “It’s a little nerve-racking,” she said. “This is essentially what I signed up for as part of my career. Nobody expected any of this to happen, but this is what I chose to do for my career.” One thing that does help, Kane said, is the city’s nightly cheers for essential workers. Twice a week, she leaves work at 7 when the celebration from apartment windows starts.
Staff members began state-mandated twice-weekly testing starting Wednesday, while residents are having their temperature, pulse and respiration levels measured at every shift change, and blood pressure checked every day. “We were screening every employee that came through the gate,” Reingold said. But still, that doesn’t mean the virus can be stopped outside. “Unfortunately, when someone is asymptomatic, you don’t know that they’re potentially carrying the virus,” he said. “So the testing gives us the information we need to make the right decisions.” Antibody tests used to determine if people have built potential immunity to the coronavirus were not in the Hebrew Home’s current plans, Palace said, as they have “limited clinical utility” in the nursing home. While some staff members have been tested on their own, using the tests in-house would not be helpful in infection control. The Hebrew Home has been operating without much guidance from the state health department to this point, Reingold said, and he did not expect the agency could lay out clear guidelines. “That is not a criticism of the department of health,” Reingold said. “One of the things that became clear to us working hand-in-hand with the department last week is that they, too, are confronting something that really no one has ever dealt with before. And New York state is confronting the epicenter.” It has been only eight weeks or so of the state battling this new virus, he said, and much of what’s happening now simply could not have been predicted. “My gut feeling is yes, we were on our own,” Reingold said. “But everybody was kind of on their own with this.”
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Roxana Vazquez, right, reviews information about her daughter Mia with nurse Monarae Speller at The Learning Experience. “It’s very nice to hear how many people are really applauding,” Kane said. “It makes you feel good about what you’re doing, that you’re making a difference.” Like millions of health care workers across the country, even when she’s at home, Vazquez tries to reckon with the impact of the virus on her own life and family. “Every day, I just feel like the next day is not known,” Vazquez said. “We don’t know what’s going to
happen tomorrow with this pandemic, with the shutdown, with this quarantine period. Is tomorrow going to be better?” It’s impossible to pinpoint an exact reopening date in New York City. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set criteria for various regions of New York to start reopening, tracking statistics like testing capacity and rates of new infections. All of upstate has started the first phase of reopening, while downstate — including New York City, Long Is-
land, and the Mid-Hudson region suburbs — are still waiting to meet all the benchmarks that would allow them to reopen. Even when it’s safe, Vazquez said, children and parents might struggle to reintegrate back into the world. “One of the things that a lot of the parents of my patients are saying is, ‘I’m just afraid when things go back to ‘normal,’ that my kid is not going to want to leave the house,” she said. It’s “because of the fear of, ‘Is it really safe to leave?’ “I see my own daughter struggling, and I hear my patients struggling, and I know it’s not going to be as easy as, ‘Hey, we’re open, come on in,’” Vazquez added. “These kids are going to have these fears and anxieties.” While some schools already either have in-house mental health care providers or partner with mental health organizations, Vazquez says she’s hoping to see a “big shift” as schools reopen to support the mental health of students readjusting to the outside world. “When the kids return, (we can) concentrate more on stability,” Vazquez said. “Like, how can we stabilize them emotionally, but also give them that space for socialization? Because that’s something they’re missing greatly.”
SCHOOLS TESTED from page A1 nating attendances for grades, both in the classroom and online, which would improve teacher-student ratios. He also suggested looking abroad for any suggestions, to take ideas from international schools. A fellow P.S. 7 parent, Maria Chan Vega, agrees with Espinal on class size. Physical classroom space at the Kingsbridge Avenue school is not exactly ample, making it hard to squeeze in the 30 or so students who typically occupy it. Vega suggested adding more teachers and breaking up classes as a potential solution to give appropriate space between classmates. But that’s still down the road for Vega, whose daughter attends P.S. 7. Right now she and other parents are more focused on keeping their children educated with virtual classes and even some home tutoring, prepping them for the next grade. The issues aren’t just with public schools. Hugh Keenan, principal of St. Margaret of Cortona School, says he doesn’t necessarily have definitive plans on how his West 260th Street school will open, but a litany of ideas have been suggested. That includes restricting access to staircases, keeping an ample supply of face masks on hand, and directing students to use different entrances and exits, as well as specifically assigning restrooms based on grade and classroom. Still, Keenan stresses, no decisions have been made, and these are solely preliminary and even hypothetical thoughts on how St. Margaret’s could reopen. “We haven’t said ‘no’ to anything,” Keenan said. “We haven’t said ‘yes’ to anything.” Archdiocese of New York spokesman T.J. McCormack said in a statement to The Riverdale Press that Catholic schools in the region would only reopen if it can protect the health of students and families, as well as faculty and the administration. With that in mind, the Archdiocese is proactively planning for the day schools do indeed reopen. That includes regular contact with federal, state and local agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cuomo’s office and the state health department. It’s their “guidance and directives” that “will inform the choices and decisions we make,” McCormack said. “The decisions on the education system are, obviously, critically important,” Cuomo said. “We must protect our children. Every parent, every citizen feels that.”
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A5
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Courtesy of Angelica Perez/MCMF
Soprano singer and teacher Sigal Chen performs in a production of ‘The Magic Flute’ in the 2019 Miami Music Festival. Chen has since returned to her Riverdale home, teaching her music students through online videoconferencing applications during the coronavirus pandemic.
No stage, yet soprano finds hope in a shrunken world By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE
A
particular voice has resounded through a number of institutions in the Northwest Bronx and beyond. It echoed through the halls of SAR Academy, and reverberated through the homes of students as a tutor. Her signature soprano carried through the great spaces of Carnegie Hall, the Miami Music Festival, and the Manhattan Opera Studio over the past decade with classic pieces like Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” and “Pamina” — pieces we know better as “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Magic Flute.” That voice belongs to Sigal Chen — a voice now confined inside her Riverdale home. Alone. Well, not exactly. She has her students. And while they can’t physically be with her, that’s not stopping her from spreading her vast musical knowledge to young minds through online videoconferencing apps. “I’m a singer, but I have my master’s in musical education,” Chen said. “I want to teach. I love it. Now the idea of going to a student’s home or them coming here to learn is a nightmare.” As the state was locked down on March 22 to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, Chen returned home to Riverdale feeling waves of confusion and panic rise. “The first few weeks were terrible, very hard,” Chen said. “I couldn’t focus easily, I couldn’t see my students, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’m a very active person, and then I couldn’t go anywhere — not to see people, at least.” Feelings of solitude and stillness for a musician who tours and performs as often as Chen are not welcome feelings. It was for excitement and learning that Chen voyaged to New York City in the first place. Hailing from Israel, Chen hoped to expand her range and find a musical community with a strong Jewish presence — hopes she fulfilled in this part of the Bronx. “I started doing gigs in the area,” Chen said. “I perform in many languages, and not just opera — my father was a musician who sang Sephardic Jewish music, and I learned a lot from him. My religion and traditions are very important to me.” Riverdale, Chen said, is a community that loves music. “Seeing people here is so important to me,” she said. “I can’t do that in the same way anymore.” But within days, Chen realized she wasn’t alone. Students started calling her, expressing boredom and disappointment at not being able to see their teacher nor learn from her. To Chen, there was only one solution. “I realized they had to keep practicing or they’d forget,” she said. “We had to video chat.”
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Chen tested out a number of videoconferencing applications, with the goal of finding one that didn’t glitch and pause. A clear image was among the highest of necessities. “It took a while to figure that out,” Chen said. “We tried each one, but it seemed Zoom was best. The point is, I can see them now.” Seeing a student sing, according to Chen, is as vital to teaching the vocal arts as hearing, making videoconferencing applications — while not perfect — extremely helpful. “There is very much to focus on by seeing the singer,” Chen said. “You can determine the tension in the jaw, you can almost see how their neck strains. Singing is about using the whole body. It’s a very physical art.” As Chen reached out to students, finding ways to keep each other focused, she managed to create something she considered tremendously important for finding meaning in these times: An active routine. “These classes are the core of my day, now,” Chen said. “But there’s more. I have breakfast at a certain time, I go for a power walk, I rehearse my languages, I go home and practice old repertoire and new material that I’ve always wanted to try. I call my students and we continue our lessons. “Eventually, focus is possible. And the time isn’t paralyzing like before.” With this, Chen joined the numerous teachers and tutors and students who have shifted their work and focus to an entirely new medium, one that requires much more focus and intent. It doesn’t always go perfectly. Chen may play a chord and her student may mishear it, or their mind will be elsewhere — after all, she says, screens aren’t faces. And yet, as May began, Chen has found herself contemplating the future, reveling each moment that permits a sense of calm and joy. “Every day I’m able to be here in a wonderful part of the city so close to the natural,” Chen said. “It’s so peaceful, but it’s also very quiet and strange. When this is done, the performing arts, opera and otherwise will experience something of a major change. I think I am both excited for that, but also scared.”
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A6 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
In face of growing COVID troubles, Dems seek answers Engel, colleagues overcome social distance challenges to keep House active
‘We’ve already learned so much from this pandemic, largely about what not to do, from the president and his team.’
By ANTHONY CAPOTE
— U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel
of The Riverdale Press
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel was among a number of U.S. House lawmakers who questioned Dr. Rick Bright from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services following his allegations the Trump administration ignored his warnings about the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. ing he was reassigned to the National Institutes of Health for contradicting Trump on the effectiveness of two drugs typically used for patients with malaria — chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine — to treat COVID-19. Trump has touted the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine since late March, going as far as claiming earlier this week he’s actually taking the medication despite strong warnings from the Food and Drug Administration that it’s not proven to be effective against the disease, and that it could cause more harm than good to those taking it. Bright lost his role as one of the leaders of the U.S. response to the pandemic in mid-April. His complaint has prompted an investigation by the Dem-
ocratically controlled House, which included the May 14 public hearing. Engel and his colleagues from both sides of the aisle took turns questioning Bright, who attended the hearing through videoconferencing. The hearing covered dozens of hot-button issues in the national discourse on the coronavirus pandemic, including when Americans can expect a vaccine, the effectiveness of various treatments, and how the Trump administration handled the crisis overall. In his line of questioning, Engel asked exactly what safety concerns there were when it comes to using chloroquine to treat COVID-19. “There are data of the effective use and safe use of chloroquine in malaria
PRESS POINTS
As more regions open, NYC inches closer to lockdown end mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Two more regions upstate have reopened as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s phased economic restart in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning three-quarters of the state no longer is under a full lockdown. But for New York City and Long Island? They’re still a little ways off. The Capital Region — which includes Albany and Schenectady — as well as Western New York, with the likes of Buffalo and Jamestown, were the latest to reopen, following large swaths of upstate that met seven metrics in New York’s battle to curb the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. “On the metrics, they are now qualified for reopening,” Cuomo said during his daily coronavirus briefing on Saturday. “There is still a need to increase the number of people prepared to do tracing, and that is a pure administrative function. While New York City is expected to have enough tracers when it’s ready to reopen, there are still other metrics that haven’t been met, at least when it comes to available hospital and intensive care unit beds. As of Monday, the city is short of the 30 percent availability needed in both categories — but not by a lot. The city had 27 percent of its beds open for new patients, while ICU had 26 percent available. That came as New York City achieved another threshold — it now has fewer than two new hospitalizations per 100,000 people, tracked on a three-day rolling average. It’s 1.80 per 100,000 people is the most in the state, but now means all 10 of New York’s regions are under the 2-per-100,000 threshold.
What’s old is new again: Brennan, Capote return Two familiar names will grace bylines in The Riverdale Press again, at least for the next few weeks, helping the news team with some special projects related to ongoing coronavirus pandemic coverage. Rose Brennan, who just ended her spring internship at The Press — as well as her undergraduate tenure at Manhattan College — returns through the end of June to write more stories, and help with a new feature recognizing those on the front lines of the pandemic, “Hometown Heroes.” Brennan graduated summa cum laude from Manhattan College just last week. Before ROSE this new temporary run with BRENNAN The Press, she was a four-year member of the college’s student newspaper, The Quadrangle. Outside of the newsroom, Brennan is a voracious reader, and enjoys hunting for sea glass on the sub-par beaches of her hometown of Stratford, Connecticut. The first installment of “Hometown Heroes” can be found in this week’s issue, on Page A7. Also making a return through the end of June is Anthony Capote, who previously covered politics and police for The Press beginning in 2015. Capote originally joined the newspaper as an intern from Manhattan College, before earning a promotion as a full-time reporter on the news team. After leaving The Press in 2017, Capote became a sociology doctoral student at the CUNY Graduate Center, focusing his research on how corporations use individual user data online to project a public image that caters directly to consumers’ social and political identities. In particular, Capote’s most current research focuses on companies who target products to members of specific social movements, like the
All regions also have had either a decline in net hospitalizations of two weeks or more, or have fewer than 15 new hospitalizations. As of Monday, New York City has had a 36-day decline in net hospitalizations, second only to Long Island, which is on a 37-day slide. Long Island achieved enough capacity in its hospitals and ICU to warrant a reopening, but is falling short when it comes to deaths. Cuomo’s metrics require a region to have a 14-day decline in hospital deaths, or fewer than five in a three-day rolling average. Nassau and Suffolk counties have 13 deaths per day, and has experienced only a six-day decline. New York City, on the other hand, averages about 37 deaths per day, but have watched those numbers decline consistently for more than a month. First phase of reopening includes construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, select retail for curbside pickup, as well as agriculture, forestry and fishing, according to the governor’s office. Three later phases, which allow for more openings, will go into effect two weeks after the previous phase, provided each region continues to meet all seven metrics. Now that the Capital Region and Western New York have begun their first phase, the only counties waiting to get out of the gate are Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond and Queens in New York City, as well as Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island, and Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties in the Mid-Hudson Region. Those suburban counties could start to reopen as soon as its daily hospital death rate drops from eight to below five. The region is on a four-day decline as of Monday.
Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, and the LGBTQ movement. From a methodological standpoint, Capote is interested in using data mining and computer science methods for social science and journalistic purposes. In his temporary return to The Press, Capote will focus primarily on the coronavirus, and how the pandemic affects the lives of people living and working in this part of the Bronx. Unfortunately for both Brennan and Capote, the return is a virtual one, as The Press’ physical newsroom remains mostly closed. The entire news team, with the exception of the editor, have worked exclusively from home, although photo ANTHONy editor Julius Constantine Motal makes weekly trips through the CAPOTE neighborhoods of Riverdale, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge and Marble Hill to continue capturing the community in pictures. Both Brennan and Capote can be reached through newsroom@rivedalepress.com, and are expected to remain a part of the news team until mid-summer. “Our news team has worked so hard over the last few months adjusting to this so-called ‘new normal’ to continue bringing the stories that matter to a community we love quite a bit,” Press editor Michael Hinman said. “Rose was one of the best interns I’ve ever had the pleasure of managing at this paper — and we’ve had a lot of good ones come through here over the past three years. And I couldn’t be more excited to have Tony come aboard once again. I don’t think anyone has ever truly stepped into a newsroom until they’ve been a part of one with Tony Capote.” The Press already has put together most of its summer team despite the pandemic, welcoming high school intern Maya Katz last month, and poised to bring in two college interns to join the team in June.
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patients and other patients and other indications,” Bright told Engel in the hearing. “We also knew that there were potential safety risks with chloroquine to cause irregular heart rhythms, and even in some cases, death. “There wasn’t sufficient data at that time to support use of this drug in patients with COVID-19 without close physician supervision.” Later in the hearing, Bright clarified that his concerns about the efficacy of the drug arose after he discovered many of the clinical trials the president had cited were conducted overseas in facilities that had not been approved by the FDA. Engel’s efforts to question the Trump administration as a whole did
not stop there. Just a few hours after Trump ousted State Department inspector general Steve Linick last week, Engel and New Jersey senator Bob Menendez launched a congressional probe into that firing, which reportedly came at the behest of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Engel claimed in a May 18 tweet that Linick’s firing may have been connected to an ongoing probe of Trump invoking emergency powers in the Arms Export Control Act, pushing through an $8 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia last year. “These investigations are part of Congress’ critical oversight responsibility of the executive branch to ensure that it spends the dollars Congress has allocated helping the American people, and not lining the pockets of Trump’s cronies,” said Engel, who faces a tough primary election against the likes of middle school administrator Jamaal Bowman in a matter of weeks. “Time and again, the president has failed to lead this critical effort. On top of that, he’s put politics over science at the cost of American lives.” The congressman’s efforts are aimed mostly at discovery, he said, looking for lessons the federal government can take away from how much of the first half of 2020 has played out. “We’ve already learned so much from this pandemic, largely about what not to do, from the president and his team,” Engel said. “Hearing from Dr. Bright reaffirmed that this administration has no master plan, and thus was never capable of rising to meet this extraordinary challenge.”
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The nationwide struggle to find out exactly how to survive the coronavirus pandemic is now approaching its third month. In the foreseeable future of the crisis, one question has dominated the minds of many: Exactly how did it get this bad? On the national stage, President Donald Trump has tried to shift blame away from the Oval Office by pointing fingers at everyone else from the Chinese government to the World Health Organization for allegedly failing to let the world know how infectious and deadly the COVID-19 virus really was. And the president has even attacked some folks right here in New York state — like Gov. Andrew Cuomo — for not having enough hospital ventilators on hand before the pandemic arrived in New York City, which remains the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. House Democrats, however, seem unconvinced by the White House blame game, opening several investigations into how the president responded in the early days of the virus, especially as other countries began sounding the horn on how drastic the impacts of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could be. U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, who sits on the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, is one such Democrat. Last week, in fact, Engel questioned Dr. Rick Bright who, until recently, was the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, charged with developing treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus. The hearing came after Bright filed a whistleblower complaint May 5 claim-
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A7
HOMETOWN HEROES Join us in celebrating the amazing men and women from the front lines of our community’s pandemic response
MARIA PATUHAS
TAYLOR O’NEILL
T
HEBREW HOME AT RIVERDALE
B
BOOKKEEPER KEY FOOD
efore the outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19, Maria Patuhas knew what to expect on a typical workday at Key Food at 540 W. 235th St. Now, work is synonymous with uncertainty. Grocery stores are one of the few public places New Yorkers are allowed to visit during the crisis. As a result, cabin fever combines with “panic buying,” leading to extra work for grocery store employees, who often need to clean the remnants of wet wipes and sanitary gloves customers leave behind. “I’ll be in here at 7 in the morning, and I’ll leave at 7 (or) 8 at night, just to help manage,” Patuhas says. “It’s very busy, especially as the day goes on.” In addition to extra responsibilities and working overtime, Patuhas also needs to reassure and even appease customers, many of whom are looking for products that are simply out of stock. “The customers will ask us, ‘When are you going to get paper towels in?’ or ‘When are you going to get yogurt in?’ and we have to tell them that we’ve ordered it,” she says. “It’s just that we have trucks that don’t come in on the days they’re supposed to come in. Everything used to flow a lot easier prior, and now we just come in and we don’t know what to expect.” But Patuhas’ life isn’t just her job. She’s also pursuing a master’s degree at Fordham University. “I have to find the time to focus on my studies,” she says, “but at the same time, I don’t want to leave my peers hanging.” — Rose Brennan
hese days, there are few places more dangerous than a floor full of patients who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. But each day, it is where nurse Taylor O’Neill goes to work. While most of the motions of a typical workday remain the same for O’Neill at the 5901 Palisade Ave., campus of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, the pandemic has added significantly to her responsibilities. “It’s not as simple as walking into a patient’s room anymore,” O’Neill says. Having a positive test for the coronavirus can be anxiety-inducing, especially for a more vulnerable population like the elderly. In this time of crisis, O’Neill finds it is best to be straightforward with patients, so as not to cause them additional anxiety. And if the patients didn’t have enough to deal with, there’s also the toll of separation from family members, none of whom have been able to visit since the crisis started. “The patients are way more alone than we would think right now,” O’Neill says. “It’s just sad for them.” In this crisis, compassionate care remains a priority for O’Neill. She makes sure to interact with each patient in exactly the same way she did before. And there are ways to show additional compassion through seemingly simple acts. “Everybody has masks and everything, but still even smiling, people can still” see, O’Neill says. “When you smile at a patient with the mask on, they can still see it in your eyes.” — Rose Brennan
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / Photos
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A8 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
Artist teaches kids to enjoy drawing from home
OBITUARIES
Marble Hill tenant head Urban Ellis, 88 Urban Ayers Ellis died May 6, 2020. He was 88. Born in Springfield, Ohio, his mother Ruth Ellis took him at 6 years old with his sister Polly, 2, to New York City where he could get medical treatment for his right shoulder, broken at birth. He had to have 17 surgeries on that arm and shoulder. When he entered the work force at 15, he was a mail clerk for J.C. Penney. He later became a taxi driver while taking home study courses in business management. He then worked as a technical recruiter. All the while, he was married to Gloria Ellis, wed in 1958. She had two children by a previous marriage, and they became his family, extending to grandchildren. He wrote many songs and poetry with his mother and sister. He also wrote a book, “The History of Pastor Tieck and St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church,” where he was an el-
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE rlassauze@riverdalepress.com
O
n an early spring morning, a jogger paces down Riverdale Avenue. Her earphones are in, her ball cap bent just over her eyes. Friends passing by in cars call out and keep going. Then she’s gone. On the side of a mailbox is a woman’s face, drawn in chalk. There are others, as well. On a wall. On the sidewalk. Hiding behind a tree. The jogger passes some of these faces without a second thought. The jogger and the artist just happen to be one in the same. Nina Seigenfeld Velazquez has lived in Riverdale for nearly 30 years, and like many, she has had to adapt to life in a city shut down in an effort to turn the tide on the coronavirus pandemic. On an early March evening, Velazquez sits down at her desk with some paper and markers, setting about drawing an abstract plane of sunlight and brightness, along with a silhouette of a man running from one end of the page to the other. The next morning, she posts it to Facebook, sharing it to other pages and with friends, to families she knows. But she also includes something else: instructions. It’s the first day of “Come Draw With Me,” a series of remote art classes Velazquez hosts that includes open-ended instructions on how to produce a piece similar to what she’s already created and shared. “What I love about it is that you can post it or not post it,” Velazquez said. “The instructions I provide aren’t set in stone. nina Velazquez It’s entirely unnecessary to force kids to make art in such a particular way — they see what they see, and make what they want to make based on that. That’s all I want, and it’s so wonderful to see.” Velazquez’s love of the city and all who live in it comes from decades of emotional and educational investment in the arts and learning, going back to the rough-and-tumble environment of 1970s Manhattan. “Growing up, I thought that if you didn’t raise your child in Manhattan, you were a bad parent,” Velazquez said. “I was absolutely wrong, of course, (a) very childlike thing to think. It was just my love for the city — growing up on the steps of The Met and all.” Naturally, she stayed in the city, studying painting at the School of Visual Arts in Kips Bay from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Near the end, with an extra $200 in her pocket, Velazquez and close friend Mario Fernandez founded the New Math gallery in the East Village. For three years, she and Fernandez were at the cutting edge of new art in the city. Then the AIDS crisis hit. Friends were lost, and the lights were cut. “It hit everyone badly. Very badly,” Velazquez said. “We were decimated by the crisis. It was intense and scary.” Throughout that time, Velazquez continued her own work, and then found a new profession. “My husband and I moved up here when I first got pregnant,” Velazquez said. “Really didn’t think I’d move up to the Bronx, but I love it here now. I’ve been able to raise my kids in the city as much up here. I’ve been able to balance my own work and everything else.”
courtesy of nina Velazquez
an aquatic scene is one of many drawings artist nina Velazquez has posted on Facebook as part of a series for families and children wherein she encourages fun while staying at home during the pandemic. Velazquez got a bit experimental with one of her drawings, below, when she added some crystals to a landscape.
But everything else has changed. In a matter of mere weeks, schools shut down, and people were told to remain home. “I teach art at New Horizons,” Velazquez said of the P.S. 81 after-school art program, which Velazquez has taught since 2014. “I can’t talk to my students the same way I was able to a month ago. This has not happened gradually — it’s all been so sudden.” Now, at home with herself and two daughters, Velazquez takes stock of the situation before her, considering the different options she has. “I need to jog,” she said. “I need to make art with my chalk. That’s what I’ve done for years. “In a way that’s not going to stop, but here I am with my 15-year-old doing schoolwork. This is an entirely different setup, and I wanted to provide something that would get people active in a creative way.” Velazquez considered posting paint-
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ings to her Facebook page. But then she realized one thing that every child-filled household has. “Markers,” Velazquez said, laughing. “Everyone has markers. I hadn’t used markers myself in years, but it made sense to me. Seemed like a perfect self-distracting activity.” Velazquez has watched the previously vibrant life around her falter and cease. And yet, the posts have continued without a break, and she has no intention of stopping now. “Some of my chalk drawings are still out there,” Velazquez said. “For now, those faces can remain and give someone a smile when they see it. I’m going to stay here with my daughters and hang out with them and work. “To the kids at home who are making this with their parents or siblings — or even by themselves — I hope they learn that drawing is about learning to see. That’s what all my work’s about anyway.”
der for more than 50 years. He was president of the Marble Hill Tenants Association, and he formed a non-profit group of children who put together a newsletter, “Stop the Drugs and Violence.” For about five years, he was able to get computers and musical instruments donated to his marching band and journalism groups from businesses. He and Gloria lived at 210 W. 230th St., until Gloria died in August 2012. He married Cathy in late 2012, who was with him until he died.
St. Gabriel’s teacher Marsha Keenan, 70 Marsha Ellen Keenan, born Nov. 26, 1949 — beloved wife and best friend of the late Peter T. Keenan — passed away May 17, 2020, after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. Preceded in death by parents Lorraine Goldstein and Seymour Schuster, she was an English teacher in the New York City public school system for nearly 40 years, most of which was spent at P.S. 95 Sheila Mencher. She retired several years marsha ago, and has keenan volunteered at the local senior citizen center as well as the Bronx Zoo, before returning to teaching. Initially, she volunteered at the kindergarten before substitute teaching children at St. Gabriel’s in Riverdale. She was married to Pete for 29 years, living the last 16 years in Riverdale. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Lehman College. She supported the St. Jude
Foundation, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and many other charities. Most importantly, she provided hundreds of her students with needed school supplies and books. She leaves behind sistersin-law Maureen, Melissa, Valerie Keenan and Teri Dunbar; brothers-in-law Michael and Timothy Keenan; nieces Kerianne and Samantha; nephews Christopher, James, Mark, Zachary and Paul, along with great-nephew James David. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, graveside services are private. With arrangements under Gutterman-Musicant Funeral Directors, interment will take place at George Washington Park in Paramus, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to the St. Gabriel’s, where Marsha Keenan volunteered her time and shared her love for education as a substitute teacher. Checks can be sent in memory of Marsha and Peter Keenan to St. Gabriel School, 590 W. 235th St., Bronx, N.Y., 10463, or online at ChampionsForQualityEducation.org.
Vietnam sharpshooter Richard Reason, 67 In honor of Richard Alton Reason, 67, of the Bronx, who passed on May 8, 2020, at James J. Peters VA Medical Center. A Vietnam veteran and a sharpshooter for the U.S. Army, he was born on Aug. 13, 1952, in Norfolk, Virrichard ginia, son of reason Powell Beasley Smith Reason and Evelyn Reason nee Andrews. He is survived by his wife Luanne Reason nee Dooley,
married in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, on Dec. 14, 1984. He is survived by his children: Richard Reason, Duane Reason, Kourtney Aracena, Ainsley Stern, Tracy Lewis, Anthony Reason, Brittany Reason, Aubrey Reason, and Logan Reason. He also is the grandfather of 18 and great-grandfather of one. He was the brother of Mary Elizabeth Hatcher nee Reason, Wayne Reason (deceased), Carol Miller nee Reason, Michael Reason (deceased), and Garnett Reason. A memorial service will be held in the summer.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A9
To the Riverdale Community: In 1951, the Hebrew Home moved from a small synagogue in Harlem to a sprawling campus on the banks of the Hudson River. Becoming a member of this tight-knit, family-oriented, bucolic community was central to our identity and pride, resulting in our name change to the Hebrew Home at Riverdale. Fulfilling a mission of care and compassion to New York City’s most vulnerable population drives all that we do. In this unprecedented and unpredictable time, as we navigate through uncharted waters, our heroic team of nurses, physicians, social workers, creative arts therapists, housekeepers, engineers and every Hebrew Home employee, have been working around the clock for months to ensure our residents are safe, well cared for and living with dignity, respect and comfort. We are proud of every member of the care team for stepping up and going above and beyond the call of duty. The Hebrew Home and Riverdale will get through this crisis. Together we are stronger. Together we are safer. Together we are community.
A10 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
City bus improvement plan halted by pandemic, cuts By PATRICK LINDO plindo@riverdalepress.com
It was a project intended to boost average bus speeds by as much as 25 percent through improvements and new construction of bus-only lanes, including a planned lane on Broadway through Marble Hill. But it seems the coronavirus has claimed yet another victim as Mayor Bill de Blasio has put the brakes on his Better Buses Action Plan as the city scrambles to make up for budget shortfalls caused by the current economic turmoil. When asked by reporters about his decision to defund the Better Buses program, despite previously saying that he would draft a plan for car reduction, de Blasio reasoned that priorities have shifted. “The most basic things are health, safety, food (and) shelter,” the mayor said during an April 16 coronavirus briefing. “So, we’re going to focus there first.” de Blasio acknowledged that such programs like Better Buses were necessary — especially when the city tries to return to normal — but basic necessities were far more important. But that doesn’t mean Better Buses is dead. It could be part of a post-pandemic world. “There’s no question that a lot of the other things are very important,” de Blasio said. “That’s why we put them in the budget to begin with, and they will continue as we have more resources in the future.” The mayor might be looking for money that he can shift around in the city budget, but not everyone is happy with better transit becoming a victim, like Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents the area around the stretch of Broadway that was supposed to get a bus-only lane.
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
The city’s bus network has changed drastically since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to protect drivers, the front section of each bus is roped off, causing passengers to board through the back, and avoiding the fare box along the way. Mayor Bill de Blasio has defunded the Better Buses Action Plan for now, which was intended to speed up transit service in the city. In a letter, Rodriguez reminded the mayor how bus services power the city’s emergency response, shuttling frontline “essential” workers such as doctors, nurses, EMTs and grocery workers. And then there’s the inevitable reopening of the city, the councilman added. Many rely on buses, especially in low-income communities, immigrant neighborhoods, and among the
elderly and mobility impaired, all of whom Rodriguez says would be disproportionately impacted, as they have throughout the pandemic. “Having access to reliable and frequent bus service will help bring racial and economic justice to bus-dependent communities,” Rodriguez said in his letter. Vittorio Bugatti, founder of the Express Bus Advocacy Facebook group,
also stressed how important it is the city’s transportation system remains focused on reopening. Bugatti — who still depends on express buses from his Riverdale home, even during the coronavirus crisis — says the city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority should be looking to entice riders back onto buses, especially as many say it might be a long time before they feel safe from disease on mass transit
in the wake of the pandemic. “It’s extremely important that we maintain it,” Bugatti said of the plan. Some observers fear many might turn away from buses and trains when the city reopens, and instead rely on cars and services like Uber to get around. Drawing commuters back to buses will likely be a top priority, Bugatti said, which is why programs such as Better Buses needs more advocacy from the mayor’s office rather than funding cuts. More cars mean more congestion, Rodriguez said, creating environmental and health concerns. With cars off the road right now during the statewide stay-at-home orders, air quality has substantially improved. But if and when the city reopens, without better preparations, the councilman fears an environmental relapse. “The city should plan for an increase in automobile traffic that could be worse than pre-pandemic levels,” Rodriguez said, “leaving millions of riders in endless traffic, and destroying air quality — making millions more vulnerable to respiratory illness. Danny Vaughn, a member of Bugatti’s transit advocacy group, said that while he’s still concerned about unsanitary conditions on buses, a better, quicker, more reliable service would be a boon to the city. Changes like those detailed in the Better Buses plan, he added, are necessary to achieve it. de Blasio unveiled the Better Buses Action Plan a year ago, with an eye to speed up buses by 25 percent by the end of 2020. Those plans include not just bus-only lanes, but also a mix of improvements to the system overall like new routes, better accessibility to bus stops, real-time schedule information, enforcement of bus lane rules, and improvements to buses themselves, including a push for all-electric vehicles.
WHAT’S IN
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE
A toast to the toastmasters The Bronx Toastmaster’s Club of Riverdale hosts an open house Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m., via the Zoom videoconferencing app. To RSVP, visit BronxToastMastersClub.org.
lington Ave., hosts a blood drive Wednesday, May 27 at 11 a.m., in the gym. Donors are required to make an appointment. For more information — and to make an appointment — visit tinyurl.com/RiverdaleBloodDrive.
Family arts available in trying times
Blood drive at community center The Riverdale Y, 5625 Ar-
Artist Nina Velazquez presents “Come Draw With Me,”
a daily drawing activity via her Facebook page. Families can sit down together and create their own versions of Velazquez’s drawings, and are encouraged to post their new versions when complete. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/CommunityDraws.
Policy, bills in new political dialogue Assemblyman Jeffrey Di-
nowitz and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel invite the public to join them in the newest installment of the state lawmaker’s online weekly talk program known as “COVID Conversations.” It’s set for Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. This week’s conversation focuses on a new federal disaster relief bill and how it may affect the area. To RSVP — or for more information — email dinowitzj@ nyassembly.gov.
The garden beyond the screen The New York Botanical Garden opens its virtual gates with “The Garden at Home,” a project where the entire garden — from its programs to tours of the spring landscape — are available online. Events include over the next few weeks include: • A spring walk among the garden’s recently bloomed daffodils.
• A virtual tour of the orchid show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope, hosted by senior orchid curator Marc Hachadourian. • A “Flower ID from A to Z” series of classes, where students can learn from famous floral designers and gardeners how to identify and take care of numerous flower types. Registration is $215, and classes are every Thursday at 6 p.m., through May 21. Visit them now at NYBG. org.
Professional Ser vices Director y inDex Attorneys Audiology Dentists Organizing Professionals
Physical Medicine Physical Therapists Podiatrists Psychotherapy Tutoring
Attorneys Lawrence Cooper,
esq.
165 West 231 Street 718.548.2100 Estate Planning, Wills, Probate Purchase or Sale of Real Estate, Co-ops Powers of Attorney, Guardianships, Article 81 Proceedings Incorporations, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury
LORRAinE COYLE, esq • • • •
Wills, Trust, Estate Planning - Probate Medicaid Planning & Guardianships Real Esate - Buying & Selling Member Nat’l Academy of Elder Attorneys 5911 Riverdale Avenue 718.543.2200
Susan M. Dunn, esq. (Lic. NY & FL)
•Real Estate/Co-ops: Buy, Sell & Refinance •Wills, Trusts, Probate & Estate Admin. • Incorporation, Contracts & Leases • Divorce & Separation Agreements 3600 Fieldston Road 718.796.0837
Divorcing? with Julie Hyman, p.c. www.JulieHyman.com specializes in: •Child Custody, Support, Equitable Distribution •Post-divorce Modification & Enforcement •Prenuptial & Separation Agreements Solaria Riverdale, 640 W.237 St.,
Tel: 347.449.6398
DAn PADERnACHT, esq.
Real Estate - Purchase, Sell and Refinance Co-ops - Condos - Single Family - Commercial Business Formation and Lease Drafting 3605 Sedgwick Avenue (at West 238th Street) Tel: 718-543-3500 email: dan@padernachtlaw.com
Lisa Fischel-Wolovick, esq. Attorney at Law 5911 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, New York 10471 Tel: 212.245.6125 Family Law, divorce, custody, and child support Offices in Riverdale and Manhattan Author of Traumatic Divorce and Separation: The Impact of Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse in Custody and Divorce (Oxford University Press: 2018)
AuDiology Advanced Care Audiology Meagan Ruth aud, ccc-a
Hearing Evaluations, Treatment of Hearing Loss, Wax Removal, Treatment of Tinnitus, Hearing Aids. 3533 Riverdale Ave., Bronx, NY 10463 718.980.7700 www.advancedcareaudiology.com
Dentists
PhysicAl meDicine PM&R, Physical Medicine & Rehab Center
Comprehensive Spine, Sports & Occupational Center DONALD LISS, M.D. PHIL TASCA, M.D. REBECCA BROWN, M.D. Pain Management • Physical Therapy Occupational & Certified Hand Therapy 6132 Riverdale Avenue (718) 884-1200 www.Rehabmed.net
TALLER DEnTAL
Riverdale Oral Health Sidney Adler, dds, m.a.g.d. Beth Berson, dds Quality Dental Care
General and Cosmetic Dentistry in a modern and relaxing setting, accommodating all your personal needs. Services include… • Implants • Veneers • Teeth Whitening • Bonding • Invisalign • Dentures • Facial filler injections … and much more. Visit us online or call for an appointment today to see how we can help you! 611 West 239th Street, Bronx, NY 10463 718.548.3353 riverdaleoralhealth.com
facebook.com/riverdaleoralhealth
Gabriel Shalmi,
dds
Family Dentistry. All phases of modern dentistry. Implants, braces for adults & children. Evenings. Most Insurances accepted. NEW PATIENT SPECIAL — $89.00 — includes initial exam, x-rays (full mouth) and hygienist cleaning. 444 W. 259th Street #200. 718.601.0900
orgAnizing ProfessionAls LiFE FiLES PROFESSiOnALS
Efficiently store vital documents while Securely destroying outdated, yet sensitive, Documents. Be clutter free FINALLY! Homes and businesses. Free Initial consultation. Discounts for seniors. 718-548-1282, LifeFilesPros.com, Riverdale, NY
Cambridge Podiatry Center Dr. Donald Spector Board Certified, Diplomate in ABPOPPM Practicing over 30 years Podiatric Medicine & Surgery Laser treatments available Medicare/Most Insurances Accepted 259 W. 231st Street, Bronx, NY 10463 718.548.3080
Lance Greiff, dpm
Samuel H. Taller, ms, dmd, fagd
ExpEriEncE and innovation S pecial H ourS D uring c riSiS • Modern Facilities • cosMetic dentistry • iMplants • laser treatMents • tooth Whitening • nitrous oxide Emergencies Welcome 3601 Waldo Avenue 718.543.3704 www.DrTallerDental.com
PoDiAtrists
BOARD CERTIFIED PODIATRIC SURGERY PODIATRIC ORTHOPEDICS
PhysicAl therAPists Judith Kahn, md, pc Board Certified Physiatrist • Pain Management • Sports Injuries • EMG’s Holistic Management of Musculuskeletal Conditions 545 West 236th Street, Suite C, 718.884.8115 30 W. 60 Street Suite 1C, between Broadway & Columbus Ave. Website: www.judithkahn.com
Participating in: Medicare, GHI, Oxford, Healthnet, Healthease, Blue Choice, Aetna, Pru-care, Magna-Care, Chubb Health, PHCS, Nylcare HMO/PPO, Multiplan, PHS, Select-Pro, Local 1199, Magna-Select, Anthem, & more. HOUSE CALLS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE 3333 Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10463 718.601.2100
PsychotherAPy Leslie Robert Blumgold, lcsw-r
PM&R, Physical Medicine & Rehab Center
Comprehensive Spine, Sports & Occupational Center JOE LEIBOWITz, MSPT MADELEINE LAxAMANA, PT, DPT BRYAN DAGARAGA, PT, DPT LALAINE YAP, PTA KATIE RICHTERI, M.S. OTR/L Pain Management • Physical Therapy Occupational & Certified Hand Therapy 6132 Riverdale Avenue (718) 884-1200 www.Rehabmed.net
Riverdale Sports Physical Therapy
In and out of Home Counseling/Telehealth Individuals, Couples, Adolescents and Families. Areas of Expertise - Drug Treatment, Adolescents, LGBTQIA, Family Work and Geriatric Populations. Excellent Outcomes and Engagement Skills. 16 years experience 646-496-2032 LRB4U7@aol.com
Maria M. Kargman, LCSW-R
Bi-lingual (English, Spanish) as preferred 30+ years clinical psychiatric social worker See PyschologyToday.com listing for Bio, in-network insurances accepted 914-348-1226, maria.kargman@gmail.com Office: 45 Palisade Street Ste216, Dobbs Ferry
Tara Fitzgerald Quimby, lcsw-r pc
ALExANDER SHERMAN, P.T. •Orthopedic Injuries • Post Surgical Rehab •Arthritis • Pain Management • Sports Injuries THE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING 531 W. 235th Street, 718.432.1323
PoDiAtrists Michael L. Merenstein, dpm Board Certified - American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics. Surgical, geriatric, diabetic shoes. Pediatric, whirlpool & orthotic treatments. Medicare, Oxford, HIP & most insurance. Day & evening appts. HOUSE CALLS AVAILABLE 3636 Fieldston Rd. (W. 236 St.) 718.548.6732
Teens - Adults - Couples M. 917.273.6995 A. 3600 Fieldston Road, Suite 2G Riverdale, NY 10463 E. TaraQuimbyLCSW@gmail.com Evening and weekend hours available
tutoring Professional Home Tutor
Tutoring available in all general subject areas. Grade Levels K-12 • Certified NYS Teacher in Childhood Education (General Education and Special Education, 1-6) • MS in Childhood Education (1-6) • Dual Certification in General Education and students with Disabilities Call zach 917.667.7185 zNilva1@gmail.com
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A11
Bill de Blasio’s plan to beat heat: free A/C HEALTH NOTES By ANTHONY CAPOTE
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE
of The Riverdale Press
Landlords are required to pump heat into apartments during the winter. But when it comes to summertime, tenants are generally on their own. As temperatures rise outside, window and ceiling fans inside can’t keep up, literally turning some units into ovens that could put their occupants in the hospital — or worse. Any other year, those looking to seek refuge from the heat could find so-called “cooling centers” around the city — senior centers, libraries, community centers and the like. But then again, 2020 isn’t any other year. And for now, at least, many of those facilities are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Luckily, Mayor Bill de Blasio has a plan he says will keep people cool this summer while still maintaining that necessary, safe social distance. He’s going to buy air conditioners. About $55 million worth, in fact, with primary attention on senior citizens. “A lot of the things that we love about summer, those things are going to be different for the foreseeable future,” de Blasio said during his May 15 daily coronavirus briefing. “There’s a lot of things that we would look forward to doing that we can’t yet do. But what we can guarantee is the heat is coming no matter what. And last year we saw some very sobering reality around the heat.” Last July, for example, was one of the hottest in New York City’s recorded history, the mayor said. One day in July reached 100 degrees, according to published reports — which felt like 110, after factoring in humidity. Seniors are particularly prone to overheating, the mayor said, which of course presents a unique dilemma for city officials trying to find a safe way to keep them cool and keep them safe from COVID-19. The money will pay for 74,000 air conditioners, with part of the funds coming from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which in turn received money from a federal grant. Roughly a third of the units will go directly to New York City Housing Authority residents, like those at Fort Independence and Marble Hill houses. “Obviously, because of global warming, things are changing, and we’re seeing a kind of heat we haven’t seen before so much, and we take it seriously,” the mayor said. “So, we’ll identify those who need help the most. We’ll reach out to them, confirm that an air conditioner makes sense for them, and then we’ll be-
Children’s hospital changes to adult care
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
As the weather heats up, people are going to want to keep cool, although not everyone has an air conditioner. To that end, Mayor Bill de Blasio says he’ll buy 74,000 air conditioners to help those living in the hottest homes. gin installations.” Those installations will begin this week. The city is pulling $35 million from its own capital funds, with NYCHA pitching in another $10 million, de Blasio said. NYCHA will determine which of its residents need a free air conditioner, while others can apply through either the city’s human resources administration, as well as from other agencies, like aging and housing preservation. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera is excited about the mayor’s plan, describing the A/C shopping spree as a way to unite neighbors. He promised, for his part, to help make it possible at the state level. “There is something we are doing around this and it has to do with the fact there are some regulations that need to change at the state level,” Rivera said, adding that some state regulations would have to be revised if lawmakers in Albany wanted to help make this plan a reality. “A lot of folks talk about expenditures, but these are not expenditures,” Rivera added. “These are investments in the front end, which will save us so much more money in the back end. I am certainly going to work to make that
happen.” de Blasio isn’t stopping with air conditioners, however. The mayor also is petitioning the state’s Public Service Commission for an additional $72 million to cover summer utility bills for 45,000 working-class families. He wants state lawmakers to reallocate some funds from the Home Energy Assistance Program’s budget intended for winter heating in the city to help pay for even more utility bills. “Summer utility bills go up in general,” de Blasio said. “This summer, they could go up a lot more because more and more people are staying home sheltering in place. So, we want to focus on people who are struggling to pay the bills, and we want to make sure they can stay safe and stay cool and have the air conditioning they need.” The Home Energy Assistance Program providing heating for 1.4 million people across the state last year, according to a spokesperson for the state’s temporary and disability assistance office. In a typical year, just 2 percent of the $370 million federal grant is spent on summer cooling, but the state agency has since made efforts to reallocate at least $6 million to help purchase air conditioners, and even extended the dead-
line to apply for HEAP assistance until June 30. Cooling centers aren’t necessarily gone. de Blasio is still considering opening large public venues like sports arenas and auditoriums, where people can come in, and still find ways to maintain social distance. He also wants to provide ways to cool people off without packing them into enclosed areas with other people. There is one part of the mayor’s plan that’s about as traditional New York City as one can get for staying cool during hot summer days: Opening up fire hydrants. “There’s a way to do that that can provide cooling for a lot of people, a lot of kids in particular on their blocks, but can be done the right way. The safe way,” de Blasio said. “The way that doesn’t undermine the work of the FDNY.” In all, the mayor says he’s trying to keep people cool in the face of increasingly hot summers, while balancing that with a need to maintain social distancing guidelines. The ultimate message from City Hall is clear, he says: Make it as safe as possible for those most likely to overheat to stay home and stay comfortable.
As cases of COVID-19 surged last March at Montefiore Medical Center, the medical institution took the initiative to rapidly convert its in-patient pediatric unit of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore — or CHAM — into a 40-bed unit for adult patients. Kaitlyn Philips, assistant medical director of pediatric quality at the children’s hospital — and assistant professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine — co-authored a report in the Journal of Pediatrics detailing the unit’s transformation. Montefiore’s pediatric physicians and nurses consulted with adult medical providers, creating a strategy to provide lifesaving care for patients coming into the unit. Children’s hospital chief physician Dr. Michael Cabana expressed pride at how quickly the unit was able to adjust in an emergency.
Stay away from malaria drug, for now
President Donald Trump revealed this week he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, an antimalaria medication some say is effective in treating COVID-19 symptoms. A new wide-ranging study by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital looked at 1,400 patients when it came to the drug, and determined it’s not worth the risk to even try. Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at the hospital, Dr. Neil Schluger said the test concluded only one thing: More study is needed. In his trial, 811 patients were administered hydroxychloroquine while another 565 did not. Overall, nearly 350 test subjects developed respiratory failure, 180 were intubated, and 166 died without intubation. Researchers found those who received the drug appeared to have the same risk of intubation or death as those who did not receive the drug.
Physicians Ser vices Director y indEx Cardiology ENT - Adult & Pediatric Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatric Medicine Internal Medicine Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ophthalmologists Pediatricians Pediatric Subspecialty Care Pulmonary Medicine Psychiatry Rheumatology
CaRdiOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors gerald neuberg, md, fAcc
For appointments, please call: 646.317.0130
Kung-ming Jan, md
For appointments, please call: 718.601.4800
david i. Sahar, md
For appointments, please call: 718.601.3700 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
EaR, nOSE and thROat adult & PEdiatRiC
EndOCRinOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors Sophia hu, md Sees general endocrinology; specializes in thyroid disease including thyroid cancer, diabetes, weight management, women’s health, osteoporosis, adrenal disease, and pituitary disease/tumors. Speaks conversational Spanish and fluent in Mandarin Chinese. 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 646.317.0129 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
gaStROEntEROlOgy ColumbiaDoctors Jennifer Caceres, md david S. lee, md
3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 212.932.4534 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
PLACE YOUR AD HERE
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology
Carolina Mora, np
• Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology
Flora holderbaum, Aud
• Audiology (hearing aids, hearing testing, evaluation and rehabilitation) • Adult and Pediatric 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 202 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 212.305.8555 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
The deadline for any additions, changes or cancellations for the June Directory is Wednesday, May 27th at 2pm.
Call 718.543.6065 ext. 3 or email advertising@riverdalepress.com to get in touch with our marketing team who can help you reach out to your clients.
ColumbiaDoctors nydia E. Providence, md
Riverdale Pediatrics
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.4564 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. The Century, 2600 Netherland Ave., Suite 120 By App’t, 718.796.3580
The Century, 2600 Netherland Avenue, Suite 125 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 718.601.7505
Stuart R. Framm, md • Travel Vaccines
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.5190 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Sherry R. Kohn, np NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.5190 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
OBStEtRiCS & gynECOlOgy
• Otology, Neurotology, Skull base Surgery • Adult and Pediatric
Elliot Regenbogen, md
PEdiatRiCianS BaRBaRa E. StRaSSBERg, M.D., F.A.A.P. CaRlyn a. OPPEdiSanO, M.D., F.A.A.P. MaRtin ROdRiguEz-EMa, M.D., F.A.A.P. Pediatric & adolescent medicine.
PEdiatRiC SuBSPECialty CaRE ColumbiaDoctors anu Mallapaty, md
Allergy and Immunology (through Adult)
Patricia M. Vuguin, md Endocrinology
ali Mencin, md Gastroenterology
270 West 231st Street Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 855.550.KIDS Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
PulMOnaRy MEdiCinE
ColumbiaDoctors Justin golub, md Susannah hills, md
intERnal MEdiCinE
gERiatRiC MEdiCinE ColumbiaDoctors Bindhu thomas, md xiaoshuang yin, md nana Makalatia, md deborah Smyth, gnp NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-159 New York, NY 10034
ColumbiaDoctors anita holman, md doreen Kramer, cnm Reyna E. Payero, md, fAcog • Board Certified Physicians • Comprehensive Gynecologic, prenatal and obstetric care 270 West 231st Street, 1st floor, Suite 101A Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 212.305.9779 www.columbiaobgyn.org Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Now also at a convenient Riverdale Location The Century, 2600 Netherland Avenue, Suite 125 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 718.543.3031 Now accepting new patients. All clinical staff are Board Certified in Geriatric Medicine Medicare and most major insurance plans accepted. Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
For appointments, please call: 646.317.0127 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
PSyChiatRy NYC Neuropsychiatry Paul Campion, md Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry 444 West 259th Street, Suite 301 Bronx, NY 10471 201.292.7987
RhEuMatOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors teja M. Kapoor, md
For appointments, please call: 212.932.6036 or 212.932.4080
nana Makalatia, md
ColumbiaDoctors Manuel R. Cabrera, md
OPhthalMOlOgiStS Jonathan d. Boniuk, md, pc Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Eye MD •Catering to all ages & eye problems including eye surgery, routine and preventive eye care. • Board Certified • El Medico Habla Español The Riverstone, 3220 Arlington Avenue, Suite 7 Call 718.432.2299 Fax 718.432.2069 Office Hours: Monday - Friday, including eves.
Specializing in Lupus, sees general rheumatology patients & performs musculoskeletal joint injections. 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 212.3054308 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
A12 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
Opinion Editorial
A board open to everyone
J
une Eisland. Rosemary Ginty. And, depending on how the vote goes next month, Laura Spalter. In the past several decades Community Board 8 has existed in some form or another, these are the only women who have led this important, hyperlocal neighborhood advisory board. And before Ginty was elevated to the top spot in 2017, Eisland — who later became a city councilwoman — was in a club all by herself. It seems the board is making up for lost time, but there’s still a ways to go. Representation is important, not just in membership of a group, but in who leads it as well. While many of us try to immerse ourselves in various issues — especially those that might affect people outside of our own specific social circles — we can’t connect to all of them, which is exactly where we can significantly benefit from diversity. Yet, providing appropriate representation for women isn’t the only diversity issue facing the community board. There are two other disparities that seem to grow every year — that of ethnicity, and of geography. Less than half the people living within the 10471 and 10463 ZIP codes are white, according to census figures. And three times the people live in 10463 — known disparagingly as “down the hill” — than who live “up the hill.” Yet, outside of Tony Cassino in the aughts, every CB8 chair — male or female — has been white. Even more, with the exception of Ginty’s predeces-
sor Dan Padernacht, all chairs have been from “up the hill.” Until recent years, when the board was readying its nominating committee, a statement was read into the record as an important reminder to all those who serve on the nominating committee. That statement asked nominating committee members to find candidates “who represent diverse geographic areas,” from “diverse communities,” hailing from “diverse ethnic and racial groups.” That statement wasn’t read this year, as far as we can tell. And it seemed few if any of the nominating committee members took those words to heart anyway. In fact, the only two interviewees that seemed to even be challenged by the nominating committee were housing committee chair Daris Jackson and board chair candidate Sergio Villaverde. They are among the four of the board’s 13 committees led by people of color, and among nearly the six chairs who hail from Kingsbridge or Marble Hill. In his interview seeking to helm the land use committee for another year, longtime member Charles Moerdler pushed the board to focus more attention in Kingsbridge and Marble Hill. We agree wholeheartedly — not just in actions the board might take, but also inside the actual board itself. It shouldn’t take decades for everyone to be represented, and our community board should lead the way.
Letters to the editor
School destroys Fieldston’s history To the editor:
(re: “Horace Mann ready to convert another Tibbett Ave home,” April 23)
We read with great distaste how Horace Mann spokespeople blithely stated how respectful they are of “history,” of keeping the residential look and feel, and how they continue getting away with having violated so many Landmarks Preservation Commission regulations, Fieldston Property Owners Association rules, and agreements. The information exhibited in this story doesn’t tell the full story. An important note to keep in mind is that the Horace Mann school campuses are all out of Fieldston boundaries, and their purchasing Fieldston residential historical properties — two in the ‘70s, two in the ‘90s and four in the last 10 years — doesn’t justify the use of our streets or properties for their operations. It completely changes the residential, historic and bucolic natural setting our founders envisioned. Community Board 8 has been at fault here, also, accepting to consider proposals by Horace Mann, following a detailed letter of encroachments, violations and harassments from residents before the meeting — proposals with no protection from the very people who have continued to violate rules and regulations. Allowing Horace Mann to pump their chests about how respectful they are by not having torn down any of their acquired houses with no comment regarding the destruction, bullying and harassment involved, is tough to swallow. The CB8 board is well aware of this, but that simply skirts the issue ignoring the fact that inaction also has consequences. The Fieldston property owners board carries most of the responsibility for this crisis, because its continuous lack of involvement and actions in crucial CB8 meetings for the last eight years. Future applications should be denied because Horace Mann has accumulated a long list of Landmark Preservation Commission violations on its Tibbett Avenue properties, forcing it to abandon many — if not all — of its previous applications, and a variety of those violations persist. Those violations and Horace Mann School’s encroachment into the residential landmarked Fieldston neighborhood are of longstanding concern to Fieldston residents. Horace Mann has not only converted homes into offices and classrooms, but has industrialized the area with paved pathways, sidewalks, reduced foliage, prominent signs, fences, rail-
ings, cameras and the like — many of them violations of both the landmarks commission and the Fieldston property owners. The area of Fieldston covered by the association is a unique historic landmarked “highly restricted, well-kept and properly maintained suburban residential section.” The landmarks commission has designated the neighborhood a historic district, “one of New York City’s most beautiful and well-planned early 20th century suburban communities,” according to a 2006 historical district designation report. Tibbett Avenue has a special historic value to Fieldston, as 4455 Tibbett Ave. — right across the street from the 4456 Tibbett Ave., applicant here — was the first house built in Fieldston beginning in 1911. Horace Mann has been set on destroying that historic residential character and designation. On June 25, 2018, the landmarks commission withdrew Horace Mann’s application on 4440 Tibbett Ave., for failing to provide the commission with requested information. That application was to address outstanding landmarks violations, including paving a front area without a permit, as well as a warning letter for installing freestanding signs without a permit. Those violations remain outstanding. On Aug. 13, 2018, the landmarks commission withdrew Horace Mann’s application on 4411 Tibbett Ave., for failing to provide requested information. That application was to address various outstanding violations, including for the installation of security cameras as well as replacing windows and doors, and replacing the front walkway and sidewalk, all without a permit. Those violations remain outstanding. On Aug. 23, 2018, the landmarks commission withdrew Horace Mann’s application on 4401 Tibbett Ave., for failing to provide requested information. The commission noted outstanding violations, including ongoing window replacement, installation of HVAC units at a rear extension, alterations to a front yard including excavation, replacing a roof and installing junction boxes on a façade, all without a permit. These violations remain outstanding. Thank you for letting us shed some light on the threat of institutionalization Fieldston is facing. avner amarilio The author says he represents other “concerned Fieldston residents.”
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Letters to the editor
It’s time to take a look ahead To the editor: With all the discussion of “opening up,” turning the corner and flattening the curve, it is time to start thinking about our future. Scientists and governments around the world are cautioning against a second wave. The New York Times reports a warning by Patrick Harker of the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia. The Associated Press expressed “growing dread over what they say is an all-but-certain” second wave of deaths and infections, and reported a prediction by Spain’s army of two more outbreaks of the coronavirus. Such fears are not unwarranted. Pandemics of the two infections most similar to the coronavirus — the 1918 flu and the H1N1 flu of 2009 — both experienced a second wave far more virulent than the first after a summer lull. Other disasters also face us. The hurricane season is just beginning, and we can expect wild fires to begin again in California. We need to start preparing for the future, but not by opening up prematurely. In the Bronx, the need is urgent and dramatic. According to city health department statistics, on April 10, the Bronx had recorded 1,241 cases. By April 20, the number had grown to 2036 — a growth rate of 64 percent in 10 days. Even though we have flattened the curve, on May 11, the number of cases in the Bronx was 41,746, and deaths were just under 300 per 100,000 residents, the highest rate per capita in New York City, the epicenter of the virus. These are the essential workers who man the transit system, police, fire department, child care and food delivery services, and they experience rates of poverty worse than what we find in Mississippi. By far the largest number of deaths have occurred among the elderly and those with compromised health, defined by the health department
as those with “diabetes, lung disease, cancer, immunodeficiency, health disease, hypertension, asthma, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal/ liver disease.” These residents are disproportionately black and African American, and Latino residents of New York City, accounting for 60 percent of the cases. Before the pandemic, inadequate housing, pollution, lack of fresh food, and critically, the lack of medical care, contributed to the Bronx experiencing the worst health outcomes in the state. Now the coronavirus has brought with it massive unemployment and loss of health insurance in the middle of a pandemic. Bronxites worry about losing their homes in August, eating tomorrow, and becoming sick in a second wave and dying from compromised health. The state has a massive budget shortfall and needs a huge infusion of federal funds to meet current obligations. We are running to stay in place. There is, however, one thing we can do to prepare for the future. We can cut the connection between employment and health insurance by passing the New York Health Act. An increase in taxes fairly distributed in a progressive tax will eliminate insurance company expenses and save the state $3 billion, conservatively estimated. Businesses will no longer be burdened with the cost of the profit paid to insurance companies, and the administrative headaches associated with evaluating the 55 companies selling insurance in New York. Citizens will no longer fear the loss of employment, eliminating their access to health care, and will benefit from continuity of care to help them cope with and diminish chronic health conditions. We need to prepare for the second wave, and whatever else Mother Nature brings us, and pass the New York Health Act now. Helen Krim
We must save our post office To the editor:
(re: “Looking back at the future,” Legislative Agenda, April 30)
As we all know, we need a healthy postal service for basic services like letters, packages and delivery of medications. But we also need it for the big picture issues vital to our democracy. A reliable census and the integrity of vote-by-mail, which in this time of crisis, must be vastly expanded. And it will be impossible without a robust, reliable U.S. Postal Service. The postal service is in serious trouble. It is a self-funded, independently operating public sector entity which does not receive taxpayer funds. It was already experiencing financial problems before the COVID-19 crisis due to decreasing use and a 2006 law that forces it to prefund decades of pension and retiree health costs, an obligation
that decimated the finances of the USPS even before the coronavirus hit. And now the pandemic has caused a further catastrophic drop in mail volume. In our area, problems with service and delivery have resulted from understaffing, employee illness and fear of illness, and poor communication. Our elected officials have been applying pressure and have submitted letters to Postmaster General Megan Brennan and to Vice President Mike Pence, demanding improved services, greater transparency, and appropriate personal protective equipment for postal employees. Congressional Democrats have pushed for emergency funding for the USPS, but Trump and Senate Republicans have blocked it. Fixing this is high on Democrats’ list of pri-
orities for the next coronavirus relief bill. We need to act! Please educate your friends and family on this issue. Please call your electeds, thank them for all they have done, and urge them to insist that significant direct emergency funding be included in the next coronavirus relief bill. Thank House Democrats for passing the USPS Fairness Act, which would repeal the prefunding mandate, and press for its companion Senate bill to be brought up for a vote. Sign petitions by the American Postal Workers Union, Common Cause, MoveOn, Moms Rising and other organizations. And if you have the means, buy stamps. The integrity of our elections is at stake. Judy fleTcHer
Other options instead of Engel To the editor: Not long ago, two community organizations active in the Northwest Bronx — Bronx Climate Justice North and North Bronx Racial Justice — took the unusual step of officially endorsing Jamaal Bowman for Congress. I say “unusual” because these organizations have prioritized social movement organizing and activism over electoral politics. Both organizations, whose combined membership is more than 300, feel however that New York’s 16th Congressional District urgently needs the passionate, activist, justice-driven leadership that Jamaal Bowman would provide. In the past year, our members have come to know Jamaal as a leader who prioritizes on-theground health, housing, education, criminal legal, environmental, economic and racial justice issues that long-neglected communities of the 16th District are crying out for. We’ve been disturbed to learn that 31-year incumbent Eliot Engel has remained at his home in suburban Maryland since March 27, as reported in The Atlantic on May 14, and worse, has lied about being at COVID-19 relief events in the district. In the weeks since, the 16th District has been
one of the hardest hit congressional districts in New York City, and the nation. While other committee chairs and members of Congress have been hard at work in their districts — shuttling between their districts and Washington, providing leadership, mutual aid, support for beleaguered front-line workers, and comfort and reassurance to constituents — Mr. Engel has not set foot in the district during this historic crisis. Jamaal Bowman has stood with nurses in Yonkers, helped in outdoor food pantries, and provided the visible, courageous leadership that this crisis demands. We’re proud to support Jamaal. We encourage fellow residents of the 16th Congressional District to phone bank for his campaign, donate any amount large or small (unlike Eliot Engel, Jamaal does not take corporate PAC or lobbyist money), and be sure to apply for your absentee ballot before June 16, to vote for the change we need in the June 23 New York primary. Please visit BowmanForCongress.com to get involved with Jamaal’s vibrant campaign, and learn how to get your absentee ballot. Jennifer ScarloTT The author is coordinator for Bronx Climate Justice North and North Bronx Racial Justice.
Riverdale 5.375 X 5.25
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A13
Op-Ed Point of view
Teens can be part of healing process as summer arrives
The author is a member of Teens Take Charge, a Bronx-based youth advocacy group.
Painting different portrait of Wyoming’s Wind River By DEREK GARRISON-BEDELL
O
n my drive to work, I focus to keep my eyes on the road. I turn away from the rolling fields of sagebrush and grazing cows that end in an eruption of the snow-capped Wind River mountains in western Wyoming. One can feel the raw power of the land reverberating for miles, only a few homes dotting the landscape. I roll down the window to breathe in the fresh mountain air, a chilly tempest that the eagles and crows use to sail lazily across the expansive sky. A contrast to the jostle and bustle of a subway commute back home, I substitute people-watching for tracing the sloping foothills. The undulating earth is humbling and leaves one open to contemplation, wondering about the ways to strike a better balance between our modern lifestyles and protection of the source from which all life springs. The American narrative of “taming” the West, pushing forward on a mission ordained by God, obscures the subjugation and attempted genocide of the people who had been living here for thousands of years. I tell people that I’m from New York, but when asked the question of “where do your people come from?” it gives me pause. My immediate family is from the East Coast, but when probing further backward, I know that I come from Europe — countries like England and Germany, places of hazy association that lack concrete meaning. As part of the colonial project, there is an attempt to reframe our connection to this land as deep and innate. But to quote from “Braiding Sweetgrass,” “immigrants cannot, by definition, be indigenous. Indigenous is a birthright word. No amount of time or caring changes history or substitutes for soul-deep fusion with the land.” Our country has perpetuated deep and lasting crimes against the original inhabitants of this land, and we must begin to reckon with them if we are to forge a more just and accountable world. Traditions and cultures were disturbed and uprooted, but they are not lost. A food sovereignty project on Wind River seeks to reclaim indigenous food and health traditions. Restoring these ways of collecting food offers a contrast to unsustainable practices by agro-business and hyper-processed food linked to skyrocketing rates of diabetes and obesity. The relearning process uplifts values and wisdom that were once nearly erased by the legacy of boarding school establishments, whose goal was to “kill the Indian, save the man.” The attempted erasure failed, and these projects offer a glimpse of what a more reciprocal relationship with the land could look like. To address interpersonal violence, there is a practice using principles of transformative justice, focused on reconciliation and healing rather than punishment and exclusion. The circle pro-
cess focuses on historical trauma and uplifting indigenous values, which promoted consensus and equality as governing principles long before being subjugated to make way for representative democracy. Members of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho nations, who share the Wind River Indian Reservation after a legacy of broken treaties and promises, partake in these processes. For too long, the United States has been active in committing cultural genocide against the varied nations and communities that inhabited this land, claiming ownership and dominance in the name of individual liberty. And what of the other communities in Wyoming, so-called blood-red conservatives who tote guns and run cattle across the plains? Difficult to paint with broad strokes, the varied communities defy preconceived East Coast stereotypes. There are more cowboy hats and pickup trucks than in the Bronx, but the tenacity and determination it takes to survive in this sparsely populated landscape is on full display. A general sentiment of relaxed libertarianism is omnipresent, an attitude of “live and let live,” perhaps enabled by the availability of space and fresh mountain air. Wyomingites are keenly aware of the inherent value of the sprawling landscapes and natural resources, and a recent forum on climate action attracted a large gathering. Clearly, I’m not the only one to be deeply appreciative of my commutes, along with some of the best hiking trails I’ve set my boots on. However, there are state issues that I am beginning to wrap my head around. Wyoming is the largest state producer of coal, its historically extractive industries providing ample booms in economic development, while also disrupting habitats and belching copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Moves to push to wind and other renewables exist, but there isn’t political gumption to make significant shifts away from fossil fuels in the near future. Wyoming also has the most guns per capita of any state, ideally used for hunting and self-defense. Seeing them in public leaves me uneasy, and I disagree with arming teachers in local school districts. But learning about their sustainable use for hunting game leaves me with mixed feelings on a topic I know little about. As I reflect and gaze up at the ancient mountaintops, I think about how such immediate access to the earth encourages reverence and respect. Some stereotypes of the Cowboy State ring true, but the full picture is more multi-layered than one simplified description. The author is an AmeriCorps VISTA serving on the Wind River Indian Reservation in centralwestern Wyoming. He was born and raised in the Bronx.
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’m 17 years old, and a first-generation Senegalese American. As a rising sophomore, I knew I wanted to do something with my summer. An internship and other summer programs would be difficult to secure because I had only finished my first year of high school. So I applied to the only option I knew about: New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Some summer experiences are unpaid, which means students have to choose between compensation and the value of a summer job. But with a simple lottery, you can get both through the youth program, and also choose jobs that are close to your home. I was excited for my first opportunity to be financially independent and learn about potential career paths. I vividly remember the day I had gotten chosen by the lottery. Usually, I don’t have success with lotteries. It was a rough day at school, and I had a lot of assessments going on. In the afternoon, I checked my email and saw that the youth program lottery had accepted me. I was ecstatic for the rest of the day, because even as a freshman, I knew what a wonderful opportunity I was being offered. One thing I really like about the youth program is how it connects local youth, mainly black and brown, to community-based organizations. For example, the summer following freshman year, I was an intern with the Children’s Aid Society. During the week, I would travel to downtown Manhattan in professional attire. Just having the responsibilities and dress of a working adult helped to develop maturity that I did not have before. My peers and I learned about the different food injustices in New York City. We also learned about the various environmental impacts of our food choices. I liked how there was hands-on learning because we visited greenhouses, local gardens in the city, and a United Nations-sustainable house. I had to apply the different skills I had learned through growing plants using hydroponics and learning to make sustainable and organic meals. This amazing experience ignited a passion for giving back to my community, as well as searching to understand the systemic issues that led to so many black and brown New Yorkers living in poverty, having underfunded schools, and not have enough sources of healthy food. Along with the incredible information I learned through my summer job, I also had my
first chance to be financially independent. Freshman year was tough for my family financially, and I did my best to burden my family as little as possible. Of course, I’m a teenager, and while my family always provided basic needs, the youth program provided me the opportunity to have some of my wants fulfilled. With the money I made, I was able to purchase a new phone, clothes for the school year, and have a really enjoyable summer because finances did not stress me out. Although I can never repay my parents, I was able to make a dent in everything they have done for me by buying groceries and giving them some of my earnings. I have only had one experience with the youth program thus far, but you can see all that it means to me. I applied this year and encouraged my sister, who is a freshman in high school, to apply, too. She was excited by the chance to be in the program after seeing my experience. The cancellation of the youth program came as a major surprise because thousands of city teens were relying on this opportunity, and the burden that we can take off our families by participating. We have lost the chance to be financially independent and prepared for this summer. I believe the decision was made too hastily. Since the program does not start until July, the mayor has plenty of time to plan remote options that keep kids safe. If he listens to the teens of New York City, his administration would understand how valuable youth programs are and reconsider the decision to entirely get rid of these opportunities. More than 75,000 youths were depending on this program for either a summer job or an internship opportunity. Low income communities already are being the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, providing teens with financial independence and a means to help their parents during these tough times is everything. Of course, the city has tough budget cuts to make, and the top priority must be safety, but the youth program is not where to do it. We understand the city’s budget is tight this year, but investment in the youth program is not a waste, and teens are not expendable. We can be hired by employers that want to get back on their feet. To the mayor and all New York City politicians: New York City teens can be a part of the healing process this summer. If you let us.
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A14 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
Phone/fax ads in: ☎ 718-543-6200 ☎ 718-548-4038 E-mail: ø classified@riverdalepress.com Our address is: 5676 Riverdale Ave, Ste 311, Bronx, NY 10471
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3531 Johnson Avenue | 718.878.1700
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020 - A15
Home of the Week Sanjya Tidke and Adinah Kranzler of Sanjya Tidke Team at Halstead Real Estate
A perfect archway to a pristine Fieldston townhouse
W
elcome to Villa Margarita, a luxurious Italianate Mediterranean home with no detail left
The homes of
VillanoVa heighTs* AvAilAble After lAbor DAy fully furnisheD 5021 Grosvenor Avenue
unturned. Situated in Fieldston’s nature district, at 4401 Manhattan College Parkway, this home has been tastefully restored and remodeled, ready for your artful living. It combines features that blend classic architectural elements like stone and stucco walls, red-tile roofing, and arched windows and doors, with a modern lifestyle with two patios/outdoor courtyards, and level gardens in the front and rear of the home. This makes for an easy transition between the indoors and outdoors, maintaining privacy and tranquility. Enter through a custom arched glass door into a white Calacatta marble foyer with high ceilings and custom wood-paneled walls and trim work. To the left of the foyer, you’re welcomed into a large and bright formal living room with a wet bar, woodburning fireplace, white oak select rift, and quarter herringbone hardwood flooring. There’s also a huge picture window off the dining room and a built-in window seat. A service pantry connects the formal dining room and the kitchen with a sink, wine cooler, and interior-lit storage cabinets with a marble back splash and counter top.
The custom eat-in chef’s kitchen comes with an open design complete with a large center island and bar seating, featuring marble counter tops with custom white inlaid cabinets that opens up to a family room with a series of windows looking out into the backyard and new bluestone patio. There is a beautifully appointed powder room off the foyer as well as a mudroom and large closet when you enter from the rear. The second level includes two en-suite bedrooms with deluxe spa-like bathrooms, and two additional large bedrooms with ample closets. The spacious master bedroom has two walk-in closets and a Juliet balcony. The third floor has a bedroom, full bathroom, and a laundry room. The finished attic has ample room for seasonal storage, while the finished basement features a guest room or media room with 1.5 bathrooms, a large guest room, a designer laundry room with fabulous storage, and an additional generously sized mudroom. This gated property offers six bedrooms total, along with five full bathrooms and two half-bathrooms. And there’s an attached two-car garage as well. It’s waiting for you for $3.5 million.
9 bedrooms/ 6 full baths/ 1 half bath/ Elevator/ Pool
homes available for early september occupancy
5041 Goodridge Avenue
Note: Each week’s featured home is chosen at random from among houses and apartments offered by Riverdale Press advertisers. The opinions expressed are those of the advertiser and not The Riverdale Press news department. For further information, write to advertising@riverdalepress.com.
10 bedrooms/ 6 full baths/ 1 half bath/ Elevator/ Pool
John E. FitzgErald • 914.613.5510
(Brokers ProTecTed)
VisiT our weBsiTe for floor Plans and PhoTos of all homes
call us or your Broker for aVailaBiliTy of homes and renTal raTes w w w .V i lla n oVa h ei g h t s . co m
*Villanova Heights is a rental community of fine homes on 25,000 Sq. Ft. lots. We periodically feature all of our homes in these ads, whether or not currently available.
Call for rental prices and dates of availability.
A16 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 21, 2020
TrebachRealty.com
718.543.7174
Family Owned & Operated Since 1972
NeW exclusive
NeW exclusive
West oF parKWay Web #880 Grand bucolic beauty and open space classic 6-bdrm, 5.5-bath mansion with wraparound porch on over one acre with grassy lawns. Large center hall, living room with WBF, formal dining room with fireplace and eat-in kitchen. $5,290,000
south riverdale Web #871 Spacious 4-bdrm, 2.5-bath tudor-style house with patio and grassy yard. Living room with WBFP, formal dining room and large cneter island eat-in kitchen with sliding glass doors to patio, finished basement and attached 1-car garage. $1,595,000
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exclusive FieldstoN Web #839 Stylish and bright 4-bdrm, 3-bath solar modern home with patio and garden. Living room with WBFP, dining room with pass-through to an eat-in kitchen with peninsula. Loft like 2nd floor, family room and office. C/A/C and central vacuum. $1,750,000
NeW exclusive FieldstoN Web #877 Renovated bright and airy 6-bdrm, 5.5-bath house with spacious grounds. Features entry hall, living room with fireplace, spacious and inviting eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, sunroom with radiant-heat floors and finished basement. $3,450,000
NeW exclusive West oF parKWay Web #873 Picturesque 4-bdrm, 3-bath Tudor-Style house on double lot with grassy yard and river views on private cul-de-sac. House features a living room with WBFP, formal dining room, sunroom, finished basement, C/A/C and an attached 2-car garage. $1,575,000
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exclusive ceNtral riverdale Web #859 4-bdrm, 3-bath detached brick house with high ceilings, and lovely rear deck perfect for entertaining. Living room with brick WBFP, formal dining room, updated eat-in kitchen, finished walk-out basement, laundry area and storage room. $925,000
exclusive
exclusive FieldstoN Web #844 Classic & Elegant 4-bdrm, 3.5-bath with abundant French doors leading out to expansive front terrace, a stone patio, an open, shady side porch and a level grassy yard. Living room with WBFP, formal dining room and eat-in kitchen. $1,895,000
exclusive
NeW exclusive
FieldstoN Web #874 3-bdrm, 4-bath house on cul-de-sac. Living room with WBF & dining room with bay windows. 1-car gar. $1,600,000
West oF the parKWay Web #856 Classic 3-bdrm, 2.5-bath house features a center hall, living rm with WBF, formal dining rm and eat-in kitch. $1,200,000
exclusive
exclusive
FieldstoN Web #804 4-bdrm, 3-bath stucco & stone home. Living room with WBF, formal dining room and eat-in kitchen. $1,499,000
estate area Web #855 7-bdrm, 5.5-bath newly built house with open-plan living rm, dining rm, centerisland kitchen and patios. $2,295,000
West oF parKWay Web #867 This estate consists of 2 dwellings on a nearly one-acre double lot (2 separate lots). There is a 4-bdrm main house (built in the 1950’s) plus a 2-bdrm guest house (built in the 1920’s) with an impressive backyard that is level and grassy. $3,495,000
co-exclusive
NeW exclusive
vaN cortlaNdt crest Web #869 Spacious 7-bdrm, 3-full and 2 half bath Tudor-Style house with grassy yard on double lot along tree lined st. $825,000
North riverdale Web #875 Bright 3-bdrm, 2.5-bath house on quiet cul-de-sac w/ rear deck and fenced yard. WBFP & formal dining rm. $695,000
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KiNgsbridge Web #879 Fully renovated 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath house with entry foyer, dining rm, front porch, patio, garden & 3-car garage. $895,000
exclusive south riverdale Web #872 Three vacant lots with R2 Zoning and Single-family 4-bdrm, 2.5-bath, stucco, Tudor-style house. $3,000,000
exclusive south riverdale Web #805 4-bdrm, 3.5-baths, Tudor-style house with living room with WBF, FDR, updated kitchen & study. $1,395,000
exclusive
exclusive
FieldstoN Web #848 Rare opportunity vacant land of over a third of an acre with R1-2 Zoning to build exactly the house you need. $1,200,000
exclusive
exclusive
West oF parKWay Web #846 Spacious 3-bdrm, 2.5-bath house features a living room with bay windows and marble WBF, dining room with sliding glass doors to large level backyard, eat-in kitchen, MBR suite & den with a wet bar. 2-car garage plus plenty of off street parking. $1,599,000
ceNtral riverdale Web #865 New Construction: 2-Family Townhouse w/ 4-bdrm duplex over 1-bdrm w/ deck & level, grassy backyard. $1,275,000
south riverdale Web #858 Stone and Stucco house with 4-bdrms, 3 full & 2 half baths, WBFP in LR, FDR and renovated kitchen. $1,195,000
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co-ops, condos and REntals
house For reNt
NeW exclusive
NeW exclusive
West oF parKWay Web #rr876 Spacious and bright 5-bdrm, 4-bath house with patios and garden. Modern updates and 2-car garage. $9,000
3875 Waldo aveNue Web #cc639 Spacious & charming corner unit Jr-4 features a large dining foyer, windowed dining area and hardwood flrs. $249K
5715 mosholu aveNue Web #cc635 Bright L-shaped 2-bdrm postwar co-op. Hrdwd flrs, South & West expos. Top flr corner unit. $229,000
NeW exclusive
NeW coNdo exclusive
house For reNt
3515 heNry hudsoN prKWy #cc638 Spacious 3-bdrm, 2-bath corner unit w/ large entry foyer, renovated kitchen, parquet floors and balcony. $695,000
445 West 240th st Web #cc637 Postwar 2-bdrm condo with large entry foyer, living room, windowed kitchen, dining area and hrdwd flrs. $399,000
south riverdale Web #rr872 3-bdrm, 2-bath brick house with entry hallway, living room w/ wood burning fireplace and eat-in kitch. $4,200/mo
No board approval West oF parKWay - 3-bdrm, 2-bath, w/ balcony, L-shaped LR/DR area, DM, fitness room, private playground and childrens recreation room. Dogs OK. Indoor parking available. $515K West oF parKWay - 2-bdrm, 1.5-bath, w/ balcony, L-shaped LR/DR area, DM, fitness room, private playground and childrens recreation room. Dogs OK. Indoor parking available. $420K sold - North riverdale - Renov Jr-4 with entry foyer NeW exclusive living rm, dining rm and windowed eat-in kitchen. $299K 3636 FieldstoN rd cc641 iN coNtract - ceNtral riverdale - Newly renov studio Updated studio on second with hrdwd flrs, seperate kitchen and sleeping area. $185K floor with separate kitchen and sleeping area. $175K
No Fee reNtals
West oF parKWay - Luxury 2-bdrm, 2-bath with balcony, doorman, tennis courts and fitness room. $3,595/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury renovated 2-bdrm, 2-bath with doorman, tennis courts and fitness room. $3,395/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury spacious Jr4, balcony, 24-hr doorman, health club w/ pool. 1 month free rent $2,925/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury 2-bdrm, 2-bath, 24-hr doorman, pool & tennis courts. 1 month free rent $2,795/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury large 1-bdrm with river views. 24-hr doorman, gym w/ pool. 1 month free rent $2,725/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury 1-bdrm with balcony, door$2,295/mo man, tennis courts and fitness room. West oF parKWay - Luxury studio in 24-hr doorman building with pool and tennis courts. 1 month free rent $1,850/mo
exclusive 290 West 232Nd st cc631 Spacious 3-bdrm, 1.5-bth corner unit with open views, living rm & kitchen. $425K
NeW exclusive
3875 Waldo ave cc640 Charming and updated Jr4 w/ lrg dining foyer, sunken living rm & windowed dining rm. $249K
NeW exclusive
NeW exclusive
exclusive
555 KappocK st cc605 Bright 1-bdrm with dining area, C/A/C, Hudson River view and 24-hr DM. $179K
290 West 232Nd st cc626 2-bdrm with entry foyer, living room, kitchen, dining area and balcony. $329K
3601 JohNsoN ave. cc587 Walk-in level doctor’s office with seperate entrance and reception area. $295K
house For reNt
FieldstoN vic. rr641 8-bdrm, 6.5-bath, 10,700+ sq. ft. Multiple porches, swimming pool. 4-car garage. $21,000/mo
house For reNt
FieldstoN vic. rr878 8-bdrm, 6.5-bath w/ entry vestibule, living room w/ frplc, eat-in kitchen. $18,500/mo
house For reNt
FieldstoN vic. rr877 7-bdrm, 7-full & 3 half-bth 11,000 sq. ft. house w/ lrg entry hall & FDR. $21,000/mo
house For reNt
FieldstoN vic. rr655 Grand 8-bdrm, 6.5-bath, 10,700+ sq. ft. Private swimming pool. 3-car garage. $17,500/mo
house For reNt
FieldstoN vic. rr642 6-bdrm, 3.5-bath, 7,500 sq. ft. house w/ Expansive wraparound porch & pool. $22,500/mo
house For reNt
West oF parKWay rr704 Charming 4-bdrm, 3-bth. Living room w/ fireplace, eat-in kitch & finished basement. $6,900/mo
proFessioNal & oFFice space
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pet-FrieNdly reNtals JohNsoN aveNue - 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath with dining area and yard in multi-family house. $2,700/mo West oF parKWay - 2-bdrm, 2-bath, sunset balcony, doorman & fitness room. Dogs OK. $2,400/mo West oF parKWay - 1-bdrm, windowed kitchen, dining area, doorman & fitness room. Dogs OK. $1,850/mo
exclusive
4455-65 douglas cc622 3755 hh pKWay - the imperial - Walk-in level doctor’s Spacious Townhouse with office with reception area and 2 exam rooms. $360K 3-bdrms, 3.5bths, sunken North riverdale - Office Space Available. $1,500/mo LR, WBFP & patio. $1.699K
exclusive
NeW exclusive
exclusive
3530 hh parKWay cc628 Huge 3-bdrm conv 4, 2-bath at Parkway House. Low floor, high ceilings. $649K
3875 Waldo ave. cc636 Charming 1-bdrm with entry foyer, sunken living rm & windowed kitchen. $295K
3755 hh parKWay cc623 Spacious 1-bdrm with entry foyer, living room, renov kitch & dining area. $199K
exclusive
exclusive 5355 hh parKWay Updated Jr-4 with balcony, living rm, rm and eat-in kitch.
cc634 sunrise dining $279K
5355 hh parKWay cc629 Renovated Jr-4, living room, dining room & eat-in kitch. No board approval. $299K
Trebach Realty, Inc. • 3801 Greystone Avenue, Riverdale Open 7 Days • www.TrebachRealty.com