Winner of Vol. 71, No. 16
What’s inside?
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Small businesses search for COVID-19 solutions of The Riverdale Press
The coronavirus knows no boundaries, which is quite evident in new map broken down by ZIP. Page A3
$1.00
With future in doubt By ANTHONY CAPOTE
Virus on the map
the Pulitzer Prize
When Jeff Garcia retired from the New York Police Department in 2015, he wanted follow his passions by starting his own business. Of course, doing that was easier said than done. But after Garcia brainstormed with one of his former partners from his cop days, they settled on two passions virtually everyone has in common: coffee and wine. Mon Amour Coffee and Wine was born at 234 W. 238th St., an establishment offering customers high-end brews by day, and a selection of fine wines by night. Throughout the day, Mon Amour offered breakfast and lunch op-
tions like Le Jeff, a pretzel croissant sandwich with ham, Gruyère cheese and red onions, which Garcia says is very popular. But that all changed, of course, after the coronavirus pandemic swept across the United States, hitting the Bronx particularly hard. Now Garcia, who made his home in Riverdale for a while before moving to Piermont in Rockland County, says he has lost close to 90 percent of his regular business. Unlike some restaurants across the city, Mon Amour cannot even offer delivery services for its customers, leaving the business instead to rely on diehard patrons to come get their coffee and sandwiches to go. “We closed for almost two
months and it’s been difficult,” Garcia said, although Mon Amour did reopen earlier this month. “Customers were really happy. They missed us. But you know, it’s still obviously very, very slow.” Garcia’s experience is not unique. Mom-and-pop shops across New York have suffered immensely since Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued statewide stayat-home orders last March. But while government officials at the federal, state and local levels debate over how and when to begin reopening the economy, small businesses like Mon Amour — especially in the Bronx — have taken a tremendous hit. So hard, in fact, Mon Amour is EATERIES, page A4
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Nick Diakakis looks out from behind the counter at Tibbett Diner, which has struggled through the coronavirus pandemic. Tibbett offers takeout and delivery, but business is anything but normal.
Bringing down the house? Lehman
honors graduate claimed by COVID-19
Ringing support
By PATRICK LINDO plindo@riverdalepress.com
No senior is left alone during this crisis thanks to having the Riverdale Neighborhood House around. Page A9
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
A century-old home on Sedgwick Avenue worth just $31,000 two decades ago sold for $1.25 million earlier this month, prompting speculation it will be razed for an apartment building that could climb as high as eight stories, based on current zoning.
Here only in spirit With primary looming, Eliot Engel catches up on why he’s not camping out in the Bronx like the rest of us on lockdown. Page A11
New owner of Sedgwick Avenue home has history of making waves in Bronx By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Kingsbridge Heights was a very different place when the first family moved into 3377 Sedgwick Ave., at the turn of the 20th century. Just a few years before, the vast plot of land on the other side of Sedgwick was the original home of the Belmont Stakes thoroughbred horse race, and had yet to be transformed into the Jerome Park Reservoir as we know it today. Buildings were no taller than a couple stories, and it was inside a city that was barely a year old. Time has not been kind to the home
as the neighborhood surrounding it changed dramatically from rural countryside to park-front urban. Yet, the home — featuring a prominent hexagonal tower out front — survived, even if not exactly well kept. But there’s a good chance the home is on its CHARLES way to becoming nothing MOERDLER but history after a developer known for various apartment buildings in the Bronx shelled out $1.25 million to make it his own, likely quite interested
in the fact it’s on property that allows a multifamily building that could rise as high as 75 feet. Anton Tinaj, a partner with Arberia & Associates, introduced himself to the neighborhood last week with reported yard and building work that earned complaints from both the city’s building and environmental protection departments. “It was about noon, and I heard a noise,” said one neighbor, who asked not to be named in an effort to keep the peace. “I got to my bedroom and looked out the window, and I’m following the noise. It’s coming from the roof. These guys are hitting the SEDGWICK, page A4
For many college students, May is the month of commencements and graduation speeches. But then again, this is 2020, and it’s no typical year with the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the glamour of the pomp and circumstance surrounding finally getting that degree is lost. Nonetheless, the cheer remains. Social media is LENIN filled with photos PORTILLO from graduates posing in their gowns and caps, standing in their backyards instead of a commencement stage. While the virus has taken away a milestone moment for many, it’s not the only thing some families have lost: the graduates themselves. It’s a sobering thought about people who were not able to make it to that special day for one reason or another, something that is a harsh reality even at Lehman College. The school has awarded three posthumous degrees to its Class of 2020, including one student who died just last month due to complications from COVID-19. Lenin Portillo was personable, intelligent, with a positive disposition, according to members of Lehman’s sociology department, where he studied. Thomas Conroy taught the 37-year-old in an evening class a few semesters back. Like many night school students, Portillo juggled a number of burLEHMAN, page A4
Wh
Eviction freeze is nice, but some want rent freeze, too By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Since before the Obama administration ended, unemployment has been so low, at below 4 percent, it seemed anyone who wanted a job could get one. The coronavirus changed that, however, with figures jumping to more than 14 percent in April — its highest since the Great Depression. Millions are out of work, and even with financial help from the federal government, many still can’t pay bills — like rent. Gov. Andrew Cuomo suspended a landlord’s ability to evict someone for non-payment of rent during the coronavirus crisis, but lawmakers and housing activists say
that’s not enough, calling for the state to outright suspended rent for the duration of the pandemic. “The central point for our organization, and our members, is that rent be canceled and suspended,” said Ava Farkas, executive director of the Met Council on Housing. “When I say cancel and suspend, that’s like, interchangeable. To us, it means the same thing. It means people would be free of their obligation to pay rent during the four months of this pandemic. Four months, or however long this pandemic lasts — whichever is longer.” While no one can be kicked out of their homes for anything related to the coronavirus, once the crisis ends, there’s nothing EVICTION, page A4
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State Sen. Gustavo Rivera supports suspending rent for those unable to pay and who fear eviction at the end of a moratorium enacted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
A2 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
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Soap is a luxury item these days Garages aren’t the only hot spot for thefts in the community. Someone decided the pickings at the Key Food supermarket on West 235th Street looked much better. Police say an unhappy customer took five Dove brand hand soaps on the evening of May 21, all worth $30. Instead of paying, however, he reportedly strolled right past the cash register and out the door. An employee tried to stop the man, but he reportedly pulled out a knife, saying “I’m going to cut you.” Luckily, no one was injured, and the man was arrested later that day at the corner of Broadway and West 231st Street. During the arrest, police say they found the stolen soap, along with some bonus items like a glass pipe with drug residue inside. The man was charged with burglary, menacing, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Clothes, cars and money
It’s been an unlucky month even for people with cars stored in garages, as one woman living on the 3000 block of Henry Hudson Parkway discovered. Sometime between May 8 and May 10, someone decided
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Not such a good gift card
Sometimes you don’t even have to meet a thief in person to get ripped off. A young woman learned that after someone called her claiming her identity had been compromised. The solution, said the mystery caller? Send gift cards to makeup store Sephora and hardware store Lowe’s — to the caller. The woman sent $3,500 in gift cards to the caller, police said. The detective squad doesn’t know who the caller was, but they’re on the case.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A3
COVID numbers can be scary, but what do they mean? is significantly higher than that of 10471, where about 22,000 people live. What caused the high rate of infection in 10471? That’s hard to say. The data shows only about 25 percent tested positive for the virus, although only about 3,000 tests were administered in 10471, with some 6,000 in 10463. Higher rates of testing could mean higher positives, Madaline said. “If sick people can’t get a test, those cases would not be counted,” she said. “So greater access to testing means greater ability to identify people sick with COVID. In addition, there are persons who are asymptomatically infected, or have not yet developed symptoms.” Testing more people can identify those who have yet to show any symptoms, Madaline added.
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Crunching numbers isn’t for everyone. But when those numbers contain important information — especially critical for everyday life — many have turned to data released by a number of sources announcing everything from new SARS-CoV-2 infections, to hospitalizations, and especially to deaths. This week started with just under 23,500 souls lost to the virus in New York, with more than 12 percent of that total right here in the Bronx. In terms of new infections and new hospitalizations, the entire state is at lows not seen since before such tracking started. For the most part, such numbers have been presented on a broader scale, and if drilled down at all, only done to the county level. But a new map offered by the city’s health department goes a bit deeper, taking a look cases and deaths across the city per ZIP code. The map, shaded in pinks and purples, provides a variety of data from the number of COVID cases per 100,000 to the percentage of positive cases among other results. The area around the 10471 — which represents primarily Riverdale, Fieldston and Spuyten Duyvil, had 770 positive cases as of last week, or about 3,700 per 100,000.
Comparing apples to oranges in new data
Measuring the number of cases per 100,000 is the best way to compare numbers between different areas, said John Orazem, a professor of biostatistics at Lehman College. For example, he said, 100 coronavirus cases out of California is alarming, but the state also has nearly 39 million people. The same number of cases out of Connecticut, with just 3 million residents, would represent a much more significant chunk of the population.
SARS-CoV-2 Case Rate in New York City
Another perspective on coronavirus numbers
Courtesy of New York City’s Department of Health
“I can catch three fish in one hour, or I can fish three fish in 10 hours,” Orazem said. “They’re not the same event. So one is suggesting that I’m a more skilled fisherman than the other.” Measuring this way provides apples-to-apples comparison, by giving all data a “common denominator,” so to speak. That allows public health officials to see how the virus is spreading and killing people, whether it’s in Alaska — where there is a little more than 1 person per square mile — or in crowded New York City, which is more than 26,000 times that. “So, the cases per 100,000 is meant to give a population-based rate, rather than just numbers that don’t take pop-
ulation density into account,” said Dr. Theresa Madaline, a health care epidemiologist at Montefiore Health Systems. “This is much more meaningful when trying to understand differences in how severely communities are affected by infection and by infectionrelated deaths. It allows us to compare different geographic areas to understand if there are differences, and then explore why those differences exist.” The 10463 ZIP code, which encompasses some parts of Spuyten Duyvil as well as larger swaths of Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge Heights, had a lower case rate — about 2,500 cases per 100,000, but a higher number of actual cases, at just over 1,800. The population of 10463, at nearly 73,000 people,
Councilman Andrew Cohen isn’t a public health expert, but in his more lay analysis of the numbers, he believes higher income levels and average population age could contribute to higher testing levels. “I think that 10471, particularly, is aNDrew an older ZIP code in CoHeN terms of average age in population,” Cohen said. “Because you’re older, if you get it, you might be more likely to be tested.” A drive-thru testing site at Lehman opened in March, open at first only to those showing symptoms and meeting specific screening criteria, because of the limited number of tests available. Now testing has expanded, which virtually allows anyone showing symptoms or meeting broader screening criteria, being eligible. Riverdale, in particular, also boasts
several nursing homes — facilities which have been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus, reporting thousands of deaths statewide. Testing might be expanded now, but it hasn’t been through much of the crisis, meaning the full extent of the coronavirus could still be underreported. “I’m not trying to pass the buck, but, you know, there’s not enough testing,” Cohen said. “And there’s never been enough testing throughout this whole thing. So it’s been very hard to implement policy or even come up with policy.” While it’s true widespread testing could turn up higher numbers of positive results, Madaline believes it’s also possible people with easy access to testing would be diagnosed and ordered to isolate early, preventing further spread of infection. While widespread testing is helpful, new tests are often flawed, Orazem said, and false positive or negative results can falsely skew data. As the city slowly moves toward reopening, antibody testing sites are slated to expand across the city, focusing on low-income communities and neighborhoods of color, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Antibody tests show who may have already been exposed to the virus, although whether such exposure provides immunity to future infection is unclear. Cohen would like to see more data become available as the city reopens the city, and that lawmakers at all levels should realize people would want out of their homes after more than two months inside, no matter what the cost in many cases. “I can make a law, it’s like Prohibition,” Cohen said, referring to the Constitutional amendment banning alcohol a century ago. “I can’t make a law that no one’s going to follow. I think that health policy needs to be informed by the public’s attitude about the crisis.”
PRESS POINTS Stagg plans 7-story Broadway apartments Get ready for another apartment building from Stagg Group — this time popping up on an empty lot next to The W Assisted Living on Broadway. Stagg filed permits last week for a seven-story apartment building on property now addressed as 6375 Broadway, after it was subdivided from the larger lot controlled by The W
By Michael hinMan
facility owners. The company — responsible for a number of developments in North Riverdale and Kingsbridge in recent years — closed on the land last week for $4.75 million, real estate brokers Cushman & Wakefield told New York Business Journal. The online publication was unsure who the seller was, since the deed was not yet available publicly. However, the overall property was sold
to Brooklyn health care developers Berry and Ari Weiss for $15 million in 2017, according to city property records. Plans are to build 77 units across 55,000 square feet, according to the publication, although the permit filed by Stagg says it plans to build 66,320 square feet. It’s expected to include enclosed parking for 39 vehicles, as well as low-income housing. The land is nothing more
than an empty lot for The W, across the street from Van Cortlandt Park. It’s located just off the entrance ramp to the Henry Hudson Parkway, just south of the Van Cortlandt Motel.
CB8 committee makes chair picks
Nick Fazio is slated to become the next chair of Community Board 8’s economic development committee, while
the full board will be presented with just a single name when it comes to chair of the entire advisory group. Those are the recommendations from CB8’s nominating committee, putting its backing behind vice chair Laura Spalter, although her early challenger — outgoing economic development chair Sergio Villaverde — could still get a nomination from the floor when the board gets together in June to elect
new officers and chairs. The nominating committee was charged with vetting potential candidates, but any board member can still be nominated for open positions during the June elections, even if not recommended or vetted by the committee. The last time the top CB8 seat was contested was 2014. That year, the nominating committee put forward both names running without taking sides.
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 28, 2020
When a moratorium is just not going to cut it EVICTION from page A1 currently in place that would prevent landlords from demanding all the months of rent they skipped, Farkas said. Cuomo’s original executive order stopped evictions until June 20. He later extended the moratorium to August, but only on the condition tenants asking for rent relief prove they are eligible for unemployment, or have otherwise been financially impacted by the pandemic. “I wanted to take rent off the table,” Cuomo told reporters during his Memorial Day briefing on Monday. “One less thing until August.” The added stipulations were intended to ensure only those who were truly unable to pay their rent as a result of the pandemic and subsequent shutdown were protected from eviction, the governor said. But it also doesn’t mean more couldn’t happen in the coming weeks, since “between now and August is a lifetime,” he added. “For us, it’s really important that there be a solution that’s universal, that doesn’t place a burden on individual tenants, to have to seek, to have to apply for a voucher, or for this funding,” Farkas said. “We don’t want there to be hoops that people have to jump through, that are complicated for people for tons of reasons.”
Looking through the eyes of tenants
Renters are home tending to sick family members, Farkas said, or trying to homeschool their children through the end of the year. Immigrants, who may not speak English as a first language, might also struggle with applications and paperwork. “We really want the solution to be universal, to apply to everyone. We want the burden to be on landlords,” Farkas said. “So we think landlords should be the ones having to apply for funds if they’re facing hardship, not tenants.”
senate and Assembly back. There’s so much work to be done, it’s totally obscene that they’re not in session right now. The governor is having these daily press briefings, he’s clearly not hearing the needs of many New Yorkers.” Lawmakers have since announced they’ll return to Albany this week, although Cuomo warned there’s no money available for them to work with, since there’s a gaping hole in the current budget worth billions of dollars. The governor had hopes he could convince President Trump to provide some federal relief for those budget shortfalls in a plan visit to the White House on Wednesday.
… and businesses, too
File photo courtesy of Met Council on Housing
The Met Council on Housing has called for rents to be suspended through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. While it can’t organize rallies, like the one seen here last year, they have partnered with lawmakers like state Sen. Gustavo Rivera to put pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has only restricted evictions during the crisis. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who represents parts of the Bronx including Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge Heights, has advocated for rent suspension, supporting organizations like the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and Citizen Action in calls to cancel rent. “Obviously this virus has impacted all of us, but it certainly has impacted poor and working class, and certainly the people I represent, as well as millions of other people across the country,” Rivera said. “Those folks who are poor and working class have been affected worse.” The city is preparing for a “disastrous” next few months, according to
Rivera, focused mostly on health care. “The idea that we should ‘go back to normal’ is one that I reject outright,” he said. “Normal means going back to the way things were before the coronavirus.” That would mean going back to a place where people struggle with inadequate health care and unstable housing. Rivera referenced the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s annual ranking of “health outcomes,” where the Bronx consistently ranks worst in the state. “When you look at how you calculate that, it is not just as it relates to health care, access to health care,” he said. “It also refers to access to hous-
ing stability, it also refers to income.” According to the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development, a little more than half of households in ZIP code 10471 are “severely rent-burdened,” or spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. In ZIP code 10468, which includes Kingsbridge Heights, 63 percent were severely rent-burdened. State legislatures haven’t been formally in session since March, drawing criticism from senators including Rivera and state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi. “There’s an urgent need for the legislature to go back to session,” Farkas said. “Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Carl Heastie should be calling and the
What does developer have planned for house? SEDGWICK from page A1 shingles of the roof, throwing pieces down to the side yard.” The neighbor yelled out to the workers, who surprisingly were quite polite to her, she said. But they wouldn’t stop working, and with concern about what old, dangerous material might be found in the debris, the neighbor called the Community Board 8 office, and 311. Chao Shio Sieh bought the home for just $31,500 in 1992, according to city property records. Even adjusting for inflation, that’s a pittance compared to the million-dollar windfall Tinaj’s ANE 3377 LLC rained on her to secure the house. After the complaints, Tinaj actually visited some of the immediate neighbors, and later told The Riverdale Press that most of the complaints were simply a misunderstanding. “The thing is, we just purchased the property, and (the previous owners) left a lot of garbage,” Tinaj said. “It hadn’t been cleaned for years, so we cleaned up some garbage, and they made a much bigger deal about it.” The buildings department, however, almost didn’t make much of a deal about it at all. A spokesman for the city agency said a DOB inspector visited the site on May 19 — the same day it received three complaints about non-essential construction work taking place in the middle of the coronavi-
rus pandemic — and left after issuing no citations, finding the building was empty, and there was no construction work ongoing. Inspectors would visit the site twice more over the next 24 hours, only issuing a violation over the condition of the house’s roof and gutter system. “We will continue to monitor this property to ensure that no illegal construction is going on,” a DOB spokesman told The Press in an email. “In addition, if members of the public continue to suspect that construction work is illegally ongoing at the property, we encourage them to continue to use the 311 system to notify us. That way we can get inspectors to the scene as soon as possible.” But that just isn’t enough, said CB8 land use chair Charles Moerdler. DOB inspectors are working on the premise they need to catch construction workers red-handed, while ignoring eyewitness accounts from neighbors. “On the basis of the information we have received from neighbors, demolition work was ongoing until it was finally stopped — not by the building department, but by the DEP,” Moerdler said. The environmental protection department collected more than a dozen samples of roofing material from the site, according to email correspondence the agency had with CB8, finding the samples did indeed test positive
for the presence of asbestos. Because of that, DEP requires any construction work on the site to now include a certified asbestos contractor to ensure dust particles don’t harm the health of workers, or anyone living around the home. Tinaj is no stranger to controversy when it comes to properties he owns. In 2013, neighbors immediately next to an apartment building he was constructing at 3529 Bruckner Blvd., in Pelham Bay, complained his structure was just six inches from their home. Tinaj didn’t dispute how close the two buildings were, but was defended by zoning that didn’t require side yards separating buildings. Before that, his Arberia & Associates was among a development consortium fined more than $71,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for allowing workers to climb as high as 24 feet off the ground with scaffolds that lacked guardrails for a construction project on Muliner Avenue in Morris Park. Arberia itself was fined $6,000 for the lack of fall protection on stair landings, and missing stair handrails, according to an OSHA news release from 2011. Yet the biggest question now is what Tinaj plans to do with his newly acquired Sedgwick Avenue property. Although the 121-year-old home is just two stories, it’s within an R6A zon-
City helping businesses helping the city
It’s a major reason why Williams was fighting a proposed budget slashing of the city’s small business services department, which could cost it more than half of its funding. Yet, the cuts are necessary, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who sought even before the pandemic to reducing the small business department’s budget from more than $397 million to just $161 million in the coming year. “If we do not save our small businesses, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Williams said, according to his written testimony. “Our mom-and-pop shops and other cherished businesses that have been the fabric of this city for years — if not decades — might be gone. Closures of businesses would lead to further tax revenue declines. Workers may lose their financial stability, if they haven’t done so already.” In light of the current circumstances, Williams says there’s no justifica-
tion for cutting off the ability of small business services department to help locally owned stores and restaurants. The cuts were especially heinous, Williams added, in the face of a fiasco last month when the city made a $10 million grant available for small businesses, with less than $100,000 of it finding its way to the Bronx. “I am still speechless from the hearing last month when the former commissioner reported only 1 percent of businesses in the Bronx received city grants, while the majority were allocated to businesses in Manhattan,” Williams said. “It is my understanding SBS is no longer offering this financial support, and is instead encouraging small businesses to apply for the federal government’s loan programs. Obviously, this cannot be viewed as enough.” The discrepancy in financial aid given to the outer boroughs sparked outrage from some small business advocates in the Bronx like Rob Walsh, who sits on the board of directors for the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “It doesn’t get more embarrassing,” said Walsh, a former SBS commissioner who is now a senior advisor to Manhattan College president Brennan O’Donnell. “Now how in God’s name do you give out $10 million and no one is opening the faucet and shutting it a little bit and saying, ‘OK, we just gave $2 million. What are the trends? Who is getting it? Where’s it going?’” But the de Blasio administration has at least put some effort into iden-
tifying a solution. Earlier this month, the mayor convened his Small Business Advisory Council, a group that includes Mon Amour’s Garcia. Garcia hoped he could represent eateries like Mon Amour in finding a new sense of “normal” without relying too much on government handouts. “If I had to open right now and keep social distance recommendations — six feet and things like that — I can fit 15 people, at best,” Garcia said. “And most businesses, from what I hear — especially in our industry — if they can’t open up a full capacity, even after (the Paycheck Protection Program), will have to lay off their employees again because they’re just not going to be making the revenue.”
Stretched to the limits
Nick Diakakis is one such businessman. He’s part owner of Tibbett Diner, a decades-old staple on Tibbett Avenue near West 231st Street. He has applied twice for the Paycheck Protection Program — a federal program providing funds to keep people employed and fully paid. Yet, he was denied the first time, and never even heard back in the second round. “Even if they say we can open up at 25 percent, it wouldn’t benefit me in the slightest to do it,” Diakakis said. “It’s not going to make that much of a difference at that point, you know?” There are some ideas floating around from the first two meetings of the small business advisory council, Garcia said, including making use of
‘Lenny always sat near the front of the room, and ... every class, he made a point of asking after me and my family.’
— Shehzad Nadeem
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Anton Tinaj dealt with neighbor complaints about what they claimed was roof demolition in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic at 3377 Sedgwick Ave. ing that allows up to eight stories of a structure, which can be set at or near the street line for the first 40 feet. Anything above that height requires setbacks between 10 and 15 feet, depending on the size of the street, according to the buildings department. “We just bought it,” Tinaj said. “We’re just waiting to see what’s going on.”
Finding a post-COVID future for our eateries EATERIES from page A1 not alone when it comes to making just a fraction of what they did before the pandemic. The city’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, told city council members last week that earnings for small businesses workers in the Bronx had plummeted 90 percent within a month of the shutdown. That’s worse than any other borough, Williams said, compared to 67 percent reductions in Manhattan, and 59 percent in Queens.
Biaggi worries not only about renters, but also small business owners. “While I appreciate the governor’s extension of the eviction moratorium, it is only a Band-Aid solution that does not go far enough,” she said. “Without systemic relief, at the end of the moratorium, thousands of families and businesses unable to make ends meet will still be at great risk of eviction.” During his own briefing heading into the Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would like the eviction moratorium extended, but cautioned that landlords have their own expenses to think about if rents were canceled. “If someone owns a building, they have expenses too,” de Blasio said. “They ultimately have to be made whole in some form or fashion.” Farkas still believes a rent suspension should go on as long as the crisis continues, especially a shutdown affecting tens of thousands of people without jobs as businesses slowly reopen. “We see this as a crisis that’s going to be lasting for quite a while,” she said. “Renters really need to be freed of their obligation to pay rent that was already too expensive in New York City, (and) already taking up too much of people’s paychecks.”
the city’s open streets program, intended to close off streets during the day so neighbors have outdoor room to practice social distancing during the pandemic. These closed streets could also double as dining space for restaurants who cannot afford to open at just 25 percent capacity, Garcia said. The problem in the Bronx, however, is the borough is home to just a little more than three miles of open streets, according to data from the city’s transportation department. In the northwest Bronx, only one block in Kingsbridge has been shut down. Garcia has proposed some other ideas, including a plan to either place caps on commercial rents, or incentivize landlords and Con Edison to cut back their own rates. “A landlord can’t expect to be made whole even down the road just because he’s a landlord and I’ve been closed,” Garcia said. “I believe for businesses to survive, they’re going to have to find way to negotiate with the landlords and then the city or the state, and negotiate with the landlords in terms of some incentives of tax breaks for the next few years.” The big point Garcia wanted to drive home was that for New York’s small businesses to survive, everyone needs to do their part to help in the recovery process. “I use this word all the time, or the phrase, ‘everybody should have skin in the game here,’” Garcia said. Yet, “it doesn’t seem like that is necessarily a top priority.”
Portillo, others had plenty to celebrate LEHMAN from page A1 dens, like work and home responsibilities. “I only knew him from that one course,” Conroy said. “But he left a definite impression.” “Losing Lenin is devastating,” said Shehzad Nadeem, an associate professor who had Portillo in two of his classes. “Lenny,” as he called him, made such an impression on Nadeem, always actively participating in class. “Lenny always sat near the front of the room, and each and every class he made a point of asking after me and my family,” Nadeem said. “I could always count on him to carry class discussion on whatever topic.” Portillo, who was studying sociology, worked hard on his grades, maintaining a 3.5 GPA. He had expected to graduate May 28. Portillo had just celebrated his birthday on April 12 when he was rushed to the hospital. He died two days later. The loss was devastating, especially to the sociology department. Yet, they found a way to arrange an emergency meeting where they not only shared stories about their experiences with Portillo, but also voted unanimously to award Portillo his bachelor’s degree posthumously. Other students Lehman awarded posthumous degrees to included Daniel Dehoyos, 25, a graduate student and a U.S. Army engineer who died in late 2018. Also receiving a degree is Xavier Henry, a senior computer science major who had to withdraw from classes because of medical complications that ultimately led to his passing. Stanley Brazile said it was an honor for him to grant Portillo his degree, and present it to his family. Lehman’s dean of students called Portillo’s death a wake-up call to the gravity of COVID-19. “He will always be a member of the Lehman College community,” Bazile said. Lehman holds its virtual graduation commencement Thursday, expected to include degrees for more than 3,600 members of the Class of 2020, as well as Portillo, Dehoyos and Henry. The ceremony streams live on Facebook as well as on Lehman’s official website of Lehman.cuny.edu.
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A5
HOMETOWN HEROES Join us in celebrating the amazing men and women from the front lines of our community’s pandemic response
WAYNE LIZARDI
BUS OPERATOR MTA
RADIATION ONCOLOGY CHAIR MONTEFIORE MEDICAL CENTER
ush hour was a familiar experience for many — commuters packed together on buses and trains, standing and sitting practically on top of each other. Two months into the coronavirus pandemic, however, that is now unthinkable —a difference bus operator Wayne Lizardi would describe as “dramatic.” “There’s really not that many people who are going to work, per se,” Lizardi says. “It’s not a typical rush hour anymore.” Lizardi has seen a decrease in ridership, but not as much as bus operators from other boroughs. “The buses up here are a lot heavier than Midtown Manhattan right now,” Lizardi says, “because Midtown Manhattan consists of a lot of corporations and a lot of businesses that are closed.” In addition, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented rear-door boarding to minimize contact between passengers and bus operators. Chains and plexiglass provide an additional physical barrier, keeping the driver and select passengers isolated in the front. For Lizardi, that’s like “working with three-quarters of a bus.” Many might not think of transit workers as “essential,” instead affixing that title to health care professionals. But transit workers are responsible for getting many of those workers to their essential jobs, and are also at risk. More than 120 MTA workers have died from COVID-19 complications. For Lizardi, the anxiety surrounding the disease is always present at work, especially since his garage lost a bus operator to the virus. “This is something that (is) there every time you get on that bus,” Lizardi says. “The more people, the anxiety goes up.” — Rose Brennan
A
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / Photos
R
DR. SHALOM KALNICKI
fter 44 years in the medical field, very little surprises Dr. Shalom Kalnicki. But the coronavirus pandemic just might make the cut. Kalnicki’s specialty is oncology, and his cancer patients are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. While their odds of contracting the virus are about the same as anyone else, they are at much higher risk for its adverse effects. “You have to do whatever you can to protect a cancer patient from contracting the virus,” Kalnicki says. “They are many times more likely to get very sick and even die.” In the early days of the pandemic, Kalnicki learned just how vulnerable his cancer patients were. But there was a problem: Halting treatment like chemotherapy once it’s begun is just about the worst thing a doctor can do for a cancer patient. “Our goal was to launch a massive protective mechanism for all our cancer patients so they could continue treatment safely and complete their cancer care,” Kalnicki says. This protective mechanism manifested in many ways. No one could enter a Montefiore cancer facility without being tested for the virus, and personal protective equipment was a must. The line between work and home is increasingly blurred for those who find them to be one in the same these days. But, at least from Kalnicki’s perspective, this distinction is especially lost for essential workers like himself. “The traditional thought of home as home and work as work, I think for physicians, has more or less disappeared,” Kalnicki says. “When you walk into the home from the hospital, everybody runs away from you until you are able to go quickly change and wash and everything. There is no more, ‘Hello, I’m home’ and hugging and kissing your family.” — Rose Brennan
Studio Esthetique Skin & Laser Center Gives Back by Offering A $50 Gift Card To All Healthcare Workers All healthcare workers and professionals working at the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 can redeem $50 gift cards from New York’s Studio Esthetique Skin and Laser Center with locations in NYC, the Bronx and Westchester. As America continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Studio Esthetique wishes to show their appreciation for the heroes who are doing their utmost on the frontlines. The company is reaching out to individuals who have been working selflessly with a special reward – $50 FREE gift cards. . The $50 Gift Cards are offered to doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, security personnel, social workers, cafeteria workers, sanitation workers, receptionists, and other employees of the hospitals, nursing homes, and/or other inpatient medical facilities. The promotion is also available to our amazing and hardworking EMT workers. Reserve your gift card today at www.studioesthetique.com/thank-you-hospital-workers Vladimir Byhovsky, a Nurse Practitioner and Studio Esthetique Manager says, “We are aware of how the COVID-19 crisis has affected the globe; healthcare workers are heroes in this fight for survival. This is our small part of saying thank you. I believe other businesses should follow our example. This is our time to give back” Though Studio Esthetique offices are closed until NY State relaxes quarantine rules, it is looking forward to offering a wide array of services to our Medical heroes, when offices reopen. Healthcare workers can redeem their $50 gift cards by presenting a copy of this advertisement or a printed copy of the $50 Gift Card Email and proof of employment, e.g., a hospital employee ID badge or EMT ID card. The healthcare workers can use the gift cards when Studio Esthetique re-opens for business. The Gift Card is valid until September 1, 2020. The FREE $50 gift card can be used for Studio Esthetique’s complete line of cosmetic and laser treatments, medical spa and skin care services. Some of the popular options include Botox, Fillers, Coolsculping, Hydrogen Facials, Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, Cellulite Treatments, Skin Tightening, Acne & Scar Treatments, Laser Facial, IPL Photofacial, Laser Skin Rejuvenation, Vein Treatments, Laser Hair Removal, Kybella, Ultherapy, and much more. Studio Esthetique would like to once again thank all healthcare workers for their continued efforts to protect U.S. citizens from this deadly virus About Studio Esthetique Studio Esthetique is an award-winning Skin & Laser Center and has offices that are conveniently located in the Bronx, Westchester and New York City. Offering the latest in Cosmetic Skin & Laser Treatments, Studio Esthetique has been featured in the New York Post, New York Daily News, Channel 12, and many other reputable media outlets. The trusted skin and laser center employs trained professionals with extensive medical and skin care experience. Clients can enjoy complete peace of mind knowing that they are in safe hands at all times. Because Studio Esthetique is dedicated to educating and helping their clients look great and feel assured, they provide free cosmetic consultations to ensure that they can make informed decisions. Contact Studio Esthetique today to find out more.
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A6 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
Ravelo fights for monthly stipends, immigration reform Engel challenger takes campaign cues from Andrew Yang
Sammy Ravelo
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN
FIANCEE: Mildred
DECISION 2020
RACE: 16th Congressional District HOME: New Rochelle
kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
After a lifetime living in the Bronx, attending Bronx Community College and working as part of the New York Police Department, Sammy Ravelo recently moved to New Rochelle from Morris Park with fiancée Mildred. He’s achieved all that despite arriving in the United States as a teenager ahead of his official paperwork legally making that possible. And now, Ravelo is ready to overcome even more — including a crowded field seeking to represent New York’s 16th Congressional District in the upcoming Democratic primary. Ravelo was born in the Dominican Republic, living there until he was 16, when his parents — already living and working in New York — flew him into the United States. He graduated from the now-closed Walton High School in Kingsbridge, but almost had his academic career end there because he still didn’t have his immigration papers. “I worked at all those jobs you get in the street,” Ravelo said. “It was a little easier in the ‘80s. I washed cars. I was in the supermarket when you bagged groceries. Pumped gas — a lot of people don’t remember that we used to pump gas here in New York.” His experience growing up as an immigrant was one of the reasons he decided to run for office in the first place. Donald Trump spent the 2016 presidential election “maligning” immigrants, Ravelo said, which made him remember how grateful he was not only to live in the United States, but also the pride he felt having served in the U.S. Navy. “I’m honored to serve the Latino community,” he said. “I consider myself an Afro-Latino person. It is underserved in this community, in this area, so I decided to continue my service.” And when it comes to immigration, he knows firsthand how hard that can be — especially for young people under the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, who currently have no viable path to citizenship. “They didn’t have a choice,” Ravelo said. “They came here when they were 2 or 3 years old. This is a country they’ve lived in their whole life. This is a country that they love, just like me. So that is very near and dear to
CHILDREN: Sammy Jr., 25; and Kevin, 18 WEBSITE: SammyRavelo.com PRIMARY ISSUE: ‘I am passionately fighting for education because a country that does not educate their treasure is a country that will eventually fail. We need to educate our future.’
Courtesy of Sammy Ravelo
Sammy Ravelo, right, sifts through campaign materials as part of his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel in the upcoming Democratic primary. Ravelo is in a crowded field of insurgent challengers alongside Andom Ghebreghiorgis and Jamaal Bowman.
Wait ... who am I voting for? The Democratic primary is coming up on June 23, but the months leading up to it have been full of electoral drama. So, whom are you voting for, and how can you do it? A federal judge has ordered the presidential primary is back on, so you’ll see Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders at the top of the Democratic ticket. While Sanders has dropped out of the race, he remains on the ballot in an effort to pull in more delegates — and expanded influence — for the Democratic National Convention’s platform creation. You’ll also see state-level races — the senate and Assembly — as well as for other federal offices, primarily in the U.S. House of Representatives. Many of those candidates will be profiled in The Riverdale Press in the weeks leading up to the primary, but beware that some candidates may not be in districts representing you. Sample ballots showing who is expected to be running in your neighborhood are available at Vote411.org. As for the actual act of voting, the state has sent absentee ballot applications to all registered voters. Completed application can be returned to the city’s elections board in the provided postage prepaid envelope, or completed online at Vote.nyc. It also can be completed over the phone at (866) 868-2692. In-person voting is still an option, with early voting getting underway June 13. — Kirstyn Brendlen my heart, because I understand. And I don’t believe that there’s anyone else who’s going to feel the passion about this that I do.” Ravelo’s experience is a bit vaster
than that, however. After his Navy service, Ravelo joined the New York Police Department, working his way up to lieutenant before retiring in 2018 after 25 years.
Seeing how crime is treated in the country, Ravelo is pushing a criminal justice reform policy that includes legalizing marijuana, reducing sentences for non-violent drug offenders, and getting rid of mandatory minimum sentencing for those same charges. “The problem is that a lot of kids, mostly Latino and African-American, were falling into this circle, a vicious circle, going to jail for nothing,” Ravelo said. “Now, when they finally get their act together, they can’t get a job. We all know, especially if you grew up in the inner city, someone who smoked marijuana who wasn’t a bad kid.” While working undercover in the ‘90s, officers just didn’t pursue marijuana offenses, he said. Jails were too full, and marijuana presented a low risk compared to harder drugs like heroin and cocaine. Ravelo also supports keeping federal prisons out of private corporate hands. “I’m going to profit, making sure kids go to jail — and stay in jail,” Ravelo said. “That one sentence alone says it all. That’s not what America is about.” And then there’s universal basic
income, a key tenet of one-time presidential hopeful Andrew Yang, whom Ravelo supported initially. Giving every American $1,000 per month, Ravelo said, is “our way out of poverty.” “In this country, we can eliminate poverty, and we have the money,” he said. “As you can see, we can come up with money when there’s a pandemic of a lifetime. Now more than ever, we can eliminate poverty, and we have a way to do that.” That would mean eliminating “means-tested” programs, like welfare and housing vouchers, and using that money for regular stipends from the government, which would replace those needs. That policy, he added, could work hand-in-hand with universal health care. When it’s all said and done, however, Ravelo’s biggest issue is education. “First off, we have No Child Left Behind, but they left behind the money,” Ravelo said of the federal action intended to help economically disadvantaged children in schools. “We did not fund it.” Ravelo wants more funding for all classes from kindergarten to 12th grade, while ensuring teachers are paid a better salary. “But another thing that we are not talking about is the insane amount of debt that is being accumulated by our college kids,” Ravelo said. “Washington does not understand — and doesn’t get — that this is the next bubble.” His older son, Sammy Jr., is a recent graduate struggling with his own loans, Ravelo said. Funding community colleges, trade and state schools; providing a free or cheap higher education; and expanding Pell Grants would all be on the table. “A country that does not educate their treasure is a country that will eventually fail,” Ravelo said. “We need to educate our future.”
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Times from The Bayit
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A7
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE rlassauze@riverdalepress.com
L
ike many lucky enough to do so, Urban Ellis retired when he was 65. His life until then had been job after job, career after profession — recruiter, salesman, J.C. Penney mail clerk, and even a nighttime Yellow Cab driver, carrying the nightly wanderers of New York City to and fro. It was 1997 when Ellis decided it was time to live the good life. But by 2002, he shook off years of inactivity, rising to become a major provider for the place he had called home since 1958: Marble Hill. In his tenure as director of urban the New Marble Hill Tenants ellis and Civic Association — now the Marble Hill Tenants Association — Ellis revealed a love of education and a demand to help neighborhood youth by starting an interdisciplinary after-school program. “Because of my life circumstances, I didn’t have the education I needed to be as successful as some of the people I met along the way,” Ellis told The Riverdale Press in 2010. “I wanted to find a way the kids here could at least have an option to do something great in their lives.” Classes in journalism, art and dance became available at the Marble Hill Houses before Ellis moved the program to St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church on West 228th Street in 2009. By then, the program had expanded to include classes in trumpet, drums, piano and voice, and became a center for up to 50 young people in a year. Quite the educational endeavor for a man who dropped out of high school. Twice. “I didn’t think I needed an education,” Ellis once said. “And if it wasn’t for the breaks I got in life, I would have been possibly a bum.” He eventually earned his GED from John F. Kennedy High School. In 2012, he partnered with Ruby Bermudez — assistant director of Manhattan College’s Optimal College Readiness Center — to bring its college prep programs to the school that had allowed him to graduate. It wasn’t the only time Ellis partnered with Manhattan College. In 2009, Ellis and Corine Fitzpatrick, a grant writer for the center, successfully picked up $400,000 to support and even revitalize his after-school programs. Those efforts resulted in painted walls at both the Marble Hill Houses and St. Stephen’s church, as well as the purchase of new computers, and a stable and
fast connection to the World Wide Web of the internet. “He is so energetic and enthusiastic,” Fitzpatrick said in 2010. “He wanted to stand outside of the center in his building and hand out flyers to students when they walk home from school.” His care for the young people in Marble Hill culminated in the creation of his “Stop the Drugs and Violence” newsletter. In a 2008 letter to the editor to The Press, Ellis shared how his newsletter was inspired by the 1999 Columbine school shooting in Colorado, revealing his heartfelt reaction toward the violence shown by police officers over the 2006 police shooting death of Sean Bell in Jamaica, that reminded many at the time of the 1999 Bronx killing of Amadou Diallo. “There is an injustice when an innocent man, Sean Bell, is killed by those who should have been ready to protect him,” Ellis wrote. The man who leads the Marble Hill Tenants Association now, Tony Edwards, said Ellis believed that what the neighborhood needed to maintain justice and community was education and a meeting place. For him, that place was St. Stephen’s. “He was instrumental in bringing the community together,” Edwards said. “He helped the association by forming his after-school programs as a non-profit in the early days, and then he brought it all over to St. Stephen’s. He worked very well with Rev. Dixon.” Ellis himself was a faithful parishioner at St. Stephen’s, for him a vital place since he first walked through its doors in 1956, arm-inarm with his then-girlfriend Gloria Polanco. She became Gloria Ellis in 1958, and the two were baptized at the church three years later. The congregation, which celebrated its 195th anniversary earlier this year, gave Ellis and his family a place to care about — and Ellis made sure it stayed that way. The church had been renovated in the 1950s, but naturally, 50 years later, it needed some more adjustments. Ellis reached out to then minister the Rev. Nathaniel Dixon, volunteering to head the church’s restoration committee. He set the initial goal at $5,000, but easily surpassed it to help replace the church’s shingle roof. “He was a go-getter,” Edwards said. “The focus on community organization and coming together was really important to him.” Ellis died on May 6. He was 88. The man who cared so deeply for Marble Hill, for the youth of his neighborhood, and the restoration of its beautiful structures, once graced The Press with some words of wisdom: “There’s always a way to make things happen if you are looking to do something for other people.”
OBITUARIES
God bless Millie Feeney, a loving friend and member of ‘The Girls’ Millie Feeney, a resident of Riverdale since 1958, passed away on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020. In addition to being a loving wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, she will be remembered by many as a loving friend. Her friendship circle grew wide and deep — treasured connections of 84 years. Pals from her airline life; Victory and Fordham moms; friends and families of those she assisted as a home health care provider; parishioners from St. Margaret’s guild, school and Monday collection tallying; Sister Amy’s travelers; Leisure Ladies; O’Connor Residence’s volunteers and staff who made her Wednesdays meaningful; Liebig Avenue’s favorite neighbor — cookie baker, mail-getter, and fearless house watcher,
empathetic. She protected confidences. Her advice was spot on. Her kindnesses were countless and perfectly timed. Her faith was unyielding. Even when life gave her reason to doubt, she never did. Her prayers were on speed dial to heaven, where The Girls are sure she’s at peace, in the company of many lives she touched with love and made better. When she got sick, COVID-19 made it impossible to visit. On the phone, the night before she died, barely able to speak, she instructed, “Put out your hand, palm up. Now I’m going to put down the phone and put my hand out, palm down.” Her spirit prevailed as her body faded. Millie was being Millie, giving her friends, once again, a last act of love.
once guarding a burglar with her umbrella until the police arrived. Rounding out her circle of friends are “The Girls,” as she called them — Susan Bear, Joan Irvine, Kathy McGlade, Nancy Rosa and Arnel Tirado — although they were well beyond their girlhoods. For decades, she was a source of strength to each of them. A wise woman. Genuine. Full of grace. An enormous heart, with well-time humor. And with a back porch that they’re glad cannot speak. The Girls cherished her, an upbeat, generous and uncomplicated soulmate. One thing all of her friends have in common is that each could always be sure of her. She was never a mystery. Millie Feeney was the definition of trustworthy, savvy and
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A8 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
LIVE IN NYC? YES, you fill out
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A9
Ensuring seniors are safe right call for RNH
WHAT’S IN
Now more than ever, volunteers are dialing phones, connecting with neighborhood’s most vulnerable
Dance for humanity
The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture and the Action Corps advocacy group present a virtual dance party to raise money and awareness for the World Health Organization, on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m., through Facebook. The dance is free for members, although there is a $3 suggested donation for students, senior citizens and the unemployed, and $10 general admission. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/ DanceHumanity.
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
The museum at your fingertips
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
Zenobia Kelly recalls a conversation she had as part of her work with the Riverdale Neighborhood House’s telephone reassurance program. Kelly and her team have made hundreds of calls, checking in with homebound senior citizens in the months since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring they have everything they need.
Getting involved Know a senior citizen who should be called on a regular basis, or someone who is looking to volunteer to make those calls? Reach out to telephone reassurance coordinator Zenobia Kelly at zkelly@riverdaleonline.org, or at (718) 549-8100, Ext. 129. Beyond just practical reminders, though, the calls connect homebound seniors with someone who knows and cares about them. “They will say, ‘Why isn’t Grace calling me today? She usually calls me,’” Kelly said. “‘I missed hearing her voice. Is she OK?’” But don’t volunteer to work the phone lines unless you’re willing to put in the time, said new neighborhood house executive director Marcia Santoni. “Zenobia has a whole training program,” she said. “It’s commitment, it’s not just, ‘Oh, call these seniors and feel good about yourself.’ It’s really a commitment on the part of the volunteers because they get so intimately involved with the daily lives of these people.” That commitment means some days a volunteer may call to find the senior on the other end quiet and upset, Kelly said. Usually, with a few questions, that volunteer can find out why and start to
make headway toward a solution. A common issue in the winter is high energy costs as the days grow shorter. A program is available to help seniors with those high bills, but they sometimes forget to apply, Kelly said. A volunteer, asking the right questions, can help them apply and keep their lights on without worry. The program made more than 1,000 calls in April, Santoni said — hundreds more than in a normal month. Added to the other usual tips shared by the volunteers included help in protecting the seniors from the coronavirus, like hand washing and maintaining a safe distance from others when they’re out and about. There are nine volunteers currently making calls, and there’s always room for more, Santoni said. But they all have to be trained by Kelly before they can jump into making calls. “We’re bringing on people to add to capacity and intensity,” Santoni said.
“Which is important because it’s a real lifeline, and a safety net that is very committed.” People older than 65 are considered at-risk for complications from COVID-19, especially pneumonia and other inflammations associated with the virus. Knowing that some of the seniors are afraid of getting sick, Kelly’s volunteers have started giving new advice. “They tell the seniors what not to do, what to expect,” Kelly said. “And if there is a sign of anything, let us know. If you think you’re having a fever, if you think you’re losing your appetite, let us know, and let us take it from there.” The concern goes both ways, Kelly said, and the seniors will often ask volunteers if they’re staying safe and taking care of themselves. And participation in the program goes both ways as well. Not only is there room for more volunteers, but also room for seniors to become part of the regular call list. “None of us would like to know seniors are sitting at home because they don’t know how they could get a meal, or see the doctor,” Kelly said. “We don’t want that to happen. If they want to come into the program, and they need any service — and we know where it’s available — they’ll have it.”
The Hudson River Museum in Yonkers launches a new digital resource designed for all ages, providing virtual visitor videos, arts and science activities, and live-streamed programs including story time, astronomy and art projects. Upcoming events include: • A live workshop on watercolor journaling with artist James McElhinney on Thursday, May 28 at 5 p.m., via the Zoom online videoconferencing app. Admission is free. • A crafts workshop for children 10 and older to build a model of the Parker Solar Probe, currently orbiting the sun, via the Zoom online videoconferencing app Friday, May 29 at 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit HRM.org.
Wave Hill brings birds, comics home Wave Hill has brought its garden activities to the virtual world including biomimicry comic strip workshops and community science bird counts, along with other family activities. Upcoming events to look forward to include: • A four-part virtual art workshop with artist Wennie Hwang, exploring nature through still-life and collage, beginning Wednesday, June 4 at 10 a.m. Admission is $125 for all four classes. For more information, visit WaveHill.org.
Hours: Mon-Sat 8 to 8, Sun 8 to 5
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In the era before coronavirus — which can feel like eons ago at this point — it was easy to move through a typical day without thinking much about neighbors. Sure, you might wave on the sidewalk, or hold the elevator door, but it was easy not to talk much. Since COVID-19 brought the city to a virtual standstill, checking in on neighbors is maybe more important than ever. People who may already have been vulnerable to sickness, hunger and other issues, have become even more so as leaving the house for groceries — or even a walk — has become dangerous, if not impossible. Luckily, Riverdale Neighborhood House already has a program for those homebound senior citizens in need of help. Its telephone reassurance program was launched in 2007, instituting a way to not only stay in touch with seniors who don’t get out much in our neighborhoods, but also to ensure they have food, health care and companionship. “The main purpose of the program is to help people who are the elders in our community, who are socially isolated,” said Zenobia Kelly, the program’s director. “Every day, we see this more and more, because there are people out there who have no one. Even those who have someone, they go to work or may be out of state.” JASA, the Jewish Association Serving the Aging, refers clients to the line when they’re in need of local help, Kelly said. But sometimes friends or family members who can’t be home with their loved ones call to set up check-in phone calls. Volunteers call each person between three and five times a week, Kelly said. They keep a log of what medications people are taking and when they need them, so the program can make sure prescriptions are being refilled on time and forgetful clients are remembering to take their daily pills. They have connections with seniorfocused agencies all over the city, making connections for people struggling with anything from making a doctor’s appointment to finding affordable groceries.
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE
A10 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
DOH gives Hebrew Home clean bill of health MIS-C
closes school for the summer
By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Seven surveyors from the state’s health department spent three days reviewing every floor, every department and every policy and procedure. And now that it’s over, the Hebrew Home at Riverdale says those surveyors have moved on to the next nursing home after giving the Palisade Avenue facility a thumbs up on its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The health department found “minor deficiencies” at the Hebrew Home, according to administrators there, primarily how guards at the front gate screen people coming in, and the need to notify the families of 28 residents whose deaths were reclassified as COVID-related last week. “Seven public health professionals from the state Department of Health spent three days combing through every nook and cranny of the Hebrew Home,” facility chief executive Daniel Reingold told The Riverdale Press on Friday. “They were complimentary of our infection control, they were complimentary of our plan, and after they saw the COVID recovery building we had set up, they were very impressed with it.” While many facilities might be anxious to have health department officials on-site for an unannounced visit, Reingold says he was grateful, because it allowed the facility to not only immediately implement twice-weekly testing for staff members, but also tested every single person on campus, from residents to administrators. That testing found 109 residents were positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as 64 staff members, including 43 nurses. Most of them were asymptomatic, Reingold said, which was a problem only regular — and complete — testing could solve. Before that, the home was only able to do limited testing, and would have to focus only on those who showed symptoms like fever or cough. But just one asymptomatic carrier could easily spread the disease through the entire facility. “The enemy here is the pandemic,” Reingold said. “The enemy is not nursing homes. The enemy is not the governor. The enemy is the fact that we are dealing with an uncharted pandemic. It takes no prisoners. It is invisible. “The challenge is that we didn’t have testing early on, and if we were able to have testing like what we were able to start last week, I would guess that the number of people tested and the number of people who died would have been much lower.” With the reclassification of 28 past cases since March 1, the Hebrew Home
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
The Hebrew Home at Riverdale has revised its number of deaths related to COVID-19 from 35 to a borough-leading 63. The revised total followed an investigation of deaths by the state health department. now has 63 confirmed and suspected deaths related to COVID-19. Based on data provided by the state health department, that would make the most deaths in a single facility in the Bronx, just above the 61 deaths reported at The Plaza Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on Kingsbridge Road. However, the health department’s public data still shows only 18 deaths at the Hebrew Home despite the new findings, and it seems other data hasn’t been updated recently either. “As a result of the department’s unannounced focus COVID-19 investigation at the Hebrew Home, a statement of deficiencies has been issued to the facility,” state health department spokeswoman Jill Montag told The Press. “Violations include infection control concerns, failure to report accurately upon request by the department, and failure to timely communicate with families and residents in a timely fashion regarding COVID-19 deaths. “The provider is responsible to submit a plan of correction to address the identified concerns.” Reingold said the Hebrew Home already has corrected the issues, including deficiencies surrounding the 28 reclassified deaths. Because even one death is one too
many for Reingold, and the 1,700 employees who work in the state’s largest non-profit nursing home. “The other part of all this that no one really talks about is the impact of the losses of our residents on the staff who took care of them for years,” Reingold said. “These are people they had deep relationships with over the years.” Some employees even created a ritual called “sacred pause,” allowing them to stand in for families who could not be there because of the pandemic. These pauses allowed everyone to stop for a few moments and share memories about that person and the life they led. Still, with more than 750 beds, Reingold feels the story could have been far worse at the Hebrew Home. While he mourns for all 63 people who have died from virus-related complications, he’s relieved it wasn’t more than that. “I’m grateful that we were able to contain it, given the obstacles that we have,” he said. “It is a testament to the heroics of our entire team, from the senior management and all across the board, especially the employees coming to work and risking their own health and lives knowing they were possibly bringing it home to them. They still came in day after day, doing their work with compassion and
love.” More than 23,000 people have died in New York from COVID-related complications, according to the health department, including more than 2,900 in the Bronx. Fewer than 10 percent of those deaths took place in nursing homes, although the number rises significantly to more than 24 percent when suspected COVID-related deaths are included. No county downstate is eligible to start Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s phased reopening, with New York City still falling short on the number of available hospital and intensive care unit beds available. Long Island and the Mid-Hudson suburb counties could be the first to start reopening as early as this week, since hospital death rates continued to decline over the holiday weekend. All of upstate, in the meantime, has begun the first stage of reopening, which includes construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, select retail for curbside pickup, as well as agriculture, forestry and fishing. Three later phases, which allow for more openings, will then go into effect two weeks after each previous phase starts, as long as there’s no significant spike in infection rates, deaths, hospitalizations, or treatment facility capacity.
A new syndrome among children, called MIS-C, is starting to be identified in a number of states and countries. And because of it, schools will remain closed through the summer. The state is investigating what was originally 157 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The syndrome is appearing in children who have tested positive for the coronavirus, or tested positive for antibodies indicating they had been exposed to SARSCoV-2. Common symptoms include fever, irritability or sluggishness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, red or pink eyes, enlarged lymph node on one side of the neck, red cracked lips or red tongue, or swollen hands and feet, according to the city’s health department. Cuomo isn’t ready to close down schools for the fall just yet. He has asked school administrators to put together plans for reopening, and have them submitted to his office for approval by July. If the MISC situation is under control, as well as the coronavirus outbreak in the state overall, Cuomo says he’ll start approving physical campus reopenings for September. “We don’t want to make a decision until there are more facts,” Cuomo said. “As the facts keep changing, you don’t make any decision until it’s timely, so you have the most recent facts to make a decision.”
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A11
Engel not ashamed about escaping to DC during pandemic time. “How are you going to fight for our district when you won’t even spend time here?” But those are the lumps Engel says he’s used to taking being in the public eye. “It’s part of the game,” he said. “It’s a partisan thing, and it has no merit whatsoever. It is ridiculous on its face. If I didn’t go to Washington, I’d be criticized for not being in Washington.” And, Engel added, technology allows him to make a difference no matter where he’s located. Where he can’t depend on technology, Engel says he has his staff members at three district offices — including his primary one on Johnson Avenue — where constituents have been helped, even in the face of a pandemic. “You know, as an elected official, Jeffrey, there is no greater satisfaction than we have as elected officials than to help the public,” Engel said, “to help the people we know, the neighborhood people we know. People that we like. People who work with us and supported us.” If Engel gets voted out in June, he’s ready to accept it. He’s shared in the past that House members are elected for two-year terms, and for him, that’s basically a two-year contract he has with voters. “When the two years are up, I ask the voters to renew my contract,” said Engel, who has served in the House on these “two-year contracts” since 1989. “That’s what I’m asking for now. I have confidence in the voter, I have respect for the voter.” And for his critics who say he’s been in Washington too long? Maybe a bit like the argument levied against former Engel colleague Joe Crowley? “People who have been elected for a while, they have more clout, because they have more committee chairs,” Engel said. “I’m at that stage now, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it, because I want to keep helping my constituents.”
By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Eliot Engel is not here in New York, hasn’t really been in New York since about the time the coronavirus pandemic started in March, and won’t apologize for it. In fact, the congressman — who has been holed up in his Maryland home just outside of Washington, D.C. for weeks — says he’s exactly where he needs to be. “I learned a long time ago to do what you need to do,” Engel recently told Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz in an online videoconferencing discussion last week. “I’m everybody’s congressman, which means I work in Washington. I can see someone being criticized if they weren’t in Washington and missing votes, but this is the first time I’ve heard of someone being criticized for being in Washington.” Despite the fact he was touted as participating in various coronavirusrelated events throughout his congressional district, Engel — who chairs the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee — was revealed to be hundreds of miles away. When a reporter from The Atlantic visited him earlier this month, Engel said he was spending time in both Washington and the Bronx. But his spokesman later told reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere that Engel hasn’t left Washington since at least March 27, and wouldn’t reveal the last time the 73-year-old was back home in his district. In what was surely a much more friendly conversation with Dinowitz — himself a symbol of longevity, holding his Assembly seat since 1994 — Engel said there was no winning with some people, no matter where he ultimately spent time. “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Engel said. “If you’re not here, then you should be here. If you’re not there, then you should be there.” Engel joined Dinowitz in a series
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, center, tried to put criticism about where the congressman has been spending the pandemic to rest through the Assemblyman’s ‘COVID Conversations’ — a 45-minute chat Engel did from his home in the Washington suburbs rather than from the Bronx, where he reportedly has not been since the end of March. of chats he’s branded “COVID Conversations.” The Assemblyman brings in different people, depending on the topic, to share information with those who register to attend. Engel’s “conversation” appeared to be outside of Dinowitz’s regular program schedule, and was announced just days after the story about Engel’s whereabouts was published. Neither Engel nor Dinowitz took any questions from the audience of the videoconferencing call, and it was unclear how many people were actually in
attendance. Engel is facing what many say is his toughest primary of his career. Although there are four other people who will appear on the June 23 primary ballot against him, much of the focus has been on middle school principal Jamaal Bowman, who has received backing from political groups that helped propel Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in her stunning upset of U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley in 2018. Whether that can happen is anyone’s guess. That particular elec-
tion was the first major one following Trump’s presidential election in 2016, and witnessed several prominent upsets by progressive candidates, including Alessandra Biaggi’s toppling of former Independent Democratic Conference leader Jeffrey Klein in the state senate. Soon after The Atlantic published its story May 14, Bowman was on the attack. “Eliot Engel doesn’t live here, and he doesn’t understand what we’re going through,” Bowman tweeted at the
POLITICAL ARENA Engel, Bowman earn new endorsements She may not have been successful in her own primary to become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, but U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is giving a boost to her lower-chamber colleague Eliot Engel in his own battle to keep his longtime seat in the U.S. House.
BY MICHAEL HINMAN
Gillibrand endorsed Engel, highlighting his efforts to protect women’s rights and stand up to the Trump administration. “Eliot has always been one of the most effective advocates in Congress for his constituents and all New Yorkers,” Gillibrand said, in a release. “As a senior member of House leadership, Congressman Engel is often the tip of the spear in demanding federal resources
for our state — especially in areas so hard hit by this terrible virus. One of Engel’s most prominent challengers in the June 23 primary picked up an endorcement of his own over the last few weeks. NYC Kids PAC, a parent-led political action committee who advocate for public schools, has endorsed Jamaal Bowman to replace Engel.
“Jamaal is not only a progressive educator who understands critical education issues like the back of his hand, but he will fight every day to ensure that (New York City) students and schools get the resources — and policies — that they need,” said Naila Rosario, the PAC’s president, in a release. “From being a classroom teacher to becoming the founding principal of a public middle
school in the Bronx, Jamaal has dedicated his life to improving public education and the lives of his students and families.” The PAC endorsement for Bowman came just a day after he won the support of RootsAction and Indivisible Nation Brooklyn — both which committed volunteers and a broader digital presence to his campaign. RootsAction describes itself
as a group focused on economic fairness, equal rights for all, civil liberties, environmental protection, and ending wars. Indivisible Nation says it resists authoritarianism, corruption and intolerance by fighting for justice, sustainability and equality. Other candidates in the primary include Andom Ghebreghiorgis, Chris Fink and Sammy Ravelo.
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A12 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
Opinion Editorial
Being wronger than wrong
H
ow wrong can someone be wrong? Not exactly a question we hear every day, but it’s not a new one either. In fact, the late great science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov would ask that question often, believing there was more to simply being right, or on the flip side, simply being wrong. To Asimov, you could have two different answers to the same question both be right, but one more right than another. It was something the writer explored in a 1988 book of essays, “The Relativity of Wrong.” “When people thought the Earth was flat, they were wrong,” Asimov wrote. “When people thought the Earth was spherical, they were wrong. But if you think that thinking the Earth is spherical is just as wrong as thinking the Earth is flat, then your view is wronger than both of them put together.” At the end of the day, Asimov’s debate is one of drawing a false equivalency. Walking over a small, rolling hill is not the same as climbing a mountain. Sometimes, journalists are pushed into creating false equivalencies in an effort to be fair. For example, the success of vaccines in our society have been proven scientifically a hundred times over. Positions by anti-vaxxers, as they’re called, have been thoroughly debunked. Yet, when there’s a debate about vaccines, reporters find themselves giving equal time between those who support the scientific backing of vaccines, and those who want to believe whatever baseless theory they read on some internet blog. If ever there were poster children for false equivalency, you could easily find them among the anti-vaxxers, and especially those who believe the Earth is flat. But you also can find a high level of false equivalency in a much more
prominent place. You know, the highest office in the land. The one occupied by President Donald J. Trump. Last week, as America tried to stay strong heading into its first major holiday since the coronavirus pandemic shut down life as we know it, Trump decided it was time for churches, synagogues and all other houses of worship to reopen. For the president, these were “essential places that provide essential services.” And yes, for many, faith indeed is important. Having that fellowship is something many — especially in New York — desperately need. But then Trump offered his expected false equivalency: “Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential.” Trump acts as if governors sat down and decided liquor stores and abortion clinics were more important than a church or synagogue or mosque. Except they didn’t. They took a number of factors into consideration, the biggest — which one will draw a crowd? Crowds are great for the coronavirus because it can run quickly through hundreds or even thousands of people in a short period of time. We hear about so many infection clusters happening around these congregations that get back together — and not from someone simply visiting a store or a medical facility. Being wrong doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to politics, because it’s more about feeling than facts. And sometimes being wrong is OK. But when you’re wronger than wrong? That’s when all of us need to worry.
Point of view
Fear, hope is all mixed together in middle of crisis By MICHAEL GOLD
E
arly in the morning of April 4, about 4 a.m., just into springtime — the most pregnant of seasons — a 55-year-old Bronx man with diabetes, who found out he had been infected with the COVID-19 virus, called the police on himself. The man then went out on Westchester and Zerega avenues, near a grimy elevated train station — the metal stanchions coated with decades of dirt — two blocks from the school where I teach, in front of the Dunkin’ store many of the teachers go to for coffee and breakfast. This man had a gun and a military knife with viciously serrated edges. He reportedly baited the New York Police Department officers who arrived on the scene into shooting him. Despite repeated warnings by police on the scene, he walked toward them with the gun and knife in his hands. Then they shot him nine times. He was trying to commit “suicide by cop,” according to reports, in a place where dozens of New York City pigeons skulk around, their grey heads bobbing back and forth non-stop, then pecking the sidewalk flecked with black gum ground into the concrete, looking for a bite to eat. So now, the man has COVID-19, diabetes, and multiple gunshot wounds in his hip and back. That’s a lot of pain, all wrapped up in just one body. He ended up in Jacobi Medical Center. Early news reporters said the man was expected to survive. His name is Ricardo Cardona. I think about this poor guy from time to time. I imagine he had just exhausted all the possibilities for himself. I’d like to visit Mr. Cardona in the hospital,
but of course, that’s impossible. I want to ask him about his life and listen to all his stories. I want to know what his childhood was like, who he loved, and what he did. I would hope that he’d tell me about his family, and his children, if he had any. Maybe he could tell me stories about the jobs he had throughout his life, and the things he’s seen. I want to get him to talk himself into something resembling a good mood. I’m not particularly good at inspirational talk. Think of Franklin D. Roosevelt or Barack Obama. Now think of the exact opposite. That’s me. But I would like to tell Mr. Cardona one story, just short enough not to be boring. I have a student who is homeless. She’s in a shelter with her mother. They were evicted from their apartment, even before COVID-19 hit. This girl is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. Despite the fact she’s gone through the terrible trauma of losing her home, this kid does all the schoolwork I’ve asked to her. She reads books. She learns math and phonics. She draws pictures and writes sentences about things she’s read. Also, importantly, her mother is determined, too. She has a fierce desire for her daughter to succeed. The two of them have little fires burning in their hearts. To learn, to improve, to succeed, to be something. To rise above where they are. Mr. Cardona, I hope you can recover soon. And I hope you get the opportunity someday to walk around the local park in the light of a spring day. I want you to hear the birds talking to each other in the trees, and feel the warmth of the sun on your back. May you get another day, Mr. Cardona. A day you choose to get.
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Letters to the editor
More help needed for workers To the editor: As the proprietors of Astral Fitness in the Bronx, we have long advocated for a holistic lifestyle that focuses on strengthening the immune system so that it can fight off viruses such as the one that causes COVID-19. However, even the healthiest among us can still fall victim to this insidious disease. I know, I have just begun to recover from it. As of the time of this writing, nearly 17,000 New York residents — mostly from our great city — have tragically passed away. Much focus has been placed on the need for personal protective equipment for our health care workers and first responders, and we are heartened to see great strides being made to provide this essential gear. But this is one tiny aspect of the need our health care system faces. The CARES Act was a step in the right direction, but the aid provided to our health care sys-
tems is proving inadequate. The media is reporting some hospitals are losing up to $15 million a day from lost revenue resulting from canceled non-emergency procedures, as well as the exorbitant costs of sourcing personal protective equipment that far exceeds any budgetary estimation. Hospitals are laying off staff, including nurses, and many hospitals are facing bankruptcy. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and our U.S. House delegation, must act immediately to increase funding for doctors, health care workers, and our hospitals in the COVID-19 relief package. If Congress doesn’t act, we are sure to suffer greater loss of life and irreparable harm to the health care infrastructure we need to address future threats. There’s not a moment to waste, and our heroes deserve no less. MaTThew Johnson esTher orTiz
Please bring back composting To the editor: I am very dismayed that the beginning of May marked the last time I put out the brown bin to recycle compost and yard waste. I realize there is a fiscal budget crunch in New York City, but climate change is a crisis that hasn’t gone away during the pandemic. Every day this past year, New Yorkers filled sanitation’s green and brown compost bins with 308,600 pounds of food scraps, gardening waste, coffee grounds and filters, paper napkins, etc. Rather than being shipped hundreds of miles and landfilled in impoverished communities, those 308,600 pounds — in less than six months, and via that most natural process of decomposition — became the totally low-cost, 100 percent organic material that now enriches soil in parks and green spaces of every kind citywide. Instead, that waste will be destined for landfills. Landfill gas is a natural byproduct of the
decomposition of organic material in landfills. Landfill gas is composed of roughly 50 percent methane (the primary component of natural gas), 50 percent carbon dioxide, and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100-year period. Post-9/11, Mayor Michael Bloomberg curtailed all recycling — until the discovery that the cost of transport and landfill fees cost $80 for each unrecycled ton. Why can’t we learn from that mistake and do the right thing? Mayor Bill de Blasio, you promised New York City zero waste. Deliver on that promise and restore the compost program funding. It’s a fiscal responsibility as well as a social responsibility to mitigate the release of greenhouse gases in landfills. Deborah DoLan
So, Trump was right all along To the editor:
(re: “Tale of two pandemic leaders,” April 9)
The Riverdale Press editorial aptly fits one of the definitions of the word “tale,” a fictitious story. The reality of press coverage regarding Gov. Andrew Cuomo is much different than you have painted. Cuomo’s response to the virus has been nothing short of disastrous. One, Cuomo refused to close the subways, one of the chief carriers of the virus early on. He astonishingly waited until April 29 to finally disinfect the subways. He waited months, allowing the virus to propagate unfettered.
Meanwhile, nursing homes saw massive outbreaks and large-scale deaths. What was his response? To blame the nursing homes for his incompetence. Take a look at how successful Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has been, especially compared to New York, all the while the media initially going after him for his policies. Cuomo’s leadership has been absolutely horrific during this crisis. The media told us that this will be Trump’s “Katrina.” Effective in early February, Trump shut the borders and restricted travel from China. He was called “xenophobic” and “racist” by many, including Joe
Biden, who had to eventually retract his comments. I will never forget seeing the relief and joy in the city that the HNS Comfort brought when it docked in our city. The Javitz Center also was mobilized and ready to help. Samaritan’s Purse set up tents in Central Park. This was, in large part, mobilized at the direction of the president. Strong borders and national sovereignty are not incidental to a peaceful, prosperous and safe country. On these matters, the president has been right all along. And that is a fact that no one can spin away. John canny
Let’s not get caught up in names To the editor: Actually enjoying the PC crowd and communist Chinese making fools of themselves over the Wuhan virus. Let’s keep in mind that this virus was discovered by two Chinese doctors who were censored by the government after they warned co-workers about it last November. Both doctors are now dead. If the paranoid, ever-deceitful Community Party leadership had openly recognized the problem in early December instead of January, perhaps thousands of others would have not been infected. They were, as usual, more interested in “saving face” and protecting their commercial interests than in openly dealing with the problem. Does anybody really think that the German measles or Spanish flu is an attack against these nationalities? How about Ebola named after a river in the Congo, or the Zika virus named after a forest in Uganda — are these more examples of racism? Seriously? Personally, I don’t like the name “coronavirus,” as I think it disrespects an area in Queens
About letters
that has nothing to do with any virus. Which is much more than I can say about lily-white Lyme, Connecticut, and their damn ticks. And what about those germ-carrying American Legion veterans who give us Legionnaires’ disease? So while our elected leaders — like them or not — in Washington and Albany try their best to handle this latest epidemic, the buffoons of mainstream media have created yet another partisan “dog and pony” show over the various names of a virus. And let’s not forget that various Chinese and Iranian propagandists that are parroting that either the United States or Israel created this virus as a bioweapon. Anybody remember when the Soviets blamed the AIDS epidemic on the polio vaccine? In sum, the sensitive Chinese government no longer has to worry about criticism anymore as they have expelled the evil American journalists that work for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Lou DehoLczer
The Riverdale Press welcomes letters to the editor. It is committed to providing an open forum for opinions. You can mail your letter, fax it to (718) 548-4038, or send it via e-mail to letters@riverdalepress.com.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A13
Op-Ed Point of view
Rich aren’t going anywhere, it’s time they pay fair share
Letters to the editor
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OVID-19 has brought New York to its knees. It has taken tens of thousands of lives too soon, left millions of New Yorkers without work, and the state struggling with a more than $15 billion budget deficit. Our state is home to some of the wealthiest corporations and people in the world who benefit the most from federal tax cuts and are the least tax-burdened among the economically advanced nations of the world. An estimated 27 percent of New Yorkers are without work. Essential workers — from ICU nurses to Instacart deliverers — put their lives on the line, with inadequate protections, to do their jobs. Meanwhile, billionaires in the United States have gained more than $200 billion in wealth since mid-March. As working New Yorkers suffer, instead of recycling Republican austerity measures that slash funding to schools, Medicaid and other services, now is the time for New York to ask its wealthiest to pay their fair share. We need to pass a wealth tax. Long before this pandemic, decades of federal and state fiscal policies led to historic income and wealth inequality in New York. In 2018, the top 1 percent of New Yorkers made 44 times more than the other 99 percent. The gap between the rich and poor is echoed nationally: At the end of 2019, wealth inequality hit its highest rate since the U.S. Census Bureau began collecting data a half-century ago. Inequality is not benign. Kids born to lowincome homes are less likely to achieve in school. Income inequality helps drive the vicious cycle of mass incarceration, and studies show that wealthy and poor Americans have markedly different health outcomes. COVID-19 has taken this reality and injected it with steroids. If inequality was pulling the social fabric of New York apart before, now COVID-19 threatens to tear it in two. State leaders should be demanding measures to raise more revenue from this “billionaire class” and their companies. Instead, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and many in the state senate have stuck to a single, regressive script of austerity and budget cuts. Gov. Cuomo has doubled down on his push for deep cuts to Medicaid and education. When asked by a reporter about the growing state defi-
cit and what local officials should do to prepare for looming cuts, he deflected by saying, “call Washington.” No doubt Washington has to step up big time, but that alone will not be enough. For New York — one of the wealthiest states in the country — to sit on its hands and not ask the richest among us to pay their fair share borders on criminal. “Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. Now, God forbid, the rich leave,” Cuomo said in 2019, and in recent months he has been notably silent amidst growing calls for a wealth tax. If this point of view sounds familiar, it’s because it’s part of the same coddle-the-rich fiscal policies the Republican Party has championed since the ‘70s. But as noted by Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, “Few economic doctrines have been as thoroughly tested and thoroughly refuted as the claim that low taxes on the rich accomplish great things for everybody.” Mainstream research “consistently finds that millionaires are no likelier than other taxpayers to relocate — and when they do, it’s rarely due to taxes,” highlighted the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The rich aren’t going anywhere. Raising revenue for New York state by asking our wealthiest residents to pay their fair share must be on the table. Refusing to do so isn’t only immoral, it’s economically foolish. After enacting a modest millionaire’s tax in response to the 2008 recession, New York’s economy outperformed its neighbors in job growth, personal income growth, and private sector gross domestic product growth. Albany must lead with an eye toward ensuring safety, health and recovery for all. The response to the COVID epidemic and massive budget crisis shouldn’t be held hostage to fiscal policies that are only designed to enrich the wealthy. Giving the wealthy a pass and solving the health and economic crisis on the backs of working New Yorkers is unacceptable and unpopular — a majority of Americans enthusiastically support asking the very rich to contribute more. The rich will protest, but Gov. Cuomo and leaders in Albany should listen to New Yorkers and have the courage to pass a wealth tax to prevent more economic suffering, disease and death.
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Don’t forget essential workers Dear Gov. Cuomo: I am writing to share the story of my husband, William Mantell, who died from COVID-related pneumonia on April 17. Bill was a health care worker on the front lines. He wasn’t a nurse or physician working in a hospital, but a pharmacist at a small community pharmacy he owned for 31 years in Rochdale Village. As you know, retail pharmacies are deemed essential businesses by New York state, and are expected to remain open. Bill did as he was instructed. His exposure to the public was not optional, and he kept his pharmacy running to serve his patients and community. Within the first week of the crisis, he sold out of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant sprays, masks, gloves, alcohol, thermometers and Tylenol. There were no cleaning supplies left on the shelves, and it was becoming nearly impossible to replenish those items. Not only did Bill have limited product to sell to his patients and customers, but also there were very few supplies to clean the pharmacy with. And he had zero personal protective equipment to keep himself and his employees safe. Bill was running a small business, and he wasn’t in a position to quickly install plastic barriers at cash registers and protective measures throughout the store that large corporate pharmacies had the resources to do. In the beginning of this crisis, I was glued to the news. I had heard new stories about the nurses and physicians in hospitals who were begging for personal protective equipment to protect themselves. I listened to your news conferences in which you asked President Trump for help obtaining equipment and personal protective equipment for those on the front lines in hospitals. I don’t recall the push for personal protective equipment for the workers on the front lines who were not in hospitals: the retail pharmacists, delivery people, grocery store employees, and workers in essential factories. If New York state was having difficulty procuring these items, how were small businesses supposed to?
I feel like my husband was left to fend for himself. If Bill had the personal protective equipment earlier, would it have changed his outcome? I want to bring to your attention the difficulty Bill went through to try to have a COVID-19 test scheduled. He called the testing hotline on March 28, and was told someone would get back to him in two days. Two days later, he called again, and was reassured he was “still on the list.” Three-and-a-half weeks later, on April 22, the New York State Department of Health called to schedule a test. This was five days after he died. Is it acceptable to have a person who is sick wait almost a month for a test? Why wasn’t his personal physician allowed to order a test? How did those waiting on lines at the drive-thru sites have their tests scheduled? If Bill had been tested and treated earlier, would it have changed his outcome? It was extremely difficult for my family and me (and I am sure for every other family who has a sick loved one) to know that Bill was in the hospital suffering alone, with no family or friends by his side to support him. I understand the reasons why, and I understand that the nurses have such a high patient load that they are often unable to extend the extra human elements they normally give those in their care. I know Bill was anxious, scared and exhausted trying to take care of his needs on his own. If even one family member was allowed at their own risk — gowned from head to toe — to be there with him, to ensure that he laid on his stomach, did his breathing exercises, helped with the side effects caused by his medications, and let him know that he wasn’t alone, would it have changed his outcome? My story is one of nearly 17,000 in New York state. I am helpless in a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world. I have love my best friend, and my daughters have lost their father. I am calling on you, Gov. Cuomo, to continue leading our state through this challenging time. Small businesses on the front lines need personal protective equipment to safely serve people during this pandemic, and our loved ones need someone by their side to fight and survive. In loving memory of my husband, Bill. Carole Mantell
Pompeo just can’t be believed to the editor: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared May 3 on ABC’s “This Week” that there is “enormous evidence” that a laboratory in Wuhan, China, is the source of the coronavirus that has led to the pandemic creating havoc worldwide. His assertion contradicts the current findings of the American intelligence commu-
nity, which has concluded there is no evidence of the lab’s guilt, and little likelihood that its guilt can ever be proven, whereas there is evidence that transmission of the virus to humans came from non-human species outside the lab. Mr. Pompeo also asserted back in January that “enormous evidence” that American military personnel in the Middle
East were in imminent danger of terrorist attacks planned by the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, leading the United States to assassinate him. We later learned that there was no such evidence whatsoever. Why should we believe anything Mr. Pompeo says about the origins of the virus — or anything else? MiriaM Helbok
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Carole Mantell in Nassau County’s East Meadow lost her husband, Bill — a pharmacist — to complications related to COVID-19. The following is a letter she wrote to Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushing for more personal protective equipment for essential employees like her husband.
A14 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020
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New homes priced from the low $100's available immediately in active adult 55 plus landlease community in Smyrna Delaware. Close to DE Beaches and Dover Downs. Low taxes. 302-659-5800 or www.BonAyreHomes.com
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Newly renovated 3 bdrm, 1.5 bth apartment in private house. $2450/mo Call 646-772-7101 Riverdale. 3 bdrm apartment in corner private house. Near shops and transit. Please call owner 347-663-0010.
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Relief Porter/Doorperson Luxury Riverdale Coop Exp. Helpful Not Required Email Resume gstaudt@roseterra.com Equal Opportunity Employer
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Latino Hospitality Group LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on March 5, 2020. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is: United States Corporation Agents, Inc. located at 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. The principal business address of the LLC is: Bronx, NY 10463. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. 3263
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NOTICE OF FORMATION OF MAROUZE WITH ME APPAREL LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary State of NY (SSNY) on 04/03/2020. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the
LLC served upon him/her is: 2061 Saint Raymond Ave Apt 1E Bronx, N.Y 10462. The principal business address of the LLC is: 2061 Saint Raymond Ave Apt 1E Bronx, N.Y 10462. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. 3265
Legal Notice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Ngozi Asali Studios, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 4/20/2020. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is: 4453 White Plains rd apt# 2G, Bronx, NY 10470. The principal business address of the LLC is: 4453 White Plains rd apt# 2G, Bronx, NY 10470. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. 3266
Well Wishes to Our Neighbors Stay Healthy and Be Safe. We are in this Together. Move to What Moves You
3531 Johnson Avenue | 718.878.1700
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 2020 - A15
Home of the Week Sean Trebach of Trebach Realty
A chance to own your home and a few neighbors, too
T
The homes of
VillanoVa heighTs* AvAilAble After lAbor DAy fully furnisheD 5021 Grosvenor Avenue
9 bedrooms/ 6 full baths/ 1 half bath/ Elevator/ Pool
homes available for early september occupancy
5041 Goodridge Avenue
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.
here aren’t too many homes where you can practice the old saying of having your cake and eating it too. But that’s exactly what you get with this four-bedroom Tudor-style home at 3135 Netherland Ave. Not only do you get a crown jewel of 1920s architecture of the Spuyten Duyvil neighborhood, but you can also own the lots of would-be neighbors. This home comes with not just 2.5 bathrooms, a lovely rear patio and grassy backyard, but also three neighboring vacant lots — each with R-2 zoning — for $3 million total. Or if future development isn’t your thing, then this home is perfect for you at $1.595 million. Inside you’ll find a central foyer, living room with brick wood-burning fireplace,
formal dining room with window seat, large center-island eat-in kitchen with sliding glass doors out to a flagstone patio and den. Then you get the master bedroom suite with cathedral ceiling, walk-in closet and private deck, with a spacious two-room finished third floor. Also finished is the basement, which is part of a home with central air-conditioning, a private driveway, an attached single-car garage — all on a 50-by-117-foot lot. Of course, it’s conveniently situated near schools, transportation, and all the great Johnson Avenue shops and eateries. Whether you just want a house, or a house and a bunch of property around it, get ready to make Spuyten Duyvil your new home today.
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.
A16 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, May 28, 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
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NeW 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
West oF parKWay Web #856 Classic 3-bdrm, 2.5-bath brick house with terrace and grassy yard. House features a center hall, living rm with WBF, formal dining rm, eat-in kitchen, master bedroom suite, finished walk-out basement with recreation rm and 1-car garage. $1,200,000
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
NeW exclusive 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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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
co-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
exclusive KiNgsbridge Web #854 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath semi-attached house. FDR w/ French door out to the rear deck & yard and renov kitch. $719,000
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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
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FieldstoN Web #804 4-bdrm, 3-bath stucco & stone home. Living room with WBF, formal dining room and eat-in kitchen. $1,499,000
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
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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
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exclusive
exclusive
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
ceNtral riverdale Web #865 New Construction: 2-Family Townhouse w/ 4-bdrm duplex over 1-bdrm w/ deck & level, grassy backyard. $1,275,000
FieldstoN Web #632 5-bdrm, 5.5-bath house with spacoius living room, dining room, den and center island kitchen. $2,495,000
house For reNt West oF parKWay Web #rr876 Spacious and bright 5-bdrm, 4-bath house with patios and garden. Modern updates and 2-car garage. $6,900
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co-ops, condos and REntals
NeW exclusive
NeW exclusive
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
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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