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Thursday, June 18, 2020
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50-a repeal tests how far police reforms go Officer personnel records are now open to the public, but what’s next? By ANTHONY CAPOTE of The Riverdale Press
COVID review Scott Stringer isn’t happy with how New York was hit with the coronavirus. But could it all have been different? Page A3
Name dispute Manhattan College faces controversy that could force it to rename Kelly Commons. Page A7
A proper sendoff When you can’t have a funeral, friends and family of Mike Rooney take a whole different approach. Page B5
Weeks of non-stop protests seemed to accomplish what nearly two decades of advocacy couldn’t: State lawmakers in Albany passed a slew of bills last week intended to reshape policing throughout New York. Chief among them was the repeal of a law known as Section 50-a, which kept police officer disciplinary records away from the public. The repeal came after vigorous calls at both the state and lo-
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
The New York Police Department will no longer have the protection afforded by Section 50-a, the law that kept police disciplinary records secret, now that Gov. Cuomo has repealed it. cal levels to increase police transparency. Section 50-a was first enacted in 1976, part of an effort
to protect the identities of state employees, like law enforcement. But in the nearly 45 years since, it
has drawn the ire of police transparency advocates who claim the law was a stumbling block for those seeking to improve policecommunity relations. The package that repealed Section 50-a included nine other bills aimed at changing how police function, and how much autonomy law enforcement has over those functions. One law, for example, establishes an office for special investigations, which will automatically investigate any instance where someone dies in police custody. Another bans the use of chokeholds by police departments — a move outlawed by the New York Police Department in the 1990s — and makes it possible to charge officers with a felony if a chokehold ultimately kills someone. State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who cosponsored all 10 bills, said the package of new laws is just
one step toward rethinking the role of police in New York state. “Obviously, one bill does not solve all of our problems,” she said. “I think the biggest thing we are seeing across the country right now — and especially in New York — is a real need to reimagine what law enforcement and public safety are.” But what exactly are the benefits of repealing Section 50-a? And what ultimate impact will it have on policing? Lauren Jones is a researcher at the Vera Institute of Justice, an organization dedicated to resolving race and class disparities in the criminal justice system. Her work is centered around building resources for those trying to navigate their way through Manhattan’s criminal court system while reducing the use of jails. Increasing access to police POLICE REFORMS, page A4
Phase II reopening
Whether from a sanctuary or from a home, virus is no match for God By ROSE BRENNAN of The Riverdale Press
S
inging prayers together is an integral part of Congregation Tehillah’s typical Shabbat service. But it doesn’t sound the same as it once did. For the past three months, Tehillah has met on the Zoom online videoconferencing app. And when the time comes to join voices, one member leads the song, and the rest of the congregation follows along — except their microphones are muted, so they ‘Right now, can hear their own singing. we’re just going Tehillah is not unique among the city’s houses of to kind of have worship. Like all areas where a prayer service mass gatherings used to take place, churches, synagogues, that you show temples and mosques, among others, were forced to end up for and in-person operations in March then go home, 22 when the coronavirus was ravaging the city. without all of But now, houses of worship the social pieces can welcome congregants as part of the second that normally go back phase of New York City’s reopening plan — if all goes along with it.’ well, on track to begin June 22. — Rabbi Shmuel Hain However, there’s one restriction: Each location will only be allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity. For Tehillah rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn, the city’s religious leaders aren’t exactly sure what that means. “The governor’s instructions are very vague,” the rabbi said. “If you come to the service with your family, are you considered one group?” In the three months since New York City shut down, religious organizations had to get creative to provide their congregants with their usual services. Many made use of videoconferencing apps like Zoom or livestreams on social media. Tehillah’s members can use technology on Shabbat because they’re particular beliefs don’t restrict such usage on the sabbath. Some congregations don’t have that option, however. WORSHIP, page A4
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
Despite the partial reopening for houses of worship, Rabbi Linda-Shriner Cahn looks to continue services for Congregation Tehillah remotely, as she doesn’t want to be in a position of preventing people from coming to worship in person.
Shuttered businesses feeling way to a ‘new normal’ in reopening By ANTHONY CAPOTE of The Riverdale Press
Roosevelt Spivey hasn’t been to work in more than three months. The barber was forced to close his doors March 22 after Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued statewide stay-at-home orders as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 58-year-long owner of Marble Hill’s International Unisex Salon on West 228th Street spent most of that time at his home in New Jersey. In fact, like thousands of business owners, Spivey couldn’t return to check on his shop for most of that time. It wasn’t until this past Monday he finally made it into the Bronx to pick up three months’ worth of mail. Spivey is one of the millions of Americans out of work since the coronavirus pandemic forced a near-
complete shutdown of the national economy. But weeks later, he’s finally scheduled to return to work, that is if New York City moves forward in the second phase of reopening next week. But unlike the owners of essential businesses — who’ve already negotiated the tricky politics of changing the workplace to conform to social distancing guidelines — barbers, nail salon workers and tattoo artists must learn how to work within the “new normal,” and stay above water. “Oh, it is definitely going to affect the amount of money we can take in,” Spivey said. “I don’t know to what extent right now until I get in there and start working, but I know it will affect how much we can make.” While the first phase has managed to go off without a hitch, Lisa Sorin from the advisory board of New York Forward — the state’s organization rolling out NEW NORMAL, page A4
WORSHIP Stricter br using elec which me simply ou So wha of Young Riverdale dox synag home on communi non-Shab As the Israel was services i They curr School on have plen social dist But ev together a tions. The population of the you services b understan distancing to create a judgment-free way to help curb at “For th least some of the hunger in a neighborhood. into Phase Friendly Fridge initiative was started by a(in-person self-described Brooklyn anarchist group knowndren who as In Our Hearts, a group known to not only side the w known for its anti-war protests, but also its fightHain, You to bring food for those who need it. So far, these Althou outdoor fridges have been set up in Harlem, shipping t Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights,Hain wou Brownsville, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and now Kingsbridge. It’s found a home in front of The Last Stop, an eatery at 5977 Broadway, that came about after Selma Raven and Sara Allen asked owner Pardeep Singh Deol and sister Raji Kaur to ask if they could set one up. Raven and Allen — locals with an interest in helping to feed those who are less fortunate — already got a no from a few other FRIENDLY FRIDGE, page A4
Last Stop provides new hope with outdoor food-filled fridge By MAYA KATZ Intern
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Sara Allen, left, and Selma Raven check the produce inside the ‘friendly fridge’ they help maintain outside The Last Stop on Broadway.
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More than 37 million people struggled with hunger in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But with the coronavirus pandemic, that number could top 54 million, according to Feeding America. That’s one in every six Americans who may not have enough food to eat. Still, society generates plenty of food waste — the kind that doesn’t have to be wasted, and could help someone in need. That’s where the Friendly Fridge initiative has emerged. These are quite literally refrigerators set up outside of businesses or other heavily trafficked locations, stocked with food free for anyone who needs it. The food inside is donated by anyone with supplies to spare, all in an effort
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A2 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
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JAMES B. GISONDI for
State Senate Democrat Primary JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
What’s your number? What’s your other one? One thief found himself extremely well-connected after hitting the cell phone jackpot in a van behind the Foodtown at 5555 Broadway. The van’s driver stepped away from his vehicle at around 7 a.m., on June 5. While he was making a delivery to the supermarket. A lucky passerby found the door unlocked, then made quick work to pocket an iPhone 11 Pro, $200 in cash, and a Samsung Galaxy 8 cell phone, police said. All told, more than $2,000 worth of cash and merchandise was taken. Police are still looking for the sticky-fingered caller.
Pushing your luck at the precinct
Petty thievery is common in this part of the Bronx, with wallets and cell phones going missing from vehicles on a regular basis. One particular man pushed his luck a little too far, however. After two arrests for breaking into cars, the thief decided June 9 was his lucky day, according to police. That afternoon, the man reportedly walked up to a car at the corner of Broadway and West 236th Street, steps from the 50th Precinct, breaking the front and back passenger-side windows of a police officer’s personal vehicle. He then attempted to steal his uniform. He was quickly caught by another officer, according to police, yet had what he thought was the perfect excuse: “I’m working here, I know the sergeant.” It was quite clear to the officer that he did not, in fact, know the sergeant. The man had previously been arrested for grand larceny after stealing an iPhone, an amplifier, multiple phone chargers, and car maintenance supplies, police said. All together those were valued at nearly $2,000.
Missing: one wallet, forcibly taken
Everyone knows not to keep your wallet hanging out of your pocket, but sometimes the best precautions aren’t quite enough. That was the case on May 18, when a man walking on the 3200 block of Cambridge Avenue was suddenly shoved to the ground and his wallet stolen, police said. The walletsnatcher and a friend punched the victim, causing what investigators called “substantial pain and bruising.”
The two then ran toward Broadway, but it was there their luck quickly ran out. Police found the alleged thieves and the missing wallet, arresting one of the men for the robbery.
Someone might need to go to confession
Robbing a church is pretty low, but breaking into the elementary school attached to the church? That might be an even worse sin. On the morning of Sunday, June 7, police received a call that someone broke into St. Margaret of Cortona School at 452 W. 260th St., entering through an open window and wandering around the building. It was unclear what the thieves had attempted to take, or what they had been successful in stealing, police said. But two people — a 23-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man — were arrested in connection with the burglary.
cash registers for employees only
It was the middle of the night of June 8 when someone shattered the glass door of the Foodtown at 5555 Broadway and made their way over to cash register number six. The would-be money-grabber struggled with the register but couldn’t get it open, police said, and decided to try again at the customer service desk. Once again, no luck — and no cash. The perpetrator, who police estimate to be around 18 years old, walked outside the store in an all-white jogging suit, hopped on his bike, and rode into the night. No arrests have been made, and the case remains open to the detective squad.
back at it again with a stolen accord
One driver parked her white Honda Accord on the 200 block of West 254th Street on June 10, police said, and left it there for several hours. When she returned at around 10 p.m., the car had vanished. There were no signs of forced entry in the area where the car had been, police said, and no shattered glass to indicate broken windows. Yet the car was gone nonetheless. The victim valued the vehicle at $35,000. There were no witnesses and no camera footage of the theft, so police are flying blind in attempts to find the car.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A3
Stringer pushes forward investigation into COVID crisis By ANTHONY CAPOTE of The Riverdale Press
Numbers have been looking good as far as infection rates and hospitalizations go. But what the future holds for New York City’s hospital system could be a major concern, especially as it braces for both a long economic recovery and a potential second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. As states and economies have opened across the country, COVID-19 cases have increased. That uptick has spurred fears about whether the city’s health care system can withstand a second wave of the virus, even as the state overall has bucked the national trends in its own reopening. Concerns are coming from two different places — the virus itself, and the economic devastation left in its wake. Some, like the city’s comptroller Scott Stringer, want to place blame at the feet of City Hall for failing to properly prepare for the pandemic in the first place. Stringer launched a probe last month into the city’s response to the virus in the early days of the crisis. In announcing his investigation, Stringer said he wanted access to documents related to the city’s decision-making structure as well as prescribed measures for preventing the virus’ spread, whether or not the city implemented them. “This sprawling pandemic has caused our economy to shut down, bringing massive job losses and depressing city revenue just as we face an acute demand for services,” Stringer said in a statement at the time. “Every single New Yorker deserves to know what city government did to prepare and prevent the worst.” But now it seems Stringer faces some pushback. On June 11, the comptroller issued subpoenas for documents including emails and office memorandums, which he says he needs to complete his investigation. The probe, Stringer’s office claims,
Courtesy of Darren McGee / Office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces he’s shutting down what would become New York’s first coronavirus hotspot around New Rochelle on March 10. At the same time, Mayor Bill de Blasio was getting his first warnings from city health commissioner Oxiris Barbot about the need to start shutting some services down — recommendations de Blasio initially resisted. aims to get answers about where the city succeeded in responding to the virus and where it faced the largest problems. “The administration owes New Yorkers an explanation of what they knew about this deadly virus, when they knew it, and what they did about it,” Stringer said. “The administration’s refusal to comply with our investigation is unacceptable. I am therefore issuing a subpoena for these documents, which should be turned over to our investigators expeditiously. Open and honest government is what New Yorkers deserve, and my office demands nothing less.”
Perhaps one of the biggest issues in New York’s hospitals, at least according to New York State Nursing Association’s Carl Ginsburg, was determining how to manage the large swells of patients in some areas that experienced the most impact, like Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Many of those issues, he added, have not disappeared and will be even further exacerbated if and when a second wave of the virus hits New York. But Councilman Andrew Cohen disagrees with this analysis of how the city handled the pandemic. He said many of the issues New York faced in the earliest and worst days of the virus
were unforeseen and are only made clearer by hindsight. “It took a little while to get our beds used in a systematic way as opposed to each hospital operating independently,” Cohen said. “Part of the reason we faced so many challenges is usually, in a public health crisis, there is normally an expectation in a public health crisis that we are going to get support from the national government.” Many of the issues the city government faced in its pandemic response, Cohen argued, had to do with a lack of support from the federal government. While the councilman echoed Mayor Bill de Blasio’s frequent complaint
about the Trump administration, he added city council would do its best to meet the needs of the health care system in the wake of an impending budgetary crisis — a crisis he says will likely be far worse than many have anticipated. “Balancing all of these priorities is going to be excruciatingly difficult,” Cohen said. “The state is facing its own deficit, which it is trying to offload on the city, which is also going to be challenging.” While Cohen said the city council would do its best to fund COVID-19 response efforts — specifically paying the test and trace corps — making that happen with the current revenue shortfalls will be difficult. It likely will lead to budget cuts in nearly every capital project and department in New York. “Everything. Everything is getting a cut. Everything we love,” Cohen said. “If you go around the district, there’s not a park in the district that is not under construction, and that’s because of me. The coming fiscal year is going to be horrific. There is going to be cut after cut after cut.” Government officials at all levels have been criticized for their slow response to the virus. de Blasio was first urged by his health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, to start shutting down schools and restaurants as early as March 10, according to Politico. At the same time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had shut down schools and churches around New Rochelle, which had become the state’s first hotspot, which also shuttered SAR High School and SAR Academy in Riverdale. President Trump, on the other hand, told reporters on March 10 that the country was prepared and “we’re doing a great job with it,” according to ABC. “It will go away. Stay calm, it will go away.” By the time Cuomo ordered a state shutdown on March 20, there were more than 7,000 confirmed cases in the state.
PRESS POINTS More trains return to Metro-North Metro-North is doubling its peak service capacity as New York city slowly works its way to the second phase of reopening in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Trains along the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines were boosted beginning Mon-
By Michael hinMan
day. That means 49 trains arrived at Grand Central Terminal during the morning peak, with 67 trains departing during the afternoon peak. Overall, the current peak schedule of 54 trains was replaced with 116 trains. For the Hudson Line — which begins at Grand Central, and passes through Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale before
terminating in Poughkeepsie — will jump to 14 trains from eight during morning peak. Afternoon peak will grow from 10 trains to 19, with two additional reverse-peak trains. Even with the increase in trains, Metro-North still will only run at about 41 percent capacity. The line will continue charging only off-peak fares, even during peak times.
A very happy (virtual) wedding It’s not easy to get married these days when crowds are severely limited by the coronavirus pandemic. Yet last month, talk show host Tamron Hall helped one couple celebrate their special day by officiating their ceremony remotely. The former MSNBC anchor
featured Kelton Cumberbatch and Aisha Becker-Burrowes on her syndicated talk show on May 13, according to The Grio. The couple hails from Harlem, but Cumberbatch is a physical education teacher at Ethical Culture Fieldston School. “Love is so many things,” Hall told the couple, according to the website. “But what
we know is love can never be defeated. Nothing that we are experiencing on this day, in this moment, in this time, will affect your very special bond. What you have together will only continue to thrive and grow in a beautiful way.” Hall didn’t come emptyhanded, however. Instead, she gave the couple an all-expenses paid honeymoon to Fiji.
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A4 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
Repeal of 50-a is just the beginning
Businesses look for a new way to thrive after COVID-19 NEW NORMAL from page A1 the reopening — said the next steps in the process will have far more impediments. “I think the bigger complication for Phase II is making sure everyone understands the importance of” personal protective equipment, Sorin said. It’s an issue that concerns Sorin, especially after a visit to the neighborhood around the Bronx Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters in Morris Park. “We did a walkthrough of the chamber with our local councilman and the new commissioner of Small Business Services,” said Sorin, who is also the Bronx chamber’s president. “We saw them bring their stuff to the sidewalk, which is cool because you get to shop without even going inside. But you had a lot of people who didn’t have their mask on.” For Sorin, it is vital for consumers to remember just because the state has started to reopen, it doesn’t mean the threat of spreading the coronavirus is gone. For business owners, she added, it is about adjusting to a new definition of the services they provide. Barbershops, for example, will no longer take walk-ins, according to guidelines from New York Forward. What’s more, the total number of people — including workers and customers — inside a barbershop at any given time cannot exceed half of the building’s maximum occupancy. But that distinction will mean more to some than others. Spivey, for example, has enough space in his shop to keep both barber’s chairs six feet apart, so he won’t have an issue maintaining social distance. But he also depends on a lot of walk-in business, thanks to his longstanding role in the Marble Hill community. On a normal day, the bench where his customers wait is packed with folks — many who aren’t even getting their haircut. Instead, they come into the shop just to shoot the breeze, Spivey said. Something that’s going to change, whether anyone likes it or not. “We can’t gather like that anymore,” he said. “But a lot of folks in the community are excited about getting in there, and they can’t really imagine the shop not being there.”
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
Roosevelt Spivey, owner of Marble Hill’s International Unisex Salon, had to temporarily close shop because of the coronavirus pandemic. With the second phase of the reopening right around the corner, Spivey and other businesses like nail salons will have to figure out how they can survive in this ‘new normal.’
MARISOL DÍAZ / File
‘I don’t know if it’s the same for guys, but going to a salon is supposed to be a sort of escape to pamper yourself. Now it’s very uncomfortable. You have to do it and just try to get through it.’
— Lisa Sorin
Bronx Chamber of Commerce But then again, New York City is behind the rest of the state when it comes to reopening. Because of that, there’s a lot the city can learn from what other regions are doing, Sorin said. In fact, one of her friends ventured into Westchester County — which is in the second phase of reopening — to find an open hair salon there. “I don’t know if it’s the same for
guys, but going to a salon is supposed to be a sort of escape to pamper yourself,” Sorin said. “Now it’s very uncomfortable. You have to do it and just try to get through it.” What’s more, city officials have promised random inspections of personal service businesses like hair salons over the next few weeks, Sorin said, ensuring those businesses are
complying with the new guidelines. While those inspections will not result in fines at first, after a few months, violating reopening laws could force some to fork over cash as a penance. “The city cannot even think about fining businesses who are just starting out,” Sorin said, “but there is also a safety concern.” The goal Sorin has set for herself, though, is to make sure the Bronx Chamber helps as many businesses get back on their feet as possible. “If we need to, we will stand in your business, we’ll walk you through what you should and shouldn’t be doing,” Sorin said. “This borough has been knocked right off its feet, and the only way we will be able to come back is to do it safely.”
POLICE REFORMS from page A1 disciplinary records, she argued, is important. “So, 50-a is something that advocates have been trying to change for a very, very long time,” Jones said. “It had prevented people who were in the criminal justice system from seeing the disciplinary records of officers who they had encounters with. So, when there was misconduct, it was impossible to see whether a police officer had been involved in misconduct before.” The first key impact of 50-a’s repeal is that it enables the public to keep a closer watch on smaller police departments who do not always get the amount of watchdog attention as larger agencies like the NYPD, Jones said. The second impact is the ability to identify and target systemic problem spots within police departments. “We’ll see whether there is a process of holding officers to account and making sure problems are addressed,” Jones said. “If we see a police officer with not one, not two, but 10, 11 complaints against them — and the police department’s not doing anything to address it — that allows us to find a larger problem.” But increased transparency alone will not solve all the problems people have with policing, Biaggi said, adding it’s important to place the entire criminal justice system under a microscope. “Making these disciplinary records public is not going to undo a system of violence, of systemic racism, or any of the issues we have seen,” the senator said. “If we pass all the laws we want and don’t change the system under which the laws are functioning, then all we’ve really done is add another layer of policy that is not going to make it into the public discourse.” For Jones, this most recent package of laws from Albany only gets slightly closer to the overall goal of reimagining the social approach to public safety. Something made much easier by one bill in the package that forces police departments to collect and publish data including the racial demographics of those they arrest or question. “I think we know that there is racial bias in the system. We know that black and Latinx people are targeted at a much higher rate,” she said. “We need to be thinking about how we can reduce what police are responsible for, because over the years we have come to rely on police as the catch-all for all of our problems.”
Not every house of worship is ready to come back WORSHIP from page A1 Stricter branches of Judaism forbid using electronics on the Sabbath, which means Zoom or livestreams are simply out of the question. So what did they do? For members of Young Israel Ohab Zedek of North Riverdale and Yonkers — an Orthodox synagogue — it means praying at home on the Sabbath. However, the community was able to use Zoom for non-Shabbat daily prayer. As the weather improved, Young Israel was able to hold some of its services in-person, but outdoors. They currently meet at SAR High School on Riverdale Avenue, and thus have plenty of outdoor space to honor social distancing guidelines. But even though Young Israel is together again, it’s not without restrictions. The synagogue has a sizable population of children, but many of the younger ones can’t come to services because they have difficulty understanding and abiding by social distancing guidelines. “For the time being, as we head into Phase II, we’re still limiting (in-person worship) to adults and children who can remain at their parents’ side the whole time,” said Shmuel Hain, Young Israel’s rabbi. Although his community is worshipping together again in-person, Hain would not say the community
is “back to normal.” In fact, it is only part of what the rabbi knows in-person services could be. His congregation looked forward to socializing with each other following services, which is a practice Young Israel suspended for the foreseeable future. “Right now, we’re just going to kind of have a prayer service that you show up for and then go home, without all of the social pieces that normally go along with it,” Hain said. The second phase of reopening also affects Riverdale’s Catholic community. St. Margaret of Cortona’s doors remained open throughout most of the pandemic for private prayer and confession. It plans to gradually resume its usual services in accordance with state guidelines — along with a few of its own. The second phase of reopening means St. Margaret’s can celebrate baptisms and weddings, with up to 10 guests. The third phase will usher in the return of weekday and funeral Masses with limited attendance, while Sunday Masses will return in the fourth and final phase. When all the phases are complete, St. Margaret’s hopes to resume all pre-pandemic services and sacraments at normal capacity. When Masses return to the parish, one side of the church will be reserved for families sitting together,
with two rows of pews between each family. The other side will be reserved for individual parishioners, with one row of pews between each. All attendees will be required to wear cloth masks, and to receive Holy Communion by hand. Shriner-Cahn does not expect to see her congregation returning to inperson services anytime soon. While 25 percent capacity is necessary to curb the spread of the virus, the rabbi views the limitation as exclusionary of certain populations. “Older members of communities or people who are vulnerable end up being isolated further,” Shriner-Cahn said. “Who gets to come, and who doesn’t? Who feels safe enough to come, and who doesn’t?” Regardless of religious affiliation, these houses of worship have the health and safety of their congregants as their paramount concern. ShrinerCahn urges more vulnerable parishioners to take advantage of remote options if they’re available, knowing one day, the congregation will be back to worship in-person together again. “At least we can see one another,” Shriner-Cahn said. “At least those (vulnerable) individuals can sing their hearts out, which if they were in a room or even standing outside masked, they couldn’t really do safely.”
AARON MAYORGA / File
While the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture is the usual location for Congregation Tehillah, its services will continue remotely for the foreseeable future, despite the city beginning to reopen. Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn would prefer congregants have a chance to attend services remotely and safely rather than being forced to decide who gets to come in person.
Whenever you’re hungry, there’s a fridge around the corner FRIENDLY FRIDGE from page A1 businesses they approached before walking into Deol’s eatery. With a yes in hand, Allen located a used refrigerator on Craigslist, and since late May, has been in continuous operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s powered by an extension cord that stretches inside The Last Stop, and behind the bar. Allen and Raven, who live in North Riverdale, restock the fridge daily, using food they purchase themselves. “We go every morning to fill” the fridge, Raven said. “We have been picking up produce and also cleaning up.” But Allen and Raven aren’t the only ones stocking the fridge. It accepts food donations from anyone will-
ing to give, anytime throughout the day. It’s kind of like “take a penny, leave a penny,” except with the kind of food someone might find in a refrigerator. Anyone with leftover food can leave SARA it in the fridge for ALLEN someone else who might be hungry. Others can simply go out and buy produce to donate to the fridge. Sometimes, when The Last Stop opens in the mornings, general manager Daniel Nuñez finds the fridge already restocked. Some customers
have even given Deol money to buy groceries for the fridge, while Last Stop regulars have brought their own food. “It has really been a community effort,” Kaur said. “It is a lot of everyone pitching SELMA in and doing what RAvEN they can to help out.” When needed, Kaur brings food from home, and even has the restaurant help out. In fact, Last Stop has pledged to match what people donate. Like many eateries during the pandemic, Last Stop has operated on mod-
ified hours with takeout and delivery only. Yet, the fridge has attracted more foot traffic to their part of Broadway which is, as its name implies, the last stop of the 1 train at West 242nd Street. Still, the fridge is not about helping business, Deol said, but instead give back to those in need. “The fridge reinforces the family environment that we have at The Last Stop,” Nuñez said. “Some people who walk to The Last Stop for the first time see the interactions that we have with people, and our regulars who have been donating food.” The fridge has found some notoriety through social media, drawing even more people to the end of the subway line to donate food.
Although fridges like this one were started in response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Last Stop hopes to keep their fridge going even when “these difficult times” are long passed. But the only way to continue the fridge is to continue donations, Kaur said. While that might be something doable through the rest of the summer, the fear is that it might become more of a challenge when the snow starts to fall — a time when such a fridge could be needed the most. “I think it might be even more helpful in the winter months for people who are walking by late at night and don’t have anything to eat,” Kaur said. “They can just open the fridge and take whatever they need.”
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A5
Gisondi draws on judicial experience in state senate run DECISION 2020
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
James Gisondi might be new to New York’s legislative branch, but he’s no stranger to another side — the judicial. A former lawyer and law secretary for the Bronx County Supreme Court, Gisondi’s legal background has influenced many of his policies, from criminal justice reform to tenants’ rights. “I’ve always been involved in the community,” Gisondi said, first serving on Community Board 11, and later chairing its real estate committee. He would go on to serve as treasurer and secretary on the executive board, but gave it up when he entered the court system. Now, he’s ready to jump back into politics. One of Gisondi’s biggest concerns is housing — while reforms usually have tenants’ rights in mind, he said that smaller landlords — who both live in and own two- to three-family homes — are left without much protection under the law. That leaves them at a serious disadvantage in housing court. “What I would like to do is I’d like to set up a separate part of housing court for owner-occupied housing properties, two or three families,” he said. “Have a 10-day notice, get them into the court system, and find out what the problem is. Is the problem with the landlord? Or is it a problem with the tenant?” A tenant could face health problems, he said, making it difficult to pay rent. Or a small landlord could be a senior citizen on a fixed income, finding it difficult to make major repairs. Getting into housing court quickly for small landlords is important, Gisondi said, because in either case, if a tenant isn’t able to pay rent, the landlord would quickly run out of money to pay the mortgage, and the property could be foreclosed. Quickly finding out the cause of the problem could let whichever party was in need get the
James Gisondi RACE: 34th Senate District HOME: Locust Point CHILDREN: Andrew, 29: Johanna, 25; Alexander, 10 PRIMARY ISSUE: ‘I’m running to give my district the choice between traditional Democratic values — which I support — and progressive socialist values that my opponent is supporting.’
Courtesy of James Gisondi
James Gisondi, center, is state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi’s first-ever primary challenger. He is advancing a more moderate agenda against Biaggi’s progressive one, and has the backing of the Westchester County Republican Committee. care for everyone,” Gisondi said. “Even in law school, we had these conversations back in 1995. At the time, that was something that was just coming to a head. I felt that health care was a right, especially in the United States, where we have so much. How can people not have health care?” Preventive medicine is “more important than anything else,” Gisondi said, because maintaining health could easily keep an issue from growing to the point of hospitalization. He wasn’t sure if he supports the New York Health Act, or an equivalent
proper services, be that a homeowner grant or a caseworker for a tenant in need of medical help. Court hearings would have different social services at the ready, and would act as a mediatior between tenant and landlord, rather than a legal process. That would require a strong security net, Gisondi said, with ample resources available, no matter what the problem was. Such a net doesn’t exist now. “I think heath care is truly important, I think there should be health
to Medicare for All. While New York has a fairly robust system to cover children with Child Health Plus and those 26 and younger covered on their parent’s plans — when they have them — Gisondi believes there should be “investigations and hearings” into how to adequately cover people currently without insurance. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has created health and economic crises unimaginable just a few months ago, and anyone elected to a new position will grapple with the aftermath of tens of thousands of deaths
and a long economic downturn. “I think a lot of the small businesses — especially restaurants and salons, nail salons and hair salons — are going to need some help,” Gisondi said. “To get back on their feet, a lot of stores may not be able to open up again and come back into business. Even though they may only employ two or three people. That’s jobs to people.That’s income to people. That pays their bills.” Nonprofit organizations, like those that provide day care for both senior citizens and children, would need a boost too, he said, especially those not affiliated with the city. “This is very important for this community, and I think they’re going to need help,” Gisondi said. “Whatever the city doesn’t do, these groups and these organizations, they come up and they fill the gaps.” Gisondi’s lifetime living in the district means he knows what issues peopleare facing, he said, and what he thinks needs to be done. “What I would like to do, as the next state senator from the 34th district, is go to Albany, and I want to bring back as much funding for my community as I can,” Gisondi said. “And block whatever negative legislation, or whatever negative policies, that would affect my community. That’s my agenda.”
POLITICAL ARENA Cabrera wants hazard pay for MTA workers Councilman Fernando Cabrera believes it’s time the Metropolitan Transportation Authority doles out hazard pay for its workers who continued to clock in during the coronavirus pandemic. “Our MTA workers have taken the hardest hit of all municipal employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 130 deaths of tran-
By Michael hinMan
sit workers,” Cabrera said, in a release. “Early on, even when the nodes of transmission were well known, these front line essential workers were not issued masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, or any protective gear. They kept the city moving for everyone — especially other essential workers — but their lives and safety were callously ignored. “This is totally unacceptable. It is a disgrace and an embarrassment for this city that the
MTA is willing to pay higher death benefits without also providing hazard pay for all those who risked their lives daily to keep us going.” Cabrera did not outline how he believed the MTA would provide such pay. The system says it’s projecting a deficit of more than $10 billion into the next year because of the pandemic, and is desperately awaiting an influx of federal money to keep the system on track.
Bowman fundraising surges in June Jamaal Bowman may have soared close to the $1 million mark heading into the final financial reports before the June 23 primary — but U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel still can boast a war chest twice as large. Bowman collected more than $971,000 through June 3, compared to $2 million by Engel, according to federal campaign filings. Bowman had a
little more than $345,000 left in the bank to spend at that point, compared to $826,000 by Engel. But a lot of that was before a hot mic gaffe where Engel was caught pleading with Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr., asking for a speaking slot in an impromptu press conference touring a looted business district on Fordham Road. Engel was caught saying that he needed the speaking slot, and that if he weren’t in a primary, he “wouldn’t care.”
That ultimately pushed Bowman to a $750,000 haul in June, bringing his total to $1.5 million, according to his campaign. Engel’s team did not release revised numbers — nor are they required to. The head-to-head seems to be fully leaving out two other candidates in the primary race as well — Chris Fink with nearly $150,000 raised, and Sammy Ravelo at a little more than $48,000. The primary is June 23.
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A6 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
Engel says experience, power will serve district well Congressman says if he wasn’t doing a good job, he would not still be serving 30 years later
DECISION 2020 Eliot Engel RACE: 16th Congressional District HOME: Riverdale WIFE: Patricia Ennis CHILDREN: Julia, Jonathan and Philip WEBSITE: EngelForCongress.com
By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Eliot Engel has been elected and reelected to represent the 16th Congressional District 16 times now, and he’s running for at least one more. Now the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Engel wields considerable power in Congress, and says that’s something not to be taken lightly. “The seniority system, of course, is something that works, where if you do have seniority, if you are a committee chair, you’re treated very well by your colleagues and by the structure,” Engel said. “If you’re a chairman, you get treated with some deference, and it helps me. For instance, I got $5 billion in funding for New York hospitals, which was five times more than any other state got.” His many years as a congressman and his position mean people pay attention when he walks into a room and starts to negotiate. He’s particularly proud of what he’s done on that committee, including working with NATO during the Clinton administration’s bombing of Yugoslavia in reaction to the region’s genocide of Albanians. “I was very proud if the role I played with President Clinton,” Engel said. “And the Albanian community — as a result the country of Kosovo — put my picture on a postage stamp, and they have named a number of places, streets, after me. They realized I was very instrumental in preventing genocide and keeping them free.” Another international agreement Engel worked out was the HarkinEngel Protocol after he and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin learned about child laborers harvesting cocoa in the Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. “Children were working on farms, doing manual labor, not going to school,” Engel said. “And we did a whole thing with the companies — the sugar companies, chocolate companies — to try to see that these kids had an avenue to go to school, and that we were largely successful in achieving that. There’s always more work to do, though, but
PRIMARY ISSUE: ‘Qualification. I have a long record of success of working with the community.’
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel is proud of his work with the Clinton administration to intervene in Yugoslavia to prevent an attack on Kosovo — a country which honored him with a stamp in 2017. Engel faces his toughest primary challenge yet in Jamaal Bowman, who has picked up high-profile endorsements in his bid to represent the 16th Congressional District.
Clinton backs Engel, Sanders supports Bowman Democrats had to choose between former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016’s presidential primary, and now the two are head-to-head again in a much different primary in 2020: The one deciding the fate of New York’s 16th Congressional District. Clinton has thrown her support behind incumbent Eliot Engel, while Sanders is backing Engel’s biggest challenger in the congressional primary, Jamaal Bowman. “I have worked with Eliot Engel as First Lady, as senator from New York, and as Secretary of State,” Clinton said in a statement on Monday. “Every step of the way, his No. 1 priority has always remained the same: Delivering for his constituents.” Just last week, Sanders had nothing but kind words to say about Bowman, a Bronx middle school principal who has many observers believing he might be able to pull off an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style upset over a long-entrenched congressman. “Jamaal understands that low-income families are locked out of opportunity and a decent life due to a system that is rigged to benefit the wealthy,” Sanders said, in a release. “In Congress, he will lead the fight for investing in our public schools, ending mass we were very proud of the work that we did.” He’s also supported social justice movements, including sitting in the minority voting against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which effectively banned same-sex marriage in the United States.
incarceration, and addressing the housing crisis. He is someone we can trust to be a powerful advocate for a progressive agenda in Congress.” While Sanders focused on what Bowman can do, Clinton shared many of the things she says Engel already has done. “Eliot was instrumental in helping me pass the Violence Against Women Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and has stood up against the Trump administration’s attempt to slash both,” Clinton said. “We worked side-by-side to bring billions in federal aid to New York after the horror of Sept. 11. And as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he has helped hold this administration accountable, including by uncovering the illegal firing of the inspector general, secure our elections against foreign interference, and protect dedicated foreign service officers from political retribution.” Democratic voters are set to decide June 23 who will represent the ticket in the general election — Engel, Bowman, Chris Fink or Sammy Ravelo — with the winner expected to be a shooin for November. — Michael Hinman
“It was widely regarded as an antigay bill, it got lots of votes,” Engel said. “Democrats and Republicans supported it. There were only, I believe it was 57 people who voted ‘no’ out of 435. And I was one of those people. I led the charge.” Whoever wins the election could
I My Community
face some hard times, especially in Engel’s district, which was home to one of the first “clusters” of coronavirus infections in New York. The New Rochelle outbreak closed the first schools in the state — SAR High School and SAR Academy in North Riverdale — which are also part of Engel’s district. The
Bronx led the five boroughs in both rates of infection and deaths. As the city and state slowly reopen in the wake of the pandemic, Engel says it’s hard to know if the worst is ahead of the country, or already passed. But he’s keeping an eye on new developments in hearings and meetings in Washington. “I’m hopeful that perhaps, by the spring, we could have a vaccine,” Engel said. “But the truth is we don’t really know. If I had to guess, I would say April or May of next year seems like a likely time. But everyone’s just guessing.” Driving through New Rochelle recently, it felt strange to see people eating outside for the first time in months, he said. Although he may not have been there personally during the crisis, his office was. “I’m also very proud of our constituent services,” Engel said. “We have three offices, the one here in Riverdale is probably the most active, on Johnson Avenue. It’s probably the most active one of all of them. We’ve helped thousands upon thousands of people with problems, constituent problems.” If he’s reelected, Engel plans to spend some of his time over the next two years trying to undo some of the damage he says has been done by the Trump administration, using his foreign affairs committee post to hold people in the White House accountable. “I’ve been rattling the cages because I cherish our democracy, and I don’t want to see them trash it,” Engel said. “And believe me, they’d trash it if we didn’t hold their feet to the fire.” Ultimately, Engel said, he’s asking voters to renew his two-year contract. “I’m asking the same thing, I have great respect for the voters,” he said. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve them, and as long as I serve them, I’m delighted to make the lives of people better.”
St. Margaret
OF CORTONA SCHOOL where faith and knowledge meet
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A7
Open Letter to Mr. Jamaal Bowman, from Rabbi Avi Weiss Dear Mr. Bowman, News reports indicate that you were recently endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose record on Israel is deeply distressing and disappointing. Following your expression of gratitude regarding her endorsement, I began looking into your position vis a vis Israel. You’re quoted as saying that American aid to Israel should be conditional on exploring Israel’s human rights record. I am of the opinion, as noted by others, that there is no country anywhere facing the same threats as Israel, that has a better human rights record.
Manhattan College students and faculty are pushing to have Kelly Commons renamed in light of the protests against police brutality that have swept the nation. The building is named for former police commissioner Raymond Kelly, who also is an alum.
Could Kelly Commons become victim of history? By PATRICK LINDO plindo@riverdalepress.com
Solidarity has strengthened across the country and the world in response to the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month. Protests have hit many of the major cities, including New York, with some signs of impact becoming apparent, not only by the arrest of the officers involved in Floyd’s death, but many municipalities taking a hard look at how the law is enforced in their communities. Change is being demanded at the micro level as well, with some Manhattan College students and alumni leading a movement to remove the name of a former New York Police Department commissioner from one of its buildings — one of the architects of what would become known as “stop-and-frisk,” Raymond Kelly. The practice was common under mayors David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg, allowing patrol officers to search generally anyone they wanted on city streets. The problem, according to later investigations into the practice, is such searches disproportionately targeted black and Latino communities, and were significantly reduced under Mayor Bill de Blasio. Kelly was first appointed commissioner in 1992 under Dinkins, continuing in his role until fellow Manhattan College alum Rudy Giuliani was elected mayor in 1994. He returned under Bloomberg in 2002 after serving as President Bill Clinton’s U.S. Customs Service commissioner. Manhattan College named its new conference building Kelly Commons after the commissioner in 2014 not long after he stepped down as commissioner for a second time. The honor was bestowed thanks to one of many donations to the school by Thomas O’Malley, a petroleum company executive who graduated with Kelly. The dedication at the time was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said people from the city and state owed Kelly a “tremendous debt of gratitude.” “His life is a testament to the virtue of service taught by the Christian brothers, and a commitment to excellence,” Cuomo said, according to a release at the time. “Manhattan College could not have chosen a better name than Raymond Kelly.” Yet that sentiment — at least with one recent master’s degree graduate from the school — has changed recently. “It made me think about how Commissioner Kelly was linked to our school,” said Daniel Aguirre. The Floyd killing convinced him to dive deeper into research on police brutality, eventually leading him to stop and frisk. Reading Kelly’s support for the controversial policies and still earning the honor of having a building named after him prompted Aguirre to reach out to old classmates, pushing for a change, eventually submitting a resolution to the Manhattan College student government. The resolution has since been posted online, which has since drawn the support of hundreds of students, faculty, and alumni. “I think it has been monumental considering the fact that we are not all on campus,” said Rabea Ali, who helped draft the resolution.
Then again, controversy over Kelly Commons is not new. Conversations over the name have brewed ever since initial construction efforts began. It even led to a protest when the building opened. Ali said she and another classmate, Ireland Twiggs, had been aware of the murmurs over the naming since they started at the school. “We really wanted to highlight change for both our students of color and in creating a more inclusive community on campus,” Twiggs said. With the school’s student government in recess until the fall, it has yet to take up the resolution. But another of its authors, Liam Moran, believes the resolution will lead to a campus-wide discussion — one that could reach the ears of the college administration and potentially sway their decision. “Which is really what I think will be most beneficial and helpful in growing through these tough periods of confronting the actions of one of our alumni and the merit of having a building on campus,” Moran said. Ashley Cross, a Manhattan College professor and co-director of the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center, called Kelly’s naming an affront to students of color and the values of the college. She hopes administrators will listen to the students’ concerns, keeping the current social climate in mind. Manhattan’s Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies committee called the Kelly Commons a symbol of “white supremacy” citing the former police commissioner’s role in what they described as “state violence” against the black community. It should be renamed under their guidance, they added, using a subcommittee that also could be consulted on any future campus namings. David Witzling, the ethnicity studies program director, says it’s essential in this age to understand the perspective of people who have been racially profiled. Manhattan College administrators are aware of the concerns raised over Kelly Commons, spokesman Peter McHugh said. They are actively addressing any underlying conflicts due to racism. “Our goal is to hear and support all members of our community,” McHugh said, in a statement, “especially those who have suffered injustice as we continue to work to be an inclusive community.” Priya Varanasi has been actively researching the Kelly Commons name for a school assignment. In her paper, she explores the origins and potential motives of the naming, and the detriments of choosing it. She argues the naming whitewashes Kelly’s legacy, leaving certain students ignorant or under-valued in the college’s identity. “Names highlight certain lived experiences and declare who belongs in — and thus owns — a space,” Varanasi wrote. “Even if spaces made within that building contrast the message sent to the outside world, this way of operating is indicative of institutional behavior and attitudes — namely, the act of compromising a message of social justice as the institution tries to internally operate spaces for the marginalized.”
WHAT’S IN The concert must go on
The Hispanic Society Museum and Library presents a virtual concert featuring pieces by baroque-era poets and composers from both sides of the Atlantic on Thursday, June 25 at 6 p.m., via the society’s website. Meridionalis will perform a piece from the society’s music collection titled “Retumbe el Clarin.” For more information, visit HispanicSociety.org.
21 toasts for the Toastmasters
The Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale celebrates its 21st anniversary on Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m., via the Zoom online videoconferencing app. For more information, visit BronxToastmastersClub.org.
Pelham art knocks on door
The Pelham Art Center hosts art projects and classes via its website. Programs include: • An open critique with Edgar Jerins focusing on still life,
Family arts available in trying times
Artist Nina Velazquez presents “Come Draw With Me,” a daily drawing activity via her Facebook page. Families can sit down together and create their own versions of Velazquez’s drawings, and are encouraged to post their new versions when complete. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/CommunityDraws.
Putting money in filmmakers’ pockets
Inwood Art Works’ filmmakers fund opens submissions for its $5,000 grants through Friday, July 31, serving filmmakers from Inwood, Washington Heights, Marble Hill, Kingsbridge and Riverdale. The money is used to produce a film, which would then
Those murderous acts have not spared our own district. Just a year and a half ago, Ari Fuld, son of Rabbi Yonah Fuld who is a past principal of the SAR academy, one of the largest schools in our area, the Riverdale section of the Bronx, was knifed to death by a Palestinian terrorist. And let us not forget Taylor Force, an American veteran who was murdered in Tel Aviv by Palestinian terrorists. In 2018, the Taylor Force Act was passed in Congress. The bill calls for America to decrease aid to the PA until it stops supporting terrorist families. Due to the PA’s “pay to slay” policy, the families of these terrorists will be receiving financial support from the PA for life. Knowing that their families will receive money, this policy has inspired many to commit more heinous acts of terror. Countless Riverdalians now live in Israel, including our daughter and her family. Some live in the town of Efrat, just south of Jerusalem, in Gush Etzion. In the center of Gush Etzion, many, including Ezra Schwartz, a teenager from Boston, were viciously murdered by Palestinian terrorists. Furthermore, the human rights abuses of the PA (and the Hamas terrorist organization, for that matter) don’t merely extend to Israelis, but Palestinians as well. In fact, according to a 149-page report released in 2018 by Human Rights Watch, the organization describes what it calls “arbitrary arrests” and “systematic torture” by the PA and Hamas towards innocent Palestinians. Mr. Bowman, you have said before that “this is not about singling out Israel and targeting Israel.” Yet it seems to me, at least in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, that this is exactly what you are doing. And so, in light of all this, my questions are very specific: Do you support the Taylor Force Act? Are you prepared to say that you oppose the PA’s policy of financially supporting families of terrorist murderers? And will you condemn the human rights abuses of the PA and Hamas? Additionally, your position on BDS is not clear. Most recently, there was a bill in Congress entitled “Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and the Local Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement Targeting Israel.” When the time came to vote on it, 398 Congresspersons voted yea, 17 voted nay. Reps. AOC, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were amongst the few nay votes. How would you have voted on this resolution? How can we be sure that having received a strong endorsement from AOC (who also co-sponsored a different pro-BDS resolution proposed by Omar), that you are not beholden to her? Are you able to definitively commit yourself to never supporting BDS? Speaking of Reps. Omar and Tlaib, you tweeted that “@IlhanMN @RashidaTlaib do not hate Israel.” As many know, both Omar and Tlaib have made highly anti-Semitic statements in recent years, and their anti-Semitism has been condemned by the AntiDefamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Do you still stand by your defense of these Congresswomen?
be presented at the 2021 Inwood Film Festival. For guidelines and more information, visit InwoodArtWorks.nyc.
Mr. Bowman, you have raised questions about Israel’s human rights record and labeled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an “authoritarian.” However, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It has just gone through its third election in 18 months. Yet you’ve said nothing about the PA, whose president Mahmoud Abbas, is now in his twelfth year of a fouryear term. Will you similarly label Abbas an authoritarian?
CB8 discusses public safety
Our community is proud of its commitment to American values including, of course, racial harmony and equality for all.
By RAPHAEL LASSAUZE portrait, interiors or landscape Thursday, June 18 at 1 p.m. Admission is $20. • A Matisse papier-mâché bowl-making class with Donna Ross on Friday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $10. For more information, visit PelhamArtCenter.com.
I am especially alarmed that at no time have you mentioned Palestinian violation of human rights — specifically, the Palestinian Authority’s policy of funding the families of those who have committed murderous terrorist acts.
Community Board 8’s public safety committee meets via the Zoom online videoconferencing app Thursday, June 18 at 4 p.m. For more information, visit NYC.org/CB8.
The garden beyond the screen
The New York Botanical Garden opens its virtual gates with “The Garden at Home,” a project where the entire garden — from its programs to tours of the spring landscape — are available online. Upcoming events at the botanical garden include: • A spring walk among the garden’s recently bloomed daffodils. • A virtual tour of the orchid show: Jeff Leatham’s “Kaleidoscope,” hosted by senior orchid curator Marc Hachadourian. For more information, visit NYBG.org.
And amongst the issues most important to us is the well-being of the State of Israel, one of America’s greatest allies. Unfortunately, your comments on Israel have fallen far, far short. I look forward, and I believe our community looks forward, to hearing your responses to the specific questions that I’ve raised. Sincerely, Rabbi Avi Weiss
Paid for in the public interest by Jeffery and Charles Moerdler. Avi Weiss is the founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale and longtime activist for Jewish causes and human rights. He is the author of Spiritual Activism: A Jewish Guide to Leadership and Repairing the World. 1092929
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A8 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
ALL ALL TOGETHER TOGETHER ALL NOW. NOW. TOGETHER NOW.
We’ve latest news news and andinforming informingyou youabout aboutaa We’vebeen beenhard hardat atwork work reporting reporting the the latest pandemic that’s disrupted everyone’s lives. We’re proud of our brand of trusted journalism.
pandemic that’s disrupted everyone’s lives. We’re proud of our brand of trusted journalism.
ADRIAN FUSSELL / File
24 Hour Fitness has closed more than 130 locations — including the one at 298 W. 231st St. — as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. This particular location was originally a Bally Total Fitness, until it was bought out by the California-based 24 Hour Fitness in 2014.
24 Hour Fitness closes 134 gyms, including Kingsbridge By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
There will be one less gym option available when the coronavirus pandemic finally recedes, which is bad news for anyone who depends on 24 Hour Fitness in Kingsbridge. The California chain says it’s closing more But we’ve losthas business, too. Likeaudience us, you’re probably saying is enough. No one an engaged like ours. Ourenough growth online, employees ready. Nobody cares more about your success than us. than 130 locations across the country, including combined print, isas impressive moreWe’ve readers turn to usaudience for local news. the location at 298 W. 231st St. It’s one of 10 locaLet’s with work together businesses as reopen. got the engaged share your advertising messages. Our ad staff stands ready to help. tions in New York to be closed, including others Notoone has an engaged audience like ours. Our growth online, on the Grand Concourse and in Yonkers, and will are your investment. arebest your best combinedNewspapers with print, isNewspapers impressive as more readers turninvestment to us for local news. essentially reduce the total reach of 24 Hour Fitbecause we care most about local. ness by a third across the country. We care about local. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, according to a release. With that filing, the company secured $250 million to help reopen some of its clubs elsewhere in the country. In a statement, 24 Hour chief executive Tony Ueber blamed the closings on the coronavirus. Before filing for bankruptcy, the chain boasted 420 locations in 18 states. It moved into West Print, advertisers. Print, Digital Digital&&Social SocialSolutions Solutionsfor foryour your business 231st Street in late 2014 after 24 Hour bought 32 Bally Total Fitness clubs, which suffered through two bankruptcy filings, and slowly sold off all of Design by Metro Creative Graphics, Inc. Print, Digital & Social Solutions for your advertisers. its club locations, closing its final one in East Harlem in 2016. There are a number of fitness centers in the o Creative Graphics, Inc. general vicinity of 24 Hour’s now former location, although all are temporarily shuttered because of the pandemic. They include Build N Box and Blink Fitness on Broadway, as well as Planet Fit543-6065 • www.riverdalepress.com ness and Astral Fitness in Marble Hill. Print, Digital & Social Solutions for your advertisers. Several months after 24 Hour Fitness opened
Now, as our nation looks to Let’s reopen, andhad resurge, our advertising representatives face rebound it. No one has it easy during this pandemic. areashere to helplooks your to business. Hire us toand help get your customers back and your Now, our nation reopen, rebound resurge, our advertising representatives Your newspaper is reporting from the front lines the local stories of employees ready. Nobody cares more about your success than us. its painful shutdown. We thank our talented journalists. are here to COVID-19 help your and business. Hire us to help get your customers back and your
Newspapers are your best investment. We care about local.
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Professional Ser vices Director y inDex
Attorneys Audiology Dentists Organizing Professionals
Physical Medicine Physical Therapists Podiatrists Psychotherapy Tutoring
Attorneys Lawrence Cooper,
esq.
165 West 231 Street 718.548.2100 Estate Planning, Wills, Probate Purchase or Sale of Real Estate, Co-ops Powers of Attorney, Guardianships, Article 81 Proceedings Incorporations, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury
LORRAinE COYLE, esq • • • •
in 2015, its then general manager, Andrew Martinez, talked to The Riverdale Press about how the various gyms could survive so close to each other. At the time, Blink Fitness was under construction, but the other nearby gyms already were opened. “I think as long as people are working out, no matter what setting it’s in, it’s going to be beneficial to them,” Martinez said at the time. “That’s the mindset we have here at 24. Whether it’s with us or with somebody else, as long as people are working out, it’s going to benefit them.” 24 Hour already has started to reopen some locations in various parts of the country, depending on state and local laws, with the hope of opening its remaining gyms by the end of the month. The chain has extended membership to any club location for its members. To help compensate for the coronavirus pandemic, the remaining gyms are offering a workout reservation system and touch-free club check-in. It’s also adhering to stringing cleaning and social distance protocols, according to a release. The company claims up to $10 billion in assets and liabilities, according to its bankruptcy filing, with Wells Fargo its largest creditor, owed $500 million. The closest 24 Hour Fitness gyms are located in Pelham Manor, and for anyone willing to cross the George Washington Bridge, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Its only other New York City location is in Brooklyn’s Kew Gardens, with an additional location outside the city in Valley Stream on Long Island.
Wills, Trust, Estate Planning - Probate Medicaid Planning & Guardianships Real Esate - Buying & Selling Member Nat’l Academy of Elder Attorneys 5911 Riverdale Avenue 718.543.2200
Susan M. Dunn, esq. (Lic. NY & FL)
•Real Estate/Co-ops: Buy, Sell & Refinance •Wills, Trusts, Probate & Estate Admin. • Incorporation, Contracts & Leases • Divorce & Separation Agreements 3600 Fieldston Road 718.796.0837
Divorcing? with Julie Hyman, p.c. www.JulieHyman.com specializes in: •Child Custody, Support, Equitable Distribution •Post-divorce Modification & Enforcement •Prenuptial & Separation Agreements Solaria Riverdale, 640 W.237 St.,
Tel: 347.449.6398
DAn PADERnACHT, esq.
Real Estate - Purchase, Sell and Refinance Co-ops - Condos - Single Family - Commercial Business Formation and Lease Drafting 3605 Sedgwick Avenue (at West 238th Street) Tel: 718-543-3500 email: dan@padernachtlaw.com
Lisa Fischel-Wolovick, esq. Attorney at Law 5911 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, New York 10471 Tel: 212.245.6125 Family Law, divorce, custody, and child support Offices in Riverdale and Manhattan Author of Traumatic Divorce and Separation: The Impact of Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse in Custody and Divorce (Oxford University Press: 2018)
AuDiology Advanced Care Audiology Meagan Ruth aud, ccc-a
Hearing Evaluations, Treatment of Hearing Loss, Wax Removal, Treatment of Tinnitus, Hearing Aids. 3533 Riverdale Ave., Bronx, NY 10463 718.980.7700 www.advancedcareaudiology.com
Dentists
PhysicAl meDicine PM&R, Physical Medicine & Rehab Center
Comprehensive Spine, Sports & Occupational Center DONALD LISS, M.D. PHIL TASCA, M.D. REBECCA BROWN, M.D. Pain Management • Physical Therapy Occupational & Certified Hand Therapy 6132 Riverdale Avenue (718) 884-1200 www.Rehabmed.net
TALLER DEnTAL
Riverdale Oral Health Sidney Adler, dds, m.a.g.d. Beth Berson, dds Quality Dental Care
General and Cosmetic Dentistry in a modern and relaxing setting, accommodating all your personal needs. Services include… • Implants • Veneers • Teeth Whitening • Bonding • Invisalign • Dentures • Facial filler injections … and much more. Visit us online or call for an appointment today to see how we can help you! 611 West 239th Street, Bronx, NY 10463 718.548.3353 riverdaleoralhealth.com
facebook.com/riverdaleoralhealth
Gabriel Shalmi,
dds
Family Dentistry. All phases of modern dentistry. Implants, braces for adults & children. Evenings. Most Insurances accepted. NEW PATIENT SPECIAL — $89.00 — includes initial exam, x-rays (full mouth) and hygienist cleaning. 444 W. 259th Street #200. 718.601.0900
orgAnizing ProfessionAls LiFE FiLES PROFESSiOnALS
Efficiently store vital documents while Securely destroying outdated, yet sensitive, Documents. Be clutter free FINALLY! Homes and businesses. Free Initial consultation. Discounts for seniors. 718-548-1282, LifeFilesPros.com, Riverdale, NY
Cambridge Podiatry Center Dr. Donald Spector Board Certified, Diplomate in ABPOPPM Practicing over 30 years Podiatric Medicine & Surgery Laser treatments available Medicare/Most Insurances Accepted 259 W. 231st Street, Bronx, NY 10463 718.548.3080
Lance Greiff, dpm
Samuel H. Taller, ms, dmd, fagd
ExpEriEncE and innovation S pecial H ourS D uring c riSiS • Modern Facilities • cosMetic dentistry • iMplants • laser treatMents • tooth Whitening • nitrous oxide Emergencies Welcome 3601 Waldo Avenue 718.543.3704 www.DrTallerDental.com
PoDiAtrists
BOARD CERTIFIED PODIATRIC SURGERY PODIATRIC ORTHOPEDICS
PhysicAl therAPists Judith Kahn, md, pc Board Certified Physiatrist • Pain Management • Sports Injuries • EMG’s Holistic Management of Musculuskeletal Conditions 545 West 236th Street, Suite C, 718.884.8115 30 W. 60 Street Suite 1C, between Broadway & Columbus Ave. Website: www.judithkahn.com
Participating in: Medicare, GHI, Oxford, Healthnet, Healthease, Blue Choice, Aetna, Pru-care, Magna-Care, Chubb Health, PHCS, Nylcare HMO/PPO, Multiplan, PHS, Select-Pro, Local 1199, Magna-Select, Anthem, & more. HOUSE CALLS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE 3333 Henry Hudson Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10463 718.601.2100
PsychotherAPy Leslie Robert Blumgold, lcsw-r
PM&R, Physical Medicine & Rehab Center
Comprehensive Spine, Sports & Occupational Center JOE LEIBOWITz, MSPT MADELEINE LAxAMANA, PT, DPT BRYAN DAGARAGA, PT, DPT LALAINE YAP, PTA KATIE RICHTERI, M.S. OTR/L Pain Management • Physical Therapy Occupational & Certified Hand Therapy 6132 Riverdale Avenue (718) 884-1200 www.Rehabmed.net
Riverdale Sports Physical Therapy
In and out of Home Counseling/Telehealth Individuals, Couples, Adolescents and Families. Areas of Expertise - Drug Treatment, Adolescents, LGBTQIA, Family Work and Geriatric Populations. Excellent Outcomes and Engagement Skills. 16 years experience 646-496-2032 LRB4U7@aol.com
Maria M. Kargman, LCSW-R
Bi-lingual (English, Spanish) as preferred 30+ years clinical psychiatric social worker See PyschologyToday.com listing for Bio, in-network insurances accepted 914-348-1226, maria.kargman@gmail.com Office: 45 Palisade Street Ste216, Dobbs Ferry
Tara Fitzgerald Quimby, lcsw-r pc
ALExANDER SHERMAN, P.T. •Orthopedic Injuries • Post Surgical Rehab •Arthritis • Pain Management • Sports Injuries THE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING 531 W. 235th Street, 718.432.1323
PoDiAtrists Michael L. Merenstein, dpm Board Certified - American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics. Surgical, geriatric, diabetic shoes. Pediatric, whirlpool & orthotic treatments. Medicare, Oxford, HIP & most insurance. Day & evening appts. HOUSE CALLS AVAILABLE 3636 Fieldston Rd. (W. 236 St.) 718.548.6732
Teens - Adults - Couples M. 917.273.6995 A. 3600 Fieldston Road, Suite 2G Riverdale, NY 10463 E. TaraQuimbyLCSW@gmail.com Evening and weekend hours available
tutoring Professional Home Tutor
Tutoring available in all general subject areas. Grade Levels K-12 • Certified NYS Teacher in Childhood Education (General Education and Special Education, 1-6) • MS in Childhood Education (1-6) • Dual Certification in General Education and students with Disabilities Call zach 917.667.7185 zNilva1@gmail.com
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A9
Victories in hand, Biaggi is ready for more By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN
By MICHAEL HINMAN
kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Alessandra Biaggi has served the 34th Senate District for two years, and she’s ready for two more. The 34-year-old Mount Vernon native had big plans when she unseated Jeff Klein after 13 years in the state senate, and they haven’t gotten any smaller since she moved into his old office. In the weeks prior to the June 23 election, Biaggi worked with her colleagues in the senate and Assembly to begin the process of repealing 50-a, which kept private the disciplinary files of police officers, firefighters and corrections facility officers. Advocates for police reform — especially those protesting after the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis — have called for the law’s repeal, saying it protected police officers from public scrutiny, and from facing consequences. “The NYPD are not policing themselves,” Biaggi said of the New York Police Department. “It’s kind of like, you know the problem they have in the legislature where if there’s an ethics violation it goes to (the Joint Commission on Public Ethics), which is like a joke, basically. It’s political appointees and if you have political appointees overseeing, it just doesn’t work. It’s a conflict of interest.” The governor signed the repeal into state law Friday, sealing the deal on what Biaggi saw as just the beginning of police reform. And, she said, her track record shows she’s ready to take on the rest. “When I was campaigning for the seat, about 98 percent — and that’s not just some random number — about 98 percent of the issues that I went into people’s living rooms, knocked on people’s doors, and did all of my campaigning on, have already been passed,” Biaggi said. “Everything from rent reform — which was just historic last year — the environmental bills that we did this year, particularly the (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act), which was just incredibly monumental as well, our immigrant reforms that we did, passing the Green Light bill.” Biaggi also has been laser-focused on expanding the rights of victims of sexual abuse, introducing the Child Victims Act, which extended the statute of limitations for reporting abuse. The law also gave victims a one-year “lookback” window beginning last summer, during which victims could file suit against an abuser no matter how long ago they had taken place. Three people then filed suit against Stanley Rosenfeld and Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, saying SAR admin-
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA New police reforms enacted
EIAN KANTOR / File
State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi faces her first ever primary challenge, but feels her legislative successes since entering Albany last year is proof voters should send her back. istrators at the time were aware Rosenfeld was sexually abusing them and failed to step in. “Lengthening the statute of limitations on sex crimes — rape, criminal sexual assault, incest — to make sure that survivors have the necessary time,” Biaggi said. “It takes longer for people to speak up.” Making sure victims know when to speak up was another important moment in Biaggi’s first term, she said, when she partnered with Forest Hills Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi on a piece of legislation requiring day care providers to have training in spotting and reporting “adverse childhood experiences.” ACEs, as they’re called, are defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as experiences like violence, abuse or neglect, among other things, that could lead to chronic health problems, mental illness, or even substance abuse, as those children become adults. “So, if you’re a day care provider, you are required to be trained in ACEs,” Biaggi said. “And that, to me, is everything, because if a child is being abused, or is experiencing or exemplifying symptoms of trauma, and you’re taking care of that child but you don’t even know what to
look for, that child is no doubt in a more harmful situation than if someone, obviously, could know what’s going on.” It might seem like so much has been passed to protect victims of sexual abuse already, that all is said and done. But Biaggi says she has much more in mind if she’s re-elected, including working with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz on removing a loophole in sexual assault cases allowing defendants to use the victim’s “voluntary intoxication” as a defense. Of course, there’s more to focus on through the second half of 2020 and beyond. New York City has entered the first phase of reopening last week, slowly moving toward a pre-coronavirus normalcy. But that norm isn’t enough, Biaggi says, especially in the Bronx where black and Latino communities have been hardest hit by infection rates and deaths. While recent protests that rippled across the city was focused on police reform, Biaggi says it’s hard not to see people marching because of the virus as well. “At this very moment, I don’t think it’s an accident,” she said. “I don’t think anything is an accident. I think this is showing us how many people are sick
DECISION 2020 Alessandra Biaggi RACE: 34th Senate District HOME: Pelham HUSBAND: Nathaniel Koloc WEBSITE: Biaggi4NY.com and tired of the status quo, and also being ignored and not being heard.” Biaggi is frustrated watching lawmakers discuss high rates of coronavirus deaths and infections in communities of color, and shrugging their shoulders when it comes time to figure out why. “That’s crazy, because they know exactly why that is,” Biaggi said. “They’ve under-invested in those communities for decades.” It will be impossible to return to “normal” as we know it, the senator added, because “we’re in a new world now.” “So my ask is that everybody shows up for the call to create this new world, instead of trying to put the pieces back for a world that didn’t work for a lot of people.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a series of bills into law on Monday he and state legislators hope will start the path toward police reform in New York. The first bill requires all New York State Police officers to wear body cameras while on patrol, and to begin recording immediately before an officer exits a patrol vehicle, or before all uses of force, all arrests and summonses, and before all interactions with people suspected of criminal activity. They’ll also need to turn on the cameras for all searches and more. “As one of the largest state police agencies in the country, the New York State Police should be one of the first agencies to set an example, to show others how to properly use body cams to deliver transparency and accountability to the public,” said Brooklyn Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, in a release. “This legislation will help bring to light when excessive force is used, and hopefully ultimately reduce the number of ‘use of force’ incidents, and take a critical first step in repairing the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.” The other bill creates the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office, intended to study, audit, review and recommend to police agencies regarding how to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement. The office also is expected to handle misconduct complaints statewide about any local law enforcement agencies — even if it doesn’t involve a death. “The relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve isn’t working,” Cuomo said, in a release. “New York is the progressive capital of the nation, and we are leading the way by enacting real reforms to increase transparency in policing, promote accountability among our law enforcement agencies, and ultimately mend that frayed relationship between the police and the community.”
Physicians Ser vices Director y indEx Cardiology ENT - Adult & Pediatric Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatric Medicine Internal Medicine Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ophthalmologists Pediatricians Pediatric Subspecialty Care Pulmonary Medicine Psychiatry Rheumatology
CaRdiOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors gerald neuberg, md, fAcc
For appointments, please call: 646.317.0130
Kung-ming Jan, md
For appointments, please call: 718.601.4800
david i. Sahar, md
For appointments, please call: 718.601.3700 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
EaR, nOSE and thROat adult & PEdiatRiC
EndOCRinOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors Sophia hu, md Sees general endocrinology; specializes in thyroid disease including thyroid cancer, diabetes, weight management, women’s health, osteoporosis, adrenal disease, and pituitary disease/tumors. Speaks conversational Spanish and fluent in Mandarin Chinese. 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 646.317.0129 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
gaStROEntEROlOgy ColumbiaDoctors Jennifer Caceres, md david S. lee, md
3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 212.932.4534 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
PLACE YOUR AD HERE
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology
Carolina Mora, np
• Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology
Flora holderbaum, Aud
• Audiology (hearing aids, hearing testing, evaluation and rehabilitation) • Adult and Pediatric 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 202 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 212.305.8555 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
The deadline for any additions, changes or cancellations for the July Directory is Wednesday, June 24th at 2pm.
Call 718.543.6065 ext. 3 or email advertising@riverdalepress.com to get in touch with our marketing team who can help you reach out to your clients.
ColumbiaDoctors nydia E. Providence, md
Riverdale Pediatrics
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.4564 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. The Century, 2600 Netherland Ave., Suite 120 By App’t, 718.796.3580
The Century, 2600 Netherland Avenue, Suite 125 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 718.601.7505
Stuart R. Framm, md • Travel Vaccines
NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.5190 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Sherry R. Kohn, np NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-152 New York, NY 10034 For appointments, please call: 212.932.5190 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
OBStEtRiCS & gynECOlOgy
• Otology, Neurotology, Skull base Surgery • Adult and Pediatric
Elliot Regenbogen, md
PEdiatRiCianS BaRBaRa E. StRaSSBERg, M.D., F.A.A.P. CaRlyn a. OPPEdiSanO, M.D., F.A.A.P. MaRtin ROdRiguEz-EMa, M.D., F.A.A.P. Pediatric & adolescent medicine.
PEdiatRiC SuBSPECialty CaRE ColumbiaDoctors anu Mallapaty, md
Allergy and Immunology (through Adult)
Patricia M. Vuguin, md Endocrinology
ali Mencin, md Gastroenterology
270 West 231st Street Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 855.550.KIDS Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
PulMOnaRy MEdiCinE
ColumbiaDoctors Justin golub, md Susannah hills, md
intERnal MEdiCinE
gERiatRiC MEdiCinE ColumbiaDoctors Bindhu thomas, md xiaoshuang yin, md nana Makalatia, md deborah Smyth, gnp NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital 5141 Broadway @ 220th Street Suite 3-159 New York, NY 10034
ColumbiaDoctors anita holman, md doreen Kramer, cnm Reyna E. Payero, md, fAcog • Board Certified Physicians • Comprehensive Gynecologic, prenatal and obstetric care 270 West 231st Street, 1st floor, Suite 101A Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 212.305.9779 www.columbiaobgyn.org Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
Now also at a convenient Riverdale Location The Century, 2600 Netherland Avenue, Suite 125 Bronx, NY 10463 For appointments, please call: 718.543.3031 Now accepting new patients. All clinical staff are Board Certified in Geriatric Medicine Medicare and most major insurance plans accepted. Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
For appointments, please call: 646.317.0127 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital
PSyChiatRy NYC Neuropsychiatry Paul Campion, md Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry 444 West 259th Street, Suite 301 Bronx, NY 10471 201.292.7987
RhEuMatOlOgy ColumbiaDoctors teja M. Kapoor, md
For appointments, please call: 212.932.6036 or 212.932.4080
nana Makalatia, md
ColumbiaDoctors Manuel R. Cabrera, md
OPhthalMOlOgiStS Jonathan d. Boniuk, md, pc Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Eye MD •Catering to all ages & eye problems including eye surgery, routine and preventive eye care. • Board Certified • El Medico Habla Español The Riverstone, 3220 Arlington Avenue, Suite 7 Call 718.432.2299 Fax 718.432.2069 Office Hours: Monday - Friday, including eves.
Specializing in Lupus, sees general rheumatology patients & performs musculoskeletal joint injections. 3050 Corlear Avenue, Suite 204 Bronx, NY 10463 Now accepting new patients For appointments, please call: 212.3054308 Affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
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A10 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
“ I am grateful for being able to sleep knowing my husband is safe and well cared for. Thank you for that gift.” – Marcia S. – Thank you, Marcia, for your kind words, and the T:21”
kind words of so many families. The safety of our residents at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale is our highest priority. It’s why we’re testing all staff twice a week, we’ve instituted deep cleaning measures that meet the highest clinical standards, and we continue to reimagine our campus to make it safer than ever for all residents.
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To learn more, go to riverspringhealth.org/safety
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A11
HOMETOWN HEROES Join us in celebrating the amazing men and women from the front lines of our community’s pandemic response
THE KESTENBAUM FAMILY
FOOD DELIVERY DRIVERS THE RIVERDALE Y
J
ack and Raffaella Kestenbaum don’t get many opportunities to visit their grandparents these days. Traveling abroad — either to England or Israel — to visit them often was a luxury they had in a prepandemic world. But now, international travel restrictions grinded those visits to a halt. The Kestenbaums, however, have found a new way to connect with other members of the elderly population. And they don’t even have to leave Riverdale. In the early days of the pandemic, the kids learned their grandmother in England contracted the virus that causes COVID-19. With an ocean between them, there wasn’t much they could do. But at home, there was a chance to make delivering lunches to homebound senior citizens for The Riverdale Y a family affair. “Not being able to do anything for her transferred my need and wanting to help to this local opportunity,” says
the kids’ dad, Daniel. Every weekday, Daniel, Jack and Raffaella deliver nearly 20 lunches to homebound seniors in their neighborhood. But it isn’t just lunch they’re providing. It’s also conversation. For Raffaella, the first few chats were little more than pleasantries. But over the past two months, she has opened up to her new homebound friends more and more. “They’re a part of our community,” Rafaella says. “We shouldn’t just leave them trapped in their apartments.” Closing the blinds and shutters while waiting out the virus might be an option for some. But it certainly isn’t an option for the Kestenbaums. “Times like these open themselves up to helping other people in whatever ways we can,” Jack says. “It feels good for yourself, and for other people outside of your own comfort zone, (to) help someone else out.” — Rose Brennan
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A12 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
Opinion Editorial
Silence slows police reform
D
ermot Shea called it the end of New York City’s long-standing stop and frisk policy. On Monday, he reassigned 600 plainclothes officers to new jobs, closing the door on what’s been a very controversial period for the New York Police Department. What police do always has been and always will be controversial. There are indeed times when the men and women committed to protecting and serving deserve that criticism, and other times when they don’t. While many aspects of law enforcement need to change, there are other facets that seemingly get forgotten in the rush to evolution. One aspect we can never forget is that each member of law enforcement — from civilians to patrolman to detectives to the administration — put their lives on the line for each of us every day. They face danger so we don’t have to, and we sleep well at night thanks to their hard work and dedication. Many have paid the ultimate price. Last year, 48 officers were killed as a result of what the FBI describes as “felonious acts.” Each one of these officers lost their right to live, ripped away from their families and friends who loved them most. We can never bring them back, and we should never forget them. But in that same period, police shot and killed 1,003 people, according to an ongoing study by The Washington Post. New York accounted for just 23 of those deaths, compared to 108 in Texas, 135 in California, and 64 in Florida. But 1,000 people? It’s hard to tell if this is bad compared to other countries because other countries don’t uniform-
ly collect such data. In fact, states don’t uniformly collect such data. The Post’s figures are compiled by poring through thousands of various news reports. Ultimately, that’s a huge stumbling block on the path to reform. If we can’t identify where issues exist, how can we ever expect to address them? State lawmakers are on the right track. Gov. Cuomo has signed a number of bills into law requiring, among other things, new reporting in how police interact with the public. That includes reporting any weapon discharges within six hours, and requiring police departments and courts to track all arrest data, and include details like race and ethnicity. But it can’t stop there. A police officer’s good name is sullied by a bad cop. Yet, it seems cops are more likely to defend abhorrent behavior than call it out. When two Buffalo police officers were arrested for pushing an elderly protester to the ground and severely injuring him, dozens of fellow officers lined up outside the courthouse to greet those officers — charged with felony assault — with applause. That’s disgusting, and good cops are forced to swallow those feelings out of fear of angering those who have lost their perspective of law and order. No more. If good cops don’t want to be grouped with bad cops, then they must open their mouths and call out these atrocities. It shouldn’t be “us versus them.” But it will be as long as good cops feel they have the right to remain silent.
Point of view
We need to be in Congress
By ANDOM GHEBREGHIORGIS
I
ran in the 16th Congressional District for nearly a year. All over the Bronx and Westchester County, I stumped. I shook hands and bumped elbows. I spoke and debated. The constant traveling and meeting new people was different than the quotidian “stability” of teaching the same kids in the same classroom that I was used to. The similarities between being a teacher and a candidate, though, made for an easy transition: The focus on community. The listening. The draining hours one puts in for long-term gains they may not be able to personally witness. I taught middle school education in New York City for nearly 10 years. My first teaching position was at an underperforming public school in Williamsbridge. My school was plagued by administrative neglect, lack of resources, violence and overcrowding. The contradiction of attending a so-called “failing school” while living in the world’s wealthiest nation was not lost on the students. Some saw school as the great equalizer, while others rationalized that the likely negative return on education wasn’t worth their investment. For my students with disabilities — who on average lagged substantially behind their general education peers academically and made up the majority of discipline referrals — their educational despondency filled the halls occupied by school safety officers. So much of being a special education teacher is demystifying education for one’s students. As teachers, we get our young people to believe in themselves when the world has told them they should not. Many of my students entered my eighth grade class at first- and second-grade reading levels. It was understandable why they may have hated school when the classroom existed not as a site of development and liberation, but one of their own personal failure. Most of my students attributed their academic challenges to deficiencies of the self, but they were the ones who had been failed every step of the way. Year after year, they were passed to the next grade without their educational needs addressed. The system denied them the awareness, the toolkit of strategies, the accommodations and modifications that would have made them more successful in school.
“Surreal” was one such student of mine. As an eighth-grader, he comprehended text on grade level, but paradoxically decoded words on a kindergarten level. With little phonemic awareness and no interventions ever implemented during his schooling, he managed to make himself a capable reader by using context to try and quickly figure out what the unfamiliar words he couldn’t read must be. Surreal engaged in an elaborate, lexical search-and-rescue every time he read, what must have been an unbearably tiring cognitive load to exert. Our students survive in environments set up for them to fail. They persist absent intervention, and without recognition. Our youth — students of color, students with disabilities — are pathologized and stigmatized in our culture. They are neglected by society, but we know just how resilient they are. What could we be if we did not have to muster our students’ resilience borne out of institutional neglect? If our collective brilliance was not used just for survival? In low-income communities, in communities of color, in Mount Vernon, the Bronx, our same problems continue — just like for my students — year after year without intervention, without those in power supporting our upliftment. I ran for Congress because, even before the pandemic, before the protests, we had communities in crisis, communities that had been underserved and disinvested from for too long. Communities that had as little faith in government as my students did in school. Ever more, we need bold, transformational politics to upend the status quo, but we can’t expect the necessary legislation from businessas-usual politicians who don’t understand our reality. One of my favorite authors on education, Lisa Delpit, wrote, “In order to teach you, I must know you,” and the same is true for leadership. Our political leaders have no idea of my students, They have no working knowledge of schools and communities of Surreals. We — the teachers, organizers, community leaders, and those with no so-called experience — do. While I’ve suspended by campaign for this primary, the fact remains: Our communities need us. And that’s why we need to be in Congress.
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Point of view
Voters have clear choice heading to the ballot box
By CHRIS FINK
T
here is a hotly contested Democratic primary for the congressional seat representing the 16th District in the Bronx and Westchester County. And the choice is clear. Incumbent congressman Eliot Engel spent the first three months of the pandemic socially distancing himself at his home in Maryland while the people in our district lost jobs and lives. In the midst of the worst racial crisis in a generation, he finally came to the district for a racial justice rally, and admitted on a hot mic, “If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care.” Simply put, he only cares if and when it helps him get votes. Then there’s the Justice Democrats’ hand-picked candidate, Jamaal Bowman, who paints himself as an alternative to the failed leadership of Eliot Engel. Bowman’s positions and rhetoric are a cut-and-paste of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s agenda. She even pledged $500,000 from her nationwide donor network — which is no different than any special interest group in Washington buying a politician. Bowman doesn’t have an economic recovery plan or any ideas of his own. We can’t afford to have our government further paralyzed by a disruptive force that divides our party and causes it to languish in inaction. Fortunately, voters don’t have to choose between a disengaged representative whose home base is in Maryland and a radical puppet of the Justice Democrats. I am Chris Fink. I’ve spent 35 years working with more than 700 local and state governments across the country building green energy plants and municipal infrastructure projects. I don’t just talk about a Green New Deal, I actually know how to get it done. I know the economic incentives needed, the investments in battery technology required, and the way to create good-paying jobs while developing a green economy. My work building major infrastructure
projects gives me the actual know-how to fix our crumbling roads, bridges, hospitals and schools that have been neglected for too long by our incumbent, who is focused on international affairs at the expense of our community affairs. I know how to build our country back and build bridges we can all walk across. But the future has to start now. I released a comprehensive plan, SEE Forward, in response to the COVID-19 crisis, which offers tangible solutions for our social challenges, our environmental opportunities, and our economic recovery. We are at a historic time. The threats to the American people are so great that the voices of special interests must be drowned out by our collective cry for action. Now is the time to fix the tax code so that money flows from where it is most abundant to where it is most needed. As a former tax lawyer, I will close every loophole and expose every trick used to protect oil and gas companies, and those like Amazon who don’t pay taxes at all. Finally, Donald Trump has stoked lethal hatred across our country. He is a disgusting, heartless racist. Our response must be swift by first demanding that federal prosecutors apply hate crime charges in cases like Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. Trump’s racist gangs are not going away, but let me put them on notice: Their intolerance will no longer stand. I want to earn your vote. Visit my website at ChrisFinkForCongress.com. See my plans to propose legislation that can actually pass to build a green energy grid. See my COVID-19 response plans to get us all back to work. You have a choice: An out-of-touch incumbent, an AOC hand-picked radical, or Chris Fink. I have experience and the commitment to see a way forward. The author is a candidate for New York’s 16th Congressional District.
The last thing we want is for George Floyd to die in vain By SAMMY RAVELO
T
his is a key moment in history to be an American and work alongside my fellow Americans for the well-being of our nation. I am running for the Democratic Party nomination for New York’s 16th Congressional District. I hope to have a chance to share my vision for the district. I am saddened and heartbroken by the death of George Floyd. As a retired New York Police Department officer, I am outraged that it came at the hands of the police. It is unacceptable for this officer to restrain an apprehended and handcuffed prisoner by placing a knee to their neck. Shockingly, this practice is acceptable by the Minneapolis Police Department, even though it is not in conformance with the major police departments across the United States. The Minneapolis police must ban this practice immediately, and retrain all its officers in acceptable restraint techniques. The wanton disregard for human life exhibited by the Minneapolis police officer sets back all the positive gains made throughout the years by police departments across the United States. There is no denying the actions displayed were not only criminal, but morally unacceptable. Real change in policing and society must occur so that this may never happen again. But police are not the enemy! As much as politicians place blame on police departments and parrot the narrative that police are the enemy, this I can assure you, is a lie. Right now, across the United States, police officers are on patrol protecting the public.
This happens 24 hours a day, every day. Officers that look like you and me are risking their lives to protect ours. They will continue to do this without malice or prejudice because that is what society requires, that is how they are trained, and that is who they are. I want to be clear and go on the record: What we all saw on video is criminal and the justice system has begun the process of holding the officer accountable for his actions. I am not condoning those actions when I defend police officers and their departments — when they are doing what is right. I want police officers who are working in the Bronx, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and across American to know we appreciate the hard work and sacrifices they make for us daily. Policing is a difficult job, where life-changing decisions must be made in a split second. I want police officers to know we understand their difficulties, we support them, and have their backs. Many politicians today displace blame on police officers due to their own and society’s failures. Those same grandstanding politicians imply there is a concerted effort by law enforcement to murder people of color! Nothing could be further from the truth. Politicians have a responsibility to speak the truth and not stoke the flames of division. We cannot allow the gains of the past 20 years to be lost because of political and hidden agendas. We must come together to ensure that does not happen again. If it were to happen George Floyd’s death will have been in vain. The author is a candidate for New York’s 16th Congressional District.
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A13
Op-Ed
Continues on Page B4
Point of view
Your champion in Albany, ready to keep fighting
By ALESSANDRA BIAGGI
T
wo years ago, I asked for your vote, vowing that I would serve our community’s best interest by breaking the logjam in Albany and delivering on a wideranging slate of much-needed legislation and long-delayed progress. Reflecting on my first term as your state senator, I am proud to tell you that I have delivered on those promises. And despite the critics, have gotten many things done. I’m hopeful that those who doubted me during my first campaign can now see that I follow through on my commitments. Along with other anti-Independent Democratic Conference challengers, we secured a true Democratic majority in the senate, and used that majority to pass a wide-ranging slate of critical legislation to catapult New York back into the vanguard of forward-thinking, progressive states. And though we’re just getting started, here’s what we’ve accomplished so far. We passed landmark tenant protections in the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act; defended immigrant rights by passing the Dream Act and the Green Light Bill; and we bolstered the rights or our LGBTQ community by passing GENDA, banning conversion therapy, and banning the “gay panic” legal defense.
We expanded protection for women’s health with the passage of the Reproductive Health Act, the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, and the Boss Bill. We established the first statewide maternal mortality review board, criminalized the unlawful dissemination or publication of “revenge porn,” and lengthened the statute of limitations for the sex crimes of rape, criminal sexual act and incest to ensure that survivors have access to justice. We passed the most ambitious climate target in the country, and one of the world’s most ambitious climate plans through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. We strengthened protections for sexual harassment and discrimination, delivered justice to survivors of child sexual abuse by passing the Child Victims Act, and passed Erin’s Law, offering children the tools to recognize sexual abuse. We decriminalized marijuana and passed many long-awaited gun safety measures including the banning of bump stocks, and the passage of the Extreme Risk Protection Order Bill. We expanded our use of speed cameras to 750 school zones. Altogether, this is only a small glimpse into the vast progress we made. It is not exaggeration to say that the last two years make up the most historic and productive legislative session in New York state history.
I have loved serving our district during the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessing the growth and strength of my team tirelessly delivering tens of thousands of much-needed meals to food-insecure families, and securing unemployment benefits among many other issues. It has been a pivotal life and leadership moment to witness the grace and resolve of our communities of color, throughout the recent surge of protests, demanding that justice be served with respect to the unacceptable and outrageous levels of police brutality. Recently, we began answering the worldwide cries for action by passing legislation that reigns in the injustice of police violence and misconduct, and which makes clear that racism will not be tolerated. In our police accountability package, we passed 10 measures, including the STAT Act, the Eric Garner Act (banning chokeholds), and most importantly, the repeal of 50-a. This is, truly, transformational work I came here to accomplish. I’m also proud to tell you that in my first term in office, I brought back twice as much funding for our district as my predecessor ever did, some $4.5 million — with more to come, pending budget decisions in the wake of COVID-19 this year. Somehow, I even managed to find the time last year to get married. As a first-term senator, the last two years
have been a whirlwind learning experience for me. They proved what we are capable of, and also have illuminated what roadblocks still exist, and what priorities remain for us to tackle. There are several more important fights to be had. We must pass the home stability initiative to keep more low-income New Yorkers in their homes, the New York Health Act to make sure every New Yorker has access to high-quality affordable health care, One Fair Wage — a bill I carry, to ensure that all tipped workers earn minimum wage — and the Healthy Terminals Act, another bill I carry, which will ensure our hardworking airport workers who continue to risk their lives during this pandemic will receive the health care they deserve. I will continue to live up to my core commitment to you, to always use my voice to advocate for what is right and what is best for our community. I will always tell you the truth, no matter how difficult or unpopular it may be, no matter whose feathers I may ruffle in doing so. It is the honor of my life to serve as your senator, and I am excited to once again be asking for your vote. I love being your champion in Albany, and fighting for the policies that make our state a more just and fair place to live. The author is the state senator representing the 34th District.
Accomplishing a lot, but still more work to be done By ELIOT ENGEL
W
hen I walk down Johnson Avenue on a summer evening, all the energy and life and diversity that makes up the Riverdale community floods my senses. The sound of children racing around the parking meters as their moms try to regain some control, juggling shopping bags. The smell of food from the restaurant kitchens. The drivers bumping their horns as they jockey for parking space. The older generation kibitzing and arguing about politics at the bank or the bagel shop. This is the Riverdale I know, my home for so many years now, a place of friendship and community. After the legislative battles are fought, it’s good to come home and to be here with my neighbors. But about those battles. Friends, I am once again seeking election as your representative in Congress. I ask for your vote in the June 23 Democratic primary. And I am prepared to continue to fight for you
— my neighbors — in Washington as a senior member of Democratic leadership, committed to bring the most resources back to this district as possible. As we all know, these are very difficult times — so many of us have lost a family member, or been sick, or lost a job, or seen a decline in financial resources. That’s why strong, experienced leadership is so important right now. Every two years, I ask the voters to consider my record, and it’s a record I’m deeply proud of — on health care, the environment, women’s rights, civil rights, all the way to constituent services. I have always put the needs of my constituents first. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was on the legislative front lines fighting to ensure New York received the requisite federal support. When our hospitals were being shortchanged, I fought for and successfully procured an additional $5 billion in federal finding, five times more than any other state.
When red tape was preventing the import of 100,000 COVID-19 antibody tests, I used my position as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to expedite their import into New York City. And throughout this pandemic, my office in Riverdale has continued to help hundreds of constituents deal with issues, ranging from filing for unemployment to applying for paycheck protection program loans. Still, we face many challenges in America today — none perhaps bigger than the lack of leadership, understanding, empathy and experience in the White House. It feels like, in Trump’s America, we lurch from one crisis to another, many either started or exacerbated by a reckless president with no guiding principles. As one of the six chairs who led the impeachment inquiry, I have been at the forefront of resisting this president and his radical agenda from the start. Right now, I’m investigating his most recent affront to our Constitution, the firing of the State
Department inspector general, who at my request, was investigating the administration’s attempt to sell arms to Saudi Arabia without our approval. You can bet we will get to the bottom of this story, and hold everyone involved accountable for their actions. And then there’s my work on domestic policy. Whether it be fighting for women’s equality and equal pay, protecting the Hudson from anchoring oil barges, working to bolster education funding for our schools, supporting a Green New Deal, or helping to found the Medicare for All Caucus, I remain committed to creating a better world for you, for me, and for future generations. We must also confront the problem of racism and violence in this country. When I watched the shocking murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, I remembered so many others whose lives were shortened in police custody — including right here in New York. Amadou Diallo. Eric Garner. Patrick Dorismond. And too many others.
We must change. Recently, I signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Justice in Policing Act, a sweeping new police reform bill drafted by Democrats in both houses that would ban chokeholds, limit “qualified immunity” for police officers, create a national misconduct registry, and the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases, and make lynching a federal crime, among other elements. I have announced my support for large-scale reforms in the New York state legislature, particularly the repeal of 50-a, which protects the secrecy of police disciplinary records. Friends, we must come together as a nation. I strongly support the candidacy of former vice president Joe Biden, and look forward to a time when we can work together to make things better for this district, for New York, and for the nation. The author is the U.S. Representative for New York’s 16th Congressional District.
Letters to the editors
Let’s give Eliot Engel another two years to represent all of us To the editor: This year’s primary will be like no other. Whether you vote by mail, early vote at IN-Tech Academy on Tibbett Avenue before June 21, or vote at your polling place on June 23, you will be making consequential decisions. Democrats will vote for Assembly (hopefully, for yours truly, Jeffrey Dinowitz), state senate, as well as Democratic district leaders and state committee member, judge of the city’s civil court, and even president and delegates (where every candidate already has dropped out, except Joe Biden, who has clinched the nomination). However, we wanted to make clear to our constituents the importance of voting in the most important race on the ballot, the congressional primary, and why we are supporting our congressman and neighbor, Eliot Engel, for re-election. Congressman Engel has represented this com-
munity in Congress faithfully and diligently, and has climbed up the ranks of seniority to become the dean of the New York delegation and chair of the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee. Eliot’s influence has been hard-earned over time, and his role in House leadership allows our views to be heard. Eliot has put his clout in Washington to work for his constituents on a wide range of issues. As city and state legislators, we both know in city hall and Albany how important federal aid is going to be to ensure that vital services in New York are maintained in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic collapse. In Washington, Eliot is leading this fight. Eliot also has been on the front lines in preserving our system of checks and balances, holding Trump accountable at every turn, and particularly as it relates to foreign affairs. Recently, a letter from Eliot helped trigger
an investigation into wrongdoing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Eliot was also one of six House committee chairs who was chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead the Trump impeachment process in Congress. These are among the many issues of importance, not only locally, but nationally, that Eliot has led on. In addition to all his responsibility in Washington, Eliot has always been quick to support efforts to make our community better. Eliot’s 16th Congressional District includes the northern tier of the Bronx, and the southern part of Westchester County. He is seen and is involved in every one of the many neighborhoods of his district. And many thousands of people have been helped at one of his three district offices, including his main office on Johnson Avenue. We believe that our community is strongest and our voices are loudest when our elected offi-
cials work together as a team on behalf of the community. Congressman Eliot Engel is an integral part of that team. As we recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19, as we recover from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression, and as our country enters a new era where we must fight for an end to racism and injustice once and for all, we need Eliot Engel in Congress more than ever. And we need him as a leader in the battle to elect Joe Biden as president, and to oust Donald Trump, the most incompetent and corrupt president ever. Andrew Cohen Jeffrey dinowiTz Cohen represents the city council’s 11th district, while Dinowitz represents the 81st Assembly District.
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A14 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
Opinion Point of view
Engel is out of touch with everyone he represents
By MICAH SIFRY
A
year ago, I got a text message inviting me to meet Jamaal Bowman, the principal of a Bronx public school. He was launching a campaign for Congress, a kick-off party at Santa Fe, the Tex-Mex dive across from Van Cortlandt Park. My wife, who is an educator at Lehman College, knew Bowman from her work there, and so, curious to learn more, we each left work a bit early and made it to the event. The restaurant was packed with enthusiastic young people, most of them African American. Many were former students of Bowman’s, graduates of CASA, the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in Baychester. I was impressed. More than that, I realized that they were from a part of my congressional district that has been outside of my frame of vision. Though always there, they had been overshadowed and overlooked. Now new energies and concerns were on the rise. I have lived for the last 30 years in this area, 11 in Riverdale, and the last 19 in Hastings-onHudson. For most of that time, Eliot Engel has been my congressman. Because I’m a white, middle-class Jewish man, you might assume that I have gotten excellent representation in Congress from another white, middle-class Jewish man. Well, not really. We Jews knows from centuries of oppression that we have to constantly work to address injustice. We know that oppressors often scapegoat
minorities to keep their hold on power, and so we struggle not just for our own self-protection, but to ensure that our government protects all minorities from persecution. We know that education and self-sacrifice can be a personal path out of poverty, but that providing meaningful opportunity for all is the best path to our collective well-being. So we have long been in the forefront of struggles for justice in America, in numbers far outweighing our proportion in the population. Eliot Engel has not been that kind of congressman. On Nov. 15, 2016, a week after Donald Trump’s unexpected election victory, Engel was asked by a reporter about Trump’s decision to name Steve Bannon to be his chief strategist in the White House. Engel’s response was phlegmatic. After the reporter reminded him that Bannon’s website Brietbart News had published many anti-Semitic and white nationalist stories, Engel responded, “Let’s see how Trump does in other things. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was just elected, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.” This was after Trump ran the most divisive, dishonest, racist, misogynist and anti-Semitic campaign since Richard Nixon. No one could have had doubts then about what kind of president he would be. But Engel’s response revealed the core of the man to me. Before activists started mobilizing, creating groups like the Women’s March and Indivisible, Engel’s instinct was to accommodate and “look for common ground.” Whatever moral objections
Letters to the editor Practice what you preach To the editor: I believe that all conservative and Republicans in the United States should return their unemployment insurance benefits checks to the U.S. Department of Labor. Its unemployment insurance benefits program is a joint state and federal government program, and most of today’s conservatives and Republicans want to cut and reduce spending on the federal government social programs that help the middle and lower classes. What they should do is what Ronald Reagan and conservatives have been telling needy Americans to do
over and over since 1980: • Practice a novel idea and concept, and help yourself • Get help from your family and friends • Get help from charities • Get help from your church Practice what you right-wingers preach to others. Get your hands off of my wallet and out of my pockets. Stop sucking on the taxpayer’s teat. Why should I have to subsidize you? STewarT epSTein
Give Lopez some support To the editor: I want to invite your readers to support Samelys Lopez for Congress in
he might have had to Trump and Bannon’s white nationalist agenda, he was ready to set those aside because he sees himself as a power broker, an insider who cuts deals. After 30 years in Congress, Engel believes we, his constituents, aren’t paying attention. He wants us to return him to Congress, and his home in Maryland, which for 10 years he claimed as his primary residence in order to benefit from a state tax break, out of some reflexive belief that he’s doing, eh, fine. But he is not doing fine. He is doing real harm. In 2002, he voted to support the unlawful, unnecessary and stupid invasion of Iraq. He also has long supported the never-ending war in Afghanistan. Together these two extraordinary commitments of American power have cost us an estimated $6 trillion, plus countless lives lost or ruined. Think of all the schools and hospitals that could have been fully funded with just a fraction of that when you read Engel’s flyers touting the emergency aid he’s helped secure in recent months. In 1994, he voted for the crime bill. The result was billions spent on prison expansion, mandatory minimum sentences, and the decimation of many families of color — policies whose devastating consequences we are again being reminded of, and that we must still urgently undo. In 1999, he voted to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act, the last great reform from the 1930s that had kept banks from turning into financial speculation machines. There is a direct line from the repeal of
the 15th Congressional District representing the South Bronx. Like me, you may not live in the South Bronx, but we have the possibility of electing progressives across the Bronx. Her endorsements are impressive. They include the Northwest Bronx Democrats, 594 Democratic Club, The Jewish Vote, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Our Progressive Future, Democratic Socialists of America, Bronx Progressives, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zephyr Teachout, Tiffany Cabán, Working Families Party, Courage to Change and Our Revolution, in addition to Bronx Climate Justice and North Bronx Racial Justice. See all that and more on her website at LopezForThePeople.com. Also check the amazing “redlining” video
Glass-Steagall to the housing bubble and the 2008 market collapse and recession. These were all incredibly bad votes by Engel — if you don’t understand why he made them, take a look at the nearly $3 million in campaign contributions he had raked in from the finance, insurance, real estate and defense sectors over the course of his career. He has received more money from weapons manufacturers than 144 House Republicans. It’s time for a different kind of Democrat to represent us in Washington. Since meeting Jamaal Bowman at his launch party, I’ve broken bread with him and spoken with him multiple times. What has impressed me most was his decision to build a progressive public school, and the way he has stood with and for the striving families of the Bronx. Unlike Engel, Bowman has lived the current struggles of our district’s overshadowed majority, fighting for education equity, getting harassed by the New York Police Department, standing on the front line with the nurses of our beleaguered hospitals. These are very challenging times for our country, and for us New Yorkers. We need Jamaal Bowman in Congress, a community leader who really understands what we are going through, and who will fight to fix the world until it is truly right. The author is a member of The Jewish Vote, a sister organization to Jews for Racial and Economic Justice.
that tells her story. This is a special time, calling for new thinking and new politics. Samelys Lopez stands for housing justice for all, Medicare for All, and a Green New Deal. She plans to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with AOC and “the squad” to advance the changes we need — not just in the Bronx, but across the country. Dee KnighT
Just vote for Biaggi To the editor: It has come to my attention that a fraud is being perpetrated in the Democratic primary in June. One “James
Gisondi,” the endorsed candidate of the Westchester Republican Party, has “crossed over” and re-registered as a Democrat, challenging the incumbent, the very effective and very popular Alessandra Biaggi. The fraud? He isn’t a Democrat. If he won the primary, he would be on the line in November as a Republican and a Democrat, thus denying 34th Senatorial District voters a clear choice. His chances running as Republican only in this district are infinitesimally small. It is essential all true Democrats, not fraudulent imitators playing “Republi-con” politics, come out and vote for Alessandra. We need her back in Albany in lieu of some hack Trumpian Republican playing fraudulent games with our voting rights. aDam SToler
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?
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A15
OBITUARIES
Crowd lines Mosholu to say farewell to Mike Rooney, 66 Michael Cornelius Rooney, a lifelong Riverdale resident, died June 3, 2020, of heart failure. He was 66. He was educated entirely in the Bronx, attending St. Gabriel School in Riverdale, St. Nicholas of Tolentine High School, and Manhattan College. He later worked as a public safety officer at Manhattan College, and then at Horace Mann School, at both the Upper East Side Manhattan Nursery Division and the Riverdale campus. He retired from Horace Mann in 2017 after 31 years of service. A diehard New York Yankees and Chicago Bears fan, he took great joy in indoctrinating his son, John, in the Yankee traditions. He enjoyed life’s simple pleasures, spending the holidays with family, bowling, a day at the beach — driving to Rockaway, Jones Beach and the
the streets to say good-bye as his funeral procession made its way down Mosholu Avenue. He was laid to rest at Gateof-Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, after a sendoff by members of the New York Police Department’s Emerald Society Pipes & Drums. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, neither a wake nor a funeral Mass was possible. The Rev. James Sheehan of Riverdale — his childhood friend — led the family in prayers and services. He was preceded in death by his son, John, in 2002, and by his parents, Geraldine and John. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Judy, and brothers John and Robert, all of Riverdale. He also is survived by his niece Jillian, and her mother, Jan, as well as many cousins.
mike rooney Jersey Shore in his VW van — and having a beer or two with the guys. And he was never one to pass up a fishing trip. He was beloved by all who knew him for his sense of humor, gentle kindness, generosity, and warm heart of gold. Scores of loving, caring neighborhood friends lined
JUliUs Constantine motal / photos
mourners watch a hearse carrying the late michael rooney down mosholu avenue. rooney died June 3 at 66 from heart failure. Friends and family could not attend a proper funeral due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the family organized a funeral procession on mosholu, where rooney lived until the end of his life.
A life well lived for the loving Dr. Mavis Thompson-Blaize tee chair of the HIV/AIDS Awareness Committee at St. George’s Church, and the advisory board of Episcopal Charities of the Diocese of New York. She was a senior advisory board member for Mentoring in Medicine, where she exuberantly mentored pre-health students. In 1990, she was awarded the Bishop’s Cross from the Diocese of Long Island. She earned the Trailblazing Legacy Award from the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society in 2014, the Balm and Gilead Diamond Leadership Award in 2017, and was celebrated by the Mentoring in Medicine family in June 2019. With all she accomplished in her professional career, nothing came before James and their five children. To her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was always “mom” and “grandma.” She exposed her children to the arts, history, music, theatre, opera and literature. She encouraged her children to pursue their dreams, “as long as you go to college.” She also enjoyed traveling around the world — often with her children — “There is nothing more glorious than seeing the world through the eyes of your children.” She relocated to Riverdale 25 years ago: “When you get old, move near a child.” She became a member of Christ Church Riverdale, served as faithful and devoted member of this beloved community. Each Sunday, including her last, she shared her love of God and life with her church family in immeasurable and thankfulness and joy: “I love my CCR family.” She was preceded in death by her beloved husband James, her eldest son Clayton, and grandson Matthew. She is survived by her four children and spouses, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She leaves to mourn her beloved extended family, church family, medical colleagues, and a host of friends — all of whom feel privileged to have been a part of her extraordinary journey. They celebrate a life lived well. Contributions can be made to the Mavis S. Thompson Scholarship Fund at Howard University College of Medicine, to the attention of Charlene Blount, 520 W St., N.W., Room 511, Washington, D.C., 20059. They also can be made to the music endowment of Christ Church Riverdale, 5040 Henry Hudson Parkway E., Bronx, N.Y., 10471, in memory of Mavis Thompson-Blaize, M.D.
JOIN THE RIVERDALE PRESS TEAM Are you bright, ambitious and prepared to put your marketing skills to good use? If so, Riverdale needs you. The Riverdale Press, the community medium of the northwest Bronx, is looking for inside and outside account executives to help local businesses — from mom ’n’ pop stores to national chains — shape their marketing and advertising plans, in print and online. The Pulitzer-prize winning Riverdale Press is the jewel in the crown of one of America’s most respected media companies — Richner Communications, Inc. Outside executives must have a car and a valid driver’s license.
E-mail resumé & cover letter to: Advertising@RiverdalePress.com No phone calls or walk-ins, please.
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Dr. Mavis Thompson-Blaize practiced medicine for more than 50 years. Her career can be characterized as one that included the practices of medicine and community service. She was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Mavis and Nathaniel Thompson. Arthur, her older brother and best friend, was raised with her in the vibrant heartbeat of Harlem. When she turned 12, she started her association with Camp Minisink — one that would last her lifetime. She graduated from Hunter College High School, Hunter College, and Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, part of the Class of 1953, “the best dr. mavis four-year experience of thompson-blaize my life.” Returning to New York to complete her internship and residency in internal medicine at Kings County Hospital, it was also the time she met the love her life, James Blaize. He was to teach her how to drive — “I had my marriage license before my driver’s license — and after marrying in 1954, they would have five children. She started a private practice in internal medicine in Crown Heights, in the renovated basement of the home James built. Her last 20 years of active practice was as a family physician with Health Insurance Plan, from which she retired in 1995. While she was in active practice, she also worked on a part-time basis with the medical division of the city’s education board. When she was able to retire from that position in 1985, she continued working as a per diem substitute physician until 2006. She was medical director for the Neighborhood Health Center, the first female president of the Black Caucus of Health Workers of the American Public Health Association, member of the Bronx Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, and active in the National Medical Association and affiliates Manhattan Central Medical Society and the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society. She was an active member and warden of St. George’s Church, founder and a former commit-
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A16 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
Phone/fax ads in: ☎ 718-543-6200 ☎ 718-548-4038 E-mail: ø classified@riverdalepress.com Our address is: 5676 Riverdale Ave, Ste 311, Bronx, NY 10471
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Phone/fax ads in: ☎ 718-543-6200 ☎ 718-548-4038 E-mail: ø classified@riverdalepress.com Our address is: 5676 Riverdale Ave, Ste 311, Bronx, NY 10471
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Saving a Life EVERY 11 MINUTES
Service Guide Miscellaneous Home Improvement
Terms:
Miscellaneous
Michael C. Conroy
Harold T. Cox
Romano J. Ferraro
James E. Gotimer
Edward L. Maurer
Stephen Placa
Special Financing Available Subject to Credit Approval
*Terms & Conditions Apply
Legal Notices Legal Notice
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
Legal Notice
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
Legal Notice
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Aurora Commons LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/05/2020. 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: 1 Fordham Hill Oval 2C, Bronx, NY 10468. The principal business address of the LLC is: 1 Fordham Hill Oval 2C, Bronx, NY 10468. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. 3269
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020 - A17
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 Riaverdale Press news department. For further information, write to advertising@ riverdalepress. com.
Home of the Week Pamela Trebach of Trebach Realty
A home where someone else opens your front door bathrooms, refinished parquet floors, a balcony, northwest and northeast exposures — all in a corner unit. And did we mention the part-time doorman? We did? Well, it’s worth mentioning again. There’s also a children’s playground inside the complex as well as a wait-listed parking garage. This home is ready for you for $658,000, plus monthly maintenance of $1,510.
Riverdale 5.375 X 5.25
The homes of
VillanoVa heighTs* AvAilAble After lAbor DAy fully furnisheD 5021 Grosvenor Avenue
Make this part of your estate planning. When making your estate plans, don’t forget cemetery arrangements. Taking care of this important issue avoids leaving the burden on loved ones, locks in current prices, and safeguards your savings. Join the many families protecting loved ones by including cemetery arrangements in your estate planning. Call today or go to
9 bedrooms/ 6 full baths/ 1 half bath/ Elevator/ Pool
homes available for early september occupancy
5041 Goodridge Avenue
Where Memories Live Forever 280 - 284 Secor Road | Hartsdale, N.Y. 10530 | 914/693-4700 | ferncliffcemetery.com
976426
ferncliffcemetery.com and click on the Advance Planning link.
Too busy To clean? leT us do iT for you! Professional maid service with a difference: • Dusting • Vacuuming • Linen Change • Mopping • Waxing Floors • Bathrooms • Ironing • Towel Change • Laundry • Refrigerator Cleaning Also... • Home Health Aide, live-in/live-out • Interior Painting, Installing & Removing Floor & Wall Tiles, etc.
elite complete cleaning service 718-670-3214 Satisfaction Guaranteed! Available daily, semi-weekly, monthly. Appointments arranged around your schedule.
H eAltH A ide A vAilAble f oR H iRe
///////////////compAnion
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.
live in/live out Licensed, Professional, Reliable
718-670-3214
RefeRences AvAilAble
1012965
I
f you’ve ever wanted to live in a home where you’re regularly greeted by a doorman, then the perfect place has opened up for you. Briarcliff at 3515 Henry Hudson Parkway has a spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom co-op available in Central Riverdale. Features include a large entry foyer, living room with picture window, renovated kitchen with polished granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, renovated
A18 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, June 18, 2020
TrebachRealty.com
718.543.7174 Pr ic e
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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
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 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
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
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 ceNtral riverdale Web #859 4-bdrm, 3-bath detached brick house with high ceilings, and lovely rear deck perfect for entertaining. Living room with brick WBFP, formal dining room, updated eat-in kitchen, finished walk-out basement, laundry area and storage room. $925,000
exclusive
exclusive
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
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
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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co-ops, condos and REntals
NeW coNdo exclusive
NeW exclusive
NeW exclusive
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
3515 heNry hudsoN prKWy #cc638 Spacious 3-bdrm, 2-bath corner unit w/ large entry foyer, renovated kitchen, parquet floors and balcony. $658,000
house For reNt
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
ceNtral riverdale Web #cc642 Bright 2-bdrm, 2-bath co-op with balcony and doorman. Professionally soundproofed music room. $439,000
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
ra co nt in
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
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. 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. rr642 6-bdrm, 3.5-bath, 7,500 sq. ft. house w/ Expansive wraparound porch & pool. $22,500/mo
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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
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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
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. rr878 8-bdrm, 6.5-bath w/ entry vestibule, living room w/ frplc, eat-in kitchen. $18,500/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
West oF parKWay rr704 Charming 4-bdrm, 3-bth. Living room w/ fireplace, eat-in kitch & finished basement. $6,900/mo
proFessioNal & oFFice space
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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pet-FrieNdly reNtals GreystoNe aveNue - 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath with dining area and yard in multi-family house. $2,800/mo reNted - 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. $1,900/mo
exclusive
exclusive 5355 hh parKWay Updated Jr-4 with balcony, living rm, rm and eat-in kitch.
cc634 sunrise dining $279K
5355 hh parKWay cc629 Renovated Jr-4, living room, dining room & eat-in kitch. No board approval. $299K
Trebach Realty, Inc. • 3801 Greystone Avenue, Riverdale Open 7 Days • www.TrebachRealty.com