Winner of Vol. 72, No. 26
What’s inside?
the Pulitzer Prize
Thursday, August 5, 2021
$1.00
Biaggi, Rivera call on Cuomo to resign n Governor says AG missed key facts in investigation, and has no plans to resign
‘There is no doubt that the governor is not fit to represent the state of New York, and he must resign immediately.’
By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Crime’s up? There’s been a lot of chatter about higher crime in the city, but what about much closer to home? Page A3
For state attorney general Letitia James, the evidence is clear: Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed nearly a dozen women while in office, and created a hostile work environment where he used his power to not only silence any complaints about his conduct, but to continue that conduct. James says she isn’t pursuing any other action — including criminal charges — because the specific work of her office is done. But that’s not enough for state Sen. Gustavo Rivera who, within minutes of the report’s release, called once again for Cuomo to resign. “The independent investigation overseen by New York attorney general Letitia James unequivocally delineates the extent of Gov. Cuomo’s despicable behavior and chronic sexual harassment of numerous women,” Rivera said, in a statement. “It is clear that the governor and his administration fostered a toxic environment that lev-
GUSTAVO RIVERA state senator
Courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office/Kevin P. Coughlin
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing renewed heat to step down from his role as New York’s chief executive after state attorney general Letitia James shared details of complaints from 11 women who claimed they were sexually harassed, fondled, and were forced to work in a hostile work environment inside the executive chamber. Cuomo has denied the charges, and says he won’t resign. eraged power to intimidate those who were berated and harassed. “We greatly value the bravery of those that came forward as well as those that suf-
fered in silence. There is no doubt that the governor is not fit to represent the state of New York, and he must resign immediately.”
If Cuomo refuses to resign, Rivera added, it’s up to the Assembly to send articlesNICKY EN of impeachment to his chamber. While Cuomo did admit to investigators some interactions with women who accused him of sexual misconduct, he has denied the allegations. He issued a video response Tuesday saying the “facts are much different than what has been portrayed.” He said his attorney has responded to each individual accusation in writing, and that document is being provided publicly on Cuomo’s website. “First, I want you to know directly from CUOMO RESIGN, page A4
Want to go inside? First get your shot
Pop-up studio There’s never a bad time for yoga, except when there’s a chance to turn a studio space into a market dedicated to being well. Page A9
n Mayor requires COVID vaccines for restaurants, gyms, theaters by Sept. 13 By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
Artist Nicky Enright stands in front of his finished mural, ‘Aquarium,’ which depicts a view of the Hudson River from Riverdale with an imagined aquarium underneath. The co-op board in his building, 3636 Greystone Ave., commissioned him to do the work as part of its ongoing beatification efforts.
Enright commands ocean of talent Soccer goal Avi Kroll likes to make a difference, even when he’s not at home. What he did in Israel has many people talking. Page A6
n He creates the kind of art the public can enjoy simply by walking down the street By ETHAN STARK-MILLER estarkmiller@riverdalepress.com
I
t’s not easy to pin labels on Nicky Enright. Over the course of the Riverdale artist’s career, he’s done video, photography — even painting. But perhaps the one thing Enright keeps coming back to is his love of creating murals. And for him, there are numerous reasons why he continues to love slathering paint on big walls.
“They’re this collaborative project, right?” Enright said. “I mean, I do love the freedom of being an individual artist who does whatever he wants as an artist. But it’s also a cool thing to collaborate with a community, with fellow artists, with the owners of the walls. All of these people get involved. It really is a community affair.” So, when Zack Hvizdak, a member of 3636 Greystone Ave.’s co-op board, needed someone to paint a mural on his building’s retaining wall, he knew exactly who to commission: His neighbor, Nicky Enright. The retaining wall sits in an inlet of garages behind the building, and the mural is part of an effort by Hvizdak to fix up parts of the building. “So, when Zach was like, ‘We’re going to redo some of these garage doors, and
we’re going to repaint this, and we’re going to get rid of that,’ maybe we’ll paint a mural there,’” Enright said. “And he was like, ‘Oh, I know you’ve got a background in art and murals, so are you interested in submitting a proposal?’ Of course, I was. And so, I did.” The moment Enright received the green light from the board, he threw on his apron and started work last week. He brought in fellow artist Olugeala Williams as well as some other friends and neighbors who, together, finished the job early this week. The top half of the mural — called “Aquarium” — is a reality-based depiction of something very familiar to Enright’s neighbors: Riverdale’s view of the Hudson NICKY ENRIGHT, page A4
Enjoying indoor activities across New York City might not require a mask, but in a little more than a month those looking to interact with others in restaurants, gyms and theaters are going to need something a little more: like a vaccine shot. Some 5 million people inside the city have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but that’s just not enough, Mayor Bill de Blasio says. If the city is going to have any chance of defending itself against the latest delta variant surge, it’s going to require needles jabbed into every arm possible. And if getting a free subway ride or $100 cash isn’t incentive enough — maybe enjoying New York City’s nightlife is. “I’ve been saying now over the last few weeks that we’ve got to climb the ladder,” de Blasio told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re going to use every tool we’ve got to fight the delta variant and to end the COVID era once and for all in this city. That means more and more vaccines.” Both de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have required a number of frontline workers at hospitals and in mass transit to either get vaccinated, or submit to weekly COVID-19 tests. But the mayor took those efforts a step further on Tuesday, saying that anyone who wishes to work at or freCOVID SHOT, page A4
Were homeless rushed out of hotels, back to shelters? n COVID-era program has ended, but new problems may emerge in ‘new normal’ By JOSEPH DE LA CRUZ jdelacruz@riverdalepress.com
Tony Edwards is concerned about the homeless, but not quite the way others might express that concern. Edwards — president of the Marble Hill Houses tenant association — says he’s witnessed some activity in his complex he believes is evidence of just how hasty a move it was from Mayor Bill de Blasio to relocate homeless people out of the coronavirus pandemic-era hotel rooms they were staying in back to shelter space. Marble Hill Houses is part of the New
York City Housing Authority, but some space is occasionally commandeered by the homeless — space many of them have been occupying for the past three months. “We have an issue here,” Edwards said. “We previously had two gentlemen staying in our buildings. Now we have one individual who’s been residing on a roof of ours in Building 11.” Edwards’ concern is that once people are pushed out of hotels, some may be reluctant to return to city shelters. Instead, they’ll find refuge in vulnerable places like Marble Hill’s rooftops and hallways. “Our housing supervisor each morning, he’s calling the police to have him escorted out of the building,” Edwards said of one homeless man who has tried to squat in the building. “And I know that the residents are upset because this guy, he’s here so HOMELESS, page A4
HIRAM ALEJANDRO DURÁN
A homeless man sits on the steps of Woodlawn’s subway station just a stone’s throw from a men’s shelter. Some are concerned the city’s move to transfer homeless people out of the hotels may result in more loitering and trespassing issues.