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Volume XVIII • Number 11 • February 10 - 16, 2011 •
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Little League field fix-up years behind...
...but mayor plans ‘privatized’ skating rink to be build virtually overnight
By BRENDAN McHUGH While some are applauding the idea of putting an ice-skating rink in Van Cortlandt Park next year, there is a group on the other side of Riverdale that remains stuck on the bench. If things remain the way they are, the Sid Augarten Field, on which the North Riverdale Baseball League holds its games, will still be littered with potholes long after the Mayor Mike-imposed iceskating rink is up and running. The idea that the city government would begin working on a parks project in the community at a time when other projects have been lagging far behind schedule has confused and insulted members of the Little League. “Instead of taking care of one problem and then do something else, they just propose new stuff,” said John Lynch, vice president of the North Riverdale Baseball League. Lynch scoffed at the idea that the ice-skating rink will be done by the winter so long as they have to work with the City to get it done. Maureen Kelly, league administrator, is disappointed with the cty’s inefficiency with the Vinmont Park field, located on Mosholu Avenue. “It is what it is,”
she said. “Five years.” All during the Bloomberg adminstration. For half a decade, the NRBL has been lead on by the city with false promises of renovations and new facilities. “I don’t know where we stand right now,” Lynch said. “Everything was put off. All the work was supposed to be done this July. Right now we have a bad situation; the field is in terrible shape. We have to make due with what we have.” Tryouts for the league begin next week. Potholes, rocks, poor drainage, and damaged fences await the Little Leaguers. The league was told years ago that a renovation of the field would be done “soon.” Lynch remembers his son was promised a new field to play on when he was 9 years old. He is 15 now. According to Councilman G. Oliver Koppel’s office, a contractor was chosen in October 2010 but was later disqualified because the city’s Parks Department claimed they were relatively inexperienced and did not have a track record of working with the department. This will postpone any possible work on the field until the baseball season is over. The contractor is contesting the decision by the Parks Depart-
Little League field is still unfinished, years behind, but the mayor has other fish to fry. ment, which could mean months of additional delays before construction can begin. According to Community
Board 8 Parks Committee chairman Bob Bender, at least one of the remaining contractors who bid is qualified, but because of
department guidelines the City was required to examine the lowest bidder first. Continued on Page 3
Protests against controversial Bronx Science principal begin anew
By MIAWLING LAM Parents and teachers at a prestigious Bronx public high school are once again demanding the resignation of its principal, amid claims she is having a “toxic” effect on students. Current and former stakeholders at Bronx High School of Science allege controversial principal Valerie Reidy is wreacking havoc on the school and inhibiting its success. Reidy is also accused of creating an unhappy work environment for teachers and adopting a dictatorial leadership style. Former parent Cecilia Blewer, whose son graduated in 2008, agreed. She said despite nearly a decade-long reign—Reidy took the helm of the specialized high school in September 2001—she has failed to contribute to the school’s growth and will not leave with a positive legacy. “She has no vision for the school. She has done nothing,” Blewer said.
“This school really could do wonderful things, but it’s all about her and her control needs. “After this amount of time, you want to come out with a legacy, but there is no legacy. Nothing good has happened.” Blewer said Reidy’s influence extends over the entire school leadership team, so even if the groundswell of discontent forces her to resign or retire, the culture will still remain. “She has assembled these characters to be her assistant principals, so even if you get rid of her, you would be stuck with this coterie of Rasputins.” Current social studies teacher Bob Lang has been teaching at Bronx Science since 2000 and said many of his colleagues were dissatisfied. Although he is on a yearlong sabbatical, Lang said employee morale was low. “Generally, there’s an atmosphere of unhappiness,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of turnover, so a lot of (the older teachers) have left and most of the new teachers are afraid to talk.” The latest NYC School Survey released by the DOE also shows many teachers at the school are dissatisfied with the school’s leadership. Two in five said Reidy placed other interests ahead of the learning needs of students, while 56 percent said she was not an effective manager who made the school run smoothly. And in the most damning finding, more than half said they did not trust Reidy enough to take her at her word. Former Bronx Science teacher Mark Sadok recently launched a website to raise awareness about the school’s current situation. The website, called Bronx Science New Principal Scholarship Fund, encourages visitors to donate to the school’s alumni Continued on Page 10
Former Bx. Science teacher Peter Lamphere