Riverdale Review, May 3, 2012 by Andrew Wolf

Riverdale’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper!

Volume XIX • Number 16 • May 3 - 9, 2012 •

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A REAL Skyview!

Two of our readers were quick to snap photos of the Space Shuttle Enterprise being transported to New York, soon to be placed on the deck of the Intrepid Air Sea annd Space Museum on the Hudson River. Matthew Rosenzweig photographed the larger scene, as the Enterprise ﬂew over Riverdale and the Skyview Houses, and the Russian Embassy Residence. Local photographer Liz Guarracino used her telephoto lens to get a close-up of the shuttle in the inset at left.

By DAVID GREENE Thousands of aviation buffs lined the Hudson River from Staten Island to Westchester to see the space shuttle Enterprise ﬂy—perhaps for the last time—aboard a Boeing 747. On Friday, April 27, the retired shuttle, riding piggy-back aboard the jumbo jet, sailed up and down the Hudson, ﬂying at a low altitude. Mitch Hagen, an assistant superintendent on Palisade Avenue in Riverdale, watched the show from the roof of his building. “I’m probably one of the lucky few who got to see this two times in my life—once back in the 1980s and again today. And it’s just as exciting today as it was then.”

He continued, “That was the beginning of the program and this was the end of it. It’s sad. It’s surprising that the shuttles have been discontinued.” A man who would give only his first name, Avi, was walking along Palisade Avenue searching the sky for the shuttle, but he’d missed the return trip by five minutes. He recalled, “I was on the Cross County Parkway and saw it heading north, so I followed it.” Avi added, “It flew right over me on the Cross County, so I figured I’d just get off the road and try and see it on its way back. It was majestic.” On April 17, shuttle enthusiasts were treated

to a similar show when the shuttle Discovery was flown from Cape Canaveral to Washington, D.C. In the late 1970s, NASA built five reusable orbiters: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Challenger broke apart during its ill-fated launch in 1986, and Columbia was destroyed during re-entry in 2003. There were no survivors in either crash. On July 8, 2011, Atlantis became the last shuttle flight, ending the program after nearly 35 years. Enterprise will be on permanent display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in Manhattan this summer.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Two arrested in shooting of Riverdale chef killed for iPhone By MIAWLING LAM Police have arrested two men in connection with the cold-blooded murder of Hwang Bum Yang, an aspiring chef who was shot and killed for his iPhone in Riverdale last week. Alejandro Campos, 21, was arrested at his 2850 Webb Avenue home around 7:30 p.m. last Wednesday, while accomplice Dominick Davis, 20, was arrested early Thursday morning. The pair was charged with seconddegree murder, manslaughter in the first degree, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property. Authorities said the break in the case came when the two suspects foolishly tried to offload the stolen phone on the popular classifieds website Craigslist. Commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Captain Kevin Burke said the men posted a listing—offering to sell two iPhones for $360—just hours after murdering the 26-year-old man. “I don’t want to release how they tracked it, but we were able to track it down. They sold it to someone out in Queens,” he said, conceding that detectives were extremely lucky. “If they dumped the phone in the water, we would have never solved the case. Thank God for their greed.” Yang, a Korean national who lived at 3261 Johnson Avenue, was walking home from the 231st Street No. 1 subway station just after midnight on Thursday, April 19, when he was attacked. Police allege the pair followed the victim as he walked up West 231st Street

and drove to meet him at the top of the hill at West 232nd Street and Cambridge Avenue. Yang, who had just clocked off work at a swanky Manhattan restaurant, was only a couple of blocks away from home. Police allege Davis jumped out of the vehicle and fired a single bullet from a .38-caliber pistol during the confrontation. The shot pierced through the victim’s heart and lungs. Yang was immediately rushed to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Detectives were initially led to Campos after he listed his phone number on the ad, which allegedly read: “Have two iPhone 4’s for sale Inwood/Wash Hits.” Captain Burke said after several hours of questioning, Campos admitted to driving the 2002 white Honda Odyssey getaway car and eventually gave his accomplice up. He did not invoke his Miranda rights. It is understood Davis, who had been waiting for Campos while he was being questioned, was eventually arrested in the parking lot across the street from the precinct. Police said Davis denied the allegations at first but later admitted to killing Yang and claimed Yang was still alive when he fled the scene. “We have a written and video confession. They were looking to rob the victim and wanted the iPhone,” Captain Burke said. “[Davis] said he was spooked and the gun went off accidentally. He said the victim made a sudden move and thought he

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. signs a condolence card for the family of Hwang Bum Yang at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale as Rabbi Avi Weiss looks on. might have been going for a weapon and responded to it and the gun went off.” Police are continuing their investigations and are trying to ascertain whether the pair is linked to other cell phone robberies in the city. The ﬁrearm has yet to be located. Captain Burke said detectives have since linked the two suspects to an iPhone robbery that occurred in the 48th

Precinct. A spokesman for the Bronx District Attorney’s Ofﬁce declined to comment on the pending case but told the New York Post that Davis has two felony convictions in New York state and one in New Jersey. He said the two men were currently remanded in custody on Rikers Island and Continued on Page 3

Continued from Page 2 are scheduled to next appear before Bronx Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 2. At their first court appearance last Saturday, Campos’ lawyer Martin Calvin claimed his client, who has no priors, was a good kid. “He said he didn’t know anything about a gun,” Calvin reportedly told the court. “He’s just devastated about what happened. He’s maintained his innocence. “He has lived at the same address with his family for 14 years. [This is] someone at the wrong address at the wrong time who has no record.” According to court documents, Davis shot the victim in the left torso and robbed Yang of his iPhone while Campos waited nearby in a parked vehicle. The maximum sentence for second-degree murder is life in prison; the minimum penalty under these charges is 25 years. When approached for comment following the arrests last Friday, Yang’s sister, Sunah, told the Riverdale Review her family was relieved the suspects were in custody. “My mom burst into tears when she first heard the suspects were caught,” she said. “I don’t think there is any word that would describe how I feel. They’re just heartless. If it wasn’t my brother, it could’ve been another person. That’s what I was thinking, but I’m glad they were caught so this wouldn’t happen again.” When asked whether there was anything to be learned from her brother’s death, she urged people to refrain from flashing their

electronic devices in public. “I understand that everyone likes iPhones, and that’s the thing we can’t deny. But I just want people to be more careful,” she said. “Put their iPhone in their pockets all the time, even on the trains and everywhere, and try not to put the earplugs on.” A woman who identified herself as Hee and claimed to be Yang’s aunt said although the arrests provided some comfort, it would not bring her beloved nephew back. “We’re very happy, but he’s gone already,” she said, fighting back tears while she worked at Aladdin Cleaners, located on 3528 Johnson Avenue. “My heart is broken. It’s very hard and it’s very difficult for my sister-in-law and my family.” Yang was a graduate of Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy and volunteered as a former Sunday school teacher at the St. John Nam Parish on White Plains Road in The Bronx. He also had been working as the fulltime garde-manger at the Modern, an upscale restaurant owned and operated by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, since early February. Within moments of the Review’s leaving the victim’s family home, the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale’s Rabbi Avi Weiss paid a surprise visit to the Yang family. The Orthodox rabbi, who has been consoling Yang’s parents following the fatal shooting, said he was compelled to tell the family that he was standing with them.

“I wish I had the words for this family. They’ve just lost their son, their brother,” he said. “I’ve been in this community for a long time—almost 40 years. I don’t remember anything like this ever occurring. It’s just so senseless. I hope the world rises up to a sense of civility and goodness.” According to the NYPD, iPhone and iPad thefts have soared 44 percent this year. As of Sunday, April 15, 1,196 people had reported their devices stolen in 2012, compared to 831 cases reported to authorities over the corresponding period last year. Legislators are already devising ways to combat the crime wave and bring the thefts to a screeching halt. Last month, Congressman Eliot Engel proposed legisla-

tion that would require wireless companies to cut off service to stolen phones. Under the plan, cell phone companies would create a national “blacklist” of each stolen device’s individual ID number and ban it from receiving service. It would require carriers to develop technology that allows customers to remotely delete data should their phones be stolen. A spokesman at Engel’s ofﬁce said the proposed legislation was currently with the House Energy and Commerce Committee. A similar industry program, rolled out in Australia in September 2003, rendered stolen devices worthless as the phones would no longer work on the nation’s networks.

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3 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Police followed the trail of the stolen phone to nab alleged killers

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Around the schools... P.S. 81

A workshop on how to use the New York City Department of Education’s Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS) will be held on Wednesday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, just prior to the 7 p.m. parents association meeting. The ARIS link from the PA website provides information about how students are doing in school. The login is secure—personal data can be seen only by authorized users. A school tour for parents of children entering kindergarten this fall will be held on Thursday, May 3. Parents should meet in the school cafeteria.

M.S./H.S. 141—Riverdale/ Kingsbridge Academy

RKA students in grades 6 through 12 will appear in the Riverdale Community Center’s production of “Fame” this Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the RKA auditorium, 660 West 237th Street. Many students, both in the limelight and behind the scenes, have worked toward these performances since January under the direction of English teacher Charles Stahl. The community is most welcome. A suggested donation is $5. Save the date—the inaugural RKArnival will be held on Friday, May 18, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the RKA yard. Admission is free, and tickets will be on sale for contests, games and food. The community is invited to share in the music, dancing, prizes and fun.

Horace Mann School

The Model UN Team was rated as ﬁrst in the country by BestDelegate.com and as best large delegation at Georgetown College’s North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference. The team’s student leaders are Alexander Daniel, Daniel Brovman and Sarah Gertler. Their advisor is Mitchell Francis. Haikus by four Upper Division students were selected as winners in the 2012 Haiku Contest. Authors of the winning haikus—Julia Thomsen, Noah Lee, Jean Mariano and Ken Zhang—are all students in the Japanese language class. The students, their families and their Japanese teachers will attend an awards assembly at the United Nations International School next month. Upper Division students under the direction of visual arts department teacher Kim Do and photography teacher Karen Johnson are contributing to The Memory Project by drawing, painting or photographing orphaned children in Afghanistan and giving their artwork to the children, who rarely see portraits of photos of themselves. Sketches Kim Do created on New York subways are part of the 2012 Sketchbook Project World Tour. The show will begin in Brooklyn and move to 12 other U.S. cities before traveling to London and Australia.

Kinneret Day School

Fifth-graders last week told stories and sang songs in Hebrew and English to memorialize the soldiers who lost their lives ﬁghting for the land of Israel. Then, the entire school, from nursery through eighth grade, celebrated Israel’s 64th birthday with singing and ﬂag –waving. Then,

all grades celebrated the 64th birthday of the state of Israel. Kindergarteners worked under the direction of Dorit Niven to create a multicultural model of Israel, with a Jerusalem that features a mosque and a church as well as a synagogue. The children worked collaboratively throughout the week and then invited other classes to view the piece.

Manhattan College

The college will host the 13th annual Media Ecology Association Convention from Thursday, June 7, through Sunday, June 10. Throughout the four-day event, themed “The Crossroads of the Word,” 200 presenters from more than 20 different countries will discuss topics related to media culture. “The conference references New York City’s Times Square as the crossroads of the world as well as the 21st century’s constant and ﬂuid movement of peoples and cultures across all of the previous boundaries of our global village,” noted Dr. Thom Gencarelli, MEA vice president, chair of the MC communications department and this year’s convention coordinator. Noted presenters include MIT professor Dr. Sherry Turkle; PBS “Frontline” producer Douglas Rushkoff; Dr. Terence Moran, a founding member of NYU’s media ecology doctoral program; and Jaron Lanier, a computer scientist, composer, visual artist and author.

National Merit Scholars

National Merit Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 will be awarded to each of the following local students: Shannon M. Bader, who attends Convent of the Sacred Heart and plans to major in a science-related field; Sofia L. Wilansky, who attends LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts and plans a career in scientific research; Ben Wolfson, who attends Hunter College High School and plans a career in business; and Dalia Wolfson, who attends Hunter College High School and will pursue a career in communications or law. Scholarships are underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation with its own funds and with funding from more than 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share the goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Local Grads

The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York, has announced that the following students are among the thousand graduates to earn degrees this year: Nana Akua Amoanimaa, Marian Christina Boullon, Sharona M. Casterlow, Nicole Yvette Charles, Amaskika M. Dacosta, Rashmi George, Edwin Hernandez, Jennifer Lynn Pedulla-Kisthart, Smadar Taub, Raquel Alexa Valencia and Grace Ann Ward. The ceremony will be held at Radio City Music Hall, and Wynton Marsalis will be one of the honorary degree recipients. The college enrolls nearly 4,500 students in its four schools on six campuses located throughout the greater New York area. Founded in 1904 as the ﬁrst Catholic college for women in New York state, it retains the Ursuline tradition.

Local schools in ‘network shift’

children achieve and succeed. “The mission of the Fordham PSO collaboration with New York City schools is to help teachers and administrators drive academic achievement through a process of reﬂection, self-analysis, and the integration of perspectives gained from research into schoolwide and classroom practice,” the document states. “The goal is to move each school toward the ‘tipping point’ at which its culture becomes one of accountability and accomplishment.” Among the services offered to participating schools are assistance with data analysis and use of data for targeted interventions, fundraising/grant writing, leadership development, parent workshops and the development of a customized action plan for each school. Fordham currently works with a large number of elementary, middle and high schools throughout The Bronx, including M.S. 391 in the South Bronx, the New World High School in the Pelham Parkway section and P.S. 5 in Port Morris. None have been particularly successful. As of press time, calls to Cohen and Marge Struck, Fordham’s PSO Team Leader, were not returned. A request for comment logged with P.S. 24, M.S/H.S 141, while the NYC Department of Education declined to comment.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

By MIAWLING LAM Two Riverdale public schools have broken away from their network cluster and are trying to join a new group under a radical organizational structure overhaul. The Riverdale Review has learned that P.S. 24 and M.S/H.S. 141 have ditched their network team leader Robert Cohen and will enlist the services of Fordham University in a bid to lift academic achievement. Cohen is retiring and joining another independent professional services organization, thought to be CEI-PEA, the Center for Educational Innovation-Public Education Association. Most of the other schools in his network will be following him. It is understood both Riverdale schools have opted to join Fordham’s Partnership Support Organization, which is part of the college’s Center for Educational Partnerships. But it is believed the Department of Education is limiting the growth of these groups and may reject the move, forcing some kind of lottery for ﬁnal placement. This news has apparently caused consternation among parents eager to move to Fordham. The shake-up could dramatically transform the way both schools are supported and lead to enhanced curriculum support, more effective classroom instruction, better oversight of school administrators and additional private funds. Sources report that P.S. 24 and RKA were driven to explore other options because Cohen will retire at the end of the current school year. It is thought that around two-dozen schools remaining in the cluster network, including P.S. 81, will be supported by CEI-PEA. Network team leaders typically work closely with school principals in their cluster and act as coaches and mentors for administrators. They support schools during their annual Quality Review site visits, serve as an overall resource for information and experience and are held accountable for the success of their schools. According to a four-page brochure on Fordham’s website, the universitybased PSO is designed to ensure that all

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Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

RCC Teen Theater presents ‘Fame’

The Riverdale Community Center is proud to present its 2012 Teen Theater Spring production, ‘FAME’. Community performances will be held Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. in the David A. Stein/Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141) Auditorium. Suggested Donation for tickets are $5.00 and can be obtained at the RCC Ofﬁce (Room 102-D) at RKA or at the door on performance evenings. Fame - The Musical is set in the old High School of Performing Arts at 46th Street in New York City. Because the play begins in 1980, the characters know that their school has been the subject of a hit movie and TV series. It concerns the last group of students and teachers to attend this historic school, following them from freshman year through graduation. The cast includes Jessica Gubankova as Carmen, Elizabeth Levy as Serena, Taina Strickland as Iris, Claire Dahlem as Ms. Sherman, Doris Espinal as Lambchops, Daniel Vladimirsky as Schlomo, Tyler Nottage as Nick, Fecedio Douglas as Tyrone and Shane Subburamu as Joe. . The RCC Teen Theater program is celebrating its 31st Anniversary and is unique because it offers free theater training to students grades 6 through 12. In addition, all sets, scenic design and backdrops were created by program participants and technical assistance (lighting and sound) for

the show is also provided by students. Please join us!!! For more information or tickets please contact the RCC Ofﬁce at (718) 796-4724.

Riv. Temple announces upcoming activities

Tuesdays May 8, and 15 the Rabbi leads a program from noon to 1:30 called “Lunch and Learn” where anyone can come learn about Judaism with the Rabbi and bring their own lunch. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471718-548-3800 ext 0 At 10 a.m. on Sunday May 6, Riverdale Temple’s sisterhood and the Men’s Club will be going on a tour of the Bronx (called “Back to the Bronx”) The cost is $35 per person, lunch will be “on your own” in the area of Arthur Avenue. All are welcome to attend. RSVP by May 4th by calling 718-548-3800 ext 0 or mailing a check to Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue Riverdale, NY 10471 with the names of the person(s) attending. 718548-3800 ext 0 Once again, the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) is being offered at the Riverdale Temple with Stan. For those who are unfamiliar with the program, it offers gentle stretching, balancing, endurance and strengthening components for eight one hour sessions. There will be no cost to participants. Please call the office for registration. Note the unusual schedule for the first day as we must get started next week. Wednesday, May 2nd at 11:30 a.m. to noon. Subsequent classes will be on Mondays, 10-11 a.m., from May 7th until June 28th. *NOTE: No class on Memorial Day* Held in the Ballroom of Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 ext 0 Sunday, May 20th (2 EVENTS): We will hold our Student Sponsorship Breakfast from 9:30-11:30 am. Those interested must RSVP by May 13th and can call the temple office or come in to pick up a flyer for further details. Also, we will host a YIVO lecture on the history of Yiddish language, given by Paul Glasser, at 2pm Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 ext 0 The remaining dates for the Mommy, Daddy and Me program here at Riverdale Temple are Sundays: 4/29, 5/6 and 5/13.

We now have a soft gym for toddlers to play on during our Mommy, Daddy and Me sessions. Each class is still only $20! Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 ext 0 Tot Shabbat, May 4th @ 5:30 pm in the West Lounge at Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 ext 0 Come enjoy music, dance, and crafts! Open to all children birth to 6 (older siblings welcome, too). Please join us at Sabbath Evening Services May 18 to honor Cantorial Intern, Aviva Kolet for sharing her angelic voice with us for the past two years. Professional quartet and Organist. Special kiddush will follow the service. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Riverdale, NY 10471 718-548-3800 ext 0.

JASA announced activities in May

Create your own narrative portrait with Michael Ferris, guest artist-in-residence through the SPARC initiative. No previous artistic training necessary. Mr. Ferris will continue instructing this class on Monday afternoons from 1:15 - 2:30 PM. Please call the center office 718-549-4700 for further information. This project is made possible by grants from Bronx Council on the Arts and NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs. Join our new walking group on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10:45 AM. Wed. May 9th: Supper served at 5:30 PM followed by Latin-Jazz by LIBBY & CO: Libby Richman - alto sax; Marilyn Seits, piano; Lester Harper- bass and Ramon Terrero, Percussion. This combo performs in the tri-state area in jazz venues and for special events. Supper menu: beef tacos, rice and beans, garden salad and dessert. Suggested senior contribution for supper is $2.00. Recommended senior contribution for event is $2.00. Non-senior guests are welcome. RSVP to center office 718-5494700 by Mon. May 7th. Tues. May 15th: Presentation by Senior Whole Health Medicare Advantage Plus at 11:15 AM by Janet Gordon. Post Mother’s Day celebration with Igor Sherbakov, dynamic keyboard player and vocalist on Fri. May 25th at 1:00 PM after lunch. Lunch menu: chicken marsala, kasha w/onion and mushrooms, health salad and dessert. Suggested senior contribution for meal is $2.00. Recommended contribution for event is $2.00. RSVP to the center office 718-549-4700 by Tues. May 16th. Sun. May 20th: Lisa y Josue Guitar Duo will perform Flamenco, Latin and classical music after lunch at 1:00 PM. Lunch will be served at 12:15 PM: fresh fish, yellow rice and blended vegetables, roll and dessert. Suggested senior contribution for meal is $2.00. Recommended contribution for event is $2.00. Non-senior guests are welcome. RSVP to the center office 718549-4700 by Friday, May 18th. Trips are offered to Sands Casino on May 2nd, Fairway at Pelham Manor on May 9th, China Town on May 15th and Cross County Mall on May 18th. For registration and more information, please call the center office 718-549-4700 in advance. Classes in Fitness, Movement, Tai Chi, Yoga, Tone & Stretch, Painting, Knitting, Current Events and Short Stories, Indoor

Gardening, Line Dancing, Jewelry Making, sing-along, computer lab and more are offered at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center. We are located in the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. off of Van Cortlandt Ave. West on the Bronx #1, #2 or #10 bus routes. We are non-sectarian. Seniors age 60+ may register for free. For more information, please call the center ofﬁce at 718-549-4700.

Volunteers needed to survey beaches

Get ﬁt, help protect the city’s beaches and save marine wildlife by enrolling in the annual Volunteer Beach Floatables Program. Under the initiative, run by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, volunteers are mobilized each summer to survey more than 45 beaches across the ﬁve boroughs. Participants are asked to walk along the shoreline or on their favorite beach and spot debris such as styrofoam, wood, glass or plastic waste. They do not have to pick up or touch anything and instead simply record any items they see and report it to the agency each week. The program is critical as it provides authorities with useful data, ensures fewer beach closures and helps save marine wildlife from ingesting the debris. Upon registration, each volunteer will receive all materials necessary for monitoring, including letters of authorization and acknowledgment. For more information, please contact 212-889-4216 or 917-658-2380.

Rotary Club to sponsor reading hour

Youngsters 3-12 years old are invited to participate in the Reading Program on Saturday, May 5, at the NEW Kingsbridge Library, 291 West 231st Street, from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Readers will be grouped by skill level and encouraged to read, helped with pronunciation and word understanding, and for those without reading skills, interpret pictures. There is no charge for participation. The Rotary Club of Riverdale is part of Rotary International and sponsors the library reading project as a local community service. Adult volunteers who are interested in participating are asked to contact Karen Pesce, Secretary: (718) 549-4469.

Uptown Coffeehouse features Tom Pacheco

The Uptown Coffeehouse presents Tom Pacheco on Sunday, March 4, at 6 p.m.., at its new address: The Uptown Coffeehouse, City Island Community Center, 190 Fordham Street, lower level, City Island, NY 10464, (718) 885-2955. Admission is $20.00, children under 12, $5.00. Bronx Cultural Cards are accepted. Dirty Linen Magazine has described Tom Pacheco as the ‘quintessentially American songwriter.’ With over 22 albums and 2500 original songs Tom depicts real and imagined characters a consciousness reminiscent of Woody Guthrie. During his career of over 35 years Pacheco’s songs have never shied away from addressing the challenging social and political issues of our time and always leave a striking image etched in the mind of his audience. For more information, visit www. tompacheco.com.

Schervier Center names Olivia Babol-Ibe as Director of Nursing

Bon Secours New York Health System’s Schervier Nursing Care Center announces the appointment of Olivia Babol-Ibe, R.N.C., B.S.N., M.S.N., as director of nursing. In her new role, Babol-Ibe will oversee all nursing operations to ensure quality care for all residents for the 364-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. “Olivia’s extraordinary breadth of experience and talent will play an important role in our continued commitment to quality care for all of our residents,’ said Schervier Nursing Care Center Interim CEO Eileen Malo. ‘Her passion for nursing and helping others is just one of the numerous qualifications she brings to this role. We know our residents will greatly benefit from Olivia joining the Shervier team.’ Babol-Ibe brings over 30 years of nursing experience to Schervier. Prior to joining Schervier, she served as the director of nursing at the Dumont Masonic Home where she was responsible for leading the clinical team and operations of the nursing team for the 196 bed facility. Babol-Ibe also served as the director of nursing at the Hebrew Home for the Aged in both the Baptist and Fairfield Divisions. She has worked as a nursing administrator on a per-diem basis during the weekends at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center where she is responsible for the operations of the nursing department for the general units or critical care units of the Milstein Pavilion. Babol-Ibe holds a master’s degree in nursing from Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines, and is BCLS/ACLS certified. Additionally, she has a bachelor of science in nursing degree and is a member of Leading Age New York, formally NYAHSA, as well as NADONA, National Association of Directors of Nursing. She currently resides in Yonkers, NY.

Walk to Cure Psoriasis at NYBG

On Sunday, May 6, the National Psoriasis Foundation is hosting its annual Walk to Cure Psoriasis in New York at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx (200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard). The event aims to raise funds for the Foundation’s research, education and advocacy programs. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., walk begins at 8:30 a.m. Free registration. All participants who raise $100 or more will receive a Walk t-shirt. Choose between 1K and 5K routes on this walk to raise awareness and funds to combat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. All ages welcome. To register or for more information, visit walk.psoriasis.org/ny-walk, or call 877.825.WALK (9255).

Toastmasters Club invites new members

Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale invites new members to join in at their free meeting on May 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Riverdale Neighborhood House, 5521 Mosholu Avenue. Wouldn’t you like to communicate effectively? Now you can! Toastmasters will show you how to listen effectively, think on your feet, and speak conﬁdently.

You will learn valuable leadership skillsall in a supportive, non-intimidating environment. Come as a guest and witness for yourself what they accomplish. They meet every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. For further information, visit their website http://www.bronxtoastmastersclub.org or call 718-796-6671.

Chabad to hold Lag B’Omer Picnic

Where can you get a live-action world renowned BMX Bike Stunt Show, pony

rides, an obstacle course and moon bounce, great delicious food and fun for the whole family all in one place? At Chabad of Riverdale’s upcoming Lag B’Omer Picnic! This thrilling event will take place on Thursday, May 10 from 4:30 - 7:00 pm at Seton Park, located at 235th St. and Independence Ave. Admission to this event is free, but there will be a charge for all rides, food and drinks. All food and drinks served will be kosher, under the auspices of Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale. Anyone is welcome to become a co-

Flea market at St. John’s Church

St. John’s Church will host a ﬂea market on Saturday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will be held at the Old St. John’s School located at 3030 Godwin Terrace in the Bronx. Clothes, jewelry, accessories and brica-brac will be sold at bargain prices. Free parking will also be available so get there early and snare yourself a great ﬁnd. For more information, please call 718543-3003.

7 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

sponsor this event for $100. For more information, please check www.ChabadRiverdale.org or call 718549-1100 ext. 10. This event is open to the public and family friendly.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Thursday, May 3 Riverdale

SINGING & READING 11:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Emily Ellison introduces readers to the great world of exciting picture, story, and song books full of music and sound. Children will revel in the joy of reading while singing, dancing, and stomping their feet, and experiment with various rhythm instruments. For children ages 2 to 6 years old with parent/caregiver. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Van Cortlandt

Wii TIME 4 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library 3874 Sedgwick Avenue Join us @ the Van Cortlandt Library for afternoons of fun and games. (Bowling, Baseball, Tennis). For more information, call 718-543-5150.

Friday, May 4 Riverdale

TAI CHI 10 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue This tai chi (Sun Style) includes agile steps and exercises that may improve mobility, breathing and relaxation. Tai chi has been show to reduce pain and stiffness, increase ﬂexibility, enhance muscle strength, improve concentration and memory, and help people cope with stress and depression. This is an adult program. Registration is required. Please call the branch at 718-549-1212 or send an e-mail to Riverdale@nypl.org to reserve your spot.

Kingsbridge

BILINGUAL BIRDIES 10:30 a.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street A foreign language and live music program for children ages newborn to ﬁve years old with parent/caregiver. The bilingual musicians teach through live music, movement, puppetry and games. Each session ends with a lively bubble dance party! Children learn basic vocabulary and short phrases while playing with instruments and fun props. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Spuyten Duyvil

GADGETS & GIZMOS 3:30 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Did you know that sailors can live underwater for months, or even years, on a submarine? This workshop helps students understand how pressure, density and buoyancy all help to make submarines work. Presented by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. For ages 6 and older. Limited to 25 participants. For more information, call 718-796-1202.

Kingsbridge

Riverdale

WOMEN’S NIGHT OUT 7 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 475 West 250th Street Guest speaker Jessica Haller will discuss “A Jewish Mother’s Response to Hydrofracking.” The evening will include wine, snacks, coffee and dessert. For info, call 718-543-8400.

Monday, May 7 Van Cortlandt

READ OUT LOUD 10:30 a.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library 3874 Sedgwick Avenue Pre-schoolers from 3 to 5 years old and their parents/caregivers can enjoy new and classic picture books, action songs and meet other pre-schoolers in the neighborhood. For more information, call 718-543-5150.

Riverdale

CB8 MEETING 7:30 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue Meeting of the Land Use Committee of Community Board 8. For more information, call 718-884-3959.

Tuesday, May 8 Riverdale

TODDLER STORY TIME 11:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Toddlers from 18 months to 3 years old and their parents/caregivers can enjoy interactive stories, action songs, and ﬁngerplays. For info, call 718-549-1212.

Riverdale

LUNCH & LEARN 12 p.m. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue A session where anyone can come learn about Judaism with the Rabbi and bring their own lunch. For info, call 718-548-3800 ext 0.

Van Cortlandt

AFTERNOON STORYTIME 3 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library 3874 Sedgwick Avenue Children between the ages of 3 and 6 are invited to our Branch for Afternoon Storytime. For info, call 718-543-5150.

Riverdale

CB8 BOARD MEETING 7:30 p.m. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue Regular Board Meeting of Community Board 8. For more information, call 718-884-3959.

Wednesday, May 9 Van Cortlandt

TEEN ADVISORY GROUP 4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Let your voice be heard in the Kingsbridge Library’s Teen Advisory Group! TAG meetings will be held on Friday afternoons from 4-5 pm. If you are a 7th -12th grade student, you are eligible to join. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

BALLOONS TWISTING 3:30 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library 3874 Sedgwick Avenue Are you ready to take balloons to a new level? Come to the Library for an afternoon of balloon twisting fun with Joe and Nani. For ages 5 to 12 years. Parental supervision is required for children 5 years and under. For info, call 718-543-5150.

Saturday, May 5

Riverdale

Kingsbridge

FLEA MARKET 9 a.m. Old St. John’s School 3030 Godwin Terrace There will be lots of merchandise for sale: bric-a-brac, clothing (new and used), etc. For more information, call 718-543-3003.

Kingsbridge

READING ALOUD 1 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Rotary Club of Riverdale reads aloud with children ages 5-12 years old. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Sunday, May 6 Riverdale

ARTIST RECEPTION 1:30 p.m. Riverdale Senior Center 2600 Netherland Avenue The opening reception of the 33rd Annual Vintage Artists Gallery Art Show. For more information, contact Stephanie Rice at 718-884-5900.

READING ALOUD 4 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue A librarian will share favorite picture books, providing children with the wonder of books and the joy of reading. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Riverdale

TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING 7 p.m. Riverdale Neighborhood House 5521 Mosholu Avenue Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale invites new members to join in at their free meeting. For further info, visit their website at www.bronxtoastmastersclub.org or call 718-796-6671.

Thursday, May 10 Riverdale

LAG B’OMER PICNIC 4:30 p.m. Seton Park 235th St. & Independence Avenue Chabad’s Lag B’Omer Picnic features a live-action world renowned BMX Bike Stunt Show, pony rides, an obstacle course and moon bounce, great delicious food and fun for the whole family all in one place. For info, call 718-549-1100 ext. 10.

By MIAWLING LAM The Water Board is unfairly soaking Bronx residents with a massive rate hike, according to the borough’s landlords, homeowners and elected officials. Around two dozen Bronx residents showed up at last Wednesday’s public hearing at the Riverdale YM-YWHA to oppose the proposed 7 percent increase in water rates. City officials claim the hike, which will kick in starting July 1 if approved, is needed to cover escalating debt service on federally mandated infrastructure projects. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland said state and federal governments have unfairly imposed $15 billion worth of unfunded mandates since 2002. As a result, the latest hike was needed to make up the accounting shortfall. “It is an increase, and we know that that’s very difficult for many folks to undertake. But it is necessary, and if you take a step back and look at everything you get for it, we think it is certainly justified,” he said. However, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said the increase represented an unfair burden on hardworking New Yorkers who are already struggling to make ends meet. Water rates have soared 77 percent since 2005, this change comes hot on the heels of a 7.5 percent hike in 2011 and a 12.9 percent increase in 2010. “The water board has, drip by drip by drip, nearly doubled the total cost of a Bronx homeowner’s water bill over the past seven years,” Diaz said. “Our homeowners, like everyone else,

are already struggling to keep their heads above water during this fiscal crisis. To ask them for even more shows that, when it comes to this rate hike, the water board is all wet.” The modest turnout—the crowd was comprised mostly of elected officials and their staffers—was in line with minimal attendance in the other four boroughs. At the corresponding public hearing in Staten Island two days prior, just 40 people showed up to voice their dissent. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said it was meaningless for officials to justify the proposed increase by saying it is lower than original projections. Authorities have previously downplayed the latest soaking by arguing it is lower than the 9.3 percent increase that was initially flagged. Dinowitz also said the hike was fueled by the multibillion-dollar budget blowout for the Croton Water Treatment Plant. “The cost overruns of this project exceed $2 billion. It’s hard to say whether the enormous cost overruns of the filtration plant project are due to lies, corruption or plain-old incompetence, but whatever the reason, the overruns are very real—and everyone in New York, be they a business, homeowner or renter, suffers the consequences,” he said in a statement. “It’s hard to justify DEP raising the cost of living for New Yorkers when DEP’s own actions and errors are in good part responsible for the size of this proposed increase.” Meanwhile, Councilman G. Oliver Koppell charged that the new rates would place a “tremendous burden on homeowners.” Continued on Page 12

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9 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bronx residents boiling over proposed water hike

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Green cabs on their way to local streets

Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveils the new ‘Apple Green Boro Taxi’ lastSunday By MIAWLING LAM The iconic canary-yellow New York City cab is about to get a new partner in crime—the Apple Green Boro Taxi. Officials unveiled the city’s new class of livery cabs, which will be permitted to pick up passengers who hail them from the street in the outer boroughs and upper Manhattan, at City Hall Plaza last Sunday. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, flanked by Taxi & Limousine Commission Commissioner David Yassky for the big reveal, described the green hue as “attractive” and “distinctive.” “For decades, the goal of bringing better taxi service to residents and visitors outside of Manhattan eluded the city,” he said in a statement. “At long last, New Yorkers in all five boroughs will have safe, comfortable, less costly and legal street-hail service.” Yassky also trumpeted the new fleet while clutching a Granny Smith apple. He said the green vehicles blended in with their surrounds and were going to be easy to spot from a distance. “I think that green matches the leafier nature of the boroughs, as opposed to the office towers of midtown,” he said. As the Riverdale Review reported last week, Bronx residents will be permitted legally to hail livery cabs as early as June now that the TLC rubber-stamped the outer-borough taxi plan.

Under the changes, the city will sell 18,000 outer-borough livery hail licenses, permitting drivers who purchase them to pick up street hails legally in northern Manhattan and in the four other boroughs. The first 6,000 licenses will be sold on May 29 for $1,500 each and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Each license will be valid for three years. Currently, black cabs can legally pick up only passengers who call ahead and arrange for service—a rule that many openly flout despite the threat of a hefty $350 fine. According to the TLC, around 100,000 illegal street hails occur each day in New York, including 19 every hour at the intersection of Grand Concourse and East 149th Street. Officials said licensed livery cabs will be able to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs and in Manhattan—but only in areas north of West 110th Street and north of East 96th Street. They will not be permitted to offer prearranged or hail service elsewhere in Manhattan and will also be banned from picking up street passengers at JFK or LaGuardia airports. They will be allowed to offer prearranged service. The new outer-borough taxis will have credit card and debit card readers, meters, GPS units and roof lights. Fares will be calculated using the same pricing structure.

Local super charged in ATM theft By MIAWLING LAM The superintendent of a North Riverdale co-op building was arrested and charged with grand larceny after he withdrew $4,000 from an elderly resident’s savings account. Police allege Richard Lane, 48, made four separate cash withdrawals using a 75-year-old woman’s ATM card. Community Affairs Ofﬁcer at the 50th Precinct Mindy Ramos said the suspect, who is the live-in super at 5550 Fieldston Road, performed the transactions at the Citibank branch at 5671 Riverdale Avenue. Police allege Lane made three cash withdrawals, each of $1,000, on March 22 and returned the following day at 7:15 a.m. for another $1,000 in funds. He was eventually cuffed around 4:45 p.m. on Monday, April 16, and charged

with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny. “Her 67-year-old sister, who lives on Netherland Avenue, is the one who reported it,” PO Ramos said. “She said her sister suffers from Alzheimer’s.” According to several residents, the victim gave the super her ATM card and instructed him to withdraw money on her behalf. “He was doing her a favor,” a source said. PO Ramos could not conﬁrm whether the woman willingly handed the suspect her ATM card or supplied her PIN. Garthchester Realty, the management company charged with overseeing operations at the building, declined to comment. Lane has been suspended from his job while the case winds its way through the courts.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Jenna Pultman has her face painted by Menachem Menchel during the Israeli Independence Day celebration last Thursday at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

Big Brother tactics used at private parking lots in Riverdale By ALLISON SUMMERS It’s no secret that if you park in the Johnson Avenue or Broadway parking lots and either leave or don’t use the stores designated for those lots, your car will be towed—it’s almost inevitable. As far back as 2008, local shoppers who have parked in the lots and left the premises for no longer than a few minutes have come back to ﬁnd their vehicles gone.

One crucial question remains. “How do the towing companies know if you leave for a long time or just go across the street for two seconds?” shopper Mark Michaud asked when The Riverdale Review spoke to him outside Key Food last month. Towing companies can employ a number of different tactics when monitoring parking lots and looking for vehicles to tow.

Locals lobby against water rate hike

Continued from Page 9 He said ofﬁcials should do more to collect payments from the city’s 10,000 delinquent accounts, and controversially, he even encouraged them to disconnect service from any outstanding accounts. “I would suggest that you take immediate steps to collect that money,” he said, adding that the threat of shutting off water service would spur the majority to pay up. “I am convinced it will increase compliance vastly and may very well mitigate the need for a rate increase.” The Water Board—whose seven members are appointed by the mayor—will formally vote on the water rate on Friday, May 4. The new rate will then become effective on July 1. If, as widely expected, the board rubberstamps the hike, the new rates will plunge families into deeper water and place further strain on their monthly budgets. In real terms, the increase means a typical single-family home that uses 80,000 gallons a year will have to pony up an extra $62 a year. Similarly, a multifamily unit that uses 50,000 gallons a year will

be slugged an extra $39 a year. Presumably to counter these suggestions, Water Board chairman Alan Moss prefaced the 90-minute hearing by stressing to the audience that the hike was not yet a done deal. “Members of the Water Board, at this point, have not made any decision with regards to the proposed rate increase,” he said. “We are very interested in hearing from you. Without this additional material, we would not be able to have a rounded discussion and consideration of what, if any, rate increase should be approved by the board.” Bronx attorney and New York State Assembly candidate Luis Sepulveda said the yearly increases were destroying the American dream. “That 7 percent may sound minimal, but in the overall analysis, it’s a major problem for people in our neighborhoods,” he said. “Sometimes, that 7 percent could be the difference between keeping your home and losing your home to foreclosure.” Ofﬁcials have proposed a 7.9 percent water rate hike for ﬁscal year 2013.

Often, a company will have an inconspicuous employee roaming the parking lot and surrounding area, either by foot or vehicle, keeping track of where drivers go and how long they take. In some circumstances, towing employees may take photos. The company will keep such a thorough watch over the area that, even if a driver utilizes a designated store but then leaves the property for a short time, it will know and take the opportunity to tow the driver’s vehicle. While it cannot be conﬁrmed that these tactics are being used to scam motorists in the Johnson Avenue and Broadway parking lots, it is highly likely. Last month, an anonymous source

brought it to The Riverdale Review’s attention that four vehicles had been towed before 12:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9. Unfortunately, these practices are completely legal, and a towing company has the right to seize vehicles that are in violation of parking rules. However, drivers can protect themselves at any New York State parking lot by keeping a number of factors in mind. Drivers who violate any parking regulations are vulnerable to towing, so if regulations demand, motorists should not leave the designated area for any reason. According to New York State law, if a Continued on Page 19

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By ALLISON SUMMERS Riverdalians and residents of The Bronx who frequent Van Cortlandt Park’s Putnam Trail for its natural beauty may be disappointed to find themselves walking over a newly paved 15-foot-wide trail in the near future. An ongoing debate still raging about how funding allocated to improving the trail should be spent is a source of controversy for elected officials and community members alike. While many cyclists and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation are pushing for the 1.5-mile trail to be expanded from its current width of eight feet to 15 feet and for it to be paved over with asphalt, others contend this motion will ruin the scenic atmosphere of the nature trail. Therefore, many community members, as well as a group called Save the Putnam Trail, are pushing for the trail to be laid out with stone dust and kept at its current width, which will save surrounding trees from destruction and preserve the aesthetic beauty of the park. The group’s website, savetheputnamtrail.com, has already garnered thousands of signatures. “Why spoil this last nature walk in the park?” petitioner John Lawrence commented on the site. “There are plenty of places to ride your bike here. Can’t the walkers, birdwatchers, nature lovers have their place too? The park has areas available for tennis, cricket, swimming, baseball, horseback riding, track, picnics and bike riding. Why can’t the people who just want to stop and enjoy an unpaved fragment of nature be permitted their little space too?” While the parks department’s motion to pave the trail has passed through the community boards and is currently awaiting final approval from the New York City Department of Transportation, Save the Putnam Trail members contend that the department lied to the public in order to gain approval. The group cites letters and emails on its website from the parks department stating, among other things, that stone dust is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, that the funding allocated to the improvement of the trail mandated that asphalt be used and that stone dust is more expensive to maintain.

“Save the Putnam Trail found that stone dust is in fact ADA compliant, that NYCDOT, which is largely responsible for funding the project, never said that the trail had to be paved and that stone dust is actually cheaper to maintain than asphalt and more environmentally friendly,” Save the Putnam Trail advocate Michael Oliva said. “The parks department confused the public, and I believe people didn’t even think they had a choice when it came to paving the trail.” Group members admit they cannot understand why the parks department would intentionally deceive the public to get its motion through. “Why the parks department has given out this information is hard to say,” runner and group advocate Suzanne Corber said. “I suspect a lack of funding and understaffing. They don’t have the funds to do an actual outreach to the community or do real research. They’re basing some assumptions on anecdotal evidence or misperceptions. For instance, stone dust on the Putnam Trail would not be the same as on the cross-country trail, which is severely hilly and over time would get worn down after rains, severe weather. The Putnam Trail is very flat. “I think if the parks department had done proper outreach to the community, they would have discovered that people don’t want the path disturbed very much, and any changes should fit in with the environment,” she added. A parks department spokesman told the Riverdale Review that plans were approved by Community Board 8 and are “supported by the many park users who would like the trail to be accessible to all.” He cited groups including BikeNY, Bike the Bronx, Transportation Alternatives and the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy as plan supporters. “The paved pathway will allow users of varying abilities to access and enjoy the trail, and all will benefit from the more than 400 saplings and young trees that are being planted,” the spokesman said. “The intention is to ultimately connect this trail to the citywide Greenway system via a path along the Bronx side of the Harlem River.”

Music scholarship awards available

The Riverdale YM-YWHA is accepting applications for David Froehlich Music Scholarship Awards for the 2012-2013 school year. To qualify, students must be between 8 and 15 years old and either live or study in Riverdale. The scholarship honors the memory of David Froehlich, who had a passion for many genres of vocal and instrumental music. His appreciation inspired his family to create an endowment that would provide ﬁnancial assistance to other gifted students as they pursue their own musical destiny. The Riverdale Y manages the endowment. The application packet, available at RiverdaleY.org., must be submitted by May 14 to Allen Sher, director of the Y’s Rhoda Grundman Music School. Eligible students will be contacted about a preliminary screening or audition in early June. Final auditions will be held on June 10, and scholarship winners will be notiﬁed by the end of June. Funds will be distrib-

uted in the fall of 2012. The David Froehlich Scholarship Award program has helped hundreds of musical enthusiasts continue their lessons and become more skilled on their chosen instruments. For more information, contact Allen Sher at 718-548-8200, extension 256.

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13 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Debate rages over how to pave Putnam Trail

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Once the site of Revolutionary War-era Fort Independence, Van Cortlandt Village developed into a residential enclave in the 20th century. Built on a winding street plan designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, responding to the hills and views of the area, the neighborhood consists of small Neo-Colonial and Tudor revival homes and apartment buildings, including the Shalom Alecheim Houses, an early cooperative housing project. The walking tour will be led by architectural historian Anthony W. Robins, author of the Van Cortlandt Village Cultural Resources Survey. A representative of the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association will also attend to talk about the organization’s ongoing preservation and awareness campaign, including an effort to list the area on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Historic Districts Council is the citywide advocate for New York’s historic buildings, neighborhoods and open spaces. In 2011, HDC launched Six to Celebrate, an annual listing of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a yearlong period. This is New York’s only citywide list of preservation

priorities. This year’s Six to Celebrate are Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens, Morningside Heights, Manhattan, Port Morris Gantries, The Bronx, Van Cortlandt Village, The Bronx, and Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn. Throughout 2012, HDC is working with these neighborhood partners to set and reach preservation goals through strategic planning, advocacy, outreach, programs and publicity. For tickets or more information about the walking tour, call 212-614-9107 ext. 13, e-mail ftolbert@hdc.org, or visit http:// hdc.org/featured/62c-tours

CB8 announces community service awardees

Bronx Community Board No. 8 is pleased to announce the winners of the Bronx Community Board No. 8 2012 Community Service Awards. Presentation of the awards will take place at the Board meeting on May 8th, at the Riverdale Temple, 4545 Independence Avenue, at 7:30 PM. The Community Service Award was established to acknowledge the many volunteer efforts of groups and individuals within our community. It is the Board’s belief that by recognizing our committed community volunteers, we can in some small way reward those most deserving and inspire others to follow their example.

This year’s honorees are: Organizers and Host of the Riverdale Riverfest, Yael Levy, Paul Elston (organizers) and College of Mount Saint Vincent (host), will be honored for their commitment to creating, organizing, implementing and promoting this annual community event celebrating the Hudson River and the Greenway in Riverdale. Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Marble Hill Food and Hunger Project (KRMH) will be honored for its 30 year program which works on a voluntary basis to provide food for needy families and elderly by collecting and distributing non-perishable food items for the KRMH Food Pantry located at the Church of the Mediator. Deirdre La Porte will be honored for her volunteer work at Wave Hill since 1999 totaling 1400 hours of donated time. Ms. LaPorte is a member of the Garden Guides, a group of highly trained garden enthusiasts who conduct Wave Hill’s public and group tours. Deirdre’s specialty is the history of Wave Hill and this has earned her in-house ‘historian’ recognition. Friends of Van Cortlandt Park (FVCP) will be honored in celebration of its 20th Anniversary of the organization. The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, working in partnership with the Parks Department, is committed to supporting the conserva-

tion and improvement of Van Cortlandt Park. FVCP provides essential services such as offering ongoing high-quality education and stewardship programs, working to identify community needs and empowering residents by giving them a means to improve park conditions. You can also visit the Bronx Community Board No. 8 website that announces the Community Service Awards winners at http://www.nyc.gov/bronxcb8

CSAIR Sisterhood to present Women’s Night Out

The Sisterhood of Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) will host its annual ‘Women’s Night Out’ on Sunday, May 6, starting at 7 p.m. This year’s guest speaker will be environmental active and Riverdale resident Jessica Haller, who will discuss ‘A Jewish Mother’s Response to Hydrofracking.’ The evening will include wine, snacks, coffee and dessert. The CSAIR Sisterhood offers a full program of events during the year designed to bring women together and to beneﬁt the synagogue community. CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street at the Henry Hudson Parkway. For more information, call 718-543-8400 or visit www.csair.org.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Walking tour of Van Cortlandt Village

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Politics and the Parents Association

We know that with their circulation at a 20-year low, many of you have not read the Riverdale Press in quite a while. Usually you’re not missing anything, but last week was an exception. Like most newspapers, we like to keep up with our competitors and colleagues in other communities. We have to admit that we were entertained by the following piece in their political column: “It’s election season! And no, we don’t mean the June congressional race or even the September presidential race, we mean the 2013 City Council race. That’s right. “Cliff Stanton, the only local to ofﬁcially announce his candidacy for the Council seat to be vacated by Councilman Oliver Koppell, has been out campaigning. Or saving the environment. Maybe a little of both. “To celebrate Earth Day, Mr. Stanton helped organized a Walk to School event with the PS 24 Parents Association… According to a PS 24 Parents Association press release, he invited every Riverdale and Kingsbridge school to join in on the international initiative that began in 1997… “Mr. Stanton’s campaign staff were at the event, handing out “Cliff Stanton for Council” photo/video consent forms.” In case you don’t know who Cliff Stanton is, he’s the fellow who is spending thousands of dollars to put us out of business. Apparently he fears that our brand of hard-hitting, truth-telling journalism will not portray his campaign in a favorable light. He’s right. If there was any potential candidate who has already crossed the line, putting partisan politics into the schools (and everything else he contaminates) it is the “Nut King” himself, Stanton. He needs to have the microscope of a free press focused on him before he further corrupts our community. And if there was any question how he has turned the P.S. 24 Parents Association into a pro-Stanton political club it was that little item in the Riverdale Press. To him “Walk to School Day” is nothing but a gimmick to get some publicity and use the children as props in his campaign effort. The press release comes from the Parents Association, a group that by law must be non-partisan, but became willing participants in an event so partisan that Stanton felt the need to get releases so that the children’s images could be used in his campaign literature His self-proclaimed volunteerism is nothing but a politically-inspired sham. And he has taken the parents of P.S. 24 for a dangerous and perhaps illegal ride. Not many remember how the local schools were compromised by politics back in the 1980s and 1990s. We vividly recall how the parents at P.S. 81, sickened by the politicization of their then Parents Association, voted out their parent leadership and restored integrity to the group. History seems to be repeating itself, as an increasing number of P.S. 24 parents are contacting us with complaints about Stanton, co-president Cori Worchel and former P.A. president Tracy Shelton (inexplicably listed as an “at large” member of the School Leadership Team). These parents are tired of the climate of fear in the school, the disparaging of faculty by the P.A. and the toleration of studenton-student violence, the lawsuits, the ongoing investigations and the academic problems that are being swept under the rug. Don’t get us wrong, we are big believers in walking to school. For years we have been urging that academically advanced local children be given priority for seats in nearby schools, speciﬁcally P.S. 24, rather than being bused to other schools (though to be honest, most parents here reject such busing for their kids, but at the cost of the loss of their child’s earned seat in a gifted and talented class). And if there are more local kids qualifying for gifted programs, instead of denying them their seat in such a program in a school they can walk to, why not downsize the huge out-of-zone special education component at P.S. 24? When it comes to walking to school, Stanton is big for the publicity stunt, but not in bringing back P.S. 24’s status a neighborhood school, a concept that Stanton (who does not live in Riverdale himself) self-servingly opposes. The way to get more kids at P.S. 24 walking to school is not a cheap stunt, but creating a school that actually serves the needs of those who live so close that they can walk.

Shoving aside the aging and defenseless To The Editor: As a senior citizen with diminished mobility and dexterity, I had taken the elevator from the street level to the platform at the Broadway and 231st Station to take the #1 line at 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, April 24. After I left the elevator and walked toward the turnstiles, the person behind me practically shoved me aside, rushing to the ticket agent as a train was pulling into the station. When I thought the worst was over as I was progressing to the train, he shoved me again, shouting ‘You just stand there.’ Luckily, despite his seeming effort to knock me over and despite my carrying several items in my hands, I didn’t fall down. Is this what New York City has come to? I’m not referring to the kind, understanding people who have shown the utmost courtesy. I’m referring to uncaring individuals who shove aside the aging and defenseless,

all in the name of ‘getting there on time.’ To this rude, uncaring and ruthless person, my wish is that someday, when you get older and starting slowing down, that another rude, uncaring and ruthless person shows the same contempt

Greenway bicycle path over HH bridge

To The Editor: Reading the Riverdale Review article of April 19, NYMTC consultants showed a photo image of cantilevered bike path at $15 million cost. For anyone who has bicycled over the bridge as well as driven over it is clear that the existing right hand closed lane would provide a ﬁne addition in width to the existing bike lane at a very low cost. Even without the right lane there are three vehicle lanes to handle the trafﬁc. The bike lane could be widened a most likely one tenth the proposed

ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher

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for you that you showed me. Please publish this letter, as I’m sure that others beside me have suffered similar offenses. When someone behaves with such rudeness toward older people, our great city is diminished. Robert C. Stein

CECILIA McNALLY Office Manager MIAWLING LAM Associate Editor

STAFF: Robert Lebowitz, Richard Reay, Paulette Schneider, Lloyd Ultan, Daniel R. Wolf

cost and in very little time. All that would have to be done for 90% of the span is relocate the movable concrete guard rail. The area of work that would be the same for the cantilevered path and my proposal is that the bridge ends where the work would involve creating clearance where the bridge meets the ground. This widening of the existing bike lane would be a better use of our limited public tax collected community funds and a faster way to achieve the goal of a riding bike path over the Henry Hudson Bridge. Hal Dorfman, Architect

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Put highway safety on front burner

Parking lot Continued from Page 12

driver arrives at the scene at the time his vehicle is being towed, the company must release the vehicle back to its owner and charge a service fee of no more than half of the general towing fee. This regulation, however, is not applicable if the driver returns and the tow truck is already in motion with the vehicle. As of 2008, the owners of privately owned parking lots—such as the Key Food parking lot—are required to post conspicuous signs clearly stating that unauthorized vehicles are subject to removal at the owner’s expense. Before then, privately owned parking lots were required only to post the name and address of the property owner and the name of the tow company authorized to remove vehicles.

an overpass of the Bronx River Parkway. Looking up, I could see just how clear the need for improvement is. The barriers are low, roughly waist high and lower in height than many car doors. A car, moving fast but not necessarily speeding, could easily clear that guardrail and fall to the street below. Of course, drivers must slow down, on all roads, and be more mindful of both their surroundings and other drivers. Drivers must stay focused on the road and avoid distractions. But we can, very simply, improve safety conditions on the Bronx River Parkway by adding higher fences. The time to act is now, before the next accident claims the lives of not only a car’s occupants, but the people on the street below.

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The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, May 3, 2012

By RUBEN DIAZ JR. Bronx Borough President This past Sunday the Bronx, and the entire nation, received the horrible news of a tragic accident on the Bronx River Parkway—an accident that cost our borough seven lives and has thrown an entire community into a state of shock. It is not often that a single event will bring together individuals and organizations from every corner of the borough to show their support for our own. Yet, we have seen just that happen in the past few days. Hundreds of individuals and organizations have reached out to my office to inquire as to how they can show their support for the Gonzalez, Rosario and Nunez families. It makes me proud to know that, even in our darkest hour, the people of our borough have stood together, as ‘One Bronx,’ to ensure that our fellow Bronxites are supported in their hour of need. As these families work to bring closure and peace back to their lives following their tremendous loss, the role of government must be to ensure that what can be done is done, so that a similar tragedy does not come to our borough again. This accident was not the first time that a car fell off the Bronx River Parkway in the past year. In June of last year Mike Robles, a Democratic District Leader in Soundview and my friend, had an accident going northbound on the same stretch of road. Mike’s car flew off the highway, landing 35 feet below on top of another parked car. Mike and his passenger were lucky, as they both walked away from their accident with little more than bumps and bruises. On Sunday, a similar accident, which ended in a 60 foot fall into the property of the Bronx Zoo, saw seven fatalities. Immediately following the accident, my office called for a review of safety conditions on the highway, and so far City and State agencies have been receptive to our calls. In addition to examining the condition of the road near the accident, it has become crystal clear that stronger, higher guardrails and fences are required along the Bronx River Parkway, especially at areas of the road that are elevated above the street. This is not just to protect drivers, but to protect our citizens on the roads below. The morning after the accident, I spent some time on East 180th Street and Morris Park Avenue, an intersection just south of the site of the accident that sits below

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Riverdale Review, May 3, 2012

Published on May 3, 2012

Weekly newspaper published in Riverdale, NY 10471

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