Riverdale’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper!
Volume XXI • Number 20 • May 15 - 21, 2014 •
FREE!
Showdown expected at Dem club The challenge to State Senator Jeff Klein will the the key item on the agenda when the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club meets next week to endorse a candidate in the primary election slated for this September. After a 50-year association with the club, former City Councilman Oliver Koppell should be a shoo-in for the club’s nod. But key players within the club say that an outright endorsement of Koppell is the “least probable outcome” of the meeting. The alternatives include a no endorsement vote or an endorsement of incumbent State Senator Jeff Klein. Koppell has lost favor among many in the club following an incident that took place in 2008. As Koppell’s protégé and successor, Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz emerged as a leader of the “Rainbow Rebellion” that toppled Bronx County Democratic Boss Jose Rivera, Koppell remained a Rivera loyalist to the end, actively opposing Dinowitz’s elevation as Chairman of the Bronx County Democratic Committee, a little-known but significant position.
The Rainbow Rebellion emerged after Rivera maneuvered two of his children, college student Joel Rivera as a city councilman, and Naomi Rivera as a state assembly member. This up front nepotism left a bad taste in the mouths of many Democrats. Ms. Rivera was turned out of office two years ago by Mark Gjonaj, the first Albanian American to achieve public office in New York. Ms. Rivera became vulnerable when the New York Post revealed that she had put her boyfriend on the public payroll. But Koppell was eager to get a committee chairmanship, any committee chairmanship, from the Council leadership that had heretofore shunned him. Rivera arranged for Koppell to assume the chairmanship of the low octane Mental Health Committee. This led to a rift within the club between Koppell and others in the club leadership. It explains why there is even a possibility that Koppell might – indeed probably – be denied the club’s endorsement. For his part, Koppell is confident that he will emerge victorious on the familiar turf of his own
State Senate co-leader Jeffrey Klein announces funding for the UFT-favored concept of community schools. The presence of Klein and UFT President Michael Mulgrew at the staged event is a clear indication of a forthcoming endorsement of Klein by the powerful teachers’ union. club. When questioned about the possibility that he might lose his club’s nod, Koppell said, “We’ll see about that.” Both Koppell and Klein and
On Tuesday, May 6, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted his annual celebration of Israel’s Independence at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (HIR). Borough President Diaz was joined at the event by Rabba Sara Hurwitz (center) of the HIR and Council Member Andrew Cohen (right), at which he presented a proclamation to the synagogue declaring the day “Israeli Independence Day in The Bronx.” “We should never ever forget, that every single day, Israel’s safety is at risk,” said Borough President Diaz at the event. “As Americans, whether we are Jewish or not, we need to continue to stand by our brothers and sisters in the State of Israel.”
their key supporters have been busy making calls to club members soliciting their support. The stakes are high, especially for Mr. Koppell.”This is an endorsement he must win. If he can’t steamroller over Klein in Riverdale, how can he expect the win in a district that includes huge chunks of Klein’s district, in The Bronx and in Westchester, places that Klein has represented for years, but in which Koppell is virtually unknown,” stated an informed source with deep knowledge of the situation. “If Klein loses, well, that would be expected in Koppell’s home turf. But if he wins or breaks even, it could be a fatal blow to Koppell. If he can’t win in his own club, he might have to stand down.” “The fact that it’s competitive within the club membership shows just how shaky Oliver Koppell’s position has become in just a few short years,” said another Bronx political insider. Meanwhile, Klein appears to have the inside track in obtaining the endorsement of the powerful United Federation of Teachers. He made a joint appearance with UFT President Michael Mulgrew last week touting funding Klein obtained dor the union’s pet “community schools” initiative. Sources from both the UFT and the Klein campaign confirm that an endorsement could be “expected in the very near future.”
Klein and Mulgrew announced a major $1.5 million citywide investment for New York City’s Community School Initiative. The funding secured by the State Senate in the 2014-2015 New York State Budget will be allocated to enhance the academic, social, and community experience for city school children and their families. “Community Schools have a profound, transformative effect in the lives of our school children and their families and I am pleased we were able to expand the initiative to new funding levels this year. These schools truly are schools for the 21st century, recognizing that the health and wellness of our students is as vital to their learning experience as educational programs,” said Senator Klein. “State Senator Jeff Klein has been an early and important supporter of Community Schools. He understands the value of placing much-needed health and community services where they have the most impact -- in our city schools. With Senator Klein’s help we are working to spread Community Schools across the city,” said Mulgrew. T h e N Y C C o m m u n i t y Learning Schools Initiative is a non-profit organization that works to identify public schools in traditionally underserved Continued on Page 2