Riverdale Review, June 7, 2012

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Volume XIX • Number 21 • June 7 - 13, 2012 •

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Pharmacy perp: Smile, you’re on ‘candid camera’

By MIAWLING LAM Police are on the hunt for a man who broke into a local pharmacy through its roof and attempted to steal prescription drugs.

Surveillance footage shows the burglar broke into the Hudson Parkway Pharmacy, located at 5700 Mosholu Avenue, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday, May 31.

Commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Captain Kevin Burke said the suspect entered the premises via a roof skylight, kicked down the drop ceiling and lowered himself onto the shop floor.

Employees discovered the break-in when they opened the store later that morning.

“He was looking for drugs,” Captain Burke said, adding that Adderall may have been on the wish list. “Apparently if you use it, it allows you to stay up several days at a time. It’s something that kids want because if you pop it, you can stay up for an excess

Oops! I forgot my mask amount of time.”

Hudson Parkway Pharmacy pharmacist Andy Marfatia said the suspect remained inside the pharmacy for 59 seconds and seemed to leave upon realizing

Tenants sign on for Riverdale Crossing

By MIAWLING LAM The heady fragrance of sugar and almonds wafting from the Stella D’oro cookie factory could soon be replaced with the distinct aroma of charred Buffalo wings.

The Riverdale Review can reveal that casual dining restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings is toying with the idea of opening a location at Riverdale Crossing, the $80 million yet-to-be-built mall located on Broadway between West 236th and West 238th streets.

According to a revised threepage flyer posted on Ripco Realty’s website, the popular eatery is currently poring over a lease and appears to be the mall’s latest tenant.

Site plan schematics show the second-floor, 9,995-square-foot space at the rear of the site emblazoned with the restaurant’s logo and the words “Lease Out.” Providing further fuel for speculation is an accompanying

picture showing the Buffalo Wild Wings logo superimposed on a mock sign along with the name of the mall’s anchor tenant, BJ’s Wholesale Club.

As of press time, Buffalo Wild Wings spokeswoman Angie Andresen had yet to provide a comment, while MRA president Joseph A. Farkas—replying through a spokeswoman—declined to comment on the latest development.

However, during a comprehensive 80-minute presentation before Community Board 8’s economic development committee on April 11, Farkas expressed interest in recruiting a restaurant.

“We’d love to bring in a largesized theme-dining experience to the neighborhood,” he said at the time. “We’re hopeful that something like that can happen up on the second floor of the building.”

Continued on Page 9

that no drugs were available.

“He probably took 10 minutes breaking the lock. He probably came looking for Adderall or Oxycontin, but he did not take anything because he could not find anything,” he said.

“We keep them separately. We don’t keep them on the shelf.

We have a separate cabinet for that and it’s locked. Anything he could’ve taken from the shelf, it wouldn’t have been a narcotic.”

Marfatia, who has been at the helm of the local pharmacy since 2006, said the first and only break-in occurred three and a half years ago. In that incident, the burglar did not steal anything either.

Adderall is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.

But according to the National Institute of Health, some people misuse the drug, taking it recreationally and prizing its “performance enhancement” effects.

With insurance coverage, the

average monthly cost of Adderall is $21, compared to $320 without a health plan.

When the Riverdale Review attended the scene just after 9 a.m. last Thursday, around 10 police officers, including Captain Burke, were investigating the crime.

Detectives were unable to secure a ladder, so they drove an emergency service vehicle onto the sidewalk—a move that immediately drew the curiosity and attention of many passersby.

Detectives have since seized video surveillance footage of the crime and have a clear visual of the suspect.

A poster distributed to the media by the NYPD shows the man wearing a black longsleeve sweater, dark pants and no mask.

“We were lucky. Usually they don’t come in without a mask, so it looks like somebody who is an amateur,” Marfatia said.

The pharmacist said he plans to install more surveillance cameras in the coming weeks and will

work with the landlord to better secure the skylight.

The latest incident comes nearly a year after two thieves broke through the ceiling of DJ Drugs, then located at 3721 Riverdale Avenue, and walked away with more than $32,000 worth of goods.

In that August 7 incident, burglars fled with jewelry, cash from a register and a large swag of prescription pain medications including the opiate-based narcotics Oxycontin, Methadone and Opana.

Just last month, State Sen. Jeffrey Klein introduced legislation to increase penalties for criminals who steal prescription drugs and break into pharmacies.

The bill was designed to stem the sudden wave of pharmacy robberies, Klein said.

“This is now the fifth pharmacy break-in I’m aware of in my district,” he said.

“To curb this trend, I’ve introduced legislation to stiffen penalties and protect pharmacists, Continued on Page 13

Continued on Page 11

Congressman Eliot Engel and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz march with students from the Kinnerest Day School located here in Riverdale, at last Sunday’s Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan.

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Surging Espaillat picks up more endorsements

By MIAWLING LAM The influential Transport Workers Union Local 100 has overlooked genial 21-term veteran politico Charles Rangel and given state Sen. Adriano Espaillat its ringing endorsement.

The labor union, which represents 38,000 active members as well as 26,000 retirees, delivered its tick of approval during a press conference in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday.

The latest endorsement comes a week after the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club voted overwhelmingly to support the Dominican-American congressional hopeful.

As predicted, the endorsement came after more than 70 members heard from four of the five candidates during a club meeting at Tibbett Towers on Tuesday, May 29.

Candidates were presented in alphabetical order and had five minutes to speak before members had an opportunity to ask questions of the 13th Congressional District hopefuls.

Espaillat, who currently represents a large section of Riverdale in the state Senate, kicked off proceedings by outlining his plans to tackle immigration reform, job creation and the burgeoning student loan debt.

He also stressed the need for change in a district that has been represented by the same lawmaker since 1971.

“I think change is in the air. This is the moment to turn the page,” Espaillat said.

“I want to be a bold, new voice in Congress that will be able to articulate your needs, your concerns, and most importantly, bring back some results to right here in Riverdale.”

A woman in the crowd, however, expressed disappointment about Espaillat’s run for Congress, especially after the club campaigned heavily for him in his 2010 state Senate bid.

“You just got to the Senate,” she said.

“Why don’t you warm up the seat first?

Why are you aspiring for Congress when you still have so much more work to do in the Senate?”

Under newly drawn political boundaries, the 13th District will now stretch from Harlem in Manhattan to the northwest Bronx neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Norwood, Kingsbridge Heights, and parts of Kingsbridge and University Heights in The Bronx.

Despite arriving 30 minutes late and entering the room with a walking stick, the incumbent Rangel made a desperate pitch and said he was the only candidate who had the credentials and experience to get the job done.

“I come here to ask for your support and…ask you to consider your favorite son, but also to consider who you think is the best equipped, the best qualified, the best experienced to take our country forward,” he said.

“You’re not taking a chance on me.

I’ve been there, and I intend to do the job that you expect me to do.”

When asked to comment on rumors he would not serve a full term, Rangel vehemently denied any claims he would quit midway and relinquish his seat to Assemblyman Keith Wright.

“It would be one of the worst things that a public official could do, to reach out and ask people to put their hopes and their dreams in somebody to serve for two years and then to turn your back and do something as deceitful as to have

a switch-swap,” he said.

“Being 81 years old, I’ve got pride.

I’ve got dignity. There will be no rock big enough for me to crawl under if I would even consider doing something so vicious.”

In addition to Espaillat and Rangel, political strategist Craig Schley and former business executive Joyce Johnson, the only woman running, spoke to the members.

The fifth candidate, Clyde Williams, opted to forego the endorsement meeting.

However, once the formal component of the evening concluded and the political club’s leaders addressed the crowd, it soon became clear the endorsement meeting

was a two-man race.

District Leader Bruce Feld said he would personally endorse Espaillat because it was important to support someone “who comes with no kind of baggage,” while new CB8 member Paul Ellis said he would also throw his support behind the state Senator because he “knows The Bronx and is a friend of The Bronx.”

“Whenever it is that Congressman Rangel does step down, we may not have the same opportunity that we have today in someone like Sen. Espaillat,” Ellis said.

“We may not have such a good opportunity to support someone who really knows, understands, and who will be in favor of The Bronx.”

Of the six members who spoke before

the all-important vote, State Committee Member Helen Morik emerged as the lone Rangel supporter.

“The only way anything can get done…is if you have seniority and if you have worked on both sides of the aisle for a number of years, as he has,” she said.

“He has seniority, he has experience, he can go to Congress and everybody will greet him fondly and affectionately, and he won’t be on the bottom rung of the barrel as new members are.”

Despite her lack of support, Espaillat eventually secured 72 percent of the votes.

According to a breakdown of the 77 ballots, Espaillat secured 54 votes; Rep. Charles Rangel won 13 votes; Craig Schley, 2; Joyce Johnson, 1; and Craig Williams, 1. There were 4 no-endorsements and 2 invalid ballots.

By MIAWLING LAM The two men charged with the murder of Hwang Bum Yang, the local chef who was shot and killed for his iPhone in April, have pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Alejandro Campos, 21, and Dominick Davis, 20, appeared separately before Bronx Supreme Court on May 30 to enter their not-guilty plea on the murder and other related robbery charges.

Although their respective hearings lasted less than two minutes each, their appearance was emotionally charged.

For the first time, the courtroom was packed with family and friends of both suspects and with family and friends of the man they allegedly killed.

More than a dozen of Yang’s family and friends, including his father, mother and sister, made a surprise appearance—eager to catch a glimpse of the suspected killers.

The victim’s mother, Hyun Sup Yang, craned her neck, tapped her feet, sobbed loudly and held her daughter’s hand for support as both men were brought before Hon. Seth L. Marvin.

At one stage, a court officer had to order her to sit back down after she rose to obtain a clearer view of Campos.

Both suspects remained silent and spoke only to deliver the clerk of the court their plea.

Earlier this month, a Bronx grand jury indicted the pair on second-degree murder charges, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property.

According to papers filed in Bronx

Supreme Court, the grand jury, surprisingly, also indicted Davis on one count of first-degree murder.

Outside the court, the victim’s sister, Sunah Yang, 23, told the Riverdale Review she was amazed by the men’s plea.

“There are no words to describe how I feel,” she said. “It’s funny how they say they’re not guilty. They know what they did.”

When asked about how her mother felt, Yang said she was “very upset and very sad” and “wants them to have life in prison.”

Meanwhile, Campos’ attorney, Martin Galvin, claimed his client’s not-guilty plea was a “standard proceeding.”

The lawyer has previously maintained his client’s innocence and said Campos was a good kid who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“When you get the indictment, you can either plead guilty and take whatever sentence the court gives you or you plead not guilty,” Galvin said.

“There are legal defenses that he has and that he has a right to assert.”

Yang, a Korean national and a Johnson Avenue resident, was on his way home after finishing a shift at the exclusive Modern restaurant in Manhattan on April 19 when he was confronted at Cambridge Avenue at West 232nd Street.

Prosecutors allege Davis approached Yang, demanded his iPhone and fired a single shot during an altercation. The bullet ultimately struck the victim in the left torso, instantly killing him.

Detectives accuse Davis of stealing Yang’s iPhone, leaving the victim for dead

and fleeing the scene in a 2002 white Honda Odyssey getaway car driven by Campos.

The two suspects were eventually arrested on April 26 after they foolishly tried to offload the stolen phone on the popular classified website Craigslist.

At the time, commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Captain Kevin Burke told the Review that detectives have written and video confessions from the pair.

The maximum sentence for firstdegree murder is life in prison with or without parole; the minimum penalty is 20 years.

The two men are next scheduled to appear before Bronx Supreme Court on Tuesday, August 7.

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3 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Accused iPhone killers plead not guilty to murder

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Around the schools...

P.S. 81

This weekend, the community is invited to “P.S. 81 Presents…A Bronx Tale” in the school auditorium on Saturday, June 9, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m. The revue, produced by parent coordinator Nina Velazquez, will feature music with some kind of Bronx connection—including songs made famous by Jennifer Lopez, Aerosmith, Dion and the Belmonts, Tito Puente, Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Celia Cruz and others. More than a hundred students are engaged in the show, either performing or providing behindthe-scenes support. Doors open a half hour before each performance. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, contact Nina Velazquez at 718796-8965, extension 1143.

Horace Mann School

Senior Winta Zaid, a Riverdale resident, is a National Achievement Scholarship winner. Under the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the National Achievement Scholarship program was established in 1964 to recognize outstanding black high school students. Winners are selected for their abilities, skills and accomplishments, regardless of financial circumstances or college choices. Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 are awarded to 700 students each year. Additional corporate-funded scholarships are reserved for corporation employees’ children or for students pursuing selected college majors.

Senior David Lopez, a Riverdale resident, has won a New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The program awards up to $1,500 per year for up to five years of undergraduate study in New York state. Awards are based on high school grades and grades in particular Regents exams.

Lebanese educators sponsored by the U.S. State Department visited Upper Division faculty and students last week. Dr. Barbara Tischler, director of curriculum and professional development, led the guests on a tour of the school.

Riverdale Country School

This year’s Middle School field day featured “Dunk Your Kicks,” a sneaker donation effort to benefit the Max Cure Foundation. Max Cure advances cures for pediatric cancers, funds the development of less toxic treatments and assists lowincome families coping with pediatric cancer. When Middle School head Milton Sipp was introduced to the foundation’s new sneaker donation program by students Eli and Aliah Banchik, he proposed it to athletic coordinator Doug McDonald, who then incorporated “Dunk Your Kicks” into the field day. Max Cure receives an average of one dollar for each donated pair of sneakers. The program is established at 50 schools in the metropolitan area, but Riverdale Country School was the first to make it part of a field day. Students ran in relay races and an obstacle course, performed creative “dunks” and engaged in a pep rally that included singing the “Dunk Your Kicks” theme song. “Being able to experience Riverdale’s field day today and how they incorporated “Dunk Your Kicks” into the activities reinforces

that when people are educated and inspired they are determined to make a difference,” organization co-founder David Plotkin said.

Ethical Culture Fieldston School

The school’s City Semester program was featured in a June 3 New York Times article, “For Bronx Private School, All the City’s a Classroom in an Experiential Course.” Program chair Andrew Meyers, one of eight teachers who lead the class, said the idea of the project-based semester is to “use place as a primary source.”

Students explored low-income housing, led walking tours, interviewed owners and workers at the Hunts Point Market at 4 a.m. and took educational canoe trips on the Bronx River. They argued against and in favor of urban planner Robert Moses for his reputed role in the deterioration of the South Bronx. One student questioned why two million cubic yards of dirt were removed to create Shoelace Park. “If you want to make a park, why remove the dirt?” he asked. Meyers and his colleagues won a $10,000 grant for the program last year from the school’s own venture grant board.

Local Scholars

Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, has announced that Guillermo Jimenez received a bachelor’s degree in history. He was one of 570 students who received undergraduate degrees during the college’s commencement exercises this month. Nazareth College enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students on its suburban campus in the dynamic, metropolitan region of Rochester. Founded in 1924, the college offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education and management. Its strong cultures of service and community prepare students to be successful professionals and engaged citizens.

Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, has announced that Samantha Tureski will be attending this fall. Grinnell Col-

lege is a nationally recognized liberal arts college founded in 1846. It enrolls 1,600 students from all 50 states and from 50 countries worldwide in more than 26 major fields, interdisciplinary concentrations and pre-professional programs. Notable Grinnell alumni

include Intel co-founder Robert Noyce, Grammy-winning musician Herbie Hancock, Bruegger’s Bagels co-founder Nordahl Brue and retired Amazon.com executive Joel Spiegel.

The State University of New York at Geneseo has announced that Melissa Liriano and Thomas Nugent are included on the dean’s list for the spring 2012 semester. To earn this distinction, students must achieve a 3.5 GPA while registered for at least 12 credit hours. SUNY Geneseo is a public liberal arts college recognized nationally for excellence in undergraduate education and for its professional and master’s level programs. The college combines a rigorous curriculum and a rich co-curricular life to create a learning-centered environment.

By MIAWLING LAM City officials are considering a Chelsea Piers-style mixed-use retail complex and at least three sporting venue proposals for the long-awaited redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation president Marlene Cintron hinted at the breadth of submissions during an unrelated interview with the Riverdale Review last month.

Cintron said the city’s Economic Development Corporation is currently sorting through the proposals and have conducted initial interviews with each bidder.

“They’ve asked a series of questions, and they’re waiting for responses on financials,” she said.

“They will get down to the finalists shortly, and we’re just urging them to decide on who it’s going to be so we can get the armory going.”

Among the filed submissions are the much-publicized plan by the Kingsbridge National Ice Center—led by New York Rangers legend Mark Messier and Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes—to construct eight ice rinks plus a public school and New York Cycling Association’s application to build an official USA Cycling Center with an Olympic-size 250-meter velodrome, complete with spectator seating and concession areas.

“Another is a retail proposal with incubator space and an entertainment and sport component,” Cintron said before stressing that it was not a shopping mall per se.

“It’s much more interesting. It’s retail, but very different. It’s an ethnic retail market.”

Cintron has previously said officials received “less than 10” submissions from deep-pocketed developers who expressed a number of ideas for the historic structure.

While the single-digit number appears modest, it is considerable given that no government funding will be offered to the winning developer.

“When the RFP was done many, many years ago, they only had two responses,” Cintron said.

“We’re way ahead of the game. And to me, it’s an indicator of the renewed, invigorated interest by developers coming to The Bronx. It just bodes well.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised as to the variety, and we’re encouraged by the number of responses.”

EDC spokesman Kyle Sklerov declined to confirm the type of submissions that officials were poring over but said the city hopes to announce the winning bid later this year.

“We’re still reviewing responses right now,” he said. “We’re looking to move as quickly as possible to activate the site to bring jobs and economic investment to The Bronx.”

Plans to breathe new life into the historic 575,000-square-foot northwest Bronx structure were resurrected when Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a new request for proposals during his State of the City address earlier this year.

Redevelopment plans stalled in 2009 after the City Council spectacularly voted down a $310 million proposal by The Related Companies after concerns arose about wages.

Under the Related plan, the imposContinued on Page 13

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5 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

New plans for Armory advanced

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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JASA sets activities in June

Create your own narrative portrait with Michael Ferris, guest artist-in-residence through the SPARC initiative. No previous artistic training necessary. Mr. Ferris will instruct this class on Monday afternoons from 1:15 - 2:30 PM through June. Please call the center office 718-549-4700. This project is made possible by grants from Bronx Council on the Arts and NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs.

Join Caroline, graceful exercise instructor for Movement to Music sessions on Tues. June 12, 19 and 26 at 10:15 AM. Thurs. June 7th: Center Light will host a lively Zumba class at 10:30 AM followed by a presentation: ‘What is a Pooled Trust?’

Fri. June 8th: Join Rose and Meir, experienced dance instructors, for a fun session of international line dancing at 1:00 PM. Beginners welcome.

Sun. June 10th: Boricua College Chorus will perform a mix of classical, Latin and Broadway at 1:00 PM following a delicious lunch at 12:15 PM. Suggested senior contribution for lunch is $2.00. Recommended senior contribution for event is $2.00. Non-senior guests are welcome.

RSVP to center office 718-549-4700 by Mon. May 7th.

Nutrition Talks on Tues. June 12th with A. Jalandoni, RD and Wed. June 13th: Cholesterol by C. Harry, DFTA Nutritionist at 11:15 AM. Lucy Degidon, Art Historian, will talk about Pablo Picasso’s work on Friday, June 15th at 1:00 PM. Rob Silverman, pianist, will present Jewish and Broadway music on Fri. June 22nd at 1:00 PM. Wed. June 27th: Join us for a special evening of classical and Broadway music presented by the Bronx Opera Ensemble at 6:45 PM after a sumptuous dinner at 5:45 PM. Suggested senior contribution for dinner is $2.00. Recommended senior contribution for event is $2.00. Non-senior guests are welcome. RSVP to center office 718-549-4700 by Mon. June 25th.

Thurs. June 28th: L. Davies, Esq. will present a talk on Senior Scams via Phone, Internet and in Person at 1:00 PM. Trips to Stew Leonard’s on 6/6, Empire City on 6/13 and to Aqueduct on 6/19.

For reservations and more information, call Maritza at 718-548-4700.

Classes in Fitness, 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.

Bronx tinnitus support group working towards a quiet future

Tinnitus is an annoying noise or ringing in the ear that is heard without an external sound. Anyone suffering from this condition or those interested in learning about tinnitus are invited to attend a free support group.

The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Church of the Mediator, located at 260 West 231st Street, off Kingsbridge Avenue. Their next session will be held on Thursday, June 7 and will last about an hour. The church’s entrance is by the Bx1, Bx7, Bx10 and Bx20 bus stop. For more information, please contact Dr. K. Nabinet on 718410-2301 or 917-797-9065 or via email kkwn12u@aol.com

Pat O’Malley to speak at Riverdale Temple

On Sunday June 10th, at 11:00 A.M. Pat O’Malley, L.M.S.W., Riverdale Senior Services Director of Social Services, will speak on entitlements for seniors, such as SCRIE, HEAP and food stamps.

Pat will also address emotional issues facing seniors and their loved ones with regard to decision-making on health care issues such as home care, independent and assisted living residences and nursing homes. Pat will also talk about the services that Riverdale Senior Services has to offer and bring literature on the agency’s services including computer classes. There will be ample time for questions and answers, and refreshments will be served.

Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue Riverdale, NY 10471.

St. John’s Fleamarket

St. John’s Church will host a flea

market on Saturday June 9, 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 Kingsbridge.

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.

Bronx Arts Ensemble Festival Of The Arts

The Bronx Arts Ensemble will present its 5th annual Festival Of The Arts, a free performance showcasing talented students in its arts-in-education programs in Bronx schools, on Tuesday, June 12 at 3:30 pm in the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, featuring performances by band, African drumming & dance, hip hop, recorder, ballroom, musical theater and chorus students. Bronx schools represented at the Festival include: Bronx International High School, East Fordham Academy, Ellis Preparatory Academy, International Community High School, New School for Leadership, PS 56, PS 175, PS 109 OST, IS 229, PS/MS 280.

The BAE offers arts teaching program in over 50 schools in the Bronx and beyond, including instruction in music, dance, drama and visual arts, offering

quality professional programs to fulfill State Learning Standards in the arts.

“The Festival of the Arts provides students with valuable performance experience and develops students’ skills working together as a team toward a polished demonstration of their talents,” stated William Scribner, Executive/Artistic Director of BAE. For Further Information on BAE’s arts-in-education programs and the June 12 Festival, please log onto www.bronxartsensemble.org. or call 718 601-7399.

Artist speaks on subway murals

The Riverdale Art Association is meeting on Tuesday, June 12 with an Artist presentation by Felipe Galindo.

Felipe Galindo is the designer of Stained Glass for the 231st Street Subway Station and will talk about his work as a visual artist who works with humor in a variety of media from cartoons and illustrations in publications like The New Yorker and other periodicals to public art.

In particular he will describe the process of the design and creation of 4 faceted glass panels that are in a permanent installation at the subway platforms at the 231st Station of the #1 line. Some samples of his work can be viewed at www. felipegalindo.com” The Riverdale Art Association welcomes new members and visitors at its meetings They meet the second Tuesday of the month at the Community Room of the Riverdale Atria on Henry Hudson Parkway just south of the monument. The next meeting is June 12th at 7:00 p.m. www.riverdaleartassociation.org

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The community is invited for a Weekend Of The Arts at Christ Church Riverdale June 9 & 10.

The Annual Art Exhibit by the Christ Church Community’s artists will feature painting, photography, fiber arts, sculpture and more Saturday and Sunday from 1-5p.m. A Reception to meet the artists will be Saturday, June 9th from 1-5p.m. Free admission.

Saturday evening, June 9th at 7:30 p.m. Great Music at Christ Church will end its Community Music Concert Season with a Gala Concert of the Christ Church Choir and Friends performing works by Gardiner, Thompson, White and the choir’s Director of Music, Timothy Brumfield. A light reception will follow with further viewing of the artwork. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door - $20 adults, $15 students and seniors.

Christ Church Riverdale is a national landmark by renowned architect Richard Upjohn celebrating 145 years of Faith, Service and Fellowship in the community. It is located at 5030 Henry Hudson Parkway East at 252nd Street. Bronx, New York 10471 Parking is available. 718 543-1011 www.christchurchriverdale.org

Toastmasters Club invites new members

Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale

invites new members to join in at their free meeting on June 13 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.

Riverdale Childrens Theatre presents ‘Hairspray’

Tickets are now on sale for Riverdale Children’s’ Theatre’s pilot production of Hairspray Jr! Show dates are Thursday June 7th at 7pm, Friday June 8th at 5pm and Sunday June 10th at 1pm and 5pm.

All performances are at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy located at 660 West 237th Street. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on line at www.riverdaletheatre.org or at the door. For group sales please call 646-436-3045.

Following the success of last year’s pilot production of Little Mermaid Junior, this spring RCT has been chosen by Musical Theatre International to premiere a brand

new production of Hairspray Junior!

Hairspray The Musical was the winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score,. You’ll tap your feet to the beat as Tracy Turnblad and friends triumph over high school bullies, racism and enemies everywhere of big girls with big hair. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and book

by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, viewers young and old will be shimmying in their seats as they enjoy hit favorites such as “Good Morning Baltimore,” and “You Can’t Stop The Beat.” It’s hair-hopping family fun in dazzling color and style.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Weekend Arts Festival at Christ Church June 9 & 10

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Thursday, June 7

Monday, June 11

MUSICAL PLAY – HAIRSPRAY 7:00 P.M. Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy 660 West 237th Street Tickets are now on sale for Riverdale Children’s’ Theatre’s pilot production of Hairspray Jr! Show dates are Thursday June 7th at 7pm, Friday June 8th at 5pm and Sunday June 10th at 1pm and 5pm. All performances are at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy located at 660 West 237th Street. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on line at www.riverdaletheatre.org or at the door. For group sales please call 646-436-3045.

KNITTING AND CROCHET 11:00 A.M. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street A get together for knitters and crocheters at all skill levels to work on a current project, learn new techniques or even start to learn a new craft.

Riverdale

Riverdale

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEETING 7:00 P.M. Oregano Restaurant 3522 Johnson Avenue There will be a meeting of the Econoic Development Committee of Community Board 8 The public is welcome. For more information call (718) 884-3959.

Saturday, June 9 Kingsbridge

FLEA MARKET 9 A.M. Old St. John’s School 3030 Godwin Terrace St. John’s Church will host a flea market on Saturday June 9, 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 Kingsbridge.

Clothes, jewelry, accessories and bric-a-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 718-543-3003.

Riverdale

WEEKEND ARTS FESTIVAL 1:00 P.M. Christ Church 5030 Henry Hudson Parkway The community is invited for a Weekend Of The Arts at Christ Church Riverdale June 9 & 10.

The Annual Art Exhibit by the Christ Church Community’s artists will feature painting, photography, fiber arts, sculpture and more Saturday and Sunday from 1-5p.m. A Reception to meet the artists will be Saturday, June 9th from 1-5p.m.

Free admission.

Saturday evening, June 9th at 7:30 p.m. Great Music at Christ Church will end its Community Music Concert Season with a Gala Concert of the Christ Church Choir and Friends performing works by Gardiner, Thompson, White and the choir’s Director of Music, Timothy Brumfield. A light reception will follow with further viewing of the artwork. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door - $20 adults, $15 students and seniors. Parking is available. 718 543-1011 www. christchurchriverdale.org

Sunday, June 10 Riverdale

BAZAAR 10 a.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 250th St. & Henry Hudson Parkway CSAIR Sisterhood will hold a bazaar. Admission is free.

Rain or shine. The community is welcome. Judaica Gift Shop will be open. No early birds please. 25% discount on selected items over $10 in the Judaica shop.

Riverdale

LECTURE 11 a.m. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue Pat O’Malley, L.M.S.W., Riverdale Senior Services Director of Social Services, will speak on entitlements for seniors, such as SCRIE, HEAP and food stamps. For more information, call 718-548-3800.

Riverdale

MUSICAL PLAY – JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOR COAT 2:00 P.M. Riverdale Y 5625 Arlington Avenue.

Riverdale Y’s Riverdale Rising Stars will present Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Coat, Directed by Sabrina Landau on Sunday, June 10 at 2:00pm, Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00pm*, Thursday, June 14 at 7:00pm, and Sunday, June 17 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm. Tickets for Adults $16 Online, $20 at door; Seniors and Students $12. *Wednesday tickets are $10. For tickets and information go to Riverdalerisingstars.com.

Spuyten Duyvil

Tuesday, June 12 Bedford Park

FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS 3:30 P.M. Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West The Bronx Arts Ensemble will present its 5th annual Festival Of The Arts, a free performance showcasing talented students in its arts-in-education programs in Bronx schools, on Tuesday, June 12 at 3:30 pm in the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, featuring performances by band, African drumming & dance, hip hop, recorder, ballroom, musical theater and chorus students.

For Further Information on BAE’s arts-in-education programs and the June 12 Festival, please log onto www. bronxartsensemble.org. or call 718 601-7399.

Riverdale

TALK ON SUBWAY MURALS 7:00 P.M. - Riverdale Atria Henry Hudson Pkwy. (south of the monument) The Riverdale Art Association is meeting on Tuesday, June 12 with an Artist presentation by Felipe Galindo, the designer of Stained Glass for the 231st Street Subway Station and will talk about his work as a visual artist who works with humor in a variety of media from cartoons and illustrations in publications like The New Yorker and other periodicals to public art.

In particular he will describe the process of the design and creation of 4 faceted glass panels that are in a permanent installation at the subway platforms at the 231st Station of the #1 line. The Riverdale Art Association meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Community Room of the Riverdale Atria on Henry Hudson Parkway just south of the monument. www. riverdaleartassociation.org

Call toll-free: 1-888-459-1026

Wednesday, June 13

RIVERDALE TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING 7 p.m. Riverdale Neighborhood House 5521 Mosholu Avenue Bronx Toastmasters Club of Riverdale invites new members to join at their free meeting. For more information, call 718-796-6671.

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BOOK TALK ADULT READING CLUB 11:00 A.M. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Come share your experiences with other readers! For more information, see librarian at information desk.

Wednesday, June 20 Riverdale

MEETING OF BRANDEIS GROUP 12:30 P.M. Riverdale Temple West 246 Street and Independence Avenue.

The Riverdale Chapter of The Brandeis National Committee will close its current season on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 12:30 P.M. in Riverdale Temple at West 246 Street and Independence Avenue.

The Study Group Leaders will be the Chapter’s honored guests at this annual party and all will be entertained by a musical presentation by Gary Lovett. Bagels and light refreshments will be served and a boutique, “Jewelry,etc. by Pearl, Carol and Jessie” will be displayed for sale.

Please make advance reservations by sending check for $12.00, payable to B.N.C., to Cecile Horwich, 5800 Arlington Avenue-10W, Riverdale, N.Y. 10471, by June 13th. Fee at the door will be $15.00.

Thursday June 21 Spuyten Duyvil

JAZZ WITH THE EAST HARLEM TRIO 4:30 P.M. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Debra Kreisberg saxophonist/clarinetist, and composed along with bass and keyboard musicians will play Jazz and regular standards as well as new compositions celebrating the New York Public Library’s Annual Make Music New York.

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Riverdale Rising Stars Jr presents

Directed By Sabrina Landau

SHOWTIMES & DATES: Sunday,June 10 at 2:00pm Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00pm* Thursday, June 14 at 7:00pm Sunday, June 17 at 2:00pm & 7:00 pm Adults $20; Online $16; Seniors & Students $12 * Wednesday performance only $10 For tickets & info go to

Riverdalerisingstars.com 5625 Arlington Avenue Bronx, NY 10471 718-548-8200 www.RiverdaleY.org Stay connected with RRS

facebook.com/Riverdalerisingstars twitter.com/Riverdalerisingstars

Continued from Page 1 If the chain signs on the dotted line, it will mark Buffalo Wild Wings’ first foray into The Bronx.

The restaurant franchise currently operates two locations in New York City—one in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene and another inside Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport. The business has an additional branch in New Rochelle.

Meanwhile, the updated brochure shows that leases have also been sent out to previously rumored tenants Petco and Bank of America.

As the Review first reported, both businesses had filed letters of intent in March. BoA was interested in occupying a 2,800-square-foot space facing the elevated subway tracks on Broadway, while

Petco wanted to lease the space directly underneath what could now become Buffalo Wild Wings.

Ripco Realty is currently recruiting retailers to set up shop at the mall and is acting as a leasing agent for the site’s owners, Metropolitan Realty Associates.

Anchoring the 165,255-square-foot mall is BJ’s Wholesale Club, who will occupy more than 118,000 square feet in the south building on West 237th Street.

The $80 million shopping mall, which is set to open in October 2013, will provide shoppers with up to 500 free parking spaces.

According to MRA, the development is expected to generate around 325 fulltime equivalent retail jobs and 500 union construction jobs.

Metropolitan Realty Associates purchased the former cookie factory for nearly $19 million in August of last year.

9 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

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Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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By ALLISON SUMMERS Something is fishy at 4705 Henry Hudson Parkway and residents are complaining it’s Christopher Toole’s apartment.

The 47-year-old former bank executive is being sued by his landlord Windsor Apts. Inc. for running a fish farm out of his Riverdalian quarters that allegedly leaks water into the apartment below and has the entire hallway reeking like a fish market.

Toole, who holds an economics degree from Tufts and was a vice president at Sovereign Bank, left his job and six-figure salary in 2010 to immerse himself in aquaponics, a type of sustainable food production in which fish and plants are cultivated together in a constructed, recirculating ecosystem.

According to a lawsuit filed in Bronx Supreme Court, Toole and his girlfriend, Anya Pozdeeva, also a former banker, breed tilapia in water-filled trash bins in their 14th floor high-rise apartment and sell them online.

The couple also founded and run a nonprofit organization called the Society for Aquaponic Values and Education (SAVE), where they teach aquaponics to children at a community center called The Point in the South Bronx.

Erroll Brett, the attorney for Windsor Apts. Inc., said that Toole is violating his lease by illegally breeding fish and running SAVE from his apartment.

“The purpose of this lawsuit is to ensure that he abides by the rules that the rest of the community is subject to,” he told the Riverdale Review. “We’re not looking to evict him or fine him.”

However, when the Review spoke to

Toole outside his apartment building on Monday, he said he has complied with the building’s orders and disposed of more than a dozen tanks.

He also claimed that Brett is drumming up the issue again and filing a new lawsuit to garner more publicity.

“He’s getting a lot of media exposure,” Toole said. “You’d never heard of this attorney before this story, did you?”

“You have to understand that there are two sides to every story and this is not a story about fish farming. It’s about people and personalities,” he continued.

“When I first received complaints a year ago, I went to the super to address the problem and asked what was ok and what was not.”

Roch McDowell, a 65-year-old resident who lives in the apartment directly below Toole, told the New York Post that he has been plagued with the noise of Toole dragging his fishing equipment across the floors at all hours of the night, and that Toole is responsible for several water leaks into his apartment.

“It’s irritating because you hear noise all the time,” said McDowell. “It’s 3:30 in the morning, and you hear him dragging his aquarium or whatever it is across the floor. It has changed my life.”

Toole said his fish tanks did not cause any of the water leaks and that he has been working to stop the noise levels.

“I had never met the tenant below me until I heard that there was a complaint about the noise, and I did the neighborly thing to do by giving him my number and asking him to let me know whenever there was a problem.”

As of press time, calls to the building’s super were not returned.

11 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Something fishy on HHPkwy

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

12

Adriano Espaillat – The Change We Need In Congress

With the newly created 13th Congressional District now including the Bronx, State Senator Espaillat is running for Congress to bring his bold, new ideas to Washington D.C. We know Senator Espaillat. In the State Senate, Adriano fought for the values we share: education funding for New York City schools, well-paying jobs for New Yorkers, and healthcare access for our families.

In Congress, Adriano will bring the same Sen. Espaillat receives endorsement from NYC Council Member Oliver Koppell.

passion and energy and work with President Obama against Tea Party Republicans.

Endorsed By: NYC Council Member Oliver Koppell, State Senator Gustavo Rivera, The Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club.

www.espaillatforcongress.com

Rabbi Ari Hart recruits food inspectors that also answer to a higher authority

By PAULETTE SCHNEIDER out to the shuls—so businesses can hear Riverdale’s kosher food establishments from consumers, ‘Hey this is something can join the hundred nationwide who we care about.’” have earned the right to display a special Those who already boast the Tav HaYoseal showing customers they obey the sher are Geshmake Fish Market at 513 laws—not only the Jewish dietary laws, West 236 Street, Mr. Bagel Cafe & Caterbut state and federal labor laws as well. ing at 5672 Broadway, Riverdale Kosher Ari Hart, assistant rabbi at the Hebrew Market at 5683 Riverdale Avenue, and Institute of Riverdale, has been enlisting Silverleaf Caterers at 5672 Broadway. community support for a program that To help promote the program, contact interviews employees several times a year Ari Hart at ahart@utzedek.org. to ensure they’re working no more than the number of hours permitted by law, are paid at least the current minimum wage, and are provided with a clean, safe work Continued from Page 5 environment. ing redbrick facility would have been His organization, Uri L’Tzedek (Awake transformed into a large shopping mall to Justice), trains field inspectors to in- containing a department store, dozens of terview the workers and confer the Tav shops and a movie theater.

HaYosher—seal of ethics—upon deserving Meanwhile, officials at the Van Cortbusinesses. landt Park ice skating rink have revealed “We are the Orthodox social justice they will not be fazed by a loss of pamovement, created because we felt there tronage if Messier’s plan is chosen as the was not a body of Orthodox Jews who were winning project. actively seeking to promote (justice) in Ice Rink Events New York project mansystemic ways throughout the Orthodox ager Ron Kraut said having two skating community, the Jewish community and rink centers within close proximity to the world.” each other would not necessarily lead to a The movement is slightly controversial tougher battle for the consumer dollar. in the more traditional Orthodox world, “We think it would be fabulous if the but the response has been “tacit support,” Armory becomes an ice-skating center,” Hart said. “People…recognized a need for he said. someone in the Orthodox community to “This (Riverdale-based rink) is a comtake on this mantle and say that we really munity-based project, and that is a mamcare about business ethics—we really care moth citywide facility. We really think about the American law.” we’re apples and oranges.

“We’ve been very clear that we value “The more people who skate, the hap(the dietary laws) very, very highly,” he pier we are because they’ll skate there and said. “Our certification does not reflect they’ll skate here.” anything about the kashrut establishment. It reflects on whether basic legal ethical standards for workers are being met.”

Continued from Page 1 “Magen Tzedek,” a seal of approval promoted in Judaism’s Conservative who are an important part of our health movement, did encounter outright resis- care system and now find themselves on tance—with its focus on ethical standards the front lines of this increasingly dangerin industrial food production rather than ous public health crisis.”

According to the U.S. Drug Enforceon the food service end, it appeared to ment Administration, armed pharmacy question the authority of kosher food robberies spiked 81 percent between 2006 industry authorities.

Sometimes it’s difficult to arrange a and 2010, from 380 to 686.

Under the proposed changes, suspects meeting with a busy restaurant manager or owner, so those in Riverdale who don’t found guilty of stealing controlled subdisplay the seal have yet to be brought stances less than $1,000 in value would see their crime elevated from a petit larceny on board.

“I don’t want to imply that any restau- charge—a Class A misdemeanor—to a rant we haven’t been able to approach is grand larceny charge—a Class E felony. not meeting standards,” Hart cautioned. In real terms, the penalty would increase “It takes multiple tries to engage the busi- from up to a year in jail to up to four ness owner, and that’s why we’re reaching years in prison.

New Armory plans

Pharmacy burglary

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Riverdale food establishments show their ethics

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Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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Riverdale Y’s Riverdale Rising Stars will present Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Coat, Directed by Sabrina Landau on Sunday, June 10 at 2:00pm, Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00pm*, Thursday, June 14 at 7:00pm, and Sunday, June 17 at 2:00pm & 7:00pm.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the “coat of many colors” story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Its family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music have resulted in numerous productions. Tickets for Adults $16 Online, $20 at door; Seniors and Students $12. *Wednesday tickets are $10 For tickets and information go to Riverdalerisingstars.com The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue. For more info call 718-548-8200 ext 0.

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.

Blessing of the fleet at City Island

The Annual Blessing of the Fleet with the cooperation and support of the City Island Sail & Power Squadron and the Leonard Hawkins Post #156 of the Ameri-

can Legion will take place on Sunday, June 24, at 1 p.m. Multi-denomination clergy will bless vessels from the Fenton Marine Dock located at 225 Fordham Street, City Island.

Boats are to assemble at 12:30 p.m. at the Hart Island Ferry Dock in City Island Harbor. Communication on VHF Channel #71 will begin at that time.

For more information, call Dennis at 646-258-4250.

Summer Test Prep at the Riverdale Community Ctr.

The Riverdale Community Center at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141) is pleased to offer a Summer Test Prep Academy of intensive “High School and College Preparatory” courses.

Registration is now being accepted.

1. TACHS Prep (Test for Admission to Catholic High Schools – For upcoming 8th grade students. Instructional course for math and English in preparation for the parochial high schools’ entrance exam scheduled for the fall 2012. There is a focus on skill reinforcement in reading, vocabulary, spelling and grammar, etc. Math will focus on strengthening skills in major areas of the math curriculum. Test-taking techniques and practice tests provided.

Two Week Session – 07/09/12-7/19/12

– Monday through Thursday – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee: $250 + $15 Registration Fee 2. SHSAT Prep (Specialized High School Admission Test) – For upcoming 8th grade students. Intensive instruction in math and English in preparation for the New York City Specialized High Schools (Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, High School of American Studies, etc.) Admission Test given each year to 8th grade students. Test-taking techniques and practice tests provided.

Two Week Session – 08/06/12 through 08/16/12 – Monday through Thursday – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee: $250 + $15 Registration Fee 3. SAT Prep – For upcoming 12th grade students. Instructional course in English and math for SAT Preparation. Comprehensive course is taught by experienced, licensed teachers who have been involved for many years in preparing students to take standardized exams with much success.

Two Week Session – 07/23/12 through 08/02/12 – Monday through Thursday – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fee: $275 + $15 Registration Fee Class size is limited. To register or for more information please call the RCC Office at 718-796-4724 or 718-796-4882 daily from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Rising Stars to Present Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Coat

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

18

Signs of the Time?

A number of years ago, a big, ostentatious billboard was erected just north of Van Cortlandt Park on the Yonkers side of the city line.

So outraged over the visual defilement of the park, that the then Parks Commissioner, the much-missed Henry Stern, erected a barrier on the Park property that effectively made the billboard unreadable and thus worthless. The last thing we want to see is the park turned into a commercial endeavor, used for cheesy purposes. But that is exactly what is happening. Where is the Great Stern when we need him to protect our park today?

When the Parks Department representative promoting the rink for the vendor that won the sweetheart contract for the soon to be erected Van Cortlandt Park Skating Rink was specifically asked about advertising possibly being placed on parks property, she denied that such a scheme was afoot. But now that the Ice Rink Events company has the contract firmly in hand, there are schemes being executed right now that will compromise the integrity of the park as a pristine zone dedicated to bucolic pursuits and free of commercialism.

What makes the situation even more suspect is the relationship between Ice Rink Events and the Riverdale/Kingsbridge/Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVCDC). It seems that KRVCDC has a no-bid contract to sell billboard space (“partnerships”) with the public rink, all of which is open and visible to the rest of the park. KRVCDC boasts of being part of the “rink team.”

A pattern of corruption is beginning to emerge. Anthony Perez Cassino, pulls the strings to get his political buddies contracts with the vendors he chooses in his unpaid position as the Bloomberg-appointed chair of the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy. The same kind of sleazy politics he was known for when he chaired the local community board at the same time as he gathered campaign contributions for his then-patron, the now discredited former borough president Adolfo Carrion.

As we (and writers in other papers) have pointed out, the KRVCDC is nothing more than a political club, sponsored by Perez Cassino, led by the same “parent” cabal that has compromised educational integrity at P.S. 24, by turning a blind eye to failure and corruption there. Their number one goal is electing their “Sultan of Censorship,” Cliffie “Nuts-for-Nuts” Stanton to the City Council next year. That’s why they’re so intent on shutting us down. They know that they can’t survive the bright light of a free press.

This is the same group that was scheming to take over a great beloved civic group in the neighboring Woodlawn community only to be caught with their hands in the cookie jar and soundly taken out to the woodshed by the good people of Woodlawn.

Now the KRVCDC executive director, Tracy Shelton, is at the middle of this new and even more questionable scheme, one that can open the park up to the crassest commercialism, and fees, profits and commissions into the pockets of the KRVCDC apparatchiks. All this will be courtesy of the “Cassino Conservancy,” the folks who have now put the “For Sale” sign up at Van Cortlandt Park.

It is time for the appropriate officials to begin a thorough investigation of the activities and finances of KRVCDC. How did we get from building low-income housing to selling billboards on park property? How did they turn the sale of those buildings into dollars that may now line their own pockets, instead of building more housing? A question, perhaps, for the district attorney.

These are not well-meaning do-gooders. They are running a venal and dangerous political operation posing as a non-profit.

And we must hold the Parks Department at their word and get them to do the job that Henry Stern did so well – protect our public park, our beloved Van Cortlandt Park from commercialism and avarice.

Shenanigans with co-op tax abatements?

To the Editor: As Co-op owners, we would be much more willing to fight for the Abatement, if we actually received it.

In my Co-op, after 8 years of ownership, I have never received credit for the abatement. At the beginning, the Mgment simply charged me for the abatement, as if it was an extra tax or something. When I protested, they told me that since I bought my apt too late - 2 days after the deadline for filing, I had “ to pay for it out of pocket, the same as the Sponsor does”. I rejected this demented reasoning, but they continued charging me the abatement for a couple of years more, and even threatened to take me to court for my refusal to pay for the abatement. At that point I convinced them that, if they wanted to grab my abatement, they should at least give me the credit first, then offset it with a corresponding assessment, that way the balance will be ZERO for me.

They did this for a few years, but then they the started slowly charging me back again. The trick this time was to give me credit for the abatement, but then the corresponding assessment would be higher than the credit, about $300 to $400 higher. For the past 3 years I have been protesting about this, pero they ignore my protests.

The management claims, in his yearly reports to the Attorney General Office, that they “distribute the abatements to the shareholders”. In my case, this is untrue, they have not distributed it to me, and speaking to other coop owners, they tell me that they have never received the abatement either. (Nor other

Co-op exemptions, such as the Basic STAR) In his yearly (unaudited) financials, they put a line called DUE SPONSOR, in which they give tens of thousands of dollars to the sponsor every year, as “reinbursements”, they says, for “senior citizens benefits which cause the Coop to pay less taxes”. And we are supposed to be “indebted” (grateful?) to the Sponsor for this diminution of taxes.

We have protested and denounced this criminal practice to everybody, demanding them to explain this absurd statement: to the management, the directors, the Sponsor, the Continued on Page 19

To the Editor: Since shareholders don’t have equity in “their” apartment the answer is NO. Today bank foreclosings on Co-op buildings are facing the dilemma that the courts do not know how

to handle it. As I understand, banks lend money based on the value of the building (plus assets) minus each shareholder’s mortgage amount. For shareholders without mortgage, it seems to me that the Co-op is borrowing on “their equity”? Well, shareholders don’t have equity; the Co-op building has equity. So why would anybody want to have a mortgage-free Co-op? I wonder how much mortgage the sponsor has in his shares.

A large amount of Co-ops in Riverdale (and NYS) still have the sponsor owing the majority of the shares in the Co-op.

Continued on Page 19

Is my co-op home really mine?

ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher

Note our New Address: 5752 Fieldston Road Bronx, New York 10471 (718) 543-5200 FAX: (718) 543-4206

JOEL PAL Production Manager ROBERT NILVA Marketing Director

CECILIA McNALLY Office Manager MIAWLING LAM Associate Editor

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

Continued from Page 18 Most Co-ops were formed over 25 years ago when the intention was to create a community where resident shareholders control the day-to-day activities of their home. However, this is far from happening the sponsor owns the majority of the shares and he manages the Co-op through a contract with the management

Co-op tax rebate shenanigans Continued from Page 18 accountant, Coopabat (Finance Dept of the City of New York), our political representatives (Mr. Koppell, Mr. Dinowitz)...NOBODY ANSWERED. We have a Sponsor-dominated board, and one of the directors, suposedly our Chief Financial Officer, was so enraged at my queries (which he called “ rantings”) that he threatened to denounce me to the police for CYBER-HARASSMENT. So, I am Cyber criminal now for trying to understand and defend our rights as shareholders in a Co-op.

Conclusion: the Sponsor (and possibly the directors, and the managment) get our ABATEMENTS, and there is nothing we can do about it, short of a lawsuit that we are probably going to lose - becase they have the presumption of infallibility. So, why fight for the abatement?

Gerard Grosof Concerned Citizens for Co-op Reform

Congestion pricing?

To the Editor: I don’t know whose interest you guys think you’re serving by encouraging Riverdalians to get in their cars and drive into Manhattan to buy food. Not New York City’s. Certainly not that of the community you claim to represent. Let me assure you, there is no dearth of bagels and lox up here in Riverdale.

It seems you’re so anxious to score off Bloomberg, that you’re willing to starve the mouth that feeds you (so to speak).

As for your view that lower taxes results in higher revenue, isn’t that our old friend supply side (voodoo) economics? This is the fallacy that will not die no matter how many time it’s been discredited.

David Kornbluh

company especially if there is a common major investor. If your Co-op has the same board members since it was formed or for a long time, probably the board members are working for the best interest of the sponsor and not yours.

If this is the case in your Co-op, is the board committing a crime? Probably, since they might not be honoring their fiduciary duties of loyalty to the resident shareholders. Can each board member (specially the one elected by the resident shareholders) face criminal charges and go to prison? Probably but they have a buffet of lawyers, paid for by the shareholders to defend them.

If the job of the board is so difficult and no payment is received, why some board members want to keep the job so

bad? It must be some benefit to it or are they afraid the new board might do an audit and find out something illegal and they might go to jail or pay back some money?

Our founding fathers created a constitution to protect us from any dictatorship.

Then how come we, resident shareholders, are allowed by law to live under the dictatorship?

It is time the politicians get involved and pass legislation to protect our home against this type dictatorship and fraud.

It is time real estate agents stop misleading buyers and start advertising certificate of shares for sale instead of apartments for sale.

It is very difficult for educated people to admit that we are the victim of a fraud.

It is time to stop the abuser and make our Co-op apt a home protected by law. Do you ever know why every time we are

supposed to get a reimbursement for the school or senior tax credit there is also an assessment so the Co-op keeps our credit?

Did anybody ever investigate it? Do you know why the government is protecting a house against banks but not your Co-op home against the usury charges by the Co-op? Well because you Co-op is not a home according to the law.

The powerful investors created laws to protect them but laws are not written in stone. If they were, Obama would not be president today, women would not be allowed to vote and gays would not be protected by the law. It takes one person to challenge the law and a lawyer to defend it. That person is a group of resident shareholders joining forces to win. Register in WWW.Co-opABUSE. COM or email me at Rosa.Nazar@gmail. com to protect our Co-op homes.

Rosa Nazar

19 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, June 7, 2012

Letters: Is my o-op home really mine?

Thursday, June 7, 2012 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

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