John DeSio

Tweet By Phone, For Free

2009-04-06T11:14:00.003-04:00

Here's a service for those Twitterers (Tweeters? Twittererers?) out there. Free Tweets by phone:

Quicktate (http://quicktate.com) announced the launch of TweetCall (http://tweetcall.com), a new service that allows users to dial an easy-to-remember toll-free number, (877) Tweet-Call, to “speak their tweets,” which are then transcribed and uploaded to Twitter.

TweetCall is the perfect solution for those lacking the skill, patience or time to send SMS messages conventionally, or those wishing to post tweets while driving. In fact, TweetCalling is faster and easier than texting.

More here. I tried it out with a simple "test message," and the update hit in just a few minutes, and was entirely accurate.

Use Twitter, Win Free Organic Burgers

2009-04-02T12:23:00.002-04:00

At least if you live in San Diego:

Two brothers and native San Diegans, Derek Cowling and Craig Cowling, have brought the only 100 percent organic beef burger restaurant to San Diego. From the bun and patty to the vegetables, condiments, and drinks, every ingredient that goes into a customer's mouth at O'Brothers is USDA Certified organic.

For the grand opening, O'Brothers will select five Twitter (www.twitter.com/obrothers) followers to receive a free meal (burger or salad of your choice, organic fries, organic drink) each week for the rest of 2009. Winners will be chosen at random from the first 1,000 Twitter followers or at the conclusion of the promotion on April 30, 2009, whichever comes first. To participate and receive weekly specials and complimentary menu items via Twitter, follow O'Brothers at www.twitter.com/obrothers.

More here.

My Past Coverage Of Adolfo Carrion

2008-12-12T13:18:00.005-05:00

Since Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion is in the news these days as a potential member of the incoming Obama administration, I figured why not give you, dear readers, a chance to look at some of what I've written about him for the Village Voice.

In June, Carrion awarded Dr. Ruth Westheimer a spot on the Bronx Walk of Fame, even though she had never lived in The Bronx.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/06/dr_ruth.php

And in December 2007, I wrote about Carrion's announcement that he would seek the job of City Comptroller in 2009.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2007/12/_by_john_desio.php

Dinowitz raps principal for Jewish Holy Day teacher 'training'

2008-10-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz strongly criticized the principal of P.S. 7 in Kingsbridge for opening the school during the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for professional development sessions for teachers.
“I am shocked and appalled that teachers would be asked to come to the school for professional development during the High Holy Days when this training could have been held on an already scheduled professional development day, such as Election Day,” stated Dinowitz.
Teachers at the school were notified last Wednesday by principal Renee Cloutier of training in the use of “Smartboards” – electronic blackboards – on September 30th and October 9th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
After complaints were made to the United Federation of Teachers, Cloutier assured teachers, presumably Jewish teachers, that a special “alternate” date would be scheduled for them.
“It is insulting and patronizing that teachers are told they could chose an ‘alternate’ date,” noted Dinowitz. “We know that teachers will feel pressured to come in on the original dates despite their religious considerations, and that those who don’t would fear retribution.”
Participation in professional development training can be used as a pre-requisite for obtaining certain hourly per-session jobs valued by teachers for extra income. Throwing roadblocks such as scheduling these sessions during Jewish Holidays or act as a disincentive for black teachers who might want to celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, might be considered to be a discriminatory practice.
Cloutier, with but three years experience in the classroom herself, is a graduate of Chancellor Klein’s Leadership Academy, criticized for training “instant principals.” She was given control of the school two years ago, when she was only 28 years old, an event that sparked a questioning article in The New York Times.
In the past year, the school slipped from a grade of “A” to a “C,” according to the Department of Education.

Engel supports financial bailout

2008-10-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review 10/02/2008

Congressman Eliot Engel was one of the 205 Congressional supporters of the proposed bailout plan for Wall Street that was met with defeat on Monday.
The $700 billion bailout plan lost by a vote of 228-205, with a conglomeration of conservative Republicans and left-wing Democrats banding together to defeat the bill.
Elsewhere in The Bronx Congressman Joseph Crowley voted to supported the measure. Congressman Jose Serrano, representing the South Bronx, was one of 95 Democrats to vote against the bill.
Following the vote, Engel called the bill's failure a "great disappointment."
"This was a loss for all Americans," said Engel. "I voted for this measure because I believed it was in the best long and short term interest of the nation."
Engel said that the failure to pass the bailout would have extremely dire effects on the economy of not only New York, but the country as a whole. While the bill was not perfect, said Engel, it was the best bill we had.
"Unfortunately, there were members today were more interested in voting their ideology saying it was 'my way or the highway,'" said Engel. "Other members appeared to be certain to vote 'no' on any version. This is not leadership; this is crass politics."
Engel added, "The reaction of the stock market shows that the markets were waiting for leadership, and instead they got politics."
Engel said he was hopeful that a different rescue plan could be developed to save Wall Street and the New York economy, and urged Congress to act as soon as possible.
"I remain hopeful a rescue package will promptly return to the House floor for a vote, as this crisis is not going to magically disappear overnight," said Engel. "The city, the state, and the nation are waiting."
Serrano explained that he voted against the bill because he felt it did not do enough to protect the average American.
"I understand the need to shore up our nation's big banks to prevent a larger problem, but I cannot support such an action if it does nothing to help the millions of people facing foreclosure," said Serrano. "Leaving them out of this package is shortsighted and guarantees that we will have to address the problem in the next Congress."
Serrano added, "We must face the fact that the crisis in Wall Street stems from a mortgage crisis on Main Street. If we only bail out Wall Street, we have not addressed the root cause of the problem."
The congressman called the bailout a tax on his constituents, and said his people should not have to pay for the mistakes of Wall Street.
"Where was this concern over the past year when our communities have suffered from the mortgage crisis? For them we were told: 'they got in over their heads and must take responsibility for their actions.' But when the rich bankers get in over their heads, we're told they must be rescued," said Serrano.
Serrano continued, "The other downside for working families that no one is mentioning is that when the bill for this bailout comes due, we'll be told that we cannot afford many of the programs that help regular people—programs like healthcare and education. So not only are we ignoring them now, but we'll be forced to ignore them in the future as we pay off the debt from this package. That's a bad deal twice over."
The congressman added that he could have supported a more balanced bill.
"I am sad to say that it was not balanced," said Serrano.

P.S. 81 principal Melodie Mashel hints at change in math curriculum

2008-10-02T08:59:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review 10/02/2008

For the first time since she took the reins of P.S. 81 five years ago, Principal Melodie Mashel met with the community-at-large this past week to discuss her vision for the school.
Mashel sat for about one hour for an informal chat with the members of the Community Board #8 education committee last Tuesday, during which she discussed school successes and failures, curriculum and her ongoing overcrowding problem.
Mashel noted that P.S. 81 students use the "Everyday Math" curriculum, a constructivist or "fuzzy" math curriculum that has been heavily criticized in recent years as leaving students unprepared for the traditional math that appears on the SAT.
Mashel said that she has seen some problems with "Everyday Math," and supplements it in the classroom with other material.
"There are a lot of holes in it. There are a lot of gaps," said Mashel. "So we've been toying with the idea of switching over. However, we really haven't found anything that's comparable."
Mashel was asked if being an empowerment school meant she could pick and choose her own curriculum at will. She said yes.
"It's a wonderful sense of freedom, in the sense that we can take a look at our curriculum and design it to meet the specific needs of our student population," said Mashel. "We can also select our own material at this point."
Mashel said that she is looking at several other curriculums, including the much-heralded "Singapore Math" traditional math program, but has not come to any decisions yet.
"We were looking at five different programs, none of which were really that thrilling and exciting," said Mashel, who added that she is holding off to see data and progress rates from other schools.
The principal was also asked if she felt that "Everyday Math" contributed to poor math scores in the sixth grade class at the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy. She said no, instead blaming the poor student performance in sixth grade on the shock of leaving elementary school for middle school, something she said could be "horrific."
Last week the Department of Education announced that P.S. 81 had scored a "C" on its annual progress report, down from a "B" last year. Mashel explained when the grade was released that her school is busting at the seams, and that her overcrowding problem is seriously affecting school performance.
At the meeting Mashel repeated those concerns, noting that her school is above cap in grades two and three.
"And we still have students trying to register, and unfortunately we have to turn them away," said Mashel.
Up until 1993 students in the southern portion of the current P.S. 81 zone were zoned for P.S. 7. Right now, P.S. 7 has hundreds of empty seats, while P.S. 81 is filled to capacity. Mashel was asked if she would push the DOE to return to the old zoning, to which she replied that she had engaged in discussions with Councilman G. Oliver Koppell about such a move. At this time, she said, it was not feasible.
"Until those lines are drawn to meet the need of every community member, I would be reluctant to do that," said Mashel.
Mashel was also asked if she would be interested in using portables to relieve her overcrowding problem. "Absolutely not," she said, adding that it was important for the entire community to keep the schoolyard open for neighborhood use.
As for the future of that playground, Mashel noted that she had received a City Council grant that will allow for the creation of some new features, such as tables and chairs suitable for reading or chess.
She added that her school has created a number of new after-school clubs and activities, including bookmaking, debate, designing board games, and drama. Mashel is also looking to bring a mock-United Nations program to the school. During lunch, students can now take advantage of chess and math clubs.
The principal said the new offerings were all designed to let kids be kids.
"Quite candidly, I feel that children need a break from testing and assessment," said Mashel. "And I think they need time just to be children and veg out."

Discredited Dems desperate to keep control

2008-10-02T08:58:00.000-04:00

by Candice M. Giove
Riverdale Review 10/02/2008

The start of the Bronx Democratic County Committee meeting erupted in chaos, as elected officials loyal to party boss Jose Rivera took control of the election, gave the post back to Rivera, and ran out of the Utopia Paradise Theatre on the Grand Concourse.
Rainbow Rebellion leaders casted it as illegitimate spectacle, and went on to conduct a much calmer, by-the-books election, selecting Assemblyman Carl Heastie as the new county leader.
Determining which election stands will likely fall into the hands of the court by the end of the week.
"This was a schizophrenic evening," said Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. "Unfortunately the first meeting was more of a show of buffoonery and they really made a mockery of the democratic system."
Rivera flooded the auditorium with people, who waved bi-lingual signs proclaiming "Jose Rivera Stays." Though people did fill the seats to favor Rivera, it remains unclear how many of those people were legitimate members of the county committee. Some attendees seemed clueless as to why they were there, and reportedly some senior citizens bused in by the Rivera camp believed they were attending a show.
Legitimate county committee members remained bottlenecked in the theatre's lobby, where they had to stop and sign in to verify their presence. Most of those stuck outside were loyal to the Rainbow Rebellion. Councilwoman Maria Baez seized on the jam, took the microphone and started a meeting. She installed a temporary executive board and filled vacancies on the county committee, though none of those attendees were vetted.
"They tried through mob rule to try to retain control of the county organization – even though they had the support of a small minority – by bringing in hundreds of people who aren't eligible to vote here because they were not county committee members," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.
Each committee member signed his or her name into a book, and received a yellow wristband to show their status as a person eligible to vote. Dinowitz's glasses were scratched up by Rivera supporters who tried to wrest those rolls from people overseeing the 11 sign-in tables. "I guess they wanted to destroy the legitimate records of the legitimate meeting and so they wanted to grab the books," he said.
In a video interview with the New York Observer, Councilwoman Baez claims that Assemblyman Dinowitz assaulted Rivera allies.
While up on the stage at the theatre Baez conducted voting by soliciting an "aye" or "nay" from the crowd, though there was no way to distinguish the screams of legitimate voting members from the others. And even though at times the "nays" far outweighed the affirmative cheers Baez ignored them.
"She was not authorized according to the rules to conduct a meeting. The chairman was present. The court ruled that he was supposed to run the meeting," Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene said, referring to Judge Robert Seewald's opinion which makes clear that Assemblyman Carl Heastie, the executive committee's chair, would run the election.
During the pandemonium, the Rivera allies created a new executive board: Assemblyman Jose Rivera, chairman; Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, first vice chair; Assemblyman Peter Rivera, second vice chair; Councilman Larry Seabrook, second vice chair; Latisha Seabrook, secretary; Gerald Sheiowitz, treasurer; Richard Izquierdo-Arroyo, sergeant-at-arms; and Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, parliamentarian. Koppell was booed by a large contingent of county committee members from his district.
Before the show was over, Assemblyman Rivera took his spot on stage. "They wanted to have a party?" he yelled. "We are having a party."
With that, Rivera's supporters and Rivera-aligned elected officials rushed out of the doors. They took the microphones with them.
"He had a chance to leave with dignity and he chose just the opposite," said rebel Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. "It's very sad."
Assemblyman Heastie began a much more civilized meeting and carefully followed procedural rules. First, county committee members elected a new executive slate: Assemblyman Dinowitz, county committee chairman; Councilwoman Anabel Palma, first vice chair; Assemblywoman Greene, secretary; Assemblyman Benedetto, treasurer; Howard Vargas, counsel; Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, parliamentarian; and Hector Ramirez, sergeant-at-arms.
That slate, along with 15 of the Bronx's 24 district leaders, voted for Heastie as the new county leader. The Rivera vote was done vocally, and without the district leaders.
Though the evening put the intense fracture in Bronx politics on display, Heastie hopes to patch things up. "It's going to be a tough task, but from what we witnessed tonight it may be a little tougher than I first thought," he said.
Assemblyman Michael Benjamin said that their slate better represents The Bronx. "We want to show that the new Bronx Democratic Party is going to serve all communities and will not be about self and family and close friends," he said. "It's about democracy in our borough."
Rebels said that the evening's election would most likely wind up in court.
Michael Nieves, a spokesman for Jose Rivera, doesn't see need for legal action. "As far as I'm concerned we conducted a meeting and we won. If they disagree because they conducted a meeting after ours they need to go to court."
Both Rivera and Heastie sent out press releases claiming victory.
The Heastie release provides the district leader vote count to substantiate the victory. It calls the first half of Sunday evening "a failed effort to retain control of the party by a small and shrinking faction."
Rivera's release boasts an overwhelming victory. "In a year when Jose Rivera's leadership was challenged, Bronx Democrats showed their appreciation for Jose Rivera's contributions to the people of the Bronx by arriving by feet, car, train and buses to cast their vote. Bronx Democrats have spoken. Jose Rivera remains the Chairman of the Democratic Party."
A Rivera spokesman could not immediately provide any vote tally.

Torah Adventures at CSAIR

2008-09-25T09:38:00.000-04:00

By Paulette Schneider

Once upon a time, over a millennium ago, the weekly Torah reading may have sounded like the one at CSAIR last Saturday.
These days, it appears that “the people of the book often don’t know what’s in it.” So a decade ago, performance artist and Judaic literature teacher Amichai Lau-Lavie gathered a group of education-minded actors and founded a troupe to address this problem. Their name is Storahtelling, and their aim is to reconnect the Jews with the Torah—the Five Books of Moses—through ritual theater.
As the week’s Torah portion is chanted in the traditional manner, the reader pauses at selected passages and Storahtelling actors present what they call an interpretive translation, dramatizing the text in contemporary terms. Their material is based on careful study of standard and modern sources.
Lau-Lavie discovered that interpretive translation is far from new. From the inception of ritual Torah reading until the early Middle Ages, a professional “maven” provided vernacular translations of the Hebrew text. The maven’s interpretation may have evolved into what is now the rabbi’s sermon.
During Storahtelling Torah reading sessions, actors serve as mavens, challenging shulgoers to express their thoughts on what’s going on in the current week’s bible story. They do not hesitate to pose serious and fundamental questions: Are the Jews really chosen among all the nations? Those in favor and those opposed are asked to defend their views.
Whether or not there is a chosen people, Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) was in fact one of a few chosen synagogues to receive a grant from the Legacy Heritage Fund. According to CSAIR Director of Youth and Informal Jewish Education Mike Dorfman, “One of the fund's main goals is to shift the paradigm of Jewish education from the ‘old Hebrew school model’…to models more creative and family-oriented that will provide systemic change throughout a synagogue.”
At last Saturday morning’s Shabbat services at CSAIR, Storahtelling’s Deanna Neil and Jonathan Adam Ross adapted parts of the weekly Torah portion into an interactive play, drawing out and clarifying concepts. The event kicked off a one-year program for sixth through eighth graders, who will learn Torah through theatrical programs and games developed by Storahtelling and the CSAIR staff.
Another Storahtelling “performance” at CSAIR is scheduled for June 6, 2009. For more information, call Mike Dorfman at 732-995-4707.

Bridges over a troubled parkway have residents singing the blues

2008-09-25T09:37:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio

These days, the words "bridge construction" make Riverdalians recoil in horror, and rightfully so.
With that in mind, representatives of the City Department of Transportation stopped by the neighborhood this past week to assure anyone who would listen that two planned bridge revamps will move much more smoothly than those of the past.
The meeting kicked off with a presentation by the DOT, illustrating what the City would undertake during the "component rehabilitation" of two Riverdale bridges, one at West 246th Street and the other at Riverdale Avenue and West 254th Street, both over the Henry Hudson Parkway.
Unlike other ongoing bridge constructions in Riverdale that have snarled traffic for years, these two projects are not complete rebuilds. Instead, the DOT will renovate only the existing structures, a process they estimate will take eight months.
At the meeting, the DOT asked for the blessing of the community board to run both construction jobs at the same time, which they said would make each project more manageable.
"This is vastly different," said Anthony Perez Cassino, chairman of the community board's traffic and transportation committee, which hosted the meeting. "Those were complete reconstructions."
At both bridges the DOT plans to construct a new concrete bridge deck, repave the roadways approaching the bridge, repair the site's chain link barriers, repair concrete under the deck and repoint the bridges' fascia and wingwalls.
At the Riverdale Avenue bridge, the DOT also plans to repair the sidewalk.
Both projects will proceed in multiple phases, and the bridges will be open to traffic throughout construction. If the work can begin in October, the DOT expects to be able to complete it by the summer of 2009.
Still, those at the meeting had a number of questions about the plans. Robert Press asked whether the Bx20 bus would still be able to turn at West 246th Street during the construction. Committee member Saul Scheinbach expressed concern that the construction might interfere with the operation of Engine 52 Ladder 52, the firehouse located on the Henry Hudson Parkway. Another committee member, Bill Stone, asked how local residents would be notified of the construction.
But one way or another the plan will move forward, and the main issue at the meeting was whether or not it would be appropriate to run both projects at the same time. The mood of the room indicated support for the projects to run simultaneously.
The full Community Board #8 will take up the issue at its October general meeting.
Connie Moran, the Bronx Borough DOT commissioner, also gave a status report on the ongoing construction of the West 252nd Street bridge, which has become a running joke among Riverdale residents for its seemingly never-ending work.
Several months ago Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz held a press conference to note that construction on the small span is taking longer than construction on the Whitestone Bridge.
Moran said that the work is moving along and would be substantially completed by the end of December.

Meeting thwarted, Democratic rebels hold massive demonstration

2008-09-25T09:35:00.002-04:00

By Candice M. Giove

The Rainbow Rebellion—a broad group of Bronx elected officials hoping to overthrow Bronx County Leader Jose Rivera—flexed their muscles on Monday evening, despite a court ruling that prevented the Bronx Democratic County Committee meeting from happening that night.
"All this does is prolong the inevitable, and what we have here is an ailing patient and the doctor just gave them five extra days," said state Senator Ruben Diaz Jr. at a Rainbow Rebellion rally.
The decision handed down by Supreme Court Justice Robert G. Seewald on Monday, September 22, which stopped the rebel-called meeting citing concerns over room capacity at the Co-op City Community Center, did little to stop rebel momentum.
"It doesn't matter if it's today, Sunday, Tuesday, doesn't matter," said State Senator Ruben Diaz. "The Bronx will be united. It'll no longer be one family. It will be for everybody."
At the rally at the Co-op City Community Center where the vote would have taken place, rebels put 14 of 24 district leaders on display, showing supporters that they have the numbers to win on Sunday. District leaders play a crucial role in the election because they vote with County executives for County Leader.
"Whether it happens now or happens Sunday, the numbers are what they are," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. "We feel confident and we look forward to the day when we can have leadership in The Bronx that's not divisive, leadership in The Bronx that's inclusive of everyone, leadership in The Bronx that wants to do the best for the Democratic Party in The Bronx and not necessarily for a selective few."
With the majority of district leaders favoring the rebels, others too might come on board by Sunday when the meeting occurs at Rivera's selected meeting space, the Grand Concourse's Utopia Paradise Theatre, political observers said.
In addition to the district leaders, the rebels—Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, Assemblyman Carl Heastie, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., state Senator Ruben Diaz, Councilwoman Anabel Palma and Councilman James Vacca—brought about 500 committee members to the rally despite the cancellation.
"There's no meeting, but they're here," Assemblyman Heastie said.
Leaders said that the committee members present were just a fraction of their support. One official worried, however, that the Sunday meeting would disenfranchise some members. "It seems almost as if they intended to try to exclude people from participating in the county committee meeting by holding it on Sunday night right before Rosh Hashanah and on any Sunday night for that matter," said Assemblyman Dinowitz.
At the rally, the rebels said that they looked forward to creating a better Bronx—one that was more inclusive. Assemblywoman Greene recounted how the schism widened between rebels and the organization after Rivera promised to put up a black candidate for Civil Court judge and instead put up a Latina candidate. Rebel candidate Elizabeth Taylor emerged victorious from a three-way primary and served as a symbol that County leadership would be changed.
Rebels also said that Rivera pit Latinos and African Americans against each other during the primary because he sent a racially charged letter urging Latinos to support Sigfredo Gonzalez over incumbent rebel Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, who is black.
Divisiveness was not the only complaint from the Rainbow Rebellion. They also pointed to what seems to be a Rivera Dynasty. "The people of The Bronx are beginning to realize that when you have a man who makes a city employment chart look like a family tree, that's something the people are not going to stand for," Assemblyman Benedetto said.
Chairman Rivera's son Joel Rivera is the majority leader of the City Council and his daughter Naomi Rivera is an assemblywoman. Others with Rivera family ties serve in other government roles.
After the rally disbanded, many waited to take chartered buses back to their corner of the Borough. Michael Nieves, Chairman Rivera's spokesman, stood outside on the street of the opposition meeting.
He scoffed at the Rainbow Rebellion gripe that Rivera was divisive. "It wasn't divisive when Michael Benjamin got elected. It wasn't divisive when Michael Benedetto was elected. It wasn't divisive when both Ruben Diazes were elected. I could go on and on and on," he said.
Rivera supported candidates against Assembly members Benjamin, Heastie and Diaz this year.
"OK. You got a couple of renegades getting upset and going after them," he added. "You can't tell me that in a Borough that's totally Democratic today, no other county leader in the history of this Borough has accomplished that. The goal of the Democratic Party is to empower Democrats and that's what's happened here."
Though Nieves predicted a Rivera win, no one else there that evening would agree. Stanley Schlein, a former organization loyalist turned Rainbow Rebellion attorney, said following the rally, "I think the conclusion was simply as Mr. Heastie said. Whenever, wherever this meeting is held—it'll be held some day—this group will precipitate the change that is long overdue."

Stars shine at Riverdale Y

2008-09-18T10:06:00.001-04:00

by Paulette Schneider

Riverdale Review 09/11/2008

Outrage grows over Bloomberg's anti-Riverdale gifted class policy

2008-09-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

by John DeSio

Riverdale Review 09/18/2008

Both Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and Debbie Bowden, chair of Community Board #8Õs education committee, are demanding answers from the Department of Education.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz fired off a letter to Marty Barr, the DOEÕs executive director of elementary school enrollment, asking him to clarify comments he made at a meeting of the Community Education Council of District #10 two weeks ago.
At that meeting Barr implied that the gifted and talented program at P.S. 24 could be moved in the future, and stated that Manhattan had more gifted programs than other boroughs because many of its parents could afford20to leave the public schools.
BowdenÕs letter calls on the DOE to recognize potential overcrowding at P.S. 24 and P.S. 81, as evidenced by reports of students who are zoned for those schools being denied admission. She also called on the DOE to return the Whitehall Annex to local use and to create more gifted and talented programs for students here.
ÒThis overcrowding is due to bad planning by the Department of Education, who failed to recognize the need to provide adequate seats in this growing neighborhood,Ó wrote Bowden. ÒOne only has to drive through our local streets to observe the massive construction in this community.Ó
In his letter, Dinowitz noted that it was his community that demanded the gifted program in District #10, and stated that it was not fair for the DOE to threaten to remove it from Riverdale.
ÒOur community for many years demanded a gifted program in our district,Ó wrote Dinowitz. ÒOur last elected school board made the establishment of such a program a top priority, as have I.Ê School boards may be a thing of the past, but the strong and overwhelming support in our community for gifted programs is not. Ê The DOE resisted for many years.Ê Finally, we were told last year that we would have a gifted programs starting with two first grade classes in our district of over 40,000 students.Ó
During that CEC meeting Barr noted that so few students had elected to attend the gifted program at P.S. 54 that the program was canceled this year. Dinowitz said such a move was inevitable.
ÒAs predicted, many parents who very much would like their child to be part of a gifted program decided that P.S. 24 was their only realistic option and that a bus ride of up to an hour to P.S. 54, a failing school, did not make sense,Ó wrote Dinowitz.
That said, the assemblyman demanded that the DOE show that they are serious about gifted programs by creating more in the district and in his community, across all grades and schools. He specifically took issue with BarrÕs statement declaring that ÒG&T is a district program.Ê It is not a Riverdale program.Ê It doesnÕt belong to any part of the district.Ó
ÒThat is an outrageous and disgraceful position,Ó wrote Dinowitz, who said that if Riverdale has20more gifted kids then it should have more gifted programs. ÒThere are gifted children throughout our district and every child and every corner of the district should be served.Ê But if itÕs the case that the children are concentrated in particular areas, for whatever reason, then programs ought to be housed in schools in those local areas.Ó
Dinowitz closed his letter by demanding that the DOE expand its gifted programs, stating that he is sure that more gifted students are in District #10 than the DOE wants to admit.
ÒDifferent children have different needs,Ó wrote Dinowitz. ÒWe cannot ignore any of them.Ê I am confident that there are many more gifted children throughout district 10 than the DOE is willing to acknowledge.Ê Wherever they are we must identify them and provide for gifted classes in their home school or at least in a nearby school.Ê Anything less would be scandalous.Ó
In BowdenÕs letter, she noted that the kindergarten applications at both P.S. 24 and P.S. 81 have increased significantly, leading to space crunch at those schools. She also noted that the number of gifted students in Riverdale is higher than other parts of the district, yet only one local gifted class has been created. With a need for more space for both local students and gifted programs, the Whitehall Annex could solve such problems easily.
ÒWe are requesting the return of our annex at the Whitehall and the construction of schools to provide more seats so we can continue to maintain our children with the excellent quality of education in our local elementary schools,Ó wrote Bowden.
As of press time, neither Bowden nor Dinowitz had received a response from the DOE.

Dem rebels romp, may take over reins of party

2008-09-18T09:57:00.003-04:00

by John DeSio

Riverdale Review 09/18/2008

Bronx Democratic machine was dealt a crushing, potentially fatal blow at the ballot box on Primary Day.
Civil Court candidate Elizabeth Taylor, who was backed by a prominent coalition of elected officials known as the "Rainbow Rebellion," handily defeated machine-backed candidate Maria Matos for the boroughwide court seat.
Across The Bronx Taylor picked up 19,228 votes, roughly 54 percent of the total, according to unofficial counts. Matos grabbed 10,406 votes, about 29 percent of the borough total. A third candidate, Verena Powell, finished third with 5,917 votes, good for almost 17 percent.
In addition, three Rebellion leaders who faced primary opponents with machine tiesÑAssembly Members Ruben Diaz Jr., Carl Heastie and Michael BenjaminÑeach cruised to victory by wide margins.
At the Rainbow Rebellion's primary night victory party at Maestro's on Bronxdale Avenue, campaign workers dined on free food and were thanked individually by Taylor. Spirits were high when the Rebellion members, including the aforementioned officials as well as Assembly Members Jeffrey Dinowitz, Aurelia Greene and Michael Benedetto, and State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz, took to the stage to declare victory and demand change in the Borough's political culture.
Assemblyman Diaz, widely considered to be the frontrunner for the borough presidential race in 2009, defeated his opponent with a whopping 84 percent of the vote. He said that the results of the Civil Court race showed that the current Bronx political leadership, led by Chairman Assemblyman Jose Rivera, had lost its grip on The Bronx.
"Gutter politics, divisive politics, character assassination will no longer be tolerated," said Assemblyman Diaz.Ê "We are not going to tolerate it anymore."
The assemblyman added that the civil court race, while characterized as a rebellion, really represented a coming together of various elected officials to put politics aside and choose the best person to serve on the bench. Assemblyman Diaz said that the race would also represent a sea change in the spirit and the attitude of The Bronx and its political culture.
"What we're doing here is that we're showing everyone that we can come together as one whole Bronx," said Assemblyman Diaz. "We won't always agree with one another, but we'll listen with respect."
He added, "The Bronx right now is laughable. People are laughing at us from the outside. We're looking to repair that."
Though he faced no race himself Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz did play a critical role in the election of Taylor. Taylor defeated Matos in the three-to-one margin in the 81st Assembly District, despite Matos holding the endorsement of City Councilman G.Oliver Koppell. In Riverdale the numbers were even more stark, with Taylor defeating Matos by a five-to-one margin. The initial significance of the race, said Dinowitz, was that The Bronx had come together to elect a quality jurist.
Dinowitz also said that the results of the primary proved that Rivera's county machine is virtually powerless.
"Every candidate that we supported tonight, that's part of this coalition, won, and won by an enormous margin," said Dinowitz. "I believe that the county Democratic organization has been exposed as a paper tiger."
Though the mood was one of jubilation at Maestro's it was a very different scene at the Bronx Democratic Party headquarters, where Assemblyman Rivera awaited the results of the evening in his office. County headquarters lacked decorations and catering, usually a staple of such affairs. The crowd was sparse, and the feeling was more of a wake than a celebration.
In his office Assemblyman Rivera, joined by a small parade of various well-wishers, discuss his career and what he felt were the negative perceptions of his Bronx power. He also blamed the media, especially this newspaper and the Daily News, for contributing to his loss.
At one point, while television news discussed the fallout between himself and election lawyer Stanley Schlein, who is part of the Rebellion. At one point Schlein was described on the television as a political genius, to which Assemblyman Rivera got annoyed.
"Says who?" asked the chairman.
To the victors go the spoils, and the Rainbow Rebellion have begun a push to name a new Democratic County leader, with their likely candidate being Heastie. The meeting of the county committee, the body that decides such positions, had been scheduled for this past Monday, though that was eventually cancelled.
Instead, the current Rivera-led organization has called the meeting for September 28, a Sunday, and have implied to numerous sources that they have the votes to keep Assemblyman Rivera in power as chairman.
However, the "Rainbow Rebellion" has mounted a challenge to that leadership by acquiring the signatures of more than 25 percent of the members of the county committee. That maneuver allows the "Rainbow Rebellion" to call its own meeting for Monday, September 22, at the Dreiser Auditorium in Co-op City.
"We have the votes to make the change," said one source close to the Rainbow Rebellion.
At that meeting it is expected that the assembled members of the county committee will vote, select Heastie as the new party leader, who would then cancel the September 28 meeting. In all likelihood, the entire situation would end up in court shortly thereafter.
A new leadership under Heastie would also mean that other plum jobs would be filled by Rebellion members. Greene, for example, appears to be the odds on favorite to takeover as County Clerk, a position that has remained vacant for several months. Reports have also surfaced that the new leadership may pressure City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to remove City Councilman Joel Rivera, Assemblyman Rivera's son and a candidate for borough president, as Council majority leader.
The county organization did see one victory on primary night. Nelson Castro, who was dogged throughout his campaign by reports of past criminal convictions, defeated Mike Soto for the 86th Assembly District seat by a 63-37 margin.

Local brokers offer opinions on state of real estate market

2008-09-17T14:20:00.003-04:00

by Robert Lebowitz

Riverdale Review 09/18/2008

Against the backdrop of a faltering economy and a community development boom, neighborhood residents flocked to the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel this past Sunday morning for a forum on the state of real estate in Riverdale.
The panel consisted of five brokers from local real estate agencies and one bank: Norma Gordon of Koppell River Realty, Vasco DaSilva of Halstead Property, Brian Scott Cohen of Wells Fargo, Ellen Feld of Susan Goldy, Barbara Jurist of Sopher Realty, Linda Justus of Robert E. Hill, and Fred Levy of Halstead Property. Each of the panelists, who prefaced their statements by noting that they were also Riverdale residents, weighed in on several important topics close to the hearts of the audience.
The first question posed to panelists solicited their opinion on the market trend of Riverdale real estate. The consensus was that there is still a healthy interest in homes here, even if, as Halstead agent Vasco DaSilva pointed out, prospective buyers are taking longer to Òpull the triggerÓ and make a decision. The high cost of Manhattan living, along with the easy commute to the city and the new condominiums, are attracting many young families, added SopherÕs Barbara Jurist.
Ironically, the panelists agreed, it is the often grueling and invasive nature of co-op boards resented by so many that have protected Riverdale from the foreclosures that have taken place in other parts of the country: because co-op owners are forced to disclose their finances to prove that they can afford the purchase, there have not been defaults on payments.
Panelists responded in a similarly optimistic way to an audience member's asking how the construction of new condominiums has affected the market. Agents concurred that most of the new buildings, such as Solaria and Riverstone, are of very high quality and will attract residents of high caliber who will only add positively to the community. Agents also scoffed at the fear that the new buildings will exacerbate RiverdaleÕs parking problem. ÒParking is an issue but not because of the condos, stated one broker. ÒThese buildings can accommodate parking. The parking issue, however, is one that should be addressed by local elected officials.Ó
Joe Korff, the developer of Solaria, added from the audience that his luxury high-rise has Òmore than adequate parkingÓ and that Riverdale is still considered Òone of the hot spots of New York City.Ó
DaSilva added that RiverdaleÕs accessibility is a key to its desirability, as are recent additions such as the new Starbucks on Johnson Avenue, where, he noted, he brings clients to discuss things after taking them to view a property.
Other questions were quite pointed. One woman in the audience asked about the fate of empty storefronts, such as the recently vacated Paperbacks Plus on Riverdale Avenue. HalsteadÕs Fred Levy stated that only the owner of the spaces knows the answer, leaving everyone else Òin the dark.Ó
Another Riverdalian elicited laughs when he asked whether agents are willing to cut their commissions so as to help people afford to buy homes here. Agents were quick to defend their commissions as deserved, given the expertise and knowledge they bring to the table, but several agreed that even commissions are negotiable.
A final question was for panelists to name the best five co-op buildings in Riverdale, factoring location, value, and quality. While several agents replied that it was impossible to answer such a questions without knowing the priorities of the buyer, Barbara Jurist rattled off a few of her top picks, which included the Whitehall, the Solaria, 555 Kappock Street, and several buildings along Palisade Avenue near Metro North.
Panelists encouraged audience members to contact them at their offices for more information, and concluded on an optimistic note.
ÒRiverdale does not reflect the national news and is fairly resistant to market trends,Ó said one broker. ÒWeÕre warm, not cool, going into 2009.Ó

Koppell hit on plans to change term limits

2008-09-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio

City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell is set to help overturn the expressed will of the voters.
Koppell announced this past week that he would begin the process of drafting a bill to overturn the City's term limit laws, which were passed in a citywide referendum in 1993 and were reaffirmed in 1996.
Koppell told the New York Times that he would introduce a bill "within weeks" that would allow City elected officials, including City Council members, the mayor and borough presidents, to serve three terms instead of two.
In a recent interview with this newspaper, Koppell said that he has never believed in term limits. While he would prefer that the law would be changed by referendum, he had no problem going the legislative route.
"I just don't believe in term limits," said Koppell. "I don't think it makes any sense. If voters want to vote me out than let them vote me out."
Koppell did note that a change to the law did not mean he would definitely run again for a third term. "I haven't made a decision yet," said Koppell. "I'm postponing the decision until I have to make it."
That said, he felt that the voters, not a law, should decide when his City Council career should end.
"I like what I do, and I think I do a good job," said Koppell. "We'll have to see."
Koppell's push to change the law flies in the face of the support expressed for term limits by his own constituents. In 1993 the 81st Assembly District, which includes Riverdale and Kingsbridge, supported the creation of term limits by a vote of 12,985 for and 8,771 against.
In 1996 voters were asked if they would support extending term limits from two terms to three. In the 81st Assembly District 12,807 voters said no to that extension, with 12,184 supporting the change.
A number of local political luminaries, including almost every one of the candidates planning to run for Koppell's seat in 2009, chastised the Councilman for denying the will of the electorate.
"I am, 100 percent opposed to term limits for City Council members. The voters should have the right to choose whichever Council Member they prefer, including the incumbent," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. I think the right way to change the current law is through a referendum."
Charles Moerdler, who is considering a run for City Council and serves as chairman of Community Board #8's land use committee, wondered if the City Council might be violating conflict of interest laws by seeking a legislative change to term limits, adding that Koppell was "dead wrong" on the term limits question.
"Public service is not a license to wallow at the public trough," said Moerdler. "Public service means listening to and obeying the will of the electorate. On reflection, Council Member Koppell, a principled and respected public servant, will, I hope, rethink an ill considered act."
Ari Hoffnung, co-president of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council, said that term limits are good for democracy and noted that a recent Quinnipiac poll showed that New Yorkers support term limits by a 72-24 margin.
"In the absence of term limits, voters get stuck with entrenched incumbents who are not motivated to serve the people who elected them. It should come as no surprise that over a dozen states have already implemented some form of term limits," said Hoffnung. "Ironically, the same City Council members who are now calling for the elimination of term limits would not have been elected had their predecessors had not been forced out of office by term limits. Their desire to overturn a law enacted and then reaffirmed by New York City voters is hypocritical, self-serving, and undemocratic."
Anthony Perez Cassino, former chairman of Community Board #8, said that while he had great respect for Koppell's years of service his conduct on this issue was "shameful."
"Is there any wonder whyÊpeople are cynical of politics and politicians?ÊÊNew Yorkers have spoken loud and clear--twice--that we want term limits," said Cassino. "Now we have an attempt by someÊelected officialsÊto circumvent the will of the people by changing term limits without even coming back to the voters forÊa referendum.Ê These are the same politicians who owe their own jobs to term limits.Ê Does it get more hypocritical than that?ÊÊIf theyÊreally feel that the City will be better served to have term limits extended to three terms, than they should make it effective for anyone elected after them."
Helen Morik, vice president for community and governmental affairs at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said she was not a supporter of term limits but felt it must be decided by another referendum.
"I have not supported term limits and was disappointed both times when it was passed by the voters," said Morik. "I voted against it. However, if it is to be raised again, it is preferable to do it again through a referendum so that the voters can once again voice their preference. Clearly, I think if it is to be put to a vote, it should be done sooner rather than later."
One final candidate, Jamin Sewell, who works as Koppell's legislative director, could not be reached for comment as of press time.

Dinowitz blasts DOE on gifted programs

2008-09-11T17:27:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is furious at the Department of Education's apparent lack of concern for Riverdale's gifted students.
Last week, at a meeting of the Community Education Council of School District #10, Marty Barr, the DOE's director of elementary school enrollment, made some inflammatory statements concerning gifted and talented admissions in The Bronx.
Specifically, Barr implied that the DOE could move the gifted program from P.S. 24 whenever it liked and that Manhattan districts have more gifted programs because parents in that borough have the money to leave public schools and therefore must be placated.
"G&T is not a local program, it is a district program," said Barr last week. "And if it turns out that there is no school in Riverdale that can accommodate the G&T programÉthen in the long run there may not be any G&T in that part of the district."
Dinowitz was angry, though not surprised that the DOE would so clearly broadcast its hostility to gifted and talented programs in The Bronx.
"The DOE's commitment to gifted and talented programs is almost nonexistent," said Dinowitz. "They don't seem to understand that the needs of all students have to be addressed, and that includes the students who are exceptionally bright."
During last week's meeting the issue was raised as to just how many students applied to District #10's gifted and programs and what schools those students were zoned for.
Andrew Jacob, a spokesman for the DOE, stated that 671 kids were tested for gifted programs in District #10, and 54 students scored at or above the 90th percentile and therefore qualified for gifted programs.
District #10 had two sites for gifted programs, one at P.S. 24 and another at P.S. 54 on Webster Avenue near Fordham Road. So few students accepted a seat in P.S. 54's first grade gifted program that the class was cancelled this year.
It was unclear at press time what schools the 54 students who qualified for the gifted program were zoned for.
"We can give them a big fat 'I told you so' on that," said Dinowitz. "No one from our part of the district wants to schlep to P.S. 54."
Dinowitz said that the appropriate thing for the DOE to do would be to create more gifted programs in District #10, and to base enrollment on not only test results but geographic location, as well.
"We have many more students in our own district who should be in such programs than the department is willing to provide for," said Dinowitz.
Though such a proposition may seem reasonable, last week Barr stated that gifted and talented programs do not belong to any specific community, and that placing such programs entirely in one area of the district would create a hardship for students from other communities.
"G&T is a district program, it is not a Riverdale program," said Barr. "It doesn't belong to any part of the district."
Dinowitz said that he felt it was crystal clear that there was an anti-Riverdale bias at the DOE, and that the agency did not care for the needs of middle-class communities.
"It's very consistent with their policy all along, which seems to be a policy of deliberately working against middle-class communities," said Dinowitz.

Fieldston master plan delayed by CB#8

2008-09-11T17:24:00.000-04:00

By Candice M. Giove

Citing concerns over inconsistent language and insufficient review time, Community Board #8's Land Use Chairman Charles Moerdler implored the Landmarks Preservation Commission to delay the agency's hearing for a couple of months.
The committee passed a resolution requesting an extension at their September 4 meeting in order to allow the Fieldston Property Owners' Association sufficient review time and to allow the board to consider those views because copies of the latest Fieldston Master Plan were received only ten days prior to the meeting.
Dr. Marc Odrich, FPOA president, said that the organization hired a top-notch consulting firm to comb through the entire plan on behalf of the homeowners. "Unfortunately, as this in-depth review has not yet been completed and we are in the midst of active discussion with our consultant group, FPOA is not prepared to share these views at this time," he said, adding that their own review would probably not be ready for the LPC's September 24 hearing.
Board members said that they would like to hear from the FPOA before submitting their own comments.
While the document was available for only a short time, Moerdler picked out several sections from its text that he believes need another look.
One section he said illustrated a cumbersome chain of agency approvals before a landmark application is reviewed. Residents must visit the City Planning Commission to meet Special Natural Area District requirements, receive an approval letter from the FPOA, and visit the Department of Buildings as well.
"A long time ago under a different administration, government took an oath in trying to create one-stop shopping in government interests. In my view this creates a proliferation of agencies," Moerdler said, asking for interagency action.
Even if homeowners plan an interior modification, they now must visit the LPC before the Department of Buildings because often interior changes result in exterior ones.
"For example, sometimes someone's putting in a new kitchen or something that you think is purely interior but in the back they're punching a new vent or they're doing something else that requires exterior change," explained Mark Silberman, LPC counsel. If the work does not alter anything, the LPC provides a certificate of no effect.
Moerdler also questioned the language used regarding additions. The Fieldston Master Plan allows the staff to approve "modest" additions of up to 25 percent without public review, but to incorporate additions made prior to designation in that calculation.
"There are many buildings you obviously recognize within the Fieldston area where over a period of decades additions have been made and the effect of saying those count into the calculations--and that's what this language seems to imply--counting those into it will negate the possibility of it ever applying at all because in some cases additions made 30 years ago, 40 years ago or 10 years ago swallow the entire percentage of this ability," Moerdler said.
LPC officials said the language reflected a desire to prevent homeowners' making several 25 percent additions through separate applications.
In light of the many comments and the lack of FPOA review, Councilman G. Oliver Koppell asked the Commission also to reconsider its hearing date. "To rush now doesn't seem to make much sense," he said.

McShane, parents fight mayor's policy on school gifted programs

2008-09-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review, 09/04/2008

Few questions were answered and many were raised when gifted and talented programs in District #10 were discussed at this past week's meeting of the Community Education Council.

Marty Barr, the executive director of elementary school enrollment at the Department of Education, was met by a group of Riverdale parents concerned about the management of the district's gifted and talented programs.

Those parents, whose ranks included Community Board #8 Chairman Damian McShane, had their children tested to attend a gifted program in kindergarten—though there is no kindergarten program in District #10.

Barr noted that about one-third of gifted programs, including almost every Bronx program, start in first grade. To qualify for a gifted program, a child must score in the 90th percentile or above.

Barr noted that parents who had a child tested in kindergarten will be offered a seat in the first grade program, provided they are willing to send their child to any gifted program site.

In District #10 there are two such sites, one in P.S. 24 and another in P.S. 54, located on Webster Avenue near Fordham Road. Barr noted that so few parents elected to send their first graders to the P.S. 54 site this year that the school's program was cancelled, leaving only P.S. 24 to house a first grade gifted class this year.

"You child doesn't have to test again," said Barr. "That does not mean that we are guaranteeing every child that tested at the 90th percentile a seat."

Barr noted that the number of gifted seats is determined by the number of students who tested at the 90th percentile or above. He noted that the DOE could not guarantee a seat for a child unless that child's parents ranked every gifted site. If a parent selected to send their child only to P.S. 24 and not P.S. 54, they might not get a seat anywhere. Not enough children selected P.S. 54, said Barr, and therefore that program was cancelled.

"This will be an issue every single year," said Barr, adding that gifted program size will be decided not only by the number of children eligible but also by "whether families are willing to send their children to classes in particular schools."

Marvin Shelton, president of the Community Education Council, asked whether this means that the program would be eliminated from P.S. 54 altogether and placed in a different school. Barr said that he could not answer that question specifically and that the Department of Education was not necessarily wedded to placing the program in any school. He did note that if, year after year, a particular school could not field enough students for a gifted program, then the site would be reconsidered.

Barr noted that the program could grow if the Department of Education is successful in its community outreach programs. If more kids are tested, then more programs would be needed.

Parents at the meeting asked Barr how many of the children who turned down placement in P.S. 54 were zoned for Riverdale and Kingsbridge schools, particularly P.S. 24, P.S. 81 and P.S. 7. Barr reiterated several times that gifted and talented programs were not neighborhood programs and that it would not be equitable for Riverdale to host District #10's programs, regardless of the regional makeup of the students who tested in the 90th percentile.

"If we concentrated all the seats in G&T in one part of the district, then clearly we've created a hardship for anybody who lives at the other end of the district to get to those programs," said Barr.

He added later, "G&T is a district program. It is not a Riverdale program. It doesn't belong to any part of the district."

Barr said that the Department of Education's policy was to distribute programs as widely through any school district as possible in order to ensure that the maximum number of students could access them.

Barr was asked at one point why gifted programs could not be expanded in District #10 to the levels of a district such as Manhattan's District #2. He explained that some districts have a longer history of gifted programs and that their prevalence is part of an effort to keep more well-to-do families in the public school system, rather than see them leave for private schools.

"In places like Manhattan there are a large number of families that have other options because they can afford them," said Barr.

McShane, clearly upset with many of Barr's explanations, said that his biggest concerns were to see that Riverdale parents had a local program for their children and that gifted program placement did not exacerbate potential overcrowding at Riverdale schools. He pressed Barr for the number of children who qualified from Riverdale and Kingsbridge schools.

"I want to make sure there's a program available, locally, for them," said McShane of those parents.

Barr shot back, and implied that if Riverdale schools could not handle the gifted classes within their walls, they could be moved.

"G&T is not a local program, it is a district program," said Barr. "And if it turns out that there is no school in Riverdale that can accommodate the G&T program…then in the long run there may not be any G&T in that part of the district."

McShane also blasted the Department of Education for not seeking the input of local parents when it makes such decisions.

"We're not comfortable with the DOE making blanket statements and local policy without involvement from the local parents," said McShane. "That's the problem."

Exact information on the number of students accepted into District #10's gifted program, what schools they were zoned for and what schools they turned down was unavailable from the Department of Education as of press time.

State Senate race a real disgrace

2008-09-04T11:26:00.000-04:00

by Candice M. Giove
Riverdale Review, 09/04/2008

Pedro Espada Jr. is trying to unseat State Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr. in any way possible, from luring people with grocery giveaway events to wooing Democrats with awards.

The candidate also sent out a mailing, just in time for the September 9 primary, reminding potential voters that Gonzalez was charged with funneling members items meant to help community organizations into his own pocket to lavishing himself with jewelry, clothing and a vacation home, among other things. Gonzalez's trial has been delayed.

The Espada campaign's bilingual mailer calls Gonzalez "the shame of our borough" and further exclaims, "He stole our children's money and future!"

But despite the malfeasance alleged by federal prosecutors—printing up political-themed cigar bands for his company, renovating his mother-in-law's apartment in the Dominican Republic and paying his daughter's college on the taxpayers' dime, many point out that Espada is no boy scout.

In the past Espada used the Soundview Healthcare Network's resources in an unsuccessful bid for the borough presidency in 2001. Several of his employees were convicted after being charged with using the nonprofit to push his candidacy. Espada is the organization's president.

In response to his latest quest for the 33rd state Senate seat, critics have made similar charges regarding the free food and book events held throughout the district. Announcements for the giveaways came in Soundview Healthcare envelopes, but at the events attendees found that they got a serving of politics with their free veggies.

After one of the first events, Gonzalez said that granola bars would not sway his constituents.

Espada also launched a television commercial, in which individuals sing their praises. One man featured in the T.V. spot is holding a copy of "Heart Healthy for Life," a Reader's Digest book handed out for free at one of the fairs.

At his latest giveaway at a V.F.W. hall in Kingsbridge, many Gonzalez supporters gathered across the street to talk to local voters.

The Gonzalez campaign has criticized Espada for not really living in the district. A challenge to his residency failed in court. But the campaign made their point on YouTube—they posted videos featuring Espada's "neighbors," who assert that he does not live in The Bronx. Gonzalez's campaign also cobbled together a clip showing his opponent's car parked in a Mamaroneck driveway.

Espada has also been painted a Republican shade of red by the Gonzalez team because he said that he would potentially sit on the opposite side of the aisle when elected—something that has Democrats seething because a Democratic majority is down to only a couple of seats.

To spread the word, Gonzalez warned voters of that prospect by hiring a person to prance around in an elephant suit in areas within the 33rd District.

Espada received a big endorsement from Citizen's Union this past week, though the organization did contemplate his past record. "Citizens Union remains concerned about how Espada's healthcare organization has contributed to his political activity, given that several of his aides pleaded guilty several years ago to such activity. He himself was found not guilty of similar charges," read the endorsement. "Given that his opponent, the incumbent Senator, is currently under indictment, without yet the benefit of a trial, for misuse of state legislative member items, and has not responded to Citizens Union's repeated requests to be interviewed, Citizens Union believes that the district deserves better."

SAT scores at RKA slightly up to merely awful

2008-09-04T11:23:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio

Riverdale Review, 09/04/2008

SAT scores at the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy improved slightly last academic year, though they still fall short of the State and national averages.

The College Board, the company that administers the SAT, released the scores to the 2008 test this past week. Nationally students averaged 1017 on the test, 502 in reading and 515 in math.

RKA averaged a score of 923, with students averaging 468 in reading and 455 in math. Those numbers are marginally higher than last year's RKA average of 885, which was met through a reading score of 438 and a math score of 447.

RKA's scores were lower than the State average of 992. The State reading average is 488, and the State math average is 504.

Lori O'Mara, principal at the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, requested that questions regarding these scores be sent to her via email. As of press time, she had not responded to those questions.

A total of 108 students at RKA took the SAT last year, out of a graduating class of 130. Those students also averaged 461 on the writing portion of the test, which is given little weight by colleges.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz was glad to see that the scores had gone up but was extremely concerned that RKA was still far below the national average.

"I'm pleased that there was a significant increase in the reading scores," said Dinowitz. "But it is very unfortunate that RKA's scores are still far below the State and national averages."

Dinowitz added, "I would hope our students would not just meet the national average, but surpass it. We still need significant improvement."

Debbie Bowden, chairwoman of the education committee of Community Board #8, was just as cautious in her comments.

"I'm glad it is some improvement, but the improvement is too slight to get excited about," said Bowden. "We have to work harder."

The College Board also released RKA's results for other tests it administers. Seventy-seven students at the school took a total of 85 Advanced Placement tests, with 48 tests scored at a passing level of 3, 4 or 5. The statistics give no indication of what subjects those tests were in.

When it came to the PSAT, 123 sophomores took the test last year. Graded on a scale of 20 to 80, those students averaged a 40.8 in reading, 41.5 in math and 38.6 in writing. One hundred and twenty-two juniors also took the test, averaging a 40.6 in reading, 40.9 in math and 39.4 on the writing portion.

Dinowitz noted that these poor scores are not the product of any one individual, but are an indictment of the entire education system.

"It takes 12 years to develop scores this poor," said Dinowitz. "Our education system focuses on mediocrity, not high standards."

Other local schools did worse than RKA on last year's SAT. John F. Kennedy High School averaged a 368 in reading and 383 in math, for a total score of 751; M.S./H.S. 368/In-Tech Academy averaged 416 in reading and 418 in math, for a total score of 834; and DeWitt Clinton High School averaged 424 in reading and 437 in math, for a total of 861.

The two bright spots in The Bronx were the Bronx High School of Science and the High School of American Studies at Lehman College. Bronx Science averaged a 640 in reading and 684 in math, for a total of 1324. American Studies averaged 618 in reading and 633 in math, for a total of 1251.

Jewish Council raps cuts to 'Y' theater

2008-08-27T12:45:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review, 08/28/2008

The Riverdale Jewish Community Council is fighting a budget cut made to the Riverdale Y's theater program.

The RJCC has issued a letter to the Department of Cultural Affairs, urging the agency to reconsider its cut. The theater program had been funded by the agency for 25 years, and last year the Riverdale Y was presented with a total grant of $18,900 by the DCA. This year the agency recommended that it receive no grant, and the Riverdale Y will see only $5,000 in the form of a member item from City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell.

"The Y's theater groups not only provide Riverdalians of all ages and backgrounds with an environment to express themselves and grow artistically, but also provide the entire surrounding community with access to affordable and high-caliber cultural performances," states the RJCC's letter.

In addition, the RJCC has launched an online petition, available at the website shalomriverdale.org, urging Riverdalians to push the DCA to restore the Riverdale Y's grant, lest the theater group be eliminated.

Ari Hoffnung, co-president of the RJCC and a candidate for City Council in 2009, said he is concerned that the Riverdale Y lost its funding due to a form of backhanded racism, possibly because the panel empowered to make those grant decisions considers Riverdale a wealthy area that does not need city help.

"What I suspect may be going on here is a perception, or perhaps stereotype, in city government that all Riverdalians are wealthy and that our local nonprofits are therefore not in need of financial support," said Hoffnung. "The fact of the matter is that Riverdale, like most outer-borough communities, is a predominately middle-class neighborhood where many families struggle to make ends meet. As Riverdalians, we pay our fair share of taxes and should therefore be entitled to receive our fair share of city services. We will continue to speak out until our community receives its fair share of funding."

A panel is convened by the DCA to make these grant decisions based on borough, discipline and the total budget size of the requesting agency, said Kate deRosset, a spokeswoman for DCA. It was unclear as of press time how many groups were funded through the grant process for fiscal year 2009 that had never received funding before.

Some of the grant recipients might raise eyebrows for different reasons. The Point Community Development Corporation is a Hunts Point-based group that routinely engages in social activism in the South Bronx and has played a role in protests to prevent a prison from opening in that community and to move waste transfer stations from the area. It was awarded $94,587 by the DCA for FY 2009.

In Brooklyn there is El Puente of Williamsburg, a controversial organization that co-operates an established public high school whose curriculum focuses on hip-hop and graffiti as art. The organization also participates in numerous acts of community and political activism and boasts on its website that it "remains at the forefront of community/youth learning and development issues and as such, initiates and impacts social policy both locally and nationally." This year its grant level was raised to $48,000, up from $25,000 last year.

DeRosset said that many similar organizations had also received grants and that it is common for groups that engage in social activism and have cultural programs as well to be awarded DCA grants.

"Basically, if your organization is nonprofit, it’s primarily social service but has significant arts programming of recognizable quality that helps foster public access to culture in a really meaningful way, then absolutely those groups are eligible for funding," said deRosset.

In the letter to DCA, Hoffnung invited DCA Commissioner Kate D. Levin to visit the Riverdale Y, see a show, and then reconsider these cuts.

"Socially, the theater groups promote tolerance and cultural sensitivity by providing a unique forum for Bronxites of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to work together. It also provides teens with a quality after-school experience that helps build self-esteem and teach the value of respect, camaraderie, and teamwork," states the letter. "Perhaps most importantly, theater groups teach young people who are being raised in an era of 500 cable channels, video-on-demand, and YouTube, the value and joy of live community theater."

Civil Court race becomes substitute for open political rebellion

2008-08-27T12:44:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review, 08/28/2008

With primary day fast approaching, insurgent Democrats gathered on the step of the Bronx County Courthouse this past week to welcome new members to the "Rainbow Rebellion" and rally for their judicial candidate.

"Like in Washington, we are planning to make history this year," said Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, dean of the Borough's Assembly delegation, as she introduced Elizabeth Taylor to the assembled media on the courthouse steps.

Greene was joined by the bulk of the so-called Rainbow Rebellion, a coalition of elected officials who have banded together to support Taylor in her race against Maria Matos, the preferred candidate of the Bronx Democratic Party machine and its chairman, Assemblyman Jose Rivera.

A third candidate, Verena Powell, is also running for the seat.

In addition to those members of the Rainbow Rebellion who have been public about their support for Taylor since she announced, a list that includes Greene as well as Assembly Members Ruben Diaz, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Carl Heastie and Michael Benjamin, State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz, and longtime Bronx power broker Stanley Schlein, the rebels were joined by a number of new Taylor supporters.

Most notable among them was Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who had actually placed Matos's name on his nominating petitions earlier this month. Also endorsing Taylor at the event was City Councilwoman Annabel Palma. Two other elected officials, State Senators Eric Schneiderman and Ruth Hassell-Thompson, have also signed on to support Taylor but were not present at the event.

At the press conference, Taylor's supporters spoke lovingly of their candidate and her potential on the bench.

"What do we want in a judge? We want the most highly qualified person, a person with an excellent legal background, a person from the community," said Dinowitz.

Dinowitz noted that Taylor's candidacy has brought a majority of the Borough's Assembly delegation to her side, adding that a clear majority of Bronx officials from all backgrounds and corners of the Borough are in favor of Taylor.

"This is The Bronx," said Dinowitz. "This is what The Bronx needs—a politically independent, highly qualified candidate for judge."

Assemblyman Diaz remarked that Taylor's understanding of The Bronx would give her the perfect temperament for the Civil Court bench and would enable her to be fair to the Borough's residents.

"People come into these courtrooms each and every day," said Assemblyman Diaz. "They don't want any favoritism. What they want is somebody who understands the situation, and they want a fair shake. This is why we support this young lady."

The rift between Assemblyman Rivera and the Rainbow Rebellion, and the subsequent insurgent support for Taylor, stem from what one insider termed a "broken promise" made by Assemblyman Rivera last year following the retirement of State Supreme Court Justice Janice Bowman.

Bowman, who is African-American, was forced to retire due to illness, and the Borough's black political leadership had hoped to replace her with another African-American judge. Instead, Assemblyman Rivera and the Democratic machine threw its support behind then-Civil Court Judge George Villegas to replace Bowman and promised the Borough's black politicos that it would back two African-Americans for Civil Court instead.

Last year County supported Donald Miles, an African-American, who was successful in his bid for Civil Court. Rebellionites claim, off the record, that until several weeks ago Assemblyman Rivera had expressed his support for Taylor in this year's election, only to back out of his agreement at the last minute to support Matos.

Allies of Assemblyman Rivera insist this is not the case and complain that Greene and others behind the Taylor campaign never bothered to approach the County machine and ask for its support.

The race has also become something of a proxy battle for next year's borough presidency. Insiders note that the race also represents a dry run for Assemblyman Diaz's likely candidacy for the Borough's highest office, where he will probably face the machine-backed City Councilman Joel Rivera, Assemblyman Rivera's son.

The race could also decide the future of Assemblyman Rivera's chairmanship of the Bronx Democrats. Should Taylor succeed over Matos, the Rainbow Rebellion is expected to mount a challenge to Assemblyman Rivera's leadership, according to Rebellion insiders.

For his part, Assemblyman Rivera has described the disagreement as a small family fight and has publicly stated that he expects Bronx Democrats to unite following the September 9th primary.

'Historic District' is closed to the public

2008-08-27T12:43:00.001-04:00

By Candice M. Giove

Riverdale Review, 08/28/2008

The Landmarks Preservation Commission will present a new draft of the Fieldston Master Plan to the public.

Community Board #8's Land Use Committee will view the plan at a meeting on Thursday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 3700 Independence Avenue. The Commission will also present the plan to the public on September 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the Municipal Building at 1 Center Street. Comments can be mailed to the LPC.

The Commission presented its first draft to the Board in June 2007, though many felt that the document needed tweaking. A copy of the new draft is available on the agency's website.

The agency developed the Master Plan while gaining insight from applicants who have gone through the approval process. The rules are a supplement to the commission's existing rules, which were created at a time when most city landmarks were brownstones or row houses.

According to the Commission, these rules directly apply to the freestanding homes in the district, where buildings styled in colonial revival, craftsman, medieval revival, Tudor revival, Mediterranean revival and mid-20th-century-modern, sit along winding roads with varying topography. Of the 257 homes in the district, the 13 percent that are noncontributing buildings, or "no-style" homes, as they are widely called, will have a little more wiggle room.

The Master Plan is meant to streamline applications, allowing residents performing minor work to do so without a full hearing.

The drafted rules address particulars for building alterations, window alterations, heating, ventilation and air conditioning installation, shutter and door replacements and landscape improvements. If an applicant fits into the parameters set forth in those rules, approval can be given at the staff level.

At the June 2007 presentation, attendees took issue with some of the regulations, like one rule that governed deck material and one that governed fence height.

Residents expressed concerns about dealing with the Commission and the Department of City Planning, because their homes are both historic and in a special natural area.

Board members pointed out in 2007 that the Fieldston Master Plan rejects curved driveways, while the Department of City Planning, which created the Special Natural Area District regulations, prefers them.

Also at the 2007 meeting Marc Odrich, president of the Fieldston Property Owners' Association, took issue with some of the language used in the plan. Instead of calling the roads private streets, the agency referred to them as "public thorough-fares."

The new draft now refers to Fieldston streets as "commonly accessible thoroughfares."

Fieldston has private streets and each year puts its right to close them off on show. This past Friday evening through Saturday evening the entrances and egresses were shut off to the public. Temporary metal fences were placed around the private community.

At the majority of the gates there was no supervision, which could present a danger in the event of an emergency. At one of the two entrances found guarded by the Riverdale Review—the northern Fieldston Road entrance—a guard attempted to bar photography.

Hauben honored for MTA artwork

2008-08-21T20:12:00.000-04:00

by Eric Grossfeld

By ERIC GROSSFELD

Daniel Hauben, a Kingsbridge resident and life-long Bronxite, has been nationally recognized for his tribute to Bronx life, the magnificently crafted glass piece titled "The El" that is set up at the Freeman Street subway station.

Hauben's work was selected among forty other pieces included in Americans for the Arts' prestigious Year in Review, which was created to recognize influential public space artwork. "The El" was commissioned as part of a $10.4 million effort to revive the Freeman Street station.

The MTA Arts for Transit and the Bronx Center for the arts celebrated the Bronx artist's work at an MTA Celebration on August 13, during which Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion presented to Hauben an award.

Five years ago, Hauben was selected to create an art piece as part of Arts for Transit's effort to bring to local subway stations a representation of local community culture. Though it would be no easy task to complete, at least for Hauben choosing his specific cultural focus was a no-brainer. "I thought to myself, what would be better than images of the elevated trains, images that would translate well through the stained-glass medium?"

Though it is located above ground (hence the title, which is short for "elevated"), "The El" captures the spirit, "the feeling of the bustle of life on the street below," the artist said. Since he's been living in the Bronx almost all of his life, Hauben noted that he used "images of the Bronx to find inspiration and subject matter worthy of depicting."

Creating his six-piece stained glass set diverted Hauben from his traditional medium of artistic expression: painting, which has been his passion for over a quarter of a century. The challenge for the artist was "using the material, faceted glass, which leaves the image more simplified. Since the glass is flat-shaped, to be translucent, the image becomes less detailed," Hauben said, adding he had to "retain a sense of specific feeling and scenery in such a delicate space."

Setting high standards valued the time for the completion of "The El" at five years, during which Hauben collaborated with fabricator Larry Gordon to transpose Hauben's realistic original painting onto the faceted glass medium. The physical features of the end result are as impressive as the work's symbolic meaning: "The El" showcases strong use of light and color with its meticulously crafted glass pieces, which number in the thousands. The entire construction is held together by epoxy, which protects it from cold weather conditions.

Year in Review juror Ted C. Landsmark, whose artistic credentials include serving as president of the Boston Architectural College, praised "The El" as an artistic journey, offering "opportunities for reflection on where [subway riders and workers] were and where they might be going." He added that the work "struck me as exemplary in combining a dynamic elevated shadow and light iconography, with a street-level vernacular retail narrative that manifests New York's diversity and vibrancy."

The artist himself was too more than impressed with his work. "The Bronx elevated trains depicted give you that vertical sense. The pattern of shadows compliment and influence the street scene." As an artist, Hauben fixes himself on that exact location: on the Bronx streets. In order to capture real feelings and perceptions, "I never can be separate from the world. Being on-location provides to me my greatest influence," Hauben said of his style.

He fended off suggestions that oppose his method, such as using the famous Madison Avenue in Manhattan as a backdrop. "That's just ridiculous," he remarked.

While analyzing and capturing his surroundings, the artist frequently finds himself attracting large crowds of passer-bys who are curious about Hauben's vision. "I'm a sitting-duck on the street," Hauben joked, adding more seriously: "I find people open up about their neighborhoods and their lives while I paint." It's Hauben's down-to-earth mentality and artistic style that fosters these connections, which he uses to his artistic advantage, incorporating personal and cultural specifics to transpose the spirit of his target onto a painting.

Local praise attests to the belief that Hauben captures the Bronx perhaps too well. "People tell me after they watch me work, or after they view a finished painting, how they find nuances and significance to street corners and avenues they pass by everyday," he said. "They start seeing what an artist sees."

As an artist, Hauben takes comfort in and is proud of the fact that his work resonates on a personal level and that it is able to invoke emotions within his audience. The key to his success: "Always remember, from an artist's perspective, nothing is too ordinary."

Moerdler running...at least in cyberspace

2008-08-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio

It’s getting clearer and clearer that Charles Moerdler is getting ready to enter Riverdale’s race for the City Council.

Several domain names with clear campaign names were registered this past week to Moerdler, who currently serves as Community Board #8’s land use chairman.

They include www.charlesmoerdler.com, www.charlesmoerdlerforcitycouncil.com and www.moerdlerforcitycouncil.com, among others.

As of press time each of the websites remains blank, and Moerdler could not be reached for comment to discuss their potential future content.

Moerdler has made a variety of similar moves that would indicate his potential run for City Council is a serious endeavor. Most notably his law firm, Stroock, Stroock & Lavan, recently made noted election law attorney Jerry Goldfeder a new partner.

Goldfeder most recently served as Special Counsel to New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, where his portfolio included public integrity matters. Prior to joining Attorney General Cuomo's office last year, Goldfeder was a trial and appellate attorney in private practice for over twenty-five=2 0years.

Moerdler has stated in the past that he would use Goldfeder’s talents “in every way possible.”

In June Moerdler placed $25,000 into the campaign coffers of Governor David Paterson., a move that has also been viewed as a precursor to Moerdler’s likely switch from the Republican to Democratic Party.

According to reports Moerdler only decided to consider a City Council run after multiple attempts were made this Spring to eliminate himself and other longtime members of Community Board #8 from their long-held seats on that board.

Other announced or presumptive candidates for the seat include Ari Hoffnung, co-president of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council; Helen Morik, vice president for government and community affairs at the Columbia University Medical Center; Anthony Perez Cassino, former chairman of Community Board #8; and Jamin Sewell, who serves as legislative counsel to City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell.

Schervier minimizes loss of trees for parking

2008-08-14T09:29:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio

Riverdale Review, 08/14/2008

New parking opportunities are headed to Spuyten Duyvil, thanks to a new parking facility set for construction at the Frances Schervier Nursing Care Center.

Schervier spokeswoman Nadine Baker announced this past week that her organization would build a parking lot on its campus. The lot, which would be available only to employees of Schervier, would free up 18 parking spaces on the adjacent streets.

In addition, the as-of-right project sits outside of the Special Natural Area District and would not be subject to more stringent greenbelt regulations.

"The City of New York Planning Department, Bronx Division, has assured us that the area in question is not in the Special Natural Area District, and our professional surveyors have confirmed that information," said Joseph Gordon, project manager and engineer for Schervier.

Gordon showed this newspaper a detailed map of the Special Natural Area District, which shows that the proposed parking lot sits outside of the greenbelt.

Three trees were felled for the project. One was split by wind and presented a danger, but two others came down specifically for the project.

Gordon said that three new trees would be planted on the Schervier grounds to replace the others.

"The Special Natural Area District [the Riverdale Greenbelt] starts at the center line of Palisade Avenue and goes west to the Hudson River, along the area where the project will be completed. At no time will any of the project, including material storage, be located in the SNAD," said Gordon.

Dr. Louis Harris, Executive Vice President of Bon Secours New York, Schervier's parent organization, said that his organization was sensitive to the needs of the Riverdale community and would take great care to ensure that the project fits the character of the neighborhood.

"In the interest of the aesthetic integration of the project into the community, when the work is complete, Bon Secours New York Health System will landscape it and create a beautiful retaining wall that will be as lovely as the landscaping created around it," said Harris. "Being a good neighbor is and always has been a high priority for us, and we are careful to be good stewards of the Riverdale community."

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has been Riverdale's greatest champion for more parking. He has proposed in the past that zoning laws be changed to force new developments to construct at least one parking space for every housing unit created. The assemblyman said that he would reserve judgment on the project until he examined it further.

"It's hard to comment on a plan I have not seen," said Dinowitz. "It would be helpful if cars were removed from the streets, but I would hope that the addition of a parking lot would not result in any significant loss of trees or green space. And if some trees are lost, I would hope many more are planted to replace them."

Charles Moerdler, chairman of Community Board #8's land use committee, was upset that Schervier had not reached out to his committee prior to the announcement, especially due to the removal of three trees and the project's proximity to the Special Natural Area District. He added that his committee would examine the matter at its September meeting.

"I am surprised and disappointed that neither Bon Secours nor Schervier notified the land use committee to request prompt public review of this proposal, especially since they say they are acting in the community's interest," said Moerdler. "Such review has been the consistent practice of community facilities in this board area."

Ari Hoffnung, co-president of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council and a candidate for City Council in 2009, last week outlined a five-point plan to increase parking options in Riverdale. He was thrilled to see Schervier take a major step towards increasing parking on its campus, thereby adding street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.

"Riverdale is fortunate to have neighbors like Schervier Nursing Care Center who not only recognize that parking is a serious local concern but are also actively seeking ways to address this problem," said Hoffnung. "I applaud Schervier's plans to build an additional parking lot for their staff. This project is a 'win-win' for Riverdale as it will not only be helpful to Schervier employees who drive to work, but will also create more parking for people, like myself, who live in the surrounding neighborhood.

252nd Street overpass: A bridge too far, a project too long delayed

2008-08-14T09:27:00.001-04:00

by Anna Joseph
Riverdale Review, 08/14/2008

A Riverdale overpass has taken longer to renovate than it took to build the Whitestone Bridge, according to Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

On Tuesday, the assemblyman criticized the City's lengthy construction time, publicly demanding a speedier conclusion to the work on the overpass at West 252nd Street and Henry Hudson Parkway East, in front of Christ Church,

“They are going to take a full three years,” Dinowitz complained. “I wanted to highlight this to the attention of the community, that this is taking a ridiculously long time." He added, "The longer something takes, the more it tends to raise costs, so what I’m hoping to do is bring attention to this in the hopes that perhaps the City will find a way to be quicker and act more efficiently. The important part is that it’s an eyesore, it costs a lot of money, and it causes inconvenience.”

The restoration on the approximately 100-foot-long overpass, which began on January 3, 2006, has thus far taken more than two and a half years. The 3770-foot Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, a suspension bridge across the East River, took 23 months to complete and was opened on April 29,1939, two months ahead of schedule.

“It just shows what an amazing contrast there is,” said Dinowitz, “between the construction here and the construction of an enormous suspension bridge."

Perhaps the comparison is unfair. The Whitestone was built during the Great Depression, a time when the City gave job-creating public works high priority. In fact, renovations to the Whitestone that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority started in 2001—which have caused traffic congestion—are not yet completed either.

The 252nd Street renovations have closed the westbound lane since the project began.

Con Ed's power cable upgrade project has also caused transportation trouble for many. “We get complaints to our office about building construction and the Con Ed project. The problem is that all of these things are happening at once,” explained Dinowitz. “If you look at the overall picture, many factors are coming together to make Riverdale grind to a halt."

Referring to the overpass, he added, "This is an unnecessary factor, because we should have been done a long time ago. This should have been completely done before the Con Ed project started. I think what people in the community should do is express their disgust at the ridiculous length of this project. Frankly I’m sick of it.”

The Department of Transportation, which planned the completion of the overpass in April, 2008, was unavailable for comment as of press time.

P.S. 24 principal does Tweed's dirty work

2008-08-14T09:12:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review 08/14/2008

Though the budget rearrangement at P.S. 24 might be painful now, Principal Philip Scharper insists it is necessary to protect the fiscal health of the school later. But some school insiders insist that unwise spending by Scharper is the real cause of the school's budget woes.

Despite the City Council's having announced with much fanfare the restoration of public school budgets across the Borough, Scharper said that his school has still lost money and that he has been forced to take actions to deal with those cuts and potential future cuts.

The City Council had announced the restoration of $258,735 in funds to P.S. 24, claiming that the school had not lost one penny of its budget from last year. But Scharper noted that $80,000 cut from the school in April was never restored and that some of the money the City Council has taken credit for would have come to the school regardless.

Depending on the math, Scharper said the school has lost somewhere between $45,000 and $90,000 this year, though he admitted he was hazy on those numbers.

"There are certain ways of their figuring the cuts," said Scharper. "Actually, in real dollars, it does come out to less than we had originally."

Scharper added that he has designed this year's budget to deal not only with those cuts but also with the potential for additional mid-year cuts and the future implementation of the "fair student funding" budget program, which would allocate funds based on factors such as a school's poverty rate and would almost certainly cost P.S. 24 substantial funding.

"So you have to start planning for how you're going to work on your budget with substantially less money," said Scharper.

To that end, Scharper has reduced the number of cluster teachers at P.S. 24 from ten to eight, a cut he said was in line with the Department of Education's standard of one cluster teacher per 100 students. Scharper has also moved the cluster teacher who served as the school librarian back into the classroom. And in the third grade classes, the average number of students has risen to 29 due to the combining of five classrooms into four. The mandated class size for third grade is 28.

"The point is, thinking ahead, this seemed to be the time to put the ratio of cluster teachers to students in line," said Scharper. He added that he would implement a plan to staff the library using teachers and parent volunteers, which would preserve open access to the library. He did note that the library would not be open a full day, though he said that it did not need to be anyway.

A budget cut is one problem, but multiple sources within the school (both parents and teachers) have complained that Scharper's spending priorities are out of place in two areas: physical plant upgrade and professional development.

Scharper has put money aside in this year's budget to partially rewire the old wing of P.S. 24 so that air conditioners can be installed in 22 classrooms. Right now, only the newer wing of the school is air conditioned, and Scharper said it was imperative to correct this disparity.

"That's something that just seems like it needs attention," said Scharper. "We have to start that." Though it is a physical upgrade, Scharper noted that such a project could not be funded by the School Construction Authority, but had to be paid for by the school itself. The work would be done partially over a few years, and Scharper did not yet have an estimate for how much it would take from this year's budget.

One teacher, who asked not to be identified, was furious that school money would be spent on air conditioners rather than teachers.

"It's only hot enough for air conditioning a few days each school year," said the teacher. "For that we're losing a full-time librarian?"

Scharper is also dedicating budget funds to a professional development contract with Columbia Teachers College, which will focus on helping teachers teach reading and writing.

"I feel like professional development is our lifeline," said Scharper, noting that the contract would cost a good "chunk of money." He added, "It's not as much as a full teacher, but its getting there." The average cost of a teacher at P.S. 24 is $75,000 per year, he said.

Another teacher, who also asked not to be identified, said that Scharper needs to get his priorities fixed. "The classroom, not professional development or air conditioning, is what's important," said the teacher. "Philip Scharper needs to realize that."

Steven Exler joins Hebrew Institute as associate rabbi

2008-08-06T11:15:00.001-04:00

by Paulette Schneider
08/07/2008, Riverdale Review

"It’s a glimpse of the future,” says Rav Steven of the construction site visible from the window of his tidy office in the Johnson Avenue private house that is now the administrative hub for the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

Soon to rise on the construction site is a new space for H.I.R., and Steven Exler, the congregation’s new associate rabbi, plans to zone that space as a home for spiritual growth. He’ll start the growth process by learning about his congregants. “My primary goal over the coming weeks and months is to build relationships with people,” said Exler.

The wiry, intense Brandeis biology major had considered a career in biomedical research. But after several years in a Jewish studies environment, he found that his yearning to be back in the bio lab was not strong enough to draw him toward the science professions. Instead he chose full-time service to the Jewish community, a direction he has chosen “in small ways” throughout childhood and college. “Jewish community service is the right thing for me,” he said.

The right thing when it came to rabbinical schools was Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (Lovers of Torah), founded in 1999 by H.I.R.’s Rabbi Avi Weiss as a place to nurture a new kind of religious leadership. “The curriculum focuses not only on the breadth and depth of Torah knowledge but also on a practical working understanding of the process of ‘halacha’—Jewish law—and its application in community and synagogue life,” Exler explained. Religious growth, according to the school’s literature, “comes not through dogmatism but through questioning and struggle.”

Accordingly, a school ideology is that “any conversation can and should be had, that the things we’re not talking about need to be talked about, whatever they are. Whatever it is that we’re afraid to share with our friends, whatever we’re afraid to talk about for fear of being judged—if we’re thinking about them, others are thinking about them,” said Exler. “If you’re troubled by something, it should be talked about.”

Before he addresses the congregation to promote growth or other values, Exler plans to establish a rapport with individuals, at the Shabbat table and in other informal venues, to learn “what their relationship with the shul is like, what their relationship with the community is like, what their own personal Jewish journeys have been like, what keeps them up at night, what their values are.” He feels he will be better “heard at the pulpit” once congregants have a sense that he truly cares about them as individuals and that he will devote himself to their concerns. “My passion is serving the community,” said Exler, “and that’s something I want to be really clear about.”

He will then encourage honest discussion of topics such as mental illness, physical disability, fertility, or whatever issues he learns that people are finding it difficult or painful to deal with. Such “healthy conversations” should ultimately lead to spiritual growth in the form of heightened sensitivity and support for those in the community who need it.

Looking toward those outside the community, spiritual growth can take the form of political advocacy. “We should be pushing through whatever venues of legislation and power we have as a community and as citizens for the ways that we see Torah values expressed in our country and in our laws,” said Exler. Toward that end he became involved in Uri L’Tzedek (Awaken to Justice), an advocacy organization that arose within the Modern Orthodox community.

“I see Uri L’Tzedek as a place that helps educate people around issues of social justice and creates conversation around them and raises awareness about them.” At monthly study sessions in Washington Heights, participants explore Jewish texts and learn about thinkers who have tackled social justice issues. Recently they became active on behalf of workers at Agriprocessors, the beleaguered Kosher meat production facility in Postville, Iowa. “Uri L’Tzedek has touched on issues from immigration to domestic workers—something that I care a lot about—to ethical production and consumption, to refugees,” said Exler. “To me that’s another thing that growth means: getting educated around issues of social justice and feeling empowered to find ways to act about them.”

Under the guidance of Rabbi Weiss, Exler shares some rabbinic duties with Sara Hurwitz, H.I.R’s “madricha ruchanit” (spiritual mentor). Hurwitz’s role has expanded to include more responsibilities in the educational, pastoral and life-cycle needs of the community. Particularly with personnel changes over the past several years, Hurwitz has provided continuity and concrete day-to-day advice. “I rely on her really, really heavily. She’s a real partner in the work that we do,” said Exler.

With this leadership team, H.I.R. will remain an institution where, as Exler describes it, “people from every background and walk of life who are drawn to a vibrant community of Jewish life can walk through these doors and feel that there is a place for them to connect and a way for them to connect."

Irving Ladimer praised for activism

2008-08-06T11:14:00.002-04:00

by Eric Grossfeld
08/07/2008, Riverdale Review

A man who has devoted his life to serving his community was shown some real appreciation from that community last Sunday afternoon.

Irving Ladimer, 92, received much-deserved community praise during the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale's Mighty Men's Club Brunch – held especially to recognize his commitment to Riverdale for more than a half century.

Ladimer has called CSAIR his home and its congregation his family for over twenty years. During the past two decades, he played an important role in establishing the men's club, of which he only recently retired as president, and organizing the development of the regional offshoot of the nationwide Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs. CSAIR has the only men's club from a Bronx synagogue to be affiliated with the Hudson Valley branch of the FJMC.

During his tenure on the club's board, Ladimer helped to organize the distribution of Shoah candles, memorials of the Holocaust, and to develop the educational Worldwide Wrap program, which "teaches children alongside their parents about tefillin [phylacteries]."

Although he is "retired" from his leadership position on the men's club, Ladimer promised that his efforts would continue. "I passed on the baton last year to very competent leaders, David La Due and Joel Chaiken," he said. "However, I'll help with everything. People always want me around," he added.

Ladimer has earned a reputation as "the Mr. Fix-It of Riverdale," the man who always extends aid to the greater Riverdale community. Since arriving here over fifty years ago, Ladimer has been involved in efforts to serve the elderly population. He also helped found the first community boards in Riverdale, in order to bring "knowledge and representation to the local level." He considered Riverdale a "small town in a big city" that needed "public services such as police, fire, education and health care centered around the community."

To date, Ladimer has provided invaluable services to the major community health care institutions, including Atria, the Hebrew Home for the Aged and Schervier. His efforts range from hand-delivering meals-on-wheels to aiding in research. Commenting on his frequent visits to nursing homes, he jokingly remarked that people "were surprised to see me actually entering Schervier horizontally, on a stretcher, after my accident."

Last May, Ladimer suffered an accident and broke both his hip and shoulder. Despite having to learn "how to sit, stand up and walk all over again," he was determined to recover, eager to "keep moving forward, helping my community."

After moving out of his native New York to study in Washington, D.C., Ladimer earned his law degree at George Washington University Law School and settled in Washington, where he held positions at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Bureau. He remarked dryly, "Working for the federal government was not my favorite experience."

During his years away from New York, he earned his doctorate in law, specializing in the legal ethics of practicing medicine. He then taught ethics courses at New York University, Harvard University and Boston University, which granted him the Pike Award in recognition of his legacy.

Indeed, Ladimer's legacy of combining legal and medical knowledge continued in Riverdale. His proudest and most notable contribution was the health fair at his synagogue, a project he spearheaded. Using his host of medical contacts (Mr. Ladimer had also worked for Mt. Sinai Hospital and Bronx North Central Hospital), he planned the community-wide event that provided valuable outreach to thousands of local citizens. "The event was more about the community than it was about the synagogue," he recalled. "We had companies providing health services and booths set up to distribute educational materials. It was one hundred percent a great success."

So what comes next for Ladimer? For starters, he's certainly not retiring. Shaking his head, he declared, "I don't know the meaning of that word, 'retire.''' He's already planning his men's club's latest efforts: "Today it's all about environmentalism. We're talking about synagogues going green." Or maybe it's finishing a lengthy draft on the ethics of conflict of interest, which he expects to finish late August.

One thing is certain: whatever Ladimer decides to do, the Riverdale community, "his" community, will greatly benefit.

Courts halt blasting for filtration plant

2008-08-06T11:12:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio
08/07/2008, Riverdale Review

The Department of Environmental Protection took a major hit this past week after courts ruled it must temporarily halt the start of blasting for the Croton Watershed Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park.

State Supreme Court Justice Betty Stinson hit the DEP with a temporary restraining order this past week, preventing the agency from commencing blasting rock at the Jerome Park Reservoir as part of the ongoing construction of the water filtration plant.

The restraining order, which will be discussed again in court on September 3, puts a halt to proposed blasting that would have taken place just a few feet from the campus of the Bronx High School of Science. Opponents argued in court about their concern that potential debris from the blasting would affect the school as well as local residents, and they demanded that the DEP reassess its environmental impact plan for the project.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who was a plaintiff in the lawsuit, argued that drilling, rather than blasting, would be a more appropriate undertaking for the DEP, given the character of the neighborhood. He also offered a critique of the DEP’s handling of the construction, which he has opposed for the better part of two decades.

“This is an important victory for the community,” said Dinowitz. “The City cannot be allowed to go ahead and take a major step such as blasting across the street from the Bronx High School of Science without conducting an environmental review.”

Dinowitz added, “The fact that the DEP felt that it could just go ahead and do this blasting confirms the beliefs of many people that the DEP is a rogue agency that thinks it is above the law.”

Congressman Eliot Engel also hailed the decision and hoped that a less intrusive construction method would be utilized.

“It is outrageous for the Department of Environmental Protection to again mislead the community about their plans for the water filtration plant,” said Engel in a statement. “Their estimate of the cost of the plant was less than one-third of the estimated final cost of $3 billion. The agency was also dramatically wrong on the number of Bronx residents who would get work on the project.”

Engel specifically noted the residential and educational character of the surrounding neighborhood, which also includes Lehman College and major developments such as the Amalgamated Houses and Tracey Towers, and he called the idea of trucking the 9,000 cubic yards of waste produced by the blasting through the community “adding insult to injury.”

"By blasting in violation of its own promise, DEP will be disrupting the lives of thousands of residents and the education of thousands of students,” said Engel. The court did the absolute right thing in blocking this work. Let us hope it continues on the right path and stops the blasting completely.”

Charles Moerdler and Ari Hoffnung, who might be competing against one another for a City Council seat in 2009, also issued statements on the court’s ruling.

“The actions of the Department of Environmental Protection and its administration are the best example of why people don’t trust government,” said Moerdler, who serves as chairman of Community Board #8’s land use committee. He noted that last week the community board voted unanimously to condemn the DEP’s actions.

“They are not believable, they don’t tell the truth, they lie to the public, and then they try to capitalize on it,” said Moerdler. “What the [DEP] has done here is inexcusable.”

Hoffnung, co-president of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council, was an initial supporter of the filtration plant’s construction, largely due to the more than $200 million it brought to the Borough for parkland improvements.

“With that said, this support should not be misinterpreted as having granted the Department of Environmental Protection a carte blanche,” said Hoffnung.

Hoffnung hailed Dinowitz’s work in holding the DEP’s feet to the fire and demanded that the DEP live up to its commitments to the community. He also expressed growing concern over the rising cost of the project, stating that taxpayers deserve much better.

"New Yorkers have to live on a budget—why shouldn't the DEP?” asked Hoffnung.

"Taxpayers deserve more transparency on how our money is being spent. I'd like to see a website with information on every project that exceeded its budget, along with a detailed explanation of why the excess occurred. In the private sector, managers need to explain themselves when they go over budget. Managers in city government should be held to the same standards.”

Ground finally broken on new Kingsbridge library

2008-07-31T10:27:00.002-04:00

by Candice M. Giove
07/31/2008, Riverdale Review

When the new Kingsbridge Library opens across the street from its current graying white brick building on West 231st Street, it'll be twice the size, with up-to-date technology and a green roof, library and elected officials said at a ceremonial groundbreaking this week.

Though shovels aren't expected to actually touch the ground for another two months, the day signified the start of a project discussed for over a decade.

"It's been a long wait. There've been many disappointments and now it's really happening," said Steve Barker, Kingsbridge Branch librarian.

Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, who secured money piecemeal for the $14 million project, was pleased to be at the groundbreaking. "When I first became a member of the City Council in 2002 this project was already on the drawing board and a large amount of money had been allocated by the City Council through the efforts of my predecessor, June Eisland, and by the office of the mayor and by the office of the borough president," he said.

"As we all know, 2001 intervened and the capital budget for the city was smashed and the mayor's office actually cut out almost all of the funding for the new Kingsbridge library, so we had to start all over again in 2002 and each year over the past five years or six years I allocated part of the discretionary capital funding that we had available to this project," he recalled. "It was my number-one priority with capital projects that we funded. Unfortunately as the years went by not only did we have to allocate more and more funding, but each year the project got more expensive. We've had round after round where the library had to come to me and ask for additional funding."

Former Councilwoman June Eisland was elated that the project finally began. She said that she and her staff worked hard to help acquire the property—and that she and former Borough President Fernando Ferrer were even able to get then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani to commit to it. She was glad that other elected officials continued their work.

Earl Brown, Deputy Borough President, praised the "inspirational" design on the challenging parcel of land—a site below street level. The design of the partially glass two-story structure, which will allows natural light to saturate the inside, won a New York City Art Commission Award for Excellence.

Brown also said that a new library was great for residents in Kingsbridge and Riverdale, and for democracy.

"As you know the hallmark of any successful democracy is the ability for people to think clearly and freely, to speak freely and to be educated. And one of the things that the library does is it provides an opportunity for all members of the community, from young kids to senior citizens, to really have access to information, and that access to information and the ability to use that information appropriately is what makes our democracy so successful," he said.

Once the new building opens it will have 32 public computers and WiFi, and lots of space—even an outdoor patio for summer reading. "If you go into the current library there aren't enough seats, there aren't enough computers," said NYPL director and local resident Ann Coriston. "So it's nice to have something fresh and bright in this community."

$75G homeland security $ for SAR schools

2008-07-31T10:25:00.001-04:00

by John DeSio
07/31/2008, Riverdale Review

Salanter Akiba of Riverdale has been awarded a $75,000 federal grant through the Department of Homeland Security.

Details of the grant became clear following a Monday press conference by Brooklyn/Queens Congressman Anthony Weiner, a likely candidate for mayor in 2009, during which he pointed to the considerable largesse received by New York institutions through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Weiner, a member of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, noted that nonprofit organizations in New York City secured more than $4 million in Homeland Security grants, amounting to 27 percent of all grants delivered nationwide.

"It's high time DHS realized that our nonprofit institutions were at risk,” said Weiner. “Worshipers, museum goers, and hospital visitors expect and deserve a safe environment, and these grants will go a long way towards ensuring their safety."

Neither Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, principal of SAR Academy, nor Rabbi Tully Harcsztark, principal of SAR High School, could be reached for comment as of press time.

Though he was not present at the announcement, Congressman Eliot Engel was also pleased that DHS had done the right thing and moved much-needed homeland security funds to his district.

"These grants are long overdue because of the serious threat that certain religious organizations face in today’s troubled environment,” said Engel. “I have worked to bring these grant requests to the attention of the Department of Homeland Security. I have also fought to ensure that there be a risk-based funding formula which would increase homeland security funds for New York. Reasonable people have long recognized New York as the most highly targeted city, and therefore we must receive our fair share of homeland security dollars."

Weiner pointed out that this year, 59 nonprofits in New York City received funding, for a total of $4.08 million, representing roughly one and a half times the amount given to any other locality. The appropriation exceeds last years total when 40 nonprofits in New York City received a total of $3.2 million.

The grants, made available through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, will provide significant funding for security measures at the very institutions being singled out as potential targets, specifically yeshivas and synagogues throughout the five boroughs.

In the past, the program has funded security enhancements at New York City landmarks such as the Intrepid Museum and hospitals such as the Staten Island University Hospital.

Institutions that qualified for the current grant program were eligible to receive up to $75,000, and those funds can be used to train security personnel and install security measures such as surveillance cameras, barriers and controlled entry systems.

The average award for grant winners is approximately $70,000, and the funds are expected to be delivered within the next 60 days.

SAR qualified for the highest possible grant and was the only institution in The Bronx to receive such funding. It is unclear whether the money is intended for SAR’s academy, high school, or a combination of the two.

Weiner’s office indicated it could not release a full list of grant awardees, citing security concerns put forward by the DHS.

Quinn comes to Bronx to celebrate Ed $$$

2008-07-24T10:51:00.002-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review, 07/24/2008

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is happy to alert The Bronx that she fought back against Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s planned education cuts—and won.

Quinn discussed the budget battle Tuesday morning during a media breakfast, where she was joined by Council Members G. Oliver Koppell and Joel Rivera. Quinn noted that overall Bronx schools actually increased their funding in this budget, due to the Council’s efforts. A list provided by the speaker’s office made it clear that no school would see its budget decline next year.

“The goal of the budget was really to make sure no public school had less dollars in September than they did in June, when the schools closed,” said Quinn.

Locally, P.S. 7, P.S. 24, P.S. 81, the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy and the Bronx High School of Science will all see a net change in their budget of $0. One local school, M.S./H.S. 368/The In-Tech Academy, saw a small budget increase of $412.

Koppell said he was also happy to see that schools not only in his district but across the Borough were spared the budget axe. He noted that he had heard from numerous parents, principals and educators who were concerned about the cuts and the immediate and long-term impact schools would face because of them.

“The principals seemed really genuinely concerned that they would have to cut back on various programs and services,” said Koppell, who added that he has been applauded by local principals since the funding was restored.

Though this year’s funding is safe, other problems do loom on the horizon for many schools, especially those in middle-class neighborhoods. For starters, the proposed “Fair Student Funding” program, which would shift school budget allocations based on poverty data, would drain funding from schools in neighborhoods like Riverdale.

Quinn said such potential problems would have to be dealt with as they happened. “I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next year until we get there,” said Quinn.

The speaker also discussed the future of mayoral control of city public schools, calling for a continuation of the current system with some modifications. Under Quinn’s plan mayoral control would be replaced with municipal control, and control of city schools would be removed from the hands of the state Legislature and given to the City Council.

Such a plan would make the Council and the mayor equal partners and would place the schools under more localized control.

“There’ll always be a legislature. That legislature should be the New York City Council,” said Quinn. “It should be the guy from Riverdale, not the guy from Pitcher Hill, deciding how money gets set up.”

In further discussion about the City’s funding formula for schools, which gives larger funding to schools based on poverty and the number of “English language learners” attending the school, Quinn said it was a difficult rope to walk because some students do need more help than others to succeed.

“Sometimes extra learning means you need extra resources to help that child,” said Quinn. That said, she did state the middle class schools should by no means be penalized in the budget for performing well and that she would join the City Council in fighting to hold those budgets harmless.

“Yes, some kids need more than others, but every child needs a fair amount of resources,” said Quinn. “Middle class schools shouldn’t be penalized for historically doing well.”

Quinn closed the meeting by noting that Bronx and city schools do face myriad challenges but that the City Council’s budget efforts will, at the very least, keep public schools “running in place.”

“We legitimately have a whole bunch of challenges,” said Quinn. “That said, this is a big deal. If the schools in The Bronx had $30 million less, things would be worse.”

No Trader Joe's for Riverdale

2008-07-24T10:46:00.001-04:00

by Candice M. Giove
Riverdale Review, 07/24/2008

No Trader Joe's For Riverdale

By Candice M. Giove

The specialty grocery chain Trader Joe's has no plans for Riverdale, though many speculated that the unique shop would seek retail space at the site of the new Manhattan College parking facility at West 242^nd Street and Broadway.

"At this time I do not have a location in the next two years in that area," said Trader Joe's spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki.

Initially, Manhattan College planned to partner with Pathmark, but chain's financial woes collapsed the deal.

Moerdler Considering Council Run

2008-07-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

by John DeSio
Riverdale Review, 06/09/2008

One of Riverdale’s most well respected citizens could be throwing his hat into the ring for City Council.

Charles Moerdler, who currently serves as Community Board #8’s land use chairman, is giving serious consideration to his own run for the 11th District City Council seat, which includes Riverdale and Kingsbridge.

According to multiple sources Moerdler, who is also a partner at the prestigious white shoe law firm of Stroock, Stroock & Lavan, is set to change his enrollment from Republican to Democrat in order to run in that primary, which in all likelihood would decide the winner of the contest.
Moerdler would also reportedly self-finance his campaign, a move that would more than level the playing field given his potential opponents current fundraising advantage. Sources indicate that Moerdler also feels that spending his own money on the race would allow him the ability to speak freely on a variety of topics without offending donors.

Moerdler was in Europe at press time, and could not be reached for comment.

The seat is currently held by City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, who cannot run for reelection in 2009 due to term limit laws. Other announced or presumptive candidates for the seat include Ari Hoffnung, co-president of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council; Helen Morik, vice president for government and community affairs at the Columbia University Medical Center; Anthony Perez Cassino, former chairman of Community Board #8; and Jamin Sewell, who serves as legislative counsel to Koppell.

Moerdler served as buildings commissioner under Mayor John Lindsay in the 1960’s. He currently serves as the governor’s representative to the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and has been appointed to that post by three Democratic governors and one Republican.

He is also a prominent labor attorney, and has helped to guide the career paths of many notable New Yorkers, including Governor David Paterson and United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

In addition that work Moerdler is a member of the New York City Board of Collective Bargaining. Since 1999, he also served as the vice chairman of the Committee on Character and Fitness of Applicants to the Bar of the State of New York, and has been a member of that board since 1977.

Other highlights in his illustrious public service background include a stint as New York City's Commissioner of Buildings from 1966 to 1967, member of New York City's Air Pollution Control Board from 1966 to 1967, and consultant to the Mayor of the City of New York on Housing, Urban Development and Real Estate from 1967 to 1973.

Moerdler has also served as the panel chairman of the Disciplinary Committee for Appellate Division, First Department from, 1998 to 2004; served as a member of the Mayor's Committee on Judiciary from 1994 to 2001; and also served as the Chairman of the New York State Insurance Fund from 1955 to 1997 and as its commissioner and vice chairman from 1978 to 1995.

Moerdler is also a trustee at St. Barnabas Hospital, a position that he's held since 1986. He's also worked on the Board of Overseers for the Jewish Seminary of America, as a trustee for Long Island University, as an advisory board member for Columbia University's School of International Affairs, and as an American Jewish Congress lecturer.

He has also been included in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in Finance and Industry and Who's Who in The World.

Lest Ye Be Bullied...

2008-06-03T15:43:00.001-04:00

"How To...Protect Your Child Against Cyberbullying," June 3, Positive Thinking Magazine.

This Week In Clips

2008-05-16T14:30:00.002-04:00

Via the Village Voice:

"Bob Barr: Libertarian Presidential Hopeful on Barack, Borat, and Spoiling For McCain," May 9.

...and The Real Deal:

"Columbia Buying Failed Riverdale Development," May 16.

"Thrift store opening its first NYC shop in Kingsbridge," May 14.

Sounds Like a Hell of a Story...

2008-05-06T14:36:00.002-04:00

"I am an established freelance journalist who freelances for myself as a hobby occasionally, and magazines and independent newspapers, from time to time. I am currently in the beginning stages of writing and researching an article about the subject of dating a sex offender (otherwise known as a pedophile). I am seeking to interview people knowledgeable about all aspects of this phenomenon."

Here's the full ad.

Freeganism, Or How I (Well, Not Me) Learned to Stop Worrying and Eat the Trash

2008-04-24T17:53:00.012-04:00

Janet Kalish preaches the "freegan' gospel at last week's Anarchist Book Fair in NYC.

The old cliché that argues “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is perfectly applicable to New York City’s small but burgeoning “freegan” movement. Though their practice of searching through the garbage of grocery stores for their next meal is off-putting, if not flat out gross, to most, local freegan leader Janet Kalish is sure that the tide of public opinion is starting to turn ever so slightly. Dumpster diving, once a survival activity exclusively for the homeless and downtrodden, is now a statement against the waste of America’s consumption driven society.

Last week Kalish preached the gospel of freeganism from a table at the annual Anarchist Book Fair at the Judson Memorial Church, across the street from Washington Square Park. In that den of anti-establishment and anti-corporate feelings she did not have a hard time convincing people to buy into her movement. A few passersby asked to sample some bread she rescued from the trash of a nearby bakery. Several attendees sipped found juice from one of her impromptu cups, which formerly housed a serving of yogurt. At Kalish’s table everything is recycled, from the food right down to her sign-up sheet, which once served as part of a high school testing booklet.

So many good things are wasted, said Kalish, who showed me a container of Odwalla pure orange juice that she pulled from the garbage on April 11. We spoke on April 12, the listed expiration date on the juice container. The container is still factory sealed, and she even froze the juice overnight so it would stay cold during the fair.

“Are you afraid of it?” Kalish asks me. “Nobody is.” It may be the case that a sealed container of orange juice does not invoke the queasiness that one might feel when discussing the freegan movement, but what about the pile of pre-sliced bread that sits on her table, a product that lacks Odwalla’s factory seal? She understands the difference, and the squeamishness one might feel when it comes to eating the bread. From below the table she produced the bag that once held the bread, as if to assure me she did not just pull each slice from a stinking garbage heap. It was never sold, said Kalish, and there is nothing wrong with it. And though it might have been manhandled by the bakery staff that threw it away, just how clean is our store-bought food to begin with?

“Even if you go to a bagel store, there’s somebody’s hand that touched that bagel before your hands did,” said Kalish. “There has to be a little bit of trust in your own immune system.”

While we spoke a young anarchist, going by the name “Cabbage,” stopped by Kalish’s table. “Do you guys really eat garbage? That’s disgusting!” he joked before sampling her spread. A similar, serious reaction is fairly common, said Kalish, who became an active freegan about three and a half years ago. But her own health should be enough to persuade dissenters of the freegan lifestyle. “I think I lend a little credibility to it. I haven’t been getting sick from doing this,” she said. A vegan, Kalish noted that eating meat procured from the trash could be more problematic, and that those with weaker immune systems would probably have to be more careful freegans.

A pile of "freegan" bread.

New York’s freegan community meets about once a week to go “shopping” in the dumpsters of the City’s supermarkets. Nicer neighborhoods with better supermarkets produce better trash, said Kalish, who added that her own grocery bill has shrunk to just about $25 a week, most of which she attributed to soy milk and products for her cat. Even those minimal purchases upset Kalish, who felt she should be scavenging for all her food.

“Honestly, it’s sort of a luxury. I feel a little guilty about shopping. I buy food with guilt because I know I don’t have to,” said Kalish of her soy milk purchases. She feels the karmic effects of her purchases later on. “I get punished. The next trash tour, the next dumpster dive I go on, I’ll find what I just bought.”

Though Kalish is an articulate defender of the freegan lifestyle, most people are just not going to eat trash no matter how good an argument she puts forward. Leaving her table I felt a palpable sense of relief that Kalish did not ask me to try any of the bread, as I would have been put in the awkward position of being nice to a source and eating garbage. But freeganism to Kalish is about more than the trash hunt. Why can’t communities share one car or one washing machine?, she asks one man stopped at her table. Kalish is outraged by any waste, be it food, energy or otherwise. Hitting a dumpster for her meals is just the first step.

“I always felt uncomfortable to be shopping and buying new things. I already have enough shirts, why do I have to get another shirt?” she asked. “It never made sense to me to accumulate all this stuff.”

Other Notable Clips

2008-04-20T12:27:00.003-04:00

I've been busy away from the Village Voice. Have a look...

At Candidato USA:

"What Can Latinos Expect From The New Governor Of New York?" March 17, 2008.

"What Might Congestion Pricing Cost Latino Neighborhoods?" March 24, 2008.

At Positive Thinking Magazine:

"Five Things I Learned: Chris Bliss," March 2007.

"Five Things I Learned: Bill Nye," March 2007.

And how about two oldies but goodies...

"A Psychic Detective of Another Sort," Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2007.

"The Rundown on Scientology's Purification Rundown," New York Press, May 31, 2007.

Village Voice

2008-04-20T12:14:00.005-04:00

I have been doing a ton of work for the Village Voice. It's the major reason I haven't been able to keep things up to date here. Have a look at a few of the more interesting pieces...

"The Revolt of the Superdelegates?" February 7, 2008.

"Penn Jillette on Libertarians, Hillary, Obama, McCain and Bloomberg," February 22, 2008.

"John Edwards Backs the 'Iraq/Recession' Campaign," February 25, 2008.

"Ralph Nader: Why I'm Running Again," March 3, 2008.

"Anonymous vs. Scientology: 'Our Nonsense Is Free,'" March 17, 2008.

"Scenes From Anonymous' 'Scientology Reconnect' Picnic," April 14, 2008.

"'Coffin It Up' Seeks to Transform Bad Things Into Music," April 17, 2008.

Coming later this week I'll have an interview with Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr and an examination of the "freegan" movement. Stay tuned.

It's Been A While...

2007-12-20T23:22:00.001-05:00

...but I've been busy. Here are a few recent clips for everyone to check out.

"A Psychic Detective of Another Sort"--Wall Street Journal, Nov. 24, 2007

"Immigration Debate + Reality TV Dating = A New Stupid Low"--Village Voice, Nov. 30, 2007

"Carrión to Run for Comptroller in 2009"--Village Voice, Dec. 13, 2007

"Interview: Jim Bouton on the Mitchell Report"--Village Voice, Dec. 14, 2007

Enjoy!

Joel, The Marathon Man

2007-11-08T15:11:00.001-05:00

As I've written before, City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera had spent the past few months training to run in the marathon over the weekend. For your enjoyment, Rivera's office has provided this picture of the probable 2009 borough presidential candidate greeting his fans in his native Bronx on Sunday. He finished the race in about five hours.

A politician running. Oh, the metaphors!

Election '07: What It Means In Westchester

2007-11-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

A trusted Westchester source-in-the-know sends over this detailed analysis of just what Tuesday's results mean for Westchester County. Here's the report:

Yonkers

The big victory by Mayor Phil Amicone (R) over Councilmember Dennis Robertson (D) is a major defeat for allies of former Mayor (and former candidate for US Senate) John Spencer (R). Spencer and his allies were strongly for Robertson. Amicone governs as an apolitical technocrat and works well with most figures in both parties.

Amicone is term limited and therefore a lame duck. Expect Ken Jenkins (Democratic chair in Yonkers and a County Legislator) to begin grooming a strong Democrat for mayor, but not City Council Chuck Lesnick, who many see as a cross between a loose canon and a light weight.

Amicone himself must consider whether to run for County Executive in four years. His reputation as being on the level in hilly and crooked Yonkers would serve him well; but Democrats have a big edge in registration in Westchester. Amicone would have no difficulty picking up private employment.

Also in Yonkers, people are talking about how relatively close the Spreckman-Christiana race turned out: Incumbent Republican Bernice Spreckman 3,900, Democratic challenger Ger Christiana 2,900. Christiana's campaign appeared non-existent and those 2,900 votes pure hard core Democratic voters. Word is a Democrat who is known and willing to campaign vigorously could put the seat in play. This creates an interesting scenario for Spreckman. She is perceived as a reliable vote to support the programs and priorities of County Executive Andy Spano in part because her son has a patronage job with the county administration. But if she stays a Republican, Spreckman may well attract a strong Democratic challenger. If she switches to the Dems [previously she switched from the Dems to the GOP -- when the Republican County Executive (now Judge) Andy O'Rourke put the Spreckman heir on the payroll], then County Executive Spano could help preclude a primary. Anyway, the seat is seen in play.

Mount Vernon

The county Democratic organization rallied 'round the official Democratic candidate, County Legislator Clinton Young who won handily. Incumbent Ernie Davis lost the Democratic primary, continued the race to November, and got more than one third of the vote on the Independence and Conservative lines. This is a very Democratic city, but with 88% of the districts reporting, 42% of the voters voted otherwise than with the Democratic candidate. Republican County chairman Doug Colety will be looking at those numbers to see if an appropriately charismatic candidate could do well there as a County Executive race. Most observers see this deviation as a one shot incident with a powerful incumbent mayor using the power of incumbency to draw votes.

New Rochelle

Democratic Mayor Noam Bramson was re-elected with two thirds of the vote and appeared to have no coat-tails. Republicans held their one seat on the seven member council, won a second, and are (as of now) leading in a third district by seven votes.

County Board

Democrats picked up two seats on the 17 member board bringing their total to 14 and a half (Spreckman). That gives the Democrats the so-called super majority needed for bond acts. Most members of the 17 member board were unopposed, but two Republican incumbents faced strong campaigns. Minority Leader George Oros won re-election from northwest Westchester (Peekskill and environs) by 300 votes out of 9,300 votes cast.

Conservative Suzanne Swanson lost to Democrat John Nonna 44% to 56% in a central Westchester district centered around Pleasantville. It is expected that former legislator Rob Astorino will be more visible within the district and try to recapture it for the GOP in two years.

Republican Ursula LaMotte and Democrat Clinton Young were the only legislators not to seek re-election. Young will face the trials of being mayor of Mount Vernon and will be replaced on the county board by Mount Vernon City Council Member Lyndon Williams (D). LaMotte will face the trials of grandmother-hood and will be replaced by businessman Peter Harckham (D). Harckham defeated Republican Peter Michaelas 52% -- 48%, an indication that this high income area is becoming more and more Democratic.

Poll: No One Likes The Spitzer Plan

2007-11-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

A new Rasmussen poll finds 77% of all Americans oppose any plan that would give drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.

The opposition has no real party affiliation. Republicans do have a greater distaste (88%) for such a plan, but Democrats (68%) and independents (75%) are pretty strongly against it, too.

I guess Eliot Spitzer won't be able to use the issue as the backbone for a presidential run anytime soon.

More here.

The Unbearable Sadness of Off-Year Voting

2007-11-06T17:57:00.000-05:00

In AD 36/ED 35 in Astoria I was just voter number 36 at 5:20 p.m.

Sigh. Let's hope low turnout doesn't keep Long Lake from getting its water.

More Satellite Radio Merger Support

2007-11-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

A number of new individuals and organizations, including former New Jersey Senator and New York Knicks legend Bill Bradley, have come out in support of the impending Sirius/XM Radio merger.

"Merger synergies will decrease duplicative programming and result in expanded variety and more unique content unavailable anywhere else. Additionally, these synergies will also allow the companies to offer new programming options -- customers will be able to select packages that include content from both XM and SIRIUS. For the first time ever in subscription media, consumers will also have the option of a la carte programming, where they can truly tailor their radio to fit their listening tastes," wrote Bradley in a letter to the FCC.

More here.

What Does This Mean?

2007-11-02T19:25:00.000-04:00

From the Ron Paul for President request form for New York delegates to the Republican convention:

I support Ron Paul for President and agree to vote for him on every ballot at the Republican Convention until released by him from that obligation, regardless of any laws or rules to the contrary.

The full form is here (hat tip: Azi).

Vallone: Con Ed Wants Dollars, Has No Sense

2007-11-02T19:13:00.000-04:00

Queens City Councilman Peter Vallone is asking an interesting question today: why does Con Edison need the 18% rate hike it has requested from the Public Service Commission when it's quarterly financial report shows it has increased earnings 34% in the last quarter?

"We already pay the highest rates in the country, resulting in huge profits for Con Ed. Now, they are asking for even higher rates," Vallone said. "Con Ed asking for higher rates is like Bill Gates asking to be on welfare."

Con Edison has reported earnings of $312 million in the third quarter, higher than the $231 million it reported in the third quarter of last year. More on those earnings here.

Departure

2007-11-02T15:49:00.000-04:00

Via Azi.

And Karol.

Illegal Immigrants Yes, Legal Guns No

2007-11-02T13:51:00.000-04:00

That's the message being sent by Hillary Clinton, according to a particularly harsh statement released by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA). The organization is blasting Clinton for supporting Governor Eliot Spitzer's proposal to give illegal immigrants drivers' licenses while she opposes concealed-carry laws for legal, law-abiding residents of these United States.

"Based on her comments during Tuesday night's debate," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, "Sen. Clinton must think people in this country illegally are entitled to greater rights than citizens and others who are here legally. Maybe it's because she knows that illegal aliens would vote for her, while law-abiding American gun owners won't."

Gottlieb added, "It is clear she wants special privileges for illegal immigrants, yet she opposes allowing American citizens to carry firearms to protect themselves from illegal aliens and others who commit violent crimes."

Viola Plummer Wants Your Help

2007-11-02T13:08:00.000-04:00

It's a little old, but pictured below is shot of an advertisement in an edition of the Black Star News from a few weeks ago (that I just picked up), in which City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is described as a "white supremacist."

The ad is taken in defense of Viola Plummer, the former chief of staff to Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron, who was removed from that position by Quinn following her behavior during the "Sonny Carson street renaming" dust up.

The ad is signed by the December 12th Movement, a group Plummer chairs. In it Plummer is defended as the latest target of "white supremacy in New York City," and that her lawsuit seeking her reinstatement as Barron's chief of staff is "challenging the racism of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn."

There's more. The ad goes on to state that Council member Leroy Comrie, who Plummer stated should be "assassinated" following the street renaming vote (that statement cause her firing by Quinn in the first place), broke his promise to other council members to support the renaming. It also describes Quinn's rule at the City Council as a "de facto dictatorship" and declares her lawsuit as an effort to prove "the First Amendment still applies to Black people."

The ad closes with a plea for contributions to the "Viola Plummer Defense Fund," noting that her lawsuit will probably cost $15,000 to implement.

Welcome...

2007-11-02T12:56:00.000-04:00

...to "FTL, Redux," my new online home. Feel free to look around, kick the tires a bit if you like. There's no hurry to leave.