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Outrage grows over temporary rink plan
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Riverdales ONLYLocally Owned
Newspaper!
Volume XVIII Number 51 December 15 - 21, 2011 FREE!
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Students were beaming with Tiger pride last week at the
Riverdale Kingsbridge Academys rst ever pep rally. Hundreds of
students packed the auditorium and gymnasium to celebrate their
athletic teams upcoming seasons. Pictured here are (left to right):
Lindsey Crowe, Courtney Segal, Karla Rehren Marincov, and Sergio
Prado.
By BRENDAN McHUGHTiger pride roared in Riverdale last
week.The Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
held its rst-ever pep rally on Friday, and the students showed
up with all the school spirit they had.
Hundreds of students packed the schools auditorium, chanting for
their school so loudly it was nearly deafening. And despite the
loss to Mott Haven, 80-72, in boys basketball later that day, the
entire event proved to be an RKA victory.
Im just so glad I was able to celebrate with the kids, beamed
Principal Lori OMara after the rally, calling it a fan-tastic
time.
The students seemed to have a fantas-tic time as well. Many of
them had body paint, with a trio of girls painting the letters RKA
on their stomachs. Those who chose to keep it more conservative had
on temporary tattoos of blue tigers or simply some blue and gold
face paint. Students and teachers walked around with shiny blue and
gold capes, and others simply walked around waving pom-poms.
It was epic, said RKA student Mag-gie Burke.
The pep rally just showed how much Tiger pride we have, chimed
in fellow student Melissa Wright.
During the event, the wrestling team, the cheerleaders and both
basketball teams paraded on stage and were each introduced to the
crowd. The wrestling team guaranteed both city and state
championships.
RKA wrestling had a 9-0 record in the regular season last year
but eventually lost in the playoffs to a Staten Island
RKA full of pride at rst ever pep rally
By BRENDAN McHUGHAs the citys Department of Parks and
Recreation
continues to negotiate with the Ice Rink Events company to bring
the boroughs only public skating rink to Van Cortlandt Park, their
efforts to appease the community may have only enraged them
more.
A number of Community Board 8 members have ex-pressed outrage
over a new plan for a smallermini29-day rink that skips public
scrutiny.
There are a lot of disturbed people, said one member of the
board, who wanted to remain anonymous until the general board
meeting Tuesday night, December 13.
The meeting at the Riverdale YM/YWHA, which is after press time,
is the community boards best chance to collect public input on the
skating rink.
The board scheduledand subsequently can-celledve meetings over
the past few months as they
attempted to hold a public forum to discuss the larger, 15-year
rink. However, with very few details, they did not want to hold a
meeting.
Community Board 8 has a resolution they plan to vote on during
Tuesday nights meeting that, if passed, would say the board
deplores DPRs decision to circumvent the public-review process.
Another board member speculated that a different resolution
could be submitted that would go further, possibly calling for the
mini-rink project to be aban-doned altogether.
Instead of the 15-year seasonal rink, which the city wants to
install eventually, this proposal is for 29 days only, scheduled
through a city permit. Because it would be a one-time event, the
city wouldnt need any approval from the public. Questions have been
raised as to where the money for the truncated program is coming
from,
with some suggesting that it is the Bloomberg Foundation that is
footing the bill so the mayor wont lose face.
Some of the information that has come out pertaining to this
smaller rink has been about costs. Skate rental would be $5, and
admission would range between $5 and $8. Operating hours on Sunday
through Thursday would be10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday and
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For comparison, the Murray Memorial Skating Rink in Yonkers has
$4 skate rental and $7 admission, while their hours vary greatly
day to day. The biggest differ-ence between the two facilities,
besides the size of the rinks, is that Murrays is semi-indoors
while the Bronx rink would be outdoors, next to the elevated No. 1
train. There is free parking at Murrays, while the Bronx facil-ity
would depend on scarce street parking, enforced by
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First RKA pep rally
Principal applauded for new tone at RKABy MIAWLING LAM
After years of poor grades on city report cards, the atmosphere
at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy is improving.
RKA principal Lori OMara, likely in response to criticism for
failing to connect with students, parents and teachers, has been
communicating more with students and teachers and has introduced
events, such as student-teacher basketball games, pajama days and
coffee with the principal, that appear to have boosted morale.
Just last month, the school took the unusual step of throwing
open its doors to community leaders, local organizations and
members of the press and giving the guests a tour of the
campus.
Openness and transparency are very important, whether its a
government agency or our schools, said Assemblyman Jeffrey
Dinowitz, who had a staff member attend the tour while he was
abroad.
Principal OMara has clearly made an effort to reach out more to
the community, and for that she should be applauded, he added.
The school has also been using Twit-ter to disseminate breaking
news and words of encouragement to students and parents. The latest
tweet was blasted on December 10 to coincide with the schools pep
rally.
The school is brimming with excite-ment for the pep rally and
big game this afternoon...everyones donning blue and gold...cant
wait! OMara posted.
At Fridays pep rallythe schools rst one everhundreds of students
packed the auditorium with their Tiger pride to cheer on a handful
of school teams. OMara commended the students for their enthusiasm
and the teachers for their hard work, calling the event a
success.
Some of that has been spurred by survey results an some of it is
a need also to maintain better communication and help the students
better, OMara said in a phone interview.
OMara added that shes planning a hand-ful of spring events that
will involve the com-munity as well.OMara recently accepted an
invitation to appear before Community Board 8s education committee
next month.
Additional reporting by Brendan McHugh
high school they had beaten earlier in the year.
Let the domination begin, one of the wrestlers screamed in front
of the crowd.
RKA girls basketball head coach Will Cushing noted his team had
made the playoffs the past two years, and despite losing a handful
of seniors last year, he was ready to make another run.
We have a very new team and were working very hard, he said to
great fan-fare from the Tigers.
At times, the crowd grew so thunder-ous that it became
impossible to hear anything other than the cheers and chants of RKA
or Tigers.
In the more lighthearted part of the rally, RKAs men and women
staffers were pit against one another in a version of Family
Feud.
Teachers tried to gure out the answers 100 of their students
gave to questions that are often asked by teachers, such as Why are
you so late to class?, Why are your pants so low? and What makes
RKA teams great?
The students reacted with great enthu-siasm during the game,
especially when teachers answered certain questions with their own
good-natured humor, slightly mocking the students.
One of teachers on the womens team, the Femme Fatales, won the
round for her team when she said the students say their pants are
so low was because, in fact, my undies are so high!
The Femme Fatales eventually beat the Macho Males in a
lightening round.
To wrap up the pep rally, students and teachers faced off in a
basketball game, with the nal score 23-12, students.
I guess there is nothing like youth, OMara said afterward.
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Racism charge is latest controversy at troubled P.S. 24By
MIAWLING LAM
Fresh allegations this time involv-ing racial discrimination
have rocked P.S. 24, following claims that a school administrator
made disparaging remarks toward staff members.
The school is now facing a possible race discrimination lawsuit
after interim acting assistant principal Manuele Verdi allegedly
made racist comments toward two teachers.
The verbal clash broke out on No-vember 30 after each of the
schools ap-proximately 15 parking passes had been distributed. The
permits are issued daily
on a rst come, rst served basis.It is understood a male
paraprofessional
was holding one of the last parking passes for a female
colleague stuck in trafc, caus-ing Verdi to miss out on securing a
permit and forcing him to park on the street.
A person at the school, who spoke on the condition of anonymity
for fear of retribution, said when Verdi found out about the
arrangement, he allegedly lost his temper.
Manny had words with both on the street, the source said, adding
that at least one other witness was present.
The source was unsure of what was
specically said but implied the matter of race was raised.
I dont know what he said, but there was denitely something and
it appar-ently got ugly, the person said. There is no place in
education for racism. Whether its colleague to colleague,
administrator to teacher or child to child, it has no place
here.
The situation came to light after the Riverdale Review received
a tip from a person at the school earlier this month. The
accusations have since been collabo-rated by two other sources.
School ofcials did not respond to requests for comment.
At least one of the staffers is consid-ering ling a claim with
the New York District Ofce of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, while the other has discussed the
situation with an attorney.
Tensions at the school have boiled over in recent weeks,
especially after Principal Donna Connelly was forced to replace an
uncertied teacher who was assigned to instruct special education
children.
The staffer, who was promoted to lead an inclusion class
although she lacked the necessary certication, was swiftly removed
once Department of Education ofcials caught wind of the illegal
ap-pointment.
The schools parents association then took the unusual step of
issuing a written plea to staff members urging them to stop airing
school issues to the press, an effort that some teachers saw as a
veiled threat. A number of teachers, in a silent protest, deposited
their letters back in the parents associations mailbox in the
school.
trafc agents.The rink would be about 45 percent the
size of a regulation hockey rink.Some details still remain
unidenti-
ed.We dont have anything more on the
food, for instance, Community Board 8 parks committee chairman
Bob Bender said.
A parks representative at last months parks committee meeting
said food costs would be minimal but didnt elaborate.
As for Tuesday nights meeting, Bender wouldnt take a guess as to
which way the board will vote on the resolution.
I never speculate, he said.Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who
plans to speak to the board about the rink, has been upset over
the lack of op-portunity the public has had to chime in about the
plans.
The city has managed to turn some-thing that could really be
great for our
community into an embarrassment because of the way the city has
handled the process, he said.
Dinowitz stressed that he would love to see a skating rink in
The Bronx, though the city needs to reevaluate how they go about
doing that.
Every community has the right to know whats being proposed and a
right to comment on it, he insisted.
He said hell tell the board that he sup-ports a skating rink in
The Bronx, but they need to let the city know that they will not
accept being ignored when it comes to issues and developments in
their community.
The temporary rink for this season still has no proposed start
time. The parks de-partment needs to wait for Con Edison to upgrade
the electrical infrastructure of the area, and they have no
timeline for when that will begin. A Con Edison spokesman said the
harsh summer weather set them behind schedule.
Outrage over latest dinky rink plan
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Di
sney
Opening Night Tickets $15!*
Regular Ticket Prices:
Additional fees may apply.
Buy tickets at , Retail Locations, Arena Box Offices or call
JAN. JAN.
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Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.JAN. 5
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Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.JAN. 12
7:30 PM*
JAN. 13
7:30 PM
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Excludes VIP Dining, Rinkside and VIP seats. No double
discounts. Additional fees may apply.
1905
39
Tickets Make Great Gifts!
P.S. 81Next Thursday, December 21, the fth-
graders will take a tour of H.S. 141.Riverdalian Kim Johnson, a
teaching
artist with the Henry Street Settlements Abrons Arts Center, has
begun a series of lessons for fourth-graders on American history.
Dressed in colonial garb, she visits classes over a period of
months to present early American daily life through drama. Students
write scripts in preparation for a play at the end of the
project.
Fifth-graders are invit-ed to join the fth-grade committee,
which meets on Fridays in the lunch-room during lunch period.
Committee membership affords an opportunity to have a say in
end-of-year activities like parties and eld day.
M.S./H.S. 141Riverdale/kingsbridge Academy
The entire high school attended last Fridays smash-hit pep
rally, with sports events featuring the boys and girls basket-ball
teams, the boys wrestling team, the RKA cheerleaders, a skit
performed by Ms. OMara and other faculty members and a nale with
teachers and students performing the RKA Blues. Students won the
faculty/student basketball game that followed.
Winterfest is this Thursday, December 15, at 7 p.m. The
community is invited to enjoy this performance of holiday favorites
by RKAs middle school band, dancers and vocalists. Tickets are $5
and will be available at the door. Horace Mann School
The community is invited to the Upper Division Holiday Orchestra
and Choral Concert this Friday, December 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Gross
Theater. The orchestra, glee club, chamber choir, girls ensemble
and string sinfonietta will perform works by Vivaldi, Wagner and
Bach as well as jazz vocals, traditional holiday songs includ-ing
selections from Handels Messiah, and a new work by music department
head Darin Lewis. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $10
for others. Refreshments will be available after the performance in
Olshan Lobby.
An article by school librarian Rachael Myers was published in
the December 6 issue of School Library Journal. What Are They
Reading for Fun? reveals the reading habits of Middle Division
stu-dents.
Manhattan CollegeThe De La Salle Medal Dinner, an $800-
per-plate fundraiser this year, will take place at the
Waldorf-Astoria on Tuesday, January 17, at 7:30 p.m. after a
cocktail re-ception. The college will present John M. Dionisio,
chairman and CEO of AECOM Technology Corporation, and Frederick W.
Werner (75), president of corporate
development for AE-COM, with De La Salle Medals. Dionisio and
Werner have received industry-wide recog-nition for their work at
AECOM, with both playing a key role in projects including
the Second Avenue Subway in New York City, the Tren Urbano
transit rail system in Puerto Rico, the State Highway 130 toll-way
in Texas, the Metrolink Com-muter Rail System in California and a
$5 billion freeway system in Arizona. Dionisio tripled AECOMs
revenue and doubled its workforce while expanding service offerings
and geographic reach. Werner is responsible for growth strategies
in all AECOM business lines and ensures that the company is
advancing technol-ogy and best practices globally. Proceeds from
the event are applied to academic and cocurricular programs,
scholarship assistance and library resources.
College of Mt. St. VincentCollege president Dr. Charles L.
Flynn
Jr. has been honored as one of the Irish Education 100, a
listing of the nations most inuential education leaders of Irish
heritage. The list will appear in a special edition of The Irish
Voice released on Wednesday, December 14, and an award ceremony
will take place that evening at the home of the Irish Con-sulate
General in Manhattan. Dr. Flynn was appointed president in 2000
after serving as provost and dean of faculty at Assumption College
in Worcester, Mas-sachusetts, and as associate provost of Adelphi
University in Garden City, New York. Flynn, a historian, has taught
on the faculties of several colleges. He au-thored White Land,
Black Labor: Caste and Class in Late Nineteenth Century Georgia and
co-edited Race, Class, and Politics in Southern History: Essays in
Honor of Robert F. Durden. Flynn now serves on the board of
directors for the Grace Institute in Manhattan and on the Bronx
Task Force on Historic Pres-ervation. He traces his Irish ancestry
to County Clare.
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Chabad to host Rabbi Dov Greenberg
Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale invites the entire Jewish
community to a Shab-baton with Rabbi Dov Greenberg on De-cember
16-17, 2011-Kislev 20-21, 5772 at Chabad of Riverdale, 535 W. 246th
Street, Riverdale, NY.
Rabbi Dov Greenberg is the executive director of the Rohr Chabad
House, a Jew-ish Student Center at Stanford University. He is a
sought after communicator of Jewish thought and spirituality, who
has lectured throughout the United States, Israel, Europe &
Canada. His essays on contemporary issues appear with regular-ity
in newspapers and are read by many on the internet. Rabbi Greenberg
is one of the online rabbis of the international askmoses.com. He
lives with his family in Palo Alto, California.
We are pleased to welcome Rabbi Greenberg in connection with the
19th of Kislev - the New Year of Chassidism-and the most auspicious
day of the Chassidic calendar. The day marks the miraculous
liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi-the Alter Rebbe, rst
Chabad Leader (1745-1812) from Soviet Czarist prison, but this day
signies much more than his personal release from prison. This
extraordinary occurrence was a water-shed event in the history of
Chassidism, allowing the Alter Rebbe to redouble his efforts on
behalf of Jewry and Torah, and especially heralding a new era in
the rev-
elation of the inner soul (Chassidut) of Torah. Please join us
as we discover with Rabbi Greenberg how Chassidut created a
paradigm shift so powerful it still impacts and transform our lives
today.
During the Friday night Shabbat dinner 5:15pm, on December 16th
Rabbi Greenberg will give a lecture entitled: The Four Most
Important Questions G-D Will Ask You. On Saturday, Dec. 17th at
10:30am Rabbi Greenberg will deliver a Sermon on What Is
Chassidism? What Is Its Innovation? At the Shabbat Luncheon, he
will speak about The Philosophy Behind the Messianic Idea; at the
Saturday night Farbrengen at 7:30pm, Rabbi Greenberg will discuss
Prozac for the Soul: Applying The Kabbalah To The Chal-lenges Of
Every Day Life.
Friday Night Dinner and Shabbat Luncheon are $30 per adult,
$12.50 per child and the Saturday night Farbrengen is $10
(suggested). Shabbaton Sponsor $180 single/couple and includes each
event. To co-sponsor this event in honor or in memory of a loved
one & for more infor-mation please call us at (718) 549-1100
x10 or email: [email protected]. Space is very limited.
Kindly R.S.V.P. by: Monday, Dec. 12th.
CSAIR to present author Lucette Lagnado
The Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR)
will present a Lunch and Learn with best-selling au-thor Lucette
Lagnado following Shabbat
services on Saturday, Dec. 17.Lagnados topic will be: From
Pashas to
Pariahs-The Rise and Fall of Egypts Jewish Community. She will
draw on her two memoirs, The Man in the White Shark-skin and the
recently-published compan-ion volume, The Arrogant Years.
Lagnado was born in Cairo, Egypt. She and her family were forced
to ee as refugees when she was a small child, eventually coming to
New York City. She joined the Wall Street Journal in 1996 and
currently serves as senior special writer and cultural
reporter.
This program is cosponsored by CSAIRs Adult Education Committee
and by the CSAIR Havurah. It is free and open to the entire
community. Babysitting will be available.
CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street. For additional
information, call the synagogue ofce at 718-543-8400 or visit
www.csair.org.
Observe the night sky at Van Cortlandt Park
The wonders of the universe are ready to be discovered, and New
York City parks are some of the best places to stargaze and explore
the night sky. Our Urban Park Rangers will be your guides to the
solar system, discussing the science, history and folklore of the
universe. This time of year is among the best to observe meteor
showers, the phases of the moon, and many planets of the Milky
Way.
Come to Van Cortlandt House on Sat-urday, December 17, at 5 p.m.
Meet at the Golf House, enter park at Bailey Avenue and Van
Cortlandt Park South.
These programs are best enjoyed on clear nights, so please call
ahead if weather conditions are not clear. Admis-sion is free.
For more information please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or
call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Family workshop at Lehman Art Gallery
Join artist Barbara Andrus, who will read stories inside her
very large, forest-like sculpture in the exhibition Sticks and
Stones: Make nature-inspired art and ornaments to take home; Tour
the exhibition with a curator.
Come to the Lehman College Art Gal-
lery on Saturday, December 17, 2011 from 10:30 am to 12:00 p.m.
Join in for cider and cookies. Admission is free.
Lehman College Art Gallerys exhibi-tions and programs are made
possible with the generous support of the New York City Department
of Cultural Affairs; the New York City Council through the
Hon-orable G. Oliver Koppell and the Bronx Delegation; Institute of
Museum and Library Services/ Museums for America; the National
Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts; Lily
Auchincloss Foundation; Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation;
Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation; Edith and Herbert
Lehman Foundation; The New Yankee Stadium Community Benets Fund;
Target; and United Way of New York City.
Lehman College Art Gallery/CUNY is located at Bedford Park Blvd
West, Bronx, NY 10468. For more information, call 718-960-8731.
Holiday bazaar at Christ Church for last minute shoppers
Complete your holiday shopping at the Christ Church Holiday
Bazaar Sat-urday and Sunday December 17 and 18. Hours are 10-3
Saturday and 1-3 Sunday in the Parish Hall at 5030 Henry Hudson
Parkway at 252nd Street.
Hand crafted items from local artisans, toys, games, jewelry,
artwork, handbags, African baskets and handcrafts, clothing and
many more gift items will be available. There will also be
alternative Gifts of Grace with choices of chickens or livestock to
benet the needy globally.
Refreshments and baked goods will be available.
On Sunday, the annual Childrens Pag-eant and Lessons and Carols
will take place during the 11:00 a.m. service. Everyone is welcome.
Christ Church Riverdale is an Episcopal Church serving the
community since 1866 and is a registered national landmark.
Street parking is readily available.Church ofce: Monday -
Friday, 9 a.m.-
1 p.m. For more information, call 718 543 1011 or visit
www.christchurchriverdale.org.
Penny Social at St. Johns School
St. Johns Church will host a Penny Social on Saturday, December
17, at 1 p.m. It will be held at the Old St. Johns School located
at 3030 Godwin Terrace in the Bronx.
Donation is $5 which includes refresh-ments and 50 Penny
Tickets. There is free parking available.
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Free Energy Efficiency Services through EmPower New YorkSM
For more information about EmPower, visit
GetEnergySmart.org/empower or call 1-800-263-0960.
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all at no cost to you.
Celebrate Chanukah with Chabad of Riverdale
Please help us with our Toys for Tots Campaign. For the past 17
years, Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale has distributed toys, games
and gifts to hospitalized children during the holiday season.
Donations of unwrapped toys or checks payable to Chabad of
Riverdale T.H.C. Campaign are welcome. We are also looking for
volunteers to distribute the toys at the hospitals on December
21st, 22nd & 26th. Please call Deborah at (718) 549-1100 ext.
10 to register.
Sunday, December 18th from 10:30am-12:30pm, bring the family to
Chanukah Wonderland! Join us at P.S. 24 (entrance on W. 235th St.)
for a performance by the CELC Preschool Children and spectacular
entertainment by Torah Tots Entertainers (kid friendly). Enjoy
interactive Chanukah games, doughnut baking and decorating, face
painting, Chanukah candle making and arts and crafts. Come along
with your friends and family and join the fun! The cost is $12 per
Child/Family Rate $30. * CELC Preschool families discount-$10 per
Child/Family Rate $25. For more information please call Fraidy at
(718) 549-1100 ext. 30.
We will be hitting the ice on Chanukah at Central Parks Trump
Wollman Rink. The public is invited on the rst night of Chanukah,
Tuesday, December 20th, from 6:00 - 9:00pm. Register online at
Chanu-kahOnIceNYC.com. Online admission is
$22 for adults, $18 for children ages 3 - 14. At the door,
admission is $25 for adults; $20 for children ages 3 - 14. Special
group rates are available.
The Giant Menorah will be lit on the 6th night of Chanukah
Sunday, December 25, 4:00pm at the Bell Tower Monument. Join us for
dancing, live music, hot latkes, donuts and balloons. We will also
light the Chanukah menorah on Tuesday, De-cember 20th &
Wednesday, December 21st at 4:00pm, Thursday, December 22nd at
5:15pm, Friday, December 23rd at 3:00pm, Saturday, December 24th at
6:30pm, Monday, December 26th and Tuesday, December 27th at 4:00pm.
This event is co-sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale and Con
Edison.
For more information on Chabad of Riverdale and details for
Chanukah events, log on to www.ChabadRiverdale.org or call (718)
549-1100 ext 10.
Restorative yoga class offered
Restorative Yoga Class with Grounded Growth Yoga will be held on
Sunday, December 18, 5:30-7 p.m. This will be held at Sothebys
Realty (lower level) 3732 Riverdale Avenue.
Restore your inner peace and vitality to keep yourself grounded
through the holiday season. Restorative yoga is a gentle practice
that allows deep letting go of tension. Accessible to all levels,
including beginners.
Space is limited. For advance registra-tion email
[email protected] or call 347-313-8742. Cost: $22.
For more info visit www.ground-edgrowthyoga.com
Wilfredo Pagan named to panel for educational policy
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. today announced that
Wilfredo Pagan has been appointed as the boroughs rep-resentative
to the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), which holds approval
power over the actions of the New York City Department of
Education.
Wilfredo Pagan is a strong advocate for the children of the
Bronx, and he will make us proud in his new role on the PEP. I look
forward to working with Mr. Pagan to advance a strong agenda on
education for the parents, children and families of the Bronx and
the entire City, said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Every child has a voice, and I am deeply honored to be able to
represent that voice on behalf of parents, families and the Bronx
community. I am thankful to Borough President Diaz for this
opportunity, and I look forward to working with his ofce on the
critical education issues that face our borough and our City, said
Wilfredo PaganPagan, a resident of West Farms, was born on
September 14, 1971, in the Bronx, where he has resided his entire
life. He is the youngest of seven siblings, all of whom have
graduated from the New York City
public school system. He is the father of six children-four
girls and two boys-each of whom have also attended New York City
public schools. His three youngest are cur-rently enrolled in the
very school he has volunteered in for the last six years, P.S.
50/The Clara Barton Elementary School, also located in West
Farms.
As the President of the parents associa-tion at P.S. 50 and
president of the District 12 Presidents Council, Mr. Pagan has
represented the parent community in dif-ferent educational forums
that range from Chancellors Parent Advisory Councils, public
educational hearings, the Citywide Council on High Schools,
educational space planning meetings and other activities.
Pagan replaces Monica Major, who cur-rently serves as Borough
President Diazs director of education and youth policy.
Belas Best at the Simon Senior Center
The Simon Senior Center located at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, 5625
Arlington Ave. is pleased to announce a special one time group
BELAS BEST on Monday December 19th @ 1pm led by Izabela Ozlanska,
an intern from the Columbia graduate school of Social Work.
This session will be an interactive group experience which will
focus on topics rel-evant to the well- being of seniors. Topics
that will be covered include friendship, hopes, dreams, love and
other pivotal subjects relevant to seniors.
There is no charge for this group but advance reservations are
recommended. Those wishing to attend are invited to have lunch at
11:45am. Suggested dona-tion is $2.25 for lunch. For further
infor-mation and registration please contact Toby @ 718-5438-8200
x223.
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Thursday, December 15Spuyten DuyvilHOLIDAY STORYTELLING4 p.m.
Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 West 235th Street
Stories for children ages 5 to 12 presented by the childrens
librarian. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
Friday, December 16RiverdaleJAZZ LECTURE10:30 a.m. Atria Senior
Living3718 Henry Hudson Parkway
Join us for a lecture and musical presentation both live and
recorded on the History of Jazz music and musicians like Louis
Armstrong, Miles Davis and Benny Goodman. RSVP to Jane Kennedy 718
432 2448 or e mail [email protected]
KingsbridgeTEEN ADVISORY GROUP4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch
Library291 West 231st Street
Let your voice be heard in the Kingsbridge Librarys Teen
Advisory Group! TAG meetings will be held on Friday afternoons from
4-5 pm. If you are a 7th -12th grade student, you are eligible to
join. For more information, call 718-548-5656.
RiverdaleSHABBATON LECTURE5:15 p.m. Chabad of Riverdale535 W.
246th Street
During the Friday night Shabbat dinner 5:15pm, on De-cember 16th
Rabbi Greenberg will give a lecture entitled: The Four Most
Important Questions G-D Will Ask You. For more information, call
718- 549-1100 x10.
Saturday, December 17RiverdaleSHABBATON LECTURE10:30 a.m. Chabad
of Riverdale535 W. 246th Street
Rabbi Dov Greenberg will deliver a Sermon on What Is Chassidism?
What Is Its Innovation? At the Shabbat Luncheon, he will speak
about The Philosophy Behind the Messianic Idea 549-1100 x10.
KingsbridgePENNY SOCIAL1 p.m. Old St. Johns School3030 Godwin
Terrace
St. Johns Church is hosting a Penny Social this Saturday.
Donation is $5 which includes refreshments and 50 Penny Tickets.
There is free parking available.
Van CortlandtBOOK DISCUSSION1 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch
Library3874 Sedgwick Avenue
Join us monthly, make new friends, and discuss books from
different genres. Call or Stop by to sign up. Book that will be
read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. For more information,
call 718-543-5150.
Van CortlandtTHE NIGHT SKY5 p.m. Van Cortlandt Park Golf
HouseBailey Ave. & Van Cortlandt Park South
The Urban Park Rangers will be your guides to the solar sys-tem,
discussing the science, history and folklore of the universe. For
more information please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or call 311
and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Sunday, December 18RiverdaleHOLIDAY PARTY11:30 a.m. Riverdale
YM-YWHA5625 Arlington Avenue
Forever Young cordially invites you to our Holiday Party with
brunch and entertainment by Corey. Call Leora Garritano for more
information at 718-548-8200 ext. 204
RiverdaleRESTORATIVE YOGA5:30 p.m. Sothebys Realty3732 Riverdale
Avenue
Restore your inner peace and vitality to keep yourself grounded
through the holiday season. Space is limited. For advance
regis-tration email [email protected] or call 347-313-8742. Cost:
$22. For more info visit www.groundedgrowthyoga.com
Monday, December 19Spuyten DuyvilGMAIL CLASS9:30 a.m. Spuyten
Duyvil Branch Library650 West 235th Street
Get a free GMail account and learn the basics of email. Well
show you the basics and a few tips to smooth your experience out.
Participants must have basic computer skills. For more information,
call 718-796-1202.
Spuyten DuyvilBOOK TALK11 a.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650
West 235th Street
Each participant briey describes & shares thoughts about a
book recently read. Discussion & recommendations are the happy
result of this sharing. Come share your reading experi-ences with
other readers! For more info, call 718-796-1202.
RiverdaleBELAS BEST1 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA5625 Arlington
Avenue
An interactive group experience which will focus on topics
relevant to the well- being of seniors. For further information and
registration please contact Toby @ 718-5438-8200 x223.
RiverdaleKNITTING CIRCLE2 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540
Mosholu Avenue
Gather with other knitters and perhaps pick up a few tips and
tricks as your work on your own creations. For more information,
call 718-549-1212.
Spuyten DuyvilHOLIDAY CRAFTS4 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch
Library650 West 235th Street
Celebrate winter with fun hands-on projects using a variety of
skills. School Age (5-12 years). For info, call 718-796-1202.
Tuesday, December 20RiverdaleHOLIDAY SING-ALONG10:30 a.m.
Riverdale Senior Services2600 Netherland Avenue
Join in for a holiday sing-a-long with Gil Willis. For more
information contact the center at 718-884-5900.
KingsbridgeSTORYTELLING4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library291 West
231st Street
Tacky the Penguin and Other Frosty Winter Tales. Stories
presented by award-winning storyteller, LuAnn Adams. For ages 4 and
older. For more information, call 718-548-5656.
KingsbridgeCB8 MEETING7:30 p.m. Kingsbridge Hts. Rehab
Center3400 Cannon Place
Meeting of the Trafc and Transportation Committee of Com-munity
Board 8. For more information, call 718-884-3959.
Wednesday, December 21RiverdaleAARP MEETING12:30 p.m. Riverdale
Presbyterian Church4765 Henry Hudson Pkwy. West
Lee Perry Gross Productions will send one of its experienced
performers to entertain us at this holiday season. Refreshments
will be served. The community is invited. For more additional
information. Call Manfred Segal at 718-549-0088.
RiverdaleBOOK DISCUSSION1 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540
Mosholu Avenue
This month will be discussing The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho.
Book club participants must reserve copies of each title through
the Librarys catalog system. Reserve your copy by placing a hold
online at www.nypl.org or visiting your local branch. For info,
call 718-549-1212.
Van CortlandtWINTER ARTS & CRAFTS3:30 p.m. Van Cortlandt
Branch Library3874 Sedgwick Avenue
Come and participate in arts & crafts projects. Parental
supervision is required for children 5 and under. For info, call
718-543-5150.
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By BRENDAN McHUGHThe Henry Hudson Bridge has hit the
diamond anniversary.On Monday, December 12, 1936,
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and master-builder Robert Moses cut the
ribbon on the Henry Hudson Bridge.
Exactly 75 years later, the New York Public Librarys Riverdale
Branch began its monthlong photo exhibition high-lighting the
construction and life of the bridge.
The display includes more than a dozen photographs from the MTA
Bridges and Tunnels Depression-era collection. It fea-tures a
special section for schoolchildren that focuses on different types
of bridges and the building of the Henry Hudson and another section
depicting the community before the bridge was built.
The Henry Hudson, with its 800-foot-long arch, was the worlds
longest plate-girder, xed-arch bridge when it opened in 1936.
Interestingly enough, when the nal cost of the construction of
the Henry Hudson Bridge, including the new upper level, was
tallied, it did not come to the originally projected $15 million,
nor did it come to the revised $10 million. The nal cost was an
astoundingly low $4,949,000. That sum was more than two-thirds less
than the original estimate, Bronx bor-ough historian Lloyd Ultan
said.
Ultan opened the exhibition with a speech about the bridge,
revealing details from its original plans to the effect it has had
on the surrounding neighbor-hoods.
Incredible was what Riverdale resident Michelle Metcovsky said
about Ultans lecture, noting how much she learned. He was very
clear, very fasci-nating.
The bridge was rst proposed in 1904 after Bronxites complained
that the near-by Broadway bridge crossing the Harlem River ship
canal was too congested, Ultan told a group of about two dozen at
the Riverdale library.
City ofcials originally hoped to have the bridge built by
1909the 300th an-niversary of Henry Hudsons voyagebut local outcry
from Spuyten Duyvil and northern Manhattan residents nixed the plan
when they claimed it would ruin the quiet bucolic nature of their
neighborhoods.
When Moses decided to build the bridge in 1914, things began
moving forward again.
Riverdalians began complaining more and more about the
difculties in making it down the infamous hill that divides
Riverdale and Kingsbridge to get to Manhattan. Congestion on
Broadway was getting worse. Soon, the idea of a parkway was
beginning to grow on local residents.
To avoid the rage of the Spuyten Duyvil residents, however,
Moses, in modern-day Bloomberg fashion, kept the route of the
parkway secret for as long as possible.
The bridge took only 18 months to buildan extremely quick
timeline com-pared to many of todays projects, one member of the
audience pointed out.
There was only one level of roadway at the beginning, in 1936.
Banks did not believe two levels would be needed and therefore
refused to loan Moses the extra money. However, by the end of the
year, 17,000 cars were crossing the bridge each day, and the second
level was built by 1938.
With the toll only ten cents, the bridge
collected $620,500 in its rst year.For afuent Riverdale
motorists, the
initial effect of the Henry Hudson Bridge was to provide a
convenient and swift way to get to the west side of Manhattan and
to Midtown, Ultan said.
He also said the bridge did not have the initial effect on real
estate development that many residents feared. It took until the
1960s for developers to take risks on Riverdale and to build luxury
apartment housing.
It has now been 75 years since the Hen-ry Hudson Bridge opened
to the public, Ultan said. Without it, Riverdale would never have
become the vital part of The Bronx and New York City that it is
today. Thus, in many ways, the Henry Hudson Bridge created modern
Riverdale.
Henry Hudson Bridge is 75 years old
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Make time foryourself
this holiday season
Join the Y* this December and get your first month FREE!Fully
equipped fitness facilityGroup fitness classes including
FREE yogaMassage therapyNew synergy salt pool with UV lightTai
Chi & Martial ArtsFull basketball courtBabysitting
Its your community, its your Y!
5625 Arlington AvenueBronx, NY
10471718-548-8200www.RiverdaleY.org
*applies to new memberships only. Not to be combined with any
other offers.Offer expires Dec. 31,2011
Diaz survey measures quality of lifeBy BRENDAN McHUGH
Riverdalians have lived in The Bronx for decades, wouldnt leave
the neighbor-hood, and have a positive outlook on life, a new
survey conducted by the Bronx borough presidents ofce shows.
Last week, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released the
results of his ofces rst-ever Well Being Survey.
The survey, conducted between August and October, was designed
to measure the opinions of Bronx residents and those who work in
The Bronx on a variety of issues that impact their communities.
Approximately 1,900 individuals took part in the survey, which
was available both online and in print at a wide variety of
locations across the borough. Of that number 92.6 percent, or more
than 1,750 individuals, are Bronx residents.
Of the 1,900, 175 people9.2 per-centwho took the survey were
from Community Board 8, which encompasses Fieldston, Kingsbridge,
Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, and Van Cortlandt Village.
I am happy that so many people who are connected to The Bronx,
either because they live here or work here, took a few minutes out
of their busy schedule to make their voices heard on the impor-tant
issues that face our borough, Diaz said in a statement, adding that
he will use the information to help guide policy decisions for
years to come.
In Community Board 8, 57.1 percent of those polled have lived in
the borough for more than 20 years, actually less than the
Bronx-wide number of 64.9 percent. However, Riverdalians are much
more likely to own a home, with 48 percent saying they own compared
to only 35.2
percent in the entire borough.Bronxites who answered the survey
said
that the three areas that need the most im-provement are
education, economic devel-opment and public safety/crime. The
survey also found that a majority of those who lled out the survey,
64.8 percent, have either a positive or condent outlook on
life.
Riverdalians agreed that education, economic development, and
public safety/crime were the three areas that need the most
improvement.
CB 8 residents have a slightly higher outlook on life: 72.9
percent of residents have either a positive or condent outlook on
life.
Riverdalians are also heavily involved in politics. Of those
surveyed, 94.3 percent of all those surveyed in CB 8 have voted,
and only 92 percent have voted since at least 2008, when the last
presidential election was held. This is much higher than the
Bronx-wide numbers that say 9.5 percent of those surveyed have
never voted, and another 4 percent saying they havent voted since
at least 2007.
Also, CB 8 is better off nancially than the borough as a
whole.
In that community, 50.3 percent of those surveyed earn more than
$75,000. In the entire Bronx, that percentage de-creases to 28.5.
Also, only 10.9 percent of those polled earn less than $30,000 in
Riverdale, while 23 percent throughout The Bronx earn less than
$30,000.
The 50th Precinct often has some of the lowest crime numbers in
the borough, and it shows. Exactly 90 percent of those surveyed in
CB 8 think the borough is safe or very safe. However, 35.8 percent
of all Bronxites think their neighborhood is unsafe.
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12 New Holocaust Center director expands role of her
organization Give the gift of
Healthfor the holidays
Give a 3 month membership* as a gift
for only $150!
Your holiday package suitable for gift wrapping will include
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5625 Arlington Avenue,Bronx, NY 10471718-548-8200
www.RiverdaleY.org
*applies to new memberships only. Not to be combined with any
other offers.
Offer expires December 31.2011.
By PAULETTE SCHNEIDERDr. Mehnaz Afridis forthcoming book,
The Shoah Through Muslim Eyes, is bound to be a blockbuster, and
the au-thor gave a sneak preview during her talk last week at the
Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale.
Afridi, the new director of Manhat-tan Colleges Holocaust,
Genocide and Interfaith Education Center, was asked to speak at
CSAIR as soon as word got out that shed been appointed to succeed
Dr. Jeff Horn. Unsurprised that the idea of a Muslim woman heading
what used to be named the Holocaust Resource Center would raise
some eyebrows, she welcomed the opportunity to talk about that.
She began her scholarly yet personal presentation with an
explanation of her preference for the term Shoah when referring to
the Nazi Holocaust. I call it the Shoah because I feel that its
ap-propriate. I give the Shoah its unique place in terms of
genocides. The word holocaust has now been academically seen as a
relative term.
Afridi is candid about the prejudice and misinformation
promulgated in scholarly circles. She shared posts from an academic
email group calling the Holocaust a privileged genocide that, if
given special status, would be used to victimize others.
She recalled a disturbing interaction at a conference several
years ago held by the Womens Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and
Equality (WISE). As an active member of that organization, she
assembles and moderates interfaith panels for conferenc-es attended
by women whove achieved distinction in political, humanitarian,
educational or religious spheres.
One such womanuent in four languages, an expert at Quranic
in-terpretation, a champion of human rightsapproached her and
asked, Isnt it true that only 2 million Jews died dur-ing the
Holocaust?
Stunned and appalled, she re-sponded by suggesting that the two
have a talk after the panel presentation, but the woman did not
take advantage of Dr. Afridis offer.
This story epitomizes the many nods of casual acknowledgement of
the death of 2 million Jews, which is somehow more acceptable than
6 million and bolsters the concept of relativism in which the Nazi
Holocaust is just another genocide.
For this years WISE global conference in Istanbul, Afridi
invited a kindred spirit in interfaith initiativesRabbi Linda
Shriner-Cahn of Congregation Tehillah, where Dr. Afridi was also
invited to speak as soon as she set foot in Riverdale.
One of only three non-Muslims at the conference, the rabbi was
one of three women who managed to overcome some odds to attain
their religious positions. My goal was to speak not Jewishly but as
a womanthat was the commonal-ity, she said.
But she observed that among the 200 women from 45 countries, the
diversity was incredible, that the women in Islam have a lot to
work on, that differ-ent countries have different issues and
that the main thing was nding their voices and supporting each
other, having a forum and discussing.
Tehillah was eager for more visits by Dr. Afridi after her talk
there on women in the Quran. They want more, Shri-ner-Cahn said.
When you nd someone else who listens, you hear them, they hear you.
Bridges are built.
In constructing her bridges and writ-ing her book, Afridi hopes
to educate Muslims about the Holocaust and about why Israel is
important to Jews.
This project stems from the ethical responsibility that I have
to speak out against false testimony, she said. As the Quran
states, let not the hatred of a people swerve you away from
justice. To hate a group of people and to have a prejudice against
others is a fundamental aw of human beings.
This project is about the Shoah, she continued, and not the
politics of Israel and Palestine. Because I hope that through this
book, Jews, through Muslim eyes, will be humanized and given their
unique place in the list of genocides.
A by-product of Afridis interviews for the book was her own
humaniza-tionin her interactions with Holocaust survivors, she
dispelled their stereo-typical view of all Muslim women as
oppressed.
It became an exchange, she said. They had never really talked to
a Mus-lim.
Before the attentive audience let her go, Afridi elded pointed
questions.
Lets talk, she said as part of a response on the role of
religion in the ongoing Middle East conicts. Its a can of wormslets
open it up. Weve got to do this.
RJC Women sponsoring theatre party
On Dec. 18, at 3 p.m., the Women of the Riverdale Jewish Center
will spon-sor Shleimel The First at NYU Campus
(LaGuardiaPlace).
For information, call Gisele at 718-543-1454 or Miriam at
718-884-9494. Limited tickets, $40.
Dr. Mehnaz Afridi
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Thursday, December 15Mt. VernonBILL OF RIGHTS COMMEMORATION10
a.m. St. Pauls Church897 S. Columbus Avenue
An educational program marking the 220th anniversary of the
adoption of the Bill of Rights. For more information, call David
Osborn at 914-667-4116.
Friday, December 16RyePARTY NIGHT8:45 p.m. Playland Ice
CasinoPlayland Parkway
Live DJ, party lights, on-ice contests, giveaways and more. For
more information, call 914-813-7059.
Saturday, December 17OssiningCHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT8 a.m. Teatown
Lake Reservation1600 Spring Valley Road
Give a holiday gift to nature! Help Teatown educators count
wintering birds. The information gathered is compiled and sent to
the National Audobon to monitor trends in populations and other
conservation issues that impact avian health. Dress for the weather
and wear hiking boots. Free for members; $5pp for nonmembers. Call
914-762-2912 ext. 110 to make a reservation.
Croton-on-HudsonNO CHILD LEFT INSIDE10 a.m. Croton Point Nature
CenterCroton Point Avenue
A walk along the Hudson River for kids who would otherwise be
indoors playing video games. For more information, call
914-862-5297.
North White PlainsSTRESS-ERASING HIKE1 p.m. Cranberry Lake
PreserveOld Orchard Street
Being in nature can help you temporarily forget about shopping
that needs to be done, menu planning, parking lot headaches, and
other things that can ruin your holiday. The hour you invest during
this relaxing walk will be worth it if it can help you enjoy and
not stress the holidays. For more information, call
914-427-1005.
Cross RiverHOLIDAY DECORATIONS1 p.m. Trailside Nature MuseumWard
Pound Ridge Reservation
Join artist Julie Aitchinson for this annual program where we
will create beautiful decorations from natural materials.
Co-sponsored by the Friends of Trailside Museum. For more
information, call 914-864-7322.
RyeWILDFLOWER ARRANGEMENT1 p.m. Read Wildlife SanctuaryPlayland
Parkway
Make a festive centerpiece for the holidays. Bring your own vase
and make a beautiful bouquet using dried plants and natural objects
from the sanctuary. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Read Wildlife
Sanctuary. For more information, call 914-967-8720.
ScarsdaleA CAPPELLA AND KARAOKE7:45 p.m. Shaarei Tikvah46 Fox
Meadow Road
An evening of musical entertainment that will feature a concert
by Shaarei Tikvahs a cappella group SHTYX, followed by a no-holds
barred karaoke evening. Doors will open at 7:15 pm and the concert
will begin at 7:45 p.m. $10 will include the concert, karaoke,
snacks, and one drink. For information, call 914-472-2013.
RyeSATURDAY NIGHT GROOVES8:45 p.m. Playland Ice CasinoPlayland
Parkway
Skate to the sounds of the 70s, 80s, 90s and today. For more
information, call 914-813-7059.
Saturday, December 18White Plains
THE NUTCRACKER12:30 p.m. Westchester County Center198 Central
Park Avenue
The Westchester Ballet Companys production of The Nutcracker.
For more information, call 914-995-4050.
Mt. VernonHOLIDAY ORGAN CONCERT1 p.m. St. Pauls Church897 S.
Columbus Avenue
A recital by acclaimed organist Kathryn Jones -- accom-panied by
soprano -- featuring classical music on the historic 1830 pipe
organ, including some traditional carols and Holiday favorites.
Refreshments served. For more information, call David Osborn at
914-667-4116.
RyeFAMILY SKATE DAY1:30 p.m. Playland Ice CasinoPlayland
Parkway
For 2 to 4 skaters includes skate rental and a large pizza. For
more information, call 914-813-7059.
RyeSURVIVAL AT THE SANCTUARY2 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute
1
The naturalist will show you some hands-on techniques on what to
do if you get stuck in the woods. For info, call 914-835-4466.
Mt. VernonHOLIDAY ORGAN CONCERT2 p.m. St. Pauls Church897 South
Columbus Avenue
Acclaimed organist Kathryn Jones performs a holiday concert on
the 1830 Erben. The recital, on one of the nations oldest working
pipe organs, features classical selections as well as traditional
carols and Holiday favorites, accompanied by soprano. For more
information, call 914-667-4116. Parking and admission are free
light refreshments served.
Friday, December 23Mt. VernonFAMILY HOLIDAY PROGRAM10 a.m. St.
Pauls Church897 S. Columbus Avenue
Historic games, activities, music and demonstrations, designed
for children on vacation from school, as well as parents, adults,
and others. For more information, call David Osborn at
914-667-4116.
Friday, December 30RyePARTY NIGHT8:45 p.m. Playland Ice
CasinoPlayland Parkway
Live DJ, party lights, on-ice contests, giveaways and more. For
more information, call 914-813-7059.
Saturday, December 31YonkersWINTER STROLL11 a.m. Lenoir
PreserveDudley Street
Bundle up and join us on a winter stroll through the preserve
admiring all its beauty. Come in from the cold after and warm up to
a cup of hot chocolate. For more information, call
914-968-5851.
CORRECTIONIn last weeks Riverdale Review, we
stated that City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell had allocated
funds towards a skateboarding park in his district. However, no
money was ever allocated, promised or guaranteed. It was only
offered as a possible allocation if the Department of Parks and
Recreation would have agree to build the park. Depending on what
the other Parks projects are in his district for the next scal
year, it is possible Koppel will revisit this skate park and decide
to offer up the money once again and see what Parks response is,
his ofce said.
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By BRENDAN McHUGHA former Bronx Science
teacher has been resolved of an Unsatisfactory rating he was
un-fairly given, the New York State Supreme Court said last
week.
In an oral bench decision Wednesday, Dec. 7, New York State
Supreme Court Justice Paul Feinman granted the petition to overturn
a 2009 Unsatisfactory rating for Peter Lamphere, former math
teacher and UFT chapter leader at the Bronx High School of
Science.
The decision, Lamphere said, is a small step in restoring some
of the damage done to the ca-reers of numerous teachers at the
prestigious Bronx school, where a deteriorating relation-ship
between Principal Valerie Reidy and faculty has dramati-cally
increased staff turnover
accompanied by a decline in the schools national ranking.
The decision rejects the De-partment of Educations attempt to
ignore scrutiny of Reidys ad-ministrative actions, Lamphere
explained.
The DOE disregarded a fact nding ruling by an independent
arbitrator last April upholding claims of harassment by 20 of 22
math teachers at the school, including Lamphere.
Even after Reidy abandoned the 2009 U-rating by refusing to
contest Lampheres administra-tive appeal, the DOE still upheld the
rating, forcing the decision to take the disagreement to court. The
former union chapter leader appealed it rst to the Depart-ment of
Education, and then to the court, in July.
This is an alert to the Depart-
ment of Education that they need to examine more closely whats
happening at Bronx Science, was Lampheres rst response to the news.
Its outrageous that they have chosen to look the other way while
the school adminstration at Bronx Science has undermined the
learning environment at what should be one of the crown jewels of
the citys educational system.
Lamphere, a tenured teacher, decided to leave Bronx Science
after receiving two U-ratings from Reidy, the rst in the 2007-08
school year and then again in the 2008-2009 school year.
Lynne Winderbaum, former UFT High School District
Rep-resentative, said that it was a shame that teachers have to use
the court system to get fair treatment.
But justice will be done whenever the abusive tactics of
principals such as Valerie Reidy are exposed to an unbiased
hear-ing, she said.
Mark Kagan, who voluntary transferred from Bronx Science as part
of the exodus of 40% of the Social Studies faculty this year,
added, It was understood at Bronx Science that Valerie Reidy used
U-ratings and denials of ten-ure for non-pedagogical reasons. Im
glad to see that the court saw this clearly. But its too bad
for
the students that Peter and other good teachers were forced out
of Bronx Science.
The rst U-rating for Lam-
phere, from 2008, remains the subject of another case before
Judge Paul Wooten, with a deci-sion expected soon.
U rating of Bronx Science teacher reversed in dramatic court
decision
The RiverdaleY will present a new holiday tradition. They will
perform the 1940s in our rst annual production ofIts A Wonder-ful
Life: A Live Radio Play.
Our talented cast, which will include staff, Riverdale Repertory
company as well as Rising Star participation as they re-create this
timeless classic for you: Taking it from the joyous lm to our
joy-ous stage. Complete with music, improvation, sound effects and
more. The performances are on Tuesday, Dec. 20 , Wednesday, Dec. 21
and Thursday, Dec. 22 all at 7:30pm Please vist our web-site at
Riverdalerisingstars.com. The entire community is invited to
visually sit and experience a live radio performance. The Y is
located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
Riverdale Y presents Its a Wonderful Life
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JOEL PAL CECILIA McNALLY Production Manager Oce Manager
ROBERT NILVA MIAWLING LAM Marketing Director Associate
EditorNote our New Address:
5752 Fieldston RoadBronx, New York 10471
(718) 543-5200FAX: (718) 543-4206
STAFF: Robert Lebowitz, Brendan McHugh, Richard Reay, Paulette
Schneider, Lloyd Ultan, Daniel R. Wolf
ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher
Standing with the TeachersIt should be increasingly clear what
all the fuss at P.S. 24 is about.
There is quiet warfare between many teachers there and the
prin-cipal of P.S. 24. These teachers have expressed extreme
displeasure with principal Donna Connelly for two years running in
the ofcial Department of Education school environment survey,
giving her a grade of D this year and a shocking failing grade last
year, one of just 25 schools out of 1400 in the city to receive
such a low score. A signicant number of the educators at P.S. 24
have expressed an inability to trust the principal at her word.
We maintain that any success that this school has enjoyed over
the years came from these dedicated educators, many of whom have
served through ve principals. The teachers of P.S. 24 take pride in
their work and deserve our praise and protection.
In a system that doesnt allow for meaningful public input and
punishes whistle-blowers, it is often only the courage of our
teachers that can be counted on to protect the interests of the
public and the children. Just last week State Supreme Court Justice
Paul Feinman, ruling in favor of Peter Lamphere, a former teacher
at the Bronx High School of Science, demonstrated how a principal
with contempt for the rules can destroy the career of a dedicated
educator.
Lacking a meaningful way to express their opinions and concerns,
many teachers at P.S. 24 have turned to the one entity in this
com-munity that they can trust this newspaper.
This is the reason behind news stories citing anonymous sources.
These sources arent anonymous to us. We go to great lengths to
check the facts when allegations are brought to us. We have agreed
to protect their identities to avoid what happened to Peter
Lamphere and scores of other victims of unprincipled principals. We
defy anyone to challenge the truthfulness of what we have printed.
Our stories are accurate and have been proven to be true.
Thats how we found out the kind of inside information that we
and these dedicated teachers agree deserve public airing:
that the former principal at P.S. 24, Philip Scharper, was using
his position to promote his Buddhist religious beliefs (he was
forced to resign as principal and, while never brought up on
charges, has not been appointed principal at any other city
school).
that Ms. Connelly deliberately refused to ll an assistant
principal vacancy for two years so that her close friend, Emanuele
Verdi could gain the necessary credits to be licensed to assume the
post. She was criticized by her own union, the Council of School
Supervisors and Administrators for this.
that Ms. Connelly allowed Mr. Verdi to pay for school purchases
on his private credit card, in violation of Department of Education
regulations, earning bonus points that benetted him personally.
This matter is under current investigation by the Ofce of Special
Investigations of the Department of Education.
that Ms Connelly illegally released the names and home
ad-dresses of parents and children to be used in a
politically-motivated mailing, violating the privacy of the . This
matter has also been put under investigation.
that Ms. Connelly knowingly hired an uncertied special
educa-tion teacher, a serious violation of not just Department of
Education regulations, but state and federal law as well. Once an
inquiry was made into the matter, the Department of Education
immediately ordered the termination of the individual involved
before so much as a word about the incident found its way into
print.
There is a disturbing pattern of contempt on the part of Donna
Connelly to ignore or bend the regulations as she sees t. And while
the individuals that she hires or benets illegally may be
delightful people, the next beneciary of her private rules may not
be. Thats why these guidelines exist.
Things would be a lot easier if Ms. Connelly were to conduct
herself in a more open fashion. Alone among the areas princi-pals
she has refused to appear before the education committee of
Community Board 8, a friendly forum that is hardly worthy of her
fear. It would also be useful if she would be more forthcoming
about the circumstances that led to her early departure from two
previous principal jobs that she held in Manhattan more than a
Continued on Page 19
Riverdale AARP Chapter to meetThe Riverdale Chapter 1546 AARP
will end 2011
with its nal meeting on Wednesday, December 21, at 12:30 p.m. at
the Riverdale Presbyterian Church at 4765 Henry Hudson Parkway
West.
Lee Perry Gross Productions will send one of its experienced
performers to entertain us at this holiday season.
Refreshments will be served. The community is invited. For more
additional information. Call Manfred Segal at 718-549-0088.
Rep. Engel urges investigation on horrible disposal of troops
remains
Congressman Eliot Engel said that the dumping of the cremated
remains of American troops killed overseas in a Virginia landll was
horrible; and those responsible must be held accountable. Rep.
Engel has called for an immediate and full Congressional
inves-tigation by the House Armed Services Committee.
The Washington Post reported the Dover Air Force Base mortuary,
which receives the bodies of American service members killed
overseas, had cremated some remains of soldiers killed in action
found after other remains were returned to families. The ashes were
subsequently sent to a Virginia landll.
It now seems, the 12-term Democrat said, that partial remains of
at least 274 American troops were sent to the landll between 2004
and 2008. This is horrible and unforgiveable. In addition, another
976 body fragments were also disposed of in the landll.
Rep. Engel said the FBI was conducting a crimi-nal investigation
of the burials, and that a complete and thorough investigation was
absolutely neces-sary to determine how this outrage happened.
Birding at Van Cortlandt ParkNew York City is home to an amazing
abundance
of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders, to deer and seals,
wildlife viewing opportunities exist year-round in all of our parks
and beaches.
Join the Urban Park Rangers as they search for winter song
birds, waterfowl, and birds of prey. Come to the Van Cortlandt Park
on Saturday, December 24, at 8 a.m. Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature
Center (Enter the park at W. 246th St. and Broadway)
Bring binoculars, or ask the Rangers to borrow a pair. Admission
is free.
For more information please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or
call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Y needs creative activities volunteerAdult Social Day Program
seeks someone warm,
fun loving and outgoing to work with seniors on arts, crafts and
music projects. All materials will be supplied and you will be
assisted and guided by the Project Coordinator. This is a great
opportunity to do something wonderful for others and for yourself!
For further details: [email protected] ; or call 548-8200
ext. 261. The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
FAX letters to:The Riverdale Review
(718) 543-4206or email to
[email protected] mail to
5752 Fieldston RoadBronx, NY 10471
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19Mistrial in Seabrook corruption case
Lifeguards WantedCall 311* or visit www.nyc.gov/parks. Men and
women ages 16 and up. Paid training if hired. Full-time seasonal
work at City beaches and pools. Minimum starting salary approx.
$13.50/hour.
*Outside NYC call (212) NEW-YORK. NYC Parks is an Equal
Opportunity Employer.
Take the Lifeguard Qualifying Test and make a splash by becoming
a NYC Parks Lifeguard!
decade ago.The politically motivated clique that
runs the parents association at P.S. 24 has threatened the
teachers demanding that they not talk with us. This is an
unaccept-able infringement of the right that every teacher has to
free speech. This small group of politically connected parents
accuse us of trying to harm the school. If there is harm in the
truth, so be it. There is far more danger in perpetuating lies.
Just ask Justice Feinman and Peter Lamphere.
Standing with teachersContinued from Page 18
By BRENDAN McHUGHA mistrial was declared in the cor-
ruption case of City Councilman Larry Seabrook, but federal
prosecutors vow to retry the career politician.
We the jurors remain deadlocked on all counts, Jury foreman
Frank DiBrino wrote in a note on Thursday afternoon. Many of the
jurors need to return to work Monday due to nancial hardships as
well as hardships to their employers.
The jury, which deliberated in Federal District Court in
Manhattan for more than a week over a trial that took three weeks,
told the judge, Robert P. Patterson Jr., in another note later on
Thursday that it remained deadlocked on all 12 counts in the
indictment.
Seabrook was charged with falsifying a receipt for a bagel and
Diet Snapple by changing the tab from $7 to $177, but defense
lawyers for the career politician said the receipt didnt have
Seabrooks name on it and that no proof could be made that it was
his handwriting.
Shortly before 3 p.m. Friday, jurors distributed another note
that the judge read aloud in court. We the jury have continued to
deliberate and looked at additional evidence, the note said.
However, we remain deadlocked on all counts and it appears we will
remain deadlocked.
The counts against Seabrook included fraud, conspiracy, money
laundering and other charges. He was accused of steering money to
family and friends through nonprots he set up and of receiving
il-legal kickbacks for helping a Bronx-based boiler company land a
contract at Yankee Stadium.
Had he been convicted, he would have faced up to 20 years in
prison on each of a number of the charges and would have lost his
Council seat.
The case against Seabrook was rocky from the start, however.
When Bronx boiler-company owner Leon Eastmond denied any quid pro
quo involving his contributions to Seabrooks political club,
prosecutors were caught off guard.
Later on in the trial, the councilmans former mistress told the
court she had dementia and couldnt recall whether she had paid
Seabrook kickbacks for scoring her a job at one of his
nonprots.
He was also accused of directing up to $40,000 in illegal
donations to his political club, only to pocket the funds by
claiming reimbursement for expenses using altered receipts, such as
the one for $177.
Seabrook told reporters after the an-nouncement of the mistrial
that hed been hoping that the jury would come to a conclusion, but
that he would live with what was said and would continue to keep
the faith.
The veteran pol, who had stints in the
Assembly and state Senate, also vowed to remain in his council
seat, insisting, I will be at the business of doing what needs to
be done for my constituents.
He is, however, term limited and will be required to relinquish
his Council seat in 2013.
His attempted run for Congress, eyeing Rep. Eliot Engels seat in
2000, became quite heated and cutthroat. Though he received backing
from then-Bronx Demo-cratic Party boss Roberto Ramirez, he lost by
a wide margin.
The eight-woman, four-man panel included ve African-Americans,
four whites, two Asians and one Hispanic. Five jurors live in The
Bronx, and one, from Co-op City, is a Seabrook constituent.
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