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Mayor stunned by delays in Dinky Rink
Riverdales ONLYLocally Owned
Newspaper!
Volume XVIII Number 47 November 17 - 23, 2011 FREE!
By BRENDAN McHUGHThis past Sunday, about 100 people
showed up on a brisk November afternoon to honor Riverdales
veterans at the Van Cortlandt Park Memorial Grove.
Herb Barret and Don Tannen, the lead-ers of the Memorial Grove
Restoration Group and veterans themselves, have held the ceremony
for the past ve years, not only for the veterans in the area but
also to highlight the need to restore the war memorial.
"We were hoping that a good part of the grove would be
completed," Barret said at the ceremony. "Wed just like to see it
nished."
The grove is set for completion this January, mainly because
Barret and Tan-nen have been relentless in getting the Department
of Parks and Recreation to move more quickly.
The grove was created to honor 37 de-ceased war heroesincluding
two Medal of Honor recipientswith 37 trees and as many plaques, but
a number of trees are missing, and many of the plaques have
disappeared over the years. Many of those honored in the grove are
from World War II, though a small number honor those who fought in
World War I or the Korean War.
Since the city began restoring the grove, ve trees have been
planted, and the plaques should be coming soon.
Will this be the last Veterans Day that our heroes are made to
wait for memorial?
By MIAWLING LAMThe proposed ice-skating rink in Van Cortlandt
Park
remains snowed under.Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who rst
announced
the plan during his State of the City address earlier this year,
admitted he was puzzled over the cause of the lengthy delays.
Speaking at an unrelated press conference in The Bronx last
week, Bloomberg appeared out of the loop on the project and said he
was stumped by the hold-up.
I have absolutely no idea, but if you call us later, we'll nd
out, he said. I just do not know why.
The mayor's stunning admission emerged as Com-munity Board 8
pressed ahead with plans to schedule yet another public
hearing.
At last Wednesday's general board meeting, members passed a
resolution to hold a public hearing on Tuesday, December 6a mere
six days before the next Franchise and Concessions Review Committee
gathering.
It is the fth hearing that CB8 has scheduled in four months in
anticipation of the project's inclusion on the FCRC agenda.
However, because the parks department has failed to announce a
winning bid, CB8 has been forced to cancel each meeting.
Despite the merry-go-round process, parks depart-
ment spokesman Zachary Feder said the city was push-ing ahead
with the rink and denied claims the project was delayed.
Feder said the agency was currently in talks with another party
but refused to conrm whether it was with Ice Rink Eventsthe only
known company to be in the running for the projector whether
discussions were being conducted with multiple rms.
After the RFP, theres usually a negotiating process, he said.
There are some details that are still being worked out. I would not
call it delayed. Its still something thats being discussed.
We still expect to have this great amenity available
shortly.
However, CB8 parks committee chair Bob Bender conceded that
details of the rink may never make it to the FCRC table as the
proposal has yet to be certied,
They don't have to hear this issue, and they may never hear this
issue, he said.
For all we know, this proposal may never come before them.
That's one possibility.
The FCRC was supposed to vote on the controversial project
during their Augustthen September, then Oc-tober and then
Novembermeeting, but the parks de-partment stalled on releasing the
project details, forcing
them to push the vote back at least another month.The
uncertainty has bothered many CB8 members,
including Sergio Villaverde, whose patience appears to be
wearing thin.
This is a ridiculous situation that we nd ourselves in, he said.
We shouldn't have to do this every month.
Under city guidelines, the FCRC must nalize their agenda and
release it to the public at least 15 days prior to their meeting,
while community boards only need to provide 10 days notice.
However, Bender said the string of last-minute cancel-lations
has raised serious questions about whether the city's 15-day
timeframe is sufcient.
One of the things that I want to address whenever this is all
over, if we all live long enough, is question the 15 days, he
said.
I frankly think that for a major concession, the com-munity
ought to be given 30 days' notice. When these concessions are
renewed, 15 days might be sufcient. But having lived through this
month after month, I think the 15 days is insufcient.
One of the things that I do want to do is propose that we ask
the city to look at these regulations and give
Continued on Page 19
ROTC students from several Bronx colleges participated in
ceremonies to mark Veterans Day in Van Cortlandt Park.
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By BRENDAN McHUGHA body was found in Van Cortlandt
Park Lake Monday afternoon, high-lighting a lack of patrol in
the citys parks.
Anthony McGurran, 77, had been missing from his Bailey Avenue
home since Friday. Police say the investigating is ongoing and that
the cause of death is not yet known. There were no immediate signs
of foul play.
The news of the tragic death, what-ever the cause may be, has
underlined a problem with parks and crime.
"The Parks Department is responsible for 14 percent of the citys
land, and its completely unacceptable that the city is not tracking
and reporting crime," said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Parks Advocates, a
parks watchdog group.
The city staffs Parks Enforcement Patrol ofcers throughout the
citys parks, but earlier this year it was reported that only eight
PEP ofcers tend to The Bronxs 6,000 acres of parkland. The Bronx,
once nicknamed the Borough of Parks, has two of the four biggest
parks in the city. Manhattan has 34 publicly funded PEP ofcers.
"Theres a lack of accountability when it comes to looking at
whats going on in our parks system," Croft said. "Much greater
resources need to be allocated. The NYPD and parks de-partment need
to be forced to comply with the law."
The parks department, like many city agencies, is struggling to
maintain services as budgets and personnel con-tinue to be cut.
Croft held a press conference Tues-day at the steps of City Hall
to demand the City comply with the park crime reporting law and
reschedule the City Council's oversight hearing examining public
safety in city parks.
"Park crime reporting is vital to not only preventing crime but
knowing where to allocate proper resources," he said. "The public
has a right to know if their parks are safe."
City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez had planned to attend the
conference, but he was arrested with many of the Oc-cupy Wall
Street protesters early Tuesday morning when the NYPD forced them
out of Zuccotti Park.
The NYPD pulled out of the hearing scheduled for November 15,
saying they could not prepare due to other commit-ments including
Occupy Wall Street, ac-cording to an NYPD spokesman. NYPD
Commissioner Ray Kelly said they do not have the necessary
resources or technol-ogy to comply with the law, according to
documents obtained by NYC Park Advocates.
"We know that there is such a lack of park enforcement,
especially in The Bronx," Croft said. "A lot of them are in the so
called contract parksthe public-private partnerships."
Van Cortlandt Park is a public-pri-vate partnership, with the
Van Cort-landt Park Conservancy charged with helping to run the
park. The partnership with the city allows private organiza-tions
to raise money that goes directly to the park.
Anthony Perez Cassino, the Conser-
vancys chair, did not reply to a request for comment asking
whether they have funded any PEP ofcers. The group's projected
nancial statement for the scal year does not have any expenses
listed for ofcers.
Nine parks in Manhattan and Brooklyn supply an additional 78
privately funded PEP ofcers. No PEP ofcers are privately funded in
The Bronx.
Bronx PEP ofcers have said in the past that they cover the
entire bor-ough, so if theyre in one corner of The Bronx and
something happens on the other side, they have to travel the
distance.
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Continued on Page 19
By MIAWLING LAMElected officials and residents are
stamping mad over the United States Postal Service's plan to
close the Spuyten Duyvil post ofce.
More than 50 people attended last Thursday's public hearing at
St. Gabriel's School to express their concerns over the proposed
shrinkage strategy.
The Spuyten Duyvil station at 562 Kappock Street and the
Fieldston station at 444 West 238th Street are two of up to 3,700
branches nationwide that the USPS has agged for closure.
Ofcials estimate the Spuyten Duyvil closure would save the
cash-strapped agency just $193,446 each year.
Many of the anxious residents who spoke at the hearing said
losing the sta-tion would cut seniors off from postal services,
forcing those without cars to rely on public transportation to mail
their packages.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said the cost-savings plan would
pose a tremen-dous inconvenience to the community and that both
local post ofces should remain open.
He also blasted USPS for failing to take into account the area's
unique topography when determining alternate access points. Ofcials
calculate the Kingsbridge branch is 0.3 miles away from the Kappock
Street facility.
While the map may be two-dimen-sional, and perhaps the person
who g-ured this out might be two-dimensional, the real world is
three-dimensional, and it's really not that easy for a lot of
people to get from one place to another, he said.
Riverdale is high up. Riverdale has hills. Riverdale doesn't
have a grid. We have streets that have dead ends. We have zigs and
zags and step streets. Some people have cars, but not everybody
does.
Riverdale resident Barry Freed agreed and took aim at USPS
authorities for failing to conduct their research. He said it was
baloney to suggest there were six alternate access points within a
one-mile radius.
You gave out a sheet here tonight which has lies in it, he said,
referring to a fact sheet handed out by USPS authorities to
residents. They're not just erroneous statements. They're lies.
It's just crap and you know it.
USPS ofcials claim just 30 percent of the post ofce boxes at the
Kappock Street station are occupied and that revenue at the branch
has declined by more than 20 percent since scal year 2007.
Bronx Postmaster Howard Sample said the downward trend, driven
primarily by accelerating digital communications, echoes the 20
percent decline in national mail volumes since 2006.
As a result, he said, the agency was sim-ply looking at ways to
cut their costs.
However, one resident lambasted Sample for not doing more to
save the post ofces in his own borough. Of the 29 branches in New
York City currently being studied, 17 are located in The Bronx.
Why aren't you ghting for us? You're our postmaster, she
exclaimed. If you're not ghting for us, you're allowing this to
happen to your area.
Community Board 8 Chair Robert Fanuzzi also delivered a rousing,
emotion-lled speech and said he was dismayed to see another
cherished public institution being dismantled.
I know the role that the post ofce has played in knitting this
country to-gether, he said.
It's really our rst national institu-tion, and to watch it fray
away like this, and with the conniving support of some very
well-meaning administrators, pains me very much.
Fanuzzi said Riverdale, like any other town in the country, was
entitled to a post ofce, and he implored ofcials to rethink their
plans.
Meanwhile, Andrew Sandler of Coun-cilman G. Oliver Koppell's
ofce raised concerns about the lack of public notice for the
meetings.
While he conceded more lead time was given for the most recent
meeting, he was angry that the community was given just four days'
notice for the Fieldston
Community goes postal over closings
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Party Showcase
P.S. 24Open house days scheduled for this
week are Thursday, November 17, for parents of second-graders
and Friday, No-vember 18, for parents of fourth-graders. Visits are
from 8:20 to 9:05 a.m.
P.S. 81First-graders whove been studying
amenco dancing with a resident artist from Lincoln Center will
be performing this Friday, November 18, at 9 a.m. Third-graders
will begin a amenco program this week.
Also starting this week, fifth-graders will work with the
Primary Shake-speare Company, a group of specially trained
teach-ing artists who present the works of Shakespeare in a manner
thats accessible to youngsters.
M.S./H.S. 141Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy
This years remaining high school open house event for
eighth-graders and their families is scheduled for Wednesday,
November 30, at 8:30 a.m. To register, contact parent coordinator
Julie Prince at [email protected].
Friday morning school tours for parents of prospective middle
school students who live within the RKA school zone are scheduled
through December 16. Tours begin at 8:30 a.m. To register, contact
parent coordina-tor Julie Prince at [email protected].
Riverdale Country SchoolThe third annual Riverdale Com-
munity Action Day is this Saturday, November 19. The event,
conceived by alumni inspired by the schools commit-ment to
community service, is expected to draw up to 500 people from the
school communityalumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff. The
goal is to raise awareness and collect items needed by more than 15
nonprot organizations. Among those to benet this year are the USO,
Make a Wish Foundation, Light-house International, Harlem Childrens
Zone, Bottomless Closet, Yorkville Common Pantry, the Hebrew Home
at Riverdale, the American Red Cross, Pantene Beautiful Lengths and
Opera-
tion Prom. Also featured for the second year is South Bronxbased
Rocking the Boat, an organization that inspires youth development
through boat-building and other life skills training programs. The
school will also conducting a food drive to benet Yorkville Common
Pantry, clothing drives for Bottomless Closet and the Hunts Point
Alliance for Children, a blanket and bedding drive for animals
sheltered at the ASPCA, a musical instru-ment drive for a
Bronxbased charter school, and book drives for a charter school in
New Orleans and the Mercy Center in The Bronx.
Horace Mann School
The community is invited to a concert this Friday, Novem-ber 18,
at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
The schools orchestras, chamber choir, girls ensemble and string
sinfonietta will perform.
An article by Dr. Barbara Tischler, his-tory teacher and
director of curriculum and professional development, now appears in
the teacher resources section of the Oxford African American
Stud-ies Center, an online journal. Tischler, who holds a masters
degree in music, has written a creative 14-page analy-sis entitled
Music in the Era of Civil Rights. The piece includes song lyrics
and links to performers and events to show that music can be a
powerful tool for teachers in bringing the civil rights movement to
life.
The school is hosting students from Taipei this week. The
visitors will tour the school with student ambassadors and attend a
variety of classes.
Kinneret Day SchoolStudents in teacher Barbara Patos art
class used their own reections to create self-portraits in
paint, pastel and pencil.
Fifth-graders and their teacher Leslie Wachtel attended the
Bronx Zoo last week to participate in Polar Expedition, a hands-on
workshop focused on animals in their habitat.
Ofer Asaf, father of kindergartner Natalie Asaf, used portable
keyboards to teach musical notation to Dorit Nivens kindergarten
class. By the time he left, students were able to play a scale.
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reading tests
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By MIAWLING LAMPoor English test scores have propelled
Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy onto the states new list of
troubled schools.
New York state education ofcials last week released their annual
catalog of schools in need of improvement and identied M.S/H.S 141
as failing under the federal No Child Left Behind program.
Both P.S. 24 and P.S 81 made suf-cient yearly progress and
remain in good standing.
RKA was red-agged after its bleak performance on this years
standardized English Language Arts exams.
Overall, 45 percent of RKA students met the states English
prociency standards this year, slightly down from 46 percent in
2010.
However, the school was singled out because of its large racial
achievement gap.
New York State Education Depart-ment spokesman Jonathan Burman
said the school was tagged in the focused improvement category
because at least one of their student subgroups failed to record
sufcient progress.
According to ofcial gures, just 35 percent of Hispanic teenagers
performed at grade level on this years ELA exam, compared with
two-thirds of their white peers.
Among eighth-graders the disparity grows even larger, with fewer
than 30 percent of black students and 31 percent of Hispanics
meeting the states tough English standards.
In comparison, 64 percent of whites
and 56 percent of Asians performed at grade level.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said it was unfair to track student
progress using a single measure and believed the No Child Left
Behind legislation has negatively impacted schools.
The way they determine progress is that if one particular slice
of the school is lagging behind, the whole school needs to improve,
he said.
Theres always room for improvement obviously, but I dont think a
school should get a black mark simply because one particular group
is lagging.
If the only thing that needs improve-ment [at RKA] is ELA, well
okay, we have to make sure there is improvement.
Citywide, more than a third of public schools landed on the list
after failing to make adequate yearly progress as deter-mined by
the NCLB legislation.
In fact, the number of identied city schools nearly doubled from
302 to 640 in 2011. The issue is so widespread, all but one school
districtDistrict 26 in Queensstruggled to meet the states new
learning standards.
Schools that fail to lift their game may be forced to offer
extra tutoring and allow parents to move their child to another
school.
Those that do not make any progress despite intervention may
also be closed. However, improved results over a two-year period
can get them off the list.
The federal NCLB initiative aims to have every student at or
above prociency level in reading and math by 2014.
The grim gures were also reected
statewide, where the number of schools required to bolster their
academic per-formance skyrocketed by more than 700 percent.
This year, out of the states 4,685 public schools, ofcials said
1,325 schools needed to improve. A year ago, that number was
501.
State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch said the
unprecedented number was further proof that the city and state
education systems were in peril.
This is just further evidence, as if we needed any, that we must
move forward to reform our schools and change what is happening in
our classrooms, she said.
The Regents have adopted strong new reforms to improve student
performance and increase accountability. If student performance
doesnt improve, schools must be held accountable.
Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott adopted a rosier outlook
and attributed the burgeoning numbers to the states tougher
graduation requirements and higher standards.
He stressed that more than half of the 350 newly identied city
schools earned either an A or B on its latest progress report.
We support strong accountability measures, but those that look
at absolute prociency alone penalize schools that are making
progress, he said.
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Senator Espaillat to speak at CSAIR
NY State Senator Adriano Espaillat will speak at the
Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) on
Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7:45 p.m.
Riverdale's New York State Senator will speak about the U.S. and
Israel on topics such as 'Peace in Our Time' and 'What Can Be
Done?'
This program is presented by the CSAIR Men's Organization and
CSAIR's Committee for Israel Affairs. Israeli-style refreshments
will be generously provided by the B'nai B'rith. It is free and
open to the entire community.
CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street at the Henry Hudson
Parkway East. For more information, call the CSAIR ofce at
718-543-8400 or go to www.csair.org.
Lehman Brass Quintet to give free concert
The Lehman Brass Quintet will give a concert on Thursday, Nov.
17, at 11:30 a.m. in the Lehman Recital Hall, located on the third
oor of the Music Building. This event is free and open to the
public.
The concert will feature repertoire extending from the sixteenth
century to the present, including original works for brass
instruments and settings of music originally written for other
instruments, by Baroque masters Bach, Vivaldi and Martini, as well
as modern composers such as Alfred Reed, Alec Wilder and
others.
Led by Lehman Prof. Jack Hyatt, the quintet is made of up two
trumpets, french horn, trombone, and tuba.
For more information, contact the col-lege's Music Department at
718-960-8247.
Tumbling Bee course at Riverdale Y
The Riverdale Y, located 5625 Arling-ton Avenue is now offering
on Fridays at Mommy and Me Tumbling Bee course.from 12:15 pm-1:00pm
for ages 2 to 5 years.. This course is now through Decem-ber 16
.Parent-participation is required. Children learn gymnastics on
specially designed preschool equipment, gain con-dence and learn in
a playful, stimulating environment. Develop tumbling skills,
balance, and upper and lower body co-ordination. For more
information, please contact Yudi Davis, Sports & Recreation
Program Manager at 718-548-8200 ext 240 or email at
[email protected].
New complimentary offerings at the Riverdale YM-YWHA
The Simon Senior Center located at the Riverdale YM-YWHA is
pleased to announce a new class series, Kugel and Kommentary, led
by our social work in-tern Margalit Schwartz. This series will
explore different Jewish cultural traditions rooted in
psychological principles meant to improve mental health and well
being. We will begin with a cultural tradition and
uncover a practical and insightful topic on psychological
health.
Topics will cover cultural traditions both in specic holidays
and within the general culture. This class will take place every
other Friday at 1pm, beginning November 18th. Kugel will be served
to all those who attend. The entire commu-nity is invited. A second
offering will be the Women's Group also led by Margalit Schwartz
which will be held every other Tuesday beginning on November
29th.
For further information, please contact Toby or Margalit @
718-548-8200x223. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
Hebrew Home at Riverdale seeks volunteers
The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, located at 5901 Palisade Avenue in
Riverdale, is cur-rently seeking volunteers who would like to share
their talents and time to help others. Available opportunities
include, but are not limited to, reading to residents,
administra-tive ofce tasks, helping with crafts projects and much
more. Volunteers are also needed to assist with programs of the
Derfner Judaica Museum, Hebrew Home Art Collection and Archives.
Hours are exible and assignments can be short term or ongoing. The
Home provides orientation, training and continu-ing education for
all volunteers. Volunteers who commit to three hours per day will
be provided with a free lunch.
For further information, please con-tact the Volunteer
Department at (718) 581-1404.
Riverdale Israeli House at the Y (iHouse)
The Riverdale Y is now hosting its Riverdale I-House, Israel
House at the Y (iHouse)
GYM-BO and Drama day on Sunday, November 20, at 10:30 AM. Please
join us for lots of gym fun with our blow up castle, mats and
equipment for children ages 1-8. After gym fun , drama and craft
will follow with Tal Sabo. This will be fol-lowed by light brunch
at 11:30. The cost is $20 for a family with one child, $5 for each
additional child ( $30 max per fam-ily). Cost at the door starts at
$25. Please make a reservation at www.RiverdaleY.org.. For more
information, please contact Talya Lieb, coordinator Riverdale
Israeli House at the Y, [email protected] or on
facebook.com/RiverdaleIsraelis. The Y
is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.Habonim- Dror on Sunday,
November
20, at 10:30 AM. Please join us for special Israeli youth
activity with Habonim Dror for ages 9-12. This activity will be run
pri-marily in Hebrew. This will be followed by light brunch at
11:30 with the IHouse. The cost is 5$ fee. For more information,
please contact Talya Lieb, coordinator Riverdale Israeli House at
the Y, [email protected] or on facebook.com/RiverdaleIsraelis.
The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
Post Ofce closure rally scheduled
Bring your signs, wheelchairs, canes and walkers and protest the
possible closing of the Fieldston post ofce on Friday.
Riverdale resident Robert S. Gratz will hold a "senior power
rally" in the front of the US Post Ofce at 446 West 238th Street
between 12pm-1pm on November 18.
For more information, call 646-418-6575.
Riverdale Y offers course in girls basketball
The Riverdale Y, located at 5625 Ar-lington Avenue is offering a
course called Yudi's Basketball Skill's Academy Player Development
Program for Girls Basketball on Tuesdays 6:00-7:00pm for Grades
3-8, now through December 13
!If your girls is looking to shoot a couple of hoops or learn
how to dribble, this class is for her! All classes will start with
30-minutes of instructional practice and end with a 30-minute
game.
For more information regarding this course and prices, please
contact Yudi Davis at 718-548-8200 ext 240 or email
[email protected].
Riverdale Y offers introduction to sports
The Riverdale Y, located at 5625 Ar-lington Avenue is offering a
course called Introduction to Sports on Tuesday 5:15-6:00pm for
Grades 1-3 now through December 13, 2011.
When you are not sure what sport your child is interested in-
let us help! This intro-ductory class will give your young athlete
the chance to sample all the major sports. All classes will stress
body mechanics and stability exercises. Class will include soc-cer,
baseball, football skills (non-contact) boot camp training, oor
hockey and much more. At the conclusion of the class you child will
receive a Sports Diploma from the Riverdale YM-YWHA! For more
informa-tion regarding this course and prices, please contact Yudi
Davis at 718-548-8200 ext 240 or email [email protected].
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Nature photography at Van Cortlandt Park
It has been said that art takes nature as its model. The beauty
of nature has inspired many great Americans to create artistic
masterpieces. From the wildlife portraits of John James Audubon to
the stunning black and white photography of Ansel Adams, nature has
been a muse to artists for centuries. Our Urban Park Ranger Art and
Photography programs allow you to interpret the natural would
through artistic expression, while learning about the local
environment.
Come to the Van Cortlandt Nature Center (Enter the park at W.
246th St. and Broadway) on Sunday, November 20, at 1 p.m.
All Photography programs are for digital cameras and you must
provide your own camera. DSLR preferred, but all cameras are
welcome. FREE.
For more information please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or
call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Judaic Art from around the world
The Riverdale Y's Forever Young invites you to a brunch and art
lecture on Novem-ber 20th from 1pm to 3pm. Enjoy bagels and
assorted salads for brunch and after-wards partake in an intriguing
art lecture. Judaic Art from Around the World will be presented by
Beryl Brenner, an Artist and Certied Recreational Therapist at the
VA Hospital in Bay Ridge.
This presentation will focus on syna-gogues and Judaic art
pieces throughout the world. The price is $8 for prepaid tickets
and $12 at the door.
For more information please call Leora Garritano, LMSW
718-548-8200 ext. 204 or email [email protected]. The Y is
located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
BAE dedicates concert to conductor Johannes Somary
The Bronx Arts Ensemble is dedicating its Sunday, November 20th
3 pm chamber music concert to Riverdalian Johannes Somary
(1935-2011) with performances by utist and BAE Young Bronx Artist
co-winner Christine Dookie and pianist Irina Morozova at the home
of Geoffrey and Sarah Gund at 690 West 247th Street. Music will
include Piazzolla's "Tango Etude
for ute", Johannes Somary's "Serenade for piano and winds",
"Dreamscape for bas-soon and piano", "Pastorale for violin, viola
and piano" and Thuille's "Sextet for piano and winds". Tickets are
$25 and include intermission refreshments. For tickets or more
information, call 718.601.7399 or visit
www.bronxartsensemble.org.
A long and happy collaboration with the Bronx Arts Ensemble
includes Jo-hannes Somary's appearances as guest conductor in
concerts at Fordham Univer-sity, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center
and Merkin Concert Hall, as well as summer concerts at Fordham and
Van Cortlandt Park. The BAE was privileged to present many of his
chamber works on its con-certs, and he appears as conductor on
several of the Ensemble's CDs and record-ings. In addition, he
served annually as a keen and perceptive judge for the BAE's Young
Bronx Artist Contest.
Born in Switzerland and a graduate of the Yale School of Music,
JOHANNES SOM-ARY was renowned as conductor, composer, organist and
teacher. Founder and Music Director of the Amor Artis Chorus and
Or-chestra, he also conducted such ensembles as the English Chamber
Orchestra, New Orleans Symphony, London's Royal Phil-harmonic and
Vienna Philharmonic. He participated as well in many international
music festivals, from Sion to Dubrovnik, Madeira to Israel and
Greece.
Under his leadership, Amor Artis dis-tinguished itself as one of
the foremost presenters in New York of lesser-known Baroque
masterpieces, offering perfor-mances authentic in style and
setting, paving the way for similar performances in the United
States today. Audiences and critics have hailed Amor Artis for its
excellence in all repertoires, from Dvo k's Requiem to its
recording of Kurt Weill's Violin Concerto, Kiddush, and Suite from
The Threepenny Opera on CD. Johannes Somary's discography includes
65 record-ings on eight labels, several of which have received
Stereo Review's 'Record of the Year' awards. Three were rst
recordings of rare Handel oratorios. His last record-ing, a CD of
the great Spanish Renaissance composer Toms Luis de Victoria, was
released in September, 2011.
As composer, Johannes was commis-sioned by the Jefferson Music
Festival, Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Benedic-tine Monastery in
San Anselmo, Rome. In April, 2008 his dramatic cantata The
Prodigal Son was premiered in New York, with a subsequent
performance at the NationalGallery of Art in Washington DC.
Johannes served as Choirmaster and Music Director in several
churches, including St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and also
served as conductor of the Faireld County Chorale for 35 years.
As educator, Johannes Somary served for 37 years as Chairman of
the Arts Department at Horace Mann School in Riverdale, and also
taught at Columbia University, College of Mount St. Vincent and
Sacred Heart University.
RSS announces Real Life Solutions Classes!
Fall season begins November with:Zumba, simple to follow dance
move-
ments done to Latin and International music, Rhea Linda, certied
instructor.
Class schedule: Zumba: 4 Mondays, November 21st-
December 12th, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Registration Required. Call
718-884-
5900 and bring or mail check made out to Riverdale Senior
Services. Validated parking available
Film 'Ushpizin' to be shown at CSAIR
The award-winning Israeli lm 'Ush-pizin' will be shown at the
Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) on Sunday,
Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.
The rst lm made by members of
Israel's ultra-Orthodox community in collaboration with secular
lmmakers, 'Ushpizin' provides a touching look at the daily lives of
a husband and wife whose love is tested and faith is challenged
when a secret from the past reveals itself during Sukkot.
This showing is sponsored by the CSAIR Israel Affairs
Committee.
CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street at the Henry Hudson
Parkway East. For more information, call 718-543-8400 or go to
www.csair.org.
Kosher gluten-free baking class offered
Kosher Gluten-free Thanksgiving Des-serts Baking Class,
featuring Pumpkin pie, Apple Crisp, Egg-free Chocolate Mousse, and
Date/Nut Balls.
This class, for women and girls, will be held on Sunday,
November 20, at 7:00 p.m.- at 5235 Arlington Avenue in Riverdale,
New York. The fee is $45 and all supplies are included. To
regis-ter, please call 718-601-6138 or e-mail
[email protected].
Schervier Center sponsors trip to Atlantic City
On Tuesday, November 29, 2011 Schervier Home will sponsor a Day
trip to SHOWBOAT CASINO at Atlantic City. Cost is $28.00 per seat,
with casino cash back of $30.00. The bus picks up from Schervier
Apartments at 2995 Indepen-dence Avenue, Riverdale @ 8:55am and
Knolls Crescent @ 9:00am. Returns at 8:30pm with drop offs at
230thst. & Kings-bridge Ave.; 232ndst. & Henry Hudson
Parkway; Knolls Crescent and Schervier Apartments. For reservations
please call NELLIE KENNY @ 718-543-0237.
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Thursday, Nov. 17Bedford ParkCONCERT11:30 a.m. Lehman College
Recital HallMusic Building
The Lehman Brass Quintet will give a free concert. For more
information, call 718-960-8247.
RiverdaleUNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA2:30 p.m. Atria of Riverdale3718
Henry Hudson Parkway
Join us for a conversation regarding dementia and learn about
free programs and services available. Refreshments will be served
RSVP by 11/17 to Jane Kennedy 718 432 2448
RiverdaleELDER LAW SEMINAR5:30 p.m. Hebrew Home at Riverdale5901
Palisade Avenue
Daniel G. Fish will hold a legal information seminar. His topic,
Brooke Astor lived to be 105 years old. How do I pay for long-term
care?will focus on New York state elder law issues like power of
attorney and the authority to make medi-cal decisions for those who
are no longer able to. For more information, call 718-581-1593.
KingsbridgeCB8 MEETING7 p.m. 50th Police Precinct3450
Kingsbridge Avenue
Meeting of the Public Safety Committee of Community Board 8. For
more information, call 7181-884-3959.
RiverdaleFEATURED SPEAKER7:45 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath
Israel475 West 250th Street
NY State Senator Adriano Espaillat will speak about the U.S. and
Israel on topics such as "Peace in Our Time" and "What Can Be
Done?" Free and open to the entire community. For more information,
call 718-543-8400 or visit www.csair.org.
Friday, Nov. 18RiverdaleART LECTURE10:30 a.m. Riverdale
YM-YWHA5625 Arlington Avenue
Drs. Joan and Reuben Baron will discuss Highlights of the
Contemporary Art Scene in the U.S. and around the world. Admission
is free, and lecture will precede a hot nutritious kosher lunch.
Suggested donation for lunch is $2.25. The entire public is welcome
to attend. For further information please call Toby or Vicki at the
Riverdale YM-YWHA @ 718-548-8200 x 223 or 224.
Saturday, Nov. 19RiverdaleCHORAL CONCERT8 p.m. Christ Church
Riverdale5030 Henry Hudson Parkway
The Riverdale Choral Society will perform the version of the
Requiem that uses Faurs original instrumentation for chamber
orchestra in a concert titled 'Heavenly Harmonies.' For further
info: visit www.riverdalechoral.org or call 718-543-2219.
Sunday, Nov. 20Van CortlandtNATURE PHOTOGRAPHY1 p.m. Van
Cortlandt ParkW. 246th St. and Broadway
Urban Park Ranger Art and Photography programs allow you to
interpret the natural would through artistic expression, while
learning about the local environment. For info visit
www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or call 311 and ask for the Urban Park
Rangers.
RiverdaleART LECTURE1 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA5625 Arlington
Avenue
The Riverdale Ys Forever Young invites you to a brunch and art
lecture. Judaic Art from Around the World will be presented by
Beryl Brenner. For info call Leora Garritano at 718-548-8200 ext.
204.
RiverdaleLECTURE2 p.m. Riverdale TempleWest 246th St. and
Independence Ave.
Dr. Jonathan Brent, YIVO Executive Director, will speak about
The Other World of Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Babel, Philip
Roth. Reservations are recommended. To pre register please visit
www.Yivo.org/reservations or call 212-294-6127.
RiverdaleFILM SHOWING2 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath
Israel475 West 250th Street
The award-winning Israeli lm Ushpizin will be shown. For more
info, call 718-543-8400 or go to www.csair.org.
RiverdaleSOCCER CLINIC5:30 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA5625 Arlington
Avenue
The Riverdale Y is offering a soccer clinic for children grades
3-7th and grade 8 through high school. This course will be taught
by Former Captain of Saint Peters College Mens Soccer Team, Assaf
Shelleg. For info or to register for this exciting program, contact
Yudi Davis at 718-548-8200, ext. 240.
Monday, Nov. 21RiverdaleCAFE EUROPA MEETING1 p.m. Riverdale
YM-YWHA5625 Arlington Avenue
This months topic is, Mindfulness: Living in the present. The
discussion will be led by social work intern, Margalit Schwartz.
For info, call Jacob at (718) 548-8200 ext. 303.
Tuesday, Nov. 22RiverdaleRPCNS THANKSGIVING FEAST12 p.m.
Riverdale Presbyterian Church4765 Henry Hudson Parkway West
RPCNS students will sing songs of the season, present their
parents with decorations theyve made for the holiday table and
share a potluck Thanksgiving Feast. For more information, contact
June Cohler, executive director at 718.548.8260 or email at
[email protected].
RiverdaleCB8 MEETING3:30 p.m. Methodist Home for Nursing4499
Manhattan College Parkway
Meeting of the Aging Committee of Community Board 8. For more
information, call 718-884-3959.
RiverdaleCB8 MEETING7:30 p.m. Community Board 85676 Riverdale
Avenue
Meeting of the Education Committee of Community Board 8. For
more information, call 718-884-3959.
Wednesday, Nov. 23Spuyten DuyvilEXERCISE PROGRAM10 a.m. Spuyten
Duyvil Branch Library650 West 235th Street
This exercise program based upon the Arthritis Exercise Program
previously given at the library uses gentle movements to help
increase joint exibility, range of motion & maintenance of
muscle strength. The class meets for eights weeks, one hour per
session Wednesdays from October 5 through November 23, 2011.
Registration is required as space is limited. For more information,
call 718-796-1202.
RiverdaleSTORY TIME11:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540
Mosholu Avenue
Preschoolers will listen to books read aloud by the Children's
Librarian, sing songs and create a turkey craft. For more
information, call 718-549-1212.
Van CortlandtFALL ARTS & CRAFTS3:30 p.m. Van Cortlandt
Branch Library3874 Sedgwick Avenue
Come to the Library this Fall and participate in arts &
crafts projects. Parental supervision is required for children 5
years and under. For more information, call 718-543-5150.
RiverdaleREADING ALOUD4 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540
Mosholu Avenue
A librarian will share favorite picture books, providing
children with the wonder of books and the joy of reading. For more
information, call 718-549-1212.
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By MIAWLING LAMThe iconic Riverdale Memorial Bell
Tower has been granted ofcial historic status.
The New York State Board for Historic Preservation recently
approved the inclu-sion of the local landmark on its Register of
Historic places.
News of the acceptance was announced at the Community Board 8
general board meeting last Wednesday.
Located at the busy intersection of Riverdale Avenue, West 239th
Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway, the 50-foot stone and
limestone tower honors the large number of local soldiers who
served in WWI.
The Gothic structure, ofcially referred to as the Riverdale,
Spuyten Duyvil, Kings-bridge Memorial Bell Tower, was designed by
local architect Dwight James Baum and was built in the 1930s.
CB 8 parks committee chair Bob Bender revealed the latest
development at the board meeting and said he hoped the state
protection would provide much-needed money for repairs.
The point of it is that it may bring some state funding, he
said.
It is understood the tower requires masonry repairs at the
crenellated roof and parapet level and the bell needs to be
re-electried.
The monuments eight lead gargoyle waterspouts also need to be
replicated and replaced, as does its window screens, decorative oak
door and surrounding frame.
State ofcials are now applying for the tower to be accepted on
the national register as well.
According to the nomination form submitted by the New York State
Of-ce of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the bell
tower is a trea-sured local icon that deserves to be
recognized.
The monument has assumed a pride of place in Riverdale and has
served as a touchstone for a diverse constituency, the application
states.
It serves the dual function of being a utilitarian and aesthetic
object.
It elicits feelings of patriotism, incites reection on the
contributions of veterans and those who died in war, and serves as
a tangible manifestation of tribute to local veterans.
Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan said the tower was
originally located around 700 feet north of its existing
location.
He said it was moved to its current homethe tiny, round, Bell
Tower Park in the center of a trafc circlein 1936 to accommodate
the Henry Hudson Parkway.
Ultan also said although the memorial honors fallen soldiers,
the towers bell hides many secrets.
The bell itself is a relic of the Mexican War, he said
It was a bell that was taken from a monastery in Monterrey in
Mexico dur-ing the Mexican War. What happened to it between then
and now I have no idea, but it eventually wound up as the bell in
the bell tower.
St. Stephens Church, a 113-year-old place of worship located at
146 West 228th Street, was also granted state his-toric status.
Bell Tower is named landmark
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By PAULETTE SCHNEIDERThe Sisters of Charity, a congregation
of
Catholic women dedicated to serving the poor, is headquartered
on the spectacular campus of the College of Mount Saint Vincentan
institution they founded as a womens academy of higher
education.
The sisters settled in Riverdale when their original Manhattan
home was overtaken for the creation of Central Park in 1855. They
purchased the estate of Edwin Forrest, considered the rst American
actor, who had planned to bequeath his buildings as a residence for
retired actors.
But the only kind of acting that in-terested these buyers were
acts of kind-ness.
The religious community was founded in 1809 by Saint Elizabeth
Ann Seton, the rst American saint, in the spirit of Saint Vincent
de Paul.
They were charged with educating girls when New York Citys
Catholic school system was established.
In a building now known as Le Gras Hall on the Mount campus,
they founded Saint Vincent's Free School to educate the children of
Irish domestic workers employed at Riverdales estates. When St.
Margaret of Cortona School was formed in 1925, the sisters were
asked to staff it.
More recently, Sister Jane Iannucelli, the current congregation
president, co-founded Part of the Solution (POTS), a nonprot on
Webster Avenue that pro-vides amenities and supportive services for
those in need.
The sisters created the New York Foundling Hospital as well as
St. Vincents Hospital, whose patients over the course
of 26 years benetted from the care of Sister Anne Mary
Regan.
Sister Anne Mary, who turned 100 this month, is living among
friends at the Convent of Mary the Queen, a Yonkers residence that
houses and cares for more than 80 retired Sisters of Charity.
I graduated from St. Vincents School of Nursing in 1935, she
said. I wanted to devote my life to helping the sick and the pooras
a religious duty. So I entered the Sisters of Charity.
She joined the community after working for a year as a nurse.
Initiates undergo several stages of formation as they deepen their
commitment to the congregation.
I like people and I wanted to do some-thing that was, for me,
productive, she said. Its motivation and its satisfaction that
youre helping people, and you see the effects of it. Its not
monetary. You get wonderful rewards.
Faith enhances and intensies the communitys mission.
Everything you do should be a prayer, she said. When you get up
in the morn-ing, you offer your prayers and say dear Lord, thank
you for bringing me here and for protecting me during the night.
And you offer your day for the people that youre going to work with
and be kind to them.
Sister Anne Mary, a Mary the Queen resident for the past two
years, is pleased with the retirement home, calling it a spotless
and lovely environment where she participates in activities and
even has a little social life.
A crowd of celebrants awaited her ar-rival at a birthday bash in
the residence.
The menu featured her favorite entrees and desserts. Balloons
festooned the din-ing room, and milestones in her life were
documented on the walls.
After the rst few bars of Happy Birth-day, the centenarian
danced into the room while holding onto her walker.
The celebration caught the attention of News12. During their
interview, Sister Anne Mary, a current Derek Jeter fan and Yankees
devotee whos cheered for Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, was handed a
let-ter of appreciation from team owner Hal Steinbrenner.
She fondly recalled Yankee Stadium
outings with her five brothersfirst theyd stop at the Concourse
Plaza Hotel for lunch.
What keeps me going is I like people and I like to keep my mind
active, she explained. I dont waste time looking at everything on
the TV, but I like to look at certain news programs to know whats
going on in the world.
It helps you keep in touch with people, it helps you keep in
touch with whats going on and it helps you as an individu-alyoure
not thinking about yourself all the time. Its very important to get
out of yourself, to have other interests.
Sister Anne Mary, a Mary the Queen resident, celebrates her
100th birthday.
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Thursday, Nov. 17BronxvilleLECTURE6:30 p.m. Sarah Lawrence
CollegeTitsworth Lecture Hall
Filmmaker, activist and grassroots organizer Barbara Trent will
present her Academy Award winning documentary, The Panama
Deception. The Panama Deception reveals the untold story of the
1989 US invasion, the shocking events of the assault, and the true
motivation for the invasion, explaining how and why the mainstream
media collaborated with the US government to censor information and
deceive the public.
TuckahoeITALIAN WORD ORIGINS6:30 p.m. Westchester Italian
Cultural CenterOne Generoso Pope Place
We invite every tizio, caio e sempronio to accompany us on this
capricious cavalcade of some of the Italian language's most
interesting and representative words and phrases. Presented by
Professor Joseph N. Spedaliere MA, Distinguished Professor of
Italian Language and Culture at Concordia College. For more
information, call (914) 771-8700.
Friday, Nov. 18RyePARTY NIGHT8:45 p.m. Playland Ice
CasinoPlayland Parkway
Live DJ, party lights, on-ice contests, giveaways and more.
Cost: $12 per person includes skate rental. For more information,
call 914-813-7059.
Saturday, Nov. 19SomersHOLIDAY WREATH MAKING9:30 a.m. Lasdon
Park & ArboretumRoute 35
Learn to make your own holiday wreaths with all the materi-als
provided. Pre-registration required. For more information, call
914-864-7268.
Cross RiverADVANCED HIKE10 a.m. Trailside Nature MuseumWard
Pound Ridge Reservation
A rigorous six-mile, day-long walk throughout the reservation.
See the best spots, discuss ecology, learn some history and eat
lunch on the trail. For more information, call 718-864-7322.
Croton-on-Hudson'LOCALVORE' FOR THE HOLIDAYS10 a.m. Croton Point
Nature CenterCroton Point Avenue
Local farms highlight what is available for the holiday table.
For more information, call 914-862-5297.
SomersCOOKIE SWAP1 p.m. Muscoot FarmRoute 100
Bake your favorite holiday cookies and swap them for some of the
best cookies around. Pre-registration required. Visit
muscootfarm.org for rules and a registration form. For more
information, call 914-864-7282.
YonkersALL ABOUT INSECTS1 p.m. Lenoir PreserveDudley Street
Learn about the most numerous animals on earth, and then learn
to make an insect craft that you can take home. For more
information, call 914-968-5851.
North White PlainsSTONE WALLS1 p.m. Cranberry Lake PreserveOld
Orchard Street
Children learn to build a stone wall after discovering the
history of rocks in Westchester. For more information, call
914-428-1005.
RyeAWESOME ADAPTATIONS1 p.m. Read Wildlife SanctuaryPlayland
Parkway
Meet live animals and see the incredible ways they have
adapted to survive. Cosponsored by the Friends of Read
Sanctuary. For more information, call 914-967-8720.
RyeVOLUNTEER WORK1 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute 1
Bring work gloves and free all the beautiful crabapple tree of
vines. Great for community service hours and school credit. Hand
tools provided. For more information, call 914-835-4466.
Sunday, Nov. 20White PlainsINDOOR FARMERS MARKET10 a.m.
Westchester County Center198 Central Park Avenue
Fresh produce, baked goods, cheese, maple syrup, honey, meat and
more. For more information, call 914-995-4050.
SomersTRAIL MAINTENANCE10 a.m. Muscoot FarmRoute 100
The fall foliage has fallen and now is the perfect time to clean
up our trails by clearing them off and cutting brush and vines.
Dress to get dirty and wear sturdy shoes. For more information,
call 914-864-7282.
Mt. KiscoHISTORIC MANSION TOUR1 p.m. Merestead455 Byram Lake
Road
Take a curator-led tour through an elegant 100-year old Delano
and Aldrich designed mansion to discover a family who not only
impacted Westchester County, but inuenced our lifestyle and
interior decoration throughout the world. 14 participants maximum.
By reservation only. For more informa-tion, call 914-864-7239.
RyeSURVIVAL AT THE SANCTUARY2 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute
1
Learn hands-on techniques on what to do if you get 'stuck in the
woods.' For more information, call 914-835-4466.
RyeMOMENTS WITH THE TURKEYS2 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute
1
Bring binoculars and observe the turkeys on their home turf. For
more information, call 914-835-4466.
Friday, Nov. 25RyePARTY 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, Nov. 26North White PlainsGREAT TURKEY WALK-OFF1 p.m.
Cranberry Lake PreserveOld Orchard Street
Eat too much pumpkin pie on Thursday? Are you feeling a little
sluggish? Make this post-feast hike part of your annual tradition
and your pants will be on the way to tting again. For more
information, call 914-428-1005.
RyeVOLUNTEER WORK1 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute 1
Inspecting the Forest Restoration Area: This is a volunteer work
project. We will be removing invasive vines and other debris to
help protect the area. Great for community service hours and school
credit. Please bring work gloves. Hand tools provided. Meet at the
visitor center. For info, call 914-835-4466.
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.
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Caf Europa meeting for Holocaust survivors
The Simon Senior Center of the Riverdale YM-YWHA will be having
our next Caf Europa meeting on November 21, 2011 at 1:00pm.
Refreshments will be served. This month's topic is, 'Mindfulness:
Living in the present.' The discussion will be led by social work
intern, Margalit Schwartz.
Please note that we are now meeting the third Monday of each
month. These meet-ings, led by Jacob Weiland, MSW and Mar-galit
Schwartz, are sponsored by the Claims Conference. The entire
community is invited to the discussion. Lunch will be available to
everyone at the senior center at 12noon for $2.25 per person.
Before lunch, at 10:30am, Jacob will continue his lecture series on
spirituality, 'Climbing Jacob's Ladder.'
If you have any questions, please call Jacob at (718) 548-8200
ext. 303. The next meeting of Caf Europa will be December 19,
2011.
RPCNS Annual Thanksgiving Feast
The Riverdale Presbyterian Church Nursery School will hold its
Annual Thanksgiving Feast on Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 12 to 2:30 p.m.
The celebration will be held at RPCNS Auditorium, 4765 Henry Hudson
Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10471.
This encompasses November's classroom
activities and projects focused on being thankful and
charitable. RPCNS students will sing songs of the season, present
their parents with decorations they've made for the holiday table
and share a potluck Thanks-giving Feast. City Harvest will be
picking up families' donated canned goods and the prepared foods
(sometime between noon-3 p.m.) to be given to it to people in New
York who are in need of food for the holidays. A number of students
and their families will be available for photos and interviews.
For more information, contact June Cohler, executive director at
718.548.8260 or email at [email protected].
Riverdale Y offers program on jewelry design
Forever Young is a new program at the Riverdale Y that offers
various courses for Baby Boomers. The lessons include Jewelry
Design: 'From Clasp to Creation,' Intermediate Computer course, The
Jew-ish Calendar's Rich Culture, Acting and more! 'From Clasp to
Creation,' will be taught by jewelry designer Rebecca Ack-erman. In
this course you will learn the basics of costume jewelry design;
includ-ing beading, stringing, and wire wrapping. There will be a
range of materials used from wire, chain, semi-precious stones,
beads, and ndings. These designs will be the envy of all who see
them and a
great conversational piece. Your one of-a- kind designs also
make great gifts with holidays just around the corner!
Jewelry Design 'From Clasp to Creation' is an 8 week course from
7-8:30pm and costs $120 per person. Registration is ongoing.
If you would like more information please call 212-548-8200 ext.
223 or email Leora Garritano at [email protected]
The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue
Koppell seeking applications for community boards
Council Member Oliver Koppell is currently accepting
applications to join Community 7 and 8 through February 17, 2012.
Community Board 7 covers Norwood; Community Board 8 encompasses
Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Van Cortlandt Village. .
While the Bronx Borough President makes the Community Board
appoint-ments, 50% of the candidates are nomi-nated by Council
members. Positions are open to those who live, work, or have a
signicant interest in their board area.
The boards provide advice on zoning, land use and service
delivery. They also weigh in on budget priorities and help
residents with local problems and concerns. They meet regularly to
discuss issues such as the economic, health and safety needs of the
community.
Koppell is requesting that existing
board members who are up for re-appoint-ment, as well as those
who are seeking a board position for the rst time, submit
applications to his district ofce at 3636 Waldo Avenue, Bronx,
10463.
Applications are available in Koppell's district ofce, in the
Community Board ofces, or on line at www.bronxboro-pres.nyc.gov.
For more information, call Koppell's ofce, (718) 549-7300.
Dinowitz sponsors canned food and turkey drive
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has kicked off his annual canned
food and turkey drive with the students of P.S. 7, P.S. 24, P.S.
81, and the Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy, and the Knolls Co-op
Section 2. The drive is already a tremendous success with a terric
early haul.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is accepting donations at his
district ofce until December 14. Food will be donated to the
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center and the food pantry at Saint
Francis of Rome Church in Wakeeld for families in need during the
Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas holi-day seasons. The
following canned and non-perishable food items are accepted: canned
fruits and vegetables, cereals, dried beans, pasta, rice, tuna,
coffee, teas, canned juices, powdered milk, jell-o, and soups. No
glass jars are acceptable except for baby food. For more
information, call (718) 796-5345.
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JOEL PAL CECILIA McNALLY Production Manager Office 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
Parents, principal share blame for P.S. 24 scandal
Continued on Page 19
The Outrage at P.S. 24The politically motivated thugs who are
running the parents as-
sociation at P.S. 24, those who want to end your right to read
about what is really going in our schools, are at it again.
They are blaming The Riverdale Review for the recent mandated
removal of a second grade teacher by the Department of Education.
It turns out that this teacher lacked the special education
certica-tion necessary to legally hold the job.
But truth be told, we never even got the chance to write about
this matter! As soon as the Department of Education learned that
there was a class being led by an uncertied teacher, they ordered
her im-mediate removal. We had not yet even run a story about this
matter when the teacher, Ms. Anne Mokris, was replaced. It was
merely an inquiry, made in response to information provided by
concerned members of the P.S. 24 community, which forced the
removal of Ms. Mokris. The Department of Education simply had no
choice but to remove her once they learned that this was going
on.
Our call to the Department of Educations public relations ofce
was not in the nature of a complaint, but a request for information
necessitated by the fact that Principal Donna Connelly refused to
take our legitimate calls for information.
Had we gotten an answer from her, and a credible explanation of
why the law was not followed, we might have put the matter to rest.
But Ms. Connelly, unlike her counterparts in other local schools,
doesnt have the guts or strength of character to respond and defend
her position. Even Lori OMara, the principal of the
Riverdale/Kings-bridge Academy, a school we have been and continue
to be most critical of, usually returns our calls and we respect
her for that.
This matter was brought to our attention by teachers at P.S. 24,
disgusted that such a clear infraction of the rules and the law
could be permitted.
And, in fact, Ms. Mokris angrily acknowledged that it was her
colleagues that blew the whistle. But knowing the situation, how
could a responsible member of the school community do otherwise?
The rules requiring a certied teacher were put in place to protect
children from those who might be unqualied, and the taxpayers from
having their schools made into political patronage mills. After
all, the other teachers in the school had to follow these same laws
in order to assume their positions.
This incident was an inexcusable abuse of power by the
princi-pal, knowingly attempting to subvert the laws governing
teacher certication. These laws exist to protect our children and
do not permit the subjective application of exibility.
This whole matter is reected by the sad fact that a large
percent-age of teachers at P.S. 24 have expressed that they do not
trust their principal at her word in the annual school environment
survey administered by the Department.
We certainly sympathize with Ms. Mokris, who lost her job, and
the children in the class who lost one of their teachers. But lets
put the blame squarely where it belongs, with Ms. Connelly. Once
again she made up her own rules, got caught, and put the children,
her staff and the schools reputation at risk.
Ms. Connelly is already the subject of another investigation
into the warehousing of a vacant assistant principal position for
more than a year, so that her close friend Emanuelle Verdi, could
get the certication he lacked for this position and win
appointment. Sound familiar? We are told that the intent is to
position Mr. Verdi for the principalship of the school should Ms.
Connelly, as some expect, retire next year.
It seems like there is a toxic political climate here, and it is
the parents association, instead of insisting on high standards and
per-forming a cleansing role, is at the root of the problem. They,
not us, should be holding the principals feet to the re,
recognizing that it is the institution of the school that needs
protection from the kinds of abuses of law we have seen. But the
clique that runs the parents association has abdicated their
responsibility, so deep are they into their political agenda.
One of our readers, writing elsewhere on this page, suggests
that this matter be the subject of an investigation. We concur.
Chancel-lor Walcott, the ball is in your court.
To The Editor:The Parents of P.S. 24s Room 2-202 have mis-
placed their priorities with respect to the removal of an
uncertied teacher.
The law is clear: The Department of Education certies teachers,
not principals. Make no mistake, this was a conspiracy! Anne Mokris
came to the school without proper certication, and with the
collusion of the principal, and then the payroll
secretary, was put on the payroll. How they man-aged to do that
should also be investigated!
This was not a question of gee whiz, I couldnt get my car
started because of the nameless hurri-cane. This was an attempt to
defraud the children and the people of the city.
Instead of excusing this treachery, they should have been the
rst to expose it. Shame on them!
Rhoda Alben-Aronson
To The Editor:For those of your readers who
only depend on the New York Times, The Paper of (D)record, for
their news, the following information (that never ap-peared in that
paper) relating to the radical leftist, Occupy Wall Street protest
movement might be of interest.
To this date, there has been an inow of cash donations to OWS
that reportedly has amounted to somewhere in the neighborhood of
$750,000 (seven hundred and fty thousand dollars). A radical group
called the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ) based in Washington,
DC is legally spon-
soring the protest and in return for lending its tax-exempt
status to OWS is receiving a seven per-cent cut of all
donations.
This tax-exempt status allows those who donate to grassroots
non-prots like OWS to deduct these contributions from their federal
income taxes. And for the seven percent fee, AFGJ also provides
payroll services, liability insurance, and prepares federal tax
forms. It also offers activist training which (according to
columnist Michael Goodwin of the New York Post) is like job
training without an actual job.
AFGJs history is that of a hot-
bed of far-left causes that range from backing hunger strikes in
California prisons to denounc-ing the CIA and oil companies. Its
website states that the group sponsors operations in the Gaza
Strip, with Hamas, and boasts of an alliance with Anarchists
Against The Wall, an organiza-tion which contests Israels se-curity
barriers in the West Bank. AFGJ in the past supported the
Sandinista Revolution in Nica-ragua and currently expresses
solidarity with Venezuelas Hugo Chavez against the United
States.
I constantly keep reading in various publications that Occupy
Wall Street is a leader-less organization and that no particular
individual or group is in charge. If that is really the truth
(which dees belief), then the following questions come to mind: 1)
Who arranged this nancial deal with AFGJ? 2) What gave that person,
or per-sons, the legal authority to do so? 3) How did that deal
come about? 4) Who has the power to
Who controls Occupy Wall Street? Follow the money!
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Who controls Occupy Wall Street?Continued from Page 18
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withdraw the $750,000 (or more) that has been donated? 5) Who
determines how that money is spent?
Since our federal income tax code is subsidizing OWS, shouldnt
some city, state and/or federal government agency be involved in
making certain that every-thing is on the up and up, and that all
of this substantial amount of money is
To The Editor:I was delighted to see your front-page
article on the importance of running new underground power lines
in the Bronx. Unfortunately, this delight turned to disgust at the
end of the article, as I read that Con Ed would re-quire local
residents to pay thousands of dollars each to install new lines and
connections, while Con Ed would pre-sumably immediately reap the
benets from the new lines in the form of lower maintenance. As long
as Con Ed has no compelling economic reason to do the work, they
will choose to delay it
Notes from undergroundforever. As a start, I would suggest that
all households effected by any power outages immediately ask Con Ed
to reimburse our losses. However, some genius in our government in
its innite wisdom has allowed Con Ed to avoid this, as claimed on
their web site.
"Regrettably, Con Edison cannot pro-vide reimbursement for
losses sustained as a result of power outages caused by
storms."
Assemblyman Dinowitz, the ball is in your court. Where will you
take it, and how can we help?
Polly Gregor
legally accounted for and not going into anyones pocket? For all
we know, OWS may turn out to be a money making scam morphing some
of these radical protestors into lthy, capitalist pigs.
All of the above are legitimate ques-tions and deserve answers.
I suggest that our elected ofcials look into this matter and
provide those answers.
Alvin Gordon
Continued from Page 1us 30 days' notice.
The FCRCs vote will be the only formal approval of the rink.
Community Board 8 will hold their own vote, but it will serve only
as a recommendation to be given to the FCRC.
The planned skating rink was originally scheduled to open early
this winter on the defunct tennis courts near the West 242nd Street
elevated subway station.
While it is known the rink will run on a 15-year contract, other
details such as skate rental fees, time limits, and food and drink
vendors have yet to be revealed because they were left up to each
prospec-tive bidder to decide.
The viability of the project may de-pend on whether the small
open rink can compete with other larger rinks within easy travel
distance, especially as to price. A vendor charging more than the
Mur-ray Rink in nearby Yonkers may well be doomed to failure.
Dinky Rink
Lloyd Ultan, the Bronx borough histori-an, said the Memorial
Grove is unusual and special because its a living memorial.
"This is life itself. The trees live," he said at the ceremony,
highlighting that the men who gave their lives for the freedoms
that Americans have today are celebrated by living things rather
than inanimate objects like a bell tower. Also, he added, memorials
werent built to honor WWII veterans as often as they were in
previous wars, so to have a WWII memorial in the area is an
honor.
"This more than just memorializes the people here," Ultan said.
"They memorial-ize what we stand for."
City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, who allocated some of his
discretionary funds to the restoration, said he un-
derstands rsthand the importance of remembering war
veterans.
The son of immigrants who ed the Na-zis in WWII, Koppell said he
understands the importance of the memorial.
"I am particularly mindful of our debt of gratitude to our
veterans," he said.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz empha-sized the unyielding
persistence of Barret and Tannen.
"The grove was not maintained. Finally, it will be," Dinowitz
said. "Their dream will be a reality."
Dinowitz said that since most people his age and younger are not
veterans, Vet-erans Day can sometimes slip by without its proper
due.
"Everything we enjoy, in a large part, is due to veterans
protecting our freedoms.
If it werent for them, where would be today?" he said.
Rep. Eliot Engel was unable to make it, but he gave the
Restoration Group an American ag that was own above the Capitol
building specically for them.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Rev. William G. Kalaidjian,
the Chaplin of the James J. Peters VA Medical Center for more than
30 years, gave the invocation. The Jewish War Veterans Neumann
Goldman, Post 69, awarded his wife, Valerie, a plaque for her
dedication to serving the troops by sending more than 10,500
handwritten letters to soldiers overseas, devoting more than 7,000
hours of her time.
Manhattan College, Fordham Univer-sity and SUNY Maritime each
had mem-bers of their ROTC present for the opening ceremonies.
Local Boy Scout troop 240 and Riverdales Girl Scout Brownies were
also present.
meeting.It's a disservice to the people who live
in this community, and it becomes a self-fullling prophecy
because if you're not
co-sponsored a bill that would allow USPS to use its $6.9
billion pension surplus to stave off the action.
However, Richard Fedderman of Engel's ofce said partisan
politics was stalling the legislations passage.
We're continuing to work every day both with the assemblyman's
ofce, with Councilman Koppell's ofce and with the community board,
to try and make sure both of these stations don't close, he
said.
Riverdale resident Robert S. Gratz said he would stage a "senior
power rally" on Friday noon to protest the closures. He implored
the crowd to bring their signs, wheelchairs, canes and walkers and
join him as he pickets the Fieldston station.
giving notices out to people, then how are people supposed to
come out?
The whole process needs to be exam-ined, and I say until you x
that problem, we shouldn't be closing any of these post ofces.
USPS consolidation coordinator La-Trayer Sumter-Moreau initially
said more than 10,000 surveys were sent out to cus-tomers in the
10463 zip code informing them of the latest meeting
However, when told there were more than 75,000 residents in the
area, she was forced to backtrack and said, Well, it was more than
75,000 then.
Before a station can be closed, of-cials must rst collect
extensive data concerning ofce workload, customer demand, total
operating expenses and public input.
The evidence is then reviewed, and if a business case for
closure is deemed fea-sible, a formal proposal is sent to postal
service headquarters. A panel including the postmaster general then
makes a nal determination.
All decisions are subject to review by the Postal Regulatory
Commission. The whole process takes a minimum of four months.
In order to avoid mass post ofce closures, Congressman Eliot L.
Engel has
Community goes postal over closings of two local ofcesContinued
from Page 3
Continued from Page 1
Engel: Court to provide closure on Health Care Act
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement
after the U.S. Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear
arguments in the cases opposing the Obama Health Care Act. Rep.
Engel is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee's Subcommittee on Health, and is a staunch supporter of
the law.
'I hope that once the Supreme Court rules in this case that we
can nally turn the page and move on to the many other issues facing
our nation. I am condent they will see that these lawsuits were
politically motivated and rule the Affordable Care Act
constitutional. The long history of the Supreme Court has produced
a litany of cases which followed the rule of law rather than
political ideology. Unfortunately, recent years have produced cases
such as Bush v. Gore and Citizens United which were lled with
partisan politics. I am hopeful the Court will eschew the rhetoric
and false rumors about the Affordable Care Act and follow the rule
of law.
'The Republican Majority has spent hundreds of hours during the
past year on repealing the law and returning to an era where
insurance companies dictated Ameri-cans' health care. They have
spent ample time attempting to roll back coverage to tens of
millions of people, and to increase the amount of money seniors pay
for pre-scription drugs. If the same efforts were put into job
creation, millions more Americans would be back to work
already.
'I am certain that if viewed solely upon its merits, the
Affordable Care Act will be upheld as being constitutional. I think
it would be unfortunate for the entire nation if the Court chose
politics over the Constitution.'
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