This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories from this week's issue (January 17 - 23) of the Riverdale Review:

* Stanton strikes out with fundraising debacle > Local City Council candidate Andrew Cohen has raised more than $66,000 since announcing his intention to run for citywide office. The latest campaign disclosure report shows Cohen's fundraising total, collected in less than 80 days, already exceeds what rival Cliff Stanton has managed to rack up in an entire year.

Police seized this impressive haul from a group of armed
robbers during a sting DEA operation.

* Attempt to turn Riverdale into a drug battleground thwarted by cops > A daring group of armed robbers allegedly masqueraded as police to steal more than 20 kilograms of heroin and cash from a narcotics distribution ring in Riverdale. The 16-member crew, including alleged ringleader Javion "King Kong" Camacho, 26, was busted near the intersection of West 253rd Street and Post Road during the Drug Enforcement Agency sting operation around 9:45 p.m. on January 9.
* Neighborhood watch not sanctioned by NYPD > City Council candidate Cliff Stanton has yet to register his neighborhood watch program with the New York Police Department--two months after members began patrolling the streets. Commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Deputy Inspector Kevin Burke said officials do not recognize Stanton's 4 Wheels for Good Neighborhood Watch group because it is not officially registered with the NYPD's Block Watcher program.
* Obama names Riverdalian Jack Lew as new Treasury Secretary > President Barack Obama has nominated Riverdale resident and longtime Washington insider Jacob "Jack" Lew to be the next treasury secretary. Lew, who currently serves as White Housec chief of staff, was formally announced as Obama's preferred pick during a press conference on January 10. If confirmed by the Senate, Lew will succeed Timothy F. Geithner, who is stepping down from the high-pressure post at the end of January.
* Political club in odd early endorsement > One of the city's most prominent political clubs has been accused of operating against its founding principles after announcing it would consider endorsements for the City Council District 11 race this week. The Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club is scheduled to hold an endorsement meeting and will hear from candidates vying for the open Council seat on Wednesday, January 16--eight months before the scheduled Democratic Primary.
* Dr Ruth documented by the BBC > A film screening and talk by Dr. Ruth Westheimer at the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale last week commanded such a large turnout that more and more chairs had to be brought into the sizable social hall to accommodate the ever-growing audience before the program could begin. Westheimer's unusual life story is now chronicled as one segment of a 12-part documentary series called "Extraordinary Women," produuced by the British Broadcasting Company.
* Palisade Avenue retaining wall project nears completion > It may not be as charming, but the new Palisade Avenue retaining wall will do a more reliable job than the 75-year-old masonry structure it just replaced. The city started inspecting the nearly 700 retaining wall it owns since a privately owned wall collapsed on the Henry Hudson Parkway in 2005. Those in the worst condition got first priority for repair or replacement by the Department of Design and Construction.
* Co-op tax break likely to be voted this month > A cote to retain the cooperative and condominium tax abatement, which expired in June 2012, will likely take place in the very near future. "The restoration of this important abatement is a priority of mine and I will fight to have it put through," Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said. "We should be voting by the end of the month."
* Safety now a local issue > Shaken by recent robberies and violence close to home, locals flocked to the 50th Precinct's monthly community council meeting last week to ask for some visible police presence in what used to be a crime-free neighborhood.

And, in the Bronx Press:
* Residents demand more from elected officials during redistricting hearing > Residents in Pelham Parkway North and the Parkside Housing Projects are sick of being ignored by the 11th City Council District. During a public hearing held last Wednesday by the NYC Redistricting Commission at Hostos Community College, Bronx residents voiced their opinions on the newly drawn district lines. Though most grievances brought up at the hearing involved the South Bronx, residents of a tiny piece of Pelham Parkway North and Parkside Housing Projects have their reservations with the redistricting as well.
* DOT unveils further details for Webster Avenue Select Bus Service > An updated select bus service plan along Webster Avenue was debuted at an open house hosted by the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority at the NYC Business Solutions Center last week.
* City looks to close more schools > The Department of Education has placed nine more schools on the chopping block, bringing the total to 26 schools, including Herbert H. Lehman High School, slated for closure. The newest additions include three elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and three K-8 schools.
* Bronxites united with Newtown shooting victims > A Christmas tree was the backdrop as a few dozen Bronxites stood on the courthouse steps, omurning the senseless massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, and demanding an end to the carnage caused by gun violence--right here in New York City's five boroughs.

This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories in this week's issue (November 22 - November 28) of the Riverdale Review:

Andrew Cohen kicks off his election campaign 

* Cohen throws hat in ring for Council run > It's official: Community Board 8 member Andrew Cohen has entered the race for Councilman G. Oliver Koppell's seat in the 2013 citywide elections. Cohen, a Riverdale resident, ended weeks of speculation and declared his intention to jump into the electoral race during a press event on the steps of City Hall in Manhattan on Tuesday. The announcement means Cohen will now be pitted against Cliff Stanton, the only other candidate in the hotly anticipated City Council District 11 race.
* Bidding war erupts as Delafield Estates goes under the hammer > A Long Island-based developer has snapped up the remaining lots in the troubled Delafield Estates development for a whopping $6.375 million. The 22 parcels were sold off as a single lot during a frenzied public auction at the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale on November 19.
* Community Board approves street renaming > Efforts to rename a local street in honor of James V. Downey has moved a step closer to reality after it got the Community Board 8 nod. Members of CB8 voted 32 to 0 in favor of renaming the stretch of Mosholu Avenue between West 254th Street and West 256th Streets to 'James V. Downey Way.'
* City officials break ice on new Van Cortlandt Park skating rink > The brand-new Van Cortlandt Park ice-skating rink in officially open for business. The Bronx's first public skating rink in nearly 30 years was unveiled by a slew of city officials during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday.
* Hebrew Home takes in displaced Sandy victims > The Hebrew Home at Riverdale has announced that it will temporarily house 130 adult home residents displaced by superstorn Sandy at its recently acquired Passionist Retreat House, a dormitory formerly used by the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale. The Hebrew Home will host the displaced residents until their permanent homes, damaged by the storm, are fully repaired.
* NYPD Bronx Task Force in Riverdale following Gaza crisis > The NYPD is taking steps to keep Riverdale synagogues safe while demonstrators gather in Manhattan to express their anger at Israel's retaliation for ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza. Officials said eight to 12 police officers from the Bronx Task Force are in the area to supplement precinct staff.
* Diaz to seek reelection as Bronx BP > Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has abandoned plans to run for office of public advocate and will instead seek to keep his current job during the 2013 citywide elections. In a lengthy email to supporters on Tuesday, Diaz said he would not pursue the city's second-highest post because he still had several loose ends to tie up in The Bronx.
* Local restaurants take advantage of Thanksgiving trend > Restaurants in Riverdale are accommodating guests who don't have time or energy to cook an elaborate Thanksgiving feast by opening their doors on the holiday.
* Local artists exhibits tiny whimsical portraits at library > More than 200 portraits by Riverdale artist Nina Seigenfeld-Velazquez are on display in an exhibition called 'What's Mine is Yours' at the Riverdale branch of the New York Public Library through the end of May.
* Area merchants host food drive > Local politicians and members of the North Riverdale Merchants Association came together to do a little good for the community on November 16. The NRMA spearheaded a new food drive to collect nonperishable items for those in need.
* Bronx residents object to MTA fare hikes during public hearing > The Metropolitan Transportation Authority  held a public hearing on November 13 for Bronx residents to voice their opinions on the proposed fare hikes.

Also, in the Bronx Press:
* Three wounded at funeral home shooting > Three people were wounded when a gunman opened fire on a crowd in the doorway of a Parkchester funeral home. Cops were called to the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home, located at 2121 Westchester Avenue, at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. Police said the three victims were shot in the parking lot of the funeral home, around the vicinity of the parlor's entrance.
* Bronx father sought in bizarre kidnapping > Police continue to hunt for the father wanted in connection with a one-man crime spree that included firing a handgun, setting an apartment on fire, kidnapping his own kids, carjacking a man and fleeing the scene.