This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories in this week's issue (January 24 - 30) of the Riverdale Review:

* Stanton campaign raises conflict of interest > The editor of the PS 24 parents association bulletin has been placed on City Council candidate Cliff Stanton's campaign payroll. The Riverdale Review can reveal that Jennifer Firestone is receiving $1,000 a month from Stanton's campaign committee for political consulting. Because Firestone is also the editor of the PS 24 PA's Sounding Board and has the opportunity to include publicity for the City Council candidate in the public school's newsletter, her campaign role presents a possible conflict of interest. Firestone does not disclose her ties to the Stanton campaign in the PA bulletins, which she edits on a volunteer basis.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz hands
Riverdale resident Helene Afon a check
for $5,000. She lost her husband of 52 years
in a fire which destroyed her home.

* Stella D'oro shopping mall on track for fall opening > Parts of Riverdale Crossing, the $80 million shopping mall located at the former Stella D'oro cookie factory, could open it doors by as early as October. Metropolitan Realty Associates president Joseph A. Farkas said the two-story mall would most likely be unveiled in two stages--the north building will open first, with BJ's Wholesale Club set to follow suit a month later.
* Hebrew Home expansion plan bound for a rocky road > Homeowners near the Hebrew Home at Riverdale will soon have a chance to present their case regarding the home's ambitious plan to build a new senior residence on its recently purchased riverfront property. Hebrew Home CEO Daniel Reingold reached out to the Riverdale Nature Preservancy, a group that protects Riverdale's natural beauty and character, to facilitate community discussion before starting the arduous process of submitting the plan for official approval.
* Court case against accused iPhone killers move forward > The two men charged with murdering Hwang Bum Yang, the local chef who was shot and killed for his iPhone last year, could soon have a trial date. During a brief hearing at Bronx Supreme Court on January 15, Alejandro Campos, 21, stood next to attorney Richard Williams and received a new hearing date when a possible trial date could be set. Williams was filling in for Campos' regular attorney, Martin Galvin. Campos' co-accused, Dominick Davis, 20, was also slated to appear, but his case was not heard because his attorney, Kyle Watters, was not in attendance.
* Man jumps from apartment window > A man jumped to his death by leaping out the window of his North Riverdale apartment, according to authorities. Police said Robert Tavon, 54, jumped from his sixth-floor apartment at 5424 Netherland Avenue just before 2 pm last Thursday.
* No surprises as Ben Franklin club endorses Andrew Cohen > The Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club voted to support Andrew Cohen in his bid to replace Councilman G. Oliver Koppell in this year's citywide elections. The club's predicted endorsement for Cohen came after nearly 100 members heard from all three announced candidates during a meeting at Tibbett Towers on January 16. According to a breakdown of the 99 ballots cast, Cohen secured 84 votes, track coach Cheryl Keeling won five votes and Van Cortlandt Village resident Cliff Stanton, three votes. Six members made no endorsements and one voted for Community Board 8 candidate Robert Press as a write-in candidate.
* ConEd addresses chronic power outages in Spuyten Duyvil > Con Ediso has vowed to provide Spuyten Duyvil with additional power to stem the frequency and duration of electrical outages. The utility company agreed to the service improvement during a meeting with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and affected neighborhood residents on January 11. An extra power supply, to be installed by December, is designed to address the problem of continual blackouts on parts of Independence Avenue, Kappock Street and Palisade Avenue.
* Proposal to introduce ID scanners at PS 24 > Members of PS 24's parents association are asking for more security in the school, and City Council candidate Cliff Stanton may have a solution involving ID scanners. The former PA co-president flagged the idea of placing a scanner to track adults entering and exiting the school during the PA meeting on January 15. Under Stanton's proposal, IDs would not be issued to children but to adults wishing to enter the building on a regular basis, including Kindergarten parents who enter the school to drop off or pick up their child. The proposal, which Stanton estimated would cost $16,000, is still in its early stages. As of press time, no formal proposals have been filed for the scanners or any other school safety funding at PS 24.

And, in the Bronx Press:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg joins Councilman Ydanis
Rodriguez and Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia
Greene to break ground for improvements to
the High Bridge. Photo by Kristen Artz

* City begins restoration work on High Bridge > Mayor Michael Bloomberg has broken ground on the restoration of New York City's oldest bridge, the High Bridge, as part of the city's long-term plan for a "greener, greater New York." The $61 million project will reopen the bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists by 2014 and provide a link between Manhattan and The Bronx over the Harlem River. The bridge was closed to the public in 1970. The reconstruction of the bridge will include safety and structural improvements such as renovated stairways, railings and lighting.
* Bronx police respond to three taxi-related crimes in six hours > A bizarre morning for taxi drivers in The Bronx ended with one driver shot, one bitten and robbed and a third awe-struck as police officers lifted his cab off a pedestrian.
* Could more music be destined for Bronx venues? > The Bronx isn't getting its fair share of music from Carnegie Hall, according to a recent audit by the city comptroller's office. The city has charged Carnegie Hall with a contractural obligation to provide free music programming for diverse groups throughout the five boroughs. But the comptroller's office concluded that The Bronx and Staten Island have been neglected as performance venues and that the Department of Cultural Affairs' failure to attract large audiences with free tickets to neighborhood concerts could mean that programming selections aren't "properly designed for the neighborhood."
* Two wounded in Co-op City shooting > Two people were wounded when gunfire erupted on the grounds of 140 Einstein Loop in Co-op City on Sunday, January 13. Paramedics and emergency services personnel were called to the scene at 12:08pm following reports of gunfire and rushed two victims to Jacobi Hospital.
* Woman injured in bizarre fall > Paramedics transported a young woman who was injured when a piece of plywood reportedly collapsed into a construction trench at an apartment building in University Heights. EMS were dispatched to the front of the building at 2321 Andrews Avenue, where they discovered a 33-year-old woman had fallen in the trench, located in the alley leading to the building's courtyard and basement.

Hebrew Home unveils plans for 300 units of senior housing at Retreat site

By MIAWLING LAM

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale plans to construct a new 300-unit independent living senior residence complex on the 14-acre plot they purchased from the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale.

When built, the facility will be the first in New York City to offer a continuing care retirement community.

Officials from the geriatric center unveiled their preliminary design and development plans for the sprawling site at Monday night’s Community Board 8 land use committee meeting.

It is the first time the facility’s authorities have spoken publicly about their vision for the land, which they acquired from the Passionists for $16 million in November 2011.

Hebrew Home president and CEO Daniel Reingold said the 300 units will be a combination of one- and two-bedroom apartments. The residences will be divided into four mid-rise towers ranging from four to eight stories.

“The main philosophy of the concepts that we’re developing have to do with what the older adults want today, which is more independent living with supported services available as needed, rather than an institutionalized environment,” he said.

This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories from this week's issue (January 10 -16) of the Riverdale Review:

* 300 units of senior housing planned for Retreat site > The Hebrew Home at Riverdale plans to construct a new 300-unit independent living senior residence complex on the 14-acre plot they purchased from the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale. When built, the facility will be the first in New York City to offer a continuing care retirement community. Officials from the geriatric center unveiled their preliminary design and development plans for the sprawling site at Monday night's Community Board 8 land use committee meeting. It is the first time the facility's authorities have spoken publicly about their vision for the land, which they acquired from the Passionists for $16 million in November 2011.

Police and firefighters were called to remove a grenade
from the Majestic building on January 4.

* Live grenade removed from Riverdale apartment building > Members of the NYPD's bomb squad removed a live hand grenade from the basement of the Majestic building in Riverdale--more than five years after it was placed there. Commanding officer of the 50th Precinct Deputy Inspector Kevin Burke said police were called to the 87-unit building located at 3660 Waldo Avenue just after 1pm on January 4.
* City officials refuse to enforce open meetings law at PS 24 > City officials deny that PS 24 principal Donna Connelly violated the state's open meetngs law when she shut the press out of last month's school leadership team meeting. After two weeks of phone calls and emails seeking a comment from the Department of Education, the Riverdale Review was informed by agency spokesman David Pena that the school's SLT meeting on December 18 might have contained private information.
* Large North Riverdale land parcel is back on the market > A 25,000-square-foot parcel of prime developable land appears to have hit the real estate market again for a whopping $9 million. The Riverdale Review can reveal that the t-shaped vacant site in North Riverdale located at 5278 Post Road and extending back to Broadway has been relisted for sale online. The property was taken off the market six months ago due to a lack of buyer interest.
* Commuter rail service set to expand on Metro-North line > The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will beef up Metro-North service on the Hudson Line beginning in April, adding trains during non-peak travel times to accommodate a growing ridership. Authorities last week unveiled details about the service enhancements ahead of a historic public hearing on the issue. Under the proposed changes, rail commuters at the Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale Metro-North stations will see a total of 73 new train services each week--the Hudson Line is set to run 11 more trains on weekdays, 12 more on Saturdays and six more on Sundays. The changes will take effect beginning Sunday, April 7, with the implementation of the new spring timetable.
* City bungles gifted and talented testing site for local student > After a month long struggle with the Department of Education, young Riverdale resident Jacob Moglia will now be able to sit for the gifted and talented exam at PS 24. Set to enter Kindergarten this fall, the four-year-old was inexplicably assigned to take the test at PS/IS 54 on Webster Avenue, although his parents, Louis Moglia and Shira Atzmon, registered him to take the exam at PS 24, located just a 10-minute walk from their home.
* Focus on Business > i) Pure Energy Organic Cafe in North Riverdale has officially closed after just six months in business. According to a sign posted outside the store, located at 5802 Mosholu Avenue, tenants are currently being sought to lease the now-vacant 900-square-foot space; ii) River Delight, a glatt kosher restaurant with a varied menu that include middle-eastern cuisine as well as deli sandwiches, has closed for business. A board of health restaurant inspection in December found 38 violation points at the 3534 Johnson Avenue establishment, but the reason for closing is unclear; iii) Menchie's, a California-based frozen yoghurt chain, will expand and open their long-awaited store in Riverdale later this year. Menchie's will lease 1,400 square feet of space at 3555 Johnson Avenue, a site that formerly housed Washington Mutual Bank; iv) Could the ongoing construction next to Garden Gourmet at 5665 Broadway be a site for possible expansion of th  thriving produce and specialty foods emporium? According to filings submitted with the Department of Buildings and posted at the construction site, the space at 5675 Broadway is being converted from a clothing store to a food store. Further details are expected to filter through in the spring. Watch this space.

Also, in the Bronx Press:
* City plans to close 17 struggling schools > Robert Powell,  the newest addition to the Panel for Educational Policy, will be forced to sign off on a number of school closures--one of which could be for his own son's high school. Powell, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s selection to replace Wilfredo Pagan in the PEP, begins serving on the board this week, and the first order of business will be voting on school closures. In November, the Department of Education named 60 schools that are in danger of being closed this year. Since then, the list has dwindled down to 17 schools the DOE feels are too late to save at this point.
* Officials challenge software developers to create math app > Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott launched a software development competition to help middle school students excel in math. The Gap App Challenge encourages programmers and developers to create new innovative apps, programs and games that can be used by parents, teachers or students as a tool for learning math.
* Bronx man holds daughter hostage > A 31-year-old Bronx father allegedly held his infant daughter hostage for two hours and dangled her from his fourth-floor Mott Haven apartment window. Police allege that the man, whose name has yet to be released, locked himself inside the East 141st Street apartment near Cypress Avenue in the early hours of Thursday, January 3, and held his child hostage.

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.

Hebrew Home explores options for expansion on Palisade Ave.

Here's a story from this week's edition of the Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh

Reingold (right) and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
listen to constituent complaints at the Hebrew Home.

The Hebrew Home is planning to add new buildings for more senior services on the adjacent 14-acre plot, recently sold to them by the Passionist Fathers of Riverdale. 

A meditation center, possibly an underground garage and a consolidated entrance are also preliminary ideas Hebrew Home president and CEO Daniel Reingold said he has for the future. 

The land was bought for $16 million about two months ago from the Passionists, who could no longer afford the land with increased expenses, fewer retreat guests and fewer new recruits. 

“We are excited about this opportunity,” Reingold said Friday. “We think it will be something the community will be proud of. We hope to involve the community early on in discussions about what we’re going to try and do.” 

He added that the Hebrew Home will go through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which requires months of public review and community involvement. 

“The Hebrew Home is considered among the best, if not the best nursing institution in the country,” Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said. “Increasing their ability to provide services to seniors is a good thing.” 

Reingold said he was excited to work with the community, noting that the Hebrew Home was the first institution in the area to submit a ‘master plan’ to the community board. 

“This is very premature, but our plan would be to demolish the existing structures and replace them with an environmentally sound green building,” he said, calling the larger building an “eyesore.” 

Quinn on running for mayor, gambling and the living wage

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was on, what we're going to start calling, the 'pre-campaign' trail today. She brought her father along to the Hebrew Home for the Aged, and according to this 2008 Times article, when Papa Quinn is around, it's for the campaign.

Her and City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell spoke to around 150 residents of the Home, mostly about the power of seniors to fight budget cuts and the vitality that the senior community has (though we counted at least 10 seniors fast asleep during the event).

Quinn and Koppell speak to the crowd at the Home.
That's Papa Lawrence Quinn in the background, in brown.

This is the second visit Quinn's made to Riverdale in the last two months, and we couldn't remember the last time she was up here before that. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was also up here twice in the last month on his own pre-campaign trail.

One member of the Home, while they were waiting for her to arrive, was overheard saying, "She's going to lose a lot of votes; it's not very nice making us wait." 

While they were waiting, Quinn and Koppell were touring the Hebrew Home's newest technology, the nations first low-vision living area, developed by Rensselaer Institute of Technology (RIT).

But Quinn seemed to win over most of the audience once she did arrive, taking questions from the audience until no one had anymore. They ranged from the hyperlocal, requesting W. 261st Street be paved, to the citywide, on whether or not she will run for mayor, to the statewide, on gambling.

As for running for mayor, "I won’t let my father have the microphone because he’ll tell you the answer to that question," she said. "You know, it’s something that I’m thinking about. I haven’t declared yet but it’s certainly something I’m thinking about.”

A member of the audience also questioned her about legalizing gambling (because whose grandparents don't like to gamble!? Stereotypes!). She ducked the question, but we caught up with her afterwards and got a decent answer, though still no commitment from her for either side of the issue.

Quinn speaking to Home residents.
The Home's CEO Daniel Reingold is to her left.

"I'm not a huge fan of gambling, its generally a regressive way to raise money," she said. "That said, if it's going to exist in New York, then I want it to exist in the whole state and then we can decide what we want to do on the city. I wouldn't want the city excluded from it. I'm sympatheic to Governor Cuomo's situation of having to generate revenues."

We also asked her about the living wage and whether or not she thinks it could become broader with a mayor who is more favorable to it (Bloomberg may veto the bill). “I think the key thing for creating more jobs at a living wage in the retail sector is for the Economic Development Corporation to do what L.A. and San Francisco's have done," she said. Both city's have adopted an aggressive policy "where they’re always negotiating towards [a living wage] and with that, you need a mayor who believes in it," she said.