Riverdale Review, February 7, 2013 by Andrew Wolf

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Volume XX • Number 6 • February 7 - 13, 2013 •

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Hoffnung wins boss’ blessing for Council bid By MIAWLING LAM Local resident and Deputy Comptroller Ari Hoffnung would be a formidable candidate if he jumped into the open City Council District 11 race, according to New York City Comptroller John C. Liu. The city’s chief financial official delivered a show of support to his deputy during a wide-ranging, noholds-barred interview with the Riverdale Review last Thursday. Although Liu admitted that Hoffnung has not openly discussed his political aspirations, he believed that the area resident would be a force to be reckoned with if he mounted a campaign. “It is still very early in 2013,” he said. “You never know, but what I can say is that he would make a great city councilman.” Hoffnung has previously confirmed he was mulling a run for Councilman G. Oliver Koppell’s seat in the 2013 citywide elections but said that he remains undecided. Koppell is currently serving his third and final term and must vacate the office due to term limit rules. When pressed on whether any of the announced candidates have sought his endorsement, Liu sidestepped the question and offered a cagey response. “I have had some private conversations, but I don’t envision getting very much involved in this City Council

race,” he said. “I think it will be a very exciting race just as it was 12 years ago and eight years ago. Four years ago, probably not as exciting.” There are currently three registered Democratic candidates: Community Board 8 member Andrew Cohen, Fieldston School track coach and businesswoman Cheryl Keeling and the leader of the boycott against the Riverdale Review, Cliff Stanton. Hoffnung, 39, said he continues to keep his options open. “I believe that effective local government can make a real difference in people’s lives, and it would be an honor to represent the Riverdale community in the New York City Council,” he said in an email earlier this week. “I continue to be encouraged by the number of folks urging me to run for office but have yet to make a final decision. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on serving the public as New York City deputy comptroller.” Hoffnung first ran for the City Council seat in 2005 but lost to Koppell by a 3-to-1 margin. He planned to run for a second time in 2009 but bowed out before the primary after term limits were extended. As a result, Hoffnung still boasts more than $72,000 in his campaign war chest.

In addition to discussing Hoffnung’s potential City Council run, Liu tackled a host of issues—including his presumptive mayoral campaign—during the 25-minute interview and said he would make a formal announcement within the next few weeks. He commented on the astounding cost overruns for the controversial Croton Water Treatment Plant—“where are the improvements in the parks that were supposed to be made, speciﬁcally the $240 million in Bronx park improvements?”—and set the record straight over exactly why he opposed FreshDirect’s move to the borough. “I am very much in favor of FreshDirect relocating to The Bronx, but I had serious questions about whether they really needed $130 million of taxpayer monies,” he said. “I believe that the city should severely curtail these kinds of public subsidies to private companies and instead look to give breaks to small-business owners.” In a surprise move, Liu also openly addressed the ongoing federal investigation into his campaign fundraising. Liu’s former campaign treasurer Jia Hou and former fundraiser Xing Wu Pan have both been charged with conspiring to defraud the city by collecting money from straw donors. Liu has repeatedly denied having Continued on Page 15

Landmark Bronx main post ofﬁce is on the selling block

By TESS MCRAE The United States Postal Service is considering a move to sell the landmarked Bronx General Post Ofﬁce on the Grand Concourse to the highest bidder. The proposal was included in a letter sent to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. from Joseph J. Mulvey, a real estate

specialist for the USPS in Milford, Mass., on December 31, but news of the possible closing was made public only last week. USPS ofﬁcials claimed consolidation is key and that cost-cutting measures must be explored in the face of “unsustainable deﬁcits.” “The needs of the Postal Service today call for us to look at all

possible avenues that will reduce costs, consolidate operations and increase efﬁciency,” Mulvey wrote. “We believe we have an opportunity in The Bronx to sell the existing Postal Service-owned property located at 588 Grand Concourse.” Though operations at the GPO

State Sen. Jeffrey Klein joined dozens of Girl Scouts from the North Bronx 124 Service Unit for an afternoon of skating at the new Van Cortlandt Park Ice Skating Rink last Sunday. The event commemorated the 100-year anniversary of Girl Scouts of Greater New York.

would not dissolve completely, they would shrink drastically. According to the plan, the station would be moved to a 7,300-square-foot facility, which is significantly smaller than the existing space. But the proposal to sell one of the oldest and largest post offices in New York City has local elected officials and residents stamping mad. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has previously objected to a number of Bronx post office closures, and the borough’s GPO closure has proven to be no exception. “Our office feels that the decision to close this historic facility is unacceptable, and we question the United States Postal Service’s methodology in selecting this site for sale,” said John DeSio, Diaz’s communications director. “The post office is an integral part of the community it’s located in,” Chuck Zlatkin of the New York Metro Area Postal Union said. “We are opposed to closing any post office because it is unnecessary and damaging to the community.” The official city landmark, featuring a gallery of works by the Social Realist artist Ben Shahn, has been a Bronx institution for 75 years. According to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the

Bronx GPO building is the largest Depression-era post office in New York City, occupying the entire block from East 149th Street to East 150th Street. The consolidation of the Bronx GPO is designed to accommodate budgetary problems that the USPS attributes to increased use of electronic messaging. Currently, the Postal Service is a self-supporting government agency, meaning it receives no tax dollars for its operating expenses. To generate revenue, it relies heavily on the sale of postage, products and services. “When it comes to the financial problems, they will tell you it’s because of the Internet,” Zlatkin said. “The financial crisis was created by Congress’ mandates of postal services. They have been using it as a cash cow for decades. I’d say 86 percent of the financial problems are all from congressional mandates.” In 2007, Congress mandated that USPS pre-fund future retiree health benefits for the next 75 years and that they do so within 10 years. It has been widely reported that this mandate cost the Postal Service more than $20 billion. Zlatkin said his union has been working to stop some of these mandates but that in the meantime, USPS cannot continContinued on Page 2

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Bronx mourns Mayor Ed Koch By KIMBERLEY HYATT Officials from The Bronx have spoken out about the tragic loss of former New York City mayor Edward Irving Koch, who died on February 1 at the age of 88. Koch, who was born in Crotona Park East in The Bronx, served as mayor for three terms, from 1978 to 1989. He is credited with rescuing the city from the brink of bankruptcy and for helping restore its swagger. The beloved leader also fought hard to bring forth improvements in his hometown borough, according to Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Diaz said Koch’s reverence for the city and The Bronx would be felt by future generations. “During his administration, he helped rebuild the South Bronx, creating a task force that helped restore burned-out buildings while creating new, thriving communities—work that still resonates to this day,” he said in a statement. “He was a man of deep devotion, who, after leaving office, continued to inspire New Yorkers through his activism and his commitment to a city he fiercely loved.” Koch had been hospitalized multiple times in recent months for respiratory problems, anemia and fluid buildup in his ankles and lungs, among other ailments. According to Koch’s spokesman, George Arzt, the former mayor died of congestive heart failure at 2 a.m. at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera paid tribute to Koch’s devotion and exuberant passion and described him as a “boisterous, outspoken and spirited” character. “Koch will be remembered as the quintessential New Yorker as well as for his sense of service to the city he loved,” he said. City Council District 11 candidate Andrew Cohen said he was saddened to hear of Koch’s passing. “He was a New York City institution, and I respect what he was able to accomplish during some very difficult times. He will be missed by all New Yorkers,” he said. Cohen was originally booked for a public endorsement by New York Public Advocate Bill de Blasio at a Mosholu Montefiore Community Center press conference last Friday, but he cleared his schedule out of respect when hearing the news of Koch’s death. The endorsement

Bronx GPO

Continued from Page 1 ue to consolidate post offices and generate negative feedback from communities. “If you think there are lines now, it’ll be worse in a smaller location. The Post Office is in the Constitution; it’s not just some random service. It’s something that’s been around longer than the United States, even.” In order to rally support, Zlatkin and the New York Metro Area Postal Union will be holding a rally on Wednesday, February 6, at the Grand Concourse and East 149th Street at 9:30 a.m. The Postal Service will be holding a public hearing at the same location at 10:30 a.m. No final decision has been made yet, but Zlatkin is hoping the rally will make the community more aware. “Once people find out what’s going on, they’ll want to be there. There is no community in the United States that wants its post office closed down,” he said. As of press time, a USPS spokeswoman had not returned a request for comment.

has since been moved to February 8. A slew of political dignitaries, city residents and former colleagues attended Koch’s funeral service at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side on February 4. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton delivered a remembrance, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered the eulogy. Koch was later buried at Trinity Church Cemetery in Washington Heights, before a private shiva, the Jewish period of mourning, began at Gracie Mansion. According to published reports, Koch chose to inscribe his tombstone with the words, “My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.” These were among the ﬁnal words spoken by Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl just before he was beheaded by Islamic militants in Pakistan in 2002.

By TESS MCRAE Work to repave the historic Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park will be transmitted for bid in the coming months, according to city ofﬁcials. Parks Department spokesman Zachary Feder said plans were just approved by the Department of Transportation and would move forward next month. “The plan will be transmitted for bid, the transmission will be reviewed and construction will start,” he said. Eight years ago, Van Cortlandt Park received federal funding to update its facilities and accessibility—the most controversial of which involves turning the dirt Putnam Trail into a 15-foot-wide path that includes a 10-foot-wide swath of asphalt pavement. The trail’s route follows what used to be the tracks of the New York Central Railroad’s Putnam Division, connecting Manhattan to Brewster. It connects with the South County Trail at the Westchester County border in Yonkers, leading up through Putnam County on the North County Trailway. The paved section of the upgraded

trail will be ﬂanked by a three-foot-wide earthen path for runners who prefer a non-paved surface and by a two-foot-wide area designed for drainage. The Save the Putnam Trail is an organization dedicated to maintaining a more natural path while still ensuring it remains accessible to wheelchairs and bicycles. “What we wanted was a trail of stone dust, no pavement that is 8 to 10 feet wide,” Michael Oliva of the Save the Putnam Trail said. “There is no need for the trail to be so wide. The trafﬁc estimates don’t justify 15 feet.” Cycling groups contend that the stone dust would not be suitable for wheelchairs or strollers and that there are in fact multiple unpaved natural paths in Van Cortlandt Park. According to Oliva, the current plan for the path will result in 400 trees being cut down to accommodate the added width. Oliva and other members of Save the Putnam Trail have been reaching out via email to City Council members, including Speaker Christine Quinn, for support.

Riverdale Y to hold Purim Carnival

The Riverdale Y will be holding their annual Purim Carnival on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 from 9:30am-12:30pm. This event is open for the entire community. Our fun schedule for the day 9:30am- 10:45am: Early childhood gym play stations (slides, tunnels and bounce castle set up for free use on the SC level gym) 9:30am - 12:30pm:Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey CircusFit Clown will be entertaining the children with all of his juggling and balancing skills 10:30am - 12:30pm: Early Childhood

crafts and game booths and carnival games for older children on the second ﬂoor in our multi purpose room 11:30am - 12:30pm: Food is available in the Teen Lounge (not included in admission price.) 12:30pm:Children’s costume parade with live music by Greg Shafritz Admission: $10 per family for admission. Tickets for carnival booths: 6 for $5; 12 for $8. For more information go to www. RiverdaleY.org. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who donated an additional $1 million to the project, has publicly supported the asphalt-paved path, but other public ﬁgures have remained silent on the matter. “Christine Quinn didn’t get back to us to us for over a year, and even then she took a neutral position,” Oliva said. In a message dated January 30, 2013, Quinn neither supported nor criticized the plan but assured members of the Riverdale community that their thoughts have been heard. “As I explained in my previous email, the City Council and I are closely following the progress of this redesign so that we can ensure that the Putnam Trail and any redesign of the city’s parks preserve the natural character of these valuable open spaces,” her letter reads. “Please know that we will keep your

comments in mind as we move forward.” No ﬁrm construction start date has been set, but Oliva predicts it will begin sometime this year. For the time being, Oliva and other community members of Save the Putnam Trail said they would work hard to bring awareness to the issue, even if no city ofﬁcials have taken up the cause. “We know we’re on the right side of the issue and we’re just trying to build that level of support that will push Bloomberg over the edge,” Oliva said. “No one talks about these plans. Nobody knew this was going on when it was decided and I think a large percentage of the community still doesn’t even know. “Our job is just to bring awareness—90 percent of people don’t want this to happen.”

3 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Protests grow over paving of Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Around the schools... School Calendar Update

The Department of Education has added days to all school calendars to make up for days lost due to Superstorm Sandy. All schools will hold full-day sessions from Wednesday, February 20, through Friday, February 22. These days would ordinarily be part of mid-winter recess. Elementary schools, intermediate/junior high schools and D75 schools will hold full-day sessions on Tuesday, June 4, which was previously scheduled as a shortened clerical day for these schools. For more information, visit schools.nyc.gov.

Horace Mann

Noted historian James Oakes is the guest speaker at the February 5 UD assembly for grades 9 through 12. Topic of discussion will be the end of slavery during the Civil War. Oakes is a prominent historian expert on abolition issues and slavery in 19th-century America. He is also the author of a history textbook used by HM tenth-graders. This talk is in recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation as well as the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, D.C. during the civil rights era. The Fad Magazine Fashion Show Fundraiser will take place Friday, February 8, at 6:30 p.m. Sponsored by HM’s FAD Magazine and HM student organizers, Veronica Williamson, Noah Margulis, Paige Burris and Anna Carrol, the show features discussions with speakers from the art world and a 20-look fashion show completely made and modeled by HM’s Fashion Design Club. Included in the admission are dessert and a rafﬂe drawing. Proceeds from the evening will be divided evenly between the printing of FAD Magazine and the Children’s Aid Society. The Children’s Aid Society serves New York’s needy children and their families at more than 45 locations in the ﬁve boroughs and Westchester. Admission is $10 for students and $15 for adults. Those outside of the HM community who wish to attend are asked to RSVP to fad@horracemann.org.

SAR High School

SAR High School welcomed students from the Fieldston School and University Heights High School as part of the Building Bridges program. As part of the program, students from these schools meet and participate in activities together to broaden their sense of community. Building Bridges gives students the opportunity to establish friendships with peers from different backgrounds and with diverse experiences. Earlier this year, the students met at the Museum of Tolerance in Manhattan, where the exhibits provoked interesting discussions about stereotypes and intolerance. Other excursions included a lecture by Sebastian Junger, a journalist embedded with the US Army in Afghanistan, and a tour of the SAR building.

Local Scholars

Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, CT, has awarded Tarik Smith second honors. Second honors are awarded to students who achieve a grade point average of 3.33 and above. Founded in 1794, Cheshire Academy is one of the oldest independent, college preparatory schools in the country and is still located in its original site in Connecticut. For the 2012-2013 school year, Cheshire Academy hosts 360 students representing 13 countries, 10

states, and 54 towns in Connecticut. David Berger, Leticia Castillo, Alice Fonfa, Nathan Heller, Araya Henry, and Samantha Nugent have earned dean’s list honors for the fall 2012 semester at SUNY Oneonta. To qualify for the dean’s list, undergraduate students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher while carrying a course load of 12 semester hours or more. SUNY Oneonta, located in Oneonta, NY, is a liberal arts college focused on teaching and learning. It ranks 47th among the “Top Public Regional Universities-North” in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report rankings and has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for excellence in community engagement. SUNY Oneonta is attended by almost 6,000 undergraduates. The SUNY Oneonta mission is “to unite excellence in teaching, scholarship, civic engagement, and stewardship to create a student-centered learning community.” Sophomore Joseph Yankelowitz has earned dean’s list status at Washington and Lee University. Dean’s list status at Washington and Lee represents a term grade point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale. Washington and Lee is a private liberal university in Lexington, VA with an enrollment of 1,800 undergraduates. The school is named after George Washington, who gifted the institution with $20,000 in stock, and Civil War General Robert E. Lee, who was the university president. The university consists of three academic units: The College; the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics; and the School of Law. Jordan Kolinski, a graduate of Horace Mann School, and Alexandra Kaplan, a graduate of the Fieldston School, have both received the dean’s award for academic excellence during the 2012 fall term at Colgate University. To be eligible for the award, a Colgate student must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.3 while enrolled in at least four courses. Colgate University is a highly selective residential liberal arts institution distinguished by academic excellence and interdisciplinary inquiry. Located in upstate New York, Colgate offers 52 majors and 13 additional minors to an internationally and culturally diverse student body of 2,900 students. The Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, which has been in place since 1928, has been recognized as one of the most ambitious and elegant general educations programs in the country.

�� • Proven success for over 60 years • Superlative education • Nursery through 8th grade • Diverse Jewish backgrounds welcome

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2600 Netherland Ave • Riverdale, NY 10463 718-548-0900 • www.kinneretdayschool.org Please call us for an appointment!

Mysterious owner of Delaﬁeld Estates ﬁnally revealed

my position.” Schapiro never called back. Lamonica’s attorney was unsure when Talassazan planned to break ground and start construction. But after the auction in November, Schapiro assured residents that the owner would see through the project and wanted to make sure current Delafield residents were satisfied with the plans. The sprawling grounds once belonged to Edward Delafield, an early president of Bank of America, and doubled as a Columbia University-run botanical garden in the mid-1960s. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who found global fame because of his ability to respond to sign language, even called the estate home at one point.

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

By TESS McRAE The new owner of the Delafield Estates has finally been identified—more than two months after the 22 lots went under the hammer during a frenzied auction. The Riverdale Review can reveal that Ayy26, an LLC owned by Abraham Talassazan, snapped up the troubled development for $6.375 million on November 19. Property records indicate Ayy26 is registered to Talassazan, of Great Neck, New York, who owns a number of other LLCs in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. As of press time, Talassazan could not be reached for comment, as there are no public phone listings for him. However, counsel for Salvatore Lamonica, the listed trustee of Delafield, confirmed the details. The 10.5-acre Delafield Estates area, located between West 246th Street and Douglas Avenue, has been an ongoing construction site since the 1980s. Plans to develop the estate into a gated community of 33 compact houses and shared woodland were approved in 1980, but a weakening real estate market meant three separate developers have failed to finish the project. Each group has fallen on hard times, including the most recent owner, Abraham Zion, who filed for bankruptcy protection in 2005. As a result, more than 30 years later, just 11 houses are occupied. When reached for comment last week, Tobias Schapiro, the listing broker with Brown Harris Stevens, declined to comment further. “I don’t know what name the owner wants me to use,” he said. “The person has several companies and I need to ask what name he’d like me to use. I hope you can understand

Mid Winter Recess Vacation Day at the Y Do you have work while your child is off from school? If so, join us for a fun ﬁlled day of swimming, crafts, sports and fun. Don’t forget to bring a swimsuit, towel, swim cap and a dairy/nut free lunch. Enjoy the holiday with your friends at the Y! This program is open to the entire community. You don’t have to be a Y member. Monday, February 18 & Tuesday, February 19. Grades K-6th. $80/ $60 Y Members each day. Program will run from 9:00 am-5:00 pm. Early and Late Stay is available 8:00am-6:00pm for a nominal fee. Contact the Y by Friday, February 15, 2013 Need more info? E-mail Joe Smith at JSmith@RiverdaleY.org. or call 718-5488200, ext 261. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.

A Healthy Heart Starts with You Throughout the month of February, Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart & Vascular Care will offer free educational lectures and screenings to check your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Protect your heart from disease, and learn how to take better care of yourself.

Heart Month Kickoff Event Friday, February 1 | 10:00 am Wakefield Hospital 600 East 233rd Street, Bronx, New York 10466

Heart Healthy Food Demonstration Friday, February 1 | 10:00 am Wakefield Hospital If you are interested in attending a heart month event, simply show up to the event site on the date and time of the event.

www.montefiore.org/heartmonth

Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart & Vascular Care

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Bronx tinnitus support group working towards a quiet future

Tinnitus is an annoying noise or ringing in the ear that is heard without an external sound. Anyone suffering from this condition or those interested in learning about tinnitus are invited to attend a free support group. The group meets on the ﬁrst Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Church of the Mediator, located at 260 West 231st Street, off Kingsbridge Avenue. Their next session will be held on Thursday, January 3 and will last about an hour. The church’s entrance is by the Bx1, Bx7, Bx10 and Bx20 bus stop. For more information, please contact Dr. K. Nabinet on 718410-2301 or 917-797-9065 or via email kkwn12u@aol.com

Jerry Klein to exhibit photos at the Y

Jerry Klein, a local Riverdalian will be exhibiting his first public photography display at Gallery 18 at the Riverdale Y for the month of February. Mr. Klein had a love for the art of photography at a very young age. His cousin, who was a professional photographer and traveled most of the time encouraged Jerry as much as possible. They never discussed equipment or technique only about his pictures and visualizing. After college at NYU, Mr. Klein worked for Dun & Bradstreet and American Express for most of his professional life, only taking pictures on vacation or when on world wide travel assignments working for American Express. Mr. Klein’s interest was rekindled in 2000 when he began reading about the lightweight 35mm style digital cameras with built in zoom lenses. At 60, he purchased a digital zoom camera and hasn’t stopped shooting. Jerry still can not break the film camera habit of conserving the 36 shot roll and usually takes one shot per subject. He believes the image you see lasts only an instant and is gone forever. Now at 72, with unsteady hands and one good eye he says ‘God bless autofocus, zoom lenses and image stabilization. My eye and heart are still there and I’m making up for lost time’. His favorite subject matter depends on where he is and what he visualizes. His first public display an exhibit called ‘China View’ will be at the Riverdale Y during the month of February. A reception with refreshments will be held on February 17 at 1:00 pm. All of his work is on the web search ‘Smugmug lovelife’ or ‘Photo by lovelife’. The entire community is invited to the reception and the showing. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.

Riverdale Children’s Theatre announces auditions

RCT will continue it’s partnership with Musical Theatre International to pilot Shrek Jr this spring and treat Bronx audiences to a Sondheim masterpiece with Into the woods Jr.’ The Riverdale Children’s Theatre has demonstrated artistic excellence, along with a commitment to high educational values for their young artists’ said John Prignano of Music Theatre International, ‘On the heels of their exceptional work on the pilot of Disney’s Little Mermaid Junior and Hairspary Jr last spring, we are excited that RCT will be one of the ﬁrst organizations nationally to bring Shrek Jr to middle school performers’ Shrek The Musical, based on the Oscar(r)-winning DreamWorks ﬁlm that

started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre - not a handsome prince - shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misﬁts, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand... and his name is Shrek. Into the Woods Jr: The Brothers Grimm “go Broadway” as Sondheim and Lapine offer up a cockeyed fairy tale where all of your favorite characters-Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and The Witchmeet and interact on their journeys. The sophisticated score has been adapted to make it easier--though still challenging-for young performers. Auditions dates (attend one date only) Thursday February 7th from 4pm -6:00pm at the Riverdale Jewish Center 3700 Independence Avenue at 237th St Sunday February 10th from 1pm-4pm at Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy 660 West 237th St at Independence Ave. All levels of experience are welcome. Please prepare a short musical theatre selection (1 minute or less) and be prepared to learn a simple dance combination. Auditions are open to all Children in 2nd to 12th grade. The Riverdale Children’s Theatre brings together children from different religious and cultural backgrounds to learn about themselves, each other and the joy of performing. For more information about the auditions, rehearsal and show performance dates and other RCT programs log on to www. riverdaletheatre.org

Art lecture at Bronx Archives Building

Daniel Hauben, noted artist and Bronx native, will share his experience and work with an illustrated presentation and lecture, ‘A Retrospect of Bronx Imagery.’ This free public lecture will be held at The Bronx Archives Building located at 3313 Bainbridge Avenue, on Saturday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m. For directions, call (718) 881- 8900. The lecture is sponsored by The Bronx County Historical Society. For more information, visit www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org The Bronx County Historical Society, founded in 1955, is a private, non-proﬁt educational and cultural institution chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. The Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation, documentation and interpretation of the history and heritage of The Bronx and its people from its earliest historical references in the 17th century to the present.

Neumann-Goldman Post 69 & Ladies Auxiliary

Jewish War Veterans: All veterans are welcome to participate in the only active Jewish War Veterans post in the Kingsbridge/Riverdale area. Neumann - Goldman Post 69 & Ladies Auxiliary regularly meets on the third Sunday of each month at the James J. Peters V A Medical Center located at 130 Kingsbridge Road at 10 a.m., in room 3D22, on the third ﬂoor of the medical center. The next meeting will be held on Sunday, February 17. Registration is not required and members of other posts are welcome or if your original post no longer exists. With advance notice, transportation can be arranged.

Services are held in a 100-year old chapel on the medical center’s grounds. For additional information, call Mel Saks, Post Commander at 914-337-0277 (email: whitebeard311@aol.com), or Herb Barrett at 718-548-6832 (email: countryman326@aol.com). Neumann-Goldman Post 69 & Ladies Auxiliary is the main supporter of the Memorial Grove Restoration Group’s move to restore the War Memorial located in Van Cortlandt Park at West 246th Street - facebook.com/memorial grove.

Upcoming special events at Van Cortlandt Senior Center

Sunday, Feb. 10th: Join us for a sumptuous Chinese kosher meal at 12:15 consisting of: Egg Drop Soup, Chicken Chow Mein, Brown Rice and Vegetables, a Roll and dessert followed by superb entertainment. Sigal Chen, Soprano and Michael Tugetman, MD, guitar accompanist, will perform a program of oldies and classic hits from the 50’s to the 70’s at 1:00 PM. Senior Contribution is $3.00 for the meal and $2.00 for the event. Non-senior fee is $5.00 for the meal and $3.00 for the event. Call the center ofﬁce at 718-549-4700 by Wed. Feb. 6th to reserve, or for more information. Wed. Feb. 13th: Bronx Aids Services will present a talk on ‘Substance Abuse Medical Adherence’ at 11:15 AM. Eric Nelsen, Historic Interpreter for the Palisades Interstate Park will present ‘The

Unknown Palisades: A Slideshow through Time’ on Feb. 13th at 1:00 PM. Through images and narrative, the Palisades is brought to life. Among the topics to be covered: the palatial estates that rose on the summit; the struggle of the NJ Women’s Clubs to preserve the cliffs from defacement; the bathing beaches and other recreational facilities that ran full-tilt during the early decades of the 20th Century and the work of the New Deal agencies in the park during the Depression. Celebrate Purim and Jan. thru March birthdays with Isaac ben Ayala, keyboardist, on Wed. Feb. 27th at 1:00 PM. A delicious kosher meal that includes soup will be served at 12:15 PM. Senior contribution is $2.50 for the meal and $2.00 for the event. Please reserve to center office 718-549-4700 by Fri. Feb. 22nd. We are offering several culturally enriching day trips to the Rubin Museum of Art on 2/4; Lion Brand Yarn shopping trip on 2/7; and Aqueduct Casino on 2/14. For information and reservations, please contact Maritza Silva at 718-549-4700. JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center offers Senior Fitness on Mon., Movement on Tues., Meditation on Tues. afternoon, Tai Chi on Wed., Yoga on Thurs. and Tone & Stretch on Fri. Call the center at 718-549-4700 for specific dates and times of these classes. All meals at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center are catered by Mauzone (kosher) Meal Service. We offer a daily alternate choice of main dish. We are located in the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. off of Van Cortlandt Ave. West on the Bronx #1 or #10 bus routes. For more information, please call the center office at 718-549-4700. JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center is funded by NYC Dept. for the Aging, UJAFederation of NY and by special grants from Council Member Oliver Koppell and other NYS representatives.

Riverdale

BILINGUAL BIRDIES 11:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue A foreign language (Spanish) and live music program for children ages newborn to ﬁve years old with parent/caregiver. The bilingual musicians teach through live music, movement, puppetry and games. Each session ends with a lively bubble dance party! Children learn basic vocabulary and short phrases while playing with instruments and fun props. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Kingsbridge

WRITER’S CIRCLE 1 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Are you an aspiring writer? Join our writer’s group to share your work and get feedback from other members. All types of writing are welcome, whether it’s ﬁction, memoir, poetry, or other! For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Kingsbridge

ANIMAL ODYSSEY 4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Each week will feature visits from 1-2 live animal ambassadors, plus experiments and investigations using real animal artifacts to discover more about a variety of amazing creatures- big & small. For ages 7 and older. For info, call 718-548-5656.

Riverdale

Van Cortlandt

MUSIC LUNCHEON 12:15 p.m. Van Cortlandt Senior Center 3880 Sedgwick Avenue Seniors are invited to enjoy a sumptuous kosher Chinese lunch at 12:15 p.m., followed by a concert. Singer Sigal Chen and guitarist Michael Tugetman will offer a program of oldies and classic hits from the ‘50s to the ‘70s. Seniors are asked to contribute $3 for the meal and $2 for the concert. Non-senior fees are $5 for the meal and $3 for the concert. For more information, call 718-549-4700.

Riverdale

CARD PARTY 1 p.m. Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Avenue Riverdale Temple Women of Reform Judaism invites men and women to come and enjoy the afternoon. Refreshments will be served, rafﬂes will be sold and door prizes will be given out. Admission for the afternoon is $15. In order that we can reserve a table for you, RSVP by calling Terry at 718-548-3800, ext.1 or emailing Rivtemple@aol.com.

Riverdale

FILM SHOWING 2 p.m. Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel 475 West 250th Street The CSAIR Sisterhood will present the ﬁlm ‘Foreign Letters.’ Open to all. There will be a nominal charge for refreshments. For more information, call 718-543-8400.

Riverdale

ROTARY CLUB MEETING 6:45 p.m. Greentree Restaurant 5693 Riverdale Avenue Lorrin Johnson will be a guest speaker at the next meeting of the Rotary Club of Riverdale. She will describe a new AAUW program at College of Mount St. Vincent this spring for 7th and 8th grade girls, encouraging them to enter the ﬁelds of science and math. For further information, please call 914 319-0002.

ARTISTS RECEPTION 2 p.m. Ethical Culture Society 4450 Fieldston Road Riverdale Art Association’s February 2013 exhibit will feature works by Bob Robinson & Brian Allan Skinner. The artists’ reception will be held on February 10th. For more information, call 718-548-4445.

Riverdale

CB8 MEETING 7:30 p.m. Schervier Apartments 2975 Independence Avenue Meeting of the Health, Hospitals & Social Services Committee of Community Board 8. Visitor parking available. For more information, call 718-884-3959.

KNITTING & CROCHET 11 a.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street A get-together for knitters & crocheters at all skill levels to work on a current project, learn new techniques, or to exchange information. All skill levels are welcomed. Registration not required. For more information, call 718-796-1202.

Friday, February 8

Tuesday, February 12

GENTLE YOGA 10 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Gentle Yoga is designed for students who have special needs and/or limitations. This class is a variation of basic level I yoga format, moving more slowly and includes attention to the special needs of the individual. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

STORY SONGS 3:30 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library 650 West 235th Street Stories with Bob-a-Loo and his ﬂute and drums. Recommended for children ages 5 to 12 years old. For more information, call 718-796-1202.

Riverdale

Kingsbridge

MEDITATION 1 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library 291 West 231st Street Discover how you can learn to tap inside at this free meditation workshop led by Dr. Frank Pawlowski. For more information, call 718-548-5656.

Riverdale

Monday, February 11 Spuyten Duyvil

SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION 1 p.m. Van Cortlandt Senior Center 3880 Sedgwick Avenue Eric Nelsen, historic interpreter for Palisades Interstate Park, will present a talk on The Unknown Palisades: A Slideshow through Time. For more infomration, call 718549-4700.

Van Cortlandt

INFORMATION SESSION 7 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue Come and explore your options for children’s classes in our Riverdale Y Early Childhood Center for 2-, 3-, & 4year-old classes including Universal Pre-K, and the summer camp Kulanu. For more information, call 718-548-8200, ext. 220.

Riverdale

FILM SHOWING 10:30 a.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA 5625 Arlington Avenue Alana Llama Winter Films Series for Children will present Balto. The movie is free to the entire community. For more information call 718-548-8200, ext. 200.

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STORY SONGS 3:30 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library 3874 Sedgwick Avenue Stories with Bob-a-Loo and his ﬂute and drums. Recommended for children ages 5 to 12 years old. For more information, call 718-543-5150.

FLEA MARKET 9 a.m. Old St. John’s School 3030 Godwin Terrace Clothes, jewelry, accessories and bric-a-brac will be sold at bargain prices. Free parking will also be available so get there early and snare yourself a great ﬁnd. For more information, please call 718-543-3003.

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Spuyten Duyvil

FUN SCIENCE 3:30 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library 5540 Mosholu Avenue Children are welcome to come to the Riverdale Branch and learn more about the scientiﬁc process. They will conduct experiments and have fun while learning how the world around them operates. For ages 5 to 12 years. For more information, call 718-549-1212.

Kingsbridge

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Thursday, February 7

Riverdale

TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING 19:30 a.m. Riverdale Neighborhood House 5521 Mosholu Avenue A special Toastmasters Club International Speech and Evaluation Contest will be held, with winners advancing to the Toastmasters Area Contest which will be held on March 30th at the Yonkers Public Library Riverfront Library. For more information please call 718-796-6671 or go to www. bronxtoastmastersclub.org

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Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Hanna Rosin and Sally Cohn engage women at the Riverdale Y By PAULETTE SCHNEIDER Hanna Rosin, senior editor at Atlantic Magazine and author of “The End of Men: And the Rise of Women,” was recently featured in the Rose Dialogue Series event at the Riverdale Y, with Salon columnist Sally Kohn as moderator. Rosin shared her observations with a 70-strong audience that included ﬁve men, counting the author’s father. The good news is that powerful women in the workforce have become so “normalized” that “we don’t have to have a party now every time a woman gets elected to Congress.” Things also look good for marriage among college-educated couples, who expect to share both household and breadwinning duties throughout a relationship. Not so for those without college, Rosin found. While vacationing in a prosperous working-class town during the height of the economic recession, she noticed a striking absence of men in the public areas. She befriended a woman and her daughter shopping in a supermarket and asked the woman where all the men had gone and whether she herself was married. The woman replied that she would never marry her daughter’s father because he would become “just one more mouth to feed.” Intrigued, she interviewed

the father and even offered job advice in the manner of the old Ladies’ Home Journal column, “Can This Marriage Be Saved?” But after many “dysfunctional phone calls” she realized that the couple would never reunite. “The vision that I had about how this family was going to come back together was completely passé,” she realized. The woman “really considered herself the head of the household.” Rosin said this lifestyle is typical of 70 percent of America and that “anyone without a college degree in this country is experiencing these kinds of situations.” When she began her research on the subject in 2009, women were already becoming the majority of the American workforce. “When I was a kid,” she recalled, “a woman working was so interesting that there were lots of sitcoms devoted to her existence. Like, “Wow, she’s wearing a pants suit and she has a briefcase! That’s so interesting!” But now, many women enter the workforce as professionals, leaving more of the lessskilled jobs available for other women. “That opens up jobs at the bottom that wives used to do for free—food service, child care, elder care, all those kinds of things that wives used to do are done by women at the bottom of the workforce, which brings momentum of women entering

the workforce.” The breadwinner wife—a woman who earns more than her husband—was “freakishly rare” in the 1970s but she now accounts for nearly 40 percent of American working wives, Rosin said. Her analysis described the “plastic woman and cardboard man” concept: Women are more ﬂexible and can more readily adapt to changing situations. “Over time, women have changed very much how they behaved, whereas men have

lived in a much narrower range of public roles. They have a much tougher time moving away from what’s considered traditional masculinity.” Why? Men have been “on top” in positions of privilege, she said. “When you’re the underdog, you have to be more adaptable and ﬂexible. Also having children makes you ﬂexible and able to do lots of different things. So there are natural reasons why these personality types evolved, and over time, it just happened to

be that the economy began to value those things and the way we socialized men to be became a disadvantage rather than an advantage.” For the sake of men, she said, we should “Expand our imagination about what it’s possible for men to do and be and not consider that emasculating.” It will become “an easier world for all of us” when people see a man in the playground at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday and don’t say to themselves, “What’s wrong with that guy?”

Contemporary Cartographies by Kevin Van Aelst, Isabel Barbuzza, Doug Beube, Gail Biederman, Margaret Cusack, Sage Dawson, Lisa Corinne Davis, Dalia Elsayed, Charley Friedman, Wopo Holup, Meridith McNeal, Steven Millar, Simonetta Moro, Paula Scher, Karen Shaw, and Dannielle Tegeder will be on exhibit at Lehman Gallery, February 5 - May 11, 2013. Reception: Monday, March 18, 2013, 6 - 8pm The exhibition will include a group of contemporary artists who uses the language and imagery of maps to communicate an array of ideas. Artists in this exhibition work in various styles, adapting, manipulating, and inventing maps to giving them new meanings. Some of them use ﬁctional narratives and create imaginary cartographies; others conceive a work that updates the new geopolitical orders. Still others approach the map aesthetically or as material in itself. Humor too plays an important role in deﬁning these borders. Curated by Susan Hoeltzel and Yuneikys Villalonga. Lehman College Art Gallery is located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West. For more information, call 718-960-8731 or visit www.lehman.edu/gallery. Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm.

Julio Rodriguez nominated for Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Julio Rodriguez, who works at the Riverdale Y as the Y’s martial arts instructor has been nominated for induction in the 2013 United States Marital Arts Hall of Fame. The 2013 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be on Saturday, July 20, 2013. The Advisory Board chooses individuals who they deem worthy and who they recognize for outstanding dedication and contributions to the martial arts. For more information, contact Yudi Davis at 718-548-8200, ext. 240.

Name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after your Valentine

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo has thousands of new bugs in need of names just in time for Valentine’s Day. Now in its third year, this light-hearted Valentine’s gift is the perfect way to make sure your loved one knows your feelings are forever - with a roach in their name. Now a Valentine’s tradition, Name-ARoach has attracted thousands of hopeless romantics from around the world who have named real live Madagascar hissing cockroaches at WCS’s Bronx Zoo after their loved ones, an ‘ex,’ or even their mother-in-law. Each gift comes with a colorful certiﬁcate emailed to your loved one announcing that a cockroach has been named in his or her honor. Visit www.bronxzoo.com/roach to place an order. Each name costs $10 and all proceeds will go to help the Wildlife Conservation Society save wildlife and wild places around the world. The zoo has plenty of roaches to name with thousands of the super-sized bugs on exhibit in Madagascar!-an awardwinning habitat for lemurs, crocodiles, and many other species from the African island nation. Madagascar hissing cockroaches are the world’s largest roach species reaching nearly four-inches long. The namesake hissing noise is emitted as a defense mechanism. Like nearly every roach species, Madagascar

hissing cockroaches are not considered pests and rarely enter homes. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Adult admission is $16, children (3-12 years old) $12, children under 3 are free, seniors (65+) are $14. Parking is $13 for cars and $16 for buses. The Bronx Zoo is conveniently located off the Bronx River Parkway at Exit 6; by train via the #2 or #5 or by bus via the #9, #12, #19, #22, MetroNorth, or BxM11 Express Bus service (from Manhattan that stops just outside the gate.) To plan your trip, visit www. bronxzoo.com or call 718-367-1010.

Topics discussed in the course include emotional mastery, sleep and renewal, nutrition and dieting, happiness, communication skills, faith and knowledge, and how to implement lasting change. The course is designed for women at all levels of Jewish knowledge. Participants without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning can attend and enjoy this course. This month, Rebbetzin Sorah Shemtov will be teaching When More Makes Merrier: A Holistic Approach to Pursuing Happiness on Saturday, February 16 between 12:15-1:15 pm at Chabad of

Riverdale. The pursuit of material comfort is often confused with the pursuit of happiness. Jewish wisdom provides a holistic understanding of what happiness is, and how it can be achieved through a combination of material happiness and spiritual fulﬁllment. We will soon announce next month’s lesson, Empathically Speaking: A Jewish Approach to Effective Communication. For more information about this upcoming lesson, or future ones, please visit our website www.ChabadRiverdale.org or call Chabad of Riverdale at 718-5491100 Ext. 10.

Early Childhood Center Information Session

Come and explore your options for children’s classes in the Riverdale Y’s early childhood center for 2, 3, & 4 year-olds, Universal Pre-K, and Summer Camp. Learn about the school, philosophy, scheduling options, hours for working families, and enrichment activities available to the Y’s youngest community. The early childhood center information session will be held on Wednesday, February 13, at 7 p.m. All the teachers at the Y early childhood center either have Master Degrees in early childhood education or are in graduate school for this degree. Advanced reservations required. Make your reservation to meet with Wendy Pollock, Early Childhood Center Director, 718 548-8200, ext 220 or WPollock@RiverdaleY.org. The Riverdale YMYWHA is located at 5625 Arlington Ave.

Registration opens for RCC spring courses

The Riverdale Community Center at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (David A. Stein M.S./H.S. 141) has announced the opening of its fall Adult and Youth Education semester, which will begin Saturday, March 2nd and Tuesday, March 5th . Courses in everything from the Arts and Computers (Digital Photography, Life Drawing & Painting, Piano, Guitar, Flute, Computers - Word and Excel) to Exercise and Health (Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, Pilates, Zumba) to Languages and Leisure Activities are being offered. Also on the roster are seminars and workshops - Defensive Driving and A Financial Look Ahead Courses are open to adults and seniors on Tuesday evenings. Seniors receive a special 20% discount on course fees. On Saturday mornings, classes are held for children, teens and adults. Children’s classes include Cooking; Basketball; Dance; Tennis; Piano, Guitar and Flute, Exploring Artistic Styles, Salsa, Tango and Swing for Teens and much more. Remedial reading, math skills and test preparation classes are also available for children and teens. Registration is now being accepted. To register over the phone with Visa, MasterCard, Discover or AMEX, or to request a free brochure, call the Center at 718-796-4724 or visit our website at www. riverdalecommunitycenter.org.

Jewish spirituality for the modern woman

The Rosh Chodesh Society is a sisterhood dedicated to inspiring and empowering Jewish women through monthly cultural learning experiences. The Rosh Chodesh Society’s newest course, It’s About Time: Kabbalistic Insights for Taking Charge of Your Life, aims to empower women to implement change in seven key areas in their lives.

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The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Contemporary cartographies exhibit at Lehman Gallery

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW 10

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW 12

St. John’s Church will host a ﬂea market on Saturday, February 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will be held at the Old St. John’s School located at 3030 Godwin Terrace in the Bronx. Clothes, jewelry, accessories and brica-brac will be sold at bargain prices. Free parking will also be available so get there early and snare yourself a great ﬁnd. For more information, please call 718-543-3003.

February art exhibit at Ethical Society

February 2013 exhibit will feature works by Bob Robinson & Brian Allan Skinner. Bob Robinson, a longtime member of the Riverdale Art Association, has studied at NYU, Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design. He worked for 30 years as creative director/art director in the advertising world, and has won many awards for his oil/acrylic paintings, etchings, and watercolors. He enjoys experimenting with different art media, and is currently exploring ceramic/sculpture. Brian Allan Skinner began his career in the ﬁne arts in the traditional media of oil-on-canvas and watercolor, and spent many years in publishing as a production artist. He now works almost exclusively in digital media, particularly in photo

illustration. Recent explorations include cliché verre, a technique of etching and painting on glass photographic plates, in which he ﬁrst dabbled over forty years ago. Art critic Laura Gabby has called his work ‘moody and mysterious.’ The artists’ reception will be held on Sunday, February 10th, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Road, Bronx, NY 10471, 718-548-4445. The Riverdale Art Association is a group of local artists which welcomes the community and new members to its meetings. They meet the second Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in the Community Room at Riverdale Atria, Henry Hudson Parkway East, just south of the Monument. www.riverdaleartassociation.org

CSAIR Sisterhood to present ﬁlm ‘Foreign Letters’

The Sisterhood of the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Israel (CSAIR) will present the ﬁlm ‘Foreign Letters’ on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2 p.m., in the Synagogue’s Social Hall. Set in the pre email world of the 1980s, ‘Foreign Letters’ is a love letter to the unshakable bond between friends. Ellie, newly arrived to the U.S. from Israel, anxiously waits for letters from her best friend back home. Suffering from homesickness, language difﬁculties and rejection at school, lie brightens when she meets Thuy, a Vietnamese refugee her age. As the two bond and become inseparable, they

eventually hurt each other, and Ellie must find a way to restore theri trust. Based on director Ela Thier’s personal immigration experience, ‘Foreign Letters’ is a film about poverty, prejudice, shame, and the healing power of friendship. This presentation is open to all. There will be a nominal charge for refreshments. For more information, call the CSAIR office at 718-543-8400. CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street at the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Toastmasters Club invites new members

A special Toastmasters Club International Speech and Evaluation Contest will be held on February 13th at the Riverdale Neighborhood House starting at 7:30pm with winners advancing to the Toastmasters Area Contest which will be held on March 30th at the Yonkers Public Library Riverfront Library. Guests are welcome to attend and witness this semi-annual event. The winner at the District Contest will advance to the Toastmasters International Conference where members from around world will compete. For more information please call 718-796-6671 or go to www. bronxtoastmastersclub.org

Lifeguard Certiﬁcation Course at the Y

The Riverdale Y will be holding a Lifeguard Certiﬁcation Course (15 yrs +) starting on Sundays, February 10, through

March 24 at 5:00pm-9:00pm. The purpose of the American Red Cross Lifeguarding course is to provide entry-level lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services (EMS) personnel take over. The limit is for 15 participants. Prices are: $525 (non-member)/$450 (Y member). You do not need to be a Y member to participate. Please contact Aquatics Director, Raquela Sheeran at ext. 239 with any questions, register by calling ext. 200. The Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.

Alana Llama Winter Films Series

The Riverdale Y’s Alana Llama Winter Films Series for Children will present Balto on Sunday, February 10 at 10:30am. This ﬁlm is 80 minutes long. The movie is free to the entire community. Your young child can enjoy G -rated favorites on the Y’s huge high-def screen in a comfortable, child-friendly environment. Make plans to meet friends on cold winter Sunday mornings for a movie, free popcorn, and a hug from Alana Llama herself! The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue. For more information call 718-548-8200, ext. 200

The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Flea market at St. John’s Church

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW

Ed Koch: A New York Original By ANDREW WOLF I first encountered Ed Koch in 1973, when he was a member of Congress. I had, of course, heard of him, but hadn’t met him. I was hanging around at the time with a group of “reform” politicians with roots in Greenwich Village. Koch was famous for having defeated the DeSapio political machine a few years earlier. He’d been elected to the City Council and had then run for Congress from the East Side. My friend Jimmy Organ was an early Koch convert, a protégé of a Village political operative named Micki Wolter, who later went on to run the City Record. Jimmy asked me if I would consider supporting Koch for mayor. It seemed to be the longest of long-shot races. But in a field where a colorless fellow like Comptroller Abe Beame was the class of the field, Koch looked pretty damn good. As it happened, 1973 turned out not to be Koch’s year, and he dropped out after just a few weeks in the race. The highlight of that race was Koch’s giving out little New York City flag pins, which resonated with me as someone who thought that this was a pretty good place to live, even at a time when most of my contemporaries couldn’t leave town fast enough. Beame ran and won in 1973 on the platform of “He Knows the Buck.” As the city slid in to bankruptcy under his watch, his slogan became a cruel punch line. By 1977 I had started my first newspaper, in the Pelham Parkway section of The Bronx. Koch, who really never stopped running, declared his candidacy for mayor again. At first, things did not look much better for him than they had four years earlier. It was true that Beame had been marginalized, but other candidates jumped into the race. The borough president of Manhattan, Percy Sutton, Congressman Herman Badillo and Congresswoman Bella Abzug brought up the left and Governor Hugh Carey recruited his secretary of state, a Queens attorney named Mario Cuomo. So I rejoined this intrepid band of politicos, and my little newspaper became the first in the city to endorse Ed Koch, still the longest of long shots. But 1977 was also the year of riots and looting following a power blackout and of fear in the streets over the Son of Sam killings. Things spun out of control and Koch became the only candidate in the race talking about getting tough on crime. This led to endorsements coming from the New York Post and the Daily News, and suddenly Koch was a force to be reckoned with. Late in the campaign, signs began appearing in white ethnic neighborhoods of the city warning folks to “Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo.” Koch was widely believed to be gay, but kept his private life deep under wraps, not surprising in 1977. Koch had a secret weapon—his friendship with New York’s most eligible and beloved Jewish woman, Bess Myerson. They campaigned together, walked to synagogue hand-in-hand, and before long the story had a life of its own. My late mother was consumed by this saga. She idolized Bess Myerson, the first (and only) Jewish Miss America. They were both Bronxites. Of course, my mother was aware that I knew Koch personally and was supporting him. All she could ask me at every possible occasion was when the two lovebirds would tie the knot. I learned recently that Bess Myerson is still alive (at 88, the same age as the late Mayor) and not well. Then in her early 50s, I recall Bess Myerson as so strikingly beautiful and bright that the thought of her as the wife of the mayor could fuel the fantasies of every Jewish housewife in the metropolitan area. Ed Koch was a fellow who believed, totally, in himself. He looked at the field and saw that he was as smart, even smarter than anyone else running. And he was. By the end of the race, this former long shot catapulted to the head of the pack. As an early supporter, I could have sought a job, but instead opted for an unpaid post as a member of the City Human Rights Commission, where I served for eight years. I was issued a badge and a parking permit and was addressed as “Commissioner.” I will remember the swearing in not so much for the honor, but for the attention the mayor gave my father, going out of his way to praise me, something that meant a lot to my dad. I was also appointed to a number of other ad hoc panels as well, such as the commission to mark the 30th anniversary of the State of Israel in 1978, where I got to meet Prime Minister Begin—a thrill. The best perk of being a Koch “insider” was the annual invitation to watch the Macy’s fireworks display with the mayor at the United Continued on Page 15

Local architect charges Hebrew Home land grab To The Editor: Contrary to Hebrew Home’s CEO Daniel Reingold’s protests, what the Hebrew Home is perpetrating on all of Riverdale is the largest “land grab” in the last 50 years. The Hebrew Home has, in fact, “grabbed (purchased) a piece of presently zoned R1-1 land and wants to change it to an R4 zoning district. In doing so, they are proposing a new senior citizen apartment house complex of over 456,000 square feet only achievable by changing the zoning to an R4. This is approximately 2.5 times more ﬂoor area than the Hebrew Home would be permitted in an R1-1. They are building apartment houses up to eight stories high and enclosed parking for between 300 and 500 cars. They are also adding community facility spaces for residents that will add another 250,000 square feet. The article quotes Reingold as saying, “We have no intention of manipulating the zoning law.” In fact, that is exactly what Reingold and the Hebrew Home are doing, and they readily admit it. the Hebrew Home’s presentation at the January 28 “charette” clearly demonstrated its intention of “manipulating the zoning law.” At the issue speciﬁc “zoning”

table, the proposal by the Hebrew Home architects labeled its site plan as an R4 zone and not an R1-1. And those at the table representing the Hebrew Home also arrogantly stated that if they did not get an R4 zoning change, they would then file under a rarely used and understood “Large Scale Development”—another tactic used by the avaricious developers to build more and make more at the expense of local communities. Reingold’s claim that “We are not developers” is the polar opposite of the truth. Wrapped in the cloth of a “not-for-profit” community facility, what the Hebrew Home is doing typifies the tactics and strategies of developers throughout NYC including other not-for-profits (NYU, Columbia, et al). What we are seeing now is a Trump-like land grab and zoning manipulation that will forever alter the nature and character of the R1-1 zoning

BAE to present Latin jazz concert here The Bronx Arts Ensemble presents Latin jazz pianist and vocalist Willie Rodriguez and his Ensemble performing Latin favorites, including selections from his album “Live at Willie’s

ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher

Note our new address: 5752 Fieldston Road Bronx, New York 10471 (718) 543-5200 FAX: (718) 543-4206

JOEL PAL Production Manager ROBERT NILVA Marketing Director

district in Riverdale. The article indicated that R11 zone permits the construction of 50 single-family homes. The reality is that in an R1-1 zoning district—with minimum lot sizes of 9,500 square feet, minimum lot widths of 100 feet, required roadway widths and ﬁre department turnarounds, and the Natural Area zoning overlay—only 30 units could be constructed. I support Dr. Eric Kandell’s concern about this proposal setting a dangerous precedent to all of Riverdale. He states that “this is the most serious challenge facing North Riverdale” in over 50 years, I might add. It sets forth a frightening model for other developers to follow. I can only hope that our elected ofﬁcials and CB8 members who have served Riverdale for so long will not tarnish their legacies by supporting the Hebrew Home’s proposal. Martin Zelnik

CECILIA McNALLY Office Manager MIAWLING LAM Associate Editor

STAFF: Robert Lebowitz, Richard Reay, Paulette Schneider, Lloyd Ultan, Daniel R. Wolf

Steak House”, February 16 at 8 pm at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Road in the Bronx. Tickets are $20; $15 for seniors and students and include refreshments. For tickets and information, visit bronxartsensemble.org or call 718.601.7399. Willie Rodriguez has been a ﬁxture in Latin and Latin/Jazz music since the 70’s. He has played and recorded with several Latin and Jazz artists throughout his career. Dr. William (Willie) Rodriguez is the founder and principal of the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music.

By MIAWLING LAM Get ready to raise your pints and growlers—a new German-style beer hall has come to The Bronx. The Bronx Beer Hall, which celebrated its grand opening on February 1, is set to showcase the borough’s cred to locals and tourists venturing to The Bronx’s Little Italy. Nestled inside the popular Arthur Avenue Retail Market, the beer hall offers Bronxproud brews including the Woodlawn Weiss and Pelham Bay IPA from Jonas Bronck’s Beer Company, upstate and imported craft beers, and a comfort-food-centric menu created by local chef David Greco. “Our whole goal is to improve the image of the borough,” Bronx Beer Hall co-founder Anthony Ramirez said. “People don’t really know about the community here or the culture here, so what brings more people together than a beer hall? We want it to be a community gathering space.”

Hoffnung support Continued from Page 1 knowledge of the practice. “I am very proud of the way we’ve conducted our fundraising,” he said, adding that he has set a higher bar of ethics by not accepting contributions from Wall Street or from anyone doing, or seeking to do, business with his office. “Why they chose to look into my fundraising over everybody else’s, even though I’ve basically followed the same approach, I don’t know. All of this stuff really caught me by extreme surprise a year ago.” Meanwhile, Liu threw his support behind plans to transform the Kingsbridge Armory into a $275 million state-of-theart ice sports center. Officials from the city’s Economic Development Corporation are currently tossing up between the Kingsbridge National Ice Center proposal, which would offer nine regulation-size hockey rinks and a 5,000-seat arena, and a $100 million Chelsea Market-style retail development featuring a 4D cinema complex and the world’s tallest rock climbing wall. The latter plan, dubbed Mercado Mirabo and proposed by Youngwoo & Associates, would also include a Crunch gym, a youth basketball program and two 40,000-square-foot spaces for local businesses and artists. But Liu criticized the retail proposal and said the city already boasts a large number of markets. “I feel EDC is too shortsighted because EDC tends to look at a project on its own,” he said. “What I mean is that the flea market model, while you could say a certain amount of economic activity and jobs would be created at that site, that kind of business takes away and potentially displaces a lot of the same kind of economic activity from the surrounding area. “An ice-skating complex is not going to displace anything. It’s just going to add to the choices for the borough and the city.”

Ramirez said The Bronx deserved more watering holes—Brooklyn already boasts Spritzenhaus and the Radegast Hall and Biergarten, while Manhattan has Houston Hall and La Birreria. “There are over 120 beer halls in the ﬁve boroughs, but there’s only one beer garden on Tremont Avenue,” he said. “You go to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and there’s one on every block.” Ramirez said he and his brother and business partner Paul Ramirez were inspired to open the beer hall after they ran a successful pop-up beer-tasting event in the market in December 2011. “We were sitting down after the event and my brother was like, ‘We should open a beer hall,’” Anthony said. “We all joked around about it but then the next day, we were like, ‘We really should.’” The brothers decided to partner with Arthur

Avenue chef and local ﬁgurehead David Greco, and they haven’t looked back since. The space, wedged in the middle of the popular 72-year-old retail market, has a decidedly old-school, circa 17th-century feel. The communal tables and bar were crafted of wood reclaimed from an upstate barn from 250 years ago, while a foundation column is covered in white subway tiles. Meanwhile, drinkers can soak up the borough’s rich history by thumbing through a selection of Bronx-themed history books lined up on the bookshelf. Greco, the chef and owner of Arthur Avenue Trattoria and Mike’s Deli, was tasked with designing an extensive menu to reﬂect the particular cultures in The Bronx and to complement the brews. Diners can expect to order Bronx baked potatoes smothered with smoked

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Continued from Page 14 Nations School along the East River. In his shirtsleeves, surrounded by friends and supporters with not a reporter in sight, you could share with this great man the joy of the moment, the boyish wonder of being a New Yorker at a time that we could once again look to the future with optimism. Ed Koch being around town made every day for all of us a little bit more interesting. He is simply irreplaceable. I miss him already.

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15 The RIVERDALE REVIEW • Thursday, February 7, 2013

Bronx beer hall is now open in Belmont

mozzarella and ham, fried pickles, warm pretzels and buffalo chicken wings. Among the more substantial offerings are Albanian-style sausages, fish and chips, Greco’s signature filet mignon truffle burger, a Korean pork salad and crispy fried calf brains. Although the menu is far removed from the Italian specialties he has become synonymous with, Greco said he relished the opportunity to be creative. “We’re trying to offer things with a flair,” he said. “We’re trying to save The Bronx with culture and food. People travel from around the world to see us on Arthur Avenue. Why not get them to stay in the neighborhood and spend money? “I’m creating stuff for a beer hall and want people to come sit down and know that someone special touched the food.” The Bronx Beer Hall is located inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, located at 2344 Arthur Avenue. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Thursday, February 7, 2013 • The RIVERDALE REVIEW 16