riverdale review, february 10, 2011
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Weekly newspaper published in Riverdale, NY 10471TRANSCRIPT
...but mayor plans ‘privatized’ skating rink to be build virtually overnight
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Volume XVIII • Number 11 • February 10 - 16, 2011 • FREE!
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Little League field fix-up years behind...
Protests against controversial Bronx Science principal begin anew
By BRENDAN McHUGHWhile some are applauding
the idea of putting an ice-skating rink in Van Cortlandt Park next year, there is a group on the other side of Riverdale that remains stuck on the bench.
If things remain the way they are, the Sid Augarten Field, on which the North Riverdale Base-ball League holds its games, will still be littered with potholes long after the Mayor Mike-imposed ice-skating rink is up and running.
The idea that the city govern-ment would begin working on a parks project in the community at a time when other projects have been lagging far behind schedule has confused and insulted mem-bers of the Little League.
“Instead of taking care of one problem and then do something else, they just propose new stuff,” said John Lynch, vice president of the North Riverdale Baseball League. Lynch scoffed at the idea that the ice-skating rink will be done by the winter so long as they have to work with the City to get it done.
Maureen Kelly, league admin-istrator, is disappointed with the cty’s inefficiency with the Vinmont Park field, located on Mosholu Avenue. “It is what it is,”
she said. “Five years.” All during the Bloomberg adminstration.
For half a decade, the NRBL has been lead on by the city with false promises of renovations and new facilities.
“I don’t know where we stand right now,” Lynch said. “Every-thing was put off. All the work was supposed to be done this July. Right now we have a bad situation; the field is in terrible shape. We have to make due with what we have.”
Tryouts for the league begin next week. Potholes, rocks, poor drainage, and damaged fences await the Little Leaguers.
The league was told years ago that a renovation of the field would be done “soon.” Lynch remembers his son was promised a new field to play on when he was 9 years old. He is 15 now.
According to Councilman G. Oliver Koppel’s office, a contrac-tor was chosen in October 2010 but was later disqualified because the city’s Parks Department claimed they were relatively in-experienced and did not have a track record of working with the department. This will postpone any possible work on the field un-til the baseball season is over.
The contractor is contesting the decision by the Parks Depart-
ment, which could mean months of additional delays before con-struction can begin.
According to Community
Board 8 Parks Committee chair-man Bob Bender, at least one of the remaining contractors who bid is qualified, but because of
department guidelines the City was required to examine the lowest bidder first.
By MIAWLING LAMParents and teachers at a prestigious
Bronx public high school are once again demanding the resignation of its princi-pal, amid claims she is having a “toxic” effect on students.
Current and former stakeholders at Bronx High School of Science allege controversial principal Valerie Reidy is wreacking havoc on the school and in-hibiting its success.
Reidy is also accused of creating an un-happy work environment for teachers and adopting a dictatorial leadership style.
Former parent Cecilia Blewer, whose son graduated in 2008, agreed.
She said despite nearly a decade-long reign—Reidy took the helm of the special-ized high school in September 2001—she has failed to contribute to the school’s growth and will not leave with a positive legacy.
“She has no vision for the school. She has done nothing,” Blewer said.
“This school really could do wonder-ful things, but it’s all about her and her control needs.
“After this amount of time, you want to come out with a legacy, but there is no legacy. Nothing good has happened.”
Blewer said Reidy’s influence extends over the entire school leadership team, so even if the groundswell of discontent forces her to resign or retire, the culture will still remain.
“She has assembled these characters to be her assistant principals, so even if you get rid of her, you would be stuck with this coterie of Rasputins.”
Current social studies teacher Bob Lang has been teaching at Bronx Science since 2000 and said many of his colleagues were dissatisfied.
Although he is on a yearlong sabbatical, Lang said employee morale was low.
“Generally, there’s an atmosphere of unhappiness,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of turnover, so a lot of (the older teachers) have left and most of the new teachers are afraid to talk.”
The latest NYC School Survey released by the DOE also shows many teachers at the school are dissatisfied with the school’s leadership.
Two in five said Reidy placed other interests ahead of the learning needs of students, while 56 percent said she was not an effective manager who made the school run smoothly.
And in the most damning finding, more than half said they did not trust Reidy enough to take her at her word.
Former Bronx Science teacher Mark Sadok recently launched a website to raise awareness about the school’s cur-rent situation.
The website, called Bronx Science New Principal Scholarship Fund, encourages visitors to donate to the school’s alumni
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Little League field is still unfinished, years behind, but the mayor has other fish to fry.
Former Bx. Science teacher Peter Lamphere
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P.S. 24’s ‘kid composer’ Nuha Dolby a smash hit with PhilharmonicBy PAULETTE SCHNEIDERAs fifth-grader Nuha Dolby
took her place at a music stand last Friday on the stage of Avery Fisher Hall, her schoolmates from P.S. 24 whooped and cheered from their seats in the audience.
Conductor Alan Gilbert raised his baton, and the New York Philharmonic performed “Voices of Darkness,” an almost two-minute piece Dolby composed for the occasion. The composer stood in front of the orchestra and followed along in her own copy of the score.
Everyone in grades three through five was there to attend this School Day concert, an event associated with P.S. 24’s educational partnership with the New York Philharmonic. The Very Young Composers partnership involves a 12-ses-sion weekly afterschool com-mitment from 2:30 to 4 p.m., when Jon Deak, the now-retired associate principal bass player who founded the program 11 years ago, and James Blachly, a teaching artist from the orches-tra, visit the school.
The partnership was initiated four years ago by P.S. 24’s arts liaison, retired music teacher Joan Schwartz, who joins in the teaching and selects the 12 par-ticipants for each session.
According to both Deak and Blachly, the purpose of
the program is not necessarily to produce children who will become composers for a living. The operative word, according to Deak, is empowerment—he aims to empower the children with their own creativity.
“Each kid has a completely different approach,” he said.
Dolby was one of only six students in the program this session whose musical ideas were nurtured and shaped into arrangements for symphony orchestra.
The process begins when the young composers create a brief musical motif. They convey the phrase to Blachly, who commits it to musical notation. He then helps the composers develop the
idea and decide which instru-ments to deploy in which combi-nations. He provides the options, but the composers themselves are the ones who make the aesthetic decisions. It takes 12 sessions to write a piece and four sessions to orchestrate it.
In order to make their deci-sions, the composers must first learn about the sounds and capabilities of the instruments. So they get a demo of each or-chestral group.
“A professional, usually a member of the Philharmonic, will do it, and it’s amazing to see how flexible and delighted these professionals—who some people think are distant—how much they enjoy working with kids,” Deak said.
“Some kid who barely comes up to your waist tells you, ‘well that’s not the sound I want! Can you play that a little more like a blur, or trembly?’ And the Phil-harmonic people are delighted to do that kind of thing.”
“It’s so worth it to see the expression on a kid’s face when they imagine the sound, and then they hear it played by a professional—it keeps me go-ing,” Deak said.
He noted that several other girls in Dolby’s class were also “wonderful to work with”—Mad-eline Schmidt, Laura Saer, Crystal Medina, Christina Liu and Zana Loshi. “All the girls deserved
this opportunity, and these six, at least, were ready for it.”
Dolby, along with her col-leagues Schmidt and Saer, have now graduated from the Very Young Composers program to a 16-week “bridge” program at Av-ery Fisher Hall. The bridge leads toward a more conservatory-like atmosphere where VYC graduate
interns now in high school act as mentors to their middle school protégés, who learn to play an instrument while they study the “nuts and bolts” of composition. She is now studying the flute at P.S. 24 and violin with Amy Wright.
The bridge program, which
Nuha Dolby follows the score and watches conductor Alan Gilbert.
P.S. 24 composer Nuha Dolby
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Field of schemes
Engel helps restore co-op ‘flip tax’ benefitBy BRENDAN McHUGH
It’s a flip flop on the flip tax.A proposed rule to ban private transfer
fees on real estate sales was prevented by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) after Congressman Eliot Engel and the
Association of Riverdale Cooperatives and Condominiums (ARC) declared the ban would ultimately penalize co-op owners.
Engel filed formal comments with the FHFA explaining how the proposed rule-making change, as initially written, would hurt co-op owners not only in Riverdale, but also across the nation.
The transfer fee, called the flip tax, is used by co-ops to fund capital improvements and hold down maintenance and common charges. Had the FHFA gone through with its proposal, it would have denied this money to the co-ops, forcing increased charges for co-op apartment owners.
“When we at ARC became aware of it around October, we immediately started a campaign, through Congressman Engel, saying, ‘Wait a minute, time out, we’re not there,’” said Stephen Budihas, president of ARC. “Co-ops return the transfer fees that are collected right back to the owners.”
The ruling, which until the amendment was added would have barred government-sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from lending in all multi-family buildings in which a flip tax is written into the contract, was meant to take aim at unscrupulous builders who don’t use the tax money for capital improvement projects.
“We believe that is something the FHFA did not understand initially,” Budihas said. “We impose a flip tax, and it goes back into operating account to fund projects in our buildings.”
“It would create a terrible imposition to people trying to move into co-ops and the existing co-ops.”
“The flip tax is not onerous when it directly benefits the community and indi-vidual homeowners by funding reserves,
capital improvement projects and ongo-ing co-op association obligations,” Engel said. “This enables monthly maintenance fees for co-op dwellers to remain afford-able. In its absence, co-op boards would need to substantially increase rates to af-ford improvements and daily upkeep.”
A standard practice outside of New York City is for developers to put into their contract a clause that any fee from a resale of a building would be paid to the original developer.
“It is unfair that the vast majority of developers, investors and the hard-work-ing families who live in co-ops suffer due to the shady methods by some to ‘game the system,’” Engel said.
However, within the city, the standard
practice is for that fee to go into the oper-ating account for new or existing projects within the building.
Some real estate agents estimated the rule could have affected half of New York City’s residential stock.
Had the original proposal remained intact, it would have limited the amount of credit available to buyers due to the absence of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac acting as a security blanket for banks lending money.
“As our housing market struggles to recover from the devastating effects of the past three years, we must not add to the problems and hinder both resale prices and current living expenses,” Engel said. “I am glad the FHFA understood the critical and necessary role transfer fees play for millions of Americans who benefit from it.”
The ice-skating rink in Van Cortlandt Park will be required to undergo the same process, but it will be easier to move for-ward financially, Bender said, because a portion of that funding is private.
Koppell allocated $1 million in city funds to allow the department to begin work on the project, and Lynch remem-bers former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrionan current BP Ruben Diaz Jr. also gave funds.
Lynch said the league would under-stand if there were no money for the renovations. But the fact that money has been sitting untouched for years, all while the city continues to tell him that the work will get done, has become frustrating.
“No wonder all these kids go to Xbox and PlayStation,” Lynch said. “They don’t have a proper place to play. It’s not fair. It’s one of the reasons why it’s tough to get good ball players out of the area. If we had a beautiful field, there would be a lot more interest.”
In an interview in October, Leonore Augarten Siegal, the widow of Sid Augar-ten, was as frustrated as everyone else. “The delay, the delay, and the delay,” she said. “It’s enough. The children are the ones who are suffering here.”
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P.S. 24Students in grades 3 through 5 attended
a New York Philharmonic School Day concert on Friday, February 4, to hear the orchestra perform a piece composed by fifth-grader Nuha Dolby.
P.S. 81The parent show, “Harmony, Rhythm
and Song…For Bill,”will take place this Saturday, February 12, at 7 p.m. in the school’s William McGinn Auditorium. The event will feature the many talents of both staff and parents in the school community. Tickets will be sold at the door. Admission is $10.00 per adult, and there is no charge for children 14 years old or younger. “This is one of the best things we do as a PA!!!” said parent coordinator Nina Velazquez.
Riverdale/Kingbridge Academy
The community is invited to the school’s annual Multi-Cultural Show on Saturday, March 5, at 2 p.m. The event will feature many talented RKA student performers—dancers, sing-ers, poets and more—who represent a wide variety of cultures. Student artworks will be on display as well.
Horace Mann SchoolTo commemorate the 150th anniversary
of the Civil War, the school has constructed a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln, who, for many, is the epitome of an ef-fective political leader—a man who deeply understood the age in which he lived, led the nation through a moment of pro-found crisis and inspired many with a his uniquely American prose. While we know Lincoln primarily through the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address, this portrait presents him in a new way using the technology of pixels. If there were more pixels, the portrait would be visible first, but if there were fewer pixels, the likeness would be lost. The original image is from a Visual Art Department textbook, “Basic Design” by David A. Lauer. Each year this art class creates as many different paint-ings on 4-inch tiles as possible, and several thousand are made over the course of the project. This quantity enables students to make many design choices. In the past, tiles have been used for a crazy quilt type
of exhibit. Last year the tiles were arranged on bulletin boards throughout Tillinghast, culminating in the Upper School-wide “Wear the Square” contest.
Kinneret Day SchoolOn Thursday, February, 17, the kinder-
garten will present a play on the subject of famous Americans.
College of Mt.St. Vincent
Throughout Febru-ary, the college is cel-ebrating Black History Month. Last Thursday in Alumnae Pavilion, storyteller April Arm-strong recounted the
untold stories of the Underground Railroad and led participants in an interactive activ-ity. The documentary “Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice,” was screened. On Tuesday, Feb-ruary 15, from 12:30 to 2 p.m., commuters are invited to a special Black History Month Commuter Luncheon to discuss famous African-American leaders. Also on Tuesday, February 15, at 6 p.m., history professor Dr. Daniel Opler will discuss the historical significance of the Harlem Renaissance. Both events will be held in the Alumnae Pavilion. The celebration concludes on Wednesday, February 23, at 5 p.m. with a Black History Month Cultural Showcase and Dinner fea-turing music and a special performance in Smith Hall. All events, with the exception of the Commuter Luncheon, are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Activi-ties at 718-405-3713.
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By PAULETTE SCHNEIDERRiverdalian Johannes Felix Somary,
an educator, organist, composer and conductor devoted to the performance of little-known baroque and classical choral works, died in Manhattan due to complications following a stroke. He was 75.
Somary taught at the Horace Mann School from 1959 until his retirement in 2002. He was for many years chairman of the arts and music department there. His retirement was celebrated in an all-Mozart program performed in Alice Tully Hall by the Horace Mann Glee Club.
“The maestro,” as he liked to be called, was selected as conductor for an internationally televised prayer service at Yankee Stadium in the wake of the attacks on 9/11/2001.
He founded and directed the Amor Artis chorus and orchestra, whose first performance was in 1962. He added a chamber choir in 1980 and focused that group’s repertoire on “neglected” com-positions. They are known as well for their recordings of Handel oratorios.
Among his many compositions are “Pinocchio in Toyland,” scored for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, percussion and narrator and meant for school perfor-mances, with a text by Tony Stein. The work was commissioned by the Bronx Arts Ensemble in 2004. “Many-Colored Brooms” to a Dickinson text, a song cycle for women’s chorus, flute, viola and piano, premiered by the Horace
Mann Girls Ensemble in 1967. The Bronx Arts Ensemble has also performed his “Songs of Innocence” for voice and chamber ensemble or piano, “Three is Company” for woodwind trio and “Petite Suite Folklorique” for horn and chamber ensemble.
Prior to forming the Amor Artis, Somary collaborated in the first staged performance in the United States of the Handel oratorio “Esther” with the Amer-ican Concert Choir in Town Hall.
Somary served in the 1960s and ‘70s as choirmaster and organist at the Church of Our Savior in Manhat-tan and from 2001 to 2004 as music director at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He also conducted the Fairfield County Chorale in Connecticut, the Great Neck Choral Society on Long Island and the Taghkanic Chorale in Westchester.
Somary was born in Zurich in 1935 and arrived with his family in Wash-ington, D.C., at the age of 5. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in music from Yale.
“Consider teaching a career, not a stepping stone,” Somary said just priot to his retirement from Horace Mann.
He is survived by his wife, Anne; his sons Stephen, of Manhattan and Geoffrey, of Arlington Heights, Illinois; his daughter, Karen Somary Healy, of Hastings-on-Hudson; his brother, Wolfgang, of Zurich; his sister, Maria Twaalfhoven, of the Netherlands; and seven grandchildren.
Johannes Somary, dies at 75, was former Horace Mann music chair
Maestro Johannes Somary was chosen to lead the choir at the memorial service at Yankee Stadium shortly after the slaughter at the World Trade Center in 2001.
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RCC offers children's sports & art classes
Two new 10-week art classes for chil-dren, ages 7-12, are being offered at the Riverdale Community Center, beginning Saturday, March 5th. TENNIS FOR BEGIN-NERS & INTERMEDIATES - Great opportu-nity for individuals to learn how to play the game of tennis and enjoy a life-long sport. Everyone will get a chance to practice forehands, backhands, volleys, overheads and serves. Also, you will learn about court-positioning, racquet grips, correct stances, movement on the court and much more. GYMNASTICS for children - Beginners' level simple gymnastics movements such as balancing, forward rolls, tumbling, etc. BASKETBALL - Students will challenge each other on the court while learning basic rules and regulations of the game. Improve shooting & passing.
'Crafts for Kids' will teach young art-ists new skills and art techniques while they create unique picture frames, flower arrangements, puzzles, t-shirts and more. Students will create a new project each week. 'Jewelry Making' will teach students how to create their own beautiful brace-lets, rings, necklaces and earrings using beads, pearls and other artistic materials. Classes meet either 9:00-10:30 or 10:30-12 Noon. Fee for classes is $165 plus $15 registration fee.
The center also offers guitar, piano, cooking for kids, Aerobics for Kids, Mod-
ern Hip Hop Dance, Knitting for kids, as well as a number of academic classes for children needing a little extra help in Math or English. Call the Center's office at 718-796-4724 for more information, or visit our website: www.riverdalecom-munitycenter.org
Riv. Y camps are open for Summer '11 Registration
Warmth, energy, love and fun are the emotions that can be felt as campers, staff and families experience at the Y. Children enjoy the vibrancy of a community center atmosphere, coupled with the intimacy of caring, professional staff and dedicated space, indoor and outdoor activities. See our huge selection of camp offerings at [email protected]
• Early Childhood Camps- Ari Rina, Dor Chadash and Camp K'Tanim ,ages 2.5- 5years
• Camp Kehilla @ 92nd Street Y for children in K- 6th grade
• Broadway on the Hudson Performing Arts Camp for children ages 6- 14
• Specialty Camps- including Photog-raphy, New in Riverdale-Sports Camp , Young Artists week, and Soccer and sports end-of-the-summer camp for children ages 6- 14
• Travel Adventures for grades 7-10th grade
• Teen Travel Camp for grades 7-10th grade
More details about our camps at [email protected]. The Y is offering a huge discount if you pre register by February 28, 2011. Each child can save up to $250 off the regular fees. For more details go to www.riverdaley.org or call the Riverdale Y at 718.548.8200 ext 200. The Riverdale YM-YWHA is located at 5625 Arlington Avenue.
Flea market at St. John’s School
St. John's Church will host a flea mar-ket on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will be held at Old St. John's School, located at 3030 Godwin Terrace in the Bronx.
Clothes, jewelry, accessories and bric-a-brac will be sold at bargain prices. Free parking will also be available so get there early to snare yourself a great find.
For more information, call 718-543-3003.
Riv. Temple is adopting 50 soldiers for Purim
Riverdale Temple has announced a community wide, intergenerational Purim Project. The congregation will be sending Shalach Manot to our Jewish soldiers serv-ing in Iraq, and Afghanistan. The temple will be purchasing specific items that the Army Chaplain requested be sent. The cost of each package is $40 which includes packaging and postage. In addition we will be collecting DVD's and magazines to
be included in the packages. Used DVD's and magazines are ok, but they must be recent. A bin will be provided outside the sanctuary for this purpose.
If you are able, please send check by February 23 to Riverdale Temple 4545 Independence Ave Bronx, NY 10471 put soldiers in the memo line or pay with credit card on temple web site www.riverdaletemple.org
Riverdale Soccer Club accepting registration
The Riverdale Soccer Club is now ac-cepting registrations by mail only for the spring 2011 season. There will be two programs this spring, both taking place on Saturdays in Van Cortlandt Park, and running from early April to mid-June. The Peewee Instructional Program, the Club's introductory program, is open to all boys and girls born in 2003 and 2004. The Riverdale Soccer League Girls Division is open to girls born between 1996 and 2002. There is no boys program in the spring; the league's boys division plays only in the fall season.
The fee for either program is $65 per player, which includes the player's uni-form. You can print out a registration form at www.riverdalesoccerclub.org/registration.pdf, or by calling 718-601-8639 to request a form be mailed to you. Registrations will be accepted through February 28. After that, acceptance is subject to space availability.
RNH offers paid internship programs
Riverdale Neighborhood House is of-fering paid internship programs for teens ages 14-18.
Are you interested in exploring career fields and want to improve your job-readiness skills, build your resume, earn money while learning new information, and develop professional contracts?
RNH offers internship opportunities in the following areas: Insurance Internship, Administrative Internship, Education In-ternship, Health Internship, Community Board No. 8 Internship, Cosmetology Internship, NYC Public Library Youth Leadership Internship.
Application deadline is February 18. For applications, contact Karina Collado at 718-549-8100 ext. 112. Download an application at www.riverdaleonline.org.
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Uptown Coffeehouse features Anne Hills
The Uptown Coffeehouse will be presenting singer/songwriter Anne Hills on Sunday, February 13, 5 p.m., at The Uptown Coffeehouse, 4450 Fieldston Road. Admission is $15. Bronx Cultural Cards are accepted. Bringing you the best traditional and contemporary singer songwriters.
Anne Hills has built a reputation of merit as a singer, actress, writer and musi-cian. She has recorded 23 albums and her songs cover topics ranging from diversity, individuality, love, loss and resilience in a changing world.
For more information, call 718-885-2955 or log on to www.uptowncoffee-house.org.
Annual jazz festival at Christ Church Riverdale
Singer/songwriter Tina Shafer and the Pete Robbins Quartet will appear at the Annual Jazz Festival at Christ Church Riverdale on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Tina Shafer has written music for Celine Dion, Sheena Easton, Billy Porter and nu-merous others. She studied composition at The Cleveland Institute of Music, vocal and composition at the Mannes College of Music and attended the Metropolitan Workshop in voice at Juilliard. Her many talents are but accouterments to her voice.
She is a stylist and often accompanies herself on the acoustic guitar.
Pete Robbins has put together a fabu-lous Quartet: John Escreet, piano; Eivind Opsvik, bass; and Colin Stranahan, drums. Robbins, an alto saxophonist and clarinet-ist is himself a composer and has many albums which have been listed as 'top 10 jazz releases.'
The Jazz Festival is a part of The Great Music at Christ Church Riverdale Series now in its 24th year. David Ralph, In-terim Director of Music, is responsible for selecting the artists. Lauren Scott is the Chair of the Music Committee which organizes the concert series. The Series presents both secular and religious music for enjoyment by Riverdalians and the greater Bronx community. It acts independently of the Church and is funded, in part, by grants, donations and ticket sales.
For more information, call 718-543-1011 or visit www.christchurchriverdale.org.
RCT announces auditions for spring productions
Riverdale Children's Theatre will be holding auditions for their spring produc-tions, on Thursday, Feb. 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 13 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Riverdale Senior Center/The Century Building, 2600 Netherland Avenue.
This spring RCT will be casting two shows. A special pilot production of
Disney's Little Mermaid Jr., which will rehearse 2 to 3 times per week with performances at the end of May; and Disney's 101 Dalmatians, which will meet once a week with a production in mid-June.
Prepare a short musical theatre selec-tion and be prepared to learn a simple dance combination. Especially looking for children with dance training and experience using wheelies, but all levels of experience are welcome. Auditions are open to all children in 2nd to 7th grade. For more information, go to RCT's website at www.riverdaletheatre.org.
Riverdale Children's Theatre brings together children from various religious and cultural backgrounds to learn about themselves, each other and the joy of performing. By participating in a fu ll scale theatrical production, children learn the basic elements of theatre, music and dance, while pushing their own creative and physical boundaries.
Riverdale AARP Chapter to meet
The Riverdale Chapter 1546 AARP will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church at 4765 Henry Hudson Parkway West.
Dreirdre Donovan and her piano ac-companist, Eugene Papay, will perform love songs to celebrate Valentine's Day. both have appeared to a captive audience of AARP many times.
The community is invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. For more information call Manfred Segal at 718-549-0088.
'Scout Sabbath' to be held at Riv. Temple
On Saturday, February 12th, come join Boy Scout Troop 240 as they celebrate "Scout Sabbath" at Riverdale Temple, 4545 Independence Avenue, Riverdale, NY 10471 promptly at 10:30 AM. Scout Sabbath is a unique experience for scouts, former scouts, leaders, parents, Riverdale Temple congregants, and congregants from other institutions, friends, relatives and neighbors.
Join us in a service that involves us in stories of the Hebrew Bible and their impact on life today especially as they relate to leadership, peace and human-ity. Scouting recognizes and respects all denominations and this participatory service led by Rabbi Judith Lewis and Cantor Aviva Kolet promises to be an enjoyable and enlightening experience for all.
A special memorial tribute will be made for Joseph Acquefredda, beloved Scoutmaster of the troop for many years, who left behind a legacy of caring, nurturing and pointing young boys in the right direction toward a fulfilling, helpful, courteous, prepared and kind adulthood . Please join us on Saturday, February 12th.
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Thursday, February 10Spuyten DuyvilTODDLER STORY TIME10:30 a.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
Toddlers from 18 months to 3 years old and their par-ents/caregivers can enjoy interactive stories, action songs, and fingerplays, and spend time with other toddlers in the neighborhood. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
Spuyten DuyvilARTS & CRAFTS3:30 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
Hands-on projects using a variety of skills. "Make a Valentine's Day Card or Craft." Pre-Registration is required to attend the program. Space will be limited to 20 children. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
RiverdaleTEEN CAFÉ4 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540 Mosholu Avenue
Come hang out with your friends in a cool, casual envi-ronment. Bring snacks to enjoy while you listen to the radio & chat with your friends. Use laptops to do your homework, watch videos, play games, & more! For more information, call 718-549-1212.
Friday, February 11Van CortlandtHEALTH LECTURE11 a.m. Van Cortlandt Senior Center3880 Sedgwick Avenue
Lawrence Hospital will present a lecture on Joint Pain and Arthritis. For more information, call 718-549-4700.
RiverdaleFUN FRIDAYS3:30 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540 Mosholu Avenue
Wii and Board games of all types and all skill levels. For more information, call 718-549-1212.
Spuyten DuyvilPOLAR OPPOSITES3:30 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
Antarctica and the Arctic Circle are two sides of the world that look and feel the same. However, very different types of animals call these icy lands home. Children explore the similarities and differences through two shows, “Polar Bear and the Beat” and “A Penguin State of Mind.” Presented by the Central Park Zoo Wildlife Theatre Company. For ages 4 to 8. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
KingsbridgeTEEN ADVISORY GROUP4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library280 West 231st Street
TAG meetings will be held on Friday afternoons downstairs in the Reading Room. If you are a 7th -12th grade student, you are eligible to join. For more information, call 718-548-5656.
Saturday, February 12RiverdaleCLASSIC FILM SCREENING6:30 p.m. Riverdale YM-YWHA5625 Arlington Avenue
Dinner at 6:30 p.m., film showing at 7:15 p.m. featuring the movie ‘On the Town’ (1949). Tickets (including dinner) are $10/$8 seniors and students. For more information, call 718-548-8200, ext. 214.
RiverdaleJAZZ FESTIVAL19:30:00 Christ Church Riverdale5030 Henry Hudson Parkway
Singer/songwriter Tina Shafer and the Pete Robbins Quartet will appear at the Annual Jazz Festival at Christ Church. For more info, call 718-543-1011 or visit www.christchurchriverdale.org.
Sunday, February 13RiverdaleCONCERT5 p.m. Uptown Coffeehouse4450 Fieldston Road
Featuring singer/songwriter Anne Hills. Admission is $15. Bronx Cultural Cards are accepted. For more information, call 718-885-2955.
Monday, February 14Spuyten DuyvilKNITTING AND CROCHET11 a.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
A get together for knitters & crocheters at all skill levels to work on a current project, learn new techniques, or even to begin a new craft. A small supply of needles & yarn is available for beginners. All participants are encouraged to bring their own supplies. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
Van CortlandtLECTURE11:30 a.m. Van Cortlandt Senior Center3880 Sedgwick Avenue
A lecture on 'Ways of Saving Energy and Money' by Wilson Martinez of Beam NY. Topics to be covered include Vampire voltage, CFO light bulbs and appliances. For more information, call 718-549-4700.
KingsbridgeVALENTINE'S CRAFTS4 p.m. Kingsbridge Branch Library280 West 231st Street
"Valentine's Day Crafts" Monday, February 14, 2011@4:00, Kingsbridge Library. For more information, call 718-548-5656.
Spuyten DuyvilREADING ALOUD4 p.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
A librarian will share favorite picture books, providing children with the wonder of books and the joy of reading. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
Tuesday, February 15Spuyten DuyvilBABY STORY TIME11 a.m. Spuyten Duyvil Branch Library650 W. 235th Street
Babies from birth to 18 months old and their parents/care-givers can enjoy great books, lively songs, and rhymes, and meet other babies in the neighborhood. For more information, call 718-796-1202.
Wednesday, February 16RiverdaleSTORYTELLING10:30 a.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540 Mosholu Avenue
Tales for the Teeny Tiny. Stories told by Getchie Argetsinger. Recommended for ages 3 to 5 years old. For more information, call 718-549-1212.
RiverdaleBRANDEIS GROUP MEETING12:30 p.m. Riverdale TempleWest 246th St. & Independence Ave.
The Brandeis group will meet. The program will be a delightful musical presentation by Sheri Wagner, whose voice and swingin' guitar will blend "Jazz and Blues Spanning 80 Years of American Standards and Swing."
RiverdaleAARP MEETING12:30 p.m. Riverdale Presbyterian Church4765 Henry Hudson Parkway
Meeting of the Riverdale Chapter 1546 of AARP. Entertain-ment by singer Deirdre Donovan and pianist Eugene Papay. The community is invited. For more information, contact Manfred Segal at 718-549-0088.
RiverdaleCHESS4 p.m. Riverdale Branch Library5540 Mosholu Avenue
Learn to play chess and develop your skills with other players in an informal setting. For more information, call 718-549-1212.
Van CortlandtPRINTS FROM THE SUN4 p.m. Van Cortlandt Branch Library3874 Sedgwick Avenue
Discover the art of the cyanotype! Experiment with everyday objects to create your own artwork and fonts on light sensitive paper. Afterwards, curate your own digital show using cool new technologies. All materials provided. For more information, call 718-543-5150.
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By MIAWLING LAM Thousands of buildings in Riverdale
could soon be forced to burn cleaner – but more expensive heating oil under a pro-posal to improve the city’s air quality.
According to the changes, flagged by Mayor Michael Bloomberg late last month, the city will ban the dirtiest and cheapest types of heating oil currently used in around 10,000 buildings.
The heating oils, commonly referred to as No. 6 and No. 4, have a high sulfur content and emit up to 15 times more soot pollution than the more commonly used No. 2 variety.
According to the timetabled rollout, both of the oils will be phased out by 2015, and by 2030, all buildings will have to burn the low-sulfur No. 2 oil or convert to natural gas.
While environmental advocates praised the move, those in the real estate industry were quick to point out the financial penalties.
The Real Estate Board of New York said while it supports the idea of reducing air pollution, the new rules could be “seri-ously damaging to New Yorkers in this economic climate.”
According to conservative estimates, buildings will be forced to fork over $10,000 to make their boilers compliant with the regulations.
Association of Riverdale Cooperatives and Condominiums President Stephen J. Budihas agreed with the figure and said the conver-sion process would be a costly exercise.
“If we convert away from No. 6, the building will have to incur a very large expense,” he said.
“The cost to covert boiler infrastructure will be in the many thousands, possibly
tens of thousands, and it’ll be entirely absorbed by existing shareholders.”
As a result, he urged authorities to provide government support to assist in the transition process.
“We all know the fuel right now is very expensive, and when we convert, it will be far more expensive,” he said.
“If the city is imposing this rule, the city should provide support to building owners so these conversions can be made efficiently.”
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said the changes, and sub-sequent improvement in air quality, could prevent 200 deaths, 100 hospitalizations and 300 emergency room visits each year.
Research has show that breathing air polluted by dirty fuel oils can irritate lungs, worsen asthma conditions and increase the risk of heart attack and premature death.
“Reducing high-pollutant fuel oil use across New York City will have an enormous health benefit for all New Yorkers, perhaps second only to our achievements in reduc-ing the city’s smoking rates,” he said.
Environmental Defense Fund New York Regional Director Andrew H. Darrell also said the changes, coupled with the measures adopted by the state last year, would make a real difference.
“By switching to cleaner fuels, New York City will prove that a mega-city can grow and clean the air at the same time.”
The regulations come in the wake of similar clean air standards enacted by the state and city last year.
Bloomberg’s planned regulations are currently subject to a 30-day comment period and will conclude with a public hearing on February 28 in Flushing.
Fuel rule could impact co-ops
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scholarship awards committee and calls on Reidy to retire.
“A purpose of this website is to provide a forum for those who are supportive of the Bronx High School of Science, its faculty and its students, but who also believe that the best interests of the school would be served by the retirement of Ms. Valerie Reidy as principal,” it states.
For many, the seeds of discontent were sowed in 2008, when 20 of the 22 teachers in the math department filed a complaint against Assistant Principal Rosemarie Ja-hoda, alleging repeated harassment.
The group accused Jahoda of criticizing them in front of students, singling out and intimidating new math teachers and even calling one of them “disgusting” at a staff meeting.
An independent arbitrator investigated the claims and sustained the allegations in an official report last year.
However, the DOE rejected the find-ings and said the report did not portray an “accurate, fair and complete picture of the relevant events.”
According to the school’s official website, Jahoda is still employed by the school.
Meanwhile, more than 20 colleagues rallied around the school’s former UFT chapter leader and attended a fundraising event at the Bronx Alehouse last Friday.
The party, the first of two this month, was designed to raise funds for Peter Lamphere’s ongoing lawsuit to reverse his “unsatisfactory” teaching rating.
Lamphere received the unsatisfactory rating — a blemish widely believed to be given in retaliation for his role as union representative—in the 2007-08 school
year, and has been battling to reverse it ever since.
Oral arguments before a judge were scheduled to begin this Wednesday.
Lamphere, who now works at a high school in Queens, declined to comment on the current situation but said last year’s findings were telling.
“After spending eight full days listening to evidence, the neutral arbitrator Carol Wit-tenberg determined that there was harass-ment of all 20 math teachers,” he said.
“I think that speaks volumes about the work environment. The situation was characteristic of a number of different departments at Bronx Science.”
Lamphere said the upcoming case would provoke serious questions about the integrity of teacher ratings.
“At a time when the city is talking about laying people off based on merit, I think this case raises important questions about how the DOE determines merit of teachers,” he said.
Continued from Page 1
Ballroom and belly dance classes at RCC
The Riverdale Community Center at the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (M.S./H.S. 141) will offer Ballroom Dance and Belly Dancing Classes on Tuesday evenings this spring beginning on March 1st . Ballroom Dance for beginners will be held from 7:00 -8:00 PM. For the more advanced students, join us from 8:00 - 9:00 PM for a potpourri of ballroom dancing styles. Partners only (singles admitted with audition). Fees are modest. To reg-ister for any of these dance classes, or for more information, contact the Center at 718-796-4724 or visit our website at www.riverdalecommunitycenter.org.
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Young composer is a hitContinued from Page 2now has 25 participants, employs a Suzuki-like method imported from Venezuela known as “El Sistema”—Deak’s “nomina-tion for the world’s best system of music education.” Students learn to create before learning the formal techniques, which they acquire as needed.
“So far we’ve had great success in allow-ing the creativity to come first and then the child literally grasps for the techniques in order to express the ideas,” Deak said. “Once they’re empowered, they realize, ‘hey, I can do that.’ And they say, ‘wait a minute—just how low does the clarinet go?’ or ‘how do you notate that fluttery sound in the flute’ or ‘how many strings can a violin play at once?’ So all the knowl-edge is stemming from the child’s needs rather than from the adult’s needs.”
The idea is for music to become a normal activity for kids, just like join-ing a baseball team or like painting and drawing.
This is in keeping with Blachly’s view that “any child can write music.” He ob-served that Dolby does have a “creative personality” but that she does not take the act of composing too seriously.
“It was something that was very fun
to her,” he said. When he took her and her father, Julian Dolby, to hear Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 “as a way to give her a sense of the full orchestra and have a sense of whom she was going to write for,” she seemed “completely unfazed by what we would consider a daunting task—to write a piece for the New York Philharmonic.”
For this world premier, Dolby wore a bright green silk “salwar kameez” and “orna” ensemble—a tunic over pants with a slim scarf. She chose traditional South Asian garb because she identifies strongly with her Bangladeshi roots. According to her mom, Samia Dolby, a native of Bangladesh, Nuha prepared for a recent family visit there by collecting $1,392 worth of bottles and cans and donating the proceeds to an orphanage.
While Dad ushered her to the Green Room after the performance for an inter-viewed with WABC’s Eyewitness News, Mom remained in the audience with her three-year-old sister, Zara, and with fam-ily members who flew to New York from Bangladesh and Minnesota.
“The concert was extremely special because my whole school was there,” she told the reporter.
By PAULETTE SCHNEIDERThose skilled actors in the Riverdale Y’s
Rising Stars Junior managed to generate audience tears as well as smiles in their production of “Honk! Jr.,” the simple classic tale of “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen in the form of a warm and fuzzy musical adapted for
Nothing ugly about Honk! now playing at the Riverdale Yperformance by youngsters.
The 41 cast members, ranging in age from seven to 12, were divided into two separate groups, each taking on three performances. “I rehearsed with them together for several of the numbers and the dances, and then we divided up as we
got closer to performances,” said director Laurie Walton.
New members make up almost 70 percent of the troupe, Walton estimated. Many had never been on stage before, but the ensemble work was truly cohesive. No fewer than five pairs of siblings—ap-parently pairs who get along well—took part in these performances.
Clever costumes, elegant props like the “water’s edge” and the blanket of snow, a few weather-related special effects and an elegant way to depict hatching eggs all added to the fun.
On Sunday night, Zoe Wilson, a third-grader at St. Gabriel’s, was brilliant in portraying innocence and evoking sym-pathy as Ugly, who is maligned by her nestmates and duped by a slick cat before getting kind assistance and solidarity from fellow avians and encouragement from a self-effacing frog.
Jenna Barricklo, a sixth-grader at Pro-fessional Performing Arts School where she majors in musical theater, displayed her Broadway flair as Ida, the devoted and compassionate mother duck in search of her lost chick. Her strong voice came through in “Every Tear a Mother Cries.”
Her brother, Jonah Barricklo, a fourth-grader at P.S. 212, was hilarious as the Bullfrog who suggests to our Ugly Duck-ling that appearance is all relative.
Colin D. Thoman, a third-grader at P.S. 24, was chastened as Drake, the father duck who steps up to the plate and plays the role of a single dad, even wearing an apron during his rendition of “The Joy of Motherhood.”
Renee Metzger, a third-grader at SAR, was compelling as Penny, the swan who
issues the telltale honk that reveals’s Ugly’s lineage.
Yehuda Dov Reiss, a fifth-grader at SAR, was shrewd yet mildly compassionate as the Cat whom all birds are taught to avoid but who seems too comical to earn his fearsome reputation.
The book and lyrics for Honk! Jr. are by Anthony Drewe with music by George Stiles. Remy Kurs was musical director under the supervision of Bob Walton. Emily Walton was choreographer, Penny Margeotes was costume designer and Eric Zoback was set designer. Ben Becher and Gregory Kanter are the Riverdale Y’s theater managers.
At their final show on Sunday night, the children’s spontaneous cheers as they presented bouquets to the production staff were an unrehearsed tribute to the success of this theater program.
Disney’s “Aladdin” is next for the Riverdale Rising Stars Junior. Audi-tions—open to children seven to 11 years old—will be held at the Y this Sunday, February 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, February 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Laurie Walton at 718-548-8200, extension 208, or [email protected].
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Thursday, February 10YonkersVALENTINE'S CRAFTS3:30 p.m. Riverfront LibraryOne Larkin Center
A special craft program for children ages 7 through 12. The children will be making Valentine cards. For more information, call 914-337-1500 ext. 427.
Friday, February 11ValhallaPHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION8 p.m. Westchester Community CollegeTech. Building Auditorium
Westchester Photographic Society presents members' competition. Members compete in digital, black and white, and color and B&W prints. For more information, call 914-271-5542.
Saturday, February 12Dobbs FerryGENEALOGY MEETING10 a.m. Aldersgate Methodist Church600 Broadway
The Westchester County Genealogical Society welcomes Tony Lauriano with a talk on 'Navigating Key Genealogy Web-sites.' There will be refreshments and genealogical networking starting at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call Philomena Dunn at 914-953-9173.
Cross RiverVALENTINE'S CRAFTS11 a.m. Trailside Nature MuseumWard Pound Ridge Reservation
Mother Nature will provide some of the materials we need to make personalized gifts for loved ones. Recommended for ages 4 through 12. For more information, call 914-864-7322.
North White PlainsVALENTINE NATURE CRAFTS1 p.m. Cranberry Lake PreserveOld Orchard Street
Be loving and cheap at the same time by making gifts using supplies that nature provides. For more information, call 914-428-1005.
RyeVOLUNTEER WORK1 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute 1
Help maintain Marshland's natural and historical beauty. Please bring work gloves. Hand tools provided. For more information, call 914-835-4466.
Sunday, February 13White PlainsINDOOR FARMERS MARKET10 a.m. Westchester County Center198 Central Avenue
Fresh produce, baked goods, soap, cheese, maple syrup. honey, jams, meat, wine and dairy products. For more informa-tion, call 914-995-4050.
Croton-on-HudsonMALFA OPEN HOUSE10 a.m. Croton Point Nature CenterCroton Point Avenue
Learn about the archaeology of the area with MALFA, our local archaelogical organization. For more information, call 914-862-5297.
Mt. KiscoHISTORIC MANSION TOUR1 p.m. Merestead455 Byram Lake Road
Step back in time to the early 20th century. Learn how an elegant Georgian-style mansion influenced decorating an furnishing trends across America. For more information, call 914-864-7039.
ScarsdaleLECTURE ON PETS2 p.m. Greenburgh Nature Center99 Dromore Road
Join Brittany Burgio, Asst. Curator of Living Collections, for
a fun, informative talk on popular pets. Before you decide on that potential pet, learn how long they live, what they eat and how to care for them properly. Stay and meet some of the animals from their collection, while Brittany answers the questions you have wanted to ask. Ages 8 and up. Included with Museum admission. For more information, call 914-723-3470.
SomersHOUSEPLANT MULTIPLICATION2 p.m. Lasdon Park & ArboretumRoute 35
Houseplants are resonding to the increase in day light. Now that the indoor plants are beginning active growth, come and explore the different techniques you can use to multiply your plants. For more information, call (914) 864-7263.
Friday, February 18ValhallaPHOTOGRAPHY PRESENTATION8 p.m. Westchester Community CollegeTech. Building Auditorium
Westchester Photographic Society presents Bill McBridde on "Photographic North America's Railroads." For more infor-mation, call 914-271-5542.
Saturday, February 19Croton-on-HudsonROAD WORK10 a.m. Croton Point Nature CenterCroton Point Avenue
Walk the park learning the roads and watch for eagles on the Hudson. For more information 914-862-5297.
Cross RiverSUGARHOUSE CHAT12 p.m. Trailside Nature MuseumWard Pound Ridge Reservation
Stop by the sugarhouse anytime between noon and 2 p.m. for an informal chat with the museum staff as we turn sap into maple syrup. For more information, call 914-864-7322.
North White PlainsNATURE STORY TIME1 p.m. Cranberry Lake PreserveOld Orchard Street
We have a library of great storybooks in the nature lodge that we would love to share with you and your children. Staff choices may include The Giving Tree, Gutterfish and more. For more information, call 914-428-1005.
RyeEVENING WOODCOCK WALK5:30 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute 1
Marshlands Conservancy has the ideal habitat in which to hear and witness the fascinating courtship display of the "Tim-berdoodle" or American Woodcock. Please bring binoculars if you have them. For more information, 914-835-4466.
Sunday, February 20ScarsdaleWINTER WALK2 p.m. Greenburgh Nature Center99 Dromore Road
Come celebrate winter with a nature walkk with naturalist john Mancuso and see what's happening in the GNC's forest. Hot chocolate served afterwards. Members, free. Nonmembers, $6 per person. For more information, call 914-723-3470.
SomersSTARTING GARDEN SEEDS2 p.m. Lasdon Park & ArboretumRoute 35
Lasdon's horticulturist will talk about the timing and tech-niques for starting seeds of annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs to ensure healthy transplants for the garden. Participants will take home seeds that they will plant during the workshop. For more information, call 914-864-7263.
RyeTWILIGHT JOURNEY5:30 p.m. Marshlands ConservancyRoute 1
It's a crepuscular travel log into the natural world that is preparing for nighttime. Please dress for the weather. For more information, call 914-835-4466.
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Riv. Rising Stars announce auditions
The award winning Riverdale Rising Stars announce auditions for their upcom-ing Spring production of 'Aladdin.' Open to children ages 7 to 11.
All auditions will be held at the River-dale Y, 5625 Arlington Avenue. Audition dates are Sunday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 14, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Direct any questions to Laurie Walton at [email protected] or telephone 718-548-8200 ext. 208. More information can be found on their website: www.RiverdaleY.org.
In-person registrations for RCC fall 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 Educa-tion semester, which will begin Tuesday, March 1st and Saturday, March 5th Courses in everything from the Arts and Computers (Digital Photography, Expressive Painting, Piano, Guitar, Computers - PC and MAC) to Exercise and Health (Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, Yoga, Zumba) to Languages and Leisure Ac-tivities are being offered. Also on the roster are seminars and workshops in a wide range of subjects, including sugar blues, conquer-ing your cravings, financial topics.
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, Ten-nis, Piano, Guitar, Crafts for Kids, Jewelry Making and much more. Remedial read-ing, math skills and test preparation classes are also available for children and teens.
In-person registration is scheduled for Tuesday evening, Feb. 15th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Saturday morning, Feb. 19th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12 Noon, and Wednesday after-noon, Feb. 23rd, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. To register over the phone with Visa, MasterCard or AMEX, or to request a free brochure, call the Center at 718-796-4724 or visit our website at www.riverdalecommunitycenter.org
RSS celebrates Valentine's Day and more
RSS located at 2600 Netherland Av-enue, in the Century Building, has some exciting events coming up in February.
Tuesday, February 15th the Center will celebrate Valentine's Day with a special luncheon followed by a performance of skits and monologues by its Drama Group under the tutelage of Ellen Flaks. Prior registration is required.
The foreign film festival this month will screen the Italian film, I Am Love on
Wednesday, February 16th at 4 p.m.Ita Aber, a fiber artist, will be exhibiting
her work at the Center during the month of February. Ms. Aber has pieces in private collections as well as museums all over the country. On February 17th at 1 p.m. join her in the lounge for a meet and greet with a discussion of her art work.
February birthdays will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 22nd at 1 p.m. with the music of pianist Isaac ben Ayala in a tribute to Nat King Cole and more. Mr. Ayala has performed throughout the world with the likes of Quincy Jones, Ray Charles and Wynton Marsalis.
RSS has limited openings in its Acrylic Class Monday mornings from 10 -12, with Dmitriy Moshkovich. Call the center to register.
The Monday afternoon Duplicate Bridge Tournaments are continuing at RSS and are looking for additional players. Contact the Center for more information.
RSS is funded in part by the NYC Depart-ment for the Aging and is open Monday - Friday from 9 - 5. A wide variety of activities and a hot lunch are offered daily. For more information call Sandy at 718-884-5900
Washington's troops on the hill
In honor of President's Day, come explore Van Cortlandt park as we learn about the Founding Fathers' exploits in
the historic Bronx.Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center
(Enter the park at W. 246th St. and Broadway) on Sunday, February 20, 2011, 1 p.m.
Public transportation: Take the 1 train to the 242nd Street. Walk north on Broad-way. Enter the park at W.246th Street and follow the signs to the center. Take the Bx9 bus to the 242nd Street. Walk north on Broadway. Enter the park at W.246th Street and follow the signs to the center.
For more information please visit www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers or call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.
Seniors celebrate Valentine's Day
The Simon Senior Center of the River-dale Y and the Hyatt Classic Residence in Yonkers will co-sponsor a chocolate mak-ing and design workshop at the Riverdale Y on Monday February 14th at 1pm. The Riverdale Y is located at 5625 Arlington Ave. The workshop will be led by Beryl Brenner, a nationally renown artist and art therapist who will also present a lecture on the history and benefits of chocolate. The cost of this workshop is $3 for Simon Senior Center members and $5 for non members. Space is very limited so early reservations are strongly recommended. For further details and registration please contact Toby at 718-548-8200x223 or Linda at 230.
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JOEL PAL CECILIA McNALLY Production Manager Office Manager
ROBERT NILVA MIAWLING LAM Marketing Director Associate Editor Note our New Address:
5752 Fieldston RoadBronx, New York 10471
(718) 543-5200FAX: (718) 543-4206
STAFF: Robert Lebowitz, Brendan McHugh, Richard Reay, Paulette Schneider, Lloyd Ultan, Daniel R. Wolf
ANDREW WOLF, Editor and Publisher
To The Editor:I’d like to comment on the
death of Guy J. Velella.I knew Guy Velella very well
having grown up on the streets of East Harlem with him. Guy’s father, the late Vincent Velella, ran the Triboro Republican Club on East 116th Street.
Guy was Grand Knight of St. Luke’s Council, Knights of Columbus, from 1969 to 1971. Guy was elected Assemblyman from 1972 to 1982 and was State Senator from 1986 to 2004. As a politician, Guy never hesitated to help those in need of his as-sistance. I had to call on Guy Velella’s help on an occasion or two when I was in trouble. He helped me out tremendously and made my problems disappear like magic. Guy was an inspirational leader of his community and no doubt that now that he is gone, he will surely be missed.
Guy Velella is survived by his wife, Patricia, two married
sisters, and several children and grandchildren. Guy Velella may be gone, but he will certainly not
be forgotten. May Guy’s legacy live on forever.
Al Agovino, Jr.
Sen. Guy Velella: My kind of guy
To The Editor:It is surprising that CB 8
Transportation Committee ap-pears to be intensely focused on the SAR traffic problems and has not considered or addressed the dangerous double parking that occurs on both sides of Riverdale Avenue at dismissal time from
P.S. 81. Traffic is clogged, parents and kids are crossing the street in the middle of traffic (not at the crosswalk) and legal parkers are literally stuck until the double parkers have relieved their kids.
The situation appears to be an accident waiting to happen.
Carol Oxman
P.S. 81 double parkers
Representatives of the Social Security Administration will be at Congressman Eliot Engel's Bronx office on Wednesday, February 23rd to help constituents with any questions and/or issues they may have concerning Social Security.
The service, at the Congress-
man's 3655 Johnson Avenue of-fice, is available by appointment, which may be made by calling the Congressman's office at 718-796-9700.
Rep. Engel said, 'Social Security representatives have been coming to my office for many years and have helped hundreds of people. These appointments get answers for people and help them navigate the system in the convenience of their neighborhood.'
The Congressman also said that the Social Security website (www.ssa.gov) offers an array of on-line services including filing for retirement, survivors and disability benefits, change of address, replacing lost Medicare cards, and keeping up to date on Social Security matters.
Social Security reps at Engel’s office
Skating on Thin IceAll over the city, local communities are rebelling over plans to
place bicycle lanes in their streets. In a city where a diner owner can’t put a table in front of his or her establishment without a public hearing, it is amazing just how so much can be done by hizzoner, King Mike, without so much as a murmur of public participation.
Bicycle lanes? Has anyone bothered to ask the public whether they want them? Or the beleaguered merchants, forced into silence as their most valuable business resource – parking – is taken from them. Our friend, Richard Lipsky of the Neighborhood Retail Alliance, commenting on attempts by Manhattan officials to “compromise” on the placement of the lanes says, “Blah, blah. This is all way too complicated-and the real breakthrough would be breaking through the concrete barriers and selling them for scrap. Put simply, the lanes don’t belong, and the measures are purely palliative-an example of crackpot realism that leaves the underlying irrationality of the policy unchallenged. We’re with Nancy Reagan on this – follow her example and, ‘Just say no!’”
Now we may be wrong about bike lanes, and we may be right. In Bloomberg’s benevolent dictatorship it doesn’t matter. King Mike has issued his decree from his Bermuda Palace, and his local lackey, the anti-Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, is creating new bike lanes at the rate of 50 miles a year. So vocal is the opposition that it includes Ms. Sadik-Khan’s predecessor, Iris Weinshall (Mrs. Chuck Schumer), who is fighting the Bloomberg imposed bikeway in her Prospect Park neighborhood. So far the bike lanes to nowhere keep getting built.
But bike lanes aren’t the only place where democracy takes a back seat in Bermuda Mike’s New York.
Last week’s meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy to decide the fate of some 22 about-to-be-closed schools can best be described as the ultimate “Kangaroo Court.” Two thousand angry parents, students and community residents came to influence the meeting, hundreds testifying.
Things turned ugly. Ultimately those attending realized that they were wasting their time. There is no public influence over the no-longer-public school system.
If the attendees were less than respectful to the hapless “Chan-cellor” Cathie Black, it was a result of the lack of respect that the system has for them. Everyone there knew that the fix was in, that there would be no deliberation or consideration for their point of view. The meeting, held over two nights, might as well have been a meeting of the Politburo in Stalin’s Russia.
When the legislature was considering changes to the mayoral control law, they sold the public short, and the mayor has taken full advantage of their weakness. You can’t give an inch to Michael Bloomberg. As any dictator would do, he takes full advantage of the weakness of the law and the fecklessness of the legislators.
So that brings us to the latest Bloomberg project to be rammed down our throats, a skating rink in Van Cortlandt Park. In the many years we have been covering the news here, we recall no instance of public outcry to build such a facility. A private rink nearby closed years ago due to lack of business.
Not that we necessarily think it’s a bad idea. But considering that the Bloomberg administration is way behind schedule on a laundry list of parks projects, including some in Van Cortlandt Park and vicinity, and that money is short (even so-called “private” money, always with strings attached), we would prefer that the hundreds of kids from the local River-dale and Kingsbridge neighborhoods get their long-delayed Little League fields completed, than start a new project that no one has asked for.
And this project is being built with not a scintilla of public input. No public hearing, no environmental impact statement, no traffic study. It is a giveaway of public parkland to a private group, ap-pointed by and answerable to King Mike, and King Mike only.
When a similar project was proposed for Pelham Bay Park a few years ago and hearings were held, it turned out that the local resi-dents said “thanks, but no thanks,” after it became clear that the rink would be a traffic and parking nightmare.
Where is the public hearing here? Bike paths, school closings, and skating rinks. You get the city
that Michael Bloomberg wants you to have, like it or not. You just get to pay the bill.
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CSAIR presents an evening of Yiddish theatre
The Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale (CSAIR) will present Hy Wolfe in an evening of Yiddish theatre on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7:45 p.m.
Hy Wolfe, an actor, singer and director, has roots planted in the world of Yiddish. A performer who works in English and Yiddish, he will present a program featuring songs from the classic Yiddish theatre, Yiddish folk songs, and stories from the writings of the Dubner Magic, Hershele Ostroplyer, and others.
He will be accompanied by pianist Steve Sterner.
This program, which is sponsored by CSAIR's Adult Education Committee, is free and open to the entire community.
CSAIR is located at 475 West 250th Street at the Henry Hudson Parkway. For more information, call the synagogue office at 718-543-8400 or visit www.csair.org.
Archdiocesan Vocations Director to conduct Day of Recollection
The Serra Club of The Bronx and West-chester will hold its Annual Day of Recol-lection on Saturday, Feb. 19, at St. Joseph's Seminary, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The leader will be the Rev. Luke M. Sweeney, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of New York. All are welcomed to attend. Cost per person is $20; it includes a continental breakfast as well as a buffet lunch. For information and reservations, call 718-798-7176.
The Serra Club is an international or-ganization whose mission is to foster and promote vocations to the ordained priest-hood and vowed religious life, and through this ministry, foster and affirm the members' common Catholic faith. Luncheon meetings are held at noon at the Eastwood Manor at 3371 Eastchester Road (corner of Boston Post Road). The cost of the luncheon is $20.
For more information and reservations, call 718-654-3601.
Bronx Museum of the Arts request for artist proposals
The Bronx Museum of the Arts and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Edu-cational and Cultural Affairs announced a call for visual artists to apply to the smARTpower program. smARTpower is an international exchange initiative that will send 15 American artists abroad to work with local artists and young people on the creation of community-based art projects. Building on Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's vision of 'smart power diplomacy,' which embraces the use of a full range of diplomatic tools smARTpower will send selected artists to 15 countries, including China, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Venezuela. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2011.
The artists will each spend up to 45 days in a specific country and will work with local communities to create works of art that address local or global social issues, such as women's empowerment, education, health, the environment and civic engagement. This is an open competition and artists do not need to be invited to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old. Both established and emerging artists are encouraged to apply.
Through smARTpower, U.S. artists will develop arts projects that focus on specific community-based interests in collabora-tion with local arts and community orga-nizations. Artists are strongly encouraged to create a tangible and lasting legacy of their work, that will remain in country, through a variety of visual arts media, in-cluding sculpture, painting, photo-based work, video and installation.
The selected artists will be announced in May, and the first projects will begin in summer 2011.
Information and the online applica-tion are available at www.bronxmuseum.org/smARTpower/
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