Vol. 76, No. 6
What’s inside?
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Teens trash CTown, attack employees By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com
SAR turns 57
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On Jan. 28, four teenagers were taken into police custody at the CTown Supermarket on Mosholu Avenue after attacking an employee, the latest in a series of events that have been escalating since last summer. Police told The Press they prepared juvenile reports — a sealed document describing a minor’s contact with law enforcement — but no arrests were made and the teens were released to their guardians.
CTown supermarkets are independently owned and operated. The Mosholu store is managed by Matt Patel, and staffed by his brother Piyush Patel, family friend Avi Patel, and three others. The owner, Jaimin Patel, also a family friend, is based in Connecticut. He told The Press he found out earlier this year the teens were vandalizing the store after one punched an employee. He said CTown can’t afford a security guard unless business improves, adding upcoming renovations are his “first priority.” In store Jan. 28 security footage reviewed by The Press, four teens entered
CTown around 6:45 p.m., dressed in black winter coats and face coverings. Three lingered around the cash register, and Avi Patel said they were threatening to hit him if he did not bring out Piyush Patel, who the teens allegedly wanted to target. About 15 minutes went by, before one teen picked up a wet-floor sign and threw it at Avi Patel, striking him in the head. Immediately after, another teen lobbed a black crate at Avi Patel’s head. The teens then chased him into an aisle, and two of them repeatedly punched him in the back. A customer called the police, and officers arrived at the scene shortly after.
A Jewish trailblazer helps mark the milestone. Page A3
Avi Patel suffered a bloody nose and lingering head and back pain, but wasn’t hospitalized. Jan. 2 store footage shows what staff said was the same four teens, standing around the cash register with Piyush Patel. One teen shoved him from the back, while another punched him in the face. Employees called the police, but the teens had already fled when officers reached the scene. Police told The Press there is a report on file for harassment, but did not provide detail of the physical altercation. CTOWN, page A4
Eric Dinowitz to tackle lower enrollment in new role as city council education chair By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Riverdale in verse
Sarah Stern draws inspiration from her neighborhood Page A5
Olivia Young
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera and district leader Abigail Martin are seeking re-election.
Martin, Rivera introduce Unitytied candidates for party roles By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com
It’s showtime The Lehman Center unveils a vibrant spring lineup. Page A6
Three new candidates emerged on Feb. 1 for state and local party roles, looking to unseat incumbents backed by Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club, a 65-year-old political organization. Betsey Knapp and Bereket Ghebremedhin are running for state committee, and Izaiah Barrow for male district leader. The announcement was made by district leader Abigail Martin, who is looking to be re-elected. Though not yet officially endorsed, the new candidates have ties to the other dominant local political group, Unity Democratic Club. The slate — backed by state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, up for re-election — underscores an ongoing battle for political influence in Assembly District 81 between Ben Franklin and Unity. Former New York attorney general and longtime Riverdalian Oliver Koppell is in support of the slate too, and lik-
ened it to his own reform movement in the 1960s. Koppell and the Ben Franklin club opposed political heavyweight and former U.S. Rep. Charles Buckley, part of a broader push in the Bronx for new control over the Democratic party. In 1965, Buckley was succeeded by liberal Democrat Jonathan Bingham. “We won those elections that [the slate] is now contesting as insurgents,” Koppell said, adding that efforts by Democratic challengers are key to standing up for the needs of local residents. District leader is a voluntar y position in which a person acts as a liaison between the community and Bronx County Democrats. They nominate judicial candidates and staff polling locations, but can also use the role to organize residents around local issues or advocacy work. One male and one female representative are elected ever y two years. Martin, who has held the female district leader seat since 2022, said she ran to improve voter turnout and bring
“new leadership to this community” by cofounding Unity. The club has since become one of the most active in the Bronx, she said, and continues to grow. The current male district leader is Ben Jackson, who took the role in 2024 and has not announced his intention to seek re-election. Izaiah Barrow grew up in Kingsbridge and is the cofounder of Theor y 9, a nonprofit that hosts food and toy drives, back-to-school block parties and basketball tournaments. Barrow said he is a pillar in his community, and wants to fight for progressive, practical change rooted in residents’ needs. “I know the community because it raised me,” Barrow said. “Who I am is a man committed to ser vice. Who I’m becoming is a leader ready to fight strategically, consistently and with integrity for this district.” State committee member, also a voluntar y role with one female and one CANDIDATES, page A4
In less than a week, Council Member Eric Dinowitz holds his first hearing as chair of the City Council’s Education Committee. Ahead of the milestone, the former special education teacher outlined his vision for the nation’s largest public school system. Appointed in Januar y, he now leads the council’s oversight of the Department of Education, or DOE. However, he’s tasked with navigating a broader education portfolio than his predecessors as the city ushers in free child care for two-year-olds under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The initiative adds new demands to an agency long faced with pressure to address persistent inequities across the city’s schools. “We’re at a critical juncture in our city,” he said. “We have the renewal of mayoral control coming up, we have the phasing out of the Regents [exams], and we have a decline in enrollment.” The education committee provides oversight of a school system with a budget of more than $42 billion, roughly one-third of the city’s total spending. Still, the DOE has persistently grappled with rising operating costs, even as student enrollment remains well belowprepandemic levels. “Lower enrollment has produced uneven effects across the system,” Dinowitz said. “Some schools are operating below capacity and facing funding reductions tied to headcount, while others remain overcrowded, particularly those with sought-after academic or specialized programs.” Addressing the years-long trend of dropping student numbers sits among the most pressing issues on Dinowitz’s agenda. According to the DOE, enrollment in K-12 and preschool programs fell by roughly 22,000 students during the 2024 to 25 school year compared to the prior year. He noted schools with shrinking pupil populations often lose electives, arts programs and staff members, making them less desirable to families and accelerating enrollment losses. At the same time, schools with popular offerings are seeing vast overcrowding, DINOWITZ, page A4
Gibson retakes oath as Bronx borough president By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson was sworn in for a second term on Feb 1., using her inaugural address to reflect on her first four years in office and look ahead to the next. Speaking before a packed audience at Lehman College, she framed the moment as both a continuation and a reset of the priorities that guided her first term — namely education, economic growth, housing and public safety. “Last year, our blueprint was securing the Bronx and protecting our future with a clear focus on ensuring that
the Bronx would strive and thrive,” Gibson said. “This year, our blueprint is the Bronx leads, which is an affirmation and it’s a call to action.” Gibson reflected on her administration allocating tens of millions of dollars to education during her first term, supporting public schools and facilities across the borough. “We have already fully funded the renovations of high school athletic fields so our student athletes can have a safe and dignified space to compete and participate in recreational activities,” Gibson said.
GARY JEAN-JUSTE
GIBSON, page A4
Borough President Vanessa Gibson was sworn in for her second term by New York Attorney General Leticia James.