The Riverdale Press 02-19-2026

What’s inside?

Artist’s journey

Dennis Shelton creates from experience.

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History in thread

Preserving Bronx memories, one square at a time.

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Civic Reset

Fordham students push for affordable housing.

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Arrest in Kingsbridge teen’s death

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Christopher Redding in Kingsbridge. Three additional suspects, two males and one female, remain at large as the investigation continues.

The teen was taken into custody Feb. 14 within the confines of the 50th Precinct and charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault and three counts of criminal possession of a loaded firearm.

Redding, a sophomore at John F. Kennedy High School, was killed shortly after 5 p.m. on Feb. 11 on West 238th Street

near the McDonald’s at 5765 Broadway. A 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, both shot in the leg, are expected to survive.

Police said the gunfire followed a dispute inside the restaurant that escalated onto the street.

“Some witnesses started saying it was over something very small — over ice cream or over spilled food — and it escalated,” Capt. Amadeo Oktrova, commanding officer of the 50th Precinct, said.

According to police, one of the girls involved in the argument left the restaurant and returned with a group of masked males. A fight broke out. Shots were fired minutes later.

“The fight spilled outside of McDonald’s, and unfortunately when they made

it to Broadway, shots were fired and three of our young people were shot,”Oktrova said.

The first 911 call came in at 5:12 p.m.

An employee at 238 Corner Bodega, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he stepped outside moments after the shooting.

“I came outside and I saw the boy lying there,” he said. “The police were doing CPR on him for a long time, but he didn’t wake up.”

Redding was struck in the leg and upper body.

“Unfortunately, the bullet went through his chest and he succumbed to his injuries on the scene,” Oktrova said.

All three were taken to St. Barnabas

AI is key in new RiverSpring rehab effort

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

The Hauser Rehabilitation Center at RiverSpring Living is redefining what short-term rehabilitation looks like in the Bronx, introducing an AIforward, technology-driven model that delivers measurable improvements in recovery outcomes.

The 79-bed unit opened in mid-December and is consolidated on a single floor. The redesign pairs advanced technologies with integrated clinical care in collaboration with NewYorkPresbyterian. NewYork-Presbyterian clinicians provide on-site coverage five days a week, working alongside RiverSpring nurses and physical, occupational and speech therapists.

Shared electronic medical records allow hospital and rehab teams to coordinate treatments and reduce duplication of services.

“When we envisioned the Hauser Rehab Center, we wanted uniformity throughout,” said David Siegelman, a physical therapist and RiverSpring’s

senior vice president for quality and corporate compliance. “We didn’t want two separate experiences. We wanted to give the same experience to everybody.”

Central to the center’s approach is an emphasis on immersive, interactive therapy that shifts rehabilitation from a passive regimen to an active, engaging process. The facility’s rehabilitation gym features ceiling-mounted body-weight support harness systems, robotic-assisted devices and advanced motion-analysis platforms powered by artificial intelligence.

Among these technologies is the C-Mill, a treadmill-integrated system that projects shapes, targets and pathways onto the walking surface while sensors track gait and foot placement.

“What’s really crucial to understand is that the number one thing we deal with is fear — fear of falling,” Siegelman said. “Once [people] start developing that anxiety, they don’t leave the house. It really could be debilitating.”

The C-Mill’s ceiling-mounted har-

Conservative launches congressional campaign

By Olivia Young  oyoung@riverdalepress.com

Gonzalo Duran, a veteran and vice chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party, is the latest challenger to Democratic incumbent Rep. Ritchie Torres. So far, Duran is the only right-leaning candidate in the race to represent Congressional District 15.

He is also a Republican district leader for the 79th Assembly District — covering the southern Bronx neighborhoods of Concourse Village, Melrose, Morrisania, Claremont, Belmont and East Tremont — and founder of the veteran-centered nonprofit Devil Dog USA Incorporated.

Duran told The Press he considers himself a moderate politician, but aligned with the Conservative Party because of his belief in fiscal responsibility. He is running on public safety, affordable housing and veterans services, as well as the pledge to push back against what he sees as a rise in socialist policies.

Some of his ideas are to increase NYPD presence in high-crime areas, enact stronger legislation to protect tenants from drastic rent raises, and allow veterans legal services if they are denied housing without proper cause.

“I know it’s an uphill battle,” Duran said. “But I believe there are more

nesses minimize that fear by ensuring patients cannot hit the floor if they lose their balance. Therapists can reduce a portion of a patient’s body weight during early sessions, easing strain on joints and surgical sites while muscles relearn coordinated motion.

“If I take off 20 percent of body weight, it eases the pain,” Siegelman said. “If they get in motion, the muscles start waking back up.”

Integrated artificial intelligence platforms analyze each step a patient takes, generating detailed data therapists use to tailor individualized treatment plans. Gait speed, stride length and balance metrics feed into virtual environments that resemble game-like landscapes, where patients respond to visual cues by shifting weight, adjusting pace and coordinating movement.

Research has increasingly identified gait speed as a predictive health marker, and Siegelman said the realtime feedback allows clinicians to anticipate challenges before they be-

Hospital. Redding was pronounced dead. The two younger teenagers are expected to recover.

The killing has especially unsettled the neighborhood in part because it occurred in broad daylight on one of the neighborhood’s busiest commercial corridors. It also stands in stark contrast to the broader crime narrative that city officials have emphasized in recent months.

Last year was the safest year on record for gun violence citywide, with the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in the city’s history, according to NYPD. In the 50th Precinct, which covers Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil

Federal freeze on Harlem River study still in place

n “The administration is playing politics with money,” Chauncy Young, coordinator for the Harlem River Working Group, said. “These decisions impact people’s lives.”

By Olivia Young

oyoung@riverdalepress.com

Five hundred thousand dollars in federal funding toward a long-awaited environmental study of the Harlem River is still in limbo after the Trump administration froze it last October, a move that targeted several Democratic states. For some Bronx-based advocates, the Harlem River Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study was a small step toward a decades-long vision to improve the quality of a river contaminated by raw sewage and bacteria, and ultimately to expand waterfront access for residents in some of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods.

“The administration is playing politics with money,” Chauncy Young, member of the Harlem River Coalition, said.

“These decisions impact people’s lives.”

One million dollars was secured for the project last June after the city’s department of environmental protection agreed to match the funds appropriated by Congress. This meant the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lead on the study, could move forward with an investigation that looks for ways to restore natural habitats and prevent flooding.

But, the project never started.

During the 43-day government shutdown last year, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Russel Vought announced the corps would pause $11 billion for “lower-priority projects” in New York, San Francisco,

OBITUARIES

Sister Christine Carrigg dies at 83

Sister Christine Carrigg was born July 15, 1942, in Kingston, Pa. She was the third child of Frank J. Carrigg and Celestine McManaman Carrigg. Baptized as Ann, she was the middle child among four siblings, with two brothers and two sisters.

In the 1950’s, the family moved to the Washington, D.C. area, and in 1958, she enrolled at Regina High School in Hyattsville, Md., where she met the Religious of Jesus and Mary. After entering the community in 1962, she took the name Sister Christine. Elementary education was the primary focus of her ministry, and over the years she earned a bachelor’s degree in this field from Providence College in Rhode Island, and a master’s in educational administration from the University of San Francisco.

After beginning her teaching in New England, she moved to Los Angeles, Calif. in 1971, spending 13 years at Guardian Angels Parish School as a teacher, and beginning in 1976, as school principal. Her love for the people of this San Fernando Valley parish and her joy in serving them was evident, and the friendships made there remained strong throughout her life.

More education ministry followed in San Diego, Calif. in Thevenet Montessori School in Highland Mills, N.Y., and the Bronx schools of St. John’s and St. Raymond’s. She relished her sabbatical time in San Antonio, Texas, and the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. As her energies for full-time ministry waned, she continued to work with children: tutoring, supervising aftercare and helping in the library.

In addition to her work in education, she served in local community leadership in both California and New York. She participated in the gatherings of the RJM Lay Associates in New York and supported the flea market they held regularly to help fund the mission in Haiti, faithfully sending a check to the Haiti Fund after every market.

One phrase that aptly

describes her would be “a people person.” For years, when her religious community would gather for meetings, she would announce “I’ll take care of the socials.”

She relished receiving and sharing news about her dearly loved family members, sisters and friends. When her community gathered to watch television, she was often indifferent to what was being shown, simply saying “I just want to be together with them.”

If there was a devotion that marked her, it was her love for the Mass. As she grew more frail and unable to get out easily, she would faithfully follow the Mass on television. If you were arranging a time for a phone conversation, she would let you know when she wasn’t available by saying “Mass will be on.”

How consoling then, to know that she died as the Eucharistic celebration for the day was being broadcast into her room. Did she hear the words of the Eucharistic Prayer, “Remember…all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face?” – And then, did she find herself at last together with the One she had followed so faithfully, and all those she had loved and who had come to the light before her? Rest in peace, Sister Christine.

Cremation took place at Cedar Hill Crematory in Middle Hope, N.Y.

Memorial contributions may be made to either Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, mskcc.org/, or the Religious of Jesus and Mary Haiti Mission, rjmusa. org/donate/.

Jill Shaifer, family woman and teacher, dies at 84

Riverdale resident Jill Harren Shaifer was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She was born in 1941 in the Bronx. After a long illness with progressive supranuclear palsy, PSP, she died Jan. 4, 2026 at 84 years old.

Daughter of Rose and George Harren, she attended Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. and received her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.

She is survived by her husband of fifty-five years Jack, her sister Carol Harren, her son Seth and daughter-in-law Jennifer; and her grandchildren Aidan and Meira. Throughout her life, she was known for her dedication to learning and her kindness. She was also a patron of many New York City cultural and charitable institutions.

She spent 37 years working as a public school teacher in the New York City public school system and also spent

time after her retirement as a mentor to teachers. She has touched the lives of many of her former students, many of whom she kept in contact with, and was deeply loved.

She found joy in travelling all over the world, and in her work at schools teaching children. She especially treasured time from her trips to the beach with her husband, Jack. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the nonprofit Cure PSP.

Lynne Beldegreen, artist and art therapist, dies at 60

Lynne Julianna Beldegreen, from Manhattan, died on Jan. 29, 2026 at 60 years old after a long illness. She is the daughter of Evelyn Beldegreen and the late Richard Beldegreen. She was a loving daughter, steadfast friend and accomplished artist and art therapist who devoted her career to saving trauma victims. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

NYU Gift Processing Center

547 LaGuardia Place New York, NY 10012

Memo: Steinhardt Art Therapy Program, in memory of Lynne Julianna Beldegreen

Legal Notice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Velosity Flooring And Painting LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/04/2026. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is Jason Ralph, 8 East

Marble Hill artist’s family history is the heart of his work

Before 60-year-old Dennis Shelton was an artist, he was a boy in Montgomery, Ala., born at the height of the city’s Civil Rights Movement. Now a Marble Hill resident for more than 35 years, Shelton uses discarded materials and found objects to create pieces inspired by a family who challenged racial segregation in the South. His grandmother, Mineola Dozier Smith, was on the same bus as Rosa Parks when she was arrested, prompting Smith to join the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott.

After Smith died last year, Shelton’s work took on a deeper meaning. With few family members still living, he felt he needed to start documenting the strengths and accomplishments of his bloodline.

In a new exhibition by Yonkers Arts called “WORDS”, Shelton is one of 65 creatives featured. The gallery’s walls are lined with artists’ interpretations of words, a theme Shelton embraced by using Scrabble tiles to spell out his title: “All God’s Chillun Got Shoes”

Against a pale, wood base are recycled heels and tennis shoes, with their laces and straps winding across the surface — suggesting the many paths life can take, Shelton said. Beneath the Scrabble tiles are printed instructions, detailing the seven-step process for making shoes.

“All God’s Chillun Got Shoes” is a reference to a religious folk song created by enslaved Black people in the 18th century, or a spiritual, that conveyed resistance and the hope for equality.

Before Yonkers Arts, Shelton had a solo exhibition at Blue Door Art Center in January, titled “THROUGH MY EYES, The Black Experience.” One piece, “The Unnamed Ancestors,” shows women’s faces from the nose down, with vibrant hues of blue, red, orange and yellow above. Between the colored stripes are children’s faces. It represents the “unsung

heroines,” Shelton said, particularly single mothers who made constant sacrifices so their children could thrive. The show featured 50 different pieces in total, made from wood assemblage, paper collage and mixed media — the three main techniques used by Shelton for the last decade.

Prior to 2016, Shelton said he hadn’t created a piece of art for 20 years. Despite having art-focused degrees from Lehman College, and later a job teaching art at John F. Kennedy High School for more than 35 years, he struggled to find the free time between working and raising a family.

Shelton’s wife, who handled payroll for the New York Police Department, died from uterine cancer 13 years ago. The two met as teenagers, finding themselves in a rivalry over who was the better Pathfinder, a program that develops outdoor skills.

Years later, they ran into each other on Southern Boulevard. By their early 20s, the couple was married, and soon moved to Marble Hill where they spent more than 30 years together.

Shelton has considered doing a series on his late wife’s strength, and said he may be ready to endure the feelings and memories the work would evoke. In the meantime, he continues to draw on his family’s legacy — and on silence — to fuel his creativity.

“When you don’t have music, you really start to talk to yourself,” Shelton said. “You hear voices and you have memories. There’s a different strength and deepness that resonates.”

With two exhibitions this year, Shelton believes his art will reach a much wider audience.

“We are ready to rock and roll,” he said.

-Olivia Young

Police arrest suspect in Kingsbridge teen’s shooting

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and parts of Kingsbridge Heights, major crime largely mirrored that decline.

Several news outlets reported that investigators were examining the Kingsbridge shooting as possibly gang-related, although the NYPD has not confirmed this.

For Jeremy Molina, program manager of Bronx Rise Against Gun Violence West, a community intervention program, urges the public not to jump to conclusions.

“It’s a very unfortunate right to automatically assume what the situation is,” Molina said.

Speculation about gangs, he added, often surfaces quickly after shootings involving teenagers. But youth violence rarely stems from a single, easily labeled cause.

“It’s a mixture of a lot of things that occur in the community,” Molina said, describing a landscape shaped by social media disputes, neighborhood rivalries, peer dynamics and access to firearms.

Arguments that begin online can escalate rapidly in person, especially among adolescents navigating status, pride and public perception. What may appear from the outside to be organized gang activity can, in some cases, be rooted in personal disputes that spiral beyond control.

“For a young kid to be able to have access to a gun, that’s the first problem,” Molina said, cautioning that prematurely labeling a case as gangrelated can obscure the deeper social dynamics at play and complicate prevention efforts.

Youth conflicts, he said, can arise from “so many things” — retaliation, arguments, social media exchanges or simply association with the wrong crowd.

Detectives continue to search for the remaining suspects in Redding’s killing. Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

New RiverSpring rehabilitation program is

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come complications.

“There’s a lot out there that gait speed is actually the highest indicator,” he said, noting that slower movement can signal elevated risk of medical events far beyond balance itself.

The immersive elements — simulations that mimic skiing, shifting targets that require dynamic posture control and visual indicators that reward progress — are not merely decorative. Sieglman said they help patients tolerate repetitive motions that are essential to recovery by making therapy feel less like work and more like a challenge.

“Through traditional therapy without body-weight support we were seeing recovery of 60 to 70 percent mobility improvement,” Siegelman said. “Now, we’re seeing over 100 percent improvement in mobility.”

RiverSpring reports that the revamped model has produced tangible outcomes, finding 24 percent fewer hospital readmissions than the national average and a 45 percent lower risk of emergency room visits during a rehabilitation stay. Seventy percent of patients meet or exceed expected recovery targets, compared with 54 percent nationally.

“We send a higher percentage of our patients home than pretty much anybody in the area,” Siegelman said, noting that Medicare ranked RiverSpring in the top 1 percent of nursing homes nationwide for preventing unnecessary rehospitalizations last year. “The vast majority of people who come here want to go home.”

For 65-year-old patient Wilfredo Ortiz, the center’s technology has had a personal impact. Ortiz underwent extensive spinal reconstruction surgery in January following years of chronic pain linked to herniated discs, stenosis and scoliosis — conditions he attributed to decades of physically demanding work as a maintenance and emergency-services employee with the New York City Housing Authority.

After a brief hospital stay, Ortiz was discharged home. In the days that followed his condition worsened, forcing him to return to the emergency room. Hauser was his next stop. The first days of rehabilitation were physically demanding, he said, but the C-Mill system transformed his outlook on therapy — replacing hesitation with confidence and allowing him to focus on rebuilding strength.

“They strap you up with a harness — you can’t fall,” he said. “Using this, I felt safe.”

Ortiz said the digital aspects,

from vibrant screens to game-style challenges, make therapy feel less clinical and more engaging. Instead of counting repetitions, he focuses on improving his score or completing a task.

“I look at it as a game, trying to progress, challenging myself to see how much I can do,” he said. “Laughter is very important. You forget about what happened when you’re doing it.”

Ortiz said he has already lost 20 pounds since arriving at Hauser less than a month prior, a goal he set to reduce strain on his back.

“Less fat, less pain on my back,” he said. “And you got good therapists with you that work one on one.”

Lengths of stay vary based on factors like medical complexity and insurance coverage, with some patients remaining for as few as five days; others stay several weeks.

“Every patient is different,” Seagleman said. “Nobody has the same journey.”

Among the other high-tech tools are the Armeo Power robotic exoskeleton for interactive, gamebased arm therapy, the VST Balance system, which uses AI and on-screen exercises to turn balance training into engaging challenges, and OmniFlow technology to support early mobility.

Feds maintain grip on environmental study funding

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Boston and Baltimore, and consider cancelling them.

Democrats had “drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to maintain billions of dollars in projects,” according to Vought’s post on X. Inside the frozen $11 billion is about $47.2 million for the Hudson Raritan Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Project, a major initiative that aims to restore and protect degraded wetlands in New York and New Jersey. Congress approved funding for eight sites — one being the Harlem River study — prompting elected officials to question if the pause was legally justified.

In a Jan. 15 letter, Rep. Ritchie Torres and Rep. Adriano Espaillat urged Vought to address the status of the funding, adding the money was withheld because of a “political decision.” They posed two questions: Will the funding be withheld indefinitely, and did the administration tell the corps to cancel the approved projects. The congressmen requested Vought answer by Feb. 17. They both told The Press if the deadline wasn’t met, they would keep fighting. Tor-

res said President Trump controls the funds, all they can do is “exert pressure.”

By press time, there had been no response from Vought. The project remains on hold, with no public comment from the administration on if the money will be released.

Once a system of winding shorelines and natural waterways, such as the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, the Harlem River was reshaped by more than 200 years of industrial and city expansion. Forests were lost, streams buried — including Tibbetts Brook, set to be daylighted by 2030 — and the river’s water quality deteriorated.

Despite the stall, Karen Argenti, member of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, is optimistic. She said she is looking forward to working with city and federal partners to improve the lives of Bronxites along the river.

“I don’t think it’s a setback,” Argenti said. “We just have to wait a little bit longer.”

Neither the office of budget and management nor the corps were able to be reached for comment.

Right-leaning candidate to primary Rep. Ritchie Torres

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moderates whose voices aren’t being heard.”

He said he hasn’t had many opportunities to speak in Riverdale, but wants to address residents’ zoning and development concerns prompted by the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. Duran added he wants to lobby at a federal level to better equip the district for possible development, such as increasing parking availability and police presence. Before any structures are built that “harm the character of the neighborhood,” Duran aims to have a plan in place that will preserve residents’ quality-of-life, he said.

On President Donald Trump, Duran said he believes in “the framework” but doesn’t believe in the “way he rolls his policies out.”

The conservative ran against

Torres in 2024 and was able to garner 36,010 votes but lost by a 55 percent margin. Last year, he ran for public advocate, and in 2023 for city council as a Democrat. Duran switched to the Conservative Party after the Bronx Democratic Party successfully challenged that the binding on his petition was not securely fastened, a move Duran said was an attempt to avoid competition.

The 40 year old was born in Belmont and raised by a single mother who immigrated from El Salvador.

He served 8 years in the Marine Corps, including a tour in Iraq, something that instilled “discipline, leadership and a deep sense of duty,” according to Duran’s campaign website.

When Duran returned home in 2011, he discovered a crack in the system. Under a military benefits program called the GI Bill, the U.S. Department of Veterans Af-

fairs provides a monthly stipend for education and living expenses. But, since the money can take time to arrive after a soldier is discharged, the funds were seen as ineligible, and landlords rejected Duran’s apartment applications.

For three months, he was homeless and without a job, but emerged committed to filling those gaps for other veterans in the district. In 2013, he founded Devil Dog, which works to integrate veterans back into the community by helping to navigate housing and benefits.

Duran said this campaign is an accumulation of all he’s learned previously, adding his policies, visibility and funding have all strengthened in the last three years.

“My goal would be to put my district and America first,” Duran said. “If you look at the trajectory of my life, I’ve shown that I can accomplish a lot with a very little.”

Stitching the Bronx together, square by square, from past to present

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Riverdale Senior Services and the Kingsbridge Historical Society are reviving a neighborhood tradition, one square at a time. Nearly five decades ago, local women gathered for “quilting bees” to commemorate the country’s bicentennial, stitching together fabric panels into massive quilts that captured what they loved most about Riverdale and Kingsbridge. The new project, a 250th anniversary tapestry, follows in that spirit, inviting residents to create 12-by-12-inch works that reflect their own memories, landmarks and stories. The finished squares will eventually be stitched together and displayed throughout the community.

“Back in 1976, it was a little easier to find a lot of people who knew how to sew, and these days that’s less common,” Nick Dembowski, president of the Kingsbridge Historical Society, said. “So, we’re using a number of different methods so people who don’t have sewing expertise can get involved.”

Before participants began sketching their designs, Dembowski walked them through the layered history of what is now greater Riverdale for inspiration, tracing Riverdale and Kingsbridge from their geological origins and Native American Lenape settlements to the arrival of Henry Hudson, the Dutch and English colonies and the pivotal role the area played during the American Revolution. The history lesson, he said, was meant to spark ideas and deepen reflection before participants translated memory into image.

The current 12-week workshop is being held at Riverdale Senior Services and is open to the public on a dropin basis. Leading the project is teaching artist Tijay Mohammed, who began not with fabric, but with conversation. Participants first reflected on

what the Bronx has meant to them — the first apartment they rented, the church where they found sanctuary, the bridge they crossed each day to work, and the smell of cookies drifting from the Stella D’oro factory before it closed in 2009. In early sessions, participants transferred their ideas onto 12-by-12-inch watercolor paper before adding colored pencil. Some arrived with printed photographs and carefully researched references. Others came with multiple concepts and had to narrow them down. New members who joined midstream were given a crash course so they could catch up and begin sketching their own squares.

The themes that have emerged range widely. One participant chose the Bronx Zoo entrance at Fordham Road, recalling childhood visits. Another depicts the Henry Hudson Bridge, marking the line where Manhattan meets the Bronx and the feeling of crossing into a different world. There are also tennis courts, local libraries, the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage and the new Yankee Stadium.

For some, the memories are deeply personal. One participant, who migrated from Liberia as a teenager, illustrated a young girl standing in front of Christ Church Riverdale. There, she said, she found community and safety after arriving in a new country.

“My role here is to inspire the participants, to bring out the best and creativity in them to create this piece,” Mohammed explained after leading a vibrant brainstorming session.

Like the quilts of 1976, the new tapestry is expected to become both artwork and archive as a stitched record of what Riverdale residents valued in 2026. Professional sewers will be brought in at the end of the process to assemble the individual squares into a finished tapestry that can endure for years to come.

Fordham University students tackle affordable housing reform

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

At Fordham University, two sophomores are leading a student-driven push for affordable housing reform, starting with a new effort aimed at protecting tenants from predatory landlords.

Angelo Mazza and Farid Sofiyev, both 19, founded Civic Reset last year, a nonprofit focused on promoting evidencebased solutions to New York City’s housing shortage while amplifying the voices of renters and young residents. In less than a year, the organization has expanded to multiple campuses and launched an online tool that allows tenants to anonymously report landlords.

Now live on the group’s website, the feature allows renters to submit complaints, including names and photographic documentation of alleged unsafe conditions or hidden fees. The founders say submissions will be reviewed and compiled into a free, searchable database so prospective tenants can research landlords before signing a lease.

“Our goal is to gather enough of that to then make a public database and publicly whistleblow these landlords anonymously, so that when renters are looking, they’re going to go and check our database to see if that landlord is on it,” Mazza said. Currently, tenants often must search multiple city systems, including housing violation records and 311 complaint data, to piece together a landlord’s history. Mazza and Sofiyev said their aim is to make that process easier and more transparent, particularly for young renters navigating the market for the first time.

Mazza, an Indiana native, said his interest in housing reform began when he struggled to find an apartment after moving to New York for college.

“When I moved out here two years ago, that’s when I started realize the real issue of the housing crisis,” he said. “Once I started looking for a place to live and saw firsthand how bad it really was, it made me passionate to make a tangible change and influence the com-

munities that I’m part of.”

Sofiyev, who grew up in Astoria, agreed, adding he’s watched rising rents reshape neighborhoods he knows well.

“You see a lot of native New Yorkers just continuously moving further and further out, while the city just gets more and more expensive,” he said.

While Civic Reset’s newest initiative focuses on tenant protection, the founders say the broader housing crisis cannot be addressed without looking at how the city builds in the first place. At the heart of their advocacy is zoning — the land-use rules that determine what can be constructed and where.

Large portions of New York City remain zoned for lowdensity housing, limiting construction to smaller residential buildings even in areas near transit. Mazza and Sofiyev said they initially believed the solution was simply to build more housing. But after studying neighborhoods such as Long Island City, they said they began to see the limits of growth without sufficient infrastructure.

“You could expand anything, all that you want, but if there’s not enough bus, train or even walkability infrastructure, it’s not really going to go anywhere,” Sofiyev said. “So for us, most of the downsides were such a large group of people with not enough services to accommodate them.”

Their focus has shifted toward what they describe as “middle” solutions — mixeduse zoning that allows mid-rise apartment buildings, typically seven or eight stories, with retail and neighborhood services on the ground floor rather than isolated high-rise towers.

“Once you start to look into it, there becomes a lot of issues,” Mazza said. “So we realized that the answer sits somewhere in the middle, and it’s advocating for more mixeduse zoning that you see, where a lot of the buildings are seven, eight stories.”

Civic Reset has grown quickly. The organization now includes chapter leaders at campuses across the country and abroad.

“We have people that aren’t even from New York, they’re still passionate about changing it,” Sofiyev said. “We had someone join from the London School of Economics, which is just crazy from the other continent. But right now we’re focusing mainly on New York. We do realize that the fight for affordability is global.”

“If so many people are really passionate about housing and affordability, then that means that young people do care,” Mazza said. “Maybe they just aren’t doing anything about it. So what we’ll do is we’ll do something about it, and give them an opportunity to do something about it as well.”

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Riverdale resident Perry Brass receives Charley Shively Award

Perry Brass spent more than five decades writing, organizing and helping build LGBTQ institutions in New York. The Riverdale resident has now added another distinction to that legacy.

Brass was named the 2025 recipient of the Charley Shively Award from the William A. Percy Foundation for Social and Historical Studies, a national honor recognizing contributions to LGBTQ activism and scholarship. The award includes a $2,000 honorarium.

The coveted prize is named for Charley Shively, a Bostonbased activist who emerged from the Boston Gay Liberation Front and later became a prominent LGBTQ publisher and writer.

“In the past we have tended to give this award to younger activists,” said Thomas Hubbard, president of the foundation.

“But this year we wanted to honor someone from the early days of gay activism, co-eval with Charley’s own prominence. The fact that he continues to be a productive writer makes him an attractive choice for us.”

Brass’s career spans journalism, fiction, poetry and political organizing. He has published 23 books, ranging from speculative

novels to nonfiction and poetry collections, and six-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. He also received a Genny Award from The Generations Project, which documents the lives of LGBTQ elders. In 1972, at the height of the post-Stonewall gay liberation movement, Brass co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Project Clinic. That clinic still operates today as Callen-Lorde Community Health Services, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ-focused healthcare providers. He later helped launch the Rainbow Book Fair, which has grown into the largest LGBTQ book event in the United States.

Brass currently serves as president of the Gay Liberation Front Foundation, which works to preserve the history of the early liberation movement, and sits on the advisory board of Pony Box Dance Theater, a male-centered modern dance company.

The foundation’s decision to honor him reflects a broader recognition of the generation that built the infrastructure of modern LGBTQ life during years when doing so required significant personal risk.

-Submitted

Vanny Park alliance awarded NYC Green Fund Treetops grant

The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance was awarded a grant through the NYC Green Fund’s Treetops program, part of a citywide initiative distributing more than $900,000 this year to support environmental stewardship and park programming.

Administered by City Parks Foundation, the annual grant program provides funding to mid-sized organizations that program, maintain and advo-

cate for parks and open spaces across all five boroughs. This year, 35 organizations received first-time grants totaling $775,000. For the alliance, the funding will help sustain and expand youth-focused environmental education and stewardship initiatives, including its Nature Nerds program, which teaches students how to advocate for and care for their local park through

hands-on learning.

“Van Cortlandt Park Alliance truly appreciates the support we have received from the NYC Green Fund, which has allowed us to grow and expand all of our programs in the park over the years,” Christina Taylor, deputy director of the organization said. “We believe that it is vital for us to continue to provide these programs to ensure that future genera-

Aaron Judge Foundation invests in Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

internship program

The Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation awarded a $3,000 mini-grant to the Garden 2 Market Internship at Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, supporting handson environmental education and youth leadership development in the Bronx.

Founded by Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees, the ALL RISE Foundation provides grants to programs that align with its mission of inspiring children and youth to become responsible citizens and reach their unlimited possibilities.

The Garden 2 Market Internship, based in Van Cortlandt Park, engages young people in horticultural education, food systems awareness and community service. Interns work in the park’s Learning Garden, where they are trained in composting, natural pest management and sustainable growing practices. Beyond cultivating vegetables

and herbs, participants develop skills in teamwork and socialemotional health.

“These organizations are not only developing leaders and good citizens, but also promoting health, well-being and meaningful community involvement,” Judge said in announcing the February recipients. “I’m proud to support their work, as they align with the mission of the ALL RISE Foundation. It’s inspiring to see these programs that will broaden the life experiences of our youth.”

The Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s mission is to preserve, support and promote the ecological, recreational and historical value of the park while using it as a platform for youth development and community engagement. Through the Garden 2 Market program, interns move from soil to sales to learn not only how to grow food, but how

to bring it to their neighbors. Participants then operate a weekly neighborhood farmers market, where they sell produce grown in the Learning Garden. They also facilitate family garden programs and lead cooking demonstrations that highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients. The experience introduces youth to entrepreneurship, public speaking and nutrition education, while reinforcing the importance of local food systems.

The ALL RISE Mini-Grant will fund two summer interns and support the creation of a community cookbook featuring recipes prepared during the program’s farmstand cooking demonstrations. Organizers say the cookbook will serve as both a celebration of the interns’ work and a resource for families seeking healthy, affordable meal ideas.

-Submitted

tions will love and care for Van Cortlandt Park as much as we do.”

The Treetops program is designed to strengthen what organizers describe as an equitable and resilient network of parks and open spaces citywide, with funding supporting environmental action, open space improvements and green workforce development.

Other Bronx-based organi-

zations were also among this year’s recipients. Bronx River Alliance received funding for its project, Coastal Restoration and Community Engagement in Soundview Park.

The initiative will focus on clearing approximately 1.5 acres of invasive plant species and planting 600 trees and 200 shrubs along the Long Island Sound shoreline in Soundview Park. It will also include

volunteer engagement and educational outreach aimed at strengthening coastal resilience and habitat restoration efforts in the South Bronx. Citywide, this year’s grants will support a range of initiatives, ranging from environmental restoration and tree planting to workforce development programs that prepare participants for careers in the green sector. -Submited

Two for the art show

At Wave Hill

Warming winter yoga Yoga returns to Wave Hill’s majestic Armor Hall this winter.

Surrounded by panoramic views of the Conifer Slope, winter garden and towering trees, participants are invited to reconnect, refresh and revitalize through a gentle yoga practice. Each session’s flow is inspired by the stillness and rhythm of the winter season.

Runs on Sundays in Febuary, from 11 a.m. to noon. No class on Feb. 15.

Family art project: Fan of Lunar New Year Head to Wave Hill with your kiddos to celebrate the Year of the Horse by learning about the animal’s role in the Chinese zodiac. You will then assemble and decorate a fan inspired by horses and other symbols of the holiday. At 11:30 a.m. families can also enjoy a holiday-inspired storytime program in the Gund Theater.

This family art project runs on Saturday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Winter workspace 2026: Open Studios During this Open Studios event, meet the artists participating in Session One of Wave Hill’s Winter Workspace and see what they’ve been working on over the last six weeks. Visitors can learn about the artists’ practice, explore each artist’s studio, see new and in-process work inspired by Wave Hill and created on site, and meet other art-lovers.

Join on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 12:30 to 3:30

At Riverdale Senior Services

Journaling during difficult times Riverdale Senior Services invites the community to Journaling for Creatives During Difficult Times, an in-center class designed to help participants reconnect with their creative voice through guided writing. The weekly group experience is limited to eight participants and requires advance registration.

Led by former NYU journalism professor and author of 25 books, Lori Perkins, the class uses short, structured journaling prompts to encourage reflection, creativity and momentum. Participants will write brief personal essays and have the option to share their work in a supportive group setting.

No prior writing experience is required, and all creative disciplines are welcome.

The class is held on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program With severe weather events becoming more frequent and more extreme, it is more important than ever that New Yorkers are prepared for disasters.

The New York Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.

Held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.

Black History Month

The Riverdale Senior Services marks Black History Months with “100 Years of Black History Commemorations: Recognizing and Honoring 100 years of black life, history, and culture.”

Join on Friday, Feb. 20th, from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.

Weekly Mahjong or Leisure Bridge

Riverdale Senior Services is looking for people aged 60+ interested in coming to RSS for weekly games of Mahjong or Leisure Bridge. It is fun and non-competitive. Some experience playing a must. Mahjong is held Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon. Leisure Bridge is held Fridays 1:15 to 4 p.m.

Those interested in joining should email info@rssny.org.

Ethics for kids

The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture presents Ethics for Kids. Facilitated by Naa Pappoe, the program introduces children to social justice, science, history, self-expression and empathy through stories, the arts and play.

The series helps young learners explore what it means to live ethically. Designed for children ages 4 to 10, but open to all. Email growingethicsrysec@gmail.com to RSVP.

Sessions are held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

At Riverdale Neighborhood House

Masala Bhangra

Join the Riverdale Neighborhood House for this full-body dance workout. With easy-to-follow choreography adapted from Bollywood dance styles, participants are encouraged to move, touch and inspire. All ages are welcome. Runs on Tuesdays at 2 p.m.

Youth market Stop by the Riverdale Neighborhood House youth market for fresh, local produce straight from area farmers. Other items for sale include sourdough bread from baker Annie Miller. The Neighborhood House accepts EBT, cash, credit, FAMM checks, vouchers, SNAP EBT and Health Bucks, helping ensure access for everyone in the community. The market is open every Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m.

Stretch and strengthen Start your mornings this new year with a light movement class at the Riverdale Neighborhood House. Classes are held on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. A social hour with refreshments follows, offering a chance to chat with neighbors.

At the New York Public Library

Conversational English Need practice with your English? Looking to brush up on your conversational abilities? Stop by the Spuyten Duyvil Library and chat with others also working on their

English skills. This program runs on Mondays and Fridays from 3 to 4:30 p.m.,

Writing circle Kingsbridge Library hosts weekly writing circle meetings in an intimate setting where participants can share unpublished drafts and give and receive feedback. Attendees must be at least 18 years old. Registration is available at nypl.org; the Google Meet code will be emailed the day before the session.

The group meets every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.

When the Bronx Moved

In celebration of Black History Month, The Bronx County Historical Society announces its landmark exhibition, “When The Bronx Moved: Histories of Dance, 1970–84,” opening at the Museum of Bronx History.

This definitive showcase chronicles the birth of global dance movements in the crucible of The Bronx, where a generation of youth transformed streets, basements, and community centers into laboratories of kinetic innovation.

Head to the opening reception on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 4 to 8 p.m.

At Van Cortlandt Park Trail Work Thursdays

Join the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and fellow residents every Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon to help maintain trails in Van Cortlandt Park.

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What’s on?

Tools and gloves are provided for this small-group volunteer event, which is limited to five participants. It’s a hands-on opportunity to give back to the community while enjoying the Bronx’s natural beauty.

Forest Friday Volunteer with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance to remove invasive species from Van Cortlandt Park’s Northwest Forest every Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. The work helps promote biodiversity, protect young trees and improve forest health. No prior experience is needed. Tools and gloves are provided.

Legacy of Enslaved Africans in Van Cortlandt Park

Join Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Van Cortlandt House Museum for a special Black History Month program exploring the legacy of enslaved Africans in Van Cortlandt Park. The program will feature two guided tours.

The first is Pathways to the Past Walking Tour, led by VCPA Arts Integration Specialist Ashley Hart Adams, focusing on the Enslaved African Burial Ground and the broader landscape of memory, history and labor within the park.

The second is Van Cortlandt House Museum Tour, led by VCHM Site Historian Nick Dembowski, highlighting the site’s 18th-century history and its connections to enslavement. Together, these tours invite participants to reflect on the lives of enslaved Africans whose labor shaped the park and to consider how history is remembered and honored today.

Runs on Sunday, Feb. 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Black Experiences of the American Revolution

Explore how Black people in the Bronx sought freedom during the American Revolution in a talk by local historian Nick Dembowski. For British colonists, Liberty and Freedom were motivating principles that sparked the Revolution. While people of African descent were highly motivated by these ideals, their road to realizing them was uniquely challenging.

Runs on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Reimagining Memorial Spaces: A Black History Month Conversation Join VCPA for a live, virtual conversation with designers Immanuel Oni and Jeremiah Olayinka Ojo exploring the project, Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park, and the importance of working thoughtfully with memorial spaces.

This conversation will focus on process, examining how artists, designers and communities engage with sites of memory, trauma and legacy, and why intentional, community-centered approaches matter when shaping public spaces of remembrance.

Runs Monday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m.

Enslaved African Legacy Tour

Join VCPA’s Arts Integration Strategist, Ashley Hart Adams, on a guided walk that will enlighten participants on the true history that shaped Van Cortlandt Park.

Runs Saturday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m.

Nani Vazana in concert

Join the Riverdale Y to see Nani Vazana in concert. The millennial Ladino songwriter won the 2024 Eurovision competition for minority languages, representing the Netherlands with her original song “Una Segunda Piel,” or “A Second Skin.”

Described by BBC Radio 3 as a voice that “transports you from ancient markets to modern jazz clubs in one breath,” Vazana’s music breathes new life into Ladino — the nearly lost language of Sephardic Jews — through flamenco-inspired vocals and contemporary storytelling.

Held on Monday, Feb. 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are required.

Blues

The Riverdale Art Association, in conjunction with the Riverdale Temple and Women of Reform Judaism, presents the exhibit “Blues” at the Riverdale Temple. The show runs through March 27.

Member artists interpret the theme in various ways, creating an exhibition that invites viewers to see the world differently. Works span a range of media and styles, including photography, pastels, oil and watercolor and mixed media.

At Yoga Muse

Regulate to Heal

Regulate to Heal is the day series on science-based tools for chronic pain and stress reduction. Join Yoga Instructor, Physical Therapist, and Craniosacral Therapy practitioner, Tracy Lin for a heart-centered, science-informed journey to regulate your nervous system, reduce chronic pain and stress, and restore inner balance.

Enrollment in all three sessions is required. Sessions are held on Saturday, Feb. 28, Mar. 7, and Mar 14. from 2 to 4 pm

Community Class

This is a special community class for adults 18 and over. The Community Class is an open-level class that explores the basics of yoga, including postures, breathing, and simple movement to support your practice. You will move gently to build strength and improve mobility.

Runs Sunday, Feb 22 at 4:30 pm

Yoga en Español

Yoga Muse offers a weekly yoga class taught entirely in Spanish. The open-level, slow-flow class is led by Meli Rios and meets every Saturday at 12:15 p.m.

32nd Bronx Parks Speak Up!

The founder of Stewards of Ewen Park, Julie Jenkins, will speak on a panel called “Meet our Urban Forest Stewards,” about forest rehabilitation work in Ewen Park.

The panel is part of Bronx Speaks’ 32nd Bronx Parks Speaks Up!: The Power of Parks event, which also features workshops and panels, like activating Bronx parks through the NYC Green Fund, and the importance of community gardens.

The event runs on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 11 to 5 p.m. at the Lehman College Faculty Dining Room in the Music Building.

A Baker’s Dozen

The Kingsbridge Riverdale Van

Painted World

Cortlandt Development Corporation invites the community to Gallery 505 for “A Baker’s Dozen,” a solo exhibition by photographer Arnie Adler.

The curated collection features 13 images spanning Adler’s 40-year career, from photographs taken when he was 20 years old to recent work from his 1000 Faces of Riverdale project. The exhibit highlights Adler’s signature style, marked by honesty, curiosity and a natural, unforced approach to his subjects.

The exhibition runs through March 6. Gallery hours are Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m.

The James Patterson Speaker Series

The James Patterson Honors Program at Manhattan University welcomes Michael Dowling on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m.

A prominent healthcare leader and social issues advocate, Dowling has served as CEO emeritus of Northwell Health since October 2025. He previously served as president and CEO for more than 23 years, leading the organization through significant growth and innovation. A former

New York State official and academic, Dowling is also an accomplished author on healthcare leadership and reform. This event is free and open to the public; registration is required.

At the New York Botanical Garden

The Orchid Show Head to the New York Botanical Garden through April 26 for the annual Orchid show, “Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle.” This year, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into a dazzling reimagining of New York City.

Orchids collide with concrete in scenes inspired by stoops, slice shops and even the subway, creating a vivid fusion of nature and cityscape artistry. Visitors can experience the flair and style of the Big Apple brought to life through thousands of flowers.

Before New York Join the New York Botanical Garden’s Urban Conservation Team for an interactive exploration of nature

in the city.

The team will highlight the importance of nature to cities and cities to nature, and introduce the redesigned Welikia Map Explorer — a historical ecology mapping tool that reveals what the landscape, plants, animals and people may have been like on your New York City block 400 years ago.

This runs from noon to 4 p.m., on March 7, March 14 and March 21. Community Board 8 Meetings Bronx Community Board 8 is in session. All meetings held at the CB8 office are located at 5676 Riverdale Ave., Suite 100. Unless specified, all hybrid meetings will be in the office or via Zoom. To access the Zoom link for CB8 meetings, visit their website, cbbronx.cityofnewyork.us/cb8 Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. - Housing Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. - Education,

Gerald neuberg,

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Misleading safety data could hurt kids

AFeb. 2 report, “Violent and Disruptive Incidents and Bullying in New York Schools,” from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli should serve as a wakeup call for anyone tempted to declare victory on school safety.

Data from the New York State Education Department, or SED, shows that rates of “serious” violent and disruptive incidents, namely assault, sexual offense and weapons possession, remain near zero. Yet, bullying, cyberbullying and drug-related incidents are rising statewide, in many cases exceeding pre-pandemic levels. That disconnect is significant, as it reveals a system that risks measuring safety through definitions rather than by students’ lived experiences.

In his analysis of seven years of School Safety and Educational Climate data from SED, DiNapoli found that bullying is now the most frequently reported school safety incident.

Not including cyberbullying, bullying accounted for nearly twothirds of all reported incidents statewide in the 2023-24 school year. Almost 30,000 bullying incidents were reported — translating to 12.4 incidents per 1,000 pupils. In schools that reported at least one incident, the rate was far higher.

Cyberbullying, meanwhile, remains officially “low” in the data, but that is precisely the problem. Anonymity, off-campus activity and the digital lives students have after dismissal make cyberbullying notoriously difficult to detect and report. The report itself acknowledges that many incidents likely go unreported. When nearly 35 percent of public schools report no bullying or cyberbullying incidents, the question is not whether bullying exists, but whether schools are capturing it honestly.

Drug-related incidents tell a similar story. After dropping during the period of remote learning, the number of drug incidents in secondary schools has risen above pre-Covid levels. Statewide rates climbed from 4.2 incidents per 1,000 students in 2017-18 to 6.5 in 2023-24, with especially high rates in upstate districts. These are not abstract numbers. They reflect daily realities that students, teachers and families confront in hallways, bathrooms and social spaces.

Yet at the same time these troubling trends are rising, reports of serious violent and disruptive in-

cidents have plummeted. That decline coincides not with a dramatic transformation of school culture, but with changes to reporting definitions implemented in 2021-22. Under the revised rules, incidents are only reportable if the offender is at least 10 years old, the incident meets felony criteria, and it has been referred to law enforcement.

The result is a dataset that may be technically accurate under state rules, but deeply misleading if taken at face value. Schools may still experience serious incidents that never meet the threshold for state reporting, creating a false sense of security for parents and policymakers who rely on these numbers to assess safety.

This is not the intent of New York’s school safety laws. The Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act, enacted in 2000, and the Dignity for All Students Act, adopted a decade later, were designed to protect young people and ensure transparency in reporting harassment, bullying and violence. After the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut, New York state rightly sought to refine and streamline reporting to focus on prevention. But refinement must not become minimized.

Limiting cellphone use during the school day is a modest step in the right direction. It will reduce in-school distractions. But bullying and cyberbullying don’t stop at the dismissal bell. Students carry their social worlds and their conflicts home in their pockets. Without sustained education, intervention and accountability, phones will simply resume their role as weapons after school hours.

Schools need to be honest with themselves about what these incidents are and properly report them to the State Education Department. That honesty isn’t about protecting reputations or presenting a picture of perfect calm. It’s about identifying real problems so they can be addressed.

Pretending a school or district is blissful may look good on paper, but it does nothing to protect students. Reliable, transparent data is the foundation of meaningful solutions.

If we want safer schools in reality and not just safer statistics, we must confront bullying, cyberbullying and substance use head-on, report them accurately, and commit to prevention that extends beyond the school day. Our children deserve nothing less.

To the editor, A free grocery pop-up in Manhattan’s West Village this week has drawn long lines and plenty of attention. Polymarket, the company behind it, also pledged $1 million to the Food Bank For New York City. At a time when food prices are straining many families’ budgets, it’s encouraging to see efforts aimed at helping New Yorkers access groceries.

But the moment also raises a larger question about how we address hunger in our city — and especially here in the Bronx.

The borough has the highest food insecurity rate in New York City.

To the editor, I’m feeling overwhelmed and afraid, and I know I’m not alone in this. I also know that I am not alone at all. I know my Riverdale community is filled with good, decent people who care about doing the right thing and who love this country and cherish our constitution. Some of us have always voted Democrat, some have always voted Republican, and some have changed one way or the other over the years for various reasons.

I’m a Democrat. My dad was a Democrat, as was his Papa. But my dad’s cousin, who lived down the street, and figured in every one of the stories Dad told us about his childhood, voted Republican when he grew up. We weren’t horrified; It made sense. Dad was a musician, who came east to study in New York City. His cousin stayed in the Midwest and became a successful insurance salesman. They had different personalities and it seemed to make intuitive sense that they ex-

According to recent city data, 22.6 percent of Bronx residents struggle to access enough affordable food. For many families, this isn’t a temporary challenge — it’s part of daily life.

Through my involvement in student food access initiatives connected to my school in the Bronx, I’ve seen how much families rely on dependable resources like local pantries, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and community organizations. What makes the biggest difference is consistency — knowing help will still be available next week and next month.

perienced the world in different ways and had different political leanings. But that had nothing to do with their love for each other, not that they would have called it that. Each knew the other was an absolutely decent, caring man. Both worked hard, both were devoted to their families. And each knew the other had a deep appreciation of, and respect for, this country and its principles and institutions. They voted differently, but there was never any doubt that each was voting for what he believed was best for the country.

I hear about choices being made by Republican politicians and by Republican voters “out there” in the rest of the country. I am horrified. I am also confused. My husband and I recently had a lovely, old-fashioned chat with a neighbor. We knocked on her door with a simple question and she spontaneously invited us in. And then on our way out, I saw the picture of President Donald Trump on the inside of her front

Short-term efforts can raise awareness, but longterm solutions are what help families stay secure. Strengthening local food infrastructure, supporting outreach so more eligible families can access benefits, and investing in neighborhood organizations can all make a lasting impact.

New Yorkers clearly want to help one another. The opportunity now is to make sure those efforts build the kind of sustained support that communities depend on every day.

CAMERON BARR Barr is a junior at Riverdale Country School involved in students initiatives focuses on food access

door. I don’t believe she is a person who thinks it’s okay to shoot a man in the back ten times when he’s already disarmed and down on the ground, or to shoot a woman in the face, or to put a 5- year-old child in detention thousands of miles away from his school and his mother. I’m not sure what she thinks Democrats believe, or want to do. But whatever it is, if it’s awful, I hope she doesn’t believe that of me. It just feels like my neighbors are good, decent people. I would feel so much safer if we could unite around our love of our country, around caring for all of our neighbors, and around the defense of the brilliantly articulated principles of our Bill of Rights. Is there any way we can still do that?

If anyone is interested in getting a group together to talk about this, I’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to me at shapiro.emily@gmail. com. EMILY SHAPIRO

To the editor, To further enhance your editorial “Black history is Riverdale history,” the Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, RYSEC, has a framed letter and photograph of Dr. Mar-

tin Luther King, Jr. The letter was written to Dr. Matthew Spetter on Aug. 1, 1960, “thanking him for the contribution of $500 to aid the students in their campaign for full equality.” At the time, Spetter was the leader of RYSEC. The letter is signed by Martin Luther King.

JOHN BENFATTI Benfatti is a board member at the Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture.

— Riverdale Press

Fax:

HOME OF THE WEEK

Pamela Trebach of Trebach Realty

Corner apartment offers balcony, views, pool access

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Spuyten Duyvil, New York.

5 Bedrooms. 3.5 Baths. Listing Price $1,650,000. Deena Spindler 917-301-3782

Lee Moskof 917-817-7158

2. 4455 DOUGLAS AVENUE, 12F Central Riverdale, New York.

2 Bedrooms. 2.5 Baths. Listing Price $1,200,000. Sandhya ‘Sanjya’ Tidke 917-701-3682

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3. 2500 JOHNSON AVENUE, 15G Spuyten Duyvil, New York.

3 Bedrooms. 2.5 Baths. Listing Price $895,000. Lee Moskof 917-817-7158

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2 Bedrooms. 2.0 Baths. Listing Price $700,000. Adinah Kranzler 917-607-2230

Sandhya ‘Sanjya’ Tidke 917-701-3682

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