The Riverdale Press 03-12-2026

Mayor Mamdani’s universal childcare for 2-year-olds coming

By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com

Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill and parts of Kingsbridge Heights will be among the first neighborhoods to receive free childcare for 2-yearolds, or 2-K, this fall under Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

On March 3, Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul, both Democrats, announced five school districts across four boroughs would be considered for the 2,000 seats available. It is the first phase of what the mayor’s office said will be a city-wide universal childcare program within four years. Greater Riverdale is a part of school district 10, which also includes Fordham,

Stabbings becoming more common among juveniles

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

As shootings fall to historic lows across New York City, violent crimes among minors are not following the trend. Some violence-prevention workers say one of the most noticeable shifts is the weapons teens are turning to, as stabbings and cuttings become more common. Across the city, violent felony arrests involving juveniles have climbed steadily in recent years. Among minors, the number of violent felony offenses committed jumped by 35 percent between 2018 and 2024, according to the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice – an agency that advises the mayor on criminal justice policy and public safety initiatives. Juveniles made up 11 percent of all violent felony arrests in 2024.

Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence, known as BRAG, a program run by the nonprofit Good Shepherd Services, works in neighborhoods with high concentrations of shootings, connecting victims and at-risk young people with counseling, mentorship and other support services.

For years, much of BRAG’s violence prevention strategy centered on guns. But workers on the ground said they are seeing a different pattern, one driven increasingly by knives and other sharp weapons.

BRAG relies on data to identify the most crime-ridden areas, where outreach workers, such as senior vice president

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Belmont, Norwood, Bedford Park, Mount Hope, Claremont-Bathgate and East Tremont. Districts were selected based on economic need, expected demand, gaps in access and the ability of the childcare provider to take on more seats. A 2-K class will be capped at 12 students.

In early February, Amalgamated Nursery School on Orloff Avenue — embedded in the community since 1928 as part of the Amalgamated and Park Reservoir housing cooperatives — received a survey from the mayor’s office.It asked pre-assessment questions to gauge the school’s interest and needs, such as, whether it needs more seats for 3 year olds, what its hours are and if it is interested in expanding those hours.

Meryl Feigenberg, chair of Amalgamated Nursery School’s parent board, told The Press the addition of a 2-K program at Amalgamated Nursery School would better serve the neighborhood.

“Having families and children there for another year creates a stronger community,” she said. “People have more of an investment.”

Early child learning is critical and often overlooked, Feigenberg said. A free 2-K program gives families financial ease and opens up the possibility of strong education for young children. According to the American Psychological Association, 80 percent of brain development happens before age 3.

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By Olivia Young

River’s Edge, a luxury senior living home, is set to break ground in the next 90 days, according to president and CEO David Pomeranz. But the construction is raising concerns among area residents.

An extension of RiverSpring Living’s campus, River’s Edge will be the first life plan community in the city. Also known as a continuing care retirement community, it will offer older adults independent living as well as assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation services and specialized nursing as they age.

In a community with a history of opposition to large-scale development, Pomeranz said he has negotiated with neighbors to make the construction process tolerable.

“I don’t think anybody is doing somersaults of excitement to have a project going on in the neighborhood,” Pomeranz said.

“[Residents] understand there’s not much they can do to stop it, so the best thing we could do is make it as palatable as we can.”

Still, concerns persist. When planning began for construction last year, RiverSpring organized a board consisting of its executives, Bronx Community Board 8 members, Bronx borough president staff, developers on the project and the Riverdale Construction Advisory Committee. The construction advisory committee consists of nonprofit Riverdale Nature Preservancy, tenants of the nearby Skyview and Sigma Place apartment buildings, and other local advocacy organizations, according to longtime committee member Sherida Paulson, who is also board chair of the Riverdale Nature Preservancy.

The construction advisory committee formed in 2018 when community opposition to the development was especially strong, and began negotiating terms of construction with RiverSpring, as well as requested they create the current board for River’s Edge.

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Staff Report

Alexa Lewis, an award-winning reporter with experience spanning much of the east coast, is the new editor-in-chief of The Riverdale Press.

Most recently a breaking news reporter at The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Lewis’s crime and education reporting earned first-place recognition from the South Carolina Press Association. With experience at print and digital publications working a variety of beats, Lewis will lead editorial strategy, newsroom operations and digital initiatives for The Press.

“This newspaper has a long and meaningful history, and I’m honored to carry that forward,” Lewis said. “At a moment when local journalism is more essential than ever, I will strive to give readers the stories that matter and earn their trust every day.” Lewis joins The Press with the conviction that strong local reporting is one of the best ways to guarantee communities remain connected and empowered.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Lewis’ reporting career began at the White River Valley Herald in Randolph, Vermont, covering local politics. She then worked as a reporter and editor for The University of Vermont’s Center for Community News while reporting election results for The Associated Press. Prior to arriving in Myrtle Beach, she wrote for The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Lewis has a master’s degree in journalism and creative writing from The Johns Hopkins University, where her work earned her a fellowship from the nonprofit Investigative Reporters and Editors in 2024. She was also previously an editor for the literary journal The Baltimore Review. Lewis’s work has appeared in dozens of

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sense of duty and a passion for jus-

tice rather than a desire for office. He is survived by his brother, Peter. A memorial is planned for March 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at Williams Funeral Home on Broadway at 232nd Street in the Bronx. Please contact the funeral home for further details. Contributed

To celebrate the start of Women’s History Month, Rep. Ritchie Torres hosted a March 3 fireside chat with Speaker Emerita of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi at the New York Botanical Garden.

The talk focused on Pelosi’s journey overcoming sexism in American politics and her efforts as speaker to lead a closely divided House of Representatives.

“As the first woman to serve as speaker, she assumed a role no woman had previously held and did so with the authority and

After President Donald Trump fired Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Rep. Adriano Espaillat issued a statement March 5 that Noem’s removal was a victory for the American people.

He added the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Espaillat chairs, called for Noem’s removal for more than a month, and raised concerns about her leadership, the erosion of due process and a pattern of abuses carried out under her watch.

command of the institution,” Torres said.

Riverdale native Randi Martos — chief of staff for Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Democratic district leader for the 81st Assembly District — was also honored for decades of civic work. Martos helped lead efforts to create the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy, and became the longest-serving president of the Parents Association.

“I can attest first-hand to the amazing work she completes each day,” Dinowitz said.

Though ousting Noem is a step forward, he said, replacing her with Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma causes Espaillat to question the seriousness of the Department of Homeland Security’s leadership.

“The American people deserve steady, responsible leadership at an agency tasked with protecting our nation while upholding the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat announced March 10 he secured $14 million in federal funding for projects across Congressional District 13, which includes Kingsbridge and Kingsbridge Heights.

For Lehman College, $820,000 will go toward new bleachers at South Field, which

hosts baseball, softball and soccer games. The expanded seating will raise the field’s spectator capacity from 70 people to more than 1,300.

Amalgamated Housing Cooperative, the oldest limited-equity co-op in the country, will receive $250,000 to renovate its lobby floor.

Two suspects sought in burglary

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding two unknown suspects wanted in connection with a burglary that took place Feb. 23 around 4 a.m.

Near Kingsbridge Terrace and West Kingsbridge Road, the suspects unlocked the window of an apartment building, removed multiple articles of clothing and fled on foot in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, in Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.

Library funding falls short of Mamdani’s campaign pledge

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

Despite a fervent campaign promise to boost funding to .5 percent of the city’s total budget, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s $127 billion preliminary spending plan includes significant cuts to the city’s libraries.

Instead, the budget allocates $465 million, or .39 percent of the budget — down from the .45 percent allocated by former mayor Eric Adams for fiscal year 2026. In April, the city council will respond to the proposal, beginning weeks of negotiations that will determine whether funding for library systems is restored or reduced when the budget is finalized July 1.

In 2025, Adams proposed slashing the library budget by more than $8 million, a modest decline compared to the more than $50 million in cuts he proposed the year prior. Those plans prompted intense outcry from advocates and elected officials, including Council member Eric Dinowitz.

“We fought tooth and nail in the council to ensure that our libraries were funded,” Dinowitz, a former special education teacher and chair of the council’s education committee, said.

As a result, Adams ultimately restored the funding. The city council also negotiated a $17 million investment to bring back seven-day service to 10 branches after the service was eliminated across all libraries in 2023. Today, roughly 30 branches across the five boroughs have regained seven-day service.

In September, the Kingsbridge Library, chosen in part because of its high usage, was one of a handful of Bronx branches to add Sunday hours. Last year, the city reported more than 90,000 visitors walking through its doors.

Mamdani’s proposal for fiscal year 2027 maintains a $2 million allotment to expand seven-day service to additional locations, but it remains unclear whether that funding will be enough for branches to maintain those hours.

“I’m not going to let them shut down Sunday service in my district,” Dinowitz said. For students like sixth-grader Ava Alvarez, who can often be found at the Kingsbridge Library do-

ing schoolwork alongside her father, Lloyd Alvarez, losing Sunday hours — currently 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — would be a significant blow.

“Her being able to lock in for an extended period of time without distractions is a powerful tool,” Lloyd Alvarez said. “When we’re at home, there are a lot of distractions. So having a place like the library makes a huge difference in terms of the work she’s able to do.”

The Alvarezes also visit branches across the city, some of which offer services not available at others.

“We would go to a different library sometimes and it was bigger and had private study rooms,” Ava Alvarez said. “You see kids going in there. Sometimes they hang out, read, do homework or school projects. If you don’t want to pay for afterschool, you can come to the library and even get a tutor. I just feel like that’s really convenient.”

Libraries offer a range of essential programs designed for young people.For children ages 6 through 12, the New York Public Library — one of the city’s three library systems — offers After School every Monday through Thursday, a free program that provides drop-in homework help and enrichment activities. Attendance reached nearly 50,000 in 2025, according to NYPL, a 30 percent increase from the year before.

When it comes to teens, many branches offer dedicated programming in which students can join programs like “Lofi and Chill,” where they can relax, listen to music, paint or do puzzles. Select locations, like the Kingsbridge and Van Cortlandt Libraries, offer specialized centers in which teens can learn to use 3-D printers, take free coding classes or participate in college and career preparation programs.

It’s opportunities like these Lloyd Alvarez worries could be lost in the battle over funding. He said he was surprised by Mamdani’s proposal to cut library spending.

“Honestly, it is surprising to hear that he would make that cut,” he said. “It’s not in line with what I took from the campaign and the narratives I heard from him.”

SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA AT RIVERDALE TEMPLE

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2026 AT 7:00 PM*

Riverdale Temple will be taking part in the 30th Annual Shabbat Across America and Canada. On Friday evening, March 13, we will be part of hundreds of synagogues across the United States and Canada that take part in a Jewish event to celebrate what unifies all Jews — Shabbat!

This is an opportunity to come together as one family and one community, to celebrate Shabbat and spread the light of Jewish unity into the world. We invite all Jews in the community to come in and take part in a lively service and Shabbat meal. Please be sure to bring your friends and neighbors! There is no fee to attend, however registration is a must

Registration is required to attend, so please register as soon as you can!

* Dinner will be provided by Riverdale Temple at 6:00pm Service will begin at 7:00pm.

Please visit https://www.riverdaletemple.org/event/ shabbat-evening-service_2026_0313.html or scan the QR code at right to register, so that we may know how many to expect for dinner.

We look forward to you joining us!

RiverSpring to expand campus with life-plan community

In a Feb. 9, 2026, board meeting, according to minutes provided by RiverSpring, residents expressed concern about digging and drilling noise from construction.

New York-based Consigli Construction Company is leading the build.

Chuck L’Heureux, project executive at Consigli, said his team will do rock chopping, a noisy process that uses saws and diamond blades to shape rock, as part of construction.

L’Heureux said steps will be taken to mitigate the noise. Fences around the site will be covered with sound blankets, and drilling will take place between the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rock chopping will cease by 3 p.m.

Concerns were also raised during board meetings for River’s Edge about an increase in traffic, as incoming cars and construction vehicles will likely cause congestion exiting and entering RiverSpring.

Of the campus’s two entrances, the one on West 245th Street is already backed up because of an ongoing city sidewalk construction project, leaving only the West 261st Street entrance. RiverSpring said it will continue to work with the construction advisory committee to reduce traffic disruptions.

Another longtime construction advisory committee member, Martin Wolpoff, who is also chair of Bronx Community Board 8’s Law, Rules and Ethics Committee, said since Pomeranz took over as CEO in April 2024, negotiations have been much more productive. Wolpoff also lives near the future River’s Edge construction site.

“I share the [residents’] concerns,” Wolpoff said. “But at the same time, I

definitely appreciate the whole concept of a continuous care community.”

On Feb. 27, Chicago-based investment bank Ziegler announced it had closed a $633 million deal to finance River’s Edge in the form of tax-exempt bonds from Vanguard, Barclays, Prudential, Principal and Bank of America.

Borrowers often raise money from investors through tax-exempt bonds to finance projects that benefit a community. In return, investors typically do not pay federal income tax on the interest earned on those bonds.

This funding was the go-ahead to start building at 5901 Palisade Ave., and Pomeranz said the facility is expected to be up-and-running within 33 months of construction starting.

The 11-story, 441,000 square-foot structure will have an upscale restaurant and private

saltwater

a spa, a fitness center and balconies overlooking the Hudson from the third story to the 11th. There will be 260 units, including one- and two-bedroom layouts, and Pomeranz said 225 of those units have already been reserved. Residents pay an entry fee, ranging from $717,443 to $3.3 million as well as a monthly fee between $5,975 and $10,175. When the resident dies, 90 percent of their entrance fee is returned to their family.

River’s Edge was designed by architecture firm Perkins Eastman and developed by Chicago-based Integrated Development II, which specializes in luxury housing for seniors.

Amalgamated Nursery School hopes for free 2-K program

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“There is an assumption many people have that early school is not that important, and little kids can just be with grandma or sit around,” she said.

“High-quality programming will last and have effects through a lifetime.”

Feigenberg said the administration told Amalgamated Nursery School via email more information would be sent out in the next week.

A spokesperson from the mayor’s office confirmed a list of schools has not been determined, and applications are under review. But, all children in the district will be able to apply for the

program regardless of which schools are chosen.

For parents like Jeff McGrath, a new dad to 16-month-old Caleb, the possibility of free 2-K is a relief. McGrath works as a dietician and lives in Spuyten Duyvil, and the program will allow him to return to work full-time.

“To have state subsidized daycare at two years old would just be a major difference in our household income,” he said, adding it would also help the family return to a regular routine after caring for a new baby.”

According to the mayor’s office, Hochul committed $73 million to fund the first set of free 2-K seats. By next year,

that number will jump to $425 million, and is expected to serve 12,000 kids in fall 2027. Council member Eric Dinowitz, chair of the education committee, said he was proud school district 10 was among the first to receive 2-K seats.

“Universal child care … helps ensure that a child’s zip code, income level, or immigration status never determines their opportunity,” Dinowitz said. Applications for the 2-K program will open this summer for any child within the districts turning 2 by Dec. 31, 2026.

Gun violence is down among teens, but

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David Caba, attempt to intervene in conflicts before they escalate.

“One of the things we tend to focus on are trends — how things are changing across geography, groups and age ranges,” he said. “What we’ve been seeing a lot more of lately in terms of violence is stabbings and cuttings, a lot of knives being used instead of guns.”

In December 2025, according to reports by CBS, police confiscated 1,700 weapons in New York City schools, with firearms making up a small percentage of what was seized.

“It’s so much easier to get a knife than a gun,” Caba said. “Knives are in your kitchen. And the big difference between knives and guns is that knives don’t run out of ammunition.”

Particularly of concern is the growing number of small weapons — like scalpels – being recovered in schools.

In January, PIX 11 reported 205 scalpels had been confiscated in schools since the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Still, Caba said, most altercations between youth involving a weapon are off of school grounds.

Last month, two teenagers were injured in a stabbing by another teen near Marie Curie High School on Sedgwick Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights. Police said officers responding to a 911 call at 2:49 p.m. Feb. 11 and found a 16-year-old with a slash wound to the neck and a 14-year-old with a stab wound to the abdomen. Both were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition.

“What people don’t know is that the majority of the time, the individu-

als that are carrying the weapon, it’s not because they are looking to hurt anyone, it’s because they’re trying to protect themselves,” Caba said.”If there’s a second-grader in school and there’s a gang trying to recruit you, and they’re being aggressive with you, even violent with you, you’re going to want to protect yourself.”

In the five boroughs, the New York Police Department has increasingly focused on safety in and around schools, reflecting the urgency of juvenile violence.

At the start of the 2025–26 school year, the agency implemented its School Safety Plan, an initiative designed to focus enforcement and prevention efforts on areas students

are most vulnerable. This includes commuter corridors, bus stops and routes young people travel to and from school.

Since the program launched in September, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said youth-related crime in those zones has fallen 56.7 percent during deployment hours, dropping from 252 incidents to 109.

Despite that decline, Caba’s workload hasn’t slowed.

“Every night, we’re doing countless mediations, de-escalations and interruptions,” Caban said. “We’re already on the scene, already in those spaces, trying to stop violence before it happens.”

And while shootings may be fall-

other crimes rising

ing, he said the changing nature of youth conflict means violence prevention efforts must evolve as well.

“You have to pay attention to the trends,” he said. “If the weapons change, if the ages change, if the locations change — the work has to change with it.”

BRAG concentrates on what Caba called the “highest-risk individuals” — young people already entangled in violence who may influence others in their peer groups.

Outreach workers, many of whom grew up in the same neighborhoods as the kids they support, rely on credibility and long-standing relationships to intervene. Their work often involves daily check-ins, mediating dis-

putes between rival groups and helping young people find alternatives to street conflict.

The group continues to expand its prevention work in schools through programs like Safe Passages, a Department of Education initiative connecting at-risk minors with mentors and support services, and offers outreach workers to escort kids safely to and from school.

At the heart of the effort is a strategy focused on keeping students engaged in school and steering them away from violence.

“We see what it is that we can do to help them unlearn to resolve conflicts through violence so that it doesn’t have to get there,” Caba said.

Lewis brings varied experience as new Press editor

local newspapers across the country, and has been featured in Politico, New England Public Media and Us Weekly. She brings with her a wealth of passion and ideas for the future of the industry.

“As technology advances and media consumption continues to change, journalism as a whole is undergoing some major shifts,” she said. “As journalists, we have a responsibility to adapt to this changing landscape, ensuring readers have access to the information they need.” She added that, while newspapers must serve as bulwarks for

democracy and protect their readerships by speaking truth to power, they should also celebrate their communities.

“So many people dread reading the news. We have to cover the hard stories without flinching, but we should also highlight the people and progress that remind readers what good journalism is working to defend,” she said. Stuart Richner, CEO of Richner Communications, The Press’s parent company, said Lewis arrives at a crucial point in the paper’s long history.

“Alexa Lewis is a dynamic addition to The Riverdale Press at a time the need for community jour-

nalism is critical,” Richner said. “I’m excited to have Alexa aboard and look forward to what The Press will achieve under her leadership.”

While she is new to the Bronx, Lewis knows each neighborhood in The Press’ coverage area is a place with stories to tell. “I encourage anyone to reach out — with news tips, ideas or even recommendations on local spots I shouldn’t miss,” she said. “I’m excited to meet you all, and to aid the dedicated journalists here in telling stories you look forward to reading each week.” Lewis can be reached at alewis@ riverdalepress.com.

Parade founder and director John P.L. Kelly opened the seventh annual St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza with remarks to the crowd. “The parade has grown tremendously,” he said. “It’s fueled entirely by love and enthusiasm.”

St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings

a wee bit of luck to Riverdale

As traditional Irish tunes blasted from bagpipes, neighbors clad in all shades of green took to Riverdale’s streets in a yearly grassroots celebration. Now in its seventh year, the March 7 St. Patrick’s Day parade was bigger and better than ever.

Founded and directed by Irish-American John P.L.

Kelly, a crisis and corporate communications executive, the parade kicked off in 2020 as an early pandemic effort to bolster neighborhood morale. The parade route runs along a narrow two-block strip, kicking off on West 151st Street and Broadway before turning west onto

Fieldston Terrace and wrapping up on West 252nd Street.

“We put together this makeshift banner stapled to a stick and got a bagpiper — only about 20 neighbors, and we all marched 10 feet apart,” Kelly said, recalling the event’s humble beginnings.

-Michelle Mullen

Day care operator, husband sentenced in toddler’s death

By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com

More than two years after a toddler died from fentanyl poisoning inside a Kingsbridge Heights home day care, the facility’s operator, Grei Mendez, and her husband were sentenced March 4, to 25 years to life in prison.

Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy imposed the sentence on Mendez, 38, and Felix Herrera Garcia, 37, in connection with the Sept. 15, 2023, death of 22-monthold Nicholas Dominici at the El Divino Niño Daycare at 2207 Morris Ave.

Several other children also suffered fentanyl exposure at the day care but survived.

Investigators discovered the childcare facility was used as a front for processing and storing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and other illicit drugs under the floor where toddlers played and slept.

A jury found both defendants guilty of second-degree murder in November 2025. Mendez was also convicted of first-degree assault, while Herrera Garcia was convicted of second-degree assault in connection with the poisoning of three other children.

tered naloxone, a medication designed to reverse opioid overdose symptoms, to several children also exposed to narcotics. A 2-year-old boy, Abel Garcia, suffered respiratory arrest, but survived after being revived at a hospital.

Abel’s 8-month-old sister, Kiara Garcia, and another 2-yearold child, Jaziel Lino, were also hospitalized with symptoms of acute opioid intoxication.

Mendez was taken into police custody the following day, Sept. 16, along with her husband’s cousin, 41-year-old Carlisto Acevedo Brita, who had been renting a room in the daycare. A third person, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes was arrested on Sept. 23.

Herrera Garcia, however, evaded authorities for more than a week before being arrested in Sinaloa, Mexico, on Sept. 26 by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexican authorities.

Investigators determined that large quantities of fentanyl had been processed inside the Morris Ave. apartment, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Authorities said the same kitchen equipment used in the operation was also used by Mendez to prepare meals for the children.

unannounced inspection by the Office of Children and Family Services, The Press previously reported. Inspection records indicated the facility had no violations and was compliant with rules requiring toxic or dangerous substances to be kept out of children’s reach — findings that stood in stark contrast to what investigators later discovered.

New York City Council member Pierina Sanchez said the outcome of the case underscores the need for stronger safeguards for children in day care settings. Sanchez worked with Nicholas’ parents, Otoniel Feliz Samboy and Zoila Dominici, as they sought accountability following their son’s death.

“Nicholas’ memory will continue to guide our work to fight for safer childcare, stronger oversight, and the dignity and protection every child and family deserves,” Sanchez said. “And while no sentence will bring him back, I know his family felt some measure of relief today.”

In the years since the toddler’s death, Sanchez and other leaders have pushed for measures to ensure his legacy results in stronger protections.

Mendez and Herrera Garcia are already serving 45-year federal prison sentences after being convicted of narcotics trafficking resulting in Dominici’s death. The state sentence imposed Monday will run concurrently with the federal term.

“A beautiful little boy died and three children aged eight months to two years became seriously ill from fentanyl poisoning,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. “These babies were shields to protect a narcotics operation.”

A kilogram of fentanyl was later discovered in a closet, while an additional 12 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin and other narcotics were hidden beneath a trap door in the playroom floor. Investigators also recovered kilo presses — devices used to compress powdered substances — along with drug packaging equipment inside the apartment.

“We renamed the street where Nicholas lived in his honor so that his life — and the responsibility we carry to protect children — are never forgotten,” she said.

The daycare opened its doors in January 2023, serving children between 6 weeks and 12 years old, roughly nine months before the fatal incident that killed Dominici. On that September day, emergency medical technicians entered the apartment and adminis-

Evidence presented in court showed Mendez called Herrera Garcia before calling 911 when the children became sick. Surveillance video showed Herrera Garcia fleeing the building through a rear alley carrying several plastic bags believed to contain drugs and paraphernalia before police and emergency responders arrived.

Just nine days before the poisoning, the day care passed an

In August 2025, the City Council passed the Nicholas Dominici Childcare Safety Act, a legislative package introduced by Sanchez to strengthen oversight and transparency in childcare inspections. It required the city to launch an annual outreach campaign informing parents of their rights when enrolling children in childcare programs and mandated yearly reports detailing the training required for childcare inspectors. The act also called on the state to pass legislation establishing training for childcare inspectors and providers on controlled substances and overdose prevention.

Mosholu Avenue barber runs mobile business from his van

By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com

In an unassuming white van parked between Mosholu Avenue and Post Road, barber Al Rodriguez has spent six years building a following so loyal, some customers drive hours for a trim.

In the van. The business, Haircuts to Go, was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rodriguez, 44, was working at a local barbershop when he lost his grandfather to the virus. He felt the shop wasn’t taking proper safety precautions, and he wanted a space of his own. When he realized a van would cost as much as opening a storefront and wouldn’t be at risk of closing if another quarantine hit, his new venture began to take shape.

Born and raised in Norwood, Rodriguez is the son of a beautician. He said he was practically brought up in a salon and, by the time he was 18, Rodriguez was working professionally as a barbershop apprentice. In his mid 20s, he pivoted to owning a furniture store, but a decade later returned to cutting hair. “I didn’t want to be a jack of all trades, master of none,” he said. “So I’m gonna stick to what I know.”

To get his business on the road, Rodriguez bought a 15-passenger van and gutted it. The floor was ripped up and replaced with gray hardwood, LED lights were installed on the ceiling, a barber station was custom made to fit inside, and a sleek, black chair was placed in the middle. For electricity, he uses lithium batteries.

The van and renovations were a roughly $50,000 investment, which Rodriguez said he will be able to pay off by July with revenue. Once Haircuts to Go launched, the clientele he built from four years working as a barber in Riverdale came back to him. Using only business cards and word-of-mouth advertising, his days became fully booked. Rodriguez has about 45 appointments per week. Most take place on Mosholu Avenue, but sometimes he drives to customers in Yonkers who are unable to leave their homes because of disabilities.

Rodriguez said one long-term

client suffered from muscular dystrophy. When the man died at 29, his family requested Rodriguez visit the hospital to cut his hair before the funeral. He did it unpaid.

Another customer, Rafael Freire, commutes from Connecticut once every two months to see Rodriguez. Freire lived in Riverdale for eight years— he spent five of them looking for the right barber.

Freire was walking home from breakfast in 2022 when Rodriguez asked from the doorway of the van if he wanted a haircut.

Despite the lack of a logo on the vehicle, Freire stepped inside.

Freire said, though he married his wife and moved out of the city three years ago, he didn’t even consider trying to find a new barber, joking Rodriguez was his longest relationship.

“The connection a man has with his barber is very strong,” Freire said. “Once you’ve found a barber, it’s very hard to switch.”

John Rehova, owner of Greystone Coffee on Mosholu Avenue, and his 11-year-old son Andrew have been going to Rodriguez for four years. Rehova said he sees it as a way to get an efficient haircut while supporting a fellow small business.

For Rodriguez, client relationships are built on consistency and trust, no matter the customer’s background.

“I get to meet people from all parts of the world,” he said. “I cut doctors, construction workers, business owners, plumbers, electricians, taxi drivers. Everyone has a story … Every day I learn something.”

As a mobile business, Rodriguez is subject to the weather. After last month’s blizzard, he was unable to park in his regular spot until he dug it out himself. In the summer, he struggles to find a location out of the sun.

After six years of Haircuts to Go, Rodriguez said he is ready for the next step. He plans to open his own local storefront by August, where he can work with other barbers, and eventually expand to multiple businesses to set himself up for retirement. Until then, he is savoring his last few months in the van. “I like to make people look good,” he said. “You look good, you feel good.”

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Atom Moore: Second Nature

At Wave Hill

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill garden guide for a leisurely stroll through the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the guide, so each walk offers something new. Join on Sunday, March 15, from 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Forest Bathing: Spring Equinox

Celebrate spring with moments of grounding and mindfulness. Engage your senses and reflect as you move through the garden on a meditative stroll led by certified nature therapy guide Cindy Olsen.

Benefits of forest bathing may include cardiovascular strength-building, stress reduction, improved cognitive functioning, boosting the immune system and creating a deeper connection to nature and the self. Enjoy the healing benefits of the garden, then conclude with ceremonial tea.

Takes place on Saturday, March 21, from noon to 2 p.m.

At Riverdale Senior Services

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

Dinner

Celebrate the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with an afternoon of delicious

food, music and community connection at the Center for Ageless Living. Enjoy music, light entertainment, a festive Irish-inspired dinner, raffles and fun surprises on Saturday, March 28, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Murder Mystery

The Horace Mann School is hosting a murderous evening in a bygone era. Enjoy dinner and solve a murder mystery on Saturday, March 14, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Come ready to play detective and follow the clues.

At the RiverdaleYonkers Society for Ethical Culture Ethics for

Kids

Facilitated by Naa Pappoe, Ethics for Kids introduces children to social justice, science, history, self-expression and empathy through stories, the arts and play.

The series, held at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture 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.

Family Shabbat

Join Family Shabbat, a monthly program by the Riverdale Y and Congregation Tehillah to welcome Shabbat with singing, dancing, grape juice and challah. The next gathering is on Friday, March 20, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

At Riverdale Neighborhood House Riverdale CSA

The Riverdale CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, is accepting members for its 2026 season. Deliveries of organic and biodynamic vegetables from Hawthorne Valley Farm are made weekly on Thursdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. from early June to November to the Riverdale Neighborhood House.

Full shares and partial shares are available and include 7-10 vegetables each week. Fruit shares can be purchased that include organic strawberries, blueberries, stone fruits, apples and pears. Also available are a wide variety of local dairy products, baked goods, meats, poultry and eggs. CSAs are mutually beneficial for farmers and communities.

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

A Celebration of Bronx Poets

Join the Spuyten Duyvil Library for a celebration of Bronx Poets with poet Ellen Kombiyil at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 14.

The program includes a reading and interactive audience Q&A from published Bronx Poets. Readers include former Bronx poet laureate Kay Poema; Elvis Alves, whose new book “Exile Is Home” was just released; Scarlet Gomez; Ellen Kombiyil; and Elaine Sexton.

Mixed media art for pre-teens

Join every Tuesday at the Riverdale branch for a session of arts and crafts using different mediums such as acrylics, watercolors, clay, beads, paper and other mediums like photograms. You’ll be simultaneously listening to podcasts like “Stuff You Missed in History Class” and “Night Vale” or just jamming to your favorite playlists. Related books and resources will also be available for checkout to spark your creativity and help you dive deeper into techniques and other crafts. Runs every Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m. Riverdale Art Association

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What’s on?

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.

Places and Spaces

The Riverdale Art Association invites you to view its latest exhibit “Places and Spaces” at the parish hall of Christ Church Riverdale. Member artists use an array of vibrant, contrasting colors in unexpected ways to bring to life their interpretation of places and spaces using acrylics, watercolor, mixed media and collage.

The parish hall is open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon. The exhibit runs until April 24. There will be an opening reception on Friday, March 27 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

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 March 14, from 2 to 4 p.m.

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.

At Inner Space Yoga

Modern Dance Workshop

This hour-long workshop follows the format of a traditional modern dance technique class, led by a former member of the world-renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company, Annmaria Mazzini.

Friday, March 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Prenatal Yoga In this intimate workshop, you will learn techniques you can practice at home during and after pregnancy, including a dynamic yoga sequence, pelvic floor exercises, breathing techniques, self-massage and meditation. Sunday, March 14, from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Mindfulness Yoga Ayurveda Spring Workshop

This 90-minute MYA workshop explores the Ayurvedic energy of earth and water through mindful movement, invigorating breathwork and Ayurvedic wisdom, the sister science of Yoga. We’ll gently awaken the body, clear stagnation, and cultivate lightness and

Modern Women, Modern Vision

clarity for the season ahead. Saturday, March 21, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

At

Lehman College

Painted World exhibition

Until May 2, attend the “Painted World: Text, Gesture and Expression in Contemporary Art” exhibition at Lehman College Art Gallery. The Painted World brings together three dozen contemporary artists who use powerful words and push the boundaries of written language through the physical act of painting.

Forever Freestyle

Forever Freestyle features live performances by TKA, George LaMond, Judy Torres, Brenda K. Starr, The Cover Girls, Cynthia, Coro, Soave and C-Bank. Join on Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m.

Three Italian Tenors

This exhilarating and unique musical event features original arrangements to universally loved Italian song and tenor arias, presenting memorable melodies and themes performed by the incredible Italian Trio Tenors in a stunning program that voyages through nostalgia with favorite memorable classics.

Audiences will be captivated with this first concert tour of North America by the spectacular Three Italian Tenors. Takes place on Sunday, March 15, at 4 p.m.

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 Fan-

tastic’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 a New York City block 400 years ago. This runs from noon to 4 p.m., on March 14 and March 21.

At Derfner Judaica Museum

Envisioning the Sacred: Modern Art from the Collection

“Envisioning the Sacred: Modern Art from the Collection” features 49 prints, paintings, and drawings from the Museum’s permanent collection by 20th- and 21st-century artists working in a range of modernist styles — from figurative to abstract.

These 21 artists explore stories and characters from the Bible, represent Jewish observances and traditions, or take inspiration from language and legend. Many of the artists express their Jewish identities and relationships to Jewish communal experience through

their work.

For some, mysticism and quests for spiritual connection are essential features of their art. It runs until Sunday, June 21.

A Baker’s Dozen

The Kingsbridge Riverdale Van 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.

At the Kingsbridge Historical Society

At Edgehill, the Kingsbridge Historical Society will host four Thursday evenings in March for a community art project: the “Bronx 250th Tapestry.” As an update to the bicentennial quilts that were sewn in our area in 1976, this tapestry will represent our community, historic events, and landmarks. Only this time, no needle or thread is required to contribute.

Participants will work with teaching artist Tijay Mohammed and the KHS team to produce “squares,” which will all be stitched together later to form the larger tapestry which will be displayed at different venues in the community and preserved for future generations.

Sessions are on March 12, 19 and 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

At Riverdale Y

100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

A pair of ruby red slippers. A medieval manuscript. A Yiddish folk medicine prescription. These and 97 other objects comprise a new centennial coffee-table-book, 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, which chronicles modern Jewish history through 100 objects from the YIVO Archives and Library.

This gorgeously illustrated book highlights unique manuscripts, photographs, objects, and other ephemera with accompanying essays by 57 leading scholars.

Join the book’s editor, YIVO’s Director of Collections Stefanie Halpern, on Monday, March 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for a discussion that highlights how this book traces YIVO’s role in documenting key moments in modern Jewish history and culture through its 100 years of collecting.

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/c

March 12 at 4 p.m. — Transit and Transportation March 16 at 6:30 p.m. — Youth March 17 at 7:00 p.m. — Public

Gerald neuberg, md,

For

Kung-Ming Jan, md

For

david I. sahar, md

For

ronald Weissman, md

dylan Marshall, md For

3050

Opinion

Long COVID is sidelining millions of children

Sick, unseen and left behind. This is the reality for 10 percent to 20 percent of children previously infected with COVID-19.

What if we told you that in many school districts, hundreds of students are silently suffering from a condition that has left them barely able to get out of bed? That these children miss school at more than twice the rate of their peers? That they are twice as likely to struggle to learn, concentrate and remember?

What if we told you that these students suffer from depression at three times the rate of their healthy schoolmates? That, unlike the flu, their illness doesn’t dissipate with rest and time, and in many cases gets worse? That it can take months or years for a family to find a doctor who understands the disorder — and that when they do, that doctor often has no treatment to offer?

Tragically, this crisis is real, and almost no one is paying attention.

According to JAMA Pediatrics, a medical journal published by the American Medical Association, nearly 6 million children could be affected by long COVID — the little-understood condition that develops when a COVID-19 infection does not fully resolve. Formally known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, it is defined as symptoms that persist or newly arise more than three months after infection — and many of the 23 million Americans with long COVID have been suffering for over half a decade.

“Long haulers” experience a unique combination of more than 200 potential symptoms, including crushing fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, pain with no clear origin and immune dysfunction that standard blood tests cannot detect. The National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER Initiative determined that roughly 4 percent of children who contracted COVID-19 later develop the condition.

Harvard economists have estimated the total cost of long COVID to the United States at $3.7 trillion. For a family with a seriously affected child, navigating years of visits to specialists, lost parental income and insurance companies that routinely deny claims, the financial burden can easily reach six figures. This is not a minor post-pandemic inconvenience.

It is one of the largest ongoing public health and economic crises in American history.

A situation of this magnitude should be impossible to miss. School boards should have data. Superintendents should have plans. Doctors should have answers. Instead, these children are largely invisible — and the reasons are worth understanding. Long COVID carries no definitive diagnostic test, its symptoms overlap with conditions doctors are quicker to define, and families often spend a year or more cycling through specialists without answers. Many of these families suffer quietly at home, unaware of others going through the same thing, with no community, no organized voice, no constituency demanding to be heard.

Parents describe a particular kind of helplessness. They watch a child who was active, engaged and social withdraw from everything that once defined them. They fight insurance companies, drain savings and search online late at night for anything that might help. They sometimes pursue ineffective — and dangerous — therapies offered by unscrupulous people preying on their desperation. More than anything, they wait for a return to normalcy that medicine has not yet figured out how to deliver.

Without the training to recognize the symptoms of long COVID, too many educators mistake it for disengagement or a behavioral problem. It is neither.

Children are being left behind in ways that cannot always be recovered — the reading level never reached, the travel team never made, the Homecoming never attended, the college essay never written. Childhood has a timeline, and long COVID does not respect it.

This Sunday, March 15, is Long COVID Awareness Day. But awareness without action is futile. So let’s commit to making this the year long COVID gets the recognition, coverage and funding it so sorely needs. Our children deserve nothing less.

Letters to the editor

In defense of Ritchie Torres

To the editor, Your March 5, 2026, edition published a letter to the editor titled “Endorsing Ritchie Torres betrays the Bronx.” Why? Clearly it is because he backs Israel. The letter mentions Torres received backing from pro-Israel and pro-Jewish organizations and people. What does that and endorsing funds for weapons to the only democracy in the Middle East have to do with the Bronx? Perhaps Ritchie believes in backing the only country in the Middle East that accepts LGBTQ+ people. Does Hamas or Gaza or Hezbollah or Iran? Ritchie has been the same excellent representative from and for the Bronx since he was a young city council member. He has, and continues, to maintain an excellent record of representing his Bronx constituents. He doesn’t need “propping up.” His support of Israel is not a betrayal of the Bronx. Is that his only blemish? Apparently yes, per Clarke. Thank you, Ritchie. DAVID MALACH

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Trump’s dystopian use of ICE must be stopped

By Jeffrey Dinowitz

After Trump took office the first time, in 2017, I read the book “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis, a scary dystopian novel written in 1935. It portrayed the rise of a populist who campaigned for “traditional” American values and for the “forgotten man” who defeated President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936.

Among the measures he took on the way to fascism was to create a paramilitary force he called the Minute Men, whose loyalty was to him and not our country. I don’t want to overstate any comparisons between President Trump and this fictional character, but the creation of this personal, private army by “President Windrip” always stuck with me, especially now with the massive expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Billions of dollars were added to the ICE budget in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, the Department of Homeland Security said it increased the number of ICE agents and officers by 120 percent, from 10,000 to 22,000, and training was reduced from six months to 47 days.

Why is this important? Trump, in my opinion, turned ICE into a paramilitary force, his own private militia. They are creating fear and sowing chaos, not just in Minneapolis, but here and in communities around the country, making these communities less safe. They are clearly unqualified and not well-trained. Attacking innocent children and families

instead of criminals is not what most Americans want. No one, citizen or not, should be threatened by ICE in this way. ICE simply has no place in New York City. Trump’s ICE should not exist, period. We all saw the horrors that took place in Minneapolis. Innocent people being rounded up. Children detained. Violence. The execution by ICE officers of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Federal officials, including Stephen Miller — who I believe is a fascist — and Kristi Noem, among the worst of Trump’s horrible cabinet members, behaved in the most reprehensible ways. Both of them, the ICE agents who killed Good and Pretti, and other ICE agents who broke the law should all be held accountable. What should we do about this? It’s not good enough to spout meaningless and empty slogans. We need action. I’ve marched. I’ve attended No Kings Rallies. I have spoken out at protests against ICE and the Trump administration. I’ve supported Dylan Contreras, who formerly attended the ELLIS School on the Kennedy campus until he was scooped up by ICE. My office has and is partnering with other elected officials to host “Know Your Rights” events. And we have distributed bilingual “Know Your Rights” palm cards to people in my district. I won’t stop until we confront this threat to our values and safety. I support the governor’s push to limit ICE’s ability to carry out civil warrants in schools and houses of worship,

and I am fighting to pass the New York for All Act, which would make sure we’re not complicit in what ICE is doing. It would prohibit all local law enforcement and state agencies from working with ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. I co-sponsor legislation to prohibit New York National Guard units being deployed under the command of another state’s governor for military purposes – unless our governor has given permission. I co-sponsor the Access to Representation Act, which would create the right to counsel for all immigrants facing deportation, as well as the Dignity not Detention Act to terminate contracts between ICE and local jails and prohibit the use of state resources to incarcerate immigrants on behalf of ICE.

Action, not just words. We must be vigilant regarding ICE’s possible presence in our community, but we mustn’t fearmonger and spread misinformation that is both political and sows fear with our neighbors. My office remains proactive in protecting our community, especially including immigrant families. There is no doubt that our country is in crisis. Trump’s use of ICE is a major part of that. All concerned Americans — Democrats, Republicans and independents — should join together and take a strong stand against Trump’s use of ICE for his own political gain and self-aggrandizement. Jeffrey Dinowitz is the state assembly member for the 81st District.

When federal climate policy becomes unpredictable, two levers still matter

By Stephen Ditmore

I learned of the Trump administration’s repeal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Endangerment Finding in an email from Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, founder of the Jewish environmental organization Dayenu. That repeal is not an isolated act, but part of a broader pattern of federal actions that have made U.S. climate and transportation policy increasingly unpredictable, undermining progress on carbon emissions while favoring shortterm fossil-fuel interests.

That volatility stands in contrast to developments elsewhere. In December 2025, battery-electric vehicles in Europe, for the first time, outsold gasoline-only cars — a milestone reached through consistent, cumulative policy rather than regulatory whiplash. Markets respond not just to ambition, but to clarity.

California provides a domestic example of what that clarity looks like. Over several decades, diesel engines have been transformed by progressively tighter emissions standards, delivering dramatic reductions in soot, smog-forming nitrogen oxides and toxic pollutants. California’s approach has been to build on those gains. The state incorporates long-standing federal diesel standards as a baseline and

strengthens them through longer durability requirements, real-world emissions controls and fleet-level accountability.

Cleaner fuels are layered on top of cleaner engines. A majority of diesel fuel used in California’s trucking sector has shifted to renewable diesel — often called R99 or HVO — a hydrogen-treated fuel that can directly replace petroleum diesel. Because renewable diesel works within modern emissions-controlled engines, it preserves decades of air-quality progress while further reducing particulate emissions and lifecycle carbon intensity. This is cumulative progress, not a reset.

None of this is accidental. It reflects sustained leadership by the California Air Resources Board and its Low Carbon Fuel Standard — policies that are demanding, transparent and predictable. That predictability is precisely why automakers, engine manufacturers and fuel suppliers design to California’s standards, and why those standards increasingly shape markets far beyond the state’s borders.

New York therefore has a meaningful opportunity. By fully aligning our transportation and fuel policies with California’s, rather than pursuing fragmented alternatives, we can help anchor a large, standards-based market that drives technology deployment and

emissions reductions nationally — even in the absence of reliable federal leadership. The second lever is private capital. As federal oversight weakens, there is growing risk that environmental, social and governance investing becomes untethered from real environmental outcomes. Too many ratings systems emphasize financial risk management rather than measurable impact. For ESG to remain credible — and for capital to suppor t genuine emissions reductions — definitions must be policed and impact must matter. Climate-aligned investing can complement strong state policy, but only if the designation retains meaning.

Impact-oriented rating services, such as Climetrics and The Corporate Knights Global 100, exist, fortunately. Taken together, these two levers — predictable state regulation and impact-based private investment — remain powerful. They offer a path forward that does not depend on federal consistency, but on clarity, continuity and accountability. Those are choices New York can still make. Stephen Ditmore is a Riverdale resident and industrial designer who gets excited about new battery technologies and alternative fuels.

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HOME OF THE WEEK

Lee Moskof and Robin Tragni of Brown Harris Stevens Spacious three bedroom co-op with terrace and river-view

Asprawling three-bedroom co-op with sweeping river and city views has come to market at 2500 Johnson Avenue, 15G, offering generous space, abundant light and fullservice amenities for $895,000. The residence features three bedrooms and 2.5 baths across a thoughtfully designed layout. The apartment is bathed in natural light throughout the day while welcoming refreshing breezes and vibrant sunset views in the evening. From the private terrace, residents can take in open vistas overlooking the Harlem River and the surrounding skyline.

Inside, a spacious living and dining area provides ample room for entertaining, complemented by an eat-in kitchen ideal for casual meals. Storage is plentiful, with numerous closets throughout the home, including two walk-in closets. The combination of scale, layout and

light makes the property particularly appealing to buyers seeking both comfort and flexibility. The apartment is located within the Winston Churchill, a full-service cooperative known for its extensive amenities. Residents enjoy a fulltime doorman, a year-round indoor pool, a gym with locker rooms and saunas, a community room, indoor playroom and outdoor playground. Additional conveniences include storage, bike storage and central air conditioning. Parking is also available. The building is pet friendly and situated close to local and express bus lines, and Metro-North offering easy access to Manhattan and beyond. A monthly special assessment of $653.18 is in place through February 2030. With its combination of size, light, views and amenities, this apartment presents a rare opportunity in today’s competitive market.