Vol. 76, No. 11
Thursday, March 12, 2026
$1.00
Concerns abound as luxury senior home prepares to break ground
What’s inside?
Library funding cut
By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com
Public resources at stake Page A3
Olivia Young
Amalgamated Nursery School in Van Cortlandt Village applied to receive a 2-K program after receiving an email survey from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office.
St. Patty’s festivities Community members enjoy parade Page A5
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,
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. Continued on page A4
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. Continued on page A4
Stabbings Alexa Lewis, award-winning journalist, is the becoming new editor-in-chief of The Riverdale Press more common Barber on among wheels juveniles Staff Report
Van serves as mobile business Page A7
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
GARY JEAN-JUSTE
Continued on page A4
Alexa Lewis, an award-winning reporter from the Washington, D.C. area, is the new editor-in-chief of The Riverdale Press.
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 Continued on page A4