Winner of Vol. 71, No. 16
What’s inside?
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Small businesses search for COVID-19 solutions of The Riverdale Press
The coronavirus knows no boundaries, which is quite evident in new map broken down by ZIP. Page A3
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With future in doubt By ANTHONY CAPOTE
Virus on the map
the Pulitzer Prize
When Jeff Garcia retired from the New York Police Department in 2015, he wanted follow his passions by starting his own business. Of course, doing that was easier said than done. But after Garcia brainstormed with one of his former partners from his cop days, they settled on two passions virtually everyone has in common: coffee and wine. Mon Amour Coffee and Wine was born at 234 W. 238th St., an establishment offering customers high-end brews by day, and a selection of fine wines by night. Throughout the day, Mon Amour offered breakfast and lunch op-
tions like Le Jeff, a pretzel croissant sandwich with ham, Gruyère cheese and red onions, which Garcia says is very popular. But that all changed, of course, after the coronavirus pandemic swept across the United States, hitting the Bronx particularly hard. Now Garcia, who made his home in Riverdale for a while before moving to Piermont in Rockland County, says he has lost close to 90 percent of his regular business. Unlike some restaurants across the city, Mon Amour cannot even offer delivery services for its customers, leaving the business instead to rely on diehard patrons to come get their coffee and sandwiches to go. “We closed for almost two
months and it’s been difficult,” Garcia said, although Mon Amour did reopen earlier this month. “Customers were really happy. They missed us. But you know, it’s still obviously very, very slow.” Garcia’s experience is not unique. Mom-and-pop shops across New York have suffered immensely since Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued statewide stayat-home orders last March. But while government officials at the federal, state and local levels debate over how and when to begin reopening the economy, small businesses like Mon Amour — especially in the Bronx — have taken a tremendous hit. So hard, in fact, Mon Amour is EATERIES, page A4
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
Nick Diakakis looks out from behind the counter at Tibbett Diner, which has struggled through the coronavirus pandemic. Tibbett offers takeout and delivery, but business is anything but normal.
Bringing down the house? Lehman
honors graduate claimed by COVID-19
Ringing support
By PATRICK LINDO plindo@riverdalepress.com
No senior is left alone during this crisis thanks to having the Riverdale Neighborhood House around. Page A9
JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL
A century-old home on Sedgwick Avenue worth just $31,000 two decades ago sold for $1.25 million earlier this month, prompting speculation it will be razed for an apartment building that could climb as high as eight stories, based on current zoning.
Here only in spirit With primary looming, Eliot Engel catches up on why he’s not camping out in the Bronx like the rest of us on lockdown. Page A11
New owner of Sedgwick Avenue home has history of making waves in Bronx By MICHAEL HINMAN mhinman@riverdalepress.com
Kingsbridge Heights was a very different place when the first family moved into 3377 Sedgwick Ave., at the turn of the 20th century. Just a few years before, the vast plot of land on the other side of Sedgwick was the original home of the Belmont Stakes thoroughbred horse race, and had yet to be transformed into the Jerome Park Reservoir as we know it today. Buildings were no taller than a couple stories, and it was inside a city that was barely a year old. Time has not been kind to the home
as the neighborhood surrounding it changed dramatically from rural countryside to park-front urban. Yet, the home — featuring a prominent hexagonal tower out front — survived, even if not exactly well kept. But there’s a good chance the home is on its CHARLES way to becoming nothing MOERDLER but history after a developer known for various apartment buildings in the Bronx shelled out $1.25 million to make it his own, likely quite interested
in the fact it’s on property that allows a multifamily building that could rise as high as 75 feet. Anton Tinaj, a partner with Arberia & Associates, introduced himself to the neighborhood last week with reported yard and building work that earned complaints from both the city’s building and environmental protection departments. “It was about noon, and I heard a noise,” said one neighbor, who asked not to be named in an effort to keep the peace. “I got to my bedroom and looked out the window, and I’m following the noise. It’s coming from the roof. These guys are hitting the SEDGWICK, page A4
For many college students, May is the month of commencements and graduation speeches. But then again, this is 2020, and it’s no typical year with the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the glamour of the pomp and circumstance surrounding finally getting that degree is lost. Nonetheless, the cheer remains. Social media is LENIN filled with photos PORTILLO from graduates posing in their gowns and caps, standing in their backyards instead of a commencement stage. While the virus has taken away a milestone moment for many, it’s not the only thing some families have lost: the graduates themselves. It’s a sobering thought about people who were not able to make it to that special day for one reason or another, something that is a harsh reality even at Lehman College. The school has awarded three posthumous degrees to its Class of 2020, including one student who died just last month due to complications from COVID-19. Lenin Portillo was personable, intelligent, with a positive disposition, according to members of Lehman’s sociology department, where he studied. Thomas Conroy taught the 37-year-old in an evening class a few semesters back. Like many night school students, Portillo juggled a number of burLEHMAN, page A4
Wh
Eviction freeze is nice, but some want rent freeze, too By KIRSTYN BRENDLEN kbrendlen@riverdalepress.com
Since before the Obama administration ended, unemployment has been so low, at below 4 percent, it seemed anyone who wanted a job could get one. The coronavirus changed that, however, with figures jumping to more than 14 percent in April — its highest since the Great Depression. Millions are out of work, and even with financial help from the federal government, many still can’t pay bills — like rent. Gov. Andrew Cuomo suspended a landlord’s ability to evict someone for non-payment of rent during the coronavirus crisis, but lawmakers and housing activists say
that’s not enough, calling for the state to outright suspended rent for the duration of the pandemic. “The central point for our organization, and our members, is that rent be canceled and suspended,” said Ava Farkas, executive director of the Met Council on Housing. “When I say cancel and suspend, that’s like, interchangeable. To us, it means the same thing. It means people would be free of their obligation to pay rent during the four months of this pandemic. Four months, or however long this pandemic lasts — whichever is longer.” While no one can be kicked out of their homes for anything related to the coronavirus, once the crisis ends, there’s nothing EVICTION, page A4
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JULIUS CONSTANTINE MOTAL / File
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera supports suspending rent for those unable to pay and who fear eviction at the end of a moratorium enacted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.