Vol. 76, No. 30
Thursday, July 23, 2026
$1.00
What’s inside?
Environmentalists raise alarm over rising heat By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Music, identity and faith Riverdale Temple welcomes new rabbi Page A3
GARY JEAN-JUSTE
The 7einberg Center for Elder Justice has partnered with nonprokt Safe HoriZon to broaden the Service 0rovider Elder Abuse Coordination Helpline.
Local elder abuse hotline expands service across precincts Community bounty Kids learn by running local farmstand Page A5
Bolstering the Bronx How Camelia Tepelus has shaped a community Page A6
By Michelle Mullen mmullen@riverdalepress.com
The Weinberg Center for Elder Justice located at RiverSpring Living, 5901 Palisade Ave, has expanded its Service Provider Elder Abuse Coordination Helpline, or SPEACH, to every New York City Police Department precinct. The initiative is a partnership with Safe Horizon, the largest victim advocacy nonprofit in the nation. The consultation line connects crime victim advocates embedded in precincts with elder abuse specialists who can help navigate the legal, medical and social issues unique to cases with older adults. The expansion builds on the program’s rollout last fall in the city’s five
Family Justice Centers, where advocates now regularly consult Weinberg staff on elder abuse cases. Safe Horizon’s Crime Victim Assistance Program places at least one advocate in every NYPD precinct to help victims understand their options, whether they ultimately decide to pursue criminal charges or not. The program grew out of the Domestic Violence Police Program, first established in 1984, and expanded citywide in 2015 and 2016. According to the New York City Department for the Aging, roughly 15 percent of New Yorkers over age 60 experience some form of mistreatment. By extending the partnership into precincts, older adults entering the criminal justice system will
receive more specialized support before critical decisions are made, said Dierdre Lok, director and managing attorney at the Weinberg Center. “This was a big launch for us because it affects a wide geographic range and area, and it is enhancing and further developing a relationship that we had already begun in terms of training on elder abuse and elder mistreatment,” she said, adding abuse cases involving older adults are often more complex than a single criminal act. In 2022, the NYPD responded to more than 19,000 domestic incidents involving victims aged 60 and older. Yet advocates estimate only one in 24 older adults experiencing abuse ever sought professional HOTLINE on page A4
With another stretch of summer heat pushing air conditioners into overdrive, environmentalists are questioning whether New York’s electrical systems can withstand a drastically warming climate. The concern goes beyond keeping the lights on. Electricity powers hospitals, subways, and drinking water and wastewater plants alike. Environmentalists say the July 4 failure at the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant, which sent tens of millions of gallons of partially treated wastewater into the Hudson River, according to Westchester County, showed what happens when that infrastructure is pushed to its limits. Robert Fanuzzi, president of the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, called it a warning, saying hotter summers and a growing population mean demand for power increasingly tests the systems everyone depends on. He believes New York is entering an era in which rising demand for power could increasingly test the resilience of its infrastructure. Con Edison appears to be preparing for that future, announcing a $3.9 billion investment in May to strengthen its electric delivery system in New York City and Westchester County. Demand is expected to reach 12,690 megawatts next summer, the utility said, nearing its alltime record of 13,322 megawatts set during the 2013 heat wave. Demand is rising even without hotter summers, said Karen Argenti, a Bronx Council for Environmental Quality member. The department of city planning said the city’s population is projected to approach nine million by 2055, putting significant strain on existing energy systems. The Bronx alone is projected to reach roughly 1.65 million people, according to the department. “The problem is the bad weather, crazy weather, very hot, extremely hot weather, and the high need for electricity,” Argenti said. “You do have to bring in more electricity because you have more people. So there’s a double thing.” HEAT on page A4
Police respond UMSV announces new approach to to claims of pursuing trade school and degrees lacking action on car theft By Michelle Mullen
mmullen@riverdalepress.com
By Olivia Young oyoung@riverdalepress.com
As the issue of stolen cars and car parts persists across greater Riverdale, some residents are critiquing what they believe is a lack of New York City Police Department action. But police told The Press solving the problem is not so simple. Riverdale-based filmmaker Lisa Stockton-Wilson has been taking initiative, and rallying neighbors to document their incidents of car and car part theft on a shared spreadsheet. She intends to deliver the list — which recorded 11 incidents as of July 17 — to elected officials and demand an increase in neighborhood police patrol. Twenty-six incidents of grand larceny auto were reported in the 50th Precinct— which patrols Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Kingsbridge and Marble Hill — in the last month, according to the NYPD’s crime stats through July 12. In the last year, 146 incidents were reported through July 12, according to police. “Why aren’t they protecting us?” Stockton-Wilson asked about the police. “Why are they just letting this happen? We pay our taxes like ever yone else.” Stockton-Wilson had the catalytic converter stolen out of her Mazda6 in late June. According to a complaint filed to the police, the incident occurred June 20 in front of 5914 Riverdale Avenue at 12:26 p.m. Stockton-Wilson recalled starting up her car, and hearing a “rocket-ship loud” noise, as if the car was about to explode. Perpetrators want catalytic converters CAR THEFT on page A4
Courtesy Jim Malatras
Apex Technical School offers training in electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, welding, construction and automotive technology.
The University of Mount Saint Vincent, or UMSV, and Apex Technical School are joining forces to bring skilled trades training to the university’s Riverdale campus, creating a pathway for students to combine technical credentials with a college education. The partnership comes as more students rethink the traditional four-year college path. Enrollment at trade-focused public two-year colleges has jumped nearly 20% since 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Even as undergraduate enrollment numbers drop across the country, the research center found, these vocational-focused institutions made up close to a fifth of all public two-year enrollment last year. Omar Acevedo, post-secondary program manager for Riverdale Neighborhood House’s Teen Program, said he has watched that shift play out firsthand during his nearly nine years helping students plan for life after high school. Rather than asking where they want to attend college, many now ask what career a particular educational path will lead to, while families are paying closer attention to tuition costs, scholarships and “return on investment.” He said careers as electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and welders are increasingly viewed as respected, wellpaying professions rather than backup options. “I feel like students don’t see college and the trades as mutually exclusive,” Acevedo said. “Some are interested in earning certifications first and then pursuing the degree later on.” Mount Saint Vincent’s partnership with Apex aims to meet that changing mindset by breaking down what educators describe TRADES on page A4