Bedford Park News: Residents Question Need for Monte’s Riverdale Comp...

Bedford Park News: Residents Question Need for Monte’s Riverdale Comp...: Residents Question Need for Monte’s Riverdale Complex Riverdale Report By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 7-  After disposi...

Residents Question Need for Monte’s Riverdale Complex

Residents Question Need for Monte’s Riverdale Complex

Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 7- After disposing of two applications for home alterations in the Special Nature area of Community Board 8 the meeting became very interesting. 

This month representatives of Montefiore Hospital and Simone Developers were on hand to discuss the progress of the proposed 11 story medical center on Oxford/Riverdale Avenues. The crowd was half the size of previous meetings on the subject, but they were as boisterous as in past meetings. Ms. Lynn Richmond the Chief of Staff of Montefiore Hospital and Mr. Jeffrey Moerdler the lawyer for Simone Developers were on hand, and by the end of the meeting you could almost see the scalping that was given to the two. Since Mr. Jeff Moerdler is a blood relative of CB 8 Land Use Chair Charles Moerdler this part of the meeting was turned over to the Vice-Chair to proceed.

Ms. Richmond (of Montefiore) started off by giving the statistics of how many people in CB 8 use one of the six locations in CB 8 that Montefiore Hospital runs. She said that Montefiore wants to consolidate these six sites into one site where their patients could receive full services rather than having to go to several different locations. She added that Montefiore has asked Simone Developers to find and build such a site.

Mr. Jeffrey Moerdler (representing Simone) said that he was not at the meeting with the local elected officials where there was a mix up in what Simone was going to do. He said that Simone is going to build the medical center, and that the plans were not withdrawn only put on hold. He added that no new plans for the medical center have been submitted as of yet, and that Simone is in dialogue with Montefiore to address the community concerns.

Vice-Chair Martin Wolpoff asked for the data that Montefiore speaks of the community needs, if Montefiore is wedded to this particular site on Oxford/Riverdale Avenues, or could this medical center be built at a different site in CB 8. Ms. Richmond responded by saying that Montefiore is looking at other options, has looked at other sites, but this is the best suited site for Montefiore in CB 8.

Four speakers who are residents around the proposed medical center spoke against the proposal. One said that two days after he moved in the demolition work started, one showed a photo of Oxford Avenue with snow drifts from the recent snow storms, one questioned the need for the medical center, and one was just against the proposal.

Since the state legislatures were in Albany only Councilman Andrew Cohen was on hand to say that both Montefiore and Simone appear to be working together to try to address the community and elected officials concerns, and had representatives at this meeting. Ms. Richmond responded that Montefiore has data showing that Riverdale is an under served in certain areas and in time for an appointment. She added that Montefiore has asked that the project be put on hold to listen to community concerns. Mr. Jeffrey Moerdler then explained as to why the Department of Buildings may have rejected the plans because of the hold and probable changes to the plans.

It was then time for the community board members to respond. A questions of vibrations during construction had no response. A question of the status of the demolition work was answered that the project is on hold, and to shouts from the audience that the house on Oxford Avenue was indeed demolished Mr. J. Moerdler said that he was unaware of it. A question of the board seeing the amended plans before presentation to the D.O.B. was answered YES. A question of another location on Broadway and West 236^th Street was answered that it is not a good site for Montefiore. A question as to where the six sites are was answered in Riverdale and Kingsbridge. A question of if Montefiore is committed to the Riverdale site how can they be looking at other sites was answered that Montefiore is committed to the Riverdale site. A question of funding was answered that Montefiore is not building the medical center Simone is, and that no government funding will be used since the site is not being classified as an under served site. To a statement that Simone is looking to lower the height of the building and having a vehicle entrance on Riverdale Avenue, Mr. J. Moerdler said yes.

The audience was then asked for comments. Former Councilman Oliver Koppell (whose wife is a real estate agent) asked if he found an alternate site would Montefiore consider that site. The answer was that right now Montefiore is working with Simone on the Riverdale site. He said that he uses the Montefiore site on Johnson Avenue, adding that if someone needs additional tests or services that they could go to another Montefiore site that would have that test or service. Koppell then appeared to put on his State Senate candidate hat by making a speech against the proposed site, and saying that if Montefiore does not go elsewhere the local elected officials should turn down any funding for Montefiore. Others spoke against the proposed medical center with a response by Ms. Richmond that some sort of administrative certificate would be needed for the medical center.

Do you have a location in Riverdale that you would to find this paper? If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column otr on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718- 644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Bedford Park News: Spring Events

Bedford Park News: Spring Events: Avoiding Scams and Fraud The Pelham Bay Library will be hosting a talk on how to avoid scams and fraud at 2 p.m. on March 15. The event...

Spring Events

Avoiding Scams and Fraud

The Pelham Bay Library will be hosting a talk on how to avoid scams and fraud at 2 p.m. on March 15. The event will be presented by Jay Stevens.

Statistics show that criminals scam victims out of billions of dollars every year using various types of fraudulent activities. Avoid becoming a victim yourself. Learn how to recognize the tricks of a con artist and the tell-tale warning signs of a scam.

All Public Library Programs are free of charge and are subject to cancellation without notice.

The New York Public Library's Money Matters series is made possible thanks to the generous support of McGraw Hill Financial.

The Pelham Bay Library is located at 3060 Middletown Road.

For more information: (718) 792-6744 

www.nypl.org

###

Lehman concerts heat up the boro

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts continues its amazing season with seven new shows added to its 2014 roster. 

The new shows include:

Saturday, March 15th- Salsa all-stars, the great Tito Rojas and Gammy Award winner Lalo Rodríguez heat up the stage in Duelo De Exitos, which is sure to have the audience singing and dancing. Produced by LehmanCenter and José Raposo.

Sunday, March 23rd- Hailed as the “pre-eminent guitarist of our time,” multiple Grammy award winner Sharon Isbin will be joined by the Brazilian virtuoso Romero Lubambo and jazz legend Stanley Jordon in Guitar Passions, an exquisite concert of Latin, Jazz & Brazilian guitar music. (Rescheduled from February 9th.)

Saturday, April 19th- The King of Blues is back in the Bronx when the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and multi-Grammy Award winning guitarist BB King lights up the stage with his trusty, lifelong companion Lucille.

Saturday, April 26th- An evening full of memories and great Salsa Romantica and Salsa Dura hits not to be missed as Paquito Guzman retires from the concert stage and celebrates his long, successful musical career in his Great Farewell Concert with the legendary La SelectaOrchestra with Raphy Leavitt. Produced by Lehman Center and José Raposo.

Saturday, May 10th- Light Your Fire on Mother’s Day weekend with Jose Feliciano when the legendary singer-composer and virtuoso guitarist performs an exhilarating mix of soft rock and Latin pop music.

Saturday, June 7th- An evening of songs of time, love and tenderness with the multiple Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton.

Saturday, June 21st- The exclusive NYC engagement of Invincible, A Glorious Tribute to the King of Pop honoring the greatest entertainer of all time as it that brings back the spirit and essence of seeing Michael Jacksonin a spectacular multi-media and live performance.

A complete listing of Lehman Center’s 2014 Spring Season Events is attached.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of LehmanCollege/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. 

Tickets for all shows can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm and beginning at12 noon on the day of the concert), or through 24-hour online access at www.LehmanCenter.org. 

###

Spring into season with activities

Despite the cold, Wave Hill is holding a series of events to welcome spring.

March 15- Family Art Project: The early bird get into the mobile

Look for the first returning birds and overwintering residents, along with early migrants passing through on their way north. Cut out their birdie shapes and hang and balance them to make a colorful, moving mobile. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

March 15- Tai Chi Chuan    

Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. 

March sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Register online and, day of, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) 

Online registration closes at 8 a.m. on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3 p.m. the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drops-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

March 15- Winter Workshop: Rephotography Scavenger Hunt 

Gain insight into Winter Workspace artist Brandon Neubauer’s creative process and explore the late winter landscape as a source of inspiration. 

Participants in this workshop will use printed photographs provided by the artist to juxtapose images they take of prominent trees and vistas with those taken of the same locations last summer and fall at Wave Hill. Each participant must bring their own camera or camera phone with the Instagram app and are encouraged to work in groups or pairs; all other materials are provided. 

Workshops are open to all visitors ages 12 and over when accompanied by an adult. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251. Free with admission to the grounds.

March 15- Garden Workshop: Terrariums 

Don’t have a garden or greenhouse? Create your own tabletop landscape with Assistant Director of Public Programs Laurel Rimmer. Tiny ferns, creeping fig and other tropical plants thrive in the humid conditions of an enclosed glass jar as if in their own miniature greenhouse. 

Create your own fanciful scene with a selection of diminutive plants, perfect for home or office. Ages eight and older welcome with an adult. $45/$35 Wave Hill Member per project. Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling (718) 549-3200 x251. 

March 16- Birding Boot Camp

Can you tell a catbird from a cowbird? New birders are invited to join expert birder, naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow to discover the many groups of birds that call New York City their home. 

Through images and a short lecture, Gabriel shares proven techniques to simplify bird identification using visual and audible clues. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds. (NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission.)  

Registration recommended, online at www.wavehill.org, onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center or by calling (718) 549-3200 x251

March 16- Meditaion 

This fall, take a moment to release stress and reconnect with your inner self while practicing meditation. 

Each session includes instruction in simple techniques followed by 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors. All levels welcome. Winter sessions are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. 

Registration opens online and onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center. (Reservations may not be made by telephone.) Online registration closes at 8 a.m. on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3 p.m. the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drops-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present a Member’s ID card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.

March 16- Garden Highlights Walk 

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Bedford Park News: Legionnaire’s Disease

Bedford Park News: Legionnaire’s Disease: Health Scare Panic or Coverup? Why Didn’t Officials Inform Community About 2 Confirmed Cases of Legionnaire’s Disease By Michael Horo...

Legionnaire’s Disease

Health Scare Panic or Coverup?

Why Didn’t Officials Inform Community About 2 Confirmed Cases of Legionnaire’s Disease

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 6- Two Co-op City shareholders living in a Section 5 building have come down with a severe form of pneumonia that bacteria in the building’s water system may have caused, Levi Fishman, deputy press secretary for the city’s Health Department confirmed this week.

The two who contracted the disease, both of whom live in Building 27, came down with Legionnaire’s Disease in May 2012 and June 2013, correspondence between the Health Department and the Riverbay Corporation has confirmed.

The Health Department’s suggested protocols for guarding against Legionnaire’s Disease, which can be fatal in as many as 15 percent of cases, calls for taking shower heads and water faucets in apartment apart and disinfecting them with bleach and maintaining specific temperatures in the building’s hot- and cold-water supply.

Management officials are insisting that there is no problem in any of Co-op City’s water systems, and Fishman said, this week, that there is no evidence of any current problem with the water that Co-op City’s shareholders use.

Fishman said, this week, that the suggested protocols for stopping the spread of Legionnaire’s Disease are suggestion only --- that the building’s management and shareholders are not required to follow them.

The News, after learning about possible cases of Legionnaire’s Disease in Co-op City from an informed source who wished to remain unidentified, waited for more than two weeks for Health Department officials to respond to the newspaper’s pointed and meticulously drafted questions.

Correspondence between the Health Department and the Riverbay Corporation, which Herbert Freedman first supplied to the News, confirmed that officials of both Co-op City’s management and the city’s Health Department have known about the potential health risk to shareholders in Building 27, where the two who contracted Legionnaire’s Disease lived, and Buildings 26 and 30, which are connected to the same water system, since at least Dec. 3 of last year.

An estimated 1,400 families use the water system that may be at issue. 

However, at this time, Fishman said that the Health Department can’t be sure that the victims of Legionnaire’s Disease got it from bacteria in their building’s water system or from other sources.

The Health Department is concerned about the water system serving Building 27 because the two Co-op City shareholders who contracted Leionnaire’s Disease live in that building.

In response to questions from the News, which Herbert Freedman found out about secondhand, the Co-op City official angrily accused the newspaper of spreading “panic” in the local community.

In response, Christopher Hagedorn, editor and publisher of the News, called Freedman’s charge outrageous, saying, “The people of Co-op City have a right to know what’s going on in their community. They certainly have a right to know about potential health risks. We have an obligation to alert shareholders to potential risks to their health once we confirm that they may exist.”

In an e-mail to the News, Freedman strongly indicated that information about a potential health risk from Legionnaire’s Disease should be withheld.

He stated, “Hate to mess up your lead story this week, but I am hoping you are responsible enough not to attempt to start a panic in coop (Co-op) City.”

In a direct response to Freedman, Hagedorn stressed, “We obviously have more confidence in the ability of the people of Co-op City to process information than Mr. Freedman does. We intend to report this extremely important story in the great traditions of the free press, which our nation’s Founding Fathers guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. We will not be silenced by diatribes or sarcastic comments from Herb Freedman or anyone else.”

Bedford Park News: Bundled Up Burglar Wanted

Bedford Park News: Bundled Up Burglar Wanted: Bundled Up Burglar Wanted By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 5- Provi...