Fieldston designated historic district

2006

Neighbor vs. neighbor

This was a contentious year for the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area. Mt. St. Vincent and Manhattan colleges broke off a cooperative agreement that had lasted for 40 years, allowing students to use lab space and other facilities on both campuses. The reason for the split was never made public.

In the Jewish community, two polarizing figures at Riverdale Temple broke the congregation apart. Rabbi Steven Burton and Cantor Leslie Friedlander both had supporters within the synagogue, The Riverdale Press reported, but they found it impossible to work together.

Both of their contracts were up for renewal in 2006, and a vote was called for among the congregation. Both Rabbi Burton and Cantor Friedlander received majority support in separate ballots, so the synagogue offered new contracts to them. When the cantor accepted, the rabbi moved on. With him went a group of his supporters.

A new congregation was formed, Shaarei Shalom, and Rabbi Burton was chosen to lead it. Despite fears both synagogues wouldn't be able to survive on their own, both are still active as of this date.

Another source of controversy was finally resolved in 2006. Fieldston was declared an historic district by the New York City Council in a near-unanimous vote, over the vocal protests of many Fieldston homeowners.

This was also the year that the man behind construction of the tower on Tulfan Terrace, James Murray, was indicted for fraud and fled the country, leaving only a stalled skeleton looming above Riverdale Avenue.

Also in 2006, three new schools began accepting students including the Ampark School in Van Cortlandt Village and the two schools formed in the space that once housed MS 143: the Marie Curie School for Medicine, Nursing and the Health Professions and the New School for Leadership and Journalism, MS 244.