Bomb plots, hate chants and Stella D'oro plant closing

2009

Sweetness fades

It was a tough year for the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area.

Four men came down from Newburgh, N.Y., in an alleged attempt to blow up two Riverdale synagogues on Independence Avenue in May. Police cars were sent to every synagogue in the local area to offer security to worshipers, and continue to faithfully appear every Saturday morning.

The men accused in the alleged plot face trial in 2010.

Other blows included the closing of the Stella D'oro bakery on Broadway after more than 70 years in operation.

A strike over wages and benefits went on for nearly a year before the National Labor Relations board decided that the company's owner, Brynwood Partners, had negotiated in bad faith. When the company was ordered to allow workers back into the plant under the threat of having to pay them back wages, Brynwood decided to close the factory and sell the brand. A deal that sent the brand name to Ohio was completed in October.

At PS 24, accusations against the principal began bubbling out in March.

Principal Philip Scharper was accused of conducting strange Buddhist rituals at the school, forcing teachers to participate in ceremonies and creating a list of teachers he hated. None of that was ever substantiated, but parent complaints about administrative matters began to crop up as attention was focused on the school.

Mr. Scharper never told his side of the story.

On May 18, Mr. Scharper was sent to a Department of Education administrative center, or "rubber room," and was removed as principal soon after. As of 2010, he is working as an assistant principal outside of District 10.

Also in 2009, plans for redeveloping the vacant Kingsbridge Armory into a giant mall ignited a battle over the importance of paying a living wage to the employees who would eventually work at the stores inside. When the City Council voted against the mall plan without a living- wage guarantee, Bronx lawmakers called it a victory for the borough.