KRVC planning a 'modest' 2019 calendar

With the last-minute cancellation of its Johnson Avenue street festival in its rearview mirror, the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corp., is moving forward with a series of planned fall events after getting updates on different grants awarded to the civic organization recently.

Its Club KRVC cultural event will move forward for Oct. 18 and Nov. 15, as will an Oct. 23 networking event at The Riverdale Y, as well as holiday parties on Oct. 31 and Dec. 16.

KRVC just finalized a $250,000 grant from the Empire State Development Corp., according to executive director Tracy McCabe Shelton, that was earmarked for KRVC by state Sen. Jeffrey Klein. The group also was awarded $28,000 in discretionary funding through Councilman Andrew Cohen.

Shelton and her crew already are working on 2019’s calendar, but she warns it won’t be what people are used to.

“It will be a very modest calendar compared to previous years,” she wrote in an update to the community. “But we can always add events and programs if and as we receive the funds to do so.”

Also up in the air are whether KRVC can install holiday lights in Riverdale’s commercial corridors, a decision Shelton says will have to be made sooner rather than later.

Despite this influx of cash, there are still more changes to come, Shelton warned, admitting she is exploring other “staff and program modifications in the coming weeks and months.”

KRVC has received a large chunk of its funding in the past from Klein, who was able to direct extra money to his district thanks, in part, to his Independent Democratic Conference, a group of breakaway Democrats in the senate who caucused with Republicans.

Klein dissolved the IDC earlier this year and pledged to support Democratic leadership. However, he was defeated earlier this month in the Democratic primary by Alessandra Biaggi, although he will appear on the November ballot representing the Independent Party line.

Shelton told The Riverdale Press after last week’s cancellation of the street fair that money is now an issue, but remains hopeful those issues can be worked out.

Subway stations could get an extra personal touch

Feeling a little ignored at the subway station?

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority believes they may have solved that with the introduction of group station managers — a new position designed to help improve customer service.

Each manager will be responsible for all aspects of customer service and station environment for a group of stations that could be as high as 25 each, according to a release.

Among other responsibilities, they will personally inspect stations, looking out for cleanliness, safety and other issues.

Previous managers were typically responsible for more than 100 stations each, making it near impossible to give personalized service, officials said.