Neighborhood News Check

Park Avenue Christian Church has finally separated from its day school, ending a contentious period with school parents.

School separation deal now done

New York Post: Following Park Avenue Christian Church's decision to sell its five-story annex, Park Avenue Day School and the church have officially separated. The move takes the day school over to the Upper West Side. "We are so pleased to begin this new chapter for Park Children's Day School," said Betsy Newell, executive director of the non-profit day school. The separation dictated that the school keeps its assets, as well as $1 million from the real estate deal. It is now known as Park Children's Day School.

Slain Bus Driver's Family Wants Stiff Penalty

NY1: The family of bus driver William Pena, an Upper West Sider who died earlier this month when his bus was struck by a stolen truck in Greenwich Village, hopes that a maximum penalty will be secured. Dominic Whilby, the alleged driver of the truck, was believed to be intoxicated at the time. "What we're looking for is the maximum sentence, the maximum charges," said Pena's partner Nancy Rodriguez. "We want justice. We don't want William's memory to be forgotten." A memorial was held in the Upper West Side last week.

Rent-Stabilized Tenants Barred From Gym

DNAinfo.com: Stonehenge Village, an apartment complex on the Upper West Side, recently constructed a new gym on its ground floor, but has only made it accessible to market-rate residents. "The rest of the tenants, who are rent-stabilized and represent the majority of tenants, are forbidden from using the facility," said resident Danny Perry. "It's segregation." Residents of Stonehenge were not notified of the restrictions before the completion of the gym.

Bike Lane Targeted By NYPD

New York Post: A rarely used bike lane frequented by double-parked trucks is being targeted by the NYPD. The bike path in question runs from West 110 Street down to West 77 Street. Sources told the Post that the ticketing began 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. "Bike lanes get in the way everywhere. If there's a bike lane then there's nowhere to park," said Rubin Estevez, a truck driver who was ticketed.

Verizon Problems Continue on UWS

West Side Rag: Internet and landlines were a problem for Verizon users on the Upper West Side. "We have not had Verizon land line service for over a week and projected repairs suggest more than two weeks. This has affected hundreds of locals," says Jay Potter, who lives on West 98th street. "The outage has affected most people in my building." There have even been reports of 911 calls being routed to New Jersey, though Verizon has deflected blame to the city and public-safety answering point.