Volume 2/ Issue 5 Black Westchester December 2018

VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 5

COMPLIMENTARY

Unapologetically Delivering News To Communities Of Color in Westchester & Surrounding Areas

BLACK WESTCHESTER

FEATURES

WOMEN OF COLOR

DECEMBER 2018

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

K C A BL

R E T S E H WESTC ERS...

REMEMB

ARE THE FASTEST GROWING GROUP OF ENTREPRENEURS

BY AJ WOODSON

PAGE 15

PAGE 14

BLACK WESTCHESTER SALUTES

DA URBAN SPOON - BLACK OWNED RESTAURANTS PAGES 16-17 BLACK OWNED BOUTIQUES PAGE 21 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PAGE 20 BLACK OWNED BAKERIES PAGE 19 PAGE 8

KNOWING THE VALUE OF YOUR BUSINESS

BY RASHAD BILAL PAGE 22

GREAT GIFTS FOR THE LADIES

PAGE 26

FOR BLACKS WHO CARRY LEGAL FIREARMS:

BW HEALTH & WELLNESS:

THINK TWICE BEFORE DRAWING OFFERING A HEALTHY YOUR WEAPON IN PUBLIC ALTERNATIVE IN THE HOOD

BY DAMON K. JONES PAGE 18 PAGE 23

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2 BLACK WESTCHESTER

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

DECEMBER 2018

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DECEMBER 2018

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

BLACK WESTCHESTER 3

CHARTER SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE A FREE REGIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS Kindergarten to 9th Grade We welcome English Language Learners and Special Education Students

260 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, New York 10701 914-476-5070 Visit our website at www.charterschoolofeducationalexcellence.org

Designated as a REWARD SCHOOL FOR 2014-2018 by the New York State Department of Education

We are accepting new student applications for Grades K-9

Estamos aceptando solicitudes para los grados K-9

INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS: NOVEMBER 15, 2018 AT 9AM DECEMBER 12, 2018 AT 2PM JANUARY 9, 2019 AT 5PM FEBRUARY 12, 2019 AT 9AM MARCH 6, 2019 AT 5PM

SESIONES INFORMATIVAS: noviembre 15 del 2018 a las 9:00AM diciembre 12 del 2018 a las 2:00PM enero 9 del 2019 a las 5:00PM febrero 12 del 2019 a las 9:00AM marzo 6 del 2019 a las 5:00PM

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 26, 2019 at 4:00PM LOTTERY DATE: April 9, 2019 For an application or more information please call 914-476-5070 Ext. 4

LA FECHA LIMITE PARA ENTREGAR LA SOLICITUD DEL SORTEO ES EL DIA 26 DE MARZO A LAS 4:00PM LA LOTERIA SE LLEVARA A CABO: 9 DE ABRIL DEL 2019

Para obtener informacion llame al 914-476-5070 Ext. 4

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4 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BLACKWESTCHESTER.COM

DECEMBER 2018

THE URSULINE SCHOOL New Rochelle, NY | 914.636.3950 | ursulinenewrochelle.org

www.ursulinenewrochelle.org

Educate Inspire Empower

An independent Catholic, college preparatory school for girls, grades 6 through 12

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAM Saturday, December 8, 2018 | Register on our website

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DECEMBER 2018

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

BLACK WESTCHESTER 5

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK Founded in 2014 by DAMON K. JONES AJ WOODSON Published by URBANSOUL MEDIA GROUP 455 Tarrytown Rd., Suite 1318 White Plains, NY 10607 (914) 979-2093 www.BlackWestchester.com

Email:

BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter: @BlkWestchesterM Instagram: @BlackWestchester Facebook: /BlackWestchesterMagazine

Publisher DAMON K. JONES @DamonKJones

Editor-In-Chief AJ WOODSON

@BWEditorInChief

Mistress Of Information Brenda L. Crump News Reporters/ Writers AJ Woodson Damon K. Jones Cynthia Turnquest-Jones Rashad Bilal Priscilla Echi Lorraine Lopez Zachery Gates II Samantha Hunter Paul Feiner André Wallace A’tif K. Coleman Photographers AJ Woodson Shane Samuels

As Publisher of Black Westchester Magazine (BW), I would like to thank everyone for their support of our efforts to bring information to the people of Westchester County. As we embark on a new chapter for BW, we hope to continue to empower the reader on issues in their communities.

Independent media like BW has become more than a mere institution; instead, the independent media acts as a direct participant in the traditional three-branch system of governance.

What many fail to realize is that independent media serves a fundamental role in making democracies run efficiently, even though there are frequent clashes. Independent media system thus often “reflects the political philosophy in which Democracy indeed functions”.

This being said, BW will not be disregarded as a trivial player in the responsibilities of being a check and balance system in the political process of the Black Communities of Westchester.

BW’s purpose is not only to address the political process that affects the everyday lives of communities of colour in Westchester County. BW’s mission has also been to shine a light on the brilliant culture, morals, values and elegant lifestyle of Black people. It’s time to change the narrative on how Black people are perceived in media.

As Publisher of BW, our doors are open to the public. From the publication, the website, our radio show and now the newspaper; our doors are open to the people. We do not do this for any grander position or status; we do it for the people.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Welcome to the Decemeber 2018 - Small Business Edition of Black Westchester.

With all the talk about Small Business Saturday, the day after Thanksgiving, we wanted to dedicate this issue to all our Small Business, all the B.O.B.’s - Black Owned Businesses. While space would not allow us to include every B.O.B. in Westchester County and the surrounding area, I reached out the the staff, supporters and some of the readers to let me know their favorite B.O.B.s, the ones they frequent and think we should include.

The response was overwhelming, we will have to do a part two, but we included as many as we could, and as many different kinds of businesses as well. Prayerfrully it will educaed the consumer about the many businesses in the area and also lead to more business for the businesses as well. We must support our Black Owned Businesses and recyle our dollars and all you businesses dont forget about us when you spend your advertising dollars hint hint.

Also we wanted to celebrate the life of the incredible Dr. Olivia J. Hooker who passed away Wednesday, November 21st (page 14), she is Black History and while her funeral was greatly overshadowed by the national day of mourning for the 41st President, Black Westchester wanted to celebrate OUR national treasure.

We hope you enjoy this issue and use it as a guide when out shopping for the holidays but more importantly all year long not just during the holidays or Black History Month #SupportBlackBusinesses #BlackBusinessMatter Thank you to all our supporters, advertisers, distributors, writers, photographers, editors and everyone who had a hand in us bringing you another edition on Black Westchester.

Send us your feedback and let us know what you think of this issue and let us know subjects / topics you would like to see us cover in the future by sending an email to BlackWestchesterMag@gmail.com.

Peace and Blessings AJ Woodson Editor-In-Chief

Graphic Designers AJ Woodson Paula S. Woodson/ PS Visually Speakin’ For Advertising Rates AdvertiseWithBW@gmail.com Letters To The Editor BWEditorInChief@gmail.com

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6 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW NEWS

DECEMBER 2018

WCDOC DEP COMMISH LOUIS MOLINA ON NYS AG TISH JAMES TRANSITION TEAM

FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL LORETTA LYNCH ANNOUCED AS ONE OF TRANSITION COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS NEW YORK -- Attorney General-Elect Letitia ‘Tish’ James announced the members of her Transition Committee, Thursday, November 29 which included Westchester County Department of Correction 1st Deputy Commissioner Louis A. Molina. James selcted 36 individuals who will help identify strong candidates for positions and establish policy recommendations for the Attorney General’s Office. The Transition Committee is a diverse group of experts in law, academia, and government hailing from areas throughout New York State.

Louis Molina is a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and currently serves as the highest ranking Latino in Law Enforcement in Westchester County. With over twenty years of experience in the public and private sector, namely in the criminal justice arena having uniquely worked in policing, the District Attorney’s office and corrections, which complemented his work in the field of human services assisting the homeless population. Louis is an expert in facilitating change, managing initiatives and has a one-of-a-kind perspective having served all areas of the criminal justice system.

“I am immensely proud to represent Westchester County and our Corrections Department on the Attorney General-elect’s transition team,” Molina tells BW. “This opportunity to serve with some of the top legal and law enforcement minds in the State will provide me the chance to further my own knowledge and practices while also working to better our entire statewide criminal justice system.”

In the past two weeks, Attorney General-Elect Letitia James, the first AfricanAmerican woman to be elected as New York’s top law enforcement officer announced the Co-Chairs of her Transition Committee which included former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, the second African-American, the second woman and the first African-American woman to be confirmed for the position.

“The Attorney General’s Office is on the frontlines of justice, equality, and protection for all New Yorkers. Those guiding the office must exemplify the highest standards of legal acumen and dedication to public service. Attorney General-Elect Letitia James has convened an outstanding Committee with a wealth of legal talent and depth of commitment and, together, we will ensure that this office is ready to serve on day one,” said former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Other Co-Chairs of her transition team include former New York State Attorney General Bob Abrams; the Honorable Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals; Julissa Reynoso, Partner at Winston & Strawn and former United States Ambassador to Uruguay; and Dean of Syracuse University College of Law Craig Boise.

BY AJ WOODSON

“It is an honor to have such a diverse and deeply talented Transition Committee helping to guide the priorities of this office,” Attorney General-Elect Letitia James shared in a statement. “As experts in a wide array of relevant fields and hailing from every corner of the Empire State, New Yorkers from all walks of life should be confident that their interests and rights will be well represented.”

Other members of Tish James Transition Committee include: Baher Azmy, Marnie Berk, Matthew L. Biben, Raymond H. Brescia, T. Andrew Brown, Robert L. Capers, Andrew G. Celli, Steven Choi, Vincent E. Doyle III, John Dunne, Allen I. Fagin, Robert B. Fiske, Jr., Dora Galacatos, Natalie M. Gomez-Velez, Gurbir Grewal, Elizabeth Holtzman, Amin Kassam, Kevin Law, Peter Lehner, Howard A. Levine, Sarah Ludwig, Kathryn Grant Madigan, Lillian M. Moy, Denise O’Donnell, Carol O’Rourke Pennington, Karen K. Peters, Sharon M. Porcellio,Lynn Poster-Zimmerman, Pablo Quiñones, Richard Rifkin, Barry Charles Scheck, Shira A. Scheindlin and Alan van Capelle.

“I congratulate Attorney General-Elect James on assembling a luminous list of lawyers from all parts of the state with distinguished and diverse backgrounds in the law to assist in the transition. I look forward to working with them in this important effort,” said former New York State Attorney General Bob Abrams.

Letitia A. “Tish” James made history November 6th as the first African-American woman elected to statewide office and the first Black person in the state of New York to ever hold the office of attorney general.

James was most recently the New York City Public Advocate before she decided to launch her campaign bid for attorney general. The 59-year-old secured major endorsements, support from voters, dominated conversations on Twitter and received attention via national polls and other news reports.

“This campaign was never really about me or any of the candidates who ran,” James said on the People Before Politics Radio Pre-Primary Show, Sunday, September 9th. “It was about the people, but mostly it was about that man in the White House who can’t go a day without threatening our fundamental rights.”

In addition to dealing with President Trump. his family and the Trump Foundation, James will oversee the coruption case against Mount Vernon Mayor Richard W. Thomas. Mayor Thomas was arrested and arraigned the morning of Monday, March 12th on criminal charges including grand larceny as part of a corruption probe by the New York State Attorney General’s Office into campaign finance irregularities.

PATRIOT BANK & JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PARTNER BRING WESTCHESTER TEENS

“A DAY OF FINANCIAL LITERACY” AND CAREER MENTORING

Westchester high schoolers are gaining some much-needed financial literacy

skills, including learning to balance budgets, build credit, pay for college, and save for retirement with lessons and insight from finance and banking experts.

Over 20 students from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers were invited to Patriot Bank’s Scarsdale branch for “A Day of Financial Literacy and Bank Career Mentoring” as part of national nonprofit Junior Achievement’s Job Shadow Program to help young people plan for their futures.

Students received a tour of the bank, got to see a live demonstration of the latest interactive video live banker ITM machines, and participated in mock career interviews and a financial literacy presentation led by Patriot Bank Vice President/Branch Manager Kathleen M. Reilly.

Patriot Bank top executives including President Richard Muskus, Jr. and other leaders all pitched in to support the important learning initiative.

“Patriot Bank is focused on the important goal of increasing financial literacy for young people in the communities we serve’, said Patriot Bank

President Richard Muskus, Jr. “In years past if you taught children to save heir dollars and cents, the rest would follow, but now we are in a more complex world of debit and credit cards, spending on iTunes and Apple Pay, Venmo and costly annual cell phone plans. This program is about opening their eyes about how to successfully manage their financial lives and help create a fiscally strong future.”

“Exposure to real world decision making and career planning is so important for today’s young people. We are thrilled that our partners at Patriot Bank are joining us in a JA Job Shadow and teaching local students all about careers in finance and banking,” said Joseph A. Peri, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of New York.

“Educating younger generations on the most effective ways to manage money is so important,” said bank Vice President and Branch Manager Kathleen M. Reilly. “We want to set up young people for great success in the future. We are not just teaching them money management, we are teaching them how to succeed in a 21st century global digital economy.”

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DECEMBER 2018

ACROSS WESTCHESTER

BLACK WESTCHESTER

7

THE MOUNT VERNON REVIEW WITH COUNCILMAN ANDRÉ WALLACE A SEASON OF MOMENTS

As we near the end of another year, it is an appropriate time to reflect upon the moments we all hold near and dear in our hearts and minds. We store our loving memories in a place that has no space or time and yet it always seems to remain with us.

Time flows like a gentle running stream without end pasting a stone on the shore. In that realization, the priceless moments we let go unnoticed come back to us. As human beings, we must learn to cherish each day, love every moment, and enjoy this ride called life. Too much of our lives is spent arguing over who’s wrong or right instead of focusing on solutions that makes it possible to create great achievement.

I was taught to never miss out on the moments that truly define what life is about. The amazing sunsets that take your breath away, leaving us speechless and yet descriptive in a way that words could never say. That moment you first heard someone say, “I love you” and how it took your breath away, or the first time you were touched in a very affectionate way. Can you remember that moment you first fell in love? That ultimate form of vulnerability surrendered between one another, like a bond between a child and its mother, nothing more meaningful, nothing stronger.

It’s those moments when a rainbow appears, how we forget about the rain and our eyes light up like children on Christmas day. It’s those moments that create memories to help us through our darkest times, thoughts not of what we have, but with whom we

share our lives. Those special moments bringing tears of joy to our eyes by inspiring thoughts of hope that make us realize everything is going to be all right.

I remember the moment I got my first bike and how my father spent time teaching me how to ride it. Looking back, I recognize those moments were more than just teaching me how to ride a bike; he was showing me how to raise a child. The lesson I was learning at a young age showed me that the bike wasn’t as important as the time I spent with my father learning how to ride it. Although that little blue bike with the banana seat and streamers is long gone, it is the moment that has ceaselessly remained for a lifetime.

Life is short and, before you know it, another decade will have passed us by in the blink of an eye. Don’t wait until it’s too late to create a season of moments with those who matter most. As we get older, we soon realize those wrinkles on our faces aren’t from age, but from a lifetime of laughter and smiles shared between one another – from the moments that brought light to our world, a little bit at a time.

Someday, we’ll turn to our final chapter and script our very last page. And, at that moment, we will have said all we have to say. All that will be left to cherish are those memories of those moments spent with those who meant so much to us.

Wishing you and yours a pleasant and safe holiday season, one filled with truly special and lasting moments.

THE GREENBURGH REPORT

BY PAUL FEINER

I am so sad! Less than a year ago Lois Bronz, the first African American woman to serve as Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, passed away. And in late October parents and teachers who send their children to the Lois Bronz Children’s Center in Greenburgh or teach at the center have told me that there are lots of problems at the center –bugs being found in food, inaccessible administrators, teachers who are passionate about the children being replaced and treated horribly. I met with parents and teachers who articulated their concerns. I am worried about the long term future of the center.

I would like to invite the LBCC Board of Directors and administrators to meet with the Town Board at an upcoming work session. I have written to the Board asking for a meeting.

I also request that the Lois Bronz Children’s Center Board consider appointing as a voting board member a Town Board member and a parent selected by the parents. Years ago parents were represented on the Lois Bronz Children’s Center board. Parents are invested in the success of the center because of their children and need to be proud of the work that is taking place. If they have concerns the concerns need to be immediately addressed.

The Lois Bronz Children’s Center was founded in 1966 to address the growing needs for childcare in Westchester County. It was one of the first child care centers in the county. The need for the center was demonstrated after the 1960 census when it was found that 55% of the women living in the Fairview section of town were employed.

Union Baptist Church led the way –how could a young woman work and care for her child at the same time?

Fairview section of town were employed.

Union Baptist Church led the way –how could a young woman work and care for her child at the same time?

The Center has since evolved into a multifaceted program offering a myriad of early childhood educational programs and services to families and children that reside or work in the County.

The Lois Bronz Children’s Center offers a ground-breaking infant nursery; a toddler and two year old program; a preschool and Federal Head Start program; Universal Pre-K; a before and after-school program for elementary school children; and Stepping Stones, a New York State certified special education pre-school Program. Our children also participate in many extra-curricular and enrichment activities, programs and services.

The center can care for as many as 200 children annually.

The Lois Bronz Children’s Center has always been a community effort, and the childcare staff and administrative staff were always the backbone of our success.

When I was a Westchester County Legislator and even before Lois Bronz was elected a Legislator she always would recruit me and others in the community to participate in a phone a thon, raising funds for the center.

The Lois Bronz Children’s Center is too important a facility to lose. Parents, teachers , public officials, the Board of the Lois Bronz Children’s Center and administrators must work hard so our children can get the exceptional services they once received and be given the foundations needed to grow up and become exceptionally successful men and women.

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ACTIONS AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER It is impossible not to be outraged by the Trump Administration’s cruel actions Sunday, November 25th, at the U.S.-Mexico border. The deployment of tear gas on unarmed asylum seekers is the latest in a long line of human rights abuses from this Administration, which continues to erode America’s moral standing in the world.

The children and families seeking asylum in the United States from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have fled unimaginable circumstances.

Daily violence, extreme poverty and malnutrition are sadly the norm in these countries.

U.S. immigration law and international law guarantee these migrants the right to seek asylum. The U.S. must uphold the rule of law and treat asylum-seekers with dignity and compassion.

PAUL FEINER Greenburgh Town Supervisor

NATION MOURNING PASSING OF GREENBURGH’S OLIVIA HOOKER The nation is mourning Greenburgh’s Olivia Hooker, the first Afircan-American woman to have entered the US Coast Guard and the last survivor of the Tulsa Oklahoma race riots. MPR news called Olivia Hooker a national treasure. See the link below to a story how the Tulsa community is mourning Olivia’s passing.

The Greenburgh Town Board honored Olivia Hooker with a ceremonial street naming in her honor. Olivia was loved in Greenburgh, and contributed to our community. She always had time for everyone--whether it was the President of the United States or children interviewing her for a project about her life. Olivia was very nice and modest And frequently called about town related issues that concerned her. She will be missed.

Panelists will include:  Building Department Commissioner  Representative for New State Homes and Community Renewal Office of Rent Administration  Representative from Legal Services of Lower Hudson Valley  Representative from Westchester County Human Rights Commission

Location: Mt Olivet Faith Apostolic Church 130 West 7th Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (914) 664-1753

PAUL FEINER Greenburgh Town Supervisor

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8 BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BLACK BUSINESS EDITION

BLACK WESTCHESTER

BY AJ WOODSON

DECEMBER 2018

We welcome you to our first ever Small Black Business Edition of Black Westchester. While it was impossible to list every local Black Owned Business (BOB) we reached out to the staff and several supporters and readers to let us know their favorite BOB, our goal was to as many black owned businesses, located in Westchester County and surrounding areas for the holiday season. We hope our Small Business Edition of BW offers a free listing of many Black Businesses to spend your hard own dollars. As a small Black Business ourself, we believe it is important to our community that we support Our Businesses and recycle Our Dollars as many times as possible before it leaves the community like others do. So while we think it is very important to Our Economy to support all BOBs, Black Westchester worked hard on this issue to provide a list of businesses wesuggest you check out and support. So starting this holiday season, let get BLACK TO BUSINESS and help circulate the Black Dollar by patronizing one or more of the businesses that you find in our December 2018 Small Business Edition of Black Westchester. Happy Holidays!!!

Black History Month may be two months away over but don’t let that deter you from supporting black businesses. Even though the

holiday season is among us, you should try to find black businesses to patronize, all year long.

Did you know there are about eight million minority-owned businesses in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.

Of these, about 2.5 million are owned by African-Americans.

African-American-owned firms account for about 10% of the approximately 27 million in total of U.S. businesses. Here’s a comprehensive shopping guide of some of the Black-Owned Businesses (BOB), personal services and consumer goods that are all black-owned and operated in Westchester County and the surrounding area, that we feel you should know about. We created an issue, you can hold on to and use all year around. The one thing we want you to get from our Small Business Edition is “Never stop supporting black business owners.” Make your dollars and your voice heard by supporting locally owned Black businesses.

“Black-owned business have long been a staple in the Black community providing jobs, economic security and somewhere for us to go and feel seen and safe,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors said in a statement. “In these uncertain times, we need these places more than ever.”

Last year, Mother Jones reported on a study that found that the 100 richest U.S. citizens control about as much wealth as all of the nation’s 42 million African-Americans.

One of the African-American owned businesses I thought of when, I came up with the idea to do this Small Business Edition, was Harmony Designs. Located on South Fourth Avenue in Mount Vernon, but when you walk in the door you feel like you are in the Village or maybe even Beverly Hills. It’s hard to believe this is in the city of Mount Vernon. As a Mount Vernon resident, this is in no way a knock against my city, but Robin transformed this shoppe on the southside into something you would expect in a much more affluent community. It brings just a touch of class on a two-block urban shopping area ‘The Ave’ that was once the desired place to shop for urban fashion for the rest of the county but now contains mainly hair and nail salons, barbershops, urban eateries and a few 99 cent stores. This small boutique type establishment could be anywhere else, but it was important for Mrs. Myers to do business in the heart of the city of Mount Vernon. That is why I selected Harmon Design to be the first spotlight.

HARMONY DESIGNS FURNITURE

& INTERIORS (MOUNT VERNON)

“I find it important to introduce products and design concepts that really are good for you and suitable to meet your individual needs.” — Robin Harmon-Myers

Harmony Designs Furniture & Interiors is a 2500 square foot retail store with a design studio and local art gallery/event space on its lower level. We are geared to helping customers and design clients experience harmony by catering to their unique/beautiful/divine selves.

Harmony is a lifestyle store. They have furniture, gifts, accessories, personal products, art and framing and interior design services. They make an effort to source locally when we can, organic and natural when they can and they aim to inspire the idea of conscious consumerism which steers away from being “price” driven towards becoming “value” driven.

In 2002, Robin Harmon-Myers - sister-in-law to Mount Vernon Hip-Hop legend Heavy D - fell in love with a 100-year-old building on the Southside of her town (Money Earnin’ Mount Vernon), purchased the building with her husband Floyd and instantly set out model what she believes. “I believe we have everything we need to live well, thrive and create beautiful lives.

We must take inventory of what we have and honor it...learn how to best care for and leverage it and show it some love.”

Harmony Designs Furniture & Interiors continues to blossom creating radical transformations to residential, commercial spaces and lives as well as providing a retail shopping experience like no other.

“I firmly believe that everyone deserves, and can have, an environment that is clean, beautiful and one that reflects their artistic style and inspires their dreams. Our environments tell our story and others are reading that story all the time. I feel the importance of articulating that because it creates in others an opportunity for greater awareness that our environment is but a reflection of our “in-vironment”. I believe we all begin with four walls, a ceiling and a floor.

What we do with it is determined by who we believe we are and not so much what we have financially. What I love most about co-creating with my design clients is guiding them to a sharper and even broader vision of what’s possible with what they have and watching their world recalibrate into better alignment so there is harmony at last,” Robin Harmon-Myers shares with Black Westchester.

Harmony Designs Furniture & Interiors also provide Interior Design for those want to tranform their space into a lovely home or office with beautiful decors and wonderful interiors. Professional services they provide include; Commercial - Have a vision for a retail space, restaurant or office space?

They are there to help from concept to implementation, Window Treatment - Having windows are great! How a window is treated can either diminish or enhance this magnificent feature. It’s one of their favorite aspects to design, Declutter & Organization - Less is more that is for sure. Their home organization service not only benefits the space but also the clients’ spirit. They edit and then recompose to make it beautiful, Framing -At Harmony Designs there are lots of frame options to choose from for fine art, family photos or creating mirrors, Space Analysis & Planning - This process is foundational to how we approach design. Once they collect the data: & the clients’ dreams, site conditions and what the space communicates, they then incorporate their unique vision and the plan reveals itself, Reupholstery/Refinishing - Harmony Designs is big on repurposing items to avoid them ending up in land fills. It’s amazing what paint, fabric and a fresh approach can do, and much much more.

Black Westchester proudly spotlights Robin & Harmony Design, a class act 115 South 4th Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 - 914-699-0809 Emal: info@harmonydesignsfurniture.com – www.harmonydesignsfurniture.com F: @HarmonyDesignsFurniture – IG: @HarmonyDesigns – T: @DesignInHarmony Open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 10am - 5:30pm

The front of Harmony Design on South 4th Av in Mt. Vernon [Black Westchester]

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DECEMBER 2018

BLACK TO BUSINESS

BLACK WESTCHESTER 9

BLACK-OWNED PRINTERS, BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: DP PRINTING AND GRAPHICS DNK EVENTS KELLY DENISE EVENTS EVENT PLANNERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

– A FULL DESIGN AND PRINT SERVICE

A FULL SERVICE EVENT PLANNING COMPANY WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY PARTIES, BABY SHOWERS, PROMS/GRADUATIONS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES

OFFSET • DIGITAL • T-SHIRTS • SUBLIMATION Business Stationary, Flyers & Posters, Banners & Signs, Sublimation Printing, Web Sites & Much More!

For more than 20 years, Don Powell’s firm has been delivering on their promise to provide unique designs that are both visually dynamic yet environmentally friendly. They pride themselves on never delivering anything less than perfection to their clients.

Dp Printing’s designers bring passion and enthusiasm to every project. From original designs to complete renovations, they have you covered. If you can imagine it, they can create it for you.

Black Westchester has utilized Dp Printing for several promotional t-shirts, and I have worked with Don Powell and Dp Printing personally in many different endeavors and projects I have worked on in the past two decades and have never been disappointed

Dp is also the largest private mailbox rentals in Westchester County.

3 Church St, New Rochelle, NY 10801 (914) 636-0003 staff@dpprintingandgraphics.com https://www.dpprintingandgraphics.com/ Facebook: @dpprintingandgraphics

EMLAN EMBROIDERY & PRINTING

How We’re Different? That is the first question every customer has—and rightly so. When you approach an event planner and designer, you want to know, see, feel, even taste (!) that you’re in the right hands.

With DNK Events, there’s no doubt.

Have you seen the cheers at the anniversaries we’ve covered, the smiles at the birthdays we planned, the tears we collaboratively shed at the celebrations of life? Have you taken a look at the balloon arches we quickly put together and delivered for sweet 16’s? Do you notice how intimately and extensively we’re involved in every single aspect of an event? When you work with us, you not only get the best event planners; you get the most committed and hard-working executers.

From the moment you approach us, we take a vow to make your event truly feels like that “special moment.” Our event planners have a passion for ensuring that your event is magically executed, from start to finish. At no point do we compromise at the expense of your satisfaction. When you choose DNK Events, you truly choose the best.

20 E. First 2nd Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 845-430-6273 – 845-430-8889 http://dnkevent.com/ Facebook: @dnkeventplanners Instagram & Twitter: @dnkevents

JOY MALONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Premium Custom-Branded Merchandise in Westchester, NY

How are you capturing the attention of your potential customers and clients? What are you doing to keep your name in their mind the next time they are in need of your particular brand of products or services? This is a challenge that almost every business and organization faces, but it is also one with a very simple, affordable, and effective solution—custombranded merchandise in Elmsford, NY.

EMLAN specializes in creating the promotional products you need to get your name out there.

Whether you are looking for some corporate merchandise to give out as promotions or some custom screen printing to create apparel for the members of your organization, we have the items you want and the services you need.

A Fine Art Photographer from New Rochelle

35 E Main St, Elmsford, NY 10523 p. 914.909.9300 info@emlan.com - https://www.emlan.com/ Twitter & Instagram: @EmlanPrints

Joy Malone is a Fine Art Photographer from New Rochelle, New York.

In 2005 Joy graduated from St. John’s University, with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a minor in Photography. She went on to graduate with her MFA in Fine Art Photography from Academy of Art University in 2010. Currently, she is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University and she runs Joy Malone Photography. For all inquiries please contact Joy Malone Photography directly at JoyMPhoto@gmail.com Tel: (914) 879-5265 Email: joymphoto@gmail.com Website: http://joymalone.com Facebook: @JoyMalonePhotography Twitter: @JoyMalone

HHD MEDIA LLC YMBYRD PHOTOGRAPHY

Creating Memories For You

Custom Clothing: t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, vests Print Media: flyers, banners, tickets, menu’s Embroidery Stitching: hats. shirts, jackets, patches

1440 E. Gun Hill Rd, Bronx, NY 10469 (347) 338-8420 Email: nycworker@gmail.com Facebook: @hhdmedia – Instagram: @hardyhd

EVENTS TO REMEMBER

Events To Remember President & Founder, Chereese Jarvis-Hill was named one of the 19 Westchester County Most Impressive Female Leaders of 2018 in the Winter 2019 issue of 914 Inc.

A Full Service Event Management Firm, Events To Remember, a division of Events by Chereese, Inc.

Memories are the best gifts in life, visit us in person so we can help you start planning them today! To provide our personalized approach to each and every one of our clients, it’s best to schedule a consultation at our Mt. Kisco, NY (Westchester County) event studio. You may call us at (914) 2183968 or complete their online Consultation Request.

3 North Moger Avenue, Suite Two Mount Kisco, NY 10549 (914) 218-3968 Office - (914) 470-7667 Fax Email: eventscjh@eventsremember.com https://eventsremember.com

Experience included being the Associate Photographer for Greater Centennial A.M.E Zion Church in Mount Vernon, since 2013 and Lead Photographer for the Martha’s Vineyard Blues & Jazz Music Festival 2014, 2015, 2017

When YMByrd Photography captures your event--whether it is a save the date, wedding, birthday party, baby shower, etc, Yvette M. Byrd is creating an essential building block of a memorial that will enhance your life, as well as those of the generations to come. Together we will work to preserve your precious moments.

30 Lake St, Suite 11K, White Plains, NY 10603 Phone: 914-607-3889 Email: byrdymbgc@gmail.com https://www.ymbyrdphotography.com Facebook: @PhotoNYGirl Instagram: @ymbyrdphotography

IF YOU WANT A SMASHING PARTY, CALL KELLY DENISE EVENTS - BY CHARLES STERN Kelly Denise Events is an event planning & design company based in Mount Vernon.

The company specializes in weddings and social events, and offers a wide array of services. Weddings, baby showers, retirement parties, even dinner parties and corporate events are all within the scope of this dynamic company.

Kelly Denise Gardner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of KDE, grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia and started coordinating hair shows with Nesta Felix while she was in college. That led to fashion shows, homecomings and later, about three years ago, Ms. Gardner opened her own company to help people bring their event visions into reality.

Kelly has been in the event planning business for over 10 years. She brings to your event an extensive network of vendors, a depth of sponsors and a background in planning everything from baby showers to lavish weddings and large conferences. Event planning is her passion, and this shows in her attention to details and cares for your vision and budget.

She says the key is having a plan. “I become a part of their planning process.” says Gardner, “We talk about what they are trying to accomplish, we talk about having a budget and then we figure out how to make it happen. I’m there for the client at every step, guiding and making their event idea into a success.”

One of those recent clients was the daughter of Bishop W. Darin Moore, President of the AME Zion Church Board of Bishops. She called on Kelly Denise Events to plan her wedding with 250 guests. This was a fairly elaborate affair, involving location scouting, sketching designs for decor items, catering, seating arrangements, travel arrangements and extensive logistics. Gardner’s team delivered it all, even greeting out of town guests at the airport to absolutely guarantee a smooth transition to overnight accommodations.

Not every event is a blockbuster.

Gardner will take small events and make them fabulous too. “The glamour is fine, but you really don’t need ALL of it to have a great wedding or any other kind of event,” says Gardner. “I would rather have clients leave with some money left in their pocket.” Whether the budget is modest, or bold, Kelly Denise Events will be creative, take away your stress and make your event into a blast.

38 S. 2nd Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 Tel: 347-589-2026 Email: kellydenise.ijd@gmail.com Website: https://kdeplans.com/ Facebook: @info.kellydenisevents Instagram: @kellydenise_events

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DECEMBER 2018

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World renowned journalist, and award-winning filmmaker Rahiem Shabazz presents the third installment of his docu-series Elementary Genocide: Academic Holocaust. The first two documentaries in the series; Elementary Genocide: The School To Prison Pipeline exposes the socially engineered mechanism created by our government and utilizing the public school system to label elementary aged African-American males as work for hire targets within the US penal system and Elementary Genocide 2: The Board Of Education vs. The Board of Incarceration uncovers the true purpose of today’s educational system and how it’s failing the African child. Going beyond the school-to-prison pipeline headlines and conspiracy theories. Both received critical acclaim and launched Shabazz as a political pundit and academic ambassador for the AfricanAmerican community.

Elementary Genocide: Academic Holocaust adds more statistical proof of the scholastic inequalities faced by Original people around the country. The documentary revisits the importance of education and its impact on self-image, family structure, financial freedom and the collective future of African/ indigenous people in America and abroad. With commentary from some of the 21st century’s greatest minds of the African diaspora in America, such as financial scholar and social commentator Dr. Boyce Watkins, esteemed Pan-Afrikan scholar and Professor James Small, and Kaba Kamene, international homeschooling advocate Samori Camara, Hip Hop artist and education advocate David Banner, National Talk Show Host and Lecturer Michael Imhotep and best-selling author Shahrazad Ali, Shabazz was able to illustrate the hypocrisy behind America’s public school system and how the infrastructure is designed to keep people of color from developing the capacity to recreate themselves, their families and their institutions with their own hands.

All three DVDs available at www.ElementaryGenocide.com and Amazon.com and make a perfect holiday gifts.

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12 BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

DECEMBER 2018

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ALONG THE HENRY HUDSON LINE

BY CYNTHIA TURNQUEST-JONES

P ractically before the leftover baked macaroni and cheese is put away into Tupperware, the holiday shopping bags are fully in progress. The popularized shopping day

Black Friday has to now share the limelight with its moderately new sidekick: Small Business Saturday. November 24 is coined as a shopping day, when consumers are nudged to shop at independently small owned stores to advocate for the small business owner.

Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Westchester Alumnae Chapter supported Small Business Saturday which was initiated in 2010 by American Express, in the wake of the 2008 recession. According to an online the American Express website, in 2011, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to support Small Business Saturday. This marks the eight annual Small Business Saturdays since the marketing campaign launched, customers have reported spending $85 billion at independent shops and restaurants.

Members of the sorority journeyed along the Henry Hudson line for morning tea at Kathleen’s Tea Room in Peekskill, picked up a fur coat at Loola Doola’s in White Plains and concluded with and evening snack at the Cupcake Cutie Boutique located in Mt. Vernon.

The first stop was Kathleen’s Tea Room (page 26), owned an operated by Vivian C. McKenzie since 2010, Kathleen’s is an English style Tea Room nestled in the historic district of downtown Peekskill, NY. When you walk through their doors, you step back in time. They offer a variety of sixty different loose teas, steeped table side in their beautiful teapots. Their seasonal menu includes delicious homemade dishes from scratch, which includes soups, sandwiches, salads, and of course their Afternoon Tea. When visiting be prepared to enjoy the best scones this side of the Hudson River.

The Fern Tree was next which is owned and operated by Sister Love Fern, located at 13 South Division Street in Peekskill 914.382.9226. A one-of-a-kind African American gift shop where you can find goods from designer men and women’s clothes and hats, to imported scented oils, imported incense, USDA approved handmade organic lotions and soaps. If you are in need of an African printed outfit, Love Fern will make one for you.

Loola Doola Boutique (page 21) was buzzing with customers. A luxury women’s boutique, whose moniker was a childhood nickname bestowed upon owner Lauren Morris by her late father, you’ll find a selection of chic, feminine clothing and accessories from a range of designers, including Morris herself; her own Lauren M. handcrafted clutches are gorgeous. One-on-one shopping is offered by appointment.

After shopping at Loola Doola Boutique and purchasing a fur coat members of Delta Sigma Theta sat for a bite to eat; while listening to sounds by Andrew Swift live, at 19 Court Artisan Food Restaurant (page 16) located in Downtown White Plains, New York. Rahasaan White CEO chef and owner was born in Jersey City. He started his career in 1995 for executive dining. His wife Shelly White, COO and owner is Chef Rahsaan’s biggest fan and a lover of music. On the weekend you will enjoy the husband and wife dynamic duo who makes the absolute best shrimp and grits.

Many were fond of Jeffrey the giraffe, except the toy retailer Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy and closed two hundred stores in September 2018. Lucky thing Westchester residents have Kemesha Salmon, who opened TP Toys three years ago, naming the store after her children Tristan & Peyton. Tristan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at two and a half years old, opening the door for Kemesha to learn about specialty toys. TP Toys (page 26)is more than just a Toy Store. They are family oriented, building lasting relationship with our customers and pride ourselves in exceptional customer service located on 572 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York.

Cars loaded up again to support the youngest owner Miesha Stokley. She decided to make cupcakes in college and sell them while living in the dorms. This helped with the cost of books and extra spending monies. After she graduated she shared her newly found passion with Mom, Montika Jones, current dedicated officer for Mount Vernon Police Department. Baking together became a household culture and Mom started to become a part of the dream as well. Cupcakes for baby showers, graduations, and church events became a hit. The sweet craving for cake but, bite size became the talk of Westchster County. Cupcake Cutie Boutique (page 19) opened their doors on October 10, 2015. “The banana pudding cupcakes were our favorite” explained a member of Delta Sigma Theta. Visit Miesha Stokley and Montika Jones Founders of Cupcake Cutie Boutique located on 8 South 6th Av., Mt Vernon. By the way, it is understood that on Saturdays & Sunday’s their chicken & waffles are the best!

Opens at 9am weekdays and 10am weekends.

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14 BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

DECEMBER 2018

COVER STORIES BW COVER STORY

REMEMBERING DR. OLIVIA HOOKER

BY AJ WOODSON

On Wednesday, December 5th the world paused to observe a day of mourning for the 41st President George H.W. Bush. Westchester County mourns one of its own, Dr. Olivia J. Hooker who passed away two weeks prior, on Wednesday November 21st. She was 103 years old. Unlike the former president, there was no non stop national television coverage on every network, but make no mistake her death was equally as important to the Black Community and to the town of Greenburgh, we loss our national treasure. Just ask any historian from Greenburgh, New York to Tulsa, Oklahoma, if you have any doubt.

Olivia Juliette Hooker (February 12, 1915 – November 21, 2018) was a psychologist, a distinguished professor of psychology at Fordham University, as well as a leader in various civic, community, cultural, and educational organizations, including the NAACP. She was the last known survivor of of Black Wall Street and the first African-American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard in February 1945.

For those who may be too young to know, home to over 10,000 Black residents, Black Wall Street, also known as the Greenwood neighborhood a 35-block radius in the segregated community thriving with hundreds of businesses, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States during the early 20th century.

That was until the massacre. Later called the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, white residents massacred hundreds of black residents and torched the

neighborhood within hours. The riot was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S. race relations, destroying the once thriving Greenwood community.

While the nation observed a national day of mourning on Wednesday, December 5th for the former President, a funeral was held in White Plains, New York, where Dr. Hooker was laid to rest with military honors at White Plains Rural Cemetery a historic cemetery located at 167 N Broadway, in the city of White Plains, Westchester County, New York.

While five living presidents sat in the front row with their wives to honor the 41st President in Washington DC, U.S. Coast Guard members past and present from around the country participate in funeral services and stood around a photograph of Dr. Olivia Hooker in White Plains, New York. The Coast Guard says Hooker enlisted in the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve in 1945 and rose to the rank of yeoman second class before her discharge in 1946.

She enlisted in the Coast Guard Woman’s Reserve, also known as “Semper Paratus, Always Ready” (SPARs), in February 1945. Upon graduation from basic training, she specialized in the yeoman rating, spending her time stationed at the separation center in Boston. Over time, she rose to the rank of yeoman second class prior to her discharge in June 1946. She later joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary in 2010, volunteering in Flotilla 06-08 in Yonkers, N.Y.

After completing her military service, Dr. Hooker went on to earn a master’s degree in psychology from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Rochester. In the early 1960s, she began a career as a psychologist and a professor of psychology at New York’s Fordham University. In 2002, she retired at the age of 87 after a distinguished career in education and mental health care.

Throughout her life, Dr. Hooker was an advocate for Americans with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Dr. Hooker was six-years-old when white mobs stormed through the Greenwood District of Tulsa, destroying homes and businesses in a wave of violence often labeled the Tulsa race riot, although that term has fallen into disfavor among many. Dr. Hooker, in an oral history recorded in 2015 for the White Plains Public Library, instead called it “the terrible catastrophe in Tulsa.”

“Other people call it the Tulsa riot,” she explained. “It really wasn’t a riot — we were the victims. Our mother put us under the table. She took the longest tablecloth she had to cover four children and told us not to say a word.”

The marauders entered the house and took an ax to the family piano. In the business district, her father’s clothing store was destroyed.

“I guess the most shocking thing was seeing people, to whom you had never done anything to irritate, who just took it upon themselves to destroy your property because they didn’t want you to have those things,” she said. “And they were teaching you a lesson. Those were all new ideas to me.”

After the destruction, her parents moved the family to Topeka, Kan., and later to Ohio. In 1937, Dr. Hooker received a bachelor’s degree at Ohio State University and became an elementary-school teacher.

With the international situation growing more ominous, she tried to enlist in the Navy but was rejected for reasons never made clear to her. Instead she tried the Coast Guard, which in 1942 had been authorized to create a women’s reserve unit that it called the Spars. (“Spar” is the first letter of the first word and the first three letters of the second word of the Coast Guard’s Latin motto, Semper Paratus, meaning “always ready”).

“The Coast Guard recruiter was just so welcoming,” she told Coast Guard Compass, the service’s official blog, in 2013. “She wanted to be the first one to enroll an African-American.”

“I was the first one in active duty,” she said in the library oral history. “There may have been others that were planning to go in, but I was the first one that actually arrived.”

Friends, acquaintanced, colleagues, sorority sisters and many others paused when the sad news of her passing was announced. Black Westchester celebrates her life and salutes Dr. Olivia Hooker, our national treasure, her legacy will live on forever.

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BW COVER STORY

BLACK WOMEN OWN BUSINESSES

BY AJ WOODSON

A recent Center for American Progress study shows African-American and Latina women are a driving force behind entrepreneurship in the United States. From 1997 to 2013, the number of female-owned businesses in the U.S. grew by 59 percent — 1 1/2 times the national average. The study says women of color are the catalyst behind this growth: African-American women-owned businesses grew by 258 percent in that time; Latina women-owned businesses grew by 180 percent. Today, women of color are the majority owners of nearly one-third of female-owned firms in the nation.

Women say that being their own boss and controlling their own destiny are natural draws of entrepreneurship but they also seek a work-life balance and personal satisfaction from their businesses. Here's a look at some local African-American female owned in the Lower Hudson Valley.

R2M REALTY, INC.

(NYACK, NY)

OWNER: REAL ESTATE BROKER KENYATTA JONES-ARIETTA

R2M Realty means “Ready 2 Move.” “When you are ready to move, we are ready to help,” she explains. Jones-Arietta says the Nyack boutique firm is hands-on with clients. “The sellers and buyers can tap into me anytime as if they are my own personal clients.”

She says she handpicks her agents, and they all have been closing deals within the first year of business. With about 12 agents and not the usual franchise fees as with bigger agencies, they’ve been able to give back to the community. “We give back 3 percent of our commission from home sales to our sellers’ or buyers’ local charities of choice,” Jones-Arietta says.

She credits her family with helping: her husband with emotional support and her mother for a financial boost (the mom loan). She also dipped into her 401(k) to start the business. “I didn’t think it was necessary at the time to get more financing.”

Jones-Arietta says she understands the appeal of entrepreneurship for women of color but says it’s really a life people should aspire to. “I’ve learned a lot. I am never bored at work. I get up excited about the day, and that’s the way life should be lived.”

The 42-year-old admits the balance between work and family is still a challenge, and she really only turns it off when she’s at the spa or on a family vacation. But she says she’s never going back. “I can see the big picture. This is what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.”

R2M Realty, Inc. (Ready to Move) is the one of the most talked about full service real estate brokerage firms in Rockland with an international referral network for both buyers and sellers looking to relocate in or out of the New York tri-state area.

Headquartered in the heart of Nyack, only about 30 minutes north of Manhattan, the firm has both residential and commercial sales/leasing agents servicing Rockland,

Orange and Westchester Counties in NY and Bergen County, NJ. Founded by broker/owner, Kenyatta Jones-Arietta, who between real estate and interior design has been assisting property owners achieve their selling, buying and designing goals for nearly 20 years.

R2M Realty was built on supporting the community. With its charity give back, R2M Realty gives back 3% of its commission to its residential sellers’ and buyers’ local charity of choice.

Kenyatta Jones-Arietta was an interior designer in Manhattan but living in Tappan and commuting to the city was taking its toll. “I wasn’t happy with the quality of life with my children.”

So though she had two mortgages on her home, Jones-Arietta quit her job and became a real estate agent. “I sold 12 properties that first year and didn’t look back.”

That was in 2005; she was working for a franchise broker. Then in 2013 she went out on her own, launching R2M Realty. “It was amazing, as if I should be doing it all along,” Jones-Arietta says.

8 Piermont Ave, Nyack, NY 10960 - TEL: (845) 535-4195 www.ready2mov.com

REGINE’S INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY SALON

(NANUET, NY ) - OWNER: REGINE COOMBS

Regine’s International Beauty: a wonderful, professional hair salon. Their goal is to provide you with exceptional service while bringing out your unique and natural beauty. More than anything else, we are known for our commitment to Healthy Hair, leading to Regine’s well-earned moniker as “The Hair Doctor.”

Regine has over 25 years of experience in the beauty industry, specializing in Strand by Strand Hair Extensions, the hot, new Keratin Hair Taming System, and Laser Hair Restoration treatments; all while offering the very best in haircuts, weaves, highlighting, coloring, relaxing & straightening, in addition to professional hair & scalp treatments.

Our salon philosophy is based on the belief that your healthy hair needs are of the utmost importance and we are committed to meeting those needs. As a result, much of our business is from customers who have been with us for years, their children (many now grown with families) and their referrals.

A specialty that makes us unique; we are a certified HLCC Hair Loss Clinic, using a combination of laser technology, specialized nutritionals and hair care products to stop hair loss and, literally, regrow your hair. Read the Laser Hair Treatment section to learn more.

We welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and provide you with excellent customer service. Come on in and Relax with Professionals!

148A South Middletown Rd. (Main St.), Nanuet, NY 10954 TEL: 845-627-2427 - Twitter: @ReginesIntl

BELLE MAKE-UP NYC

(MAMARONECK, NY ) - OWNER: MAKE-UP ARTIST DIONNE BELL

Belle Make-up NYC in Mamaroneck is cozy, decorated with touches of light gray and purple with a chandelier at the entrance. Guests are offered wine, champagne and something tasty to eat. “The atmosphere is relaxing talking girl to girl, with no pressure,” she laughs.

Bell offers individualized and group makeup instruction, event makeup and her own invention: makeup wardrobing. As part of this service she goes through the client’s makeup and lets them know what works and what doesn’t. “In my group classes, some women would have makeup for 10 years, and you can’t (keep it that long) — its makeup.”

She says becoming an entrepreneur hasn’t been exactly as she expected. “There’s no time off, and working consistently to bring in money is a challenge.” Along with chasing the dollars she is traveling about 70 percent of the time for clients, she says. But even with all this, she understands the appeal of business ownership for women and being in control of your schedule. “The challenge for me is that people always underestimate my ability because I’m young.”

124 Library Ln, Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (917) 274-7389

BW SPOTLIGHT -CREATIVE FINGERS HAIR SALON

- PROPRIETOR: MICHELLE STYLES BERNARD

(WHITE PLAINS) WRITTEN BY PRISCILLA ECHI

When you’re ready to “ Laissez les bons temps rouler” this damsel’s creative fingers is just what the doctor ordered to paint the town whatever color you desire! Her father hailing from New Orleans, her mother fresh out of Brooklyn, already having given birth to an older sister, gave birth to another daughter and raised them in Yonkers NY.. Take a seat...This is about to be some real good gumbo! And by the way, she cooked me some that was out of this world! (Mush *her nickname* I know your reading this I’m going to need some more lol) #WhoWithMe

Octobers very own vivacious libra who not only refused to become a statistic, she took the talent she was blessed with and used it to put others in a position to make money. If your “That Girl” you stop here regularly to keep your tresses intact.

Her clientele ranges from celebrities & professional athletes to common people that trust their coif maintenance to the best.. Known for having “growing hands” she still give you a cut that’s unquestionably a step above the rest. But before we jump the gun, let’s take a step further back into her younger years.

Growing up in Yonkers she was a part of the “IT” crowd. Her best friend is none other than the Queen of hip-hop soul Mary J Blige and writer extraordinaire and FabHoops CEO Latonya Blige!! Look.. I can stop right there and drop the mic we already have the rue tasting like everything, and everything is rue (sorry couldn’t help myself ..lol ) !!! But... Let’s drop some seafood in!! She is also the cousin of the masterful Yonkers MC and Juices For Life business owner Styles P!! Now I can leave it right there and you’re going to insist the flavor can’t get any better... but it does! See.. The trick to a good pot of gumbo is not just having excellent ingredients, but the long and slow process that intensifies the flavor. Her journey and how she pulled it together is what’s most pleasing to the palate.

Thrust into prime time in her late teens at the height of her besties Mary J Blige’s career they were everywhere doing everything! Although having the time of her life, deep in her subconscious she often wondered what her own gift was. Soon after she received an unexpected blessing to attend cosmology school. Not only did she pass, she graduated valedictorian of her class! With new found knowledge for hair care she kept her eye fixated on the prize, owning her own establishment. Before I give you any more details there is nothing better than hearing it from “That Girl” herself.

388 Tarrytown Rd, Suite 109 & 409, White Plains, NY 10607 - Tel: (914) 684-2790 www.creativefingershairsalon.com - Instagram: @Cfhairsalon - Facebook: @CreativeFingers

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16 BLACK WESTCHESTER

DECEMBER 2018

DA URBAN SPOON

AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED RESTAURANTS It’s Christmas time in Hollis, Queens, mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens... - RUN-DMC

BY AJ WOODSON

Whether you are looking for some savory Soul Food, tasty Caribbean Cuisine or just want to support some African-American owned establishments, here is a brief list of some Black-owned restaurants in the Lower Hudson Valley and surrounding areas to help you get your fix while you’re out shopping or just here visiting New York this holiday season and all year around.

GABRIELLE’S NY

(PELHAM MANOR)

THE ULTIMATE CARIBBEAN FUSION RESTAURANT

19 COURT (WHITE PLAINS)

A place where comfort and cuisine meet Passion for Fresh and Flavorful

One of the newest establishments in the Lower Hudson Valled is owned

by Executive Chef Rahsaan White who was born in Jersey City NJ and began his career in 1995 externing for executive dining and graduating NY restaurant School. Then, while at Dakota Restaurant on the Upper East Side, Chef Rahsaan was quickly named to executive chef, and stayed there for 4yrs. He left to work with Chef Herb Wilson opening Jacks Fifth. While Chef Wilson mentored Rahsaan, at Wilson’s suggestion, Rahsaan would continue to grow and moved on to work with John Tesar to open Vine in the Wall Street district.

Chef Rahsaan has been many things but always passionate about food; a food purchaser for NYS, personal Chef for HBO Heavyweight Boxer Michael Grant, running a catering business as well working for foreign diplomats, royalty and celebrities. Now, partnering with his wife Shelly who serves as the restaurants Chief Operating Officer, the new fast casual 19 Court is his fulfillment of over 2 decades of hard work and dedication. Shelly, Chef Rahsaan’s biggest fan says “what he does with food and flavor is nothing short of amazing!”

“19 Court, in the space formerly occupied by Pizzeria Veloce, has been serving customers in a fast-casual setting since Sept. 12 and offers diners a little bit of everything. In one area, there’s a host of salads with grains, starches and proteins along with a variety of greens and toppings; at another station there are poke bowls; at still another you’ll find creative pizzas with names like “Funky Mushroom” (sheep milk ricotta, truffle pecorino, porcini mushroom, extra virgin olive oil, carmelized onion jam, gruyere, crème fraîche and truffle dust) and Carnivore (Applewood smoked bacon, smoked brisket, wild boar sausage, garlic, house made mozzarella, parmesan and tomato sauce). There’s also sushi, sashimi and Budda Bowls as well as wine and beer on tap along with other alcohol from local New York distilleries,” Jeanne Muchnick, the food and dining writer for lohud.com wrote October 8th

19 Court is still in the soft opening phase, Rahsaan shared with lohud.

Within the next few weeks he will expand his hours and introduce more culinary options including lobster roll Thursdays, a raw bar, a happy hour dinner menu with wait service and a Sunday jazz brunch with live music. He also hopes to bring in classes and discussions.

Another new restaurant everyone needs to check out is Gabrielle’s NY, a Fusion Jamaican - Caribbean Restaurant located in Pelham Manor, Westchester, had its official opening on Saturday, October 27th, where Country Kitchen used to be.

Gabrielle’s NY Restaurant is named after founder JR Allen’s second daughter, and President Steve Murray’s, God Daughter. Gabrielle was the second of three God blessed children for JR Allen. Unfortunately, Gabrielle passed away April 27th, 2004, at the tender age of seven years old from, brain Stem Glioma.

Gabrielle’s NY menu is a must try. We strongly believe Gabrielle’s NY is the excitement your dining experience has been missing. We hope you will find our Caribbean based menu, infused with Thai, Hispanic, and Italian food not only as an exciting palette opener, but a menu pleaser of your highest satisfaction.

Our menu was created first and foremost with love. Gabrielle’s NY menu is built on a unique vision with a profound passion to please our guest at the highest spectrum of their dining experience.

Gabrielle’s NY provides an arsenal of options to enjoy our mouthwatering and succulent menu. Your options ranges from an endless Seafood menu, Gab n Go, Delivery, Catering, Private Events, Private Dining, General Dining, Happy Hour, 3 Day Buffet, or simple enjoying our state-of-the-Art Bar with an array of refreshingly creative drinks. While giving you that Caribbean vacation feel.

Having an awesome menu without excellent service would be a gross lack of vision. We strongly believe our guests will experience an environment that will cause a “wow effect” such as I can’t wait to tell others and return again.”

Our guests can also look forward to our daily specials, theme days, and a Loyalty Program the first of its kind in the New York Caribbean Restaurant Market.

Endless Wings Monday, Taco & Seniors Tuesday, Midweek Buffet Wednesday, Wine tasting Thursday, Relax & Live Band Friday, Yummy Brunch Saturday, Family Brunch Sunday

Throughout the week, our guests can look forward to listening to a variety of musical genres of music with their meals. Friday & Saturday’s will feature a Live Reggae Band. Gospel Sunday’s and during the week Love Songs, R & B, Calypso & Reggae. GAB’N’GO - FREE DELIVERY - MINIMUM ORDER $25

A tremendous amount of thought, time, planning, and passion has been heavily expended, and invested into creating a menu that will not only provide fantabulous food choices, but also attentive, and unrivaled service.

810 Pelham Parkway, Pelham Manor, 10803 - 914-740-5256 www.GabriellesNY.com - Facebook: gabriellesfusionny

ALVIN & FRIENDS (NEW ROCHELLE)

Upscale modern Southern & Caribbean cuisine in a cozy, elegant space graced with vibrant artwork, described by The New York Times as “a darling of downtown New Rochelle,” Alvin & Friends– selected by Open Table users for a 2015 Diner’s Choice award and winner of a 2015 Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor — serves contemporary cuisine with Southern and Caribbean flavors. Alvin & Friends – Zagat rated 26 for food, 26 for décor and 26 for service, and named by Westchester Magazine as one of the “Best Address: 19 Court Street, White Plains, New York 10601 - Tel: 914.644.8224 of Westchester” four years in a row – combines urban sophistication with Special Events: CatertingandPrivateEvents@19Court.com - Gen’l Info: Info@19Court.com comfortable elegance: Wooden panels inset with glass windows carve the https://www.19court.com/ Facebook: @19Court Twitter & Instagram: @19CourtNY main room into cozy dining areas, while dramatic iron-and-hemp chandeliers accent the high ceilings and provide a counterpoint to the colorful artwork that covers the walls. Indeed, the dozens of stunning, Matisse-inspired oil (MT VERNON) paintings — created by owner Alvin Clayton — are part of the restaurant’s signature look.

SPECIALIZING IN SANDWICHES AND BBQ

But it’s not just the atmosphere, or the paintings — or the mouthwaterEastern Carolina styled BBQ in Mount Vernon. Smoked Pulled Turkey, BBQ pulled ing menu – that keep customers coming back to Alvin & Friends: Clayton is pork, authentic Mac and Cheese, Ribs, Chicken, and the Sweet Potato Biscuits are off an engaging and genuine host. “The restaurant is really an extension of my the hook, if you didn’t know, now you know. Drop by and tell Billy that Black Westchester home: I want people to feel welcome from the moment they step through that sent you. Pit Brother’s BBQ is a leading New York Sandwich Restaurant on GrubHub door. I know that people have choices, and I’m genuinely honored that they choose to be with us,” he says.

159 East Third Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 - 914.297.2220

“You may not enter Alvin & Friends as one of the pals of the owner, http://pitbrothersbbq.net/ - Facebook, Instagram: @pitbrothersbbq Alvin Clayton, but by the time you leave you’re likely to feel that you’ve Open 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM Wednesday – Saturday, closed Sunday & Monday become one.” — The New York Times

“From the warm greeting to the upscale food, friendly service and welcoming ambiance, dining at Alvin & Friends truly gave me the feeling that I added to my circle of friends. I look forward to visiting the Claytons again soon.” — The Scarsdale Inquirer

PIT BROTHERS BBQ-SOUL FOOD

SWEET MAMA’S SOUL FOOD & SALAD BAR (YONKERS)

33 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701 - Tel: (914) 476-0906 website: sweetmamassoulfood.com Regular Hours: Monday - Sunday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

Address: 14 Memorial Hwy, New Rochelle, NY 10801 - Tel: (914) 654-6549 info@alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com - www.alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com Facebook: @alvinandfriendsrestaurant – Twitter: @AFRestaurant – Instgram: @alvinand-

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DECEMBER 2018

DA URBAN SPOON

BLACK WESTCHESTER 17

AFRICAN-AMERICAN OWNED RESTAURANTS

KING’S SOUTHERN DELIGHT

(MT. VERNON)

A SOUL FOOD RESTAURANT THAT SPECIALIZE IN GOOD HOME COOK FOOD

Since 2005, King’s Southern Delight has been providing mouth-watering, home-cooked, soul food meals. A popular spot with many Mt. Vernon locals, King’s reputation for delicious, affordably-priced soul food constantly wins it new fans from near and far.

If you are looking for unapologetic old school down south style Southern cooking and incredible hospitality this is the place to be. Pull up to the front and it looks like you are down south. Inside humble decor but the food is freshly prepared (new trays always coming out) nothing is ever sitting.

Eat in dining available as well as Carry-out for those who prefer to enjoy this restaurant’s cooking from the comfort of their own home. Turkey Wings are meaty and cooked perfectly with the right gravy (my personal favorite). Tasty juicy fried chicken. Mac and cheese, Collard greens, Cabbage. All greens have no meat besides smoked turkey. Whiting on Fridays. And for those who still want pork on their fork, they have plenty of options for you too.

Sandwiches are served with white or wheat bread, and corn bread is included with lunch and dinner meals. If you have space for dessert, you have a choice of sweet-potato pie, pineapple-coconut cake, peach cobbler, or banana pudding.

Whether you eat in or take out, bring your appetite; King’s portions are generous.

283 East Third Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10553 - 914.668.7335 kingssoutherndelight.com - Facebook: @Kings-Southern-Delight Proprietor: Emma Hackson, Redina Hembree

RIPE KITCHEN & BAR

(MT. VERNON)

REGGAE – REAL JERK – RUM – VIBES – BACKYARD BAR & DINING

CIA-trained chef Nigel Spence opened his restaurant, Ripe Kitchen, 15-years-ago, on the Mount Vernon/Bronx border, bringing sit-down island food and some diversity to Mount Vernon. He’s been in the spot since 2003, creating traditional Jamaican dishes such as jerk chicken and fried fish plus other offerings with a whimsical twist, like Cuban Plantain Boat stuffed with a codfish vegetable medley and dressed with sour cream. This former Food Network intern’s island-spiced jerk rib-eye steak is such a monster, he dares you to try and finish it!

“There is no big sign outdoors, but when you step in, it’s a familiar slice of Jamaican hospitality,” lohud describes the intimate eatery.

Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester - Editors’ Picks Best Jerk Chicken 2008.

“Nigel Spence’s Jamaican eatery has become a destination simply for his super-tender, wood-smoked jerk chicken, served as an entree, in a quesadilla, and in a salad. ‘All three use the same exact chicken; we don’t change the recipe of the chicken for the different dishes,’ says Spence, whose cozy, eclectic bar and restaurant was once both a community theater and a candy store. What sets Ripe’s fragrant jerk chicken apart is its special mix of seasonings and aromatic spices, including the incendiary Scotch bonnet; one of the hottest chilis in existence; and culantro, a Caribbean herb that’s similar to cilantro. ‘We do everything from scratch, including the dry rub and the wet rub we use on the chicken. We use the same ingredients used in Jamaica,’ Spence says, ensuring patrons eager for the real deal don’t get jerked around.”

151 W. Sanford Blvd, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 - Tel: (914) 665-7689 email: info@riperestaurant.com - website: https://www.riperestaurant.com/

STEAM HOUSE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE (MT VERNON)

A Caribbean restaurant that serves traditional American and Native Caribbean cuisine as well as steamed seafood, in a fine dining room setting. Steam House’s goal is to serve the freshest and the most delicious food because all food is cooked fresh for each order!

Their experienced chefs are skilled at preparing mouthwatering appetizers and entrees that will surely become favorites of yours. The dining room seats approximately 80 guests is great from dining in or hosting an event, there is also extra seating in the lounge area. The bar is stocked with the best in premium wine and spirits, 5 flat screen TVs, and a 80-inch projector for viewing so you can enjoy your favorite shows or sports while you dine; or listen to great music playing through our wonderful state of the art sound system.

Steam House is the perfect venue for meetings, parties, and any other type of special event. They hosted my 50th Birthday party on Superbowl Sunday 2016

128 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon, NY 10550 - (914) 371-1219 Steamhouse128@gmail.com - www.steamhouse128.com

SUGGARPLUMS

(NEW ROCHELLE)

SUGGARPLUM’S FOOD 4 THE SOUL SPECIALIZES IN SOUTHERN CUISINE!

“We guarantee you will not be disappointed from the Smothered Chicken to Pork chops, Cheesy Baked Macaroni and Cheese Sweet Homemade tea, and more.

We have something to satisfy everyone’s Soul!!!”

Started by Lachonne Williams, who was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY and has always had a passion for cooking. She has catered many events in the community and held many postions in food and beverage. Also a former employee of New Rochelle board of education catering.

Williams provided cross coverage for head chef and prepared food for weekly events such as Kitchen manager at Keith’s catering hall. Keith Bryant, executive chef at Melba’s restaurant in Harlem, New York, continued to help Lachonne follow her lifelong dreams and reach people’s soul through food.

534 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 Tel: (914) 235-3330 - Website: https://suggarplumss.com/ Facebook: @SuggarPlums - Instagram: @Suggarplums Hours: Monday-Saturday 12noon – 8:00PM, Sundays 12noon – 7:00PM

JUNGLE RESTAURANT

(MOUNT VERNON)

Jungle Restaurant is an authentic Caribbean Cuisine conveniently located in the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon, in the former Casa Cubana space. Jungle provides a variety of delectable Caribbean dishes (Jamaica, West Indies) inspired.

Chef Duran and his team provides the ultimate JamRock experience! Jungle offers an extended Catering Menu, private dining reservations, monthly events & more...

Traditional lunch and dinner dishes include oxtail ($17.99), curried goat ($14.99) and jerk chicken ($13.99). The snapper ($19.99) can be prepared with brown stew, steamed or escovitch, a style in which fried fish is topped with a spicy sauce and pickled vegetables. The Jungle wild salmon ($19.99) can be prepared with sweet chili, jerk, curry, barbecue or stew.

Jungle serves non-Jamaican food like pasta and three kinds of burgers. The restaurant also caters to vegetarians with a veggie tofu stir-fry ($14.99) and a plantain with bok choy ($11.99) dish.

The dining room accommodates up to 18 diners on tables for two or four that have white tablecloths topped with glass. There are also two tables for two on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

9 W Grand St, Mt Vernon, NY 10552 - Tel: 914-699-9555 https://www.jungle-restaurant.com - Instagram: @jungle_restaurant/ Monday - Thursday 8:30am -9:30pm; Fridays -Saturdays 8:30am-11pm Sundays 11:30 am- 7 pm

MANGOVILLE MEAT MARKET (MT VERNON)

CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT, JERK YEARD & MEAT MARKET 133 South 4th Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 - Tel: (914) 863-0116 Mangoville Jerk Yard 134 South 4th Ave, NY 10550 Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @MangovilleMeatMart Mangoville Meat & Grocery Inc., is a casual restaurant in Mount Vernon.

Call to inquire about takeout.

SWEET POTATOES RESTAURANT (NEW ROCHELLE)

FINE SOUTHERN CUISINE 393 North Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10801 - T: (914) 654-0500 F:(914) 654-0109 Email: sweetpotatoesnr@gmail.com - Website: www.sweetpotatoesnr.com Facebook: @sweetpotatoes.rest - Twitter: @NRSweetPotatoes

SOUL TASTY RESTAURANT (STAMFORD, CT)

29 Main Street, Stamford, CT 06902 - Tel: (203) 504 2625 Email: SoulTastyCT@gmail.com - Website: http://www.soultastyct.com Facebook and Instagram: @SoulTastyCT

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18BLACK WESTCHESTER

DECEMBER 2018

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

OFFERING A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE IN THE HOOD

BY AJ WOODSON

JUICES FOR LIFE OFFERING A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO URBAN COMMUNITIES 211 Nepperhan Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701 - (914) 751-3521 1026 Castle Hill Ave, Bronx, NY 10472 - (347) 281-9844 3463 E Tremont Ave, Bronx, NY 10465 - (347) 281-9060 277 Malcolm X Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11233 - (347) 350-8558

O

n Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at 1:30pm Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano joined, longtime Yonkers residents, Jason Phillips better known to the world as Jadakiss and David Styles aka Styles P to cut the ribbon on their new juice bar, Juices for Life located at 211 Nepperhan Avenue in Yonkers. Juices For Life is the second for Styles, The first one is located at 1026 Castle Hill Ave opened in 2011. Styles opened a third location (second in the Bronx) and then on September 2016 a new store opened in Brooklyn by Radio Personality Angela Yee with the rappers blessing. Juices for Life is more than a brand, Jadakiss explains in his signature rasp, “our juice bars are opened in the hood on purpose to educate our people on health awareness.”

“We consider ourselves family to everyone who walks through our doors and to everyone who lives a juicing lifestyle. This includes all healthy lifestyles that will help our children, parents, siblings and all family members within our community. Although we sell fruits, vegetable, wheat grass, sea moss and Love Is Love protein powder, don’t forget that we are still a bar. We consider ourselves “Cheers” for the healthy folk. Instead of a shot of Whisky you can get a shot of wheat grass. If you need a healthy and cool social hangout spot that has a diverse group of people, then come visit Juices for Life.”

JOLO’S KITCHEN SEASONED VEGAN

VEGAN CULTURAL RESTAURANT - ALWAYS VEGAN ALL THE TIME, SINCE 2008!

412 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY, 10801 (914) 355-2527 Juice bar & vegan cafe offering mock meats, Caribbean dishes & more in a modest, compact space. https://joloskitchen.wordpress. com/veganrestaurant/ Facebook: @JolosKitchenRestaurant Twitter: @joloskitchen Instagram: @jolokitchen

Mon-Fri: 11:30 am - 8 pm Sat & Sun: 1:00 pm-8 pm Jolo’s Kitchen where everything is vegan! They only serve plant-based foods. They aim to serve healthy meals made with fresh ingredients, and surprisingly realistic “veggiemeats” filled with delicious flavors, and textures. Our diverse daily specials are full of creativity, fresh ingredients and variety. Jolo’s appeals to the humane conscious eaters and ensure that their ingredients meet a high standard of quality that you can trust.

Jolo’s offers a constantly changing array of vegetable-, grain- and fruit-based dishes that are so delicious even meat lovers will be pleased.

Jolo Moise, the chef and owner, believes vegan food is more healthful, so he creates dishes meant to convince carnivores that they need not eat meat. “Veggie ribz,” made of tofu in a tangy mushroom sauce, have a good texture and flavor. The “soysage” is an appealing alternative to Italian sausage. Most diners buy takeout, but there are a few tables and a juice bar with stools in the colorful, pleasant space for those who want to eat in.

BROTHER ROY’S GREEN

55 ST NICHOLAS AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10026 (212) 222-0092

The first and only full-service vegan restaurant in Harlem serving a variety of dishes enjoyable to anyone who loves great tasting, HEALTHY cuisine.

Seasoned Vegan is a family business owned and operated by mother and son, Brenda and Aaron Beener. We pride ourselves on being loyal to our vegan/vegetarian customers by maintaining an organic, 100% vegan menu while creating meals that are delicious enough to satisfy the most skeptical omnivore.

Chef Brenda Beener’s restaurant specializes in preparing a very unique type of cuisine: gourmet vegan soul food. Using the term “soul food” loosely because they are not referring exclusively to the typical cuisine of the Southern region of the United States.

Soul food is any meal prepared by a chef who not only includes

flavorful ingredients but also infuses tender love and care. With that as a founding theme, Seasoned Vegan gives typical Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean and American dishes a vegan, home cooked, soulful twist www.seasonedvegan.com Twitter: @SeasonedVegan

VEGAN ABUNDANT LIFE GREEDI 1031 Bergan St, Brooklyn, NY 11216 JUICE BAR & SALADS (347) 627-7900 13 E. 2nd St, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 (914) 371-1294

For the best in natural juices, smoothies, boosters and organ salads, visit the Abundant Life Juice Bar, Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm.

After working in fashion for almost 29 years, paired with a true passion for providing customers with unique memorable experiences, Latisha launched The Greedi Vegan the first of many fast casual take out Vegan restaurants. By combining Good Healthy food, Inspired by Global culinary experiences from her travels, and the support of her family and friends the Greedi Vegan was born.

At Green Garden Health Food Store, our focus is on freshness. We serve everything from veggie GARDEN HEALTH FOOD patties to delicious cakes. The greatest attraction to our place of business is our juice bar. We make 3584 White Plains Rd. Bronx, NY 10467 juices for all to enjoy. We have fruit smoothies, pro(718) 652-9535 tein shakes, fresh vegetable juice, green juice, peanut punch, sour sop, sorrel drink, sugar cane juice Green Garden Health Food Store offers a and Irish moss. You can also never go wrong with variety of fresh, delicious options including a our popular Super Special made with grains, nuts juice bar. Come join us for a refreshing drink! and protein powder. If you have a special request or a specific dietary restriction, we can always create Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm Facebook: @GreenGardenHealthFood a custom blend just for you! Our store also offers a variety of vitamins, teas, grocery items, cosmetics, Twitter: @GreenGardenNY and books. We have a family-friendly environment, so come on over and enjoy a fresh treat!!

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DECEMBER 2018

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

BLACK WESTCHESTER19

BLACK-OWNED BAKERIES & CUPCAKERIES

Got a sweet tooth that needs to be fixed…Well, maybe a cupcake will help! Whether you’re planning for the holidays or another special event, fresh baked goodies always make the moment that much more special. We all know the best foods in life are created with passion and love. Here are the staff’s top picks of the best Black-owned bakeries, cupcakeries, and souther-style dessert shops in Westchester County. Check them out, support them and follow them on social media.

CUPCAKE CUTIE BOUTIQUE (MOUNT VERNON) FASHIONABLY DELECTABLE, WE BAKE THE PERFECT TASTE FOR THE PERFECT OCCASION. Specializing in Edible Decor and Dessert Bars consisting of Homemade cupcakes made from the best ingredients with love. Not only are they cute, they’re delicious!

Fashionably delectable- we bake the perfect taste for the perfect occasion. Whether it’s our subtly sweet red velvet cupcake or our famous banana pudding cupcake, your taste buds are sure to love. These days, as we sift, whisk and frost, our love for baking shows. Our end product is always sweet and satisfying. Whether they’re cupcakes for a child’s party, a Wedding cake or something just to satisfy a sweet tooth, our goal at Cupcake Cutie Boutique is always to provide the pleasure of great taste with visual appeal and style.

Cars are often double parked. Lines were coming out the door and down the street on South Sixth Avenue, Saturday, Oct 10, 2015 for the grand opening of Cupcake Cutie Boutique. Offering over 30 varieties of gourmet Cupcakes and Sweet Treats, the mother-daughter bakery located at 8 South Sixth Avenue, had a steady flow of traffic from 7am to 7pm, selling over 700 cupcakes and selling out just before 5pm. DJ Tri-State Jericko, known to many as the Voice of Westchester entertained customers on the ones and twos, throughout the afternoon.

“We offer an unprecedented collection of flavors and frostings,” said Miesha Stokley, Founder and Co-Owner of Cupcake Cutie Boutique. “Our trained culinary team has developed a one-stop-shop for your favoritecupcakes and treats in the state of New York.”

In addition to the vast assortment of gourmet cupcakes and sweet treats, Mount Vernon based bakery will offer mouth-watering breakfast selections, diabetic and vegan options.

“It’s essential that we offer something for everyone,” added Stokely. “Our vegan and diabetic-friendly product line offers a delicious option for individuals with dietary restrictions or limitations.”

Cupcake Cutie Boutique caters all social events and offer monthly cupcake decorating classes and more. Their annual Gingerbread House Party is always a huge success, where young girls get a chance to decorate their Gingerbread Houses. Another annual event is their Tasting Gala, A Cupcake Winter Wonderland.

Miesha also strarted Black Girls Bake Inc, a not-for-profit organization for girls and women, designed to support their passion and expertise on the craft of baking.

“This is just the start of the Cupcake Cutie Boutique brand,” said Stokley. “We are looking forward to expanding this bakery concept across the entire metro area and beyond. One taste of our products will put a smile on any customer’s face.”

Stokley (daughter) is a life-long Mount Vernon resident and a graduate of Mount Vernon High School. Stokely then went on to attend the University of Miami where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is currently employed as a Labor and Delivery Nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Montika Jones (mother) is also a life-long Mount Vernon resident and graduate of Mount Vernon High School. Jones is a decorated Detective of the Mount Vernon Police Department, promoted to dectective Thursday, January 2, 2014. She donates much of her time to help her community and wife of Black Westchester Publisher Damon K. Jones.

“Detective Montika Jones of the Mount Vernon Police Department understands the importance of a healthy relationship with officers and citizens. “There needs to be a bridge where we can meet in the middle,” stated Detective Jones with a smile. She believes that the community in Mt. Vernon will benefit from participating in National Coffee with a Cop day, Saturday, October 28, 2017. The twist to this bridge was including cupcakes into the equation. Cupcake Cutie Boutique hosted the event on a perfect day. Citizens of Mt. Vernon engaged in conversations and concerns with members from the Mt. Vernon Police Department. Dr. Cornell West spoke of serving the people with love. Without conversations with both citizens and officers the relationship will continue to be loveless” shared Vynthia Turnquest-Jones of Tha BUMP (Tha Brown Urban Mother Partnership.

Westchester Magazine described their Alcohol-infused cupcakes: This one is for the adults! In Mount Vernon, this mother-daughter-owned business is serving up a party by specializing in cupcakes infused with liquor. Try their Patron margarita cupcake, the spiked piña colada, or the Baileys Irish Creamette.

Don’t worry kids, there are still plenty of delicious flavors for you to try.

Some of the most popular include the banana-pudding cupcake, a banana-cinnamon cake filled with banana pudding, frosted with banana buttercream, and topped with a vanilla wafer. Other favorites include the fudgy brownie-sundae cupcake and red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

8 South 6th Avenue, Mount Vernon NY 10550 - Tel: (914) 530-5536 info@cupcakecutieboutiqueny.com - http://cupcakecutieboutique.com/ Twitter: @CupcakeCutie914 – Facebook & Instagram: @CupcakeCutieBoutique Follow Black Girls Bake on Facebook: @blackgirlsbake

G&K SWEET FOODS, LLC (PEEKSKILL) SMALLCAKES CUPCAKERY & CREAMERY (SCARSDALE)

Owners Gay Wheeler-Smith and Kecia Palmer-Cousins were named among 914 Inc Magazine’s 4th Annual, Westchester’s 18 Most Successful Female Business Leaders in 2014. The dynamic duo runs G&K Sweet Foods, a Peekskill-based company that manufactures traditional Southern-style desserts such as sweet potatoes and tarts, based on Wheeler-Smith’s great grandmother’s recipe (Grandma’s Momma’s Legacy ‘Licious sweet potato pies) and chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, manufactured in a commercial kitchen with all-natural ingredients.

From warm kitchens, lots of laughter and heartfelt conversations, Momma as she was affectionately called by the family, was Gay’s Great-Grandmother. Momma, Grandma, and Mommy shared not only their stories, wisdom and love but all of their family secret recipes. Gay always wanted to hangout with the elders and from the time she was six years old, each of them taught her how to bake many dessert dishes, but sweet potato pie was always her favorite.

Gay who is a Registered Professional Nurse has always baked family dessert recipes for the holidays and special events for friends. It was while baking these legacy desserts passed down generationally, that Gay decided to share the wonderful taste of these southern traditional home style recipes with the rest of the world.

After Gay attended a Women’s Enterprise Development Center breakfast (WEDC) with her good friend Kecia Palmer-Cousins, Kecia was asked to partner with Gay in launching this business venture. Kecia graciously agreed and honed in her legacy family business expertise and academic business achievements.

Thus, Gay as Founder and CEO, and Kecia as COO, G&K Sweet Foods, LLC was established in 2007.

Kecia Palmer-Cousins, MBA, is the Chief Operating Office (COO) of G&K Sweet Foods. She is a partner of G&K Sweet Foods, LLC, a New York LLC and NYC & NYS Certified M/WBE (Minority Women’s Enterprise) food company, specializing in the commercial manufacturing of fully baked, frozen small and large sweet potato pies for the wholesale and retail markets.

Kecia, a former Mt. Vernon resident WHO currently resides in Peekskill has over 22 years of customer service, project management and telecommunications experience working as an ITIL®v3 Senior Project Manager at a Fortune 100 company in NYC with premier and Wall Street customers. She earned a B.S.in Manufacturing Engineering (Boston University), an MBA in Marketing (Long Island University) and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University.

Their pies and cookies can be ordered to accommodate government agencies, firms, food services, diners, schools, airports, bakeries, supermarkets and commissaries. Pies are packaged for single three inch serving, six inch serving, and nine inch serving.

2044 Oakwood Drive Peekskill NY 10566 - Tel: (914) 788-3697 Email: gandksweetfoods@yahoo.com - Webite: https://gksweetfoods.com/ Facebook & Instagram: @GKSweetFoods - Twitter: @GKSweetFoodsLLC

Got a sweet tooth that needs to be fixed…Well, maybe a cupcake will help!

Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery is conveniently located in the Heartbeat of Westchester on Central Park Ave. They provide the best cupcakes Westchester has to offer by baking fresh every day and providing our customers with a variety of cupcakes flavors. Offering specialty cupcake flavors that change every month, you’re guaranteed to keep coming back! Not only do we have great cupcakes, but we also have delicious homemade cupcake-infused ice-cream.

My favorite African-American business is SmallCakes on Central Ave in the Edgemont section of town. We have many African American owned businesses in the Fairview section of town, but Anthony & Regina opened up their small cakes business in a wealthy hamlet. And the community loves them and the cakes.

My daughter always asks me to stop by and buy her a a bunch of cupcakes every time there is a special family occasion. My only complaint: The cakes are so good that I usually eat up the cakes meant for others – and gain excess weight!

Anthony and Regina can be reached at 713 3971. They are very nice people and great business leaders. I am thrilled they are part of our community.

- by Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner 749 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 713-3971 smallcakesny@gmail.com - www.smallcakesny.com

MAKE MY CAKE

(HARLEM)

Baking Sweet Memories, One Cake at a Time

Evolving from a home-based business, over 22 years ago, that baked for all occasions, Make My Cake was compelled to address customer’s demand by expanding the business to several full service retail and wholesale bakeries. Their family has managed to set the baking world on fire growing into a global sensation which draws thousands of worldwide visitors seeking the ultimate “red velvet cake” and various other heavenly desserts to Harlem. They serve their sweet creations like Food Network favorite - German Chocolate Cake, New York Times pick - Red Velvet Cake, and local favorite - Sweet Potato Cheesecake to the fans which flock to their bakeries daily.

The national exposure has served to affirm the success of our beloved Ma Smith.The family team of Jo-Ann, Aliyyah, Kevin, Dedan, Khalid, along with a personable staff are dedicated to making each customer smile one sweet tooth at a time.

380 Adam C. Powell Blvd., 139th St. Harlem, NY • (212) 234-2344 121 Saint Nicholas Ave (116TH ST), Harlem, NY • (212) 932-0833 Email: MMC139@MakeMyCake.com - website: http://www.makemycake.com F: @MakeMyCakeNYC - T: @MakeMyCakeNY - IG: @MakeMyCake

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20 BLACK WESTCHESTER

BW SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

DECEMBER 2018

P ROFESSIONAL SERVICES When we came up with the idea to list and spotlight Black Businesses in Westchester County and surrounding areas it was important to us to show not just the traditional Black Businesses that come to mind like restaurants, printing shops, funeral homes, barbershops, hair and nail salons, but professional services we usual go out of our community for. A professional service that helps to manage a specific part of their business. Because professional service providers have specialized knowledge about niche areas of interest, such as law, marketing or accounting, they allow the customer to focus on core business concerns. Unlike a consultant, who may only be responsible for providing advice, a professional service provider may also be responsibility for the end result. Here are a few local professional services providers we recommend! #SupportBlackBusinesses #BlackBusinessesMatter ADG Accounting, Inc. is licensed in New York State and specializes in Accounting. Our firm is responsive, experienced, and affordable. By combining our expertise, experience and the energy of our staff, each client receives personal and professional attention, and served by the expertise of our whole firm.

We provide year-end tax planning for individuals and businesses and offer a variety of products for Business Services, Tax Services, and QuickBooks Services. We offer a broad range of accounting services for business owners, nonprofits, and independent professionals.

Our primary goal as a trusted advisor is to be available and to provide insightful advice so our clients may make informed financial decisions. Our staff provide the most updated and competent advice available, and are up to date on current IRS rules and regulations. We continue to improve our technical expertise and financial knowledge and pass that onto our clients.

An accounting firm is known for the quality of its service. Our firm's reputation reflects the high standards we demand of ourselves.

Contact: Sharon Eason at sharon@adgaccountinginc.com or call (914) 762-7640 75 Virginia Road, 2nd Floor, White Plains, NY 10603 www.adgaccountinginc.com

BUSINESS OF YOUR BUSINESS LLC (WHITE PLAINS)

All businesses have bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, and tax responsibilities. The challenge is how to best meet those responsibilities. As a small business, non-profit, or religious organization, your choices are typically: in-house accounting staff, do it yourself, or outsource.

Outsourcing offers all of the benefits of an in-house staff at a fraction of the cost and without the challenges of hiring, training, and maintaining a staff.

Business of Your Business, LLC has provided these services successfully in Westchester County NY since 1992. Our team of professional accountants and bookkeepers are ready to serve you.

Wiley C. Harrison own and operate Business of Your Business, LLC, and has served many boards and organizations, over the past 25 years in Westchester County. After graduating from Columbia Business School in 1984 with an MBA, he has worked for a large accounting firm and a Fortune 500 corporation. After a few years Harrison realized that he was not making much of a difference. These businesses where he worked made tons of profit, regardless of my input. He needed to know that I was making a difference for something or someone. Today, he accomplishes this regularly, both at my business and with his community involvement. As a result, a long list of organizations have benefited from his expertise and support.

333 Westchester Avenue -South Building, Suite 201 (Yellow Building Entrance) White Plains, New York 10604 Phone: 914.761.7380 - Fax: 914.761.9220 Email: info@thebyb.com - http://thebyb.com Hours: 9am – 5pm, Monday thru Friday (Closed on Weekends) Summer Hours: 9am – 2pm on Fridays in July & August

BILAL GROUP LLC (TARRYTOWN) DENISE M. KNIGHT & ASSOCIATES (HARTSDALE) WEALTH MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

CONNECTING TAXATION AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

Nothing can take the place of integrity and trust - hard work and solid values have earned the associates of The Bilal Group LLC, a reputation for thoroughness and objectivity. We employ innovative methods and modern technology to provide cutting-edge strategies of wealth management for our clients.

Our Process. Finding the right solution for your personal or business needs requires us to pay special attention to the circumstances of your unique situation. This is why our Financial Services Representatives take a needs-based approach to our insurance sales strategy. Our four-step process of analyzing, recommending, implementing, and reviewing your strategy will help ensure that you get on course to achieving your goals, and remain on course as life unfolds.

Analyze. Before we recommend any product or service, we ask questions and get a clear understanding of your financial goals and objectives. We then analyze your insurance portfolio to identify any gaps that may exist in your policies.

Recommend. We provide you with suggestions to fill in the gaps so you can choose the products best suited for your situation.

Implement. If you’re satisfied with our recommendations, we work with you to implement your strategies and secure the required products and services to help ensure your financial freedom.

Review. Because your financial situation is bound to change, we work with you over time through periodic reviews to help you monitor the strategies in place, and their capacity to continuously meet your goals.

Our Financial Services Representatives can help you with many of your financial needs. It is important to note that Financial Services Representatives are only able to provide certain services if they are licensed to do so in your state.

Denise M. Knight & Associates LLC is a tax planning and financial services firm serving individuals, families, and businesses throughout the country and internationally. With diverse and in-depth industry experience, we are uniquely qualified to address all elements of your financial health to help you build and preserve your wealth with taxefficient strategies.

By attending to both your tax and financial needs, our focus is on creating integrated strategies. As an independently managed firm, we are not tied to proprietary products and we avoid conflicts of interest. We have the access to a wide range of services and products comparable to a large firm with the focus and client commitment of a small practice.

Our goal is to have a positive impact on your life by helping you navigate the complexities of tax planning and investing with strategies that are designed to support your financial well-being. We seek to serve as valuable resources for your unique situation—all under a single roof.

Often, a financial advisor and tax professional are the two most trusted professionals in one’s financial life. At Denise M. Knight & Associates LLC, our mission is to combine the two into one, using our specialized knowledge to help our clients achieve their individual financial goals. We work with a wide range of clients, whether they are business owners, families, or individuals at all stages of their career or approaching retirement.

As an independently managed firm, we are in a unique position: we can offer a wide array of services and products typically found at a large firm, but offer the personal care and communication of a small practice. We focus on building long-term client relationships by striving to make clients feel welcome and part of the family.

WESTCHESTER: 120 White Plains Rd, Suite 601, Tarrytown, NY, 10591 NEW YORK CITY: 277 Park Ave, 44th Floor, New York, NY 10172 (914) 366-8382 Rbilal@financialguide.com - http://www.bilalgroupllc.com/

100 East Hartsdale Avenue, Box 44 Suite MGE, Hartsdale, NY 10530 Main Office: (914) 472-0888 - Office (Cetera): (914) 725-7770 - Fax: (914) 472-0895 Investment-Related Emails denise.knight@ceterafs.com Tax-Related Emails stephanie@dmknightllc.com

TAMIKA Y ROSE AGENCY (ELMSFORD) TAGNET CONSULTING LLC (OSSINING) NATIONWIDE INSURANCE

ENGINEERING, ACCOUNTING, RESEARCH, AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Tamika Y. Rose opened the first African-American Female Minority owned insurance brokerage business in Westchester County.

Tamika Y. Rose, President has a wealth of experience, servicing the likes of “City of Yonkers” and The Trump of New Rochelle. Her Mission is....

“Building relationships one policy at a time while protecting what matters the most”

Shadowing the footsteps of Mrs. E.G. Bowman, NY’s Largest Minority and Woman-Owned Insurance Brokerage, who in 2013 celebrated 60th year anniversary, Ms. Rose’s agency provides full service Insurance services and exclusive Nationwide products.

Hard work and dedication has earned us a reputation of excellence by leveraging a risk management experience to deliver keen insight, solutions to clients’ needs. Tamika Y Rose Agency is deeply committed to the communities we serve. We have assisted municipalities, businesses and individuals find the best comprehensive insurance coverage for many years.

TAGNET Consulting’s mission is to provide advisory services to support its clients in the areas of business development and process improvement. The company focuses primarily on assisting clients in the areas of change management, operations enhancement and stakeholder relations.

TAGNET Consulting reviews clients’ financial infrastructure, operating processes, security systems and quality controls and assists clients in implementing modifications in any of those areas.

TANGET Consulting is certified as a minority vendor by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Thomas Grayman is the president and principal manager of TAGNET Consulting, LLC. He is a former senior vice president and division manager at Computershare, the leading provider of shareowner and employee stock ownership services.

67 E Main St, Elmsford, NY 10523 Phone: (914) 432-3087 - Fax: (914) 290-4902 Email: roset6@nationwide.com https://agency.nationwide.com/tamika-rose-in-elmsford-ny

Address: 101 Antler Rdg, Ossining, NY 10562 Phone: 914.703.7012 Email: tgrayman@tagnetconsulting.com Website: www.tagnetconsulting.com

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DECEMBER 2018

BW SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

BLACK WESTCHESTER

21

BLACK OWNED BOUTIQUES The presumption is that most businesses in the Black Community are owned by other ethnic groups and unfortunately when peole talk about local AfricanAmerican owned establishments, all they talk about is hair & nail salons, barbershops and soulfood spots. While they too do offer vital services for the community, we are so much more than that. It’s so important that we keep our Black Dollars within our community. So this holiday season let’s ALL shop BLACK and support our black owned businesses. On this page we are sharing five favorite Black Owned Boutique in the Lower Hudson Valley and surrounding area to shop and Follow!!! Each and every one of these stores offer something different. Check them out. #SupportBlackBusinesses #BlackBusinessesMatter

LOOLA DOOLA BOUTIQUE (WHITE PLAINS)

Women’s clothing & Accessories Handbag/Clutch Designer Chic, feminine clothing and accessories from a range of designers.

This new boutique, that open July 1, 2017, features a variety of women’s’ clothing, including tops, dresses and wraps. Loola Doola also offers accessories including clutches and scarves.

Loola Doola’s owner, Lauren Morris, has nearly two decades of experience in fashion and design. She also designs handbags through her company, Lauren M. Designs. Morris said “Loola Doola” was a childhood nickname given to her by her late father.

With her new boutique, Morris said she aims to make every client feel like a priority during their shopping experience.

“We’re excited about the opening of a great new shop in White Plains: Loola Doola Boutique. At the luxury women’s boutique, whose moniker was a childhood nickname bestowed upon owner Lauren Morris by her late father, you’ll find a selection of chic, feminine clothing and accessories from a range of designers, including Morris herself; her own Lauren M. handcrafted clutches are gorgeous. One-on-one shopping is offered by appointment.” – Westchester Magazine 206 Martine Avenue White Plains NY 10601 914-349-3147 or 914-468-1168 Facebook: @Loola-Doola-Boutique - Instagram: @looladoolaboutique

THE INSPO BOUTIQUE (PELHAM, NY) SIMPLEEBEAUTIFUL

“I sparked my dream once the current president of the United States won the election,” explained Ginji. It may sound eccentric but, makes well-grounded sense. A space with fresh organic pieces made for the lover of those who wants to stand out in a crowd.

Ginji and her mom Janice are co-owners of I N S P O located in Pelham, New York. Inspo is a popular term in our hash tag internet world. It is a short term for “inspiration” which is the passion to make someone want to do something or gives someone an idea about what to do or create. Ginji expressed, “I wanted it to be a source of inspiration with a vision of a boutique for as long as I could remember. When my mom started painting a couple of years ago we originally discussed opening an art gallery.” Simultaneously dreams came together producing a lifestyle boutique.

The owners of I N S P O are local residents of Westchester as well. Janice and co-owner Ginji owns a home in Fleetwood, and Ginji resides in a condo with her husband in downtown New Rochelle. What began as a pastime for us both has grown into a lifelong passion. Their experiences throughout the years created the foundation for their current venture now. This journey, past and present, is our inspo!

Their goal is beautiful simplicity, in all genres of life. “I truly hope that mantra will translate into the overall feel of our boutique.”

“I N S P O is a lifestyle boutique owned by the daughter-mommy duo.” Gin and Jan (respectively), offer a cornucopia style infused with art, clothing and lifestyle items. Their pieces are a classic blend of casual, work, and play. Most items are individually sewn out of a small design studio in Manhattan. Sizes include Small, Medium, and Large with plans to expand in the near future.

Periodically you will find outside artwork but, currently all artwork is original and hand painted by artist and co-owner, Janice Harding (aka Jan).

In addition, I N S P O offer artisanal pieces by various jewelry designers, hand painted accessories and greeting cards and all-natural body products and vegan soy candles by “ReBourné” - Cynthia Turnquest-Jones 144 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, New York 10803 914-255-3690 www.theinspoboutique.com/ - Facebook: @theinspoboutique

WEEZIE D LADIES BOUTIQUE (BRONXVILLE)

The place to “find a wide variety of fun, flirty designer-inspired dresses, fashionforward tops, must have handbags, and up-to-the-minute accessories at this trendy yet classic boutique for fashionable women of all ages and budgets,” - Westchester Magazine

Weezie D. offers everything from women’s clothing to jewelry, handbags, scarves, and hair accessories, and is Westchester’s a premier one-stop shop for trendy women of many ages. Weezie D. opened in 2005 in Bronxville, New York and just celebrated its 13-year anniversary this past October.

The quaint boutique shop has been named Best of Westchester in the Ladies Clothing Store category for three years –2014, 2015, and 2017. The shop participates in community service including its Holiday Toy Drive benefiting Providence House in New Rochelle. Throughout the year it also hosts several “Sip & Shop” events for local non-profit organizations and donates proceeds of sales to each organization.

The shop’s mantra is “Get out of the Box and Into Weezie D.” BW Entertainment Feature Writer Samantha Hunter included Weezie D in her column ‘These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things” in Black Westchester’s January 2018 issue.

15 Park Place, Bronxville NY 10708 914-337-1008 info.weezied.com www.weezied.com Twitter: @WeezieDBoutique – Facebook & Instagram: @WeezieD

WHITE PLAINS PLAZA

A luxury product retailer, full service hair salon and web-boutique SimpleeBEAUTIFUL is a Private Studio located in downtown White Plains that offers private sessions with Diane Da Costa, owner celebrity, Master Stylist/Curly Textured Expert & Author of the book, TEXTURED TRESSES. SimpleeBEAUTIFUL offers full hair analysis on natural hair and transitioning for curlies and naturalistas. Clients can schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with all scheduled appointments.

With over 30 years in the beauty industry, Diane offers customized curly and straight precision cuts, custom-blended color and her own SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Restorative Oil H2O steam treatments for all types and textures. Diane created a heatless, quick-drying method using DYAKIM Microfiber Towels and Turban, which she co-created and are sold in the salon and online at www.dyakimstyle.com

Diane also offers blow-outs; smooth-outs & ceramic styling, natural textured styling, and hair extensions, (straight, wavy, curly, Afro textures and crochet curls.

Visit Saturday and Sunday for their CurlyTexturedBar express services: blowouts and textured styling with available apprentice stylists and trainees.

SimpleeBEAUTIFUL is a Sodium Hydroxide-free salon that offers alternatives to relaxing and texturizing with non-chemical botanical texturizing and certified keratin smoothing treatments using luxury products infused with butters, soy, botanicals and essential oils.

Diane offers private sessions in New York City twice a month and SimpleeBEAUTIFUL is open Wednesday thru Sunday in Westchester. BW Entertainment Feature Writer Samantha Hunter included SimpleeBEAUTIFUL in her column “These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things” in Black Westchester’s January 2018 issue 445, s-17 Hamilton Ave, White Plains, NY 10601 914-246-1692 www.simpleebeautiful.com

HARLEM HABERDASHERY BOUTIQUE Harlem Haberdashery is the retail expression of 5001 FLAVORS, a custom-made apparel company creating looks for celebrities, recording artists and sports stars for over 20 years. In thier uptown boutique, Harlem Haberdashery draws inspiration from the rich cultural history and distinctive style of the Harlem Renaissance while adding a future-forward edge to their exclusive designs. The result is a classic silhouette set off by our definitive expression of today’s fashion.

“We know that dressing well is an expression of success, defined as living well and enjoying life on your own terms. At the Haberdashery every guest is a celebrity who can create their own personal expression of Success in collaboration with our design staff. Our goal is to provide a Red Carpet experience for all of our guests.”

We achieve this by creating head-to-toe looks from our own clothing lines complete with shoes and one-of-a-kind accessories. Our collection is exclusive to Harlem Haberdashery and not available anywhere else in the world. Each item of clothing from our signature line is designed and made in our own Harlem facility while accessories and other collections are handpicked from niche designers and offered exclusively at the Haberdashery.”

They invite you to make their showroom your own private club. Relax, and explore your own personal expression of Success at Harlem Haberdashery.

245 Malcolm X Blvd (Bet. 122nd & 123rd St.), Harlem NY 10027 Phone: 646-707-0070​- Fax: 646-707-0002 Info@HarlemHaberdashery.com - www.harlemhaberdashery.com Facebook: @HarlemHaberdashery –Twitter & Instagram: @HaberdasheryNYC

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22 BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

DECEMBER 2018

BW FINANCE - KNOWING THE VALUE OF YOUR BUSINESS

BY RASHAD BILAL

There’s one question many business owners ask themselves often: “What is the true value of my business?”

It’s an important question because, whether you realize it or not, the value of your business will have a big impact on both personal and professional aspects of your life. So, knowing the answer is vitally important.

A business valuation, conducted by a credentialed valuation expert, estimates the economic value of your interest in a business. It is most often used to determine the selling price of a business, the amount needed to fund a buy-sell agreement, or to assign values to individual assets held by the business. Once you know the value of your business, you can put in place more effective plans and strategies for future growth, business continuation, succession planning or employee retention. It can also help you plan for your own future.

How Business Value Impacts Your Retirement

There are many sound business reasons why you need to know your company’s value, but there are also personal ones. If you’re relying on the value of your business to fund your retirement, then having an accurate picture of its worth is critical.

Retirement planning is, for many, a life-long endeavor. You’ve likely accumulated savings and assets over time, perhaps decades, and may have plans in place to draw down money each year as retirement income. If proceeds from your business, which may be your most valuable asset, is an integral part of your retirement plan, it is critical that you know now just how much of the business value will be available to you in the future.

The sooner you know the answer, the faster you can take steps to create other sources of retirement income outside of your business if you need to. And, should economic conditions change for the worse and adversely affect the business value, you’ll be in a better position as you move toward the next chapter of your life.

What’s Your Business Worth?

Your team of professional advisors can help guide you in determining the best way to undertake the business valuation process. Once completed, the value of your business should be reviewed periodically.

Business valuation can impact your life in so many different ways. The question you should be asking yourself now is, “How do I get started?”

Provided by Rashad Bilal, a financial representative with The Bilal Group LLC, courtesy of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance

AFRICAN-AMERICAN ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW

In celebrating and highlighting some of Westchester County’s Best Black Businesses, Black Westchester felt it was important to spotlight some of the Black Law Firms. African-Americans Attorneys-At-Law who are committed to the mission of improving fighting for criminal and civil justice, addressing the needs of the African-American community. On this page we wanted to connect attorneys to potential clients, employers, and each other. When it come to looking for lawyers who are dedicated to providing clients with high quality, aggressive and caring legal services and representation, we do not need to go outside of our community. Here is a list of great lawyers in our community!

RICElegal&services RICE ATTORNEYS AT LAW LAW OFFICES OF MAYO BARTLETT, PLLC Premier being offered to the community at affordable rates.

Mayo Bartlett is a Civil Rights and Criminal Defense Lawyer. He is the Principal Attorney at the Law Offices of Mayo Bartlett, PLLC, a trial attorney and a former partner at the law firm of Young & Bartlett, LLP, a litigation law firm which focused on Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, DWI and Civil Rights matters. He worked for the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for more than ten years, where he served as a litigator in the Superior Court Trial Division prior to his appointment as the Chief of the Bias Crimes Unit.

Mr. Bartlett was selected as a Super Lawyer, and one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers, and he has provided hate crime training for the law enforcement community and he works with community organizations and schools to ensure that hate crimes are properly identified, reported, and investigated.

Mr. Bartlett is a co-founder of SAFE PASSAGE, a youth law forum that brings issues of law and policy to the classroom, and he speaks regularly on the topics of human rights and non-violent conflict resolution.

Mr. Bartlett served on the Advisory Board of the Westchester Holocaust Education Center, assisting the Center in the development of an alternative educational sentencing program for young people who are believed to have been involved in non-violent hate crimes in Westchester, New York and adjoining counties.

Mr. Bartlett has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pace Law School, where he taught Moot Court and lectured on Ethics.

He was an active member of the New York State Hate Crimes Coalition, an organization that played a pivotal role in the passage of the Hate Crime Act of 2000, the first comprehensive hate crime legislation in New York State.

Mr. Bartlett is a past Vice President and former multi-term board member of the Westchester County Bar Association, where he served as Co-chair of both the Criminal Justice Section and the Membership Committee, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, and as a delegate to the New York State Bar Association. He served as a Director of the Westchester County Black Bar Association and is a past Chair of the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. He is a convener of We Are Westchester, a coalition of not-forprofit organizations that focuses on social justice.

Mr. Bartlett is a Director of the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County, has served as a Trustee of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, is a past Director of CLUSTER (Congregations Linked in Urban Strategy to Effect Renewal), a Director Emeritus of the New York Civil Liberties Union, A Director of the Urban League of Westchester County New York. Mayo is also is a member of the African American Men of Westchester.

Mr. Bartlett is the author of A Day at the Museum, and he frequently spends time working to strengthen communities.

Mayo appears almost every week on a legal panel featured on Richard French Live which airs on WRNN and Verizon Fios. The show is taped live every Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 p.m. and airs throughout New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, including the five boroughs of New York City.

Westchester Financial Center, 50 Main St, Suite 1000, White Plains, NY 10606 Phone: 914-224-3086 Fax: 914-468-6333 Email: mgb@mayobartlett.com - Website: - https://mayobartlett.com

Rice & Rice Attorneys at Law was founded in 1983 and has provided quality legal representation for its clients for decades. Today, its office is located in New Rochelle and is a general practice firm with three attorneys plus support staff. Rice & Rice specializes in Civil Rights, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Criminal Defense, Small Business Needs, and Real Estate transactions.

In 1983, attorneys J. Roger Rice and Gail Brooks formed Rice & Rice, Esqs., one of the first husband and wife multi-specialty law firms in Westchester County. Originally headquartered in Tuckahoe, NY, the firm eventually relocated to New Rochelle, New York where it is now in its present suite of offices in the Chase Building.

For over 30+ years, the law firm of Rice & Rice has served Westchester County and the New York City metropolitan area with efficient and quality legal service. With its dedicated and professional staff, the firm provides personal and individualized service to its vast clientele.

From its origins as a “husband and wife” firm, the law firm of Rice & Rice has transformed to a “father and son” firm. Elder son, New Rochelle Councilman Jared R. Rice, J.D., graduated from North Carolina Central School of Law and passed the bar exam in 2004. Together, this firm continues to strive to earn it’s motto “Over 30 years of Excellence.”

270 North Ave #202, New Rochelle, NY 10801 - Tel: (914) 633-9200 Email: nyricelaw@gmail.com - Website: http://www.nyricelaw.com/ Facebook: @Rice-Rice-Attorneys-At-Law-62356989965/

WESTCHESTER BLACK BAR ASSOC

If you are looking for Black Law Firms or African-American Attorney-AtLaw in Westchester, one great resource is the The Westchester Black Bar Association. The WBBA originated as the Association of Black Lawyers of Westchester County which was founded in 1973. The founding members Bruce Bozeman, Esq, Daniel W. Boddie, Esq., Joseph Holligan Callendar, Esq., Hon. H. Hawthorne Harris, and Leroy Wilson, Esq. each sought to elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession and foster the spirit of collegiality among members and throughout the bar.

The website is great resource. The organization has a membership consisting of attorneys, judges, public officials, academia, law students and legal professionals who reside or work in Westchester County and the tri-state area. Their purpose is to: improve the integrity and standards of professionalism in the legal community; improve public confidence in the judicial system and the administration of justice; promote and encourage independence, diversity and inclusion in the judiciary and in the court system; and uphold the promise of equality, fairness, and justice for all under law regardless of race, color, sex, creed, or national origin.

333 Mamaroneck Avenue PMB 219, White Plains, New York 10605 Email: info@wbbany.org - Website: http://www.wbbany.org

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DECEMBER 2018

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUNITY

BLACK WESTCHESTER 23

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

BLACKS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WARN AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO CARRY LEGAL FIREARMS

THINK TWICE BEFORE DRAWING YOUR WEAPONS IN PUBLIC

BY DAMON K. JONES

There is an old saying that it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun. Unfortunately, what they have failed to mention, unless the good guy is is Black.

The recent shootings of Emantic J. Bradford, who was shot and killed during the Hoover Police response to an active shooter in a mall, Jemel Roberson, a 26-year-old security guard at a nightclub in Robbins, Illinois, and Philando Castile, who was killed in his car at a traffic stop. All these men had a legal right to carry their weapon and police killed all these men.

Law Enforcement leaders and politicians fail to address the rooted racial bias, conscious or unconscious in policing when it comes to black people, especially black men in particular. The unjust shootings of Black men by Law Enforcement has become more American than Apple Pie.

A ground Breaking but forgotten report called Police on Police Shooting Task Force formed in 2010 by former New York Gov. David A. Paterson to examine confrontations between officers and the role that race might have played, what we believe is the only “nationwide, systematic review of mistakenidentity, police-on-police shootings” by an independent panel outside of law enforcement.

In cases involving a victims who was an off-duty officer, the task force reported that 9 of the 10 officers killed in friendly fire encounters in the United States since 1982 were black or Latino, including Omar J. Edwards, a New York City officer who was fatally shot in Harlem last May by an on-duty colleague, and Detective Christopher Ridley, an off-duty Mount Vernon officer shot and killed by at least three uniformed Westchester County officers in White Plains in January 2008.

The report said the conclusion of the task force was clear: “Inherent or unconscious racial bias plays a role in ‘shoot/don’t-shoot,’ decisions made by officers of all races and ethnicities.”

As Black Officers, we are well aware of the danger of being shot, shot at or killed while on duty in plain clothes Police management would like to call it friendly fire, but there’s nothing friendly about it. Because our shootings are usually swept under the rug by police unions and elected officials. Law Enforcement Officials eyes are wide shut to a microcosm of a more significant issue of racism in law enforcement that any black man who can legally carry is in danger of being shot, shot at or killed by bias Police Officers.

To this end, as an organization of Black Law Enforcement Professionals, in response to the continued failure to address racial bias in law enforcement and the continuous unjust shootings of black men. It is imperative that Black Officers on duty in plain clothes, off duty and civilians who legally carry a weapon to think twice before they draw their weapons in public incidents.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A BLACK MAN WITH A GUN SEVEN YEAR COMMEMORATION - IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OR NOT - OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN SR IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES - KILLED BY WHITE PLAINS POLICE The fatal shootings of two black men in the past two weeks by police officers while trying to help other citizens are very disturbing.

Jemel Roberson, a security guard was killed by a Midlothian police officer as he tried to subdue an individual at gun point who was involved in a shooting. Emantic J. Bradford was in an Alabama Mall and was allegedly trying to help shoppers to safety after a shooting in the mall when he was gunned down by an off duty Hoover PD Officer. The officer was moonlighting as a security guard in the mall.

Unfortunately, these cases reminds me of far too many incidents where off-duty or on-duty black cops in plain clothes have been shot by white police officers while taking legitimate police action. One of the incidents involved a young black officer who worked for me as a rookie.

In 1992, two white uniformed officers shot at black plainclothes undercover cop Darwin Pannell 21 times, seriously wounding him after mistaking him for a mugger.

In 1994, black police officer Desmond Robinson, a New York City plainclothes Transit Officer, was shot by an off-duty white police officer four times in the back while working in the subway station.

In 2008, off-duty black plainclothes police officer Christopher Ridley of the Mount Vernon Police Department was shot and killed by by Westchester County Police officers in White Plains while trying to break up a fight between two men. Ridley got into a scuffle with one of the men and his gun went off during the struggle. Four police officers responded to the scene and one of them ended up killing Officer Ridley.

In 2009, black police officer Omar Edwards, who had just left his precinct and was off duty, observed someone breaking into his vehicle. Officer Edwards alerted the suspect and then gave chase in an effort to subdue the perpetrator, with his firearm in hand. Responding officers mistakenly thought that Omar was a criminal and fired at him, killing him. Omar was a rookie cop who worked under my command his first year on the job.

The above are just a few examples and I am quite sure there are others.

The common denominator of every incident is that a black man lawfully carried out his duty to protect and serve and ended up dead by a fellow officer. Jemel Roberson, Emantic J. Bradford and the others did not deserve to die the way they did. Police departments around the county need to take a hard look at how they are training officers to deal with people with guns,especially black men. It is quite evident that a black man with a gun – in law enforcement or not – is an endangered species.

On Monday, November 19, 2018 at 7 pm, over 50 people attended our annual commemoration for the life of Mr. Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr. In addition to honoring his memory and his family, we renewed our commitment to activism in our local, county and state legislatures.

Though they didn’t stay till the end, cameras and interviewers from Channel 12 and FIOS covered it.

After a heartfelt prayer by Rev. Williamson, we were ready to hear from speakers. Representatives from the NAACP, Anti-Racist Alliance, Blacks in Law Enforcement, Delta Sigma Theta Alumni Social Action committee, the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester plus Mayo Bartlett and Randy McGlaughlin, attorneys from the legal team of Chamberlain v. City of White Plains Police Department.

A surprise guest was Christopher Johnson, County Legislator from Yonkers District 16. He urged us to help persuade our new County Executive, the Board and the State to do the right thing; we must continue pressuring them to improve police-community relations, transparency and training.

It was pointed out by Damon K. Jones that Louis Molina, First Deputy Commissioner of Westchester County Department of Corrections, [the first high ranking member of WCDOC to show uo in seven years] was with us. He was very open to meeting members of the community I want to thank Bart Worden for very moving closing words, as well as everyone who helped make last night such a significant occasion.

As Cynthia Turmquest-Jones reminded us, “No Justice, No Peace’” Phyllis Rodriguez

Corey Pegues NYPD Deputy Inspector (Ret.)

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24 BLACK WESTCHESTER

ACROSS WESTCHESTER

DECEMBER 2018

REAL TALK FOR THE COMMUITY LATINO EMPOWERMENT

A PERMANENT UNDERCLASS

BBY LORRAINE LOPEZ

BY ZACHERY GATES II, PARENT OF A YONKER HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE

THE RESIDENTS

OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, AND THE CITY OF YONKERS IN PARTICULAR, should be outraged and concerned about the conditions in the athletic facilities, student must endure when participating in High School sports.

The Yonkers’ Lady Bulldogs volleyball team is a prime example.

Twenty-four student athletes in grades nine through twelve comprise the team. These young women, coached by Alicia Murray, had a successful season, which included defeating Peekskill in the first round sectional playoff game, despite the schools horrendous athletic facilities.

The condition of the girl’s locker room is appalling: non-working, dirty and moldy showers; broken light fixtures, with exposed wires; and rotting walls, (see photos below taken 10/26/18)

Regarding the court, school security personnel stated that “… the bleachers have not functioned correctly in years.” The condition of the bleachers are not only hazardous and inconvenient, they influence crowd capacity and make pep rallies almost impossible.

“…every time we travel to play an out of district school, my girls rave about the overall condition and cleanliness of the locker rooms, facilities, and medical equipment,” Coach Murray states.

It’s no secret that many of the students enrolled at Yonkers High school are Black or

Hispanic, and come from middle to low income families. Also well known is that the City has undergone massive budget cuts, which have dealt a major blow to school athletic programs and extracurricular activities.

As a parent of a Yonkers High student, and after seeing the facilities at Yonkers High, in comparison to it’s out of district counterparts, I’m afraid former High school Principal, Joe Clark of Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey, may be right when he said “We are being crucified by a process that is turning Blacks, Latinos, and poor whites into a permanent underclass!”

Every student, regardless of which high school he or she attends, should have the opportunity to shower after gym class, or after their participation in a school sport. Unclean locker rooms, non-working, moldy shower stalls, exposed wires, and broken light fixers are dangerous and totally unacceptable. Rest assured, Westchester Cities, e.g.: White Plains, New Rochelle, and Peekskill have clean working showers, ice, proper medical equipment, and clean non hazardous locker rooms for their students. Yonkers must do better and the repairs and changes must be implemented, soon.

City residents should not place the blame entirely on the Yonkers Department of Education and elected officials (914) 376-8100. Parents can help resolve these issues by becoming more active in school board/budget meetings and of course holding elected officials accountable. Parents, who are able, could offer to volunteer as assistant coaches, and athletic trainers. One only needs to check The City employee incomes (which post annually) to see that many are making high six figure salaries. So if the city can afford to pay such high salaries to so many employees, then it would seem that judicious fiscal practices would result in enough funds to remediate these issues. If Yonkers High, the premier high school in the City, has conditions like this, then it is not out of the realm of possibility that they all do. Parents and concerned readers, we must do better for our children.

KIDS ALLOWED PRESCHOOL 600 N. BROADWAY YONKERS, NY 10701 (914) 349-9200 M-F 7AM-7PM

www.KidsAllowedPreschool.com

RECEIVING THE KEY TO THE CITY

W hen I retired from the City of Yonkers, I was given the honor of receiving the

prestigious Key To The City from then Mayor Phil Amicone. In my years of service I had received countless awards and proclamation by basically every organization I can think of and I am truly grateful and honored for each and every one. But, the Key to the City is a bit different. It’s the highest honor a person can receive from a city or municipality. This key represented to me all the hard work I put into working and representing the City Of Yonkers. It told me that I did something good.

That all the love and hard work I put into the Southside and the rest of the city was noticed and appreciated. It told me that I made a difference, especially in the minority community. It told me that I indeed was somebody. Through a series of moves and unfortunate events, the Key was lost. A couple of us, including Council President Mike Khader, AJ Woodson, Editor -In-Chief of Black Westchester and myself all asked Mayor Spano if he would be so kind as to issue me a replacement key. I knew it was a tall order. But, I needed to have that Key back. It meant everything to me. Let me tell you all, Mayor Spano is a stand-up guy, a class act and showed that he listens. Without any hesitation, he said he would absolutely order a new one for me. He didn’t have to, but he did. So, Sunday, December 2nd, AJ Woodson, the host of People Before Politics Radio and someone very dear to my heart, presented me a new Key to the City courtesy of Mayor Spano on the air, complete with Phil Amicone’s name on it just like the last one! So, I just want to take a moment to thank Mayor Spano so very much for his kind and generous act. I told the Mayor that it just would mean the world to me and he heard me. For that and many other reasons I am grateful for Mayor Spano and I’m indebted to him. Thank you Sir, and may God Bless you.

I now feel complete!!! Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t address the haters. This is a replacement key, get it?. Lots of love to all!!!

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26 BLACK WESTCHESTER

SMALL BUSINESS EDITION

DECEMBER 2018

FOR THE LADIES

BY AJ WOODSON

A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR THE SPECIAL WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE!

T his intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir from our forever First Lady, Michelle Obama,

would make a perfect Christmas or Kwanzaa gift for everyone, especially for your mother, sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend, female relative, co-worker or the woman in your building or on your block who is always a blessing and looking out for everyone else but never ask for anything for herself.

Crown Publishing Group has confirmed that Michelle Obama sold more than 725,000 copies in just one day. The sales figure include hardcover, audio and e-books editions for the United States and Canada, but the 448 page book is available in 24 languages around the world - including Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Hebrew!

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States—the first African-American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate

for women and girls in the U.S. and around the the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.

With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms.

Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

BAOBAB SPA (NEW ROCHELLE) After more than a decade of creating natural skin- and hair-care products for friends and family, New Rochelle resident, Lona Jacas-Gill, followed her passion and officially bottled her body products for the masses in 2012. Baobab Spa (bay-o-bab) uses all natural ingredients and includes 11 nurturing formulas including Dead Sea Salt body scrubs, bath salts, body butters, aromatherapy sprays, scalp and hair moisturizers and even an all-natural yoga mat cleaner. New in 2015 is a fragrance-free baby line including bath gels, shea butters and skin oils.

Jacas-Gill named her company after the baobab tree which, in many cultures, is known as the Tree of Life and Positivity. “Baobab Spa relates to the baobab tree because we use only the purest ingredients and are dedicated to improving your life. We believe what you put on your skin is just as important as what you eat.” she explained. All products are made in New Rochelle and are paraben-free, phthalates-free, free of sulfates and other harsh chemicals. “Everything is made with love.” she added.

And, thanks to Jacas-Gill’s marketing background -- she worked for 18 years as vice president of marketing for three major banks -- she knows her way around the business world and was able to sign on Whole Foods in the spring of 2014. Products are also sold online at www.BaobabSpa.com/.

She says she’s now product designer, marketing and sales director, as well as the delivery person, but the tremendous amount of love and support from her family and friends helps as she pushes her business to the next level.

As to where she hopes to be in five years? “I want every adult to appreciate and accept my products as the final piece of healthy living that they can actually see and feel for generations to come. When creating products, I keep the men, women and children suffering with sensitive skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and cracked hands and feet paramount in my mind.”

For your convenience, you can purchase their full product line on their website site. You may also purchase Baobab Spa products at the Whole Foods Markets.

Each Whole Foods Market carries different varieties of Baobab Spa products. Be sure to contact Whole Foods Market before visiting to confirm they have the item you wish to purchase.

New Rochelle, NY - 914-413-6188 lonagil@baobabspa.com - http://www.baobabspa.com Facebook & Twitter: @baobabspa – Instagram: @baobab_spa

FOR THE KIDS TP TOYS

(NEW ROCHELLE)

WE’RE MORE THAN JUST TEA ...

TP Toys and Accessories, a local black-owned toy store in New Rochelle, offers a personal touch for holiday shoppers. Owned by a mother of two whose mission is to provide toys and games that have strong educational and play value. Exploration through play is at the heart of the toys sold at the store.

Kemesha Salmon opened TP Toys 3 year ago, naming the store after her children Tristan & Peyton. Tristan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at 2 and a half years old, opening the door for Kemesha to learn about specialty toys. TP Toys is more than just a Toy Store. We are family oriented, building lasting relationship

Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated Westchester Alumnae Chapter with Vivian McKenzie (center), Owner of Kathleen’s Tea Room on Small Business Saturday

KATHLEENS TEA ROOM (PEEKSKILL) WE’RE MORE THAN JUST TEA ...

Owned an operated by former Peekskill Councilwoman Vivian C. McKenzie since 2010, Kathleen’s is an English style Tea Room nestled in the historic district of downtown Peekskill, NY. When you walk through their doors, you step back in time.

They offer a variety of 60 different loose teas, steeped table side in their beautiful teapots. Their seasonal menu includes delicious homemade dishes straight out of their from scratch kitchen including soups, sandwiches, salads, and of course their Afternoon Tea, which features the best scones this side of the pond.

Their desserts menu is full of homemade treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Try their signature Mixed Berry Shortcake, a fresh baked scone topped with homemade whipped cream, fresh berries and their raspberry sauce.

All of our teas are available to purchase in 2oz and 4oz to brew and enjoy at home. Stop by and tell her Black Westchester sent you.

979 Main St, Peekskill, NY 10566, USA (914) 734-2520 http://www.kathleenstroom.com Mon - Thu: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Fri - Sat: 10:30 am - 7:00 pm with our customers and pride ourselves in exceptional customer service.

They pride themselves in carrying and offering the best. TP Toys offers several varieties of Award Winning Toys. TP Toys specialize in Educational, Developmental, Science, Arts & Crafts, Puzzles, Outdoor, Sports play and much more. At TP Toys, we encourage children to be enthusiastic about learning through play.

TP Toys offers a variety of services including gift wrapping, birthday registry and curbside pickup. Whether you have a particular item in mind, or looking for the perfect gift or just want to browse, Kemesha and her team can help you find the perfect purchase of educational toys in New Rochelle.

572b North Ave, New Rochelle, New York 10801 - Tel: (914) 278-9414 Email: questions@tptoysandaccessories.com Website: https://tptoysandaccessories.com Facebook: @tptoysnewrochelle

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SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER SINCE 2014

COMPLIMENTARY

Unapologetically Delivering News To Communities Of Color in Westchester & Surrounding Areas

DECEMBER 2018

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