Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journal 060120

TRUSTED JOURNALISM AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

JUNE 1, 2020 VOL. 56, No. 22

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New cars and trucks are lined up at the Scarsdale Ford dealership. Photo by Peter Katz.

INSIDE

Auto dealers shift gears in new economy LOOK TO REBOUND FROM 81% SALES LOSS

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BY PETER KATZ pkatz@westfairinc.com

TWB Decision SLOWLoan THE REOPENING Banner Ad 6” w x 1.5” h 3-24-20 PAGE

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SHOW MUST GO ON

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utomobiles, whether bought or leased, are big-ticket items for consumers. They also represent major sources of tax revenue for governments in addition to having employment and economic-activity impacts on

communities.

In the New York metropolitan region, the auto dealerships have taken an estimated 81% financial hit from the restrictions enacted to combat the spread of COVID-19.

While other areas of the state were starting to reopen businesses and the Mid-Hudson, Long Island and New York

City Regions remained closed, state restrictions on auto dealers were eased slightly.

The dealers previously were being allowed to sell vehicles remotely and after mid-May were given permission to have customers make appointments to visit showrooms in order to shop for new

YOUR COMMUNITY LENDER… HERE TO HELP (914) 368-9919

» AUTO

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ISSUES OF REOPENING ON THE MINDS OF BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS

BY PETER KATZ pkatz@westfairinc.com

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e need to on a macro level instill consumer confidence again and get people to start traveling. Hospitality and tourism are among the hardest hit sectors so far,” Sean Meade, general manager of the Cambria Hotel in White Plains and president of the Westchester Hotel Association told an online meeting.

Meade was one of more than 150 members of businesses and nonprofits attending a virtual town hall meeting of The Business Council of Westchester’s Economic Recovery Task Force. The

meeting was moderated

by BCW Vice President and COO John Ravitz.

The task force has 44 members and its goal is to gather recommendations and deliver those recommendations to the governor’s reopening task force as well as County Executive George Latimer, according to Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the BCW. “Over the coming weeks and months as Westchester reemerges from the shutdown, we will face daunting challenges,” Gordon said.

Meade highlighted a major challenge for the hospitality and tourism sector. » ISSUES

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Hair stylists balk at being in Phase 1 of CT reopening plan

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN

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kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

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he debate over reopening businesses in Connecticut has been sometimes stormy, with various protests becoming a semi-regular occurrence in Hartford.

One of the most visible signs of discontent has come from the Connecticut Restaurant Association and 130 of its members, who are pushing for indoor dining, at 50% capacity, to be allowed starting June 3.

In addition, the tribal operators of the state’s two casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, have declared they will reopen on June 1, despite Gov. Ned Lamont’s repeated warnings that maintaining appropriate safety measures will be nigh impossible.

Another sector — hair stylists — is also unhappy. Not, however, that they are being allowed to reopen on June 1, but that they are feeling pressured to do so.

Odete DaSilva, who owns a salon and spa in Westport, and Shelton salon owner Alison Valsamis started the Facebook group Connecticut Stylists for Late Stage Openings in May, when it became apparent that salons and barbershops would be among the businesses allowed to reopen on May 20, during Connecticut’s first phase of easing restrictions.

The outcry by the group, which now numbers over 3,500, was sufficient for Lamont to push back the sector’s reopening to June 1 — better, the women say, but still not ideal.

In a statement, the group lauded Lamont’s May 18 change of mind, “even if the partial reprieve he offered was not entirely responsive.”

“Safety is still our big concern,” DaSilva told the Business Journal. “The state promised us some PPE and disinfectant, but it wasn’t an adequate supply.

Having one bottle or two is great — it’s nice that they’re contributing — but it’s not enough for us to stay open. We have to have at least a 30-day supply and the ability to reorder.”

That stylists work so closely with clients — often in close, face-

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Publisher Dee DelBello Managing Editor Bob Rozycki Associate Publisher Anne Jordan Group Associate Publisher Dan Viteri NEWS Senior Enterprise Editor • Phil Hall Copy and Video Editor • Peter Katz Bureau Chief • Kevin Zimmerman Senior Reporter • Bill Heltzel, Reporters Georgette Gouveia, Peter Katz Research Coordinator • Luis Flores ART & PRODUCTION Creative Director Dan Viteri Art Director Sebastián Flores

Some salon workers are so petrified that they just quit. ­­— Odete DaSilva

to-face situations where masks are less likely to provide adequate security — is also worrying, DaSilva said.

“Some salon workers are so petrified that they just quit,” she said.

DaSilva further said that Zoom calls with Lamont and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman revealed their “surprise” at that fact.

“You can’t cut someone’s bangs from behind,” she pointed out, adding that a representative from the beauty sector should have been included on the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group.

“The information wasn’t there so that the governor could make a sound decision,” she said.

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ance is not a mandate, DaSilva said it amounts to the same thing. “If you don’t open, and a salon across town does, how does that affect your bottom line? It’s not a fair choice — you’re being asked to choose between your health and providing for your family. And if you do go to work, you’re running the risk of infecting your family every time you come home.”

For further proof, the group cites a recent study that calculates the risks of contacting COVID-19 by profession. Out of a potential 100 (highest risk), hairstylists and barbers received a score of 62.1.

With many salons owned and mostly staffed by women — as much as 90%, DaSilva said — questions about child care have also been at the fore of the group’s concerns. “They’re still homeschooling their kids, and

camps don’t open for another several weeks (June 29). Some salons’ entire staff is moms.”

The group would have preferred to be a part of Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, which goes into effect on June 20. “That way schooling is done, most stylists can go back to work, and there would be more time” to get all the safety measures in place, she said.

Moving forward, the group — along with its affiliate, the Connecticut Beauty Association, which is still being formally organized — plans to pursue official recognition as an organization in order to offer better representation for all beauty industry professionals.

However, not everyone in the hairstyling and haircutting business is united. Cat Thibodeau, owner of Modern Barber and Shave in Pawcatuck, went ahead and opened on May 20 and soon received a cease and desist order from New London County’s public health department. She has submitted a legal complaint and a temporary injunction to prevent the state from keeping her business closed.

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“Our neighborhelping-neighbor approach to commercial banking has never been more needed.”

Chairman, President & CEO of PCSB Bank

As a local commercial bank we understand the unprecedented challenges facing local businesses today. Our PCSB team has been working tirelessly to provide essential resources and financial support for our customers, local communities and shareholders during this time of uncertainty. For example, we’ve deferred loan payments, made loan modifications and suspended some fees to ease the financial stress on our customers. We are also helping our customers get access to disaster relief loans through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (CARES Act / PPP). And we continue to support local charities who are the most in need through our PCSB Community Foundation. We are here for you during this difficult time, neighbor helping neighbor, always a phone call away, right up to me, the CEO. The Incredibly Neighborly Commercial Bank SERVING THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY SINCE 1871 • 914-248-7272 • PCSB.com

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The show goes on for area performing arts venues

BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

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s we all know, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the performing arts, with organizations forced to cancel shows and close their venues. But while theaters are empty and there has been no word from the state on when shows can go on again, Fairfield County’s performing arts organizations have no plans to quietly sit on the sidelines and meekly cede their home-quarantined audiences to “Tiger King.”

“We can’t have live symphony concerts anymore,” said Russell Jones, president and CEO of the Stamford Symphony. “So, what’s the next best alternative? We put up the Stamford Symphony Channel.”

The new channel is on the symphony’s website and features recorded performances plus solo serenades, informal practice videos and interviews featuring symphony members, and a children’s section to help the next generation of musical talent learn their craft.

Jones insisted the channel should not be viewed as a second-best substitute, but as new entity that gives the audience more depth and understanding of the distinctive individuals that collaborate in the creation of symphony performances.

“People are beginning to discover the personalities of the individual musicians,” he said.

“They have lives off the concert stage. Some of them have the most amazing instruments with amazing histories. Some of the string instruments are hundreds of years old.”

Jones pointed out that “40% of our audience comes from outside Stamford,” enabling distant patrons to stay in touch. He added that the online component could continue after the symphony resumes live performances.

“Who knows what next year will look like?” he asked. “We might have audiences worldwide next year if we record or stream concerts next year because we can’t get back into the Palace Theatre yet. We could record our concerts as much as the authorities will let us and with all the health and safety and social distancing rules, but we could be

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Left: Pamme Jones, executive director of the Ridgefield Theater Barn, on the stage amid the setting for the comedy play “Old Ringers.”

Right: Gary Peterson, executive director of the 109-year-old Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport, has rehabbed the interior and added live music to the entertainment mix.

Photos by Phil Hall.

sending out music around the world. And that’s really cool for a small orchestra like us that up till now couldn’t do international tours.”

Another organization taking the online route is the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, which hosted a May 21 live streaming version of Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” “Director Jane Farnell cut the script down to about 45 minutes and made it pertinent to today,” said Lou Okeller, the theater’s president. “And we’ve been rehearsing by telephone and Zoom and other methods.”

The theater also serves up weekly live-streamed events every Thursday evening at 7:30, with offerings ranging from readings of original scripts to audience participation.

“We recently did one where we invited people to recite their favorite monologue or poem,” Okeller said. “We’re going to be doing one coming up where it’s kind of going to be like a virtual audition type of thing.”

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and into the real version via its “Ghost Light Session” initiative that invites audience members to take a ghost light — the bare electric light stand that remains illuminated when a theater is unoccupied — and create original performance videos using the item as a prop.

“It’s been fascinating,” said Pamme Jones, executive director. “We’ve gotten people from all over the place — not just people who are associated with the theater and not even people who are in our immediate area. They read stories, they tell stories, they share all sorts of different things.”

Another Ridgefield theater company, Thrown Stone, postponed its 2020 season due to the pandemic and moved its scheduled shows to next year.

Jonathan Winn, co-artistic director, noted that his organization was somewhat luckier than other performing arts venues in dealing with the financial aspects of the pandemic.

“We’re in a very unique situation because we don’t have a space,” he said. “We thought it was our biggest liability, it turns out to be our biggest asset — we don’t have lease and our overheads are very low, we have some storage.”

Thrown Stone is making its online presence known with “Acts of Fate,” an invitational series of performances based on original essays linked to the

theme of moments that create great change.

“We’re not just looking for any excuse to do theater by Zoom, but for real opportunities for people to connect,” Winn said.

But Winn is concerned on what he will be facing when his postponed season is being readied for next year’s audiences.

“If there’s more disruption in terms of some of the things that we’ve heard about — box offices having infrared thermometers and socially distancing people within the auditorium — well, that’s just not our brand,” he insisted. “We are all about intimate spaces. And if we can’t be intimate, we will have to figure something else out or postpone again. We hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Still, a few regional performing arts venues are planning to be back in front of an audience in the near future. Valley Shakespeare Festival is moving forward with “As You Like It” for a Sept. 3-6 run at Shelton’s Veterans Memorial Park. Tom Simonetti, the festival’s creator and executive director, is focused on balancing public health concerns while staging his show.

“We’re working with Actors Equity and also the city of Shelton,” he said. “Obviously with our audiences, we want to keep them safe so everybody will be wearing a mask — no matter what, we will have masks avail-

able. We will have stations set up throughout the audience where people can you know sanitize their hands, and we will have gloves available if people feel that they need those. Anything that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is basically requiring, we’re up there ready to do it for our audience, including keeping them six feet away from our performance area and making sure that all audience members or families are six feet apart.”

To further aid public health concerns about lingering crowds, Simonetti is editing down the fiveact play to a compact 70-minute version for this presentation and limiting the pre-performance picnics that were a tradition for his company’s annual Shakespeare in the park offerings.

“It’s a big part of coming to the park,” he said. “But sadly, this year it would either be shortened or taken away, depending on how things are going. But by the time we get to September, things can change.”

Bridgeport’s Bijou Theatre is also planning to welcome an audience back with a June 27 production of “The Music of Sade: No Ordinary Bank.” But Gary Peterson, the venue’s executive director, admitted this could be subject to change.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that or not,” he said. “I suspect it may be midsummer or fall. Like everyone else, we’re just I’m just trying to read it out and see — day to day and week to week, the information changes. I’ve rescheduled a lot of the shows to the fall, but who knows if we’ll be able to do them then?”

With a mix of auditorium and cabaret-style seating, the Bijou can accommodate 190 patrons for a show. But Peterson wondered if he could reconfigure the venue to meet social distancing protocol without losing too much of his audience.

“I’m not sure, to be honest with you,” he said. “I’ve seen some of the models and I don’t know how we can work with, say, a 50% crowd or something to that effect. We’ll try the best we can.”

Still, Peterson added, adversity in not uncommon in his profession.

“As you know, it was a tough business before this happened.”

Iona College names Susan Apold director of new nursing program

BY PETER KATZ pkatz@westfairinc.com

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ith the dedication and heroism displayed by nurses and other health care professionals combating COVID-19 still very much in the news, Iona College has announced the launch of a Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing.

Iona said that the program will help to meet the growing demand for registered nurses both locally and nationally. Iona has received official approval from the New York State Department of Education and says it is ready to accept its first class of students for the program that is set to begin this fall.

field. Both pathways will prepare graduates to take the National Certification and Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The college is accepting applications for both pathways immediately.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics was projecting an average employment growth rate of 16.5% through 2028 for

five nursing specialties, with projected employment for just the registered nurses sector reaching 3,431,300, and increase of 12% over about a decade. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has warned that nursing school enrollment is not growing fast enough to meet the projected demand for nursing services.

Iona’s nursing program will be

housed in a 7,500-square-foot facility that is equipped with the newest equipment, technology and simulated learning opportunities. Small-group, clinical instructional settings with an 8-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio are planned.

“The nation needs more nurses and I am so proud that Iona will be part of the solution,” Apold said.

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At the same time, Iona announced the appointment of Susan Apold, who most recently served as dean of the School of Health Science and Nursing at Concordia College in Bronxville, as the director of its program. Her career includes serving as a clinical professor of nursing at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

Apold is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellowship Program. She is a former president of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Nurse Practitioner Association New York State. Her academic degrees include a doctorate. She lives in New Rochelle, home to Iona.

“Dr. Apold’s vision, experience and expertise will establish Iona as the college of choice for students looking for an elite nursing program that will prepare them to thrive in the growing field of nursing,” said Seamus Carey, Iona’s president.

Iona’s nursing program will offer two pathways to a bachelor’s degree: a traditional four-year undergraduate program; and an accelerated 15-month second-degree program for students who already have a bachelor’s in another

Tuesday, June 2 at 2:00 pm Hosted by Building and Allied Construction Industries of Westchester and the New York State Builders Alliance

Register online at www.baciw.org Featuring:

Kristin Savard

Eric Willson

Gerry Miceli

President, New York State Builders Association

Immediate Past President, New York State Builders Association

Niagara Region Construction Alliance

Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association

President of Construction and Partner, L+M Development Partners, Inc.

Advanced Design Group Professional Engineers and Land Surveyor

Michaels Group Homes

Building and Allied Construction Industries of Westchester

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auto—

vehicles and take test drives.

Walk-ins still were not permitted. From the beginning, dealers’ service facilities had been deemed essential and were allowed to continue operating.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo put together the list of essential businesses, repairing cars, selling parts and doing body work for consumers and first responders was permitted. “But not the sales division. That was completely closed down,” Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association told the Business Journal. “When it did open up, we surveyed our members a couple of weeks after when they were allowed to sell remotely, and dealers’ businesses were off on average about 81 percent.”

Schienberg said, “The service was off 65%, 70% too, just because people were concerned about leaving their homes.

We had these business operations that employ an enormous amount of people throughout the downstate area really only conducting a fraction of the business they would normally do and the concern, of course, was how long could they sustain that big of a cut.”

The association represents more than 400 franchised new car dealers downstate, including Westchester, Long Island, New York City and other areas.

According to its 2019 report based on 2018 data, the segment is the fifth-largest employer in the Metro New York area, provides more than 71,000 jobs with payrolls totaling $4.5 billion, generates tax revenues of $2.5 billion and has an overall economic impact of more than $51 billion. There were 6,014 employees at dealerships in Westchester.

New vehicle retail sales in the metro region totaled 602,000 units valued at $38.5 billion. Statewide, dealers had sold 955,500 new vehicles worth $59.2 billion.

“According to some of the surveys we were doing of some of our dealers, asking them generally what’s going on, they were saying if it doesn’t turn around within three months they were going to have to close their stores,” Schienberg said.

“Some of them might have been able to weather the storm somewhat, but these are big

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Mark Schienberg, president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.

operations with big properties, big property taxes, mortgages that they might have on the property, utility costs. It’s a big operation and to keep it going for too long would be almost impossible.”

Schienberg saw some similarity in what was unfolding to the impact that dealers faced from the 2008-09 financial disruption.

“When the economy dropped

off so badly, we lost about 15% of our dealers because of the enormous decrease in vehicle sales at that time. So, this is the same thing,” Schienberg said. “The manufacturers have been somewhat assisting on floor plan coverage. Dealers buy cars from manufacturers and they have to go out to the financial world and get a loan to finance those vehicles while they’re sitting on a lot waiting for a customer to

buy them. That assistance was only for two or three months and then the dealer would be responsible for paying the full amount that they owed on it so, of course, that helps in the short period of time. The question is if this continues on for a longer period will the manufacturers continue to help out their franchisees and we just don’t know that yet.”

Schienberg said the pandemic might result in dealers placing more emphasis on the use of remote selling tools in the future.

“Dealers have been able to sell cars remotely for years. I think there’s a sense to adopt more of those consumer-friendly approaches so that way a customer can be able to take a look at vehicle inventory, can pick a vehicle and take a look at financing and really kind of build a transaction a lot farther along than they have been able to in the past,”’ Schienberg said.

“Some dealers have been very successful over the years in making that technology available to consumers. This has just awoken everybody to the fact that consumers really do need to be able to be in control of the vehicle purchase and to be able to have the tools to do it with a dealer. When they get to the point that they know the car they want, they understand the financing, then they come in to the dealer and do a test drive, talk to the dealer about other issues like extended war-

DRIVING METRO NEW YORK’S ECONOMY JOBS

71,280 PAYROLL

45

$ .

BILLION

*

5

th

LARGEST RETAIL EMPLOYER TAX REVENUE

25

$ .

BILLION

*Franchised New Car Dealerships in Metro New York employed a total of 39,480 individuals in 2018. An additional 31,800 individuals were employed as a result of the indirect impact of dealership operations

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ranties or accessories that they may want and then be able to take the delivery at the end of all this.”

Schienberg said that, during the crisis, the dealers association has been supplying its members with information and guidance on handling a host of issues that were new to the world of cars and trucks.

“Protocols on keeping the dealership clean, following the CDC requirements on it, how did they apply for the small business loan, the PPP grants that are there,” Schienberg said. “We’re doing webinar after webinar on this to help them through it. When they were downsizing, letting people go is a tough issue to do, but they needed to follow all the requirements on that.

We worked with the governor’s office on a daily basis to set up the protocols that dealers needed to use.”

Schienberg predicted that as the crisis subsides dealers are going to see a huge pent-up demand for new cars.

“We’re seeing a new kind of buyer that’s coming in, more the 18- to 34-year-olds. They’ve always shown an interest in cars and have come to our auto shows in big numbers, but now are taking a look at new technology vehicles, electric vehicles,” Schienberg said. “Reliable transportation is going to be more important than ever.”

The association owns and operates the New York International Auto Show, which had been scheduled to open April 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Because the Javits Center was set up as an auxiliary hospital to the deal with the virus and large public events remain restricted as part of the ongoing plan to hold down the virus spread, on May 22 it was announced that this year’s show had been canceled. At the same time it was announced that the next show would be held April 2-11, 2021. Schienberg noted that the show first took place in November 1900.

“The auto show is the granddaddy of all auto shows. We get a million people that come in to the show every year at the Jacob Javits Center,” Schienberg said.

“As soon as the people feel comfortable and know that they’re coming in to a safe environment I expect the show to be back as strong as it ever was.”

Southern Connecticut, we’re committed to helping you through this At Bank of America, we recognize this health and humanitarian crisis has impacted everyone in different ways. Across our company, we’re focused on supporting the wellbeing of our teammates, providing the essential financial services our clients need, and helping communities across the country move forward.

We know small businesses have been especially impacted. We feel a deep sense of responsibility for helping them navigate the current environment, and to secure vital funding to stay operational and be able to pay their employees. This includes our around-the-clock efforts to support clients through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Our teammates are also focused on helping customers access additional resources.

Through our Client Assistance Program, we’ve provided more than 1.6 million deferrals of mortgage, credit card and auto loan payments.

I am inspired and proud of the way all of us in Southern Connecticut have come together during this difficult time. Please stay safe.

Over 300,000 of our small business clients have received PPP funding for more than $25 billion in relief.

Of the funded PPP loans to date, • 98% are for companies with fewer than 100 employees.

• 81% are for companies with 10 or fewer employees.

• 23% are from low- to moderateincome neighborhoods.

In Connecticut, this includes funding for 5,615 of our small business clients totaling $601 million.

Bill Tommins Southern Connecticut Market President

For more information, please visit bankofamerica.com/community.

Data as of May 15, 2020 Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender

© 2020 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Looking at employers’ rights as CT returns to work

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

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s business sites slowly transition from being figurative ghost towns to welcoming back employees, some significant questions about how to properly, legally — and safely — get back to work remain.

While the Lamont administration has provided detailed guidelines for businesses that were allowed to reopen on May 20 — and will add more as the state approaches Phase 2 of resumption on June 20 — there are still enough gray areas to befuddle some employers.

Part of the uncertainty is in regards to which employees — if any — should be allowed back into the workplace. The governor has underscored that if an employee has been fulfilling his duties by working from home during the pandemic, he should continue to do so. Either way, state regulations call for a capacity limit of 50% for businesses opening during Phase 1.

But that is easier said than done for some companies, according to Jonathan Orleans, chair of the Labor and Employment Section at Bridgeport law firm Pullman & Comley.

“It’s really difficult to gauge” how many businesses are going full-steam ahead, Orleans said.

“We have a number of clients who have been planning for some time to begin bringing back their employees, and there are some who are waiting to see how things develop.”

“The fundamental advice is to do whatever you can, and whatever the government advises, to protect the health of your employees and customers,” he said. “But there is an enormous amount of information out there. You have the state of Connecticut guidance, CDC guidance on what to do if someone is showing symptoms or tests positive, and OSHA guidance.

“Frankly it can all be fairly burdensome for employers to sift through,” Orleans continued.

“It’s not that the specific measures are terribly complicated or hard to understand — it’s more

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Jonathan Orleans

The question we get the most often from our employer clients is, ‘What do we do with an employee who refuses to return to work now because they’re just anxious.

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the volume of material you have to plow through to make sure you’re not missing anything.”

One aspect of the so-called “new normal” is that employers can require their staff to provide information about out-of-state travel, whether for business or personal reasons.

“During an emergency, the expectation is that employers may be somewhat more intrusive in gathering that kind of information from employees than they would otherwise,” Orleans said. “Going out of state, you’re more likely to take public transport, where the risk of exposure is greater.”

In addition, he noted, different states have different policies.

As a result, employers with multistate operations will have to be careful to make sure they’re in full compliance in each location.

Employers may also request information from employees who have been sick or may have been exposed to the virus — but confidentiality must be maintained. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

(EEOC) guidance originally issued during the H1N1 outbreak of 2009, and recently updated, allows employers to seek information from employees about potential exposure, and even to temperature-test employees, but affirms that information about an employee’s symptoms or diagnosis remains confidential.

Orleans acknowledged that keeping the infected or positive-testing employee completely anonymous to coworkers may be difficult in some situations, such as working at a particular station with only a couple of coworkers. Nonetheless, the employer cannot directly identify who the affected employee is should the coworkers ask.

Orleans noted that even as Connecticut reopens, Lamont’s executive orders stress that employees who can work from home should continue to do so, which means that employers should continue to allow it.

But if an employee cannot work from home, and their employer requires them to come back to the workplace, that

employee can refuse to do so only if they have a valid reason under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), or some other legitimate basis under a statute or under the employer’s policies.

“The question we get the most often from our employer clients is, ‘What do we do with an employee who refuses to return to work now because they’re just anxious’”? Orleans said.

If they’re not suffering from debilitating depression or anxiety, as diagnosed by a psychologist or psychiatrist — which could entitle them to leave under the FMLA or an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act — the employee may be viewed as someone turning down suitable work. As a result, they could face termination and loss of unemployment benefits. The Connecticut Department of Labor has announced that it will review such instances on a case-by-case basis.

Even where the employee does not appear to have a valid reason, Orleans said, “We are not recommending to our clients that they summarily terminate people. You should explain to the employee the reasons you need them back, list all of the protective measures and equipment you have in place, and remind them of the 50% capacity rule.

“Give them time to think about it,” he said, “before saying you will treat them as having voluntarily quit.”

Issues about a business owner’s liability if an employee becomes infected are a little thorny, the attorney said. “It is very, very hard scientifically to determine exactly where someone picks up this virus.

Any employee or customer who wants to contend, ‘I was infected at this particular location’ is going to have a problem proving that.”

The employee’s claim will likely be handled through the workers’ compensation system, Orleans said. “The employee doesn’t have to prove negligence by the employer, so those benefits are easier to receive than winning a lawsuit.”

CONTRIBUTING WRITER | By Margaret M. Sheahan

Covid-19 legal issues for employers

T

he pandemic poses a variety of questions for employers trying to be good citizens, protect staff, keep enterprises afloat and comply with fast-changing legal obligations.

Here are few thoughts. Warning: every case is unique.

PAYING EMPLOYEES SENT HOME TEMPORARILY

Collective bargaining or individual employment agreements could have relevant provisions and an employer should confer with its employees’ union. For most employees, however, the answer is simpler: A nonexempt employee is paid for time actually worked; an exempt employee, full salary for any work week in which any work is performed.

DEALING WITH ALARMIST SPEECH

BY EMPLOYEES

Disciplining employees for alarming co-workers and customers by saying your company’s COVID-19 precautions are inadequate can be risky.

An employee authorized to speak for co-workers, even if the workforce is not unionized, can be protected by the National Labor Relations Act in the private sector, or the Municipal Employee Relations Act in local government.

Even an employee speaking solely for herself might be protected by a statute that prohibits disciplining employees for exercising constitutional free speech rights. COVID-19 precautions are a matter of public concern, so even incorrect speech about them could qualify for this protection.

Fight bad speech with good speech.

Share with your workforce and customers the steps you are taking and the resources you are tapping to find out best practices.

EMPLOYEES STAYING HOME TO CARE FOR KIDS

As of April 1, two key provisions of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act take effect. Private employers with under 500 employees (and pretty much all governments) will have to provide up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave (through Dec. 31, 2020) to any employee with at least 30 days service unable to work or telework because his child’s school or care facility is closed or child care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19.

The leave must be paid at 2/3 the employee’s regular rate, including tip credits and overtime up to a maximum of $200 per day. Payroll tax credits offset the cost and any shortfall of the credit will be paid by the US government.

SYMPTOMATIC EMPLOYEES

In this pandemic situation, employers can ask about symptoms, even temperature check employees and send home those who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.

REMOTE WORK’S STAYING POWER AFTER THE CRISIS

There is a fair amount of speculation about whether “telework” experience will forever change the concept of a workplace. If an employee who “falls in love” with working from home during the pandemic wants to continue the arrangement afterwards, the employer is free to decline. However, if a person with a disability wants an accommodation of remote work, the practice during the pandemic could show that it is reasonable and not unduly burdensome.

If the current remote work is less than the full job, employers should consider documenting that not all the job’s

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essential functions are being performed.

eral duty” to provide a safe workplace.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS

PAY REDUCTIONS

Employers need to comply with any union bargaining obligations and individual employment agreements.

Otherwise, the employer can reduce pay, giving employees written notice before any work will be performed at the lower rate.

Connecticut is encouraging employers to apply for the Shared Work program that allows employees working shorter hours to be eligible for benefits to help make up the difference indicating some restrictions may be relaxed in this crisis.

Information is power.

Letting employees know what the company is doing to protect them and the business can only help.

Attorney Margaret M. Sheahan of Stratford-based Mitchell & Sheahan provides legal advice and representation to both private and public sector employers and to individuals in all aspects of their workforce relationships.

She can be reached at 203-873-0240.

Full-time employees who are ready, willing and able to work but have lost their current work, even temporarily, should be eligible for benefits. Waiting periods and work-search requirements are being eliminated or relaxed during COVID-19. Give laid off employees a separation package found at ctdol. state.ct.us.

LIABILITY TO EMPLOYEES WHO CONTRACT COVID-19 AT WORK

Although claims will likely be eyed skeptically because of the difficulty of identifying the source of infection with a worldwide virus, employers should allow employees to make reports and notify their carrier whenever an employee comes down with COVID-19 at work.

Taking precautions consistent with up-to-date federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines should help comply with OSHA’s “gen-

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JUNE 1, 2020

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Connecticut Small Business Development Center steps up its game

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

H

ow bad can it get?

Apparently pretty bad indeed, as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc with the world’s fiscal as well as its physical health. Some 2.4 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits on a seasonally adjusted basis last week, bringing that total to 38.6 million since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March.

According to the latest report from the Connecticut Department of Labor, the state shed 266,300 net jobs in April, bringing that seasonally adjusted total to 276,800.

And a new study by economists at the University of Illinois, Harvard Business School, Harvard University and the University of Chicago has projected that over 100,000 of the nation’s small businesses — roughly 2% — have permanently closed as a result of COVID-19.

Such figures have not been made public by the state of Connecticut, where Gov. Ned Lamont and members of his administration continue to try to put a positive spin on the situation. And according to Joe Ercolano, state director of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), that is the best attitude to have as everyone continues to try navigating the current terra incognita.

Part of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the organization offers free advice to small businesses on a number of issues — and has been particularly busy of late, Ercolano said.

“We have been tracking COVIDrelated impacts on our thousands of clients since March 18,” he said. “No one has been recorded as saying they’ve closed their business for good — but they might not be answering if they’re out of business.”

The CTSBDC will probably launch a formal survey in the future, Ercolano added, “and that will certainly be one of the questions we ask.”

Instead, the organization is still focused on providing advice — although that has mostly shifted from how to construct a business plan to how to apply and receive government loans and grants — and the news has surprisingly been mostly good, he said.

“The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program was already in place before the pandemic,” Ercolano said. “But the (SBA’s) PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), where the loans are made by the banks, was certainly confusing at the beginning. We had a lot

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Curtis Packaging CEO and owner Don Droppo Jr. in a one-piece face shield designed and manufactured by his company.

Joe Ercolano

of people turning to us for help with the applications, what information and background they needed to provide.”

As have Lamont, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman, and others, the CTSBDC is encouraging businesses to apply for PPP aid, as it still has some $100 billion left. “They’ve scaled back on the size of each loan, and have a renewed emphasis on smaller and minority-owned companies,” Ercolano said, “but we are advising everyone they should apply.”

Further federal help could arrive in the form of the HEROES Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives on May 15 but faces an uphill climb in the Republican-led Senate. “It’s anybody’s guess when that will pass, what changes will be made before it is passed, or if it will pass at all,” Ercolano said.

HELPING HANDS

The CTSBDC has expanded from 13 to 18 statewide advisers due to the CARES Act, and has been instrumental in helping some local small businesses evolve as well.

Sandy Hook’s Curtis Packaging, which designs and manufactures customized packaging for luxury products, first worked with the organization a few years ago to receive a Manufacturing Assistance Act loan from DECD. That was a fairly easy process, according to president, CEO and owner Don Droppo Jr., but its value has since paled next to its WCBJ

success in landing a PPP loan.

Being a manufacturer, Curtis was deemed an essential employer in Connecticut, although many of its customers were not. With some customers closed completely and others facing declining sales, there hasn’t been enough demand to design and print packaging, Droppo said. But several of its sectors — biomedical, spirits, and soap — have kept the presses running, although Curtis’ plant continues to operate under 100% of capacity.

“We are at the mercy of our customers’ demand and ultimately consumer purchasing,” Droppo said. “We are thankful for the PPP as we don’t have everyone back yet.”

The company also pivoted about eight weeks ago to begin fashioning a unique one-piece face shield and shifted production from its primary raw material, cardboard, to plastic in just two weeks.

“We were the disruptor in a brandnew category for us,” Droppo said.

“Health professionals are telling us the one-piece face shield is more comfortable than multipieced designs, we know it’s less expensive than others on the market and they can ship flat, something procurement buyers have appreciated.”

Curtis is now producing 150,000 shields a day, with the largest order received to date for almost 200,000.

CTSBDC advisers Christine Sullivan and Nelson Merchan have helped Curtis further expand by establishing a referral

to the Massachusetts SBDC. “Don has the tenacity, leadership and vision to build a team and a network to deal with the challenges and opportunities in business,” Merchan remarked.

Merchan has also helped Taco Loco.

Located in the Black Rock neighborhood in Bridgeport, Taco Loco is a restaurant featuring indoor and outdoor dining, take-out, catering and food trucks.

Owner Miguel Tomasio, who has been in the restaurant business for 38 years, first worked with Merchan about four years ago to build out his food truck and catering business, as well as modernizing his dining areas.

Now, Tomasio said, the COVID pandemic has forced him to alter his business plan.

“Our main concern was the health and safety of our employees and customers,” he explained. Completely closing his business for six weeks as the state began implementing social distancing measures, Tomasio reopened for curbside pickup at the end of April.

During that time he began working with Merchan to apply for the PPP loan, which has allowed him to rehire nine of his former staff of 20, and to invest in a new point of sale system to streamline orders and reduce customer wait time.

“You have to be so flexible, accommodating your customers and your employees,” Droppo said. “This is unprecedented for all of us, and you can either run from it or you can see it as an opportunity.”

Insurer claims New Rochelle developer collected twice for damages

BY BILL HELTZEL

LLC, in Lawrence, Nassau County. Barry Septimus and Philip Septimus are listed on county property records as Wilmot’s and MBR’s managers.

Wilmot has been developing a threelot subdivision on Wilmot Road since at least 2015, New Rochelle Planning Board

records indicate.

In 2017, Colony issued the developer a $900,000 insurance policy on a vacant building at 425 Wilmot Road.

On Jan. 20, 2018, a pipe broke on the top floor, according to the complaint, causing damages to the floors below.

Wilmot’s public adjuster, Michael Roth, notified Colony and submitted proof of $568,921 in losses.

Colony disagreed with the calculation and agreed to pay $255,086. The check was issued on April 26, 2018, and another check for the same amount was issued the following day.

Colony advised Roth of the mistake and told him not to cash the second check, according to the complaint, but on May 2, 2018, Wilmot cashed both checks.

Four times over a 15-month period, Colony claims, Wilmot did not respond to formal demands for return of the duplicate payment, for an examination under oath and for an appraisal.

Colony accuses Wilmot of unjust enrichment, conversion of funds and breach of contract for refusing to abide by its obligations of the insurance policy.

The insurer is represented by West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania attorney William F. Stewart.

for tax increases. He said there should be an end to unfunded mandates. He also said that all local planning and zoning decisions should be made by independent boards, not political bodies.

“Political bodies cannot do it and things have snuck in during the years to thwart developers making money. If we aren’t allowed to make our 12% return on our investment then government won’t have the money to pay cops, firefighters, teachers, all those heroes you saw on television the last three months. We need to make money to give government the money they need,” DeLuca said.

Susan Fox, president and CEO of the Westchester Institute for Human Development, is a representative of the nonprofit community on the task force.

She said that nonprofits need to be eligible to receive any financial resources that are available to help with the recovery.

“We are critical to a healthy and safe reopening. My number one request is that we continue access across all payers to telehealth, telemedicine. That’s been a godsend to my organization,” she said.

“I’m really hoping that with all of the budget constraints that we’re going to be facing over the next year that not-for-profits aren’t seen as an easy place to make those cuts.”

Richard Haggerty, CEO of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, said that the real estate industry needs to ramp up in-person showings.

“At the end of the day we have a lot of prospective purchasers who want to move to Westchester County, who want to bring their tax dollars to Westchester County.

Last year, New York state collected over $3.2 billion from real estate transactions,” Haggerty said. “Even if those folks start entering into contracts in June it will be another two or three months before they actually close, so the sooner we can get in-person showings so buyers and new residents can move to Westchester the better off we’re all going to be.”

Bud Hammer, owner of Atlantic Westchester, a commercial HVAC service in Bedford Hills, said that the coronavirus outbreak has brought a renewed focus on air quality in buildings that are occupied by the public, whether schools, city halls, office buildings, theaters or sporting venues.

“Whether you own a building or occupy it, don’t believe some of the snake oil that’s being proposed out there as far as being the magic bullet to kill the coronavirus,” Hammer said. “In my industry they have not discovered that yet. There’s been a lot of research. There’s a lot of safeguarding that can be done but it comes down to practice good hygiene, good sanitizing and try to just be careful.”

Jeff Haydon, CEO for the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, said that getting in-person interactions is critical to reopening the economy.

“Staring at our computer screens all day certainly is not an effective substitute for inspiration and personal connections that come from going to conferences, performances, parks, restaurants, weddings, churches, you name it,” Haydon said. “Let’s unleash the creativity of the field to find solutions and not have them dictated to us. It’s essential that we find ways to inspire

this recovery.”

Ben Palancia of Palancia Insurance in Mamaroneck suggested that the state consider COVID-19 liability protections for businesses. He said businesses need to be concerned that they have proper liability protection that would, for example, cover a restaurant or spa or job site against a claim that someone got sick there.

Joe Pizzimenti of CClean in Chappaqua said that his business of providing commercial cleaning and disinfection services never really stopped.

“The first impact that we felt in midMarch was really supply chain and now with the governmental mandate that businesses also have to provide PPE (personal protective equipment) I mean it’s almost impossible for us to store N95 masks,” Pizzimenti said. “I understand that there’s some action behind the scenes in the region to manufacture this PPE but we just haven’t seen it and we don’t know when supply is going to catch up and with that increased demand of all general businesses having to provide this PPE. It’s a concern for us because it’s our job to provide a healthy environment and how can we protect our own employees, that’s our primary concern.”

Jane Solnick, public affairs manager for Con Edison, said that the company is getting ready to transition to where its employees will once again routinely be dealing in-person with the public.

“We’re there to support the developers trying to work. We’re doing the training so that we’ll be able to enter people’s homes but I think it’s going to be a learning process for us all across the board.”

bheltzel@westfairinc.com

A

New Rochelle real estate developer has allegedly refused to return a $255,086 claims check that an insurance company mistakenly sent as a duplicate payment for property damages.

Colony Insurance Co. of Richmond, Virginia, sued 423-425 Wilmot LLC on May 7 in U.S. District Court in White Plains, seeking return of the payment.

“Wilmot was unjustly enriched by cashing and retaining the duplicative payment made by Colony,” the complaint states, and “Colony has a right to the funds.”

Efforts to find contact information for Wilmot, to ask for its side of the story, failed.

Wilmot was formed in 2013, according to state corporation records, and appears to be affiliated with MBR Realty Holdings

1

Issues—

“We need to conserve our cash and figure out ways to keep our cash positive so we can continue to operate. Once we run out of cash, you know, that’s it for us,” Meade said. “Some of our hotels have suspended operations already and are looking to resume July, August. Some of the smaller hotels like ourself are staying open for as long as we can. We also need some help with marketing. That’s going to be a key success factor for us.”

Andy Castellaneta of Transworld Business Advisors in White Plains proposed creating a holding company to provide capital to businesses.

“The strategy could be deployed to any industry — retail, restaurants, services, hospitality. The list is endless, so no one should be left behind in the structure,” Castellaneta said. “It’s a classic model, holding companies. A three-legged-stool model where you’d have equity investors, maybe some SBA lenders and of course government involvement, which would be the glue to it all.”

Development consultant Neil DeLuca of the DeLuca Group said that he’d like to see the reopening process become an opportunity to address some of his government and political concerns.

“One: No more special interests. Make them illegal,” DeLuca said. “Two: term limits. If you can’t get it done in six years, get out. You see what happens at the federal and state governments. One feeds the other.”

DeLuca said there should be no exceptions to the 2% cap imposed in New York

U.S. Courthouse in White Plains.

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Beyond Biz

A DIAMOND NOT IN THE ROUGH

THERE’S A REASON that the standalone fine jewelry department at The Saks Shops at Greenwich is called The Vault.

It contains some of the most glorious pieces anywhere by some of the biggest names in gems. Pre-COVID-19, shoppers would fly in from around the world just to make their selections.

Holding pride of place at the back and center of the store with a glass and amber boutique accompanied by an elegant gray room for trying on its creations is British-based Graff, celebrating 60 years of crafting precious stones into works that are often inspired by nature.

It is there that we meet Marc Hruschka, the recently appointed president and CEO of Graff USA, along with Graff store manager Stanley Luongo and sales associates Yuko Uchibori and Yasuko Luzzi. Painter Felicity Kostakis, WAG’s February cover subject, and Romona Norton — co-chairs of the Bruce Museum’s “Art of Design” fundraiser — are also on hand.

Delightful as this is, things weren’t supposed to happen this way. WAG was scheduled to cover Hruschka’s talk with Jill Newman, a contributing editor to Town & Country magazine, at the seventh annual “Art of Design Luncheon” March 12. But what was it that the poet Robert Burns said about the best-laid plans of mice and men often going astray?

The coronavirus had hit WAG country and the luncheon was rescheduled for September, with Hruschka once again slated to take part. But he and his team gamely and graciously agreed to meet with us. (This was before the tristate order to self-isolate.) Such is Graff’s commitment to the Bruce.

“From a brand perspective, if you look at the history of Graff and the design of Graff jewels, we’ve always seen jewelry as art,” Hruschka says, seated in the gray salon beneath a white floral design. “It feels as if it’s a natural fit with the Bruce.”

With a bone structure and physique as cut as any faceted diamond and 25 years in the luxury industry, Hruschka nonetheless displays a down-to-earth and easygoing manner as he discusses the process that turns precious stones — rubies, sapphires and emeralds but most famously diamonds — into Graff creations. The diamonds are primarily sourced from Africa.

“Every stone is touched by a Graff,” Hruschka says of this family business. “(Founder Laurence) Graff and his son Francois (global CEO) have the most exquisite eye for what is unique and special.”

The stones are cut and polished at three locations — two in Africa with the primary one in Antwerp, Belgium — before being

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BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA | PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

Marc Hruschka

shipped to the London atelier where they inspire gouache designs. The stones are then placed on paper and clay maquettes to see how they will look and sit on the body; mounted on hammered and beaten gold or platinum; and finally plated and polished.

The stones are actually polished several times in the creative process. At The Vault, they dazzle in cases and on the earlobes, necks, wrists and fingers of the ladies in attendance. Few Graff diamonds, however, have sparkled like the record-setting Graff Lesedi La Rona, which at 302 carats is the largest square emerald-cut diamond in the world. (It’s also the name of the company’s new collection of six fragrances at Harrods WCBJ

in London and due here later in the year.)

As grand as the Lesedi La Rona is, the eye is equally beguiled by the company’s botanical and butterfly inspirations. Besides Laurence Graff’s interest in fragrance and wine — the 11-year-old Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa includes a vineyard, where Graff wine is made and distributed, art from his personal collection, a spa, a restaurant and lodging — Hruschka says that “Mr. Graff has always included some examples of nature in his themes — flowers, with peonies being his favorite.” He notes that last year at Switzerland’s Baselworld jewelry expo, Graff presented its Peony Collection, which included a watch that looked like a diamond bracelet, arranged

in a complex herringbone design.

The peony “petals” glided aside to reveal white, pink and yellow pavé diamond dials.

“Whether peonies, king of flowers in China since the Tang Dynasty, heralding good fortune and a happy marriage, or Carissa blooms, Greek for ‘beloved,’ a native of South Africa with its pure, white, five petal blossom, both have flowered in fruitful collaborations between the designers and craftsmen at Graff,” Sarah Hue-Williams observes in an article for Graffiti: The Graff Magazine that’s illustrated with a floral suite of drop diamond earrings (18 carats), an open choker (54 carats) and a bracelet (seven carats).

But the company’s signature is the butterfly.

As Hue-Williams writes: “This iconic motif has featured prominently in Graff’s history and, over the decades, the House has continued to delight with butterfly creations in many different guises,” as in a V-shaped diamond butterfly necklace (45 carats) and drop earrings (10 carats).

But will jewelry lovers care about this in the time of the coronavirus? Hruschka thinks they will want to hold on to something of value. “They will look at brands with legacy.”

Legacy is important to Hruschka. He is proud to work for a luxury jeweler that has such continuity, overseeing 10 of its 60 stores worldwide.

“There are only a handful of global brands that remain family owned and have that vertical integrity,” he says.

Perhaps one of the reasons this means so much to Hruschka is that he himself grew up in the business in Seattle and Texas.

“My dad was a master jeweler. My mom trained in design. I went to work with my father. He put me to work in those quiet moments. I grew up with filings and dust.”

Still, he says, “I never thought I’d be in it for a career.”

And yet, he has made a career in the luxury industry, mostly with such luxe jewelry brands as Cartier, Chopard North America, John Hardy, Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels as well as with Chanel and Montblanc.

He loves the tactile quality of jewelry — “having that tangible object.” Perhaps that’s what this Westerner also savors in the great outdoors. (A Greenwich resident for 15 years, he now divides his time with his wife and four children between Manhattan and a 20-acre spread in Austin, Texas.)

What he really loves about jewelry, though, can’t be put into a box with a bow and worn: “We help people celebrate the moments in their lives. It’s an honor to be part of that.”

For more, visit graff.com, saksfifthavenue. com and brucemuseum.org.

Beyond Biz

CAPTURING THE LAND TO SAVE IT

BY JEREMY WAYNE PHOTOGRAPH BY J HENRY FAIR

Brunswick, Georgia. Georgia photograph courtesy Southwings.

FROM THE TIME HE FIRST PICKED UP A CAMERA, the photographer and activist J Henry Fair told me in an email exchange last month, he knew that it would be his tool to tell stories about man and nature. Born in Charleston in time to witness the race riots, the former New Rochelle resident says he was “socialized with the great American story” and uses pictures to tell stories about people and things that effect others.

“Exploring the winding tidal rivers of the low country in a small jon boat certainly affected my sense of nature as the source of all the earthly bounty we enjoy.”

Through photography, Fair has been able to illustrate that earthly bounty — and alert us to our abuse of it. His acclaimed book, “Industrial Scars: The Hidden Costs of Consumption,” now in its second edition, tells the story of the impact of the consumer lifestyle on the natural systems that support life on the planet.

His most recent book, the first of the “Coastline” series, “On the Edge: From Combahee to Winyah” was published a year ago to lavish reviews. The series is a

portrait of the coasts before the major impacts of climate change and ocean rise take effect. Through words and pictures, Fair illustrates beyond reasonable doubt that just as these realities council a move of infrastructure away from the ocean, coastal population density and infrastructure investment on the shore are rapidly increasing.

He started out with a pocket Instamatic and a Polaroid, but the first real camera that required his technical knowledge and understanding was an old German-made Kodak Retina that he “liberated” from his father. These days, he is pragmatic about cameras and says what he uses most often is a smart phone, since he hates carrying a big camera. But if he really wants to take a “good” picture, he’ll use a big camera with a big lens. And those cameras change constantly, depending on his need and the current technology.

One of the most intriguing, most striking features of Fair’s photography, is the contrast between the beauty of his photographs and the inner dangers they

seek to portray. I want to understand what it is, that perspective, or ‘eye’, or even trick which makes the detritus in “Industrial Scars,” say, so very beautiful and appealing.

Given this inherent beauty in so many of his photographs, how does he reconcile ugly subjects with stunning images?

He says he wants his photographs to work on multiple layers. “First, they must be beautiful, but then the irony of making something beautiful out of something terrible comments on the irony of life in the modern world, where each of us, no matter how conscientious, must realize that we’re stealing from our grandchildren by not living a sustainable life.”

He says the constant study of art teaches him how the masters stimulate the emotions of the viewer through lighting, composition and color. “My enduring fascination with industry and decay led me to photograph ruins and old machines and toxic sites,” he explains, adding that he was “looking for a way to tell a story about the environment.”

Fair started to sneak into refineries to FCBJ

make pictures of the inner workings, hoping to highlight the disastrous effect of hydrocarbons on our bodies and environment. “This was before the climate crisis was a worldwide news item and before 9/11,” he elaborates, “so the level of paranoia in the United States was not so high.”

Being from Charleston, which Fair points out has suffered the impact of hurricanes through its history, and later living near Glen Island (“in the days when I was an avid sailboat racer”), has made him constantly aware of the ocean and weather, as well as their effect on our lives. Some of his favorite images in “Industrial Scars” came from the Mississippi River Industrial Corridor just after Hurricane Katrina. For his “Coastlines” project, he has also carried out an exploration of his current hometown, New York City, which like many of the world’s great cities is under the threat of ocean rise.

The big question is, Are people listening?

“In our modern era of social media and ever more limited echo chambers, most people seem to hear only what confirms their existing beliefs. My desire is not to preach to the choir but to create compelling art that helps to explain and prompts curiosity about the complex science behind the interruptions we are causing to this incomprehensibly complex planet, which has provided us clean air, clean water, regular rainfall, fish in the ocean, etc., all for free.”

It is a powerful argument. To reach the widest possible audience, Fair says he wants his art to be in the public sphere. Last year, his exhibit with the European Union at the Berlin Museum of Natural History was seen by 800,000 people and the television portraits done by major German networks were seen by millions. He divides his time between New York and Berlin, but in these lockdown days he is enjoying sleeping, cooking and eating, renovating his apartment, shooting a still-life series, as well as writing, scanning and archiving, An exhibit and teaching engagement in Singapore in March were canceled owing to the coronavirus but have been rescheduled for September, while coastal photo projects in various places have been put on hold.

In “normal” times, he travels constantly, though nearly always for work. “Limiting my environmental footprint drives much of my decision-making in this regard but also dictates how I live my life,” he says.

Is he always photographing? “Often, the limitations of the smart-phone camera prevent my photographing,” he acknowledges, “but I am always looking.”

For more, visit jhenryfair.com.

Beyond Biz, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals’ new section of lifestyle offerings.

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National Briefs SURVEY: 70% OF HOMEOWNERS DIDN’T NEED MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE

The rush on offering monetary help to homeowners struggling with mortgage payments during the COVID-19 pandemic might have included more than a few cases of misplaced generosity, according to a national study released by LendingTree.

In a poll of 1,305 homeowners con-

ducted between April 28 and May 1, 70% of respondents who received mortgage forbearance admitted they could’ve made their payments but “just wanted a break from their normal payments.”

In comparison, 26.2% of respondents said they could have made their payments, but would have been unable to pay other essential bills. Only 5% stated they wouldn’t have been able to make

their mortgage payment without this assistance.

LendingTree also found only 25% of homeowners surveyed applied for assistance due to a financial hardship exacerbated by the pandemic. Of those homeowners, 80% were approved for a forbearance — but 72% of those who received it claimed they felt “at least a little guilty” about receiving the assistance.

Among demographics, men were more likely to apply for pandemic-related forbearance than women (37.8% to 10.2%) and were more likely to be approved (81% to 75%). Roughly 36% of millennials and 35.1% of Gen Xers applied for forbearance, compared with a mere 3.5% of baby boomers — and approval was granted to 76% of millennials, 87.6% of Gen Xers and 76.9% of baby boomers.

— Phil Hall

ACCOUNTING FIRM EXTENDS WORK-FROM-HOME POLICY THROUGH YEAR’S END

YONKERS, NY 733 Yonkers Avenue, Suite 200 Yonkers, NY 10704 914.476.0600 NEW YORK CITY 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 4600 New York, NY 10165 212.688.2400 LONG ISLAND, NY 1305 Franklin Avenue Suite 300 Garden City, NY 11530 516.207.7533

We’ve been working side by side with our clients dealing with the Covid-19 challenges affecting businesses in the region.

Perhaps we can help you, too. sbjlaw.com 14

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Kevin Keane

PKF O’Connor Davies, one of the nation’s largest accounting, tax, and advisory firms, is allowing eligible employees to work remotely through the rest of 2020 in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The firm, which has more than 900 employees across 12 offices in five states — including in Stamford and Shelton in Connecticut, and Harrison in New York — is one of the first employers in its industry to extend remote work through year’s end, it said.

While the voluntary policy allows for remote working, the company said it also “provides the resources and space for valuable in-person meetings with clients and colleagues” at offices and other locations.

“The health and safety of our employees is our top priority,” Managing Partner Kevin J. Keane said. “We transitioned to remote operations to protect all of our employees as the risks associated with COVID-19 grew. I’m proud to say that transition was flawless and our company culture and commitment to clients has not skipped a beat. This pilot program gives longtime employees and new hires alike the flexibility to work in a way that’s best for their families and for their peace of mind.”

PKF O’Connor Davies’ updated policy also removes the rule requiring that employees work with the firm for at least one year before working remotely.

— Kevin Zimmerman

FOCUS ON

EDUCATION WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNALS

Suite Talk Bernadine Venditto, president of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County

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or the past 101 years, the nonprofit Junior Achievement has provided schools with specialized classroom-based programs designed to bring awareness on economic and workplace subjects to students in the K-12 grades. But when the schools were forced to close in March to stop the spread of COVID-19, the organization quickly found itself shifting gears to make its programs available in the virtual environment that replaced classroom learning.

In this edition of Suite Talk, Business Journal Senior Enterprise Editor Phil Hall speaks with Bernadine Venditto, president of Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County, on the organization’s local response to providing educational input in the midst of a pandemic.

What was your organization offering to the local schools prior to the pandemic and how has it adapted to the crisis?

Bernadine Venditto

“We work with almost 100 schools. We have volunteers come in with a curriculum that addresses financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness. So, students are learning all of the skills and knowledge that will help them to understand jobs of the future and to grow economically.

“Today, we are taking our various activities and programs that are based on programs that we had already offered in the classroom and are now offer-

ing them digitally. For example, at the middle and high school level, it would be focused on the financial impact of COVID-19.

We would be speaking to that age group based on their level of understanding. There are other activities ranging all the way down to kindergarten that enables parents and teachers to do the same thing that Junior Achievement was doing with our work in the classrooms.”

How is your organization coordinating these lessons with the schools during this time?

“Because we have a network of teachers and administrators that we already worked with, we are communicating with them more directly to follow up and say, ‘Hey, what can we do to help best meet your needs?” We’re also sharing this on social media.”

Some of your social media posts mention “virtual volunteers.” What is that all about?

“That’s something that we’re

really pleased about. As an organization, we’ve been developing opportunities for volunteers to help kids in the classroom virtually. The cornerstone of Junior Achievement has always been the volunteer piece. And the reason is that we have this curriculum is to help kids develop an economically successful understanding of their place and where they would fit in careers.

“We’ve always had volunteers from the business community go into the classroom to deliver this curriculum that we’ve developed, and they share their own personal experiences and become role models. But in the past several years, there’s been a decline as companies have left because people have less time to devote to classroom presentations.

“As a result, we’ve been developing more of a virtual volunteer space where we can expose students to different types of careers learning from entrepreneurs and people in different FCBJ

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fields, but deliver it virtually.

Not only are we working on that volunteer space as a short-term solution, but it will be something for us to focus on going forward.

And that’s one of the ways that we are pivoting as an organization.”

What kind of feedback are you getting from teachers and parents who are working to provide education in a virtual environment?

“Everything has hit us so quickly and we are working more directly with some teachers as to their specific needs.

Those teachers are reacting positively on what we are doing to help them to help the kids.

“As far as parents, what I’m hearing is that parents feel grateful for this. And there are some parents who didn’t really know everything that we do, but this is giving them that ability to have activities to do with their kids that keep these messages relevant.”

JUNE 1, 2020

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CONTRIBUTING WRITER | Vicki D’Agostino

education

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The new face of education in a COVID-19 climate

OVID-19 has changed all of our lives. Masks and gloves are now part of our everyday wardrobe, and social distancing may be here to stay — at least for the near future. All meetings are now conducted via teleconference, with our living rooms, kitchens or even outside decks becoming our new “offices.”

Every industry has been forced to adapt to the changes in this new world, and the business of education is no different. Live classrooms have since been replaced by online classes with instructors who can reach out to us right from our computer screens.

In mid-March, the HGAR School of Real Estate became another Hudson Valley business affected by COVID-19. As our offices in White Plains, West Nyack and Goshen were directed to shut down, our first order of business was to determine how to transition all of our live in-person continuing education courses, multiple listing service classes and new member orientations to Zoom teleconferencing classes.

This daunting task was not accomplished overnight, but our entire education team played a vital role in helping to make this happen in a very short period of time.

Prior to COVID-19, our school operated

Enhance Your Business Career with an MBA From Southern

like many others, offering large classrooms in multiple locations. Following the closure of our offices, we immediately canceled any remaining live classes for March.

Next, we contacted all of our instructors to develop a game plan for converting all of our live classes in our three locations to teleconference classes. The education team had to act quickly, as we knew that our Realtor members needed continuing education credits in order to renew their real estate licenses.

After the instructors felt comfortable using the Zoom technology, we also assigned a staff moderator for each class,

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so that they could monitor students’ questions via the teleconference “chat” feature.

By April 1, our school was up and running online. We have always offered our class registrations online via our website, so there was literally no change in that respect. Now, after students register, we email them a link to the class, along with any documents needed for that class.

Because students are using these classes for continuing education credits, we had to figure out how best to document their participation so they receive credit.

We ask them to log onto the teleconference link at least 15 minutes prior to class time so we have plenty of time to accurately take attendance.

Another requirement is that they have a camera on their device and use the chat box to sign in and sign out of class. This is important so that the students receive credit for these classes. Our team then gives all information to the Department of State, so they have a record of classes taken at our school.

Like many of those now telecommuting, many of our Realtors are tech savvy so the transition from live to online classes was seamless. As soon as we had classes available via Zoom, students registered.

Initially we limited the number of participants to 20 per class, but now we are up to handling 45 per class.

We’re finding that the classes are filled, the feedback has been terrific and currently we’re offering an average of 25 classes per month. They vary between one-hour, three hours, four hours, six hours and even seven-and-a-half hours. As for the costs, we kept our rates the same as they were for the live classes.

Since our students have been so receptive to this new way of learning, we plan to continue to offer more teleconferencing classes, even after Gov. Cuomo gives us the green light to return to our offices. We are considering offering a hybrid of live classes with Zoom teleconferencing.

As for returning to live classes only, we will approach that subject cautiously. We will have to consider limiting the number of attendees, as well as assigning “socially distanced” seating. As we move forward, our main concern is still the safety and health of our students.

Vicki D’Agostino, HGAR Director of Professional Development, oversees and directs the HGAR School of Real Estate, one of the largest real estate schools in New York. She works with a team at HGAR and various committees to increase member satisfaction and ensure the members succeed and thrive at HGAR. She can be reached at Vicki.D’Agostino@hgar.com.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER | By Patricia Stout Traina and Alison Carson

New technologies, thinking to meet COVID-19 challenge

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hen colleges and universities were challenged back in March to find a way to educate students while still meeting social distancing requirements, some were more prepared than others. Online learning was by no means new, but ramping up the education of so many students while maintaining quality, was a daunting task for many.

Another hurdle was finding a way to adapt courses that require labs and hands-on work to meet course requirements.

Fortunately, here at Manhattanville College where we are launching our School of Nursing and Health Sciences, we were already prepared. Being a new school, the nursing school had already planned to employ some cutting-edge technologies to prepare its students for the rigorous requirements of clinical labs in a virtual environment.

The school is launching two degrees: Bachelor of Science in Nursing major for traditional four-year and transfer students, which will begin on Aug. 31 as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing major for second degree students, which begins May 26.

Before coronavirus struck, students were set to start their training in the newly constructed, state-of-the-art labs

in Founder’s Hall on Manhattanville’s campus in Purchase. These spaces were designed to fit “real life” hospital scenarios equipped with the latest diagnostic technology as well as interactive manikins that mimic physiologic responses and allow hands-on treatments such as IV and catheter insertion and drawing blood samples.

Knowing that the school would not have these labs immediately available to incoming students, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences had to devise the nursing program to work entirely within virtual spaces. Various virtual programs were explored to facilitating the move to remote classroom instruction, enabling clinical hours and virtual advisement sessions for students to ease their transition (and their anxiety) as they begin this new learning environment.

The nursing field already has a distinct advantage since most nursing school curricula already use sophisticated virtual platforms, including simulated clinical labs. In designing our new clinical learning labs, we chose virtual tools from different companies, including ATI, which creates virtual simulation environments, or Vsims, that allow students to log in on their computers and “enter” an online clinical space.

There they interact with “patients” and

react to various hypothetical situations.

For every hour that a student is in the system, it counts as two hours of clinical time. It’s that intensive. The virtual simulation and hands on training via virtual conference give a personal touch in the socially distanced reality right now but clinical sites are ready to go when such instruction is again permitted.

The school is using a holistic nursing framework designed to deliver nurses who are not just patient centered, but also adept at self-care. This means fewer burned out nurses in the field as well as nurses who are equipped with complimentary care techniques for stress and coping and pain management.

Another new tool that students can take advantage of in a virtual world is Design Thinking. The nursing school is working with the college’s new Center for Design Thinking to develop creative problem-solving techniques and help students employ empathy to better serve patients.

The core of design thinking is cognitive empathy, the result of developing a deep understanding of the perspective and point-of-view of the person experiencing the problem. Like patient-centered care, the design thinking process asks practitioners to deeply consider the patient’s

perspective and anticipate the knowledge, support, explanation, and guidance they require to heal and recover.

The Center for Design Thinking quickly adapted to online teaching and learning through the use of collaborative whiteboard tools that allow multiple people to work together in a shared virtual space while tackling problems. Manhattanville, the only college with a center of this kind in Westchester County, used this technology, and its on-campus design thinking talent, to run a campus-wide design thinking challenge tackling a number of issues presented by the current COVID19 crisis, including online learning, social distancing, alternative sources of revenue, enrollment and retention, and community support.

The shift for higher education to new technologies and new thinking although abrupt, may be a blessing in disguise as it may fast-forward institutions into a new era.

The authors of this article are Patricia Stout Traina, associate dean Clinical Education, School of Nursing and Health Sciences; and Alison Carson, associate provost for Academic Innovation and Design Thinking, both of Manhattanville College.

IT’S A NEW WORLD AND NOW, MORE THAN EVER, YOU NEED TRUTHFUL NEWS. As your longtime source for business news, the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals have expanded their coverage to keep you up-to-date on COVID-19. Don’t miss out on breaking news about the virus, as well as the latest on local businesses, real estate, the courts and more.

Subscribe at westfaironline.com.

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BRIGHTCORE ENERGY APPOINTS CHIEF SALES OFFICER Brightcore Energy, a provider of endto-end clean energy solutions to the commercial and institutional market with a location in Armonk, has appointed of Mark Liston to the newly created role of chief sales officer.

Liston will lead the expansion of Brightcore’s sustainability and clean energy solutions to strategic and enterprise accounts, working closely with Brightcore’s leadership team to increase visibility and market awareness by leveraging channel partners, key industry organizations and executive interaction.

Liston is an industry veteran within the energy market, spanning a 30-year career with Schneider Electric, a $30 billion global provider of energy and automation solutions. He also spent more than 10 years leading domestic and global strategic account teams in life sciences and health care, focused on securing and executing tailored commercial agreements.

Brightcore Energy President Mike Richter believes Liston will take Brightcore to the next phase of growth. “Mark is a seasoned industry veteran who brings broad sales experience within the energy sector to our company. His market knowledge, expertise in sales and business development as well as the strong relationships he has developed, will help elevate our growth.”

SCIENCE BARGE RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY NEEDS DURING PANDEMIC

Brian S. Cohen

BAR ASSOCIATION TO HOST VIRTUAL TOWN HALL While the Science Barge is on pause as a public education center, the facility is uniquely positioned to address growing issues of food insecurity in southwest Yonkers. The Science Barge, Groundwork Hudson Valley, utilizes hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic systems to grow produce faster than soil-based farming.

Its growing systems, combined with its unique nutrient cycling system, enable the organization to quickly grow over an acre of food in a much shorter growing season.

Instead of growing small numbers of many types of produce for educational

purposes, Groundwork is changing course to grow fewer varieties at a much larger scale to support increasingly food insecure residents in the community.

To support growth at scale and extend the growing season into colder months, a new greenhouse heating system was secured for the Science Barge in 2019.

Partners on this effort include the YWCA Yonkers, which provides shelter, meals and other critically needed wraparound services for up to 50 women each day and night. All produce grown on the

Science Barge will be donated to the YWCA and other communities in need.

“We all are trying to digest the changes in our lifestyles that have been so greatly impacted recently and what that means for the future,” said Charlie Knight, executive director of the YWCA Yonkers.

“We are now forced to change the way in which we have previously provided services, however we must not abandon our mission in the process.”

The Science Barge is at 99 Dock St., Yonkers. For more information, call 914375-2151 or visit groundworkhv.org.

RESILIENCE 2020

ATTORNEY JOINS LACHTMAN COHEN PC Robin C. Fried recently joined the Lachtman Cohen PC law firm in White Plains as of counsel. She will be working with David R. Lachtman, partner and chair of the firm’s real estate group.

A transactional lawyer with experience in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate, Fried represents clients in the purchase, sale and financing of multifamily and mixed-use properties, as well as in the purchase and sale of single-family homes and condominium and cooperative apartments. She also counsels landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions.

Fried received her Juris Doctorate degree from Brooklyn Law School, where she was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Property Law, and her Bachelor of Scienc degree in accounting from Brooklyn College.

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On June 2 at 5 p.m., Westchester County business litigation attorney Brian S. Cohen of Lachtman Cohen PC in White Plains will co-moderate “Litigating in the Westchester Commercial Division During COVID-19: A Virtual Town Hall Discussion.”

Hosted by the Westchester County Bar Association, Justices Linda S. Jamieson and Gretchen Walsh will discuss litigating in the Westchester Commercial Division during COVID-19 and beyond, the court’s operations and methods the justices are using to move cases forward.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the justices.

Cohen is on the Board of Directors of the Westchester County Bar Association and is a member of its Business and Commercial Law Committee.

Registration for the Virtual Town Hall is free. Due to Zoom security issues, advance registration is required. Those interested in attending can reserve a spot at wcbany.org/events.

BARTON & LOGUIDICE MOVES UP ON U.S. DESIGN FIRMS LIST

Garner Arts Center, an interdisciplinary arts, culture and creative education center based within the Garner Historic District in New York’s lower Hudson Valley, has announced an open call for a new virtual photography exhibition as part of the #GarnerAtHome initiative. The topic for this juried exhibition, from July 2 to Sept. 18, by Bill Foley, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, is “Resilience in 2020.” The exhibit organizFCBJ

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ers are interested in seeing interpretations of the theme as expressed in the time of Covid-19, created by contemporary photographers at all levels of professionalism and experience. This exhibition seeks to share the resilience of the human spirit and the places we find inspiration, beauty and strength in the darkest times.

Garner Arts Center, through #GarnerAtHome, invites artists from the Hudson

Valley and tri-state area, including New York City to submit high-resolution digital photographs for consideration in this virtual exhibition. The entry fee is $5 for 1 - 4 works, $1 for each additional work up to 6 works in total. Entry fees are nonrefundable. Free for Garner Arts Center Members.

The entry deadline is June 15 and the application link is: http://www.garnerartscenter. org/resilience2020application.

Industry publication “Engineering News Record” (ENR), has released its 2020 list of the Top 500 Design Firms in the U.S., ranking Barton & Loguidice at No. 316, which represents a gain of 22 spots from last year. Since 2015, the firm has climbed up 55 notches in this nationwide ranking of leading design firms.

According to President and CEO John F. Brusa Jr., “The firm’s continued advancement in the ENR rankings is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all of our talented employees. In addition, 2019 saw the acquisition of Maryland-based Advanced Land & Water Inc. and New Jersey-based Cummings & Smit, Inc., together with the opening of offices in Baltimore and Annapolis, Maryland, and Fairfield, New Jersey, as well as the expansion of our Watertown, New York office.”

CABRINI FOUNDATION AWARDS GRANT TO WJCS The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation has awarded a $125,000 grant to WJCS-Westchester Jewish Community Services for emergency Covid-19 funding to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the 95 developmentally disabled adults who reside 24/7 in 13 WJCS group homes and the 180 hands-on direct service professionals and program specialists who provide quality care and services to them The coronavirus pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges in maintaining the health and safety of residents in WJCS group homes, licensed by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD. The residents living in WJCS Group Homes need full-time support and staff available to help with basic everyday activities, from cooking and getting ready for the day to personal care. Especially now, direct service professionals are providing life-saving services to the group home residents.

“Our direct service professionals are heroes and we need to give them the tools they need to safely and properly do their jobs,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “We are grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for their grant, which will strongly support these workers. The work of the group home staff is hands-on and our staff work closely with the residents every hour of every day. This funding will allow that critical work to continue and will protect the health of our staff, our residents and our community.”

WARTBURG RECEIVES CARES ACT PROVIDER RELIEF Mount Vernon-based Wartburg receives $988,000 in CARES Act Provider Relief as part of April’s release of the first allocation of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $100 billion in funds toward providers on the front lines of the Covid-19 response. In allocating the funds, the Federal government is addressing both the economic harm across the entire health care system as well as addressing the economic impact on providers incurring additional expenses caring for Covid-19 patients.

Dr. David J. Gentner, Wartburg president and CEO, said, “Wartburg’s allocation is from the initial $50 billion Provider Relief Fund allocated for general distribution to Medicare providers impacted by COVID-19, based on Wartburg’s 2018 net Medicare patient revenue. This funding will be used to support Wartburg’s health care-related expenses attributable to our fight against Covid-19 and is crucial as we begin to set a course for recovery in the aftermath of the greatest health care crisis ever faced by this country.”

MALL AND OUTLET REOPEN

RIDING FOR A CAUSE Mount Kisco resident Matt McAllister is no stranger to embarking on endurance races to raise funds and awareness for different causes, having donated more than $6,000 to local community centers over the last few years. He has selected Hillside Food Outreach program as his next beneficiary of a 200-mile trek when he hopes to equal or better his $2,000 benchmark. “For more than 20 years Hillside Food Outreach has been delivering healthy and nutritious foods to elderly and low- income families —the demographic hit hardest by layoffs and closures due to the Covid-19 outbreak,” he said. “The demand on supplies and resources has been staggering and I wanted to help them in their efforts.”

McAllister, who has worked in business development at Statewide Abstract Corp. in White Plains since 2015, will set off on a solo 200-mile bike ride June 12.

“My longest ride to date has been 140 miles, so 200 is going to be a nice test,” noting that it will take more than 12 hours to complete. “I’ll be doing it alone, so I will have to bring everything with me: bike tools and spare tires for fixing flats and minor mechanical issues. Any major issues would mean a detour to the nearest local bike store. I’ll have lights in case I have to ride into the dark. Whatever it takes, I’ll finish the ride.” For food, he will pack “all the standards: bananas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, energy bars, as well as endurance specific gels and electro-

Matt McAllister

lyte drinks,” and he intends to stop in a few delis along the way to replenish his supplies.

Leaving Mount Kisco he will head northwest through Peekskill, over the Bear Mountain Bridge, and around Harriman State Park before heading toward Manhattan. After crossing the George Washington Bridge, he will ride down the West Side Highway, through Manhattan and into Queens. Continuing along the North Shore of Long Island he will travel through Nassau and into Suffolk County before ending at his parent’s house in Mattituck, where his family will greet him

with celebratory tacos and beer.

“Matt is an exceptional member of the Statewide Abstract team. He is an inspiring and motivating example in the office and a genuine and unrelenting advocate for our clients’ best interests,” stated Ken Meccia, president of Statewide Abstract, the oldest family-owned title agency in Westchester.

McAllister is planning to raise at least $10 a mile toward a goal of $2,000. Donations are immediately available to Hillside Food Outreach and are 100% deductible. For more information or to donate, visit GoFundMe: Hillside Food Outreach.

LIONS CLUB SECURE GRANTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL CORONAVIRUS NEEDS

Left: Fuller Center Executive Director Jim Killoran and Phil Oldham. Right: STEM Virtual Mentoring program.

The Larchmont Mamaroneck (LM) Lions Club has secured two grants from the Lions Multiple District to support local groups assisting coronavirus-affected residents. Each grant was for $2,500.

The first was provided by the New York State and Bermuda Lions Foundation to the LM Lions for the Fuller Center, which has been providing food and

necessities to the community’s most vulnerable..

The second grant was from the Brandel-Murphy Lions Youth Foundation, given to the STEM Alliance of Larchmont-Mamaroneck’s STEM Navigators Virtual Mentoring program. School closures and the subsequent move to distance learning has been particularly

challenging for students from low-income backgrounds. Through the Virtual Mentoring program, students are paired one-to-one to a mentor who assists with digital fluency and provides home work support.

LM Lions is part of the International Lions Clubs, the largest service organization in the world.

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Crystal Mall in Waterford and Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets, both Simon properties, reopened May 20 and as part of their reopening process a comprehensive COVID-19 Exposure Control Policy, developed in conjunction with a team of leading experts in the fields of repidemiology and environmental health and safety (EHS), in order to deliver an elevated set of safety standards at the property was published Crystal Mall’s and Clinton Crossing’s enhanced safety protocols have been communicated to all tenants, who are expected to adhere to the same rigorous policies in their tenant spaces. Additionally, the mall and outlet have joined forces with local nonprofits to support initiatives aimed at assisting those in the community experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19.

“The health, safety and well-being of the community we serve will always be our highest priority and we have developed a thorough and detailed set of protocols highlighting the exceptional measures we’ve implemented for shoppers, retailers and employees as we reopen,” said Nathan Ramos, Crystal Mall and Clinton Crossing general manager. “…Reopening our properties will not only help people get back to work during these challenging times, but also enable us to use our properties to further support charitable initiatives.

WMCHEALTH RESUMES OUTPATIENT AMBULATORY PROCEDURES Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) has resumed elective outpatient ambulatory surgeries and medical testing at its flagship hospital Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

New York state approval allows for resumption of outpatient ambulatory surgical services — those for which the patient enters and leaves a surgical facility on the same day, without an overnight stay — and is based upon the status of coronavirus impact, including a drop in COVID-19 cases in specific counties. Emergency and urgent surgeries have continued without deferral throughout the pandemic, regardless of a patient’s infection status.

As a mandatory safety protocol, the hospital will provide each patient with a COVID-19 test prior to a procedure. Each patient must then follow stringent safety precautions to avoid possible infection before the procedure date itself. Any patient who tests positive for a COVID infection will be re-tested before elective surgery can be rescheduled. Emergency and urgent surgeries continue to take place, regardless of a patient’s infection status.

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ARCHITECTURE 20/20 Located in Greenwich, the Bruce Museum’s program series featuring thought leaders in the fields of art and science, returns on June 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m. with a Zoom virtual panel discussion: “Architecture 20/20: New Visions for Public Spaces in the Age of COVID-19.”

How will the global coronavirus pandemic change how public spaces are designed or modified, from classrooms to auditoriums, public restrooms to restaurants, hallways to elevators?

How will the need for adequate social distancing impact how public spaces are used in a post-lockdown environment?

Providing expert insight into these new and pressing issues are four distinguished architects whose practices focus on the design of public buildings and spaces: Steve Dumez, principal and director of Design at EskewDumezRipple; Craig Dykers, founding partner at Snøhetta; Maitland Jones, principal at Deborah Berke Partners; and Paul Schulhof, principal at Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects.

In a second segment of the program, three executive directors of prominent cultural organizations will join the conversation. They are Pamela Franks, executive director of the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, Massachusetts; Nico Wheadon, executive director of NXTHVN, a multidisciplinary arts incubator in New Haven; and Robert Wolterstorff, The Susan E. Lynch executive director of the Bruce Museum.

The four architects will open the program at 7 p.m.; the three museum directors will join the panel at 7:45 p.m. The program will conclude with a Q&A session moderated by Leonard Jacobs, producer of the series titled Bruce Presents.

“The Bruce Museum is delighted to present this timely discussion featuring four world-class architects, famous for their design of public spaces.”

“Earlier this year, we aimed to convene a group of architects to imagine the 2020s — trends in design and technology. With the disruption caused

by Covid-19, now we’re making a powerful pivot: Will the crisis revolutionize the design, form and function of public space—and how?”

Participation in the virtual Bruce Presents for the benefit of the Bruce Museum is $25 for museum members, $35 nonmembers. To reserve a place, visit brucemuseum.org or call 203-8690376; a link to join the online conversation will be sent to registered attendees prior to the program.

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NWH OFFERS FIRST RESPONDERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS VIRUS TESTING

Northern Westchester Hospital/Northwell Health

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) in Mount Kisco offers serology Covid-19 antibody testing at two locations for first responders and other essential workers who live or work in Armonk, Bedford, Chappaqua, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Pleasantville, Somers, North Salem, Yorktown or Pound Ridge. NWH anticipates that testing for the public will begin early June.

NWH will offer antibody testing Monday through Friday, any time between 8 a.m. and noon or from 2 to 6 p.m., for first responders and essential workers who preregister. Testing is done at NWH’s Center for Healthy Living next to Whole Foods in Chappaqua Crossing or at the hospital’s main Campus at 400 E. Main Street.

“While we recognize that many people want this test, it is important for us to prioritize resources to meet the most urgent public health need,” said Marla Koroly, MD, NWH’s senior vice president for medical affairs and chief medical officer. “We fully expect to meet the demand in our communities as we continue to rollout testing beyond this priority group. Efforts to expand testing are critical to help scientists better understand how Covid-19 travels from person to person, why it affects people differently, whether the virus is seasonal like the flu and if people can be reinfected.”

Antibody testing does not diagnose Covid-19 infection, but a negative result

means the absence of Covid-19 antibodies in the blood. Most commonly, this indicates someone has not been infected with the virus, but it does not rule-out early or recent infection. A positive result indicates a person has been exposed to Covid-19 and developed antibodies in their blood. At this point scientists are not sure how detected antibodies impact immunity and protect against re-infection.

Testing updates will be posted on the NWH website at nwhc.net. People may opt to receive notifications by signing up for the hospital’s newsletter on the website’s home page or by following NWH on social media.

CONGRATS TO PEEKSKILL SCHOOL DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Austin Goldberg, director of physical education, health and athletics at the Peekskill City School District, has been recognized as a Certified Athletic Administrator by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).

To earn this distinction, Goldberg demonstrated the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. The voluntary certification process included a thorough evaluation of his educational background, experience and professional contributions, as well as a rigorous, comprehensive written examination.

Goldberg is one of an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism.

The NIAAA is a national professional organization consisting of all 50 state athletic administrator associations and more than 12,000 individual members.

It is dedicated to promoting the professional growth of high school athletic administrators and preserving the educational nature of interscholastic athletics and the place of these programs in the secondary school curriculum.

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FORMÉ MEDICAL OPENS CORONAVIRUS TESTING CENTER With area health care resources stretched beyond capacity, Formé Medical Center & Urgent Care partners, Gina Cappelli and Maria Trusa, knew they needed to act fast. They realized that testing, both diagnostic and for antibodies, was really the only way to measure, trace and contain the pandemic.

Those with COVID-19 symptoms and their contacts require immediate testing, especially patients from the very immigrant communities and populations that are often most affected, some performing “essential” service jobs and may have inadvertently spread infection without even knowing it.

As the county became a leading national coronavirus hotspot some groups may have initially been overlooked in the rush to scale up testing. Challenges like language barriers, identification and the fact that existing “drive-through” sites require a car and not everyone drives presented a problematic gap.

Forme Medical executives jumped into action to convert a section of their offices, a former spa used for elective cosmetic procedures, to become a bilingual walk-through testing site with its own street-level entrance at 7-11 S. Broadway in White Plains.

“Testing is an urgent need,” noted President/Founder Cappelli, “We moved fast and it helped that people know we’re genuine.

Forme Medical has approximately 20,000 patient visits annually and nearly half their patients are uninsured. Regardless of immigration status or socioeconomic conditions, patients can now get tested. Scheduled by appointment only, diverse patient populations range from residents at the nearby Ritz-Carlton to working class immigrants.

Cappelli and Trusa also cofounded Promise to Aid, a nonprofit that helps those who can’t afford preventive medicine, medication, or surgery.

“We treat everyone professionally and with dignity, which goes a long way, especially now,” noted CEO Trusa, herself an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. “People know we’re here to help. We ‘walk the walk,’ even when we swab the nose,” she added.

Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.

Austin Goldberg

CREDIT UNION EDUCATES PUBLIC ON SAFE BANKING OPTIONS DURING QUARANTINE Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union is stepping up to educate members and state residents about the safest banking options in the face of COVID-19. As a technology-driven financial institution, the credit union is reminding everyone about its online resources — custom technology included — to encourage members to bank from the safety of their homes.

“Right now, banking remotely is more important than ever,” said John Holt, president and CEO of Nutmeg. “We are communicating all of our self-service options to our members to make sure they can manage their finances safely during this time.”

In addition to its large collection of self-service banking options, the credit union is also prepared to keep members informed as public access restrictions are slowly lifted. Nutmeg has already released important safety information about contactless payment methods, which allow in-person transactions with retail staff to be conducted safely and without an exchange of debit or credit cards. This communication is one of the credit union’s many efforts to ensure safety through the use of technology.

MASTER’S DEGREE CONFRONTS MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE ETHICS ISSUES New York Medical College (NYMC) has announced the launch of a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Ethics and Humanities Program in keeping with its mission to educate outstanding health care professionals for the multicultural world of the 21st century.

Beginning in the fall, NYMC will offer courses that provide students with interdisciplinary training that will prepare professionals to address the ethical, legal and social challenges in health care today and in the future. Students will study with a broad range of faculty, allowing them to draw on the diverse expertise and resources that the college has to offer.

Ira Bedzow, associate professor of medicine and the UNESCO chair in bioethics at New York Medical College, will serve as director of the program.

“We are in a moment where health leaders, clinicians, and the general public are looking for answers for how to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as how to cope with its aftermath and best meet the moral and social challenges we are facing, said Bedzow.

NYMC STUDENT HEALTH AWARD RECIPIENT

RESTAURANT OWNER TAKES VERTICAL FARMING

Vertical farming

Farmers and Chefs, a restaurant in Poughkeepsie, is staying true to its name. With supply chains disrupted due to Covid-19, chef and restauranteur John Lekic took matters into his own hands and searched for an alternative to ensure the availability of fresh greens vital for a healthy diet.

His solution is Vertical Field, which is vertical farming that is transportable soilbased vertical containers that become locally sourced indoor farms capable of growing a variety of fresh greens that

are located at the source in need such as local supermarkets, restaurants, outdoor markets and distribution centers.

Lekic has reported that in just a matter of weeks, the farm has yielded enough greens and herbs to make the restaurant self-sufficient in production capacity. Its first harvest included butter-crunch lettuce, Russian red kale and arugula. “To be able to grow the food we serve in our restaurant from the seed to a ready-to-eat dish that was harvested

the day it was served was amazing. Of course we are just serving take-out and delivery during the pandemic until we can re-open.”

An Israeli start-up, Vertical Field’s global clientele include Facebook, Intel, Apple, Isrotel and Microsoft. Another Vertical Field’s container will be coming soon to Evergreen supermarket in Monsey, which, along with other supermarkets, serves a community of roughly 22,000 residents.

CHAIR OF IONA BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTED Patrick Dunican ’88, chairman and managing director of Gibbons PC, will serve as chair of the New Rochelle-based Iona College Board of Trustees, effective July 1. He will assume the position from James P. Hynes ’69, who has served on the board since 1995, including as chair since 2008.

Dunican, who was unanimously elected May 6, has served in various capacities on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2013. Previously, he served on the Planning Committee for the 25th Reunion of the Class of 1988. Iona has honored him with its 2013 Legacy Award and 2008 Loftus Award.

Kathleen Hurlie, chair of the Committee on Trustees and Governance, said to Duncan,”…You undoubtedly have the full support of the Board as we go through this (present difficult time because of Covid) together and we all look forward to the future as you lead us through the good times as well.”

Outgoing Chair Hynes, who has

served as board chair for 12 years, built his career in the telecommunications industry as an entrepreneur for the past 30 years and has been active in the Iona community since graduating in 1969. He has assumed numerous roles in leadership, governance and fundraising, himself giving generously to the college.

In 2006, the Hynes Athletics Center became a reality because of his record-breaking gift, and the facility was dedicated in recognition of his leadership and support. In 2017, the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation was established thanks to the generosity and again record-breaking gift of more than $15 million from James and Anne Marie Hynes, who became the largest lifetime donors to the college. Hynes will continue to serve on the Board of Trustees as vice chair.

Dunican has been featured by “The Irish Voice” on its “Irish Education 100” list of the country’s most influential professionals of Irish descent involved

in higher education. In addition to his longstanding work with Iona College, Dunican remains active with Seton Hall University School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1991 Dunican is a nationally recognized legal industry leader. He has been named by “Law360” as one of the nation’s most innovative law firm managing partners. He is Dunican is listed in both the New Jersey and New York editions of Super Lawyers for business litigation and in Best Lawyers® for commercial litigation.

Founded in 1940, Iona College is a master’s-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. with a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 45,000 around the world. Its 45-acre campus is just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. to just five percent of business schools worldwide.

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EBRAHIM AFSHINNEKOO, a member of the New York Medical College (NYMC) School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2021, has received the prestigious 2020 Excellence in Public Health Award by the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) in recognition of his commitment and work to improve health disparities and for exemplifying the USPHS’ mission to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of the U.S. The award was presented by Lieut. Colin Smith, medical officer in the Commission Core of the USPHS, during the NYMC SOM virtual hooding and awards ceremony, May 17.

“Ebrahim’s groundbreaking work will play a major role in the future of public health and we are extremely proud to count him among our students at NYMC. This honor is very well deserved,” said Jerry L. Nadler, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine and professor of medicine and pharmacology.

Throughout his undergraduate and medical school years, Afshinnekoo has continually led innovative projects that have significant public health implications. Most recently, he was clinical research associate on a project to test New York City hospitals and urban environments for the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and other viruses and to address the limitations in patient testing by designing and optimizing a rapid LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 as well as a large-scale RNA sequencing platform for host and viral profiling.

Afshinnekoo is a co-founder of the International MetaSUB Consortium, a nonprofit, research consortium dedicated to building a genetic profile of cities around the globe to improve their design and functionality and positively impact health. Since its founding in 2015, the consortium has grown to include more than 100 cities. He serves as clinical director, overseeing the clinical applications of their research, including swabbing hospitals, ambulances, as well as mapping and monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes.

“Given the large burden of morbidity and premature deaths from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, Afshinnekoo’s work will directly contribute to people living longer healthier lives with less burden of preventable disease, particularly in high-risk, underserved communities,” said Mill Etienne, M.D., associate dean for student affairs and associate professor of neurology and medicine at New York Medical College.

Founded in 1860, New York Medical College is one of the oldest and largest health sciences colleges in the country with nearly 1,500 students and 330 residents and clinical fellows, more than 2,600 faculty members and 23,200 living alumni.

JUNE 1, 2020

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Facts & Figures

westchester county

BANKRUPTCIES Congregation Birchos Yosef, New City vs. Benie Yakov, New City. 20-6262 & 20-6263- RDD: Chapter 11 adversary proceedings for turnover of property.

Attorneys: Kevin J. Nash and Michael Levine.

Two Tales LLC, d.b.a. The Academy of Martial Arts, Orangeburg 20-22687-RDD: Chapter 11, $25,400 assets, $232,931 liabilities. Attorney: Anne Penachio.

COURTS Scottsdale Insurance Co., Ohio vs. Wappingers Falls Owners Corp. 7:20-cv-3914-NSR: declaratory judgment, insurance.

Attorney: Sharon Angelino.

Chaim Katz, Spring Valley vs. The Terkell Law Firm PC, New City 7:20-cv-4033: class action, Fair Debt Collection Act. Attorney: Raphael Deutsch.

Jack Fish Equities LLC, New Rochelle. Seller: Romeo Bruno, Harrison. Property: 113 Park Ave., Harrison. Amount: $700,000.

Filed May 18.

DEEDS

La Leona Property LLC, New Rochelle. Seller: Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Property: 35-3 Franklin Ave., New Rochelle. Amount: $365,000. Filed May 18.

Above $1 million 25 Ocean LLC, Larchmont. Seller: Robert A. Blatt, Larchmont.

Property: 25 Ocean Ave., Mamaroneck. Amount: $8.6 million.

Filed May 22.

HBS Mamaroneck Realty LLC, Mamaroneck. Seller: Gregory Katsaros, et al, Forest Hills.

Property: 405 E. Boston Post Road, Rye. Amount: $1.5 million.

Filed May 20.

Anthony Pettway, Elmont vs.

Cavalry SPV I, Valhalla 7:20-cv-3916-PMH: class action, Fair Debt Collection Act. Attorneys: David M. Barshay, Craig B. Sanders.

Morning Star Church Inc., Voorhees, New Jersey. Seller: The Board of Managers of the Diocesan Missionary and Church Extension Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of New York, New York.

City. Property: 636 Palisade Ave., Yonkers. Amount: $1 million.

Filed May 22.

Ericks’s Mini Market Corp., Mount Vernon vs. U.S. Department of Agriculture 7:20-cv3920-NSR: Food Stamp Act. Attorney: Benjamin Sharav.

Westhab Inc., Yonkers. Seller: Locust Hill Yonkers Inc., Bronx.

Property: 76 Locust Hill Ave., Yonkers. Amount: $1.4 million.

Filed May 21.

Tammy King vs. Clean Air Quality Service Inc., et al, Hawthorne 7:20-cv-3955-VB: job discrimination. Attorneys: Katerina Housos, Brittany A. Stevens.

Thelma Winston vs. Pine Valley Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Spring Valley 7:20-cv-4006-UA: Enforcement of employee benefits. Attorney: William K. Wolf.

Items appearing in the Fairfield County Business Journal’s On The Record section are compiled from various sources, including public records made available to the media by federal, state and municipal agencies and the court system. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no liability is assumed for errors or omissions. In the case of legal action, the records cited are open to public scrutiny and should be inspected before any action is taken.

Below $1 million 3574 Lexington LLC, Hawthorne. Seller: RPG Properties Inc., Brewster. Property: 3574 Lexington Ave., Yorktown.

Amount: $408,000. Filed May 22.

911 Midland Ave LLC, White Plains. Seller: Olga Casarella, et al, Yonkers. Property: 911 Midland Ave., Yonkers. Amount: $850,000. Filed May 21.

Drago Chirico Realty Partners LLC, Bronxville. Seller: Benjamin Houx, Port Chester.

Property: 1 Landmark Square, 205, Rye. Amount: $140,000.

Filed May 18.

Goldmarr Properties LLC, Millbrook. Seller: East Main Street Property Inc., Jefferson Valley. Property: 390 E. Main St., Yorktown. Amount: $559,900.

Filed May 22.

Questions and comments regarding this section should be directed to: Larry Miles c/o Westfair Communications Inc. 701 Westchester Ave, Suite 100 J White Plains, N.Y. 10604-3407 Phone: 694-3600 • Fax: 694-3699

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ON THE RECORD

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Panbar Realty LLC, Mahopac. Seller: Maryanne O’Connor, Lords Valley, Pennsylvania.

Property: 1616 Wenonah Trail, Yorktown. Amount: $230,000.

Filed May 22.

SDF Capital LLC, Mamaroneck. Seller: Danne Roy Lorieo, Yonkers. Property: 17 Glenmore Drive, New Rochelle.

Amount: $375,000. Filed May 20.

Taal Construction Inc., Somers. Seller: Robert Madsen, Shrub Oak. Property: 21 Elm Road, Cortlandt. Amount: $115,000. Filed May 18.

U.S. Bank N.A. Seller: Ralph D. Amicucci, Pleasantville. Property: 161 Devoe Ave., Yonkers.

Amount: $420,000. Filed May 18.

LIS PENDENS The following filings indicated a legal action has been initiated, the outcome of which may affect the title to the property listed.

Alilovic, Milan, et al. Filed

by Ponce Bank. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure an unspecified amount affecting property located at 12 Prince St., Hastings-on-Hudson 10706. Filed Nov. 11.

Annan, Edward, et al. Filed

by HSBC Bank USA N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $400,581 affecting property located at 16 Tyndale Place, Yonkers 10701. Filed Nov. 5.

Arzu, Leticia, as guardian ad litem and military attorney on behalf of the heirs at large of David Smith, et al. Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $342,000 affecting property located at 68 Saratoga Ave., Yonkers 10705.

Filed Nov. 12.

Avella, Marjorie A., et al. Filed

by Nationstar Mortgage LLC. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $775,000 affecting property located at 346 Nanny Hagan Road, Thornwood 10594. Filed Nov. 13.

Bastos, Carlos, et al. Filed by U.S. Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $644,000 affecting property located at 114 Primrose Ave., Mount Vernon 10552. Filed Nov. 13.

Cavallo, Lorena Navarette, et al. Filed by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $645,000 affecting property located at 9 Aviemore Drive, New Rochelle 10804. Filed Nov. 5.

Corless, Robert J. Jr., et al.

Filed by U.S. Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $1.5 million affecting property located at 97 Upper Shad Road, Pound Ridge 10576.

Filed Nov. 14.

Corrado, Joseph, as administrator and heir to the estate of Alda C. Corrado, et al. Filed

by Palm Avenue Hialeah Trust.

Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $135,000 affecting property located at 278 Washington Ave., Pleasantville 10570. Filed Nov. 7.

De La Cruz, Manuel, et al.

Filed by Citimortgage Inc. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $239,500 affecting property located at 183 Beech St., Yonkers 10701. Filed Nov. 5.

Denardo, Joseph, et al. Filed

by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $1.3 million affecting property located at 69 Maple St., Dobbs Ferry 10522. Filed Nov. 8.

Dussek, Cassandra F., et al.

Filed by U.S. Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $375,000 affecting property located at 161 Longvue Terrace, Yonkers 10710. Filed Nov. 12.

Fanelli, Stephen, et al. Filed

by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $365,000 affecting property located at 27 Loudoun St., Yonkers 10705. Filed Nov. 8.

Heirs and distributees of the estate of Alberto Aciar, et al. Filed by Nationstar Mortgage LLC. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $400,000 affecting property located at 111 N. Seventh Ave., Mount Vernon 10550. Filed Nov. 5.

Henriques, Luis M., et al.

Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $346,500 affecting property located at 140 Stone Ave., Yonkers 10701. Filed Nov. 13.

Kaylor, Charles, et al. Filed

by Nationstar Mortgage LLC. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $154,700 affecting property located at 27 Hollow Brook Lane, Cortlandt Manor 10567. Filed Nov. 4.

Kelly, Barbara, et al. Filed

by PCSB Bank. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $35,000 affecting property located at 45 Juniper Drive, Somers. Filed Nov. 6.

Mangi, Joseph M. Jr., et al.

Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $2.3 million affecting property located at 11 Stony Brook Place, Armonk 10504. Filed Nov. 7.

Marafioti, Jo Ellen, et al. Filed

by U.S. Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $187,775 affecting property located at 6 Waterview Estates, Peekskill 10566. Filed Nov. 5.

Mayer, Charles, et al. Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $565,250 affecting property located at 147 Rumsey Road, Yonkers 10705.

Filed Nov. 4.

Mazza, Patricia G., et al. Filed

by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $253,508 affecting property located at 19 Cotswold Drive, North Salem 10560. Filed Nov. 7.

Nicholls, Timothy J., et al.

Filed by JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $1 million affecting property located at 116 Titicus Road, North Salem 10560. Filed Nov. 8.

Public administrator of Westchester County as administrator of the estate of Anthony Lopes, et al. Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $560,000 affecting property located at 18 Kent Drive, Cortlandt Manor 10567. Filed Nov. 14.

Quizhpi, Luis Raul, et al. Filed

by Bank of America N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $391,000 affecting property located at 66 S. Highland Ave., Ossining 10562. Filed Nov. 6.

Radlauer, Barbara J., et al.

Filed by The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $600,000 affecting property located at 14 Peter’s Lane, Pound Ridge 10576.

Filed Nov. 8.

Raja, Naseem, et al. Filed by Bank of America N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $241,656 affecting property located at 128 Bushey Ave., Yonkers 10710. Filed Nov. 4.

Shah, Seema, et al. Filed by Patriot Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $2 million affecting property located in Greenburgh. Filed Nov. 6.

Singh, Arun, et al. Filed by Roundpoint Mortgage Servicing Corp. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $607,500 affecting property located at 12 Clarion Drive, White Plains 10603. Filed Nov. 7.

Smith-Mitchell, Pauline, et al. Filed by Specialized Loan Servicing LLC. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $610,535 affecting property located at 134 N. Fulton Ave., Mount Vernon 10550. Filed Nov. 4.

Smith, Derron, et al. Filed by Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $380,000 affecting property located at 16 Potomac St., Yonkers 10710. Filed Nov. 14.

Facts & Figures Smith, Tracy, individually and as administratrix to the estate of Rachel Stanley-Smith, et al. Filed by JPMC Specialty Mortgage LLC. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $462,231 affecting property located at 653 Warburton Ave., Yonkers 10701. Filed Nov. 14.

Soares, Mary Ellen, et al. Filed

by Mahopac Bank. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $521,250 affecting property located at 3 Major Applebys Road, Ardsley 10502. Filed Nov. 14.

Stephens, Joan A., et al. Filed

by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $365,000 affecting property located at 159 Cottage Ave., Mount Vernon 10550. Filed Nov. 11.

Tagliarini, Ben, as trustee of the Concettaen Tagliarini, et al. Filed by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $150,000 affecting property located at 7 Lakeview Road, North Salem 10560. Filed Nov. 6.

Unknown heirs of the estate of Carmen Hall, et al. Filed by United Mortgage Corp. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $353,479 affecting property located at 144 S. 13th Ave., Mount Vernon 10550. Filed Nov. 14.

Weaver, Ann Marie, et al.

Filed by U.S. Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $299,200 affecting property located at 1 Floral Lane, Yonkers 10703. Filed Nov. 14.

Young, Leopold A., et al. Filed

by MTGLQ Investors LP. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $385,000 affecting property located at 37 Cortlandt St., Mount Vernon 10550. Filed Nov. 4.

Zatalokina, Galina, et al. Filed

by JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $130,000 affecting property located at 17 Henrietta St., Yonkers 10701.

Filed Nov. 14.

MECHANIC’S LIENS Baez, Rasslyn, as owner. $40,239 as claimed by Hometown Restoration LLC, New Rochelle. Property: in Yonkers.

Filed May 19.

Metro Realty Dividend Fund LLC, as owner. $72,637 as claimed by Joken Development Corp., White Plains. Property: in Bronxville. Filed May 19.

Pepsico Inc., as owner. $210,548 as claimed by A and K Slip Flooring Inc. Property: in Mount Pleasant. Filed May 19.

RXR Soyo Exalta Owner LLC, as owner. $104,545 as claimed

by Phoenix Building Supply Inc. Property: in Yonkers. Filed May 19.

Dancing Mushrooms, 176 W. Post Road, White Plains 10606, c/o Hannah Haimson. Filed Jan. 8.

Vital Nutrition Products, 68 Seventh St., Pelham 10803, c/o Aidan Lilly. Filed Jan. 7.

Printed user interface. Patent no. 10,664,132 issued to Martin Eduardo Broen, et al. Assigned to PepsiCo, Purchase.

DiVinchi Dyamond, 3700 E. Main St., Apt. 5, Mohegan Lake 10547, c/o Tremel Williamson.

Filed Jan. 7.

PATENTS

HUDSON VALLEY

Escobar’s Landscaping, 929 Fox Meadow Road, Yorktown Heights 10598, c/o Tereso Escobar. Filed Jan. 7.

Habiscus Catering Co., 5 Third St., Apt. 2, New Rochelle 10801, c/o Cesar Sanchez Contreras.

Filed Jan. 8.

Happy Tails Pet Care, 2137 Fountain Court, Yorktown Heights 10598, c/o Brendan J. Young. Filed Jan. 7.

TBRE LLC, as owner. $12,110 as claimed by City Store Gates Manufacturing. Property: in Katonah. Filed May 19.

House of Lavi, 58 S. Second Ave., Apt. A63, Mount Vernon 10550, c/o Tasia Torso. Filed Jan. 10.

WP Mall Realty LLC, as owner. $67,800 as claimed by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. Property: in White Plains. Filed May 19.

HR Barbershop, 139 Croton Ave., Ossining 10562, c/o Hector M. Quezada Gomez. Filed Jan. 8.

NEW BUSINESSES This paper is not responsible for typographical errors contained in the original filings.

Partnerships Trio Kisosen, 53C Mount Airy Road East, Croton-on-Hudson 10520, c/o Helen Bardin, Matheus Souza, and Naomi Niskala. Filed Jan. 7.

Korner Kings Entertainment, 77 Saratoga Ave., Yonkers 10705, c/o Mervin Rios, Jr. Filed Jan. 7.

Mitchel Roling Consulting, 9 Sunset Drive, Croton-on-Hudson 10520, c/o Mitchel Roling.

Filed Jan. 9.

Own Your Talent Management, 16 E. Fourth St., No. 18, Mount Vernon 10550, c/o Aisha Shante Sutton. Filed Jan. 7.

Park Ave Barbers, 321 N. Central Park Ave., Hartsdale 10530, c/o Artem Rafailov. Filed Jan. 10.

Sole Proprietorships

Pressure Clear Powerwashing, 522 N. State Road, Briarcliff Manor 10510, c/o Dominic Perez.

Filed Jan. 10.

73 Vogue Nail and Spa, 73 Benedict Blvd., Croton-on-Hudson 10520, c/o Rene Quezada. Filed Jan. 7.

Putnam Creative Resources, 2 Stowe Road, No. 9, Peekskill 10566, c/o Ray K. Gupta. Filed Jan. 10.

Bat Flower Press, 84 Central Ave., Tarrytown 10591, c/o Natalia Woodward. Filed Jan. 9.

RSD Publishing, 102 Cove Road, South Salem 10590, c/o John Burr. Filed Jan. 7.

Birth Ambassador, 18 Lafayette Road, Larchmont 10538, c/o Joyce Havinga-Droop. Filed Jan. 7.

The Order of Business Entertainment, 440 Warburton Ave., Apt. 6E, Yonkers 10701, c/o Christopher Michael Irizarry.

Filed Jan. 8.

Vented tamper-respondent assemblies. Patent no.

10,667,389 issued to Silvio Dragone, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Notification of potentially problematic textual messages. Patent no. 10,667,113 issued to Eric L. Barsness, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Adaptive packaging and distribution of channels. Patent no. 10,667,017 issued to Al Chakra, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Technological facilitation of virtual in-venue experience for remote spectator(s) of an event. Patent no. 10,667,012 issued to Eric V. Kline, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Control of an application session to accommodate different users. Patent no. 10,666,740 issued to Rajmeet S. Bal, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Incident management for complex information technology platforms. Patent no.

10,666,715 issued to Xiao Ling Chen, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Data integration application execution management.

Patent no. 10,666,714 issued to Krishna K. Bonagiri, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Service overload attack protection based on selective packet transmission. Patent no. 10,666,680 issued to Leonid Rodniansky, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Managing security breaches in a networked computing environment. Patent no.

10,666,670 issued to Gregory J. Boss, et al. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

Securing services in a networked computing environment. Patent no. 10,666,669 issued to Swaminathan Balasubramanian. Assigned to IBM, Armonk.

BUILDING LOANS Above $1 million 660 Washington Avenue LLC, et al, Kingston, as owner.

Lender: Community Bank N.A., Albany. Property: 660 Washington Ave., Ulster. Amount: $3 million. Filed May 7.

Moth, Andrew, et al, New York City, as owner. Lender: Sawyer Savings Bank, Saugerties. Property: 120 Skyline Drive, Cold Spring 10516. Amount: $1.4 million. Filed May 21.

Lexington Club Harmony Housing LLC, New York City.

Seller: Galleria Partners Ltd., Maitland, Florida. Property: in Poughkeepsie. Amount: $17.9 million. Filed May 21.

Norwood Park LLC, New York City. Seller: Richard A. Levy, et al, New York City. Property: in Saugerties. Amount: $1 million. Filed May 19.

Opportunity Poughkeepsie LLC, Poughkeepsie. Seller: 35 Acad Realty LLC, Poughkeepsie. Property: in Poughkeepsie.

Amount: $1 million. Filed May 20.

Below $1 million 00 Lauren Court LLC, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Seller: David J. Clegg, et al, Kingston. Property: in Woodstock.

Amount: $50,000. Filed May 19.

Below $1 million

1607 Group LLC, Brooklyn.

Seller: Dorothy L. Spears, et al, Wallkill. Property: 589-593 Decker Road, Shawangunk. Amount: $287,500. Filed May 13.

Huber, Travis, et al, Saugerties, as owner. Lender: Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Kingston. Property: 28 Flagstone Drive, Saugerties 12477. Amount: $351,200. Filed May 13.

364 Washington LLC, Bethpage. Seller: MSY Partners LLC, Bethpage. Property: 364 Washington St., Newburgh. Amount: $120,000. Filed May 13.

DEEDS

5 Vayoel Moshe LLC, Monroe.

Seller: KJ 202 Inc., Monroe. Property: 5 Vayoel Moshe Court, Unit 2020, Palm Tree-Kiryas Joel.

Amount: $90,000. Filed May 22.

Above $1 million 168 Fulton Inc., Glen Head.

Seller: William B. Hogan, et al, Poughkeepsie. Property: 168 Fulton St., Poughkeepsie 12601.

Amount: $1 million. Filed May 19.

23 Hayes Ct LLC, Monroe.

Seller: 2 Krakow Boulevard LLC, Monroe. Property: 23 Hayes Court, Palm Tree-Kiryas Joel.

Amount: $2.2 million. Filed May 20.

Cerone Place LLC, Brooklyn.

Seller: Newburgh 55+ LLC, Lawrence. Property: 35 Cerone Place, Newburgh 12550. Amount: $5.8 million. Filed May 15.

AIC Pawling LLC, Carmel. Seller: F Blefari LLC, Pawling. Property: 136 River Road, Pawling.

Amount: $700,000. Filed May 18.

Arjay Enterprises LLC, Saugerties. Seller: U.S. Bank Trust N.A. Property: 109 Barclay Lane, Saugerties. Amount: $120,000.

Filed May 19.

Austin Black LLC, Monsey.

Seller: Joelly Torres, Davenport, Florida. Property: 51 E. Main St., Walden. Amount: $190,000.

Filed May 22.

DIII Properties New York LLC, Rio Vista, California. Seller: DMK Development-Napanoch LLC, Norton Shores, Michigan. Property: in Wawarsing.

Amount: $4.4 million. Filed May 11.

FCBJ

WCBJ

JUNE 1, 2020

23

Facts & Figures Bank of America N.A. Seller: Peter K. Nardone, Mount Kisco.

Property: 87 Patterson Village Court, Patterson 12563. Amount: $224,636. Filed May 21.

Bell Station Group LLC, Monroe. Seller: Bell Station Corp., Chester. Property: in Chester.

Amount: $105,000. Filed May 15.

Brooklyn on the Hudson LLC, Newburgh. Seller: Daniel J. Chanofsky, et al, Mahopac. Property: 443 First St., Newburgh.

Amount: $90,000. Filed May 26.

BSD 173 LLC, Brooklyn. Seller: Kirpi Sika LLC, Monroe. Property: in Woodbury. Amount: $111,000. Filed May 26.

C and J Property Managers LLC, Mahopac. Seller: The County of Putnam, Carmel. Property: 23 Point Drive South, Putnam Valley 10537. Amount: $220,000.

Filed May 21.

Citizens Bank N.A. Seller: Brenda J. Seligman, Montclair, New Jersey. Property: 59 Tamarack Hill Drive, Poughkeepsie 12603.

Amount: $245,500. Filed May 21.

D and A Poughkeepsie LLC, Middle Village. Seller: Luis C. Araujo, et al, North Arlington, New Jersey. Property: 89 Delafield St., Poughkeepsie 12601.

Amount: $214,000. Filed May 19.

Dajma Group Inc., Valley Stream. Seller: Dana Olsen, Marlboro. Property: 215 South St., Marlboro. Amount: $67,000.

Filed May 19.

Ellenville 16 Circle Avenue LLC, Ellenville. Seller: Kenneth M. Baxter, et al, Cragsmoor.

Property: in Ellenville. Amount: $345,000. Filed May 15.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Seller: William T. O’Keeffe, Goshen. Property: 18 Highland Ave., Warwick 10990.

Amount: $248,152. Filed May 18.

Federal National Mortgage Association. Seller: Jeffrey P. Siegel, Woodstock. Property: 11 Willow Lane, New Windsor.

Amount: $312,537. Filed May 14.

Garvilla Construction Inc., Pine Bush. Seller: Lott Ventures LLC, Wallkill. Property: in Shawangunk. Amount: $155,000.

Filed May 19.

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JUNE 1, 2020

Insource East Properties Inc., Hauppauge. Seller: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.

Property: 23 Ketchum Road, Warwick. Amount: $190,000.

Filed May 12.

Invoss LLC, Middletown. Seller: Peter M. McDermott, et al, Wurtsboro. Property: in Middletown and Wallkill. Amount: $147,000. Filed May 26.

Jair Baggio LLC, Middletown.

Seller: Kevin Somarelli, Middletown. Property: 352 Ruth Court, Middletown. Amount: $65,000.

Filed May 15.

Jatt Boys Properties LLC, Wappingers Falls. Seller: Andrea Pawliczek, Middletown. Property: 90 Inwood Road, Wallkill.

Amount: $80,500. Filed May 19.

John Stefan Enterprises LLC, Kingston. Seller: Begnal Realty Group, Kingston. Property: in Kingston. Amount: $875,000.

Filed May 8.

JRS Affordable Homes LLC, Middletown. Seller: 21st Mortgage Corp., Knoxville, Tennessee. Property: 25 Heather Lane, Mount Hope. Amount: $182,500.

Filed May 18.

Kehoe Corp., Walden. Seller: Constance J. Powles, Wallkill.

Property: Vacant lot, Forest Road, Wallkill 12589. Amount: $60,000. Filed May 26.

Mountain Sasov Shul Inc., Monroe. Seller: Joel Jacobowitz, Highland Mills. Property: in Monroe. Amount: $400,000.

Filed May 13.

Nationstar Mortgage LLC. Seller: Jay B. Hashmall, White Plains. Property: 32 Union Road, Carmel 10512. Amount: $298,423.

Filed May 21.

NJCC-NYS CRF REO Subsidiary LLC, Houston, Texas.

Seller: Laurence A. Clemente, Goshen. Property: 16 Split Tree Drive, New Windsor. Amount: $223,000. Filed May 12.

Northern Enterprise NY LLC, Cornwall-on-Hudson.

Seller: Charles Frankel, New Windsor. Property: 1 Wah Ta Wah Drive, Greenwood Lake 10925.

Amount: $116,000. Filed May 19.

NRZ REO VI-B LLC. Seller: Andrew P. Tureaud, White Plains. Property: 1214 Dutchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie 12603.

Amount: $121,500. Filed May 18.

Ridge View Ranch LLC, Montgomery. Seller: Robert J. Gorton, et al, Daytona Beach Shores, Florida. Property: in Shawangunk. Amount: $220,000. Filed May 11.

Samantha Next Door LLC, New York City. Seller: Charles G. Bilangino, et al, Millbrook. Property: in Union Vale. Amount: $145,000. Filed May 19.

Leo Lane Holdings LLC, Goshen. Seller: Z11 Properties Inc., Chester. Property: 4 Harness Road, Goshen 10924. Amount: $90,000. Filed May 22.

Stewart’s Shops Corp., Malta.

Seller: BGD Holdings LLC, Malta.

Property: in Esopus. Amount: $931,500. Filed May 8.

Maristan Properties Inc., Carmel. Seller: Nicole Stern, Mahopac. Property: 40 Seneca Road, Putnam Valley 10579.

Amount: $152,500. Filed May 20.

U.S. Bank N.A. Seller: John G. Molloy Jr., Somers. Property: 24 Peekskill Hollow Road, Putnam Valley 10579. Amount: $165,000.

Filed May 22.

MLSE Group Inc., Monroe.

Seller: Fannie Gaskins, et al, Newburgh. Property: 102 Benkard Ave., Newburgh 12550.

Amount: $104,000. Filed May 13.

U.S. Bank N.A. Seller: Michele Rametta, Goshen. Property: 8 Carmel Road, Newburgh.

Amount: $430,000. Filed May 21.

MMM Lexington Inc., Mahopac. Seller: Christine I. Newman, Putnam Valley. Property: 4 Doe Drive, Putnam Valley 10579.

Amount: $117,000. Filed May 21.

Moore Realty Services LLC, Saddle River, New Jersey. Seller: Tuxedo Park Associates LP, Tuxedo. Property: in Tuxedo.

Amount: $650,000. Filed May 26.

FCBJ

WCBJ

Van Wagner Pough LLC, Mountaindale. Seller: David Dahlem, et al, Poughkeepsie.

Property: in Poughkeepsie.

Amount: $117,500. Filed May 18.

Walden 1st Holdings LLC, Wallkill. Seller: DAS Management Company Inc., Montgomery. Property: 115 First St., Montgomery. Amount: $345,000.

Filed May 22.

LIS PENDENS The following filings indicated a legal action has been initiated, the outcome of which may affect the title to the property listed.

132 Broadway Associates LLC, et al. Filed by Manufacturers and Traders Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure $293,500 affecting property located at 128 and 145 Broadway, Newburgh. Filed May 20.

Ferri, Christopher D., et al.

Filed by Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage to secure an unspecified amount affecting property located at 43 Billys Way, Nelsonville 10516. Filed May 21.

MECHANIC’S LIENS Crystal Run Newco LLC, as owner. $13,637 as claimed by Clear Glass Corp., Howells. Property: 1 Galleria Drive, Wallkill.

Filed May 15.

Crystal Run Newco LLC, as owner. $97,944 as claimed by Allstate Interiors of New York Inc., Monroe. Property: 1 Galleria Drive, Wallkill. Filed May 15.

Decision Technologies International Inc., as owner. $34,031 as claimed by Jim Serra Heating and Cooling LLC, Pleasant Valley. Property: 69 Market St., Poughkeepsie. Filed May 26.

GVS NY Holdings 1 LLC, as owner. $11,190 as claimed by R. Milligan Enterprises LLC, Staatsburg. Property: 1588 Route 9G, Hyde Park 12538. Filed May 19.

Kingston Mall LLC, as owner. $13,206 as claimed by Robert H. Finke and Sons Inc., Selkirk.

Property: 1240 ulster Ave., Ulster.

Filed May 11.

Kingston NY Retail LLC, as owner. $30,051 as claimed by Robert H. Finke and Sons Inc., Selkirk. Property: 625 Washington Ave., Ulster. Filed May 11.

Lee, Let W., et al, as owner. $21,341 as claimed by Cranesville Block Company Inc., Amsterdam. Property: 236 Lower Whitfield Road, Rochester. Filed May 11.

Mountain View Condominium, as owner. $62,837 as claimed by Boyce Excavating Company Inc., Slate Hill. Property: in Kiryas Joel. Filed May 15.

United Talmudical Academy, as owner. $1,592 as claimed by Dick’s Concrete Company Inc., New Hampton. Property: in Kiryas Joel. Filed May 15.

UTA Mesivta of KJ, as owner. $58,976 as claimed by Boyce Excavating Company Inc., Slate Hill. Property: in Kiryas Joel.

Filed May 15.

NEW BUSINESSES This paper is not responsible for typographical errors contained in the original filings.

Doing Business As 4T Donuts Inc., d.b.a. Jiffy Deli and Convenience Store, 581583 Route 94 North, Warwick 10990. Filed May 11.

AA Plus Enterprises Inc., d.b.a. Amylex Pharmaceuticals, 4 Leipnik Way, No. 301, Monroe 10950. Filed May 11.

Aarohi Corp., d.b.a. Wallkill Convenience Store, 689 Route 32, Wallkill 12589. Filed May 11.

Bnei Avruhom, d.b.a. Lehachniso, 5 Kortiz Court, Unit 201, Monroe 10950. Filed May 11.

Frankel’s Furniture Inc., d.b.a. Babyz, 53 Forest Road, No. 102, Monroe 10950. Filed May 11.

Frankel’s Furniture Inc., d.b.a. Z and Co., 53 Forest Road, No. 102, Monroe 10950. Filed May 11.

Gateway Communities Industries Inc., d.b.a. Gateway Hudson Valley, 635 Broadway, Kingston 12401. Filed May 6.

Goodness Gardens Inc., d.b.a.

Rockhedge Herb Farms, 377 Route 12, New Hampton 10958.

Filed May 11.

Gurri Inc., d.b.a. Gurri Interior Painting, 26 Hulsetown Road, Unit C, Chester 10918. Filed May 11.

Healthpro Staffing Resources Inc., d.b.a. Healthpro Dental Staffing, 33 Park Drive, Putnam Valley 10579. Filed May 6.

Healthpro Staffing Resources Inc., d.b.a. Healthpro Dental Staffing, 33 Park Drive, Putnam Valley 10579. Filed May 11.

Intergra Plumbing of Westchester Inc., d.b.a. 1800 Plumbing of Westchester, 33 DeSanctis Drive, Highland Mills 10930. Filed May 11.

Michael T. Fiur Productions Inc., d.b.a. Fiur Productions, 697 Route 2, Accord 12404. Filed May 6.

Sahej Indian Food Inc., d.b.a.

Namaste, 3112 Route 9W, Saugerties 12477. Filed May 6.

Saugerties Stallions Inc., d.b.a. The Stable Club, 10 Pavilion St., Saugerties 12477. Filed May 6.

Simply Cheesecake by Jeff Inc., d.b.a. Simply Cheesecake Café and Bakery, 84 Front St., Port Jervis 12771. Filed May 11.

The Barn Realty Corp., d.b.a.

The Barn, 157 Reinhardt Road, Middletown 10940. Filed May 11.

Upstate Real Property Inc., d.b.a. 2 Keys Consulting, 3 Taylor Court, Monroe 10950. Filed May 11.

Sole Proprietorships Call Tom, 337 Morgan Hill Road, Hurley 12443, c/o Thomas E. Ferrara. Filed May 11.

Diana Zuckerman, 10 Mountain View Ave., Rosendale 12472, c/o Diana Zuckerman. Filed May 11.

Jess of All Trades, 656 S. Ohioville Road, Clintondale 12515, c/o Jessie L. Palmateer. Filed May 6.

Starlight Studio, 493 Route 299, New Paltz 12561, c/o Pamela Edmonds. Filed May 11.

Stony Rose Farms, 2505 Route 209, Marbletown 12484, c/o Daniel Peter Miller. Filed May 11.

Whitfield Ag Crop and Grain Services, 234 Whitfield Road, Accord 12404, c/o Gerald Meade DeWitt II. Filed May 6.

ARTSNEWS JUNE 2020

John Brathwaite, PJS Jazz Society

Jeff Haydon, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Steve Abusch, The Play Group Theatre Krista Madsen, Hudson Valley Writers Center

Waddell Stillman, Historic Hudson Valley

Culture in the Age of Covid: Voices From the Field Arts leaders speak out about the recovery.

Doug Coe, RiverArts Howard Zar, Lyndhurst

Emily Peck, Clay Art Center A PUBLICATION OF ARTSWESTCHESTER SPONSORED BY:

Livia Straus, Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

From the County Executive Thank you for taking a few moments to read this June edition of ArtsNews. As you may already know, many arts events have been canceled or postponed as a result of the Coronavirus. These are unprecedented times, and we are all worried about the impact that COVID-19 can have on the health and well-being of all residents living in Westchester County.

Our arts community is one of many that are hurting, and many of our organizations will struggle to bounce back from the devastating impact of this illness. But, there are many groups that are doing everything they can to change and adapt during these challenging times – moving classes online, encouraging art-making on social media, live-streaming concerts and more. I encourage you all to take a few moments of respite, and participate if you can.

ArtsWestchester will be a resource for our struggling artists and art groups as this public health crisis unfolds. Our message is a simple one – the arts are here to help heal us, and the arts will still be here for us when we get through this crisis stronger than ever before.

Thank you, George Latimer Westchester County Executive

JUNE 2020

Contents

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CULTURE IN THE AGE OF COVID

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THE SECRET IS OUT...

A8 A12

PUBLIC ART: CHERYL WING-ZI WONG

A15 A16

GIVE IT UP FOR THE STARS

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ARTS SOOTHE THE SOUL

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ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES

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PEEKSKILL SCULPTURE WALK

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TACKLING A TANGLED WEB OF LEGAL ISSUES FOR ARTISTS

A30

VIRTUAL ARTS OFFERINGS

A39

HELPFUL HINTS FOR ACOUSTIC MUSICIANS

THE MUSIC WILL PLAY ON AT CARAMOOR

GOING AN EXTRA MILE FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS

The work of ArtsWestchester is made possible with support from Westchester County Government.

George Latimer

Benjamin Boykin

Chairman, Westchester Board of Legislators

County Executive

WESTCHESTER BOARD OF LEGISLATORS José Alvarado Nancy E. Barr Catherine Borgia Terry Clements Kitley S. Covill Margaret A. Cunzio

Vedat Gashi Christopher A. Johnson Damon R. Maher Catherine Parker MaryJane Shimsky Colin Smith

David Tubiolo Ruth Walter Alfreda A. Williams Lyndon Williams

31 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains | 914.428.4220

Janet T. Langsam

Chief Executive Officer

Michael J. Minihan Board President

Thanks to our generous supporters

Sydney Mitchell

Rocío De La Roca

Graphic Designer & Creative Manager

ArtsNews Editor & Communications Manager Contributor & Communications Associate

Katelynn DiBiccari Graphic Designer

ArtsNews (artsw.org), your guide to arts and culture in Westchester County, NY, is published by ARTSWESTCHESTER, a private, not-for-profit organization established in 1965. The largest of its kind in New York State, it serves more than 150 cultural organizations, numerous school districts, hundreds of artists, and audiences numbering more than one million. The goal of ArtsWestchester is to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts in Westchester.

O ARD F LEG IS BO

UNTY

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Board Chairman

Mary Alice Franklin

Director, Marketing & Communications

RS TO LA

COU NT Y

Joseph and Sophia Abeles Foundation, Alexander Development Group, Anchin, Block & Anchin, AvPORTS, Bank of America, Benerofe Properties, Berkeley College, Bloomingdales, The Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation, Con Edison, Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, Entergy, Ethan Allen Interiors, The Examiner, Galleria White Plains, Ginsburg Development LLC, Houlihan-Parnes Realtors, LLC, Inspiria, Jacob Burns Foundation, The Journal News, Key Bank, Kite Realty, The Liman Foundation, M&T Bank, Macy's, Marx Realty/Cross County Shopping Center, MAXX Properties, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Pace University, Peckham Industries, Inc., People's United Bank, Reckson, A Division of SL Green Realty, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Ridge Hill, TD Bank, Venu Magazine, Wells Fargo, Westchester Family, Westchester Magazine, Westchester Medical Center, Westfair Communications, White Plains Hospital, Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP

John R. Peckham

Debbie Scates Lasicki

STER C O U N

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/ArtsWestchester | @ArtsWestchester

JUNE 2020

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

FROM THE CEO

by Janet Langsam, ArtsWestchester CEO

Culture in the Age of Covid In the northern part of Westchester, where I live, spring is announced by the high tones of the chipmunks and the baritones of the bullfrogs.

I watch the little creatures scurrying about all day and at night. I listen to the groans of the bullfrogs. For me, these signs of re-emerging life are a metaphor for the stirrings of our cultural community in the spring.

This year, they are scurrying more prodigiously than ever to tailor their programs for their Covid realities. Their creativity is undaunted as we all face many new norms. Some are strutting their stuff online.

Others are bringing the arts and music outdoors. As we all navigate these Covid times together, be assured that the arts are alive in the county and are dedicated to a strong recovery and reawakening of the things we all love to do. It won’t be the same but, given time, it can be even better than before. In the months ahead, ArtsNews will be featuring our cultural leaders and their plans. Stay tuned... and receive ArtsNews in your email by clicking here to subscribe.

(detail) Hanazono (flower garden) by Kyoshi Otsuka

Don’t miss Janet’s weekly blog posts at: thisandthatbyjl.com

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

JUNE 2020

At RiverArts, we are pivoting our programs to virtual. Our music lessons are online. We’ve lost some kids, but gained others. We are also redesigning summer camp to happen virtually."

– Doug Coe, Executive Director, RiverArts

Culture in the Age of Cov

While our region remains on pause, w a robust calendar with upcoming rea intensive classes and our recurring e – Krista Madsen, Managing Director, Hudson Valley Writers Center

Many of our revenue sources have dried up due to COVID-19. Rental income is now dormant. We had a good business, where we rented specialty props to other theaters around the country.

That has also dried up. What's a specialty prop? Things like a magic chalkboard and a disappearing cake for the musical Madeline.”

– Steve Abusch, Co-Founder and Executive Director, The Play Group Theatre

PJS Jazz Society is lock-down will have concert on Septem distancing measure prepared to change th

– John Brathwaite, Pre

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

JUNE 2020

The reopening rules need to be different for small organizations like ours than for large multi-seat theaters. We have 11,000 square feet…enough space for social distancing for our classes and our studio artists.”

– Emily Peck, Executive Director, Clay Art Center

vid: Voices From the Field

we offer adings, events.”

hopeful that the local been lifted by our first mber 13, 2020. If social es are in place, we are he layout of our venue."

esident, PJS Jazz Society

This is a time when the arts are of particular importance – to lift our spirits, keep our minds and imaginations active, to inspire, and to challenge us amid the disruptions of our normal routines and the closure of all the museums, theaters, concert venues, cinemas, and other places we would ordinarily congregate to enjoy and celebrate the creation and presentation of the arts.”

– Valerie Leis, President, Board of the Croton Council on the Arts

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

With everyone working online, the sculpture walk is a safe, beautiful and educational way to have a 'real life' experience, appreciate art within the beauty of the Hudson Valley/Hudson River landscape, and be inspired. The sculpture and art trail in Peekskill will be expanded exponentially if Hudson Valley MOCA receives the funding it needs.”

–Livia Straus, President, Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art

Right now, I am trying to figure out how to present orchestral music to a socially-distanced audience.

With six feet in between individuals, we could seat only 130 people in the Performing Arts Center's 1,300-seat theater.”

–Josh Worby, Executive Director, Westchester Philharmonic

We made a decision to continue our landscape restoration to offer more outdoor areas for enjoyment.”

– Howard Zar, Executive Director, Lyndhurst

JUNE 2020

JUNE 2020

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

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spotlight

The Secret is Out...

The Blaze Will Glow Again This Year

by Janet Langsam, ArtsWestchester CEO

It's a little early to be thinking about pumpkins. The roses are hardly in bloom. But ever since COVID-19 became a crisis, Waddell Stillman has been obsessed with those orange creatures of fall. Stillman is not a farmer, but the President and CEO of Historic Hudson Valley (HHV), the organization that, in 2005 dreamed up The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, which has been held ever since at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson. Now that the Governor's recovery plan will allow outdoor activities, Stillman has given the green light to this year's event. The Blaze is a major fundraiser for HHV and, with a sigh of relief, Stillman tells us: "The Blaze will take place this year, scaled back in number of visitors to comply with social distancing, but the pumpkins are on the way." And to prove it, he will show you the invoice... he's already paid for the pumpkins.

Each year, tens of thousands of pumpkins are trucked into the historic site and then hand-carved into jack o'lanterns by artists from around the Metro area. Then, they are lit up throughout the grounds from late September through November. Many are real and some are Funkin-brand "art pumpkins." Every single jack o`lantern, farm-grown or art pumpkin, is individually hand-carved on-site at Van Cortlandt Manor by a team of some two-dozen local artists, volunteers and Historic Hudson Valley staff members, all led by Creative Director Michael Natiello. Carving of the art pumpkins begins in June. The real pumpkins are carved throughout the run of the Blaze. Prior to each event week, it takes 15 to 20 volunteers several days of scooping pulp and seeds from the pumpkins to get them ready for the carvers. And yes, the pulp and seeds are composted.

Waddell Stillman (photo courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley) The Blaze started as a local celebration in 2005. Last year's event drew more than 190,000 visitors, bringing in significant revenue to help the non-profit support its education programs. Stillman recalls that a large number of visitors have stayed overnight in the area, which of course is music to the ears of the tourism folks, who have been hard hit this year. The synergy between arts and culture and economic development is robust, according to studies

by Americans for the Arts, which estimate that the arts have a $172 million economic impact in Westchester. Events are big earners for non-profit cultural organizations, enabling them to tap into outside resources. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis will put a crimp in that source of funding for many cultural groups, especially those with indoor venues. Nevertheless, the good news is that the pumpkins are a "go" this year.

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

JUNE 2020

feature

The “Current” Keeps on Moving

by Kathleen Reckling, Deputy Director of Public Programs, ArtsWestchester

Current When COVID-19 landed in North America, artist Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong was away from her New York home, balancing a residency in Calgary, Canada with overseeing the complex fabrication of her monumental sculpture, Current. There was still pasta on the shelves of supermarkets in Canada, but the Trader Joe’s near her Manhattan apartment was already out of any macaroni that wasn’t made from lentils. She boarded the last plane that was allowed to fly into the

United States, and prepared to hunker down with family. While her Canada residency was on pause, Wong was still hard at work realizing Current.

The clean, elegant geometry of Current, a 25-foot telescoping sculpture for the Westchester Landing of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge’s shared use path, evokes a variety of familiar images. A ripple in the water. A sound wave. A Microsoft Windows

JUNE 2020

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

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Like New York State’s motto, 'ever upward,' the sculpture’s graduated triangular arches march to the horizon, symbolically pointing to what’s to come.

by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong during installation (photo courtesy of the artist) screensaver from the 1990s. The works of Sol LeWitt. The rising and falling lines of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge itself. Deceptively simple in form, the site-responsive artwork is a multi-layered monument to the passage of time.

Wong is an artist who works at the intersection of art and architecture, using interactive sculptures, installations and performances to explore how the spaces we build and occupy

influence our relationships with one another. Her work is grounded in the reality that architecture is functional, but shapes social interactions – race, gender and politics all play out in the places we make. Current builds on her creative practice. The sculpture references the triumphs of the bridge’s design and engineering, while offering an engaging portal through which viewers can experience the dynamic Hudson Valley landscape.

Like New York State’s motto, “ever upward,” the sculpture’s graduated triangular arches march to the horizon, symbolically pointing to what’s to come. The piece poetically emerges from the past, its foundation formed from remnant steel that comes from the decommissioned Tappan Zee Bridge. Meanwhile, the echoing triangles are like ghostly traces of the tall-mast ships that once traveled along the river. The sculpture includes programmed, integrated LED lighting.

Motion sensors near the sculpture will activate light animations and, as darkness rises, hourly “chimes” of light will mark the passage from day to night.

The strength of Current is that it is at once familiar, yet everchanging. Current is fundamentally about taking time to experience the present. The sculpture’s viewers in the here-and-now play an active role in shaping how others experience the work. The changing times of day, weather and seasons, in addition to fluctuations in bike and pedestrian traffic, will offer a new experience of the work. These changes will activate light animations or change the hues, refracted in dichroic glass fins that sit at each triangle’s apex. The work is a reminder that no matter how many times one may visit a place, each experience of that landscape is actually unique. Like the Hudson River, and the people and vehicles passing over it, Current is ever moving, ever flowing.

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WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

JUNE 2020

feature

Artist Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong Brings Current Into Being

by Michelle Falkenstein

Installing Current, Cheryl WingZi Wong’s winning sculpture design, in Tarrytown at the Westchester Landing of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge’s path, is a challenging endeavor.

In addition to time, the sculpture’s triangular steel arches, glass fins and complex lighting design require a team of installers, electricians and engineers to ensure the interactive artwork operates as designed, all under the vigilant eye of Wong herself.

The 12 arches range in size from 4-feet 6-inches at one end to 25 feet at the other. A halo of LED lights with gel silicone diffusers frame the arches, giving them a hazy glow. Motion sensors on the sculpture will respond to movement, playing light animations as visitors move around it during the evening hours. “It responds to your presence,” Wong says of the piece.

On top of the arches, dichroic glass fins will appear pink, purple,

Working on the fabrication of Current by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong (photo courtesy of the artist)

JUNE 2020

yellow or gold, depending on the position of the viewer. Made from laminated glass with a film that changes color when seen from different angles, they shimmer with iridescence. The fins will be placed and bolted by hand once the rest of the sculpture is installed to avoid breakage.

There’s also an historical element to the piece – reclaimed pieces of the Tappan Zee Bridge will serve as part of the formwork to pour the sculpture’s foundation, as well as mullions to secure the glass fins to the arches.

As designed, visitors looking through the narrow end of Current will see the new bridge in the distance.

“It will always be reflecting light, making shadows and light drawings,” Wong says.

“Throughout the year it will change – it will always be different in some way.” In the future, she may reprogram the light animations to create different patterns.

Wong’s project was one of 10 commissioned artworks chosen by a committee that included representatives from ArtsWestchester, Arts Council of Rockland and the New York State Thruway Authority. The winning entries, comprising sculptures, bicycle racks and a mural, have been, or will be, installed on or near the bridge’s shared pedestrian and bicycle path.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL • ARTSNEWS

There’s also an historical element to the piece – reclaimed pieces of the Tappan Zee Bridge will serve as part of the formwork to pour the sculpture’s foundation, as well as mullions to secure the glass fins to the arches."

Working on the fabrication of Current by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong (photo courtesy of the artist)

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Wong, who lives in downtown Manhattan, learned about ArtsWestchester from a videographer friend. After signing up for ArtsWestchester’s mailing list, she received an email about an open call for art projects for the new bridge and submitted her proposal.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Wong has now lived in New York for 14 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Art and Italian from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in Architecture from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She also studied sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, Italy. Wong has created other public art commissions, including for the City of Inglewood Department of Parks and Recreation, the NYC Parks Department and the Percentage for Art program in Washington, D.C. “I started out on the art pathway at first,” Wong says.

“Studying architecture wasn’t at all planned – I also applied for MFAs – but I thought it could inform my art practice.” Now, she says, she finds herself involved with both art and construction, areas of knowledge that are helping bring Current into being.

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n o y a l p l l i w c i s u m e Th ! r o o m a at Car

by Jeff Haydon, Caramoor CEO

Caramoor was built not only as a home for great music, but as a respite for all visitors to find inspiration and peace, and was born out of a love for family and community. Over the past few months, we have been working to ensure that tradition of music and hospitality endures this summer and we are excited to share our plan with you.

The music will play on!

While we have to cancel our 2020 Summer Season as it had originally been programmed, Caramoor’s Summer 20/2.0 is a threepart flexible plan that enables us to provide the music and sights of Caramoor with your safety and comfort in mind.

Aiming to responsibly participate in New York’s re-opening process, this three-part plan begins July 2 when we will kick off the first of our seven new streamed performances by world-class artists filmed in the Music Room. Later in the summer, we have scheduled

four live, public, open-air concerts on Friends Field suitable for safe distancing and small audiences. Finally, when construction allows for the safe return of visitors, we hope to open up the gardens and sound art for limited hours so you can enjoy the freshly updated sights and sounds.

When it comes to public safety, Caramoor is taking precautions seriously. We are working closely with local health experts and officials in developing and implementing plans that incorporate recommended health and safety guidelines. More details will follow in early July.

We wish you and your families strength and comfort during this time. By keeping the music playing, we hope to provide you with musical respite and promise for the future.

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Guests picnicking at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts (photo credit: Gabe Palacio)

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A R T S W E S T C H E S T E R 2020

ARTS AWARD CELEBRATION | Tues., June 30 6pm

JUNE 2020

A Not-to-be-Missed Virtual Event It’s time to celebrate the 2020 Arts Award Winners!

Purchase your virtual tickets & tables today at: artsw.org/artsaward2020

The 2020 Honorees: The Romita Family of Pelham A family’s leadership and dedication fuels the cultural life of the Pelham community.

Emily & Eugene Grant Arts Patron Award

Blue Door Art Center A vibrant arts organization enlivens the cultural life of Yonkers.

Arts Organization Award

City of New Rochelle This historic city makes arts and culture central to its revitalization efforts.

Community Award

Pablo Mayor An acclaimed jazz musician shares his passion for modern Colombian music and dance with the world.

Artist Award

Ossining Public Library This library brings a diverse range of arts programming to Northern Westchester.

Sophia Abeles Education Award

A-Chord with Kids A group of youth volunteers provides music education and mentorship to its peers.

Education Award

A downtown New Rochelle mural by street artist Lula, curated by Street Art for Mankind. (photo credit: Ben Lau)

Arnold Kastenbaum A talented photographer plays with light to transform ordinary objects.

Lawrence Salley Photography Award Arnold Kastenbaum, Greenwich Library Elevator, Toned Gelatin Silver Print, 16”x20”

Join us on June 30, 6pm at

artsw.org/artsaward2020

or live on Facebook or YouTube

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e h t r o F p U t I e v i G Stars!

When asked what makes the Arts Award event special, event Co-Chair Deborah Simon commented: “My husband and I have traveled all over the world and collected many pieces from different cultures, giving us a great appreciation of the enormous talent that exists right here in our own backyard.” For more than 40 years, ArtsWestchester's arts awards have celebrated the talent within Westchester’s own community and beyond. It has been presented to influential artists and arts

Center. The title sponsor, for the fourth year, will be the Jacob Burns Foundation.

On June 30, guests can tune into this year’s Virtual Arts Award Celebration at 6pm on ArtsWestchester’s website at artsw.org/artsaward2020, as well as on Facebook and YouTube.

Co-chairing the virtual celebration are two dedicated ArtsWestchester board members and their husbands, Helen and Bill Gates, and Deborah and Alan Simon, who have all given their support

My husband and I have traveled all over the world and collected many pieces from different cultures, giving us a great appreciation of the enormous talent that exists right here in our own backyard." groups, from small local musical groups to major players on the world stage, such as Governor Nelson Rockefeller and opera star Roberta Peters.

This year’s honorees include the Ossining Public Library because, says ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam, “libraries are increasingly becoming cultural meccas in their communities.” Also being honored is the Romita Family, for changing the face of Pelham when they organized the Pelham Arts Center years ago. Honors also go to A-Chord With Kids, musician Pablo Mayor, photographer Arnold Kastenbaum, the City of New Rochelle and Blue Door Art

and encouragement to the presentation of these awards. In the words of Helen Gates: “Today, it is more important than ever to celebrate the arts, and it has been an honor to participate in the process of selecting such deserving winners.” Barbara Monohan, chair of the Arts Award Committee, adds: “These are the ones who ‘make the arts happen.’

The selection process is difficult and the committee spends hours in long thoughtful discussions until we have a constellation of ‘arts stars’ as winners.”

(photos, from top: Barbara Monohan, Alan and Deborah Simon, Bill and Helen Gates)

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Going an Extra Mile for the Frontline Workers

by Mary Alice Franklin, ArtsNews Editor

Staff and volunteers from The Bedford Playhouse at Northern Westchester Hospital (photo courtesy of The Bedford Playhouse) Just around the corner from Hudson River Museum (HRM) in Yonkers is St. Joseph’s Hospital. As a close neighbor, the Museum was motivated to help during the current health crisis. So Director and CEO Masha Turchinsky and Assistant Director for Facilities and Operations Todd Jones dropped off the Museum’s collection of masks and nitrile gloves to the healthcare workers. These masks and gloves, typically used by staff for art handling and conservation of artworks, proved useful as personal protective equipment greatly needed by medical staff as they tackle COVID-19.

Those at HRM were not the only ones motivated to help. Arts institutions and artists throughout Westchester found ways to give

back to first responders and frontline workers since the health crisis began. Village Squares Quilters have sewn and donated masks and caps to food pantries, homeless and elderly individuals, essential workers and hospitals. The White Plains Public Library’s sewing machines and fabric are being used by the Hastings-on-Hudson Mask Project to create masks for Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, while its two 3D printers were donated to a 3D-printer farm organized by St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers.

Artist Barbara Segal has also put her 3D printer to work for the cause. “Right now, our goal is to produce 1,000 mask shields per day,” she explained. Segal was using her printer to create miniatures of her

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spotlight marble artwork. Her son, David Mack, a product designer with a background in mechanical engineering, put his skills to good use creating his own model of face shields. Together, they have printed and delivered 700 shields to local facilities, including Westchester Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Montefiore Hospital and more. Due to their GoFundMe campaign, they show no signs of slowing down. She added: “We want to ramp up production by purchasing more 3D printers and materials.”

The arts have also played a role in paying tribute to healthcare workers. The arts provide respite and encouragement to those who have been tirelessly working on the front lines. For instance, Violinist Rosemarie Castellano, board member and long-time volunteer with Songcatchers, serenades medical workers in New Rochelle with uplifting songs from her balcony every evening.

Blue Door Art Center responded to a request by St. Joseph's Hospital for art supplies to be used in a wellness program for medical interns, helping them to de-stress from the pressure they have been under since the outbreak began. Sanctuary Series, Bridgemusik (Rockland) and videographer Tim Grajek each created video tributes to essential workers. On Mother’s Day, M&M Performing Arts Company, dressed in Victorian garb, handed out gifts at the food pantry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Verplanck. Staff and volunteers from The Bedford Playhouse

One bright spot during these challenging times is witnessing the many ways in which our community is pulling together to help one another. You see it every day in large ways and small gestures."

delivered fresh popcorn to first responders, and provided access to previously-recorded sold-out events. The list goes on.

Says Turchinsky: "One bright spot during these challenging times is witnessing the many ways in which our community is pulling together to help one another. You see it every day in large ways and small gestures.”

Barbara Segal and David Mack (photo courtesy of Barbara Segal)

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Arts Soothe the Soul

by Kathleen Reckling, Deputy Director of Public Programs, ArtsWestchester

Stephanie Wolfson is a house plant portraitist. The White Plains printmaker and SUNY Purchase alumna blends the exacting skill of botanical illustration with the tropes of contemporary “millennial” and “Instagram” aesthetics. The result is detailed renderings of popular house plants, like “Stomanthe Triostar” and “Aechmea Susciata,” set against soft pastel-hued backgrounds – calming images of the flora that are associated with domestic space.

Wolfson is one of four Hudson Valley artists whose works are part of Domestic Bliss, an exhibition of paintings and artist prints installed in the waiting rooms of Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (MSK Westchester), and curated by ArtsWestchester.

The exhibition is the eighth installation in an ongoing Arts and

Healing partnership between the world-renowned cancer-care facility and the arts organization.

As we all turn to the safety of our homes during the pandemic era, the views of our backyards and the simple beauty of the light through our windows offer comfort during this period of stress and uncertainty. The works included in this exhibition draw on these familiar scenes to create an atmosphere of warmth and hope.

Those at MSK Westchester know that sometimes the best prescriptions for treating patients includes more than clinical treatments.

According to Nancy Diamond, Ambulatory Director at MSK Westchester: “The importance of a therapeutic approach to healing, including the arts, is an important ingredient to a patient’s experience and wellbeing.”

Diamond continues: “By displaying the incredible talents of our community’s artists, our patients appreciate both the beauty and escape from the moment provided by the contemporary artworks on display. With the additional stress and worries that COVID-19 now brings to the world, the paintings and unique prints on view in several of the waiting areas at MSK Westchester serve as a much

May Day by Julia Whitney Barnes

The importance of a therapeutic approach to healing, including the arts, is an important ingredient to a patient’s experience and wellbeing.”

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needed escape and healing medicine of its own kind.”

Domestic Bliss is also the title of a series of paintings by Julia Whitney Barnes, selections from which are included in the exhibition.

The expressive brushwork and light-flooded interior scenes are warm and inviting, suggesting the promise of long stretches of sunshine on summer days. Barnes is a multi-discipline artist whose work is inspired by architectural design and its history.

She recently completed a commission for Arts Brookfield, reinterpreting the stained-glass work of Victorian-era artisan Charles Booth.

Nearby are the exuberant floral paintings of White Plains artist Eileen Stodut, who is an educator and painter with a background in theatrical set design. In her works featured in this exhibition, close-up views of petals fill canvases and straddle the artistic space between representation and pure abstraction.

In the lower waiting room, Hanazono (Flower Garden), by Kiyoshi Otsuka mirrors the blooms in the nearby exterior courtyard garden. Otsuka’s gestural abstract paintings are inspired by his many years working at the New York Botanical Garden and are informed by traditional Japanese creative practices.

Domestic Bliss will be on display at MSK Westchester through early fall.

Victorian by Eileen Stodut

Hanazono (flower garden) by Kyoshi Otsuka

left: Ceropegia Woodii by Stephanie Wolfson

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Artist

OPPORTUNITIES

ArtsW.org is Westchester County’s guide for allthings-art. On its “Artist Opportunities” page, artists can find nearby working opportunities that will help to strengthen and further their careers. Below is a sampling of some upcoming opportunities. To get these opportunities sent directly to your mailbox, sign up here.

Call for Entries: Hammond Museum's Virtual Exhibition for July

Hammond Museum is accepting submissions from its artist members for works that will be on view in a virtual exhibition on Hammond Museum's website from July 4, 2020 through July 3, 2021 with an Artist Reception via Zoom at 10am on July 4. The show will be curated by Bibiana Huang Matheis.

Submissions should use the painting on the right as its muse or inspiration. All visual media and styles, including 2D, 3D, short film and video, and installation, as well as short literary forms, music and dance, will all be considered.

Submission Deadline: June 15 To submit, you must be a Hammond Artist Member.

Submissions and questions can be emailed to HammondMuseumArtists@gmail.com.

Complete Guidelines are available here.

Artwork courtesy of Hammond Museum

A Call for New York-Inspired Small Works

Inside Small seeks submissions of small artworks inspired

by New York to be displayed in the Inside Small Online Art Gallery from June 15 through July 14. Thirty artworks of any medium will be selected for this “New York State of Mind Art Event."

Each work should not exceed 10” inches x 10” inches, including frame, mat and base. Chosen selections will also be featured on Instagram and Facebook. The show will be curated by Lisa D'Amico PhD. Submission Deadline: June 8 Email your submission and information to insidesmall@outlook.com.

Esopus by Kayla Sharp (photo courtesy of Inside Small)

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Applications are Open: ArtsWestchester, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is seeking qualified youth to join its Young Adult Leadership Council, which will take place from October 2020 to May 2021.

This Leadership Council will engage young adults aged 16-21, who will learn career and college readiness skills. Participants will meet twice monthly to plan, evaluate, attend, promote and develop ArtsWestchester’s teen programs, including its current Teen Tuesdays & Thursdays program.

The Council will be comprised of 15 youth who can serve on the Council for multiple years for a maximum of three. A $500 stipend will also be provided.

Deadline: July 15 Applications will be accepted online via Submittable. For more information, email Jessica Cioffoletti at jcioffoletti@artswestchester.org.

A Delicate Balancing Act

by Regina Farrell-Fagan, Exhibitions & Shop Manager at Clay Art Center

(photo courtesy of Regina Farrell-Fagen) Recently, I had the privilege of enjoying some of our Clay Art Center artists, who opened up and talked about their processes, their inspirations and their goals. Their art is more than just an item – it's a celebration of life. In these works also lies joy... and during this time, joy is a precious and valuable thing.

As an artist, I understand what not being able to get to the studio means for our artist members and students alike. My own personal artistic journey has become a delicate balancing act in recent years between making my clay work, my job, and being a mom, but

I’m honored that all three of these things bring me joy. Recently, I introduced my five-year-old to Cone 10 porcelain, as I make my own bird sculptures, and his pieces sit proudly next to mine. We visit the Osprey nest nearby and go for walks and bring home pebbles, leaves and other treasures. In a time of suspended life, we need to find happiness in the little things to help us move on.

To find out about Clay Art Center’s virtual activities, classes and online shop, visit their website here.

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A Walk Am o

Carol Feuerman – The Golden Mean

This bronze sculpture of a male dancer creates a silhouette at varied times of the day, a majestic tribute to the beauty of the athlete and a bow to the Greek classical works of the past. Perfectly balanced and stalwart, it stands on Peekskill Riverfront Green as a beacon to human ambition and artistic accomplishment.

Visible to travelers on Metro North, the sculpture has quickly become an icon of the waterfront. Though installed as part of Peekskill Project V, an art festival whose installations are often temporary, the work was made affordable for purchase by the city through the efforts of HVMOCA and the generosity of the artist.

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e Sculpture

A favorite socially-distanced activity for many people during the COVID-19 health crisis has been to simply go for a walk. When stuck inside all day, fresh air can revitalize the soul and refresh our moods. In Peekskill, those who are out for a stroll can take in dozens of public artworks along their way. The Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art has outlined these pieces in a public sculpture walk featured on its website. The tour's map pinpoints each sculpture and introduces viewers to the works of art with a description. The two-mile loop is walkable from the town's Metro-North train station and leads participants along the Peekskill waterfront and downtown area.

See the following pages for some highlights and visit hudsonvalleymoca.org for the full sculpture walk.

All photos and text courtesy of Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art

s...

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Basha Ruth Nelson – Beyond

Beyond is both an artwork and a frame-for-art. It captures the beautiful scenery of the Hudson River and offers a way to look through it out into the world. Says the artist: “My work…is the creation of unity between form and the volume in which my pieces live. My sculptures…engage the viewer through surface and scale.”

Mark Andreas – Peekskill Dragonfly Mark Andreas built Peekskill Dragonfly to react to the natural forces in the environment that surrounds it. Every several weeks between spring and fall, the artist fills a basin in the sculpture with water. When the water is added, the sculpture becomes a dynamic cantilever as the sculpture’s wings rise. The sculpture is attuned to the environment and is impacted even by the slightest breeze, reminiscent of sailing ships that operate on the Hudson. Over a period of time, the water is pumped out through the force of “capillary action.” As the water is released by this force of nature, the wings start to fold down. After the wings are completely folded, the cycle will repeat once the basin is refilled with water. During the winter months, the water is drained and the sculpture stays dormant to protect itself from the freezing temperatures.

Emil Alzamora – Tides Tides is a composition of three bronze figures resembling a family – a mother, father and child – who will forever gaze off toward the mighty Hudson River. According to Alzamora: “Tides represents the spirit of eternal relaxation and enjoyment of two things that are dear to us – family and loved ones, and communion with the world we live in. Their softened details bring to mind subtle aquatic forms that one might find in the Hudson River on a calm day.”

Billboard (Waterworks)

Launching Ball

JORWARD Peekskill Dragonfly Tides Time Sharing

The Golden Mean Planetariummonetarium Beyond Jan Peek's Vine ARC

Life: Hudson River

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Job Koelewijn – Billboard

Here, the beauty of the Hudson Valley is framed as one would frame a landscape painting. This highlights what gave birth to the Hudson River School – an appreciation for the awe-inspiring Hudson River and its mountain ranges. The work was conceived as a billboard, framing the Bear Mountain to the north and Peekskill Palisade to the south. Water, pumped from the Hudson River into the base of the sculpture, rises and rains down from the upper bar of the structure, creating a veil of water.

Jong Oh – Launching Ball Korean artist Jong Oh usually creates minimal sculptures that respond to the given spatial situation.

In a sharp departure from these very minimal works, Oh has created this whimsical work that reflects on life along the Hudson River, where noisy recreation and quiet reflection are part of the attraction. The steel base, poised as if ready to fling the striped beach ball into the waves, invites the viewer to imagine the possibilities of this exquisite landscape.

Peekskill Mural Project ITS WHATS OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS

The Banner Project

Pedestrian Shuffle Senior Citizen Murals

Garden Passage Peekskill Mural What Matters Meeting & Marketplace Mural

Nature in Balance

Arches

A Walk Among the Sculptures...

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Tackling a Tangled Web of Legal Issues for Artists A professional artist’s work doesn’t just end when their artwork is complete. There’s the business end of things, too. Then there are the many legal issues regarding their artwork. Over the past several years, ArtsWestchester has hosted professional development workshops regarding legal issues for artists, which are voluntarily organized by Wilson Elser partner Jana S. Farmer (JF). Speakers at the most recent workshop in March, in addition to Farmer, included Hopkins IP Principal Julie A. Hopkins (JH), and Wilson Elser Associate Andrea Sobolewski (AS), who all volunteered their time to provide legal recommendations to local artists.

For this issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s Executive Assistant, Megan Thomson-Connor, asked all three legal professionals about some art law topics helpful for artists who may not know where to begin.

MTC: What is the most common question you hear from artists and how do you answer?

JF: It’s less about what artists ask and more about what they do not ask. There are a lot of misconceptions among artists with respect to the topics of copyright, attribution and using someone else’s likeness an artwork. For example, many believe that one artist may use the work of another without a license by simply giving a

byline credit. Usually, this is not the case. The rule of thumb is that it is always better to receive permission in advance, and preferably in writing.

AS: I frequently receive questions about whether an artist needs permission from a photographer or other artists in various mediums to create or display a work. I state that it is always best to request permission at the outset rather than wait for the other party to raise an issue down the road.

JH: I often get asked “Do I need to register my work with the Copyright Office, since copyright attaches the moment the work is created?” The answer is yes! In order to enforce your rights against an infringer, you need to register the work with the Copyright Office.

And, if you register the work prior to an infringement and within three months from first publication, you are eligible for statutory damages, which can be significantly higher than actual damages, and less difficult to prove.

MTC: Where is the best place for artists to get the types of information that you provide at seminars, and what other sources would you suggest they follow?

JF: On behalf of Wilson Elser and in partnership with ArtsWestchester, I am planning to continue organizing educational

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prohibitive. This proposed legislation is not without criticism, however.

AS: New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law is constantly changing.

For several years, there was proposed legislation that sought to provide heightened protection to art authenticators, but that has struggled to make it past the New York State Assembly.

JH: There is a pending bill introduced in the New York legislature to amend the New York Privacy Law. Amendments include distinguishing between “privacy” and “publicity” and who is eligible under each to make claims. The current law considers celebrities and non-famous people to be the same under the law with the same rights. Right of Publicity (for celebrities) claims would extend to individuals after death, if recorded with the Secretary of State. Further, the rights would be assignable and transferable to third parties. Currently the rights extinguish at death and are not assignable or transferable.

MTC: If you could give one general recommendation to an artist, what would it be?

(l to r) Andrea Sobolewski, Julie Hopkins, Jana Farmer

JF: The legal issues that artists face typically center around copyright, sometimes trademarks, rights of privacy/rights of publicity (related to the use of the name or likeness of a person) in addition to agreements with dealers, publishers, printers, etc. To avoid common misconceptions, it is a good idea to pick up a book on these topics so that the artist would at least be aware of potential issues.

AS: Always be sure to have a written agreement with any party with whom you are working, and if you are ever unsure about what to include in that agreement, it makes sense to speak with a lawyer.

JH: Be proactive in protecting yourself legally. Protect your work – register copyrights, have agreements in place to secure your rights and to ensure that you are not running afoul of the rights of others.

seminars for artists on the topics relevant to artists’ practice. In addition to universities and pro bono resources recommended by others, the Center for Art Law publishes articles on a wide range of art law-related topics. Wilson Elser’s Art Law Perspectives blog is another free resource for artists and art professionals to help keep them abreast of recent legal developments.

AS: The College Arts Association and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.

JH: Also, local law schools often provide free clinical services to Local law schools often provide individuals, artists and start-up free clinical services to individuals, companies.

MTC: Are there any particular pieces of legislation that artists should look out for as they are subject to change?

artists and start-up companies."

– Julie Hopkins

JF: The art law field is actively developing. In addition to the statutes mentioned by the others, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act is one piece of legislation to watch. It is expected to come before the U.S. Congress this year and is intended to benefit artists, for whom copyright enforcement litigation is often cost-

The responses provided here are for informational purposes only and are general in nature; they are not intended to and do not constitute legal advice. Moreover, the responses are not intended to and do not constitute a solicitation for the formation of an attorneyclient relationship.

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INTRODUCING...

ArtsWestchester’s large-scale fabric installation with artist Amanda Browder was put on hold due to COVID-19. Beginning June 10, a new podcast, “Sewing Stories,” will tell the stories of individuals who have been involved in the work’s creation. Below is an excerpt from the podcast’s first episode:

AN ARTSWESTCHESTER PODCAST “My name is Barbara Glab. I was born in Poland and at age twenty-four, I came to the United States… Everybody in Poland had a [sewing] machine. After World War II, there were not that many stores and places to buy things, so people were buying fabric and making clothes for themselves. Almost every resident had a machine…I learned before I even went to school. But in school, it was just learning crochet, things like that, but not sewing, because you couldn’t bring a machine. We didn’t have those portable ones; we had machines attached to tables. But I was born with it…that craft.

I like my quilts to be used, even though I put them all over my walls.

Because I enjoy looking at them. It’s funny – I go from kitchen to dining room, and I say 'Oh my God, beautiful.' I go to the living room and I say 'How nice!' You have to surround yourself with things that your eyes like. And you are happy. You are getting up and you are looking at things that you like and you are a happy person, first thing in the morning.

I used to work for a civil engineering company. It started that I used to make drawings in ink. I liked that work so much. Computers just started, so everything was made by ink. I couldn’t wait for the morning to come, to go to work. But when I got older, after 20 years working with that company, later it was computers nonstop. No hand drafting. My eyes were getting more tired and more tired. So I said I have to quit, I have to quit. At that time, I couldn’t wait to get home to my sewing machine. And now, when I retired, I go to sleep and I am angry that it is dark and I cannot sew. Really! I am upset! And I say, God, let the morning come quick so I can go to my sewing machine.' I think I am nuts!”

To listen to this and other podcast episodes, visit ArtsWestchester’s YouTube Channel.

You have to surround yourself with things that your eyes like...You are getting up and you are looking at things that you like and you are a happy person, first thing in the morning."

Barbara Glab (photo credit: Aaron Paige)

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Artists are the

Heart of Every Community

Artists are at the heart of every community. The problem these days is that those communities have, for the time being, been put on hold. Like many others, artists are feeling the devastating effects of COVID-19. In fact, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, two-thirds of the nation’s artists are now unemployed.

Luckily, several artists from Westchester were recently “granted” a small relief. They were the first recipients of funds from ArtsWestchester’s Artist Relief Fund. The GoFundMe campaign organized by ArtsWestchester offers new grants to Westchester artists whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the current pandemic. Recipients in this first round of grants are mixed-media artist Rukhshan Haque (Yonkers), photographer Margaret Fox (Sleepy Hollow), jazz pianist Hiroshi Yamazaki (Tarrytown), ceramic artist and teacher Logan Wall

(White Plains), musician and dancer Gina Bergamini (Mt. Kisco), contemporary dancer Sidra Bell (White Plains), painter Jacqueline Meier (Mamaroneck) and photographer Hubert Williams (Mt. Vernon).

ArtsWestchester will continue collecting donations indefinitely and distributing funds to artists on a first-come, first-serve basis. As more funds – every $500, to be exact – are donated to the Artist Relief Fund, new grants will be awarded to artists whose gigs have been canceled, whose residencies have been postponed due to school closures, and whose dance shoes have had to be packed away. Similar cancellations have taken place across the country. Nationally, the nonprofit arts industry has seen a loss of $5.5 billion as of mid-May. To read more about, or contribute to the Artist Relief Fund, click here.

Thanks to you... our Artist Relief Fund

has raised more than $11,080 for emergency grants to artists adversely affected by COVID-19!

Help an Artist Today.

The number of artists we can support is directly dependent on how much funding is raised. So, please consider a gift today.

Donate Today

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virtual activities

Virtual Arts Offerings: June

Hope For the World by Millie Arroyo, on view in Clay Art Center's online exhibition Connections Arc Stages presents online adult and kid’s classes, live-streamed concerts, open mic night sessions and more. arcstages.org/connects • Shaping the Monologue Virtual Adult Class: June 2 at 7pm ARTS 10566 provides fun and enriching instructional lesson-based activities through its interactive platform available for students, parents and the community. New classes are posted every Monday at 3pm. To learn more, click here.

ArtsWestchester is providing weekly social media activities, such as Art of the Week assignments every Monday on Instagram, virtual ArtsMobile activities for kids, Teen Tuesdays & Thursday programs on YouTube, and more. instagram.com/artswestchester and youtube. com/user/ArtsWestchester • Lawrence Salley Photography Award Virtual Exhibition: On view now • Virtual Arts Award Luncheon 2020: June 30 at 6pm

Bedford Playhouse’s "Culture at Home" brings a selection of interactive programs, from comedies to environmental documentaries, author talks, weekly trivia for kids and more. For a full list of current programs, click here and visit facebook.com/ bedfordplayhouse and instagram.com/bedfordplayhouse.

• The Big Goodbye with author Sam Wasson: June 1 at 7:30pm • The Commitments Screening and Discussion: June 10, 7:30pm Blue Door Art Center’s Shattered: Glassworks exhibition is available online. The center will also host a series of free art workshops for kids and writing workshops for adults on Saturdays via Zoom.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts offers a variety of music: jazz opera, classical and family programs. Audiences can enjoy past performances by world renowned artists on youtube.com/c/caramoor.

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Center for the Digital Arts, Peekskill will host all summer classes online and via remote learning. Click here to register for summer classes.

Clay Art Center presents virtual classes for adults and kids, as well as artist lectures and demos. The Center’s Connections, a virtual exhibition of postcards that document ceramic artists’ experiences during this time of social distancing, will be on view through July 15.

Copland House is posting videos of past performances with its"Coping …with Copland House” series. coplandhouse.org/coping Downtown Music has been posting video excerpts from past concerts each Wednesday on their Facebook page. facebook.com/dtmusicgrace Emelin Theatre’s Virtual Screen Room streams the best in independent, international and documentary film for the price of a movie ticket. For the complete list of offerings, click here. More streaming available on Facebook.

Hammond Museum presents an Artist Members Virtual Gallery, featuring the works of the museum’s members from June 6 through June 5, 2021. For a complete list of programs and workshops, visit hammondmuseum.org.

• Virtual Artist Reception: June 6 at 10am on Zoom Harrison Public Library is offering suggestions on its website for what to read, watch, listen to and learn, as well as virtual workshops for teens and adults via Zoom, online book clubs, yoga classes for adults and more. For a complete list of programs, virtual classes and workshops, visit harrisonpl.org/events/harrison Historic Hudson Valley offers digital content on its website, including home craft videos like tinsmithing. Also available is People Not Property, an interactive documentary about the history of Northern colonial enslavement through the personal stories of enslaved people. hudsonvalley.org/article/history-at-your-fingertips/ Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art’s interactive digital tours will educate viewers about several highlighted exhibitions. Virtual tours of the exhibitions, How We Live and .edu: Art Faculty of the Hudson Valley, and an in-depth Sculpture walk are available on the Museum’s website.

Hudson Valley Writers Center will present free readings throughout the month, and a special offer on their own chapbooks. There are a series of classes and readings, all online and ready for immediate

Harrison Public Library will present a Tape Birds workshop on June 10 for kids aged 8 and older. (photo source: harrisonpl.org)

LET’S GET BACK TO PLAYING… A R T S W E S T C H E S T E R

RALPH MARTINELLI MEMORIAL

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FOURSOMES, HOLES AND TEE SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE! For more information contact Ann Fabrizio: afabrizio@artswestchester.org or call 914.428.4220

artsw.org/golf

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virtual activities registration. For a complete list of virtual classes, workshops and online readings, visit writerscenter.org.

Jacob Burns Film Center is highlighting staffchosen films, as well as its “Viewing and Doing” series, which provides short films with related activities. education.burnsfilmcenter.org/ education/blog Jazz Forum Arts has launched Jazz Forum @ Home, a series of concerts live-streamed on Facebook Live every Saturday at 7pm, and Jitterbugs @ Home, an online jazz program for kids aged 2-7 on June 14 at 10:30am. facebook. com/jazzforumclub John Jay Homestead offers interactive activities, such as children’s projects, a virtual tour and downloadable worksheets on its website. johnjayhomestead.org Katonah Museum of Art offers a slideshow and virtual tours of its upcoming rescheduled Bisa Butler exhibition, as well as downloadable kids activities that introduce audiences to the artist’s quilted portraits. katonahmuseum.org • Behind the Scenes: Bisa Butler June 7, 1pm Lagond Music School will offer a virtual kids open mic on June 6 at 4pm, live student performances during Lagond's Got Talent event on June 13 at 7pm and a virtual summer music camp for students in grades 2-12 held June 15 through August 28.

Lyndhurst presents virtual tours of the mansion and its Bowling Alley, as well as a virtual aerial tour of the site. lyndhurst.org/about/virtualtours/

Mannish Boy, 2018 Cotton, chiffon, satin lace and silk 54 x 39 in. (137.2 x 99 cm) Courtesy of the Byron Nelson Family Collection On view online in Katonah Museum of Art's Bisa Butler: Portraits exhibition

Mamaroneck Artists Guild is using Facebook to highlight the artworks of its member artists. facebook.com/MAG.Larchmont

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M&M Performing Arts Company and the Red Monkey Theater Group will present virtual readings of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on YouTube.

Music Conservatory of Westchester's registration is open for private online video lessons. musicconservatory.org/ virtual-lessons Neuberger Museum of Art provides pre-recorded 20-minute guided meditations on its website, as well as virtual curator-led exhibition tours on Zoom and weekly art-related projects and activities for kids. purchase.edu/ neuberger-museum-of-art • Art Sandwiched-In: A Virtual Curator-led Exhibition Tour: June 5 at 12:30pm

Pelham Picture House is presenting short films, each with discussion questions and activities that can be adapted into teaching tools for students of any grade level. instagram.com/ the_picturehouse.

The Ground Glass will present The Decisive Moment Revisited, a virtual photography exhibit inspired by the works of famous photographer Henri CartierBresson. The exhibit will be on view on The Ground Glass website. thegroundglass.org The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College’s online offerings include a range of live, recorded and curated events, education and entertainment.

Click here to learn about The PAC in Your Living Room initiative.

New Rochelle Council on the Floral Painting by Cynthia Mullins, on view in Oak & Oil's virtual exhibition, Spring is in Arts will present See Me!, an the Air (photo courtesy of Oak & Oil) exhibition that celebrates LGBTQ Play Group Theater launched Pride Month and features the PGTonline which allows aesthetic sensibility of the queer community and its continuing struggle audiences to enroll for virtual classes, and the PGT Project 24 via for freedom and equality. The show will be available on the Council’s Zoom. To learn more visit: playgroup.org/online/ YouTube channel from June 1-30.

Rehabilitation Through The Art (RTA) offers screenings of two documentaries: Amazing Grace, a film about RTA’s original Oak & Oil presents Spring is in the Air, a virtual exhibit of contemporary florals by Cynthia Mullins. oakandoil.com performance at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, and Dramatic Off Center Dance Theatre is offering a weekly schedule of live dance classes through Zoom and are available on YouTube. dancecavise. com/video-classes-online/ Ossining Public Library’s Virtual Mother Goose Time will take place every Thursday at 10am on Facebook, and other resources while we are all Stuck at Home.

Pelham Art Center is hosting a series of virtual studio visits and works. Look for additional online events on the Center’s event page and Facebook page.

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virtual activities Tarrytown Music Hall has launched a series of free one-hour online workshops for kids and a new livestream concert and event series "Night-In With The Music Hall,” which will take place on Facebook Live every Wednesday at 6pm. tarrytownmusichall.org/academy • Morning Story Time for parents and Pre-K, K and 1st grade kids: Mondays at 10-10:30am.

Westchester Children’s Museum has created WCM at Home, a page on their website with creative and fun projects for families to do at home. For more information, click here.

Westchester Choral Society is hosting virtual rehearsals via Zoom through June 9. The choir will be working on two pieces: Joseph Haydn’s Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis De Deo and Brahms’ Geistliches Lied.

Westchester Chordsmen has shared a YouTube video of its performance, Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, which features excerpts of a poem by Emma Lazarus with music by the Chordsmen’s Music Director Keith Harris. Click here to listen.

Violet by Devon Smillie, on view in Blue Door Art Center's ongoing online exhibition, Faces Escape, which follows the entire arc of RTA mounting Aaron Sorkin’s play A Few Good Men. RiverArts presents #100DaysOfStudioTour, an online showcase of the Rivertowns artists who were supposed to exhibit at this year's Studio Tour, via its Facebook and Instagram pages. Virtual music and dance classes are also available.

• Monica Shulman Virtual Studio Tour • Six-Pack Music Lessons • Virtual Dance Lessons with Mary Ford-Sussman Ruth Keeler Memorial Library highlights its digital collection, including e-books, audio books, music and streaming movies, TV for anyone with their library card. westchesterlibraries.org/listen-read Rye Arts Center is offering a series of online classes and workshops for children and adults, as well as other weekly offerings on its Facebook page.

• Virtual Critique Group With Jill Parry: June 19 at 11am Steffi Nossen Dance has been posting virtual classes recorded in the homes of some of its dance teachers. instagram.com/ steffinossendance

Westchester Italian Cultural Center presents live-streamed webinars, featuring lectures, concerts and demonstrations.

• Love That Moves the Sun: Discovering the Life of Vittoria Colonna: June 1 at 2pm • Live Concert from Italy: Cristiana Pegoraro: June 11 at 6pm & June 20 at 1pm White Plains Public Library has built a “Stuck at Home” web page, which includes resources chosen by Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. whiteplainslibrary.org/2020/03/stuck-at-home-staff-picks YoFi Digital Media Center Friday Film Series presents an evening of independent film and conversation every Friday. For info on upcoming screenings, visit yofidmac.com

Interested in Writing for ArtsNews?

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To be considered, tell us about your interest/experience in the arts, and include a writing resume and three writing clips. When we have an article to assign, we may get in touch!

Contact artswnews@artswestchester.org. No phone calls, please.

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Westchester Italian Center presents a livestream concert with Cristiana Pegoraro on June 11 (photo source: cristianapegoraro.com)

ArtsWestchester CEO to be Awarded by Americans for the Arts Americans for the Arts (AFTA) will honor ArtsWestchester’s CEO, Janet T. Langsam, with its 2020 Selina Roberts Ottum Leadership Award.

This award has been presented jointly with National Endowment for the Arts for the past 30 years. It recognizes “an individual working in arts management who has made a meaningful contribution to his or her local community and who exemplifies extraordinary leadership qualities.” The 2020 Leadership Awards will be celebrated during a national virtual event.

ArtsWestchester’s Director of Public Programs Recognized by Business Council of Westchester ArtsWestchester’s Deputy Director of Public Programs, Kathleen Reckling, has been recognized among The Business Council of Westchester’s “Rising Stars: 40 Under 40” awardees for 2020. The 40 Westchester individuals represent a diverse mix of professionals from a cross-section of organizations and industries who were chosen based on “professional and/or entrepreneurial accomplishments, professional and/or business affiliations, and demonstrated leadership skills.” The winners will be honored on September 2 at a location to be announced.

CENTER FOR DIGITAL ARTS OFFERING CREDIT AND NON-CREDIT CLASSES Fulfill your dream, whether on campus or online, at the Westchester Community College Center for the Digital Arts Peekskill Extension and take courses in Graphic Design, Digital Filmmaking, Drawing, Digital Imaging, Digital Photography, and more. Get a non-credit certificate in 3D animation and UX Design, visit our Maker Space, and create a 3D print.

At the Center for Digital Arts you’ll get started on your portfolio, meet other artists, and develop a network within the rich artist district of downtown Peekskill.

REGISTER NOW! 914-606-7300 ▪ sunywcc.edu/peekskill peekskill@sunywcc.edu

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spotlight

Here Comes the ArtsMobile Once social distancing became the norm, ArtsWestchester took its ArtsMobile and Teen Tuesdays & Thursdays offerings to a new level—virtual.

Recognizing that these programs could no longer function in person, they reached out to its roster of teaching artists, who stepped up to the challenge. Before long, both programs went digital, each offering one new art-making workshop every week, all of which are made public for anyone interested in participating.

These virtual workshops use mostly household or recycled items for supplies. The featured crafts and activities don’t require special materials. Some don’t require any at all, like Marion Jones-Archer’s African drum and dance lesson. Additional ArtsMobile workshops include folk songs for the family, paper crafts commonly made in Mexico, and more. These workshops, made possible with support from Con Edison and White Plains Hospital, are uploaded every Wednesday.

Teen Tuesdays & Thursdays programs engage students aged 12-17 years old while using minimal supplies. For instance, Dhanashree Gadiyar leads students through an Indian folk art drawing exercise in which instant coffee is used instead of ink. Other workshop topics include collage selfies and symmetrical drawing. While schools are closed, these activities provide meaningful literary, performing and visual art workshops led by professional teaching artists. New Teen Tuesdays & Thursdays workshops are uploaded each Tuesday.

Screenshot from Richela Morgan's mixed-media landscape workshop, made with items commonly found in the home

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: m h t y Rh d e r i w Hard A N D r u O o t In

Ronnie Negro (photo courtesy of Ronnie Negro)

spotlight

For many of us, our entire world has been flipped upside down.

Our homes are no longer just homes: dining rooms are now Negro’s classes strengthen cognitive skills like hand-eye classrooms, bedrooms are offices and kitchens function as if they coordination, memory and pattern recognition, in addition to are full-time restaurants. On top of that, we’ve been forced to seek promoting self-expression and healing. He continues: “The new avenues to serve students, families and communities. While the participants can learn to appreciate music on a deeper level, even practice of social distancing prevents exposure to COVID-19, it has if they have had no prior musical training. Through the physical also had a negative impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of performance of rhythm, they develop focus, as well as fine motor mental health recipients – but drummer Ronnie Negro is working to skills. The mathematical elements of rhythm also foster problem combat isolation and keep these solving and analytical skills.” recipients’ spirits up.

The recreational drumming Recognizing that drumming The participants can learn to appreciate workshops are part of is a therapeutic art form for this ArtsWestchester’s artist music on a deeper level, even if they have population, ArtsWestchester residency program, which and Negro teamed up to offer a pairs teaching artists with had no prior musical training. Through highly-structured multi-session schools and community the physical performance of rhythm, they workshop series. With support sites in order to integrate from Westchester County the arts into active curricula. develop focus, as well as fine motor skills.

Department of Community Mental these services The mathematical elements of rhythm also Normally, Health, the workshops introduce are provided in-person, but various drumming techniques, foster problem solving and analytical skills." given the circumstances such as rhythm and tempo, to surrounding the outbreak of participants at local mental health COVID-19, they are now being offered virtually. All of the lessons are facilities. Negro explains: “Rhythm is hardwired into our DNA. The prerecorded and taught in sequential order, allowing anyone to pause first sounds babies hear are their mother’s heartbeat from inside and repeat a unit if desired. No materials are required to participate her womb. Later, they react to music instinctively… Plus, we can in Negro’s workshops from the comfort of home. “Everyone is feeling utilize our laps, tabletops or clapping to form a rhythm, so it doesn’t some sense of isolation during these times, but those suffering from require an expensive investment.” Negro has been a performing mental disabilities are even more affected… Any sense of normal drummer since the late 1980s, performing on Broadway and with his life is welcome, and this video series is another way of telling the band Powderfinger, and has been one of ArtsWestchester’s teaching participants that they are not forgotten.” artists since 2011.

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THANK YOU FROM

Thank you for your continued support during this critical time for the arts.

To become an arts & business partner, contribute to ArtsWestchester today: Click here

JUNE 2020

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spotlight

THE BENEFITS AND PERILS OF VIDEO:

Helpful Hints for Acoustic Musicians In his "Frank's Picks" column, music journalist, author and radio producer Frank Matheis typically recommends upcoming events. This month, he provides some sound advice to artists and musicians. artsw.org/frankspicks

Musicians are increasingly self-producing videos of themselves performing, especially during the pandemic lockdown. Some are even offering ‘from-home’ solo performances for donations as a way of making it through this economically perilous time while gigs have dried up. Self-producing is now a primary way the video medium is being used, as most everybody has a phone camera.

Imagine that you went to an expensive professional photo shoot for your promotion photos and instead of setting the camera straight on, your photographer crouches on the floor and captures your image upwards from below. You wouldn’t have to be a promotional genius to realize that the upward perspective is abnormal. Nobody looks good from below, and no viewer wants to look up your nostrils. Yet, the most common mistake musicians make is to set the video camera beneath them, aimed up at themselves. For almost all people, that’s the most unflattering perspective, making people look heavier than they are. The second most common mistake is they set their video camera vertically, in portrait orientation. If you are holding a guitar, that will cut off sections of the instrument. Whatever you do, remember that you are in the image business. Make sure that you look sharp, play well and that your video recording does you justice.

Here are some simple and basic guidelines on how to selfproduce your own video reasonably well: 1. Set your camera or phone camera so that you are looking at it at eye level when seated. There are phone tripods available for about $25 that allow you to position the camera effectively.

If not, rig something up. Whatever you do, don’t videotape yourself from below.

2. Position the phone or camera in landscape (horizontal) position, so that we can see you and the entire guitar, banjo or whatever, left to right.

3. Place the camera back far enough from you so that no part of your upper torso, hands or instrument is cut-off.

4. Lighting is everything. Avoid sitting in front of windows. Find a spot where there is no bright natural light behind you, as this will silhouette you and saturate light around you. If that can’t be done, close the blinds. Play with whatever lamps or light sources you have in the house to illuminate yourself so that you

photo credit: Joshua Oluwagbemiga (Detail)

5.

6.

7.

8.

are in balanced light. Not too bright, not too dark. Be careful of shadows. Good lighting can make you look young. Bad lighting can do the opposite.

Do a few test runs. Look at everything critically. Which lighting position is best?

Identify yourself and speak to your audience in a friendly, conversational tone. Tell them the song title, the songwriter and where you are located. People like to have a context for the “who, what and where” they are watching. That way, if the video is seen years from now, people don’t have to guess.

People like it when they feel like you are speaking to them, but don’t talk too much. I’ve seen otherwise good videos killed by boring, unnecessary monologues.

Go easy on jokes. It’s okay to be lighthearted, but don’t try to be a comedian when you are not.

Also: Read Frank’s tips on how to navigate videos of your gigs and concerts that have been uploaded online by others

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spotlight

MARSHA ON THE MOVE Monthly Web Feature When Business Council of Westchester President Marsha Gordon, is not advocating for businesses in the County, she can be found at the cinema or theater. Read Marsha's reviews on ArtsWestchester's "As a Matter of Art " blog: artsw.org/artsblog.

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)

Little Fires Everywhere is a terrific book by Celeste Ng, and a great TV miniseries starting Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. A complicated web of social and family relationships weaves through issues of social and racial justice, the meaning of motherhood, control, identity and growing up. If you want thought-provoking, this is it; but it’s also good entertainment, great acting and has you wanting to find out who set those "little fires"... figuratively and literally.

Miracle in Cell No. 7 (Netflix)

This is a poignant, heart-rending film. A father’s love, unlike any other in its innocence and purity, is returned by a young daughter who accepts her papa with all his challenges.

It also portrays a society that is unlawful and cruel but within it has kindness and justice. This was beautifully acted.

There was also gorgeous scenery and music in this 2019 Turkish remake of a 2013 South Korean film. It was sad, and tough to get through, but was worth it to stay to the end.

The Durrells in Corfu (Amazon Prime)

In every way, this is a gorgeous series. The Durrell family's warmth, humor, guts, loves and losses are shared over four delightful seasons. The show is filled with splendid scenery, wonderful animals, and a community that shows the essence of Greek culture. A strong matriarch guides the home... and I grew to love her and her "peculiar" (yet so lovable) children, who grow up before your eyes.

Promotional still for Little Fires Everywhere (photo courtesy of Hulu)

I’m excited to announce the introduction of our Examiner – COVID-19 Local News Fund.

You can make TAXDEDUCTIBLE, charitable donations to our cause. We’ve partnered with a wonderful nonprofit, the Local Media Foundation, a Section 501(c) (3) organization, to allow you the opportunity to support our mission while also receiving the TAX BENEFIT of contributing to a charity.

-Adam Stone Publisher Thank you for your support!

HELP US FUND LOCAL COVID-19 REPORTING IN OUR COMMUNITY

givebutter.com/theexaminernews The N ORTHERN W ESTCHESTER

Photo credit: Mercedes Alvarez

Visit artsw.org for our Top 5 Virtual Arts Picks during this difficult time.

LEGAL NOTICES Westchester Auto Spa HQ, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 01/21/2020. Office: Westchester County.

Registered Agent Inc. designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Legalinc Corporate Services Inc. at. 1967 Wehrle Drive, Suite 1 #086, Buffalo, NY 14221 Purpose: Any lawful purpose. #62572 Notice of formation of Harlem 80 West, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with the SSNY on 3/27/20. Office location: Westchester County.

SSNY des. agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, P.O. Box 8522, Pelham, NY 10803<\!#45>8522 #62573 Notice of formation of Shaun Darrah Pediatric Dentistry PLLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY on 5/13/20. Office location: Westchester County.

SSNY designated as agent of the PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to The PLLC, 1133 Warburton Ave., 604N, Yonkers, NY 10701. Purpose: To practice the profession of Dentistry. #62574 Notice is hereby given that a license, a number pending, for beer, wine, cider and liquor has been applied for by Imaginario, LLC to sell beer, wine, cider and liquor at 777 White Plains Rd, Eastchester, NY 10583 in a retail in a Tavern/ Restaurant under the Alcohol Beverage Control Law at for on premises consumption. #62575 Notice of Formation of Garito Real Estate, LLC Art Of Org. filed with SSNY on 3/13/20. Offc.

Loc: Westchester Cty. SSNY desig. as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1273 North Avenue, Apt 4C<\!#45>5, New Rochelle, NY 10804.

Purpose: any lawful purpose. #62576

Notice of Formation of Karen D Conti Consulting, LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 3/12/20. Office Location: Westchester. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 18 Hemlock Rd, South Salem, NY 10590. Purpose: any lawful purpose. #62577 Suarez Homes, LLC Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 5/20/20. Cty: Westchester. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 216 North 6th Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550. General Purpose. #62579

YONKERS, NY 733 Yonkers Avenue, Suite 200 Yonkers, NY 10704 914.476.0600 NEW YORK CITY 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 4600 New York, NY 10165 212.688.2400

The annual return of the Heidi Foundation for the calendar year December 31,2019 is available at its principal office located at 19 Hewitt Avenue, Bronxville NY 10708 for Inspection during regular business hours by any citizen who requests It within 180 days hereof.

Principal Manager of the Foundation is Gregory Holcombe. #62580

LONG ISLAND, NY 1305 Franklin Avenue Suite 300 Garden City, NY 11530 516.207.7533

Notice of Formation of DeeLexable, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 3/17/2020. Office location: Westchester County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC. 136 Fifth Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. #62581 The annual return of the Hegarty Family Foundation for the year ended June 30, 2019 is available at its principal office located at Sanossian, Sardis & Co., LLP, 700 White Plains Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583 for inspection during regular business hours by any citizen who requests it within 180 days hereof. Principal Manager of the Fund is Michael Hegarty. #62582

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working side by side with our clients dealing with the Covid-19 challenges affecting businesses in the region.

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Facts & Figures

fairfield county

BUILDING PERMITS Commercial Ambrosio Landscape Solutions, Redding, contractor for Matthew and Kerry Murphy.

Construct sport court at 11 Serenity Lane, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed April 2020.

AMEC Carting LLC, Norwalk, contractor for Andrew J. Robertson. Perform replacement alterations at 411 Stanwich Road, Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $17,000. Filed April 2020.

Fairfield House & Garden Co., Greenwich, contractor for Geren and Kaity Liang.

Construct pool barrier at 14 Hope Farm Road, Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $5,000. Filed April 2020.

Greenleaf General Contractors, Stamford, contractor for Israel Putnam House Association. Repair floor at 243 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $15,000. Filed April 2020.

Oceanview Pool & Patio, Southport, contractor for Thomas and Noelle Twiggs.

Construct a new swimming pool at 32 West Way, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $100,000. Filed April 2020.

Ridolfi Construction, New Canaan, contractor for Indian Harbor Yacht Club. Replace wood shingles at 710 Steamboat Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $46,000. Filed April 2020.

Items appearing in the Fairfield County Business Journal’s On The Record section are compiled from various sources, including public records made available to the media by federal, state and municipal agencies and the court system. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no liability is assumed for errors or omissions. In the case of legal action, the records cited are open to public scrutiny and should be inspected before any action is taken.

Questions and comments regarding this section should be directed to:

Swire, Gabriel P., Riverside, contractor for Gabriel P. Swire.

Construct new outdoor fireplace at 4 Florence Road, Riverside. Estimated cost: $5,000.

Filed April 2020.

DiPietro, Merrill, Cos Cob, contractor for Merrill DiPietro.

Replace windows and siding and repair roof at 75 Dandy Drive, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $69,500. Filed April 2020.

Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc, Greenwich, contractor for Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. Perform replacement alterations at 25 Valley Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $73,000. Filed April 2020.

DTY Development LLC, Purchase, New York, contractor for Paula November. Replace bathroom shower, tiles, toilet and vanity at 7 Putnam Park, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed April 2020.

Residential

FJC Designs & Construction, Cos Cob, contractor for Kyle and Laura Daniel.

Remove walls to open living room at 11 Steeple Chas, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $120,000.

Filed April 2020.

AAA Advantage Carting, Stamford, contractor for Adam and Rachel Weitzman.

Perform replacement alterations at 11 Eggleston Lane, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $23,200. Filed April 2020.

BCW Family LLC, Greenwich, contractor for BCW Family LLC. Renovate existing residence at 6 Old Mill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $200,000. Filed April 2020.

Bermudez, John, Greenwich, contractor for John Bermudez.

Convert bath to full bath at 49 S. Water St., Unit 1L, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $5,000.

Filed April 2020.

Canopy Roofing Systems, Briarcliff Manor, New York, contractor for Steven Greenberg. Remove old roof and re-roof 311 Shore Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $82,960.

Filed April 2020.

Crown Castle USA Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, contractor for Boy Scouts of America. Replace antennas on cell tower at 363 Riversville Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed April 2020.

Deep Contracting LTD, Mamaroneck, New York, contractor for Stephen J. Wade.

Renovate bathrooms, powder room, kitchen and pantry at 10 Edgewood Drive, Unit 3B, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $200,000. Filed April 2020.

DeRosa Builders LLC, Greenwich, contractor for Eglowsky Gillian Zackham. Construct master-bedroom suite, family room and kitchen at 9 Bayside Terrace, Riverside, Estimated cost: $245,000. Filed April 2020.

Larry Miles c/o Westfair Communications Inc. 701 Westchester Ave, Suite 100 J White Plains, N.Y. 10604-3407 Phone: 694-3600 • Fax: 694-3699

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ON THE RECORD

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WCBJ

Greenleaf General Contractor LLC, Stamford, contractor for David P. Johnson. Replace windows at 35 Highview Ave., Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $6,500. Filed April 2020.

The Home Depot USA, Atlanta, Georgia, contractor for Hernan Miranda. Remove old windows and replace at 16 Artic St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $3,495. Filed April 2020.

The Home Depot USA, Atlanta, Georgia, contractor for GLD Davis LLC. Remove old windows and replace at 157 Davis Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $1,860. Filed April 2020.

J&G Home Improvement Inc., Ossining, New York, contractor for Eric and Shauna Varvel. Alter kitchen and convert basement to laundry room at 253 Round Hill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $150,000. Filed April 2020.

Loparco Associates, Greenwich, contractor for Nancy Pecora. Move bathroom at 12 Charles St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $17,000. Filed April 2020.

Moriarty Bros Construction Co., Stamford, contractor for 61 E. Elm LLC. Perform replacement alterations at 61 E. Elm St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $13,500. Filed April 2020.

Murphy, Travis, Norwalk, contractor for Neil and Jenni Murray. Remodel kitchen and two bathrooms at 51 Forest Ave., Unit 13, Old Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $55,000. Filed April 2020.

Praxis Home Builders LLC, New Canaan, contractor for Macy Holdings. Renovate bathroom, kitchen and install elevator at 625 W. Lyon Farm Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $250,000. Filed April 2020.

Praxis Home Builders LLC, New Canaan, contractor for Matthew Guttin. Construct retaining wall at 16 Potter Drive, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed April 2020.

Purepoint Energy LLC, Norwalk, contractor for Wiener Malcolm Hewitt. Install roof-mounted panels at 66 Vista Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $192,223. Filed April 2020.

R.E. Davis Construction, Stamford, contractor for Joshua D. Frank. Replace kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures and other miscellaneous items at 16 Benjamin St., Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $128,438.

Filed April 2020.

SBP Dublin Hill LLC, Stamford, contractor for SBP Dublin Hill LLC. Build a new single-family dwelling at 52 Dublin Hill Drive, Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $1,750,000.

Filed April 2020.

UBP Inc., Greenwich, contractor for UBP Inc. Renovate first- and second-floor office at 321 Railroad Ave., Greenwich.

Estimated cost: $300,000.

Filed April 2020.

Van Tuijl, Martinus, Old Greenwich, contractor for Martinus Van Tuijl. Finish garage attic at 19 Grimes Road, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed April 2020.

Varela’s Construction LLC, Trumbull, contractor for Dan Munrow. Install French door at 15 Cat Rock Road, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $40,000. Filed April 2020.

COURT CASES Bridgeport Superior Court Bolling, Albertha, heir and beneficiaries, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Water Pollution Control Authority for the city of Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Juda J. Epstein Law Office, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff provided a connection to the sewerage system to the defendants’ premises. Use charges were assessed and became due and payable. The defendants have refused or neglected to make payments.

The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the lien, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV20-6094275-S. Filed Feb. 10.

Hall, Donna, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Water Pollution Authority for the city of Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Rosenberg Whewell & Hite LLC, Stratford. Action: The plaintiff provided a connection to the sewerage system to the defendants’ premises. Use charges were assessed and became due and payable. The defendants have refused or neglected to make payments.

The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the lien, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief a the court deems appropriate. Case no.

FBT-CV-20-6095040-S. Filed March 4.

Indian Harbor Insurance Company, Stamford. Filed by James Little, Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Mark L Dellavalle, Milford. Action: The plaintiff is a Lyft driver and suffered a collision allegedly caused by a motorist. The defendant provides required insurance to Lyft drivers and its policy contains provisions for uninsured motorist benefits for the plaintiff. The defendant has not paid compensation to the plaintiff for his injuries and losses. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV20-6095193-S. Filed March 10.

Malik, Samriti, et al, Fairfield. Filed by M&T Bank, Buffalo, New York. Plaintiff’s attorney: Bendett & McHugh PC, Farmington. Action: The plaintiff is owner and holder of the defendants’ note. Defendants agreed to pay monthly payments, however they failed to pay plaintiff the entire balance of principal and interest due. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV20-6093265-S. Filed Jan. 10.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Hartford. Filed by Sheldon O. McNeil, Bridgeport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Law Offices of Edward Czepiga LLC, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries.

The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV-206095079-S. Filed March 6.

Danbury Superior Court Farnham, Stacey, Ridgefield.

Filed by A To Z Landscaping LLC, New Milford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Brian Christopher Fournier, New Haven. Action: The plaintiff provided landscaping professional services to the defendant. The defendant failed to comply with the payments terms and thereby breached the terms of the agreement. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $2,500, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief as the court deems appropriate. Case no.

DBD-CV-20-6035584-S. Filed March 3.

Facts & Figures Nolan, Austin, Bethel. Filed

by Laura A Jackson, Bethel.

Plaintiff’s attorney: Zeisler & Zeisler PC, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV20-6035147-S. Filed Jan. 24.

Thomas, Jeffrey, et al, Danbury. Filed by Ana Sari-Illescas, Danbury. Plaintiff’s attorney: The Flood Law Firm LLC, Middletown. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries.

The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-206035542-S. Filed Feb. 28.

Stamford Superior Court Arredondo & Company LLC, Stamford. Filed by Margaret Kostelnik, San Francisco, California. Plaintiff’s attorney: Discala & Discala LLC, Norwalk. Action: The plaintiff was lawfully on the defendant’s premises when she was moving boxes, a sheet of corrugated steel detached from the wall and lacerated the her head The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV20-6045357-S. Filed Jan. 17.

Figel, Dagmar, Monroe.

Filed by Nofar Georgi Steiger, Westport. Plaintiff’s attorney: Berkowitz and Hanna LLC, Shelton. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate.

Case no. FST-CV-20-6045462-S. Filed Jan. 24.

Holahan Jr., Richard D., et al, New Canaan. Filed by Katie Lewis, Milford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Berkowitz and Hanna LLC, Shelton. Action: The plaintiff was walking her dog when she allegedly was viciously attacked and bitten by the defendants’ dog. As a result of the attack, the plaintiff sustained severe injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Case no.

FST-CV-20-6046394-S. Filed March 27.

Lee, Antony, Greenwich.

Filed by Karolina Piorkowska, Stamford. Plaintiff’s attorney: DDA Legal PC, Norwalk. Action: The plaintiff as a pedestrian allegedly struck by the defendant’s car. The collision was due to the negligence of the defendant. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV20-6045456-S. Filed Jan. 24.

Morales, Jennifer A., Stamford. Filed by Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio. Plaintiff’s attorney: Zwicker and Associates PC, Enfield. Action: The plaintiff is a banking association, which defendant used for a credit account and agreed to make payments for goods and services. The defendant failed to make payments. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages and less than $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Case no.

FST-CV-20-6046096-S. Filed March 9.

The NHP Foundation Inc., et al, New York, New York.

Filed by Stephanie Wilks-Johnson, Stamford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Moore O’Brien & Foti, Middlebury. Action: The plaintiff was lawfully on the premises of the defendanst, when she fell due to the tree debris and slippery conditions on the ramp that was controlled and maintained by the defendants.

As a result, plaintiff suffered injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV20-6046194-S. Filed March 13.

DEEDS Commercial 1 Flicker Lane LLC, Norwalk.

Seller: Robert G. Ackerman and Talley B. Ackerman, Southport. Property: 1 Flicker Lane, Norwalk. Amount: $1,290,000.

Filed March 24.

115-27 Colonial Road LLC, Stamford. Seller: RMS Colonial Road LLC, Stamford. Property: 115 Colonial Road, Unit 27, Stamford. Amount: $584,451.

Filed April 6.

Alvarez, Lenny R., New Haven. Seller: KeyBank NA, Cleveland, Ohio. Property: 63 Hedge Brook Lane, Stamford.

Amount: $587,600. Filed April 2.

BBB Investors LLC, Fairfield.

Seller: Bahadir Tekin and Albina Tekin, Stamford. Property: Lot 3, Flax Hill Gardens, Norwalk. Amount: $589,000. Filed March 24.

Crawford, Timothy S. and Suzanne E. Crawford, Norwalk. Seller: Windover Farm Partners LLC, Darien. Property: 329 Chestnut Hill Road, Unit 5, Norwalk. Amount: $1. Filed March 24.

Indalo 66W LLC, Pound Ridge, New York. Seller: Wilton Court Townhouses LLC, Bristol, Rhode Island. Property: 66 Wilton Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $3,525,000. Filed March 27.

JB Aquaculture Holdings LLC, Norwalk. Seller: Timothy D. Schmidt and Dina L. Schmidt, Norwalk. Property: 5 Edgewater Place, Norwalk.

Amount: $380,000. Filed March 24.

Laiho, Juha and Maria Laiho, Norwalk. Seller: Meeker Court LLC, Norwalk. Property: 36 Briar St., Norwalk. Amount: $1,200,000. Filed March 24.

Min Hua Zheng, Trumbull.

Seller: 1000 Meriden Inc., Trumbull. Property: 20 Bayview Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $363,899. Filed March 31.

Randall, James and Susan Randall, Stamford. Seller: US Bank National Association, Hopkins. Property: Lot 26, Map 4189, Stamford. Amount: $503,000. Filed April 6.

Residential Anderson, Bradley F. and Kathryn J. Anderson, Norwalk. Seller: Gretchen A. Eisenmenger, Stanfordville, New York. Property: 18 Cottage St., Norwalk. Amount: $325,000.

Filed March 24.

Bliss, Steven, Newark, Delaware. Seller: Shannen McCarthy, Stamford. Property: 127 Greyrock Place, Unit 804, Stamford. Amount: $293,000.

Filed April 6.

Blohm, Christopher and Deirdre Blohm, Patterson, New York. Seller: Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Irvine, California. Property: 135 Breezy Hill Road, Stamford.

Amount: $581,000. Filed April 6.

Bonsanti, William M., Norwalk. Seller: Karen Murray and John H. Anderson, Norwalk.

Property: 4 Singing Woods Court, Norwalk. Amount: $472,000. Filed March 30.

Buck, Brandon and Krista Katers, Norwalk. Seller: Malcolm Kemeny, et al, Norwalk.

Property: 19 Fifth St., Norwalk.

Amount: $630,000. Filed March 26.

Cheemalapati, Prasadarao and Lakshmi Sambhavi Cheemalapati, Stamford.

Seller: Ramesh K. Brahmania, Stamford. Property: 77 Fifth St., Stamford. Amount: $629,000.

Filed April 6.

Clarke, William and Lauren Clarke, Stamford. Seller: Harri Singh, Stamford. Property: 199 Woodbine Road, Stamford.

Amount: $790,000. Filed April 3.

Dzujna, Christine A., Stamford. Seller: David C. Hoffman, Norwalk. Property: 72 Crooked Trail Road, Norwalk. Amount: $610,000. Filed March 20.

Eberlin, Michael and Ron M. Faskowicz, Norwalk. Seller: Kristin L. Iorio, Stamford.

Property: Unit 117, Clocktower Close Condominium, Norwalk. Amount: $212,000. Filed March 24.

Escher, Charlotte, Stamford.

Seller: Lee Perloff, Westport.

Property: 1 Broad St., Unit 20A, Stamford. Amount: $750,000.

Filed April 6.

Garcia Cardona, Carlos Andres and Daniel Felipe Garcia Cardona, Stamford. Seller: Christos N. Bakes, Norwalk.

Property: 12 Friendly Road, Norwalk. Amount: $475,000.

Filed March 27.

Hannan, Neil John and Natalie Hejduk Hannan, Stamford. Seller: Robert W. Walker, Weston. Property: Unit 604, The Maritime A Condominium, Norwalk. Amount: $580,000. Filed March 30.

Horiatis, Dimitris and Hellen Vouthounis, Stamford.

Seller: Ivo K. Ivanov and Dalia G. Ivanov, Stamford. Property: 1286 Long Ridge Road, Stamford. Amount: $660,000. Filed April 2.

Iacono, Bruno and Lucy Iacono, Norwalk. Seller: Mirella Brancato, Fairfield. Property: 33 Honeysuckle Drive, Norwalk. Amount: $210,000. Filed March 27.

Joseph, Cheryl, Norwalk.

Seller: Joseph Gaita and Sally Gaita, Redding. Property: 11 Edlie Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $505,000. Filed March 27.

Juarez, Sean M., Stamford.

Seller: Bret D. Keeney, Stamford. Property: 77 Rippowam Road, Stamford. Amount: $770,000. Filed April 2.

Deieso, Tyler G. and Claire R. Deieso, Jersey City, New Jersey. Seller: James P. Glowienka and Linda P. Glowienka, Norwalk. Property: 50 Princes Pine Road Norwalk. Amount: $600,000. Filed March 27.

FCBJ

WCBJ

Lyons, Keith and Vilma Rivera, Norwalk. Seller: Melanie R. Haggart and Daniel C. Ehret, Sandy Hook. Property: 123 Old Belden Hill Road, Norwalk. Amount: $320,000. Filed March 30.

Maldonado, Patricio and Jessica Maldonado, Norwalk. Seller: Adam Brazitis and Krista Brazitis, Norwalk.

Property: Lot 6, Map 6990, Norwalk. Amount: $940,000.

Filed March 30.

Mulcahey, Sindy and Ryan Mulcahey, Norwalk. Seller: Dennis M. Brown, Norwalk.

Property: 33 Murray St., Norwalk. Amount: $539,000. Filed March 30.

Muriqi, Fatime, Stamford.

Seller: Timothy F. Finn, Stamford. Property: Unit A3, Woodland Terrace Condominium, Stamford. Amount: $233,500.

Filed April 2.

O’Brien, John Matthew and Nicole L. O’Brien, Norwalk.

Seller: Rosanne Pascarelli, Norwalk. Property: 7 Spinning Wheel Lane, Norwalk.

Amount: $615,000. Filed March 24.

Oliveira, Dina M. and Bryan J. Smith, Norwalk. Seller: Helen L. Barr, Norwalk. Property: 171 Ponus Ave., Norwalk.

Amount: $1,200,000. Filed March 24.

Ovalles Taveras, Luiyi E. and Angela L. Pena Luna, Mount Vernon, New York.

Seller: Michelle Khessibi, Stamford. Property: 27 Maitland Ave., Stamford. Amount: $435,000. Filed April 2.

Palkimas, Christopher and Lauren A. Palkimas, Norwalk. Seller: Leigh Abear, Norwalk. Property: 64 Glenrock, Norwalk. Amount: $223,000.

Filed March 31.

Petrylak, Daniel P. and Lynda M. Lee, Stamford. Seller: Melanie L. Maregni and Brian P. Maregni, Norfolk, Massachusetts. Property: 77 Havemeyer Lane, Stamford. Amount: $1,199,000. Filed April 2.

JUNE 1, 2020

27

Facts & Figures Ponthala, Hafsal, Norwalk.

Seller: Ariel Avila-Guerrero and Karina C. Avila, Norwalk.

Property: 14 Vollmer Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $399,000. Filed March 27.

Thompsen, Daniel and Jenna Morton Thompsen, Norwalk. Seller: Catherine S. Taylor, Norwalk. Property: 2 Quarry Lane, Norwalk.

Amount: $550,000. Filed March 17.

Faustine, Tara L., Norwalk. $27,045, in favor of Absolute Resolutions Investments, Norwalk, by Cohen, Burns, Hard & Paul, West Hartford. Property: 7 Mills St., Norwalk. Filed May 22.

Troy, John W. and Roberta T. Troy, Norwalk. Seller: Katherine Mary McSporran, Norwalk. Property: 104 East Rocks Road, Norwalk. Amount: $10.

Filed March 31.

Garcia, Pedro H., et al, Westport. $253,083, in favor of Webster Bank NA, Southington, by Pease & Dorio PC, Farmington.

Property: 49 Glenwood Ave., Norwalk. Filed March 31.

Shyn, Stephen W. and Zoe N. Zhyn, Norwalk. Seller: Joseph Quick and Kathryn Medlin, Norwalk. Property: 401 Rowayton Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $595,000. Filed March 24.

Velasquez, Juan, Stamford.

Seller: James S. Garbarino, Norwalk. Property: 14 Lincoln Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $474,000.

Filed March 24.

Stevens, Meredith and Riefe Collins, Ossining, New York.

Seller: Richard Rischling, Coral Springs, Florida. Property: Unit 2, Green Oaks Condominium, Stamford. Amount: $362,000.

Filed April 6.

Villanueva, Marcio and Khrystyna Rayko, Stamford.

Seller: Louis M. Esposito and Marylou Esposito, Norwalk.

Property: 17 Singing Woods Road, Norwalk. Amount: $580,000. Filed March 24.

Goodwin, Everlee, Norwalk. $4,560, in favor of Professional Orthopedic and Sports Physical, Darien, by Jacobs & Rozich, New Haven. Property: 38 Ivy Place, Norwalk. Filed March 24.

Stinnett, Laura and Kara Ridenour, Brooklyn, New York. Seller: Karl Frey, Norwalk.

Property: 21 Princes Pine Road, Norwalk. Amount: $590,000.

Filed March 27.

Williams, Cecilia I., Howard Beach, New York. Seller: Cathy Smurio, Norwalk. Property: 8 Silvermine Ave., Unit B12, Norwalk. Amount: $290,000. Filed March 31.

Ramirez, David and Natalia Ramirez, Wilton. Seller: Richard Sansone, Westport.

Property: 83 Washington St., Unit 2G, Norwalk. Amount: $250,000. Filed March 24.

Stolarski, Edward and Sheila Stolarsky, Norwalk. Seller: Richard Sansone, Westport.

Property: 134 Washington St., Unit D304, Norwalk. Amount: $290,000. Filed March 24.

Stozek, Henry and Lana Sexton, New York, New York.

Seller: Kevin Michael Williams, Norwalk. Property: 5 Weed Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $600,000. Filed March 27.

Swan, Nathaniel H. and Michelle M. Swan, Darien. Seller: Adam Raphaely and Maurie Raphaely, Norwalk. Property: 7 Harstrom Place, Norwalk.

Amount: $1,450,000. Filed March 31.

Tatachar, Ananth and Sandhya Poojary, Stamford.

Seller: Madhusudan B. Ponnuveetil and Anupama Pallikere, Stamford. Property: 33 Colonial Road, Unit 4, Stamford.

Amount: $378,000. Filed April 3.

28

JUNE 1, 2020

JUDGMENTS Berkshire, Estates LLC, Norwalk. $49,020, in favor of Pro Fox Contractors LLC, Norwalk,

by Eric H. Opin, Milford. Property: 10 Belmont Place, Norwalk. Filed May 18.

Capone, Joseph, Stamford. $21,887, in favor of Frank R. Bongiorno, Darien, by Mark F. Katz, Stamford. Property: 31 Laurel Ledge Road, Stamford.

Filed May 8.

Carmona, Augusto, Stamford. $920, in favor of Cach LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 75 Stanton Drive, Stamford. Filed April 21.

DiChiara, Michael J., Norwalk. $7,726, in favor of LVNV Funding LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Schereiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 2 Green Lane, Norwalk.

Filed May 19.

FCBJ

WCBJ

Leach, Hubert, Norwalk. $1,747, in favor of Hop Energy LLC, Bridgeport, by William G. Reveley & Associates LLC, Vernon. Property: 11 Fillow St., Norwalk. Filed March 24.

Lopez, Zeferino, Stamford. $3,250, in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 40 Alden St., Stamford. Filed April 21.

Maya, Wilson, Norwalk. $4,932, in favor of Norwalk Hospital Association, Norwalk,

by Lovejoy and Rimer PC, Norwalk. Property: 5 Donna Drive, Norwalk. Filed March 31.

Sunmore Condominium Association Inc, Stamford. $17,389 in favor of Litchfield Newton LTD, New Haven, by Roger B. Calistro, New Haven.

Property: 833 Summer St., Stamford. Filed May 11.

Triana, Pedro S., Norwalk. $4,044, in favor of the Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC, Norfolk, Virginia, by Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 82 Fillow St., Norwalk. Filed April 21.

Tual, Daniel, Stamford. $6,144, in favor of Midland Funding LLC, Warren, Michigan, by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 6 Alma Rock Road, Stamford. Filed April 16.

Weber, Robert, Norwalk. $51,994, in favor of Cavalry SPV I LLC, Valhalla, New York, by Schereiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 52 Linden St., Norwalk. Filed May 19.

LIENS

Mims, Cory D. and Monique S. Mims, 42 Old Rock Lane, Norwalk. $10,041, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Montero, Rolando A. and Maria D. Montero, 73 Scribner Ave., Norwalk. $10,276, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Federal Tax Liens Filed

O’Sullivan, Keith and Patricia O’Sullivan, 306 Fairfield Woods Road, Fairfield. $22,256, civil proceeding tax.

Filed March 23.

Albrecht, Jon and Dani Diberardini-Albrecht, 110 Gruman Ave., Norwalk. $89,909, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Peter IV, Grace J., 18 Pine Hill Ave., Norwalk. $82,330, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Anderson, James C., 2 Old Well Cottage, Norwalk. $27,608, civil proceeding tax.

Filed March 24.

Ryan, Barbara, 22 Cavray Road, Norwalk. $22,451, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 26.

Brandt, Scipion, 48 Lenox Ave., Norwalk. $25,199, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

LIS PENDENS

Bromberg, Marc S. and Cathy L. Bromberg, 150 Glover Ave., Apartment 225, Norwalk. $29,395, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Abille, Theodore A., et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC. Property: 93 George St., Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed March 18.

Cutting Edge Property Management, 304 Main St., Norwalk. $18,495, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Dolan, Hugh, 1775 Congress St., Fairfield. $50,058, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 23.

Faucher, Reginald and Patricia Faucher, 9 Argentine Way, Norwalk. $26,767, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Gibbons, Robert N. and Elaine Gibbons, 31 Larbert Road, Southport. $45,804, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 23.

Gladman, Jason M., 26 Belden Ave., Unit 1413, Norwalk. $59,663, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Henriquez, Moises Gabriel, 5 Bouton St., Apartment 2, Norwalk. $43,076, civil proceeding tax. Filed March 24.

Azana, Donny M., et al, Stamford. Filed by Korde & Associates PC, New London, for Newrez LLC. Property: Unit 7, Myrtle Manor, Stamford.

Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed March 30.

Beck Gilbert, et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association. Property: 70 Apple Tree Drive, Stamford.

Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed March 18.

Chambers Jr., Frank J., et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for The Bank of New York Mellon. Property: 11 Elaine St., Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 20.

Cole, Julius, et al, Stamford.

Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for MEB Loan Trust IV. Property: 252 Ely Ave., Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 24.

Docimo, Donna and Mark Docimo, Stamford. Filed by the Law Offices of David W. Rubin, Stamford, for J. Kristen Gardiner. Property: 111 Diamondcrest Lane, Stamford.

Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 8.

Flink, Ellen M., et al, Stamford. Filed by Brock & Scott PLLC, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for Citizens Bank NA. Property: Unit C13, Beachcomber Condominium Association Inc. Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 20.

Hall, Novlyn A., et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Liebert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. Property: 20 Spruce St., Unit C15, Stamford.

Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed March 20.

Kelly, Donald G., et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Citibank NA. Property: 43 Donald Road, Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 15.

Maxala LLC, et al, Stamford.

Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Property: 273 Bridge St., Unit 1, Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage.

Filed March 26.

Quinonez, Carlos, et al, Stamford. Filed by Bendett & McHugh PC, Farmington, for Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Property: 9 Hinckley Ave., Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 24.

Rahman, Muhammad M., et al, Stamford. Filed by Glass & Braus LLC, Fairfield, for Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Property: 4 Union Ave., Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 14.

Facts & Figures Randall, Peter, et al, Stamford. Filed by Marinosci Law Group PC, Warwick, Rhode Island, for Wilmington Savings Fund Society. Property: Lot 35, Map 3741, Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 30.

Scarvey, Sherry K., et al, Stamford. Filed by Bendett & McHugh PC, Farmington, for Newrez LLC. Property: 18 Bracchi Drive, Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 14.

Schiffman, Joel P., et al, Stamford. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for US Bank National Association, Property: 180 Blackwood Lane, Stamford.

Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed March 31.

Sonntag, Steven, et al, Stamford. Filed by Frankel & Berg, Norwalk, for Clarmont Association Inc. Property: 8 Clarmore Drive, Unit 1B, Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 27.

Star Partners LLC, et al, Stamford. Filed by Edward M. Rosenthal, West Hartford, for G.C. Plumbing & Heating Inc. Property: 0 Franklin St., Stamford. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed April 15.

Taylor III, Donald F., et al, Stamford. Filed by Polivy, Lowry & Clayton LLC, Hartford, for Easton, Property Management LLC. Property: 70 Shorefront Park, Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage.

Filed April 30.

TR South Water Street LLC, Stamford. Filed by Robert A. Ziegler, Plainville, for HD Supply Inc. Property: 123 Water St., Norwalk. Action: foreclose defendant’s mortgage. Filed April 20.

LEASES Bruno, Joelene, by John W. Sullivan. Landlord: River Haven Inc., Stamford. Property: 54 W. North St., Stamford. Term: 3 years, commenced April 27, 2020. Filed May 1.

Lyles, Denise, by Lynda Roscia. Landlord: Courtland Green Inc., Stamford. Property: 34 Courtland Ave., No.1, Stamford. Term: 70 years, commenced April 30, 2020.

Filed May 1.

MORTGAGES Alcantara, Alyssa and Roberto Otero, Norwalk, by Seth J. Arnowitz. Lender: CrossCountry Mortgage LLC, 6850 Miller Road, Brecksville, Ohio. Property: 13 Yost St., Norwalk. Amount: $441,849. Filed March 2.

Barrows Turcotte, Rachel Vanessa and Todd Turcotte, Norwalk, by N/A. Lender: US Bank National Association, 4801 Frederica St., Owensboro, Kentucky. Property: 23 Lindenwoods Road, Norwalk. Amount: $393,750. Filed March 2.

Bermudez-Montgomery, Liza, Norwalk, by Richard L. Mintz. Lender: Savings Bank of Danbury Mutual Savings, 220 Main St., Danbury. Property: 9 Robins Square South, Norwalk. Amount: $393,670. Filed March 2.

Cortes, Vanessa, Norwalk,

by Antonio Faretta. Lender: Nationstar Mortgage LLC, 8950 Cypress Waters Blvd., Dallas, Texas. Property: 29 Van Buren Ave., Unit K5, Norwalk. Amount: $196,000. Filed March 2.

Devito, Joseph, Norwalk, by Andrew S. Gale. Lender: Newrez LLC, 1100 Virginia Drive, Suite 125, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Property: 12 Glenrock, Unit 12, Norwalk.

Amount: $237,200. Filed March 2.

Massimore, Marissa Elizabeth, Norwalk, by Ricky M. Capozza. Lender: Total Mortgage Services LLC, 185 Plains Road, Milford. Property: 7 Seir Hill Road, Unit 43, Norwalk.

Amount: $257,763. Filed March 2.

Diiorio, Anthony, Norwalk,

by Gita Patel Bechar. Lender: Webster Bank NA, 145 Bank St., Waterbury. Property: 42 Rampart Road, Norwalk. Amount: $42,000. Filed March 2.

Nugent, Monica, Norwalk,

by Idesta Adams. Lender: Residential HomeMortgage Corp., 100 Lanidex Plaza, second Floor, Parsippany, New Jersey.

Property: 31 Hawthorne Drive, Norwalk. Amount: $302,095.

Filed March 2.

Disette, Ronald and Kathryn G. Disette, Norwalk, by Susan B. Croker. Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA, 101 N. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Property: 17 Glendenning St., Norwalk. Amount: $234,650.

Filed March 2.

Douglass, Christopher J. and Elizabeth Douglass, Norwalk, by Charles A. Fiore. Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA, 101 N. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Property: 6 Highbrook Road, Norwalk.

Amount: $432,000. Filed March 2.

Dulski, Jay C., Norwalk, by John R. Fiore. Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, 1111 Polaris Pkwy., Columbus, Ohio.

Property: 13 Strathmore Lane, Westport. Amount: $267,160.

Filed March 2.

Galati, Francesco, Norwalk,

by Jason J. Morytko. Lender: Total Mortgage Services LLC, 185 Plains Road, Milford. Property: 73 Walter Ave., Norwalk.

Amount: $429,000. Filed March 2.

Gonzalez, Jaime L. and Ishell Escalona, Norwalk, by Richard J. Shapiro. Lender: Citizens Bank NA, 1 Citizens Plaza, Providence, Rhode Island.

Property: 3 Chipping Lane, Norwalk. Amount: $551,000.

Filed March 2.

Kost, Margaret A., Norwalk,

by Daniel T. Hunter. Lender: Primelending a Plainscapital Company, 18111 Preston Road, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas. Property: 83 Washington St., Norwalk. Amount: $257,050. Filed March 2.

Peltier, Sean Patrick and Mary Brosnan, Norwalk, by Domenico Chieffalo. Lender: Sikorsky Financial Credit Union, 1000 Oronoque Lane, Stratford. Property: 32 Windsor Place, Norwalk. Amount: $307,275. Filed March 2.

Predun, Peter Robert, Norwalk, by Dina Thornhelm.

Lender: US Bank National Association, 4801 Frederica St., Owensboro, Kentucky. Property: 4 Daskams Lane, Unit 122, Norwalk. Amount: $225,000.

Filed March 2.

Rodriguez, Wilson F. and Patricia P. Rodriguez, Norwalk, by Andrew S. Gale.

Lender: HomeBridge Financial Services Inc., 194 Wood Ave. Ninth floor, Iselin, New Jersey.

Property: 31 Morton St., Norwalk. Amount: $168,750. Filed March 2.

BAKKT, 6 Landmark Square, Fourth floor, Stamford 06902, c/o BAKKT Holding LLC. Filed April 27.

Christopher Zingaro Financial Service, 1 Eliot Place, Suite 200, Stamford 06902, c/o Christopher Zingaro. Filed April 29.

Kelley Financial Coaching, 16 Berges Ave., Stamford 06905, c/o Tristan Kelley. Filed April 17.

KJ’s Surf and Paddle, 15 Old Orchard Lane, Stamford 06903, c/o Karen Jewell. Filed April 6.

Marco Jewelers, 16 Sixth St., Stamford 06903, c/o Ana Maria Vuono. Filed April 14.

Nocap Culture, 854 Hope St., Stamford 06830, c/o Dynamic A.I.M. LLC. Filed April 7.

Peace of Mind Home Health Care LLC, 186 Lockwood Ave., Stamford 06902, c/o Missy Millburn. Filed April 20.

Alan Barr DDS, 555 Newfield Ave., Stamford 06905, c/o Alan Barr. Filed April 22.

Allan F. Friedman Criminal Lawyer, 24 Hoyt St., No. A, Stamford 06905, c/o Allan F. Friedman. Filed April 7.

System and method for compensating for nonlinear behavior for an acoustic transducer based on magnetic flux. Patent no.

10,667,040 issued to John Barry French. Assigned to Harman International, Stamford.

Coordination among multiple voice recognition devices. Patent no. 10,665,232 issued to Brant D. Thomsen. Assigned to Harman International, Stamford.

Wide color-gamut vehicle infotainment display system with quantum dot element. Patent no. 10,656,465 issued to Rashmi Rao, et al.

Assigned to Harman International, Stamford.

Regina Bianco, 17 Cedar Heights Road, Stamford 06902, c/o Kati Ochoa-Serrano. Filed April 1.

Trinity Equity Group, 49 Stone Wall Drive, Stamford 06905, c/o Money Sense Capital LLC. Filed April 24.

NEW BUSINESSES Aimees Business Services, 13 Waverly Place, Stamford 06902, c/o Maria Aimee Alibangbang. Filed April 7.

Low-complexity multichannel smart loudspeaker with voice control. Patent no. 10,667,071 issued to Ulrich Horbach, et al. Assigned to Harman International, Stamford.

PATENTS Method and system for automated association of devices with electricity meters. Patent no. 10,663,497 issued to Fritz Francis Ebner, et al. Assigned to Xerox Corp., Norwalk.

Method of using a toner as a printable adhesive. Patent no. 10,662,356 issued to NanXing Hu, et al. Assigned to Xerox Corp., Norwalk.

FCBJ

WCBJ

JUNE 1, 2020

29

LIONESS, INC.

S

Seeing wild animals display affection strikes a chord with us humans. We’ve been there.

We’ve done that. Given the harsh environment and everyday struggle to survive in the wild, we are surprised to see glimpses of human behavior in their actions. This cub, in stride, reached up and leaned into his mother, looking for assurance. Solidarity is how they have always survived.

Lions are the laziest of the big cats, often spending most of the day sleeping or resting. While lazing around, they can be very affectionate towards one another.

While a group of people connected to one another is called a tribe, a group of fish is called a school and a group of owls is called a parliament, a group of lions is collectively called a pride because of their stately quality.

Lions are the only cats that live in these social groups called prides. Family units may contain as many as 40 lions, including up to four males, who are responsible for protecting the pride, and a dozen females. All of a pride’s lionesses are related and will mate at approximately the same time. After a gestation period of about 110 days, the females gives birth to 1 to 4 cubs, weighing only 2 to 4 pounds. The cubs are then raised together, sometimes nursing communally.

While the image of male lion superiority is ubiquitous in the world, the truth is that the females are the leaders of the pride and its primary hunters. Males rarely participate in hunting unless they are needed. Females fiercely defend their cubs, and while males tolerate them, they don’t always defend them. With high mortality

rates, about 80% of cubs will not survive until adulthood, but those that do may live to be 10 to 14 years of age.

Helping humans learn how to live with lions is key to ensuring their survival. In northern Kenya, Samburu warriors, women and children with important local knowledge of wildlife issues are trained to collect data on wildlife sightings and respond to community issues like livestock depredation. In exchange, they receive educational lessons and a leadership role in their communities, creating a network of wildlife ambassadors. Some conservation organizations pay farmers to replace their livestock that have been taken by lions.

There are so many fascinating things to discover about lions and all the other creatures that can be found on safari with John Rizzo’s Africa Photo Tours. It’s an unforgettable trip filled with lions, elephants, leopards, zebras and rhinos — all waiting to be discovered by you!

Rizzo, an award-winning photographer, leads a team of experienced guides, specializing in safari and tribal tours within East Africa – Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. His experienced team brings an intimate group of guests of all ages to see the “Big Five” (buffalos, elephants, lions leopards and rhinoceroses) as well as visit with the Maasai, Samburu and Turkana people. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

For more, visit africaphototours.com