PRESORTED STANDARD PERMIT #3036 WHITE PLAINS NY
Vol. V NO I
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Ivy Johnson’s Story
As Told to Hezi Aris Page 17
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Town of Greenburgh Budget Page 3
Bronxville Mayor Marvin Page 6
Paulin’s Priorities Page 7
Letters to the Editor Page 9
Ed Koch Movie Reviews Page 10
Weir Only Human Page 13
Shifting Gears Page 14
westchesterguardian.com
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The Westchester Guardian
Of Significance Elections.......................................................................................2 Finance.........................................................................................3 Government.................................................................................4 Letters...........................................................................................9 Movie Reviews...........................................................................10 OpEd..........................................................................................11 Radio...........................................................................................13 Religion.......................................................................................14 Shifting Gears............................................................................14 Show Prep...................................................................................15 Spoof...........................................................................................16 Sports..........................................................................................16 Telling: Eclipsing the Silence.....................................................17 Theatre........................................................................................18 Legal Notices..............................................................................19
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Guardian News Corp. P.O. Box 8 New Rochelle, New York 10801 Sam Zherka , Publisher & President publisher@westchesterguardian.com Hezi Aris, Editor-in-Chief & Vice President whyteditor@gmail.com Advertising: (914) 632-2540 News and Photos: (914) 632-2540 Fax: (914) 633-0806 Published online every Monday Print edition distributed Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Graphic Design: Watterson Studios, Inc. wattersonstudios.com
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THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
ELECTIONS
2011 Election Year Questions for New Rochelle Residents By Peggy Godfrey
In November of this year the City of New Rochelle will hold an election for City Council members and Mayor. One way of assessing whether the City is going in the right direction is to look back on the events of 2010, especially Council decisions. There are unresolved issues which each resident needs to evaluate when deciding what the future should hold for New Rochelle. Some questions are presented to highlight some of these issues. 1. Will the City of New Rochelle be able to regain its recently lost AA2 bond rating which was attributed to a lower fund balance in the City budget. How will the City find the revenue to increase this fund balance? Will the tax abatements granted by the New Rochelle IDA (Industrial Development Corporation) as Councilman Lou Trangucci has suggested, now come “back to hurt the taxpayers?” 2. Will there be changes in the proposed GreeNR Sustainability draft to make it more equitable to the southern half of New Rochelle? This would include the need brought up by Robert Cox, Founder and Editor of New Rochelle Talk of the Sound, that the report should be translated and circulated since l0% of the City does not speak English, 20% do not have internet and 50% do not have broadband. The present plan anticipates a high percent of housing units being placed near the train station. There is no discussion of the greater density that will be created for his already overcrowded area and the intensifying of the congestion, parking and pollution problems. At Mayor Noam Bramson’s November 22 meeting, residents told him they had “had enough.” It was suggested to him that new buildings should not be located in the densely populated southern part of the City. 3. Downtown revitalization continues to be a major topic as more buildings are proposed with the prospect of more tax abatements. Will the LeCount Square development be denied since Cappelli has not made an arrangement with the U.S. Post Office? Will future development consider the best interests of all the residents? Certainly it is a reasonable conclusion this has not happened in the past as the City finds it
must use a high proportion of City services for the downtown area which also has heavily tax abated properties. Will Forest City Residential be allowed to continue, especially if they do not produce a revised downsized plan? If not, will the residents be presented a rationale from Council members voting in favor of these two developments on the newly proposed 17 Locust Avenue and the Church-Division project? Developers should understand the citizens of New Rochelle want their developments to strengthen the city’s resources as well as its finances. Abatements should be short term and reasonable. 4. Will the City Council listen to the residents and act on their concerns. Even Council woman Roxie Stowe expressed reservations about the the development fn downtown New Rochelle and questioned whether it was helping the City. The 17 Locust Avenue proposal is in Councilman Al Tarantino’s district and he has said the area is very densely populated. Many of the residents in the area are faced with lack of adequate parking now and there have been requests to change the building code so that each new apartment would have two or three parking spaces. Will the City Council listen and act on this zoning request and add more parking spaces? Recently the City Council authorized charging for overnight parking in downtown lots. Will the Council be able to figure out how to allocate parking spaces and parking fees in lots and on the streets to maximize business’ ability to profit from the regulation. 5. W hen the City is redistricted, as mandated by population changes, will they consider strengthening neighborhoods as a top priority, and not splitting them for political gain? Will this looming redistricting of the six districts be made through party politics or by an independent committee? Will the lines be drawn to not only respect those in a minority district but also all the residents of New Rochelle? 6. An IDA audit showed projects had not been properly documented when benefits were given. The IDA was criticized for not performing an analysis to see if the benefits they gave would exceed the cost of providing tax abatements. There was no monitoring of Continued on page 3
The Westchester Guardian
ELECTIONS
2011 Election Year Questions for New Rochelle Residents Continued from page 2 projects to see if they were meeting their goals. For example, New Roc Parcel 1-A was supposed to create 358 jobs but had only created 98 by 2008. Will any of the Democrats on Council join with the Republican members of Council who want a state law passed that would allow the City Council to have the final say on abatements? Do we need the IDA abatements to bring businesses here? Shoprite came to New Rochelle this year with no tax abatements. 7. Will the City show respect and honor for veterans, living and deceased, and the citizens who died on 9-11, all of whom willingly served our nation. The ceremonies at Memorial Plaza and at the Armory in the last few years honored these unsung heroes. Former New York State Assemblyman Ron Tocci has articulated how the Declaration of Independence in 1776 emphasized our liberty and happiness “granted by God,” adding that the blood of our military has been shed for countries all over the world.
8. Will the looming promised tax cap on real estate taxes by newly elected Governor Andrew Cuomo have unintended consequences? Councilman Barry Fertel during the budget hearings suggested a one percent transfer fee on real estate sales, but City Manager Chuck Strome did not think the State would allow this fee if the cap was imposed. Will the Council put a high priority on keeping the taxes low? 9. F ear gripped some residents when a young man was killed in downtown New Rochelle, Will Jim Killoran, his SoNo group, and the more than l,000 residents who signed petitions requesting a police station and walking police in downtown get their request? New Rochelle will be preserved as Queen City of the Sound when the residents are thoughtful and vigilant. Great care and attention should be given by residents when they select officials. Future generations are depending on decisions that necessarily need to be made today. Peggy Godfrey is a freelance writer, a community activist, and former educator.
FINANCE
Here’s Your Budget Greenburgh; Happy New Year! By Nancy King
You know the holidays are over when your municipality gives you that one final gift; the new annual budget. The Town of Greenburgh bestowed their final gift to taxpayers late last month. Comprehending the FY 2011 Town Budget is sort of like ordering from a Chinese food menu. There is a column A budget and a column B budget and if we were not in such dire economic times, it would be almost laughable to see what services and perks move between the two columns. The gist of this budget has the residents of the incorporated areas of the town paying an extra $73.79 more in 2011. ( These are the folks who get column A) Folks living in the unincorporated areas (column B) get to pay an extra $113.70 in taxes this year.
So even though the good public servants of Westchester County government are lowering my taxes by about $30.00 this year, I will still be spending around $83.70 more than last year. That doesn’t sound like much but when you sit down and take a look at columns A& B, you start to wonder what the Town Board was thinking and how did they decide which programs to cut and which to save. Of course everyone Continued on page 4
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
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The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
FINANCE THURSDAY Continued from page, 3APRIL 8, 2010 wants their enhanced emergency services and that is always a good department not to cut but $52K for an arts consultant leads me to say just one word. Why? Most residents are not admiring the artwork in Town Hall when they are heading down that long hallway to pay their taxes. The town has also opted to retain a historian for a little over $4K a year. This position is supposed to record valuable history and documents for all to view later. A nice touch but let the clerk file the documents and revisit the historian when we are flush with money. There were some other positions retained that made me go hmmmm, too. It seems that we have messengers who deliver documents from one department/ building/site to another. There are two messengers, one of them being noted as a “Senior Messenger.” Yeah, documents need to get delivered, but what about email attachments? Wouldn’t that work just as well? Wasn’t email invented to cut down on paper waste? Sheesh, the next thing
you know, we eill be hiring someone to hit the send button on a computer. At least, couldn’t the board have trimmed one position there? There were other unanswered questions as well. Why does the head of the building department get a stipend of over $9K a year? If building permits and the revenue that they bring in are down, why does one need a stipend? When looking at the budget(s), it is also fascinating to see the amount of personnel who get periodicals and newspapers delivered to the various departments. Again these are great resources for any department to have, if we had the resources to pay for them. Most of us have given up magazine subscriptions as we tighten our belts on the home front. And yet, every department from the Town Board right down to the lowliest department at the Community Center Pool receives subscription based periodicals. Who reads them? I don’t know? But I do know that in hard times, it is about doing more with less, not more with status quo. Speaking of the Community Center, this department has a Commissioner,
Deputy Commissioner, three life guard “captains” and a stipend of nearly $4K for the “registration coordinator.” The Community Center also receives periodical subscriptions to the tune of $400.00 a year and has budgeted another $500.00 to attend conferences. These two items are hardly essential services. The outdoor pool complex at Veteran’s Park has budgeted $1,500.00 for awards or prizes. Simply not necessary at this time! Like a good parent, there comes a time when you have to explain that you do not always get a prize for showing up. Speaking of just showing up... the majority of our budget now goes to satisfy the salaries, the benefits and the pensions of the employees of the Town of Greenburgh. Most of the town employees are CSEA members and are thus protected by their respective contracts. But the union leaders must also take a responsible parental stance with their membership. The taxpayer can no longer fund the luxurious benefits and pension package that these employees receive. There comes a time when a compromise is in order and that time is now. It is now time to contribute a nominal amount to health benefits and
pension benefits. Even if it is a nominal amount, the gesture would go far with the taxpayers. That gesture would also have to include members of the Town Board who also enjoy those generous benefits even though their positions are only parttime. The Supervisor also received a raise of $1,250.00 this year. Though not a large increase, it is an increase nonetheless. The residents of Greenburgh enjoy their AAA bond rating, but at what cost? We could have sat here for days and waxed eloquently about other cuts that coulda/ shoulda been made. Going though this budget even in the most cursory manner, there were savings of well over 13K that no one would have even noticed were missing. Sadly enough, most people don’t have the time to sit around and do a line by line assessment of the budget that they will be paying for; they’re too busy working to pay for it. In the end, Supervisor Paul Feiner talks about reinventing and shrinking government. Mr. Feiner has indeed made an effort to shrink town government through attrition and he has made some cuts, but not nearly enough, and certainly not enough to avoid a tax increase this year.
GOVERNMENT
Mission Statement
The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of events and developments that are newsworthy and significant to readers living in, and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardian will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure of truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated with daily journals, we will instead seek to provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate. From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where, why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the very heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere. To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarily better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.
Rye City Police Department Budget Grudges By Bary Alyssa Johnson In a scathing letter directed toward the Rye City Mayor, Council, Manager, Corporation Council and Comptroller, Franco Compagnone the President of the Rye Police Benevolent Association, aired a laundry list of alarmingly valid complaints regarding budget cuts to the Rye City Police Department for the upcoming year. The central and penultimate cause for concern in the President’s letter, dated December 17, 2010, is for the overall safety of city citizens. Compagnone warns that “Rye residents should be very worried” and that ultimately “Rye residents will suffer” because of said budget cuts. Another major complaint made
public by Compagnone was the utter lack of cooperation and collaboration by City officials in relation to repeated requests for a workshop session between the two parties. This would give both sides a forum where the controversial cuts, to be outlined below, would have been discussed at length and then dealt with accordingly. Compagnone contacted the City Council to set up a workshop in a bid to find fair and neutral solutions to countless P.D. complaints, but was shot down by Mayor Doug French. French advised the PBA President that neither he nor the Council would meet with any representatives of the Department due to city charter rules. French advised Compagnone to contact City Manager Scott Pickup to schedule a workshop. Pickup, along Continued on page 5
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
The Westchester Guardian
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GOVERNMENT
Rye City Police Department Budget Grudges Continued from page 4 with the entirety of the City Council outright denied the PBA as well - in the end only agreeing to meet for a workshop in February 2011, long after the budget will officially be instated. The PBA was repeatedly and brutally rebuffed in any and all requests to make their voices heard. In a not-so-surprising turn of events, requests made to the City Manager by The Westchester Guardian for comment on the ongoing situation went unanswered. Do you see the tables turning here as well? Karma may explain the missed opportunity by closemouthed City officials to clear the air. You may be wondering what type of budget cuts could garner such a public impasse between groups similarly serving their city. They are as follows: elimination of at least three P.D. higher-up positions, monetary cuts in police training, cuts for allotment of police uniforms (which have been in short supply for at least 8 years running, as reported by Compagnone).
Incomprehensible cutbacks of the youth D.A.R.E. program are conveniently complemented by the complete elimination of the Rye City P.D. Youth Prevention Services position. The D.A.R.E. program, which is inaccurately portrayed as a thriving success on the City’s official Web site, will be single-handedly run by veteran Detective John Wood. To top that off, Wood is also being asked to add to his workload the tasks of an entire full-time Detective position as a result of a recent retiree who will not be replaced. Compagnone wasn’t the only one up in arms over lack of sufficient funding and cooperative communication. Local residents have made dozens of public statements during City Hall meetings on the proposed 2011 budget. Many of these residents voiced fears over personal safety, safety over their children and their community, and the overall safekeeping of the P.D. An unexpected number of residents stepped forward and volunteered to pay
increased taxes in order to ensure that the P.D. remains in tact. During one of these meetings, even members of the City Council agreed that the questionable qualms indeed require a more thorough analysis and that a public workshop should undoubtedly have been held by now. Chaos has reigned supreme in the strained relations between city officials and city law enforcement parties for the whole month of December. How
long will it be before this chaos rears its ugly head in Rye society? The answer will undoubtedly come in due time. The true challenge will be in stifling the opposing official opinions and come to an acceptable meeting of the minds between both parties. Here’s hoping the City of Rye will have rung in the New Year with an acceptable resolution for their skirmishes. Local resident Bary Alyssa Johnson covers Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, and Rye Brook, as well as the evolving world of electronics and technology.
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The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
GOVERNMENT
Jenkins to Astorino: The FY 2011 County Budget Process is Over Westchester County Board of year, including state, county and special Legislators (WCBoL) Chairman Ken district taxes, shall be levied not later Jenkins (D-Yonkers) last than December 28th. The week released a statement County Board shall levy, condemning Westchester assess and cause to be raised County Executive Robert by tax upon real property Astorino for his useless veto liable therefore the amount of the county’s tax levy. The of taxes determined by such FY 2011 tax levy – which budgets and in the manner will deliver a 2.25% tax cut provided for the levy of to all Westchester residents state and county taxes.’ – was approved by a vote of The Budget Act is not 10-1 on December 27. The a normal Act. The Budget final approved budget was Act is very specific in the adopted on December 23, actions that can be taken. Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) when the Legislature overMr. Astorino exercised his rode 249 of Mr. Astorino’s Charter authority to veto 260 vetoes. line items within 5 days of receiving the “It would appear that Mr. Astorino approved budget from the County Board. and his advisors need to brush up on The budget was not finally adopted their knowledge of the County Charter. until December 23, 2010 until his 260 In Section 167.111, it clearly states that line item vetoes were considered by ‘when the county budget shall have been the County Board. The required Tax finally adopted, an appropriation act Levy Appropriation Act is ministefor such budget shall be passed by the rial, a result of the final adopted budget, County Board and taxes for the ensuing beginning with the recommended
MAYOR Marvin COLUMN
having regular meetings with the various County departments in fulfilling the role of the County Board in providing oversight of the County budget. This budget is balanced, accessible and transparent. Frankly, it is my expectation that in the ensuing year, Mr. Astorino’s administration will be more participatory in the open and transparent committee structure of the Legislature where his proposed initiatives will be vetted in public where good public discourse could take place. Finally, I think it is completely counterproductive that Mr. Astorino and his staff to continue to use inflammatory and malicious language in various policy debates. The people of Westchester expect their elected officials to be leaders and to act responsibly and respectfully while we develop creative solutions to Westchester’s challenges. Reasonable people can disagree without being disagreeable and offensive.”
SOURCE: Office of WCBoL Chairman Ken Jenkins
GOVERNMENT
Reflection By Mary C. Marvin The year 2010 at Village Hall mirrored what occurred in most Village households. We simply tried to make do with less and solve some of our needs/issues in more creative ways. It was the second year in a row without a tax increase so discretionary funds for projects were non-existent. Nonetheless, thanks to an amazingly dedicated corps of employees, many of our goals, however modest, were achieved. Our periodic property revaluation program was completed on time providing us with truly the most equitable tax roll in the county; funding was obtained for at least partial restoration of both Sagamore Park and Maltby Field and we deservedly won many “Green” awards for our recycling efforts and general stewardship of Village
budget, additions by the Budget and Appropriations Committee, deletions to the recommended budget and sustained vetoes. In fact, the Budget Director develops the Tax Levy Appropriation Act and the Legislature is required to adopt such appropriations Act by December 28. This is the Charter role and sole responsibility of the Legislature. There is nothing for Mr. Astorino to approve. With regards to Mr. Astorino’s outrageous assertions in relation to the Budget process, every detail of the budget process as outlined in the County Charter was followed. The Minority caucus chose not to make any additions to the budget. The Budget and Appropriations Committee spent 3 weeks hearing presentations from the Commissioners and Department heads. Over 2,000 people participated in the public hearing process and the County Board webstreamed the committee meetings live and have all the sessions available on-demand. The Budget and Appropriations Committee worked throughout the year,
resources. Three new police officers joined our force, some very successful stores were attracted to the business district and we initiated an emergency alert system to make residents aware of issues in the village such as power outages or unexpected closings. Staff began a GIS initiative to locate all of our village assets going forward including street trees, water lines, and sewers and we are still in the running for flood grants filed at the federal and county levels. We shopped every possible service within our control including utilities, legal services and health care providers and achieved savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Much needed parking was added at the site of the former BAMS service station and we cobbled together enough funds to have a traffic signal soon to be installed at the intersection of Cedar Street and Kraft Avenue adjacent to St. Joseph’s Church – and we even had a movie filmed in the Village entitled, “The Oranges”, which
produced some unanticipated revenues. On the down side, we fought hard, in unison with nine other municipalities, to challenge the water company’s usurious 30% increase in water rates and lost. Some stores still remain empty on Pondfield Road and despite our persistent efforts, Metro North continues to respond to our concerns in a way only a monopoly can. Looking forward to 2011, all of our local initiatives will be dwarfed by our obligations from the State. Far and away, the most challenging issue for the coming year is the prospect of continued unforeseen and unfunded mandates generated by the State of New York. Chief among these is the unsustainable rise in employee pension costs. As an illustration, even if we don’t buy one extra pencil in the upcoming budget, Village taxes will need to increase at a minimum of 4% just to cover additional pension obligations charged to the Village. And we are not alone. At a recent pension seminar I attended, colleagues from upstate New York are now budgeting more for pension costs than for municipal services. To put in perspective, in 2000,
taxpayer funded employer contributions to New York State’s pension fund totaled just under $1 billion. In 2010, they rose to $17.3 billion and our village obligation to the fund is slated to more than double over the next five years. At this point it matters little as to one’s view of the defined benefit pension plan as provided in New York State, the numbers reveal the current system has been mismanaged and is now unsustainable. (In my view, consolidation – the buzz word for 2011, accomplishes nothing but to distance citizens from their government and simply combine unsustainable mandates at town and city levels). Despite tremendous outside financial pressures, I can honestly say that the Village is spending your tax dollars prudently, and will strive to continue to offer the services that make the Village unique. In closing, I thank you for allowing me to serve as your Mayor. I consider it an honor and a privilege every day I come to Village Hall. Mary C. Marvin is the Mayor of the Village of Bronxville.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
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GOVERNMENT
Paulin Announces Legislative Priorities for 2011 Assemblywoman Amy Paulin has announced the legislative goals she will be pursuing on behalf of the people of Westchester. Here are some of those priorities for 2011.
Government Reform & Accountability As part of her effort to fight corruption, Assemblywoman Paulin has introduced a bill which would prevent officeholders convicted of a felony from receiving their taxpayer-funded pensions. To increase government transparency, she has filed a bill to require that records scheduled to be discussed at Open Meetings are made available to the public prior to the meeting, on the agency website if practicable. Another bill would direct the Department of State to compile a list of all of the boards, commissions, and task forces in the state with information on each, including their budget and expenditures. “To truly reform state government, it is crucial that government bodies are
Tax Relief for Westchester Assemblywoman Paulin has already begun work to provide tax relief and prevent property tax increases. Currently, municipalities are charged a fee for the use and maintenance of fire hydrants which is passed on to property taxpayers. In New Rochelle alone this amounts to $900,000 a year. Assemblywoman Paulin is working with local municipalities and United Water to devise an alternative and reduce the amount charged to taxpayers. The cost of early intervention services, such as speech therapy, for very young children is a major burden on the state and counties. Assemblywoman Paulin has put forth legislation to maximize private insurance reimbursement for early intervention services to decrease costs to Assemblywoman Amy Paulin JOB 9-249 the state and counties and save taxpayers 9.324 X 4.5787 money. open and accountable to the people. This WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Job Creation legislation is a step in the right direction, and a major priority for this session,” Supporting programs to attract and Paulin said. keep jobs in New York will be key goal
for Assemblywoman Paulin in this year’s budget negotiations. To bring jobs directly to Westchester, she has introduced a bill which would authorize the construction and operation of a senior learning community at SUNY Purchase. “As the recent census numbers indicate, New York’s population is dwindling,” Paulin said. “Bringing more jobs to the state is crucial to reversing this trend and ensuring that people are not forced out of the state to find work.”
Excellence in Education Maintaining excellent schools in Westchester continues to be a priority for Assemblywoman Paulin, and she will scrutinize the governor’s budget proposal to ensure that Westchester receives its fair share of state school aid. Assemblywoman Paulin plans to advance legislation to clarify and strengthen the powers and duties of Continued on page 8
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The Westchester Guardian
GOVERNMENT
Paulin Announces Legislative Priorities for 2011 Continued from page 7 BOCES to better utilize its proven costsaving and educational benefits. Another bill would prohibit the bullying of students on school property.
Crime & Safety To protect families, Assemblywoman Paulin will introduce legislation to lengthen orders of protection against those convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault offenses. She also plans to advance several bills to keep guns out of the hands of children, criminals, and domestic violence offenders including safe storage requirements and permit renewals.
Safe, Quality Health Care Assemblywoman Paulin will seek to increase access to safe, quality healthcare. She has introduced legislation to protect New Yorkers from dangerous counterfeit drugs, and will continue her work to guarantee the availability of immunizations and preventative care, including flu vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings. “Making preventative care available and accessible for all New Yorkers is critical. Everyone should be able to take the steps necessary to stay healthy,” Paulin said. A growing health concern is the increasing popularity of cigar smoking among kids. Flavored cigars are attractive to kids and in some cases even directly marketed to youth. Assemblywoman Paulin has filed a bill to limit these dangerous practices.
Protecting the Environment A longtime supporter of environmental protection measures, Assemblywoman Paulin plans to introduce a bill to strengthen Environmental Quality Reviews, as well as a bill to encourage towns and villages to consider certain renewable energy sources in zoning and planning regulations. Amy Paulin is the New York State Assemblywoman who represents the 88th District, serving the communities of Scarsdale, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville, Pelham, Pelham Manor, New Rochelle, and White Plains.
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
WHITHER WESTCHESTER
Part Two: The High Cost of Villaging By Robert Scott
Westchester residents pay the highest taxes of any county in the United States. But about a fifth of a million residents pay an extra level of taxation to the village in which they live. Village taxes on average are the second biggest component of village residents’ tax bills, school taxes being the first. Curiously, when people complain about “big government,” they seldom include Westchester. Yet it is big—an unnecessarily tax-burdened government in every sense of the term. Its superfluous and outdated village governments contribute to the county’s unenviable tax excesses. The spate of incorporations of villages in the 19th century brought the mayor-council form of government, with an elected mayor and board of trustees. The 20th century saw the introduction of council-manager control in which the council hires a manager to oversee administrative operations, implement council policies, and advise it. The duties of the mayor then become largely ceremonial. Only 67 of New York State’s 556 villages have village managers or administrators. Fourteen of Westchester’s 20 villages and two of its three town/villages have adopted the more-expensive council-manager form of government.
The High Cost of Village Managing Let’s examine just how much village managers or administrators cost a dozen Westchester villages. The median value of their salaries is $136,500: • Dobbs Ferry: $79,029 • Buchanan: $110,902 • Briarcliff Manor: 116,966 • Tarrytown: $120,184 • Ardsley: $130,534 • Elmsford: $135,000 • Irvington: $138,000 • Pelham Village: $142,225 • Pleasantville: $144,371 • Hastings: $157,188 • Ossining: $160,000 • Croton-on-Hudson: $160,000 Thus, the village manager of Croton-on-Hudson (pop. 7,919) earns the same amount as the village manager of Ossining (pop. 23,930), a village three time its size. Go figure.
Croton-on-Hudson is a textbook example of the excesses of Westchester’s villages. Apparently it takes more than just a village manager to manage Croton. It requires a “management team” on which every manager needs an assistant. Here’s the Croton team, its job titles and salaries: • Village Manager: $160,000 • Assistant Village Manager: $93,215 • Village Treasurer: $108,150 • Deputy Treasurer: $77,250 • Village Clerk: $82,400 • Deputy Village Clerk: $45,000 • Total cost: $566,015 Croton, a village with a population of slightly less than 8,000 persons, has a budget of $16 million and 85 employees, or one for every 93 residents. If we compare the currently budgeted management team’s salaries to a reasonable public service salary yardstick--the salaries paid to the 50 state governors-surprising numbers emerge. Croton’s village manager earns more than the governors of 44 states, each with populations numbering in the millions. Topping that, Croton’s previous village manager’s salary, a whopping $196,340, exceeded the salary of 49 state governors. Only California, a state with a population of 36.5 million, paid its governor more than Croton’s village manager. Croton’s village treasurer makes more than 20 state governors. Its assistant village manager takes home more than five state governors, its village clerk earns more than two state governors, and its deputy treasurer more than the governor of the state of Maine (pop. 1.3 million).
Croton’s Remarkable Generosity Croton’s largesse as a village extends to other areas--namely, its school board that sets school taxes, the largest item in every resident’s tax bill. For example, the base salary of the former superintendent of Croton’s school system (three schools and 1,685 students) was $240,000, plus a $20,500 tax-deferred annuity, a merit bonus of the maximum of $5,000 and a vehicle allowance of $7,200. Contrast that munificence with the $235,000 salary of the then superintendent of the Yonkers school system, with responsibility for 39 schools and 25,306
students. Reflecting the Croton school board’s sudden awakening to costs, its recently hired school superintendent gets $215,000 “and other benefits common to superintendent contracts in the county.” The salary of Croton’s police chief, in charge of a 21-person department, is $145,000. The police chief of Buchanan (pop. 2,252) is paid $109,000 to supervise a five-person police department. Compare these with the $189,700 salary of Ray Kelly, who heads the 37,000person New York City police department. Another source of taxpayer discontent is management’s practice of maintaining police departments at less than optimal strength, resulting in expensive overtime charges (time-and-a-half or better) that are often abused. Of Westchester’s twenty villages, 14 have populations of less than 10,000. Three have populations less than 5,000. Yet all have the same top-heavy village structure and budgets in the millions of dollars.
What Steps Can Residents of Villages Take? The Commission on Local Government Efficiency created by former Governor Spitzer to study ways to reduce the cost of government determined that New York’s 556 villages are an inefficient and unnecessary form of government, and should all be dissolved. Villages in Westchester County can easily throw off the yoke of village bureaucracy and lower their exorbitant taxes. The process is detailed in Article 19 of New York State’s Village Law and summarized in the Local Government Handbook, Sixth Edition (2009), published by the New York Department of State: (1) A petition signed by at least one-third of a village’s registered voters is submitted to the board of trustees requesting that a proposition for dissolution be put before voters at the next general election. (2) A public hearing is held to discuss the proposed dissolution of the village. (3) In cooperation with the town in which the village is situated, a plan is developed for disposition of the Continued on page 9
The Westchester Guardian
GOVERNMENT
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
Page 9
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor
Part Two: The High Cost of Villaging Continued from page 8 village’s assets, payment of its debts, and assumption of its services by the town. The plan becomes part of the proposition of dissolution that goes before the voters. (4) At the next general or special election, the voters are asked to vote on the proposition of dissolution. If approved the village must be dissolved according to the approved plan within one year. That’s all there is to it. It’s as simple as those four steps. There’s nothing revolutionary about the concept of dissolution. It would merely mark a return to the original town plan of Westchester’s founding fathers. Westchester’s towns already perform for town residents many of the village services that would be transferred. Other advantages would stem from dissolution of villages. Tax reduction will make homes more affordable and make the community more attractive to new businesses. Most important, one whole layer of oppressive taxation will disappear. And what a great relief that will be to the beleaguered residents of Westchester’s villages. Robert Scott, a retired book publisher, is an editor and writer.
The editor welcomes and shamelessly solicits your perspective. Let everyone know what is on your mind. Please submit your Letter to the Editor electronically, that is by directing email to WHYTeditor@ gmail.com Please confine your writing to between 350 and 500 words. Your name, address, and telephone contact is requested for verification purpose only. A Letter to the Editor will be accepted at the editor’s discretion when space permits. A maximum of one submission per month may be accepted.
Say Bye Bye to the New Rochelle Business Improvement District (NRBID) I enjoyed Peggy Godfrey’s article on the New Rochelle BID in your December 30, 2010 edition. It was succinct and to the point which is more than I can say about the roles, relationships, and responsibilities of the NRBID. It was rather sad to hear Chuck Strome point out what amounted to the movement of two pre-existing shops in New Rochelle as accomplishments and rationale for justifying the BID process and expense base. We have heard this sort of misguided logic before from Mr. DiBart the BID’s Executive Director. He mentioned the
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expansion of Modern Hardware, as a working example of the effectiveness of the NRBID. Sounds a little convoluted to me; as a citizen I would be much more interested in new business development than current business renovation or relocation. I don’t think it is harsh saying this. I find the entire approach to be one we have seen too often in past years; making cosmetic changes, planting new trees, touching up facades – all praiseworthy, but hardly indicative of commercial growth. However, perhaps there are some reasons for this that escape Mr. DiBart’s analysis. For one, New Rochelle has invested heavily in establishing a residential business proposition downtown. Arguably, that was our best choice given advantages in proximity to New York City, our attractive coastline and other strengths. However, there is little evidence to suggest an active support system for this strategic decision. Unlike, for example, Brewster, New Rochelle has made no attempt to decentralize some city agencies to occupy downtown space. It has shown no interest in supporting the residential base by creating a 24 hour police precinct to provide visual safety and security. Looking at Main Street, you see little more than a proliferation of storefront churches, convenience shops and similar businesses. You don’t see, except for Division Street, what our new residential base might expect to keep their disposable income here. In summary, we seem to have problems in developing a cohesive, coherent plan to accommodate and support what appears to be
our strategic plan and for that, I have to conclude that Mr. DiBart has done very little to add value to the Council and City Administration. Finally, it appears the NRBID has little appetite for actually soliciting and acting on residents and businesses ideas and concerns. I would be much more comfortable if he would have held focus groups or surveyed business owners and Avalon residents in a forthright and direct way. He did not, but perhaps it is too much to expect from someone who continues to blame the recession for our ills and to say that New Roc Center would have led to downtown growth and expansion were it not for that. The problem, once again, is a lack of coherency. I believe New Roc opened in 1999 and the recession kicked in in 2007/8. What happened in these intervening 8 or so years? All I can conclude is to rid the City Budget of this expense NOW – well perhaps I might absorb the street cleaning crew somewhere --- maybe the Chamber of Commerce can step up on this. These guys do work and I think effectively. They are basically what we have to show for the New Rochelle BID. Warren D. Gross New Rochelle, NY
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The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
MOVIE REVIEWS
Ed Koch Movie Reviews By Edward I. Koch
Movie Review: “True Grit” (+)
This western, unlike those made in the days of John Wayne, contains some of the qualities of Mel Brooks’ memorable “Blazing Saddles.” The humor here is much more low-keyed, it being a spoof, whereas “Blazing Saddles” is a burlesque, but nonetheless it is marvelous. The dialogue is Victorian with a western accent, and the acting of most of the principals is first rate, particularly that of Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld. She does not get her name in the first screen crawl but deserves to be there right after Bridges and before the others who follow him. The story is straightforward. Fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is seeking to apprehend Tom Chaney ( Josh Brolin) who murdered her father. (Brolin’s performance is the weakest of the cast.) Mattie hires the one-eyed Marshall Rooster Cogburn ( Jeff Bridges) who has killed 23 suspects of various crimes. Chaney is also wanted in Texas for another crime, and a Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), is on his trail. Cogburn, LaBoeuf and Mattie ultimately ride together to track down Chaney. Before it all sorts out there is a lot of hi jinx with Mattie clearly the intellectual leader of the pack. The conclusion, 25 years after Chaney is captured, is somewhat unique. I haven’t seen many pictures this year as good as this one. Go see it.
Movie Review: “Casino Jack” (+)
This docudrama, depicting the enormous illegal activities of a former Republican Party lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, is superbly done. Some of it consists of the imaginings of the script writer, since we hear the innermost thoughts of Abramoff delivered in monologues when he is alone. Some of those thoughts are the ravings of a mad man. By that I mean that he is very taken with his power and sense of himself as a genius. During his rants he also states his belief that he is, in effect, doing God’s work with his charitable endeavors. He sees himself as a pious Jew entitled to the wealth he is amassing. In the film Abramoff is played by Kevin Spacey who with his own inner demons is able to play any role big enough to have its own demons. I remember many years ago when I was mayor meeting him in the Green Room at Channel 5. Like a member of his fan club I told him that I thought he was absolutely terrific and a great artist. He modestly replied, “Thank you very much.” Before Abramoff was sentenced to six years for his fraudulent lobbying for an Indian tribe that paid him 20 or 30 million dollars in connection with a gambling operation, he was fired by two firms on “K” Street in Washington, D.C. where he lobbied. The first time was for lying to his partners; the second for the adverse publicity in the Washington Post for the fraud perpetrated on an Indian tribe. At the end of the film when he is brought before a congressional hearing chaired by Senator John McCain, a very telling point is made by him in a soliloquy imagined by him. He took the Fifth before the committee and actually did not answer any questions. In his fantasy rant, he accuses his accusers, the U.S. Senators led by the chairman of the committee John McCain, of hypocrisy since they helped him achieve his corrupt goals for his clients and in exchange, he says, they received tens of thousand of dollars in campaign contributions from him. Today we call this pay to play. It has players at every level of government and has to be dealt with. Actually, there will be a battle next year in the New York State Legislature to deal with the issue. The organization I created – New York Uprising – will be out there fighting alongside New York’s newly-elected reform Governor Andrew Cuomo to eliminate, if possible, that ongoing evil. Lobbyists are protected by the U.S. Constitution. They can and do play an important, legitimate role in government in making legislators aware of issues. The problem is that corrupting campaign money in some form to accomplish the lobbyists’ goals is often a major part of the operation. If we had public financing for all elected officials at all levels of government and vastly reduced private citizen contributions to candidates and limited expenditures, the problem would, I believe, be solved, except of course for the corrupt willing to break the new law. Will it happen? Regrettably, not in my lifetime.
Movie Review: “Carlos” (+)
The movie is five-and-one-half hours long. Some theaters show the entire film in one sitting, others in two. The Cinema Village where I saw it presented the complete film in one showing with a 15-minute intermission. Unfortunately, I had to leave halfway through to get to a dinner in Brooklyn, but I hope to return to see the second part very soon. It is a superb and unique The movie is a tour de force, a thriller, and a docudrama that doesn’t pretend to be literally true or accurate. It depicts the terrorist activities of Carlos the Jackal (Edgar Ramirez) over a number of years. His most famous terrorist act was taking OPEC oil ministers in Vienna hostage in 1975. OPEC represented most of the oil-producing states located in Asia, Africa, and some of Latin America, e.g., Venezuela. The hostage episode was successful, but it was also botched because Carlos did not kill two of the delegates as instructed. It resulted in his being rejected by the terrorist organization with whom he was working and causing him to set up his own operation. Carlos was primarily involved with helping the Palestinians against Israel. He believed that many OPEC nations, led by Saudi Arabia, were sellouts to the west – meaning the U.S. The film moves along with incredible speed – it was like watching a combination of two earlier blockbuster films: “Z” and “The Battle of Algiers.” It is fascinating, and Edgar Ramirez’s performance is superb. Carlos was betrayed by fellow terrorists, captured in 1994, tried in France, and is now serving a life sentence. Watch Ed Koch’s Movie videos of these and other reviews on my website, Mayor at the Movies (www.MayorKoch.com) website. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter! Let him know your thoughts by directing email to eikoch@bryancave.com. The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served New York City as its 105th Mayor from 1978 to 1989.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
Page 11
ED KOCH OPED
Unfinished Business—The Great Recession
Looking back on 2010 and the Great Recession, I continue to be enraged by the lack of accountability for those who wrecked our economy and brought the U.S. to its knees. The shocking truth is that those who did the damage are still in charge. Many who ran Wall Street before and during the debacle are either still there making millions, if not billions, of dollars, or are in charge of our country’s economic policies which led to the debacle. Yes, in the recent mid-term elections, the American people did replace 63 Democrats with a like number of Republicans, but will that really change things for the better? Time will tell, but I doubt it. Neither do I see the Obama administration, with all its good intentions, succeeding in the areas where the public has suffered the most: jobs and home values. The stock market has recovered beautifully from a Dow low in the Great Recession which began in December 2007 and technically ended in June 2009. The current Dow hovers around 11,500. But how many millions of people out of fear, lack of market knowledge, or the need to cash in their market holdings simply to survive the years beginning in 2007 when the Great Recession began until now, didn’t receive the benefit of the market recovery?
We do know that the current unemployment figure is 9.8 percent, which represents 15 million people. But that figure does not include those who are no longer looking for a job, those who are underemployed, or those whose salaries and benefits have been slashed. Worst of all, there are millions of people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who will never be employed again. Then there are those who lost their homes to foreclosure and those who will lose them. Why is it that when Congress adopted the current bankruptcy law in 2005, it decided to uphold the principle of moral hazard, which in the housing context means that those who purchased homes they could not afford, lured to do so by banks and the federal government, must not be helped by the federal government to keep those houses when coming out of bankruptcy proceedings. On the other hand, rapacious banks, Wall Street investment firms, and automobile industry giants who overextended themselves financially while seeking unconscionable profits or who engaged in poor management practices, were rewarded with astronomical federal government bailouts. The absence of accountability is also evident in state government. State legislators voted for pensions for state and city
employees when they knew or should have known that these pensions were unaffordable. The expectation is that some states will not be able to pay their current bills and the interest on their general obligation bonds. There is now a fear that those states will collapse and become unable to provide basic services including Medicaid and education. Newspaper editorials are commenting and bond holders are beginning to worry about the state and municipal bonds in their portfolios which, according to a New York Times article of December 9, 2010, are valued at $2.8 trillion dollars. Legislators running for office throughout the country were overwhelmingly reelected in the recent state and federal elections. Very few were punished with defeat. I’m aware of no law that can be used to hold them accountable for their poor decisions in administering the affairs of the states and localities they represent. But surely there are laws that could be used to pursue Wall Street operators who beggared the country and as a result of federal bailouts – remember too big to fail – are richer today than ever. Millionaires continue to have tax loopholes available to them which allow them to take deductions reducing their tax payments to ludicrously low levels. Let me repeat what I’ve reported several times in prior commentaries:
One of the least known tax injustices was revealed by The New York Times when it pointed out that the top 400 taxpayers who earned $250 million on average in 2005 paid income taxes at a 17.2 percent rate. That rate is lower than that of a family making between $50,000 and $75,000 a year, which is 17.4 percent. It is a continuing outrage that under our tax code some of the wealthy pay a lower percentage of taxes on their income than the middle class. As a result of President Obama’s negotiating a deal with the Republicans in the lame duck session of the Congress following the Congressional election of 2010 which will give Republicans a majority in the next House of Representatives, he gave the Republicans what they wanted – a two-year extension of the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and to the top one percent of taxpayers, 26.8 percent of the extended tax reductions. Leona Helmsley infamously but perceptively said that only the “little people” pay taxes. We know life is unfair, but that doesn’t mean the “little people” have to allow their government to continue to oppress them. Let Mayor Koch know your thoughts by directing email to eikoch@bryancave. com. The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served New York City as its 105th Mayor from 1978 to 1989.
CURRENT COMMENTARY
Unintended Results: Reviving The Single-Payer Option By Larry M. Elkin If the government wants me to pay for a service – let’s use health care as an example – it can tax me, and then decide how and when I can use the service. I pay a lot of tax money for Medicare and Medicaid, though I do not qualify for those benefits. Maybe this is fine with me; maybe it isn’t. I can express my feelings here or at the ballot box. It would do me no good to attack the system in court, because the courts long ago decided that the government can tax me to provide services, even services that are used only by other people. If the government wants to expand Medicare to cover everyone in the country, it could do that, too. It would
undoubtedly cost more, so I would undoubtedly pay more. That’s the so-called single-payer option that many Democrats hoped would be part of the recent health care overhaul. This idea did not get off the ground, in large measure because American doctors do not wish to work solely for the U.S. government, and private health insurers do not wish to be put out of business. So Congress required, instead, that beginning in 2014 virtually all Americans who are not otherwise covered must purchase private insurance. Backers of the health care reform did not see this as a problem. Congress could have forced all of us into a single, nationalized health
insurance program; instead, it gave us a bit more freedom to choose, by allowing us to select among what are supposed to be multiple plans meeting certain minimum standards. We’ll see soon enough – maybe – how well this works in the real world. But the insurance requirement has emerged as the loose thread that could unravel the entire health care deal. This delights a lot of people who opposed the overhaul in the first place. Some want to keep the system we have had until now; others want a new reform package that concentrates more on controlling costs and less on universal coverage. Virtually none of them want the other possible outcome of a successful
challenge, which would be a revival of the single-payer idea. Earlier this month, a Virginia federal judge became the first to rule part of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional: specifically, the mandate that all citizens purchase insurance or face penalties. Citing the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Judge Henry E. Hudson ensured that higher courts will have dissenting opinions to consider. And it is virtually certain that, sooner rather than later, the new health care reform law will make it to the Supreme Court. Two issues are at play here: the constitutionality of the law, and its wider Continued on page 12
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The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
OPED
Unintended Results: Reviving The Single-Payer Option Continued from page 11 economic implications. The former is a close enough question that the courts could go either way, and have so far; in addition to this decision, there have been two federal court decisions upholding the law’s constitutionality, and 12 more cases thrown out altogether. Another challenge to the law, backed by 20 states’ attorneys general, is making its way through a federal court in Pensacola, Fla. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court decides. There are other situations in which government mandates the purchase of private services. In Manhattan, restaurants and office
buildings are required to hire private haulers to remove their trash. The system produced a lot of mob-dominated corruption years ago, and a lot of court action that followed, but, as far as I know, nobody has challenged its constitutionality. Opponents of the insurance mandate claim it oversteps the government’s power by forcing Americans to buy a product just by dint of existing. This distinguishes the law from, say, requirements for auto insurance, as citizens have the choice not to own a car. But the naysayers may be missing the bigger picture. It boils down to the way insurance works. Collectively, we can’t have
insurance if people only buy it after they know they need it. Either everyone shares the risk (and the expense) or premiums become unaffordable. If the Affordable Care Act is ultimately found unconstitutional, we will be left with only the public option to address the policy goal of universal coverage. The irony, then, is that those who are challenging the Affordable Care Act as it stands are the very people who could drive us to a public option in the end. Those who supported the public option may just need to sit back and wait until the challengers’ court victories suddenly seem a lot less victorious. What remains to be
An Open Letter to Andrew Cuomo By Howie Hawkins Dear Governor Cuomo, Congratulations on your election. During our recent Gubernatorial contest, we emphasized different approaches as to how best restore the state’s fiscal health and to reduce the onerous impact of local property taxes. But as you prepare to start your administration, it is critical that the long term needs of our state take priority over the political rhetoric that dominates election campaigns. For most New Yorkers, especially the more than one million who are unemployed or underemployed, the lack of jobs is the most critical issue. And with our state and country facing the greatest recession in seventy years, it is imperative that government policies at all levels provide a cost effective economic stimulation. Progressive tax reform, starting with ending the rebate of billions of dollars annually from the Stock Transfer Tax, should at the top of the list for three reasons: for fiscal responsibility, for jobs and economic recovery, and for providing needed public services. Fiscal Responsibility: As economists such as Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz have pointed out, it is fiscally irresponsible in a major recession to rule out progressive tax reforms that raise taxes on the wealthy and cut taxes for the middle and working classes. In particular, tax cuts for the wealthy such as recently enacted by
Congress will do nothing to stimulate the economy because they do nothing to stimulate demand. The share of income taken home by the richest 1 percent of Americans has almost tripled in the last three decades to 24 percent. New York has the most unequal income distribution of all 50 states. Yet the rate for the top income tax bracket in New York is less than half of what it was in the 1970s. The wealthy need to pay their fair share of taxes again. Retaining the revenue from New York’s existing Stock Sales Tax would generate at least $13 billion in additional revenue, eliminating the projected $10 billion budget deficit for 2011. Along with other revenue reforms it would generate a surplus for job creation and public services, which will help the economy to recover. The Stock Transfer Tax is a tiny sales tax on stock purchases, with a graduated scale topping out at 1/20th of 1 percent or $350, whichever is less, on large purchases of a stock. Compare that to the 8 percent sales tax on consumer goods. The tax has been collected since 1915. But since 1981, it has been collected and then immediately rebated. This sales tax primarily hits on those who speculate on stocks rather than those who make long-term investments. The sales tax revenue been growing rapidly due the computerized high-frequency trading on their own accounts by big financial firms like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase - a form of insider trading that distorts the
market and should be discouraged. These firms, which the taxpayers bailed out with trillions in federal loans and guarantees and are now highly profitable, pay the lion’s share of the Stock Transfer Tax. Jobs and Economic Recovery: The economy needs public spending to raise demand in an economy that is stagnant, with excess productive capacity, intractably high unemployment, and mounting foreclosures and bankruptcies. The banks and corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars in cash. But they are not lending and investing because the consumer demand to make such investments profitable is not there. If government doesn’t step in with spending to raise demand, the economy will continue to deteriorate, lowering tax revenues, and necessitating further public spending cuts, which will further depress the economy. It is a vicious downward spiral. With consumer demand and therefore business investment depressed, only increased government spending can turn the economy around. Public Services: In this stagnant economy, there is an increased need for public services, from safety net programs to aid the unemployed and their families to public jobs in public works and services to reduce unemployment. Whether it is the under-staffing of schools and snow removal crews due to recent budget cuts, it makes no sense to cut public jobs and services when we face high unemployment, depressed consumer demand, and increased needs for public assistance.
seen is how close they get to the top of this uphill legal climb before they realize what’s waiting for them at the summit. Larry M. Elkin, CPA, CFP®, is president of Palisades Hudson Financial Group a fee-only financial planning firm heiadquartered in Scarsdale, NY. It offers estate planning, insurance consulting, trust planning, cross-border planning, business valuation, family office and business management, executive financial planning, and tax services. Its sister firm, Palisades Hudson Asset Management, is an independent investment advisor with about $950 million under management. Branch offices are in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale. Website: www.palisadeshudson.com.
I highlight the Stock Transfer Tax because it is revenue the state already collects but gives right back. It is not a new tax. It just requires that the state retain revenues it already receives. Income tax reform is another option. The massive and growing disparity of wealth in NY and the US is a fundamental cause of our present economic crisis and needs. The Progressive Caucus of the NYC City Council recently proposed changing the state and city income tax laws to recapture part of the hundreds of billions of dollars in a tax cut windfall recently given to the wealthy by Congress. If New York went back to the progressive income tax structure we had in 1972, the state would raise $8 billion more in revenue while giving 95% of New Yorkers a tax cut. In 1972, New York State had a personal income tax with 14 graduated brackets, ranging from a low of 2% to a high of 15%. Today New York has only five flatter brackets, between 4% and 6.85%. Most people with a full-time job reach the top bracket. A single person reaches the top 6.85% rate once his or her taxable income reaches $20,000, a married couple at $40,000. A more progressive income tax would increase state revenues and, due to the tax cut for the working and middle classes, increase consumer demand to help the economy recover. The state’s fiscal crisis is not due to excessive spending, but rather to undertaxing the wealthy. Let’s not make the state’s economy and fiscal crisis worse with austerity measures that cut public spending while leaving the existing regressive tax structure in place. There are certainly areas of wasteful spending that should be addressed. We Continued on page 13
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
Page 13
WEIR ONLY HUMAN
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Again By Bob Weir Imagine that you’re a clothing retailer who has spent many years building a prosperous business, playing by the rules, paying your taxes and offering a service that customers are happy with. Imagine further that your most popular wholesaler suddenly informs you that you will no longer have access to his line of ladies handbags, a line that has been your best sales motivator. Moreover, suppose the handbags were pulled, not because you did anything illegal or immoral, but because the wholesaler decided he was unwilling to subscribe to the laws on price-fixing. It all began in 2002, when Californiabased Leegin Creative Leather Products Inc., a luxury leather goods company, stopped selling its Brighton line of handbags to a Lewisville, Texas retailer named Phil Smith. Mr. Smith’s boutique, Kay’s Kloset, had been selling Brightonbrand leather handbags at a 20 percent
An Open Letter to Andrew Cuomo Continued from page 12 need to control our skyrocketing health care costs, by far the biggest part of the state budget. The first step should be to eliminating the enormous waste associated with our odd system of private health insurance. We need to stop spending billions of dollars on economic development and tax expenditures that reward campaign contributors rather than creating jobs. We need to stop wasting enormous amounts of tax dollars in contracting out services, such as we witnessed with the recent payroll scandal in NYC. We need to stop the endemic graft among state legislators. It seems like every politician these days talk about a green vision for the future of New York. That will only begin to be realized under your tenure as Governor if you provide the leadership needed to make the necessary public investments to rebuild New York for a sustainable prosperity. Sincerely, Howie Hawkins The author was the 2010 Green Party candidate for NY Governor
discount. After refusing to sell them at the prices dictated by the manufacturer, he lost the account. As a result, Kay’s Kloset lost 50 percent of its business and had to move to a smaller, less expensive location in nearby Flower Mound. Realizing that price-fixing is against the law, Smith sued Leegin in U.S. District Court and won $4 million in damages. The ruling was based on lost sales and other claims, all of which were upheld by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling on price-fixing dates back to 1911, when the courts ruled in Dr. Miles Medical Co. vs. John D. Park and Sons that it’s always illegal for a supplier to dictate minimum prices to a retailer. Nevertheless, the case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court which, in a 5-4 decision overturned the rulings of the lower courts. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, stating that discounts can harm consumers by driving prices down, depriving retailers of the profits they need to provide good service. Huh? Since when does a consumer suffer when prices are marked down? One wonders if Justice Kennedy has ever done any price comparison shopping. Consumer advocates condemned the ruling as one that will definitely drive up prices on most consumer goods. Of course, that seems like a no-brainer. If manufacturers can set prices, it has a deleterious effect on free trade. In effect, it takes bargaining out of the sales equation. In a free market, competition is the impetus that keeps the entrepreneurial spirit alive. The owner of Leegin is Jerry Kohl, who also owns the Kohl’s chain of clothing stores. Kohl, who spent more
than $4 million on legal fees, was represented in the highest court of the land by none other than Ted Olson, best known for he successful Supreme Court defense of Governor George W. Bush in Bush vs. Gore for the presidency of the United States. Also not surprisingly, while the Leegin vs. Kay’s Kloset antitrust case was being waged in the Supreme Court, by the former Bush advocate, the Bush administration’s Justice Department supported the manufacturer. This just smacks of collusion between the large, well-heeled companies and their friendly supporters in the government. First of all, Mr. Smith was operating under the law in effect at the time. That law said a manufacturer can suggest a price, but cannot punish a retailer for any deviation. To do so was considered price fixing, which is as illegal as having 2 or more businesses conspire to charge higher prices. Hence, when his business was damaged by a supplier who was defying the laws on pricefixing, Smith was legally entitled to his victory. Instead, with a deep pockets antagonist, able to spend huge sums for, arguably, the most well-connected attorney in the country, what chance did he have? In overturning Smith’s victory, the Supremes said that courts should be allowed to look at the rationale for setting prices on a case by case basis. Well, if nothing else, that ruling will keep the court calendars backed up until most of the litigants meet their makers. Meanwhile, Kay’s Kloset went out of business. But, the indefatigable Mr. Smith wants to take the case back to the Supreme Court. To do so, he has enlisted the aid of Harvard Law professor, Einer
Elhauge, who feels the case is so important to the future of the free market system that he will handle it pro bono. Mr. Elhauge said the ruling against Kay’s Kloset is now being misinterpreted in the lower courts. He maintains that it’s not just a problem for vertical pricefixing, but also for antitrust law generally because it would “drastically restrict” any attempt to scrutinize the details of an allegedly anticompetitive action. Of course, there is no guarantee that the Supreme Court will revisit the case. Yet, one would think that a country which prides itself on its free-market principles would be more consistent in its application of such laws. Bob Weir is a veteran of 20 years with the New York Police Dept. (NYPD), ten of which were performed in plainclothes undercover assignments. During his early years with NYPD, Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude from New York Institute of Technology. He retired as a sergeant after supervising patrol in Midtown Manhattan, the busiest precinct in the country.He would eventually move to Flower Mound, Texas, where he began a writing career that started about 12 years ago having his first book published in 1999. Bob went on to write and publish a total of seven novels, “Murder in Black and White,” “City to Die For,” “Powers that Be,” “Ruthie’s Kids,” “Deadly to Love,” “Short Stories of Life and Death,” and “Out of Sight,” are available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Books-a-million, and other major online book sellers. He also became a syndicated columnist under the title “Weir Only Human”.
Joan Gronowski On the Level with Narog and Aris New Rochelle, NY -- Yonkers City councilwoman Joan Gronowski (District 2) is Richard Narog’s and Hezi Aris’ guest this Tuesday, January 4th, from 10 am through 11 am, on WVOX-1460 AM on your radio dial and worldwide on www.WVOX.com. Author Kurt Collucci will be their guest on January 11th, and Trend Journal Publisher Gerald Celente will be their guest on January 18th. Listeners and readers are invited to send a question to WHYTeditor@gmail.com for possible use prior to any shows’ airing and even during the course of an interview. Wednesday mornings at 8:37 am when he and Bob Marrone discuss issues on the Good Morning Westchester radio program hosted by Bob Marrone.
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RELIGION
Celebrating the Centennial of the Maryknoll Society By Father James A. Walsh Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers is the overseas mission outreach of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, following Jesus in serving the poor and others in need in 27 countries. All Catholics are called to mission through baptism, and Maryknoll’s mission education outreach in parishes and schools throughout the country engages U.S. Catholics in mission through prayer, donations, as volunteers and through vocations. During 2011, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers will commemorate its centennial with a theme of The Gift of Mission – The Maryknoll Journey. These missionaries will celebrate as they continue their journey into the next 100 years to share God’s love and the Gospel in combating poverty, providing healthcare, building communities and promoting human rights.
The Vision of Father James A. Walsh When Father James Anthony Walsh, along with several other priests, founded the Catholic Foreign Mission Bureau during 1907, his aim was to awaken the role of mission within the United States Catholic Church. In many ways, cultivating mission as a responsibility among U.S. Catholics was a bold and innovative move, because during those early days of the last century the Church still looked at the United States, with its waves of immigration, as fertile territory for missioners from Europe. James Walsh was born to middle-class parents (James Walsh and Hanna Shea) in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, on February 24, 1867. After attending public elementary school, he graduated from Boston College High School with skills in debating and journalism. He attended Boston College but later transferred to Harvard College to study bookkeeping. Studies were completed at St. John’s Seminary in nearby Brighton. At the seminary, Father Walsh was inspired by a rector, a Sulpician (a society of secular priests founded during 15th century France) whose classmate in Paris, Theophane Venard, had died as a famous martyr in Indochina. A decade after his 1892 ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Father Walsh retraced Venard’s steps in France along with those of other French martyrs, and he became convinced that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Father Walsh served as curate at St. Patrick’s Church in Roxbury until he was appointed diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith during 1903. Among his responsibilities was to raise money to support overseas mission, and during this time, he began to develop his vision, a modernized version of mission, for a mature U.S. Church that was eager to fulfill exciting and joyful missionary responsibilities around the world. Along with the Catholic Foreign Mission Bureau, Father Walsh founded The Field Afar magazine, a monthly publication about the foreign missions of the Catholic Church. Years later, this magazine would
become the Maryknoll magazine that continues to be published today (along with its bilingual counterpart Revista Maryknoll) by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. During 1910, at the 21st Eucharistic Conference in Montreal, Father Walsh shared his vision of U.S. Catholic mission with Father Thomas Frederick Price of North Carolina. Realizing they shared a common call to mission, the urbane Father Walsh and the more rural Father Price collaborated on plans for a mission society within the U.S. Catholic Church. Soon after, the bishops of the United States formally sanctioned the pursuit of their vision to recruit, send and support U.S. missioners around the world. With this approval, Father Walsh and Father Price traveled to Rome to present their vision of mission. They received the blessing of Pope Pius X on June 29, 1911 (the feast of Saints Peter and Paul), which is the founding day of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America that, over the years, has become more well-known as Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Father Walsh was a model priest and a natural leader. He was the first Superior General of the Society, the treasurer, the editor of its publication, rector of the seminary, spiritual director of the Maryknoll Sisters that was formed during 1912, along with master organizer, fundraiser, publicist and overseer of plans and building for the Society. It is difficult to find any aspect of the foundation of Maryknoll that did not
benefit from the direction and oversight of Father Walsh. Father Walsh’s contributions to the Catholic Church in the U.S. and to the growth of mission were celebrated when he was ordained as bishop on June 29, 1933 by Pope Pius XI in Rome. Only a few years later, on April 14, 1936, Bishop Walsh passed away. At that time, Father James Edward Walsh, one of the first seminarians at Maryknoll who was to become the founder’s successor as Superior General and later a bishop, provided a description of Bishop James A. Walsh that could classify him as Maryknoll’s Renaissance Man. He said Bishop James A. Walsh was “a business man, a literary man, an executive officer, a household manager, a family father, a spiritual shaper and leader and something of a peerer into the future….he was the initiator, promoter, organizer and administrator… and he was all these things at a time when help was scarce, helpers few.” Learn more about Father James A. Walsh and the centennial celebration of Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers by visiting www.maryknollsociety.org.To receive a copy of Maryknoll magazine’s January/ February issue that features Father Walsh and “Boston’s Gift to Mission,” contact Maryknoll toll-free at 1-888-627-9566.
at three tons, this is a big, heavy vehicle, the convertible, two-door, Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe still jumps from 0 – 60 miles per hour in just 5.7 seconds and can cruise at a license-losing 150. Rolls Royce, the ultimate upscale
division of BMW, bills the half million dollar Drophead Coup as one of the finest touring cars – though nothing manmade is perfect. If there are drawbacks, it lies in the meld between the technologically oriented Continued on page 15
Follow Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MaryknollNews and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ maryknollsociety.
SHIFTING GEARS
Really Regal Road Running By Roger Witherspoon
The empty New England highway was dry, the speedometer was in triple digits, the passing landscape was a dreamy, flowing, green kaleidoscope and the warm fall sun radiated off the brushed steel hood of the Rolls Royce as the miles flew by. There may have been bumps in the road, but a Coupe with self-leveling air springs has the feel of riding a soft leather cushion on a fast moving cloud. There
may have been a strain at 105 miles an hour when going around a wide turn. But since the edges of the leather seats sense gravitational forces and expand or contract to counter the pull you really don’t notice these, either. The roof folded neatly into the back, between the trunk and the rear seat. Yet the aerodynamics of the car were sleek enough that it was easy to hear Miles Davis’ sax blowing from the CD player instead of the roar of the passing wind. And though,
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SHIFTING GEARS
Really Regal Road Running
Continued from page 14 BMW and the traditionalist Rolls Royce. In an effort to modernize the vehicle, BMW added the computerized control system updated from its high-end, 750 series of luxury cars. At the tap of a finger at the end of the console, a mahogany drawer folds out revealing a single round control knob which governs the entertainment, climate, navigation and communications systems. Some of that works well. Some it is cumbersome and none of it is intuitive. The navigation system is relatively rudimentary by the standards of a $30,000 ford Sync or $50,000 Lexus RX 350. It is lacking in detail, particularly the names of upcoming streets, for example, and does not list upcoming turns and their direction – features which are pretty standard these days. The entertainment system on the other hand, with 15, 420-watt, Logic-7 speakers, has excellent sound quality, but there is only a single in-dash CD instead of a six-disc changer. There are, however, modern connections for iPods and MP3 players. And the Drophead comes with XM satellite and HD radio, as well as an easy to use, Bluetooth cell phone connection.
But as a defining symbol of craftsmanship and luxury, the Rolls Royce still sets a standard for the high end, luxury line. The trim around the top of the doors and the rear is teak, the kind of wood one would find on the decks of private yachts. The wide teak deck behind the rear seats covers the storage space for the retractable roof. The wood on the console and doors is polished mahogany offset by thick, cream colored leather interrupted by chrome dials. The grain in the mahogany panels is bookend matched, something you find in high end, hand-crafted furniture. The entire craft has the feel of a small, pricy, well maintained, hand-crafted yacht. On the outside, there is the characteristic, distinct steel hood and the traditional, Flying Lady hood ornament which disappears under the hood when the engine is off. Underneath that brushed steel is a 6.75liter, V-12 engine which cranks out 453 horsepower and delivers 531 pound/feet of torque through the six-speed, electronically controlled transmission. The high torque is what makes the Coupe so responsive. It also drinks a lot of gas. The EPA mileage estimates are just 18 miles per gallon in highway driving and 11 MPG in the city. The test car averaged just under 12 MPG in mixed driving. But then, this is not a car you buy to be eco-friendly: It comes with a
$3,000 gas guzzler tax. The most distinct feature from the Drophead Coup’s flowing side profile is the long, front-opening “suicide doors,” so-called because if you open one while driving the wind will instantly whip it back and pull you out of the car. But in normal use, the rear-hinged door provides easy access to the wide, comfortable back seats, which really are intended to be used and have enough leg room for folks living well north of six feet. The doors are long and heavy and are, therefore, power driven – they close at the touch of a button. In the back, the Coupe has a double trunk: raising the floor board reveals bins which are capable of holding two small suit cases, leaving plenty of room for larger ones and golf bags in the main storage area. There are separate climate controls and air outlets for the front and back sections of the car which are so effective, you can actually have the heat and air conditioning going at the same time with little interference. And when driving at night, there is soft, blue lighting under the seats, instruments and storage areas. The Rolls Royce vehicles have long had an image of being designed for those who have money, like expensive, exquisite things, and don’t like to drive. The driving experience was reserved for the chauffeur. But the modern Rolls fleet, under the auspices of BMW, has the philosophy that if you pay a half million dollars for a car, you ought to enjoy the driving experience. The Drophead Coupe, a beautiful, exquisite, detailed, powerful, high-performing, convertible sports sedan is at the top of their line.
2010 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
MSRP: $471,500 Gas Guzzler Tax: $3,000 EPA Mileage: 11 MPG City; 18 MPG Highway As Tested Mileage: 11.9 MPG Mixed Performance / Safety: 0 – 60 MPH 5.7 Seconds Top Speed 149 MPH 6.75-Liter, aluminum alloy, 48-valve,V-12 engine producing 453 horsepower and 531 pound/feet of torque; 6-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission; double wishbone front suspension; multi-link rear suspension with self-leveling air springs; run-flat high performance tires; power assisted, ventilated, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; stability, traction, and cornering brake control; head-thorax airbag in each seat; spring-loaded, popup rollover protection; engine immobilizer; heated windshield; bi-xenon headlamps with auto-leveling and power washers; chrome 21-inch wheels.
Interior / Comfort:
AM/FM/XM satellite and HD radio; single disc CD player; MP3, USB-port, and iPod connection; 420-watt, 9-channel Logic-7 audio system with 15 speakers; navigation system with 6.5-inch monitor; front and rear cameras; Bluetooth cell phone connection; full leather interior – seats, dash, and sides; teak wood rear deck and brushed steel hood; power closing doors; power tilt and telescope leather steering wheel; power retractable cashmere lined roof; lambs wool floor mats.
Roger Witherspoon writes Shifting Gears at www.RogerWitherspoon.com
SHOW PREP
2001–2010 A Hard Decade on the Way to Nowhere By Bob Marrone
If you believe in life after death this column will only make you upset. If you are one of those people who have spent the last ten years worrying about the next terrorist attack, you should read this column but might be offended by it. Lastly, if you are someone who spends all your time thinking that retirement and old age will be the hard won, well deserved fruit of a life well lived this story might depress you. So let’s just say I am writing it for my editor and myself, sort of a cathartic release of pent up angst over the passage of time, and the tragedy of not using it well. The great writer Marcel Proust made it the subject his life’s work in
“Remembrances of Things Past” more accurately translated it reads, “Time Lost.” For the next several days we in the media will obsess over the decade just past. We and you will discuss the top stories, best songs, dumbest TV shows and worst calamities. Doing this is an annual tradition. Admittedly it is fun and even interesting to examine how we as a planet have behaved for a stretch of time. This is where I am supposed to launch into the issues and what they mean, but I will leave that to others. I prefer to share with you the larger context of simply another ten years gone by in the life of a human being. Sure the events of the day inform and even influence, to some extent, how we spend
our time. But it is our time, nonetheless, and the only time we will ever have. It is impossible to talk about the last decade without noting 9-11. The tragedy offers a unique opportunity to look at ourselves and how we each think about time. As I write this, the country is in two wars …one of them unnecessary, the other unnecessarily protracted. We went into debt to pay for both of them rather than raise taxes and upset voters. We get patted down at airports; have given up our privacy to the state; become apoplectic if a package is left unattended near a bus stop and allow every assortment of politician, cleric, media person or business leader to manipulate us towards their way of thinking, believing or
buying. It is as if we Americans expect our lives be risk free and for the government to insure that it will always be so. What a pathetic way to spend ten years. Do we ever stop to think that even if there had been other attacks and appropriate reprisals that the risks and turmoil of the moment would have been a better alternative than living our lives for that perfect day in the future when we will fear no more? Isn’t it kind of like living our lives so that we will be the perfect, well funded corpse; as if this all ends with some perfectly defined glorious moment. One of my dearest friends lives her life preparing Continued on page 16
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SHOW PREP
SPORTS
2001–2010 A Hard Decade on the Way to Nowhere Continued from page 15 for the perfect retirement, one in which she can relax and do what she wants to do. She never seems to get it that she may wasting the other 70 years. Moreover, when she finally enjoys this utopian existence, she will be devoid of her sex drive, slow afoot and perhaps equally as slow in her mind. Worse still, she will be at an age when at any moment an unfamiliar pain or numbness in a limb will be the start of a massive loss of control of herself, or the beginning of a painful, hopeless, miserable death. Most of use die this way but we leave it out of the obituaries they way we leave going to the toilet out of the movies. We pretend it does not happen or we cut it out of the narrative. Ten years…ten years, what did you do with them? Far too many of us spent them planning for that perfect far off day. The truth is that it is not that far off at all, and there is no pot of gold at the end, at least in my view. Lest you think I do not include myself
in this little examination. This bell tolls for me, as well. I have spent far too much time planning for my own nirvana; for that time when I will get love right, catch up on my bills, write that book and spend more time with my grandkids. I am better than most at living the moment, but too often I use the skill to procrastinate from things I should be doing now. I too sometimes think that the best is yet to come. Ten years. They are gone. I am hoping that I will still be here ten years from now and waste less time than I did over the previous ten years. I will also try and continue to do the things that I love and be with the people that I love. Most of all, I will keep with me always the notion that nothing, none of this, is guaranteed. Listen to Good Morning Westchester with Bob Marrone from 6-9 a.m., from Monday through Friday. Direct email to Bob Marrone at Bob@WVOX.com, and visiting the BobMarrone.com website.
THE SPOOF
Twitter Birds Hounded by Bad Weather and Holiday Traditions By Gail Farrelly It wasn’t a fox that hindered their progress. Nor did they stop for a long holiday lunch. No siree, it was the WEATHER that made things difficult for the twitter birds this
past weekend. Bill Twitter, chief Twitter birdie, confirmed an average of half-hour delays in tweet delivery but said this really wasn’t bad considering the rain, sleet, snow, and extreme cold that plagued so many different parts of the world. He also reported, exclusively to a Spoof investigative reporter, that Santa and his reindeer traveling around the world on Christmas Eve night didn’t help things at all. “The guy’s a road hog,” Mr. Twitter complained. “That Mr. Claus thinks the skies belong to him alone on Christmas Eve night. There’s no consideration at all for the rest of us, trying to do our jobs, just as we do every single day and night of the year.” Twitter also whined about
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
Rudolph, saying “Everybody on earth is happily singing that cute song, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. But it’s the Twitter birdies who have to maneuver around that damn red nose and the glare it creates in the sky. A big nuisance.” But on a positive note, Bill Twitter said he was happy that Christmas was over for another year. And if there’s a break in the weather, timely delivery of tweets should return. He gave a little shrug with his tiny wings and chirped that we really need to remember what Kin Hubbard once said, “Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn’t start a conversation.” Gail Farrelly (www.FarrellySistersOnline. com) writes mystery novels and short stories as well as Op-Eds. She also publishes satire pieces (Gail Farrelly’s satire and parody stories) on TheSpoof. com, a British website. Her latest mystery novel is Creamed at Commencement: A Graduation Mystery. The first chapter is available on her website. Gail is working on a fourth mystery, The Virtual Heiress.
Krystin Sandberg: University of Georgia Softball Star By Albert Caamano I still remember coaching her with her father when she was on the 14u girls hockey team; always tenacious, intelligent and persistent. Krystin was consistently determined to play her best and did not appreciate players who didn’t play to win. She loved to learn and had excellent concepts for the game. from early on, I recognized she was a special player and would excel at any and every sport in which she would participate. I had the opportunity to ask Krystin about her stellar career which began in Long Island, New York, and has since culminated at The University of Georgia in her junior year I remember you playing ice hockey. How did you get into Softball? I actually played baseball before hockey and softball. I started playing tee-ball in Little League when I was 5 years old. After watching my dad play men’s league hockey, I started playing in Long Beach’s house league at the age of 8. About 6th or 7th grade I switched over to playing softball; the boys were getting bigger and stronger and I needed to start preparing myself for middle school ball. I was at the age were if I continued to play baseball, I would be playing with 90 foot bases and a 60 foot 6 inch mound. My parents decided it would be better to start playing with the girls and develop skills that could potentially help me with schooling down the road. How did you get recruited and did you have more than one college approach you? If so, how did you decide on which to accept? How was the experience of getting recruited to catcher, especially the limited availability of that position compared to others? While playing for 18u Gold teams in the ASA Junior Olympic League, I attended numerous tournaments deemed “Showcases” where college coaches have the opportunity to watch many different teams play over a weeks span. At the end of the tournament, if you caught a coaches eye, you would probably receive a questionnaire to fill out about yourself and little information about their college. My letter from Georgia was different from others I received. It was a holiday card that the coach had written wishing me and my family a happy holiday with a cell phone number to call because
they were interested. After talking with the coaching staff, I set up an appointment for a future visit. When I was on my official visit to Georgia I fell in love with the campus and the facilities. The coaching staff was awesome and I almost felt at home (but nothing could compare to New York). After receiving my scholarship offer and having family members near by, I thought Georgia would be a good fit. Before making final decisions though, we would hold out for my SAT scores to see if I would be able to get into Stanford. The Georgia coach constantly texted me asking how school was going, or softball, or just seeing what I was up to. After receiving my SAT scores, it was a done deal, I was a GEORGIA BULLDOG! What advise can you give to players who are trying to make college at the division 1 level? You want to stay active and be involved in different activities, not just one sport all year long. You don’t want to burn yourself out. Athletes (and this goes for any athlete) need to make the most of every opportunity they get because you never know who is watching you; you never know when your time to shine will be. Never be afraid to try new things because who knows, you might be good at it and it may come in handy further down the road. You can never take a day off because somebody out there is using it to get better. Get yourself involved with teams that give you the best opportunity to showcase your talents, write letters to coaches expressing your interest in their school and show them you have a desire Continued on page 17
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TELLING: ECLIPSING THE SILENCE
Ivy Johnson’s Story As Told to Hezi Aris It was approximately 1:30 a.m., May 28, 2010, when Ivy Johnson and Tiffany Henry were involved in a dispute on East Fifth Street, in the City of Mount Vernon, New York. It was while the two former lovers were immersed in their personal dispute that Lamont Pierce, Tiffany Henry’s stepfather allegedly attacked and assaulted Ivy Johnson with a pipe he had retrieved from his car. Ivy Johnson asserts she was stuck several times times about her head, neck, and back at Lamont Pierce’s hand causing injuries so sever as to cause Ivy Johnson to lose consciousness. Upon returning to consciousness Ivy Johnson asserts she heard Lamont Pierce threaten her with continued harm while she was on the ground staring at him holding a gun he allegedly pointed to her face. When Mount Vernon Police Officer Erin Holly arrived at the scene, Ivy Johnson informed Police Officer Holly she had been allegedly beaten by Lamont Pierce while allegedly restrained by Tiffany Henry. Injuries about Ivy
Krystin Sandberg: University of Georgia Softball Star
Continued from page 16 to be apart of their program. Make sure you ask questions and get answers so you can be sure you are making the right decision for you and your family. You have to make sure your going to be in a place where you can be happy and not look back too much, wishing you would have done things differently. Keep your eyes on the prize and compete everyday for it. Don’t aim just to be better, aim to be the best you can be at what ever you do. Albert Caamano has coached ice hockey for 15 plus years
Johnson’s body had become evident when she requested P.O. Holly call for medical attention. Ivy Johnson asserts P.O. Holly advised she would call an ambulance shortly. Ivy Johnson further asserts she advised P.O. Holly that she had an active Order of Protection from Tiffany henry issued by the State of Connecticut. Ivy Johnson advised Lamont Pierce and Tiffany Henry countered her assertions to P.O. Holly by claiming it was Ivy Johnson who was the attacker. Ivy Johnson conjectures they did so in order to avoid being arrested. Ivy Johnson continues her “telling”by advising that P.O. Holly proceeded to search the vehicle Ivy Johnson was driving and thereafter charged her with a felony, specifically, assault in the 2nd degree. Ivy Johnon was arrested. She did not receive any medical attention to the contusions most evident about her body. While in the custody of Mount Vernon Police Department, Ivy Johnson asserts she had again asked for medical attention, claiming to have advised the Mount Vernon Police Officers present that she was feeling dizzy, suffered head pain, and was unable to hear from one of her ears. In response to her request, Ivy Johnson asserts she was told she could not and would not be attended to by a medical provider until after the completion of the booking process. Approximately 5 hours later Ivy Johnson collapsed from the tormenting pain she had so far endured. She was thereafter taken to hospital where she asserts a physician she was advised her she had suffered head and neck trauma. Ivy Johnson asserts she reached out several times to Assistant District Attorneys Stephen Ronco and Pauline Haynes regarding her false arrest allegations, alleged police corruption, and alleged assault, only to be ignored. Iv y Johnson thereafter sent a letter to the Mount Vernon Chief of Police Barbara Duncan and the Office of Westchester County Distirct Attorney Janet DiFiore with regard to her allegation of wrongful arrest, alleged police corruption, and the alleged assault. On June 22, 2010, less than a month after her alleged wrongful arrest, felony charges against Ivy Johnson were changed to assault in the 3rd degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the 4th degree, menacing in the 2nd degree, and harassment in the 2nd degree.
Mount Vernon Police Officer Erin Holly is allegedly said to have amended her original police report amending it by written assertion by adding that Ivy Johnson did indeed state at the time of her arrest she was beaten and threatened with a gun and that P.O. Holly also witnessed visible bodily injury to the person of Ivy Johnson. Since that time, Ivy Johnson asserts her many attempts in seeking “justice” by the dismissal of her false arrest, as well as the opportunity to press charges against the alleged attackers who she asserts beat her within an inch of her life, have been stymied. Ivy Johnson asserts Assistant District Attorney Stephen Ronco dismissed her alleged charges with wantonly was biased in accepting her complaint. Ivy Johnson asserts The Mount Vernon Police Department and the Office of the Westchester County District Attorney’s advised Ivy Johnson she would have wait until her case was closed in order to press charges against her alleged attackers. On November 30, 2010, Ivy Johnson once again attempted to press charges against those who allegedly assaulted her, the police officers who allegedly wrongfully arrested her, etc., only to be allegedly told that ADA Pauline Haynes would not accept her complaints. Ivy Johnson endures spinal damage at the hands of her alleged attackers, among other serious illness, due to the attack she
suffered on May 28, 2010. Ivy Johnson has been in contact with the NAACP Internal Affairs and the Civil Liberties Union. Ivy Johnson also made an offical complaint to Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton Young, Jr., on June 7, 2010. The Office of Mayor Clinton Young, Jr., acknowledged receipt of said complaint and making inquiry into the incidents only to allegedly ignore the allegation. Iby Johnson asserts she reached out to Westchester County District Attorney Janet diFiore over 100 times. On November 30, 2010 Ivy Johnson was allegedly advised ADA Barbara Egenhauser is now working the investigation into Ivy Johnson’s allegations; and that she would reach out to Ivy Johnson. Criminal Attorney Jean Robert B. Augusie, of Mount Vernon, NY, is said by Ivy Johnson to be allegedly aware of of her innocence and the alleged discrimination his client has had to endure. Ivy Johnson advises the case has been transferred to the Court of Supreme Court Justice Susan M. Capeci in White Plains, NY. Ivy Johnson advises Tiffany Henry has at her own volition allegedly chosen on August 4, 2010 to submit a written notarized letter to both the Mount Vernon Police Department and the Mount vernon Office of the Westchester County District Attorney making it clear she wants to drop all charges against Ivy Johnson dismissed as initially purported by her. As per Ivy Johnson’s assertion, Tiffany henry now allegedly admits her stepfather lamont Pierce did indeed attack Ivy Johnson. Ivy Johnson advised that the Mount Vernon Police told Tiffany Henry what to write in the police statement “used” to “prosecute” Ivy Johnson. Ivy Johnson asserts the Mount Vernon police Department neglected to assist and provide for her with medical assistance when advised of her assault and believes the City of Mount Vernon is responsible for the pain she has endured. Ivy Johnson asserts she will not accept a plea bargain; she will see the case through trial. Ivy Johnson seeks justice. Lamont Pierce is alleged by Ivy Johnson to be a maintenance employee for the Mount Vernon School District.
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The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
EYE ON THEATRE
Three Pianos and Dear Edwina By John Simon On an allegedly blustery winter night, three musician friends got together at an after-show party at New York’s Judson Memorial Church, whence many an avant-garde concoction has descended upon us. One guy rummaged around the choir loft and unearthed a water-damaged copy of Franz Schubert’s song cycles, including Winterreise (Winter Journey) of 1828. They drunkenly played through it and decided to get a theatrical evening out of it, to which Three Pianos aspires. Just who are the perpetrators of this caper? Silken-haired Rick Burkhardt is a writer-arranger-performer, who has been involved with the SurPlus and Wet Ink ensembles and the NOISE Quartet, and directs the Nonsense Company. Boyish Alec Duffy, another writer-arranger-performer, is artistic director of the Hoi Polloi Company. Chunky Dave Malloy goes them one better as writer-arranger-performer-sound&video designer, is composer of The Sewers and Clown Bible. They all play the piano highly proficiently, but what does their show, directed by the ailurophile Rachel Chavkin, perpend? I caught it on a sunny afternoon, but the requisite bluster came from the stage for two hyperactive hours. With agile but irreverent pianism, most of the 24 songs of Winterreise (except one or two that did not meet with the trio’s exalted standards) were traversed, as played by one to three of our histrions, and also sung by one to three of them in good English or poor German, with bilingual texts projected on a screen to be absorbed by speedreading. If this were all! But we are treated also to chaotic, often inscrutable, and frequently smartass dialogue, sometimes dealing with presentday matters, sometimes with Schubert’s life, sometimes with barely relevant music history, at others offering burlesque re-creations of the Schubertiads, parties by Schubert and his circle where some of his lieder (songs) were performed amid much jesting, jamming and juicing. Teutonically polysyllabic names of Schubert’s cronies were showered upon us, their bearers personated in quick and confusing succession by one of our
performers. Throughout, the three pianos were moved around hither and thither in every conceivable configuration, the piano stools ditto, their players often assuming strange positions, sometimes seated on the floor. There is enough horseplay for a derby, wallowing prone or supine, saltatory tomfoolery, outrageous clowning and miming, and pixilated palaver portentously produced. And wine! The audience is offered copious free red Merlot before the show begins and asked to keep their plastic cups for periodic refills to match the mostly nonalcoholic pseudobibulousness onstage, and presumably also to sodden the spectators into woozy benevolence. Herewith a sample of the dialogue, rendered without punctuation to convey the breathlessness with which it is delivered. “DAVE: Stuck up in some sinkhole apartment in some city that used to be incredible learning to smoke just so as to be able to quit smoking or to kill another hour before whoever we’re in the relationship with comes home so we can get naked and stupid and feel old ALEC: though actually we are not that old RICK: although you know at this rate hah.” All this, we are informed, from “just some guy with a piano pouring his naked heart out into a cocktail glass which he has to fight over with a flamingo and a string orchestra.” Needless to say, flamingo and string orchestra are not supplied, though later a toy heart will be flung about. Andrea Mincic’s set is winning. It is a snowy landscape, complete with a lit-up toy mansion incongruously topped with a church spire, a snowy cemetery to fit in with song 21, “Das Wirtshaus,” wherein the lovelorn Wanderer-protagonist of the song cycle
mistakes a graveyard for an inn, white-dusted rocks and a multitude of barren tree trunks wintrily rising toward periodically descending perpendicular fluorescent lights. But, above all, don’t think that Schubert and his work are well served by such sophomoric self-indulgence that adds up to nothing. Some songs are ridiculed or rejected, sometimes a saxophone, accordion or mini-xylophone takes over, and some lieder are done as a two-step rag or a prog-rock sprawl. It doesn’t help that none of the threesome is a qualified lieder singer, or that one number is performed on a piano covered with a bedsheet onto which are projected crudely illustrative drawings. Still, if you fancy a combination musical circus and thespian rodomontade—and if, by any chance, you find their perpetrators charming—go for it. I myself find it close to unpalatable or, more precisely, unpotable, and gratuitous like the giveaway Terra Fossil wine. Dear Edwina purports to be a “Musical Comedy for [“Kids” crossed out] Everyone,” and is now in its third yearly run with a new cast. It’s the story of Edwina Spoonapple, “Advice Giver Extraordinaire” to fellow teens with enactments of their responses in dialogue and song numbers. A few of the songs have nice music by Zina Goldrich, passable lyrics by the bookwriter Marcy Heisler, and rudimentary choreography by Stephen G. Kennedy. The conventional direction is by Timothy A. McDonald. The present cast may well be inferior to the original one, what with a charmless and overage Edwina and a small nondescript company from which only David McDaniel stands out. But the main problem may lie elsewhere: a show trying to please both adults and children ends up falling between stools. Nonabsorption in the wan proceedings allowed me plenty of time to observe
the audience. The children seemed either puzzled or bored even in a mere one hour, and the adults, though some seem to applaud so as to encourage their kids, were largely impassive. One child actually tried to escape, but was retrieved in the nick of time. A show that is neither fish nor fowl ends up, if not exactly foul, undeniably fishy. Three Pianos—New York Theatre Workshop, 79 East 4th Street, between Second Avenue and Bowery. Tickets: (2120 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com.
Dear Edwina, DR 2 Theatre, 103 East 15th Street at Union Square. Tickets: (212) 239-6200 or www. telecharge.com. John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review, New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway.com and Bloomberg News. He reviews books for the New York Times Book Review and Washington Post. He has written profiles for Vogue, Town and Country, Departures and Connoisseur and produced 17 books of collected writings. Mr. Simon holds a PhD from Harvard University in Comparative Literature and has taught at MIT, Harvard University, Bard College and Marymount Manhattan College. To learn more, visit the JohnSimon-Uncensored.com website.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
Page 19
LEGAL NOTICES Notice of Formation of ZANICK Three, LLC a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC). Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY on 12/15/2010. NY office location: WESTCHESTER County. Secy of State is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. Secy of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her to DACK Consulting Solutions, 2 William street suite 202 White Plains, NY 10601. Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. DJL, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/1/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Corporation Service Company 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: Corporation Service Company 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207. DJLS, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/1/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Corporation Service Company 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: Corporation Service Company 80 State St. Albany, NY 12207. Notice of Authority of ValBacher, LLC; Application for Authority to do business in the State of New York was filed with the Department of State on November 3, 2010; Office Location:, Westchester County; SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served; SSNY may mail a copy of service of process to, 119 North Road, White Plains, NY 10603. Purpose: Any lawful Purpose. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. NAME: AKT LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/09/2010. Office location: Westchester County. The SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 201 W.89th St., #11G, New York, NY 10024. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION of Apostle Management LLC. Arts of Org filed with the Secy of State of New York (SSNY) on 10/01/10. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as an agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail a copy of any process to the principal business address: Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, 360 Hamilton Ave., Ste 100, White Plains, NY 10601. Purpose: any lawful act. Health Care Links LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/5/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Kenneth Murawski 23 Red Oak Lane Cortland Manor, NY 10567. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Mike S Boyle LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/21/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 375 State St #3C Brooklyn, NY 11217. Purpose: Any lawful activity Abcmind LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/9/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to C/O United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228. Knights Of The Round Table, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/1/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 100 Riverdale Ave Ste 3K Yonkers, NY 10701. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION of The Gourmet Gluten Free Food Company, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/31/2010. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o the LLC, 15 Kensico Knoll Place, White Plains, NY 10603. Purpose: Any lawful activity.” Anesthesia Leader, PLLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/21/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The PLLC 280 Dobbs Ferry Rd Ste 206 White Plains, NY 10607. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS. Index No. 12593-2010. STATE OF NEW YORK. SUPREME COURT. COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. CHASE HOME FINANCE LLC, Plaintiff, -vs- THE HEIRS AT LARGE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED, and all persons who are wives, widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienors, heirs, devisees, distributees, successors in interest of such of them as may be dead, and their husbands and wives, heirs, devisees, distributees and successors of interest all of whom and whose names and places are unknown to Plaintiff; WENDY ANN VAN HOUTEN-GAGLIARDI A/K/A WENDY ANN GAGLIARDI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELFRIEDA VAN HOUTEN A/K/A ELFRIEDA G. VAN HOUTEN, DECEASED, AND AS HEIR-ATLAW TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED, AND AS GUARDIAN O/B/O JONATHAN AND JULIAN GAGLIARDI, MINOR HEIRS TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED; DOMINICK GAGLIARDI, DIANE GAGLIARDI AND JOSEPH GAGLIARDI, AS HEIRS-AT-LAW TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.; CAPITAL ONE BANK; METRO PORTFOLIOS; “JOHN DOE” AND “JANE DOE” said names being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, Defendants. Mortgaged Premises: 16 Riverview Avenue, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANT(S): YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in the above entitled action and to serve a copy of your Answer on the plaintiff’s attorney within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after the completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. In the event that there is a deficiency in the sale proceeds, a deficiency judgment may be entered against you. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. This action is being amended to add ‘THE HEIRS AT LARGE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED’, ‘WENDY ANN VAN HOUTEN-GAGLIARDI A/K/A WENDY ANN GAGLIARDI, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELFRIEDA VAN HOUTEN A/K/A ELFRIEDA G. VAN HOUTEN, AND AS HEIR-AT-LAW TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED, AND AS GUARDIAN O/B/O JONATHAN AND JULIAN GAGLIARDI, MINOR HEIRS TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED’, DOMINICK GAGLIARDI, DIANE GAGLIARDI AND JOSEPH GAGLIARDI, AS HEIRS-AT-LAW TO THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, DECEASED’. This action is also being amended to add JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.’, ‘CAPITAL ONE BANK’, and ‘METRO PORTFOLIOS’, as necessary parties to the action as judgment creditors to the possible heirs to the Estate of MICHAEL GAGLIARDI. WESTCHESTER County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the mortgaged premises. Dated: August 30, 2010. /s/, Mark K. Broyles, Esq., FEIN, SUCH & CRANE, LLP, Attorneys for Plaintiff, Office and P.O. Address, 28 East Main Street, Suite 1800, Rochester, New York 14614. Telephone No. (585) 232-7400. (SECTION: 16A, BLOCK: 85, LOT: 15, 16, & 17A). NATURE AND OBJECT OF ACTION. The object of the above action is to foreclose a mortgage held by the Plaintiff recorded in the County of WESTCHESTER, State of New York on April 14, 2008, in Document No. 480940565; said mortgage was assigned to the Plaintiff by virtue of an Assignment of Mortgage dated March 16, 2010, and recorded April 5, 2010, in Document No. 500893437. TO THE DEFENDANT, except WENDY ANN VAN HOUTEN-GAGLIARDI A/K/A WENDY ANN GAGLIARDI, AS EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELFRIEDA VAN HOUTEN A/K/A ELFRIEDA G. VAN HOUTEN and MICHAEL GAGLIARDI, deceased, the plaintiff makes no personal claim against you in this action. To the above named defendants: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of the Hon. Orazio R. Bellantoni, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of N.Y., dated September 13, 2010 and filed along with the supporting papers in the Westchester County Clerk’s Office. This is an action to foreclose a mortgage. The premises is described as follows: All that certain plot, piece of parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Village of Tarrytown, Town of Greenburgh, County of Westchester and State of New York, shown and designated as Lot No. 195 and parts of Lots Nos. 196 and 197 on a certain map entitled, “Benedict Park, Subdivided & Developed by Miller Brothers in the Village of Tarrytown, Town of Greenburgh, Westchester Co., N.Y., Scale 1” 50”, dated September 2, 1924, made by Ward Carpenter & Co., Inc., C.E., and filed in the hereinafter called the Register’s Office of Westchester County, now County Clerk’s Office, Division of Land Records, Westchester County, N.Y. on September 6, 1924 as Map No. 2660, said lot and parts of lots, when taken together as one parcel, are more particularly bounded and described as follows: Beginning at a point on the easterly side of Riverview Avenue where it is intersected by the division line between Lots Nos. 194 and 195 as laid out on the aforesaid map; Running thence in a northerly direction on a curve to the left having a radius of 276.47 feet and along the easterly side of Riverview Avenue an arc distance of 50.00 feet; Running thence on a course of South 69 degrees 42 minutes 20 seconds East 129.36 feet to the rear line of Lot Number 197; Running thence on a course of South 28 degrees 01 minutes 10 seconds West and along the rear lines of Lots 197, 196 and 195, a distance of 64 feet to the division line between Lots Numbers 194 and 195; Running thence on a course North 61 degrees 58 minutes 50 seconds West and along the division line between Lots Numbers 194 and 195, a distance of 110.35 feet to the easterly side of Riverview Avenue at the point or place of Beginning. Premises known as 16 Riverview Avenue, Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591.
Page 20
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, January 6, 2011
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