Wg 2 20 fin by David Watterson

Vol. VI, No. VIII

Westchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Influential Weekly

Ukraine Update with Alexander Valchyshen

A Sad Telling in the City of Yonkers

Asbestos at Yonkers Fire Station 12

Thursday February 20, 2014

$1.00

MARK JEFFERS News and Notes from Northern Westchester Page 5 SHERIF AWAD Die Like Children Page 6 EVAN LEVINE, MD Unnecessary Heart Procedures Epidemic Page 8 Dr. OREN LEVIN-WALDMAN Rising Income Inequality; Median Voter Theorem

Page 10

By Lee Daniels, Page 20

The Rushdie Fatwa 25 Years Later

By Daniel PIPES, Page 3

By HEZI ARIS, Page 3

Yonkers Legally Required to...

JOHN F. McMULLEN Mr. Gates Is In The Building! Page 11 JOHN SIMON Reality Captured Page 12 Mayor MARY C. MARVIN

State of the Village of Bronxville Page 16

By HEZI ARIS, Page 4 WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM

LUKE HAMILTON A Mea Culpa Page 17

rience fundraising, knowledge of what development entails and experience working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations Manager- must have a good knowledge of computers/software/ticketing systems, duties include overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show lobby staffing such as Merchandise seller, bar sales. Must be familiar with POS system and willing to organize concessions. Full time plus hours. Call (203) 438-5795 and ask for Julie or Allison

Page 2

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

THE WESTcHESTER GUARDiAn THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THE WESTcHESTER GUARDiAn

RADIO RADIO RADIO

Of Significance Of Significance

Community Section ............................................................................... 4 Community Section ............................................................................... 44 Business ................................................................................................ Business ................................................................................................ Calendar ............................................................................................... 44 Calendar ............................................................................................... 45 Charity .................................................................................................. Creative Disruption ............................................................................ 56 Charity Contest.................................................................................................. Cultural Perspective ........................................................................... 766 Contest .................................................................................................. Creative Disruption ............................................................................ Energy Issues ....................................................................................... Creative Disruption ............................................................................ Education ............................................................................................. 867 In Memoriam ....................................................................................1078 Education ............................................................................................. Fashion .................................................................................................. Medicine .............................................................................................10 Fashion .................................................................................................. Fitness.................................................................................................... 89 Najah’s Corner ...................................................................................119 Fitness.................................................................................................... Health ..................................................................................................10 Movie Review ....................................................................................12 Health History..................................................................................................10 ................................................................................................10 Music ...................................................................................................12 History Ed Koch................................................................................................10 Movie Review ...................................................................12 Community ........................................................................................13 Ed Koch Movie Review ...................................................................12 Spoof ....................................................................................................13 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Spoof Sports....................................................................................................13 Scene .......................................................................................13 Books Sports Scene .......................................................................................13 Najah’s...................................................................................................16 Corner ...................................................................................13 People ..................................................................................................18 Najah’s Corner ...................................................................................13 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Eye On...................................................................................................16 Theatre ..................................................................................18 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Books Leaving on a Jet Plane ......................................................................19 Books ...................................................................................................16 Transportation...................................................................................17 Government Section Transportation ...................................................................................17 Government Section ............................................................................20 ............................................................................17 Campaign Trail ..................................................................................20 Government Section ............................................................................17 Albany Correspondent ....................................................................17 Economic Development....................................................................17 Albany Correspondent Mayor Marvin’s Column..................................................................20 .................................................................18 Education ...........................................................................................21 Mayor Marvin’s Column .................................................................18 Government .......................................................................................19 The Hezitorial ....................................................................................21 Government .......................................................................................19 OpEd Section .........................................................................................23 LegalSection ....................................................................................................23 OpEd .........................................................................................23 Ed Koch Commentary.....................................................................23 People ..................................................................................................24 Ed Koch Letters toCommentary.....................................................................23 the Editor ..........................................................................24 Strategyto...............................................................................................24 Letters Editor............................................................................25 ..........................................................................24 Weir Onlythe Human OpEd Section .........................................................................................25 Weir Only Human ............................................................................25 Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26 Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26 ..........................................................................................27

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Prime Location, Yorktown Heights UPON GOOD CAUSE, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHSq. Ft.: $1800. Wilca: 914.632.1230 ER THE NON-RESPONSENT PARENT(s) SHOULD1,000 BE CONSIDERED ASContact A RESPONDENT; IF THE COURT DETERMINES THE CHILD SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM HIS/HER HOME, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE NON-RESPONDENTCounty PrimeWHETHER RetailTHE - Westchester Thursday, FEBRUARY 20,Best 2014 PARENT(s) SHOULD BE SUITABLE CUSTODIANS FOR THE CHILD; IF THE CHILD IS PLACEDHeights AND Location in Yorktown REMAINS IN FOSTER CARE FOR FIFTEEN1100 OF THE RECENT TWENTY-TWO Sq.MOST Ft. Store $3100; 1266 Sq. MONTHS, Ft. store THE $2800 and 450 Sq. Ft. AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED TO FILE PETITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23,A 2012 Page 3 Store $1200. THE PARENT(s) AND COMMITMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF THE CHILD FOR THE THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 Page 3 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 Page Suitable for any type of business. Contact Wilca: 914.632.1230 PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, EVEN IF THE PARENT(s) WERE NOT NAMED AS RESPONDENTS IN THE CHILD NEGLECT OR ABUSE PROCEEDING.

Of Significance

HELP WANTED A NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REQUEST TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT CUS-

A non profit OF Performing Arts Center is seeking two job positions- 1) DirecTODY OF THE CHILD AND TO SEEK ENFORCEMENT VISITATION RIGHTS WITH THE CHILD. tor of Development- FT-must have a background in development or expeBY ORDER OF THE FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK rience fundraising, knowledge of what development entails and Feature Section.................................................................................................................................. 3 experience working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations Manager- must have a TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT(S) WHO RESIDE(S) OR IS FOUND AT [specify Investigation.................................................................................................................................. good knowledge of computers/software/ticketing systems, duties3 include address(es)]: overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show Middle East Forum...................................................................................................................... 3 lobby Westchester On theLast Level isaddresses: usually heard from to Friday, from NY 1010701 a.m. to 12 known TIFFANY RAY:Monday 24staffing Garfieldsuch Street, Yonkers, as#3, Merchandise seller, bar sales. Must be familiar with POS Noon on the Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Hezitorial Analysis....................................................................................................................... system willing to organize concessions. Call (203) Last known addresses: KENNETH THOMAS: 24 and Garfield Street, #3, Yonkers, NY 10701 Full time plus hours. 4 Because of the importance of a Federal court case438-5795 purporting corruption bribery and ask for Julie orand Allison Community Section......................................................................................................................... 5 An Orderwith to Show Cause under Article 10 days of the of Family Court 26 Act to having filed with this Court allegations, programming be suspended for the March 29, been 2012. YonWestchester On theseeking Levelto ismodify heard Monday to Friday, from the from placement for the above-named child. 10 a.m. to 12 Noon Calendar......................................................................................................................................... 5

Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris Aris and

kersthe Philharmonic Orchestra Sadewhite is our scheduled Friday, Westchester On the Level is Conductor heard fromJames Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m.guest to 12 Noon on Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Join YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at Yonkers Family Court March 30. Cultural Perspectives................................................................................................................... 6 on the Internet: by http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Join the conversation calling toll-free to 1-877-674-2436. Please stay on topic. located at 53 So. Broadway, Yonkers, New York, on the 28th day of March, 2012 at 2;15 It is howeverby anticipated that theto jury will conclude its Please deliberation ontopic. either Mon- pm in the the conversation calling toll-free 1-877-674-2436. stay on afternoon of said day to answer the petition and to show cause why said child should not be Economic Development............................................................................................................. Richard Narog March and Hezi Aris are your that co-hosts. In thewe week beginning February 20th and ending7on day or Tuesday, 26 or regular with adjudicated to27. be aShould neglected childbe andthe why case, you should will not beresume dealt withour in accordance the Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are your co-hosts. In the week beginning February 20th and ending8on February 24th,schedule we medicine. have an exciting of guests. ........................................................................................................................................ programming and announce fact on the Yonkers Tribune website. provisions of Article 10entourage ofthat the Family Court Act. February 24th, we have an exciting entourage of guests. Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are co-hosts of the show. Every Monday is Music. special............................................................................................................................................... On Monday, February 20th, Wade, participant in http:// PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, thatKrystal you have the right toabecelebrated represented by a law8 Every Monday is special. Monday, 20th, Wade, celebrated participant in http:// yer, and ifOn the Court finds youFebruary are unableKrystal to pay forKrystal a lawyer, you haveathe right to havewho a lawyer www.TheWritersCollection.com is our guest. Wade is a mother of three works fifty miles Prison. ............................................................................................................................................. 9 assigned by the Court.is www.TheWritersCollection.com our guest. Krystal is a novel mother threeaccepted who works fifty miles from home and writes in her “spare time.” “Wilde’s Fire,”Wade her debut hasofbeen for publication Pro-Life. . ......................................................................................................................................... from home and writes ininher “spare time.” “Wilde’s Fire,” debut has been publication PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, thather if you fail tonovel appear at the timeaccepted andHow placefor and should be available 2012. Not farFURTHER behind is her second novel, “Wilde’s Army.” does she do9 it? noted in above, the Court will hear and determine the petition as provided by law.Army.” How does she do it? and should be available 2012. Not far behind is her second novel, “Wilde’s Tune in and find out. Public Policy................................................................................................................................ 10 Dated: January 30, 2012 BY ORDER OF THE COURT Tune in and find out. Co-hosts Richard Creative Narog2 and Hezi Aris will relish the1 column dissection Disruption................................................................................................................... 11 column CLERK OF THE COURTof all things politics on Tuesday, February Co-hosts Richard Narog and Hezi Aris will relish the dissection of his all things politicsfrom on Tuesday, February 21st. Yonkers CityEye Council President Chuck Lesnick will share perspective the august inner on Theatre............................................................................................................................. 12 21st. Yonkers Lesnick will share 22nd. his perspective from the august sanctum of theCity CityCouncil CouncilPresident ChambersChuck on Wednesday, February Stephen Cerrato, Esq., will inner share Yorktown Business..................................................................................................................... 13 sanctum of the City Council Chambers Wednesday, February 22nd. Esq.,be will share his political insight on Thursday, Februaryon 23rd. Friday, February 24th hasStephen yet to beCerrato, filled. It may a propihis political insight on Thursday, February 23rd. Friday, February 24th has yet to be filled. It may be a propiMiddle East Forum.................................................................................................................... tious day to sum up what transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version of That14 Was tious day toThat sumGovernment. up what transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version of That 15 Was The Week Was (TWTWTW). .................................................................................................................................... The Week That Was (TWTWTW). For those who cannot join us live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or Hezitorial Analysis..................................................................................................................... 15on For thoseWithin who cannot join us consider listening tofind the the show by wayinof MP3 that download, orlink on demand. 15 minutes of live, a show’s ending, you can segment ouranarchive you may Marvin............................................................................................................................. demand. Within 15Mayor minutes of ainshow’s ending,paragraph. you can find the segment in our archive that you may16 link to using the hyperlink provided the opening Legal Notices, to using the hyperlink provided in........................................................................................................................... the opening paragraph. Presidents’ Day. 15 Advertise Today The entire archiveLegal is available maintained perusal. The easiest way to find a particular interview Notices,and Advertise Today for your The entire archive is available and maintained for your perusal. 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The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of events The Westchester Guardian is aCriminal, weeklyMedicaid, newspaper devoted to the living unbiased reporting of events Medicare and developments that are newsworthy and significant to readers in, and/or employed in, and developments that areGuardian newsworthy significant readers in, and/or employed in, Fraud, White-Collar Crime & to Westchester County. The willand strive to report fairly, andliving objectively, reliable informa914.948.0044reliable informaWestchester County.tion The without Guardian will strive to report fairly, andT.duty objectively, Health Careor Prosecutions. favor compromise. Our first will be to the PEOPLE’S F. tion without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be fear to the RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure of truth,914.686.4873 without orPEOPLE’S hesitation, RIGHT TO KNOW, by themay exposure ofthe truth, without fearoforFREEDOM hesitation, no matter where the pursuit lead, in finest tradition 175 M AIN S T., S UITE 711-7 • W HITE P LAINS, NY 10601 no matter where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. OF THE PRESS. The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to residents and The Guardian will cover news and eventsAs relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. a weekly, rather than businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated with daily focusingwe onwill the instead immediacy more associated daily journals, seek of to delivery provide the broader, morewith comprejournals, we will instead seek to provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened hensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate. with analysis, where appropriate. Professional Dominican From &amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, Hairstylists Nail Technicians From amongst journalism’ s classic key-words: who, what, when, Hair Cuts • Stylingwhy, • Washand & Set •how, Permingthe why and how will drive our pursuit. We where, Pedicure • Acrylic Nails • Fill Ins • Silkwhy, Wraps •and Nail Art Designs where, how, the why andand how drive our will use our •more time, ourwill resources, to pursuit. get past We the Highights • Coloring • Extensions • Manicure Eyebrowabundant Waxing will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic of immediate initial and often characteristic immediate Yudi’s Salon 610 Main St, New Rochelle, NY ‘spin’ 10801 914.633.7600 news releases, to ‘damage reach thecontrol’ very heart of the matter: the of truth. We will news releases, toto reach theof very heart of the matter: the truth. will take our readers a point understanding and insight whichWe cannot take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere. be obtained elsewhere. To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necesTo succeed, must recognize from theacknowledge outset that bigger is not necessarily better.we And, furthermore, we will that we cannot be sarily better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentationbe of all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed. county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 3

FeatureSection THE HEZITORIAL INVESTIGATION

A Sad Telling in the City of Yonkers Asbestos at Yonkers Fire Station 12 By HEZI ARIS Yonkers Department of Public Works (DPW) workers were engaged in conducting minor renovations at Fire Station 12 starting in the late spring of 2013. In addition to scraping and painting of walls, they also removed floor tiles from one of the floors. They did not test for the presence of asbestos prior to doing the work (as they should have). No protective measures were undertaken to safeguard the workers; a responsibility demanded of DPW’s Joe Celli. The rooms in question were not sealed off and were used by firefighters during and after demolition. Several weeks after the work commenced, one of the DPW workers advised a Firefighters that no one should be using the rooms because asbestos debris was still

present. Upon learning of this, I.A.F.F. - Local 628 obtained samples of the materials and sent them to a lab for testing. The results came back positive for the presence of asbestos at unsafe levels. Local 628 provided the test results to the City of Yonkers (CoY) and City Hall conducted their own testing which corroborated Local 628’s findings; he test undertaken on behalf of CoY also came back as positive, unsafe, and at high levels. The rooms were sealed off with duct tape and a warning sign which read, “Do Not Enter!” After several weeks of no action, Local 628 filed a complaint with the New York State Public Employees Safety and Health Division (NYS PESH), a division of the NYS Department of Labor. Nothing happened for several weeks. Approximately 5 or 6 weeks after Local

628’s complaint to PESH the CoY installed a double layer of plastic from floor to ceiling outside the affected areas and sealed the area so that it was less likely to contaminate beyond the area cordoned. The next day, a PESH inspector arrived for his “unannounced” site visit and investigation. The PESH inspector did not enter the affected rooms, and instead monitored the air outside the sealed off room for the presence of airborne asbestos. His tests came back negative. PESH did cite CoY for failing to maintain injury logs for the prior years, but did not cite CoY for violations of the PESH Act. Local 628 had a conference meeting with the CoY and PESH to review their findings. Local 628 objected to the delay in the investigation process, specifically with respect to PESH giving CoY prior notice of the investigator’s site visit, and for failing

to cite CoY for violations of PESH and OSHA regulations. Local 628 has filed an appeal with the NYS Industrial Relations Board. Local 628 has had to hire their own Industrial Hygienist to assist them with their complaint and appeal. PESH was besides itself when they came to recognize Local 628 was committed

to following up on their complaint. PESH denied violating the PESH Act by giving CoY advance notice of their site visits; even so, it is obvious they did just that. Heretofore, CoY did nothing for over 3 months time, and then all of a sudden, the day before PESH arrived, they sealed the room off properly. Recognizing Local 628 was not recoiling for their complaint, PESH officials advised they were still investigating the exposures to the DPW workers who removed the asbestos and that they would most likely issue serious violations against CoY as a result of that investigation. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Yonkers Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry seem to have their fingerprints over this issue by the timeline to which PESH adhered. The probability of their interference vis-à-vis their Albany network to scuttle this investigation is plausible. PESH should be a vehicle to protect public sector workers, not a tool for politicians to use for their own benefit. So the stomach turns.

MIDDLE EAST FORUM

The Rushdie Fatwa 25 Years Later By DANIEL PIPES

Twenty-five years ago today, Ayatollah Khomeini brought his edict down on Salman Rushdie. Iran’s revolutionary leader objected to the author’s magical-realist novel The Satanic Verses because of its insults to the Muslim prophet Muhammad and responded by calling for the execution of Rushdie and “all those involved in the publication who were aware of its contents.” That Rushdie was born in India, lived in Britain, and had no significant connections to Iran made this an unprecedented act of aggression, one that resounded widely at the time and has subsequently had an enduring impact. Indeed, one could argue that the era of “creeping Shari’a” or “stealth jihad” or “lawful Islamism” began on February 14, 1989, with the issuance of that short edict. If Rushdie, 66, is alive and well (if not exactly flourishing; his writings deteriorated after The Satanic Verses), many others lost their lives in the disturbances revolving around his book. Worse, the long-term impact of the edict has been to constrain

First, that the right of Westerners to discuss, criticize, and even ridicule Islam and Muslims has eroded over the years. Second, that free speech is a minor part of the problem; at stake is something much deeper – indeed, a defining question of our time: will Westerners maintain their own historic civilization in the face of assault by Islamists, or will they cede to Islamic culture and law and submit to a form of second-class citizenship? Most analyses of the Rushdie Rules focus exclusively on the growth of Islamism. But two other factors are even more important: Multiculturalism as practiced

undercuts the will to sustain Western civilization against Islamist depredations while the Left’s making common political cause with Islamists gives the latter an entrée. In other words, the core of the problem lies not in Islam but in the West. (February 14, 2014) First published on Feb 14, 2014 and Crossposted from National Review Online, The Corner http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2014/02/ the-rushdie-fatwa-25-years-later Mr. Pipes (DanielPipes.org) is president of the Middle East Forum.

RADIO

Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris

Salman Rushdie in 1989. observation of this topic (including a book the ability of Westerners freely to discuss written in 1989), leads me to conclude that Islam and topics related to it, what has come two processes are underway: to be known as the Rushdie Rules. Long

Designated a “Featured” BlogTalk Radio program, has been operating for over two years via the Internet with Co-Hosts Richard Narog and Hezi Aris every weekday, from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon. Listen to the show live or on demand. Share your perspective by calling (347) 205-9201 or by clicking onto the following hyperlinks: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ westchesteronthelevel

Page 4

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

THE HEZITORIAL ANALYSIS

The City of Yonkers Legally Required to Financially Serve the Needs of the Yonkers Board of Education without Question! By HEZI ARIS

Who, What, When, Where, and Why WHO: The protagonists are the Yonkers Board of Education (YBoE), the Yonkers Board of Education Trustees (YBoE Trustees), YBoE Trustee President Dr. Nader Sayegh, Esq., Yonkers Public Schools (YPS) Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio, YPS CFO Joseph Bracchita, CPA Nick (Nicholas) DeSantis, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, NYS Secretary to the Governor Lawrence “Larry” Schwartz, NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, NYS Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator George Latimer, NYS Assemblymembers Gary Pretlow and Shelley Mayer, Yonkers Finance Commissioner John Liszewski, among other less consequential actors.

WHAT: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano’s revelation on January 17, 2014, of an accrued shortfall valued at upwards of $55 million in the combined Fiscal Year (FY) 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 respective budgets pertaining to the Yonkers BoE. WHEN: The budget shortfall was divulged on January 17, 2014, by a communiqué (press release) on the cusp of the Martin Luther King Jr long weekend commemoration at approximately 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: The

New York State Legislature,the State Capitol City of Albany, and the City of Yonkers

WHY: Why did the $55 million (plus or minus) shortfall come about? The revelation of a $55 million shortfall allegedly expressed to Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano by Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio, asserted to have been the case by spokespeople for Mayor Spano, contested instead by Yonkers Tribune that it was indeed CPA Nick DeSantis who advised Mayor Mike Spano, is only relevant for the telling of the telling to be understood as the beginning point of this crisis. As dramatic as this “crisis” seems, once the onion is peeled, and the facts revealed, there is much blame to go around. At issue is whether heads will role for past mistaken errors or intentioned misconduct. Once the contrived or “unintentioned” errors are officially revealed, what standards of remedy can be construed to mitigate a repeat of this

costly “crisis”? On the Wednesday, February 12, 2014, “Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris” BlogTalk Radio show hosted by Hezi Aris, New York State Democratic Conference Leader Andrea StewartCousins advised that the New York State Legislature, among which are the four total members of the Yonkers Delegation, advised no one had requested a two-year sum total of $55 million to cover FY 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, and are adamant that they did not authorize any funds whatsoever. Senator Stewart-Cousins’ assertion was validated by Assemblymember Shelley Mayer on the Friday, February 16th show of the same name. More damning is that the audit attesting to the actual figures and their impact on CoY may even be greater than $55 million, but that is yet to be ascertained. Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio and Chief Financial Officer Joseph Bracchita designed the budgets for the Yonkers Public Schools in which over a two-year time frame were listed a total of $55 million in never authorized and unsubstantiated funds listed in two separate proposed budgets. One of the responsibilities of the Yonkers Board of Education Trustees, Dr. Nader Sayegh is its president, requires the nine-member board to conduct due diligence over the proposed Yonkers Board of Education budgets in their roles as trustees. The YBoE Trustees obtained the financial input devised by Pierorazio and Bracchita through the men individually and in tandem upon their presentations to the YBoE Trustees. The YBoE Trustees trusted the information they received of Superintendent Pierorazio and CFO Bracchita, to be unimpeachable. Despite the expectation, something went wrong; very wrong. The funds were not authorized for either fiscal year! The procedure for creating a budget fell on Pierorazio and Bracchita. They in turn substantiated their proposed budget to the YBoE Trustees. In the very telling and substantiation of the proposed budget to the YBoE Trustees, both Pierorazio and Bracchita should have noticed the “error”. The information afforded the YBoE Trustees was flawed, yet they would not learn of it for over a year’s time later. And so it came to be the proposed education budget, based on some “flawed” and “erroneous” information given to to the YBoE Trustees endorsed the proposed budget and had the proposed budget presented to Mayor Mike Spano and subsequently thereafter

to the Yonkers City Council (YCC). Once approved by the YCC, the documents were returned to Mayor Spano who presented it to NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli who approved the budgets for the two years in question, seemingly unaware and unperturbed by the two respective false entrees. Albany dispensed the funds over the entire year as governed by the fiscal year (FY) of CoY and the FY of the YBoE with respect to each budget, the total of which approaches $1 billion every year. Yet the amount recieved from Albany was deficient each year to the amount specified in the “flawed” items requested in the YBoE proposed budget. In other words, the $55 million was never received by CoY.The FY for CoY begins at a different time than it does for the YBoE; the money received for each overlaps the other. If someone had added the money allegedly approved by Albany for the YBoE, they would have realized that over the two years in question, $55 million listed in the budgets were missing from the money received from Albany. A red flag was not raised in horror until first notice of the debacle was revealed on January 17, 2014. Since all funds are received by the CoY, even those funds for the benefit of the YBoE, Yonkers Department of Finance dispenses the funds to the YBoE when the YBoE requests it from the CoY. CoY is not authorized by law to ask the purpose for the funds requested, or how it will be spent. Most importantly, CoY cannot withhold or deny payment to the YBoE… ever. The $55 million shortfall, plus or minus, though never authorized by Albany, was however “used and/or spent” by the Yonkers Public Schools for paying for supplies and services rendered. Once the actual funds authorized and spoken for were exhausted, the issue of how the YBoE was able to fund a $55 million shortfall arises. Because the funds specific to the YBoE were not kept separate from the funds designated for use for and by CoY, the cash flow of the YBoE and the CoY would be such that it covered any shortfall from the “approved” budget of the other. In a sense, one can say the Department of Finance was ignorant of the ticking time bomb that was their responsibility to know and manage. In most cases, cash flow can maintain a budget shy of $1 billion in value each year. But the bubble burst on January 17, 2014 when Mayor Mike Spano was noticed. The situation is so dire, and so politically charged, that little has come to light from official sources. City Hall advised the Yonkers

Commissioner John Liszewski of the Department of Finance when in receipt of funds from Albany presents an opening sum to the Yonkers BoE so that they may satisfy their purchases of services and other responsibilities. The YBoE continues to request money as they must to operate throughout the year, requesting sums as they are needed. CoY is said to wire the funds to the YBoE when they are requested to send funds to the YBoE. CoY may not ask any questons of the YBoE as for what the money is spent and with whom. CoY must meet the financial demands of them by the YBoE. The YBoE may not be denied fund, allegedly stipulated by New York State Law. The two paragraphs above seem to be different. They are, but…While there is a paper separation of CoY, separate from the YBoE, in reality, the Department of Finance co-mingles the funds. In a 7-0 ruling the Yonkers City Council on February 11, 2014, authorized an Inter Municipal Agreement (IMA) unanimously. The IMA was adopted devoid of any discussion or insight into the rationale for the Resolution being authorized. The Agreement was signed into effect on February 3, 2014, by Yonkers Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry and YBoE Trustee President Dr. Nader Sayegh, Esq. The Agreement demands the YBoE provide all resources, materials, documents and other information of any kind to assist CoY in uncovering the deficiencies of accountability that have been revealed, with all costs borne by the YBoE. The IMA shall take place from the moment of signing on February 3, 2014 and be terminated no later than June 30, 2014. Most importantly are the Indemnification and defense clauses: “That except for the amount, if any, of damage contributed to, caused by or resulting from the negligence of CoY, the YBoE shall indemnify and hold harmless CoY, its officers, employees and agents from and against any and all liability, damage, claims, demands, costs, judgments, fees, attorney’s fees or loss arising directly or indirectly out of the errors, omissions o unlawful or negligent acts hereunder by the YBoE or third parties under the direction or control of the YBoE; and “To provide defense for and defend, at its sole expense, such claims, demands or causes of action directly or indirectly arising out of the Agreement, as described in subsection” (above), “and to bear all other costs

and expenses related thereto.” Not being a lawyer, I am uncertain whether those involved in any “error, or other wrongdoing” are liable to face prosecution. That is a decision which may and can be made by NYS Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott, NYS Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, among others. What is evident is that the protocol and / or standards of scrutiny heretofor have been lacking and went previously untested. Authentication and rationale for a specific line in any budget has been lax at both Yonkers City Hall, YBoE, and the Yonkers City Council (YCC). Accounting standards adopted by CoY must be seamless with respect to the YBoE and transparently defined. Safeguards to deny and deflect erroneous or intentioned subterfuge must be engaged post haste. CoY and YBoE must present their budget proposals in the most succinct and understandable manner before the public and not hidden from The People. CoY must also not co-mingle funds intended for CoY with money intended for YBoE. Lawyers are known to set up “escrow” accounts for the purpose of serving a specific entity or individual. This must likewise be done for the benefit of the YBoE. Further, once funds have been allocated to the YBoE, there must be redundant mechanisms to advise the YBoE CFO (finance officer) through the YBoE Trustees that the account is depleted and public notice to that end must be noticed. In so doing, accounts could not and would not be overdrawn. Many suggestions to mitigate this “crisis” must be given voice. Moving forward, Dr. Michael Yazurlo, a Yonkers resident who earned accolades of accomplishments as Assistant Principal at Roosevelt High School, and as Principal at Hawthorne Pearls (Grades 4-6), Hawthorne Jr. High School (Gifted and Talented Magnet), Roosevelt High School, and as Superintendent of Schools at Tuckahoe Union Free School District is favored to be chosen interim YPS Superintendent. YPS Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio is expected to relinquish his responsibilities without further remuneration as previously noted at the end of the

Continued on page 5

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 5

THE HEZITORIAL ANALYSIS

The City of Yonkers Legally Required to Financially Serve the Needs of the Yonkers Board of Education without Question! Continued from page 4

business day of Februay 16, 2014 and Dr. Yazurlo is to step into the role of YPS Superintendent on February 17, 2014. The audit explaining what transpired, and for how many years, remains unknown

keeping all interested parties in limbo. The audit was said to be concluded by January 31, 2014; the audit was not expected to be divulged this Wednesday, February 12, 2014 either. It was not.The audit is now said to be divulged by mid-March. The crisis has caused Mayor Mike Spano to present the

State of the City Address much later than originally intentioned; April 21, 2014. YBoE Trustee President Dr. Nader Sayegh has for many months immersed himself in gaining access to information of protocol and validation of facts in deference to his appointed responsibilities. He was

beginning to gain insight when this revelation shocked CoY by its enormity and possible ominous consequences financially and politically. Comprehending the protocols skirted, maligned, or overwhelmed will bring about standards to mitigate such calamity from our future. Dr Sayegh is

systematically shepherding the investigation and study of what transpired toward a much more respected standard. Dr. Sayegh is expected to continue at the helm as YBoE Trustee President.

my daughters marching with the girl scouts… Let’s take a look at some local theater… Yorktown High School is presenting “Meet Me in St. Louis” from March 7 to 9. The nice folks at the Bedford Hills Free Library are holding an open house to celebrate the appointment of Mary Esbjornson as Executive Director of the Library on Friday, February 21st, for a chance to meet the new director and welcome her to our library community, wine and cheese will be served. On a sad note… former Rye resident, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame player and New York Mets announcer Ralph Kiner passed away last week. The Bedford Teachers’ Association

will host its Second Annual Volleyball Tournament and Fundraiser to benefit the Mount Kisco Food Pantry on Thursday, February 27th at the Fox Lane High School gymnasium. Come join the fun and see Bedford CSD staff members compete against each other to raise funds for a wonderful cause. We hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day, my darling wife gave me some new work gloves, with an instructional manual attached, true love… see you next week.

CommunitySection CALENDAR

News & Notes from Northern Westchester By MARK JEFFERS We heard a rumor that spring is only 29 days away, so put that shovel away and get the lawn mower ready, throw another log on the fire and have a look at this week’s “spring is coming” edition of “News & Notes.” The Bedford Hills Lions Club sent out this roar… please join them at their “Mardi Gras Family Pancake Breakfast,”on Sunday, March 2nd, 8am-1pm at the Bedford Hills Community House; proceeds benefit community programs and organizations serving the blind and visually impaired. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Westchester and the Hudson Valley is set for their annual “Dressed Down For Leukemia 2014,” on Thursday, March 20th. This community-wide effort will raise important funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Westchester and the Hudson Valley and will boost employee morale at your company or school. Your employees or students are invited on March 20th to “Dress Down,” for a $5 donation that goes toward LLS’s programs of research and helps local patient services. All contributors will receive an official “Dressed Down

For Leukemia,” sticker. To sign-up, call Andrea Fields at 914-821-8996. Our buddy Katonah resident Michael Balkind, author of the critically acclaimed novels; “Sudden Death,” “Dead Ball,” and “Gold Medal Threat,” endorsed by James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Tim Green, Wendy Corsi Staub and John Lescroart latest work “The Fix,” which he coauthored with NBC Sports/Golf Channel host Ryan Burr has just been published. “The Fix,” is a suspenseful, entertaining novel, about football, relationships, temptation, corruption and redemption. Imagine a football game where a quarterback and ref are both point shaving… only in opposite directions. A story that explores the deepest conflicts in human nature and culminates in a completely unexpected twist. Whether you love sports or not, “The Fix” will keep you riveted. Telemachus Press published “The Fix” which is available in paperback at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as at most bookstores on request… eBook versions are at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, S mashwords, Apple, Sony, Kobo & more. I am already starting to stretch and get ready for the Fifth Annual Run for the Hills 5K race. This great event will take place

on Saturday, April 5th in Bedford Hills. Remember they don’t call it the Hills for nothing. I need a nap just writing this. If you have any energy left, join the fun at the 5K walk/run the next day on Sunday, April 6th at the Fox Lane High School campus with a rain date of April 27th. The 5K walk/run will begin promptly at 9:30am and it will end at 10:30am for the benefit of the MKES Community Garden as well as other school activities. The Ancient Order of the Hibernians are holding their 24th annual Mount Kisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday March 15th, it’s a great family tradition, I remember

Mark Jeffers resides in Bedford Hills, New York, with his wife Sarah, and three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Claire.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

CALENDAR

Senator George Latimer and Assemblymember Shelley Mayer Host State Budget Hearing in Yonkers YONKERS, NY -- New York State Senator George Latimer and Assemblymember Shelley Mayer will convene a “Community Budget Forum” to hear public comment on the 2014-15 New York State Budget on Monday, February 24th from 5:30-8:30 at the Grinton I. Will Public Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue Yonkers, NY 10710 in the auditorium. Community residents are invited to testify about their concerns regarding the impacts of the Governor’s proposed budget. “This budget continues our commitment to tax reduction and responsible,

New York State Senator George Latimer

directly from residents about their concerns and priorities, so we can work most effectively on their behalf,” Assemblymember Mayer explained. Each speaker will have up to four (4) minutes to speak on a first-come, first-speak basis. If desired, written testimony can be submitted ahead of time or after the event, by e-mail to Latimer@NYSenate.gov or MayerS@assembly.state.ny.us. Questions can be directed to 914-779-8805 or 914934-5250, but no RSVP is required.

Assemblymember Shelley Mayer

intelligent spending,”stated Senator Latimer. “The budget contains no new taxes and funds critical programs that benefit the lives of all New Yorkers. I’m glad that a wide array of groups and individuals had the chance to share their opinions directly with us in an open forum so that we can go back to Albany and advocate on their behalf.” “Throughout the New York State budget process, we advocate on behalf of our constituents in Yonkers concerning issues ranging from education to jobs, from health care to community services. We are committed to making ourselves available to hear

the end of the Rwandan Genocide. Many of the perpetrators of the genocide escaped across the border, and have been attempting to overthrow the Rwandan government since. Most active among this group are the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda that often uses child soldiers. A number of militia groups also operate in eastern Democratic Republic Congo (formerly Zaire), typically using child soldiers. According to many commentators, some of these militia forces operate as proxy forces for the Rwandan government. Among these is M-23, a group that split from the Congolese Army in open rebellion in April 2012. One of the leaders of M-23 is General Bosco Ntaganda. Since 2006, there has been an International Criminal Court warrant out for his arrest, charging him with a number of War Crimes, including using child soldiers. Bosco voluntarily surrendered on 18 March 2013, at the US Embassy in Kigali, the capitol of Rwanda. He asked to be transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands In 2010, Dallaire wrote the book They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children about the child-soldier phenomenon. The book contains a foreword by Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier and author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. A documentary by the same name was made by Patrick Reed in which he followed Dallaire on an unforgettable mission to some of the frontlines of Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, in particular) meeting with recently demobilized child soldiers, and their commander; one soldier to another. “Dallaire changed my life”, says Patrick Reed the director of the documentary. “When I went to Rwanda in 2004 with General Dallaire to make Shake Hands with the Devil, I had never been to Africa. Since then, I have returned many times, making a

number of films before this, I was splitting my time between trying to finish a PhD in genocide studies, and working on documentaries. After Shake Hands with the Devel, I left academia and focused on filmmaking for one simple reason: I saw the impact a well-crafted film can have on an audience. The power of the medium was undeniable, hitting people in their gut, connecting with their heart, and engaging their mind”.

“The ultimate focus of the rest of my life is to eradicate the use of child soldiers and to eliminate even the thought of the use of children as instruments of war”, says Dollaire. “The child, face and hands caked in red earth, wearing a dirty, ill-fitting bush uniform with a cross dangling from a chain around his neck, furtively aimed a machine gun at me. As bullets started to spew from

CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Die Like Children By SHERIF AWAD

When you’ve been to hell and back, how do you shake the memories? This question has haunted Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired Lieutenant-General and Canadian Tory Minister of Parliament (MP) Roméo Antonius Dallaire since 1994, when he was UN Force Commander during the Rwandan genocide. His story is explored in the award-winning documentary Shake Hands with the Devil where we discover that Dallaire has found a reason to live by embarking on a global mission to eradicate the use of child soldiers. The subject of child soldiers understandably attracts interest. There is nothing as troubling as a stolen childhood. How do you recover after being compelled to kill—a fate facing 300,000 children - boys and girls, fighting in 30 some-odd conflicts around the world?

Retired Lieutenant-General and Canadian Tory Minister of Parliament (MP) Roméo Antonius Dallaire. In Africa, there are two regions where child soldiers are frequently recruited: the easternmost part of Democratic Republic of Congo (ongoing regional conflict for nearly 20 years) and also western South Sudan, an area afflicted by Joseph Kony and his Lord’s

Resistance Army (LRA). Dallaire’s organi-

Dallaire and Bwira Kapoto. zation, the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, does on-the-ground training for security sector actors in the region; and, most importantly, because of his connection to the area dating back to 1994 when he was Force Commander for the UN Mission in Rwanda. As the world turned away, Dallaire was forced to witness the slaughter of over 800,000 Rwandans in less than 100 days. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, militia forces, including many killers who were under the age of eighteen, committed many of the atrocities. Both the government forces and the rebels (Rwandan Patriotic Front), who ultimately liberated the country and ended the genocide, used child soldiers during the 1994 Rwandan Civil War and Genocide. The ongoing conflict in eastern Congo is directly traced back to

Continued on page 7

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 7

again. So when Patrick approached me to make this film, I jumped at the opportunity”. The trip proved essential: to speak directly with young people who are being forced to fight adult wars, to discuss strategies with military men and women who face these children on the battlefield every day, to see first-hand the valiant efforts being made by armed forces and police, innovating to counteract the use of children as a weapons system; and discovering deficiencies in missions and national efforts. “I hope the film makes people uneasy”, adds Dallaire. “We should all be unsettled by the unspeakable wrongs being done to children in conflict zones around the world. This journey has strengthened my resolve—and

it is my sincere hope that by engaging new audiences, we can help build the political will to finally end the use of child soldiers”.

“Project”), and demanding reimbursement of the costs and expenses it voluntarily chose to invest in the Project. While the City appreciates Forest City’s efforts and cooperation during the course of the public review of the Project, the City’s position is that there is simply no legal contractual or other basis for its claims. Public waterfront land is an important asset of the City. While it is unfortunate that the parties were not able to reach full agreement on the Project, there is no question that the City diligently and in good faith performed all its obligations in accordance with the relevant agreements. In the event that Forest City determines to pursue its claims against the City, the City is prepared to take all necessary actions to defend itself. With the termination of the MOU, the City will continue to explore new opportunities for the redevelopment of its waterfront in accordance with the stated goals and objectives of the citizens of New Rochelle, and the best interests of the City.

Mia and Woody are done. But there are a few ironies worth thinking about. First, Forest City may well learn that it is not fun to shake up the bee’s nest that is New Rochelle. They fight fiercely among themselves but come together when it counts. Even Bramson’s enemies know he went down with the Echo Bay ship. In the end, as the vote turned against the project, he fought with members of his own party behind not so closed doors, and endured the disappointment of long time allies breaking with his leadership. And in the end his vote stood alone. His behavior may represent many things, but acting in bad faith is not one of them. It should be interesting to see what happens next. This project was rejected by the people of New Rochelle, not the politicians or moneyed interests. Good luck Forest City trying to get that $2 million. You’re gonna need it.

CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Die Like Children Continued from page 6 the barrel, the child’s eyes flared in hate. Where is that child today? I saw them being tended to in their field medical stations, their young bodies ripped apart by fragments of artillery shells…. They fought like soldiers, like warriors for a cause they and their families believed in, but in their torn and bloodied soldiers’ uniforms, they died like children.” I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to finding a way to end the use of child soldiers”, said Dallaire. “I knew I had to go back to Africa and face my ghosts once

Some of the Survivors of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Sherif Awad is a film / video critic and curator. He is the film editor of Egypt Today Magazine (www.EgyptToday. com), and the artistic director for both the Alexandria Film Festival, in Egypt, and the Arab Rotterdam Festival, in The Netherlands. He also contributes to Variety, in the United States, and is the film critic of Variety Arabia (http://varietyarabia.com/), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Al-Masry Al-Youm Website (http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/ node/198132) and The Westchester Guardian (www.WestchesterGuardian.com).

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The End of An Affair

New Rochelle and Forest City Residential By BOB MARRONE After nearly ten years of intimacy during which they conceived, reconceived and aborted their shore front child, also known as Echo Bay, the City of New Rochelle and the increasingly infamous developer known as Forest City Residential are headed to a contentious parting of the ways. Actually, the separation took place back in November 2013 when the New Rochelle City Council voted 6 to 1 against the Land Disposition Agreement (LDA), which would have effectively allowed Forest City Residential (FCR) to move forward on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), essentially giving the green light for the project to go forward. Just days ago last week, Forest City residential, channeling it’s inner Mia Farrow, demanded $2 million from the city in an effort to recoup what it claims were $3.2 million in sunk expenses. It is necessary to point out that the developer has demanded, which is to say “asked,” for the money, and that no law suit has been filed, so far as anyone knows. What makes this story interesting is that Forest City may have done for New Rochelle what Germany did for the United States and the Soviet Union back in the day; unified natural enemies. A little bit of history is in order. Like many older waterfront communities, New Rochelle wanted to take advantage of its shoreline in an effort to revitalize its bay area along the Sound Shore. The city owns much of the land, along with the City Yard also located there, making the parcel a logical

place for development. In 2006, Forest City proposed a massive project that was supported, even championed, by City Hall, even in the face of a vocal minority who were against the plan. The strong opposition resulted from many agendas. There was and is a pushback from veterans groups in their effort to preserve the old Naval Armory, which also sits on land that would be used for the project. Others were and remain against the notion of moving the City Yard to its proposed location in New Rochelle’s West End. There are even those who use both axes to avenge old political scores. And there are others, still, who would stand in the way of a cancer cure if it were a goal of the city’s otherwise very popular Mayor Noam Bramson. And last, if not least, many of the confederates making up these aforementioned groups have nothing nice to say about Forest City. They simply don’t trust them. On top of all this, the project got caught up in the great recession and was downsized

accordingly. However, the opposition downsized none of its antipathy for the “smaller” effort, and soon won over to its side many who had previously supported the project. Thus it was that Democrats and Republicans, once as separate as Shia and Sunni Muslims on the issue, jointly turned their backs on the project. Whether you are for the project or not, it was democracy the way it ought to be. The people spoke though their elected representatives. Washington should work so well. Which brings us back to the present: So a few days ago Forest City asked for some of their money back, essentially saying that a clause in the MOU, citing “willful misconduct” justifies their claim. The city officials I attempted to speak with would not comment on the basis of possible litigation. But the city did publish a response set forth below in its entirety: On February 6, 2014, the City of New Rochelle received a letter from Forest City’s counsel, notifying the City that Forest City is terminating the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the City and Forest City relating to the Echo Bay Waterfront Redevelopment Project (the

Bob Marrone is an author and freelance writer.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

WHAT YOUR DOCTOR WON’T (OR CAN’T) TELL YOU

An Epidemic of Unnecessary Heart Procedures How Some Hospitals Fuel a Money-making Machine By EVAN LEVINE, MD FACC Are some American hospitals risking the heath, even the lives of their patients in order to garner greater profits? A recent review published in a January, 2014, journal from the American Heart Association, regarding a database of diagnostic coronary angiography in New York State, strongly suggests they are. It found that only 35% of all the coronary angiograms between 2010 and 2011 were definitely appropriate studies, while 25% were considered absolutely without merit. These mindboggling numbers should sound an alarm to anyone who has been scheduled

for an angiogram, in any part of our country, and speaks volumes to issues I have been warning the public about since the publication of my book, What Your Doctor Won’t (or Can’t) Tell You, almost ten years ago. In just that single year there were more than 2,000 patients who had a cardiac angiogram even though they had no symptoms suggestive of coronary disease or even a stress test exam prior to the procedure. In other words, it appears that at least 2,000 people were put through an invasive procedure with risks that include stroke, heart attack, and death, when they didn’t need it. While review of the New York Database clearly shows dramatic levels of inappropriate tests, it doesn’t give an introspective view of why some doctors are doing this, nor why

MUSIC

THE SOUNDS OFBLUE By Bob Putignano Two complete shows recorded on September 5th, 1989 at the Hartford Civic Center, and the following evening at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The Jerry Garcia Band played two sets each night, Weir and Wasserman opened on both nights but played one set per. This box is made up of six CD’s, three discs for each night. Discs one and four are the Weir/ Wasserman opening sets; the other four CD’s belong to the two sets Garcia’s band played each night. The Weir/Wasserman sets are rough. Always a superb rhythm guitarist Weir’s guitar playing doesn’t cut it here, his amplified acoustic guitar is often out of tune, and his odd vocal phrasings don’t help his cause as well. My feeling is that he’s just not made for solo/duo performances, (for example) on “Looks Like Rain.” “Throwing Stones” offers some improvement from the duo especially during the instrumental passages but the added vocal/ echo-effects annoyed me. Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” won’t require repeated listening either. But they cover the Beatles “Blackbird” sweetly, and Lowell George’s glorious “Easy to Slip” segues into a long Wasserman bass improvisation. The bassist is easily the highlight of this duet. Note: Wasserman’s ceaseless and genuine

the hospitals where these physicians are on staff, seem to encourage it. Even so, as we all know, it’s the same reason as to why Willie Sutton robbed banks: “Because that’s where the money is.” For a procedure that can be performed in under half-an-hour (typically the patient is also observed for a few hours after the procedure), the bill for a simple angiogram can reach $8,000 or more. By comparison, it would require a general practitioner to see about 124 patients, for an intermediate visit, in order to bill $8,000 (based on Medicare rates). An efficient lab should be able to perform around 12 diagnostic angiogram studies in a day, per room, billing around $96,000. Seeing the opportunity to make quick

cash, many small community hospitals opened labs, even when hospitals with established full-service centers and excellent track records were just minutes away. Hospitals like New Rochelle Hospital and St. Johns Riverside Hospital opened labs in hopes of capturing huge profits, but closed recently, possibly because patients became better educated and began opting to have this invasive procedure at a hospital equipped and capable of managing them, especially if there were complications during the procedure. But it’s not only about the “get rich plans” of small hospital administrators that is driving this runaway train. Some hospitals appear so eager to expand their angiography business that they have made some conspicuously bad decisions. As previous articles in the New York Post have noted, even Columbia Presbyterian, a top hospital, was accused of hiring a cardiac angiographer that had tested positive for cocaine. Known to this author are several

duplicitous doctors who in the past were shunned and never granted privileges at top hospitals but have now been propositioned to come and perform angiograms at these elite centers. The best physicians, with records of ordering more moderate and appropriate numbers of angiograms, are less likely to be sought after, while marginal doctors with big numbers are propositioned with money-making deals. Dr. Evan S. Levine, M.D., F.A.C.C. (Fellow of the American College of Cardiology) is director of The Saint Joseph Cardiovascular Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is also the author of the book “What Your Doctor Won’t (or Can’t) Tell You”. He resides in Connecticut with his wife, two daughters, and two cats, and can be reached by directing e-mail to vanlev@aol.com.

Jerry Garcia Band

Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman “Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound”

creativity on each song unfortunately makes for a heavier burden on Weir’s guitar and vocal chores. The Garcia Band sets with vocalists Gloria Jones and Jaclyn LaBranch add depth to the songs they sing background on. Bassist John Kahn, Melvin Seals organ, and David Kemper’s drums plow through each and every tune. I found Garcia’s guitar playing invigorating for an ’89 gig, but I didn’t like his distorted tone. Kahn’s always special and doesn’t disappoint, Melvin Seals organ playing is too busy for me, and Kemper’s drumming is uneventful. There isn’t a lot of duplication in the performances, only “The Harder They Come,” “Evangeline,” and “Deal” are repeated. The Bob Dylan tunes “Forever Young,” “I Shall Be Released” and especially the spirited “Tangled Up In Blue” are nice additions, as is Don Nix’s and Dan Penn’s “Like a Road.” Both versions of “Deal,” are powerful renditions, and (at times) Garcia reaches back in his bag of tricks for several Jerry licks from the late ‘60’s. Delaney & Bonnie’s “Lonesome and a Long Way from Home,” is a very strong and welcome feature by all members of the band. There is a fine cover of Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” and the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.” Updated arrangements of Garcia Band

warhorses Smokey Robinson’s “I Second That Emotion,” and Holland-DozierHolland’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You,)” add funky rhythm and blues soul to the JGB sets. The clear sound is re-mastered from soundboard tapes, and should resonate to your speakers in fine detail. The booklet includes liners by Blair Jackson with memorabilia reproduction artifacts. But what surprised me most was how spirited Garcia’s playing is, as I typically don’t care for much of his guitar work starting from around the mid ‘80’s. Those of you who purchase this six CD box will also be pleased with the pricing with a list price of about thirty bucks. That’s very good value as there’s almost six hours of resurrected music. Crank it up and continue to jam on. Bob Putignano continues to be the heart of WFDU (http://wfdu.fm) for over fourteen years with his Sounds of Blue radio show: www.SoundsofBlue.com. Previously a senior contributing editor at BluesWax, Blues Revue, and Goldmine magazines, and a regular contributor to The Westchester Guardian: http:// www.WestchesterGuardian.com. Bob can be contacted at: bob8003@yahoo.com.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

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make your experience into something that can be seen as a positive? Whatever you may have learned in vocational work, education, and so on,” he says. The bad economy is tall order enough; the program does have an outlet with a number of local Rotary Club members who have an inside track as to where the jobs are. “Once they get to know the people coming back by working as mentors, members can steer them toward job situations,” he says. With this current project and his overall work in this area, the word back from employers is typically positive. “They want so hard to make it work that they seem to have an additional incentive,” he relays regarding past feedback. On a larger level of affecting change, activists such as he try to nudge political change in accordance to the limitations that govern elected officials. “It can be dangerous to be seen as soft on crime so the way to work with politicians is to help them understand the issues,” Minister Hallundbaek says. As it stands, Eric Holder, The

AFL-CIO and even Barack Obama are among those publically stating that change is needed. In turn, he says we should take their cue. “People can inform themselves better, evaluate it themselves, or go visit a prison,” Minister Hallundbaek said. Minister Hallundbaek recommends a video screening of Michelle Alexander’s, The New Jim Crow at the Katonah Library on March 27th. Exposing how the War on Drugs has been unfairly executed, how its implementation relegates millions of people to second class citizenship via the ex-con label that follows them and is simply a follow up to the original Jim Crow that once limited housing, employment and voting rights. “Whether you agree or not, it’s raising appropriate questions about the system,” he asserted. Given the consequences, we must demand answers to the questions raised.

PRISON

Breaking the Chains

Croton Falls Presbyterian Minister Makes Prison Reform and Closing its Revolving Door his Mission By RICH MONETTI As welcoming as it is for ex-felons to hear the doors of prison close behind them on the way out, the sound is something they will have to get used to. It is highly likely that the door just closed will be the one that is ultimately reopened. As such, prison volunteer, educator and Croton Falls Presbyterian Minister Hans Hallundbaek has been doing all he can for the last 20 years to close the revolving door and is now involved in a new initiative in Ossining to help released prisoners successfully reenter society. “It is a 15-week program that helps them look for jobs, conduct an interview, manage finances and find a place to live,” he says of Breaking the Chains of the Past Program, which is held weekly at the

Ossining Presbyterian Church Set up upon release with housing that amounts to nothing better than a shelter, obtaining housing is also included as part of the assistance effort. All told, Minister Hallundbaek is resigned to the difficulties ahead for them. “A person comes back after 5, 10 years; it’s very tough,” he says, and while he does see a small change in the “get tough on crime policies” that have turned millions of low level drug offenders into felons, it’s still going to be a long time before the war on drugs stops providing an ample work load. “We are number one in the world in incarcerating people,” he advised. “I had my midlife correction,” he relays his wife’s words, as the seminary became his path. Then by happenstance, Minister Hallundbaek was invited to Sing Sing prison to conduct a Thanksgiving Service and was awakened to something that should be

obvious but really isn’t to most of us on the outside.“Once you get inside and meet them, you realize they are human beings. They may have made serious mistakes but they are not necessarily the mistakes they made,” he says. In turn, he became alerted to the residue left behind by the War on Drugs. But given the injustice in many cases and since “The War” has been waged largely and disproportionately against people of color, these ex-felons must not make such a great hire of all the years stolen and anger accumulated. “Most of them have been angry for many years, but they find ways to resolve that and they come out determined to stay out,” he says. Of course, the extended gap on a resume that includes a prison sentence never gets passed a prospective employer and is among the challenges the reentry program helps enrollees confront. “How can you

Rich Monetti has been a freelance writer since 2003 and lives in Westchester.

PRO-LIFE

A Classic Young Adult Novel Contains a Pro-Life Parable – Part One of Four By CHRIS ROSTENBERG Young people can discover pro-life themes when they read Richard Adam’s classic young adult novel, Watership Down. I originally read this book in high school and it remains one of my top ten favorites. The story features rabbits who talk to one another, and provides a metaphor for a society practicing deep denial regarding abortion. The denial and neurosis that arise when a society makes a wronglyphrased contract with killing is brilliantly drawn and can be seen as a satire of ninemonth pro-choice society. Consciously or unconsciously, Adams has written a pro-life parable. A tragedy forces a group of rabbits, led by Hazel, out of their own warren into the unknown, in search of a new place to live. When they arrive at the dwelling of another group of rabbits, represented by a rabbit named Cowslip, we begin to see strong parallels to our own pro-choice-to-kill society. The strangers, we realize, have a dishonest approach to life and death, much like ninemonth pro-choicers (those who support unqualified abortion). They are big, healthy and gorgeous, reminding one that those who oppose unborn human rights tend to be wealthier than those who support them, and that the “beautiful people” of Hollywood tend to be apologists for prebirth infanticide.

“That wasn’t why they destroyed the warren. It was just because we were in the way. They killed us to suit themselves.” Toadflax, Watership Down It is quickly noticed that the stranger rabbits are intellectually dishonest to a stunning degree. Whenever Hazel or his friends ask their new companions a question beginning with “Where - ?” the strangers quickly interrupt and change the subject. Where do the stranger rabbits keep disappearing to? Where is the man who is mentioned and who, as his kind, is so lethal? Questions like these are not tolerated. It’s rude to bring them up. I see a parallel here, as when pro-choicers oppose torture of adults but won’t address the torture of unborn babies. These questions are rude to bring up. After Hazel’s second-in-command, Bigwig, is nearly killed, the heroes learn the deadly secret the strangers have been keeping from them. For years, a farmer nearby has been setting wire snare traps for Cowslip’s band of rabbits and kills them regularly. Cowslip and his friends know this, and many of his friends have been killed, and while the rabbits have the power to vacate the area and find a new home, the farmer leaves wonderful vegetables for the rabbits to eat, enticing them to stay. Before Hazel knows about the killings, he is invited by the strangers to the

food delicacies: But now Hazel, in his eagerness, paid no attention. Powerfully drawn, he ran out of the hedgerow toward the scattered ground. He came to one of the fragments,

sniffed it and tasted it. It was carrot … only once before had he tasted carrot ... [T]o the rabbits [carrots] were redolent with luxury, a feast to drive all other feelings out of mind. Hazel sat nibbling and biting, the rich,

full taste of the cultivated roots filling him with a wave of pleasure. He hopped about the grass, gnawing one piece after another, eating the green tops along with the slices.

Continued on page 10

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

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PRO-LIFE

A Classic Young Adult Novel Contains a Pro-Life Parable – Part One of Four Continued from page 9

No one interrupted him. There seemed to be plenty for all. From time to time, instinctively, he looked up and sniffed the wind, but his caution was half-hearted. “If [dangerous, predatory animals] come, let them,” he thought. “I’ll fight the lot. I couldn’t run, anyway. What a country! What a warren!” The rabbits are bribed with fine food and pay the price of possible death, while people in the pro-choice-to-kill movement are bribed with far more sex than they could have if they saw abortion as wrong, and pay the price of possible STD’s, crisis pregnancies and killed unborn children. Hazel’s unnatural disregard for danger is like the indifference many people feel regarding the risk of pregnancy or STD’s caused by irresponsible sex. Hazel invites the young Pipkin to partake in the strange supply of nearlyendless delicacies, saying, “Hello, Pipkin! Fill yourself up to the ears! No more shivering on the banks of streams for you old chap!” Here, Hazel is paralleling adults who’ve enjoyed risky sex who then give children Planned Parenthood’s “Healthy Happy and Hot” brochure and the like. The HHH

pamphlet, available on the Internet, tells kids that if they are HIV positive, they have the right to have sex without telling their potential partners of their virus, and if the law says they must disclose, then the law should be fought and overturned because it oppresses the sexual freedom of the HIV+ youth. Kill children with abortion, kill kids with AIDS, what’s the difference? When Hazel says of Cowslip’s friends, “No wonder they’re all as big as hares and smell like princes!” he is like a vapid sycophant of Hollywood celebrities who almost universally support the childkilling liberty. It’s also a recognition that, “Yes”, maybe people do gain more wealth in life if they kill their unborn babies. Now we see the relevance of the stranger rabbit’s discomfort with “Where -?” questions (Where did that rabbit Kingcup disappear to?) Pro-choice killers hate exploration of reality too. Where are all the images of dead, aborted children? Where are their grave markers? Where are news stories of women who have died in “dangerous front-alley legal abortions”? Where are the women who’ve been injured by post-abortion-syndrome and the abortionbreast-cancer link? Where are the men who

have been broken after their mates killed their children? Where are young people who wish to talk about their knowledge that their siblings and cousins were killed through prochoice violence, and their knowledge that their parents reserved the right to kill them too, and any more young siblings that might come along? Where are the children who are troubled that their parents are trying to inculcate pro-choice child abuse values unto them? In Watership Down, when the heroes are being led into the den of death, the stranger says, “My name is Cowslip … I don’t want anything …I think you’re puzzling yourselves unnecessarily. But if you want the answers to your questions, then I’d say, “Yes, you can trust us: we don’t want to drive you away … Why should we want to hurt you? There’s plenty of grass, surely?” But of course, the more rabbits in the warren, the less chance any particular rabbit is killed. Part of the loss of normal values that occurs when people say baby killing is a choice is the willful forgetting that abortionists don’t do what they do for free, and that sometimes people will commit deceptive, immoral acts for money. People in the abortion industry hate having

it called an industry or a business even more than they hate being called killers. The fact that the pro-choice holocaust industry can get away with concealing their profit motive among leftists who so despise corporations as agents of war and the exploitation of the weak is mind-blowing. We’re supposed to think those charming abortion providers commit their violence out of the kindness of their hearts. Even though abortion clinics have a clear monetary incentive to get young kids sexually active, absurd parents invite Planned Parenthood employees into schools to teach sex education – as if the nice abortionists were concerned that young people lead happy sexual lives. It’s laughable. Carol Everett, who ran several abortion clinics but now speaks out in defense of life says, “I cannot tell you one thing that happens in an abortion clinic that is not a lie.” Jean Appleton, recently deceased, was a registered nurse, belonged to the National Organization for Women and worked at a Planned Parenthood abortion killing clinic, but later became a pro-lifer. She said: I would be able to counsel a woman and say, “Alright, we don’t want you to have to go through this procedure again. We want to get you started on birth control pills. We’ll give you your fist packet free.” We could

do this because the pharmaceutical companies gave it to us free. It’s good marketing. So we could distribute one pack free and write a prescription for five month’s worth. Everybody makes out ... “[D]on’t worry, come on back because there’s one that’s a little lower dose.” Now, the pharmaceutical companies and Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry were not stupid. They knew that the low dose of estrogen in those pills, the more likely it was they were going to fail. “But you don’t have to worry. Thirty percent failure rate, because we’re going to use the real low estrogen pill. So that means thirty percent will come back. And if we forget to tell you, by the way, that if you get the flu and have to be put on antibiotics, the chemical reaction between the birth control pill and the antibiotic renders the birth control worthless, and totally ineffective, so we have another twenty percent. Thank you, come back around.” As Cowslip said: “I don’t want anything.” Chris Rostenberg is a freelance writer. Correspondence may be directed to ChrisRosty@ gmail.com.

PUBLIC POLICY

Rising Income Inequality, the Minimum Wage, and the Median Voter Theorem By Prof. OREN LEVIN-WALDMAN Rising income inequality is of course problematic because it symbolizes the dual nature of our economy and the shrinking middle class. It is also dangerous to democracy because it tilts the power balance in policy formulation towards the interests of the wealthy away from the poor and the middle class. What is often not talked about is the relationship between rising income inequality, increased pressure for redistribution, and in the extreme, revolution. The more econometric models hold that as the gap between the rich and the poor expands the political situation is rife for violence and maybe even an overthrow of the existing political order, especially if it is believed that this order is in any way responsible for the growing disparity. This notion is by no means new. The very idea actually dates back to Aristotle’s Politics, whereby he states that two extremes in income distribution between the very wealthy and the very poor is extremely dangerous to the stability of the Polis — the

political community. True enough, wealth and poverty are inevitable in any society, but a class division between a few rich and many poor can only lead to class conflict, and a constant threat of instability, violence and revolution. On the contrary, the middle class has to be large enough to dominate the Polis so that neither extreme — the very rich nor the very poor — can take control. Contemporary thinkers, most notably the late Seymour Martin Lipset, restated this as democracy requires the maintenance of a middle class, and if necessary democratic governments would need to promote economic development in order to sustain it. Nevertheless, Aristotle’s observation perhaps reveals his distaste for redistribution as a remedy to the widening gap. But redistribution has often been the solution that has found expression in the median voter theorem, which to some extent is a formalization of Aristotle’s theory. The median voter theorem holds that as income distributions are skewed to the right, the preferred amount of redistribution is a function of the relative position of the median voter on the income scale. The

greater the distance between the median voter’s income and society’s average income, the greater is society’s preferred amount of redistribution. In other words, taking 2012 as an example, the median individual income in the U.S. was $31,000 a year, but the average individual income in the U.S. was $44,022, which was higher than the median income because high incomes at the top of the distribution effectively skewed the distribution to the right. The preferred amount of redistribution should be that which brings the median income in line with the average income. The median voter theorem assumes that redistribution will take place through taxation and yet, we could render the median voter theorem obsolete simply by increasing the minimum wage, and indexing it either to the inflation rate or productivity gains. The minimum wage’s welfare effects, based on the macroeconomic model, potentially mitigate the need for redistribution because the distance between the median voter’s income and the average of society is effectively narrowed. This is because we can expect an increase in the minimum wage to result in increases

in the median wages of those in intervals above the minimum. By narrowing the skew, the gap between the two extremes is narrowed, resulting in more of a middle class. And it will have been done with no redistribution in the form of taxation. Although the employer has to pay the worker more, the benefits to society at large outweigh the costs to the employer in higher wages or even the consumer in higher prices. Workers have more money to spend and society saves on social costs. Workers earning more have less of a need for public assistance programs, and thus impose less of a social cost on the rest of society. Because workers earning around the minimum wage can also be expected to get pay raises, they will have increased purchasing power and be able to demand more goods and services, thus fueling job creation. Employers also save. They save on recruitment and retraining costs due to the high turnover associated with lower wages. Workers feeling better about their jobs tend to become more productive, thereby increasing efficiency. Rather than the minimum wage being about redistribution

from employers to workers, it is about paying an efficiency wage. Moreover, given the lack of credible data that a minimum wage really will cause job loss, it only appears more reckless from a social stance not to increase the minimum wage. Because we have been too preoccupied by the notion of the minimum wage as just another anti-poverty wage, or what some critics refer to as simply a feel-good measure, we often miss the fact that the minimum wage is really about the middle class. Nobody ever said that the minimum wage, in and of itself, was sufficient to rebuild the middle class, but it along with other measures can certainly help. The minimum wage can help to arrest movement towards the extremes Aristotle talked about and adherents of the median voter theorem have been concerned with. It should be stated that the objective is not to make us all equal because that simply is not possible. We are all born with different endowments and we still are free to make our own choices. A market economy by its nature is not equal, and for that matter Aristotle was not suggesting

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Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

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is still preferable to confiscatory taxation.

5779715/#reviews); The Political Economy of the Living Wage: A Study of Four Cities (M.E. Sharpe 2005); and The Case of the Minimum Wage: Competing Policy Models (SUNY Press 2001). He is a researcher for the Employment Policy Research Network (EPRN), and some of his work can be found at http://www.employmentpolicy.org/people/ oren-levin-waldman.

PUBLIC POLICY

Rising Income Inequality, the Minimum Wage, and the Median Voter Theorem Continued from page 10

that we needed to be. But a wage floor slows down the increase in wage inequality, which really should be the goal of policy. For income inequality to be reduced, the percentage increase of the average income of the bottom of the distribution has to be

proportionally higher than the percentage increase of the average income of those at the top of the distribution. Why is this important? Because if we want to preserve the basic fabric of a market economy, we must maintain social harmony. For market purists this

no doubt is crossing the line, but it is also an example of Burkean conservatism whereby apparently radical steps need to be taken in order to conserve the traditions of the past. As much as paying workers more flies in the face of an economic orthodoxy of minimizing costs or the low-road strategy of low wages, it

Oren Levin-Waldman is professor of public policy in the School for Public Affairs at Metropolitan College of New York (olevinwaldman@metropolitan.edu ) and author of several books on wage policy. They include the just published: Wage Policy, Income Distribution and Democratic Theory (http:// www.routledge.com/books/details/978041

CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Mr. Gates Is In The Building! By JOHN F. McMULLEN Perhaps getting even more press than the appointment of Satya Narayana Nadella to be Steve Ballmar’s replacement as Microsoft’s CEO was the fact that William H. “Bill” Gates III would be returning to “active duty,” at least on a one third (1/3) basis of his time. Gates, long regarded as the “wunderkind” of the computer industry during the early years of the microcomputer ascent, had seen the luster of his image tarnished some during the later years of his active role with Microsoft as Steve Jobs became the face of computer innovation and a later Harvard dropout, Mark Zuckerberg became the new young darling of the press. Mr. Gates could, however, contend with the fact that he is the richest man in the country and that his philanthropy through the Gates Foundation has helped even more people in the world than his role in popularizing “computing for all.” I’ve known many of the important figures who played a part in the dawn of the microcomputer revolution -- some well, most casually – and followed them all to write about them. Some exhibited genius in particular areas – Steve Jobs certainly did as a visionary; his Apple partner, Steve Wozniak likewise in technical areas; and I always felt that my old Morgan Stanley friend, Ben Rosen, the venture capitalist behind Lotus Development Corporation and Compaq Computer did the same in business analysis. Bill Gates was the only one that I ever knew who showed it in all three. It takes a very unique person to be able to successfully transcend from technologist / entrepreneur to corporate executive. I remember Mitch Kapor, co-founder of Lotus Development Corporation and creator of the vastly successful spreadsheet “1-2-3,” resigning as Chief Executive of Lotus, saying that creating great software was what he was good at, not running a thousand employee firm. Mitch, whose

intelligence I always had great respect for, had the self-awareness to see this; many do not and either their firm eventually crumbles around them or they are forced to give up management (Mitch went on to other software enterprises, a career in venture capital, and the founding, with John Perry Barlow, of the very important Electronic Frontier Foundation). Gates went from a partner in a two person software firm to CEO of a company that was, for a time, the most valuable company in the world as he became the wealthiest person in the United States (for a while, in the world). Most know the story of Gates dropping out of Harvard, at the urgency of his friend, Paul Allen, to develop a BASIC Interpreter for the first commercial microcomputer, the Altair, and in the process, founding Microsoft (at the time “Micro-Soft”) with the stated goal of having “a computer in every home and office in the country running Microsoft software” (a rather grandiose goal considering that less than one hundred Altairs had been shipped and the vast number of Americans never had any desire to have a computer in their home or office). “Microsoft BASIC” soon became THE BASIC language as microcomputers proliferated (even becoming the most used BASIC for the Apple II under the name “Applesoft BASIC”) and Microsoft moved into other areas, with both other languages and its first application program, a spreadsheet called “MultiPlan” for the Apple II. MultiPlan was meant to compete with “VisiCalc,” the first spreadsheet for any computer ever and the primary reason for the success of the Apple II in the business community. I met Bill in person for the first time shortly after the introduction of Multiplan. We were at a Rosen Research conference in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with many of the movers and shakers in the fledging and booming microcomputer industry. I found Bill quiet, obviously intelligent, and content to just take in the surroundings. His lieutenants, Vern Raeburn and others, were more gregarious and talking up MultiPlan (I found the product inferior to VisiCalc in marketability

– it would have had to have been vastly superior to VisiCalc to get people to switch -- and it was not! Sales proved me right but its presence became an asset later on.). One thing that was obvious at the conference was that venture capitalists recognized the potential in Microsoft – they swarmed around Bill whenever they could get near him. Notwithstanding the poor showing of MultiPlan in the Apple II arena, the pre-eminence of Microsoft in the programming language area led to it being invited by IBM to participate in its Boca Raton, Florida project to develop what became the “IBM PC.” Microsoft was therefore in the right place at the right time to capitalize on the breaking down of IBM’s negotiations with Digital Research to bring that firm’s “CP/M” operating system to the IBM PC. Microsoft acquired the rights to Seattle Product’s “OS/86” product (and later the company as well) and this operating system became “PC DOS” (later “MS-DOS”).

In a stroke of shrewdness / luck, IBM agreed that Microsoft would retain ownership of the operating system, giving IBM a non-exclusive lease to it. This agreement would, in spite of the constant “IBM-andcompatibles” terminology often heard, make the Microsoft Operating System, rather than IBM hardware, the standard of the non-Macintosh World. Both of these Boca Raton instances set the precedent for what became the story of the industry for years to come – Microsoft might not be the first in the game with a technology, but if a competitor made one mistake, it was game over. MS-DOS was pre-installed on every “IBM and Compatible” (Compaq, Toshiba, Gateway, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Tandy, etc.) sold, a tremendous leg up on Digital Research which eventually did introduce an operating system for the same computers “CP/M 86.”The final nail in that coffin came when Lotus Development Corporation

introduced its 1-2-3 spreadsheet which became the largest selling software product for seven years and only ran under MS-DOS. Microsoft also continued its foray into applications software with a Word Processor, “Word” – a good product (and my product of choice) but one which lagged far behind “Word Perfect” from the company of the same name. When a product finally arrived to challenge the MS-DOS standard, the elegant Macintosh with its Graphic User Interface (“GUI”), Microsoft was there as a partner to Apple, providing Macintosh versions of Word and MultiPlan. It also licensed the GUI from Apple. which in turn, had licensed it from Xerox. In what would become another coup for Microsoft, Lotus Development Corp, chose not to provide a version of its 1-2-3 spreadsheet for the Mac – it did promise to provide a spreadsheet when the Mac had more memory but, when

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

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CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Mr. Gates Is In The Building! Continued from page 11

the Mac did have more memory, the spreadsheet provided for the Macintosh, “Jazz,” was panned by all critics as underpowered and inferior. With little fanfare, Microsoft replaced MultiPlan with a new spreadsheet, “Excel,” which soon sent Jazz off to oblivion. It also purchased the basis for the presentation system that became “PowerPoint,” the last component of what would become the basic “Microsoft Office Suite”. At the same time of Gates’ stated interest in GUIs, VisiCorp, the firm that marketed VisiCalc (Software Arts, the firm started by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston, the developers of VisiCalc, did not market the software, concerning itself only with the development of new features and platforms, although it later took over the marketing in a business dispute with VisiCorp), announced a project named “VisiOn” to provide GUI and “multitasking” capabilities to MS-DOS. The CEO of VisiCorp, Dan Fylstra, spoke eloquently at conferences of VisiOn as an “operating

environment” or “user interface,” something that sat between the user and the operating system. Soon Gates was debating him at a Rosen conference, stating his view that a GUI had to be part of the operating system. While I, a veteran of twenty years with computer systems of all sizes, agreed with Gates, the audience initially seemed about split on the issue. In addition to the fact that such modules seemed to belong better contained within an operating system, the icing on the cake was the fact that software developers had to write programs for VisiOn on a Digital Equipment Corporation “VAX” minicomputer – an additional expense for developers. VisiCorp released a number of applications, including a word processor and a spreadsheet, which would ship with VisiOn. I reviewed the product for one magazine or another and found that, while the programs worked reasonably well, the whole setup was too cumbersome for most users. Although Microsoft’s first efforts at “Windows,” “Windows 2,” and “Windows

286” were next to useless, VisiOn soon faded away. The lack of success for these products could not be laid totally at Microsoft’s door. The monitors used with the many models of computers running MS-DOS did not have the resolution necessary to clearly present text on the screens (Apple had no such problem – it controlled both the hardware and software and, at that time, all Macintoshes displayed everything in crystal clear black on white. The firms supporting MS-DOS – Compaq, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, etc. – often had color monitors on which Windows text was unreadable). A second problem for Windows acceptance was the fact that the leading providers of application software for MS-DOS systems, Lotus and WordPerfect had chosen to not provide Windows versions of their software. When Microsoft released “Windows 3.0” on May 22, 1990, things got much better. There had been a great improvement in video monitors and bit-mapped text was now quite readable and Microsoft released Windows versions of the Office programs running on the Macintosh, providing Windows users with quality word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs

(Windows 3.0 did have technical problems, “crashing” often, but was soon replaced by Windows 3.1 which was a vast improvement). Windows was now ready for prime time! There was still, however, a major hurdle to be overcome for it to become universally accepted – the “techies” who oversaw computer clubs and often made technical decisions for companies hated it. It was obviously aimed at end-users rather that technically knowledgeable support people and was derided by those people – “You can do much more at the command line,” “It takes a lot of resources,” “It runs slower than straight MS-DOS,” etc. Then, however, a very fortuitous occurrence for the acceptance of Windows happened – the first graphic browser for the World Wide Web, “Mosaic,” developed by Marc Andreessen and a team of graduate students at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana began to make its way through the Internet as a free download and it only ran on systems with graphic capabilities – there were versions for the Macintosh, “X-Windows” for UNIX systems, and MS-DOS systems running Windows

3.0 and above (for all of Gates passion in the Fylstra debates, Windows was an add-on to vanilla MS-DOS until the Windows NT and Windows 98 versions of the operating system). Once users saw the potential of the World Wide Web, they demanded the use of Windows – no matter what the techies said – and as long as they were running Windows, it made sense to use the Microsoft Office programs so they wouldn’t have to switch back and forth between plain MS DOS and Windows. Creative Disruption is a continuing series examining the impact of constantly accelerating technology on the world around us. These changers normally happen under our personal radar until we find that the world as we knew it is no more. (Next week – The OS/2 fiasco and the “Browser Wars”) John F. McMullen is a writer, poet, college professor and radio host. Links to other writings, Podcasts, & Radio Broadcasts at http://www. johnmac13.com.

EYE ON THEATRE

Reality Captured By JOHN SIMON When Donald Margulies’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Dinner With Friends” opened in New York in November 1999, I wrote, “Margulies is a master of observing what might seem old hat with fresh eyes, hearing it with fresh ears.” I still consider it one of the best American plays as it manages with a cast of two friendly married couples to say a great deal about the ambiguities of human nature and about the problems of marriage, which can as easily yield felicitous failure as melancholy success. Gabe and Karen, married international food writers are giving dinner in their Connecticut home to Tom, a lawyer and Gabe’s old school friend, and his painter wife, Beth. Only Tom doesn’t show up, ostensibly on a sudden business trip, but actually, as Beth tearfully blurts out, having an affair with a travel agent, Nancy, whom everyone keeps miscalling a stewardess, which would somehow seem more demeaning. This sad disruption, coming after both couples have been married over a dozen years, had two children (some of whom we hear from offstage), and have regularly shared a summer house on Martha’s Vineyard. Things come out in the wash, such as that

way back when Beth had an extramarital affair with David, who now has reappeared and may prove a better future husband. Both Gabe and Karen, whose marriage has become a humdrum business, all passion spent, first view Beth’s loss with great compassion, and Tom’s new involvement with shock (they were the ones who introduced Tom and Beth), but succumb to ill-concealed envy vis-à-vis their friends’ new happiness. They try to keep them from leaving their shattered marriage and remarrying, which would make their own marital endurance pale by comparison. In the middle of this we get a flashback scene on Martha’s Vineyard 12 ½ years ago, when Gabe and Karen were having dinner with Tom and Beth, and looking forward to becoming two contented couples growing “old and fat together, the four of us, and watch each others’ kids grow up, and cry together at their weddings.” The play is beautifully constructed. Poignant and comical moments alternate throughout, but everything emerges and merges so naturally—neither the sadness nor the humor contrived in the slightest—that the two moods are often subtly intertwined. As an example of the latter, take Karen’s

Continued on page 13

Darren Pettie as Tom, Heather Burns as Beth, Jeremy Shamos as Gabe, and Marin Hinkle as Karen in “Dinner with Friends”.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 13

EYE ON THEATRE

Reality Captured Continued from page 12

wondering about Beth’s early infidelity, “We saw them practically every weekend in those days, when would she have had time to have an affair?” To which Gabe, “I don’t know, during the week?” As an example of the former, about Tom and Beth already separating but still having sex, Gabe says, “I must be really out of it. I thought really good sex was the product of trust and love and mutual respect.” Tom answers, “You’re kidding, right? Don’t underestimate rage; rage can be an amazing aphrodisiac.” Or take this edgy remark of Beth’s: “We can’t all be like you, Karen. God knows I’ve tried. No matter how much I stir, my soup still sticks to the pot.” The Roundabout Theatre Company revival is mostly first-class. On a fundamentally empty stage, the set designer, Allen Moyer, brings wagons with relatively spare scenery, just as the author wishes, making us concentrate on the characters’ words and actions. Ilona Somogyi’s costumes could

easily be what you and I might wear, and Jane Cox’s lighting keeps the present as mundane as possible but Martha’s Vineyard more luminous, more summery, yet not too romantic, not all that youthful. But as the author notes, everyone there should have more hair, and, sure enough, the actors do (wigs, I daresay) and look markedly younger. With the staging, Pam McKinnon has done a fine job, just as she did for the recent revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” She may be the go-to director when marital trouble is the subject. The actors are all good, even though Marin Hinkle, the Karen, though competent as always, is also as always deficient in charm. But Jeremy Samos’s Gabe is the archetypal nice, intelligent, likable but ultimately average man, of which Darren Pettie’s Tom is convincingly the somewhat more emotional, slightly more juvenile version. Heather Burns is an enchanting Beth, with her quality of innocence that is not naïve but merely . . . well, innocent. The interaction of the foursome is exemplary, like that of a master quartet playing chamber music.

There is about everything here a kind of effortlessness that all good theater should have, but instead so often feels acted and directed. Here it is eminently lived. Production photos of Dinner with Friends by and courtesy of Jeremy Daniel. Venue: Laura Pels Theatre -111 West 46th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, New York, NY 10036.Tickets by telephone: (800) 901-4092.

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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. 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.

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Expo features companies in the Home Industry Field, i.e., renovation, remodeling, painting, roofing, plumbing & heating, electrical, flooring, and more, and now also includes companies within the Lifestyle Field as well. The Yorktown Chamber of Commerce hosts 6 to 10 events annually, with The Yorktown Festival & Street Fair being the largest, 25,000 people throughout the day, and 250 Vendors in October of every year. Learn more by accessing: www. YorktownChamber.org; contact Nancy Stingone at 914-245-4599,

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Page 14

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

MIDDLE EAST FORUM

The Simple Wisdom of Arab Dictators By RAYMOND IBRAHIM After my recent articles documenting how the U.S. is the chief facilitator of Christian persecution in the Muslim world, I received an email from John Eibner, CEO of Christian Solidarity International, in which he made the following observation: The sad fact is that the ruthless Assad dictatorship has a better record than the United States or its Sunni allies of protecting religious minorities in the Middle East. What Syrian Christian, Alawite or Druze in their right mind would trade the Assad’s time-tested protection for the smooth words of a John Kerry, especially when they can see Sunni supremacist Saudis, Qataris, Turks and a motley array of jihadis over their shoulder? A sad fact indeed. Still, one of the most nagging questions for Western observers must be: Why would ruthless dictators, most of whom are at least nominally Muslim, care about Christians and bother to protect them? The answer is related to the popular adage (possibly of Arab origin), “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” This has long meant that, whoever is at odds with my enemy becomes my natural friend and ally. In the context of Arab dictators and Christian minorities, however, the adage changes slightly to, “The enemy of ‘infidels’ is my enemy.” Put differently, a secular Bashar Assad—ruthless as he may be— knows that those Islamic rebels that attack Christians because the latter are “infidels” also see him as an infidel and are thus his natural enemies. And so, if anything, finding and neutralizing those “elements” that persecute Christians is one with finding and neutralizing those elements that would overthrow him. It was the same in Saddam’s Iraq, Mubarak’s Egypt, Qaddafi’s Libya, and the rest. The point is not that these dictators had any special love for their Christian subjects, but rather that they knew they had little to worry about from them, while those who attack Christians are the ones to

worry about. This is evinced by the fact that, in other contexts, such Arab rulers cast the Christians to the lions as scapegoats for Islamists to vent their rage on—a “better them than me mentality.” Still, an overarching deduction exists: those who scream “infidels” while burning churches are the same who scream “apostate” while attacking state targets. It’s an unwavering truism. Even al-Qaeda’s Ayman Zawahiri recently demonstrated this correlation when he called on Egypt’s jihadis to stop targeting Christians and their churches and focus instead on fighting the current rulers. In both cases, the jihadis see the “infidel”— whether the born Coptic Christian infidel or the “apostate” military—as the enemy.

Due to Egypt’s significant Christian population which numbers at least ten million (if not much more), the adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” takes on more complete meaning in that nation: the Copts and their church did play a supportive role in the June revolution that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood, even as Pope Tawadros stood side-by-side with Gen. Sisi and Al Azhar’s Grand Sheikh, Ahmed al-Tayab— only to suffer at the hands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, including al-Qaeda, everywhere. Such is the simple wisdom and instinct for survival of the Arab

autocrats of the Middle East—a wisdom that concludes that, “he who targets Christians because they are ‘infidels,’ is he who targets me.” Meanwhile, far from exhibiting such simple common sense,

Western governments in general, the U.S. government in particular, continue to aid and abet those who, by targeting and killing Christians simply because they are “infidels,” are continually exposing their ingrained hostility for the West and everything it once stood for. First published in   FrontPageMagazine. com   on February 7, 2014; http://www. meforum.org/3744/ arab-dictators-christians Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (Regnery, April, 2013) is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, at left. (Image source: Wikimedia / Fabio Rodrigues Pozzebom / ABr) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, at right. (Image source: U.S. Mission to Geneva)

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 15

GovernmentSection THE HEZITORIAL ANALYSIS

Employment is the Currency of Political Submission in Yonkers By HEZI ARIS Some Yonkersites will remember the failed re-election effort of one-time Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero (D-2nd District). Terrero’s legacy was quickly immersed in his successful efforts to ingratiate himself by officious courtesy. Terrero gained favor by ingratiating himself to former Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone during the first half of Terrero’s one term that spanned four years duration. Terrero’s demeanor of kowtowing to present Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano during Terrero’s last two years in office has done him well. The constituents comprising the neighborhoods of Yonkers 2nd Council District supported Terrero with anticipation of being better represented. Instead, Terrero served the mayors who stood before him with as much earnestness and passion as he was dismissive of the constituents he was elected to serve. Terrero served both mayors as he was instructed. So engaged in currying favor with each respective mayor in office was he that Terrero’s vote was soon recognized as nothing but a proxy vote for the sitting mayor. If ever there was a “political buyout”, what better circumstances define such political corruption? You know the type; it looks legal but it is totally unethical. Terrero, no matter his ingratiating smile and strong handshake, reminiscent of mannerisms eclipsed more than 60 years ago from American sensibilities, was meant only to obfuscate and cloudy the writing of his political script. No matter how he tried, Terrero would reveal his willingness to undermine his so-called Democratic roots for autocratic dogma to best comply with the personality that presided over a “strong mayor form of government” as exists to this day in the fourth largest city in the Empire State. Terrero’s record of appeasing both

mayor’s directive is anathema to the demands required of those who serve the legislative branch of Yonkers government. The Mayor of Yonkers represents the executive branch. Both branches of government are required to conduct due diligence in learning the subject matter before them. Terrero proved himself incapable of serving the constituents that elected him to office to the disappointment of a city hoping for more, much more. Terrero never learned that serving the public interest was pre-eminent over all else. He was too often clueless on issues over which he was demanded to vote. He was directed by the script writers for the Yonkers mayor(s). Terrero’s ineptitude with respect to his not serving the constituency who placed him in office became so engaged in defeating him that he lost the Yonkers City Democratic Committee endorsement to Corazon Piñeda, a newcomer to Yonkers and politics. Piñeda is the present Yonkers City Councilmember representing the 2nd Council District. Terrero accepted defeat asserting diminished self-esteem; simply crocodile tears. Behind his feigning a weakened smile, Terrero was promised he “would be rewarded” for his loyalty and friendship. And so he has. Wilson Terrero has been appointed Executive Director of the Yonkers Workforce Investment Board. (YWIB). YWIB is a depository for “political hacks” that conducted themselves in deference to the mayor while those in power pulled the strings of their compliant puppets. In the process of being guided to “do as told”, the Terrero puppet has, in the reverse, learned to tug those same strings to wean a job from the puppet master. The executive director position at YWIB has been used as a stepping-stone and a revolving door for gaining entry or re-entry into the political milieu in Yonkers. YWIB is a holding pen for the politically

connected “hopeful”; they are most often undeserving of the station to greater largesse. Before Terrero, former Mayor John Spencer’s wife, Kathy Spring Spencer held the YWIB position. She has since become part of Yonkers City Council President Liam McLaughlin’s entourage in the capacity of Chief of Staff to the President. You’re welcome John Spencer! One must consider the pertinence of making employment opportunities available only to the “family and friends” network for no other reason than to “control” every loose end in the effort to malign governance. Mr Terrero gaining employment by the City of Yonkers is a travesty on the city coffers. If only Terrero had a minutia of capacity to do the job, perhaps it could be dismissed for being a responsible appointment. Terrero does seem adept at accepting an unearned pay check for which he has already shown his scorn of the taxpayer. Terrero should be beholden to the taxpayer, but is incapable of

knowing how. He is devoid of having learned the skills required, is incapable of giving expression to the issues, and is too provincial in demeanor to manage YWIB. When the public cries for efficiency from YWIB, Yonkersites will now know why it continues to fail. This is not a game of musical chairs or is it? Lastly, it should be noted that Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, a Republican turned Democrat to win the office of mayor in 2011 has given a fellow “Democrat” a patronage job for serving the mayor’s interest in holding on to his Republican roots and the mayor’s successful nonaggression pact efforts to gain Liam McLaughlin the office of Yonkers City Council President. Some people will want to blame the Democrats for this happenstance; others will note Republican collusion. The common denominator to either assertion is that in reality Yonkers is a one party town. Mayor Mike Spano, a Democrat, has earned a majority of four Yonkers City Councilmembers who will vote in compliance with Mayor Spano’s

sensibilities without due diligence. There may even be a weak Democrat in name only who could be armtwisted to earn a fifth vote to attain a super-majority vote from the Yonkers City Council, a vote rarely needed. The most egregious aspect of this finding is that Yonkers City Hall could not divulge Terrero’s employment. The implication is clear; Yonkers City Hall is embarrassed by doing what they did. Perhaps they should reconsider and quietly dismiss Terrero from YWIB without fanfare. Yonkersites are often heard complaining on social media sites about one government transgression or another, particularly with regard to hiring practices, and perks that are unnecessary and costly, other than to gain support, loyalty, or votes, but are reluctant to bring those issues and concerns to light. Drop this editor a line. Direct email to the editor: WHYTeditor@ gmail.com. Tell me all about it. Conduct unbecoming CoY has not worked in Yonkers or elsewhere for years. Perhaps things can change if The People deem it so. The telling may put an end to the misuse of taxpayer money.

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Page 16

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

MAYOR Marvinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s COLUMN GOVERNMENT

The State of the Village of Bronxville By MARY C. MARVIN As is custom, the new year brings thoughts of future plans as well as reflection upon the year just passed. In the village government sphere, 2013 was a busy and productive year. To recap, as a result of vigilant oversight, we continue to have the fairest property assessments in the county, which is a vital underpinning to the entire property tax system. As a corollary, our financial health is particularly strong, as evidenced by a fund balance that is 22% of our operating budget and the highest bond rating possible. In 2013, thanks to incredible partnerships with our local garden clubs and our state and county legislators, so much of our limited open space has been reclaimed and beautified, including Sagamore Park, Maltby Field, Bicentennial Park, and the areas adjacent to the train station. In the spirit of beauty, we were galvanized to relight the holiday tree on the village lawn. Our green efforts throughout the village have paid off both financially and ecologically as we rank near the top in recycling tonnage in the county and our mulching-in-place efforts are paying dividends. The trustees approved a threeyear labor agreement with our police officers, the Kensington Road project is moving forward, and we continue to repave our streets and plant trees at a record pace. Based on recorded data, Bronxville continues to be an extremely safe place to live and work and, should one need help, our police officers are there on average in just two minutes. As we begin 2014, there is so much more to continue and/ or initiate to keep our village the unique home it is. Our vacant stores need to be filled with new and attractive businesses that reflect a retail mix that will be supported by our residents.

We continue to work with our attentive landlords to attract potential tenants. Unfortunately, we have no control over the financial arrangements then proffered. From the village process and code perspective, the village hired a downtown business consultant to review/revamp our procedures to ensure that our requirements are in line with those in like communities and reflect the current retail reality. In addition, we have hired a lighting consultant to devise a plan to increase illumination and energy efficiency throughout the village, with the project to begin in the central business district. Our gateways into the village must be improved, most noticeably the area near the Bronx River Parkway exit and the MetroNorth properties, with emphasis on the condition and upkeep of

the underpass area. As I write, we are working on resolving the Parkway Road bridge repair responsibility issues so that residents will not be further inconvenienced. We will continue to work with The Bronxville School to implement the $5 million FEMA flood mitigation grant as well as with the State of New York to execute a flood mitigation project on the Garden Avenue parking lot. It will be a year of construction as the hospital continues its expansion project, the Kensington Road project comes online, and the school begins the auditorium refurbishment initiative, and hopefully the county will begin work on Scout Field to increase the quality and availability of field space. Inside village hall, we need to reach a fair and equitable labor

agreement with our public works employees and begin a budget process that keeps the tax rate as low as possible. We are very proud to say we run all of the village operations with just 15 cents of each of your village property tax dollars. We are beginning long-overdue automation in our courts, parking system, and building office with the goal of modernizing and expediting our services and processes. We continue to grapple with soaring and unsustainable health care and pension costs that, if left as they are, will be the ultimate downfall of local governments as evidenced by what is already happening in Detroit, California, and Alabama. As of now, our legislators in Albany do not have the political will to confront the issue head-on. We need to continue and nurture relationships with state, local, and county officials, as all

of the above initiatives involve funding or advocacy from other governmental entities. As evidence of intermunicipal success, we worked with ten neighboring communities to change the way hydrant maintenance fees are assessed, resulting in a $130,000 savings to the village. Village hall is populated with a small but extremely hard-working staff which, like the trustees, works for you, the taxpayer, as the ultimate customer. To that end, we welcome your input and ideas so we can meet the needs of our residents in the most satisfying way. I am confident 2014 will be a year of positive progress on all fronts in our village. Mary C. Marvin is the mayor of the Village of Bronxville, New York. If you have a suggestion or comment, consider directing your perspective by directing email to mayor@vobny. com.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

The New

PRESIDENTS DAY

The New

Page 17

Don’t Waste Your Time Anywhere Else Don’t Waste Your Time Anywhere Else

Club Club

New York York New

A Mea Culpa By LUKE HAMILTON Dear Presidents Washington and Lincoln, On this, the 283rd and 205th commemoration of your births, I feel it incumbent upon me to write this letter. We have strayed far from the legacy which you bestowed upon this great nation. The horizon is very dark indeed. I admit this with shame, not due to any degradation of America on my part, but because she was degraded on my watch. I seek whole-heartedly a return to the robust tradition of Republicanism and Liberty which was your gift to the world, yet cannot help but acknowledge the guilt I bear for failing to halt the encroachment of tyranny in this land. Instead of unfurling the powerful wings of Liberty, which can lift all men alike from the darkness of indentured poverty, we became afraid. Frightened by

the specter of failure, we began to shrink from the dangerous blessing of liberty; finding the comforting servitude of safety more appealing than the bracing uncertainty of freedom. We have never known deprivation as past generations of Americans endured and too many were ensorcelled by the siren song of strength. The flow of power was reversed. No longer was government tolerated as a necessary evil which secured the rights of a nation of individuals. Instead, government became the granter, and revoker, of the inalienable rights given to every man, woman, and child by their Creator. Because fallen Man incessantly craves power over his neighbor, over time the government has been shaped into a tool which serves to augment or deprive the citizen of his rights, depending on the jealous pleasure of the hand wielding the tool. We are not ruled by King George as President Washington once was, yet our tyrant is more onerous still. Instead of a monarch, sitting on a throne across the

globe, we find ourselves ruled by a faceless, endless bureaucracy which replicates itself, sinking its tendrils ever deeper into the American soul. We have no figure-head to rebuke by stinging declaration, but are repressed by nameless accountants and voracious barristers. There are no tax collectors, ripe for our tar and feathering; instead we deal with form letters, intolerable phone queues, wage garnishment, and legislation by fiat without recourse or appeal. This nation has defied the natural balance of Federalism and shredded the benefits of a Republic. We no longer possess the balance which comes from a collection of strong states, contributing to a national dialogue. The strength of a federalist system comes from the diversity of voices, each secure in its sovereignty, which find consensus and respect divergence. We have allowed the head to reign while the body parts atrophy, and as a result our decent into tyranny is proceeding at a rapid clip. Continued on page 18

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

PRESIDENTS DAY

A Mea Culpa

LE G A L N O T I C E S SUMMONS, NOTICE AND BRIEF STATEMENT OF NATURE OF ACTION CONSUMER CREDIT TRANSACTION

Continued from page 17

We have stood idly by, as diabolical Progressive policies have thrust our b l a c k brothers a n d sisters into a spiral of dependence a n d p o v e r t y. Too often we have been cowed by pencilnecked professors and porcine agitators who deal in racism as other men deal in manure, shoveling it thickly for anyone willing to spare a dime. Astonishingly, the health of the black family is worse than it was under the lash of slavery. How tragic it is to comprehend that Progressive political policies could dissolve black families more thoroughly than the whips and chains of forced servitude ever did. Even more tragic to learn that the black community continues to support these policies by an overwhelming majority. Thankfully, some of the most articulate and ferocious voices speaking up to defend this Republic today are from the black community itself; just as proud patriots like Crispus Attucks, Benjamin Lattimore, and Frederick Douglass were found on the front lines in their day. “Resolved: That the maintenance of the principles promulgated in the Declaration of Independence, and embodied in the Federal Constitution are essential to the preservation of our Republican institutions, and that the Federal Constitution, the rights of the States, and the union of the States, must and shall be preserved.” From the Republican Party platform, adopted in 1856 I pray that following the elections

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER

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Index No. 60186/2013 GENERATION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff, -against Thomas A. Reale as Heir-at-law to the Estate of Albert Reale; Donna Mills individually and as Beneficiary of the Estate of Albert Reale; Secretary Of Housing And Urban Development; All Unknown Heirs, Devisees, and Personal Representatives of the Estate of Albert Reale and any of his, her or any of their successors In right, title and interest; United States Of America; New York State Department Of Taxation And Finance; “JOHN DOE #1- #50” and “MARY ROE #1- #50”, the last two names being fictitious, said parties intended being tenants or occupants, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint, Defendants. TO THE DEFENDANT ALL UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OF ALBERT REALE AND ANY OF HIS, HER OR ANY OF THEIR SUCCESSORS IN RIGHT, TITLE AND INTEREST:

this November we might begin to return to the principles upon which you gentlemen established and protected this great nation. It will take men and women of indomitable moral strength and iron will; we would all do well to take time this year to study the lives and characters of the men and women who labored for our freedom. On this Presidents Day, we honor the men you were and the country you gave your lives to serve. Luke Hamilton is classically-trained, Shakespearean actor from Eugene, Oregon who happens to be a liberty-loving, right-wing, Christian constitutionalist. When not penning columns for ClashDaily.com, Hamilton spends his time astride the IllinoisWisconsin border, leading bands of liberty-starved citizens from the progressive gulags of Illinois to [relative] freedom. Hamilton is the creative mind/voice behind Pillar & Cloud Productions, a budding production company which resides at www. PillarCloudProductions.com. He owes all to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose strength is perfected in his weakness.

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to serve upon plaintiff’s attorneys an answer to the complaint in this action within twenty (20) days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service, or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if the Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York. 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 answer, judgment will be taken against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. Trial is desired in the County of Westchester. The basis of venue designated above is that the real property, which is the subject matter of this action, is located in the County of Westchester, New York. 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 THE 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. HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE New York State Law requires that we send you this notice about the foreclosure process. Please read it carefully. Summon and Complaint You are in danger of losing your home. If you fail to respond to the summons and complaint in this foreclosure action, you may lose your home. Please read the summons and complaint carefully. You should immediately contact an attorney or local legal aid office to obtain advice on how to protect yourself. Source of Information and Assistance The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance from an attorney or legal aid office, there are government agencies and non-profit organizations that you may contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process. To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Department of Financial Services at to 1-800-269-0990 visit the Department`s website at www.dfs.ny.gov. Foreclosure rescue scams Be careful of people who approach you with offers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly profit from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires anyone offering such services for profit to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all such promised services. The foregoing Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an order of Honorable William J. Giacomo, Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, signed on the 27th day of January, 2014, in White Plains, New York and to be duly entered in the Westchester County Clerk’s Office, in White Plains, New York. The Nature of this action pertains to a note and mortgage held by Plaintiff on real property owned by the above named defendants as specified in the complaint filed in this action. The above named defendants have failed to comply with the terms and provisions of the said mortgage and said instruments secured by said mortgage, by failing and omitting to pay the balance due and owing and the Plaintiff has commenced a foreclosure action. Plaintiff is seeking a judgment foreclosing its mortgage against the real property and premises which situates in the Village of Irvington, County of Westchester and State of New York and is commonly known as 12 Grinnell Street, Irvington, New York 10533 and all other relief as to the Court may seem just and equitable. DATED: February 11, 2014 SCHILLER & KNAPP, LLP BY: WILLIAM B. SCHILLER, ESQ. Attorneys for Plaintiff 950 New Loudon Road Latham, New York 12110 Telephone: (518) 786-9069

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

Page 19

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LE G A L N O T I C E S FLEETWOOD HOLDINGS II LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/1/12. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC P.O. Box 359 New Rochelle, NY 11021. Purpose: Any lawful activity. PULASKI ST VENTURE, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/8/13. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 305 North Ave 1st Fl. New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 30 EAST 76TH STREET #3B, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/7/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to C/O Stern Keiser & Panken, LLP 1025 Westchester Ave Ste. 305 White Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ASH ST. PROPERTY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on 10/31/2013. Office location: MOUNT VERNON. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to LUIS MORILLO 75 PARKWAY EAST, MOUNT VERNON, N.Y., 10552. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. TRINITY SHARP REALTY LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/17/13 Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to C/O Solomon Borg 630 Third Ave New York, NY 10017. Purpose: Any lawful activity. EMER LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/29/14. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to C/O Zussman Law PLLC, Attention: Michael J. Zussman, Esq. 425 East 79th St Ste. 1F New York, NY 10075. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

COPYWRITE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/18/13. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 2983 Sherman Ct. Mohegan Lake, NY 10547. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: John D. Ellis 2983 Sherman Ct. Mohegan Lake, NY 10547 Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the Supreme Court, Westchester County, on the 15th day of January, 2014, bearing Index Number 3772/ 2013, a copy of which may be examined at the office of the clerk, located at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., White Plains, New York, Room 330, grants me the right to assume the name of JOSEPH FELICE DAMETTA. My present address is 62D Kirby Close, Yorktown Heights, New York; the date of my birth is October 11, 1964; the place of my birth is Yonkers, New York; my present name is GIUSEPPE F. DAMETTA a/k/a GIUSEPPE FELICE DAMETTA.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, FEBRUARY 20, 2014

UKRAINE

Ukraine Update with Alexander Valchyshen By LEE DANIELS

Following several months of street violence and political infighting, resulting in six dead and more than 1,200 injured protestors, a prime minister’s resignation, and an ongoing debate over whether presidential elections to be held in March 2015 should be moved back one year, the political and social climate of the country, which gained its independence from the Soviet Union 1n 1991, remains uncomfortably volatile. Alexander Valchyshen, Head of Research at Kiev-based Investment Capital

is directly opposed to the incumbent party, led by President Viktor Yanukovych, which favors an alliance with the Kremlin. “For Ukraine, it’s vital to have a leadership that could break away from the country’s recent political past, in which governments have mismanaged an economy chronically run with the twin deficits of state budget and current account.” In a meeting in New York last fall with macroeconomic analysts at a major international financial services firm, Valchyshen said that a more severe deterioration to the economy will occur if there are no substantive policy changes taken by the government, adding that the International Monetary

Agreement could serve as a huge boost of confidence to the economy’s prospects going forward, as it would imply pro-growth measures to follow. Under the Kremlin umbrella, however, he feels that further stagnation could continue, and be even longer-lasting than the country has already seen in the previous two years. “If the Ukrainian authorities do not make a visible shift in becoming more closely aligned with the IMF’s program, then, our base-case scenario of the government’s introducing gradual flexibility will fail, and the authorities will keep dragging their feet with regard to taking corrective measures to shore up the country’s economy and regulatory

Valchyshen reporting from Khreschatyk Street, near Maidan Square, December 2013.

Clashes at Hrushevskogo Street, near Maidan Square, January 2014 Ukraine, who writes about macroeconomic, geopolitical and financial developments in the country, and therefore follows the developments on a daily basis, sees no quick resolution to the crisis “As for Ukraine’s current developments, there is still no clarity on whether the elections will be held this year. Opposition Ministers of Parliament (MPs) do want to move them forward to this year (March 2014) from March 2015, as is written in the current Constitution,” he said in an interview last week. The main source of the discord in the country is its opposition movement toward an alliance with the European Union (EU),

Fund (IMF) has not changed its prescription for policy changes to be enacted, and it is up to Ukraine to accept these changes. “The likely result to all of this is that Ukraine will sign the EU Association agreement, aligning with the EU (rather than the Kremlin’s proposals to adhere to economic and trade guidelines with Russia, in return for economic support), “ he said. At the time (last November), Valchyshen felt that a signing of the EU Association agreement would ultimately be a “non-event” for the markets. Following the events that have unfolded over the past three months, however, he feels that if Ukraine does turn to the EU, the EU Association

framework in the economy until elections in 2015,” said Valchyshen. Continued efforts on the part of the EU to lend support to Ukraine, in hopes that it will reciprocate by signing the EU Association Agreement, were reiterated in a statement released by the Union on February 10, in which it condemned the “violence, cases of missing persons, torture, and intimidation” occurring in the country’s capital, while also stating its conviction that the Agreement “does not constitute the final goal in EU-Ukraine relations.” Despite the turbulence and violence seen in recent weeks, there have been glimmers of hope for a resolution to the

problems not only from the political sphere, but also the human side. Valchyshen and his wife, Olga, joined crowds in Kiev’s central square, Maidan, the locus of many of the recent demonstrations, on the night of December 11 last year, to witness some of the year’s most tense stand-offs between protestors and authorities, ahead of more violent events in January of this year that led to deaths among the protestors. The following is an eyewitness report by Valchyshen of the events of that unfolded that night in Kiev’s central square. “Maidan is considered a holy place in Kiev, and we call it our own Jerusalem, because it is a place of hope, peace and dignity. I was at home asleep that night, but at 1:00 a.m., a friend called me saying that riot police had encircled Maidan and started a crackdown. I dressed quickly and made the 20-minute walk through the bitter cold to Maidan. When I arrived, the square was indeed encircled by several rows of riot police. I joined others there, and we walked through the police cordons into Maidan.” “Outside Maidan, one fears that police will react with violence at any time. But, inside Maidan, you feel a bit relaxed as you are surrounded by lots of peaceful people.The riot police did not use batons on the crowd that night; they just tried to push people out of their way. But, the people present tried to prevent a crackdown by forming a large crowd and pushing the riot police back.” “As morning approached, more and more people came to Maidan to support

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the movement. I believe that at this time, the main opposition MPs were talking with leaders of the Yanukovych administration, which may have explained why there was no bloodshed that night. The presence of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland in Kiev was also likely a factor in the police’s not resorting to tear gas and batons to disperse protestors at Maidan.” “In the end, my photo shows the moment at which riot police were chased away by protesters from City Hall, which is inside of Maidan and occupied by protesters; they were cheering loudly. I cannot describe the joy that we all felt at the time. Maidan is a symbol of protest against what has become a violent regime by Yanukovych, who was elected by only a very slim margin against his opponent, Yulia Tymoshenko, whom he later jailed.” Alexander Valchyshen, whose career in analytic financial and macroeconomic research began in 1995, has served as Head of Research at Kiev, Ukraine-based Investment Capital Ukraine since 2008, and was previously head of macro and fixedincome research at ING Bank Ukraine. Photos by and courtesy of Olga Valchyshen. Pleasantville-based Lee Daniels is Arts & Leisure writer for The Westchester Guardian and Editor at Kiev-based ICU. Lee Daniels is also an avid marathoner, competing around the globe, including in two NYC Marathons, with a personal best time of 3:31:56.