PRESORTED STANDARD PERMIT #3036 WHITE PLAINS, NY
Vol. VI, No. VIII
Thursday, February 23, 2012,,,,$1.00
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
$13 Million “Illegally” Approved Contracts
News & Notes Page 4
Manufacturing Page 6
Page 23
Putting Spring in Your Step Page 8
Marinus Willett
Page 10
Dennis Sheehan re grandchildren. He South America and Valentine success and his sec Page 14 guest on Westches
Kenneth Jenkins
Robert Astorino
Flooding
stories, such as: "C Page 19
Two Unjust Legal As a detective, in Decisions
Crime Squad in M Page 23 other national ag experiences to w espionage, terror Why I Love and relationships. Admire Teachers
Mary C. Marvin, page 18
WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM
Killing Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.-A Nancy B. Brewer known for her sof Hate Crime
Page 25
Magdalena Capur Kenneth Hari. Inf working on a coll Magdalena reside
Page 2
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The Westchester Guardian
Of Significance Community Section................................................................................4 Business.................................................................................................4 Calendar................................................................................................4 Charity...................................................................................................5 Contest...................................................................................................6 Creative Disruption.............................................................................6 Education..............................................................................................7 Fashion...................................................................................................8 Fitness....................................................................................................9 Health...................................................................................................10 History.................................................................................................10 Ed Koch Movie Review....................................................................12 Spoof.....................................................................................................13 Sports Scene........................................................................................13 Najah’s Corner....................................................................................13 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Books....................................................................................................16 Transportation....................................................................................17 Government Section.............................................................................17 Albany Correspondent.....................................................................17 Mayor Marvin’s Column..................................................................18 Government........................................................................................19 OpEd Section..........................................................................................23 Ed Koch Commentary.....................................................................23 Letters to the Editor...........................................................................24 Weir Only Human.............................................................................25 Legal Notices...........................................................................................26
Page 3
RADIO
Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris
Westchester On the Level is heard from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon on the Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Join the conversation by calling toll-free to 1-877-674-2436. Please stay on topic. Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are your co-hosts. In the week beginning February 20th and ending on February 24th, we have an exciting entourage of guests. Every Monday is special. On Monday, February 20th, Krystal Wade, a celebrated participant in http:// www.TheWritersCollection.com is our guest. Krystal Wade is a mother of three who works fifty miles from home and writes in her “spare time.” “Wilde’s Fire,” her debut novel has been accepted for publication and should be available in 2012. Not far behind is her second novel, “Wilde’s Army.” How does she do it? Tune in and find out. Co-hosts Richard Narog and Hezi Aris will relish the dissection of all things politics on Tuesday, February 21st. Yonkers City Council President Chuck Lesnick will share his perspective from the august inner sanctum of the City Council Chambers on Wednesday, February 22nd. Stephen Cerrato, Esq., will share his political insight on Thursday, February 23rd. Friday, February 24th has yet to be filled. It may be a propitious day to sum up what transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version of That Was The Week That Was (TWTWTW). For those who cannot join us live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or on demand. Within 15 minutes of a show’s ending, you can find the segment in our archive that you may link to using the hyperlink provided in the opening paragraph. The entire archive is available and maintained for your perusal. The easiest way to find a particular interview is to search Google, or any other search engine, for the subject matter or the name of the interviewee. For example, search Google, Yahoo, AOL Search for Westchester On the Level, Blog Talk Radio, or use the hyperlink above.
Mission Statement Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Guardian News Corp. P.O. Box 8 New Rochelle, New York 10801 Sam Zherka , Publisher & President publisher@westchesterguardian.com Hezi Aris, Editor-in-Chief & Vice President whyteditor@gmail.com Advertising: (914) 562-0834 News and Photos: (914) 562-0834 Fax: (914) 633-0806 Published online every Monday Print edition distributed Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Graphic Design: Watterson Studios, Inc. www.wattersonstudios.com
westchesterguardian.com
The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of events and developments that are newsworthy and significant to readers living in, and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardian will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure of truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated with daily journals, we will instead seek to provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate. From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where, why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the very heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere. To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarily better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.
Page 4
The Westchester Guardian
CommunitySection
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
BUSINESS
A Call to Consumer Activism By ROBERT SCOTT Croton’s irrationally unbalanced administration speaks from both sides of its mouth. One side pretends to be concerned about the commercial health of the community’s businesses. The other side repeatedly announces that the Village has made sweetheart deals that fundamentally damage the very businesses it claims to be its primary concern. A case in point is the so-called winter farmers market about to open on Saturdays in the former Blockbuster store in the cramped
little strip mall adjoining the earlier Z-shaped Van Wyck mall. There cannot be a more unseemly and inappropriate time or place for such an establishment in Croton. Navigating that strip mall’s tight little parking area requires nearly professional driving skills. Croton residents looking for a way to express their displeasure at the high-handedly precipitous granting of a special permit based on no research by the Village can use the powerful weapon of the boycott. This would also demonstrate support for the taxpaying local retail businesses damaged by the Village’s irresponsible action. The boycott takes its name from Capt.
Charles Boycott, a land agent for absentee landlords in Ireland. In 1880, after evicting tenant farmers from lands he controlled in western Ireland he attempted to recruit local farmers to harvest his crops. They refused and Boycott was forced to bring in workers from Northern Ireland. He also brought in police, but predicted violence never occurred. In the end, Boycott spent 10,000 Pounds to harvest 500 Pounds worth of crops. Irish nationalist leader Charles Parnell quipped that “it cost one shilling for every turnip dug from Boycott’s land.” Extended boycotts have a long and honorable history, including the boycott of British goods by colonists during the American Revolution a century before and the boycott of British textiles led by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s. Gandhi also advocated that Indians spin
their own yarns to make cloth. Other notable boycotts include the year-long Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott in 1956 and the grape and lettuce boycotts led by Cesar Chavez in the 1970s. Notable, too, was the US-led boycott of the summer Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980 As a form of protest, the boycott is legal under common law and. can be highly effective. Abstaining from patronizing the farmers market by consumers and supporting established local businesses would also send an unambiguous message to Croton’s duplicitous administration. Robert Scott is a semi-retired book publisher and a recorder of local history. He lives in Croton-onHudson, N.Y.
CALENDAR
Center Lane Offering New Groups for LGBTQ Youth YONKERS, NY -Center Lane, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, is offering two new groups. Voxx, for those who identify as female between the ages 13-21, meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 5:00 -7:00 PM to discuss LGBTQ issues as well as being female in the 21st
century. The Twenty Something Group, which provides support and counseling for LGBTQ young adults age 20 – 29, meets the first and third Thursday of the month from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Both groups are free and meet at 20 South Broadway, Suite 420, Yonkers. For more information about Center Lane, call 914-423-0610.
News & Notes from Northern Westchester By MARK JEFFERS Next Wednesday is Leap Day February 29th, it happens only every four years, so my plan is to do something extra nice to a stranger, friend or loved one, just because it’s always a good idea to pay it forward… Please don’t forget our friends at the Support Connection in Yorktown, they offer free confidential support services for people affected by breast and ovarian cancer, give them a call at 914-962-6402 for more information. The Irish American Social Club of Northern Westchester & Putnam Counties is holding its annual mass and installation of officers and board
members at St. Patrick’s Church (where else) in Yorktown Heights on March 4th, for details call 914-245-7211. Aren’t we all about ready to “Swing into Spring,” then you will want to check out Saint Luke’s in Somers “Swing into Spring” fundraiser…an evening of food, drink dancing and merriment on March 3rd at the Mahopac Golf Club. Put those butts out, the grace period is over for the people who violate the smoking ban on Metro-North Railroad’s outdoor platforms, waiting and ticketing areas. Violators face $50 fines, up to 30 days in the slammer or both. Continued on page 5
The Westchester Guardian
CALENDAR
News & Notes from Northern Westchester
Continued from page 4 Speaking of Metro North, I just read their latest newsletter and it always makes me laugh, their reported on-time percentage is 99.2%, I swear I must be the unlucky passenger on all the late trains… The Women’s Club of Pleasantville is sponsoring Fine Arts Appraisals by Jon Felz from RSN Fine Arts and Antiques Inc. on February 27th, call 914-769-5189 for more information. Our neighbor, the Caramoor Center for the Arts in Katonah presents its annual Vocal Rising Stars, performing “New York to Paris, Paris to Paradise,” on March 11th. Here’s some big news for my wife…a leading wine importer Mionetto USA is moving to White Plains at 81 Main Street this summer…helping the resurging downtown business district. Westchester County will honor six African Americans for their professional and civic accomplishments at the annual Black History Month and Trailblazers Award ceremony at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on February 26th…congratulations and well done to all the honorees. It looks like the folks from Armonk will have to order in their groceries as the town’s only supermarket, the A&P which had been there for n 30 years has closed its doors as their lease was l not renewed. Gilda’s Club Westchester is holding o an evening of Elegance & Laughter at the t Ritz Carlton on March 15th to raise funds to - continue their cancer support community for d men, women, children and teens impacted by f cancer in any way, please call 914-644-8844 for information. r n , CHARITY 0
5
The Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble will present an action packed program of short ballet performances on March 30th at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill. Let’s take a look at some film events…up in Montrose at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library there will be a screening of “Midnight in Paris,” on February 23rd. Here’s a flick my daughter Claire won’t want to miss the showing of “Glee: The Concert Movie,” playing at the Rye Free Reading Room also on Feb. 23rd. As we all know, I am not a great gardener, but I sure don’t want to miss the Ardsley Garden Club’s 11th Annual Irish Dinner with corned beef & cabbage, bagpipes and Irish tunes, count me in. The gang over at Grand Prix New York Spins Bowling will hold the Music Conservatory of Westchester’s first annual Winterbowl to benefit the Music Therapy Institute on February 23rd. This week’s column is dedicated to one of my personal heroes…my father-in-law Ken Sheeleigh. Ken just turned 85, my admiration comes from his guts to start and run his own business just north of us in Goshen, take care of his family and still have time to enjoy life, tell a joke, help others and kick my butt in golf. He is now in a tough health battle, so I leave you this week, with good thoughts for a man I am proud to call my second father. …see you next week.
Page 5
When was the last time you dealt with Lexington Capital Associates?
Mark Jeffers successfully spearheaded the launch of MAR$AR Sports & Entertainment LLC in 2008. As president he has seen rapid growth of the company with the signing of numerous clients. He resides in Bedford Hills, New York, with his wife Sarah, and three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Claire.
Salesian Missions Creates Fund to Assist Cyclone Victims in Southeast India NEW ROCHELLE, NY -- Salesian Missions has created a fund to assist with relief and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Cyclone Thane, which devastated parts of Southeast India on December 31, 2011. Salesians in affected areas worked to assist survivors, as they surveyed immense damage to their own properties. Destruction to Salesian property in Puducherry, Cuddalore and the missions in Gedilam and Maranodi Vinnarasi resulted in shattered windows, sheared off roofs, destroyed water heaters, and ruined equipment in several vocational education centers. But despite their own losses, the Salesians stepped in during the immediate aftermath and provided shelter,
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
With over 50 years experience, Lexington Capital Associates provides loans from $1m-$150m at some of the lowest interest rates available in the marketplace. • For cash flowing loans- NO PERSONAL GUARANTEE • 30 year payouts • Int. only loans available
Lexington Capital Associates, LLC. meals, clean water, clothing and comfort to those affected by the devastation. Continued on page 6
240 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10801 Phone (914) 632-1230 fax (914) 633-0806
Page 6
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
CHARITY
Salesian Missions Creates Fund to Assist Cyclone Victims in Southeast India Continued from page 5 The immediate relief that survivors needed was vast, according to Father Johnson Antonysamy, director of the Salesian mission in Chennai. People were without food, water, electricity and shelter. Those with thatched roofs had their roofs blown off and more than 20,000 people were displaced. Salesians have continued relief efforts in local villages devastated by Cyclone Thane, but report they are in need of additional assistance. Salesian Missions – the U.S. development arm of the international Salesians of Don Bosco headquartered in New Rochelle, NY – responded quickly by creating an India Cyclone
Relief Fund. “Because we are already part of the community and the local infrastructure, we are in a better position to help quickly when disaster strikes,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions. “Our U.S. office responds to needs such as this by creating special disaster relief funds and calling on our generous donors who reach into their hearts and their wallets to help those most in need,” he adds. “We are so very thankful to our supporters.” Cyclone Thane barreled through the districts of Cuddalore, Villupuram and Puducherry. In its wake, residents dealt with leveled homes and
uprooted trees; flooded farmlands that destroyed precious crops; and the death of dozens of men, women and children.
The Salesians’ work will go far beyond the immediate relief that was needed in the days following the cyclone. Entire communities must rebuild. In addition to restoring their social development and education programs in operation prior to the cyclone, the Salesians must now rebuild their own missions and lead community efforts for long-term recovery. “Salesians and the people they serve in southeast India are resilient,” says Fr. Hyde. “Together we can help these victims as well as those in need in countries around the globe.” To give to the relief efforts, go to SalesianMissions. org, click on “Donate Now” and select “India Cyclone Relief Fund.”
CONTEST
ShopRite Pledges $1,000 in Groceries to Yonkers Fire House
Supermarket Encourages Public to Vote Online with Pledge and In-Store Signage FLORIDA, NY -- ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc., today announced it will donate $1,000 to Yonkers Fire Department Engine 306 if they are named the winners of IKEA’s Nationwide Kitchen Remodel Contest. Engine 306 has been selected as one of five finalists in the IKEA Kitchen Remodel Contest, in which one deserving firehouse will receive $25,000 for a renovated kitchen. The public is welcomed to vote for the most deserving firehouse at www.rescueremodel.com now through February 28th at 11:59 PM.
“In hopes of encouraging the public to vote online for the deserving firefighters of Engine 306 in Yonkers, ShopRite Supermarkets will pledge $1,000 to fill the cabinets with food should they be named the winner of IKEA’s nationwide kitchen remodeling contest,” said Tom Urtz, vice president and human resources and community affairs of ShopRite Supermarkets. “ShopRite is committed to the communities it serves and we feel that it is important to support the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect others. As a reminder, we have also included
in-store signage to remind our customers to vote. Besides, what is the point of a nice new kitchen if the shelves aren’t fully stocked?” Members of Engine 306, located at 81 Oak Street in the Nodine Hill Section of the city, submitted an essay and over a dozen photographs of their current kitchen to IKEA, a furniture and accessories retail store, pleading their case for a refurbished kitchen. IKEA chose Engine 306 among hundreds of firehouses across the country. Voters are permitted to submit online for
Progress took a relatively long time and, although sailing shops, guns, and other weapons of war were developed through the centuries, technology did not greatly impact By JOHN F. McMULLEN the making of things or “manufacturing” until the Industrial Creative Disruption is a Revolution (1750 – 1850 AD). Beginning in continuing series examining England, the “revolution”, which in actuality, the impact of constantly accelerating technology has never ended, began either replacing human on the world around us. These changers normally labor with that of a machine or implementing happen under our personal radar until we find that machinery that would allow the replacement of the world as we knew it is no more. skilled workers with unskilled ones. Since time immemorial, mankind has While there had always been fascination with attempted to develop tools that would allow it large strong figures doing the work of humans to do more and more with less effort – to help (ex. the ages-old Hebrew saga of the “Golem” and in performing tasks that either required great Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic, “Frankenstein”), strength or were dangerous. The first success “when push came to shove” and machines in this area, which we know of, was the wheel, began replacing human workers, there was somewhere between 5,500 to 7,500 years ago push-back by workers with the best-known (the oldest wheel was found in Mesopotamia and being smashing of knitting machines by an has been dated between 3,500 and 5,500 BC). Anstey, England weaver named Ned Ludd (or Once the wheel was developed, progress was Edward Ludlam) in 1799. The story spread rapid in finding uses for it to draw chariots, and whenever frames were sabotaged, people wagons, plows, etc. – and we were on our way.
would say “Ned Ludd did it” – and, by 1812, an organized group of frame-breakers became known as “Luddites,” a name that has since been applied to anti-technology individuals since those days. The Luddite movement did not come to the United States, as such, but the mechanization of textile, watch-making, steel production, and, later, the auto industry led to the formation of labor unions (“The National Labor Union” was founded in 1866, followed by the “Order of the Knights of St. Crispin” in 1867, the “Knights of Labor” in 1869, and “The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions” in 1881 with the Federation becoming the still active “American Federation of Labor” in 1886). The next important technological development was the introduction of the “Assembly Line” by Henry Ford in 1908. No longer did a worker have to know how to make an automobile, only how to install a particular part. Although Adam Smith has written of the distribution of labor in his famous “The Wealth of Nations” in 1776, the concept had not taken hold in a
their favorites firehouses once a day. All finalists’ essays and photos are available at www.rescueremodel.com.
CREATIVE DISRUPTION
Manufacturing
large scale-way until Ford. Ford, a master of marketing, saw that by “mass-producing” autos, he could hold costs down and, by also providing high wages to his workers, empowering them to buy his “Model T”s, he could generate market demand for his cars. Ford’s assembly line techniques soon caught on through all forms of manufacturing, although firms soon realized that one of the benefits of the process was that many of those workers “on-the-line” did not have to be paid as skilled workers. As movement from the farms to industry accelerated (1900: Farm Population 29.5 million and 43% of the work force -1990: Farm Population 2.9 million and 2.6% of the work force), union membership grew to a high percentage of 32.5% in 1952 and, although percentages went down, population growth brought union membership to a high of 22 million in 1975. Newer and more efficient machines began to further reduce the need for human workers and, with the introduction of intelligent machines Continued on page 7
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The Westchester Guardian
Page 7
CREATIVE DISRUPTION
Manufacturing Continued from page 6 or “robots” into manufacturing in 1961 (the “Unimate,” a programmable robotic arm, developed by George Devol was installed in General Motors’ Trenton, NJ plant in 1961 and is considered the beginning of modern industrial robotics), the handwriting was on-the-wall that the elimination of human jobs in manufacturing was underway, A major part of management / labor negotiations from then on would revolve around the retention of jobs as mechanization took place. As if industrial workers didn’t feel squeezed enough by automation during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, the rise of the “Global Economy,” largely driven by the telecommunications revolution, brought with it “Offshoring” (Overseas OutSourcing). Faced with heavy global competition, US firms began to take the benefits of foreign advanced automation and / or much lower labor costs and whole industries, such as television production, have left US shores.
While the challenges of offshoring and known technological innovation are being worked through, another technological development of much greater impact is lurking around the corner – “Nanotechnology”! In December 1959, soon-to-be Nobel Laureate in Physics, Richard Feynman gave a talk, “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” at an American Physical Society at Caltech in which he postulated that atoms at the molecular level could be manipulated. This concept went largely unnoticed until the 1986 publication of K. Eric Drexler’s book, “Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology.” In the book, Drexler projects the ability of a natotech “assembler” which would be able to manipulate these atoms to create or “manufacture” desired products. How might this work? A person, needing a pair of jeans and deciding to purchase from the originator of jeans, Levi Strauss & Co., goes to that company’s web site and enters her / his measurements (very precise – more than today’s length
EDUCATION
Westchester County High School Seniors Awarded Berkeley College Scholarships
and waist), color, fabric, cut, and “look” and credit card information. After some delay, the jeans are produced on the purchaser’s own assembler, put on and worn. The assembler may then be used to manufacturer a toaster, coat, or end-table. Sound very far-fetched? Sure it is – but it sounds somewhat simpler when we look at how web pages are shown on your computer screen: The “Web Browser” (a program – “Firefox”, “Safari, “Internet Explorer”, “Chrome”, etc.) receives “data” and the codes (“HTML tags”) that instruct the Browser how to display the data – colors, font styles, position, size, animation, graphics, etc. The idea of the assembler is similar. It receives the coding describing exactly what is to be produced and any necessary molecules – and produces it! Currently, Levi Strauss manufactures outside of the United States, mainly in the Far East, transports jeans to the US via boat from which they are taken by truck to either warehouses for fulfillment of online orders (delivered by a mail service –UPS, FedEx, etc.) or to WalMart, Target, Macy’s, etc. for retail sales. The assembler, if and when perfected, has just eliminated every job in that chain! If this sounds way out-in-the-future – and it probably it – consider that a similar result is currently obtained through a different technology, “3D Copying” through which such items as bicycle frames and circuit boards are manufactured in a similar process to the
duplication of a memo. Once the 3D copying concept is digested, it sounds rudimentary next to the assembler BUT we are already at the next interim step. There is a fairly mind-boggling video showing the copying of a wrench including the moving parts at http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgaurYNPWu8 (A New York Times article describing this process may be read at http://www.nytimes. com/interactive/2011/06/15/technology/ personaltech/20110915-BASICS.html). Neither political party seems willing to discuss what happens when / if there is staggering unemployment due to technological change such as that described above – and the question is not “if ” it will come but “when.”They are probably afraid of “scaring the hell” out of the public. From the wheel to the assembler -- “and so it goes”! John F. McMullen has been involved in technology for over 40 years and has written about it for major publications. He may be found on Facebook and his current non-technical writing, a novel, “The Inwood Book” and “New & Collected Poems by johnmac the bard” are available on Amazon. He is a professor at Purchase College and has previously taught at Monroe College, Marist College and the New School For Social Research.
202 Coligni Avenue • New Rochelle, New York
This special home offers comfort, curb appeal and an ideal location.
(L-R): High school students Veronica Ceron of Yonkers; Luis Angel of Yonkers; Zaneta Thompson of Montrose and Brian Alburquerque of White Plains; Lynne A. Remedios, Berkeley College Director of High School Admissions, White Plains location; and high school students Jessica Corporan of White Plains and Alex Acaro of New Rochelle. The students received scholarships to attend Berkeley College.
Dario A. Cortes, PhD, Berkeley College President, has announced that students from Westchester County, NY, have received scholarships to attend Berkeley College. “It is an honor to recognize the academic accomplishments of these high school seniors by awarding them scholarships to attend Berkeley College,”said Dr. Cortes.“As a college that values diversity, fosters academic growth and recognizes
the potential of each student, Berkeley College looks forward to welcoming these scholarship recipients to our campuses in the coming year.” The following students from Westchester County have received scholarships to attend Berkeley College: - Alex Acaro of New Rochelle, New Rochelle High School - Brian Alburquerque of White Plains, White Plains Continued on page 8
Robert J. Seitz, Jr. Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Robert J. Seitz, Jr.
Office: 914-381-7173 Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Mobile: 914-393-6144 Sparkling, Updated Colonial 914-381-7173 Office: 914-381-7173 Fax: 914-381-7055 202 Coligni Avenue New Rochelle, New York www.stetsonrealestate. Mobile: 914-393-6144 Email: rseitz@stetsonrealestate.com Fax: 914-381-7055 Email: rseitz@stetsonrealestate.com
1214 East Boston Post Road 1214 East Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 Robert J. Seitz,&Jr.Investment Properties Mamaroneck, NY 10543 Commercial Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
Office: 914-381-7173 Mobile: 914-393-6144 Fax: 914-381-7055 Email: rseitz@stetsonrealestate.com
1214 East Boston Post Road
Commercial & Investment Properties
Page 8
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
EDUCATION
Westchester County High School Seniors Awarded Berkeley College Scholarships Continued from page 7 High School - Luis Angel of Yonkers, Riverside High School - Tarisha Augustin of Verplanck, Hendrick Hudson High School - Veronica Ceron of Yonkers, Saunders High School Jessica Corporan of White Plains, White Plains High School - Kimberly Escalante of White Plains, Woodlands High School - Alexa Esposito of Lake Mohegan, Lakeland High School - Lila Fuentes of Yonkers, Maria Regina
High School - Shoulyn Narain of Yonkers, Lincoln High School - Kristopher Pastilha of Yonkers, Sacred Heart High School - Estafania Rangel of Port Chester, Port Chester High School - Samantha Sindona of Yonkers, John F. Kennedy Catholic High School - Zaneta Thompson of Montrose, Hendrick Hudson High School Berkeley College scholarships are awarded annually to high school seniors who demonstrate
a high level of achievement in high school. Scholarships are renewable based on the recipient’s cumulative grade point average at the end of each academic year and continued enrollment as a full-time student. A leader in business education for 80 years, Berkeley College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and enrolls more than 8,700 students — including more than 800 international students — in its
Baccalaureate and Associate degree programs. The College has four New York locations — Midtown Manhattan, Lower Manhattan in the Wall Street area, Brooklyn, and White Plains. And in New Jersey there are four locations — Woodland Park, Paramus, Woodbridge, and Newark. Berkeley College Online also offers full degree programs. Programs are offered in more than 20 career fields. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
FRILLS, FLOUNCES AND FASHION
Putting Spring In Your Step By BARBARA BARTON The Spring/Summer 2012 verdict is in: bright, flirty colors are here to stay but in a much more understated way thanks to the designs’modern attitude.The trend continues with a high-octane dose of flower power plus an equally amped-up version of color blocking.
A geometric design embellished an aweinspiring look by BCBG’s Max and Lubov Azria. Making an elegant statement was a teal blue frock whose hard-edged cut of the skirt exposed a smooth, seductive length of leg, definitively
turning up the wow factor. Some of the dresses came in techno-bright shades with hoodies attached, but SLOANE casual the sporty didn’t, however, preclude the sexy. High side slits and tacked-on panels of chiffon made for a flirty flutter while nearly every look exposed a slice of shoulder.
Elie Tahari makes commercial clothes, no two ways about it, but he’s also smart enough to keep things fresh on the runway. Tahari kicked off his spring/summer show with a group of white and sand-toned looks accented with gold trim. There were some true winners here such as a wide, zigzag pleated mid-calf skirt in blue and mottled orange silk pants that tied at the ankle. One standout was a striking sky-blue tunic with
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please submit your Letter to the Editor electronically, that is by directing email to WHYTeditor@gmail.com Please confine your writing to between 350 and 500 words. Your name, address, and telephone contact is requested for verification purpose only. A Letter to the Editor will be accepted at the editor’s discretion when space permits. A maximum of one submission per month may be accepted.
a modestly cut V-neck encircled by a narrow gold belt and worn over a lighter blue chiffonflippy skirt – easy, modern and sweetly chic.
At Stacey Bendet’s Alice+Olivia presentation, fashion came in lawn green, cherry red, and lemon yellow with shoes pointy and heels wedged and sharp. Bendet’s designs, from a strictly retail standpoint, are geared toward allowing the Alice+Olivia customer to walk out of the store with as many different options as she has moods. “I want each look to be a different girl” she said. A model strutted the catwalk in a painterly-decorated skirt emblazoned with tropical flowers, belted with hot pink, and topped by a skin-tight, nude-colored bodice. Worn with bright green pumps, this outfit’s eye-popping hues were a definite nod to a most colorful spring. At Chanel’s spring show spectacular, Karl Lagerfeld recast himself as Prospero, conjuring a magical underwater world. What the water gave Karl was the kind of acute overview that only he could turn into a dazzling collection. He’d been musing on the fact that forms as modern as today have been shaped at the bottom of the ocean by natural processes taking millions of years. Chanel hasn’t been around quite that long but there was
an impressive, graphic modernity in most of the outfits that strolled the runway.The designer said he wanted lightness and that his aim was doing nothing too “Chanel” because, he sagely noted, there are already so many others doing that style. Still, he insisted on something that was recognizably within the codes of the house. So Lagerfeld insinuated his underwater theme into traditional Chanel lexicon with a Caribbean Sea-colored jacket topping a short, insouciant skirt whose shell-hued flounces ended at just mid-thigh. One is drawn to ask: how many other designers are there who take such risks after six decades in the business? Strike that. Who has this much energy and creativity at any age? Energy is truly the name of the game this season. The runways were more colorful than the crowd at a Lady Gaga concert, including highoctane doses of color-blocking and flower power. For spring/summer there are a host of fun trends that are also, thankfully, oh-so-wearable. After all, girls just wanna have fun! Beauty / Fashion Editor Barbara Barton Sloane keeps us informed on the capricious and engaging fashion and beauty scene. As Travel Editor she is constantly globe-hopping to share her unique experiences with our readers; from the exotic to the sublime.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The Westchester Guardian
Page 9
FITNESS
Helping His Clients Become the Few, the Proud By LEE DANIELS Mornings when I am having a hard time getting out of bed, I look at my clock and remember that somewhere, Shawn Bennett has already been up and had his morning coffee, several hours ago. Bennett’s routine—rising at 4:07 a.m. — is a habit he formed from his days as a young Marine recruit in basic training on Parris Island, S.C. “We had reveille at 04:30 hours. I was ambitious, and wanted to be ready when the drill instructor came in, so I began to get up at 04:15. When the light came on, I was the first, and only, recruit up and at attention. So the D.I. decided to roll back reveille by 15 minutes. Obviously, my fellow recruits weren’t ecstatic about that.” Three years after leaving the military, Bennett, 44, a native of Peekskill, became a martial arts instructor, though his easygoing demeanor belies his background, as he resembles more a triathlete or windsurfing instructor rather than a Marine and fifthdegree black belt. In 2002, he decided to begin working as a personal trainer, but it was a personal motivation rather than a career move that brought him to the profession. “I became a personal trainer to educate myself, and to lose weight, and to get healthy. Once other people saw me drop from 247 pounds to 162, they started asking me what my secret was. I explained to them that there is no “secret,” but that everyone has the ability to be fit. Fitness is not a concrete thing, but rather a function, a process, that is natural. Your fitness is involved in everything you do, and it begins with the mental aspect.” I met Bennett last year at my local gym, and after the Christmas holidays, with my yearly physical looming, I decided to sign on with him for a five-week training program. I quickly learned that Bennett’s approach to training—and the results that I began to see after only a few sessions—were far different than that of any other trainer I had worked with in the past 20 years. “So what did you eat for dinner last night?,” Bennett asked as I walked in for my second session, slightly throwing me off guard. When I allowed that I had two large helpings of dinner and an extra slice of chocolate cake for dessert, I was surprised by his response. Rather than reprimand me, Bennett caught me off guard, using positive reinforcement about my indulgence.
“Sounds good. Let’s put that chocolate to work,” he offered. “Wow. OK. Does that mean I can have chocolate cake every night?,” I inquired. “Sure,” he replied. As long as you utilize that energy. Think about everything you put into your body and how to put it to use.” Bennett’s approach to helping his clients is unique. First, he gets to know his client, gathering information about personal habits, diet, work, and past physical exercise or sports. He then designs a program that is tailored to the client’s lifestyle. “Everyone is different, but there is a similarity among everyone at the same time; each person has a set of tools, which I help the client identify and then maximize use and efficiency, driving them to reach new goals,” he said. Another difference between Bennett and the other five personal trainers I have worked with is that no workout is the same. “Always keeping the body guessing and ready to adapt to a new routine is important in total fitness, rather than using the same routine over and again,” he maintains. “Adapt, adjust, and overcome,” is one of Bennett’s favorite mantras. Once I uttered the word “try” in conversation with him after a workout, to which he immediately replied, “there is not try; you do what you undertake, and you succeed. Put failure out of your mind.” The key to success, Bennett insists, is good communication. “I get to know a client in order to really understand them, and then can more effectively teach them health and wellness. Motivation is a big part of what my program is about, and that is one of the keys to success in physical fitness, of body and also of mind.” “Shawn Bennett is a dedicated and motivating trainer, always providing your body with the challenge it needs to attain your fitness goals and to maintain a positive and healthy attitude as well. He is a wonderful trainer and has changed my life for the better,” said Lisa Schettino, of Thornwood. As a runner and having studied martial arts for some years, Bennett added an endurance program that involved running around obstacles, and martial arts kicking, blocking, and punching combinations as part of my workouts, which he extends to all of his clients. “He has great knowledge of body mechanics and muscle function and is quickly capable of determining the individual abilities of his clients. Shawn teaches you to work harder and smarter. What makes him unique is his ability to tailor the exercise sessions to the
individual. We set specific goals to help improve my tennis game, and my workouts reflected those goals and I saw results on the court as well. His efforts instill confidence and encouragement to make you want to work further and apply yourself more diligently,” said Colleen Wagner, of Pleasantville. “After years of my weight fluctuating after the birth of my three sons, I was looking for a way to decrease pounds and to increase my strength and fitness. I saw my body transforming quickly once our workouts began. After only a few sessions, my strength and stamina had increased, and my muscles started to become defined,” said Wagner. Something else I found unique about Bennett’s training technique is that he never asks clients to do anything that he couldn’t do himself. In fact, he does the exercises along with them. “I learned that model from my DI’s. They led by example, not just commanding you to do an exercise, but showing you how to do it. Just like all the recruits, they have to be combat-ready at all times. So I try and set the same example for my clients,” he said. After one session, I asked Bennett about some of his experiences in the Marines. Could he still field strip an M-16 in 60 seconds? “In my sleep,” he replied without hesitation.
“I draw on my Marine Corps training and experience—as well as lessons I learned from my mother and father—in my daily life,” he said. “When I was a kid, my father told me time and again to be the absolute best I could be, and impressed upon me the importance of learning. My dad only had a ninthgrade education himself, but his message to me to help myself has stayed with me all these years. And now I am helping others to do the same.” Bennett looked up at me as I walked into a training session one morning halfway through my program, asking me how I was feeling. “OK,” responded.” “We’ll change that in a minute,” he said with a grin. Immediately, I felt the adrenaline rush to my stomach. Adapt. And as I changed and walked out into the gym to begin the session, my fatigue was gone. Adjust. “We’re going to do something a little different today,” said Bennett. Did you bring your running gear?” Overcome. Shawn Bennett, who has worked as a personal trainer in Westchester at health clubs including Body Werx and PFX, holds NASM, AFTA, and ICORE training licenses. For more information, please visit: http://www. utc-amped.com/index2.html. Lee Daniels, who lives in Pleasantville, is an editor for Kiev-based ICU and a columnist for The Westchester Guardian.
HEALTH
Cancer Support Group at St. John’s Riverside Hospital YONKERS, NY—St. John’s Riverside Hospital offers a cancer support group for patients, family members, and caring friends of cancer patients. It is an opportunity to: Learn from one another Share thoughts, fears, and insights Be more informed about cancer; treatment options and community resources, through lectures, films, literature, and group dialogue.
They provide a shoulder, a hand to hold, and a hug Learn how to make positive adjustments, modify your lifestyle while undergoing treatment Learn with them and from them; to heal, grow, open each day as a gift Visit RiversideHealth.org for meeting dates. For more information on this support group contact Donna Berry at 914-964-4441 or dberry@riversidehealth.org
Page 10
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
HEALTH
EPA Health Report on Dioxin Released After Twenty Seven Years of Delay
Toxic Dioxin, Found Heavily Concentrated in 9/11 Debris and Dust, Linked to Learning Disabilities, Infertility, Birth Defects, and Diabetes NEW YORK, NY -- On February 17, 2012, the US EPA has finally released their major report on the noncancer health effects of dioxin, which for the past twenty seven years has been delayed due to interference from the chemical industry. In New York City, where recent reports of high dioxin concentrations in 9/11 dust and debris have been making headlines, health and environmental advocates called for renewed urgency by the Bloomberg Administration to finally comply with a NYC “green” purchasing law requiring the reduction of products that release dioxin into the environment. Last month, leaders of business, health, labor, environmental and community organizations testified before NY City Council’s Committees on Contracts and Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, citing the City’s failure to implement Local Law 120 of 2005, which requires the City to reduce the purchase of products which release dioxin. The purchasing rules were due by January 1, 2008, however the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services has yet to issue them. New York City agencies spend billions of dollars in procurement every year, which can have a major impact on public health and the environment through the purchase of products like PVC that form dioxin. In 2010, NYC agencies procured almost $17 billion worth of supplies, services and construction. “We applaud EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and the Obama Administration for
finalizing this important health report on dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals on the planet,” said Daniel Gradess, Organizer with the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (CHEJ). “Now the Bloomberg Administration must step up to the plate. The report’s findings – that dioxin is linked with many serious chronic health hazards, including learning disabilities, infertility, birth defects, and diabetes – underscore the need for New York City to finally issue rules for limiting dioxin emissions by city agencies, especially eliminating the purchase of PVC plastic, one of the leading sources of dioxin.” NYC firefighters and other first responders are exposed to elevated levels of dioxin during accidental building fires when PVC plastic burns in City buildings. After 9/11, high levels of dioxin were documented in the air in lower Manhattan. Dioxin has been in the news recently for its role in a debate over the release of cancer statistics among 9/11 first-responders, and is one of the carcinogenic chemicals recently found in the dust taken off a 9/11 police officer’s uniform. In 2001, an OSHA employee wrote to the OSHA administrator and stated, “Just received a sample taken at the WTC (in
MCLEAN AVENUE’s 1
ST
st. Patrick’s DAY PARADE
Saturday, March 24th, 2012 Installation Dinner-Saturday, March 10th
8 PM-12 Rory Dolan’s Restaurant, $50/person*RSVP*- Cash Bar 9 AM Mass: St. Barnabas Church McLean Avenue High School Chapel Breakfast following Mass: St. Barnabas H.S. Cafeteria-$25 Suggested Donation/person*RSVP* Parade Kick Off: 1 PM Bronx River Road heading west to Coyne Park Grand Marshal: Judge Arthur “Mike” Doran Grand Aides: Msgr. John A. Gallagher from St. Paul the Apostle Church, Msgr.Edward M. Barry & Sr. Joan Faraone & Michael Gentile from St. Barnabas Church, Sr. Christine Hennessy from the Irish Aisling Center & Pastor Robert Boehler from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church Join the McLean Avenue Merchants Association with your family in the first ever McLean Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and then visit our shops; eat in our restaurants & see all that there is to do on McLean Avenue. We ask that you please dress respectfully & behave appropriately.
“Meet me on McLean!”
Contact Our Chairperson: Deirdre O’Mara---DeirdreOMara1@hotmail.com---201-679-1450 Or RSVP Brigette Puma---BrigettePuma@aol.com---914-648-8854
or near the plume I believe). The result was very high… EPA is saying it is one of the highest levels they have ever seen.” According to an EPA report, dioxin levels in NYC were, “likely the highest ambient concentrations that have ever been reported.” In May 2011, a broad coalition of groups sent a letter to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Contract Services expressing concern about the NYC dioxin purchasing regulations. Signed by over 20 local, state, and national environmental, health, labor, and community environmental justice groups, including UFT, CSEA, NYCOSH, Make the Road NY, WE ACT, Mother’s on the Move, Learning Disabilities Association of NYS, NRDC, NYPIRG, NY Lawyers for the Public Interest, CHEJ, and others, the groups urged MOCS to include PVC-free purchasing goals and provisions in the rules, to adequately implement Local Law 120 of 2005. In addition to being a known human carcinogen, Dioxin also causes a wide range of adverse non-cancer effects including reproductive, developmental, immunological, and endocrine effects in both animals and humans. Animal studies show that dioxin exposure is
associated with endometriosis, decreased fertility, inability to carry pregnancies to term, lowered testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, birth defects, and learning disabilities. In children, dioxin exposure has been associated with IQ deficits, delays in psychomotor and neurodevelopment, and altered behavior including hyperactivity. Studies in workers have found lowered testosterone levels, decreased testis size, and birth defects in offspring of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Dioxin’s effects on the immune system of the developing organism appear to be among the most sensitive endpoints studied. Animal studies show decreased immune response and increased susceptibility to infectious disease. In human studies, dioxin was associated with immune system depression and alterations in immune status leading to increased infections. Dioxin can also disrupt the normal function of hormones—chemical messengers that the body uses for growth and regulation. Dioxin interferes with thyroid levels in infants and adults, alters glucose tolerance, and has been linked to diabetes. For a fact-sheet on the hazards of dioxin, visit http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/Documents/ Dioxin%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf For a detailed history of dioxin delays, visit: http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/ DioxinTimeframeFebruary2012.pdf
HISTORY
Marinus Willett: The Rest of the Story
Stanwix, Willett led a small force from the fort and raided St. Leger’s lightly guarded camps, seizing equipment and supplies By ROBERT SCOTT and carrying them back to Fort Stanwix. Last week we explored As second in Marinus Willett’s early command at Fort Stanwix, life and his remarkable Willett later responded expulsion of raiding to St. Leger’s demand for British forces from Peekskill in March of its surrender. He told the 1777. major who brought the Following his at Peekskill victory, ultimatum that it was “a Marinus Willett and his 3rd New York degrading message for a Regiment were transferred to strategic British officer to send and a Fort Stanwix, guarding German settleless than reputable message ments in the Mohawk Valley. Rebuilt in a park in Rome, N.Y., Fort Stanwix reminds for another British officer Besieged by a superior force led by vsitors of the strategic importance of the Mohawk Valley to carry.” British Lt. Col. Barry St. Leger, the fort’s Willett followed garrison showed its defiance by hastily during the Revolution. his defiance with sewing together a battle flag. The camlet another remarkable feat. While St. Leger was attacking the cloak seized by Willett at Peekskill Accompanied by militia lieutenant Levi relief column of militia Gen. Nicholas supplied the material for the blue field of Continued on page 11 Herkimer attempting to reach Fort the pennant flown over the fort.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 11
HISTORY
Marinus Willett: The Rest of the Story part of the teeming Lower East Side, is today the site of public housing projects. Two street names--Willett Street and Sheriff Street--were the only reminders of his presence there.
An Enlightened View of Indians
Marinus Willett in a 1791 oil painting by portrait artist Ralph Earl. This huge painting measuring 91.25 by 56 inches, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Continued from page 10 Stockwell, a resourceful hunter and woodsman, he slipped from the fort and through the lines of the besieging British and Indians. Each man was armed only with a spontoon, a wooden shaft about eight feet long with a sharp blade at one end. To conceal their tracks, they walked in streams. Lighting no fires, they ate only the cheese and hardtack they carried. After covering the 50 miles to Fort Dayton in two days, they learned that a relief force commanded by adventurous and unpredictable Gen. Benedict Arnold had already been dispatched to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix. For Willett’s repeated acts of bravery, Congress later presented him with “an elegant sword,” now on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Worn out by incessant fighting, Willett retired on New Year’s Day in 1781, but soon accepted Gov. George Clinton’s appeal to return to the Mohawk Valley to repulse continuing Tory and Indian attacks. Following the Revolution, estates of Tories confiscated by the Commissioners of Forfeitures were sold at ridiculously low prices. Marinus Willett bought a large tract formerly owned by the DeLancey family in an area called Corlear’s Hook overlooking the busy East River. Willett built a two-story mansion with small wings at each end as a home for himself and his wife. Surrounded by spacious grounds containing gardens, it was famous for luscious pears and delicious melons. He called the estate Cedar Grove. Willett’s estate, which would later became
Taking advantage of Willett’s experience with Indian adversaries in the Mohawk Valley, President Washington sent Marinus Willett as his personal representative in 1790 to negotiate with the Creek Nation, a powerful Indian tribe in Georgia and Alabama. So successful was his diplomacy, he returned to New York escorting Alexander McGillivray, the tribe’s wily halfbreed chief, and a delegation of sub-chiefs. After a succession of festivities, including a reception by President Washington and Governor Clinton, the Creeks signed a peace treaty. Willett’s signature appears on this historic document as a witness. Because Indian tribes north of the Ohio River were actively resisting the inroads of settlers, to take advantage of Willett’s knowledge of Indians, George Washington appointed him a brigadier general in 1792 to conduct a campaign on the Ohio frontier. In a little-known letter to Washington demonstrating how astute he was about Indian affairs. Willett thanked the President for the honor, but declined to attack the Indians. “It has been my uniform opinion that the United States ought to avoid an Indian war. I have generally conceived this to be our wisest policy. The reasons alleged in support of the present Indian war have never brought
Made in France and decorated with gold and silver, this elegant sword was presented by Congress to Col. Marinus Willett for his bravery at Fort Stanwix in 1777.
conviction to my mind. “From my knowledge and experience of these people, I am clear that it is not a difficult thing to preserve peace with them. That there are bad men among them and that these will at times do acts which deserve punishment is very clear. But I hold that to go to war is not the proper way to punish them. “Though they are not free from chicanery and intrigue, yet if their vanity is properly humored, and they are dealt justly by, it is no difficult matter to come to terms with them. The intercourse I have had with these people, the treatment I have myself received from them, and which I have known others to receive, makes me an advocate for All that remains of Sheriff Street, named for Sheriff Marinus them. To fight with them would be Willett. Atomic spy Ethel Rosenberg was born on this Lower East Side street in 1915. the last thing I should desire.” If others in government had shared Willet’s enlightened attiher husband--and the marriage eventually tudes, the entire course of this nation’s relations soured. Mrs. Willett filed for divorce in 1799. with Indian tribes might have been different. Marinus Willett next lost his heart to Margaret Bancker, the young daughter of Family Matters Willett’s friends, Christopher and Mary Smith We get an indication of the mores of the Bancker. Willett was 59; she was 24. Despite the period from Willett’s marital history and a disparity in their ages, they married. This third scandal that erupted in 1781. While stationed marriage for Willett produced four childrenat Fort Plain, four miles west of Canajoharie, -three sons and a daughter. One son became the tall and handsome Willett met Elizabeth a physician, another a minister, and the third a Seeber, an attractive woman living apart from lawyer her husband. Separated from his wife and still mourning In Politics and Out the untimely death of his son, a Continental Willett was a founding member of the soldier, three years before, Willett began a liaison Society of the Cincinnati formed by officers with Mrs. Seeber that set tongues to wagging. Continued on page 12 In the course of time, Mrs. Seeber gave birth to a boy, who was named Marinus W. Seeber. Willett made no secret of his paternity, providing child support and money for the youth’s education. Years later, now a grown man, his son returned to Fort Plain as a teacher of dancing. Illegitimacy was then a label one carried forever, and townspeople made life uncomfortable for him. An innocent victim of wagging tongues, Marinus W. Seeber left for parts unknown and disappeared from the pages of history. Willett’s wife of 33 years, Mary Pearsee, died at Cedar Grove in 1793. He lost no time in becoming enamored of Susannah Vardill, a beautiful widow who had already buried two husbands. She was described as “the reigning toast of New York society.” They were married on October 3, 1793, three months to the day after his first wife’s death. The “toast” soon lost its zest Standing up for our schools and families for him, and the marriage became an unhappy Fighting for good paying jobs one. Willett discovered that he had gotten more Charting a new course for Yonkers than he bargained for. His new wife turned out to be a vixen and Paid for by Friends of Shelley Mayer a spitfire. Susannah loved to gossip--even about
Page 12
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
HISTORY
Marinus Willett: The Rest of the Story Continued from page 11 of the Continental Army. To counter their aristocratic pretensions, the Tammany Society was organized. Willett became one of its leaders. An ardent foe of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists, he cast his lot with the anti-Federalists, joining Gov. George Clinton and Aaron Burr in unsuccessfully opposing New York’s ratification of the new national constitution. Willett was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1784 but resigned to become sheriff of the city and county of New York. In 1807, he was appointed mayor of New
York City to succeed DeWitt Clinton, and served until 1808. [For the first 150 years of the city’s existence, mayors were appointed.] Four years later, Clinton defeated Willett for the post of lieutenant governor. In or out of office, Willett was always in the public eye. During the darkest days of the War of 1812, he gave a rousing patriotic speech to a large crowd assembled in City Hall Park. In 1824, he was named a presidential elector in the bitter election that made John Quincy Adams president. Marinus Willett died in his home at Cedar Grove on August 22, 1830, three weeks past his
90th birthday. Coincidentally, this was the anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Fort Stanwix 53 years before. The entire city mourned his passing. His immense funeral procession, including military units and the Common Council, wound through streets lined with grieving spectators from Corlear’s Hook to Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broadway. After the funeral ceremony conducted by the light of flickering torches his body was placed in the family vault at the southwest corner of the churchyard. A cannon at the Battery solemnly boomed 90 times at one-minute intervals to mark his 90 years of life. He reposes in the same churchyard with his arch-enemy Alexander Hamilton, buried there in 1804 after his fatal
MOVIE REVIEW
Ed Koch Movie Reviews By Edward I. Koch
Movie Review: “Red Tails” (+)
they performed superbly. The movie reminded me of the old World War II pictures in which almost everyone is depicted as a hero and the dialogue is ridiculous. The air scenes are stirring, but the radio calls between the pilots during the moments of combat are stilted and unconvincing. A subplot, involving a romance between a pilot known as Lightening Little (David Oyelowo) and an Italian woman, (Daniela Ruah), is very well done. The movie will be of special interest and meaning to African Americans today. In the days of World War II, American blacks were referred to respectfully as negroes and disrespectfully as coloreds. The picture should also be seen by whites to serve as a reminder of what our fellow citizens were once outrageously subject to during a period of shame for this country. President Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces in 1948 by executive order, and it took several years to finally occur. Interestingly, it was a black president, Barack Obama, who
recently ended the ban on gay and lesbian soldiers serving openly in the armed forces, an issue that supporters of gays and lesbians believed was comparable to the segregation of African Americans in the military. Some reviewers, including Stephen Holden of The New York Times, put the movie down. In his review he wrote, “The mostly happy ending is as satisfying as a snack of milk and cookies after a ninth grade softball game.” George Lucas, executive producer of “Red Tails,” described the film as “patriotic,” “jingoistic,” “old-fashioned,” “corny,” and “inspirational for teenage boys.” While the comments of Holden and Lucas are technically accurate, they don’t take into consideration the enormous psychological need of the African American community for justice and for the need for the movie industry to address the issue of racism in this country, of which this episode and period was and is a small part.
Movie Review: “The Vow” (-)
her doctor. Her parents, (Jessica Lange and Sam Neill) appear on the scene. While McAdmas and Tatum do a good job in their roles, Lange and Neill are awful. My recollection is that they were once superb actors and, further, that Lange was a stunning woman. No longer. Either she has aged badly or was ridiculously made up for the role. I wondered while watching her if I too have aged so badly. The balance of the move is made up of Leo’s efforts to charm Paige into one again loving him and moving back into their home. For a long period of time she prefers the company of
her parents and living with them. Apparently amnesia is selective. A revelation concerning her father drives Paige in another direction. The revelation does not save the film. Visit the Mayor at the Movies to learn more: http://www.mayorkoch.com/.
Most people in the United States know that segregation was legal in the south and parts of the north until the civil rights revolution of 1964 and thereafter when the law was changed by Congress at the request President Lyndon Johnson. This film covers the period during World War II when black soldiers served in separate units in every branch of the military. The Tuskegee flying unit was made up of black pilots and black personnel.They were given second-rate planes and not permitted to fly in combat situations because of the racist belief that blacks lacked the intelligence to perform in combat. In the film, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) seeks permission to have the Red Tails fly their planes in combat. (The name Red Tails stems from the fact that they painted the tails of their planes red.) They were assigned to guard bombers on their way to German targets, and
The plot of this movie is ridiculous and the dialog atrocious. It is a worthless film in almost every respect. Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (ChanningTatum) have been married for about four years. The good-looking couple, who convey a loving relationship, live in Chicago. They are in a car accident on a snowy night, and Paige is thrown through the windshield. When she wakes in the hospital from a coma, she has amnesia and mistakes her husband for
The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served as a member of member of Congress from New York State from 1969 through 1977, and New York City as its 105th Mayor from 1978 to 1989.
duel with Aaron Burr. Time and the elements have badly eroded Marinus Willett’s name on the red Connecticut sandstone slab covering the Willett vault, making it almost unreadable. A more permanent plaque erected in 1969 by the Sons of the American Revolution can be found nearby. Yet, in Westchester, Marinus Willett still waits to be memorialized. A plaque or some other tangible expression of Peekskill’s gratitude to him would be a good start. Robert Scott is a semi-retired book publisher and a recorder of local history. He lives in Croton-onHudson, N.Y.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 13
THE SPOOF
Social Media Halted; Few Folks Are Reading Contributions of Others By GAIL FARRELLY The social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) stoppage will not be forever; in fact, it will probably last only a few weeks. But starting next week -- for a limited time -- there will be NO social media whatsoever. Al Gore, founder of the Internet, made the announcement yesterday and explains why. “My
SPORTSSCENE
Sports Scene By MARK JEFFERS Let’s start off this week’s action in the pool, not to worry the pool is inside… Horace Greeley took on favorite Clarkstown for the Section 1 Swimming Championships and came out on top 275 to 260, Tappan Zee finished third. Greeley’s Aaron Wald advanced to the State Championships after placing second in the Diving Championships. Over on the slopes, in a shocker, Brewster High School just skied by heavy favorite Yorktown High by just .16 seconds to take home the Section 1 Championship. In college hoops action, Iona has moved into sole possession of first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with their victory over Rider, 75-62, Sean Armand led the Gaels with 22 points. The Manhattanville College Women’s team beat Delaware Valley 74 to 69.
research indicates that, although folks continue to send out their own written rubbish -- in fact, in greater and greater quantities -- not that many are reading the rubbish of others. Sad, but It gives new meaning to what Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true.” Sharing, according to Mr. Gore, should mean both giving (contributing to social media) and taking (reading the contributions of others).
But in the area of social media, unlike in many other areas of life, there’s too much of the former and too little of the latter. “Someone has to set things right, someone’s gotta do it,” stated the former Vice-president, also reminding the reporter to take a look at the Gore Twitter feed and Facebook page before they go dark. Thousands and thousands of teenagers the world over were appalled by the news of the
Turning to high school hoops results in Class A out-bracket games (where the winner gets into sectional play), John Jay beat Somers 59 to 48 led by Mike Ferentini scored 23 points. Rye got by Ardsley 52 to37 with Max Twyman chipping in 12 points and Matt Keough grabbed 10 rebounds for the winners. On the girls’ side, Fox Lane poured it on in overtime to defeat Mamaroneck 48 to 38, Allison Lombardi had 21 points and Julia Raue swept the boards with 15 rebounds. In another nail biter, Harrison beat Saunders 54-50, Shawn Caparelli fired in 20 points and seven blocked shots. In squash action, Rye Country Day lost to Choate Rosemary Hall by the final score of 4 to 3. On the ice…Pelham High’s hockey squad beat Scarsdale 4 to 2; Colin Reilly had a hat trick (scored 3 goals) and added an assist for the Pelicans. New Rochelle blasted Sleepy Hollow/ Irvington 9 to 4, Kenny McLean scored a hat trick and also assisted on 2 goals to lead the winners. Calling all officials…the 2012 Little League umpire class will be held in March up in Peekskill, call Earl Berry at 914-438-8764 for more information. If Lax is your game, then sign up for the Hudson Valley Lacrosse Officials Association
high school certification program in Armonk, call Chuck at 203-790-5171 for details. Turning to some wrestling action…at the Section 1 Championships at Pace University it was Arlington taking first, followed by Beacon, Brewster and Byram Hills finishing in fourth place, congratulations to all the area grapplers. Continuing in Section 1 Championship results, at the Armory in New York City, the Class A Track & Field title went to Mount Vernon followed by North Rockland in second. Hackley senior A.J Wolf is heading to Cornell to the State Championships on March 3rd after his 50 feet 1inch shot put toss. Turning to the younger track stars…the Remington Flyers track program out of the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle took first place in the Open Division 4K shot put at the Colgate Women’s Games at Madison Square Garden. Over at the Cortlandt Lanes, it was the North Rockland Raiders rolling by all the competition to capture the Section 1 title in high school girls’ bowling. Erica Desch made five straight strikes in her final game for a score of 237, very impressive!
NAJAH’S CORNER
Without Speaking By NAJAH MUHAMMAD Those eyes, brown eyes, Deep eyes, sad eyes Hungry eyes Longing eyes, haunting cries When your eyes and my eyes make ties there’s no lies and chaos The bustling world seems to be on mute A journey through the eyes is a glance at the soul The soul being the seed of life Life being the womb of the spirit Which people often don’t see, not see but see There’s something so mysterious about those eyes Yet they’re talking to me. Najah Muhammad is a 17-year-old senior in high school. She plans to attend college next year majoring in communications.
social media stoppage. “How will I know what to LIKE without being advised by my friends?” asked one perplexed teen. And teens aren’t the only ones displeased with the stoppage. Sarah Selfish, 35, a big fan of social media, opined that the fault lies, not with the system, but with those folks who, unlike her, never report anything of interest. Ms. Selfish said, “What applies here is that line from the movie Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”.. But will they? Learn more about The Farrelly Sisters - Authors: http://www.farrellysistersonline.com/ on the Internet.
(L-R): Mark Jeffers and Eli Manning.
Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champions NY Giants, what a great thrilling season they gave their fans, I still don’t have my voice back. Eli Manning’s second MVP Award, could he be Hall of Fame bound, we’ll see… In my effort to be sporty, I put on my sweats, loosened up and then ran a whole mile this week, my wife says I could time my mile with an hour glass…see you next week. Mark Jeffers successfully spearheaded the launch of MAR$AR Sports & Entertainment LLC in 2008. As president he has seen rapid growth of the company with the signing of numerous clients. He resides in Bedford Hills, New York, with his wife Sarah, and three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Claire.
Marshall Alarm Systems Burglar & Fire Alarm Systems Serving the community since 1976 24 Hour Emergency Service
914.962.4699 Premises Protected by an Automatic Security System Designed by
MARSHALL
• Burglary & Fire Systems We • Card Access Systems Service • Custom Designed Systems All Systems • Video Surveillance • Central Station Monitoring • NYC Lic. # 1200042586 • Financing & All Major Credit Cards Accepted
www.MarshallAlarm.com
Page 14
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
Guardian The Westchester
The Wr ters Collection
Denn gran is Sheeha d n South children. resides i n We H Ame e has http://www.TheWritersCollection.com s s r u i t c c r a c a and ess a veled tchester A n w gues t on W d his seco frica. His extensive ith his w ife firs nd ly estch ester thriller; t novel P and has w , four chil Nancy B. Brewer G d on th u o e Lev reen to R rchased P rked in C ren and fo Denn e e hina, o ur d wil l with wer h is Sh l R b u a H g e e s s e r e s out s Nanc andc Nancy B. Brewer is an award zi Ar oon. been a hu ia and hildr han resid is. y winning author, storyteller He is enennis. H es in g know BS . oBurtehw D a reg e Wes Aer ies She eheas n and poetess. She is known for her raidcna a aw ran t u stori fos ru chceers gm c h t lar trying h te floor. Valentine quickly stooped down anr arveel so Safnt ds chin es, sgu soft southern style and passion r wit siedde sex esthe ldadrr eA dn fw o r o u c u i h i h u h e Dennis Sheehan resides in Westchester w c t n t i . i to retrieve her belongings and head butted a man e t s a h s for weaving historically accurate at so:n " C n nseiv his w h seeercno Hen. hH e s i suW satdy lteh inaigss tafriuratsht o W acereostlciAm n l r f t y e i c c c , stories, such as: “Carolina Rain” and h a who was trying to help her pick up her things. f ou c v nrgrandchildren. He has traveled extensivel s nhen sRtae an drai nA ,d vs eetol rP esntedr hwas hildr i a lldefr rpi;c aGasrseieoleoSouth America and Africa. His first novel P gues s a aD “Beyond Sandy Ridge” w horktorbe i y By DENNIS SHEEHAN t x u t h t r e e c l n t on Wedn hnrni iso"s n n l . n athirties e h The man, who appeared his e late t e sSehchdoe n" LBe Hin i e s s a r i d s f w v nd fo t a s o eleynd firrs R twed if ein,in 12th andgraenstc e tvyheoln success and his second thriller; Green to R d e d C P e p a h o e h f It was February n o o a w i A n got up and grabbed a napkin and applied hisur a n d w e w d u v dch r s a d n o e a t i i r e h i S l v e n r , r t l l hilsdtrer a G as sw e lPg bu eseidreh hsao. s S bh ch iRlitduto n h H e ; d e S s i t e y s o s e o o Valentine was not happy. She e N z r r t r u c n bloody nose, “Oh my God. I am so sorry. ” The u R s ine eW n. H tehe guest on Westchester on the Level with H in Ai tdrgise choatrs sicoao rkeeed Crim atnivcey, th Am e in si a enia a anndd e o l e Sqkoften L i . " h B l n n Chnapkin d n e y e a R e . . s s v P thought, what had post s r B a H t e u h man just looked at her “No problem, e ica an cheds w huignea , owceec riusr ”athe unaodw i t ralv w re w ccess other U i i K e t e t l Rus n n e l h r , t l h d r e r b e a P nastsessed i f a M H e d A s n e o her parents to give her w a s g g e getting redder. With her coffee now paid for d r a frica. beuelshe extzein Ar itho uht s n his s hcceyhr ess uestau onl Aa n a expe tiorniaels a Na n r w n o t i H i s s ivse. back saying, won “I’m sorry.a” h n Waheroof B o.t fB is fthe r ca name ,like etShe was answering ksgn looking rrs,e otw ueocValentine. y isneethncrond th ran for irstdoor, nhw h ueteh rS tired c ian sdtnc w es question, espio ien nove ly and ha ife., Hfoeu irs ca r u eyour v s r h i e t p n i : e o e i r l the “is birthday February 14 ?” n " e d g l s n e w i f C n aw ttBy hieldgru Paul Anthony s wshe l Puat r time siat ayl lBer ter o n aoreonldi s ac n stroitrei fic or Lh Greshe orkknew rcher o the relat ag e,or e r snooafnt Raname Cr,u s;m wa aarnnddc h uti Nancy B. Brewer is an award winning au en tarrived hasoffice es“is, styour ed ithis hhh brother’s cupid?” rrofavorite, e i t o ionsh teher e n o a o b L p n r n d , d i u r s r e w a R n i t was going to be a bad day. The elevator operator, y o r i c s v C P h s e a " e e t i h u m e s h l o n e e d g a s C t ip as:a "rCdatin35 years llIeDr, at will wer h in henreold, polit young iin oann atfio‐rt l wman, Valentine was, relatively s. ndw s"htBeyeryeo. nknown for her soft southern style and pa bein nhthe arogl icrim aall thegsecurity janitor the lobby uteh w de R caland s bee rorerioatrhvi Hand e bright attractive Nain o p l z H e e u Asshe n o i As a detective, in the UK, Paul Anthony i n n g was generally a happy e t e d a A a i , stisontr gb h nd u soItowas a de cy Bt. rigue Rea itnhri stories, such as: "Carolina Rain" and "Bey Spas“Valentine, sday!” sa.l Sh n a toen aenssds ih yrteaislnltrecoihsr .your teItcseemed Brewthat yo iR " aln anone served with Cumbria CID, the Regional ledrssaid, s ipfdegtomorrow’s person. only during week Crim eseveral tive, knthat d o is . He is n i , a w r c t m n e r h a " e n a o comment repeated by four partners and s r d B l e e u i " n o l r n i f e y r Crime Squad in Manchester, the s d i n S o w a n p yod p oaecct ur r her h sshe eaavl in qAua did tortbecome r S m Magd o in February iees ,U sK,unraveled. lay o nedbefore soft n awtaerr d essaclosed inet M associates got intog her office and anydsshe Special Branch, the anti terrorist P t alena ther naCtios ad d h .t eS he e a i r f u s y a u s w e y o h c n t l c R , o i h u u c t A n K e i r i t h r m n She had planned to do what she had done those d C a v n x n i h e the door. She hated this holiday. c branch and other national agencies in s g t i nnet paepruiers imael S age e, ein e a a s n : h e r n t l " g o " ly acc is ethre, th Carony s n sty auth q h Heas pastn n o u c c o l a e e i 20 years; hide for the day. When she was l e i e London and elsewhere. He uses his personal wor ura s i o U d iens M andbrief r, sbeen ina Lo K ,S Ppaeuciana RravienThe d As a detective, in the UK, Paul Anthony king rpii. oInfalgu the rta onn a w legal she had on was toryworking Atiroitno w p a i l n l experiences to write fiction regarding crime thrillers, n t t s r " younger, she got pleasure whatsoever in all of t e o e h B c A s e ell r evening exp,n teceerdr rne a C and iifoshe na flpi acrteiso hedsotne a n r h anddone agda politicalMintrigue and rthat brcread ennc rtbe gen ieon brian fofinished r, nthde els” thaonncalmost r wea itethat ,s tehre "Buem murder mystery, espionage, terrorism, yies sSmh“Valentine leescshcards yCrime Squad in Manchester, the Special n lena la ctioolthe y my Valentine. a e po o t t g i C n i i e a A , o v a e a p I S d v resid s v piosnn. oaf p s a t odp kw r e D w n she was going to take tomorrow off. p e i d o e i S n t , f n e d h s l i i o a and the interplay of human relationships. nn ciaelother national agencies in London and e Land w‐ittehrro ndyt he R gValentine tpretty rg dicmost histo etess. i r e r e e Itrswas, as most thought, aicip name o c e g a o t n t . e e r e e r B t l i H e e e R , i n m i r C m f on ran tiv ic, tn,i L ela tNioYC ritm on Cthe anecall ricall e rso trha her ibrief urm i onacomplet h sbt rbrandidwas en atdthiroworked u,sday geg"near inotthis n ue egB ayday, of the year it didn’trebother one l that y a Sqiusam she t r, eebut tehse hdiscovered inslleaeitlr when ro eing experiences to write fiction regarding cr isome tihgr red aa CnIcDh i l s r n f documents Februaryn14so.h p o a l a p p d s e p U r d w n n o s , a thtih e c ino she K,d rrteurardi t n , r h em lMitaticould i iant,uhg B ecl ainkespionage, terrorism, political intrigue a cuaponbear. t s d ‐ , itewas than r. namore h t o P errnoarl e Reefforts . teeisr ut entire tee,e rRpichange tiona nclh ient rnat l Arwould inm Magd giona expe seystcomplexion m ist brof her llakryie ,o s Hthe t i u s t l h g th h t r a o ron u e ale naValentine awoke s e l e g i n a r e e the morning of February 13 , r h e Magdalena Caparuso f l a , h y n to date. She was livid, she knew now it would l n y a relationships. n i h t n e e c s , s h c n c r u d h e K e im e Sdp eth sepir rvse, dm ies in Capu espio s uan perso anbed s tothinking enne Steph w i c r still bleary-eyed, she began of the next n i t n rso is age, Lo w day th d roff. impossible Past experience aduratake rite f al ial nBtreto lliatythe W rhorrible terrshe C umoffice thrill en elati oanday rdia. That ievery anptomorrow orokoidn M Haagday. . oiftheher ctionmanndonvised ybstewould w y m I a c when knew A n o h n her that be full l e f r r r f , d e l r n i t r g i y t u n r n h i he aunma sh p srepr sm, p elsew a C, ID en a C K oe in Magdalena Capurso is an Art repre H ceud (http s. M n aae nctwas ap nsshe esenup with olitaicpunegardofinflowers with . come , would hal tlHte familiar i‐tnthose and hcandy alltof o sboy iwould rr cards the R ere. and r g ://v e aeg bdlaolgewn e t o c a S a s c r sentative for international portraitist r l h t t i H n o o a eg i s i a i i a m o v r e n e r a nture or nrkabout k i e n y i t e iVn her name. It really was not a big deal and s e n u . e r / t have clever little sayings and masked innuendos. f s o I s s i e t o a A i n g b f h p e d n u r u f rt reeapre ranch s his riller interMagdalena Capurso is an Art representat lupetonhecom gM e and u riane N Kenneth Hari. Influenced by Shake oetsn alaler shegsometimes r , p s G wondered why it bothered her so w r L n s , m ersback Sheatdreaded Valentine gdiaelse.co coaYlllCele. ri ed bthh iona lththe e inthought. urde dove onal a thh raaesf weseonrtda B yo athe speare, Lord Byron, Blake, Rilke, she S e c n m y t s t t e r a i i r / M much. Valentine did not know answer to that o v p o Kenneth Hari. Influenced by Shakespeare r l m and its keecr work and forgot p about the day e nointo agredsaaiudteho n of p ,r B lher is working on a collection of poems atkee, R ortraitisltay of hu ystery, in lensa i she rn/ N oems sptiet utaeprno ,nf iL vneaf working on a collection of poems that re s e butKshe did know hated it. t promise. r e m n C i e p l l o t a a YuCr .h enw that nnet an r eu gB that reflect upon raeyl ra n tikoen,a slhe nature and spirituality. Magdarand so is ofor h Ha pshe eflec dMagdalena resides in NYC. poarrived irst r at her local cofodwork ondmorning wosome s After breakfast, dressed r S a f p , The next she t i i t lena resides in NYC. n B . r i n e u r k I Art r ) lakietu, al ph nflue pon n i st Riiltkye. byaiatiman nceshe comments wouldereceive n athe Magd ngall oof prese fee atand thrill e n Woodanticipated shop was stopped u d c r o , she she did not e b a l ers. n f y a l l i e t e n n S a c n d on her way to the office. Valentine was a very hake tion o tive f is past him she pushed spirAs is an a a resi (http SH spea immediately or inrecognize. ituyour f pshe deslawyer tto ://tve teep bhleon g a o s accomplished corporate but knew that r l r e t she heard him say, “I found credit i i n o e e t n m W y e , n r hrniltluere . cards.” y/au NYC. natio s tha oo V At 30 Lord B dfemost nnt iuserious t t i r g n even the lawyers at her firm would h s r a Valentine stopped and looked at the a y r , o . e l l e I r s l r f h ad portr man now on, B an G aalle Hee briles who (ht p lect upo him t og.sc osophomoric l aitbutted some comment. She arrived at r a t h o i recognizing as the man head k a e m r ist the e n s s Stephen Woodfin af olicema n. M a ma ssivtpe: //v emake ney / on /Vaeut writ , Rshe natu n i t l u k Stephen Woodfin is an attorney/author a t h e r ter a n r u her building late and was already tense from the e s e o , y e day before. “I tried to catch you yesterday I t t n t g s r u r h a c h a / o f re G a nd sp ive le llerie e isbut staelph or wh ke. 1 3r d strok reer endeStcommute. g she going toletake the time to i s.cwas o thrillers. He blogs on Venture Galleries ephe8 moYes, e r lost you before you got to the elevator. ” Valentine a n i r h l t o i w u lity as r es ood m/au e , I w n a onfew d aftcoffee, fin ittenat him not knowing what to asay. . was make a ) wlooked Stephen Woodfin is an attorney/author lateminutes thwouldn’t He rite!t hriget othdsmore (http://venturegalleries.com/author/st lleresr. aW o r f r / i f 2 n , i s v n I t i e e d r s who has written five legal thrillers. He H e p l ( difference. While on line she fumbled with her egthe http: e blostrok an attturne henw attractive and on al surface seemed nice. “Oh e scontents //vand gs it; ornspewing d to w oodfyes, blogs on Venture Galleries (http:// o o purse dropped its across e e n I I am so sorry for yesterday, I was in a hurry. n y i t V t n / o ureg entu ok u authork a ) venturegalleries.com/author/stephena r s o p l e l r a e p G w r a At 30 a ies.co i h woodfin ) m/au llerienst ing. Noo has wr polic , I had a m itten t hor/ w, eman five assiv s t e p legal a A . h e stro enw fter a 3 t 3M0y, Icar o k odfin e. 18 rodl ist haede ar en p mon ) cerm okae, madsesd ths la n.I w ivaf after ter, I a 3rd Myr ictaer! ee e stetrro ak 2 n retu e . 1d8 s m r end stro t r r o k o ke, I e e n d s thso l aI to ned to wo At 30, I had a massive stroke. 18 month after write At 30 t o r as a 2n ! , I ha d str er, kI ruept uprain kpoliceman. My career ended after a 2nd a po d o
The Topic of the Week
Valentine
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
Page 15
The Wr ters Collection http://www.TheWritersCollection.com
Philip Catshill
You found my credit cards. I didn’t even realize they were missing?” The man handed her the small credit card case, “I thought you might need them but I couldn’t catch you yesterday. I don’t work around here, my office is downtown.” Valentine smiled, “You came all the way up here to return this to me? That is nice of you.” The man said shyly, “It was no problem. I thought you might need them.” Valentine now feeling a bit awkward said, “At least let me buy you a cup of coffee for the trouble.” They went into the coffee shop and ordered. Before Valentine could pay, the man took the bill. “I am not accustomed to allowing a lady to pay. My name is Bob, Bob Winchester.” Nice to meet you, my name is…” He stopped her, “I know Valentine Burke. I read it on your credit cards.” Valentine winced waiting for his next comment, but there was none. They had an enjoyable conversation over coffee and before they left Bob asked her to join him for dinner that evening. Still feeling a bit bad about almost breaking this man’s nose, she agreed. “I am working on a brief which has to be done by tomorrow and I could run a bit late.” Bob smiled, “No problem, I have some work to catch up on, so why don’t you call me when you are ready and I’ll meet you in the lobby of your office.” That day all of her expectations were realized, she could hardly get into her office with all of the flowers, stuffed animals and other assorted crap that goes along with the day. The interesting thing was it did not seem to bother her as much as it had in the past. That evening she met Bob and had one of the best nights she could remember. He was nice, charming and intelligent. He explained the intricacies of the trading floor he worked on to her and how his passion for sailing took up much of his free time. The dinner was truly enjoyable and she agreed to see him again.
The next several months were the best in her life. She and Bob were inseparable. They would go sailing on the weekends and after the initial stage of dating, they would spend quiet evenings at home and discuss music, art, theater and life in general. It was July 4th weekend when he proposed to her. Now at age 55 with twenty blissful years married to Bob and two beautiful children, Valentine thought Valentine’s Day had been the best day of her life. A different topic is addressed weekly on www. TheWritersCollection.com. Each participant author, as well as guest bloggers are encouraged to write on that topic. The intriguing aspect of each of their efforts is that by infusing their specific mood and/or genre, we can better appreciate the complexity, frivolity, or seriousness of the issue they are challenged to distill for all our readers to celebrate, critique, or delve in the joy of writing. Dennis Sheehan was first introduced to the world of International Trade on the shipping docks of Brooklyn, NY. Since then he has worked on many and myriad international trade projects, including major construction projects in Libya, South America, Russia and The Peoples Republic of China, where Sheehan wrote the basis for what is now the “Joint Venture Rules and Regulations of the People’s Republic.” In his time overseas he became an expert in international finance and the privatization of communist countries. In 1987 Sheehan went to Russia to help develop a plan for privatization of the cooperatives and collectives. He has worked with government officials from Russia, Finland, Holland, France, Italy, Germany, England and the United States. Sheehan now works in the private sector and is peacefully living in a New York suburb.
At 30, I had a massive stroke. 18 months later, I returned to work as a policeman. My career ended after a 2nd stroke so I took up painting. Now, after a 3rd stroke, I write!
p af
Jack Durish
s Ja an Ven
Jack Durish was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1943. He is a soldier and a sailor, a decorated veteran of Vietnam, a husband, father, and grandfather. Jack is the author of Rebels on the Mountain, available at all eBook retailers, and a blogger at JackDurish.com, TheWritersCollection.com, and VentureGalleries.com.
Caleb Purtle. III Caleb Pirtle III is the author of more than 55 published books, the screenwriter for three made for TV movies, and a former travel editor of Southern Living Magazine.
Krystal Wade A mother of three who works fifty miles from home and writes in her “spare time.” Krystal’s debut novel “Wilde’s Fire” has been accepted for publication and should be available in 2012.
Cale b scree n South w er
A mo ther time of ". A mo time "
Page 16
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
BOOKS
No Guarantees: One Man’s Road Through the Darkness of Depression Chapter 25 – Letting Go of the Life I Knew By BOB MARRONE Yes, you read it correctly. I fantasized about electro shock therapy; which is not to say that I ever experienced it, or knew what it would be like. Nor did I look forward to it in the therapeutic sense that you hear about today whereby repeated treatments can often lift the veil that is depression. My fantasy, like most, was about a goal or thing I coveted that seemed out of any realistic possibility. Mine was a desperate, panicked wish that something, anything, might give me even a moment’s relief from the perpetual agitation, self-hate, obsessions, nightmares and phobias that were becoming my life. As I write this, I feel an overwhelming obligation to every person who has ever suffered from depression to get this chapter right... that is, to convey the inescapable horror and dread born of the conviction that nothing will stop either the pain, or the progressive descent into a still worse place. I cannot possibly overstate this condition, nor can I express enough how the life of a severely depressed person is not just some case of the blues, or the inability to get your energy level up, as one might read in the media. Surely, there are parts of the illness that reveal themselves at certain times and, for many, remain the extent of their symptoms. But for those who suffer from moderate to severe anxiety/depression, something becomes “broken” in a profound way, and their lives are changed for an indeterminate period of time. As I have suggested in earlier chapters, the
individual symptoms and phenomena associated with depression breed still worsening effects. As the days pass and the symptoms worsen, they have the geometric effect of becoming obsessions onto themselves and, sadly, become yet another driver towards hopelessness. It is an almost unspeakable chain reaction. I became more severely ill, because I was ill. Another word, if I may, about the absence of peace. My depression took place before the introduction of the new SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) available today. I do not know if the SSRI’s would have helped me. I know that they did in later years stem the onset of relapses. But from what I understand, they might well have been a Godsend. Also my form of the illness, neurotic in nature, as opposed to psychotic and, thus, out of touch with reality, did not call for the stupefying medications, such as Thoridazine, which would have knocked me out, or at least left me somewhat apoplectic. The anti-depressive medications available to me at that time, among them Tofranil, which I took for only a brief time, and Sinequan, which I took for more than three years, did little to help me. Though I hasten to add, since I took the maximum dosages of the latter, I have no idea of knowing how much worse I might have been had I not taken it. As for the anti-anxiety medications, valium was the drug of choice, which had the limited, but useful, value… once I learned it… of keeping post panic attack obsessions from running out of control. This required a “use as needed” approach to be effective; but I
never took them according to a schedule. Keep in mind, as well, that I had to keep my secret, and thus my job, by never appearing to be medicated. Throughout my years with the illness I was never able to obtain sanctuary from medications, a fact for which I will always be, paradoxically, grateful and regretful. I cannot say now, that I would not have taken refuge in drugs, sleep or any escape had it been available to me; thus, my gratitude. As for my regret, I wonder still if the perpetual pain and anxiety of depression is not what was meant by the biblical predictions of an everlasting hell, a fate in which one cannot escape the fury of their own self hate and damnation. No respite from drugs, no escape in sleep, no ability to concentrate and, thus, become absorbed in a book or movie, and the constant fear, dread and obsessions of guilt and worthlessness filled my days. There was at no time any peace in my life until several months later, and that for only an hour or two a day. But now… then… in May of 1975, I had to deal with my reality in a way that, as I look back, was the earliest step towards getting well. I had to accept that my life had changed, and that so long as I was not going to kill myself, I would have to live side-by-side with my roiling, burning soul, and adapt my life accordingly. Accepting that I was not what or who I was before was difficult, and for a time added to my other problems. I would have to hide my symptoms from work and most of my friends. I would have to quit hockey as a player; the anxiety,vertigo and agoraphobia made skating impossible. I
could no longer read and comprehend and, accordingly, had to find a way to focus enough to do my job. This involved forcing myself to write or type out my class scripts verbatim, and reading them into a tape recorder when I got home. I also had to work out a formula for getting to work, despite my claustrophobia/agoraphobia complex. For this I would walk the two blocks to the subway as close as possible to the fence, so as to mitigate my fear of the wide open, and I would proceed to get in the first car of the elevated line and look out the front window at the tracks, this to relive my claustrophobia. More broadly, my personal schedule became a nightmare. I had to figure out how to deal with the numerous obligations we all have. Before I went anywhere I had to figure out where I would park. My phobias had developed subsets, if you will, and my agoraphobia was now limiting how far I could walk from my car to any given place. It seems almost incomprehensible to me now, but for the better part of four years this would be the case. I also had to decide how long I would stay anywhere. I had also developed the inability to focus very long in conversation, along with the fear of looking people in the eye. Accepting all of this was necessary for survival, even as it made me hate myself all the more. And as things got worse, the new phobias and obsessions would have to be added to the shopping cart of horrors that I accepted. I was learning how to bifurcate my life. One side I showed to the world. The other… my snarling, burning, fearful psyche, I kept to myself. Bob Marrone is the host of the Good Morning Westchester with Bob Marrone, heard from Monday to Friday, from 6 – 8:30 a.m., on WVOX-1460 AM.
“The Very Best Dead Letters Grateful Dead Fan Mail” by Paul Grushkin Foreword by Bill Walton - www.Voyageur Press.com By Bob Putignano
It’s endless, that being the quantity of Grateful Dead merchandize that appears in just about every corner of the world. Dick’s Picks, Road Trips, a new www.Dead.net series titled Dave’s Picks (limited to just twelve thousand units per,) videos, a Dead game based on the theme of Monopoly called Deadopoly, and now this book. “Dead Letters” is a collection of about four-hundred USPS letters that were mailed to the Grateful Dead’s business office. The story goes that three were hundreds of thousands such pieces of fan mail of which some fifteen thousand are now stored at the Grateful Dead archive at the University of California in Santa Cruz. This is a collective story of the love affair between this legendary roots band and their fans. Author Paul Grushkin recently told me that he was on
a mission to get “inside” of the Dead world back in the ‘80’s, and has not only worked for concert promoter Bill Graham, he’s also co-authored a similar thematic “The Official Book of the Dead Heads.” Grushkin eloquently colors each chapter with fact-filled trivia, which adds allure to this interesting book, which is filled with appealing drawings, and sketches from fans that were trying to gain the attention of the Dead’s direct ticket concert office in hopes of catching the decision makers eyes with colorful pictorials, and catchy phrases. As is typical of other Voyageur Press books, this collection is drop dead gorgeous. The outer cover is eye-catching, thick and lush, and there’s even a small windowpane that opens showing off a skeleton, it’s very unique. Additionally the book is entirely printed on very high quality paper stock,
and while this may not be for everyone’s taste, there’s no doubt that this book is of superior value, for it’s high-quality construction, top shelf paper stock, and for the content collected that is personally enhanced by Grushkin. For me; the Dead spiraled downward decades prior from when Jerry Garcia left us over fifteen years ago, but no one can doubt the consistent and current popularity of the band. Rhino records; (via www.Dead.net) continues on its mission to offer four previously unreleased concert multi-disc CD’s per year. Plus last fall they released a limited edition seventy-three disc box set of each and every performance (twenty plus shows,) a wish Dead bassist Phil Lesh previously told me was a project he wanted to see completed before he went horizontal. Rhino sold out all seven thousand two hundred copies (not at
a cheap price) in several days! So the Dead buzz (no pun intended) continues, as evidenced by this insightful book. This book is an entirely different approach commemorating a band, that being (for the most part) from the Dead’s adoring fans, making this more of a behind the scenes publication, as opposed to an offering by an authors individual viewpoint. Interesting… Bob Putignano www.SoundsofBlue.com
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 17
TRANSPORTATION
Enforcement of Smoking Ban on Metro-North Outdoor Platforms Violators Face Possible Ejection and Fines of Up to $50 or 30 Days in Jail or Both WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY -- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reminds Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road customers that the MTA Police began enforcing the new state ban on outdoor smoking on Wednesday, February 15. The new law prohibits smoking on MetroNorth and LIRR outdoor platforms as well
as the outdoor ticketing and boarding areas of terminals and stations. Violators can be ejected from Metro-North or LIRR property and face fines of up to $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both. Metro-North stations in Connecticut are not subject to the new law. Until now, violators have been issued
GovernmentSection
warnings, but the grace period ended on February 15, 2012. Meanwhile, Metro-North and the LIRR have been conducting a customer education campaign to raise awareness of the new smoking ban, an effort that has included leafleting on trains, signage at stations, customer email alerts, postings on Facebook and Twitter, as well as public address announcements.
THE ALBANY CORRESPONDENT
A Visit with Castelli
Hailing from Goldens Bridge, New York, Castelli is a respected veteran, has By CARLOS GONZALEZ a strong resume, and is recognized as an expert When you’re a Republican on criminal justice and serving in a heavily Democratic security matters. His days of district, you need to be extraordipublic service started when nary and accomplish something he proudly volunteered to monumental. Such is the case for join the United States Army, Robert J. Castelli who serves as a member of the serving from 1967 to 1973. New York State Assembly representing the 89th Castelli’s highest rank was Assembly District, one of the wealthiest and most a Sergeant. He engaged in diverse districts in New York State. combat during the Vietnam In 2011, Castelli became the first member War. He is also a recipient of of the Minority since 2007 to pass a vital statethe Army Commendation wide bill, a veterans protection measure that now Medal, a medal received by prohibits public employers from eliminating posiindividuals who distinguish tions of persons absent while on military duty. themselves by heroism, or Though the federal government passed a meritorious service. similar veterans protection bill, public authorities Today, Castelli is only in states were exempt. Some authorities attempted one of two combat veterans who are actively to eliminate jobs of deployed servicemen. Castelli, serving in the assembly. through bipartisan support, put an end to it. After Vietnam, Castelli served a short time
as a Constable in South Carolina before returning back to New York. He became a member of the New York State Police, where he served with the elite Special Investigations Unit and the New York State Organized Crime Task Force for more than twenty years and ultimately receiving the rank of station commander. Castelli, a graduate from Palmer College, and the State University of New York, eventually made his way to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was named a Picket Fellow in Criminal Justice Policy by the National Institute of Justice. Who knew? It’s an amazing turnaround for a kid who dropped out of high school to join the
military.To me, Castelli is a living example of how to do it right when you don’t take the obvious road. Kids today need more examples like Castelli, an articulate legislator, loyal to tradition, his uniform, the state, his country. After retiring from the State Police, Castelli went on to serve as Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Iona College. Though serving in the legislature is a part-time position, “Professor Castelli” no longer teaches, as his district demands require full-time advocacy. When asked about the transition into politics, Castelli pointed out differences that make him unique to this field and reason for his entry into the field. “I don’t like politics and I don’t like politicians,” said Castelli. “I do like public service and I like public servants. Between the military, the state police, and acting as a teacher; …the entirety of my adult life has been in public service. I saw problems up here that many of us have lamented for years.” continued Castelli. “I thought to myself I’d like to give it a shot and trying to fix it. It’s easy to sit outside and criticize. It’s quite Continued on page 18
Page 18
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
THE ALBANY CORRESPONDENT
A Visit with Castelli Continued from page 17 another to roll up your sleeves and get in the fight. I chose to get in the fight. I was elected in a special election; in a gerrymandered Democratic district that hadn’t been held by a Republican in eighteen years.” Castelli was fortunate enough to win the special. Nine months later, he had to run again. Same results. Since, Castelli has been operating on a very small expenditure that’s provided to Minority members.The entire operation consists of Castelli, two full-time staffers (one who’s also a veteran), and interns and other volunteers. Castelli receives his 79,900 salary and a stipend for being the ranking member on Veteran Affairs Committee taking him close to 90k annually. He has no other income because he rejects doing any additional consulting work, choses no longer to teach in the classroom too (but you can sense that he misses it). “This job requires a full-time, seven day-perweek commitment, and if your’e not going to do that being Republican or Democrat, you’re not going to serve the public the way you need to.” When it comes to the controversial pay raise topic that surfaced recently in an interview by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (the Speaker did not shoot the topic down), Castelli questioned
MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN
Flooding
the timing of a raise, but indicated that he would be in support of a legislative salary increase with conditions. To me, this was a surprising revelation and atypical of where his party may stand on the issue. Castelli is mostly known for being a fiscal conservative, though he’s also a known social moderate. He explained his position. “We have not had a raise in twelve years,” said Castelli. “I believe this job should pay more… make it a full-time job, this is your job. I don’t care if you have a consulting business, a legal practice… if you really want to talk the talk and walk the walk that you do this job to the exclusion of everything. However, looking to give raises at a time we’re trying to get this state back on track is a little bit disingenuous,” continued Castelli. When asked about his legislative priorities for this year, Castelli points out that his priorities stretch beyond legislation. Actually, the topics mentioned by Castelli were too much to print. That’s because his district yields an airport, two state prisons, three colleges, one medical school, a multitude of Fortune 500 companies (IBM, MasterCard, etc), a stretch of the I287 corridor, the City of White Plains, the towns of Harrison, New Castle, North Castle, Bedford, Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, and the Village of Mount Kisco. “On any given day I can be dealing with very city-centric issues like rent control in White
Plains to dealing with the Farm Bureau up north in Bedford where we have horse farms,” said Castelli. Some of Castelli’s most notable constituents are Governor Cuomo, former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bobby Kennedy, and George Soros to name a few. That’s a lot of powerful Democrats. When asked to rate his relationship with Governor Cuomo and the job he’s doing, Castelli acknowledged the governor is doing a great job. “He’s doing what’s necessary to save the state,” said Castelli. “Now I’m sure that times will come up where we are going to disagree, but I have supported him thus far. I once told Cuomo, as long as you lead in the right direction that it would be my honor to follow…the fact that we’re from two different parties means nothing.” Moving forward, Castelli wants to help with efforts making sure that our image is restored as the Empire State. “We have been the most business-unfriendly state for too long,”said Castelli.“Instead of driving property owners and businesses out of New York, we need to entice people to bring their business here and to protect our property owners.” To do so, Castelli feels we need to adopt more anti-tax and smaller government positions. “When I got up here, I realized I had met the enemy and he is us,” continued Castelli. “It’s up to us to create the solution.”
One such solution Castelli wishes he had his hands on pertains to the redistricting maps released by the state legislature after our interview. Castelli is the author of his own legislation calling for an independent redistricting structure slightly differing from the governor’s proposal. Castelli would seek to adopt a citizen’s redistricting commission, modeled after the process used in California, rather than a panel appointed by the governor and any leaders. Under the newly proposed lines by Assembly Democrats, Castelli’s new district would add back the Town of North Salem, as well as make adjustments to the boundaries in the City of White Plains. The new district would add about 2,000 more people to Castelli’s district - the proposed 93rd Assembly District. But that’s not a gift, as opposed to a Democratic strategy. The new district is still gerrymandered and incorporates more of an Obama-friendly constituency. In some new election districts drawn into the proposed 93rd AD, Obama received approximately eighty percent of the vote in 2008. Castelli loses many election districts who only voted for Obama with sixty percent of the vote. That’s a challenge for a front-porch type of legislator like Castelli.
Brook, which will include citizens from all of the communities in the watershed. The objective of the basin-wide Storm Water Advisory Board, referred to as a SWAB, will be to make recommendations for projects to be included in the County-wide Storm Water Management Plan. Keeping the Bronx River clean of debris and fallen trees would go a long way to keep water from overflowing the river banks during storm events. The Bronx River has not been dredged in many decades and it seems logical that a thorough dredging of parts of the river would also be helpful for flood mitigation. Dredging the Bronx River would involve the Federal Army Corps of Engineers, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the County government and would take years to get underway. However, these long term ideas need to be comprehensively reviewed and considered as we undertake the more immediate projects. The Village has been diligent in applying for any flood mitigation monies knowing that any funds sent our way will be well worth any effort we expend. In that vein, we have submitted four grants for consideration to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Office through the Federal Hazard Mitigation Program Fund. This is a Federal funding mechanism set up after disasters that allow communities in New York State to compete for a share of the allocated fund. Three
of our projects are localized in nature while one is more expansive in scope. We have submitted a mitigation plan to restore, repair and renovate the existing earthen berm along Parkway Road and DeWitt Avenue as well as adding check valves at six catch basins along Parkway Road to prevent river water from surcharging back through the storm sewer system during a flooding event. In Garden/Meadow Avenue vicinity, we have proposed a project that involves the construction of a cast concrete wall with water tight hinged/rolled automatic flood gates. The flood gates are designed with a buoyant panel that is raised by the force of the flood waters, isolating the area and keeping the flood waters from entering residential property. A proposed project that would benefit residents in the Field Court/Willow Road corridor involves the construction of a system of low concrete walls and earth berms with the same buoyant panel flood gates as the project above, again with the result of isolating the water and keeping it at an elevation that prevents its entrance to residential properties. Our more global flood mitigation initiative is a multi-million dollar project involving a system of pumps and retention basins to mitigate the flooding at the school. We recently received word that our project is a “finalist” and engineers will be making a presentation Continued on page 19
Share your thoughts with Carlos Gonzalez, The Albany Correspondent, by directing email to carlgonz1@gmail.com.
GOVERNMENT
allotted $9 million dollars for mitigation measures throughout the County. Most of the funds were allocated to County-owned or properties many of which are on By MARY C. MARVIN facilities the Bronx River. As an example, the County funded the rehabilitation of the County owned Flooding was again a topic Oak Street Pumping Station, which is located du jour in the newspapers of along the Mount Vernon/Yonkers border just late albeit in a positive way as south of the Village. These recent actions by the the County of Westchester County regarding flood mitigation are most welcome. The County has also recently undertaken flooding WHERE QUALITY AND HONESTY COUNTS and habitat improvement projects along the Bronx River near the Bronxville border. Last year, an expanded catchment area was excavated near the old pump station at Scout Field providing for a greater amount of storm water retention during weather events. Slope stabilization was also part of this project. Phase II of a Scout Field Riverbank Stabilization will commence in the coming months. Estate & Antique Jewelry • Engagement & Wedding Rings Our County Legislator, Special Orders Design • Jewelry & Watch Repairs • Appraisals Gordon Burrows, has spearWe Buy Gold and High End Watches headed the recent formation HOURS: Monday-Saturday 8:30AM-6:30PM of an Advisory Board for 914.245.1023 • YORKTOWNJEWELERS@YAHOO.COM the Bronx River and Sprain 2008 CROMPOUND RD. ROMA BLDG. YORKTOWN HEIGHTS
Yorktown Jewelers
The Westchester Guardian
MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN
GOVERNMENT
Flooding
will ever alleviate all flooding, but this project would go a long way to mitigate damage both at the School and neighboring residential areas including Bolton Gardens. The Federal grant has the added benefit of requiring only a 25% local match unlike the 50% required in virtually all other grant programs. In the interim, we are going forward with
Continued from page 18 at the upcoming School Board meeting this Thursday evening with the goal of a Village/ School collaboration. Due to the topography of the School as the School complex is situated at the second lowest point in the Village, no project
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
our pipe/infrastructure cleaning and restoration program throughout the Village. As part of the Village Capital Improvement Program for 2011-2012, $500K was borrowed and put aside to provide resources for an on-going Village storm water management program. Given that all recent scientific evidence predicts both an increase in frequency and
Page 19
duration in future rain events, we will be vigilant in pursuing all opportunities for mitigation monies. 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 email to: mayor@vobny.com.
CRIME
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. - A Hate Crime
he did not need assistance and there was no medical emergency. He told them that he did not call them. Despite being told that there was no need for their services, the police refused to leave and insisted that Mr. Chamberlain let them into his home. Mr. Chamberlain had not committed any crime and he declined to let them into his home. Mr. Chamberlain communicated with police at length, and his medical alert service provider advised the White Plains Police Department that they wanted to withdraw their request for medical assistance because there was no emergency.
By DAMON JONES On November 19, 2011, White Plains Police Commissioner Chong held a press conference to address the justification of White Plains Police SWAT team using deadly force to subdue a 68-year-old man with a known heart condition brought more questions than answers from Chamberlain family and within law enforcement circles of Westchester County. Mr. Chamberlain Sr. was a 20-year veteran of the Westchester County Department of Corrections, and he proudly served the United States of America as a Marine, receiving an honorable discharge. According to Journal News reports, Commissioner Chong stated that White Plains Police Officers was called to Mr. Chamberlains home for a 911 call report of a person in distress. Commissioner Chong even went further to state that his police officers even heard screaming voices coming from inside Mr. Chamberlain’s apartment. Commissioner Chong even claimed that Mr. Chamberlain refused to allow the police officers into his home and even attempted to cut the officers with a hatchet. Commissioner Chong painted the picture that Mr.Chamberlain Sr. was so wild and out of control that they had to call SWAT. Mr. Chamberlain Sr. was shot with a Taser gun, which did not slow him down, and then was shot four times in the legs and abdomen with beanbags from a shotgun, but continued to slash at officers with the knife until one officer shot him twice with his .40-caliber semiautomatic service weapon. When I first read this story, I knew something went terribly wrong for them to use deadly force on a man with a knife. As a Correction Officer for over 22 years, there is no way a FIVE-man SWAT team, with body armor and a shield cannot subdue and overcome a 68-year-old man with a heart condition. They are required to train for these situations all the time. In the Department of Correction this is done all the time without any use of deadly force. This fact was also known to Mr. Chamberlain’s son, Kenneth Chamberlain Jr., who has worked as professional body guard and is currently a Martial Arts Instructor. “Something just wasn’t right with the story”,
Despite this information, the police continued to insist that they gain an entry to Mr. Chamberlain’s apartment. During the incident the police banged on Mr. Chamberlain’s door over and over again, causing him to fear for his life. “In fact, Mr. Chamberlain contacted his medical alert service provider while the police were banging on his door and asked them for help. He told them that the White Plains Police Department employees were outside his door and were going to kill him,” said Mayo Bartlett Esq., the Chamberlains family attorney. The medical alert service provider recorded the communications between the police and the Mr. Chamberlain. “During the incident, the police were disrespectful to Mr. Chamberlain and Continued on page 20
Commercial • Industrial & Residential Services Roll-Off Containers 1-30 Yards Home Clean-up Containers said Chamberlain Jr. He never condemned White Plains Police Department. The younger Chamberlain felt he wasn’t being told the truth in his father’s death. The Chamberlain family remained calm and respectful throughout this ordeal with a main purpose of obtaining the truth about their loved ones death. Even when others felt that White Plains police management was stone walling the Chamberlain family with information and even not telling the family where the body was being held the Chamberlain family stayed positive. The Chamberlain family met with the District Attorney Tim Ward to view the video and audio of the last moments of Mr. Chamberlain’s life. “I didn’t know what to expect” said Chamberlain Jr. “My father was not crazy, they killed him!” On Wednesday, February 15, the Chamberlain family and supporters gathered in front of the Westchester County Courthouse to tell the real story of the shooting of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. In response to the call, police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians went to Mr. Chamberlain’s home. Once at his house, the police knocked on Mr. Chamberlain’s door and were verbally greeted by him. He told them that
Turn-key Demolition Services
DEC Licensed Transfer Station DEP Licensed Rail Serve Transfer & Recycling Services
Licensed Demolition Contractor Locally Owned & Operated Radio Dispatched Fully Insured - Free Estimates On Site Document Destruction Same Day Roll Off Service If You Call By Noon
www.citycarting.net City Carting of Westchester • Somers Sanitation B & S Carting • AAA Paper Recycling • Bria Carting • CRP Sanitation
800.872.7405 • 8 VIADUCT RD., STAMFORD, CT • 203.324.4090
Page 20
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
CRIME it appears that his killing was motivated by hate,” said Bartlett. From what was heard in the audio, the only one that was in control was Mr. Chamberlain Sr. Oh, there was a knife, but does that still justify the use of deadly force when you have a FIVE-man SWAT team with a shield against a 68 year old man with a heart condition? “The shooting of Mr. Chamberlain was a clear overreaction of the White Plains Police Department. The officers using the word Nigger and killing Mr. Chamberlain, all should be charged with hate crimes by the Department of Justice” said Ronald Hampton, Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, Washington D.C. office. Recently,a 29-year-old man,Anthony Copicotto barricaded himself in his apartment following
an armed standoff. The difference is, they didn’t kill Mr. Copicotto and he had replica guns and AK- 15 rifle. According to Lt. Keith Williams of Stony Point Police of the Copicotto incident “The officers did an outstanding job and used a lot of restraint.” Only in Westchester County can Life Alert call the police to a black man’s house and he’s shot and killed by those that are called to save his life. The recent wave of shootings have shown it doesn’t matter if you a star college football player, a Police Officer, a Marine Veteran and Correction Officer , as long as your skin is dark, there is no restraint or control for them not to pull the trigger and label it - Justifiable Homicide.
Contemplating the Role Developers Play in New Rochelle’s Finances?
and 1,100 parking spaces, including provisions to replace the Church-Division Garage. While Bramson recounted the past proposals for the area, Commissioner of Development, Michael Friemuth, cautioned that the Simone Project would be completed in four phases, yet no guarantee has been made that all four phasesof the project would transpire. Councilman Jared Rice questioned the breakdown of rental units at 80/20 (80% market rate, 20% affordable). It was suggested the mixture could be 60/40 for the first phase. It had become evident that residents were comfortable shoping on Main Street but that the 60/40 mix was “not ideal.” During the discussion, Strome strongly recommended moving forward with the development lest the City find itself required to invest several million dollars to rebuild or upgrade the Church-Division Garage. Mr Strome suggested the MOU would allow the City “to work with the developer.”
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. - A Hate Crime Continued from page 19 threatened him as he stood in his apartment and told them that he just wanted to be left alone.The police continued to bang on Mr. Chamberlain’s door for approximately an hour. During that time they taunted Mr. Chamberlain, cursed at him, and called him a nigger,” said Bartlett. They ultimately broke through his apartment door and forced their way into his apartment, all without his consent. Upon entering his home, and without warning or prior verbal warnings or orders, police immediately used a Taser weapon against Mr. Chamberlain and attempted to shock him with the Taser’s electricity. Mr. Chamberlain was standing approximately six to eight feet away from the officers, and he was
wearing nothing but boxer shorts when the police began their assault against him. After using the Taser against Mr. Chamberlain, police shot beanbags at decedent through a highpowered weapon. Finally, an officer discharged his firearm at Mr. Chamberlain and at least two bullets entered his chest; killing him. “Why didn’t the police just leave? What was the purpose of staying when Life Alert the company that called you to go to the house have asked you to leave the house,” said Chamberlain Jr. The family is requesting Mr. Chamberlain’s homicide be investigated by the United States Department of Justice, or the New York State Attorney General. “The shooting should be investigated and prosecuted as a hate crime since
Damon K. Jones is Executive Director of Westchester Blacks in Law Enforcement.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
By PEGGY GODFREY It is apparently appropriate to use a developer to help create and pay for needed parking in downtown New Rochelle, but it is seemingly improper for a developer to finance moving the City Yard to Breechwood Avenue. On February 14, 2012, the New Rochelle City Council discussed the financial proposals presented to them from two disparate companies over which a vote will need to be taken by the next meeting. The Forest City Residential proposal was recently given a 60-day extension under the definition of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) to produce a plan for the waterfront at the present City Yard site. A discussion ensued on the necessity to move the City Yard to Beechwood Avenue and the New Rochelle’s need to bond $600,000 to prepare a design for a new City Yard at the Beechwood site which the City had purchased several years ago. Two Republican Councilmen, Al Tarantino
and Lou Trangucci, had serious objections to funding the design phase of the project at this time. Councilman Tarantino expressed concerns that encumbering the city with the need for a bond to cover future costs to move the project to a new location at the city’s expense was not warranted because of the duress presently suffered by the city, and the lackluster prospects of the economy at present. Tarantino believes excessive debt can hamper the City by being a catalyst for layoffs of personnel, specifically of fire and police officers. Councilman Trangucci agreed with Tarantino’s analysis. He did not want to vote on a bonding proposal until Forest City Residential fully divulged their proposal for the present City Yard property. Trangucci emphasized that in the past, it was assumed that development of the City Yard site would be predicated on the developer’s plans for Echo Bay and the monetary contribution that Forest City Residential would present to offset the development costs.
Tarantino asked for appraisals of the current Beechwood site and the present City Yard site to determine their value and to ascertain if they are clean. New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and City Manager Chuck Strome insisted they could not determine the value of the present City Yard site unless they knew what was the intended use for the property. City Manager Strome advised that necessary soil remediation would be the responsibility born by the developer, but costs of moving the City Yard venue would be an expense incurred by the City alone. Bramson agreed, stating that a waterfront developer could not “carry the costs of a City Yard move unless we are willing to accept a very high density” in their development. A different perspective revealed itself when the Simone MOU proposal was discussed. The Simone Project, formulated in four phases, this an undertaking that would contain 550 residential units, 13,000 square feet of retail space,
Peggy Godfrey is a freelance writer and a former educator.
FINANCE
Limits Of, And On, Political Intelligence By LARRY M. ELKIN I am not a Washington insider, but in the course of a long career I have come to know a few people who work on Capitol Hill. I happened to talk to one of them in the closing weeks of 2009, just before the federal estate tax was scheduled to take a one-year hiatus.
It would never happen, my contact assured me. Democrats controlled the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House, and they were going to ensure that the tax would continue as it existed in 2009: at a rate of 45 percent on estates greater than $3.5 million. Things did not work out that way.The estate tax actually took its one-year break. When it
returned at the end of 2010 – after Republicans had scored solid election gains, but before they took control of the House – it was at today’s top rate of 35 percent, and it applied only to estates greater than $5 million. Political intelligence from Washington ought to carry a label warning that it is inherently unreliable. There are 535 legislators, who all seem to believe that they single-handedly control the fate of the Republic, while at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue sits the occupant of the Oval Office, who is convinced of the same thing. And they’re all wrong.
I do not mean to suggest that information about what is happening in Washington is valueless; far from it. An army of wellpaid lobbyists proves the opposite every day. Traditionally, lobbying is considered to be the art of influencing legislation and government policy, but that is only part of the job. Any good lobbyist would tell you that a big part of the work is just keeping track of what is happening inside the government before it emerges into public view. This is where the line between lobbying and the more recently defined field of “political Continued on page 21
The Westchester Guardian
FINANCE
Limits Of, And On, Political Intelligence Continued from page 20 intelligence” gets blurry. Lobbyists are required to register and disclose their identities; so far, intelligence-gatherers are under no such obligation. On the surface, it seems fair to impose this same requirement on the political intelligence industry. The Senate thought it was a good idea when passing the latest effort to legislate government ethics earlier this month. The Senate version of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge, or STOCK, Act, passed with near-unanimous bipartisan support, but the House struck the political intelligence requirements when it passed its own version of the bill, ordering further study of the question instead. The bill cannot go to President Obama, who has said he supports it, until the two chambers reconcile their differences. While requiring Washington intelligencegatherers to identify themselves has a lot of surface appeal, I see some practical problems. Would I have needed to register if, for example, I told one of my estate planning clients that he need not keep his terminally ill and very wealthy father on life support until the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve in order to avoid millions of dollars in estate tax? What if I had charged my client for this advice? (Fortunately, both the client and the advice are hypothetical, since taking such advice would have been very costly to this nonexistent client. I probably would not have given such advice anyway, since I doubted my source’s conclusion that an estate tax extension was a done deal.) Should everybody who asks his or her representative about the status of some piece of legislation, or who uses the representative’s answer for some financial or commercial purpose, need to register? Most of the STOCK Act is, or at least ought to be, uncontroversial. It explicitly states, for the first time, that members of Congress are not exempt from the insider trading laws that apply to every other American. Currently, according to Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of the bill’s sponsors, “there is a dispute among experts” about whether existing laws cover lawmakers who trade on their knowledge of government affairs.. Less disputed is the fact that some members of Congress seem to be unusually successful in their stock picks. A “60 Minutes” report that aired last November titled “Insiders” – which many have credited with spurring legislators to action on the issue – highlighted extremely profitable trades made by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Speaker John Boehner, among others. The House Ethics Committee is reportedly investigating Bachus, an Alabama Republican, regarding possible insider trading involving options trades in his personal account. Pelosi was criticized for buying stock in Visa’s initial public
offering, which was available only to certain favored institutional and individual clients, while she was House speaker in 2008. Boehner’s profit came from several health insurance stocks he bought while he led the opposition to the so-called public option for health insurance. When the public option was rejected, just days after Boehner’s trades were made, the stocks of the health insurance companies rose. All three lawmakers have denied any improper conduct. When a version of the STOCK Act was first introduced in the House in 2006, it attracted only 15 sponsors. The “60 Minutes” report revealed that, as of November, many lawmakers had no knowledge of the bill. But this is a rare case in which electionyear politics has actually done something useful. With Congress’ public approval rate at a dismal 15 percent, incumbents are desperate to shore up their reputations. I have waited quite awhile for Congress to restrict lawmakers’ trading activities. It is simply not fair for government insiders to buy or sell stock with advance knowledge of significant official action, when the party on the other side of the trade lacks access to the same information. We have extensive rules and procedures here at Palisades Hudson to ensure that nobody on our staff misuses nonpublic information, either for personal benefit or for client accounts. Every publicly traded company takes similar precautions. There is no reason for legislators to behave differently. But the House probably got it right when it stripped the political intelligence provisions from the STOCK Act. The Senate’s attempt to crack down on the industry was drafted hastily and clumsily. There are better approaches to the issue, such as regulating the time and the manner in which government employees disclose information, rather regulating than the people who pay attention to such disclosures. Congress should revisit this issue another day and, in the meantime, pass the STOCK Act to clean up its own investment practices.
Larry M. Elkin, CPA, CFP®, president of Palisades Hudson Financial Group a fee-only financial planning firm headquartered in Scarsdale, NY. The firm offers estate planning, insurance consulting, trust planning, cross-border planning, business valuation, family office and business management, executive financial planning, and tax services. Its sister firm, Palisades Hudson Asset Management, is an independent investment advisor with about $950 million under management. Branch offices are in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale. Website:www.palisadeshudson.com.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 21
Page 22
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
LEGISLATURE
Galef and Paulin Call for No Member Items in 2012-13 New York State Budget ALBANY, NY -- Assemblymembers Sandy Galef and Amy Paulin are renewing their call for no member item spending in the 20122013 New York State Budget. By continuing to exclude expenditures for member items, the state will maintain its savings of about $200 million in this year’s budget, as it has for the past two budget years. In March 2011, Galef and Paulin introduced legislation (A.6215A) calling for no member item spending in last fiscal year’s budget and encouraged their colleagues to support this budgetary policy. This legislation has been amended to support the prohibition of member items in the 2012-13 budget. Member items include state funding
allocated by individual Assembly and Senate members to specific groups or initiatives in the recipient members’ districts. At a time when so many state-funded programs and services continue to receive lower levels of state funding than in years past, Galef and Paulin believe that arbitrary individual projects that lack proper oversight should not be encouraged.
“Throughout New York, people are making tough decisions on how they can eliminate discretionary spending from their own personal budgets. With a $2 billion state budget deficit this year that we are working to close, we cannot afford to have discretionary spending in our budget,” Assemblywoman Galef said. “We must work to keep our state budget lower and prohibiting member items is
an important step in that direction.” “The economy is still adversely affecting many people right here in Westchester and New York State is grappling with a $2 billion deficit,” stated Assemblywoman Paulin. “Under these circumstances, we are unable to provide increases to our schools and hospitals. I have therefore decided, once again, to support the elimination of member items from this year’s budget.” At this time, Governor Cuomo has not included any member items in his proposed budget. Assemblymembers Galef and Paulin urge him to reject requests to include this discretionary spending in any budget amendments.
appointments to citizen advisory boards, myself included, just for the sake of obstructing the County Executive. That is shameful, that is partisan politics at its worst. If you were to look for a Democrat in the legislature who believes in supporting appointees based on their experience and qualifications for the job, and not party politics, you wouldn’t find Mrs. Borgia. In fact, to find the lone Democrat legislator who believes that if housing policy is going to affect the Town of Ossining, than the Town of Ossining deserves representation on that board, you’d have to go all the way up north to Somers to Legislator Kaplowitz. I am genuinely surprised that our own county legislator would openly deny Ossining a representative on the Housing Opportunity Commission simply because she was told to vote a certain way.
Without reason or explanation, the partisan majority denied Ossining a voice on the Housing Opportunity Commission,the committee tasked with carrying out the Housing Settlement the federal government demanded and imposed not only on Westchester but specifically including our own Ossining. Just three months into office our Legislator shows that she’ll do what’s best for her party and herself, not what’s best for Ossining or for her county. And we thought politicians couldn’t get any worse.
GOVERNMENT
District 9 Touts the Party Line By PETER TRIPODI IV Just when we might have thought politicians couldn’t get any worse, our own rookie county legislator voted to deny her own town, one which she even represented as Supervisor, representation on the countywide Housing Opportunity Commission. County Legislator Catherine Borgia fell lockstep behind her party line in a partisan, irresponsible vote to deny Ossining residents representation on a committee dealing with affordable housing projects directly in the Town
of Ossining! What happened to her promise of an independent legislator; a legislator who would work with Republicans to solve problems? It seems this was rhetoric to gather votes, and nothing more. Two years ago, County Executive Rob Astorino asked me to voluntarily serve my community on the Housing Opportunity Commission. For two years the County Board approved me and for two years I voluntarily served my community on that committee. This year, however, a new Board of Legislators decided that they would reject eight of Astorino’s
Peter Tripodi IV is Ossining Town Councilman. Learn more at www.PeterTripodi.com, directing email to: electpete@gmail.com, or calling him by telephone: 914-774-0373.
REDISCTRICTING
Elected Officials Violate Their Redistricting Pledge By FRANK V. VERNUCCIO, JR. Elected officials have united—in an ironic display of bipartisanship—in their shared goal of closing the electoral process to the citizenry at large. In an effort to insure that meaningful competition remains absent from electoral politics, the district lines for state senate and assembly districts have been drawn without any regard to the needs of the voters. Eager to gain the title of good-government officials, candidates in the last election signed onto former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s “Heroes of Reform” movement and sincerely pledged to support nonpartisan redistricting. Obviously,
the word of an incumbent eager to retain power wasn’t worth much. The proposed redistricting scheme violates the pledge that almost every current state senator and state assembly member made during their 2010 campaign to support independent redistricting. The new lines once again insure that Albany continues its woeful status quo. Further adding to their insincerity, little notice was given about the timing of hearings at which public comment could be given. Citizens Union, testifying before the State Legislature, stated: “A deeply flawed process- in which self-interested legislators draw their own
lines- unsurprisingly yields an unacceptable and defective product. …Communities of interest, political subdivisions, compactness, diversifying the legislature, equally-sized districts- these are mere obstacles to circumvent in the majority parties’ quest to retain their stranglehold on the levers of power.” Past efforts to legally, if immorally, rig elections in the Empire State have been highly successful. During the past decade, the re-election rate of state elected officials has been an astronomical 96%, and in one year, it actually reached a disgraceful 100%. As New York continues to endure an unemployment crisis, the new district lines at least achieve one purpose—they create exactly one extra job. Of course, that will go to a politician. An additional senate district has been instituted—in a state where the per-capita cost of
government is already the highest in the nation. The sad state of New York politics is, of course, not just the result of redistricting. Over the years, and under a variety of excuses, an entire patchwork of rules and procedures has been grafted onto the body politic. Arcane regulations and onerous red tape hurdles conspire to keep the electoral process largely inaccessible to citizens who wish to participate, but don’t have the support of party machinery. During election years, many incumbents abuse their “official” newsletters, as well as their role in handing out member items, to turn these taxpayer-funded programs into thinly veiled campaign assets. With apologies to Abraham Lincoln, Albany has become a government of the politicians, by the politicians, and for the politicians. Contact Frank Vernuccio by directing email to: nycommunityaction@gmail.com.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 23
GOVERNMENT
Astorino Administration Pushes through Illegal “Approval” of $13 Million Contract Unapproved Commissioner, Lack of Transparency Mar Acquisition and Contract Meeting WHITE PLAINS, NY -- In yet another egregious and troubling example of County Executive Robert P. Astorino’s Administration operating illegally and without transparency, the County’s Board of Acquisition & Contract (A&C) “approved” a $13 million capital project on February 16, 2012, without first presenting it to Westchester County Board of Legislators (WCBoL)—contrary to the laws set in the County Charter—for any discussion, vetting or due diligence whatsoever regarding the funding, despite information about bonding options that could save the County over $1 million. “The Board of Legislators has worked so hard with the County Executive to effectuate real property tax relief and make smart investments with the taxpayer dollars from our County’s residents and business owners, so the Administration’s pushing forward of a capital project costing over thirteen million dollars without public scrutiny is deeply disturbing and an affront to transparency,” said BOL Chairman Jenkins (D-Yonkers). “As it stands, this project would be subject to a public referendum since it exceeds the County’s bond cap of ten million dollars.”
Moreover, the 2-1 voted A&C “approval” included an illegal vote from Jay T. Pisco, whose appointment as Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPW) was turned down by the WCBoL on Monday, February 13 at its regular meeting. Because the WCBoL voted not to refer his appointment, already back dated to January 23, 2012, to the WCBoL Committee on Appointments, he is not able to legally act as Commissioner or vote on County matters as specified by the position. Section 110.21 of the County Charter explicitly states the Commissioner and Acting Commissioners need BOL approval before they can assume the duties of the office. Pisco’s appointment failed because it did not follow the Charter process for recommendation of a Commissioner of Public Works and Transportation to the County Executive by the citizen oversight Board. The appointment of
Pisco to Commissioner, in fact, was announced two weeks before the citizen committee’s January meeting. Pisco’s illegal participation as such in the A&C meeting today was brought to Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett’s attention at the onset of the meeting by Chairman Jenkins, who even suggested that the Deputy Commissioner of the County’s DPW be brought in for the vote to make it legal. Plunkett, who was acting as chair of A&C in the absence of Astorino, opted to proceed anyway with Pisco at the table. The “approved” capital project in question would grant the County authority to enter into an Energy Efficiency Customer Installation Commitment Agreement with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) for the renovation of the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant with an Anaerobic Digester Gas Fueled Engine Generator. The work is to take over 15 years to complete at a cost of $13,298,970, according to
figures from the County’s DPW. On the surface, completing the bond at Westchester’s low AAA interest rate could save the County over $1.5 million, and that was what WCBoL members wanted to discuss with representatives from the Administration regarding this capital project, which was presented first to the WCBoL in September 2009 by then County Executive Spano but not acted upon. “The elected representatives of the people needed to hear more details about this important and costly infrastructure investment before making any approvals, as the taxpayers of Westchester would expect,” said Jenkins. “Instead, there were no public presentations of even the necessity of the project, never mind how bonding options could save taxpayers a substantial sum of money. Whether it’s backroom spending approvals or bus lines eliminated without public hearings or child care costs increased without public justification, these unilateral actions need to stop.”
“The traffic court set the matter down for a hearing and the letter was forwarded to the New Jersey State Police, which in turn referred it to Sgt. Alexander Koopalethes of the Internal Affairs Investigation Bureau for an investigation. Sgt. Koopalethes attempted to reach respondent by telephone for two months and, only after a partner at respondent’s law firm directed respondent to return his call, did Koopalethes hear from him, and have the opportunity to conduct a telephone interview. In the meantime, in August 2007, respondent defaulted on his traffic court hearing date and a contempt of court warrant was issued against him with ‘bail set at $265 (the fine for the violation). During his telephone interview with Sgt. Koopalethes, which was recorded, respondent at first equivocated about whether the trooper directed an ethnic slur at him, but after he was pressed to remember if a slur was used, he explained that since he wrote the letter contemporaneously to the incident, it was likely that the trooper said it. The interview continued and respondent added that the trooper dismissed respondent’s
proffered explanation for speeding, namely, that his pregnant wife needed a bathroom, as more baloney from ‘you guys,’ which respondent stated referred to orthodox Jews. Respondent further recounted that the trooper displayed a demeaning attitude toward respondent and his wife. However, none of this information was supported by the video or audio recordings made during the traffic stop. In April 2008, 10 months after the traffic stop, the internal investigation was completed and the trooper was exonerated of all charges. In July 2008, the New Jersey State Police filed a complaint against respondent with the Disciplinary Committee wherein it was revealed that the traffic stop had been recorded. In Agusut 2008, respondent was advised of the complaint and in September 2008, more than one year later, he paid the $265 fine for the speeding violation.” When I read the news report and later the court file, I was horrified. Why would the referee proposing the recommendation and the court affirming it be so lenient? In my opinion, Continued on page 24
OP EDSection ED KOCH COMMENTARY
Two Legal Decisions, Both Unjust By EDWARD I. KOCH Not long ago, I read an article in the New York Post reporting a decision by the Appellate Division First Department confirming a referee’s recommendation in a case brought by the Departmental Disciplinary Committee against Elliott Dear, an attorney. The Committee recommended that Mr. Dear’s license to practice law in the State of New York be suspended for six months. The facts concerning the charges are reported in detail in the court papers, which I decided to review. Those facts are: “This disciplinary proceeding arises out of a traffic stop which occurred in New Jersey on July 5, 2007. Respondent, who is an orthodox Jew, was stopped for speeding by a New Jersey State Trooper and given a summons for going 85 mph in a 55 mph zone. Unbeknownst to respondent
and his wife, who was in the passenger seat, the stop was videotaped from a camera in the trooper’s car. Further, a microphone on the trooper’s uniform recorded everything that the trooper said, although it did not capture respondent’s statements. Six days after receiving the speeding ticket, respondent wrote the following letter to the traffic court on the letterhead of the law firm where he worked as an associate: “‘Ladies and Gentlemen: This ticket shall be dismissed immediately since – a. there was not speeding and the officer refused to show me evidence that there was (i.e. – ‘not guilty’); b. even if there was speeding (which there wasn’t) – I was in a 65-mph zone NOT a 55 mph zone; and c. The officer called me a ‘jew kike’ – and this prejudice obviously was the cause for the ticket. I am a licensed attorney in NY State and will be representing myself in this matter (contact details enclosed). Eliott Dear’
Page 24
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
ED KOCH COMMENTARY or not to allow it. I do not believe that justice was done in this case. Fortunately, the state trooper, who could have lost his job and been marked as a bigot for life, had irrefutable proof he hadn’t said the antiSemitic slurs that he was charged with. *** Alan Turing, a mathematical genius, was responsible for breaking the German military code in World War II. The code was considered unbreakable because of its random selection of code words using the Enigma machine. Turing will be honored worldwide by the marking of the 100th anniversary of his birth this year, 2012. The British Royal Mail Service has announced that it will issue a British stamp in his honor this year. Turing was the lead mathematician at Bletchley Park, Britain, assigned the job of breaking the German code. Breaking the code allowed the Allies to substantially reduce the effectiveness of German submarines, which were then sinking the merchant ships delivering supplies from the United States to England during World War II. Dozens of American ships were torpedoed within sight of the east coast of the United States. Wikipedia has a 21-page salute to Turing. It reported, “In 1999, Time Magazine named Turing as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century for his role in the creation of the modern computer and stated: ‘The fact remains that everyone who taps at a keyboard, opening a spreadsheet or a word-processing program, is working on an incarnation of a Turing machine.’” Turing’s life had been celebrated in a Broadway play which ran from November 1987 to April 1988 entitled “Breaking the Code” in which he was played by Derek Jacoby. I saw the play. It was poignant and brilliant. Those attending learned Turing was homosexual
and arrested and convicted for having homosexual sex with a consenting adult, which was then illegal. As I recall the play, Turing pressed charges against the young man for stealing from Turing’s home and when questioned, freely admitted to the officer that he and the young man had had sex. For that admission, Turing was charged with and convicted of gross indecency. Wikipedia reports: “In August 2009, John Graham-Cumming started a petition urging the British Government to posthumously apologize to Alan Turing for prosecuting him as a homosexual. The petition received thousands of signatures. Prime Minister Gordon Brown acknowledged the petition, releasing a statement on 10 September 2009 apologizing and describing Turing’s treatment as ‘appalling.’” Wikipedia further reported, “In December 2011, William Jones created an e-petition requesting the British Government pardon Alan Turing for his conviction of ‘gross-indecency’: ‘We ask the HM Government to grant a pardon to Alan Turing for the conviction of ‘gross indecency’. In 1952, he was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ with another man and was forced to undergo so-called ‘organo-therapy’ - chemical castration. Two years later, he killed himself with cyanide, aged just 41. Alan Turing was driven to a terrible despair and early death by the nation he’d done so much to save. This remains a shame on the UK government and UK history. A pardon can go to some way to healing this damage. It may act as an apology to many of the other gay men, not as well known as Alan Turing, who were subjected to these laws.’ The petition gained over 21,000 signatures, but the request was declined by Lord McNally. ‘A posthumous pardon was not considered appropriate as Alan Turing was properly convicted of what at the time was a criminal offense. He would have known that his offense was against the law and that he would be prosecuted. It is
tragic that Alan Turing was convicted of an offense which now seems both cruel and absurdparticularly poignant given his outstanding contribution to the war effort. However, the law at the time required a prosecution and, as such, long-standing policy has been to accept that such convictions took place and, rather than trying to alter the historical context and to put right what cannot be put right, ensure instead that we never again return to those times.’” How did I get interested in this matter, not having known of all of these efforts to posthumously honor Alan Turing? I was reading The Times of February 8th and there in a very small article it was reported, “In the centenary year of his birth, Alan Turing, the British mathematician and cryptanalyst regarded as one of the central figures in the development of the computer and artificial intelligence, has been denied a formal pardon by the government of Prime Minister David Cameron for his conviction in 1952 on charges of homosexuality, then a criminal offense in Britain. An e-mail petition for a pardon for Mr. Turing, who committed suicide by eating a cyanide-laced apple in 1954, when he was 41, has drawn worldwide support from scientists and others. But Tom McNally, a minister of state for justice, told the House of Lords that the Cameron government stood by the decision of previous governments not to grant a pardon for Mr. Turing’s conviction for gross indecency. Mr. McNally noted that the former prime minister, Gordon Brown, had issued “an unequivocal a posthumous apology” to Mr. Turing in 2009, but he said that Mr. Turing “would have known” that he was committing an offense under the law as it stood at the time.” This is not justice and should not be the final disposition of this matter.
fundamental rights of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Liberalism, a once noble political theory, has been transformed, and I believe is today stricken with a sickness of the soul, made manifest by a socio-secular agenda that places moral relativism above virtue, chastity and traditional values. The recent actions of the administration, regarding contraceptives and euthanasia, were meant to shore up their base of supporters. If in fact Barack Obama is reelected in November, there is nothing save a republican majority in both houses of congress that will stop him from implementing even more radical regulations and changes further suppressing constitutional rights. Let us not forget, Mr. Obama is a passionate supporter of abortion rights, more so than any other president in recent memory. Archbishop / Cardinal-designate Dolan recently stated,
“When a government tampers with a freedom so fundamental to the life of our nation, one shudders to think what lies ahead.” What other amendments are in the crosshairs of this administration and its gullible uninformed supporters? In a January speech in Rome to U.S. bishops, Pope Benedict XVI spoke these words, “When a culture attempts to suppress the dimension of ultimate mystery, and close the doors to transcendent truth, it inevitably becomes impoverished and falls prey to reductionist and totalitarian readings of the human person and the nature of society. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion.” We are indeed engaged in a culture war that has divided this great nation; traditional values and religious freedom vs. secular
humanism. The first amendment, as designed and originally intended, must not be compromised or reinterpreted. Those who cherish these freedoms must remain steadfast and vigilant, and not succumb to the slings and arrows of outrageous bigotry and intolerance from detractors, especially in government, who would seek to deny free speech and religious rights for their own self serving purposes. Someone once said, “Right is right, no matter who is against it; wrong is wrong, no matter who is for it.” Those who believe America is truly the land of the free must persevere, and not fall prey to false prophets and demagogues who would seek to undermine these basic rights.
Two Legal Decisions, Both Unjust Continued from page 23 an attorney who lies on behalf of a client or on behalf of himself should be permanently disbarred, unless there are overwhelming mitigating circumstances which I looked for in the record and could not find. The only potentially mitigating circumstances I could find in the record were as follows: “In support of mitigation, respondent presented testimony from his treating psychiatrist, who diagnosed respondent as suffering from ‘borderline personality disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder, major depression, and narcissistic personality.’ He stated that at the time of the incident, respondent was experiencing a great amount of stress due to his working long hours at a job he did not like, marital tension, and substantial difficulties with respect to the oldest of his three children who, like respondent, suffered from ADHD. In the psychiatrist’s opinion, the disorders that he diagnosed respondent having, combined with the aforementioned stress, ‘were the primary factors in making [respondent] vulnerable to impulsive acts.’ The psychiatrist changed respondent’s medication and he, along with a psychologist specializing in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), recommended respondent undertake an intensive three-day-a-week outpatient DBT therapy regimen at the Columbia Day Program. Respondent completed a two-month program at Columbia while also seeing his psychiatrist twice a week.” Should someone suffering from these disorders be practicing law representing the interests of another person? I don’t think so. At best, after permanently disbarring such an individual who had lied as Eliott Dear had done, the court could at a later time hear Dear’s application for reinstatement and decide then whether
The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served as a member of member of Congress from New York State from 1969 through 1977, and New York City as its 105th Mayor from 1978 to 1989.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor In the February 9, 2012, column, “The Assault on the First Amendment,” I believe Frank V. Vernuccio was moved to discuss freedom of speech, due to the current controversy with the Catholic Church and the Obama administration. Since its inception, the administration has revealed a strain of anti-free speech rights and religious intolerance; based on a radical ideology unprecedented in this nation’s history. This radical liberalism seeks to undermine the
Bob Pascarella The Bronx, New York
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Page 25
WEIR ONLY HUMAN
Why I Love and Admire Teachers By BOB WEIR Each new ear brings new challenges that many refer to as resolutions. Some decide to get back on that special diet, others start new ones and some assure themselves that they will dedicate the year to new academic pursuits or higher levels of achievement at work. Most resolutions will last slightly longer than it took to bespeak them, and the rest will change with the seasons. The problem with resolutions is that they’re too often about improving ourselves, and too seldom about improving others. Someone once said: You can achieve anything in life if you don’t care who gets the credit. It seems to me that if we strive to improve the lot of others, we will be improved as a byproduct of that accomplishment. When I think about the subject of people improving others, I immediately think of teachers. What would the world be like without those who dedicate themselves to educating our children? If you’re like most people, you can remember one or more teachers who had a profound impact on your life. Perhaps she or he motivated you to take an interest in English literature, or science. Maybe they captured your attention with Renaissance Art, or class projects in biology. Regardless of the subject, the catalyst was always the teacher. As in all professions there
are those who strive for excellence and those who strive for a paycheck. If you’re really lucky you’ll have the most creative, self-driven educators in your schools, those who take pride in molding those little, mainly disinterested, balls of clay into motivated, goal oriented paragons of adulthood. A good teacher is able to discipline the pupils in order that they are forced to learn; a great teacher is able to inspire them so that they develop a craving to learn. Socrates wrote: “I can’t teach you anything; I can only make you think.” There’s no amount of money you can pay to adequately compensate a great teacher because the services she or he renders are infinitely more significant than any monetary consideration could possibly measure. In classrooms all across the country, minds are being opened and potential is being tapped. Mary may have no idea what abilities lie dormant in her brain, until someone cares enough to awaken the power within. Once aroused, such power has immeasurable possibilities. As John Greenleaf Whittier wrote: For all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: “It might have been.” I don’t even like to think about how many children never had a chance to discover their talents because there was no teacher who cared enough to organize a search. We’ll never know how much greatness
slipped through the cracks of history and ended up dashed against the rocks of obscurity due to improper direction. A teacher is a liberator; one who opens the mind and releases the power of thought. Youngsters, whether starting out in preschool or advancing into the higher levels of academic life, are like human sponges, absorbing the instructional fluid of their mentors. That fluid is the bloodline that will determine the path to their respective destinies. A painter starts with an empty canvass, a sculptor, a hunk of metal or glass, but a teacher begins by seeking to improve on the greatest work of art ever designed, and the most complex computer ever made; the human mind. Inside that mind is the cure for cancer, the formulaic equation to unlock the mysteries of the Universe, and the leadership principles to usher in a new era of world peace. Hence, as we proceed further into this new year, why not make a resolution to honor those dedicated teachers who work indefatigably to carve out each new generation of Americans, making us the most well-educated and enlightened people on the planet? Let’s recognize the value of their contribution to society and thank them for viewing their
service as much more than a job, but rather a very special calling. Keep in mind that a teacher’s talent, combined with devotion to the cause of learning, is the foundation of our preeminence as a civilization. And, if somewhere out there, in the land of great, retired teachers, there’s a woman named, Mrs. Davis, from JHS 72 in Manhattan, I would like to profoundly thank her for putting up with this wretch of a student and looking beyond my obvious failings while working assiduously to find something worthwhile in me. God bless you Mrs. Davis; I’ll never forget you. Bob Weir is a veteran of 20 years with the New York Police Dept. (NYPD), ten of which were performed in plainclothes undercover assignments. Bob began a writing career about 12 years ago and had his first book published in 1999. Bob went on to write and publish a total of seven novels, “Murder in Black and White,” “City to Die For,” “Powers that Be,” “Ruthie’s Kids,” “Deadly to Love,” “Short Stories of Life and Death,” and “Out of Sight.” He also became a syndicated columnist under the title “Weir Only Human.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please submit your Letter to the Editor electronically, that is by directing email to WHYTeditor@gmail.com Please confine your writing to between 350 and 500 words. Your name, address, and telephone contact is requested for verification purpose only. A Letter to the Editor will be accepted at the editor’s discretion when space permits. A maximum of one submission per month may be accepted.
Call 1-800-4STROKE or visit www.strokeassociation.org THIS IS THE
FACE OF A PERSON AFFECTED BY
STROKE.
Whether the stroke is your own or that of a friend, parent, child, spouse or loved one, your life is affected. So learn the warning signs and call 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone else experiences them.
Page 26
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
CLASSIFIED ADS Office Space Available-
Prime Location, Yorktown Heights 1,000 Sq. Ft.: $1800. Contact Wilca: 914.632.1230
Prime Retail - Westchester County
Best Location in Yorktown Heights 1100 Sq. Ft. Store $3100; 1266 Sq. Ft. store $2800 and 450 Sq. Ft. Store $1200. Suitable for any type of business. Contact Wilca: 914.632.1230
HELP WANTED
A non profit Performing Arts Center is seeking two job positions- 1) Director of Development- FT-must have a background in development or experience 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
LEGAL NOTICES FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER In the Matter of ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE
SUMMONS AND INQUEST NOTICE
Chelsea Thomas (d.o.b. 7/14/94), A Child Under 21 Years of Age
Dkt Nos. NN-10514/15/16-10/12C
Adjudicated to be Neglected by NN-2695/96-10/12B FU No.: 22303 Tiffany Ray and Kenneth Thomas, Respondents. X NOTICE: PLACEMENT OF YOUR CHILD IN FOSTER CARE MAY RESULT IN YOUR LOSS OF YOUR RIGHTS TO YOUR CHILD. IF YOUR CHILD STAYS IN FOSTER CARE FOR 15 OF THE MOST RECENT 22 MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FILE A PETITION TO TERMINATE YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND COMMITMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF THE CHILD FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, AND MAY FILE BEFORE THE END OF THE 15-MONTH PERIOD. UPON GOOD CAUSE, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE NON-RESPONSENT PARENT(s) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RESPONDENT; IF THE COURT DETERMINES THE CHILD SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM HIS/HER HOME, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE NON-RESPONDENT PARENT(s) SHOULD BE SUITABLE CUSTODIANS FOR THE CHILD; IF THE CHILD IS PLACED AND REMAINS IN FOSTER CARE FOR FIFTEEN OF THE MOST RECENT TWENTY-TWO MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED TO FILE A PETITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS OF THE PARENT(s) AND COMMITMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF THE CHILD FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, EVEN IF THE PARENT(s) WERE NOT NAMED AS RESPONDENTS IN THE CHILD NEGLECT OR ABUSE PROCEEDING. A NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REQUEST TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT CUSTODY OF THE CHILD AND TO SEEK ENFORCEMENT OF VISITATION RIGHTS WITH THE CHILD. BY ORDER OF THE FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT(S) WHO RESIDE(S) OR IS FOUND AT [specify address(es)]: Last known addresses: TIFFANY RAY: 24 Garfield Street, #3, Yonkers, NY 10701 Last known addresses: KENNETH THOMAS: 24 Garfield Street, #3, Yonkers, NY 10701 An Order to Show Cause under Article 10 of the Family Court Act having been filed with this Court seeking to modify the placement for the above-named child. YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at Yonkers Family Court located at 53 So. Broadway, Yonkers, New York, on the 28th day of March, 2012 at 2;15 pm in the afternoon of said day to answer the petition and to show cause why said child should not be adjudicated to be a neglected child and why you should not be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Article 10 of the Family Court Act. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that you have the right to be represented by a lawyer, and if the Court finds you are unable to pay for a lawyer, you have the right to have a lawyer assigned by the Court. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that if you fail to appear at the time and place noted above, the Court will hear and determine the petition as provided by law. Dated: January 30, 2012 2 column
BY ORDER OF THE COURT CLERK1 column OF THE COURT
Get Noticed
Get Noticed
914-562-0834 WHYTeditor@gmail.com
Legal Notices, Advertise Today
Legal Notices, Advertise Today
Before speaking to the police... call
George Weinbaum ATTORNEY AT LAW
FREE CONSULTATION: Professional Dominican Hairstylists & Nail Technicians Hair Cuts • Styling • Wash & Set • Perming Pedicure • Acrylic Nails • Fill Ins • Silk Wraps • Nail Art Designs Highights • Coloring • Extensions • Manicure • Eyebrow Waxing
Yudi’s Salon 610 Main St, New Rochelle, NY 10801 914.633.7600
Criminal, Medicaid, Medicare Fraud, White-Collar Crime & Health Care Prosecutions.
T. 914.948.0044 F. 914.686.4873
175 MAIN ST., SUITE 711-7 • WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012
The Westchester Guardian
Page 27
LEGAL NOTICES Notice of Formation The Development Team of NY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 1/20/2012. Off. Loc.: Westchester Cnty. SSNY designated as agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, P.O. Box 305, Lincolndale, NY 10540. Purpose: all lawful activities. JPANY, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/21/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O Stern Keiser & Panken, LLP 1025 Westchester Ave. Ste. 305 White Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity. WEINER, LLP Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/6/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLP upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLP 660 White Plains Rd. Tarrytown, NY 10591. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Principal Office: 660 White Plains Rd. Tarrytown, NY 10591
ALBERT E. ALEXANDER ENTERPRISES, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/21/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O Stern Keiser & Panken, LLP Ste. 305 1025 Westchester Ave. White Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
SIGNATURE PUBLIC RELATIONS, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/27/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process C/O Randal B. Hayes 101 Ellwood Ave. 1E Mt. Vernon, NY 10552. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
GEORGIO FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP II Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/6/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O Patricia G. Micek Esq. 2180 Boston Post Rd. Larchmont, NY 10538. Purpose: Any lawful activity
GEORGIO FAMILY III LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/5/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process C/O Patricia G. Micek, Esq. 2180 Boston Post Rd. Larchmont, NY 10538. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
BIG JAY’S DISTRIBUTORS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/25/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O John P. Recchia 201 Tarrytown Rd. White Plains, NY 10607. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
THE FARM FOODIE, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/28/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process C/O Stern Keiser & Panken, LLP 1025 Westchester Ave. Ste. 305 White Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
B8 ENTERPRISE LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/7/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process Justin Jaikaran 9 Holly St. Yonkers, NY 10704. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
BLUE TARGET LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/30/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O Julio Alberto Garcia 119 E. Hartsdale Ave. Apt. 4C Hartsdale, NY 10530. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NUDGE CAPITAL LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/3/2012. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of C/O Patricia G Micek Esq 2180 Boston Post Rd. Larchmont, NY 10538. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
RUN DOG RUN LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/2/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of Alexandra Ginnel 211 Green Ln. Bedford Hills, NY 10507. Purpose: Any lawful activity
CHANCC LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/26/100. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 698 Saw Mill River RD Ardsley, NY 10502. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
GHMT PROPERTIES LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/27/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 1053 Main St. Peekskill, NY 10566. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NEWBOLD HOLDINGS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/19/2012. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 305 North Ave. New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
1250 PELHAM PARKWAY SOUTH, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/23/2012. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 20 Black Hawk Rd. Scarsdale, NY 10583. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
NEWBOLD LOT LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/30/2012. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 305 North Ave. 1st Fl. New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
HAMMER TIME HANDYMAN, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/2/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of The LLC 45 Virginia Lane Thornwood, NY 10594. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Page 28
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2012
Up to 3,700 off 2-for-1 fares* $
Your World. Your Way. Oceania Cruises is the world’s only upper-premium cruise line and offers an unrivaled combination of the finest cuisine, elegant accommodations, personalized service and extraordinary value. And aboard the brand new Riviera, and her sister Marina, you’ll experience the most elegant ships to debut in the past 50 years.
Mediterranean Tapestry
Baltic Treasures
10 nights, May 2 - 12, 2012 Five-Star Marina | Offer #1200429
10 nights, Aug 1 - 11, 2012 Five-Star Marina | Offer #1200425
EXCLUSIVE FREE gratuities & $250 onboard credit*
3,728 off 2-for-1 cruise-only fares*
$
Azure Coasts
10 nights, Aug 13 - 23, 2012 Five-Star Riviera | Offer #1200321
EXCLUSIVE $
EXCLUSIVE
250
$
onboard credit*
250
onboard credit*
2,260 off 2-for-1 cruise-only fares*
3,404 off 2-for-1 cruise-only fares*
$
$
B4 - Veranda Stateroom
A4 - Concierge Veranda
PH3 - Penthouse Suite
B3 - Veranda Stateroom
A4 - Concierge Veranda
PH3 - Penthouse Suite
B4 - Veranda Stateroom
A4 - Concierge Veranda
PH3 - Penthouse Suite
1st guest Was $10,198 $ Now 6,470 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $11,198 $ Now 7,470 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $13,748 $ Now 10,070 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $10,648 $ Now 8,388 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $11,448 $ Now 9,188 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $14,048 $ Now 11,788 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $10,448 $ Now 7,044 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $11,448 $ Now 8,044 2nd guest FREE
1st guest Was $14,048 $ Now 10,644 2nd guest FREE
P O I N T S O F D I S T I N C T I O N • Elegant mid-size ships featuring large-ship amenities • Free and unlimited soft drinks and bottled water througout the ship Country club-casual ambiance; tuxedos & gowns are never required • Finest cuisine at sea, served in up to six open-seating restaurants; all at no additional charge Gourmet culinary program created by world-renowned Master Chef Jacques Pépin • Canyon Ranch SpaClub® • Best value in luxury cruising
Graybar Building - New York 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 1603 pisabrothers.com
800.729.7472 mgr@pisabrothers.com
*Offer expires February 29, 2012. All advertised fares already reflect all discounts. No airfare is included. Any applicable shipboard credits or special amenities shown are per stateroom based on double occupancy. All advertised fares and offers are cruise-only, per person based on double occupancy, are subject to availability at time of booking, may not be combinable with other offers, are capacity controlled and may be withdrawn without prior notice or remain in effect after the expiration date. All fares listed are in U.S. dollars, cruise-only, per person, based on double occupancy and include Non-Commissionable Fares. Cruise-related Government Fees and Taxes of up to $19.50 per guest per day are additional. Cruise Ship Fuel Surcharge may apply and, if applicable, is additional revenue to Oceania Cruises. 2 for 1 and Special Offer fares are based on published Full Brochure Fares. Full Brochure Fares may not have resulted in actual sales in all cabin categories, may not have been in effect during the last 90 days and do not include Personal Charges and Optional Facilities and Services Fees as defined in the Terms and Conditions of the Guest Ticket Contract which may be viewed at OceaniaCruises. com. Full Brochure Fares are cruise only. Please call for optional air-add on rates from Oceania Cruises gateway cities. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Complete terms and conditions may be found in the Guest Ticket Contract. Ships’ Registry: Marshall Islands. Pisa Brothers strongly recommends the purchase of travel insurance. We reserve the right to correct errors and omissions. For complete terms and conditions contact Pisa Brothers.
WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM