Westchester GuardianWestchester Guardian

PRESORTED STANDARD PERMIT #3036 WHITE PLAINS NY

Vol. VI No. V

Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly

Assemblyman Dr. Katz Announces New Legislation Targeting Voter Fraud, Page 18

Thursday, February 2, 2012 $1.00

Leaving On a Jet Plane: Mardi Gras Page 14

Photography Page6

First American: Asiatic Origins Page 9

Creating a Monster Page 12

Redistricting: FAILURE Page 16

(L-R): Putnam County Deputy County Executive Bruce Walker, Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell, Assemblyman Dr. Steve Katz, and Putnam County Board of Elections Commissioner Anthony G. Scannapieco.

Fearing Newt Gingrich

By MATT BARBER, Page 20

Jihad: When Elections Fail Page 19

Rarely Seen Shaw Page 14

A Desperate Attempt to Escape Page 23

westchesterguardian.com

Page 2

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

The Westchester Guardian

Of Significance Community Section................................................................................4 Books......................................................................................................4 Calendar................................................................................................6 Creative Disruption.............................................................................6 Economic Development.....................................................................7 Fitness....................................................................................................8 History...................................................................................................9 Legal.....................................................................................................10 Music....................................................................................................11 Najah’s Corner....................................................................................12 Real Estate...........................................................................................13 Spoof.....................................................................................................13 Eye On Theatre...................................................................................14 Travel....................................................................................................14 Government Section.............................................................................16 Albany Correspondent.....................................................................16 Message from Mayor.........................................................................17 Mayor Marvin’s Column..................................................................17 Legislation...........................................................................................18 International Section.............................................................................19 OpEd Section..........................................................................................20 Ed Koch Commentary.....................................................................21 Weir only Human..............................................................................23 Legal Notices...........................................................................................22

Page 3

RADIO

Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris

Westchester On the Level is heard from Mondays to Fridays, 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 January30th and ending on February 3rd, we have many exciting people worthy of being heard is heard. We begin the week on Monday, January 30th with Nancy B. Brewer [ http://NancyBBrewer.com/ ], author, history re-enactor and genealogist. Among her written work are “Carolina Rain,”“Beyond Sandy Ridge,”“Quotes and Poems in Black and White,” and “A Doll Named Fannie,” among other creative work.

On Tuesday, January 31st, after attending the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency Meeting conducted

by Yonkers Mayor and YIDA Chair Mike Spano, Richard Narog and Hezi Aris will discuss the events of the day and their ramifications, including the expected GOP Primary being contested in Florida that day.

On Wednesday, likely reeling from the election results the night before, Matt Barber, legal counsel concentrating on constitutional law, vice-president of Liberty Counsel Action , associate Dean and Adjunct Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law will open the show. He will be with us from 10 – 10:30 a.m. Matt Barber is a columnist whose work has appeared in The Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, the Yonkers Tribune, and The Westchester Guardian, among others. He is a regular guest on dozens of talk radio programs and networks including Michael Savage, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, Dennis Prager, the Michael Medved Show, the Michael Reagan Show and others. Sometime after 10:30 a.m., Michael Edelman, national and local political pundit Michael Edelman will join us in conversation to analyze the Florida GOP face off of the previous night.

Thursday, February 2nd is not yet finalized. But Friday, February 3rd Mark Rosen, Congressional candidate vying to represent the 18th Congressional District is our guest.

For those who cannot join us live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or an on demand after 12:15 p.m., after every show at the link provided above.

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.

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 2, 2012

BOOKS

No Guarantees: One Man’s Road Through the Darkness of Depression Chapter Twenty Two – Shady Rest

By BOB MARRONE I would like to say that John Casarino and I settled into a smooth pattern of my telling him about my life with no break from the chronological order of things. That, however, is not how it unfolded.

It was more like going to an emergency room complaining about pain in six different places sustained in a bad accident, and having the doctor try to focus on one limb at a time, based on the most life threatening injuries. One difference from that analogy is that a lot of what you complain about, such as: “was I good or bad,” or “am I a horrible person,” wastes a lot of time and forces your therapist to keep you focused on your feelings and away from you obsessions and displacements.

In the interest of clarity I will keep the events of my life, as they relate to my condition at that time, as linear as possible. Take note, also, that my life leading up to my sudden transfer from my foster home, to my mothers home on Twenty Fourth Street when I was seven years old, has been covered in earlier chapters, as were the days leading up to my first few weeks in treatment. As we proceed, their significance will be more than evident.

My earliest recollection, after I was taken from my life on Seventeenth Street, was of me sitting on the small curb that lined the driveway side of my new house, looking through a chain linked fence out onto the street. The fence was locked as no one had driven a car across that threshold for many years. The driveway was an extension of the backyard which was one hundred percent covered with concrete, bordered by our next store neighbor’s fence on

the left, our old unused garage in the back; and on the driveway side by a wooden fence that ran all the way to the garage. On the other side of that fence was an empty lot.

The biggest difference from Seventeenth Street during that first year or so was the way my new household behaved when it came to risk taking and outside-the-house activities.

My new parental overseers were my biological mother, who worked until about 9 pm each night, and my grandmother, who was the homemaker and, for all intent and purpose, my stay at home mom. They did not know me well and were as over protective as they were distant.

This was a tougher a neighborhood than my old one, and they were not comfortable with me just going out to play, riding bikes, playing baseball or anything else that might cause me to get “hurt.” It was also a household where women outnumbered the males. There were a lot of cutouts, dolls and board games, and few if any male toys. My older brother, who I did not know very well and who was in what we would call know his middle school years, did do sports and other “boy” things, but it would be years before we bonded or did anything together.

My role in the pecking order of my new home was an issue, as was the unclear nature of who actually lived there. That wood framed bay windowed, three story house was the equivalent of an open city; a condition that would play a great role in my attitudes towards marriage, fatherhood and responsibility. I loved that house. But I swore from an early age I would sell if ever I had the chance, to stop the cycle of ruined lives, abandoned children and

dysfunctional love relationships it helped to create.

In addition to my mother and grandmother, the permanent residents of the house were me, my real brother, maybe, Tony, Mary, one of the cousins whose father and mother just left her there… she was the oldest…, and Ronnie and Carol, two other cousins who were left there when their mother died and their father decided to, well, just be elsewhere The part timers were another matter and it took me awhile to sort them out. There was Gary, Mary’s older brilliant brother who lived there for a few years after I moved in, but stayed to himself upstairs on the same top floor where his parents had lived before their break. He was already working and only seen on weekends. He never quite joined the nuclear family I have referred to as permanent. Like others in this book, you will meet him in the later chapters. Then there was Aunt Harriet, Mary’s and Gary’s biological mother. She kept a bedroom on the third floor but spent all but two days a week as a live-in housekeeper for a rich doctor in Manhattan. She was not much involved with her children after she split from my mother’s brother. Like many other before and after, she knew my mom would just take care of everything.

Also living there around the time I arrived, were Frank and Wilma, the woman who signed me up for school. Frank was Mary and Gary’s still older brother. He was a career Navy man who signed up at 17, and had just been transferred back to New York. He was living with us while looking for his own place and waiting

out the birth of his first child. This couple was one of the few that put together a real marriage and acted like real parents in the entire history of my family up until that time. I mention this because most of the people who came there were more than content to lay their kids off with my mom and avoid the hard aspects of parenthood and familial responsibility.

In and out from time to time would be Uncle Joe, the father of the first two, and Frank, the father of Mary, Gary, Frank and George.

George was another career Navy guy who came back for a while with his family. My mother signed him into the Navy when he was 17, lest he go down the wrong path. .

It was three floors of every man for himself.

The battle was for love, attention and status.

There were a lot of abandoned kids in that house who were never allowed to admit that they were sad or mad. Almost all of them would pay a price of varying degrees later on. But there was love to be had, and at times even magical affection. But there was never enough. There was, however, an odd center and structure.

Grandma Lucy provided the structure, which came from set dinner times, great cooking and sense that there was always someone there. My mother was the intellectual and working anchor who could answer any question, seemingly fix any illness and buy you cloths and toys.

One last thing before we move on. For all the years I would live in that house, my mother never had her own bed.

Oh, yes, the chapter title. So many people came and went without permission or rejection that many came to call our house Shady Rest, as in a hotel or a home for the indigent.

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 Westchester Guardian

BOOKS

Born Minus Catapults Local Author Armand Miele to National Recognition Nanuet, NY -- Born Minus, From Shoeshine Boy to News Publisher, An ItalianAmerican Journey, written by local author Armand Miele, is now available for purchase at Meadowlark Toys and Gifts and Sunbridge College Bookstore in Chestnut Ridge, NY, as well as DeLillio Pasticceria and Cerini’s Coffee and Gifts in The Bronx, NY. The stores selling the book are accessible locations to their surrounding communities and the bookstore is one of only a few independent bookstores left in the area.

Born Minus was also recently added to BarnesAndNobles. com, Amazon.com, and Lulu.com “We’re so excited to share my father’s book with these independent stores,” said Donna Miele, Armand Miele’s daughter. “It’s great to know that the community wants to get involved in this book.The writing of it was an undertaking for not only my father, but also for our family.

Being able to finally share it with the world is something that my father always wanted to do and we are forever grateful for our supporters.”

Over the course of the last eight decades, Armand Miele has seen many things come and go, as well as some things change for the better and some for the worse. After living a difficult life through the Great Depression, WWII, and a myriad of other historical events, Armand managed to not only change his fate as a poor Italian-American immigrant, but also turn himself into a successful business man in an ever-changing economic climate. Born Minus, From Shoeshine Boy to News Publisher, An ItalianAmerican Journey, is an inspiring book about one man’s journey through life, beating the odds and coming out on top.

Armand Miele was born into an immigrant Italian family in The Bronx, NY, during the Great Depression, born minus the advantages and comforts of many Americans. After growing up with less than zero, he built successful

businesses in the New York metropolitan area, defeated terminal cancer, and survived the devastating loss of a child. In his senior years, he resuscitated the weekly Rockland County Times from bankruptcy, restoring a local institution and staunchly supporting the independent press.

“The story of Armand Miele is the story of America - one man’s fascinating journey through the landscape of the real American dream,” writes Dylan Skriloff, Editor-in-Chief of the Rockland County Times.

“Miele has lived through a lot of history and doesn’t mind sharing what he’s seen, as you will see in the book. You will often note his conservative political thinking in action, in a way that is not portrayed in the mainstream media.”

The book is split into two parts; the first part, Born Minus, a Memoir is dedicated to Mr. Miele’s life. Chapters like “The Suit: A Gentleman’s Work” and “Ofelia: A Love So Far above Me”, let readers journey through Mr. Miele’s labors of life.

The second part, Miele’s Musings, is a collection of Mr. Miele’s Op-Ed columns, published in the Rockland County Times over the last thirteen years. From “New Deal Taxes: Will ‘Change’ Be Any Different” and “Greedy Fakers and Crooks” to “What’s ‘American-Italian’” and “The Fear of Cancer”, readers will connect with Mr. Miele’s old-school sensibilities as he discusses critical points about our government and society.

Born Minus, From Shoeshine Boy to News Publisher, An Italian-American Journey, is the story of Armand Miele and America. The book, independently published, is available online and in stores.

For a complete list of where you can find a copy of the book, please visit www.BornMinus.com.

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.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 5

When was the last time you dealt with Lexington Capital Associates?

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. 240 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10801 Phone (914) 632-1230 fax (914) 633-0806

Page 6

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

CALENDAR

News & Notes from Northern Westchester

By MARK JEFFERS The weather outside hasn’t been frightful, but the fire is still delightful and since there’s no place to go…the area ski venues are singing “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” and speaking of delightful…please enjoy this week’s “News and Notes.”

Our northern Westchester neighbor Martha Stewart, one of Bedford’s most notable residents, will be losing her show on the Hallmark Channel at the end of the current TV season, maybe she should bake up a batch of her famous cookies and send some to the programming folks over at Hallmark...

The White Plains Rotary Club and the city’s Fire Department are sponsoring a food drive through January 27th. Canned goods may be dropped off at the city firehouses in White Plains.

Congratulations goes out to North Salem resident Nancy Pearson who was recently appointed the vice president of the board of directors of CAREERS for people with

Disabilities Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding productive employment for individuals with disabilities.

The Briarcliff Manor Police Benevolent Association is holding a coat drive through January 30th. New or gently-used coats of any size can be dropped off at Police Headquarters on Pleasantville Road, for more information call 914-941-2130.

Calling all beauty pageant aficionados starting on Saturday January 14th at 2:00 pm the Miss Teen New York USA pageant will be held at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College.

Now that winter is finally setting in, it is time to start curling up by the fire and reading a good book. The question is what to read…problem solved, on every second Friday of the month the Bedford Free Library hosts a brown bag book chat, where people can gather to discuss books you have liked, hated, old ones, new ones, and of course give recommendations. No registration is necessary just bring a bagged lunch.

If you are looking for a way to help

keep your exercise resolutions going strong, consider signing up for the 26th Running of the Leatherman’s Loop 10k Trail Race at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Registration for the Loop Lottery is open until January 16th. The actual event will take place on April 22nd at the Reservation. I’m starting my training right now!

The Emergency Shelter Partnership is looking for donations of old bath towels, which I know we have…The Partnership provides food, shelter, and a shower to local people who need a place to stay for the night. Those in need register with the police department in Mt. Kisco and are then brought to area churches. The First Presbyterian Church of Katonah, which is the church we belong to, is hosting the Partnership January 16th to the 22nd.

January 15th through February 19th the Katonah Museum of Art will be showing a Tri-State Juried Exhibition: Art to the Point.

The Juror, Donald Sultan, is a distinguished American painter, printmaker, and sculptor. This exhibition focuses on clarity and vision in the simplest of terms and mediums. The idea is to get away from clutter and agendas, and concentrate solely on art. This is a great opportunity to view art in is simplest form, and no one knows simple better than me!

For all pre-school and incoming kindergarten parents the Katonah- Lewisboro School

District is hosting a panel discussion to provide them with all the information they need to help their children prepare for school. This event was postponed in November, and will now be held on January 18th from 9:30-10:45am in the Increase Miller Elementary Cafeteria. After going through school with three teenage daughters I consider myself an expert!

Jumping ahead about ten years, for those parents starting to think about their kids going off to college and their SAT/ACT scores, there is a free SAT/ACT combo practice test at the Fox Lane High School in Bedford on January 19th at 4:00pm. This combo test will help students figure out which exam might be a better fit. Bring a calculator, No. 2 pencils, and a snack for the marathon of tests.

Did you know that 2012 is a Leap Year, an Olympic Year and an Election Year, with all that going on, the best advice I can offer is to make sure you pick up this wonderful publication each week to keep up on what’s happening…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.

PJS Jazz Society to Present Versatile Jazz Vocalist Lynette Washington Washington is a Brooklyn, NY, native whose extensive music career in jazz, R&B, and gospel has taken around the globe. Winner of the 2005 Grand Prize Winner of the Jazzmobile / Anheuser Busch Jazz Vocal Competition, she was featured on WBGO’s “Singers Unlimited” show. She is an accomplished songwriter and arranger, as well, and has worked with many well-known artists, including Aretha Franklin, U2, Peter Gabriel, Celia Cruz and Clifford Jordan. She was a featured lead singer and musical arranger with New Voices of Freedom,

the singers who appeared in U2’s documentary film Rattle & Hum and then later shared the stage with the famed Irish rock band at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Additional parking for the PJS Jazz Society concerts is available at the Holmes School adjacent to the First Presbyterian Church.

PJS concerts are made possible, in part, by ArtsWestchester with support from Westchester County.

possibly starting the deathwatch for the firm that brought photographic ability to the masses (it did obtain a $950 million of credit from CitiCorp, providing a

By JOHN F. McMULLEN line possible path to recovery).

Kodak’s story is not unfamiliar when Creative Disruption is a we look into “creative disruption” (or in Kodak’s continuing series examining case “creative destruction”). Kodak’s innovation the impact of constantly started an industry, educated and developed a accelerating technology on the world around huge customer base, invented digital photogus. These changers normally happen under our raphy, and made the mistake of not staying personal radar until we find that the world as we ahead of the technological curve, eventually knew it is no more. falling victim to a major management error that On January 19, 2012, Eastman Kodak filed led it to its present state (it had 62,000 employees for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11, in its home Rochester area in the 1980s; a

number that has fallen to less than 7,000 today).

Its story is not dissimilar to Xerox’s which also begat an industry and, by in large, because of its great success, did not make the leap into the area of computer technology even though its major research arm, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (“Xerox PARC”) gave us Laser Printing, Object Oriented Programming, the Graphical User Interface, and Ethernet networking. Kodak’s story differs in that it spans a much longer period of success.

Although it might seem so, photography did not begin with Eastman Kodak. The idea of a “pinhole camera” dates to the 5th and 6th centuries and DaVinci wrote about “camera obscuras”

MOUNT VERNON, NY – The PJS Jazz Society will present the popular and versatile jazz vocalist Lynette Washington at its next Second Sunday Jazz Series concert on Sunday, February 12 at the First Presbyterian Church on North Columbus Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York. Doors open at 5 PM, there is an opening set by younger jazz musicians at 5:15, and then Washington will perform from 6-9 PM. Tickets are $18 for non-members; $10 for PJS members; and $12 for students. Concerts are held in a cabaret setting, with food and beverages available for purchase.

For more information call Greg at (914) 793-7179 or visit www.pjsjazz.org

CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Photography

during the period from 1478 to 1519, but it was not until 1839 that the term “photography”entered the English language. During the 19th century, photographers had to understand the physics of light and have the skill to use heavy photographic equipment, Mathew Brady (1823 --1896; one “t” is correct)’s famous Civil War photographs popularized the use of pictures and Brady is considered the “Father of Photojournalism.”

George Eastman (1884 – 1932), the founder of what became Eastman Kodak, is truly the father of modern photography. He invented “roll film” as a method of recording photographic Continued on page 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

The Westchester Guardian

Page 7

CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Photography Continued from page 6 images in 1884 and, in 1888, introduced the Kodak Camera, the first camera for roll film (The camera cost $25 and came preloaded with enough film for 100 exposures. When the customer had used all the exposures, he/she sent the camera containing the film to Kodak which, for $10, developed the film, printed pictures, reloaded the camera with film for another 100 photos, and mailed it all back to the customer).

In 1892, the firm known as “Eastman Kodak” came into being and, in 1900, the firm introduced the camera that would become its most famous model, the “Brownie.” My first experiences with photography were with a Brownie Box camera, which would be used on trips to the Bronx Zoo with my male and female cohorts in their Easter finery. The Brownie had no “zoom” or “wide angle” features and the film and the pictures were black and white. Eastman Kodak dominated the film market (in 1976, it had a 90% share of the film market) and, in spite of what now feels like Stone Age technology, we were generally satisfied with the results.

Eastman Kodak was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Index (“DJII”) in 1930 and remained as part of the Index for 74 years until 2004.

Although, even after the suicide of Eastman in 1932, Kodak continued to innovate and prosper (It introduced “Kodachrome”, the first 35mm color film in 1935), it faced its first major technology challenge in in 1948 when Polaroid (founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land) introduced the first instant film camera (a camera which produced instant pictures). Kodak tried to compete with Polaroid by introducing its own instant camera but was not very successful and, after it lost a patent infringement suit to Polaroid, left the instant camera business in 1986.

Of more long term importance was the invention of the digital camera by a Kodak engineer, Steven Sasson, in 1975. Kodak, in a momentous management misjudgment, decided not to actively move to this technology as it would cannibalize its profitable film business! Initially, the judgment made some sense as digital cameras were very expensive and did not have the resolution that film cameras did.This, of course, was soon to change!

Once the digital camera cat was out of the bag, the cameras became smaller and cheaper, the resolution became better and better, and users moved rapidly to the new format. As it became evident that a digital camera is simply a “computer” that takes pictures” (phrase attributed to many), computer and electronics firms such as Hewlett-Packard, Samsung, and Sony entered

the market already crowded with Nikon, Canon, and, eventually, Kodak.

Kodak had supposedly determined as early as 1979 that the market would shift permanently to digital by 2010 and it tried to do other things to broaden its base such as a move in to copy machines, threatening cross-Rochester Xerox.

What it did not do, however, was to thoroughly embrace digital photography and begin to wind down its investment in film research, processing, and development. Such a move is admittedly difficult to do when that sector of the business is providing the major revenue of the firm but, if the firm does not use that revenue to support the coming technology, the company will fall on very tough times, as Kodak has.

While this column has focused on Kodak to this point, the changes were not over. Not every person carried a digital camera with them all the time – but, from at least 2000 on, most carried a cell phone and we rapidly moved from “cell phone to smartphone” as more and more manufacturers added digital camers to the phone and now all Apple iPhones and most Android-based phones contain camera capabilities (as well as video cams). The stand-alone digital cameras still sell but not the way that was expected before the spartphones ate the main consumer market.

More importantly, from a societal view, we now have a nation of photojournalists who have

in the last year provided the public with images of natural disasters, police brutality, sports events, criminal activity, accidents, weddings, unusual weather, graduations, etc. – in short, anything that we see as we go through our lives. These pictures may be shared instantly via e-mail and / or stored in one of the on-line photo vaults (Flicka or Picasa) or on Facebook.

We never again have to buy film, bring the exposed film to a store or send it away to be processed, or pay for additional prints. On the other side of the ledger is the fact that there is no need for the personnel who were previously involved in the replaced film research, manfacturing, sale, and processing chain.

----- Just another example of how we must always be “looking over our shoulder,” ready to adapt to new technologies that will change our lives.

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.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Developer Financed Study Recommends New Rochelle Move City Yard

202 Coligni Avenue • New Rochelle, New York

This special home offers comfort, curb appeal and an ideal location.

By PEGGY GODFREY Forest City Residential’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for developing New Rochelle’s Echo Bay was extended for 60 days by the City Council. The 5-2 vote was along party lines, 5 Democrats for to 2 Republicans against. The newest members of the Council, all Democrats, felt the developer deserved a chance to present a downsized project. Councilmen Jared Rice, Ivar Hyden and Councilwoman Shari Rackman, joined the other Democrats, Barry Fertel and Mayor Noam Bramson, who had voted for the previous MOU with Forest City Residential, voted for approving the extension. Hyden did express disappointment with the revised downsized project saying he had worked on the original committee for this development which was replete with lots of retail, a hotel and apartment dwellings. The original 26-acre proposal is now only 6 acres, centering around the City Yard.

Fertel also expressed concern over the downsized project despite voting for it.

Both Republicans, upon voting, “No,” raised serious concerns about why they did

not want to give the time extension to Forest City Residential. When Councilman Lou Trangucci asked about the Armory, which in the original plan was proposed to be demolished, he was told by Kathleen Gill, the City’s Corporate Counsel, that the original MOU did not say Forest City Residential had control of the Armory. Councilman Al Tarantino who had voted for the first MOU, wanted to know the “upside and downside” of not extending this new MOU. Commissioner of Development, Michael Freimuth, saw no reason not to wait out the 60 days. Tarantino wanted to know if the smaller amount of projected development in Echo Bay could include attaching more retail to the project.

Freimuth said, “The market is the market.”

Trangucci was especially concerned that Forest City Residential could walk away after completing phase one of the project. City Manager Chuck Strome added the MOU does not commit Forest City Residential to do anything until the land disposition agreement is signed.

During the discussion Strome stated, “Something has to be done with the City Yard.”

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 2, 2012

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Developer Financed Study Recommends New Rochelle Move City Yard Continued from page 7 He added the developer wanted to know if the present City Yard property would be made available for development. When other sites for the City Yard were mentioned, Strome said that initially the promise was made that the “City Yard would be moved.” There was a DPW report conducted by Dolph Rotfeld Engineering which had been commissioned in early 2011 to compare the costs and benefits of modernizing the current East Main Street operations center versus constructing a new DPW facility at Cityowned property on Beechwood Avenue. Cost breakdowns in the study were presented to the City Council for consideration should the City Yard be moved to the Beechwood location.

The decision to authorize this study was

made, according to City Manager Strome, administratively, and did not have to be approved by the City Council After the Council meeting, Martin Sanchez who lives in the neighborhood of the projected Beechwood area site sent a letter to various media outlets. A few of his comments follow: “In reviewing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) the City of New Rochelle produced, it was quite puzzling that the engineers did not look at any other open space residential area in New Rochelle. Now, with the Mayor and City Manager’s pronouncements, it smells like a done deal. A congested area would soon become even more congested and hazardous.” Another New Rochelle resident, Elizabeth Lewin said, “They are going to wreck a whole neighborhood because they

don’t really care about the people who live there.

Instead of building boutiques and stores on Echo Bay, put some retail on Main Street so we can have walk-in traffic.” Councilman Lou Trangucci when he addressed the New Rochelle Citizens Reform Club on January 24th said the Relocation study did not include the millions of dollars needed to clean up the Beechwood site, nor the cost for the transfer station relocation. The site was purchased for $5.5 million the cost was however not calculated into the final cost requirements of the development project nor were the cost of demolishing the present building on the site incorporated in the final costing evaluation..

Peggy Godfrey is a freelance writer and a former educator.

Here are the breakdowns of costs in the report: East Main Street Site Work.............................. $3,871,425 New Building........................ $6,293,200 Soil Removal/Demolition...... $3,554,300 Miscellaneous........................ $ 250,000 15% Contingency................. $2,085,335 TOTAL................................ $16,095,335 Beechwood Avenue Site Work................................. $2,276,000 New Building........................... $6,363,200 Parcel Acquision/ Parking Deck.$2,543,276 Miscellaneous............................$ 125,000 15 % Contingency................... $1,696,154 TOTAL................................... $13,501,300

FITNESS

Gym Membership Not the Best Choice for Weight Loss & Fitness, says Personal Trainer

By ROBERT SEITZ NEW ROCHELLE, NY— Procrastinators about losing weight and getting in shape in 2012 may actually be ahead of the game if their New Year’s resolution to join a gym has not yet been realized.

According to fitness and weight-loss counselor Joseph Hunt, “The brain and mindset have to first be ‘in condition’ before the body will respond to the will and desire to lose weight, get in shape, build muscle, get toned, and stay fit.

That’s why rushing into a gym membership on January 1st can be a big waste of time and money

for many people. Before long, everyday life, work and family commitments get in the way and grabbing a couple of donuts for a breakfast-onthe-run ends up being about the only running that they do.”

For any procrastinators – and everyone else—Hunt will be hosting a free Weight Loss and Fitness Workshop on Saturday, March 3rd from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at his personal training center, Westchester County Fitness Professionals, 175 Memorial Highway, New Rochelle. Hunt, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.) and Corrective Exercise Specialist (CPT) will be giving a presentation on exercise options, will WHERE QUALITY AND HONESTY COUNTS be giving a presentation on exercise options.

These include a series of “Maxfit” exercise programs, developed by Hunt, which provide affordable one-on-one training in a small group setting. Joining Hunt in the presentation will be Samantha Joy Mark, R.D., CDN, staff dietician for ShopRite of New Rochelle. She will be giving a presentation on the importance Estate & Antique Jewelry • Engagement & Wedding Rings of combining exercise Special Orders Design • Jewelry & Watch Repairs • Appraisals with nutrition, offering We Buy Gold and High End Watches tips on healthy food HOURS: Monday-Saturday 8:30AM-6:30PM choices and options 914.245.1023 • YORKTOWNJEWELERS@YAHOO.COM that work with many

Yorktown Jewelers

2008 CROMPOUND RD. ROMA BLDG. YORKTOWN HEIGHTS

lifestyles and quickly get budgets. This discouraged will include by comparing examples of themselves easy-to-prepare to gym rats processed and gym foods that are bunnies that still affordalready have able and great-looking nutritious. bodies. Plus, The if they don’t presentaknow how to tions will be properly use followed by free weights Tarshia Holder and Sonia Runce. an optional, and other low-intensity mini work-out session. equipment they can end up not only wasting a Mary Bell, 57, trained for the New York lot of time but also injuring themselves.”

City Marathon when she was younger. “I was Another Maxfit class enthusiast, Tarshia a child of the sixties and very much influenced Holder, 40, is so motivated that she attends 5:30 by the exercise and fitness messages of the AM Maxfit classes with Hunt three days a week Kennedy Administration and then, later, by the before heading off to her teaching job in the Jane Fonda exercise videos. Today, I just want to White Plains School District. “I was throwing maintain the basics,” said Bell. “The best part of money away on gym memberships because training with Joseph is the variety of exercises I would sign up and after a while, stop going. that he puts you through. Every part of the body Joseph motivates me to keep coming.” is worked out. I come away feeling better toned Admission to the March 3rd Weight Loss and having more endurance.” and Fitness Workshop is free but seating will Sonia Runce of Mt. Vernon said, “I was be limited. RSVPs are requested. To register, spending two hours a day working out by myself contact Hunt directly at 646-207-8949 or via in a gym, but I wasn’t making any progress. As e-mail: jhunt.tobefit@gmail.com. soon as I signed up for Joseph’s Maxfit classes, Rob Seitz is New York State licensed Realtor I could feel the difference.” The difference for specializing in commercial real estate and also Runce was neither “pain or gain” but rather experienced in residential transactions including learning how to properly perform exercises, build leasing, sales and investment properties. He is also off the energy of the group setting, and benefit a freelance writer. He can be reached via e-mail at from Hunt’s personal direction and motivarseitz@stetsonrealestate.com or by cell, tion. “‘Flying solo’ at a gym often leads to ‘fatal 914-393-6144. crashes,’ “ noted Hunt. “New gym members can

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 9

HISTORY

Why You Should Love the Filibuster - Sort of

By RICH MONETTI With a majority in both houses of government long gone, the filibuster has again fallen off the national radar. Nonetheless, it’s hard to forget the disappointing results that came of attempts at meaningful healthcare reform and the role the filibuster played. Given that, it seems doing away with the parliamentary procedure is an idea whose time has come. But the 2008’s Democratic majority was not the first to question why the republic must stagnate as the public boils well beyond 98 degrees for change.

Robert Caro’s, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, offers a dissertation starting with the concerns first raised by Thomas Jefferson.

Over hot tea, Washington slid Jefferson a cup of milk to make his point. It cools the tea and the senate will do the same to the nation when it’s overheating, said Washington. Its foresight soon revealed itself on the world stage.

The founding fathers understood the tyranny of kings; they also appreciated that a system of checks and balances would reveal another form of oppression that concerned them as much. The tyranny of the people (or the majority) could be just as destructive.The French Revolution showed this then, and majority backlashes such as the one in Rwanda, speaks for itself today.

The first test came as Thomas Jefferson himself wanted to impeach Justice Samuel Chase on the grounds of political disagreement. The majority in the House stood with their president as a Republican wave swept the country. The Senate stepped back and ten Republican Senators were able see the consequences such a precedent would have had.

The Senate’s greatest age coincided with the compromises that put off our inevitable civil war.

With unforgettable oratory, men such as Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun rose to the aspirations of the founding fathers. Delayed, the young nation survived something it might not have been able to in 1820 or even 1850.

Unfortunately, the Senate went from a platform that the world envied to the petty and

ineffective body that we are familiar with today.

The filibuster would kill The League of Nations, and as the seeds were again sewn for another monumental struggle, isolationist senators killed FDR’s attempts to stand up to the axis or retool for war.

Domestically, civil rights legislation was held hostage to a Southern Filibuster for 75 years.

Passed in the House throughout the 20th Century, 22 Southern Senators utilized the body’s long windedness by using a refrain we heard in our healthcare debate. State’s rights were supreme and Federal control would lead to tyranny.

Nonetheless, the Senate managed to shine on two crucial occasions. FDR’s court packing plan of 1937 was an attempt to reverse New Deal Legislation that had been ruled unconstitutional.

Putting aside the merits of the FDR’s plans, more power would have been concentrated in the executive branch - thus disrupting our system of checks and balances.

The senate came through again in 1951.

Caro describes the scene in the words of William Manchester. “A senior officer in full uniform, contemptuously defying a constitutional commander in chief and undertaking to force an alteration in the highest decision of civil government,” he said in describing MacArthur’s exit from his farewell address.

Jets flying overhead, 250,000 people in pandemonium, journalist George Reedy feared for the very republic. “I’ll never forget watching him go up Pennsylvania Avenue - had he said, ‘let’s take it,’ and had he started a charge toward the White House, the adoring crowds would have followed him.”

Congressional Correspondent William S. White had a similar sentiment. “I have never feared more for the institutions of my country. I felt if the speech had gone on much longer there might have been a march on the White House.”

Furthermore, MacArthur’s military strategy posed an even greater threat, and with the nation’s overwhelming support, an early attempt to challenge by Freshman Senator Robert Kerr showed

the charged atmosphere. “You could just feel the hostility in the gallery and they hated Kerr at that moment,” George Reedy recalled.

Senator Richard Russell of Georgia was the one hope of slowing this runaway train and the sentiment sweeping the country. Despite being the archenemy of Civil Rights Legislation, he was probably the most respected U.S. Senator.

At a time when Southern Senators freely slung the n-word around, no one was more knowledgeable of the senate’s workings and his impassioned, dignified, approach couldn’t be ignored; even by the northern liberals who hated him.

As for the issues at hand, says Caro, “he understood the terrible dangers of the policies of MacArthur the global strategist, and he was aware of the danger inherent in MacArthur’s challenge to the president’s authority.”

He also knew the Senate provided the forum in which all sides of the complex issue could be viewed. In turn, Americans could fully gauge the situation.

First, he kept the cameras out so emotion could not be swayed by MacArthur’s oratory skills, but he also made sure that as much information as possible made it to the American people. As for his tone, he afforded the general the respect he deserved and the American people expected.

On display, MacArthur made his position clear. He proposed that Manchuria be bombed, China blockaded and Chiang Kai-shek allowed to invade the mainland from the island of Formosa .

The Truman administration’s attempt to make war piecemeal would lead to a broader conflict as appeasement always did, Caro paraphrased.

In response, Russell’s intent was to demonstrate that MacArthur was a theater commander making decisions that required a global understanding. What if Chang’s forces were wiped out - would US troops have to defend Formosa?

What then if Russia invaded Japan or what if seeing its allies defeated, they enter the fray thus widening the war and possibly provoking nuclear attack.

Asked point blank, “How do you propose to defend America against that war?”

MacArthur almost made the case against himself. “That doesn’t happen to be my responsibility, Senator,” he said. “My responsibilities are in the Pacific.” The tide had turned and the virulent general turned out to be as lactose intolerant as the founders intended.

Regardless, you’re perfectly justified to hate the filibuster but at least a little solace can be taken in the restraint it provides. Hopefully, the future brings the type of people that the convention had in mind when the challenge has been equaled rather than all those that have sunk with the sugar.

Rich Monetti lives in Somers. He’s been a free- lance writer in Westchester since 2003 and works part time in the after school program at Mt. Kisco Childcare.

You can find more of his stories at www. rmonetti. blogspot.com.

COINS & CURRENCY GOLD & SILVER WANTED

Experienced collector and part-time dealer will identify your holdings, explain how to determine value, and make you a strong offer or sell for you on consignment:

marosner@aol.com References Available

The First Americans, 1: Asiatic Origins

By ROBERT SCOTT Today’s American Indian population of more than 2.8 million counted in the 2010 Census is in sharp contrast to the native population in 1609, the year Henry Hudson sailed up the river that bears his name.The entire North American continent was then the exclusive domain of Indians.

A mere hundred years later, the Indian tribes of the Hudson Valley had sold their highly

desirable lands to Dutch or English colonists, usually for a song.The Indian tribes of the region-Mahicans and Munsees--then scattered to the four winds, leaving only names on the land and a few tribal members in isolated remnant groups.

Some Hudson Valley tribes found their way to Massachusetts, others to upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. To find descendants of these tribes today, one would have Continued on page 10

914.649.3317

Page 10

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

HISTORY

The First Americans, 1: Asiatic Origins Continued from page 9 to travel to Wisconsin or to Ontario in Canada, where small bands still live on reservations.

A similar extinction drama was played out in the Massachusetts Bay colony after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620. Eventually, a whole section of American ethnography was pushed from their lands and settled on reservations in what were considered to be undesirable areas of the republic. In some cases, as in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), they were given lands that proved to be oil-bearing, making a few rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

Indians owe their name to a monumental gaffe committed by Christopher Columbus five centuries ago. Thinking he had reached India in 1492, he called the people he encountered “los Indios.”

Eventually, it was recognized that he had not reached Asia but had discovered an unknown continent. By then, the word “Indian” or a close variant had entered the major languages of the world.

To rectify Columbus’s error and avoid the stereotypes that have sprung up, it is fashionable today to refer to Indians as “Native Americans.”

Although it may be politically incorrect to demur, the term Native American is as much a misnomer as was Indian. We Americans are all descended from immigrants; Indians merely got here sooner than the rest of us.

The Land Bridge

Originating in Asia, ancestors of the so-called Native Americans are believed to have reached Alaska from Siberia by a land bridge exposed in shallow Bering Strait. Geologists refer to the twin areas of Russia east of the Lena River and northwestern North America west of longitude 130 degrees as Beringia.

Although not very likely in a warming planet, a drop of only 120 feet in today’s ocean level today would create a land bridge again and reveal the link from one continent to another. It seems

clear the first Americans arrived in what is North America well before the last major glaciation and then made their way southward.

Hugging the shoreline along the still ice-covered part of the continent, they depended on fish and shellfish for sustenance.

Evidence of their passage along the ocean strand may exist under shallow Pacific coastal waters. Robert Ballard, explorer of the Titanic wreck, has indicated an interest in such a project.

Their migration was for the most basic of reasons: food. Once past the southern limit of glacial ice, these hunter-gatherers traveled inland in small bands, moving with the game that supplied them with meat and furs.

Always seeking new regions where animals and plants were plentiful, they explored ever southward as the climate moderated. Taking whatever a bountiful nature offered, they made no effort to increase or propagate their food supply by domesticating animals or rising crops.

Eventually, wandering groups reached the southernmost tip of South America. Excavations at the Monte Verde site in Chile have yielded radiocarbon dates of 12,500 years. This date, however, is not universally accepted. Other sites in the Americas have been claimed to have even earlier dates, and the jury is still out.

Nevertheless, by traveling as little as three miles a week, the distance between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego could have been covered in about 70 years. Along the way, mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths as large as elephants, and other animals all fell victim to their primitive flint-tipped spears.

Unlike later Indian hunters, who killed only as much as they needed for food, clothing and shelter, their Ice Age forbears killed wantonly.

Ironically, by slaughtering their quarry in mass

kills they hastened the extinction of the very animals upon which they depended.

Two such animals were the camel and the horse, once common on the plains of western America. Soon after the end of the Ice Age and before their total extinction, these quadrupeds also used the Bering Strait land bridge for migration-but in the opposite direction.

Spreading westward across Asia, the primitive wild horse of the steppes was eventually domesticated. When Indians encountered mounted Spanish explorers in 1539, all memory of earlier horses had been lost, and they regarded the strange new animals with awe. Once introduced to the horse, however, the Plains Indians quickly adapted to an equine way of life.

Old vs. New Worlds

At some time after 11,000 years ago, rising sea levels cut off the Bering Strait land bridge, blocking the passage of Stone Age peoples. That the Indians who occupied the New World were still living in the Stone Age when Columbus reached these shores has long interested scientists.

What was it that kept Indians from matching the growth of civilizations of the Old World?

First and foremost, the Indians had remained non-literate. Developed in the fertile Mesopotamian plain as an adjunct to trade and government, writing and reading gave the Old World an initial leap forward. These two skills led to logical thought, mathematics, science, medicine

and invention. Useful arts followed: engineering, dam-building, irrigation, intensive agriculture, ceramics and metallurgy.

Reading and writing paralleled still another phenomenon--cities that sprang up abruptly in the Old World about six thousand years ago.

Elaborate systems of piping and aqueducts supplying water over long distances provided public baths and carried off wastes, accelerating the clustering of peoples. Initial agricultural cultures soon gave way to commercial and industrial civilizations.

Cities became states and nations with stratified social and economic hierarchies. These record-keeping bureaucracies were regulated by a judiciary and a priesthood, and governed by a ruling minority.

In contrast, the Indian lifestyle of foraging, hunting, fishing and farming limited them to small groups of families and clans gathered in temporary camps and small villages. Their only political organizations were tribes and loose confederacies.

Unlike the sheep, goats, cattle, horses, donkeys and camels of the Old World, with the exception of the dog, the animals available to the Indians did not lend themselves to domestication.

In northern Europe, even reindeer and elk were tamed and harnessed.

Lacking domestic animals, Indians in the Western Hemisphere were largely doomed to continuing their nomadic lifestyle. Without draft animals and the plow, their attempts at raising crops necessarily were rudimentary. And without beasts of burden and wheels to provide transport, possessions other than the most portable tools and utensils quickly became impediments to a wandering lifestyle.

Robert Scott is a semi-retired book publisher and a recorder of local history. He lives in Croton-onHudson, N.Y. Look for the second part of this series, “The First Americans, 2: An Inevitable Conflict of Cultures,” in next week’s edition of The Westchester Guardian.

LEGAL

United Water Parent Company Fined $10 Million in European Antitrust Investigation WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The European Commission (EC) has opened formal proceedings to determine whether French water services company Suez Environment has violated European antitrust regulations, according to a press release issued by the European Commission on January 18, 2012.

The Commission has already fined Suez €8 million – approximately U.S. $10.4 million at current exchange rates – for having breached a seal attached to an office door by investigators during a surprise inspection in conjunction with the investigation.

Suez Environment is the parent corporation of U.S.-based United Water. United Water New York, operates in Rockland and parts of Orange County, United Water New Rochelle, in New

Rochelle, United Water Westchester, operates in Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester, Unites Water New Jersey, operates in Bergen and Hudson Counties, and United Water Lambertville and United Water Tomes River operate in Ocean and Hunterdon Counties.

In April 2010, the Commission carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of various companies operating in the French water and wastewater sectors, including Suez subsidiary Lyonnaise des Eaux (LDE). The EC

is investigating whether the companies under investigation illegally coordinated their activities in these sectors, especially with respect to elements of prices invoiced to final consumers.

On the second day of the April 2010 inspection, Commission officials discovered that a seal affixed to an office door at LDE headquarters the previous evening had been breached. It is common practice for EC investigators to seal rooms during inspections to prevent the destruction or removal of documents while the inspection team is absent. Breaches of seals are considered serious infringements of European antitrust law, since this undermines the effectiveness of inspections.

Suez Environment admitted that an LDE employee breached the seal, arguing

an “unintentional act,” according to the Commission.

On May 24, 2011, the EC announced that it had fined Suez Environment and Lyonnaise des Eaux €8 million for having breached the seal. The Commission’s formal proceeding into alleged antitrust violations by Suez and other companies is continuing.

In the U.S., Suez Environment subsidiary United Water is facing a criminal indictment for allegedly tampering with water quality monitoring tests at a wastewater treatment plant in Gary, Indiana over a five year period between 2003 and 2008. Prosecutors charge that United Water manipulated government-mandated monitoring tests in order to save costs on Continued on page 11

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 11

LEGAL

United Water Parent Company Fined $10 Million in European Antitrust Investigation Continued from page 10 chlorine used to keep E. coli bacteria concentrations in wastewater discharges from the plant within federal limits.

United Water has pleaded not guilty in the case, which is still under prosecution.

For more information concerning the European Commission’s fine and antitrust

investigation concerning Suez Environment, please see the following EC press releases: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/26&format=HTML &aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/632&format=HTML &aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/691&format=HTML &aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en For more information concerning the ongoing criminal prosecution of United Water, please visit the UWUA’s website at www.

UnitedWaterIndictment.net.

SOURCE: The Utility Workers union of America The Utility Workers Union of America represents working men and women in the utility and related industries throughout the U.S., including United Water employees in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

MUSIC

THE SOUNDS DelbertMcClinton’s OFBLUE Sandy Beach Cruise

By Bob Putignano

This is my second www.Delbert. com cruise, Delbert’s eighteenth edition, lit took place over a week’s time, from January 8 to 15. Last years lineup and performances were very solid, there were some artists changes for 2012, that made this years experience stronger than the my previous sailing.

Most days there was music starting at noon that ran into the wee-hours, so it was nearly impossible to cover each and every performance, but I saw a great deal of outstanding shows. Highlights included the McCrary Sisters, Teresa James, Marcia Ball, Joe Ely, Lee Roy Parnell, Seth Walker, Gary Nicholson, Wayne Toups, Big Joe Maher with Anson Funderburgh, Nick Connolly, Eric Lindell, and of course Delbert McClinton.

The weather was great so I spent most of my time hanging at the outside Pool Deck stage, on the first night one my last years favorites Wayne Toups & Zydecajun started the festivities and did not disappoint, closing the first night was Delbert’s band and they roared, (more about both of these performances further on down.)

Day two started us (sort of) in church with the McCrary Sisters who vocalized in beautiful fashion, and with solid energy. Gary Nicholson’s band performance (the only time I saw him as a bandleader) was breathtaking, one after one guest artist sat in. To my delight one of my favorite guitarists (Anson Funderburgh) who sat in with Nicholson’s group and man it was so great to hear him play again. Colin Linden, Kevin McKendree, Steve

Mackey, Tom Hambridge, and others laid down the (at times) frenzied grooves. Other guests who graced Nicholson’s performance included Lee Roy Parnell, Seth Walker, and Delbert’s horn section making (for me) one of the best shows I witnessed on stage, but hey, this is only the second day of the cruise. Later that eve I went to see Big Joe Maher at the indoor Ocean Bar, Maher not only had McKendree & Mackey

Seth Walker (center), Jimmy Hall (left), and Raul Malo (right) in tow but also had Anson Funderburgh on lead guitar. This mighty unit performed for four straight nights, and I made sure to check-in on them every night. (You can read more about Continued on page 12

Commercial • Industrial & Residential Services Delbert McClinton (left) Gary Nicholson (right)

Roll-Off Containers 1-30 Yards Home Clean-up Containers Turn-key Demolition Services

DEC Licensed Transfer Station DEP Licensed Rail Serve Transfer & Recycling Services

Licensed Demolition Contractor Kevin McKendree

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 Gary Nicholson (left), Lee Roy Parnell (right), and Tom Hambridge (drums)

800.872.7405 • 8 VIADUCT RD., STAMFORD, CT • 203.324.4090

Page 12

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

MUSIC Day four: Was a shorter day of music as we arrived at St. Bart’s and took time to go ashore.

Wayne Toups and his band were (as per usual) powerful and went into orbit when Lee Roy Parnell joined in and performed two Allman Brothers classics; “Ramblin’ Man” and Midnight Rider.” I always felt that the Toups band had that southern soul edge, which is unique for a

gifted Mackey on bass. I have to say that everytime I see Eric Lindell and his band continues to impress especially with their exuberance and youthful energy.

Day six: Toups started the day with a bit of brandy at noon; he said he started drinking at 10:45am! Nonetheless they impressed. I ran inside to catch the annual pianorama and got to see Nick Connolly (who also sang impressively,) Red Young, plus Kevin McKendree and

on their evening outdoor recital, her band (aided

by Red Young on B3) seemed invigorated by the cooler weather that rolled in as we approached Florida, and high winds, Mingo Fishtrap’s horns also joined in making Ball’s performance tight, mighty, and strong.

I hope they ask me to return for Delbert SBC nineteenth edition, as this cruise has now become the highlight of the year for me. Details for 2013 are already formulated with band

Teresa James

Delbert McClinton (left) and Gary Nicholson (right)

Anson Funderburgh and Joe Maher (rear)

Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beach Cruise Continued from page 11 my coverage of Maher’s band in an upcoming edition of Blues Revue.)

Day three: Seth Walker continues to grow artistically and called onto his producer Gary Nicholson to join him on stage on the title track of his most recent ’09 disc “Leap of Faith.” Also sitting in with Walker: Raul Malo and Jimmy

(Left to right): Colin Linden, Gary Nicholson, and Seth Walker.

confirmations at: www.

Hall who chimed in Delbert.com By the way: with what could easily It was great to finally be called the anthem meet Karen Leipziger of tune for the cruise KL Productions whose “More Days Like This, husband Dennis Taylor (and More Nights Like toured and recorded That.)” Walker’s songwith Delbert, unfortuwriting is very catchy, nately Taylor passed in easily accessible, and 2010. Special thanks to his lyrics stay with you, Delbert’s wife Wendy Joe Ely Marcia Ball Gary Nicholson (right) and Lee Colin Linden (left) which is impressive.

Goldstein, the entire Look for Walker’s next Delbert staff, and to my good friend and now his eight year old son Yates McKendree who recording “Time Can Change” in May, and you zydeco band, so Parnell’s tune choices were more retired Don Wise who played powerful and sparkled with a wicked right hand, lets just say can listen to the new tunes at; www.SethWalker. than spot on and perfect, great call Mr. Parnell! soulful sax with Delbert for over twenty years. If that the apple has not fallen far from the tree, and com By the way the dynamic duo of McKendree Needless to say- the crowd adored this segment. you have never been on a Delbert cruise, think that Yates (who garnered many photos) handled and Mackey (who seemingly played with Day five: Was another shorter day of music about it, and start saving your hard-earned bucks his role like a pro, didn’ t flinch and looked everyone) rounded out Walker’s band. Delbert’s as we arrived at the delightful St. Kitts which had for 2013, you will not be disappointed with the completely composed. Later that eve I checked performance this same day was also superlaits own West Indies groove. I did not catch a lot outstanding music, great boat amenities, and out Joe Ely whose set also intrigued. tive, Delbert was in outstanding form, and his of music this day but made sure to (for the fourth the loyal fans, some of whom return year after Last day: I caught Teresa James very soulful band impressed from beginning to end. Words night in a row) to check out Big Joe Maher year, after year. No one can argue why, as once performance, for those who are not hip to James, cannot speak clearly enough about how creative with Funderburgh blowing the roof off the you cruise with Delbert and his friends you’ll be you should be, she possesses great vocal pipes McClinton still sounds, and how his band Oceans Bar, what a band with Maher’s excellent hooked too! and plays solid piano, her band didn’ t disappoint continues to rework and make his current and vocals and drumming, with the tireless (always as well.

My final observance was the always old favorites fresh sounding. talented) McKendree on keys and the likewise Bob Putignano www.SoundsofBlue.com captivating Marcia Ball who was in high gear

NAJAH’S CORNER

Creating a Monster, Part 3

By NAJAH MUHAMMAD

As he lay there in bed he began to regain consciousness. Eyes still closed; ears wide open.

He began to sigh as he thought it felt good to listen. It was as if he could feel the sun rising by the sounds the Earth was producing. The wind whistled past as if it was calling the trees to adornment. The trees, oh, they sounded like ocean tides; swaying so abrasively, yet sounding so soothingly. The song of the trees seemed to

be an alarm clock signaling the diurnal animals that their time had come. He heard the birds in all their euphonic commotion; each singing a different song. He heard the bees descending, basking in the sunlight. He heard their wings fading as they probably went

off to find pollen. Laying there in his shabby, rundown cot, posted against the left corner of his one-story wooden cabin, he lived vicariously through the mellifluous sounds of the creatures that came by. Night after night, day after day, whenever he could find a moment of rest, he closed his eyes and faded into an inner utopia; inspired by the sounds of freedom around him. It was perfect each time, just like now. Perfect. Just as he began to fall back asleep, a sharp wetness smacked his face. His lungs flooded as he took a breath. Coughing as he opened his eyes, he saw Mister standing over him with an empty bucket.

The boy reached down and picked up a rag as he shivered from the coldness of the water.

Mister was a tall, gauntly looking man, thin from scarcity of food. He was an old man somewhere in his 50’s though his years of smoking aged him far past that. He was a feeble, wicked old bum who’s back hunched over a bit. His skin, the color of a brown paper bag, was dull and wrinkly. The veins were visible on his hands and on his neck. His hands shook as he tried to hold himself up with his cane. His clothes were oversized. He was dressed in large black pants, a holey, off-white shirt, and tarnished grey boots.

“Wake up boy!” he yells. “Yes, Uncle Rodger,” the boy replies. “What did I tell you to call me?” “Yes, Mister,” the boy corrects himself.

Continued on page 13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

The Westchester Guardian

Page 13

NAJAH’S CORNER

Creating a Monster, Part 3 Continued from page 12 “You got five minutes to get dressed little boy; I’ll wait outside. And you know I won’t wait long. If you want to eat, you better make it snappy.”

The sink was parallel to the bed, the boy ran to it as Mister wobbled out the door. Hastily, the boy took a birdbath. He had already used up about half of the time he was allotted. He was a handsome young man, around fifteen years of age. He was tall as well, and slinky because of

that awkward stage of puberty. It was obvious that he was not related to Mister at all. The roundness in his facial features and the shape of his eyes and nose were a clear indication. As he threw on the same clothes he wore yesterday, he stopped, and took a couple of seconds to stare at his reflection in the dirty mirror over the sink.

He noticed the richness of his brown skin and the darkness of his thick hair. Then he shook his head in dissatisfaction and headed out the door.

“You took long enough boy,” says Mister in a condescending manner.The boy helped Mister

finish getting the horses properly attached to the carriage. As they finish up, Mister utters “I don’t like you much boy, but I had much respect for your mother before she passed. She was smart.

She was beautiful. Your mother was the only one of us who went to school. And she did well.

You know what I loved about her? She dreamed of being rich. She did, and so did I. If you’re no good father were here I’d probably hate him as much as I hate you. Maybe more.”

The boy put his head down in shame.

“Do you want to know why I hate you boy?

After all, today is your birthday, right? You’ve been with me from the time you were two, and now, you are fifteen.” Now struggling to get onto the carriage Mister begins to tell his story.

The boy is sitting next to him trying to keep balance as the rocky carriage moves forward.

The breeze fluttered by and Mister turned to look at the boy, then the boy turned to look at Mister. The boy’s face spoke desperate curiosity.

Najah Muhammad is a 17-year-old senior in high school. She plans to attend college next year majoring in communications.

REAL ESTATE

Winick Realty Group LLC Represents Prime Retail Opportunity in Westchester County MOUNT VERNON, NY -- Winick Realty Group LLC last eek announced the company has been named the exclusive brokerage representing the retail at 42 West Broad Street, between Fleetwood and Gramatan Avenues in the City of Mount Vernon.

Situated near the highly-trafficked Cross County Parkway, the 12,850-square-foot retail location features 53 feet of frontage, giving the storefront tremendous visibility. Winick Realty Group LLC President Steven E. Baker and Managing Director Hal Shapiro are marketing the space to retailers who can draw from the nearby popular Cross County Shopping Center

Winick Realty Group LLC President Steven E. Baker.

Winick Realty Group LLC Managing Director Hal Shapiro.

foot traffic, and complement neighboring tenants such as Associated Supermarket, CVS, Bank of America and Citibank. The store is adjacent to both municipal and street parking, making it highly accessible and conducive to the needs of the community.

Baker and Shapiro are marketing the property on behalf of The Brodsky Organization.

Established in 1982, Winick Realty Group LLC is one of New York’s prominent real estate firms specializing in retail leasing and advisory services. Over the years, Winick Realty Group LLC has served a broad range of domestic and global clients, with a strong emphasis on longterm representation and expansion and growth strategies. The firm is highly recognized as a forerunner in the retail real estate market.

For more information, visit the company website w›ww.winick.com.

THE SPOOF

Irish Homeowners Can Now Legally Shoot Intruders; Hospitality Urged

By GAIL FARRELLY The legal ruling in Ireland granting this right has gotten mixed reviews. Some think of it as a blessing; others, as a curse.

But both sides are united in the belief that good old Irish hospitality should prevail, even in the case of a home invasion. As an unknown author once wrote, “Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were.”

Therefore, by common agreement, some basic “rules of the game” have been established for Irish home shootouts. For example, if the intruder does not survive the shooting, the body is to be sprinkled with shamrocks before being loaded into the coroner’s van. Down for the count but not dead, an injured intruder should be offered a dram or a cuppa while awaiting the arrival of police and ambulance. Also, an offer of a wee bit of Irish soda bread or a corned beef sandwich would not be amiss.

One Irishman opposed to the legal ruling allowing shooting of intruders is 85-year-old Sean Fahey of Limerick, who doesn’t like the

idea of having guns in the house. He asked a than decoration. If necessary, they can be used, reporter in an interview: “Begorrah, what is according to Mr. Fahey, to “stick into the fat this anyway? Who wants a shootout at the OK bellies of intruding pigs.”

Corral right in your own backyard?”

Nevertheless, Mr. Fahey admits to having his own methods for dealing Your Full Service Laundromat Since 1966 with intruders. Although Wash & Fold Service • Dry Cleaning & Pressing he wouldn’t divulge all the Dry Clean By The Bulk • Shirts Laundered details, he did say that he Leather & Suedes Cleaned / Treated has several heavy plaques (they all read, “A hundred thousand welcomes”) at the ready to be bashed over the heads of anyone who would violate the sanctity of his home. In addition, 2022 the knives with shamrocks and sweet Irish sayings engraved on the handles -- they hang on one of the walls of his living room 2018 Crompond Rd. (Rear) Yorktown Hts. -- have a purpose other Routes 35 & 202 -Crompond

Okay, then. Anyone reminded of the movie “Home Alone”?

Learn more about The Farrelly Sisters - Authors: http://www.farrellysistersonline.com/ on the Internet.

Yorktown EconoWash

914.962.5539

THE ROMA BUILDING

Saw Mill River Rd., Yorktown Heights, NY

Office & Store Space for Rent Prime Yorktown Location

Office Space 965 sq ft.: Rent $ 1650/mo.

Store Karl Ehmers: 1100 sq ft- $3100/mo.

Store in back: 1300 sq ft. $2650/mo.

914.632.1230

Page 14

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

EYE ON THEATRE

Rarely Seen Shaw

By John Simon Even great playwrights do not burst full-blown from the brow of Zeus. Look at Shakespeare’s beginnings. Would you believe that the author of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “Titus Andronicus” would someday write “Hamlet” and “King Lear”? So, too, Bernard Shaw (and please drop the George, because he wanted to be remembered only as Bernard) had modest beginnings.

“The Philanderer” was Shaw’s second play, and for anyone else it would be a respectable serio-comic achievement. Its hero, the eponymous philanderer Leonard Charteris, is based on Shaw himself, but in 1893, when this play was conceived, his philandering by today’s standards would hardly have disqualified him from teaching in a girls’ school run by Catholic nuns.

Even so, the play could not be professionally produced until 1907.

What Shaw meant to illustrate by Charteris’s being caught between two women—a cast-off mistress, Julia Craven, who pursues him relentlessly, and a young widow, Grace Tranfield, whom he chases after—is how confused relations between men and women were in good Queen Victoria’s day, a theme he was to deal with more trenchantly in later plays.

In a letter, Shaw described Charteris as “the real Don Juan, the man whose blood has gone to his head, and left him with nothing but an appetite which entangles him ridiculously with a woman who is still violently in the ‘flesh and blood’ stage.” And in an 1898 preface, he claimed that in “The Philanderer” he had shown “the grotesque sexual compacts made between men and women under marriage laws which represent to some of us a political necessity (especially

quasi-advanced protagonist.

On the other hand, neither does it need such contemporary, un-Shavian touches as its present director, Gus Kaikkonen, chose to introduce. Thus a large photograph of Ibsen, at the Ibsen Club where much of the action takes place, has its eyes climactically light up with a red glare. Thus, too, Dr. Paramore, a physician enamored of Julia, keeps a life-size skeleton standing preposterously loose in the middle of his office sitting room, with which the characters interact in a ludicrously farcical fashion.

Nevertheless, the Pearl Theatre Company production is not inept, even if it has to cut corners in Jo Winiarski’se set design. Three very different locations have to be represented mostly by stagehands in full view shifting around a few sticks of furniture (although there are also some clever touches I won’t reveal).

Sam Fleming’s costumes are perfectly acceptable; most of Keikkonen’s direction works handily enough; a tiny keyboard instrument does its best to impersonate a piano.

Bradford Cover, left, and Karron Graves.

The cast is, with one exception, efficient and likable. Bradford Cover is a for other people), to some a divine ordinance, suitably impetuous and quick-tongued to some a romantic ideal, to some a domestic yet ultimately befuddled lothario as the eponyprofession for women, and to some that worst mous protagonist, and Rachel Botchan is a perky of blundering abominations, an institution that and spirited Grace Tranfield. Karron Graves is society has outgrown but not modified, and a fetchingly fanatical “womanly woman,” a which ‘advanced’ individuals are forced to evade.” concept much debated in the play, if perhaps I am afraid that his claims for the play are a shade too young and alluring, both easily more interesting than what he actually wrote, pardonable sins. even though that too is nothing to sneeze at: There is a typically Shavian subplot making it could make a tidy reputation for one of our fun of medical researchers in Dr. Paramore, current playwrights. The work is absorbing in enacted with appropriate stodginess by Chris its own right, even if we can now hardly see it Mixon, and of retired military men in Julia’s as the “dangerous play’ Shaw called it, what with father, Coloel Craven, aptly personated by Dan its two more or less “advanced” women, and its Daily. As Grace’s father, Joseph Culbertson, a

drama critic as Shaw was at the time, Dominic Cuskern conveys the cotradictoriness of a conservative who is also a member of the progressive Ibsen Club. The one poor performance is that of Shalita Grant as Sylvia, Julia’s younger sister, a butch feminist. Luckily the part is not big enough for her to wreak greater havoc.

There is plenty of sharp Shavian dialogue.

Take Charteris’s, “The fickleness of the women I love is only equaled by the constancy of the women who love me.” Or the reproof of Julia, “You cannot be an advanced woman when you want to bring a man to your feet, and a conventional woman when you want to hold him there against his will.” Or this piece of sophistry, “As a philosopher, it’s my business to tell other people the truth; but it’s not their business to tell it to me. I don’t like it: it hurts.” And how about, “That boy will make his way in this country. He has no sense of humor”?

The good thing about Shaw is that, in Charteris and elsewhere, he could also laugh at himself. Arthur Miller, for example, could do no such thing.

The Philanderer, written by Bernard Shaw, directed by Gus Kaikkonen. The Pearl Theatre Company, New York City Center Stage II, 131 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019. www. pearltheatre.org.

Photo by and courtesy of Jacob J. Goldberg.

To learn more, visit the JohnSimon-Uncensored.com John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review,New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway.com and Bloomberg News.

Mr. Simon holds a PhD from Harvard University in Comparative Literature and has taught at MIT, Harvard University, Bard College and Marymount Manhattan College.

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

Feathers, Frocks And Fun

By BARBARA BARTON

“Throw me something, mister!” was the constant cry as our float wound its way through the jampacked streets of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Watching Mardi Gras as a spectator years ago in New Orleans, it was I calling to the bead-throwers on high to toss me a souvenir. It was silly and amusing, of course, but nothing can quite compare to the joyous delirium of being a participant in this annual event, swaying atop a colorful float, jiving to the raucous music blasting out to the crowd, and being the “tosser,” if you will, the proud provider of hundreds of colorful beads to the hopeful revelers below.

The best part of celebrating Mardi Gras in Lake Charles is the atmosphere.

Although the event is second SLOANE only to New Orleans, this Mardi Gras is intimate and warm with a family-feel that is genuine. Also, it is the only place where the public is invited to attend the Royal Gala held the evening before Mardi Gras.This city has earned the name of the Festival Capital of Louisiana because it holds 75 fests each year – an enticing reason alone to visit since you can be sure there’s always something amazing going on.

Lovely and Lavish

Our visit introduced us to some out-ofthe-ordinary, very special attractions including a horse-drawn carriage ride through the

of Victorian architecture and dates from the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Mardi Gras Museum is not to be missed with its largest costume display in the world. You’ll learn the history of Mardi Gras, its costume design and you can climb aboard an authentic parade float and get an inkling of what it’s like to be a part of the pageantry.

Dancing Fools

Mardi Gras Museum

Charpentier Historical District. This area covers 40 blocks in downtown Lake Charles and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It embodies one of the finest collections

One of the zaniest, most fun activities on this trip was the opportunity to take a Zydeco dance lesson from none other than Harold Guillory - he of the smooth, cool Cajun dance moves. Our group had a wild and crazy time as Harold twirled each one of us in turn. I can’t say that we came away with the steps down pat but I will say it was more fun than should be legal.

Continued on page 15

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 15

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

Feathers, Frocks And Fun

If You Go:

www.visitlakecharles.org • www.swlamardigras.com

Continued from page 14

Where to Stay Isle of Capri Casino Hotel www.isleofcapricasinos.com

Boudin for Breakfast

Yes, that was the plan. Rise and shine for a visit to the Market Basket, known for its Louisiana specialty, Boudin (BOO-dan). What is it, you may well ask. Picture large, fat sausages stuffed with a spiced-up hybrid of pork or beef, parsley, rice, onions and garlic. If this isn’t over-the-top enough for breakfast, you should know they also do the sausage with alligator. Our group dug in voraciously. Lacking culinary curiosity, I opted for a cup of black coffee.

What to See and Do Mardi Gras Museum www.swlamardigras.com

America’s Best Suites Pintail Wildlife Drive www.amricasbestinn/lakecharles.com www.visitsouth.com/refuges

Joie de Vivre in Lake Charles

Aunt Ruby’s Bed & Breakfast www.auntrubys.com

Cameron Prairie Visitors Center www.fws.gov/refuges

J&R Carriage Rides www.jandrcarriage.com

Harold Guillory, check him out www.myspace.com/haroldguillory

Where to Eat Delicious Donuts www.deliciouskingcakes.com

Pujo Street Café www.pujostreet.com

Market Basket Steamboat Bills on the Lake www.marketbasketfoods.com www.steamboatbills.com Ember Grille and Wine Bar www.idlcasino.com/dining.com

Lake Charles Resident

I Can’t Believe I (almost) Ate the Whole Thing

Throw me something, Mister!

A tasty treat and one that I was curious about: King Cakes. I’d never tasted one before but anything that has the word “cake” in it, I’m there! Traditionally King Cakes have religious significance and make their appearance during the celebration of Mardi Gras. They are big,

heavy cakes filled with all manner of yummy things including vanilla cream, almond, strawberry, blueberry and buried inside the cake is a tiny baby figurine. It’s the custom that whoever gets the slice of cake containing the “baby” must buy the next King Cake. Our group had the distinct pleasure, thanks to the Delicious Donuts company, of taking containers of icing and slathering the top of our own cake, then covering it entirely with purple, gold and green doo-dads and sprinkles. The very best part: our decorated

D’Angelo’s Restaurant Tel: 337-310-7499

cakes were then sent to our homes to await our return. Delicious, Delightful, Delovely and a uniquely sweet end to our Mardi Gras in Lake Charles visit.

Travel Editor Barbara Barton Sloane is constantly globe-hopping to share her unique experiences with our readers from the exotic to the sublime. As Beauty/ Fashion Editor, she keeps us informed on the capricious and engaging fashion scene.

TRAVEL

Warwick Castle in England Provides a Real Renaissance Fair for the Family

By RICH MONETTI What could be more painful to a kid than hearing that the weekend wwould be spent at an upstate Renaissance Fair. At least, it sounds that way to me. On the other hand, recreating the Middle Ages becomes a lot more interesting when a trip to England can provide ample infrastructure of the era and the living history to go with it. Sort of reporting from England; I traveled overseas last year to visit my English girlfriend, and Warwick Castle in Warwick, England, a well-known Saturday destination.

About 10 miles from Stratford, which is the birthplace of Shakespeare, the 10th Century rose in grey against the blue sky. We gained passage over a now waterless moat to the castle grounds, as I tentatively eyed the spiked iron gate. Intrigued by a thousand years of sturdiness that guarded the interior, I was ready to see the past from the inside, but I remembered that “Me Lady” had said something earlier about jousting at 1 O’clock.

Having seen the “Cable Guy,” with a good

draw and quartering probably out, I wasn’t too excited. I did think it interesting that the show was done with proper British accents, but then I remembered… I was in England. Otherwise, the kids (and the maiden), liked the humorous horseplay and the jousting jesting of the players.

The child’s play over, we traveled forward in time, as the interior turned out to be more William Pitt than William Wallace, but it was the 1066 Conqueror that awaited us in wax in the main stateroom. Having commissioned part

of the build in 1087, I’ve always found it confusing that some Frenchman made himself king of England. Additionally, it seems, England also had a civil war, which to my surprise the Brits also call, “The Civil War.” Seemingly significant, Oliver Cromwell earned an actual death mask right next to William for his part.

Strolling past a series of hollowed out knights on guard, numerous royal portraits and settings for high tea, Henry VIII had a few

trophies of his own on display, where we could pose for a picture with him and all six of his (intact) wives. Kinder than we commonly remember him, only two of his wives fell under his sharpened sense of succession problems.

History lessons aside, emerging from the interior, I felt deeply for the Dads who got caught in the long line for the “Princess Tower.” Duty to daughters done, the day’s real prize lay in the falconry exhibition.

Sydney the American Eagle swooped in on us with a majesty that the colonies supposedly gave up upon independence. “Don’t duck, she’ll just fly lower,” said the falconer, as an 8 foot wing span gave her easy access to the castle walls above and the sightlines just above our hairlines.

“I’m off again, see you in a half hour,” the birdman made segue way of Sydney’s exit for the less regal English Vulture. Happy enough to prance around the ground for chicken slices, his enticement upwards turned at least one stomach.

“I can’t believe he’s doing that at a family show, Continued on page 16

Page 16

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

TRAVEL

Warwick Castle in England Provides a Real Renaissance Fair for the Family Continued from page 15 the falconer critiqued his own performance, as the bird lightened his load by throwing up before taking flight.

Not to be out done, Warwick’s 15-pound Stellar Eagle made his own mark on the audience with an equally unconventional aerodynamic form. The heaviest eagle in the world, his laborious flight to castle top and cartoon like air break landing earned him a wit that Oscar

Wilde would have taken in earnest. “If he looks like he’s going to fly into you, he probably will,” joked the host.

All told, the authenticity of the day inspired me to fill my glaring gaps in English culture and history. It could certainly do the same for your children.

Note : I’m now writing a screenplay based on the life of Edward IV, who was Richard III’s brother. And the Earl of Warwick is featured as

GovernmentSection

the story’s antagonist. I believe I was inspired.

Rich Monetti lives in Somers. He’s been a freelance writer in Westchester since 2003 and works

part time in the after school program at Mt. Kisco Childcare. You can find more of his stories at www. rmonetti.blogspot.com.

THE ALBANY CORRESPONDENT

Redistricting: FAILURE

By CARLOS GONZALEZ ALBANY, NY -- New state legislative districts were unveiled Thursday amid major criticism including a veto threat by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo’s verdict came in a statement a few hours after the lines, which must be redrawn every 10 years to conform to the new federal Census, arrived at 2 p.m.

“At first glance, these lines are simply unacceptable and would be vetoed by the governor,” said spokesman Josh Vlasto. “We need a better process and product.”

New lines have been drawn by the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR), which is jointly controlled by Democrats who dominate the Assembly and Republicans who hold a bare 32-seat majority in the Senate. By long tradition, the majority party draws lines in its own house.

In 2010, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch asked lawmakers to pledge to reform the system, including reaching out to Cuomo and Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos who signed onto the pledge.

“Today, victory lies with the enemies of reform,” Koch said in a statement.

As first reported by the New York Daily News, three pairs of incumbent Democratic senators now reside in the same districts: Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery, both of Brooklyn; Mike Gianaris and Jose Peralta; and Toby Ann Stavisky and Tony Avella in Queens.

“You have six Democrats sharing districts and zero Republicans. ... It’s hard to make any rational argument that that’s not targeted at me,” said Gianaris, who also chairs the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

Sen. Mike Nozzolio, a Seneca County Republican who is LATFOR’s co-chair, said the

pairing of Democrats were the result of creating a majority Asian-American district centered on Flushing, Queens, and a district centered on Borough Park, Brooklyn, with a high concentration of Hasidic Jews.

Assemblyman Jack McEneny, an Albany Democrat and LATFOR co-chair, defended the process.

“The same people who (criticized LATFOR) before the lines were drawn are being consistent, and it all depends on what your definition of gerrymander is, and nobody has a good one,” he said. “There will always be changes based on public reaction. Do I think they will be drastic? No.” A 63rd Senate District was proposed by Republicans and slices Albany County in two for the first time in New York State history. The new district stretches from Kingston and other, Democrat-leaning parts of Ulster County to Montgomery County along the Mohawk River.

Its creation takes Democrats out of the Hudson Valley districts currently represented by two vulnerable Republican’s, Sens. Bill Larkin and John Bonacic.

In the Assembly, the Democratic majority proposed a new 138th Assembly District in suburban Monroe County, near Rochester, that appears to veer off in search of Democrats into a swirl resembling a big question mark.

An analysis by Bill Mahoney of the New York Public Interest Research Group found 50 of the 63 proposed Senate Districts are more than 3 percent from the target (compared to none in 1992 and 19 in 2002); only three were within 1 percent of the target, compared to 47 in 1992 and 11 in 2002.

“While judging this set of proposed maps by this yardstick, the Senate’s maps are clearly the most gerrymandered lines in recent New York history,” said Mahoney.

“How are they compact districts?” asked Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters. “Why should we be surprised?”

Redistricting is supposed to keep similar communities together to foster a representative

who knows their concerns, while making sure to comply with voting rights laws.

Republican senators said their proposal is fair and will hold up to the inevitable court challenge.

“Despite the reflexive criticism from the Senate Democrats, this plan consolidates communities of interest, strengthens every African-American district in New York City and creates a first-ever Asian American majority district in Queens,” said Senate GOP majority spokesman Scott Reif. “In addition, the vast majority of these proposed districts contain three-fourths or more of their existing districts.

This plan is fair and legal, and they know it.”

“In essence, the partisan gerrymandering remains,” said Assemblyman Robert Castelli (R-Goldens Bridge). “I believe there is still time for us to do better, though, because when politicians are choosing their constituents, instead of the other way around, it’s the people that lose.”

“It’s classic partisan redistricting,” said Assemblyman George Latimer, (D- Rye) who is considering a run for state Senate in District 37 after Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer, a Democrat, said she wouldn’t seek re-election. “If I had put together a plan this partisan, I’d be embarrassed.

This plan is going to be sued.”

Sources close to Senate Republican Conference indicated to The Westchester Guardian that a “Plan B” draft does exist.

“These are not the final lines,” said the source.

Public hearings on the state legislative lines begin Monday in Albany.

Onto other news:

U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe has set June 26 to become the new primary date for federal elections in New York in a long-awaited ruling handed down on Friday.

“The court fully recognizes that a permanent primary date is best left to New York, but has acted as it must to preserve federally protected voting rights,” Sharpe wrote in the decision.

The court’s ruling does not impact state primary elections, but under the ruling New

York stands to have three party primaries now: one for House and Senate races, another for state Assembly and Senate and one for the GOP presidential election.

The Department of Justice had originally sued New York for failing to comply with the federal MOVE Act, which required military and overseas ballots in absentee voters’ hands no later than Aug. 18.

Sharpe said that the non-presidential federal primary date will be the fourth Tuesday in June “unless and until New York enacts legislation resetting the non-presidential federal primary election for a date that complies fully” with the U.S. law.

New Questions on IDC PAC:

A source with ties to the Senate Democrats made a point about challenges the Independent Democratic Conference faces defending its seats outside the traditional two party structure. This news was first reported on the blogs by www. cityandstateny.com.

According to the news report, the Senate Democrats, as an arm of an actual political party, can spend unlimited amounts supporting their 26 members – and can receive unlimited transfers from the members’ campaign committees – though their authorized campaign committee, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC).

The Republicans can do the same for their 32 members, through their authorized committee, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC).

But the IDC’s political action committee — which has reported raising $224,000 — can only transfer $10,300 to their four candidates for a general election race, and can only transfer $6,500 for a primary. That’s because the IDC isn’t affiliated with an actual political party.

That may or may not be an issue if the IDC members face primaries against candidates, one in particular is Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland).

Continued on page 17

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 17

THE ALBANY CORRESPONDENT

Redistricting: FAILURE Continued from page 16 I’ve spoken directly to Democratic sources in Rockland County. Sources (yes, plural) indicate that Carlucci is expected to have an aggressive primary challenge, but selection of a general consensus candidate may be an issue.

Westchester County should pay attention to the name Carlucci. Under the proposed GOP lines on redistricting, Carlucci’s district would clip residents living in Ossining.

Sorry Ossining, but you’ll have to cross the Tappan Zee Bridge to visit your next senator.

Ouch!

Regardless on a primary, it’s reported that

Carlucci already has more that $259,000 on hand, well on his way to have $500,000 for a potentially tough general election.

Our calls to the state and county BOE offices were not returned by press deadline. If any further information develops on this issue, we’ll let you know.

We will present a one-on-one interview with Assemblyman George Latimer, and we will feature our exclusive interview with Assemblyman Robert Castelli.

design is approved, (finally!) begin work. That’s not likely to start until 2013, but every step forward is a step closer to a new future for the Village, one where the waterfront is used again productively and we all have access to it for recreation as well.

coming week. We will be replacing about 80 old incandescent bulbs (about ten percent of our inventory, but they consume a third of the electricity we use for street lighting) with the new technology. The replacement bulbs will pay for themselves in less than two years and then continue to generate substantial savings for the village for years to come. This is one of a number of projects the Village is engaged in to advance sustainability, conserve energy and reduce our carbon impact on the environment. If you have questions or would like to be involved in Conservation Committee issues, please reach out to me and I will ensure a response.

Thank you for your attention.

Next week:

Share your thoughts with Carlos Gonzalez, The Albany Correspondent, by directing email to carlgonz1@gmail.com.

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

Waterfront; Conservation Issues

By PETER SWIDERSKI I am writing with an update on the waterfront and on environmental issues of general interest.

The Waterfront

The Village has received the actual longawaited “PRAP” (Preliminary Remediation Action Plan), which is the New York State Department of Environmental C’s description of how the waterfront’s offshore contamination will need to be remediated by the current owners, BP (British Petroleum). You can find a copy on our web site (http://hastingsgov.org/ Pages/HastingsNY_Documentlibrary/wdocs).

You will also find a “Fact Sheet” which summarizes the recommended clean-up. The website also includes the State’s proposed change to the original record of decision which describes

MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN

how the land portion of the waterfront is to be remediated. The public has until March 12th to comment. The PRAP is dense though understandable and if you are concerned about the nature of the remediation we face on the waterfront, you should read it.

There will be a public hearing, hosted by the DEC, at our Community Center this coming Thursday at 7PM. The DEC will provide a brief overview of the PRAP and then accept public comment.

The DEC will take those comments and then issue its findings in the form of a Record of Decision (“ROD”) that will finalize what needs to happen on the site, likely some time in the later Spring. BP will then go off and begin designing the actual clean-up and, after their

GOVERNMENT

Deciphering Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Budget Proposal as It Relates to Village Governance and Taxes

By MARY C. MARVIN I reviewed the transcript of the Governor’s Executive Budget, which is also a reform message, with an eye towards ascertaining the proposed initiatives as they relate to Village government and ultimately Village taxes.

The speech was long on alliterative prose, but short on specifics.

In the 2012-2013 Executive Budget, the Governor proposes to preserve AIM (unrestricted funds to each municipality) and local transportation funding at current levels. This is obviously good news though the amount the Village receives is a small component of our revenue sources. Also, given how much our residents send to Albany in the form of taxes, the dollars returned to the Village are truly miniscule.

We expect to receive $64,713 in AIM funding, again flat vis-à-vis last year but an 8% reduction since just 2010. Our transportation funds of $87,217.20 represents an almost 13% drop since the 2009-2010 Executive Budget.

The Governor decided not to confront the current pension system, rather proposing a new Tier 6 that includes a defined contribution option advocated by all the elected officials in the State.

Unfortunately, Tier 6 will only be triggered in 20 years after a currently “unhired” person joins the pension system and then retires. I strongly believe solutions are needed now, not twenty years hence and communities that may benefit from a Tier 6 in two decades will have long declared bankruptcy.

From a local government perspective, this is too little, much too late. To illustrate the magnitude of the problem, Bronxville’s pension obligation has skyrocketed from $4,566 in 1999/2000 to $801,679 in last year’s budget.

Aside from this minor pension reform, the Executive Budget contains little mandate relief.

It is being left to a new Mandate Relief Council scheduled to meet in the near future. This panel seems to be an effort at triangulation as every elected official could cite quite quickly, if asked,

Climate Change, LED Bulbs

On the environmental front, I wanted to mention an event tomorrow and some activity you will be seeing around the village in the upcoming weeks.

The Hastings Conservation Committee is pleased to sponsor a presentation by one of the pre-eminent historians on Climate Change tomorrow, Sunday, at 3PM, in the Orr room at the library. Spencer Weart, a Hastings resident, has written extensively on the subject and willbe presenting on the history of the science and understanding around climate change. This is the first of a four-part series on Climate Change.

The Village will be deploying new LED street lights over the next month, starting this

Peter Swiderski is mayor of the Village of Hastingson-Hudson. Direct email to: mayor@hastingsgov.org.

CLASSIFIED ADS Office Space AvailablePrime Location, Yorktown Heights

1,000 Sq. Ft.: $1800. Contact Jaime: 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

Page 18

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR local level, so inaction is truly costly.

The failure to address the provisions of the Triborough Amendment, an obscure State law that raises the tax bill for all New Yorkers, is a great case in point. New York’s 30 year old “Triborough Amendment” requires that all public employers maintain every contractual benefit for unionized public employees, including automatic “step” increases in pay even after the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement.

Most public employees in New York are paid according to different civil service job titles and salary “steps” in each grade based on seniority.

Teacher pay schedules include annual step increases as well as higher paid “lanes” for those earning advanced degrees or graduate credits. For these reasons, a negotiated contract calling for published salary freezes or zeroes can actually be extremely costly when reviewed carefully.

Waterfront; Conservation Issues what mandates need to be repealed to keep local governments solvent.

The Governor’s goals in the Executive Budget include no reform of the Wick’s Law which adds 20% to 30% every construction project undertaken by a municipality or a school district. Also untouched for municipalities is the MTA payroll tax which costs the Village $30,000 per year or almost ½ of a tax point.

The Governor proposed no amendment to the 2% tax cap to exclude pension costs, arbitration awards or capital improvements. As a consequence, you will not see communities undertaking much needed infrastructure repairs in the coming years, one of the biggest negative consequences of the Governor’s 2% tax cap.

Every State mandate that remains in place translates into massive financial costs paid at the

For example, pay hikes required by the Triborough Amendment will cost the State government $140 million this year despite a “freeze” on base salaries. In addition, the Triborough Amendment will guarantee pay increases for teachers that add almost $300 million a year to school budgets across the state.

The Triborough Amendment gives unions a great financial incentive to resist negotiating in good faith since the status quo will be preserved even if there is no contract.

To illustrate, a previous generation of municipal officials, state-wide, negotiated minimal or no employee contributions to health insurance and thanks to Triborough, these provisions are locked in place decades later. Sadly for us as taxpayers, New York is the only state with a “Triborough Amendment” and even in the 75 years of private sector bargaining in New York, no similar obligation exists.

It is quite evident that the Governor’s silence on this one provision alone will translate into millions of dollars in taxes.

By perpetuating the terms of the Triborough Amendment, local governments and school boards have lost the ability to renegotiate terms of a contract in response to economic realities.

Times have changed and elected officials who are simply stewards of your tax dollars cannot support a state law that ignores the fiscal realities that burden those who pay the ultimate bill. the taxpayer. I urge you to contact the Governor and our local legislators to address this provision that exists nowhere else in the United States.

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.

LEGISLATION

Assemblyman Dr. Katz Announces New Legislation Targeting Voter Fraud CARMEL, NY -- A major voter fraud case, currently unfolding in the state, is the catalyst to have spurred Assemblyman Dr. Steve Katz (R,I-Yorktown) to be joined by Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell and board of

elections commissioners from throughout the 99th Assembly District at a press conference on the steps of the Historical Putnam County Courthouse to announce new statewide legislation that targets the high incidences of voter fraud in New York State.

“This legislation is a simple, commonsense measure that will go a long way toward ensuring elections in New York State are more secure, and represent the actual residents of a community,” said Assemblyman Dr. Katz. “Governmentissued photo identification is already required in every other facet of life; there is no reason why our democratic-process should be excluded from this basic safeguard.”

A strong advocate for reforming the democratic process, Assemblyman Dr. Katz was prompted to author and introduce this original legislation after the highly-publicized case of widespread voter fraud in Troy, New York went to trial earlier this year. The opening arguments for the case began Monday after more than a year of investigations led to the indictments of a city council member, two county officials and a board of elections commissioner on more than 116 counts of alleged forgery or possession of forged ballots during the 2009 Working

(L-R): Putnam County Deputy County Executive Bruce Walker, Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell, Assemblyman Dr. Steve Katz, and Putnam County Board of Elections Commissioner Anthony G. Scannapieco.

Families Party primary. Four others have already pleaded guilty in the case.

The ongoing Troy case is not the only time the Working Families Party has been associated with voter fraud. Following the 2008 Presidential elections, the national media attention was focused on exposing the widespread cases of voter fraud contributed to ACORN, the community-action organization that works in close partnership with the Working Families Party throughout the country. In fact,

the media attention led to a series of investigations on ACORN including in Washington State, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Nevada where the Las Vegas registrar of voters publicly commented that he believed as much as 48 percent of ACORN’s voter forms are “clearly fraudulent.”

Assemblyman Dr. Katz stated, “My legislation is not politically-motivated. I am not looking at one particular party but throughout our state and nation’s history there have been widespread attempts to fix elections through voter fraud. From Tammany Hall to Troy, voter fraud has too long corrupted our elections - and as a people’s representative, I believe it is high time we took some common-sense action to get our elections back.”

The new legislation, Assembly Bill 9041, requires that all voters bring with them and present government-issued photo identification at the polls. Currently, 31 states require all voters to show ID before voting, with 15 states requiring this identification to include a photo.

These states include Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Hawaii, Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Putnam County BoE Commissioner Anthony Scannapieco said, “As a Commissioner Continued on page 19

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

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 19

LEGISLATION

Assemblyman Dr. Katz Announces New Legislation Targeting Voter Fraud Continued from page 18 of Elections for 21 years, this legislation is long overdue. People must provide photo identification in almost every aspect in life today. As the Assemblyman has mentioned just a few of the voter fraud cases throughout this nation, it is time that the State of New York get on board to protect the integrity of its elections. It is no surprise to me that those who were concerned with fraud and demanded voting machines with a verified paper trail would now object to the simplest of protections by providing a photo ID.” According to statistics compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, roughly 1,000 voter fraud bills have been

introduced in 46 states since 2001 with 18 states passing major legislation to combat voter fraud or tighten existing voter ID requirements. Although legislation has been introduced during this time regarding voter fraud in New YorkState, the legislature has failed to vote on any bills that would safeguard elections from voter fraud during this time.

Dutchess County BoE Commissioner Erik Haight stated, “The efforts of Assemblyman Dr. Katz to reduce voter fraud in New YorkState is valiant and should be applauded. Requiring photo ID at the polls would be a step in the right direction and easy to implement; however, I doubt the democratically-controlled Assembly

InternationalSection

Jihad: When Elections Fail

against the government of Nigeria, specifically targeting Christians, often overlooked is that the jihad was provoked into full-blown activity

By RAYMOND IBRAHIM because a Christian won fair elections (Nigeria is about evenly split between First published January 26, 2012, Christians and Muslims).

by Jihad Watch; reposted with According to Peter Run, writing back in express permission.

April 2011 The current wave of riots was triggered by the The Obama administration supports Independent National Election Commission’s “democracy” and “self determination” in the (INEC) announcement on Monday [April Middle East—two euphemisms that, in the 18, 2011] that the incumbent President, Dr. real world, refer to “mob-rule” and “Islamic radiGoodluck Jonathan, won in the initial round of calization,” respectively. Yet, as Jimmy Carter ballot counts. That there were riots in the largely recently put it: “I don’t have any problem with Muslim inhabited northern states where the that [an “Islamist victory” in Egypt], and the U.S. defeat of the Muslim candidate Muhammadu government doesn’t have any problem with that Buhari was intolerable, [but] was unsurprising. either. We want the will of the Egyptian people Northerners [Muslims] felt they were entitled to to be expressed.” the presidency for the declared winner, President Sounds fair enough. The problem, however, Jonathan, [who] assumed leadership after the is that Muslim clerics openly and unequivocally Muslim president, Umaru Yar’Adua died in characterize democracy and elections as tools office last year and radical groups in the north to be discarded once they empower Sharia law.

[Boko Haram] had seen his ascent [Christian Thus Dr.Talat Zahran holds that it is “obligatory president] as a temporary matter to be corrected to cheat at elections—a beautiful thing”; and at this year’s election. Now they are angry despite Sheikh Abdel Shahat insists that democracy is experts and observers concurring that this is the not merely forbidden in Islam, but kufr—a great fairest and most independent election in recent and terrible sin—this even as he competed in Nigerian history.

Egypt’s elections.

Note some key words: Muslims felt “entiThe Obama administration can overlook tled” to the presidency and seek to “correct” the such election-exploitation because the majority fact that a Christian won elections—which they of Muslims are either indifferent or willing to go assumed “a temporary matter.” along with the gag—with only a minority (secuOf course, had elections empowered a likelarists, Copts, etc.) in Egypt actually objecting minded Muslim, the same jihadis would still be to how elections are being used to empower there, would still have the same savage intent Sharia-enforcing Muslims. for Christians and Westerners—Boko Haram But what if Muslims do not win elections? means “Western education is forbidden.” But What if there are equal amounts of nonthere would not be a fullblown jihad, and Obama Muslims voting—and an “infidel” wins? What would be singing praises to Nigerian democracy then? Then we get situations like Nigeria. and elections, and the MSM would be boasting While many are aware that Boko Haram images of Nigerians with ink-stained fingers. and other Islamic elements are waging jihad

would permit any common sense legislation like this to ever see the light of day.”

Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell said, “This is a step to ensure that one of the most important American citizens’ rights is secured and should further remind people of their right and duty to vote.”

Assemblyman Dr. Katz’s legislation, A.9041, has currently been referred to the Assembly’s Election Law Committee. With this year’s elections just a few months ahead, Assemblyman Katz encourages citizens who are in support of the bill to contact their state legislators to ask them to become a sponsor of the bill, or to contact Assemblyman Michael

Yet the same jihadi intent would be there, only dormant. Like Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood—whose ultimate goal is “mastership of the world”—they would not need to expose themselves via jihad, would be biding their time and consolidating their strength.

Now, back to the Egyptian clerics, specifically, Sheikh Yassir al-Burhami, yet another leader in Egypt’s Salafi movement, who teaches that Muslims must preach peace when weak, but wage war when strong. Discussing the chances of a fellow Salafi, Burhami asserts: We say—regardless of the outcome of the elections—whether he [his colleague, the aforementioned al-Shahat] wins or loses, we will not permit an infidel [kafir] to be appointed to a post where he assumes authority over Muslims. This is forbidden. Allah said: “Never will Allah grant to infidels a way [to triumph] over the believers [Koran 4:141].” We are not worried about losing

Cusick, the Chair of the Assembly Election Law Committee, and ask that the bill be considered for an up-or-down vote by the full Assembly. To contact Assemblyman Cusick, please e-mail his office at cusickm@assembly.state.ny.us or write to him at his legislative office: The Honorable Michael Cusick LegislativeOfficeBuilding, Room 724 Albany, New York12248 Assemblyman Katz said,“This year between redistricting, the Presidential election and the many special elections in our region, it is more important than ever that Albany take an aggressive and proactive stand on combating voter fraud. My bill is a very simple step, that could be implemented at no cost, yet help ensure that our elections are more honest.”

elections or al-Shahat losing votes. We will not flatter or fawn to the people.

What will you and your associates do, Sheikh Burhami—wage jihad? Of course, that will not be necessary: unlike Nigeria, most of Egypt is Muslim; one way or another, “elections” will realize the Islamist agenda.

Thus, whether by word (al-Burhami) or deed (Boko Haram) those who seek to make Islam supreme prove that democracy and elections are acceptable only insofar as they enable Sharia. Conversely, if they lead to something that contradicts Sharia—for instance, by bringing a Christian infidel to power—then the perennial jihad resumes.

Raymond Ibrahim is an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

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 20

The Westchester Guardian

OpEdSection Fearing Newt Gingrich

By MATT BARBER What do establishment Republicans and liberal Democrats have in common?

They’ve long labored under a shared misconception: conservative candidates are unelectable.

In 1980, conventional wisdom held that Ronald Reagan didn’t stand a chance against Jimmy Carter. The GOP leadership, the mainstream media and liberal politicos alike lined up against the Gipper in an attempt to derail his presidential campaign.

Rush Limbaugh recently addressed this phenomenon on his radio program: “Gerald Ford said that Ronald Reagan was unelectable.

George H.W. Bush said that Ronald Reagan was unelectable.The entire Republican establishment thought Ronald Reagan was unelectable because they were governed and informed by the Goldwater landslide defeat. That’s what they think will happen to every conservative.”

That’s what they think will happen to Newt Gingrich.

As it became clear last week that the former House speaker was on his way to an impressive

victory in South Carolina, liberal strategist and MSNBC talking head Lawrence O’Donnell summed up bipartisan conventional wisdom by suggesting, against all the evidence, that Mr. Gingrich “cannot win a national election … It’s impossible.”

On “Meet the Press,” fellow MSNBCer and mushy moderate Joe Scarborough declared, “Republicans are panicked in Washington, D.C., for good reason.”

Indeed, Mr. Gingrich’s solid win, coupled with another surge in Florida, has the establishment squealing and darting about like a flaming pot-bellied pig. Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney’s campaign has trotted out surrogates like Ann Coulter and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to nip at the speaker’s heels.

Coulter, who has moved briskly leftward in recent years, even joining the Republican gay activist group GOProud, has stooped to personal attacks against South Carolina voters.

“Apparently, South Carolinians would rather have the emotional satisfaction of a snotty remark toward the president than to beat Obama in the fall,” she said.

Of South Carolina conservatives’ willingness to forgive Mr. Gingrich for his past marital infidelity — something he has long admitted to and repented of — Coulter snipped, “I think South Carolina is going back to its Democratic

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

roots. I mean, to not care about that, that’s the position of the Democratic Party.”

Still, RINO Republicans’ fear of Newt Gingrich stems from something entirely different from that which drives the left. The GOP leadership actually believes that he cannot win a general election, while — with a traumatic Reagan presidency still fresh in their minds — left-wing “progressives” know that he can.

It’s the liberal media and Democratic National Committee, in fact, that has largely pushed the self-serving “Romney-is-theinevitable-nominee” meme.

In a recent Fox News interview, Sarah Palin, who has all but officially endorsed Newt Gingrich, said, “I believe the mainstream media and Obama want to face Mitt Romney in the general election.”

And why wouldn’t they? In terms of his ability to inspire the base and get out the vote, Mitt Romney is a bit like Bob Dole without all the honorable accomplishments. After last week’s debacle in South Carolina, it’s little wonder that The Washington Post is reporting Romney will no longer commit to any further Florida debates. He finds himself in a Catch-22: he must either debate and lose to Gingrich or not debate and lose to Gingrich.

Guess who else doesn’t want to debate Newt Gingrich? Hint: his initials are BHO.

Falklands Still a Hot Spot in a Cold Southern Ocean

By LARRY M. ELKIN Thirty years ago, Britain and Argentina fought a 74-day war that killed around 1,000 soldiers and sailors. When my daughters were in their teens, I told them about the Falklands conflict. They thought it was one of those stupid stories dads like to make up.

In their eyes, modern wars always took place somewhere east of Paris. But the Falklands War was real. It resulted from a long-simmering dispute between a fading Old World power and an ambitious but underachieving New World nation.

Now the treeless, chilly, sparsely settled South Atlantic islands are becoming a hot spot in international relations once again. Britain and Argentina are still at the center of the dispute, but larger powers including Brazil and the United States could easily get dragged into the mess this time as well.The Falklands continue to command attention far beyond their intrinsic worth to anyone who does not live there.

The British-ruled territory is situated 300 miles from the Argentine coast. It has a total land area of 4,700 square miles, less than the state of Connecticut. Its two main islands, and around 750 smaller islands, are collectively home to fewer than 3,000 residents.

But there may be a lot of oil nearby. “The area

Falkland Oil and Gas begins drilling in the second quarter of 2012.

is underexplored and highly prospective,” Evan Calio, a New York-based Morgan Stanley analyst, told Bloomberg. Together, four oil wells planned for development this year could produce about 8.3 billion barrels of oil. That much oil is enough to light some serious political fires; in the Falkland Islands, there are plenty of old conflicts to ignite.

The French first settled the islands, which had no indigenous population, in 1764. They were soon displaced by Britain and Spain, from which Argentina was cleaved in 1816 as part of the United Provinces of South America, which also included parts of modern Uruguay, Brazil and Bolivia. After Argentina emerged from the breakup of the United Provinces, it attempted to start a colony on the Falklands (known as Las Malvinas in the Spanish-speaking world) in 1829.

But the British never abandoned their claims, and they established permanent control of the islands in 1834. For the past 177 years (excepting the two months after the 1982 Argentine invasion), the islands have been under British administration, and most of the current residents are of British descent. Argentina, however, continues to press its claim.

The 1982 crisis broke out when Argentine troops landed in a sudden attack. Argentina was in the thick of its Dirty War, and its military junta – led by Gen. Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri – was desperate to retain power. The invasion seems to have been an attempt to rally the Argentine population and to distract Argentines from the economic malaise and human rights violations that were laid at the junta’s doorstep. The British, under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, assembled a task force that retook the islands from the Argentines, hastening the collapse of the junta.

Despite the change in government, however, Argentina continued to claim that the islands should be Argentine property.

Now, with the promise of new oil wealth, tensions are rising again. Members of the Mercosur trading bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, together with associate member Chile, announced that they would bar vessels flying the Falkland Islands ensign from docking in their ports. Argentina has also allegedly tried to undermine the Falklands fishing industry by instructing its boats to capture squid before the creatures’ migration takes them into

I’ll state the obvious: Newt Gingrich is not a perfect man. Neither is he the perfect candidate.

Who is? The question is, do we allow repentance for personal sin? Do we forgive others their trespasses as we wish to be forgiven?

I’m reminded of the biblical account of King David. As a shepherd boy, he slew a giant. As a man, he fell into sin — marital infidelity and even murder. Yet through it all God called him “a man after [His] own heart.” Through it all, David remained a great leader.

Like David, Newt Gingrich has proven to be a man with many flaws. But like David, he has also proven to be a great leader. It was Gingrich, of course, who led the 1994 “Republican Revolution” that launched the political careers of many establishment Republicans who now fear their past leader’s future nomination.

Our volatile times require a man who will decisively and decidedly lead from the helm. We cannot survive four more years of “leading from behind.”

That’s why we need Newt Gingrich.

(First published at Daily Caller) Matt Barber (@jmattbarber on Twitter) is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He serves as Vice President of Liberty Counsel Action . (This information is provided for identification purposes only.)

Falklands British waters.

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced last week that he has held official discussions on how Britain would defend the Falklands in the event of another invasion attempt.

“It is important for Britain to send a clear message that as long as people in the Falklands want to remain British, we respect that right of selfdetermination,” he said. He accused Argentina of a colonialist desire to force the island residents to accept a government they didn’t choose.

Falklands residents have supported Cameron’s declaration. Patrick Watts, a radio broadcaster, told the British paper The Telegraph, “Everyone here was very heartened by this show of support from London and relieved that Britain hasn’t forgotten the incredible sacrifices of 30 years ago. The Argentine threats brought back very unwelcome memories of 1982 for us here, and so we felt very reassured by Mr. Cameron’s comments.”

Argentina, meanwhile, claims that the islands’ residents, most of whose families have been present for generations, are imported occupiers who have no right to determine the territory’s sovereignty. “David Cameron is pursuing a policy of piracy and aggression because at home the economy is collapsing, there are riots in London, and Scotland and Wales want to escape the English empire,” Carlos Kunkel, a member of Argentina’s ruling party, said. Argentine President Cristina Kirchner has promised, however, that her country will consider only peaceful methods of exerting pressure.

Continued on page 21

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 21

OPED

Falklands Still a Hot Spot in a Cold Southern Ocean Continued from page 20 The historical claims of the two nations are difficult to unravel. It’s possible, albeit doubtful, that Argentina has some legitimate grounds for claiming it should have been the rightful possessor of the islands back in the 1830s. However, those claims have little relevance to the modern world.

No one alive today was aggrieved by Britain’s land grab, if that is what it was, over 175 years ago. American actions at that time were equally expansionist. So was Argentina’s own southward march to the bottom of the continent, which led to decades of war with Native Americans and protracted border disputes with Chile. Argentina’s Mercosur allies have their own histories of aggressive expansionism.

What is relevant today is that the long-time residents of the Falklands are satisfied with their current government. Argentina, which has a history of taking and keeping things to which

it was not entitled (ask bondholders whom the nation stiffed in its default just a decade ago), is behaving true to form. It does not deserve much international sympathy.

Americans are prone to side with Britain and the Falklanders. Brazil, however, seems to be set on supporting Argentina’s claims, no matter how ill-founded they are. This is consistent with a general Central and South American tendency toward skepticism of the English-speaking world, whose nations are often perceived as arrogant and imperious. Brazilians may not always consider themselves to be Latin Americans, but in a dispute between a Spanish-speaking neighbor and faraway England, they are apt to identify with the former.

Brazil’s support of Argentina raises the stakes in any potential conflict. Unlike Argentina, Brazil is a relatively well-managed and important emerging power, with growing sway in

international affairs. A fight in which the United States takes one side and Brazil takes the other could get ugly.

The best way to defuse the threat is to bring Brazil’s interests more closely into line with those of the world’s better-organized economies. Many U.S. policies, including visa requirements, fail to recognize Brazil’s relative stability and prosperity, instead treating it in much the same way as turbulent Central American nations such as Guatemala. This is very irritating to Brazilian officialdom. The United States and Brazil also lack a tax treaty – practically a necessity for major trading partners – let alone a free-trade agreement. Instead of fostering close trade relations with Brazil, we discriminate against key Brazilian products, including ethanol and citrus.

By opening more doors for Brazil to participate in international trade as a member of the developed world, we can encourage it to use its regional influence in defense of the principles that make trade and development possible.

With or without Brazil’s help, however, it is clear that the Falklands are going to require outside protection, at least for a while. Further oil exploration continues to add more fuel to the old disputes. We need to be prepared to help douse any flames.

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.

ED KOCH COMMENTARY

The Mufti of Jerusalem Calls for the Murder of Jews

By EDWARD I. KOCH In the New York Times of January 24 is an article headlined, “2 Palestinian Legislators Are Arrested in East Jerusalem

Protest.” The article reported, “Israel arrested two Palestinian legislators affiliated with Hamas as they staged a protest in the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in

East Jerusalem on Monday, an act criticized by the Palestinian leadership as a blow to the first direct meetings between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in more than a year now underway in Jordan.”

Actually there were three men protesting: Muhammad Totah, a member of the Palestinian

legislative council, Khaled Abu Arafeh, a former minister, and Ahmed Attoun, a Hamas legislator. The Times reported, “A police spokesman, Mickey Rosenfeld, said that the two legislators arrested were suspected of carrying out Hamas activities in Jerusalem. The Islamic militant group is considered an illegal organization by Israel.”

Continued on page 22

Page 22

The Westchester Guardian

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

ED KOCH COMMENTARY

The Mufti of Jerusalem Calls for the Murder of Jews Continued from page 21 As a result of the arrests, Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian legislator, said in a statement that the detention of Mr. Totah and Mr. Abu Arafeh 24 hours later was a “flagrant act of aggression.” Hamas is a terrorist organization designated as such not only by Israel, but by the Quartet – the U.S., European Union, Russia and the U.N. This is all by way of background. Now to the reason for this commentary. In the same Times article, it was reported the highest ranked member of the Muslim clergy on the West Bank, Gaza and all of historic Palestine called for the death of Jews.The Times’ reference was, “The mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Hussein, addressed a crowd at an event marking the 47th anniversary of the founding of Fatah, the mainstream movement led by the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. He quoted a hadith, a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, stating: “The Hour will not come until you fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind stones or trees.

Then the stones or trees will call: Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.”

The Times reported: “Mr. Netanyahu described the words of the mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Hussein, as ‘morally heinous’ and compared the remarks to those of Haj Amin al-Husseini, the grand mufti of Jerusalem who notoriously aligned himself with Hitler in the 1930s. Palestinian television broadcast the mufti’s comments on Jan. 9 and Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli monitoring group, drew attention to them on Jan. 15. An Israeli official

said that the prime minister became aware of it only in the past few days.”

The Times further reported, “The mufti denied calling for the killing of Jews, telling Israel Radio on Sunday that he was only quoting the words of the Prophet Muhammad. He told Voice of Palestine radio on Monday that ‘these allegations come within the Israeli incitement campaign against Jerusalem and its figures.’” Go figure that out.

My observation: I recall when two I.D.F. reservists took the wrong road on October 12, 2000 and ended up in Ramallah on the West Bank. They went into the Palestinian police station, were taken prisoner and thrown out of the window head first and killed. Currently, the two Hamas legislators, part of a government at war with Israel, were arrested not lynched. Not long ago, in May of 2011, I wrote to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak the following: “Dear Ehud: On my office wall there is a picture of an Israeli soldier being thrown to his death out of a window in a Ramallah police station where he had been taken prisoner. He was one of two soldiers killed having, as I recall, taken a wrong turn in their car bringing them into that Arab city. In the years that followed, were any of the perpetrators arrested and punished.?

He replied on August 29th: “Dear Edward: Thank you for your letter, expressing interest in the aftermath of the barbaric lynch in Ramallah of the two IDF reserve soldiers, Vadim Norzhitz and Yossef Avrahami, may G-d bless their memory.

I should let you know that as a result of our

extensive efforts to bring all those responsible for this heinous crime to justice, sixteen people have been indicted for various offences related to this event, in accordance with their level of involvement and the evidence at hand.

Among them, eleven people were directly indicted for murder – nine imprisoned for life and two others – for 20 and 25 years. Four other people were indicted for various charges of involvement in the crime short of murder and one last case is still pending in the Military Court of Appeal.

I should add, we know very well that no punishment, no matter how harsh, will bring comfort to the families or bring back their loved ones. Nevertheless, from the very first moment, the Government of Israel, the IDF and the whole defense establishment have considered bringing the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice as a matter of top priority.

I thank you again for your concern and hope that we will never again witness such terrible acts in the future.”

The Times reporter, Isabel Kushner, to her credit, reported the incidents involving the arrests of the Hamas legislators and the mufti’s call for the murder of Jews. Apparently, the arrest of the two Hamas legislators was to the Times editor more important, therefore deserving the headline “2 Palestinian Legislators Are Arrested in East Jerusalem Protest” rather than a headline citing the call of the highest Muslim cleric for Palestinians and successor to the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini who aided Adolf Hitler raising Muslim troops to fight on the side of Nazi Germany in World War II and responsible for the Arab pogrom of 1929 in Hebron in which 67 Jews were killed and the uprising throughout Palestine in 1936-1939 with the

killing of more Jews.

If you are a supporter of the Jewish nation, a Zionist like me, or simply an impartial observer, wouldn’t you conclude the Times editor had his head screwed on wrong in determining the headline?

Will there be a Times editorial denouncing the mufti’s conduct? I haven’t seen any denunciatory releases from the J Street crowd in D.C., which constantly berates Israel for not being more forthcoming with concessions to the Palestinians. Will Times’ columnists Tom Friedman and Nicholas Kristof, who often criticize the Israeli government, denounce the Palestinian leadership for not removing this cleric? Muslim terrorists don’t simply murder Jews; they also murder Christians and have done so recently in Iraq and Egypt. The Coptic Christians today 10 percent of the Egyptian population are in great danger and fear. Their churches have been desecrated and destroyed.

They have been assaulted and murdered.

Imagine what the outcry worldwide would have been had either of the two chief rabbis of Israel made a comparable call to kill Muslims. You know and I know there would have been U.N. Assembly and Security Council Resolutions denouncing Israel, not only calling for the removal of the chief rabbi, but sanctions against the state itself.

The lack of media attention given to these Arab threats and the constant unfair attacks by the media, cowardly governments and U.N. officials on Israel is what angers people like me.

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.

LEGAL NOTICES ALBERT E. ALEXANDER FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/1/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LP 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.

HARLEM LINE MEDIA, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/14/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process Corporation Service Company 80 State St Albany, NY 12207. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: Corporation Service Company 80 State St Albany, NY 12207

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.

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.

Notice of Formation USA 2 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 12/13/2011.

Off. Loc.: Westchester Cnty. SSNY designated as agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o The LLC, 457 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605. Purpose: all lawful activities.

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.

LIGHTCHARTS LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/20/2011. 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.

QUICK CASH OF PEEKSKILL 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 process The LLC 2712 E. Tremont Ave. Bronx, NY 10461.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Westchester Guardian

WEIR ONLY HUMAN

A Desperate Attempt to Escape

By BOB WEIR It was about 2 a.m. on a chilly night in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. While on radio car patrol, my partner and I were notified that an anonymous caller heard unusual sounds at a hardware store that had been closed for several hours. Since we couldn’t find a break in front, we checked the hallway of the building next door, finding a window that accessed the rear yard. I climbed onto a narrow ledge and inched my way toward the grimylooking rear window of the store. My partner kept an eye on me as I approached the iron bars that had been bent wide enough apart to allow someone to squeeze through. There was no way of knowing whether the burglar was still inside and a quick records check from the station house told us that the owner lived about an hour away. I carefully placed a leg through the bars, trying to find a solid place to hold my weight as I pushed the rest of me inside the darkened enclosure.

With one leg stationed on a firm object, I gingerly added the rest of my 180 pounds to the unseen platform. While continuing to hold onto the bars and trying to adjust my eyes to the blackness, the ground suddenly gave way and I was sent crashing against a nearby wall. I stumbled in the darkness until I regained some balance. “Bob; are you okay?” my partner yelled from the hallway window, about 20 feet away. I drew my service revolver before turning on the flashlight. When the 6 by 8 foot space materialized I saw the remains of a toilet bowl that had been crushed under the strain of my weight. “I’m okay,” I called back. “Stay there until I check it out.” I pulled open the door that led to a narrow aisle in the rear of the store. When I looked to my left I saw the front door facing the street; to my right was a wall about 10 feet away. In front of me was a curtain that appeared to be concealing a small room. Suddenly, the curtain began to move as if someone was pushing against it.

2 column

Get Noticed Legal Notices, Advertise Today

914-562-0834 WHYTeditor@gmail.com

“Who’s there?” a voice from inside the curtained area said. “The police,” I responded, “come out of there!”The curtain was moved aside and a short, muscular man stepped out of a small bed as he rubbed his eyes. He was wearing a tank top t-shirt and boxer-type under shorts. “What’s the matter, officer,” he said innocently. “That’s what I want you to tell me,” I replied, keeping the gun pointed at him. “What are you doing here?”

I said sternly. “Officer, I’m assigned here by the owner to watch the place when it’s closed,” he countered, inching toward me. “Stay right there!”

I demanded, backing up slightly. “Officer you got it all wrong,” he persisted. “I’m here to keep the place from being robbed.” “Yeah, and the owner locks you in here and locks the front gate too, I suppose,” I said incredulously. “Yes, officer, that’s the truth. He opens in the morning, pays me for the night and I leave,” he said, eyeing the weapon in my hand.

I forced him to the front of the store where my partner was peeking at us through the window. “Lie down and put your hands behind your back,” I ordered. “Officer, you’re making a big mistake,” he said indignantly, as he looked toward my partner, then back at me. “You have no right to treat me this way and I’m going to sue you.” He had a look of desperation that made his thick biceps appear even more formidable. “I suppose you didn’t have much trouble bending those bars,” I said, putting a few more steps between us. “But muscles don’t make you bulletproof, so I suggest that you hit the deck.”

A few more prowl cars pulled up outside with their roof lights spinning and my recalcitrant prisoner decided to take a prone position. Yet, he continued to assure me that it would all be cleared up when the owner arrived. Not wanting to be grabbed by those powerful arms, I didn’t bother cuffing him, but just kept him in my sights until the door was ultimately opened by the proprietor. It wasn’t until the room was 1 column flooded with cops and a grateful owner that the would-be burglar ended his, “my rights are being violated,” shtick. It was just another lesson learned; never let your guard down, because the criminal mind is very cunning and desperate to escape.

Get Noticed

Bob Weir is a veteran of 20 years with the New York Police Dept. (NYPD), ten of which were performed in plainclothes undercover assign- ments. Bob began a writing career about 12 years ago and had his first book published in 1999. Bob went on to write and Legal Notices, publish a totalToday of seven novels, “Murder in Black Advertise 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.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Page 23

Page 24

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012

The Westchester Guardian

Sail & Save Event Modern mid-sized ships Extraordinary values available now. With over 135 years of sailing experience, Holland America Line provides a premium cruise vacation that is also an exceptional value. You’ll enjoy longer days in port and return each day to your spacious stateroom, gourmet meals and top-notch entertainment in an atmosphere of timeless elegance.

Bermudan Spring

Viking Passage

7 nights, Apr 22 - 29, 2012 ms Veendam | Offer #1205408

Exclusive $50 onboard credit* HH - Oceanview Stateroom $

599 per person*

10 nights, Oct 4 - 14, 2012 ms Eurodam | Offer #1206123

Exclusive $100 onboard credit*

CA - Lanai Stateroom

BC - Verandah Suite $

per person*

per person*

1,149

$

Autumn Foliage

16 nights, Aug 29 - Sep 14, 2012 ms Eurodam | Offer #1206119

1,199

L - Inside Stateroom

H - Oceanview Stateroom $

2,399 2,999

$

per person*

per person*

VE - Verandah Stateroom $

3,299 per person*

Exclusive $50 onboard credit* H - Oceanview Stateroom $

1,899 per person*

CA - Lanai Stateroom

VD - Verandah Stateroom $

per person*

per person*

2,139

$

2,699

Spacious, mid-sized ships with a sophisticated ambiance • Warm, intuitive style of service from academy-trained professionals Sophisticated cuisine prepared by master chefs • Inspired activities, engaging enrichment and diverse evening options Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine • “An Evening at Le Cirque” in the Pinnacle Grill

Graybar Building - New York 420 Lexington Ave, Suite 1603 pisabrothers.com

800.729.7472 mgr@pisabrothers.com

*Fares are per person, cruise only, based on double occupancy, and include non-discountable amounts. Government Fees & Taxes are additional. Value of shipboard credit is for two guests. Fuel supplement has been suspended. Holland America Line reserves the right to reinstate the fuel supplement for all guests at up to $9 per person per day if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel. Ship’s Registry: The Netherlands. 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