PRESORTED STANDARD PERMIT #3036 WHITE PLAINS NY
Vol. V No. XIII
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Thank You, Henry Hudson! Westchester’s Debt to the Dutch
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Letters to the Editor Page 7
Housing Page 8
Redistricting Page 9
Pension Obligations Page 10
Citizenship Page 13
War Against Jews Page 14
Northern Westchester Page 16
How to Succeed By Robert Scott, Pg. 2 westchesterguardian.com
Page 18
Page 2
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
The Westchester Guardian
Of Significance Feature Section............................................................................2 History......................................................................................2 Ecomomic Development.........................................................4
FeatureSection Thank You, Henry Hudson!
Education..................................................................................5
Westchester’s Debt to the Dutch
Letters to the Editor.................................................................7
By Robert Scott
Government Section..................................................................8 Government..............................................................................8 OPED.....................................................................................13 Community Section..................................................................15 Safety.......................................................................................15 Community.............................................................................16 Ed Koch Movie Review.........................................................17 Calendar..................................................................................14 Eye On Theatre......................................................................18 Legal Notices.............................................................................19
Four centuries ago, a virgin North America stretched invitingly from ocean to ocean waiting to be explored. Its forests were so thick, one could have walked from the Atlantic to the Mississippi and beyond under a continuous green canopy of trees. Explorers--Columbus in 1492, John Cabot in 1497 and Verrazzano in 1524--had tentatively sailed the Atlantic coast, carefully observed by curious yet apprehensive native inhabitants. Adventurous cod fishermen, whose identities are lost to history but who may have been Portuguese, worked the prolific fishing grounds, called “banks,” off Newfoundland. But no Europeans penetrated very deeply into the interior of the vast continent.
First Contact
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Guardian News Corp. P.O. Box 8 New Rochelle, New York 10801 Sam Zherka , Publisher & President publisher@westchesterguardian.com Hezi Aris, Editor-in-Chief & Vice President whyteditor@gmail.com Advertising: (914) 632-2540 News and Photos: (914) 562-0834 Fax: (914) 633-0806 Published online every Monday Print edition distributed Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Graphic Design: Watterson Studios, Inc. wattersonstudios.com
westchesterguardian.com
On September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson, an English sea captain in the service of the Dutch East India Company, piloted his ship, the Dutch-built Halve Maen (Half Moon), into a broad bay and sailed northward a few miles until it narrowed to form the mouth of a mighty river. His vessel was tiny--only 65 feet in length and 17 feet in width. The crew is believed to have numbered sixteen. Lured by its tides and brackish water, Hudson sailed 150 miles up this tempting waterway until its shallowness convinced him that he had not found the elusive Northwest Passage to the riches of the Far East. We are indebted to a journal kept by Robert Juet, a mate
on the Halve Maen, for observations about the land. For example, after anchoring in the vicinity of what is now Peekskill, here is Juet’s entry: Henry Hudson has been badly served by history. We know almost nothing about him-except the information contained in the logs of his four memorable voyages between the years 1607 and 1611. Two years after his voyage of exploration of the river that now bears his name, he would be dead. A mutinous crew tragically cast him adrift with his young son and seven of his men on the bay named for him in the Canadian Arctic. Hudson’s journals were sold at public auction in Amsterdam in 1821, and have never been seen since. Nevertheless, his glowing reports of the fertile soil, equable climate and abundance of furs and minerals in the Hudson Valley made the Dutch decide to exploit this land.
What’s in a Name? The Dutch were practical about names, often adopting the native name for a place with only minor variations. The Mohawks had called the site of Schenectady Scheaenhechstede (“big flats”), so the Dutch merely simplified the spelling. Kuxakee (“hoot of an owl”) became Coxsackie. The native’s Pokeepsie (“reed-covered lodge by the little water place”) later was modified only slightly to Poughkeepsie. The first substantial settlement on the island of Manhattan, called Nieuw Amsterdam, was begun in 1626. A fort consisting of a blockhouse surrounded by a palisade of wood and sod was Continued on page 3
RADIO
Mayor Marvin and Administrator Porr III On the Level with Narog and Aris New Rochelle, NY -- Richard Narog and Hezi Aris will host Bronxville Mayor Mary C. Marvin and Village Administrator Harold J. Porr III this Tuesday, March 29th, from 10 - 11 a.m., on WVOX-1460 AM on your radio dial and worldwide on www.WVOX.com. We will open with a 5 minute update from Albany from NYS Assemblyman Mike Spano on budget issues expected to be adopted by April 1st. Assemblyman Mike Spano will be our guest for the entire hour on April 5th to review the expected adoption of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Proposed Budget. Listeners and readers are invited to send a question to WHYTeditor@gmail.com for possible use prior to any shows’ airing and even during the course of an interview.
The Westchester Guardian
HISTORY
Thank You, Henry Hudson! Continued from page 2 constructed there. Curiously, for many years the river that would become the main artery of New Netherland went unnamed. Dutch cartographers inscribed it simply as Groote Rivier (Great River), and let it go at that. To the east was the Varsse Rivier (Fresh River, so designated because--unlike the Hudson--the tide did not penetrate very far inland). The English later named this river the Connecticut. To the south was the Zuydt Rivier (South River), called the Delaware by the English. Eventually, to be consistent with geography and in contrast to the South River, Hudson’s river was called Noort Rivier by the Dutch and the North River by the English. The latter name stubbornly persists to this day. The Dutch left us another legacy in the form of the names of topographical features. Many Dutch words for these were much like English, so the transfer was easily made: kreek became “creek”; nek became “neck”; vlachte became “flat.” bosch, for “wood,” became “bush.” In parts of what was once New Netherland, a stand of maple trees is still called a “sugar bush.” The Great River was the highway of commerce, and Dutch boatmen soon named every feature along its course. With time, hoek for “point” became “hook.” The Dutch gat was sometimes translated as “hole” or “passage” and occasionally as “gate.” Thus, we now say Sandy Hook and Hell Gate, although gat was sometimes retained, as in Barnegat. Kill, the suffix meaning “stream,” was common, as in Peekskill, Fishkill, Catskill and Cobleskill. But we also find redundancies like Kill Brook (in Ossining), Bushkill Creek in Pennsylvania and the Wallkill River, a north-flowing river in Orange and Ulster counties, N.Y. In New Jersey, Achter Cul (“Back Bay”) became Arthur Cul’s Bay and then the totally confusing Arthur Kill. The Dutch suffix bergh, signifying “mountain” or “hill,” survives in somewhat altered form. Paradoxically, Collabergh, a hill on old maps of the area north of the Croton River has metamorphosed into “Colabaugh” as the name of a pond; Spitzenbergh, south of Blue Mountain, near Peekskill, is now redundantly called Spitzenberg Mountain. Dunderbergh, (“Thunder Mountain”), just south of Bear Mountain, was reputed
to be the dwelling place of the Heer, described by Washington Irving as a Dutch-clad “bulbous-bottomed goblin” who touches off violent summer storms and plays pranks with the rigging of ships. This mountains’ names also have lost a final letter to become Dunderberg and Spitzenberg today. The Dutch governed New Netherland until 1664, when Col. Richard Nicholls, at the head of a British fleet, demanded the surrender of New Amsterdam. Autocratic old Peter Stuyvesant found himself with little support elsewhere in New Netherland and capitulated. The Dutch recaptured the colony in 1673--by then called New York--but it was restored to the English by treaty. The terms of surrender were highly favorable to the Dutch. Land titles were confirmed, and toleration was granted to Dutch churches. Imposition of English political institutions was slow. In Albany and along the wharves in New York City, the Dutch language persisted for generations.
Our Debt to Hudson and the Dutch We owe a vast debt of gratitude to Henry Hudson for his discovery of the rich lower Hudson Valley. We owe an even greater debt to the Dutch for many of our values and institutions. In 1579, the seven northern provinces of the Netherlands proclaimed their independence from Spain. This Union of Utrecht became the inspiration for both the American and the French Revolutions two centuries later. Taking their cue from this, in the village of Coxsackie on January 27, 1775, 225 residents--almost all with Dutch surnames--signed a “declaration of independence” calling for opposition to “the execution of several arbitrary and oppressive acts of the British Parliament.” This action antedated the formal Declaration of Independence by more than a year. Other legacies of the Dutch are our free public school system, the recognition of the legal equality of men and women, and a pervasive spirit of industriousness. So, here’s a great big thank you, Henry Hudson, for venturing up this way to Westchester and beyond. And here’s a tip of the hat to those doughty Dutch burghers of New Netherland for their boldness, for their spirit of rugged individualism and for their entrepreneurial courage. Without them, we wouldn’t be what we are today as a county, state or nation. Robert Scott, a former book publisher, is a writer, editor and› local historian.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 3
Talk to your neighbors, then talk to us. Odds are, they’re already part of the State Farm® family. With so many ways to save and discounts of up to 40 percent,* you’ll want to be part of the family too. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.® CALL FOR A QUOTE 24/7. Edgar Almanzar, Agent White Plains, NY 10606 Bus: 914-358-9712
Corey A Anthony Agcy Inc Corey Anthony, Agent Bus: 914-665-9433
Avery Arzu Insurance Agcy Inc Avery Arzu, Agent Bus: 914-739-8000
Michael P. Berardino, Agent Katonah, NY 10536 Bus: 914-232-7444
Tim Beyrer, Agent Somers, NY 10589 Bus: 914-248-5600
Tony Bragg, Agent Scarsdale, NY 10583 Bus: 914-355-5385
Tom Broderick, Agent New Rochelle, NY 10801 Bus: 914-632-6000
Charles Brown III, Agent New Rochelle, NY 10801 Bus: 914-576-2886
Jim Bryan, Agent Tarrytown, NY 10591 Bus: 914-631-6866
Angela Carlucci, Agent Rye, NY 10580 Bus: 914-967-9250
Mike Christastie, Agent Mount Kisco, NY 10549 Bus: 914-666-8963
Delores Clemons Agcy Inc Delores Clemons, Agent Bus: 914-663-6688
Katherine M Davidoff, Agent Tarrytown, NY 10591 Bus: 914-524-9535
Dave Delfs, Agent Pleasantville, NY 10570 Bus: 914-769-8910
Tamar Dickel, Agent Monsey, NY 10952 Bus: 845-517-5070
John Grana Insurance Agcy Inc John Grana, Agent Bus: 845-225-5508
Eric Jaslow, Agent Scarsdale, NY 10583 Bus: 914-713-0400
Tom Lavelle, Agent White Plains, NY 10603 Bus: 914-682-0020
Vivian Lem, Agent Scarsdale, NY 10583 Bus: 914-725-5000
Michael J Lanza, Agent Yonkers, NY 10704 Bus: 914-476-2287 Link Insurance Agcy Inc Mark Link, Agent Bus: 914-712-3680
Greg Long, Agent Thornwood, NY 10594 Bus: 914-368-7241
George Lucciola, Agent Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 Bus: 914-962-3030
Debbie McGuinness, Agent Congers, NY 10920 Bus: 845-267-2900
Rich Mohan, Agent Mohegan Lake, NY 10547 Bus: 914-528-1212
Bob Nachbaur, Agent Suffern, NY 10901 Bus: 845-357-8277
The O’Boyle Agcy Inc Mike O’Boyle, Agent Bus: 914-948-3500
John O’Brien Insurance Agy Inc John O’Brien, Agent Bus: 914-793-5100
James Payoute, Agent Port Chester, NY 10573 Bus: 914-934-9100
Eric Simon, Agent Peekskill, NY 10566 Bus: 914-739-3276
Bill Singleton, Agent Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 Bus: 914-693-9070
John Somers, Agent Larchmont, NY 10538 Bus: 914-834-4446
Matt Staropoli Agcy Inc Matt Staropoli, Agent Bus: 845-429-8200
The Sules Agcy Inc John Sules, Agent Bus: 845-638-3373
Masato Tani, Agent Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 Bus: 914-762-8880
Lisa Vitiello Agcy Inc Lisa Vitiello, Agent Bus: 914-337-4810
Bob Weber, Agent New Rochelle, NY 10801 Bus: 914-712-3000
Pedriena S Wheeler Ins Agy Inc Pedriena Wheeler, Agent Bus: 845-425-5200
1001175
statefarm.com®
*Discounts vary by states. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL
Page 4
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAGE 20
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010
Astorino Announces Commitment by Pepsi Beverages Co. to Stay in Somers CLASSIFIED Financial Inducements by Estate Westchester County and State Agencies Employment AffordedReal
Exp’d drivers wanted. CDL & TLC County Executive Robert P. Astorino Lic. needed. announced that Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC), 914.663.1006 the bottling division of For in Rent PepsiCo Inc., will remain its Somers OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT headquarters, with the help of financial Primethe Ossining loc - Rt. 9. inducements from county’s Industrial 950 sq. ft. & 500 sq. ft. Development Agency and the state. “Westchester’s917.363.4366 relationship with Pepsi is a long and proud one and I am delighted that it will continue,” said Astorino. “Just a few years ago, the company was being wooed by Connecticut, and there was every indication it was going to leave Westchester, taking with it about 900 jobs. Now the company will stay here and expand. I look forward to strengthening our partnership in the future.” Under terms of its new five-year lease, PBC will remain headquartered at 1 Pepsi Way through the end of 2015. The company will expand to the full 540,000-square-foot building, from 390,000 square feet. The agreement also includes an option to extend the lease for an additional five years. There are currently 860 employees.
INVESTMENT PepsiCo, whose worldwide headquarPROPERTY UNIMPROVED ters is also based inbldg Purchase, is directly Mount Vernon - Commercial lot, responsible more than 10,000 jobs 9500 sq. ft. Cornerfor bldg. Apts with stores. Must sell. $875K. MakeThe offer. expanded space in New York State.
may take overflow from Pepsi headquar914.632.1230 ters and also transfer about 22 jobs from Connecticut. Said Eric J. Foss, CEO of Pepsi Beverages Company: “The Pepsi enterprise has had a long and successful history in New York. We’ve always been proud to play a positive role in the communities in and around Westchester County, and we’re eager to continue doing so in the years ahead.” As part of the agreement to keep PBC in Somers, the county’s IDA Thursday morning, March 24, 2011, approved exemptions from sales and use tax on the purchase, installation and maintenance of building materials, furniture and equipment. This is in addition to a $4 million grant provided by Empire State Development to PepsiCo to invest in the Somers facility. PepsiCo, in return, will also invest up
LEGAL NOTICES
to $9 million in the project and will retain the 860 full-time jobs and bring 22 new jobs to the Somers headquarters building. “IDAs are powerful tools for economic development – especially during harsh economic times – and when applied in conjunction with other government incentives and private investment, reflect the best examples of impactful public/ private partnerships,” said Stephen Hunt, chairman of the county’s IDA. “PepsiCo’s worldwide reach begins in Westchester, so we’re proud to help such a critical corporate entity retain its position as a global brand powerhouse.” Added ESD President and CEO designate Kenneth Adams: “Pepsi Beverages Company’s decision to remain in Westchester is evidence that despite economic challenges, New York remains a top destination for businesses looking to thrive.” The Somers building has been part of the Pepsi enterprise since 1985. Connecticut wooed PBC aggressively, according to news reports that first
surfaced in 2008. The Westchester IDA and the ESD countered with efforts to keep PBC in Somers. This was made difficult by a sugar tax on beverages proposed by former Gov. David Paterson, as well as a stock takeover by PepsiCo of PBC. Last fall the company and its landlord encountered prolonged disputes on lease terms. Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC) is PepsiCo’s beverage manufacturing, sales and distribution operating unit in the United States, Canada and Mexico. PBC handles approximately 75 percent of PepsiCo’s North America beverage volume. Its diverse portfolio includes some of the world’s most widely recognized beverage brands, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Aquafina, Gatorade, SoBe, Lipton, and Amp Energy. The operating unit is headquartered in Westchester County, New York and employs approximately 70,000 people. Learn more about PBC at www. pepsico.com/pbc.
Mission Statement
The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of events and developments that are newsworthy and significant to readers living in, and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardian will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure of truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated with daily journals, we will instead seek to provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate. From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where, why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the very heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere. To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarily better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 5
of menial industrial jobs and the eyesores of outdated and inefficient factories. And, to retrain laid-off Americans for their new high tech service economy; regretfully, many laid off Americans lost their homes, and prosperity without the comfort of a safety net to carry them through this hard economic transition. Now, thirty years later, American’s are once again experiencing an exodus of American jobs being outsourced overseas. America has become so efficient in creating an environment for outsourcing we are now outsourcing our professional class as well; such as lawyers, engineers, architects, and radiologists. As a nation we are now truly feeling the hardships of four decades of poor economic policies and have to question our elected politicians as to who has really benefited by these policies; certainly not Main Street America. I believe the following facts will speak for themselves. China has just become the world’s second largest economy, the U.S. spends $3.90 on Chinese goods for every $1.00 China spends on American goods; in 2011 China outpaced the U.S. in patent filings; the U.S trade deficit runs $40-50 billion a month; by 2010 the U.S. was importing 60% of its oil up from 37% in
1980; academically we our number 26 in the world; we are number 27 in years of secondary education per worker; number 11 in research and development. In closing, the study of economics is a dismal science. Living America’s economic reality is harsh and stark. Currently, approximately seven million college graduates are working in jobs that do not require a college degree; only 20% of the fastest growing jobs in the U.S. require a college degree; 10 out of 25 jobs posted pay only $30,000 a year; while college tuition today averages between $10,000 -50,000 a year, the cost associated with entering the realm of economic opportunity is exceedingly high, knowing good jobs are scarce upon graduation. In light of such dismal statistics it should be of little surprise the U.S is 27 in life expectancy.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
America’s New Economic Reality By Dr. Richard Cirulli It has been said that Economics is a dismal science as well as a harsh reality. This is especially true today for America as we enter the third year of the great recession. A casual review of our nation’s key economic indicators as follows confirms the validity of this statement. Our current unemployment rate is still between 20-30% when we factor in Americans who have exhausted their benefits, those who do not qualify, and the underemployed; the record number of homes in foreclosure; as well as the number of vehicle repossessions. These statistics clearly define the hardship this recession is having on the average American family. When viewed at the international and national levels our economic condition only worsens: The average wealth per adult in the U.S. has dropped from number 1 in 2000, to number 7 by 2010; medium household incomes dropped to $43,200; the U.S. is number 10 in the prosperity index; number 9 in the industrial prosperity index, down from number 4 in 2008; number 84 in the world in Domestic Saving Rate; number 86 in optimism about job availability; number 28 in perception that working hard gets you ahead; number 28 in satisfaction with one’s standard of living; approximately 50 million Americans are without proper healthcare; and the U.S. has the 3rd worst
poverty rate among advanced nations. Equally distressing is the fact that as a nation we have identified these problems tdespite seemingly unable or unwilling to address and / or correct them. The great financial debacle of the Fall of 2008 should not have come as a surprise had we viewed our nation’s economic policies over the past four decades. Over the past forty years we have seen our manufacturing base decline at an alarming rate, since 2001 the U.S. has lost 42,000 factories, which equates to approximately 32% of our manufacturing jobs. In 1959 manufacturing was 28% of U.S. economic output-now its only 11.5%. By the end of 2009 less than 12 million Americans worked in manufacturing, the last time 12 million Americans worked in factories was in 1941. Our high unemployment problem is also the result of our nation’s inability to create good paying jobs, and is further compromised with the exodus of jobs going overseas as a result of outsourcing. Some decades ago, Washington and Wall Street convinced Americans that our new economic prosperity would be heralded with high tech and service jobs as our nation moved from an outdated industrial economy to a high order tertiary economy. We were led to believe it would be in America’s best interest to shed ourselves
EDUCATION
School Budgets Navigate Their Way Through Cuomo’s Cuts By Nancy King While the rest of the county is watching Rob Astorino square off against Ken Jenkins over who can provide us with tax relief amounting to between $20.00 and $30.00 annually, savvy taxpayers are keeping a watchful eye on Albany and their local school districts. School taxes make up the brunt of the taxes that homeowners shoulder in their respective communities. The average homeowner pays anywhere from $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 a year to their local school
districts. Crazy, huh? And yet, year after year, these budgets are by and large passed with ease. That is a pretty amazing feat considering the state could barely pass a budget last year and the county haggled over who provided a one or two percent decrease. So how is it done? Simple; with one sentence: “It’s for the children!” That couldn’t be farther from the truth and yet the taxpayers fall for that line every time. Continued on page 6
Dr. Richard Cirulli is a professor of Economics and Finance at a number of colleges in the Greater Hudson Valley Area. He also has a monthly cable show, The American Economic Condition, airing on the White Plains Cable network starting in April He can be reached at profcirulli@optonline.net.
Page 6
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
The Westchester Guardian
EDUCATION
School Budgets Navigate Their Way Through Cuomo’s Cuts Continued from page 5 There are 38 independent public school districts in Westchester County. The largest districts in the county are White Plains, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Peekskill. If you added up the entire student body of those enrolled in those districts, according to their respective websites, there would be a total of over 56,000 pupils. Wow, that’s a lot of kids. Those four districts are urban districts, challenged with what one would normally expect from a city school district. They deal with issues other than simply increasing student test scores from year to year; they contend with issues ranging from gang violence, student homelessness, and limited English proficiency. For their services, the superintendents of these large school districts are paid exceptionally well. Superintendents are paid around 300K a year inclusive of benefits and perks. That’s more money than the President of the United States makes. Are they for the kids? The remaining 32 districts in the county are stretching the taxpayer’s money in a similar manner. Many of these districts have less than 2,000 students and still have a superintendent and support staff at the same salaries as the large city districts. As an example, Ardsley-onHudson boasts a high performing school district with only 2,300 students. The scores are above average, as are the mean household income in that village. But they are inflated with the same number of administrators that the larger districts employ. Goodness, in addition to the superintendent, there is a superintendent of curriculum and instruction and another who oversees transportation and facilities.
Each building has a principal and an assistant principal, guidance counselors, social workers, a psychologist and their support staff, as well. Throw into the mix classroom teachers, teaching assistants, music teachers, art teachers and coaching staff, and you have a huge payroll. So what is a superintendent to do? Well it seems as if newly elected Governor Andrew Cuomo has the answer. Governor Cuomo has proposed some education reform that includes lowering and capping superintendent’s salaries, and 2 column sharing services with other districts. He also wants to take a look at teacher tenure and certainly supports the “last in, first out” form of eliminating some staff and providing taxpayers with some relief. Will it work? It’s doubtful at best. Under the governor’s plan, $1.6 billion would be cut from the budget of the school districts. The lobbying arm of the teacher’s union in Albany is already launching a counter attack. The state teachers’ unions have mounted a television campaign imploring Governor Cuomo not to make any cuts claiming that these cuts will ultimately “hurt the children.” These same unions oppose the cap on the superintendents’ salaries, contributions to benefits, and of course, the ugliest word of all,… consolidation. Why not consolidate these small districts in Westchester? The answer may lie in a combination of territorialism and a case of real estate NIMBYism. Very often the performance of a school district has to do with the demographics of the population. Scenarios that you will never see are Bronxville merging with Eastchester, Ardsley consolidating with Greenburgh Central 7 or Ossining merging with
Briarcliff. These tiny districts, though similar in number are not even close in the populations they serve. Ardsley, Bronxville and Briarcliff are wealthy Caucasian districts while Eastchester, Greenburgh and Ossining serve a population that is of a lower socio-economic stature, as well as being of color. In essence, what often goes on in these small school districts is voluntary segregation. Many residents of the smaller tony districts are willing to pay top dollar to keep their district separated from other districts for the simple reason that wealth usually equates to high performance. But with this voluntary segregation comes more cost. So in order to maintain the status quo, communities and their superintendents offer very little in the form of concessions. For sure, we are reading about budget cuts of instructional staff, pre-K programs reducing mileage for busing, the arts, and of course sports. We aren’t however reading about any cuts to the top administrative positions. Some central administrations have announced that there will be a pay freeze for top administrators and that some assistant principals will work only 10 months. Hopefully that will happen across the board in Westchester County but in order for it to really mean relief for the taxpayers, the local unions must also educate their own members that it is indeed time for them to make some contractual concessions. Like those in the private sector, the teacher’s unions are going to have to demand that they will now have to contribute to their health care and retirement plans. For now it is squarely a stalemate between the Governor’s office and the superintendents. When the governor
announced the 2% tax cap earlier this month, several local superintendents held a news conference protesting the cap. Of course their mantra was “it will hurt the kids” and they don’t want to tap into their reserve funds to save jobs and programs. This could actually be the year of reckoning for the 38 school districts in Westchester County. The taxpayers are beginning to question expenditures, the governor wants those cuts in place by April 1st and students for the first time in their educational lives are going to learn how to do more with less. That is a lesson we’ve been remiss in teaching for a very long1time. Maybe this real life lesson column really will be “for the kids.”
Get Noticed
Get Noticed
Legal Notices, Advertise Today
Legal Notices, Advertise Today
Before speaking to the police... call
George Weinbaum ATTORNEY AT LAW
FREE CONSULTATION: Professional Dominican Hairstylists & Nail Technicians Hair Cuts • Styling • Wash & Set • Perming Pedicure • Acrylic Nails • Fill Ins • Silk Wraps • Nail Art Designs Highights • Coloring • Extensions • Manicure • Eyebrow Waxing
Yudi’s Salon 610 Main St, New Rochelle, NY 10801 914.633.7600
Criminal, Medicaid, Medicare Fraud, White-Collar Crime & Health Care Prosecutions.
T. 914.948.0044 F. 914.686.4873
175 MAIN ST., SUITE 711-7 • WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601
914-576-1481
The Westchester Guardian
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Councilman St Paul – Not the Road to Damascus Peggy Godfrey’s interview of Council Member St Paul was professional, fair and indicting. Richard St. Paul comes to us as a skilled politician and represents the views of those not presently in power. It is not a political party thing for the most part --- it is a disaffection caused by the mistaken notion that proactive and contributing civic service begins and ends with criticism instead of affirmative acts to build a community. Yet, fairness demands that we indict the majority for also not reaching out and forming a collaborative base that grows this city to what it needs to be; and that includes both precluding the insanity of ignorance that misinforms the public on important initiatives as well as avoiding an over-reliance of the idea that since “elections have consequences”, the winners get all the spoils. New Rochelle is full of angry voices, some fair and civic-minded, many radical and self-serving and they largely spring from the have-nots. The haves sit smug, comfortably and equally uninformed and do equal damage to the growth and vibrancy of this city. I would like Ms. Godfrey to conduct similar interviews with the council members on the other side of the aisle. That is the proper way to go and I think The Westchester Guardian view as well. My issues are not with her at all, but with St. Paul. He is intelligent, experienced, and quite typical of the representative of the “other side”. In sum, he is disingenuous in his responses, not untruthful, just very, very incomplete and offers little but the same tired litany of what is wrong. His definition of “transparency” is particularly disingenuous. St Paul cites that a $150 contribution made by Mr. Beveridge to Mayor Bramson should disqualify him as the demographer for the coming redistricting effort. He fails to inform the reader that Mr. Beveridge served him, the NAACP, and other supporters effectively during the last redistricting effort. We know his point, but he had no trouble publicly supporting John McCain by video during the last presidential election and is there anyone who thinks McCain or Obama did not accept contributions from people they supported in job placements? He also fails to disclose his personal and professional association with the NAACP and a reasonable person must
wonder what the intent of the NAACP’s concern is in 2011. As the growing and likely largest majority in New Rochelle are Hispanics and they form a significant part of Mr. St. Paul’s current constituency, one hopes that the purpose is to ensure the closest adherence to NYS law on redistricting. I have no doubt that the NAACP has such an intention and I hope and have no reason to doubt that it is shared by Mr. St Paul. More disclosure in the Godfrey interview would have helped. My biggest concern, though, is on the practical management of New Rochelle. I find no evidence that Mr St Paul or any other New Rochelle Council Member representing midtown/downtown New Rochelle initiated any “Initiative and Referendum” concerning the development of small business or the protection and support of existing commercial and residential stakeholders. Yet, if(?) he runs for Mayor, this will be his number one priority – the growth of small business. Why wait? Where were you and the other six district council members? Have any of you conducted any needs analysis of residents? Have you really done anything positive to support business? You have actually harmed business with restrictive parking rules and predatory ticket police who leap like leopards on customers dropping in for a cup of coffee at a cafe. Mr St Paul, that is largely your district and yet I mention your name in various stores and public places and some say St Paul the Apostle, not the politician. Transparency means you are known; public service means less counterpunching and more offensive. In fairness you are a fraction of a problem, but you are a imposing man with a track record. If you are going to run, do it the right way. Warren Gross New Rochelle, NY
Letter to the Editor
“Afghanistan: The Endless War,” written by the Hon. Ed Koch in The Westchester Guardian on March 17, 2011, is awe inspiring. However the title is incomplete... I have added the realistic word “LOST” to complete the title. Unfortunately, the young in this country are too absorbed with frivolous self-destructive interests to recognize what is transpiring. Society must ask itself if the avoidance by our country leaders’ embarrassment should be valued above the sacrifice of bodies? Paul Spears
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 7
Page 8
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
GovernmentSection Rye Brook Board Meeting Sorts Out Controversial Housing Law By Bary Alyssa Johnson Rye Brook Mayor Joan Feinstein called the March 22nd Board Meeting to order and began the night with a standing pledge of allegiance before beginning discussions. The first speaker of the night was a County representative who spoke of a few matters. First and foremost, he downplayed any threat of nearby nuclear plants causing potential harm as seen recently in Japan. He then segued into an informative briefing on Westchester’s county budget and what it allows. Using a visual aide, he divided our county services into Statemandated and non-mandated offerings. State-mandated services eat up approximately two-thirds of the County operating budget to make available services like Medicaid, Probation, Corrections, District Attorney, NYS Court Facilities, Board of Elections, and County Clerk services. One third of the County’s operating budget goes toward funding non-mandated services for Westchester’s lucky residents. Some of these include: Transportation, Parks & Recreation, Public Safety Services, Mental Health Services, Emergency Services and the County Library System. As noted on a handout given to the audience, “County government provides a regional, cost-effective solution for delivering services that local municipalities would have to otherwise provide and fund through property taxes. The bottom line – county government offers efficiencies that save taxpayer dollars.” Well, that about wraps up the evening’s public service announcements. Moving onto the public hearings penciled in on the agenda. Two hearings were held: one was straight-forward and simple, the other a disaster of sorts that elicited a controversial uprising by Village residents. The easy-peasy public hearing #1 was to consider a proposed site plan modification for a change of use at the Rye Ridge Shopping Center for a new restaurant called Chop’t, slated to open its doors to diners this June. The change of use would
be from a retail shop to a restaurant. The public hearing was opened and quickly closed and the resolution was passed unanimously by the board. “Congratulations and welcome to Rye Brook,” Mayor Joan Feinstein said, grinning in the direction of a Chop’t representative. Now, public hearing #2 was a lengthy one, as squabbles ensued between anxious residents and nervous board members. The topic: A proposed local law amending Chapter 6 of the Village Code regarding the BelleFair Middle Income Development Program. The BelleFair Middle Income Housing Program was put into play circa 2000. The purpose and intent here is to accommodate the need for affordable housing and to assist in attracting qualified tenants, who include (only) Village, School, District, Town and Emergency Service Personnel and to encourage these residents to remain in their community. The amended law under consideration by the Board deals with ownership rights of the housing units and transference of said ownership upon the passing of whoever’s name is listed on the deed. The proposed law mandates that only the actual owner’s name would be allowed to be listed on the deed. The thorny issue that crops up is what if that owner passed away? Who would ownership of the unit then go to? The purpose of the public hearing on this controversial query was to give residents a chance to air any concerns they have about home ownership. “The impact of the proposed law is if the eligible owner is the only name on the deed and they passed away, the surviving spouse would be forced to relocate within five years,” Bradbury said. “Once the unit is resold, only the eligible owner would be eligible to have their name on the deed and if that owner passed, the surviving spouse would have to relocate within eighteen months.” A sticky situation indeed: the thorny issue of succession, the emotional topic of death, the questionable idea of forced
relocation in a state of post-traumatic grievance. The residents in attendance spoke and they spoke loudly, with many an emotional plea. Resident Stephanie Greenwald stood before the Board first. “Seeing a sudden change in the spirit of law is very disturbing to us [tenants], we’re feeling that you’re changing the agreement mid-agreement…and that’s not fair,” Mrs. Greenwald said with passion and conviction. “If we had known this could happen, we wouldn’t have moved here.” Her husband, Mark Greenwald, took to the podium next, opting for a less emotional and more logical approach to the dilemma. “This opportunity has changed our lives and I come here tonight feeling quite shaken and blindsided by this amendment,” Mr. Greenwald stated plainly. “I make a plea for a postponement or continuance until I know exactly what is going on here. I would ask that a vote not happen here tonight and that we have further discussion.” These heartfelt pleas by Rye Brook residents seemed to take hold of the Board as they considered the questions before them and the impact such a law might have on the public. Both the Village Attorney and Mayor agreed that passing this amendment so hastily would be in bad form and that realization came rather quickly. “As a result of the public hearing, the Board would like to reconsider the impact of the proposed law and would like to reconsider this matter at our Board meeting in May,” Bradbury told the Westchester Guardian. A reasonable compromise quelled the controversial atmosphere the evening had taken on and tensions eased noticeably as both sides breathed sighs of relief. Crisis averted. And now onto the simpler remainder of the meeting agenda: a list of proposed resolutions under consideration by the Board, as explained quickly and efficiently by Administrator Bradbury. The laundry list of noteworthy resolutions begins…
First and foremost, a resolution to consider the donation of funds for a tree and memorial bench at Rye Hills Park in memory of Paula Bertolacci, longtime Rye Brook resident and beloved Rye Brook Camp arts director, as well as mother, daughter, sister and spouse, who died unexpectedly in January at the age of 43. “The Village Board accepts donation for the cost of the tree and bench,” Bradbury noted. And the resolute tribute passes with flying colors. The next resolution of note was regarding a brief overview of the 20112012 Tentative Budget and sought to set a public hearing on the issue for April 12th. “I want to thank everyone who worked on this budget and I’m inviting residents to come out to our budget workshops to let your thoughts be known and to ask any questions,” Feinstein announced. Pass is complete to set this public hearing, as the Board’s vote was unanimous. Moving on down the list, resolution # 8 is great – it seeks to set a public hearing to consider proposed amendments to Chapter 41 of the Village Code regarding Officers and Employees. “The Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing April 12th to consider the proposed amendments,” Bradbury explained. “We’re looking at hiring new police officers.” The proposal for the Boys in Blue was passed unanimously by the Board. Meeting adjourned. And…fade to black. Comments? Concerns? Insight? Input? Feel free to talk to me. ZDBARYJ@gmail.com
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 9
GOVERNMENT
New Rochelle’s Redistricting Process Fair and Open?
By Peggy Godfrey When a resolution to hire a demographer to assist New Rochelle’s City Council with redistricting was placed on the Council’s agenda, Councilman Richard St. Paul raised an objection. He asked whether the demographer would act in an advisory role to the council. Mayor Noam Bramson answered in the affirmative. Continuing, St. Paul admitted that Andrew Beveridge was a “foremost expert,” but added “his affiliation” to the mayor as a campaign contributor, politicized the process. Further, stipulated St. Paul, the “citizens want a non-partisan committee” which would create an open and transparent process. Four Democrats on the council composed a Memorandum stating that “Fair and equal political representation can only be achieved when district boundaries are based on accurate and current population data.” Among the principles they enumerated were :the promise of contiguous districts, enhanced
opportunities for minority residents to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice, keeping neighborhoods whole, and creating “compact” Council Districts. St.Paul believes a vote of 7-0 on redistricting should prevail and suggested that City Manager Chuck Strome pick a consultant who had no connections with any council member. Strome suggested St. Paul was creating a cloud of unwarranted suspicion over the process. St Paul said when the previous redistricting was formulated Mayor Tim Idoni had described the process to sitting at a kitchen table with three people. Councilman Lou Trangucci added that the Democrats held the trump card. Bramson responded that this discussion “proves you can manufacture a controversy about anything.” St. Paul countered by emphasizing, “We want an open and fair process.” Councilman Jared Rice wanted to know if there was anything Beveridge would do that could have an adverse
Mount Vernon Conservatives Screen Candidates for 2011 Election Mount Vernon, NY -- Mount Vernon’s Conservative Party is screening candidates for the party’s nomination for City and County elected office in the November 2011 general election and the May 2011 School Board vote. Candidates that believe in Conservative Party principles must contact local party officials for an interview. The nominating process will begin this month, and nominees will be presented to the Mount Vernon City Conservative Party convention to be held at the end of May. School Board nominations will be made earlier. City voters will pick a Mayor, two city councilmen, and two County legislators (13th and 14th CLDs) this year. The party has supported City Comptroller Maureen Walker in her last three campaigns, and the party has received nearly 1,500 votes in recent city elections. The party will also be nominating at least three supreme court justice candidates this year and will endorse four school board candidates. Conservative Chairwoman Rosemarie Jarosz is part of a slate of school board candidates pledged to cutting school real property taxes. She is also pledged to restore traditional family values and prudent financial practices to our school district. Interested candidates should call Kevin at 914-668-7249 or contact Rosemarie Jarosz at 917-731-7275 to arrange interviews.
effect on the redistricting process. St. Paul offered it had nothing to do with his respect for Beveridge, but rather his concern was over whether there be a “fair and open process” of redistricting. He suggested asking for an advisory opinion from the Board of Ethics because they would have no connection with anyone sitting on the New Rochelle City Council. Mayor Bramson then said he did not know of Beveridge having contributed to his campaign fund, but felt this neither “qualifies nor disqualifies” him. The timing issues involved in redistricting were of primary concern to Bramson. During the roll call vote, Rice said people can get a “time machine and live in the past,” but he did not plan living in the past and voted, “Yes” to hire the consultant along with the other Democrats. St. Paul said he supported the Citizens Committee and if the demographer is unfair he will be held accountable. Criticizing the allegedly politicized vote by the four Democrats and three Republicans, and the refusal by the council to establish an “official, nonpartisan redistricting committee,” the Concerned New Rochelle Citizens for
Redistricting Committee (CNRCRC) issued a statement asserting they had established a non-partisan, independent committee.” Mark McLean, CNRCRC Chair, cited past abuses of redistricting which divided communities and created misshapen districts unequal in population. His concern was that instead of politicians being chosen by their constituents, professional politicians had designed districts which incorporated the people who would reelect them. One resident, Jim Murphy, suggested a logical way to redistrict, that is, to take six equal rectangles based on the size of New Rochelle and “slap them on the map of New Rochelle and that’s the six districts.” This would eliminate gerrymandering of districts. Doug Colety, the Chairman of the Republican Party in New Rochelle, said his party “is going to be very involved” and will monitor what is being done.. Republicans will draw their own redistricting plan, and if necessary, hire a lawyer to establish their plan under the courts’ umbrella. Peggy Godfrey is a freelance writer, and a former educator.
the experience
to lead vote foR DEMOCRATiC, inDEpEnDEnCE AnD WORking FAMiliEs CAnDiDATE
special election tHURsDaY, MaRcH 31st pAiD FOR by FRiEnDs OF TOM ROACh
Page 10
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN GOVERNMENT
Coping with Escalating and Unsustainable Pension Obligations By Mary C. Marvin
The Trustees and I continue to work with the Village staff to formulate a budget for fiscal year 20112012. This is the most difficult budget in my tenure due to the exploding state pension mandate. Many residents have asked me, how could we have gone from a $4,674 annual pension obligation to $753,255 in less than a decade. Citizen inquiry caused me to research the history and genesis of the public sector union, which was the main driver for the current pension system. Private sector union membership peaked nationwide in the 1950s with over one-third of the non-agricultural workforce represented by some type of union. Today, organized labor represents only 12.3% (16 million) of the nation’s public and private sector workforce. For the first time in our nation’s history, public sector union membership now outnumbers private sector union membership. Current union members are more likely to be teachers, policemen, and garbage men instead of carpenters, electricians, and auto workers. The breadth of benefits secured for public sector employees by their unions is impressive given the small number of actual members nationwide. New York
State does top the list, with roughly 70% of state employees belonging to unions. Several factors led to this growth of public sector union membership in New York. The system of political patronage declined, resulting in the weakening of the party machines that had a stranglehold on government jobs. Patronage jobs often only lasted to the next election cycle, resulting in short tenure and high staff turnover, producing a nonpermanent workforce. In contrast, today’s state employees remain in jobs 20+ years, whereas patronage jobs on average lasted four to six years. Also, post war, the sheer number of government jobs increased as a result of the demand for services caused by the baby boom. Finally, the relationship between organized labor and the modern Democratic Party solidified, creating a powerful political constituency. The resulting passage of state collective bargaining laws encouraged union membership. The methods of operation of government unions are very different from those of the traditional private sector unions. For example, auto workers and their employers must reach contract agreements based on the corporation’s ability to stay competitive and ultimately stay in business so pensions can be honored in
the future. Because government does not go out of business and there is always a taxing authority to raise needed funds, the competitive wage and benefit parameters that drive private sector contracts are often absent in public sector union negotiations. As a consequence, in the past decade, public sector wages and benefits have grown twice as fast as those for similar jobs in the private sector. Through organized political activity and financial donations, public sector unions can, in effect, help determine who sits on the other side of the negotiating table. In a way, they can help elect their own boss. In addition, there is a profound conflict of interest in that 12,000 politicians in New York State are also beneficiaries of the current retirement system. Local municipalities are now coping with escalating and unsustainable pension obligations. The immediate short-term solution is employee layoffs coupled with a decrease in services or the basic functions people expect their government to perform, such as garbage pick-up and road repair. In New York State, state government pensions are constitutionally guaranteed, and courts have opined that any tinkering with them would constitute an illegal
“taking.” The state legislature’s solution to this was to add a Tier 5, which now requires new hires to contribute only 3% towards their pension. However, police and firemen were exempted out of even this nominal fix. The end result is that Tier 5 offers no immediate benefit to municipalities, and the small savings will not be seen for at least a decade, when new employees are vested in the retirement system. One way to cover the costs of the untouchable pension obligations is to find savings in other areas of employee contract terms, such as increasing health care contributions or freezing salaries. To put it in concrete terms, without buying an extra pencil, the Village will have to raise taxes over 3.5% this year just to cover our increased pension obligation. The situation is dire enough that some New York communities are thinking of following the example of Vallejo, California, and declaring bankruptcy and then re-negotiating all labor contracts de novo. Given that Tier 5 provides no immediate relief, and believing in leading by example, I recommend that our stateelected officials pass a bill carving elected officials out of the 100% defined benefit pension plan and craft a pension for themselves that reflects the economic reality that is lived by most of their constituents. Mary C. Marvin is the Mayor of the Village of Bro›nxville.
NYS Assembly Passes Bill Sponsored by Assemblywoman Paulin Which Protects Survivors of Domestic Violence By Chelsea M. Ruediger Albany, NY -- A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) will increase the length of time a victim is protected by a final order of protection. The bill passed the Assembly on Wednesday, March 23, 2011. Under current law, victims are issued temporary orders of protection that remain in effect until the criminal process is completed. Final orders of protection are issued at the time of conviction. In practice, this means that victims have two protection orders during the time between conviction and
sentencing. Because the duration of final orders of protection is statutorily limited, this period of double protection reduces the overall length of time that a victim will be protected.
Paulin’s bill will solve this problem by allowing final orders of protection to be issued at the time of sentencing. As a result, victims will still be protected throughout the entire criminal proceeding and their final orders of protection will last longer. “Orders of protection are intended to keep victims safe for as long as possible. The change in this bill is simple, but it could mean an extra month or more of protection for a victim of domestic violence” said Paulin. Paulin is a long-time advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Before
being elected to the Assembly she served as the Executive Director of My Sisters’ Place, a non-profit agency in Westchester County that assists victims of domestic violence. She has also been named a Leader in the Fight Against Domestic Violence by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence for her work in the Assembly. She currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Children and Families.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 11
GOVERNMENT
Save The New York School for the Deaf By Paul Feiner Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget, if approved, could lead to the closure of the New York School for the Deaf, located on 555 Knollwood Road. Since the budget was proposed there has been an outcry from state, county and local leaders opposing the closure. I’m hopeful that the school will survive and wanted to write this article to highlight why it’s important to make sure that the school does not become the subject of budget controversies in the future. I am very familiar with the successes the school has had and have held every one of my swearing in ceremonies at the school since being elected Town Supervisor (and before that Westchester County Legislator). I spoke at and attended a very well attended rally at the school today with County Legislator Mary Jane Shimsky and encourage residents to write to Governor Andrew Cuomo at the Executive Chamber, NYS Capitol Building, Albany, NY 12224. The Greenburgh Town Board approved a resolution urging the Governor and State Legislature to save the school. I have also urged the school districts in Greenburgh to urge the state to save the school. The good news is many of our local elected state representatives are supportive of the school. The closing of this school will destroy NY State’s reputation as having the finest system of deaf education in the nation. There are serious consequences that the proposal will have on deaf children. The 2011 budget proposal is a radical change that would shift the costs of educating students who require complex education environments to individual school districts. School districts do not have specialized staff and are ill equipped to meet the educational needs of these children. Yet the proposed budget will nevertheless require school districts to serve these children, but not give them the staff needed to appropriately serve them. In fact, there are not enough specialized staff to serve the deaf children of this state unless they are served in centralized locations such as the existing state schools.
White Plains’ Mayoral Debates Abound By Nancy King
This Proposal Eliminates the Access of Deaf Children to an Appropriate Education. Every student has a legal right to a free appropriate public education under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Given that schools for the deaf serve some of the most complex learners in the state, and a large percentage of the children have more than one disability, we can say with total certainty that many children will not have their educational needs met in their home school districts, thus stripping them of their right to an appropriate education. Why the Proposal Hurts the Deaf and Makes No Sense. • Schools for the deaf will be forced to close, leaving deaf children isolated in school districts, without teachers and peers who can directly communicate with them. • Already financially devastated school districts will be unable to provide essential services required to appropriately educate deaf children. • The proposal will result in deaf children being assessed by people who cannot communicate directly with them. School districts do not have the specialized staff who are familiar with deaf children and do not have the appropriate tools to evaluate them. • The proposal will violate the federal law mandate for a free appropriate public education. The school serves many children who have complex learning needs that cannot be met properly by their local school districts. • The proposal will result in special education litigation throughout the State caused by the district and state’s failure to provide a free appropriate public education. • The proposal will cost New York State more in the long term. Experience has shown that deaf children who are deprived of an appropriate education are more likely to be functionally illiterate, unemployed, and completely dependent on government services and assistance. Paul Feiner is Greenburgh Town Supervisor
This week, the three candidates vying for the position as White Plains Mayor, vacated by Adam Bradley’s resignation faced each other in two debates. The first debate, held at Ridgeway Elementary School in White Plains, was open to all residents. The first debate was sponsored by the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations (WPCNA) and Concerned Citizens for Open Spaces (WPCCOS). It was estimated that nearly 250 people attended Ridgeway debate. The second debate was sponsored by Cables News 12 Westchester. Both of these debates focused on topics that ranged from maintaining open space
in White Plains to increasing revenue while lowering taxes. All three candidates stressed that the City of White Plains must be more friendly to small business seeking to do business in White Plains and agreed that a high vacancy rate in the retail areas was unhealthy for the financial health of the city. However, that is where the agreement ended. Mr. Hockley suggested advertising on municipal vehicles, Mr. Hyland felt that we need to be more business friendly to small business, and Mr Roach wanted to help landlords rent their vacant spaces. Mr. Roach and Mr. Hyland got it… we Continued on page 12
TheYonkers Downtown BID’s
SUNRISE SEMINARS You’re invited! In these challenging times, join us for a series of FREE seminars for business owners and merchants. These one hour sessions are designed to provide practical tips and guidance on topics like Marketing, Finance, Merchandising, and Environmental Sustainability.
Wednesday, March 30th
Recycling
Wednesday, April 6th
BizInsurance
A Greener & Cleaner Downtown
Protecting Your Livelihood
Wednesday, April 20th
Wednesday, April 27th
CRM
Attracting & Retaining Your Customers
Technology Management for Small Business
Time: All Sunrise Seminars start at 8:00 AM
Location: Yonkers Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, Yonkers ADMISSION FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Refreshments Served To RSVP and/or for more information: 914.969.6660 or email info@yonkersdowntown.com
Yonkers Downtown Waterfront Business Improvement District 4 Hudson Street - Yonkers, NY 10701 - (914) 969-6660 - www.YonkersDowntown.com
Page 12
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
GOVERNMENT
White Plains’ Mayoral Debates Abound Continued from page 11 need to be more business friendly in downtown White Plains. As far as Mr. Hockley’s idea to selling advertising on municipal vehicles; all that one could think of is all of the taxis in the city who have contracted advertising on their roof tops. No way is that an appropriate way of generating revenue for a city the size of White Plains. One of the biggest topics during the Ridgeway debate was the draconian parking rules that White Plains enforces.
While the revenues from the WPPA may bring in more than 12% in cash receipts to the city, it is not the most consumer friendly approach. All three candidates agreed that the WPPA and their fines are a big problem in attracting new business in White Plains, none of the three candidates had a clear vision of what to do with this problem. Mr. Hockley suggested selling parking permits but that seemed to fall flat. The topic of White Plains having an IDA was also questioned during both
debates. All three candidates agreed that having an Industrial Development Agency was a good idea for White Plains but were also quick to inform potential constituents that the state was no longer awarding IDA status to municipalities. However since there is no chance in White Plains obtaining an IDA, all three candidates agreed that development in White Plains would be a priority in their administrations. Open space and the impending arrival of the French American School (FASNY), was also touched upon. FASNY is slated to purchase country club property in the
Ridgeway area of the town and will be constructing buildings on the property. Preserving the Greenway which stretches from West Harrison all the way to Scarsdale was also discussed as well as making White Plains a more walkable city. In the end, all three candidates agreed that after the 15 months of turmoil during Adam Bradley’s term, the city did indeed have an image problem that needed to be repaired. It would be up to the voters now to decide who that handyman will be.
Assemblyman Spano and Senator Stewart-Cousins Honor Yonkers Fire and Police Departments at State Capitol Legislative Resolution Recognizes Heroic Nepperhan Avenue Rescue Albany, NY -- Assemblyman Mike Spano (D/C/WF-Yonkers) and Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (DWF/I-35th District) passed resolutions in honor of Firefighter Mike Giroux and the Yonkers Fire and Police Departments today, for their heroic rescue of two workers who were dangling from a Nepperhan Avenue high rise after their scaffolding collapsed on March 4th. Upon their arrival, the Yonkers Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit was able to gain access to the victims through an apartment window on the 14th floor enabling them to pass the initial safety line to the men taking them out of imminent danger.
RiveRview CouRt APARtMeNtS 47 RiveRdale ave., YonkeRs, nY
1 & 2 BR apaRtments at a GReat pRice!
1 BR staRtinG at $1075 • 2 BRs staRtinG at $1300
914.798.9410
Engine 304; Engine 306, Engine 309, Ladder 72, Battalion 2, Squad 11, Engine 312, Ladder 75 and the Special Operation division. Also, assisting in the rescue efforts were members of the Yonkers Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit. “I felt it was important to commend these individuals and publicly acknowledge those men from the Yonkers Fire and Police Departments for their outstanding dedication and unwavering courage, commitment, selfless dedication in the daily performance of their duties”, Spano said. “This was a truly heroic rescue effort, and it once again displayed how our firefighters and police officers act with courage on a daily basis,” said Senator Stewart-Cousins. “And I am struck by how humble the firefighters and officers that we are honoring today have been in the aftermath 914.426.0359 of the rescue; ... for beginners not wanting to • Get Fit be called heroes • Build Self-Confidence and sharing • Self Defense recognition Join Our Classes Now Men,Women, Children with their belmars.com 5 PROSPECT AVE. • GROUND FL. • WHITE PLAINS colleagues. It
Shortly thereafter, the Yonkers Fire Department executed a dramatic rescue performing what is known as a “pickoff,” which entailed Firefighter Mike Giroux repelling down and stopping just feet above each of the two victims before transferring them onto his harness. The members of the Yonkers Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit were able to speak and translate to the painters who only spoke Spanish while also conducting a medical assessment; keeping the situation under control. This 90-minute drama came to a successful conclusion thanks to a team effort by the Yonkers Fire and Police Departments and Firefighter Mike Giroux who risked his own life to save others. Firefighter Michael Giroux’s heroic actions were not possible without the help of the many firefighters from Yonkers’ Battalion 1, Rescue 1, Ladder 71, Engine 303,
• High-Rise Building and Views of the Hudson and Historical Yonkers • Nearby Public Transportation, Shopping/Restaurants, the Hudson River and only 15 min. away from NYC TTY # 800.662.1200 • Fitness Center On-Site Riverview Court • 24 Hours Access Control Patrol Does Not Discriminate • Large State of the Art Laundry Room On The Basis • 24 Hr. Maintenance Of Disability. • On-Site Management • Reasonably-Priced Indoor Parking On-Site, with Controlled Access • Resident Lounge 15 min. • Business Center FRom nYc • Beautiful Courtyard in the center of the complex via with well-appointed landscape areas metRo noRth!
shows how sincerely dedicated they are to serving the people of Yonkers, and for that, we thank them.” “It is my pleasure to join my colleagues, Assemblyman Spano and Senator Stewart- Cousins in recognizing the Yonkers Fire and Police Departments. Their heroic acts on March 4, 2011 are demonstrative of the hard work, dedication and commitment that these individuals exhibit day in and day out. I want to personally thank the Yonkers Fire and Police Departments for their steadfast efforts and commend them on a job very well done,” said Assemblyman Gary Pretlow of the 87th Assembly District. Members of both the Fire and Police Departments, who took part in the rescue, including Firefighter Michael Giroux, were in Albany today, Wednesday, March 23, 2011. They were honored by an introduction on both the Assembly and Senate floors and with the passage of a joint Resolution by Assemblyman Spano and Senator Stewart-Cousins.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 13
A Tale of Two States Second of a Series
It is indeed gratifying, however, to observe the investment sector’s system of risk analysis and calibration in action Last year, the financial follies festering in Klein’s Senate and Galef ’s Assembly so distressed private lenders, that Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch was forced to explore the state’s own seismically precarious pool of pension funds as a lender of last resort to balance the budget! When allowed to function according to its customary standards and objectives, Wall Street’s realtime, feedback mechanisms (S&P, Fitch, Moody’s) really do their job; exposing the Albany thugocracy’s political-economic promiscuity to the light of day. It remains only for the free daily press to report the transpirations for all to see. Would that the innocent and highly distractible general public then pay just a little attention to the nefarious goings-on up in the Albany sandbox. May this day of financialreporting and readership reckoning finally be at hand? Galef sheepishly offers that now may be the time for governmental consolidation; sharing of services, or merging of departments by neighboring local entities. That discussion is, of course, many years old. Where was her leadership when Cuomo talked of it 18 months back? Where was her ground-breaking legislation when Rethinking Westchester Government (of which the writer is a founding board member) proposed reduction or elimination of duplicative county government and consolidation of local city/town/village services two years ago? The New Rochelle school board and city council have ruminated on pooling their somewhat redundant garbage pickup schedules and hardware for well-nigh ten years! Has the good solon heard of this? (While we are on the subject of regional/ governmental cooperation, have the NR schools and the Democrat-machine city council majority thought of engaging Galef in a heart-to-heart on the subject, or
asked her and their mutual buddies Paulin/ Klein et al for consolidation-enabling legislation? Have they petitioned their Albany agents and lobbyists for relief from intrusive mandates or sought home-rule powers to better cope with the provincialism of surrounding localities?). Of course, the permanently re-elected incumbent (who has been in public office less time than Susie Oppenheimer and Muammar Gadhafi, but more time than Egypt’s just-retired President Hosni Mubarak) is grasping mightily to stave off irrelevance in this epoch of fiscal prudence. But no one will be fooled. When the really serious matters of public administration are finally addressed, like: improved public union-contracting strategies, duplication of services by different levels of government, relief from local mandates by the legislative mandarins sitting at Albany, health care and education rule-makingcaused increases in family expenses; no one will be seeking her advice! No paradigm-shifting legislation, no inspirational agenda-realigning leadership erupting from her or her like. Such can only originate with a dauntless, fiscally conservative Republican/ Democrat legislative caucus and a similarly bold governor (Democrat or Republican) willing to break some icons and confront the malign ways of a professional political class oblivious to the plight of the state’s common stakeholders. And, it is to be hoped, driven by an emboldened public; fueled with town hall, Tea Party or simple ad hoc activism, to ensure that all the moving parts of necessary government service are kept in good working and moral order.
illegal immigrants if he/she has come to the U.S. as a child (15 or under), graduated from a U.S. High School (or received a GED from a U.S. institution) and is a long-term resident (at least 5 years). In addition, they would be required to be under the age of 30 when the bill is enacted. There are several other requirements, such as being a person of “good moral character,” as determined by the Department of Homeland Security, from
the date the individual initially entered the U.S. Then there are the security and lawenforcement background checks; medical exams and the willingness to register for the Selective Service. During this nonlegal period, the person has the chance to earn legal immigrant status after 2 years, but, only if he/she meets the DREAM Act’s college or military service requirements, and other rules that include paying
OPED
By Stephen I. Mayo Citizens are restive, open to new ways of governance by the elective class. The private economy is locked in uncertainty over domestic energy costs caused by concerns over nuclear power in the wake of releases of radioactivity following Japan’s tsunami, and doubts about oil supplies from a Middle East rocked by Libya’s civil war and renewed Arab terror attacks on Israeli citizens. Why shouldn’t government find new ways of doing better public enterprise with less? With such change in the air, how to explain old-hand Assemblywoman Sandra Galef ’s insipid report to her constituents recently published in the area press? Chronicling the Governor’s spending cuts; some “she favored” but warned “the changes would be difficult.” Well is that so? Having served at the public’s expense for three decades, Galef has arrived at this realization just now? Where have her intellectual faculties been mislaid this whole time. One would think that an officeholding pro like her (and other salaried, per diem-ed, full-time expense-account “farmers” like Paulin, Klein, Oppenheimer, Stewart-Cousins, also) having toiled in the electoral trenches for so long would have a more serious command of the issues. Of course trimming public outlays is a difficult business. Making choices always is. Ask any businessperson, homeowner or homemaker. The state will go broke over long-term debt caused by incessant borrowing for future, unfunded pension and health care obligations; the so-called, “legacy” expenses of public employment. There is, of course, no chance that the state will go bankrupt. That is a legal impossibility. Unable to pay
bills and meet payrolls or going bankrupt? What difference does it make? Pick your poison, buddy. The remedy is essentially the same. To whit; a drastic schedule of reduction and rebuilding of New York State’s governing and administrative apparatus involving very unpleasant fiscal choices. The good Assemblywoman has known of the state’s “structural deficit” for surely five years (at least since the alarm was first rung in reports from the Citizen’s Budget Commission, some in the Republican Party and, the Empire Policy Center in Albany; recently also in publications of the leftish, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Or does she not read these things?). In an unbecomingly naive plaint, the Assemblywoman laments “slashed” funds, “deep cuts” in spending, “layoffs.” Readers are entitled to know when she first noticed the state’s monstrous growth in spending and precipitous shortfalls in revenue. Which of the budgets that she has supported in her over 30 years in public office did not pre-suppose spending more modest and revenues more robust than actually occurred. One who has fed so long and so lasciviously at the public trough does not deserve a pass when “naturallyoccurring” fiscal competency exams are imposed by economic reality! By the same token, a habitual public rentier like Klein is owed no “benefit of the doubt” when a spending bill is shoehorned into constitutionally compelled “budget balance” (through rhetorical trick; and accounting sleight-of-hand” that would embarrass a first-year business student); and then greeted with not one iota of Wall “Streetcred” by bond-rating institutions and lenders to public enterprise.
Stephen I. Mayo is a Bronx linoleum manufacturer and New Rochelle attorney. He is the host of Radio Mayo, Mondays and Thursdays, from 5 to 6 pm, on WVOX-1460 AM, www. wvox.com.
WEIR ONLY HUMAN
Dreaming About a Pathway to Citizenship By Bob Weir
It seems to me that we have reached an impasse in the debate over illegal immigration. Throughout 2010, the 111th Congress continued to consider the
so-called DREAM act, which has been tried before in past sessions of Congress. However, even though the House passed it in December, the Senate was unable to override a filibuster and it failed again. Provisions of the bill include eligibility for
Page 14
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT back taxes and demonstrating the ability to read, write and speak English, and demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history, principles, and form of the U.S. government. In order to apply for legal permanent residence, the eligible person would have to satisfy one of two requirements. One would be to graduate from a two-year community college or complete at least 2 years toward a 4-year degree. The other would be to serve 2 years in the U.S. military. The foregoing would have to be accomplished within the first 6 years and they would not be eligible for federal higher education money such as Pell grants, but they could apply for student loans. Given the fact that our government has said no to this latest pathway to citizenship, we must ask what else they have in mind to solve this ongoing challenge to our national sovereignty. Incessantly, we’ve heard the cries to “secure the border,” yet we have little faith that it’s being done effectively. Even if the country was to
suddenly become invulnerable to new invaders, we’d still have to deal with the millions that have already compromised our border security. From some corners we’ve heard, “send them all back;” but that’s as inane as it is, from a pragmatic standpoint, impossible. With estimates ranging from 12 to 20 million people here illegally, common sense tells us that it’s not going to happen. Hence, when we come to grips with the reality that we can’t forcibly transport millions of people across our borders; it’s time for other options. Nevertheless, when someone makes such a suggestion he’s quickly accused of being for amnesty. Such accusations do nothing to enhance the dialogue. Rather, it tends to inhibit people from thinking about a constructive solution. If you look at some of the comments on Internet websites, where cowardly bigots can get their opinions publicized anonymously, you’ll get an idea of how ethnically charged this issue is. One thing’s certain, it’s not going away and it’s
not going to improve until we, as a nation, face up to the reality that there must be some practical route to citizenship for the masses that have already settled here. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) act would have bolstered the falling recruitment levels in our volunteer army, and/or motivated immigrants to earn a college education. Furthermore, the legislation would not apply to anyone who has committed one felony or three misdemeanors; is likely to become a public charge; has engaged in voter fraud or unlawful voting; has committed marriage fraud; has abused a student visa; has engaged in persecution; or poses a public health risk. In other words, someone who, given all the other parameters, has the potential to become a productive citizen. In fact, the laundry list of meritorious conduct and service that must be performed is much more stringent than that applied to someone coming here legally in the first place. When our legislators say no to one proposal they
should be prepared to offer another one. Just saying no didn’t solve this country’s drug problem and it won’t solve its illegal immigration problem either.
The Casablanca volume was published in 1968, but did not attract much notice at the time. Dr. Medoff has done a public service by bringing it to our attention again. Fortunately, U.S. policy in occupied North Africa in the end did not follow FDR’s line. When it became clear that the administration was stalling on getting rid of the old anti-Jewish laws, American Jewish leaders loudly protested. (If only they had been so vocal throughout the Holocaust years!) One of the most memorable critiques came from Benzion Netanyahu --father of Israel’s current prime minister-- who in those days headed up the American wing of the Revisionist Zionist movement: “The spirit of the Swastika hovers over the Stars and Stripes,” he wrote. The protests eventually forced the White House to back down. North African Jews were gradually released from forced-labor camps and the anti-Jewish quotas and other laws were rescinded. The American Jewish community reveres the memory of FDR. He will always be remembered and rightly so for leading us through the Great Depression and is responsible for this country not ending up in the column of fascist nations, as did Germany and Italy. We had 25 percent unemployment in a nation of 132 million. We had Father Coughlin and Charles Lindbergh beating
the drums of fascism and support of Adolf Hitler and his ideas, particularly those blaming the Jews of the world for the ills of the world. We had the German-American Bund led by Fritz Kuhn in Yorkville with signs stating “No Jews Allowed.” I saw such signs as a small boy on the beaches of Coney Island. And, of course, FDR led us to victory in World War II. So the feelings of support for him held by much of the country’s Jewish citizens was highest then and still among the highest for his memory. To this day, Jews overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. The Jewish community gave President Barack Obama 78 percent of its vote in the presidential election in 2008. I appreciate FDR’s contributions to the survival of our country. At the same time, I have never forgiven him for his refusal to grant haven to the 937 Jewish passengers on the SS St. Louis, who after fleeing Nazi Germany had been turned away from Cuba and hovered off the coast of Florida. The passengers were returned to Europe, and many were ultimately murdered in the Nazi concentration camps before World War II ended. I have said that I believe he is not in heaven, but in purgatory, being punished for his abandonment of the Jews. The concept of purgatory is Catholic. I am a secular Jew, but I am a believer in God Continued on page 15
Bob Weir is a veteran of 20 years with the New York Police Dept. (NYPD), ten of which were performed in plainclothes undercover assignments. During his early years with NYPD, Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude from New York Institute of Technology. He retired as a sergeant after supervising patrol in Midtown Manhattan, the busiest precinct in the country.He would eventually move to Flower Mound, Texas, where he began a writing career that started about 12 years ago having his first book published in 1999. Bob went on to write and publish a total of seven novels, “Murder in Black and White,” “City to Die For,” “Powers that Be,” “Ruthie’s Kids,” “Deadly to Love,” “Short Stories of Life and Death,” and “Out of Sight,” are available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Books-a-million, and other major online book sellers. He also became a syndicated columnist under the title “Weir Only Human”.
ED KOCH OPED
The War Against the Jews Goes On By Ed Koch
The latest Palestinian violence against Israelis, and the continuing abandonment of Israel by most of the international community, inevitably bring to mind the abandonment of the Jews during the Holocaust. Just this past week, a document emerged which raises disturbing new questions about President Franklin Roosevelt’s response to the Nazi mass murder of Europe’s Jews. The document was brought to my attention by Dr. Rafael Medoff, a Holocaust scholar and director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington, DC. Several years ago, Dr. Medoff collaborated with me on my book “The Koch Papers: My Fight Against AntiSemitism.” It was based on my writings and speeches about the Holocaust and antiSemitism, during the course of my nine years in Congress and twelve as mayor of New York City. The document which Dr. Medoff sent me last week, concerning FDR and the Holocaust, was frankly shocking. It had to do with the Allies’ occupation of North Africa, which they liberated from the Nazis in November 1942. At the time, President
Roosevelt publicly pledged the Allies would do away with the anti-Jewish laws that had been in force in the region. But when FDR met in Casablanca with local government leaders in January 1943, he took a very different line. The transcript of those discussions, which Dr. Medoff cites, reveals what FDR said about the status of the 330,000 Jews living in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia: “The number of Jews engaged in the practice of the professions (law, medicine, etc) should be definitely limited to the percentage that the Jewish population in North Africa bears to the whole of the North African population... The President stated that his plan would further eliminate the specific and understandable complaints which the Germans bore toward the Jews in Germany, namely, that while they represented a small part of the population, over fifty percent of the lawyers, doctors, school teachers, college professors, etc., in Germany, were Jews.” Hard to believe a president would say such a thing? Maybe, but the source is unimpeachable: the transcript appears in Foreign Relations of the United States, a multivolume series of historical documents published by the U.S. government itself.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
Page 15
now, about 20 percent of its population. When Israel and the Palestinian Authority settle their differences, shouldn’t Jews be able to choose to live in the new Palestinian state as citizens, or at least resident aliens? I don’t see why not. Of course, Israel has made mistakes in its dealings with the Palestinians. The Israelis are no less human in that respect than other nations, including ours. But the intransigence, unwillingness to compromise, is far greater on the part of the Palestinian leaders, who fear for their lives threatened
by the Arab radicals, fundamentalists and terrorists. Where are the Arab voices of moderation? I don’t hear them. But I do hear the voices of those threatening the destruction of Israel, of those seeking to delegitimatize Israel at the United Nations. Yes, the war against the Jews is still going on, 66 years after World War II. But, thank God, there is now a Jewish state that will not be cowed and will do what is necessary to protect the Jewish people.
ED KOCH OPED
The War Against the Jews Goes On Continued from page 14 and the hereafter, and I like this Catholic concept. The Casablanca document reinforces my conviction that President Roosevelt was, at heart, not particularly sympathetic to the plight of the Jews. Today, the war against the Jews continues. While Palestinian terrorists murder Israeli children in their beds and fire rockets into Israeli towns, the international community
rages against Israel. To his credit, President Barack Obama vetoed the recent United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel--yet in the same breath, the administration spokeswoman and U.N. ambassador emphasized the U.S. agreed with the substance of that one-sided resolution. That’s no way to treat an ally. Why can’t Jews live on the West Bank? More than one million Arabs live in Israel
CommunitySection The Warning Signs of Workplace Violence By Rich Cordivari According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than two million Americans are impacted by workplace violence annually. There are behavior indicators often exhibited in the workplace that have been linked to workplace violence situations. According to a 2004 USA Today analysis of 224 instances of fatal workplace violence situations, the attacker had left behind clear warning signs. Workplace violence is attributed to a broad range of behaviors falling along a spectrum that, due to their nature and/or severity, significantly affect the workplace, generate a concern for personal safety and can result in physical injury or even death. While every situation and set of circumstances is unique, there are some warning
Direct Hard Money Lender 14% Interest 1 Year Bridge Loans $20,000-$1 Million Secured by Real Estate Immediate Answer Closing in 7 Days Call G. Morales 914.632.1243 T. 914.632.1243 • Mon.-Fri. 10AM-6PM
signs that are commonly exhibited by individuals in need of assistance. If you are feeling uncomfortable in any situation with a co-worker, or noticing these warning signs, you should notify a manager or someone in a position of authority within your organization. Remember that just because someone exhibits one of these behaviors does not necessarily mean they are prone to display an act of violence. It is when someone has a noticeable change in behavior, if these behaviors are observed in combination or if the behavior is displayed constantly that you should consider telling someone about the situation. * Excessive tardiness or absences – An employee who consistently leaves their workday early without authorization, or presents numerous excuses for shortening the work day, should set off an alarm. This is a significant sign if an individual is typically prompt and committed to a full work day. * Increased need for supervision – Generally, an employee requires less supervision as he or she becomes more proficient at their work. An employee who exhibits an increased need for supervision, or with whom the supervisor must spend an inordinate amount of time, may be an individual who is signaling a need for help. Managers should be alert to such a change and consider offering professional intervention if needed.
* Lack of performance – If an employee who is normally efficient and productive experiences a sudden or sustained drop in performance, there is reason for concern. This is actually a classic warning sign of dissatisfaction and the manager should meet with the employee immediately to determine a mutually beneficial course of action. * Change in work habits – As in the case of reduced productivity, an employee exhibiting inconsistent work habits may be in need of intervention. If you think about your peers at work, they are typically quite consistent in their work habits. If habits change, the manager has reason to suspect the individual is in need of assistance and action should be taken. * Inability to concentrate – If an employee is suddenly unable to concentrate, this may indicate that they are distracted and in trouble. A manager should be notified to try and encourage the employee to seek assistance. * Signs of stress – If an employee who has traditionally adhered to safety procedures is suddenly involved in accidents or safety violations, stress, a significant contributor to workplace violence, may be indicated. * Change in attitude – A sustained change in behavior is often an indication of an employee in difficulty. People are typically quite familiar with the personalities of their peers and are often quick to notice significant changes. Your work environment should be managed in such a way as to ensure trust and open communication. * Weapons fascination – A classic behavioral warning sign is someone who is fascinated with weapons. This should be
easily recognized and reported. * Drugs and Alcohol – Watch for changes in the person’s mood or character when drugs and alcohol are used. Often people who have substance abuse problems act out in the workplace and it’s important that every organization have some methodology in place to identify and assist victims of drug or alcohol abuse. * Not taking responsibility for their actions – A person who uses excuses and blames others is a classic behavioral warning sign that is easy to identify but just as often ignored by managers. A worker who engages in this behavior is typically signaling for assistance and may require counseling. Remember that these are only a few of the possible warning signs of workplace violence. As with any work related issue, you should report unusual behavior to a manager or someone who has the authority to take action. For more information on Workplace Violence Awareness, visit www.AlliedBarton.com/ WorkplaceViolence. Rich Cordivari is the Vice President of Learning & Development at AlliedBarton Security Services. AlliedBarton is the industry’s premier provider of highly trained security personnel to many industries including higher education, commercial real estate, healthcare, residential communities, chemical/petrochemical, government, manufacturing and distribution, financial institutions, and shopping centers.
Page 16
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
COMMUNITY
News & Notes from Northern Westchester By Mark Jeffers
We all know it’s good to spring clean our homes, well how about our parks, nature centers and pathways here in Westchester County. Well, you can by participating in “Pitch in for Parks” on April 10. For more information please call 914-864-7318… and of course if anyone wants to help clean my house, well that’s a whole another story… Our friends at Grand Prix New York are holding a “9/11 Fundraiser” on March 31 from 5-9pm, a 2010 Camaro SS will also be raffled off and tickets are available that night. The raffle tickets are $100 each with only 500 tickets being sold. All proceeds to benefit The Mount Kisco Fire Department’s “September 11th Memorial”
monument. So, if you want to learn what engineers do and how to become one, stop by the 8th Annual Lower Hudson Valley Engineering Expo on Sunday, April 3 at the White Plains High School… A great time was had by all at The Blazer Pub in Purdy’s, not that every time I am there it’s not fun, but on Saint Patrick’s Day they held their annual fundraiser for Friends of Karen that helps support families with sick children. Great burgers and helping those less fortunate, not a bad way to celebrate… Let’s all lace up and then line up for the annual Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Go the Distance Walk on Sunday, April 10. For more information call 914-493-2575. My wife, the shopper in the family, tells
me the Art Emporium in Mount Kisco is closing after 30 years. It was a great place for art supplies, as my three daughters will attest. I really need to check out this lecture in Pleasantville… “Mindful Eating for a Healthy Lifestyle.” The event will take place on March 31 at the Mount Pleasant Public Library. I don’t think snacks will be served. Congratulations goes out Mount Kisco resident Jason Distant as he was named the 2011 Youth of the Year Award winner at the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester. Jason is a junior at Fox Lane High School. Here’s a really fun thing to do on a Friday or Saturday, swing by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in Pleasantville take a tour of the brewery and a taste of the beer, I have taken the tour once or twice, but who’s counting, it’s a blast! Okay, who’s looking for a fling…hold on this is a family paper, how about the
Westchester County Crime Stoppers Back in Business County Executive Robert P. Astorino last week welcomed Crime Stoppers back to Westchester and urged the public to support the program’s partnership with law enforcement to identify and apprehend criminals. Westchester County Crime Stoppers, which had been dormant in recent years, held an Inaugural Breakfast Thursday at The Wartburg Adult Care Community in Mount Vernon to highlight that it was back in business. “Crime Stoppers, which is run by civilian volunteers, is a terrific partnership between the public and law enforcement,” Astorino said in a keynote address at the event. “It is a valuable tool for police to utilize in challenging investigations and difficult-to-solve crimes.” Astorino said Crime Stoppers needs
financial support from the public to be able to offer rewards of up to $1,000 for information in selected criminal cases. Crime Stoppers is being revived under the leadership of its Chairperson, Derickson K. Lawrence of Mount Vernon, an executive in the banking and financial services industry. WCCS is rebuilding support for its mission to assist law enforcement in Westchester and adjoining communities to mitigate and solve crimes.
As a volunteer civilian organization, WCCS is funded by tax-deductible donations from businesses, clubs, associations and individuals. A fund-raising campaign is currently under way. “The critical success factors for this organization and its programs are predicated on the cooperative efforts of concerned citizens, the media, and law enforcement agencies,” Lawrence said. “As such, the goal is to fight crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit involvement: fear and apathy.” WCCS provides an anonymous tollfree tip line (800-898-8477) to encourage citizens to volunteer vital information that helps law enforcement solve crimes. Tips that lead to an arrest and conviction, in cases designated and advertised by WCCS, will lead to a reward.
spring fling at Katonah Elementary School on April 8. The school will turn into a carnival and should be a lot of fun. Proceeds benefit the Katonah Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization. And don’t forget the second annual “Run for the Hills” 5K race/walk on April 2 in Bedford Hills… And finally, our thoughts and prayers go out to all the folks suffering from the terrible disaster in Japan. That will wrap it up for this edition of “News & Notes.” Mark Jeffers successfully launched MAR$AR Sports & Entertainment LLC in 2008. He is also the local host and producer of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, a columnist for Sport & Technology, a member of the National Sports Marketing Network, National Writers Union, Sports Video Group and the co-host of the bi-weekly sports radio program, “The Clubhouse.”
More Commissioner George N. Longworth of the Department of Public Safety told the gathering how a Crime Stoppers reward helped him develop key evidence needed to arrest the murderer of an 11-year-old boy. That investigation was conducted in the 1990s when Longworth was chief of the Dobbs Ferry Police Department. “Crime Stoppers’ rewards give law enforcement one more tool it can use to identify persons responsible for major crimes and bring them to justice,” he said. The Westchester County Chiefs of Police Association and the New York Law Enforcement Foundation are founding sponsors of WCCS. The Westchester Bank has signed on as a lead corporate sponsor for the organization. Additional information about WCCS, the Crime Stoppers concept, and ways to make a donation can be found at www. WestchesterCrimeStoppers.org.
Gear Up Foundation to Donate $500K in Firefighting Gear to Ecuador South Salem, NY -- Born from the ashes after the attacks of September 11th, Gear Up Foundation was formed as a living memorial to all those who perished on 9/11 and those who continue to die from their exposures on site. To date, Gear Up Foundation has delivered millions of dollars in equipment and training around the world in tribute to and as a legacy to those who answered the call to serve. They, through the international brotherhood inspired by firefighters act as Ambassadors of Goodwill bringing our world together because of the tragedy of 9/11.
Gear Up Co-Founder Vincent Forras will be joined by its President, Chief Paul Nelson, and representatives in Ecuador at a historic ceremony in Guayaquil, Ecuador at the Salon de La Ciudad, Town Hall of Guayaquil on Friday, April 1st at 5:00 PM. Their guest list includes US Ambassador Heather Hodges, US Consul General, Mayor of Guayaquil, many VIP’s and firefighters from 35 of the poorest provinces around the country. US Senators Blumenthal and Lieberman are working closely with Gear Up Foundation in support of this historic mission. Meetings
have already been confirmed for the Gear Up team with the President of Ecuador and other high ranking government and business representatives.
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
MOVIE REVIEWS
Ed Koch Movie Reviews By Edward I. Koch
Movie Review: “Making the Boys” (+) A friend of mine, Charles Kaiser, asked me if I had seen this documentary about the making of the Broadway hit play, “The Boys in the Band.” He said it was excellent and that it includes interviews of the two of us. I hadn’t seen it so I decided to catch it last weekend. It is indeed very good. (Charlie is the author of two seminal books: “1968 In America,” documenting what happened in that momentous presidential campaign year, and “The Gay Metropolis,” setting forth a history of the gay movement in America. Both books are superb.) “Making the Boys” recounts how the author, Mart Crowley, came to write “The Boys in the Band.” It contains fascinating interviews with many of the people involved. Especially interesting is the one with Edward Albee who talks about turning down the opportunity to invest in the play. He thought it stereotyped and caricatured gays and that it would not help the cause of providing gays and lesbians with equality and respect. When the play appeared on Broadway in 1968, sodomy was a crime in New York, whether committed by men or women. The Court of Appeals ruled the law unconstitutional in 1980. The law itself was repealed by the State Legislature in 2000. The play was performed for nine days by actors who worked for nothing. It was an instant success and moved to Broadway. Albee laughs and talks about how dumb he was not to invest in it. The play was followed by a movie in 1970. “The Boys in the Band” is acknowledged by most, if not all, observers as having been extremely important in getting Americans to be more accepting of homosexuals. It also strengthened the movement to achieve legitimacy and equality for those whose orientation is homosexual so that 43 years later one of the major issues facing our nation is the legalization of same-sex marriages. That has been done in five states and the District of Columbia. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has urged the State Legislature to enact such legislation. The Assembly did so on prior occasions and undoubtedly will do so again. The Senate rejected the bill last year, but I believe it will approve it the next time it votes on the matter. I certainly hope so. When I saw the film last weekend, Mart Crowley appeared and answered questions from the audience. We also took a photo together. Although Charlie Kaiser has five appearances in the movie and I have only one, I am delighted to have been interviewed for such an important film about the gay movement. Mart Crowley wrote a sequel to the play which has appeared in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Surely someone, not wanting to repeat Albee’s error, will invest in the sequel and bring it to Broadway and then on to Hollywood.
Movie Review: “The Lincoln Lawyer” (+) Although this picture is what used to be referred to as a B-movie, it is worth seeing. The Times film critic, Manohla Dargis, commented in her review that Matthew McConaughey actually acts in this picture as opposed to simply waltzing through it as the handsome lead which he has done in many prior movies. The title of the movie has nothing to do with Abe. It refers to the Lincoln Town Car which a very sleazy lawyer, Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey), basically uses as his office. Haller is divorced but has a good relationship with his former wife, Maggie (Marisa Tomei), who works in the district attorney’s office. Haller represents a motorcycle gang one of whose members is in prison, I believe, for making Crystal Meth. A bondsman, Val ( John Leguizamo), refers a client to Mick: Louis (Ryan Phillippe) who is charged with beating up a prostitute. Other characters include Louis’s monstrous mother, Mary (Frances Fisher), and Mick’s private investigator, Frank (William H. Macy). The film contains clichés and unbelievable moments that should reduce its positive effect, but they don’t; provided you go to the theater expecting nothing more than seeing a frothy, forgettable, but enjoyable movie. Henry Stern said: “The Lincoln Lawyer had nothing to do with Abraham Lincoln, and Matt McConaughey is the polar opposite of Honest Abe. He is part Roy Cohn, part Lynne Stewart, a stereotype of the bribing, manipulative mouthpiece, except that everything he does is for the greater good. The film is lively and fast paced, without long car chases, explosions, aliens or other contemporary diversions. The body count is less than a handful. The outwitted DA is right out of a Perry Mason book. The casting of the murderer is politically correct, with a touch of Joan Crawford. I recommend this film. It’s what going to the movies used to be like. Follow Ed Koch’s Movie Reviews on www.mayorkoch.com The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served New York City as its 105th Mayor from 1978 to 1989.
Page 17
Page 18
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
The Westchester Guardian
EYE ON THEATRE
50th Anniversary Production of
Succeeds
By John Simon The very effectively revived musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is savvily based on a shrewd novel by Shepherd Mead, whose many years in advertising work enabled him to be an apt recorder of the shenanigans on which big business is based. This tongue-in-cheek show ranges brilliantly from impish cheekiness to imperious impudence. Take our protagonist, J. Pierrepoint Finch, a young man who starts out perilously perched washing skyscraper windows and ends up comfortably ensconced as vicepresident of advertising for World Wide Wickets. A scoundrel--or more benignly a scamp-- is what young Finch is and we’re not to overlook that his middle name
closely resembles Pierpont, associated with the House of Morgan, and that wickets are a product whose use, not to mention its very quiddity, even God may not know. Machiavellianly playing a docile, unambitious, hard-working innocent, Finch gradually inveigles everyone. To be noted is that his very nickname, Ponty, sounds ominously close to Ponzi, and that whenever he states his last name he immediately spells it out—f, i, n, c, h—drawing further attention to his ostensibly sweet, songfully avian self. It is also indicative that he derives his manipulative progress from a self-help book about how to succeed in business (its jesuitical advice is heard out loud in the fruity voice of Anderson Cooper), which shows that we live in a society whose very counseling
is profoundly amoral, booklearning included. To be sure, there is at WWW someone far more reprehensible than Finch, Danie Radcliffe and Tammy Blanchard in How to Succeed at Business Without Bud Frump, Really Trying, Photo by Ari Mintz a notorious Rosemary’s colleague and sidekick, with the crybaby, mother’s boy and slacker, who owes equally obligatory heart of gold. his job to flagrant nepotism, and does everyOut of the crisscrossings of these characters, thing in his anti-Finchist power to trip up and a few well-chosen others, the bookhis perceived rival, only to be trapped by his writers Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and own, ludicrously inept treachery. Willie Gilbert, and the great composer-lyriTheir boss, J. B. Biggley, is a marvelously cist Frank Loesser have fashioned a deftly humorous and consummately tuneful work, able to be both sweet and satirical, both mischievous and endearing. It would take far more space than I have to do full justice to the imaginative setting by Derek McLane, consisting largely of something like a giant beehive of huge, perpendicular lozenge shapes, walkable and even danceable on, but also of surprising platforms that suddenly stretch out from the wings, one from the right, one from the left, but without quite meeting, allowing for an ambidextrous action high above the stage floor. And much more to boot. There is also delightfully chameleonic lighting by Howell Binkley, turning the abovementioned lozenges into various colors to Danie Radcliffe and John Larroquette in How enhance the particular moods of individual to Succeed at Business Without Really Trying, scenes. Catherine Zuber’s costumes, aside Photo by Ari Mintz from a slight lapse or two, contribute jovially to the general merriment, starting with the soft-cored, married blowhard, the songroyally azure bow tie that celestially bediand-dance scene of his inveigling by Finch zens Finch’s neck. being one of the funniest in all musical Rob Ashford’s skilled staging and daring comedy. He has secured a secretarial job choreography, which besides highly original for Hedy LaRue, a somewhat over-the-hill steps and jumps is able to bunch a number good-time girl and his mistress, even though of bodies into quaintly mobile configuraher typing skill is no more than a negligible tions, whose complex shapes should make handful of words per minute. Already on the solid geometry envious, and leave audiWWW staff are Miss Jones, Biggley’s very ence mouths agape with amazement. masculine termagant of a secretary, whom The orchestra, thriving on David Chase’s Finch nevertheless manages to flatter into a arrangements and conducting, sounds not entirely ungiddy woman; also Rosemary very nearly philharmonic. And we get the Pilkington, an attractively nubile secretary full work in its original form, disregarding looking for a husband whom, as his slavpossible feminist quibbles and defying ishly subservient spouse, she will help propel political correctness. to greatness in their dream home in fabled There is not a weak link in the superb cast, New Rochelle. There is, further, the obligaled by the adorably roguish Finch of Daniel tory tough-talking comedienne, Smitty, Continued on page 19
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
The Westchester Guardian
EYE ON THEATRE
50th Anniversary Production of Succed Succeeds Continued from page 18 Radcliffe and feelingfullly grumpy Mr. Biggley of John Larroquette. Valiant support comes from Rose Hemingway’s romantic Rosemary, Tammy Blanchard’s slithering Hedy, Mary Faber’s no-nonsense Smitty, Ellen Harvey’s stonyfaced Miss Jones, and several gifted others, among whom I especially relished Michael Park as a befuddled department head, and Rob Bartlett in two very different but equally hilarious roles as the bittersweet retiring master of the mailroom and the pompously portly owner of the firm. This How to Succeed succeeds resoundingly in a show business whose more recent huffing and puffing specimens have been genuinely trying. But then, they were the works of lesser men than Loesser and Burrows. John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review, New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway.com and Bloomberg News. He reviews books for the New York Times Book Review and Washington Post. He has written profiles for Vogue, Town and Country, Departures and Connoisseur and produced 17 books of collected writings. Mr. Simon holds a PhD from Harvard University in Comparative Literature and has taught at MIT, Harvard University, Bard College and Marymount Manhattan College. To learn more, visit the JohnSimon-Uncensored.com website.
Page 19
LEGAL NOTICES FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER In the Matter of a Proceeding under Article 6 FU No. 117336 of the Family Court Act Docket No. V-07474-10 ERENDIRA PEREZ, Petitioner, -againstELVIS JIMENEZ, Respondent
SUMMONS (Publication)
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: ELVIS JIMENEZ, WHO RESIDES OR IS FOUND AT: ADDRESS UNKNOWN IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, TEXAS OR NEW YORK a petition under Article 6 of the Family Court Act having been filed with this Court requesting: SOLE LEGAL AND PHYSICAL CUSTODY OF THE MINOR CHILD, BARBARA JIMENEZ. YOU AND EACH OF YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at 53 SOUTH BROADWAY, 4TH FLOOR, YONKERS, New York, on April 21, 2011, at 2 P.M. in the noon, of that day to answer the petition and to be dealt with in accordance with Article 6 of the Family Court Act. On your failure to appear as herein directed, an inquest hearing will be held in your absence. On your failure to appear as herein directed, a warrant may be issued for your arrest. Dated: February 21, 2011 TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Mary Anne Scattaretico-Naber, Judge of the Family Court, Westchester County, dated and filed with the petition and other papers2 in the Office of the Clerk of the Family Court, Westchester County. column
Get Noticed
Underhill Capital Advisors LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/3/2008. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to P.O. Box 785 Armonk, NY 10504. Purpose: Any lawful activity. R Patisserie LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 01/27/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 52 Webster Avenue #17 New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Phyllis A. Patrick & Associates, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 11/30/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 1717 Purchase Street Purchase, NY 10577. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Common Area Maintenance Solutions LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/14/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to C/O United States Corporation Agents, 1 column Inc. 7014 13th Ave Ste 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Registered Agent: United States Corporation Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave Ste 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228
Get Noticed
Mcbride Business Venture, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/29/10. Office location: Westchester Co. LLC formed in Wyoming (WY) on 10/19/10. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Teton Agents, Inc. 575 S. Willow St, P.O. Box 1226 Jackson, WY 83001. WY address of LLC: 575 S. Willow St, P.O. Box 1226 Jackson, WY 83001. Arts. Of Org. filed with WY Secy. of State, 200 W 24th St Cheyenne, WY 82002. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of LINK NY REALTY, LLC, a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC).Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/07/2011.NY office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of any process to: C/O LINK NY REALTY, LLC, 51 Rockledge Rd. #11C, Bronxville, NY 10708. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.
Legal Notices, Advertise Today 914-576-1481
Legal Notices, Advertise Today
Westchester Jewelers & Pawnbrokers, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 7/6/2006. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Barbara Buoninfante 685 Esplanade Pelham Manor, NY 10803. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Icartridge LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/7/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC P.O. Box 333 Hartsdale, NY 10530. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Blueluxe LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/9/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Joshua Friedman 25 Lake St Apt 5F White Plains, NY 10603. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Fidelity Tax Services LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/7/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 64 Morningside Ave Yonkers, NY 10703. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Eco-Mail Development, LLC Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/17/2011. Office location: Westchester Co. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 2/19/10 SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to The LLC 38 E Lake Drive Katonah, NY 10536. DE address of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd Ste 400 Wilmington, DE 19808. Arts. Of Org. filed with DE Secy. of State, PO Box 898 Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Takeoff Dotcom NY LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/16/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 98 Woodland Ave New Rochelle, NY 10805. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Main Street Medical Staffing, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/18/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to Craig R. Parker, Esq. 52 Main Street Bedford Hills, NY 10507. Purpose: Any lawful activity. PNC Realty LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/21/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 73 Rodman Oval New Rochelle, NY 10805. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Glowspa LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/2/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to The LLC 38 B Parker Ave. Stamford, CT 06906. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Page 20
The Westchester Guardian
THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
www.westchesterguardian.com