WESTCHESTER

New York
Civic
Hi - De - Ho
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R
E
T
S
E
H
WESTC
Shifting
Gears
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TIMES TRIBUNE
WestchesterTimesTribune.Typepad.com
Your World, Our Beat; Now You Know!
Over 37,000 Boxes of Girl
Scout Cookies for Military
loaded them into 140-foot trucks to
begin the journey toward service
members deployed to the Arabian
Gulf and Iraq.
Now in its seventh year, the
Westchester and Putnam Counties
Operation Cookie Drop is received
well in the community. The Girl
see Over 37,000 Pg. 4
ARLINGTON, VA -- Does a city
have the power to transfer property
from one private owner
to another just because
the government claims
the transfer is for a
“public use” or are
questions about what
defines a genuine public
use best answered by an
independent judiciary
rather than self-interested
politicians? That is the question
before the U.S. Supreme Court
in Goldstein v. Pataki. Although
the Supreme Court expanded the
definition of “public use” in its 2005
decision in Kelo v. City of New
London, the Institute for Justice
argues in its amicus brief filed with
the court that it did not change the
INSIDE
Zoning Defines a
Neighborhood’s Cohesiveness
AUTOMOTIVE
By Tom Bock
P g. 7
BUSINESS
Pgs. 1, 3
COMMUNITY
P g. 1
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
Pgs. 1, 4
EPIPHANY PARK
P g. 2
FINE REPORT
P g. 3
GOVERNMENT
Pgs. 1, 4
HEALTH
P g. 5
HORTICULTURE
P g. 1
I was at a New Rochelle City
Council meeting last week regarding
another WestHab project. For me,
it was déjà vu (all over again).
Visibly WestHab’s business model,
WestHab has proposed an oversized
building on an undersized parcel
of land in the Glenwood Lake and
French Ridge neighborhoods.
The five-story apartment building
proposal is in stark contrast to
the existing neighborhood and
the zoning laws governing the
property. The neighbors, not their
elected officials who are seeking
reelection, correctly pointed out
that their City Council had recently
passed a “down-zoning” law just
six months prior and should not
grant WestHab’s zoning change
request. The “down zoning”
measure adopted by New Rochelle,
was their way of maintaining the
neighborhood’s character in lieu
of a master or comprehensive
plan for the city. Down-zoning
was New Rochelle’s assurance of
neighborhood consistency. Mary
Ann Swanson, a member of the
community, read abundant quotes
by Mayor Noam Bramson from
June 19, 2008
Complimentary
Volume 3 • Number 92
Institute for Justice (IJ)
DiNapoli: Officials
Files Amicus in Brooklyn Overcharged Residents Did
Not Get Necessary Approvals for
Eminent Domain Case
Greenburgh Sewer District
Supreme Court Should Preserve Judiciary’s
Role in Examining the Question
of “Public Use”
VALHALLA, NY -- Hundreds
of Girl Scouts from Westchester
and Putnam counties handed over
approximately 37,000 donated
boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, June
14, at the New York State National
Guard Armory, Valhalla, New York. Sailors from Navy Cargo Handling
Battalion Eight, stationed in Fort
Dix, N.J. collected the cookies and
Page 5
process by which courts determine
whether a use is “public.”
IJ’s brief urges the
Court to defend a
citizen’s right to have a
judge examine whether
a city’s claim of “public
use” is actually public
use or merely a pretext
for transferring property
from one private entity
to another for the latter’s
benefit, as is the case in Brooklyn. IJ’s seeks to stop the subversion
of the Fifth Amendment and the
unconstitutional seizure of homes
and small businesses.
Daniel Goldstein, a Brooklyn
property owner, along with ten coplaintiffs, sued the state government
see Kosher This Pg. 6
Lilacs in June
By Marilyn Elie
IN MEMORIAM
taxpayers – are supposed to be
updated about a project’s progress.”
The audit covers the
period of 1979 – when
the district was first
constructed – to 2007.
The
unauthorized
cost overrun occurred
after
1982
when
several
payments
were made between
1983
and
1989.
Auditors found that
town officials:
• Did not obtain the
proper approval from
the Office of the State Comptroller
(OSC), or notify District residents,
when they expended an estimated
$220,000
in
sewer
district
construction costs;
• Did not implement appropriate
internal controls to ensure that town
officials updated benefit units when
see DiNapoli Pg. 6
The $10 Deal
How Yonkers Grows Toward Fiscal Solvency
The Hezitorial
an assortment of newspapers and
most, if not all of the City’s council
members. Each one took the
opportunity to praise themselves
and brag as to how smart and good
an action they had taken with the
zoning law they voted to pass. They
were helping New Rochelle remain
the great city it once was. But WestHab, never an
organization to be concerned about
what a community feel, wants to
change that law only six months
later! There is a similar scenario
unfolding in the Fulton Park area,
know as Fairview, in the Town
of Greenburgh. Ironically, the
Town of Greenburgh prides itself
on purchasing open space and
green space. The play on words
is that it’s GREEN-burgh. But it
seems the Town officials will only
purchase and go after green space
when there aren’t any existing
neighborhood
associations
to
confront them or any constituent
resistance. While they maintain the
appearance of seemingly caring,
it’s an empty gesture. Green space
see Zoning Pg. 4
GREENBURGH, NY -- Proper
state approvals were not obtained
and the public was
not notified when
Greenburgh
town
officials authorized a
nearly quarter million
dollar cost overrun
for Sewer District
#4, according to an
audit released by state
Comptroller Thomas
P. DiNapoli. The
audit also found that
due to miscalculations
by town officials,
certain residents have been
overcharged since 1992. Others
have
been
under
charged.
“Officials must take care not to
bypass normal approval processes
when it comes to spending the public’s
money,” said DiNapoli. “This is
particularly true in cases when
the people directly affected – the
Economic development continues to prod Yonkers toward fiscal Solvency. Source: Yonkers City Hall.
Customized
Shoes Win
Business Plan
Competition
Family Fiesta!
Fun for All on the Riviera Maya By Barbara Barton Sloane P g. 7
LAW
P g. 1
OP-ED
Pgs. 1, 2, 3
POTPOURRI
P g. 5
RADIO
P g. 2
TRAVEL
P g. 1
WEIR ONLY
HUMAN
P g. 2
Helleborus x hybridus, 2005 Perennial Plant of Year
Photo: © 2005 Barry Glick
It was nice to see the lilacs again;
it was like a reprise of early spring. They were blooming on a sunny
hill top in Massachusetts, long after
their Westchester compatriots had
gone to seed. In the town down
below, tucked away in equally
sunny corners between buildings,
iris were waving in the breeze. It
was a real reminder of how many
micro climates can exist, not only
in one region, but also in one yard. Take a look around your
own property and see what climate
mitigating factors you can find. For example, the L shape of my
front entrance acts as a heat trap
and keeps the wind away. The
outside of the building absorbs heat
see Lilacs Pg. 6
(l to ): NFTE Fairchester Advisory
Board Member and Chairman
of INOV8 Beverage Co. Michael
Weinstein congratulates Zaccary
Belliveau, first place winner of
NFTE Fairchester’s Fairfield
Countywide Business Plan
Competition.
YONKERS, NY -- Lincoln
High School senior Zaccary
Belliveau was recently awarded
the top prize of $1,500 from The
see Customized Shoes Pg. 4
“I’ve just been kissed by a
dolphin!” This shriek of unbridled
surprise and joy emanates from
participants in a Swim with Dolphins
experience on the Riviera Maya in
Mexico. This amazing activity is
only one of the singularly special
adventures found at this pleasure
spot on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Here you’ll find a range of beaches
with pure white sand, a beautiful,
transparent sea and an enormous
variety of parks and archeological
sites. In short, there are hundreds
of possibilities for kids, teens,
parents and even grandparents to
enjoy at this tropical paradise. A
nice fact about this destination: it’s
a mere four hour flight from New
York so even for a long weekend,
it’s a great choice. see Family Fiesta Pg. 6
PAGE 2
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Hezi Aris
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Editor-in-Chief
Hezi Aris
Managing Editor
Tom Bock
Columnists:
Cam Bock
Jim Thomas
Dr. Ed U. Cator
Zuri A. Stanback
Diane M. Grassi
Peggy Godfrey
Anthony Greco
Bob Marrone
Joe Klock, Sr.
Henry J. Stern
Roger Witherspoon
Martin McGloin
Richie Nestro
William O’Shaughnessy
Barbara Barton Sloane
Vox Populi
Bob Weir
Andy Wainer
Pastor Anthony Iovine
Marilyn Elie
Kelly Fincham
Richard Cooper
Gail Farrelly
Columns by Politicians
Paul Feiner
Jeff Klein
George Latimer
Mary C. Marvin
Noam Bramson
Thomas Abinanti
Sandy Galef
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Advertising Sales
Darryl Walker
Jay Santiago
Production
Production / Art Director
Frank Shevetone
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JUNE 19, 2008
WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
Epiphany Park • Op-Ed • Radio
Weir Only Human: Sliding Toward Gomorrah
By Bob Weir
In 1939, Clark Gable uttered a
word in “Gone with the wind” that
shocked audiences from coast to
coast and opened a door to profanity
that has gotten wider with each
passing year. When Rhett Butler
said: “Frankly Scarlet, I don’t give
a damn,” he breached a standard of
propriety unheard of in the America
we once knew. The uproar over
the use of what was considered a
curse word effectively kept it out of
subsequent movies for several years.
However, a taboo had been broken,
and Hollywood types inevitably
decided it could be exploited for
profit. By the 1960’s, the public
was tested with the introduction of
words like, hell, bastard, and a few
other mildly offensive terms, as
producers and directors tested the
waters to see what they could get
away with. I can remember being
a teenager at the time and giggling
at some of the words that we had
previously only heard during our
macho street talk sessions. When we left the movie, we
would laugh about the temperate
form of “dirty” language being used
in the film productions and compare
it to the much coarser terms that we
knew would never make it to the
silver screen. We used to practically
fall into hysterics at the thought that
someday
our
to
flagellate
favorite movie
our senses with
stars
would
repetitious verbal
be
spitting
lashes that would
out the verbal
mar the brain and
vulgarities only
leave nothing to
heard in barroom
the imagination.
brawls
along
When
Al
Weir Only Human
the waterfront.
Pacino played
We’d say: “Can
“Scarface”
in
you imagine John Wayne or James 1983, he not only ushered in an era
Stewart using the F word to describe of monstrous cinematic brutality,
some varmint they were about to but he shattered any previous record
face in a gunfight at dawn? How for using the F word. about Lana Turner angrily referring
Television appeared to be the last
to her co-star lover in scorching resort for the next generation of
expletives?” The very notion of youngsters to be entertained without
such future dialogue tripping off the being titillated by naked flesh
tongues of Tinsel-town thespians and scurrilous language. Yet, it’s
sent us into bouts of hilarity that become evident that some people
took our collective breath away. will leave no stone unturned in
Sadly, by the end of the 70’s, their desire to beat the competition
everything we had joked about in their quest for ratings and
became threaded into the fabric of revenue. During the past decade,
big screen entertainment, and we private body parts made their
stood by helplessly as the values debut on most of the network and
we were teaching our children were cable shows, as the money-hungry
undermined by celebrity adults who executives chipped away at the
had managed to distort the culture moral code with continuous forays
by surreptitiously insinuating a into licentiousness. A few years
corrupt vernacular into the rubric of ago, at the Golden Globe Awards,
mainstream thought. The celluloid performer, Bono used the F word
profiteers were not content to add when accepting his prize, and, being
mind-numbing violence and gore to a live TV program, it went out over
their offerings, they felt it necessary the airwaves to millions of viewers
of all ages. The Parents Television
Council made a complaint to the
FCC citing a violation of federal
restrictions regarding the broadcast
of obscene and indecent material. As part of their ruling, the FCC
wrote: “The F word may be cruel
and offensive, but, in the context
presented here, did not describe
sexual or excretory activities.
Rather, the performer used the F
word as an adjective or expletive
to emphasize an exclamation.” The
ruling went on to say that if the
word is used as an insult to someone
instead of a sexual activity it is not
within the scope of the commission
to prohibit it. In plain language that
means if someone uses the F word
while cursing their colleagues on
the average sitcom or dramatic
series, the FCC will not take any
action to penalize the producers,
directors, or anyone connected with
the program. Because of the FCC’s
inaction, the networks have been
competing to see who can dump
the most filth into the living rooms
of American families. I wonder if
Rhett Butler ever heard the term,
“slippery slope.”
Bob Weir is a contributing
columnist to Yonkers Tribune
and Westchester Times Tribune.
BobWeir777@aol.com.
Paterson’s Sweet Talk Gets No More Respect Than
Spitzer’s Curses
Governor Paterson is visibly
exasperated by the failure of the
kings of the legislature, Bruno
and Silver, to agree on anything
of consequence. In contrast to the
hot tempered Governor Spitzer,
Paterson has been polite, almost
deferential, in making his modest
requests for legislative action on the
governor’s program bills.
The story behind the picture is told
on p3 of today’s News in a story
headed MAKE IT STOP!: Gov
Suffers Moment of Pure Frustration
as Lawmakers Do Little More Than
Bicker. The reporter is the News’
new Albany bureau chief, Kenneth
Lovett, who came over from the
Post where he backed up their
bureau chief, Fred Dicker. This is
Lovett’s lede on the story:
“Dealing with cranky legislative
leaders is enough to give any
governor a headache -- just ask
David Paterson. Chaos reigned
yesterday at what was supposed to
be a news conference for Paterson
and lawmakers to lay out priorities
for the rest of the legislative
session.”
The problem is that Bruno and
Silver, much as they are inclined
to help out Paterson on a personal
level, are being pressed by more
powerful forces in New York State:
the teachers unions in particular,
public employee unions in general,
and private sector unions when
it comes to issues where they
are affected, such as Wicks Law
reform. Unable to win victories on
the picket line, with the editorial
boards, or in the court of public
opinion, labor unions turn to the
legislature that they have long
supported by contributions to give
them the new laws they think they
deserve, or at least believe they
have paid for.
By Henry J. Stern
The unions receive assistance
from the Working Families Party
(WFP), which has just endorsed
Speaker Silver for renomination in
the contested primary he may face
in his Lower East Side district. We can only wonder what price
in legislation we will pay for that
support. In other endorsements,
the WFP supported some upstate
Republicans who are expected to
win easily, but rejected three state
senators from the metropolitan
area who face strong Democratic
challengers in 2008: Frank Padavan
New York Civic
in Queens, Kemp Hannon in Nassau
and Caesar Trunzo. The nominal
reason for this decision is that the other states. The combination of
incumbents oppose paid family state and local income and property
leave, but the real reason is that the taxes already make New York the
WPF thinks it can do better with highest taxed state in the nation. a Democratic senate, especially if Upstate is an economic desert and
they get credit for bringing it about. has been so for years. Why should
This gambit comes despite Leader anyone build a factory in New York
Bruno’s continued efforts to appease State when the taxes as well as the
unions. But think Rule32W: “Yes, cost of living are higher than they
but what have you done for me are anywhere else? The people
unable to find jobs because there
lately?”
In general, we are favorably are none will be particular victims
disposed towards labor, which of the legislature’s largesse to their
represents working people who can contributors. The prospect that the
easily be distinguished from those legislature will become even more
at the top of capitalism’s pecking ‘progressive’ in 2009 means higher
order: hedge fund managers, taxes and greater borrowing, rather
investment bankers, captains of than cost reductions, not even the
industry, partners in top law firms, in ones Governor Spitzer vainly tried
general, those with annual incomes to initiate. On top of this, New York State now
of seven, in many cases eight, and
in some cases nine, figures. The has the highest public debt of any
problem is that when legislation state in the union with the exception
is being considered, it is not the of California, which has twice as
plutocrats who will be particular many people as we do. Interest
victims, but all the taxpayers in the must be paid on this debt, whether
State of New York who will have to it is incurred by the state itself or by
pay the increased cost for wages, one of its multitudinous authorities,
benefits and pensions for public subsidiaries or instrumentalities
(There are over 700). The MTA
employees.
As the tax burden rises, New York pays debt service on the bonds it
becomes less competitive with has issued for subway construction
out of its operating budget, which
means the transit system can never
break even, and will constantly be
in the position of seeking higher
fares.
When Governor Paterson attempts,
in a most modest way, to cap
property taxes to limit the inevitable
annual increases of recent years, he
is publicly rebuffed by leaders of
both the Senate and the Assembly. Governor
Spitzer cursed
and
thundered, and Governor Paterson
says ‘Pretty please’, but the result
so far has been the same. It is likely the two Houses will do
something positive before they rush
to adjourn later this month, if only
for the sake of appearances. What
they do will depend, however, on
the leaders’ tactical judgment as to
whether it looks better to appear
to have co-operated with the
governor, or to have been frustrated
by the other party, and how much
they think or care about Governor
Paterson’s prospects in 2010.
Luckily, the decisions of the
State Legislature are not usually
on matters of life and death. The
harm they do is generally limited
to adverse financial consequences
for people who live and work in
the state. Since our system of
governance has been manipulated
to wedge incumbent legislators
into close to permanent power,
we should not look for imminent
change in the way business is
transacted in Albany.
Senator Bruno, Republican senate
leader since 1995, may be replaced
by a Democrat, possibly minority
leader Malcolm Smith, if the Senate
turns over. If this happens, there
will be changes in social legislation
(gay marriage may pass), but on the
fiscal side we will see each chamber
committed to public expenditures
On
the
Level
with
Hezi Aris
on
WVOX
1460 AM
Radio
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Listen
to the On the Level with Hezi Aris
call-in program on WVOX-1460
AM radio this and every Tuesday.
The show is heard live by way of
streaming audio technology on your
computer, from 10:00 am through
11:00 am.
For those who can’t get enough
radio, consider listening to Hezi
Aris every Thursday, at 8:30 am,
as he discusses events impacting
Westchester politics with Bob
Marrone, host of Good Morning,
Westchester. Join Bob Marrone
every day from 6:00 am through
9:00 am during your daily commute
from Monday through Friday.
The call-in talk show format
invites your perspective; share your
thoughts. Call us at 914-636-0110.
Those who call are asked to please
stay on topic.
and submissive to lobbyists for
interest groups. The Republican
Party has controlled the State Senate
for 43 years, and the Democrats are
hungry for the thick slabs of pork
which have been denied them over
the years while their Republican
colleagues feasted.
One rule of politics is its
unpredictability. Who would have
foreseen, for example, the shocking
fate of Governor Spitzer, who could
have survived the prostitution rap
if everyone did not already hate
him? We will watch events unfold. The weather is wonderful today
(Friday), and life is good, but we
advise that you not count on the
legislature to do anything to buttress
your mood. Neither house met today, the first
day of a three day June weekend. Although adjournment for the
year is supposed to be one week
away (June 23), according to their
calendars, but probably two weeks
away (June 30), the traditional last
minute rush to adopt legislation
does not appear to outsiders to have
begun.
There is an old saying (not a
rule) that you can catch more flies
with honey than you can with
vinegar. Although the atmosphere
in Albany is undoubtedly sweeter,
so far David Paterson’s honey has
proven no more efficacious than
Eliot Spitzer’s vinegar.
Perhaps castor oil would induce a
flow of legislation.
Henry Stern is president of New
York Civic (www.NYCivic.org) and
a blogger on public issues.
He was New York City’s Parks
Commissioner for fifteen years
under Mayors Koch and Giuliani.
By
Zuri A. Stanback
www.urbanshout.com
WTTads@gmail.com
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WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
JUNE 19, 2008
Business • Op-Ed
When a Life and a Wife Become One
PAGE 3
By Joe Klock, Sr.
In my earlier life, the Reader’s
Digest frequently gave me
emotional
indigestion
with
its periodic threats of global
warming,
planetary
freezing,
famines, pestilences, epidemics,
international calamities and a
plethora of other scourges, most of
which came to no greater semblance
of fruition than the promises
exchanged in a shipboard romance.
Aside: I salute a long-ago satirical
publication entitled “The Reader’s
Dijest,” (sic) which featured
an article headed, “The Liver Vicious And Depraved Organ.”
One of the real Digest’s more
interesting features was “The Most
Unforgettable Character I’ve Met,”
which memorialized important
people in contemporary history.
During my own fourscore
and almost two years on this
third planet from the sun, I’ve
personally encountered one past
president of the USA, a few
candidates for that questionably
attractive job and a number of
other celebrities in politics, mass
media, entertainment and business.
These included some that were
forgettable and/or regrettable in
my (occasionally) humble opinion.
The most remarkable individual,
however, in my past experience never
made it to an international Who’s
Who, the Fortune 500, the cover of
a national magazine, or a leatherbound encyclopedia, and is given
relatively short shrift in Googleland.
She tops my list, though, in terms
of memorability, with nobody
even in a distant second place.
Regular readers of this column
(bless your masochistic hearts) have
come to identify her as Firstwife, a
title conferred on her by historical
fact as well as the conferror’s
unreasonable and selfish wish to
deny her complete job security,
even after sixty years of tenure.
She began life as Mary Dorothy,
a name of which she was much girl next door, but there was only
less than faintly fond, and which one intervening bungalow, so we
early gave way to Mary Dot, to got to know each other quite well.
which she now responds, and under She has since told me that I had
then forecast our
which identity she
carved a niche in
eventual marriage and
real estate history
promised to buy her a
(inter alia, breaking
beautiful horse farm.
through the glass
The second of these
bold
predictions
ceiling in a national
realty organization).
didn’t materialize,
Just a few of those
but
her
equine
todays ago, Firstwife/
fantasy is being
Mary Dot observed
realized through the
daughter (Opus 8)
her
eightieth
birthday in a mixed
at whose Andalusian
Like Klockwork
mood of horror and
breeding ranch the
disbelief, while her
aforementioned
eight begats, nineteen grandbegats “80th” was observed/celebrated.
and 7-3/4 great grands celebrated To make a long story longer,
an occasion which would not our puppy love progressed
have come to pass without through teen-age disdain and a
her
procreational
proclivity. tepid wartime correspondence
I met her first when we were to a homecoming epiphany of
and
commitment.
sub-teens in a family summer attraction
retreat. She wasn’t exactly the There ensued a marriage that
has seen better, worse, richer,
poorer, sickness, health, snickers,
sneers, sobs and, through it all
a love and friendship that still
flourishes, nourishes and grows.
Besides being a really great
Mom and, later, also a runaway
success in the business world,
she was the architect of financial
planning that built our present
life on a (well) fixed income.
To me, she is unforgettable because
she is the first person to whom I
automatically come with every bit of
news - good, bad, exciting or scary.
How could I possibly forget for
more than fleeting moments the
one I see in everything we jointly
own, all the wonderful lives we
jointly created and all the priceless
memories we jointly cherish?
She is the one person I most want
to impress, to help, to comfort,
to please, to amuse, to pamper
and just to be with at quiet times.
She has not merely contributed to
Yonkers Cliff Notes Revealed
The Fine Print
By Vox Populi
By Lisa Fine The mayor is already talking about
the success of his vision – read
legacy – coming about over the next
five years. Interestingly enough, he
will be out of office within three
years. If he succeeds, he will take
credit for it all. If he fails, he will be
out of office anyway. The mayor is
changing the conversation from the
present to the future tense. In his
State of the City Address we heard
that Mayor Amicone expects the
City of Yonkers to be going over the
financial cliff if Albany doesn’t bail
out the Yonkers Board of Education
(BoE). That’s like parachuting
from a plane with someone on you
back and wanting the parachute
maker to guarantee the weight of
the parachute instead of asking for
a separate parachute for the one on
your back. Mayor Amicone was told
to leave the Yonkers BoE alone so
that Albany’s decades old financial
equation that shorts the BoE will be
borne by the city as a whole. Great
thinking – great planning! What
kind of advisers does the mayor
listen to for his advice?
After almost 13 years, hasn’t
the mayor caught on that the City
and the BoE are separate entities;
originally set up in just that fashion
to avoid the very politics that
continues to get it into trouble?
The mayor appoints trustees
who are “show dogs.” Pedigreed,
but otherwise useless, for the
BoE’s operation. He manipulates
the election of officers (president
and vice-president) to maintain
public silence from the BoE and in
turn selects the Superintendent of
Schools who best fits the mayor’s
mode of parading platitudes for
public consumption but quietly
maintaining the old boy political
network and bringing in “family
and friends” of no account to
further drag down the school
system. The lineup of talent at the
BoE and the 2nd floor at City Hall
could challenge each other for
bureaucratic incompetence and
sublime subservience.
The BoE could easily “save” $3
million by abolishing the positions
awarded to recent hiring of
administrators and facility staff.
On the other hand, the mayor
could better manage police and fire
overtime and save between $5 and
$10 million. If he really wanted to
save some money, there are about
30 political patronage positions
that wouldn’t be missed which total
about $3.5 million.
Yes, indeed, we well might be
going over a financial cliff next
year.
Perhaps those 16,000 plus voters
who voted for the mayor realize
what they have done. Just think
abut it. We still have Yonkers
City Council President Chuck
Lesnick and NYS Senator Andrea
Stewart-Cousins to contend with
as replacements for former Yonkers
City Council President Richard
Martinelli and former NYS Senator
Nick Spano.
A City of 200,000 people, of
which approximately 100,000 are
registered voters, yet less than
30,000 came out to vote in the
mayoral election and 16,500 of
them voted for Amicone. That’s
less than 17 percent of the voting
population and 8.5 percent of the
overall city population.
And what we got were two fancy
degrees, Amicone and Pierorazio,
whose professional licenses are
driving us toward that cliff.
Clearwater Festival
On June 21 and 22, enjoy a
wonderful weekend on the shores
of the Hudson River at Croton
Point Park. The Clearwater Music
and Environmental Festival offers
a great mix of contemporary,
traditional, American roots and
International music. It also features
many activities including sailing
on the replica of a 19th century tall
ship – the Sail Sloop Clearwater,
folk artists, regional artisans, a
green living expo and exhibit area,
and a great vendor area where
you can get jewelry, tie dye shirts,
bumper stickers – and so much
more. Info: 800 67-SLOOP or
www.clearwaterfestival.org. Fiddling and Picnic in Yorktown
The members of the Saline Fiddlers
travel the world showing what
happens when old-time fiddling
meets the polished sound and energy
of a professional stage show. The
group is America’s premier youth
fiddling show band featuring a 30piece, semi-professional, touring
fiddle band of music students from
Saline High School in Saline,
Michigan. On Tuesday July 1 at
7:30pm, they will be making their
only New York appearance at the
Yorktown Stage, 1974 Commerce
Street in Yorktown Heights. The
performance will showcase these
youth fiddling maestros and their
contemporary bluegrass music.
Special guest of the evening will
be Yorktown resident, Art Halperin
and his band ‘Work of Art’. The
public is invited to bring a picnic
dinner to the gazebo outside the
theatre before the performance
and then step inside the Yorktown
Stage to marvel at the energy and
enthusiasm of these fiddling youth.
Performance donation is only $5 per
person and proceeds of the evening
will benefit the Jenna’s Dream
scholarship program. Info: 914 9620650 or www.jennasdream.org.
the blessings I’ve enjoyed, but has
made just about all of them possible.
She is, was and always will
be - in my mind and heart - what
being memorable is all about.
In her, wife and life have
merged into a single and
indivisible frame of reference.
I’m grateful to the late Nat Cole,
one of our favorite songsmiths, for
this slightly tweaked version of lyrics
that say it all better than I ever could:
“That’s why it is so incredible
that someone so unforgettable
thinks that I am unforgettable, too.”
More I cannot wish you than to
wish that you, dear reader, might
be half as lucky and blessed as
this relatively forgettable old
wordworker.
Freelance wordworker Joe
Klock, Sr. (joeklock@aol.com) is
a winter Floridian who summers
in New Hampshire. More of his
“Klockwork,” can be found at
www.joeklock.com.
Grange Fair Entertainment
Announced
The 84th Annual Yorktown Grange
Fair has announced that the
Psychedelic Shack Tour with Henry
Gross, Nazz and Shadows of Knight
will headline the entertainment on
Saturday September 6. Other band
performances throughout the 4-day
fair will include The Sundown Band
on Friday, Annie and the Natural
Wonder Band and Thunder Road
on Saturday and the Brothers of
the Road Band on Sunday. Vendor
exhibit spaces in the commercial
tent and business sponsorship
opportunities are available to help
support the fair. Info: 914 243-9761
or www.yorktowngrangefair.org.
To submit information for The
Fine Print, please send emails to
TheFinePrintNY@verizon.net,
call 914 243-9761,
or visit the
www.LisaFineCommunications.
com Website.
Lisa Fine is owner of
LF Communications, Inc.
PAGE 4
JUNE 19, 2008
WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
Business • Community • Economic Development • Government
Customized Shoes Win Business
Plan Competition
From Page 1
National Foundation for Teaching
Entrepreneurship Fairchester office
in the Westchester Countywide
Business Plan competition for
his custom shoe business held at
Westchester Community College.
Belliveau’s innovative business
concept takes a customer’s shoes
and their preferences in color,
fabric, and accessories to redesign
the shoe for a trendy new look
at an affordable price. Belliveau,
having always been interested in
fashion, was aware of the high cost
associated with designer trends. Belliveau said, “It’s expensive
to continuously replace old shoes
with the latest styles. This is why
I chose to create a business that
would allow customers to express
themselves through customizable
fashion while saving money.”
The competition was the
culmination of a year’s work for
over 800 students at
Lincoln
High School, Gorton High School,
Saunders Technical High School,
Roosevelt High School, Woodlands
High School, Putnam/Northern
Westchester BOCES, Phoneix
House, White Plains Youth Bureau,
and Mt. Vernon Youth Bureau, who
learn to start and run their own
businesses.
Valhalla High School senior
Mike Cardile took the second
place title and a prize of $750, for
his existing business, Photography
by Michael. Third place went to
Sharon Yeung, a senior at White
Plains High School for her web
design service that caters to local
small businesses.
Westchester Community College
President, Dr. Joseph Hankin
welcomed the 75 guests and
encouraged many of the students to
consider attending WCC.
Sponsor of the event was JPMorgan
Chase. Senior Vice President, Chet
Forman, awarded the $15,000 check
to NFTE Fairchester’s Regional
Advisory Board vice-chair Ellen
Lynch. The National Foundation for
Teaching Entrepreneurship (www.
nfte.com) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, whose mission is to
provide entrepreneurship education
programs to young people from
low-income communities. NFTE
Fairchester is located at 70 West
Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY
and can be reached at (914) 6977577 or nftefc@aol.com. Over 37,000 Boxes of Girl Scout
Cookies for Military
From Page 1
Scouts have surpassed the record
they set last year by over 3,000
boxes. The Girl Scout troops
formed a truck-loading assembly
line, as county police officers
provided on-site traffic control, and
the Navy Sailors were on hand to
load cookies, took photos with the
troop members, and spoke about
how grateful the service members
are to receive these cookies while
deployed. Amicone Introduces Terminology
Heretofore Not Broached with
Governor Paterson
By Hezi Aris
YONKERS, NY -- Yonkers Mayor
Phil Amicone yesterday had a
rescheduled audience with NYS
Governor David Paterson over
the “inequity” of the New York
State education funding formula
as it specifically relates to the
City of Yonkers. In the past, when
Governor Paterson was engaged
in discussion over the education
funding formula, those with whom
he had a discussion would temper
the subject matter as “unfair,”
“biased,” “unconscionable,” or
simply a “travesty.” In yesterday’s
conversation Mayor Amicone
asserts he suggested to Governor
Paterson, “The education funding
formula is inequitable with regard to
Yonkers!” The very utterance of the
term “inequitable,” defined as “being
unfair or unjust,” brought about
an “Aha!” moment to Governor
Paterson. The term “inequitable,”
resonated with Governor Paterson,
a student well versed in the
nuance of language. Mayor
Amicone asserted that Governor
Paterson acknowledged the term
“inequitable” was heretofore not
uttered in his presence, yet the
term was most palatable because
it carried no baggage, insinuation,
blame, or negativity. The term did
demand resolution; and Governor
Paterson advised that he and Deputy
Secretary for Education Dr. Manuel
J. Rivera were committed to find
an “equitable” education funding
formula.
Mayor Amicone’s discussion
with Governor Paterson follows
a similar meeting arranged and
conducted at the behest of NYS
Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins,
with broad support from the Albany
Delegation, consisting of Senator
Jeff Klein, Assemblymen Mike
Spano, J. Gary Pretlow, and Richard
Brodsky, as well as Yonkers City
Council President Chuck Lesnick.
Upon reflection, Mayor Amicone
professed to being encouraged
by the discussion with Governor
Paterson. Mayor Amicone was
impressed with the candor and
demeanor of his and Governor
Paterson’s discussion.
From Page 1
Zoning Defines a Neighborhood’s Cohesiveness
is good for everyone, especially
in our congested cities and towns.
The Town of Greenburgh has even
undertaken a Comprehensive Plan
study, to the tune of $405,000,
to help the Town move into the
future. What they are doing in the
meantime is shameful! The Town’s Planning Board, which
apparently doesn’t really “plan”
anything, endorses the proposed
subsidized housing by WestHab.
That’s right, it’s subsidized housing,
similar to the failed urban renewal
rental apartments of the sixties and
seventies. If WestHab were building
for people to be able to purchase, it
would truly be affordable housing.
The people moving in would a)
own a home; b) take pride in it
and the neighborhood; c) pay their
share of taxes and legitimately use
Town services. Finally, they’d be
welcomed into the neighborhood
and the Town.
WestHab spent $10 to get this
property, will invest nothing into it,
and build totally with government
grants. They don’t have to
contribute as we do, by paying
their zoned share of taxes. WestHab
DiNapoli:
Officials
Overcharged
Residents
From Page 1
residents subdivided or improved
their properties;
• Overcharged certain district
residents by $26 for the 2007 annual
assessment, and auditors estimate
that the average resident would
have saved $427 during the period
1989 to 2007 on sewer assessment
charges; and
• The town failed to charge five
District residents for assessment
charges since 1988.
DiNapoli recommended that town
officials:
• Obtain the Comptroller’s approval
before authorizing cost overrun
expenditures;
• Develop internal controls to ensure
that sewer assessments adequately
cover capital costs;
• Clearly explain to the public the
need for sewer assessments and
hook-in fee changes;
• Accurately assess charges to sewer
users; and
• Review the town’s other 18 sewer
districts to be sure similar problems
don’t exist there.
Town officials for the most part
agreed with the Comptroller’s
recommendations and indicated
they would take corrective action.
Click here for a copy of the report
or visit: http://www.osc.state.
ny.us/localgov/audits/towns/2008/
greenburgh.pdf
wants the Town to let them build
whatever they want, because only
THEY help the disadvantaged. This
is another Town mistake that the
existing, full-amount-tax-paying
residents will have to pay for. This life altering, life-time
decision will have an impact in
Fulton Park and the New Rochelle
neighborhoods
respectively.
And, in the Town of Greenburgh,
they will be paying for it for at
least forty-two years. That’s the
amount of time designated for it
to be considered “affordable”. The
Town has already condemned the
people of Fairview’s Manhattan
Avenue apartments to be forever
teetering on the brink of poverty
by authorizing those apartments
to be designated “low-income in
perpetuity.” Now the Town insists
only Fairview contain more of it.
Under the guise of affordability,
Fulton Park will be the transition
point for many poor people. Will
their next step after Fulton Park will
be Manhattan Avenue? Where will
they push those in New Rochelle? At no point during any of the
presentations made by WestHab,
both in Fulton Park and in New
Rochelle, did WestHab ever propose
a building designed for the current
zoning at the respective addresses!
As a non-profit organization, it
should behoove them to renovate
what was there and help numerous
people while still integrating these
same people into the respective
neighborhoods.
Fulton
Park
previously opened their arms, their
hearts and their generosity to the
people housed at the King’s Inn
before and after WestHab came
and went. Like a guest that over
stays their welcome, WestHab has
insulted, abused and finally, just
worn out their welcome.
Fulton Park has never said no
to any housing initiative! They
were recently characterized as
NIMBY’s, and BANANA’s, by
the Journal News. One of the
Fulton Park residents wrote them
a poignant letter correcting their
misconception of the Fulton Park
neighborhood. This is an extremely
diverse, well-intentioned, generous
group of people. It is disrespectful
and arrogant that so many of our
elected officials are willing to hurt
residents/constituents for strangers
who bring nothing to the Town or
City and seem to have no problem
taking whatever they can from
them. They are taking property,
tax revenues and if you allow it,
slapping all of us in the face with
trickery hoping our politicians will
make a decision that is wrong for
everyone but Westhab. Wrong not
because neighborhoods object,
but because WestHab will not
compromise. It must be their way
because they would have you believe
it’s the only way. But its not!
Like so many of Fulton Park’s
neighbors,
New
Rochelle’s
neighborhoods,
as
well
as
businesses throughout the Town
and City, WestHab should be held to
the same standards, the same codes
and the same zoning everyone else
is expected to do. Whenever Fulton
Park and to New Rochelle residents
asked for compromises, meetings,
and information, Westhab repeated
said “No!”, or simply, ignored their
requests. It’s time for our elected
politicians to say, “NO!” to WestHab
and support the neighborhoods
they’ve ignored!
Institute for Justice (IJ) Files Amicus in
Brooklyn Eminent Domain Case
From Page 1
of New York, arguing that the
state’s claim of “public use” when
using eminent domain for the (now
financially questionable) Atlantic
Yards project was simply a pretext
for amassing land for the private
benefit of developer Bruce Ratner. A Second Circuit Appeals Court
dismissed the case earlier this
year, holding that taking property
from one person to give to another
is constitutional—so long as the
government asserts some public
purpose.
“Although Kelo clearly expanded
the definition of ‘public use’ to
include economic development,
the Supreme Court was also clear
that government cannot take
property simply for the private
benefit of another party even if the
government claims it is for public
use,” said Dana Berliner, a senior
attorney with the Institute for
Justice. “The court needs to assert
that public use is more than just a
formality for cities to manipulate to
mean whatever they choose.”
IJ’s brief asks that the court
“clarify that Kelo did not remove
the federal courts’ power to
hear and adjudicate—on their
merits—claims of bad-faith or
pretextual takings under the U.S.
Constitution.” Although cities may
claim “public use,” Goldstein’s
case questions whether a private
citizen has a chance to dispute in
court a city’s public use claim when
there may be clear evidence to the
contrary. According to the brief,
there is confusion in the lower
courts as to whether there is even
any role for the judiciary to examine
whether a city’s public use claim is
true and reflects the actual purpose
of an invocation of eminent domain
for economic development.
Three years ago, IJ brought the
case of New London homeowner
Susette Kelo before the U.S.
Supreme Court. Although the court
ruled against Kelo, allowing the city
of New London to seize her home
for a private redevelopment plan,
the decision provoked a nationwide
backlash. Since the decision,
42 states have reformed their
laws, protecting property owners
from having their land seized for
economic development. New York
is among the eight states that have
blocked eminent domain reforms.
Legal filings on the Brooklyn case,
including the Institute for Justice’s
amicus brief, can be found at: http://www.dddb.net/php/reading/
legal/eminentdomain.
Hi-De-Ho
By Cecelia Lael Calloway
I am Cecelia Lael Calloway, the
daughter of Cab Calloway and
I’m seeking your assistance with a
project that I strongly believe will
benefit the Town of Greenburgh
in several ways. My father, Cab
Calloway, called Greenburgh home
for many years. He truly loved
living in this town and he often said
he would like to have his legacy
kept alive here. I want to acquire
the house on Knollwood Road and
use it as base to celebrate his life,
music, and legacy. I envision this
location being used to preserve an
important piece of Greenburgh’s
history, provide many educational
opportunities to learn about the
cultural and musical history, and
provide a location to feature jazz
performances, dance, sculpture,
display memorabilia from Dad’s
life, photographs, story telling and
a functioning recording studio.
Your support would be such a
great honor to me, my family and
dad. I believe it is imperative to
save, preserve and operate the old
Calloway home where I met so
many great celebrities visiting Dad.
My associates and I are embarking
on preserving the energies and
spirits of celebrities and friends
of yesterday who visited dad in
celebration at our old home.
Here are just a few of these
legendary performers who spent
time at the house:
Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, Nat
King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., E.
Simms Campbell. dinners with
Dizzy Gillespie, Loentyne Price,
Pearl Bailey, Slappy White, Gordon
Parks, Eddie Haywood, Nipsie
Russell, Michael Jackson, Ruby
Dee and Ossie Davis, big parties
with the Harlem Globe Trotters,
Lionel Hampton, Panama Francis,
Dave Brubeck, Billy Eckstine,
Roy Campanalla and Cab’s band
members; Milt Hinton, Fletcher
Henderson, Chuck Berry, Cozy
Cole, and the great producer of
Hello Dolly, David Merrick.
The house is currently for sale and
I understand developers have shown
interest in acquiring the property
for possible subdivision, meaning
the demolition of this historically
valuable location. We need to
move quickly to make this dream
happen. I believe the best vehicle
for maintaining this location on a
longterm basis would be to form
a local charitable organization or
foundation that would:
1. Operate exclusively for
charitable, educational, and civic
purposes as referred to in Sections
501(c) (3) and 170 (c) (2) of the
Internal Revenue Code, generally
referred to as “exempt purposes”.
2. To promote and fund the
preservation of Cab Calloway
name, likeness, music history and
legacy locally and worldwide.
3. To produce fund raising
events, activities and concerts for
the Calloway house revival and
preservation.
4. To purchase, renovate and
expand the old Calloway home
(1040 Knollwood Rd., White
Plains, N.Y.) with showcase rooms,
sound recording and music facility
for continuous Calloway operations
and projects
5. To sponsor multi-media, music
and arts programs and projects for
underprivileged youth, youth at
risk, the school system, the local
historical and arts organizations,
and places of Higher learning such
as colleges and universities.
Of course, these are preliminary
ideas, but I think with your help, and
the help of any interested groups
and citizens, we can preserve this
important piece of Greenburgh’s
history. If this dream is to become
reality, time is of the essence, the
clock is ticking and the wrecker’s
ball is looming nearby.
I hope you will join me in getting
the word out to those who might be
interested in making this happen.
Fruit for thought!
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WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
JUNE 19, 2008
Health • Potpourri
Cooling
Tie-Breakers and Heartbreakers
Bereavement Support
Group for Adults Who
Have Lost a
Spouse/Life Partner
Jansen Hospice and Palliative
Care is extends a safe environment
in which to grapple with the loss of
a spouse/life partner. The Monday
afternoon get together will be held
on June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28,
August 4, 11, from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.,
at 69 Main Street, Tuckahoe, NY
Please contact Didi Marcal,
LMSW, at (914) 961-2818 x355.
Registration is required. There are
no fees involved.
Jansen Hospice and Palliative
Care, affiliated with Lawrence
Community Health Services and
Lawrence Hospital Center, is a notfor-profit organization located in
Tuckahoe, NY. The organization
offers compassionate support to
those persons facing a terminal
illness, as well as support for
their families, as well as offering
bereavement services for family
members after the loss of a
loved one.
Caribbean and African Nations
Celebrate Cultural Heritage
VALHALLA, NY -- Celebrate
the culture and “imani” (faith) of
Africa and the Caribbean at this
year’s African American Heritage
Celebration on Sunday, June 29,
from 12 noon to 7 p.m., at the
Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.
The program features live
entertainment which will include
performances by a drum and bugle
corps, a gospel choir, and the Hip
Hop Academy. As an added treat for
visitors, there will be a performance
by a dance group, along with
the presentation of awards and
recognition given to Westchester
County religious groups and
prominent figures who serve the
community by promoting faith.
There will also be activities for
children and health and educational
exhibits. The festival offers
something fun and interesting for
visitors of any age.
Visitors will also be able to
browse the many vendors who will
be displaying and selling various
types of traditional arts and crafts
and countless types of ethnic foods.
Don’t forget to bring a folding
chair or blanket and enjoy the June
weather at the beautiful Kensico
Dam Plaza.
Parking and admission are free.
Kensico Dam Plaza is located
at the north end of the Bronx
River Parkway in Valhalla, and
is accessible via the Westchester
BEE-LINE bus system, Route #6
from the White Plains TransCenter.
For more information call
(914) 995-PARK.
www.westchestergov.com/parks. PAGE 5
Center
Opens in
Mount
Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, NY -- In
light of the record temperatures in
Westchester County, Mayor Clinton
I. Young, Jr. announced the opening
of a cooling center in the City of
Mount Vernon. Beginning Monday,
June 9th and throughout the summer
months, residents can seek refuge
from the heat at the Mount Vernon
Armory located at 144 North 5th
Avenue, from 7am to 7pm, Monday
through Friday, and 8am to 2pm
Saturday and Sunday.
Mayor Young also urges residents
to check on those who are at greater
risk of heat related illnesses, such
as senior citizens, young children
and the disabled. In order to avoid
heat related illness the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
offer the following prevention tips:
•Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic). •Don’t drink liquids that contain
alcohol or large amounts of sugar–
these actually cause you to lose
more body fluid. •Stay indoors and, if at all possible,
stay in an air-conditioned place. •Wear lightweight, light-colored,
loose-fitting clothing. •NEVER leave anyone in a closed,
parked vehicle. •Limit your outdoor activity to
morning and evening hours. •Try to rest often in shady areas. Protect yourself from the sun
by wearing a wide-brimmed hat
and sunglasses; as well as using
sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.
Final Day of U.S. Disabled Championship
RYE, NY -- Going into the last
day of racing at the U.S. Disabled
Sailing Championship, it was not
a sealed deal for Paralympic Team
members Rick Doerr (Clifton, NJ),
Tim Angle (Marblehead, MA), and
Bill Donohue (Brick, NJ) in the
Sonar. While they had been in the
lead since the regatta started on
Saturday, their fellow US Disabled
Sailing
Team
AlphaGraphics
members Paul Callahan (Newport,
RI), Roger Cleworth (Lithia, FL),
and Mike Hersey (Hyannis, MA)
were hovering nearby, anxious to
take over the lead. And when the
athletes got off the water today,
Doerr and his team won only
after coming out ahead in the tiebreaker. In the 2.4mR and Ideal 18
classes, Canadians Bruce Millar
(Richmond, BC, CAN) and John
McRoberts/Stacey Louttit (both
from Victoria, BC, CAN) took
home the top honors respectively.
After beating rival Paul Callahan
in the hotly contested regatta, an
exhausted but elated Rick Doerr
said “We pushed all week long and
fought hard right to the end. We knew
we had to win the last race to win
the Championship... It feels great to
know that we are the top U.S. team.”
The Sonar fleet wasn’t the only
one with tight racing: the Ideal
18 fleet was filled with talented
athletes. And, as in the Sonar, it
all came down to the final day to
determine the new champion. Sarah
Everhart Skeels (Tiverton, RI),
sailing with new crew Jim Donahue
(Danvers, MA), was in first place
overall going into the final day, but
not even her two first-place finishes
today were enough to stay ahead
of McRoberts. She finished just
two points behind the Canadian.
In the 2.4mR, Bruce Millar held
a comfortable lead throughout
the regatta to secure his win, 13
points ahead of fellow Canadian
Paul Tingley (Halifax, NS,
CAN). US Disabled Sailing Team
AlphaGraphics member Mark
LeBlanc (New Orleans, LA.) finished
third, just one point behind Tingley.
The racing, in what the County
of Westchester in New York
proclaimed as Disabled Sailing
Day, was held under sunny skies
with variable conditions with the
race committee managing to pull off
four races. Throughout the regatta,
host clubs American and Larchmont
Yacht Clubs opened their doors to
athletes, families, and spectators.
The U.S. Disabled Championship is
sponsored nationally by Rolex Watch
U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard,
as well as by UBS, The Carlyle
Group, Heineken, and EMA Clocks.
Next year’s U.S. Disabled
Championship will return to the
Long Island Sound when Riverside
Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT, will
host the regatta. With the addition
of the SKUD-18 sailing next year,
it promises to be a great event.
The American Yacht Club (AYC)
was founded in 1883 in New York
City and this year is celebrating
its 125 anniversary. Located at
the tip of Milton Point in Rye,
New York, the club currently has
about 900 members. For more
information and directions, please
visit
www.americanyc.com. The United States Sailing
Association (US SAILING) is the
national governing body for sailing.
For more information, please visit
www.ussailing.org. New Rochelle Area Pets Go Online
NEW ROCHELLE, NY -- Adopt A
Pet Rescue, New Rochelle, recently
has joined other animal welfare
organizations in the area that list
their homeless pets on Petfinder.
com, the oldest and largest database
of adoptable animals on the
Internet. The site currently has
over 250,000 homeless pets listed,
and it is updated continuously.
More than 10,800 animal
welfare organizations in the U.S.,
Canada, and other countries
post their pets on the site: Adopt
A Pet Rescue. Rescued pets
can be viewed at http://www.
petfinder.com/shelters/NY802.
html. Petfinder.com was created
in early 1996 as a grassroots project
by Jared and Betsy Saul to end
the euthanasia of adoptable pets.
Since its inception, the site has
facilitated approximately 15 million
adoptions, making it the most lifesaving initiative in animal welfare.
For a complete list of shelter and
rescue groups in your area, visit
http://www.petfinder.com
and scroll down the left column to
“Find Animal Welfare Groups.”
For further information, contact
Adopt A Pet Rescue, direct email
inquiry to
adoptapetrescue@mindspring.
com,
or
telephone 914-260-4719.
PAGE 6
JUNE 19, 2008
Government
Family Fiesta!
From Page 1
The Riviera Maya is a strip 60
miles long located on the coast
of Quintana Roo in the far east of
the Yucatan Peninsula starting 20
miles south of Cancun. Between
500 and 300 AD, the indigenous
people developed one of the most
astonishing civilizations: Mayan. They built monumental cities,
among them Tulum, Uxmal and
Chichen Itza. The presence of the
Mayan culture is ever present here
– in art, in architecture and in the
vivid colors which surround you
– from exotic flowers, the tone of
the sea to the forest birds’ plumage:
sheer primitive beauty. Water, Water Everywhere
What comes to mind when you hear
the words “water park?” Probably
kids careening down slides into
a pool or splashing about in fake
waves. On the Riviera Maya, the
words water park take on a whole
new meaning. Xel-Ha (pronounced
shel-ha) in ancient Mayan means
“the place where the water begins
to flow.” Here seawater mixes
with cool currents to form a unique
ecosystem. The forests within the
park conceal cenotes, which are
limestone-walled
underground
rivers. You can jump into an inner
tube and let the gentle current carry
you along, all the while marveling
at the beauty of these mysterious
caves. At the Dolphin Center,
you can swim, shake hands and
From Page 1
all day long and radiates it back to
the flowers at night. I can count on
my earliest blooms from this small
spot. The Lenten rose, Niger, is a
white hellebore that comes up under
the snow and blooms even earlier in
January because of this effect. To
find out more about this popular
plant visit http://www.flowergardening-made-easy.com/2005perennial-plant-of-the-year.html. The Kusa dogwood by the door
has been trained to a high canopy
but still provides shade which
Hellebores prefer during the brutally
hot days of summer. It makes for a
welcoming entrance way for people
from the time daffodils open in the
spring through late summer when
lance leaf coreopsis sprawl over the
sidewalk.
By taking advantage of micro
zones created by your home, by
a large rock, a fence, or even a
yes, even let one of these friendly
mammals plant one on you! Swing
from one side of the water to the
other on vines and ropes, kayak
in the sea or spend the afternoon
lazing in a hammock on the shore
of a lagoon accompanied by the
sound of locally-bred macaws. At
Xel-Ha everything is included with
the entrance fee, all food, drink,
snacks and equipment: life vests,
snorkel gear, inner tubes, kayaks
and more. When you visit Xcaret
(pronounced Schcar-et), Mayan
Mexico unveils its roots, customs,
traditions, and natural richness. One has the chance to truly interact
with nature and because there’s so
much to see and do, Xcaret makes it
simple: they will organize your day
from morning to evening. Early in
the day, visit the Butterfly Pavillion
when these creatures are most
active. At noon, when it’s hot, put
on a life jacket and take a tour of the
cool underground rivers where you
can also check out Spider Monkey
Island. There’s afternoon snorkeling,
feeding sea turtles, and visiting
mangrove swamps containing
crocodiles. Check out the Coral
Reef Aquarium. As you enter the
cool, dark atmosphere, you’ll see
heaps of sand that turn out to be
inhabited by masters of disguise:
stonefish, sand rays and sole, a fish
with eyes that migrate
from both sides of
the head to end up on
the same side! This
aquarium is an exact
copy of the Great
Mayan Reef. You’ll leave calm,
collected and ready
for the evening’s
excitement, Xcaret’s
Mexico Spectacular
with 300 performers. They play
a Burning Ball Game, act out the
history and culture of Mexico,
and dance a folkloric ballet. This
Mexican fiesta will keep you
amazed and astonished from start
to finish. Both parks offer a full day and
evening of family fun and best of
all, they are eco-archeological,
which means they are committed
to preserving fragile reefs, tropical
forests, their 4,000 species of wild
and marine flora and fauna and
one of the world’s most diverse
ecosystems, which has existed for
almost 500 million years. Visitors
are asked to leave their sunblock
lotions in lockers because these will
affect the water of the inlets, rivers,
pools and lagoons. The parks
provide you with a biodegradable
sunblock and your product is
returned when you leave. Shake, Rattle and Roll
Another unforgettable experience
is to hook up with
Alltournative Track
Adventures for their
Jungle
Crossing
expedition. An allterrain vehicle takes
you deep into the
jungle to Rancho San
Felipe where you’ll
visit
an
isolated
community of Mayas
and eat a delicious
lunch of empanadas, rice and
beans and other typical Mexican
fare prepared by the women of this
community. After lunch, sea kayak
out to a reef system to snorkel
amid spectacular corals, sponges and
tropical fish or take a plunge in
bracing, crystal-clear water and
explore the underwater lagoon. The
ride to this jungle destination is like
nothing you’ve experienced before.
Bumping, grinding, almost flying
out of your seat, the ATV makes
sure it hits every crater and hole. You’ll arrive all in one piece but
decidedly “all shook up!” Playas and Pools
The Yucatan Peninsula abounds
with wonderful resorts which tend
to be of the “all-inclusive” variety. With the cost of your room, all food,
drink and entertainment is included. For families with young ones, this
is an appealing arrangement. At
breakfast and lunch, the kids can
WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
sample until they find something
that pleases them. Most of the
resorts also have a kid’s club on
site. From morning till dinner time,
you can enjoy free time while the
kids are kept amused and busy with
games, classes and activities, all
under close supervision of trained
adults. The Blue Bay Esmeralda
Resort is a 5-Star, all-inclusive
property on 180 acres of beachfront. There are 3 swimming pools that
extend over 30,000 feet. You can
chill out on chaise lounges placed
inside the edge of the pool where the
water is shallow, a refreshing relief
from midday’s heat. If you like, the
Blue Bay staff will organize day
trips to archeological sites such as
the ruins at Chichen Itza and Tulum
or a shopping excursion to Fifth
Avenue, the area’s spot for good
retail therapy. There’s baby-sitting
and their kid’s club even includes
a mini cafeteria. The property’s
restaurants
are
international:
Mexican, Italian, French, a steak
house and two dining rooms
enhanced by ocean breezes that
offer breakfast and lunch buffets. Once the kiddies are tucked in for
the night, adults can enjoy nightly
entertainment at the resort’s beach
club. On your Riviera Maya vacation,
you’ll come away impressed by
the sheer dedication of the people
to protect their environment. Here
your feet will have touched the sand,
the mangrove swamp, and the solid
rock on which the ancient Mayans
stopped to gaze at the horizon, to
reaffirm life and to dream. This
ancient people conceived of the
world as having three parts: the
underworld, heaven and earth.
They were, indeed, on to something
because your time spent here will
seem a bit like heaven on earth. If you go: Alltournative Off Track Adventures
Tel: +52 984 803 9451
www.alltournative.com
Xel-Ha
www.xel-ha.com
Xcaret
www.xcaret.com Five-Star Resorts
Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda
Tel: +52 984 877 4500
www.bluebayresorts.com
Dreams Resort & Spa
Tel: 1/866-2dreams
www.dreamsresorts.com
Azul Beach Hotel
Tel: +52 998 872 8080
www.karismahotels.com Restaurants
Ajua Maya
www.ajuamaya.com
DiVino
www.divino.com.mx
La Cueva del Chango
is to talk with other gardeners,
and garden experts. Keep your
eyes open when go for a walk or visit
a public garden like Wave Hill that
is dedicated to educating gardeners
with their own well maintained
collection. They are located at West
249th Street and Independence
Avenue in the Bronx and have 28
acres of some of the most beautiful
gardens in NYC and, they are right
on the Hudson River. Saturday
morning from 9AM to noon is free,
other times there is a $6 admission
charge. Call them at 718-549-3200
or http://www.wavehill.org/home/. They also have art displays that
highlight the connection between
people and nature, plus interesting
classes that provide an invaluable
opportunity to talk with master
horticulturists.
If you have questions about
what might grow where, or have
a plant that does well in a difficult
place, contact themerrygardener@
gmail.com. Pictures are always
welcome.
Mature plants form clumps about
18 to 24 inches tall. It takes
several years for them to become
established and they do not like
ot be moved. Kusa or Japanese
Dogwood. Blooms after native
species and is not as suseptable to
bores. Birds like the small red fruit
it produces. Lilac. These fragrant
shrubs were treasuered by colonial
women who planted them by their
front door.
The bushes are long lived and in
some parts of the country can be
seen growing next to the foundations
of long gone cabins. Primrose or
Sundrops, fruticosa subsp. glauca. w w w. l a c u e v a d e l c h a n g o . c o m Lilacs in June
slight change in elevation you can
hasten the season for bulbs and
perennials like candy tuft, as well
as roses and lilies. You can also
delay bloom by planting a perennial
like sundrops also called yellow
primrose or fruticosa subsp.
glauca, where it is slightly shaded
or dry. While many flowers can
be demanding, this one has a wide
range of tolerance and will live
nicely with less light and adjust
its flowering schedule accordingly,
giving you a much longer period
of bloom for the bright yellow
buttercup-like flowers.
No matter how small the
property, conditions do vary even
if only slightly. To get the most
out of your flowers with the least
amount of work, it is important to
pay close attention to your yard.
Notice where the sun first hits and
how long it takes it to travel away
from that spot. There
is
a
difference
between morning and
afternoon sunlight. Delphiniums do well
with morning light
but wilt and wither
in hours of harsh
afternoon sunshine. Some parts of your
growing space will
invariably be wetter than others. Plant something there like Siberian
iris or swamp milkweed which like
to have their roots wet rather than
foxglove which will die if they
don’t have proper drainage. Plants
want to grow, however, they will
grow best if you consider their
needs. Take, for example, the vastly
overused hostas that are planted
in rows along sunny driveways
and foundations all over suburbia.
This is a woodland plant and it
vastly prefers shade
for the best growth
and leaf color. The
stunted, washed out
specimens eking out
a living in the sun are
not happy.
No
matter
what the growing
conditions, there is
a plant somewhere
that will thrive, if only you look for
it. It may not be as showy as you
like, you may have to adjust your
expectations of size or color, and
you may not find it at your local
garden center tucked in among the
geraniums, but there is something
that will grow well in any location.
It actually makes a lot more sense
to find it rather than nursing along
a clearly unhappy plant that fails to
thrive. Where do you find plants
like this? One of the best ways
WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE
JUNE 19, 2008
PAGE 7
Economic Development • Government • Investigation • Law
Shifting Gears: Less is More - The Compact, Luxury SUV
By Roger Witherspoon
The moonless night sky was clear,
the mountain road winding through
the Hudson Highlands just south
of West Point was dry and dark, it
was the tail end of a very long day
and for a change there were no deer
to break the monotony of the unlit
road.
Presuming I was alert and awake,
the solitude of the road should not
have mattered. But suddenly there
was a flashing light on the dashboard,
the increasingly loud ringing of a
chime and an unseen hand began
gently pushing the steering wheel
towards the left. That combination
of events – particularly the ghost
hand opposing mine on the steering
wheel – caught my attention, and
I realized the car was drifting off
the right side of the road. I quickly
worked with the unseen hand to
steer the car back to the center of
the lane, and broke the silence by
finding Usher on the hard drive in
the car’s Music Box, cranked up
the sound from the 11-speaker Bose
system and let his hard-driving
song “Yeah!” reverberate through
the Hudson River Valley.
Then, I gave a passing nod of
thanks to the safety engineers
at Infiniti – the upscale part of
Nissan – who designed an alert
for drowsy drivers into the new
EX35. It is one of many features
which mark the EX35, a car billed
in the Infiniti television ads as
the personal, luxury SUV. And
personal is probably an appropriate
term. The EX35 is shaped like the
Infiniti FX45, the large, $50,000,
“crossover” SUV which is nearly
a foot longer. In length, the EX35
is also a good six inches shorter
and its height four inches smaller
than the Nissan Murano, the
popular, $37,000 crossover whose
nimbleness, comfort and styling
largely defined this segment of the
car industry.
It would be facile to say that the
EX is the junior version of Infiniti’s
venerated FX series, the mid-sized
SUV with the exaggerated wheel
wells, bold and aggressive stance
and V8 engine cranking out nearly
400 horsepower which can run at
high speeds over highways and
byways or zip across the mild off
road courses. The typical FX buyer
is a middle aged man, while the
EX35 is intended to draw more
women into the Infiniti lineup.
In that regard, the EX35 is more
of a sedan with the higher styling
of a crossover SUV. In that stance,
it provides the higher ride than the
average sedan, though the interior
seems cozier than the wide open
space one expects to find in an
SUV. And with a price tag of about
$45,500, it is aimed at both young
professionals seeking luxury in
small packages and empty nesters
now able to spend money on
their own creature comforts. For
that kind of money, one might
reasonably expect more than a few
conveniences in the EX35, and in
this case, the car delivers.
Under the hood, the EX has a
297-horsepower V-6 engine which
is strong enough to push the car
to a top speed of 142, steep hills
included. There are few SUV’s
that one would attempt to push
well into triple digits – aside from
the Porsche Cayenne, Jeep Grand
Cherokee SRT, and BMW, which
were designed for road racing. All
others threaten to roll over when
the speedometer passes 80. But
the smaller EX35, with traction
controls rollover stabilizers, and
18-inch wheels, is still a car – rather
than a small truck passing as a car
– and cruises in the low hundreds
as easily and securely as any sport
sedan.
Inside, the EX35 features soft
leather seats – which are heated in
the front – and leather padding on
the doors and dash. There is also
real maple wood trim throughout,
instead of the usual amenity of
highly polished plastic painted to
look like wood. There are touch
screen controls for the all functions,
which are definitely easier to use
when driving than searching for
buttons or maneuvering a joystick.
This is especially easy in you
want to change the navigation
orientation, or change songs on the
CD or stored hard drive and don’t
want to push the buttons on the
steering wheel, which also control
the audio or cruise controls.
The EX also features Bluetooth
technology, and pairing phones is
easy. Once the link is established
the car automatically searches
for, and finds the cell phone and
reconnects as soon as the engine is
turned on. This is done with a push
button – the key itself stays in your
pocket or purse, and you can lock or
unlock the doors with the push of a
button built into the handle.
Like most SUVs, there is a lot
of room in the cargo area, and the
rear seats can fold flat if additional
space is needed. But passengers in
the rear need to be short or children
in car seats because the leg room is
limited. And if the riders in the front
are tall, there is virtually no rear
leg room at all. That lack of space
in the rear might be acceptable
in a sporty car like Infiniti’s G37
sedan, since sports car owners are
not really interested in passengers.
But one might expect more space in
a vehicle billing itself as an SUV,
and the EX35 – despite its strengths
– could lose out to real sedans. 2008 Infiniti EX35 AWD MSRP: $45,415
EPA Mileage: 16 MPG City; 23
MPG Highway
Top Speed: 142 MPH Performance/ Safety: 3.5-Liter,
aluminum
alloy,
DOHC V-6 engine producing 297
horsepower and 253 pound/feet
of torque; all wheel drive; 5-speed
automatic transmission with manual
mode with paddle shifts; anti-lock
brakes; snow mode; 4-wheel, power
assisted front and rear disc brakes;
double-wishbone front suspension;
multi-link rear suspension; power
steering; traction control; security
system with vehicle immobilizer;
18-inch aluminum alloy wheels;
xenon
auto-leveling
front
headlights; active front lighting
system; fog lamps; intelligent cruise
control; lane departure prevention
and warning system; driver & front
passenger seat mounted, side impact
air bags; roof-mounted curtain side
impact air bags. Interior/ Comfort: AM/FM/XM satellite radio; Bose
premium audio system with 11
speakers and 2 subwoofers; single,
in-dash, CD player; compact flash
slot; 9.3 GB Music Box hard drive;
touch screen navigation system;
voice activated navigation, audio,
and phone; Bluetooth; tilt &
telescope steering wheel; leather
seats; power folding rear seats;
maple wood trim.
Roger Witherspoon is the automotive
columnist to the Dallas Examiner,
Westchester Times Tribune, and
Yonkers Tribune, amongst others.
In Memoriam
Katherine Embree (nee Pozzati)
of Yonkers died on Saturday, June
7, 2008, at age 95. She was born
on June 29, 1912, to Valentino
and Fiorina (Machehi) in New
York. Katherine was married
to Ray Embree in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and had two sons,
Raymond (deceased), and Ernest,
of Brookfield, CT. She also was
predeceased by her twin brother
Valentino. She was an icon in the
neighborhood and was called by all
as either Ms. Katherine or Grandma.
She was the finest woman right up
until her passing and will be missed
by her daughter-in-law Margie
Embree. Visiting hours were held at
the Whalen & Ball Funeral Home
on Monday, June 9, 2008. Mass of
Christian Burial was conducted at
Sacred Heart Church on Tuesday
June 10, 2008; committal services
followed at Ferncliff Chapel.
Whalen & Ball Funeral Home 168
Park Ave Yonkers, NY 10703. (914)
965-5488.
William J. Hansen of Tarrytown,
NY, died on Sunday, June 8, 2008,
at the age of 66. Born on January
21, 1942, to Charles and Helen
(Lawry) Hansen in Yonkers where
he was raised and graduated from
Iona College with his B.A. in
Education; and Hunter College with
his Masters in History. Mr. Hansen
was a History/ Social Studies
teacher with the Yonkers Board
of Education for over 35 years;
teaching at Emerson and Roosevelt
High Schools and most recently with
the Continuing Education Program.
On December 22, 1963, he married
his loving wife Hannah Tkachuk
in St. Peter’s Church in Yonkers.
She survives living in Tarrytown.
William was a parishioner of St.
Matthew’s Church in Hastings
where he served as a Eucharistic
Minister. He loved reading history,
spending time with his family and
he will be forever in our hearts.
Bill was a historian with a passion
for teaching and learning. Besides
his wife Hannah, he is survived by
his three beloved daughters; Joyce
(Louis) Battistin, Lauren Elliott and
Ellen Hansen, his three cherished
grandchildren, Alexander, Julia and
Matthew. He is also survived by
his sister-in-law Grace Fober, his
niece Renee Fassert and nephew
Kenneth Fober., his brother-inlaw Harry Tkachuk and his wife
Dorothy and their sons and several
nieces, nephews and cousins. He
was predeceased by his brothers
Gerard, Norman and Charles and
his sister Ann and his son-in-law
Michael Elliott. Visiting hours were
held at the Whalen & Ball Funeral
Home on Wednesday, June 11,
2008. A Mass of Christian Burial
at St Matthew’s Church in Hastings
on Thursday, June 12, 2008, with
Interment to follow at Mt. Hope
Cemetery. Whalen & Ball Funeral
Home 168 Park Ave Yonkers, NY
10703. (914) 965-5488.
William Mannix of Yonkers died
on Thursday, June 5, 2008, at age
66. Born May 12, 1942, to Richard
and Mary Flanagan in New York
City where he was raised and
graduated from St. Nicholas of
Tolentine H.S. Mr. Mannix was a
Chief Lineman for Con Edison for
over 35 years. On August 5, 1968,
he married Alice Thompson in St.
Nicholas Church, she survives
living in Yonkers. William was a
Marine Veteran, serving his country
during the Cuban Crisis. Besides
his wife Alice, he is survived by his
three children, Laura (John) Spring,
William and Daniel Mannix, all
of Yonkers. He is also survived
by his two grandchildren, Monet
and James Francis, and his sister,
Rosemary
(Dan)
Alessandro.
Visitation was conducted at Whalen
& Ball Funeral Home on Saturday
and Sunday, June 7 and 8, 2008.
Mass of Christian Burial in Sacred
Heart Church on Monday, June 9,
2008. Interment: Gate of Heaven
Cemetery. Whalen & Ball Funeral
Home 168 Park Ave Yonkers, NY
10703. (914) 965-5488. Stephen Zenecky, 94, of Yonkers
& Ellenville, NY, passed away
on June 8, 2008. He was born on
Dec. 28, 1913, in the Ukraine to
Ivan & Maria Zenecky where he
was raised and educated. Stephen
proudly served in the Polish Army
during WWII during the European
Theater and was a prisoner of
war. He married his loving wife
Olga Lysak on June 18, 1944, in
Germany. They came to the United
States in November 1952 settling
in Yonkers. Stephen was a writer,
Editor and Publisher for the Lemko
Voice Newspaper for over 40 years,
as well as a contributing writer for
the Svoboda Ukraine & Amerika
newspapers. He was a member of
various Ukrainian organizations.
Stephen loved gardening and
growing fruit trees as well as being
an avid reader. He is survived by his
loving wife Olga of both Yonkers
and Ellenville, NY, his beloved
children John (Betty) Zenecky of
Ellenville, NY, Maria Zenecky of
The Bronx, NY, and his cherished
grandchildren John Jr., Edward A.,
Lisa M. (Ronald) Kachnik. Mass
was conducted on Wednesday,
June 11, at St. Michaels Ukrainian
Catholic Church in Yonkers
followed by Interment at the Pine
Bush Cemetery in Kerhonkson,
NY. The family received friends
on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at the
Whalen & Ball Funeral Home.
Parastas was conducted that
Tuesday evening at the funeral
home. Whalen & Ball Funeral
Home 168 Park Ave Yonkers, NY
10703. (914) 965-5488.
In Memoriam Notice
Westchester Times Tribune publishes paid obituaries (In Memoriam) of people who have lived, worked, or have family in Westchester County.
All notices must be received by Friday, by 12:00 Noon, for inclusion in the next week’s edition. Place a paid notice by directing email to
WTTeditor@gmail.com.
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English Bulldog, French Bulldog, English Mastiff,
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Contact: jessy_jefferson@hotmail.com
Enclose your: Name, Address,
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Thank You
PAGE 10
JUNE 19, 2008
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WESTCHESTER TIMES TRIBUNE