May 2016 - mv inquirer

Transcription

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”
T H E MO U N T V ER NO N
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http://www.mvinquirer.com
Volume 11, Number 5
INQUIRER
“The People’s Newspaper”
Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”
FEATURES
May 2016
Exuberant crowd attends
swearing in ceremony of Johnson
and Patterson-Howard
Story by Joe Parisi
Five Mt. Vernon trailblazers
honored in celebration of
“Women’s History Month”
Page 6
Mt. Vernon’s Water Department
superintendent retires
Page 11
O
n Tuesday, April 5, the Mount
Vernon community flocked
to City Hall in high-spirited
fashion and record numbers
to attend the swearing in ceremony of
Nichelle Johnson as City Court Judge,
and Shawyn Patterson-Howard as the
new Planning Commissioner. In addition, several women were recognized
with the presentation of “Phenomenal
Women Awards.”
The ceremony was held in the City
Council Chambers and the scene depicted hundreds of citizens united and
excited, with electricity flowing through
the large majestic room in anticipation of
the start of the ceremony.
The scene resembled old Mount Vernon, when there was no Internet and
the entire Mount Vernon community
worked together as one united family.
And surprisingly, the entire body of the
City Council was in attendance for the
historic swearing in ceremony of two of
Nichelle Johnson being sworn in as new City Court judge by
Judge Kathy Davidson
Continued on page 8
LED contract dispute in
court and taxpayers footing
huge legal fees
Story by Joe Parisi
Mt. Vernon a winner in 2nd
Annual #Westchester Smart
Mobile App Development Bowl
Page 15
Tears flow as Mayor Thomas
weds “stroke couple” at
Westchester Center
Page 30
T
he LED lighting contract dispute
between the City of Mount Vernon and Sentinel Technology
Services International, Inc. is currently being contested in Westchester
County State Supreme Court as the effort
to derail the contract by unknown forces
continues.
The city is being represented by an outside law firm who was recently retained
by the city to rescind the contract, but
failed, since the contract is legally binding. Once again subjecting tax payers to
tremendous wasteful spending!
Terrence Horton, owner of Sentinel
Technology Services International, Inc.,
made every effort to keep the matter out
of court in an effort to save taxpayers the
LED contract dispute is being contested in Westchester County State
Supreme Court in White Plains, NY
Continued on page 11
2 l May 2016
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Scholarship opportunity for African-American
high school seniors
T
he Westchester Alliance of Black
School Educators (WABSE) in
New York is an affiliate of the National Alliance of Black School
Educators (NABSE). WABSE was created
in November 1998, in New Rochelle, encompassing various school districts in
Westchester County.
WABSE’s mission is dedicated to improving the educational accomplishments
of all students, especially those of the
African Diaspora through the development and deployment of instructional and
motivational methods which increase levels of inspiration, attendance and overall
achievement.
WABSE holds monthly meetings
throughout the county. African American
and other educators come together to
exchange ideas, techniques and employment information, and to hear outstanding speakers address critical educational
issues. Seminars, workshops, exhibits,
cultural excursions, educational entertainment, and fund raising are included in
WABSE’s annual activities.
WABSE has annually given scholarship
awards ranging from $250 to $500 to deserving high school graduating seniors
who reside in Westchester County.
Scholarship Requirements: Candidates
must be African-American or of African
descent who are graduating seniors and
will matriculate to a college or university in
the fall of 2016. Candidates must also: • Be
a resident of Westchester County. • Have
Mt. Vernonite, 16, honored
at the Global NTFE showcase
in NY
R
onnell Fuller, 16, a student
and bright young entrepreneur from Mount Vernon,
NY, was recently honored
at the Global NTFE Showcase that
was held in NYC. It was an excep-
tional honor since Ronnell was one
of just 36 young people globally to
be recognized at the Showcase.
Ronnell is the founder of Distinguished Designs, a fashion and
styling service that began at the
Mount Vernon Youth Bureau and
Westchester Community College,
as partners with NFTE in the Entrepreneurship Summer Academy.
Although still in high school,
Ronnell plans to open an onlinestore in the future and offer virtual
style tours to his customers. He is
passionate about lending his services to his peers and teaching them
to dress for interviews as well as
special occasions.
The Showcase is an annual
global event which highlights the
best and brightest young entrepreneurs, their teachers and some
amazing volunteers. This year, Chelsea Clinton and other well-known
leaders in business, youth and education spoke at the Showcase.
an overall four year high school academic
average of 2.5 or higher. • Demonstrate
within their essay a financial necessity. •
Recipients must be present at the Senior
Award Night ceremony in order to receive
the scholarship Award Requirements:
Recipients of this award must provide a
current address and mail, via US Postal
Service, OR email, proof of enrollment for
the fall of 2016. WABSE must receive this
information by December 1, 2016 and cell
phone texts will not be accepted. Proof of
enrollment may be one of the following: 1)
Completed Enrollment Verification form
from the Registrar 2) A copy of the Fulltime Course Registration for the fall.
Please submit the application no later
than April 15, 2016 to the above address.
Rep. Engel
applauds
passage of
$15 minimum
wage in NY
State budget
C
ongressman Eliot L. Engel, a
senior member of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement praising Governor Cuomo and the
New York State Legislature for passing a
$15 minimum wage increase in this year’s
budget:
“I am pleased Governor Cuomo and the
State Legislature have crafted a budget
that will help millions of hard working New
Yorkers with a much needed increase to
the minimum wage. In particular, the entire
New York City area – including Westchester – will see a $15 minimum wage over
the next few years. This adjustment will
put more money in the pockets of working
families, many of whom have been scraping by even with full-time jobs. A strong
middle class, new jobs, and prosperity for
everybody—those are New York values,
and I’m glad this budget reflects those
values for working New Yorkers.
5 l May 2016
INQUIRER
Founded in 2004 by
JOSEPH A. PARISI
AND LUISA PARISI
Published by
The Mount Vernon Inquirer
P.O. Box 458
Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0458
Email: info@theinquirernews.com
Website: www.mvinquirer.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Readers are encouraged to send us
letters expressing their viewpoints
on any issue. Letters should not
contain inflammatory or provocative language and will be subject to
editorial review. Please keep your
letters brief and not to exceed 300
words. Your name and address must
be included, but will be withheld
upon request.
SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMS
We welcome all suggestions concerning news we should cover in our
newspaper. Please call the Editor
with suggestions at 914-584-6386.
Editor
Joe Parisi
Assistant Editors
Leslie Albert
Cheryl Parisi
News Reporters / Writers
Joe Parisi, Chief Reporter
James Fair
Tamara Stewart
Sales and Advertising
Darryl Walker, Director
Paul Stewart
Graphic Design
Ashley Covelli
Cheryl Parisi
Member
The Westchester Children’s Museum opens with expanded exhibit
and program space
T
he Westchester Children’s Museum recently completed Phase I
of its construction plan, which expanded the exhibit and program
space from 4,000 square feet to 6,500
square feet. This expansion included additional exhibit and program space; new
family restrooms, and upgraded heating
and ventilation systems that will enable
the museum to stay open year round and
be a fully operational facility.
Prior to this phase of construction, the
museum offered a preview of its exhibitry
in its Boardwalk Galleries only during the
spring and summer months of 2014 and
2015. Now that the museum has been
transformed into a full-time, fully operational museum, the museum expects its
annual visitation number to be approximately 30,000 this year and annual growth
each year after, as exhibit space is expanded.
“The significance of this moment in the
museum’s long trajectory cannot be understated,” said Tracy R. Kay, Executive
Director of the Westchester Children’s
Museum. “In order to get to this point, we
must acknowledge the critical and longstanding support of our Board of Directors, our growing community of donors in
the private, public, and corporate sectors,
the schools and community centers that
recognize the need for the valuable out of
school enrichment this museum provides,
and our partner - the County of Westchester. We look forward to further growing
and serving the children and families of
this region for generations to come.”
The official museum opening was April
13; a day after the museum hosted its
“Doors Open” Celebration honoring longtime supporters Lisina Hoch and the
Laager family.
6 l May 2016
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Five Mt. Vernon trailblazers honored in celebration of “Women’s
History Month”
City Comptroller Maureen Walker being honored by Melissa Cebollero
O
n Friday, April 1, the Montefiore Mount Vernon Belsky
Auditorium was bustling with
excitement and anticipation as
a capacity crowd attended a ceremony
in which five extraordinary Mount Vernon
women were being honored in celebration
of Women’s History Month.
The event was sponsored by the Montefiore Health System, in partnership
with UnitedHealthCare, and the following
five women were honored: Senator Ruth
Hassell-Thompson, Mount Vernon City
Comptroller Maureen Walker, City Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo, Mount Vernon
City Councilwoman Lisa Copeland and
community activist Ronnie Cox.
Regrettably, Senator Thompson was
busy in Albany working on the budget and
was not able to attend the ceremony. Nevertheless, she had a representative appear
in her place – Leslie G. Frohberg, who
works as her Community Liaison.
Prior to the start of the ceremony, the
guests were treated to a sumptuous buffet.
Opening remarks came from Melissa
Cebollero, Senior Director, Office of Community Relations for Montefiore, who also
acted as the Mistress of Ceremonies. Jaccel Kouns, Vice President and Executive
Director of Montefiore followed Cebollero
at the podium and provided welcoming
remarks. Acknowledgments came from
Lynn Richmond, Executive Vice President
of Montefiore.
Richmond spoke about the role women
play in life as a whole. Throughout our
country’s rich history, women have played
an important role. They have driven humanity forward on the path to a more equal
and just society, contributing in innumerable ways to our character and progress as
a people. In the face of discrimination and
undue hardship, they have never given up
on the promise of America: that with hard
work and determination, nothing is out of
reach.
During Women’s History Month, the
Montefiore Health System, in partnership
with UnitedHealthCare, remembered the
women trailblazers of the past, and elected to honor five exceptional women, who
today, are considered important trailblaz-
Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo
Community Activist Ronnie Cox
Councilwoman Lisa Copeland
Jaccel Kouns, Vice President and
Executive Director of Montefiore
Lynn Richmond, Executive Vice
President of Montefiore
ers within the Mount Vernon community.
When introduced individually by Cebollero, each of the Honorees received a
long and thunderous applause, and after
speaking, they were presented with an im-
pressive bouquet of flowers.
Closing remarks came from the ever
personable, Robert Perez, Marketing Specialist for UnitedHealthCare.
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7 l May 2016
Mount Vernon Youth Bureau Hosts 6th Annual WDAY Ladies First
in STEM Program
I
Students listening to a speaker during the STEM conference
n observance of Women’s History
Month, the City of Mount Vernon Youth
Bureau, through its Workforce Development Academy for Youth (WDAY) and
MV STRONG programs, hosted its 6th
Annual “Ladies First” in STEM Conference
on Thursday, March 31, at the Westchester Community College-Mount Vernon
Extension Center. 100 Mount Vernon
High School and Thornton High School
students were selected to attend a panel
discussion and lunch which was designed
to introduce young women to careers in
the science, technology, engineering and
math disciplines and to encourage students to pursue high growth industry jobs
post high school. Over the past six years
panelists for the program have included
architects, biologists, doctors, agriculturalists, graphic designers, meteorologists,
engineers, chemists and researchers.
The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau partnered with the Mount Vernon City School
District, the Westchester County Workforce Investment’s WDAY Program and
Westchester Community College to address the under-representation of females
within the STEM industry. This year’s
keynote speaker, Dr. Pauline Mosley, Professor of Information Technology in the
School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University, sent
a clear message that there is much opportunity for females who become STEM
degree holders. Dr. Mosley has trained
Fortune 500 executives and personnel in
a myriad of software applications. She
developed computer training manuals for
Texaco, Pepsi, The Port Authority and McGraw-Hill and was influential in establishing PC and mainframe user-support help
desks for Dannon, NYNEX, and Brooklyn
Union Gas.
The dynamic panel included Deb Henneberry, a commercial pilot and professor
at Vaughn College, and Stephanie Vanderpool, the first African American Asses-
sor in New York State. Hanneberry and
Vanderpool described their experiences
within male dominated professions. Dr.
Monica Scantlebury a physician at Centerlight Healthcare and Montefiore Medical Center and Lillian Kayizzi, an engineer
at Nobel Biocare, offered words of encouragement to students who question
whether or not they possess the fortitude
to complete rigorous college math and
science courses. The conference highlighted the work of recent Mount Vernon
High School graduates Sherron Andrews,
a laboratory manager at Mount Sinai West
Hospital, and Ms. Christina Nash, a manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York.
Mayor Thomas stated, “Our city is home
to phenomenal women in all industries,
especially in STEM. We will continue to
support the efforts of the Mount Vernon
Youth Bureau to focus on STEM and other programs that empower our ladies to
break barriers.”
“We are proud of the contributions of
women in the area of STEM and the city is
humbled by the fact that so many dynamic, powerful women continue to find the
time to reach back to support our vision
of preparing young women for the high
demands of the global workforce,” stated
DaMia Harris-Madden, Executive Director
of the Youth Bureau.
The” Ladies First” in STEM Conference
was funded in part by the Westchester
Putnam Workforce Development BoardWDAY Program, and the City of Mount
Vernon Youth Bureau- Mount Vernon
STRONG Program.
For further information, please contact
Dominique Smith of the Mount Vernon
Youth Bureau at (914) 665-2344 or visit
the Youth Bureau at youth.cmvny.com.
You can also reach them on Twitter @
MVyouthbureau or Facebook.com/MVyouthbureau.
MVHS students participate in
a Job Shadow Day at Microsoft
O
MVHS students at Microsoft
n April 14, 23 students from
Mr. Mihailidis’ United Nations
Club participated in the Job
Shadow program sponsored
by Junior Achievement Westchester at
Microsoft in White Plains. The program
is geared toward providing high school
students with real-life work experiences and the inner workings of Microsoft.
The students learned about Microsoft as a company, its daily operations and the main responsibilities of
the staff.
The program concluded with all
the students being congratulated and
receiving a certificate for completing the program by the Microsoft staff
members.
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8 l May 2016
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Continued from page 1
Judge Nichelle Johnson addressing the overflowing crowd
Mount Vernon’s favorite ladies – in spite of
a rift with Mayor Richard Thomas. Also in
attendance were several justices.
Impressed by Johnson’s appointment,
City Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo stated, “This is a very deserving appointment
of a very honorable woman.”
Until now, Thomas has made several
appointments, some popular, and some
not so popular, but the appointment of
Nichelle Johnson and Shawyn PattersonHoward represents a “home run” for him.
The community’s approval was evident
since the Council Chambers was ‘bulging
at the seams’ with people shouting, “We
love you, Nichelle,” when she approached
the podium to be sworn in. The same excitement was displayed when PattersonHoward approached the podium.
The memorable ceremony commenced
with the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Invocation being provided
by the Rev. Dr. Darren Morton.
Next, Mayor Thomas approached the
podium and the overflowing crowd gave
him a long and rousing applause.
Prior to personally swearing in Johnson,
the mayor spoke fondly of Mount Vernon’s
newest member of the bench.
“Nichelle Johnson is eminently qualified for the position of City Court Judge.
She has a long record of service for the
City of Mount Vernon, including time as
Corporation Counsel and Chief of Staff to
the Mayor. She has over twenty years of
experience as a litigator and understands
the intricacies of the legal system. She has
appeared before federal, state, and local
courts representing a variety of clients.
I am thankful she has accepted this appointment and I look forward to her continued service to our city as a fair jurist,”
said Thomas.
After being sworn in, Johnson slipped
on her new black robe and approached
the podium.
“You can’t imagine how humbled I am
about having received this incredible appointment. I understand my role as a
judge and understand what I have to do. I
promise to be a fair judge and will be taking my new job very seriously – hoping to
make the entire Mount Vernon community
proud of me,” said Johnson.
Prior to Patterson-Howard approaching
the podium to be sworn in, Thomas also
had fond accolades about her as well.
“Shawyn Patterson-Howard is a Mount
Vernon native who has made our city
proud through her decades of service. She
led the Yonkers YMCA and transformed it
into a national model. She is a trailblazer
and turn around agent who operates with
a spirit of community and service. Commissioner Howard is nationally known for
her work in public health, criminal justice, and urban development. She is truly
Mount Vernon’s own and I am grateful that
Shawyn Patterson-Howard being sworn in as the new Planning
Commissioner by Mayor Thomas
Shawyn Patterson-Howard accompanied by family members after being
sworn in
Frances Lightsy being honored
she has come to help revitalize our city.”
As she approached the podium to be
sworn in by Judge Kathy Davison, Patterson-Howard also received a thunderous
applause from the excited audience. Like
Johnson, she was accompanied by many
of her family members.
“I am truly humbled to have been ap-
Mayor Thomas honoring Patrice Wallace Moore
pointed your new Commissioner of Planning and Community Development. I look
forward to helping Mount Vernon move
ahead in the area of new development
since we are ripe for new development.
But, I understand that it is not only about
building, but also about our quality of life.
Mount Vernon is the place to be and we all
Continued on page 9
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9 l May 2016
need to work together to lift up our standard of living. I am also honored to have
been chosen as the first woman of color
to be appointed Planning Commissioner,”
said Patterson-Howard.
Next on the agenda was the presentation of the “Phenomenal Women Awards”
by Thomas to the following four women:
Rella Fogliano, Linda Gordon, Frances
Lightsy and Patrice Wallace Moore.
After his presentation of the awards,
Thomas stated: “I can think of no better
way to celebrate Women’s History Month
than by honoring these six women who
have done so much for the people of
Mount Vernon. These women exemplify
our rich diversity and proud heritage and I
am humbled to honor them.”
The ceremony ended with Rev. Angie
Ryan providing the Benediction, followed
by a reception in the Rotunda.
Longtime Mt. Vernon resident, Linda Gordon, being honored
Rella Fogliano being honored by Mayor Thomas (l) and Council President
Marcus Griffith
Rev. Angie Ryan getting ready to provide the Benediction
Mt. Vernon Youth
Bureau’s Step Up!
program holds Conflict
Resolution workshops
Students from AB Davis and Benjamin Turner Middle schools
with members of Mt. Vernon’s Finest
T
he Mount Vernon Youth Bureau in partnership with the
Mount Vernon Police Department, the North American Family Institute (NAFI) and the
Youth Voices Center held a week of
Youth and Police Initiatives (YPI) and
Conflict Resolution workshops with
youth from AB Davis and Benjamin
Turner Middle schools. Workshops
were held from March 28, 2016
through April 1st. The final meeting
was a celebration dinner held at the
Enclave Restaurant on 5th Avenue
where youth participants received a
stipend and Certificates of Completion.
The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau
has designed this youth violence
reduction strategy to reduce the
number of fights and disrespectful
behavior towards peers and school
faculty. Students participated in various activities, including role play, to
help them communicate with their
peers, as well as teach them how
to resolve issues without violence.
The training was led by Officer Dave
Clarke of the Mount Vernon Police
Dept., Mr. David Peters, of NAFI and
Mr. Wayne Woodbury the Step Up!
Program Coordinator.
Michael Aterberry of the Youth
Voices Center through his “Power of
Peace” program presented conflict
resolution and anti-violence workshops focused on developing leadership, teamwork, collaboration,
decision-making, respect for others
and self and cultural awareness.
The Step Up! Program’s goal, in
part, is to reduce the communica-
tion barriers that exist between the
law enforcement community and
the city’s young men. The ultimate
goal, however, is to empower young
men to strive for academic and social success and to reduce the number of in and out of school incidents,
as well as reduce the number of
incidents related to gang violence,
aggressive and disrespectful behaviors and unfavorable attitudes
between youth and law enforcement. Step Up! is a unique method
of mentoring the city’s most “at risk”
male population.
Mayor Richard Thomas said,
“Programming like this is what helps
keep our children safe and off the
streets. We must continue to wrap
our arms around our youth and help
them learn, grow and thrive to reach
their full potential.”
“This program is just one of the
initiatives that support the Mount
Vernon Youth Bureau’s goal of empowering young people to solve
conflicts through communication
and not violence.” stated DaMia
Harris-Madden, Executive Director
of the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau.
Mount Vernon’s Step Up! Program
is funded through Legislator Lyndon
Williams and the Westchester Board
of Legislators.
For more information on this and
other Youth Bureau programs or
events please call (914) 665-2344.
You can also follow them on Twitter @MVyouthbureau or Facebook.
com/MVyouthbureau and visit the
Youth Bureau site at www.youth.
cmvny.com.
10 l May 2016
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Mt. Vernonites ask Pretlow to urge NY lawmakers to pass
GMO labeling law
(l to r) Dr. Mother Khoshhali,
Reyna Gonzalez and
Assemblyman Pretlow
O
n Friday, April 8, Mt Vernon residents called on local Assembly
Member Gary Pretlow to support Assembly Bill 617 which
would give consumers critical informa-
tion about what’s in our food and how it is
produced. The bill would label genetically
engineered foods in New York, which are
pervasive in our food supply, but are often
bred to withstand applications of harsh
chemicals. Local residents delivered over
1000 petition signatures from constituents
to Assembly Member Pretlow asking for
his support for the GMO labeling bill.
Local business owner of Sadhana Tea
House and Wellness Center, Dr. Mother
Khoshhali stated,“I believe GMOs have
to be labeled because customers have to
know…they need to be labeled because it
is the choice of the consumer.”
An overwhelming majority of Americans
— over 90% in many polls— want GMOs
to be labeled. New York would be the
fourth state, following Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, to pass a law in support of
labeling. The event on Friday followed a
rally in Albany in March, with 250 attendees from across the state.
At the federal level ,the senate blocked
legislation introduced by Senator Pat
Roberts (R-KS) that would halt state efforts to label GMOs. If passed, the bill
would have undermined democratically
enacted state laws that give consumers
the right to know what’s in our food. U.S.
Klein honors local
cheerleaders for National
Championship win
S
tate Senator Jeff Klein (DBronx/Westchester) honored
the Junior Varsity cheerleading squad of St. Catherine
Academy today. The students ranked
first in the non-tumbling division,
making history at the 2016 Universal
Cheerleading Association National
High School Cheerleading championship. Senator Klein presented the
team with a proclamation honoring
their achievement and dedication, and
the cheerleaders all received congratulatory certificates.
“Today we recognize the hard
work and perseverance of St. Catherine Academy’s Junior Varsity cheerleaders. Their sportsmanship, coupled
with the outstanding academic program at St. Catherine’s, will keep our
national champions on a path for success,” said Senator Jeff Klein. “Congratulations to our talented students!”
St. Catherine Academy also
achieved a seventh place rank at the
national competition in Small Varsity,
Division II. The Varsity and JV teams
are the only nationally ranked cheerleading teams in the Bronx.
Senators Gillibrand and Schumer both opposed this bill, siding with New Yorkers –
and the majority of Americans – who want
GMOs to be labeled. Shortly after the
bill’s defeat, U.S. food company General
Mills announced they will voluntarily label
all products sold in the U.S. that contain
genetically engineered ingredients. Other
companies such as Mars, Kellogg’s and
ConAgra were quick to follow.
“We must call on our elected officials
to stand up for the people and our right
to know what is in our food,” said Food &
Water Watch organizer, Ashleigh McGuire.
The effort to label GMOs in New York
is growing in Mt Vernon and across the
state. Consumers are calling on state legislators to pass A617/S485 and protecting New York’s right to decide whether
to label genetically engineered foods. In
Yonkers and Mt. Vernon, activists have
gathered over 1000 signatures for petitions in addition to having generated over
50 calls into Assembly Member Pretlow’s
office. Twenty-eight local businesses and
community organizations have signed on
to a letter in support of the bill.
Reyna Gonzalez, a local mother, stated,
“As a consumer I feel I have the right to
know what is going into my body and the
bodies of my family.”
The bill to label GMOs in New York,
A617, is currently facing a vote in the
Codes Committee and has 73 co-sponsors in the New York State Assembly.
(l to r) Reyna Gonzalez,
Dr. Mother Khoshhali, and Vinny
Carson outside Assemblyman
Preltow’s office in Mt. Vernon
Rent increase hearings
scheduled for June
Story by Tamara Stewart
W
estchester landlords and
tenants will soon have an
opportunity to make their
voices heard regarding
how much landlords should be allowed
to increase rents for 30,000 regulated
apartments throughout the county.
Beginning on June 1st, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board
(WCRGB) will hold a series of public
hearings to listen to arguments in favor
of no/small increases made by tenants,
and arguments in favor of significant
increases made by landlords for leases being renewed between October 1,
2016 and September 30, 2017.
The issue of affordable housing was
particularly contentious last year due
to the June 15, 2015 scheduled expiration of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) and the 421-a tax break.
Ultimately, ETPA was renewed through
2019, and the 421-a tax break for residential developers was allowed to expire. Last year, New York City passed
historically low rent increases for lease
renewals taking effect between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016.
The NYC Rent Guidelines Board agreed
to a 0% increase on one-year lease renewals, and a 2% increase on two-year
lease renewals. Locally, Westchester’s
board agreed to a 1.75% increase on
one-year lease renewals, and a 2.75%
increase on two-year lease renewals,
for the same period.
The schedule for this year’s WCRGB
public hearings and meetings is as follows:
Wednesday, June 1st at 7 pm – Yonkers Riverfront Library (public hearing)
Monday, June 6th at 7 pm – White
Plains Library (public hearing)
Wednesday, June 8th at 7 pm –
Westchester District Rent Office, 75
S. Broadway, Suite 350, White Plains
(public meeting)
Wednesday, June 15th at 7 pm – Mt.
Vernon City Hall, City Council Chambers (public hearing)
Monday, June 20th at 7 pm – White
Plains Library (public meeting – decision announced)
Wednesday, June 22nd at 7 pm –
White Plains City Hall (additional date if
needed)
The public may speak at the June
1st, 6th and 15th hearings. Those wishing to speak may sign up to do so at
one, two or all three hearings. Mount
Vernon tenants wishing to sign-up to
speak, or those desiring to support tenants, should contact Dennis Hanratty
of Mount Vernon United Tenants at
699-1114, or visit mvut.org for more
information. Those wishing to speak
can also contact Chuck Lesnick of the
WCRGB by phone at 948-4434, or via
email at Charles.Lesnick@nyshcr.org.
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11 l May 2016
Statement of Mayor Thomas: Bob Kelly termination
I
Mayor Thomas during a press conference at City Hall
n keeping a promise to constantly
improve operations, Mayor Richard
Thomas conducted a 90 day systems
check on progress made by his entire
administration.
On Friday, April 8, Mayor Thomas and
Bruce Jackson, chairman of the Mayor’s
Advisory Committee, met with former
Public Safety Commissioner Robert Kelly.
After follow up discussions on Saturday,
April 9th, Mayor Thomas decided to take
the necessary step and terminate Kelly.
This is a continuation of Mayor Thomas’
effort to fulfill his word to the people for
complete culture change in the Mount
Vernon Police Department. The Mayor
has a vision on public safety which was
not being implemented satisfactorily.
Thus, the Mayor determined to make this
necessary change.
Commissioner Kelly’s termination is
effective Saturday, April 9, at 5:00 PM
whereby Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Ronald Fatigate will assume the
role of “acting Public Safety Commissioner” until a national search for a new commissioner is concluded.
Not wasting time, Mayor Thomas tapped
former Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Ralph Fatigate, Councilman Yuhanna
Edwards – chair of the Council’s Public
Safety and Codes Committee which over-
$850.00 hourly fee they are currently paying for legal fees, but the
city refused to communicate with
him or his lawyers on the matter.
For the last two years there has
been a concerted unsuccessful effort by several individuals to have
the lucrative contract derailed at
any cost.
For the city to hire an attorney at
a cost of $850.00 per hour to fight
a case that can’t be won is beyond
comprehension.
The contract was reviewed endlessly by the City Council body, the
prior Corporation Counsel and legal representatives resulting in the
contract being awarded to Sentinel
Technology Services International,
Inc. after being approved by the
City Council and the Board of Estimate and Contract – making it legally binding.
It appears that those seeking to
have the contract derailed are hoping that the longer the matter is
extended, the greater the possibility exists that Horton will run out of
funds and he will walk away from
the contract. But until now, Horton
has persevered and has a team of
lawyers representing him knowing
that they will be victorious in court.
The city’s effort to fight this hopeless matter in court is not prudent
since, in the end, the already overburdened taxpayers are the ones
that will suffer. This matter is more
about greed and the city’s effort
has absolutely no merit.
More and more taxpayers are
demanding an end to this senseless waste of the city’s precious
resources, especially when the
disputed Sentinel contract will immediately produce educational
and paid intern positions, sorely
needed green job opportunities for
the unemployed as well as the underemployed women and men in
the Mount Vernon community - simultaneously saving the taxpayers
almost 1 million dollars annually,
while producing a net surplus of
$250,000 that could be used for
more important needs like Memorial Field.
sees the Police Department, Minister Arthur Muhammad, Reverend Gwen Wilson,
and Bruce Jackson to aggressively work
with him to recruit a replacement in the
near future.
Former Commissioner Fatigate, Councilman Edwards, and Brent Gamble,
Mount Vernon Police Benevolent Association president, praised the mayor for his
decisive action and issued the following
statements:
“There is one direction, forward. All
visionary work to increase safety and
strengthen the relationship between the
police and public will continue. We are
proud of the work we are able to get done,
and understand that more work remains.
The people elected me to drive responsible reforms and culture change in City
Hall. This is mission critical, particularly
at the Police Department,” said Mayor
Thomas.
“Having many conversations with Mayor
Thomas, I agree with his decision to make
changes in the Police Department. It is incumbent that people in these type of leadership roles be able to connect with the
community and embrace the vision of the
administration. In an effort to make Mount
Vernon safer, I look forward to working
with the committee to recruit new and
dynamic leadership for the Mount Vernon
Police Department,” said former Public
Safety Commissioner Ralph Fatigate.
“I stand with Mayor Thomas and look
forward to assisting in the search for a
commissioner to lead the department,”
said Councilman Edwards.
“On behalf of the Mount Vernon Police
Benevolent Association, we extend our
full support to the Thomas administration
in their decision to move the department
toward President Obama’s 21st century
policing model, where compassion for
people is paramount,” said Brent Gamble,
president of the Mount Vernon Police Benevolent Association.
During a press conference held on April
11 at City Hall, the mayor stated: “Kelly’s
firing was a business decision. I made a
business decision that is best for the interests of Mount Vernon. Business decisions
are not always politically expedient, but
they’re both necessary and responsible.
Change is difficult and will be discussed,
but I will not debate my decision publicly.”
Until now, there has been no response
from Kelly on his dismissal.
Former Public Safety Commissioner
Robert Kelly
Mt. Vernon’s
Water Department
superintendent retires
L
Marianne Vogel
Superintendent
ongtime superintendent of
the Mount Vernon Water
Department, Marianne Vogel, has retired. Although
her retirement was sudden, the
department immediately found a
Health Department 1B licensed
operator by the name of John Arena to replace her.
Fortunately, Vogel’s unexpected
retirement did not create a serious void in that department, since
they have been operating without
a Commissioner for some time
now.
The Mount Vernon Water Department generates millions of
dollars for the city and finding an
immediate licensed operator was
essential to keep the department
functioning.
12 l May 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
EDITORIAL
Why was the Mt. Vernon Arts Council denied the sale of
a foreclosed building?
Music school students performing during the concert at the library
O
n a rainy Saturday afternoon on
April 9, over 75 citizens crowded into the conference room
at the Mount Vernon Public Library to attended a concert sponsored by
the Mount Vernon School of Music.
Many in attendance were parents who
were there to see their children perform,
but they were also there to protest the
city’s refusal to sell the Mount Vernon
Arts Council, sponsors of a popular music
school, a building listed on the foreclosure
auction list.
The property sought by the Arts Council
is located at 135 North High Street, and
has been on the city’s foreclosure auction
list for some time.
The Mount Vernon Arts Council is a
501c3 that is promoting the arts in the
City of Mount Vernon in a big way. Two of
its most successful programs are the Arts
on Third Festival and the Mount Vernon
School of Music, which currently has 144
registered students. The school is currently housed at the Doles Center, where
they have limited space to teach and are
seeking a larger facility.
Members of the Arts Council approached the city about purchasing the
property and the sale of the building was
unanimously approved by the City Council.
Inexplicably, when the matter went before the Board of Estimate and Contract,
which is comprised of the mayor, the
Comptroller and the City Council President, it was voted down. Thus, the building was placed on the auction list once
again starting at the same $65,000 that
was approved for purchase by the Arts
Council.
During the concert’s half time intermission, Maureen Wilson, who teaches at the
music school and is the president of the
Mount Vernon Arts Council, spoke to the
audience about the dilemma concerning
the purchase of the property in question.
“We would have purchased another property if it had been offered to us, and we
have reached out to the Mayor, but to no
avail,” said Wilson.
Several guest speakers spoke sup-
Maureen Wilson updating the
audience on the denial of the sale of
a building they are seeking to buy
Damon Jones encouraging the
audience to attend the next
City Council meeting
An adult band playing at the concert
A mother of a former student speaking positively about the music school
and why they need more space
portively about the derailed purchase of
the North High Street property, including Damon Jones and a grateful mother
of a former student who has excelled in
life thanks to the assistance she received
while a student at the music school.
I am sure there has to be a valid explanation about the reasoning behind voting down the sale of the building after it
had been approved by the City Council.
Could it be that city officials have stopped
the sale to the nonprofit group over questions about former city employees’ involvement, as rumored?
It is well known that Mount Vernon has
very little to offer its large population of
youth to keep them busy after school and
during the summer months. So why then
is the city denying the sale of a building
that will be used in such a positive way by
Mount Vernon’s children?
While many kids with time on their
hands make good choices, some don’t.
We’d all like to think our kids won’t succumb to peer pressure or curiosity, but
filling their time with positive activities
reduces those opportunities for risky behavior. Studies show that kids who do
not participate in after school activities
are nearly three times more likely to skip
classes or use marijuana or other drugs;
they are also more likely to drink alcohol,
smoke cigarettes and engage in unsafe
sexual activity.
So, Mount Vernon, do the right thing
and allow the Mount Vernon Arts Council
to purchase the building they are desperately seeking. I can’t think of a better way
to educate our kids about the arts than
to have them attend a music school on a
regular basis.
Currently, the Arts Council is appealing
to the city to remove the property from the
foreclosure auction list until this matter is
resolved.
For more information contact Maureen
Wilson at 914-217-4047 or Darney Gripper at 347-414-1696.
Joe Parisi
Publisher/Editor
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
13 l May 2016
JA Finance Park attended by MVHS Students
my future endeavors.” Another student,
Jaciara De Souza, remarked, “I greatly enjoyed my visit to the Finance Park Center.
Through the help of the volunteers and the
many hands-on exhibit stations I was able
to understand the daily life of budgeting
and finances. The trip was truly an eye
J
opening experience.”
Other students
stressed the importance of being financially ready for children and the responsibility of being an adult. Overall the project
was a huge success with the students being able to get a dose of reality and better
insight on their parent’s lives.
MVHS students with staff members at JA Finance Park
unior Achievement of the Hudson
Valley, Inc. once again partnered
with Mount Vernon High School
for their students to take part in JA
Capital One Finance Park.
JA Finance Park is sponsored by Capital One and encompasses important educational lessons about personal financial
literacy and career awareness. Students
complete in-class sessions and attend a
hands-on Capital One/Junior Achievement Finance Park site at their 5th Avenue
location in Manhattan. This visit provides
students with the opportunity to apply, in
a realistic setting, what they have learned
in the classroom and will be responsible
for planning a budget for themselves and
their fictional family.
The goal of JA Finance Park is to help
students see how classroom learning connects to real-world actions and events.
Students acquire knowledge through
hands-on classroom activities and discussions and then seek relevance between
their new learning and their future lives.
Because of this unique learning format,
students remember this experience for
many years and incorporate it in their everyday life.
The students of Mount Vernon High
School applied themselves enthusiastically to the simulation exercises, many finding it very difficult to balance their budget
and make decisions based on their life
situation. One student, Jessica Daley,
said, “The knowledge I gained at Finance
Park will definitely help me with my budget planning as I get ready to venture into
April 2016 issue
“Correction Notice”
T
Mayor Thomas on stage with supportive
Cecil H. Parker School students
he story that appeared on the
front page of the Inquirer for
the month of April 2016, entitled, Mayor Thomas State
of the City address focuses on quality of life issues, included a picture of
Mayor Thomas on stage with several
students. The photo caption identified
their school incorrectly. It should have
read: Cecil H. Parker School.
The staff of the Inquirer sincerely
apologizes to the students in the picture and the entire school.
INQUIRER
14 l May 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Mt. Vernon Administrative Professionals Day luncheon
held at Dave & Buster’s
N
Karen Thomas (l) having a great time at Dave & Buster’s
ational Professional Secretaries
Week and National Secretary’s
Day was created in 1952 through
the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of
Young and Rubicam. Klemfuss recognized
the importance and value of the position
to a company or business. His goal was to
encourage more women to become secretaries. Using his skill and experience in
public relations, Klemfuss, promoted the
values and importance of the job of secretaries. In doing so, he also created the
Dwayne Brown with some of the participants
holiday in recognition of the importance of
secretaries.
The name of this special day has
changed and evolved over the past few
decades. But, the importance of recognizing these vital individuals remains. The
two new terms in use today are: “Administrative Professionals” and “Executive Admins”. The two names sometimes mean
different roles and responsibilities in different companies and organizations. Both
are broader terms that encompass more
Continued on page 38
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
Frank T. Fraley Joins Burr Davis
Sharpe Funeral Home
Anthony Guarino (l) welcoming
Frank Fraley
B
urr Davis Sharpe Funeral Home,
a source of compassion and care
for the Mount Vernon community
for over thirty years, announces
the appointment of Frank T. Fraley as its
new associate, according to Anthony Guarino, Funeral Director and Owner.
Fraley brings with him many years of
dedicated leadership and service in the
private and public sector. He is a past
president and current chairman of the
Chamber of Commerce; president of Noah
Consulting, Inc., helping over 800 clients
reduce their residential and commercial
15 l May 2016
tax burden and president of SHARE NY,
a nonprofit that advocates bringing clean,
affordable energy to New York City residents.
In taking up his new role as Associate at
Burr Davis Sharpe Funeral Home, Fraley
will use his deep community connections
to help grieving families. “When someone
dies, their family usually turns to the funeral home that’s most familiar to them
and their church community,” said Fraley.
“As an ordained minister myself (with
Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn),
I will be reaching out to the other clergy of
Mount Vernon to let them know that Burr
Davis Sharpe is ready to care for their parishioners in their time of need.”
“I am thrilled to be working with Frank,”
said Guarino. “We have been friends for
many years, and I look forward to his becoming an integral part of our work here.”
With its unparalleled degree of service
and compassion, Burr Davis Sharpe Funeral Home is proud and honored to serve
the needs of the deceased and their families. Its regular business hours are 8:30
am to 5 pm every day, but can be reached
by phone at any time for emergencies at
(914) 699-4010. The home is located at
584 Gramatan Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY
10552, and can be found online at www.
yannantuonofh.com.
Mt. Vernon a winner in
2nd Annual #Westchester
Smart Mobile App
Development Bowl
A
Members of MVHS’s Vybe team getting honored
by Robert Astorino
team from Mamaroneck
High School took home top
honors at the 2nd Annual
#Westchester Smart Mobile
App Development Bowl on Friday,
April 15, where more than 250 students competed at Pace University’s
Pleasantville campus to see who had
developed the best mobile application after weeks of design and development. In all, teams from eight high
schools and colleges took home cash
awards.
Presented by County Executive
Robert P. Astorino and Pace’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, the
competition challenged students to
create an app that will improve the
quality of life for people age 65 and
older. Ideas ranged from health and
memory to finance and money.
Although they did not come in first,
students from Mount Vernon High
School’s Vybe team placed third under The Mobile App Usability Award.
“The #Westchester Smart Mobile App Development Bowl sends a
strong statement to our students – as
well as our communities and businesses – that Westchester is a place
where smart things are happening,”
Astorino said. “We’re on the cutting
edge of so many industries, from
healthcare to information technology
to biotech and more. And we wanted
to showcase that Westchester has
the highly educated young workforce
that makes it easy for businesses to
recruit and retain the talent they need.
We say Westchester is the ‘smart
spot’ for business, and this event
makes that very apparent.”
The winning team – The Rock Club
from Mamaroneck High School – created an app that serves as a “one stop
shop” for seniors to resolve technical
issues. After interviewing seniors regarding their most common issues
with technology, the team found that
most fit into three broad categories:
problems with vision, problems with
hearing, and problems with dexterity.
“We hope to solve all these with our
app,” the team said in its presentation
to judges. “Seniors rely on the younger generation to help them with technology. Wouldn’t it be great if there
was a way in which seniors could use
their mobile devices without consulting others?”
The App Bowl kicked off with a
pep rally at the Westchester County
Center in February, followed by a series of workshops focused on developing the technical skills of design
and coding for mobile devices. The
completed apps will be available for
download via the Apple Store and/or
the Google Play Store.
“This generation of students is remarkable in that they love technology
and they care deeply about their own
communities and families. As a result,
these digital natives have the intuition
and the technical skills to design apps
that will help their older relatives and
neighbors who increasingly rely on
mobile technologies for their health
and well-being,” said Dr. Jonathan
Hill, interim Dean of Pace University’s
Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
William M. Mooney, III, director
of the Westchester County Office
of Economic Development, added:
“Westchester is proud to support the
Mobile App Development Bowl because it shows people everywhere
that Westchester is a place where talents can be developed, displayed and
rewarded – now and in the future.”
16 l May 2016
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EDITORIAL
Latest dumping has
turned Memorial Field
into a “brownfield”
I
A partial view of the illegal dumping that took place at
Memorial Field recently
t was well publicized that while the tennis courts were being constructed at
Memorial Field, the fill carted onto the
field was contaminated with coal, ash
and slag according to the results of soil
testing conducted by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.
But for criminals to unlawfully break into
Memorial Field and then have a caravan
of trucks illegally dump endless tons of
debris on an already contaminated site
is beyond brazen – it is an outrageously
criminal act.
The gate to the field had a chain with a
heavy-duty lock on it which kept vehicular traffic from entering the field. The chain
was cut and removed in order for the
trucks to dump their loads of additionally
contaminated debris onto the field.
What is even more puzzling is how the
criminals managed to go undetected,
since the dumping had to involve numerous trucks coming and going for some
time during the middle of the night.
When Mayor Richard Thomas was recently elected, there was word of support
to help renovate Memorial Field – especially from County Executive Robert Astorino, who promised to release millions
of dollars to help restore Mount Vernon’s
“jewel.” But, when the brazen act involving the cutting of the gate’s chain and the
dumping of additional contaminated soil
took place – everybody backed off and
suddenly, Memorial Field has quietly been
put on the “back burner.”
To make matters worse, there is no
doubt that Memorial Field has been converted into a so-called “brownfield.”
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) defines a brownfield as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous
substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”
The EPA has already tested Memorial Field
and found it to be contaminated, but with
the illegal dumping of endless tons of potentially highly contaminated debris, once
retested, they will most certainly classify
the field as a “brownfield” site.
Cleaning up Memorial Field will run into
the millions and the taxpayers should not
be the ones to have to scrounge for the
money. Memorial Field and the stadium
have been allowed to decay for decades
by the lack of action of the local politicians. Therefore, they are the ones that
need to work very hard to come up with
the funds, not the already overburdened
taxpayers.
Furthermore, why aren’t Mount Vernon
taxpayers demanding that an investigation take place on the latest round of illegal dumping that took place recently?
Why aren’t taxpayers marching through
the streets with protest signs demanding
that an investigation take place? Could
it be the taxpayers feel that their voices
are never heard in Mount Vernon? Now is
the time to discover whether or not Mayor
Thomas will hear your voices on this disheartening subject. He just might!
Joe Parisi
Publisher/Editor
27 l May 2016
Mt. Vernon School District
honored by Junior Achievement
T
Mr. M. and Michelle McKitty-Bromley accepting the award from
JA President, Joseph Peri
he Mount Vernon School District
has been awarded the 2016 Spirit
of Achievement Award in honor
of its partnership with Junior
Achievement of the Hudson Valley Inc.
(JAHV). The awards dinner, held in March
at the Westchester Marriot, is the educational organization’s premier event to celebrate the successes of both the business
and education community at work to provide the children of the Hudson Valley with
the successful future they deserve.
The dinner program featured the students of the Hudson Valley who presented
awards and shared their JA experiences.
Two students from Mount Vernon High
School, Angilee Sewkarran and Nia Alexandre, spoke of the various JA programs
they have participated in while students
in the district. Afterwards, they presented
the Spirit of Achievement award.
Accepting the award on behalf of the
Mount Vernon School District were Michelle McKitty-Bromley, (Coordinator for
Family and Community Engagement) and
Demetrios Mihailidis (Teacher/JA Coordinator at Mount Vernon High School).
McKitty-Bromley thanked JA and Orla
Fitzsimons of the Hudson Valley, Inc. division of JA for continuing their partnership through the years with the district and
how such programs have had a great impact on Mount Vernon students. Mihailidis
added, “So many students have benefited
from the various JA programs for their future endeavors.” He then thanked Principal Gonzalez for his continuous support.
St. Paul’s Church to recognize
400th anniversary of the death
of William Shakespeare
A
recognition of the 400th anniversary of the death of William
Shakespeare, and an appreciation of the influence of the great
English playwright on the cultural life of
early America, including the generation
that developed St. Paul’s Church, will be
the theme of this year’s Historic Benefit
Dinner at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, Saturday, May 14, 5 to 9 PM.
The event includes the presentation of
a scene of one of Shakespeare’s plays,
“Julius Caesar,” by the acclaimed Red
Monkey Theater Group. There will also
be a performance of an aria from Verdi’s
Shakespeare-inspired “Otello,” with musical accompaniment on the church’s 1830
Erben pipe organ. A brief talk explores the
significance of Shakespeare in the lives of
early Americans. In addition, period music
and a sit down Shakespearian feast are
part of the evening’s festivities.
The dinner event honors the outstand-
ing cultural contributions to our area made
by Michael Spierman, founder and director of the Bronx Opera Company. For
50 years, the company has enriched the
artistic life of the St. Paul’s communities
through performances of full operas and
many community presentations. They
have introduced the timeless combination of theater and music to thousands of
people of all ages who otherwise might
not experience the wonders of live opera.
Donation tickets cost $65. Proceeds
help support the public and educational
programs of St. Paul’s Church National
Historic Site, 897 S. Columbus Ave., Mt.
Vernon, NY 10550.
The sponsor is the Society of the National Shrine of the Bill of rights, a 501c3
non-profit organization that administers
St. Paul’s through a co-operative agreement.
For more information call the site at
914-667-4116.
28 l May 2016
INQUIRER
Westchester County Senior
Citizens Bowling Tournament
Mount Vernon Board of
Education approves proposed
$238.7 million budget for the
2016-2017 school year
T
W
estchester County Executive
Robert P. Astorino has announced that bowlers age 60
and older are invited to participate in the annual Westchester County
Senior Citizens Bowling Tournament on
Monday, May 23, noon, at Spins Bowl in
Mount Kisco. Advance registration is required by Monday, May 16.
“Bowling is a great way for seniors to
get some exercise while also having a fun
time with friends,” Astorino said.
Sponsored by Westchester County
Parks, Friends of Westchester County
Parks, Inc. and Spins Bowl, the tournament is open to Westchester County
resident senior citizens age 60 years and
older who have a certified league average,
or who have bowled three games that
have been verified by lanes management,
the recreation director of the bowler’s
community, or a league secretary. A veri-
fication sheet must be included with each
application.
Trophies will be awarded in two classes
for both men and women. Averages will
determine the division in which the player
will compete. Men’s Class A is for those
with an average of 140 and higher, and
Class B for 139 and lower. Women’s Class
A is for those with an average of 130 and
higher, and Class B for 129 and lower.
Awards will be presented only with an adjusted handicap of 80%.
Tournament fee is $15, which includes
lunch, and is payable on day of play. Rental shoes are provided free, courtesy of
Spins Bowl. Registration begins at 11 a.m.
Spins Bowl is located at 333 North Bedford Road in Mount Kisco.
Applications are available at Spins Bowl
or can be downloaded at www.westchestergov.com/parks. To receive an application by mail, call (914) 231-4564.
Book and bake sale hosted
by library friends
O
n Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, the Friends of the
Mount Vernon Public Library
host their Spring Book and
Bake Sale from 10am to 4pm. Mysteries, children’s books, best-sellers, art
books and a large collection of AfricanAmerican books will be sold at bargain
prices - plus baked goods and coffee.
The event will be held in the Community Room of the Library, 28 S. First
Avenue.
www.mvinquirer.com
he Mount Vernon City School
District Board of Education unanimously approved a proposed
$238,749,835 budget for the
2016-2017 school year which has a zero
percent increase in the tax levy.
The total proposed taxes to be collected
by the school district will be $134,077,473,
which is unchanged for the third consecutive year.
“The details of this budget are representative of what this district feels is critically
important: Giving each child in the Mount
Vernon School District the very best opportunities for the best education possible,” said Board of Education President
Adriane G. Saunders. “We are hopeful voters will feel the same.”
The proposed budget is a 3.41 percent
increase, or $7,862,462, above last year’s
approved budget of $230,887,373.
“Our focus remains first and foremost
on student achievement and success,”
said Superintendent Kenneth R. Hamilton. “We took great care to ensure this
budget is in alignment with our long-term
20/20 Vision bond plans. We are positioning Mount Vernon to be the epicenter for
outstanding and long-lasting student accomplishments in this region. The 21st
Century learning environment we are creating will be the example others will want
to follow.”
The proposed budget, which goes before voters on May 17, includes:
·
Creation of six new English native
learner positions
· Creation of six new special education
teachers
·C
ontinuation of the beautification pro-
gram at five elementary schools and
Mandela High School
· Expansion of the middle school sports
program to include wrestling, volleyball
and softball
· Introduction of transportation for Mandela students to allow them to attend
Mount Vernon High School for career
and technical education (CTE) programs
· Introduction of Special Olympics program for special education students
and to reinforce the importance of
community service to those supporting the program
· Realizing an oil cost-savings of 95 percent over the previous year due to the
district’s energy performance contract
(EPC).
· Realizing an electric cost-savings of 35
percent over the previous year due the
district’s EPC.
· Acquisition of new financial software to
modernize and create greater efficiencies for payroll and human resources
· Acquisition of a new identification card
system for students and staff
The proposed budget is 100 percent
aligned with the Board of Education’s
goals to create systems to promote student achievement and increase outcomes,
paying particular attention to subgroups
in order to close the student achievement
gap and developing and implementing a
multi-year plan for improving buildings,
grounds, and facilities including the exploration of private and public partnerships.
To learn more and review the budget
presentation, visit: http://www.mtvernoncsd.org/community/budget.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Mount Vernon Public Library
is at a crossroad
T
he Mount Vernon Public Library
is at a crossroad - a crossroad in
bringing the library into the 21st
century. Our library, an Andrew
Carnegie library, was founded 120 years
ago and has become an acknowledged
institution in this city and throughout the
county. Though we have this enviable history as our beginning, the Mount Vernon
Library must keep up with the times. We
can’t stop progress!
Over the last two years we have seen
many improvements in our library from a
cleaner facility, an increased purchase of
books, a restored Central Library status,
an improved image throughout the library
system, an increase in grant funding, increased library partnership and bridging
the digital divide.
My fellow Mount Vernonites, I ask you
to partner with me and my fellow board
of trustees members to continue on the
path of moving our library forward. Come,
visit the Library, borrow a book, attend an
event, use our wi-fi, expand your horizons
and see what we have done! The Mount
Vernon Public Library is a unique institution and your patronage will assure us of a
successful future.
I would like to offer special thanks to
the Board of Trustees, to our Building and
Grounds Staff, to Cathy Webb our new
community outreach person, to the entire
Mount Vernon Public Library staff, the Library Foundation and The Friends of the
Mount Vernon Public Library for helping
us as we plan for the future.
Oscar Davis, Jr.
Acting President
Mt. Vernon Public Library Board of
Trustees
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INQUIRER
29 l May 2016
Mt. Vernon Public Library holds open house to showcase
positive changes
Carolyn Karwoski (r), Director of the library, with Oscar Davis Jr.,Acting
President Board of Trustees
T
he Mount Vernon Public Library,
like Memorial Field, is treasured
and considered one of Mount
Vernon’s jewels by many.
The library has proudly served this
changing and diverse city for over 100
years, having received its charter on
March 19, 1896. The document, housed
in an oak-paneled closet in the administrative offices, is signed by Melvil Dewey,
State Librarian/Secretary to the Board of
Regents and a founder of the American
Library Association, who is best, remembered for developing the Dewey Decimal
System for book classification.
The library has experienced difficult
times in recent years, which has included
a lack of leadership; structural issues; financing and budget problems; unhappy
staff members; and it unbelievably came
very close to closing its doors.
Thankfully, the library has been reincarnated thanks to the hiring of a new director
and assistant director, along with a board
of trustees who all have a keen interest in
transforming the library into the number
one library in all of Westchester County –
and they are almost there.
On Tuesday, April 19, in a unified fashion, the Mount Vernon Library joined the
Mount Vernon Public Library Foundation
and members of the Board of Trustees
and held an impressive open house to
showcase some of the many exciting and
positive changes that have taken place at
the library during the last two years.
Oscar Davis Jr., Acting President of the
Board of Trustees serving as a tour guide
for the media during the open house session said, “I am very proud of the many
changes that have taken place here, and
at the top of the list is the complete overhaul of our networking system, which now
allows our visitors to use our computers at
a real super speed.”
The following is a list of other improvements:
• The resurfacing of the parking lot
• The relocation of the children’s restroom to a more visible and safer location (pending)
• Renovation of the reading room area
Library employees speaking with one of the many citizens that attended the
open house
The library’s networking system has been totally replaced with a
state-of-the-art system
• Renovation and organization of the Local History Room (pending)
• Installation of 11 pieces of artwork
outside the Children’s Library (work
has begun)
The entrance to the library features columned wood panels, an arched vaulted
ceiling and stained glass skylights, which
will never been touched, according to Da-
vis.
“Mount Vernon is a city that values its library in a unique way. I don’t have to make
the case for the library in Mount Vernon.
The people make the case for the library.
In this city of 70,000, people support this
large library. And they do it because they
know it’s important,” said Davis.
INQUIRER
30 l May 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Tears flow as Mayor Thomas weds “stroke couple”
at Westchester Center
The groom kissing his new bride
O
n Tuesday, April 19, it was
no ordinary day at The Westchester Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Mount
Vernon since two residents, Keith Hunt
and Rita Drision, were getting married
in the main cafeteria.
Both Hunt and Drision were victims
of a stroke and have been on-and-off
residents at The Westchester Center for
the last two years. They both have trouble ambulating due to the stroke, but
the stroke did not prevent them from
falling in love.
During their stay at the facility they
met and it was ‘love at first sight’ leading to an eventual marriage proposal by
Hunt, and together they started planning their big day.
The happy couple decided they would
like to get married at The Westchester
Center so they could be surrounded by
their friends, including many of the staff
and residents.
Near the start of the marriage ceremony, there was gridlock in the hallways leading to the cafeteria, and it
was caused by wheelchair bound residents anxious to attend the ceremony.
The cafeteria resembled a typical catering hall, with the walls adorned with
balloons and wedding decorations, and
the residents and staff with their cell
phones at the ready.
As promised, Mayor Richard Thomas
appeared on time to perform the ceremony, as well as the City Comptroller,
Maureen Walker.
When the time finally arrived for the
mayor to marry the couple, it took sev-
Staff and residents waiting for the ceremony to commence
City Comptroller Maureen Walker singing a moving and memorable
piece for the newly married couple
eral minutes to quiet the room down,
since the excitement and the chatter
was at a real feverish pace.
While the wedding party waited for
Drision to make her appearance, along
with Mayor Thomas, a thunderous ovation developed when they finally saw
the bride limping into the room in her
white wedding dress. The bride looked
stunningly beautiful and the majority in
the room was weeping tears of joy.
While the marriage ceremony was in
progress, non-stop weeping by many
continued. “This is like a fairytale. I am
so happy for this couple since they have
not allowed their physical disability to
The bride making her grand entrance
interfere with their love for each other,”
said a female staff member.
When Mayor Thomas completed the
ceremony, Hunt immediately hugged
his new bride and kissed her repeatedly.
To the surprise of many, Comptroller Maureen Walker, who aside from
watching over the city’s finances, is also
a singer, and sang a very moving song
that touched everybody in the room.
Also providing a musical piece was
Hunt’s uncle, Robert, who is also a resident at the facility.
All in all it was a magical day for the
newly married couple, and all that were
part of the ceremony.
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
31 l May 2016
WCC President tours Mt. Vernon Extension Campus
with Legislator Williams
O
Legislator Williams and Westchester County Community College President,
Dr. Belinda Miles
n Wednesday, April 27, Legislator Lyndon Williams, who represents District 13, along with
Westchester County Community College President, Dr. Belinda Miles,
took a tour of the Westchester Community
College Mount Vernon Extension Campus,
led by the school’s Director, Francine Carl.
Williams, along with his legislative colleagues, is seeking to provide as much
assistance as possible to the college,
and the tour allowed him to speak with
staff members and students in an effort
to better familiarize himself with the daily
operation of the popular campus. Most
importantly, the tour also allowed him to
learn first-hand what the school’s immediate needs are.
Besides Dr. Miles and Williams, the tour
was comprised of the following individuals: Dr. Shawn Brown, Assistant to the
President and Chief of Staff; Tere Wisell,
Vice President and Dean – Division of
Workforce Development and Community
Education; Francine Carl, Director, Mount
Vernon Extension Center; and Janna Gullery, Assistant Director, Mount Vernon Extension Center.
After the tour of the entire building was
completed, the group met in a conference
room to listen to President Carl speak and
to view a slide presentation on the many
programs offered at the school.
Prior to the commencement of a Q&A
session, the group heard from two students, Chante Thomas, who was recently
accepted into the prestigious Cambridge
summer study abroad and scholarship
program where she will further her studies
in literature, and Zionia Francis, winner of
the first MYB $$eed Tank Competition held
last January. The $$eed Tank competition
awards up to $10,000 to the entrepreneur
who demonstrates how the investment
will help to scale their business. Zionia
won for her handbag business, Indie Inc.,
which will launch its Summer 2016 handbag collection in May.
Mount Vernon students shine at Statewide Business
Skills Competition
in the Business Ethics competition. Two
students from Mandela/Zollicoffer High
School, Queen Boswell and Julissa Burgos, attended a college tour of the Roch-
(l to r) Jahari White, Shadae Leslie, Ashlene Charles and William Rundle
R
ecently, Mount Vernon students
made an impressive showing
at the New York State Leadership Conference. Their greatest achievement was by Mount Vernon
High School student, Shadae Leslie, who
earned a spot in the National Future Business Leaders of America Business Skills
Competitions/Conference. The academically gifted senior earned a 2nd place finish at the statewide competition of 11th
and 12th graders with an average score
from four judges of 98% in the Public
Speaking 2 performance event. Leslie will
take part in the national competition in Atlanta, Georgia this summer.
Chapters of the Mount Vernon Future
Business Leaders of America (FBLA) from
both Mount Vernon and Mandela/Zollicof-
fer High Schools took part in the three-day
New York State Leadership Conference
held in Rochester, NY. Students attended
various workshops, business skills competitions, voting delegate meetings, and
general leadership sessions.
“All of our Future Business Leaders of
America students’ efforts and professionalism would bring pride to the entire Mount
Vernon community,” said William Rundle,
Future Business Leaders of America Advisor. “This was an outstanding opportunity
to demonstrate skills they will need in the
workplace, and they not only met the challenge, they excelled!”
Mount Vernon High School students
Jahari White and Ashlene Charles were
awarded 5th Place in New York State for
their semi-finals and finals presentation
ester Institute of Technology (RIT) and
came away knowing they definitely want
to further their educations in a college
campus setting.
INQUIRER
32 l May 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Alternative Medicine
Options
Jim and Annie Kiselak’s
Natural Food Column
Joe Parisi
Direct from the sunny island of
Vieques, Puerto Rico
by
Tips on how to show your
heart some TLC
T
he heart is fickle. It wants to
love and be loved, and it is
liable to be hurt along the
way. Facing a bad breakup
or realizing “the one” that got away
hurts. There’s no denying that. But
the heart is also the most important
muscle in the body, and emotional
nourishment isn’t the only type of
care it craves.
To stave off common American
heart conditions like heart disease,
hypertension, arrhythmia, and high
cholesterol, the heart needs regular
TLC through healthy lifestyle habits
that anyone can adopt easily and
pleasurably. Show your heart some
love and it’ll thank you every day of
the year and beyond.
· Share some dark chocolate with
your sweetheart. Studies show
that less than an ounce a day can
lower systolic blood pressure by
three to four points. High blood
pressure (or hypertension) is a
major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Steal a kiss with garlic breath.
Eating one to three cloves of
fresh garlic a day is a good way
to normalize cholesterol, another traditional risk factor in CVD.
Crushing and adding a few garlic cloves into olive oil makes a
yummy treat that can drop your
cholesterol by 10 to 12 points.
• Go nutty. Snack on a handful of
tree nuts daily. Studies show that
eating walnuts, which are rich in
heart-protecting monounsaturated fats, can help normalize blood
cholesterol. The same is true of
other tree nuts, such as almonds
and macadamia nuts.
• Make a date with eggs. Contrary
to popular belief, studies show
that eating even as many as six
eggs a day has no negative effect
on blood cholesterol levels. In
fact, one study shows that regular egg consumption normalizes
total cholesterol and improves
“good” HDL cholesterol in a majority of healthy adults.
· Go on a fishing trip. The American
Heart Association has endorsed
the use of omega-3 fatty acids
for secondary prevention of heart
disease—prevention of angina,
heart attacks, strokes, and other
cardiovascular events in people
with diagnosed CVD. A highquality fish oil supplement, as
well as fish like salmon, mackerel,
and sardines, is all great sources
of omega-3s.
Note: The information in this article is not intended or implied to be
a substitute for professional medical
advice, diagnosis or treatment!
Applications being accepted for
Mt. Vernon Youth Bureau’s GEM
Summer Leadership Academy
T
he GEM Summer Leadership
Academy was created for girls in
7th -8th grade. The program was
designed to empower and cultivate their leadership skills in a safe, enriching environment. Youth will participate
in Science, Technology, English, Art and
Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M) activities and
enjoy character and asset building workshops, exciting field trips, and community
service projects.
The program is free for all participants. If
selected, participants can earn up to $350
this summer. Funding is made possible
through the Westchester County Youth
Bureau.
Mayor Richard Thomas said, “Our Youth
Bureau programming will provide young
ladies with the skills needed to break
barriers and succeed in life. The positivity highlighted by the Academy will send
a positive message across the region that
Mount Vernon is home to the next generation of leaders.”
“We have the opportunity to work with
a diverse group of young ladies who
are on the path to defining their positive
identity. By focusing on building character and leadership skills, we are sending
a message that Mount Vernon girls have
the positive values and sense of purpose
needed to succeed,” stated DaMia HarrisMadden, Executive Director.
All applications are accessible via the
city’s website at www.youth.cmvny.com
and in the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau Office on the third-floor of City Hall.
White, brown or wild rice:
which is best for you?
There are several different varieties of rice. Most people were raised
eating white rice and continue to do
so. However, different types of rice
provide different nutritional benefits.
Let’s look specifically at white rice,
brown rice, and wild rice.
White rice - White rice has been
milled so that the husk, bran, and
germ are removed leaving you with
a refined product. During this process, the rice is polished giving it
the bright, white, shiny appearance
we expect. By removing these layers the flavor, texture, and appearance of the rice is changed and the
shelf life is extended, as it is now
less likely to spoil.
Nutrients are removed during the
processing, such as the B vitamin
thiamine. Due to this depletion of
nutrients, white rice is usually enriched. This means that some of the
nutrients removed during processing are added back in, such as thiamine, niacin and iron.
Brown rice - Brown rice is not
milled, meaning the only layer removed is the husk, leaving the bran,
germ, and endosperm intact. This
makes for a wide difference in nutritional composition between brown
rice and white rice.
During the enrichment of white
rice, magnesium is not a nutrient that’s added back. Long grain
brown rice contains 84 mg of magnesium, while white rice contains
only about 19 mg per cup of cooked
rice. Brown rice also contains a
higher level of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and folate.
Wild rice - Wild rice is actually
a grain (the seed of wheat grass).
Let’s look at the nutritional breakdown and the compare to white and
brown rice
Wild rice contains more protein,
zinc, and potassium than both
brown and white rice varieties. Wild
rice is also significantly higher in
folate and most of the other B vitamins.
What this means for heart health
– High blood pressure plays a
prominent role in your risk for heart
disease. To control high blood pressure, you need a diet rich in potassium and magnesium. To prevent
heart disease you must also maintain healthy cholesterol levels,
which means a diet rich in dietary
fiber. Based on these needs you’ll
want to include brown and/or wild
rice in your diet over white rice.
Westchester judgments remain
high while new filings decrease
W
estchester County has
both good and bad news
on the foreclosure front.
A familiar pattern continues as the number of judgments
entered on foreclosed properties rose
over eight percent over the same period
last year. Encouragingly, the number of
new foreclosure filings dropped almost
twenty-seven percent when compared
to last year’s first quarter. The county
has experienced a steady increase
in foreclosed properties since 2011.
Last year one thousand one hundred
and seventy-eight (1,178) actions were
commenced, representing the highest
total in recent memory.
“While the number of filings is still
higher than preferred, we are encouraged by the steady decline over the
past two years. Judgments remain
high due to older foreclosure filings
making it through the court.” reported
Westchester County Clerk Timothy C.
Idoni who serves as Clerk of the Westchester County Supreme Court where
foreclosure actions are heard.
In the first three months of 2016, four
hundred and sixteen (416) foreclosure
filings were accepted by the Office of
the Westchester County Clerk, down
from five hundred and sixty-nine (569)
in the first quarter of 2015. This continues the positive steady decline since
filings peaked at six hundred and eighty
(680) in the first quarter of 2013.
INQUIRER
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EDUCATION COLUMN
By Diane Fulves, M.A., M.Ed.,
Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTS
Email: dee076@verizon.net
H
33 l May 2016
Grow Up!
ave we ever told our
children to grow up?
What are we asking
them to do? Act their
age? When they misbehave,
perhaps they are behaving in
the only way they know how. If
their behavior is unacceptable, it
is our job to help them act their
age in an appropriate manner.
We have to be the grownups.
We have lived longer, and, are
hopefully, smarter than the children we have the privilege to
protect and nurture. However,
we may have a few lessons to
learn about growing up and
growing into the roles we have
chosen.
For those of us who have decided to be parents or teachers
and devote years of our lives in
the world of children, we have
chosen a precious responsibility. Financial rewards will never
equal the eternal rewards we
will reap if we do this right. Our
children are a gift and how we
nurture them and protect them
will determine their destiny. . . a
shining light or a star that shatters and falls.
Over the years I have heard
the same mantra, “I don’t have
time.” I don’t have time to make
a schedule, or change an assignment, or follow the I.E.P. If
WE don’t have time, then who
will? The decision we have
made requires an endless capacity for kindness, creativity,
patience, forgiveness, endurance, and love. When we embody these qualities, we teach
our children by our words and
by our example.
Parents, create a schedule for
your children and be consistent.
Having a schedule gives children a sense of security because
they know what is expected and
when to get the job done. If necessary, create a behavior chart
with rewards and consequences
and stick with it. When we are
consistent, we help our children
learn that they have responsibilities which they must assume.
We help them understand that
the job, i.e., homework, will be
done completely, carefully, and
accurately. If it is not done according to expectations, it will
be corrected which will take
even more of their time. I know
this can be frustrating, but eventually children learn that a job
well done is the best reward.
We, the grownups, must tap into
that endless supply of patience
and endurance. Your children
are worth it.
In school, in the classroom,
the grownups must demonstrate the same endless capacity for all those positive
behaviors. It is easy to become
frustrated, but responding with
a hint of humor often defuses a
tense situation. We may have to
draw a child back to attention
for the fifth time, explain a math
concept with a third example,
help a child understand a question so that he can locate an answer, or create new strategies to
help children comprehend what
they are reading. It’s all part of
the job and the more effort we
put into creating ways to help
our children learn, the more eager they will be to work diligently
and never give up. This is the
path to achievement and success.
Growing up is hard to do. In
the story, “The Little Prince” by
St. Exupery, the prince makes
some interesting comments
about grownups. He says, “You
talk just like a grownup. You
confuse everything.” “Grownups are certainly very strange,
(they) are quite extraordinary.”
He is a wise little prince. There
is wisdom in his simplicity. He
tells us that, “It is the time you
spend on your rose that makes
it important.” Yes, it is the time
we spend on our children that
makes our time important. Let
us be the extraordinary grownups who nurture the seed and
help our children blossom. They
are worth it.
jaFa’s Poets Corner
2007 - PRESENT
Poems Submitted by Our Readers
Edited by jaFa (James Fair)
JAFA’S POETS CORNER (8TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY)
Edited by james “jAFa” Fair
May the Muse of Poetry continue to inspire.
SEASONS ARE FOR REASONS
Author: Norma Beckford.
Mount Vernon resident
Seasons come and seasons go
Spring, summer, autumn and winter
Spring emerges with newness everywhere
The cool breeze, soft raindrops
The sunshine, the green grass
Chirping birds and budding flowers
Trees putting forth new leaves
reminding us that it’s springtime
Oh! what freshness in the air
Then comes summer;
The hottest season of the year
That’s when we learn to appreciate the
shade trees
Flowers are in full bloom;
Spreading fragrance everywhere
Fruit trees are bearing
The beautiful sunshine
The fluttering butterflies
Chirping birds, the pecking of wood peckers
Oh! what sweet music in the air
As summer fades away;
The trees begin to change the color of their
leaves
From green to orange, then to brown
Before falling to the ground
Oh! what beautiful sight to behold
Then before we know it, autumn is here
The season in which, the tree leaves all disappear
The birds prepare to migrate,
The squirrels made their nests
Animals are hibernating
Autumn gradually gives way to winter
the coldest season of the year
That’s when the master builder purifies the
air
Sending showers of snow to the ground
Spreading sheets of white everywhere
Oh! such a delight for children to play
In the lily- white snow
Seasons come and seasons go
Spring gives way to summer
And summer gives way to autumn
Autumn gives way to winter
Seasons change, people change
Temperature changes, things changes
But God never changes;
He is always the same
THE SONSHINE OF MOTHER AFRICA
OR... OUT OF DARKNESS
Author: bobbyjoemack
We are the Sons of Mother Africa
Our Blood flows as the River Niger
Our Knowledge vast as the African Continent
Our Hair rich as the Diamonds and Gold
Our Reach high as Mount Kilimanjaro
Our Skin multicolored as a Natural Rainbow
Our Ancestors forcefully sing
As the echo Reverberates
Penetrating the existence of time
They Cry out to Us with Teardrops
That fill the Middle Passage
Along with their broken Shackles
And long rusting heavy iron Chains
From the Darkness they Cry...
You MY Beautiful African Sons
Are the Real true Men
Of the Original natural Man
With All our Knowledge and Soul
With all our Wisdom and Strength
As Kings we were Great men to Behold!
So Honor your Blackness
To be great Powerful men
As We your Beloved ancestors
Will always walk with You
Until it is the very End
And may Y-OUR seeds be many
As the Blades of Grass
For it is Upon your Strength
That Our true Greatness
Shall then come Onto pass
And may the Son of Africa
Always burn and Shine bright
Bringing Us out of the Darkness
And back into the Bright Light...
THINKING OF YOU
Author: Charles Roda
Things aren’t the same, as before.
The stars don’t twinkle the same anymore
The fire doesn’t seem to sparkle like before.
The sparrows don’t sing at the window
anymore.
Wyeth’s paintings don’t breathe like before.
Coming home from work is not exciting
anymore.
Waking up to a new day is not fun like before.
The words to our song are not music anymore.
Walking on the beach offers no peace like
before
Please come home soon. We won’t fight
anymore.
TO OUR READERS & SUPPORTERS
From the editor: james “jAFa” Fair
This year JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 8th year. We are the longest,
continuously, running poetry column in any local area monthly publication.
We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who
have so generously supported us. THANK YOU!
Please email your poems to vze23cff@verizon.net or mail a (typed copy please)
to James Fair, 153 South 5th Ave., Apt 6B, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
34 l May 2016
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35 l May 2016
Tennis prodigy Gibson Thomas holds tennis clinic for
Boys & Girls Club members
G
Gibson Thomas conducting a tennis clinic
ibson Thomas is a gifted
tennis player who understands the value of being a
well-rounded citizen and giving back to her community. As part of
her commitment to community service
and a school project at Horace Mann,
where she is a freshman, Thomas and
her mother approached the Boys &
Girls Club about hosting a clinic for
club kids.
After some logistical adjustments
and bad weather cancelling the first
session, the club members have been
having a wonderful learning experience. The kids, all under the age of ten,
are learning the basics of tennis while
also learning about sportsmanship and
teamwork.
The clinic is giving the kids a head
start for the summer collaboration between the Boys & Girls Club of Mount
Vernon and the Jerry Allyne Tennis
Foundation.
Chief Professional Officer Mel Campos told Thomas’ mother, “It is refreshing to see such a talented young
woman give back to children who otherwise may not have this opportunity.”
The children will be ready for summer!
The Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon Summer Program runs from June
27th - August 12th. Applications are
available at the club house or on the
club’s website - www.bgcmvny.org.
Founder of Jerry Alleyne Memorial
Foundation to be named to
Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame
Loretta Van Raalte (l) with “2012 Jr. Tennis Team 18 & under National Champions
T
he Junior Tennis Foundation (JTF) will recognize
Loretta Van Raalte, of
Hartsdale, N.Y., on Friday,
April 29, 2016 at 7 p.m. during the
29th Annual Eastern Tennis Hall
of Fame celebration at the Beach
Point Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Van Raalte started playing tennis
in 1978 when she took lessons in
Greenburgh, N.Y. Shortly after her
first tennis lesson, Van Raalte began playing at the Hudson Valley
Tennis Club in 1979 where she was
introduced to the club’s designer,
builder and teaching professional,
Jerry Alleyne. She quickly became
interested in organizing tennis and
took a job coordinating the Hudson
Valley Tennis Club’s leagues from
1980 to 1985. Van Raalte then was
asked by Alleyne to be the club’s
director of tennis, a role she held
from 1985 to 1998.
Van Raalte founded the Jerry Alleyne Memorial Foundation (JAMF)
in 2000 following Alleyne’s death in
1998.
“Jerry was just a marvelous human being and excellent tennis
player,” Van Raalte said. “When
he passed away he had so many
people who looked up to him so
we wanted to carry on his legacy.”
The JAMF was created to provide
youth with the opportunity to learn
tennis, integrity and life skills. The
foundation allows young players
to develop their skills in a fun and
safe environment. As the current
Executive Director of the JAMF, Van
Raalte continues to impact the lives
of countless children throughout
USTA Eastern’s Southern Region.
Van Raalte began the JAMF programming, known as the JAMF
Academy, with help from a few
friends, in Mount Vernon, N.Y. for
approximately three years. The
programming then moved to New
Rochelle, N.Y. where it expanded
into three-hour Sunday morning sessions. This winter season,
which ran from October to May, Van
Raalte hosted the JAMF Academy
at Lifetime Athletic in Westchester
County. Kids ages 4 to 18 years
old traveled from as far away as
Connecticut and Peekskill, N.Y. to
participate in lessons and practice
matches. In addition to the tennis
programming, the JAMF also offers
a summer program for kids from
May to September at the Westchester Plaza Tennis Academy in Mount
Vernon, N.Y. where Van Raalte volunteers every day. The kids learn
from teaching professionals as well
as former JAMF Academy students.
Additionally, a Silver Sneakers program for seniors is offered through-
out the summer.
“I think tennis is a good socializer,” Van Raatle said. “Like Jerry always said, the stuff you learn on the
court has great application in life.”
In addition to running the JAMF
Academy, Van Raalte organizes
Junior Team Tennis (JTT). She was
a JTT coordinator for Westchester
County from 2013 to 2016 and currently manages the JAMF’s several
JTT teams. The JAMF’s JTT teams
have seen success at the National
Championships in recent years. In
2011, the JAMF’s 18 and Under JTT
team (Drop Shots) finished in seventh place. The team came back
again in 2012 and won the championship by one point.
Although Van Raalte seems to
drive the JAMF’s success year-after-year, she credits the work of her
peers for their support each day.
“The people I work with are fantastic and our Board of Directors
is great,” Van Raalte said. “Helping
kids through tennis is a joy for me
and the people are just spectacular.”
To register for the event, click
here. To donate to the Junior Tennis
Foundation grant and scholarship
program, click here. For additional
information, email jtf@eastern.usta.
com or call 914-697-2383.
36 l May 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
37 l May 2016
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
What happened to Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital funding?
R
ecently, Governor Andrew M.
Cuomo announced $230.5 million
in grant awards for 15 projects
that will dramatically transform
and improve the delivery of health care
in the Mid-Hudson region. The money
is part of a $1.5 billion funding source
commitment made by New York State to
help health care providers statewide fund
critical capital and infrastructure improvements, as well as integrate and further
develop health systems. The recipients of
the funding so far include two next-door
Westchester County neighbors to the city
of Mount Vernon. Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital will receive $44,168,000
for a Medical Village and St. Joseph’s
Hospital in Yonkers will receive two grants,
one for $8, 902,373 for a Transformation
Project and another for $375,000 for Intensive Crisis Respite Services.
This is all well and good, but Mount Vernon should have been included in the first
round of funding. This is the second hit on
Mount Vernon.
In March, grants were announced for
agencies that hire people with disabilities.
Four grants were awarded to Westchester
County, including two to our neighbors,
Yonkers and New Rochelle and again
nothing for Mount Vernon.
Although we must applaud the aesthetic
and professional transformation that has
taken place since Montefiore took control of Mount Vernon Hospital, we cannot
ignore the fact that additional financial
resources are desperately needed to
modernize Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital and make it a state of the art medical
facility.
Montefiore Mount Vernon is still in need
of infrastructure improvements and health
care systems to define it and make it a
positive and comfortable place for residents who are in need of primary medical care and emergency medical services.
The reputation of Montefiore Mount Vernon is still questionable, but with financial
investments and focused medical improvements it can be highly respected.
The many goals of the grant include reducing health care costs, improving the
health of New Yorkers, reducing avoidable
hospital admissions and emergency room
visits by 25 percent by 2020, and ensuring the financial sustainability of safety net
health care providers. Mount Vernon residents are desperately in need of all these
services particularly reducing health care
costs and reducing avoidable hospital
admissions and emergency room visits.
As a pastor, I go to Montefiore Mount
Vernon Hospital often and at times I find
myself in the Emergency Room, which is
always overcrowded. If we can get funding to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and Emergency Room visits it will
help the hospital focus on those patients
that are truly in need of emergency medical care. This would reduce the burden on
doctors and nurses as well as other hospital staff.
With the budget being worked on,
Mount Vernon should get its fair share of
funding for needed services like hospitals.
Montefiore Mount Vernon is a good medical facility with great potential. Its doctors, like Dr. Thomas Price, cardiologist,
are highly committed to the community
and the people. However, like all facilities,
it can be greater and with the necessary
funding it will be.
Just imagine Montefiore Mount Vernon
Hospital as a state of the art health facility - a medical village like Montefiore New
Rochelle Hospital is proposing to do. This
would not only improve the hospital, but
also increase jobs and economic development around the city, which Mount Vernon would benefit from financially - even
reducing some of the taxes to our small
businesses and residents.
Investments beget improvements and
improvements beget greater investments.
We implore Governor Cuomo to make
Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital a recipient of the next round of grants. A sum
similar to or greater than Montefiore New
Rochelle Hospital would be desirable and
would help Mount Vernon be the hospital
the residents of Mount Vernon deserve.
Rev. Edward Mulraine
Pastor, Unity Baptist Tabernacle
Mt. Vernon, NY
Program succeeding at teaching students with autism in
Mount Vernon schools
Dr. Vincent J. Carbone, Ed.D. visits a classroom at Rebecca Turner
Elementary School in Mount Vernon.
V
incent J. Carbone, Ed.D.,
a board-certified behavior analyst and CEO of the
internationally renowned
Carbone Clinic, toured Rebecca
Turner Elementary School, Benjamin Turner Middle School and Traphagen Elementary School recently.
The schools are utilizing an Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA) program
through the Carbone Clinic and educators are seeing much success in
teaching students with autism spectrum disorders.
April is National Autism Awareness Month. Nearly a quarter century ago, the Autism Society launched
a nationwide effort to promote
autism awareness, inclusion and
self-determination for all, and assure that each person with Autism
Spectrum Disorder is provided the
opportunity to achieve the highest
possible quality of life.
The school district’s relationship
with the Carbone Clinic is now in its
second year and was implemented
by Director of Student Services Fe-
licia Gaon. The schools now have a
total of 80 students learning through
these evidence-based and research-based classroom methods.
Students came into the program
needing to be taught prerequisite
skills for learning, such as sitting,
attending to instruction and cooperating with an instructor.
“The students have made significant gains in these programs,”
Gaon said. “These students came in
with a lot challenging behaviors and
are performing wonderfully.”
Students who were non-communicative now know between 50 and
80 sign-language hand signals to
communicate with teachers. Students who could not sit down in a
seat for more than 30 seconds are
now engaged in schoolwork that
involves writing, reading and counting.
“These could be absolutely challenging situations but through the
support of teachers, administrators
and the program these students
are learning necessary education
skills,” Carbone said. “The emphasis here in Mount Vernon is learning
development and skill development
that goes beyond ensuring that
these students are safe and staying
in the classroom. There’s real learning going on and it’s really nice to
see.”
Carbone was visiting the schools
to ensure the Carbone Clinic is help-
ing the district meet its intended
goals for the program and to see
the teachers use the skills they had
learned to provide a positive learning environment for the students. “I
came to see first-hand the schools
and the teachers and review how
we’re doing and how our consultation services are being provided,”
he said. “I’m really very impressed
to the point that I have colleagues
who want to visit classes in the program. In the New York region, this is
the classroom I’d like them to come
visit.”
There are many advantages to
having a program such as this in
place in a school district, Gaon said.
“The program allows students with
disabilities to stay in their home
school communities. And, teachers
can monitor the environment better
than if the students were placed in a
school that is out-of-district where
we’d only visit two times a year.”
“If I had a child with special needs I
would want them in this classroom,”
Carbone said. “Of all the school districts we’re in, Mount Vernon really
has a special place for me. It’s the
instrumental support from administrators like Felicia Gaon, setting
high expectations and giving the
teachers the support to meet those
expectations.”
INQUIRER
38 l May 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
These ladies felt like kids again
positions than the original “Secretary” role.
In Mount Vernon, the Chamber of Commerce hosted a lovely
Administrative Professionals Day
Luncheon at Dave & Buster’s in
Pelham Manor to honor the city’s
dedicated women viewed by
many as the ‘heart and soul’ of
most businesses.
This year, Mayor Richard Thomas attended the event, along with
Dwayne Brown (l) with the committee members
Dwayne Brown, president of the
Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. Both received loud applause from the lively crowd of
crowd of impeccably dressed
women.
The event featured surprise activities, raffles, gifts, and free tickets to the many games available at
Dave & Buster’s.
The lady in orange was really exuberant at Dave & Buster’s
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
39 l May 2016
40 l May 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com

May 2016 - mv inquirer

Transcription

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