March 1, 2013 - Rising Media Group

Transcription

WESTCHESTER’S OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED NEWSPAPERS
PRESORT-STD
U.S. POSTAGE
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White Plains, NY
Permit #7164
Vol 108 Number 9
www.RisingMediaGroup.com
Dominican Flag Raising
Ceremony at City Hall
Friday, March 1, 2013
Yonkers Kicks off St. Pat’s Events
Photo by Ed Whitman
Above, Miss Westchester Kristy Abreu
speaks at the flag raising ceremony. Right,
the Dominican flag is raised above City Hall.
From left, Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal William Harrington, Yonkers First
Lady Mary Calvi and Mayor Mike Spano.
Photos by Ben Cohn
The Dominican Cultural Association of
Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano and Yonkers City
Council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero raised
the Dominican Republic Flag to commemorate
the 169th anniversary of Dominican Republic
Independence Day.
Kristy Abreu, Miss Westchester 2013 and
a Yonkers native of Dominican descent, was a
guest speaker at the ceremony.
Two Council Staffers to Run
for County Board
The Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Committee held it 58th annual dinner/dance last weekend with a full house in the Good Time Room at
Empire Casino at Yonkers Raceway. The event
kicked off the countdown to the 58th St. Patrick’s
Day Parade, which will be held this Sunday,
March 3 at 1:30 p.m.
The grand marshal for this year’s parade,
William Harrington, received the sash from last
year’s grand marshal, Peter Kelly, and enjoyed
the evening with his family and friends, and is
now ready for the big day.
Harrington, born and raised in Yonkers, is a
senior partner at the law firm of Bleakley Platt
& Schmidt. His father, B.J. Harrington, was the
grand marshal of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day
Parade in 1984.
The eight aides to the grand marshal this
year are Michael Bennett, Tom Meier, Eileen Collum, Kenneth O’Brien, Kathleen Ennis, Ronan
O’Brien, Mary Teague and Joseph Hallinan.
Guss Hayes provided entertainment at the
dinner/dance, along with Irish dancers from the
Christine Murray School of Dance. The master
of ceremonies was Larry McCrudden, who spearheads the efforts for the parade year after year,
with the help of many, including dinner/dance
Chair Jean Tickell.
The Rooney family was in attendance with
Raceway Vice-President and COO Bob Galterio
and wife, Maggie Rooney Galterio, welcoming
supporters of the parade to the casino. Mayor
Mike Spano and Yonkers First Lady Mary Calvi
attended, and the mayor will paint a portion of
the Green Line along South Broadway this week.
See you at the parade on Sunday!
See more photos on page 9
Enrico Fermi Scholarship
Fund Celebrates 50 Years
How it all Started
Ivy Reeves, left, and Rachelle “Rocky” Richard.
By Dan Murphy
With all 17 seats up for election this fall
on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, and with Democrats holding a 10-7 majority, both parties are hopeful to pick up seats. In
Yonkers, which has four legislators up for election in November, two city council staffers have
announced that they are running in the 14th and
16th Districts.
In District 14, which includes part of Mt.
Vernon and Yonkers, incumbent Republican
Bernice Spreckman will be challenged by Democrat Rachelle “Rocky” Richard, currently the
chief of staff to Yonkers City Council President
Chuck Lesnick.
Spreckman, first elected to the council in
1977, is the elder stateswoman on the county
board, first elected to that board in 1995 and reelected eight times. She continues to serve as
the advocate for seniors on the county board,
and is considered popular in her district. She
defeated Democrat George Kevgas in 2011 by
a comfortable margin.
Richard will be a more formidable foe for
Spreckman.
Richard brings more than 25 years of political and community outreach in Westchester government and politics. After obtaining
her master’s degree in legislative affairs from
George Washington University, Richard worked
in Washington, D.C., for 12 years, in former
New York U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s
office as assistant to the chief counsel, and then
as a legislative affairs specialist/liaison in the
office of Congressional and Intergovernmental
Affairs at the Department of Energy, and as the
first executive director of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.
Richard has also worked in Westchester as
the executive director of the Westchester County Democratic Committee.
Continued on Page 5
Eastside Residents Pack
Council Redistricting Meeting
By Dan Murphy
The Democratic and Republican plans for
redistricting the six districts in Yonkers were
presented at the City Council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting last week,
and drew a large number of attendees – primarily from the eastside of Yonkers. Residents expressed their concerns about a Democratic redistricting plan which would significantly alter the
4th district and change the 5th and 6th districts,
all currently on the eastside of Yonkers and represented by Republicans.
Both proposals, submitted by consultants
Philip Chonigman for the Democrats and David Shaffer for the Republicans, laid out their
respective proposals for redistricting. Both submitted voter enrollment data and evidence that
showed both plans are in compliance with the
Voting Rights Act.
Shaffer proposed another alternative, which
was echoed by many of the public comments:
“Redistricting isn’t necessary in this cycle. If we
do nothing, the existing districts are well within
the Voting Rights Act and something I suggest
you consider is not changing the districts at all,”
he said.
Both plans leave the first district, an African-American opportunity district currently represented by Councilman Christopher Johnson,
and the second district, a Hispanic opportunity
district currently represented by council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero, (both Democrats)
intact.
The Democrats’ plan makes minor changes
to the third district, currently represented by
Councilman Michael Sabatino, while the Republicans plan adds more Hispanic voters to the
third district.
The Republican plan keeps the fourth, fifth
and sixth districts intact, while the Democratic
plan carves up the fourth district to run from east
Yonkers to southwest Yonkers, along the Bronx
border, and places more Republicans in the fifth
district.
Several Yonkers City Council members
of both parties attended the hearing and commented.
Former Councilwoman Joan Gronowski,
D-third district, spoke out against the DemocratContinued on Page 8
kers resident Michael Vitulli’s
idea and hard work made it happen.
Vitulli and many ItalianAmericans in Yonkers lived in
the Park Hill Neighborhood and
7th Ward in the 1960s. At the
time, not enough young ItalianAmericans were going to college
and Vitulli, already active in the
community, came up with the
idea of trying to raise funds for
scholarships for Italian-American students in Yonkers.
The Enrico Fermi Educational Fund was established in
1963, with the first scholarship
breakfast held in 1964, and the
first scholarships totaling $500,
handed out in 1065.
Even after Michael Vitulli
passed away, the dream that
Fermi Scholarship Fund founder Mike Vitulli
he had to help young men and
with wife, Marcella.
women in the pursuit of a college
career has resulted in more than
By Dan Murphy
It is always interesting to see how a success- 350 students going onto college.
We spoke with Michael Vitulli’s wife, Marful community organization got its start. For the
cella
(who just celebrated her 90th birthday),
Yonkers Enrico Fermi Scholarship Fund, which
is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, YonContinued on Page 8
Yonkers’ Korean War Heroes:
Army Lt. Col. Alexander von Schlichten
Lt. Col. Alexander von Schlichten.
By Andrew Tobia
Alexander Paul von Schlichten was born in
Yonkers on May 16, 1902, the oldest of eight
children. His mother was Sophia Miller von
Schlichten and his father, the Rev. Alexander
F. von Schlichten, was pastor at Yonkers’ St.
John’s Lutheran Church for 57 years, from 1899
to 1956.
Von Schlichten graduated from Yonkers
School 10 (now the VIVE School) and then attended the Concordia Collegiate Institute (now
Concordia College) in Bronxville. After college,
he moved to St. Louis, Mo., where he graduated
from Concordia Seminary. During this time he
met and married Louise Rouse.
After graduating from seminary in about
1928, von Schlichten brought his wife to India,
where he served as a missionary. Their first son,
Alex Paul, was born there in 1931. The young
family returned to the United States in 1933, at
which point he received a call to serve as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Islip, Long Island. His second son, William, was born there
in 1935.
In 1941, von Schlichten left Trinity to join
the Chaplain Corps of the U.S. Army, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He
served in Germany during World War II and
stayed on as part of the Occupational Army afterward, as he was fluent in German. He and his
Continued on Page 5
PaGe 2 - yoNkeRs RisiNG - FRiday, MaRch 1, 2013
Lincoln Park Jewish Center
Commemorates Purim
Yonkers City Council President Chuck Lesnick faces the daunting sword of Rabbi Manny
Vinas.
Charter School Science Fair
Provokes Creative Thinking
Carol Lucano, left, and Esteban Munguia-Torres at the annual Science Fair at the Charter
School of Educational Excellence.
Photos © Robert Kalfus 2013.
Rabbi Vinas dancing with his daughter Aviva, beating a tambourine.
The Lincoln Park Jewish Center recently
held its annual Purim holiday party. This year’s
theme, selected by Rabbi Vinas, was a “Festivale Italiano” and the Rabbi dressed as a Roman
soldier.
The LPJC’s Purim festival recounts the history of the evil Haman plotting to destroy all
the Jews in the empire of Persia and Medina,
his plot failing and turning on himself as he was
hung on the order of King Ahashverous.
High-Schoolers Celebrate
Dominican Heritage Month
From left, Bob Walters, Ms. Falco, Cristian Vaquez and Dylan Heaven at the science fair.
The annual Charter School of Educational
Excellence Science Fair took place Jan. 25 with
Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Bob Walters, director of the Science Barge; Jamie Korb, director of art and science programs; and five scientists from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a
biopharmaceutical company in Tarrytown, acting as judges.
The mission of the event is to encourage students to think in a scientific way. While
working on their projects, they further developed skills in writing, oral presentation, creative thinking and problem solving. Participants
were students from kindergarten through eighth
grade. Some kindergarten to third-grade teachers opted to create a whole class project, while
these students also had the option to create individual projects at home.
In grades four through eight, students were
required to complete a science project alone,
with a partner, or in a small group.
Notable projects included the Mombacho
Volcano from Mrs. Munson’s first-grade class,
and Ms. Villablobos’ kindergarten class, which
won Best Science Fair Class Project for making putty with coffee, flour and salt to imprint
objects and create their own fossils.
Walters and Korb judged kindergarten
through fourth grade, and the Regeneron scientists judged grades fifth through eighth. They
were invited because of their scientific expertise.
“The best part was interacting with these
young minds and hearing their ideas,” said Walters.
The Science Barge is a sustainable urban farm and environmental education center
docked along Yonkers’ waterfront. Each year it
grows an abundance of fresh produce for local
food pantries. Powered by solar, wind energy
and biofuels, the Barge operates off the grid. Its
greenhouse is irrigated solely with rainwater.
The only fully-functioning demonstration
of renewable-energy-supported food production
in New York, the Science Barge provides educational programs for young people of all ages and
hosts more than 8,000 visitors annually.
Students at Roosevelt and Early College high schools give show-stopping performances.
Photos by Greg Baldwin
Students and staff of Early College and
Roosevelt high schools celebrated Dominican
heritage month through history, traditional music, dance, songs and cuisine on Tuesday.
The Dominican celebration has become an
Car Wash l Oil Change l Detailing
annual event, and the outstanding performances
have made it one of the most anticipated programs of the school year. This year, alumni from
throughout the district return to volunteer their
talents and participate in the festivities.
999 Saw Mill River Road
Yonkers, NY 10710
(914) 963-8787
www.starautospa.com
Fleet Discounts
Friday, March 1, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 3
Mayor Spano to Host Town Hall
This, Too, is Country Gone Haywire
Meetings Before State of City Address
Photo by Ed Whitman
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano has announced
that he will deliver the State of the City address
– his second since coming into office last year
– on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at the Yonkers Riverfront Library in Larkin Plaza.
“I look forward to the opportunity of addressing the residents of Yonkers and briefing
them on the economic, social and educational
conditions of their city,” he said. “While we
face fiscal challenges this year, I plan to outline ways in which my administration is working with state and city agencies to revitalize our
schools, neighborhoods and businesses.”
Spano also announced he will host town
hall meetings prior to the State of the City, as
a preview to his annual address. The meetings
will be held Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. at
Lincoln High School, 375 Kneeland Ave.; and
Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Peter Chema
Senior Center, 435 Riverdale Ave.
The mayor will be joined by city department heads in order to best address issues or
concerns.
“These interactive and intimate town hall
meetings are opportunities to sit in and listen
to residents first-hand about the issues affecting
our great city,” said Spano.
Residents are invited to think of questions
or ideas to bring to the town hall meetings that
they would like to discuss face-to-face with
Mayor Spano. They can also submit questions
in advance via email to askthemayor@yonkersny.gov, or via the city’s Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/CityofYonkers.
Comptroller Report Cites
Yonkers’ Fiscal Progress
Recognizing progress made by Mayor
Spano and the Yonkers City Council, state
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said Yonkers is
better off financially than many other large
cities in New York, although not completely
out of the woods.
DiNapoli came to Yonkers recently to release his report, and credited Spano with taking positive steps to improve the city’s fiscal
footing, including merging city departments
and services, implementing a hiring freeze,
and boosting development at the city’s waterfront.
“We are working diligently to get the
city back on the road of fiscal stability,” said
Spano.
DiNapoli’s report, which outlines the fiscal challenges facing Yonkers and each of the
Big Four City’s in New York State (Buffalo,
Syracuse, Rochester and Yonkers), and also
outlines the efforts Spano has made to control the city’s budgets, includes the following
findings:
By several measures, Yonkers is better off than many other cities in the state. Its
population enjoys a higher median household
income ($55,715 compared to $37,607 for the
median city), fewer families live in poverty
(11.1 percent compared to 13.7 percent), and
median home values are significantly higher
($428,900 compared to $96,000).
Yonkers also receives more state revenue sharing aid per capita than the median
city ($552 compared to $147), although total
state aid for the city declined by 5.1 percent
between 2010 and 2011.
Despite these advantages, the city has
been challenged by significant structural budget gaps. One factor that has contributed to
these budget gaps is a dependent school district for which the city must raise taxes and
issue debt.
Enrollment for the dependent Yonkers
School District increased by nearly 6 percent
from 2009 to 2012, adding pressure on the
city budget. The school relies on state aid and
property taxes for the majority of its revenues.
The district’s aid was increased after the
settlement of a desegregation suit in 2002,
and comprised 46 percent of district revenues
in 2011. The district receives $218 million
in property tax revenue from the city, which
generally cannot be reduced due to a statemandated maintenance of effort requirement.
The city has faced large budget gaps over
the last several years, and relied on non-recurring revenues to help close them. As a result,
its fund balance has declined by 69 percent,
from $47.1 million in 2006 to $14.5 million
in 2011. Expenditures grew by 47.4 percent,
or at an average annual rate of 4 percent, from
2001 to 2011.
While Yonkers gained population rapidly
through 1960, the city’s population has been
relatively stable since, gaining only 2.8 percent through 2010. During the same period,
Westchester County’s population grew by
17.3 percent.
While property values are still relatively
high in Yonkers, those values declined 24 percent from 2008 to 2011, which negatively affected property tax revenues. The home ownership rate of 46.1 percent is lower than that
of the median city (49.5 percent). Tax exempt
properties are also more numerous, 36.7 percent, than in the state as a whole, 32 percent.
The city is beginning an inventory of
properties that are vacant, and in most cases
delinquent in taxes. It is currently estimated
that there are at least 400 vacant buildings,
although vacancy rates are lower than the
statewide average, at 7.3 percent versus 9.2
percent.
The largest source of revenue for the city
in 2011 was state aid, which accounted for 34
percent of all revenue, compared to 31 percent
for the Big Four cities and 20 percent for all
cities.
Yonkers has its own sales tax, pre-empting part of the county sales tax, at a local rate
of 4 percent. Yonkers also receives about 7
percent of its revenues from a city income tax,
a revenue source that only Yonkers and New
York City have among the state’s cities, and
which has fluctuated significantly in recent
years.
Expenditures in Yonkers increased by
47.4 percent, an average annual rate of 4 percent from 2001 to 2011, more rapidly than the
34.2 percent growth for cities generally, an
average annual rate of 3.4 percent.
Like most cities, Yonkers spends a large
amount on public safety, 31 percent of expenditures, compared to 29 percent in Big Four
cities and 26 percent in all cities. Employee
benefits make up 24 percent of expenditures,
the same as in the Big Four cities and slightly
higher than the 22 percent share in all cities.
General government accounted for 14 percent
of expenditures, less than the 17 percent in the
Big Four cities but nearly the same as in all
cities.
The city’s expenditures for debt service –
8.9 percent – are above the median city average of 8.2 percent, and increased at an average
annual rate of 8.7 percent from 2001 to 2011.
Part of this debt burden is the result of borrowing to pay high tax certiorari claims.
The city’s budget for the 2013 fiscal year
increases appropriations for city purposes by
2.5 percent from the prior year, while school
district appropriations increase by 3.1 percent.
The property tax levy (city and school district
combined) increased by 3.9 percent.
The city received a “spin-up” (an acceleration of state aid from future years) of $11.9
million for fiscal year 2013.
A new city administration came into office at the beginning of 2012. At that time,
officials ordered a hiring freeze and began to
merge some city departments. However, the
city still projects that under current policies,
large budget gaps will appear over the next
few years, from $86 million in 2014, up to
$187 million in 2016 for the city and school
district combined.
The city is considering possible gap closing measures including increases in income,
property and real estate transfer tax, as well
as increases in the contribution rates of employee health plans and limiting growth in
the school district’s operating costs. The city
is also advocating for the reassessment of all
properties in Westchester County in the hope
that this will save money by reducing the
number of tax certiorari claims.
By Eric W. Schoen
a happy occasion where
Am I dreaming or
celebrants dress up in
is the world going nuts?
costumes and “let their
Where do I begin with the
hair down”’ Hikind took
insanity that surrounds us?
the meaning of the holiSequestration.
Did
day way too far, covered
you even know that word a
in black face dressed as
month ago? If you listen to
a basketball player with
the news, the world is coman afro-type wig. What
ing to an end Friday, March
was worse than his cos1. Thank goodness this patume was that it took him
per hits the streets and Ina while to understand
ternet Thursday afternoon.
that people of all backIf you listen to the
grounds were insulted by
leaders of this country, you
his dress.
might not be around to enCloser to your pockjoy this newspaper on Frietbooks, tolls on MetroEric W. Schoen
day.
politan Transit Authority
Democrats, Republibridges and tunnels are
cans, the president and his advisors make you going up to an absurd $15 round-trip this week.
think the world is coming to an end. Instead of All for the privilege of perpetually being stuck in
holding hourly press conference detailing our traffic and construction delays. And having your
horrible fate, they should be sitting in a room try- car and tires damaged by the numerous potholes
ing to solve the foolishness they created.
that dot our roads.
Immigrant detainees being released from
Developers want to bring a Target and other
jails and detention centers as staffs in our pris- big box retailers to Ridge Hill, and folks around
ons are going to be cut. Aid for schools being the site are claiming traffic nightmares will take
drastically reduced with massive teacher layoffs. place. Let’s be real here: Have you ever seen
Fewer food inspectors meaning the high price of traffic backed up at Ridge Hill or across the road
food will only go higher. Aid to needy Hurricane at Stew Leonards, Costco or Home Depot? Why
Sandy victims cut just as they are getting their does Yonkers get everything after the rest of the
lives back together.
planet? Are politicians holding out for political
Delays at airports caused by fewer Air Traf- contributions?
fic Controllers and Transportation Safety AdWait a minute … don’t we already have
ministration workers. Seriously, could air travel folks going to jail regarding shenanigans at
be any worse? Do you remember not too many Ridge Hill?
Some good news, my friends: Panera Bread
years ago when it was fun traveling on an airopened at Cross County Center. For Yonkersites,
plane?
For our safety the government created the this is big news, but the rest of the planet has been
TSA to monitor our airports. Do you really feel enjoying Panera for years. Cinnamon crunch and
any safer with TSA agents patting you down and French toast bagels are my favorites – so good
taking your $5 bottle of water away from you they don’t need butter or cream cheese. My eggloving friends love their breakfast soufflés. Get
before you pass the checkpoint?
Sequestration is not the only craziness in there early because they sell out quickly.
As this column goes to press I read a fantasthe world around us. Have you read about the
cannibal New York City cop? This distinguished tic report from New York City that red light camindividual planned on eating his wife and oth- era tickets are down close to 25 percent because
ers. Kidnapping, raping, capturing, torturing and people know where the cameras are. Maybe it’s
cannibalizing women are some of the things this time for us to paste a list of red light camera logentleman is accused of. His wife, who met him cations in Yonkers on our dashboards so we can
on the Internet, was in court testifying against be reminded where they are and not fall into the
money-making trap our officials would like us to
him this week.
He must have made one wonderful husband. plunge into.
We are not facing the Europe IKEA meatWhen the least controversial thing at the
Academy Awards on Sunday was the elegant- ball scandal, where horsemeat was found in
ly dressed Jane Fonda, something is cooking the tiny meatballs. But then again, Yonkers and
in this country. Amid a sea of metallic dresses Westchester is not home to an IKEA. Sadly, we
and dresses too long for those who were wear- cannot enjoy their tasty meatballs, either for
ing them, Fonda stood out in her elegant yellow lunch or dinner, in the store or frozen for home
(call it what you want but it looked yellow to me) preparation.
And we don’t live in New York City, where
dress coiffed magnificently.
A three-and-a-half hour Academy Award come March you will be able to buy a 2-liter botshow? I don’t know about you, but by the time tle of soda at the grocery store but not have one
surprise guest First Lady Michelle Obama an- delivered with your pepperoni pizza, and not be
nounced the winner of best picture I was fast allowed to have a pitcher of soda on the table for
all to share because the vessel holding it is more
asleep.
Seth MacFarlane as host? He is no Johnny than 16 ounces.
Yonkersites can still get a 2-liter bottle of
Carson or Billy Crystal. McFarlane offended
women, men, gays, lesbians, Jewish people – the soda delivered with their pizza! Miracles do haplist goes on and on. And the Onion, and online pen!
Is the world going nuts? Are we to blame for
news source, calling a 9-year-old nominee the
electing representatives who put us in this – no
“C” word? Can it get any worse?
pun intended – pickle?
Yes, friends, it can.
It’s up to us – you and I – to make our voices
Did you capture state Assemblyman Dov
Hikind wearing “black face” as his costume for heard loud and clear to stop this insanity. If we
don’t, sadly expect more of the same.
Purim?
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@
Purim commemorates the deliverance of the
Jews from the massacre plotted by Haman. It is aol.com.
Daylighting of Saw Mill River
Named ‘Project of the Year’
Photo by Donna Davis
The Saw Mill River at Van der Dock park.
The City of Yonkers and its engineering
department were honored for “Project of the
Year” on Feb. 22 by the Westchester/Putnam
Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, for the daylighting of the
Saw Mill River in downtown Yonkers, which
officially opened in fall 2012.
Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry and City Engineer Paul Summerfield accepted the award at
a ceremony at the Westchester Manor. PS&S
was the consulting engineer used to execute the
project and ELQ Industries of New Rochelle
served as the contractor.
“As a result of the innovative thinking
and planning of our engineers, the daylighted
Saw Mill River, now known as Van Der Donck
Park, is a more natural, open-air environment
that provides ecological, as well as community
benefits and advances the city’s plan for social
and economic progress,” said Spano. “I look
forward to this urban gem becoming the centerpiece to our downtown area’s revitalization.
Congratulations to all those involved in making
this project Yonkers’ biggest success in recent
years.”
The daylighting of the Saw Mill River is
a new urban river and park through the center
of downtown Yonkers, in which the river was
once buried beneath the city in the 1920s. The
City of Yonkers and PS&S were faced with
several challenges when approached with the
project, including a wide range of river flows,
peak flooding conditions common to urban
watersheds, as well as tidal influence of the
Hudson River. The award-winning engineers
maintained the existing underground flume and
diverted peak flows through the flume to avoid
potentially hazardous flooding in the new park.
PAGE 4 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, March 1, 2013
Sarah Lawrence College
Presents ‘Lady in the Dark’
Kurt Colucci for County
Executive: In His Own Words
A tattered billboard shot by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. May 1940.
Advertising. Woodbine, Iowa.
Students in Sarah Lawrence College’s
Graduate Theatre Program will perform “Lady
in the Dark,” a musical play by Moss Hart with
music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ira Gershwin,
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 7 to 9,
at 7 p.m. in the Suzanne Werner Wright Theatre.
The show focuses around “IT girl” and
fashion magazine Editor Liza Elliot who is
caught in a love triangle, under pressure to
make deadline decisions for the magazine, and
haunted by strange dreams. Enlisting the help of
a psychoanalyst, will she be able to find ways to
make choices?
This hauntingly beautiful musical experience originally opened on Broadway in 1941,
and is directed by college theatre faculty member Shirley Kaplan.
The event is free, and space is limited. To
make reservations, call 914-395-2412 or e-mail
collegeevents@sarahlawrence.edu.
UPAC Presents Evening of
Irish Music and Dancing
Back by popular demand, the McLean Avenue Band and Emerald Fire Dancers will be
featured at an “Evening of Irish Culture” hosted
by the Untermyer Performing Arts Council on
Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. at Yonkers Montessori
Academy (formerly Mark Twain School), 160
Woodlawn Ave., Yonkers.
This free event is offered in cooperation
with Mayor Mike Spano and the Yonkers Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.
“The combination of both groups promises to be an evening that’s sure to get hands
clapping and toes tapping, along with hearts
swelling with Irish pride no matter one’s ethnic
background,” said David Tubiolo, president of
UPAC.
The McLean Avenue Band is a collection
of well-known Irish/Celtic performers in the
New York area who cover all aspects of music, including Celtic, Irish and Pop – blending
the best of traditional Irish tunes, waltzes and
upbeat hits carefully with the dance songs of
today. The four-man, one-woman band – with
their collective 15 years of performing experience – have worked with such high-profile acts
as Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, The Whole
Shabang and more.
Adding a “wow” factor to the evening will
be “Emerald Fire,” a dance company that was
originally based in Dublin, Ireland and put together to tour with symphony orchestras in
Europe in 2001. It has since moved to the U.S.
and has performed with various Celtic artists in
festivals and theatres all over the Northeast. The
dancers are trained in all forms of dance and, although Celtic is the prevailing genre, they also
incorporate jazz, tap, ballet and even hip hop
into their performances.
“An Evening of Irish Culture” is made possible, in part, by Arts Westchester with support
from Westchester County government and its
Board of Legislators. Events of the Untermyer
Performing Arts Council are also offered admission-free, thanks to Empire City at Yonkers
Raceway and loyal patrons of the arts.
By Dan Murphy
New Rochelle resident and self-described
Conservative-Libertarian Kurt Colucci announced last week that he is a candidate for
Westchester county executive this fall. Colucci, a
registered Conservative, said he would seek that
party line for office and will also likely seek the
Independence Party line. Incumbent Republican
County Executive Rob Astorino, and Democrats
county Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and
Legislator Bill Ryan are the other announced
candidates.
Colucci, who ran and withdrew in his only
other race for elected office for county board
against Republican Jim Maisano in 2011, is a
proud member of the Tea Party movement. At
his announcement event, Colucci, 36, a former
Take Teddy Bear Home
Black American Art and Music:
From Slavery to the Present
African-American visual and musical culture has a prolific and often overlooked history,
from its beginnings in the slave trade to the
present day. As part of this year’s Sarah Lawrence College Jazz Festival, The Art Gallery at
the Yonkers Riverfront Library will play host to
a multimedia exhibition that seeks to cast light
on this rich tradition, and will be on display
through April 26.
A sister show in the Barbara Walters Gallery at Sarah Lawrence will run from April 10 to
May 6, with a wider focus on the history of African-American art. An opening reception will
take place April 10 at 5:45 p.m., after a keynote
address on the Diversity and Action Programming Subcommittee’s annual Race Summit,
which begins at 5 p.m.
A particular emphasis will be given to the
flowering of the black cultural contributions to
American life that was the Harlem Renaissance.
The roots of this movement in both African and
African-American music and art will be explored, as will more recent contributions. The
aim is to encourage visitors to think about the
relationship between both visual and musical
forms of expression, as well as their relevance
not only to African-American history, but also
to wider American culture.
The exhibition will profile major jazz
and blues musicians of the era, supplementing
people’s understanding of their lives and works
with the art that accompanied them.
Live and recorded musical performances,
maps, timelines, written aids and examples of
fine and folk art in the form of sculpture, paintings, textiles and craftwork will all be featured,
ensuring the exhibition is an effective educational experience. Viewers will be presented
with a visual context in which to better understand and pay tribute to the various milestones
of black musical history, such as the black arts
and hip hop movements.
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teacher and now a project manager at an engineering firm, called Astorino a “con man” who
“lied to the taxpayers of Westchester County.”
“He said he was going to help stop the tax
madness. Well there’s still a lot of tax madness
out there – we have nearly a $2 billion budget
four years later,” said Colucci, who criticized
Astorino for borrowing to help keep the county
property tax increase at 0 percent. “Rob didn’t
have an easy go of it. I think he tried his best but
his ability ran out.”
Colucci, who has spoken at Tea Party rallies
in Westchester over the past three years, claimed
to have “delivered the Tea Party vote and a lot of
Conservative votes for Rob four years ago because I believed in him, but he’s proven that he
was a wolf in sheep’s clothing with the goal of
perpetuating a political career.”
Astorino was elected county executive in
2009 with the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party lines.
Colucci will have difficulty winning his
own party’s line for county executive, as he only
recently changed his registration from no party
to Conservative. County Conservative Party
Chairman Hugh Fox is strongly behind Astorino
(Fox works in county government for the county
executive), and other local Conservative chairmen have also expressed their support for Astorino, having no knowledge of Colucci.
As a registered Conservative, Colucci can,
if he collects enough signatures of other registered conservatives, force a primary with Astorino. However, the importance of the Conservative line in Westchester elections has diminished
dramatically over the past 20 years.
There are only 8,760 registered Conservatives left in Westchester County, and Astorino,
who got 58 percent of the vote in 2009, did so
without the Conservative line, which went to
Continued on Page 8
Teddy Bear
Interested in adopting? The Yonkers
Animal Shelter is constantly in search of new
homes for all its pets – both cats and dogs.
Meet Teddy Bear. Teddy is a 7- or 8-yearold Chow mix who weighs about 70 pounds.
He likes dogs, doesn’t mind birds, but is not
friendly with cats. Teddy is considered the
shelter mascot; his quiet ways and sweet
personality have endeared him to everyone.
He was recently neutered and is ready to go
home.
Teddy is an independent fellow who
would be low maintenance for the family that
adopts him. His leash manners are nice and he
is certain to like car rides.
Visit Teddy at the Yonkers Animal Shelter, 120 Fullerton Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. weekdays and noon to 3:30 p.m.
weekends. Inquiries may be directed by email to LeslieM147@gmail.com or by phone
to 914-377-6730 during business hours, or
201-981-3215 at any time.
First Precinct
Community Council
The First Precinct Community Council
will meet March 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the First
Precinct, 730 East Grassy Sprain Road. Cap-
tain Murphy will be there to help with any
concerns raised.
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State PSC Proposes $800 Million Inspector General Issues Report on
Charge to NY Electric Customers Emergency Plumbing Contract
By Dan Murphy
The New York State Public Service Commission has proposed a Reliability Contingency Plan (RCP) in the event that the Indian Point Power Plant in Westchester was to
close. The plan proposes to immediately begin billing New York electric customers $800
million for a series of electric transmission
projects, along with another energy efficiency
program, to address the potential impacts on
the electric grid should the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ultimately decline to issue
renewed licenses for Indian Point.
The problem with the commission’s proposal is that everyone in New York may end
up paying the $800 million to fund these projects, even if Indian Point remains open. Entergy, which owns Indian Point, Con Edison and
the New York State Power Authority, asked
the commission to protect electric customers
from unnecessary rate increases by submitting
comments.
“The RCP fails to acknowledge the substantial likelihood that Indian Point will continue to operate, it lacks sufficient information
for a meaningful review of the proposed projects or other alternatives, and it fails to demonstrate that – with a price tag of at least $800
million – it is a most cost-effective solution
for New York electric customers,” said Mike
Twomey, vice president of external affairs for
Entergy Wholesale Commodities.
According to the RCP, customers
throughout New York State would be billed
for the projects – including those who live upstate and on Long Island.
Recently published data from the U.S.
Energy Information Administration for 2012
(covering the period of Jan. 1 to Nov. 30,
2012) states that New York residential customers paid the highest electric rates in the
Two Council Staffers
Continued from Page 1
“I am running because the people of the
14th Legislative District do not have a strong
voice in County Government -- and they deserve one. I know the critical issues facing
Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and our county. Budget
crises year after year have impacted everything
and everyone – our schools, our children, our
young people, our municipal workforce, our senior citizens and our quality of life,” he said. “I
understand how government works at all levels
and am confident that I can hit the ground running to make sure that Westchester’s government works for all of us.”
Richard stated that the Republican incumbent, who has been in office since 1995, has
voted with the county executive to further cut
critical services and subsidies, including bus
transportation that affects seniors, neighborhood health care clinics, food pantries for working poor, and day care for hard-working families.
“In contrast, I am a proud, life-long Democrat – progressive and pro-choice,” he said. “I
support smart growth and sustainable development. I am a strong advocate for affordable,
mixed-income housing and quality education.
I believe in civil rights and equality for everyone, and I am committed to improving the lives
of every resident of our district – including our
seniors. I am known for telling it like it is and
believe in doing what is right. I will be productive and pragmatic and I believe that it is possible to legislate with a conscience. Rational
Proudly serving the City of Yonkers
Nick Sprayregen, Publisher
nsprayregen@risingmediagroup.com
Daniel J. Murphy, Editor-in-Chief
dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com
Bayan Baker, Assistant to Editor-in-Chief
risingmediagroup@gmail.com
Paul Gerken, Advertising Sales
pgerken@risingmediagroup.com
Gregory Baldwin, Administrative Asst.
gbaldwin@risingmediagroup.com
Member of the New York
Press Association
914-965-4000
Fax 914-965-2892
25 Warburton Ave, Yonkers,
NY 10701
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continental United States – and nearly 50 percent higher than the national average.
“Rather than asking New York customers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for
a contingency plan that might not be needed,
New York could support the license renewal
effort for Indian Point now pending at the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help ensure that this safe, clean and reliable resource
remains part of New York’s energy portfolio,”
Twomey said.
On the issue of whether the RCP projects could be replacements for Indian Point,
Twomey said: “The projects have been labeled
as alternatives to Indian Point, but they are
not replacements for the facility - they would
not replace the substantial economic and air
quality benefits that Indian Point provides. At
best, these projects might alleviate some of
the reliability consequences of losing Indian
Point, but only at a significant cost. Moreover,
because the RCP does not include adequate
information, it is impossible for the New York
Public Service Commission to determine the
degree to which these projects would even address potential reliability consequences.”
The 40-year operating licenses for Indian
Point’s two reactors will expire in September
of this year and in 2015. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will determine whether
to issue 20-year extensions for both reactors,
whose licenses will remain in effect until the
commission makes its final determination.
This year marks the beginning of a period where the people of Westchester need to
seriously consider their options about Indian
Point. Rising newspapers will begin a series
of stories about Indian Point, in an effort to
have an honest conversation about the plant,
the facts about Indian Point’s safety and security, and the energy needs of Westchester.
people ought to be able to work together and
make tough decisions without compromising
their principles and integrity.”
Currently, there are no other announced
Democrats in this race. A Spreckman-Richard race would be one of six competitive and
closely-watched races in Westchester. Richard,
marking her first run for office, will be able
to raise money and can use her experience in
working on political races for other candidates
to her own benefit.
Many candidates have challenged Spreckman and lost over the past five decades, and
Spreckman will use her base of senior citizens in the district, and her name recognition
and popularity, to win another two years doing
something she clearly likes to do.
The next county legislator from the 16th
District, representing parts of Yonkers, will be a
new face in White Plains because Chairman of
the Board of Legislators Ken Jenkins is running
for county executive. The 16th District is an
African-American opportunity district, which
likely means that the Democratic nominee will
be the next legislator.
Ivy Reeves, who works in City Councilman Michael Sabatino’s office, announced her
intention to run for Jenkins’ seat earlier this
year. In a letter to Yonkers Democratic district
leaders, Reeves, who ran for city council in
2001, writes: “Change comes in many forms.
We should not simply change the body of the
people we elect; we need a change in attitude,
spirit, character, energy and mentality of the
leaders we put into office.”
Reeves was born in Birmingham, Ala., and
moved to Yonkers in 1984. He graduated with
honors from Marist College where he majored
in communications and minored in religion.
“I currently work in the office of the Yonkers City Council as an administrative assistant
to Councilmember Michael Sabatino,” he said.
“I am the founder and creator of the Important
Values for Youth ‘Diamonds in the Rough’
character building and life skills programs. I
have been a motivational speaker for the Eleanor Roosevelt Girls Leadership Workshop for
12 years where I facilitate a bias training and
motivational workshop for teenage girls from
around the world.”
In addition, Reeves has worked as the
events coordinator for Pace University School
of Law; in the Administrative Judge’s Office,
where he was responsible for all bank accounts
for the five counties in the 9th Judicial District;
and as the community relations liaison in Yonkers for the environmental organization Scenic
Hudson.
“Some leaders are born, some are made
and still others are able to talk the talk but unable to walk the walk,” he said. “You will need
a strong, intelligent, yet diplomatic voice with
life experience, compassion and common sense
to represent your interest. I believe I am that
voice.”
Other Democrats said to be considering
a run include former City Councilwoman and
Yonkers Democratic Chair Symra Brandon, and
City Council President Chuck Lesnick, who is
term-limited from running again for council
president.
Much more on the races for county board
in the months to come, including Yonkers’ two
other county board seats, in the 17th District
currently held by Democrat Virginia Perez, and
the 15th District currently held by Republican
Gordon Burrows.
If you know of a candidate that is running for any office this year who would like to
be highlighted in Yonkers Rising, email us at
dmurphy@risingmediagroup.com.
Yonkers Inspector General Kitley Covill
on Feb. 19 released the following report concerning her review of an emergency contract
awarded to Peter Grotto Plumbing and Heating
Inc., in November 2012:
Background
On Nov. 1 at approximately 6:50 a.m. a
large water pipe burst in the City of Yonkers’
Vehicle Service Center, 1130 Nepperhan Ave.
The strong blast of water from the pipe shook
the cement and brick two-story garage building and the water pressure in water tanks near
the building immediately went down significantly. Within minutes the first floor of the garage at the service center was filled with water
and mud. The water was soon shut off, which
in turn shut off all water to the fire suppression units in the building. Lack of operable fire
suppression units created a fire hazard and necessitated a manned 24-hour-a-day fire watch.
Three days earlier Superstorm Sandy had hit
the area.
Investigation
The IG spoke with the deputy mayor, the
commissioner and deputy commissioner of the
Department of Public Works, the director of
purchasing and employees of DPW who were
present when the water pipe broke. The IG
physically inspected the site where the damage
occurred, and also interviewed Peter Grotto
and another plumbing contractor.
As a result of the emergency created by the
burst water pipe, a DPW employee started calling plumbers to fix the problem. One plumber
said the job was too big for him, another didn’t
answer the telephone due to downed power
lines created by Superstorm Sandy, and a third
plumbing contractor came to the site almost
immediately after he was called, as his business is located down the street from the service
center. The director of purchasing or a DPW
employee also called other plumbing contractors, one of whom indicated that he would look
at the job and give an estimate.
Peter Grotto from Peter Grotto Plumbing
and Heating Inc., inspected the site, assessed
the damage, drafted a proposal for repairing
the broken water pipe and submitted it, for
$39,470, to the city director of purchasing, on
the afternoon of Nov. 1.
A concern for any contractor submitting a
proposal is sufficient insurance. As Peter Grotto Plumbing and Heating already had a contract with the city to perform water repairs, the
director of purchasing knew that this company
could satisfy the city insurance requirements.
DPW indicated to the director of purchasing
that the Grotto quote was acceptable, and the
director told DPW that the company was acceptable from a city liability and purchasing
perspective.
On Nov. 2, the commissioner of DPW
submitted a request to the deputy mayor for
an emergency declaration regarding needed
repairs at the service center, listing the repairs
that were detailed in the Grotto proposal. She
approved the emergency declaration, authorizing repairs as specified in the declaration, for
approximately $40,000.
On Nov. 2, the director of purchasing
sent Grotto a service purchase order by email
and directed him to coordinate all work with
the vehicle maintenance director at the service center. A service purchase order is signed
by the director of purchasing and constitutes
a contract and obligation to pay for the work
as described on the part of the city once it has
been performed. Once the service purchase order was signed and delivered to Grotto, he was
authorized to commence work and the city was
obligated to pay for the work performed.
Peter Grotto described the work as being
labor intensive and required replacement of a
large and heavy water pipe in an approximately 8-by-6-foot utility closet. Grotto stated that
the utility closet was filled with mud and was
difficult to inspect initially. He also said that
some excavation had already been performed
by city employees who had tried to repair a
leak about one week earlier. He noted that further excavation was needed, however, and he
used the excavation company he often uses on
his jobs. That company, SVB Contracting Inc.,
is owned by the DPW deputy commissioner’s
sons.
After he replaced the water pipe and inspected the plumbing that was to be reattached
to the newly installed pipe, he realized that the
blast from the water had cracked other pipes
that needed to be replaced. He also indicated
that because he found other broken pipes, further excavation was needed to ensure that all of
the cracked pipes were replaced.
Grotto discussed the additional problems
he had discovered with the deputy commissioner of DPW who was on site at the service
center, as he often is during the day. Grotto
noted that much of the piping and connections
were old and he could repair them or he could
update the pipes and connections. The deputy
commissioner verbally approved the additional
work and indicated that the piping being replaced dated from the 1960s, when the service
center was built. The deputy commissioner
Yonkers’ Korean War
family returned from Wetzlar, Germany, in September 1950, as he had been reassigned to Fort
Monroe, Va.
From his new post in Fort Monroe, von
Schlichten remained in active duty, regularly
performing inspection tours of military installa-
stated to the IG that he knew his son had been
on the job, but he did not believe that further
excavation was needed for the additional work.
On Nov. 5, Grotto sent a second proposal
for additional work, known as a change order,
for $24,864.
On Nov. 8, Grotto received an amended
service purchase order by email from the director of purchasing, which contained the change
order amount for a total of $64,334. Noted on
the service purchase order is approval for the
additional work given Nov. 5 by Sam Borrelli,
DPW deputy commissioner.
The day after completing the repairs,
Grotto received a telephone call from a DPW
employee regarding a leak outside the building, necessitating that the water to the building
be shut off. Grotto and SVB Contracting inspected the yard in front of the service center,
where they discovered a leak 6 to 10 feet away
from the building in a buried pipe that leads
into the building from the street water main.
Grotto acknowledged that this leak most likely
occurred because the line had been disturbed
during the repair to the water pipes and the fire
suppression system.
Grotto made the necessary repairs and
restored water to the building. He stated that
his main concern was to get the water back
on, so he did not submit a proposal prior to
the repairs; thus he made the repairs without
a service purchase order. After completing the
repairs, Grotto sent an email to the DPW commissioner and deputy commissioner, informing them that the emergency repairs had been
made and the water was turned back on for the
service center.
Grotto then submitted a proposal for
$3,200, calculating the price of the repairs
based on labor costs only, as DPW supplied
the necessary materials. According to Grotto’s
payroll records, the entire job was completed
Nov. 13. To date, he has not received a service
purchase order for the $3,200 proposal.
Grotto stated that most of the work was
completed by his plumbing company, and the
excavation company he used inserted a cement
“TRUS” and excavated outside the building to
uncover water pipes leading into the service
center.
Grotto expressed frustration that he had
not been paid in full and that he had not been
paid timely. He stated that he performed the
work and the change order work was approved.
He indicated that he was paid for the original
proposal but only after he made several calls.
He also noted that he had received a signed
purchase order that included the change order,
but he still has not been paid for the change
order amount.
Findings
The IG finds that both the original proposal for work and the change order proposal
for work, submitted by Peter Grotto Plumbing
and Heating Inc., were approved by the DPW.
The IG recognizes that on emergency declaration work, such as was needed here, it is
not necessary to obtain three written quotes as,
by definition, time is of the essence in the work
to be performed. While best practices suggest that three quotes should be obtained, this
emergency situation occurred during one of the
worst natural disasters the city has ever had:
Superstorm Sandy. As a result, DPW administration and the director of purchasing were
scrambling to ensure that work all over the city
was being done by reputable contractors who
had sufficient insurance.
The IG also finds that this job did not
follow the normal protocol for authorizing a
change order. Typically, the department of engineering is on-site for a job and approves a
change order. In this case, given the extreme
emergencies caused by Superstorm Sandy, no
one was on-site from the Department of Engineering to oversee the work, the field conditions and the change order. Thus, approval of
the change order was made by the same department that was requesting the work. While
that is not ideal, in this case it was particularly
concerning because the deputy commissioner
of DPW approved work that in part would be
performed by his son’s company.
The lack of water to the Vehicle Service
Center, and the lack of working fire suppression units in a public building, constituted a
health and safety risk. Given the emergency
nature of the problem, normal bidding processes could be and were bypassed.
Recommendations
The IG recommends that when any Yonkers employee seeks quotes, the quotes are
documented by the Yonkers employee seeking the quote, noting both the price and scope,
even in emergencies.
The IG further recommends that the director of purchasing and commissioner of DPW
develop and use a list of pre-approved plumbers for plumbing emergencies.
Finally, the IG recommends that any time
work is being performed on behalf of the city,
that no city employee approves work to be performed by a relative, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
tions around the country. He was on one such inspection tour April 6, 1951 in California, flying
from one base to another, when the plane carrying him and 21 others collided with a mountain
near Santa Barbara. There were no survivors.
Von Schlichten, who was 49, was interred
at Arlington National Cemetery on April 26,
1951. Funeral services and memorials were held
in Manhattan, Yonkers and Islip. He was survived by his wife and their sons.
Legal Notices
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Most cash paid for paintings, antiques, furniture,
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LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of The
Bail King, LLC., a domestic
Limited Liability Company
(LLC). Articles of Organization filed with the Sect’y
of State of NY (SSNY) on
6/18/10. Office location:
Westchester County. The
street address is: 15 Palisade Avenue Yonkers, NY
10701. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
upon whom process against
it may be served. SSNY
shall mail process served to:
Christopher Daroja c/o the
LLC at 70 South Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06854. Purpose: any lawful act.
Notice of formation of Force
Software, LLC, a domestic
Limited Liability Company
(LLC), filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY)
on 01/04/2013. Office location: Westchester County.
Principal office of LLC: 8
Tam O Shanter Dr., Purchase, NY 10577 . SSNY
designated as agent of LLC
it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to Christopher
Rodier, 8 Tam O Shanter Dr.,
Purchase, NY 10577, upon
whom and at which process
may be served. Purpose:
Software Consulting.
#6362 1/25 – 3/1
#6363 1/25 – 3/1
NOTICE OF FORMATION of
ATI-Alex LLC.
Articles of Organization filed
with the Secretary of State of
NY (SSNY) on 06/13/2012.
Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been
designated as agent upon
whom process against it
may be served. The Post
Office address to which the
SSNY shall mail a copy of
any process against it is:
Knauf Shaw LLP, Attn: Linda
R. Shaw, 1125 Crossroads
Building, 2 State Street,
Rochester, NY 14614. Dissolution date: 06/13/2111.
LLC Purpose: to engage in
real estate development.
Street address of Principal
Business location is: 159
Alexander St., Yonkers, NY
10701.
#6364 1/25 – 3/1
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF FORMATION of
Ravine 33 LLC.
Articles of Organization filed
NY (SSNY) on 05/04/2012.
10701.
NOTICE OF FORMATION
of Glenwood POH LLC Article of Organization filed
NY (SSNY) on 03/20/2012.
10701.
Street To Strip Auto Design
LLC has filed articles of
organization with the Secretary of State of NYS on
11/26/2012. The offices of
this company are located
in Westchester County, NY.
The Secretary of State has
been designated as agent of
the limited liability company
it may be served. The address to which the Secretary
of State shall mail a copy of
any process against the limited liability company served
upon him or her is PO Box
451, Verplanck, NY 10596
The company is organized to
conduct any lawful business
for which limited liability companies may be organized.
#6365 1/25 – 3/1
#6366 1/25 – 3/1
#6377 2/22 – 3/29
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of
Bluesky Capital Partners,
LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with
the Sect’y of State of NY
(SSNY) on October 1, 2012.
Office location: Westchester
County. The street address
is: 40 Memorial Highway
20C, New Rochelle, NY
shall mail process served
to: Won-Jae Lee, 40 Memorial Highway 20C, New Rochelle, NY 10801.
Purpose: any lawful act.
Notice of formation of Daphne Viders, LLC. Articles of
Organization filed with the
Secretary of
State on December 15,
2008. The street address is
Weschester County, New
York. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
mail process served to: LLC
c/o The Viders Law Group,
PLLC, 368 Veterans Memorial Highway, Commack,
New York 11725. Purpose:
Any lawful act.
Notice of formation of Hudson Valley Till LLC Arts. Of
Org. filed with the Sect’y of
State of NY (SSNY) on December 3, 2012. Office location: Westchester County.
The street address is: 146
Ridgecrest Road, Ossining,
NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
to Hudson Valley Till, LLC;
146 Ridgecrest Road, Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510.
#6369 2/1 – 3/8
#6370 2/1 – 3/8
#6368 1/25 – 3/1
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of HORIZON BUILDERS NY, LLC
Arts. Of Org. filed with the
Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY)
on JANUARY 17, 2013. Office location: Westchester
County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
mail process served to: JOSEPH BOHM, 2131 ESPEY
CT., STE3, CROFTON, MD
21114. Purpose: any lawful
act.
Notice of formation of B & D
Motel LLC Arts. Of Org. filed
with the Sect’y of State of
NY (SSNY) on January 25,
2013. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has
the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail process
served to: 100 Prescott Ave.
White Plains, NY 10605.
John J. Greco, Esq.
Atty. for B&D Motel LLC
Governor Clinton Building
1 Albany Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
Tel. No.: (845) 331 - 6073
Notice of formation of: CENTRAL
WESTCHESTER
HOME HEALTH SERVICES,
LLC. Articles of organization filed with the Secretary
of State of N.Y. (SSNY) on
1/29/13.
Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY
has been designated as
agent of the LLC upon whom
process against it may be
served. SSNY shall mail
process to the LLC, c/o Segun Okunoye: 15 Nella Lane,
Port Chester, NY 10573.
Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of formation of JPF
Consulting, LLC. Arts. Of
Org. filed with the Sect’y
12/21/12.. Office location:
Westchester County. The
street address is: 5 Tulip
Tree Lane, Mamaroneck, NY
to: : United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014, 13th
Avenue, Ste. 202, Brooklyn,
NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act.
Notice of formation of HOFFNER PLLC. Arts. Of Org.
filed with the Sect’y of State
of NY (SSNY) on 1/31/13.
Office location: Westchester. The street address is: 72
Howell Avenue, Larchmont,
NY 10538. SSNY has been
designated as agent of the
LLC upon whom process
served to: David Hoffner, 72
Howell Avenue, Larchmont,
NY 10538. Purpose: any
lawful act.
Notice of formation of Lucy
Moore Design, LLC, a domestic
Limited
Liability
Company (LLC), filed with
the Secretary of State of NY
(SSNY) on 01/18/2013. Office location: Westchester
County. Principal office of
LLC: 80 Melrose Drive, New
Rochelle, NY 10804. SSNY
designated as agent of LLC
mail process to Lucy Moore,
80 Melrose Drive, New Rochelle, NY 10804,
upon
whom and at which process
may be served. Purpose:
Professional Home Designer.
#6371 2/1 – 3/8
#6373 2/8 – 3/15
#6375 2/15 – 3/22
#6374 2/15 – 3/22
#6372 2/8 – 3/15
#6376 2/15 – 3/22
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of ALENTI FILMS, LLC Arts. Of
Org. filed with the Sect’y
12/26/2012. Office location: County. The street address is: 63 Ridgewood Terrace, Chapaqua, NY 10514.
SSNY has been designated
as agent of the LLC upon
whom process against it may
be served. SSNY shall mail
process served to: Elizabeth
Schub, 63 Ridgewood Terrace, Chappaqua NY, 10514.
NOTICE OF FORMATION
of PETCHESTER VETERINARY, PLLC.
Arts. Of Org. filed with Secy.
2/5/13. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC
mail process to: The PLLC,
309 White Plains Road,
Eastchester, NY 10709. Purpose: practice of veterinary
medicine.
Notice of formation of
Straight to the Point Barbershop. LLC Arts. Of Org. filed
with the Sect’y of State of NY
(SSNY) on 11/1/12. Office location: Westchester County.
The street address is: 675
No. Terrace Ave Mount Vernon, NY 10552. SSNY has
the LLC upon whom process
served to: Kevin Chang,
675 No. Terrace ave apt 7b
Mount Vernon NY, 10552.
Notice of formation of Lucente Wallace LLC. Arts. Of Org.
of NY (SSNY) on 2/4/2013.
Office location: Westchester
County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
mail process served to: The
LLC at 9 Jackson Avenue,
Tuckahoe NY 10707. Purpose: any lawful act.
Notice of formation of Ameridime, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed
with the Sect’y of State of NY
(SSNY) on 1/9/2013. Office
location: Westchester. The
street address is: 38 Paddock Rd, White Plains, NY
to: Ameridime, LLC, 38 Paddock Rd, White Plains, NY
10605. Purpose: any lawful
act.
Notice of formation of Elite
Safety, LLC Arts. Of Org.
of NY (SSNY) on October 3,
2012. Office location: Westchester County. The street
address is: 595 Mclean Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10705. SSNY
has been designated as
agent of the LLC upon whom
process against it may be
served. SSNY shall mail
process served to: Justin Aurelio, 595 Mclean Ave. Yonkers, NY 10705. Purpose:
any lawful act.
#6381 3/1 – 4/5
#6382 3/1 – 4/5
#6367 1/25 – 3/1
#6378 2/22 – 3/29
#6379 2/22 – 3/29
#6380 2/22 – 3/29
Seniors and Health Care
Yonkers Supports Expansion of
Hot Topics In Health Care:
The Looming Alzheimer’s Crisis St. John’s Emergency Department
By: Michael Lamagna, Esq.
percent of the overwhelming
As many of you already
costs to the individuals.
know, caring for someone
Because the disease is
with Alzheimer’s disease is
progressive, early detection
both emotionally and finanis crucial. If you experience
cially draining.
signs of Alzheimer’s, inAlzheimer’s is an incurcluding memory loss which
able disease, which in many
disrupts daily life, difficulty
cases erodes a person’s memcompleting daily tasks, and
ory and makes the most basic
confusion with time or place,
daily care tasks that we take
see your physician immedifor granted – such as bathing,
ately. In addition, it is critidressing and cooking – virtucal that that you get your leally impossible. Each week,
gal affairs in order, such as
families who are struggling
Power of Attorney and Health
Michael LaMagna
with this vicious disease visit
Care Proxy, so that you have
my office seeking advice rethe peace of mind that other
garding finances, government benefits, hous- people are appointed to make decisions, even
ing alternatives and support groups.
when you no longer have the capacity to make
It’s a very long and difficult road, but one them.
that doesn’t need to be traveled alone.
In addition, it is critical to have your fiUnfortunately, the disease is quickly nances in order and professionals to assist in
growing. A recent report states the number of obtaining benefits in order to avoid the overAlzheimer’s cases is expected to triple from whelming financial and emotional toll.
the current 5 million to nearly 14 million by
This article is provided for informational
2050, costing an estimated $1.1 trillion.
purposes only. Nothing in this article shall be
In addition to the human toll on families construed as legal advice or should be relied
and patients, it is an overwhelming cost to the upon as such. Michael LaMagna is a partner
Medicare and Medicaid systems, which pay at The Law Office of LaMagna & Associates,
more than 70 percent of all related costs. It has PC, practicing health care regulatory, elder
been shown that patients with Alzheimer’s /estate
administration/probate/disability/
will spend three times more on health care wills, trusts and estates, Social Security and
than patients with other illnesses.
general legal practice in both New York and
Medicare patients with Alzheimer’s and Connecticut. Email him at Mlamagna@nyanother dementias spend $43,847 on health dctlaw.com, call 914-437-5955, or visit www.
care and long-term care services annually, nyandctlaw.com for more information. Folcompared to $13,879 spent by patients with- low Attorney LaMagna on Twitter@michaelout those illnesses. However, that leaves 30 lamagna1.
St. John’s Hospital Offers Lamaze
St. John’s Riverside Hospital will offer a
childbirth education (Lamaze) class Saturday,
March 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 967 N. Broadway, Yonkers, and will be taught by a maternity
nurse. The cost is $175 per couple and includes
breakfast and parking. To register and for more
information, call Brenda Hartley at 914-9644274, email orblhartley@riversidehealth.org.
Legal Notices
PS ORANGECO INC.
LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT PS ORANGECO, INC. WILL BE SELLING THE
CONTENTS OF CERTAIN STORAGE SPACES IN LIEN AT THE BELOW-LISTED
PUBLIC STORAGE FACILITIES TO SATISFY THE OWNER’S LIEN AT PUBLIC
SALE BY COMPETITIVE BIDDING
ON (date): 3/13/2013
AT (Time): 4:00 PM
PUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 955 Saw Mill Road Yonkers, New York 10701
The storage spaces in lien belonging to the below-identified tenants and contain the
following: Appliances/Boxes/Bags/Bedding/Clothing/Books/Electronics/Furniture/
Tools/Toys
Names:
Kevin Khona, Eoin Frieo, Indhira Alcantara, JOSE BAYON, Manny Gomez, PETER
J. VILLANUEVA, KRIS ERSKINE
PURCHASES MUST BE MADE IN CASH ONLY AND PAID FOR AT THE TIME OF
SALE. ALL GOODS ARE SOLD AS IS AND MUST BE REMOVED AT THE TIME
OF SALE. SALE IS SUBJECT TO ADJOURNMENT.
#27821 3/1
PS ORANGECO INC.
LEGAL NOTICE
ON (date): 3/13/2013
AT (Time): 2:30 PM
PUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 137 Saw Mill River Road Yonkers, New York 10701
Tools/Toys
Names:
Fanuel Nguaiko, Lester Molina, Ellerine Barr, Jacqueline Craft,
DARLENE SMALLS, candice Smithson, Glenford Walker, Phylisia Daley, Charles
Johnson, Luba Krumszyn, Wade Spence, Nsombi Woodson, Inisha Myers, Johanna Delacruz, MAURA DUFFY, WENDELL COMER
#34108 3/1
Advertise on our Seniors and Health Care
Page! Call today: 914-965-4000
St. John’s Riverside Hospital last week
announced that approximately 17,500 residents have signed letters or an online petition
in support of restructuring and expanding the
Emergency Department at St. John’s Andrus
Pavilion in Yonkers.
St. John’s has filed an application with
the state Department of Health for $10 million
in Vital Access Provider Grant funds for this
project.
“Yonkers supports this project because
it recognizes that the current facility doesn’t
meet the community’s needs and they know
they deserve best in class emergency services,” said Ronald J. Corti, president and CEO
of St. John’s Riverside Hospital. “St. John’s
current emergency department is now treating
38,600 ER visits annually and was only built
to accommodate 25,000 a year. At this rate of
growth, we project a need for the facility to
handle 50,000 ER visits.”
The plans include the restructuring and
redesign of the emergency department that
will help to optimize patient processing and
improve efficiency. A larger integrated ED de-
sign will also improve the quality of care and
patient experience and will be accomplished
through patient-centered treatment areas, observation bays and separate patient and ambulance entrances. Furthermore, the funds will
be used to include on-site diagnostic imaging
capability, a geriatric area and urgent care center.
“Clearly, Yonkers needs this expansion
and modernization of emergency room capacity. The St. John’s health network plays a vital role in the health of Yonkers residents as
well as the economic well-being of the City of
Yonkers,” said Mayor Mike Spano. “Not only
does St. John’s employ nearly 2,500 people in
health and health-related occupations, it is the
largest private employer in the city and as such
contributes greatly to the fiscal health of the
third-largest city in New York State. Also, a
project of this magnitude will bring construction and other new health-related jobs to our
city, ensuring a prosperous Yonkers.”
To learn more or send a letter of support
to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, go to www.RiversideHealth.org.
Women and Social Security
By Susan Sobel, Social Security District
Manager in Yonkers
March is Women’s History Month.
The Social Security program treats all
workers — men and women — exactly the
same in terms of the benefits they can receive. But women may want to familiarize
themselves with what the program means to
them in their particular circumstances. Understanding the benefits may mean the difference
between living more comfortably versus just
getting by in retirement.
One of the most significant things women need to remember about Social Security
is the importance of promptly reporting a
name change. If you haven’t told us of a name
change, your W-2 may not match the information in our records and this could affect the
amount of your future benefits. Not changing
your name with Social Security also can delay
your federal income tax refund.
To report a name change, fill out an application for a Social Security Card (Form SS5). Download the form at www.socialsecurity.
gov, visit any Social Security office or card
center, or call Social Security’s toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
If expanding your family is in your plans,
it’s a good idea to apply for a Social Security
number for your baby in the hospital, at the
same time that you apply for your baby’s birth
certificate. Social Security will mail the card
to you. If you wait, you must then separately
provide evidence of your child’s age, identity,
and U.S. citizenship status, as well as proof
of your identity. Then, we must verify your
child’s birth record, which can add 12 weeks
to the time it takes to issue a card.
When women start receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, other
family members may be eligible for payments,
as well. For example, benefits can be paid to a
husband if he is age 62 or older, or at any age
if he is caring for your child (the child must
be younger than 16 or disabled and receiving
Social Security benefits on your record).
Benefits also can be paid to unmarried
children if they under 18 years of age, between
18 and 19 years old but in elementary or secondary school as full-time students, or age 18
or older and severely disabled (the disability
must have started before age 22).
The family of a woman who dies may
be eligible for survivor benefits based on her
work.
For more information about women and
Social Security, ask for the publication “What
Every Woman Should Know” (SSA Publication No. 05-10127) or visit our special Women’s page online at www.socialsecurity.gov/
women.
Enrico Fermi
about her husband and the Fermi Scholarship
Fund.
“My husband was always interested in the
community and one day he thought he would
like to start a scholarship fund and got a number
of men together, and it went on from there,” she
said. “The reason we called it the Enrico Fermi
Scholarship Fund was because Enrico Fermi
helped tie the Italian-American communities together. Before we started it formally, we went out
the Chicago to meet with Mrs. Fermi to get her
permission and blessing. We picked Fermi because he was a great Italian-American and Mrs.
Fermi was delighted about the idea.”
Marcella, who was born in Yonkers but now
lives in New Jersey, said they started out small,
with her husband going door-to-door and collecting nickels and dimes. “Now we have corporate
sponsors helping us give out thousands of dollars
in scholarships,” she said. “My nephew Ronald
Salvatore is our family’s representative on the
committee and I’m grateful that he is involved.
It is amazing that what my husband help start 50
years ago is still going strong today.”
She said the organization has helped many
people go to college and has had interesting guest
speakers along the way.
“My husband did a lot of good and started a
wonderful scholarship fund,” said Marcella. “He
was a proud Italian-American. We were lucky to
have 52 years of marriage together.”
Members of the First Breakfast Committee
in 1964 included:
Anthony Aurrichio
Anthony Sylvestri
Ted DeMagistris
Anita Del Prete
Peter Birrittella
Gil Capianco
Dominick Cuccia
John D’Ambrosia
Richard Fulfree
Kurt Colucci
Democrat Andy Spano.
The real importance of Colucci’s entry into
the race is the effect it will have on who gets the
Independence Party line for county executive
this fall.
Westchester Independence Party Chairman Dr. Giulio Cavallo endorsed Colucci once
before, for county board against Legislator Jim
Maisano in 2011. (Colucci withdrew and never
used the endorsement and the Independent line
went blank). Cavallo might also be interested
in endorsing Colucci to spite Astorino, who received 8 percent on the Independence line four
years ago but has snubbed Cavallo’s request for
patronage jobs. Cavallo is also close to supporters of the Westchester Tea Party and Colucci,
making an Independence Party endorsement of
Colucci a real possibility.
On the day Colucci announced, the Astorino campaign released images from Colucci’s
father’s Facebook page, and asked for Colucci
the candidate to disavow his father’s statements.
Colucci responded by saying his father left
when he was 6 years old and called the Astorino
campaign desperate for bringing it up. And while
we agree that a child should not be held responsible for their father’s beliefs, we do believe that
a candidate’s own writings are a good insight for
the voters.
In his book, “A Taxslaves Manifesto,” Colucci says: “A free body of people must work for
a living. Citizens must not rely on government
extortionists to steal from the ‘rich’ (taxpayers)
and give to the ‘poor’ (tax consumers). Revolution will be our only salvation from political
obedience.
“Do not depend on any level of government
to fulfill your economic needs. It is your responsibility to take care of yourself. If politics and
government get in the way, you better stand up
and fight.
“This is our country and we are not going to
give it away. I will die protecting it before I hand
it over without a fight!”
In excerpts of an op-ed piece from 2010,
Colucci wrote: “Big Government is the serpent
that is tempting us to eat from the tree of political dependence. The road to success will be
achieved by removing the political parasites that
have degenerated American Independence. We
cannot trust our elected officials, but we can trust
our Constitution.
“We are watching President Obama attempt
to ‘fundamentally transform’ us from a free and
independent people to an enslaved, dependent
group of peasants.
“Government-provided services cost taxpayers time, effort and money – all which are
valuable. So, when someone gets something for
‘free’ from the government, another person ultimately has to pay for it.
“Some people have no business voting in
elections, because they do not understand what
a Republic is.
“The most destitute among us – those who
live off ‘the system,’ will become angry. They
are the people who, in the long term, have the
most to gain from the political ‘destruction’ of
our oppressive ruling class.
“I will never apologize for vilifying politicians. Our rulers have damned themselves by
their own treasonous actions. Their social pro-
Bradley Gagliardi
John Ranellone
Former Yonkers Mayor Angelo Martinelli,
a first member of the Fermi Scholarship Board
said, “It all began because Mike Vitulli had a
dream that if he could get every Italian family in
the 7th Ward to give 50 cents a year, he could
give out scholarships to kids in the neighborhood
to go to college.
“Mike used to talk to me about this idea before it happened. We sent out a mailing to Italian
families and we started getting money back. We
had 700 people at the Polish Community Center
for our early Breakfasts,” said Martinelli.
The Enrico Fermi Educational Fund has
been kept alive and thriving through the help of
many dedicated volunteers and Yonkers ItalianAmericans. Many of the scholarship awardees
have returned to the committee to pay it forward
and help the next generation have the ability to
go to college.
We will highlight the hard work on many in
future issues, and also go over the impressive list
of guest speakers over 50 years, right up to the
50th anniversary scholarship breakfast to be held
in May.
The Enrico Fermi Educational Fund of Yonkers is seeking qualified applicants for its annual
scholarship awards. Applicants must be residents
of Yonkers, must have traceable Italian heritage,
must be graduating from high school in June and
must be planning on attending s college/university in September.
Up to six scholarships, valued at $2,500
each, will be awarded. The selection of the recipients is made anonymously by the Enrico Fermi
Scholarship Committee.
Applications are available in the guidance
offices at Gorton, Lincoln, Palisade Prep, Riverside, Roosevelt, Saunders and Yonkers high
schools, as well as in the guidance offices of private and parochial high schools in Yonkers and
surrounding communities where Yonkers residents may be attending school.
The application deadline date is March 15.
For more information, call 914-478-9305.
grams are destructive to the taxpaying portion of
society.
“We do not need handouts – we simply
need the government-imposed extortion to stop.
American taxpayers want to be left alone – so
that we can keep the majority of our earnings.
We have the ability to take care of our families,
our communities, and ourselves. Each of us must
tend to our own needs.
“Each one of us must work hard and prepare
for a difficult fight so that we can enjoy the financial safety and economic security that will come.
“We want our needs fulfilled by government. We want things handed to us simply because we are American and because of that we
think we deserve it. This mentality has created
a generation of dependents that do not try hard
enough to achieve realistic goals. This is disgraceful.
“If you are a tax consumer (social program
recipient or government employee), remember
that what you are ‘given’ is being provided at
the expense of someone else. Your hard-working
neighbors are paying for your ‘free ride’ – so
stop expecting more and more.
“Union protection will not protect you from
your neighbors once they realize that you are the
cause for their economic hardships. Public employee unions are hurting homeowners through
the massive taxes needed to fund their sweetheart pensions and life-long benefits.
“I have a warning for all tax consumers –
because of you, our country is dying a little more
each day, and as a result, you are becoming the
fuel behind our revolution.
“Government would rather forcibly confiscate more and more from taxpayers instead of
setting an example by making necessary cuts.
Revolution is indeed brewing. As a result of
political recklessness, revolution is once again
threatening the political class of these United
States. This is the natural course of action.
“It does not take a genius to govern – all it
takes it takes an honest person.
“We are left with one option – a Taxslaves
Revolution.”
All of the above are excerpts from Colucci’s
op-ed – cut more than in half. Can we call it a
rambling diatribe?
Colucci concluded his press announcement in front of the county Board of Elections
in White Plains last week by saying: “I’m going
to continue to bring my message of freedom and
prosperity and people working together for a better society.”
Kurt Colucci’s message of a “better society”
will be repudiated by the Westchester voter, just
as it was for failed radical congressional candidate Jim Russell last year. Russell’s anti-Semitic
writings were repudiated in the GOP congressional primary, won by Joe Carvin.
Let us also remember that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney got 38 percent of
the vote in Westchester, dooming the chances for
many Republicans in Westchester on the GOP
ticket with him.
Many of us in Westchester are fighting to
make ends meet and pay our taxes and be able
to continue to live in Westchester and raise our
families. We are willing to consider other options
in the candidates we vote for when we go to the
polls, as we did when we voted for Astorino in
2009.
But we are not willing to listen to hatred.
Kurt Colucci is angry … and he doesn’t deserve
our vote.
Make Rising Media Group a part of
your advertising plan.
Call today! 914-965-4000
Eastside Residents
ic plan. “I didn’t know that redistricting was supposed to lead to campaigning. Even though the
third district was gerrymandered 10 years ago
it doesn’t make it right. It seems to me that the
gauntlet has been thrown by the Democratic majority,” said Gronowski, who read from a scathing editorial by Newsday written last month,
which was critical of the Democratic plan.
Former Councilman John Murtagh, R-fifth
district, said he wants the district lines to remain
as is. “The state has rigged the system, and gerrymandered the Assembly and Senate lines to
shut out challengers, and that is all you are doing here tonight,” he said. “The fact is the maps
are properly drawn as is and are in compliance
with the law. This is nothing more than a grab by
political bosses.”
Former Councilwoman Dee Barbato, Rsixth district, also called for leaving the districts alone, citing census population data which
shows that Yonkers’ population has increased by
less than 110 people since the last redistricting,
in 2000.
“Ten years ago I was on the council for the
last redistricting and there was a bit of gerrymandering,” she said. “But it was done in cooperation between both parties. The city spent
weeks considering whether to redraw the ward
lines but the consensus was to leave it alone.
When I heard about the ward lines not changing,
I thought there shouldn’t be many changes to the
council districts. If you run a good, solid campaign you will get re-elected. You don’t need to
do this and disrupt people’s lives.”
Former Councilman Elliot Palais opposed
any changes, saying: “This plan splits the Lincoln Park neighborhood in half. We have nothing in common with our communities on the
west side in regard to issues and services.”
The vast majority of other public comments
were either against the Democratic plan or in
support of leaving the council districts alone.
Republican Jim Castro-Blanco, who ran
for council president two years ago, said two
wrongs don’t make a right. “Were the districts
drawn in an interesting way 10 years ago? Yeah.
But to do it again is an abdication of your duty,”
he said. “And it’s offensive to say that this is
anything but gerrymandering.”
David Tubiolo read into the record comments from Republican county Legislators Bernice Spreckman and Gordon Burrows, opposing
the Democratic plan.
Brandon Nightly, 18, said: “The proposed
lines are disrespectful and splits up my community. All I have seen is political bickering
between both sides. The lines should stay the
same.”
Gerry Longaro, president of the Hyatt Association, also commented. “The Democratic
caucus seeks to silence our voice and make Yonkers a one-party town,” he said. “If the Democrats had total control on the council we would
have chicken coops.”
Gwenevere Dean recently purchased a
home in the fourth district. “Are you now saying that I’m going to be better represented if the
interests of my community are marginalized?”
she asked. “You’re playing monopoly with our
lives. I didn’t buy a house on the west side.”
Anthony Merrante said the council is fair
and balanced the way it currently is. “Anybody
that follows the city council knows that it can’t
be any fairer than it is now, with a 4-3 split,” he
said.
Kevin Gorman said: “The Democratic plan
wants to put half of Lincoln Park in the third district. Lincoln Park is a neighborhood of working
families, third and fourth generation. You have
separation now from the southwest portion of
Yonkers.”
Robert Moffit, a member of the Yonkers
GOP and the Colonial Heights association said
redistricting would throw the council off balance “You’re moving out politicians that could
be a threat, resulting in a possible supermajority
of Democrats elected this year,” he said. “This
will change the council to a veto-proof council, who can pass any law without debate and
override any mayoral veto. I know that day will
come, but I want it to be from the will of the
people and not from a party.”
Neppera Park Association member Leon
Netton told the council: “Your trying to do
something that a 6-year-old can see doesn’t
make sense. It won’t do anyone good – black or
white – if we don’t get along.”
“I have not heard one word tonight what
public benefit there is to adopting the Democratic plan, but we have heard only what the
political benefits are, which is to turn the council into a 5-2 majority,” added Gerard Wilson.
“That’s the only reason this plan has gotten to
this point.”
Anthony Jackominic said that for 19 years
she has watched Yonkers politics and has never
seen a more divided council. “This council votes
4-3 on everything. For a change listen to what
we have to say,” she said.
Grassy Sprain Civic Association member Rosealee Koch also said there should be
no redistricting. “You are trying to usurp our
strong-mayor form of government,” she said.
“Minorities can be underrepresented but also
overrepresented. Just because Democrats have
the majority doesn’t mean you have the right
to shut out the Republicans. Ten years ago both
parties participated in redistricting. We are calling on the council and Mayor Spano to keep the
competitive nature of elections and maintain a
true bipartisan electorate.”
Joanne Robinson told the board: “I’m a
Democrat. You need to come together and reject
both plans, use the old lines and stop bickering.”
Some residents in attendance, however,
took offense to some of the public comments
reported on above.
“My family came to Yonkers is 1903. Gerrymandering is not new to me, but I had to accept it as an African-American,” said Berta Robinson. “Tonight I feel like I’m in a meeting held
before the Civil War. I had to wait 30 years in
this city before I had a representative that looked
like me, so don’t tell me about gerrymandering
and civil rights. Think about what you are doing
today; Yonkers is still Mississippi on the Hudson. Sometimes this city makes me proud but
other times it makes we want to cry. Think about
what you say and how you act.”
Denise Holden said district lines don’t
make neighborhoods. “When you talk about
neighborhoods, if you don’t reside in the same
council district, your neighbors are still your
neighbors,” she said. “Living in one council district doesn’t mean you are no longer in a neighborhood. We are not a city of separate districts,
we are one city of residents.”
Both Democrats and Republicans on the
council appear bitterly divided on redistricting.
The Republican plan places Councilman Sabatino outside of his own third district. Several
Republicans, including Michael Meyer, who ran
for city council in the third district two years
ago, have been removed from the third district
in the Democratic plan.
Mayor Mike Spano has intervened in an attempt to come to a settlement. Spano has stated
publicly that he is opposed to the Democratic
plan and that he plans on meeting with Democrats and Republicans on the council to come up
with a compromise.
Spano, after watching the back-and-forth
bickering from both sides over the last month,
threatened a veto to any unfair plan, saying:
“I’m getting involved because at the end of the
day, I’m the one who has to decide.”
Yonkers redistricting squabbles have
caught the eye of Albany. A group called Effective NY called on Yonkers lawmakers to reject
both redistricting plans
“In Yonkers, the City Council’s Republican and Democratic members continue to spar
over two competing partisan redistricting plans.
I urge Mayor Spano to carefully consider any
plan sent to them to ensure that communities are
kept intact, Voting Rights Act requirements are
followed to provide for proper minority representation, and that the people are well served.
Anything short of that deserves a prompt veto,”
said Bill Samuels, one of the founders of Effective NY.
SUNY New Paltz Professor Gerald Benjamin, a well-known authority on local government in New York, also chimed in on the debate.
“There are good examples of counties and cities across the state using bipartisan processes to
achieve equitable redistricting in the wake of the
2010 census,” he said. “Look at Ulster. Look at
Beacon. Look at Ithaca. Alternative models are
available for Yonkers that will make elections
fairer and more competitive, building accountability and public confidence in local government.”
Samuels added: “After failed redistricting
efforts in Albany last year, I ask: ‘Hasn’t anyone
learned anything yet about fair redistricting?’”
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FRiday, MaRch 1, 2013 - yoNkeRs RisiNG - PaGe 9
Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade Dinner Dance
Dinner-dance attendees proudly wave their flags.
From left, Grand Marshal William Harrington, Judy
Meier, and DPW Commissioner Tom Meier.
From left, Mary Teague, Ronan O’Brien, Thomas Meier, Joseph Hallinan, Kathleen Ennis,
Eileen Collum and Michael Bennett. Missing from the photo is Aide Kenneth O’Brien.
From left, Yonkers City Court Judge Arthur Doran III, Eileen Collum and
Assemblymember Shelley Mayer.
Irish Step Dancers from the Christine Murray School of Dance entertain the crowd.
Photos by
Ed Whitman
Grand Marshal Harrington with
Bob Galterio.
Councilman Dennis Shepherd with
wife, Roberta.
Roberta and Mike Bennett.
Councilman Mike Breen with
wife, Patty.
From left, Pat McCrudden, parade Chairman Larry McCrudden and dinner/dance Chair
Jean Tickell.
PaGe 10 - yoNkeRs RisiNG - FRiday, MaRch 1, 2013
Opening of New Downtown Parking Garage Celebrated
Mayor Mike Spano and ofﬁcials, left, cut the ribbon on new Warburton garage, right.
Photos by Donna Davis
A view of downtown Yonkers from the top of garage.
torino Administration to move immediately to
release $2.75 million in county capital funds for
the Warburton Garage, based on a recent ruling
by Acting Supreme Court Justice of New York
State Supreme Court James W. Hubert.
The county capital funds for the Warburton
garage was approved by the BOL in September
2012 and then vetoed by County Executive Rob-
ert P. Astorino. But the BOL voted to override
Astorino’s veto of the bond act legislation. No
action has been taken since the veto, and the
City authorized another $2.5 Million in City
Capital Funds to make sure the garage opened.
“This important capital project is part of
the re-development plan for downtown Yonkers
and an integral factor in the economic growth
of the city,” said Jenkins. “Although the work is
completed, Yonkers officials are waiting for the
County to reimburse them for the project. The
City should be paid for its work, as promised by
the County—period.”
The garage is located at the crossroads of
Warburton Avenue and Dock Street, next to
Philipse Manor Hall.
“
HAND CAR WASH
AND DETAILING CENTER
Westchester’s only hand car wash
and detailing center designed to
meet the demands of those who
expect the very finest, most flexible
and convenient service.
“
The City of Yonkers last week celebrated
the opening of the new Warburton Garage located in downtown.
The $14 million, 300-space garage was financed in a Public-Private Partnership with $3.8
million in tax-exempt bonds, $4 million in municipal grants, a $2.7 million taxable mortgage
and $3.5 million in New Markets Tax Credit
equity from Solomon Hess CDE, in partnership
with Goldman Sachs, Yonkers Industrial Development Agency, Yonkers Economic Development Corporation, Hudson Valley Bank and the
National Development Council.
The Warburton Garage will serve area small
businesses as well as tenants of the adjacent
iPark commercial, industrial and research complex, and visitors to the Yonkers Public Library.
The garage will set aside 78 spaces for use by
residents of the adjacent Warburton Riverview
Apartments, a new workforce housing development financed in part with federal low-income
housing tax credits and city HOME funds.
“The revitalization of downtown Yonkers
would not be complete without this newly constructed and efficient parking facility that now
will house vehicles of those who choose to live,
work and raise a family in Yonkers,” said Mayor
Mike Spano. “The Warburton Garage is a symbol of the great change occurring in Yonkers. We
give special thanks to the National Development
Council, our state delegation, the Yonkers IDA,
the Yonkers Planning and Development Department and the city engineer for making this project a success.”
“Downtown Yonkers is undergoing an exciting revitalization which is taking our City
to new heights,” said Senator Andrea StewartCousins, Democratic Conference Leader. “This
new parking garage will spur further growth by
drawing more people to downtown Yonkers’
great restaurants and businesses, historic Philipse Manor Hall, the beautiful Hudson riverfront and of course the newly daylighted Saw
Mill River at Van Der Donck Park. New York
State is proud to be a key partner in Yonkers’
revitalization.”
“This attractive parking garage made it
possible to preserve the Philipse Manor Historic
District and allow for the adaptive reuse of the
Warburton Lofts and the workforce housing on
North Broadway,” said Chuck Lesnick, Yonkers
City Council President. “It is unfortunate that
the County walked away from its $2.5 Housing
Infrastructure Fund (HIF) commitment but I am
proud that City stepped forward to both lead the
way and then fill the gap.”
Westchester County Board of Legislators
(BOL) Chairman Ken Jenkins called for the As-
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March 1, 2013 - Rising Media Group

Transcription

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