August 2016 - mv inquirer

Transcription

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”
T H E MO U N T V ER NO N
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http://www.mvinquirer.com
Volume 11, Number 8
INQUIRER
“The People’s Newspaper”
Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”
August 2016
Mt. Vernon track star
makes history by qualifying
for US Olympic team
FEATURES
Story by Joe Parisi
Members of Mt. Vernon Police
Department meet with President
Obama at White House
Page 4
Mt. Vernon Public Library Board
of Trustees elects new officers
Page 4
T
he odds of a young athlete earning a spot on the United States
Olympic team are 1 in 9,079.
Along with natural ability and
determined training, these stats show
the chances U.S. high school-aged
athletes have of getting to the Summer
Olympic Games in hopes of bringing
home the gold!
A young lady named Deajah Stevens,
who is a Mount Vernonite, has incredibly beat the odds and is headed to the
Summer Olympic Games in Rio. What
makes this all the more astonishing is
that she comes from a small city that is
only 4.4 square miles in size. She is the
first track and field star or athlete from
Mount Vernon to qualify for the Summer
Olympic Games.
Stevens is currently entering her senior year at the University of Oregon
and on July 10 she finished second in
the women’s 200-meter final on Day 10
of the U.S. Olympic track and field tri-
Deajah Stevens (r) celebrating soon after coming in second and making
the United States Olympic team
Continued on page 10
Astorino and Thomas hold
unity vigil at Hartley Park for
slain Dallas police officers
Story by Joe Parisi
Guardia Lombardi sponsors
23rd annual BBQ for seniors
at Hartley Park
Page 28
Wartburg June gala raises
$165,000 and celebrates
150 years of service
Page 25
O
n Tuesday, July 12, there was
a huge gathering at Hartley
Park in Mount Vernon to honor
the five police officers recently
killed in Dallas.
The event was organized by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino
and was intended to discuss the pain the
shootings has caused the entire nation as
a whole.
In attendance were religious leaders
and officials from all across the Westchester region and beyond, along with
many of Mount Vernon’s youth.
“It’s time for peace, prayer, justice and
understanding,” said Astorino. “Revenge
is not the answer,” the Westchester County Executive said. “What we need today is
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino
Continued on page 5
2 l August 2016
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3 l August 2016
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4 l August 2016
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Mt. Vernon Public Library
Board of Trustees elects
new officers
Members of Mt. Vernon Police
Department meet with President
Obama at White House
(l to r) Judge Johnson swearing in Jose Alvelo, Treasurer,
Rev. Darren Morton, Vice President, Oscar Davis, Jr., President and
Caithlin Gleason, Trustee
A
t an extremely well attended
regular meeting of the Mount
Vernon Public Library Board of
Trustees, held on Wednesday,
July 20, the annual reorganization of the
board took place and Judge Nichelle
Johnson swore in three Trustees and the
Secretary of the board.
Judge Johnson swore in the following
individuals:
• Oscar Davis, Jr. – President
• Rev. Darren Morton - Vice President
• Cathlin Gleason – Trustee
• Jose Alvelo - Treasurer
Filling the highly important position of
President will be Oscar Davis, Jr., who
prior to the vote received accolades from
his fellow Trustees, which prompted the
board to elect him the new President.
Davis was born, raised and educated in
Mount Vernon and received his Bachelor’s
Degree in Computer Science and minor in
Accounting at Lehman College. He then
went on to receive his Masters of Science
in Internet Business Systems from Mercy
College. In 2006 Davis was hired by the
Mount Vernon City School District and remains employed as the Chief Engineer for
Technology, which oversees 17 sites with
more than $500,000 in computer assets
for the district. According to his peers,
he has worked diligently to ensure that his
love of the City of Mount Vernon will help
propel the library forward in a positive way.
After the election of new officers, the
board worked on committee assignments,
followed by a calendar resolution and other usual meeting matters.
The library’s fiscal year ended June 30,
so it is an ideal time to pay your dues if
you are a member of Friends of the Mount
Vernon Public Library. The library operates on a shoestring budget, so they are
always seeking donations to stay solvent.
Readers can help by visiting their website
at www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org and
selecting the “Support Us” link. Your support means a lot to the library.
The Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees in session
(l to r) Detective Dave Clarke, Sergeant Jennifer Carpenter and
President Obama
O
n Friday, July 22, Mount Vernon
Police Department Sergeant
Jennifer Carpenter, Deputy
Commissioner Shawn Harris,
Detective Dave Clarke, and Officer Karen
Buddenhagen attended President Barack
Obama’s briefing on improving policing in
America. They shared their experiences
and lessons learned about Mount Vernon’s success in implementing the new
plan with law enforcement officials from
across the country.
Sergeant Jennifer Carpenter said, “We
are equipping the Mount Vernon Police
Department to be a leader, guardian, and
friend to the community. The tragic deaths
in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Minneapolis
did not have to happen. Every day I am
reminded of the importance of being with
the people we serve. The 21st Century
Policing model is about identifying what
works for the community and what does
not. Police officers must be problem-solvers and be engaged in the community to
strengthen public safety. I am grateful to
be here at the White House to share our
experiences.”
Mayor Richard Thomas added, “We
cannot allow hate to fill the void of understanding. We cannot allow fear to force us
into making emotional decisions. We cannot turn away from confronting a simple
truth, that is, change comes with immense
challenge. We must hold onto hope and
rediscover our spirit of courage to intelligently address issues of race, racism, and
violence. We can conquer false perceptions. We will by driving honest dialogues
on uncomfortable realities on both sides
of the badge.”
Detective Dave Clarke
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Continued from page 1
not revenge, but renewal. The renewal of
our faith, family, and community, and our
country.”
Mayor Richard Thomas’ message was
also intended to heal those that are reeling
from the shootings. “The unity on display
here today gives me encouragement to
improve the relationships in our city between the community and the police.
Mount Vernon Police Sgt. Jennifer Carpenter made it very clear when she spoke
by emphasizing that a team effort is need-
ed to build police-community ties, and
that officers must stay strong as one unit.
“We came to this job from different
walks of life, bringing different perspectives about life,” she said. “However, at
the end of the day we are a team. We are
a team of individuals who are grieving like
everyone else. We must not only have
each other’s back when the bullets are flying, but emotionally and mentally as well,”
said Carpenter.
Engel
announces
$649,980
for College of
New Rochelle
5 l August 2016
INQUIRER
Founded in 2004 by
JOSEPH A. PARISI
AND LUISA PARISI
Published by
The Mount Vernon Inquirer
P.O. Box 458
Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0458
Email: josparisi@gmail.com
Website: www.mvinquirer.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Readers are encouraged to send us
letters expressing their viewpoints
on any issue. Letters should not
contain inflammatory or provocative language and will be subject to
editorial review. Please keep your
letters brief and not to exceed 300
words. Your name and address must
be included, but will be withheld
upon request.
Mayor Richard Thomas
C
ongressman Eliot L.
Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee’s Health Subcommittee, announced $649,980 in
federal funding for the College of
New Rochelle (CNR).
The funding, granted by the
Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA), will allow CNR to provide scholarships
for economically disadvantaged
students studying nursing or
other health specialties.
“No one should be denied an
education in their field of choice
because of their background,”
Engel said. “This funding will
ensure that students from lowincome homes can pursue careers in health care and, in turn,
care for the people of our community.”
The College of New Rochelle
will choose eligible scholarship
recipients.
SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMS
We welcome all suggestions concerning news we should cover in our
newspaper. Please call the Editor
with suggestions at 914-584-6386.
Editor
Joe Parisi
Assistant Editors
Leslie Alpert
Cheryl Parisi
News Reporters / Writers
Joe Parisi, Chief Reporter
James Fair
Tamara Stewart
Sales and Advertising
Darryl Walker, Director
Paul Stewart
Graphic Design
Ashley Covelli
Cheryl Parisi
Member
Sgt. Jennifer Carpenter
Mayor Thomas
suffers major
legal setback
on residency
requirements
O
n Thursday, July 7, Mayor
Richard Thomas suffered a
major legal setback in court
when Justice Robert A. Neary
said that Mount Vernon’s residency requirements are unambiguous, meaning
they are very clear and explicit as written.
Back in March, members of the City
Council attempted to remove several
of the mayor’s appointed commissioners, which included the Police Commissioner, Corporation Counsel, Public
Works Commissioner and others, and
the mayor immediately took the matter
to court to stop their dismissal.
According to the City Charter, any
person who after employment by the
City of Mount Vernon ceases to be an
inhabitant of that part of the County of
Westchester herein above described
shall forfeit his employment.
Now that the judge has given the
City Council clarification on the matter,
will the City Council vote to dismantle
Thomas’ administration by removing all
his commissioners? The issue will certainly be of great concern to a young
mayor trying to move the city forward.
6 l August 2016
INQUIRER
Introduction of new
“Flashback Column”:
Mt. Vernon salutes the legacy
of the Tuskegee Airmen
with historic tribute
(l to r) Antonio Hylton, Dr. Rosco C. Brown, Jr. and Lt. Col. Lee A. “Buddy”
Archer addressing MVHS students.
O
n November 12, 2006, Mount
Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Davis and the Veteran’s Service
Agency paid special tribute to
the Tuskegee Airmen. The Airmen were
the first Americans of African descent
who were trained as pilots, bombardiers,
navigators and support personnel during
World War II. Several Tuskegee Airmen
were recognized in Veteran’s Day events
throughout the city on October 9th.
Prior to 1940, African-Americans were
not permitted to be U.S. military pilots.
Many civil rights organizations, including
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the
black press, and even first lady Eleanor
Roosevelt urged President Franklin D.
Roosevelt to allow black Americans to
have access to aviation training.
In 1941, the U.S. War Department formed
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an all-black combat unit, the 99th Pursuit
Squadron of the Army Air Corps. Between
1942 and 1946, 994 pilots graduated from
the program based at the Tuskegee Army
Air Field. Some 450 of these pilots flew
with the 99th Fighter Squadron, and later
the 332nd Fighter Group. The Tuskegee
Airmen have the distinction of flying more
than 1,500 missions in Europe and North
Africa without any bombers lost to enemy
aircraft.
The Tuskegee Airmen are often considered the early pioneers in the Civil Rights
Movement.
President Harry Truman ended racial segregation within the United States
Armed Forces by Executive Order in 1948.
The program concluded with a reception, after a wonderful day of festivities in
Mount Vernon.
Sports Anchor for FIOS1 News
becomes a Mt. Vernonite
Justin Walters reporting on sports recently
J
ustin Walters, whose parents
have lived in Mount Vernon for 17
years, was recently hired by Regional News Network (located in
Rye Brook) as a Sports Anchor for FIOS1
News. His parents love Mount Vernon, so
it was an easy decision for him to move
back to Mount Vernon. He now joins the
long list of celebrities that call Mount Vernon “home.”
Originally from Mount Vernon, Justin
has always had a passion for news and
sports. Most of his elementary school
teachers would describe him as a chatterbox. No matter the sport, player or topic,
Justin had an opinion on everything. After
being officially introduced to journalism in
high school, Justin knew he wouldn’t need
a back-up plan for his future endeavors.
Justin graduated from La Salle University with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast
journalism. While in school, he was eager
to learn everything in journalism from print
and digital to broadcast. This desire led
him to obtain both an Executive Producer/Anchor position for a television show
(Sportsline) and sports editor role for the
school newspaper (The Collegian). In addition, Justin had successful internships
with the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports
Network and WABC-TV in New York.
Upon graduation, he was offered a
dream opportunity to work for NBC as an
affiliate producer during the 2012 London
Olympics. Justin used those skills along
with a short stint with Comcast Sportsnet
Philadelphia to land a Sports Director/Reporter position with WBBJ-TV in Jackson,
Tn.
His leap of faith to venture down South
in 2013 paid off nearly three years later.
Justin was offered a Sports Anchor position with WRNN/FiOS1 in the No. 1 television market (New York City).
Justin is elated to return to back home.
His family and friends don’t have to check
their email for clips or recaps. They can
see him in real time.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading,
watching movies, speaking to kids, working out and spending time with family and
friends. He’s also a big television show
junkie: The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of
Thrones, House of Cards – you name it.
Justin is a proud member of The National Association of Black Journalists and
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Journalism is an industry that was made
for Justin. He loves to tell stories, not just
highlights.
He aspires to inspire. His main goal is to
break the glass ceiling and leave a footprint for other journalists to follow.
Those readers that have Verizon, you
can see Justin live on weekdays at 5:40
p.m.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
H
ello Mr. Parisi:
Thank you so much for
the feature. I am so proud
to say I am on the front
cover of the Mount Vernon Inquirer.
In fact, I am so excited that I’ve been
passing the copies out at my lemonade stand.
I am surprised at how many of my
customers have already read it and
at how many new customers are
(l to r) Antonio Hylton, Mayor Davis, Lt. Col. Lee A. “Buddy” Archer, Jr. and
Dr. Rosco C. Brown, Jr.
flocking to taste my delicious lemonade. This has been a great experience. I can’t thank you enough.
PS: You might be hearing from me
again soon with another story. I’ve
started a community cleanup and it
is known as the Mount Vernon Community Cleanup Crew (MVCCC) and
it is underway!
Jade Thompson
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
7 l August 2016
Mt. Vernon Youth Bureau hosts more than 200 youth
for summer employment
Young job applicants being sworn in by City Clerk George Brown
O
ver 230 of the city’s youth were
sworn in at the Mount Vernon
Youth Bureau’s orientation
on Tuesday, June 28, in front
of City Hall plaza. Due to the financial
support from the city, plus grants and
donations from various sources, Mount
Vernon youth ages 14-21 were able to
be placed in local businesses, government offices, summer camps, healthcare
and childcare facilities for six weeks at
$9.00 per hour during the summer.
Mayor Richard Thomas, Comptroller
Maureen Walker and City Council President Marcus Griffith greeted the youth.
Among the officials present was City
Clerk George Brown, who swore in over
230 youth confirming that they would
work hard as agents of the City and
make their community proud.
During the press conference, Dena Williams, Deputy Director of the Youth Bureau, Debbie Butler, Youth Employment
Service Coordinator and Tiffany Morris,
Summer Program Director, congratulated the youth who were interviewed and
selected to work, and reminded them
that they represent not only themselves
and their families, but also the great City
of Mount Vernon.
Each year, the Bureau struggles to
secure funding to support youth placement during the summer. However, there
are various funding sources from local,
county, state, and federal governments
that support the summer job programs,
which include, but are not limited to, the
New York State Department of Labor,
the Westchester County Board of Legislators, the Mount Vernon Urban Renewal Agency, the Westchester/Putnam
Local Workforce Development Board
and the Westchester Department of Social Services. Elected officials such as
NYS Assemblyman Gary Pretlow and
Westchester County Legislator Lyndon
After having been sworn in, the youth gathered on the steps of City Hall
for a photo op
Dena Williams, Deputy Director of the Youth Bureau
City Clerk George Brown swearing in the large gathering of young
job applicants
Williams have advocated for increased
funds for the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau to operate this year.
“The City of Mount Vernon will continue to look for more funding opportunities to give our youth a chance at earning
money, gaining experience, and staying
off the streets. We stretched our dollars
to hire 50 more youth and will continue
to advocate on more city investment in
these programs. As our numbers grow,
we will find more ways to engage with
local stakeholders to ensure that even
more teenagers are able to work over
the summer. Mount Vernon is moving
forward and we look forward to hosting even more teens next summer,” said
Mayor Thomas.
“The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau
works diligently to provide our young
people with the skills, attitudes and
competencies required to enter the
workforce. After-school and summer
jobs allow the youth to gain the necessary skills to meet 21st Century job demands,” said DaMia Harris-Madden,
Executive Director of the Mount Vernon
Youth Bureau.
For further information regarding the
2016 Summer Employment, please contact Debbie Butler at (914) 665-2346 or
dburrell@cmvny.com. Visit the website
at http://youth.cmvny.com or Facebook:
www.facebook.com/mvyouthbureau.
INQUIRER
8 l August 2016
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2016 Summer Breeze Concert Series kicks off at Hartley Park
M
SAGE during their performance
ount Vernonites flocked to
Hartley Park to enjoy the kick
off of this year’s exciting Summer Breeze Concert Series on
Saturday, July 2, which was fueled by the
impeccable jazz of SAGE and the dynamic
jazz sounds of Rocky Middleton and his
band.
Under the new administration of Mayor Richard Thomas, the Summer Breeze
Concert Series has moved from City Hall
Plaza to Hartley Park, which seems to be
a better setting for the popular summer
weekly venue.
Acting as the MC for the kick-off of the
2016 series was Councilman Yuhanna
Edwards. And when he introduced some
of the dignitaries in attendance he made
it known that Mayor Thomas was out of
town and was not able to attend the concert.
Despite being just 4.4 square miles,
Mount Vernon runs the gamut from quiet
suburban retreat to a densely populated
urban city center. Throughout the year,
Mount Vernon holds several events that
are a draw for visitors, but there is one
concert series that entertains Mount Vernonites and outsiders alike all summer
long - the Summer Breeze Concert Series.
A major role player in the success of the
Summer Breeze Concert Series is Sheryl
Brownlee-Fox, who is the coordinator of
the weekly concerts. When introduced by
Edwards, she received a very warm ovation from the enthusiastic crowd.
The Summer Breeze Concert Series’
popularity continues to escalate and the
impact can be felt throughout the entire
summer.
The hundreds that attend the weekly
concerts are part of Mount Vernon’s large
population of hip and music-savvy music
people, and when a cancellation takes
place, some get very upset. So the weather is always a big factor for the popular
outdoor venue.
Those that attended the July 2 concert
were pleasantly surprised, since the venue
included a very gifted homegrown Mount
Vernon artist.
The concert opened with a performance
by Baba Abishai Ben Reuben, who has
been an activist, educator and healer for
nearly 30 years. He is the elder percussionist of the Akosua Living Legend Afrikan Drum and Dance Troupe and of the
Sounds of Afrika group.
Next on the agenda was the group
known around the world as SAGE.
There comes a time when all the elements of excellence converge under the
Rocky Middleton
Abishai Ben Reuben (l) awed the crowd with his African drum during his
opening performance
The crowd was treated to free refreshments
Rocky Middleton and his band thrilling the audience
same domain and produce an incomparable result, never before experienced.
SAGE, the all-women’s jazz, blues and
contemporary ensemble, has dared to rise
to this historic place in music with a sound
that transcends time and generation. Part
contemporary, part sassy, part nostalgic,
these ladies deliver what every music audience is looking for, the best in the art.
And the Hartley Park audience could not
get enough of these ladies – giving them a
standing ovation at the conclusion of their
Continued on page 9
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performance.
Closing the concert was Mount
Vernon’s own, Rocky Middleton, who
began playing acoustic bass at the
age of 21. Growing up in Mount Vernon, he was inspired by listening to
gospel, jazz, R&B and attending live
performances. While abroad, he has
performed in concerts and conducted
workshops for the local youth, as well
9 l August 2016
as seasoned musicians. As an ambassador of music, he has performed in
Africa and Europe and has since returned to his native Mount Vernon
to once again share his talent in his
hometown.
Thanks to Rocky Middleton and
SAGE, the 2016 Summer Breeze Concert Series in Mount Vernon kicked off
to a great start.
Development at 42 W. Broad
Street to commence after legal
challenges are dropped
Sheryl Brownlee-Fox, coordinator of the Summer Breeze Concert
Series, addressing the crowd prior to the start of the concert
F
The crowd enjoying the concert at its new location
T
A rendition of the 42 W. Broad Street project in Mount Vernon
inally, after many legal delays,
the proposed apartment tower
scheduled for development at 42
W. Broad Street in Fleetwood will
soon become a reality. An appeal by two
plaintiffs has been dropped and the New
York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division just recently approved the appeal’s
withdrawal.
The two plaintiffs, Ralph Della Cava and
Joseph Simone, had asked the State Supreme Court to rescind the Mount Vernon
City Council’s approval of the residential
tower. A previous lawsuit filed by others to
stop the project was unsuccessful.
The Alexander Development Group held
an elaborate groundbreaking ceremony
this past January, but the unexpected litigation stalled the development of the project, which upon completion will become a
luxury 249 unit-apartment complex.
The $85-million residential tower will
include plans to demolish a supermarket
and renovate the Fleetwood Garage.
According to the plaintiffs, the City
Council’s approval of the transfer of the
garage to Alexander Development Group
required a super-majority four-fifths vote
under the City Charter.
The lawsuit was triggered by a September 23, 2015 City Council vote of 3-2 in
favor of the transfer resolution, but it was
marked as not passing, according to the
plaintiffs. Consequently, the transfer resolution went before the City Council again
the following month and it was adopted by
a 3-1 vote, which once again failed to satisfy the super-majority requirement of the
City Charter, according to the plaintiffs.
Court upholds Mayor Thomas’ executive powers
he office of Mount Vernon Mayor
Richard Thomas released the following statement in response
to the recent decision of Acting
Supreme Court Judge Robert Neary in
Thomas v. Wallace:
This was a major victory in recognizing
the executive authority of the mayor to review and authorize the city’s expenditures.
The court upheld the mayoral power to
control the purse and to sign checks and
further refused to review the mayoral power over appointments. As we head into
preparations for the 2017 budget, we will
continue to closely examine the spending
and waste of the past and prepare a functional and prudent budget for the future of
the city.
The court has returned the issue on the
Third Street Firehouse Emergency Operations Center to the City of Mount Vernon
to evaluate and appropriately decide payment although the judge reiterated that
Andre Wallace may not use his powers
as an elected official to advocate for payment, sign off on invoices, or in any way
influence the city’s decision. The city will
require Wallace, as CEO of Creative Con-
struction and Design, to provide certified
payrolls and documentation in accordance with New York State law, before
any payment is rendered. We look forward
to receiving proof of prevailing wage from
Wallace.
We will continue to proactively engage
with the community and stakeholders to
bring accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility to Mount Vernon. We are
a community on the rise and Mount Vernon is moving forward.”
Mayor Richard Thomas said, “I am enjoying a growing relationship with the City
Council, including co-hosting biweekly
meetings on Memorial Field. Prior to litigation, I made attempts to form a collaborative working relationship with the City
Council by inviting them to weekly meetings. Recently, they have accepted two of
my invitations and appear to be onboard
with supporting our agenda to improve the
quality of life for the City of Mount Vernon.
I am pleased Judge Neary recognizes our
authority to fiscally manage the city. We
will continue to move Mount Vernon forward.”
INQUIRER
10 l August 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
als at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. It
was her first attempt at making the United
States Olympic team.
Allyson Felix, the four-time Olympic gold
medalist who was making a highly publicized bid to pursue Olympic titles in both
the 200 and 400, was fourth with a time
of 22.54.
“I just find it hard to believe that I was
able to beat the one runner I have idolized
since I was a very young girl – Allyson Felix. The victory was surreal,” said Stevens.
“Well, she is still running in the 400, which
is good for our team and our country.”
“I didn’t see myself here, even a couple
of months ago,” Stevens said. “I just told
myself to give it my all.” She did, and it
turned out to be good enough not only to
make the team but also to finish in front
of Felix.Stevens has been running since
she was eleven years old and has been a
member of the Hall’s Express Track and
Field Team, based in Mount Vernon, where
she has been under the tutelage of coach
Anthony Hall since she started running.
Stevens is a world-class track and field
star and currently a rising senior at University of Oregon. Born in 1995, she wanted
to quit running, but her mother seeing her
potential, made her stick it out. That decision quickly paid off when Stevens made
the finals of the Junior Olympics in just her
second year competing. She has since
won 7 New York State championship titles
in multiple events, and is an eight time US
national champion. Her national championship victories in the 200 Meters, the 4 x
400 Meters and the distance medley have
put her on the world stage.
“Although Stevens has excelled, I am
always struggling to get her teammates to
succeed, since many of them are young,
come from disenfranchised families and
funding is always a major obstacle. We try
to get them ready for high school competition at a very young age, so their track and
field experience is a lot smoother for them
when they get to high school. At that level,
funding is no longer an issue for them,”
said Hall, who is assisted by Mervyn Francis.
Deajah Stevens (c) fighting to make the US Olympic team
S
Deajah Stevens’ teammates at Mount High School with their coaches,
Anthony Hall (l) and Mervyn Francis (r)
A sculptured Deajah Stevens shown close to the finish line at the
US Olympic Trials
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson leaving Senate
to join Cuomo administration
enator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
has decided to leave her position
as a NY State Senator and take a
position with the Cuomo administration. It was a difficult decision, since
she has represented the 36th Senate District, which runs through the Bronx and
into Mount Vernon, her hometown. “After
16 years, I feel the time has come for me
to move on,” said Hassell-Thompson.
Hassell-Thompson will be leaving an
impressive legacy of law making that now
has, and will have, a direct impact on every New Yorker for the foreseeable future.
“I want the individual who replaces
me to take the mantle to Albany and not
just the Bronx,” she emphasized. “Under
Cuomo, I will serve as a special advisor
for policy and community affairs of state
Homes and Community Renewal, and will
seek to help Mount Vernon as much as I
possibly can in this area.” Her Senate seat
will open up in November when it will be
one of 63 seats up for grabs in the closely
divided chamber.
She recently ran for mayor of Mount
Vernon and was not successful, so that
defeat made her decision to leave the
Senate a lot easier.
Her early announcement is intended
to eliminate confusion. “I want people to
know I am not running in the fall,” said
Hassell-Thompson.
During her 16 year tenure with the New
York State Legislature, Senator HassellThompson has brought millions of dollars
to the Bronx and the City of Mount Vernon. These monies have improved conditions and the infrastructure in the district’s
fire departments, elementary schools,
HIV/AIDS Programs, the Bronx Zoo, the
Botanical Gardens and scores of organizations dedicated to improving the quality
of life in those communities.
Many will miss her.
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INQUIRER
11 l August 2016
Former Mt. Vernon Water Commissioner headed to prison
Former Water Commissioner
Anthony Bove
A
close of friend of former Mount
Vernon mayor Ernest D. Davis,
Anthony Bove, the former Commissioner of the Board of Water
Supply of the City of Mount Vernon, was
sentenced on Friday, July 8, to 15 months
in prison for soliciting a $10,000 bribe
from an employee of the Water Department, and lying to federal law enforce-
ment officers when Bove was interviewed
during the investigation, according to Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for
the Southern District of New York.
Bove pled guilty in White Plains federal
court on March 22, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti, who imposed the sentence. In sentencing Bove,
Judge Briccetti described Bove’s conduct
as “a disgrace.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge
Briccetti ordered Bove to pay a $10,000
fine and a $200 special assessment fee.
Bove also was sentenced to two years of
supervised release.
According to the obtained information,
statements made in open court, and other
documents in the public record:
Bove was the Commissioner of the Water Department. The City of Mount Vernon
annually receives in excess of $10,000
in federal funds from the United States
government. The Water Department is
responsible for serving city residents by,
among other things, monitoring and treating the city’s water supply, repairing water main leaks, and reading water meters
and generating water bills. In accordance
with the City Charter, the Commissioner of
the Water Department is appointed by the
city’s mayor, serves at the mayor’s pleasure, and reports directly to the mayor as
Priscilla Edmund honored
by The First Reformed Church
of Mt. Vernon
Priscilla Edmund reading a prepared
speech during her retirement dinner
O
n Monday, July 25, one of Mount
Vernon’s most tenacious and
hard-working seniors received
a well-deserved honor. The First
Reformed Church hosted a retirement dinner for Priscilla Edmund who volunteered
for 10 years in their soup kitchen and food
pantry.
Priscilla, as she is affectionately called,
always arrived early and left late. She has
always been faithful and diligent in all the
tasks she carries out.
Edmund not only talks the talk, but she
walks the walk. She can be seen walking
all over Mount Vernon in her effort to help
those in need.
Edmund is 93 years old, but she is
young at heart. She is witty, vivacious and
extremely competent. She is also a member of Macedonia Baptist Church, Church
Women United and various organizations.
She is known as a trailblazer who works
quietly behind the scenes.
She has been a resident of Macedonia
Towers for almost 20 years and acts as a
liaison to expedite many services. She assisted the fire department in a project to
identify seniors that lived in the building
with disabilities and special needs.
In addition, she was instrumental in
starting health fairs for seniors monthly;
disseminated information and caused
awareness of the food pantries and programs and also facilitated meetings with
appointed and elected officials for residents of Macedonia Towers.
On the national scene, she marched in
Washington D.C. to protest the cutting
of senior health care. She also marched
in Albany with Local 1199 for seniors and
members of the union. Edmond has the
ability to bring senior issues to the forefront.
Her parents provided her with a loving
environment with a meager income. But
what her parents, Rev. Charlie and Betty
Edmund, taught her was to work hard and
have faith in God. She is a guardian angel
to many and a friend to most. Her motto
is, “If what I do does not help to make life
better for others, I have not fulfilled my life
assignment.”
the head of one of the city’s departments.
In the spring of 2015, while serving as
the Water Commissioner, Bove solicited
a $10,000 bribe from a Water Department
employee in exchange for approving the
employee’s promotion within the Water
Department. The employee, who was
serving in a provisional capacity as the
bookkeeper of the Water Department, had
passed a civil service bookkeeping examination in order to become eligible for
a permanent bookkeeping position at the
Water Department.
After receiving the test results, the employee completed the necessary form to
apply for the permanent bookkeeping position, and submitted it to Bove for his approval and signature, which was required
for the promotion to occur.
Bove did not approve the application;
instead, on April 14, 2015, Bove told the
employee to meet him at Memorial Field
in Mount Vernon. At Memorial Field, Bove
conveyed to the employee that he would
not approve the employee’s promotion
unless the employee gave Bove $10,000,
and that the employee could give Bove
half ($5,000) up front and pay the balance
later. Bove said that he would accept the
remaining payments on installment: “So
give me like, f-ing like 20 dollars every fing paycheck or whatever, you know.”
Following the April 14 meeting, Bove
called the employee on multiple occasions
to ask whether and when the employee
would pay him. The employee did not
make any payments to Bove and the employee’s application form seeking the permanent bookkeeping position remained
unapproved for months. Ultimately, in the
fall of 2015, after Mount Vernon’s incumbent mayor was defeated in the primary
for the mayoral election and prior to the
change in administration (which resulted
in Bove being replaced as Water Commissioner), Bove signed the form approving
the employee’s promotion, without having
obtained any payment from the employee.
On December 7, 2015, a Special Agent
from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Office of Inspector
General, and a Criminal Investigator from
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York interviewed Bove
in connection with a federal investigation
into whether Bove had attempted to extort
the employee. During the interview, Bove
lied to the investigating agents, stating,
in sum and substance, that he had never
asked for money to approve a job promotion for anyone in his department.
Mt. Vernon native Anne Phillips
passes at 99
L
ongtime
Mount Vernon
resident Anne
Phillips was an
unsentimental
woman with an incredible
passion
for life. She was
a political human
being. She went to
Brooklyn College and studied science, a
rare thing for a woman born to a working
class family in 1917. She broke gender
barriers in her career as a biochemist before she married, in 1951. She continued
her fight for peace and equality throughout her life with her time, her boundless
energy and her money. She returned to
work in the NYC schools, mentoring students in her junior high school laboratory.
She moved, with her husband, Bob, to
Lenox, Massachusetts in 1999 where she
enjoyed the music and lectures, tended
the plant room and enjoyed time with her
children and grandchildren. She loved
gardening and hiking and was an avid
bicyclist and hiker in her youth. She continued walking in the neighborhood and
nature preserves until she was 94.
Anne leaves her son, Carl Phillips,
daughter, Deborah Phillips and her husband Bill Cooke, her grandchildren, Gordon Wikle and Jessica Wikle, and loving
extended family and friends.
Her husband, Bob, and her two brothers, Mac and Will, predeceased her.
You can honor her memory by keeping Trump out of the White House and by
making a donation to Construct, Inc. or
Southern Poverty Law Center.
12 l August 2016
INQUIRER
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Mt. Vernonites celebrate Independence Day at St. Paul’s Church
John Banning, Jr.
Mayor Richard Thomas
n a sunny and picture perfect
day, Monday, July 4, over 100
people flocked to the old village green opposite St. Paul’s
Church in Mount Vernon to celebrate this
year’s 240th anniversary of American independence.
The program featured music, a reading
of the Declaration of Independence and
the tolling 13 times (saluting the original
states) of the St. Paul’s bronze church bell,
which was cast in 1758.
Rosemarie Cornacchio served as the
Mistress of Ceremonies, like she has for
the last several years.
The program opened with the Invocation, provided by Rev. Arthur Thomas, from
Oneness Rehoboth Apostolic Church.
Next, a wreath was placed by the flagpole on the village green by Mayor Richard Thomas and Jim Killoran.
Cornacchio had the distinction of introducing Mayor Richard Thomas, who was
making his first appearance at the annual
ceremony as Mount Vernon’s new mayor.
“Our city played a founding role in establishing these United States and that
explains why Mount Vernon’s identity is
“inextricably intertwined” with a spirit of
passionate debate. It started here and our
“Liberty Bell” continues to ring at St. Paul’s
Church centuries later,” said Thomas.
Next to the podium was David Osborn,
who spoke about St. Paul’s rich history,
followed by the guest speaker, Jim Killoran, CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Westchester County.
Peter Lawrence and his band next
played a wonderful selection enjoyed immensely by the crowd.
Next to the podium was John Banning,
Jr., whose family has read the Declaration
of Independence on July 4th for the last
134th consecutive years on the village
green in front of St. Paul’s Church National
Historic Site. His son is expected to continue the tradition after him.
This year, Banning, an art dealer who
was born in Mount Vernon and now lives
in Manhattan, stood on a flag-draped dais
with the mayor and others. He read from
a tattered 1879 history book, which was
passed on from his grandfather, who died
in 1924. Scrawled on the book’s back
page was a note from his grandmother
urging her son to continue the tradition.
As he read, those sitting on folding
chairs in front of the stone church, which
was completed in 1787, could easily feel a
part of history.
O
David Osborn
Jim Killoran was the keynote speaker
Rosemarie Cornacchio served as the Mistress of Ceremonies
The Peter Lawrence Jazz Band
(l to r) Jim Killoran and Mayor Thomas placing a wreath at the base of the
flagpole located on the village green
Once he finished reading, there was a
bell salute to the original thirteen states by
Ulysses A. Bullock – a tolling of the Freedom Bell in the church tower.
Following the ceremony many enjoyed
free refreshments and cookies, while others toured St. Paul’s Church, the museum
and historic cemetery.
Conspicuously missing this year was
elected and appointed officials from
Mount Vernon, with the exception of Mayor Thomas and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow.
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INQUIRER
13 l August 2016
“Progression in Session” workshop held at Unity
Baptist Tabernacle
Dr. Ryan (center) is surround by those that attended the workshop
A
dynamic workshop was held on
July 8, at Unity Baptist Tabernacle to launch the upcoming
12-session “Progression in Session” course, which will begin on July 15,
at 7:00 p.m. at the same church.
A former student, Benita Taylor, read
Scriptures. The pastor of the church, Rev.
Edward Mulraine said the opening prayer.
In addition, he also extended a heartfelt
welcome to everyone, and his genuine
support for “Progression in Session” and
having the course taught at his church.
Community leaders who were invited
were an integral part of the workshop.
They truly enhanced the interest of all
attending. Shawyn Patterson-Howard,
Commissioner of the Mount Vernon City
Planning Department set the atmosphere
with her transparent opening remarks.
Moreover, she spoke to the need of such
a program in our community.
City Councilwoman Roberta Appuzo,
who has shared at several past workshops supporting the program, extended
encouraging comments, and City Councilwoman Lisa Copeland also gave expressions of enthusiastic support.
All of these community leaders have
seen the transformative life of Dr. Ryan
(the founder of “Progression in Session”)
and are witnessing her giving back to her
community
The Honorable Nichelle Johnson,
Westchester’s “Telehealth”
Program for Seniors wins
national award
W
estchester
County’s
TIPS program – or
Telehealth Intervention
Program for Seniors
– has been selected for a 2016
National Association of Counties
(NACo) Achievement Award, County Executive Robert P. Astorino announced. The award comes as TIPS
marks a major milestone providing
its 20,000th monitoring service to
one of the more than 600 seniors
participating in seven sites throughout Westchester.
“TIPS empowers seniors be active partners in their own health
care,” Astorino said. “Our goal is to
help them manage their own condi-
tions, avoid emergency situations
and reduce unplanned hospital visits. Skyrocketing healthcare costs
require us to be innovative, and
TIPS is at the forefront. We like to
say that TIPS is ‘high-tech and hightouch’ because it combines the best
of both worlds for the benefit of our
seniors.”
The NACo Achievement Awards
are given for innovative program
implementation in more than 20
categories, ranging from arts and
historic preservation to health and
volunteerism. The award will be
presented at the 81st NACo Annual
Conference and Exposition in Long
Beach, California from July 22-25.
(l to r) Dr. Ryan and Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo
Mount Vernon City Court Judge, made
compelling, convincing, and compassionate statements about Dr. Ryan’s journey.
Judge Johnson is married to Dr. Ryan’s
brother, Brother Arthur Muhammed. In her
comments, she extended strong words of
hope for the future of the “Progression in
Session” program. She enlightened those
in attendance on the nutritional value of
“navy bean” soup, which she had brought
for all to taste. She then introduced Dr.
Ryan to facilitate the panel discussion.
The informative panel was made up of
four esteemed guest speakers. Each individual provided essential information in his
or her respective professional fields.
Delia Farquharson (LMSW) a Concierge
Therapist, discussed the concept of healing known as “mindfulness.” She provided a dynamic and engaging exercise for
the participants. Elaine Bryant (LMSW)
discussed the essential values that spirituality has had on persons in their recovery
process and at outpatient programs. Professor Robert L. Tate, instructor of Social
Sciences at the College of New Rochelle
(School of New Resources), spoke on
the value of education in today’s society.
Rev. Dr. Ryan shared the vision God has
given her regarding an innovative solution/
recovery option that can have a powerful
impact on the church, community and culture.
Inspirational comments were then given
from former students, and opportunities
were extended for individuals to continue
their spiritual and academic growth and
development by registering for the upcoming 12-session course.
The evening ended with an illuminating closing prayer where all could truly
feel God’s presence. Bro. Augustine Boteng, a local preacher at Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church, said a powerful
prayer.
Everyone indulged in food, fun, and fellowship. This was an indeed a dynamic
workshop. Dr. Ryan is extremely indebted to her team members who have supported “Progression in Session” from its
inception, from the incubator phase all the
way to an innovative in-class reality, blessing many individuals.
INQUIRER
14 l August 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Mount Vernon CityFest presents “Arts On Third”
F
riends of Mount Vernon Arts
Recreation & Youth Programs
(FMVARYP) in collaboration
with the City of Mount Vernon, NY – the Honorable Richard
Thomas, Mayor, proudly invites the
public to attend the 15th Annual
Mount Vernon CityFest: presents
“Arts On Third” on Sunday, September 18, 2016, from 2:00 p.m.
until 7:00 p.m. Rain date: Sunday,
September 25, 2016, same time/
same place. The event will be held
on East Third Street between Union
and South Fifth Avenues.
Arts on Third brings the City of
Mount Vernon six blocks of fun-filled
activities and excitement each year.
Original art, art lectures and demonstrations, two continuous stages
with live entertainment, vendors,
two international food courts, health
screenings, sports activities, and a
children’s lane will be offered. Billy
Mitchell, aka: Mr. Apollo will once
again host a Mini Amateur Night with
Mitchell aka: The Executioner. The
festival brings creative talent and the
public together to generate an artistic backdrop for the proposed Third
Street Arts District. Visual Artists will
lace the street creating an outdoor
art gallery, as well as a pedestrian
mall of merchandise vendors, as the
main stage boasts a continuous array of stellar performers. Watch out
for the performance lineup.
Montefiore will serve as the festival’s top sponsor for the third year
in a row and Montefiore Mount Vernon will again spearhead the popular HEALTH PAVILION - a centrally
located section of the Festival that
will feature health screening, healthy
cooking demonstrations, fun physical activity such as yoga and Zumba, and plenty of prevention and
primary/specialty care information
along with many other local health
care providers. There will be free on
site health screenings/educational
material and private consultations
with health care professionals. We
want a healthy Mount Vernon and
we stand to bring the best resources
to the forefront in partnership with
Montefiore.
Sponsors: The Festival is made
possible through the following contributors: Friends of Mount Vernon
Arts Recreation & Youth Programs
(FMVARYP), City of Mount Vernon
NY, Montefiore, Wartburg, Action
Novelty; Ashanti Express, Camelot
Funeral Home, Care Plus Solutions,
Disability Management Associates,
Entergy, Estella’s Naturals, Franciscan Mission Associates, Harris
Dacosta, Ice Hutch, I’m Beautifully
Created IBC. LLC; King Chef Halal,
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Mount Vernon Public Library,
Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, MVP
Health Care, Planned Parenthood,
RCA Asphalt LLC, Sharon Lavonne
Products, Silk Flowers of Care Fuller
Creations, Soaps and Lathers LLC,
Starlight Beauty Salon, Stones With
A Twist, Tai Tree, Westchester Educational Opportunity Center to list a
few.
Back by popular demand, a second round of Arts On Third Auditions
will be held on Wednesday, August 10th and Friday, August 12th,
2016, 4pm-7pm at The Doles Center, 250 South 6th Avenue, Mount
Vernon, New York 10550. For additional information, please contact
Jacene Thomas at JaceneMedia@
gmail.com and check us on the
web at www.ArtsOnThird.org or call
914.363.0656.
To see how much Arts On Third
has to offer . . . check us on the web
at www.ArtsOnThird.org. For additional information, please contact
Diane Atkins, Event Organizer at
914.665.2316 and/or datkins@cmvny.com (Mount Vernon Department
of Recreation). For vendor opportunity, please contact Tamarris Lewis
at 914.665.2871 and/or tlewis@
cmvny.com.
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INQUIRER
15 l August 2016
16 l August 2016
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17 l August 2016
18 l August 2016
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19 l August 2016
INQUIRER
20 l August 2016
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Astorino encourages donations to Westchester’s “Backpacks
To School”
school leaders to save the date for this
year’s Dads Take Your Child to School
Day, taking place September 20, 2016.
The event serves as a kickoff for fathers
to be more involved in their children’s
schooling all throughout the year, offering
opportunities for dads to sign up to volunteer, serve on PTAs, receive informational
mailings and more. Ask your school about
any special activities planned for the day.
The countywide coordination is part of
Astorino’s #DadBeThere fatherhood initiative, which aims to actively engage fathers
in all aspects of their children’s lives.
“It’s a fact: kids do better in school
when dads are involved,” Astorino said.
“Show your kids you care. Be there. And
keep that momentum going all throughout
the school year to help them succeed.”
Operation Backpack collection bins will
be set up throughout the county, including:
Some of last year’s volunteers displaying hundreds of backpacks
C
ounty Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced that
Westchester County is once
again teaming up with The Sharing Shelf, a program of Family Services
of Westchester (FSW), to collect and distribute school supplies so that children in
need can start the school year ready to
learn. This year people can donate online
at www.fsw.org/backpacks or see the list
below for the nearest drop-off location.
“Since launching our backpack partnership, we have helped give vital school
supplies to thousands of children in Westchester County,” said Astorino. “As always, our goal is to help as many children
as we can.”
Backpacks to School is a collaboration
between The Sharing Shelf and the county’s Department of Social Services. Local
businesses have also opened their doors
and will serve as drop-off sites for donations.
“We can buy and fill a backpack for
$25,” said Deborah Blatt, of The Sharing
Shelf. “This year, we’ve made it easy and
created a special link that allows people
to help us purchase everything at www.
fsw.org/backpacks. We’ve seen an increase in demand each summer for new
school supplies and backpacks. We need
the community’s support to make a positive difference in the lives of local children,
many of who would otherwise start school
without the basics.”
Susan B. Wayne, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Family Services of
Westchester, said: “Being able to provide
children with these much needed supplies
cannot be overstated. Family Services of
Westchester is proud to be working with
County Executive Astorino and the many
other community partners who are all
working toward the shared goal of helping
our children.”
For more information about Backpacks to School, contact Deborah Blatt
of The Sharing Shelf at (914) 305-5950
or thesharingshelf@fsw.org; or Joseph D.
Kenner or Bryan Paler of the Department
of Social Services at (914) 995-3287, (914)
995-3987 or JKenner@westchestergov.
com.
Astorino also encouraged fathers and
Government Offices
estchester County Michaelian Office
W
Building
148 Martine Avenue, White Plains
(914) 995-2100
epartment of Social Services (DSS)
D
Central Office
112 East Post Road, White Plains
(914) 995-5000
Mount Vernon District Office (DSS)
100 East First St, Mount Vernon
(914) 813-6164
Peekskill District Office (DSS)
750 Washington St., Peekskill
(914) 862-5078
White Plains District Office (DSS)
85 Court St., White Plains
(914) 995-5889
Yonkers District Office (DSS)
31 Warburton Av. Yonkers
(914) 231-2653
Nonprofits
amily Services of Westchester – Main
F
Office
One Gateway Plaza, 4th floor, Port
Chester
(914) 305-6825
amily Services of Westchester – PelF
ham
507 Fifth Ave., Pelham
(914) 738-1728
Family Services of Westchester
Lanza Center for All Ages
106 North Broadway, White Plains
914-305-6875
Businesses
Broken Bow Brewery
173 Marbledale Rd, Tuckahoe
(914) 268-0900
Miller’s Toys
335 Mamaroneck Avenue, Mamaroneck
(914) 698-5070
Sportech
124 S Ridge St, Rye Brook, NY 10573
(914) 934-0001
PM Pediatrics – Mamaroneck
620 East Boston Post Road, Mama
roneck
(914) 777-5437
PM Pediatrics – Yonkers
2290 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers
(914) 337-5437
Vision of Tomorrow
132 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont
(914) 834-4052
Voracious Reader
1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont
(914) 630-4581
U.S. Conference of Mayors names Mayor Thomas winner
of the 2016 Small Business Advocate Award
T
he U.S. Conference of Mayors named Mount Vernon
Mayor Richard Thomas the
2016 winner of the “Small
Business Advocate Award”. This
award is given annually to a mayor
who has shown significant effort and
support for small businesses in his
city.
Mayor Thomas said, “I am honored to be selected as the 2016 Small
Business Advocate by my fellow mayors. Our small businesses are the
backbone of our economy. They work
hard, give back to the community, and
keep our economic engine running.
My administration is committed to
continuing to advocate for our small
businesses including putting forth
a “ground floor” tax break for retail
and developing a local film office that
provides benefits to area businesses.
Through new incentives we will create
jobs, attract start-ups, and help existing businesses flourish in the great
City of Mount Vernon.”
The award is given by Partner
America, a public-private partnership
that was created by The US Conference of Mayors to assist mayors in
providing the resources and information small businesses need to thrive
within their local communities and the
global economy. The U.S. Conference
of Mayors is the official nonpartisan
organization of cities with populations
of 30,000 or more. There are nearly
1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in
the Conference by its chief elected
official, the mayor. The award will be
given to Mayor Thomas in a ceremony
at a later date.
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
21 l August 2016
Jim and Annie Kiselak’s
Natural Food Column
Alternative Medicine
Options
Direct from the sunny island of
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Joe Parisi
One in three fish sold at
restaurants and grocery
stores is mislabeled
There are so many fish in the sea.
But from a diner’s viewpoint, peering down at a sliver of white fish
atop a bed of sushi rice, a lot of
them look the same.
Now, a report from the ocean conservation group Oceana confirms
that there’s a pretty decent chance
that fish on the plate or on ice in the
seafood case is not what it’s labeled
to be. That means that seafood wallet cards designed by conservation
groups to help steer consumers towards sustainable choices may not
be doing much good.
Between 2010 and 2012, Oceana
took 1,215 seafood samples from
674 retail outlets in 21 states. When
they tested the DNA, they found
that 33 percent were mislabeled.
Sushi vendors and grocery stores
were the most likely outlets to sell
mislabeled food, though Oceana
says the fraud can happen before it
reaches them.
Earlier investigations by Oceana
and The Boston Globe revealed that
seafood mislabeling is common in
cities like New York and Boston,
where people eat a lot of fish. But
the report out Thursday shows it’s
happening across the country, and
is as bad or worse in places like
Texas and Colorado. Some 49 percent of the retail outlets sampled in
Austin and Houston sold mislabeled
seafood, while 36 percent in Colorado did so.
So what’s the big deal with fish
sold under a pseudonym? Well, for
one, it’s often just a form of swindling – a cheap fish like tilapia sold
as red snapper. But Oceana says
the practice also can put consumers at health risk when species like
king mackerel, which is high in mercury, or escolar, which contains a
naturally occurring toxin than can
cause gastrointestinal problems,
are marketed as grouper and white
tuna, respectively.
Oceana’s also concerned that
substituting cheaper, easier-to-find
fish for rarer, more valuable ones
gives consumers a distorted sense
of the market. Of the fish types most
heavily sampled by Oceana, those
sold as snapper and tuna had the
highest mislabeling rates — 87 and
59 percent. Only seven of the 120
samples of red snapper purchased
nationwide were actually red snapper, the report found.
“The majority of fraud is various
fish standing in for snapper – it’s
used as catch-all name for all kinds
of white fleshed fish,” says Oceana
senior scientist Kimberly Warner.
“But there are real conservation
concerns when you slip in things in
place of the real thing. People think
snapper must be doing great because it’s everywhere, but it’s overfished.”
Consumers using wallet cards
from groups like the Monterey Bay
Aquarium and NRDC could end up
buying exactly the species they’re
trying to avoid, Warner says, because mislabeling is so prevalent.
One reason mislabeling has gotten so rampant is that the U.S. now
imports 90 percent of its seafood
and less than 2 percent is inspected for fraud. That means would-be
fraudsters have a lot new options for
substitutions. The Food and Drug
Administration regularly updates its
list of seafood approved for sale –
in 2012 alone, 19 new species were
added to the list, including cornet
fish, sampa and claresse.
So what’s the government or
a consumer to do about all this?
Oceana would like to see an international traceability system where
retailers would be required to tell
consumers where and when a fish
was caught and what gear was
used.
Requirements like these would
help the industry — one of the least
transparent in the food system —
more accountable.
The National Fisheries Institute argues that the problem is one of enforcement — the FDA needs to do a
better job of enforcing laws that are
already on the books to discourage
fraud. And they encourage consumers to seek out retailers through the
Better Seafood Board.
by
Apples for acid reflux relief!
I
have suffered from acid reflux for
years, and it usually starts when
the stomach acid begins to move
up the esophagus. This condition
is becoming more common and there
are a few things that can be done in
order to minimize the symptoms and
reduce the occurrence of acid reflux.
One of the best home remedies
for acid reflux is adjusting your diet.
Avoiding spicy foods and fried foods
is a good way to avoid acid reflux,
and you should also eat plenty of
fresh fruits and vegetables. When
you are careful about the foods that
you are eating, you will find that you
may be able to control your symptoms without medication.
Do Apples Provide Acid Reflux Relief?
One Internet tip looks at apples and
acid reflux: do apples actually help to
decrease acid reflux symptoms? The
conclusions on this topic are varied,
but it is worth trying to see if apples
help your individual situation.
When treating acid reflux, be sure
to purchase organic apples. You
want to avoid the tart apples (such
as Granny Smith) and instead focus
on sweeter varieties such as Braeburn or Golden Delicious. The reason
that apples may help is because they
contain tartaric and malic acid, which
helps to neutralize stomach acids.
However, eating an apple may
cause the heartburn problems to become worse if you have already overeaten. For example, if you finished a
big meal and ate too much, you will
likely experience acid reflux. Eating
an apple will only add more bulk to
your stomach, which may result in
even more pressure in your stomach
so the stomach acid may be forced
to move up the esophagus.
When to Eat Apples
If you are going to use apples for
your acid reflux, leave a little room in
your stomach after a meal and eat
half an apple immediately after you
are done with your meal. This apple
should be eaten within 15 to 20 minutes to be most effective. Apples
can also be eaten 30 minutes before
bedtime if you tend to get acid reflux
while you sleep.
I have worked on my diet, exercise
regularly and eat a lot of fruit, especially apples, and my acid reflux has
not returned.
Note: The information in this article is not intended or implied to be
a substitute for professional medical
advice, diagnosis or treatment!
No tuition increase under
Astorino’s WCC budget for
4th straight year
F
or the fourth consecutive year,
tuition for nearly 13,000 students at Westchester Community College (WCC) will not
increase under a proposed budget
submitted by County Executive Robert P. Astorino to the Board of Legislators on Monday.
“Working collaboratively with the
college’s leadership, we are able to
propose a budget that keeps tuition
flat for the fourth year in a row,” Astorino said. “WCC’s students work
hard to make a better life for themselves and their families, and we approach each budget with the goal
of protecting their efforts. A tuition
increase would mean an additional
burden that many could not bear.”
The $122.5 million operating budget for the 2016-2017 school year
includes a $29.8 million sponsor contribution from the county, an increase
of $500,000 over last year. Total salaried positions at the college will remain flat at 547.
Additionally, WCC’s capital budget
will increase by $800,000 to $3.8 million. The five capital projects funded
by the budget include technology
upgrades to the main and satellite
campuses, roof replacements and
infrastructure upgrades.
The Board of Legislators is scheduled to vote on the budget on August
1. The college’s fiscal year begins on
September 1.
INQUIRER
22 l August 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Mt. Vernon mayor honors
OTGC founder Haskin
I
NBA Great John Stark, Mt. Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas,
PGA Pro Wyatt Worthington, II and OTGC Founder Wendell Haskins
n honor of the 17th Annual Original
Tee Golf Classic, the premiere African-American amateur golf event celebrating diverse industry leaders and
legends, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard
Thomas presented founder and PGA Director Wendell Haskins with a special
proclamation. Presented by Lexus/Toyota, the event raised over $10,000 for the
PGA REACH and PGA Junior League Golf
League that provides opportunities for diverse junior golfers to participate in PGA
Jr. League Golf in the PGA of America Met
Section.
Original Tee Inc. was founded and
launched in 1999 by entertainment marketing entrepreneur Wendell J. Haskins
(Founder/President). Since its inception,
the Original Tee Golf Classic presented by
Lexus has developed into a golf culture
love-fest, where celebrities, corporate,
and entertainment VIPs come together
to promote diversity and inclusion in golf
while supporting worthy philanthropic
causes. Find more on Wendell Haskins
and Original Tee Inc. at www.originaltee.
com.
Mt. Vernon’s assistant
superintendent of Water
Department suspended and
quickly reinstated
I
Dr. Nicholas Cicchetti
t has been reported that Dr. Nicholas
Cicchetti, Mount Vernon’s Assistant
Superintendent of the Water Department and president of the CSEA local that covers municipal workers, was
briefly suspended over an issue involv-
ing time-sheet fraud.
The Water Supply Department recently
lost their Commissioner, Anthony Bove,
who was sent to jail after pleading guilty
for soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an employee of the Water Department.
Dr. Cicchetti once practiced as a podiatrist and decided to leave the field to become a City of Mount Vernon employee,
where he has accomplished much.
Under Mayor Ernest D. Davis’ administration, he served as Fire Commissioner
for a period of eight years. In addition, he
is the Chairman of the Board of the Wartburg Foundation and a board member of
the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health
Center.
Dr. Cicchetti faced a hearing and city officials elected to reinstate him and he has
returned to work.
Some are saying that the allegation
brought against him was incomprehensible, since an intelligent man of his stature
to engage in such a petty crime is simply
beyond him.
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
‘Ask the Pharmacist’
Mark Rauchwerger
Circle Rx Pharmacy
120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon
914-665-5555
Are there any over-the-counter
allergy medications that do not
cause drowsiness?
There are indeed some over-thecounter allergy medications that
do not cause drowsiness, however,
most traditional allergy medications do. Drowsiness is a common
side-effect among most anti-his-
tamines and caution should be
used if taking them during the day.
However, Claritin® (loratadine) and
Allegra®(fexofenadine) are nondrowsy formulations and, therefore,
recommended for such use.
How do Claritin-D and Claritin,
and Allegra-D and Allegra differ
from each other?
The biggest difference between
Claritin-D® and Claritin® (loratadine) is that Claritin® is only an antihistamine. Claritin-D® is both a
decongestant and an antihistamine
(pseudoephedrine). Allegra-D® and
Allegra® (fexofenadine) have the
same difference as Claritin® and
Claritin-D®. Allegra-D® and Claritin-D® should be used when allergy
symptoms include a stuffy nose
because decongestants help dry
out nasal congestion. All of these
products are typically free of side
effects, but the decongestant pseu-
doephedrine can result in insomnia.
If you have high blood pressure, an
overactive thyroid or an enlarged
prostate consult your doctor before
taking pseudoephedrine-containing
medicines like Claritin-D® and Allegra-D®.
Claritin® and Allegra® are available over-the-counter. Claritin-D®
and Allegra-D® are available behind-the-counter because they contain pseudoephedrine. Check with a
pharmacist or physician before using any new medication or drug.
WCC reinstates Displaced
Homemaker Training Program
W
23 l August 2016
estchester Community College has reinstated its Project Transition Program for
Westchester/Putnam
residents who are divorced, widowed, separated, or have a permanently disabled or
unemployed spouse. The program, which
was offered at the institution from 1987 to
2013, has received funding to continue in
2016 and 2017. The work skills training
program funded by the New York State
Department of Labor is currently offering
classes to one cohort on the college’s Valhalla campus with another cohort starting
in September at the college’s Mount Vernon Extension Center.
The eight-week Project Transition programs in Office Technology Training
provide qualified students with the opportunity to learn current, marketable computer and office skills in Microsoft Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Students
can also study QuickBooks and learn
about resume writing, job search strategies and interviewing techniques. These
skills prepare participants to return to the
workforce. “We are excited to once again
offer Project Transition, which provides
valuable skills training to displaced homemakers, giving them opportunities for employment they may not otherwise have,”
said Ann Rubenzahl, Assistant Dean of
Workforce Development and Community
Education, Westchester Community College. “Project Transition supports the mission of the college, which is committed
to student success, lifelong learning and
workforce development.”
The Office Technology Training Program
classes of Project Transition are available
at no cost to qualified applicants. Applicants must be able to type 25 words per
minute and have a high school diploma or
a high school equivalency diploma. All applicants must provide proof of Displaced
Homemaker status according to the New
York State Department of Labor guidelines.
For information, program schedule and
eligibility details, call 914-606-5628.
jaFa’s Poets Corner
2007 - PRESENT
Poems Submitted by Our Readers
Edited by jaFa (James Fair)
JAFA’S POETS CORNER (9TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY)
Edited by james “jAFa” Fair
May the Muse of Poetry continue to inspire.
SILENT BLUE LINE OR... SNITCHIN’
AINT’ SNITCHIN’
Author: bobbyjoemack
Mount Vernon resident
All of the Billys... the Johnnies
The Jacks and all the Joes
All the Leroys... the Henerys
And the Willies and the Boes
When working along with them
On the Job each and Everyday
One should Know who’s views
Slant in a very Prejudice way
And if you know what You Know
Exposing them should Not be
A so secret Silent side Show
All don’t get a chance to See
Some say that it’s Snitching
And just will Not speak out
But when you Know of a wrong
You should then strongly shout
Hoping that Your loud cries
Will very soon bring about
A Change that is really Needed
As you know there is no doubt
The Authorities say that it’s O.K.
And you should not be Ashamed
But they don’t even come forth
And point at the Officers to Blame!
And I just then quietly wonder
Are They all playing the same Game!
I’ll name names if they name Names
And Point to those to truly blame
For the Police are all our police
And have sworn to uphold the laws
Why with the Blue Line won’t they
Tell of other Officers RACIAL flaws!
And if they spoke up
It would sure mean a lot
And they could Patrol again
Not worrying about being Shot!
BROKEN BLUE LINE OR... WHAT THE
WHAT???
Author: bobbyjoemack
Must we All have to Die
Before the Nation truly Cries
As to many Black Families
Now just sit and Angrily sigh
And wonder out loud why... O’ WHY!
For it now seems to Me
From what I do Now see
The Next dead Blackman
Just could easily be Me!
Yet in the Lives loss
Politicians cry the Blues
But the Black Families
Are always the ones to Loose
And it is Only because
Of the Force that is used
From the Old stereotype views
That some do still choose
Saying that a Black Life is
At this time Nothing to loose
While a Blinded Nation watches
Blacks being Killed everyday
On the lightly Nightly news
Showing such Black Frustration
In a very powerful Protesting way
Saying how the Law is being Abused
As some just sit Quietly still
So Dazed by the visual Violent news
Staring startled shocked and Confused
By seeing another Black Someone
Killed by an Illegal Blue-Steel gun
Killed by those that had sworn
To serve and too Protect everyone
And I weep seeing them released
From the highest Courts one by one
Setting them free to patrol again
And giving them back a re-Loaded Gun
What a frightful so sad cycle
For the Law to put Some back in
As Thou Shall Not Kill
And that’s the real True sin
And HE shall judge All of them
And Black Lives Matter in the End
And we shall Fight on... Unafraid to Win...
LET’S RESTORE THE BALANCE
Author: Charles Roda
THE KILLING OF ELEPHANTS AND
RHINOS.
THE DESTRUCTION OF CORAL REEFS.
THE CLEARCUTTING OF RAIN FORESTS.
PAVED MARSHES AND WETLANDS.
DISAPPEARING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES.
NO MEADOWS FOR MIGRATING BIRDS.
FROGS, BEES, BIRDS GOING OR GONE.
NO MORE LIGHTNING BUGS.
ABUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND PESTICIDES.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD.
SUPERBUGS MENACING HUMANS.
HUMANS
BUTCHERING
“INNOCENTS”.
TO OUR READERS & SUPPORTERS
From the editor: james “jAFa” Fair
This month JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 9th year. We are the longest,
continuously, running poetry column in any local area monthly publication.
We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who have
so generously supported us. THANK YOU!
Please email your poems to vze23cff@verizon.net or mail a (typed copy please)
to James Fair, 153 South 5th Ave., Apt 6B, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
24 l August 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
Third Annual “Family Fun Day” held at Westchester Center
Westchester Center staff members who made the wonderful event a success
A
newly renovated patio served as
the site of Westchester Center’s
annual “Family Fun Day” on Saturday, July 9, as residents, staff
members, family and friends enjoyed a
wonderful summer day at the popular facility, nestled in a very private and quiet
area of Mount Vernon.
The scent of chicken, hotdogs and hamburgers from a large barbeque grill filled
the air, as dozens of children frolicked
throughout the premises, many dancing
to the sounds of a gifted DJ.
Family members were extremely im-
pressed and praised the staff for putting
together such a festive day for the residents. Some of the residents able to ambulate without assistance actually gingerly
danced to the sounds of the DJ.
Besides the great assortment of food
made available, the kids and adults also
enjoyed ice cream sundaes, as well as a
cake to celebrate the third anniversary of
the extremely popular fun day.
Love and music filled the air as guests
of all ages were able to gather to enjoy a
fun filled summer day with the residents.
The legion of young children in atten-
dance had a superb time since they provided balloon sculptures from Penny the
Clown, face painting, and cotton candy
for them. In addition, the recreation staff
organized a “conga” dancing line, and
they also provided a variety of carnival
games and art projects.
The annual event certainly helps to enrich the lives of the residents, and it was
evident by the look on their faces.
Building on a tradition of excellence,
The Westchester Center for Rehabilitation
and Nursing features not only the highest
quality of nursing and clinical care, but
also creates an outstanding quality of life
for its residents. At The Westchester Center the joy of life is plain to see. The staff
is dedicated to maintaining a sensitive,
nurturing and comfortable environment
where each resident and patient receives
personalized care and attention.
If you or a loved one wants a tour of the
Westchester Center, located at 10 Claremont Avenue, please call Gail at (914)
699-1600.
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
25 l August 2016
Wartburg June gala raises $165,000 and celebrates
150 years of service
(l to r) David Gentner, Rev. Carol Fryer, Larry Fair, Kathleen Varda and
Shonda Nesbitt
T
he fourth annual Jazz in June gala
for Wartburg, a leading senior
service provider in Westchester,
NY, raised nearly $165,000 on
June 16, 2016. The event was held at the
Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle,
NY, with over 300 guests and 36 sponsors.
This year’s event included special guests
B. Smith and Dan Gasby and honorees
included The Wartburg Orphans’ Farm
School Alumnus and Founder/CEO of
The Future Society, Inc., Larry Fair; dedicated partner and service provider, the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley NY
Chapter and longtime spiritual partner, St.
Peter’s Church in New York City.
B. Smith, an international model, TV
host, restaurateur and author, and her
husband and television producer, Dan
Gasby, were this year’s keynote speakers. Smith was diagnosed in 2012 with
early onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age
of 62. Smith and Gasby have since been
praised for their bare-all book about their
journey, “Before I Forget: Love, Hope and
Acceptance in our Fight Against Alzheimer’s” (2016).
Larry Fair, who once called The Wart-
burg Orphans’ Farm School home, said,
“All I can say is that I feel very honored
and humbled that Wartburg, who has set
the foundation in which I build my life on,
is honoring me. I am thankful for this honor and for their continued support of me
and The Future Society Inc.’s vision.”
The Future Society, Inc. is a local nonprofit, providing mentoring activities for
disadvantaged inner city youth and support mechanisms for parents. During his
remarks at the event, Fair attributes the
life lessons and upbringing while at The
Wartburg Orphans’ Farm School, particularly the guidance received by his housemother, Alfrieda Gross, as the reason for
his life’s work with children.
The Alzheimer’s Association Hudson
Valley NY Chapter is a dedicated community partner supporting research initiatives
and providing assistance to those affected by the disease. Wartburg has a longstanding partnership with the Alzheimer’s
Association including offering educational
seminars and collaborating on community
arts-based programming for older adults
living with memory impairment. Understanding the benefits of stimulation for
(l to r) David Gentner, B. Smith, Dorothea Bell, Angela Ciminello and
Dan Gasby
(l to r) Cherish Thomas, Neil Klar, Board member of Alzheimer’s Association
Hudson Valley NY and Mayor Richard Thomas
this patient population, Wartburg and the
Alzheimer’s Association announced their
collaboration, funded in part by a grant
from NYS Department of Health, on a
choir program for those in the community
living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and their caregivers.
Saint Peter’s Church, located in midtown Manhattan, is a spiritual care provider to the New York City community and
longtime supporter of Wartburg’s mission.
St. Peter’s has long partnered with Wartburg from its inception as The Wartburg
Orphans’ Farm School in 1866 through
today as a spiritual care provider to older
adults.
Dominic Carter, nationally recognized,
RNN/FIOS 1 News reporter, was the
Master of Ceremonies at this year’s gala.
“Wartburg does outstanding work for the
community and really is the Harvard University when it comes to taking care of our
elders with dignity,” said Carter.
Attendees danced to the sounds of The
Groove Shop, a 12-piece band that was
voted the “Best of New York and New Jersey” for their eclectic sound, energy and
talent.
“It was a pleasure to recognize such
deserving honorees and we were especially pleased to recognize B. Smith and
Dan Gasby. We are so very grateful for the
volunteers and sponsorship support that
helped make our fourth annual gala such
a success,” said David Gentner, Wartburg
President and CEO.
Angela Ciminello and Dominic Carter
INQUIRER
26 l August 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Many Mt. Vernonites attend IED Awards 2016 in New Rochelle
The MC, Donna Williams (r), was assisted at the podium by Bobby DeSouza
T
he 4th Annual Image Entertainment Distinction (IED) 2016
Awards took place on Sunday,
July 24 at The Radisson Hotel
in New Rochelle. One of the shinier and
more exclusive events in all of Westchester County, the IED Awards event is an
Conroy Allison receiving the Lifetime Achievement Media Award
opulent work of art in itself with enough
glamorous people attending every year to
merit its status as a yearly gathering place
for its impeccably dressed attendees.
The Image Entertainment Distinction
Awards (IED) is an annual awards show.
The mission of the IED Awards is to en-
Comedian Ruperto Vanderpool speaking during his tribute to “Prince”
Conroy Allison receiving the Lifetime Achievement Media Award
Donnaray Roc speaking after receiving the Performing Arts Award
courage, empower, and highlight individuals from all walks of life.
The Mistress of Ceremonies for this
year’s event was the founder of IED
Awards, celebrity blogger and radio per-
Syn Clarke received the Producer Award
sonality, Madonna Williams, who is also
the CEO of Glamsensedivas.com. Bobby
DeSouza assisted Williams at the podium
during the festivities, which lasted in excess of four hours.
Continued on page 27
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
27 l August 2016
After a lavish red carpet cocktail hour
the show started with comments from
Williams, who stated: “We are pleased to
honor those who have contributed and or
have set trends in their careers.”
The following individuals were honored:
• Rae Holiday – Media Award
• Conroy Allison – Lifetime Achievement
Media Award
• Michael Cherry – Designer Award
• Pilar Scratch and Madison Jaye –
Trendsetter Award
• Glenroy March – International Designer Image Award
• Tyyan Williams – Rising Star Award
• Syntyche Clarke – Producer Award
• Donnaray Roc – Performing Arts Award
A
• Sister Aimee Koonmen – Lifetime Humanitarian Award
• Dr. Errol Thompson – Community Service Award
• Richie Richie – Hospitality Award
• Humerto Guallpa – Lifetime Achievement Hospitality
During the halftime intermission, guests
were entertained with one-of-a kind performances by sultry Latina artists Natalia
Segura and Ec Salsero.
This year’s IED Awards highlighted a
special tribute to the legendary “Prince”
by comedian Ruperto Vanderpool.
The Mistress of Ceremonies, Williams,
provided closing remarks.
EDUCATION COLUMN
By Diane Fulves, M.A., M.Ed.,
Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTS
Email: dee076@verizon.net
A tale of two teachers
O
ver the years I have
worked with some wonderful teachers who would
not allow their students to
fail. Recently I found a letter that I
wrote to a superintendent commending two young teachers. I wanted to
share with her the story of two sixth
graders who could have failed, but
they succeeded because of these
teachers. Here is a part of this letter.
All names have been changed.
“Keith and Rita were in my resource
program. They entered our school
in fifth grade. Both children had a
learning disability. Today at graduation, Keith received the math award!
Rita received at least three honorable
mentions in academic subjects. But
there is more to this story.
Two years ago, Keith entered the
fifth grade in our school. His weakness in language was so severe
that he could not speak in coherent
sentences. His writing skills were
almost nonexistent. By the end of
fifth grade he had progressed, but
his improvement was more dramatic
throughout the sixth grade in Ms.
Young’s class. I credit this, not only
to his innate ability, and his courageous stamina, but to the efforts of
his wonderful mother and two marvelous young teachers.
Rita is another wonderful success story. She came to our fifth
grade from an inclusion class. Her
fifth grade teacher, in her first year
of teaching, did not understand this
child’s needs. Unfortunately, she did
not comply with the I. E. P. nor did
she cooperate with my ongoing ef-
forts to help her understand how to
work with Rita. At the end of fifth
grade, the decision was made to either retain her in grade five or return
her to an inclusion class. Her mother
intervened and Rita was placed in
Ms. Green’s sixth grade class. Ms.
Green embraced this child, and as
the year progressed, Rita began to
succeed. With Ms. Green’s love,
encouragement, and her willingness
to specifically address Rita’s needs,
this child attained the B honor roll!
I am so proud of these children!
I am just as proud of these two
marvelous, young teachers. They
opened their minds and their hearts
to these children. They were willing
to work with their ability rather than
see only their disability. They cooperated with me, took the time to meet
with me, implemented the strategies
I suggested, and complied with the
I. E. P. The result – SUCCESS FOR
EVERYONE!
I cannot fully express my gratitude
and respect for these teachers. They
are part of our hope for the future!
There is a message that extends
beyond this story. Each one of us
must expect success and strive consistently to do whatever is necessary
to help our children succeed. It is
very easy to accept failure, but that’s
the lazy way out and leads us and
our children on the road to nowhere.
With our patience and perseverance,
our willingness to create different
strategies to help our children learn,
we will reach our goal. SUCCESS IS
THE ONLY OPTION!
Mt. Vernon Fire Department responds
to leadership resignations
cting Mount Vernon Fire
Commissioner
Ernie
Richardson said, “Recent rumors regarding
my potential resignation are absolutely and unequivocally false.
This administration does not play
politics with public safety. There
are those that wish to create divisions and keep Mount Vernon
in the past. I stand beside Mayor
Thomas; together, we are committed to moving Mount Vernon
forward. I thank Chief Duffy for his
service. I have accepted his resignation and allowed him to return
to the line.”
Chief of Operations Thomas
Duffy said, “I sincerely apologize
for any misunderstanding and
confusion that may have occurred
over the past week. I have elected
to resign my position as Chief of
Operations due to personal and
private family obligations. I thank
Mayor Richard Thomas and Acting Commissioner Ernie Richardson for the honor of allowing me
to serve. I remain committed to
my brothers and sisters in the Fire
Department and to the people of
the City of Mount Vernon.”
Mayor Richard Thomas said,
“Acting Commissioner Ernie Richardson has informed me that he
has accepted the resignation of
Thomas Duffy as Chief of the Department. I join him in thanking
Chief Duffy for his service.”
INQUIRER
28 l August 2016
www.mvinquirer.com
Guardia Lombardi sponsors 23rd annual BBQ for seniors
at Hartley Park
T
Mayor Thomas (c) with Association of Former Citizens of
Guardia Lombardi officials
he Association of Former Citizens of Guardia Lombardi, based
in Mount Vernon and comprised
of citizens who formerly resided
in Guardia Lombardi, Italy, held its 23rd
annual BBQ for Mount Vernon’s seniors at
Former president Joe Petriello playing the keyboard
Hartley Park on Wednesday, July 20 and
over 300 seniors attended.
The yearly BBQ is co-sponsored by the
Department of Recreation and is an event
that is treasured by Mount Vernon’s many
seniors.
(l to r) Geraldine Christiana, Mayor Thomas, Legislator candidate Christine
Peters and Legislator Lyndon Williams
Seniors waiting for food to be served
Members of the Association of Former Citizens of Guardia Lombardi
enjoying their food
Those that attended this year’s BBQ
were blessed with an exceptionally beautiful sunny day and virtually no humidity.
Volunteers getting ready to feed the seniors
The seniors were treated to an assortment of delicious food hot off the BBQ
grills, along with refreshments and desContinued on page 29
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
29 l August 2016
Do you remember
ANGELA DOLAN?
sert.
A brief ceremony was held in which Geraldine Christiana, Director of the Mount
Vernon Office of the Aging, introduced the
new president of the Association of Former Citizens of Guardia Lombardi, Nick
Dantona, who addressed the large gather-
ing of seniors. Also introduced was Mayor
Richard Thomas, who spoke and thanked
Guardia Lombardi officials for hosting the
BBQ every year.
It was a festive afternoon of fun and music enjoyed by every senior in attendance.
M
ary Angela Dolan was born
in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, in
1918. She emigrated to Yonkers in 1949 and may have
worked at O’Dare’s restaurant on Central
Park Ave.
If you have any recollections or photos
of Angela, please contact Zoe McCaw at
findangeladolan@gmail.com or 31 Colenso Court, 2-18 Colenso Parade, Belfast
BT9 5BB, N. Ireland.
EDITORIAL
Thomas’ administration
continues to lose important
leadership positions
M
(l to r) Joe Petriello, Nick Dantona, Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo and
Judge Nichelle Johnson
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
October 3, 1953 - the night my
heart stood still in Mt. Vernon
D
ear Mr. Parisi:
I read your article in the July
issue of The Inquirer regarding
the first fireworks show in Mount
Vernon since 1953 and it broke my heart,
since on October 3, 1953 was the night
my family died in a fire and my heart stood
still.
My brothers Johnny and Bobby were at
Memorial Field celebrating the Centennial
Celebration and so were the firemen. At
the end of the celebration I left Memorial
Field for my home. When I arrived at my
home the house was engulfed in flames
and ran to Freddie Romano’s Bar. They
called the fire department, and when the
firemen arrived they did all they could to
save my mother and four brothers and
T
sisters, ages 7, 6, 3 and 1. The firemen
cried along with my family and me and
the Mount Vernon community all rallied
around us.
You are right, Mr. Parisi, it was a gentler community back then and we were all
united as one big family.
I sincerely think the current mayor is
doing his best to bring back the harmony
that existed back then.
Not a day goes by that I don’t miss and
love my lost family with all my heart.
I thought I would share my story with
you to show my appreciation for the city I
love, and hope it can one day be as great
as it was back in 1953.
Joan Brown DeGrace
The Armory is the new
Summer Breeze Concert
Series rain location
he Mount Vernon Recreation Department is finally doing something about Summer Breeze
concerts being postponed due to
inclement weather. If inclement weather is
forecasted and rain does occur on a day
of scheduled concert, the concert will take
place at the new rain location: Mount Vernon Armory, located at 144 North 5th Avenue - at 7 p.m.
This year’s Summer Breeze Concert Series is dedicated to our fallen co-worker/
musician - DonWayne Garner, aka as
“D’Wayne” or “New York.”
Please join us for a special show on
Saturday, September 10, celebrating
D’Wayne’s
Joy of Music! There will be a special
performance by the Upfront Band and
songs by SVP.
ayor Richard Thomas is currently facing a huge dilemma
since he is having trouble holding on to key people hired to
help him run the city effectively. Just recently he lost the Mount Vernon Fire Department’s Chief of Operations, Thomas
Duffy – who according to published reports decided to retire due to personal issues.
When the mayor fired Public Safety
Commissioner Bob Kelly, many questioned his actions, since Kelly was a superb law enforcement leader and was
expected to bring enormous change to
the Mount Vernon Police Department.
What really led to his dismissal will remain
a “six million dollar” question according to
the many bloggers out there.
Also in the last few weeks, Human Resources director Eric Pogue just walked
away from his job without offering a real
explanation. Many are wondering what
prompted him to leave.
Longtime superintendent of the Mount
Vernon Water Department, Marianne Vogel, also retired unexpectedly without
advance notice. The department was fortunate to immediately find a 1B - licensed
operator by the name of John Arena to replace her. Nevertheless, the department
is still operating without a commissioner.
The biggest issue the mayor is facing is
the fact that he is having difficulties being
on the same page with the City Council.
According to City Council President Marcus Griffith, he is assuming that the mayor
may be asking his appointees to do things
that are not in the best interest of the city
and they are refusing.
T
A recent unprecedented letter from the
City Council to the mayor is demanding
that the mayor fire 11 of his political appointees who don’t meet the residency
requirement. The matter was recently resolved in court and the judge basically
told the mayor that he has to abide by the
City Charter – giving the City Council the
go ahead to fire those appointees that do
not meet residency requirements.
When Mayor Thomas won the historic
Mount Vernon mayoral election in impressive fashion seven months ago, he had
legions of supporters behind him wishing
him well. Regrettably, his wave of support
started to erode when Joe Spiezio, an advisor, made his presence known in Mount
Vernon. Spiezio caused the mayor a lot
of harm by his actions and should have
stayed out of sight while advising him.
Like the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out
of mind.” Although Spiezio’s intentions
might have been in good faith in an effort
to help the mayor, he did more harm than
good. It appears he has decided to stay
out of sight, since he hasn’t been visible in
Mount Vernon lately.
I firmly believe that the mayor needs to
be more flexible and consider reaching out
to the City Council and arrange a meeting
with them. He cannot go ‘nose to nose’
with them, since they wield a lot of power.
He needs to make peace with them, so
they can all be on the same page. Only
then will he be able to move his administration forward in a positive way without
obstacles.
Joe Parisi
Publisher/Editor
The Future Society
set to host 4th Annual
Globe Awards Dinner
he Future Society, Inc. (T.F.S.I.)
will host their 4th Annual Globe
Awards Dinner on Friday,
September 23, 2016 at The
Greentree County Club, located at 538
Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, New
York.
This year’s honorees are: Council-
woman Roberta Apuzzo, Assemblyman
J. Gary Pretlow, Detective David Clarke
and Congressman Eliot Engel.
Visit their website at www.thefuturesocietyinc.org for tickets, journal ads
and sponsorship opportunities or contact Shonda Nesbitt, T.F.S.I. Executive
Director at 914-539-2589.
30 l August 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
31 l August 2016
32 l August 2016
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com

August 2016 - mv inquirer

Transcription

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