July 2015 - 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 10, Number 7
INQUIRER
“The People’s Newspaper”
Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”
FEATURES
July 2015
Second Annual K.I.N.G “Above
the Rim” Celebrity Basketball
Challenge a huge success
Story by Paul Stewart
Davis appoints attorney Adrian
N. Armstrong City Court Judge
Page 5
Thornton students awarded
prizes through Bob’s Discount
Scholarship Program
Page 9
O
n May 30th, The K.I.N.G (Knowledge, Inspiration and Nurture
through God) movement and
Power Is Industry, Inc. presented its “Second Annual K.I.N.G. Above
the Rim Celebrity Basketball Challenge”.
At 6:00p.m., Saturday night, while it was
still early, the stars were out in full force
at Mount Vernon High School. “Stars”
were shining in the form of: NFL stars
Jason Avant and Dominique RodgersCromartie, ex-NFL stars Damien Woody
and Bart Scott, Super Bowl legend David
Tyree, ex-NBA players Lloyd “Sweet Pea”
Daniels, Jay Williams, Felipe Lopez, Ben
Gordon, Chris Taft, Kerry Kittles, Etan
Thomas and Lowes Moore, former NBA
All-Stars Allan Houston, Tobias Harris of
the Orlando Magic, WNBA Legend Teresa
Weatherspoon, Streetball Legend Waliyy
“Main Event” Dixon, and NBA Hall of
Famer Isiah Thomas. Also present were:
Hip Hop artist “No Malice” (formerly
The Eagle Academy Team with Isiah Thomas
Continued on page 6
Rocky Middleton kicks off
Summer Breeze Concert with
impressive performance
Story by Joe Parisi
Ceremony marks first ‘naming’
of a room in Wartburg’s new
‘ADS’ building
Page 12
Mt. Vernon All-American baseball
player named Region III Player
of the Year
Page 10
I
n Mount Vernon, the start of the Summer Breeze Concert Series represents
the beginning of summer. After a tough
long winter that overwhelmed Mount
Vernon and the rest of the county with record setting snowfall, the Summer Breeze
Concert Series couldn’t come soon
enough.
On Wednesday, June 17, although ominous clouds were hovering above City
Hall, hundreds of music savvy citizens
gathered on City Hall Plaza to enjoy the
magical sounds of Rocky Middleton and
his amazing band.
Like previous years, a festive and eager
crowd, who arrived early in order to secure upfront seats, attended the concert.
Once again, Sheryl Brownlee-Fox, who
Rocky Middleton playing during his long performance
Continued on page 22
2 l July 2015
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5 l July 2015
Davis appoints attorney Adrian N. Armstrong
City Court Judge
M
ayor Ernest D. Davis recently appointed Adrian
S. Armstrong, principal
clerk to Supreme Court
Justice Donna M. Mills, to the Mount
Vernon City Court effective immediately. Armstrong will fill the unexpired
term of Mark Gross that expires on
December 31, 2015.
“Judge Armstrong comes to Mount
Vernon with a wealth of experience in
matters that will come before a judge in
City Court,” said Mayor Ernest D. Davis. “I am confident that he will be an
asset here in Mount Vernon.”
Judge Armstrong worked for the Office of the Bronx District Attorney as an
Assistant District Attorney dealing with
domestic violence and sex offenses, as
well as juvenile felony offenses. In the
New York City Civil Court, Judge Armstrong held the position of Senior Court
Attorney and was responsible for all
legal aspects pertaining to Judge’s assignments including preparation of decision and orders, mediation of cases,
and conference of landlord tenant and
small claims cases.
As an Assistant District Attorney in
the Office of the Bronx District Attorney,
he prosecuted cases involving domestic violence and sex offenses in Criminal and Supreme Court, and handled
all phases of litigation from grand jury
to disposition. Judge Armstrong additionally prosecuted juveniles in Family
Court for felony offenses.
A graduate of Longwood College in
Farmville, Virginia with a BS in Psychology, Judge Armstrong attended Pace
University School of Law where he
graduated with his Juris Doctoral Degree in 1990 after interning with Cooper, Liebowitz, Royster & Kenny and the
Honorable Ivan Warner of the New York
State Supreme Court. He is currently an
Adjunct Professor at Pace University in
Manhattan and Monroe College in the
Bronx, and previously held teaching
positions at Mercy College in the Bronx
and the College of New Rochelle.
Judge Armstrong is a member of
the Metropolitan Bar Association,
the Association of Black Lawyers of
Westchester, the Mount Vernon Bar Association, the Small Claims Arbitrators
Association, and the Criminal Justice
Educators Association of New York.
“This is a man who has an impeccable background - 25 years of working
within the courts and in private practice. His diversified experience can only
be an asset for the city,” said Mayor
Davis.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority aims to create global
citizens through model UN programs
Story by Brenda Smith, Ed.D.
O
n October 20, 2014, the USA
(UNA-USA) and Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Inc. embarked
on a new partnership with the
aim of “creating global citizens and fostering new audiences to better support
the United Nations. The partnership, set
to last until mid-2016, will engage a new
generation of “ambassadors” in the vital
work of the UN, through globally-focused
workshops and activities, including Model
UN simulations.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha members will have
the resources needed to organize classroom Model UN simulations, conduct
community outreach activities, and celebrate UN milestones including UN Day….”
According to Chris Whatley, executive
director, UNA-USA, Washington, DC, “The
Model UN experience is instrumental in
creating global citizens and college-and
career-ready kids. This partnership will
bring Model UN to communities that have
previously not had the opportunity to engage in this kind of hands-on experience.”
During the announcement of this exciting
partnership, Ms. Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, International president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. stated, “Through
this initiative, AKA members will work with
high school students in partnership with
the UNA-USA staff to expand understanding of the United Nations’ mission and focus.”
Excited about this partnership between AKA and the UNA-USA, Westchester Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha,
Pi Iota Omega (Mrs. Mary Frances Perkins, president), Zeta Nu Omega (Ms.
Lynda Bagley, president), and the UNAUSA, Westchester Chapter (Ms. Marcia
Brewster, president) launched the Model
UN Mini Simulation in partnership with
three Westchester Schools – Mount Vernon High School, Nellie A. Thornton High
School, and Woodlands High School of
Greenburgh Central 7 School District, on
Thursday, April 30, 2015 at the Mount Vernon High School, upon the approval of the
Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Hamilton.
It is worth noting that, for the past eight
years, students from both districts have
participated in numerous programs and
tours at the United Nations. Attending
the session conducted by Mrs. Tibbs-Tolson were: Mr. Ronald Gonzalez, principal
of Mount Vernon High School and host;
Lynda Bagley (Zeta Nu Omega president);
Karen El-Badry, UNA-USA Westchester
Education Committee and 30-year employee of the UN System; Jackie Boucher
(Piota Omega), Marie Houston, past president (Pi Iota Omega and Regional Program
Committee), MaryFrances Perkins (Pi
Iota Omega president); Mandel Holland,
Woodlands High School teacher-champion; Demetrios Mihailides, Mount Vernon
High School Model UN teacher-coach/
champion; Dr. Tahira Dupree Chase, interim superintendent, Greenburgh Central
School District; Cora Carey, Greenburgh;
Brenda Smith (Zeta Nu Omega - AKA and
current vice president, UNA-USA Westchester), and Mr. Frank Claro who was se-
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: [email protected]
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
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SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMS
We welcome all suggestions concerning news we should cover in our
newspaper. Please call the Editor
with suggestions at (914)665-7004.
Editor
Joe Parisi
Assistant Editors
Hafeezah Basir
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
lected by Mrs. Sharon Bradley, principal,
Nellie A. Thornton High School.
In the fall, Brenda Smith, Jackie Boucher, Karen El-Badry, and other members
of the UNA-USA, Westchester Chapter,
will provide assistance to the schools in
the implementation of the Mini Simulation
program.
Special thanks is extended to: Ms. Meredith Henderson, North Atlantic regional
director of Alpha Kappa Alpha; Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Chase, School Superintendents; the principals, Mr. Gonzalez and
Mrs. Bradley; and the teacher-champions,
for providing this extraordinary learning
opportunity for their students.
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6 l July 2015
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Continued from page 1
“Malice” of the Clipse), Hip Hop/R&B artist Christon Gray, Hip Hop mogul Irv Gotti,
Hot 97 Music mogul Kevin Liles, HOT 97
DJ’s CAMILO, JUANYTO, NESSA3TO7,
SNATCH, BENT ROC, GLOBAL VITO,
EBRO and ENUF, EPSN’s Chris Broussard
and Josina Anderson, actors Mark Tallman
and Dee Morris.
With so much talent present, it was easy
to lose sight of the big picture. However,
these sports and media dignitaries knew
exactly why they were playing the game
that made many of them famous – to raise
funds for the Eagle Academy Foundation
(EAF)! “I am honored and extremely grateful that so many amazing celebrities from
the NBA, ESPN, BET, MTV, VHI and Hot
97.1FM radio are once again coming out
to support this great cause,” said event
organizer, Ahmed Rodriguez. EAF (www.
eagleacademyfoundation.com) is a New
York City-based school system specializing in supporting a network of all-male
college preparatory public schools, educating students from ages 10-21. There
are EAF schools in all five boroughs as well
as Newark, NJ. With so many obstacles
facing inner-city young men in particular,
school systems like EAF are crucial!
The evening started out with the Eagle
Academy Challenge Game. Players from
the Eagle Academy tipped off against
the NYC Elites. The game was extremely
close going into half time with only a point
separating the two teams. Performing at
the half was the ICE Columbus Elementary School Marching Band. Directed by
Mansa Gory, the young performers got the
crowd fully engaged going into the second
half. In the end, the Eagle Academy players proved that they were as gifted athletically as academically by narrowly topping
the NYC Elites by 4 points.
Prior to the start of the main event, there
were speeches by Mayor Ernie Davis as
well as State Senator Jeff Klein. Both
speakers emphasized the importance
of supporting young urban men through
school systems like EAF.
Once elected officials had their say and
before the dunking began, the crowd was
treated to musical selections by the Mount
Vernon Interfaith Choir, nationally known
R&B recording artist Christon Gray, and
up-and coming R&B artist, Salima “Songbird”. There was a wealth of musical talent represented during the course of the
evening! Whatever your musical genre of
choice, there was something for you. A
gospel selection by the Mount Vernon Interfaith Choir was followed by songs from
Christon Gray’s repertoire. Finally, the
“Songbird’” sang her rendition of the national anthem – and she really ripped her
The ICE Columbus Elementary School Marching Band
Etan Thomas (l), former 11 year NBA player, with HOT 97 DJ’s
Gary Coltrane (c) being honored
Gary Coltrane (c) being honored for full scholarship to Marist College accompanied by his mother, Isiah Thomas and Chris Broussard (r)
acapella verses! All of this before the main
event even began.
The game itself was an entertaining and
competitive one. Even though celebrities
were unselfishly playing for a noble cause,
they all clearly wanted to win the game.
Lots of blocks, steals and contested
The (winning) K.I.N.G. team with MVP Jason Avant receiving his trophy
shots. Going into half-time, 2 points separated the two teams.
At the half, there was a recognition ceremony honoring a special student by the
name of Gary Coltrane. One of the Eagle
Academy Scholars, he received a full
scholarship to study Computer Science at
Continued on page 7
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Marist College. Gary’s Mother couldn’t
have been prouder that her son would
receive a full ride at the Poughkeepsie
school.
Also at half-time, a dance contest
determined the winners for HOT 97
Summer Jam tickets. Three young
men competed for the coveted passes. As it turns out, the contest was
more about participation than competition – all three contestants would
ultimately be going to the mega event!
The second half wasn’t as close as
the first. The K.I.N.G team began pulling away from the WBLS squad going
into the third quarter, finally winning
100 – 74 at game’s end. NFL star,
Jason Avante, demonstrated his allaround athletic abilities by garnering
the MVP trophy and bragging rights
going into next year’s event, and based
on the success of this one, there will
definitely be another K.I.N.G. Celebrity
Basketball Challenge next year!
Founded in 2010, The K.I.N.G movement strives to empower men to reach
their God-given potential and become
better husbands, fathers, leaders,
citizens, and role models (www.kingmovement.com). Power is Industry,
Inc. is a N.Y.C.- based artist development and management company
(#PowerIsIndustry). Both of these organizations should be applauded for
leveraging the endless supply of talent
produced by our communities. When
celebrities give back, it’s always a winwin for all concerned!
Community Fund Grant
supports Dance Therapy
Program at Wartburg
Wartburg seniors participating in the Dance and Movement Program
W
artburg received a $13,500
grant from The Community
Fund of Bronxville Eastchester Tuckahoe, Inc. to support
Wartburg’s Dance and Movement Program. The grant pays for a professional
dance therapist to oversee the Dance and
Movement Program offered across Wartburg’s residential facilities.
The dance program is part of Wartburg’s
award-winning, internationally recognized
Creative Aging and Lifelong Learning Program. It will provide therapy to seniors in
the Independent Senior Living , Assisted
Living, Nursing Home, the Rehabilitation
Center and registrants in the Adult Day
Care. The dance program, already a favorite among residents, will be funded for
one year.
“We are extremely grateful for this generous grant,” said David Gentner, President
and CEO of Wartburg, an award-winning
provider of comprehensive senior services. “Dance therapy is exceptionally rewarding, both physically and emotionally,
and it embodies our mission of nurturing
body, mind and spirit.”
“We are happy to provide the funding to support the Dance and Movement
7 l July 2015
Therapy Program at Wartburg for the
many seniors from our community who
call Wartburg their home,” said Melinda
Burge, Executive Director of The Community Fund of Bronxville Eastchester
Tuckahoe, Inc. “After visiting Wartburg’s
beautiful campus and seeing the program
in person, it was clear to my colleagues
and me that there are many benefits the
program provides to its residents.”
“Our dance therapy program will be led
by a professional dance therapist from
Sarah Lawrence College along with several Wartburg staff members and myself,”
said Ann Frey, Director of Volunteers at
Wartburg. “It’s a wonderful program that
not only addresses the physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of our
residents, but is also a lot of fun!”
The prestigious and growing Creative
Aging & Lifelong Learning Program was
started in 2009 and includes classes in
painting, quilt-making, singing, poetry
and creative writing. More recent additions: puppet-making classes and newly
purchased video conferencing equipment
that allows residents to remotely “tour”
museums and other cultural sites.
Two new members appointed to
Wartburg Board of Directors
Kevin E. Ocker
Clesont Mitchell
artburg, a premier senior
service provider, announced
the appointment of two new
members to its Board of Directors: Kevin E. Ocker, chairman of the
Board of Commissioners of Cultural and
Recreational Affairs for the Village of Garden City, NY, and Clesont Mitchell, former Operations Director at Harlem Village
Academy in New York City.
Mr. Ocker will serve on Wartburg’s Home
Board as well as the Real Estate Committee. For the past 12 years, Mr. Ocker has
been responsible for the daily administration of the Village of Garden City’s Department of Recreation and Parks comprised
of 100 acres of active park land, including
two senior centers. In 2012, he was appointed to oversee and direct the maintenance of 100 acres of Village Passive Park
land.
W
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8 l July 2015
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Doles Center seniors get treated to a BBQ at Westchester Center
N
Gail Whitter, admissions director and Mayor Ernest D. Davis
umerous seniors from the Doles
Center in Mount Vernon were
treated to a BBQ at the newly
renovated Westchester Center
for Rehabilitation & Nursing, located at
10 Claremont Avenue in Mount Vernon.
Joining them was Mount Vernon’s Mayor
Ernest D. Davis who greeted each and every senior and who also enjoyed the great
food made available to all the guests from
the Doles Center.
The event was made possible, thanks
to Joan Horton, Doles Center coordinator,
who worked closely with the Admissions
Director Gail Whitter at the Westchester
Center.
“We decided to invite the Doles Center
seniors to our facility so they can familiarize themselves with the many services we
offer the Mount Vernon community. Our
facility was recently totally redone, and we
now offer a state-of-the-art dialysis facil-
ity,” said Whitter.
“At The Westchester Center, the joy of
life is plain to see. For all those in our care,
we are dedicated to creating a sensitive,
nurturing and comfortable environment
where each resident and patient receives
personalized care and attention.”
The facility takes the well-being of their
residents very seriously, and all residents
feel as comfortable as they would in their
own homes. They recently renovated all
their rooms to reflect this commitment to
comfort and convenience, with:
· light, airy interiors
· quality furniture and furnishings
· attractive décor
· flat screen cable TV
· convenient bedside phones
If you or a loved one wants a tour of the
Westchester Center, please call Gail at
914-699-1600.
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INQUIRER
9 l July 2015
EDITORIAL
Gun violence continues unabated in Mount Vernon
ter was nearby. Regrettably, this high tech
equipment did nothing to help apprehend
the shooter.
It is my understanding that the
ShotSpotter system, which provides the
ability to pinpoint the precise location of
gunshots, is currently not in operation
since Mount Vernon is unable to pay the
$300,000 annual fee to keep it in service.
In addition, the surveillance video camera
mounted on a nearby lamppost was also
inoperable, obligating the police to review
a nearby merchant’s surveillance video
camera for leads.
You can have all the high tech equipment
in the world in place in Mount Vernon, but
that does not replace the presence of police officers on foot patrol 24-7.
It is truly shameful that a small city like
Mount Vernon can’t take control of its
street and force the bad guys out of town.
It’s a ‘no brainer’ – place cops on foot patrol in areas where crime is an issue, especially 3rd Street, and crime will be reduced
dramatically.
Back in 2009, the mayor at the time said,
“Here in Mount Vernon we are on an aggressive mission to rid our streets of illegal
handguns. With the help of ShotSpotter, all those who seek to terrorize our
streets with the use of these weapons will
be arrested and brought to justice. With
ShotSpotter placed on the back burner,
the time has come to use many of the over
200 police officers paid by taxpayers to
combat crime my means of foot patrols.
Joe Parisi
Publisher/Editor
The deli, located at 16 East 3rd Street, where a man was shot five times
in broad daylight
T
he city of Mount Vernon is undoubtedly a great city and loved
by many, including many who
have left and returned. I know
countless Mount Vernonites, black and
white, who were born in Mount Vernon
and are still here. When you ask many why
they don’t move in spite of the crime, their
response is simple . . . “We love Mount
Vernon.”
I guess that when you are a resident, it
is a lot easier to put up with the negatives,
as opposed to when you are struggling to
survive as a merchant.
Every time there is a shooting in Mount
Vernon, it obviously gets sensationalized
by the local media, scaring the hell out of
the few whites and others that venture into
Mount Vernon. In other words, the shootings, which are taking place on a routine
basis are terrible for Mount Vernon’s economy. It is also psychologically terrible for
youngsters growing up in an environment
plagued by violence.
A recent shooting took place at a Deli on
3rd Street during broad daylight, no less.
A merchant on 3rd Street, where much
of the violence takes place, made it very
clear, “I used to have residents from Pelham as clients, but the recent shootings
chased them away.”
The latest shooting took place at a Deli
on 3rd Street during broad daylight, no
less. Interestingly, diagonally across the
street there was a police video surveillance camera in place, plus the ShotSpot-
An inoperable surveillance video camera just a few feet from the shooting
Eight Thornton High School students awarded prizes through
Bob’s Discount Scholarship Program
One of Thornton High School’s scholarship recipients, Camila Arredondo,
with teacher and student advisor, Barbara Peist and Red Cross Account
Manager, Tom Kane
B
ob’s Discount Furniture has announced the grand prize winner of its 2015 Bob’s Discount
Furniture, $250,000 High School
Heroes Scholarship Program, with the
American Red Cross. The grand prize was
awarded to Thornton High School for the
highest number of blood donations collected at their high school blood drives
during the 2014-15 school year.
Thornton High School conducted three
blood drives during the school year, collecting 148 lifesaving units.
Bob’s Discount Furniture and the Red
Cross recognized eight outstanding high
school seniors at Thornton High School
who each made exceptional contributions
to their schools’ volunteer blood donor
programs. The students were honored
during the school’s award ceremony on
June 2, 2015.
“We are proud of all the students that
participated in the scholarship program
this year and gave back to their communities by hosting blood drives to help
patients in need,” said Bob Kaufman,
President Emeritus and co-founder of
Bob’s Discount Furniture. “Bob’s Discount
Furniture is thrilled to provide scholarships
to students in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York as a way
to thank them for their participation and
leadership.”
“The Bob’s Discount Furniture $250,000
High School Heroes Scholarship Program
helps the Red Cross make a difference in
the lives of patients and empowers high
school students to take a leadership role,”
said Kay Schwartz, CEO, New York-Penn
Blood Services Region. “This year, 19
schools in New York will receive scholarship awards for 41 students through the
program. We are grateful to Bob’s Discount Furniture for their work in increasing
blood donations from high school blood
drives and their support of the Red Cross.”
Students who hosted at least two high
school blood drives throughout the year
and achieved an annual participation rate
of at least 30 percent of age-eligible students were qualified to win a base scholarship of $250. Students who met those
initial requirements are also eligible to win
additional scholarships, including up to
eight $1,000 grand prize scholarships per
winning school. This was determined by
totaling the blood units donated from each
school. The winners in each state were
determined by the number of students
who donate and the total units collected.
For complete contest rules visit:http://
www.mybobs.com/outreach/highschoolheroes.
INQUIRER
10 l July 2015
Mt. Vernon All-American
baseball player named Region III
Player of the Year
F
or the first time in the history of its
baseball program, Tompkins Cortland Community College has an
All-American. Sophomore Malik
Fogg (Mount Vernon H.S./Mount Vernon)
has been named the NJCAA Division III
All-American First Team. Fogg has previously been named the Player of the Year
for both the NJCAA Region III and the
Mid-State Athletic Conference. The honor
caps an amazing season for Fogg. He
T
made TC3 history by hitting 11 home runs
while batting .477, with a slugging percentage of .908.
He finished his TC3 career owning or
sharing 11 college records including: most
home runs in a season and career, most
hits in a game, highest batting average, on
base percentage and slugging percentage
in a season and career, and most RBIs in
a career. He also finished in the top three
for six other records.
The Milestone School
opens “The Studio at
The Milestone School”
he Milestone School, an independent Nursery through grade 4 day
school, founded 35 years ago in
Mount Vernon, announces that it
has opened the doors to “The Studio at
the Milestone School,” its newly designed
center for mind and body enrichment.
The Studio, an onsite multipurpose
space, will house many of Milestone’s
enrichment activities, including bi-weekly
physical education classes, chess, art, robotics and music. It will also serve as a facility for afterschool enrichment programs,
including the school’s newly launched
Chess Club and Robotics workshop
through Bricks for Kidz. Also coming this
February to their cache of afterschool programs is the award-winning musical education system, The Rhodes Piano Method.
“The New Year always brings the pos-
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Astorino announces return of
‘Family Film Frenzy’ series
C
ounty Executive Robert P. Astorino today announced the return
of the popular summer “Family Film Frenzy” series, which
features outdoor movies and after-hours
swimming at various Westchester County
swimming facilities. The series will kick off
on Wednesday, July 8 at The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers with the 3D,
stop-motion, animated fantasy-comedy
film, The BoxTrolls (PG, 2014). Rain date
is Thursday, July 9.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for
Westchester families to enjoy a hit movie
in a unique setting,” Astorino said. “Help
us kick off the series at The Brook at Tibbetts – you can float down the lazy river
before grabbing a bite and settling in to
relax and watch the movie.”
The film tells the story of Eggs, a human
boy raised by trash-collecting trolls, as
he attempts to save them from Archibald
Snatcher, a pest exterminator.
The event is the first of four outdoor
movies to be held this summer at four different Westchester County Parks.
The park opens at 7 p.m. for after-hours
swimming, picnicking, and relaxing. The
movie begins at sundown. Bring your
own picnic, or purchase food at the concession stand. For seating, bring blankets
and chairs.
Admission is $5 per person (free for
children under 5) and includes the movie
only. A Westchester County Park Pass
is not required for admission. Admission
wristbands will go on sale the day of the
event at each location and will be sold on
a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
The series will continue with the showing of Dolphin Tale 2 (PG, 2014) on
Wednesday, July 15 at Glen Island Beach
in New Rochelle; Big Hero 6 (PG, 2014) on
Wednesday, July 22 at Saxon Woods Pool
in White Plains; and Annie (PG, 2014) on
Wednesday, July 29 at Willson’s Waves
Pool in Mount Vernon.
Please note that swimming is only permitted until dark, and all food and cooler
guidelines for regular pool hours apply.
Mt. Vernon’s Sydnie Heslop
takes second place in
“Voices for 2-1-1” PSA Contest
sibilities of new beginnings and this is an
exceptionally exciting time, as we have
just completed our fitness and enrichment
expansion project,” says Mrs. Angela
Freeman, The Milestone School’s founder
and head of school. “I am thrilled to be
able to broaden our school’s offerings, but
also enthusiastic at the prospect of bringing fitness, music and arts programs to
our local Mount Vernon community.”
In the coming months, the school will
begin offering additional enrichment programs in the evenings, as well as renting
out The Studio for children’s themed parties.
For more information on The Milestone
School or The Studio at The Milestone
visit www.themilestoneschool.com or call
The Milestone School at 914-667-3478.
L
Sydnie Heslop receiving her awards
ocal high school student, Sydnie Heslop of Mt. Vernon, was recently awarded second place for
her video submission in the United
Way of Westchester and Putnam’s “Voices for 2-1-1” PSA Contest. She created a
60-second video PSA (Public Service Announcement), focusing on United Way’s
2-1-1 helpline, a free, confidential service
that helps millions of people each year
with health and human service resources.
During these panels, the judges emphasized the importance of going the extra
mile and obtaining internships during both
high school and college. Four main competencies--- strategy, creativity, flexibility,
and strength in execution---were identi-
fied as the most important keys to success in the field of communications.
“It’s moving to experience the students’
creative work and witness their excitement
at sharing their talents to help the community,” said Alana Sweeny, President and
CEO of United Way of Westchester and
Putnam. “The student videos will be used
throughout the year to promote the 2-1-1
helpline.”
Launched in 2005, United Way’s 2-1-1
is a free, confidential, multilingual helpline
that provides millions of people each year
with health and human services information, referrals, crisis support and disaster
recovery information.
INQUIRER
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11 l July 2015
Mount Calvary CME Church celebrates their 2nd Annual
Bike Blessing
O
Bikers arriving to have their bikes blessed
n Sunday, June 14, Mount Calvary CME, located at 38 South
Second Avenue in Mount Vernon NY, celebrated their 2nd
Annual Bike Blessing, under the divine
leadership of the Reverend Dr. Jeffery R.
Wheeler.
This yearly community event is hosted
by Mount Calvary CME and is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Upon the
arrival of participants, the church doors
were opened and people were greeted by
warm smiles and the tune of Every Praise,
by Hezekiah Walker.
Reverend Wheeler conducted a short
service, asking God to bless each rider
and bike to be safe for the upcoming rid-
ing season.
The service concluded with a biker’s
prayer.
Congressman Engel announces
$3,223,847 in Federal Funds
for Mt. Vernon schools
C
ongressman Eliot Engel, a
senior member of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, announced that the
United States Department of Education has allocated $3,223,847 in federal funds to the Mt. Vernon School
District as part of the final fiscal year
2015 allocations to the Title I program.
Part of the Elementary and Second-
ary Education Act of 1965, the Title I
program provides financial assistance
to school districts for services that
improve the teaching and learning of
children at risk of not meeting state academic achievement standards, especially in areas with high concentrations
of low-income families.
“Title I is a vital program that, over
the course of its history, has allowed
school districts to modernize their infrastructure, improve or maintain staffing,
and provide children with additional
programs and resources necessary to
meet state standards in core academic
subjects,” Congressman Engel said.
“Title I funds have also been used to
support preschool, after-school, and
summer programming that reinforces
regular schooling, and helps prepare
children for the next level of their academic journey. I have no doubt our Mt.
Vernon schools will benefit greatly from
these federal funds, which is why I will
continue to be a strong supporter of
the Title I program in Congress.”
These allocations are subject to potential adjustments by the Department
of Education at the end of FY 2015.
12 l July 2015
INQUIRER
Westchester Links awards
$17,000 in scholarships to
local students
Ceremony marks first ‘naming’
of a room in Wartburg’s new
(ADS) building
(l to r) David Gentner, Margarita Godwin (registrant of Wartburg’s ADS),
John Mulligan (son-in-law), Sunny Harris (daughter), Wilma Harris
(donor) and Ronald Harris (son)
M
ount Vernon, NY, June 19,
2015 -- Wilma Harris travelled all the way from Boca
Raton, Florida, recently to
dedicate a room in memory of her parents. The room is located in Wartburg’s
new, state-of-the-art Rehabilitation and
Adult Day Services (ADS) building. This
first “naming” of a space in the muchpraised building was for the peaceful
Sunroom, where ADS registrants sit
and read or look onto the patio where
a garden is in full bloom. Some simply
watch and listen to the birds that inhabit the large, enclosed sanctuary.
Ms. Harris, a long time Wartburg supporter and former resident of Pelham,
was accompanied by her son, Ronald, and her daughter and son-in-law,
Sunny Harris and John Mulligan. The
room is named after her mother and father, August Uebel and Martha Moebus
Uebel.
“I appreciate the Wartburg because
it has been consistently helpful to the
Lutherans and others for as far back as
I can remember. I also feel some have
the tendency to forget the importance
of what Martin Luther did,” said Wilma
Harris.
Surrounded by ADS registrants, staff
and volunteers, she was presented
with a plaque, a large bouquet of flowers and a Christopher Corr painting of
Wartburg’s Fall Festival, an event she
and her children have fond memories
of attending for many years.
“My mother was so proud to be able
to donate a room in memory of her parents and to honor the very important
work that the Wartburg does every day.
It is hard to express the appreciation
that I and our family feel for the professionalism, kindness, and graciousness
that David Gentner, our President, and
www.mvinquirer.com
Angela Ciminello, our Director of Development, showed us during the entire process,” said Ronald Harris. “It is
a great bonus when you make a donation to a cause in which you believe,
and to also have people that represent
that organization be so admirable. We
want to thank them and the entire staff
at the Wartburg for the fine work that
they are doing.”
“Ms. Harris is a longtime friend and
supporter of Wartburg’s mission and
we are so very thankful to be able to
present opportunities for her to make
a positive impact on those we serve,”
said David Gentner, Wartburg President
and CEO.
Wartburg’s “Invest in the Difference”
Campaign encourages supporters
to make a perpetual gift in honor or
memory of a loved one by naming a
building, public area, patient/resident
room or other designated areas in each
building on their beautiful 34-acre campus. Ms. Harris is the first to dedicate
a room in the Rehabilitation and Adult
Day Services Center.
“It is with tremendous joy that we
proudly honor Ms. Harris’s parents by
dedicating the Adult Day Services Sunroom in their memory,” said Angela
Ciminello, Director of Development at
Wartburg. “Wartburg deeply appreciates the generosity of its supporters,
like Ms. Harris, whose benevolence allows us to continue vital programs and
services that nurture the body, mind
and spirit of our registrants and residents.”
For more information on how to
make a Legacy Gift to Wartburg, please
contact Angela Ciminello, Director
of Development, at 914-513-5179 or
[email protected].
Graduating seniors with members of Westchester County (NY) Chapter
of The Links
T
he Westchester County (NY)
Chapter of The Links, Incorporated awarded academic scholarships at New Rochelle United
Methodist Church Saturday, June 13,
2015.
Scholarships were given to thirteen
graduating seniors from Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Woodlands High
Schools. The schools have hosted Linkssupported programs, which have provided
enrichment activities to the student body.
The following students won awards
based on academic excellence and community service:
• From Mount Vernon High School Leela I. Beech, Mikala M. Bell, Janei F.
Chambers, Anya M. Patterson
• From New Rochelle High School Zachary C. Crisp, Anna B. Johnson,
Nkosi A. Joseph, Celeste Seales, Gloriana L. Wilson, Maia Wilson
• From Woodlands High School - Fabio
Amendola, Awa G. Nyambi, Jayda S.
Yizar
The Westchester County (NY) Chapter
of The Links, Incorporated has served
the Westchester County community of
African Americans and other persons of
African ancestry for more than 65 years.
It is a widely recognized service leader in
the area. Its members have conducted
numerous programs for youth and families, and provided scholarships for deserving students. The Chapter has also
forged significant collaborations with the
private sector, government agencies, and
community organizations to enhance and
enrich the quality of life in Westchester
County.
EDITORIAL
Delay on LED lights installation
is costly and unjustified
T
his is a follow up on a story that
was previously posted on the
Mount Vernon Inquirer’s website
concerning the installation of LED
lights throughout the city.
Information provided in this article is
based on a personal interview I conducted with Mount Vernon’s City Comptroller,
Maureen Walker.
As I explained to Walker, I have been
reporting on the LED lighting for over one
year now. The installation of the LED
lights represents a tremendous savings
to the taxpayers of Mount Vernon. It also
represents jobs for Mount Vernon’s unemployed and summer jobs for Mount Vernon students.
Continued on page 26
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20 l July 2015
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The Music’s
Cool launches
music
program in
Mt. Vernon
Paul Stewart joins the Inquirer as a Reporter/
Sales Executive
T
he Inquirer has a new reporter by
the name of Paul Stewart. Paul is
from a family of longtime Mount
Vernon residents. He has already
written a couple of stories for the Inquirer
and the reviews have been positive. Paul
will also be helping out in the area of advertising sales.
Stewart is a graduate of Fitchburg State
University, meriting Magna Cum Laude
honors with a BS in Communications/Media. Paul exemplifies multi-faceted skills
in addition to versatile interests. He has
a background in journalism, as well as
T
he Music’s Cool program featured critically
acclaimed Mambo star,
Tito Puente, Jr., son
of the legendary and late, Tito
Puente, el “Rey del Timbal,” to
support the music program. The
night included sounds from Puente’s body of work, as well as
new material from Puente Jr.’s
music library. Opening tunes
from accomplished guitarist,
music producer and teacher,
Joe Luckinbill, son of Lucie Arnaz and Lawrence Luckinbill,
and grandson of Lucille Ball and
Desi Arnaz. Luckinbill is in New
York for a time, and is committed to the success of this program, where he will provide
guitar lessons.
Attendees included Mount
Vernon’s very own, Mayor Ernie D. Davis, Deputy Commissioner of Mount Vernon Police
Department, H. Gaylord Worrell, as well as our community
partners who donated their time
and efforts: Mel Campo, Graceland Flowers, Matt CottengimShowcase Banners, Darryl
Walker-The Mount Vernon Inquirer, Big Brother & Big Sister
Club - Mount Vernon Chapter,
KB Designs, Galitos Restaurant,
Tito Cabrera, Maxiel Wilmore,
The Portuguese American ClubMount Vernon Chapter, SST
INC, and Brian Goss.
Revenue from ticket sales will
be utilized for program scholarships, led by owner and founder, Aleida Castillo.
ABOUT THE MUSIC’S COOL
It’s located in the heart of
Mount Vernon, in the same
space which housed The Febbraio School of Music for 55
years. That school was founded
by the great musician, Dr. Salvatore M. Febbraio, who in his
early years performed for our
34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in the state of New York.
With the blessing of his son
and great musician, Guy Febbraio, The Music’s Cool will
continue the legacy to nurture
Mount Vernon’s finest and offer
the highest quality instruction
and performance opportunity to
students of all ages.
21 l July 2015
‘Ask the Pharmacist’
Mark Rauchwerger
Circle Rx Pharmacy
120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon
914-665-5555
Question:
Hi, my son has recently been
placed on Invega for bipolar disorder
and I am trying to have everything
he needs in place to manage this
disorder. He is using a pill reminder
and wants to make sure and take his
medication as prescribed. I am just
wondering if he ever happened to
lose a pill or misplace his pills and it
is after doctors office hours, would
a 24 hour pharmacy be able to give
him one or two pills to manage until
he can be in contact with his doctor’s office or how would he handle
this type of situation.
Answer:
Yes, most 24 hours pharmacy
will give you 1 to 3 tablets to hold
you over when the doctor’s office is
closed as long as you bring in the
original container with the prescription label on it.
Question:
I have wax in both ears I brought
wax removal over the counter last
night. I can hear a little is there a
doctor at the pharmacy that can syringed my ears.
Answer:
Pharmacists can’t help you with
this. If you have already used the
ear wax removal and are still having
problem, you should see your doctor.
Question:
Is diarrhea a normal side effect of
antibiotics and is
there any way to treat it?
Answer:
Unfortunately, diarrhea is a common side effect of antibiotics. Diarrhea is a defense mechanism of the
body, as it is trying to rid itself of the
bad bacteria. With diarrhea comes
the possibility of dehydration, which
is why it is important to drink plenty
of fluids while on any antibiotic. Di-
arrhea, while it is getting rid of the
bad bacteria, may also get rid of the
good bacteria (the kind that naturally exists in our stomachs that help
regulate our digestion). You can help
replace good bacteria with an overthe-counter probiotic.
computer science. He’s passionate about
health and nutrition and is a personal
trainer. He is also a classical/Flamenco
guitarist, and is known to many as The
Hand-y Man!, since he can be seen offering great therapeutic hand massages at
many outdoor events.
Lastly, Stewart is the math specialist
with Ready, Set, Test!, the newly-successful, Mt. Vernon based civil service
exam prep enterprise. We’re proud and
excited to have Paul on the Mount Vernon Inquirer team. He can be reached at:
914.844.5784
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22 l July 2015
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was brought back again this season due
to her outstanding work the last two years,
coordinated this year’s Summer Breeze
Concert Series. Sheryl replaced longtime
Mount Vernon resident and former NFL
player, Dillard Boone, after he passed in
2013.
The Mistress of Ceremonies for this
year’s opening concert was Diane Atkins, Deputy Commissioner of the Recreation Department. She is always a crowd
pleaser due to her bubbly personality; she
Abashi Ben Reuben addressing the crowd
(l to r) Sheryl Brownlee-Fox and Diane Atkins
Rocky Middleton and his band electrifying the crowd
Deborah Newallon impressed the crowd with her amazing voice
The Mount Vernon Recreation I.C.E. Cold Band/Drumline
sensational singing of Deborah Newallo,
who received a rousing applause from the
music loving crowd. Also on the agenda
was Abashi Ben Reuben, who mesmerized everyone with his skillful drumming.
The crowd was pleasantly surprised
when Atkins introduced the young performers from the Mount Vernon Recreation I.C.E. Cold Band/Drumline, under
the direction of Mr. Mansa Gory. The
youngsters marched in, accompanied by
majorettes and dancers, and delighted
the crowd.
Middleton 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 as seasoned musiAn enthusiastic woman who
cians. As an ambassador of music, he has
performed in Africa and Europe and has
danced non-stop during
since returned to his native Mount Vernon
Middleton’s performance
to once again share his talent in his homewas enthusiastically received by the large town. Thanks to Rocky Middleton, the
2015 Summer Breeze Concert Series in
crowd.
The audience was also treated to the Mount Vernon kicked off to a great start.
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23 l July 2015
My Sisters’ Place
commemorates Dream Maker
Donor Wall with NY Giants CEO
Ribbon cutting held for
grand opening of Grove
Street Playground
John Mara (c) with members of My Sisters’ Place
Mayor Davis (c) cutting the ceremonial ribbon during the grand
opening ceremony
O
n Wednesday, June 3, New York
Giants CEO and Co-Owner,
John Mara, joined My Sisters’
Place (MSP) for the dedication
of its new emergency residential shelter
and to commemorate the installation of
the MSP Dream Maker Donor Wall.
“Our long lasting partnerships with the
New York Giants and the Mara Family
are key to our ability to promote awareness around the issues of domestic violence and human trafficking, and to make
significant social change in communities,
encompassing all age groups,” said MSP
CEO, Karen Cheeks-Lomax, Esq.
As MSP partners for over 18 years, the
New York Giants, as professionals, fathers,
brothers, husbands and leaders, have
been proactive with promoting awareness
and taking a stand against the harsh realities of these issues. “My Sisters’ Place
is providing critical life-changing services.
We are proud to stand strong with this organization and thrilled to be represented
and included in the Dream Maker Donor
Wall,” said John Mara.
In 1977, My Sisters’ Place, originally the
Yonkers’ Women’s Task Force, opened its
first safe home. Thirty-eight years later,
MSP is proud to have increased its capacity to serve more individuals and families
in crisis across Westchester County and
the greater New York area.
For more information about The Dream
Maker Donor Wall and other giving opportunities, please visit http://mspny.org/
news/new-shelter-campaign.
F
resh with a new makeover, a ribbon
cutting ceremony was held for the
grand opening of the Grove Street
Playground on Wednesday, June
24. The playground is located on Grove
Street, between South Bleeker and South
High Streets.
The Recreation Department oversaw
upgrades to the playground that was
designed and installed by Kompan Playground Specialist, the same company
that renovated the Hartley Park All Access
Playground.
“The Grove Street playground received
new swings, sliding board, partial safety
floor, basketball hoops and a basketball
court that converts to a soccer court,”
said Mayor Ernest D. Davis. “We’ve made
sure to include a shaded waiting area for
parents to watch their children.”
This project was made possible through
Community Development Block Grant
Program (CDBF) funds awarded through
the Mount Vernon Department of Planning
and Community Development.
“Playgrounds are a vital resource in our
community. They provide safe and creative spaces for our children to be active
and to develop life-long friendships and
memories,” said Recreation Commissioner Dr. Darren M. Morton.
For additional information please call the
Recreation Department at 914.665.2420.
INQUIRER
24 l July 2015
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Mt. Vernon City School District receives Farmingdale State
College NYGEAR UP Grant
US Education Department Secretary
Arne Duncan
G
aining Early Awareness and
Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs (GEAR UP) is a national initiative to create innovative programs that assist low-income
students in preparing to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. New
York State has been awarded a six-year
GEAR UP grant by the U.S. Department
of Education. The New York State Higher
Education Services Corporation (HESC)
has been designated as New York’s lead
administering agency for the 2014-2021
GEAR UP award, ad-ministering $22.4
million in grants. NYGEAR UP will work
with a cohort of 6,000 students entering
the 7th grade at middle schools in districts
with low on-time high school graduation
rates, continuing through their first year of
college.
The overarching goal of the NYGEAR
UP project is to significantly increase the
number of low-income students who are
prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education or training. Specifically, NYGEAR UP is designed to:
1. Increase students’ academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education
2. Increase high school graduation rates
among NY-GEAR UP students
3. Increase NYGEAR UP students’ participation in post-secondary education, with an emphasis on college
readiness, college fit and academic
alignment to high-demand fields and
sectors of the economy
4. Increase the rate of college persistence and completion of NYGEAR
UP students
5. Increase student and family knowledge of post-secondary education
options, preparation and financing
NYGEAR UP will provide a variety of
services based on research-based effective practices. These services will include
tutoring, mentoring, counseling, college
tours, and a non-cognitive skills curriculum. Professional development opportunities will also be provided to teachers,
and parents will be engaged through participation in workshops concerning postsecondary education and training options
and the college-going process. These services will be delivered by a combination of
state and national higher education industry leaders and high-quality, competitively
selected service providers.
The program follows students for 6
years, providing tutoring to close achievement gaps, summer camps and trips to
other colleges, and STEM related venues.
Students will also have the opportunity to
earn college credits through dual enrollment in classes taught by Farmingdale
State College professors while they are in
high school. They can take up to 60 credits, thereby graduating with the equivalent
of an Associate Degree FREE of charge.
All students in the 7th grade at the identified students are eligible regardless of income.
There will be a two-week STEM camp
on July 20 – July 30, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30
p.m., at each of the identified schools.
Free breakfast and lunch will be provided
and two field-trips. One hundred students
can apply for an NYGEAR UP weekend of
living in the dorms and taking classes at
Farmingdale State College on July 24-26.
Registration is required.
On Saturday, May 30th, Ms. Sherry
Ward, CTE administrator, took parents
and students from Longfellow MS, Pennington, and Graham to Farmingdale
State College. An air conditioned chartered bus was provided by Farmingdale
State College. Students sat in college
classes and met professors, they toured
campus buildings and dormitories, and
were treated to lunch before the ride
home. Students and parents enjoyed the
experience. Students left having conversations about which majors they found
most exciting, who they plan to have as
roommates, and wonderful impressions
about the resources available on a college
campus. There was a spark of excitement
ignited in these students and we would
like to have that spark spread to the other
7th grade students in these schools.
Parents must complete applications for
student participation and commit to participating is several parent workshops annually. Call Julie Banks at 914- 665-5264
for applications and information. For additional information about the grant, visit
http://www.hesc.ny.gov/nygearup.html.
The 2015 Affordable Housing War: Wins & Losses on
Both Sides
Story by Tamara Stewart
A
s expected, June was a
dramatic month in the fight
to preserve affordable
housing for working-class
tenants. The battle in Albany was
contentious and drawn-out, with the
Emergency Tenant Protection Act
(ETPA) regulations which cover 2.5
million New Yorkers, allowed to expire on June 15. Closer to home, the
Westchester Rent Guidelines Board
(WRGB) meetings were also testy,
with passionate arguments presented by both landlords and tenants. By
the time all of the protesting, shouting, and maneuvering was over, both
sides could claim both victories and
defeats.
This year’s WRGB hearings began
earlier than usual, with the first hearing taking place at the Yonkers Riverfront Library on June 1, followed
by Mount Vernon City Hall on June
2, and finally, White Plains City Hall
on June 8. Tenant and Owner representatives on the Board presented
impassioned arguments in favor of
0% and 0% increases, and 4% and
6% increases on 1- and 2-year lease
renewals, respectively. Owners also
argued in favor of a “poor tax” on
tenants currently paying less than
$1,000/month, asking for flat $40
and $60 increases on these renewals. Ultimately, the Board settled on
1.75% increases for 1-year renewals,
and 2.75% increases for 2-year renewals. The Board voted against any
flat-rate increases on tenants paying less than $1,000/month, many of
whom are senior citizens or disabled
persons living on fixed incomes.
Much of the local, annual clash
over rent increases was overshadowed by the larger conflicts taking
place in New York City and Albany.
NYC and Westchester renters, their
advocates and supporters, staged
numerous protests in NYC and Albany. Mayor Bill DeBlasio along
with many Democratic leaders from
NY City Council and NY State Assembly, lead the charge in favor of
renewing and strengthening ETPA
and eliminating vacancy decontrol.
On the other side, many upstate Republican Senators with the backing
of powerful landlord-friendly lobbyists and advocates like the Rent
Stabilization Association, vigorously
fought against renewal of ETPA, and
in favor of the renewal of the 421-a
tax break for real estate developers.
In an agreement reached just before
midnight on June 25, ten days after
rent regulations expired, ETPA regulations were renewed retroactively for
four years, until 6/15/19. The threshold for units leaving the protection
of rent stabilization (aka vacancy
decontrol) was raised slightly, from
$2,500/month to $2,700/month. The
formula for determining the monthly
surcharge tenants will have to pay
for Major Capital Improvement (MCI)
charges for building-wide improvements, will now be spread over 8
years for buildings with under 35
units, and over 9 years for buildings
with more than 35 units. Fines for
landlords who harass tenants were
also increased by varying amounts.
Time will tell if tenant advocates’
dire predictions that working-class
New Yorkers will be priced-out of
New York City and Westchester
County because rent regulations
weren’t strengthened, turns out to be
true. For now, both sides will have to
be content with living to fight again
another day.
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Milestone School’s 2015 Annual
School Recital held on
Saturday, June 6th
T
Graduates proudly displaying their diplomas
he Milestone School’s 2015 Annual School Recital held on Saturday, June 6th at Saunders High
School marks the end of the
school year and the presentation of the
School’s 4th Grade graduating class.
This year’s graduates, Gisele Cestaro,
Owen Dyer,Vaughan Johnson, Zyon Lord,
Cameron Lovett, Diego Ocasio and Morgan Young, will all be attending phenomenal schools in the fall. Gisele, Owen,
Cameron, and Morgan will be attending The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry.
Vaughan will be attending Sacred Heart in
White Plains, Zyon Lord is off to the Ideal
School in Manhattan, and Diego Ocasio
will be attending Cathedral School, also in
Manhattan.
The Milestone School is an independent
Nursery through Grade 4 day school, located near the Fleetwood Train Station in
Mount Vernon.
For more information on The Milestone
School visit them online at www.themilestoneschool.com.
Montefiore leads in Health
Care and in sponsorship for
Arts On Third Festival
L
ast year, Montefiore was introduced to Arts On Third
Festival, which is the largest festival in Westchester
County, with well over 70,000 festivalgoers. Because of the massive foot traffic, Montefiore quickly
recognized the festival as a way to
advance health and wellness in the
community. This year, Montefiore is
the leading sponsor of the Arts On
Third Festival, which will take place
September 6, on Third Street, between 5th and Union Avenues.
Arts On Third has a Health and
Wellness section, which will be
sponsored by Montefiore exclusively. In 2014, thousands of festival attendees visited the Health &
Wellness component of the festival,
where they received products, ma-
terials, services, information and
free heath screenings.
Mount Vernon’s mayor, Ernest
Davis, said, “The Health & Wellness component was added because information that is received
at a festival can push people toward
lifesaving health changes.”
The festival’s Heath and Wellness
component is one of the ways that
Montefiore uses to educate and
empower the community in leading
healthier lives.
Please contact Geneva Jermin
at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital at 914 664-8000 with questions about the festival’s Health and
Wellness. For Sponsorship opportunities call Tamarris Lewis at 914
840-4008.
25 l July 2015
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26 l July 2015
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Furthermore, according to the International Trade Agreement signed in South
Korea by Sentinel Technology Services
International, a Mount Vernon based company and the supplier of the LED lights,
they will also be training unemployed
Mount Vernon workers to install the lights.
Sentinel will be establishing a distribution
hub on Third Street, which I have previously written about. However, that plan is
in serious jeopardy of falling through due
to the inexplicable number of delays in the
process.
During my interview with Walker, I explained to her that Mount Vernon taxpayers have already lost approximately one
million dollars due to the city not transitioning from regular streetlights to LED
lights, as a result of these countless delays.
Retrofitting the streetlights to LED lights
is not costing the taxpayers one penny,
since, in the first year, one million in savings can realistically be achieved. The
vast number of documented light outage
complaints to repair an already outdated
lighting system, supports the fiscal facts
of these savings. The cost of overtime, labor, equipment, administrative and clerical
cost overruns, and redundant purchases
of fixture materials accounts for the wasted
resources. More importantly, it is a proven
statistical fact that LED street lights help
reduce crime significantly and increase
consumer and constituency confidence!
The culmination of these combined attributes, properly documented and quantified, clearly demonstrates how the city
ultimately can achieve these goals.
Sentinel Technology Services International, was awarded the contract to retrofit
the streetlights throughout the city, and
it took costly months for the city to finalize the contract and have it signed by the
Mayor.
Walker explained to me that the savings
of a million dollars a year couldn’t possibly be accurate. “I do not believe that the
numbers are real,” she said. “You will have
to show me something in writing other
than just telling me about the savings.”
Walker was expected to tell the bank
on Friday, June 19, the city’s decision regarding the loan repayment term – 5, 7 or
10 years. When questioned about the repayment term, she stated: “Our job in this
department is to pay the city’s bills, not
to inform banks about repayment terms.
Take that up with the Mayor who signed
the contract.”
I also showed her a letter signed by the
Commissioner of Public Works, who reviewed and approved the Phase 1 report
and gave written authorization to Sentinel
to proceed to Phase 2 of the contract.
Phase 2, among other things, requires
the City to have already secured financing for the streetlight project. In addition,
it allowed Sentinel to proceed with the irrevocable order and purchase of the LED
lights.
“This letter that was signed by the Commissioner is not enough proof. I need
written proof coming from the energy
companies that did the study on the savings,” said Walker. I further informed her
that the Commissioner of DPW is the only
authority that can disseminate this data
and advise and act on it, due to the fact
that he is an engineer.
Since Sentinel was authorized to proceed with the purchase of the lights by the
city, the supplier of the lights flew in from
South Korea on Friday, June 19, to finalize
the purchase of the lights by Sentinel.
On Friday, June 19, Walker informed
Sentinel that she had changed her mind
and wanted the money to pay for the lights
by the city to be bonded by the taxpayers.
“To revert to bonding the funds for the
LED lights at this time will not be prudent,
since it will hurt the taxpayers financially
due to a delay of possibly over six months.
There has already been a delay of nearly
a year, which has caused taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. A further
delay of six months will represent a loss
of approximately a half million dollars. A
cashed-strapped Mount Vernon can’t afford to incur these types of unnecessary
losses,” I explained to Walker
One of her staff members stated: “Early
on, before the contract was signed, we
tried to get the payment for the lights
bonded, but there was no interest and we
dropped the matter at the time.” Please
note that the RFP never included bonding
of the financing by the city, and the contract had already been approved by the
Board of Estimate and Contracts, making
such a request moot.
“If you want me to show you proof on
how the savings will originate, I will speak
with Sentinel and get back to you,” I told
Walker.
I returned to Walker’s office in less
than 45 minutes with a Power Point presentation prepared by Mas Tec Energy,
explaining the methodology, data collection, and savings verification, approved
by the Commissioner of Public Works and
reviewed by New York Power Authority
and Con Edison. The report clearly states
that the city is currently being billed for
approximately 15% more than it should
be, due to inaccurate information! I said
to myself, could this be the reason why
Mount Vernon pays the highest utility rate
in Westchester County?
In addition, after the installation of the
LED lights, there will be a major percentage reduction in energy usage of approximately 67%, representing more than half
of the kilowatts that the City is currently
being billed for! With that in mind, if the
city so chose, an additional 13% can be
achieved through the incorporation of
controls into the system.
When I showed Walker the proof, she
stated, “I am sorry, but we already saw
what you are showing us. What we really
want is a letter from Mas Tec and HP Energy, on their letterhead, confirming these
savings. Walker shocked me with this request, since the city’s engineer approved
the survey and she is clearly not recognizing that it is the Commissioner of DPW
who has the final say, and no one supersedes his authority on these matters!
I then asked Walker about her position
on the bonding, and she stated, “That is a
totally different issue.”
Hopefully, the Comptroller will have a
change of heart and abide by the original
contract, since it is a win-win situation for
the taxpayers. In addition, it will enable
exuberant graduates of the Construction/
Pre-Apprenticeship Academy at Mount
Vernon High School to be employed this
summer.
Joe Parisi
Publisher/Editor
Hundreds of Mayor Davis’ supporters attend fundraiser
Ernie Davis at entrance of Surf Club, surrounded by students of
Edward Williams Elementary School Chorus
H
undreds
of
supporters
turned out to support the
re-election of Mayor Davis at the 16th annual golf/
tennis outing honoring the Mayor.
The event follows the endorsements
of the Mt. Vernon Democratic City
Committee and Teamsters Local 456
last month.
“I value these outings as oppor-
tunities to talk with residents about
how I can continue to best serve
Mount Vernon as Mayor. When the
people of Mount Vernon speak, I listen. With your vote, I can help our
city progress. I will provide meals
and activities for our seniors, foster
new development projects that will
create jobs, and make our city safer
for our children and families,” Davis
said.
“I am grateful to my supporters
for all their hard work and generosity, and look forward to working with
them to improve our city,” Davis continued.
Donations from the event will support Mayor Davis’ re-election campaign. As Mayor, Davis will continue
his focus on making Mount Vernon a
better place to live for all residents.
He will fight to get more services
for seniors, support businesses that
create jobs for our youth, and make
Mount Vernon safer. As Mayor, Davis
has always demonstrated a commitment to improving Mount Vernon.
He created major new development
projects, provided summer jobs for
local youth, and provided hot meals
for seniors. Mayor Davis also made
strides in cleaning up Memorial Field,
a project that he will make sure is
completed as Mayor.
“When you love your city, you fight
to make it better. As Mayor, I will continue to address the issues that really
matter to the people of Mount Vernon: more jobs, safer streets, support
for our parents and grandparents,
and completing the restoration of our
beloved Memorial Field. The people
of Mount Vernon can count on me to
get the job done,” said Davis.
The golf/tennis outing was held at
the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, New York on Monday, June
8, 2015. The reception followed at
The Surf Club, 280 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, NY.
More information can be found at
www.friendsoferniedavis.com.
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
27 l July 2015
Jim and Annie Kiselak’s
Natural Food Column
Direct from the sunny island of
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Are trans fats impacting
your memory?
It’s no secret that eating junk food
contributes to weight gain and can
lead to health complications. But
new information about dietary trans
fats, which exist in most junk foods,
shows that consumption of such
items is also destroying people’s
minds. Specifically, memory function
among men
younger than 45
years has been shown to worsen with
consumption of foods loaded with dietary trans fats.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of California,
San Diego, School of Medicine, discovered that men falling within the
aforementioned age bracket were
able to recall 86 words during a word
recall test. However, for every additional gram of trans fats eaten every
day, their recall fell by 0.76 words,
compared to men who did not consume trans fats. In simpler terms,
what this boils down to is that men
who had the highest levels of dTFA
(dietary Trans Fatty Acids) remembered 12 fewer words than those who
did not eat trans fats.
Problematic for people who need to
focus on productivity, workplace performance
Experts note, unfortunately, that the
age impacted involves men who are
typically in the midst of their career,
where focus and effectiveness in the
workplace is of utmost importance.
“Trans fats were most strongly linked
to worsened memory in men during
their high productivity years,” said
Beatrice A. Golomb, MD, PhD, lead
author of the study.
While women were involved in the
study, and analyses involving them
were similar to those of the men, “. .
. women were too few in number to
draw separate conclusions.” Therefore, the findings home in on men,
who make up half of the population.
The researchers also noted that this
study, which was published in PLOS
ONE, was among the first of its kind.
“Trans fat consumption has previously shown adverse associations on
behavior and mood—other pillars of
brain function,” Golomb said. “However, to our knowledge, a relation to
memory or cognition had not been
shown.”
You may not even know that you
have been eating them, but trans fats
will soon be mostly gone from your
food. The Food and Drug Administration recently said that it will require
food companies to phase them out
over the next three years because the
agency says they are a threat to public health.
Among the foods that commonly contain trans fats: frostings, pie
crusts, biscuits, microwave popcorn,
coffee creamers, frozen pizza, refrigerated dough, vegetable shortenings
and stick margarines. The fats help
give a more solid texture and richness
to certain foods.
EDUCATION COLUMN
By Diane Fulves, M.A., M.Ed.,
Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTS
Email: [email protected]
Summer Learning Can Be Fun
O
ur long awaited summer
has arrived, ten weeks of
relaxation, fun, and enjoying all that the summer
has to offer. But during this wonderful vacation, there are some activities
that children can be involved in to
make sure that their little brains are
stimulated and they are learning in a
way that can be fun. This is particularly important for children who have
learning issues. These ten weeks
can mean a significant loss of skills
and information, if we are not careful.
So what can we do?
One suggestion is to use your
public library. During the summer
months many libraries offer special
programs for children and they are
free of charge. Enjoy them together.
When children spend time with other
children listening to stories that are
read by a professional, they hear the
music of the words and the drama of
the adventure. They also participate
in the group activities that follow the
reading. They hear questions other
children ask which may encourage
them to ask their own questions.
Now they are working together in
a group: thinking, questioning, responding, and learning.
Be sure to gather some books for
summer reading. Librarians are very
knowledgeable and can help you select books that are appropriate and
interesting. Set aside some time to
read each day and, if you can, spend
some time reading with your children. This builds a special bond with
them. They love to hear your voice
as you bring them into the lives of
the characters, their emotions, and
adventures. This is one way we can
encourage them to read and develop
a love of reading.
Everyone leads busy lives, but taking fifteen to twenty minutes to read
together lets them know that you believe that reading is valuable. When
our children can read, they have
power. So cuddle up with your books
and read.
Some children find it very difficult
to get back into their academic work
in September when they have spent
the lazy days of summer just hanging
out. Plan ahead to keep minds active. Gather some materials that you
have at home, e.g., math flash cards,
alphabet cards, phonics and math
workbooks, pencils, pens, paper,
and crayons. When you need them,
you won’t have to search for them.
Schedule a little time during the week
to “play school”. This doesn’t have
to be each day, but if you want your
children to retain their skills, it is important to have a consistent time to
reinforce their knowledge. This will
make a big difference when they return to school in September.
Parents may be thinking, “I don’t
have time. I work, come home, cook
dinner. I’m tired!” I understand. As a
foster parent who worked full time, it
wasn’t easy to find the time, but I did
it. This was my responsibility. The
automatic response, “I don’t have
time,” will never benefit our children.
So have fun this summer, but don’t
forget: September is just around the
corner!
New Connections Provides Support for Local Entrepreneurs
Story by Tamara Stewart
L
ocal entrepreneurs have a new
way to access support and resources to help them grow their
businesses.
Headquartered
in the Roosevelt Square Professional
Building at 11 West Prospect Avenue
in Mount Vernon, New Connections is
a networking and peer-support organization that was created to help small
business leaders grow and prosper
through mutual support and collective
action. Under the leadership of CEO
Miniimah Saafir, New Connections
meets monthly to enable entrepreneurs
to present their businesses to the
group, share information, and discuss
how best to support one another. The
warmth and enthusiasm of New Connections members and guests is palpable, with several members reporting
at the June 6 meeting that they were
able to immediately capitalize on business advice and contacts that came
through other members of the group.
According to the New Connections
Alliance flyer “a membership with New
Connections gives you the opportunity
to share with other entrepreneurs what
it is you have to offer. In business as
in life, we all need a support system.
It is common knowledge that we are
all a part of the whole. How can any
of us be whole without connecting with
one another? The New Connections
Alliance is a group of like-minded individuals who understand the concept
of team work in a positive environment. We show the kind of support to
one another that we wish to be shared
with us. If you ever felt like you didn’t
have enough money or what it takes to
build a business, New Connections is
for you!”
The annual membership fee for New
Connections is $100, and guests are
welcome to attend. The next New
Connections meeting is scheduled
for July 11 from 10am-2pm, location
TBD. For more information, check out
the New Connections website at www.
NewConnections.biz, contact CEO
Miniimah Saafir at (347) 244-9550, or
look for the New Connections ad in this
month’s issue of the Mount Vernon Inquirer.
INQUIRER
28 l July 2015
www.mvinquirer.com
jaFa’s Poets Corner
Alternative Medicine
Options
2007 - PRESENT
Poems Submitted by Our Readers
Edited by jaFa (James Fair)
JAFA’S POETRY CORNER
(8TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY)
May the Muse of Poetry continue to inspire.
Tribute to A Daughter... or... My Cherry
Blossom...
Author: bobbyjoemack
Mount Vernon resident
To My Dearest Darling Daughter
Who is a Part of Me
And is the Heart of Me
She helps me to Be me
And Loves me Respectfully
Totally Unconditionally
As a baby... My Baby I knew Not
Who She would be
Or ... What she would be
But they say that
The Apple doesn’t Fall far
From The Tree... and Now I see
Cause Her as a Child I could see Stuff
I saw the Glimmers and the Glimpses
Of A True Diamond in the Ruff
So Hard... yet so Soft
Very Beautiful and very... Very Tough
She Sparkled like Shimmering Stardust
As a very Young Woman
I Began to see the Budding Beauty
That She could be... and Would Be
I... Proud of the small Seed
That I had In-planted
Has Now Grown into a Sequoia tree
With the Wisdom of the Universe
And the Knowledge of Time
Passed Down from Me to Mine
And though Grown now
With Seeds of Her Own
As I seeing them Sown
And They not landing Far from The
trees
It’s still hard for me to See
That My Baby is Grown
Not so Long off my Knee
Bouncing... Laughing... Touching Me
But it Brings Great Pride to me
Because what I see... will Always be
A Branch that is a Fruitful Part... Of
Me...
A Strong Black Woman
Author: Fanny Oliveras
She sees nothing, yet everything on the
crowded streets of NYC.
She walks feeling disparaged, eyes luring at her, burning off her seasonal dress
In addition, to the hot summer sun
burning on the concrete
She ignores the obvious.
A couple passes her by the opposite direction.
The woman knowingly notices her
mate starring at this woman.
She wants to be observed, but not undressed in public.
She loves the natural heat from the sun
While hating that the men gawk at her
slim and shinning body.
It’s hard not to fear getting mugged for
a single woman walking alone,
But she does not fear it because she’s a
strong black woman.
ON THE BEACH
Author: Charles Roda
The sun is scorching hot but the breeze
is cooling.
Young women in string bikinis stroll
along the beach.
Mature women proudly bare their natural, gray hair.
Cell phones are held closely to ears or
within reach.
Mothers apply sun lotion to infants and
toddlers.
Attentive parents lie under an umbrella
with three children.
A sleek catamaran skims over the offshore waves.
A pretty student reads a chemistry
chapter about nitrogen.
Kids are throwing orange and red Frisbees to each other.
A child is building a sand castle as the
tide rises.
Teens are blasting incessant, drum-beat
music.
Alert lifeguards are searching the shore
to avoid a crisis.
TO OUR READERS & SUPPORTERS
From the editor: james “jAFa” Fair
This year JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 8th year. We are the longest,
continuously, running poetry column in any local area monthly publication.
We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who have
so generously supported us. THANK YOU!
Please email your poems to [email protected]
or mail a (typed copy please) to
James Fair, 153 South 5th Ave., Apt 6B, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
by
Joe Parisi
How to eat to boost
brain function and cut
Alzheimer’s risk
C
an dietary practices impact memory and affect
Alzheimer’s risk? A recent study published in
Archives of Neurology found that
a healthy diet may lower levels of
brain chemicals linked to Alzheimer’s disease, while an unhealthy
diet may raise them, Mail Online
reports. Furthermore, a healthy
diet may also reduce the risk of
developing memory problems that
can lead to this disease.
The unhealthy diet found to be
detrimental to brain function consisted of high saturated fat and
high glycemic foods. Sources of
saturated fat are foods such as
red meat, butter and cheese, while
high glycemic sources include
foods such as biscuits, white
bread, cake, white rice, table sugar
and soft drinks.
Conversely, the healthy diet
found to benefit brain function involved low saturated fat and low
glycemic foods. These food sources include fruit, vegetables with
the exception of potatoes, and
whole grains such as steel cut oats
and brown rice.
In the investigation, scientists
assigned one of the two diets to
49 adults in their mid 60s, some
with healthy brain function and
others with mild cognitive impairment. The goal was to assess the
effect of diet on biomarkers for
Alzheimer’s disease in the brain.
Biomarkers are chemicals that indicate the presence of this disorder. After four weeks, the level of
these tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s
was measured.
The biomarkers in the healthy
participants were found to be increased in the high fat/ high glycemic group, but lower in the
low fat/low glycemic group. This
effect was not seen, however, in
participants of the study with mild
cognitive impairment. Another interesting result was that the low
fat /low glycemic group performed
better on memory tests than they
did at the beginning of the study.
Authors of the study summarized the implications of these findings. They explained that for adults
without cognitive impairment, the
healthy diet moved Alzheimer’s
biomarkers in a direction that may
be seen in a pre-symptomatic
level of this disease. Investigators
stated that those with Alzheimer’s
risk factors, such as obesity, could
try to prevent the disease by following a low fat, wholegrain diet.
They concluded that the beneficial
effects of long-term dietary intervention for Alzheimer’s may hold
promise.
Another indication of the research is that positive dietary
changes may not be as beneficial
in later stages of cognitive dysfunction. Since Alzheimer’s changes in the brain begin many years
prior to the manifestation of the
symptoms, now is the time to begin healthy dietary practices.
In addition to the general guideline of a low saturated fat/ low
glycemic diet, there are some
more specific recommendations
of foods that studies have shown
to be valuable for brain function.
Polyphenols are compounds scientists believe have brain protective properties through their
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
actions,Globe and Mail notes.
Some sources include berries,
cherries, walnuts and seeds. While
vegetables in general are associated with slower cognitive deterioration, leafy green vegetables seem
to offer the greatest benefit.
Some research indicates that
fish eaters have a reduced risk of
Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive
deterioration. Oily fish varieties,
such as salmon, herring and trout
are a good source of an omega-3
fatty acid that helps impart flexibility to the lining of the brain cells,
enabling memory transmissions to
pass more easily. This nutrient is
also beneficial for inflammation in
the brain.
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
29 l July 2015
INQUIRER
30 l July 2015
www.mvinquirer.com
LHRIC/Pearson partnership helps increase literacy levels
in Mt. Vernon schools
T
Students busy using their tablets
here’s a quiet transformation
going on in the Mount Vernon
School District that is taking
teachers and administrators by
surprise: a turnaround in student class
participation and literacy levels that is truly
making a difference in the lives of children
who were once hesitant to read.
Five teachers in the Mount Vernon
Schools who teach the fourth, seventh
and ninth grades are currently using the
tablet/Internet-based iLit (Inspire Literacy)
program, which was developed by Pearson Education as a digital reading intervention solution for students who are at
least two grades below their level.
The no-cost initiative, which is targeted
to grades 4 through 10, is being made
possible through a unique partnership
with Pearson that serves as a qualitative/
quantitative study and, as district administrators have described it, “a blueprint for
the district’s future.”
iLit is one of the first programs of its
kind, combining high interest/low functionality reading materials for struggling
readers.
“Our teachers are so thrilled with it that
they are telling us, please don’t take it
away,” said Deputy Superintendent of
Schools Dr. Jeff Gorman, referring to the
changes that instructors are already seeing in their students attitudes and work.
The one-year study, which began in
March, required a considerable amount
of preparation before implementation, explained Director of Technology, Joe McGrath. That included ensuring there were
enough tablets for the project, enabling
WIFI in all four schools, and providing tech
support and training for teachers.
Approximately 120 iPads and other tablet devices are being used in the study.
Students can access the program at
home, either on their smart phones or on
any computer with Internet access.
During a recent morning iLit session at
the Graham Elementary/Middle School,
seventh-grade teacher, Camille DiSalvo,
started her lesson by talking about the
importance of making logical inferences
from a text.
Students are currently reading Trino’s
Choice, a relevant book for teens because
it deals with belonging and the issues of
peer pressure, loneliness and family conflict.
In reference to the class novels, Ms.
DiSalvo explains, “The high interest reading advances student engagement and
promotes higher-order thinking. In turn,
students are having meaningful academic
discussions that are relevant to their lives.”
Each iLit class is structured according to
a plan that the teacher follows. For the first
10 minutes of each class, students have
the freedom to choose a novel of their
choice or from the range of non-fiction articles that are included in the iLit program.
Students are also given the opportunity to
listen to the teacher read a book, in addition to engaging in classroom conversation based on guided prompts from the
instructor.
Ms. DiSalvo, who has been teaching at
the Graham School for the past year, said
the iLit program has been very helpful to
her students.
“Students feel accomplished when they
set their own goals for independent reading, and they also like that they start the
class getting settled into a book,” she
noted.
Some of the benefits she has observed
include the real-time personalized feedback that her students get with their writing as well as the scaffolded hints that
allow them to rewrite their work without
fear that they will do the wrong thing.
“The best thing about this core intervention program is that it gives my students a
newfound independence and true ownership of their learning,” she added. “It also
makes learning fun and exciting for both
teacher and student, and most importantly, it holds students accountable for their
learning.”
The iLit program, explains Dr. Gorman,
also gives students the freedom to choose
the books they are most interested in, but
at differentiated lexile reading levels.
“A lot of the books in the program have
engaging high quality pictures and other
interactive features, but what’s important
is that they make the students feel like
they’re reading at a respectful grade level,” Dr. Gorman added.
That’s an important feature of the program, said Ms. DiSalvo, especially for students who are struggling with reading and
may be embarrassed to take a book out
of the library that is visibly not suitable for
their age.
The secure assessment data that teachers and administrators in Mount Vernon
have been able to access so far indicates
that the students are now in fact reading
above the lexile level for their particular
grade.
“It’s just not a matter of looking at results, though,” noted Mr. McGrath. “It’s
more about looking at the fidelity of the
model.”
Dr. Gorman hopes the success of the
study will inspire other teachers to try out
the program in the future. Instructors like
Ms. DiSalvo will be important to the success of such an initiative, he said.
“iLit is a game-changer,” said Ms.
DiSalvo. “I’m so excited that Dr. Gorman
brought this program to Mount Vernon,
and I am beyond ecstatic to continue implementing it.”
“At the LHRIC, we are excited that the
Mount Vernon administrative team took
the initiative to conduct this much needed
efficacy study, as it will serve as a model
for other districts with struggling readers,”
said Dr. Madalyn Romano, coordinator of
Instructional Technology at the LHRIC.
Two additional districts have signed
up for the iLit program for the 2015/2016
school year.
Boys & Girls Club Youth of the
Year, Jaron Dobson, runner up
in NYS competition!
“Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon Unveils New 12 Passenger Van”
J
aron Dobson, Boys & Girls Club
of Mount Vernon 2015 Youth of
the Year, was selected as one
of three finalists for NYS Youth
of the Year. He narrowly missed winning the title to Margaret Rodriquez,
an impressive young woman from
the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the
Bronx.
Jaron received a $2,000 scholarship
for being selected runner up, in addition to the $750 he received for winning the local competition.
New York State has 48 Boys & Girls
Club Organizations, 26 send candidates to Albany to compete. After a
grueling first round of interviews, Jaron was one of three finalists called
back for a second interview before 15
judges.
The morning after the competition,
Jaron got to go to the NYS Capital
and Legislative Office Building to meet
Senator Ruth Hassel Thompson and
Assemblyman Gary Pretlow.
Halima Penny, BGCMV Teen Coordinator said with a bright smile, “We are
so proud of Jaron for showing what
our teens are capable of doing. He is
just one example of the tremendous
growth our young adults are showing
in Mount Vernon”
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
31 l July 2015
32 l July 2015
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com

July 2015 - mv inquirer

Transcription

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