November 5, 2015 - WestchesterGuardian.com
Transcription
November 5, 2015 - WestchesterGuardian.com
PRESORTED PRESORTED STANDARD STANDARD PERMIT#3036 #3036 PERMIT WHITEPLAINS PLAINSNY NY WHITE Vol.VI, VI,No. No.XLV XLIXI Vol. Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly Thursday October 8, 2015 5, • $1.00 Thursday November 2015 New We Face RealRochelle Challenges to Fire Department Awards Representative Democracy Story Page 4. Story by Lee Hamilton, Page 5 Photo Courtesy of the City of New Rochelle How Effective Was the Vote You Just Cast? Steve Mayo Page 3 Supergirl to Superstruct? John McMullen Page 7 WW WW W .. W W EE SS TT CC HH EE SS TT EE RR GG UU AA RR DD II AA NN .. CC OO M M W Page 2 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, COMMUNITY Should New Rochelle Try Two Way Traffic? By Peggy Godfrey How many times do you hear a honking horn in New Rochelle’s downtown? There is a distinct possibility that a lot more horns will be honking if New Rochelle converts Main and Huguenot Streets from one-way to two-way, slower traffic in an effort to help the downtown businesses. This prospect was addressed at the October 20, 2015 meeting of New Rochelle City Council. Concern was also raised regarding nearby streets, including Jackson and Pratt Streets and blocks near the turn at Huguenot, and toward Main Street from the I-95 area. RDRXR paid for the traffic study and this report is part of their evaluation of the downtown New Rochelle area, included in the back of the GDEIS (Generic Draft Environmental Impact Statement) that can be found in the New Rochelle Public Library. Aided by research presented to council as reported in the Access, Fall 2012 issue titled, “Two Way Traffic Keep Right,” the study stated two-way streets aid businesses: traffic that moves more slowly improves “livability of the downtown areas.” Two-way traffic patterns also allow drivers to reach their destinations with greater ease, avoiding the need to navigate around a series of one-way streets. The study does note that one-way streets do offer drivers greater ease in making many left-hand turns. Although signal timing at two way intersections can address this disadvantage, fewer cars are be able to make the turn in the allotted signal time. By contrast, one-way streets allow more cars to flow in traffic. But, will the slower traffic of two-way streets have the opposite effect and instead discourage people from coming downtown? Another layer of complexity is added as planners consider when and where left turns should be banned. This has to be evaluated along with average trip lengths and the size of the downtown district. At this city council meeting, the AKRF traffic study prepared by Nelson Nygart (and paid for by RDRXR) was discussed by Mike King. Traffic counts in the study were related to the various aspects of proposed downtown development. Elements to be considered include pedestrians, access and egress to and from the train station, the park and bike riding. Automobile counts were taken starting downtown east at the Radisson, and at exit 16 on I-95. The peak traffic from Cedar Street to Shop and Stop was less than one car per minute. Changes in access near the train station and Station Plaza were suggested. Traffic Planners propose redirecting traffic going into the train station from Memorial Highway and having vehicles exit the station on North Avenue. It was suggested this change be tried before the needed repairs are made on the bridge by the state. If Burling Lane is made one way then Lockwood is the next exit street to North Avenue. The analysis suggested shifting traffic to Memorial Highway to free up North Avenue. The study noted that Main Street is narrower than Huguenot Street and perhaps a striped median would be used on Main Street to make it possible to pass someone who is double-parked. It might also be useful to have a painted island added at the western end of Main Street at the Pintard intersection. A trial for two-way traffic was suggested. Some left turns could be banned until the city is able to establish the desired flow of traffic The impact of blocking eight to eleven parking spaces on Huguenot to facilitate two-way traffic is unknown. With regard to RDRXR, New Rochelle Development Commissioner Luiz Aragon suggested a pilot study is needed to sort out bus traffic. If City Council approves a plan, the city can pass any needed legislation. Councilman Jared Rice noted the need to calm-down car traffic. There is lack of agreement on the best pattern for traffic on Division Street but it is known the Police and Fire Departments avoid them. The study also suggested Main Street has an antiquated signal system. Changes to Exit 16 from I-95 were brought up by City Councilwoman Shari Rackman, as was the prospect of a street on the edge of the Toyota property disappearing. Council member Barry Fertel asked why the “one way in and out of the station” couldn’t be reversed and was told this is due to the inability to turn North on Division Street. The ability of people who live in New Rochelle to get in and out of the station with this plan was discussed. Although the traffic counts were made last year in anticipation of changing these downtown streets to two way traffic flow, it is obvious the plan is to complement RDRXR’s development proposal. The traffic study illustrated intersections with delays from 55 to 80 seconds (classified as E or F) and some exceeding 89 seconds. For example, Centre Avenue North and Main Street northbound left turns in the morning rush hour had an “F” northbound or a delay of 91.3 seconds. At Echo and Main Streets during the AM rush hour, the left turn had an F or 229-second delay. Main Street and Memorial Highway in the PM rush hour had an E or 66.8-second delay. There were more intersections with D, a delay between 35.0 and 55.0 seconds. North Avenue at Anderson Street had a left turn of 51.5-second delay in the morning -peak hours. Division and Huguenot Streets had a 50.9 second delay for right turns in the morning peak traffic. After the meeting, Councilman Lou Trangucci suggested that he had doubts about whether a two-way traffic system would work in downtown. However, he felt the city should give it a try. Commercial • Industrial & Residential Services Roll-Off Containers 1-30 Yards Home Cleanup Containers Turn-Key Demolition Services DEC Licensed Transfer Station www.citycarting.net City Carting of Westchester Somers Sanitation B & S Carting AAA Paper Recycling Bria Carting City Confidential Shredding DEP Licensed Rail Serve Transfer & Recyling Services Licensed Demolition Contractor Locally Owned & Operated Radio Dispatched Fully Insured - FREE Estimates 800.872.7405 • 203.324.4090 On-Site Document Destruction 8 Viaduct Road, Stamford, CT 06907 Same Day Roll Off Service Table of Contents Community...............................................2 Commentary.............................................3 Cover Story...............................................4 Government..............................................5 Community...............................................6 Creative Disruption...................................7 Travel.........................................................9 Eye on Theatre.........................................11 Local Lore...............................................12 Literary Award........................................13 Calendar..................................................14 Legal Ads................................................14 International Film...................................15 Mary at the Movies.................................16 Sam Zherka, Publisher Mary Keon, Editor /Advertising Publication is every Thursday Write to us in confidence at: The Westchester Guardian Post Office Box 8 New Rochelle, NY 10801 Send publicity 3 weeks in advance of your event. Ads due Tuesdays, one week prior to publication date. Letters to the Editor & Press Releases can only be submitted via Email. Typewritten press releases forwarded by mail are not acceptable and will not be considered for publication. Please forward press releases as Word doc to WestGuardEditor@ aol.com three weeks prior to anticipated run date; space closes Thursday, 8 days prior to dateline. Please forward ad inquiries to [email protected] or call/text: 914.216.1674. Original photos submitted for publication must have a resolution of 300 DPI. [email protected] Office Hours: 11A-5P M-F Phone: 914.216.1674 Cell • 914.576.1481 Office Read us online at: www.WestchesterGuardian.com THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 3 COMMENTARY Hey Voter: How Effective Was The Vote You Just Cast? City Services Not Improved Yet? Call “Yer” Political Machine! (And Good Luck With That!) By Steve Mayo C M Y CM MY CY enjoy a one-vote majority on its council, but that condition is always at risk of revisions owing to the fractious state of the city and its political organizations. Its mayor is a Republican apostate, having flipped parties rather clamorously in 2007 (“…Issues of the Republicans in Washington have been destroying the Republican Party”) though it is not apparent how his present “Democratic-ness” has influenced his tenure. The District Attorney also abandoned her Republican affiliation to join the Democratic Party. New Rochelle presents a pathetic example of Republican Party organizational woe and personal ambition. After decades of generally conservative political control, interspersed with alternating terms of Democratic and Republican mayoralties, the GOP was essentially banished from city hall in 1991. The mayoralty and a tenuous council majority were swept from office and given up to a suffocating Democratic Party machine that regulates the city. This one party controls finances and management; directs zoning and planning board appointments; the membership of boards of assessment review, civil service, historical landmark review, human rights, “industrial development,” municipal arts and the youth bureau. Precisely where all this newlyincubated “industry” is located in New Rochelle remains nebulous. In an informal manner, the party apparatus accretes its dominant status by assigning candidacies for the nominally independent library board and the PTA, as well as exploiting the Federation of United School Employees (FUSE!) teachers’ union contacts to control the legally separate New Rochelle Board of Education. And where does the Republican loyal opposition fit into all of this? Well, “fit” is not the right word. In fact, Republican influence has withered to essentially, no actually, less than, zero. Of seven council seats, a seriously conservative Republican tenuously holds one, vigorously and assiduously sticking up for the small property and business owner, regularly on the lookout for waste in personnel assignments and material supplies. The party constantly argues for improved systems of police patrol and defense against fires and threats to public health. The other, a crony capitalist of the first order who has been quoted as saying he couldn’t act “too Republican” and fiscally “conservative” for fear of antagonizing his leftish (although reliably capitalistic) clientele from the city’s leafy Scarsdale/Mamaroneck bordering northern environs. So bereft of even a trace of civics class-idealism that he will rely almost exclusively on the guiding gusts of city council majority sentiment when voting. Likely any majority will do, Democratic, Republican, right, left, socialist or Royalist. According to one regular council observer, he has been heard speaking for himself (and in this one case, the entire board) only once recently, when he had to take the place of our usually loquacious but lately laryngitic young mayor Bramson. Republicans are absent from the fabric of city life and yet through luck, the county executive’s fiscally conservative message resonates with enough city residents to send two Republicans to the county board. In the 10th County Continued on page 4 THE NEXT GENERATION OF SURGEONS © 2015 St. John’s Riverside Hospital | All Rights Reserved. By the time many of you have read this, the election season may already have ended. For you, it is too late, so clip and save this till next year. For others, please read on and then hurry to the polls. The issues have never been clearer. In fact, the issues get clearer every year. Your “governments,” (there are “oh, so many!), are taking advantage of you. If you live in New York City or in another metropolitan giant, the local government budget is larger than that of many states and countries. The budgets of prominent suburbs surrounding New York (Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and Bergen for instance) are often larger than those of many small cities. With size comes carelessness and neglect. Purchasing decisions have greater impact. Hiring choices affect the work lives of enormous bureaucracies covering multitudes of offices. Decisions over capital construction and maintenance ultimately concern thousands of users, employees, taxpayers and visitors. But with so much at stake, we have invested very little in the process of selecting the decision-makers and leaders in our various villages, towns, cities and counties and in and among the states. In the northeast generally, the electoral process is integrated with a binary political system where choices of candidates for primary and general elections are entrusted to two major entities: Republican and Democratic affiliates of the larger national organizations. Alternatives are rare. While New York State is more tolerant of third or forth parties than other states, it still is a considerable challenge anywhere in the state, from Hauppauge to Horseheads, to gain real traction against the “binary two” in terms of funding, organization and the benefits of incumbency. Regional demographics and national political sea-changes, such as the Progressive period, FDR’s New Deal, the Goldwater (from a Republican perspective) disaster, Watergate and the Reagan realignment, have made this into a generally leftist Democratic stronghold, with stubborn outposts of rightist Republican success in certain (but no longer all) suburbs, exurban and rural areas. These patterns have repeated commonly throughout heavily populated regions of the Northeast, Pacific west and Northwest and occasionally throughout the South, the Midwest and the remainder of the nation. For those of us living in Westchester, the second wealthiest county in the nation in terms of median income per person (though only 47th wealthiest in sum total, likely due to its relatively small population of 973,000), what quality of life has this political system wrought? A mixed bag for sure. Considerable wealth in Rye, Pound Ridge, Scarsdale, Chappaqua and other zip codes in the middle and north of the county has brought superior services, nation-leading educational systems and pleasingly amenable, almost pastoral Main Street business districts. Down county, Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and White Plains along with the mega-township of Greenburgh, though “suburban” by virtue of location, struggle with the urban issues of crowding, population growth, delivery of public services, and transportation. If incorporated as a city, Greenburgh, with a population of 88,000 would be the second largest in the county. Democratic machines predominate. In White Plains, no Republican has served on its Common Council for more than a decade (apart from the fortuitous succession of an amiable Republican mayor years back). So ubiquitous is Democratic indoctrination, that a local White Plains paper (not warranting any citation here), after noting the unusual challenge of a single Republican to six Democratic officeholders, could manage only to thank Anne Marie Encarnacao for her pluck and then endorse again six incumbents so that they could finish the good works that they ‘have just begun’ (sic) (emphasis, exclamation, the author’s). Mount Vernon has suffered the benighted leadership of a Democratic kleptocracy for decades. The only recent flash of Republican life occurred two years ago when a Democrat council member crossed party lines and endorsed Rob Astorino for re-election as County Executive. Yonkers Republicans presently Jonathan Arad, MD | Bariatric & General Surgery Suzanne Greenidge, MD | Obstetrics & Gynecology Har Chi Lau, MD | Colon-Rectal & General Surgery CMY K SKILLED ROBOTIC PRECISION RESULTING IN FASTER RECOVERIES AND LITTLE TO NO SCARRING The new da Vinci Robotic Surgical Team at St. John’s Riverside Hospital’s Minimally Invasive Center provides another level of care to our patients. The da Vinci robot’s exact precision provides surgeons with an extraordinary range of motion. Gallbladder, hernia, colon or gynecological procedures are specialties of the da Vinci and some are done with a single incision resulting in virtually scarless results. At St. John’s Riverside Hospital, we are Community Strong. Call 914.964.4DOC first to see if da Vinci is your answer RiversideHealth.org COMMUNITY STRONG Page 4 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, LETTER TO EDITOR COMMENTARY Hey Voter: How Effective Was The Vote You Just Cast? Continued from page 3 Legislative District, we have a bold and principled, fiscal and social conservative. By contrast, the 11th County District Legislator is openly misty-eyed and Utopian in quest of a suspired judgeship, rather than being focused on our social and economic betterment. In short, New Rochelle Republicans are as rare as 1909 S-VDB pennies in political, civic, charitable and ordinary non-governmental organization (NGO) participation and leadership. Wouldn’t a Democrat raised on the ideals of Roosevelt, Kennedy and McCarthy (Eugene, that is) appreciate the intellectual contributions of just a small and reasonable complement of Republicans to serve in local, state and federal office? Why the anti-GOP animus in New York and throughout the northeast? One can understand how pronouncements by South Dakota’s Congressional delegation of Republicans (and Democrats for that matter!) concerning economics and culture to state flax growers might grate on metropolitan ears. Coastal, “Eastern” concerns certainly command their own biases. But what ever happened to canons of humanity and fairness? And what ever became of “bi-partisanship?” I accept that it might be difficult to celebrate bipartisanship or even play at it when the opposition is non-existent, as in White Plains or seems to be in hiding in New Rochelle, or in Mount Vernon, simply extinct. But wouldn’t the reanimation of a legitimate opposing party or confederacy (other than a mere primary faction) contribute mightily to the marketplace of ideas? We are faced with budget constraints in local, state and federal government; questions of Common Core standardization and dreamed-of individuation in education theory. The country is searching for effective, but humane approaches to law enforcement, reliable national defense and border security. Wouldn’t constructive ideas from minority parties targeting the problems we face be worth the discrete cost in political control to the majority party to (usually, though not exclusively, Democrat)? Isn’t the public welfare worth a fractional cost in political power? And why does one hear the media and punditocracy cry for “bi-partisanship” only when and where Republicans are in control in the United States Senate and Congress, the state capitals or the rare municipal legislative chamber and mayoralty? Where Democrats dominate as they do throughout most of the northeast, why is “partisanship” to be accommodated? Why is it not worthy of censure there? With the voting concluded or soon to be, the smoking and muddied remains of the electoral battlefield should be worth the attentions of our citizens. Those not consumed with the latest travails of our Mets, Giants or favored fantasy sports franchises should take a look at the results. Have any incumbents lost? Has any machine been displaced? Are any careerist bureaucrats (not deserving of Civil Service or union protection) or family, friends and hangers-on in danger of losing their job through loss of office by a political patron (never mind notions of vocational competence)? Will the residents of Mount Vernon have any chance of getting Memorial Field completed after thirty years of incompetence, irresolution and not a little bit of corruption in the next five years? Are White Plains residents happy with the aggressive ticket summonsing along Mamaroneck Avenue that hurts local businesses? In New Rochelle, can we expect something new from another unquestioning council membership, newly or identically constituted? And lest one think my bare Republican ties are obstructing my thinking: are our readers in Eastchester and Harrison content with the dizzying ascent of real property taxes over the past 20 years or so of GOP predominance? Is the political system working in your local government? The next time you are “mugged” by civic reality; the explosion of taxes, fees, water and utility billing (and the incessant growth of gross receipts taxes and other add-ons by such private suppliers), instead of calling your “perennial” officeholder who hasn’t yet done anything to curb the “inflation of living and working expenses,” perhaps you should find yourself an unruly claque of “Tea Party”-type rabble-rousers to take up your cause. Do you really think that the incumbent who owes his existence to the feeding of the local political contraption will risk his economic well being by doing anything, new or old, which could displease his patrons? Why now? And why for little you? Stephen I. Mayo is an attorney, owner of Mayo Linoleum Works LLC, host of “The Steve Mayo Show” with Cornelia Mrose on WVOX radio 1460 AM, Mondays from 6 to 7 PM (www.thestevemayoshow.com) and legal counsel to the Westchester County Tea Party. He is not embarrassed to be known as a Republican. Dear Editor: Recently the Mayor of New Rochelle has again called upon the citizens of New Rochelle to take part in supporting his plan to transform the skyline of New Rochelle so it will be visible from outer space. In order to accomplish this he has called upon RDRXR to erect four skyscrapers in the middle of New Rochelle designed to attract people from New York City to establish a residence here. Of course, RDRXR wants the taxpayers of New Rochelle to provide them with tax abatements. The people of New Rochelle need this development like a hole in the head. To make sure the residents of New Rochelle die broke, the school board wants to borrow $50 million to fix the schools. Since many people are opposed to the mayor’s development plans we are being labeled by our illustrious mayor as naysayers, among other things. Sincerely, Larry Lucadamo New Rochelle, NY COVER STORY New Rochelle Fire Department Promotion and Awards Ceremony On October 21, 2015, the New Rochelle Fire Department hosted their annual Promotion and Awards Ceremony at the Council Chambers in City Hall. Mayor Noam Bramson and FD Chaplin Father Martin Biglin joined Chief Louis DiMeglio as he honored 50 Firefighters with the Life Saving and Unit Citation Awards and the Mayor sworn in Firefighter Steven Fridovich. Though we can never repay the members of our Fire Department for their daily acts of heroism, the ceremony recognizes Firefighters for their amazing acts of courage and bravery throughout the year. Recipients of the Unit Citation Awards included the three firefighters who delivered a healthy baby girl on September 16, 2015 (Lt. Anthony Margiotti, Firefighters Jarred McLean and Daniel Thompson). July 31, 2015 Unit Citation: Lt. Robert Ciotti, FF Thomas Hensler and FF Babatunde Ogunleye of Engine Company 24 Unit Citation: Lt. Carl Bartucca, FF Richard Bongiorni, FF Andrew Burpee and FF John Cestone of Engine Company 21 Amazing Grace was performed by the Westchester Fire Fighters Pipe Band. Recipients of the Unit Citation and Life Saving Awards: November 2014 Unit Award Citation: Capt. Andrew DiMaggio, Lt. Thomas Moriarty, Lt. Anthony Marsico and FF Richard Bongiorni, of the Urban Search And Rescue Task Force. February 6, 2105 The Life Saving Award: Lt. Bruce Savage, FF Peter Celestino, FF Nicholas Williams, PFF Neil Brown and Lt. Michael Petrone (Off-duty) of Engine Company 21. February 8, 2015 The Life Saving Award: Lt. Anthony Margiotti, FF Stephen Schmitt and FF Marstus Hewitt of Engine Company 24. February 21, 2015 The Life Saving Award: Lt. Robert Ciotti, FF Daniel Thompson and FF Jarred McLean of Engine Company 24. April 25, 2015 The Life Saving Award: Lt. Anthony Margiotti, FF Stephen Schmitt and FF Daniel Thompson of Engine Company 24. May 28, 2015 The Life Saving Award: Lt. Robert Ciotti, FF Gary Bruzzese, FF Durette Tyler and FF John Cestone of Engine Company 24. July 3, 2015 Unit Citation: Lt. John Sanfilippo, FF Andrew Burpee and FF Durette Tyler of Tower and Ladder Company 11. Unit Citation: Lt. Michael Rende, FF Eric Sarracino, FF Edgar Melgarejo and FF John Cestone of Engine Company 21. Unit Citation: DC John Reed and FF Andrew Pelham of Rescue Car 2302 Unit Citation: Lt. Michael Rende. FF Andrew Pelham and FF Timothy Ward of Rescue 4 Unit Citation: Capt. Donald Bradley and FF Alfred Bruzzese of Rescue Car 2302 September 7, 2015 Life Saving Award: Lt. Philip Cicchiello, FF Kenneth Hanson, FF Robert DiPasqua and FF John Bollettieri Engine Company 21 September 16, 2015 Unit Citation: Lt. Anthony Margiotti, FF Jarred McLean and FF Daniel Thompson of Engine Company 24 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 5 bills to the floor, where members get several chances to shape the legislation through amendments. The regular order requires negotiation and compromise, and gives members a fair crack at crafting policy for the nation. The American people want Congress to work. They don’t expect a solution to everything, and they certainly don’t expect miracles. But they do expect a Congress that tries to make progress and that’s capable of developing creative approaches to the major problems of the day. The frustration for me is that we know how to do things better with a time-tested process, but members of Congress simply ignore it. the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. GOVERNMENT Congress’s Problems Are Deep-Seated But Fixable By Lee H. Hamilton A lot of ink is being spilled about the speakership drama in the U.S. House, the demands by members of the conservative Freedom Caucus, and the turmoil besetting the Republicans who run Capitol Hill. There is a pervasive sense in Washington that Congress has gone, at least temporarily, off the rails. Even members of Congress are saying it. “I think the House is bordering on ungovernable right now,” one prominent Republican told NBC earlier this month. I’ve been around congressional politics for over 50 years, and I can’t ever remember hearing a member of Congress say such a thing. All this attention on the crises of the moment suggests that resolving them will fix Congress. It won’t. There are three deep-seated issues that have to be addressed before Congress can play a constructive role in sustaining our place in the world and tackling the tough economic and social issues we face at home. The first sounds simple, but it is not: Congress should work its will by letting its members vote on the major issues of the day. In legislatures, whoever controls procedure usually controls results. In Congress, leaders - and sometimes followers - in both parties for years have manipulated the process to get the results they want. Omnibus bills and continuing resolutions are part of this. Leaders try to avoid tough issues if their caucus members don’t want to vote on them. The 60-vote requirement to avoid a filibuster in the Senate plays a role. So does the “Hastert Rule” in the House, under which a majority of the majority caucus has to give its approval before a measure moves forward. These all carry a cost. Crucial issues facing the American people don’t get addressed. Congress moves from crisis to crisis. Americans give up on the institution. And members get frustrated when they can’t vote on issues they know their constituents want Congress to address. Giving members of the House and the Senate a fair shot at addressing the nation’s challenges would deal Congress back into the policy-making arena. Second, Congress over the years has developed several bad habits that it needs to fix. These include huge bills that become vehicles for special-interest provisions and leadership wish-lists; bypassing the committee process; concentrating power in the leaders; curbing the participation of most members; and limiting debates and amendments. The most pernicious of these is the practice of legislating by omnibus bills. These consist of hundreds of provisions, usually drafted in the dead of night by leadership staff - not members of Congress - brought to the floor with scant time for anyone to read them, limited time for debate, and few amendments allowed. They’re usually timed to come up just before a key deadline on a single up-or-down vote, so that the leadership can threaten a government shutdown if the bill fails. The sad part here is that there are a lot of members who’ve never known anything different. An entire generation on Capitol Hill thinks that bills they had no part in shaping, are unable to debate, and have no choice but to pass are the way Congress runs. It’s not. There’s another way, and it brings me to my third point. We have over 200 years of experience on Capitol Hill that have taught us how to run a legislature so that the voice of the people can be better heard, multiple viewpoints get considered, and ordinary legislators get a fair shot at influencing the results. It’s called the “regular order,” and it involves committees with authority holding hearings, debating issues, and reporting The Center on Congress is a research center of the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at Indiana University Bloomington Reprinted with written permission from The Center on Congress | 1315 E. Tenth St, Suite 320, Bloomington, IN 474051701 | 812-856-4706 | congress@ indiana.edu Copyright © 2015 The Trustees of Indiana University | Copyright Complaints onE FrEE AdUlT AdmISSIon home shoW the 11th annual fall Westchester county n o v E m b E r 7 - 8 Westchester county center STUDENT AWARDS Six NRHS Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists October 29, 2915 New Rochelle, NY: The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has named the following students Semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program: Eli Sills, Taylor Ullrich, Oliver Hughes, Rebecca Meisler, Sammy Stone and Gabrielle Altman. About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). This served as an initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the Lee Hamilton is a Distinguished Scholar, Indiana University School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of For information about the center’s educational resources and programs, visit our website at www.centeroncongress.org. Go to Facebook to express your views about Congress, civic education, and the citizen’s role in representative democracy. “Like” us on Facebook at “Center on Congress at Indiana University,” and share our postings with your friends. highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semi-Finalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill Eli, Taylor, Oliver, Rebecca, Sammy, Gabrielle. several requirements to Photo courtesy of New Rochelle Board of Education advance to the Finalist level of the competition. The Semifinalists and honors and awards received. The and their high school must submit Semifinalist must have an outstanda detailed scholarship application, ing academic record throughout in which they provide information high school, be endorsed and recomabout the Semifinalist’s academic mended by a high school official, write record, participation in school and an essay, and earn SAT scores that community activities, demonstrated confirm the student’s earlier perforleadership abilities, employment, mance on the qualifying test. 198 Central ave. 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Value $3500 (box springs not incl.) $500 of Storage fox CaSh from Storage fox Self Storage A bAThroom vAniTy from mrS KiTchenS $1300 Value 10 feeT of polAr vorTex ice DAm removAl from frAnzoSo pArTICIpATIng SponSorS: TICKETS: Adults $8, Seniors $7, 12 & Under FrEE JEnKSprodUCTIonS.Com (800) 955-7469 noT To bE CombInEd wITh Any oThEr oFFEr. no CopIES. noT For rESAlE. lImITEd onE pEr pArTy. gUArdIAn Page 6 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, COMMUNITY Choral Singers Invited to New Oratorio Taconic Opera invites choral singers to participate in the world premiere performance and professional recording of the oratorio JOB by the company’s General and Artistic Director, Dan Montez, on March 19, 2016 in Ossining and March 20, 2016 in White Plains, along with Taconic Opera chorus, professional lead singers and a full orchestra. Performances will be conducted under the baton of Dan Montez himself who is delighted to debut the fifth of his oratorical compositions in Westchester County.The work will be sung in English and its musical influences include Fauré, Ravel and Poulenc. All voice parts are welcome, particularly men, and no dues are required. Experienced choristers will not require an audition, however, all interested singers must read music and purchase their own score ($20). If needed, auditions will be held prior to regular rehearsals during the month of November: 11/7, 11/11, 11/14, 11/18, 11/21, 11/25, 11/28. Scores will be available at a reduced price during rehearsal. If interested and/or have additional questions, contact divamaryc@aol. com (preferred) or call (914) 649-1826. Rehearsals begin Saturday, November 7 at 3pm and continue on Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm and Saturdays from 3pm-5pm, with time off for the December holidays. Concerns regarding conflicts with the rehearsal schedule will be happily discussed on a case-by-case basis. Rehearsal location: Cortland School of Performing Arts, 24 Old Albany Post Road, Cortlandt, NY (Croton on a GPS). New Snow Plows to Replace Decades-Old Equipment in Yonkers Yonkers, NY – October 26, 2015 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner Tom Meier unveiled 16 new snow plows the City recently purchased to enhance its snow and ice control efforts. The new trucks will replace older vehicles in DPW’s fleet, some of which are more than 25 years old. Mayor Spano credited the City’s financial position with its ability to make investments in infrastructure and equipment. “Everything relates to the City’s financial position,” Mayor Mike Spano Photo courtesy of the City of Yonkers said. “When your finances are strong, banks compete to purchase City bonds, as we’ve seen in Yonkers. That drives down rates, which saves millions in taxpayer dollars, and gives us the ability to make the infrastructure improvements that result in a higher quality of life.” Over the last three years, the City has made major investments in infrastructure. In 2014, Yonkers became one of the first cities in the region to replace its streetlights with energy efficient LEDs, saving taxpayers $18 million in energy costs over ten years; last year, the City replaced 30,000 aging water meters with new, state-of-the-art equipment that will ensure customers receive timely and accurate readings; and this year the City invested $8 million to repave City streets. The 16 new plows and salters, which cost $2.3 million, will allow DPW to take several of its older vehicles offline, while others will be repurposed to serve other functions including street brining. DPW utilizes a fleet of 32 large trucks and 15 small trucks that salt and plow streets during winter storms. DPW crews clear more than 650 lane miles of roads, 450 dead-end streets and cul-desacs and 100 bridges. FLEETWOOD THE ROMA BUILDING RENOVATED APARTMENTS FOR RENT Prime Yorktown Location Beautiful, Newly Renovated Apartments COMMERICAL SPACE FOR RENT Great Visibility • Centrally Located STORE 950 Sq. Ft. Rent: $3250 /Month OFFICE SPACE: 470 Sq. Ft. Rent $850/Month • 1160 Sq. Ft. Rent $1650/ Month 914.632.1230 2022 SAW MILL RIVER RD., YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY 1 Bedrooms Starting at $1400/month • Studios Starting at $1200/month Brand New Kitchens, Living Rooms & Bathrooms • Granite Counter Tops • Laundry On-Site New Cabinets, Stoves & Refrigerators, Credit Check Required Elevator Building • 1 Block from MetroNorth Fleetwood Station • Monthly Parking Nearby Available Immediately Call Management Office for details: 914.632.1230 80 West Grand Street, Fleetwood THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 7 CREATIVE DISRUPTION Supergirl to Superstruct? By John F. McMullen I recently saw the premiere episode of CBS’ new Monday night adventure series, “Supergirl” and really enjoyed it. The acting was good, the special effects excellent, and the story was faithful to the history of Krypton – its explosion and the survivors (if it seems as though I’m also into this comics stuff, it’s because I am!). It got me thinking about the differences between my young and adolescent days of reading comics and now. Two of the most popular comics then were “Buck Rogers” (my favorite newspaper comic then) and “Flash Gordon” – they both dealt with space travel – impossible, at least improbable, in the pre-Sputnik days then. Now, science fiction comics can’t keep up with reality as we continue to send exploratory rockets and cameras into far away galaxies. The next most interesting comics to me were the mystery and adventure ones – “Dick Tracy,” “Smilin’ Jack,” “Terry and the Pirates,” “Little Orphan Annie,” “The Phantom,” “Steve Canyon,” “Mandrake the Magician,” and others of that ilk – all gone now. Why would they meet the same ends as the space travel ones? One can only surmise. I think its because these strips all dealt with on-going stories, much like the chapters of a novel, and one would have to read them continually to be able to understand what was going on and, in our Internet age, most of the young don’t read novels (certainly not in chapters separated by a day, even a week). Even the light humor, romance, and western ones that required on-going attention to story, like “L’il Abner” (that gave us “Fearless Fosdick,” “Smoos” and “Sadie Hawkins Day”), “Brenda Starr,” the “Lone Ranger,” and “Hopalong Cassidy,” bit the dust. The only surviving newspaper strip of this type that I can think of is “Prince Valiant” and I never understood the viability of that strip years ago, never mind now. While the newspaper versions of “Superman” and “Batman” (which also required attention to on-going story) went the way of Buck Rogers and L’il Abner, “superheroes” (a term that includes crime fighters such as Batman and the “Green Arrow,” who do not actually have super powers but hold their own with those who do) have done terrifically well in the movies and in graphic novels and rather well on television (Right now, in addition to Supergirl, the “Flash” and the Green Arrow have their own weekly TV shows and “Gotham” is set in Gotham City prior to the advent of Batman when Detective James Gordon (later “Commissioner Gordon” when Batman was in full ascent) had to fight crime without the benefit of the services of the “World’s Greatest Detective.” One only has to consider the success of the on-going movie blockbusters based on the Marvel Comics universe – containing the “Avengers” (as a whole or as the adventures of its individual members – “Captain America,” “Thor,” “Iron Man,” “AntMan,” etc.), the “X-Men,”“Fantastic Four” and “SpiderMan.” While it is helpful to know something about these characters, each of the movies is a standalone story, not requiring knowledge of the previous chapters – that requirement is left to the readers of the on-going comic books for each of the characters. This readership is much, much smaller than it was in the “Golden Age of Comics” (late 1930s to the early or mid 1950s -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Golden_Age_of_Comic_Books) or even the “Silver Age” (1956 – circa 1970 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Silver_Age_of_Comic_Books) but the titles provide a “grounding” for the on-going movies and graphics novels). I’m sorry for the demise of the comics. I and many others of my generation learned how to read long before school because of comics – usually from the comic strips present in the Sunday papers – two radio shows. “Uncle Don” and “The Comic Weekly Man” would read the comics over the radio on Sunday mornings to a citywide population of children -- who would turn the pages and “read along” with the radio. (New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, famously read the comics over the radio during a 1945 newspaper strike -- https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=sKtfaTz_HC0). Additionally, we got to adapt to the idea of a continuing story and get used to waiting for the next chapter, be it the next day or the next week. Some think that the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web with its links and jumps here and there, has taken away our ability to read novels and non-fiction books – they go on too Supergirl, the Season’s #1 New Series Premiere in Viewers and Adults 18-49. Image courtesy of CBS Entertainment long (for a terrific explanation of how our “plastic brains” adapt to the way we take in knowledge, see the excellent 2012 book by John Naughton, “From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: What You Really Need to Know About the Internet”; if you can read the book, beginning to end, the Internet hasn’t taken away your ability). Well, if the young have stopped reading comics, other than watching television, what do they do for intellectual enjoyment? The answer seems to be on-line gaming. In 4th quarter 2014, “World of Warcraft” (http://us.battle. net/wow/en/) had 10 million users (at $14.99 per month, that is some cash cow). While there are not comparable statistics for all games, there are some interesting related figures: Over 21 million people have bought the PC or Mac version of “Minecraft” (https://minecraft. net/) and, on January 9th of this year, 1 million people were on the game at once. A good history of Minecraft’s development may be found in Daniel Goldberg and Linus Larsson’s 2015 book, “Minecraft.” The “World of Warcraft Wiki” (“WOWWiki”) is said to be the second largest wiki in the world, after Wikipedia -- http://wowwiki.wikia.com/. Linden Labs, creator of the virtual world “Second Life” (http://www. secondlife.com), states that 1 million people use the system regularly. The first three games in the “Myst” series have sold more than 12 million copies. In short, online games are a big thing, whether because of the numbers of “players” or the money spent on them. Many people not familiar with the gaming world would find it easy to dismiss the time spent in game worlds as simply a waste of time, better spent doing more productive things. Not so, writes futurist and games designer Dr. Jane McGonigal, in both her 2011 book, “Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How they Can Change the World”, and her well-done 2012 TED talk, “Gaming Can Make It A Better World” (https://www.ted. com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_ can_make_a_better_world). In the TED talk, she says that we don’t play enough games: “Right now we spend three billion hours a week playing online games. Some of you might be thinking, “That’s a lot of time to spend playing games. Maybe too much time, considering how many urgent problems we have to solve in the real world.” But actually, according to my research at the Institute for the Future, actually the opposite is true. Three billion hours a week is not nearly enough game play to solve the world’s most urgent problems. In fact, I believe that if we want to survive the next century on this planet, we need to increase that total dramatically. I’ve calculated the total we need at 21 billion hours of game play every week. That’s probably a bit of a counter-intuitive idea, so I’ll say it again, let it sink in: If we want to solve problems like hunger, poverty, climate change, global conflict, obesity, I believe that we need to aspire to play games online for at least 21 billion hours a week, by the end of the next decade.” She then goes on to explain her rationale for what seems to be a rather wild claim. From her studies, she finds gamers to be super-focused highly-collaborative individuals who are willing to take on epic tasks. What is needed she feels is to develop gaming environments that will allow gamers to take on issues of importance to the physical or “real world.” In the talk, she gives an example of such a game that was created at the “Institute for the Future”(http://www. iftf.org/home/)– “We did a game called Superstruct at the Institute for the Future. And the premise was, a supercomputer has calculated that humans have only 23 years left on the planet. This supercomputer was called the Global Extinction Awareness System, of course. We asked people to come online -- almost like a Jerry Bruckheimer movie. You know Jerry Bruckheimer movies, you form a dream team -- you’ve got the astronaut, the scientist, the ex-convict, and they all have something to do to save the world. But in our game, instead of just having five people on the dream team, we said, “Everybody’s on the dream team, and it’s your job to invent the future of energy, the future of food, the future of health, the future of security and the future of the social safety net.” We had 8,000 people play that game for eight weeks. They came up with 500 insanely creative solutions that you can go online, Google “Superstruct,” and see.” (I did the search for you -- http:// archive.superstructgame.net/). If Dr. McGonigal is correct about the importance that gaming may have – and I suspect she is – then I won’t miss Buck Rogers anymore! I welcome your comments on these points to [email protected]. Creative Disruption is a continuing series examining the impact of constantly accelerating technology on the world around us. These changes normally happen under our personal radar until we find that the world as we knew it is no more. John F. McMullen is a writer, poet, college professor and radio host. Links to other writings, Podcasts, & Radio Broadcasts at www.johnmac13.com, and his books are available on Amazon. © 2015 John F. McMullen Page 8 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, COMMUNITY A Church With A Healthy Heart” By Ayana Meade At Hartsdale Seventh Day Adventist Church they aren’t handing out “government cheese.” Far from it, every Saturday, the church gives away hundreds of bags of healthy organic food and produce to members of the surrounding community, as part of its community outreach program. The outreach program also includes distributing gently used clothing donated by high-end sustainable fashion designer Eileen Fisher, with future plans for her to visit the church’s program. As a service to some of the hardest working members of the community, every Saturday church volunteers use a portion of the groceries to prepare and deliver lunches for the migrant workers/day laborers that congregate, waiting for work near the intersection of Central Avenue and Tarrytown Road. Individuals and their families are also encouraged to pick up free groceries at the church every Saturday from 1:30 to 3:30, and every 3rd Saturday from 3:30 to 5:30—all are welcome. The program’s mission is not solely to service the homeless or the food insecure, but also working families that benefit from a reduced weekly grocery bill. Louis Urgiles, who does seasonal work in construction, visits the foodshare with his family almost every week as a way to save on grocery bills when in between jobs. His son Kevin commented, “when we get paid we don’t have to worry about buying produce—we have money to save.” The eight- member extended family which includes Mr. Urgiles’ step daughter and grandchild, say what they get from the foodshare can last them as much as a week and that they’re glad that the food they receive is mostly organic, saying “its better for our health.” The food is delivered to the church by Pastor Pasquale Falco, through his Bread of Life food truck ministry which services 18 churches and 10 shelters throughout Westchester County. Since Church volunteer delivering lunches to migrant workers in Migrant worker taking a lunch bag delivered by volunteers at White Plains Hartsdale Seventh Day Adventist Church starting their distribution program making it difficult to support a family Westchester County residents—about in December of last year, the church in an area where the median home price 1 in 5 in the population—are hungry or has provided healthy and sustainable is $650K. The foodshare program assists at risk of hunger. produce to nearly 700 people with no members of this community who may With future plans to expand religious expectations other than that not have access to other community its foodshare and clothing drive they partake and benefit from the good services, providing a much-needed relief programs—the church has already food being offered. to the weekly grocery bill. partnered with the Greenburgh Health Many of Westchester’s migrant About 90% of the food delivered Center to expand its distribution— worker community hail from countries by Bread of Life Ministries comes from the church seeks to establish itself as a in South and Central America such as a partnership with Mrs. Green’s super- resource in the community on healthy Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala, market. The other 10% comes from eating and living practices for everyday as well as Mexico. According to census other sources such as Trader Joe’s and living. data, the median annual earnings of Panera Bread. Although Westchester The Hartsdale Seventh Day men from Mexico employed full-time County, is one of the richest counties Adventist Church is located at 50 in Westchester is $15,000. Women in the state, according to The Food Columbia Avenue in Hartsdale, New earn less: $10,000 per year on average, Bank for Westchester around 200,000 York. 11th Annual Fall Westchester County Home Show November 7th & 8th At Westchester County Center The 11th Annual Fall Home Show, Westchester’s largest gathering of Home Professionals, takes place this weekend, November 7th and 8th at The Westchester County Center. Innovative and high tech new products will be showcased this year along with local crafts and displays. The Home Show offers a great opportunity for anyone looking to spruce up their home to meet with and ask questions of tradesmen and contractors in a one-stop information-gathering event. Wear comfy shoes – you have a lot of territory to cover! Also bring a small notebook and pen to jot down names of vendors and products you may wish to follow-up on. Over 150 companies will be represented, offering varied products and services for the home. Home improvement specialists will be on hand to answer your questions. They can also tell you what enhancements will improve the value of your home and possibly lead to tax savings. Exhibitors include “builders, remodelers, contractors and basement water proofers. Visitors can investigate solar energy for the home and shop for cutlery, Tupperware, candles, windows, window blinds, curtains, upholstery, investments,insurance and doors,gutters and siding, communication services, flooring, heaters, roofers, fitness equipment, kitchens and baths, tree services, movers and storage units, shelving, sheets and mattresses, publications, chiropractors and an animal hospital as well as vacations and vacuums and much more, says show manager Wes Jenks. Many vendors are offering great prizes, including a queen-size, contour gel memory foam mattress, from ADVERTISE YOUR DISPLAY HELP WANTED ADS IN THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN! Do you have jobs available at your business? The Westchester Guardian publishes every Thursday and we would love to run your Help Wanted Display Ads, due Wednesday one week prior to publication date. Call today to reserve Display Ad Space in our next issue: 914.216.1674 American Sleep Solutions, a $3,495 value (box spring not included), and a Bathroom Vanity from MRS Kitchens, and $500 of Storage Fox Cash from The Storage Fox Self Storage, so be sure to register! Westchester County Center is located at 98 Central Ave, White Plains, NY 10606. Show hours: Nov. 7, Saturday, 11am to 6pm and Nov. 8, Sunday, 11am to 5pm Tickets: Adults $8, seniors $7, children under 12 admitted for free Information: http:// jenksproductions.com/westfall.html THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 9 But don’t take my word for it, this was voted “One of the Best Spas in the World” by Travel & Leisure Magazine, “One of the 10 Best Destination Spas” by Trip Advisor and “10 Most Luxurious Spas in the US” – Forbes Magazine and “AAA Four Diamond Award”. (Not too shabby.) Woodloch’s philosophy is to provide you with a “personal awakening of mind, body and spirit.” Only 21/2 hours away by car, you could easily be there in time for dinner after work. As you wander through the rustic trails surrounded by idyllic woodlands, wetlands, gardens and lake you will see a variety of birds and flowers. On one evening walk I was lucky enough to catch a humming bird hovering as it was feasting on a Morning Glory and glimpsed a doe and her little ones peering through the trees. Later I watched as a Bald Eagle soared across the lake searching for its dinner. You can go kayaking day or night on the beautiful crystal clear lake or try your hand at fishing for some Bass or Pike. The lake is well stocked, so you can’t miss. There are plenty of fishing rods, great bikes and endless trails to explore. You’re sure to love the thermalwhirlpool tub on the sundeck with a glass-enclosed pool area surrounded by woods. Ladies, If your husband’s not sure he “wants to go to a Spa” and he’s an avid golfer, The Country Club at Woodloch Springs is just across the road from the Lodge. Golf Digest Magazine called this magnificent 18-hole 72-par championship golf course “One of the Best Places to Play” and gave it 4 ½ Stars. Fern-carpeted forest, lush wetlands and broad meadows surround the course, that also has a driving range and Golf Pros available for instruction. (Call to reserve tee times before you go.) Woodloch Springs Country Club also has tennis courts so bring your racquets if you play. One of the things I loved the most was the majestic 8- high “Water-Wall” in the Aqua Garden’s floor-to-ceiling glass enclosed pool area surrounded by woods. A warm wall of water cascades over you, offering the most invigorating, non-stop incredible massage you’ve ever experienced. It loosens up every muscle in your body, gets your blood flowing and clears out your head. Trust me, you won’t want to leave – I kept coming back. There’s also a smaller, more-gentle Water-Wall. A dedicated “Spa Concierge will expertly advise you as to which of the many facial, body treatments and massages might be best for you. My favorite massage was the “Deep Forest Ritual” which begins with a very stimulating exfoliation with specially prepared black mud made from coffee and dandelions to cleanse, soften and polish the skin, leaving you tingling all over. While still covered with exfoliates, you are wrapped in a Mylar blanket to “bake” for a while, followed by a therapeutic hot bath filled with white pine, balsam fir and juniper. An amazing massage and a rich body cream to hydrate your skin follow the bath. By now you’ll be in an idyllic stupor, half awake, half asleep in a state of total euphoria. (75 minutes. $195) My girlfriend absolutely loved the “Rosemary Awakening,” their signature treatment inspired by the healing properties of locally grown organic TRAVEL Everyone Deserves a“3-Day Spa Get-a-Way” By Richard Levy Need a break? Consider taking a Spa Get-A-Way --just three magical days of pampering with extravagant exfoliating treatments, deep massages, saunas, thermal-whirlpool tubs, cascading heated waterfalls, mountain hikes, organic farm-to-table spa cuisine every day will rejuvenate your spirit! A three-day getaway is easier to fit into a busy schedule and the results will tide you through to your next vacation. This is also a wonderful couples escape. I’ve been to a few luxury spas in my travels, but my favorite has to be “The Lodge at Woodloch,” located on 150 private acres of picturesque, rolling woodlands in Northeast Pennsylvania. Continued on page 10 Diana O’Neill Holistic Health Services I will journey with you during challenging times such as grieving the loss of a loved one or recovering from a negative relationship. Counseling • Energy Healing • Hypnotism • Spiritual & Psychic Healing By Appointment, Only. Free consultation given on first visit. 914.630.1928 Holistic Health Services • 212 North Ave. Suite 204 A, New Rochelle, NY 10801 • 914.630.1928 Page 10 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, TRAVEL Everyone Deserves a“3-Day Spa Get-a-Way” Continued from page 9 Rosemary. It begins with a stimulating “body polish” of Rosemary and citrus to cleanse and detoxify. Next there’s a full body massage, as you’ve probably never experienced one before, enhanced by fresh Rosemary infused oils and herbal heat packs to help relax and restore tired muscles. This is followed by a warm seaweed wrap, steeped in extracts of Icelandic moss and angelica, to nourish your dry skin, then an invigorating scalp massage. (100 minutes. $250) These are two incredible treatments you absolutely must take. Also consider the “Reflexology” massage -- wonderful for sore, tired feet. There’s even an intoxicating “Beer Massage.” “The Lodge Massage” and “Lodge Facial” are invigorating and only $125 each. (Detoxification helps purge toxins and excess fluids from your body, to eliminate bloating and water retention. Spa treatments such as hydrotherapy, massages, heat therapy and other body treatments will help improve blood circulation and improve your mental health. In the beautiful TREE Restaurant dining room you’ll get three farm-to table delicious organic meals each day, all worthy of a three-star restaurant. There are so many enticing choices it will be difficult deciding what to order. (Not a problem, the waiters are very attentive and will bring you your two first choices, then let you decide.) My breakfast favorites included: Glutenfree Zucchini & Carrot French Toast with Marcona almonds, Heirloom Sweet Potato Medley & Kale Hash with a sunny-side farm egg on top and toasted Bagel & Lox with meltin-your-mouth smoked salmon, dill cream cheese and capers. Lunches are equally delectable and my favorites were: Grilled Southwest Shrimp, Freekeh (grain) and corn and black bean salad; and their juicy 5 Oz. Organic Bison Burger smothered in sautéed wild mushrooms on a Ciabatta roll with steamed Edamame. My dinner favorites were: Panko & Grain Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb with roasted fingerling potatoes and Provençal vegetables; Stuffed New Jersey Flounder with North Atlantic chunks of crab meat, sautéed zucchini ribbons, shaved fresh corn and Tasso Beurre-Blanc; and their Grilled Wagyu Sirloin Steak Frites with grilled asparagus, fingerling frites, pickled shallots and green peppercorn sauce. The restaurant has an outstanding wine list with a large selection of superior wines by the glass. One thing you’ll absolutely love about the Lodge is that you can “go to breakfast and lunch wearing your plush Spa robe” (Massage-to-table, as they say). Or if you are too relaxed from the treatments and massages to make it to the dining room, room-service will bring meals to your room, during mealtimes, only. Since this an escape, guests are only allowed to talk on their cell phones inside their rooms, while in the Lodge. (Don’t worry --you’ll get over the separation anxiety very quickly.) The 57 well appointed guestrooms are all luxurious, with marble baths, walk-in showers and a private veranda with views of the woodlands and lake. The serene and relaxing “Whisper Lounge” right outside the treatment rooms is a quiet co-ed lounge with a fireplace and outdoor woodland porch with rocking chairs and gliders: a great place to crash after a massage or treatment. For those who miss the gym, the 3,500 square foot Cardio Weight Studio offers state-of-the-art resistance weights, free-weights, treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, arc trainers and a spinning room staffed by expert trainers. There are a huge number of innovative classes to choose from every day, including: “Las Blast”-- a dance fitness program designed by “Dancing with the Stars” fitness expert Louis Amstel. “BodyPump” is the original Les Mills weight bar class, that will sculpt, tone and strengthen your entire body with fast high-rep, dynamic weight work. “Chakra Guided Meditation” offers a 30 minute guided meditation of deep relaxation to awaken internal energy, creativity, love, and strength. The energy of the Chakras will allow us to decode out inner wellbeing and infinite healing. “Raising the Barre”, is a lowimpact class that’s a unique fusion of Pilates, yoga, and ballet inspired moves to develop beautiful sculpted muscles using the ballet-barre and your body weight to challenge your stability and balance. “Rock Bottom” firms up your “assets” (Tush) by training the glutes, thighs, calves and lower body. “Tuscan Mountain Hike” is a challenging 3-mile hike on uphill terrain around abandoned bluestone quarries and rocky outcroppings, leading to a stunning vista of the Upper Delaware River. Now for some “Spa history”: Before there were spas, bathing played a major part in ancient cultures. The Greeks began bathing regimens that formed the foundation for modern spas, believing that certain natural springs or tidal pools were blessed by the gods to cure disease and so, established bathing facilities around these sacred pools. Those who desiried healing left offerings to the gods at these sites and bathed themselves in hopes of a cure. The Spartans even developed a primitive vapor bath. The Romans emulated many of the Greeks bathing practices, surpassing the Greeks in the size of their baths. As in Greece, the Roman bath became a focal center for social and recreational activity. Romans used the hot thermal waters to relieve their suffering from rheumatism, arthritis, and overindulgence in food and drink. The Roman Senate would even hold meetings in these baths. Thus, the Romans elevated bathing to a fine art form that evolved into the world’s luxury spas. So if you’ve considered going to a spa resort, but never actually escaped for a “Spa Get-A-Way”, pull out your calendar to see where you can pencil in three days of rest and total relaxation. After some serious pampering, I suspect you will be more tolerant with your family, more productive at work and oblivious to life’s little annoyances, such as traffic jams. You will also, I suspect, look so good and so relaxed that your friends might even think you “had some work done.” The staff at Lodge at Woodloch is very welcoming and attentive, eager to make guests feel truly at home. To find our more about the spa, rates special treatments, Mid-Week Packages and availability, visit the website at: http://www. thelodgeatwoodloch.com/spa-hawley-packages/ or call 1.800.Woodloch. Directions: By car from Westchester takes about 2 ½ hours.Take Tappan Zee Bridge to the Garden State Parkway N. to exit 145 (West Orange/Newark). Merge onto I-280W (12 miles) to I-80W to New Jersey (30 miles) to Rt. 15N (Exit 34B, Sparta, NJ) Take Rt. 15 N 18 miles) to Rt. 206N 16 miles).Cross Delaware River Bridge at Milford. Bear right onto Rt. 209N. Continue on to Rt. 6W. Follow Rt. 6W for 26 miles to Rt. 590E (which comes at the end of Main Street in Hawley) Bingham Park will be on your right, The Settler’s Inn on your left. At this light, make right to continue on Rt. 590E. Follow Rt. 590E for 6.5 miles where you will find The Lodge at Woodloch on your left hand side directly across from entrance to Woodloch Springs. Alternatively, leave your car at home, take Metro North into Grand Central. Shuttle over or take a cab to The Port Authority where the Short Line Bus will get you there in under 3 hours. The bus takes you to Hawley, PA and the Lodge van will transport you The Lodge at Woodloch, only 15 minutes away. THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 11 GOVERNMENT EYE ON THEATRE Troubled Thanksgiving, Troubling Adoption By John Simon There is something very peculiar about Stephen Karam’s “The Humans,” notwithstanding seemingly unanimous critical rhapsodizing. It is about a family, the Blakes, who are meant to be typical of humanity, or at least its American section, else why the title? L-R: Sarah Steele (Brigid) ,Arian Moyaed (Richard), Jayne Houdyshell (Deidre, Lauren Klein (Fiona “Momo” Blake) in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Humans. Photo by Joan Marcus Well, what could be more typical of humanity than a handsome paterfamilias, Erik, having been employed for 28 years by an exclusive private school, being fired for an affair with a teacher? Or his similarly employed wife, Deirdre, who looks like a comic gargoyle and bombards her offspring with gratuitous email? What about an elder daughter, Aimee, lawyer and lesbian, who is afflicted with both a life-threatening illness and a female lover who suddenly dumped her, inducing hysteria? And then there is a younger daughter, Brigid, who wants to be a composer but is reduced to tending a restaurant bar. We also have her live-in lover, Richard or Rick Saad, not only of Muslim descent as his beard and name would suggest, but also a grad student in sociology who does the cooking for the family? And finally, Erik’s wheelchair-bound mother, Momo, who lives with her son, and suffers from dementia, mumbling nonsense words nonstop. I repeat, what could be more typical-- perhaps a serial murderer and a prostitute in the family? The author, who like Erik and Deirdre hails from Scranton, has them visiting Brigid and Rick, who newly inhabit a duplex in Chinatown, for Thanksgiving dinner. The duplex features a spiral staircase connecting street floor and basement Clockwise form top: L-R: Sarah Steele (Brigid), Cassie Beck (Aimee), Arian Moayed (Richard), Jayne Houdyshell (Deidre), Reed Birney (Erik in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of THE HUMANS. Photo Joan Marcus 2015 rooms, ideal for overhearing things being said on the other level. Since the only bathroom is on the upper floor, with living room and kitchen on the lower, there is near-continuous traffic on that stairway, good for melodramatic revelations. Overactive bladders, though not mentioned, may well be responsible. Overactive as a whole, though, the Blakes certainly are, involving activities such as rabbity hopping upstairs and a game including hammering the dining table downstairs. There are also thunderous explosions stemming from the mysterious doings of a female Chinese neighbor upstairs, and a play-concluding door that closes by itself. Ghosts? David Zinn’s set is a two-level affair we see in cross-section, allowing for much simultaneous activity upstairs and downstairs. However taxing, this may be expectable from an author who notes in the script that the many passages between brackets (he offers an example of brackets for those not sure about what they are) are meant to represent unvoiced thoughts of the characters, posing an insuperable problem for both actors and audience. Odd too is that Karam writes out in full passages heard but only indistinguishably, and nonsense verbiage mumbled incongruously by the grandmother, Momo. I will concede that Joe Mantello has directed savvily, and that we get interesting performances from Sarah Steele (an amiable Brigid), Arian Moayed (a believable Richard or Rick), Cassie Beck (a somewhat annoying Aimee), Lauren Klein (a touching Momo, though not looking old enough), Reed Birney (an excellent Erik) and even Jayne Houdyshell (Deirdre), however miscast. I did like Karam’s previous play (“Sons of the Prophet”), so we can at any rate hope for the next one. Back in 1995, A.R. Gurney had the questionable idea of a play about Sylvia, a talking dog and the titular heroine of the comedy “Sylvia.” Greg picks up the dog in Central Park, or, rather, she picks up him. A stray, but with an improbable collar spelling out her even more improbable name, she is taken home by him, over the desperate protests of his English-teacher wife, Kate. He lavishes growingly improbable love on the dog and she on him. In consequence, he cruelly neglects his wife, loses his office job and has a female friend run from the house screaming. He finally seeks out a therapist who is uncertain of her gender. She counsels divorcing Kate and shooting Sylvia before he /she rushes off to visit his or her shrink. The Greg-Sylvia love affair, despite no physical consummation, is a textbook case of zoophilia, a.k.a. zooerasthia. Now, a problem with a female Robert Sella, Annaleigh Ashford and Matthew Broderick in Sylvia. Photo by Joan Marcus talking dog is that, both in the writing and in the acting, it requires a human actress to impersonate her. This results in the relationship coming across less weird and engendering facile laughs. Yet, even in fantasy, should we get a dog that quotes Homer and Tennessee Williams, and sings pop songs in close harmony with the owners? Surely, even for a fantasy, “Sylvia” takes too may liberties, including a dog persistently nuzzling a female visitor’s crotch and eventually using four-letter words. One male actor portrays a fellow eccentric male dog owner, a female visitor, and a confused therapist who depends on patients to decide whether they are speaking to a man or a woman. In the end, Gurney has Sylvia proving both man and woman’s best friend, and blissfully coexisting in a production) is a good but somewhat too sing-songy Greg, Annaleigh Ashford an impeccable Sylvia, Julie White a perhaps overly comic Kate, and Robert Sella convincing as the three Others. Daniel Sullivan has directed sedulously, David Rockwell has designed winning sets, and Ann Roth has contributed stylish costumes even for a canine. But somehow, though surrounded by audience laughter, I felt my fantasy bone insufficiently tickled, and offered not quite enough bone for canine, let alone human, consumption. Annaleigh Ashford in Sylvia. Photo by Joan Marcus menagerie à trois. For me, the play asks for way too much. It has its anthropomorphic protagonist, bizarrely costumed but still a human actress, jumping on forbidden furniture, embracing a human, piddling on the floor, and having sex offstage with a male dog in the bushes. This said, Matthew Broderick (whose real-life wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, played Sylvia in the original John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review, New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway.com and Bloomberg News. He reviews books for the New York Times Book Review and previously for The Washington Post. To learn more, visit his website: www.JohnSimon-uncensored. com ITALIAN CUISINE Zagat Rated “Excellent” Voted “Best Italian Restaurant ” Westchester Magazine, 2006 OPEN 7 DAYS Mon.-Thurs. Noon - 10PM • Fri. Sat. & Sun. Noon -11PM RESERVE NOW FOR PARTIES • 2 ROOMS AVAILABLE SEATING 75 & 100 914.779.4646 www.ciaoeastchester.com Ciao • 5-7 JOHN ALBANESE PLACE, EASTCHESTER, NY 10709 Page 12 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, GOVERNMENT LOCAL LORE ‘The Commmodore’ and ‘The Central’ By Robert Scott If anyone can be said to have had the Midas touch, “The Commodore,” as Cornelius Vanderbilt liked to be called, had it. But he was not so much a railroad builder as a ruthless railroad acquisitor. One of Vanderbilt’s claims to fame was his rail line linking New York and Chicago. He did not actually build it; he created it by melding a number of existing rail lines. Cornelius Vanderbilt When he died on Jan. 4, 1877, four months short of his 83rd birthday, he was the wealthiest man in America. He may very well have been the richest man in the world. Born in early 1794 into a humble Staten Island farm family that still spelled its name in the Dutch style, van der Bilt, young Cornelius quit school at the age of eleven. With $100 borrowed from his mother, he bought a small sailing sloop. His first enterprise was carrying passengers and cargo between Staten Island and Manhattan. He also peddled small items to the crews of ships in the harbor. As his business prospered, he bought larger and larger vessels. Eventually, his coastal schooners were carrying freight to ports on Long Island Sound and the Atlantic. Never one to miss an opportunity to make money, he also bought Hudson River steamboats that plied the river to and from Albany and the Erie Canal. During the California Gold Rush that began in 1848, his company prospered by carrying passengers and cargo from New York to Central America. After passengers crossed Nicaragua overland to the Pacific, their voyages were resumed in his vessels that sailed up the west coast of Mexico to San Francisco. By 1853, the 59-year-old entrepreneur was worth $11 million. Even more wealth poured into his coffers during the Civil War when the Union Navy leased his vessels to carry supplies to its warships blockading Southern ports. The New York & Harlem Railroad Vanderbilt’s next target for expansion was the New York & Harlem Railroad, originally chartered in 1831 as the New York & Harlaem Railroad. (The Dutch spelling, Harlaem, would be retained in the corporate name until 1889.) By manipulating the price of its stock, he took over this ailing railroad in the spring of 1864, just before his 70th birthday. Extending some 132 miles north from New York City to Chatham in Columbia County, the Harlem line had purposely built its tracks as far from the Hudson as possible to avoid antagonizing powerful steamboat interests. At Chatham, passengers could connect with a train on the Albany & West Stockbridge Railroad and reach Albany. When first opened in 1832, the New York & Harlem was little more than a horse car line that ran from Prince Street on the Lower East Side to 14th Street and Union Park, later called Union Square. The fare was one cent and marked the beginning of streetcar service in New York City. The line did not reach its goal, the village of Harlem, until five years later. The delay was caused by the tough bedrock of Mt. Pleasant (later called Observatory Hill and now Carnegie Hill), requiring a 596-foot tunnel to be bored at great expense between what would one day be 92nd Street to 96th Street. Hudson and Harlem Division and New Haven trains still enter and emerge from this tunnel today. After obtaining permission of the New York Legislature to extend its rails north to the Bronx and Westchester, the line reached White Plains in 1844, Dover Plains in 1848 and Chatham in 1852. When the Harlem decided to switch from horsepower to steam power in 1837, it needed a place to service its locomotives. The company chose a site at 42nd Street and Fourth Avenue, far to the north of residential and commercial areas of the city. Additional parcels were added until the railroad owned the entire area between Madison and Lexington avenues and from 42nd to 48th streets. The New York & Harlem had an asset of immeasurable value: Its franchise gave it exclusive rail access to the east side of Manhattan. Strapped for cash, in 1848, it made a 400-year lease with the New York & New Haven Railroad, allowing the New Haven joint use of its rails from Woodlawn in the Bronx to Manhattan and its terminal facilities. As the city grew northward, smoke, cinders, noise and excessive speed caused residents to complain. In 1856, the Common Council banned locomotives south of 42nd Street because of a growing number of accidents involving trains and pedestrians. To continue service to the depot at 26th Street, coaches were disconnected from locomotives at 42nd Street and individually pulled by horses down Fourth Avenue for 16 blocks. Steamboat traffic on the river was seasonal, but railroads could not compete with the riverboats’ low passenger fares and freight rates. The Harlem, too far from river towns to carry freight to or from them, was solely dependent on commuter traffic from the Bronx and northern suburbs. The Hudson River Railroad The second jewel in Cornelius Vanderbilt’s crown was a railroad that had originally been promoted by merchants and businessmen in Poughkeepsie, some 55 miles north of the city. Steamboats served Poughkeepsie and connected it seasonally with Albany and New York City. When the river froze in winter, however, Poughkeepsie’s trade with the outside world virtually froze as well. In 1846, the Hudson River Railroad was chartered by the Legislature in Albany to build a rail line along the east bank of the Hudson. A year later, the Hudson River Railroad Company was organized and sold $3 million in capital stock. The New York City Common Council gave the company permission to lay double tracks along the west side of Manhattan from Chambers Street to Spuyten Duyvil. After crossing Spuyten Duyvil Creek, the line would John Edgar Thomson John Ereicsson enter Westchester and then Putnam, Dutchess and Columbia counties. Terminals were constructed at West Broadway and Chambers Street, and farther north at Eleventh Avenue between 30th and 32nd streets. Passenger coaches and freight cars were hauled by horses between the two depots and by steam locomotives north of 30th Street. By September of 1849 trains were running to Sing Sing (Ossining) and later to Roa Hook, a mile north of Peekskill. Poughkeepsie was still a steamboat trip away. On the last day of 1849, amid much celebration, through trains began operating from Chambers Street to Poughkeepsie. Two years later, the rail line reached its final destination, Greenbush, across the river from Albany. Unfortunately, the railroad had encountered engineering problems building through the Hudson Highlands. The Hudson River line soon became debt-ridden, its $3 million capital eaten up by unforeseen construction costs. Moreover, it could not compete with rates charged by boats on the river. It sank deeper into debt, and its stock fell. Sensing an opportunity and using the enormous profits being made during the Civil War, only a few months after acquiring the Harlem line, Vanderbilt bought control of the Hudson River Railroad. It became the second jewel in his crown. The tracks of two other railroads serving the city--the Pennsylvania and the Erie-- stopped in New Jersey at the Hudson River’s edge, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. Passengers were transported to and from New York City on steam-powered ferries; their freight cars moved on scows called “lighters.” The New York Central Expansion toward the fast-growing city of Chicago and the Middle West was inevitable for eastern railroads. Pennsylvania Railroad head J. Edgar Thomson stole a march on his rivals by pushing its rails westward beyond Pittsburgh. In upstate New York was the New York Central, a consolidation of nine small railroads, with a doubletracked line between Albany and Buffalo. The Hudson River Railroad had a cooperative arrangement with the New York Central to share the expenses of its terminals in New York City. The Commodore canceled that arrangement at the end of 1866. The winter of 1866-67 was unusually cold. With no competing steamboats moving on the frozen Hudson River, on January 14, 1867, the Commodore placed an advertisement in newspapers announcing that his Hudson River Railroad would no longer ticket passengers or check baggage beyond its northern terminus near Albany.This meant that New Yorkbound passengers from the New York Central would have to walk across the newly built revolutionary 2,000-footlong iron bridge over the Hudson with their baggage, avoiding the occasional train of the only railroad still using it, the Boston & Albany. The advertisement added a postscript pointing out that the Erie Railroad was now the only way for travelers to reach New York City from Buffalo without changing coaches or Continued on page 13 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 13 celebrating his achievements in sea and land transportation. Standing imperiously in a central niche was a giant 40-ton bronze statue of Vanderbilt by German-born sculptor Ernst Plassman. George Templeton Strong, prominent attorney and indefatigable diarist, was present on November 10, 1869, at opening ceremonies featuring leading officials of the city, state and federal governments. Mayor A. Oakey Hall, a tool of corrupt Boss Tweed, was the principal speaker. Strong recorded his impression of the statue and the frieze: “The colossal Cornelius Vanderbilt, looming up in the midst of the chaos,” he told his diary, “was draped in a dressing gown or overcoat, the folds whereof are most wooden. As a work of art, it is bestial.” St. John’s Chapel, the handsome Georgian-Federal building designed and constructed by John McComb, Jr., was taken down in 1918. McComb would go on to co-design and construct New York’s City Hall. In 1929, Vanderbilt’s huge freight terminal building was demolished to make way for the entrance plaza to the Holland Tunnel. Today the only reminders of the neighborhood’s colorful past are to be found in street names--tiny Ericsson Place, St. John’s Lane and Vestry Street. Vanderbilt’s heroic statue was removed and set up in front of Grand Central Terminal, where it stands to this day, pensively looking down Park Avenue South, formerly called Fourth Avenue. For Hudson line trains to reach the passenger station Vanderbilt planned for the East Side, he needed a connection between the Hudson and Harlem railroads. Accordingly, on April 24, 1867--eight months before he took over the New York Central--he arranged for the New York Legislature to pass a bill chartering a new railroad. Its corporate name, the Spuyten Duyvil & Port Morris Railroad (SD&PM) described its intended route. It would connect with the Hudson line at the mouth of Spuyten Duyvil Creek and with the Harlem line at Mott Haven, with a branch to Long Island Sound. Vanderbilt’s plan was to combine all passenger traffic on the east side of the city. Completed in 1871, the sevenmile-long SD&PM cost a cool million dollars. After leaving the Spuyten Duyvil station, it went north along Spuyten Duyvil Creek, the boundary between Manhattan Island and Westchester, to 231st Street before heading south to the Harlem River. When the Harlem River Ship Canal was blasted out later leaving a small portion of Manhattan called Marble Hill as an outlier, the SD&PM tracks were relocated along its northern bank, shortening the line’s length to six miles. It is still in use today. LOCAL LORE ‘The Commmodore’ and ‘The Central’ Continued from page 12 rechecking baggage. Passengers and freight customers complained about the lack of service, and New York Central stock plummeted. The Central quickly capitulated. Vanderbilt quietly began to buy large blocks of Central stock. By the time of the line’s annual meeting in December of 1867, he owned most of its shares--and control of the company. Cornelius Vanderbilt became its new president. Two years later the two railroads were merged into the ponderously named New York Central & Hudson River Railroad. At the time he took over the New York Central, Vanderbilt was making plans for a giant freight terminal on Manhattan’s West Side and for a grand new passenger depot on its East Side, the latter structure to surpass all other stations in America and Europe. For his freight terminal, he purchased St. John’s Park from land-rich Trinity Church. The once-swampy area south of Canal Street and west of Broadway had been earlier called Lispenard’s Meadows until the vestrymen of St. John’s Chapel on Varick Street converted it into a residential neighborhood popular with the city’s wealthiest aristocrats. On June 25, 1775, George Washington had landed nearby on the Hudson’s shore between Hubert and Laight streets. Only recently appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, he was on his way to Cambridge to take command of the troops besieging British General Thomas Gage in Boston. He spent the night at the nearby home of Leonard Lispenard. Originally called Hudson Square, then St. John’s Park from the chapel completed in 1807 on the east side of the square, it was open only to residents of the houses facing on it. By the 1840s, however, the area began to be invaded by commercial buildings. The wealthy fled northward to Washington Square, especially after the Hudson River Railroad ran tracks down the west side of Manhattan in 1847. Vanderbilt paid a million dollars for the small sylvan park surrounded by once-elegant mansions converted into boarding houses and tenements. Uprooting some 200 graceful hickory and chestnut shade trees, he erected a massive three-story granite warehouse and freight terminal covering four acres. A lone holdout in the once exclusive residential area, Swedish engineer John Ericsson, designer of the Civil War turreted USS Monitor, stubbornly continued to occupy his home until his death in 1889. At the nearby Phoenix Foundry on West Street, he had constructed America’s first iron ships with screw propellers. Vanderbilt’s building was topped by a 150-foot-long and 31-foot-high pediment—a frieze cast in bronze George Templeton Strong A. Oakley Hall LITERARY AWARD Author Kathy Cannon Wiechman Receives The Great American Book Prize By John Grimaldi WASHINGTON, DC, Oct 22 - The first annual Grateful American Book Prize will be officially awarded tonight to author Kathy Cannon Wiechman for her work of historical fiction, Like a River: A Civil War Novel, at a ceremony to be held at President Lincoln’s Cottage here. David Bruce Smith, co-founder of the Prize, has called the work “a pageturner about the plight of a pair of teens caught up in the conflict between the states. It brings home the essence of what the war was all about and is bound to quickly engage readers, particularly young readers. It’s an exemplar of what the Prize is all about-to encourage authors and publishers to produce fiction and nonfiction that accurately depict the past as a means of showing young readers that history is not quite as boring as they may have thought.” Dr. Bruce Cole, the former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, inspired Smith to pursue the establishment of the Prize. Cole, who is also co-founder of the award, has described the U.S. as “a country of historical amnesiacs.” He believes that the Prize will give publishers, established authors and those just getting started an important focus on readable books about American history. “History can use the help of a ‘good read’to generate enthusiasm among young people.” ‘History can use the help of a ‘good read’ to generate enthusiasm among young people’ Author Wiechman agreed. “My passion for US History came during my school years, not from history class, but from reading biographies and historical fiction, books that made history come alive. When I write, my goal is to make history live and breathe for today’s readers the way it does for me. Having Like a River honored by this inaugural award gives me hope that I can accomplish that goal,” Weichman’s Prize comes with a cash award of $13,000 representing the original 13 colonies. Wiechman will also receive a medallion created for the occasion by Smith’s mother, artist Clarice Smith. Two additional authors were also acknowledged by the panel with Honorable Mention certificates at the event with Honorable Mention Certificates, Darlene Beck Jacobson’s novel, Wheels of Change, which confronts Washington DC’s racial turbulence during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, and Michaela MacColl’s, The Revelation of Louisa May, a deftly appealing combination of actual events and history culled from the life of Louisa May Alcott. The judges of 2015 consisted of co-founders Smith and Cole as well as Dr. Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO, New-York Historical Society, Dr. Douglas Bradburn, author, historian and Founding Director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon, and John Danielson, founder of Chartwell Education Group and former Chief of Staff at the U.S.Department of Education. Page 14 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, CALENDAR News And Notes From Northern Westchester By Mark Jeffers It appears that my children’s favorite question “How do we do this, Dad” is now being answered more times than not by Google, oh well I guess it gives me more time to write this week’s “Missing those quizzes” edition of “News & Notes.” A Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Community Center of Northern Westchester will be held on Saturday, November 7th from 9am to 1pm. Let’s not forget our neighbors in need during the holiday season, please bring your donations to the Bedford Hills Train Station. If you have daughters of any age you are familiar with the American Girl dolls and books. On Saturday, November 7th, there is an opportunity to meet the series author, Valerie Tripp, with the proceeds supporting the scholarship program at the Mount Kisco Child Care Center. From 10:00am to 12:30 pm there is an author reading and book signing at the Mount Kisco Elementary School. Tickets are first come, first served, purchase at the door for $5.00 per person. On November 6th Westmoreland Sanctuary is pleased to congratulate this year’s honoree, Bonnie (Trotta) Tisi at the 3rd Annual Fall Fundraiser. Bonnie has been a tireless philanthropist in our community and has served on Westmoreland’s Board for more than thirty years. All proceeds from the event benefit environmental education programs and to enrich and conserve our 640 acres of land. The Small Town Theatre Company Presents “How I Learned to Drive,” at The Hergenhan Center in Armonk. Performance dates are November 20 and November 21 at 8pm. The cast includes Toni Fazio (White Plains), David Sevensky (Yorktown Heights), Tatiana Szpur (Ossining), Armand Paganelli (Ossining), and Colleen Fay (White Plains). Nellie O’Brien (Yorktown Heights) will direct the production. Clear your calendar for Saturday, November 21st as it is time for the famous Christmas Boutique at St. Patrick’s School in Bedford. Once again the school will be transformed into a winter wonderland with dozens of vendors with a wide selection of gifts and goods such as candles, food items, custom made shirts and jackets, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, artwork, wreathes and much more. There will also be a silent auction with many great prizes. Food and refreshments are also available as is a supervised arts and crafts room is available for children so the parents can freely shop, even Santa is available for photos. If you are braver then I am, you might want to take part in the 7th Annual Westchester Polar Plunge which takes place on Saturday, November 14th at 10:00 am at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle. This is a fund raising event in support of New York Special Olympics, so if you can’t take being a Plunger, at least go down and support those that are willing to freeze for a good cause… The White Plains Public Library recently received a $1 million dollar gift from a group of anonymous donors which will help finish renovations on the 45-year-old institution’s first floor, including creation of The Hub, a special library for adults. My wife does most of the food shopping for the family so I have not felt the sting of all of the A & P closings (Katonah, Mount Kisco, Bedford, Goldens Bridge), but yesterday when she said she was running to the store to pick up milk and eggs, It involved two hours and a tank of gas! See you next week. courts Supremes Won’t Delay Home Healthcare Wage Hike Rule By John Grimaldi ‘The cost of companionship care will increase sharply, making it even harder for those who most need it to afford the cost’ WASHINGTON, DC, Oct 30 - The Supreme Court has refused to grant the delay of a new Labor Department rule that is likely to have a serious impact on the elderly and home-bound. The rule will go into effect in a few weeks, according to Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens. The home healthcare industry had asked the high court to stay the regulation requiring a hike in wages for “companionship workers” - those who help the elderly and disabled live in their own homes rather than in a nursing home. The industry still seeks a Supreme Court appeal of a lower court decision that okayed the pay hikes. In the meantime, the cost of companionship care will increase sharply, making it even harder for those who most need it to afford the cost. “Home healthcare workers deserve a living wage but aging, disadvantaged Americans also deserve the help they need to live their daily lives in their own homes. Making matters worse is the fact that the ruling comes on the heels of reductions in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for home healthcare services,” Weber noted. Whether or not the Supreme Court agrees to hear the industry’s appeal is uncertain, leaving millions of older and incapacitated individuals wondering how they will cope in the coming years. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, in a recent statement, called for a new focus on the issue. “Until we agree, as a country, that the services provided by America’s Home Health Aides are worth finding the extra Medicare and Medicaid dollars to pay them what they deserve, then we will continue to suffer the negative consequences of piecemeal measures.” Weber pointed out that the average age of Medicare home healthcare beneficiaries is 82 and two-thirds of them live below the federal poverty level. They have chronic illnesses such as heart disease, COPD and diabetes. They live mostly in rural parts of the country where access to alternative care is limited and significantly more expensive. “They are Medicare’s oldest, sickest and poorest beneficiaries and the majority of them are women. [email protected] LE G A L N O T I C E S Notice of Formation of MadeByRK LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 5/7/15. Office Location: Westchester County. 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WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN LEGAL ADVERTISING Meanwhile, the home healthcare sector, an industry with more than half a million employees will be devastated. In fact, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services says that some 5,000 home healthcare companies will go out of business by 2017,” he said. Weber called on Congress to recognize the urgency of dealing with what he called “an intolerable situation that has far reaching consequences for the elderly and for the nation as a whole.” Notice of formation of 515 Creative Print Solutions, LLC, filed with SSNY on 06/5/2015. Office location: Westchester County. Principal office of 515 Creative Print Solutions, LLC: 16 Harmony Drive, Larchmont, N.Y. 10538. SSNY designated as agent of 515 Creative Print Solutions, LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC 16 Harmony Drive, Larchmont N.Y. 10538, upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: any lawful purpose. 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Centrally located in downtown New Rochelle, 1 block to train; 1/2 block to bus stop. Convenient to 1-95. Some amenities. 1-2 desk offices $500/month. 800 sq. ft. $1950/month One month FREE RENT for qualified new tenants. Call Management Office directly: 718. 544.7999 [email protected] PUBLICATION EVERY THURSDAY: 914.216.1674 M-F 11A- 5P SUBMIT ADS TUESDAY, 10 DAYS PRIOR TO RUN DATE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, Page 15 INTERNATIONAL FILM ISFFC Awards By Sherif Awad Before our jury gathered to deliver the awards of the fifth edition of the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC), we were invited to visit the ancient city of Kourion. Located on the southwestern side of Cyprus, Kourion, is home to a Greco-Roman Theatre, The House of Achilles and The House of Gladiators where astonishing mosaic artwork celebrating Greek mythological figures can still be seen among the and excavated ruins. Many films we discussed last week were winners of the festival’s awards at the closing night. The Best Director Award went to the Canadian director Martin Edralin and his film Hole for its handling of difficult and delicate subject matter with courage, vision and restraint. Inspired by the life of Ken Harrower, a disabled Canadian man whose childhood was filled with intense hospital care, Harrower succeeded in overcoming these difficulties to become an actor and a painter. The central character is Billy, a gay disabled man who lives alone and is searching for intimacy. The second Prize for Best Short Film went to Ave Maria by Basil Khalil (Palestine) both for the nimble ensemble cast and its refreshing, comic take that illuminates current complexities in this part of the world. The jury decided to split the trophy for Best Documentary Award between two films. Giovanni and the Water Ballet by Astrid Bussink (The Netherlands) won for its charming Antonis Katsaris in Austerity and appealing approach to gender malaise, breathing life into still identity issues along with Villages drawings and paintings. The five-minof the Absent by Omar Shami Nasr ute film revolves about a character that (Lebanon) for its distilled and poetic looses his vitality and sense of purpose, portrayal of older people left behind going about his days in a detached by their children. The poignant, con- robotic trance while walking, shaking densed five-minute documentary a hand, making love or addressing conveys the heartbreak of family parliament. The journey of the charelders, who though forsaken, still acter becomes progressively more grotesque and dreamlike as surreal remember their sons and grandsons. The jury also conferred a Special situations reflect the fatigue of a midMention for Always Tired by Jochen dle-aged man. Two special mentions were also Kuhn (Germany) an animated short that explores contemporary social given to two films: The first was Our Always Tired by Jochin Kuhn Fathers’ Sons (Denmark) by Ulaa Salim for a seamless build-up towards the climax that delivers a real punch to received social views. The second was for My Stuffed Granny by Effie Pappa (Greece) for successfully using a fairytale to reflect on timeless economic issues and for capturing real human emotions in clay animation. Our jury was also to decide the prizes of the competing Cypriot films in the National Competition. The First Prize for Best National Film went to Out of Sight by David Hands and Christina Georgiou for transporting the viewers through many layers of narrative within a single shot and for its fusion of sound design and imagery: an exquisite achievement. The film revolves around an old man who walks around an empty house as he hears the voices of his loved ones and relives the memories that made the house a home, finally standing outside the house after visiting each room. In the final shot, we see the man watching as his house is razed by a bulldozer. Second Prize went to Austerity by Renos Gavris for reflecting the economic havoc in Cyprus, Greece and Europe told through the eyes of a struggling pensioner. The film’s unsentimental dramatization of contemporary socio-economic conditions is underscored with an appealing and effective soundtrack. Both films starred Cypriot visual artist and actor Antonis Katsaris who was given a special mention for his two performances. I hope to return soon to Cyprus for the long film festival next April, to enjoy again its calm Mediterranean beauty and the welcoming hearts of the Cypriot people. 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(btwn 5th & 6th) 212-633-1199 s thevipclubnyc.com Page 16 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN Thursday, NOVEMBER 5, 2015, MARY AT THE MOVIES Movie Review: Suffragette At the beginning of the last century, all women were treated like chattel, forced to function within the constraints of a paternalistic society abetted by an archaic legal system and in Britain, a controlled press. Whether they were Ladies or Laundresses, women were not allowed to manage their own affairs: not their money, their property or the children they risked their lives to bring into the world. The commonality of their circumstance cut across rigid class distinctions, uniting many as sisters who vowed to forge a more just society for their daughters. Suffragette, written by Abi Morgan, is an historic drama that captures the determination of British women who recognized that 50 years of ladylike behavior had failed to secure their right to self-determination. A small group of British Suffragettes embarked upon a campaign of anarchy, shattering Meryl Streep stars as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sarah Gavron’s SUFFRAGETTE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Steffan Hill Focus Features store windows, blowing up mail boxes, cutting telegraph lines, and bombing the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s home to call attention to their cause. Sadly, it was not until the public self-sacrifice of one brave woman in 1918 stunned the nation, that Parliament finally relented, as thousands of women marched through the streets to mourn her death. Carrie Mulligan (Bathsheba Everdene- Far From The Madding Crowd) plays Maud Watts, a young married woman who works in a commercial laundry with her husband. Watt’s life of quiet desperation becomes much harder as her commitment to the Suffragette movement grows. Helena Bonham-Carter plays Edith Ellyn, modeled on the life of Edith Garrud. Though she is a healer by day, Ellyn plots with Pankhurst, an escalating series of attacks on the social order to call attention to the cause and civil disobedience eventually devolves into anarchy. In an interesting twist of fate, BonhamCarter’s great grandfather, H. H. Asquith was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908-1916 who opposed the Suffragette movement. Meryl Streep, in a cameo role, plays Emeline Pankhurst, an historical person and gifted orator who reminded her followers “they do not want to be lawbreakers, they want to be lawmakers. This small group of women endured brutal police beatings, harsh imprisonment, forced feedings to interrupt hunger strikes, separation from their children, ruined health and in one case, death. Yet their sacrifices eventually changed the social dynamic and contributed to the success our own struggle for women’s rights. The 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920 This is an inspiring story of women who sacrificed everything to give women the rights we enjoy today, taking on the issues that women have struggled with throughout history. Maud Watts coped with the sexual aggression of her employer throughout her teen years and Violet, another character, is a battered woman. Mulligan and Bonham Carter, in particular, deliver powerful, Oscar-worthy performances, effectively conveying the toll prison took on their characters. Meryl Streep is very believable as the inspirational Mrs. Pankhurst. Brendan Gleeson, as inspector Arthur Steed, manages to be both stern and understanding as the private inspector who trails the women and tries to turn Watts into his informant. Written by Abi Morgan; directed by Sarah Gavron, produced by Alison Owen and Faye Ward. Suffragette is rated PG for some intense violence, thematic elements, brief strong language and partial nudity. Open 10AM - 8PM Mon-Sat. Juice Bar • Smoothies • Salads Paninis • Rice Bowls Dine In -Take-Out • Dobbs Ferry Delivery 914.479.5555 (L to R) Brendan Gleeson stars as Inspector Arthur Steed and Carey Mulligan stars as Maud Watts in director Sarah Gavron’s SUFFRAGETTE, a Focus Features release. Credit : Steffan Hill / Focus Features Carey Mulligan (center) stars as Maud Watts in director Sarah Gavron’s SUFFRAGETTE, a Focus Features release. Credit : Steffan Hill / Focus Features MIXONMAINNY.com 63 MAIN ST., DOBBS FERRY, NY WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM
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