February 8, 2013 - Rising Media Group
Transcription
February 8, 2013 - Rising Media Group
WESTCHESTER’S OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED NEWSPAPERS PRESORT-STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID White Plains, NY Permit #7164 Vol 108 Number 6 www.RisingMediaGroup.com PAL Poster Contest 2013 Photo by Ed Whitman Yonkers Police Department Sergeant James McGovern (left), Police Officer Mark Whissner and canine Doc, who will appear on this year’s PAL Poster, with 2012 Poster Contest Winners Enzo Kim and Julianna Calvello Once again, it is that time of year. The Police Athletic League (PAL) of Yonkers is looking for new faces for their PAL poster. On January 30, the Contest Committee announced the kickoff of this year’s search for new faces for the Poster. The Mike D’Ambrosio PAL Poster Contest is very unique and the only one of its kind in the country. The idea actually dates back to the 1800s. Its message is a simple one: the police officer is your friend. Mike D’Ambrosio, after getting approval from PAL President Angelo Martinelli and the PAL Board, reinstated the contest and it has been going strong ever since. Every year, hundreds of children from throughout Yonkers submit their Continued on Page 10 Yonkers’ Korean War Heroes Private 2nd Class Christopher M. Murphy, Jr. By Andrew Tobia As Yonkers Rising reported last month (see “Yonkers to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of the End of the Korean War,” January 25), Mayor Mike Spano and the City of Yonkers, in conjunction with the US Department of Defense’s 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, will be holding events throughout the year to commemorate the end of that war and those who lost their lives during it, including 35 Yonkers natives. As part of that commemoration effort, Yonkers Rising will publish feature stories on those 35 Yonkers natives who were killed in action (KIA) during the Korean War over the course of this year. We begin this week with a feature on Army Private Second Class Christopher Michael Murphy, Jr. But first, a little background on the Korean War. The Korean War The Korean War (1950 to ‘53) was the second major conflict of the Cold War — the first being the Berlin Blockade and Airlift of 1948 to ‘49 — and the first to involve direct combat. Occurring between the much celebrated end of World War II (1945) and the highly publicized and divisive Vietnam War (beginning in 1959), the Korean War is often overlooked, so much so that it is commonly referred to as the Forgotten War. The course of the war is marred by many atrocities and massacres, committed by both North and South Korea. After World War II, Korea — previously under Japanese control — was split in two along the now-famous 38th Parallel. The United States Army took control of Korea south of the 38th, the Soviet Union north of it. This split was negotiated Friday, February 8, 2013 Mayor Spano Seeks $4.2 Million in Savings and Money Owed to City By Dan Murphy laptops, cameras, traffic signal heads and surSince taking office last year, Mayor Mike plus vehicles. Marquee items also generated Spano has sought out every dollar of savings dollars for the city, including the old Getty and every dollar owed to the city in an attempt Square Clock, which sold for $2,000, and the to cut into and control the city’s budget defi- city’s gently used Snow Dragon snow melter, cits. which sold for $85,000. Since YonkersCARThe city’s estimated budget gap for the Store.com launched this spring, the city has upcoming 2013 fiscal year, which starts on sold 38 vehicles and approximately 20 other July 1, is $89 million. surplus items; Spano’s money sav• The city refinanced ing and recouping proits bonds after receiving a posals include: financial outlook upgrade “Every dollar • Seeking to recover last year. The $50 million $950,000 of 11 defaulted in bond refinancing saved counts and commercial loans, apthe city and its taxpayers every taxpayer proved by the prior ad$4 million over the life of ministration’s Office of the bonds, $1 million for dollar should Economic Development, the 2012-2013 fiscal year; be treated as if it in court if necessary; • Last November, • Persuing $938,000 Spano ordered that the were their own.” in unpaid real estate no longer subsidize Mayor Mike Spano city transfer taxes from 123 free trash collection for Yonkers property ownlocal commercial properers. The city has reviewed ties in the Downtown Wareal property transactions dating from July terfront Business Improvement District (DW2009. In November 2012, the city sent de- BID) saving taxpayers $300,000 per year; mand notices to owners, sellers and title agen• Last year, the Mayor proposed the concies and has resolved 74 of the 123 properties solidation of the Yonkers Parking Authority to date, for a collection total of $294,333. The (YPA) with existing city departments, which city will work to collect the remainder; would save $660,000 per year, $2.64 mil• Mayor Spano launched the city’s eBay lion over four years. The city would also restore, YonkersCARStore.com, which has gen- ceive a one-time cash influx of approximately erated $200,000 in revenue for the city by $1,100,000 from the YPA capital investment selling unused and surplus city equipment account. This proposal by the Mayor is being and vehicles. Items sold include fire hydrants, Continued on Page 8 Council Republicans Call for an End to Gerrymandering Army Private Second Class Christopher Michael Murphy, Jr. without the input from Koreans, contrary to international law. By 1948, South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) was founded and formed an American-backed Democracy, and North Korea (officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) established a Russian- and People’s Republic of China-supported Communist government under the leadership of Kim Il-Sung. While there is some debate as to whether or not a South Korean attack prompted it, the Korean War is officially considered to have begun Continued on Page 9 Councilman Mike Breen (left) and Council Minority Leader John Larkin By Dan Murphy Yonkers’ three City Council republicans — Minority leader John Larkin and Councilmen Dennis Shepherd and Mike Breen — held a press conference last week to propose a resolution they say will take partisan politics out of the council re-districting process. Last month, democrats on the council released their proposed re-districting plan, which makes minor changes to all districts but signifi- cantly changes the Fourth, represented by Shepherd. Council republicans called the democrats’ plan “partisan gerrymandering” and announced their plans to submit an alternative re-districting plan. “We are here today to introduce this legislation because the citizens of Yonkers deserve a real choice,” Larkin said. “This is an intensive Continued on Page 8 YPIE & Forest City Ratner Establish ‘Ridge Hill Academy’ Photo by Karen Issokson-Silver The first Ridge Hill Academy class with (l to r) Councilman Dennis Shepherd, YPIE Executive Director Wendy Nadel, Ivy Reeves (for Councilman Michael Sabatino), Councilmen John Larkin and Mike Breen, YPS Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio, Mayor Mike Spano, Council President Chuck Lesnick, FCRC Senior Vice President Kathy Welch, Councilman Wilson Terrero and YPIE’s Ellen Cutler Levy Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), owners of the successful Ridge Hill retail, commercial, residential and entertainment ‘village’ in Yonkers, partnered this week with Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) for a new innovative partnership called “Ridge Hill Academy,” which will give 25 Yonkers public High School sophomore and juniors a hands-on learning ex- perience to explore future careers in the retail industry. FCRC will fund the program with a $100,000 grant, which will teach the students over a two year period about management careers in the shopping center retail industries, including retail and restaurant management, operations, security and maintenance manage- ment, PR and marketing. The 25 students, selected through a competitive application process, began their 10week semester of Ridge Hill Academy immediately after the press conference, held as WESTMED at Ridge Hill. A new group of students will be selected for each new semester. The students will rotate among vendors and retail establishments at Ridge Hill to learn about various careers and the educational paths needed to get there. They will also participate in a series of job readiness and skill-building workshops focused on resume writing, interviewing and workplace etiquette. Each Academy graduate will be awarded a certificate Continued on Page 8 PAGE 2 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, February 8, 2013 Academy for Jewish Religion ‘The Panoramic River: Moves to Downtown Yonkers The Hudson and the Thames’ Council President Chuck Lesnick cuts the ribbon, while Mayor Spano and AJR Vice President Ora Prouser look on Robert Havell Jr.’s “Hudon River to Croton” Prouser and Rabbi Jeffrey Hoffman (center) hold the City of Yonkers-issued proclamation By Ben Cohn Yonkers is now home to one of the biggest Cantorial and Rabbinical schools in New York, as the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) moved from its offices at the College of Mount Saint Vincent to a new space in Downtown Yonkers. There are many different kinds of Cantorial and Rabbinical schools throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, but the Academy is very unique. In most cases, Orthodox and Reform Rabbis are trained separately, but AJR offers classes for those who would like to become Rabbis as well as Cantors and includes teachings from all degrees of the Jewish Faith. The divide between Orthodox and Reform Judaism has been widening in recent years, especially in mainly-secular Israel, where the Orthodoxy holds immense political power. “We have been representing pluralism in the Jewish Community since 1956,” said AJR Executive Vice President and Academic Dean Dr. Hora Horn Prouser. “AJR cherishes diversity and our student and faculty represent all different denominations. AJR is ahead of its time by helping people to become Rabbis who would otherwise not be able to.” The organization is funded by a combination of tuition fees and donors. Many of the students travel from across the country to attend the school weekly and end up giving genContinued on Page 8 1.65 % APY 5-Year CD* ($500 minimum balance) 1.00 % APY 18-Month CD* ($500 minimum balance) 0.85% APY 13-Month CD* ($500 minimum balance) Better yields — dollar for dollar. Tired of the ups and downs of today’s market? As one of the most efficient banks in America, we’re able to provide some of the highest yields in the New York metropolitan area. Plus, CDs are fully insured by the FDIC to the extent of the law. Bank on Better ValuesTM by visiting one of our 135 convenient branches or by banking online. For more information call 914.737.2777 or visit hudsoncitysavingsbank.com. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as of 02/01/13. *Minimum CD balance $500. Substantial penalties for early withdrawal. Interest rates are subject to change without notice. From London to New York, “The Panoramic River: the Hudson and the Thames” at the Hudson River Museum (HRM), on display from now until May 19, shows new ways of seeing the two iconic rivers — the Hudson, America’s “first river,” and England’s ancient River Thames. In the late 18th century, British artists developed the large-scale panorama, all-encompassing bird’s-eye views of the rivers and their lands that made humans seem the center of the universe. Popular planetarium visions for the 19th century audience, they are the roots of today’s big screen immersive film experiences. By the early 19th century, painters such as Robert Havell, Jr., who emigrated from London to New York, exemplify the influx of English artists who influenced a shared Anglo-American panoramic vocabulary as well as the evolution of American landscape painting. Havell’s work, (who also created many of the landscapes for Audubon’s famous birds) includes panoramic publications and paintings of the Hudson River and the River Thames, as does the work of other artists in this exhibition, such as Thomas Cole (father of the Hudson River School) and noted artists Jasper Cropsey and John Kensett, who favored the chain of cities, suburbs and countryside along these two rivers, where horizontal planes and historical associations gave form to both artistic and cultural expression. “The Panoramic River” features major loans from more than two dozen museums, galleries and private collections. Museums lending paintings include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New-York Historical Society, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Baltimore Museum of Art, Yale Center for British Art, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College, Maryland State Archives, Morgan Library & Museum of the Williams College Museum of Art and Princeton University Art Museum. HRM, located at 511 Warburton Ave. in Yonkers, is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Admission to “The Panoramic River” is free with HRM admission, with is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and kids aged 5 to 16 and free for HRM members. For more information, call 914-963-4550 or visit HRM.org. Send your story ideas, photos, announcements and upcoming events to us at dmurphy@rising mediagroup.com Friday, February 8, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 3 PAGE 4 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, February 8, 2013 First Precinct Community Council Meeting Mayor Edward I. Koch: He, Too, was New York! The First Precinct Community Council will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Precinct, located at 730 East Grassy Sprain Rd. This month’s guest speaker will be Detective Ken Davis from Community Affairs. For more information, e-mail yonkersfpcc@gmail. com. Spano Announces ‘Volunteer Match’ Effort with UWWP Volunteer Center Mayor Mike Spano announced a new volunteer program, in partnership with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam (UWWP) Volunteer Center, that links residents interested in volunteering with volunteer opportunities around the city. “There are so many ways to get involved with volunteering in Yonkers and there are so many residents that want to give back to their community and help others in need,” said Spano. “This program goes beyond offering volunteer opportunities; it simplifies the process of finding the right opportunity for anyone who wants to volunteer.” Residents interested in volunteering can visit the city’s Web site and be connected to a volunteer search engine that includes a central database of volunteer opportunities offered by 67 community and faith-based organizations throughout Yonkers. Searches can be narrowed down by a keyword or even a zip code, enabling volunteers to match their interest with a specific Eric Schoen and Ed Koch location that works for them. Available volunteer opportunities range from services at a soup kitchen, reading to children, assisting seniors, working with the environment and more. All the volunteer projects are Westchester-based. “The Volunteer Center has a long tradition of supporting volunteerism in Yonkers and we are so pleased that the city will now include a direct link from its website to ours,” said UWWP Volunteer Center Executive Director Alisa H. Kesten. “This will make it so easy for residents of all ages to find wonderful volunteer opportunities that suit their interests and availability and support the needs of vital Yonkers non-profits.” The Mayor encourages residents to visit CityofYonkers.com to search the site and get involved with volunteering in Yonkers. For more information or questions, contact the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services at 914-377-6010. Choking Child Revived by Yonkers Firefighters Ed Koch with a young Chuck Lesnick By Eric Schoen “I gotta get up to Yonkers!” Ten minutes into the movie “Koch,” a documentary about the former Mayor, the audience at the opening night screening I attended at Lincoln Square Cinemas in the New York City burst out in laughter. The boroughs of New York are in the middle of a transit strike and we find Mayor Koch standing on the Brooklyn Bridge, greeting people walking over the bridge into the city. Foot power was there only means of transport. And the poor man crossing the Continued on Page 8 RESEARCH STUDIES FOR: •Arthritis •Crohn’sDisease •PediatricDepression •Gout •COPD •LowBackPain R On February 2, Yonkers Fire Department Engine 304, from Radford Street, was dispatched, along with Yonkers Police and Empress ambulance, to a report of a choking child at 132 Bruce Ave. Engine 304 arrived three minutes after dispatch, at 3:39 p.m., to find an approximately 1 and a half year old male child in severe respiratory distress. Members of Engine 304 provided oxygen while simultaneously attempting to reposition and thus open more fully the child’s air- Watch Stew Leonard’s Chefs Hand Dip 11,000 Fresh Strawberries When February begins, Stew Leonard’s Executive Chef Chaz Fable starts to plan his delicious strawberry dipping station for Valentine’s Day shoppers, right next to the fresh roses and specially prepared dinners for two. “We order the biggest, best stem berries available,” Fable said. “The sweetest ones usually come from California this time of year.” Customers enjoy watching the Chef carefully dip each freshly washed berry into a bath of delicious, melted chocolate. “We use a dark chocolate imported from Belgium for the base coat,” said Fable. “Then I like to drizzle just a touch of white chocolate over them. It looks nicer, but also — it tastes amazing.” Stew’s Chefs will dip more than 11,000 We are currently enrolling people for NO COST research studies. Qualify and receive study-related care from a local doctor and study medication. Health insurance is NOT required. COMPENSATION UP TO $1,375 R way. After administration of oxygen and several attempts at repositioning the airway, the child began to breathe normally. Empress ambulance arrived five minutes after the arrival of Engine 304, at 3:47. At that time, Engine 304 brought the child down the stairs to the ambulance personnel and transferred care to them. It appeared to the Fire Department members that the child was in good health at that time and that this would be a very positive outcome. Strawberries this Valentine’s Day week. Each of Stew Leonard’s four food stores will have a chef dipping fresh strawberries in chocolate and offering the sweet treats in packages of two, six or a dozen. Stew Leonard’s Front End Manager Jenn Polaski said, “It’s something special, yet inexpensive that everyone can enjoy and fresher than a boring box of chocolates. I like to buy some for my kids’ teachers, my best friend, my hair stylist — it’s a nice way to show the people in your life a little love and appreciation!” Stew Leonard’s will set up a display at the front door of the Yonkers store so that all customers can watch the chefs hand dip chocolate covered strawberries from Tuesday, February 12 to Sunday, February 17. Call: 888-259-1522 or Visit: www.AcurianHealthStudies.com � ���������������������������� ������������������������������������������ ��� !��"#$%#������&&'�(�����������&)**���+����������+(�,� � � � Did your job give you Lung Cancer? If you suffer from Mesothelioma or Lung Cancer, and were exposed to asbestos on the job – even decades ago – you may be entitled to compensation (even if you were a smoker)! Contact the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg today for a free and confidential consultation. We have won billions in verdicts and settlements, and it costs you nothing up front if we accept your case. We’re with you – every step of the way! 700 BROADWAY | NEW YORK, NY 10003 888-411-LAWS USE YOUR SMART PHONE TO SCAN THIS CODE FOR MORE WWW.LUNGCANCERTRUSTS.COM ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. Prior results do not guarantee a future outcome. If no recovery, no fees or costs are charged, unless prohibited by State Law or Rule. � Friday, February 8, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 5 Barry Scheck to Speak at SLC Superintendent: YPS Budget Deficit at $42.6 Million Barry Scheck Barry Scheck, co-founder and co-director of The Innocence Project, will speak on the Innocence Movement at Sarah Lawrence College’s (SLC) Reisinger Concert Hall on Thursday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m. His remarks will focus on the impact the project’s work to exonerate wrongfully accused individuals and to reform the American criminal justice system. Founded in 1992, The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal clinic affiliated with the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, uses DNA evidence to exonerate people who have been wrongly convicted of crimes. It also lobbies for reforms to prevent wrongful convictions from happening in the first place. Since its founding, more than 300 people have been exonerated with DNA evidence. The Innocence Project worked on a majority of these cases. Innocence Network organizations, private attorneys and a few pro se defendants were responsible for the others. The DNA exonerations have helped to expose cracks in the criminal justice system, serving as evidence that some wrongful convictions are a result of systemic defects, not isolated events. Thousands of cases are awaiting evaluation by the national litigation and public policy organization. Scheck and his colleagues have also helped to persuade hundreds of local jurisdictions to adopt reforms and have worked to advance legislation in virtually every state in order to prevent future injustice. A forerunner in the field of wrongful convictions, The Innocence Project is a founding member of the Innocence Network, which comprises 64 independent organizations around the world. SLC is located at 1 Mead Way in Bronxville. For more information on this and other programs, call 914-337-0700 or visit SLC.edu. Presidents’ Day at Philipse Manor Hall By Dan Murphy On January 29, Yonkers Superintendent of Schools Bernard P. Pierorazio presented testimony before the state’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee in Albany. At that meeting, Pierorazio estimated that the YPS will have a $42.5 million budget shortfall for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. “We can no longer reduce staff and services. We have eliminated virtually all art, music, student support and extracurricular programs,” testified Pierorazio. “Moving forward, our goal is to restore some of the critical offerings our students have lost. Thank you for the bullet aid that allowed us to restore some of our sports programs last year. This year’s budget calls for the restoration of 60 vitally needed instructional and student support positions lost due to the drastic budget cuts and underfunding by the state over the last few years. It is the only discretionary cost increase contemplated for next year.” The YPS estimates revenues at $507.5 million and expenses at $550.1 million, with major expense increases going to fund: Salaries — $11.5 million — Step and contractual raises; ERS — $1.2 million — Employee Retirement System; TRS — $3 million — Teacher Retirement System; MTA Tax — $928,480; Health Insurance — $5.4 million; Restored Staff — Salary $7 million; Restored Staff Benefits — $2.4 million; Tuitions — $785,163; Charter School — $1.4 million; and Transportation — $2.1 million. Pierorazio also added to the chorus of local elected officials and superintendents seeking mandate relief from Albany. “Unfunded mandates continue to be the subject of countless committees, reports and speeches and continue to be as prevalent and pernicious as ever, taking millions of dollars from the basic education of our children,” said Pierorazio. “In the last fiscal year, unfunded mandates accounted for 12.53 percent of our budget, or $62,366,147. We continue to support the mandate relief proposals suggested by the Big 5 and Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents and will not reiterate them here. “We have taken these positions for years and the Assembly and Senate have voiced understanding of this problem. However, nothing has changed. Without legislative intervention, next year the cost of unfunded mandates to Yonkers taxpayers will rise nearly $6.2 million, to $68,505,751, an all-time high,” continued Pierorazio, who pointed to the APPR-teacher evaluations, “a new unfunded mandate that promises to become one of the more expensive additions to our budget — the unfunded mandate of an annual professional performance review for all teachers and principals. In fact, the implementation of the negotiated APPR will cost the district close to $3 million this year alone.” The Superintendent made a similar presentation recently to the Yonkers City Council, where he outlined the upcoming budget shortfall. Mayor Mike Spano will make his budget presentation, which includes funding for the YPS, in April, and the council will begin its review then. Pierorazio has been seeking, for some time, to begin the restoration of staff and programs that have been severely cut over the past three years. His proposed budget will include $9.4 million in salaries and benefits for 60 restored positions. The question in the months to come is who will pay for the additional staff? It will come either from the city or from the state. The YPS needs an additional $33 million just to keep its current level of staff and programs in place. That number does not include the additional $9.4 million for restored staff. The Mayor and City Council could attempt to pass a budget that exceeds the property tax cap of two percent — which is actually closer to four percent, once you add allowable budget increases not included in the cap. Spano has not been inclined to propose or sign a budget which exceeds the cap, and the three republican members of the City Council — John Larkin, Dennis Shepherd and Mike Breen — have clearly stated that they will not vote for a budget that exceeds the cap. Another option is to seek additoinal state education aid from Albany. ‘True Light Revealed’ Series Continues President Theodore Roosevelt in Yonkers in 1910 Presidents George Washington and Franklin Delano Roosevelt have both visited Philipse Manor Hall and, this Presidents’ Day, you can do the same! Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site will hold its annual Presidents’ Day celebration on Saturday, February 16 at Philipse Manor Hall from 12 to 4 p.m. The program will include presidential quizzes, a scavenger hunt, a mock election and hourly story-times. Visitors also will have a chance to make their own set of George Washington’s famous false teeth and create presidential bookmarks. Presidents’ Day at the Manor Hall will feature the Cochran Collection of Presidential Portraiture. After Alexander Smith Cochran’s mother donated funds to New York State for the purchase of Philipse Manor Hall in 1908, the Yonkers businessman and philanthropist was eager to transform the building into a place of historic and patriotic interest. From 1912 until his death in 1929, Cochran assembled portraits of the American Presidents from George Washington to Calvin Coolidge. The collection includes the works of noted artists such as Gilbert Stuart, Eastman Johnson and Thomas Eakins. All activities for the day are included in the cost of museum admission, which is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and free for children 12 and under. Philipse Manor Hall is located at 29 Warburton Ave. in Yonkers. For more information, call 914-965-4027 ext. 102 or visit NYSParks. com/historic-sites/37/details.aspx. Remembering Yonkers Veteran Seymour Lehman Color it Proud Chairman Sam Riti (left) and John Spencer (right) give the 2011-12 Americanism Award to Seymour Lehman Seymour Lehman, an active member of the Veterans community in Yonkers, died on January 30 at the age of 80. Seymour attended Peter Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. He was drafted into the Army in 1952 and returned in 1954. While serving in the Korean War, he earned the distinction of being a Combat War Veteran. Over the next 10 years, he owned several supermarkets and attended New York Universities, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and also received a stock broker’s license. Upon his return from the Korean War, his service continued in the form of fighting for Veterans’ needs and rights. His exceptional service as an active member and officer providing his leadership skills in numerous Veterans organizations was invaluable. Seymour is survived by Rosalind, the love of his life for the past 48 years; his daughter, Ilene, and her husband, Michael Pierz; his son, Elliot, and his wife Christina; and five grandchildren. Last year, Lehman was given the Americanism Award from the Yonkers Central Committee of Veterans Organizations at its Color it Proud Flag Day celebration. Services were at Weinstein Memorial Chapel, located at 1652 Central Park Ave. in Yonkers. Interment at Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, NJ. The Important Values for Youth (IVY) Programs, in conjunction with the Yonkers Human Rights Commission and City Council Education Chair Michael Sabatino, will continue its film and documentary series, “True Light Revealed,” in Celebration of Black History Month. These films, though perhaps controversial and often emotional, will be used to raise high school and college students’ awareness of historical and sociological events that have taken place in America against Black America. Students will be asked to write a paper and/or to participate in a discussion group after viewing the film for extra credit. Guest speakers may be available for discussions with the audience at the end of some of the documentaries. The second screening, showing the film “Black Wall Street: The Black Holocaust,” will be held on Monday, February 11 at 4:30 p.m. After the Civil War, many African-Americans settled in Oklahoma because of employment opportunities provided by the oil fields. Around 1908, the community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was established. The Daily Tulsa Star was an African-American owned newspaper. Businesses owned by AfricanAmericans flourished. Their communities were the best. Their schools were excellent. Greenwood was coined the Black Wall Street. However, because of jealousy, deceit and discrimination, Greenwood was burned to the ground by white racists on June 1, 1921. “True Light Revealed,” free and open to the public, will be held weekly during February, Black History Month, at the Yonkers Riverfront Library, located at 1 Larkin Plaza. For more information, call 914-377-6931 or e-mail [email protected]. Our Air, Water and Food at Risk: NYS Hydrofracking Update at GNC Grassroots Environmental Education’s Ellen Weininger will focus on public health impacts of hydrofracking and initiatives on the local, state and national level whether or not New York begins the permitting process in a special presentation at the Greenburgh Nature Center (GNC) on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. Grassroots Environmental Education is a an environmental health non-profit providing public education on environmental health issues and practical solutions for schools, local and state governments, community groups and environmental and health organizations in the Northeast and nationwide. Grassroots, working directly with a network of leading medical and scientific experts in the field of environmental health, bridges the gap between emerging science and public understanding through communication and programs for education and advocacy. Erin Heaton Meyer, a resident of both Westchester and Chenango Counties, one of five counties being considered for fracking by Governor Andrew Cuomo, will speak to how Cuomo’s choice affects New Yorkers both up- and downstate. Meyer is a member of Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy and Lower Hudson Group. GNC is located at 99 Dromore Rd. in Scarsdale. Refreshments, provided by the Sierra Club, will precede the program at 7 p.m. For more information, call GNC at 914-723-3470 or visit GreenburghNatureCenter.org. PAGE 6 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, February 8, 2013 Legal Notices Classifieds Voice and Piano Lessons Beginners to advanced Voice Therapy Dr. David Fairchild Doctorate in Voice from Columbia University 914-3376405 Web site Dr David Fairchild.com ANTIQUES • ART • COLLECTIBLES Most cash paid for paintings, antiques, furniture, silver, sculpture, jewelry, books, cameras, records, instruments, coins, watches, gold, comics, sports cards, etc. Please call Aaron at 914-654-1683. 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Call Marc in NYC 1 -800 -959 -3419 Legal Notices Notice of Sale Supreme Court: Westchester County T10 Funding v Gerald Depaul Individually and as Executor of the Estate of Mary Ann Depaul et al, Defts Index 52048/12 pursuant to a judgment of foreclosure filed January 15, 2013, I will sell at public auction at the Lobby of the Westchester County Courthouse 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd White Plains NY on February 22, 2013 at 11:00 AM premises known as Block 2014 Lot 74 in the City of Yonkers. Sold subject to the terms of sale and filed judgment of foreclosure. Daniel P. Romano Esq. Referee #3055 1/25 – 2/15 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF FORMATION of ATI-Alex LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/13/2012. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against it is: Knauf Shaw LLP, Attn: Linda R. Shaw, 1125 Crossroads Building, 2 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. Dissolution date: 06/13/2111. LLC Purpose: to engage in real estate development. Street address of Principal Business location is: 159 Alexander St., Yonkers, NY 10701. NOTICE OF FORMATION of Ravine 33 LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/04/2012. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against it is: Knauf Shaw LLP, Attn: Linda R. Shaw, 1125 Crossroads Building, 2 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. Dissolution date: 05/04/2111. LLC Purpose: to engage in real estate development. Street address of Principal Business location is: 159 Alexander St., Yonkers, NY 10701. NOTICE OF FORMATION of Glenwood POH LLC Article of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 03/20/2012. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against it is: Knauf Shaw LLP, Attn: Linda R. Shaw, 1125 Crossroads Building, 2 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. Dissolution date: 3/20/2111. LLC Purpose: to engage in real estate development. Street address of Principal Business location is: 159 Alexander St., Yonkers, NY 10701. #6364 1/25 – 3/1 #6365 1/25 – 3/1 #6366 1/25 – 3/1 AGENDA FOR ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS February 4, 2013 PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: A Public Hearing will be held before the Zoning Board of Appeals of the City of Yonkers on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 at 6:00 P.M. sharp, in the Ceremonial Courtroom, Yonkers, New York (building is accessible to the handicapped), on applications for Appeals from the Building Commissioner’s decisions and applications for Variances under the provisions of G.O. # 4-2000, as amended: CONTINUED HEARINGS # 5330–Area Variance- Steven A. Accinelli, Esq., on behalf of Kimball Brooklands Corporation, owner, on premises know as 1000 Palmer Road, Block: 5345, Lot: 1, Zone: A NEW HEARINGS # 5334–Area Variance- Andrew Romano, Esq., on behalf of L. Nieviarovski, owner, on premises know as 73 Edgewood Avenue, Block: 6373, Lot: 97, Zone: MG # 5335–Area Variance- John Imhof of Accent Architecture PLLC, on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Paolo Forte, owner, on premises know as 47 Malvern Road, Block: 4956, Lot: 21, Zone: S-100 # 5336–Area Variance- Cuddy & Feder LLP, on behalf of New Cingular Wireless (AT&T), lessee, on premises know as 1170 aka 1200 Midland Avenue, Block: 5125, Lot: 5, Zone: MG # 5337–Use & Area Variance- Cuddy & Feder LLP, on behalf of New Cingular Wireless (AT&T), lessee, on premises know as 28-30 Locust Hill Avenue, Block: 2027, Lot: 78, Zone: M JOSEPH CIANCIULLI CHAIRMAN, ZBA #1168 2/8 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE Street To Strip Auto Design LLC has filed articles of organization with the Secretary of State of NYS on 11/26/2012. The offices of this company are located in Westchester County, NY. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the limited liability company upon whom process against it may be served. The address to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the limited liability company served upon him or her is PO Box 451, Verplanck, NY 10596 The company is organized to conduct any lawful business for which limited liability companies may be organized. Notice of formation of Bustech Solutions LLC Art. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/2/2012. Office in Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Bustech Solutions LLC 36 Sarles St. Armonk, NY 10504. Purpose: any lawful purpose. Notice of formation of Nehemiah MC, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on September 13, 2012. Office location: Westchester County. The street address is: 1333A North Avenue, Suite 405, New Rochelle New York, 10804. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: Michelle D. Edden, 1333A North Avenue, Suite 405, New Rochelle, New York 10804. Purpose: any lawful act. #6359 1/11 – 2/15 #6360 1/11 – 2/15 #6358 1/4 – 2/8 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE Notice of formation of Merritt Contracting, LLC, a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC), filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/04/2013.Office location: Westchester County. Principal office of LLC: PO Box 466, Purchase, NY 10577 . SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Adam Newcomb PO Box 466, Purchase, NY 10577, upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Residential Construction. Notice of formation of ALENTI FILMS, LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/26/2012. Office location: County. The street address is: 63 Ridgewood Terrace, Chapaqua, NY 10514. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: Elizabeth Schub, 63 Ridgewood Terrace, Chappaqua NY, 10514. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of The Bail King, LLC., a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC). Articles of Organization filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/18/10. Office location: Westchester County. The street address is: 15 Palisade Avenue Yonkers, NY 10701. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: Christopher Daroja c/o the LLC at 70 South Main Street Norwalk, CT 06854. Purpose: any lawful act. #6367 1/25 – 3/1 #6362 1/25 – 3/1 #6361 1/18 – 2/22 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE Notice of formation of Force Software, LLC, a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC), filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/04/2013. Office location: Westchester County. Principal office of LLC: 8 Tam O Shanter Dr., Purchase, NY 10577 . SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Christopher Rodier, 8 Tam O Shanter Dr., Purchase, NY 10577, upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Software Consulting. Notice of formation of Bluesky Capital Partners, LLC. Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on October 1, 2012. Office location: Westchester County. The street address is: 40 Memorial Highway 20C, New Rochelle, NY 10801. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: Won-Jae Lee, 40 Memorial Highway 20C, New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of Daphne Viders, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State on December 15, 2008. The street address is Weschester County, New York. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: LLC c/o The Viders Law Group, PLLC, 368 Veterans Memorial Highway, Commack, New York 11725. Purpose: Any lawful act. #6363 1/25 – 3/1 #6368 1/25 – 3/1 #6369 2/1 – 3/8 LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE Notice of formation of Hudson Valley Till LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on December 3, 2012. Office location: Westchester County. The street address is: 146 Ridgecrest Road, Ossining, NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to Hudson Valley Till, LLC; 146 Ridgecrest Road, Briarcliff Manor, New York 10510. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of HORIZON BUILDERS NY, LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on JANUARY 17, 2013. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: JOSEPH BOHM, 2131 ESPEY CT., STE3, CROFTON, MD 21114. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of formation of B & D Motel LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on January 25, 2013. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: 100 Prescott Ave. White Plains, NY 10605. Purpose: any lawful act. John J. Greco, Esq. Atty. for B&D Motel LLC Governor Clinton Building 1 Albany Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 Tel. No.: (845) 331 - 6073 Notice of formation of: CENTRAL WESTCHESTER HOME HEALTH SERVICES, LLC. Articles of organization filed with the Secretary of State of N.Y. (SSNY) on 1/29/13. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, c/o Segun Okunoye: 15 Nella Lane, Port Chester, NY 10573. Purpose: Any lawful activity. #6370 2/1 – 3/8 #6371 2/1 – 3/8 #6372 2/8 – 3/15 #6373 2/8 – 3/15 Friday, February 8, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 7 Seniors and Health Care Elected Officials Provide Spano Announces Free AARP Seniors Tips to Prevent Falls Tax Counseling for Seniors Photo by Rachel Estroff L to r: Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, Senator George Latimer, Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Council President Chuck Lesnick, Mayor Mike Spano, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and VNSNY CHOICE Director of Community Relations and Marketing Dominic Mascara Mayor Mike Spano recently announced that the Tax-Aide program of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) will be offered to seniors through the Yonkers Office for the Aging and the Will Branch of the Yonkers Public Library. The program is available now until Monday, April 15. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, an AARP Foundation program, helps low to moderate income taxpayers have more discretionary income for everyday essentials, such as food and housing, by assisting with tax services and ensuring they receive applicable tax credits and deductions. “AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is a great opportunity to ensure our seniors are equipped with the comprehensive tools needed to manage their finances,” said Spano. “This is just one example of how Yonkers continues to strive and provide beneficial services at no cost to our residents.” AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is available free to taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older. Through a cadre of trained volunteers, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide has helped low to moderate income individuals for more than 40 years in every state and the District of Columbia. Trained volunteer tax counselors will be on hand to assist at the following times and locations: • Mondays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. at the Office for the Aging at the Chema Center, 435 Riverdale Ave., starting Monday, February 4; and • Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Will Branch of the Yonkers Public Library, 1500 Central Park Avenue, starting Tuesday, February 5. All required tax reporting forms will be available at the Tax-Aide sites. No appointment is necessary. Senior Citizens will be assisted on a first-come/first-serve basis. AARP coordinators for this program request that people bring with them their last year’s tax returns, their W2 and/or 1099 forms and all other information and documentation concerning their income in 2012. The free nationwide program is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service. For more information, contact the Yonkers Office for the Aging at 914-377-6822. Social Security Column: A ‘Raise’ for Recipients Photo by Lorenzo Ciniglio A large, curious crowd showed up for the event Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for seniors, and Westchester elected officials want their elder constituents to stay strong on their feet. On Thursday, January 31, State Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and George Latimer, Assemblymembers Shelley Mayer and J. Gary Pretlow, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and experts from VNSNY CHOICE Health Plans, a nurse-led health plan for Medicaid and/or Medicare eligible New Yorkers by the non-profit Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), presented an important Falls Prevention workshop at Coyne Park Community Center in Yonkers. Nearly 200 Westchester county seniors and their family caregivers attended the workshop to hear about how to stay safe and confident in their home and community environments. At the beginning and end of the seminar, VNSNY CHOICE Rehab Clinical Manager Allison Simms lead and performed stretching exercises with the seniors in attendance. Additionally, seniors were provided with tips and techniques for avoiding falls, like how to assess a home environment for potential fall hazards, how to choose footwear and walking aids that offer increased stability and how to find local resources that can help seniors build strength and increase stamina. “Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injury in older adults,” said Simms. “Every 17 seconds, a senior is taken to the emergency room because of a fall — 70 percent of these falls occur in the home. These elected officials here today have strong connections with the elderly population in this community and we truly enjoyed team- ing up with each one of them to share tips and techniques for Yonkers seniors and their loved ones.” Stewart-Cousins, the Senate’s Democratic Conference Leader, said, “I am pleased to partner with VNSNY CHOICE and other elected officials to host this important seminar. The statistics are quite troubling. Teaching prevention is key to addressing this and I am honored to be a part of this important effort.” Latimer said, “Our job as legislators is to serve as advocates for all of our constituents and help them face the challenges they encounter in their lives. Partnering with VNSNY CHOICE, we were collectively able to identify a need for our seniors and provide them with information and other resources that will allow them to live healthy and productive lives. I am grateful to my colleagues for working together to conduct this forum and to the VNSNY CHOICE for providing their expertise on a topic that will help our seniors and their loved ones.” Mayer said, “I am so pleased that we were able to bring the knowledge of VNSNY CHOCE to our seniors. I know firsthand that preventing falls is critically important to our seniors’ health and quality of life.” Spano said, “The City of Yonkers is continuously seeking ways to best protect the health, safety and quality of life of our residents. This workshop offers valuable information to prevent serious injuries that are too often the result of a fall. I thank VNSNY CHOICE for their continued partnership with our city and for offering this great resource to Yonkers residents today.” For more information, call 855-AT-CHOICE (282-4642) or visit VNSNYCHOICE.org. By Susan Sobel, Social Security District Manager in Yonkers As we continue to ring in a new year, we can expect to see a number of changes. Social Security is no exception: in 2013, people who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments will see their benefits increase. Beginning in 2013, a 1.7 percent cost-ofliving adjustment (COLA) was applied to all Social Security and SSI payments. The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker in 2013 is $1,261 (up from $1,240 in 2012) and the average monthly Social Security benefit for a disabled worker in 2013 is $1,132 (up from $1,113 in 2012). These changes were reflected in SSI payments dated December 31, 2012 and Social Security payments dated in January 2013. For people who receive SSI, the maximum federal payment amount has risen to $710 (up from $698). Other Social Security changes in 2013 are worth noting. For example, a worker now pays Social Security tax on up to $113,700 of annual income (up from $110,100 in 2012). A worker earns one credit after paying taxes on $1,160 in earnings in 2013 (up from $1,130). As always, a worker may earn a maximum of four credits each year and a person generally needs forty credits (or 10 years of work) to be eligible for retirement benefits. To learn more about these and other changes for 2013, visit SocialSecurity.gov and read our fact sheet about the changes. Salute to Veterans Planned The staff and volunteers at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System will honor those who have served their country in a week-long celebration entitled the “National Salute to Veterans” from February 10 to 16. During the celebration, many activities will be sponsored by Veteran Service Organizations, supported by volunteers, staff and the community, sending in thousands of Valentine’s Day cards to brighten the days of hospitalized Veterans. Health Care center staff welcomes the Valentine’s cards, well wishes and the support from anyone who wishes to honor Veterans during the week. The staff discourages donations of homebaked goods or candies to ensure for patients’ health and safety. Community organizations or Veteran Service Organizations also can sponsor an activity for the Community Living Center (nursing home) residents as well. Groups interested in planning an event for the Veterans may contact the Voluntary Service Office at 845-831-2000 ext. 5135 or 914-737-4400 ext. 3714. St. Paul’s Church Holds Special Civil War Event “A Conservative Union Parish: St. Paul’s Church and the Civil War” opens with a special program at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site on Saturday, February 9 from 12 to 4 p.m. Using an impressive array of original materials, the exhibition explores the war’s impact on the lives of Union veterans buried in the historic cemetery and chronicles the struggles of the parish and town with the great issues of the national conflict of 1861 to 1865. The opening event features a talk about the role of religion in the Civil War by Professor Robert T. Valentine of Lehman College. There will also be re-enactments commemorating President’s Day and African American History Month, including appearances by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt and Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. Historic activities for children, with prizes, will also be held. Parking and admission are free St. Paul’s Church is located at 897 South Columbus Ave. in Mt. Vernon. For more information, visit 914-667-4113 or visit NPS.gov/ sapa. Advertise on our Seniors and Health Care Page! Call today: 914-965-4000 PAGE 8 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, February 8, 2013 Legendary Troy Mayor Spano Continued from Page 1 challenged in court; and • Immediately after taking office, Spano announced a new policy on city-owned takehome cars and city employee healthcare benefits. All departments were asked to return non-emergency take-home cars; 40 of the 93 cars in the city’s fleet were returned, saving more than 100,000 miles in take usage, estimated at $50,000 per year. Only those department heads, deputy commissioners, commissioners and mayoral staff who are required to be on call on a 24-hour basis as specified by the Mayor’s office will be assigned takehome vehicles. As of now, 50 vehicles have been or will be auctioned off at YonkersCARStore.com. The Mayor also created a revised policy for city healthcare benefits, which will save the city up to $150,000 annually in coverage. All unrepresented employees, including all top officials in the Mayor’s office, will be required to contribute to their city-funded YPIE & Forest City Troy, available at the Yonkers Humane Society Troy is a feline legend at the cat adoption center in Yonkers, where he found shelter after being abandoned. The volunteers at the center, where he is universally loved, say that he has the most wonderful personality! But, sadly, the feline face that has launched a thousand smiles won’t be able to stay at the center much longer and must find a forever home very soon. A handsome, sweet older tabby that gets along well with everyone, Troy is very affectionate and loves being kissed and petted. Troy is a special-needs cat who would do better as an only pet since he needs to eat prescription MD food. Thanks to the wonderful care he received at the center, he no longer needs medicine to manage his diabetes. But what he does need is special food, an occasional blood test and lots of love in a fabulous home. He’s neutered and current on vaccinations. To meet Troy or for more information, call the Yonkers Humane Society at 914-4392415. Academy for Jewish are able to have Westchester’s biggest library of Jewish texts in our new space here.” Recently, Cantors from AJR sang at the Yonkers City Hall Menorah lighting, at which the Yonkers Jewish community was represented in full force. On January 27 a dedication of the space and ribbon cutting ceremony, led by Mayor Mike Spano and AJR leaders, took place. Continued from Page 2 erously. While Prouser said that the Yonkers move was not about attracting Jews from Yonkers to attend, she did say, “It’s exciting to be part of the revitalization of the downtown area. We Mayor Edward I. Koch Continued from Page 4 bridge not only had to navigate a New York City with no mass transit but somehow get his way up to Yonkers. This wasn’t the only reference to Yonkers and Westchester featured in this exquisite movie. We see the headline in the New York Daily News when Mayor Koch loses the primary for Governor to Mario Cuomo. Cuomo won, and so did Al DelBello, former Yonkers City Councilman and Mayor, as well as Westchester County Executive, who was running for Lieutenant Governor. We see the headlines that a man is terrorizing New York City, putting fear in all of its inhabitants. This man, of course. was Yonkers resident David Berkowitz, AKA Son of Sam. And we see scenes, however brief, of Berkowitz being taken into custody from his Yonkers apartment. A menace off the streets. Our former neighbor, Gabe Pressman, dean of the New York Press Corps who lived in Yonkers, is also front and center at the many press conferences Mayor Koch would hold at a moment’s notice. I went to School 27 on Valentine Lane with Gabe’s daughter when the family resided in south west Yonkers. New York lost a giant with the passing of Ed Koch last Friday. His passing coincided with the opening of a documentary that celebrated his life without sugarcoating it. We have all read and heard so much about Ed Koch over the last week that even those among us who don’t remember his tenure are now connoisseurs of his life. What struck me with all the stories, radio and television reports and other commentaries about his life was not simply that he was larger than life. He was an elected official who truly enjoyed governing. He loved being Mayor of New York City, bringing it back to life after it almost went into bankruptcy in the 1970s. It wasn’t just a financial bankruptcy that New York was experiencing at the time. It was a bankruptcy of spirit, and Ed Koch played the role of cheerleader, leading the underdog team to victory. Do we have any elected officials, current or past, that enjoy governing as did Mayor Koch? Guiliani or Bloomberg? Obama or Bush 1 or 2? Closer to home, Westchester County Executive Astorino or Yonkers Mayor Spano? They do their job, but we don’t see the joy of governing in their face that we saw in Ed Koch. How did Koch do it? In his own words, he decided early on that he was not going to be a jerk running around trying to save the world. So many politicians exhibit a holier than thou philosophy, expecting the public to believe that they are our world’s savior. Not Ed Koch. He followed basic philosophies that seem so simple but, the more you thought about them, you realize how prudent and realistic they are. When making a decision, Koch would do what his mother would do. If his mom didn’t have money, she would not spend it. New York was bankrupt in the late 1970s and he made decisions, however unpopular they were, to cut the budget, closing hospitals and laying off workers, as the city did not have the money. Koch believed that he needed to get the attention of the public to deal with municipal problems. He would hold press conferences at the drop of a hat. Unscripted, teleprompter-less affairs unlike today’s politicians. The press and public relished his every word. He would say what he believed, guided by the philosophy that if the public didn’t like what he said or did, he could always get another job. He was a lawyer but always had in his mind memories of his parents who ran a coat check at a relative’s business. He helped out at the coat check and never forgot how humiliating the coat check job was, begging for tips. His private life was none of anyone’s business other than his. Even when his opponents put up signs on Queens Boulevard saying “Vote for Cuomo not the Homo” he didn’t let the desire of others to paint him sexually interfere with his quest for the job. He told them where to go, in terms not publishable in this family-friendly newspaper. He confronted his opponents in public. He wasn’t hidden by guards, press people, aides or anyone. Even late in his life, he relished a good debate. I’ll never forget the night when he lost the primary for Governor. Koch stood on the stage, sad but reminding his supporters, loud and clear, that “I am still Mayor.” Up until his death, his guiding philosophy was that he wanted to stay relevant. Author, television commentator, radio host, movie reviewer — though he was out of office for years, officials running for office still clamored for his endorsement. He planned his funeral many years ago. Simple, short speeches by individuals important in his life. Simple strains of “New York, New York” played on the organ at Temple Emanu-El in New York City. No Frank Sinatra, no Liza Minelli, no Beyonce. He wanted to be front, center and relevant to the very end. How beautiful, how poignant his funeral service was. Think about the philosophies that guided his life when you make your next decision! Mayor Edward I. Koch. We are better people because we knew him. He, too, is New York! Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@ aol.com. Make Rising Media Group a part of your advertising plan. Call today! 914-965-4000 Continued from Page 1 indicating they successfully completed the program and will have an opportunity to apply for summer internships and jobs. Each week of the program will focus on a different area of retail and shopping center management. In addition to learning from FCRC and operational partners Securitas USA, LAZ and CBS about areas like marketing, retail center security, parking/traffic and maintenance, students will meet and interact with management professionals at partner organizations like Lord & Taylor (retail management), Whole Foods (supermarket operations), The Cheesecake Factory (restaurant management) and WESTMED (medical center management). Whole Foods will also be acting as “Snack Sponsor” and, on March 6, the day after their Academy session, they will donate five percent of their sales to YPIE. “Forest City is giving these students a wonderful opportunity,” said YPIE Executive Director Wendy Nadel. “Exposure to careers and the skills needed to be successful in the workplace should be part of every child’s education. Ridge Hill Academy will help these students understand what they need to do to build a successful future.” Ridge Hill Academy fits into YPIE’s successes in providing students with the information and tools they need to decide on a future career path. While YPIE has been successful in helping Yonkers public high school students apply for and obtain scholarship funds to get into college, Ridge Hill Academy will allow YPS high school students the opportunity to explore other career paths. Nadel thanked FCRC for the $100,000 Council Republicans Continued from Page 1 process that requires transparency and public deliberation. When politicians pick their voters, the voters lose. We need reform that will put the voters back in charge.” Shepherd said, “The first proposal splits communities between districts designed to make them uncompetitive. Passing these reforms will ensure that communities of interest are kept together so that everyone will have a voice on the City Council.” The three councilmembers are calling for passage of a resolution they have introduced, which would ensure that: • The council reaffirms its commitment to fair, non-partisan redistricting; • Along with passage of any maps, the council adopt an anti-gerrymandering provision prohibiting the favoring or disfavoring of incumbents, challengers or political parties; • The council prohibit a map that would split census blocks and communities of interest; • A requirement that any deviation from the mean population in districts be explained; • The creation of minority opportunity districts, where practicable, and the protection of minority voting rights mirroring the current federal law; • Consensus decision-making, ensuring minority party participation; • Better criteria for drawing district lines including, but not limited to, increased transparency, with public hearings in each city council district at least 30 days prior to the adoption of any maps; and • Every aspect of the process open to scrutiny by the public and the press. Council republicans are in the process of reaching out to good government groups to advise with drafting their own set of maps, which would be in compliance with the new resolution as well as the Voter Rights Act of 1965. “We are calling for public hearings which will thoroughly vet both sets of maps and produce a product that is best for the diverse Yonkers communities,” said Breen. “In most cases, public hearings come first, then maps,” Breen said. “We should be doing the same here. Let’s take the time to improve the democratic process in the city by ensuring that redistricting be constitutional and fair and reform the system for future generations so that the redistricting process is open so it cannot be controlled by whichever party is in power.” The resolution states, “under current law, Councilmembers draw the districts for them- healthcare insurance at the rate of 20 percent for an individual plan and 10 percent for a family plan. “While we look at the city’s current budget, we are constantly evaluating all of the city’s resources and look for ways to eliminate wasteful spending,” said Spano. “Although these initial policies are not budget busters, it sends a message to Yonkers taxpayers that cost-cutting is a shared sacrifice for us all and we all must be held accountable for city expenses. “We are taking a common sense approach our city’s finances. It’s no different from a family living within their budget. We have a certain amount of dollars and we need to justify how we spend every dollar. We are trying to change the financial direction of the city and every day we make a little bit of headway to make Yonkers better from where we got it. Every dollar counts and every taxpayer dollar should be treated as if it were their own.” The cost cutting efforts and attempts to collect monies owed to the City, to date, total $4.248 million. donation and hoped that Ridge Hill Academy would lead to additional partnerships with other area corporations and businesses. Mayor Mike Spano and YPS Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio praised the new program. “Ridge Hill Academy, the collaboration between YPIE and Forest City Ratner Companies, is critical to the future of our Yonkers Public School students,” said Spano. “Programs like this are vital so we can expose our students to different careers and provide them the real-life experience needed to help them make educated decisions about college and beyond. Thank you to Forest City Ratner for its generous contribution and YPIE for its commitment to our students.” Pierorazio thanks FCRC for the donation and praised YPIE for “Helping the education of our students blossom. Graduation rates have risen and scholarships to college have skyrocketed.” FCRC Senior Vice President Kathy Welch said, “We have so many management professionals here at Ridge Hill with useful career knowledge to share with students, and the Ridge Hill Academy really builds on what Yonkers Partners in Education is already doing to help students prepare for life after high school. This is a great opportunity for participants to learn and work with Ridge Hill professionals who put good ideas and innovative solutions into practice every day. We are very excited to be participating in this worthwhile, hands-on program.” Islain Dominguez, a program participant and 11th grader at Saunders Technical and Trades High School, spoke about her desire to learn about retail management and how it could fit into fashion design, her passion and her major at Saunders. selves; allowing politicians to draw these districts, to make them safe for incumbents, or to tailor the districts for the election of themselves or their friends, or to bar the districts to the election of their opponents, is a serious abuse that harms voters.” Prior to the council republicans’ press conference, council democrats released a statement calling on council republicans to stop fanning the flames where there is no fire and engage in constructive debate rather than create hysteria. “I would hope that my Republican colleagues stop fanning the flames where there is no fire,” said democrat Councilman Christopher Johnson (First District). “For them to now accuse the Council’s Democratic Caucus of gerrymandering is ridiculous and reeks of hypocrisy, when the boundaries that the city is currently using are clearly partisan. My colleagues and I have merely proposed a plan and expect their input, something democrats never got the opportunity to do when republicans controlled this council.” Democrat Councilman Michael Sabatino (Third District) said, “It is ironic that the republicans are raising concerns over my new proposed district, when they themselves told me that the existing one was so gerrymandered. This resulted after decades of their past redistricting decisions. My new proposed Third District eliminates many broken up neighborhoods and major streets, reuniting the diverse communities into one council district.” City Council President Chuck Lesnick said, “Our consultant, whose hiring was agreed to by the republicans, proposed a smart plan based on empirical data collected that also measures the reality of an increasingly democratic base that can vote either way, as has been the history in Yonkers. My hope is that the republicans cease their character assassinations and work with us to create district lines that are legal, reflective of the fast-changing Yonkers population and reduce costs of elections for the taxpayers of Yonkers.” The City Council has scheduled an Intergovernmental Committee meeting for February 19 to initially discuss the redistricting plan with the council’s redistricting consultant, Phillip Chonigman. Following that meeting, the proposed plan can be modified to meet concerns and be re-presented to the public, after which it will sit for eight days. The public will have a second opportunity to comment on the plan (once revised) at a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting before the entire City Council votes. Each council district represents about 33,000 residents. The city is required to redistrict every 10 years to comply with new census data. The city’s population of 197,000 did not significantly change over the past 10 years. Friday, February 8, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 9 Murphy graduating from St. Joseph’s Korean War: Murphy Continued from Page 1 at dawn on Sunday, June 25, 1950, when North Korea launched attacks over the 38th Parallel. By August, North Korea advanced as far as Pusan in the far southeast of the Korean Peninsula, one of only two South Korean cities not occupied by North Korea at some point. Backed by United Nations forces (mainly Americans, who made up 88 percent of all UN forces in the Korean War), South Korea held the Pusan Perimeter until September 1950, at which point UN reinforcements arrived and a counterattack began. By October 1950, South Korea and the UN/ US forces had advanced from their southernmost position (Pusan Perimeter), to their northernmost, just shy of the Yalu and Tumen rivers, which form North Korea’s border with China. On November 1, 1950, the Chinese military officially intervened on behalf of North Korea. By Christmas in 1950, UN/US forces were pushed back to below the 38th Parallel again and, by January 4, North Korea had captured Seoul for the second time. The UN/US forces fought back and recaptured Seoul, for the last time, by March 1951 (in all, Seoul was conquered four times within a year — twice by North Korea and twice by South Korea). By July 1951, fighting degraded into the trench warfare tactics of WWI, with both sides building heavy fortifications (including some trenches) at established locations. North Korea/ China and South Korea/UN/US had reached a stalemate at the 38th Parallel, the same line at which the war began. Fighting continued but little territory was exchanged. The Korean War continued in this way for two full years, before the Armistice Agreement was signed into effect on July 27, 1953. As no peace treaty was ever signed, the Korean War is, technically, not over. Both North and South Korea maintain a heavy military presence on their respective side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a 4.5 mile wide strip of land which separates the two countries, running roughly along the original 38th Parallel division line. The US maintains a military presence of between 28,000 and 29,000 soldiers in South Korea. Army Private Second Class Christopher Michael Murphy, Jr. Christopher Michael Murphy, Junior, affectionately known to family and friends as Sonny, was born on November 8, 1930 at Yonkers General Hospital to Bridget Murphy of County Waterford, Ireland, and Christopher Michael, Senior, of County Cork, Ireland. He was the second of five children — he had an older sister Marie and was followed by three brothers, Thomas, Edward and Joseph. Each of his brothers served in the Armed Forces Proudly serving the City of Yonkers Nick Sprayregen, Publisher [email protected] Daniel J. Murphy, Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Andrew Tobia, Copy Editor/Staff Writer [email protected] Paul Gerken, Advertising Sales [email protected] Gregory Baldwin, Administrative Asst. [email protected] Member of the New York Press Association 914-965-4000 Fax 914-965-2892 25 Warburton Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701 www.risingmediagroup.com Yonkers Rising - USPS Permit #7164 is published weekly by Rising Media Group, LLC 25 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10701 Periodicals Postage Paid • Yonkers, N.Y. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Rising Media Group, LLC, 25 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10701 — Thomas joined the Army Air Corps (forerunner to the Air Force), Edward was a Marine and Joseph was in the Army. His brother-in-law, Ray Murphy, also served in the Air Force. He grew up on Ashburton Avenue in downtown Yonkers. He attended St. Joseph’s Grammar School. He attended Saunders Trades School (now Saunders Trades and Technical High School) until 1948, when he joined the Army. In the Army, Murphy was stationed in postWWII Japan, serving with the Military Police to guard Japanese prisoners of war (POWs) at the outbreak of the Korean War. He was then transferred, as a Private Second Class, to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. In July 1950, he was involved in fighting at Taejon, located in central South Korea, during North Korea’s initial advance across the 38th Parallel. During the fighting, he was injured in his right leg. His and other friendly regiments — from the armies of South Korean and other UN Nations — were making a fighting withdrawal from Taejon in an effort to fall back to the Pusan Perimeter. During the withdrawal, he was reported as missing in action (MIA). He was captured by North Korean forces, becoming a prisoner of war (POW), on or about July 30. As a POW, he was kept at Taejon Police Station with roughly 40 to 50 other prisoners. During an official US Army interview, Lee Jong Koon — a South Korean policeman who was incarcerated at Taejon Police Station at the same time — reported that there were 42 American combatant POWs, including Murphy, and 13 South Korean prisoners, including himself. In the same interview, Koon said that of the 42 American POWs, two had died — one from sickness and another after having his leg amputated. The amputee was Murphy. During his captivity, Murphy’s leg wound worsened and, ultimately, became gangrenous. He was moved from Taejon Police Station to a hospital in the city — it was reported to have been a Red Cross Hospital or Relief Dispensary, but that is under dispute. Three other interviewees corroborated Koon’s account. Kim Kee Sung, who worked at the hospital as a “temporary chief of surgery,” performed Murphy’s amputation. Sung reported that, after the amputation, Murphy died on September 24, 1950. Kim Il Kyu, another employee of the hospital, reported that “on 21 September 1950” a US soldier, Murphy, was carried into the hospital and, three days later, died. “Later this same day,” said Kyu, “I observed six American soldiers remove the body... I observed them bury the body on a mountain approximately 300 meters distant from the hospital.” A third witness, Kim Pan Sool, reported seeing six American soldiers bury another American on “the mountain behind [his] house.” It seems conclusive that Murphy passed away, following the amputation of his right leg, on September 24, 1950, about one month shy of his 20th birthday. Four days after his death, the roughly 54 prisoners remaining at Taejon Police Station were all executed. There were two survivors — a South Korean named Lee Jong Koon and US Army Sergeant First Class Carey H. Winel — each of whom were shot, buried while still alive and ultimate rescued about 52 hours later. The whereabouts of Murphy’s remains are still unknown. It is possible that they remain buried in Taejon. Another possibility is that they were interred in 1956 at the National Memorial Center of the Pacific (The Punchbowl) in Honolulu, Hawaii, as one of 432 US Unknowns (unidentified soldiers) from the Korean War. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command has been regularly searching Korea to find the remains of Murphy and other missing soldiers. There are several locations suspected of containing Muphy’s remains, some of which are now heavily developed, making excavation without more reliable evidence not currently possible. Since the end of the Korean War, his brother-in-law, Ray Murphy, has undertaken his own extensive search and done much research in an effort to locate Murphy’s remains. He suspects, and not without reason, that they have, in fact, ended up at The Punchbowl. On one trip to South Korea, Ray was toured around the entirety of the city of Taejon. Stops included several sites that have been earmarked as possible burial locations of Murphy’s remains — one a hill by the hospital at which Murphy’s leg was amputated (not a school), another on a hill near the then-Taejon Police Station where Murphy was a POW, and some others. One visited site was definitely the burial place of an American soldier — as corroborated by several witnesses — but was empty at the time of Ray’s visit. Taejon locals reported that the grave had been rummaged through by wild dogs, but Ray disagrees, on account of the fact that there were no remains at all found at the site. Ray believes that this was where Murphy was buried, but whose remains were recovered by US Graves Registration personnel and sent, as an Unknown, to The Punchbowl. “What they did with remains, unidentified remains, is they shipped them to Kokura, Japan,” Ray told me. “Kokura sprayed formaldehyde on the remains [to preserve them] and then transferred them to The Punchbowl. When they tried to go through the Unknown remains and identify DNA, they couldn’t penetrate the formaldehyde.” Ray believes that that’s what happened to Murphy’s remains — they were recovered, brought to and interred in The Punchbowl, and now remain there, unidentified, until more accurate DNA testing techniques can be used. The Murphy’s family plot in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Yonkers has a marker bearing Christopher Michael Murphy, Jr.’s name. He is the recipient of the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Yonkers Bat Company Making Big Splash Fresh off the production line Xplosive owner Victor Delgado working on a bat Xplosive Bats is the first Yonkers-based custom wood bat Company. Xplosive’s incredible attention to detail allows it to make some of the best custom wood bats in the market. It produces professional quality wood baseball and softball bats that can be used at any level of play from youth leagues to the pros. Xplosive maintains precise quality control from the lumber selection, drying and finishing, ensuring that customers are receiving top quality professional bats. Xplosives are the best made, most durable and consistent wood bats made today. “I have baseball in my veins,” said Xplosive owner Victor Delgado. “I know that I can’t play baseball for a living, but I enjoy making a difference in the game. I take a lot of pride in each bat I make and there is nothing better than the sound of the crack from a wood bat. Making baseball bats is my passion.” Xplosive wants its customers to know that its priority is to give them the best bats and service possible. It also allows customers to speak to real during the bat-making process instead of an answering machine. Xplosive’s professional grade wood has straighter grain and greater density, leading to better quality. The wood comes from loggers who select cutting and use mills that are the most technologically advanced in their field. Natural gas is used to reach six to eight percent moisture content for vacuumed dried billets. Only #1 Clear Grade Maple is used. Each bat begins as a precisely sized 37-inch cylinder of wood, called a billet, which is weighed to a 10th of an ounce and then sorted by weight. The billet is loaded into the lathe and programmed to produce a specific bat model. But the process is far from over. Wooden nubs left on either end of the newly formed bat need to be cut off. The bat needs to be sanded, painted, sometimes stained, dried and then dipped in two coats of clear coat finish before applying the company label. Xplosive customizes everything in the bats, from the color and model to the engraving of players’ name and team. Xplosive bats fit all levels of baseball players, from tee ball to college. It can fine-tune the balance and make it unique to you. Technical advice and recommendations are offered. Players from a growing number of wooden-bat leagues are buying from Xplosive, which currently has clients and stores selling its bats in Puerto Rico and Florida. For more information, e-mail info@xplo sivebats.com or visit XplosiveBats.com. Car Wash l Oil Change l Detailing 999 Saw Mill River Road Yonkers, NY 10710 (914) 963-8787 www.starautospa.com Fleet Discounts PAGE 10 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, February 8, 2013 PAL Poster Contest 2013 PAL membesr and supporters at the 2013 Poster Contest Kickoff Event 2012 Poster Contest winner Julianna Calvello her Montessori Academy class and teacher Leila Faoer, YPD Commissioner Charles Gardner and Margaret Staruch Left: Mayor Mike Spano welcomes all to the kickoff Right: Paul Zachareas, longtime PAL supporter, with Sergeant McGovern, Officer Wissner and Doc Right: PAL Vice President Jim Vetrano Far right: 2012 Poster Contest winner Enzo Kim with his PEARLS class and teacher Pamela Roura-Vazquez, Gardner and Staruch City Council President Chuck Lesnick with Kim and Calvello PAL Poster Contest 2013 Continued from Page 1 photographs. From those hundreds, we narrow it down until we get our final 10 contestants, five boys and five girls. They rehearse for a week at the City Hall. One the night of the contest, a boy and a girl will be chosen by our panel of judges. To enter the contest, you must be in the 5th or 6th grade, reside in Yonkers and attend a Yonkers Public, Private or Parochial school. The announcement was made at City Hall where last year’s winners, Enzo Kim of the P.E.A.R.L.S. Hawthorne School and Julianna Calvello of the Montessori Academy attended the ceremony with their teachers and classmates. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Yonkers School Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio and Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner were among the speakers cheering the kids on. City Council President Chuck Lesnick and members of the City Council also attended. The rehearsals and the contest itself are held in the City Council Chambers. Yonkers Police Benevolent Association President Keith Olson and CLS President Lieu- tenant Thomas Phelan were there with the Yonkers Police Officer Mark Whissner, his partner, police canine Doc and Sergeant James McGovern. McGovern and Whissner will be on the PAL poster with the two student winners. The kick off also was attended by members of the PAL Board including longtime Poster Contest Chair Jimmy Vetrano. Vetrano worked for years on the contest, encouraging all of the participants to do their best every year. If you are interested in being on the PAL poster and you fit the requirements listed above, send a five by seven inch photo of yourself (with name, address, phone number, date of birth, name of school and grade on the back) to: PAL New Faces, 127 North Broadway, Yonkers, N.Y. 10701. Attention: Margaret Staruch. Submission deadline is March 15. For more information, call 914-968-7468. A special thanks to the Mayor’s and City Council’s staff members, especially Lucia Trovato, and PAL Members Charlie Gebbia, John Harrigan, Greg Keleshian, Sue Sacco, Wanda London and Ros Marani. Good luck to new PAL Poster Contest Chairs Margaret Staruch and Wanda London. Calvello, Staruch and Kim with Stew Leonard’s’ Wow the Cow Photos by Ed Whitman