February 8, 2007 - WestchesterGuardian.com

Transcription

VOL. I NO. XXVII
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2007
Federal Indictment!
Who’s Next?
See
Larry
Nicky
Giulio
Zehy
The
Advocate,
page 5
PAGE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
Supervisor Puglisi Pushes for
Cortlandt Building Moratorium
By Renée Smith The town of Cortlandt Manor, as it exists today, is comprised of the villages of Buchanan and Croton-on-Hudson, as well as hamlets of Crugers,
Verplanck, Montrose and Mohegan Lake. The town is one of the largest in
Westchester County with a population of nearly 40,000 residents and still
growing. At present only 6% of the town is zoned for industrial or commercial development.
Henry Hudson sailed into the area in 1609 and again, four years later,
in 1613. Some years later, as the Dutch settlement in lower New York State
expanded, the Van Cortlandt family acquired land, building an estate that
stretched all the way to what is now the Connecticut border. Cortlandt became one of 20 townships in what is now Westchester County with Philip
Van Cortlandt as its first supervisor.
In the 1800’s the railroad brought much industry to the Hudson Valley.
However, Cortlandt remained largely farmland. In the first half of the 20th
century, residential developments between Oregon Road and Route 6, together with new schools and retail establishments, slowly began to change
the character of the town to something more suburban. The opening of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Administration Hospital at Montrose
in 1950 , followed by the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant brought jobs
and a skilled labor force to the area.
Today Cortlandt Manor is a growing suburban community, with numerous retail outlets. The Cortlandt railroad station on the Metro-North
Hudson line, is one of the more heavily used. Index
The Advocate:
FBI and Federal Prosecutors Having a Field Day in Westchester.............. 5
Classified. ......................................................................................................................26
Clip-Out Community Calendar. ..................................................................22, 23
Design Inspirations:
See What You’ve Been Missing.................................................................. 9
Freedom Isn’t Free:
CAP............................................................................................................. 6
Great Chefs of Westchester: Great Chef Rocco Salvatico..................10
Horoscope: Shimmering Stars, Feb. 8 - 14.............................................14
In Our Opinion:
Really, Phil?................................................................................................ 4
Living Latino in Westchester:
Emails Encouraging Fear of Foreigners....................................................... 8
Marriage and Family in Westchester:
Children Who Join Gangs Lack Leadership.............................................. 19
Northern Westchester Roundup........................................................12
Our Readers Respond........................................................................... 4
Taking Judicial Notice:
Westchester’s Claim to James Fenimore Cooper..................................... 20
The Court Report:
Chief Judge Judith Kaye Has Her Nerve..................................................... 3
The World Traveler:
Sri Lanka: Pearl of the Indian Ocean.......................................................... 7
This Week in History: Feb. 8 - 14..........................................................26
Linda Puglisi, who has been Town Supervisor for the past 15 years,
longer than any other Supervisor in the Town’s history, has shepherded
much of the major development within the town. Her most important accomplishment during her tenure has been controlling taxes. Working hard to attract large-scale projects to the town, Ms.
Puglisi has strived to keep property taxes very low. A strong advocate of
environmental protection and recreational parkland Supervisor Puglisi
recently released a comprehensive proposal aimed at limiting suburban
sprawl and the loss of open space. This plan that calls for a one-year moratorium on development while a new zoning law is enacted calls for the
adoption of a “smart-growth philosophy.” Some residents contacted by The Guardian praised the preliminary details. Ann Coleman, a Cortlandt resident, declared, “It’s about time something is being done about the growth of this town. I grew up here where
there wasn’t anything out here but a high school and Caldors, but now I
don’t know many of the residents. And the traffic along Route 6 is a bit too
much.”
Jeff Rosen, of Crugers, confirmed Ms. Coleman’s remarks, stating,
“It’s nice not having to travel to lower Westchester County or upstate to
Dutchess County to shop, but something must be done about the traffic.”
Supervisor Puglisi’s proposal would:
1. Reduce the number of housing units that could be built in residential zones. The new zoning would be implemented during a moratorium
on large-scale commercial and residential construction, while the zoning
recommendations from the 2004 master plan are put in place.
2. Look into the possibility of creating a “flat tax” that would charge every
property owner a specified amount for acquiring open space. The town administration would hold a referendum on the concept and seek the necessary approvals from Albany.
Continued on page 12
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
PAGE Chief Judge Judith Kaye
Has Her Nerve
New York State’s Chief Judge Judith Kaye, apparently will rule the
state’s judicial system, for the next twenty-two months, until her compulsory retirement, at age 70, having successfully lobbied Eliot Spitzer
to leave her in place, ostensibly to accomplish in fewer than two years
what she has dismally failed to accomplish in more than twelve. Now, she
is turning to the most heavily-taxed citizens in all these United States,
the Taxpayers of New York, and asking them to support a pay raise
for the 1,300 state-paid judges. New Yorkers are by nature very understanding and reasonable people. However,
Judge Kaye has chutzpah enough for three
to come before us looking for pay increases for a state judicial system that has never
been more corrupt, more dysfunctional, or
more fundamentally unethical in fifty years
than it is right now.
Throughout the state citizens are only
too well aware that the “clubhouse system”
of choosing candidates for State Supreme
Court, a position that carries a 14-year term,
has resulted in a scandalous mess, with party
bosses from Kings County to Monroe County, and everywhere in between selling their
support for whatever the market will bring.
Democratic Chairman Norman in Brooklyn
stands trial for allegedly pocketing tens of
thousands to insure nominations; the wife
of a Supreme Court Judge in New York City
alleges she paid out more than $200,000 to
buy his seat. Here in Westchester the Independence Party Boss Guilio Cavallo has taken $15,000, and more, from those wishing
his party’s cross-endorsement, a fact that he
repeatedly boasts about. The State Supreme
Court candidate nomination process has been so openly corrupt that
a Federal District Court Judge stepped in and demanded a revision of
the process.
And, speaking about cross-endorsement, in the Ninth Judicial District, we have witnessed the most egregious trickery of all: the cross-endorsement of each other by Democratic and Republican candidates for
Supreme Court, thus limiting the choices available to voters. Jonathan
Lippman and Joseph Alessandro pulled that stunt in 2005, the two ma-
jor parties essentially telling the voters of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Orange Counties, “Like it or lump it,” all on Judith
Kaye’s watch. Not so incidentally, the State Committee on Judicial Credentials found Judge Alessandro “Not Qualified.”
Those who have had the misfortune of going through divorce and
having to deal with the Matrimonial Part of Westchester Supreme Court,
know very well why the United States Attorney’s Office has been investigating numerous complaints alleging steering and a RICO-type criminal enterprise between certain judges and
particular matrimonial attorneys from certain law firms. Said judges and attorneys
are accused of acting in concert with law
guardians and community-based agencies,
in a conspiracy to bring about the transfer
of huge sums of money for the purpose of
denying custody, and marital assets, most
often to the un-monied spouse in the litigation. Last summer, literally scores of complainants who contacted federal authorities
forced Judge Kaye to bring about a so-called
“historic rotation,” sending all four judges
then sitting in the Matrimonial Part elsewhere, and bringing in other judges.
The tactic was nothing more than a temporary band-aid, and, in fact, one of the
judges about whom there had been numerous complaints, Bruce Tolbert, has been reassigned to his old spot, much to the displeasure of those previously mishandled by him.
Un-monied spouses have been routinely
kicked out of their marital homes, stripped
of their contact with, and association with,
their infant and school-aged children, often
relegated to poverty and homelessness, by the proffering of totally false
charges by the monied spouse, and the issuance of bogus temporary orders of protection by judges eager to further the conspiracy that fuels the
matrimonial ‘cash cow.’ Judith Kaye is damn well aware of the situation
and remains ineffectual with respect to a meaningful remedy.
Then there are the Family Courts, horrible little fiefdoms, particuContinued on page 11
In Our Opinion...
Really, Phil?
Columnist Phil Reisman’s recent piece, Media Still Feast On Pirro Foibles,
is but one of several instances over the years where he would appear to be
trying to separate himself from the superficial, gossipy pack, offering commentary intended to appear detached, insightful, and relevant. Somehow,
whenever his Pirro treatments appear, one can’t help hearing strains of
Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain in the background. After all, has he not been
an integral part of the media hype and pablum so essential to maintaining the celebrity status of a chief law enforcement officer whose spouse just
happens to be the most outrageous white-collar criminal in the county?
And, make no mistake; it has never been Mr. Reisman’s intention to bite the
hands that, quite literally have fed him, neither Jeanine, nor Al, whose business
partner, Gary Sherlock, just happened to be the President and Publisher of The
Journal News. Unfortunately, constrained as he found himself, from really telling
the whole ugly Pirro story, somehow others’ less constrained accounts were distressing to him, causing him to describe such uninhibited reporters as “ranters.”
Mr. Reisman’s essential cynicism has served as an obstacle to his identifying,
and dealing with, the outrageous criminal activities, and serious harm brought
into the lives of innocent families by the “Power Couple,” as the media used
to refer to the Pirros, as they stepped on and trashed morality and decency in
their venal quest of fortune and power. Even now, as the horrific reality of their
abuses bubbles to the surface, and the unmistakable stench of ripe septic surrounds them, Reisman would waste our time with comparisons of the Pirros
with the Clintons, and with references to Jeanine such as “She’s a survivor, a
climber, and, whether you hate her, or love her, one of the few Westchester
politicians with guts to try to break out of the minor leagues of local politics to
make a run for the national scene.” Alas, what an obscene personal servicing.
He actually admires the evil, self-promoting wretch. He’s a columnist, not
a reporter, and exposure of the truth is not his mandate. He can pretend
that she didn’t arrange the kidnapping of Jing Kelly’s baby, didn’t keep Jeffrey Deskovic in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, didn’t withhold 376
pages of exculpatory evidence from Anthony DiSimone, didn’t send police
officer Richard DiGuglielmo to prison with coerced altered testimony for
saving his middle-aged father’s life from a bat-wielding assailant, didn’t cut
a deal with two dozen teens who let Rob Viscome die, because her daughter Kiki was at the party, didn’t send police officer Matthew McKerrick to
prison with perjured testimony, etc. To Phil Reisman these violations of civil
rights are mere “warts.” To him, “Jeanine is interesting. She is one of us.”
Here’s a news flash, Phil: She may be one of yours, but she certainly isn’t
one of ours. She is a criminal, whose violations of the human rights of virtually hundreds of decent, innocent, individuals, through the blatant abuse
of her powers over a dozen years, will soon result in her indictment, and
conviction. And, will ultimately cost you, and every taxpayer of Westchester,
tens of millions of dollars in civil damage awards. Pretty expensive warts!
Our Readers Respond...
More Kudos
Dear Editor:
Your Jan. 25 issue is an excellent issue, from the expose of Cavallo, the informative piece on the hospital shutdowns, to Fred Polvere’s on Iraq.
You got me, I’m gonna be a Guardian regular from now on.
Thanks!
Ed Homan
Crestwood
Distressed with New Castle Town Board
Dear Editor:
Not only is the Town of New Castle not holding Lt. Vize
responsible for his bad acts, they have rewarded him. This past
summer his son was given a job with the New Castle water department.
The son has since resigned to be appointed to the Mount
Vernon Police Department. The New Castle Police Department
does not hire from a Civil Service list. Chief Breen fills vacancies
by taking transferees from other police departments. By doing
so Breen does not have to pay for a new hire to go through the
police academy.
I am sure that as soon as a vacancy occurs in the New Castle
Police Department Vize Jr. will be hired away from Mount Vernon.
I can’t believe the Town Board has not taken action against
Breen, Vize, et al. Please keep the heat on them!!
Great work!
Name withheld
An Authoritative Warning
Dear Editor:
Clearly, there are weather variations, climatic oscillations,
and spikes in temperatures cause by the Earth’s natural geologic
processes but there is no compelling proof to support the theory
of global warming beyond one’s limited observations, imperfect
weather records, and inadequate computer simulations. However
the evidence for pollution, toxic poisoning, and contamination of
our waterways by man is overwhelming and undeniable.
Local, state and national leaders, legislators, and lawyers have
abrogated their responsibility to protect our groundwater, rivers
and oceans in fear of their political career, lobbyist pressure, and
losing contributions from big business. Water conservation is one
thing but contamination is another. It is unconscionable to divert
attention away from the life-threatening pollution of the world’s
waterways by alleging global warming. The time to act is now before we and the planet are destroyed by foul water.
Respectfully,
Edwin P. Heideman
Pleasantville
The writer is a Professor of Physics/Geology.
We invite our readers’ comments.
Letters should be no more than 300 words in length, and may be
edited for length and clarity. Please email your letters to
editor@Westchester Guardian.com. For verification purposes we
ask you include your address and a daytime phone number.
PAGE FBI And Federal Prosecutors
Having A Field Day In Westchester
Election Fraud, Misappropriation Of Funds, And, Everywhere Arrogance
If one had to identify a signature characteristic of Jeanine
Pirro’s public persona it would
certainly be arrogance. Everything she will be remembered
for, mostly evil, and unlawful,
will be tinged with that unmistakable arrogance. It was arrogance that prevented her from
making a joke about herself
when she lost ‘page ten’ and it
was arrogance that allowed her
to publicly vilify United States
Attorney MaryJo White during
her husband Albert’s tax fraud
trial, despite having been left
out of the indictment involving ten years of fraudulent joint
tax returns. In the end it will be
that same arrogance that helped
bring her down.
of the Independence Party, for
control, and under a restraining order, and an order to appear, from State Supreme Court
Justice Donovan, nevertheless
going around and boasting to
everyone that he has been assured that, “the fix is in with the
Appellate Division,” and that
Donovan’s ruling will be overturned. Imagine too, that this
same creature who purports
to represent more than 15,000
registered Independence Party
members is still soliciting to
get pistol permits for $5,000,
through his connections with
Larry Schwartz and Tom Belfiore.
To decent, honest, citizens
the blatant criminal activities
Clearly, throughout her
that Cavallo, Larry Schwartz,
Giulio Cavallo and Zehy Jereis, notorious influence-peddling schemers.
twelve-year reign as WestchesNick Spano, Zehy Jereis, and
ter DA she was the undisputed center, the de facto leader, by virtue of associates, continue to routinely engage in, despite the fact that the
her power to prosecute, of the cabal, the corrupt mob that continues United States Attorney’s Office is diligently pursuing their Presidenin its unlawful enterprise without her. Sleazy creatures all, including tial mandate to clean up the corruption in “the suburbs north of New
the likes of Larry Schwartz, Deputy County Executive, Nick Spano, York City,” might seem unfathomable. But, again, it’s all about arformer State Senator, Giulio Cavallo, embattled Chairman of the rogance, with a generous helping of denial thrown in for good meaWestchester Independence Party, and Zehy Jereis, Convicted Drug sure.
Dealing Felon, and Chairman of the Yonkers Republican Committee,
Simply stated, these players, common criminals all, have gotten
to name but a few; every one as arrogant as Pirro.
away with so much, for so long, it simply doesn’t enter their minds
Imagine, the arrogance of Guilio Cavallo involved in a life-anddeath struggle with Nader Sayegh, and the decent law-abiding faction
Freedom Isn’t Free
Vicki Mayfield
CAP stood for Courtesy, Accuracy and Productivity, standards of customer, and internal,
service that New York Bell Telephone Company
information operators’ work, was graded by. It’s
how the Managers Of Service (MOS), randomly,
once a week, recorded and graded us according
the way we answered the ten calls they monitored. An employee was either moved up a step,
towards job security, or down a step, towards unemployment, until next week’s review.
We had one half hour to eat lunch, go to the
bathroom, smoke, contemplate suicide, catch one
of the three always overcrowd elevators to the fifth
floor, check the list to see where we were seated and
be in our seat with our headset on and ready to plug
in to the system by the time the second hand on the
wall clock reached 12, indicating the start of the next
hour, or 6, indicating the start of the half hour, etc.
I’d be seated, headset on, staring at the clock,
plug in hand, watching the second hand, and then
on the dot, in a roar, me and 75 or more operators clicking into the call system at once could be
heard throughout the room. The floor supervisors
would start prowling, and the CAP service was
in play. Slowly, you’d see the MOS come over and
call a shaking operator away from her station, and
a tearful, shaking person would return. Once in
a while, you’d hear yelling and see the MOS run
out of the office as security rushed in, or woman
passed out. But, what the hell, the pay was good.
CAP
Ma Bell, as the telephone company was called
back then, was according to my big sister, the best
job anyone could get. She started working for
them at 17 in a school program and retired thirty
years later. It was she who got my middle sister
and I jobs with the corporation. She was right
about one thing, you could go to any department
store, car dealership, or credit card company
to get credit. The operators I worked with had
houses, boats, summer homes, and dressed their
butts off. They were considered the pride of their
families, as I was to my sister.
My grandmother was the first entity to use
CAP to measure, grade and direct my teenage
cousins and me. We had to show that we had
manners, we had to clean the house precisely, and
there was always something for her grandchildren
to do in the house. She added an element, which
was, “don’t be nobody’s fool.” One day while most
of us were in the kitchen cooking, cleaning or pretending to be doing something, my grandmother
asked a general question, “If someone gives you
a dollar bill, do you think they’re just giving it to
you?” No one responded and she continued, smiling in the knowledge that we understood this
question was rhetorical. She continued, answering her own question. “Y’all probably do, but you
better turn that dollar over and see what’s on the
other side, cause whoever is giving it to you is giving it for more than one reason. It ain’t free”.
Now I’d been employed about six months at
the phone company and I got
money. “Long live Ma Bell”,
was my cry. Then during one
Mason Getto
of our fifteen-minute afternoon breaks, the best dressed,
and gold and diamond display operators, fall through
Business Cards, Letterhead
the door of the employee
Logo Design, Trade Shows, Posters
lounge, in tears. Someone
Pens, Shirts, Jackets, Hats
caught her before she hit the
Post-it-Notes, Presentation Folders
ground and helped her to the
Brochures
couch. Once she recovered
she told us that she caught a
Call (201) 805-5550
CAMPUS
A
s
te
a
i
c
o
ss
You Name It, We Print It!
CAP violation, her fifth (Last step before unemployment) She said the MOS, set her up because
the MOS had just okay, a credit checked for her
and her husband to buy a boat, and was now jealous of her. She said the MOS said something to
the effect of, “how you gonna buy a boat with no
job?”
My grandmother’s warning in full view, the
dollars we got from Ma was the weakness that they
used to control us. Finally, after we operators could
stand no more from management we called in the
union. We wrote and signed, wearing the poor shop
steward out. Then we heard through the grapevine
that the union representatives had finally come to
meet with us about our problems. All morning we
eagerly awaited their call to meet us. By afternoon
when I had given up hope, I saw a woman and two
men in suits walking out of the management office. An operator whispered to me that they were
the union people. I watch them shake hands with
management and leave and that was that. After that
management “tore us a new one.”
To add insult to injury, the MOS’s who called
the union rebels to account for their failure to
CAP would say stuff to us like, “How you gonna
pay your rent, if you don’t have this job”. Or, “See
how good Ma is to you and you call the union, but
they can’t help you.” That when the above-mentioned fainting and stuff started happening to the
operators. Though we paid hefty union dues we
were not protected. I left the telephone company,
and I vowed that whenever possible I’d not join
labor unions, but sadly I did join a labor party
union, and now I can say, most labor or labor
party unions do nothing for their members. It’s a
pyramid that only benefits the top.
At the Mount Vernon Board of Trustees meeting I attended, there was an issue on the table
about, the director of the library. Some supervisors were writing up employees and putting their
reports in the employees’ file without speaking
to them about why or what they had been written up for. The union representative spoke to the
PAGE 7
Sri Lanka:
Pearl of the Indian Ocean
I’d like to introduce you to a country that you
could say is a kind of cross between India and Thailand. Although it has been wracked by internecine
warfare on and off for over a quarter century, which
was always localized in the northern quarter of the
country and never targeted tourists (unlike, say,
in Egypt), it is a perennial favorite of Europeans,
who never let the domestic troubles dissuade them
from visiting, but has never been very well known
amongst my fellow Americans.
It is an island country of about twenty million in
the Indian Ocean off of southeast India. Inhabited
originally by the Vedda, the island was later invaded
by the Singhalese (6th century B.C.) and the Tamil
(11th and 12th centuries A.D.). Arab, Portuguese,
Dutch, and British traders from the 12th century
controlled the lucrative spice trade on the island successively. It became a British colony
in 1798 and achieved independence
in 1948. In 1972 the island was declared a republic, and it adopted the
Singhalese name of Sri Lanka. Colombo was the capital and still is the
commercial capital and the largest
city. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is
the nation’s capital today.
Arguably, it is much like what
India was for a fraction of its long
history during the Mauryan Dynasty of Indian King Ashoka (or Asoka)
in the 3rd century B.C. It was the
brief golden age of Buddhism there,
but left its impact, as the Ashoka
Chakra is on every Indian monetary note. Remnants of his reign and
legacy can be
witnessed in
the
mindboggling remains at Sanchi, Ajanta
and Ellora in
India.
Missionaries
were
sent far and wide to spread Buddha’s message. It was
King Ashoka’s son who brought Buddhism to Sri
Lanka (formerly Ceylon), and it is where he died. A
stupa or mound-like reliquary holds his remains
there. Sri Lanka has the longest history of Buddhism
of any country, and today, 69% of Sri Lankans adhere
to its precepts.
The older and more austere, orthodox branch of
Buddhism, known as Theravada, or Hinayana (Lesser
Vehicle) thrives there. It is in stark contrast to the
Marvel Comics version of Buddhism in the Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) branch practiced most everywhere outside of Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar
(Burma). Mahayana surpassed Hinayana a long time
ago in mass appeal as it accommodates folk beliefs
and superstitions. It, too, believes its savior is on a
return trip to take everyone up to the mother ship.
Hinayana, by contrast,
basically says sit down,
shut up and meditate.
Its cultural festivals
are just as splendid as
anywhere else. When
I arrived with some
friends, none of us had
a guidebook, as we saw
Sri Lanka as a sort of
side trip from India. We
took a train across the
causeway called Adam’s
Bridge linking India and
Sri Lanka. For miles all
we could see outside our
window was the Indian
Ocean, and unlike the Florida Key’s causeway, we were
much lower to the water.
While in the city of Kandy, we ventured out one evening, turned a corner, and
ran straight into the spectacular Esala Perahera, a procession of ancient origin related to the commemoration
of the Temple of the Tooth
(one of Buddha’s relics). The
Temple of the Tooth alone is
both stunning and moving if
you’re not there at the right
time to witness the Perahera
(“procession”). A magnificent procession of decorated
elephants, torch-lit by marchers and dancers. Sometimes it is better not knowing what’s ahead.
We also visited the very impressive ancient cities
of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, both UNESCO
heritage sites of Buddhist cultural history that should
be on everyone’s “must see” list.
The fun for us was when we finally got to one of their
wonderful beaches. In our case it was on the east coast,
near Batticaloa. Grilled fish on the beach with rice and
vegetables, a giant tent for eating, dancing, and drinking
the local coconut-based hooch called arrak…
Sadly, that was in Black July. Yeah, we were there on
July 23rd, 1983 when all hell broke loose in the northern
part of the island between the Sinhalese and Tamils. We
were able to leave on one of the few planes leaving Sri
Lanka with the help of the YMCA in Colombo.
Things truly have improved and rebounded there,
even with the heartbreak of the tsunami of two years
ago. Yet, there is so much natural beauty, things to
In the history of the world there have been
thousands of kings and emperors who called
themselves ‘their highnesses,’ ‘their majesties,’
and ‘their exalted majesties’ and so on. They
shone for a brief moment, and as quickly
disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines
brightly like a bright star, even unto this day.
-H.G. Wells
do and see (yes, you can find excellent golf courses
there), that I sincerely hope you will consider a visit.
Prices are very reasonable, and there is great shopping (their gems are world famous).
Living Latino in Westchester
Eridania Camacho
Emails Encouraging Fear of Foreigners Day after day junk email makes its way around
the internet, clogging up people’s mailboxes. I received one such email today titled, “Social Security
– READ.” But this email was more than just junk
mail, it carried a message, with a common underlying
theme: “Fear foreigners.” This is what it stated: “Social Security. The Senate voted this week to allow illegal aliens to access Social Security benefits. Attached is an opportunity to sign a petition that requires
citizenship for eligibility to that social service. “
Of course, the Senate didn’t vote this week. It
happened back in May. I guess the email had been
circulating since May. The email continued: When there are 500 names, send to: President@
WhiteHouse.gov. Might as well go right to the top: Mr. Bush this is a PROTEST AGAINST the recent
Senate vote. We demand that you and all Congressional representatives require citizenship for anyone to
be eligible for social services in the United States. Then there was a list of 473 names, just 27 names
short, so close to 500, enticing me to sign up and send it
on, before it was too late, before those illegals get the best
of us. The names were followed by the towns and states
where the signers lived. It appeared the petition started
in California, went to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Washing-
ton, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, etc…showing
such American unity…ending up in New York when I
received it. I could have been number 474! The final instructions warned: If you don’t forward the petition and
just stop it, we will lose all these names. Interesting. But does anyone really think this
email petition is any different than those chain emails
that tell you if you resend it to ten friends in the next
five minutes you will get good luck, followed by examples of so and so suddenly receiving $1,000 dollars
after sending it, or so and so getting a new job offer
that day. All good luck dealing with money, which
this email deals with too, except money being taken
away. Of course, if you don’t send the email, you will
get bad luck. Like those sneaky illegal aliens stealing
all our hard-earned money. If by chance this email does make its way to
President Bush, would he really take it seriously? The
names can’t be verified. No signatures. I’ve dealt with petitions before. Gone door to
door to get signatures on issues affecting our community, to get candidates elected. Hit the pavement
to reach real people, with real signatures. And isn’t this just another way to add more paint to
the picture being created of undocumented workers? And
often isn’t that a picture of a person of Hispanic origin? Illegal aliens don’t come to this county to steal our
Social Security benefits. They come here to work. They
get fake Social Security numbers to work. They’re not
thinking about retirement. They are not sitting down
with their financial advisors and discussing their investment portfolios. They are thinking about the here
and now, about food, about shelter, the basics, about
surviving. And, with fake Social Security numbers,
they will never collect social security benefits anyway.
Yet deductions will be taken out of their paychecks.
They pay in. They never receive. It’s the employers who
hire them who benefit the most by paying low wages. I looked into some other emails circulating. One
about a Latino woman revealing how she planned on
coming to the US to get a job because she heard that
the United States is going to require that all public
workplaces hire bi-lingual personnel and fire all others. The secret is out! Again, the email was followed
by a petition requiring citizenship to be eligible for
social services in the United States. Again, bombarded with the image of illegal aliens stealing from us,
taking our jobs. Threatening us. Rather than blame the business owners who hire
and exploit the workers, we direct our anger and fear
at the undocumented workers. And why would the government go after the business owners? It was estimated that three-quarters of
the undocumented workers pay social security taxes.
According to the National Immigration forum, “Taxes
paid by undocumented immigrants go into the SSA’s
‘suspense file,’ when the Social Security number does
not match SSA’s records. In 2002, the suspense file
grew by $56 billion in reported earnings, with about
$7 billion in Social Security tax and $1.5 billion in
Medicare tax paid. This tax contribution represents
about 10% of the current Social Security surplus, the
difference between what is being collected in Social
Security taxes and what is being paid out in benefits.”
Note: the Immigration Reform Bill passed by the
Senate in May did include a provision allowing undocumented immigrants to collect Social Security
benefits accrued if they paid taxes while working in
the United States. For or against it, much of this debate, these emails, are fueled by fear of foreigners: Be
careful they are not of us. Can’t be trusted. Ironically, the next email I received was about
Barack Hussein Obama, he and his campaign spin
doctors had taken great care to conceal the fact that
he was educated in a radical Muslim school. That the
school is a Wahabbi School – Wahabbism is a radical
teaching that created Muslim terrorists. It must be election time. The email started, “A little information to ponder over the next year or so…” Wasn’t the message in this email very similar? Don’t
trust Barack. He is different than us. He will harm us. The next day CNN reported that these allegations
were false. That the school where Barack attended
was a public school that didn’t focus on religion. It
was not an Islamic School. And that the information
was most likely a political attack on Barack. More emails will follow, I’m sure. Different stories, different petitions but all saying the same thing,
and all ending up in my recycle bin after I hit the
delete button. n
PAGE 9
Design Inspirations
Veronica Imperatrice
See What You’ve Been Missing
Why do we love certain things, and
pretty much hate others? Is it that what
we have been exposed
to sets us up for such
strong reactions to certain styles. Are we locked
into our feelings, or are
we flexible enough to discover just what we have
been missing?
It couldn’t be any
clearer: the introduction of glass furnishings
in your home, is a sensational alternative to having a roomful
of case goods. A whole new world of
decorating options becomes available to
you. Space is created where
little is found, and an open
airy feeling will take over
as you add more and more
glass.
One of the aspects that
glass will afford you, is that
you can take this simple
clean and crisp look to any
level. If you want to create
a casual feeling, you will
have great fun putting together this look. A touch
of chrome, beneath the
glass, could be just what
you have in mind.
Your dining area will be outstanding featuring a glass table with stone
pedestals. If you have the room, do an
eighty inch rectangular table surrounded by six fully upholstered chairs. The
contrast of glass stone and fabric will
amaze you. The one thing that you must
remember, is that glass tables cannot
get any smaller nor larger.
The living room is another ideal area
to place glass occasional items. Picture
how sensational it would be, to have an
area rug placed beneath your glass cocktail table. The glass surface allows you to
see the pattern, texture, and colors in a way
that wood could never do. In addition to
the cocktail table, you might extend the
look to your end
tables, and or sofa
table. You are repeating the mix of
glass, wood and
fabric throughout
the room, creating a very exciting
look.
Are you getting a bit played
out when setting
your dining room table for a special
evening? Well, get ready for how you can
set the most stylish sophisticated table
easily. Forget
the
tablecloth, and introduce the table itself as the backdrop
to your china, and
crystal. Nothing is
more inviting than
the clear crisp look
of glass. Add cloth
placemats,
with
matching napkins
for the finishing
touch. Fresh flowers
as a centerpiece, in a
candle glow atmosphere, and you are ready for anything.
Lets not forget about the other areas where glass can be featured. The
entrance way of your home, would be
an ideal area to place a console and
mirror. Glass top, metal base. Dress it
up with a matching pair of candlesticks
lamps, and you have brought elegance
into the sometimes neglected spot in
your home.
The master bedroom should not
be excluded when thinking glass. Your
nightstands take on a whole new meaning, if they feature all glass, or glass
with wood. If you have contemporary
furniture, this will be an easy mix. Se-
lect lamps that will coordinate with
the hardware that already exists in the
furniture. Chrome with chrome, brass
with brass, gold with gold. The process
becomes easier, the more you are willing to expose yourself to something
new and fresh.
If you have had any desire to feature a china or curio cabinet into your
home, consider what it is that appeals
to you. Are you a collector of fine porcelain items that you would like to
showcase? Then be sure the cabinet
you select, will have a mirrored interior, with lighting, and easy access for arranging and rearranging. Most curios
will measure about twenty inches deep,
various widths, with single and double
doors. You will discover that there are
many styles, and finishes that will compliment the other items in your home.
Are you beginning to think of
how and where you will be introducing glass into your home? Terrific!
But lets not close without the mention
of mirrors. Here is where glass takes
on a whole new meaning. Where you
hang a mirror is critical. As the saying
goes, “what you see is what you get.”
Are you getting what you want to see?
Reflection and direction are what you
should be considering before you hang
another mirror.
Discover how this wonderful element, glass, will so easily become a part
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PAGE 10
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“I started waiting tables in Italy, at the age of
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job at a restaurant near the Maraterra Cooking School,
where he was a student, and I worked there for three
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the Salerno province of Campagna, in Italy. We grew all
of our own food. Both of my parents cooked; my father
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the Bronx. We later opened a Pizza place in Mohegan
Lake, which we sold to buy Isabella and we also own
Pizza & Pasta, in Thornwood.”
“I love America! My first impressions of the country were that ‘everything is so BIG!-the cars, the streets;
the houses might look small from the street, but inside,
they are so big!’ I think New York is the greatest city
in the world. I love New York like I love Italy, but you
can’t beat New York! I didn’t speak any English, when I
came here, but I learned, little, by little. I was nostalgic
for home, for the first 3-4 months, but it was beautiful
to go to the city and see different things. You can find
everything here and if you work really hard here, you
can make money. I still go to 187th St, in the Bronx, to
buy my bread, pastry and Italian sausage. I watch the
games and have a coffee, before going to work.”
“I think if you are going to open a restaurant, you
should know how to do everything: if the chef doesn’t come
to work, you can’t close! This has pushed me to learn more.
I learned a lot from the chefs that I worked for. I also watch
cooking shows on TV and read cook books.”
“I created a lot of the entrees on our menu:
Gemelli Giardino-Pasta twists with sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli rabe and shitake mushrooms in a garlic
and oil sauce; Baccala Napolitano: Cod Fish sautéed in
tomato and potatoes; Orecchiette Roscigno-small shell
pasta with spinach, sun dried tomatoes, shrimp in garlic oil or a cream sauce.” (Roscigno is the dialect spoken
in the Salvatico’s home town). Rocco’s favorite, though,
is Pasta a la Rocco: bow tie pasta with shrimp, chicken,
sun dried and fresh tomatoes, and shitake mushrooms
in a light cream sauce with a dash of vodka. He has also
created a variety of pizzas, including Pizza Roscigno:
Pizza topped with eggplant, roasted peppers, sliced
plum tomatoes and garlic.
Chef ’s Tips:
Greatest Influence: My father was a great
cook, he always cooked for us, and my mother
is a great cook, too. She makes everything from
scratch. I can’t wait to visit her in August!
Cooking Tips:
Set out all of your ingredients and prepare
them in advance.
The Chef says....
“I eat here –it’s my place, my home, and if
I don’t like something, I won’t give it to anyone
else.”
Rocco & Tino Salvatico
“The challenge of running a restaurant is to serve
good food and keep every one happy. We offer quality Italian food from the North and the South. We also
have a brick oven for pizza. You have to love where you
work; you spend a lot of time there!
Favorite Recipe
Filette de Pomodoro
(Sauce for Two):
2-4 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Olive Oil
10-12 Plum Tomatoes
2 Tbsp. fresh, thinly sliced Basil
4 Strips Cooked Bacon
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Cook Pasta for two a la dente.
Oil.
Thinly slice the Garlic and Saute in Olive
Dice the Plum Tomatos, add most of basil
and pepper, cover and cook for 15-20 min. on
top of stove in non-reactive pan.
Serve over pasta of your choice. Top with
crumbled bacon and sprinkle with reserved basil. Add salt to taste.
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Judge Judith Kaye, continued from page 3
larly in New York City where judges routinely violate both the spirit and
the intent of New York State’s Family Law, as well as the Constitutional
rights of children and parents alike. Westchester residents who have
been following the agonizing and outrageous actions of one such judge,
Sara P. Schechter, in New York County Family Court, who has been
succeeding in keeping Jing Kelly and her infant son, Tristram apart for
more than four years now, know only too well what ‘hell-holes’ those
courts can be. In the case of Jing, and Tristram Kelly, it is important to
note that Judge Kaye has been made aware of Judge Schechter’s continued vicious, and unlawful activities in repeated defiance of the orders
and mandamus of the Appellate Division, First Department, but has
failed to intervene. It’s about collegiality to the point where “The best
interest of the child,” much less the parent’s and child’s civil rights, be
damned; “Let’s spare the judge’s feelings at any cost.”
Finally, there’s Judge Kaye’s own tribunal, the state’s highest, The Court
of Appeals. Once the epitome of intellectual, and judicial wisdom and
integrity, it has become feeble, self-conscious, and political, void of the
courage, and spirit which once made it the forum of choice for dispute
resolution between corporations from all over the world. It will forever
be a matter of disgrace that the state’s highest court, given repeated opportunities to set the ambiguity inherent in the Deprived Indifference
Murder Statute, straight, failed to do so. First put on the books forty years
ago, and repeatedly abused by prosecutors with increasing frequency, to
send innocent individuals, acquitted of intentional murder, to prison for
a crime they clearly did not commit, the issues involved with the statute remain essentially unresolved, despite a request by the United States
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, for certification.
Presently, State Supreme Court Judges earn approximately $135,000,
as do County Court Judges. And, while it is true that their salaries
have not been adjusted in many years, and clearly the majority of
honest, hardworking jurists certainly deserve a substantial raise,
there is no reason to believe that any fewer scoundrels and unqualified
jurists will result in the future from increases in compensation. Before
she comes looking for more money, this “Judge Judy” needs to repair
the product, ensuring that New Yorkers may once again have a reasonable, and realistic, expectation of justice, and fairness from the bench of
whichever court they rely upon. n
PAGE 11
PAGE 12
Cortlandt, continued from page 2
3. Finish and enact laws on limiting “McMansion”-style housing through restrictions on housing size relative to the size of lots. These ordinances are nearly complete and ready for enactment.
4. Give more authority to the Architecture
Review Council. The proposal would make it
into a board capable of mandating design standards, not just making recommendations.
Puglisi stated, “preservation of open space
was a longtime goal of mine.” She noted that
3,000 acres had been taken off the market under her administration. and new development
pressures – since another moratorium was
lifted in 2005 – require a fresh approach from
Town Hall.”
She went on to say, “We’ve had tremendous
success, but more needs to be done. I want to
protect the citizens who live here, with balanced
economic growth. There has to be equilibrium.”
Local conservation leader Karen Bernard
vice president of Cortlandt Watch, a homeowners
and environmental group stated, “Most of these
are good things. It’s a good framework, though it
needs some fine-tuning.”
Jack Pettersen, a former town department
head who has been involved in local politics,
stated, “A flat tax may not be such a great idea.” He went on, “You have to allow businesses in
town to thrive. It’s going to become so onerous
to do anything in this town, anyone who wants to
build something will go elsewhere.”
This past December, Town of Cortlandt received the prestigious 2006 New York State
Environmental Excellence Award from the
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation. This award is for excellence in
preserving land for open space purposes and for
environmental works. n
Northern Westchester Roundup
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Bedford: The Historic Building Preservation
Commission currently approves demolition permits for older buildings, but under the latest proposal, homeowners of historic properties would
also need the commission’s approval to make
significant alterations and additions. William
O’Neill, the commission’s chairman said, “one
weakness in the current law is that someone could
renovate or alter a building to the point where it’s
historical significance was lost.” He went on to
state, “The law that was originally passed a few
years ago, stopped only demolitions.” It (the proposed changes) absolutely would strengthen the
law, and it would apply in a number of additional
cases where it doesn’t now.
The present code classifies a building historic
if it was built before 1900. However, the new law
would encompass structures built before 1917. The
next step in the process would be for the commission to come up with an inventory of those buildings that would come under new ordinance.
Montrose: John Hall met with leaders of several
veterans’ organizations from Westchester, Putnam
and Rockland Counties. They expressed that many
in their ranks have been facing long delays in the
processing of disability claims because of long administrative backlogs at the Deparment of Veterans
Affairs. They called upon Hall to help speed up local outreach, particularly for those returning from
Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress
disorder and other medical conditions.
Hall was recently named to the House Veterans Affairs Committee. The meeting, held at the
Montrose campus, was initiated by Hall in order
to gather first-hand what veterans felt should be
the government’s top priorities. Congressman
Hall is expected to be appointed Chairman of
the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. As Chairman, Hall would oversee programs involving
veteran’s disability compensation, pensions, life
insurance, burial benefits and claims. Additionally, his subcommittee would explore ways and
means to break up the logjam at the Department
of Veterans Affairs, thus making it easier for veterans to file for and receive their benefits. Mount Kisco: The Mount Kisco Public Library will close February 27 as it moves to a new
location on Maple Avenue. The village will tear
down the structure and build a new two-story
library on the same spot. The iterim library will
open March 15th at the former Mount Kisco
Community Center at 55 Maple Avenue. During the two week period when the village will
be without a library, patrons are urged to attend
nearby Bedford Hills, Katonah and/or Chappaqua Public Libraries. The new library which
was approved in 2005 is slated to cost $8 million
and is expected to open in 2009.
– Reported by Renee Smith
PAGE 13
Cross-Endorsement: Cornerstone Of Corruption
By Richard Blassberg
Last week Assemblywoman Sandy
Galef co-sponsored, and spoke out on
behalf of a bill intended to bring runaway election campaign financing under control. Not only would the legislation set reasonable limits for private,
and corporate fundraising, but it would
also integrate a system of public financing, keyed to a candidate’s gathering
of small donations from actual constituents. Reportedly, New York State
currently has the highest campaign
contribution limits in the country. To
the extent that the proposed legislation
may help to get a handle on the problem of corporate and special interests
who routinely overpower the fundraising contributions and efforts of actual
local constituents, such measures must
be explored and supported. And, to
the extent that it cultivates a broader
dialogue with respect to the state’s disgraceful election process, all the better!
While campaign financing is surely
a very important element that must be
reconciled in any serious attempt to re-
of 1992, remains the modturn the process by which
ern-day high-achiever napublic office is acquired in
tionally. The Independence
New York to the People, it is
not the only, and certainly not the most, Party of New York State actually ran their
corruptive element. The cornerstone of own candidate, Tom Golisano, for govercorruption in New York State politics nor in 1994, 1998, and 2002. In his last
is the practice of CROSS-ENDORSE- attempt her managed to pull down 14%.
Unfortunately, the
MENT. We, here in
legacy for Westchester
Westchester, are only
of the formation of the
too well aware of the
Independence Party has
fact that our state is one
been the establishment
of only five states in the
of a corrupt and cynical
Union that permits that
machine under the condestructive practice.
trol of Guilio Cavallo, a
The United States
scheming and larcenous
political system has,
creature, who together
for the most part, been
with similarly motivated
predicated on a two-parpower brokers, Larry
ty equation. And, while
Schwartz, Deputy Counit is true that third-party
ty Executive, Zehy Jereis,
movements have enjoyed
Chairman of the Yonkers
some limited success,
Sandy Galef
Republican Committee,
from time to time, such
independent parties have run their own David Hebert, former campaign director
candidates. Ross Perot, who garnered and mouthpiece for Jeanine Pirro, and for19% as an alternative to the Democratic mer State Senator Nick Spano, have virtuand Republican presidential candidates ally controlled the nominations for, and
Analysis
outcomes in, all major county and judicial
elections for years by use of the “cross-endorsement device.”
Literally scores of candidates, many
of them current office holders, and sitting judges in municipal, County, and
State Supreme Court, as well as the Appellate Division, Second Department,
willingly paid as much as $15,000, and
more, to Cavallo, and the so-called Independence Party Club, to obtain the
Independence Party’s endorsement. It is
shameful that this situation will not be
rectified by legislation in Albany. Eliot
Spitzer, neither as State Attorney General, nor as the new “Everything Changes
On Day One” governor, ever once even
suggested that this most fraudulent, corruptive device needs to be eliminated.
Instead, the task has fallen to the capable hands of the United States Attorney
for the Southern District of New York,
Michael Garcia, to investigate and prosecute Cavallo and Company, and to put
an end, at least in Westchester, to the
wholesale election fraud and thievery
engendered by cross-endorsement. ■
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PAGE 14
Horoscope
© Shelley Ackerman 2007. The author is a New York-based
astrologer, journalist and broadcaster.
Visit her online at www.karmicrelief.com
Shelley L. Ackerman
Feb. 8 - 14
Photo/Kate Lacey
Your Valentine’s Day Love-Scope
if it is Valentine’s Day. Geminis like tricks, so
Aries: Though the day may have a se- here’s one: pretend that today is Labor Day inrious tone or start off slowly with no prospects stead, and focus your attention
on career building. Venus at
in sight, it won’t be a
the top of your chart (supportwash at all. Your most
ed by Mars) guarantees many
romantic
evening
eyes looking in your direction.
would actually best
take place in a communal setting. No
one is recommending
anything freaky, mind
Aquarian
you, but a group activElaine Stritch ity somehow enhancBroadway’s
Valentine
es the possibilities as
Feb. 2
a couple. A boss or
higher up may play cupid- and it works!
Taurus: With the ruler of your 5th house
of romance turning retrograde - a call to someone
you loved and lost or visit to a place that sparked
romance in the past is in order. And while you’d
rather be pursued than do the
pursuing, any efforts on your
part to attain that obscure object of desire will not go unrewarded. Ask and ye shall receive: Venus and Mars support
you every step of the way.
Gemini: Twins remain
youthful into their 90’s, but if it’s
real love you want, you’ve got to grow up some.
The road to romance is always bumpy, and with
your ruler Mercury turning retrograde (through
March 7), it’s naive to expect a smooth ride, even
Robert Klein
Feb. 8
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Cancer: Moon children perversely thrive on draTed Koppel
ma, especially in the romance
Feb. 8
department. And Mars, coguardian of your 5th house of pleasure, is now
in your 7th house of partnership and he can be
very demanding. But hey, you love being wanted
and adored, don’t you? Mercury
retrograde provides ample opportunity for misunderstandings and last minute overseas
travel glitches, so to ensure satisfaction (yours) be clear about
what you want and have faith
that your story is unfolding as
Ziyi Zhang
Feb. 9
it should.
Continued on the next page
You Gotta Have Heart:
Celebrating Saint Valentine’s Day
on a Mercury Retrograde!
By Shelley L. Ackerman
In France and England during the Middle
Ages, it was observed that birds began to mate in
the middle of the second month of the year. Long
before that however, the first Saint Valentine’s Day
was decreed by Pope Gelasius I in the year 496 to
celebrate the lives of at least 3 martyred Saints of
Ancient Rome. One was a bishop who
aided martyrs in prison and another is
rumored to have defied the Emperor
Claudius and married couples against
his wishes.
Either way, it’s a holiday we all love,
and despite the expectations which all to
often go unfulfilled, it’s pleasant to see
the pink and red hearts color the dreary
winter landscape.
This year though, there’s hope: Venus
and Mars are in favorable aspect to each
other and that’s good news for just about
every sign. But Mercury turns retrograde
late on Feb 13th for 22 days.
Place flower and gift orders early,
expect last minute glitches and turn-
arounds, and for heavens’ sakes don’t fret if there
isn’t a proposal. Often promises made on Mercury
retrograde are broken.
First-time sex should wait till after the retrograde too, that is- if you want the relationship to
last!
PAGE 15
Shimmering Stars, continued from the previous page
Leo: What Luck. At the
most romantic time of the year
- the Sun and Neptune are in
your 7th house of relationship
together. Either your date/partner finds religion, gets drunk,
or makes like The Invisible Man
Mena Suvari
Feb. 9
(or Woman) and disappears altogether. Leo rules romance, so don’t get caught
short. Have a back-up plan. Jupiter in your 5th
house of fun guarantees a good time no matter
what, even if it’s in a karaoke bar.
Venus in Pisces is keeping the home fires burning
in your 4th- so a little time off for some candlelight
(or in a restaurant with a fireplace) warms and fuels you for the next round of negotiations. Mercury retro encourages to make no promises, and
to instead, ask for his/her wish list for the next few
months. Just keep the dialogue going and assure
that your love is a work in progress.
Capricorn: Who needs Viagra? Mars in
your first energizes you without enhancers of any
kind, thank you very much. But you can’t be in
more than one place at a time. And for the Cap
ladies among us, acting as if it’s Sadie Hawkins
Virgo: How can you relax into an eveDay won’t work. Observing traditional roles and
ning of passion when there’s so much confusion
behavior always serves you well. Mercury retroat work?
grade in your 3rd house of communication/transWell today, you have permission to let the fog portation reminds to not get upset by lateness or
dissipate at its own pace while Mars and Venus flowers that might not arrive on time.
dance it up in your 5th house of romance and 7th
Aquarius: Friendship and love go tohouse of coupling. Mercury retrograde is another
gether,
but
it can be confusing. Neptune on your
story. Consider it a blessing if there are no proposals or resolutions, none of which will pan out. Sun has made boundaries and clarity an issue for
Agree to revisit the situation after March 7th, at sometime. So if a partner or love interest is annoyed at perceived ambiguity on your part, try to
which time most heads will be clearer.
understand where they’re coming from. Mercury
Libra: As official contrarian of the zodi- is retrograde in your second house of finance and
ac, Feb 14 is just another day, “for the amateurs”, values- so in addition to
as the saying goes. But you don’t have to sit home rechecking statements
and read a book, unless of course you WANT to. and receipts- you make
But a surprise may be in store: a friend/co worker headway by reviewing
could suddenly look very good the rules of your roto you. If you act on it, know mantic game as well.
that you’ll be able to cope with
Pisces: Venus
the awkwardness that is sure to
st
attracts inin
your
1
follow.
terest suitors like mad,
ASE Master
Scorpio: “All’s fair in but with Mercury
Roberta Flack
love and war” was wishful think- retro in your sign you
Feb. 10
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that the ‘gig is up.’ After all, consider Nick
Spano, former State Senator from the 35th District, who for years surrounded himself with
the likes, not only of Zehy Jereis, convicted
drug dealer, and accused election fraudster,
but also Anthony Mangone, admitted forger
of 166 ballots in the Green Party and Independence Party primaries of 2000. Anthony
was Nick’s campaign manager, as well as his
legal advisor. As legal advisor he was paid
$125,000 of taxpayers’ money.
allow that to happen, you ask? Go ask Larry
Schwartz, who orchestrated the whole thing,
much as he had a hand in fixing every other
major election in Westchester for the better
part of two decades.
Of course, after his admission of massive ballot forgery, under cross-examination
at the Dennis Wedra trial in 2002, Mangone
dropped back to part-time employment for
Senator Nick, at $50,000. But, not to worry,
then-DA Jeanine Pirro, got him a full-time
position in her husband Albert’s former law
firm. And, of course, Mangone continued to
work on Nick’s following election bids, most
helpful in the theft of the 2004 election from
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a stunt they were
thwarted from repeating last year because of
the presence of federal monitors.
Difficult as it may be to fathom the shear
gall with which these political imposters,
these influence peddlers, operate in our faces
the way they do, once again, it must be remembered that they have been getting away
with it for so long, protected from prosecution by a corrupt District Attorney’s Office,
and from exposure by a very cooperative,
bought-off, media and press. Nearly seven
years ago, News12, Cablevision, through their
Lightpath division, received a $23.5 million,
five year, no-bid, contract from the County of
Westchester, Office of the County Executive.
That kind of money buys a lot of news management. Larry Schwartz knows that, and
so does Janine Rose, News12 news director.
Add to that the fact that The Journal News
president and publisher, until a little while
ago, was Gary Sherlock, business partner of
Albert Pirro, and the cabal has had little to
fear from the press.
Speaking about the contest for the 35th
State Senatorial District in 2004, the theft and theft is the right word - could never have
been pulled off, over those three months
of manipulation and fraud, had it not begun with the bogus ruling of Judge Robert
Spolzino, of the Appellate Division, Second Department, who less than two years
earlier had been Senator Spano’s personal
attorney. Conflict of interest you say? How
did the Democratic Election Commissioner,
who just happened to also be the Chairman
of the Westchester Democratic Committee,
Perhaps, not so incidentally, Cavallo’s
boast that “the fix is in” at the Appellate Division might just have something to do with
Judge Spolzino, and/or Judge Joseph Covello, and a number of other Pataki-appointed
“Whores Who Became Madams.”
No, it wasn’t really about a failed costume
jewelry business, nor even attempts to tape
her husband on his boat with another woman, that attracted the United States Attorney’s
Office to Jeanine Pirro. It was about election
fraud, abuse of public office, misappropriation of public funds, tax evasion, and crimes
of that weight, the same offenses that will
soon bring down every other arrogant member of the cabal.
As the expression goes, what we send in
to the lives of others eventually comes back
into our own. ■
PAGE 17
Sri Lanka, continued from page 7
And by the way, Sri Lanka has the highest literacy
rate in South Asia at 96%, and fully 10% of the population speaks English, so getting around isn’t difficult
at all and their hospitality is superb. WT
Web Resources:
1. Sri Lanka Tourism (www.srilankatourism.org):
Their excellent government site
2. Exodus Travel (www.exodus.co.uk):
I wrote about Exodus in my most recent columns,
CAP, continued from page 6
director who, had at first, told the rep to take it
into grievance. The shop steward did that, and
the board told the rep that he and the director
must work it out. They, the director and the shop
steward, met and both agreed that it would stop
and that the other write-ups were invalid.
While the union rep and the employees were
removing old write-ups they noticed that another complaint that was dated right after the signed
agreement, was in the file. The director wrote up
the employee and slipped it into the file again.
Being cornered the director jumped up and said
he was going to call the police on the union representative for raising his voice and pointing his
finger at him. You could have knocked me over
with a feather. But, what got me is that the union
representative just took it.
How many times has the Director threatened
staff with calling the police on them? It was so
easy for him to say, to the union rep in front of the
board, being all mighty and powerful over the poor
union members working under him at the library.
Hell, he’d call the cops on the board and anyone else
he felt like calling the cops on. I wanted that union
rep to jump up and remind everyone of the union’s
power. I wish I could have heard the rep say in a
calm assertive voice, “Strike”.
I asked the board, “Why don’t they have the
employee initial the paper, give them a copy of the
initial paper and put another initialed copy in the
file”. My reasoning was that the director’s promise
to give the employee the paper was not enough to
make sure it would actually happen. And, I saw the
weakness of this union, just like the union from
my telephone company days, but my solution
was ignored, I just wanted to protect the already
abused employees from what I had witnessed.
At this meeting the board said that the director’s
word to give the employees the written warning
and the like, was good enough for them.
After the meeting, the employees who attended, told me the director was really going to get them
as it is an award-winning eco-tourism site. I encourage you to check out their very well organized options
for travel in Sri Lanka.
3. Go Nomad (www.gonomad.com): “WHY GO?
Lush jungles, abundant wildlife, cool mountains and
glorious beaches make an ideal island. Remnants of
the spice trade, tea plantations, and elegant colonial
hill stations add history.”
now; retaliate. I knew what they were talking about.
Then I asked them why would they stay working at
the library? The response was, “because the money
was good.” My grandmother’s words came to me,
and I understood, that the other side of the dollar
bill involved putting up with the abuse and paying
dues to a union that cannot stop it, nor protect their
members from it. Almost like the United States
Government today, don’t you think?
The short of this piece is, We African-Americans have experienced for years - the heavy yoke
made by our four hundred years or more CAP
service to this nation, it’s government and corporations, without the full protection of it’s laws, nay
relegated to the status of second class citizens. For
years we have watched African-American representatives, we’ve elected into office, ignore us, or do
very little to help us. And, when we stood up we
were pushed closer to unemployment, poverty, disenfranchisement and punishment. It seems to me
that some Americans are being treated in our own
nation like second-class citizens for not standing up
for our freedoms, which aren’t free. n
Travel quote of the week
Washington is the only place where sound travels
faster than light.
-C. V. R. Thompson
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PAGE 18
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PAGE 19
Marriage and Family in Westchester
Dr. Maria Munoz Kantha
Children Who Join Gangs
Lack Leadership
Today, there is so much confusion and angry debate over adolescents, and gangs that it has affected
our understanding of what they are and why they exist. Parents, wake up and smell the coffee. Gangs are
in our homes, back yards and schools!
Historically, many early sociologists and members of the media portrayed gangs as “deviant” groups
whose activities were considered violations, rather
than crimes. Today the word gang brings forth images of power and control from youngsters who lack
leadership. Youngsters who join gangs have a need to
belong, whether it is good or bad. They have a need
to belong to a family unit that supports and protects
them.
Joining a gang is a significant, potentially lifealtering event. The reasons for any single juvenile’s
joining a gang are complex and personal. Though
most females join gangs for friendship and self-affirmation (Campbell, 1984a, 1987; Moore, 1991), recent research has begun to show that economic and
family pressures are now motivating many young
women to join gangs.
Some of my young clients have informed me that
they perceive gangs as cool, safe and as “family that
will keep them secure.” They talk about the symbols,
colors, patterns and clothing. Sign language is common, and used to communicate secret dialogue. What
I find interesting is that these very same youngsters
are afraid to be leaders. They idealize the gang process and expect the leader to take care of them. Many
are not tough; they are scared human beings looking
for nurturance, safety, and parental concern.
Joining a gang can be an
assertion of independence, not
only from family, but also from
cultural and class constraints. In
joining a gang, young women
and men feel that they will be
able to express themselves as acculturated or assimilated Americans, spending money freely and
standing up for themselves. They
repeatedly communicate and
express their search for power
and control in a gang that appears to offer leadership, safety
and bonding. In my practice, I
see some of these youngsters. They are sad, withdrawn,
angry, resentful of authority and often scared.
What to do:
This is a very difficult issue for parents to deal
with, since most of us want to believe that gangs are
not in our neighborhood. However, I must tell you
that gangs are in our middle schools, high schools
and communities at large. Remember, many children
think of gangs as “cool” and as part of their “indigenous family.” Therefore, it may be difficult to communicate with your child on this issue.
Gangs members are highly suspicious of school
counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, local officials,
youth workers, law enforcement personnel and researchers; and, they tend to cooperate with them only
under unusual circumstances. Female gang members,
in particular, have been averse to talking about sexual
abuse, whether it occurs at home or within the gang.
Most current researchers contact gang members
through community agencies, probation and parole
offices, and incarceration facilities to conduct studies on current trends. Unfortunately, female gangs
have received little attention. The Family and Youth
Services Bureau of the United States Department of
Health and Human Services had a program that explicitly addressed female gang members. However,
the program lasted only 3 years. The 1990’s brought
recognition by the Federal Government that female
and male offenders have different needs. As parents,
it is your responsibility to respond and deal with
these needs.
Societal Goals:
• Empower our children to become leaders, not
followers.
• Strengthen our community and strengthen our
family ties through engaging parents and youth
in collaborative efforts to facilitate better communication and enhance family decision-making skills.
• Empower Family members to believe in each
other.
• Empower children to speak up and reveal.
• Encourage children to express their sadness in a
safe environment.
• Empower ourselves, as parents, to search for the
true self.
• Empower each other to search for happiness. ■
WESTCHESTER
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199 North Ave.
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New Rochelle
(Just off Main St. - 1 Block from New Roc )
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PAGE 20
Taking Judicial Notice
Judge Kenneth Lange
Westchester’s Claim to James Fenimore Cooper
Why, I asked myself recently, is there a rest area on
the New Jersey Turnpike named for James Fenimore
Cooper, who most of us associate with Cooperstown
and Scarsdale/Mamaroneck in New York State? It turns
out that if you were born in the Garden State (even if
your family carted you off at age one to the wilds of
Otsego, New York), you qualify for such an honor. And
so it was that on September 15th, 1789, in the Delaware
River town of Burlington, New Jersey, little James Cooper was brought into the world by his mother, Elizabeth
Fenimore Cooper, the eleventh of twelve children she
bore in her marriage to William Cooper, a local wheelwright. The Coopers and the Fenimores were Quakers,
and it was William’s (the father’s) religion that kept him
from military service in the Revolutionary War, something quite unusual for a budding politician allied with
the Federalists.
How a semi-literate roughneck (William Cooper)
became the first County Judge, and Congressman from
the newly-formed Otsego County, on the western frontier of New York State, and how Judge Cooper became
the largest landowner and landlord in the area, and the
namesake of Cooperstown, is a fascinating story. It is
told in a thoroughly-researched account by the historian, Alan Taylor (William Cooper’s Town, Power and
Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic New York, 1995, Knopf). That story is so good,
and so well-told, that Taylor won the Pulitzer Prize in
History for 1996. It features the legal shenanigans of
Alexander Hamilton, who fraudulently purported to
represent the interests of William Franklin (Benjamin
Franklin’s Tory son, who had been colonial Governor
of New Jersey and was still in exile in England). Hamilton succeeded in auctioning off thousands of acres
of wilderness property on which Franklin held mortgages and judgments, in violation of a Chancery Court
injunction, obtained by Hamilton’s arch rival, Aaron
Burr. The sale, held in mid-winter in the wilds of Canajoharie, resulted in William Cooper and his associates
acquiring the beginnings of a real estate empire.
James Cooper spent his childhood in Cooperstown,
as the undisciplined son of the wealthiest and most important man in Otsego County. The father was mostly
Judge Kenneth Lange is retired from the Westchester County Court, where he served for 20 years.
He is now in private practice with the law firm of
Banks, Shapiro, Gettinger and Waldinger, LLP
in Mt. Kisco.
absent, pursuing land speculation and politics, and the
mother a near recluse in the family home, Otsego Hall.
The younger children were supervised by older siblings,
with unfortunate consequences in adolescence. Judge
William Cooper wanted desperately for his family to
enjoy the same social standing as his Federalist idols,
the Jays, the Livingstons, and the Van Rensselaers. Getting his sons educated at the best schools, so they could
become lawyers, was the method he chose. In 1801
James was sent to an exclusive boarding school in Albany, operated by a Reverend Ellison. His schoolmates
were the scions of the state’s leading families. One of
his best friends in school was William Jay, youngest son
of John Jay, and future abolitionist and County Judge
of Westchester County. The purpose of the studies at
the Reverend Ellison’s was to learn Latin and Greek for
admission to college. In 1803, James Cooper, accompanied by William Jay, was admitted to Yale College as a
member of the Class of 1806. Although most freshmen
were in their upper teens, James was only thirteen years
old, and was the youngest student at Yale.
Because of his superior preparation for Yale, James
was able to slide through his first year without much
effort. However, he began to follow a pattern set by his
older brother, William, Jr., during his brief career at
Princeton. William had entered college at fourteen, and
soon became a reckless spendthrift, running up huge
bills for clothes and liquor on his father’s credit. He was
known to frequent the local grog shops in Princeton,
and associate with barflies and enslaved Blacks. He also
seemed to be involved in every student demonstration
or uprising. When the principal college building, Nassau Hall, was burned in 1802, the college trustees determined that the fire had been deliberately set. William
Cooper, Jr. was expelled from Princeton, and charged
by local authorities with arson.
Hard on the heels of this family disgrace, James,
at Yale, mimicked his brother’s pattern of extravagant
spending (he exhausted the cash given to him by his father and ran up an additional $700 in bills, having eight
pairs of shoes and two pairs of boots made for him in
eleven months), engaged in violent pranks, and chased
the local girls. In May 1805 James got into a brutal fistfight with another student at Yale, and was badly beaten.
Both were expelled in the summer of 1805, but subsequently the other student was permitted to return and
graduate with the Class of 1807. James Cooper was not
permitted to reenter. Taylor cites the “family tradition”
about why James was treated differently than the other
student: in apparent retaliation for the beating he had
received, James set a gunpowder charge in a keyhole,
and blew off the door of the other student’s dormitory
room! This, coupled with his brother’s apparent torching of Princeton’s most important building, makes Yale’s
decision understandable. (See Taylor, supra at page 341;
also Schiff, Judith Ann, “Leatherstocking at Yale,” Yale
Alumni Magazine, November/December 2006, page 26)
After returning to Cooperstown in disgrace, James
abandoned his father’s hopes that he would become a lawyer, and opted in 1806 to ship out as an ordinary seaman
on a merchant vessel. He was now bent on a career as a
naval officer, and used this experience at sea to support his
application for a commission in the U.S. Navy. Starting in
1808, he spent two years as a Midshipman on Navy warships in peacetime, not seeing any hostile action.
Judge William Cooper died in Albany in December
1809, being buried in a ceremony in Cooperstown on
Christmas day, 1809. There is a peculiar family tradition,
first published in 1897, that Judge Cooper died from a
blow to the back of his head, inflicted by a political enemy,
outside a political meeting in Albany. This murder story
has been repeated by generations of historians since 1897,
but is now debunked by Taylor (see William Cooper’s
Town, pages 363-371). The Judge did die while on a visit to
Albany, but apparently of natural causes. Although Judge
Cooper and his family believed that he was very wealthy,
the largest part of his estate consisted of speculative land
investments and mortgages in the sparsely-settled counties to the west and north of Otsego. He had purchased
land with money borrowed at 7% interest, at a time when
land values were growing at a faster rate. However, when
his will was probated in 1810, and well into the 1820’s, land
prices in the area were dropping, and the interest owed
kept growing. Defaults on the mortgages (mostly from
small farmers and land speculators) held by the Cooper estate became common, and the cash flow to the heirs dried
up. Nevertheless, the Cooper heirs lived on at a luxurious
level, and within fifteen years of their father’s death, all the
Cooper heirs were in a kind of genteel poverty.
In 1810 James Cooper was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U. S. Navy. He promptly exploited his inheritance
by resigning from the Navy. He proposed marriage to Susan Augusta De Lancey, daughter of John Peter De Lancey,
of Mamaroneck (then part of Scarsdale), in Westchester
County. The De Lanceys had been one of the wealthiest
and most powerful families in the Colony of New York,
before the Revolutionary War, and were descended from
Caleb Heathcote, the original Lord of the Scarsdale Manor.
Because of De Lancey’s loyalism (to the King), his property had been seized by the victorious American Whigs.
James Fenimore Cooper, continued from the previous page
After the war he returned from England, and was able to
retrieve a small portion of the vast family estate. It must
have appeared to the De Lanceys that James Cooper’s new
inheritance, and the Cooper family fortune, could provide
their daughter with a far brighter financial future than
they could. For the nouveau riche Coopers, it was a step up
in social status, into the world of the old aristocracy. The
wedding of the twenty-one year old James, and the eighteen year-old Susan, took place in the De Lancey home on
Heathcote Hill in Mamaroneck on January 1, 1811. James
and Susan remained at the De Lancey home for two years,
through the birth and death of their first child, Elizabeth,
and the birth of their second child, Susan Fenimore Cooper. In 1813 the James Coopers and four servants, moved
to a red farmhouse on the western shore of Otsego Lake,
in Cooperstown.
There they lived a life of rural gentility, as James supervised the construction of a grand stone lakeside mansion he called “Fenimore House,” to honor his mother.
But by late 1817, James could no longer pay the contractors working on the unfinished Fenimore House, and fled
his creditors and the growing financial problems with the
Cooper estate, by returning to Westchester. Susan’s father
gave her 126 acres, and the couple built a kind of chalet
overlooking Long Island Sound, they called, “Angevine.”
James lived the life of a gentleman farmer: he joined a
county agricultural society, attended the local Episcopal
Church, served as an officer in the State Militia, and as
aide-de-camp to his friend, Governor DeWitt Clinton.
Even as the general commercial depression of 1819
deepened, James failed to realize that he no longer had
the income to spend at the same level to which he had become accustomed. Instead of cutting back on his lifestyle,
he gambled his dwindling estate by borrowing money for
a risky investment in a whaling ship. The investment was
secured by mortgages on the few properties still in his name
in Westchester and Otsego. The investment and the properties were lost. His father-in-law became alarmed at James’
mismanagement, and his dwindling fortune. To prevent
James from squandering his last Westchester property, John
Peter De Lancey maintained the Angevine property in a
trusteeship. Considering this an affront to his honor, James
had a heated argument with his father-in-law, and moved
the family in 1822 to a rented house on Broadway in Manhattan. The creditors followed. In 1823 the New York City
Sheriff impounded and inventoried James Cooper’s household goods from the dwelling in Manhattan. The creditor
decided to release the goods, writing to the Sheriff, “I have
seen the household goods. They are of no very great value;
they are few and of a cheap kind.” (See Taylor, supra, page
396). What a comedown for James and Susan, who had
prided themselves on their exquisite taste!
James Cooper was strangely detached, inactive and
absent from Cooperstown and adjoining counties during
the final collapse of the Cooper estate in a series of judgments and foreclosure sales in 1822-1824. The vacant land
that the Judge had bought with borrowed money at $1
an acre, sold in foreclosure for as little as 6 cents an acre.
Unpaid interest on the loans had ballooned the sums due.
The auctions of the properties did not produce enough
cash to satisfy the debts, and deficiency judgments were
taken against James, as the surviving executor. In 1826
James Cooper took two steps to distance himself from
his creditors. He petitioned the State Legislature to legally
change his name, from James Cooper to James Cooper
Fenimore, ostensibly to honor his mother. (The Legislature didn’t buy the explanation, and permitted him only to
add Fenimore as a middle name! See Taylor, supra, at page
400.) He also left the United States, and remained abroad
for seven years.
There was something else he did at Angevine, before
he moved, that eventually rescued him from insolvency,
and permitted his return to Cooperstown: he started writing novels. According to an account by his daughter, Susan
Fenimore Cooper, he wrote his first novel as a response to
a dare from his wife. He demeaned a new English novel
she was reading. He claimed he could write for his wife
a better novel than that one. She thought the claim was
absurd, since he didn’t even like to write letters. And so it
came to be that he wrote his first novel, Precaution, at age
thirty, done in the English style, and set in England. He did
not dare publish it for fear of being embarrassed, because
novels at that time were considered something for women
to get emotional over. He sought the opinion of the person
he most revered, Founding Father and former Governor,
John Jay. Jay lived nearby in Rye, and Cooper arranged to
read the manuscript (which he passed off as the work of an
anonymous friend) to a small gathering in the Jay parlor.
He was pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction they
gave to the work. He arranged to have the book published
in 1820, at his own expense, and anonymously. The work
lost money, but the writer was exhilarated by the experience, and confident he could do better.
His second novel, The Spy (1821), was also written at
Angevine, and told a story set in Westchester County during the Revolutionary War. It was a fictionalized version
of the true-life exploits of Enoch Crosby (Harvey Birch in
the book), an itinerant shoemaker, who used his access to
British Army camps, to gather intelligence for the Americans. Birch was also able to penetrate the groups of Tories
operating secretly in the no-man’s land that was Westchester
during the Revolutionary War. Apparently the actual intelligence from Crosby was reported to John Jay. The true story,
including an account of a hiding place next to the fireplace
in the Disbrow house in Mamaroneck, was told to Cooper
by Jay. The book was an instant commercial success, selling at least 6,000 copies in the first year, at an expensive $2
per copy! Cooper’s new career as a novelist was launched.
He continued writing while he lived in New York City and
in Europe. His Leatherstocking Tales, five novels originally set in a frontier town, much like Cooperstown, were
wildly popular in America and all over the world. He was
sometimes referred to as the “American Sir Walter Scott.”
The royalties he earned from the
novels permitted Cooper to settle
his debts and return to his beloved
Cooperstown, where he died in
1851, at the age of 62.
When the remake of the
movie The Last of the Mohicans appeared in 1992, I viewed
it with an English friend, born
and raised in Nottingham, England (his father was actually the
Sheriff), who told me how much
he had enjoyed the Cooper stories as a boy. He could recite the
plots and characters by heart.
(I had trouble finishing one of
them, and was inclined to share
PAGE 21
Mark Twain’s assessment of Cooper as a writer). My
friend was thrilled to learn, when he bought a house in
Scarsdale, that James Fenimore Cooper had once lived
in Scarsdale!
Today there is little in Westchester, other than street
names, to recall the idyllic estates of the De Lanceys and
the James Fenimore Coopers. The tiny DeLancy family
cemetery faces Palmer Avenue (near De Lancey Avenue)
in Mamaroneck; Fenimore Road runs from the Boston
Post Road, through a grimy industrialized section of the
Village of Mamaroneck, under Interstate 95, through the
lush environs of the Winged Foot Golf Club in the Town
of Mamaroneck, to Scarsdale. The site of Angevine, at
the top of a ridge in Scarsdale, near the Middle School,
on Mamaroneck Road (near Leatherstocking Lane) is
marked by a State historical marker. An old Indian path
near the Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck is called the
“Leatherstocking Trail” (notorious locally for teenage
drinking parties). The sad remnants of the wood frame
1792 De Lancey home were relocated to the edge of the
Boston Post Road in 1901, and now house a gas station
and a restaurant downstairs, and rental apartments upstairs. Heathcote Hill, where it once stood, still has some
graceful Victorian homes and a Women’s Club with views
of Long Island Sound. Unfortunately, they now face the
prospect of overlooking new condominium apartments,
recently-approved by the Village.
James Fenimore Cooper, and his wife Susan De Lancey Cooper, are buried next to James’ parents, Judge Cooper and Elizabeth Fenimore Cooper, in the churchyard
behind the Episcopal Church in Cooperstown. Thanks
to the good taste and benevolence of the Clark family,
most of Cooperstown’s architectural heritage that they
inherited has been preserved, and the Coopers repose in
a lovely setting. In time the locals developed an affection
for their prodigal son, who brought fame, and modest
fortune to their village. An impressive statue of James
Fenimore Cooper was erected on the approximate site
of the ruins of Otsego Hall, the home erected by James’
father, but neglected by his heirs, including James.
1. In 1895, Twain published an article puckishly entitled Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses, in apparent response to lavish praise showered on Cooper’s “art” and The
Deerslayer (1851), by professors at Yale and Columbia. He
propounds nineteen rules for writing romantic fiction, and
demonstrates how Cooper violated eighteen of them; alleging also that in two thirds of a page, Cooper committed 114
offenses against literary art, out of a possible 115!
PAGE 22
community calendar
CLIP AND SAVE
Fri., Feb. 9
Sat., & Sun., Feb. 10 & 11
• Menus in the Movies: How
Hollywood Handles Drinking in the
Social Setting. Led by Carol Durst,
food author and film buff. Today:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
Discussion and homemade desserts
follow. Sponsored by Friends of
the Chappaqua Library. Free. 7pm,
Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley,
Chappaqua. Info: 914.238.4779
• Valentine Tea. Children grades
2-4 will make a Valentine craft and
learn the history of Valentines’s
Day. Finish the afternoon with
a Valentine’s Tea. Registration
required. Co-sponsored by New
Castle Historical Society and
Chappaqua Library. Free. 4-5pm,
Horace Greeley House, 100 King
St., Chappaqua. Info/registration:
914.238.4779.
• A Gathering of Eagles. Croton
Point Park provides the scene
for these great raptors on the
move up the Hudson River. Eagle
map provided. Co-Sponsored by
Teatown Lake Reservation. Free. All
day. Croton Point Nature Center,
Croton Point Park, Croton Point
Ave., Croton. Info: 914.762.2912.
Sat., Feb. 10
• Nature Valentine’s Day Crafts.
Make a picture frame and beaded
jewelry for your loved ones;
Mother Nature will provide the
materials. Ages 4 -12. Free; ($4
parking with county pass, $8
without). 1pm, Trailside Nature
Museum, Ward Pound Ridge
Reservation, Rts. 35 & 121 South,
Cross River. Info: 914.864.7322.
Health; Support Groups
• Ovarian & Gynecological Cancer Support Group. This monthly support
group for women with ovarian or gynecological cancer is offered by
Support Connection, a nonprofit organization that provides free support
services to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. The group is led
by a trained peer facilitator, and focuses on topics related to life after a
cancer diagnosis. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Meets: 2nd Thursday
each month through Dec. 30, 2007 at 7PM at Putnam Hospital. Free. For
info/registration: 914.962.6402. www.supportconnection.org.
• Stroke Survivors Group. Spiritual and emotional support group for
stroke survivors. Free. Fridays 10-11am, through Dec. 14, 2007. Burke
Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Facility Building #8, 785 Mamaroneck
Ave., White Plains. Info: 914.597.2449.
• Psychotherapeutic Support Groups. Victims Assistance Services is
offering ongoing psychotherapeutic support groups to victims of crime.
They include: Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse, Homicide Survivors
Support Group (every 2nd Wed. of the month), and a Sexual Assault
Survivors Group (TBA). All groups are ongoing and have no end date.
Free. Wednesdays 6-7:30pm, 2269 Saw Mill River Road, Building #3,
Elmsford. Info: 914.345.3113
• Breast Cancer Support Groups. Breast cancer support groups are
offered once, twice or four times per month, by Support Connection,
Inc. Facilitated by trained peer counselors who have experienced breast
cancer. Focus is on life after a cancer diagnosis. Includes groups for young
women, women in treatment, women with recurrence, and all survivors.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Free to women with breast cancer.
Meets various days and times, Yorktown & Carmel locations. www.
supportconnection.org
• Winter Adventures for Kids:
Feathers in Flight. Kids will learn
adaptations and identifications
of birds through exercises and
craft activities. We’ll also be on
the lookout for eagles. Free. 2pm,
Croton Point Nature Center, Croton
Point Park, Croton Point Ave.,
Croton. Info: 914.862.5275.
• Eagle and Raptor Hike (Part 2). Join
naturalist Hank Weber of the Wild
Bird Center to seek and identify these
soarers of the sky. Co-sponsored by
Central Westchester Audubon Society
and the Wild Bird Center. Bring
binoculars and dress for the weather.
Free. 8:45am in parking lot at Croton
Point Park, Croton Point Ave., Croton.
Info: 914.862.5297
• John Glover and the American
Revolution. Exhibition about General
Glover, who led troops in battle near
St. Paul’s in Oct. 1776. There will
also be talks and demonstrations
exploring African-American History at
the time of the American Revolution
as well as historic activities for
children. Free. 12-4pm, St. Paul’s
Church National Historic Site, 897
So. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon. Info:
914.667.4116.
• Environmental Effects of Global
Warming. Learn about climate
change and the consequences
it is having locally and globally.
Following the presentation help
to construct a green house exhibit
for the nature center. Free. 2pm,
Cranberry Lake Preserve, Old
Orchard St., No. White Plains, NY.
Info: 914.428.1005
• Family Resource Day. Information
workshops and vendors for families
of people with developmental
disabilities. Schedule and preregistration information at www.
westchesterarc.org. Free, lunch
provided. 9am-2:30pm, White
Plains High School, 550 North St.,
White Plains. Info: 914.428.8330,
x3028.
• Young Naturalist Program:
Owls. Walter Chadwick will teach
about these nocturnal birds and
their special hunting methods.
Kids will also get to dissect an owl
pellet. Ages 7 - 10. Pre-registration
required. Free. 11am, Lenoir
Preserve, Dudley St., Yonkers. Info:
914.237.5791.
Sun., Feb. 11
• St. Mark’s Lutheran Church,
Kimball Ave. & St. Mark’s Place,
Yonkers, will be holding an Open
House beginning at 11am. Saint
Mark’s has been providing quality
Christian education for 45 years in
a safe and nurturing environment.
Classes are available for children
3 years old through 8th grade in
a small class size environment. An
after-school program is available.
Info: 914.237.4944.
• The Lore and Legends of Eagles
on the Hudson. Join storyteller
Jonathan Kruk as he spins tales
of these magnificient creatures.
Families are encouraged to
attend. Free. 1-2pm, Croton Point
Nature Center, Croton Point Park,
On-Going Exhibitions:
Rochelle. Hrs: Mon.-Fri. 8am-3pm,
Through Feb. 16
Tues. & Thurs. eves. 7-9pm. Info:
Soles of the Movement. This
ongoing exhibition by Chris Burns
is a multi-media exhibit using
historical music, photographs,
film footage and memorabilia,
particularly shoes, to tell the
story of the civil rights movement
in America. Museum of Arts &
Culture, New Rochelle High School,
North and Braemer Aves., New
914.576.4524.
Through Feb. 23
• Paintings by Barbara Kleinman.
Mixed media. The Manor Club,
1023 Esplanade, Pelham Manor.
Hrs: 10am-3pm, Mon.-Fri. Opening
reception Jan. 21 2-4pm. Info:
914.738.1528.
feb. 8 - 14
Croton Point Ave., Croton. Info:
914.862.5275.
• Malfa Archaeology Open House.
Spend an afternoon of adventure
with your local archaeological
organization. Free. 1-4pm, Croton
Point Nature Center, Croton Point
Park, Croton Point Ave., Croton.
Info: 914.862.5297.
• The Great Hudson River Excursion,
sponsored by the Bedford Audubon
Society. Join two experienced
Bedford Audubon birders, John
Askildsen and Walter Fowler, for a
day of wildlife watching at various
locations along the banks of the
Hudson River. Registration required.
Free. 9am departure from Bylane
Farm, 35 Todd Rd., Katonah. Info:
914.962.5474
• Valentine’s Day for Kids. Make a
special card for a family member or
friend. Free. 1-3pm, Muscoot Farm,
Rt. 100, Somers. Info: 914.864.7282.
• Tappin’ the Farm’s Maple Trees.
Join the 4-H Muscoot Gang as
they explain and demonstrate the
PAGE 23
Events for inclusion in our clip and save Community Calendar must
be free and open to all. Items are published, subject to the discretion of the Editor, and space availability. Calendar listings should be
submitted no later than two weeks prior to event. Email listings to:
[email protected]
procedures for tapping the trees.
Weather permitting. Free. 1-3pm,
Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers.
Info: 914.864.7282.
• EagleFest. Celebrate the annual
return off the Hudson River bald
eagles by looking for and learning
about this majestic bird next to
a cozy fire at the Beczak Center.
Coordinated by Teatown Lake
Reservation. Free, for all ages.
Beczak Environmental Education
Center, 35 Alexander St., Yonkers.
Info/times: 914.377.1900.
Mon-Thurs
• Homework Helper. After-school
homework help with a certified
teacher when Yonkers schools are
in session. Grades 1-6. Free. 4-6pm,
Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central
Park Ave., Yonkers. Info: 914.337-1500
x306.
• Homework Help. The New
Rochelle Public Library offers free
homework help, grades 1-6. 3:305pm. Info: 914.632.7878.
Tues. & Thurs., Feb. 13 & 15
• YCP TheaterWorks will be holding
auditions for Enchanted April by
Matthew Barber and directed
by Jeffery Virgo. 7:30pm, The
Van Cortlandtville School, Rt. 6,
Mohegan Lake. Callbacks TBA. Info:
914.737.5608.
Tues., Feb. 13
• Passport to Adventure series
of video presentations continues
at the Riverfront Library, One
Larkin Center, Yonkers, with
Travel to Vietnam. The series is a
colloboration between the Yonkers
Public Library and Questar Inc. 2pm
in the library’s Community Room.
Free parking is available for three
hours at the Buena Vista Garage.
Info: 914.337.1500 x461.
• American Bloomsbury: Louisa
May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel
Hawthorne, and Henry David
Thoreau: Their Lives, Their Loves,
Up and Coming In February
• The New Rochelle Public Library, One Library Plaza, New Rochelle, presents two more films in their Focus on
African-American Films series in February. They will be shown at 7pm in the library’s Ossie Davis Theater, and are free
to the general public. The films are: Feb. 15: Let’s Do It Again; Feb. 22: A Soldier’s Story. Info: 914.632.7878 x34.
• New Rochelle Library to offer Free Programs for Children during Vacation Week. Made possible by the Friends
of the New Rochelle Public Library, they will take place at the main library, as the activity room at the Huguenot
Children’s Library is under construction.
Tues., Feb. 20: 11am - Celebrate Washington’s Birthday with a family performance and “Songs of America” with
David Osborne, Director of St. Paul’s National Historic Site. Adults, children 8 and older.
2pm - Roberta Halpern leads “Global Rythms: Dance Without Borders” featuring the rhythms of Africa, Latin
America, Native America, the Middle East, and more. Children 5 and older plus parent/caregiver.
Wed., Feb. 21: 11:30am - Children 7 and up will learn how Charles Schulz created “Peanuts” and try their own
hand at making a cartoon strip.
2pm - Once Upon a Time Theater presents “Charlie Brown”, an abridged and updated version of the Broadway
Musical. Suitable for children ages 7 & up.
Thurs., Feb. 22: 11am - Craft instructors will lead workshop in creating a mural of the African Bush to take
home - using the wonderful illustrations of animals and plants from Jan Brett’s book Honey...Honey...Lion!
2pm - Children’s book author and educator Waithîra Mbuthia presents the program: “Growing Up in Kenya”
and how she wrote her book, My Sister’s Wedding: A Story of Kenya.
Fri., Feb. 23: 11am - All ages are invited to meet some of the furry friends in the care of the New Rochelle
Humane Society, which has been taking care of abandoned pets for 95 years.
2pm - Continuing its pet theme, the library presents a family film, The Adventures of Milo & Otis (1989; 76
minutes). The movie is about Milo, a cat, and Otis, a dog, who grew up together on the same farm. For all ages.
Their Work. Critically-acclaimed
author Susan Cheever brings to life
a period of extraordinary creativity
in American thought and literature.
Free and open to the public. 7:30pm,
Chappaqua Library, 195 S. Greeley,
Chappaqua. Info: 914.238.4779.
Wed., Feb. 14
• How to Identify Trees in
Winter, Horticulturist Wayne
Cahilly, sponsored by the Bedford
Audubon Society, will present a
slide presentation and lecture on
the identification of trees. Mr.
Cahilly will also bring a sampling of
twigs so that differences between
species can be easily observed and
discussed. Free. 7:30pm, Katonah
Village Library, 26 Bedford Rd.,
Katonah. Info: 914.232.1999.
• Downtown Music at Grace’s
Noonday Getaway Concert. Love
Songs from Broadway, featuring
Kyle Bradford, tenor. Free.
12:10-12:40pm, Grace Church,
Mamaroneck Ave. @ Main St.,
White Plains. Info: 914.949.0384.
• Genetically Modified Ingredients
in Foods and their Risk to YOUR
Health. Bio-tech companies are
creating genetically-modified
substances and altering the DNA
of foods. These corporations are
creating a nightmare for the future
of the world’s supply, and it’s all
being done without adequate
safety testing or awaiting the
results of such intervention in
the natural processes of plantlife.
There will be a DVD and a
discussion led by Sierra activist John
Crockett on what we can do to
protect ourselves from the dangers
of genetically-modified foods.
Free. 7:30pm, Greenburgh Nature
Center, 99 Dromore Rd., Scarsdale.
Location is handicapped-acessible.
Info: 914.923.6490 x312.
PAGE 24
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Mission Statement
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Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted to the unbiased reporting of
events and developments that are
newsworthy and significant to readers living in, and/or employed in,
Westchester County. The Guardian
will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information without
favor or compromise. Our first duty
will be to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO
KNOW, by the exposure of truth,
without fear or hesitation, no matter
where the pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS.
The Guardian will cover news and
events relevant to residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a weekly, rather
than focusing on the immediacy of delivery more associated
with daily journals, we will instead seek to provide the broader,
more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting
of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate.
From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what,
when, where, why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more abundant time, and our resources, to
get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage control’ often characteristic
of immediate news releases, to reach the very heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere.
To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is
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that we cannot be all things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant, hard-hitting, Westchester news
and commentary, with features and columns useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must stay
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PAGE 25
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PAGE 26
CLASSIFIED
HELP WANTED
RESIDENTIAL RENTALS
BARTENDERS WANTED
Westchester County night club.
Very busy location. Experience
a must, and over 21. Call Maria
Mount Vernon - 1-bdr apt in a
building. Sec 8 ok. $950. Avail
immed. Call Maribel
914-636-0018
LICENSED SECURITY
WANTED
Westchester County night club.
Busy location. Experience a must.
Fri and Sat night. Call Maria
914-636-0018
STREET PROMOTERS
WANTED
Early morning hours. Westchester County location. $1012/hr. Call Anthony
914-325-7323
PROPERTY MANAGER
Mgmt office looking for a
person w/experience in property mgmt. Must know DHCR,
Court proceeding, filing, typing,
etc. Call Maria
646-261-9096
HOME IMPROVEMENT
House Painter: Neat,
quality work. Fair price.
Call Barry: 914.393.0674
Bronx - Parkchester vic. 5-story
walkup with 19 units. Very nice
bldg. RR. $201K. Price: $1.5
million. Make offer.
914-632-1230
914.632.1230
Mount Vernon - 2-bdr apt in a
building. Sec 8 ok. $1250. Avail
immed. Call Maribel.
914-632-1230
Bronx - Parkchester. 30 units/
great building. RR $300K. Asking $2,300,000. Must see, will
not last. Great return.
Yonkers East - 3-bdr apt, two
floors, 1.5 baths, very nice
kitchen. Wood floors, 1 parking spot. Tenant pays utilities.
$1750. Call Maribel.
914.632.1230
Bronx - 5-story walkup w/27
units, mostly 2BR. Well maintained. RR $300K. Asking
$2,250,000. Cash cow.
914-632-1230
INVESTMENT PROPERTY/
RESIDENTIAL
Mount Vernon - Five story w/up
with 18 apts. Very nice building. Many Sec 8, good tenency.
RR. $202k. Asking 7.5 x RR
1,550,000. Ask for Sam
914-576-1481
THIS WEEK
IN HISTORY
Feb. 8 - 14
914.632.1230
INVESTMENT PROPERTY/
UNIMPROVED
Mount Vernon - Commercial
bldg lot, 9500 sq. ft. Corner
bldg. Apts with stores. Must
sell. $875K. Make offer.
914.632.1230
Mount Vernon - 2 bldgs, 39
units. Very well maintained,
RR. $449K. Asking $3,375,000.
Must sell.
914.632.1230
The Westchester Guardian reserves the right to edit, re-classify,
reject or cancel any classified ad.
Additionally, The Westchester Guardian will not accept any
advertising which willingly violates Section 296 of the Human
Rights Law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference,
limitation or discrimination based upon race, color, creed, national origin, disability, marital status, sex, age, or arrest conviction record, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
This Week’s Highlight:
Feb. 12, 1809 - The 16th president of the United
States, Abraham Lincoln, is born in a cabin in
Hodgenville, Kentucky. The future president grew
up a member of a poor family which lived in
Kentucky, then Indiana. He attended school for
only one year, but continually read on his own to
improve his mind. As an adult he lived in Illinois,
performing various jobs as postmaster, surveyor and
shopkeeper before entering politics. He served in
the Illinois legislature from 1834-36, then became
an attorney. He married Mary Todd in 1842 and they raised four sons. He
ran for the Senate in 1858 but didn’t win.
Feb. 8
1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, was
beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle,
England, for her complicity in a plot
to murder Queen Elizabeth I. The
year before a major plot to murder
Elizabeth had been reported and
Mary, who had become the focus of
various English Catholic and Spanish
plots to overthrow Elizabeth, was
brought to trial. She was convicted of
complicity and sentenced to death.
1904 - Japan began the RussoJapanese War with a surprise attack
against the Russian naval base at
Port Arthur, in China, decimating
the Russian Fleet. The attack came
after Russia rejected a Japanese plan
to divide Manchuria and Korea into
spheres of influence.
Feb. 9
1942 - In a move to conserve fuel,
Congress, at President Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s suggestion, enacted
daylight saving time. It was repealed
on Sept. 30, 1945 when individual
states once again imposed their
own “standard” time. Congress
passed legislation in 1966 which set
a standard time, superceding local
habits.
1950 - Speaking before the Ohio
County Women’s Republican Club
in Wheeling, West Virgina, Sen.
Joseph McCarthy announced
he had a list with the names of
over 200 members of the State
Department that were “known
Communists”. The speech vaulted
McCarthy to national prominence
and sparked a nation-wide hysteria
about subversives in the American
government. Despite his claims, he
never produced any solid evidence
that there was even one Communist
in the State Department. During
the four years that the hunt for
Communists, or McCarthyism as
it came to be known, went on,
no Communists were ever found,
and McCarthy’s personal power
collapsed in 1954 when the public
got to see his bullying tactics and
lack of credibility through televised
hearings of his investigation into
the U.S. Army. Shortly thereafter he
was censured by the U.S. Senate.
Feb. 10
1846 - Under the leadership of
Brigham Young the Mormons
began a long, westward migration.
Founder Joseph Smith had
established a spiritual colony in
Nauvoo, Missouri in 1839 but local
anti-Mormon prejudice became
so out of control that by June
1844 mobs murdered Smith and
his brother, burned homes and
threatened the Nauvoo citizens.
The 1,600 members settled at
the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
The following year another 2,500
made the trip west and, by 1877,
100,000 people were living in the
surrounding Great Basin.
1861 - While at his plantation,
Brierfield, Jefferson Davis received
word by messenger from Vicksburg
that he had been selected President
of the new Confederate States of
America. Davis, however, was not
confident of his ability to meet the
requirements of the position; he felt
he would be better as a general.
PAGE 27
History, continued from the previous page
But despite his feelings he did not
refuse and took the position.
Feb. 11
1861 - Abraham Lincoln boarded a
two-car private train loaded with
his family’s belongings and left
Springfield, Illinois for Washington,
D.C. and his inauguration as the
16th President.
1942 - The German Navy carried out
one of the most daring operations
when it was decided to bring those
fleet units stationed at the French
port of Brest back to Germany. Right
under the noses of the British they
launched Operation Cerberus, or
the Channel Dash, as it came to be
known. Using a minor, deliberate
skirmish with the British as a smoke
screen, three major German surface
ships with six destroyers and 21
torpedo boats for protection left
Brest and headed up the English
Channel under cover of darkness.
German aircraft then provided
cover at dawn. It wasn’t until the
afternoon of the following day that
the Royal Air Force realized that the
Germans had put to sea. Despite
some minor damage from mines,
the ships put into German ports on
the afternoon of Feb. 13.
Feb. 12
1793 - Congress enacted the first
Fugitive Slave Law which required
all states to forcibly return slaves
who had escaped from other
states to their original owners.
The second Fugitive Slave Law,
enacted in 1850, called for the
return of slaves “on pain of heavy
penalty” but permitted a jury trial
under the condition that fugitives
be prohibited from testifying in
their own defense. Fugitive slaves,
however, were able to circumvent
the law through the Underground
Railroad and seek freedom in the
Northern States or Canada.
1999 - The five-week impeachment
trial of President Bill Clinton came
to an end when the Senate voted to
acquit the president on both articles
of impeachment. The prosecution
needed a two-thirds majority to
convict but failed to achieve even
a bare majority. In the Senate, 45
Democrats and 10 Republicans
voted “not guilty” on the charge of
perjury, and they were split 50-50 on
the charge of obstruction of justice.
Feb. 13
1633 - Italian philosopher,
astronomer and mathematician
Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome
to face charges of heresy for
advocating the Copernican theory
that the Earth revolves around the
Sun. In April he faced the Roman
Inquisition and agreed to plead
guilty in exchange for a lighter
sentence. He spent the rest of his
days at his villa near Florence,
placed under house arrest by Pope
Urban VIII. He died Jan. 8, 1642.
1776 - Patrick Henry became colonel
of the First Virginia battalion in
defense of the state’s gunpowder
supply. Virginia’s Royal Governor
Lord Dunmore attempted to
take the gunpowder from the
Williamsburg magazine in an
attempt to hold onto power in the
colony. Henry, a lawyer and member
of the Second Continental Congress,
led the Patriot militia in a standoff
with Dunmore’s troops until
Virginian Carter Braxton negotiated
a settlement. Henry served as the
first governor of Virginia from
1776-1779, then held the post again
from 1784-1786. He is known for
“Give me liberty, or give me death”
and was one of those responsible
for fighting to get the first 10
amendments, the Bill of Rights,
added to the Constitution.
Feb. 14
1864 - As a precursor to his March
to the Sea, Union General William
T. Sherman entered Meridian,
Mississippi in the first attempt by at
total warfare, a strike aimed at the
will of the Southern people as well
as military objectives. He launched
the campaign from Vicksburg,
Mississippi, hoping to destroy the rail
center and clear central Mississippi of
Confederate resistance.
1929 - In Chicago, gunmen allegedly
in the employ of Al Capone murdered
seven members of the George “Bugs”
Moran gang in a garage on North
Clark Street. The Valentine’s Day
Massacre stirred up a storm centered
on Capone and his illegal Prohibitionera activities that motivated federal
authorities to redouble their efforts
to find strong enough evidence to
get him off the streets. In June 1931
Capone was indicted for income
tax evasion, being found guilty the
following October.
• BACHELOR & BACHELORETTE PARTIES
• TABLESIDE DANCING
• PRIVATE VIP ROOMS
• 100S OF TOP FEMALE ENTERTAINERS
• NEW YORK’S PREMIER GENTLEMEN’S CABARET
PAGE 28
Photo: Richard Blassberg

February 8, 2007 - WestchesterGuardian.com

Transcription

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