December 12, 2013 - WestchesterGuardian.com

Transcription

PRESORTED
STANDARD
PERMIT #3036
WHITE PLAINS NY
Vol. VI, No. L
n
o
i
t
a
g
i
t
s
e
Inv
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
GET
“OUT OF JAIL”
FREE CARD
Thursday December 12, 2013 $1.00
DEE BARBATO
UPAC Hosts
Albanian Music
Page 6
SHERIF AWAD
Cordero’s Report
Page 7
JOHN F. McMULLEN
I Have 5,000
Facebook Friends
Page 11
JOHN SIMON
Historic Moments
Page 12
PEGGY GODFREY
Echo Bay Project
Defeated
Page 14
THOMAS P. DiNAPOLI
LDCs Need
Comptroller’s Audit
Page 15
A Play for More than
“Monopoly Money”
By Hezi Aris, Page 3
WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM
Mayor MARY C. MARVIN
Kensington Road
Condominium Project
Page 16
LUKE HAMILTON
A Ghost of
Liberalism Past
Page 17
rience fundraising, knowledge of what development entails and experience working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations Manager- must have a
good knowledge of computers/software/ticketing systems, duties include
overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show lobby
staffing such as Merchandise seller, bar sales. Must be familiar with POS
system and willing to organize concessions. Full time plus hours. Call (203)
438-5795 and ask for Julie or Allison
Page 2
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
THE WESTcHESTER GUARDiAn
THE WESTCHESTER
GUARDIAN
THE WESTcHESTER
GUARDiAn
Of Significance
Of Significance
Community Section ............................................................................... 4
Community
Section ............................................................................... 44
Business ................................................................................................
Business
................................................................................................
Calendar ............................................................................................... 44
Calendar
............................................................................................... 45
Charity ..................................................................................................
Creative
Disruption
............................................................................ 56
Charity
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Contest
Cultural
Perspective
........................................................................... 766
Contest
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Creative Disruption ............................................................................
Energy
Issues
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Creative
Disruption
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Education ............................................................................................. 867
In
Memoriam
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Education
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Fashion
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Medicine
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Fashion
.................................................................................................. 89
Fitness....................................................................................................
Najah’s
Corner ...................................................................................119
Fitness....................................................................................................
Health ..................................................................................................10
Movie
....................................................................................12
Health
..................................................................................................10
HistoryReview
................................................................................................10
Music
...................................................................................................12
History
Ed Koch................................................................................................10
Movie Review ...................................................................12
Community
........................................................................................13
Ed
Koch
Movie
Review ...................................................................12
Spoof
....................................................................................................13
Writers
Collection.............................................................................14
Spoof
....................................................................................................13
Sports Scene .......................................................................................13
Books
Sports
Scene
.......................................................................................13
Najah’s...................................................................................................16
Corner
...................................................................................13
People
..................................................................................................18
Najah’s
Corner
...................................................................................13
Writers Collection.............................................................................14
Eye
On...................................................................................................16
Theatre
..................................................................................18
Writers
Collection.............................................................................14
Books
Leaving
on
a
Jet
Plane ......................................................................19
Books
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Transportation...................................................................................17
Government
Section
Transportation
...................................................................................17
Government Section ............................................................................20
............................................................................17
Campaign
Trail
..................................................................................20
Government
Section
............................................................................17
Albany Correspondent
....................................................................17
Economic
Development....................................................................17
Albany
Correspondent
Mayor Marvin’s
Column..................................................................20
.................................................................18
Education
...........................................................................................21
Mayor
Marvin’s
Column .................................................................18
Government
.......................................................................................19
The Hezitorial
....................................................................................21
Government
.......................................................................................19
OpEd
Section .........................................................................................23
Legal
....................................................................................................23
OpEd
Section
.........................................................................................23
Ed Koch
Commentary.....................................................................23
People
..................................................................................................24
Ed
Koch
Letters
toCommentary.....................................................................23
the Editor ..........................................................................24
Strategyto...............................................................................................24
Letters
Editor............................................................................25
..........................................................................24
Weir Onlythe
Human
OpEd
Section
.........................................................................................25
Weir
Only
Human
............................................................................25
Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26
..........................................................................................27
Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26
YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND COMMITMENT OF GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF THE
CHILD FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, AND MAY FILE BEFORE THE END OF THE 15-MONTH
Office Space AvailablePERIOD.
Prime Location, Yorktown Heights
UPON GOOD CAUSE, THE COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE WHETH1,000 Sq. Ft.: $1800. Contact Wilca: 914.632.1230
ER THE NON-RESPONSENT PARENT(s) SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A RESPONDENT; IF
THE COURT DETERMINES THE CHILD SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM HIS/HER HOME, THE
Prime Retail
Westchester
County
COURT MAY ORDER AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE
WHETHER- THE
NON-RESPONDENT
Best
Location
Yorktown
Heights
PARENT(s) SHOULD
BE SUITABLE
CUSTODIANS FOR
CHILD;
IF THEin
CHILD
IS PLACED
AND
Thursday,
DECEMBER
12,THE
2013
1100OFSq.
Store
$3100;TWENTY-TWO
1266 Sq. Ft. MONTHS,
store $2800
REMAINS IN FOSTER CARE FOR FIFTEEN
THEFt.
MOST
RECENT
THEand 450 Sq. Ft.
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY
Page 3
AGENCY MAY BE
REQUIRED TO 23,
FILE2012
A PETITION FOR TERMINATIONStore
OF PARENTAL
$1200. RIGHTS OF
THURSDAY,
MARCH
29,
2012
Page 3
THE PARENT(s)
AND COMMITMENT
OFSuitable
GUARDIANSHIP
OF THEContact
CHILD FOR
THE 914.632.1230
THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY
23, 2012
for anyAND
typeCUSTODY
of business.
Wilca:
PURPOSES OF ADOPTION, EVEN IF THE PARENT(s) WERE NOT NAMED AS RESPONDENTS IN
THE CHILD NEGLECT OR ABUSE PROCEEDING.
HELP
WANTED
RADIO Of Significance
A NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT HAS THE
RIGHT
TO REQUEST
TEMPORARY
ORisPERMANENT
A non
profit
Performing
Arts Center
seeking twoCUSjob positions- 1) DirecRADIO
RADIO
TODY OF THE CHILD AND TO SEEK ENFORCEMENT
OF VISITATION
THE CHILD.
tor of DevelopmentFT-must RIGHTS
have a WITH
background
in development or experience
fundraising,
knowledge
of what development entails and experiBY
ORDER
OF
THE
FAMILY
COURT
OF
THE
STATE
OF
NEW
YORK
Feature Section..................................................................................................................................
3
ence working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations Manager- must have a
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT(S)
WHO RESIDE(S)
OR IS FOUND AT [specify
good
knowledge
of
computers/software/ticketing
systems,
duties
The
Hezitorial................................................................................................................................ 3 include
address(es)]:
overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show lobby
Westchester On the Level is usually heard from Monday
to Friday,
from 10 a.m.
to 12
suchStreet,
as Merchandise
seller,
Leadership.
....................................................................................................................................
5 POS
Last known .addresses:
TIFFANY RAY:staffing
24 Garfield
#3, Yonkers, NY
10701bar sales. Must be familiar with
Noon on the Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel.
system and willing to organize concessions. Full time plus hours. Call (203)
Last
known
addresses:
KENNETH
THOMAS:
24
Garfield
Street,
#3,
Yonkers,
NY
10701
Because of the importance
of
a
Federal
court
case
purporting
corruption
and
bribery
Community Section.........................................................................................................................
4
438-5795 and ask for Julie or Allison
allegations, programming
with
be
suspended
forArticle
the days
of Family
March
2610
toa.m.
29,
2012.
YonAn Order
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Cause
under
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having
been
filed with this Court
Westchester
On the
Level
is
from
Monday
to
Friday,
from
to
12
Noon
Activism.........................................................................................................................................
5
seeking toConductor
modify the placement
for the above-named
child.
kers Philharmonic Orchestra
James Sadewhite
is our scheduled
guest Friday,
Westchester On
On the
the Level
Level with
with Narog
Narog and Aris
Westchester
and Aris
Aris
and
Westchester
On the
Level is heard from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon
on the Internet:
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel.
Join
March
30.
YOU ARE
SUMMONED toPlease
appear before
thistopic.
Court at Yonkers
Calendar.........................................................................................................................................
6
on
the
Internet: by
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel.
JoinFamily Court
the
conversation
calling
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toHEREBY
1-877-674-2436.
stayday
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located
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53
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28th
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March,
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show
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why
said
child
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Cultural
Perspectives...................................................................................................................
Richard
Narog March
and
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Aris
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Aris
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In
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beginning
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February
24th,schedule
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exciting
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guests.
programming
and
announce
that
fact
on
the
Yonkers
Tribune
website.
Healthcare.
.
....................................................................................................................................
9
provisions of Article 10 of the Family Court Act.
February
24th, we
exciting
entourage
ofshow.
guests.
Richard
Narog
and
Hezian
Aris
are
co-hosts
of the
Every
Monday
is have
special.
On
Monday,
February
20th,
Krystal
Wade,
a
celebrated
participant
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PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that you have the right to be represented by a lawMusic.............................................................................................................................................10
Every
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February
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Krystal
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Technology-Creative
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from
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...........................................................................................................................12
noted
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the
petition
as
provided
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and
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2012.
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Army.”
How
does
she do it?
Tune in and find out.
Tune in and findGovernment.
out.Dated: January
30, 2012
OF THE COURT
....................................................................................................................................14
Co-hosts Richard Narog
and
Hezi
Aris will relishBY
theORDER
dissection
of all things politics on Tuesday, February
2 column
1 column
CLERK
OF THE COURT
Co-hosts
Richard
Narog
and
Hezi
Aris
will
relish
the
dissection
of his
all things
politicsfrom
on Tuesday,
February
21st. Yonkers CityGovernance.
Council President
Chuck Lesnick will share
perspective
the august
inner
.................................................................................................................................14
21st.
Yonkers
Lesnick will
share 22nd.
his perspective
from the
august
sanctum
of theCity
CityCouncil
CouncilPresident
ChambersChuck
on Wednesday,
February
Stephen Cerrato,
Esq.,
will inner
share
Land
Development.
....................................................................................................................15
sanctum
of the
City
Chambers
on
Wednesday,
February
22nd.
Esq.,be
will
share
his political
insight
onCouncil
Thursday,
February
23rd.
Friday, February
24th
hasStephen
yet to beCerrato,
filled. It may
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political
onwhat
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February
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Mayor
Marvin.............................................................................................................................16
tious
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sumWas
up what
transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version of That Was
The Week
(TWTWTW).
OpEd.................................................................................................................................................17
The Week That Was
(TWTWTW).
For those who cannot join us live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or on
For
thoseWithin
who cannot
join us
consider
listening
tofind
the the
show
by wayinof
MP3 that
download,
orlink
on
Hezitorial.
.....................................................................................................................................17
demand.
15
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a show’s
ending,
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segment
ouranarchive
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[email protected]
demand.
Within
15 minutes
of ainshow’s
ending,paragraph.
you can
find the segment in our archive that you may link
to using the
hyperlink
provided
the
opening
Politics...........................................................................................................................................17
Legal Notices,
to using the hyperlink provided in the opening paragraph.
The entire archive
is
available
and
maintained
for yourAdvertise
perusal.Today
The easiest way to find a particular interview
Legal
Notices,
Advertise
Today
Legal
Notices.
.
..................................................................................................................................18
The
is available
and maintained
forfor
your
perusal.
easiest
to findofa the
particular
interview
is toentire
searcharchive
Google,
or any other
search engine,
the
subjectThe
matter
or way
the name
interviewee.
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matter
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Help
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example,
search
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theorLevel,
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Oncall
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Before
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hyperlinksearch
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hyperlink above.
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where,
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Ins • Silkwhy,
Wraps •and
Nail Art
Designs
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the
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Thursday, DECEMBER 12, 2013
FeatureSection
THE HEZITORIAL – INVESTIGATION
Transforming an “Out of Jail” Card to a
Play for More than “Monopoly Money”
By HEZI ARIS
What is the State
of Real Estate in the
City of Yonkers?
Who is the
Puppet Master?
Systematically dismantled five years
ago, the Bureau of Real Estate no
longer exists. The last vestiges of its
two decades long compilation of work
discarded by Yonkers City Hall has
erased the past, clearing the way for
any issues or concerns to be forgotten,
akin to creating a form of governmental dementia, concocted by Yonkers
Mayor Mike Spano’s Administration.
City assets will continue to be sold
off, yet standards no longer exist. Does
any aspect of the process by which
city property is sold conform to past,
prudent standards that are now known
to have been trashed and expunged
from any and all records? What are
the “new” standards? Where may they
be found? Do they still exist or have
they been omitted? Have they been
replaced by that which is now trashed?
Has the City of Yonkers been cleansed
of any and all material that would have
revealed structure, standards of conduct,
people, diagrams, renderings, architectural configurations, figures, valuations,
and more? It seems the “standards”
are now forever locked in the vaults of
minds that are aging and susceptible to
forgetting, and even if remembered, will
be challenged for lacking corroborating
physical proof. The landscape for selling
taxpayer assets is said to benefit the city
coffers. That is the spin. The truth is it
is being sold for less than valued and
seemingly exclusively to the “friends
and family” network. Let’s follow
James Cavanaugh and Wilson Kimbal
(L-R): Yonkers Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry, Art Collector Daniel Wolf, Artist Maya
Lin, and Mayor Mike Spano.
RADIO
the process leading to the sale of the
Yonkers City Jail, the telling of the sale,
and the plausible scenario of what may
become of the property.
The sale of the Yonkers City Jail is
the initial sale of a city taxpayer asset for
at least as long as Mayor Mike Spano’s
Administration is at the helm. It is the
process that is being exposed here, not
the individual sale, rather the plan for
the property, the vision, the purchaser,
or the people involved; it is only about
a process that seems to reek of collusion of purpose. The headmaster will be
recognized as former New York State
Senator Nick Spano. He set the last
Continued on page 4
Westchester On the Level
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Guardian Radio Network, WGRN, operated
under the auspices of Hezi Aris’ Hezitorial Absurdity, Inc. continues to build
its programing day on the Blog TalkRadio platform. Herein is the schedule for
the week of December 12 – 16, 2011.
Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are your co-hosts.
Listen to our radio programs live by clicking onto the following hyperlinks:
Westchester on the Level http://www.blogtalkradio.com/westchesteronthelevel;
Page 3
Page 4
THE HEZITORIAL – INVESTIGATION
Transforming an “Out of Jail” Card to a Play for More than “Monopoly Money”
Continued from page 3
domino in place in July 2013. A few governmental structures had to be realigned. And
they were.
At first, James Cavanaugh, former
Westchester Republican Party Chairman,
and partner with Nick Spano’s Empire
Strategic Planning’s lobbying firm moved
his residence from Eastchester to Yonkers.
When Mike Spano acceded to office
in January 2012, one of his first acts was
to appoint Cavanaugh to the Yonkers
Parking Authority (YPA). The rationale
for Cavanaugh’s appointment was to bring
about a consolidation of the YPA with that
of the Yonkers Parking Violations Bureau
(YPVB). Almost two years later that effort
stalled and may take many years to bring
about for better or worse. Cavanaugh’s
shabby resume of accomplishments prior
to arriving in Yonkers or lack thereof stands
on a telling divulged in the Yonkers Tribune
on November 17, 2011. [Inspector General
Fisch Exposes James Cavanaugh, the “Pig”
Feeding at Public Trough By HEZI ARIS]
h t t p : / / w w w. y o n k e r s t r i b u n e .
com/2011/11/inspector-general-fischexposes-james-cavanaugh-the-pig-feeding-at-public-trough-by-hezi-aris.html
In the meanwhile, by June 30, 2013,
Wilson Kimball, Yonkers Director of
Waterfront and Downtown Development,
never officially announced by Mayor Mike
Spano to be remunerated to the tune of
$140,000 per year position was hired by
Mayor Mike Spano’s Administration
in January of 2012. It was Ms Wilson
Kimball who was charged with moving
the long expired contract designating SFC
Yonkers’ “Master Developer” status to
the newly evolved name Struever Fidelco
Cappelli – H & I Project. The 12 year old
contract expired in February of 2013. City
Paul Adler
Hall said it was valid through September
2103. Mark Berson only brought notice
of his intentions in November with no
documentation of his vision forward. In
a sense, it may be construed as a 90 day
wait, simply another stall by Yonkers City
Hall. If it is not, where are the evolved contracts? Berson’s plans were revealed only
within the last two weeks with no back-up
material whatsoever. The same attorney
representing the developers 12 years ago,
Bond Counsel Sean Griffen of the firm
of Harris Beach continues to push for the
“new” terms without sharing the contractual information with the Yonkers City
Council and without divulging it publicly.
Yonkers Corporation Counsel Michael
Curti promotes the project without redefining ancillary legal issues that have
unraveled due to alienation of parkland,
rights of succession to an expired contract,
which makes the process null and void,
among other concerns.
Wilson Kimball was the New York
State paid assistant to Libby Pataki, the
wife to then Governor George Pataki. She
became the fiancée to James Cavanaugh,
the former Supervisor of the Town of
Eastchester, former Chairman of the
Westchester Republican Committee,
Communications Director to Senator
Nick Spano when the senator served office,
the President and CEO of the Battery
Park City Authority (BCPA) from which
he was fired under a cloud of alleged “fraud
and corruption”.
After leaving the Battery Park City
Authority (BCPA) in October of 2010,
Cavanaugh took a job with Nick Spano’s
lobbying firm Empire Strategic Planning
(ESP). When Mike Spano was elected
Mayor of Yonkers, Cavanaugh served on
the mayoral transition team to interview
and vet candidates for jobs with the administration. The caveat by which Mayor Mike
Spano swore to abide was that no person
serving on a transition team would earn a
position with the administration. So much
for the value of Mayor Mike Spano’s words.
In the meanwhile Kimball and
Cavanaugh have married.
Kimball-Cavanaugh is officially the
Yonkers Commissioner of Waterfront and
Downtown Development, Cavanaugh may
be found “consulting on behalf of the City
of Yonkers”, whether as a Board Member
of the YPA, interceding on behalf of the
Yonkers Industrial Development Agency;
Cavanaugh and Cavanaugh-Kimball are
now the lone people scrutinizing, devising,
and pushing economic development
projects as part of the conduit connecting their purpose and positions within the
City of Yonkers as part of the umbrella of
power amassed for former New York State
Senator Nick Spano.
Former State Senator Nick Spano.
Nick Spano, James Cavanaugh,
Wilson Kimball – Cavanaugh are just
some of the dots that have insinuated
themselves into The People’s business in
Yonkers.
The other connecting dots stretch
from Nick Spano to his father, former
Westchester County Clerk Leonard
Spano, who helps with “strategic planning”,
brother and Mayor Mike Spano whose role
is to facilitate the plans devised, and brother
John Spano, and James Cavanaugh. These
people are the so-called “think tank”!
The Yonkers Jail House “sale” came
out of left field. Not one City Councilman
was aware of the impending sale. Yonkers
City Hall promoted the need to move the
use of the property as a jail facility opting
to bring it to the decades old Cacace
Justice Center, recently updated, to meet
its intended purpose, that is, to be a jail,
rather than a storage unit, housing the
Yonkers City Court, and the Yonkers
Police Department.
And so, last week, Daniel Wolf, who
has agreed to purchase the Yonkers City Jail
for $1 million said, “I’ve been an addicted
collector my whole life and… When my
count of cardboard boxes grew out of my
present storage, I said it’s time to look for
space. …I got online… and up came this
building… What a beautiful building. I
didn’t know anything about the building. I
didn’t know anything about Yonkers, but I
was really struck by the building. I think six
months ago I saw it for the first time. This
is really great. This is going to work. As
time went on, I said, this is really great but
its too much of a…It’s such a big project
for me; do I really need it? It was really the
mayor who brought me back into the circle
and said you’ve got to do it.”
Disparities in the process come to
light. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was
officially posted in the official papers designated for such purpose by the City of
Yonkers (CoY), The Journal News (daily
paper) and Yonkers Rising (weekly). Yonkers
Mayor Mike Spano’s Chief of Staff Steve
Levy advises CoY received no interest in
the property. RFP-261 was posted on the
Empire State Purchasing Group website
on March 5, 2013. The deadline for acquisition and redevelopment of the City
Waterfront Jail was closed on April 12,
2013 by 2:00 p.m. E.D.T.
https://www.empirestatebidsystem.com/closed-bids/City-of-Yonkers/
ACQUISITION-AND-REDEVELOPMENT-OFTHE-CITY-WATERFRONT-JAIL.
asp?tn=145653
Approximately
three-and-a-half
weeks later, on May 8, 2013, Newsday
reporter Christian Wade, reported
“Yonkers Seeking Developer to transform
Run-Down Old Jail”
h t t p : / / w w w. r a n d c om m e rc i a l .
com/Commercial-Real-Estate-Blog/
Commercial-Real-Estate-Blog/bid/115529/
Yon k e r s - S e e k i n g - D e ve l o p e r - t o Transform-Run-Down-Old-Jail
LEADERSHIP
After 30 Years, Dottie Jordan Retires as Executive Director of Mt. Kisco Childcare
By RICH MONETTI
In my working career,
whenever a boss has
appeared in my proximity outright fear takes
overwhelms me. On the
other hand, Executive Director Dottie
Jordan of Mt. Kisco Childcare Center
inspires something altogether different in
me. I want – even though I don’t always
succeed – to live up to the progressive vision
she has put forth in over 30 years of service.
But On December 24th, Dottie Jordan’s
tenure will come to an end. And while there
will be more than enough inspiration left to
ensure this staff not succumbs to “just look
busy,” MKCCC will still carry a void that can
never be completely filled.
“You’re losing an icon,” says Dawn
Meyerski, MKCCC’s current Program
Director, self-described “partner in crime” to
Dottie and the future Executive Director.
But rock solid as that, Jordan’s steadfast beliefs and motivations have not caused
the center to stagnate by any measure. “Her
adaptability,” says Meyerski, “that’s what
Dottie Jordan
really maintained our mission. We grew
into this brand new facility, initiated an
inter-generational program that has received
national attention and developed an innovative educational curriculum, which includes
nutritional and gardening initiatives - second
to none.”
A little less top down, long time
Preschool Teacher Melissa Nappi sees it
closer to home. “She’s like a mom for all us,”
says Nappi.
The advice, understanding and experience never falling short, being at the head
of the house sometimes means Jordan must
step up when those below go afoul. Yeah,
that would be me. Around now, for about
ten years, I need a little refocusing from time
to time.
Never a stern warning to get me back
on track - her insights help build a consensus that makes me want to do proud by the
maternal figure she so seamlessly represents.
Nappi says, “She’s very fair and lays out the
situation in a very balanced way.”
Assistant Teacher Ryan Martin’s hiring
Continued on page 5
LEADERSHIP
After 30 Years, Dottie Jordan Retires as Executive Director of
Mt. Kisco Childcare
15 years ago speaks to that but he
believes there was more to it than
an attempt to level off the estrogen
advantage among staff. “Back then,
there were questions about hiring a
guy in early education – she had the
courage and foresight to do it and I’m
still thankful,” says Martin.
In return, the wisdom and
advice is never awry, while her station
in the front office doesn’t mean the
kids are a mystery as daily circumstances move her about the building.
“She knows every kid by name and
brings a smile to all their faces,” says
Martin.
There to bear witness as
Martin’s lead in Toddler Room A,
Head Teacher Vanessa Cicchelli
admits at times she’s needed more
than laughter to get to the next
level as a caretaker. “I don’t always
follow through with ideas, and she
has inspired me to go through with
things I believe in,” says Cicchelli.
“In the end, Dottie has made me a
stronger person.”
At the same time, Cicchelli
knows she’s not only alone in the
uplifting. “She makes the teachers
feel like we are the heart of the
center,” says Cicchelli.
But the influence and support
doesn’t end at the doors of the
daycare. “When I was going through
my divorce, she enabled me to keep
things in check and helped me
realize I was still a good mother,” says
Cicchelli.
This all amounts to a fall back
that cannot be overstated. “Her
friendly face assures you there’s
always someone there if you need
help,” says Toddler Room B Head
Teacher, Tami Albanese.
“But all good things,” Ryan
Martin says, “are secure in the apt
executive hands Dawn Meyerski
represents. Dawn will be great.”
Nonetheless, the new director
laments the loss of her right hand
as she looks to the future. “I’m the
Ethel to her Lucy, and I don’t know
who my Ethel is going to be,” says
Meyerski.
A sense of humor the staff
knows well, it will go a long way
toward making up the difference.
The rich legacy Dottie Jordan has left
behind won’t hurt either.
Rich Monetti has been a freelance writer
since 2003 and lives in Westchester.
CommunitySection
ACTIVISM
CGDC & YCAP Host Successful Young
Professionals Mixer and Coat Drive
By LEONARDO
MEDINA
YONKERS,
NY -- On Friday,
October
25th,
local
organizations Community Governance &
Development Council (CGDC)
and Yonkers Community Action
Program (YCAP) held a hugely successful networking mixer and coat
drive at downtown Yonkers hotspot
Casa de Cafe on Main Street. The
event provided the opportunity
for young professionals and entrepreneurs to mingle and to make
professional connections, as well as
serve their community by donating
spare coats to those in need this
upcoming winter.
The Cafe was packed. About 65
young professionals and community
members from across Westchester
(L-R): LaMont Oyewale’ Badru, Executive Director of CGDC, Ami Dar
founder of Idealist.org, and Justin Tolbert YCAP Board Member.
and NYC were in attendance, and
about 70 winter coats were collected
that evening. The highly anticipated
keynote speaker was Ami Dar, the
founder and Executive Director of
Continued on page 6
Page 5
Page 6
ACTIVISM
CGDC & YCAP Host
Successful Young
Professionals Mixer and
Coat Drive
www.Idealist.org, the worlds #1 website for
the promotion of non-profit organizations
and non-profit job and internship postings.
As he drew a large, yet intimate crowd
about him, Ami Dar shared the catalyst that
moved him to start www.Idealist.org, and
about a new initiative that Idealist is launching to create a platform to connect people
interested in marrying activist and volunteer
work to local projects that are taking place.
On November 22nd, the coats donated
by the young professionals were distributed at the YCAP offices located at 164
Ashburton Avenue (formerly School 12).
Yonkers
City
Councilmember
Christopher Johnson (District 1), and
YCAP Board Chairmember Symra
Brandon showed their support by helping to
distribute the coats that night.
CGDC and YCAP look forward to
collaborating on future events. More young
professionals mixers will follow in 2014.
CALENDAR
UPAC Hosts An Evening of Albanian Music and Culture
By DENISE (DEE)
BARBATO
YONKERS, NY
-Untermyer
Performing
Arts Council (UPAC) and
the Albanian American
Community present “A Night of Albanian
Music and Culture,” Thursday, Dec. 12th at
7 p.m., to be held at the Yonkers Montessori
Academy, 160 Woodlawn Avenue, Yonkers.
Admission is free.
The evening is a celebration of music
and dance marking Albanian’s independence from Ottoman rule in 1912,
commemorated each year on November
28th, and its subsequent break from Soviet
influence and occupation in 1992, when the
Republic of Albania became independent
from the Soviet Union.
Featured will be Kelmendi, a traditional
Albanian band from Shkoder County in
Northern Albania whose music is inspired
by Albanian national hero Skenderbeg, with
themes of honor, hospitality and strength.
Dressed in traditional Albanian attire,
Kelmendi performs a distinctive variety of
poetry in the form of song, which explains
the beautiful culture of Albanian heritage
with songs acting as an oral history explaining Albanian hardships and the strict moral
code of honor that is part of the Albanian
demeanor. The lahuta, a one-stringed fiddle,
accompanies the telling of these epic poems.
Rozafati, a colorfully costumed
Albanian dance group, whose artistic goal is
to elaborate, develop and propagate ancient
Albanian folk treasures, is a branch of the
Mother Teresa Cultural Center under the
umbrella of Our Lady of Shkodra Roman
Catholic Parish in Hartsdale, N.Y. Founded
more than 30 years ago, the group has
flourished under the leadership of Father
Peter Popaj, choreographer Angelina Nika
and directors Fran and Gina Cotaj. Today,
Rozafati has more than a hundred dancers
from age 5 to 25, whose goal it is to preserve
and teach others the culture of all Albania
regions.
UPAC president, David Tubiolo,
thanked Henry Djonbalaj, an active member
of not only the Albanian-American community, but also Yonkers’ Lincoln Park
Taxpayers Association and McLean Avenue
Merchants Association, for his assistance in
making the evening possible, providing a
Kelmendi performers
great world of knowledge and outreach to
the Albanian community.
Henry said, ‘ It’s great to see so many
people accept and welcome the Albanian
culture, especially in my beloved city of
Yonkers. I was pleased to work closely with
members of the Untermyer Performing Arts
Council to make this evening possible.”
The evening is made possible through
Arts Westchester with funds from
Westchester County, and Westchester
County Cultural Initiative, in cooperation
with the City of Yonkers, Mayor Mike
Spano, and the Yonkers Department of
Parks, Recreation and Conservation.
Comedy Genius Johnny Lampert Turns Ho! Ho! Ho! Into Ha! Ha! Ha!
YONKERS, NY -- Laughs will be giftwrapped in time for the holidays with
Johnny Lampert delivering the one-liners at
Empire City Casino’s (810 Yonkers Avenue,
Yonkers, NY 10704; Tel: 914-968-4200)
Comedy night on Wednesday, December
18; doors open at 7:00 pm; show starts
at 8:00 pm; the MC is Mike Citera and
Michael Speirs is the featured performer;
admission $5 for Empire Club members;
$15 for non members; free drink ticket for
all patrons.
Headliner Johnny Lampert is one of
the premier comedians in the country, and a
regular at New York City’s and Los Angeles’
best comedy clubs including The Gotham
Comedy Club, The Comic Strip, Caroline’s
Comedy Club and The Improv. Johnny has also made numerous
appearances on national television including featured performances on MTV, A&E,
Comedy Central, NBC, HBO Comedy
Showcase and most recently on AXS TV’s
Gotham Comedy Live! Johnny’s wildly
successful appearances at Montreal’s “Just
for Laughs” Festivalled to his being named
“Best Act” by The Montreal Gazette as well
as the signing of a sitcom deal with The
FOX network and Walt Disney Television.
Johnny was also honored recently with, not
Johnny Lampert.
News & Notes from Northern Westchester
By MARK JEFFERS
The Jeffers clan made their
annual trek into the woods
last week to find the perfect
Christmas tree. After our
usual two hour hunt, we
all agreed. We chose the first tree we saw,
brought it home, threw on some lights,
fired up come cocoa, broke out my laptop,
and wrote this week’s “evergreen” edition of
“News & Notes.”
Here is a great way to get in the holiday
spirit with the whole family. On Saturday,
December 14th, artist Deborah O’Connor
will hand-cut silhouettes of family members,
pets, or photos, so stop by the Court House
in Bedford between 10:30am and 2:00pm.
There will be crafts, homemade cookies, hot
chocolate, and a visit from Santa.
This sounds like a festive, fun time, and
good for you… the Jingle Bell 5K Run/
Walk for the Arthritis Foundation will take
place at the Purchase College campus on
December 14th. Maybe Rudolph will lead
the way?
The Bedford Hills Free Library is currently collecting gift items for Bedford Hills
one, but two of his routines being chosen for
inclusion in the soon to be released book,
“The Best Comedy Routines, Period.” MC Mike Citera has performed
standup and improve comedy in clubs all
over New York and Los Angeles, most
notably The Improv, Laugh Factory, Upright
Citizen’s Brigade Theater and Caroline’s. He
has racked up a lot of internet buzz with
his many YouTube sketches and was also
voted the #2 college radio DJ in 2010 for
his morning show “Mikey Mike’s Money
Morning Madness.” Also featured on the bill is Michael
Speirs. Mike is a tremendously funny
comedian whose likeability and quick wit
always keeps the crowd engaged and highly
entertained. Whether he is talking about the
joy and pain of being a public school teacher,
surviving open heart surgery, or just reminiscing about striking out with women while
bar-hopping in his former life, one thing
is certain...every time Mike takes the stage
audiences are sure to be alive, energized and
clamoring for more. Visit www.empirecitycasino.com or
call 914.968.4200 for more information.
Correctional Facility inmates’ children - ages
infant to 17 years of age. Donations must be
unwrapped and can be dropped off at the
library until Saturday, December 21st.
Pound Ridge is holding their annual
holiday seniors luncheon on December
12th in Conant Hall; rumor has it Mr. and
Mrs. Claus may stop by… for details call
914-0764-8201.
Choo-Choo, all aboard… The
Westchester Toy and Train Show will be
held at the Westchester County Center in
White Plains on December 15th with over
350 vendor tables.
Congratulations to Cappy Devlin as
her business Cappy’s Travel in Mount Kisco
celebrates their 40th anniversary.
The Performing Arts Center in
Purchase is presenting “The Nutcracker”,
December 13-15th, including 130 local
children in the cast.
Good luck and best wishes go out to
Dawn Meyerski as she becomes the new
Continued on page 7
Page 7
CALENDAR
News & Notes from Northern Westchester
executive director of the Mount Kisco
Child Care Center on January 1st.
This seminar looks green to me…
Designing Environmentally Sound
Landscapes Program will be held at
the Westchester County Center on
December 13th.
For all you Colgate students,
alumni, and fans, I wish you a Happy
Colgate Day on the final Friday, the
13th, in 2013… my daughter is class of
2013 so I know she will be celebrating
this great tradition, and guess who contributed this item to the column...
Blues Corruption will perform at
the Burger Barn in Somers on Friday,
December 13th, at 8:00pm. Delicious
food, great music, and a fun time for all.
I sent Santa a note on this: John
Jay High School in Cross River is
holding their 28th annual Antique
Stocking Stuffers Showcase on
Sunday, December 15th.
After a busy day of Christmas
shopping, how about a little Holiday
Jazz Vespers with Ray Blue & Quartet
at the Peekskill Presbyterian Church
on December 15th.
Westchester
Community
College’s Fine Arts Gallery presents
“Skeletons,” an exhibition by Charles
McGill, which will be on display
January 27th through March 8th, 2014.
McGill’s work combines his passion
for golf with a conceptual understanding of found objects.
How many gutter balls can I
roll in January? …as our friends at
Grand Prix New York (GPNY), the
area’s leading indoor entertainment
and team-building venue, will host an
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES
Cordero’s Report
By SHERIF AWAD
Quito-born
filmmaker
Sebastián
Cordero’s resumé of
accomplishment has
spanned fifteen years;
his name is recognized not only in
Latin cinema but across the world. His
latest film Europa Report, belonging to
the sci-fi genre premiered in the film
market of the Cannes Film Festival
last May, then in San Diego’s Comic
Con last July, and in L’Étrange Festival
in France last September. The film
received acclaim from science-fiction
genre fans in Europe and the United
States before the Ecuadorian audience;
both moviegoers and media discovered
it at the opening of the 3rd Orquídea
Film Festival in Cuenca, Ecuador. A
few hours before the opening night,
Cordero granted The Westchester
Guardian this exclusive interview in
which he looks back at the vast breadth
of his growing career.
AWAD: How did you get interested
in filmmaking?
CORDERO: Moving with my
family to live in Paris when I was nineyears-old was an element so significant
in shaping my life since my childhood,
because shortly after we arrived in
France, my father passed away in an
accident. And so during that period,
I took refuge in cinema by attending
films with my brother and sisters. It
was part entertainment, part escape,
and part healing until I started to gradually realize the power of cinema. It is
as an art form and a way of communication that uses many tools like image,
overnight fundraiser bowling event on
January 10th at 6:00pm to benefit the
Fox Lane Sports Booster Club. The
Bowl-a-Thon will span a full 24-hour
period, using all 19 lanes at SpinsBowl
inside GPNY. The good news is that
the folks at ProClinix Sports Physical
Therapy & Chiropractic Wellness
of Pleasantville and Armonk will be
on-site offering massages and stretching, I’m sure I will be first in line for
that…
As we all know it is better to give
than to receive, so please think about
those less fortunate and donate to
the many worthwhile charities here
in Northern Westchester, then pour
yourself some holiday cheer… and see
you next week.
Mark Jeffers resides in Bedford Hills,
New York, with his wife Sarah, and three
daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Claire.
Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin
Tarantino. After finishing my studies
in 1994, I did not imagine that I would
do films in Ecuador. But life has many
surprises.
AWAD: Your film debut: Ratas,
ratones, rateros (Rodents, 1999) was
about ex-convict Angel who tries to
I like
people
to be able
to rely
on me.
It’s vital that
people get to
work because
they have to
support their
families, and if
we don’t do our
jobs, they can’t
do their jobs.
If there’s a
challenge on the
job, I am willing
to step up to it.
If we weren’t
doing it, people
would notice it —
the quality of life
would degrade.
I provide services
that people need!
LOCAL 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
DA N N Y D O N O H U E , P R E S I D E N T
Meet Reuben
Sebastián Cordero. Photo by and courtesy of Catalina Kulczar.
rhythm, and music. Living in France
made me think of making films every
day until we moved back to Ecuador at
the age of fifteen. At that time, there
was practically no Ecuadorian cinema.
I don’t recall seeing one Ecuadorian
film until I joined the University of
Southern California in 1990 to study
in its film school. I was inspired by the
new independent movement in the
United States that was highlighted by
the early films by The Coen Brothers,
get some easy money with the help of
his naïve cousin Salvador. How did
you realize this film?
CORDERO:
Independent
cinema inspired me to the point that
I thought its methods could be very
applicable to our realities in Latin
America. And so I started to write
Rodents while keeping in mind to
make it feasible on the street level.
Nevertheless, the film was realized
On the line every day.
People working together to make
a better New York for all.
SMART | DYNAMIC | CARING | DEDICATED
Continued on page 8
9016_Brand Ads 4.587x10 WG .indd 3
11/20/13 11:19 AM
Page 8
Cordero’s Report
with a budget of over USD200,000; fully
funded from within Ecuador. With a film
debut, you must knock on many doors and
ask for all the favors you might get from
family, friends and people you know, which
is something you can’t do later for your
next film! Moreover, Isabel Dávalos, the
producer I worked with at that time, had a
very entrepreneurial mind. The actors too
were a mix of professional and amateurs.
While Carlos Valencia, who played Angel,
had experience in the Ecuadorian theatrical
group Mala Yerba and the Ecuadorian film
Between Marx and a Naked Woman (1999),
Marco Bustos, who played Salvador, had
never performed in front of a camera. It was
a movie about teenagers, so mostly I was
looking for spontaneity and freshness. We
were also lucky to have a good exhibition of
the film in 50 international festivals including Venice, Toronto and San Sebastian,
winning several awards. Then, it was also
a good release in the local multiplexes that
started to open two years earlier in Ecuador
which made the audience discover the film
cutting edge in good sound and vision. Our
strategy at that time was to get good international word-of-mouth about the film, then
to release it in local theaters; and this paid off
very well. Rodents also broke the prejudice of
many Ecuadorians against watching local
production.
Sherif Awad and Sebastian Cordero in
Cuenca, Ecuador.
AWAD: Your follow-up Crónicas
(Chronicles, 2004) was a thriller about a
TV reporter from Miami who travels to
Ecuador in pursuit of a serial killer known
as “the Monster of Babahoyo”. The dialog
between the reporter and killer was quite
reminiscent of those between Clarice
and Hannibal in “The Silence of the
Lambs”. Moreover, the film criticized the
sensational manner of presenting crime
across North and Latin America which
eliminates the awareness and cautionary
elements of TV content.
CORDERO: I was fascinated by this
subject because I am a storyteller; having
my own set of rules, and what’s ethical and
what isn’t. However, this is something very
relative and very subjective. Many news
programs around the world are presented
like sensational tabloid entertainment. I
started working on Crónicas to showcase
two elements that came together naturally:
first, a story about a questionable sociopath Vinicio Cepeda, played by Damián
Alcázar, who abducts children. And in this
storyline, I tried to eliminate his dehumanization because some TV shows ,and media
in general, tend to portray such characters
as monsters. Second, I wanted to show the
influential role of the press in bringing these
stories to the public through the character of
the TV reporter Manolo Bonilla, played by
John Leguizamo, who is Ecuadorian-born,
but travel between back and forth. Perhaps
this is because I felt like an outsider trying to
capture the essence of my continent. Bonilla’s
lead in the film replicates in very similar form
a TV reporting crew’s attempt to grasp the
essence of the world they are attempting to
portray yet failing in the process.
AWAD: Pescador (Fisherman, 2011) portrayed yet another class of Ecuadorian
people in the story of Blaquito (Andrés
Crespo) who leaves El Matal, his small
fishing village on the coast of Ecuador, to
travel to Guayaquil, to sell drugs he accidentally found floating along the water’s
edge. Nonetheless, I see Pescador as a universal story whose telling translates well to
many people from various countries. How
was this movie was conceived?
CORDERO: I was interested in
creating a character that evolves, like a fish
out water after being exposed to the many
changes that transformed him overnight.The
idea was further shaped after I read an article
published in the Ecuadorian magazine Soho
about a drug shipment washed out to sea
and thereafter found by someone. To create
dramatic tension, I had Blaquito’s character become a frustrated outcast suffering
difficulties selling the drugs in Guayaquil,
which was quite different from the original
concept where the guy who found the drugs
had some successful in selling the drugs. The
original character ended up spending all the
money, eventually returning to his village and
his usual lifestyle. Blaquito comes to realize
that he cannot change his life if he has a
thousand dollars in his pocket or a thousand
kilos of drugs in his bag. Pescador was quite
an organic experience for me because I
allowed the actors to make several improvisations and also allowed myself to do some
changes to the script while we were shooting
on location in a natural light setting.
AWAD: How do you describe Europa
Report, your most recent film that opened
Cordeo used multi-screen to realize the feel of found-footage.
Ecuadorian director, but it is in fact an independent film made with a moderate budget.
Again, because the film has already opened
in the United States and can be seen online,
many people have already seen it before the
festival which helps us a lot in the promotion
of the film.
Cordero used classic green screen techniques to
create zero gravity.
La Orquidea International Film Festival in
Cuenca last November?
CORDERO: I don’t categorize the
Europa Report as an Ecuadorian film, it is
rather a North American production by an
American company.The crew includes international actors and filmmakers from all over
the world including myself, and cinematographer Enrique Chediak from Ecuador,
and production designer Eugenio Caballero
from Mexico. The subject is not only associated with countries that have space program
like the US or Russia but it is more of a
universal subject that touches the whole of
humanity and its futuristic dreams. People
here in Ecuador are proud of the idea that
this is a Hollywood sci-fi film directed by an
AWAD: As written by Philip Gelatt, did
the script of Europa Report inspire you to
use the split-screen and found-footage
techniques in directing the film?
CORDERO: Although it was
recently overused in horror films, the foundfootage elements were there on the first
draft of the script of Europa Report. When
I first read it, I felt it ultimately deals with
the legacy that someone leaves what has
been captured on camera. Also because it
is a film about explorers, it reminded me
of the story of George Mallory, one of the
climbers of Mount Everest who died in
1924. But when his body was found in 1999,
everybody questioned whether he succeeded
in climbing Everest or not; an effort to find
proof began in search of a camera to prove
just that. So whatever is the outcome of the
mission of the astronauts in Europa Report,
their legacy and their sacrifice has ultimately
reached Earth. And so this is the value of the
found-footage element in this story. About
the multiple cameras, there were elements
in the script that drove me to set the stage
to capture from eight different angles. The
result was so cool that it inspired us to play
with the footage in the editing room to
infuse the film with a feeling of “real-time”.
AWAD: Given the constraints of
the budget, how did you realize the
Another example of Cordero using classic
green screen techniques to create zero gravity.
weightlessness scenes?
CORDERO: The movie referred to
many scientific facts about the influence of
long-term space traveling on the muscles
and the minds of humans. Astronauts in
zero-gravity space should exercise for eight
hours which is the equivalent of one hour
on Earth. We tried strategically to plan and
narrow every zero-gravity shot in order to
implement it with an affordable technique.
In some case, we used wire technique to
hang actors in the set. In other cases, we used
green screen chroma with an actor in the
background and another in the foreground.
Continued on page 9
Page 9
features and seven documentaries being
produced on an annual basis. What we are
hoping for right now is to insure quality of
production alongside the quantity.
international career through an agent in the
United States. If a good screenplay comes
along from here in Ecuador or from another
place, I will be happy to make it.
AWAD: What are you working on next?
CORDERO: Actually, I am working
again on a new Ecuadorian film revolving
around scams in the business of Real Estate
across Guayaquil. I am also pursuing an
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Sherif Awad is a film /
video critic and curator. He is the film editor of
Egypt Today Magazine (www.EgyptToday.
com), and the artistic director for both the
Alexandria Film Festival, in Egypt, and the
Arab Rotterdam Festival, in The Netherlands.
He also contributes to Variety, in the United
States, and is the film critic of Variety Arabia
(http://varietyarabia.com/), in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), the Al-Masry Al-Youm
Website (http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/
node/198132) and The Westchester Guardian
(www.WestchesterGuardian.com).
Cordero’s Report
By rotating the image of one of actor 180
degrees, the result gave the illusion of
floating in zero-gravity. Mexican-born production designer Eugenio Caballero, with
whom I worked before is most famous for
his Oscar-winning work in El laberinto del
fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006), build the set
in Cine Magic Sound Stage in Brooklyn.
AWAD: According to you, what’s the
status of Ecuadorian cinema right now
compared to the days when you started?
CORDERO: There has been a huge
change since I made Rodents and Chronicles.
At that time, one feature film and some
documentaries were produced in Ecuador.
Five year ago, the effort of a group of
Ecuadorian filmmakers positively resulted in
the implementation of a new law to support
film production which created El Consejo
Nacional de Cine del Ecuador (CNCINE)
and its funding system. With the support
of CNCINE and other funds like Programa
Ibermedia, it became easier for Ecuadorian
filmmakers to create their own films. So
right now, there are around seven Ecuadorian
-
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HEALTHCARE
The Obamacare Cookie Crumbles
By BOB MARRONE
Buyer’s Remorse, If Only
I Had Actually Bought It
To my friends on the right,
go ahead and gloat. You have
earned it. For the past seven years, whether
on my morning show or in this space, I
have championed The Affordable Care Act
(ACA) and defended president Obama’s
good intentions in trying to provide healthcare to all Americans. In so doing, I also
believe that I offered a fair and rational set
of arguments in support of my positions,
and offered to man-up, as it were, if proven
wrong. I stood ready, I insisted, to eat crow
should that moment arrive. Well, the beak
has been removed, the feathers plucked and
the “humble sauce” prepared. Oh, one more
thing: there will be no desert; for I have had
my share of cookies to last a lifetime.
Cookies indeed!
Yes, Obama haters rejoice in my pain.
Celebrate that the last straw in my effort
to apply for Obamacare on the now notorious website has resulted, once again, in
failure. Two months of futility. This time, I
am locked in mortal combat with the geek
invented term “cookies.” Why the fudge they
had to call them cookies is another column
someday. I suspect it is because cookies were
what the propeller hat wearing nerds were
eating with their milk when they should have
been wasting their college years hooking up
and drinking beer.
At first, in my latest attempt, I finally got
the web site to open. I am almost certain I
heard angels singing to the tune of Amazing
Grace. I then managed to get an account
set up… I think. You see, I got an email
saying I did, as well as a confirmation that
my user name and password were approved.
Curiously, I also got an email informing of a
“change in notification selections.”The catch
is I never “selected” any notifications to begin
with. Still, I moved to the next step, a plateau
it seems I will never rise above.
Next, the same system that told me I
had an account informed me that I have not
set one up. It also reported that it does not
know the user name or password I used. I
tried again, and again, and again. To kind of
quote Hymen Roth, ‘I wasn’t angry; I didn’t
ask who built the website. I said to myself,
this is the website we have chosen.’ So I
called the number on the screen, calmly. The
women told me that she could not understand why I was unable to get into the site if
I received a confirmation. Then she uttered a
word I shall never forget: “Cookies.” “Excuse
me,” I asked? “Cookies, you have to enable
your cookies,” she responded. I was speechless. Yes, I had heard the term before, but still
do not know what they are or whether they
are enabled, disabled, baked or fried.
God help me, I thought, as she walked
me through several failed attempts to
“allow” (Yes, another term for it) cookies.
When nothing helped she uttered what the
Obamacare website has become famous for
saying, “Try again later,” and hung up. Still,
I reasoned, I am not ready to write my mea
culpa just yet. So I went on the web to figure
out how to deal with cookies. There were
scores of tutorials, and I choose the one I
thought would work best. It worked alright.
Somehow, I think, I disabled all existing
cookies and allowed new cookies to enter my
laptop. Ahem, I think. The results have been
less that stellar.
I still cannot enter the website, even
though I have an account, and now I have
more problems. Months, if not years, of
frequently used websites, some for business
and banking, others for job applications,
still others for pleasure, are no longer
Continued on page 10
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HEALTHCARE
The Obamacare Cookie Crumbles
bookmarked and/or username-password
remembered. I have spent the afternoon
with my secret password book…second
only to the “football” containing the president’s nuclear launch codes… re-entering
passwords from years gone by. With each
stroke of the key my frustration grows. It will
get worse, I am sure, when I try and access
something I need that I can’t think of right
now. In fact, all I can think of is the disaster
that is the rollout for something I fought so
hard for, so publicly. More personally, I have
based some career decisions on the ACA, as
well; but, as we liked to say back in Brooklyn,
who the frosted cookie am I? What about
everyone else? Millions of people with no
grandsons to fix their laptops or explain
cookies are in the same boat; or is it cookie
sheet?
I find myself thinking about the difference between knowing what people need
and the daunting task of getting it to them;
of ideas and execution; of hope and change
and deliverance. I am of a mixed mind this
evening. The Obama Administration, which
has done many good things in terms of
policy, has fallen victim to a common malady
affecting the arrogant: It is not enough to
be the smartest person in the room. This
dynamic is exacerbated when you apply it
to the general sloth and incompetence of
government. There, I said it. But before you
think I am ready to join the Tea Party, know
this:
While it appears that the Obama
Administration cannot find the Lincoln
Room with both hands, their hearts, at least,
want me and millions of others to have access
to affordable health care, and eventually we
will get it. There is no other alternative. The
Republicans don’t care; don’t have a plan
and a large enough portion of them think
that those without insurance don’t deserve
to have it.
The whole thing leaves me with a sour
taste in my mouth, one which I will most
certainly not cure with a cookie. Besides, I
am filling up on crow.
Bob Marrone is an author and freelance writer.
MUSIC
THE SOUNDS “Song of the South: Duane Allman & the
OFBLUE Rise of the Allman Brothers Band.”
By Bob Putignano
This fine documentary depicts the career
of guitar-great Duane Allman, Duane’s
career was short but there’s an abundance
of historic segments discussed by those
how knew Allman’s power. Budd Scoppa,
David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, Paul Hornsby,
Randy Poe, Robert Christgau, William
Perkins and others opine about one of the
greatest guitarists of all time.
Starting with bands like The Escorts,
the Allman Joys, onto the Hour Glass’s
excursion to Los Angeles during the
summer of love, and their eventual signing
to Liberty Records. They opened for bands
like The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The
Animals, The Buffalo Springfield, Moby
Grape and more. But in the studio the Hour
Glass was produced by Dallas Smith who
wasn’t a good fit for the band. Their first
album didn’t gain any traction, during the
recording of their second LP Duane left the
band but later returned, yet that album also
didn’t sell. Their final effort was recorded at
Muscle Shoals and included more blues, but
after another venture to L.A. the Hour Glass
disbanded. Not long after Duane returned
to Muscle Shoals’ legendary Fame Studios
as a session player, his first session was with
Wilson Pickett and suggested “Hey Jude” to
be covered, it was a rousing success, and his
guitar solo caught the ear of Phil Walden
who signed Duane to a recording contract.
Atlantic Records Jerry Wexler also heard
Duane and subsequently purchased Duane’s
contract. But the session world was not comfortable for Duane, he didn’t sing well, and
his solo album was halted. On a recorded
interview Duane states he became sick of
being a session guitarist, and specifically
talks about wanting to form a band. Yet his
session work taught him how to arrange and
131 minutes. www.ChromeDreams.co.uk MVD Video DVD
also bolstered his abilities to be savvy in the
studio.
After a three hour recording session
with the original Allman Brothers Band
(with Reese Wynans on B3) the ABB was
born, even though Wynans dropped out.
Wexler had doubts about Duane’s new band,
so Walden recorded them for Capricorn
Records and allowed them artistic freedom.
Duane’s vision was finally fulfilled and the
rest is history. During another interview
Duane discusses his affinity for jazz music
and talks about Miles Davis and John
Coltrane.There are also discussions about the
Brothers “Dreams”with analogies of Duane’s
solo being similar to Coltrane’s openness.
Also mentioned is Bill Graham’s support
that established the ABB’s foothold at the
Fillmore East and the Northeast, and Tom
Dowd’s production work on their second
album “Idlewild South.”That session also led
to Duane’s monumental contributions on
Derek & the Dominos “Layla” album (that
Dowd also produced,) and we learn how
Clapton and Allman became instantly connected. So much so Duane missed several
ABB live gigs. In another Duane interview
he also speaks lofty praises about his new
found peer Clapton. There’s also chat about
how Duane suggested lifting an Albert King
lick from “As the Years Go Passing By” and
used it on the intro of the classic “Layla”track.
Afterwards the ABB’s popularity soared and
they started to tour heavily (three-hundred
live dates that year.) But their use of serious
drugs including the dreaded heroin also
became troublesome. Duane almost overdosed and nearly died, the entire band had
an addiction problem, and the band took
time off to enter rehab. Even with these
afflictions their performances didn’t suffer.
were enough Duane content and “Eat a
Peach” was completed. Duane closest friend
bassist Berry Oakley also died one year later
in a similar motorcycle accident about one
mile from where Duane crashed. Yet the
band continued on, though they’ve gone
through many musician changes – the ABB
famously continues onward to this very day.
Even though I thought I was fairly
knowledgeable about Duane Allman, there’s
a lot I learned from this DVD. For example:
I didn’t recall that the only song Duane
wrote was the short acoustic “Little Martha,”
the tune that hauntingly closed “Eat a
Peach.” In summary: The interviews are
often informative and insightful, the Dolby
sound is quite good too, but the “extras” are
mostly filler. Long story short: I thoroughly
enjoyed “Song of the South” and suspect you
will too. Last but not least: Do not dismiss
this DVD as being just for rabid Duane
Allman/ABB fanatics. It’s a document about
American music history from the seventies
that should be learned from and enjoyed by
any and all music enthusiasts. Note: Thanks
to WG reader Rob who alerted me about
this DVD, without his prodding I might
not have found this wonderful documentary.
Thanks Rob!
Their first two studio recordings weren’t
commercial successes, but the double LP
“Live at the Fillmore East” finally put them
on the map. They followed with “Eat a
Peach” which almost wasn’t finished as when
the album was being worked on - Duane
died in a horrific motorcycle crash at just
twenty-four years of age. Fortunately there
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Page 11
TECHNOLOGY – CREATIVE DISRUPTION
I Have 5,000 Facebook Friends
By JOHN F. McMULLEN
I have 5,000 Facebook
“Friends” and Facebook hath
decided that I shall have no
more (the “hath” rather than
the modern “has” is used to
emphasize the sacred tone of Facebook scripture).
That regulation seems logical, doesn’t it?
After all, 5,000 is a lot of people -- you’d think
I could be satisfied with that, wouldn’t you?
Well, I’m not! -- and here’s why:
I’m a working journalist and have been
one for 30 years. Over that time, I’m accumulated my contacts and sources. Many, many of
these are Facebook friends.
I’m a college professor and, once again,
have been one for over 30 years. In that time
I’ve taught thousands of students, many of
whom are Facebook friends.
I have administered active Internet discussion lists for over 20 years; two of which
have over 1,000 members -- many of these are
Facebook friends.
I administer a Ning Social network with
over 1,000 members, many of whom are
Facebook friends.
I have been active in Internet -- based
Virtual Reality for over 20 years, first on
MUDs and MOOs and then on “Second
Life” -- many of the contacts made there
became Facebook friends.
I have been a member of Facebook since
its early days -- when it was necessary to have
an .edu mailing address to have a Facebook
account. In the time that has passed, I have
acquired many friends on Facebook. I’m a
published author and poets and as a member
of Facebook groups related to those fields (as
well as some related to the NYC neighborhood
in which I grew up) and have acquired many
more friends in that fashion.
Finally, I am a very active poster on
Facebook, usually on technology, politics,
education, science, religion, and social media
subjects (I never post on the meals that I ate, my
sexual fantasies, or other personal drivel). Because
of these postings over the years, I’ve received
many, many “friend requests” -- as well as
many from “friends of friends”. I never turn
these down (but will later “unfriend” those who
are not active or post drivel. I regularly cull my
friends in an attempt to insure that it is a large
cadre of interesting people).
Why do I care about having so many
people? One major reason is that a large
number of interesting people post interesting things and. thus, provide fodder for my
weekly column and radio show as well as for
the magazine pieces that I do. Just as I want
to read interesting posts from interesting
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Page 12
TECHNOLOGY – CREATIVE DISRUPTION
5,000 Facebook Friends
people, I want to write about subjects that
interest interesting people.
Any on-line service which I was ever
involved with -- back to the days of the
“Source” and “CompuServe” through the
“WELL”, “ECHO”, and “Second Life”
-- provided special services to journalists,
whether waving of membership charges (if
any), additional storage, waving of limits (like
FB’s 5,000 friends cap), and providing phone
access to a press contact for questions, clarifications, and interview scheduling. Facebook
seems to have none to these. There is a press
e-mail address ([email protected]) but if one
sends e-mail there (as I have on a number of
occasions). There is never an answer unless
the requester is “on deadline’ from a major
national or Silicon Valley publication.
This special access to people and features
for press is not unique to on-line services.
Over the years of writing about the tech
industry, I have enjoyed access to people, early
announcements, review products, and services
at Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq,
Tandy, Microsoft, etc. as well as access to law
enforcement officials when I was writing
about computer-related crime and hacking
issues.
This access is not because the companies
particularly like the press or me personally
(I often wrote scathing reviews of new products
or services for InfoWorld in the 1980s). It was,
rather, because they recognized the value of
both having their name constantly in front
of the public and showing that they were
not afraid of public scrutiny by objective
journalists. Perhaps, with over one billion subscribers and constantly increasing advertising,
Facebook sees no needs for these concerns.
Coincidently, after I sent my most recent
missive to the press e-mail address asking for
the removal of the 5,000 cap, I received a fairly
long list to my Galaxy Note 3 phablet from
Facebook recommending friends that I might
add. Thinking (incorrectly, as it turned out) that
this communication meant that the cap had
been lifted, I went through the furnished list
-- 90% of the suggested friends had hundreds
of “mutual friends” with me -- and selected a
bunch, clicking “send friend request” as I did.
As stated above, it turned out that my
assumption was incorrect -- the intersection of my request and the list of suggested
requests was just a coincidence -- I tell my
statistics students that “correlation does not
mean causation” - here was the proof. The
evidence of my misinterpretation was brought
home rapidly when I received an electronic
scold from Facebook telling me that, since
I had sent so many friend requests, some to
people that I didn’t know, my ability to send
friend requests was suspended for seven days.
Additionally, when I tried to accept a friend
request from another person, I was told that I
couldn’t add the friend because I “already had
5,000 friends”.
Since then, I’ve deleted a few friends so
I could make room for a few current students
and some of the recommended list who
accepted my request.
I also was in contact with a real person at
Facebook -- a writer friend of mine at Wired
knew someone there and sent me his e-mail
address. The contact was very polite but, after
looking into the problem, said that the 5,000
rule was inviolate (In spite of the fact that I told
him that it made no sense). He suggested that I
tell students and new news sources and press
contacts to “follow me”. If, after being told that
we “couldn’t be friends”, they actually bothered
to do this, the following action would allow
them to see my postings and not me to see
theirs which, as stated above, is my primary
interest. I doubt that many would bother to
do it anyhow.
As I suggested above, perhaps that
Facebook with over a billion subscribers
worldwide and great advertising revenue,
has lost concern for individuals who
might be annoyed with it -- even those
who might write about such annoyance;
after all, with 1,000,000,000 subscribers,
what’s 1 person -- or 100 -- even 1,000 -just a mere drop in the bucket. Yet, there
are rumblings -- a number of the younger
generation who abandoned MySpace for
Facebook have told me on-line that they
have become “fed up” with Facebook and
are looking at some of the new networks
to move to. I don’t know how serious
these folks are or how many friends they
represent -- but I know that some of
these rumblings have reached the press.
While it seems hardly unlikely that there
will be a mass exodus from Facebook
(the rise of Twitter and Google+ were both
projected as having a negative impact on
Facebook but that did not happen), it also
seemed highly unlikely that Facebook
would dethrone MySpace or that Apple,
Google, Facebook, and Amazon would
replace Microsoft as the driving forces in
the tech world.
From the earliest days of Facebook
time, there have been criticisms by subscribers of what seemed to be Facebook’s
arbitrary changes in the areas of format,
privacy provisions, regulations, and other
items. When these criticisms reached the
newspapers and magazines, there was
often some modification of the policy
receiving complaint. Whether there
was modification or not, nothing halted
Facebook’s phenomenal growth -- so why
should there be any concern now? The
new book by Randi Zuckerberg (Mark’s
sister), “dot Complicated: Untangling Our
Wired Lives”, begins with Facebook
hosting President Barack Obama at a
Town Hall event -- at the request of the
White House! When the president considers your company important enough
to come visit, what’s 1 annoyed person
-- or 100 -- even 1,000?
Since the advent of Facebook, there
have been cautionary tales about its use
(as well as any social network but it, as the
largest, gets the most focus). One of the
recent, Stephen Marche’s “Is Facebook
Making Us Lonely” in the May 2012
issue of The Atlantic, quotes Carnegie
Mellon researchers as writing “One of the
most noteworthy findings was the tendency
for neurotic and lonely individuals to spend
greater time on Facebook per day than
non-lonely individuals.” The article also
quotes an Australian study, “Who Uses
Facebook” as finding a significant correlation between Facebook and narcissism,
stating “Facebook users have higher levels of
total narcissism, exhibitionism, and leader
ship than Facebook nonusers. In fact, it could
be argued that Facebook specifically gratifies
the narcissistic individual’s need to engage
in self-promoting and superficial behavior.”
Two of the persons quoted by
Marche as negative on Facebook (and
other online platforms) are Jaron Lanier
and Sherry Turkle. Neither of them
could conceivably be considered a
Luddite -- Lanier is the author of “You
Are Not A Gadget” and one of the fathers
of virtual reality and Turkle, MIT professor the author of the critical 2011
book, “Alone Together”, authored a 1995
positive book on online life, “Life on the
Screen”. Both are concerned that we lose
ourselves in the digital world, mistaking
virtual connection with human intimacy
and causing, in the words of Lanier, “a
leaching of empathy and humanity in that
process”.
It may be that the critics are overwrought and that, as we evolve in the
digital world, we will as a society, master
the interaction between the digital and
physical worlds. It may also be, however,
that Facebook will emerge as the prototype of the fictional online service
described in Dave Eggers’ acclaimed
novel “The Circle”, which eventually
takes control of society by deciding what
is best for its billions of subscribers,
offering more and more transparency (at
the expense of privacy), and slowly convincing all that these changes are in their
best interest. Admittedly, most reviewers
find Google to be the closest archetype to
The Circle but one can also see Facebook
as a model. Only time will tell!
(Note -- much of the above may be seen as a
rant born out of frustration -- and I admit
that it is. I also feel that presents items of
concern for the always-connected Facebook
user (such as myself ) as we continue along
the path to digital immersion)
Creative Disruption is a continuing series
examining the impact of constantly accelerating technology on the world around us.
These changers normally happen under our
personal radar until we find that the world
as we knew it is no more
Links to other writings, Podcasts, & Radio
Broadcasts at http://www.johnmac13.
com; hear my interview of The Westchester
Guardian editor Hezi Aris at www.blogtalkradio.com/rapidtalk/2013/10/13/
the-johnmac-show
EYE ON THEATRE
Historic Moments
By JOHN SIMON
Classical Greek drama came
in tetralogies: three tragedies
followed by a comic satyr
play. Richard Nelson too has
given us a tetralogy, although
of a different kind: “The Apple Family:
Scenes from Life in the Country.” Well,
Rhinebeck, New York, is not exactly country,
but it is an affluent small town where the
three Apple sisters live: Barbara and Marian
are schoolteachers, and Jane a writer with a
live-in boyfriend, Tim, an actor.
On holidays or other special days, they
are joined by their lawyer brother, Richard,
formerly of N.Y.C. but now, working for
the Governor, from Albany. With the sisters
lives their uncle, Benjamin, a gentle but
dimly senescent, formerly famous actor, who
may be moved to an assisted living facility.
Special days are election days or memorial
days, e.g., of 9/11 or, in this fourth play, the
50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. Each
play actually opened on the day on which it
is set.
All the plays take place after dinner in
Barbara’s dining room, and the subject is the
lively conversation among these six people.
This may concern politics or events of note
in their lives, such as Uncle Benjamin’s
severe heart attack, or Marian’s daughter’s
The cast of Regular Singing.
inexplicable suicide, or now Adam, Marian’s
divorced husband, back and dying upstairs.
“Regular Singing,” the title of this concluding play, focuses on what hymns Adam
wants sung at his proximous funeral.
The plays splendidly evoke the sense
of family, including minor disagreements,
recent developments of some interest, anecdotes related by one or another character.The
charm of this lies in the locus: the borderline
between the individual and the universal,
the unusual and the commonplace. It is a
paradigm of civilized intercourse, with alternatingly funny, sad and thoughtful moments.
Nelson himself has ably directed, and
the clothes and basic dining-room furniture
are well chosen by Susan Hilferty. Jennifer
Tipton provided naturalistic lighting. And
Page 13
EYE ON THEATRE
Historic Moments
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then there is the gifted cast, with a pair of
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idealistic sister, Jane, of Sally Murphy, and
the somewhat pedantically analytical Tim of
Stephen Kunken.
Maryann Plunkett is again the solid but
also slightly stolid Barbara; the lovely and
somehow aristocratic Laila Robins continues
as Marian. Jay O. Sanders repeats as the
bluff, rather impetuous Richard, and Jon
Devries is once more touching as Benjamin,
ever so good-natured, however out of it. The
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Page 14
EYE ON THEATRE
Historic Moments
wonder of the tetralogy is that the group
forms a microcosm faithfully embodying
the temper of the times while steering clear
of didacticism, sentimentality, or any hint of
exaggeration.
Production shots of Regular Singing by
and courtesy of Joan Marcus.
Venue Details: Joseph Papp Public
Theater / Anspacher Theater, 425 Lafayette
Street, New York, NY 10003; Tickets: (212)
539-8500.
Terrency McNally has written clever
plays and librettos, but with “And Away We
Go” he is after something bigger that does
not quite come off: a sort of history of the
theatre through some of its great moments.
The play was written for the 30th anniversary
of the Pearl Company, a modest ensemble
but the nearest thing we have to a repertory
company.
The six dramatis personae are members
of a contemporary theater company or of
its board, and we see them in 458 B.C. as
the Theater of Dionysus in Athens; next as
players in London’s Globe Theatre in 1610;
then as actors and a playwright in the Royal
Theater of Versailles in 1789. Again, at the
Moscow Art Theatre in 1896, followed
by the Coconut Grove Playhouse, South
Florida in 1956, where, of all places, Beckett’s
“Waiting for Godot” was introduced to
America. The play ends as it began, with the
troupe carrying on in the present.
One problem here is that McNally is too
obviously showing off with his knowledge of
theatre history by evoking such premieres
as “The Oresteia” and “The Seagull,” and
showing off his erudition by dragging in
every known detail about momentous premieres along with his own fictions. One
cannot help feeling nudged by a gloating
author into admiring his omniscience.
Theatre lovers mostly know these
colorful particulars and need not have them
rotely rehashed; other spectators are likely to
feel left out or overwhelmed, and certainly
lectured at. We feel less in a theatre than in
a classroom with an exhibitionist teacher
fobbing off his wares.
Since every actor plays six roles, no characterization gets much of a chance to register
compellingly; the Pearl gives us four regulars
and two newcomers, none of whom is quite
transcendent. Their all-purpose leading man,
Sean McNall, comes off best, although
Dominic Cuskern and Carol Schulz, their
two older character actors are not far behind.
But I find their standard ingénue or young
leading lady, Rachel Botchan, uninteresting, and Micah Stock, their new juvenile,
blustery and often incomprehensible. Donna
Lynne Champlin, an experienced nonmember, I have always found unappealing, and
downright annoying she is again.
Near the end, somehow all periods are
jumbled together in true chaos, rather like
The cast of Terrence McNally’s And Away We Go.
Sandra Goldmark’s deliberately overstuffed
set, which features an enormous cluster
of suspended costumes and a plethora of
piled-up props that could furbish a dozen
productions. Jack Cummings III, director of
the Transport Group, has staged this work
adequately, but it would take more than a
director, a thaumaturge to magically rescue
this piece.
Production photo of “And Away We Go”
by and courtesy of Al Foote III.
Venue Details: The Pearl Theatre, 555
West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Tickets: (212) 563-9261, or visit pearltheatre.org.
John Simon has written for over 50 years on
theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts
for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New
Criterion, National Review, New York
Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard,
Broadway.com and Bloomberg News. Mr.
Simon holds a PhD from Harvard University
in Comparative Literature and has taught at
MIT, Harvard University, Bard College and
Marymount Manhattan College.
To learn more, visit the JohnSimonUncensored.com website.
GovernmentSection
GOVERNANCE
New Rochelle City Council Defeats Ratner’s Echo Bay Project
By PEGGY GODFREY
The agonizingly long wait
was finally over on the New
Rochelle City Council’s
decision on Forest City’s
(Ratner) Land Disposition
Agreement (LDA) for its Echo Bay
proposal. A key reason for New Rochelle
Councilmembers voting against the project
was the reduction of the size of the original
proposal to the smaller revised development
proposal. In addition, many citizen groups
were against the project. Forest City’s initial
plan in 2006 was to develop 26 acres, including 150,000 square feet of retail space, 600
residential units, and two 140 room hotels.
The property originally extended from the
City Yard to Echo Avenue including the
former Con Edison substation, and the
Nelstad and Mancuso Marino properties. The 26 acres had been downsized to a
smaller, less ambitious plan of l0.8 acres to be
built on the waterfront, mostly on the city’s
present City Yard site.
At a previous meeting (November 12,
2013) a protest on the steps of City Hall
preceded the City Council Citizens to Be
Heard session. At that City Council session
all except one speaker had opposed the Echo
Bay proposal. Just prior, the New Rochelle
City Council (NRCC) had voted 4-3 to
discuss this project in January and to wait to
vote until after that time. Mayor Bramson
called for a break and then came back to the
council for a revote. However, during the
break Bramson (according to witnesses) had
screamed at Councilwoman Shari Rackman
and bullied her into changing her vote,
therefore this 3-4 vote voided Tarantino’s
resolution for the January discussion over the
Ratner proposal. This situation was followed
by a shouting melee in the parking lot, and
Bramson used a police escort to accompany
him on his return.
When New Rochelle (NR)
Councilman Tarantino proposed bringing
up the Forest City proposal for another vote
on November 26, 2013, residents’ curiosity
was piqued.
NR Councilman Lou Trangucci (1st
District) who had consistently voted against
this project was the first one to cast his vote.
He mentioned there was no hotel in the plan
and the 285 rental units required tax breaks.
Residents, he said, don’t think the proposed
development is appropriate and he votedm
“No.” Next, Tarantino said he was originally excited about the 26 acres with a hotel,
150,000 square feet of retail, and waterfront
access, but it ended up with 285 rental units.
He was offended by this “bait and switch” for
residents. In the future, he felt, the entire site
should be looked at to gain an understanding
of what the residents want. He voted, “No.”
Disappointed that the cost benefit
analysis, the $1.5 million grant, and the
armory or city yard were never discussed,
NR Councilman Jared Rice said he had had
more “meaningful discussions on Face Book”
than he had with NR Councilmembers.
Then he voted, “No.” Having never supported the LDA extension, NR Councilman
Ivar Hyden did not believe the proposal was
the best use of the parcel and voted, “No.”
Summing up many of the NR
Councilmembers’
concerns,
NR
Councilman Barry Fertel expressed disappointment on the scaled down project. His
objection was to the metamorphosis from
the original to the scaled down version. and
not to the tax abatements. He wanted to
know the reasons for the downsizing of the
project. Fertel made particular mention that
he was one of only two of the present council
members when Forest City Residential was
chosen as the developer for the parcel. He
recounted other recent developers’ proposals citing the LeCount Square plan and
the Church-Division proposal. The Garden
Street initiative elicited interest in only residential development. He also said public
officials should be held to a higher standard.
Page 15
Bay area.” He believs this was a sound financial deal for the city.The long 30-year process
by New Rochelle to plan for this development was cited in reaching this creative and
effective solution for the Echo Bay area.
Debate in his view should be conducted as
though “our children were watching.” How
disagreements are expressed sends a message
to the world, “including developers.” He felt
it was now up to his colleagues to make suggestions for appropriate development in this
area and then voted, “Yes.”
The vote was tallied at 6 against and 1
for. The project was defeated.
GOVERNANCE
New Rochelle City Council Defeats Ratner’s Echo Bay Project
Believing he had to move forward for his
‘beloved community” he voted, “No.”
The last NR City Councilperson to
vote, Shari Rackman, expressed city policy
and economic concerns about the proposal.
She was skeptical about the use of the
Nelstad and Mancuso Marina proposals. She felt the downtown and waterfront
should be connected and voted, “No.”
Acknowledging the “intense” debate
that had transpired on this proposal Mayor
Noam Bramson gave reasons why he supported it. The plan was to open up a large
area of the waterfront. This project would
have created ...”successful investment” and
would be a “catalyst to transform the Echo
Peggy Godfrey is a freelance writer and former
educator.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Let New York State Comptroller Audit LDCs in New York
By THOMAS P. DiNAPOLI
There is a shadow government operating in New
York. It uses billions of local
taxpayer dollars with little
oversight, and too often for
questionable purposes. In Monroe County,
it has wasted millions and led to indictments, including of public servants.
I’m talking about local development corporations, commonly called
LDCs. They were originally created to
help New York’s counties, cities, towns
and villages with economic development,
but their purpose has run amok in several
communities.
This played out last month when
an indictment was unsealed in Monroe
County detailing an elaborate bid-rigging
scheme involving public and private defendants that saw hundreds of millions of
dollars allegedly steered and laundered illegally. The case stemmed from my office’s
audits and investigations.
Back in 2012, auditors from my
office found that Monroe County officials wasted nearly $40 million in taxpayer
dollars when they created an LDC, Upstate
Telecommunications Corp., to support the
county’s information system needs. There
were no discernible savings for county
taxpayers.
The LDC’s creation resulted in backdoor borrowing of several million dollars
by the county and placed $8 million
of taxpayer money outside of county
control. That deal led in part to the indictments by State Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman as part of our Joint Task
Force on Public Integrity.
In the Rockland County town of
Ramapo, my auditors found town officials
left taxpayers liable for up to $60 million for
the construction of a minor league baseball
stadium financed through an LDC.
Under current law, my office cannot
directly audit the state’s approximately 270
LDCs, even when they are controlled by a
local government. The only way my office
can examine the relationship between an
LDC and a municipality is as a part of an
audit of the local government. Even then,
it is hard for us to look beyond the financial or business relationship to examine
the overall finances and operations of the
LDC.
This is a major loophole in state law
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that needs to be closed.
A bill I submitted to the state
Legislature would expand the comptroller’s
audit authority to include audits of such
organizations. The much-needed oversight
my proposal provides will help to restore
these entities to their intended purpose of
promoting economic development. I urge
lawmakers to act promptly on this measure
at the start of the next legislative session.
We can’t fully understand the financial
condition and operations of local governments unless we can directly examine the
finances and operations of the organizations they control. The recent indictments
in Monroe County show how important
public oversight is, and how costly the lack
of information can be to taxpayers. The
expansion of my office’s audit authority
over LDCs will enable us to keep an eye on
shadowy financing.
Taxpayers have the right to know
how their local governments and elected
officials are using public monies. Not only
when things go very wrong, as they did in
Monroe County, but routinely.
The use of LDCs has allowed some
local governments to operate in the
shadows. It’s time to shed more light on
these entities and to offer the public the
ability to see the full picture of where their
tax dollars are going.
Thomas DiNapoli is the New York State
Comptroller.
Page 16
MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN GOVERNMENT
Selection of a Developer for Kensington Road Condominium Project
By Mayor MARY C.
MARVIN
After an exhaustive and
thorough process, the Board
of Trustees will be ready to
make a decision on selection of a developer for the long approved
Kensington Road Condominium Project at
the December 9th monthly meeting.
As a refresher, the Village sent out a
Request for Proposal (RFP) the week of
June 7, 2013. Responses to the RFP were due
back to the Village by 4PM on September 3,
2013. The announcement of the RFP’s availability was publically broadcast and followed
by publication of the news in various local
outlets. The information was also put on
the Village website. The announcements
were sent to a number of developers who
had expressed interest in the project going
back to 2008 when the WCI Corporation
abandoned the development. During the
intervening summer weeks many interested
parties interviewed with Village staff and the
project’s architect about the RFP.
With the responses in by the September
due date, an expert committee was convened
to review submissions, chaired by Deputy
Mayor Robert Underhill, Trustee point
person Guy Longobardo, former Trustee
Frank Sica, Village resident Jay Urstadt,
Village Counsel James Staudt and Village
Administrator Harold Porr.
After careful study of submissions,
specific candidates were selected for
interviews and an intense review followed
both as to the potential developer’s financial
soundness and the quality of their product.
I joined in for the site visits of the finalists.
The RFP was essentially the same
document issued in 2003-2004 that required
the construction of a residential condominium project of approximately 110,000 square
feet creating up to 54 housing units and
the inclusion of an underground municipal
parking garage with 200 spaces for the exclusive use of the Village.
Over a period of two years, the prior
developer, who filed Chapter 11 due to heavy
investment in Florida real estate in 2008,
obtained all required land use and Board
approvals for construction of the project.
These approvals include an Environmental
Finding Statement, Planning Board Site
Plan and Planning Board Special Permit.
In addition, agreements were also secured
with multiple interested and/or involved
third parties including the New York
State Department of Environmental
Conservation regarding environmental
remediation, MTA/Metro North relating
to access, construction management,
drainage and utility issues, the owners of
One Pondfield Road modifying an existing
easement and providing for relocation of
utility lines, United Water replacing a water
main and agreements to protect the property
of Christ Church. In addition, both the
former project’s architect and project engineering firm have agreed that their drawings
and specifications may be used by a new
developer.
All of these pre-approvals, both in terms
of time and expenses incurred, have great
value to the new developer making this is a
truly shovel ready project.
After extensive market research, the
condominiums are designed to attract the
empty nesters, ideally current residents who
want to downsize but still remain in our
Village. The design schematics provide for
formal dining rooms, few bedrooms and
many staffing amenities.
In addition to the carefully designed
building whose every feature was vetted in
A Cause For Paws Pet Adoptions
the prior comprehensive two year review
process by the Village Planning Board and
Village staff, the adjoining neighborhood
to the project itself will be beautifully landscaped with new sidewalks, curbing, planting
and underground utilities.
Perhaps even most importantly, approximately 20,000 cubic yards of contaminants
will be removed and the property, formerly
a power and steam station, gas station and
general industrial site, will be returned to
pristine condition.
Proposers provided a bond, letter of
credit or equivalent form of security to insure
completion of the environmental remediation and the entire parking facility. So net
net, in the worst case scenario, the Village
is guaranteed an environmentally clean
property and a brand new parking facility.
The property is not only a visual eyesore
in its current condition but has been off the
tax rolls for decades. The new high quality
development is conservatively estimated to
add $600,000 plus to the Village tax coffers
of which 85% will go to the school district.
The bottom line is that a blighted
property in the Village will be transformed
into a show-place bringing new quality
housing, new tax revenues and improved
public parking facilities to the Village. This
will be our third attempt to get his project
built but all indications are that this effort
will be the one that gets done.
Mary C. Marvin is the mayor of the Village of
Bronxville, New York. If you have a suggestion
or comment, consider directing your perspective
by directing email to [email protected].
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Page 17
OP EDSection
HEZITORIAL
Southwest Yonkers Residents Reject Condominiums Over
Community Center Project on School 19 Property
By HEZI ARIS
The Yonkers City Council’s
august chambers had every
pew filled to capacity predominantly with people
of color. Many of the
residents once welcomed to Southwest
Yonkers decades ago were welcomed to
the City of Yonkers (CoY) when White
Plains decided to cleanse itself of people of
lower socio-economic means. Once people
took up residence in CoY, they were forgotten; pimping the poor lost its financial
value. Southwest Yonkers was cornered
off from the rest of Yonkers. Politicians
learned to promise the world, but delivered
little. The City of Hope denied Yonkersites
the opportunity to get ahead. Educational
opportunities disintegrated over many years
of neglect. Job opportunities promised to
Yonkersites learned they had to wait their
turn at the end of the line. Job creation was
spoken about to satisfy hope in those that
needed employment, but the focus was
to persuade and satiate the needs of the
elected officials who wanted to build a fake
resume of responding to their community.
The reality is that few elected officials speak
truth to power; public servants that serve
themselves yet claim to serve the public
interest sit in the majority. Maintaining
silence permits the pain too long suffered
by Yonkersites.
Twelve years were afforded the
Struever Fidelco Cappelli Yonkers Project.
Let’s get real. They were white men of different ethnicities permitted a wide berth to
succeed or fail. They failed. Yonkers claimed
recourse was not an option. Yonkers
claimed impotence before contracts and
clauses unseen. Yonkers city government
has too often stretched facts to the point of
plausibility but not to the truth. The City
Council is now considering affording a
transitional extension of the SFC Yonkers
Project to Fidelco Realty Group (FRG)?
Why? There contract is no longer valid; it
expired. Why is Fidelco Realty Group (or
whatever they call themselves now) being
given a helping hand? Do they have the
capacity to build the H & I property they
covet? Where is proof of the collective $36
million investment that would go to benefit
FRG. I suggest it cannot be proven no
matter how much time is afforded Marc
Berson, President and CEO of FRG. If
they are ready to build, why is their plan
not divulged? Where is the confirmation of
the money required for them to go ahead
and build? Why is Yonkers asked to wait
another 90 days? This is another Yonkers
scam: no proof, all talk, little if any believability. Mayor Mike Spano claims he is in
fear of litigation by FRG, Berson against
the City of Yonkers. Why? On what basis
has Yonkers failed to afford Berson / FRG
any opportunity? Is over 12 years not
sufficient?
Why are people of color not being
given an equal opportunity? That is the in
your face question over which Mayor Mike
Spano, Yonkers City Hall, and the Yonkers
City Council are afraid to travel. I would be
likewise afraid were I them, but I have an
ethical standard that removes me from such
plight. The only need be fair and balanced
and benevolent in their conduct, leaning
not to one over another. Mr Green must be
excised from the equation.
America asserts it is colorblind, but
the Yonkers City Council is not. Neither
is Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano who sits
idly by without placing his strong mayoral
pulpit between battling factions to espouse
a fair and balanced perspective on issues. It’s
always a guessing game.The Democrats and
Republicans equally hide behind a bigoted
color line. People of color are responsible for
their plight as well. The NAACP has been
silent on these concerns. It is the bigotry
that permeates the city amidst the silence of
all who reside within it that deflects interest
in Yonkers.
Rather than leaders who serve the
public interest, Yonkersites have permitted
crooks to exhaust Yonkers’ ability to find
sustenance. It’s time to speak, time to tell
the truth, time to keep elected official’s feet
to the fire, and open the eyes of the world to
see what Yonkersites have known for years.
Its time to do right thing for all Yonkersites,
not a select few.
Yonkers deserves nothing less. Its
time to deafen the silence with righteous
indignation.
politics
A Ghost of Liberalism Past
The Cider House Drools
By LUKE HAMILTON
It is easy to forget past beliefs
which were held and then
rejected. Then, when you
encounter them again, stumbling over them like a child’s
sneakers lurking in the dark hallway, it is hard
to fathom that you once held such beliefs.
I recently had just this experience when I
recommended The Cider House Rules to my
wife on movie night. Originally published in
1985, it is one of America’s most-celebrated
author’s best-known books. It spawned a
stage play and a film of the same name. The
film, chock-full of stars like Michael Caine,
Toby McGuire, Paul Rudd and Charlize
Theron, garnered 2 Academy Awards from
7 nominations.
I read the book in college and had
kept the film in my queue for seemingly
a decade, always intending to watch it at
some point. When asked what sort of film
it was, I positively affirmed to my wife that
it was indeed a “chick-flick”. (Author’s
note: I am not a glutton for punishment. I
do not seek out opportunities to inflict the
cinematic equivalent to water-boarding on
myself. However, knowing that Christmas
approaches and a Die Hard marathon is right
around the corner, I saw the opportunity to
pay it forward by pre-loading some chickflickery onto the account.) What quickly
became apparent was that The Cider House
Rules is not a chick-flick…or an anyoneflick, for that matter. It’s a steaming pile of
moral relativism, served up on a hot plate
of self-righteous liberalism, delivered by a
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Page 18
politics
A Ghost of Liberalism Past
hatchet-faced waitress with a mole that
would make Uncle Buck blanch.
The story takes place in Maine during
the first half of the 20th century. The story
centers around a young man, Homer Wells,
who grows up in an orphanage without
being adopted. He is mentored by the
head of the orphanage, a doctor who is an
ether addict and teaches Homer his craft,
when he isn’t sleeping with one of the head
administrators. Homer is horrified by the
doctor’s casual willingness to perform secret
abortions on the girls who visit his orphanage for that purpose. Homer’s assertion that
perhaps the women should have chosen
not to engage in activity which could lead
to pregnancy is ridiculed as naïve.
Homer makes friends with a young
couple who come to receive the doctor’s
services and the man, an Air Force pilot
headed shortly to the brewing conflict in
Europe, offers Homer a job at his mother’s
apple orchard. Over the next couple years,
Homer is gradually corrupted by the world
to the point that he steals his friend Wally’s
girl, while he is fighting Nazis overseas.
When word comes back that Wally’s plane
was shot down and he is now paralyzed
from the waist down, Homer still wonders
if his tryst might be able to continue. Homer
also comes to realize that he has been given
the power to perform abortions in order to
Do Good in the world and that his previous
stance on personal responsibility and moral
certitude was rubbish. In order to save the
day, he performs an abortion and replaces
his mentor as the head of the orphanage, when the doctor dies from an ether
overdose.
I’m lucky we’re married. If this was a
date, she would’ve gotten up and walked
out (rightly so). As it was, we couldn’t even
finish the film and turned it off midway
through. I was stunned. Here was a vestigial remnant from my bleeding-heart days,
staring me in the face. How could I have
ever thought this was good?? The plot was
teeming with obvious contrivances, meant
to tug on emotions and discourage critical
thinking. The moral (as funny as that
sounds) seemed to be “Everyone is an icky
bastard and so are you. Let’s party.”
I was fascinated, thinking how my
moral trajectory developed in the exact
opposite manner of Homer’s. I began as
a moral relativist, steeped in the worldliness around me, eventually finding in
God’s absolute morality what relativism
could never provide. Homer began with
an absolute view of morality and personal
responsibility, bolstered by his upbringing
in a house of unwanted by-products of
casual sexuality, and found more comfort
in the quicksand of relative morality with
its ever-shifting boundaries. The difference appears to be that Homer’s absolute
morality was based in experiential truths
while mine is founded on the eternal truth
of the one true God.
Supporters of abortion must value
experience over innocence. They must view
the cumulative life experience of the mother
to be of more worth than the innocence of
the life inside her. In a tragic way, it makes
sense. Given that the pro-abortion crowd is
forced to deny the intrinsic worth of human
life, they frequently invalidate or minimize
the existence of God and spirituality. And
if existence has no spiritual component,
then the Existentialists were right and all
meaning and worth is to be determined by
acts of Will and the experiences we leave
behind. Thus in one fell swoop; by aborting
her child, a mother affirms her existence
with a tragic act of Will and preserves her
ability to live life on her terms, unencumbered by the consequences of her actions.
The one touching part of The Cider
House Rules is when we see the impact
that the love and care of Homer and the
orphanage staff has on the younger orphans.
The love of that community is portrayed as
a gleam of hope in an uncertain world, yet
no mention is made of all those souls who
weren’t given the opportunity to experience
that love, buried as they are in the small,
cold graveyard behind the house built to
shelter and protect unwanted children.
Luke Hamilton is classically-trained,
Shakespearean actor from Eugene, Oregon who
happens to be a liberty-loving, right-wing,
Christian constitutionalist. When not penning
columns for ClashDaily.com, Hamilton spends
his time astride the Illinois-Wisconsin border,
leading bands of liberty-starved citizens from
the progressive gulags of Illinois to [relative]
freedom. Hamilton is the creative mind/
voice behind Pillar & Cloud Productions, a
budding production company which resides at
www.PillarCloudProductions.com. He owes
all to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose
strength is perfected in his weakness.
STORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR RENTT
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unit ($3,000 - mo) or separate locked 1,200 sq. ft. units ($1,500 each - mo). All space is subdividable. Simple, convenient arrangement. One separate unit has a full, ground-level garage
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HELP WANTED
CITY OF STAMFORD, CT
COLLECTIONS SYSTEMS SUPERVISOR – WPCA
(Water Pollution Control Authority)
Annual Salary Range: $74,805 – $96,237
Applications can be obtained at the
City of Stamford Human Resources Division, 9th Floor
888 Washington Boulevard,
Stamford, Connecticut
or at
www.cityofstamford.org.
LE G A L N O T I C E S
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC). NAME: NARVEN Co, LLC
Articles of Organization were filed with the
Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on
09/23/13 Office location: Westchester County.
SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC
upon whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: The LLC,
233 Hessian Hills Road, Croton on Hudson,
New York 10520, principal business location
of the LLC. Purpose: wholesale pharmaceutical sales.
36-14 195TH STREET, LLC Articles of Org. filed
NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 10/3/13. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon
whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail
copy of process to C/O Stern Keiser & Panken, LLP 1025 Westchester Ave Ste 305 White
Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
PRINCE 26, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec.
of State (SSNY) 5/5/04. Office in Westchester
Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom
process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy
of process to Veracity Development 199 Lafayette St #1A New York, NY 10012. Purpose: Any
lawful activity.
PRINCE 26, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec.
of State (SSNY) 5/5/04. Office in Westchester
Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whom
process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy
of process to Veracity Development 199 Lafayette St #1A New York, NY 10012. Purpose: Any
lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of 578 East Fordham LLC.
Arts. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 9/4/2013. Office
Location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to William Fleming, 16 Bronx St, Tuckahoe, NY 10707. Purpose: any lawful purpose.
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Psychiatric NP
Therapeutics, PLLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy
of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/24/13. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated
agent upon whom process may be served and
shall mail copy of process against PLLC to
principal business address: 481 Main St., Ste.
303A, New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: Any
lawful activity. WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
LEGAL ADVERTISING:
914.576.1480
10:30AM-5PM
LE G A L N O T I C E S
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Do You Need Health Insurance?
If your goal is to be covered for January 1,
now’s the time to enroll through NY State of Health!
2014 is just around the corner. If you want to have
health insurance for the start of the new year, now’s the
time to explore NY State of Health: The Official Health
Plan Marketplace. Fidelis Care offers some of the lowest
monthly premiums available, and we can help you
choose the coverage that’s right for you.
Check out the Fidelis Affordable Care Advisor! All it
takes is 2 minutes to estimate your health insurance
costs as well as any tax credits or subsidies that can
help make coverage more affordable. Find it on the
home page of fideliscare.org.
Remember...To have health insurance for January 1,
2014 through a Marketplace product, you must enroll by
December 23, 2013. Even if you miss this deadline, Open
Enrollment will continue through March 31, 2014. Beyond
this date, you will need to wait until Open Enrollment next
fall for coverage effective January 1, 2015.
Call 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) TTY: 1-800-421-1220, or
visit fideliscare.org. Our representatives can help you every
step of the way!
To learn more about signing up for a health plan through NY State of Health,
visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777.
Quality health coverage. It’s Our Mission.
1-888-FIDELIS | fideliscare.org
(1-888-343-3547) •
WWW.WESTCHESTERGUARDIAN.COM

December 12, 2013 - WestchesterGuardian.com

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