Espionage in Westchester - WestchesterGuardian.com

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Espionage in Westchester - WestchesterGuardian.com
PRESORTED
STANDARD
PERMIT #3036
WHITE PLAINS NY
SP
ES
LIKE
Vol. IV NO XLIX
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Thursday, July 8, 2010
US?
Espionage in Westchester
Heller: Pecking Order, Page 6; Limato: On the Cover of the Rolling Stone, Page 7;
MacAlpine: Korea Continuum: A Nationalist Struggle Still Imprisoned by the Cold War, Page 8; Deskovic: Forensic Fraud in Child Abuse Cases, Page 9
www.westchesterguardian.com
Page 2
The Westchester Guardian
In this Issue...
Abady, Jane: Spies Like Us.......................................................2, 3, 11, 12
Letters to the Editor........................................................ 4, 14, 21, 22, 23
OpEd
Edwards: Republicans, Not Democrats, Support
Educated Minorities.................................................................. 5, 11
Jones: The NYPD Must Fire Officer David London
Immediately............................................................................... 5, 11
Heller: Pecking Order....................................................................... 6, 11
Limato: On the Cover of the Rolling Stone........................................... 7
MacAlpine: Korea Continuum: A Nationalist Struggle
Still Imprisoned by the Cold War..................................................... 8, 12
Deskovic: Forensic Fraud in Child Abuse Cases............................... 9, 23
Silberberg: Phil Zisman -- Corruption Warrior.................................. 10
Classifieds/Legal Notices...................................................................... 20
R. Abady: Westchester’s Pro Tennis Team Moves
to Randalls Island.................................................................................. 24
Jane: The King’s Best Highway . .......................................................... 25
Ackerman – Shimmering Stars........................................................26-27
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Spies Like
By Sam Abady and Amanda Jane
The nation was rocked last week
by revelations that Russian spies are
embedded in our suburbs. Yonkers
seems an unlikely location for high
level international espionage. Yet, an
FBI counterintelligence investigation
unearthed activities of two accused
agents living at 17 Clifton Avenue.
The cloak-and-dagger intrigue includes
money drops made by other agents in
White Plains.
Victoria Pelaez has been a columnist for the Spanish language El Diario
newspaper for twenty years. Her
“husband” Juan Lazaro -- it is unclear
if they are actually married -- is supposedly a political science professor. They
live in Yonkers with their teenage son,
Juan, and Waldo Mariscal, Pelaez’s son
from a prior relationship.
The government claims Pelaez,
unlike her other alleged co-conspirators
in espionage, used her real name, not an
alias. She began her career as a confrontational, left wing television journalist
in her native Peru. Several Peruvian
sources, including her photographer,
say she staged her own kidnapping in
1984 by communist terror group to give
the group an opportunity to broadcast
nationally its political message as part
of its ransom demand for Pelaez. The
photographer was seized with her.
Pelaez came to the U.S. and became
Continued on page 3
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The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 3
Us?
Juan Lazaro
Unregistered Agents of a
Foreign Government.” The
document revealed the FBI
has been following this
ring of undercover agents
Clifton Ave. Home of Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro
-- “illegals” in spy termia citizen. For many years, she has been an
nology -- since the 1990s.
El Diario columnist, and used her newsThe government claims all are employed
paper perch to advance a strident left
by the Foreign Intelligence Service or
wing, anti-U.S. message. She frequently
SVR, successor to the Soviet-era KGB
railed against “American imperialism,”
(Committee on State Security).
and praised Cuba’s Fidel Castro and
The agents were trained to become
Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez as “great
“Americanized such that they can
rebels.” She writes for other media,
gather information about the United
including Cubadebate.com, a website
States for Russia, and can successfully
about Castro and all things Cuban. In
recruit sources who are in, or are able to
a recent March 10th El Diario column,
infiltrate, United States policy-making
she decried the U.S. prison system as “a
circles.”
system of slavery.”
Nine of the defendants are also
Pelaez’s alleged husband, Juan
charged with money laundering. The
Lazaro, led a less public life. He recently
espionage charge carries a potential
taught for one semester as an adjunct
maximum sentence of five years, and the
professor at Baruch College.
money laundering twenty years.
Several of his students spoke with
The government alleges all the
the Guardian but asked not to be identi“illegals” are trained in spy trade craft
fied. They noted Lazaro’s “astonishingly
including “invisible writing, agent to
anti-American” teaching. His course
agent communication,” and maintained
was nominally about South American
a “legend” or cover identity and personal
politics, but often wandered into “U.S.history. The criminal complaint sets
bashing and communism,” said one
forth selected facts about each defenstudent. Some students thought the
dant’s activities supplied by FBI Special
course deliberately provocative, while
Agent Maria Ricci.
others were repulsed by the propaganda.
The FBI tracked Pelaez and Lazaro
A Baruch College representative who
since at least 2000, and bugged their
also asked not to be identified told the
Yonkers home for several years. Both
Guardian Lazaro was not rehired after
Pelaez and Lazaro made frequent
one semester because he “just wasn’t a
trips to an unnamed “South American
good teacher.”
country” where they met with represenEleven defendants were charged
tatives of the Russian government and
with espionage in federal court. In its
received packages of cash which they
thirty-seven page criminal complaint,
secreted in their luggage for return trips
the government alleges all eleven
to the U.S. Several transactions were
committed “Conspiracy to Act as
L-R, Anna Chapman, Vicky Pelaez, Richard Murphy, the Cynthia Murphy,
and the defendant known as ‘Juan Lazaro’ in Manhattan federal court
captured on video, including Pelaez
receiving payment in January 2000 and
Lazaro in 2007.
FBI recordings at the couple’s
Yonkers house captured them discussing
details about the money. On one occasion, Pelaez says she hid cash “all over
the place in my suitcase and makeup
bag.” After his 2007 South American
jaunt, Lazaro paid $8,000 in back taxes
to Westchester County upon his return.
The intercepted recordings also
suggest the couple had $76,000 left
over after paying debts, and imply the
Russians paid for their Yonkers home.
The recordings include statements
from Lazaro that he received coded
messages from “over there.” He also
discussed the specifics of messages
written in invisible ink Pelaez carried to
South America on blank pages within a
book.
Lazaro’s cover story was exposed in
the recordings, as he is overhead telling
Pelaez about his childhood in Russia
and “moving to Siberia as soon as the
war began.” In Westchester, however, his
“legend” is that he was born in Uruguay
and subsequently moved to Peru.
Other Russian agents were placed
in Montclair, New Jersey, Seattle,
Washington and Arlington, Virginia. All
seem to have met with their SVR control
agent who used the alias “Christopher
Metsos,” the first-named defendant.
“Metsos” was recorded receiving money
from Russian operatives in “brush
by” encounters in New York. He then
distributed cash to other members of the
spy ring. He was arrested on the island
of Cyprus last week, but released on bail,
and not surprisingly, then disappeared.
The government speculates he probably
escaped to the Turkish-controlled sector
of the island which is not recognized by
the international community, and likely
is back in Moscow by now.
“Richard Murphy” from Montclair
was one of the most active members
of the spy ring. The FBI alleges
that, in 2009, Murphy received cash
and a memory stick from a “Russian
government official who works at the
Manhattan-based permanent mission
of the Russian Federation to the U.N.”
On June 6, 2009, Murphy met a Russian
operative at the North White Plains
train station because he was told that
station is “deserted on weekends” and
had “no surveillance cameras.” FBI
surveillance recording captured Murphy
at the station receiving $300,000 in cash
inside a Barnes and Noble shopping bag.
In February 2010, Murphy was
instructed by “Moscow Central” to buy
a specific brand of laptop computer. The
transaction was observed in a Manhattan
computer store where “Murphy” called
himself “David Hiller.” He paid in cash
and then flew to Rome, met with another
Russian operative, was given a false Irish
passport with yet another name, and
proceeded to Moscow using his new
alias. When he re-entered the U.S. via
Rome, Murphy was carrying a laptop
of the same make, but a different serial
number. The government believes the
substitute laptop contained encrypted
“steganography” software.
The Russians are world leaders in
the development of steganography,
the science of encrypting information in digital images which can then
Continued on page 4
Page 4
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Spies Like Us
Continued from page 3
be posted on an Internet public forum and decoded
elsewhere. Murphy gave the laptop to ring member
“Michael Zittoli,” a Russian who claims he is an Italian
American born in Yonkers. Murphy and Zittoli met at
a Brooklyn coffee shop and identified each other using
a coded question and answer routine. Murphy asked
“Excuse me did we meet in Bangkok in April last year?”
and Zittoli replied, “I don’t know about Bangkok, but I
was in Thailand last year.”
under an alias and is a U.S. citizen. However, bail is
often granted in such cases because the captured agent
is cooperating with FBI counterintelligence agents.
Peleaz is permitted to return to her home in Yonkers
where she will remain under house arrest enforced via
an ankle monitoring device. The FBI seized all electronic equipment from her home for analysis.
In the Internet era, it is seems anachronistic for
the Russians to employ antiquated “deep cover” agents.
Russian intelligence relies much more on “humint” or
human intelligence in contrast to the CIA which relies
more on high technology.
Zittoli was also recorded
retrieving a package of
money buried by Metsos in a
Wurtsboro, New York, park.
The “drop site” was marked by
a partially buried beer bottle. The
FBI previously dug up the bottle,
photographed the package of money
beneath it, replaced it, and then conducted
surveillance at the site.
The other defendants also have assumed identities. “Donald Howard Heathfield” lived in Boston
with “Tracy Anne Foley.” Both claimed to be
Canadians later naturalized as U.S. citizens. The real
Heathfield on the spy’s birth certificate is confirmed
as dead. The FBI also found negatives of Foley in
her twenties. The negatives were on Russian film
emulsion.
Metsos also claimed to be Canadian, as did
“Patricia Mills” who lived with Zittoli in Seattle
and Arlington. Murphy claimed to be born in
Philadelphia, but there is no authentic record of his
birth there.
At the July 1st bail hearing, prosecutors told
the judge Lazaro freely admitted spying for the
Russians, and that he chose his spy mission over love
for his son. During the KGB era, sleeper agents went
through extensive training to insure their first loyalties
were to their espionage missions, not family members
who helped establish their cover identities.
Pelaez was the only defendant granted bail. She
can be freed upon posting a $250,000 bond. The judge
said she was entitled to bail because she did not live
However, analysts for Israel’s
legendary Mossad spy agency
long ago noted Russian intelligence relies much more on
“humint” or human intelligence
in contrast to the CIA which relies
more on high technology.
The criminal complaint references specific information gathered by
the defendants. For example, in 2004, the
agent who called himself “Heathfield” allegedly
“met with an employee of the United States
Government with regard to nuclear weapons
research.” Russian agents also sought information about U.S. policy in Asia; Internet use
and terrorists; and U.S. perception of Russian
foreign policy.
The defendants were also charged with
recruiting a “ring” of students in Washington
D.C. and befriending people of influence in
policy making and national security circles.
The “illegals” were instructed not to apply for
federal government positions because their
“legends” would not survive that level of scrutiny, as many federal employees go through an
FBI background check.
The agents’ primary mission objective was
to recruit others to work in sensitive positions. As
yet, the government does not know, or is not admitting, whether any serious damage was done to U.S.
national security.
Letters to the Editor
All letters should be E-mailed to [email protected] with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line.
To the Editor:
I want to thank you for your article, “The Deeply
Troubling Case of Richard DiGuglielmo” (Guardian,
cover story, July 1, 2010). You really presented all
angles of the case/story in an unbiased and fair manner.
Recently, other publications have continued to
serve their own agendas. You rose above them all.
Thank you.
Dave Alger
New York
To the Editor:
All parents struggle to provide and do the best for
their children. Parents of special needs children share
this same basic commitment. But, due to financial and
other hurdles, their struggle can become much tougher.
Too often, many of these moms and dads are forced to
contend with school districts, local governments, and
a society that can seem indifferent to their loved ones.
We are recovering – slowly, haltingly – from
the longest recession since the Great Depression.
New York State is suddenly struggling to control its
long-neglected finances. As a reformer and limited
government advocate, I believe these cost-containment actions are necessary, if overdue. But we must
also remember that during these tough times the most
vulnerable among us demand our attention. Families
raising special needs children, struggling to make ends
meet, are being particularly hard hit. Health care costs
continue to rise despite cratering household incomes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, one out of 110 children nationwide has
autism. Sadly, the disorder’s incidence is much higher
among boys. To this day it remains unclear what causes
this neurobiological condition, but its effects can be
seen in children across the cognitive spectrum, ranging
from severe speech impairment to milder forms of
social disengagement.
Studies have shown that families raising children
with autism will typically spend over $1 million each
year and devote more than 1000 hours to treatment and
care. The emotional, financial, and personal strains are
enormous. These costly trends have only been accelerated by the poor economic climate.
As an Assemblyman, I have met with hundreds
of parents of autistic sons or daughters. Many have
vivid and frustrating stories to tell about difficulties in
getting insurance coverage for their loved ones. While
a government takeover of private medical decisions is
Continued on page 14
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 5
OpEd
Republicans, Not Democrats, Support Educated Minorities
By Helena Edwards
The
Democratic
Party
leadership
preach they are
champions of the
“little people” and
boast about the
Democrats’ support
for
minorities,
blacks and Hispanics in particular. They
often accuse the Republicans of bigotry.
However, when it comes to empowering educated blacks and Latinos, the
Democratic Party’s deeds are often
incongruent with its words. In contrast,
the Republican Party has a long track
record of empowering blacks and
Hispanics.
Ebenezer Bassett, born in Derby,
Connecticut, on October 16, 1833,
was the first black Ambassador to
Haiti, appointed in 1869 by President
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN
Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican. That
same year, the Republican-controlled
40th Congress passed the Fifteenth
Amendment extending the right to
vote to all African-Americans. Nearly
all Republicans in Congress voted in
favor, though a few abstained, saying
the amendment did not go far enough.
Nearly all the Democrats voted against
the Fifteenth Amendment.
Two years earlier in 1867, Sen.
Samuel Pomeroy, a Republican from
Kansas, and Rep. Burton Cook, a
Republican from Illinois, wrote the
charter for Howard University which
was introduced as a bill by Sen.
Henry Wilson, a Republican from
Massachusetts.
The Republicancontrolled 39th Congress passed the bill,
and thereby created one of the nation’s
most prestigious historically black
The NYPD Must Fire
Op-ed
By Damon
K. Jones
Use
Of Tasers
Must Be Cutailed
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010
colleges. The college was named after
Gen. Oliver Howard who served as its
first president from 1869-74.
In 1866, the Republican-controlled
39th Congress also established the
Buffalo Soldiers via a bill introduced by
Tennessee Republican, Isaac Hawkins.
The Buffalo Soldiers consisted of six
regiments of black troops who fought
honorably in the Spanish-American
War and Philippines.
African Americans were not the only
minorities supported by Republicans.
Romualdo Pacheco became the first
Republican Hispanic Governor in
the United States. He was elected in
California in 1875. Previously, Pacheco
had been elected California’s treasurer in
1863, and California’s Lt. Governor in
1871. He became Governor four years
later when the incumbent was elected to
the United States Senate.
Republicans continued this track
record through the 21st Century. Former
President George W. Bush was the first
president in recent times to appoint a
black to a prominent Cabinet position
when he made Gen. Colin Powell the
Secretary of State. Bush later appointed
another black, Condoleezza Rice, to
succeed Powell after he retired. Bush’s
father, President George H.W. Bush,
nominated Justice Clarence Thomas
to the Supreme Court to replace
Justice Thurgood Marshall who had
been appointed by Lyndon Johnson, a
Democrat.
President Obama, the first black
president, appointed Eric Holder as the
first black Attorney General. However,
Holder is not the first minority to
Continued on page 11
PAGE 5
Officer David London Immediately
the public.@
The court also noted that, while tasers offer a valuable,
nonlethal alternative to deadly force, they nonetheless inflict
a Apainful and frightening blow@ to the person stunned, and
therefore, must be used only when substantial force is needed
by Damon Jones
On June 29, 2010,
London
is aoptions
sixteen-year
veteran
and other
to subdue a suspect
are of
unavailable. Harvin disappeared after the beating
A U.S. Department of Justice technical letter found the
Tasers
areCity
weapons.
They deNew
York
Police
and his family has not heard from him
the
NYPD.
He
testified
he
confronted
Yonkers Police Department has no continuum of force policy.
liver a jolt of electricity through a
Department
officer,by com-Harvin Weasmust
Yonkers police
management:
the stanThey say the Iraq veteran was not
pair of wires and propelled
theaskArmy
veteran
walkedwhat issince.
dard for use of tasers in Yonkers? Are you not courting danpressed air.
They can hitwas
a target up
David
London,
present
mother’s
Manhattan
apartment
by the indiscriminate
use of
tasers against subjects who to testify for the prosecution
to 10.6 meters away. The electricalinto his ger
no serious threat to themselves or others?
acquitted
of lying
jolt stuns the subject
by causingbuildingpose
because of his PTSD. Had Harvin been
without
a key, and declined to
Absent a well-defined policy, we can expect an increase
an involuntary
and police
uncontrollable
in
an
official
available
force complaints
based
onthe
tasers used
against to testify, the jury undoubtedly
contraction of muscle tissue.
provide inhisexcessive
identification.
Jurors
saw
Blacks, Latinos and the poor. AWe have a problemwould
with the have convicted Officer London.
report
and crimLaw enforcement
officers praise
on later,@
a building
rush to tasecaptured
and ask questions
said Sheley Secrest of the
taser guns. However, a rash ofentire episode
inal
assault against
PTSD causes sufferers to relentSeattle chapter who has fielded several complaints.
deaths from police stun guns hassecurityNAACP's
camera.
The NAACP wants stricter policies.
veteran Walter Harvin
who concerns
had just
raised serious
about the
lessly
relive traumatic events. London
In 2009,
an outrageous
video of afrom
seventy-two year old
Harvin’s
family
says he suffers
safety of these weapons.
returned
from war in the deserts of the
being stunned with a taser during a traffic stopescaped
went vi- justice because he so thoroughly
Tasers supposedly allow police officers to subdue violent
StressUnless
Disorder
(PTSD)
ral on YouTube.
a police
officer knows the mediMiddle without
East. killing them. A policeman can disable aPost-Traumatic
individuals
traumatized his victim that the victim,
cal conditionby
of the
person to beating.
be shocked, the officer runs
threatening suspect without worrying a stray bullet might killnow exacerbated
London’s
The
forty-five
year
old
London
was
the risk of causing the subject potential serious unable
physical to bear reliving the event at
or injure an innocent bystander. However, stun gun critics point
harm,
Sometimes,
a subject=s unruly beMake
no including
mistakedeath.
about
it. London’s
tocaught
numerouson
deaths
caused by videotape
tasers in North
America since
a chilling
brutally
trial,
away to escape overwhelming
havior arises not from defiance of authority, but instead, ran
is
2001.
conductcaused
captured
on orvideo
is condition.
utter,
beating
a handcuffed Harvin, striking
by a medical
psychiatric
Amnesty International released a report documenting popsychic pain.
In police
my agency,
the Many speclice
abusemore
of stunthan
guns nationwide.
More than
seventy
him
twenty times
with
a taserunequivocal
brutality.
There is a racial element to this case
Westchester County Dedeaths raise questions whether these weapons are safe. Canapolice
nightstick
after
he
first
subdued
tators
in
the
courtroom
and the public
partment of Corrections,
dian groups have called for a moratorium on use of tasers until
many people overlook because London,
supervising Sergeant
studies
determine
they can
be used London
safely. Amesty InHarvin
withwhether
pepper
spray.
at large the
who
watched
like his victim, is black. That does not
checks
the medicalthe
con-video on the
ternational echoed the call for a moratorium after two people
sobbed
as
jurors
announced
their
verdict
of an dumbfounded
inmate first
shocked with police tasers died in one week during October,Internetdition
were
when
vitiate the importance of race. Black
the Emergency
2007.
British-based
human rights
groupfrom
is concerned
but The
Harvin’s
relatives
bolted
the thatLondonbefore
was
acquitted.
officers often act more brutally toward
Response Team uses a
officers are tempted to use these weapons too often because they
courtroom
enraged.
stun gun to subdue the
erroneously
believe
stun guns are not lethal.
man. Does it make sense
Just recently, the New York State Police announced they were
that convicted criminals
investigating the death of a forty-four year old Hudson Valley
have more protections
man who died after a sheriff=s deputy used a stun gun to subdue
than other citizens in
the man in Rhinebeck, New York.
black suspects in order to get along in
the tight knit club of blue, and prove
themselves to white colleagues.
Intolerable police behavior towards
blacks too often has no consequence.
London’s acquittal is just more example.
London now faces an NYPD disciplinary hearing. Police Commissioner
Ray Kelly can help restore the black
community’s trust in his department by
firing London. There is ample basis to
do so.
London filed a police report in
which he claimed Harvin punched him.
However, he was forced to admit at trial
the veteran never punched him, and
said his false report was an oversight.
London’s admission that Harvin
Continued on page 11
Page 6
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Pecking Order
Ask a Swedish police officer for
directions. Before answering, the officer
may salute you.
The officer is not being playful or
facetious. Swedish officers salute to
conform to Police Ordinance Chapter 4,
Section 1. As explained by the Swedish
National Police Board, the rule requires
officers to “be respectful, polite and
avoid behavior that could be understood
as an expression of unkindness.”
A salute reminds civilians that
the officer is a civil servant, not a civil
master, even though the law requires
obedience, and a police officer is the
voice of the law.
In the U.S.A., we need similar
reminders of who is in charge -- the
people and their civilian leaders.
Power is only as real as the willingness of others to obey those in authority.
Remember the school kid’s taunt,
“Yeah, you and what army?” Governors
and judges have power because an
army of bureaucrats, cops and troops
obey leaders. Power depends on shared
values; those who obey defer to those
in charge. On some level, power is an
illusion analogous to the illusion that
money has actual value, when in fact,
money is simply a means of exchange,
and its value is based on the willingness
of people to substitute it for real things
like food.
Modern democracies repel dictatorship by taming deference to people
with weapons. Our system exalts law
over personality and civilians over the
military to promote equality and
protect the weak. Yet, unseemly
deference to authority lurks
beneath the surface, elevating
those with the trappings of power
-- a badge and a gun, for
example -- while undermining the institutions
that dispense that power.
Just as it is natural
for people to admire and
be obsequious before the
powerful military, it is
natural for members of the
military to think they are
better than civilians.
Members of any select
group tend to believe in
their superiority over the
rest of us. Marines, professional athletes, lawyers,
miners, teachers, truckers,
Wall Street traders, doctors
-- all sorts of people belong
to worlds that outsiders
can only imagine. These
insiders regard the rest of
us as soft, clueless. When
worlds collide, when their
goals compete with public
goals, the insiders circle the
wagons, and see things as
“Us versus Them.”
Members of each elite
club rationalize taking the
law into their own hands or
demanding special treatment. After all, they are
superior, so why wouldn’t they?
Harry Truman was immensely
proud of his World War I artillery
service and felt a deep bond with
fellow veterans. Yet, he was clearheaded enough to know his place.
As President, he was more
powerful than his generals,
but less popular. He often
spoke of looking forward to
his eventual promotion to
ordinary citizen again.
But Truman was
unusual. He was not a
professional soldier. It
is no surprise that ordinary
mortals like Gen. Stanley
McChrystal and his erstwhile staff feel superior to
their now former civilian
boss, Barack Obama, and
superior to Mr. Obama’s
civilian bosses, the ordinary
citizens of the United States
who elected the President
to command the military.
Unlike Truman, they appear
to view civilian status as a
demotion.
Gen. McChrystal was
the commander of U.S. and
NATO military operations in Afghanistan. He is
a special operations “snake
eater.” He is intelligent,
brave, and experienced. He
is personally powerful -he could kill most of us
with his bare hands -- and he is professionally powerful as a commander of
the most lethal military machine in the
world. His immediate circle of subordinates is cut from the same cloth.
It is remarkable how openly the
general and his subordinates shared
their contempt for civilians to whom
the law and American tradition demand
they show deference and respect instead.
McChrystal was allowed to get away
with it from last fall until last month
-- his notorious Rolling Stone interview
was not the first time he displayed such
contempt for civilian authority. But once
the general’s lips loosened too much, he
got sacked. And rightly so.
There is precedent for a President
putting up with an insubordinate general
in hopes the general will perform. Gen.
George McClellan was openly contemptuous of Abraham Lincoln, calling him
“an ape” and “a gorilla,” snubbing and
insulting him even as he frustrated
Lincoln by refusing to commit his army
to battle. Still, McClellan was an excellent administrator; his organizational
skills and personal popularity bought
the general more than a year before
Lincoln sacked him.
In contrast, Truman was far less
patient when popular Gen. Douglas
MacArthur publicly criticized Truman’s
policies in hopes he could provoke
war with China. Truman feared this
would start World War III. He fired
MacArthur in less than three
Continued on page 11
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
The Right Turn
Page 7
Michael Limato
On the Cover of
the
We are four star generals,
wearing chests full of medals
And we’re loved by
everyone we know,
We fight for freedom, and
we fight for truth
Each and every place we go.
We take all kind of spills to
give us all kind of thrills
But the thrill that we’ve
never known
Is the thrill that’ll get ya’
when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rolling Stone.
(Apologies to Shel Silverstein)
The Rolling Stone story,
“Runaway General” penned by
Michael Hastings, sent shockwaves throughout the nation.
A respected military hero, Gen.
Stanley McChrystal, the man
responsible for the killing al-Qaeda
terrorist, Abu Zarqawi, in Iraq and
hand-picked by President Obama
to lead American troops to victory
in Afghanistan, was sacked over
an article in the left wing rock
music magazine
Firing McChrystal created a
monster for Team Obama. In the
months ahead, the retired general
will be on the outside pissing in.
No doubt, his new book will hit
the stores exposing Mr. Obama’s
incompetence, and he will become
a presence on Sunday morning
political talk shows discussing our
lack of progress in Afghanistan. It
would not come as a shock if the
good general ran for Mr.Obama’s
job in 2012.
After the Rolling Stone
story broke, those who knew
McChrystal best wondered why
this had not happened sooner.
Mr. Obama should have known
about McChrystal’s bold persona
well before he was appointed to
take over in Afghanistan. Mr.
Obama might have noticed had
he not be preoccupied flying to
Copenhagen to push Cap and
Trade, campaigning for socialized medicine and accepting an
unearned Nobel Peace Prize. Mr.
Obama neglected to get to know
this general, and as a consequence,
must share some blame for this
dust up.
Perhaps Mr. Obama’s willingness to throw Gen. McChrystal
under the bus proved McChrystal’s
point about the President. The
general’s aides revealed that, in
an initial meeting, Mr. Obama
seemed “intimidated” by their boss.
News reports show Mr. Obama
decided to fire McChrystal well
before he returned to the White
House to explain himself.
As Shakespeare wrote in Julius
Caesar, “It is not these well-fed
long-haired men that I fear, but
the pale and the hungry-looking.”
Mr. Obama is surrounded by well
fed “yes men” and has nothing to
fear from them. In contrast, this
steely eyed warrior who eats one
meal and runs seven miles per day
and not afraid to speak his mind
is a threat. To the thin skinned
president, that threat had to be
eliminated.
Media pundits were quick to
peddle the debacle as a carbon
copy of Harry Truman’s firing of
Gen. Douglas MacArthur during
the Korean War. The comparison
might be acceptable had Mr.
Obama fired McChrystal for poor
battlefield planning.
During a lull in the war,
MacArthur went rogue and
planned to attack Chinese bases
in Manchuria, blockade China’s
coast and blow up China’s dams.
Truman feared attacking China
would unleash World War III.
MacArthur tried to go over
Truman’s head and called on
Congress to support his mission. A
furious Truman fired MacArthur
because he made his own foreign
Continued on page 13
Page 8
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
The Westchester Guardian
Gl bal Reach
Christopher MacAlpine
Korea
Continuum
Hostilities on the Korean Peninsula
dominated the news recently. Yet, we are
not sure how to understand the conflict.
Is it the dying ember of the Cold War?
Is it something else?
Cessation of fighting in July 1953
and the armistice that followed are now
dim in our collective memory. Korea is
rightly called the “Forgotten War.” Korea
posed an ever-present danger of East vs.
West conflagration during the Cold War
when Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas
MacArthur because MacArthur wanted
to make war on communist China.
To the estimated three to four million
Koreans who died in the 1950s, or who
have relatives on either side of the 38th
Parallel today, the war is anything but
forgotten. To the contrary, it has never
lost its immediacy. U.S. troops stationed
in South Korea are a stark reminder.
There are 50,000 American troops in
South Korea today. In the Pentagon,
Korea never fades from view.
Like many wars of the Twentieth
Century, the Korean conflict has its
roots in a long and bitter struggle for
independence from foreign powers. In
1894-1895, the first Sino-Japanese War
ended in defeat for the Qing dynasty
of China. Japan occupied the Korean
Empire of Emperor Gojon from 18971910. After defeating the imperial
Russian Army in the 1904-05 RussoJapanese War, Japan named Korea a
Protectorate in the Eulsa Treaty that
ended that war.
After 1910, Korea was considered
part and parcel of the Japanese Empire,
and an integral part of Japan’s Greater
East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Japan
organized this sphere of conquered
states and territories into suppliers of
raw materials and labor. With these
resources, Japan transformed itself into a
global power.
The Korean populace labored under
extremely onerous conditions. In 1937,
the Japanese banned the Korean language
and culture. In 1938, Japan introduced
labor conscription, turning Koreans into
wage slaves. In 1939, Japan mandated
all Koreans adopt Japanese surnames.
A Nationalist
Struggle Still
Imprisoned by
the Cold War
During WWII, Japanese soldiers kept
Korean women as sex slaves.
By early 1945, Koreans accounted
for 32% of Japan’s labor force. Koreans
comprised 25% of those killed in the
atomic bombing of Nagasaki and
Hiroshima in August 1945.
Imagine you, your family and
everyone you know were placed under
the control of a new governor who
demanded you change your name, give
up English, and work solely to support
the Governor’s occupying forces. The
rage you would rightly feel would be
intense. That rage fueled the Korean
War.
In 1910, Japan formally annexed
Korea. The result was predictable.
Educated Koreans and most nationalist
patriots fled the country. In 1919, they
founded the Provisional Government in
Shanghai headed by Syngman Rhee.
Meanwhile, the fight for independence inside Korea was led by the
Communists under Kim Il-Sung. His
provisional government was recognized
by few countries.
As WWII drew to an end, the
U.S.S.R., Britain and U.S. reached
agreement at the 1945 Yalta Conference
among Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.
The agreement green lighted creation
of European satellite states or “buffer
zones” for Soviet security, and acknowledged the pre-eminence of Soviet
influence in China in exchange for the
Soviets joining the Allied war effort
against the Japanese in the Pacific. Stalin
was also only too glad to redeem Russian
pride humiliated in the Russo-Japanese
War.
At the end of WWII, the Soviet
Red Army occupied the northern part
of the Korean Peninsula up to the 38th
Parallel. U.S. forces began to doubt
Soviet intentions to adhere to their
agreement at Yalta. The covert operations Joint Advisory Commission in
Korea laid the foundations for the division of Korea. Col. Dean Rusk (later to
become President Kennedy’s Secretary
of State) and Col. Charles H. Bonesteel,
III, hurriedly formalized the division
Continued on page 12
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 9
Forensic Fraud in Child Abuse Cases
Dr. Mary Carrasco, a physician with
a master’s degree in public health, heads
A Child’s Place in Pittsburgh, affiliated with the Pittsburgh Mercy Health
System. The clinic manages child
abuse claims for Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania.
In April 2010, Dr. Carrasco uncovered serious problems with the work
of decorated forensic nurse, Rhonda
Henderson.
In 1998, Henderson helped found
the forensic nursing program at Saint
Vincent Health Center. According to
the GoErie.com news website, “the new
program assured that a trained forensic
nurse, using standard protocols, would
interview sexual-assault victims and
collect evidence in a timely manner.
With specially trained nurses assigned
to abuse victims, busy emergency room
doctors and nurses wouldn’t have to
worry about overlooking evidence, skipping crucial statements or misreading
body language by the victims. In 2008,
the Crime Victim Center of Erie
County honored Henderson and four
other forensic nurses for 10 years of
teamwork on sexual-assault cases.”
Carrasco was troubled by the
fact that Henderson’s findings in an
abuse case did not match photos of
the victim. This led to a review by the
Medical Legal Advisory Board which
likewise found serious problems with
Henderson’s evidence.
Carrasco alerted Erie County
District Attorney, Jack Daneri, who
sent eleven Henderson cases out for
independent review by a national
expert in Colorado. The expert found
Henderson’s conclusions in all eleven
Dr. Mary Carrasco
cases were either false or overstated.
Daneri announced more than
twenty defendants had been convicted
of sexual assault based on Henderson’s
medical examinations. His office is now
reviewing all cases in which she was
involved. At least two other counties are
reviewing Henderson cases, too.
The impact of Henderson’s misconduct is not limited to men falsely
convicted and put in prison. Her work
also supported custody decisions in
civil child abuse and neglect proceedings prosecuted by the Erie County
Office of Children and Youth. Children
are removed from parents found to be
neglectful or abusive, and placed with
relatives or become wards of the state
and shipped off to foster care.
Out-of-control experts represent
a common problem in wrongful child
sex abuse convictions. These “experts”
Forensic nurse, Rhonda Henderson
pressure and brain wash victims, and
induce children to falsely incriminate
family members and other adult care
providers.
Experts have tremendous power in
such cases and results often turn on the
victim’s testimony. In a battle between
the expert and the defendant, the expert
invariably wins.
Henderson is not alone. In Wichita,
many cases never even made it to trial.
Defendants saddled with inadequate
public defenders saw what happened to
others wrongfully convicted based on
false expert testimony and pled guilty
to avoid the risk of longer sentences
handed down after trial.
Henderson’s conduct illustrates how
one person in a position of special influence can infect an entire justice system
and generate many tragic and unjust
results. Such misconduct by experts
makes it almost impossible to determine
the truth.
Moreover, once the forensic waters
have been muddied, it is impossible to
cleanse them. Some guilty defendants
who raped or molested children may be
set free because their guilt is now needlessly cast in doubt because Henderson
exaggerated medical data. Where there
is doubt, the defendant must prevail
because guilt must be proven “beyond a
reasonable doubt.” This standard, while
high, insures confidence in criminal
verdicts.
How
many
other
Rhonda
Hendersons are out there? How many
innocent prisoners falsely accused of
sexually assaulting children now rot
in prison? How many parents had
their children torn from them on false
charges of abuse or neglect based on
phony forensic evidence? The damage is
incalculable.
Henderson should be prosecuted.
She has wrecked many lives. According
to D.A. Daneri, however, she is not even
being criminally investigated.
Why not? Despite acknowledging
that Henderson gave “exaggerated”
testimony inconsistent with photographic evidence, prompting his review
of her cases, Daneri nevertheless took
the totally inconsistent position there is
no evidence that “Henderson deliberately falsified or overstated evidence of
trauma in her examination results.”
This is a prime example of the prosecution industry covering its own ass.
Even Carassco embraced this perverse
collegiality. She acknowledged a forensic
medical examiner’s job is to be “objective
Continued on page 23
Page 10
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Phil Zisman -- Corruption Warrior
Lawyer Fights Political Establishment for a Seat on the Bench
By Eric Silberberg
Phil Zisman waged war on municipal corruption as the first Yonkers
Inspector General. Now he wants the
Democratic Party nomination for one
of three open seats on the Yonkers City
Court bench. So far, the party has not
answered his call.
Of the seven candidates in the court
race, Mr. Zisman is by far the most
controversial. The man who defended
John Q. Taxpayer from government
corruption and waste now must defend
himself and his campaign from the very
people he once investigated: the political
fat cats of Yonkers.
Twelve years ago, the Yonkers City
Council created the new position of
Inspector General, and Republican
Mayor John Spencer appointed Zisman,
formerly the Yonkers Corporation
Counsel, to the new post.
During his tenure, Zisman launched
over fifty separate investigations. “I
was independent and I took my job
very seriously,” he said. “The Inspector
General should be independent and do
what the Inspector General believes is
appropriate.”
It was Zisman’s independence
that got him into hot water, and
eventually pitted him against the
Yonkers political establishment.
In 2007, he took on the Yonkers
Police Department and investigated overtime abuse by officers.
“We were looking at the issue
of paying overtime to increase
pensions,” Mr. Zisman said. “We
found significant irregularities in
the Police department and filed
disciplinary charges.” This did not
win Zisman new friends at City
Hall, even though it clearly benefitted taxpayers.
Zisman also turned his
investigator’s eye and subpoena
power on the school system. His
investigation of former schools
Superintendent, Angelo Petrello,
for cronyism and abuse of office
led to Petrello’s indictment and
conviction for perjury. In a separate investigation, Zisman exposed
three Yonkers schools that tampered
with standardized tests.
However,
it
was
Zisman’s
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investigation into government officials
abusing city cars for their personal business and pleasure that really infuriated
the political establishment and ended
his city government career.
In November of 2009, Mayor Phil
Amicone retaliated against Zisman and
refused to extend his tenure as Inspector
General. In an attempt to tar Zisman
politcally, the mayor accused Zisman
of abusing car privileges himself, and
claimed Zisman’s decision to give up
city-owned vehicles after he used them
for sixteen years was “self-serving,” and
a ploy meant to keep Zisman from
being “caught in the cross-fire” of his
own pending investigation. Zisman was
also accused of protecting the Yonkers
YMCA, and it was alleged he pressured
a city architect to redesign his personal
residence.
Zisman fired back. “Those were
specious allegations without any
support and which were repudiated
in the press.”
Zisman said Amicone’s accusations and refusal to renew Zisman’s
contract as Inspector General were
motivated by his criticism of the
Amicone administration.
“He was dissatisfied because
many of the reports I had written
were critical of his office,” Mr
Zisman said. “The mayor didn’t
understand the role of the Inspector
General. He expected the Inspector
General to be part of his administration and to basically report to the
mayor.”
Prior to his stint as Inspector
General, Zisman was in private
practice and worked as an Assistant
Corporation Counsel for New York
City.
Mr. Zisman is currently an
adjunct professor at the John Jay
College Graduate Department of
Public Administration located at the
U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He is a member of the New York State
Bar Association’s Sub-committee on
Government Ethics, and authored a
forthcoming chapter in a Bar Association
publication entitled “Inspector General
in Small and Mid-Sized New York
Municipalities: A Practical Approach.
Mr. Zisman holds a B.A. from
Rutgers College in New Jersey and
obtained his J.D. from American
University in Washington, D.C. He and
his wife, Emily, have two daughters.
So far, no political party has
endorsed him. Without backing by
party insiders, Mr. Zisman must mount
a primary challenge in September to get
on the ballot in November.
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 11
Republicans, Not Democrats,
Support Educated Minorities
Continued from page 5
Pecking Order
Continued from page 6
weeks notwithstanding MacArthur’s
military successes in repelling communist Chinese forces in Korea.
Afghanistan coughed up the British
and vomited out the Soviets. There is
little reason to believe the Americans
will fare any better in the long run. But
the jury is still out. Hence, it is clear Gen.
McChrystal was not sacked for his military performance. He, like MacArthur,
has performed well. The problem is that
both men expected salutes from their
Commanders-in-Chief. That would be
as inappropriate as requiring a civilian
to salute a Swedish cop before speaking
to him.
On an emotional level, Gen.
McChrystal’s expectation is not unreasonable. Today, our society worships
the military, maybe in part because so
few in the post-Vietnam generations
ever joined it. We look up to those who
put themselves in harm’s way for our
sake. We are in awe of what we do not
understand.
Military professionals, like all useful
workers, deserve our genuine respect,
but society should not offer them adulation. Soldiers are not meant to be on
top of America’s political pyramid. The
Department of Defense says, “Military
members swear ‘to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States.’
One of the more successful aspects
of that document is civilian control of
the military.” The Pentagon recognizes
that soldiers must not lord it over the
civilians in charge.
The military does not belong at
the top of the social pyramid, either.
Viral E-mails circulate on the Internet
claiming Americans owe all we have to
“The Veteran.” We do. And the veteran
and the rest of us likewise owe all we
have to the farmer, the chemist, the
doctor, the teacher, the judge, the banker,
the factory hand, even the conscientious
objector who tests our tolerance and
compels us to think.
In a complex, free, egalitarian
society, we all need one another. Most of
us are necessary, few of us are irreplaceable, none of us is sufficient. Forget this
and we weaken the nation.
Our law, under the Constitution,
dethrones the strong in favor of egalitarianism, protecting the weak and
enforcing minority rights. It dampens
our base impulses and channels our
energies. It has been successful for nearly
two and a half centuries by maintaining
the pecking order of freedom.
So farewell to Gen. McChrystal.
A man with many fine qualities, he
expected, perhaps unconsciously, the
deference due him in ancient Sparta. In
America, however, he forgot his place.
Jeffrey Heller is a lawyer, asylum expert
and registered nurse. He is a graduate of
Duke University and the University of
Chicago Law School, and former adjunct
professor at Brooklyn Law School and
Seton Hall University School of Law.
hold that position. George W. Bush
appointed Hispanic Alberto Gonzales
as Attorney General in 2005.
In
Westchester,
Republicans
continues to outpace Democrats in
empowering educated blacks. In 1987,
Judge Bruce Tolbert, then a Republican,
was elected as the first and only African
American male to the Westchester
County Family Court. Previously, Judge
Tolbert was the first African American
male elected to the Yonkers City Court.
The Democratic Party has never
elected a black male to that court, or to
the Westchester County Family Court.
This year, Yonkers Democrats endorsed
Evan Inlaw, an African American, for a
seat on the Yonkers court. However, the
Westchester County Democratic Party
Leadership refused to back Democrat
Bill Edwards, an Acting Family Court
Judge for more than three years. By all
accounts, Edwards demonstrated superb
competency, character and commitment
on the bench, and easily should have
earned the party’s nomination.
In
contrast,
Westchester
Republicans, in keeping with their
legacy of empowering educated blacks,
endorsed Judge Bill Edwards based on
his qualifications.
Bottom line: the Democratic leadership talks a good game, but it is the
Republicans who have proven, time
and time again, they truly support the
empowerment of educated minorities.
The NYPD Must Fire Officer David
London Immediately
Continued from page 5
never struck him proved there was no
justification for the beat down, and the
video clearly proved London lied in his
report. That alone justifies his termination from the NYPD. London clearly
violated the NYPD’s continuum of force
protocol because he was never threatened by Harvin in any way.
The video also says as much about
unnecessary police violence in black
communities as it does about the
festering problem of police officers
unable to professionally interact with
America’s heroes returning from wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most officers
have never served in the military. They
have no sensitivity to the challenges
facing veterans returning from the front.
To make matters worse, many officers
treat returning veterans badly because
they envy these war heroes and see
them as a threat to “police machismo,”
a destructive attitude that has long
plagued police work in America.
NYPD officers do not have a
monopoly on masculinity. London’s
victim deserved professional police
attention, as do all citizens, whether war
veterans or ordinary folks.
The National Black Police
Association (NBPA) is nearly forty
years old, and chartered in Britain,
Canada, Bermuda and the United
States. Because we are an organization
of active and retired police officers, we
have special insight and credibility to
critique police misconduct.
London’s unpunished, unjustified
assault on Water Harvin undermines
justice, fairness, and effective law
enforcement, and sullies its reputation
in the community at large. The NBPA
calls on the U.S. Department of Justice
to pursue its own criminal case against
London, and prosecute him for violating
Harvin’s civil rights.
Mr. Jones is a Westchester County
Corrections Office and President of the
North East Region for the National Black
Police Association.
Page 12
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Korean Continuum - A Nationalist Struggle Still Imprisoned by the Cold War
Continued from page 8
of Korea along the 38th Parallel.
No thought was given about how
this partition would serve Korean
needs.
In framing Korea as an East vs.
West struggle, the Commission
missed the internal complexities in the burgeoning conflict,
and in particular, the Korean
people’s urgent desire for selfrule sacrificed on the altar of U.S.
“containment” of communism.
A decade and a half later,
this same mindset foundered and
ultimately self-destructed in the
jungles of Vietnam at the cost of
hundreds of thousands of lives.
The Korean people lost their
independence in 1896 and for the
next 104 years suffered the predations of one great power after
another. According to James L.
Stokesbury, author of A Short History of
the Korean War, “the basic antagonism
of [the U.S. and U.S.S.R.] had been
submerged by the common danger of
Nazi Germany and the temporary necessity of alliance to defeat Hitler and his
followers in World War II. But once the
menace was removed, the old differences
surfaced again and within a tragically
short time after 1945, it was obvious
that the world had entered on the old
and dangerous paths once more.” It was
“under these conditions,” Stokesbury
writes, that “the succession of events
and personalities involved” made war in
Korea “inevitable.”
Today, it is time we viewed the
Korean conflict through a different
lens, and jettison the Cold War sense of
inevitable conflict between a communist North and capitalist South. For
example, if we regard the great Apache
leader, Geronimo, as a malcontent intent
upon murdering western settlers, then
removal of Apache tribes to reservations
can be regarded as a fitting end to their
resistance. On the other hand, if we look
upon Geronimo as the leader of a proud
people desperate to survive and preserve
their culture from a white onslaught,
then Geronimo’s resistance looks justified in retrospect.
By the same token, if we remove the
Cold War bias and reexamine Korea
from 1919 onward, not 1945 onward,
we can better appreciate how flight
of the Korean intelligentsia to China
after Japan occupied Korea profoundly
affected its destiny. The articulate,
educated, politically adept group
around which a true national resistance
could form left the country. They were
portrayed as cowards unwilling to stay in
their homeland and fight for its values.
To be fair, the Nationalists, as this
group came to be known, did fight
alongside British troops in the Burma
Campaign from 1941-1945. But it was
the Communists under Kim Il-Sung
who fought the Japanese inside Korea
proper. Korean refugees in Chiang
Kai Shek’s China were recruited by
two competing organizations, the
National Revolutionary Army, and the
Communist People’s Liberation Army
headed by Mao Tse Tung. Both fought
side-by-side with Kim Il-Sung.
After WWII, the Soviet Red Army
espoused self-determination for the
Korean Peoples, but remained an occupying force inside the country. From the
Korean perspective, U.S. forces below the
38th parallel were like the Soviets above
it, another occupying force. After the
Soviets withdrew, the final stages of the
Korean liberation struggle began, and
tragically, the major powers viewed it
from their narrow Cold War perspective.
The outcome was the same as in
Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Algeria where
the people desired to be free from
external rule. In Korea, however, the
Western Powers were able through force
of arms to freeze the status quo and
support the Nationalist forces under
Syngman Rhee. Rhee’s refusal to sign
the armistice created a permanent state
of conflict between North and South
which has lasted until today.
Not long ago, the free South transferred large sums of money to its
impoverished communist neighbor to
the North. This helped keep the peace.
Payments stopped with the recent election of hard liners in the South. In
response, the North fired long-range
missiles, threatened a resurgence of
armed conflict, and engaged in repeated
acts of sabre rattling. Just a few weeks
ago, the North sank a South Korean
warship.
From a politico-economic standpoint, there is little else that the North
can do. Its economy is a wreck. Kim
Il-Jong is not his father, and his totalitarian rule is maintained by the threat
and use of force upon his own subjects,
and xenophobic propaganda against the
world at large.
This begs the question of
how the international community
should deal with him. If it ostracizes North Korea, we must ask
how this will resolve the Korean
conflict.
The present strategy of
empowering China and making
it responsible for North Korea’s
actions backfired. China uses
North Korea as a thorn in the side
of the U.S., forcing Americans
to tie up defense assets in a
continuing Cold War quagmire
on the Korea Peninsula.
Likewise, the six-party talks
involving China, North and South
Korea, the Russian Federation,
the U.S. and Japan failed because
there were six differing agendas in
play, and none of them reflect the
reality of the Korean people, north
and south.
There is no magical solution. But
one thing is clear: Cold War containment policy merely enables hard liners in
the South and criminal elements in the
North to perpetuate a useless pattern of
engagement, withdrawal, and blackmail
by repeated threats of war. This protracts
the conflict. Neither the interests of
Koreans nor the global community are
served.
It is time to directly involve the main
combatants. The international community should force the Koreans to directly
engage one another without outside
proxies.
If the Prussians of East Germany
can be reunited with West Germany,
is should be possible for Koreans north
and south to reunite. The global powers
must view the dynamics of Korea beginning in the late Nineteenth Century, not
1945, and force Koreans to deal with one
another.
More than anything else, Koreans
seek today what they have sought for
over a century -- to be free to be Korean.
Christopher MacAlpine is a professional musician and has B.A. and M.A.
in International Relations from the
University of Pennsylvania. He previously published The Springfield Sun. His
music can be heard at www.soundclick.com/
christophermacalpine.
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 13
On the Cover of the Rolling Stone
Continued from page 7
policy, sidelining the President, and not
because the media criticized Truman
over his handling of the war.
I wondered what Truman’s reaction
would be if Rolling Stone crossed his
desk with a story of MacArthur’s aides
chastising the president. The strong,
secure Truman, aware of MacArthur’s
arrogance but respectful of his military
expertise, would have told White House
advisors to stick the magazine where the
sun don’t shine.
out of context. A 1989 article about
comedian, Sam Kinison, comes to mind.
The screaming comic and Rodney
Dangerfield protégé allowed Rolling
Stone writer David Handleman to follow
him around for days. Before leaving his
house late one night, Kinison told his
girlfriend he had a handgun and was
ready to “rock and roll” should a prowler
break in. Handleman depicted Kinison
as a jealous Svengali who intimidated
his girlfriend with a gun. Kinison fought
back in the press and said Handleman,
themselves with super soakers.
In her Wall Street Journal column,
Peggy Noonan pointed out the best
thing to come out the Rolling Stone
article was that it forced the nation
to reconsider our nearly decade-long
involvement in Afghanistan.
Last week, CIA chief Leon Panetta
appeared on ABC’s “This Week” and
claimed U.S. forces beat al-Qaeda into a
state of submission, forcing them to flee
Afghanistan. This left behind a stubborn
insurgency by an emboldened Taliban.
Today, we have driven al-Qaeda into
the mountains of Waziristan in Pakistan.
If al-Qaeda is no longer protected by the
Taliban in Afghanistan, why do we need
a continued military presence in that
God-forsaken place?
Islamic terrorists will plot against
this nation from any place in the world.
We should pull out all of our troops and
create a vacuum in Afghanistan. Let
every radical jihadist from Dearborne,
Michigan, to Yemen flock to a safe
haven there. Once they get settled in
When admirals and generals criticized George W. Bush over the Iraq war, they were described
as “whistleblowers.”
It is no surprise leftists in the media
like MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and
Andrea Mitchell immediately called
for McChrystal’s head to be lopped
off before Rolling Stone hit newsstands.
The media’s double standard is glaring.
When admirals and generals criticized
George W. Bush over the Iraq war, they
were described as “whistleblowers.” But
when a lifetime general service officer
criticizes a liberal icon like Mr. Obama
who never fired a Daisy BB gun in his
life, that general is described as intolerably “insubordinate.”
Media bias was clearly in play when
Gen. Eric Shinseki, now the Secretary
of Veteran’s Affairs, told the press in
2003 Mr. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld
were mismanaging the Iraq war, and to
win that war, we would need to deploy
thousands more troops. Sound familiar?
The New York Times, Newsweek,Boston
Globe, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and
their cohorts all sided with Shinseki.
The question looms: Why would
Gen. McChrystal and his staff give an
interview to a publication like Rolling
Stone? Rock stars profiled in the venerable magazine know they have reached
the pinnacle of their careers. But politics is not Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone’s
political commentary is traditionally far
left, and its writers never easy on the
military, Republicans and conservatives
generally.
In fact, the magazine is notorious for
sabotaging public figures by misquoting
them and taking interview statements
who is gay, intentionally wrote a hit piece
because he did hated Kinison’s jokes
about homosexuals and homosexuality.
It is curious how little the public
knows about Duncan Boothby, strategic communications adviser to Gen.
McChrylstal. Why did Boothby allow
Michael Hastings into McChrystal’s
inner sanctum? Boothby was sacked
shortly after the explosive interview was
published. Boothby, a self-proclaimed
“media guru,” claimed he once worked
for Lou Dobbs and as an Army
contractor in Iraq from 2006-2007.
However, Boothby’s early background,
how he got to Iraq, and how he ended
up representing a four-star general is
still a mystery.
But let’s cut to the chase. What
exactly did McChrystal say that was
so terrible? Not much. The lazy media
never read the Hastings article carefully. The most disparaging comments
did not come from McChrystal at all,
but instead, from inebriated aides who
were blowing off steam during a period
of rest and relaxation.
Since when did America become
so prudish? Defenders of the nation
always blow off a little steam when “in
theater.” Combat is stressful. Truth is,
a lot of these military types talk smack
at civilian command. It does not mean
they serve the President any differently.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall and hear
the offhand comments from members
of the Obama administration at their
soirées and BBQs when they run
around the White House lawn squirting
During the presidential campaign,
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
said we needed a strong presence in
Afghanistan because al-Qaeda attacked
us from there. We were told we cannot
allow al-Qaeda to regain a safe haven to
plan future attacks on us. The Taliban
never attacked us on 9/11, but we had
no choice but to go after them because
the Taliban harbored al-Qaeda.
and cozy, we can send in our predator
drones, stealth missiles and special operations forces and listen to the sucking
sound.
Mr. Limato completed his degree in Film
Studies at Mercy College and was a talent
manager.
Page 14
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 4
not the answer, it must be understood
that necessary and immediate treatments for autism spectrum disorders
such as speech therapy are currently
not covered. In 2010, stories of families
taking second mortgages on their homes
to pay for their child’s mandatory treatment have become too common.
The Empire State’s guaranteed
issue insurance law means most medical
conditions get covered, but providers
limit autistic patients to certain treatments and therapy options.
Until now. It is rare that I can report
good news from our nation’s most
dysfunctional legislature. I am usually
fighting Albany’s fiscally irresponsible
proposals and opposing tax increases
yet some good can be found in the state
Capitol. This week I am proud to report
that after working for several years on
this front we have now passed, with my
support, legislation which would for the
first time close the insurance gap for
many autism patients.
Here’s how it works. The
Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Insurance Superintendent
and the Commissioners of Mental
Health, Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities, are charged
with responsibility for recommending
regulations identifying treatment and
therapy options. Prior to these new
insurance options, coverage will be
according to treatment guidelines issued
by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The bill is expected to reduce out-ofpocket costs for health consumers and
result in savings for New York State.
This legislation is not perfect, but will
help alleviate some of the burden on tens
of thousands of families in New York.
The insurance lobby in New York is one
of the most powerful, and getting this
passed was no easy feat. If the measure
is signed into law by Governor Paterson,
New York would join twenty other states
that already require some form of autism
coverage by its insurance carriers. For all
the families out there fighting the good
fight, let’s continue to push and make
New York the leader, not the follower, in
supporting our precious kids!
Greg Ball
Assemblyman, 99th District
Editor’s note: Mr. Ball is a candidate vying
for the Republican nomination to stand for
the 40th state Senate seat being vacated by
Vincent Leibell.
To the Editor:
I feel compelled, as a teenager, to
express the satisfaction I received reading
your cover story (“Are Westchester’s
Schools Killing Your Teens,” Guardian,
June 24, 2010) about research indicating
school districts with later start times had
fewer car accidents because teens aren’t
getting the sleep their developing bodies
require. Finally, science has recognized
what I have been telling my mother for
years!
Just a few weeks ago, I saw a good
friend of mine before the first bell, and
he couldn’t open his locker. He said he
was tired. All I could think was “This
guy drove to school?”
I believe pushing back the start time
for high schools will not only make the
roads safer, but improve students’ grades
and general happiness. When I think of
how many times my first period teacher
commented the class looked dead, I
shudder to think of how enjoyable that
class might have been an hour later -and how much more Spanish I might
have retained.
I hope this matter is considered
seriously by those in power, and not
dismissed merely as a curiosity of
modern scientific research.
Patrick McManus, President, Eastchester Government Organization
Eastchester High School, Graduating
Class of 2011
To the Editor:
I read the cover story in the Guardian
(“Are Westchester’s Schools Killing Your
Teens,” June 24, 2010) about students
having accidents on the way to school
due to sleep deprivation. The doctor’s
article on teens needing 9-10 hours
of sleep a night was very interesting.
However, not once did anyone in the
article say what the student’s responsibility was to get a night’s sleep.
How dare anyone try to put the
responsibility on the schools. Where are
the parents who want to be friends with
their children instead disciplinarians?
Many high school students who
drive think that automobiles are toys
and use them recklessly, regardless of
lack of sleep. Why are they partying the
night before a school day, and where the
heck are their parents?
If I was told by my father to be in
the house at 8 P.M., I knew I’d better be
in at 7:59 and not 8:01. Kids lack fear
today because parents are afraid of their
own kids who stay out late with no fear
of consequences. You ask my daughters
when they were in high school. They were
home early on a school night or else!
I also read a school even moved up
arrival time by one hour. Is a place of
employment going to move up arrival
time when teens are out of school and
working? I don’t think so.
It is not the schools’ fault that
students don’t sleep enough, it’s the
parents’ fault. They have to teach
their kids responsibility. The students’
responsibility is to learn. Phil L. Brodsky
Yonkers, New York
To the Editor:
I was very pleased to see you
exposed L.A. Towing in your newspaper
(“Yonkers Towing Scandals,” Guardian,
cover story, June 10, 2010). I called the
number of the Yonkers Police Unit and
still have not heard back.
I live on Bronx River Road. As you
reported, L.A. Towing drives up and
down my road prowling for cars to boot.
A friend parked his car in my
parking lot. He lives in Connecticut and
he drives an X5, a large SUV. We did not
realize the car was towed until midday.
The sign in my building lot states
$50 plus fees for towing. We went down
to School Street, and L.A. Towing
demanded $250. I said the sign states
$50. Al Jenkins said he had to get a
flatbed to tow the car, so that was extra.
He did this because my friend had an
expensive X5 and Connecticut plates.
My sister was in her car at 821 Bronx
River Road. Jenkins booted it while she
was sitting there and demanded $60.
This happened to her husband, too.
I have another sister who lives in
down the street from me. She left her car
in my lot with the hazard lights blinking
to deliver something to me. Jenkins
must have been watching her. It was a
Saturday night. He told her she will not
be able to get her car until Monday. I
had a heated conversation with him and
told him we were going to call the cops.
He said he would meet us at School
Street. He took $65 for that tow.
L.A. Towing is disgusting. Al
Jenkins has extorted my family and
friend over the years. It is time he was
brought to justice. If there is anything I
can do, please let me know.
Susan Kharouba
Yonkers, New York
To the Editor:
I saw your article in the June 10,
2010, edition of the Westchester Guardian
about the Towing Scandal in Yonkers.
The same company booted my car along
Yonkers Terrace behind McDonald’s on
Yonkers Avenue. I waited more than
an hour for L.A. Towing to arrive. An
unidentified van showed up. A woman
and younger boy were in the car. I asked
Continued on page 21
Before speaking to the police... call
George Weinbaum
ATTORNEY AT LAW
FREE CONSULTATION:
Criminal, Medicaid, Medicare
Fraud, White-Collar Crime &
Health Care Prosecutions.
T. 914.948.0044
F. 914.686.4873
175 MAIN ST., SUITE 711-7 • WHITE PLAINS, NY 10601
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
The Westchester Guardian
Page 15
Midsummer Night Music: The Ridgefield Symphony
Orchestra featuring “Broadway with Debbie Gravitte,” Saturday, July
10. Lasdon Park, Somers. Park opens at 5P.M. Program 6-8 P.M.
History
in Four
Easy Stops.
Musician and Singer Greg Ryan
Let the ROOSEVELT RIDE shuttle
take you back in time through Historic
Hyde Park.
New Rochelle Public Library Presents
Greg and Katie Ryan Tuesday July 13th at 7 P.M.
The New Rochelle Public library will host an evening of Irish music and dance
on Tuesday, July 13th at 7:00 PM. Greg Ryan, a voice compared to Gordon Lightfoot
and Roger Whitaker, will perform a broad spectrum of Irish music on a variety of
traditional instruments. His daughter, Katie, will perform a selection of soft shoe
dances including the reel and slip-jig, as well as hard shoe dances such as the treble jig
and the hornpipe. The show is part of the Library’s International Music and Dance
series, now in its 27th season. Ryan has performed solo and with various groups for
well over two decades. His performances have taken him across the states to Alaska,
from the Irish Consulate to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on television and radio, many a
pub, ceili, Irish organization, library and family gathering in between. Greg focused
his graduate studies on Irish Culture and served as Director of the Irish Arts Center
in New York. Katie Ryan was a world championship medalist at thirteen. Admission
is free and limited to the capacity of the library’s Ossie Davis Theater, on a first-come,
first-served basis beginning at 6:45 pm. nrpl.org
In one day, you can visit four of the
Hudson Valley’s most impressive
historic sites:
s
THE HOME OF FDR NATIONAL HISTORIC
SITE / THE FDR LIBRARY & MUSEUM
s
FDR’S TOP COTTAGE RETREAT
s
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S VAL-KILL HOME
s
VANDERBILT MANSION
Your getaway is easy. Take Metro North to
Poughkeepsie. Visit historichydepark.org
for more information about the FREE Roosevelt
Ride shuttle and other transportation options.
HistoricHydePark.org
DutchessTourism.com
Page 16
The Westchester Guardian
COMMUNITY CALENDAR:
Thursday July 8
Roots & Shoots - Ages 8 and
up; meets every Thursday in
July from 4-5 PM in Mamaroneck Library’s Children’s Rm.
Founded by Dr. Jane Goodall,
the Roots & Shoots program
inspires youth of all ages to
make a difference by becoming
involved in their communities.
Each group plans and implements service-learning projects
that promote care and concern
for animals, the environment,
and the human community. Call
914.698.1250, x 24 to register
Renaissance Square Noonday Concert: 12Noon-2PM. N
Hart & NRG Band. Old School
R & B White Plains. cityofwhiteplains.com
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
FREE Listing for e vents that are free and open to all. Page Editor : Marike
Thursday July 8
Friday July 9
Fireworks 9:15 PM. Parking $5.
Playland Park, Playland Parkway, Rye,
Saturday July 10
Students make their own puppets to take home and put on
a puppet show. For children
entering grades 3 to 5 in September. Registration required:
914.271.6612 11AM crotonfreelibrary.org
Sunday July 11
Monday July 12
The New York Botanical Garden’s NYC Compost Project
leads workshop. Registration
requested, 718.885.1461 or
[email protected].
Italian Heritage Celebration:
Ethnic food, music, dance, entertainment and arts and crafts.
Sun. Noon to 7 PM. FREE.
Kensico Dam Plaza, Bronx
River Prkwy, Valhalla,
Pardon Me For Living: 7 PM
Staci Swedeen recounts her
encounter with a rabid racoon: a
dark, hilarious and heartbreaking journey into the human
condition. Free performance.
Call 631-7734.Warner Library,
Tarrytown. WarnerLibrary.org
Saturday July 10
Snew White by Charlie Lovett.
Citi Island Theatre Group directed by Chris Manetaki.2:30-4PM.
Grace Hall, 116 City Island Ave.
Held outdoors on the Grace
Church lawn, City Island. cityislandtheatergroup.com
Connecticut Ballet @ Untermeyer Park, Yonkers, 7:30 PM
untermeyer.com
Neighborhood Nights Family Fun Concert 7–8PM
Gardella Park, White Plains.
cityofwhiteplains.com
Screenings Under The Stars:
Sherlock Holmes (PG-13 2009)
FREE outdoor movie. 5 PM
Gates open for picnicking; entertainment starts @ 6 PM.
Bring blankets or chairs for
seating. Kensico Dam Plaza,
Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla,
914. 864.PARK Westchester
County Parks Dept. westchestercountygov.com
Midsummer Night Music: The
Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra featuring “Broadway with
Debbie Gravitte.” Park opens
@ 5 PM for picnicking; weather
permitting. Bring lawn chairs/
blankets for seating. Light
refreshments for sale. Net
proceeds support the Conservatory fund. Program TBA.
Hrs: Sat. 6-8 PM. Tickets: $17
adults; $12 seniors; $7 children
5-12; under 5 FREE. Ladson
Park, Arboretum & Veterans
Memorial. Route 35 Somers.
914.864.7268
westchestercountygov.com
Puppet Pals Childrens Program
Norma Maher of Storytime
Stage and master puppeteer
Vito Leanza lead workshop.
Sunday July 11
Yorktown Summer Concert
Series sponsored by the Yorktown Lions. Tomlin Tribute to
the Big Band Era. Musicians
perform at the Gazebo, Jack
DeVito Field, Veterans Rd.
Lawn seating. In the event of
rain, concerts will be held at the
Yorktown Stage. FREE. 6PM
yorktownny.org
Merestead: Historic Mansion
Tour: Learn how a Georgian
style mansion influenced the
way we decorated and furnished our homes and made us
want to go shopping in the early
20th Century. Reservation only.
14 participants max. 1 PM.
Tickets: $10 adult; $8 senior;
$5 child; $125 groups up to 15
people. 455 Byram Lake Rd.,
Mt. Kisco westchestercountygov.com
Irish Heritage Celebration:
Ethnic food, music, dance, entertainment and arts and crafts.
Noon - 7 PM. Tickets: $5 adults.
Park Ridge Rd. Hartsdale
914.864.PARK. Westchester
County Parks Dept. westchestercountygov.com
Monday July 12
Neighborhood Nights Children’s Theater 7 – 8PM
Gillie Park, White
Plains.
cityofwhiteplains.com
Compost Bin Building Basics
at Bartow Pell Museum: 10-5
PM. Help build customized,
3-bin wood & wire compost
system for museum: learn basic
techniques for using hand and
power tools while working with
lumber and hardware. Join us
all or part of day.
Tuesday July 13
Movie: “Cloudy With a
Chance of Meatballs;” The
TROVE Summer Flicks Festival: 3-4:30 PM. Animated film
inspired by Ron & Judi Barrett’s
children’s picture book. A young
inventor & weather girl attempt
to discover why the rain in their
small town has stopped while
food is falling in its place. PG;
90 mins. White Plains Public
Library. whiteplainslibrary.org
Summer Movie Madness:
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs;” Admission wristbands go
on sale the day of the event.
Bring blankets and chairs for
seating. Park opens @ 7 PM.
Barbecue includes hot dogs,
hamburgers, salads and more.
$15 gen. admission; children
under 3 FREE. Sprain Ridge
Pool Jackson Ave., Yonkers.
westchestergov.com
Young Critics: For kids who
love to read; Tuesdays in
July from 4-5P @ The Mamaroneck Library; for kids starting
Grades 4-6 in Fall 2010; 102
Mamaroneck Ave. mamaronecklibrary.org
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 17
Email: Editor @ westchesterguardian.com 3 weeks prior to e vent date. Calendar & Events Section Editor Marike
Tuesday July 13
Passport to Adventure at the
Riverfront Library
Wednesday July 14
Wednesday July 14
Images: Top Left: Aron Copeland House
Cortlandt Manor, NY
Top Right: Gardens at Wave Hill in Riverdale.
2 PM Korean Spirit and
Culture Promotion Project
presents film on Korean History,
Art & Culture. Korean desserts
and Sikhye, a Korean sweet
rice punch, among the refreshments served. Jody Maier at
914-337-1500, x 461.
Wednesday July 14
Bastille Day: Vive La France!
Dancing Under the Stars Salsa
7-9 PM FREE. White Plains.
cityofwhiteplains.com wpbid.
com
Free Films For Children At
NEW ROCHELLE LIBRARIES:
Wednesday July 14
Huguenot Children’s Library
at 11AM and 1PM, “Ponyo” at
Huguenot Children’s Library
at 11 AM. Animated tale from
Hayao Miyazaki. The story,
loosely adapted from Hans
Christian Andersen’s “The Little
Mermaid,” is about five-year-old
Sosuke who rescues a goldfish
that yearns to be human and
is ultimately transformed into a
little girl. Seating: first served
basis; 25-seat capacity of the
library’s lower level ages 5–12
yrs.
At 1 PM, “The Princess and
the Frog” - Ossie Davis Theater of the Main library. What
really happened after the
princess kissed the frog? Hilarious award-winning Disney
film. First-come, first-served:
148-seat capacity Free programs are made possible by
the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library and the
Friends of the New Rochelle
Public Library. nrpl.org
Shades of Jazz 6:3 Concert
Guitarist Eric Krasno and Vocalist Nigel Hall, “the guardian
of soul music” in concert at
Katonah Museum of Art. Eric
Krasno is a founding member of
Soulive and virtuoso in the jazz,
funk, and hip-hop communities. He has opened for Rolling
Stones and the Dave Matthews
Band. 914.232.9555, x 0. $10
members, $20 non-members.
katonahmuseumofart.org
The Dressmaker’s Art: Highlights from the Bruce Museum’s
Costume Collection, Now thru
Sept. 5, 2010; organized by
guest curator Adrienne SaintPierre; twenty-four gowns &
dresses, lavishly embellished
accessories & underpinnings
primarily taken from the collection of the Bruce Museum in
Greenwich, CT. Additional items
on loan from the Fairfield Museum & History Center. Ball gown,
above c. 1895, Worth, Paris:
Gift of Mrs. William Bender,
1960, Bruce Museum Collection ; Exhibition supported by a
Committee of Honor under the
leadership of Myrna R. Haft and
Tamara Holliday, & the Charles
M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund. brucemuseum.org
Vegetable Garden Tour the
Bedford Garden Club 9 AM;
Check in at John Jay Homestead Gardens open 10-3
PM rain or shine. Educational
Expos, Farmer’s Market and
Boutique on Homestead’s
grounds Ticket sales are 100%
Tax Deductible and support
Bedford Garden Club civic projects: $25-$100; children under
12 FREE. 9AM-3PM. The Vegout Garden Tour will include
a vegetable garden-inspired
shopping opportunity for gardeners and non-gardeners
alike: lush planters brimming
with vegetables, herbs and annuals, berry bushes, ripe for
the picking, sapling fruit trees,
enticing garden books, harvesting trugs, sweet sterling silver
vegetable charms and earrings.
Register online veg-out.org
bedfordgardenclub.org
Bruce Museum: Seaside Center
Hrs: Wed. – Sun. 10 AM – 4 PM Mon. & Tues. Closed. There is
no admission fee for the Seaside Center. However you do need a
beach pass to enter Greenwich Point where the Seaside Center is
located
Seaside Center Highlights:
Touch Tank • Coloring Area, Weekly activities • Weekly guided walks.
Activities are open to visitors during Seaside. Center hours with no
advanced reservations. Children under five must be accompanied
by an adult at all times. Groups of 10 or more require advance reservations. Groups will be charged a fee. To makereservations and
discuss possible programming forcamp groups, contact Anne Burns,
Reservations Manager, at at 203-413-6744 or [email protected]
Page 18
The Westchester Guardian
Creating
Farmers
Markets
Saturday, July 10, 8pm
JULIO CASTRO Y La
Masacre De Puerto Rico
33 Years of “Salsa Gorda”
Surf Into
Summer
The Greenburgh Nature Center
will host a discussion about Farmers
Markets on Wednesday, July 14, at 7:30
PM. Pascale Le Draoulec, Manager of
the Hastings and Irvington Farmers’
Markets, a farmer-vendor, and a village
representative will discuss some of the
challenges that inevitably arise with the
creation of a farmers’ market.
Farmers’ markets sell the freshest
possible food in our villages, and are
changing the way we think about
both food and shopping. The regular
gathering of people to “buy local” is
transforming our communities in other
subtle but powerful ways. Participants
will enjoy samples of farm-fresh foods
while listening to the stories of some of
the people who are making it happen.
The event, sponsored by the lower
Hudson Sierra Club, is free and handicapped-accessible. The Greenburgh
Nature Center is located at 99 Dromore
Road, Scarsdale 10583. Tel: 914 723
3470.
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Exercise your mind by reading this
summer and win great prizes donated
by local merchants. All you have to do
is READ! Studies show that, over the
summer break, students lose up to 1/3
of what they learned during the school
year. The “Surfing Into Summer”
promotion at the Greenburgh Public
Library is designed to encourage kids
and parents to read and read often to
prevent summer “brain drain.”
The Library is offering one
program for kids up to age 11
reading on their own, and another for
12-19 year-olds. Kids who register
and become active in the Summer
Reading program automatically get
a prize for every full hour of reading
time. Additionally, their names are
entered into a random drawing for
grand prizes held Monday of every
week now through August 9th.
Grand prizes include The Fan
Tunnel Experience with the New York
Liberty Women’s Basketball Team
for children aged 12-19. A random
drawing will be held on Monday,
August 2d. Twenty winners will be
announced. Call the Greenburgh
Public Library to register and for
further details: 914.933.1605
Celebrating an Icon of Tropical
Music Featuring Richie Ray & Bobby
Cruz, Nayibe “La Gitana”, José Mangual
Jr with Jimmy Sabater & Son Boricua
and Ray Castro y su Conjunto Clásico.
Musical Director Tito Rivera. Lehman
Center for the Performing Arts. lehmancenter.org
Katie Ryan
New Rochelle Public
Library Presents
Greg and Katie Ryan
Tuesday July 13th
at 7 P.M.
Pelham Art
Center
Faculty and Student
Showcase
July 9 – August 15, 2010
Opening reception and all-age art
workshop: Friday, July 9, 6:30-8:P.M.
This event is free and open to the public.
T: 914.738.2525. Pelham Art Center
155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, gallery@
pelhamartcenter.org www.pelhamartcenter.org
Maryanne is a beautiful, spayed,
special needs Calico who was found on
a bridge near the Shelter about 10 mos.
ago. She is an affectionate cat who loves
to cuddle. She has a history of seizures
which have not occurred for quite some
time. newrochellehumanesociety.org/
adopt-a-cat/
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 19
Westchester Theatre Directory July 8, 2010
Axial Theatre: axialtheatre.org New season
commences in Nov.
Blueberry Pond Theater Fri., July 9th &
Sat., 10th at 8 PM: B
roadway comes to
Blueberry. The company shows their musical
talents from classic to contemporary Broadway tunes. Tickets $25. Membership $20.
Fri. July 23rd and Sat. July 24th at 8 PM: “A
Midsummer’s Night Read,” followed by cabaret. E
xclusive show event for Membership
customers. Cabaret open to the public.
Cabaret admission $20. Membership: $15. Sonnets, soliloquy and sassy jazz: Shakespeare
and singing. 914. 923.3530. Laylon Theater,
235 Cedar Lane, Ossining 914.923.3530.
See website for correct directions; do not rely
upon mapquest. blueberrypond.org
Emelin Theatre July 24 @ 11 AM & 1:30 PM.
“The Frog Prince,” Tickets Summer Theatre
camp performance.: $13.153 Library Lane,
Mamaroneck. 914.968.0098 emelin.org
Hudson Stage Sat. July 24, 2010: “Divas on
Hudson,” Private Wine Tasting under poolside pergola 6:30-8 PM. Wine Tasting Tickets only: $25. 7 PM. Cocktail Party with wine
& hors d’ouevres; bring picnic dinner; silent
auction. Sunset concert includes Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway. Coffer &
dessert follow concert. Standard tickets $100
each; $125 with wine tasting. Rain or Shine.
hudsonstage.com
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Now
thru Sun. Sept. 5th: “Troilus and Cressida,”
“Taming of the Shrew” and “The Bomb-itty of
Errors.” Boscobel, Garrison. 845.265.9575
hvshakespeare.org
Irvington Town Hall Theatre. New season
commences in Oct. irvingtontheater.com
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
Sat. July 10 @ 8 PM: Richie Ra & Bobbie
Cruz y La Massacre de Puerto Rico. Tickets: $35-$55. Sunday Aug. 8 @ 7 PM; Beres
Hammond & Friends: For The Love of It Tour.
Tickets: $89-4125. 250 Bedford Park Blvd.,
West, Bronx. 718.960.8833 lehmancenter.
org
Paramount Center for the Arts SAT. July 17
@ 8 PM: Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi
Band. Tickets $45-$75. Proceeds from the
show support the Paramount Center for the
Arts. Wed. Jul 21 @ 8 PM Happy Together
Tour. Tickets $35-$55. paramountcentr.org
Schoolhouse Theater: 3 Owens Rd., Croton Falls 10519. 914.277.8477 schoolhousetheater.org.
The Bendheim Performing Arts Center
999 Wilmot Rd., Scarsdale. 914.472.3300 X
401. thebendheim.org
The Broadway Dinner Theater Elmsford:
“Peter Pan” July 8-August 15, 2010. Tickets:
$45 and $60 PLUS TAX. Wed.,& Thurs.
Matinees; Eves. Wed.-Sun. Saturday, July
10: Gallagher. Doors open at 6:30 PM; Show
starts 8:30 PM. $75 plus tax. Saturday, July
17: The Brooklyn Bridge; Doors open at 6:30
PM. Show Starts 8:30 PM. $75 plus tax. Saturday, July 24th: The Cast of Beatlemania.
Doors open at 6:30 PM; show starts at 8:30
PM Call for details: 914.592.2222 broadwaydinnertheatre.com
The Performing Arts Center Purchase
Ticket sales for the 2010/2011 Center Season commence in August. 914.251.6200.
artscenter.org
The Pound Ridge Theatre Company: Help
select next season’s productions by emailing your favorite plays and suggestions
to: [email protected] prtco1.org
The White Plains Performing Arts Center
Box Office 914.328.1600. wppac.com
Westco Productions: westcoproductions.
org
Yorktown Stage, “Grease” July 24–Aug 1st;
914.962.0606 yorktownstage.org
City Island Theater Group: Saturday July
10 on the lawn at Grace Church, City Island.
cityislandtheatergroup.com
Stamford Center for the Arts. The Palace:
Wednesday, July 7 at 8PM. Craig Ferguson
Tickets $38-$98 plus SCA charges. Thursday, July 22d at 10 AM: Jim West, “The Lion
and The Mouse;” “The Fox and the Grapes,”
and “The Tortoise and The Hare.” Tickets
$7.00 203.325.4466. 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT. stamfordsenterforthearts.org
Page 20
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
LEGAL NOTICES
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF
WESTCHESTER BOARD OF MANAGERS OF SOUNDVIEW PARK
HOMEOWNERS
ASSOCIATION,
Plaintiff against ERNEST C. GARVIN,
MARGARET
S.
SETTLHAREGARVIN, Defendant(s). Pursuant to
a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale
entered herein and dated April 16,
2010, I, the undersigned Referee will
sell at public auction at the Rotunda
of the Westchester County Courthouse, 111 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Blvd., White Plains, NY on
the 13th day of July, 2010 at 9:45 AM
premises situate, lying and being in
the City of New Rochelle, County
of Westchester and State of New
York, bounded and described as
follows: Beginning on the westerly
side of Franklin Avenue, distance
323.64 feet southerly as measured
along the westerly side of Franklin
Avenue, from the corner formed
by the intersection of the westerly
side of Franklin Avenue with the
southerly side of Main Street and
thence south west 145.20 feet to the
northeasterly corner and the point of
beginning of the hereby described
premises. RUNNING THENCE from
the point of beginning along the outer face of the building on the hereby
described premises the following
courses and distances: South West
10.00 feet; North West 2.00 feet;
South West 3.00 feet; North West
11.33 feet; South West 10.00 feet;
North West 5.50 feet; South West
8.00 feet; North West 2.00 feet; South
East 2.00 feet; North West 11.00 feet;
THENCE along the center of a party
wall the following courses and distances: North East 33.00 feet; South
East 16.67 feet; North East 4.50 feet;
South East 1.83 feet; North East 0.50
feet; THENCE along the outer face of
the building of the herein described
premises the following courses and
distances: South East 11.33 feet;
South West 5.00 feet; THENCE along
the outer face of the building on the
herein described premises South
2.00 feet to the point and place of
beginning. Said premises known
as 35-2 FRANKLIN AVENUE, NEW
ROCHELLE, NY and bearing tax map
designation Section 1, Block 211 and
lott 1022. Approximate amount of
lien $ 17,920.00 plus interest & costs.
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms
of sale. Index Number 22893/08.
THOMAS F. FANELLI, ESQ., Referee.
Himmelfarb & Sher, LLP Attorney(s)
for Plaintiff One North Broadway,
Suite 800 White Plains, NY 10601
Glover Wilson, LLC Articles of
Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY)
12/9/2009. Office in Westchester
Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC
upon whom process may be served.
SSNY shall mail copy of process to
The LLC 198 E. 7th ST., Suite #5, New
York, NY 10009. Purpose: Any lawful
activity.
355 West 121st Street, LLC Articles
of Org. filed NY Sec. of State(SSNY)
3/8/2010. 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.
Bridges Integrated Marketing, LLC
Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State
(SSNY) 3/23/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent
of LLC upon whom process may
be served. SSNY shall mail copy of
process to Brenda Lilly 194 Johnson
Road Scarsdale, NY 10583. Purpose:
Any lawful activity.
22-54 77th Street, LLC Articles of
Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY)
5/3/2010. 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.
Soleil Property LLC Authority filed
with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on
6/7/2010. Office location: Westchester Co. LLC formed in Delaware (DE)
on 4/6/2010. SSNY designated as
agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to The LLC 14 Hayrake
Lane Chappaqua, NY 10514. DE address of LLC: 16192 Coastal Highway
Lewes, DE 19958. Arts. Of Org. filed
with DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal
St, Ste 4 Dover, DE 19901. Purpose:
any lawful activity.
80-11 Roosevelt Avenue, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State
(SSNY) 5/3/2010.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, LLP1025
Westchester Ave. STE. 305, White
Plains, NY 10604. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Kinetic Stability LLC Articles of
Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY)
2/4/2010. Office in Westchester Co.
SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon
whom process may be served.
SSNY shall mail copy of process to
The LLC 259 Dante Avenue, Tuckahoe, NY 10707. Purpose: Any lawful
activity.
Notice of Formation of Kathleen
M. Lenihan Travel Enterprises LLC
Art of Org.filed Sec. of State SSNY
5/12/10. Office location Westchester
County SSNY Designated agent of
LLC. For service of process SSNY
shall mail Process to:19 Woodmill
Road,Chappaqua,NY10514.
Purpose:Any lawful
Linked Minds Consulting LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State
(SSNY) 5/24/2010. Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent
of LLC upon whom process may
be served. SSNY shall mail copy of
process to Anissa Truitt 217 Beach
27th Street Far Rockaway, NY 11691.
Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Formation of Limited Liability Company. Name: C & C A. Brown
LLC. Articles of Organization were
filed with SSNY on 5/17/10. Office Location: Westchester County. Principal Business Location: 55 Woodlawn
Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804.
Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
Notice of Formation of Lux Group,
LLC. Arts of Org filed with the Secy of
State of New York (SSNY) on5/7/10.
Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as an agent
upon whom process may be served
and shall mail a copy of any process
to the principal place of business
address: 360 Hamilton Ave., Ste 100,
White Plains, NY 10601. Purpose:
any lawful act.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT: WESTCHESTER
COUNTY. EXETER HOLDING, LTD.,
Pltf. vs. TENANTS AND PERSONS IN
POSSESSION, HILLSIDE DEVELOPERS OF NEW YORK, INC., et al, Defts.
Index #220003/08. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale dated
Apr. 28, 2010, I will sell at public auction in the lobby of the Westchester
County Courthouse, 111 Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Blvd., White Plains,
NY on July 27, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.
prem. k/a 101 Hillside Ave., Yonkers,
NY a/k/a being in the City of Yonkers,
County of Westchester and State of
New York, comprising Lots 56 & 57
and a portion of Lot 27 in Block 26 on
certain map entitled “Revised Map
of Land in the City of Yonkers known
as Yonkers Heights Westchester
Co., NY” made by Wm. Henry Baldwin, C.E., dated December, 1896
and filed in the Westchester County
Register’s Office now the Office of
the County Clerk of Westchester
County (Division of Land Records)
on January 6, 1897 as Map Number
1297. Approx. amt. of judgment is
$104,718.08 plus costs and interest.
Sold subject to terms and conditions
of filed judgment and terms of sale.
STEVEN ANGELO ACCINELLI, Referee. ADAM DAVID MARKEL, P.C.,
Atty. For Pltf., 11 Broadway, Ste. 868,
New York, NY. #78108
Poltrans Logistics LLC Articles of
Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY)
1/14/2010. Office in Westchester
Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC
upon whom process may be served.
SSNY shall mail copy of process to
Wojciech Szutkowski 36 Travis Rd
Baldwin Place, NY 10505. Purpose:
Any lawful activity.
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF
Westchester,
Bankunited
as successor in interest
Bankunited,
FSB,
Plaintiff,
vs. Carlos A. Zuniga, ET AL.,
Defendant(s).
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on April 19,
2010, I, the undersigned Referee will
sell at public auction at the Westchester County Courthouse, Lobby,
111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, White Plains, NY on July 26,
2010 at 10:00 a.m., premises known
as 23 Madison Avenue, Port Chester, NY. All that certain plot, piece
or parcel of land, with the buildings
and improvements thereon erected,
situate, lying and being in the Town
of Rye, County of Westchester and
State of New York, Section 136.64,
Block 1 and Lot 51. Premises will
be sold subject to provisions of filed
Judgment Index # 13273/09.
Theresa M. Daniele, Esq., Referee
Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy
& Fenchel, P.C., 100 Garden City Plaza, Garden City, NY 11530, Attorneys
for Plaintiff
CLASSIFIED
Arizona, Sun City, $75,000, 1 BR
Condo: remodeled, skylights, carport, small patio garden. Retirement winter home or investment.
632.583.6969
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER
The Bank of New York as Trustee for the Certificate holders
CW ABS, Inc. Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2006-14,
Index No.: 08-5336
Filed: 6/9/10
Plaintiff,
-against-
SUPPLEMENTALS SUMMONS
Maynard Tippetts, if living and if any be
dead, any and all persons who are spouses,
widows, grantees, mortgagees, lienors,
heirs, devisees, distributees, or successors
in interest of such of the above as may be
dead, and their spouses, heirs, devisees,
distributees and successors in interest, all
of whom and whose names and places of
residence are unknown to Plaintiff, Ryan
Tippetts, Mortgage Electronic Registration
Systems, Inc., acting solely as a nominee
for America’s Wholesale Lender, its successors and assigns, United States of America
-Internal Revenue Service, New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance,
Plaintiff
designates
Westchester County
as the place of trial.
Venue is based upon
the County in which the
mortgaged premises is
situated.
Defendants.
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to
serve a copy of your Answer or, if the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice of Appearance on the attorneys for the plaintiff within
twenty (20) days after service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service
(or within thirty (30) days after service is complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to
appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief
demanded in the Complaint.
NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT
THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $348,000.00 and interest, recorded in the office of the clerk of the County
of Westchester on September 12,2006 in Control No.: 462370392 covering
premises known as 42 Lennon Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701.
The relief sought in the within action is a [mal judgment directing the sale of
the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage
described above.
NOTICE
YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME
If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the
answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure
proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home.
Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further
information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER
WITH THE COURT.
Dated: Bay Shore, New York May 5, 2010 By: Samuel Reichel, Esq. Frenkel,
Lambert, Weiss, Weisman & Gordon, LLP Attorneys for Plaintiff 20 West Main
Street Bay Shore, New York 11706 (631) 969-3100 Our File No.:01-027582-F00
914.426.0359
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The Westchester Guardian
Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 14
why they were not in a “company”
vehicle and the boy told me it broke
down.
I went to the ATM to get cash
which pays out in $20s. I was told they
did not have $10 change. They insisted
I go to McDonald’s to get change or my
car would be towed. It was nighttime,
I was alone and they were rude, intimidating and nasty.
This happened in early May.
Unfortunately, I do not have my receipt,
but thought I would write and support
your article. Thank you for printing it.
Antonella Caggiano
(Location withheld)
To the Editor:
I live the Raybrook Apartments on
Bronx River Road, a building run by
Gramaton Management.
Residents had so many problems
with Al Jenkins like the kind described
in your article (Guardian, cover story,
June 10, 2010), Gramaton fired him
and hired another company, Northeast
Towing. Jenkins would prowl the
building parking lot and boot residents’
cars who left their blinkers on.
Like Kelli Sorrentino, I am now
afraid to go to Parkway Shopping Center
to shop at Starbucks or Kay’s Liquors.
The new Guardian is very informative and interesting, and I enjoy reading
it. Keep up the excellent work.
(Name supplied, but not published due
to author’s fear of retaliation)
Yonkers, New York
To the Editor,
I read both your articles on
L.A. Towing. I was so happy to see
you are exposing these people. On
November 20th, I was on my way to my
Grandmother’s wake about 6 P.M. I had
no dinner and stopped in the lot behind
Starbucks in Bronxville for a cup of tea.
I have three kids and my husband was
watching them because I couldn’t take
them to a wake. I was in Starbucks no
more than three minutes tops. I ran back
to my car and found a boot on it. I was so
upset because I was running late already
and the wake was in Long Island.
A young man walked out of this
truck in the dark shadows of the lot and
demanded $75 in cash while an older
man sat in the car. I didn’t have $75 so
they told me to go to the ATM down
the block (Citibank). I called the cops
for fear of safety. I also didn’t trust them,
and feared if I went down the block, the
man would tow my car anyway.
I cried my eyes out knowing that
it was going to be the last time I saw
my grandmother’s face before she was
buried. The Bronxville police came
and said I needed to pay these people.
I know for a fact that no telephone call
was made and this L.A. Towing sleezeball sat in that back lot waiting for
people like me. I handed the money to
the cop. I handed the funeral directions
to the cop also with the subject line,
“Rosemary Shannon’s Wake.”
You don’t extort $75 in cash from a
woman in a dark parking lot going to
her grandmother’s wake. I hope that cop
kept those funeral directions; not everything is as it appears.
Thanks for exposing L.A. Towing. I
was late for my grandmother’s wake.
Jen Gross
Bronxville, New York
To the Editor:
My neighbor got a ticket for parking
in the wrong direction in front of his own
home. It is quiet block off the main roads.
I once got a ticket for alternate side
of the street parking on Crestmont
Avenue, a block that did not have alternate side of the street parking. I sent
in Polaroid pictures of all the signs on
that block and spoke with homeowners
who lived there to confirm they did not
have alternate side of the street parking.
I sent this information to the Parking
Violations Bureau. All they did was
reduce the overdue fine on the ticket.
At the time, I worked in Jersey City and
had a 15-hour day between work and
commuting and did not have time to
deal with such idiots.
The Yonkers Parking Violations
Bureau is a thorn to homeowners on the
east side where so many drivers run stop
signs, speed, throw garbage out their
Continued on page 22
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 21
Page 22
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 21
windows and talk on cell phones while
they are driving.
This Bureau can do a lot more
than riding around in city vehicles to
give out non-productive summonses.
It would benefit the quality of life in
Yonkers if they went after the real
offenders instead.
Peter Giordano
Yonkers, New York
To the Editor:
The article by Gail Golden (“Why
I Champion Immigrants’ Rights,”
Guardian, June 24, 2010, p. 5), while
long on emotion and nostalgia, is very
dangerous because she is justifying
people breaking the law. Where does
this justification end?
She states “Immigrants look for the
same opportunities as my grandparents.
Our immigration laws make it very hard
to come here legally.”
I almost fell out of my bus seat when
I read this. Someone is hungry so he
robs a bank? Is that okay, too?
Coming into the U.S.A. without
permission is illegal, period. We should
not be supporting this for any reason,
just as we do not support other illegal
crimes.
The problem is that big business
wants the illegals, but that is another
topic.
At the time the writer’s grandparents came to this country, there were
more jobs available than people to man
them. We were a growing economic
powerhouse. This is no longer the case.
We don’t have enough jobs for the
people who are here. We do not need
more immigrants, and this costs us in
many ways. It has nothing to do with
the color of their skin.
Dr. Golden states, “they encounter
many Americans terrified by what is
called the ‘browning of America.’” I have
not heard that phrase before. I am troubled by the already poor conditions of
life in this country that will only become
worse by more people coming in. We are
under no moral obligation to take in the
entire world. I have seen men ruin their
backs and their health working seven
days a week washing dishes and carrying
loads. Their lives are worse in the long
run. They must live in bad areas and are
frequently crime victims.
Dr. Golden should think more
about the illegal activities she supports,
and whether it is really a better life here
for illegal immigrants.
Adam Stein
Mamaroneck, New York
To the Editor:
Reading the editorial by Gail
Golden “Why I Champion Immigrants
Rights,” (Guardian, June 24, 2010, p.
5) and stories of her grandmother first
coming to this country brought me back
to my own childhood. Then it took
a horrific, sickening turn, like a train
wreck on a perfect summer day.
She seems to confuse illegal aliens
with immigrants -- they are not the
same thing.
Both of my parents immigrated to
this country legally. My father came
from France, learned English, and
became a citizen of the United States.
He is a proud American. He teaches
Americans about U.S. history, so they,
too, can be proud Americans. Those
who came through Ellis Island had to
endure health inspections and background checks. Illegal aliens do not.
My parents had to get sponsors, and
because they came here legally, they
were not eligible for any kind of welfare.
They only had two children because
they could not afford more, and they
paid off the hospital bill themselves. We
never had health insurance or went to
the doctor except for immunizations;
my parents could not afford it.
Not all illegal aliens are here
desperate to work hard like the proud
immigrants before them. Many come
here for a free ride. They get special
benefits that are supposed to be reserved
for Americans in need. If females are
pregnant on U.S. soil, they get free
medical care, free prescriptions, prenatal
care, infant formula, free dental care,
counseling, food stamps, rent subsidies,
utility subsidies, free education, daycare
and camp, school lunch, even taxis and
prepaid cellular telephones. They have
many children so they can keep the
benefits coming.
And many never pay taxes. They are
not proud Americans. Many disrespect
our country, fly their home-country
flags, and expect special rights -- and
get them.
The article about a federal district
judge’s decision to force cumulative
voting upon the people of Portchester
(“Luis Marino Makes History in
Portchester,” Guardian, June 24, 2010,
p. 3) in which minority groups are
allowed to cast more than one vote for
the same candidate, “giving that candidate a better chance to win the election”
sounds like corruption to me.
“Portchester was required to train
poll workers to ensure that Portchester
voters were familiar with cumulative
voting. They needed bilingual officials
at every polling place, translation of all
election-related materials into Spanish,
held bilingual voter education in the
months leading up to the June election,
paid for multi-media advertising, and
held a mock-election.”
Who pays for all this? The poor, tired
“brown” illegal aliens, or hardworking
taxpayers of every color struggling to
feed their own families?
“Portchester hired a dedicated
bilingual election outreach coordinator
to oversee everything, provided early
voting for the week of June 15th, and
kept in touch with Justice Department
lawyers.” That is disgraceful! It is the
work of Hispanic supremacy groups
like the one Gail Golden co-chairs, not
proud Americans.
Dr. Golden went so far as to call
anyone against illegal immigration a
part of “white supremacy” and “terrified of the browning of America.” This
is a racist accusation. For the record,
I know people of every color against
illegal immigration, including former
Mexicans who waited on line just for
the chance to call themselves proud
Americans. Since when is “illegal” a
race?
It is nice Dr. Golden helped develop
a day laborer center in Spring Valley.
Despite the ridiculous argument that
Americans do not want jobs, I know
many Americans who would be happy to
take a job in construction, landscaping,
or even McDonalds. Yet they cannot get
hired because they don’t speak Spanish.
Americans are the ones being
discriminated against by employers
and racists like Dr. Golden. Her hatred
of Americans is sickening. Her own
grandmother who was so proud to be
American would most likely be ashamed
of her granddaughter’s bigotry.
No one cares if you are from Mexico,
Sweden or Mars. The only question is
whether or not you are an American.
Noelle Rigaud
West Harrison, New York
Editor’s Note: Are immigrants really taking
jobs away from Americans? Not according
to the United Farmworkers. The union
offers to train any American to replace an
immigrant farm worker. http://www.
takeourjobs.org. I wonder if Ms. Rigaud
knows anyone who has taken up the UFW
on its offer.
On July 2d, the New York Times
reported on its front page, “Factory Jobs
Return, but Employers Find Skills
Shortage.” Sounds like we need more immigrants, not fewer.
In signing SB 1070, Arizona Gov. Jan
Brewer said: “Border violence and crime
due to illegal immigration are critically
important issues to the people of our state.
There is no higher priority than protecting
the citizens of Arizona. We cannot sacrifice our safety to the murderous greed of
the drug cartels. We cannot stand idly by
as drop houses, kidnappings and violence
compromise our quality of life.” Heady stuff,
all this crime, drug cartels, kidnapping, and
murder.
Yet, the FBI reports violent crimes
and property crimes declined the past
several years in Arizona. http://www.
cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/29/arizona.
immigration.crime/index.html. Statistics
expose Brewer as a demagogue. Specifically,
violent crimes there dropped by nearly
1,500 reported incidents between 2005
and 2008, and reported property crimes
fell from about 287,000 to 279,000 in
the same period. Yet, Arizona’s population
grew by 600,000 between 2005 and 2008.
According to the nonpartisan
Immigration Policy Institute, proponents
of SB 1070 “overlook two salient points:
Continued on page 23
The Westchester Guardian
Forensic Fraud in Child Abuse Cases
and not state things that are not there.”
But when asked whether she thought
that Henderson should be prosecuted,
Carassco replied, “I think that would be
a little extreme.”
Extreme? Is fabricating evidence,
giving perjured testimony, suborning it
in alleged victims, thereby defrauding
the courts, a petty matter? In fact, it
is tantamount to obstructing justice, a
crime. There is no evidence Henderson
is mentally ill or did not know what she
was doing. She acted knowingly, intentionally and maliciously. Her motives
are irrelevant. It is the consequences of
her misdeeds that are relevant. She gets
a pass because she is part of the prosecution club, and that is unacceptable.
I know from experience. Westchester
A.D.A. George Bolen made sure I was
wrongfully convicted. He suddenly and
mysteriously beat a quick path to Florida
days before I was freed from prison.
Former Assistant Medical Examiner,
Luis Roh, suddenly retired as a result of
my civil lawsuit against him and other
government officials. Roh was directly
involved in fabricating forensic evidence
to falsely prove I raped and murdered
my high school classmate, Angela
Correa. Later, Steven Cunningham
pled guilty to these heinous crimes after
DNA incontrovertibly proved his guilt.
Roh did not care about the truth
based on unbiased, scientifically valid
medical findings; his only purpose was
to support Bolen. His attitude was
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 23
Continued from page 9
“Tell me what you want to prove, Mr.
Prosecutor, and I will prove it.”
Acts performed by those in positions
of public trust is an aggravating factor
which militates in favor of prosecuting
law enforcement and forensic personnel,
not a mitigating factor to shield them
from prosecution. People in positions of
public trust and authority must be held
to a higher standard.
Not in Erie County. There,
Henderson is held to a lower standard. It makes no sense logically, and
it makes no sense as a matter of policy.
Defendants wrongfully convicted based
on Henderson’s testimony were legally
kidnapped, in effect, when they lost their
freedom and were shipped off to prison.
What about the families separated from
their children because of Henderson?
Where is their justice? How does
shielding Henderson deter others in her
position from doing the same thing?
What public good is brought about by
shielding Henderson from prosecution?
She should be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law to spotlight this
kind of heinous behavior by a medical
professional who betrays the public
trust. Otherwise, it will happen again,
not only in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, but across the nation.
To the Editor:
“Happy Fifth of July, New York!”
by Louise Mirrer, Jame Oliver Horton
and Richard Rabinowitz (New York
Times, July 3, 2005) provided a historical perspective on slavery in the North
and South -- and its present day implications. This team of historians/writers
worked on the much heralded exhibition about slavery at the New York
Historical Society. With all of the work
of Historic Hudson Valley, The African
Burial Ground Project and St. Paul’s
Church, we are approaching, as the
authors’ said, some clarity “on the role
our city and state played in the institution of slavery.”
Daniel D. Tompkins should be
the most honored and celebrated
Scarsdalian in New York State history.
In 1817, Thompkins made a recommendation to the Legislature to abolish
domestic slavery in this state. “This act,
if passed, would take effect on July 4,
1827. In accordance with his proposition the Legislature passed an act on
the 31st of March 1817, and at the
prescribed time slavery was ripped off
the statue books of the state of New
York.” (Frederick Shonnard and W.W.
Spooner, History of Westchester County.
New York).
It is interesting to note that Tompkins
was Vice President of the United States
from 1817-1825 and founder of the
New York State Historical society. The
extract from Life and Service of Governor
Thompkins by the Hon. Hugh Hastings,
Historian of the State of New York,
reads as follows: “Of all the able men
who have occupied the chair of governor
of New York State, none ever sustained
the onerous and overwhelming responsibilities with more conscientiousness, or
guarded the destinies of his state and his
people with more fidelity. He was more
than a great man, he was a great patriot,
a great martyr. He gave his services, his
fortune, his reputation, and his life, that
his country should maintain its position
amongst the nations of the earth, and
for the transcendent results he achieved,
he deserves the imperishable gratitude
of this country. Amen.”
I began researching the early African
presence in Scarsdale in 1999. It is as old
as the village itself. If we look to the past
to better understand the present and
inform the future, we will find vestiges
of an almost forgotten people in historical texts which fill library shelves. We
will also find the skeletal remains of
our African ancestors in cemeteries and
landscapes throughout Westchester.
Thus, history unfolds. Happy
Fourth of July!
Jeff Deskovic spent sixteen years in prison
for a murder and rape he did not commit.
He writes about wrongful convictions and
criminal justice issues.
Letters to the Editor
Continued from page 22
Crime rates have already been falling in
Arizona for years despite the presence of
unauthorized immigrants, and a century’s
worth of research has demonstrated that
immigrants are less likely to commit crimes
or be behind bars than the native-born.”
As Joe Friday said, “Just the facts,
ma’am.”
To the Editor:
Defense, infrastructure, safety, security and select social programs; we can
all agree about vital role the government
plays in the lives of the American people.
Many of us, however, believe the current
administration seeks to extend its
influence into areas never before administered beyond government’s traditional
role in our society. The Tea Party movement is a manifestation of what many
feel is a turn toward socialism.
In his article “Obama’s Socialist
Workers’ Paradise,” (Guardian, June 24,
2010, p.7) Jeffery Heller attempts to
paint those of us troubled by the Obama
administration’s course as hypocrites,
that we pick and choose government
programs to our satisfaction. This is
nonsense, and typical of those who
have little regard for personal liberty
and responsibility, and would prefer the
government to have cradle-to-grave
control over the lives of the people.
The rhetoric and debate will
continue as long as Democrats control
Congress and the White House.
There is a question that I hope Mr.
Heller can answer. What is it about
Sarah Palin that so enrages liberals? It
appears the former Alaska governor has
had a tremendous, negative effect on
their psyches. One is hard pressed to
find a column or discussion involving a
liberal without the venom flowing and
every insulting and derogatory comment
about her spewing forth like a raging
river. I believe this unnatural behavior
is pathological. It is carried over from,
and exacerbated by, what was known as
“Bush Derangement Syndrome.”
This brings to mind two verses I
came across some time ago: “The first
time I ever saw her, I was captivated
and charmed; but then she spoke, and
suddenly, I became wary and alarmed.
But I was not honest with myself, and
so intolerance sealed my fate, and weakness fed my folly and ignorance my hate.
“She was cheery, folksy and spirited, qualities you rarely find; and I just
couldn’t forget or shake her, and get her
out of mind. I became obsessed and
filled with anger; she upset my plans
and schemes; and finally to my horror
and shame, she even haunts my dreams.”
Bob Pascarella
Bronx, New York
Phyllis C. Murray
Scarsdale, New York
Page 24
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Westchester Sports
Westchester’s Pro Tennis Team
Moves to Randall’s Island
Sportimes Hope to Maintain Their Westchester Fan Base in New Facility
By Rachel Abady
World TeamTennis (WTT) is a
professional, co-ed tennis organization co-founded in 1974 by legendary
Women’s Tennis Association champion,
Billie Jean King. WTT fields teams all
over the U.S. divided into Eastern and
Western conferences. Each WTT team
is comprised of two men, two women
and one coach.
Singles, doubles, and mixed-doubles
games are played at every tournament.
Rules differ slightly from ordinary
tennis. For example, the first team to
reach five games wins the set. Sportime
courts also have a unique color scheme:
blue, green and brown bordered by red.
New York’s “Sportimes” boasts
tennis legend and popular commentator,
“You can’t be serious!” John McEnroe;
current top-ranked female star, Kim
Clijsters; and notables, Jesse Witten,
Abigail Spears, Robert Kendrick,
Ashley Harkleroad, and coach, Chuck
Adams.
Witten acquitted himself
admirably at last year’s U.S. Open in
Flushing Meadow.
The corporation that houses the
team, Sportime, has thirteen fitness
facilities around the Tri-state area. For
years, Westchester residents watched
the WTT team at the Harbor Island
location in Mamaroneck which has
eight indoor/outdoor courts. The Fans
were crestfallen when WTT moved to
the new $18 million facility on Randall’s
Island in the Bronx. However, WTT
Jared Karlebach, Assistant General Manager of the New York Sportimes
general manager and corporate lawyer,
Mark McEnroe, John’s brother, hopes to
keep its Westchester fan base while the
team develops new fans from Gotham.
The new Randall’s Island facility has
160,000 square feet of twenty indoor/
outdoor courts which can operate in
rain or shine, darkness or daylight. The
building holds more than just locker
rooms and tennis balls. Included in the
20,000 square foot clubhouse are study
spaces; meeting rooms; entertainment,
fitness and training centers; multipurpose classrooms; computer lounges;
a café; a pro shop; treatment rooms; and
a nursery. Sportimes team member and
mom, Kim Clijsters, uses the nursery
when she brings her little one along.
The Sportime facility built on park
property is also unique in its corporate
relationship with New York City. Parts
of the clubhouse and tennis courts are
open to the public. It is surrounded by
fields for soccer, football, softball and
baseball, and a recently renovated golf
center often utilized by New York City
Firefighter Academy members. This
surfeit of sport venues imbues the island
the active energy of athletes and ordinary folks engaged in sweaty recreation.
John McEnroe is opening a new
tennis academy which bears his name
at the Randall’s Island tennis center,
and he aims to develop world-class
tennis players by recruiting the best
and most motivated players from the
City and surrounding area, including
Westchester. McEnroe will subsidize
kids who lack the means to attend camp
or take lessons, and hopes to fulfill their
tennis dreams. McEnroe’s academy
is free for under-resourced children.
Tryouts are in July, the dates are available at the Sportime website, www.
nysportimes.com.
The 35th annual World Team
Tennis season opens on Monday, July
5th. The season opener is against the
Washington Kastles. On Wednesday,
July 7th, Yonkers native, Harvard
graduate, female heartthrob and world
renowned tennis pro, James Blake, will
take the court. The Guardian will be
there to meet him.
Tickets for the match are now available online.
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Page 25
Westchester Retrospective
The King’s Best Highway
The Lost History of the Boston Post Road,
the Route That Made America by Eric Jaffe
By Amanda Jane
On its face, the history of a road
hardly seems an engaging topic for a
book. Eric Jaffe makes it fascinating.
His first book published last week by
Simon and Schuster describes the Post
Road as, “a conduit of cultural progress,”
and through his skillful narration, the
story of New England’s development
comes alive.
Jaffe told the Guardian he began
researching the book in 2005 while he
was a student at the Columbia School
of Journalism. On a trip to the Bronx, he
noticed a street named Boston Road and
wondered about its origin. He learned
more about the history of the Post Road
which ran from New York to Boston
and discovered its critical importance
as a thoroughfare that shaped America.
He says it should be “a national icon, not
just a northeastern icon.”
The book is a fascinating lens
through which to view American
history. The Post Road began as a series
of Indian trails, and later became a hardwon path for colonial settlements. Over
time, the road wove southwest from
Boston to Hartford and from Boston to
the Connecticut coast, and eventually,
through Westchester to link up with the
New Amsterdam settlement.
“determination
when
everyone else thought he
was crazy.” The staging
system caught on and
soon replaced post riders
on horseback as mail
carriers.
Jaffe brings alive an era when all
travel was local, and recreational voyages
nearly unheard of. The book is peppered
with engaging characters famous and
less known. For example, we meet New
York Governor, Francis Lovelace, who
was obsessed with founding a regular
postal system along the “King’s best
highway.” Lovelace sought “an efficient
system of correspondence” he understood “was crucial to colonial defense.”
Ironically, his postal negotiations took
him away to Connecticut when the
Dutch arrived in 1673 to reclaim New
York by force.
Benjamin Franklin promoted the
postal system, motivated by a desire
to expand the readership of his newspaper. Once appointed U.S. Postmaster,
Franklin made recipients pay for letters
delivered to them and improved the
delivery system performed by lone riders
on horseback. George Washington,
Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Moses all
make cameo appearances in the book.
Jaffe says Levi Pease is perhaps his
favorite character in the book. Pease
was a Connecticut blacksmith, innkeeper and visionary. In the latter half
of the 18th century, he devised a system
of stage coaches up and down the
Post Road. As Jaffe notes, Pease had
Taverns and printing shops grew
along the Post Road to refresh travelers
and disseminate news. New Rochelle,
Mamaroneck and Rye all had inns and
posting stations. George Washington
apparently gave high praise to New
Rochelle’s Haviland Tavern after a visit
there in 1789.
The Post Road almost becomes a
character in the book by the time of the
Declaration of Independence is penned
by Thomas Jefferson. The road made
possible swift communication between
colonials, enabling them to foment
rebellion against the English king in a
coordinated manner.
In the 19th century, travel along the
Post Road was temporarily eclipsed by
the construction of canals and railroads.
During the Civil War, for example,
troops traveled south by train as far as
possible. The dirt surface of the Post
Road saw less traffic.
The King’s Best Highway
Author Eric jaffe
Things changed with the advent
of the automobile. Roads became all
important again. As old routes grew
crowded with vehicles, Westchester
County built the Bronx River Parkway
and Hutchinson Parkway to relieve
congestion on the Post Road. In time,
expressways were built to connect major
population centers. In the 1950’s, New
Rochelle witnessed the coming of the
expressway, now Interstate 95, and civic
leaders saw it as a revitalizing force for
the then-declining city.
As Jaffe writes, however, “Instead of
leading people back into cities, expressways had facilitated a broad rush away
from downtown.”
The final chapter of Jaffe’s wellwritten book describes his own journey
in a Mini Cooper when he traversed
Route 1 from Manhattan to Boston
He regrets the slow pace and number
of traffic lights. Mostly, he rues that the
Post Road has been “relegated, in most
places, to a glorified local street.”
The author worked for Smithsonian
magazine, Boston magazine and
currently writes a blog for Psychology
Today. He lives in New York City and
is currently at work on a book about the
Second World War, highlighting his
grandfather’s service in occupied Japan.
Page 26
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
Mercury Enters Leo, Venus Enters
Virgo, and the Sizzling Solar
Eclipse of Summer 2010
By Shelley L. Ackerman
Solar Eclipse at 19 Cancer 24
The degrees of 18-20 Cancer (and
Capricorn) are poignant as they align
with the nodes of Pluto.
And what are the “Nodes of
Pluto”? Well, we are all somewhat
familiar with the north and south
nodes of the Moon. The south node
concerns our origins karmically, and
the north node concerns our destiny.
The nodes of the Moon imply an
acceptance of a reincarnational and
evolutionary approach to astrology.
Many astrologers tack on a
negative connotation to the south node
and put a positive spin on the north
node. I am somewhat more lenient and
think of the nodes as a balancing act
-- akin to a lava lamp -- in which we
constantly perfect a long-standing issue
going back and forth until we achieve a
balance.
But all planets have a nodal axis
and unlike the lunar nodes which have
a cycle of 18.6 years, the exact degrees
of the planetary nodes move ever so
slightly over time.
Pluto’s North Node is at 20 degrees
of Cancer, within a degree of the July
11th Solar Eclipse. This eclipse is therefore potentially extra potent. The sextile,
60 degree aspect from Mars at 19 Virgo
contributes energy and adds precision.
Wherever the 20th degree of Cancer
falls in your chart is where the action is,
and where you can expect a profound
shift in the days, weeks, and even months
ahead. And if you have planets or points
in your chart, such as the ascendant,
midheaven or IC at around 20 degrees
of Aries, Libra, or Capricorn, you,
too, will experience some life-altering
activity now or in the near future.
The Sabian symbol for this
particular degree is actually quite
musical and romantic: “Venetian
Gondoliers Giving a Serenade.” The
image evokes charm and beauty while
floating on the water. What could be
more innocent?
But anything pertaining to water
these days is not simple, and we must
pray that our waters remain pure and
safe. Instead of gondoliers, perhaps
the angels will sing and work their
magic.
F O R E C A S T S
ARIES: There’s quite the balancing
act to pull off during this emotionally intense and demanding week but
some of it is rather pleasant. On the
positive end of the spectrum, Mercury,
planet of thought and talk enters your
romantic and creative 5th house and
pillow talk with a paramour will delight
and communication with your kids
works out well. Venus in your 6th house
of work sweetens your daily routine. But
the potent Solar Eclipse in your angular
4th house of family affairs deems transitions at home unavoidable. Roll with
those fated punches, resisting them isn’t
an option.
TAURUS: With so much activity at the
bottom (and more sensitive) part of your
chart, it’s a challenge to not take everything that’s going on personally. But if
you could for a moment step away from
the “raw” feeling, you would recognize
that you are being well-supported by a
partner or a representative who has your
best interest at heart. The Solar Eclipse
in your 3rd house forces a crisis of change
with a sibling, a neighbor, or in your
immediate surroundings.
The way you think and speak may shift
dramatically. Be open to going deeper
and sharing from that place within.
GEMINI: There’s a window of opportunity just before the eclipse (late
Thursday/early Friday) that allows you
to wiggle your way out of a financial
tight spot with a family member and/
or one you share living space with. But
this grace period won’t absolve you of
all lingering fiduciary responsibility, not
by a long shot. This eclipse will help
you face the emotional underpinnings
of your money issues so that you can
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
The Westchester Guardian
resolve them once and for all. Your ruler,
Mercury in your 3rd house of communication through July 27th prompts creative
self expression and sibling pow-wows.
have the strength to face and slay those
hobgoblins once and for all.
VIRGO: Can both your modest and
brazen self coexist and work together
without one drowning out the other?
Of course they can, but you first must
agree that a little brazenness once in a
while is a good and necessary thing. On
Thursday, July 9th, friends back you up
big time and with Venus in your sign,
you feel vindicated and look terrific to
boot. But then, two days later, the Solar
Eclipse makes it clear that the very
community that has supported you in
recent years is in a fated state of flux and
there’s nothing you can do about it. But
don’t fret: the incoming “group” will be
more suitable for who you have become.
CANCER: Two days before the Solar
Eclipse in your sign ( July 9 to be exact),
there’s some magical mojo between
money house and the professional
achievement section of your chart. So
while you may be inclined to jump ship
and start the weekend early, it’s best that
you remain on call and in communication with whoever is in charge at your
place of business. The New Moon/
Eclipse is very personal to you and
without a doubt, one phase of your existence (and identity) is ending and a new
one will begin. Stay present and be the
change you desire.
LIBRA: From July 9-27, your “audience” is all ears. Take the opportunity,
LEO: As Mercury enters your sign,
cut to the chase, and express what’s really
your voice will be that much more clear
been on your mind. If what you have to
and audible. And with Venus in your
say is constructive- and of service, it


2nd house
of
income,
the
accounting
will be received well. Your
ruler, Venus,



department
is more likely to get it
) emphain Virgo (through August 6th

together
come through for you on time

sizes the need to turn inward for your

for a change.
annual soul-searching expedition. This
 But then there’s the Solar

Eclipse
in your 12th house of hidden
comes at a somewhat inconvenient

affairs
and familial histrionics. One
time as the Solar Eclipse zaps your
strong scenario is one in which you
career house simultaneously. So while
gain access to ancestral enerdividing your attention
  
gies that have plagued
is maddening,


you (and others in
tying
up







your lineage)
multiple



  

for generaloose





 
tions and




 
  


will now
   




 




  










 



 
 























 






 

 






















 


  
  
 
  


 
 


 






  
Summer 2010 Solar Eclipse in Cancer
July 11, 2010 3:40 pm EDT Washington, DC
Astrology Chart courtesy of Astrolabe
ends will ready you for the next all
important round: Saturn’s rewarding
re-entrance into your sign.
SCORPIO: The July 11th Plutonic
Solar Eclipse in your legal and philosophical 9th house is all consuming and
could succeed in changing your world
view all together. This is BIG - and you,
more than anyone, know that when what
was true for you yesterday no longer
holds, it’s time to adjust and (if need
be) to surrender to the next unknown
chapter. That is not say that you’re about
to abandon all that is familiar. But energetically, you must ask your ego to take
a back seat. Humility is crucial to things
working out the way you’d like them to.
Stay positive, flexible, and reverential as
you open to what’s next.
SAGITTARIUS: Your sphere of influence expands with Mercury’s entrance
into “look at me” Leo and your 9th house
of recognition. Lovely Venus at the top
of your chart adds allure and appeal.
But the real activity is the Solar Eclipse
in your transformational 8th house.
The events of the past few months
have been leading up to this profound
rebirth, and it’s in your best interest to
allow the process to unfold but to be
aware of the profound changes taking
place deep within your soul. If you feel
overwhelmed- ask for help- the devil is
in the details, you know. And if you’re
missing too many of them it won’t be
good in the long run.
CAPRICORN: A spouse or business
associate’s input is tantamount to your
success – so please do not shrug off what
they’re saying. Deal with the discomfort
of talking about finances. Additionally,
the Solar Eclipse hits your house of
Page 27
marriage and legal affairs, so partnership
is very much on the front burner and
changes in your significant other’s life
will impact you. These shifts are timely
and although inconvenient, adjustments
made now will be easier to handle than
they world be later on.
AQUARIUS: In this very busy eclipse
week, events are unfolding quickly and
you’ll need to roll with what goes on and
make corrections later. First, there’s a new
creative partnership in the offing- don’t
nix it until you’ve heard all the details.
Second, rearranging financials with your
bank, lender, or trustee yields a more
workable and palatable solution.
And most important, the Solar
Eclipse/New Moon in your 6th house of
heath and day to day routines clears the
deck for either a new team (as in support
staff or co-workers) or a new job all
together. Count your blessings- being
busy beats being unemployed.
PISCES: A work partner or spouse
humbly rolls up his or her sleeves and
is poised to assist you in bringing a
project to completion. Please, do not
look this gift horse in the mouth, as
their input will somewhat offset the
dramas of the July 11th eclipse. If you
have a child, their life will profoundly
change; if you’re having an affair, it will
either blossom into something bigger
or lose steam all together. And if you’re
working on something creative, it will
morph into its next phase of development. And last but not least, if you bet
on a sure thing- you’ll soon know if it
was “sure” or not.
Shelley Ackerman is a New Yorkbased astrologer, journalist, broadcaster.
Visit her online at www.karmicrelief.com.
The Planets This Week: Times are EDT
July 8: Moon in Taurus V/C @ 2:09 am, in Gemini @ 3:51 am; Venus
Opposite Neptune @ 7:56 pm
July 9: Mercury sextile Saturn @ 1:35 am, enters Leo @ 12:29 am, trines
Uranus @ 7:46 am
July10: Moon V/C @ 6:17 am, in Cancer @ 7:38 am; Venus enters Virgo @
7:32 am
July 11: Sun sextile Mars @ 12:13 am; Mercury trine Jupiter @ 4:13 am;
Moon Conj Sun (Solar Eclipse) @ 3:40 pm
July 12: Moon V/C @ 7:48 am; Moon in Leo @ 8:53 am
July 13: Venus trine Pluto @ 1:54 pm
July 14: Moon V/C @ 6:23 am, enters Virgo @ 9:15 am
*Moon V/C = Void of Course, a disconnect time best for spiritual not
earthly pursuits
Page 28
The Westchester Guardian
Thursday, JUly 8, 2010
www.westchesterguardian.com