May 17, 2013 - Rising Media Group

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Grace Borrani Running
For Council President
Grace Borrani
By Dan Murphy
Lifelong Yonkers resident, business owner
and first-time candidate Grace Borrani announced May 1 that she is running for City
Council president. Borrani, a Republican seeking the GOP nomination at its upcoming convention, said: “I’m in this race to the end and
to win.”
Borrani was born and raised in Yonkers,
having attended St. Peter’s grammar school and
Sacred Heart High School. Her parents were of
Italian and Spanish heritage, and were real estate
investors, instilling in Borrani a hard work ethic
and the knowledge and passion for the real estate
industry.
“I believe that being a first-time candidate
is a positive. The voters are tired of recycled
politicians and all of the commitments they have
made,” she said. “I don’t owe anybody anything.
I’m a church-goer and I live my life and raise my
daughter by the same ethics that I will use on the
City Council. If things aren’t working, we need
to shake things up.”
After graduating from the College of Mount
Saint Vincent, Borrani worked in a real estate
office for five years before opening her own
successful real estate firm in 2005. Borrani Realty Corp., a Vredenburgh Avenue brokerage
founded by her parents, serves Westchester and
Putnam counties, as well as parts of the Bronx.
Learn more at www.borranirealty.com.
“I grew up in southwest Yonkers and now
live in Lincoln Park, but my family is from all
over Yonkers,” she said. “I chose to stay here and
raise my daughter.”
Why did Borrani decide to run for office and
to make her first campaign for council president?
“I really believe that I can make a difference. I’m not a politician, but a small business
owner and a lifelong resident of Yonkers who
doesn’t like how we are being represented,” said
Continued on Page 4
Yonkers’ Korean War Heroes:
Army Corporal William Francis Callahan
Army Corporal William Francis Callahan
By Andrew Tobia
William Francis “Hooks/Hooksy” Callahan was born Nov. 11, 1930 to John B. and
Catherine (McClain) Callahan. He was their
third child; he had an older sister, Mary Do-
ris (who went by Doris only), an older brother,
John V., and a younger brother, Stanton. The
Callahans made their home at 120 Ashburton
Ave., Yonkers, at the intersection of Park Avenue. (The building no longer exists.)
His father, John B., was born in New York
City and moved to Yonkers as a small boy with
his parents, John and Emily Carson Callahan.
He was a World War I Navy veteran, serving
overseas as Chief Carpenter’s mate. After returning from the war, he attended Columbia
University and became a civil engineer for
the City of Yonkers. John V. would follow in
his footsteps, also becoming a civil engineer
for Yonkers. Doris worked to become a public
health nurse for Westchester County.
Tom Harrington, another Yonkers Korean
War veteran, has been reading the “Yonkers’
Korean War Heroes” series and contacted me
in anticipation of this article on Callahan. He
had some nice information to share.
According to Harrington, he, Callahan
and Jim Lennon – yet another Yonkers Korean
War veteran – all attended Sacred Heart High
School together. Callahan, one year ahead of
the other two, graduated in 1948. He was nicknamed Hooks or Hooksy because he was lefthanded.
Continued on Page 7
Friday, May 17, 2013
Rwanda Genocide Survivor
Receives a Key to the City
Mayor Mike Spano, Gilbert Sezirahiga and County Legislator Virginia Perez.
Photo by Donna Davis.
Mayor Mike Spano joined Westchester
County Legislator Virginia Perez at a May 8 reception at Yonkers City Hall to present Rwanda
genocide survivor Gilbert Sezirahiga with a key
to the City of Yonkers for his mission in promoting peace and tolerance while visiting Yonkers
and Westchester County.
Sezirahiga escaped the Rwanda Genocide in
1994, when he was 17 years old. He went on to
obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology, specializing in trauma caused by the Rwanda genocide.
He is now the site director of the Murambi Memorial, which is the first and biggest genocide
memorial in Rwanda, where 5000 Tutsi were
killed by the Hutu government in 24 hours.
Sezirahiga travels and shares his experiences
with leaders and communities around the world.
County Legislator Virginia Perez met Sezirahiga during her recent trip to Africa, and helped
bring him to Yonkers to share his story. After the
ceremony at City Hall, Perez hosted Sezirahiga
for a discussion at the Riverfront Library.
Yonkers’ Best & Brightest:
Lincoln High School
Salutatorian Wasis Ali
Valedictorian Natasha Guerrero
Congratulations to 2013 Lincoln High
School Valedictorian Natasha Guerrero and Salutatorian Wasis Ali.
Guerrero has a 99.6 percent grade-point average, and her favorite subject is AP biology with
Mrs. Cameron. “It was a challenging class and I
am amazed and interested in the makeup of the
human body,” she said.
Her favorite teachers at LHS were Ms. Gillitt
and global politics, Mr. Martinez and math, and
Mr. Berkowitz and English. “I have maintained
relationships will all of these teachers, especially Mr. Berkowitz, for four years, and I consider
them my mentors and friends who were always
there for me with good advice,” she said.
Guerrero has two older brothers who also attended Lincoln. One studied to be a certified pubContinued on Page 5
YPIE First Graduates of Ridge Hill Academy
Yonkers Partners in Education and Forest
City Ratner Companies have graduated the first
class of students from their newly-minted “Ridge
Hill Academy” management career exploration
program in Yonkers at Westchester’s Ridge Hill
shopping center.
The two-year program funded by Forest City
Ratner Companies and administered by Westchester’s Ridge Hill and YPIE consists of five 10-week
sessions that aim to teach Yonkers Public Schools
students about management careers in the shopping and retail industries – including retail and
Yonkers High School students after completing the first class at Ridge Hill Academy
restaurant management, operations, traffic and
parking management, security, and public relations and marketing.
Selected participating sophomores and juniors from Yonkers-area schools have spent Tuesday afternoons for the past 10 weeks in practical
workshops led by Ridge Hill managers. The innovative RHA model is one that YPIE hopes to replicate with other area corporations and businesses.
“This experience has opened my eyes, as
well as my mind, to what a business needs to be
successful – and it will be useful when I open my
first business or apply for a job,” said Eduardo
Rondon, a student at Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers. “I am grateful that I
was accepted into Ridge Hill Academy.”
Each week of the program focused on a different area of retail and shopping center management. In addition to learning from FCRC and operational partners Securitas USA, LAZ and CBS,
students met and interacted with management
professionals at partner organizations like Lord
and Taylor, Whole Foods, The Cheesecake Factory and Westmed. Whole Foods acted as “snack
sponsor,” and on March 6, the day after its RHA
session, donated 5 percent of its sales to YPIE.
“This program provided a great opportunity
for high school students in the area to glean valuable, practical advice and practice some solid
career-oriented thinking,” said Kathy Welch, executive vice president and director of retail development for Forest City Ratner Companies, owner
of Ridge Hill. “Ridge Hill has so many great management professionals who were more than happy
to provide useful advice to students preparing for
Continued on Page 4
PAGE 2 - yonkers RISING - Friday, May 17, 2013
Young Female Leaders Inspired at
‘Running and Winning’ Workshop
‘Astronomy Day’ at HRM
Saunders students include, from left, Reneissance Frances, Nadine Rosas, Eunice Adarquah, Nina Hernandez, Alijah Acosta and Nicole Montes.
The second annual Running and Winning
workshop on April 18 gave 36 Westchester high
school girls the chance to meet and talk with 16
female elected officials and learn what it means
to run for office and work for the interests of the
people of Westchester.
The workshop was sponsored by the League
of Women Voters, the American Association of
University Women, and the YWCA of Central
Westchester, which provided the location. The
Westchester Community Foundation provided
funding.
The elected officials began the workshop
by telling how they got involved in politics, often coming from a strong desire to solve a critical community problem. The girls then asked
probing questions about the women’s experiences, and heard answers stressing the importance of just doing the work and being authentic
and thereby winning people’s respect. They also
learned from several office-holders that helping
other people is very rewarding.
The girls then developed their own campaigns around environmental issues, a challenge
requiring teamwork, organization and public
speaking. Their campaigns offered creative action at the community level to improve the environment through cleaning up water, recycling
many items, using alternate energy, and other
solutions. The girls presented their campaigns
in speeches that illustrated their enthusiasm and
ability to think creatively.
They also learned how the officials approach raising money in an ethical and respectful way, even though they are uncomfortable
with it. One office-holder quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, saying: “Do one thing every day that
scares you.”
Running and Winning addressed the growing awareness of the need for more girls and
women to develop their leadership potential.
Women – 50.8 percent of the population – now
make up only 20 percent of the U.S. Senate and
17.9 percent of the House; there are only nine
women governors and 11 lieutenant governors.
In 2012, women held 23.7 percent of the 7,382
state legislative seats. In 2013, New York State
has one woman U.S. senator, and six congressional representatives.
Workshop attendees reported that they had
changed their opinion about government, elected officials or running for office as a result of
their experiences.
“I see women elected officials as role models,” said one participant.
“My running for office is possible,” added
another.
Most reported that by the end of the day,
they had increased their self-esteem and became
more confident in their leadership skills.
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Leave the driving to Amtrak
Museum visitors decorate a Stop Rocket during a previous Astronomy Day at the Hudson
River Museum.
The Hudson River Museum will hold its
annual “Astronomy Day” – a visitor favorite –
on Sunday, May 19 from noon to 5 p.m.
During this annual star on the museum’s
planetarium calendar, participants can observe
the sun with an eye-safe solar telescope; experiment in a Light Laboratory using spectrum
tubes, prisms, color filters, lenses and mirrors
to play with light and color; and see a model
of the solar system with planets to scale, on
display in the museum lobby.
Attendees can also decorate a Stomp
Rocket and launch it to 15 feet, or create a
3-D model of a constellation or asterism. Also,
learn how sailors and other travelers “shot the
sun and stars to find their position with an Octant.”
A “Maker” program will take place from
1 to 4:30 p.m., where participants can see the
objects and machines created by museum
“Makers” in family science workshops. Get
your hands on the technology around you, find
how it works, and make something new!
Half-hour planetarium shows will take
place at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m., and feature a live
show of the night sky. All ages are welcome.
Historic House and Garden Tour
The Park Hill Residents’ Association and “green dean” at the Fieldston School, and a scithe Yonkers Land Conservancy will host their ence teacher, at 3:30 p.m.; and an entertaining
14th house tour of architecturally distinguished slide show and lecture on turn-of-the-century
homes in this 3-square-mile enclave in Yonkers Yonkers by Barrymore Laurence Scherer, noton Sunday, May 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 ed author and Wall Street Journal critic, with
photographs by Michelle Jacobs, held at a local
p.m.
The day-long event, which will be held, house of distinction at 1 and 2:30 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for
rain or shine, will include self-guided tours of
the homes with maps and a tour program, from $20 or at the host area on the day of the tour
11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; a walking tour of the for $25. For advance tickets, mail a check payneighborhood, led by Stephen Byrns, architect able to the Yonkers Land Conservancy to P.O.
and founder of the house tour in 1989, at 2:30 Box 8, Yonkers, NY 10705 by May 11, or order
online
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Friday, May 17, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 3
This, Too, is Yonkers,
Westchester and Beyond
By Eric W. Schoen
ful!
Sen. Andrea StewartStewart-Cousins has
Cousins must clean up Albeen thrust into a position
bany, a strange bus survey,
of leadership in Albany.
and lots of hot topics. Busy
She must lead the way,
week!
making sure those who
‘Our’ Senator Must
have abused their power
Clean Up Albany
are put in jail and enacting
Embattled Brooklyn
real reforms to the way AlState Sen. John Sampson
bany does business.
threatens that if he finds
Those who know her
out who the informants are
know that this “kind, genin his case he will “take
tle lady from Yonkers” has
them out.”
it in her to do this. New
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Yorkers and Yonkersites
tells New York Times reare counting on her!
Eric W. Schoen
porter Jesse McKinley that
Bus Survey Asks Strange
the Albany indictments and corruption scanQuestions
dals and probes have been “emotionally drainNumerous readers of this column have
ing for some people” but that he thinks “it’s shared with me copies of a survey that Westbasically irrelevant.”
chester County Bee Line Bus distributed to its
To be honest, I don’t know whether to get riders last week.
a gun or move out of New York State!
Here are just a few of the questions riders
One-fourth of the Democrats in the New were asked: How well do you speak English?
York State Senate are being investigated by What language do you speak at home? Do you
the Feds. That does not include serial sexual have a driver’s license? How many cars do you
harasser Assemblyman Vito Lopez. I hate to have? Are you a veteran? If Bee Line was not
disagree with you, good governor, but what is available, how would you make this trip?
going on in Albany is relevant to every person
For the life of me I can’t understand what
who lives in New York State.
being a veteran has to do with public transporOne of the people who has remained un- tation. Or for that matter, the ability to speak
scathed in the perpetual Albany perp walk is English.
our State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins. I met
I hope the county is not going to use the
Andrea back in the early 1990s when she came survey to cut public transportation, in parto work at City Hall for then-Mayor Terence ticular to those who rely on county buses to
Zaleski. Classy, well dressed lady back then.
commute to their jobs in New York City. The
Classy, well dressed lady now.
cuts made early in the Astorino AdministraA year or so ago I sat down for lunch with tion woke up many Westchester residents who
the senator, and it was like sitting down with didn’t know or care that much about county
a long-time friend, not a powerful elected of- government.
ficial.
A report came out earlier this week that in
Earlier this year, Stewart-Cousins was se- the middle of the last decade, miles driven both
lected as the leader of the State Senate Demo- per capita and overall have dropped, which
cratic Caucus in Albany. Many thought she means more people are taking public transit.
was simply a figurehead for the powers that be. Westchester should keep this in mind if service
If someone could bring class to the cesspool cuts are in the offing!
that is Albany, I wouldn’t mind if he or she was
Hot Topics
a figurehead. Times have changed, and every
Barbra Walters retiring?
state politician from Albany through Yonkers
As a kid I remember Walters on the Today
is wired like a Christmas tree, having their Show and anchoring the evening news. Now
conversations recorded by the feds. And when she produces and stars in a a popular morning
people in Yonkers read about the “non-profits” talk show. At age 83, she gives us a good lesso many of the Albany perps are entangled son on the importance of staying relevant.
with weaving a corrupt web, they are saying to
Angelina Jolie is to be commended for
themselves: “How come our State senators – raising awareness to breast cancer. We wish
whether it be Stewart-Cousins or Spano before her nothing but the best.
her – never brought such largesse to Yonkers?”
Rest in peace, Dr. Nazar Sayegh, noted
In retrospect, maybe we should be thankContinued on Page 7
Spano Appoints Trustees
To Board of Education
Judith Ramos Meier, Mayor Mike Spano and Stephen Lopez. Photo by Donna Davis.
Mayor Mike Spano last week appointed Stephen Lopez and Judith Ramos Meier to the Yonkers Board of Education. As trustees, they will
join seven other members of the board, which
is the official policy-making body of the school
district. The new appointments come after the
Board of Education recently was left with two
vacancies. Their five-year terms are effective immediately.
“As we work toward providing our students
with the best education possible, I am proud to appoint two new members to the Board of Education
with diverse educational experience, who know
firsthand the needs and concerns within the district and who are qualified to support our schools’
talented Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio in his
goals for our students,” said Spano. “Stephen and
Judith are committed to supporting policies and
programs that address prior cuts in educational
services and a growing English language learning
population.”
Stephen Lopez had a 20-year tenure as a
school and education administrator. A Yonkers
resident, he is currently the director of client services for the New York City Department of Education where he provides direct logistical and technical support for the major departments with the
Division of Academics, Performance, and Support, which service 1.1 million students in 1,600
schools.
Lopez also has worked with New York State
Division of Human Rights, the Greenburgh Central District and with the Yonkers Public Schools
as a transportation official where he assisted planning and implementing a $17 million budget.
He holds a bachelor of behavioral science and a
masters of science organizational leadership from
Just your typical
prom issues:
The date.
The dress.
The drinking.
Prom is a flurry of dresses, corsages, tuxedos, limos and photos. But the
most important thing you can do as a parent is take the time to talk about
peer pressure and making good decisions before you send them off.
Some teens will use alcohol and/or drugs to cope with the stresses they
face during prom night. In addition, the use of these substances can cause
relaxation, loss of inhibitions and altered perceptions. It can also cause
them to make questionable choices and get involved in other behaviors
that put their health and safety at risk. Get strategies. Learn what every
parent needs to know about prom night. PowerToTheParent.org.
Power to the Parent is a program of the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth. The Coalition is an “umbrella coalition”
for 30 local coalitions and works with the Westchester County Office of Drug AbusePrevention and STOP-DWI. Robert P. Astorino,
Westchester County Executive, and Janet DiFiore, Westchester County District Attorney, serve as co-chairs of the Coalition. 914-332-1300
or email: [email protected]
Mercy College.
“This is a great opportunity to serve the Yonkers community and work to improve the quality
of education to the levels of which we all can be
proud,” he said. “I want to thank Mayor Spano
for his trust in my experience and leadership and
I look forward to positively contributing to the
school district in the coming years.”
Longtime Yonkers resident Judith Ramos
Meier joins the Board of Education as an owner
of a minority women-owned business enterprise
company where she is an advocate for workers
compensation and Social Security Disability Law.
She is a first generation American from Colombia
and attended Yonkers Public Schools, graduating
from Saunders Trades and Technical High School.
Ramos Meier serves as a member of the
Yonkers Charter Review Commission and is the
district-wide chairperson for ELKS Cerebral Palsy
Program. She also is a member of the National Association of Social Security Representatives, National Association of Disability Representatives
and is part of the Yonkers and Westchester County
Bar Associations. She holds a degree in legal and
paralegal studies from Westchester Community
College.
“I am honored to be appointed by Mayor
Spano as one of the newest trustees to the Board
of Education,” she said. “As a product of Yonkers
Public Schools, a mother of two and a girls’ basketball coach, I’ll bring a parent’s perspective to
the Board of Trustees in making the right decisions for our children’s future.”
Lopez and Ramos Meier are replacing two
outgoing trustees, President Paresh Patel and Dr.
Edward Fergus, whose terms ended earlier this
month.
PAGE 4 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, May 17, 2013
A Visit to The Colonial
Village of Philipsburg
In 1751, Frederick Philipse III became
Lord of the Manor of Philipsburg, set up his
family home at Philipse Manor Hall, and began
plans to build a village church. On Saturday,
June 8, visitors to Philipse Manor Hall State
Historic Site in Yonkers can travel back in time
to the Village of Philipsburg, the heart of the
manor. The event is sponsored by the Friends of
Philipse Manor Hall, Philipse Manor Hall State
Historic Site and St. John’s Episcopal Church,
and includes guided tours of the Manor Hall,
downtown Yonkers and St. John’s Church.
Visitors will gather at the Manor Hall, located at 29 Warburton Ave., for refreshments
and a guided tour that will bring into focus the
daily life of the Philipse family. The program
continues with a walk from the Philipses’ home
to their church, while a guide points out historic
landmarks, describes the landscape as the Philipses would have found it, and discusses their
decision to build St. John’s Episcopal Church.
The visit concludes with a tour of St. John’s,
including its colonial history, the many changes
it has undergone, and its importance to the colonial Village of Philipsburg and to the City of
Yonkers.
Programs will be offered at 11 a.m. and
2 p.m., with refreshments at the Manor Hall
for tour participants. Tours will begin at 11:15
a.m. and 2:15 p.m., and will last one hour and
20 minutes. The price is $10 for adults, $5 for
Friends and children under 12; space is limited
to 20 people per tour.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.philipsemanorfriends.blogspot.
com or email philipsemanorfriends@gmail.
com.
Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is
one of six historic sites and 15 parks administered by New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation-Taconic
Region. The historic Manor Hall is regularly
open for tours Tuesday through Saturday from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit
www.nysparks.com/historic-sites/37/details.
aspx.
Ridge Hill Academy
should they choose to pursue them.
“Forest City is giving these students a wonderful opportunity. Exposure to careers and the
skills needed to be successful in the workplace
should be part of every child’s education,” said
YPIE executive director Wendy Nadel, “Ridge
Hill Academy is helping these students understand what they need to do to build a successful
future.”
A new group of students will be selected for
each new semester, and applications for the fall
program will be available from YPIE in September.
Continued from Page 1
life after high school – we hope this kind of mentorship program becomes a model for other retail
centers that care deeply about education in their
local communities.”
Hearing from those working in the field has
allowed students to gain an understanding of the
realities of the workplace in various retail management positions, and to see in action the wide
array of possible career choices at their disposal,
Grace Borrani
Continued from Page 1
Borrani, who pointed to continued cuts to the
Yonkers Public Schools as her primary campaign
issue. “I’m concerned about our schools. I have a
school-age child who I had to take out of public
school because of the cuts made to pre-K. As a
single mom, that cut was a huge difference to me
and I’m sure many other parents had to change
their jobs and lives because of half day pre-K.
Many of us just can’t get back from work after 2
and a half hours of pre-K.
As a real estate broker, Borrani said she
constantly hears the concerns from buyers with
school-age children about the local schools.
“Many are willing to pay more in property taxes
to have a better school system for their kids and
decide not to buy in Yonkers,” she said. “We
have to turn that around. Our education system
has affected me on both a personal and professional level.”
Borrani wants to use her vibrant personality
and goal-oriented business drive to get elected
and serve.
“I want to use my skills to bring people
together in business, to benefit the people of
Yonkers,” she said. “Good things happen when
you work together and I don’t think the council
is working well together, and we’re not getting
the best results. I’m a community-minded person
and I think the people deserve better representation.”
Borrani said she will use her networking
experience with the Business Network International, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and two
networks that she co-founded – the Westchester
Business Connection and The Women of the
Westchester Business Connection – in her campaign and on the council, if elected.
In 2008, she received the Hispanic Women
Leaders “Rising Star Award in Real Estate” and
has been involved in a number of fundraising
drives for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, The United Way (Sandy relief), the
YWCA (Celebrity Chefs), and St. Peter’s Roof
Fund.
Borrani is fluent in Spanish and proud of
both her Italian and Spanish heritage. If elected
she would be the first council president of Spanish descent.
“My grandfather moved from Italy to Ecuador, where both of my parents were born. I’m
a proud mixture of both,” she said. “The most
exciting part of this for me is to have the opportunity to represent the large Hispanic population
in Yonkers. They need a voice and an advocate.”
Borrani said that as she meets with the voters, many ask why she is a Republican. “There
is a stereotype that all Hispanics are Democrats,
but that’s not the reality,” she said. “Our city and
country have changed and I think it’s time for the
Republican Party to change, also.”
Borrani faces an uphill battle for the GOP
nomination. Former Councilman Liam McLauglin announced his council president campaign
last month, and has the support of most of the
leaders in the Yonkers GOP.
“I’ve reached out to district leaders and
everyone knows that I’m running and I’m staying in this race,” she said. “I will go to the convention, but I will go out and get the signatures
needed to get on the ballot for a primary. If you
are with me, that’s great – but if you are not then
stay out of my way.”
Borrani will also seek the Conservative and
Independence Party lines.
“I am so happy with the response by the citizens and business owners who have embraced
my candidacy,” she added. “They want to see
some change, and I’m the person who can do it.
I’m blessed and I want to give back.”
Borrani will hold a fundraiser May 23 at the
Route 100 Wine Bar and Grill, 2211 Central Park
Avenue, Yonkers. Her campaign website is www.
GraceBorrani.com.
CORPORATION NOTICE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YONKERS
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to law, that the City Council of the City of Yonkers,
New York will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 8:00 P.M. in the City
Council Chambers, City Hall, Yonkers, New York as follows:
Health Care Uniform Store
Opens Up in Yonkers
Mayor Mike Spano with Laurel Birkett at
the opening of her uniform store on South
Broadway.
The second Kassalaurel Uniform Store in
New York opened April 5 at 485C S. Broadway in Yonkers, with Laurel Birkett at the
helm.
Wife of Bishop Dr. Timothy Birkett, Laurel said a uniform store for doctors, nurses and
other health care providers is important because those people provide a valuable service
to the well-being of the local community, and
providing the best fashion and price to them
will improve their quality of care.
Mayor Mike Spano blessed the store, and
many business and community leaders from
Yonkers and the Bronx were present. The
opening took on a holistic approach, providing
informational resources and services, such as
medical screenings and gifts provided by Walgreen’s on Kimbal Avenue. More than 50 food
packages were given to families in need from
the food pantry of Church Alive Community
Church in the Bronx, by coordinator Deacon
Frank Williams.
Ten percent of the business’ profits will
go toward the church.
Kitchen & Bath Insider:
The Cicadas are Coming
By Paul Bookbinder, M.I.D.,
certainly does not compensate
C.R.
the designer for all the time
It’s not bad enough that
he must spend creating your
we are plagued with Canadream kitchen, but it shows
dian geese wherever we look
a commitment on your part,
(or walk), now we’re in for
indicating that you are serious
an extra special treat: Sevenabout the project.
teen years have past since the
Some firms have a staged
cicadas have last visited us,
design fee which includes
and, with the news coverage
a minimum initial design
they’re getting, you’d think
charge. If after reviewing the
the end of the world is coming.
design, you wish to pursue the
Granted, it may get a
project, they have a secondary
little noisy, but if you’re like
fee (sometimes called a retainPaul Bookbinder
me and have tinnitus (ringing
er) for additional work on the
in your ears), you won’t hear a
design or releasing the drawthing. However, for those who do hear the annoy- ings to you. This seems to be an equitable comproing mating call of the cicada, some will see it as a mise; the designer charges a minimal fee, confident
reminder that it is time to fix up your home again.
that they will create an exciting design within the
Couple this 17-year extravaganza with the end budget that you specify, and you get a chance to reof winter and many people’s thoughts turn toward view the design and see how much the renovation
the traditional ritual of home improvement. And, will cost before laying out a lot of money.
of those contemplating this upcoming seasonal
At that point, assuming the design fits your
compulsion, many will focus on their kitchen. Like budget, you have to ask yourself three questions:
the swallows returning from wherever they went,
Do you like the design? It doesn’t have to be
this need is not something to be ashamed of – our perfect yet, but it must show promise and you have
species simply has no control over it.
to be convinced that it can be modified to your satIf you are facing the uncontrollable urge to isfaction.
remodel your kitchen, you will probably need
Do you like the company’s products? This
some help. But don’t despair, you don’t have to includes the cabinets, countertops and accessories.
do it alone. There are many qualified kitchen deDo you trust the designer and his support
signers available to create a functional, as well as staff? If the design or designer is not to your likaesthetically pleasing, kitchen to satisfy your de- ing, or the cost is out of line, you have the option
sires. Look for a firm that is associated with the of ending the relationship without incurring addiNational Kitchen and Bath Association. This is the tional costs.
largest organization in the industry and it sets the
If you answer “yes” to the three questions,
standards for kitchen design.
you’re ready to move to the next step in a “staged
But don’t expect to get something for nothing, design fee” program. If any of your answers were
“no,” look for another firm. Once you find the right
because you get what you pay for.
Most successful kitchen designers charge company to work with, a design you love, and a
for their initial work, however their charges and price you’re comfortable with, you can succumb
pricing structures vary greatly. I know of compa- to your impulses.
Don’t feel guilty. Just as the cicadas make
nies that charge anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or
more, for this service. Usually, this sum can be ap- their music, spring home improvement has been
plied towards the purchase of designs or cabinets, ingrained into our genes for a thousand years and it
and I wouldn’t recommend contracting with a firm will remain that way for a long time to come.
Paul Bookbinder, M.I.D., C.R., is president
that did not adhere to that policy.
After all, a good design takes a great deal of of DreamWork Kitchens, Inc., located in Mamatime, effort and creativity, so why should they give roneck. A master of design from Pratt Institute and
EPA-certified remodeler, he serves on the Advisory
this away for free?
An argument could be made that if you don’t Panel of Remodeling Magazine. A member of the
like the design and/or estimate, you’ve wasted National Kitchen and Bath Association, he is also
your money. I don’t entirely disagree with this, a contributor to Do It Yourself magazine. He can
and that’s why I recommend finding a firm with a be reached at 914-777-0437 or www.dreamworkminimum initial design fee. This smaller expense kitchens.com.
Police Council to Meet
The Third Precinct Police Community
Council will hold its regular monthly meeting
Tuesday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chema
Community Center, 435 Riverdale Ave.
Residents and merchants of southwest
Yonkers are urged to attend this important community meeting.
For more information, call Bob at 914
476-2284.
A PUBLIC HEARING TO HONORARILY NAME A PORTION OF HUBER PLACE, BETWEEN TRENCHARD ST AND CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, AS VFW COMMANDER
JOHN “JACK” DRAGO PLACE.
VINCENT E. SPANO
City Clerk
Dated: May 15, 2013
General Contracting
Construction Management
All Phases of Home Improvement
& Commercial Work
Licensed & Insured
Free Estimates • Financing Available
Friday, May 17, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 5
Inspector General’s Report
On 108 Loan Program
Yonkers Inspector General Kitley Covill issued a report this week on the City’s Section 108
Loan program, which provided millions in loans
to businesses to help create jobs and stimulate
economic growth. Several of these loans, totaling
$9 million, and all approved during former Mayor
Phil Amicone’s administration, have defaulted, resulting in a temporary closing of the loan program.
Mayor Mike Spano has worked to clean up
the program and attempt to collect on the money
owed to the city in court. He has also implemented
tighter controls and monitoring of all city loan programs.
“Whether intentional or not, the current administration was not given a road map on how
(Section) 108 loans were managed in previous
years,” said Spano. “As a result, we are shining a
light on past practices and the methods necessary
to recoup funds owed to the city.”
The Section 108 loans come from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development,
which issued an audit of the Yonkers Section 108
loan program in 2009, which called into question the way of the city’s oversight. The shoddy
recordkeeping includes missing 108 loan files and
paperwork, which thwarted Covill’s further investigation.
IG Covill’s report does not list the names
nor the amounts of the 108 loans owed to the city,
which was required to pay for all defaults. The city
is using incoming HUD funds to pay for the old
bad debts, eliminating the possibility of using the
loans for new businesses.
Published reports have former Yonkers developer Robert MacFarlane defaulting on a $3 million
loan, and lpark developers in default for another
$3 million.
Here is IG Covill’s report in its entirety:
At the request of the Spano Administration,
a Commission of Inquiry reviewed the finances of
the City of Yonkers (City). In June 2012 that Commission issued a report, part of which addressed
the Yonkers Section 108 loan program. In July,
2012 the Mayor asked the Department of Inspector General (IG) to review the Section 108 loan
program in the City. This report sets forth the IG’s
findings.
Background
In 1974 the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) created the
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program to provide resources to municipalities.
The CDBG program has several components including the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program
and the Entitlement program. Under the Section
108 Loan Guarantee program HUD loans money
to a municipality and the municipality must pay
that money back to HUD. Under the Entitlement
program a municipality receives grants annually to
support and expand opportunities that benefit low
and moderate income people. If the municipality is
unable to make the annual payments due to HUD
for the Section 108 Loan program, HUD requires
payment from the Entitlement program, leaving
less money available for grants. Under the Section 108 loan program HUD is always guaranteed
repayment. The municipality, as it is reliant upon
repayment by business entities who borrowed the
money from the municipality, is not.
A review of other Section 108 loan programs
in New York State reveals that many municipalities
that participated in the program are now finding an
unanticipated high default rate and a concomitant
lack of knowledgeable staff to handle the sophisticated management of these loans. Many municipalities, including Yonkers, have been required to
use annual CDBG grant funds to pay back HUD
for Section 108 loans.
The Section 108 loan program requires that
70 percent of the funds loaned benefit municipalities having areas with low and moderate income
populations. It also requires that the loan proceeds
achieve one of three national objectives: (a) principally benefit low and moderate income persons,
(b) assist in eliminating or preventing slums and
Continued on Page 6
Find Your Lost Money at
Yonkers Riverfront Library
New York State has $12 billion in unclaimed funds, and some of this money may
belong to you.
Meet with a representative of the Office
of the State Comptroller, who will search for
an account in your name. If she finds one, she
will print a form for you to fill out. All this
takes is about five minutes of your time.
She will be at the Yonkers Riverfront Library, One Larkin Center, on Wednesday, June
5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is
necessary.
The library is handicapped accessible,
and parking is available at the nearby Buena
Vista Parking Garage. Limited metered street
parking is also available in the area.
Yonkers Best
he was 12 years old.
Ali has overcome many obstacles to achieve
his academic successes. He was physically and
verbally abused by some tenants in his first apartment that he lived in with his family in Yonkers.
His parents had a difficult time finding jobs and
his father had surgery when he was in high school.
Ali stepped up and took care of managing
the bills and making sure the family was OK. “It
was a very emotional and draining time for me to
do all of this and maintain my good grades, but
in the end these experiences made me stronger,”
he said.
Ali has an older brother who graduated from
LHS in 2005 and attended Pace University; he
and his brother are the first in their family to attend college.
Ali plans on studying economics and finance
at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also
has an interest in engineering, which he plans to
minor in. He designed a wind tunnel as part of
an engineering project and has a specific interest
in eventually starting an aerospace and defense
company.
In addition, Ali has a knack for photography – which can be his artistic and creative outlet
throughout all of the academics and books. “I am
proud to pursue the American dream, which is
very much still alive today,” he said.
Continued from Page 1
lic accountant, and the other earned an information technology degree; they are 29 and 24 years
old.
“They both helped me greatly with college applications and visiting schools,” she said.
“They helped direct me to find what college to go
to and what to study.”
Guerrero applied to all of the Ivy League
colleges – and many more – totaling 32 applications. She will be attending New York University
for a two-year core program of liberal studies
where she will study abroad in Florence. Eventually she would like to be an architect.
“My interest in art and math is a perfect fit
for architecture,” she said.
Salutatorian Wasis Ali will graduate with a
98.6 percent GPA, and his favorite subjects are
American and global history. “I’m interested in
the events and people of the past and what we can
learn from them,” he said.
Ali’s favorite teacher is Mr. Berkowitz and
English.
“He helped me greatly with my writing
skills,” said Ali, who came to American from
Bangladesh and learned to speak English when
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What is an Urban Park, Anyway?
Yonkers Committee for Smart Development,
building on the success of its previous symposia
and seminars in Yonkers, will present “What IS
an Urban Park, Anyway?,” a symposium on urban
parks, their use, protection and future, on Saturday, June 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander St.,
Yonkers. YCSD has joined in this endeavor by
its co-hosts, Groundwork Hudson Valley and the
New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.
Yonkers Committee for Smart Development
is a non-profit, community-based volunteer organization. It was created in 2007 by local residents
who believe that cooperation among the city government, citizens and developers will achieve economic success while preserving the spirit and integrity of the past and future of Yonkers. As part of
its core mission, YCSD has held a number of successful symposia and seminars that have engaged
members of the public, city planners, and elected
officials in a variety of topics.
This urban parks forum will address local
planning for the future of city parks, urban forests
and open green space. A panel of distinguished
guests will be invited to discuss the balancing act
of active and passive parkland spaces, recreation
and reflection (are both possible?), people and
wildlife as a means of co-existence, private/public
partnerships and creative financial support for city
parks, and the role of the community in neighborhood parks.
Panelists will include Marcia Bystryn, president of the New York State League of Conservation Voters Education Fund as moderator; Linda
Cooper, regional director for the state Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Rick
Magder, executive director of Groundwork USA;
and Meg Walker, vice president of Project for Public Spaces.
This event is free of charge and reservations
are preferred but not required. There will be time
for a question-and-answer session with presenters,
and refreshments will be served. To make reservations, or for more information, go to www.yonkers-csd.org.
Riley Needs a Home
Interested in adopting? The Yonkers
Animal Shelter is constantly in search of
new homes for all its pets – both cats and
dogs.
Riley is a Beagle/Amstaff mix about
1 year old who came to the shelter as a
stray. She weighs 35 pounds and has a
sweet, calm, disposition. She loves playing with a ball or a Frisbee, and is both
dog and cat friendly. Riley knows some
basic commands and is house trained.
Visit Riley at the Yonkers Animal
Shelter, 120 Fullerton Ave. Hours are 11
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays and noon to
3:30 p.m. weekends. Inquiries may be
emailed to LeslieM147@ gmail.com or
by phone to 914-377-6730 during business hours, or 201-981-3215 at any time.
City Council Adopts
Green Building Standards
The Yonkers City Council last week unanimously approved important environmental legislation to make the city’s green building standards
mandatory for all new municipally-owned buildings and schools. These standards will ensure that
the most energy-efficient building designs are utilized to enhance environmentally sustainable systems to conserve natural resources, increase energy
and water efficiency, improve indoor air quality,
and reduce operating costs as Yonkers builds toward future cost and energy savings.
The legislation, introduced this year by
Mayor Mike Spano, comes after the city’s recent
undertaking to collect data on the energy usage of
all municipal buildings to calculate greenhouse
gas emissions, which revealed that inefficiencies
contribute to more than two-thirds of all the city’s
emissions.
A second part of the legislation will require
that larger private developments complete a green
development checklist for data collection purposes
only. This includes all non-residential site plan applications for projects greater than 15,000 square
feet, and residential development site plan applications for projects greater than 25 units.
A green buildings survey will be also required
to be approved by the commissioner of planning
and development, as a way to track initiatives and
to allow policy makers to better evaluate development proposals.
Council President Chuck Lesnick applauded
the vote.
“It is crucial that the city has recognized the
importance of green building standards and has
referenced them in our city code,” he said. “While
I would have preferred that a minimum score be
required for all new development, at least now
policy makers on the City Council, the Industrial
Development Authority and the planning and zoning boards will be aware of the standards and can
encourage developers to use them.”
Councilman Michael Sabatino, a member of
the city’s Smart Growth and Environmental and
Historic Preservation Committee, also expressed
his contentment with the legislation.
“I’m excited that this legislation will help
Yonkers become more environmentally competitive with future building projects as seen around
the country,” he said. “Although we have more
work to do in order to make green building standards mandatory across the board, this is a good
first step toward that goal.”
Minority Leader John Larkin, who is also
a member of the City’s Smart Growth and Environmental and Historic Preservation Committee,
added: “The taxpayers will ultimately benefit by
the reduced energy costs from our municipal buildings.”
Green Policy Task Force Chairperson Terry
Joshi said it is important that the administration
recognize climate science, which show that buildings are the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas
emissions, and thus to the warming of the planet.
“The next step, which the Green Policy Task
Force encourages the city to immediately take, is
to enforce these green building standards on all
city construction over four-family homes,” he said.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that each tiny step
taken by a single municipality will, in the aggregate, work to mitigate future climate change.”
Director of Sustainable Development Brad
Tito developed the green building standards in
consultation with the city’s Green Policy Task
Force, and a working group that included environmentalists and real estate developers.
Green building standards bring together a vast
array of practices, techniques and skills to reduce
and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings
on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes using renewable resources such as solar
power and using plants and trees through green
roofs, rain gardens and reduction of rainwater
runoff. Many other techniques are used, including low-impact building materials or using packed
gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water.
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PAGE 6 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, May 17, 2013
Legal Notices
Classifieds
Retail Analyst - Research customer
data & demographics to identify retail grocery opportunities, expansion opportunities, ethnic food
preferences, & econ data of cust base. Mng data
& study competitor’s ads to determine wkly promos & shelf pricing. Use sales data to monitor effectiveness of mktg & advtg. Trn onsite personnel
to access & use store pricing systs & dbases. BA bus (or equiv in edu & exp), 2 yrs exp, proficiency
w/ IBM POS & (BRADATA) hosting & in store
systs req. Mail resume: Salvatore Bonavita, VP,
Belmonte Markets & Management Inc, 35 Colonial Pl, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
Face the World Foundation - is
currently registering volunteer host families for
the Fall semester of high school.Make Dreams
Come True! Call Michelle at 888-281-9774 [email protected] www.facetheworld.org
Market Research Participants
Wanted - National Market Research company
seeks individuals to evaluate service at local establishments in Yonkers, NY and the surrounding
area. Apply FREE:www.bestmark.com or call
1-800-969-8477.
Love great food? Out-going people
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Farms local products in Westchester supermarkets. $14/hr. Reliable transportation and computer a must. Contact: [email protected].
Voice and Piano Lessons Beginners to advanced Voice Therapy Dr. David Fairchild Doctorate in Voice from Columbia University 914-337-6405 Web site Dr David Fairchild.
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ANTIQUES • ART • COLLECTIBLES
Most cash paid for paintings, antiques, furniture,
silver, sculpture, jewelry, books, cameras, records,
instruments, coins, watches, gold, comics, sports
cards, etc. Please call Aaron at 914-654-1683.
BASEBALL / SPORT CARDS / AUTOGRAPHS WANTED Cash paid for Baseball,
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THE MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITY
FOR THE CITY OF YONKERS
1511 Central Park Avenue
P.O. Box 35 Yonkers, New York 10710
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR LANDLORD-TENANT
LEGAL SERVICES
The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (MHACY) hereby solicits proposals from attorneys or law firms offering to provide legal services to MHACY as described in this Request For Proposal (“RFP”).The proposal package may be obtained
in person at the office of the MHACY, 1511 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710.
This RFP contains submission requirements, scope of services, period of services,
terms and conditions and other pertinent information for submitting a proper and responsive proposal. Prospective Offerors desiring any explanation or interpretation of
the solicitation must request it at least seven (7) calendar days before the RFP due
date. Any information given to a prospective Offeror about this solicitation will be furnished to all other prospective Offerors as a written amendment to the solicitation.
All responses to the RFP must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and labeled as follows: Landlord-Tenant Legal Services RFP, MHACY, Due Date and Time: June 12,
2013, 4:00 P.M. The RFP response must be addressed to Joseph Shuldiner, Executive Director, Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers, 1511 Central Park
Avenue, P.O.Box 35, Yonkers, New York 10710.
Proposals must reach MHACY no later than 4:00 p.m. on June 12, 2013. Late submissions will be handled in accordance with the provisions in Form HUD-5369-B titled
“Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawal of Offers.” Proposals will be held in
confidence and not released in any manner until after the contract award.
Proposals will be evaluated on the criteria stated in the RFP. Negotiations may be
conducted with contractors who have a reasonable chance of being selected for the
award. After evaluation of the proposal revisions, if any, the contract will be awarded to
the responsible firm(s) whose qualifications, price and other factors considered are the
most advantageous to MHACY.
MHACY reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.
Notice: Contact with members of the MHACY Board of Commissioners, or MHACY
officers and employees other than the contact person shown above, prior to the execution of a contract with the selected respondent(s) could result in disqualification of
a proposal. In fairness to all firms, during the RFP process MHACY will not meet in
person with anyone representing a potential provider of these services to discuss this
RFP. This does not exclude meetings required to conduct business not related to the
RFP, or possible personal presentations after written proposals have been received
and evaluated.
Joseph Shuldiner
Executive Director
DATE: Monday May 20, 2013
#1185 5/17
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of formation of Citywide Fuels, LLC, a domestic
Limited Liability Company
(LLC), filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY)
on 02/22/2013.Office location: Westchester County.
Principal office of LLC: 3
Sadore Lane 7D, Yonkers,
NY, 10710 . SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon
whom process against it may
be served. SSNY shall mail
process to Antonio Quesada
3 Sadore Lane 7D, Yonkers, NY 10710, upon whom
and at which process may
be served. Purpose:Home
Heating Oil Delivery.
Notice of formation of Green
Valley of New York, LLC, a
domestic Limited Liability
Company (LLC), filed with
the Secretary of State of
NY (SSNY) on 03/07/2013.
Office location: Westchester County. Principal office:
35 Dexter Rd. Yonkers, NY
10710. SSNY designated
as agent of Green Valley
of New York, LLC, upon
whom process against it
may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to Syed A. Kamal, 35 Dexter Rd. Yonkers,
NY 10710, upon whom and
at which process may be
served. Purpose: Real Estate
#6406 5/10 – 6/14
Notice of formation of Narwhal Partners LLC. Articles
of Organization filed with
the Secretary of State of NY
(SSNY) on 2/27/13. Office
location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom
process against it may be
served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY
shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served
upon him/her is: 254 E. 68
St. 6F NY NY 10065. The
principal business address
of the LLC is 65 Court Street
#4 White Plains NY 10601.
Purpose: any lawful activity.
#6405 5/3 – 6/7
Inspector General’s
Continued from Page 5
blight, or (c) assist with community development
needs having a particular urgency. As HUD would
not have the expertise to know local needs, but has
the ability to raise money nationally, it was expected that the municipality would identify businesses
that could benefit from this loan program.
The Section 108 loan program also requires
the municipality to document how the loan proceeds have achieved the objectives. Each municipality is responsible for identifying objectives and
verifying success.
The Section 108 Loan Guarantee program in
Yonkers
In 1996 Yonkers started borrowing money
from HUD under the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program. Yonkers helped structure loans, used
the PILOT program, and generally attempted to
encourage business development through the Section 108 loan program. In 2000 the city developed
a Policies and Procedures manual to promote uniformity in its lending.
Each HUD loan made to Yonkers was tied to
a HUD bond that had an interest rate and a maturation date. Yonkers, in turn, loaned money to business entities with a slightly higher interest rate and
a shorter maturation date expecting full payment
so that the city would be able to pay HUD back
timely.
Section 108 loans were uniformly used as
secondary financing, meaning that a commercial
bank or other entity was the “Senior Lender” and
Yonkers was second (or sometimes third or fourth)
in line.
On March 6, 2009, nearly a year after its review started, the HUD Office of Inspector General
(HUD OIG) issued a report on the Yonkers Section 108 loan program. In that report numerous
issues were highlighted, including weaknesses in
the administration of the program, failures in reporting, failure to properly maintain loan repayment accounts and lack of accountability to HUD
as required by the program. The auditors noted that
city loan files were incomplete, did not have documentation showing how the loan proceeds were
disbursed, and in one case the file could not be
found. HUD IG auditors made specific recommendations on what needed to be done to strengthen
the program. Nonetheless Yonkers made its largest
and last loan to a local business entity in 2009 after
the HUD IG report was issued. A copy of the 2009
HUD IG report is attached to this report.
Beginning in August, 2012, and ongoing, the
City IG has been reviewing the Yonkers Section
108 Loan program. Initially the City IG found the
same issues that the HUD IG had found three years
earlier. The IG shared its initial findings with the
Department of Planning and Development (Planning) and the Spano Administration, and changes
were made in the program. The IG’s initial findings
are set forth in a summary fashion and the IG’s current findings are set forth below.
Findings, May 2013
The Section 108 loan program is closed to
new borrowers.
An attorney with litigation experience has
been hired by Corporation Counsel’s office and has
commenced suit against borrowers who defaulted
on loan payments.
Yonkers has hired a Senior Budget Analyst
with considerable loan and banking experience to
service the Section 108 loan portfolio.
Bank statements, which had not been opened,
reviewed or filed for several years have been
opened, reviewed and filed.
A Planning Department employee assigned in
January is no longer assigned and a new Planning
Department employee should be assigned to assist
the Senior Budget Analyst in organizing and maintaining the Section 108 loan files and meeting the
program requirements.
Loan Committee meetings are being held on
a regular basis.
Reviews, August 2012 and January 2013
The IG reviewed the Section 108 loan program files kept at the Department of Planning and
Development in August 2012 and again in January
2013. The IG found the following at that time:
Record keeping is haphazard and the only organized list of city Section 108 loans remains the
list compiled by the HUD IG in 2009.
Documentation of success of the program,
such as how many jobs were created, is lacking.
The Section 108 files are disorganized , and
no one seems to be in charge of file maintenance
or loan servicing.
There is no master list describing which HUD
#6410 5/17 – 6/21
note is paired with which loan made by Yonkers to
a business entity.
The Section 108 loan program was controlled
by the previous Administration and the Planning
Commissioner for the last several years, without
staff input. Therefore current staff does not have
reliable information about the Section 108 loan
program.
No master binder exists regarding Loan Committee meetings.
No attorney is specifically assigned to assist
the Department of Planning regarding defaulting
loans, or advise the department regarding the Section 108 loan program requirements.
Several adjustments to loans occurred without proper documentation or under questionable
circumstances, often to the detriment of Yonkers.
Review of one loan where collection efforts
were commenced in 2011 reveals that outside
counsel hired by the city submitted poorly drafted
legal papers and a Judge ruled in early 2012 that
he was unable to proceed. Yonkers counsel was
given 90 days to re-file, but Yonkers Corporation
Counsel was not informed of the decision and was
unaware of the 90 day deadline.
Recommendations
August 2012
Make a list of all Section 108 loan files in
Planning.
Compile an official Section 108 loan file for
each loan with identified critical documents (list
given to Planning).
Hire an attorney in the Corporation Counsel’s
office who has litigation experience.
Coordinate with Administration staff, Corporation Counsel and planning staff.
Hold regular Loan Committee meetings.
Do not make any further Section 108 loans.
January 2013
Planning is now aware of documents necessary for a complete Section 108 loan file and is
working on organizing the files and obtaining necessary documents.
Planning is working with a Corporation
Counsel attorney with significant litigation experience hired in August 2012 and gathering all
documents necessary to finalize lawsuits against
defaulted borrowers.
Corporation Counsel is coordinating with the
Acting Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Mayoral staff to ensure that proper action
is taken regarding any loan modifications.
No new loans have been made from the Section 108 Loan program.
The Department of Planning has assigned a
staff member with a financial background to begin
a review of the Section 108 Loan portfolio with the
bank that services the loans.
Hire a Senior Credit Loan Officer with loan
portfolio experience to manage the Section 108
loan program.
Commence suit against all defaulting borrowers, using an in-house attorney (City Corporation
Counsel).
Pursue collection of judgments against borrowers.
Contact HUD and review efforts made in the
Section 108 loan program for collection of debts.
Designate a person to review and analyze all
the bank accounts and bank statements.
As noted above, the IG’s review in May 2013
reveals that most of those recommendations were
implemented. The recommendations included
freezing Section 108 loans, hiring a manager with
loan portfolio experience and hiring an Assistant
Corporation Counsel attorney with litigation experience to handle these types of matters.
Conclusion
An extensive, thorough and accurate review
of every Section 108 loan is not feasible due to the
limited resources of the IG’s office and due to unreliable file documentation . The ongoing review
reveals improvements in the way the current Section 108 loans are now being handled.
The city’s recent focus on the Section 108
loan program has resulted in legal action or anticipated legal action by the city on delinquent borrowers. Additionally the city has not loaned any
more Section 108 money and continues to work to
collect monies owed. While the Section 108 loan
program continues to require payment from CDBG
funds otherwise allocated for grants, that amount
has decreased as amounts collected from delinquent borrowers has increased.
In the last two CDBG grant years, HUD has
reduced grant funds for all municipalities and has
indicated it expects that trend to continue. Thus, it
is unlikely, based on the Section 108 loan parameters, that any further Section 108 loans could be
made .
Friday, May 17, 2013 - Yonkers RISING - PAGE 7
Seniors and Health Care
Hot Topics in Health Care:
Long-Term Care Costs Rise
By Michael LaMagna, Esq.
month.
As many readers know,
As you can see, the high
long-term care costs continue
costs are staggering and into rise, often keeping the costs
creasing each year. It is vital
and more importantly, the
that everyone think about
needed care, out of the hands
long-term care early enough
of individuals who need the
to prepare for the unpredictservices. Genworth Financial,
able future. Further, longwho itself just announced cuts
term care insurance is one
to its long-term care insurance
of many possible solutions;
portfolio, just released its 10th
however, it is important to exannual survey of costs, and the
plore each possibility, which
highlights include:
also includes utilizing estate
• National adult day care
and long-term care legal and
costs rose 6.56 percent to an
financial planning.
Michael LaMagna
average daily rate of $65. New
Although skilled elder
York’s average adult day care
lawyers can assist when you
rate was $75 to a maximum of $210 per day.
are in crisis, such as admittance to a facility or
• National nursing home care private room hospital, the best plan is to plan early and precosts increased 3.6 percent to $230 per day or pare for the unexpected.
$83,950 per year. New York’s private room rate
This article is provided for informational
was an average of $344 per day, to upwards of purposes only. Nothing in this article shall be
$650 or more per day.
construed as legal advice or should be relied
• National nursing home care semi-private upon as such. Plan to attend Attorney LaMagroom rates increased 3.3 percent to $207 per na’s free seminar, “Talking Dollars and Sense,”
day or $75,555 per year. New York’s semi-pri- on May 16 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kensington
vate room rate was an average of $332 per day, Assisted Living, White Plains. RSVP by calling
to a maximum of $600 per day or more.
the Kensington at 914-220-4259. LaMagna is a
• National home health care costs have re- partner at Helwig, Henderson, Ryan, LaMagna
mained relatively flat. New York’s home health and Spinola, practicing elder law/probate/disservices increased to $22 per hour to a maxi- ability/wills, trusts and estates, health care regmum of $33 per hour.
ulatory, Medicare appeals, Social Security and
• Assisted living care costs increased 4.55 general legal practice in both New York and
percent to a national median monthly rate of Connecticut. Email him at Mlamagna@hhrls.
$3,450. New York’s increased to an average of com, call 914-437-5955 or visit www.HHRLS.
$4,000 per month, to a maximum of $9,500 per com.
This, Too, is Yonkers
Continued from Page 3
Yonkers doctor and Elvis impersonator. His
Elvis appearances brought a smile to many.
Congratulations, Kawasaki, on your longevity in Yonkers. As a kid when I saw an Otis
elevator or escalator in my travels, I would always think “here is a little piece of Yonkers.”
It’s always nice to see the “Accessory Specialities, Inc., Yonkers” label on a hand-dryer or
baby changing table in the bathroom wherever
I am in the country. I hope Yonkersites who
travel on trains have that same exhilarating
feeling when they ride in a Kawasaki rail car.
Congratulations, New Rochelle Mayor
Noam Bramson, on winning the Democratic
nomination for county executive. Bramson is
not well-known in Yonkers, which has got to
Yonkers’ Korean War
Continued from Page 1
They all played baseball for Sacred Heart,
which is how they became friends; Callahan
made the American Legion league team in his
senior year. Harrington said that Callahan was
“a very happy-go-lucky guy, very pleasant. He
was very well liked and had good sense of humor. He was very popular.”
On Aug. 31, 1949, the three young men
went to the Downtown Yonkers Post Office
Building together and enlisted in the Army
for a term of one year of active duty service
and six as reserve, as was standard at the time.
They were directed to Whitehall Street, the
New York City recruitment center, and then
put on a bus to Fort Dix, N.J. (now Joint Base
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst), for basic training.
After basic, Private First Class Tom Harrington was kept at Fort Dix to undergo leadership training, while Privates First Class William Callahan and Jim Lennon were ordered
to California. There, they had clerical training
– Callahan’s military occupational specialty
was clerk-typist.
The men continued to serve the rest of
their one-year terms, Harrington at Fort Dix,
Callahan and Lennon in California. Then,
with only about 56 days until the end of their
enlistment, Public Law 624 of the 81st Congress came into effect. This law, which became known as the Truman Extension and allowed President Harry Truman to extend the
contracts of enlisted servicemen, was instated
to bolster the U.S. Armed Forces in the face of
the newly begun Korean War.
Thus, the three young men found themselves beginning a second full year of active
duty service. Harrington was kept stateside in
various positions in Fort Dix and, later, Fort
Jackson, S.C., while Callahan and Lennon
where shipped directly from California to Korea. Callahan had, by this time, been promoted
to Corporal.
At one point, not long before the end of
his extended enlistment in 1951, Lennon was
wounded in combat. Still recuperating in August, the end of his term, he could not be discharged; he was discharged two months later.
Lennon ultimately moved back to Yonkers,
and he and Harrington kept in touch until his
recent passing.
In Korea, Callahan was serving with
Company A, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Already enlisted and trained,
he was on the ground quickly, in time to take
part in the Pusan Perimeter defense. This is
change if he wants to be successful in November.
I attended a Town Hall meeting County
Executive Rob Astorino hosted in Westchester several weeks ago. Astorino did a good job
explaining his philosophy of government and
that of his administration. My only fault: devoting such a large part of his presentation to
the county housing woes with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It
might play in Mount Pleasant or Mount Kisco,
but folks in Yonkers frankly are tired of HUD
housing dramas after years of our own.
At that forum, I sensed little sympathy for
the fight the Astorino Administration is having
with HUD. Probably because many in the room
experienced and/or were part of Yonkers HUD
theatrics in the late 1980s and early 1990s!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@
aol.com.
verified by a Herald Statesman article, which
reports that, in an Aug. 30, 1950 letter to his
parents, Callahan told them that he and five
other soldiers were holding a ridge overlooking the Naktong River. By that time, we would
have only been in Korea for about a month.
That letter was written during a relative
lull in fighting between the First and Second
Battles of Naktong Bulge, part of the Battle of
Pusan Perimeter. He and the five other soldiers
(they were likely a squad within the Company) were stationed along the Naktong River
somewhere in Changnyeong County, on the
western border of the Pusan Perimeter. Two
days after writing the letter, on Sept. 1, 1950 –
the first day of the Second Battle of Naktong
Bulge – Callahan was reported as Missing in
Action.
This is where Callahan’s story gets a bit
confusing. There is a consensus that Callahan
was reported MIA on Sept. 1, 1950, but after
that, things are less sure. Some sources report
his MIA status retroactively changed to Killed
in Action on the first; others report him retroactively KIA, but on the 14th of the month;
one source reports him as captured on the first
and executed by a North Korean guard on the
14th, but I haven’t been able to verify that.
Depending on the exact date, he may have
been the first man from Yonkers to die during
the Korean War (see this space next week for
more). Either way, Callahan lost his life that
month. He was only 19 years old.
For just over three years, Callahan’s
whereabouts were unknown. Officially listed
as MIA, he was largely presumed dead. In
March 1954, his official status was changed
from MIA to KIA. On Monday, March 22 of
that year, an uncle on his mother’s side, the
Rev. J.V. McClain, celebrated a funeral Mass
for him at St. Joseph’s Church.
Later in 1954, Callahan’s remains and dog
tags were recovered and returned home. There
was a closed-casket wake at Fennell Funeral
Home at 136 Ashburton Ave., the very same
corner on which Callahan grew up (the home
closed sometime after 1968 and the building
no longer exists). He was laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery. In early to mid-September
1954, John J. Fennell of the funeral home
received delivery of Callahan’s granite grave
marker from the government and ensured that
it was installed.
Callahan is the recipient of the Combat
Infantryman’s Badge, Korean Service Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit
Citation, Republic of Korea War Service Medal, Prisoner of War Medal and Purple Heart.
Scheduling Physicals for
School and Summer Camp
By Dr. Jason Lupow
Now that the countdown to summer break
has commenced, there’s the usual flurry of activity: choosing summer activities for the kids,
buying new clothes and supplies, and scheduling camp physical appointments. At MDxpress,
we started seeing patients for camp physicals as
early as March, and we expect to see children
and teens for physicals right up to the day before
camp starts.
When bringing your child for their camp
physical, take into account that their school may
also require an annual physical report by the start
of the school year. Since most insurance policies
only cover one annual exam per child, it’s important to schedule your appointment with both
school and camp in mind.
Be knowledgeable about the specific camp
and school requirements so that you won’t have
to make two visits or fax documents back and
forth. It’s likely that you’ll need a copy of your
child’s immunization record and the camp may
also require a copy of your child’s medical history to access in case of an emergency.
Many camps will only allow sunscreen, allergy and asthma medications, and painkillers
to be administered with special sign-off from a
doctor, so be sure you have all of the paperwork
from camp on hand for your child’s physical if
you want to grant this permission.
Camp and school physical exams are a great
time for us to identify possible health concerns
and to stay current on the events in your family and children’s lives. We also like to go over
information about health safety at camp to make
sure that your child’s experience is happy and
healthy, including the level of physical activity that your child can expect, the need to drink
plenty of water, sunscreen and insect repellant
application, daily tick checks, paying attention
to warning signs such as rashes and tick rings,
nutrition, and cleanliness and hygiene practices
and routines.
Dr. Jason Lupow is a board-certified emergency physician and a founder of MDxpress at
1030 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck. MDxpress is a state-of-the-art urgent care center
founded and run by a team of board-certified
emergency room doctors from Montefiore Medical Center. Look for more health and safety columns from MDExpress in future issues of Rising.
Visit mdexpress.com.
This Memorial Day, Social
Security Honors All Who Serve
By Susan Sobel
Social Security District Manager in Yonkers
Every day of the year, Americans across the
nation remember friends and family members
who have served and sacrificed for their country. Memorial Day is a day when we all come together to honor those who have given their lives
in the defense of freedom and the principles we
hold dear in this country.
May is also National Military Appreciation Month. As we observe these occasions, we
would like to let members of our military know
how much we value what they do for our nation.
At Social Security, we offer a wide range of services for our service members.
Families of fallen military heroes may be
eligible for Social Security survivors’ benefits.
Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/survivors.htm.
For service members who return home with
injuries, Social Security is here to help. Visit our
Wounded Warriors website at www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors. We use an expedited
process for military service members who become disabled while on active military service,
regardless of where the disability occurred.
The Wounded Warriors website answers
a number of commonly asked questions and
shares other useful information about disability benefits, including how veterans can receive
expedited processing of disability claims. It is
important to note that benefits available through
Social Security are different than those from the
Department of Veterans Affairs, and require a
separate application.
Even active duty military who continue
to receive pay while in a hospital or on medical leave should consider applying for disability
benefits if they are unable to work due to a disabling condition. Active duty status and receipt
of military pay does not necessarily prevent
payment of Social Security disability benefits.
Receipt of military payments should never stop
someone from applying for disability benefits
from Social Security.
If you’ve served in the Armed Forces and
you’re planning your retirement, you’ll want
to read our publication, “Military Service and
Social Security” at www.socialsecurity.gov/
pubs/10017.pdf.
You also may want to visit the military service page of our retirement planner, available at
www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/veterans.htm.
At Social Security, we honor all those who
served in the military and we remember those
who died for their country.
PAGE 8 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, May 17, 2013
Volunteers Help With Clean-up Efforts Throughout Yonkers
Mayor Mike Spano, Councilmen Wilson Terrero and Michael Sabatino, Committee for Smart Development Chair Terry Joshi and a large crowd of volunteers help clean up the
Old Croton Aqueduct.
Volunteers clean up along the Saw Mill River.
Volunteers young and old gather to clean up Warburton, Woodworth and Ravine avenues.
Photos by Donna Davis
Yonkers residents joined with Groundwork Hudson Valley, the City of Yonkers and
Mayor Mike Spano to help clean up green spaces throughout the city, with several events held
over the past month.
Last weekend, GHV held its Great Saw
Mill River Clean-up and vine-cutting, with
more than 20 groups and hundreds of volunteers clearing trash from the Saw Mill River
at several Yonkers, Ardsley and Dobbs Ferry
locations, and saving trees by cutting invasive
vines.
Last month, volunteers of all ages were
on hand to participate in cleaning up along the
streets of Warburton, Woodworth and Ravine
avenues. Thick tangles of overgrown vines and
trees in large lots on Ravine required the expertise of Department of Public Works crews
and chainsaws to expose what was once the entrance to a small park and a view of the Hudson
River and Palisades.
The majority of the adults tackled Ravine with the children divided between the
other streets. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., everyone
pitched in, including local residents. Many of
the volunteers voiced the hope that this cleanup will provide the inspiration for others to
keep the streets clean and report those dumping
illegally.
Waiting back at the school for the weary
workers was a spread of hot dogs, burgers and
ribs courtesy of the Yonkers Police Department.
DPW Commissioner Thomas Meier stopped by
to check on his workers and the volunteers and
offer thanks, along with Councilmen Christopher Johnson and Michael Sabatino.
Mayor Spano was on hand to join with
volunteers to help clean up Lenoir Nature Preserve and the Old Croton Aqueduct, as part of
Love My Park cleanup day.
FRIdAy, MAy 17, 2013 - yoNkERs RIsING - PAGE 9
Memorial Day Oratorical
Contest Winners
Yonkers Welcomes Great
American Steakhouse
From left, Sacred Heart Chairman Elliot Palais with contest winners Nick Malezia (high
school) and Reme Uduebo (middle school), and AMVETS Commander Sam Riti.
Mayor Mike Spano and the Central Committee of Veterans Organizations held their annual
Memorial Day Oratorical Contest on May 1 at
Yonkers Middle High School. There, 20 middle
school students and nine high school students
from Yonkers competed, each reciting President
Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The high school winner was Sacred Heart
student Nick Malezia, and the middle school winner was Sacred Heart student Reme Uduebo.
The Great American Steakhouse on South Broadway.
Historic Walk, and Rain
The interior of steakhouse.
Photos by Donna Davis
Yonkers on the Move participants at Lenoir Nature Preserve, above, and Untermeyer Gardens,
below, during a recent historic walk.
Great American Steakhouse co-owners Gulam and Zee Khan with family and Assemblymember Shelley Mayer, City Council President Chuck Lesnick, Mayor Mike Spano and
Councilman Michael Sabatino.
The Discover Your Neighborhood Walks
and tours that are currently part of the Yonkers
Proudly serving the City of Yonkers
Nick Sprayregen, Publisher
[email protected]
Daniel J. Murphy, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
Bayan Baker, Assistant to Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
Paul Gerken, Advertising Sales
[email protected]
Gregory Baldwin, Administrative Asst.
[email protected]
Member of the New York
Press Association
914-965-4000
Fax 914-965-2892
25 Warburton Ave, Yonkers,
NY 10701
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On the Move active lifestyle campaign showcases interesting and historic locations in Yonkers.
The first Yonkers Historic Walk was held
Wednesday, May 8 and featured a recordbreaking morning and afternoon of rain, as
well as a 6:15 p.m. tour with welcomed sunshine and a well-received 1 ½ mile walk/tour
surrounding the locations of the first competitive games of golf in the U.S.
In addition to the walking (and its exercise
value), residents took pride and were surprised
that this all happened in Yonkers!
In fact, near the site of the home of John
Reid and Golf in USA, on Lake Avenue between Palisade and Park avenues, one participant, Michael Scialpi, commented: “I enjoyed
the walk and learning about the colorful start
of Golf in the USA and the role our neighborhood played. Equally interesting was to learn
more about the reservoir and water tower that
once stood tall on Lake Avenue for many years
and to discover and see that part of its stone
work may still remain.”
The second Yonkers Historic Walk took
place Thursday, May 9 and featured a threemile tour that displayed the extraordinary Untermyer Gardens (with a talk by horticulturist
Timothy Tilghman) and the Lenoir Nature
Center in Yonkers. Participants experienced
moderately heavy rain at meet-up time, but
again the sun and eventual blue skies prevailed.
While some of those that RSVP’d selected
to remain indoors, those that chanced braving
some rain said that they will be back for the
next round of Discover Your Neighborhood
tours that will be announced soon on the Yonkers On the Move website, at www.walkyom.
org.
Yonkers On the Move is a no-cost community campaign for all ages, sponsored by 55
Plus Yonkers Connections - Promoting Better
Health One Step at a Time. For more information, go to www.walkyom.org or call 914-9436368.
Mayor Mike Spano recently helped open
the Great American Steakhouse at 602 S.
Broadway, Yonkers, with owners Gulam Khan
and Zee Khan who also run the Broadway Din-
er next door. Assemblymember Shelley Mayer,
Council President Chuck Lesnick and Councilman Michael Sabatino were also on hand to
welcome the new restaurant to Yonkers.
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PAGE 10 - Yonkers RISING - Friday, May 17, 2013
Judge Arthur Doran III Seeking Re-election
From left, retired Judge Arthur Doran Jr., Teamster Local 456 Business Agent Louis Picani,
Judge Arthur Doran III, and Teamster Local 456 President Robert Roberge.
Judith Ramos Meier, Judge Doran and DPW Commissioner Tom Meier.
Judge Doran with family and Assemblymember Shelley Mayer in the middle.
Capt. Christopher Joao, Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, Judge Doran and Lt. John Halpin,
president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
Judge Arthur Doran III recently held an event for his reelection campaign to the Yonkers City Court. Friends, family,
elected officials and supporters
joined him at the Fairways at
Dunwoodie Golf Course. Doran
is seeking re-election to the Yonkers City Court this November.
Photo by Ed Whitman.
Photos by Ed Whitman
Councilman Michael Sabatino, Jeanne Martinelli, Karen Moynihan Doran and Judge Doran.
Judge Doran with Councilman Christopher Johnson.
OUR BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR | MAY 17–27
at REI.com or any REI store. Some exclusions apply. Visit REI.com/coupon for details. Coupon code: ANNV13
SHOP YOUR WAY | 100+ STORES | REI.COM | REI-OUTLET.COM | MOBILE
CARLE PLACE 516.873.8540
EAST HANOVER 973.581.1938
NORWALK 203.838.1938
PARAMUS 201.226.1560
SOHO 212.680.1938
YONKERS 914.410.9500