March 2014 - mv inquirer

Transcription

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”
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http://www.mvinquirer.com
Volume 8, Number 3
INQUIRER
“The People’s Newspaper”
Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”
FEATURES
March 2014
Shirley Chisholm Stamp
Dedication highlights Black
History Month in Mount Vernon
Story by Joe Parisi
Young Mount Vernonite aspires
to share his life experiences
through song
Page 5
A capacity library crowd attends
riveting play about Delany sisters
Page 10
T
he U.S. Postal Service paid
tribute to pioneering Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm with
the issuance of a limited-edition
37th Black Heritage Forever Stamp during a special ceremony at Mount Vernon
City Hall on Tuesday, February 11th.
Opening remarks came from Pat A.
Mazzone, the former longtime Mount
Vernon Postmaster, who then introduced
his replacement, Robert McCarthy, who
is currently acting as Officer-In-Charge
until he attains the title of Postmaster.
After introducing himself and promising to continue delivering the same type
of excellent service his predecessor provided for many years, McCarthy introduced the many officials and dignitaries
in attendance.
After the singing of the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing, led
by Frederick Myers, McCarthy introduced Debra Jones, the dynamic dis-
Officials viewing the new Shirley Chisholm stamp after it was unveiled
Continued on page 12
Mayor Davis pledges support for
Sentinel Vocational Apprenticeship
Training Program
Story by Joe Parisi
Mariano Rivera to be honored at
Boys & Girls Club of Mount
Vernon gala
Page 24
Mount Vernonites brave snow
storm to attend screening of
The Loving Story
Page 20
S
entinel Vocational Apprenticeship Training, Inc. made a significant leap forward when it staged
its inaugural student orientation
and reception on Tuesday, February 4th.
The standing room only event was held
at Sentinel’s headquarters, located at 12
East Third Street in Mount Vernon. The
venue was highlighted by the participation of several community and business
leaders which included Mayor Ernest D.
Davis; Councilwomen Deborah Reynolds;
MVCSD School Board Trustees Brenda
Crump and Leonard Sarver; Reverend
Troy DeCohen; and Suffragan Bishop Errol O’Savio. In addition, the event was
buoyed by the presence of John Savage,
acting executive director of WESTCOP
Terrence Horton (c), founder of Sentinel Vocational Apprenticeship
Training, Inc., addressing the many that attended the orientation
Continued on page 3
2 l March 2014
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3 l March 2014
Continued from page 1
(Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc.) and Susan Holman,
associate broker of Akam, the fifth
largest property management firm in
Manhattan.
During his remarks to the audience,
Mayor Davis expressed his administration’s resounding support for the
program. He emphasized the requirements of a new economy that
is emerging in the community and
the role that businesses and community organizations can play in helping
young people develop the skills they
need to participate fully in a twentyfirst century economy, and contribute
to their community.
Directing a challenge to the many
youth and others in attendance, Terrence Horton, Sentinel’s CEO, emphasized that the increasing technical
sophistication of many of today’s jobs
has created huge gaps to be filled.
“Technology, as important as it is to
us all, has quite frankly created such
efficiencies, that it has literally overtaken the need to produce so many
positions of high academics, especially when there is no educationalvocational mechanism in place to
keep pace with a technological industry being driven by consumers,” said
Horton.
Training, Inc. offers a viable solution
in ensuring that the business community partners with educational institutions in order to enable young people
to explore career options as early as
possible. Furthermore, by forging apprenticeship relationships, employers are in a position to develop and
apply industry standards to training
programs for young adults. These
programs, in turn, can increase productivity, infuse higher education
through vocations, improve the quality of the workforce, and alleviate the
city’s unemployment crisis.
Other high profile dignitaries wholeheartedly supporting the event were
Andre Wallace of the National Builders Association; Virgil Dantes, employment services coordinator of
WestHab; Candace Vick, assistant
coordinator of WestHab; Michael
Figueroa of F & S Construction; Ken
Bright and Glenn Herious of Peacekeepers Global Initiative.
Another significant and important
highlight of the event was the assembling of Sentinel’s first group of prospective program participants who
were given the opportunity to preregister for their vocational field of
choice. Several were visibly excited
to be part of an historic community
A partial view of the many youth that attended the orientation
initiative, especially because they will
be building a career from day one,
and will be learning skills for a rewarding career without actually incurring educational debt. One participant
was overheard stating, “Participating
in this remarkable program can definitely open the door to a great future
for all of us here tonight.”
The formal portion of the event
ended with an appeal from Sentinel’s
CEO, asking for the movers and shakers of the city to regenerate their support for Sentinel’s vision by providing
enduring action and resources. “Who
knows? Some of these young people
will be part of a future team of critical
thinkers and problem solvers who will
launch the next wave of creative technology into our communities,” added
Horton.
4 l March 2014
INQUIRER
Volunteers spruced up
the Mount Vernon
Animal Shelter as part
of the MLK Day of Service
Volunteers taking a break at the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter
V
olunteers spruced up the Mount
Vernon Animal Shelter and made
pet toys as part of the MLK Day
of Service on January 18th. This
activity was one of some thirty service
projects throughout communities in Westchester, Rockland, Ulster, and Orange
counties organized by the Volunteer Center of United Way.
“We are thrilled that over 430 people −
individuals and families − donated their
time and energy to help solve community
problems while also paying tribute to the
legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said
Alisa H. Kesten, executive director of the
Volunteer Center. “The volunteer projects
addressed such pressing issues such as
poverty, hunger, homelessness, and inequality. In addition, several focused on
disaster preparation and response including training for United Way’s 2-1-1, postSandy clean up at the Rye Nature Center
and training with the American Red Cross
and Ulster Corps.”
Volunteers, who contributed a total of
1,170 service hours, helped:
• Inspire young children and teens to
contemplate Dr. King’s legacy and their
own dreams, and then create three big
“I have a dream” collages at the Carver
Center in Port Chester, and the Grinton
I. Will Branch of the Yonkers Public Library. The collages can be viewed at
the YWCA of Yonkers and the Carver
Center.
•M
ake 132 Valentine’s Day cards for
children at Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla.
•A
ddress hunger by assembling 300
lunch-bags for needy individuals and
families served by the Rockland Interfaith Breakfast Program in Spring
Valley, and women in residence at the
White Plains YWCA.
• Put together 130 toiletry bags for those
in need at The Children’s Village in
Dobbs Ferry and My Sisters’ Place in
White Plains.
• Design an MLK timeline and encourage young children and teens at the
White Plains Youth Bureau to think
about the life of Dr. King and how he
has inspired us to make a difference.
• Organize and sort hundreds of clothes
for children at Family Services of Westchester’s The Sharing Shelf in Port
Chester, and Pass it On Kid’s Kloset of
Westchester Jewish Community Services in White Plains. The clothing will
help underserved children to dress appropriately and proudly.
• Entertain 50 seniors at Family Services
of Westchester’s My Second Home in
Mount Kisco and at Somers Manor.
• Collect 465 food items for the Mount
Kisco Interfaith Food pantry to deliver
to needy families.
“The MLK Day of Service provides a
wonderful opportunity for families to serve
together and people of all ages and walks
of life to join neighbors and local leaders to help make a difference in their own
backyards,” said Kesten. “However, we
should remember that local nonprofits
need our volunteer help 24/7, 365 days a
year. We welcome the public to get more
involved with the Volunteer Center and
be part of the solution. Together, we can
make things better and help people who
cannot help themselves.”
www.mvinquirer.com
Astorino expands ‘100 day
challenge’ to house and
employ homeless veterans
in Westchester
C
urtis Ross, a Navy veteran,
had been homeless for
about three years, moving
in and out of shelters and,
regrettably, losing touch with his family. But now, thanks to the outreach of
Westchester County’s Patriot Housing Initiative, he again has a place to
call home – and a reason to be proud.
“I feel happy and fulfilled with a
sense of accomplishment,” Ross
said of his new one-bedroom Verplanck apartment. “It has helped
bring me and my family together
again. It makes me happy to be in the
position to invite over friends, family
and grandkids to a place of my own
that I am proud of.”
Thankfully, there are dozens of other success stories just like this playing out across Westchester.
Joined by veterans and more than
two dozen community partners,
County Executive Robert P. Astorino
today announced that Westchester County had surpassed an ambitious goal of housing 75 homeless
veterans in 100 days as part of the
national ‘100,000 Homes’ initiative.
Westchester housed 85 veterans between August and November.
Building on this momentum, Astorino also announced that Westchester has launched a new ‘100 Day
Challenge’. This time, the goal is to
house 75 homeless veterans while
also finding employment for 45 veterans by March 31st.
“It’s an ambitious goal, but certainly a worthy one,” Astorino said during a special recognition ceremony
in the Michaelian Office Building in
White Plains. “No one should ever go
homeless, especially our veterans.
Working hand-in-hand with our community partners, we are striving to
make sure no veteran will be without
a roof over his or her head. Because
employment is an essential component of reducing homelessness, we
are combining our efforts to put veterans into jobs as well as homes.”
Spearheaded in partnership with
the Westchester County Continuum
of Care Partnership for the Homeless, the Patriot Housing Initiative
has brought together a coalition
of community partners throughout
Westchester. In all, nearly 60 people
representing various organizations
have teamed up with the county departments of Social Services, Community Mental Health, and Veterans
Services to tackle the issue of veteran homelessness in a comprehensive
and systematic way.
“In my 30 years of homeless advocacy, I’ve never seen Westchester be so open to dramatic, rational
change,” said Karl Bertrand, co-chair
of the Westchester County Continuum of Care Partnership for the
Homeless and the Patriot Housing
Initiative. “Now, when people ask me
how my day was at work, my answer
is usually, ‘Thrilling!’ Our team is inspired by our success, but motivated
to do even more.”
In expanding the ‘100 Day Challenge’, Westchester is calling on
more landlords and employers to
open their doors to veterans. The
support of municipal officials is also
crucial.
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
Young Mount Vernonite aspires
to share his life experiences
through song
C
hristian J. Gill, age 16, is a 10th
grade student at Mount Vernon
High School. Singing since the
age of 3, he aspires to share his
life experiences through song. Discussion
of real life situations helps listeners, especially his peers, get through life. Every
encounter that has happened in his life is
a true testament that God is awesome and
why he remains humble. One thing that
Christian knows for sure is that with God
nothing is impossible.
Born and raised in Mount Vernon, New
York, Christian got his first solo part singing You Are My Sunshine at his Pre-K
graduation program at Faith, Hope and
Charity Christian Academy. From there, he
went on to cultivate his gift of singing in
church. Christian is a worship conductor,
and singing for him has so much purpose.
Everyone has gifts and talents. Sometimes
we take them places we shouldn’t. But, for
Christian, it’s important for him to covet
his gift and use it wisely. He believes that
God has put a spiritual anointing on his
voice to awaken those spiritually asleep
and for deliverance and healing. It is his
desire that people will be inspired to bless
A
5 l March 2014
and worship God through his music.
2010 winner of Best Soloist at Disney’s
Annual GospelFest, participant in the
Mount Vernon Arts and Culture Council’s
Save Our Youth Program, where his performance was described in the Mount
Vernon Inquirer May 2012 edition as “electrified the audience with his performance
– drawing a standing ovation.” Upon being amazed at his talents and skills as a
soloist, Mali Music brought him on stage
to sing with him.
Christian has performed for the NBA,
prior to Mount Vernon native, Ben Gordon.
He also performed at the Senior Awards
Ceremony; was First Place Winner at
Amateur Night at the Apollo Stars of Tomorrow on April 25, 2012; and is a Praise
and Worship leader at his church, Greater
Blessed Hope.
Called to ministry at an early age, Christian continues to lift his voice and show
young people it’s ok to sing about the
Lord.
So what does God have in store next for
Christian? The release of his first CD entitled My Identity.
Fulton
Avenue
drawbridge
closes
for steel
repairs
E
ffective Friday, January 31st at 10 a.m., and
continuing until Friday,
March 28th, the Fulton
Avenue drawbridge, between
Secor Lane and Edison Avenue
in Mount Vernon and Pelham
Manor, will be closed to vehicular traffic. Short term closures
of the bridge to pedestrian traffic will be required periodically
throughout the project.
This closure is necessary to
correct structural deficiencies
detected by inspectors. A large
scale rehabilitation project is
currently being designed to
eliminate the need for the interim repairs of the last several
years.
The Fulton Avenue Bridge
connects Mount Vernon to
Route 1 in addition to the area’s
major retail corridor. The posted
detour route uses Pelham Parkway to Boston Post Road to
Provost Avenue to South Third
Avenue to South Columbus Avenue to South Fulton Avenue.
INQUIRER
Founded in 2004 by
JOSEPH A. PARISI
AND LUISA PARISI
Published by
The Mount Vernon Inquirer
P.O. Box 458
Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0458
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.mvinquirer.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Readers are encouraged to send us
letters expressing their viewpoints
on any issue. Letters should not
contain inflammatory or provocative language and will be subject to
editorial review. Please keep your
letters brief and not to exceed 300
words. Your name and address must
be included, but will be withheld
upon request.
SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMS
We welcome all suggestions concerning news we should cover in our
newspaper. Please call the Editor
with suggestions at (914)665-7004.
Editor
Joe Parisi
Assistant Editor
Liz Olsson
News Reportes / Writers
Joe Parisi, Chief Reporter
James Fair
Debra Smith
Sales and Advertising
Darryl Walker, Director
Graphic Design
Ashley Covelli
Cheryl Parisi
Member
American credit cards to disappear in late 2015
ccording to a recent report in
the Wall Street Journal, every credit card in the United
States will be replaced with
new cards that contain the chip-andPIN technology that the rest of the
world has had for years.
Americans who have traveled to Europe in recent years already know that
the U.S.’s credit card system is embarrassingly old-fashioned by comparison.
It’s often difficult to use American credit
cards abroad because the Europeans
abandoned magnetic stripes and signatures years ago — they were too easily hacked. Credit and debit cards in the
U.S. are about 10 years behind the rest
of the world.
Beginning later next year, you will
stop signing those credit card receipts.
Instead, you will insert your card into a
slot and enter a PIN number, just like
people do in much of the rest of the
world. The U.S. is the last major market
to still use the old-fashioned signature
system, and it’s a big reason why almost half the world’s credit card fraud
happens in America, despite the country being home to about a quarter of all
credit card transactions.
The recent large-scale theft of credit
card data from retailers, including Target and Neiman Marcus, brought the issue more mainstream attention, leading
to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
INQUIRER
6 l March 2014
www.mvinquirer.com
Mount Vernon Town Hall meeting on Affordable Care Act
attracts many
(l to r) Leoni Parker, County Health Department, Kelvin Sapp,
NYS Department of Health and Miosotis Munoz, Montifiore Hospital
Community Relations
T
hanks to Montefiore’s ongoing
commitment to bring health information to the Mount Vernon
community, a very successful
town hall meeting was held on Thursday,
January 30th, on the new Affordable Care
Act. The meeting was held in the auditorium of the Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, located on North 7th Avenue.
The program’s moderator was Legislator Lyndon Williams, who represents the
13th District, and who was accompanied
by a panel of three health care professionals.
The program’s presenter was Kelvin S.
Sapp, project coordinator, External Affairs, Outreach and Marketing, NYS Department of Health.
Sapp kicked off the program with a very
informative slide presentation enlightening those in attendance with many of the
Affordable Care Act’s benefits and resources.
“You and your family have many new
low cost, quality health insurance options
available through the Individual Marketplace. You can quickly compare health
plan options and apply for assistance that
could lower the cost of your health coverage. You may also qualify for health care
coverage from Medicaid or Child Health
Plus through the Marketplace,” said Sapp.
After Sapp’s presentation, the other
panel members addressed the many in attendance.
Below are some informative highlights
discussed during the presentation:
Starting in January 2014, most people
will be required to have insurance if they
don’t already have it. Most people who
do not have insurance in 2014 will have to
pay a penalty to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when they file their taxes. Some
people will not have to pay this penalty if
they qualify for a special circumstance.
Individual marketplace - New York State
of Health, the Official Health Plan Marketplace, is a new way for people to shop for,
compare and enroll in health coverage. It
is also the only place to get a new kind of
financial assistance provided by the federal government to lower the cost of your
health coverage.
To shop in the Marketplace, you must
live in New York, be a U.S. citizen, national, or lawfully present immigrant (different immigration rules may apply if you
are eligible for Child Health Plus or NYS
Medicaid based on your income), and you
cannot be currently incarcerated.
What kind of assistance is available? In
the Marketplace, you can apply for help
to lower the cost of your health coverage.
You may also qualify for new tax credits to
help pay for your monthly health insurance
premiums. In addition, you may qualify for
tax credits if you are an individual earning
up to $45,900 a year or a family of four
earning up to $94,200 a year. You may
also be eligible for assistance to help pay
for co-pays, deductibles, and other outof-pocket costs. The Marketplace will also
see if you qualify for free or low-cost coverage from Medicaid or Child Health Plus.
Businesses - to participate, you must
have 50 or fewer employees, have a primary business location in New York State,
and offer coverage to all eligible employees.
Will NYS pay the premium on behalf of
certain low income New Yorkers? Yes. Beginning January 1, 2014, New York State
will pay the premium on behalf of all parents with income between 138 to 150
percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
who enroll in qualified health plans through
the Marketplace. Individuals must enroll in
Silver Level of coverage to be eligible for
the premium assistance. Until December
31, 2013, parents at these income levels
are eligible for Family Health Plus coverage (a Medicaid expansion program) but,
beginning in January 2014, they will be
eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage.
Family Health Plus offers a commerciallike benefits package with no premium
and modest co-payments.
At the end of the presentation, many
met with In-Person Assistors (IPAs)/Navigators who provided in-person enrollment
assistance to those asking for help in applying for health insurance through the
Marketplace.
NY State of Health: The Official Health
Plan Marketplace - it’s your place to shop,
compare, and enroll in a low-cost quality plan that’s right for you. And it’s the
only place you can receive financial assistance, based on your income, to lower
your costs even more. They can be found
online at www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
They can also be reached by telephone at
855-355-5777
Legislator Lyndon Williams
New budget push for paid family leave in NY
F
lanked by advocates for working
parents, same sex couples and
New York seniors, State Senate
Co-Leader Jeff Klein and members of the Independent Democratic
Conference unveiled a new paid family leave plan that would vastly expand
worker eligibility and increase benefits
for working men and women statewide.
Under the IDC’s plan, known as Family Leave Insurance, workers would be
guaranteed six weeks of paid leave
whenever a new child enters their home
or close family member is stricken with
a serious illness.
During those six weeks, the IDC’s
paid family leave plan would provide
biological mothers and fathers, same
sex parents, adoptive parents, and
foster parents with 50% of their average weekly wage by 2018. The same
benefit would apply to workers who are
stricken by tragedy and need time away
from home to care for a severely ill family member. Currently, New York State
limits benefits to biological mothers
and caps weekly payments at a paltry
$170.
Continued on page 8
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
7 l March 2014
EDITORial
Affordable Care Act is currently
Westchester Chapter of Links
facing some huge obstacles
continues to help reduce hunger
W
ith less and less students
seeking to pursue becoming physicians, a shortage of
doctors across the country is
starting to concern many, especially now
that the Affordable Care Act is up and running.
My daughter is a psychology major in
college, but started off as a pre-med student, hoping to become a doctor. After
doing some hard research, she elected to
switch majors, citing the fact that doctors
are not making any real money anymore,
and they are paying exorbitant malpractice fees.
There are several reasons for the shortages, aside from my daughter’s reasoning.
An aging population needs more medical
care. Doctors are retiring in large numbers,
fed up with the bureaucratic challenges
and red tape imposed by government and
health insurance. Plus, federal funds for
training doctors can lead to shortages in
some areas of the country.
The Association of American Medical
Colleges warns that the nation will face
a shortage of 91,500 physicians by 2020.
With respect to family physicians, a study
published in the Annals of Family Medicine predicted a primary care physician
shortage of 52,000 by 2025.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently reported that
9,500 doctors who had previously accepted Medicare patients refused to do
so in 2012. And the American Academy
of Family Physicians says that doctors
willing to accept new Medicare patients
declined from 83 percent to 81 percent
(most will continue to see Medicare pa-
tients they currently treat).
Making matters worse for Obama Care
is the fact that many doctors, hospitals
and clinics are refusing to see patients enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) –
claiming that their fees are too low.
Just recently, Westchester Medical
Center announced that it was not participating, arguing that insurance exchange
reimbursements were too low to cover the
costs of the services it offers as a teaching
hospital. It has since reversed its position
and will be accepting Affordable Care Act
patients.
What you are getting is a domino effect that is threatening a well- intended
heath care program as it tries to get off
the ground.
New stories are already emerging that
doctors will be paid significantly less for
treating Obamacare patients than they
would make from non-Obamacare private
insurance, and perhaps even Medicare.
So, where is all this leading to? Will the
government be forced to make doctors
participate in ACA?
If too many doctors refuse to take
Obamacare coverage, the government will
eventually have to find some way to force
doctors to participate - but how? As long
as Republicans control at least one house
of Congress (or eventually the White
House), it’s very unlikely Congress would
go along with a forced-participation law.
Obamacare is going into some unchartered waters, and its future is not very
clear at this time.
Joe Parisi
Editor
Members of the Westchester County (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated
F
riends and members of the Westchester County (NY) Chapter of the
Links, Incorporated, continue to
reduce hunger by joining with the
Food Bank for Westchester on February
1st to help repackage over 56,000 lbs. of
food for distribution to local food pantries.
This is the second year the Westchester County (NY) Links have volunteered
with the Food Bank in alignment with the
Chapter’s goals to promote and facilitate
programs that support good health and
community education.
The Food Bank for Westchester is the
backbone of the county’s emergency food
distribution network. It solicits, acquires,
warehouses, and distributes food to 227
frontline, hunger-relief programs throughout the county, including food pantries,
soup kitchens, adult and day-care centers,
shelters, and residential programs. It provides over 95% of all food that these frontline programs distribute which feed some,
or all, of the estimated 200,000 Westchester children, seniors and their families who
are hungry or at risk of hunger
CONTACT: Dawna Michelle Fields at
914- 282-9281 or dawnadmfields@aol.
com.
Youth Bureau sponsors 40 to Harlem Fine Arts Show
T
Some of the young ladies that attended the art show
he Mount Vernon Youth
Bureau
partnered
with
JWD Enterprises to offer
40 youth, from the Mount
Vernon City School District, an opportunity to see one of the largest
and most prestigious collections of
works featuring African-American
emerging and established artists
from around the world. The Harlem
Fine Arts Show took place on January 31st at the Riverside Church in
New York City.
Mount Vernon resident Dione
Clarke is CEO of JWD Enterprises
and a former Mount Vernon Youth
Board member who has worked
closely with the city’s Youth Bureau
to ensure that Mount Vernon’s youth
are exposed to distinct artists such
as Leroy Campbell, Paul Goodnight,
Michael Escoffery, Frank Frazier,
Woodrow Nash, Dane Tilghman,
Brenda Joysmith, and Glenn Tunstull.
Program participants enrolled in various after-school and mentoring programs, such as Step Up!, GEMS and
Mount Vernon STRONG, were able
to view artwork created by former
and current professional athletes of
the National Football League.
Mayor Davis stated, “Mount Ver-
non has a rich history of developing
artists. We are thankful to people
like Mr. Clarke, who encourage our
young people to explore the works
of national and international artists.
I am committed to the Arts and have
worked with many partners to ensure
that art education for our youth is ongoing.”
“It has been an objective of the
Youth Bureau to partner with outside
entities who will afford our young
people opportunities to view the
world through visual and digital art.
We are thankful to have residents
who come forward with resources
that further assist in our efforts to develop and cultivate the talents of our
youth,” stated DaMia Harris.
For further information, please
contact Mr. Wayne Woodbury, community service aide at the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau at 914- 665-2344.
INQUIRER
8 l March 2014
Legislator Williams applauds
Medical Center’s agreement
with health insurer
W
www.mvinquirer.com
Legislator Lyndon Williams
estchester County Legislator
Lyndon Williams (D-Mount
Vernon) applauded an announcement that the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla had
agreed to terms with Empire Blue Cross,
one of the insurance companies offering
health insurance plans through the New
York State health exchange. The decision
will allow thousands of Westchester residents on the health insurance plan to utilize the hospital for health services.
Previously, officials at the Westchester
Medical Center said that none of the plans
on the state health exchange would be
honored at the hospital, citing low reimbursements for their decision. The Medical Center was the only hospital in the
region not accepting insurance plans offered on the exchange.
“Thankfully, both the Medical Center
and Empire Blue Cross were able to work
out their differences and move forward
with a decision that benefits our resi-
dents,” said Williams, Majority Whip of the
Westchester County Board of Legislators
(BOL). “This is a positive step in the right
direction and proves that issues regarding
health insurance may be problematic, but
can be negotiated and resolved.”
Of all the plans being offered on the
New York State exchange, Empire Blue
Cross is used by the most residents. Six
other insurers offer plans to Westchester
residents, and Williams hopes the Westchester Medical Center will work out financial details with them as well.
“It’s important that our residents, with
full confidence, be able to use their insurance plans at all of the hospitals in the
area,” said Williams. “As I heard last week
at the Town Hall meeting, people are dealing with a lot of misinformation about affordable health care and insurance plans.
Residents need answers, and they expect
that the parties involved with health care
and public safety will work together cooperatively for the benefit of us all.”
“There are certain moments in life
when no one should be forced to
choose between a paycheck and their
family,” said State Senate Co-Leader
Jeff Klein. “But right now, our state is
forcing thousands of working families
to make that impossible choice every
single day. Every parent deserves an
opportunity to bond with their new
child. Every worker deserves the right
to care for a sick spouse, child, or parent without the threat of falling into a
financial tailspin. That’s why states like
California, and almost every other industrialized country in the world, have
developed paid family leave plans sim-
ilar to the one we are advocating for
today. Family leave insurance makes
sense for our workers, our businesses,
and our state’s economy. That’s why I
am so eager to get this passed as part
of our state’s budget. ”
The IDC’s Family Leave Insurance
plan would be partially subsidized by
the New York State General Fund at
an annual cost of $125 million. Employees would pick up the remaining
balance by contributing between five
to fifteen cents per week. Most important, the IDC’s plan would not pass
any of the cost on to employers.
Women’s History Month
program at Saint Paul’s
A
n exploration of the interesting and varied connections of
three famous American women to the church commemorates Women’s History Month at Saint
Paul’s Church National Historic Site in
Mount Vernon, Saturday, March 8th.
At 1 PM, a digital presentation chronicles the associations to Saint Paul’s
of Anne Hutchinson, Abigail Adams
and Eleanor Roosevelt. At 2 PM, enjoy “Women Dancing Thru History, a
special dance program dramatizing the
lives of the three women, performed by
the renowned Ajkun Ballet Theatre.
Parking and admission are free; light
refreshments served.
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INQUIRER
9 l March 2014
Westchester CAP Cadets take to
the skies with Civil Air Patrol
Mount Vernon’s DePass
named Student-Athlete
of the Month
(l to r) C/A1C Taiyo Spain, Capt. Rocky Cipriano, C/Amn Amanda Torres
and C/AB Benjamin Gershman, in front of CAP’s Cessna 182 airplane
at Westchester County Airport.
T
hree area cadets, including one
from Westchester Cadet Squadron 1 of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP),
ranging in age from 12 to 16
years old, experienced the thrill of aviation
through orientation flights at Westchester
County Airport on February 2, 2014.
Each cadet had the opportunity to fly in
the front seat of a single-engine Cessna
182 aircraft under the supervision of an
experienced CAP pilot. The three-hour
flight introduced cadets to the science
that makes flight possible. They learned
about navigation, weather, aircraft instruments, flight maneuvers, and more. The
orientation flights are free to cadets and
are part of CAP’s aerospace curriculum.
The flight was piloted by Captain Rocky
Cipriano, a CAP pilot and the Emergency
Services Officer of the Westchester Hudson Senior (“Raptor”) Squadron based
at Westchester County Airport in White
Plains, NY. He began the orientation with
a pre-flight inspection and emphasized to
his cadet crew the importance of “safety
first”, especially during flight operations.
The walk around inspection included aircraft familiarization and assessing the
condition of flight surfaces. Captain Cipriano’s crew consisted of Cadet Airman
First Class (C/A1C) Taiyo Spain of White
Plains, Cadet Airman (C/Amn) Amanda
Torres of New Rochelle, and Cadet Airman Basic (C/AB) Benjamin Gershman of
Armonk, NY.
Once the crew reached their assigned
altitude, Captain Cipriano demonstrated
how to control the aircraft in flight as the
cadets flew to airports in Bridgeport and
Danbury, CT and then back to Westchester County Airport. While aloft, it was
the cadets who were handling the controls during the non-critical stages of the
flight. C/A1C Spain, who has previously
attended NASA’s Space Camp, was excited to experience his first time flying in a
Cessna. “I’m looking forward to the view”
he stated before boarding. Both, his father (retired from USAF), and CAP Senior
Member Tymon Spain were also excited
for the cadets to experience this opportunity. “I am amazed that the cadets, at their
ages, get to experience this. I am also
grateful for Civil Air Patrol and the invaluable education it provides to our youth,”
he stated as he watched the take-off.
These orientation flights are one of many
opportunities available to cadets to fly as
part of Civil Air Patrol’s curriculum, with
cadets being offered flights in powered
aircraft, gliders and, even, military aircraft.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done!” stated
C/Amn Torres upon landing. “I’ve flown
when I’ve traveled to many places for vacation, but nothing beats actually flying
an aircraft!” To C/AB Gershman, whose
grandfather flew B-17’s during World War
II, and who is concurrently a member of
the Young Marines, this was something
different he would experience and would
recommend this to others.
Civil Air Patrol is open to youth aged
12-18, and has volunteer opportunities for
adults, pilots and non-pilots alike. Westchester Cadet Squadron 1 meets on Friday evenings at the New Rochelle Marina.
For more information, contact SM Kathy
Torres at kathyitorres@hotmail or visit their
website at www.westcadets.org.
Capt. Cipriano and C/Amn Torres
are prepared for takeoff
M
ichael DePass, a sophomore at The Harvey
School in Katonah, has
been named top male
Student Athlete of the Month for January.
In making the announcement at an
assembly of the entire student body
and staff, Harvey’s athletic director,
Mark Brandon, said DePass, a Mount
Vernon resident, was recognized by
the school for displaying “excellence
in the classroom, on the athletic
fields and in the broader school community.”
As a top student, DePass has
earned a Cavalier Scholar certificate
for garnering at least a 4.0 gradepoint average in his academic schedule of five honors classes, including
two languages. A three-sport athlete and captain of his JV basketball
team, DePass was recognized for his
involvement in the community service club and for being a regular attendee of the school’s monthly trip to
the Blythedale Children’s Hospital.
Athletic Director Brandon said DePass is most deserving of the honor.
“Mike is an excellent captain, playing
with passion and leading by example,” Brandon said. “Mike’s energy
and positive attitude are an inspiration to us all,” he added.
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10 l March 2014
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A capacity library crowd attends riveting play about Delany sisters
O
The cast at the start of the performance
ver 100 Mount Vernonites and
others trekked to the Mount
Vernon Public Library on a frigid
Saturday, January 8th, to attend the incredibly entertaining play Having Our Say, The Delany Sisters’ First 100
Years - directed by Melinda O’Brien.
In attendance, were many of the Delany
sisters’ former Mount Vernon neighbors
who still live near 431 McClellan Avenue - the house on the dead end street
where the Delany sisters lived from 1957
to 1995. Also, in attendance were many
family members of the Delany sisters who
enjoyed the play immensely, and who also
answered numerous questions during the
Q and A period at the end of the play.
The two cast members, Donna D.
James (Sadie Delany) and Leslie Smithey
(Bessie Delany), performed flawlessly for
nearly two hours – making the audience
laugh with their non-stop humorous comments. Many were in awe since their portrayal of the two famous sisters was so
impressively realistic as they brought the
Delany sisters back to life – so it seemed
to those in attendance.
The play opened as 103-year-old Sadie
and 101-year-old Bessie Delany welcomed
us into their home in Mount Vernon, New
York. We, the audience, were guests in
their home as the sisters prepared dinner
in remembrance of their father’s birthday.
As they are observed preparing food, they
recounted a fascinating series of events
and anecdotes drawn from their rich family history and their careers as pioneering
African-American professional women.
They lived during the turbulent times for
descendants of slaves that occurred just
after the Civil War, and they continued into
the present doing daily yoga exercises
and watching the MacNeil/Lehrer News
Hour each evening.
By means of the sisters’ unique and
candid storytelling abilities, the audience
felt as if it visited the Delany’s girlhood
home on the campus of Saint Augustine’s
School in Raleigh, North Carolina, one of
the nation’s historically Black Colleges
and Universities (HBCU’s). The audience
felt the sisters’ frustration, anger, and pain
as they came of age during the Jim Crow
era. The audience mentally celebrated
the sisters’ successes as they overcame
obstacles to rise to the top in their professions.
As Having Our Say unfolded, the audience witnessed the rise of middle-income
African- Americans facing prejudice and
Delany family members enjoyed the play immensely
Betty Davis (c) with cast and Delany family members
Cast members shown midway through the play
Carolyn Karowski, library director, addressing the audience prior to the start
of the play
discrimination in the South during and
after slavery. We followed them at the
turn of the last century as they moved to
Harlem just before the Roaring 20’s. We
followed them in Harlem during the Great
Depression, and through wars as they
resolutely obtained their education in an
environment hostile to women. This, then,
was a story about the struggles of women
in a male dominated society; of a family
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INQUIRER
11 l March 2014
(l to r) Leslie Smithey (Bessie Delany), Donna D. James (Sadie Delany) and
Melinda O’Brien, director, during the Q&A period
working together building a good life as
they served others as good neighbors and
set examples for the younger members
of their family. Finally, it is a story about
ordinary people who made extraordinary
achievements, living as good citizens,
actively engaged with life, voicing strong
opinions about current events - for more
than 100 years.
Those that attended should draw broadly from this play. This simple story, about
the struggles of two women, typifies the
The house where the Delany sisters lived, located at 431 McClellan Avenue
Avenue in Mt. Vernon
essential human condition - of struggle
and achievement, universal in its appeal
and in the messages it sends.
Clearly, Having Our Say is not only
Mount Vernon’s history, but everybody’s
history. It celebrates women and men,
African-Americans, our country, and the
indomitable human spirit. The play was
a soothing and warming celebration of
America’s people.
Terrence Horton is recipient of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Award
Suffragan Bishop Errol O’Savio presenting The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. Award to Terrence Horton
A
s part of a Black History Month
celebration at Mount Vernon’s
Mount Olivet Apostolic Faith
Church, held on Friday, February, 21st, Terrence Horton, former Mount
Vernon DPW Commissioner, was presented the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Award. Horton was accompanied by his
mother, Joan Horton, and his brother, Steven Horton.
Prior to the presentation of the prestigious award to Horton by Senior Pastor
Suffragan Bishop Errol O’Savio, Sister
Trudian Hay-Brazier read his impressive
biography. The following are excerpts
from Horton’s biography:
· As Mount Vernon DPW Commissioner,
he was instrumental in reducing over-
time budget by $500,000
· Revitalized all entrances to the City of
Mount Vernon, especially the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Bridge project
· Created Warrior’s Way in Brush Park,
which honors local heroes
· The conception and design of Union
Arms President Park, soon to be a historical landmark
· Development and construction of Canterbury Commons senior homes
·
Acquisition of multiple ‘derelict’ parcels of land and using the properties to
construct two of Westchester County’s
first affordable ‘Smart Homes’
· Completion of first phase of Franklin
Crest Condominiums, designed to
educate and encourage residents to
Commissioner Horton was joined by family members, church officials, Mount
Vernon city officials and members of Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training,
Inc. for a photo op.
embrace home ownership instead of
renting
· He is currently CEO and president of
Sentinel Construction, Inc. and Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training, Inc.
Prior to the presentation of Commissioner Horton’s award, Bishop Errol O’Savio
addressed the overflowing members of
the church and guests, and stated, “Commissioner Horton is a result driven executive with multi-faceted management,
construction, and project management
experience. We are saluting Commissioner Horton tonight because he embodies
the legacy of Dr. King and because of his
untiring efforts to realize this legacy. And
furthermore, because he strongly believes
that when people are hired in their com-
munities, it promotes employment and
fosters stronger and more vibrant communities. In closing, like Reverend Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., please know that Commissioner Horton is a strong supporter of
civil rights.
After the presentation of the award,
Commissioner Horton was joined by Senior Pastor O’Savio; his mother, Joan Horton; his brother, Steven Horton; Assistant
Pastor Judith O’Savio; Mount Vernon City
Comptroller, Maureen Walker; Ardith Jobson (Instructor); Jacqueline Warner, Esq.
(Corporate Attorney); Herman Carrington
(Engineer); and City Councilman J. Yuhanna Edwards, for a photo op.
INQUIRER
12 l March 2014
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Mattie Little, president of NAACP
trict manager of marketing for the United
States Postal Service.
“I wish to thank you all for being here
today and helping to make the new Shirley Chisholm stamp an important part of
today’s celebration. This is a proud day.
Shirley Chisholm was a woman of courage
and tradition. She left an indelible mark in
our country and there are many ways we
can measure her legacy,” said Jones.
The list of speakers included Edolphus
Towns, former member of the House of
Representatives; Mattie Little, president
of the Mount Vernon NAACP Chapter; and
Mayor Ernest D. Davis.
During the course of the ceremony, musical entertainment was provided by the
talented Royal Knights who are students
at Mount Vernon High School.
About Shirley Chisholm
Born Shirley Anita Saint Hill in Brooklyn,
NY, on Nov. 30, 1924, the future politician
was the child of Caribbean immigrants. Her
mother was a seamstress from Barbados,
and her father was a factory worker from
Guyana. She spent part of her childhood in
Barbados with her maternal grandmother
where she attended strict, traditional, and
British-style schools. A talented student,
Saint Hill graduated from Brooklyn College
in 1946 and began work in early childhood
education. She advanced quickly from a
teacher’s aide to a consultant for New York
City’s Division of Day Care. While pursuing
a graduate degree at Columbia University,
she met and married Conrad Chisholm. All
the while, she stayed involved in local politics. In 1964, Chisholm’s political career
took off in earnest with her election to the
New York State Assembly.
Debra Jones, district manager of marketing for the United States
Postal Service.
In 1968, Chisholm ran for Congress. She
campaigned in her Bedford-Stuyvesant
neighborhood in Brooklyn with a sound
truck that announced, “Ladies and gentlemen… this is fighting Shirley Chisholm.” A
maverick who was not beholden to the tra-
The Royal Knights performing
ditional Democratic Party machinery, Chisholm’s campaign motto was “Unbought
and Unbossed”. She won the election and
entered Congress in 1969, the first black
woman ever to do so. Regarding her historic win, Chisholm later remarked, “That I
Robert McCarthy,
the acting Postmaster
Pat A. Mazzone, the former longtime
Mount Vernon Postmaster
am a national figure because I was the first
person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman, proves, I
think, that our society is not yet either just
or free.”
Chisholm scored another historic first
in 1972 when she declared her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for
President - the first African-American to
seek the nomination of a major political
party. Despite paltry financial resources,
Chisholm’s enthusiastic supporters, who
included women, minorities, and young
people, got her on the ballot in fourteen
states. She received more than 150 delegate votes at the Democratic National
Convention before George McGovern
won the party’s nomination.
She later wrote of her unsuccessful bid,
“The next time a woman runs, or a black,
or a Jew, or anyone from a group that the
country is ‘not ready’ to elect to its highest
office, I believe that he or she will be taken
seriously from the start… I ran because
somebody had to do it first.”
Chisholm served in Congress until 1983.
She continued to speak out for the rights
of women, people of color, and the poor,
fighting for legislation to support daycare
centers and provide federal aid for education. She was also a founding member of
the Congressional Black Caucus and the
National Women’s Political Caucus. She
was a co-founder of the National Organization of Women (NOW). After retiring
from politics, Chisholm taught at Mount
Holyoke College, wrote, and lectured.
She died on Jan. 1, 2005, having already
spoken of her legacy. “I’d like them to say
that Shirley Chisholm had guts,” she said.
“That’s how I’d like to be remembered.”
The ceremony ended with closing remarks from McCarthy who stated, “Shirley
Chisholm was a courageous and pioneering woman whose legacy lives on with the
issuance of this special stamp. We are
proud to honor this great American who
shattered barriers of race and gender, and
who fought for the rights of women and
the poor as a true champion for justice
and equality for all.”
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INQUIRER
13 l March 2014
The 400 Concerned Citizens
Block Association
awards scholarship to
Raven Tarkenton
30 Boys & Girls Club members
attend Time Warner Cable’s
‘Connect A Million Minds
Kickoff’
Members of the Mt. Vernon Boys & Girls Club enjoying the event
T
he 400 Concerned Citizens
Block Association is one of
the oldest active Block Associations in Mount Vernon,
NY with a long history of commitment
to education. This year the Joan M.
Henry Education Fund Scholarship
has been awarded to Raven Tarkenton.
Raven was chosen to receive this
year’s award based on her moving
and poignant essay, titled Too Young,
about the tragic loss of a friend.
Raven is a graduate of Mount Vernon High School and is currently
continuing her education at The
Sandford Brown Institute in White
Plains, NY. She has already received
her medical certification and her future plans include a career in nursing.
Church Women United, Inc.
hosting13th Annual Spring
Luncheon
O
n Saturday, March 15,
2014, the Church Women
United, Inc., Mount Vernon Unit, will be hosting its
13th Annual Spring Luncheon at the
Davenport Country Club, 400 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, NY.
CWU is a racially, culturally, and
theologically diverse organization
worldwide, comprised of women of
all Christian denominations. They
support projects and programs working to promote peace and justice,
and making the world a better place
for women and children.
Annually, CWU celebrates and honors their “Valiant Woman”. The 2014
“Valiant Woman” is Diane Watts. She
is a long standing faithful member
of the Mount Zion Christian Baptist
Church, and her pastor is Reverend
Peter Wilson. She is Chaplin of the
Mass Choir, Vice President of the
Floral Club, member of Bible Class,
member of NAACP, Key Women of
America, Inc., and the Red Hatters.
This year, CWU will honor the First
Lady of the City of Mount Vernon,
Bettye Davis, wife of Mayor Ernest D.
Davis. She is an active member of
the Mount Vernon Women’s Service
League and numerous organizations.
Luncheon tickets are $50.00 and
all proceeds will go to promoting the
international ecumenical work to help
support the Church Women United
Mission.
The Luncheon Chairperson is Giorgia Humphrey. For tickets, call Ticket
Chairperson Doris Faulkner at 914668-2177.
O
n Saturday, February 1st, a cold
wintery day, 30 club members
and 3 staff members attended
the ‘Connect A Million Minds
Kickoff’ at Time Warner Cable’s Interactive
Center in Manhattan as part of New York
City’s Super Bowl celebration.
The Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon joined 9 other clubs from New York
and New Jersey that received $10,000
grants from Boys & Girls Clubs of America
through Time Warner Cable to implement
a STEM Program (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math). The program is
designed for club members to participate
in self-guided activities that enable them
to make the connection between STEM
and their everyday world. Using items they
come in contact with, or use daily, this
program connects the dots between sci-
ence content and real-world application
where the light bulb AHA! moment occurs
and concepts are cemented.
During the kickoff, club members participated in hands-on projects run by many
of Time Warner Cable’s partners, including: HBO, ESPN, FOX, Food Network,
and History Channel. Club Members got
to meet and take pictures with ESPN personality, Stephen A Smith, and New York
Giants wide receiver, Victor Cruz. A highlight of the day for 5 club members took
place when they were asked to go to the
Green Room to participate in an interactive taping with Cruz.
On the way home, all the members were
buzzing about what an exciting day they
had while learning about STEM. The STEM
Program kicks off at the Boys & Girls Club
of Mount Vernon on March 1st.
Victor Cruz speaking to the kids
14 l March 2014
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15 l March 2014
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17 l March 2014
Sentinel Construction makes historical LED light installation
at MVHS
A Sentinel student demonstrating to Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson how
an LED lighting panel gets installed, while Terrence Horton (r) observes
T
he General Attendance Office at
Mount Vernon High School is being revamped with a new ceiling
and state-of-the-art LED lighting
system, by Sentinel Construction, as part
of an ongoing process to initiate a pilot
program with the Mount Vernon School
District.
The new LED ceiling panel lights are
replacing the antiquated florescent lights
that are currently in place at the high
school and all the schools throughout
Mount Vernon.
The advantages of LED lighting: LED
lights contain absolutely no mercury, do
not emit UV radiation, and are truly energy-saving. As opposed to having to replace florescent bulbs every six months to
a year, LED lights get replaced every five
to seven years and beyond. LED lighting
A Sentinel worker installing a new ceiling at a MVHS office
is also very cool, helping to lower electric
bills during the summer months.
During the historical meeting between
Mayor Kang of Gwangju and Mayor Ernest
D. Davis at Mount Vernon City Hall, both
mayors pledged to stimulate business development so jobs will eventually be created in both cities.
Less than two years after the Sister City
Agreement took place, both cities are
starting to reap the rewards from the significant mutual agreement. The ongoing
commitment to initiate a pilot program between Sentinel Construction, Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training, Inc., and the
Mount Vernon School District is a direct
result of the Sister City Agreement which
in turn fosters education, job creation, cultural exchange, and international trade.
Specially designed and wired LED
The General Attendance Office at Mount Vernon High School has been
revamped with an impressive new ceiling and state-of-the-art LED lighting specially designed by Sentinel Construction’s suppler in South Korea,
Soosung electronics. “I can’t believe the difference. This place is five times
brighter, looks beautiful, and the the new lights are easy on my eyes,” said
one excited staff member.
18 l March 2014
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19 l March 2014
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. takes Mount Vernon students
to the Black Wax Museum in Baltimore
O
n Saturday, February 22nd, the Omicron
Iota Chapter of Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, in conjunction with
the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau,
hosted a trip to the Great Blacks
in Wax Museum in Baltimore, MD
for 35 students (age 9-12) from
Grimes, Parke,r and Graham’s Elementary Schools as part of their
Mentoring Program.
The museum’s exhibits and
life-like wax figures chronicle the
history of black people in America, and for the 50th anniversary
of the Equal Rights Bill, it focused
on the Civil Rights movement for
Black History Month.
“We are excited to serve the
children of Mount Vernon as a
part of our mentoring program,
and continue to look for exciting ways to provide historic and
cultural insights to the children
and families of our community,”
said Larren Joseph, Omicron Iota
Chapter Baileus.
“It’s about educating, specifically our children, about the
accomplishments of great individuals of African descent, and
we hope the kids use the information they learned at the museum in their classrooms,” said
Damon Bacote, Mount Vernon
Youth Bureau STYA coordinator.
Students, parents and the men of Omega Psi Phi, with students at entrance
to the Great Blacks in Wax Museum
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20 l March 2014
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Mount Vernonites brave snow storm to attend screening of
The Loving Story
Richard and Mildred Loving in 1958
I
n celebration of Valentine’s Day, on Saturday, February 15th, the Wartburg and
Amani Public Charter School teamed
up to present The Loving Story at the
Mount Vernon Public Library – a documentary film about Richard and Mildred
Loving. In spite of an ongoing snow storm,
the screening was well attended.
The couple was sentenced to one year
in jail in 1958 for being in an interracial
marriage, which was prohibited in the
state of Virginia.
Following the film, Debra and Charles
Stern, formerly from Mount Vernon, who
have been married for 24 years and are a
mixed race couple, took questions from
the audience and discussed their own personal experiences. Many in attendance
spoke about their personal experiences
as well and the experiences of others who
have been subjected to racism or prejudice throughout the years.
The film has enjoyed sold-out screenings at festivals and special events since
its World Premiere at the Full Frame
Documentary Film Festival in April 2011.
It premiered on HBO on Valentine’s Day,
February 14th, 2012.
About the film
Richard and Mildred Loving were madly
in love – and he happened to be white,
and she was part-black, part-Cherokee.
Their lives were forever changed on June
2, 1958 when they traveled from Caroline
County, Virginia to Washington, DC to be
married. At the time, interracial marriage
was illegal in 21 states, including Virginia.
Back home two weeks later, the newlyweds were arrested, tried and convicted
of the felony crime of ‘miscegenation’. To
avoid a one-year jail sentence, the Lovings
agreed to leave the state; they could return to Virginia, but only separately.
Living in exile in D.C with their children,
the Lovings missed their families and
dearly wanted to return to their rural home.
At the advice of her cousin, Mildred wrote
a letter to the Attorney General Robert F.
Kennedy, who wrote her back suggesting
she get in touch with the American Civil
Richard and Mildred Loving embracing after learning about their Supreme
Court victory on June 12, 1967
Debra and Charles Stern talked about their interracial marriage for the past
24 years
Liberties Union.
Two young ACLU lawyers, Bernard S.
Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop, took on
the Lovings’ case. After an unsuccessful
attempt with the Virginia Supreme Court,
they were obligated to take their case all
the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The
case became known as Loving v. Virginia,
and was heard on April 10, 1967. After a
two-month wait, the Supreme Court ruled
in favor of the Lovings on June 12, 1967.
The precedent-setting decision resulted in
16 states being ordered to overturn their
bans on interracial marriage.
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21 l March 2014
Emma Gruber: Gone too soon, but remembered with
community march
Story and photos by James Fair
Marchers carried photos of Emma Gruber that stated: Praying for Justice
O
n Saturday, February 22nd, hundreds marched in Mount Vernon to remember Emma Gruber
who was apparently murdered
after walking in on burglars recently at her
home on South Sixth Avenue. Gruber was
found slain on Wednesday, February 12th.
Gruber was initially reported missing
after her grandson searched the upper
levels of her home and could not find her.
Police eventually discovered her body at
the bottom of her basement stairs. Gruber
was a member of the Greater Centennial
AME Zion Church and a longtime Mount
Vernon resident, and once owned a delicatessen in Mount Vernon.
Dr. Stephen W. Pogue, pastor of Greater
Centennial AME Zion Church, stated that
Greater Centennial AME Zion Church understands that there must be voices of
peace, justice and compassion in this
world. The black church has historically
been such a voice.
“In the wake of the senseless killing
of our beloved Emma Gruber, a vibrant
85-year-old member of our church and
a respected citizen of the Mount Vernon
community, we are reminded that we must
continue to speak out for those who are
victims, for those who are helpless, and
for those who are often overlooked. Our
march and our prayers will make a statement to all that the church will not be silent; that Emma’s voice will be heard; and
that a community that works together can
make a difference in battling the evils of
this world,” said Pastor Pogue.
The Saturday march started at Greater
Centennial, and continued on West Fourth
to South Seventh Avenue, to West Fifth
Street, and to South Sixth Avenue where
they stopped in front of Gruber’s home.
While in front of her home, Pastor Pogue,
Mayor Ernie D. Davis, County Legislator
Lyndon Williams, the Police Commissioner, and The United Black Clergy of West-
Elected officials, church leaders and marchers stopped in front of Emma
Gruber’s house to reflect on her loss
Emma Gruber
chester, spoke of the need for community
unity to help solve the crime against Gruber.
Mount Vernon police say they are questioning a person of interest in the alleged
killing of the 85-year-old woman known
for her community service. Authorities say
the burglars were stealing her water meter
to resell the copper inside the device. Police have not released details on how she
was killed or about the person of interest.
Mount Vernon police are asking anyone
with information about the killing to call
914-665-2510.
22 l March 2014
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School District gets $100,000 grant from Senator Klein for tablets,
laptops, and new technology
Senator Klein and State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson pose with students
from Pennington Elementary School after announcing a $100,000 direct aid
grant
S
enator Jeff Klein announced a
$100,000 direct aid grant for
Mount Vernon schools that will
be used to fund updated technology for 6th and 7th grade students within
newly restructured schools in the Mount
Vernon school district, including Graham
Elementary, Pennington Elementary, and
Longfellow Middle School. These technology upgrades include new tablets, Smart
Boards, and lap tops for 6th and 7th grade
students impacted by the first phase of a
district-wide transition to a K-8 school
model for the coming school year.
Senator Klein was joined by State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Mount
Vernon Interim Superintendent of Schools
I
Judith Johnson in addition to parents,
teachers, and the principals from the local
schools who stand to benefit from Senator Klein’s grant. The press conference
was held outside of Pennington Elementary School, one of the recipient schools
of Klein’s funding.
Senator Klein said, “Investing in cutting edge, digital classrooms is an integral
part of keeping our students three steps
ahead. All of these tools -from Smart
Boards, to tablets, to new laptops - make
the curriculum more interactive and train
our students to use devices that will be
essential in tomorrow’s economy. That’s
why I was pleased to deliver a $100,000
grant that will go directly to helping Mount
Senator Klein announcing a $100,000 direct aid grant that will fund new
technology at public middle schools in Mount Vernon
Vernon’s schools acquire this new technology. My commitment to ensuring that
our schools have the resources they need
to deliver a first rate education has never
been stronger.”
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson said,
“Primary and secondary schooling should
offer the necessary tools and building
blocks for a life of learning. Studies have
shown that iPads enhance our students’
educational experiences. I would like to
thank Senator Klein for his leadership in
securing this funding for our Mount Vernon Schools. It is critical that we provide
our future leaders with a strong foundation
so that they are competitive with every
other student in our country and through-
out the world.”
Mount Vernon Interim Superintendent
of Schools Judith Johnson said, “Our
schools are faced with growing financial
demands while student needs are also on
the rise. Through ongoing research, we understand why achievement at the middle
school level falters across the country. We
have to be smarter in our spending so we
can adequately prepare our students for
high school and their futures. On behalf of
the entire Board of Education, I wish to extend our appreciation to Senator Klein for
his leadership in securing this grant and,
also, to Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
for her continued support.
Residents are enjoying major renovations at Westchester
Rehabilitation Center
f you have a loved one in need of a
nursing home or rehabilitation center,
you need to consider visiting the Westchester Rehabilitation Center nestled
in a quiet and tranquil area of Mount Vernon, NY. The Westchester Rehabilitation
Center has been undergoing extensive
renovations lately, and it is one of the top
rated facilities for seniors in Westchester
County.
Many families hate the idea of having to
move a loved one to a nursing home, particularly after visiting nursing homes that
live up to their worst expectations - drab,
highly regimented mini-hospitals with dim
corridors and unhappy residents. When
family members visit the Westchester Rehabilitation Center they are immediately
greeted by friendly staff members, and
upon completion of the renovations, they
will walk into a lobby that resembles an elegant hotel - about as far from anything
medical as you could imagine.
The environment at the Westchester
Rehabilitation Center is calm and cheery
with none of the physical restraints found
in most nursing homes, or the alarms that
sound if residents get up from a wheelchair, for example. Instead, patients wear
ankle bracelets that help the staff keep
tabs on them and will disable the elevator
if a patient tries to leave. The Westchester
Rehabilitation Center continuously strives
to create a homelike atmosphere and improve residents’ quality of life.
As a skilled nursing facility providing
post hospital and complex medical care,
the facility recently added on-site hemodialysis. Furthermore, they have also started
a program in which members of the community can also enroll and receive dialysis
treatment.
Those interested in learning about the
many exciting changes taking place at the
Westchester Center for Rehabilitation and
Nursing, including the next ‘open house’ can contact them at:
Westchester Center for Rehabilitation
and Nursing
10 Claremont Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
914-699-1600
At typical room at the Westchester Rehabilitation Center in Mount Vernon,
equipped with large flat screen televisions
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INQUIRER
23 l March 2014
Mount Vernon’s Lance
McDowdell headed to University
of Central Florida
Jewish and Catholic teens
come together to feed
Westchester’s hungry
Lance McDowdell, with MVHS football players in the background, displaying
a signed Letter of Intent to play football at the University of Central Florida.
Alec Bader of Eastchester, left, and Ben Goldberg of White Plains ready the
food for an expiration check
M
ount Vernon is known for its
legendary basketball program
led by its iconic coach, Bob
Cimino, but it also produces
outstanding football players under the
leadership of Coach Ric Wright.
On February 12th, a large gathering
of friends, family members, school staff
members, and media gathered in the
community room of Mount Vernon High to
witness the signing of a Letter of Intent by
Lance McDowdell to play for the University of Central Florida.
A former Mount Vernon football standout, McDowdell has spent the last two
years playing for Nassau Community College where he earned junior college AllAmerican honors.
The 6’5”, 305-pound defensive lineman will be packing his bags and heading
south where he is expected to be a great
addition to the University of Central Florida football program.
During the signing ceremony, Mc-
Dowdell was introduced by Cimino who is
the Athletic Director at Mount Vernon High
School.
During the signing, McDowdell was
accompanied by his mother and father
and, nearby, to witness the signing was
his football coach, Ric Wright, along with
former Mount Vernon Administrator Mr. Alfonso Grimes.
McDowdell spoke to next year’s football team and stated, “Always remember that school is first and sports should
follow, and remember to always give it
100%.” He also spoke about his desire to
make his family and the City of Mount Vernon Proud.
Also, in attendance was Mayor Ernest
D. Davis who congratulated McDowdell
and wished him well during his four years
at the University of Central Florida.
McDowdell is one of many students
who have played for Coach Wright and
have been able to move on to college with
full scholarships.
T
o help those who might otherwise go without nourishment
during the cold winter months,
about 50 Jewish and Catholic
teens spent Sunday, February 9th, sorting
through donated food and packaging it for
distribution to local food pantries.
The Food Bank for Westchester estimates that approximately 200,000 county
residents are hungry, or at risk of hunger.
It also estimates that 55 percent of Westchester’s front-line hunger relief programs
are faith-based agencies affiliated with
churches, mosques, synagogues, and
other religious organizations, and 33 percent are other types of nonprofit organizations.
The event, which took place at the offices of UJA-Federation of New York in
White Plains, was part of a joint initiative
by UJA-Federation and Catholic Charities
of the Archdiocese of New York. Feeding
Our Neighbors: An Interfaith Response,
is a unified effort to tackle hunger by collecting and distributing food to vulnerable
New Yorkers.
“Hunger is something we can all get
behind,” said Luz Tavarez-Salazar who
coordinates the Feeding Our Neighbors
initiative for Catholic Charities. “Working
to help the hungry is one thing that unites
all of us.”
Together, Westchester Jewish and
Catholic congregations and organizations
collected nonperishable food items during this annual food drive. The goal is to
help alleviate dire needs, especially urgent
this winter with its record-breaking temperatures, at the food pantry run by the
Bronx Jewish Community Council, a UJAFederation beneficiary agency, as well as
various soup kitchens and food pantries
around Westchester run by Catholic Charities.
“We all share the same idea, “We want
to help people regardless of our religion
or background,” said Teen Event Chair
Marlee Baumberg of Scarsdale. “I’m very
proud to be involved.”
24 l March 2014
INQUIRER
Senator Klein announces launch
of Annual Earth Day
Poster Contest
S
enator Jeff Klein announced the
launch of the New York State
Senate’s Annual Earth Day Poster
Contest. Students from across
the Bronx and Westchester are encouraged to participate in this statewide competition.
To celebrate and honor Earth Day, the
New York State Senate is sponsoring a
poster contest for the fifth year in a row.
Children in grades Kindergarten through
6th grade are eligible. The theme of this
year’s Earth Day celebration is ‘Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle’. The winning posters will
be displayed on Senator Klein’s website
and the participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation.
Students wishing to participate in this
year’s event must submit their entry by
April 11, 2014 via Senator Klein’s website:
www.klein.nysenate.gov.
Students are encouraged, not only to be
creative in their project , but also to convey a real commitment to making the environment a better place.
Senator Klein said, “This is a fun way
to raise awareness and teach our children about the importance of preserving a
healthy, clean, and safe environment. The
more we educate our young people about
these issues, the more likely they are to
support important environmental causes
as adults.”
Since the first Earth Day was celebrated
in 1970, over 20 million Americans have
participated, helping to improve the quality
of air we breathe and the water we drink.
In addition, landmark legislation has been
passed to help support this effort, such as
the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and
the Endangered Species Act.
Mount Vernon to receive
$50,000 Chevrolet grant for
field makeover
M
ajor League Baseball and
the City of Mount Vernon are
about to announce that Mount
Vernon is to receive a $50,000
field makeover grant to be completed this
spring.
The project is funded by Chevrolet,
through Major League Baseball’s RBI
(Reviving Baseball in Inner cities) and the
work will be done by Ripken Sports. The
field will be ready to play this season.
Although the specific plan has not been
finalized, it is expected the field makeover
will be to one of the fields at Brush Park.
“We have focused on creating a multi-use
baseball field capable of accommodating
every distance we use - from the 90 foot
full size diamond to a variety of shorter
distances,” said Rich Sauerhaft, president
of Mount Vernon RBI/ Mount Vernon Babe
Ruth.
“We need a better 90 foot diamond
for our older boys, and we are looking to
make Brush Park a dedicated baseball/
softball park,” Sauerhaft added. “This is
just the beginning of a new era of baseball
and softball in Mount Vernon. We are getting more involved with MLB and RBI, and
we expect to make more improvements in
the future.”
Registration for spring baseball/softball
is now in full swing through the league’s
website - www.MVBabeRuth.com. “We
are cutting back on the numbers of teams
in some leagues, so we may have solid
rosters which will allow us to play more
games. But teams are filling up and we
expect to have a waiting list by March 10th
- earlier than that in some age groups. So
register now,” said Sauerhaft.
For more information, go to www.MVBabeRuth.com.
www.mvinquirer.com
Mariano Rivera to be honored
at Boys & Girls Club of
Mount Vernon gala
O
n Thursday, March 27th, the
Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon will hold their annual gala at
the Surf Club in New Rochelle,
located at 280 Davenport Avenue, New
Rochelle, NY, from 6:30 -10:30 PM. The
event features a silent auction, a DJ, and
special entertainment from members of
the club.
The terrific lineup of honorees will feature Mariano Rivera who will be receiving
the Humanitarian Award. Other honorees
include Mitchell E. Rudin, president and
CEO of Brookfield Properties - Corporate
Citizenship Award; Gus Williams, former
NBA Champion and Club Alumni -Distinguished Alumni Award; and Mount Vernon
natives Robert Cimmino, MVHS Head
Basketball Coach, and Rickey Stanley,
Mount Vernon High School Principal and
Club Alumni - sharing the Distinguished
Educator Award. Our Youth of the Year
Award will be announced at the Gala.
Sponsorship opportunities are available
to be a vital part of this community event.
The club has been serving the youth of
Mount Vernon for over 100 years. It runs
an after school program for 400 in the
Mount Vernon community. In a time when
government programs are being cut and
funding is being reduced, organizations
such as the Boys and Girls Club are essential to the youth and families of Mount
Vernon.
The club features an award winning
sports program, film club, robotics, mentoring, dance troupe, and many other programs. Most importantly, it serves as a
safe haven for the youth of our community, teaching them the necessary character and leadership skills to grow into
successful adults.
For more information about the club or
to learn more about sponsorships or tickets contact:
Mel Campos, chief professional officer
Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon
[email protected] , 914- 6689580, http://bgcmvny.org/
Cross-country walker to speak
at Mount Vernon Public Library
O
n Saturday, March 15th, at 3
pm, Mount Vernon resident
Sterling Cleveland will speak at
the Mount Vernon Public Library
about his walk across the country on behalf of the American Diabetes Association.
His slide presentation will cover his
weeks-long journey from New York to Los
Angeles and the people he met while delivering the message of diabetic awareness and treatment.
A Public Library enthusiast since his
school days, Mr. Cleveland will answer
questions after his talk in the Community
Room of the Library, 28 South First Avenue. (Use 2nd Avenue entrance)
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INQUIRER
25 l March 2014
Mount Vernon students compete in 7th Annual Black History
Challenge Quiz
The winners from Nellie Thorton High School and the second place finishers
from the Youth Shelter of Westchester
T
he 7th Annual Black History
Challenge Quiz took place on
Wednesday, February 26th, and
a record number of students participated in the yearly event which was
attended by Mayor Ernest D. Davis and
several other elected officials.
The popular event is sponsored by the
Mount Vernon Community That Cares Coalition, which provides a healthy meal for
the participants, along with awards and
gifts for the winning team.
The yearly event has grown in popularity
since the death of Nelson Mandela and,
this year, a slide presentation on Mandela
was viewed by the nearly 200 people that
attended the event at the Mount Armory.
The competition was fierce this year and
was comprised of the following teams:
· Healthy From Birth For Life
· Mount Vernon High School – UN Club
· Nellie Thorton High School
Mayor Davis with students from Amani Charter School after they were
bounced from the competition in a controversial decision by the judges
· Youth Shelter of Westchester
· Westhab PEAK Center
· Amani Public Charter School
Opening remarks prior to the start of the
competition came from Dena Williams and
Luther Garrison, co-chairs of the contest,
followed by Mayor Davis, City Comptroller
Maureen Walker, and City Council President Roberta Apuzzo.
Participating for the first time as a competitive team, were members of the Amani
Charter School who beat last year’s defending champions, Mount Vernon School
UN Club, in a first round of competition
which involved a tie-breaker. Regrettably,
the Amani group was bounced from the
competition due to a disputable decision
when they went up against Mount Vernon
School UN Club in their second round of
competition. Some of the fierce competitors from the Amani group were visibly
upset over the loss since they felt they
INQUIRER
26 l March 2014
www.mvinquirer.com
Seven promoted to supervisor at Mount Vernon badge
pinning ceremony
can tell you today that we made the right
decision – and it is reflected in ceremonies
like the one you have attended today,”
said Mayor Davis.
Then, introduced by Deputy Chief Dumser was Police Commissioner Terrence
Raynor.
“These men and women of the Mount
Vernon Police Department exemplify the
type of leadership we are building,” said
Commissioner Terrance Raynor. “As they
take their posts, it will be their job to project the most of what they have to offer, not
only in proficiency, but professionalism as
they deal with the community and those
under their command.”
After the speech by Commissioner
Raynor, Mayor Davis commenced the
I
Sgt. Krista Mann being sworn in by Mayor Davis
t was a joyous Friday morning, February 21st, at Mount Vernon City Hall as
seven of Mount Vernon’s Bravest waited for Mayor Ernest D. Davis to enter
the City Council Chambers to commence
their promotion ceremony.
The ceremony began with Deputy Chief
James Dumser welcoming the overflowing crowd, followed by the Police Department’s Honor Guard presenting the colors
– and then everybody joining in the Pledge
of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem.
Then, the Invocation was provided by
Reverend Darren Morton.
The capacity crowd consisted of many
family members, friends, city officials, and
a long list of dignitaries.
The always colorful and vibrant Mount
Vernon City Clerk, George Brown, had the
honor of introducing the many dignitaries
that attended the ceremony.
Deputy Chief Dumser introduced Mayor
Davis who received a long and rousing
standing ovation.
“Several months ago, I had decided that
our Police Department needed new leadership, and I got a lot of heat from some
people who are not here today. There was
a lot of second guessing at the time. But I
swearing in process of the seven individuals nervously waiting to be called.
After each newly promoted supervisor
was sworn in, family members were allowed to join them for a photo op.
Following is a list of those that were
promoted: Captain Michael Goldman; Lt.
Daniel Godshall; Lt. Vincent Dellamura;
Sgt. Robert Wuttke; Sgt. Martin Bailey;
Sgt. Thomas Gallagher; and Sgt. Krista
Mann.
The audience also heard speeches from
City Comptroller, Maureen Walker, City
Council President Roberta Apuzzo, and
PBA President Gregory Addison.
Before the ceremony ended, Reverend
Morton provided the Benediction.
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INQUIRER
27 l March 2014
Wartburg’s Friedrichs House
receives LEED Gold Certification
DAV Chapter
22 in Mount
Vernon honors
past Adjutant,
Anthony
Frusciante
Mayor Ernest D. Davis and his staff congratulating Wartburg’s staff
C
elebrating a landmark accomplishment in green multi-family
affordable housing, the City
of Mount Vernon’s mayor and
Wartburg staff, earlier this month, celebrated the city’s first new construction
project to be LEED certified by the U.S.
Green Building Council. Attaining LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) certification is the nationally recognized stamp of approval to signify that
a building is exemplary in conserving energy, lowering operating costs and being
healthy for occupants.
Mayor Ernest D. Davis and his staff
congratulated Wartburg’s leadership for
obtaining a LEED for Homes Gold Certification for the Friedrichs Residence, an
$11 million 4-story building of 61 affordable senior apartments on Wartburg’s
campus in Mount Vernon, NY. Mayor
Davis, while acknowledging this achievement said, “We are extremely proud that
the Wartburg has received LEED Certification status. It is a clear sign of their commitment to the environment. Also, this
one act has the potential of a ripple effect,
which can stabilize cost to the residents
and their families.”
The building is named to honor longtime Wartburg benefactors, the late Juanita E. and Arthur M. Friedrichs of New
Canaan, CT, whose $1,000,000 bequest
provided the project’s initial funding.
“Wartburg is proud of it commitment to
sustainable development,” said David J.
Gentner, Wartburg’s President and CEO.
“As an organization, we have learned a
lot from this effort, and we look forward to
bringing the benefits of this experience to
other building projects in the future.”
T
he Disabled American Veterans
Chapter 22 recently honored
their past Adjutant, Anthony Frusciante for the past 10 years of
service as Adjutant.
At a special ceremony attended by
many veterans, Mount Vernon City Councilman Yuhanna Edwards presented Frusciante with a special Appreciation Plaque
for his many dedicated years as a member
of Chapter 22.
lights from Soosung Electronics
are currently being shipped from
Gwangju South Korea to Sentinel Construction and are the ones
being installed at the high school.
Therefore, every aspect of education, of international trade, cultural
exchange, and product procurement is being taught while, at the
same time, its practical application
is being executed. In addition, this
initiative is also producing badly
needed jobs as well as stimulating the economy in Mount Vernon
while incorporating higher education through vocational learning.
On Thursday, February 20th,
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
visited Mount Vernon High school
to witness the installation of the
new LED lights and was super
very impressed. She also had the
opportunity to meet three young
Mount Vernon High School graduates who are now members of the
newly formed Sentinel Vocational
Apprentice Training Program, and
who were participating in on-thejob-training at the construction site.
The Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training Program is a NYS
certified apprenticeship program
intended to train young people
in the field of ‘green’ technology.
Through an ongoing process to
partner with the City of Mount Vernon, along with the City School
District, the program demonstrates
the promise to replace vocational
studies programs discontinued by
the School District. The program
will also help in the area of training many of Mount Vernon’s unemployed.
Dena Williams (r) and Luther Garrison, co-chairs of the contest
should have won.
In the championship round, members
of the Youth Shelter of Westchester went
up against Nellie Thorton High School in
a very heated battle to determine the winner of the competition. The teams had to
answer 20 questions correctly and both
teams proved that they were up to the
task. After a fierce and relentless battle,
Thorton High School came out on top and
was declared the winner of the competition.
Awards were presented to the winners
by Brother Arthur Muhammad, the Moderator of the contest.
INQUIRER
28 l March 2014
www.mvinquirer.com
‘Ask the Pharmacist’
Jim and Annie Kiselak’s
Natural Food Column
Mark Rauchwerger
Circle Rx Pharmacy
120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon
914-665-5555
Direct from the sunny island of
Vieques, PR
Urban gardening is the
answer to many of our
health problems
There’s no doubt that urban
gardening and farming is an important step toward building a
more sustainable food system.
In fact, we’ve been encouraging everyone in Vieques to plant
a Victory Garden as a proactive
step toward fixing our broken
food system and improving your
health.
They are named Victory Gardens because 40 percent of the
produce grown in the US during
War War II was in people’s backyards. Annie and I really think it
is possible to catalyze a similar
movement for a different purpose. The new reality is that. for
most people, it is very difficult
to obtain high-quality nutrientdense foods unless you grow
them yourself.
Food grown in your own garden is overall fresher, more nutritious, and tastes better than
store-bought food - and you
can’t beat the price! Urban gardens are also key to saving energy, protecting water quality
and topsoil, and promoting biodiversity and beautifying densely populated communities.
According to a survey by Gardeners’ World magazine, 80
percent of gardeners reported
being ‘happy’ and satisfied with
their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners. Monty
Don, a TV presenter and garden
writer, attributes the wellbeing of
gardeners to the recharging’ you
get from sticking your hands in
the soil and spending time outdoors in nature.
Aside from increasing your
sense of well-being, keeping a
garden can also improve your
health by providing you with
fresher, uncontaminated food,
nutrient-dense food that is simply unavailable in your grocery
store. It will also help you reduce your grocery bill. You don’t
need vast amounts of space
either. Even apartment dwellers
can create a well-stocked edible
garden.
You can use virtually every
square foot of your space to
grow food, including your lateral space. Hanging baskets
are ideal for a wide variety of
crops, such as strawberries,
leafy greens, runner beans, pea
shoots, tomatoes, and a variety
of herbs. And instead of flowers,
window boxes can hold herbs,
greens, radishes, scallions, bush
beans, strawberries, chard, and
chilies, for example.
Just start small, and as you
get the hang of it, add another
container of something else.
Before you know it, large portions of your meals could come
straight from your own edible
garden. We recommend getting your feet wet by growing
sprouts.
Not only is it rapidly rewarding, producing food ready for
harvest in as little as one week,
sprouts are also among the
most nutritious foods you could
possibly grow, containing up to
30 times the nutrients of organic
vegetables.
Sprouts also allow your body
to extract more of the vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, and essential fats from the other foods
you eat. Add to that the boon
of requiring very little space,
and the ability to grow them indoors, year-round! There’s really
no shortage of benefits when it
comes to sprouts!
Rather than growing them in
Ball jars, we recommend growing them in potting soil. You can
harvest them in about a week
and, in a 10x10 tray, you can
harvest between one and two
pounds of sunflower sprouts.
That will last you about three
days.
You can store them in the
fridge for about a week. We’ve
been doing this for over a year
now, and oftentimes use sprouts
in lieu of salad greens. Sunflower sprouts will give you the most
volume for your work and, in our
opinion, have the best taste.
Question:
I am too embarrassed to talk to
my doctor about this:I’m 62-year-old
woman, and I think I am incontinent.
Is there any medicine for this,or is it
just part of getting old?
Answer:
A number of prescription medications have been developed to treat
urinary incontinence (the involuntary
leakage of urine). All are available as
pills; one of the newer ones—oxybutynin—comes in a patch version.
All work in much the same way: to
block nerve impulses to the bladder
that makes it contract and therefore
leak.
Older people are indeed more
likely to experience urinary incontinence due to age-related changes in
the body, but people of any age may
experience it for a variety of reasons.
According to a 2004 survey from the
National Association for Continence,
women do not seek treatment until
they’ve lived with their symptoms for
an average of 6 1/2 years; men delay
for around four years.
However, there’s no need to suffer
in silence. Talk to your doctor—even
if you feel embarrassed or self-conscious. Depending on your particular situation, besides medication,
incontinence can be treated in a variety of ways, from behavioral therapy to surgery. (There are four general
types of urinary incontinence: stress
incontinence, urge incontinence,
overflow incontinence, and functional incontinence.)
Question:
I am a 55 years old female. I have
noticed that my memory has been
getting really bad lately. I understand
I’m getting old but it’s getting worse
to the point that I can’t even remember things that I do in the same day.
What do I need to do?
Answer:
First of all, you need to be taking
a daily multivitamine. “one a day for
women 50+” should be good. You
can take an OTC product called
Ginko bibloba. It’s believed to work
really well with memory problems,
just make sure you are not on any
anticoagulant or not taking any
blood thinner medications as they
might interact together. if things still
don’t get any better then you probably need to be seen as this could
be something that requires a doctor
intervention. Also, sometimes memory problems are a cause of having
depression or stress.
INQUIRER
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jaFa’s Poets Corner
2007 - PRESENT
Poems Submitted by Our Readers
Edited by jaFa (James Fair)
JAFA’S POETS CORNER –
7th Year Anniversary
THE UNBURRIED BONES... or... MY
SHARED DNA OF TIME...
Author: bobbyjoemack
Mount Vernon resident
I Can Feel the old rooted Spirits
Of my Forefathers stirring
And moving within My Soul
Roots surviving from Captured seeds
That were once firmly Planted
In the Fertile ground of Africa
I Can Feel the powerful Energy
That naturally flows
From Deep in the Past
I Feel my life is One
Of the many Sacred lives
That have been lived Long before
me
My Stand
My Walk
My Talk
Has been Passed to me
From the many Souls
That are the Ancestors of mine
I have Deep Roots
That have grown Strong
In the Toil and the Soil of time
I have been A Warrior,
A Slave, A Cowboy, A Solider
And A Sharecropper’s Son
My Blood has been Spilled
And Absorbed with my Sweat
Into this Hallowed Ground won
I Can Feel the Kinship
Passed down the Spiritual vine
Connecting me to all that is Mine
I Can Feel my Father and my Mother
And their fathers and their mothers
And The Father and Mother of Time
Nourishing and growing with me
The Generations always enriching me
As to who I will Be to Connect the line
For I have been fed the food
Of so Many lives and have Gotten fat
And I have Lived so many... Many Lifetimes…
HABAI (PEOPLE OF THE WIND)
Author: Gerald Becker
Tuckahoe resident
(DEDICATED TO THE THOUSANDS OF
MIGRANTS TRYING TO ESCAPE TO
THE MIDDLE EAST FROM THE HORN
OF AFRICA EACH YEAR)
Amorphous as the desert wind,
Dying in the Danakil,
Bits of bone, sinew blown across the
Horn,
Not the giants of the dream time,
Demigods of an ancient diaspora,
Just…a leathered yellow corpse baking on
basalt,
Caught in the final supplication,
Dogs of hell feasting on agony,
Ravenously consuming echoes of hope,
Thorned acacia blasted with cloth remnants,
Trail of futility marked by an emptied
rucksack,
A lake crossing-alkali earth death teeming
with contorted plastic,
How obscene the dream!
The unreachable mirage: Djibouti, Bab-elMandib,
Kalashnikovs waiting to kill the victor(?)
Chaotic hell of rifts expose another
schism:
2500 generations, from heroism to horror!
Evolution transmogrified into devolution,
You diggers in the desert have forgotten:
Your DNA borne of this ancestral greatness,
The Habai-carriers of the now transfigured African helix,
Mitochondrial Eve-- your mother desecrated ,
Just…an asterisk to your archeology!
You shall never see anything but a yellow
leathered corpse on black basalt!
Never, hear the dream time crying!
TO OUR READERS & SUPPORTERS
From the editor (jAFa)
This year JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 7th year. We are still the longest,
continuously running, poetry column in any local area monthly publication.
We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who have
so generously supported us. THANK YOU! Please email your poems to
[email protected] or mail a (typed copy please) to
James Fair, 153 South 5th Ave., Apt 6B, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
29 l March 2014
30 l March 2014
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com
www.mvinquirer.com
INQUIRER
31 l March 2014
32 l March 2014
INQUIRER
www.mvinquirer.com

March 2014 - mv inquirer

Transcription

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