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Vol. V No. XXIII Thursday, June 9, 2011Road RunningInvestmentsSuicideHello LonesomeStaple SingersIrish Say EnoughAlreadyAngry CrowdCuomo LandsEthics BillRunning for Mayor ofYonkerswestchesterguardian.com

PAGE 2 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011Of SignificanceFeature Section ...........................................................................2Slow Death of Suburbia ..........................................................2Community Section ...................................................................4Shifting Gears ..........................................................................4Books ........................................................................................6Ed Koch Movie Reviews .........................................................9Music .....................................................................................10Northern Westechester ..........................................................10The Spoof ..............................................................................11Energy Matters ......................................................................11Sports .....................................................................................12Government Section ...............................................................13Albany Correspondent ..........................................................13Government ...........................................................................14OpEd Section ...........................................................................16Ed Koch Commentary ..........................................................17Letters to the Editor ..............................................................18Legal Notices ............................................................................19westchesterguardian.comFeatureSectionThe Slow Death of Suburbia: A Glimpse of theFuture of WestchesterBy Robert ScottThroughout Americanhistory, suburban growth hasbeen linked to transportation. In the 19thcentury, railroads facilitated movement out ofcities. The 20th century brought an even greaterexodus and mass infatuation with the gasolinepoweredautomobile and prodigious highwaybuilding programs.Discovery of giant oil fields, starting in 1901with Spindletop in Texas, followed by similarhuge fields in Oklahoma and California soonhad the U.S. awash with oil. In 1913, automakerHenry Ford introduced the assembly lineto his automobile plants, and astonished thecountry the following year by offering workers a$5-dollar daily wage. Soon Detroit was churningout millions of cars annually that the averagefamily could buy.It is ironic, but the very factors that saw thephenomenal growth of Suburbia—abundant fueland affordable automobiles—may have becomethe twin agents of its impending demise. Peakingof the world’s oil supply and the growth of theplanet’s middle class are causing fuel costs to riseexorbitantly.Higher fuel prices will inevitably be accompaniedby higher taxes. In Italy, taxes make up75% of the retail price of gasoline. In Canada,Australia and New Zealand, they make up 50%of the price. We have a long way to go in the U.S.,where federal and state taxes comprise less than20% of the cost of gasoline.The U.S. government will eventually recognizethat its present policy of charging a flat taxof 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline regardless of itsselling price makes no economic sense. Gasolinetaxes will be increased to a percentage of theprice. Revenue-hungry states will also up theirgasoline taxes.As the cost of automobile driving zoomseven higher, life as we know it in Westchester willbe subjected to a series of seven jarring changes: It is an established fact that asthe price of gasoline rises drivers tend to do lessdriving. In the summer of 2008, when crude oilreached $146 a barrel and gasoline climbed tomore than four dollars a gallon, we had a portentof things to come.The U.S. economy stalled. Americansreduced their driving by billions of miles. Familiescut back on vacations involving travel to distantplaces. SUV assembly plants shut down. Hybridcars commanded premium prices at dealerships.One positive consequence of $4-a-gallongasoline was 10 million fewer vehicles on U.S.roads, mostly SUVs, pickup trucks, and gasguzzlers of every type. Interestingly, at $4 agallon, gasoline was comparatively inexpensive.A gallon of Budweiser beer or Evian water stillcost more.It is fashionable to belittle automakers forgreedily building behemoth sedans and SUVsand foisting them on the public. The truth is theywere only meeting the driving public’s desire forlarge and powerful cars--born of widely availablecheap gasoline.Continued on page 3RADIONarog and Aris On the LevelNew Rochelle, NY -- Yonkers Firefighter Barry McGoey will be firstto discuss the proposed Transitional Financing Authority (TFA) legislationproposed by the City of Yonkers with co-hosts Richard Narog andHezi Aris. After the first half-hour, Assemblyman Mike Spano will join theconversation by telephone from Albany, from the chambers of the New York State Legislature. Theshow is called On the Level. It is seen and heard live via adio-visual streaming technology from 10 -11 a.m., on WVOX- 1460 AM on your radio dial and worldwide at www.WVOX.com.Yonkers mayoral candidate Carlo Calvi is scheduled for June 14th; Ossining City CouncilmanPeter Tripodi IV on June 21 st , and Yonkers City Council Minority Leader and mayoral candidateJohn Murtagh on June 28 th .For those who live and breathe radio and politics, listen to Hezi Aris on Good MorningWestchester with Bob Marrone when he and host Bob Marrone discuss all things Westchester at7: 37 a.m. Listeners and readers are invited to send a question to the co-hosts by directing email toWHYTeditor@gmail.com for possible use prior to any shows’ airing and even during the courseof an interview.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 3FEATUREThe Slow Death of Suburbia: A Glimpse of the Futureof WestchesterContinued from page 2Stage 1 is already upon us. With gasolineat $4 a gallon and above, we can expectanother surge in the popularity of hybridsand economical, environmentally friendlygasoline- and diesel-powered automobiles.Sales of compact cars will increase.Higher gasoline prices will bring otherunexpected benefits. In 2008, $4-a-gallongasoline caused Americans to drive 100billion fewer miles that translated intofewer highway fatalities.A sustained price of $4 a gallon couldsave as many as 12,000 lives a year--almost one third of the current U.S. annualhighway death toll. Increasing the price tostages higher than $4 a gallon will preventeven more highway deaths.Permanently higher gasoline pricesalso will force people to do more walkingand biking, with a lowering of obesity andearly death statistics. Fewer automobilesand trucks will mean reduced air pollution.Asphalt, once extracted from naturallyoccurring deposits, is now a refinerybyproduct that coats 95 percent of thestreets and roads in the U.S. Any rise in theprice of oil will cause the price of asphalt toincrease. Higher asphalt prices will resultin less road paving and patching projects.Poorer roads will inevitably cause motoriststo drive more slowly and carefully.Each year we send some 20 billionpounds of deteriorating asphalt roofingshingles to landfills in the U.S. Anotherbenefit from reduced use of asphaltwill be longer-lasting, lighter-weightmetal roofing. Made of galvanized steel,aluminum or copper, a metal roof weighsabout one-fifth of what a bulky asphaltroof weighs and, with occasional painting,can last four times as long. Gasoline at the next majorincremental level above $4 a gallon willdeal a mortal blow to such activities asthe bussing of school children in suburbia.Communities’ school budgets simply willno longer be able to afford the expensive,part-time use of huge fleets of vehiclesduring a brief period in the morning andafternoon of each weekday for ninemonths of the year. Drastically reducedin numbers, today’s omnipresent yellowschool busses will be used only in outlyingrural areas.The exercise resulting from longerwalks to school will increase children’slife expectancy and overcome the growingtendency to obesity in many young people.Police departments will be forced to putsome officers back on foot patrol, wheretheir presence will result in reduction ofstreet crimes like assault and robbery orburglary.More than half of the U.S. populationlives in suburbs like Westchester, andspends an average of 25% of family incomeon buying, maintaining and insuring thefamily’s motorcars. As the price of gasolinerises, living in single-family McMansionson quarter- and half-acre lots with a car forevery member of the family will prove toodaunting for many younger suburbanites.Frustration with suburban life willprompt an exodus from the suburbs and areturn to cities offering proximity to workand cultural attractions. Returnees will livein gentrified neighborhoods reclaimedfrom former slums now replete with smallshops, instead of shopping centers andmalls. Reliable public transit will free themfrom the financial drain of ownership ofmultiple automobiles. When gasoline prices reachthis stage, America’s love affair with thegasoline-powered automobile will come toan end. The gasoline engine will give upthe ghost in favor of automobiles poweredby electricity or natural gas. Improvedbattery technology will yield smaller,lighter-weight batteries that will enablecars to travel longer distances on a singlecharge.Conversion to natural gas, however,will require structural changes, includingreplacement of the traditional gasoline tankwith a sturdy, thick-walled tank capable ofwithstanding high pressure. It will take upmost of the vehicle’s trunk space.Service stations will add electricalquick-boost charging outlets or pumpsdelivering natural gas under high pressure.Noisy gasoline-powered speedboats,jet skis, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles,lawnmowers, and snow blowers will alsovanish. Few will mourn their absence. As gasoline makes the nextincremental jump, it will bring about thedrastic reduction in size an industry whosecontinued existence even at lower fuel pricepoints has always confounded economists--the debt-ridden airline industry. Jet fuel isessentially kerosene--a product of the samerefineries that refine gasoline--and. jet fuelprices march in step with those of gasoline.Airlines that survive will be bare-bonedremnants of their former selves. Routeswill be cut back. Short-distance flights willContinued on page 4

PAGE 4 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011FEATUREThe Slow Death of Suburbia: A Glimpse of the Future of WestchesterContinued from page 3be discontinued. Many smaller cities willfind themselves without commercial planeservice of any kind. Americans will castenvious eyes on the fast rail lines operatingin Europe and Japan, and make plans toemulate them.The long neglect and skimping onrepairs of this country’s once-impressivenetwork of rail lines will be reversed. Adiesel-powered train can carry 436 tons offreight one mile on one gallon of fuel. Thisis more than four times the 105 tons that atractor-trailer truck can carry over the samedistance on the same gallon of fuel. First,the existing rail network will be improvedand extended. Later, high-speed passengertrains rivaling those of European railroadswill be added on separate trackage As the prices of gasoline anddiesel fuel continue to mount, agriculturalpractices will change. There will be noadvantage to growing crops year around onthe West Coast, in the South or in Mexico,then shipping this produce great distancesby motor truck.Farms will return to the areas aroundcities. Small town dwellers will composttheir household garbage, and plow uplawns and backyards to plant organicallygrown seasonal vegetables, as well as potatoesand other nutritious root crops thatwill keep all winter. “Big-box stores” (so calledbecause of their size and shape, not theproducts they sell), strip malls and shoppingcenters will vanish from the peripheryof small towns. Without cheap transportation,their customers will simply be unableto reach these beneficiaries of China’semphasis on cheap labor and foreign tradeto achieve prosperity.Moreover, the big-box chains willfind it economically impossible to maintainthe scattered warehouses, distributioncenters and fleets of giant tractor-trailertrucks that keep their stores supplied withcheap imported goods. Instead, dormantdomestic manufacturing enterprises willspring up.The concept of living in the suburbsand spending hours commuting to the citywill no longer make any sense. Resurgenceof small towns as self-contained entitieswill enable people who live in them towork and shop close to home. Hastened by climacticchanges induced by greenhouse gasesand global warming, we can expect newdevelopments in pollution-free, reliablesources of electric power generation.These will include hydroelectric, tidal,solar, wind, geothermal, and updated,smaller nuclear plants. In France, suchsmaller “on-demand” plants generate 80%of that country’s electricity and enable itto sell 18% of the output to neighboringcountries,Widespread improvements will alsobe made in this nation’s ridiculouslyantiquated and vulnerable electric grid.America will become an electric-powerednation. A century ago, the U.S. electricgrid operated at 65% efficiency. Todayits efficiency stands at half that number.Clean electric power from inexpensive andrenewable sources may yet be our planet’ssalvation.At this point, life in Westchester aswe know it today will only be a memory.Newspapers everywhere will writeSuburbia’s obituary. What they will failto mention, however, is that its passingshould have been recorded as “Suicide byautomobile, caused by an insatiable addictionto cheap gasoline.”Robert Scott, a former book publisher, is awriter and editor.CommunitySectionSHIFTING GEARSMission StatementThe Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devotedto the unbiased reporting of events and developmentsthat are newsworthy and significant to readers living in,and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardianwill strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable informationwithout favor or compromise. Our first duty will beto the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposureof truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where thepursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OFTHE PRESS.The Guardian will cover news and events relevant toresidents and businesses all over Westchester County. As aweekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of deliverymore associated with daily journals, we will instead seek toprovide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accountingof events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate.From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where,why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our moreabundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damagecontrol’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the veryheart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understandingand insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere.To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarilybetter. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be allthings to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant,hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columnsuseful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We muststay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.Road Running Investments: Cars WorthMore Used Than NewBy ROGER WITHERSPOONPeople contemplating potential financialinvestments are not likely to put a caron the short list of places to park theirmoney for a year. Indeed, the standardmantra – though exaggerated – is that anew car loses half its value the moment itleaves the dealership.But if you had bought a 2010 ToyotaPrius Hatchback, a 2011 Hyundai Sonata2011 Hyundai Sonata SESE, or the iconic 2011 Kia Soul, youcould have made money putting it on themarket after driving it around for a year.And that’s with serious driving.The EPA considers 15,000 milesto be the average an American motoristdrives the family car in the course of ayear. According to Kelley Blue BookContinued on page 5

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 5SHIFTING GEARSRoad Running Investments: Cars Worth More Used Than NewContinued from page 4( www.KBB.com ), which tracks privateparty and Internet sales through sites suchas www.Autotrader.com , a Prius ( http://bit.ly/lynbyq ) with 22,500 miles and anoriginal MSRP of $22,150 is now sellingon the private market for $24,705 – anincrease of $2,555 over the purchase price.That’s a return of 11.5 percent, which ishigher than the return Bernie Madoff gavehis favored investorsduring the heyday ofhis Ponzi years.The stylishSonata sedan( http://bit.ly/mtnAO4 ) with13,500 miles on it,sells for $24,170,an increase of $855over its purchaseprice of $23,315 fora respectable 3.7percent return. The Kia Soul ( http://bit.ly/lGLbXz ), which uses hip hop hamstersto hype its appeal to youthful buyers, heldpretty steady with a resale price of $14,055after 13,500 miles. That’s just $60 over the2011 Kia Soulpurchase price of $13,995, but its morethan the Federal Reserve was paying ontreasury notes during last year’s financialcrisis.“In most cases a car is not an investment,”said Alec Gutierrez, manager ofvehicle evaluations for Kelley Blue Book.“Over the last several years, however, usedcar values have been on the rise. Part ofthat is a lack of vehicles available due to theeconomy and a reduction in new vehiclesales.“Cars fit the classic definition ofa depreciating asset. But with supplydecreasing and fuel assets increasing, theirvalue has been really strong.”The domestic car market, Gutierrezexplained, dropped from 17 million carsper year in 2005 and 2006 to a low of2011 Toyota Prius10.5 million in 2009, a decline of nearly40 percent. So there are far fewer cars onthe used car lots. “The increases depend onthe segment, however,” he added. “Overall,used car values are up between 5 percentand 6 percent. But the value of fuel efficientvehicles can but up anywhere between 15percent and 20 percent, and we attributethat to the rapid rise in gasoline prices.“The resale value of the Prius is definitelytied to gas prices. It has always beenin demand, and even prior to the earthquakein Japan Toyota had only a 10-daysupply in the showrooms. But it is one ofthe vehicles that consumers flock to immediatelyas gas pricesrise. We have seendemand for the Priusshoot through the roof,with some Prius valuesincreasing between$3,000 and $4,000.And that goes for two,three, and even fouryear-oldPrius.”The Sonata’s appeal,he said, has come fromhe termed its “phenomenal”new design (http://bit.ly/mzwk2z ). “Even as it becomes used,”he said, “There is a lot of interest and it staysclose to the MSRP. We see that from timeto time when the design is great.”Hyundai spokesman James Trainersaid that in addition to the design, theSonata is offered as a standard sedan, ora hybrid or a turbo, and the hybrid gets40 miles per gallon and the standard andturbo get 35 MPG. The Sonata is the onlycar in the mid-sized sedan segment thatdoes not offer a V-6 engine.“The competition – Camry and HondaAccord – have to be engineered to carrythe weight of that bigger engine. But ourturbo-charged four cylinder engine, with274 horsepower, gets better horsepowerthan any of the 6’s do.”Continued on page 6

PAGE 6 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011SHIFTING GEARSRoad Running Investments: Cars Worth More Used Than NewContinued from page 5The resale value is also helped byHyundai’s 100,000 mile warranty.The Kia Soul, said Gutierrez, hasbenefitted from rising gas prices “and it’sa fun design. Nissan has tried to jumpinto that market with its Cube. That car isperforming well, but the 2010 model is justabout $1,000 below its MSRP. The KiaSoul is just more in demand.”The reception of the boxy Soul comesas something of a surprise, particularlywith its pants-sagging, hoody-wearing, hiphop hamsters comparing this odd-shapedKial to standard boxes and toasters( http://bit.ly/mCKQx3 ). “The carwas targeted equally at male and femaleGen Y consumers in their mid-20s whoare looking for their first car,” said MichaelSprague, Kia’s vice president of marketing.“We positioned the Soul to break outfrom the ordinary and offer a new wayto roll. Our creative agency, David andGoliath, came up with the concept ofhamsters who were on the wheel and brokeout of that cycle. We thought it was greatimagery to convey that you don’t have tobuy the traditional little compact car outthere. You can have this really cool carinstead of one of the other boxy cars.“A lot of parents are putting the moneydown and buying it for their children, withthe children making the ongoing installmentpayments.”Kia has also found that a large portionof their sales are to senior citizens, whoare still active and like its price, interiorspaciousness and the fact that it is easy toget into and out of.Roger Witherspoon writes Shifting Gears atwww.RogerWitherspoon.comBOOKSThe Retired (Try To) Strike BackChapter 7 – Take OneBy ALLAN LUKSThe four retiredcouples meet on aSaturday to finally start shooting theRetired Person’s Dating Film. But thedirector immediately starts asking whetherthey’re wearing the right clothes.They are in the large conference area ofa vacant office suite, which was donated tothem, and have taped crepe paper strips tothe walls and stuck balloons to the ceilingto create the atmosphere of a section of acommunity party. Two large flood lightsand a camera stand in the rear.Bob studies the three wives whom he’sposed sitting around one table, and thenwalks across the room to the other wifeand the three husbands sitting in a circle.He returns to the movie camera resting ona tripod--but steps back.“The characters you’re playing havecome to a dance for seniors to hopefullymeet someone,” he tells them. “This is thefilm’s beginning and it has to be perfectto hook in viewers. But the scene doesn’tlook right to me--and now I think it’sbecause of the way the men are dressed.You three guys should be wearing clothesthat at least aren’t pressed well.”“You want us to look sloppy?” Stevenasks.“Don’t worry, Mr. Former SocialWorker, my camera’s not going tomake fun of anyone. Our wives shouldbe dressed nicely. The women they’reportraying recognize that there are manysingle, older women and they have tolook their best. But you men know you’reoutnumbered more than two to one. It’sfar easier for you to meet a woman. I thinkyou’d have come to this party dressed morecasually, whether you do it consciously orunconsciously.”“O.K., I’ll start messing my shirt,” saysKenny--but adds: “Bob, your comment onclothes gives me an idea. What if one ofthe retired male characters in the film,when we first meet him, is dressed uncaringlyto also show an elevated personalconfidence and he announces he wants toenter politics? He’ll help the film identifywith retired viewers who may still havebig dreams. Bob, if you add this characterto the script, I’ll play him.”“Kenny, have you, our long-time thespian,been waiting for a way to introducethis idea?” Bob ask. “Then in the unlikelychance our film gets reviewed, assumingwe ever finish it, the review will most likelymention your acting since your dreaming,wanna-be politician is a different kind ofcharacter? And an agent will happen tosee the review and you’re soon flying toHollywood? I mean, Kenny, our group hasbeen saying the retired need dreams--butrealistic dreams.”Bob looks away from a silent Kenny.“Well, at least, I see you two men havewrinkled your clothes to get closer to yourhonest selves.”Bob stares into the camera: “It’s better.Take your positions. I’ll shoot each of youin close-up while you recite your individualcharacter’s feelings about not beinghappy living alone and wanting to meetsomeone at this dance. And yes, Kenny,your character can add being an aspiringpolitician.”“Bob, since you’re willing to adjustthe opening talks we wrote,” Myronsays, “perhaps one or more charactersshould mention now that they worryabout the pressure to get married if theymeet someone nice. I’m responsible forstatistics in the film. Our movie can laterexplain that increasingly the retired livetogether and don’t marry.”“Interesting,” Bob answers. “You wantin the film at least one character worryingabout making a permanent commitmentto someone. While Kenny wants to playa politician who can connect to largenumbers of people. Which character willclick most with our audience?”The other three men are quiet--“Well, we’ll find out,” Bob says, “ifpeople ever see the film. So let’s go. TheRetired Person’s Dating Film. Take One.Let’s start filming who we oldies honestlyare, and we don’t have much time to figureit out. And I’m the director.” He laughs.Allan Luks is a nationally recognized socialworks leader and advocate for volunteerism.He is the former head of Big Brothers, BigSisters of New York and is currently avisiting professor at Fordham University,where he teaches several courses in nonprofitleadership. You can learn more about AllanLuks at http://allanluks.com.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 7COMMUNITYSuicide—The Terror, The SadnessBy GLENN SLABYWhen the painbecomes unbearable andas the train approacheswhy do some contemplateand jump? Why do somecontemplate and never jump and why areothers able to quickly move on in life?The statistics are grim and gettingworse. The research is poor, the scientificunderstanding in next to nil. The stigmais only now getting some mild reprieve. In2008 it was number 11 of causes of deathand rising. Today, 20% will lose a familymember to suicide and 60% will have afriend or co-worker who submitted.These numbers provided by Mr. RobertGebbia of the American Foundation forSuicide Prevention, www.afsp.org only getworse when looked upon more deeply:Over 34,000 people in the U.S. dieevery year from suicide. A suicide every 15minutes, that’s almost 90 Americans everyday.Ninety per cent have a psychiatricdisorder at time of deathThere are 4 male suicides to everyfemale, but three times as many femalesattempt versus males.For every suicide there are estimated8 – 25 attempts.Worldwide, approximately, one millionpeople die by suicide, annually.Mr. Gebbia views the understandingof suicide on the same level alcoholismwas 20-30 years ago, a human failing, aweakness of character not a disease. It isa subject never discussed; only whisperedbehind closed doors like cancer 100 yearsago or more recently HIV/Aids. We justdo not understand suicide in its propercontext, he says.The AFSP is fighting the difficulttrend within the components of research,education, and advocacy. Their major driveis the Out of Darkness Overnight Walk,June 5th & 6th, with 223 walks throughoutthe country, 78,000 people participatingwalking from sunset to sunrise. The walkswhich did not start until 2002 have growndramatically. In New York City, the routeis 18 miles with plenty of aid & reliefstations along the way, cyclist to keep tabson walkers, as well as podiatrists and mealsserved at midnight.Mr. Gebbia started working with theAFSP 12 years ago. He has seen somechanges in the way suicide is perceived aswell as seeing the non-profit organizationgrow. As a grass roots organization, theynow have 48 chapters, started by individualssuch as Josephine Vennewald who losta daughter 15 years ago. These chaptersoutreach, providing among other thingsinformation, training and education forhigh schools, teachers etc.For the future, Robert would liketo see a 10% decrease in the suicide ratewhich has increased slightly over the last5 years and an increase in funding andoutreach and greater attention by publicservices, primary care and mental healthcare providers. He bemoans the lack ofstatistics for suicide attempts and estimatesthat 700,000 people annually attemptsuicide with another one million in needof medical attention. More aggressiveprotocol is needed in places like emergencyrooms, but the Army has done majorstudies in understanding and dealing withsuicide.“There was no warning signs, no indications.Nothing was spoken”, JosephineVennewald says of her daughter’s suicide15 years ago at the age of 21. She was“completely blindsided; you never knowuntil it happens”. Something had to bedone to turn this tragedy into somethingbeside pain, so she reached outward toprevent this from happening to others,strangers, who have this inner desolationinside there hearts, their souls and toprevent others who may “jump” to escapetheir pain.Doing something was to createan AFSP chapter in New Jersey. TheVennewalds’, who never thought of hidingthe truth, meet monthly at St. FrancisChurch, as “Survivors of Suicide”, helpingothers including the priest who lost abrother to suicide. There’ve been positiveresults and a greater openness in schoolsand religious institutions. They have agrowing quilt of those who are gone. Aquilt of names and poems.As a teacher for over ten years, DeanaSantoro, Heather’s cousin, has seen signsof improvement in preventing and dealingwith suicides. They tell family membersto be good listeners, notice changes inscheduling, behavior, etc. There is moreawareness and more are reaching out,Continued on page 8

PAGE 8 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011COMMUNITYSuicide—The Terror, The SadnessContinued from page 7joining or starting support groups, helpingothers – strangers coming together andsharing on this path of life. They tell survivorsnot to blame themselves and keep busy.She will be participating in the overnightwalk.Everything seemed to crash at the sametime for Noah Weinbaum now thirty-two.Due to depression, he lost his best friend, hisjob and started overeating dramatically in afour month span. With thoughts of suicide,he did not want his three young nieces tosay, “They once had an uncle”. He soughthelp with the dire situation; first with hismom, a therapist and then a psychiatrist.Through therapy and anti-depressants,Noah regained some footing on life. Now,he has a strong relationship with membersof his family, lost weight and is within threemonths of obtaining a Medical AssistantLicense, with a 4.0 GPA.Many things have gone well for Noah.He is fortunate to have assets many do notpossess, like a strong family bond, accessto professional help, proper diagnosis withMemorial Day: Paying “Homage to Our Fallen Heroes”By PEGGY GODFREYProudly, the UnitedVeterans Memorial andPatriotic Association of theCity of New Rochelle sponsoredthe Memorial Dayceremonies honoring our fallen war heroes.Peter Parente, their President and ParadeCoordinator, gave particular credit to all theday’s sponsors, especially Monroe College.Their Chaplin, William F. Moye, introducedas a 96 year old veteran, asked God to blessall who gave their lives to answer “the nation’scall” in the spirit of true comradeship. Heasked everyone to pray for those still missingin action and being held as prisoners of war.After the New Rochelle High Schoolband played the National Anthem, Parentewelcomed everyone by saying he “loved tosee all the people” present. Yesterday at theBeechwood and Holy Sepulchre CemeteryCeremonies, all the flags on the veterans’graves were replaced, 1800 in all. The crowdthere was the “largest in 35 years.” The list ofveteran organizations supporting programson Memorial Day, Veterans Day and alsoSeptember ll, were enumerated. These threeevents give the “public an opportunity to showappreciation for what the military does for us,according to Parente. “Before we have peace,these men and women who serve have theirlives on the line.” The list of New Rochelledignitaries attending included all Councilmembers and Mayor, County LegislatorsSheila Marcotte and James Maisano, andCounty Clerk Tim Idoni. When MayorNoam Bramson addressed the group hementioned this year’s special recognitionof Vietnam veterans. This war although it“divided Americans,” should not result inany shame when debated. These veteranswere “denied the full honor they deserved.”He urged when Vietnam is mentioned, theseveterans should “hold their heads up high.”:Brigadier General and Putnam CountySheriff Donald B. Smith emphasized thatmore than one million Americans have“died in battle for our country.” then added,many more “died from battle scars.” In theVietnam War, more than 58,000 lost theirlives. “Freedom is not free,” he continued,and is paid for with these lives. The Bible tellsus, there is no greater love than to lay downpositive reaction to medications. MentalIllness knows no boundaries. We haveprogressed much in the last generation, butscience is still in its infancy and many areashamed of the umbrella of diseases that aremental illness.As you read this, remember one doesnot have to be alone in their pain. Pleaseseek companionship for though we all aretraveling on this journey as individuals, thereare those who devote their lives to us whosuffer from mental illness. Clergy, religiousleaders are there for us; professional medicalhelp is just a call away. If you have suicidalthoughts or know someone has expressedyour life for others. While this has becomea day to open swimming pools,or to go tostore sales and picnics and barbecues, thisweekend should never lose its importance, “to remember our fallen brothers and sisters.”Recalling Osama Bin Laden, he called 9/11the “new day of infamy,” after Pearl Harbor.On 9/11 people were going to work, “It wasan attack on all humanity.” Our foundingfathers pledged their lives, so let us say, “Weare a grateful nation.”Explaining the meaning of MemorialDay, Ron Tocci, who formerly served in the82nd Airborne during the Vietnam War,and as a New York State Assemblyman andNew York State Commissioner of VeteransAffairs, traced the origins of Memorial Dayto the Civil War. On this day of remembrance,he asked everyone to think of familiesdeprived of their loved ones and how ourcountry was founded on their life and blood.He felt we “don’t do enough for our veteransand those in need,” then acknowledged thatwe now have the first all-volunteer armysince the Civil War. The Commander ofthe American Legion, Post 8, Tom O’Keefe,such thoughts, contact the WestchesterChapter of the American Foundation forSuicide Prevention at (914) 487-2460 orgo to www.afsp.org/westchester. If someone’sbehavior has changed, if they seemdepressed or upset, talk to them, a phonecall can change a life; can save a life. If youdon’t what to say, please call someone atAFSP for help.Glenn Slaby is married and has one son. Aformer accountant with an MBA, Glennsuffers from mental illness. He writes part-timeand works at the New Rochelle Public Libraryand at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, NewYork, where he receives therapy.then reminded everyone how the history ofthis remembrance dates back to the CivilWar. After a wreath was placed on the gravehonoring veterans in Memorial Plaza, amoment of silence for the honored dead wasfollowed by a gun salute by the AmericanLegion Post 8 firing detail and Taps playedby Max Gordon from the New RochelleHigh School Band.Among those cheering the festivities wasChristina Fimana of the Marcos Fimanastore at 503 Main Street. She said she likesthe ceremony and parade and every year herand her husband attend the festivities. EileenKuhn said her first two children were in theMarines and they recruited another, theirsister Frances. She said she told them theyweren’t going to recruit all ten of her children.She always says, “Stand up for your country.”A New Rochelle Fire Fighter, John DiPippo,felt it was “great New Rochelle was doingsomething for its residents,” and commentedabout how many had shown up for the ceremonies.Brian O’Leary summed it all up, he“came to see it and pay homage to our fallenheroes.” He also hoped the good weatherwould hold out. Luckily it did.Peggy Godfrey in a freelance writer and a formereducator.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 9MOVIE REVIEWEd Koch Movie ReviewsBy Edward I. KochMovie Review:“Hello Lonesome” (+)This film got an interesting and positivereview from Stephen Holden in TheNew York Times. He wrote:“Hello Lonesome, Adam Reid’s smart,poignant trilogy of interwoven vignettes,manages the considerable feat of creatingsix fully human characters who are quirkyenough to transcend the stereotypes foundin a typical indie film. Except for a youngcouple who rush headlong into a relationshipafter connecting on the Internet, therest dwell in the uncomfortable limbo ofthe lonely unattached.“The feature directorial debut ofMr. Reid – who also produced, wroteand shot the film – Hello Lonesome wasself-financed on a $50,000 budget andcompleted in 15 days, andit has won a number ofawards at regional filmfestivals. Structurally, itis a Checkhovian mosaic,similar to Rodrigo Garcia’sfilms in its attention tominute personal detail butsomewhat lighter in tone.Its main flaw is a compulsionto tie up its stories tooneatly.”I didn’t know whoRodrigo Garcia was until Ilooked him up on Google.I now know that amongstother accomplishmentshe directed several episodes of the HBOseries “Six Feet Under” which I loved.I don’t agree with Holden’s descriptionof this film as a mosaic,however, Chekhovianor otherwise. In RobertAltman and Woody Allenfilms, everyone ultimatelyconnects and falls into thesix degrees of separationthat seems to affect mostof our relationships. Thispicture is different in that anumber of totally separaterelationships are presented.The acting of everyoneis highly professional. Thesmallest part, performedby Kamel Boutros playingOmar, was the most realisticand in a way the most enjoyable for me.The relationship between an elderlywidow, Eleanor (Lynn Cohen), and aneighbor half her age, Gary (JamesUrbaniak), was less believable but interestingto see played out.Finally, Bill (Harry Chase), a voiceoveractor in the film was extremely welldone, even if not particularly attractive tothe audience or at least to me.The night I saw the film, Adam Reidappeared on stage with most of the actorsto take questions. The audience was verysupportive with the exception of one guywho gave him a hard time. He made nopoints, however, and simply added to thesupport of Reid.“Hello Lonesome” is not a greatpicture but considering that it was puttogether in 15 days and cost only $50,000,it is phenomenal. Reid could have chargedContinued on page 10TAKE THE ROADLESS FRAZZLED.If you’re like most drivers these days, you’ll take any detour or circuitousroute that keeps you away from the inevitable frustrations along I-95.But you could just hop aboard the train instead. With over 45 stops in theNortheast in towns big and small, we’ll drive you anywhere but crazy.AMTRAK.COMAmtrak and Northeast Regional are service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

PAGE 10 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011MOVIE REVIEWMovie Review:“Hello LonesomeContinued from page 9the film to two of his credit cards. All inall, it is worth seeing simply to be able tosay you saw the picture and appreciatedReid’s talent before he became famous.Henry Stern said: “The film’s distinctionlies in its parallel plots, with lonelinessits leitmotif. The picture is very well made,considering its short shooting time andits minimal budget, which makes “TheBlair Witch Project” look like “Cleopatra”(which, adjusted for inflation, is said tobe the most expensive film ever made).No question, the picture is a good onecompared to many inane or plotlessofferings.“The point of the film is that lonelypeople are likely to be unhappy, unless theycan find companions or strategies to avoidboredom. I kept thinking about “EleanorRigby” while waiting for the plots to intersect,but they never did. If you go to seethis movie, bring someone with you. Andtry not to end the evening alone.”Watch Ed Koch’s Movie Revies at www.MayorKoch.com .ANTONIA ARTSPRESENTSBROADWAY REVUECHICAGOTHE KING AND IHAIR • GREASETHE WIZMAN OF LA MANCHASPRING AWAKENINGSaturday, June 11, 20113 PM MatineeTarrytown Music Hall13 Main Street, Tarrytown, New YorkAdults $30 Children/Seniors $20Director, Scarlett Antonia • Musical Director, Stephen PurcellChoreographer, Andrea ElamFor ticket information: Ticket Force 877-840-0457 or BoxOffice 914-631-3390www.tarrytownmusichall,orgMUSICBy Bob PutignanoSounds of BlueStaple Singers “Be Attitude: RespectYourself ” Concord Music Group Stax“A Definite Staple for Your Collection”By BOB PUTIGNANOIn 1968 the Staple Singers signed ontothe Memphis-based Stax records, which isnow owned by the Concord Music Group.The first two Staple albums on Stax; “SoulFolk In Action” and “We’ll Get Over”were produced by Steve Cropper backedby Booker T & the MG’s. This album“Be Attitude: Respect Yourself ” originallyreleased in ’72, is sort of a singles collection,where the backing musicians were MuscleShoals’ best: Guitarists Eddie Hinton andJimmy Johnson, bassist David Hood, BarryBeckett keyboards, and Roger Hawkinsdrums. All ten of the original songs wereproduced and arranged by Al Bell, unfortunatelythe two bonus tracks make noreferences to the production credits. Butthe musician credits are revaled within RobBowman’s outstanding liner-notes; thesetwo (previously unreleased) bonus trackswere also recorded by the Muscle Shoalscrew, more on this later.I’d forgotten how great these songswere, how meaningful they still are, andlearned about the outstanding decisionAl Bell made to utilize the Muscle Shoalshouse band, as the entire band marches andstorms their way through “This World.”Okay, it’s time tobend your knees andstart lifting those heavyair conditioners into yourwindows and welcomethe summer, as we unveil another editionof “News and Notes…”Our friends at the Katonah Museumof Art have another great new exhibitrunning through September 18 entitled“Stephen Talasnik: Elusive Landscape:Drawings,” give the museum a call at914-232-9555 for more information.Three cheers to Camillo AstrologoOnce again; Joe Tarantino’s 24-bit remasteringtechniques are sparkling, neverbefore do I recall hearing the audio detailon “Respect Yourself ” still a powerfultune that all of us have heard countlesstimes. We’ll forgive the commercialmissteps (with strings and all) on “Namethe Missing Word” and move along, eventhough David Hood’s booming bass linesare fascinating. Other songs like the classic“I’ll Take You There” radiate. Yet lesserknown tracks like “This Old Town (PeopleIn This Town)” glow, Mavis rolls, andPops’ guitar growls, this tune powers likea locomotive, especially when the hornsare added near the conclusion. The lightand trite “Are You Sure” never worked forme, same for “Who Do You Think Youare ( Jesus Christ Superstar,)?” “I’m JustAnother Soldier,” and “Who.”Two previously unreleased bonustracks: The track listing doesn’t indicate it,but thanks to Rob Bowman, we now knowthat these one of these two tunes (an alternatecover of) “Heavy Makes You Happy(Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)” was the firstwhere the Muscle Shoals musicians wereused, and that the Staples clan were addedlater on McLemore Ave. in Memphis. Thisambitious experiment obviously worked asthe ten original album tracks, the otherbonus track “Walking In Water Over OurHead” were recorded several months laterin similar fashion. From these two bonusNews & Notes from Northern WestchesterBy MARK JEFFERSas he celebrates his 50 th year as a barberin Bedford Hills, I have had my hair cutby Camillo a few times and he is a realnice guy, even though it only took him 3minutes to cut my losing locks...he did agreat job.After you congratulate Camillo, walkaround the corner and take a peek in thelatest addition of great stores in BedfordHills. Bedford Home recently opened it’sdoors offering new furnishings, gifts andconsignment to spruce up your abode.Take a minute to shop and welcome themto the neighborhood!Staple Singers “Be Attitude:Respect Yourself ” ConcordMusic Group Stax“A Definite Staple for Your Collection”tracks the remake of “Heavy Makes YouHappy” worked best for me, it also was thefirst Staples single produced by Al Bell,and (the original) charted well.Timeless music by the Staples indeed,what also makes owning a compilation asthis is all the background work Concord/Stax has been putting into these ‘StaxRemasters” series. The sound clarity isundeniable, and the liner notes teach usfacts unknown to most of us prior. In theend, it’s all about the music, and on thatnote, I will let this disc speak for its itself,it’s almost all-good!Bob Putignano www.SoundsofBlue.comBob Putignano is a contributing editor toBluesWax, The Westchester Guardian, andYonkers Tribune. Check out his website atwww.SoundsofBlue.comThe Pound Ridge Library’s fourthand fifth grade book group “Dinner and aBook” is offering “Just for the Summer” byChristine McDonnell on June 21 at 6pm.The good folks at Grand Prix NY areholding a Father’s Day Endurance Raceon June 19 th give Chris a call at 914-358-3613…and I always thought just being afather of three girls was endurance enough.This fundraising campaign is a real“gem!” Matero Fine Jewerly in Millwoodhas introduced From Soldier to Soldier,an awareness and fundraiser in support ofwounded veterans and their families. Forevery bracelet sold in Millwood, $25 willbe donated to Homes for Our Troops andother wounded soldier organizations.Don’t be late! Renewals for the covetedParking Permits for the Town of BedfordContinued on page 11

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 11COMMUNITYNews & Notes from Northern WestchesterContinued from page 10lots are due June 15 th . Late renewals willresult in loss of your preferred lot and/or rank on the resident waiting list! Thelottery for non-residents for lot 3 inKatonah will be announced in mid-June.Any questions can be directed to thefine folks on the Parking Permit Desk at914-666-8097.Turning to the world of sports…In high school baseball action…theBriarcliff Bears beat Valhalla 7 to 5 tocapture the Class B Section 1 title. WhileTHE SPOOFStill reeling from therecent visits of QueenElizabeth II as well as U.S.President Barack Obama,Irish folks are exhausted and desperatelyneed a respite.The visits were lovely while they lastedbut thankfully they are now over.Finito! Everyday Irish folks say theythe Fox LaneFoxes lost toKetcham 5to 4 in the Class AA title game.Congratulations to Horace Greeley’stennis doubles team of Spencer Goldbergand Ben Gilman as they have reachedthe second round of the state doublestournament.Registration is underway for youthsports clinics to be held in August by theBedford Recreation Department, call914-666-7004 for more information.Music and sports working together…by honoring and raising money at theneed to get back to a normal life. Irishpolice want to spend less time on securityand more time working on a cold case,Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’sChowder. Tourist associations advise thatany high-profile folks planning to visit theEmerald Isle put their trips on hold for afew months to give the locals some timeto rest up. A top Irish official commentedsame time…The Music Conservatory ofWestchester will hold its 10 th annual Golf& Tennis Classic and Award Dinner onJune 27 th at the Whippoorwill Club inArmonk. The event will honor Terry andJerry Feldman for their outstanding serviceand raise money for the conservatory’sscholarships and for students with autismand other special needs in the school’sMusic Therapy Institute. I’m bad at golfand can’t sing a note, but it sure sounds likea wonderful evening for details please call914-761-3900.If you have an event or story you wouldlike to see in this column, please email meIrish Say Enough Already; Have Had It with Famous VisitorsBy GAIL FARRELLYENERGYMATTERSAngry Crowd Drowns Out NRCBy Abby LubyCortlandt, NY - - Twentyminutes after the NuclearRegulatory began their 2010annual safety assessment ofthe Indian Point Nuclear power plants, ariled up crowd of over 600 people started tovent their anger, demanding the NRC shutdown the twin reactors in Buchanan. HeldThursday night, June 2, 2011, the standingroom only crowd filled Colonial Terrace’sBanquet Hall with anti nuclear placards andsigns, many waving red letter “F’s” signifyingan alternative grade on plant safety.Prior to the meeting, NRC spokespersonDiane Screnci said that, in light of theFukushima disasters at the Daiichi nuclearpower plants in March, the agency intentionallyplanned a shortened version of the safetyassessment in order to hear public concerns.Unlike previous years, Entergy, the ownerof Indian Point, was not sitting oppositethe six person NRC panel. Entergy’s JerryNappi, said theutility companywasn’t asked tocontribute tothe safety assessmentmeeting,“But we are hereif anyone has anyquestions.”Two pressconferences wereheld prior to the meeting, one by the NRCand the other by anti-nuclear groups.NRC Deputy Regional AdministratorDavid Lew told the media about basicinspection processes since Fukushima. Whenasked specifically about lessons learned fromthe Japanese disaster, Lew said the NRCwas just gathering information that wouldbe later integrated in their review processes.Interestingly, Lew had little or no responsewhen asked about the NRC’s inspectionoff the record about what he’d like to say tothese potential visitors: “Y’know, that songWhen Irish Eyes are Smiling kinda says it all.To keep us smiling, stay in your own countriesand don’t bother us for a while.”And just in case the Queen and/or Obama may be planning return visits(horrors!) in the near future, some revelersat a Dublin pub hope to stop them in theirPaul Gallay of Riverkeeper addressing the press before the formal NRC meeting.report completed last month entitled “FollowUp to the Fukushima Daiichi NuclearStation Fuel Damage Event.” The reportsaid that hydrogen recombiners in Units 2had not been tested for a number of years,which is a violation of federal regulations. Butrecombinders in Unit 3 had been tested; andworked. Hydrogen recombinders eliminateexplosive hydrogen - the gas that explodedand blew up the outer containments of threereactors at Fukushima. The NRC neglectedto penalize Entergy for not testing Unit 2at marsar@optonline.netJune is certainly busting out all over…just look at my waist line, BBQ’s are firedup, graduation parties are in full swing andthe summer season is finally upon us…enjoy!Mark Jeffers successfully launched MAR$ARSports & Entertainment LLC in 2008. He isthe local host and producer of the Jerry LewisMDA Telethon, and a columnist and memberof the National Sports Marketing Network, andNational Writers Group.tracks by sending them a long-distanceserenade using the words of the lateWoody Guthrie: “So long, it’s been goodto know you.”Gail Farrelly (www.FarrellySistersOnline.com) writes mystery novels and short stories aswell as Op-Eds. She also publishes satire pieces(Gail Farrelly’s satire and parody stories) onTheSpoof.com, a British website. Her latestmystery novel is Creamed at Commencement:A Graduation Mystery. The first chapteris available on her website. Gail is workingon a fourth mystery, The Virtual Heiress.NRC Regional Administrator David Lewrecombiners. Lew was unable to explain thediscrepancy.“There are still lessons to be learned,” heintoned. “When equipment is not inspectedwe go back to the fundamental mission toassess the significant issues.”Lew also fended off questions on evacuationplans, especially since the NRC advisedAmericans near the highly radioactiveFukushima plant to evacuate at least 50 milesaway, advice inconsistent with the ten milesafety distance the NRC tells U.S. citi-Continued on page 12

PAGE 12 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011GOVERNMENTAngry Crowd Drowns Out NRCContinued from page 11zens. Lew said although the NRC is lookingat emergency preparedness, FEMA, (FederalEmergency Management Agency) has finalsay on evacuation plans. “At this time, theissue is not significant enough to look at,”he said. “The NRC doesn’t deal with policy.Our only mission is to make sure that nuclearpower plants are safe.”Audience and NRC members at the IndianPoint annual safety assessment meeting.A large coalition of anti-nuclear groupsfrom the Hudson Valley and from New YorkCity held their press conference outside onthe expansive lawn at Colonial Terrace andincluded two bus loads of coalition membersfrom New York City. The organizations,seeking to close Indian Point includedCitizens Awareness Network, Greenpeace,Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, IndianPoint Safe Energy Coalition (IPSEC),New York Public Interest Research Group(NYPIRG), Riverkeeper and Shut DownSPORTSIndian Point Now, a new grouprecently formed in New York City.Standing in front of the largegroup brandishing anti Indian Point signsand T-shirts, Gary Shaw from the CrotonClose Indian Point group said “When anuclear plant goes bust, it’s a global issue,not a local issue. The NRC is not doing theirjob of protecting the public, they are simplyenablers of the [nuclear] industry.”At the formal assessment meeting, theNRC panel of inspectors were frequentlyinterrupted by jeers and outbursts accusingthe agency of neglecting to protect the publicfrom potential dangers at Indian Point. Thepanel was forced to break for ten minutesafter which Lew decided to cut the NRCpresentation short so the public could speak.The one standing ovation of the eveningwas for Westchester Legislator MichaelKaplowitz, (D, I -Somers), Chairman of theWestchester County Board of LegislatorsCommittee on Environment & Energy.“When regulators insulate and disengagethemselves from the people, bad thingshappen. You, the NRC, are the only NewYork body we have to protect us.”Kaplowitz has repeatedly invited theNRC to join his regular meetings, “Plan,Don’t Panic,” to address nuclear plant operationand emergency preparedness since theFukushima crises. The NRC has refusedto attend the meetings, but after hearingKaplowitz’s invite again on Thursday night,they told him they would “Take his requestsunder advisement.” The crowd, clamoring totheir feet chanted “Tell him ‘Yes’!”Indian Point owner Entergy has appliedto extend their operating license for 20more years until 2033 and 2035 for eachunit. The application is currently before theAtomic Safety and Licensing Board who areconsidering contentions to re-licensing byRiverkeeper, New York State and Clearwater.Environmental Director Manna JoGreene of Clearwater asked the NRC tosuspend the re-licensing process until more islearned about Fukushima. “We need a periodof introspection. We need a moratorium,”she said.About 30 people from New York CitySHARE, Safe, Healthy, Affordable andReliable Energy, sat quietly in the backholding small signs in favor of nuclear power.The organization fears alternative energysources will drive up the price of electricity.The audience at the Indian Point annualsafety assessment meeting.Over 90 people signed up to speak.Canem Ozyildirim, 24, the representative forthe New York Chapter of Greenpeace, saidshe was disappointed that few young peoplewere at the meeting. “My personal goal is tobring people my age to meetings like this.”Speaking in favor or re-licensing IndianPoint was Jerry Connelly, spokesperson forthe Coalition of Labor for Energy & Jobs.Connelly turned around to face the crowd.“If the air conditioning goes off heretonight, it’s what you have to get used toif Indian Point is shut down,” he told thePort Chester Bengals Finish in Second Place in Prestigious Presidents’ CupBy RANDY VOGTJune 1, 2011, Albany, NY-TheCapital District Youth Soccer Leagueand Eastern New York Youth SoccerAssociation co-hosted a very successfulPresidents Cup for the second consecutiveMemorial Day weekend. The gamesfeaturing 100 top youth soccer teamswere played at Gavin Park in Wilton,Zenner Road in Niskayuna and CliftonCommons in Clifton Park.“I’m pleased that we were selected byRegion 1 for the second year in a row tohost the Presidents Cup,” commentedContinued on page 13Boys-Under-17 finalists Port Chester Bengals.hostile audience. “You will have to changeyour life style. That’s the way it is.”New York City resident Chris Williams,who is an author and physics professor atPace University argued against the plant’sactual electrical output. “We don’t needIndian Point, we only use five percent ofthe power. Nuclear power is dangerous andunsafe.”Former state Assemblyman JerryKremer, head of New York AREA, a pro-Indian Point group, addressed the NRCpanel. “Every one of you are being abusedbut somebody has to do the tough job withintegrity and honesty – which you do. Irespect what you are trying to do.”Other speakers included famed musicianand composer David Amram, RocklandAssemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern,spokespersons for Congresswoman NitaLowey, Congressman Eliot Engel and USSenator Kirsten Gillibrand.When asked about the status ofEntergy’s relicensing application NRCproject manager Drew Stuyvenberg said itwas currently under review by the AtomicSafety and Licensing Board for review.“There will be a legal proceeding andthe board controls that. Our staff can’t give adefinitive answer about when that proceedingwill be - it might be in December (2011) orJanuary (2012). But the board has changedthe time line before.”Abby Luby is a Westchester based, freelancereporter who writes about current, localnews, environmental issues, art, entertainmentand food.Girls-Under-15 champions Capital United.

®THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 13GOVERNMENTPort Chester Bengals Finish in Second Place in Prestigious Presidents’ CupContinued from page 12Capital District Youth Soccer League PresidentPat Ramundo. “The players had a nice weekendto play weather-wise and one local team advancedto the Nationals. I thank Eastern New York fortheir support of the venues and the teams thatparticipated. Best of luck to all teams in theNationals!”While Capital United took the Girls-Under-15 title, another Eastern New York team,the Port Chester Bengals, advanced to the Boys-Under-17 finals before succumbing to TSCFC Towamencin of Eastern Pennsylvania, 3-0.Capital District Youth Soccer League refereesDavid Boswell and Justin Lopez acquitted themselvesvery well and were selected to officiate theNationals in Des Moines, Iowa from July 7 to 10.“The Presidents Cup had great venues andthe fields were in great condition,” added Hershey‘97 Orange Rush coach Andrew Chodos. “Thetournament ran very smoothly. If there were anyglitches, I certainly did not notice them. And therefs did an excellent job!”With 120,000 youth soccer players andmore than 25,000 volunteers, the Eastern NewYork Youth Soccer Association stretches fromMontauk Point, Long Island to the Canadianborder. Members are affiliated with 12 leaguesthroughout the association, which covers theentire state of New York east of Route 81. Formore information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/.Photos by and courtesy of Randy Vogt.Randy Vogt is Director of Public Relations, EasternNew York Youth Soccer Association.GovernmentSectionTHE ALBANY CORRESPONDENTCuomo Lands Ethics BillBy CARLOS GONZALEZGov. AndrewCuomo and lawmakershave agreed to anethics reform bill,including the ability to refer cases tolaw enforcement, better disclosure ofoutside income by lawmakers as wellas disclosure of clients or customerswho have business before the state.The agreement will also create aJoint Commission on Public Ethics(JCOPE).No bill has been printed yet, butpassage of the bill is expected thisweek in both houses.Recently, Cuomo threatened tolaunch a Moreland Act Commissionto hold over lawmakers if there was noethics bill. That would let him investigatethe workings of the Legislature iflawmakers failed to pass an ethics bill.“One way or the other, we will havea vehicle to clean up Albany,” Cuomosaid earlier in the week.The pending agreement has someteeth behind it and will change theparadigm in Albany, mostly knownas a cesspool for corruption. Hereare some of the highlights of theblockbuster ethics passage:Financial disclosurestatements filed with the newJoint Commission on PublicEthics from elected officialswill now be posted on theInternet and the practice of redactingthe monetary values and amountsreported by the filer will be ended.The Act requires disclosure of thereporting individual’s and his or herfirm’s outside clients and customersdoing business with, receiving grantsor contracts from, seeking legislationor resolutions from, or involved incases or proceedings before the Stateas well as such clients brought to thefirm by the public official.The Act establishes a new databaseof any individual or firm thatappears in a representative capacitybefore any state governmental entity.The bill expands lobbying disclosurerequirements, including thedisclosure by lobbyists of any “reportablebusiness relationships” of morethan $1,000 with public officials.Certain public officials whocommit crimes related to their publicoffices may have their pensionsreduced or forfeited in a new civilforfeiture proceeding brought by theAttorney General or the prosecutorwho handled the conviction of theofficial.Continued on page 14The Region 1 Presidents Cup champions:Boys-Under-13-USTA United ‘97, Eastern PennsylvaniaBoys-Under-14-VAR Swoosh, VirginiaBoys-Under-15-New Level Soccer Academy, New JerseyBoys-Under-16-HMMS Eagles, Eastern PennsylvaniaBoys-Under-17-TSC FC Towamencin, Eastern PennsylvaniaGirls-Under-13-Crusaders United, MassachusettsGirls-Under-14-BSA Rage, Eastern PennsylvaniaGirls-Under-15-Capital United, Eastern New YorkGirls-Under-16-Penn Legacy ‘94 Black, Eastern PennsylvaniaGirls-Under-17-BucksMont United Blazers, Eastern PennsylvaniaT hrill Dad this Father’s Day!45393KGS Thrill The Grill Combo2 (6 oz.) Filet Mignons2 (6 oz.) Top Sirloins4 (4 oz.) Boneless Pork Chops4 (4 oz. approx.) Boneless Chicken Breasts4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers4 (5 3 /4 oz.) Stuffed Baked Potatoes$ Reg. $ 152.00 | Now Only ................ 49 992 packages and 1 FREE Cutlery Set & Cutting Board per address. Standard S&H will be applied peraddress. Expires 6/19/11. ©2011 OCG | Omaha Steaks, Inc. | 129822 FreeGiftsFREE 6-Piece Cutlery Set &Cutting Board with purchase.Now we have two systems available:Life Alert Classic for seniorsLife Alert 50+ for people 50+To order call: 1- 8 8 8 - 8 0 4 - 5 0 5 3www.OmahaSteaks.com/fd82WhenI am homeI feel safe. I am protected.I have Life Alert ® .New!ALONEOne touch of a button sendshelp quickly in theevent of a medical emergency, fall, homeinvasion, fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.For a FREE brochure call:1-888-767-9816

PAGE 14 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011ALBANY CORRESPONDENTCuomo Lands Ethics BillContinued from page 13The Joint Commission on PublicEthics will replace the existing Commissionon Public Integrity with jurisdiction over allelected state officials and their employees,both executive and legislative, as well aslobbyists. The bipartisan Joint Commissionwill consist of 14 members; six appointedby the Governor and Lieutenant Governor,at least three of whom shall be enrolledmembers of the major political party that isnot that of the Governor, eight appointedby the legislative leaders (four each from thetwo major political parties)The Joint Commission will have jurisdictionto investigate potential violations oflaw by legislators and legislative employeesand, if violations are found, issue findings tothe Legislative Ethics Commission, whichwill have jurisdiction to impose penalties.The Joint Commission will alsoconduct mandatory ethics training for executiveand legislative officials and track thestatus of compliance and make it availableto the public.A majority (8 members) of the boardmust consent to the initiation of the investigation,and at least two of whom are ofthe same party and branch as the subjectof the investigation. If the subject of theinvestigation is a lobbyist, only a simplemajority is required.Among other restrictions, no individualwill be eligible to serve on the JointCommission who has within the last threeyears been a registered lobbyist, a statewideoffice holder, a legislator, a state commissioneror a political party chairman.Interestingly, the Act will substantiallyincreases penalties for violations of the filingrequirements and contribution limits in theElection Law, and provides for a specialenforcement proceeding in the SupremeCourt. We’d like to call this part of thebill the “Pedro Espada Prevention Act,”named after the former Senate DemocraticMajority Leader who made a routinemockery of the current filing requirements -rarely filed on-time, if not, filed at all.“I have repeatedly said that in order toget this state back on the right track, wemust end the dysfunction and corruptionthat has plagued Albany for far too longand bring integrity back to the halls of ourCapitol,” said Governor Cuomo. “This billis the tough and aggressive approach weneed. It provides for disclosure of outsideincome by lawmakers, creates a true independentmonitor to investigate corruption,and spells out tough, new rules that lobbyistsmust follow. Government does notwork without the trust of the people – andthis ethics overhaul isan important step inrestoring that trust.”Senate MajorityLeader Dean G. Skelossaid, “I am pleased tobe part of this historicethics reform agreement, and want to thankGovernor Cuomo, Speaker Silver andSenators Lanza, Hannon and Flanaganfor their hard work in putting this packagetogether. After passing an on-time, fiscallyresponsible budget and reaching an agreementon a property tax cap, this ethicsagreement signals that we’ve taken anotherstep in restoring the public’s trust in theirgovernment. Last year, Senate Republicanssaid we could do better than the ethics billthat was presented to the Legislature andultimately vetoed by the previous governor,and today we have done so.”Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silversaid, “On behalf of the Assembly, I saluteGovernor Andrew Cuomo for his leadershipand perseverance in forging this necessaryand important agreement on ethics reform.Today’s agreement will strengthen our citizens’faith in their government and holdaccountable those who betray the publictrust by requiring more extensive financialdisclosure and creating additional penaltiesfor those who break the law. While it is true,as in any profession, that some legislatorsand lobbyists have taken advantage of thesystem, the vast majority of my colleaguesare hard-working, caring and public spirited.I am proud to sign on to today’sagreement because I believe that transparencyand accountability are the pillars ofgood government.”“For thirteen months, I’ve traveled thestate calling on our government to takeaction on the three basic, fundamentalreforms our government needs, includingmeaningful Ethics Reform,” said formerNew York City Mayor Edward I. Koch.I’m Running for Mayor of YonkersBy CARLO CALVIMy entire life has beenconducted in Yonkers. Of all of thecandidates for Mayor, I have themost experience, best credentialsand greatest knowledge of howthis City works. I know the neighborhoodsand City Hall, inside &out. I worked as an engineer in thebuilding department back in 1975.I’m a Civil Engineer and aLawyer. In the past I’ve been ateacher, a truck driver, a constructionworker, a pretty good carpenter(it’s still my favorite hobby), a heavyequipment operator and a pizzadelivery boy, to name a few.I also run my successful business“Standing in Buffalo, I called for outsideincome disclosure; in Long Island I calledfor disclosure of client lists; and in AlbanyI called for a state ethics commissionwith teeth. Today, I’m proud to congratulateGovernor Andrew Cuomo and theLegislative leaders for reaching an agreementon a proposal that will accomplishthese goals. Thanks to them, the 138Legislators who signed the three New YorkUprising pledges will be able to honor theethics portion by casting a vote on the billdescribed today, and I will be asking themto do so.”In all, not a bad deal for three men ina room.Winners: The people of the State ofNew York. Thank you to Governor Cuomoand Edward Koch for demonstrating leadershipand twisting the wrist of a legislativebranch filled with elected officials that livedfor decades with bad habits.Losers: Members of the New YorkState Legislature. There’s no place to hide.This will not end all corruption, as they’ll bemany fools who will continue try.We promised to bring you an exclusiveinterview with Senator Suzi Oppenheimer,and we will, but that will have to wait untilnext week. In consideration of the blockbusterannouncement pertaining to a realEthics bill, the demands of the people toclean up Albany clearly supersedes all otherstories.Share your thoughts with me by directing emailto carlgonz1@gmail.com.in Yonkers – real estate developmentand management.I treat my tenants with respectand fairness – the same way I treatall reasonable people. That’s thesame way that I have served myconstituents in the past and it’s mypromise to serve you as Mayor withthe same approach.I’m married to Julie for 30years. Cristin’s a lawyer married toBrian Hughes, an assistant DistrictAttorney in Queens. George is aCivil Engineer, Matt is too buthe’s going to Law School at night.Noelle (born on Christmas Day –Continued on page 15

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 15GOVERNMENTI’m Running for Mayor of YonkersContinued from page 14what other name could we give her) is inher senior year of College. She wants to bean elementary education teacher.I love a good conversation, a fewlaughs and a good cigar. I play golf whichis almost as frustrating as Yonkers politics.Finally, I know that I can apply myexperiences, and professional abilities torun Yonkers in a much more efficient way.Having a good heart, a good brain andcommon sense is all it takes. I know I cando it with your help.I’m asking for your vote in theElections.My Record on Taxes I served on the City Council in 1998.On January 2 (my second day in office) Iintroduced the legislation to eliminate theYonkers Real Estate Transfer Tax (the socalled exit tax, when one sells their property)and the Income Tax Surcharge.It passed and the taxes were phaseddown. Unfortunately, since I left office,those taxes have gone right back up tothe levels they were at in 1998. Severalof the other Mayoral candidates, runningthis year, have had a part in voting for andauthorizing those tax increases.If I get back in, I’ll reverse their reversaland eliminate those taxes, again.I have always fought against taxincreases. That includes my four yearson the Westchester County Board ofLegislators, 1980-1984.In one of those years, the Countybudget passed by a vote of 16 to 1. Whowas the lone vote against the budget– yours truly. That budget raised yourCounty taxes by approximately 27% ina single year. They’d have to nail me upbefore I supported that kind of tax insanity.In 1999 the City tax rate was $317 perthousand of assessment. This year it’s $627per thousand. Simply put, your taxes havedoubled.It amazes me that elected officials,including current Mayoral candidates,have no problem approving such outrageoustax increases. Maybe it is becausethey don’t feel the pain.My business owns real estate. Theproperties that I am involved with pay acombined total of more than $ 140,000 inreal estate taxes. So it shouldn’t be hard tofigure that I am not a fan of raising taxes.Of all of the Mayoral candidates, Ibelieve I carry the greatest tax burdenHere’s a promise. I will find efficienciesand savings and won’t take the easy wayout by raising your already exaggerated realestate taxes. It can be done.President Harry Truman is one of myfavorite political characters in history. Theman just oozed common sense.Harry had a plaque on his desk in theoval office that read “The Buck Stops Here”on the front side and “I’m from Missouri”on the backside. The significance was thathe was to be in charge and accountable forthe decisions of his administration – thebig ones and the small ones.My plaque will be identical exceptthat it will read “I’m from Yonkers” on theinside.My approach to running City Hallwill also be like President Truman’s. I willtake charge of the matters that need to behandled and I’ll accept responsibility forthe successes or the failures. As soon as it’smade I’ll show a picture of the plaque.The Finance Commissioner WillHave to Give Me Briefings WhenPayments Are MadeIn my private business, I know whereevery dime is spent. All invoices arereviewed and verified before paid. It’s theonly way to have financial control.It also gives a better sense of wheremoney can be saved, next time around.As Mayor, I will direct our “checkwriters” – the finance department to getmy approval before writing the check. Ofcourse this doesn’t apply to payroll, but Iwill demand a periodic running total ofeach employee’s wages, to date, and howthat compares to their salary. That’s calledovertime control.We just learned of a police officer whoearned over $300,000 last year and is nowretired. Something’s rotten in Yonkers.Without pointing any finger of blame,our “system” has developed a lot of fat overthe years. This is one way that I will find itand eliminate it.Unnecessary Cars, CellPhones and GasolineDistribution to be TerminatedWhen I worked in City Hall, 1975, theonly people who had cars were the buildinginspectors, street inspectors, the Mayor &City Manager.Now every Tom, Dick, Harry & Maryhas one with a cell phone too.In the past if an employee used hisvehicle for city work, he or she was reimbursedon a mileage rate. That’s what I willimplement.There will be no more big SUVs or anopen gas pump for employees.I won’t take a City vehicle. I’ll take thecell phone because it’s important to be ontop of things. Also, every commissionerand other key employees will have cellphones for contact purposes.Red Light Cameras on theChopping BlockLet’s consider surveillance cameras inhigh crime areas instead.It’s my opinion that the newly installedred light cameras are more so aimed atgenerating revenue then enhancing safety.They also present a danger, especiallyif drivers are aware of their presence. Somepeople may speed up or jam on their brakesto avoid the ticket.My approach to ensure safety at atrouble intersection is old fashioned. Iwould direct the Police Commissionerto place a traffic detail at that point untilmatters get better.Besides, as a lawyer, I believe that thereis an argument as to the illegality of the redlight cameras. They may violate a person’sright to due process.We’ll be looking into that. I hopethe City didn’t sign a contract for thesecameras that will be difficult to revoke.Too bad that one of the candidatesfor Mayor, this year, was the one whointroduced the law in the NY Assemblywhich allows Yonkers to have the red lightcameras. Without that law, we wouldn’t bedealing with these cameras.Code of Etiquette for CityEmployees???While we have many courteousworkers in this City (many of them arefriends or people that I know), some of our“public servants” may have forgotten thatthey serve the public.For example, a few days ago, I calledinto a City department on private businessand was treated in a gruff way by theperson who answered the phone. There isno need or excuse for that.We will develop a set of guidelines foremployees on proper interaction with andtreatment of citizens. I will direct everycommissioner to apply the guidelinesvigorously.The purpose is not to “get anyone intotrouble”. The purpose is to foster bettertreatment of our customers – you, thetaxpayers and citizens of the City.Of course, we expect courteous conductin the other direction.

PAGE 16 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011GOVERNMENTConvention Time for Republicans and ConservativesBy NANCY KINGMay 31st, 2011, saw the annual nominatingconventions of the WestchesterCounty Republican Party and theWestchester County Conservative Party.Both nominating conventions were heldsimultaneously at the Westchester ManorHouse in Hastings, New York. Chairedby respective chairmen, Doug Colety forthe Republicans, and Hugh Fox Jr., for theConservatives, saw anxious candidates,incumbents and challengers alike await theirturns to be questioned by party leaders.At stake in this election are seats for theWestchester County Board of Legislators.Each of the 17 legislators is up for re-electionthis November. As of now, the Democratshold the supermajority of seats on the boardvirtually crippling the Astorino administrationfrom putting forth their agendapromised during their campaign. And sowith high hopes, both of these parties metto vet their candidates and to see if theycould break the supermajority held by theDemocrats.The Republicans threw their supportbehind their incumbent legislators; nosurprise there. They did however put fortha few challengers. In District 7, DemocratJudy Meyers ( of the George Oros breathlessdebacle) will be challenged by Ryeresident Suzanna Keith. District 2 sawPeter Michealis get the green light fromthe Republicans but on Thursday LisaDouglas announced that she would primaryMichealis. For District 3, Michael Smith waschosen to run against John Nonna. District4 has Mike Kaplowitz being challenged byTerrence Murphy. Finally we have CarmenGomez-Goldberg as the Republican challengergoing up against José Alvarado in the17th district.However it was the Conservative Partywho had the far more interesting convention.After a contentious reorganization, whereGail Burns lost the chairmanship to HughFox Jr. , the party is anything but unified.As an observer, it seems as if the party hasbeen split into three factions. There are theGail Burns loyalists, the Hugh Fox loyalistsand the Right to Life faction. After losingtheir party line, the Right to Life group wasembraced by the Conservative Party. TheBurn’s loyalists had no problem in callingtheir new chair a double dipper. (RememberFox was hired for a 90K salary by theAstorino administration while collecting hispension as a Yonker’s firefighter). And boththe Fox loyalists and the Burn’s supportersvented their frustrations at those who clearlyhave a more religious agenda.The members of the Conservative Partywho hold the beliefs of the Right to Lifeway of thinking asked candidates questionsthat clearly were pointed in the direction ofthe ultra conservative right. Asking a candidatewho is running for legislator for theirviews on abortion, gay marriage and secondamendment rights is somewhat silly consideringthese are decided at the state and federallevels of government. Shouldn’t they be moreconcerned about a candidate who will workto lower our property taxes or work to repealthe MTA tax? Surely nobody wants to seeabortion used as a form of birth control andwe shouldn’t be funding it for such but really,is this the purpose of a county legislator?By the end of the evening, while theRepublicans had endorsed their candidatesand had retired to the bar for a drink, theConservatives still hadn’t endorsed theircandidates. This will apparently be donesometime in the coming week. In the meantime,we get to look forward to the Democratand Independence Party Conventions. Theymight be different parties but it all seems likethe same spin.Nancy King resides in Greenbugh, NewYork. She is an investigative reporter for TheWestchester Guardian.Latimer Interviews Ron James on Cable TVAssemblyman George Latimer (left) hostedVeteran Ron James (Right) on his weekly cableTV interview program, Assembly Update,viewed in Sound Shore communities on localgovernment access channels. James, a member ofthe American Legion Post 93 in Port Chester,is the chief advocate for state adoption of theMIA-OON Flag (Missing in Attack on OurNation) which remembers those lost on 9/11.Latimer is the Assembly sponsor of the bill.OP EDSectionINVESTIGATIONNew York Court System Violates Civil Service LawsPolitical Antics or Tough Times?By Hezi ArisThere are thingshappening in the New YorkCourt system, includingthe New Rochelle, WhitePlains, and Yonkers courts many of ourreaders are unaware.Political battles andskirmishes, exacerbated by budget cuts havecaused over 400 State workers to be laidoff. The issue revolves about the manner inwhich these firings took place, rather thanthe redundancies themselves. The New YorkCourt system has allegedly violated NewYork State Civil Service Law.The New York State Court systemdesignates employees among four categories.They are:Elected judges are not affected by thelayoffs; and neither are their personally hiredstaff; and2. Management is also not affected.Their number consist of a cadre of high levelboys’ club “members” who have been giventheir positions by the chief judges; and3. Appointed staff are personally hiredby chief clerks to temporary, non-permanentpositions; some have been on the job for over30 years.In the event of layoffs, Civil ServiceLaw designates they be first to be laid off, butnone were; andContinued on page 17

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 17INVESTIGATIONNew York Court System Violates Civil Service LawsContinued from page 164. Civil Service Employees, who are supposedlyprotected by New York State Law andseniority...Of the approximately 450 workers laid offso far, at least 214 of those fired were allegedlyfired illegally. To that end, there are currently214 law suits being filed against the New YorkCourt system for allegedly illegally ignoring CivilService Law. There are workers with 25 plus yearswho have been laid off because their originaltitles were ‘erased,’ while temporary workers inthe exact same titles remain. Not only that, butall those workers laid off are losing most of theaccumulated time they worked years to earn;never abusing sick time, they stand to losing itall. Many workers have 10 to 40 weeks worth ofsick time saved up. One may deduce the courtsare stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth oftime collectively from the employees impacted;another violation of law.Union hierarchy and their respective legalcounsel attest in private the firings are completelyillegal, but nothing is being done to thwart orput an end to the illegal firings. The firings arebeing deliberately permitted to occur without anylegal contest. This, so lawsuits demanding backpay may find remedy through the courts. In thelong run, one may conjecture that these budgetcuts will cost the State three times as much thanit would have to not lay off anyone at all. This isthe type of conduct that gives evidence of beinga political game, not a result of fiscal restraint ortough times.Let’s look at Westchester as one example.Westchester is the only court in New York Statethat has three family courts. It costs $650,000a year to rent an old building in Yonkers, and$350,000 to rent an old building in NewRochelle. The main court, situated in WhitePlains, was built to absorb the Yonkers and NewRochelle courts within itself, instead it sits halfunused while the state pays a million dollars a yearin rental fees to keep unneeded sites open.In a recent internal investigation, the Yonkerscourt site was designated as unfit and infestedwith severe mold build up and air qualityED KOCH COMMENTARYWelcome Home, SoldierBy ED KOCHThe New York Times of May28, 2011 brought to the attentionof the American public the failureof our government to adequatelyattend to the medical problems ofour soldiers who suffered war injuries, physical andmental. This has resulted in thousands of suicidesamong the returning soldiers. The Times reportedproblems, never mind the fact that the building isnot designed to support the weight of the thousandsof files stored there, and that the concretefloors are literally cracking and in danger ofcollapse. Further still, when workers come in onany Monday morning, they find rat droppingson their desks because the building is infested.Let’s notforget security; anyone can walk in offthe street, stand in the elevator at 5:15 p.m., andsimply wait for it to be called upstairs. There areNO court officers in the building after 5:00 p.m.Many times strangers have been found in securedareas after designated closing hours, leavingworkers, and people’s files unprotected.There are also other allegedly, illegal activitiesthat would surprise Westchesterites.In YonkersFamily Court, a court specifically designed forthe protection of women and children is such anexample. Is it a surprise to hear that managementhas allegedly incorporated the use of fear tacticsto coerce female employees to work for free? It isa known fact that there are women who arrive forwork from 8:30 a.m. and end their day from 6 or7:00 p.m., every day, doing so without and lunchbreak, yet get paid for only seven hours.Management has burdened them individuallyand collectively with more that anyone couldmanage. They tell them of imminent layoffscoming. They have them psychologically at witsend. They tell them they are not allowed to workwithout pay, but then tell them the work mustbe done or they might have to be fired. After thebrow beating harangue, management watch asthe women swipe out on the time clock and goback to work.They do this so they swipe out bythe 7 hour maximum limit, and then cajole coercethem to continue working without pay long afterthe courts are closed.Many people put in extra hours without pay;that is, on their own time, without pay, in fear theywill lose their employ if they do not comply. Thisis an allegedly abusive environment at the behestof management. Walmart recently lost a legal suiton similar circumstances for mistreating theiremployees and paid millions in compensation fortheir alleged conduct.on one veteran, William Hamilton, as follows:“This month, the Department of VeteransAffairs informed the parents of William Hamilton,an Iraq war veteran, that it was not responsible for hisdeath. Mr. Hamilton had been admitted nine timesto a V.A. psychiatric ward in Palo Alto. He saw demonwomen and talked to a man he had killed in Iraq. Hisparents allege that the V.A. illegally turned away Mr.Hamilton – three days before he stepped in front of atrain on May 16, 2010, at the age of 26. The agencydenied the wrongful-death claim in a one-page letterContinued on page 18

PAGE 18 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011ED KOCHCOMMENTARYContinued from page 17‘The VA did not breach a legal duty,’wrote Suzanne C. Will, the agency’s regionalcounsel in San Francisco. Mr. Hamilton’s deathwas recorded in an obscure government databasecalled the Beneficiary Identification RecordsLocator Subsystem death file, which containsrecords for all veterans of the wars in Iraq andAfghanistan, and the high rate of suicides andrisky, sometimes-fatal behaviors. Records fromthat database, provided to The Bay Citizen underthe Freedom of Information Act, show that the V.A.is aware of 4,194 Iraq and Afghanistan veteranswho died after leaving the military. More thanhalf died within two years of discharge. Nearly1,200 were receiving disability compensation fora mental health condition, the most common ofwhich was post-traumatic stress disorder.”The News Tribune of Tacoma,Washington, of May 26, 2011 reported, “Withveterans now accounting for one of every fivesuicides in the nation, the Department of VeteransAffairs is under pressure from both the courts andCongress to fix its mental-health services in anattempt to curb the death toll. ‘The suicide rateis out of control – it’s epidemic proportions rightnow,’ said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of theIraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. ‘Thereare very few programs that are effective, andthere’s a serious lack of national awareness.’ Whilethe government keeps no official tally of veteransuicides, the VA last year said that veterans accountfor roughly 20 percent of the estimated 30,000suicides annually in the United States.”Every American civilian and soldier shouldbe appalled that so many of those who served inour current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan apparentlyhave been so ill treated that, according toThe Times, “On May 10, the United States Courtof Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Franciscocited the V.A. for ‘unchecked incompetence’ andordered an overhaul of how it provided health careand disability benefits.”I am a veteran of World War II, honorablydischarged in 1946 as a Sergeant, havingserved in the 104th Infantry Division,receiving the combat infantry badge and twobattle stars. My suggestion is that PresidentObama appoint a commission to look into theproviding of services to veterans immediately.Because of their history of service and braveryin the Vietnam War and service in so manyways to our country, I suggest the Presidentconsider appointing Senators John McCainand John Kerry as co-chairs.I further suggest they consider recruitingthe lawyers of this country through the manybar associations, to volunteer pro bono, toserve as advocates for any soldier whetherremaining in the U.S. armed forces or aveteran needing assistance, medical or otherwise,from the government, authorized by lawand not receiving it in a timely way. Thoselawyer volunteers should be immunized byfederal law from lawsuits by dissatisfied suchclients. It is important to get appropriatemedical help for those needing it, but also totry to stem their descent into alcohol and drugaddiction. During the great civil rights crusadeof 1964, registering black voters in the South,many lawyers, I was one, served pro bono inthe South defending Southern and Northernblack and white volunteers who sought toregister black citizens so they could vote andwere themselves assaulted and arrested, andrequired legal representation. Lawyers whoparticipated remember the experience as oneof the most positively impacting for them, intheir whole lives.Many people will disparage the decisionof the U.S. Supreme Court for having directedCalifornia to open its prison doors anddischarge more than 30,000 inmates unlesswithin two years it expands the states prisonsso as to be able to attend to the physical andmental health needs of its prisoners.I had a similar situation in New York Cityin 1983 when I was Mayor when a FederalDistrict Court judge, Morris Lasker, orderedthe discharge of thousands of prisoners unlesswe provided 60 square feet of personal spaceto each prisoner. I said to no avail, “I didn’thave sixty square feet of personal space when Iwas in the army.” Hundreds of prisoners werereleased. We built our way out of the mess,with modular barracks on Rikers Island andprison ships in the East River.The 5 to 4 majority, split along liberalconservativelines, were right to do what theydid – Judge Anthony M. Kennedy being theswing vote – because the state had been subjectto lawsuits related to overcrowding for 21 yearsand had done nothing to address the situationwhich the court described as a violation of the8th Amendment: cruel and unusual punishment.God bless the Supreme Court.An infamous case involving two policeofficers alleged by a woman complainant(who was admittedly drunk at the time), tohave raped her -- one engaging in the actualrape and the other standing guard -- endedwith a not guilty verdict on that charge. Thetwo police officers were found guilty withrespect to several misdemeanors and are to besentenced shortly. The Police CommissionerRay Kelly immediately fired them from theNYPD.People in New York City are furiousand many lambasted the jurors. Those jurorsshould be praised for their valor and commonsense. The law requires the government toovercome the presumption of innocence byevidence, establishing guilt “beyond a reasonabledoubt.” I have no doubt that many of thejurors believed under the evidence produced(the cops came back to the woman’s houseseveral times uncalled; one cop got into bedwith her and admitted kissing her and on a latertape admitted to the woman, responding to herrepeated questioning, he had used a condom;he explained at the trial he lied to assuage heranxiety), sexual activity had occurred, but therewas no penetration proven. They should beapplauded for their courage in carrying out thelaw, knowing they would be condemned byfellow New Yorkers and the media.The bar association should publicly recognizejurors of valor.The Republicans have handed PresidentObama the next election by having votedfor the Paul Ryan budget in both the Houseand Senate to privatize Medicare and gutMedicaid by turning it into a block grant, or ifnot members of the Congress, endorsing thevote. Five Republicans voted no. They wereScott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collinsand Olympia Snowe of Maine and LisaMurkowski of Alaska. The fifth, Ron Paul ofKentucky voted no, because he believed theRyan budget was too liberal.Republicans believed they could get awaywith their support of the Ryan approach toMedicare – privatizing it – by grandfatheringin all current seniors in the existing programand those coming into the program untilthose now 52 and younger became eligible forMedicare then private insurance companieswould take over and the new voucher systemwould apply to them.Not unexpectedly and to the credit ofthose seniors receiving benefits, they werenot going to sacrifice the future security oftheir children who would become eligible tenyears from now. They are standing up collectivelystating a resounding no. How could allof the Republican candidates be so stupidas to listen to the Republican leadership ofCongress undoubtedly saying to them, “Wehave to hang together, or they (the voters) willhang us separately.” Indeed they will. PresidentObama is a lucky man.The Honorable Edward Irving Koch served NewYork City as its105th Mayor from 1978 to 1089.Dear Editor:On behalfof the thousandsof liveryand yellow taxidrivers andowners whoare membersof the NewYork State Federation of Taxi Drivers, I amwriting to you today to explain our revisedposition regarding the 5-Borough Taxi Plan.We feel the changes we are demanding willbetter meet the needs of both our yellow taxismembers and our livery industry members.There have been significant discussionsand debates about how to provide legal streethail service to the boroughs in a way thatprevents the disenfranchisement of liverydrivers and bases, provides my members withequity opportunities and respects the investmentof the yellow medallion owner and driver.The Federation is advocating on behalfof the following modifications to the existing5-Borough Taxi Plan to ensure each of ourmember groups are made whole. Our positionis the following:A requirement that 50% of the totalnumber of individual medallions and 50% ofthe total number of corporate medallions beset aside for the livery industry only.Continued on page 19

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIANTHURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2011PAGE 19LETTER TO THE EDITORContinued from page 18To ensure no group is left out inthe cold, the number of “borough”taxis should be increased. Weendorse a 1:6 ratio for both individualand corporate medallions(1 yellow medallion comes with 6borough taxi licenses).If 1,500 medallions are soldaccording to the current plan, thiswould result in the creation of9,000 borough taxis. The currentplan only allows for 6,000.Special City-backed financingmust be made available for thelivery industry to ensure medallionsare affordable and within reach fordrivers and bases.Drivers with a valid liverylicense will be able to convert theirlicense quickly and at no cost, to aborough street hail license, enablingthem to pick up street hails legally.Livery drivers will not be requiredto pay for taxi school, take taxi examor undergo the costly testing thatyellow taxi drivers undergo.Livery drivers who own theircars will be able to lease the boroughstreet hail license and continue tooperate their own car if they want to– 50% of the first auction must agreeto DOV (driver-owned-vehicle)their cars.Borough taxis must be equippedwith radios. That way livery bases arean undeniable, invaluable and hugelyimportant part of this plan.Borough taxis must get safetypartitions; and GPS to aid police incatching criminals who assault drivers.Finally, the Federation is calling forALL illegal street summonses issuedin 2011 to be dismissed. Enough isenough. The City has made its point.Don’t drive our members furtherunderground – let us come out of theshadows and pick up legally withoutthreat of fine or seizure.Sincerely,Fernando MateoFounder and Spokesperson, NewYork State Federation of TaxiDriversCLASSIFIED ADPastor- Conduct worship service to congregation;Prepare and deliver sermons;Be available for personal discipleship andcounseling. Req. MA in Divinity, Resume to:New York Great Faith Church 261E. LincolnAvenue, Mt. Vernon, NY 10552Lexington Capital Associates, LLC Articlesof Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY)3/14/2011. Office in Westchester Co. SSNYdesi gn. Agent of LLC upon whom processmay be served. SSNY shall mail copy of processto The LLC P.O. Box 376 Great Neck, NY11021. Purpose: Any lawful activity.Park Scorpion, LLC Articles of Org. filedNY Sec. of State (SSNY) 2/24/2011. Officein Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent ofLLC upon whom process may be served.SSNY shall mail copy of process to TheLLC 8 White Lion Dr. Montrose, NY 10548.Purpose: Any lawful activity.United Trade Alliance L.L.C. Articles ofOrg. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 3/7/2011.Office in Westchester Co. SSNY design.Agent of LLC upon whom process may beserved. SSNY shall mail copy of processto The LLC 9-7 Nicole Circle Ossining, NY10562. Purpose: Any lawful activity. RegisteredAgent: Spiegel & Utrera, P.A., P.C. 1Maiden LN, 5th Fl NY, NY 10038.Ayrie Golden Eagle Strategic Holdings,LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State(SSNY) 1/12/2011. Office in WestchesterCo. SSNY design. Agent of LLC upon whomprocess may be served. SSNY shall mailcopy of process to Corporation ServiceCompany 80 State St Albany, NY 12207.Purpose: Any lawful activity. RegisteredAgent: Corporation Service Company 80State St Albany, NY 12207.Z & Q, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec.of State (SSNY) 4/26/2011. Office in WestchesterCo. SSNY design. Agent of LLCupon whom process may be served. SSNYshall mail copy of process to The LLC 125Westchester Ave #FS03 White Plains, NY10601. Purpose: Any lawful activity.LEGAL NOTICESNotice of Formation Arita Advisory Services,LLC Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY4/28/2011. Off. Loc.: Westchester Cnty.SSNY designated as agent of LLC whomprocess may be served. SSNY shall mailprocess to: c/o The LLC, P.O. Box 170, Bedford,NY 10506. Purpose: all lawful activities.SC Barlow LLC Articles of Org. filed NYSec. of State (SSNY) 12/28/2010. Officein Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agentof LLC upon whom process may beserved. SSNY shall mail copy of processto C/O Seavest Inc. 707 Westchester Avenue,Suite 401 White Plains, NY 10604.Purpose: Any lawful activity.BOUNINFANTE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP,NO. 1, L.P. Articles of Org. filed NY Sec.of State (SSNY) 4/15/11. Office in WestchesterCo. SSNY design. Agent of LPupon whom process may be served.SSNY shall mail copy of process toBarbara Buoninfante 685 EsplanadePelham Manor, NY 10803. Purpose: Anylawful activity.Wellness by the Sea Retreats,LLCArticles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State(SSNY) 2/1/2011. Office in WestchesterCo. SSNY design. Agent of LLC uponwhom process may be served. SSNYshall mail copy of process to Sandra Ramos333 Bronx River Road #502 Yonkers,NY 10704. Purpose: Any lawful activity.TMRC, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec.of State (SSNY) 5/24/2011. Office in WestchesterCo. SSNY design. Agent of LLCupon whom process may be served.SSNY shall mail copy of process to TheLLC C/O Rose Chin PO Box 956 Bronxville,NY 10708. Purpose: Any lawful activity.SALESUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF WESTCHESTERLASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FORTHE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF GSAMP TRUST 2005-AHL2,MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-AHL2, Plaintiff againstLENOX BLIDGEN, et al Defendant(s).Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered onApril 19, 2010.I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at theLobby of the Westchester County Courthouse, 111 Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. Boulevard, White Plains, N.Y. on the 22nd dayof June, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. premises Beginning at a the cornerformed by the intersection of the westerly side of McClellanAvenue with the southwesterly side of Vernon Avenue; Thencerunning northwesterly along said southwesterly side of VernonAvenue 54.17 feet to the southeasterly line of Lot No. 19, Block7 on said map; Thence southwesterly at right angels to saidsouthwesterly side of Vernon Avenue and along said southeasterlyline of Lot No. 19, Block 7, 94.50 feet to the northerlyline of Lot No. 25, Block 7 on said map; Thence easterly alongsaid northerly line of Lot No. 25. 6.03 feet to the northeasterlycorner of said Lot 25, Block 7; Thence southerly at right angelsto the last mentioned course and through Lot No. 25 Block 7.45 feet to a corner; Thence easterly at right angles with saidlast mentioned courses and through Lots Nos. 24, 23, 22 and21, Block 7 on said map, 100 feet to the westerly side of Mc-Clellan Avenue; Thence northerly along said westerly side ofMcClellan Avenue 69.76 feet to the point or place of beginning.Said premises known as 286 McClellan Avenue, Mount Vernon,N.Y. 10553 (Section: 165.28, Block: 4047, Lot: 13).Approximate amount of lien $ 548,267.38 plus interest and costs.Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgmentand terms of sale.Index No. 13231-09. Frank C. Praete, Jr., Esq., Referee.DeRose & SuricoAttorney(s) for Plaintiff213-44 38th AvenueBayside, N.Y. 11361

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