“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · 2015-12-30 · n December 3rd, Allen Nor-man, Jr. made his transition. The rst of ve children, Al - len Norman, Jr. was born in

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”

http://www.mvinquirer.com

Volume 11, Number 1 January 2016Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”

COMPLIMENTARY

T H E MO U N T V ER NO N

INQUIRER “The People’s Newspaper”

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On December 15, after over-coming much red tape and a tumultuously long effort, Sentinel Technology Services

International finally had their LED street-light contract approved by the Board of Estimate and Contract. In addition, the second funding drawdown has also been credited to Sentinel. The City of Mount Vernon is apparently on a bright path to the future.

“It’s been said that the truth is the light, and it shall set you free, and the truth is, Sentinel has always had the best inter-est of the City of Mount Vernon first and foremost,” said Terrence Horton, Presi-dent of Sentinel Technology Services In-ternational.

“For some time, readers have been properly enlightened about the benefits of LED streetlights, and Sentinel was awarded the citywide retrofit contract because of merit, and visionary proactive Green work force initiatives - always with Mount Vernon’s best interest in mind,”

continued Horton.The delegation to South Korea, led by

Mayor Davis and Sentinel representa-tives, has yielded incredible dividends;

On Saturday December 5, the Mount Vernon City School Dis-trict threw open the doors of Mount Vernon High School and

warmly invited in the community to share in the spirit of the holiday season.

The Most Wonderful Time holiday con-cert played to a full house, and several hundred community members partook of food, fellowship and fun during the evening. Prior to the start of the concert, guests mingled, enjoyed light refresh-ments, and were treated to a soulful acapella rendition of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” sung by Ga-briel Dawkins. Students thanked guests and gave candy canes to those who brought food and toy donations for the

Mayor Davis (l) and City Council president Marcus Griffith (r) congratulat-ing Terrence Horton after being awarded the LED streetlight contract

Dr. Hamilton and Tina Marshall singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

FEATURES Final approval of streetlight contract represents a

“bright future” for Mount Vernon

School District holiday concert warms hearts

WCC and local chambers of commerce launch

MYB $$eed TankPage 8

Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce Holiday Gala

a huge successPage 12

Capacity crowd enjoys

Mt. Vernon’s Jazzy Red Hats Annual Holiday Hoot

Page 9

Closing of Mt. Vernon probation

office a threat to public safetyPage 25

Story by Tamara Stewart

Pictures by Bryan Allen

Story by Joe Parisi



www.mvinquirer.com2 l January 2016



www.mvinquirer.com 3 l January 2016




it provided the City Council with im-pressive options, and advanced LED education!

Mount Vernon will be one of the first cities in the entire New York re-gion to have the foresight to pay for the citywide retrofit with the savings the LED streetlights will produce, and not have the taxpayers bear the expense.

Sentinel’s unique survey and ana-lytical comparisons afforded the tax-payers a Christmas gift like no other. Out of all the bidders, only Sentinel was able to offer to perform an ana-lytical compilation, which included a mapping survey. Historically speak-ing, no other company in this region has ever done this kind of in-depth study for a local municipality prior to Sentinel’s doing it. Thanks to Senti-nel, municipalities and institutional CEO’s are incorporating this essen-tial forecasting mechanism as a pri-mary tool.

Amazingly, Sentinel’s bid included performing the citywide survey and retrofit for the same price its com-petitors proposed to retrofit the streetlights without providing a sur-vey. Therefore, what Sentinel offered was impressive, and the chief rea-son why Horton’s firm was selected over the competition.

Sentinel has produced irrefutable proof that there was an international distribution and trade agreement al-ready established with a South Ko-rean-based lighting and engineering firm. The agreement was in place more than two years before the Mount Vernon delegation was even conceived.

In 2003, Horton was the first in this entire region to introduce advanced Green Technology through West-chester’s first, affordable “smart home,” whereby, these same prin-ciples were demonstrated to Gover-nor Pataki, Mayor Davis, as well as Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson.

Furthermore, Sentinel is the only Mount Vernon company that has as-sured Mount Vernon taxpayers that their hard-earned tax dollars would benefit the local economy through its actions. Sentinel has already formed the Sentinel Vocational Ap-prentice Training (SVAT), and nine Mount Vernon High School students graduated from the program in 2015. SVAT is the first vocational program created at the high school in 20 years.

Another Sentinel initiative has been the hiring of unemployed, as well as the underemployed citizens, and the formation of an interna-tional northeast distribution center – years before LED was even talked about by the general public. Lastly, it bears mentioning Sentinel’s effort to encourage a highly respected and prestigious Asian company to invest on Third Street – soon to be MLK 3 & 3. Many who have read about Horton’s plans in The Inquirer, have referred to them as fairytale like schemes!

“Mount Vernon is light years ahead of the competition, thanks to the support rendered by Mayor Davis, Council President Marcus Griffith, and the entire City Council. A very special thanks and recognition must go out to Councilman Richard Thomas, Mount Vernon Mayor-elect, who spoke at length on the merits of “Mount Vernon’s Bright Future.” Thomas spoke to his colleagues on the City Council by virtue of his ad-vanced background and education on sustainability, and he did so in an articulate and eloquent way,” said Horton. According to Mayor-elect Thomas, “Mount Vernon finally got this one right.”

The highly-aligned LED street-lights are expected to usher in the very “Brightest of Futures” for all the people of the great City of Mount Vernon!

Graduates of the Construction/Pre-Apprenticeship Academy, sponsored by Sentinel Vocational Apprentice Training (SVAT)

at MVHS

Continued from page 1Edward Williams School’s 2016

Winter Concert a big hit

Sights of the Season” was the theme for Edward Williams School’s 2016 Winter Concert, held on Wednesday, December

16th. The school’s concert band, string ensemble and chorus performed seasonal selections for a very enthusiastic, packed house.

Over 110 students prepared for and participated in this musical celebration. Michael Bader (Art), Lisa DeFrenza (Band), Antonella Delli Carpini (Chorus) and Mary Lando (Strings) collaborated to showcase the immensely talented and hard-working students of Edward Williams School.

Ms. Regina Rose, Mr. Johnny Morrison and Ms. Rachel Greene (Security) worked tirelessly to decorate the Auditorium and Lobby with extraordinarily beautiful deco-rations.

Both students and audience members were delighted by a surprise visit from Santa Clause and his Elf Pat; these won-derfully gracious characters joined Ed-ward Williams’ Chorus for their rendition of “Santa Claus Rock.”

All are welcome to join the school for its Spring Concert, “Get Up & Dance!” in May of 2016.

“

Allen Norman, Jr.

Obituary of Allen Norman, Jr.

On December 3rd, Allen Nor-man, Jr. made his transition. The first of five children, Al-len Norman, Jr. was born in

Mount Vernon, New York, to Allen and Eva Norman on September 16, 1949.

Allen attended Mount Vernon public schools and graduated from Mount Vernon High School, where he was a skilled football player, in 1968.

Capitalizing on his interest in business and commerce, Allen continued his education at Oneon-ta State College (SUNY), majoring in Economics. He subsequently completed the Executive Market-ing Program at Fordham University. Following graduation from Oneon-ta, he immediately put his degree to use at Xerox Corporation, where he crafted a stellar career in sales and marketing.

Cortesia came into Al’s life in 1967. Summer love bloomed into marriage eight years later in 1975. Cortesia and Al Norman were blessed with two sons – Nicho-las and Christopher –whom they raised with enormous care and pride.

Allen believed in giving back to the community. He invested

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Member



Founded in 2004 by

JOSEPH A. PARISI AND LUISA PARISI

Published by

The Mount Vernon InquirerP.O. Box 458

Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0458 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.mvinquirer.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITORReaders are encouraged to send us letters expressing their viewpoints on any issue. Letters should not contain inflammatory or provoca-tive language and will be subject to editorial review. Please keep your letters brief and not to exceed 300 words. Your name and address must be included, but will be withheld upon request.

SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMSWe welcome all suggestions con-cerning news we should cover in our newspaper. Please call the Editor with suggestions at (914)665-7004.

EditorJoe Parisi

Assistant EditorsHafeezah Basir

Cheryl ParisiNews Reporters / WritersJoe Parisi, Chief Reporter

James Fair Tamara Stewart

Sales and AdvertisingDarryl Walker, Director

Paul StewartGraphic DesignAshley Covelli Cheryl Parisi

Westchester County partners with Latino U to help students

go to college

Westchester County is partnering with Latino U College Access to help first-generation Hispanic

students navigate the complex pro-cess of applying for state and federal financial aid for college. The effort is designed to help Hispanic students and their families overcome language and financial barriers to attending college.

“We are proud to partner with La-tino U on these vital programs for first-generation Hispanic students,” said Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino. “For every family, the first to go to college is an achieve-ment that has a tremendous impact for future generations to come. With this effort, we are helping students realize the dream of graduating from college.”

Latino U College Access offers several programs, paired with Span-ish-language Community Information Sessions, that support Hispanic stu-dents and their families who are pre-paring to go to college, including:

• Essay Writing Boot Camp, which guides students through the pro-cess of writing college essays

• SAT/ACT preparation classes• College Coaching and Mentoring,

where volunteers work one-on-one to support students with col-lege planning and the application process

• FAFSA First!, where bilingual vol-unteers help students complete financial aid applications, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the New York Tuition Assistance Program (NY TAP) application, to help pay for college.

In October, FAFSA First! was recog-nized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (WHIEEH) for making a meaningful and quantifiable contribution to in-

crease and support educational out-comes for Latinos by improving their access to financial aid. The program is currently scheduled in four school districts (White Plains, Ossining, Port Chester and Tarrytown, which in-cludes Sleepy Hollow):

• January 17, 2016, 1 p.m. at the White Plains Public Library (Open to all)

• February 2, 2016, 7 p.m. at Os-sining High School (For OHS stu-dents only)

• February 4, 2016, 7 p.m. at White Plains High School (For WPHS students only)

• February 9, 2016, 7 p.m. at Sleepy Hollow High School (For SHHS students only)

• February 27, 2016, 10 a.m. at Mer-cy College, Dobbs Ferry (Open to all)

Students who complete the FAFSA could be eligible for Pell grants of up to $5,775 per year and subsidized student loans with no interest while they are enrolled in college. Students who complete the NY TAP form and attend college in New York could be eligible to receive up to $5,165 per year of state aid in addition to their federal grants.

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, founder of Latino U College Access, said failing to complete a FAFSA is a fundamental barrier to attaining a college degree. Latino youth, many of whom are first in their family to go to college, have no help completing financial aid forms and lack financial literacy and information about apply-ing for financial aid.

“Through our commitment, we are helping to improve the educational attainment of Hispanic youth in West-chester County by supporting their college dreams so that they may fulfill their academic potential and ensure the success of future generations,” Buontempo said. Provided the re-sources to apply for federal and state financial aid, Hispanic first-generation students will be able to better afford to complete a full-time four-year col-lege program.

In January 2015, Astorino an-nounced a three-year contract with Latino U College Access as part of the Westchester County Youth Bu-reau’s Invest-In-Kids program.

Latino U College Access projects reaching 2,000 families with FAF-SA First! over the next three years. 10,086 Hispanic students, including a significant first-generation popula-tion, attend school in the four partici-pating school districts.

his time and resources in countless charitable and educational organizations, such as The Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, Proj-ect Genesis, Exodus Man-agement Consulting for the Mount Vernon School District, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and the New Rochelle Police Foun-dation, where he served as a member of the board of directors. Allen Norman frequently visited schools to share his experiences as a businessman and ea-gerly lent a helping hand to any business owner who sought assistance. He re-ceived numerous honors and recognitions for his civic activities, including a proclamation from the Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon.

Al had a penchant for friendship, fellowship and camaraderie as represent-ed by his membership in Zeta Boulè, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and various circles of friends dedicated to playing cards, tennis and golf. Allen Norman was a man of faith and com-muned with Mount Vernon Alliance Church for over 20 years.

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DEC has found coal, ash and slag in soil at Memorial Field

According to the State Depart-ment of Environmental Conser-vation (DEC), it has tested the soil at Memorial Field and found

the sample to contain coal, ash and slag. In addition, the city was issued a violation for carting in dirt without a permit.

Finding contaminated soil at Memorial Field is a serious matter, since the com-bination of coal ash and slag is a toxic combination that needs to be addressed immediately.

Mayor-elect Thomas will be facing a dilemma of great proportions as soon as he takes office on January 1. First of all, tennis courts have already been built and are in use at Memorial Field, plus the club-house frame is up. If the site needs to be remediated, will the state force the city to raze the courts? Apparently, an environ-mental study of the entire field area wasn’t done, and the courts may have been built on contaminated soil. Soil samples of the area where the courts were built may or may not spare them.

The following information excerpted from the fact sheet “Coal Ash Toxics: Damaging to Human Health” published by Physicians for Social Responsibility, ex-plains why coal ash is so bad:

The toxic substances found in coal ash can inflict grave damage to the human body and the environment. These sub-stances have been shown to escape from some coal ash disposal sites, contami-nating the air, land, surface waters, and/or underground aquifers that feed drinking water wells.

Many people are still not aware of how toxic coal ash is, or how much of it exists:

• Coal ash commonly contains some of the earth’s deadliest toxics: arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and selenium.

• The toxic metals in coal ash can leach out of ash disposal sites, especially from wet storage, and contaminate surface waters and underground aqui-fers, where they can cause cancer and neurological harm in humans and can poison fish.

• There are nearly a thousand sites at which coal ash is disposed across the nation: 584 surface ponds and 337 dry landfills. Coal ash disposal facili-ties exist in all the U.S. states except

Rhode Island, Vermont and Idaho.• Coal ash is the second-largest indus-

trial waste stream in the U.S., after mining wastes.

With regard to the dangers of slag, Da-vid Salisbury of Stanford University offers the following:

“Since the beginning of the industrial age, slag, the glassy material left over when metals are refined from ore, has been considered ugly but harmless. But research conducted at Stanford University has found that some kinds of this volumi-nous mining waste, which closely resem-bles volcanic rock, contain high levels of potentially toxic elements and can release them into the environment.

Because it has been considered chemi-cally inert, slag has been mixed with ce-ment and used to construct roadways and railroad beds. It has been used for sand blasting. It has been added to roof-ing shingles. And it has even been used to sand roads in the winter.

This might not be such a good idea, however, since slag produced in refining copper, zinc, cadmium and other base metals can contain significant concen-trations of a number of potentially toxic elements, including arsenic, lead, cad-mium, barium, zinc and copper, Michael Parsons, a graduate student in geological and environmental sciences at Stanford, has found. He also has shown that slag can release these elements into the envi-ronment under natural weathering condi-tions and cause pollution of soils, surface waters and groundwater.”

Small amounts of heavy metals can be necessary for health, but too much may cause acute or chronic toxicity (poison-ing).

The contaminants in coal ash and slag will not come out of the ground and en-danger the people using Memorial Field. The DEC is more concerned about the en-vironment and how the contaminants will impact our drinking water, ponds, rivers, etc.

Yes, Thomas will have a big issue on his hands as soon as he takes office. It has been reported that the city has agreed to stop all work at Memorial Field.

Joe ParisiPublisher/Editor

EDITORIAL

Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Commemorates the 150th Anniversary of

the 13th Amendment

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a se-nior Member of the House Ener-gy and Commerce Committee, commemorated the abolition of

slavery in America on the 150th anniver-sary of the 13th amendment and called for renewed commitment to equality through a full restoration of the Voting Rights Act.

“This nation made a momentous and defining decision 150 years ago when three-quarters of our states voted to constitutionally end slavery on American soil,” Congressman Engel said. “In doing so, Americans began setting right a great moral wrong and salvaged our founda-tional principles of equality, liberty and democracy for all from a past marked by injustice and exploitation.”

“But the 13th Amendment did far more than that. It proved that Americans have the will to unite in support of changes that bring our nation ever closer to the ideals of its founding,” Engel said. “The abolition of slavery paved the way for the many more expansions of equality and inalienable rights that followed, including one of our strongest pieces of civil rights legislation, the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

“Equality in voting rights is a pillar of the democracy Americans have worked hard and sacrificed to build since our na-tion’s founding,” Engel continued. “The recent weakening of the Voting Rights Act will erode our hard-won progress toward genuine equality for all Americans. On the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amend-ment, I call on my colleagues in Congress to honor that progress by taking up legis-lation that fully restores the Voting Rights Act.”

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a land-mark piece of civil rights legislation that protects voting access in parts of the country where many minorities had histor-ically been disenfranchised by discrimina-tory voting practices. It has been regularly

reauthorized since 1965 with overwhelm-ing bipartisan support, but key provisions within it were dismantled by a 2014 Su-preme Court ruling.




Governor Andrew Cuomo

Gov. Cuomo orders increase in renewable energy

Governor Andrew Cuomo di-rected the State Department of Public Service to design and enact a new Clean Ener-

gy Standard mandating that 50 percent of all electricity consumed in New York by 2030 come from clean and renew-able energy sources. This process will ensure that utility companies provide 50 percent of customers’ power from solar, wind, hydroelectric or other re-newable sources in just 15 years.

Heather Leibowitz, Director of Envi-ronment New York, issued the follow-ing statement:

“Governor Cuomo’s announcement puts New York right where it should be—at the front of the pack. The new Clean Energy Standard will dramati-cally expand the amount of our elec-tricity generated by renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar en-ergy, and accelerate New York’s tran-sition away from polluting fuels. This

means cleaner air for families, less global warming pollution, more stable electricity bills, and a stronger econo-my.

“New York has the resources to do this. We can put solar panels on roof-tops and over parking lots, and we can build wind farms off of our coasts. Now the governor is providing the political will to get the job done.

“The Governor’s action is particularly timely, as leaders gathered in Paris to negotiate a global agreement to curb global warming pollution. New York is showing the world what must be done. As the third-largest economy in the United States, our leadership matters.

Governor Cuomo deserves praise for creating an ambitious and achievable standard for expanding New York’s use of clean energy. We look forward to working with Governor Cuomo’s office to bring the Clean Energy Standard to fruition.”

Chef “Jamaican Rick” - accompanied by Roberta Apuzzo (far right) and two volunteers

The guests serving themselves at the Holiday buffet prepared by Chef “Jamaican Rick”

Roberta Apuzzo (l) with Mayor Ernest D. Davis and a volunteer

The Mount Vernon “Soup Kitchen” held a fundraiser on Wednesday, December 2, that was sponsored by St. Joseph’s Lodge #117 and

Chef “Jamaican Rick”. The Soup Kitchen is located in the basement of Sacred Heart Church, and it is a safe haven facility that feeds Mount Vernon’s needy.

Roberta Apuzzo, who has been a City Councilwoman for several years, runs the Soup Kitchen, which is legally known as Community Services Associates, Inc.

The many that attended the fundraiser were asked to bring a new toy to benefit the many disadvantaged children that eat at the Soup Kitchen every day.

Chef Jamaican Rick, who has been vol-unteering his services for nearly a year now, cooked the food.

“I don’t work as a chef, but I attended a culinary school for four years and I en-

joy cooking as a hobby. I am married with kids and work for DPW in Mount Vernon, but my passion is to cook for the needy here in Mount Vernon,” said Jamaican Rick.

The Soup Kitchen has been asked to move by the Archdiocese of New York and Apuzzo and her staff are desperately searching for a new home.

“I know we have been ordered to move, but we will stay here until they physically evict us. I have a moral obligation to feed Mount Vernon’s needy and I can’t just close this place down and walk away. Hopefully, we can find a new home soon,” said Apuzzo.

Outgoing Mayor Ernest D. Davis was in attendance at the fundraiser. Davis is making his last rounds as mayor before his term is up and Richard Thomas takes over as mayor on the 1st of January.

Holiday fundraiser held at Mt. Vernon “Soup Kitchen”




Derickson Lawrence (R) with members of the coalition and WCC staff personnel

Rev. Troy DeCohen

Eridania Camacho

Francine Carl, Director of the Mount Vernon Extension Center

A very enlightening and well-at-tended press conference was held at Westchester Commu-nity College’s Mount Vernon

Extension Center on Thursday, December 3, to announce the launch of the Mount Vernon/Yonkers/Bronx MYB $$eed Tank Competition.

A coalition of business leaders in the chambers of commerce for Mount Vernon, Yonkers and the Bronx has partnered with Westchester Community College to cre-ate an invaluable competition and learning experience for early-stage business entre-preneurs.

The MYB $$eed Tank winner will receive a prize of up to $10,000 and entrance into the Westchester Community College Gateway to Entrepreneurship series of workshops next spring. The winner will also have the opportunity to present his or her business concept at the GROW Con-ference, an annual business event that will be held at the college on April 29, 2016.

Runners-up will benefit through invitation to the entrepreneurship workshops.

Opening comments came from Derick-son K. Lawrence, the catalyst behind the idea. “Our goal is to change the prospects for upward mobility,” said Lawrence. “But nurturing innovation and great ideas also helps shape our future, and that’s why this partnership with Westchester Community College and the local chambers is so im-portant.” Lawrence, a Mount Vernon resi-dent, founded his company, MarketView Resources, in 2001. MarketView Resourc-es delivers banking products and payroll to large employers and their employee base across eight states.

Speaking after Lawrence was Francine Carl, Director of the Mount Vernon Ex-tension Center. “Westchester Commu-nity College has had extension centers in Mount Vernon and Yonkers for years, sup-porting local business and economic de-velopment through courses, training and collaboration,” said Carl.

WCC and local chambers of commerce launchMYB $$eed Tank

Following Carl at the podium was Eri-dania Camacho, who is the Director of the Gateway to Entrepreneurship program. “This competition extends the college’s opportunity to introduce local, aspiring or new, business people to the college’s Gateway to Entrepreneurship program, where training and networking can move them to the next stage.”

According to Lawrence, local legislators and members of the business community are enthused by this collaboration and in-jection of capital.

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow was in at-tendance at the press conference. Pret-low’s district includes Mount Vernon and Yonkers. “We need more of these oppor-tunities to boost the local economy of the region,” said Pretlow.

Also speaking at the press conference was Rey Hollingsworth Falu, who repre-sented the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. “The Mount Vernon Cham-ber of Commerce is excited about the op-

portunity to work with the $$eed Tank and support the next Mark Zuckerberg,” said Hollingsworth.

Other speakers included the Rev. Troy DeCohen, and Kevin T. Cacace, President of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce.

Entrepreneurs from Mount Vernon, Yonkers and the Bronx with an early stage business concept that is scalable, sustainable and solves a problem, are encouraged to apply to the $$eed Tank Competition. Applications will be accept-ed from December 3, 2015 – January 5, 2016, and applicant interviews will be held January 6 – January 12, 2016. The win-ner of the competition will be announced on January 13, 2016. Interested parties should apply through the MYB $$eed Tank Application link at www.sunywcc.edu. Please contact Derickson Lawrence, CEO, MarketView – 914-548-0405 or Francine Carl, Director, Mount Vernon Ex-tension Center, WCC – 914-606-7214 for more information.




(l to r) ShawynPatterson-Howard, Honoree, with Queen Fani Miller-Beard and Marlene Clark

A group photo of the Mount Vernon Jazzy Red Hats chapter of the Red Hat Society

The Strawberries of New Rochelle with an assortment of impressive red hats

Queen Fani Miller-Beard introducing Queens from other chapters

The Mistress of Ceremonies, Wanda White

The fun-loving Red Hat Society chapter of Mount Vernon held its Annual Holiday Hoot on De-cember 5th, at the luxurious Dav-

enport Country Club in New Rochelle. A capacity crowd attended this year’s cel-ebration, thanks to a spectacular sunny and mild Saturday afternoon.

Who are these ladies with the red hats you see in Mount Vernon and other areas, who always walk around with smiles on their faces and participate in community affairs? The ladies are members of the Red Hat Society, a playgroup created to connect like-minded women, make new friends and enrich lives through the power of fun and friendship!

The society also acts as a rewarding ve-hicle for reconnecting old friends, making new friends, and rediscovering the joy of getting together with other woman for the express purpose of… having FUN! The group whole-heartedly promotes periods of “recess” from the cares and duties of everyday life, in which Hatters gather for no other purpose than to play. Yes, play!

Like in previous years, the capacity crowd was comprised of members from

Mount Vernon and other chapters from within the tri-state area. In attendance was a sprinkling of men, but most of them were simply honorary members, since men are not allowed to join the society as mem-bers.

Although the society is about having fun, members are expected to adhere to rules, and all members MUST wear the proper attire denoting her membership at each event. A member must wear red and purple if she is 50 years of age or over, and pink and lavender if she is under 50 years of age. That adherence to the rules was exhibited once again at this year’s gala.

The annual event is always memorable and long, and commenced with welcom-ing remarks from Barbara Scott, who then introduced the personable Mistress of Ceremonies, Wanda White.

Barbara Caines provided the Invocation and blessing of the food.

Next on the agenda was the introduc-tion of Queens from other chapters by the Queen of the Mount Vernon chapter, Queen Fani Miller-Beard.

This year’s Community Donation went to a group known as GfG (Good for Girls),

Capacity crowd enjoys Mt. Vernon’s Jazzy Red Hats Annual Holiday Hoot

run by Lori Dixon Stephens. The introduc-tion was done by Bruce Davis, and Jazzy Queen Fani made the presentation. GfG mentors young girls into confident young women by providing guidance, empower-ment, inspiration, and by equipping them

with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in any environment.

A fun part of the program was the tra-ditional 50/50 raffle, which involved a mystery raffle with a $300.00 value, and of course, door prizes, which were called





intermittently throughout the program.Lunch consisted of a sumptuous buffet

and an outrageously delicious cake and ice cream. While people ate, they were en-tertained by Stanley Ridley, the DJ, who kept many people in good spirits with his excellent selection of music.

After lunch, Marlene Clark introduced the Honoree, Shawyn Patterson-Howard. Howard stated: “Like each and every member of the Red Hat Society, I always

make it my business to give back to the community. And today I feel blessed to have been honored by your organization. Please continue doing what you’re do-ing.” Born, raised, and educated in Mount Vernon, Shawyn Patterson-Howard is cur-rently the CEO of the Yonkers YMCA.

After the 50-50 raffle ended, the ladies with the pretty red hats took to the dance floor and danced to the sounds of the DJ until the end of the program.


The Leading Ladies of New Rochelle and two guests enjoying the food

All members of the Red Hat Society in attendance were invited to the dance floor for some fun dancing

Recipient of the Community Donation, Lori Dixon-Stephens with Queen Fani Miller-Beard and Jazzy Bruce Davis

Senator Klein (r) with Mt. Vernon representatives

The St. Peter and Paul Children’s choir entertaining the crowd

Kline and Fleetwood Neighborhood Association host Second Annual Tree

Lighting Ceremony

Senator Jeff Klein, in partner-ship with Mount Vernon’s Fleetwood Neighborhood Association, hosted the

Second Annual Tree Lighting Cer-emony in the Fleetwood Playground (Broad Street) on a mild and sunny December 6th.

The ceremony commenced with comments from the President of the Fleetwood Neighborhood Associa-tion, Mike Justino. “I wish to thank Senator Klein for his help in putting together this wonderful tree light-ing ceremony, and to the many who came out to enjoy the festivities,” said Justino.

The event featured a seven-foot

tall Christmas tree, donated by Sena-tor Klein, and the crowd applauded loudly upon the lighting of the tree.

The tree lighting festivities includ-ed live Christmas music from tal-ented guitar duo Andrea and James Rohlehr, who delighted the crowd with popular holiday carols. Musi-cal entertainment was also provided by the St. Peter and Paul Children’s choir.

The inaugural tree lighting was attended by community leaders, families, and several seniors, and featured cups of hot cocoa, holiday treats, live Christmas music, and an appearance by a very special guest from the North Pole – Santa Claus.




less fortunate.Thanks to the generosity of the Ameri-

can Christmas Company, and a team of industrious elves led by Dwayne Brown, President of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce, the Mount Vernon High School Auditorium and surrounding area were transformed into a scene fit for a greeting card.

Much to its delight, the Mount Vernon Community discovered that School Su-perintendent Kenneth Hamilton is a man of many talents. During the course of the evening, Dr. Hamilton served as Master of Ceremonies, performer, and Santa Claus. As an excited group of children listened attentively, the incomparable Phylicia Ra-shad began the evening with a dramatic reading of Clement Clark Moore’s beloved poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” Ms. Rashad seemed to enjoy the children’s performances that followed hers, and she graciously stayed until inter-mission, taking pictures and signing pro-grams for many of her Mount Vernon fans.

The budding talents of The Mount Vernon Performing and Visual Arts Mag-net Program were proudly on display, as

poised vocalist Jada Palmer sang a mov-ing rendition of James Flannigan’s “All I Want.” Next, talented dancer Kendall Mc-Dowell performed an interpretive dance to Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper,” which was followed by several toe-tapping selections played by An Ice Cold Holiday band.

Dr. Hamilton then donned a fedora and teamed up with Tina Marshall for an enjoy-able rendition of “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” complete with falling snow. Ms. Marshall then angelically sang “The First Noel”, which was followed by Dr. Hamilton do-ing a smooth rendition of “The Christmas Song” that would have made Nat King Cole proud.

The Jenkins Brothers continued the show after an intermission, and the crowd clearly appreciated the multiple Gospel Academy Award-winning duo, their band, and soulful back-up choir. With an im-pressive vocal range, tight harmonies and great stage presence, The Jenkins Broth-ers serenaded the crowd and reminded the audience about the true meaning of Christmas. Musical selections included “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Come All Ye Faithful,” “The Little Drum-mer Boy,” “O Holy Night,” and “O Come

(l to r) Dr. Kenneth Hamilton, Earl Jenkins, Phylicia Rashad and Carl Jenkins

Ice Cold Holiday Band

Carl Jenkins and choir


O Come Emmanuel.” The Brothers ended their turn on stage with a medley of old-school songs that they had “Jenkinized,” turning love songs into songs of worship.

Dr. Hamilton’s final wardrobe change

was into a Santa suit, and he graciously thanked staff, performers, and guests for contributing to making The Most Wonder-ful Time holiday concert a truly wonderful event.

Kendall McDowellPhylicia Rashad reading to the kids




Groovy Lew receiving an award from Dwayne Brown, president of theChamber of Commerce

An absolutely capacity crowd flocked to the Bronxville Field Club to attend this year’s Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce

Holiday Gala. The gala was held on Thurs-day, December 3rd, and was attended by the notable “Who’s Who” crowd of Mount Vernon and beyond – all dressed impec-cably for the highly anticipated event.

This was the third annual ceremony or-ganized and hosted by Dwayne Brown, President of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce and owner of DNK Events. All three events have been held at the lux-urious Bronxville Field Club, and the facil-ity seems to be a crowd favorite, based on the great time people have had these past three years.

Like in past galas, the ballroom was adorned in holiday splendor with wreathes that adorned the mantles, and roses were

abundantly placed at all the tables. The honorees represented the diverse services and businesses that Mount Vernon offers as a special place to live and work.

Below is a summary of the honorees that were recognized:

Bruce Bozeman, Years of Service Award – His extensive career as an attor-ney has spanned over forty-three years in Westchester County, and his active mem-bership in the Association of Black Law-yers of Westchester County goes back longer than he likes to remember.

Ted D’Amore, Years of Service Award - D’Amore first came to Mount Vernon for an interview with the city’s Department of Planning in 1976. He was hired and after just a few months working for the Plan-ning Department he and his wife moved to Mount Vernon. In 1979, he formed D’Amore Design Studio-Architects & Plan-

Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce Holiday Gala a huge success


ners AIA. Many young architects have gotten their training at his firm throughout the years.

Fleetwood Neighborhood Associa-tion, Community Service Award - The Fleetwood Neighborhood Association





was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 1998 by a group of concerned Fleet-wood residents for the preservation and advancement of homes, business, safety and the community. The association has grown to include over 200 active mem-bers, and more than 1,000 members on their mailing list.

Joseph A. Parisi, Mount Vernon Me-dia Award – Joe Parisi is the Editor of The Mount Vernon Inquirer, a former Marine, and a retired NYC detective. He founded the Inquirer in 2004 and it has become the city’s “Hometown Newspaper” – read by over 40,000 people every month. Parisi gained experience as a journalist by work-ing as a reporter for the Marines, writing for the military paper, Stars & Stripes. Prior to the Inquirer, Parisi published the Pelham Forum in Pelham, NY. Through the years, the Inquirer has won countless awards for focusing its coverage on Mount Vernon’s positive news.

Rella Fogliano, Developer of the Year – Upon graduating from Fordham Univer-sity in 1983, Rella Fogliano joined her fa-ther’s firm as a general contractor. When her father retired in 1988, she formed McQuesten General Contracting and con-tinued to perform work for many of her father’s clients. In 2003, she founded Mc-

Questen Construction Management and currently has a portfolio of over $140 mil-lion dollars in completed projects.

Karen D. Thomas, Years of Service Award – Karen Thomas is a well-known community advocate. Thomas’ passion for volunteerism began in the early 1980’s in Atlanta and continues to this day. In 2001, Thomas joined the Wartburg as a Community Liaison and Executive As-sistant to the President of the Wartburg Foundation. During her 14-year tenure, she has shown her business acumen and is currently a valued member of the Devel-opment Department Team.

Kenneth Plummer, Businessman of the Year Award – Plummer is the President of Kensworth Consulting, a marketing and consulting firm founded in 2004. The self-taught businessman credits the success of his company to the basic philosophy of hard work, long hours, self-confidence, the courage to take risks, and the desire to give value and service to every client.

Graceland Florist, Business of the Year – Joseph Edwards is the owner of Grace-land Florist and the business has been serving the Mount Vernon community for over 23 years. Edwards is very supportive of local community organizations such as the Fire Department, Police Department,

WestCop, local churches, synagogues, and more. Mr. Edwards also mentors peo-ple in the community.

Groovey Lew, Entrepreneur of the Year – Lew calls himself the “King of Fashion.” Lew’s creativity and ingenious eye for style has been spotted on some of your favorite artists: Biggie, Lil Wayne, Lil’ Kim, Jadakiss, Lauryn Hill, 112, Total, Puffy and

many more. By making his own clothes, Groovey Lew is able to keep his style timeless.

Guest speakers were many and includ-ed Mayor-Elect Richard Thomas.

Plans are already in place for another memorable Chamber of Commerce Holi-day Gala at the luxurious Bronxville Field Club in 2016.




Officials engaged in an improvised ground breaking ceremony

Mayor Davis receiving a check for over one-half million dollars from the developers

A rendition of the soon to be built luxury building on Broad Street

On Tuesday, December 29, over 500 people packed the now vacant supermarket lo-cated at 40 Broad Street to

attend a groundbreaking & holiday re-ception for the recently approved $85 million dollar luxury and commercial development. The atmosphere was incredibly festive prior to the start of the ceremony, with the throng of peo-ple chatting about the soon to be built complex and the many positive chang-es it will bring to the Fleetwood com-munity and Mount Vernon as a whole.

The development, unlike other past Mount Vernon projects, will be private-ly funded and is NOT receiving any tax breaks or PILOTS (Payments in lieu of Taxes). It is actually Mount Vernon’s first planned luxury building in over 40 years.

This project will be one of the fin-est examples of market rate housing to be built in the region. So those that attended were there to celebrate the dawn of a new vibrancy in Mount Ver-non that will generate not only jobs and tax benefits, but unleash a new energy in the Fleetwood neighborhood.

ECONOMICS• Over $1 Million per year in property

tax and other revenue to the City of Mount Vernon

• Developer to invest approximately $4 million into the parking garage

• Increased foot traffic for merchants will generate new business and additional sales tax revenue to the City

• Will draw and retain a resident population with a median annual income exceeding $125,000

GARAGE• Extensive safety and cosmetic up-

grades• City will no longer lose over

$125,000 per year operating the parking garage

• City Council negotiated unprec-edented 20 minutes of FREE park-ing for the life of the garage

• The garage will remain open to the public 24 hours per day with pref-erential rates for seniors and exist-ing permit holders

AMENITIES• State-of-the-art amenity package

including stainless steel applianc-es and W/D in every unit

• LEED Silver certification• Heated Swimming Pools• 24 hour concierge• Key fob system• Landscaped roof decks ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO BE PAID BY DEVELOPER• New men’s and women’s comfort

stations in the Broad Street Play-ground

• Public arts project at the corner of Broad Street and Fleetwood Av-enue

• New cross walk striping and re-timed stop lights along Broad St. and on Fleetwood Avenue

• New retail space enlivening the Broad Street shopping corridor

The Master of Ceremonies was for-mer Mount Vernon Councilman, Ste-ven Horton, who introduced the many dignitaries in attendance, which in-cluded Congressman Eliot Engel and many others.

Speakers included: Reginald LaFay-

Over 500 people attend 42 Broad St. groundbreaking & holiday reception

ette, Legislator Lyndon Williams, As-semblyman Gary Pretlow, Pelham’s mayor, Mike Volpe, Mayor Ernest D. Davis, Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce president, Dwayne Brown, and the developers, Eric Bluestone and Mark Alexander.

Rev. Ronell Fuller & Faith Christian Assembly provided musical entertain-

ment.At the end of the ceremony the Rev.

Edward Mulraine provided the Bene-diction and the guests were treated to an impressive assortment of delicious food.










Legislator Williams experienced a shocking legal defeat when his court injunction on Memorial Field was dismissed in court

Mayor-Elect Thomas and Williams lose

Memorial Field lawsuitMayor Davis’ comments

about Thomas’ Fiscal Advisory Committee unwarranted

T he NYS Supreme Court has ruled that neither May-or-Elect Richard Thomas nor Westchester County

Legislator Lyndon Williams had any legal right to file a lawsuit to stop work at Memorial Field. Therefore, it was ordered that their case is dis-missed.

“I formerly cautioned Mayor-Elect Thomas against the folly of follow-ing dictates of Legislator Lyndon

Williams. Now we have accrued a legal bill for an activity that could have easily been resolved through cooperation,” said Davis.

“This lawsuit has contributed to embarrassing the city and creating a bill that the Mayor-Elect’s admin-istration will be charged with pay-ing. As time goes on I hope better decision-making will be advised to avoid future frivolity and strain on the city’s financial resources.”

I read with dismay outgoing Mayor Davis’ attempt to chide Mayor-Elect Richard Thomas’ Fiscal Advisory Committee for their efforts to put Mount Vernon on a

path of fiscal responsibility and economic empowerment.

It is mind-boggling that citizens are now being given a lecture on the differences between city government and the school system. Mayor Davis and his allies have had ample time to advocate effectively for taxpayers and the business community. His administration’s overall body of work has proven to be a mixed bag of anti-busi-ness policies and rare accomplishments (e.g. Arts on Third).

All throughout the Ernie Davis era, we have witnessed an overall lack of fiscal responsibility, an unwillingness to col-laborate with government colleagues and community stakeholders, and an alarming propensity for promoting PILOT-laden af-fordable housing projects in our commu-nity. The last trend is perhaps the most troubling in that true progress has fre-quently played second fiddle to affordable housing projects controlled by outside in-vestors with little or no regard for improv-ing our communities.

This controversial practice has been touted by Ernie Davis from the outset of his tenure, and it may very well prove to be his most enduring legacy. Suffice it to say, when our city (still one of the densest in the entire country) continues to promote this type of reckless and unsustainable development, there is untold strain placed on city services and our schools.

Attracting thousands of individuals from outside of Mount Vernon without first ad-dressing our crumbling infrastructure and constrained service sector is not fiscally sound. As the Chief Executive, the Mayor has a fundamental responsibility to tend to struggling citizens and business own-ers and work with them to make our city vibrant and confident once again.

Come January 1, I sincerely hope that Mount Vernonites will join me in my en-thusiastic support of Mayor-Elect Thomas and his Fiscal Advisory Committee as they work to create a framework of progress by which Mount Vernon can and will move into the 21st century at long last.

Sean McIntyreMount Vernon resident & past Board

Member, MV Urban Renewal Agency

LETTER TO THE EDITOR







Linda Wescott (l) being being presented a flat screen LED

television by Nancy, a Circle Rx Pharmacy employee

For the last three years dur-ing the holiday season, Circle Rx Pharmacy, located at 120 Gramatan Avenue, has pro-

vided a “One Dollar” raffle for a flat screen LED television. This year the

Circle Rx announces winner of “One Dollar” Raffle

lucky winner was, Linda Wescott, a Mount Vernon resident.

Circle Rx has been providing the Mount Vernon community with professional, caring pharmaceuti-cal services for many years. Mark Rauchwerger, their pharmacist, has over 37 years of experience, and this is his second pharmacy location in Mount Vernon.

Over ten years ago Mark owned a pharmacy down the street from the current location, and when it burned down he was forced to start all over. His passion for helping the commu-nity helped him to rebuild, and he was proud to come back bigger and better than ever!

Circle Rx can be reached at 914-665-5555.




jaFa’s Poets Corner2007 - PRESENT

Poems Submitted by Our Readers Edited by jaFa (James Fair)

JAFA’S POETS CORNER (8TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY)Edited by james “jAFa” FairMay the Muse of Poetry continue to inspire.

CHRISTMASAuthor: Norma BeckfordMount Vernon resident

Christmas is a happy time of yeara season of love and good cheerA time of caring and sharing, a tme of giv-ing and receivingA time of celebrating; Family, friends, fun and laughter, peace, love and joyBut there are those who are burdened with a weight of care and has no one to share their loadChildren without a mom or dadNo stockings, no gifts, no Santa ClausThe homeless, the incarcerated, the sick and helpless. For such, Christmas is a time of loneliness and deep despairTake a moment, consider those who are less fortunate, instead of criticizing and con-demning; extend a helping hand, a kind word, an encourging smile, an act of kind-ness. Try to heal the wounded heart and fill the deep void withinMaking Christmas a happy time for all

WAKING HOMEAuthor: Gerlyne D. MaitreMount Vernon resident

Young girl walking homeBirds chirpingCats MeowingBelieving once again in oxygenLeaves falling on a fall day slippery from rainWho cares?Anonymous from her umbrellaHidden from viewShort and happy

Powerful winds rocking her small frameHer problems far away redWhat a beauty that natureWhat cruelty to enjoy so much happiness

Aaw!Author: William P. ThomaMount Vernon resident (for 85 years long)

It never occurs, when you hang up your spurs, and have to quit driving your car, that wherever you’d go, unless it’s nearby, that the trip without “wheels” is too far.

Landlocked where you are,you can’t hop in the car and visit the bake-shop or bar.It used to be nice just to meet with the guys and enjoy an ad lib game of cards.

So all you young lads,who now worry your dads as to whether you’ll safely arrive, have compassion on pop, who now has to stop taking you and your mom for a drive.

WHY I WRITE (inspired by the lecture giv-en by Mr. James Fair) Author: Chante ThomasMount Vernon resident

My words are my weapons,I can kill you with my words.I can set you free on paper.You can see my heart with each combina-tion of letters.You can’t judge my face or the tone of my voice because when you see my words, you see you. I am a reflection of you and,I write so you can see.

TO OUR READERS & SUPPORTERSFrom the editor: james “jAFa” Fair

This year JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 8th year. We are the longest, continuously, running poetry column in any local area monthly publication. We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who have

so generously supported us. THANK YOU!

Please email your poems to [email protected] or mail a (typed copy please) to James Fair, 153 South 5th Ave., Apt 6B, Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Jim and Annie Kiselak’s Natural Food Column

Direct from the sunny island of Vieques, Puerto Rico

Why lemon/lime water is essential first thing

in the morningA glass of warm lemon or lime-

water first thing in the morning is surprisingly helpful in several ways. Here are ten reasons why:

1) The warm lemon water helps purify and stimulate the liver. Lem-on/lime water liquefies bile while inhibiting excess bile flow.

2) Warm lemon/lime water aids digestion. Its atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydro-chloric acid of digestive juices.

3) The liver produces more en-zymes from lemon/lime water than any other food, according to A.F. Beddoe, author of Biological Ion-ization as Applied to Human Nutri-tion.

4) The lemon/lime water helps bowels eliminate naturally and eas-ily.

5) Lemons and limes are high in potassium. Potassium is an im-portant mineral that works with sodium for smooth electrical trans-mission in the brain and nervous system. Depression, anxiety, fog-giness, and forgetfulness can often be traced to low potassium blood levels. That same nervous system needs potassium to assure steady signals to the heart.

6) Calcium and magnesium are plentiful in good ratio to each other in lemon/lime water. Magnesium is important for heart health and cal-cium prevents rickets.

7) Lemon/lime water can help lower blood pressure.

8) Lemon/lime water has an al-kalizing effect in the body as it is buffered. Even if you drink the wa-ter just before any meal, it will help your body maintain a higher pH than if you didn’t drink it. The high-er or more alkaline your pH, the more your inner terrain is resistant to minor and major disease.

9) Helps dilute uric acid, which if it accumulates it creates arthritic pain or gout.

10) Helps reduce phlegm in the body.

How and WhenWarm, purified, fluoride-free

water or spring water should be consumed. At least a half of a lemon or lime should be thoroughly squeezed into a half glass of the warm water without any sweet-ener. It’s better to use a lemon/lime squeezer to get maximum juice with minimum seeds and effort. The water should be consumed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and don’t start eating breakfast right away. Some recommend waiting an hour before eating for maximum results.

The warm lemon/lime water daily habit is as cheap and easy as it gets to help you improve and main-tain your health.

Mount Vernon Youth Bureau 2016 Winter After-School Employment Applications

Mayor Ernest D. Davis, and the Executive Director of the Youth Bureau, DaMia Harris-Madden, want to remind you

that, as of Monday, January 25th – Fri-day, January 29th, the 2016 Winter After-School Youth Employment Applications will be available on the following web-sites:

• www.cmvny.com• http://youth.cmvny.comApplications will also be available at

City Hall -Youth Bureau (Room 306) and the following middle and high schools:

• A.B. Davis Middle School - Main of-fice

• Benjamin Turner Middle School (Longfellow) - Main office MVHS -STRONG Program – Room 237

• MVHS -Career Center – Room 10• Thornton High School –Main office• Mandela High School – Main office All youth aged 14-18, and who are at-

tending school, are encouraged to print-

out or pick-up an application from the above-mentioned websites or locations. Applications will be accepted during the week of Monday, January 25th – Friday, January 29th from 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm. All applications should be returned to the Youth Bureau, located in Mount Vernon City Hall at One Roosevelt Square, Room 306.

Youth must be Mount Vernon residents in order to be considered for an after-school employment opportunity.

The Youth Bureau is seeking monetary donations for employment and training programs that operate throughout the year. For further information regarding donations, please contact DaMia Har-ris at (914) 665-2344 or [email protected]. For further information regarding 2016 After-School Employment, please contact Debbie Burrell-Butler at (914) 665-2346 or [email protected].




How to maintain brain health

A few decades ago, the state of your brain was believed to be beyond your control. Conven-

tional wisdom taught that people are born with a certain number of brain cells, which die over time and are not replaced. But recent years have brought good news: although the areas of the brain associated with memory and rea-son shrink with age, you can add still add brain cells and build new connections between those cells throughout your life.

Dr. Bradford Dickerson, asso-ciate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, stud-ies how the structure and func-tion of brain areas involved with memory and reasoning change with age. “Many of the activi-ties linked to a reduced risk of dementia may truly be helpful in preserving memory and reason-ing,” he says. The following lead the list.

1. Physical exercise. “The best evidence so far is for aerobic ex-ercise and physical fitness,” Dr. Dickerson says. Not only have scores of observational studies linked regular aerobic exercise to reduced risk of dementia, the results of several random-ized controlled clinical trials and a few imaging studies indicate that aerobic exercise increases brain mass and improves reason-ing ability. In studies of healthy people that showed the great-est positive effect, people got an average of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week over a year. Moreover, controlled tri-als in people with mild cognitive impairment showed that exercise was effective in arresting decline. There is also some evidence that mastering more complicated physical activities, like dance or sports, has greater benefits than repeating simpler ones, like walk-ing. What the studies haven’t de-termined is whether the benefits of exercise disappear when peo-

ple become sedentary.2. Mediterranean diet. The

Mediterranean diet—high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes; moderate in olive oil and unsaturated fats, cheese and yogurt, and wine; and low in red meat—has been a mainstay of cardiac prevention for almost 20 years. More than a dozen ob-servational studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is also associated with a reduced risk of dementia. In those inves-tigations, people who adhered to the diet most closely had the greatest reduction in risk. Al-though the few randomized con-trolled trials have been too short to yield meaningful results, the diet’s proven heart-healthy ef-fects alone make it worth follow-ing.

3. Social connectedness. Evi-dence from observational studies linking reduced risk of dementia with social connectedness dates to the 1990s. As researchers have looked into these connec-tions more deeply, they have discovered that variety and satis-faction in social contacts is more important than the size of a per-son’s social network.

4. Mental stimulation. There is some evidence that challenges like playing a musical instrument or learning another language have more benefits than repeti-tive exercises like crossword puzzles. Although “brain-train-ing” programs are a multi-mil-lion-dollar industry, there is no conclusive evidence that any of them improves memory or rea-soning ability. “We don’t know whether playing brain games is helpful,” Dr. Dickerson says. “Getting together with family and friends to play cards may be as good.”

Note: The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for profession-al medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Alternative Medicine Options

by

Joe Parisi

What Can We Do?

When our children return to school in January, they will have finished

four months of the school year. How are they doing? Success in school depends upon several factors, but parent vigilance and involvement are at the top of the list. As I have stated so many times, you must pay attention to behavior, attitude, and abil-ity to complete academic tasks in school and at home. If the teacher informs you of prob-lems, respond immediately. Make an appointment to meet with the teacher to discuss the problems and solutions to cor-rect them. Solutions are the key. When we know how to fix the problem, we can begin mak-ing the necessary changes. Our children don’t want to fail. They don’t want to get in trouble. But they are children and they do not have all the answers, even though they may act as if they do! Parents and teachers must work together and support each other to help children learn how to assume responsibility to achieve success.

Here are some of the issues and solutions that may help:

Attention – Is your child able to pay attention throughout the school day? If not, why not? Children must come to school rested and ready to concentrate. A good night’s sleep is essential. Parents, you must establish a bedtime and stick to it!

Distraction – Is your child dis-tracted during the day? Per-haps he cannot keep up with the pace of the lesson in a large group setting. He would prob-ably benefit from instruction in a smaller group. This gives the teacher the opportunity to pro-vide alternate strategies and more review and reinforcement. In a smaller group the teacher can focus on individual prob-lems which will benefit other students who may have similar issues.

Modifications – Modifying class and home assignments will help struggling students. Assigning fewer questions helps children focus on each item without rushing through the as-signment in order to finish it. The purpose of an assignment is to learn from it. When a child is taught how to locate informa-tion, he can answer questions correctly. This is a skill that is of-ten taken for granted, but many children need specific instruc-tion to learn how to look back in the text to connect the state-ment with the question. Taking the time to review vocabulary will help assure that children can read their assignments with ease and confidence. Modifica-tions are fair and they work!

Accommodations – Can your child see the blackboard? Can he hear the teacher clearly and follow the discussion? If you have any question about this, ask the school nurse to check vision and hearing. Ask her if there are any companies that offer free glasses to children whose parents cannot afford to pay for them. If there are hear-ing issues, there are implements that can help children. Howev-er, parents must ask for informa-tion. If you think that your child needs to sit closer to the teach-er away from distractions, let the teacher know. Parents, you know your child best, so don’t be afraid to ask for accommo-dations that will help your child learn. You are part of the team.

There are some who say that accommodations and modifi-cations are not fair. The fact is that what is not fair is teaching every child in the same way, particularly, if we know that they learn differently and can benefit from alternate strategies. When our children achieve success in school they have a chance to succeed in life. Keep this goal in mind. Success is the only op-tion!

EDUCATION COLUMNBy Diane Fulves, M.A., M.Ed.,

Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTS

Email: [email protected]




(I to r) Reverend Thomas, Tarik Sweeny, Hector Millan, Phillip Ballinger, Rich Williams, Trevon Thomas, Kalim Haygood, Cheryl Dennis and volunteer teacher

Cheryl Dennis, program director

Kevin M. McGuire, Westchester County Department of Social

Services Commissioner

Adrian Armstrong,City Court Judge

On December 6th, the Oneness Rehoboth Apostolic Church hosted the Catalyst Program’s Third Annual Life Skills Cer-

tificate Ceremony. Family, parishioners, guest speakers and clergy assembled to support nine very special graduates (one graduate was not in attendance). Congre-gants and community leaders alike saw fit to honor these men as they embark on a new life. Catalyst graduates have at least two things in common: all had completed the comprehensive 12-week program, and they were all formerly incarcerated.

Brainchild of Reverend Arthur Thomas, Senior Pastor of Oneness Rehoboth Ap-ostolic Church, the Catalyst Program seeks to give select parolees more than a fighting chance on the outside. Strength-ening mind, body and spirit – with prayer as a key component – is the overall goal of Catalyst. Every Wednesday evening, par-ticipants attended modules on everything from anger management and parenting to courtship, marriage and finance. Address-ing these compelling life management topics gives the men tools to navigate so-

ciety post-incarceration; a world not-so-friendly to ex-offenders.

Guest speaker and newly-elected Mount Vernon City Court Judge, Adrian Armstrong, spoke quite candidly to the eight men. Having worked on domestic violence and sexual abuse cases at the Bronx District Attorney’s office, Judge Armstrong pulled no punches. “Failure is not an option,” he exclaimed when noting that times will be hard for those not wish-ing to return to prison. He also stressed the importance of keeping the right com-pany. “If you’re the smartest person in your group, you’re in the wrong group,” said Armstrong.

The other guest speaker, Westchester County Department of Social Services Commissioner, Kevin M. McGuire, shared insights from his own background. Mc-Guire is a South Bronx native and social worker by profession, and he has seen the effects of drug addiction up close. “I could stand on 149th Street and nobody would bother. Most of my friends growing up were on drugs and they probably thought that I was visiting the methadone clinic as

The Catalyst Program Life Skills Certificate CeremonyStory by Paul Stewart

well,” Commissioner McGuire said. “The national recidivism rate is 66% - within three years, two out of every three offend-ers will return to prison. It’s encouraging to find a program as successful as Catalyst.”

Commissioner McGuire was referring to the fact that, in five cycles, a mere 3 out of 32 participants in Catalyst have reoff-ended. Presently, Catalyst has a 9% re-cidivism rate for its graduates. While some haven’t made their pivotal three-year mark yet, the statistic is still quite impressive.

Catalyst Director Cheryl Dennis – along with the 15 volunteer staff members – has worked diligently to the make the program a success. Catalyst has been a collabora-tive effort between the Oneness Rehoboth Apostolic Church, the Department of So-cial Services and the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Parole Officer Maria Rios was the first to

hand-pick participants from her caseload. The only Catalyst program admission cri-teria are that an offender be at least 21 years old, and not a sex offender.

In response to a question about why Catalyst has been so successful, Rev-erend Thomas said, “it’s the mentoring aspect of the program - ours is the only program in the region with one-on-one mentors. Mentors establish relationships with participants and stay in touch long after the cycle is over.”

In his closing remarks, Reverend Thom-as offered words of hope and encourage-ment. “Life is a cycle of lessons; we’ll keep having the same lessons until we learn them.” Referring to past mistakes, Thomas simply said, “We all have a past, but the past is just that, the past.” If you’re interested in learning more about Catalyst, contact Cheryl Dennis at (914) 667-8209.

Rohan Cassells displaying his award with Athletic

director Patrick Kennedy

Mt. Vernon resident named top student athlete at Harvey

Mount Vernon resident Rohan Cassells has been selected as The Harvey School’s top student athlete for the fall.

Cassells, a senior at the coed in-dependent prep school in Katonah, was the varsity cross-country team’s top runner, finishing 11th overall in the Housatonic Valley Athletic League rankings, receiving HVAL All League recognition. Cassells is a Cavalier Scholar with a 4.0 grade-point av-erage. Julia Frisch of Brewster was named top female student athlete.

Athletic director Patrick Kennedy had high praise for Cassells and Frisch. “Rohan and Julia deserve this recogni-tion for their great efforts and success in sports while taking on a heavy load of challenging academic courses. They embody what it means to be a student athlete at Harvey.”

Cassells is currently a starter on Har-vey’s varsity basketball team.




Karen Thomas standing underneath a mega advertising fixture at the

County Center displaying her name

December 7th declared “Karen D. Thomas Day” in Westchester County

December 7th was declared “Karen D. Thomas Day” in Westchester County to honor Wartburg’s Development Assis-

tant and prominent Mount Vernon com-munity advocate.

At Friday’s Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce Gala, County Legislator Lyndon Williams declared December 7, 2015, Karen D. Thomas Day in Westches-ter County. The honor was bestowed upon Ms. Thomas when she accepted the Award for Years of Service.

“I am proud of this honorific award and continue to be a part of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce. And like Wart-burg’s mission to serve those in need, I am thankful for Wartburg’s support of my advocacy efforts on behalf of the Mount Vernon community. What an honor – my heart is overwhelmed with thanks and praise,” said Ms. Thomas.

Karen’s commitment, dedication and involvement in community activities, past

and present, includes: the Mayor’s Se-nior Advisory Board; the Junior League of Bronxville Advisory Board; Volunteer Chairperson of the Ben Gordon New Life Foundation; the Media/Public Relations Committee of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change; The Future Society Inc.; and Team Cap-tain, American Cancer Society Relay for Life Mt. Vernon. Thomas co-chaired the Sponsorship Committee of the Arts on Third Festival, and she was also the 2013 recipient of Mayor Ernest Davis and the Arts on Third Committee’s Community Service Award.

In 2001, Karen Thomas joined the Wartburg Family as Community Liaison and Executive Assistant to the Presi-dent of the Wartburg Foundation. During her 14 year tenure, Thomas has shown her business acumen and is currently a valued member of the Development De-partment Team with major emphasis on deepening Wartburg’s partnerships in the community and beyond.

“As a valued member of the Develop-ment Team, I couldn’t be prouder to cele-brate this honor with Ms. Thomas. I have personally seen her work tirelessly on behalf of the Mount Vernon Community to ensure that everyone who resides here lives their best life.” said Angela Ciminel-lo, Wartburg’s Director of Development and Marketing. “Her level of commitment to her community is exemplary.”

David Gentner, Wartburg President and CEO said, “Ms. Thomas has been the designated representative for Wartburg for as long as many of us can remember. Through her work with the Chamber, Kar-en has enabled Wartburg to optimize our organization’s value to the community in many ways. We are thankful for Karen’s work in this area and are pleased to join her in celebrating this well-deserved rec-ognition.”

Mount Vernon film program to welcome young Haitian

filmmakers

Thanks to the support of Mayor Ernest D. Davis, Media Magic evted @ the Doles will launch its new visiting filmmakers project

in collaboration with Building Sustainable Borders and the Ciné Institute of Haiti. The project is part of an ongoing effort to ex-pose Mount Vernon student-participants and the broader community to as wide and varied a media experience as pos-sible.

“Media Magic evted is a program that I strongly support that offers opportunity to our young people by trained profession-als,” said Mayor Ernest D. Davis. “Eric Tait is a well-respected media consultant and award-winning broadcast journalist and documentarian who previously mentored Mount Vernon youth while filming a docu-mentary on New York City’s African Burial Ground. He’s been back in the city for over two years to help young people prepare for careers in television, production and filmmaking.”

From January 11 thru April 8, 2016, graduate students from the Ciné Institute in Jacmel, Haiti will join Media Magic’s in-structors as teachers’ assistants in film, audio, lighting and editing techniques. Some of the graduate students’ film works may be screened in next spring’s Mount Vernon International Film Festival slated for March 31 – April 2, 2016. By screen-ing their films and sharing their personal stories at this event, the filmmakers will focus a spotlight on this special cultural exchange opportunity in the City of Mount Vernon.

Support for the visiting filmmakers will be provided by a number of churches, or-ganizations and individual sponsors in the Mount Vernon area.

Building Sustainable Borders has served as a clearinghouse for more than

5 years, exposing underserved youth from developing countries to study abroad op-portunities that exist in the United States, as well as promoting humanitarian service opportunities for travelers abroad. With previous successes of students from the Dominican Republic in 2014 hosted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and in 2015 in collaboration with Essex County College, Building Sustainable Borders is continuing its dedication to work and ex-pand outreach on the island of Hispaniola with Ciné Institute in Jacmel, Haiti.

Ciné Institute is a premiere film school that offers its students a world-class ed-ucation and professional exposure. As young filmmakers and journalists, Ciné Institute students will share their educa-tional advancements with Media Magic as a cultural exchange experience.

Ciné Institute’s unique model begins with tuition-free education and hands-on college-level training in a two-year pro-gram. Their employment division brings in clients like Arcade Fire, Google, Partners in Health, and Donna Karan who provide real jobs and experience for students and alumni while producing top quality work. The organization’s professional support division builds on these programs, and gives a powerful voice to Haiti’s storytell-ers, broadening the vision of student film-makers.

Media Magic evted @ the Doles is a hands-on media training program that ex-poses Mount Vernon residents 14 years and older to a wide variety of film, broad-cast, graphic arts, and other media-re-lated, creative, journalistic, and technical skills.

For more information, contact Keith Gonzales, [email protected], 250 S. Sixth Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY, 10550, (914) 371-6735.

Rabbi Shira Milgrom, Senior Rabbi, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains,

teaching the many participants

400 attend Westchester Board of Rabbis Night of Jewish Learning and Celebration

400 people came out on Saturday, December 5 to Beth El Synagogue Center New Rochelle to learn and socialize at the biennial Night of

Jewish Learning and Celebration, pre-sented by the Westchester Jewish Coun-cil and The Westchester Board of Rabbis with financial support from UJA-Federa-tion of New York/Westchester.

The evening featured 32 workshops on a wide variety of topics, all taught by Westchester rabbis. Adult learners who participated in the evening were able to attend two workshops each, and Rabbi Fredda Cohen chaired the event. The eve-

ning concluded with an expansive dessert reception by Classic Marc Aaron Caterers with musical entertainment by Rabbi An-drew Bossov.

“This event truly brings together the en-tire Westchester Jewish community. The rabbis who teach, as well as the adult learners who attend, represent all denom-inations of Judaism. It is a wonderful op-portunity for the community to learn from clergy from around the county whom they may not know,” said Paul Warhit, Presi-dent of the Westchester Jewish Council. “We are so thankful to all the rabbis who give of their time and talent to make this

night possible.” Rabbi Morris Barzilai, Si-nai Free Synagogue, Mount Vernon, was one of the participating Rabbis.

The Westchester Jewish Council is the preeminent Jewish organization in West-chester which connects Westchester’s Jewish communities and strengthens relationships among 158 Jewish organi-zations and other ethnic and faith based groups, elected officials, Israel and the community at large. For more information, visit http://www.wjcouncil.org or call 914-328-7001.




Richard J. Senato presenting a check to a young lady standing next to him to help defray medical expenses on her fight against cancer

Mayor Davis (r) and elected officials during the tree lighting countdown

The Mount Vernon Intergenerational Choir provided musical entertainment

Two young ladies giving out free healthy treats

A young boy is all smiles as mom gives him a Christmas gift

On a chilly December 16, hundreds of children, all accompanied by their par-ents and bundled up from

the elements, stood on a very long line anxiously awaiting Santa Claus’ arrival. When Santa Claus finally ar-rived, a loud cheer could be heard several blocks away.

While Santa was busy giving candy and toys away to the kids, the May-or’s Interfaith Choir was busy singing Christmas carols to the delight of the hundreds that braved the cold weath-er to attend the festivities. Also giving away candy to the kids and greet-ing the parents was Mayor Ernest D. Davis, who was attending his last holiday celebration and tree lighting ceremony.

For some unexplained reason, missing this year were the Three Kings. The Three Kings have been a part of the tree lighting for the past

three years and have been a popu-lar addition. The Three Kings repre-sent the journey from distant lands to Bethlehem while bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh upon the birth of baby Jesus, and they are popular among residents from Span-ish speaking countries.

After the speeches, the mayor commenced a countdown that led to the lighting of the large and beautiful Christmas tree positioned right out-side City Hall.

For the past few years, Fred Schwam, CEO of American Christ-mas, which is based in Mount Ver-non, has donated and installed a twenty-foot Christmas tree in front of City Hall.

This year’s festive event would not have been possible without the gen-erous donation provided by Richard J. Senato, founder of Love Holds Life Children’s Cancer Foundation, which

Holiday celebration and tree lighting ceremony enjoyed by hundreds at Mount Vernon City Hall

enabled the city to purchase the large amount of toys needed for the event.

Everybody in attendance was able to enjoy the spirit of the holiday season.




Janice Duarte speaking at press conference against the closing of the Mt. Vernon Probation Office

Closing of Mt. Vernon probation office a threat to public safety

On December 15, 2015, the West-chester County Probation office closed the doors at its Mount Vernon location after over 30

years of service.The absence of the probation office

will put an extra burden on families that are already financially strapped, forcing their children to travel to different cities for programs. The lack of a probation office in Mount Vernon will result in a decline in the number of offenders reporting, may in-crease the chances of our youth being ex-posed to more criminal activity, and may put more of a burden on our local police department, and ultimately, our taxpayers.

Mount Vernon is a city that needs in-creased services and resources in all ave-nues of public safety. By cutting resources in this much-needed department, West-chester County will indeed be creating a threat to public safety in the City of Mount Vernon.

We are asking residents of Mount Ver-non to email or call the Westchester Coun-ty Executive, Robert Astorino,

[email protected] (914) 995-2127, and our County Legislator, Lyndon Williams, [email protected] (914) 995-2837, and demand full proba-tion services in Mount Vernon.

Mount Vernon Independence Club

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

County Probation Commissioner sends Davis letter on closing of Mt. Vernon office

Dear Mayor Davis,Thank you for your letter of

December 10, concerning the closing of the Probation De-

partment District Office at 22-24 South 3rd Avenue.

During my entire tenure as Commis-sioner of Probation I have always placed an emphasis on working with those in need of our services in the community. Let me assure you that it is our intent to continue to provide these services within the community of Mount Vernon.

At the present time, the Probation De-partment is planning to maintain a com-munity presence by securing space at our county-owned facility at 100 First Avenue, Mount Vernon. This space will be utilized by officers to interview those

individuals who must be seen in Mount Vernon for a myriad of reasons. Also, I am securing conference room space so our newly created GED program can continue to function.

In your letter you expressed concern about young individuals experiencing a hardship because they will now be re-quired to receive services in our White Plains office. Actually, this relocation will not affect any individuals who are sent to us by the Family Court (PINS and JD cases). Our District Office, located with the Family Court in New Rochelle, has always provided these services. If of-ficers need to see families or children who cannot travel to New Rochelle, they will continue to provide these services at our new offices in Mount Vernon, as

they do presently. Also, Probation Of-ficers are required and are expected to provide supervision and services by vis-iting schools, residences and programs in the community. This department is placing a much higher emphasis on field contact rather than office contact.

I am confident the professionalism of my probation staff will remain steadfast in attempting to maintain our current high success rate of getting individuals through their court-mandated probation sentences. The Astorino Administration has already provided additional rev-enues to cover off-hour field contacts. Also, vehicles that will be needed in or-der to make probation officers mobile are being made available to them.

Some perceived fears that individuals

will be penalized and incarcerated be-cause they are unable to report to White Plains, will be closely monitored by my administration. It is not in the best inter-est of this county to burden our correc-tional system with such matters.

In conclusion, we expect this transi-tion to cause little disruption to our de-partment’s ability to provide services to your constituency while still maintaining a presence in the Mount Vernon Com-munity.

Sincerely,Rocco A. PozziCommissionerWestchester County Department of Probation

His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan blessing the inmates

Astorino joins Cardinal Dolan in offering message of hope to inmates

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino joined more than 150 inmates

and staffers at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla to listen to His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan say a holiday Mass. The Cardinal’s message was full of hope, love, and redemption, and it was well received by all in at-tendance.

In his homily, the Cardinal ex-plained that his visit was follow-ing Jesus’ teaching according to the Book of Matthew, that one

does to Him what one does to the least of His brethren, whether it be feeding the poor or visiting the imprisoned.

The Cardinal concluded by re-minding the inmates that God was with them in jail and that they should not be afraid and not get discouraged.

Astorino also delivered brief re-marks saying, “No one is beyond Christ’s love and power to re-deem. God is ready to give mercy if you repent and cry out for it… Let this Christmas season be a rebirth within you.”




(l to r) Sheridan Denfeld, President (JLB), Roberta Apuzzo and Mitzi Washington, President-Elect (JLB) Santa Claus was kept very busy as expected

Young volunteers giving out hundreds of toys

Young volunteers giving out gloves and hats

Volunteers on a break

People trying on coats

Community Service Associates (CSA) of Mount Vernon, better known as the “Soup Kitchen” located at Sacred Heart Church,

held its Annual Holiday Party on Friday, December 11.

An unprecedented number of people turned out for the festivities, requiring about a dozen police officers to control the excited crowd. The annual event al-ways draws a lot of citizens, but this year’s event topped all other years in terms of the number of children that turned out, ac-companied by parents or family members.

In attendance was the bearded man from the North Pole, Santa Claus, who put smiles on many of the kids’ faces. Dozens of volunteers assisted Roberta Apuzzo, Director of Community Service Associ-ates, in making the event a total success once again this year.

A big contributor this year was The Ju-nior League of Bronxville (JLB) who, as a unified team, collected 400 slightly used coats and donated them to Community Service Associates for their annual event.

“Every year our volunteers help families in need shop for a new coat at Commu-

CSA donates toys and over 400 coats during Annual Holiday Party

nity Service Associates. Working with the families and children one-on-one is very gratifying for our volunteers,” said Sheri-dan Denfeld, President.

“This event is anticipated each year by the community and highlights the holidays and the giving spirit of the season,” said Apuzzo.

The Junior League of Bronxville and Community Service Associates are grate-ful to all who donated this year and every

year. This year in particular is very special, since Sacred Heart Church will be closing soon and CSA is urgently searching for a new home. Community Service Associ-ates has been providing vital services to the community as one of the largest soup kitchens in lower Westchester for over 20 years, and many are hoping the organiza-tion finds a new home near their current location.




Richard Thomas announces his Fiscal Advisory Committee

On Tuesday, December 15th, 2015, at a reception hosted by the Business Council of West-chester, Mayor-elect Richard

Thomas announced the members of his Fiscal Advisory Committee (FAC). The Committee is tasked with counseling Mayor-elect Thomas on the city’s fiscal matters, and offering innovative recom-mendations for improving the city’s fi-nances. The members are a diverse group of professionals from both the private and public sector, with a wide range of finan-cial expertise.

The members of the Mayor-elect’s Fis-cal Advisory Committee are:

· Donald Cecil, philanthropist and found-ing partner of Cumberland Funds, for-mer board member of the MTA, and former chairman of the Westchester Transportation Board

· Lee Kyriacou, architect of the “Tax Cap” as former executive director of NYS Office of Real Property Services, now Managing Director at Novantas, and Beacon City Councilman

· Mike Bailey, Director of Finance, Amani Public Charter School

· Thomas Keller, MBA, local stakeholder and budget enthusiast

· Itana Smith, CPA, Partner, Director FP&A, MEC Global and NYU Stern Ex-ecutive MBA (expected January 2017)

“The knowledge and expert advice from the Fiscal Advisory Committee provides

an excellent opportunity to put Mount Vernon’s financial house in order,” said Thomas. “The City has been without true financial leadership for decades, which is obvious from the size of the potholes swallowing strollers in our streets, and the pain caused by Mount Vernon’s crushing tax rates.”

“The proposed 2016 budget advanced by the outgoing administration is harm-ful to public safety and degrades quality of life. It eliminates six police officer po-sitions, five firefighters, underfunds road repairs, and provides a false sense of the risks that lie ahead, including Memorial Field.

“With this in mind, the FAC is now work-ing to recommend responsible adjust-ments which prioritize cost-savings and operational efficiencies. In looking to the future, we will go department by de-partment, and neighborhood by neigh-borhood, to design an affordable capital plan to create safe, clean, smooth streets throughout Mount Vernon,” said Mayor-elect Thomas.

For background purposes, it is impor-tant to note that Mount Vernon has not had a capital plan in TWO DECADES. With his Fiscal Advisory Committee, Thomas is using his network’s power to ensure that critical priorities and values of Mount Ver-non residents are reflected in his fiscal management approach to bring Mount Vernon into the 21st century.

Thomas appoints Robert Kelly as Deputy Mayor for

Public Safety

In keeping with his commitment to public safety, Mayor-elect Richard Thomas announced the first ap-pointment to his administration

- Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Robert “Bob” Kelly.

Kelly was born and raised in Mount Vernon. He attended Mount Vernon public schools and began his career in the Mount Vernon Po-lice Department where he rose to the rank of Captain commanding the entire Detective Division. Kelly was recruited to work for Westchester County District Attorney Janet Di-Fiore, who tapped him to develop the Westchester Intelligence Center. The Westchester Intelligence Center is an analytical system which oper-ates as a resource for all 43 police departments in Westchester County. Kelly designed and implemented the ground-breaking center to facilitate information sharing among County police departments, allowing for bet-ter sharing of resources and keeping police officers on the street and in their communities.

Mayor-elect Richard Thomas said, “Deputy Mayor Kelly’s appointment follows through on my promise to protect Mount Vernon and bring change to City Hall. He has the en-ergy, passion, and proven abilities to innovate and solve complex prob-lems. More importantly, he shares our vision and values to operate smarter by leveraging new technolo-gies, along with traditional tactics, to counter modern threats to public safety.”

Bob Kelly said, “Public safety is the first and most important responsibil-ity that government has to the com-munity it serves. I have a great deal of confidence in the professional fire-fighters and police officers of Mount Vernon to meet this obligation, and I look forward to working alongside them to meet this goal.”

The Deputy Mayor for Public Safe-ty will be in charge of the Fire Depart-ment, the Police Department and Emergency Services, consolidating functions and integrating essential services.




Mayor-Elect Richard Thomas speaking during the public hearing on the budget

Members of the Board of Estimate and Contract, consisting of Mayor Davis (c) Comptroller Maureen Walker

(l) and City Council President Marcus Griffith

A poorly attended public hearing on the pro-posed 2016 City of Mount Vernon bud-

get was held Wednesday night, December 16, and those in at-tendance were simply amazed about what they heard Mayor Ernest D. Davis state. The poorly attended session had to do with two factors – people getting ready for Christmas and an article that appeared in the daily paper tipping people off on the actual proposed numbers.

“For the first time since I have been mayor of Mount Vernon, we are proposing a budget that provides taxpayers with the smallest property tax in-crease possible without affect-ing services,” said Davis. “We have been working together as a team, and if we continue to do this the city will be in better shape.”

The numbers currently being proposed by the Board of Esti-mate and Contract, consisting of Mayor Davis, Comptroller

Maureen Walker and City Coun-cil President Marcus Griffith, entails a very attractive $103.9 million municipal budget for 2016.

“The citizens of Mount Vernon have been financially burdened for too long and we decided to use $2 million of fund balance to help alleviate the tax burden,” said Walker.

“Please understand that the bulk of your tax dollars go to the School District (63.72%) with 8.91% going to the county – leaving the city with 27.37% to run the fourth largest city in Westchester County,” empha-sized Davis. “If it wasn’t for the sales tax we generate from the Sandford Boulevard retail cor-ridor, Mount Vernon would be in deep trouble. Sales taxes represent the largest portion of city revenues at 41.45%. They offset the liability that would be incurred by the taxpayer and help fund numerous services and programs that citizens ex-pect and rely on.”

Incredibly, the 75 or so people in attendance were all for the budget and many spoke in favor of the budget during the public comment period. Nevertheless, Mayor-Elect Richard Thomas approached the podium and re-quested to establish a working dialogue with the board before taking office, in an effort to raise the numbers.

“I am totally against a reduc-tion of the Fire and Police bud-gets. Security is of paramount importance in Mount Vernon and we need to take a different approach and not reduce their operating budgets.”

“We actually have vacancies in both departments, which en-abled us to reduce their num-bers a bit,” said Walker.

Many who spoke thanked the panel for not reducing the Youth Bureau’s budget. Many of the speakers were students who have been employed by the Youth bureau during the summer months, as well as one grateful parent.

Mount Vernon’s highly detest-ed community activist, Samuel Rivers, actually addressed the panel and thanked them for put-ting together a favorable bud-get, which came as a shock, since he normally attends all public hearings to assail city of-ficials.

The proposed spending plan is a $3.1 million increase over the $100.8 million 2015 budget, and most homeowners would pay about $100 more on a prop-erty assessed at $12,000.

The Board of Estate and Con-tract met once again and further reduced their 2016 proposed budget to 2.13 from 2.19.

“The change was a result of a settlement of labor con-tracts with two unions that freed up about $35,000,” said City Comptroller Maureen Walker.

After a final public hearing, the City Council officially voted and approved the budget just days before the end of the year.

Mayor-Elect Thomas unhappy with $103.9 million proposed 2016 budget




‘Ask the Pharmacist’Mark Rauchwerger

Circle Rx Pharmacy120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon

914-665-5555

Question:

Question:

Answer:

Answer:

I am a 55 years old female. I have noticed that my memory has been getting really bad lately. I understand I’m get-ting old but it’s getting worse

to the point that I can’t even remember things that I do in the same day. What do I need to do?

I am too embarrassed to talk to my doctor about this: I’m 62-year-old woman, and I

think I am incontinent. Is there any medicine for this, or is it just part of getting old?

First of all, you need to be taking a daily multi-vitamin. “one a day for women 50+” should be good. Yyou can take an OTC product called Ginko bibloba. It’s believed to work really well with memory problems, just make sure you are not on any anticoagulant or not taking any blood thin-

ner medications as they might interact together. if things still don’t get any better then you probably need to be seen as this could be something that requires a doctor intervention.

Also, sometimes memory problems are a cause of hav-ing depression or stress.

A number of prescription medications have been de-veloped to treat urinary in-continence (the involuntary leakage of urine). All are avail-able as pills; one of the newer ones—oxybutynin—comes in a patch version. All work in much the same way: to block nerve impulses to the blad-der that make it contract and therefore leak.

Older people are indeed more likely to experience uri-nary incontinence due to age-related changes in the body, but people of any age may experience it for a variety of reasons. According to a 2004 survey from the National As-

sociation for Continence, women do not seek treatment until they’ve lived with their symptoms for an average of 6 1/2 years; men delay for around four years.

However, there’s no need to suffer in silence. Talk to your doctor—even if you feel em-barrassed or self-conscious. Depending on your particular situation, besides medication, incontinence can be treated in a variety of ways, from be-havioral therapy to surgery. (There are four general types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence, urge inconti-nence, overflow incontinence, and functional incontinence.)










Documents

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · 2015-12-30 · n December 3rd, Allen Nor-man, Jr. made his transition. The rst of ve children, Al - len Norman, Jr. was born in