Saving the Catholic Schools in Yonkers PAL Christmas Party MAMA Tree Lighting at 9/11

WESTCHESTER’S OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED NEWSPAPERS

Vol 107 Number 50 Friday, December 14, 2012www.RisingMediaGroup.com

PRESORT-STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWhite Plains, NY

Permit #7164

By Dan MurphyIn a true act of political compromise, two

democratic legislators, Virginia Perez from Yon-kers and Michael Kaplowitz from Yorktown, joined with seven republican legislators and As-torino and agreed on a compromise county bud-get for 2013 on December 7.

To recap, Astorino submitted his budget proposal last month with a zero percent property tax increase but which included 126 layoffs and

required higher payments for child care for low middle income families and cuts to arts and day-care funding.

The Board of Legislators, which has a 10-7 majority of democrats, began its review of Astor-nio’s proposed budget, which included holding three public hearings throughout the county.

Democrats on the county board recommitted Astorino’s budget plan back to the board’s bud-

The McLean Avenue Merchants Associa-tion (MAMA), in cooperation with the City of Yonkers and the Yonkers Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation, held their annual Tree lighting at the new 9/11 Memorial at Conor

Park, located at the corner of McLean and Cen-tral Park avenues, on December 5.

MAMA President RJ Puma welcomed and all guests and participants. Sister Eileen Tre-

Editor’s Note: The Archdiocese of New York has announced that two Catholic elementary schools in Yonkers, St. Casimir and Our Lady of Fatima, are “at risk of closure.”

Dear Councilman Lesnick,I am writing to you on behalf of St. Casimir

School.The Archdiocese of New York may close

the school in June, but we are trying to meet the requirements they have set forth, which includes receiving commitments of $145,000 per year for the next three years.

Two years ago, when the Archdiocese had the

last round of closings, 90 percent of the schools designated as “at-risk” closed at the end of the school year.

Why is this school worth saving?• It is the last inner-city Catholic school in

Yonkers;• It serves a diverse population not reflected

in any of the other seven Yonkers Catholic schools;• A large percentage of the student population

are poor or working class; and• If St. Casimir School closes, many of the

230 students will transfer into the already overbur-

Actor Kevin Bacon recently spent time in downtown Yonkers filming for his new TV se-ries, “The Following.”

The Saw Mill River, which was recently uncovered at Van Der Donck Park in downtown Yonkers, was the location for filming, with a recreation of a carnival for a Mardi Gras Fest

the backdrop, with a Ferris wheel and carnival stands on display.

Film crews for “The Following” have been in Yonkers for two weeks and previously shot other scenes in Yonkers earlier this year, as well as in Mt. Pleasant and Bronxville.

The Yonkers Police Athletic League (PAL) held their 28th Annual Christmas Party last Sat-urday at the PAL’s Walshin Recreation Center for 300 mentally and physically challenged chil-dren and adults from Yonkers and the Hudson Valley.

The guests were given lunch, donated by Guilio’s Restaurant, desserts from Santos Bak-ery and beverages from Metro Dairy. Entertain-

ment was provided by DJ Sal Corrente and gui-tarist Ray Burghardt. Singer Karen Rodriguez, who was a finalist in the American Idol compe-tition in 2011, made a special appearance and sang to the crowd.

Angie Mongelli also sang holiday tunes to the crowd.

After a great meal, singing and dancing,

County Legislator Perez Agreesto Compromise County Budget

Saving the Catholic Schools in Yonkers

PAL Christmas Party

L to r: County Legislators Virginia Perez, Michael Kaplowitz, Michael Smith,David Gelfarb, Jim Maisano and John Testa look on as

County Executive Rob Astorino (center) signs the coalition budget

L to r: Henry Djonbalaj, Deidre O’Mara, MAMA President RJ Puma,Councilman Dennis Shepherd and a young holiday reveller

Santa (Chris Palandra) and Angie Mongelli

Continued on Page 6

In honor of the various cultural traditions of its staff and students, School 9 celebrated the his-tory and ceremony of Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah on Tuesday.

Participating in the joyous program were the

school’s administration, teachers, staff and stu-dents, who hoped to convey the message of re-spect while embracing one’s own holiday customs

It is worthwhile to honor the personal tradi-tions and heritages of others.

The cultural celebration at School 9

School 9 Celebrates the MulticulturalTraditions of the Holiday Season

The diverse St. Casimir pre-Kindergarten class

MAMA Tree Lightingat 9/11 Memorial

Photo by Ed Whitman

Photo by Greg Baldwin

Photo by Donna Davis

Kevin Bacon Filmsin Downtown Yonkers

Kevin Bacon on set for “The Following” in Yonkers

Photo by Joseph Panella

Continued on Page 10

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For more than 10 years, Yonkers Firefight-ers Local 628 has organized a “Fill the Boot” charity fund drive on Central Avenue in front of Fire Station 14.

To date, Local 628 and the generous citizens of Yonkers have raised close to $500,000 through this event, with 100 percent of the proceeds go-ing to charity. This year’s drive was no different. Yonkers residents reached deep into their pock-ets and change dishes to help Local 628 and the charities they support. As of December 9, close to $40,000 was raised toward this year’s efforts.

Local 628 President Barry McGoey thanked

the residents for their support: “The firefighters of Yonkers Local 628 want to thank everyone who donated. Though this charity event does slow down traffic a bit, the donations are appre-ciated, especially at a time when the organiza-tions we seek to support struggle to raise funds due to the economic downturn.”

Charitable fundraising and giving is an im-portant part of the firefighters of Local 628’s mis-sion. Some of the charities and organizations that Local 628 regularly supports include The NYC Ronald McDonald House and Maria Fareri’s Children Hospital.

Yonkers Firefighters’ ‘Fill the Boot’Raises $40,000 for Charity

Happy Chanukah!Lincoln Park Jewish Center

Holds Annual Chanukah Party

Firefighter Jon Reardon of Engine Company 306filling the boot for charity on Central Park Avenue

Rabbi Rigoberto Emmanuel Vinas (above), Rabbi of the Lincoln Park Jewish Center, lights two of the eight oil lamps of the menorah for the second night of Chanukah, the eight-day Jewish holiday “Festival of Lights” commemorating the victory of the Jewish Zealots over the much

larger and better-armed Syrian Greek army, at the synagogue’s annual Chanukah party.Below, Jonathan Dzik leads the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale choir, singing Chanukah songs.

Photographs © Robert Kalfus 2012

What’s Your Favorite Holiday Song? Tell us what your favorite holiday songs, old or

new, are. What memories do your favorite songs bring you, and what makes a great holiday tune?

The winning list and memories will get a $100 Visa Card and we will donate $100 to

your favorite charity. Send your submissions to [email protected]

by Monday, December 17.

Yonkers Science Barge “Captain” Bob Walters pointed out that the fi lming would not be taking place were it not for the new river,

which was daylight as part of a $17 million res-toration of the Saw Mill River.

Bacon plays a retired FBI agent who comes back to help fi nd an escaped serial killer in “The Following,” premiering on Fox on January 21, 2013.

FRIDAY, DEcEMbER 14, 2012 - YoNkERs RIsING - PAGE 3

Half Moon Ventures, a Chicago-based devel-oper of solar and wind energy projects , unveiled its fi rst solar electric power generation system in New York at a ceremony on the roof of i.Park Hudson last week, joined by Mayor Mike Spano and i.Park owner Joe Cotter.

The $5 million roof, which is a long as two football fi elds, is one of the largest in the state of New York and will generate 15 percent of i.Park’s energy needs.

“The City of Yonkers is proud to be home to Westchester County’s largest commercial rooftop solar power system,” said Spano. “Private sector investments such as this play an important role in helping to blaze the trail toward a greener, stron-ger New York.”

Cotter said, “As a developer and owner with a fervent interest in sustainability and preserving resources, we thought this arrangement with Half Moon made great sense for the National Resourc-es business model.”

The solar panels are housed on four different roof areas across the eight-building complex. Two on-site inverters will convert the panel-generated

power from direct current (DC), the form in which it is generated, to alternating current (AC), the form in which it is consumed.

“This site is a good fi t for solar,” said Half Moon CEO Michael Hastings, “because it has enough rooftop square footage to locate the pan-els and inverters, because the cost of electricity in this region is fairly high and because the tenant base consumes enough electricity to make the cost savings signifi cant. Using the 110,000 square feet of rooftop, we’ll generate enough power on-site to ease demand on the grid by about 15 percent and ease the owner’s operating costs considerably.”

When fully operational by the end of the year, it will generate more than 1.2 million kilo-watt hours of electricity a year — enough to power more than 120 homes for a year — while removing the equivalent of the annual harmful greenhouse emissions of more than 160 cars from the environment. The panels, which have a life expectancy of 20 years, will generate the most energy in the summer, when energy is most ex-pensive, and least in the winter, when electricity is at its cheapest.

Kevin Bacon walking out of the FBI offi ce set while fi lming “The Following” in Yonkers

Above (l to r): Yonkers Councilman Michael Sabatino, Council President Chuck Lesnick, Councilman Christopher Johnson, Half Moon CEO Michael Hastings, developer Erik J.

Rucker, Mayor Mike Spano, i.Park Hudson owner Joe Cotter and Ray Melarczik of Tancora

...and at day viewed from the east

The Mardi Gras Fest set for “The Following” at night viewed from the west...

Kevin Bacon Filmsat Yonkers’ New River

i.Park Hudson Roof Goes Solar

Photo by Joseph Panella

999 Saw Mill River RoadYonkers, NY 10710

(914) 963-8787

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Kevin Bacon Films Continued from Page 1




The Heart Gallery, a traveling photo-graphic exhibit created to find “forever fami-lies” for children in foster care, arrived at the Yonkers’ Riverfront Library at Larkin Center on Wednesday, December 5.

This is the eighth year that the county, through the Department of Social Services, has participated in this nationwide effort designed to increase the number of adop-tive families for children needing permanent homes in the community. Photographs of lo-cal children who are in need of a home will be on display.

“The goal is literally to give a face to these children in need,” said County Execu-tive Rob Astorino, “and, by doing so, help

find loving homes for them.”As of October, there were 181 children in

Westchester County who were eligible to be adopted. Twenty-two of these children were adopted on Adoption Day in November, as part of the national adoption month obser-vance.

“The need is always there,” said Astori-no. He urged people who might be interested in becoming an adoptive or foster parent to call 2-1-1, United Way’s help line, for more information.

Jacob is just one of many children in need of a home.

Born in July 1999, Jacob is a friendly, outgoing and loving 12-year-old boy. He en-joys sketching, playing outside and watching his favorite cartoons on television. He is de-scribed as very playful and likeable.

He currently attends an ungraded small sized class. He is working at grade level. Jacob is motivated to do well. He receives Speech and Language therapy and is demon-strating improvements in these areas with the services he is receiving.

Jacob is a young child who has been through a lot of traumatic events. He does well in a two-parent household with either no children or older children. Jacob needs a truly dedicated home that can give him the patience, understanding and unconditional love that he needs. Jacob would flourish in a nurturing and structured home where he could get individual attention and the permanence he needs to continue to progress.

For more information, visit Westchester Gov.com/heartgallery.

The Yonkers Branch of the NAACP will host a Holiday Party and Installation of Offi-cers on Monday, December 17 at 7 p.m. at the Nepperhan Community Center, located at 342 Warburton Ave.

The newly elected officers for 2013-2015 are: Andrea Brown, Denise Hackl, David An-cruem, Jane Waite, Lisa Clark and Richard Henry. Members of the Executive Board are: Winston Ross, Henry Joseph, Diane Pearson, Denise Holden, Conrad Orey, Mari Da Silva, Clayton Jenkins and Lawrence R. Sykes, Esq. The officers will be sworn in by the Honorable Bruce E. Tolbert, NYS Supreme Court Justice in the 9th Judicial District.

The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909 (Abraham Lincoln’s birthday) in New York City by a group of black and white citizens committed to social justice. The mis-

sion of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial ha-tred and racial discrimination. The Youth and College Division was formally created in 1936 and, 74 years ago, on September 12, 1938, the Yonkers Branch charter was activated.

Outgoing Branch President, Diana Brown Temple, “invites the community to come out to celebrate and support the oldest civil rights organization in America.”

The NAACP is also seeking new mem-bers. Dues are $30 per year, which includes a subscription to Crisis magazine. Starting in January 2013, the monthly General Member-ship meetings will be held on the third Wednes-day of each month at 7 p.m. at the Nepperhan Community Center. All are welcome.

For more information, call 914-423-9316.

The College Board recently announced that Yonkers Middle High School (YMHS) is among the 800 public schools nationwide selected for the AP STEM Access program, an initiative funded by a $5 million Google Global Impact Award to DonorsChoose.org that underwrites new Advanced Placement (AP) courses for re-cipient schools.

“The College Board has been an integral partner in enhancing the district’s mission to expand its college-going culture,” said Superin-tendent of Schools Bernard P. Pierorazio. “We are thankful to Google and DonorsChoose.org for collaborating with College Board to provide this opportunity. The AP STEM Access program will allow even more of our students to chal-lenge themselves with college-level coursework and embrace a path towards post-secondary study.”

The AP STEM Access program was cre-ated to increase the number of traditionally un-derrepresented minority and female high school

students who participate in Advanced Place-ment courses in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. YMHS was selected because the school fulfilled all criteria for participation, namely having a population of underrepresented students who were academi-cally prepared to take AP STEM courses not currently offered at the high school.

Currently, the College Board is collaborat-ing with DonorsChoose.org to work directly with AP teachers in qualifying schools to help them obtain the classroom resources and pro-fessional development they need to start new courses.

YMHS, named 24th in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best High Schools” rankings, is nationally recognized for student achievement, driven by the school’s International Baccalaure-ate Programme. As a recipient of the grant, Yon-kers may now expand its AP science and math offerings and increase the college-level courses available to its highly motivated student body.

By Erika MurphyI was on facebook and noticed an article

about a lost dog in Cook Field in Yonkers de-scribing how the dog was digging through the garbage dumpster, skinny and scared.

It looked like she had on a red halter and a chain attached, which she was dragging. The young man who spotted her and another person tried to catch her but she was too skittish to be caught. All were afraid she would get caught in the underbrush with the chain and be in danger.

When I read this, I posted it all over face-book and got in touch with the mother of the young man who spotted her to see if we could help her. Since I am a volunteer at the Yonkers Animal Shelter, I also alerted them about this poor skinny dog running loose in the park.

The next morning, the mother of the young man went looking for her but they could not see her. The Yonkers Animal Shelter sent one of their staff members to the park and I contacted him when he arrived at the park. He told me he had her in sight.

When I arrived at the park, I saw him stand-ing on the path above the field and as I got closer to him I saw her for the first time. She was lying in the shrubs very still, shaking with fright. At first we thought she was injured as she did not move. I had brought a can of food and a paper

plate which I placed in front of her. She did not move towards the food. I sat a little apart from her on the rail pretending I was also eating out of the can. After about 10 minutes she gulped down the food. I went over and added the rest of the food on the plate and she came forward the slightest bit and ate the rest.

The shelter staff member very slowly moved and also sat on the railing and waited for a while. She still stayed in her position, just shaking. We could not see an injury. Very slowly he bent over and took the chain and stood up. She did not bolt; I started walking down the hill with the empty food can in my hand and she followed on the leash. I walked towards the shelter van and opened the door. She approached the van, sniffed a few times and when urged, jumped in.

The first picture of her is when she arrived at the shelter and the second is two weeks later. We asked the young man who spotted her and alerted every one of her whereabouts to name her and he chose to call her Bella.

I take her out every day and she has gained weight, her tail is no longer between her legs and she has been put up for adoption since no one has come to claim her.

Thanks to all the wonderful, caring people who wanted to help Bella. All she needs now is a happy home.

Jacob, one of many Westchester childrenin need of a Forever Home

‘Heart Gallery’ Formally Opens

Yonkers NAACP Holiday Partyand Installation of Officers

AP STEM Access Funds AP Coursesat Yonkers Middle High School

Yonkers Animal ShelterSaves Stray Dog

Bella

Dear Dr. McNiff:As the Assemblymember who represents

both of the schools noted above [St. Casimir and Our Lady of Fatima], I write to express my deep concern with the possibility that either or both of these schools might be closed by the Archdio-cese in 2013 and to urge you to reconsider these schools for “risk of closure.”

As you know, St. Casimir, located at 259 Nepperhan Avenue in the heart of downtown Yonkers, proudly serves the diverse community of our city. It is truly part of our history, having been founded over 100 years ago. Two-hundred and thirty children attend the school. Last week, I had the pleasure of hearing many of the students participate in a wonderful Christmas concert and saw firsthand the strong support of its principal and staff. Our entire community supports this school, its staff and the parents. We strongly believe it should be removed from the “risk of closure” list and given the opportunity to address

your concerns. Our Lady of Fatima is also located in my

district, at 963 Scarsdale Road in the City of Yonkers (although its post office address is Scarsdale). It serves 152 predominantly Yonkers children with a loving, quality Catholic educa-tion, and again, has been part of our community for over eighty years. It is supported by all of the political and elected leaders of our city. I am confident it can meet your concerns and remain a strong community school once provided the chance to do so.

The closure of St. Casimir or Our Lady of Fatima would displace and disrupt the education of hundreds of Yonkers students, as well as the teachers, parents and staff. We urge you to work with the leadership and parents of these schools and find a way to save them both.

Thank you for your consideration.Sincerely,Shelley Mayer

Letter from Assemblymember Shelley Mayer

Top students in the University of Dela-ware Honors Program were recognized in a special ceremony, held on Sunday, November 4 at the Trabant University Center.

At the General Honors Award Ceremony, Karrin Dougherty of Yonkers was distin-guished.

The award recipients earned 18 or more Honors credits in their first two years at the University and have overall GPAs of 3.20 or higher. They were presented certificates by Michael Arnold, director of the Honors Pro-gram, and were congratulated on stage by their college deans or deputy deans.

Kerrin Dougherty Recognizedat the University of Delaware


Editor’s Note: This letter was sent out by Yonkers Public Schools (YPS) Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio on December 7 to all YPS parents.

Dear Stakeholder of the Yonkers Public Schools:

Misinformation has been distributed by others; therefore, it is my responsibility to en-sure that facts are provided. You have likely heard news reports or received communica-tion regarding the new teacher evaluation system, or Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), required by law.

It is imperative to understand that, with-out APPR in place by January 17, the Yonkers Public Schools will lose $17 million in fund-ing for the current school year. This will trans-late to devastating mid-year cuts of hundreds of staff members, including administrators, teachers and civil service employees.

Hardest hit will be our students.FACT: On Monday, November 19, dur-

ing a joint APPR meeting, I requested full-day meetings with YFT representatives to finalize an APPR and these meetings are taking place. The simple fact is that the APPR must be re-solved immediately so that the district is not forced to lay-off staff members and close pro-grams in January.

FACT: Since January 2012, there have been 26 APPR meetings held and the BOE presented the YFT with numerous proposals in an effort to develop a template for APPR that meets the mandate of the New York State Education Department and is fair and equi-table to certificated employees. Additionally,

the BOE and YFT have held nine contract negotiation meetings over the past twelve months.

FACT: On Friday, November 30, the Board of Education (BOE) was not presented with any proposals for an APPR agreement; only contract items by the Yonkers Federation of Teachers (YFT) were submitted.

FACT: On Monday, December 3, I spoke by phone and briefly met with the YFT presi-dent, indicating that my team was reviewing the contract items provided. A proper analysis to calculate what union requests would cost the district took time. On Thursday, December 6, I e-mailed the YFT president the district’s response to the YFT’s proposal and additional requests by the BOE. As an aside, on Tuesday, December 4, I spent the entire day in Albany meeting with legislators and the governor’s staff to find solutions for a projected $50-plus million deficit facing the District next year.

FACT: The District and the YFT will continue to meet in good faith regarding the APPR and employee contract, but the first pri-ority must be reaching an APPR agreement. If this does not take place before January 17, mid-year layoffs will occur.

FACT: Although APPR will become part of the new teachers’ contract, the two agree-ments do not need to be settled simultaneous-ly. The BOE commits to continuing our nego-tiations to reach fair contracts for all unions; however, with $17 million at stake and a Janu-ary deadline, APPR must be addressed now.

The district has already lost $1.7 million in funding

With the clock ticking away the days before sequestration takes effect in January, the City Council’s four Democrats recently signed off on a letter calling for the president and congressional leaders to come together to balance the federal budget.

The letter — signed by City Council President Chuck Lesnick, Majority Leader Wilson Terrero and Councilmen Christopher Johnson and Michael Sabatino, and addressed to House and Senate leaders, including New York’s federal delegation — refers to the weak national economy and Yonkers’ struggle with a current unemployment rate of 8.6 percent.

Council Democrats “call upon Congress and the President to adopt Federal budget policies that prioritize the revitalization of the economy, the creation of millions of new jobs and a return to broadly-shared prosperity; to avoid cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits or shifting of costs to the states; to resist cuts to the safety net or to vital services for the most disadvantaged members of society; to restructure our tax system to en-sure sufficient revenue — at least 20 percent of GDP by the end of the decade — in order to fund crucial services and investments; and to raise income tax rates on the richest Ameri-

cans to their levels during the prosperous 1990s.”

Worrying how the other side of the fis-cal cliff would affect Yonkers, Lesnick said, “This letter is modeled on a resolution that municipalities across the nation are also writ-ing that hopes to persuade our country’s lead-ers to act for the good of the American people. This is the first advocacy push by the newly formed Local Progress.”

Johnson, chair of the budget committee, said, “If sequestration were to occur, Yonkers stands to lose an across the board two percent cut in federal aid which would prove devastat-ing to our city and deeply impact our ability to provide the necessary services our residents depend on.”

Sabatino, who is chair of the council’s education committee, said, “It’s time to fi-nally put partisanship aside and focus on the needs of the American people. Yonkers can’t afford to take any more financial hits. I urge our federally-elected officials to come to an agreement before the current Congressional session ends.”

For more information, visit LocalProg ress.net.

Superintendent’s Letter on Teacher Evaluations

Council Democrats Call on Presidentand Congress to Avoid Fiscal Cliff

The 2012 long-term bond ratings for the City of Yonkers were released by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services and Moody’s Investors Service, both rating the city’s financial outlook to be stable.

Standard & Poor’s assigned the City a BBB+/stable municipal rating and reaffirmed an “A” rat-ing for the city’s school bonds, while Moody’s up-graded the city’s municipal rating from Baa1 neg-ative, to Baa1 stable and an enhanced an A2 rating to the school bonds. The newly-assigned ratings are announced as the City of Yonkers looks to sell its municipal and school bonds for the upcoming fiscal year.

The revision of the city’s financial outlook to stable comes as the ratings agencies believe the city’s new administration under Mayor Mike Spa-no are actively managing the numerous challeng-es facing the city. The agencies specifically high-light Yonkers’ high but manageable debt profile and sizeable tax base that has experienced some decline over the past three years, but is expected to benefit from planned economic development over the long term, its planned revaluation of its tax base and its initiative to address outstanding union contracts.

The rating also reflects fiscal challenges for

the City of Yonkers, including the city’s large structural imbalances which will require addi-tional deficit financing, the city’s collective $430 million budget gap projected from 2014-2016, the city’s unsettled collective bargaining unit con-tracts and significant pension and healthcare costs and tax certiorari settlements.

“Given the fiscal challenges that lie before Yonkers, I am pleased with the latest bond rat-ings,” said Spano. “However, we are not out of the woods yet. These ratings only reflect the com-mitment of my administration to straighten out the fiscal issues that have long plagued our City. We still need relief in areas such as state mandates and union contracts so we can fulfill our promise. It is now time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

Spano, the City’s Department of Finance and the Department of Planning and Development met last week with representatives from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, presenting the agencies with the city’s plans on how it will address the fiscal issues in the coming years.

Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s last re-viewed the City of Yonkers in 2011, at which time they downgraded the watch to negative.

Yonkers Bonds Upgraded

Members of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

On Sunday, December 16 at 1 p.m., mem-bers of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festi-val will perform a four-actor interpretation of Charles Dickens’s beloved novella, “A Christ-mas Carol,” at the Hudson River Museum (HRM).

Watch as Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past come alive at the Museum. The performance is 85 min-

utes with no intermission and will be followed by holiday cookies, hot cider and chocolate. It is recommended for an audience aged 9 and older.

Admission to the reading is on a first come, first served basis and is free with HRM admis-sion, $5, $3 for seniors and kids aged 5 to 16.

HRM is located at 511 Warburton Ave. in Yonkers. For more information, call 914-963-4550 or visit HRM.org.

Courtesy of The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

‘A Christmas Carol’Reading at HRM

This, Too, is YonkersBy Eric Schoen

Yonkers KnocksDown School 6

When my father was growing up, he could not af-ford winter boots. When the weather got bad, he would wrap his feet in newspapers and walk up the steep Ash-burton Avenue, past School 6 to go to School 12. This is after he helped his father and uncles open up their grocery stores in the wee small hours of the morning. Long before I was even a dream, but this story made for lively dinner conversations growing up when I would ask for a new pair of boots or shoes.

I was elated when I got the press release from City Hall that, finally, School 6 was go-ing to be knocked down. About 20 years ago, I was asked to go into the building in my role as President of Friends of the Yonkers Public Li-brary. There were a large number of books in the School 6 library. Remember when schools had libraries and full time librarians? We took the books out of the School 6 library for a Friends of Yonkers Public Library book sale. Perish the thought that good books should go to waste!

Since then, School 6 has been vandalized, had numerous fires and has been an eyesore in the community. It was closed, as were many other schools on the south side of town, because families with school age children were moving to East Yonkers. The reverse is true today: Ap-proximately 70 percent of Yonkers school chil-dren live in South Yonkers, but only 30 percent of Yonkers schools are on the south side of town.

The School 6 site is being developed as elderly and family housing, both desperately needed in Yonkers. Kudos to the city for finally knocking down this eyesore and giving the com-munity something that it truly needs!

Sarah Lawrence Sidewalks “City sidewalk, busy sidewalks, dressed

in Holiday Style. In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas!” “Silver Bells,” one of my favorite Christmas songs, came to mind when I got yet

another press release from the city that sidewalks were finally being constructed along Kimball Avenue in front of Sarah Lawrence College.

For years, we have traveled Kimball Avenue dodging students, joggers, dog walkers and everything else imaginable. The hilly terrain and narrow streets never helped our journey. The sidewalks are a true Christmas present, not only for Sarah Lawrence but for all Yonkers residents!

Sandy Annabi Wants a Vacation in Florida The Sandy Annabi saga continues. Now,

according to news reports, she wants a judge to allow her to vacation in Florida before her jail stint. Maybe she will take all the hardworking, honest people of Yonkers with her. Wouldn’t you enjoy a nice Florida vacation? Fortunately, we are not headed to prison, convicted by a jury of our peers. The silliness in this case has to stop.

Yonkers School Cuts. Again?A facebook friend posted concern about

mid-year cuts in the Yonkers Public Schools. Yes, friends — here we go again. This time it is cuts in the middle of the year. How sad! The Yonkers Federation of Teachers must come to agreement with the district on mandated evalu-ation procedures. There have been so many cuts over the years that, frankly, there is not much left to cut!

Menorah Lightings, Holiday Celebrations and City Hall Holiday Parties

The holidays are a beautiful time in Yon-kers. Rabbi Mendy Hurwitz and Chabad of Yon-kers sponsored a wonderful Chanukah party at Greystone Jewish Center and Menorah Light-ings at Ridge Hill and Cross County Shopping Center. The Mayor’s Committee on Jewish Af-fairs and JCY-Westchester Community Partners menorah lighting at City Hall and Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El’s celebration at Stew Leonard’s make Chanukah

Eric W. Schoen

Continued on Page 7

dened Yonkers Public Schools.Below is a copy of the letter I sent to the Su-

perintendant of Schools, Timothy McNiff. A simi-lar letter is going to Archbishop Dolan. This letter highlights the bias (read: prejudice) used to deter-mine what schools are to close. Many of the other schools designated as “at-risk” are also in low in-come neighborhoods and no one on the selection committee was from a low income area.

I’ve attached a picture of my son’s pre-kin-dergarten 3-year-old class. This picture reflects the diversity of the school. My son is in the front row, fourth from the right.Sincerely,Cindy PramannDear Dr. McNiff,

I am compelled to write to you to make you aware of a terrible injustice that is “at-risk” of oc-curring. St. Casimir School, the last remaining Yonkers inner-city Catholic school, is “at-risk” of closing.

St. Casimir School should be heralded as a model Catholic school; so unique is the environ-ment that other schools should strive to emulate it. What makes this school unique is the diversity of the student body, the equality to which every student is treated and caring teachers and staff.

When my son, Michael, was a baby, there was an article in the Journal News with a photo of students at St. Casimir. It was then that I knew I would consider this school for my son because of the beautiful rainbow of diversity reflected in the children’s faces.

There is no other school in Yonkers that re-flects the diversity of the city as clearly as St. Casi-mir School. Our diversity reflects all racial, social and economic groups. Most Yonkers schools are 70 to 80 percent white and another is mostly Span-ish. St. Casimir isn’t “mostly” any race or ethnic group.

Why does St. Casimir School have such a diverse population? Because everyone is accepted and treated equally, without prejudice.

As Cardinal Dolan wrote in America Maga-zine (September 13, 2010), “American Catholic schools need to be…particularly welcoming (of) immigrants and the disadvantaged, whose hope for success lies in an education that makes them re-sponsible citizens.” St. Casimir School welcomes

and embraces immigrants and the disadvantaged and, because of this, the school is “at-risk.”

According to the “Pathways to Excellence,” there will be a desk for every student who wants a Catholic education. This is hypocrisy. If this was truly the case, my son’s class would have more than 21 students in it. Over the years, many of his classmates have be forced to give up on the ideal of Catholic education because their parents could not afford St. Casimir School, a school that has one of the lowest tuitions in Westchester county.

A more accurate statement would be that there is a space for every student who can afford it, unless you are extremely poor. The working-class poor are left out. There simply aren’t enough scholarships available.

Many of the students at St. Casimir live in the neighborhood, a low-income. underserved area. Many are first generation Americans, all wanting a better life for their children. The Church pro-fesses to serve the poor. How does busing these children from their neighborhood and school serve them? To destroy their self-esteem? To teach them prejudice? You may as well send them to a for-eign country. Busing Latino and African American students into white neighborhoods to attend white schools is reminiscent of busing in the 1970s. That didn’t work.

Many of the students who travel from other neighborhoods and towns are also children of im-migrants. They attend St. Casimir School for the diversity of the student body and the socially just atmosphere; same as the children whose families have been in the U.S.A. for generations.

Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “I Have a Dream” speech, said, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Dr. King would have sent his children to St. Casimir School! While our nation continues to work to achieve his dream, this school is living his dream today. Racism and prejudice do not attend this school. Tolerance has a perfect attendance record.

If this school is closed, it is a step backwards in the civil rights movement. Tolerance and accep-tance is taught by example every day by the teach-ers and staff at St. Casimir.

The teachers and staff truly care about the students, while they are in their classroom and be-yond. One-third of the teachers have taught at St. Casimir for more than 20 years. That alone speaks volumes for the school and how good the envi-ronment is. These men and women educate in the truest Catholic sense, as Jesus did, in a socially just manner.

The committee that has placed St. Casimir “at-risk” doesn’t know our school or community. In addition, there was no one on the committee from the inner city or low income areas. They didn’t visit the school to meet the faculty, staff and students. How can you pass judgment on the un-known?

On the Web site GreatSchools.org, only one Yonkers Catholic school has a five star rating — St. Casimir. Two have four stars and five (more than half) received only three stars. There are no schools with a five star rating in the Bronx. Why would I want to send my child to a school with three stars when he can attend a five star school?

I want more than a Catholic education for my son. I want him in a school that supports, promotes and embraces diversity. Yes, my son could attend another Catholic school, but not one that is as multi-cultural or as diverse, racially and socio-ec-onomically. This statement is based on my obser-vations while touring the schools and Web sites.

If this school closes, it will be a significant loss to the children, the neighborhood and the City of Yonkers. Will you allow this travesty to occur? Will you allow yourself to sit back and permit the committee to shutter an exemplary school, one that should be hailed as a model for all others?

We need you to stand up for the children of St. Casimir! Will you intervene in the best inter-ests of our society at large?

Or will you — in a day, age and society where children need someone to look up to, someone and something to believe in, need a place that is a lov-ing family that is providing the quality Catholic education that you so proudly promote — close a school that holds these ideals above all others and destroy the only thing these children have consis-tent in their lives?Sincerely,Cindy Pramann

Saving the Catholic Continued from Page 1

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Voice and Piano Lessons Beginners to ad-vanced Voice Therapy Dr. David Fairchild Doc-torate in Voice from Columbia University 914-337-6405 Web site Dr David Fairchild.com

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tAKE NOtiCE that in accordance with N.J.S.A 39:10 A-8 ET.Seq Application has been made to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commis-sion, Trenton, N.J. to receive title papers autho-rizing the sale of: 1969 Cadillac F9256461. Ob-jections, if any, should be made immediately in writing to special title section/abandoned vehicle unit, P.O. Box 017, Trenton, N.J. 08666-0017.

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HAS YOUR BUiLDiNG SHiFtED OR SEttLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc,for straightening, leveling, foundation and wood frame repairs at1-800-OLD-BARN. www.wood-

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SAWMiLLS from only $3997.00 -MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill -Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1 -800 -578 -1363 Ext.300N

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Wanted: Will Pay up to $15.00 for High School Yearbooks 1900-2012. Any School/Any State. www.yearbookusa.com or 214-514-1040

Classifieds

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE OF FORMATION of Alder Manor LLC. Ar-ticles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/2012. Office location: Westches-ter County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against it is: Knauf Shaw LLP, Attn: Linda R. Shaw, 1125 Crossroads Building, 2 State Street, Rochester, NY 14614. Dis-solution date: 10/31/2111. LLC Purpose: to engage in real estate development. Street address of Principal Business location is: 159 Alexander St., Yonkers, NY 10701.

#6356 12/14 – 1/18

Legal NoticesLEGAL NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that license number 1267195 for On Premises Liquor has been applied by the under-signed to sell liquor at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage control Law at 394 A Central Park Ave White Plains, NY 10606 for on premises consump-tion.

Mariachi Loco, Inc#3052 12/7 – 12/14


Yonkers Rising - USPS Permit #7164is published weekly by Rising Media

Group, LLC 25 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10701

Periodicals Postage Paid • Yonkers, N.Y.POSTMASTER

Send address changes to: Rising Media Group, LLC,

25 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. 10701

Member of the New York Press Association914-965-4000 Fax 914-965-289225 Warburton Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701www.risingmediagroup.com

Proudly serving the City of Yonkers

Nick Sprayregen, [email protected]

Daniel J. Murphy, [email protected]

Andrew Tobia, Copy Editor/Staff [email protected]

Paul Gerken, Advertising [email protected]

Gregory Baldwin, Administrative [email protected]

O Most Beautiful Flower of Mt. Carmel,Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed

Mother of the Son of God, ImmaculateVirgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star ofthe Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of

God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom

of my heart to succor me in my necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.

(make request).O, show me herein you are my Mother.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times).

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3 times).

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin(Never known to fail)

Serving Our CountryMarine Corps Private First Class Eliza-

beth P. iannacone, daughter of Edith Estrada and Norman Iannacone of Yonkers, and Marine Corps Private Doris G. Medina, daughter of Doris L. Medina of Yonkers, earned the title of United States Marine after graduating from re-cruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Par-ris Island, S. C.

For 13 weeks, Iannacone and Medina stayed committed during some of the world’s most de-manding entry-level military training in order to be transformed from civilian to Marine instilled with pride, discipline and the core values of hon-

or, courage and commitment. Training subjects included close-order drill, marksmanship with an M-16A4 rifle, physical fitness, martial arts, swim-ming, military history, customs and courtesies.

One week prior to graduation, Iannacone and Medina endured The Crucible, a 54-hour final test of recruits’ minds and bodies. Upon completion, recruits are presented the Marine Corps emblem and called Marines for the first time.

Iannacone is a 2012 graduate of Saunders Trades and Technical High School of Yonkers. Medina is a 2012 graduate of High School for Teaching and the Professions of the Bronx.

PS ORANGECO INC.

LEGAL NOTICENOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT PS ORANGECO, INC. WILL BE SELLING THE CONTENTS OF CERTAIN STORAGE SPACES IN LIEN AT THE BELOW-LISTED PUBLIC STORAGE FACILITIES TO SATISFY THE OWNER’S LIEN AT PUBLIC

SALE BY COMPETITIVE BIDDING

ON (date): 12/28/2012 AT (Time): 12:00 PMPUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 925 Spring Road Pelham, New York 10803

The storage spaces in lien belonging to the below-identified tenants contain the fol-lowing: Appliances/Boxes/Bags/Bedding/Clothing/Books/Electronics/Furniture/Tools/Toys

NAMEEdward .H.S Chambers, Edward .H.S Chambers, Raquel Carter, Alexandra Lugo, Juan Rodriguez, Marcia Scott, Karen Mcintosh, Imanu A Farrow, Miguel Rodri-guez, Dianna Miranda, Josh Madlin, Kathy Christian, Cass B Carter, Rafael Marcial, Dwayne Bryan, Tijuana Morgan

PURCHASES MUST BE MADE IN CASH ONLY AND PAID FOR AT THE TIME OF SALE. ALL GOODS ARE SOLD AS IS AND MUST BE REMOVED AT THE TIME OF SALE. SALE IS SUBJECT TO ADJOURNMENT.

#21811 12/14


Seniors and Health Care

Lambent Services has noticed a new trend in the calls they get for personal assistant servic-es. Seniors have been calling asking for some-one to escort them to doctor’s appointments.

All of the healthcare battles in the news lately have not addressed some real and present issues that we all face when going to the doctor. How do we, as patients, get all the questions we have answered by the doctor and how does the doctor give us all the information we need in the all-too-quick visits. It seems that the minute the doctor walks in the room, he/she is in a rush to get out. This can cause patients, especially se-niors, to get so nervous that they forget the ques-tions they wanted to ask.

A great way to start is to write a list of questions and bring it with you to the doctor’s appointment. Call your doctor’s office prior to your appointment and ask them to provide writ-

ten notes of your appointment so you can be sure of what was said.

Another idea is to bring a companion along with you who can ask your list of questions, take notes and ask for clarification. This advocate can be a family member, or an uninvolved third party like a Lambent Services personal assistant who can not only help you with your communi-cation with the doctor but also drive a patient to and from the appointment. They can also pick up prescriptions, explain Medicare or insurance paperwork and submit claims and make certain that you are being properly reimbursed for all your expenses.

Lambent Services is a personal assistant boutique owned by Pelham resident Jill Glist. It has offices in Manhattan and the Westchester/Fairfield county area. For more information, call 914-338-7225 or visit LambentServices.com.

By Michael LaMagna, Esq.Medicare, the primary insurer for those

who are over 65 or disabled, is going through some serious challenges at the moment.

The Medicare trust — the money with-held through the Medicare payroll tax — is slated to become insolvent at some point be-tween 2016 and 2024. This fact, coupled with the upcoming Fiscal Cliff, has politicians scrambling for ideas to save money and keep Medicare solvent. The latest idea is to increase the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.

The premise is that if you increase the age by two years, the 3.3 million individuals who would be disqualified would be required to ei-ther pay for coverage out of pocket, go with-out insurance and pay a fine, rely on employer sponsored insurance or rely on Medicaid.

The proposed result would be a total savings of 5.7 billion dollars. However, it is projected to cost the entire health care system $11.4 billion dollars in spending. The spend-ing costs include the cost of seniors paying for replacement plans, fines and costs to employ-

ers. The question remains to be seen whether raising the eligibility age would simply shift the costs from the federal government, who pays for Medicare, to the individuals and, ulti-mately, the states (in Medicaid costs).

Now, I am not suggesting that raising the age isn’t a viable solution; however, I am call-ing on Washington to carefully consider all of the ramifications of changing the system and ensuring that the states will be able to with-stand the impact.

Your comments are always appreciated.This article is intended to be used for

informational purposes; nothing in this ar-ticle should be construed as legal advice or be relied upon as such. Michael LaMagna is a partner at Timins & LaMagna who special-izes in health care, social security, Medicaid, disability benefits and more. He was recently appointed to the ACO Task force of the Ameri-can Health Lawyers Association. For more information, call him at 914-819-0663, e-mail him at mlamagna@tlla woffices.com or visit NyandCTLaw.com.

The Mental Health Association of West-chester (MHA) has been chosen to provide crisis counseling assistance through Project Hope, part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $8.2 million grant from FEMA.

The mandate: To deliver immediate men-tal health crisis counseling to individuals im-pacted by Hurricane Sandy. A team of 12 has already been assembled and will soon begin visiting the 11,000 individuals in Westchester and Rockland estimated to have been impact-ed.

Those at emotional risk after a traumatic storm such as Sandy are children, older adults, people with prior trauma, disabilities, serious mental illnesses and substance abuse problems

and feelings or sense of hopelessness, people with low-incomes and first responders and oth-er public safety workers.

Symptoms include irritability, poor con-centration, low mood and hopelessness, iso-lation, discouragement, grief over losses and alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse.

MHA is a community-based mental health agency that has been helping Westchester residents for 66 years through direct services, professional and community education and ad-vocacy.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to contact Project Hope, call 914-345-5900 ext. 7543 or 7544. For information, visit MHAWest chester.org.

By Susan Sobel, Social Security DistrictManager in Yonkers

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, winter arrives at 6:12 a.m. eastern standard time on December 21.

For many people, winter means shorter days, chillier temperatures and more time in-doors. There are many ways you can use that extra time inside.

For example, you may want to spend a few minutes checking your earnings history and getting an estimate of your future Social Secu-rity benefits at SocialSecurity.gov/mystatement, where you can access your online Social Secu-rity Statement.

If you’re planning to apply for Social Secu-rity retirement benefits, you can do that without going outside or visiting an office. Instead, brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea and sit down at your computer from the comfort of your home to apply online.

Chances are your hot beverage will last lon-ger than the time it takes to apply online for re-tirement benefits. Our Web site makes the retire-ment application process quick, easy and secure. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any further information is needed.

You can use the online application to apply

for Social Security retirement or spouses ben-efits if you are at least 61 years and 9 months old and want to start your benefits in the next four months.

Before starting, we suggest you have the following information on hand:

• Your date and place of birth and Social Se-curity number;

• Your bank or financial institution’s routing transit number and the account number for direct deposit of your benefits;

• The amount of money you earned last year and this year — if you are applying for benefits in the months of September through December, you also will need to estimate next year’s earn-ings;

• The name and address of your employer(s) for this year and last year;

• The beginning and ending dates of any ac-tive U.S. military service you had before 1968;

• The name, Social Security number and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse — you also should know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death (if appropriate); and

• Your Social Security Statement (remem-ber, you can get your Social Security Statement online at SocialSecurity.gov/mystatement).

So if you are staying indoors this winter, visit SocialSecurity.gov. Your time online may brighten even the darkest day of the season.

Seniors — Too Nervousto Go to the Doctor?

Hot Topics in Health Care

FEMA Grant Awarded to MHAfor Post-Sandy Crisis Counseling

Social Security Column:Even the Dark of Winter Looks Brighter at SocialSecurity.gov

PS ORANGECO INC.




ON (date): 12/28/2012 AT (Time): 3:30 PMPUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 137 Saw Mill River Road Yonkers, New York 10701


NAMEEric Acosta, Lanee Griffin, Ellerine Barr, William Mccaffrey, Kerrick Paneberrios, Darlene Smalls, Candice Smithson, Richard Greene, Phylisia Daley, Richard Pfir-rmann, Lucille Anthon, Victor Poy-Perez, Florence Tucker, Patricia Smith-Linkhorn, Sharreise Brown, Jaheem James, Ekrem Ozer, Ashley Pallano, Jose De Asis, Jim Pacetti, Migdalia Jimenez, Maisie Strother, Terrence Coaxum, Epifanio Castillo, Ma-jano Jaime, Inisha Myers, Wanda Poole, Edward Oneill, Charles Johnson, Dawn D’lando, Franchesca Castillo, Dorothy Moore, Sherwan Foy, Thomas Ingram, Royal Gregory, Maritza Santana, Leonard J. Rochester, Kenneth Crawford, Tracey Rowell, Paul Mercandetti, Linda Osborne, Dorneth Wedderburn, Stephine June, Malgorzata Jatczak, Angel Camilo, Joseph Jones, Wendell Comer, William Arreaga, Mckinsey & Co. Devlin, Anais Luna Sosa, David Bobker, Myriam Vilmen, Oushane Riley, Marcin Strzalka, Paul Mercandetti, Mark Duncan, Agnes Peralta, Clarke Foster, Carla O’neil, Mathew Estremera, Roz Englund


#34108 12/14

Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) is proud to present “Three Sisters,” as performed by SLC’s Frances Ann Cannon Workshop Theatre.

In Anton Chekhov’s classic play, three Moscow-bred sisters find life drab and increas-ingly hopeless in a Russian provincial town. Only the proximity of a nearby artillery post and the company of its officers make their existence bearable.

The performance will be directed by HERE Arts Center Artistic Director Kristin Marting. It will be performed, for free, from December 13 to 15 at 7 p.m. each day. Space is limited, so reservations are suggested.

SLC is located at 1 Mead Way. For more information or to RSVP, call 914-395-2412, e-mail [email protected] or visit SLC.edu.

‘Three Sisters’ at SLC

so special.Some call me the Grinch during the holi-

days because I believe that no alcohol should be served at city-sponsored holiday parties. Gov-ernment preaches “Don’t Drink and Drive” and, as far as I am concerned, should follow the same philosophy by not serving alcoholic beverages at city events any time of the year. But I must share one of my favorite City Hall holiday party stories with you.

It probably was 20 years ago. The Mayor who was in office (who shall remain nameless) was, let’s just say, not very popular. I walked into a practically empty Mayor’s reception, the place in City Hall where holiday parties are normally held, accompanied by colleagues from the Fire Department.

There were two silver fountains, one bub-

bling with holiday punch and the other with egg-nog. Not much else on the table. The punch had a particularly sour taste and the eggnog was warm — not cold, nor room temperature, but warm. I took a sip of both and into the garbage they went. When we left, a colleague was not feeling good. He drank the warm eggnog. Eggnog should be served cold and, apparently, had gone bad.

Moral of the story: watch what you drink at City Hall holiday parties!

47 Years Since the tragicJewish Community Center Fire

Tears come to my eyes when I think about the Fire at the Jewish Community Center 47 years ago, just like they came to my father’s eyes. It seems like yesterday. I will talk more about this in the coming weeks. We can never forget those who died in this tragic fire on De-cember 20, 1965!

This, too, is Yonkers.Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@

aol.com.

This, Too, is YonkersContinued from Page 5


Send your announcements, pictures and stories to us at [email protected]

By Paul Bookbinder, M.i.D. , C.R.

I hope that you al-ready got your flu shots this year, but even the latest vaccine won’t pro-tect you from the virulent strain of the holiday virus known as “Catalog Fe-ver” (also referred to by its street names, “I Have to Have That Flu” and, for Steven King fans, “Captain Trips to the In-ternet”). This year, I’ve decided to give some of the following items as gifts, rather than keeping them all for myself. So here we go, with some new gift ideas and some old favorites that are still available.

Some of these things are soooo clever, they are almost impossible to resist. Take the Apple Peeler & Corer, ($19.49, reduced from $29.99) from Home Trends. Reminiscent of the Honey-mooners’ Chef of the Future, in one easy mo-tion “it can core a apple and peel it too!” (And, rumor has it you can also use it for potatoes). If you don’t get the catalog, check them out at QCIDirect.com.

The book “Grilling for Dummies,” avail-able at Amazon.com for $14.50, has changed my life. Previously, cooking something on the grill gave me a major anxiety attack, as there is a very fine line between raw and burned. But this book explained how to grill almost everything perfectly, every time, without the stress. And at Cool Materials, you can get the remote Talking Digital Grill Thermometer, which will alert you when the food on the grill reaches the proper temperature. Only $69 at Brookstone.com.

If you’re looking to save money (and left-overs), consider the Food Saver Vacuum Sealer available from Costco. You can buy in bulk, then divide and freeze, or make extra meals and freeze them. At our house, we call it the “food sucker,” but it’s really an “air sucker”; extending the life of frozen foods from weeks to months. It takes a couple of tries to learn how to use it, but at $120 (on sale), it pays for itself in a few weeks.

The Deluxe Ring Pull Can and Jar Opener, previously called the “Can Claw” (not Craw, for “Get Smart” aficionados) is worth its weight in gold (at $1,700 an ounce!). It can open those hard-to-pull-off aluminum lids on various cans

and open jars effortlessly. Only $14.74 online at El-derDepot.com.

While you’re shop-ping, don’t miss out on the Simmermat from Kitchen Kapers. At $18.99, this product is a lifesaver. Forget about soups boiling over, and no more burned spaghetti sauce. This cleverly-designed gadget lifts the bottom of your pan just above the heat, prevent-ing the direct contact that creates overheating. The Simmermat and many other fascinating others

are available at KitchenKapers.com.Are you cursed with a small space between

two base cabinets? You can purchase the slim Rolling Storage and Laundry Cart from Orga-nize.com, (not to be confused with OrganizeIt.com). This ingenious space filler is at home in the kitchen as well as the laundry room. It has three shelves and rolls out for easy access. At only $7.29, “it’s cheap at half the price”!

I’ve ordered so many great things, I thought I’d have no money left and would have to give Can Claws to Liz and the kids this year. How-ever, after consulting with my CPA, by sharing all this research with my readers, these expenses appear to be deductible! But, until they come out with a true vaccine for Catalog Fever (in-stead of a tax loophole), I suppose that we’ll continue to suffer through the catalog season year after year.

I could go on and on, but I hear the mail-man at the door and, if I guess right, he’s put-ting another five or six catalogs in my mailbox at this very moment.

Before I go to check the mail, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy new year.

Paul Bookbinder, M.I.D., C.R., is president of DreamWork Kitchens, Inc. located in Mama-roneck, New York. A Master of Design (Pratt Institute), and E.P.A. Certified Remodeler, he serves on the Advisory Panel of Remodeling Magazine. A member of the National Kitchen & Bath Assoc., he is also a contributor to Do It Yourself magazine. He can be reached for ques-tions at 914-777-0437 or DreamworkKitchens.com.

Paul Bookbinder

The Kitchen & Bath Insider:11th Annual Holiday Gift Guide

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR

TOWING SERVICE

The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (“PHA”) will receive propos-als for SERVICE TO TOW AND REMOVE UNAUTHORIZED ABANDONED AND ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES AT ALL PHA SITES on Thursday December 20, 2012 at 10:00am at the office of the PHA, Augustine J. Shea Building, 1511 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers 10710.

Sealed, separate proposals are invited by companies for the above described ser-vice. The proposal will be reviewed, ranked and rated by the PHA and awarded to the most responsible proposal, which is most advantageous to the PHA.

Bid Documents are on file at the office of the PHA, Augustine J. Shea Building, 1511 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, New York and may be obtained in person with a non-refundable payment of Twenty-Fifty Dollars ($25.00) Company Check, or Money Order, ONLY.

Bidders must satisfy themselves by personal examination of the proposed work and not, at any time after submission of proposal, dispute or complain nor as-sert that there was any misunderstanding in regard to the nature or amount of the work to be done. Proposals must be accompanied with all required documents.

The PHA is an equal opportunity employer and reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in the procurement procedure and if only one proposal is received, to accept it or return it unopened to the bidder or to waive any informalities. No pro-posal shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of proposals.

THE MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITYFOR THE CITY OF YONKERS

JOSEPH SHULDINER Executive Director

Dated: NOVEMBER 28, 2012#1162 11/30 - 12/14

PS ORANGECO INC.




ON (date): 12/28/2012 AT (Time): 04:30 PMPUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 955 Saw Mill Road Yonkers, New York 10701

The storage spaces in lien belonging to the below-identified tenants contain the fol-lowing: Appliances/Boxes/Bags/Bedding/Clothing/Books/Electronics/Furniture/Tools/

Toys

NAMEDebbi Johnson, Douglas Gardner, Ernesto Linares, Luis Alonzo, Patricia Trinidad, Darlyn Jaquez, Anna Lightsey, Barbara Delgardo, Deborah Anne Bell, Atef Ben Has-sen, Peter J. Villanueva, Kris Erskine, Taylor Millen


#27821 12/14

PS ORANGECO INC.




ON (date): 12/28/2012 AT (Time): 1:30 PMPUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 400 Nepperhan Avenue Yonkers, New York 10701


NAMEFrancisca Kehinde, Dulcibelle Cabrera, Hans Wolff, Crystal Glenn, Felisha Macklin, Tia Phillips, Tanika Beene-Inlaw, Jose Rios, Rick Clonce, Matthew Mcguckin, Timothy Page, Marguerite Sims, Tykiesha Williamson, Victor Morisete, Anthony Bollella, Lyna-sia Taylor, Jose Ofarrill, Rachel Rojas, Mercedes Alberman, Yorkis Diaz, Ana Ventura, Thomas Kay, Anthony Rocco, Shakia Nelson, Matthew Scully, John Predd, Yolanda Lewi, Virginia Collins, Clive Clarke, Jermalaine Cortez, Varda Steindhardt, Curtis Stewart, Gloria Hammonds, Veronica Brijlall, John Delgado, Tyeisha Hawkins, Cheryl Douglas, James Green, Terrance Byers, Ann Abrokwa, Robert Clemons, Glen Gary, Robert Frederick, John Predd, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Paula Perone, Kecia Robinson, Kadaya Span, Micheal Whitfield, Jannelle Davis, James Stinson, Valarie Sparrow, James Johnson, Reema Sutton, Caswell Lathan, Tuwanda Jacobs, William Rainford, Angela Barr, Karen Tumelty, Maritza Velazquez, Robert Acheampong, Keisha Eaton, Terri Matthews


#08107 12/14

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

THE MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR THE CITY OF YONKERS, “MHA-CY”, will receive proposals for INTERIOR PAINTING OF VACANT AND OCCUPIED APARTMENTS, at NY3-2A et al on Thursday December 20, 2012 at 11:00am at the office of the MHACY, 1511 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710.

Sealed, separate proposals are invited on the work of furnishing and installing all labor and materials required for the above work as they occur at sites: NY3-2A Hall Homes; NY3-2B Loehr Court Apartments; NY3-3 Schlobohm Houses; NY3-4Walsh Homes; NY3-5 Calcagno Homes; NY3-6 Curran Court; NY3-6B Kristensen Houses; NY3-7 Flynn Manor; NY3-9 Cottage Place Gardens; NY3-10A Martinelli Manor; NY3-10B Troy Manor; NY3-11A O’Rourke Townhouses; NY3-11C Judge Arthur Doran Sr. Townhouses; NY3-11D Andrew Smith Townhouses; NY 3-11E Judge Albert Fiorillo Townhouses; NY3-13A Christopher Townhouses; NY3-13B Regan Townhouses.

Bid Documents are on file at the office of the MHACY, Augustine J. Shea Building, 1511 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY, and may be obtained in person with a non-refundable payment of Twenty-Five dollars ($25.00) Company Check, or Money Order ONLY. The proposals will be reviewed, rated and ranked by the PHA and awarded to the most responsible proposal, which is most advantageous to the PHA.

Bidders must satisfy themselves by personal examination of the proposed work and shall not, at any time after submission of Proposal, dispute or complain nor assert that there was any misunderstanding in regard to the nature or amount of the work to be done. Proposals must be accompanied with all required documents.

The MHACY is an equal opportunity employer and reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to waive any informality in the procurement procedure and if only one proposal is received, to accept it or return it unopened to the bidder. No proposal shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids.

THE MUNICIPAL HOUISNG AUTHORITYFOR THE CITY OF YONKERS

JOSEPH SCHULDINER Executive Director

DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2012#1161 11/30 - 12/14

PS ORANGECO INC.




ON (date): 12/28/2012 AT (Time): 10:00 AMPUBLIC STORAGE ADDRESS: 60 E. Kingsbridge Road Mount Vernon, New York

10701


NAMEMuriel Burrell, Eric Graham, Janell McCrea, Laura Etienne, Rosie Tolbert, Karl Gray, Ronald Deroche, Dwayne Minott, Oscar Ortega, Martha Ogunjana, PHYLLIS CLARKE, Antoinette McGaha, Basil Lindsay, Stacy-Ann Hudson, Cecile Hall, Keaton Dixon, Albert White, Marcia Egwu, Fay Douglas, Owen Dacosta, Tracey Cates, DAVID CAMPBELL, Wally Small, GREGG GRANT, henry fenton, Isaac McLaurin, Beverley Hines, Tara Colbert, Andrea Perez, Tricia Lovell, Ronald Deroche, Coleisha Watson, Deniece Hartley, Clairmont Grant, Clyde Thompson, THORNTON WILLIAMS, Mau-reen Shepherd, Samuel Griffiths, Marcia Robinson, SHAWN LYONS, Valerie John-son, Ernest Nicholas, Beverly Elvy, Juliet Ornstein, Nora Presley, KEISHA BISHOP, Richmond Gordon, Enock Lartey, Michelle Morgan, Albert Bramble, Alfred Crumley, Raquel Alvarez-Pabon, Terrilynne Jenkins, Sandy Burnett-Grossett, Mable Bryant, Victoria Elumeze, David Thompson, Sylvia Gervasutti, andrea myles, Teresa Harris, Hurlie Telemaque, Henri Williams, Ryan Reid, Jodian Beckford, andrea myles, Tif-fany Johnson, LEON W MARSHALL, Carl Green, Perry Foy, Nichole Francis, Ronald Dailey, llenee wright, Donny McTaggart, Sheneice Simms, Octavia Sobers, Dayanara Burgos, Eric Jackson, Melicia Lewis, James Fugah, Fitzhugh Mann, Kevin Barnes, Taneshia Hood, Edwina Wickens,


#34112 12/14


The abandoned School 6 and its archway, which will be kept in the new building

Demolition begins

Mayor Mike Spano (center) with (l to r) State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins,Council President Chuck Lesnick and Councilman Michael Sabatino

A rendering of Schoolhouse Terrace

L to r: Council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero, Councilman Dennis Shepherd,Sister Eileen Treanor of St. Paul’s, Mayor Mike Spano and MAMA President RJ Puma

The Deidre O’Mara Holiday Dancers entertain the crowd

Santa reaching into his bag for a candy cane

Mayor Mike Spano recently joined with developers The Community Builders (TCB) and the Municipal Housing Authority (MHA) to commemorate the demolition of the long-vacant Public School 6 (PS6) in Yonkers and the trans-formation of the property into 51 units of senior housing in one building and 70 units for families in a second.

PS6 has been abandoned for more than 30 years and fell into disrepair too severe for preser-vation. Recognizing the importance of PS6 to the community, the city, state and development team are preserving the historic arch at the front of the building for incorporation into Schoolhouse Ter-race at Croton Heights, the new housing develop-ment to be built on the site.

After many years of planning, this event marks the beginning of the transformation of the lower Ashburton Avenue Corridor. The new de-velopment will be constructed next year and will feature a 51-unit senior building and a 70-unit family building. The environmentally sustainable project is designed to meet LEED and NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program standards and includes a total 121 units with 134 parking spaces.

The redevelopment of the PS6 site is a col-laborative effort between TCB and the MHA to address the blighting influence of an abandoned school building in Yonkers. The project, once completed, will continue the city and MH’s joint investment in the Ashburton corridor and create a

new mixed-income community for families and seniors in Yonkers.

Schoolhouse Terrace will comprise two new mixed-income residential buildings affordable to families and seniors. Schoolhouse Terrace sits on a site slightly more than one acre in size, previous-ly owned by the City of Yonkers. The old school building is suffering from major structural dam-age, necessitating its demolition, but the school’s original archway will be preserved and integrated into the design of two new, mixed-income residen-tial buildings — one a 51-unit elderly building, the other a 70-unit family building.

The buildings will sit atop two underground parking garages to accommodate resident needs. Designs include a number of windows to maxi-mize natural light and views. The site’s location makes the project’s design a logical choice, as upon completion, the buildings will feature fantas-tic views of the Palisades and the Hudson River.

Of the 121 units, nine will be one-bedroom, 28 will be two-bedroom and 29 will be three-bed-room. There will be 2,400 square feet of commu-nity space.

Thirty one of the units will be reserved for residents earning less than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 33 for those under 50 per-cent AME and 2 for residents earning under 60 percent AMI.

The project is expected to cost a total of about $58 million.

Yonkers Turns Old School 6into Affordable Housing

Photos by Donna Davis

anor of St. Paul the Apostle Church gave the benediction.

Councilman Dennis Shepherd, who rep-resents the 4th Council District which includes

McLean Avenue and Conor Park, recognized Mayor Mike Spano, Council Majority Leader Wilson Terrero and all dignitaries.

Presentations were made by Boy Scouts Troop #47 and the Deidre O’Mara Holiday Dancers, who were joined by holiday carolers and a visit from Santa Claus. Free cookies and hot chocolate topped off the event.

MAMA Tree Lighting Continued from Page 1

The New York Blood Center will hold a blood drive in the Scott Room of the Scarsdale Public Library on Monday, December 17 from 2:30 to 7 p.m.

So many people have recently lost so much. Your blood donation can make a differ-

ence.The Scarsdale Library is located at 54 Ol-

msted Rd. in Scarsdale. For more information, call 914-722-1300 or visit ScarsdaleLibrary.org.

Save the Date: Blood Drive

get committee and called on Astorino to submit a better budget.

“The Board of Legislators is letting the County Executive know that his fiscally irrespon-sible budget hurts too many Westchester families and puts political pork ahead of public safety and health priorities,” said Board Chairman Ken Jen-kins.

With democrats on the board unwilling to compromise and heading towards not voting on this year’s budget, Perez and Kaplowitz worked with their seven republican colleagues and Asto-rino to agree on a compromise budget.

All of this happened at the board’s special meeting on December 7. We viewed the video tape of the meeting, which stopped recording af-ter 15 minutes.

Jenkins started the meeting but waited for the seven republicans, Perez and Kaplowitz to enter, already knowing what was about to hap-pen. Board Minority Leader Jim Maisano called for a suspension of the board rules for upcoming budget discussions and votes. Eventually, all 17 legislators agreed to suspend Rules 9 and 11.

Immediately after that vote, Legislator and Budget Chair Judy Myers recommitted the bud-get back to the budget committee and Board Ma-jority Leader Peter Harkham made a motion to adjourn. Legislator Lyndon Williams seconded the motion and, without a vote to adjourn, Jen-kins sounded that gavel and adjourned the meet-ing.

Maisano and eight other legislators — Per-ez, Kaplowitz and the rest of the republicans — stayed and continued the meeting. This is where the video tape of the meeting ends. With nine of 17 legislators present, Maisano was elected tem-porary chair of the Board of Legislators and the legislators present approved a compromise $1.7 billion budget, which included the following pro-visions:

Additional funding to strengthen public safety, emergency services, probation and the DA’s office;

Other restored positions were five engineers from Public Works and three parks curators;

The parental contribution for subsidized day care was reduced to 27 percent from Astorino’s

proposed it 35;An additional $200,000 was allocated to

Cornell Cooperation Extension, making its total $800,000;

Arts in Westchester was given $500,000 more, making its total $1.25 million; and

Other additions were made for legal servic-es for immigrants ($220,000) and small business loans and technical assistance ($160,000).

Astorino signed the new budget later that day, December 7.

“This is a good, responsible budget,” said Astorino. “While it has been modified from what I originally proposed, it meets all my objectives. There is no increase in the tax levy and there is no use of reserves that could jeopardize the county’s AAA credit ratings.”

Astorino said he was proud of the work of the bipartisan coalition that had drawn up the fi-nal budget: “This is what government should be about — people of all political sides working to-gether to do right by the public.”

Astorino said that Perez and Kaplowitz, “have done what is right....That’s the way our country operates. It’s not supposed to be if you lose, you take your ball and you go home.”

Jenkins and the remaining seven democrats disagreed.

“They can believe what they like, but there is no budget that has been adopted by the board,” Jenkins said. “We were willing to compromise, but their answer was to try to hijack the process.”

Harckham said the actions by the Perez and Kaplowitz, “were despicable and made a mock-ery of the legislative process.Kaplowitz said he made his decision after Democrats “were un-willing to compromise.” He added, “We need a healthy dose of common sense.”

Perez said, “I was elected to serve the people of my district and the county, and if my demo-cratic colleagues don’t like it, I’m very sorry.”

Perez, who represents the southwest por-tion of Yonkers on the county board, said she has already been threatened with a democratic chal-lenger when she runs for re-election next year because of her decision. But Perez won election last year without the help of Jenkins or the Demo-cratic Party, defeating Jose Alvarado in a demo-cratic primary.

This week, Jenkins reiterated his belief that the budget was not passed lawfully and held out the possibility of legal action.

Perez Agrees to Continued from Page 1


CAPTURE THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON WITH A SANTA PHOTO!

Santa is available for photos and visits at his winter wonderland house, located near Gap. Each child who visits with Santa receives a FREE gift! And, don’t miss nightly Tree Lighting events also at the Santa Village beginning at 5pm

and continuing each half hour after.

HOLIDAY PHOTOSWITH SANTANOW THROUGH DECEMBER 24

MACY’S, SEARS, H&M, XXI FOREVER, TGI FRIDAY’S, CHIPOTLE AND MORE THAN 100 SPECIALTY STORES & RESTAURANTSLocated at the junction of the NY State Thruway and Cross County Parkway in Yonkers, NY | 914.968.9570

CrossCountyCenter.com

MACC9012-27 Cross County_Ad.indd 1 11/13/12 9:39 AM

L to r: Council President Chuck Lesnick, American Idol 2011 FinalistKaren Rodriguez and State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

L to r: PAL members Sal Corrente, Chris Palandra, Charlie Gebbia and John Harrigan

L to r: Stewart-Cousins, Assemblymember Shelley Mayer, PAL President Angelo Martinelli and Councilman Christopher Johnson singing a holiday tune

L to r: Police Commissioner Charles Gardner, Councilman Mike Breen, Lesnick, PAL Presi-dent Angelo Martinelli, Rodriguez, Mayor Mike Spano, Ron Anthony of the Regents, Corrente,

of the Everyday People, and guitarist Ray Burkhart

Guests wearing shirts from the Recreation Department’s Project Friendship,dancing and enjoying the party

Corrente, Rodriguez and Community Baptist Church Reverendand PBA Chaplin Clarence Bolling

Photos by Ed Whitman

Yonkers Police Athletic League Christmas Party

Santa made an appearance and gave each guest

a gift.PAL President Angelo Martinelli welcomed

Mayor Mike Spano, Council President Chuck Lesnick, Councilmen Mike Breen and Chris-topher Johnson, State Senator Andrea Stewart-

Cousins, Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer and many other dignitaries and guests.

Many thanks to the Edward and Mary Doyle community assistance fund for sponsor-ing the party, and the Yonkers PBA and Presi-

dent Keith Olsen for their work and support for the party and many other events at the PAL. And thanks to the City of Yonkers Parks and Recre-ation Department and Tara Conte for their help organizing a special day for many.

PAL Christmas Party Continued from Page 1