“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · M ayor Richard Thomas held a press conference...

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”

http://www.mvinquirer.com

Volume 11, Number 7 July 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”

Continued on page 20

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Mayor Richard Thomas held a press conference concerning his plans for Memorial Field on Friday, June 3, and all the

major media outlets were in attendance. Also in attendance were the legendary Bob Cimmino and the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Dwayne Brown. Both of them spoke on the importance of renovating Memorial Field and making it available to the public as expeditiously as possible.

“Unfortunately, in recent years Memo-rial Field has become victim to criminal activity as the park has fallen into disre-pair and become a site for toxic and il-legal dumping. While we know that those who sought to destroy our field will be brought to justice someday, we are not waiting to begin the hard work to restore and revitalize our treasured park,” said Thomas.

“Presently, the situation is critical. The NYS Department of Environmental Con-servation has confirmed that the level of remediation and toxic waste at Memo-

rial Field needs to be addressed imme-diately. They have placed the city under an administrative consent order. We

cannot ignore the situation at Memorial Field anymore. We must clean up or face severe fines and penalties,” emphasized

On Thursday, June 23, the sky above Mount Vernon came to life with an unprecedented fireworks show on the fields of

Mount Vernon High School. Those that attended brought folding chairs, blankets, pillows, snacks, and some even set up tents for greater comfort.

The event was intended as a toast to Mount Vernon’s graduating high school seniors and a tribute to our nation’s inde-pendence.

The fireworks venue was put together in a relatively short period of time, but in-credibly, the event attracted thousands of people – mostly Mount Vernon’s youth.

The last time Mount Vernonites enjoyed fireworks in their city was in 1953, when

Mayor Thomas speaking during the press conference held at Memorial Field

Like in 1953, thousands attended the recent fireworks show on the fields of Mount Vernon High School

FEATURES Mayor Thomas seeks bond and other remedies to renovate

Memorial Field

Return of fireworks to Mt. Vernon energizes thousands

Mt. Vernon holds impressive Memorial Day Ceremony

under threat of rain 0

Mt. Vernon’s Angela Tucker designated CareRite Centers’ 2016 Professional of the Year

Page 9

Mt. Vernon top fundraiser in Relay For Life of Pelham

Page 7

Chelsea and Jade’s Lemonade stand

Page 12

Story by Joe Parisi

Story by Joe Parisi



www.mvinquirer.com2 l July 2016



www.mvinquirer.com 3 l July 2016




DPW workers removing fallen branches from a street tree

Mount Vernon DPW undertakes

beautification effort

While new housing and business developments continue to prosper in the City of Mount Vernon, the

Department of Public Works (DPW) has undertaken beautification and restora-tion efforts to revitalize the surrounding infrastructure and improve the city’s quality of life.

The City of Mount Vernon is a rapidly growing community at the intersection of major New York City transit hubs.

Mount Vernon DPW is doing many different initiatives to achieve that ob-jective including:

• Power-washing years of dusty grime buildup and bird droppings under bridges. This will create areas for il-lustrations, such as signs, banners, and murals, welcoming people into and throughout the city.

• Collaborating with the MTA and Con-Edison to refurbish or replace all deteriorated bridges.

• Resurfacing dilapidated streets that have been neglected for way too long as well as streets filled with thousands of potholes from years of severe winter seasons.

• Commencing the installation of new handicap ramps, along with repairs of adjoining sidewalks, making the city more accessible and pedestrian friendly.

• Adding illumination around the Fleetwood train station creating a more visible and safer setting for residents and visitors. Also, by improving traffic designs, speed bumps and pedestrian walkways will be enhanced.

• Trimming or eliminating trees that pose threats to a homeowner’s property as well as cutting branches hazardous to power lines.

Mount Vernon is known for being an

“eco-friendly” city. Therefore, DPW Parks division commenced and is com-mitted to continue planting trees to re-flect the city’s eco-friendliness and to demonstratively echo the city’s new growth.

Mayor Richard Thomas has com-mended DPW’s efforts in helping to #CLEANUPMV and create a better quality of life for the residents of Mount Vernon.

“I am appealing to our colleagues on the county and state level to help pro-vide our Department of Public Works with the vehicles needed to help clean up Mount Vernon,” said Mayor Thomas.

“Residents have been stepping up in a major way to help clean up the grime that affects our streets. There have been efforts made by some residents to start their own clean up efforts to support the work being done by the city, but it is not enough. I am calling on my colleagues in City Hall to help collaborate on clean up and help increase the quality of life for all residents.”

DPW Commissioner Ralph Uzzi said, “We are facing equipment challenges that have setback our DPW crews who want to keep our city clean. Our de-partment is still waiting on the Council to sign off on the purchase orders for two new street sweepers that are a ma-jor need. Similarly, our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Compliance Order, which mandated the city to start working on fixing our infrastructure, has been in a holding pattern. Mount Vernon faces harsh civil and criminal penalties if they do not come into compliance. To start the process we are awaiting Coun-cil approval on a $40,000 engineering grant from NY State. We are working hard to keep our city clean, but we need to collaborate.

(l to r) Recreation Commissioner Darren M. Morton, Mayor Thomas and Councilwoman Lisa Copeland

Mayor’s first public meeting on revitalization of Memorial

Field goes well

A n overflowing crowd packed into the Memorial Room at City Hall on Wednesday, June 8, to attend the first in

a series of biweekly public meetings on the revitalization of Memorial Field. The meeting was co-hosted by Mayor Richard Thomas, City Councilwoman Lisa Copeland, and Commissioner of Recreation Darren Morton.

Mayor Thomas opened the meeting by stating, “It may seem that repairing Memorial Field is a monumental task; however, we know that if we come to-gether as a community, our Field will be reborn. I look forward to this public meeting process and I welcome all par-ties to come and share their vision for the Field.”

Based on the large amount of citi-zens that attended the meeting, and the questions asked, it appears at this time that the taxpayers of Mount Ver-non are ready to do what it takes to have Memorial Field revitalized, even if it means ‘footing’ most of the money for the cleanup and completion of the project.

Many have read that Memorial Field has been inspected by the NY State Department of Environmental Conser-vation (DEC) on two occasions, and that during their inspection they ob-served 12,000 cubic yards of construc-tion and demolition (C&D) debris at the site.

On January 12, 2015 and November 3, 2015, the DEC took samples of the material and determined that it con-tained coal, ash, and slag.

The DEC responded by issuing the city an Order on Consent, and is hold-ing Mount Vernon responsible over the C&D waste discovered at the site. And on November 20, 2015, Mount Vernon was issued a Notice of Violation docu-menting violations at the site. Mount

Vernon did not contest the Notice of Violation and waived the right to a pub-lic hearing. Consequently, Mount Ver-non was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $50,000.

The DEC provided the city with a schedule of compliance to remediate Memorial Field that went into effect on the date the city was issued the Order on Consent. The mayor will be seeking an extension on the period required to remediate the field.

Mayor Thomas cautioned those that attended the meeting about the pos-sibility that Memorial Field may be closed permanently, depending on what current testing reveals. He spoke about a park in another area that had to be closed permanently after further testing determined that the contami-nation was too severe to reverse. “The possibility of this being the case with Memorial Field is small, but we will not know until the full testing is finalized,” said Thomas.

The mayor received endless ques-tions from the public, all indicative of a strong desire by the taxpayers to have Memorial Field reopened in the future.

“We are moving along on this project under the assumption that we will have to come up with the bulk of the money,” cautioned Thomas.

According to the mayor, he will be seeking approval from the City Coun-cil in order to place a security system at Memorial Field to prevent further dumping. He also wants to protect DPW as well.

The mayor further mentioned that at the next meeting a framework will be put in place comprised of committees of those individuals willing to partici-pating in the revitalization of Memorial Field. He urged citizens to join the ef-fort.




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.

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Wedding bells ring at City Hall in Mount Vernon

On Wednesday, June 1, wedding bells rang once again at City Hall as Mayor Richard Thomas presided over the ceremony of

Mount Vernon Police Officer Christopher Grieco and Lenice Da Silva. In front of a group of family and friends, the ceremony

saw this couple joined in holy matrimony.This is the third wedding that the mayor

has taken part in since he began his term. It appears that Mount Vernon is quickly becoming the place for parades, wed-dings and fun activities that will hopefully bring the community together. Ellen and Paul Lewis

Synagogue honors

Mt. Vernon residents Ellen and

Paul Lewis

Mt. Vernon residents Ellen and Paul Lewis were honored June 5th by the Shaarei

Tikvah congregation in Scarsdale for decades of support and vol-unteer leadership on behalf of the congregation. The two are re-tired Mount Vernon High School teachers.

Ellen Lewis, a lifelong Mt. Ver-non resident, has served the syn-agogue in a multitude of roles, including officer, trustee, Adult Education Chair, Ritual Commit-tee Chair and more. She contin-ues to devote hours each week to the congregation, teaching Hebrew to adults and enhanc-ing the community’s religious life. Paul has avidly participated in synagogue social and cultural activities.

Yonkers resident Ileen Kodish was presented with the Gates of Hope Award as volunteer of the year. She was Shaarei Tikvah’s School Board Co-Chair from 2008-2014 devoting countless hours and extensive organiza-tional skills to help in its smooth functioning.

On June 5th, the honorees were feted by more than 150 congregants and friends at The JeoParty, the party’s theme in recognition of Ellen Lewis’s 2012 successful appearance on Jeop-ardy.

Shaarei Tikvah was formed in 1998 through the merger of the former Emanuel Jewish Center in Mount Vernon and Genesis Agu-das Achim in Tuckahoe.

“Con Edison is hurting our business”

Our business has been severely impacted over the last eight months by Con Edison and its subcontractors while they per-

form construction directly in front of our business, located at 300 East 3rd Street.

The re-routing of traffic, destruction of the street and closure of the block has forced our customers to postpone their shopping until the construction is com-pleted at 5pm or visit neighboring loca-tions. This has resulted in lost sales, which has crippled our business.

We have been working as hard as we can with the resources that we have to operate, but the lack of product is a di-

rect result of Con Edison’s FAILURE to complete this project in a timely man-ner. To add insult to injury, we have very little communication from Con Edison and have been misled on several occasions as to the scope of the work and expected completion date.

We hope that our loyal Mount Vernon customers continue to support us and un-derstand the hardship that we are facing. It’s sad when a multi-billion dollar organi-zation such as Con Edison comes into our community and impacts small business with no regard or discretion.

Sincerely, The Liquor Rush Family

LETTER TO THE EDITOR




Thomas.According to Mayor Thomas, fixing the

damage done to Memorial Field isn’t go-ing to be cheap. Remediating the toxic conditions at the field is mandatory and will cost the City of Mount Vernon at least $2 million dollars.

There are four options under consider-ation:

• Do nothing: Clean up the toxic materi-als from the field and leave it as is.

• Do the right thing: Clean up the field and redevelop the area to make it a re-gional attraction for families to shop, watch sports, and play.

• Go long on parking: Reassess the parking needs for the area and cre-ate a hub of activities that will make it easier to park, shop, eat and enjoy a world-class facility.

• Start from scratch (shoot for the moon): Bring a completely new vision to Me-morial Field and revitalize the entire area into a regional hub where people

can come.The Thomas administration is commit-

ted to the revitalization of Memorial Field as a family- friendly destination. “At this point in time, we believe that the most fis-cally prudent policy for the community is option two - do the right thing. The con-servative cost estimate provides an af-fordable and realistic plan which salvages the historic integrity of the stadium while expanding parking and athletic sports at the precious park. It also assumes that Mount Vernon will not receive any finan-cial help from outside funding sources, a fact which is highly unlikely. As such, op-tion two appears to be the optimal choice that Mount Vernon can afford if the project advances solely on the city’s dime,” said Thomas.

According to Thomas, it is important to note that option two creates new connec-tions to Memorial Field from Target and BestBuy parking lots via an aerial walkway as well as adding thousands of square

feet of commercial space at the public park. The new stadium will be a space for a variety of athletic competitions spanning squash, handball, tennis, football, soccer and more and will restore Memorial Field as the premier athletic facility in the Hud-son Valley.

“We have word from the county that they are still committed to providing $7 million dollars to defray the costs of redo-ing the field. The money is not to be used to clean the field, though,” said Thomas.

As a money saving factor, the track will consist of six lanes. The stadium will be demolished and the new one will be built with 4,000 seats – with the exterior red brick façade being retained.

The key question is how best to raise the necessary funds without clobbering property taxpayers. Based on option two, conservative estimates indicate the city must spend approximately $11 million to fix the Field. Assuming the voters pass a public bond, this translates into about

$3.10 per month, roughly $37 dollars on the annual tax bill. “The cost of sacrific-ing a few sodas a month carries the po-tential to create a new field of dreams, a new quality of life in Mount Vernon,” said Thomas.

The entire transformation of the dilapi-dated and contaminated Memorial Field is expected to take a minimum of four years to complete.

Thomas’ plan is going to get much scru-tiny from the taxpayers, but if he is suc-cessful and gets the taxpayers to vote for a bond, Memorial Field will once again be used as a venue for major concerts, intense sports competitions, and gradu-ation ceremonies for Mount Vernon High School. The crown jewel of the city, Me-morial Field will once again be a place where character can be built, realized, and victories achieved.

Chamber President Dwayne Brown fully supports the mayor’s plan The current state of Memorial Field

Continued from page 1

Students from MVHS discuss the landmark Supreme Court case Miranda vs. Arizona

On Tuesday, May 31, Mr. Mihailidis hosted the Westchester Black Bar Association for a panel

discussion regarding the landmark United States Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ruling.

The members of the panel includ-ed Hon. Nichelle A. Johnson (Mount Vernon City Court Judge), Robert A. Mayes, Esq. (Westchester County Assistant District Attorney), Maurice D. Williams, Esq. (Attorney at Law), and Detective Juliet Roach (Mount

Vernon Police Department - Youth Division).

The discussion began with a short video depicting the facts of the case, followed by a brief historical expla-nation of the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The panelists, led by Keri A. Fiore (Court Attorney, Westchester Family Court), then discussed how the 5th Amendment related to their practice in their role in our society.

After the panel discussion, the stu-dents engaged in a question and an-swer session with the panelists.




Representatives from Mount Vernon in front of their huge tent Joe Solimine speaking during the opening ceremony

Survivors being applauded as they participate in the Survivors lap

Youngsters were kept busy with many activities

Relay For Life is no longer held in Mount Vernon because the American Cancer Society was not happy with the amount of

money that was being raised there and prohibited the event from being held in the city two years ago. Therefore, the loyal Mount Vernonites, along with many sur-vivors committed to the yearly Relay For Life effort, joined forces with Relay For Life of Pelham.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer. It unites communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all.

On Saturday, June 4, Relay For Life of Pelham kicked off with a Survivors din-ner, followed by the opening ceremony at Glover Field in Pelham, N.Y.

It is always greatly electrifying at a Re-lay For Life when they ask the Survivors to prepare for the Survivors lap. And this year there seemed to be more Survivors than in previous Relays.

This year’s event was poorly attended and many attribute the poor attendance issue due to ominous clouds and the

threat of serious thundershowers.Several elected officials spoke during

the opening ceremony, which included Joe Solimine, former Pelham Town Super-visor and cancer survivor.

The bulk of the participants were high school students, mixed in with some col-lege kids, and several adults.

“I can’t think of a better way to be spending my time,” said one Mount Ver-non young lady. “It’s such a worthy cause, and to know that so many people are go-ing to be helped by what we’re doing here tonight is just incredible.”

Mount Vernon had the largest represen-tation at the event, and much applause was heard when it was announced that out of twenty-four teams and two hun-dred participants, Mount Vernon raised the most funds. Mount Vernon against cancer, led by Marry Harris, was the top fundraising team collecting $6,191.20 in donations.

As of June 5, Relay For Life of Pelham raised a total of $37,000. The Relay sea-son ends in late August, so the numbers are expected to increase by then.

Those that attended had a great time, especially the representatives from Mount Vernon, who gathered as a large family un-der a huge tent facing the stage.

Mt. Vernon top fundraiser in Relay For Life of Pelham

There was an abundance of sumptuous food everywhere, and plenty of highly or-ganized activities to keep the many youth in attendance busy.

“Since Mount Vernon raised the most money this year, maybe they’ll let us have

Relay For Life in Mount Vernon next year,” said one very committed young lady.

The Luminaria Ceremony was held at 10pm and the closing ceremony took place at 5:30am.




“The X-Factor” drumline Mr. Frank Abel being presented a plaque

Young ladies dancing to the sounds of a marching band

This solo drummer awed the crowd with his talent

Though there may not be many drum corps left in New York, there are certainly lots of young drum-mers around. Kids are drumming

everywhere you look: in their churches, on subway platforms, on street corners, in the growing number of drumlines and marching bands throughout the New York

City area and beyond.On Saturday, June 4, a capacity crowd

flocked to the Doles Center theater to en-joy the first-ever Battle of the Drumlines, consisting of the best drumlines in all of New York.

A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as part of a

“Battle of the Drumlines” held at the Doles Center

musical marching ensemble. High school and college marching bands, drill and drum corps are some examples of groups that include a “drumline.”

The judges had a tough time scor-ing since the competition was incred-ibly fierce, and they were judging the top drumlines in all of New York.

Mount Vernon’s drumline, I.C.E., drew a standing ovation when they were intro-duced. X-Factor, Brooklyn United and Co-bra followed them.

Many in attendance remembered Mr. Frank Able when he was introduced as an honoree. He was the band director at Mount Vernon High School for nearly ten years. He was presented with an impres-sive plaque and also drew a standing ova-tion from the audience.

Aside from the drumline competition, the premier venue also included solo drummers and other performers, so those in attendance who paid $10.00 to attend felt it was well worth the money they paid.




Angela Tucker was awarded a two year fully loaded Ford Fusion car lease and $5,000

Angela Tucker being honored by CareRite Centers officials

Mt. Vernon’s Angela Tucker designated CareRite Centers’

2016 Professional of the Year

Mount Vernon resident Angela Tucker, CNA, of The Grove at Valhalla Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Valhalla, NY,

has been named 2016 Professional of the Year by CareRite Centers, a dynamic and unprecedented healthcare company. Held in observance of National Nursing Home Week (May 8, 2016- May 14, 2016) to recognize the hard work and dedication of outstanding staff throughout CareRite Centers’ network, nominations for Care-Rite Centers’ Professional of the Year program began in 2015 and concluded in May 2016 in which 100 healthcare profes-sionals were selected from a pool of 6,000 employees throughout all 19 CareRite Centers in five states.

Initially chosen from a large number of

candidates before being selected Care-Rite Centers’ Employee of the Quarter fi-nalist, Ms. Tucker was recently designated CareRite Centers’ 2016 Professional of the Year for the unwavering devotion and high caliber level of care she provides to not only the residents she looks after but also her support for her fellow employees as well as the extreme dedication and sacri-fices she has made for her own family. Not long ago when her sister passed away, Ms. Tucker was the first to lend a helping hand by taking in her sister’s children, who she continues to raise today along with her own children. Her exceptional work ethic and determination that goes above and beyond what is expected stems from her childhood in Jamaica along with her long-term innate desire to support and

help those in need.As Professional of the Year’s grand

prize, CareRite Centers offered its winner the choice of either a two year fully loaded Ford Fusion car lease or a $5,000 cash payout. While Ms. Tucker would have very much liked choosing the car lease she opted instead for the $5,000 cash payout to use the funds for the betterment and welfare of her family. CareRite Centers was so moved by Ms. Tucker’s selfless-ness that it decided to award her both the $5,000 cash payout and the two year fully loaded Ford Fusion car lease in honor of her steadfast noble efforts and commit-ment to others.

A part of The Grove family since June 2000, Ms. Tucker said, “I love taking care of people and love what I am doing. I al-ways put my best foot out because this is not only where I earn my living but this is also my place. You have to treat this like your own home. I always do what I think is best for the residents I serve and am never not above doing anything.”

Ms. Tucker’s administrator, Jake Hart-stein, explained that team members like

Ms. Tucker are the vital link and the core of excellence in the care and compas-sion that CareRite Centers is committed to. “Our staff members do their utmost to make the experiences for our patients and their families as remarkable as pos-sible. When it comes to raising the bar of genuine care and customer service in the nation, the CareRite Centers’ mission is to foster and provide unparalleled expe-riences for their guests. You’ll never hear Angela say, ‘that’s not my job.’ Angela em-bodies the spirit of CareRite Centers and having staff members like her on our team allow our network to continue fulfilling its mission. ”

Mr. Hartstein added, “The uncommon denominator throughout our network is that each touchpoint of every experience not only meets, but supersedes all expec-tations. Nothing is considered ‘standard’ at CareRite Centers, especially dedicated team members like Angela within the net-work.”




(l to r) Honorary Parade Grand Marshal JJ Hanson, Grand Marshal John Fava and Mayor Thomas

There’s nothing like Mount Ver-non’s grand Memorial Day Parade. On Monday, May 30, under the threat of rain, May-

or Richard Thomas, the City of Mount Vernon and the Central Committee for Veterans Affairs joined forces to salute the men and women who served and are currently serving the United States during times of war.

The day started off with a wreath lay-ing ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on the Plaza of City Hall, followed by the parade that kicked off promptly at 9:30 a.m.

A police escort preceded this year’s Grand Marshal, John Fava, Chairman of

the Central Committee for Veterans Af-fairs, who was accompanied by Mount Vernon’s mayor, Richard Thomas.

The procession proceeded from East Prospect Avenue to Park Avenue, right on Park Avenue to South 1st Avenue, right on East 3rd Street to South 4th Avenue, right on South 4th Avenue and north to Gramatan Avenue.

Participants in the parade consisted of city, state and national representa-tives, veteran’s groups, fraternal and civic organizations, members of the Mount Vernon Board of Education, Trustees, members of the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon

Mt. Vernon holds impressive Memorial Day Ceremony under threat of rain





students, bands, and members of the city’s police and fire departments.

The parade participants were greeted by the mayor and other of-ficials as they passed a reviewing stand on their route to Hartley Park, where the city’s Annual Memorial Day Ceremony was held at the gazebo.

Those that attended the cer-emony at the gazebo were part of an historic ceremony, since those honored included Corporal Warren Slater, a WWII veteran, who was able to address the audience although he is very old and frail. Slater fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and his regi-ment was instrumental in freeing cap-


tives from Nazi concentration camps. In addition, honored posthumously were Mount Vernon firefighters John

Howard Griffith and Anthony Robert Valentino, who sacrificed their lives while in service to their country during the Viet Nam war. In attendance were their family members, who received numer-ous awards in their names. The Third Street Firehouse is named after them.

The keynote speaker was a re-tired Marine Corps hero by the name of Captain JJ Hanson, who was deployed twice to defend the new Iraqi government. After his tenure as a Marine ended, he worked for Governor David Pat-terson. He later beat the odds

and defeated a rare form of can-cer and is currently the President of Patients’ Rights Action Fund.

His group is vehemently fighting against the legalization of assisted suicide in the United States.

At the end of the ceremony, ev-erybody was treated to a free BBQ at Hartley Park.




Edward Lawson was the keynote speaker

Superintendent Kenneth Hamilton Mayor Richard Thomas

Delia Farquharson

Westchester County representative, Reginald Lockhart

On Thursday, April 28, the City of Mount Vernon accepted the My Brother’s Keeper challenge from the White House. Mayor

Richard Thomas announced the accep-tance of President Barack Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” challenge on the steps of City Hall in front of a very large and en-thusiastic crowd.

Less than forty-five days after accepting the challenge, Mayor Thomas and the City of Mount Vernon held an action summit on Saturday, June 11 at the Doles Cen-ter in Mount Vernon. Mayor Thomas was joined by a coalition of local community leaders that included school Superinten-dent Kenneth Hamilton, several members of the Mount Vernon City Council, clergy members, local nonprofit groups, current and former school board trustees, Judge Nichelle Johnson, and other community stakeholders. The summit was intended to help advance the

My Brother’s Keeper initiative in Mount Vernon.

Prior to the start of the early action sum-mit the attendees were treated to a hearty breakfast.

Opening comments came from Planning Commissioner Shawyn Patterson-Howard who stated, “This program is aimed at helping young people read at grade level by third grade, improve access to jobs and valuable work experience, and reduce violence in the community.” She then in-troduced Mayor Thomas to the nearly 200

participants.“As leaders and influencers, we know

we are tasked with making sure the “City of Hope” is a place of hope for all, es-pecially for some of our young men who experience a culture of violence, a lack of job opportunities, and concern for their future. We will continue to take a proac-tive approach to implement immediate and strategic safety plans to protect the residents of Mount Vernon while providing productive options for our young people,” said Thomas.

Other speakers included Superinten-dent Kenneth Hamilton and Westchester County representative, Reginald Lockhart.

Prior to keynote speaker Edward Law-son approaching the podium, Delia Farqu-harson made an excellent presentation on My Brother’s Keeper.

When introduced by Patterson-Howard, Lawson received a long and thunderous applause.

Edward Lawson is the Program Director for the Nepperhan Community Center’s federally funded Healthy Marriage and Education Program “EmpowerYOU.” He is also a founding board member of Fa-thers Incorporated (FI). FI manages the federally funded National Responsible Fa-therhood Clearinghouse (NRFC) contract. In addition, Lawson served as the NRFC Community Outreach Coordinator, leading President Obama’s Fatherhood Buzz Bar-bershop Initiative.

At the conclusion of the speeches, at-

Community leaders attend action summit for “My Brother’s Keeper” at Doles Center

tendees were asked to be part of three breakout sessions to strategize on ideas on how to make My Brother’s Keeper work as planned in Mount Vernon, and were asked to join any of the following three committees:

• Reading at Grade Level by Third Grade – Facilitator: Tanya Mack

• Graduating from High School Ready for College and Career - Facilitator: Cynthia Turnquest-Jones

• Successfully Entering the Workforce - Facilitator: John Woodbury

Prior to the end of the action summit, Commissioner Ronald Fatigate spoke about 21st century policing.

Within 120 days after the action sum-mit, Mount Vernon will be publicizing a report with recommendations for action on the selected areas of focus, standards for tracking and sharing data across pub-lic agencies and community partners, and structural recommendations for institu-tionalizing the effort until goals are met.

Closing remarks came from former school board Trustee Frances Wynn.

(l to r) Jade and Chelsea Thompson

Chelsea and Jade’s Lemonade stand

My name is Jade Thomp-son and I am 16 years old. Five years ago, unexpected events led

to what I now call my entrepreneur-ship: “Chelsea and Jade’s Lemon-ade.” It was the summer of 2011 that my sister, Chelsea, and I were hosting friends and cousins from the Caribbean. We wanted to at-tend a church sponsored carnival event but my mom said there were

so many of us that the cost was outside her budget. She suggested we raise funds ourselves by erect-ing a lemonade stand in front of the house.

It was a good idea, but before we raised $40 some neighborhood kids down the block stole our idea and we lost sales because we lived on a one-way street and vehicles passed the other kids and pur-chased from them before getting to

LETTER TO THE EDITOR





Tony Alfano, Vice President and Executive Director, Montefiore New Rochelle (r) and Jaccel Kouns, Vice President and Executive

Director, Montefiore Mt. Vernon

Montefiore New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon receive Westchester

Green Business Certification

A well-attended press confer-ence was held at Montefiore New Rochelle on Tuesday, June 14, to recognize the re-

cipients of the Westchester Green Busi-ness Certification - Montefiore New Rochelle and Montefiore Mount Vernon. Both institutions successfully helped save millions of gallons of water by pre-serving landfill space and significantly reducing their carbon footprint by invest-ing in green technologies such as a bio-digester, a machine that prevents 300 to 500 pounds of organic food waste from being landfilled daily, the equivalent of removing 22 cars from the road per year, all resulting in a “greener” Westchester.

Members of the sustainability team spoke to Montefiore’s decades-long leadership about producing and using sustainable energy; how green practices impact the community; and on Montefio-re’s commitment to a 30 percent carbon reduction by 2025.

Hospitals consume large amounts of resources to provide patients with the highest quality of care 24 hours a day. To advance the health of communities they serve, Montefiore continues to imple-ment green initiatives with measurable impact.

Upon their certification, Montefiore New Rochelle and Montefiore Mount Vernon join a network of sustainability managers from diverse fields who will train together and share best practices. Montefiore New Rochelle and Monte-fiore Mount Vernon will also use a new greenhouse gas emission inventory tool, which will allow both sites to benchmark progress and savings.

Officials in attendance included Jeff Hogan, Energy and Sustainability Man-ager, Montefiore Health System, Tony Alfano, Vice President and Executive Director, Montefiore New Rochelle, and Jaccel Kouns, Vice President and Exec-utive Director, Montefiore Mount Vernon.

Mayor Richard Thomas (c) and Mayor of Accra, the capital of Ghana, Hon. Alfred Vanderpuije, soon after signing sister city agreement

Mayor Thomas signs sister city agreement with Accra Ghana,

West Africa

On Monday, June 6, a private dinner was held at a United Na-tions official’s home where the Mayor of Mount Vernon, Rich-

ard Thomas, and the Mayor of Accra, the capital of Ghana, Hon. Alfred Vanderpuije, signed an official agreement to create a sister city partnership between Mount Vernon and Accra that will lead to interna-tional trade and economic development.

This move signifies the first bricks laid to create a pathway for African-American men, women and children in Mount Ver-non to spark meaningful connections with the “Motherland.”

Picking up where the previous mayor, Ernest Davis, left off, Mayor Thomas has sparked a new engagement with Ghana’s capital, signing a sister city agreement be-tween Mount Vernon and Accra which will not only strengthen social ties between the two cities, but will support the expan-sion of energy, agriculture, education and business as well.

The international sister cities program dates back to 1956 and the Eisenhower

Administration. Recognizing the damage done to diplomacy during World War II, Eisenhower established the program as a civilian vehicle for repairing and promoting international relations.

All those present at the dinner were personally invited by Aleida Castillo, a business owner in Mount Vernon and a representative for Rabbi Kohain Halevi and Professor James Small’s, leaders in the movement to unite African-Americans in the Diaspora with Africa. Those in at-tendance were very happy with the com-mitment from both mayors to move both cities forward towards greater economic development and with that, job creation.

Both mayors thanked dinner host Cyn-thia Lamptey, a United Nations repre-sentative who comes from a long line of well-connected families in the Ghanaian presidency and who has made Mount Ver-non her second home.

All attendees were very energized and congratulated Mayor Thomas for taking swift action to further the relationship with Ghana.

our stand. My sister and I were upset, dis-appointed and frustrated. My mom then suggested we move to the intersection at the end of the block, thereby, attracting potential buyers from the crossroads. It worked splendidly!

We were able to raise funds for that event and even contribute excess funds to our church. Since then, our lemon-ade stand has become an annual event. We sell lemonade and “adopt a bill” from our church, which enables us to pay the phone bill, electric bill, or contribute to the winter heating bill for the parsonage. We are taught to give back when we get.

The lemonade stand has been a positive experience. It teaches me discipline, hard work, and economics. It makes me indus-trious and enterprising. It also keeps me off the streets. In summer, I have no time to be idle. During the day, I sell and in the

evenings I can be found baking cake and cupcakes, cookies and brownies, and stir-ring lemonade and iced tea as part of the next day’s inventory. I am delighted when customers tell me I sell the best lemonade in town.

Last year’s donations helped me to at-tend a phenomenal educational confer-ence in Boston hosted by the Congress for Future Science and Technology Leaders. I met students from around the country who also aimed for academic excellence. The keynote speakers were inspirational and I developed a new sense of confidence.

In preparation for next year’s sympo-sium, I launched another fundraising ini-tiative. I collect recyclable water bottles. I was surprised at the amount of support I received from my community. People called for me to pick up bags of bottles from their homes and others made mon-

etary contributions to encourage my ef-forts.

Still, the lemonade stand is my best pet project. I advertise on Facebook at the start of summer to remind my regu-lar customers that I am back in business. While my lemonade stand is a great way for me to earn a few extra bucks during the summer, I love most that I get the opportunity to interact with my custom-ers—my beloved community members. To me, the best part of my day is plac-ing a cupcake in a toddler’s tiny hands or seeing a woman smile at my compliments on her hair or blouse. I find it funny and heartwarming that on the days I do not sell, my customers would complain how much they missed me and my refreshing lemonade or cake.

By running my own business, I have learned to smile whether sales are good

or bad. Many times a person who rushed past me early in the day comes back say-ing, “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop earlier, but I just had to come back around to sup-port your great spirit.” Even police offi-cers would purchase the occasional water bottle or pastry. I always hope that when people stop by the lemonade stand I can improve their day either with the product or with the happy grin of courteous cus-tomer service.

Chelsea and Jade’s Lemonade stand is now an iconic landmark off Wilson’s Woods and Beechwood Avenue in Mount Vernon. It illustrates how many things can be accomplished through the combination of work, community, and charity. Young people should not be underestimated. I’m surely proof of that.

Jade Thompson





A mother showing her young children how to shoot a basketball

Friendship Worship Center, located at 261 East Lincoln Avenue, Mount Vernon, held its annual “Carnival and Family Fair” on Saturday, June

25, on the church grounds. Thanks to a beautiful sunny day, the event was a huge

success.This year’s fair was the biggest one on

record and featured more rides for the kids than previous carnivals; face paint-ing; arts & crafts; a live DJ; great food and tasty treats; bicycle giveaways; free health

Friendship Worship Center holds annual “Carnival and Family Fair”

screening; and a big assortment of ven-dors.

The highlight of the event revolved around a musical presentation by the Mount Vernon School of Music. The com-munity is still outraged that the city denied the non-profit group the sale of a house on

the foreclosure list after it was approved by the City Council. The house was lat-er sold to a developer for a large sum of money.

The event opened to the public at 11:00 a.m. and had a steady flow of customers until well past its closing time – 7:00 p.m.




2016 Rent Guidelines season comes to a dramatic conclusion

On Monday, June 20th, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board (WRGB) ended one of its

most dramatic seasons. Ultimately, tenants prevailed, with the Board voting 5-to-3 for rate increases of 0% for one-year and .5% for two-year lease renewals effective Octo-ber 1, 2016. Not surprisingly, the three votes in opposition to the new guidelines were cast by the two owner representatives and public member Michael Rosenblatt, an at-torney currently employed by the largest landlord real estate law firm in NYC, whose appointment to the Board last year has proved contro-versial.

Indeed, before the WRGB held its first public hearing in Yonkers on June 1st, tenant representative Genevieve Roche tendered her res-ignation, the reasons for which she articulated in her May 13th letter to the Board, and explained more fully in her May 26th radio interview on WVOX.

In both her resignation letter and

live interview, Roche expressed her grave concern over recent changes adopted by the Board. Roche ob-jected to the removal of formal re-buttals by Board members, as well as to the decision to go straight from Board presentations to a vote after only a brief recess, eliminating several days’ time public members once had to review, discuss and an-alyze complex economic and policy arguments. “Sadly, as the tenant member projections have become more refined each year, aided by the growing body of past projections’ accuracy in hindsight, the less time the Board has been willing to com-mit to their review, analysis and dis-cussion,” said Roche. Roche used her resignation from the Board to instead testify at the Mount Vernon hearing five days before the sched-uled vote.

The WRGB is comprised of nine members: two tenant, two owner, and five public representatives. Ten-ant and owner representatives are expected to be partisan in advocat-ing for their respective constituents.

In contrast, public representatives are expected to be impartial and objective when considering the need for rent increases.

According to Roche, she would welcome Rosenblatt serving as an owner representative on the Board. However, Rosenblatt’s long history (exclusive of his tenure with DHCR) of working on behalf of owners’ in-terests makes him an inappropriate choice to be appointed to a public member seat. Rosenblatt served for five years as deputy counsel to the Rent Stabilization Association, the largest landlord trade association in New York City, and he has worked for several law firms represent-ing landlords, including his pres-ent employer, Rosenberg & Estis. Consequently, Roche believes that Rosenblatt cannot be impartial, and is serving, in fact, as a third owner member.

Tenant advocates were relieved that the WRGB rejected adoption of a fixed dollar minimum “poor tax” increase on low-rent tenants. Addi-tionally, Mount Vernon City Council

President Marcus Griffith, who testi-fied at the June 15th hearing, stated that the Council intends to deliber-ate on the adoption of the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE), shortly. If adopted, disabled ten-ants with incomes of $40,000/year or less and who pay more than one-third of their income for rent, could be eligible for a rent freeze similar to the one available to seniors under the Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption.

“We greatly appreciate the ef-forts of tenant representative Lof-tin-Woods who proposed the rent freeze on behalf of tenants, and the support of public representatives Velene Acquah, Eddie Mae Barnes, Elsa Rubin, and Chair Jane Mor-genstern. Roche has been a great friend to tenants, and we’ll really miss her presence on the Board. Hopefully, the concerns expressed in her resignation will be given due consideration,” said Dennis Hanrat-ty, Executive Director of Mount Ver-non United Tenants.

Story by Tamara Stewart




Thanks to a string of warm and sunny days in late June, the weather was exceptional for the third annual Maggie

Spillane’s Golf Outing/Casino Night on Monday June 27. The golf outing

was held at the nearby Pelham/Split Rock Golf Course in The Bronx.

The 18-hole “Split Rock” course at the Pelham/Split Rock Golf Course facility features 6,691 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70.

The course rating is 71.9 and it has a slope rating of 125 on Rye grass. Designed by John Van Kleek, the Split Rock golf course opened in 1898.

A total of 110 golfers arrived bright and early at “Split Rock” to tee off

and participate in a sport that is chal-lenging strategically, physically, and emotionally – but yet a lot of fun, es-pecially when being played for a wor-thy cause.

After a fun day of golfing, most of


Ray Williams Golf Classic & Casino Night a huge success




thousands flocked to Memorial Field to attend a centennial celebration known as “Centurion.” From September 27 to October 3, the citizens of Mount Vernon enjoyed seven thrilled-packed days con-sisting of parades, floats, ceremonies, ce-lebrities from the entertainment world and many other fun-making events. And the climax was a spectacular fireworks dis-play.

Back then there was no Internet that al-lowed citizens to assail each other with email blasts behind the veil of their com-puters. Mount Vernonites lived united as one big family and kids attended some of the best public schools in the country – not private schools.

It was a nostalgic night, since what transpired brought back memories of Mount Vernon’s fonder years, especially for a large group of senior citizens that were in attendance. “I never thought I would live to ever see fireworks in Mount Vernon again. The only fireworks we see today is the fireworks coming from guns,” said a senior in a wheel chair.

The mayor hit a ‘home run’ by bringing fireworks back to Mount Vernon. He man-aged to bring thousands of people togeth-er in harmony for one fun-filled evening – many too busy to bother taking their cell phones out of their pockets to check mes-sages. But most importantly, the city’s youth were safe and protected on a hot


summer night.According to the mayor, he intends to

hold a similar fireworks venue twice a year. And by the way, the funds for the event were privately donated.

The mayor selected a top company in the industry called Pyrotecnico and the re-sults were phenomenal. Ken Furstoss, the producer of the show stated: “We bring 125 years of experience to the table, giv-ing us the knowledge and ability to use the absolute best technology, techniques, and the most innovative products with the utmost safety.” The mayor was impressed and will be using them again.

The attendees were well entertained prior to the fireworks and some of the guest speakers represented other coun-tries seeking to establish sister city agree-ments with Mount Vernon.

The young children had several inflat-able play stations to keep them busy; the teenagers danced to the invigorating sounds of an excellent DJ; and the adults could been seen sitting in their lounge chairs chatting away.

Food was plentiful thanks to an assort-ment of vendors and ice cream trucks parked nearby.

And as it started to get darker, the an-





ticipation started to grow – until finally, the mayor and the thousands in attendance started the countdown and boom, the sky lit up.

Yes, those in attendance enjoyed a memorable evening, which allowed them to experience Mount Vernon the way the seniors in attendance did decades ago.


Mayor Richard Thomas (c) and the Mayor of Accra, capital of Ghana, Hon. Alfred Vanderpuije, soon after signing sister city agreement

Mayor Thomas signs sister city agreement with Accra Ghana,

West Africa

On Monday, June 6, a private dinner was held at a United Na-tions official’s home where the Mayor of Mount Vernon, Rich-

ard Thomas, and the Mayor of Accra, the capital of Ghana, Hon. Alfred Vanderpuije, signed an official agreement to create a sister city partnership between Mount Vernon and Accra that will lead to interna-tional trade and economic development.

This move signifies the first bricks laid to create a pathway for African-American men, women and children in Mount Ver-non to spark meaningful connections with the “Motherland.”

Picking up where the previous mayor, Ernest Davis, left off, Mayor Thomas has sparked a new engagement with Ghana’s capital, signing a sister city agreement be-tween Mount Vernon and Accra which will not only strengthen social ties between the two cities, but will support the expan-sion of energy, agriculture, education and business as well.

The international sister cities program dates back to 1956 and the Eisenhower Administration. Recognizing the damage done to diplomacy during World War II, Eisenhower established the program as a civilian vehicle for repairing and promoting international relations.

All those present at the dinner were personally invited by Aleida Castillo, a business owner in Mount Vernon and a representative for Rabbi Kohain Halevi and Professor James Small’s, leaders in the movement to unite African-Americans in the Diaspora with Africa. Those in at-tendance were very happy with the com-mitment from both mayors to move both cities forward towards greater economic development and with that, job creation.

Both mayors thanked dinner host Cyn-thia Lamptey, a United Nations repre-sentative who comes from a long line of well-connected families in the Ghanaian presidency and who has made Mount Ver-

non her second home. All attendees were very energized and

congratulated Mayor Thomas for taking swift action to further the relationship with Ghana.

Congressman Engel participates in sit-in on gun legislation

House Democrats recently held a sit-in on the House floor in pro-test of the House’s inability to vote on gun legislation.

Pictured are Congressman Eliot En-

gel (l), Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI), and Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) sit-ting on the House floor to demand a vote for the American people on gun legisla-tion.




Mt. Vernon school monitors hold peaceful protest march outside

School District building

Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW was joined today by concerned parents and community members to stand in support of unionized school

monitors employed by the Mount Vernon City School District who are fighting for a new contract. The workers participated in a lawful picket outside of the Mount Vernon City School Board meeting to call upon Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Hamil-ton to negotiate in good faith for improved wages and benefits.

Over the past two months, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW along with a committee of Mount Vernon school monitors, have at-tempted to negotiate a new contract with the Mount Vernon City School District. The School Board and Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Hamilton, has refused to accept the union and workers’ proposals for im-proved wages and paid time off, specifi-cally paid sick days. Currently, workers do not receive paid time off if they are ill and many workers feel obligated to go to work as scheduled, regardless of their health.

“Sometimes you get sick and that’s be-yond anyone’s control. It isn’t fair that I have to choose between getting well and paying my bills,” said Junicka Patrick, a Mt. Vernon school monitor and member of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW. “That’s why I’m fighting for paid sick days in my union contract. It’s not just about dignity in the

workplace, but also making sure my stu-dents stay healthy.”

“We are disappointed that after sev-eral meetings with the Mount Vernon City School Superintendent that we continue to make very little progress on the issues of wages and sick time,” said John R. Durso, President of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW. “The school monitors will be the first to tell you how much they love their jobs and the School District should recog-nize their dedication. These hardworking men and women deserve a good contract that provides them with economic stability and the ability to take time to get well if they or their child get ill.”

Other issues being cited by the workers and Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW focus on staffing levels. According to workers, when a school monitor calls out, the School Dis-trict many times does not call in another monitor to cover the absent person. This often results in a single school monitor being responsible for the well-being of up to several classes of children at one time, which also presents a safety concern for the workers who are tasked with breaking up altercations between students.

Approximately 100 school monitors em-ployed in the Mount Vernon City School District joined Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW in 2010. The union is seeking a three-year contract on behalf of the workers.

Mayor Richard Thomas

Mt. Vernon clears path for a new

comprehensive plan

On the heels of Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas’ unveil-

ing of the Memorial Field Community Revitalization Plan, his administration is now pleased to announce a concerted effort to re-vive a planning process for the city’s long-anticipated comprehensive plan for the new millennium.

Dubbed “MV2020,” this ambitious-yet-attainable plan calls on all com-munity stakeholders -- residents, homeowners, landlords, merchants, de-velopers, neighborhood associations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations -- to be equipped with the tools necessary to directly shape the development landscape of Mount Ver-non for the next four years. Mayor Thomas stated, “It is imperative that Mount Vernon’s growth trajectory harness our full economic potential while taking pains to maintain the unique character of our historic city. MV2020 will serve as a vital guidepost (a roadmap to the future!) in our pursuit of sustainable economic growth and prosperity.”

In order to get the MV2020 initiative success-fully off the ground, Mayor Thomas is calling on his Mount Vernon City Council

colleagues to appropriate sufficient funds to hire dy-namic, qualified profession-als to execute the planning and implementation phases of the city’s comprehensive plan. In fact, earlier today the Mayor submitted a let-ter to the City Council to that effect adding his en-thusiastic desire for Council members to partner with him and his Planning De-partment on this mission-critical endeavor.

According to Mayor Thomas, the successful roll-out of MV2020 necessi-tates a spirit of urgency and collaboration on the part of his administration, the City Council, and all com-munity stakeholders. “With the City Council’s financial assistance,” Thomas con-tinued, “I am confident that MV2020 will, at long last, place Mount Vernon’s pres-ent and future development on optimal footing.”

He concluded: “MV2020 will help Mount Vernon achieve: lower taxes; a more diversified economy; home value appreciation; and, above all, a drastically improved Quality of Life that will see our City of Hope re-turn to its rightful place as the ‘City of Happy Homes’. I look forward to partnering with the City Council for the betterment of our commu-nity.”




Jim and Annie Kiselak’s Natural Food Column

Direct from the sunny island of Vieques, Puerto Rico

What is clean eating? 5 dos and don’ts for your

best body ever“Clean eating” is hot, with the

term being at an all-time high on Google search. While clean eating doesn’t refer to the cleanliness of food from a safety standpoint, it points to nourishment in its most whole, natural state, free of added unpleasantries. It’s a lifestyle, not a short-term diet, and one that I’ve been following for years. To help you on the path to your healthi-est and happiest body yet, follow these simple clean eating dos and don’ts:

Do: Choose foods in their purest state, such as an orange.

Don’t: Select foods manipulated and processed beyond recogni-tion, like diet orange juice drink.

The less processed foods are, the more naturally occurring vital nutrients and the fewer harmful in-gredients they contain. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient on the la-bel, you probably shouldn’t eat the food. Instead of components that sound like things from lab experi-ments, opt for foods with ingredi-ents you find in home kitchens.

Make healthy as habitDo: Enjoy foods at their peak

season, such as raspberries in June.

Don’t: Purchase foods that trav-eled from far away countries—think strawberries in December.

Most foods taste better and con-tain higher amounts of nutrients when they are eaten during peak season and haven’t been sitting in warehouses for months. The bet-ter foods taste naturally, the less you have to manipulate them with added sugar, fat, and salt, which means fewer calories and less bloat. Start by reading signs next to produce and labels on the backs of packages. Ideally choose foods from your country rather than the other side of the world. Even bet-ter, choose foods from within your region.

How to kick-start your clean eat-ing diet

Do: Enjoy a colorful array of foods.

Don’t: Limit yourself to your

comfort zone.Dark green, blue, red, yellow,

orange, purple, and even white vegetables deliver a range of phy-tochemicals for fighting inflamma-tion and stopping invaders dead in their tracks to keep you healthy. The better you feel and more en-ergy you have, the more you can commit to butt-kicking workouts. Bonus: The better you nourish your skin, the more glowing and elastic (read: fewer wrinkles) it will be.

Do: Be a mean, clean, shopping machine.

Don’t: Assume that you don’t have enough time to cook.

In the time that you would call in your takeout order, drive in traffic, wait in line, and drive back, you could have prepared a fresh meal, provided that you had the needed supplies standing by. I use weekly, monthly, and quarterly shopping lists, breaking buying groceries down into manageable pieces to provide healthy meals. Keep a piece of paper stuck to the fridge where you can jot down things you need from the store so your list is ready when you are. A thought-out grocery list will produce nutritious meals and snacks so you don’t have to resort to drive-through, vending machine, or gas station cuisine.

Don’t worry about blowing your budget

Do: Enjoy every bite.Don’t: Feel guilty.Food not only nourishes and fu-

els our bodies and minds, it also provides entertainment, invites to-getherness, and rejuvenates the soul. Food should taste good first and then be good for us also. A variety of flavors, including salty, sweet, sour, pungent, and bit-ter, paired with different textures makes for the most satisfying meals. We should feel free to savor flavorful foods until satisfied, rather than eat around cravings and long for something else minutes later. As often as possible, enjoy food seated at the table.

A thank you message from Mayor Richard Thomas

Dear Mount Vernon, It has been a pleasure

to serve as your Mayor for these past six months. I

hope you can feel the energy and passion my administration has for the City of Mount Vernon. We are committed to bringing unity to the community.

Mount Vernon is moving forward. We are repaving our roads, filling

thousands of potholes, and taking back our parks. We have brought fireworks back after decades of dark skies. We brought Time Warner back to the table and they have already begun the installation process neces-sary for the city to broadcast public meetings.

In addition, we’ve put forth a de-tailed plan to #FixOurField and began a transparent public process to revi-talize Memorial Field. Our streets are cleaner, smoother, and safer. Our so-cial media campaigns allow real-time communication between the city and the residents.

City Hall has heard you and we are continuing to clean up crime and grime. We will take down zombie structures that haunt our neighbor-hoods. We will stop abusive landlords and business owners who operate il-legally and make our streets danger-ous. We will continue to move this city forward. We must remember we are #OneMountVernon - a strong family.

The recent fireworks were just the beginning. Our brightest days are ahead Mount Vernon, and I thank you for your continued support.

Mayor Richard Thomas




‘Ask the Pharmacist’Mark Rauchwerger

Circle Rx Pharmacy120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon

914-665-5555

Question:

Answer:

Hello, I have chronic back pain and have currently been seeing a pain medicine doc-tor (whom I like) for about a year and 1/2 and he had me taking morphine sulfate 30mg extended release 3x per day and 10 mg immediate release 2x per day as needed for breakthrough pain. Recently the extended release was not working as well for me - it did not last very long at all and so I was in pain quite a bit of the day. My doctor decided to switch me to oxicotin 20mg OP 2x per day with oxycodone 10mg 2x for breakthrough. It has been 5 days now and I am completely miserable and feel like I have gone through with-drawals very badly. I called my doctor after day 4 and he told me to keep staying with the medicine and that it would get better and I would get used to it but I’m concerned that it will not. My question is if it is possi-

ble that my body is not able to absorb the oxicotin and that is why it is not helping me? I feel like it does absoutely nothing for my pain and it is supposed to be 1.5 x stronger than what I was taking. I have done a bit of research and came across something that may indicated some people cannot tolerate or absorb the medicine and I also read something about if you take Nexium (which I do) that it could cause the medi-cine to not work well. Could this be correct? And was my doctor correct to switch me so quickly to this other medi-cine? I have in the past a long time ago taken tramadol and when I came off of that medi-cine I went through some really tough withdrawals, and this is exactly what I feel like now. Please advise if you have any insight for me. Thank you very much.

It is prudent for doctors to use the 1.5 times rule when switching from Morphine to Oxycodone because of inter-patient variability. Some pa-tients may be very sensitive to Oxycodone, but others like you may not be as sensitive. That is why when converting between opioids, it is very important to assess the individual response and titrate the medication as necessary. In your case, clearly the dose of Oxycodone needs to be higher. There could be a number of reasons for this, like your body’s unique opioid re-ceptor structure, how fast your liver is metabolizing the drug, absorption, drug interactions, etc. You are absolutely cor-rect in that the proton pump inhibitor you are taking could be reducing the amount of

Oxycodone being absorbed, as the release of this drug from the dosage form into your gut is pH dependent.

If you were getting some effects from the Morphine, it would have been a good idea to stick with that drug and go up on the dose as long as you weren’t having intolerable side effects. You were on a rela-tively low dose of Morphine, so there was a lot of room to titrate up. Now that you are already on Oxycodone, how-ever, I wouldn’t recommend switching back again at this point. Stick with the Oxy and ask for dose increase to 40 mg of Oxycontin every 12 hours and keep the 10 mg for breakthrough pain but at an in-creased frequency of every 6 hours as needed.

Herbal remedies, vita-mins and minerals, and dietary supple-ments are marketed

as “natural” products, but natural doesn’t always mean safe. These products can have serious side effects.

Even some vitamins and minerals can cause prob-lems when taken in excessive amounts. So it’s important to do your homework and inves-tigate potential benefits and side effects of dietary and herbal supplements. Play it safe with these tips:

• Talk to your doctor before taking a dietary supple-ment. This is especially important if you are preg-nant or nursing or if you have a chronic medical condition such as diabe-tes or heart disease.

• Avoid drug interactions. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can interact with certain dietary supplements. For example, the herbal supplement ginkgo can interact with the blood-thinning medication War-farin (Coumadin) and increase the risk of seri-ous bleeding complica-tions.

• Before surgery, tell your doctor about supple-ments you take. Some supplements can cause problems during surgery, such as changes in heart rate or blood pressure or increased bleeding. You may need to stop tak-ing these supplements at least two to three weeks before your procedure.

Watch out for scams Scammers have perfected

ways to convince you that their alternative medicine products are the best. These opportunists often target people who are overweight or who have medical condi-tions for which there is no cure, such as multiple scle-rosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS and arthritis. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Be alert for these red flags:• Big promises. Advertise-

ments call the product a “miracle cure” or “revolu-tionary discovery.” If that were true, it would be widely reported in the me-dia and your doctor would recommend it.

• Pseudomedical jargon. Although terms such as “purify,” “detoxify” and “energize” may sound impressive and may even have an element of truth, they’re generally used to cover up a lack of scien-tific proof.

• Cure-alls. The manufac-turer claims that the prod-uct can treat a wide range of symptoms or cure or prevent a number of dis-eases. No single product can do all this.

• Testimonials. Anecdotes from individuals who have used the product are no substitute for scientific proof. If the product’s claims were backed up with hard evidence, the manufacturer would say so.

• Guarantees and limited offers. These pitches are intended to get you to buy before you can evaluate the product’s claims.

Alternative Medicine Options

by

Joe Parisi

Supplements: ‘Natural’ doesn’t

always mean safe




jaFa’s Poets Corner2007 - PRESENT

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

JAFA’S POETS CORNER (9TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY)Edited by james “jAFa” FairMay the Muse of Poetry continue to inspire.

AUTISMAuthor: Gilbert M. LaneMount Vernon resident Autism, the enigma that surpasses all mys-teries.Its spectrum pours out many magnificent and sorrowful stories.Autism, the great divider of mansions of the mind.It illuminates both true and false realities of all kinds.Autism has many different faces,It does not discriminates between the races.Autism is spreading like a thousand wild-fires, It tries to consume us in spite of our wish-ful desires.Autism is not the final chapter of this hu-man condition.It’s the beginning of new discoveries, and new inspiration.We are the caretakers, we are the gatekeep-ers, we are the victorswho will challenge, decipher, and cherish those who are afflicted,but who stand undefeated.

THE POOR PAY MOREAuthor: Charles RodaMount Vernon resident

Don’t own a smartphone?Don’t rant and moan.Can’t download “ShopRite’s apps so you can see the price gaps?

Do you visit the “Pharmacy” where you pay the “poor person’s fee”? Can’t use the broken coupon machines so you pay full price for pork & beans?

Same product, same week, same store but the poor without apps pay more.The app price or the store price.It’s a roll of the loaded dice.

There is no law and order.Where’s the Albany Enforcer?Campaign contributions prevail.Is his elected office for sale?

THE GENTLE TRUTH 05/2016Author: Tanisha Wright, Mount Vernon resident

You imagined yourself being ready.Ready for anything that life forced your way.Ways that contradicted with your personal-ity.Personalities of optimism, pessimism and altruism.Altruism knowing that your life isn’t just about you.You conquered your fears, you developed ambition.Ambition not to repeat the same mistakes.Mistakes that you didn’t know were there, because you imagined yourself being ready.

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

This month JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 9th 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

Keep minds stimulated this summer

Our long awaited summer has arrived, ten weeks of relaxation, fun, and enjoy-ing all that the summer has

to offer. But, during this wonderful vacation, there are some activities that children can be involved in to make sure that their little brains are stimulated and they are learning in a way that can be fun. This is particu-larly important for children who have learning issues. These ten weeks can mean a significant loss of skills and information if we are not careful. So what can we do?

One suggestion is to use your public library. During the summer months many libraries offer special programs for children and they are free of charge. Enjoy them together. When children spend time with other children listening to stories that are read by a professional, they hear the music of the words and the drama of the adventure. They also participate in the group activities that follow the reading. They hear questions other children ask which may encourage them to ask their own questions. Now they are working together in a group, thinking, questioning, re-sponding, and learning.

Be sure to gather some books for summer reading. Librarians are very knowledgeable and can help you se-lect books that are appropriate and interesting. Set aside some time to read each day and, if you can, spend some time reading with your chil-dren. This builds a special bond with them. They love to hear your voice as you bring them into the lives of

the characters, their emotions, and adventures. This is one way we can encourage them to read and develop a love of reading.

Everyone leads busy lives, but tak-ing fifteen to twenty minutes to read together lets them know that you be-lieve that reading is valuable. When our children can read, they have power. So cuddle up with your books and read.

Some children find it very difficult to get back into their academic work in September when they have spent the lazy days of summer just hanging out. Plan ahead to keep minds ac-tive. Gather some materials that you have at home, e.g., math flash cards, alphabet cards, phonics and math workbooks, pencils, pens, paper, and crayons. When you need them, you won’t have to search for them. Schedule a little time during the week to “play school”. This doesn’t have to be each day, but if you want your children to retain their skills, it is im-portant to have a consistent time to reinforce their knowledge. This will make a big difference when they re-turn to school in September.

Parents may be thinking, “I don’t have time. I work, come home, cook dinner. I’m tired!” I understand. As a foster parent who worked full time, it wasn’t easy to find the time, but I did. This was my responsibility. The automatic response, “I don’t have time”, will never benefit our children. So have fun this summer, but don’t forget. September is just around the corner!

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

Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTSEmail: [email protected]

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (r.,scissors in hand) getting ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon

New sculpture revealed at Mt. Vernon Public Library

OOver 100 people at-tended the ribbon cutting ceremony of a creatively designed

and unique sculpture in front of the Mount Vernon Public Library.

ArtsWestchester, in partner-ship with the Mount Vernon Pub-lic Library and with support from the New York State Assembly, the City of Mount Vernon and Westchester County, teamed up to help make the sculpture a reality. It is called “Seeing the Wind” by artist Rochelle Shicoff. The public art installation was four years in the making and made possible by a $50K New

York State grant secured by As-semblyman J. Gary Pretlow.

Brightly colored and adorned with various animal fixtures, the sculpture mirrors aspects of imagination and reflection ex-pressed in the literature found at the Mount Vernon Children’s Room in the library. The sculp-ture’s golden-winged spinning animals are designed to engage and delight both the library’s children and the Mount Vernon community as a whole.

The Mistress of Ceremonies for the event was Joanne Mon-gelli from ArtsWestchester, and she was accompanied by mem-

bers of the library board, who have certainly helped in turning the library around in a positive way.

There was a long list of dig-nitaries and elected officials in attendance. And prior to the rib-bon cutting, several speakers addressed the large audience, which included Mayor Richard Thomas, former mayor Ernest Davis, City Council President Marcus Griffith, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, Legislator Lyn-don Williams, an ArtsWestches-ter representative, and Library Board Chair Oscar Davis.




Art Crawford being honored by the City Council in 2014 Art Crawford being introduced at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Honor Roll in 2015

Art Crawford as a Xerox supervisor at the age of 33

Art Crawford, President of the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau died recently. His commitment to Mount Vernon’s youth is legend-

ary – having formed many past programs to help many troubled kids.

Crawford can best be described as in-spirational to all that knew him, or knew of him.

He attended Fairfield University in Con-necticut on a full scholarship and is consid-ered one of the best rebounders in school history, collecting more than 900 career caroms during his three years as a Stag. He averaged a double-double throughout his career, including a personal-best 17.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game as a junior. In that season, Crawford set the school record for rebounds in a game with 28 against American International College. Two days later, Crawford posted 34 points against Upsala by netting 10 of 12 field

goal attempts and adding 10 free throws. He secured 382 rebounds as a junior, which still stands third in school history for the most rebounds in a season. He fin-ished his career with 913 rebounds, which places fourth in the school’s record book.

He earned his B.A. in sociology and af-ter his college days were over, he briefly played semi-pro basketball and later served in the Army as a Captain.

After his tenure in the Army he was em-ployed by Xerox and became a supervisor – overseeing nearly 200 workers.

In 2015, Crawford was honored as Fairfield University’s representative at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Honor Roll. The event took place at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of Fairfield Univer-sity’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mount Vernon will dearly miss this giant of a man.

Longtime Mt. Vernon Youth Bureau President Art Crawford has died

Congressman Eliot Engel

Congressman Eliot En-gel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Com-

mittee, announced today that the U.S. Department of Educa-tion has allocated $3,336,600 in federal funds to schools in Mt. Vernon as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 Title I allocations.

Part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Title I program pro-vides financial assistance to school districts so that they can afford services to students at risk of not meeting state aca-demic achievement standards, especially in areas with high concentrations of low-income families.

“For more than 50 years, the

Title I program has provided critical resources to help lo-cal school districts modernize infrastructure, improve staff-ing, and offer students the tools they need to succeed academically,” Congressman Engel said. “In addition, Title I funds support preschool, after-school, and summer program-ming that reinforces regular schooling and helps prepare children for the next phase of their academic journey. These funds are critical to our Mt. Ver-non schools, which is why I will continue to champion the Title I program in Congress.”

These allocations are subject to potential adjustments by the Department of Education at the end of FY 2016.

Congressman Engel announces $3,336,600 in Title I Funding for Mt. Vernon schools




Some of the youth that attended the Town Hall

The Mt. Vernon Community that Cares Coalition hosts its annual

town hall

The Mount Vernon Com-munity that Cares Coali-tion (MVCTC), through the Mount Vernon Youth

Bureau, held its 11th Annual Youth Town Hall on Tuesday, May 25. The event took place at the Doles Center Theatre where ap-proximately 100 students from many schools, and various youth programs throughout the city were in attendance.

The Youth Bureau and the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis-tration (SAMHSA) sponsored this event as part of Alcohol Aware-ness Month. MVCTC has been fortunate to have the support of SAMHSA and is one of the many coalitions that have hosted Town Hall Meetings across the United States.

This year’s Town Hall featured students from the Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Council and the Comprehensive Adolescence Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) program. Through skits and poetry they delivered a riveting interactive, energetic and fun filled presentation that positively impacted the students. The stu-dents delivered a message on the effects of negative behaviors resulting in serious consequenc-

es. The presentation promoted higher education, positive peer influence, rejecting unhealthy behaviors, proper planning and powerful mentorship, all of which are the key components to a happy, healthy, and purpose-filled life. All performances were written, directed and performed by the students.

Mayor Richard Thomas said, “I am thankful for youth programs that help raise awareness of the issues that affect our community. We must be pro-active in pro-moting education, growth and wellness. Our children are truly talented and I look forward to more town hall events sponsored by our youth going forward.”

“It is critical that our youth participate in programs that will not only assist with academics, but also teach the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. These young people created and presented a wonderful event with a message to prevent and reduce the rate of underage drinking. The Youth Bureau takes great pride in of-fering programs that encourage and motivates our youth,” stated Dena Williams, Deputy Director.

For further information regard-ing Youth Bureau programs, please call (914) 665-2344.

Can “My Brother’s Keeper” overcome

Mt. Vernon’s many challenges?

On February 27, 2014, President Barack Obama unveiled My Brother’s Keeper, a

White House initiative whose pur-pose is to combat the difficult social conditions facing minority boys and young men in the United States. And on Thursday, April 28, the City of Mount Vernon accept-ed the My Brother’s Keeper chal-lenge from the White House.

Unfortunately, My Brother’s Keeper will be facing almost in-surmountable challenges in the City of Mount Vernon since it has to be one of the most divided cit-ies in the entire country.

The well-known African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” is almost irrelevant in Mount Ver-non since the city has been in tur-moil for some time now. Not only is the populace divided, but the government is also experiencing mayhem as well. For a city to func-tion in a positive way there must be harmony amongst its people and government. So, how do you expect My Brother’s Keeper to be a success if the city is so divided and chaotic and shootings con-tinue unabated?

When Mayor Richard Thomas was elected in such historic fash-ion as Mount Vernon’s youngest mayor ever, many that voted for him were hoping for a new begin-ning. Regrettably, the new young mayor has encountered some se-rious issues and his job has be-come more difficult by the day.

On Saturday, June 11, there was an action summit at the Doles Center on My Brother’s Keeper that was attended by nearly 200 community leaders and others. I felt my presence was required due to the importance of the subject and I arrived bright and early to cover the event. Incred-ibly, I decided to leave at about 11:00 AM and at about 12:00PM shots were fired outside the Doles Center. Stray bullets managed to shatter the entrance glass doors to the center, but fortunately the bullets struck nobody. Had I been

there, as a former NYC detective, I may have become involved. So, I guess it was meant for me to leave early.

In spite of the current state in Mount Vernon, the citizens must continue to persevere and hope for the best.

The President’s effort, as cur-rently conceived, will be challeng-ing. Statistics on the conditions of minority boys and young men are grim and familiar. Minority boys and young men are less likely to learn to read and perform math at an early age and are more likely to be punished and expelled from school than other students. They are less likely to graduate from high school and are more likely to be unemployed and underem-ployed and are far more likely to become trapped in the criminal justice system. And young black men, in particular, are more likely to be the perpetrators of violent crimes as well as victims, espe-cially in the case of murder.

One area of reform, for instance, should be focused on expand-ing educational opportunities for prisoners and ex-offenders and breaking down barriers that pre-vent ex-offenders from success-fully obtaining employment. If ex-offenders can’t find employ-ment they will resort to crime as a way to survive.

My Brother’s Keeper’s modest, targeted investments in human capital development and the em-phasis of character building and behavior-altering strategies will fall short in Mount Vernon unless major policy changes that disrupt the barriers placed before poor and working-class minority youth are made. If they remain the same, existing laws and practices that perpetuate the conditions that poor and working-class minority youth face will end up counter-acting the good work that the My Brother’s Keeper initiative is trying to accomplish.

Joe ParisiPublisher/Editor

EDITORIAL




the players went home to shower and prepare for the awards ceremony at Maggie Spillane’s, which also included

Casino Night. Many of the golfers en-joyed gambling at Black Jack tables, while others played craps and other

Golfers competing at the Pelham/Split Rock Golf Course in The Bronx


games. All the proceeds went to the Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club.

Delicious food was abundant, along

with open bars that catered to the tired and thirsty golfers all evening long.

Tony Spillane, principle of Maggie





Spillane’s, had the distinction of being the Master of Ceremonies during the awards presentation and also acted as the auctioneer during the live auction.

Lowes Moore, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club drew a long ovation when introduced by Spillane. He immediately spoke about Ray Williams, a close friend of his, and how much he misses him.

“Ray was a great person. He was also a great golfer. And this yearly event will certainly help keep his memory alive. If you knew Ray, you would love Ray,” said Moore.

Born in Mount Vernon on October 14, 1954, Williams was drafted 10th overall by the Knicks in 1977. He av-eraged 16.4 points in five seasons in New York and went on to play for New Jersey, Kansas City, Boston, Atlanta, and San Antonio.

After his NBA career, Williams ran

into difficult financial times. Like many professional athletes, he was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1994. By 2010, Williams was homeless, living out of his car in Florida. But thanks to an article in The Boston Globe, some of his former teammates helped him get back on his feet financially. Williams then got a job in his hometown with the Recreation Department in Mount Vernon. Regret-tably, he soon became very ill and died.

Spillane presented impressive tro-phies to the top golfers and also en-couraged attendees to purchase items during the live auction. A 50-50 raffle also generated funds for the Club.

At the start of the awards ceremony, management had to quickly rearrange several tables and place them un-der umbrellas when it started to rain. Nevertheless, the rain did not stop the program from being successfully com-pleted.


“Tony Spillane and his staff under-stand that supporting youth, while

showing people a good time is a win/win for everyone involved,” said Moore.

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · M ayor Richard Thomas held a press conference...

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