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“There has been a Federal, State, Coun-ty, Town, and Village bureaucratic break-through," Ilan Schoen-berger, legislator, and County Executive candidate tells the Advocate. He is re-ferring to the troubling Pascak Brook project which has finally been re-worked and planned out to improve water drainage from the trou-bled Spring Valley area of the Stonehouse and Valley View areas.

In 2001, then Chair-man of the Rockland County Legislature, Ilan Schoenberger was approached by Spring Valley residents. “There is a critical situ-ation on some of our streets,” explained the neighbors. Flooding was the issue. Houses were built, unfortu-nately, on a flood zone, where if the strict law was being followed, would never have hap-pened. But, accord-ing to Legislator Aron Wieder, “Back then the

zoning and environ-mental laws were more relaxed.”Mr. Vincent Altieri, the Director of the Rock-land County Drain-age Agency, is excited about the project after securing all the neces-sary permits and paper-work. “We are going to build the first culvert of its kind in Rockland,” he said. He points out that it will be one large tunnel, big enough (7 feet high, 15 feet wide)

spring valley gets flooding relief from county Vol. 27 No. 50 • Rockland’s Independent Jewish Community Newspaper Since 1985 • 8 Kislev 5773 December 20, 2012 free weekly

A Moeller

Your son is 2 years old and still isn’t talking. He says a few words, but compared with his peers you think he’s way behind. You re-member that his sister could put whole sentences together at the same age. Hoping he will catch up, you postpone seeking pro-fessional advice. Some kids are early walkers and some are early talkers, you tell yourself. Nothing to worry about...

This scenario is common among parents of kids who are slow to speak. Unless they observe other areas of “slowness” during early development, parents may hesi-tate to seek advice. Some may excuse the lack of talking by reas-suring themselves that “he’ll out-grow it” or “she’s just more inter-ested in physical things.” Know-ing what’s “normal” and what’s not in speech and language de-velopment can help you figure out

if you should be concerned or if your child is right on schedule. It’s important to discuss early speech and language development, as well as other developmental con-cerns, with your doctor at every routine well-child visit. It can be difficult to tell whether a child is just immature in his or her ability to communicate or has a problem that requires professional atten-tion. These developmental norms may provide clues:

Before 12 Months: It’s important for kids this age to be watched for signs that they’re using their voices to relate to their environ-ment. At three months, babies smile spontaneously to human contact and stop crying when spoken to. Cooing and babbling are early stages of speech devel-opment. As babies get older (of-ten around 9 months), they begin

cont. Page 6, health news section

health news sponsored by Monsey FaMily Medical center

By: Congresswaom Nita Lowey

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erful than ever, vehicles are safer and more fuel-efficient, computers have wider screens

When Innovation Goes Wrongconcerning assault weapons ban

Ramapo Councilman Educates Students & Teachers on Youth Violence

© 2011 MCT

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איר פילט נישט גוט? ווארט נישט ביז זןנטאג!County Legislators Ilan Schoneberger and Aron Wieder discuss the layout of the Pascack Brook improvement plan with Vincent Altieri. Vincent is Director of the

Rockland County Drainage Agency.

ויגש

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In the wake of the recent dev-astating events just 60 miles away from Ramapo, in New-town, CT, Ramapo Council-man Daniel Friedman has announced that he is person-ally sponsoring a giveaway of a book he authored on the issue of youth and gun violence. “Saving Our Children: An In-Depth Look At Gun Violence In

Our Nation And Our Schools” (Authorhouse, 2006), is a book that was written and published by Councilman Friedman in 2006, when he was 20 years old, and is a primer on the issue of youth and gun violence. The book includes, among oth-er things, a history of the gun culture in America, statistics and incidents of gun violence,

Federal and State Permits obtained by the County for major construction project at the Pascack Brook.

Understanding Normal Speech and Language Development

THE ADVOCATE December 20, 2012דער אדוואקאט ויגש תשע״ג 2

Cory Booker To Run For Senate In 2014

Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) will not challenge Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2013, choosing instead to seek Democrat Frank Lautenberg's Senate seat in 2014, ac-cording to NBC 4 New York.

Sources told PolitickerNJ.com Booker would pass up the chance to challenge Christie, whose approval rating hit a high point after his actions in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Booker called Democratic party leaders Thursday morning to inform them of his plans, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Booker said earlier he was "absolutely considering" a gubernatorial run, call-ing Christie "vulnerable." Elizabeth, N.J. Mayor Chris Bollwage (D) told The Huff-ington Post Booker's past uncertainty on his future plans had "frozen" the state's Democratic Party.

Rep. Frank Pallone has also expressed in-terest in Lautenberg's seat.

Rockland Community Development Center Inc.22 Main Street • Monsey, NY 10952

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• COPYRIGHT 2012 ISSN 1055-9132• All material in this paper is the exclusive property of THE ADVOCATE and cannot be reproduced without the consent of the pub-lisher. The views and opinions expressed by our columnists do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s.• Any article submitted to the newspaper can be edited at the discretion of the publisher.• The newspaper will not be liable for errors appearing in an advertisement beyond the cost of space occupied by the error. The ad-vertiser assumes the responsibility for errors in telephone orders.• In-house design: All advertisements de-signed and prepared by The Advocate are the property of the newspaper and cannot be reproduced without consent of the pub-lisher.• The health information articles contained in this publication are for information only and not intended as medical advice. For health care advice and information contact your health care provider.• Editorials related to political endorsements or support are written by an independent committee. They do not represent the views of The Advocate staff. It should not be considered as endorsements or support by this paper.

as we go to press Publisher's DeskA Weekly Editorial By:

WRITE TO USThe Advocate welcomes Letters to the Editor & the Action Desk about relevant topics and issues. Letters must include the writer’s name, address and phone number, although the name may be withheld from publication at the writer’s request. The Advocate reserves the right to edit for clarity and good taste. To voice your opinion, call: 845-770-1950, Fax: 845-770-1983, or e-mail [email protected]

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letters to the editor

פדיון שבוייןhELp

POLLARD & RUBASHKIN. contact the

White House between 9am-5pm phone @ 202-456-1414 or fax @ 202-456-2461

every call makes a difference

Mr. Pollard is serving his 27th year in prison, but this week the information that came out should have him immediately released! According to the newly declassified CIA 1987 damage assessment of the Pollard case published- this alone should put pressure on law makers to change the minds of our judicial representatives.

It was thought that he passed classified information to our ally, Israel; an offense which is usually punishable by a fraction of the time served by Mr. Pollard. Besides, he has paid his penalty and, due to failing health, should be allowed to live out his days with his family. The time has come to close this chapter, commute Jonathan Pollard’s sentence to time served, and allow the Pollard family to be together. Mr. Pollard’s sentence was disproportionately severe, especially now that declassified info shows what really occurred. This latest revelation should cause an outcry to save Jonathan Pollard, and have him released from prison now!

Dear Editor,

A new Stage in Spring Valley?

This is the latest wasteful expense by Spring Valley Using reserve funds to pay for something overpriced and unnecessary that will be used roughly three times a year demonstrates the lack

of fiscal responsibility by Village Hall. For example, that $97,690 could have been spent on an animal control officer for the village AND Spring Valley's required funding to Hi Tor Animal Care Center, Inc. for over three years - money which the mayor said she could not find at all this yearNo group would ever pay

$3,000 - $4,000 to rent this when they could get it for a small fraction of the price elsewhere. As for the $200 rental fee for village events, it would take over 488 events to cover the cost of this stage. The Mayor thinks she will recover the costs in 3 to 5 years, which is wholly unrealistic. It would require her to rent it out roughly

one out of every three days for 3 to 5 years (including the winter and through every hurricane to come) to make back the money. Additionally, the overtime needed to pay village employees to oversee its use would actually cost more than the stage itself.Sincerely,D. Friedman

photo of the week, Mayor Lacorte Supports Areivim

Mayor Lacorte Supports Areivim

Suffern Mayor Dagan Lacorte joined Areivim for a Chanukah Party at The Grove, encouraging the organization's vital work with the community's youth.

"Areivim's partnership with community rabbis has provided critical strength to families at challenging moments," La-corte said. "We need to support our youth at every stage of their develop-ment."

Lacorte was welcomed to The Grove by Rabbi Eli Wiener, Rabbi Moshe Frankel and Rabbi Ace Klatzko. "The

guys were thrilled Mayor Lacorte joined us for Chanukah," Rabbi Wiener said. "It was a wonderful addition to a night of bright Chanukah light. We appre-ciate the interest of all of our elected officials in our work and look forward to working with Mayor Lacorte and his colleagues to raise awareness about our programming."

Areivim is a Monsey-based organiza-tion providing support services, recre-ation, and education under the leader-ship of Rabbi Shmuel Gluck. Areivim provides mentoring and crisis interven-tion, and operates Camp Gavriel.

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and crisper pictures, and cell phones also function as cameras, calendars, and multi-media players.But in the case of firearms, technological innovation (coupled with near unrestricted access) has had a grotesque side effect - making it far easier for any disturbed indi-vidual to inflict mass casualties on unarmed civilians.• In addition to bolt-action hunting rifles with low rates of fire, consumers have near unrestricted access to military-style assault weapons fully-equipped with flash sup-pressors, flashlight mounts, laser sites, and other combat-ready features.• In addition to revolvers that hold a mere six rounds, consumers can purchase semi-automatic handguns accommodating high-capacity magazines, allowing a shooter to fire dozens of shots before reloading.• To fill these weapons of mass destruction, consumers can purchase ammunition de-signed to maximize damage to soft tissue upon impact.We cannot go back to a time before these weapons existed, and firearms that are currently legal will never become illegal to possess. But we can limit the types of military-style weapons and accessories that can be legally sold to civilian consumers in the future.

Reinstating the assault weapons ban and prohibiting high-capacity magazines is a start. By taking these products off the civilian market, we stop increasing the number of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines in circulation. This step would also make it impossible for disturbed indi-viduals to openly purchase weaponry most efficient for killing. Just maybe, it would also make it more likely for bright minds in science and engineering to use their tal-ents on research, inventions, and product innovations with more beneficial civilian applications.The American free market is the most ef-fective means ever created to spur innova-tion in consumer products. But in the case of firearms, the success of this innovation has had tragic consequences. If we do not restrict civilian access to weapons of war, we will have ourselves to blame when the next massacre occurs.

an analysis of the media’s impact on young people, landmark legislation on guns, and an unbiased analysis of opposing points of view on the controversial issue of gun con-trol. The book also includes a discussion on the issue of bullying in schools, which has received widespread attention and legisla-tion in the last few years.“I am proud to sponsor this book giveaway to all schools in Rockland County because this has been an issue that I have been ad-vocating for years,” said Friedman. “Hav-ing this book in school libraries will offer educators and students important informa-tion and an understanding about this issue and how to prevent violence of any kind among young people. In particular, I col-lected information from a vast number of resources and compiled important practical information for educators on how to iden-tify and prevent school violence.”“The time has come for us to have a serious

conversation about this issue, and I believe that educators – and students – have a role to play in this p r o c e s s , ” Councilman F r i e d m a n stated. “It is impera t ive that every-one first un-derstand the key aspects of the issues at hand, and this book provides that. It is my hope that schools will take advantage of this so that together we can educate our children and our communities about issues that have been pushed aside for too long, so that we can prevent violence in Rockland’s schools and work to make the changes that need to be made,” Friedman concluded.

School officials can pick up two complimentary copies of the book for their school from Phil Tisi in the Super-visor’s office at Ramapo Town Hall.

The Rolling Jubilee Fund, a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The Roll-ing Jubilee Fund is a project of Strike Debt. The mission of this project is to buy and abolish personal debt. Their mission states: "We believe that no one should have to go into debt for the basic things in our lives, like healthcare, housing, and education. You no longer owe the balance of this debt. It is gone, a gift with no strings attached. You are no longer any obli-gation to settle this account with the original creditor, the bill collector, or anyone else."A debt-forgiveness box ready for mailing. After the first flush of posi-tive press, the Rolling Jubilee has encountered some skepticism. Yves Smith of a Capitalism blog has called it "a gimmick with a tax risk." The jubilee puts borrowers at risk, Smith argues, because forgiving the debt could be counted as a taxable windfall for the debtors, potentially making their situation worse rather than bet-ter. Strike Debt's claim that the jubilee won't have tax implications are dubi-ous, Smith argues, because 1) by buy-ing the debt in the first place, Strike Debt is engaging in commercial activ-ity, 2) the recipients are likely to be middle class, and therefore ineligible for tax exemption as a "charitable class." She concludes:

"Sophisticated taxpayers get tax opin-ions from law firms with recognized expertise in tax matters, or ask for rul-ings from IRS (a non-starter here), or document their positions with heavily researched memos. Rolling Jubilee organiz-ers say that's exactly what they've done. "I'm a little mystified by the critiques based on the tax implications," says the tax lawyer who has been advising Strike Debt. (The lawyer works in the tax department at a top in-ternational law firm -- her employer knows she is advising Strike Debt, but doesn't want its name at-tached to the project.)One organizer, told the Advocate "Rolling Jubilee is a fantastic concept, de-rived from (Jewish) bibli-cal ideas on debt forgive-ness and helping those under intense financial pressure." Between Oc-cupy Sandy and Rolling Jubilee we are really start-ing to see tangible posi-tive effects of the Occupy movement and I, for one, am all for it!"

As of this printing they have raisedalmost a half a million dollars to abolish $9,826,382 of debt.

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REP. ENGEL – STATEMENT ON BENGHAZI ACCOUNTABILITY

REVIEW BOARD REPORT

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement regarding the in-dependent report released today on the September 11 attack on the U.S. Mission in Benghazi. Rep. Engel will be the Rank-ing Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the next Congress.

“The Accountability Review Board’s (ARB) report is a sobering analysis of inade-quate security at the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. Most importantly, the report contains 29 recommendations on how we can better protect our diplomats who are on the front lines promoting the interests of the United States.

“We need to stay focused on implement-ing the ARB recommendations rather than playing political ‘gotcha’ games with the President. Our diplomats deserve bet-ter. “I’m glad that Secretary of State Clin-ton has already begun to implement the ARB’s recommendations. Now, Congress needs to provide adequate resources so that we can take all reasonable steps to secure our diplomatic facilities and pro-tect our foreign service officers.”

Gas price fallsAverage retail gasoline prices in New York have fallen 5.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.72/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 6,118 gas outlets in New York. This com-pares with the national average that has fallen 8.0 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.25/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com. Including the change in gas prices in New York during the past week, prices yesterday were 20.5 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 18.8 cents per gal-lon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 18.3 cents per gal-lon during the last month and stands 1.3 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

DiNapoli has dire warnings for going over the cliff

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, above, released a report last Thursday depicting the danger of the country falling over the fiscal cliff. DiNap-oli detailed the contents of the report dur-ing a speech before the Business and La-bor Coalition of New York that same day. If Congress fails to act to avert sweeping federal tax hikes and sharp spending cuts by January 1, New Yorkers could face more than $43 billion in tax increases and

lose $609 million in federal aid in 2013, warned state Comptroller Thomas DiNap-oli in a speech to the Business and Labor Coalition of New York last Thursday.

Port Authority Bridges and Tunnels Tolls Go Up to $13

Commuters are paying more to drive from New Jersey into New York City.

The next phase of toll increases kicked in at Port Authority bridges and tunnels on Sunday. Cash tolls on the George Wash-ington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing will increase $1 to $13. Tolls for E-ZPass users will go from $9.50 to $10.25 during peak commuting hours and from $7.50 to $8.25 during off-peak hours. The Port Authority last raised tolls in September 2011. Tolls are next slated to rise on Dec. 1, 2013 unless a law-suit against the increase is successful.

Senator Wants National Guard As Boost For School Safety

Washington - Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is proposing to give schools more money for security improvements and to make greater use of the National Guard.

Boxer's legislation is a response to the

Connecticut school shooting that killed 20 children and six adults working at the school. It would boost a grants program from $30 million annually to $50 million. The grants pay for such things as metal detectors.

Governors are already free to call in Na-tional Guard members for security at bor-ders and airports, but a second Boxer bill would give them the financial incentive to do so for schools. Under her bill, the fed-eral government would reimburse states for the expense, perhaps with one or two National Guard members supplementing work by a school's assigned police officer.

Booker vs. the Times Newark Mayor Cory Booker pushed back Monday against a front page New York Times story suggesting that his mayor-ship hasn't lived up to its promise and that he appears more concerned, at times, with his public persona than with running the city.

"In my entire career, I have never seen an article so factually wrong and so willfully willing to exclude facts to attack my work and the progress of our city," Booker said in an email to The Huffington Post. "And the article's appearance on the front page made it all the more difficult to swallow."

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis Picked as UK's New Chief

RabbiLondon - Rabbi Ephraim Mir-vis has been named as the next Chief Rabbi of the UK succeed-ing Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who has held the post since 1991.

The United Synagogue, an asso-ciation of Orthodox synagogues in the UK, made the announce-ment on Monday.

Rabbi Mirvis, 55, has served as the communal rabbi of Finchley Synagogue in London for the past sixteen years, and also held the position of Chief Rabbi of Ire-land from 1984-1992.

Born and raised in South Africa, Mirvis, a qualified shohet and mohel, has spent much of his professional life in the UK.

He will take office in September 2013.

Americans Living LongerAmericans, on a whole, are dying less from cancer and heart-relat-ed causes, but at the same time, chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and sedentary living are on the rise, according to a new report ranking the health of each U.S. state.

The report, released by United-Health Group's nonprofit, the United Health Foundation, in association with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention, shows that 27.8 percent of all Americans are obese, 9.5 percent have diabe-tes, 30.8 percent have hyperten-sion and 26.2 percent lead seden-tary lifestyles.

However, premature deaths and deaths from heart disease and cancer have decreased since 1990.

"As a nation, we've made extraor-dinary gains in longevity over the past decades, but as individuals we are regressing in our health," Dr. Reed Tuckson, M.D., medical adviser to the United Health Foun-dation and chief of medical affairs for UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement.

Hungary’s Jobbik party called for lists of promi-

nent Jews to be drawn upBudapest - A week after a leader of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik party called for lists of prominent Jews to be drawn up to protect nation-al security, Janos Fonagy stepped forward.

“My mother and father were Jew-

ish, and so am I, whether you like it or not,” the state secretary of the Development Ministry told parlia-ment, explaining he did not have dual citizenship with Israel and was not religious.

“I cannot choose, I was born into this. But you can choose, and you have chosen this path,” he said, addressing Jobbik deputies. “Bear history’s judgment.” It is only rela-tively recently that Hungary’s Jews have celebrated their identity as openly as they did when Europe’s largest synagogue was built in Bu-dapest in the 1850s.

Now they are determined not to allow a political climate in which they have to defend that identity or even suppress it.

More than 500,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust after Hungary sided with the Na-zis in World War Two and those left in Budapest were forced into two ghettos.

When the Soviet Red Army moved in and liberated the ghet-tos in 1945 about 100,000 Jews remained, living reminders of a collaboration with fascism many Hungarians wanted to forget.

“Even 15 years ago, using ‘Jewish’ as a brand required quite some

bravery,” said Vera Vadas, the direc-tor of the Jewish Summer Festival, launched in 1998. “Now the word just describes our culture and it draws artists and audiences alike.”

From an initial crowd of about 3,000, the number of visitors at the festival was around 120,000 this year, filling the cobblestone alleys and courtyards of the city wall to wall.

The biggest of the two wartime ghettos is now a thriving Jewish quarter, a year-round highlight on Budapest’s tourist map with the huge Dohany street synagogue—the model for New York’s Central Synagogue—at its heart.

Around it are more synagogues, museums, businesses, schools and restaurants, and sometimes a mix of those things, such as a Tal-mud class that is taught regularly at one of the famous Budapest “ruin pubs” - run-down buildings converted into bars.

Lowey Statement on Speaker Boehner’s “Plan B”Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) issued the following statement on Speaker Boehner’s so-called “Plan B” to avoid the fiscal cliff:

"Speaker Boehner’s so-called “Plan B” is not a meaningful solution to avoid the fiscal cliff.

“The proposal would reduce tax relief critical for working fami-lies like college tuition, child, and earned income tax credits. It would end benefits for unem-ployed Americans, eliminate tax provisions that incentivize job creation, cut reimbursements for doctors seeing Medicare patients by 27 percent, and leave in place across-the-board cuts to critical investments through the seques-ter.

ALbANy &wAShINgtoN NEwS bRIEfS

NAtIoNAL & INtERNAtIoNAL NEwS UpDAtES

U.S. farm exports risingU.S. farm exports are expected to reach $143.5 billion in 2013, an almost 50 percent jump in four years.

In billions$143.5

96

150

120

90

60

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© 2012 MCT

ProjectedSource: U.S. Agriculture DepartmentGraphic: Judy Treible


legislature voted tuesday night to override vetoes

The Rockland County Legislature voted Tuesday night to override County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef’s veto of the amended 2013 budget.

“People can differ over what constitutes an appropriate veto, what should or should not be overridden, but I urge all of you to override this veto,” Schoenberger said.

Legislator Wieder was worried that union contracts could have been violated had the legistature not overrode the veto. “We don't need this litigation against the county.

“Under the constraints of unfunded mandates, he continued. local municipalities are struggling to approve sound budgets and as a direct result have turned on each other. Now, this veto, if left intact will result in, possible litigation's, decrease of services, an increase of the deficit, an increase in property taxes, and more importantly, this veto results in hard working people losing their jobs.Of the 17 legislators, only Legislators Frank Sparaco, Nancy Low-Hogan, and Danny Carey voted against the override, a significantly higher tally of seven votes against the budget itself. Nonetheless, the required supermajority was reached and the entirety of the legislature’s amended budget has become law.The move was met by praise from supporting legislators and the Rockland County Civil Service Employees Association, whose members attended the meeting to support the override.

schoenberger urges residents to call telephone,providers credits

Rockland County Legislator Ilan Schoenberger urges residents to contact their telephone, cable/video and internet service providers to receive credit for service lost due to power outages experienced as a result of Hurricane Sandy. The superstorm, which hit Rockland on Monday, October 28, caused outages toalmost 98,000 O&R Utility customers in the county.

mayor dagan lacorte and the Board of trustees will dedicate

a new playground Mayor Dagan Lacorte and the Board of Trustees will dedicate a new playground at Suffern's Memorial Park on Friday, December 21 with a ribbon cutting at 3:30 pm. Flapjack the Clown will join the celebration and there will be balloons and snacks. The public is invited. The aging toddler play equipment at Memorial Park has been totally replaced

and landscaping and benches for parents added. The project was completed at no cost to property taxpayers, with funds coming from development contributions. The park, which is adjacent to the Suffern Memorial Pool, is the delight of neighborhood children all year round, and to young children who frequent the pool during the summer. rockland gun show canceled

The Crowne Plaza canceled a gun show scheduled for the spring, citing the school massacre in Newtown, Conn.

“Our entire nation is mourning the senseless murders of 26 children and teachers last Friday,” said Joshua Goldstein, the general partner of Empire Executive LLC, which owns the hotel. “In the wake of this horrific event, our organization has decided that we do not want to be associated with gun shows. A loophole in New York state’s gun control law that allows private dealers to sell firearms without conducting background checks must be eliminated. We informed the promoter yesterday that we were no longer willing to host the event.”

stavisky voted in as Board of elections commissioner

The Rockland County Legislature voted 15-1, with one legislator absent, in favor of County Democratic Committee Chair Kristen Stavisky’s nomination for Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner.

The state set up the board of elections as a bipartisan entity with one Democratic and one Republican commissioner, although after Stavisky’s nomination, some questioned whether the chair of one of the parties should be allowed to hold the position as a Board of Elections commissioner

mta mayor runAfter impressively leading the MTA through Hurricane Sandy, there were rumors about MTA Chairman Joe Lhota running for mayor. While Lhota couldn't talk about it due to his position as a state employee, he was rumors swirled that he was seriously considering it. And now the NY Times reports that the thinking is turning into action: "Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has informed the Cuomo administration that he is stepping down from his position, according to three people with direct knowledge of his plans. He is expected to resign on Friday and announce his candidacy for New York City mayor as a Republican."

RoCkLAND & REgIoNALGov. Andrew Cuomo signed 12 bills and vetoed 18 others late Monday, reject-ing legislation that would have sent unclaimed bottle deposits to the Environ-mental Protection Fund and allowed Catskill Off-Track Betting to operate in New York City.

Cuomo signed a bill creating the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, a new agency that will oversee the state’s care of the developmen-tally disabled and mentally ill.The Democratic governor faced a mid-night deadline to act on the bills, which were passed by the Legislature between January and June and formally sent to Cuomo’s desk earlier this month.Many of Cuomo’s vetoes were of bills that would have a financial impact on the state, from the bottle-deposit measure to legisla-tion that would exempt vending machine purchases of less than $1.50 from being subject to sales tax.In some of his veto messages, Cuomo said any funding decisions should be made in the state budget, not separately. Cuomo will unveil his budget proposal for the 2013-14 fiscal year in late January.“I am committed to finding additional ways to strengthen the (Environmental Protection Fund) and will work with the Legislature to do so,” Cuomo wrote in ve-toing the bottle-deposit bill.The bill would have gradually directed $56 million in bottle deposits to the Environ-mental Protection Fund, a $134 million pool of state grants provided for improve-ments to parks, environmental infrastruc-ture, green spaces and other programs.Environmental groups, which had pushed the measure as a way to boost the fund, expressed disappointment with Cuomo’s veto.“We certainly hope the governor will an-

nounce a renewed commitment to environ-mental programs, including the Environ-mental Protection Fund, in his Executive Budget,” said Rob Moore, executive direc-tor of Environmental Advocates of New York.Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have al-lowed the Catskill Region Off-Track Bet-ting Corp., which operates across 10 coun-ties including much of the mid- and lower Hudson Valley, to extend into New York City. The New York City chapter of the betting corporation folded in 2010 after if filed for bankruptcy, shutting down dozens of betting parlors and eliminating about 1,000 jobs.The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, D-Mt. Vernon, Westches-ter County, who chairs the Assembly Rac-ing & Wagering Committee.Cuomo’s veto said a business plan to im-plement this proposal was not extended.“I am sensitive to potential opportunities to re-employ a portion of the individu-als who lost positions due to the failure of New York City OTB,” he wrote. “But continuing such gambling expansion on a piecemeal basis is irrational and inconsis-tent with the manner agreed upon to regu-late gambling in New York State.”The newly enacted Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs will have a special prosecutor who can bring charges over instances of abuse in state-provided care for the developmen-tally disabled. The bill was championed by Cuomo after several high-profile instances of neglect, abuse and even death of pa-tients in the state’s care.Among the other bills signed by Cuomo in-cluded a measure that removes a residency requirement for Cornell University Police. The new law exempts Cornell peace offi-cers and special deputy sheriffs from being subjected to a state law that requires them to live within the county where they work.Monday’s approvals and vetoes leave Cuomo with just one bill left to act on in 2012: Legislation that would allow beer distributors to sell snacks, certain fruit, lighters, charcoal, rock salt and prepaid phone cards in their stores.

Cuomo signed 12 bills - vetoes 18

Out of workMore U.S. workers sought jobless benefits last week for the first time in four weeks, but the less volatile four-week moving average fell.

Week ending Dec. 8

3.23 million

Week ending Dec. 15361,000

© 2012 MCTSource: U.S. Department of Labor

NOTE: Report on continuing claims lags initial claims by one week

Õ08 Õ09 Õ10 Õ11 Õ12

Continuing to claim unemployment insuranceInitial claim

5

6

3

1

4

2

-3-1135

-2

0

2

4

GDP Percentchange from previousquarter, seasonally adjusted: 3.1%

Õ09 Õ10 Õ11 Õ12© 2012 MCTSource: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

ANNUAL

1.1%

1.8%

Õ01 Õ11


PEDIATRIC MEDICINEDr. Esther bekritskyDr. gerson gluck

ADULT MEDICINEDr. James IsraelDr. Arthur LandauDr. Debra grohmanDr. Delatre LoloDr. Manoj pulicottilElana klein, PAErick Araujo, PA

FAMILY MEDICINEDr. Michael SafranDr. Jamie Giraldo

OB/GYNDr. Joel w. AllenDr. Debra kirschnerMelissa A. Carco, PANancy Solomon, CNM

DENTALDr. genady benyaminovDr. Stacey LubetskyDr. Ramin kashaniDr. Jacklyn tadrosDr. Sarah hannaDr. David horowitz

SPECIALTYDr. harry baldinger - PodiatryDr. Michael ginsburg- PodiatryDr. David Schwalb - UrologyDr. Renata witkowska - AllergyDr. Samuel wong - OphthalmologyDr. Alfred hellreich - DermatologyDr. philip fried - DermatologyDr. yoel kantor - Endocrinologyhanna Raice MS, RD, CDE- Nutrition CounselingAaron Muller, Speech TherapyMelech karp, Speech Therapy

to string sounds together, incorporate the different tones of speech, and say words like “mama” and “dada” (without really understanding what those words mean). Before 12 months, children should also be attentive to sound. Babies who watch intently but don’t react to sound may be showing signs of hear-ing loss.

By 12 to 15 Months Kids this age should have a wide range of speech sounds in their babbling and typically say one or more words (not including “mama” and “dada”). Nouns usually come first, like “baby” and “ball.” Your child should also be able to un-derstand and follow simple directions (“Please give me the toy,” for example)

From 18 to 24 Months Though there is a lot of variability, most toddlers are saying about 20 words by 18 months and 50 or more words by the time they turn 2. By age 2, kids are starting to com-bine two words to make simple sentences, such as “baby crying” or “Daddy big.” A 2-year-old should also be able to follow two-step commands (such as “Please pick up the toy and give it to me”).

From 2 to 3 Year Parents often witness an “explosion” in their child’s speech. Your toddler’s vocabulary should increase (to too many words to count) and he or she should routinely combine three or more words into sentences.

Comprehension also should increase — by 3 years of age, a child should begin to understand what it means to “put it on the table” or “put it under the bed.” Your child also should begin to identify colors and comprehend descriptive concepts (big versus little, for example).

warning Signs of a possible problem

If you’re concerned about your child’s speech and language development, there are some things to watch for.

Before 12 months, children should be attentive to sound. Ba-bies who watch intently but don’t react to sound may be show-ing signs of hearing loss.

An infant who isn’t responding to sound or who isn’t vocalizing is of particular concern. Between 12 and 24 months, reasons for concern include a child who:

• isn’t using gestures, such as pointing or waving bye-bye by 12 months

• prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate by 18 months

• has trouble imitating sounds by 18 months

• has difficulty understanding simple verbal requests

Seek an evaluation if a child over 2 years old:...and.....

• can only imitate speech or actions and doesn’t produce words or phrases spontaneously

• says only certain sounds or words repeatedly and can’t use oral language to communicate more than his or her immediate needs

• can’t follow simple directions

• has an unusual tone of voice (such as raspy or nasal sounding)

• is more difficult to understand than expected for his or her age. Parents and regular caregivers should understand about half of a child’s speech at 2 years and about three quarters at 3 years. By 4 years old, a child should be mostly understood, even by people who don’t know the child.

What Speech-Language Pathologists Do

If you or your doctor suspect that your child has a problem, early evaluation by a speech-language pathologist is crucial. Of course, if there turns out to be no problem after all, an evaluation can ease your fears. Although you can seek out a speech-language pathologist on your own, your primary care doctor can refer you to one.

In conducting an evaluation, a speech-language pathologist will look at a child’s speech and language skills within the con-text of total development. Besides observing your child, the speech-language pathologist will conduct standardized tests and scales, and look for milestones in speech and language development. If the speech-language pathologist finds that your child needs speech therapy, your involvement will be very important. You can observe therapy sessions and learn to participate in the process. The speech therapist will show you how you can work with your child at home to improve speech and language skills.

Family HealtH talk

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MONSEY FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER

Ben Gilman Spring Valley Family Medical Center175 Route 59, Spring Valley NY 10977

Monsey Family Medical Center40 Robert Pitt Dr.

Monsey, NY 10952

unDERSTanDInG noRmal SpEECh anD lanGuaGE DEVElopmEnT (ConT. FRom paGE 1)

HEALTH NEWS

schedule your appointment

today:

Monsey Family Medical Center

40 Robert Pitt Dr. Monsey, NY 10952

(845) 352-6800

Making surgery saferThe World Health Organization has issued an operation checklist to reduce complications, about half of which may be preventable.

About 234 million major surgeries per year; 1 per 25 people

Before anesthesia

Source: World Health Organization, Medscape.comGraphic: Lee Hulteng, Judy Treible © 2008 MCT

63 millionTraumatic injuries

10 millionPregnancy-related complications

31 millionCancer

At least7 million may have

post-operative complications

Each figure equals 1 million

At least1 million die during or after an operation

• Confirm patient identity, surgical site, procedure

Before skin incision

• Surgical team identifies themselves, their roles

Before patient leaves OR• Nurse confirms name of procedure, counts sponges, instruments, needles; labels surgical specimen

• Team reviews concerns regarding patient recovery

• Verbally reconfirm patient’s identity, surgical site, procedure

• Surgical team reviews anticipated critical events

• Check if antibiotic given within 60 minutes to reduce infection

• Surgical site marked• Check for patient allergies, risk of blood loss, airway obstruction

• In developed world, half of all harmful events to patients in hospitals are surgery related

Surgeries worldwide The checklist

Women’s Health

6 (heAlTh TAlk)

schedule your appointment today:Monsey

Family Medical Center40 Robert Pitt Dr.

Monsey, NY 10952

Family HealtH talk

Tips to help you prioritize and stop procrastinatingMake specific, actionable plans. Make it easier for you to

get to done by spending some time thinking about what that journey will look like. If I am reminded by my list to do some general task like "write blog post" instead of something specific like "research and brainstorm some ideas for blog post about to-do lists", I'll be much less likely to reach the intended goal.

At the same time, don't micromanage your tasks, or you'll feel locked in and unable to make adjustments and respond to things that come up. Use your dones as a reference to make better, more responsive plans.

Use implementation intentions in your planning. An imple-mentation intention is a planning strategy that helps automate a desired action. You plan out an if-then process, where you use a certain situation to lead to a desired response. Setting out in ad-vance some specifics of when and where forms the "if-compo-

nent" of the implementation intention, and the specifics of how forms the "then-component." In effect, you're the director in the play of your life, giving the cue to act a certain way.

Give yourself earlier deadlines. Studies found that even when earlier deadlines were self-imposed, students performed better than those who had later deadlines.

Prioritize. Look at those 150 tasks you have to do and pick the most important, pressing or interesting ones to work on, big and small. It's easier to focus on 5 things and get them out of the way than running away from a towering mountain of DO THIS NOW!

Ease up and pat yourself on the back. Since our minds can get overloaded to the point of distraction, forgive yourself for not getting to 150 tasks. Be realistic about what you can do in a day.

For some people, winter conjures images of a cozy family game accompanied by piping hot cocoa and pleasant conversation. This picture is enhanced by the softness of pristine white snow reflected in the window by the glow of the streetlamp. For others, winter reminds of endless dark nights, and the harsh reality of brutal weather storms. The difficulties are only compounded by the monotonous routine of the same motions and routines repeating themselves, day in day out…If you identify with the second group of people, you might be experiencing SAD. SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder.

According to the Mayo Clinic, SAD is a type of depression that occurs at the same time every year. Most people affected by seasonal affective disorder experience symptoms at the beginning of the fall which last through the winter months. Less often, seasonal affective disorder can cause depression in the spring or early summer. You may be feeling extreme lack of energy, lack of motivation to do things, or very moody. At times, people dismiss such feelings as “winter blues”, or feeling “down”, but when symptoms don’t go away or get worse, it may be the beginning of a bigger problem.

What are the symptoms?

It is most common for symptoms of seasonal affective disorder to appear during late or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. However, some people find the opposite pattern, where symptoms begin during the spring and summer. In either case, symptoms may start out as mild but progress and become worse as the season moves on.

Below are common symptoms of fall and winter seasonal affective disorder – depression that appears during the fall and lasts through the winter (also known as winter depression).

-Depression – Feeling sad, discouraged and disheartened more than usual. Lacking motivation to do simple tasks. Being dejected and dispirited. -Hopelessness- Everything seems impossible, or never- ending. You cannot see your way out of any situation.-Anxiety - Constantly worrying or being afraid for normal daily occurrences. Fearing that the worst will happen in every situation and panicking. Such feelings can be accompanied by physical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, heart racing, heightened blood pressure, and feeling as if one is dying.--Loss of energy – You just don’t have the energy to do anything even though you just woke up from a nap, or had a filling meal. Simple tasks overwhelm you.--Heavy, leaden feeling in the arms and legs – Feeling like you are dragging your limbs with you and every move is an exerted effort.-Social withdrawal – Are you avoiding social gatherings? Not going to close friends or families wedding, staying home if you would generally be going to Shul? Avoiding conversation with colleagues at work?

-Oversleeping - After a decent night of 6-8 hours of sleep, you turn over on the other side and continue sleeping with no interest of getting out bed. Wishing you could sleep all day.-Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed – Feeling a lack of interest for activities you always used to enjoy, like cooking, baking, playing with your children, a chat with a friend, or the many simplistic pleasures of everyday living.-Appetite changes – Suddenly craving different or unusual foods, especially those high in calories or carbohydrates. Going back to the pantry for the sweets, one time to many -Weight gain – Are those pounds or inches slowly creeping up on you? Are you lacking motivation to continue following a healthy diet? -Difficulty Concentrating – Beginning a task but being unable to complete it because you have difficulty concentrating. Being easily distracted more than usual. Finding your mind wander or get sidetracked while trying to complete daily chores.It is normal to feel some of the above symptoms, some of the time; everyone has days when they feel down. However, if you are experiencing these symptoms for many days at a time and you can’t seem to get motivated to do activities you usually enjoy, it is time to see a doctor or seek professional help. This is especially important if you notice that your sleep and appetite habits have changed or if you feel hopeless, are thinking about death often, or find yourself turning to unhealthy means (like alcohol, or gambling) for comfort or relaxation.

Diagnoses of seasonal affective disorder; In order to be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder you must meet certain criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM). This manual is published through the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is globally used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental conditions. To be diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder – the following criteria must be met:• Duration of symptoms – Depression and symptoms of depression

must be experienced for at least two consecutive years, during the same season every year

• Consistency – the periods of depression have been followed by periods without depression

• Rule out – there are no other explanations for the changes in your mood or behavior, i.e. sudden stressor or life change, other physi-cal or mental condition

To be continued next week.

In next week's Advocate we will discuss:

How is Seasonal affective disorder different then major depression?

PROJECT OHRDepartment of

Behavioral Health

psYCHIatrYSeymour kushnir, MDADULT PSYCHIATRYZvi weisstuch, MDADULT and CHILD

PSYCHIATRY

soCIaL worKIndividual, Couple

Child & Family Therapy

Malka harris Susswein LCSW, Clinical Director Project Ohr, Indi-vidual and Family Therapist

gelly Asovski LCSW, Play Therapist

Rabbi Aryeh frankel LMSW, Family Therapist, males, teens and adults

Sharon kronenberg LCSW, Individual Therapist Adults

Chana Simmonds LCSW, Family and Individual Thera-pist- Adults gila Zelinger LCSW, Family and Individual Therapist, Teens and Adults

Naomi franklin LMSW, Child Therapist

yael kahan LMSW, Family and Individual Therapist, Teens and Adults Esther Rothbaum LMSW, Child Therapist

toby Spitzer LMSW, Individual and Family Therapist

tziporah Spira LMSWFamily and Individual Thera-pist, Teens and Adults

Aviva Cohen LMSW, Therapist Pre-Teens, and Teens

Rabbi Moshe Abramczyk LMSW, therapist, males, ages 12 and above

Family HealtH talk

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MONSEY FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER

Ben Gilman Spring Valley Family Medical Center175 Route 59, Spring Valley NY 10977

Monsey Family Medical Center40 Robert Pitt Dr.

Monsey, NY 10952

aRE You SaD oR SuFFERInG FRom WInTER bluES?SYmpTomS anD DIaGnoSIS paRT 1 oF 3 by By: Gitty Kleinman, intern, Reviewed by Gelly Asovsky, LCSW

7 (heAlTh TAlk)


Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec-retary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that three more states are on track to im-plement the health care law and establish health insurance marketplaces, or Ex-changes, in their states. HHS issued the first conditional approval of a State Partnership Exchange in Delaware and Minnesota and Rhode Island are conditionally approved today to operate a State-based Exchange.Today’s conditional approvals follow those issued last week to Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Mas-sachusetts, Maryland, New York, Oregon, and Washington to operate State-based Ex-changes.The conditional approval provided to Dela-ware today is the first of its kind and shows the vast progress Delaware has made ahead of the Feb. 15, 2013, deadline to apply to operate a State Partnership Exchange. The State Partnership Exchange model is an op-tion provided to states that want to manage

part of the Exchange in 2014. A Partner-ship Exchange allows states to make key decisions and tailor the marketplace to lo-cal needs and market conditions. In addi-tion to Delaware, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, and North Carolina have also expressed early interest in establishing a State Part-nership Exchange.“States across the country are working to implement the health care law and build a marketplace that works for their residents,” said Secretary Sebelius. “In ten months, consumers in all fifty states will have ac-cess to a new marketplace where they will be able to easily purchase quality health in-surance plans.” Because of the Affordable Care Act, con-sumers and small businesses in every state will have access to a new marketplace start-ing in 2014 where they can access quality, affordable private health insurance. These are similar to those choices that will be of-fered to members of Congress.

If that can of Diet Pepsi tastes sweeter than normal, there’s a reason.PepsiCo Inc. is quietly changing the sweet-eners in the drink, with the goal of helping the soda maintain its potency longer. Cans of Diet Pepsi around the country now list a mix of two artificial sweeteners, a pair-ing that is commonly found in newer diet sodas.Previously, Diet Pepsi used only aspar-tame, which is sensitive to heat and breaks down more easily.This summer, PepsiCo had declined to say whether it would go ahead with such a change after reports surfaced that it was testing the new sweeteners. Although the switch is only intended to help prevent the taste from degrading over time, companies are generally sensitive to public percep-tions that they might be tinkering with the formulas of major brands. PepsiCo execu-tives likely don’t want to call any attention to the use of artificial sweeteners in the drink either.A spokeswoman for the company, Andrea Canabal, said Sunday the Diet Pepsi using the new formula starting hitting shelves this month. She said consumers will start seeing over the next new few months.“It’s not like a light switch. It’ll start ap-pearing as shelf space clears,” she said.In addition to aspartame, cans of Diet Pepsi found in New York, Omaha, Neb., and the Bay Area now list acesulfame potassium as an ingredient. The ingredient is often used in combination with other artificial sweet-eners and can be found in a wide range of foods including baked goods, chewing gum and gelatin desserts.John Sicher, editor and publisher of the industry tracker Beverage Digest, said the synergistic effect of mixing the two sweet-eners is intended to help keep the drink’s sweetening power at a constant level, mak-ing it taste fresh longer.

“A change in sweetener does not change the flavor,” he noted.PepsiCo said in a statement Sunday that it was adding a “very small amount” of ace-sulfame potassium “to ensure consistency with every sip.”The move to improve Diet Pepsi comes amid a broader push by PepsiCo to revital-ize its namesake soda, which has lost mar-ket share to Coca-Cola Co. in recent years. Under pressure from investors, CEO Indra Nooyi earlier this year announced the com-pany would step up investment in its flag-ship brands.Whether the efforts will pay off with in-creased sales remains to be seen. In the lat-est quarter, PepsiCo said its soda volume in North America fell 2 percent, reflecting the broader decline in soft drink consumption that has plagued the industry since 1998. But the company noted that its share of the market had improved.For now, Diet Pepsi remains the No. 7 carbonated soft drink with 4.9 percent of the market, according to Beverage Digest. That’s down from 5.3 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, Diet Coke’s share has in-creased in that time from 8.7 percent to 9.6 percent. Diet Coke, which still only uses aspartame, overtook regular Pepsi to be-come the No. 2 soda brand in 2010.Coke remains No. 1 and Pepsi is No. 3.Still, Diet Pepsi rakes in roughly $5 bil-lion in a year in revenue and remains one of PepsiCo’s biggest moneymakers. The company, based in Purchase, N.Y., also makes Frito-Lay snacks, Tropicana juices and Quaker oatmeal.It’s not the first time a soda company is tweaking the sweeteners in its drinks; Pep-siCo made a similar move with Diet Moun-tain Dew in 2006, while Coca-Cola did the same with Diet Sprite in 2000.

States move forward to implement health care law, build health insurance marketplaces

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for vehicles to go through in order to make adjustments and clear it out. The Culvert tunnel will run parallel to the water way, rather than completely engulfing it. “For environmental reasons, the DEC made it impossible to just cover the whole water way, so this was our best option," he ex-plained. Vincent is a former employee of the DEC, and according to Schoenberger, he was instrumental in getting this whole project off the ground.Overall, more than 70,000 miles of riv-ers and streams cross the State of New York. The Pascack Brook project has been stalled for many reasons but the re-cent concern by the DEC, (Department of Environmental Conservation) was that altering the brook would cause trouble to wildlife. The Pascack Brook is a tribu-tary of the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey. A dam on the Pas-cack Brook in Spring Valley, impounded Lake Hyenga until it collapsed during Hurricane Floyd in September 1999. Heavy flooding resulted downstream. The dam was not rebuilt.Most people living in Rockland County don’t consider flooding a big deal as long as it is happening somewhere else. They know it to be a major concern for residents living off the gulf or coastal regions as disaster was heavily reported in Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy respec-tively. But for some residents of the Vil-lage of Spring Valley, there has been no relief from the water surrounding their houses. The devastating consequences of flooding have impacted them in numer-ous ways, including cars floating above the water, property damage, and unsafe yard conditions. It is speculated that their houses may have been built on what could be considered a floodplain. A few times a year these residents have to evac-uate their lower floor completely. They complain of mildew and mold buildup, as well as the decrease in the value of their

property. Unable to sell, these people are waiting for some relief for their lifestyles to improve.Floods happen in all 50 states. Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. If you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) or high-risk area and have a Federally backed mort-gage, your mortgage lender requires you to have flood insurance. Just an inch of water can cause costly damage to your property. In a high-risk area, your home is more than twice as likely to be dam-aged by flood than by fire.Mr. Wieder has been hard at work on this project since becoming a legislator. This project is a complex effort consider-ing the hopeless sentiment many of the residents on Stonehouse and Valley View Road feel towards this issue.Illustrating the mixed sentiments neighbors are feeling on this long awaited project, one resident said that he was very pleased to hear the good news, and thanks the county for getting in-volved. He told The Advocate, “When it rained, I could see up to three to five feet of water on my property, many times indoors. The water would send cars and other objects afloat, and the indoor water damage was also very taxing to me and all the homeowners around here. People cannot sell their homes in this disastrous situ-ation.” He continued,

“We are thankful that a bond for the money covering this project has been approved by the County Legislature.”“When I ran for office," notes Legislator Wieder, “the num-ber one concern people had in this neighborhood was the flooding problem, and we promised not to rest until this was resolved. "We worked very hard on this project.” Wieder continued, “We are not going to allow the permits to expire or the money that we appropriated for this to expire.”The plan is to begin in the spring or summer of 2013.

And how ‘cliff’ cuts compare

20162012200820042000199619921988198419801976

© 2012 MCT

‘Cliff’ cuts in context‘Fiscal cliff’ spending cuts are a small part of overall federal

spending but key in the ongoing debt debateMore than $500 billion in tax increases and spending cuts are scheduled to take effect early next year if Congress does not act. Most attention has been on tax increases, as this is the greatest area of disagreement between Democrats and Republicans. But the parties are also battling over spending cuts. The debate is not entirely unlike family members trying to balance the books, according to experts at the Bipartisan Policy Center: TheyÕve got to set priorities and look for ways to bring in more money. Though the federal government can afford to run a deficit, too much of this spending can have consequences.

Summary of initial proposals by President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner:

A look at federal government spending as it relates to the Òfiscal cliffÓ debate:

Obama’s initial offer Obama’s counteroffer Fuzzy mathBoehner’s initial offer

$600 billion $930 billion$1.35 trillionin cuts over 10 years in cuts over 10 years in cuts over 10 years

Includes $350 billion from health care entitlement programs and $250 billion from other spending, such as farm subsidies

Includes $400 billion from health care, $200 billion in mandatory cuts to nonhealth programs, and $200 billion in cuts to discretionary spending Ñ to be split between defense and nondefense programs Ñ plus $130 billion in savings from the inflation calculator shift

Includes $600 billion from health care, $300 billion from discretionary spending, an additional $300 billion in mandatory cuts and $135 billion in savings created by shifting the inflation calculator that is used to determine federal benefits such as Social Security

There is an ongoing dispute over how Ñ and whether Ñ to count certain savings and spending; the White House argues that accounting for about $290 billion in lower interest costs from reduced deficits would bring its proposalÕs total savings to $1.22 trillion; Republicans reject that assertion; Republicans argue that President ObamaÕs $930 billion offer is really worth only $850 billion because the president has also proposed $80 billion in new spending on infrastructure and unemployment benefits

What the government taxes and spendsTax revenue grew steadily until the 2001 tax cuts. Spending also has grown; tax and revenue figures are from the Office of Management and Budget, and projections for future years make a number of assumptions based on ObamaÕs proposals. The projected tax revenues assume that Congress avoids the cliff; tax cuts are extended to all filers except those making more than $250,000 annually

Annual tax revenue In trillions of dollars

Other and excise taxes

Corporate taxes

Social insurance and retirement

Individual taxes

201620142012201020082006200420022000199819961994199219901988198619841982198019781976197419721970

201620142012201020082006200420022000199819961994199219901988198619841982198019781976197419721970

201620142012201020082006200420022000199819961994199219901988198619841982198019781976197419721970

Projected

Annual revenue compared with spending In trillions of dollars

Government spending by major spending area In trillions of dollars

Annual tax revenue

Annual federal spending

Projected

The cuts and expiring tax cuts that compose the Òfiscal cliff,Ó while worrisome in terms of the impact on the economy if no deal is reached, are a small part of the federal budget overall and would still leave a deficit in fiscal 2013

Dollar amounts from 2013 fiscal year

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

All other

Treasury

Defense

Social Security

Health andHuman Services

Projected

1

2

3

4

5

This is the amount of revenue gained by letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for those who make more than $250,000 annually and by adjusting the Alternative Minimum Tax for inflation, thereby decreasing the number of filers affected by the AMT

This is the amount of decreased spending saved by enacting the automatic spending cuts to defense outlined in the Budget Control Act

This is the amount of decreased spending saved by enacting the automatic spending cuts to nondefense outlined in the Budget Control Act

Even if taxes are raised for the wealthy, the Office of Management and BudgetÕs projection still shows a $549 billion deficit

Total tax revenue for fiscal 2013

Total federal spending for fiscal 2013

$288 billion

$2.91 trillion

$3.80 trillion

$24 billion

$40 billion

$549 billion

Federal spending: 4 key areasThe departments that handle Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, defense and the debt make up more than 80 percent of the 2013 budget. All spending-cut discussions start there:

An aging population and rising health care costs make Medicare and Medicaid spending the fastest-growing area of the federal budget and one that will keep growing if nothing is done, according to Loren Adler, senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center Many donÕt realize Medicare and Medicaid are such a big chunk of government spending, said Alice Rivlin, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and costs will continue to grow for the federal government and for states

Whether the Affordable Care Act addresses the longer-term issues remains to be seen; a fiscal cliff deal could be a way to buy time to fix the deeper issues, Adler said

Social Security spending isnÕt rising much, Brookings said, but could as baby boomers enter retirement age

With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ending and the caps on spending from the Budget Control Act, defense spending looks to flatten or possibly decrease in future years

Medicare and Medicaid Social Security Defense

Interest on the debtSpending to pay interest on the national debt is one of the larger chunks of the budget, but the impact is offset by low interest rates, Rivlin said; a deal on taxes could help by bringing in more revenue

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, whitehouse.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Congressional Budget Office, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Social Security Administration, MCT Photo ServiceGraphic: Kim Geiger, Carolyn Aler, Jonathon Berlin, Chicago Tribune

NOTE: Charts use data from the Office of Management and Budget; U.S. Treasury has released actual budget and spending data for 2012, but does not provide historical trends and the detailed breakdown by department or agency shown here

Medicare and Medicaid spending

Ratio of workers to social Security beneficiaries

Defense spending As a percentage of GDP

Net interest paid on debt In billions of dollars

As a percentage of GDPProjected

Medicare

Medicaid

Operation and maintenance

Military personnel

Research, testing and evaluation

20102000199019801970

20162012200820042000199619921988198419801976

20112006200119961991198619811976

Projected

0.51.01.52.02.5

200

400

600

3.0

3.5

4.0

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

spring valley gets flooding relief from county, from page 1

culverts will be installed underground

map of the project below:


Call todaY to reServe Your rooM: 212.797.7380 or eMail [email protected]

deCeMBer 27-30, 2012d’’ga, ,cy z’’h - s’’h

hjhu ,arp ,ca

hilton eaSt BrunSwiCK

!ubjbt ubhjt hrnuaour reSPonSiBilitieS

to one anotherin tiMeS oF Challenge

thurSdaY evening 7:30 PM Plenary Session

on the theMe

rabbi Yaakov PerlowNovominsker Rebbe, Rosh Agudas Yisroel

rabbi Yitzchok ScheinerRosh HaYeshiva, Kaminetz, Yerushalayim

rabbi uren reichRosh HaYeshiva, Woodlake Village

rabbi Yaakov BenderRosh HaYeshiva, Darchei Torah

Chairman: rabbi Chaim dovid zwiebelExecutive Vice President, Agudath Israel of America

thurSdaY night 10:15 PM late night Sessions

1. Lo SaSuru: CoMBating theConteMPorarY aSSault on ourMindS and SoulS

rabbi aharon FeldmanRosh HaYeshiva, Ner Yisroel, Baltimore

Moshe hillel drewCo-Director, Technology Awareness Group

Yaakov nadelDirector and Founder, Guard Your Eyes

2. u’LiShadEch habanoS: newStrategieS in the ShidduChrealM

rabbi Yisroel reismanRav, Agudath Israel of Madison

rabbi Meir levyNoted Shadchan, Lakewood

Moshe PogrowNASI Project

FridaY Morning 9:30 aM Shiur for women

rabbanit Yemima MizrachiInternational Lecturer

10:15 aM Concurrent Sessions

1. wreStling with worKPlaCedileMMaS: ethiCal and halaChiCChallengeS in the oFFiCe, on the JoB

rabbi Yosef vienerRav, Congregation Shaar HaShomayim, Monsey

Yosef aszknazyPresident, Cortland Insurance

Binyomin BergerCPA Bernath & Rosenberg

rabbi Yitzchok Kurtzer, M.d.Internal Med icine

2. CarPe SiYuM: CeleBration aSCatalYSt For Further torah StudY

Mendy KaplowitzFounder, Daf Yomi Sugyos, Flatbush

Jacob SchlangerManaging Director, Standard and Poor’s Corporation

rabbi ariel ShoshanRav, Congregation Ahavas Torah Scottsdale, Arizona

Mordechai FriedFounder, Yagdil Torah, Belz

3. Metzizah B’Peh ControverSY: iSolatedChallenge or Part oF a larger PiCture?daniel Berman, M.d. eytan KobreEditor U.S. Desk, Mishpacha MagazineManaging Editor, Dialogue Magazine

Yerachmiel Simins, Esq.

4. for women: the Battle oF the BullY:haraSSMent on the PlaYground, in the worKPlaCe and BeYond

Mrs. Yael KaismanMechaneches, Bruriah, Elizabeth

dr. tzipora KoslowitzClinical Child Psychologist

dr. Yitzchok Shindler Psy.dClinical Psychologist

Mrs. Shoshana BernsteinWriter & Educator

KaBBaloS ShaBBoS draSha

rabbi Yisroel BelskyRosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva Torah Vodaath

for women: rabbi david ozeireyRav, Congregation Yad Yosef

FridaY nightPlenary Session

eMBraCing eMunah in aMadhouSe oF KFirah

rabbi Shmuel KamenetskyRosh HaYeshiva, Yeshiva Gedolah Philadelphia

rabbi Pinchos JungMenahel Ruchani, Bais Rochel, Monsey

rabbi Yehudah Yonah (Y.Y.) rubinsteinEducation Director, Ohr NaavaSenior Lecturer, Gateways

Sheves achim rabbi doniel alterRosh Kollel, Kollel Ari Shebi’chabura, Yerushalayim

rabbi aaron david dunnerDayan, Hisachdus Hakehillos, London

rabbi uren reichRosh HaYeshiva, Woodlake Village

leil Shabbos with the Maggid rabbi Paysach KrohnAuthor, The Maggid Series

ShaBBoS daY draSha

rabbi Baruch Mordechai ezrachiRosh HaYeshiva, Ateres Yisroel, Yerushalayim

aFternoon Shiur

rabbi Chaim Yehuda PollakRosh Kollel, Kollel of Willowbrook, Staten Island

ShaloSh SeudoS men, Yiddish: rabbi Yosef FrankelVyelopoler Rebbe

rabbi dovid SchustalRosh HaYeshiva, Bais Medrash Govoha, Lakewood

men, english: rabbi Moshe BrownRav, Agudath Israel of West Lawrence

rabbi Yehoshua eichensteinRosh HaYeshiva, Yad Aaron, Israel

rabbi Moshe tuvia lieffRav, Agudath Israel Bais Binyomin

women: rabbanit Yemima MizrachiInternational Lecturer

SundaY Morning 10:15 aM

rePort FroM eretz YiSroel

rabbi avrohom Yosef leizerson Director, Chinuch Atzmai

10:30 aM Plenary Session

“vrmc hfbt ung”: helPing JewS in tiMeS oF need

Chaskel BennettMember, Board of Trustees, Agudath Israel of America

rabbi Yehiel KalishNational Director of Government Affairs, Agudath Israel of America

william rapfogelExecutive Director and CEO, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

Mordechai (Ben-david) werdygerSeagate

11:45 aM Plenary Session

Vihayu LibaSar Echod: Can weBetter PrePare our ChildrenFor Married liFe?rabbi zev CohenRav, Congregation Yeshurun, Chicago

rabbi Meir grunbaumMenahel, Mercaz Halichos L’Halachos HaBayis, Bais Medrash Govoha

rabbi david ozeireyRav, Congregation Yad Yosef

Motzoei ShaBBoS8:30 P.M. agudath israel

Centennial BanquetMelave Malka

rabbi avrohom Chaim levinRosh HaYeshiva, Telshe Yeshiva, Chicago

rabbi Yosef harari-rafulRosh HaYeshiva, Ateret Torah

rabbi doniel alterRosh Kollel, Kollel Ari Shebi’chabura, Yerushalayim

rabbi aaron david dunnerDayan, Hisachdus Hakehillos, London

nathan lewin, Esq.Lewin & Lewin, LLP

audio-viSual PreMiere: the heritage oF KattowiCeChairman: Yechiel Benzion FishoffChairman Emeritus Board of Trustees

Convention ChairmanRabbi Menachem Lubinsky

Y a r C h e iK a l l a h

Friday Morningrabbi Baruch Mordechai ezrachi

Rosh HaYeshiva, Ateres Yisroel, Yerushalayim

Motzoei Shabbosrabbi Shlomo gottesman

Editor, Yeshurun

Sunday Morning rabbi Yehoshua eichenstein

Rosh HaYeshiva, Yad Aaron, Israel

at the agudah Convention

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Join us!

Make Your Reservations Now!


health Center: CityDiabetes

controlhypertension

controlLow birth

weightChildhood

immunizationCervical cancer

screeningCommunity Medical and Dental Care, Inc. Monsey 94.29% 90.00% 2.96% 88.57% 97.14%Hudson River HealthCare Peekskill 72.26% 60.49% 6.71% 81.43% 41.87%Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center Mount Vernon 71.43% 70.00% 4.68% 85.71% 60.00%Open Door Family Medical Center Inc. Ossining 80.05% 67.65% 2.68% 86.18% 69.50%Refuah Health Center New Square 64.29% 75.71% 4.83% 10.71% 47.14%New York State health centers (AVG.) (all) 73.60% 64.40% 7.18% 70.10% 61.60%

Source: U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration

We’re #1in Childhood Immunizations.

Monsey Family Medical Center, part of Community Medical & Dental Care, Inc. scored the highest ratings for several benchmarks

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Ramapo Lighting and Electric

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THE ADVOCATE December 20, 2012דער אדוואקאט ויגש תשע״ג 14Educational Insights

Learning Actively Promotes Helping OthersEliezer Vilinsky, M.A.

Miryam Vilinsky, M.Ed.EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES

© 2012 All rights reserved. Permission to print granted to The

Advocate

The issue: We all strive to imbue our children with positive values that drive behavior that shows care for others. The trait of habitually helping others cannot be taken for granted. Although some children are blessed with what seems to be a natural bent toward helping others, there are plenty of children who benefit from learning how to be helping individuals. Parents and teachers commonly search for ways to maximize their efforts toward this end. Are there really ways to teach and reinforce the art of helping? Are there factors that actually make a difference? Yes there are. We present two sources that we can learn from in our campaign to preserve the practice of being helpful in our world. The wow facTor: A pair of researchers from the schools of business at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan found that people who are helpful are more likely to continue to help others. Conversely, they also discovered through their study that even people who had received and appreciated help from others did not offer help to others as readily as their helpful peers did. Although they had personally experienced the receipt of help from others, it appears as

though this type of kindness did not take root in them. There is also a second source of information related to the topic of giving. Salespeople who are giving and satisfy their customers enough to receive compliments, feel good about what they are doing and feel positive about helping future customers. Customer satisfaction is contagious, and it spreads from customer to salesperson. This information comes to us from the University of Western Australia and Carlton University in Canada. Yes, both of these sources are business oriented, but they hold valuable advice for educators. We would like to share two derivations that deserve our attention. One relates to the other. our Take on The issue: What do we learn from the U of P and U of M study? On the surface we see that giving begets giving, and nothing less than giving, not even receiving from a giver, can do as good a job. What’s behind this? Giving is active, while receiving is passive. We absorb more when we actively conduct an activity than if we participate as a receiver or as an observer during an activity. Yes, receiving from a giving person is a wonderful thing, but it is no match for hands-on active giving. If you want a kid to learn and absorb something, have him personally perform an activity related to the topic to be learned. Yes, if you want little children to grow up to be givers, arrange for

them to give of themselves in the community, such as visiting residents in homes for the aged. Those giving experiences go a long way. We also believe that the principle of active being superior to passive applies to all learning. Preparing and delivering a speech is far better training for public speaking than listening to a teacher’s demonstration followed by a written test on the subject. Demonstrations are great as long as they are followed by active personal trials.

The principle of active being superior

to passiveapplies to all

learning.

our professional advice: Now, we believe that the revelation from the second study reinforces the first one. In other words, what can make active learning even more effective? It is the sensation that the active doer gets. Why do helpers end up helping more later on? Because they read the positive sensation felt by the receiver. That sensation is one of satisfaction or gratitude and it bounces back to the giver, similar to how satisfaction bounces back from the consumer to the salesperson, promoting continued satisfying salesmanship. The satisfaction expressed by the receiver is what motivates the giver to keep giving. Our job is to unwrap and bring this kernel of awareness

to the surface. In other words, we need to show children how they satisfy and please others. This will make them feel fulfilled and wanting to give more. Just take a child to help serve people’s needs in a homeless shelter or disaster relief center to give an instant lesson in giving satisfaction. These sorts of hands-on experiences make deep impressions in memories and generate a desire for more similar opportunities. The magic of giving and the connected feelings of satisfaction are plying their trade. Let’s look at another example. Suppose you are an English language arts teacher and you taught your class about similes. Now you would like your students to practice writing with some. Some teachers would propose a creative writing assignment for which students will write a story in their writing journals. The story may be fiction or non-fiction, but it needs to contain at least four similes. Do you want your students to appreciate writing with similes? Do you want them to incorporate them in their regular writing? If so, we would suggest gearing this assignment toward one which will earn a response that may generate more. How about composing and delivering greeting cards with similes? Or what about writing letters to friends, relatives, or pen pals? Both suggestions are active and will likely elicit feedback, which we have learned enhances active learning by adding an emotional

incentive. The theme here is that a successful personal experience generates another one. We need to open our children’s eyes to see their success. They will benefit from the sensation of success if indeed they feel it. You may need to help a bit in that department. Show them what success looks like, especially by expressing your satisfaction. Let them bathe in your acceptance and approval. Your approval and acceptance gets them to do more. The boTTom line: Children count the most. Anything that we can do to help them grow up being the best people they can is our responsibility. We should draw from every source available to us to achieve that goal as parents and educators. The business world holds many valuable lessons that can translate into educational ones. Performing one act of kindness and automatically sprouting another is a blessing. Doing what we can to steer children in that direction is our responsibility. This is part of our general role of “helping children to help themselves.”

Eliezer and Miryam Vilinsky are educational consultants in private practice. They provide direct instruction to students, conduct teacher-training seminars and consult with schools and families worldwide. They can be reached at Educational Support Services at 426-3673 and at www.TReaching.com. The weekly edition of Educational Insights is available via subscription. Please call for details.


Heating & Cooling

Your home’s heating and cooling system should give you many years of service with proper maintenance. Preventive maintenance will lower your energy costs, prevent costly repairs and prolong the life of your system. Regular maintenance will ensure that your system is ready to heat and cool your home when needed. Remember that your home’s system must be maintained regularly. Always follow the manufacturer’s maintenance specifications .

Professional Maintenance

Most heating and cooling systems should be serviced once a year by a professional heating or cooling contractor. The profes-sional contractor has the tools, instru-ments and training necessary to maintain your system for dependable, trouble-free operation. The contractor should inspect your system, complete necessary mainte-nance tasks and adjust the entire system for optimal performance.

The contractor that installed your system or your local oil or gas distributor should be qualified to maintain your system. You also can look for heating and cooling contractors in the yellow pages of your local telephone book. You may want to consider purchasing a service contract for your system. Once you find a good con-tractor, reward the contractor’s service by your continued patronage.

Thermostats

Thermostats signal a demand for heat at preset minimum temperatures. It is this signal that controls the rest of the heating system. When the air reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat turns the heating system off. Thermostats control cooling systems in the same manner at preset maximum temperatures.

Clock thermostats and multiple-setback thermostats can be adjusted to maintain different temperatures at different times of the day to conserve energy. You can set the units for lower temperatures during the work day if the house is empty and at night when you sleep.

Maintenance

Thermostats should be cleaned and, if necessary, adjusted once a year. Dust be-tween contact points and improper align-ment can affect a thermostat’s operation. Your heating and cooling contractor should inspect all thermostats during the annual service call. If you prefer, you can maintain the thermostats yourself. This annual maintenance should include the following:

1. Dust. Remove the thermostat’s cover and dust the inside surfaces and any metal coil with a soft brush.

2. Contact Points. Clean metal contact points by working a piece of heavy bond paper or thin card stock between the contact points and blowing the contacts clean.

3. Liquid Mercury Contacts. The previ-ous step is not necessary if the unit has a liquid mercury contact enclosed in an airtight glass tube instead of contact points.

4. Switch Contacts. Clean any metal switch contacts along the top or edges of the unit with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol.

5. Alignment. Check alignment with a level and adjust as necessary.

6. Calibration. Check temperature read-ings for accuracy and adjust as necessary.

Forced Air Heat

Forced air heating systems warm many modern homes. First a furnace or electric heat pump heats cool air. A blower then forces the heated air throughout your home. The heated air travels through ducts and registers into your home’s living areas. Next cool air returns to the furnace by a separate register and duct known as the cold air return. Finally, the furnace heats the returning cool air and the cycle begins again.

Your forced air heating system requires comprehensive annual maintenance by a professional heating contractor at the beginning of each heating season. In addition, you should follow the simple maintenance suggestions discussed below to keep your system operating at peak performance.

Air Filters

Dirty air filters restrict airflow and reduce the heating system’s efficiency. Inspect your air filters once a month when the system is in use for heating or cooling. Clean or replace dirty air filters as neces-sary.

The first step in inspecting your air filters is to locate and remove the metal panel covering the filter or filters. The cover panel should be located near the heating system’s blower. Next, slide out the filters. Clean or replace the filters with new filters of the same size. Slide the new filters into position according to the air-flow directions on the filter. Finally, replace the cover panel. Regular inspection, cleaning and replacement of your furnace filters will reduce your heating bills and prolong the life of your heating unit.

RCDC HOUSING DEPARTMENTThe following information is provided to the community by the RCDC Housing Department as a public service

FORECLOSURE COUNSELING

RCDC Housing, Inc.would like to help you...

We have a certified foreclosure counselor on staffwho can assist you

Call us for more information

(845) 352-1400 ext. 3243

Is your home drafty?Is it cold in your home during the winter?

Are your heating bills high?If you answered YES to any of these questions

then give us a call to find out if you are eligible for theNew York StateWEATHERIZATION Program

Weatherization is a New York State funded program open to income eligible homeownersand renters. If eligible, you would receive a home energy audit to determine how yourhome’s efficiency could be improved. We replace windows and doors, insulate attics andwalls (all determined at your audit) as well as do overall measures to better airseal yourhome. Weatherization works! Call today for an application.

RCDC Housing, Inc. at 845-352-1400 ext. 3240

programmable Thermostats for Consumers-Did You Know?The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills - nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.

A programmable thermostat helps make it easy for you to save by offering four pre-programmed settings to regulate your home's temperature in both summer and winter - when you are home, asleep, or away. The pre-programmed settings that come with programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. Depending on your family's schedule, you can see significant savings by sticking with those settings or adjust them as appropriate for your family. The key is to establish a program that automatically reduces heating and cooling in your home when you don't need as much.

heating & Cooling maintenance

extended deadline for fema disaster assistance

Thirteen counties declared disaster areas after Hurricane Sandy will be allowed to apply for assistance from the Fed-eral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through Jan-uary 28, 2013 as opposed to the previous deadline of De-cember 31, 2012.

Assistance may come in the form of money to help with rent, home repairs, property loss, or other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. The counties that have been granted this extension are: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Rockland, Westchester, Suffolk, Queens, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster.

The website for registering is www.disasterassisstance.gov.


סטס טי דענ ן ע י ו פר ן ו א ער מענ


Refrigerate Cookie Dough for Tastier Cookies with better Texture

If you're planning on baking some Shabbos cookies, you might want to get a head start a little earlier.

Refrigerating the dough ahead of time not only makes it easier to bake whenever you get a chance to, it also improves the cookies.Many cookie recipes suggest you refriger-ate for a short time before baking, but Kath-leen Purvis's research for The Telegraph has found that refrigerating for more than a day can give the dough more time for the flavors to develop:

The difference starts with the liquid in the egg, which hydrates the starch in flour. Giv-ing the flour more time to absorb that liquid makes the dough firmer, but it also lets en-zymes in the flour and the egg yolk break

down carbohy-drates into the simple sugars fructose and glucose. Sepa-rately, they taste sweeter and they caramel-ize faster when baked.

Try this with doughs based on flour, sugars, butter, and egg, or ones with strong flavors (e.g., peanut butter cookies)—but not those that must be cooked immedi-ately, like meringues and macaroons.

'herbalife' Is a "pyramid Scheme"Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, best known for taking big positions in stocks in hopes of pushing for management chang-es, is taking on weight management Herb-alife Ltd as his big end-of-the-year short.A day after confirming that his $11 billion Pershing Square Capital Management is betting against the company, the manager outlined his case for shorting Herbalife shares in a presentation entitled, ‘How to be a millionaire.’

During a talk on Thursday before an au-dience of 500 at an event sponsored by a charitable group, Ackman said Herbalife is a “pyramid scheme” that has “grown re-markably rapidly” without demonstrating “much substance” to justify the growth.He criticized the company for inflating the suggested retail price of its products and overstating its retail sales in public filings.Shares of Herbalife, which tumbled 12 percent Wednesday after Ackman con-

firmed his hedge fund was shorting the stock, fell another 6.4 percent to $34.94 on Thursday morning on the New York Stock Exchange. On Wednesday, Herbal-ife Chief Executive Michael Johnson said Ackman’s charge about being a pyramid scheme was “bogus,” and he criticized Ackman for using a public attack on his company to benefit his “business model.”Ackman said he has been building his short position in the company’s stock for several months, adding that his fund is only short the company’s shares and not engaged in any options trading, such as buying put options on Herbalife.A put option permits a trader to buy a stock at a specific price. It is typically used by short seller to buy a stock after it has fallen in price.To date, Ackman is the first high-profile hedge fund manager to say he is shorting shares of Herbalife and has problems with its business model.

living tips

How tofu stacks upCalled “the cheese of Asia” – tofu is made from the curds of soybean milk – this healthy food adapts to many styles of cooking.

• Bland on its own, tofu absorbs the flavors of foods it is mixed with, from sweet to savory

• Traditional Chinese-style tofu is similar to farmer’s cheese• Silken Japanese-style is custard-like

• Both styles can be found in soft, firm and extra-firm textures; soft tofu is well suited for salad dressings, sauces and desserts; firm is good for grilling and stir-frying

• In any form, tofu is a good source of protein, iron and omega-3-fatty acids• A tofu-rich diet can lower cholesterol, help reduce menopausal symptomsSource: Foundation for Integrated Medicine, World’s Healthiest Foods, MCT Photo ServiceGraphic: Pat Carr © 2010 MCT

Versatile ...

... and nutritious

Healthy Living

2

3

1

Try This

© 2012 MCT

What happened?

Source: ÒSimple Science

Experiments with Everyday

MaterialsÓ

A chemical reaction between acid in the lemon and the metal in the paper clips and wire makes a weak electric current

The electric current makes the bulb glow dimly

Lemon powerLemon power

Graphic: Paul Trap

You’ll need

You might not believe that you can make electricity from lemons, but itÕs true.

• Five lemons

• Thin, soft electrical wire cut into six pieces

• Wire-cutting pliers

• Paper clips

• Adult helper

• Electric light bulb from a small flashlight• Tape

Straighten out five paper clips into U-shapes like this

Stick a U in each lemon

Be sure to remove plastic insulation from the electric wire

Tape the wire ends to the metal side and metal end of flashlight bulb

Turn off lights in room and look at bulb

Make a small hole in each lemon and stick bare end of a wire into the hole

Wire together lemons like this

After you're finished, make some lemonade for your helper!


NelsoN Metals - DaviD MetalsScrap Metal recycling SpecialiStS

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Shorten the packing list-wear it from your room to the lobby

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Beautiful modest exercise and swimwear is now available in different styles, colors and sizes.

© 2012 MCTSource: Journal of the American Medical AssociationGraphic: Chicago Tribune

Percent of U.S. children ages 6-19 with elevated cholesterol levels

Boys

10.2%12.4

9.3

12.5

8.5 7.7

Downward trendThe percentage of U.S. children with high cholesterol has been declining over the past two decades, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Girls

1988-1994 1999-2002 2007-2010


According to the Jerusa-lem Post's report-Jonathan Pollard delivered nuclear, military and technical infor-mation to his handlers on Israel’s Arab adversaries and their Soviet benefac-tors – not on the Unit-ed States – when he spied for Israel from June 1984 to Novem-ber 1985, according to the newly declassified CIA 1987 damage as-sessment of the Pol-lard case, published on Friday by the Na-tional Security Archive at George Washington University.The damage assess-ment includes new details on the specific subjects and docu-ments sought by Pol-lard’s Israeli handlers, such as Syrian drones and central communi-cations, Egyptian mis-sile programs and So-viet air defenses.The Israelis asked for a signals intelligence manual that they need-ed to listen in on Soviet advisers in Syria.They wanted to know about Arab and Paki-stani nuclear intelli-gence, Arab chemical and biological weap-ons, Arab military read-iness, and Soviet air-craft, missiles and air defenses.The 166-page assessment notes that Pollard volun-teered delivery of three daily intelligence summaries that had not been requested by his handlers, but which proved useful to them, and ultimately handed over roughly 1,500 such mes-sages from the Middle East and North Africa Summary, the Mediterranean Littoral Intelligence Summary, and the Indian Ocean Littoral In-telligence Summary, in ad-dition to the more than 800 documents on other sub-

jects that Pollard delivered to the Israelis in suitcases.“We believe that Pollard re-sponded effectively to the general Israeli taskings, but that he himself exerted the strongest influence on what

was compromised by virtue of his own access, interests and collective intelligence,” the document states.Under the heading “What the Israelis Did Not Ask For,” the document said Israel “did not request or receive from Pollard intelli-gence concerning some of the most sensitive US na-tional security resources” and did not express inter-est in US military activities, plans, capabilities or equip-ment.The documents describe a dispute among Pollard’s

handlers, Rafi Eitan and Yosef Yagur, in which Eitan asked Pollard for “dirt” on senior Israeli officials who were providing information to the US, but Yagur told him to ignore the request

and said that gathering such information would ter-minate the operation.The damage assessment also features a detailed chronology of Pollard’s per-sonal life and professional career. It says he started dreaming of making aliya at age 12 following the Six Day War and that before he started spying, he com-plained of anti-Israel atti-tudes of his colleagues and inadequate US intelligence support for Israel.The document says that despite what it called “emo-

tional and behavior difficul-ties,” Pollard gained the re-spect of his superiors who repeatedly promoted him. It says that he cooperated fully with the investigation against him.

Pollard’s wife, Esther, said the documents proved that her husband should not have to spend a second longer in prison.“After the release of this se-cret document, which con-firms the truth about Jona-than’s actions and dispels endless lies and canards, there is no excuse for Presi-dent Shimon Peres to allow Jonathan to continue to rot in prison,” she said. “Mr. Peres is directly respon-sible for Jonathan’s plight and he can bring the ordeal to an immediate end by act-ing now. He knows what he

has to do. Let him get on with it.”Esther Pollard called upon Peres to seize the oppor-tunity presented by the re-lease of the secret informa-tion, and the fact that it is the

US holiday season, to act without delay, to do whatev-er was needed to bring her husband home immediately before it is too late.“There are no more ex-cuses on the part of Jewish leaders for silence or indif-ference,” she said. “This lat-est revelation should cause an outcry that screams to the Heavens to save Jona-than’s life NOW! Jonathan Pollard needs to be re-leased now!”

Newly Declassified : 'Pollard Sought Intel On Arab Countries, Not US'


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How to make daily food choices to improve your diet while helping the environment:

Find local sources for fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and dairy; may be fresher and contain less packaging

Buy direct

Plant your own vegetable garden;no packaging,no pesticides

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Substitute beans and nuts for meats; less energy is used compared to whatis needed to raise beefand poultry

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Plate over pyramidThe U.S. Department of AgricultureÕs ÒChoose MyPlate,Ó helps prompt consumers to think about what they eat.

1992-2005 2005-2010

Choose MyPlate

Recent USDA food pyramids

• Updates USDA food patterns for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans• Features a plate icon (pictured) rather than familiar food pyramid; new icon designed to remind people to eat healthfully, but not provide specific dietary guidance

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, choosemyplate.gov

Featured six segments of food groups and suggested daily consumption

Featured color bands of different widths as a guide to food groups and proportions to be eaten

Source: Insurance Information InstituteGraphic: Pat Carr, Paul Trap

© 2012 MCT

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CoffEE CUtS oRAL CANCER

RAtESAs if there weren't already a host of other reasons to love coffee, a new study links drinking several cups a day with a decreased risk of dy-ing from oral cancer.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epi-demiology, shows an as-sociation between drinking more than four cups of cof-fee a day and a halved risk of dying from oral and pha-ryngeal cancers. However, it's important to note that researchers only found an association, and more work is needed to figure out what exactly might be at the root of the finding.

"Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and contains a variety of antioxidants, poly-phenols, and other biologi-cally active compounds that may help to protect against development or progression of cancers," study research-er Janet Hildebrand, MPH, said in a statement. "Al-though it is less common in the United States, oral/pha-ryngeal cancer is among the 10 most common cancers in the world. Our finding

strengthens the evidence of a possible protective effect of caffeinated coffee in the etiology and/or progression of cancers of the mouth and pharynx."

The study is based on 968,432 people who were part of the Cancer Preven-tion Study II, who were fol-lowed for 26 years. No one had cancer at the start of the study, but by the end of the study, 868 people had died from oral/pharyngeal can-cers.

Researchers found a link between drinking more caf-feinated coffee and having less of a risk of dying from the cancer -- specifically, people who drank more than four cups a day had a 49 percent decreased death risk from this cause, compared with people who didn't drink coffee.

And people didn't have to regularly drink four or more cups a day to experience the decrease, as they found the risk gradually shrunk with each cup.

While a slight association was also found with decaf-feinated coffee, it was not as strong as with the caffein-ated coffee, the researchers noted. No association was

found between tea drinking and oral cancer death risk.

vItAMIN D hELpS wIth AgINg

Muscle mass loss is a nor-mal part of aging, but one that can be mitigated with proper diet and exercise -- particularly strength train-ing. But according to a new study in the medical jour-nal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, having higher levels of vitamin D may also help.

In a study of more than 400 adults, researchers found that participants with a high level of circulating vitamin D also had greater muscle strength in both arms and legs, even after researchers controlled for mitigating fac-tors like age, gender, rest-ing heart rate, blood pres-sure, BMI and a measure of aerobic capacity: maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Researchers also factored in the season of vitamin D measurement, which is syn-thesized, in part, from sun-light exposure.

Age-related muscle dete-rioration isn't just a vanity: It can lead to greater risk of injury, explained the study's

lead investigator, Paul D. Thompson, M.D., FACSM, chief of cardiology at Hart-ford Hospital.

"This is a key area of aging research since people lose strength as they age, but maintaining muscle strength helps prevent falls and frac-tures, and preserves the ability to live independently,” Thompson said in a state-ment.

While the vitamin D levels were more strongly associ-ated with arm strength, they were associated with both arm and leg strength. Fur-ther study will be needed to understand if the relation-ship is causal -- in other words, if taking dietary vi-tamin D will help improve muscle strength or if those who naturally produce more of the hormone are also more likely to maintain their muscles.

That said, this isn't the first time that vitamin D has been found to help prevent age-related injury. A study in July 2012 found that taking 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D helped reduce the risk of hip fractures by 30 percent and overall bone fractures by 14 percent, re-ported Reuters.

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