“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · Guardia Lombardi sponsors 23rd annual BBQ for...

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper”

http://www.mvinquirer.com

Volume 11, Number 8 August 2016Serving the news and information needs of Mount Vernon, NY – “A City That Believes”

COMPLIMENTARY

T H E MO U N T V ER NO N

INQUIRER “The People’s Newspaper”

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The odds of a young athlete earn-ing a spot on the United States Olympic team are 1 in 9,079. Along with natural ability and

determined training, these stats show the chances U.S. high school-aged athletes have of getting to the Summer Olympic Games in hopes of bringing home the gold!

A young lady named Deajah Stevens, who is a Mount Vernonite, has incred-ibly beat the odds and is headed to the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. What makes this all the more astonishing is that she comes from a small city that is only 4.4 square miles in size. She is the first track and field star or athlete from Mount Vernon to qualify for the Summer Olympic Games.

Stevens is currently entering her se-nior year at the University of Oregon and on July 10 she finished second in the women’s 200-meter final on Day 10 of the U.S. Olympic track and field tri-

On Tuesday, July 12, there was a huge gathering at Hartley Park in Mount Vernon to honor the five police officers recently

killed in Dallas.The event was organized by West-

chester County Executive Rob Astorino and was intended to discuss the pain the shootings has caused the entire nation as a whole.

In attendance were religious leaders and officials from all across the West-chester region and beyond, along with many of Mount Vernon’s youth.

“It’s time for peace, prayer, justice and understanding,” said Astorino. “Revenge is not the answer,” the Westchester Coun-ty Executive said. “What we need today is

Deajah Stevens (r) celebrating soon after coming in second and making the United States Olympic team

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino

FEATURES Mt. Vernon track star makes history by qualifying

for US Olympic team

Astorino and Thomas hold unity vigil at Hartley Park for slain Dallas police officers

Members of Mt. Vernon Police Department meet with President

Obama at White HousePage 4

Guardia Lombardi sponsors 23rd annual BBQ for seniors

at Hartley ParkPage 28

Mt. Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees elects new officers

Page 4

Wartburg June gala raises $165,000 and celebrates

150 years of servicePage 25

Story by Joe Parisi

Story by Joe Parisi



www.mvinquirer.com2 l August 2016



www.mvinquirer.com 3 l August 2016




(l to r) Judge Johnson swearing in Jose Alvelo, Treasurer, Rev. Darren Morton, Vice President, Oscar Davis, Jr., President and

Caithlin Gleason, Trustee

The Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees in session

Mt. Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees elects

new officers

At an extremely well attended regular meeting of the Mount Vernon Public Library Board of Trustees, held on Wednesday,

July 20, the annual reorganization of the board took place and Judge Nichelle Johnson swore in three Trustees and the Secretary of the board.

Judge Johnson swore in the following individuals:

• Oscar Davis, Jr. – President• Rev. Darren Morton - Vice President• Cathlin Gleason – Trustee• Jose Alvelo - TreasurerFilling the highly important position of

President will be Oscar Davis, Jr., who prior to the vote received accolades from his fellow Trustees, which prompted the board to elect him the new President.

Davis was born, raised and educated in Mount Vernon and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and minor in Accounting at Lehman College. He then went on to receive his Masters of Science

in Internet Business Systems from Mercy College. In 2006 Davis was hired by the Mount Vernon City School District and re-mains employed as the Chief Engineer for Technology, which oversees 17 sites with more than $500,000 in computer assets for the district. According to his peers, he has worked diligently to ensure that his love of the City of Mount Vernon will help propel the library forward in a positive way.

After the election of new officers, the board worked on committee assignments, followed by a calendar resolution and oth-er usual meeting matters.

The library’s fiscal year ended June 30, so it is an ideal time to pay your dues if you are a member of Friends of the Mount Vernon Public Library. The library oper-ates on a shoestring budget, so they are always seeking donations to stay solvent. Readers can help by visiting their website at www.mountvernonpubliclibrary.org and selecting the “Support Us” link. Your sup-port means a lot to the library.

(l to r) Detective Dave Clarke, Sergeant Jennifer Carpenter and President Obama

Detective Dave Clarke

Members of Mt. Vernon Police Department meet with President

Obama at White House

On Friday, July 22, Mount Vernon Police Department Sergeant Jennifer Carpenter, Deputy Commissioner Shawn Harris,

Detective Dave Clarke, and Officer Karen Buddenhagen attended President Barack Obama’s briefing on improving policing in America. They shared their experiences and lessons learned about Mount Ver-non’s success in implementing the new plan with law enforcement officials from across the country.

Sergeant Jennifer Carpenter said, “We are equipping the Mount Vernon Police Department to be a leader, guardian, and friend to the community. The tragic deaths in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Minneapolis did not have to happen. Every day I am reminded of the importance of being with the people we serve. The 21st Century

Policing model is about identifying what works for the community and what does not. Police officers must be problem-solv-ers and be engaged in the community to strengthen public safety. I am grateful to be here at the White House to share our experiences.”

Mayor Richard Thomas added, “We cannot allow hate to fill the void of under-standing. We cannot allow fear to force us into making emotional decisions. We can-not turn away from confronting a simple truth, that is, change comes with immense challenge. We must hold onto hope and rediscover our spirit of courage to intelli-gently address issues of race, racism, and violence. We can conquer false percep-tions. We will by driving honest dialogues on uncomfortable realities on both sides of the badge.”




Member



Founded in 2004 by JOSEPH A. PARISI AND LUISA PARISI

Published by

The Mount Vernon InquirerP.O. Box 458

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

Website: www.mvinquirer.com

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

SUGGESTED NEWS ITEMSWe welcome all suggestions con-cerning news we should cover in our newspaper. Please call the Editor with suggestions at 914-584-6386.

EditorJoe Parisi

Assistant EditorsLeslie AlpertCheryl Parisi

News Reporters / WritersJoe Parisi, Chief Reporter

James Fair Tamara Stewart

Sales and AdvertisingDarryl Walker, Director

Paul StewartGraphic DesignAshley Covelli Cheryl Parisi

not revenge, but renewal. The renewal of our faith, family, and community, and our country.”

Mayor Richard Thomas’ message was also intended to heal those that are reeling from the shootings. “The unity on display here today gives me encouragement to improve the relationships in our city be-tween the community and the police.

Mount Vernon Police Sgt. Jennifer Car-penter made it very clear when she spoke by emphasizing that a team effort is need-

ed to build police-community ties, and that officers must stay strong as one unit.

“We came to this job from different walks of life, bringing different perspec-tives about life,” she said. “However, at the end of the day we are a team. We are a team of individuals who are grieving like everyone else. We must not only have each other’s back when the bullets are fly-ing, but emotionally and mentally as well,” said Carpenter.

Mayor Richard Thomas

Sgt. Jennifer Carpenter

Continued from page 1

Engel announces $649,980

for College of New Rochelle

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a senior mem-ber of the House En-ergy and Commerce

Committee’s Health Subcom-mittee, announced $649,980 in federal funding for the College of New Rochelle (CNR).

The funding, granted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will al-low CNR to provide scholarships for economically disadvantaged students studying nursing or other health specialties.

“No one should be denied an education in their field of choice because of their background,” Engel said. “This funding will ensure that students from low-income homes can pursue ca-reers in health care and, in turn, care for the people of our com-munity.”

The College of New Rochelle will choose eligible scholarship recipients.

Mayor Thomas suffers major legal setback on residency requirements

On Thursday, July 7, Mayor Richard Thomas suffered a major legal setback in court when Justice Robert A. Neary

said that Mount Vernon’s residency re-quirements are unambiguous, meaning they are very clear and explicit as writ-ten.

Back in March, members of the City Council attempted to remove several of the mayor’s appointed commission-ers, which included the Police Com-missioner, Corporation Counsel, Public Works Commissioner and others, and the mayor immediately took the matter

to court to stop their dismissal.According to the City Charter, any

person who after employment by the City of Mount Vernon ceases to be an inhabitant of that part of the County of Westchester herein above described shall forfeit his employment.

Now that the judge has given the City Council clarification on the matter, will the City Council vote to dismantle Thomas’ administration by removing all his commissioners? The issue will cer-tainly be of great concern to a young mayor trying to move the city forward.




(l to r) Antonio Hylton, Dr. Rosco C. Brown, Jr. and Lt. Col. Lee A. “Buddy” Archer addressing MVHS students.

(l to r) Antonio Hylton, Mayor Davis, Lt. Col. Lee A. “Buddy” Archer, Jr. and Dr. Rosco C. Brown, Jr.

Introduction of new “Flashback Column”:

Mt. Vernon salutes the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen

with historic tribute

On November 12, 2006, Mount Vernon Mayor Ernest D. Da-vis and the Veteran’s Service Agency paid special tribute to

the Tuskegee Airmen. The Airmen were the first Americans of African descent who were trained as pilots, bombardiers, navigators and support personnel during World War II. Several Tuskegee Airmen were recognized in Veteran’s Day events throughout the city on October 9th.

Prior to 1940, African-Americans were not permitted to be U.S. military pilots. Many civil rights organizations, including the National Association for the Advance-ment of Colored People (NAACP), the black press, and even first lady Eleanor Roosevelt urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt to allow black Americans to have access to aviation training.

In 1941, the U.S. War Department formed

an all-black combat unit, the 99th Pursuit Squadron of the Army Air Corps. Between 1942 and 1946, 994 pilots graduated from the program based at the Tuskegee Army Air Field. Some 450 of these pilots flew with the 99th Fighter Squadron, and later the 332nd Fighter Group. The Tuskegee Airmen have the distinction of flying more than 1,500 missions in Europe and North Africa without any bombers lost to enemy aircraft.

The Tuskegee Airmen are often consid-ered the early pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement.

President Harry Truman ended ra-cial segregation within the United States Armed Forces by Executive Order in 1948.

The program concluded with a recep-tion, after a wonderful day of festivities in Mount Vernon.

Justin Walters reporting on sports recently

Sports Anchor for FIOS1 News becomes a Mt. Vernonite

Justin Walters, whose parents have lived in Mount Vernon for 17 years, was recently hired by Re-gional News Network (located in

Rye Brook) as a Sports Anchor for FIOS1 News. His parents love Mount Vernon, so it was an easy decision for him to move back to Mount Vernon. He now joins the long list of celebrities that call Mount Ver-non “home.”

Originally from Mount Vernon, Justin has always had a passion for news and sports. Most of his elementary school teachers would describe him as a chatter-box. No matter the sport, player or topic, Justin had an opinion on everything. After being officially introduced to journalism in high school, Justin knew he wouldn’t need a back-up plan for his future endeavors.

Justin graduated from La Salle Univer-sity with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism. While in school, he was eager to learn everything in journalism from print and digital to broadcast. This desire led him to obtain both an Executive Produc-er/Anchor position for a television show (Sportsline) and sports editor role for the school newspaper (The Collegian). In ad-dition, Justin had successful internships with the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Sports Network and WABC-TV in New York.

Upon graduation, he was offered a dream opportunity to work for NBC as an

affiliate producer during the 2012 London Olympics. Justin used those skills along with a short stint with Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia to land a Sports Director/Re-porter position with WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tn.

His leap of faith to venture down South in 2013 paid off nearly three years later. Justin was offered a Sports Anchor posi-tion with WRNN/FiOS1 in the No. 1 televi-sion market (New York City).

Justin is elated to return to back home. His family and friends don’t have to check their email for clips or recaps. They can see him in real time.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, speaking to kids, work-ing out and spending time with family and friends. He’s also a big television show junkie: The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, House of Cards – you name it.

Justin is a proud member of The Na-tional Association of Black Journalists and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Journalism is an industry that was made for Justin. He loves to tell stories, not just highlights.

He aspires to inspire. His main goal is to break the glass ceiling and leave a foot-print for other journalists to follow.

Those readers that have Verizon, you can see Justin live on weekdays at 5:40 p.m.

Hello Mr. Parisi:Thank you so much for

the feature. I am so proud to say I am on the front

cover of the Mount Vernon Inquirer. In fact, I am so excited that I’ve been passing the copies out at my lemon-ade stand.

I am surprised at how many of my customers have already read it and at how many new customers are

flocking to taste my delicious lem-onade. This has been a great experi-ence. I can’t thank you enough.

PS: You might be hearing from me again soon with another story. I’ve started a community cleanup and it is known as the Mount Vernon Com-munity Cleanup Crew (MVCCC) and it is underway!

Jade Thompson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR




Young job applicants being sworn in by City Clerk George Brown Dena Williams, Deputy Director of the Youth Bureau

City Clerk George Brown swearing in the large gathering of young job applicants

After having been sworn in, the youth gathered on the steps of City Hall for a photo op

Over 230 of the city’s youth were sworn in at the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau’s orientation on Tuesday, June 28, in front

of City Hall plaza. Due to the financial support from the city, plus grants and donations from various sources, Mount Vernon youth ages 14-21 were able to be placed in local businesses, govern-ment offices, summer camps, healthcare and childcare facilities for six weeks at $9.00 per hour during the summer.

Mayor Richard Thomas, Comptroller Maureen Walker and City Council Presi-dent Marcus Griffith greeted the youth. Among the officials present was City Clerk George Brown, who swore in over 230 youth confirming that they would work hard as agents of the City and make their community proud.

During the press conference, Dena Wil-liams, Deputy Director of the Youth Bu-reau, Debbie Butler, Youth Employment

Service Coordinator and Tiffany Morris, Summer Program Director, congratulat-ed the youth who were interviewed and selected to work, and reminded them that they represent not only themselves and their families, but also the great City of Mount Vernon.

Each year, the Bureau struggles to secure funding to support youth place-ment during the summer. However, there are various funding sources from local, county, state, and federal governments that support the summer job programs, which include, but are not limited to, the New York State Department of Labor, the Westchester County Board of Leg-islators, the Mount Vernon Urban Re-newal Agency, the Westchester/Putnam Local Workforce Development Board and the Westchester Department of So-cial Services. Elected officials such as NYS Assemblyman Gary Pretlow and Westchester County Legislator Lyndon

Mt. Vernon Youth Bureau hosts more than 200 youth for summer employment

Williams have advocated for increased funds for the Mount Vernon Youth Bu-reau to operate this year.

“The City of Mount Vernon will con-tinue to look for more funding opportuni-ties to give our youth a chance at earning money, gaining experience, and staying off the streets. We stretched our dollars to hire 50 more youth and will continue to advocate on more city investment in these programs. As our numbers grow, we will find more ways to engage with local stakeholders to ensure that even more teenagers are able to work over the summer. Mount Vernon is moving forward and we look forward to host-ing even more teens next summer,” said

Mayor Thomas.“The Mount Vernon Youth Bureau

works diligently to provide our young people with the skills, attitudes and competencies required to enter the workforce. After-school and summer jobs allow the youth to gain the neces-sary skills to meet 21st Century job de-mands,” said DaMia Harris-Madden, Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau.

For further information regarding the 2016 Summer Employment, please con-tact Debbie Butler at (914) 665-2346 or [email protected]. Visit the website at http://youth.cmvny.com or Facebook: www.facebook.com/mvyouthbureau.




SAGE during their performance

Abishai Ben Reuben (l) awed the crowd with his African drum during his opening performance

Rocky Middleton

The crowd was treated to free refreshments

Rocky Middleton and his band thrilling the audience

Mount Vernonites flocked to Hartley Park to enjoy the kick off of this year’s exciting Sum-mer Breeze Concert Series on

Saturday, July 2, which was fueled by the impeccable jazz of SAGE and the dynamic jazz sounds of Rocky Middleton and his band.

Under the new administration of May-or Richard Thomas, the Summer Breeze Concert Series has moved from City Hall Plaza to Hartley Park, which seems to be a better setting for the popular summer weekly venue.

Acting as the MC for the kick-off of the 2016 series was Councilman Yuhanna Edwards. And when he introduced some of the dignitaries in attendance he made it known that Mayor Thomas was out of town and was not able to attend the con-cert.

Despite being just 4.4 square miles, Mount Vernon runs the gamut from quiet suburban retreat to a densely populated urban city center. Throughout the year, Mount Vernon holds several events that are a draw for visitors, but there is one concert series that entertains Mount Ver-nonites and outsiders alike all summer long - the Summer Breeze Concert Series.

A major role player in the success of the

Summer Breeze Concert Series is Sheryl Brownlee-Fox, who is the coordinator of the weekly concerts. When introduced by Edwards, she received a very warm ova-tion from the enthusiastic crowd.

The Summer Breeze Concert Series’ popularity continues to escalate and the impact can be felt throughout the entire summer.

The hundreds that attend the weekly concerts are part of Mount Vernon’s large population of hip and music-savvy music people, and when a cancellation takes place, some get very upset. So the weath-er is always a big factor for the popular outdoor venue.

Those that attended the July 2 concert were pleasantly surprised, since the venue included a very gifted homegrown Mount Vernon artist.

The concert opened with a performance by Baba Abishai Ben Reuben, who has been an activist, educator and healer for nearly 30 years. He is the elder percus-sionist of the Akosua Living Legend Afri-kan Drum and Dance Troupe and of the Sounds of Afrika group.

Next on the agenda was the group known around the world as SAGE.

There comes a time when all the ele-ments of excellence converge under the

2016 Summer Breeze Concert Series kicks off at Hartley Park

Continued on page 9

same domain and produce an incompa-rable result, never before experienced.

SAGE, the all-women’s jazz, blues and contemporary ensemble, has dared to rise to this historic place in music with a sound that transcends time and generation. Part

contemporary, part sassy, part nostalgic, these ladies deliver what every music au-dience is looking for, the best in the art. And the Hartley Park audience could not get enough of these ladies – giving them a standing ovation at the conclusion of their




The crowd enjoying the concert at its new location

Sheryl Brownlee-Fox, coordinator of the Summer Breeze Concert Series, addressing the crowd prior to the start of the concert


performance.Closing the concert was Mount

Vernon’s own, Rocky Middleton, who began playing acoustic bass at the age of 21. Growing up in Mount Ver-non, he was inspired by listening to gospel, jazz, R&B and attending live performances. While abroad, he has performed in concerts and conducted workshops for the local youth, as well

as seasoned musicians. As an ambas-sador of music, he has performed in Africa and Europe and has since re-turned to his native Mount Vernon to once again share his talent in his hometown.

Thanks to Rocky Middleton and SAGE, the 2016 Summer Breeze Con-cert Series in Mount Vernon kicked off to a great start.

A rendition of the 42 W. Broad Street project in Mount Vernon

Development at 42 W. Broad Street to commence after legal

challenges are dropped

Finally, after many legal delays, the proposed apartment tower scheduled for development at 42 W. Broad Street in Fleetwood will

soon become a reality. An appeal by two plaintiffs has been dropped and the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Di-vision just recently approved the appeal’s withdrawal.

The two plaintiffs, Ralph Della Cava and Joseph Simone, had asked the State Su-preme Court to rescind the Mount Vernon City Council’s approval of the residential tower. A previous lawsuit filed by others to stop the project was unsuccessful.

The Alexander Development Group held an elaborate groundbreaking ceremony this past January, but the unexpected liti-gation stalled the development of the proj-ect, which upon completion will become a

luxury 249 unit-apartment complex.The $85-million residential tower will

include plans to demolish a supermarket and renovate the Fleetwood Garage.

According to the plaintiffs, the City Council’s approval of the transfer of the garage to Alexander Development Group required a super-majority four-fifths vote under the City Charter.

The lawsuit was triggered by a Septem-ber 23, 2015 City Council vote of 3-2 in favor of the transfer resolution, but it was marked as not passing, according to the plaintiffs. Consequently, the transfer reso-lution went before the City Council again the following month and it was adopted by a 3-1 vote, which once again failed to sat-isfy the super-majority requirement of the City Charter, according to the plaintiffs.

Court upholds Mayor Thomas’ executive powers

The office of Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas released the fol-lowing statement in response to the recent decision of Acting

Supreme Court Judge Robert Neary in Thomas v. Wallace:

This was a major victory in recognizing the executive authority of the mayor to re-view and authorize the city’s expenditures. The court upheld the mayoral power to control the purse and to sign checks and further refused to review the mayoral pow-er over appointments. As we head into preparations for the 2017 budget, we will

continue to closely examine the spending and waste of the past and prepare a func-tional and prudent budget for the future of the city.

The court has returned the issue on the Third Street Firehouse Emergency Opera-tions Center to the City of Mount Vernon to evaluate and appropriately decide pay-ment although the judge reiterated that Andre Wallace may not use his powers as an elected official to advocate for pay-ment, sign off on invoices, or in any way influence the city’s decision. The city will require Wallace, as CEO of Creative Con-

struction and Design, to provide certified payrolls and documentation in accor-dance with New York State law, before any payment is rendered. We look forward to receiving proof of prevailing wage from Wallace.

We will continue to proactively engage with the community and stakeholders to bring accountability, transparency, and fis-cal responsibility to Mount Vernon. We are a community on the rise and Mount Ver-non is moving forward.”

Mayor Richard Thomas said, “I am en-joying a growing relationship with the City

Council, including co-hosting biweekly meetings on Memorial Field. Prior to liti-gation, I made attempts to form a collab-orative working relationship with the City Council by inviting them to weekly meet-ings. Recently, they have accepted two of my invitations and appear to be onboard with supporting our agenda to improve the quality of life for the City of Mount Vernon. I am pleased Judge Neary recognizes our authority to fiscally manage the city. We will continue to move Mount Vernon for-ward.”




als at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. It was her first attempt at making the United States Olympic team.

Allyson Felix, the four-time Olympic gold medalist who was making a highly publi-cized bid to pursue Olympic titles in both the 200 and 400, was fourth with a time of 22.54.

“I just find it hard to believe that I was able to beat the one runner I have idolized since I was a very young girl – Allyson Fe-lix. The victory was surreal,” said Stevens. “Well, she is still running in the 400, which is good for our team and our country.”

“I didn’t see myself here, even a couple of months ago,” Stevens said. “I just told myself to give it my all.” She did, and it turned out to be good enough not only to make the team but also to finish in front of Felix.Stevens has been running since she was eleven years old and has been a member of the Hall’s Express Track and Field Team, based in Mount Vernon, where she has been under the tutelage of coach Anthony Hall since she started running.

Stevens is a world-class track and field

star and currently a rising senior at Univer-sity of Oregon. Born in 1995, she wanted to quit running, but her mother seeing her potential, made her stick it out. That deci-sion quickly paid off when Stevens made the finals of the Junior Olympics in just her second year competing. She has since won 7 New York State championship titles in multiple events, and is an eight time US national champion. Her national champi-onship victories in the 200 Meters, the 4 x 400 Meters and the distance medley have put her on the world stage.

“Although Stevens has excelled, I am always struggling to get her teammates to succeed, since many of them are young, come from disenfranchised families and funding is always a major obstacle. We try to get them ready for high school competi-tion at a very young age, so their track and field experience is a lot smoother for them when they get to high school. At that level, funding is no longer an issue for them,” said Hall, who is assisted by Mervyn Fran-cis.

A sculptured Deajah Stevens shown close to the finish line at the US Olympic TrialsDeajah Stevens (c) fighting to make the US Olympic team

Deajah Stevens’ teammates at Mount High School with their coaches, Anthony Hall (l) and Mervyn Francis (r)


Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson leaving Senate to join Cuomo administration

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson has decided to leave her position as a NY State Senator and take a position with the Cuomo admin-

istration. It was a difficult decision, since she has represented the 36th Senate Dis-trict, which runs through the Bronx and into Mount Vernon, her hometown. “After 16 years, I feel the time has come for me to move on,” said Hassell-Thompson.

Hassell-Thompson will be leaving an impressive legacy of law making that now has, and will have, a direct impact on ev-ery New Yorker for the foreseeable future.

“I want the individual who replaces me to take the mantle to Albany and not just the Bronx,” she emphasized. “Under Cuomo, I will serve as a special advisor for policy and community affairs of state Homes and Community Renewal, and will seek to help Mount Vernon as much as I possibly can in this area.” Her Senate seat will open up in November when it will be

one of 63 seats up for grabs in the closely divided chamber.

She recently ran for mayor of Mount Vernon and was not successful, so that defeat made her decision to leave the Senate a lot easier.

Her early announcement is intended to eliminate confusion. “I want people to know I am not running in the fall,” said Hassell-Thompson.

During her 16 year tenure with the New York State Legislature, Senator Hassell-Thompson has brought millions of dollars to the Bronx and the City of Mount Ver-non. These monies have improved condi-tions and the infrastructure in the district’s fire departments, elementary schools, HIV/AIDS Programs, the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and scores of organi-zations dedicated to improving the quality of life in those communities.

Many will miss her.




Former Water Commissioner Anthony Bove

Former Mt. Vernon Water Commissioner headed to prison

A close of friend of former Mount Vernon mayor Ernest D. Davis, Anthony Bove, the former Com-missioner of the Board of Water

Supply of the City of Mount Vernon, was sentenced on Friday, July 8, to 15 months in prison for soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an employee of the Water Depart-ment, and lying to federal law enforce-

ment officers when Bove was interviewed during the investigation, according to Pre-et Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Bove pled guilty in White Plains federal court on March 22, 2016, before U.S. Dis-trict Judge Vincent L. Briccetti, who im-posed the sentence. In sentencing Bove, Judge Briccetti described Bove’s conduct as “a disgrace.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Briccetti ordered Bove to pay a $10,000 fine and a $200 special assessment fee. Bove also was sentenced to two years of supervised release.

According to the obtained information, statements made in open court, and other documents in the public record:

Bove was the Commissioner of the Wa-ter Department. The City of Mount Vernon annually receives in excess of $10,000 in federal funds from the United States government. The Water Department is responsible for serving city residents by, among other things, monitoring and treat-ing the city’s water supply, repairing wa-ter main leaks, and reading water meters and generating water bills. In accordance with the City Charter, the Commissioner of the Water Department is appointed by the city’s mayor, serves at the mayor’s plea-sure, and reports directly to the mayor as

the head of one of the city’s departments.In the spring of 2015, while serving as

the Water Commissioner, Bove solicited a $10,000 bribe from a Water Department employee in exchange for approving the employee’s promotion within the Water Department. The employee, who was serving in a provisional capacity as the bookkeeper of the Water Department, had passed a civil service bookkeeping ex-amination in order to become eligible for a permanent bookkeeping position at the Water Department.

After receiving the test results, the em-ployee completed the necessary form to apply for the permanent bookkeeping po-sition, and submitted it to Bove for his ap-proval and signature, which was required for the promotion to occur.

Bove did not approve the application; instead, on April 14, 2015, Bove told the employee to meet him at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon. At Memorial Field, Bove conveyed to the employee that he would not approve the employee’s promotion unless the employee gave Bove $10,000, and that the employee could give Bove half ($5,000) up front and pay the balance later. Bove said that he would accept the remaining payments on installment: “So give me like, f-ing like 20 dollars every f-ing paycheck or whatever, you know.”

Following the April 14 meeting, Bove called the employee on multiple occasions to ask whether and when the employee would pay him. The employee did not make any payments to Bove and the em-ployee’s application form seeking the per-manent bookkeeping position remained unapproved for months. Ultimately, in the fall of 2015, after Mount Vernon’s incum-bent mayor was defeated in the primary for the mayoral election and prior to the change in administration (which resulted in Bove being replaced as Water Commis-sioner), Bove signed the form approving the employee’s promotion, without having obtained any payment from the employee.

On December 7, 2015, a Special Agent from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and a Criminal Investigator from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the South-ern District of New York interviewed Bove in connection with a federal investigation into whether Bove had attempted to extort the employee. During the interview, Bove lied to the investigating agents, stating, in sum and substance, that he had never asked for money to approve a job promo-tion for anyone in his department.

Mt. Vernon native Anne Phillips passes at 99

Lo n g t i m e Mount Ver-non resi-dent Anne

Phillips was an u n s e n t i m e n t a l woman with an in-credible passion for life. She was a political human being. She went to

Brooklyn College and studied science, a rare thing for a woman born to a working class family in 1917. She broke gender barriers in her career as a biochemist be-fore she married, in 1951. She continued her fight for peace and equality through-out her life with her time, her boundless energy and her money. She returned to work in the NYC schools, mentoring stu-dents in her junior high school laboratory.

She moved, with her husband, Bob, to Lenox, Massachusetts in 1999 where she enjoyed the music and lectures, tended the plant room and enjoyed time with her children and grandchildren. She loved gardening and hiking and was an avid bicyclist and hiker in her youth. She con-tinued walking in the neighborhood and nature preserves until she was 94.

Anne leaves her son, Carl Phillips, daughter, Deborah Phillips and her hus-band Bill Cooke, her grandchildren, Gor-don Wikle and Jessica Wikle, and loving extended family and friends.

Her husband, Bob, and her two broth-ers, Mac and Will, predeceased her.

You can honor her memory by keep-ing Trump out of the White House and by making a donation to Construct, Inc. or Southern Poverty Law Center.

Priscilla Edmund reading a prepared speech during her retirement dinner

Priscilla Edmund honored by The First Reformed Church

of Mt. Vernon

On Monday, July 25, one of Mount Vernon’s most tenacious and hard-working seniors received a well-deserved honor. The First

Reformed Church hosted a retirement din-ner for Priscilla Edmund who volunteered for 10 years in their soup kitchen and food pantry.

Priscilla, as she is affectionately called, always arrived early and left late. She has always been faithful and diligent in all the tasks she carries out.

Edmund not only talks the talk, but she walks the walk. She can be seen walking all over Mount Vernon in her effort to help those in need.

Edmund is 93 years old, but she is young at heart. She is witty, vivacious and extremely competent. She is also a mem-ber of Macedonia Baptist Church, Church Women United and various organizations. She is known as a trailblazer who works quietly behind the scenes.

She has been a resident of Macedonia Towers for almost 20 years and acts as a liaison to expedite many services. She as-sisted the fire department in a project to identify seniors that lived in the building with disabilities and special needs.

In addition, she was instrumental in starting health fairs for seniors monthly; disseminated information and caused awareness of the food pantries and pro-grams and also facilitated meetings with appointed and elected officials for resi-dents of Macedonia Towers.

On the national scene, she marched in Washington D.C. to protest the cutting of senior health care. She also marched in Albany with Local 1199 for seniors and members of the union. Edmond has the ability to bring senior issues to the fore-front.

Her parents provided her with a loving environment with a meager income. But what her parents, Rev. Charlie and Betty Edmund, taught her was to work hard and have faith in God. She is a guardian angel to many and a friend to most. Her motto is, “If what I do does not help to make life better for others, I have not fulfilled my life assignment.”




John Banning, Jr.

Rosemarie Cornacchio served as the Mistress of Ceremonies

David OsbornMayor Richard Thomas Jim Killoran was the keynote speaker

The Peter Lawrence Jazz Band

(l to r) Jim Killoran and Mayor Thomas placing a wreath at the base of the flagpole located on the village green

On a sunny and picture perfect day, Monday, July 4, over 100 people flocked to the old vil-lage green opposite St. Paul’s

Church in Mount Vernon to celebrate this year’s 240th anniversary of American in-dependence.

The program featured music, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and the tolling 13 times (saluting the original states) of the St. Paul’s bronze church bell, which was cast in 1758.

Rosemarie Cornacchio served as the Mistress of Ceremonies, like she has for the last several years.

The program opened with the Invoca-tion, provided by Rev. Arthur Thomas, from Oneness Rehoboth Apostolic Church.

Next, a wreath was placed by the flag-pole on the village green by Mayor Rich-ard Thomas and Jim Killoran.

Cornacchio had the distinction of intro-ducing Mayor Richard Thomas, who was making his first appearance at the annual ceremony as Mount Vernon’s new mayor.

“Our city played a founding role in es-tablishing these United States and that explains why Mount Vernon’s identity is “inextricably intertwined” with a spirit of passionate debate. It started here and our

“Liberty Bell” continues to ring at St. Paul’s Church centuries later,” said Thomas.

Next to the podium was David Osborn, who spoke about St. Paul’s rich history, followed by the guest speaker, Jim Killor-an, CEO of Habitat for Humanity in West-chester County.

Peter Lawrence and his band next played a wonderful selection enjoyed im-mensely by the crowd.

Next to the podium was John Banning, Jr., whose family has read the Declaration of Independence on July 4th for the last 134th consecutive years on the village green in front of St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site. His son is expected to con-tinue the tradition after him.

This year, Banning, an art dealer who was born in Mount Vernon and now lives in Manhattan, stood on a flag-draped dais with the mayor and others. He read from a tattered 1879 history book, which was passed on from his grandfather, who died in 1924. Scrawled on the book’s back page was a note from his grandmother urging her son to continue the tradition.

As he read, those sitting on folding chairs in front of the stone church, which was completed in 1787, could easily feel a part of history.

Mt. Vernonites celebrate Independence Day at St. Paul’s Church

Once he finished reading, there was a bell salute to the original thirteen states by Ulysses A. Bullock – a tolling of the Free-dom Bell in the church tower.

Following the ceremony many enjoyed free refreshments and cookies, while oth-ers toured St. Paul’s Church, the museum

and historic cemetery.Conspicuously missing this year was

elected and appointed officials from Mount Vernon, with the exception of May-or Thomas and Assemblyman Gary Pret-low.




Mount Vernon City Court Judge, made compelling, convincing, and compassion-ate statements about Dr. Ryan’s journey. Judge Johnson is married to Dr. Ryan’s brother, Brother Arthur Muhammed. In her comments, she extended strong words of hope for the future of the “Progression in Session” program. She enlightened those in attendance on the nutritional value of “navy bean” soup, which she had brought for all to taste. She then introduced Dr. Ryan to facilitate the panel discussion.

The informative panel was made up of four esteemed guest speakers. Each indi-vidual provided essential information in his or her respective professional fields.

Delia Farquharson (LMSW) a Concierge Therapist, discussed the concept of heal-ing known as “mindfulness.” She provid-ed a dynamic and engaging exercise for the participants. Elaine Bryant (LMSW) discussed the essential values that spiritu-ality has had on persons in their recovery process and at outpatient programs. Pro-fessor Robert L. Tate, instructor of Social Sciences at the College of New Rochelle (School of New Resources), spoke on the value of education in today’s society. Rev. Dr. Ryan shared the vision God has given her regarding an innovative solution/recovery option that can have a powerful impact on the church, community and cul-ture.

Inspirational comments were then given from former students, and opportunities were extended for individuals to continue their spiritual and academic growth and development by registering for the up-coming 12-session course.

The evening ended with an illuminat-ing closing prayer where all could truly feel God’s presence. Bro. Augustine Bo-teng, a local preacher at Greater Centen-nial A.M.E. Zion Church, said a powerful prayer.

Everyone indulged in food, fun, and fel-lowship. This was an indeed a dynamic

workshop. Dr. Ryan is extremely indebt-ed to her team members who have sup-ported “Progression in Session” from its inception, from the incubator phase all the way to an innovative in-class reality, bless-ing many individuals.

Westchester’s “Telehealth” Program for Seniors wins

national award

Westchester County’s TIPS program – or Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors

– has been selected for a 2016 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award, Coun-ty Executive Robert P. Astorino an-nounced. The award comes as TIPS marks a major milestone providing its 20,000th monitoring service to one of the more than 600 seniors participating in seven sites through-out Westchester.

“TIPS empowers seniors be ac-tive partners in their own health care,” Astorino said. “Our goal is to help them manage their own condi-

tions, avoid emergency situations and reduce unplanned hospital vis-its. Skyrocketing healthcare costs require us to be innovative, and TIPS is at the forefront. We like to say that TIPS is ‘high-tech and high-touch’ because it combines the best of both worlds for the benefit of our seniors.”

The NACo Achievement Awards are given for innovative program implementation in more than 20 categories, ranging from arts and historic preservation to health and volunteerism. The award will be presented at the 81st NACo Annual Conference and Exposition in Long Beach, California from July 22-25.

Dr. Ryan (center) is surround by those that attended the workshop (l to r) Dr. Ryan and Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo

“Progression in Session” workshop held at Unity Baptist Tabernacle

A dynamic workshop was held on July 8, at Unity Baptist Taber-nacle to launch the upcoming 12-session “Progression in Ses-

sion” course, which will begin on July 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the same church.

A former student, Benita Taylor, read Scriptures. The pastor of the church, Rev. Edward Mulraine said the opening prayer. In addition, he also extended a heartfelt welcome to everyone, and his genuine support for “Progression in Session” and having the course taught at his church.

Community leaders who were invited were an integral part of the workshop. They truly enhanced the interest of all attending. Shawyn Patterson-Howard,

Commissioner of the Mount Vernon City Planning Department set the atmosphere with her transparent opening remarks. Moreover, she spoke to the need of such a program in our community.

City Councilwoman Roberta Appuzo, who has shared at several past work-shops supporting the program, extended encouraging comments, and City Coun-cilwoman Lisa Copeland also gave ex-pressions of enthusiastic support.

All of these community leaders have seen the transformative life of Dr. Ryan (the founder of “Progression in Session”) and are witnessing her giving back to her community

The Honorable Nichelle Johnson,




Mount Vernon CityFest presents “Arts On Third”

Friends of Mount Vernon Arts Recreation & Youth Programs (FMVARYP) in collaboration with the City of Mount Ver-

non, NY – the Honorable Richard Thomas, Mayor, proudly invites the public to attend the 15th Annual Mount Vernon CityFest: presents “Arts On Third” on Sunday, Sep-tember 18, 2016, from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Rain date: Sunday, September 25, 2016, same time/same place. The event will be held on East Third Street between Union and South Fifth Avenues.

Arts on Third brings the City of Mount Vernon six blocks of fun-filled activities and excitement each year. Original art, art lectures and dem-onstrations, two continuous stages with live entertainment, vendors, two international food courts, health screenings, sports activities, and a children’s lane will be offered. Billy Mitchell, aka: Mr. Apollo will once again host a Mini Amateur Night with

Mitchell aka: The Executioner. The festival brings creative talent and the public together to generate an artis-tic backdrop for the proposed Third Street Arts District. Visual Artists will lace the street creating an outdoor art gallery, as well as a pedestrian mall of merchandise vendors, as the main stage boasts a continuous ar-ray of stellar performers. Watch out for the performance lineup.

Montefiore will serve as the festi-val’s top sponsor for the third year in a row and Montefiore Mount Ver-non will again spearhead the popu-lar HEALTH PAVILION - a centrally located section of the Festival that will feature health screening, healthy cooking demonstrations, fun physi-cal activity such as yoga and Zum-ba, and plenty of prevention and primary/specialty care information along with many other local health care providers. There will be free on site health screenings/educational material and private consultations

with health care professionals. We want a healthy Mount Vernon and we stand to bring the best resources to the forefront in partnership with Montefiore.

Sponsors: The Festival is made possible through the following con-tributors: Friends of Mount Vernon Arts Recreation & Youth Programs (FMVARYP), City of Mount Vernon NY, Montefiore, Wartburg, Action Novelty; Ashanti Express, Camelot Funeral Home, Care Plus Solutions, Disability Management Associates, Entergy, Estella’s Naturals, Fran-ciscan Mission Associates, Harris Dacosta, Ice Hutch, I’m Beautifully Created IBC. LLC; King Chef Halal, Legal Services of the Hudson Val-ley, Mount Vernon Public Library, Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, MVP Health Care, Planned Parenthood, RCA Asphalt LLC, Sharon Lavonne Products, Silk Flowers of Care Fuller Creations, Soaps and Lathers LLC, Starlight Beauty Salon, Stones With

A Twist, Tai Tree, Westchester Edu-cational Opportunity Center to list a few.

Back by popular demand, a sec-ond round of Arts On Third Auditions will be held on Wednesday, Au-gust 10th and Friday, August 12th, 2016, 4pm-7pm at The Doles Cen-ter, 250 South 6th Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York 10550. For ad-ditional information, please contact Jacene Thomas at [email protected] and check us on the web at www.ArtsOnThird.org or call 914.363.0656.

To see how much Arts On Third has to offer . . . check us on the web at www.ArtsOnThird.org. For ad-ditional information, please contact Diane Atkins, Event Organizer at 914.665.2316 and/or [email protected] (Mount Vernon Department of Recreation). For vendor opportu-nity, please contact Tamarris Lewis at 914.665.2871 and/or [email protected].




Some of last year’s volunteers displaying hundreds of backpacks

Astorino encourages donations to Westchester’s “Backpacks To School”

County Executive Robert P. As-torino today announced that Westchester County is once again teaming up with The Shar-

ing Shelf, a program of Family Services of Westchester (FSW), to collect and dis-tribute school supplies so that children in need can start the school year ready to learn. This year people can donate online at www.fsw.org/backpacks or see the list below for the nearest drop-off location.

“Since launching our backpack part-nership, we have helped give vital school supplies to thousands of children in West-chester County,” said Astorino. “As al-ways, our goal is to help as many children as we can.”

Backpacks to School is a collaboration between The Sharing Shelf and the coun-ty’s Department of Social Services. Local businesses have also opened their doors and will serve as drop-off sites for dona-tions.

“We can buy and fill a backpack for $25,” said Deborah Blatt, of The Sharing Shelf. “This year, we’ve made it easy and created a special link that allows people

to help us purchase everything at www.fsw.org/backpacks. We’ve seen an in-crease in demand each summer for new school supplies and backpacks. We need the community’s support to make a posi-tive difference in the lives of local children, many of who would otherwise start school without the basics.”

Susan B. Wayne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Family Services of Westchester, said: “Being able to provide children with these much needed supplies cannot be overstated. Family Services of Westchester is proud to be working with County Executive Astorino and the many other community partners who are all working toward the shared goal of helping our children.”

For more information about Back-packs to School, contact Deborah Blatt of The Sharing Shelf at (914) 305-5950 or [email protected]; or Joseph D. Kenner or Bryan Paler of the Department of Social Services at (914) 995-3287, (914) 995-3987 or [email protected].

Astorino also encouraged fathers and

school leaders to save the date for this year’s Dads Take Your Child to School Day, taking place September 20, 2016. The event serves as a kickoff for fathers to be more involved in their children’s schooling all throughout the year, offering opportunities for dads to sign up to volun-teer, serve on PTAs, receive informational mailings and more. Ask your school about any special activities planned for the day. The countywide coordination is part of Astorino’s #DadBeThere fatherhood initia-tive, which aims to actively engage fathers in all aspects of their children’s lives.

“It’s a fact: kids do better in school when dads are involved,” Astorino said. “Show your kids you care. Be there. And keep that momentum going all throughout the school year to help them succeed.”

Operation Backpack collection bins will be set up throughout the county, includ-ing:

Government Offices

Westchester County Michaelian Office Building148 Martine Avenue, White Plains(914) 995-2100

Department of Social Services (DSS) Central Office112 East Post Road, White Plains(914) 995-5000

Mount Vernon District Office (DSS)100 East First St, Mount Vernon(914) 813-6164

Peekskill District Office (DSS)750 Washington St., Peekskill(914) 862-5078

White Plains District Office (DSS)85 Court St., White Plains(914) 995-5889

Yonkers District Office (DSS)31 Warburton Av. Yonkers(914) 231-2653

Nonprofits

Family Services of Westchester – Main Office One Gateway Plaza, 4th floor, Port Chester(914) 305-6825 Family Services of Westchester – Pel-ham507 Fifth Ave., Pelham(914) 738-1728 Family Services of WestchesterLanza Center for All Ages106 North Broadway, White Plains914-305-6875 BusinessesBroken Bow Brewery173 Marbledale Rd, Tuckahoe(914) 268-0900 Miller’s Toys335 Mamaroneck Avenue, Mamaroneck(914) 698-5070 Sportech124 S Ridge St, Rye Brook, NY 10573(914) 934-0001 PM Pediatrics – Mamaroneck 620 East Boston Post Road, Mama-roneck(914) 777-5437 PM Pediatrics – Yonkers2290 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers(914) 337-5437 Vision of Tomorrow132 Larchmont Avenue, Larchmont(914) 834-4052 Voracious Reader1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont(914) 630-4581

The U.S. Conference of May-ors named Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas the 2016 winner of the “Small

Business Advocate Award”. This award is given annually to a mayor who has shown significant effort and support for small businesses in his city.

Mayor Thomas said, “I am hon-ored to be selected as the 2016 Small Business Advocate by my fellow may-ors. Our small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They work hard, give back to the community, and

keep our economic engine running. My administration is committed to continuing to advocate for our small businesses including putting forth a “ground floor” tax break for retail and developing a local film office that provides benefits to area businesses. Through new incentives we will create jobs, attract start-ups, and help exist-ing businesses flourish in the great City of Mount Vernon.”

The award is given by Partner America, a public-private partnership that was created by The US Confer-ence of Mayors to assist mayors in

providing the resources and informa-tion small businesses need to thrive within their local communities and the global economy. The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country to-day, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. The award will be given to Mayor Thomas in a ceremony at a later date.

U.S. Conference of Mayors names Mayor Thomas winner of the 2016 Small Business Advocate Award




Jim and Annie Kiselak’s Natural Food Column

Direct from the sunny island of Vieques, Puerto Rico

One in three fish sold at restaurants and grocery

stores is mislabeledThere are so many fish in the sea.

But from a diner’s viewpoint, peer-ing down at a sliver of white fish atop a bed of sushi rice, a lot of them look the same.

Now, a report from the ocean con-servation group Oceana confirms that there’s a pretty decent chance that fish on the plate or on ice in the seafood case is not what it’s labeled to be. That means that seafood wal-let cards designed by conservation groups to help steer consumers to-wards sustainable choices may not be doing much good.

Between 2010 and 2012, Oceana took 1,215 seafood samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states. When they tested the DNA, they found that 33 percent were mislabeled. Sushi vendors and grocery stores were the most likely outlets to sell mislabeled food, though Oceana says the fraud can happen before it reaches them.

Earlier investigations by Oceana and The Boston Globe revealed that seafood mislabeling is common in cities like New York and Boston, where people eat a lot of fish. But the report out Thursday shows it’s happening across the country, and is as bad or worse in places like Texas and Colorado. Some 49 per-cent of the retail outlets sampled in Austin and Houston sold mislabeled seafood, while 36 percent in Colo-rado did so.

So what’s the big deal with fish sold under a pseudonym? Well, for one, it’s often just a form of swin-dling – a cheap fish like tilapia sold as red snapper. But Oceana says the practice also can put consum-ers at health risk when species like king mackerel, which is high in mer-cury, or escolar, which contains a naturally occurring toxin than can cause gastrointestinal problems, are marketed as grouper and white tuna, respectively.

Oceana’s also concerned that substituting cheaper, easier-to-find fish for rarer, more valuable ones gives consumers a distorted sense of the market. Of the fish types most

heavily sampled by Oceana, those sold as snapper and tuna had the highest mislabeling rates — 87 and 59 percent. Only seven of the 120 samples of red snapper purchased nationwide were actually red snap-per, the report found.

“The majority of fraud is various fish standing in for snapper – it’s used as catch-all name for all kinds of white fleshed fish,” says Oceana senior scientist Kimberly Warner. “But there are real conservation concerns when you slip in things in place of the real thing. People think snapper must be doing great be-cause it’s everywhere, but it’s over-fished.”

Consumers using wallet cards from groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and NRDC could end up buying exactly the species they’re trying to avoid, Warner says, be-cause mislabeling is so prevalent.

One reason mislabeling has got-ten so rampant is that the U.S. now imports 90 percent of its seafood and less than 2 percent is inspect-ed for fraud. That means would-be fraudsters have a lot new options for substitutions. The Food and Drug Administration regularly updates its list of seafood approved for sale – in 2012 alone, 19 new species were added to the list, including cornet fish, sampa and claresse.

So what’s the government or a consumer to do about all this? Oceana would like to see an inter-national traceability system where retailers would be required to tell consumers where and when a fish was caught and what gear was used.

Requirements like these would help the industry — one of the least transparent in the food system — more accountable.

The National Fisheries Institute ar-gues that the problem is one of en-forcement — the FDA needs to do a better job of enforcing laws that are already on the books to discourage fraud. And they encourage consum-ers to seek out retailers through the Better Seafood Board.

Apples for acid reflux relief!

I have suffered from acid reflux for years, and it usually starts when the stomach acid begins to move up the esophagus. This condition

is becoming more common and there are a few things that can be done in order to minimize the symptoms and reduce the occurrence of acid reflux.

One of the best home remedies for acid reflux is adjusting your diet. Avoiding spicy foods and fried foods is a good way to avoid acid reflux, and you should also eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. When you are careful about the foods that you are eating, you will find that you may be able to control your symp-toms without medication.

Do Apples Provide Acid Reflux Re-lief?

One Internet tip looks at apples and acid reflux: do apples actually help to decrease acid reflux symptoms? The conclusions on this topic are varied, but it is worth trying to see if apples help your individual situation.

When treating acid reflux, be sure to purchase organic apples. You want to avoid the tart apples (such as Granny Smith) and instead focus on sweeter varieties such as Brae-burn or Golden Delicious. The reason that apples may help is because they

contain tartaric and malic acid, which helps to neutralize stomach acids.

However, eating an apple may cause the heartburn problems to be-come worse if you have already over-eaten. For example, if you finished a big meal and ate too much, you will likely experience acid reflux. Eating an apple will only add more bulk to your stomach, which may result in even more pressure in your stomach so the stomach acid may be forced to move up the esophagus.

When to Eat ApplesIf you are going to use apples for

your acid reflux, leave a little room in your stomach after a meal and eat half an apple immediately after you are done with your meal. This apple should be eaten within 15 to 20 min-utes to be most effective. Apples can also be eaten 30 minutes before bedtime if you tend to get acid reflux while you sleep.

I have worked on my diet, exercise regularly and eat a lot of fruit, espe-cially apples, and my acid reflux has not returned.

Note: The information in this ar-ticle is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment!

Alternative Medicine Options

by

Joe Parisi

No tuition increase under Astorino’s WCC budget for

4th straight year

For the fourth consecutive year, tuition for nearly 13,000 stu-dents at Westchester Com-munity College (WCC) will not

increase under a proposed budget submitted by County Executive Rob-ert P. Astorino to the Board of Legis-lators on Monday.

“Working collaboratively with the college’s leadership, we are able to propose a budget that keeps tuition flat for the fourth year in a row,” As-torino said. “WCC’s students work hard to make a better life for them-selves and their families, and we ap-proach each budget with the goal of protecting their efforts. A tuition increase would mean an additional burden that many could not bear.”

The $122.5 million operating bud-get for the 2016-2017 school year includes a $29.8 million sponsor con-tribution from the county, an increase of $500,000 over last year. Total sala-ried positions at the college will re-main flat at 547.

Additionally, WCC’s capital budget will increase by $800,000 to $3.8 mil-lion. The five capital projects funded by the budget include technology upgrades to the main and satellite campuses, roof replacements and infrastructure upgrades.

The Board of Legislators is sched-uled to vote on the budget on August 1. The college’s fiscal year begins on September 1.




NBA Great John Stark, Mt. Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas, PGA Pro Wyatt Worthington, II and OTGC Founder Wendell Haskins

Mt. Vernon mayor honors OTGC founder Haskin

In honor of the 17th Annual Original Tee Golf Classic, the premiere Afri-can-American amateur golf event cel-ebrating diverse industry leaders and

legends, Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas presented founder and PGA Di-rector Wendell Haskins with a special proclamation. Presented by Lexus/Toyo-ta, the event raised over $10,000 for the PGA REACH and PGA Junior League Golf League that provides opportunities for di-verse junior golfers to participate in PGA Jr. League Golf in the PGA of America Met Section.

Original Tee Inc. was founded and launched in 1999 by entertainment mar-keting entrepreneur Wendell J. Haskins (Founder/President). Since its inception, the Original Tee Golf Classic presented by Lexus has developed into a golf culture love-fest, where celebrities, corporate, and entertainment VIPs come together to promote diversity and inclusion in golf while supporting worthy philanthropic causes. Find more on Wendell Haskins and Original Tee Inc. at www.originaltee.com.

Dr. Nicholas Cicchetti

Mt. Vernon’s assistant superintendent of Water

Department suspended and quickly reinstated

It has been reported that Dr. Nicholas Cicchetti, Mount Vernon’s Assistant Superintendent of the Water Depart-ment and president of the CSEA lo-

cal that covers municipal workers, was briefly suspended over an issue involv-

ing time-sheet fraud.The Water Supply Department recently

lost their Commissioner, Anthony Bove, who was sent to jail after pleading guilty for soliciting a $10,000 bribe from an em-ployee of the Water Department.

Dr. Cicchetti once practiced as a podia-trist and decided to leave the field to be-come a City of Mount Vernon employee, where he has accomplished much.

Under Mayor Ernest D. Davis’ adminis-tration, he served as Fire Commissioner for a period of eight years. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of the Wart-burg Foundation and a board member of the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center.

Dr. Cicchetti faced a hearing and city of-ficials elected to reinstate him and he has returned to work.

Some are saying that the allegation brought against him was incomprehensi-ble, since an intelligent man of his stature to engage in such a petty crime is simply beyond him.




WCC reinstates Displaced Homemaker Training Program

Westchester Community Col-lege has reinstated its Proj-ect Transition Program for Westchester/Putnam resi-

dents who are divorced, widowed, sepa-rated, or have a permanently disabled or unemployed spouse. The program, which was offered at the institution from 1987 to 2013, has received funding to continue in 2016 and 2017. The work skills training program funded by the New York State Department of Labor is currently offering classes to one cohort on the college’s Val-halla campus with another cohort starting in September at the college’s Mount Ver-non Extension Center.

The eight-week Project Transition pro-grams in Office Technology Training provide qualified students with the oppor-tunity to learn current, marketable com-puter and office skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Students can also study QuickBooks and learn about resume writing, job search strate-gies and interviewing techniques. These

skills prepare participants to return to the workforce. “We are excited to once again offer Project Transition, which provides valuable skills training to displaced home-makers, giving them opportunities for em-ployment they may not otherwise have,” said Ann Rubenzahl, Assistant Dean of Workforce Development and Community Education, Westchester Community Col-lege. “Project Transition supports the mis-sion of the college, which is committed to student success, lifelong learning and workforce development.”

The Office Technology Training Program classes of Project Transition are available at no cost to qualified applicants. Appli-cants must be able to type 25 words per minute and have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma. All ap-plicants must provide proof of Displaced Homemaker status according to the New York State Department of Labor guide-lines.

For information, program schedule and eligibility details, call 914-606-5628.

‘Ask the Pharmacist’Mark Rauchwerger

Circle Rx Pharmacy120 Gramatan Ave, Mt Vernon

914-665-5555

Are there any over-the-counter allergy medications that do not

cause drowsiness?

How do Claritin-D and Claritin, and Allegra-D and Allegra differ

from each other?

There are indeed some over-the-counter allergy medications that do not cause drowsiness, however, most traditional allergy medica-tions do. Drowsiness is a common side-effect among most anti-his-

tamines and caution should be used if taking them during the day. However, Claritin® (loratadine) and Allegra®(fexofenadine) are non-drowsy formulations and, therefore, recommended for such use.

The biggest difference between Claritin-D® and Claritin® (lorata-dine) is that Claritin® is only an an-tihistamine. Claritin-D® is both a decongestant and an antihistamine (pseudoephedrine). Allegra-D® and Allegra® (fexofenadine) have the same difference as Claritin® and Claritin-D®. Allegra-D® and Clari-tin-D® should be used when allergy symptoms include a stuffy nose because decongestants help dry out nasal congestion. All of these products are typically free of side effects, but the decongestant pseu-

doephedrine can result in insomnia. If you have high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid or an enlarged prostate consult your doctor before taking pseudoephedrine-containing medicines like Claritin-D® and Al-legra-D®.

Claritin® and Allegra® are avail-able over-the-counter. Claritin-D® and Allegra-D® are available be-hind-the-counter because they con-tain pseudoephedrine. Check with a pharmacist or physician before us-ing any new medication or drug.

jaFa’s Poets Corner2007 - PRESENT

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

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

SILENT BLUE LINE OR... SNITCHIN’ AINT’ SNITCHIN’Author: bobbyjoemackMount Vernon resident All of the Billys... the Johnnies The Jacks and all the JoesAll the Leroys... the HenerysAnd the Willies and the BoesWhen working along with themOn the Job each and EverydayOne should Know who’s viewsSlant in a very Prejudice wayAnd if you know what You KnowExposing them should Not beA so secret Silent side ShowAll don’t get a chance to SeeSome say that it’s SnitchingAnd just will Not speak outBut when you Know of a wrongYou should then strongly shout Hoping that Your loud criesWill very soon bring aboutA Change that is really NeededAs you know there is no doubtThe Authorities say that it’s O.K.And you should not be AshamedBut they don’t even come forthAnd point at the Officers to Blame!And I just then quietly wonderAre They all playing the same Game!I’ll name names if they name NamesAnd Point to those to truly blameFor the Police are all our policeAnd have sworn to uphold the lawsWhy with the Blue Line won’t theyTell of other Officers RACIAL flaws!And if they spoke upIt would sure mean a lotAnd they could Patrol againNot worrying about being Shot!

BROKEN BLUE LINE OR... WHAT THE WHAT???Author: bobbyjoemackMount Vernon resident Must we All have to DieBefore the Nation truly CriesAs to many Black FamiliesNow just sit and Angrily sighAnd wonder out loud why... O’ WHY!For it now seems to MeFrom what I do Now seeThe Next dead Blackman

Just could easily be Me!Yet in the Lives lossPoliticians cry the BluesBut the Black FamiliesAre always the ones to LooseAnd it is Only becauseOf the Force that is usedFrom the Old stereotype viewsThat some do still chooseSaying that a Black Life isAt this time Nothing to looseWhile a Blinded Nation watchesBlacks being Killed everydayOn the lightly Nightly newsShowing such Black FrustrationIn a very powerful Protesting waySaying how the Law is being AbusedAs some just sit Quietly stillSo Dazed by the visual Violent newsStaring startled shocked and ConfusedBy seeing another Black Someone Killed by an Illegal Blue-Steel gunKilled by those that had swornTo serve and too Protect everyoneAnd I weep seeing them releasedFrom the highest Courts one by oneSetting them free to patrol againAnd giving them back a re-Loaded GunWhat a frightful so sad cycleFor the Law to put Some back inAs Thou Shall Not KillAnd that’s the real True sinAnd HE shall judge All of themAnd Black Lives Matter in the EndAnd we shall Fight on... Unafraid to Win...

LET’S RESTORE THE BALANCEAuthor: Charles RodaMount Vernon resident

THE KILLING OF ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS. THE DESTRUCTION OF CORAL REEFS.THE CLEARCUTTING OF RAIN FOR-ESTS. PAVED MARSHES AND WETLANDS.

DISAPPEARING MONARCH BUTTER-FLIES.NO MEADOWS FOR MIGRATING BIRDS. FROGS, BEES, BIRDS GOING OR GONE.NO MORE LIGHTNING BUGS.

ABUSE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND PESTI-CIDES. GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD.SUPERBUGS MENACING HUMANS.HUMANS BUTCHERING “INNO-CENTS”.

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

This month JAFa’s Poets Corner celebrates its 9th year. We are the longest, continuously, running poetry column in any local area monthly publication. We have reached this milestone because of you, the community, who have

so generously supported us. THANK YOU!

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




Westchester Center staff members who made the wonderful event a success

A newly renovated patio served as the site of Westchester Center’s annual “Family Fun Day” on Sat-urday, July 9, as residents, staff

members, family and friends enjoyed a wonderful summer day at the popular fa-cility, nestled in a very private and quiet area of Mount Vernon.

The scent of chicken, hotdogs and ham-burgers from a large barbeque grill filled the air, as dozens of children frolicked throughout the premises, many dancing to the sounds of a gifted DJ.

Family members were extremely im-

pressed and praised the staff for putting together such a festive day for the resi-dents. Some of the residents able to am-bulate without assistance actually gingerly danced to the sounds of the DJ.

Besides the great assortment of food made available, the kids and adults also enjoyed ice cream sundaes, as well as a cake to celebrate the third anniversary of the extremely popular fun day.

Love and music filled the air as guests of all ages were able to gather to enjoy a fun filled summer day with the residents.

The legion of young children in atten-

Third Annual “Family Fun Day” held at Westchester Center

dance had a superb time since they pro-vided balloon sculptures from Penny the Clown, face painting, and cotton candy for them. In addition, the recreation staff organized a “conga” dancing line, and they also provided a variety of carnival games and art projects.

The annual event certainly helps to en-rich the lives of the residents, and it was evident by the look on their faces.

Building on a tradition of excellence, The Westchester Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing features not only the highest

quality of nursing and clinical care, but also creates an outstanding quality of life for its residents. At The Westchester Cen-ter the joy of life is plain to see. The staff is dedicated to maintaining a sensitive, nurturing and comfortable environment where each resident and patient receives personalized care and attention.

If you or a loved one wants a tour of the Westchester Center, located at 10 Cla-remont Avenue, please call Gail at (914) 699-1600.




(l to r) David Gentner, Rev. Carol Fryer, Larry Fair, Kathleen Varda and Shonda Nesbitt

(l to r) David Gentner, B. Smith, Dorothea Bell, Angela Ciminello and Dan Gasby

(l to r) Cherish Thomas, Neil Klar, Board member of Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley NY and Mayor Richard Thomas

Angela Ciminello and Dominic Carter

The fourth annual Jazz in June gala for Wartburg, a leading senior service provider in Westchester, NY, raised nearly $165,000 on

June 16, 2016. The event was held at the Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle, NY, with over 300 guests and 36 sponsors. This year’s event included special guests B. Smith and Dan Gasby and honorees included The Wartburg Orphans’ Farm School Alumnus and Founder/CEO of The Future Society, Inc., Larry Fair; dedi-cated partner and service provider, the Al-zheimer’s Association Hudson Valley NY Chapter and longtime spiritual partner, St. Peter’s Church in New York City.

B. Smith, an international model, TV host, restaurateur and author, and her husband and television producer, Dan Gasby, were this year’s keynote speak-ers. Smith was diagnosed in 2012 with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 62. Smith and Gasby have since been praised for their bare-all book about their journey, “Before I Forget: Love, Hope and Acceptance in our Fight Against Alzheim-er’s” (2016).

Larry Fair, who once called The Wart-

burg Orphans’ Farm School home, said, “All I can say is that I feel very honored and humbled that Wartburg, who has set the foundation in which I build my life on, is honoring me. I am thankful for this hon-or and for their continued support of me and The Future Society Inc.’s vision.”

The Future Society, Inc. is a local non-profit, providing mentoring activities for disadvantaged inner city youth and sup-port mechanisms for parents. During his remarks at the event, Fair attributes the life lessons and upbringing while at The Wartburg Orphans’ Farm School, particu-larly the guidance received by his house-mother, Alfrieda Gross, as the reason for his life’s work with children.

The Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley NY Chapter is a dedicated commu-nity partner supporting research initiatives and providing assistance to those affect-ed by the disease. Wartburg has a long-standing partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association including offering educational seminars and collaborating on community arts-based programming for older adults living with memory impairment. Under-standing the benefits of stimulation for

Wartburg June gala raises $165,000 and celebrates 150 years of service

this patient population, Wartburg and the Alzheimer’s Association announced their collaboration, funded in part by a grant from NYS Department of Health, on a choir program for those in the community living with Alzheimer’s disease or demen-tia and their caregivers.

Saint Peter’s Church, located in mid-town Manhattan, is a spiritual care pro-vider to the New York City community and longtime supporter of Wartburg’s mission. St. Peter’s has long partnered with Wart-burg from its inception as The Wartburg Orphans’ Farm School in 1866 through today as a spiritual care provider to older adults.

Dominic Carter, nationally recognized, RNN/FIOS 1 News reporter, was the

Master of Ceremonies at this year’s gala. “Wartburg does outstanding work for the community and really is the Harvard Uni-versity when it comes to taking care of our elders with dignity,” said Carter.

Attendees danced to the sounds of The Groove Shop, a 12-piece band that was voted the “Best of New York and New Jer-sey” for their eclectic sound, energy and talent.

“It was a pleasure to recognize such deserving honorees and we were espe-cially pleased to recognize B. Smith and Dan Gasby. We are so very grateful for the volunteers and sponsorship support that helped make our fourth annual gala such a success,” said David Gentner, Wartburg President and CEO.




The MC, Donna Williams (r), was assisted at the podium by Bobby DeSouza Conroy Allison receiving the Lifetime Achievement Media Award

Comedian Ruperto Vanderpool speaking during his tribute to “Prince”

Conroy Allison receiving the Lifetime Achievement Media Award

Donnaray Roc speaking after receiving the Performing Arts Award

Syn Clarke received the Producer Award

The 4th Annual Image Entertain-ment Distinction (IED) 2016 Awards took place on Sunday, July 24 at The Radisson Hotel

in New Rochelle. One of the shinier and more exclusive events in all of Westches-ter County, the IED Awards event is an

opulent work of art in itself with enough glamorous people attending every year to merit its status as a yearly gathering place for its impeccably dressed attendees.

The Image Entertainment Distinction Awards (IED) is an annual awards show. The mission of the IED Awards is to en-

Many Mt. Vernonites attend IED Awards 2016 in New Rochelle

courage, empower, and highlight individu-als from all walks of life.

The Mistress of Ceremonies for this year’s event was the founder of IED Awards, celebrity blogger and radio per-

sonality, Madonna Williams, who is also the CEO of Glamsensedivas.com. Bobby DeSouza assisted Williams at the podium during the festivities, which lasted in ex-cess of four hours.





After a lavish red carpet cocktail hour the show started with comments from Williams, who stated: “We are pleased to honor those who have contributed and or have set trends in their careers.”

The following individuals were honored:• Rae Holiday – Media Award• Conroy Allison – Lifetime Achievement

Media Award• Michael Cherry – Designer Award• Pilar Scratch and Madison Jaye –

Trendsetter Award• Glenroy March – International Design-

er Image Award• Tyyan Williams – Rising Star Award• Syntyche Clarke – Producer Award• Donnaray Roc – Performing Arts Award

• Sister Aimee Koonmen – Lifetime Hu-manitarian Award

• Dr. Errol Thompson – Community Ser-vice Award

• Richie Richie – Hospitality Award• Humerto Guallpa – Lifetime Achieve-

ment HospitalityDuring the halftime intermission, guests

were entertained with one-of-a kind per-formances by sultry Latina artists Natalia Segura and Ec Salsero.

This year’s IED Awards highlighted a special tribute to the legendary “Prince” by comedian Ruperto Vanderpool.

The Mistress of Ceremonies, Williams, provided closing remarks.


A tale of two teachers

Over the years I have worked with some won-derful teachers who would not allow their students to

fail. Recently I found a letter that I wrote to a superintendent commend-ing two young teachers. I wanted to share with her the story of two sixth graders who could have failed, but they succeeded because of these teachers. Here is a part of this letter. All names have been changed.

“Keith and Rita were in my resource program. They entered our school in fifth grade. Both children had a learning disability. Today at gradua-tion, Keith received the math award! Rita received at least three honorable mentions in academic subjects. But there is more to this story.

Two years ago, Keith entered the fifth grade in our school. His weak-ness in language was so severe that he could not speak in coherent sentences. His writing skills were almost nonexistent. By the end of fifth grade he had progressed, but his improvement was more dramatic throughout the sixth grade in Ms. Young’s class. I credit this, not only to his innate ability, and his coura-geous stamina, but to the efforts of his wonderful mother and two mar-velous young teachers.

Rita is another wonderful suc-cess story. She came to our fifth grade from an inclusion class. Her fifth grade teacher, in her first year of teaching, did not understand this child’s needs. Unfortunately, she did not comply with the I. E. P. nor did she cooperate with my ongoing ef-

forts to help her understand how to work with Rita. At the end of fifth grade, the decision was made to ei-ther retain her in grade five or return her to an inclusion class. Her mother intervened and Rita was placed in Ms. Green’s sixth grade class. Ms. Green embraced this child, and as the year progressed, Rita began to succeed. With Ms. Green’s love, encouragement, and her willingness to specifically address Rita’s needs, this child attained the B honor roll!

I am so proud of these children! I am just as proud of these two marvelous, young teachers. They opened their minds and their hearts to these children. They were willing to work with their ability rather than see only their disability. They coop-erated with me, took the time to meet with me, implemented the strategies I suggested, and complied with the I. E. P. The result – SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE!

I cannot fully express my gratitude and respect for these teachers. They are part of our hope for the future!

There is a message that extends beyond this story. Each one of us must expect success and strive con-sistently to do whatever is necessary to help our children succeed. It is very easy to accept failure, but that’s the lazy way out and leads us and our children on the road to nowhere. With our patience and perseverance, our willingness to create different strategies to help our children learn, we will reach our goal. SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION!

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

Director, EMPOWERING OUR PARENTSEmail: [email protected]

Mt. Vernon Fire Department responds to leadership resignations

Acting Mount Vernon Fire Commissioner Ernie Richardson said, “Re-cent rumors regarding

my potential resignation are ab-solutely and unequivocally false. This administration does not play politics with public safety. There are those that wish to create di-visions and keep Mount Vernon

in the past. I stand beside Mayor Thomas; together, we are com-mitted to moving Mount Vernon forward. I thank Chief Duffy for his service. I have accepted his resig-nation and allowed him to return to the line.”

Chief of Operations Thomas Duffy said, “I sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and

confusion that may have occurred over the past week. I have elected to resign my position as Chief of Operations due to personal and private family obligations. I thank Mayor Richard Thomas and Act-ing Commissioner Ernie Richard-son for the honor of allowing me to serve. I remain committed to my brothers and sisters in the Fire

Department and to the people of the City of Mount Vernon.”

Mayor Richard Thomas said, “Acting Commissioner Ernie Rich-ardson has informed me that he has accepted the resignation of Thomas Duffy as Chief of the De-partment. I join him in thanking Chief Duffy for his service.”




Mayor Thomas (c) with Association of Former Citizens of Guardia Lombardi officials

Former president Joe Petriello playing the keyboard

Volunteers getting ready to feed the seniors

(l to r) Geraldine Christiana, Mayor Thomas, Legislator candidate Christine Peters and Legislator Lyndon Williams

Seniors waiting for food to be served

Members of the Association of Former Citizens of Guardia Lombardi enjoying their food

The Association of Former Citi-zens of Guardia Lombardi, based in Mount Vernon and comprised of citizens who formerly resided

in Guardia Lombardi, Italy, held its 23rd annual BBQ for Mount Vernon’s seniors at

Hartley Park on Wednesday, July 20 and over 300 seniors attended.

The yearly BBQ is co-sponsored by the Department of Recreation and is an event that is treasured by Mount Vernon’s many seniors.

Guardia Lombardi sponsors 23rd annual BBQ for seniors at Hartley Park

Those that attended this year’s BBQ were blessed with an exceptionally beau-tiful sunny day and virtually no humidity.

The seniors were treated to an assort-ment of delicious food hot off the BBQ grills, along with refreshments and des-





(l to r) Joe Petriello, Nick Dantona, Councilwoman Roberta Apuzzo and Judge Nichelle Johnson

sert.A brief ceremony was held in which Ger-

aldine Christiana, Director of the Mount Vernon Office of the Aging, introduced the new president of the Association of For-mer Citizens of Guardia Lombardi, Nick Dantona, who addressed the large gather-

ing of seniors. Also introduced was Mayor Richard Thomas, who spoke and thanked Guardia Lombardi officials for hosting the BBQ every year.

It was a festive afternoon of fun and mu-sic enjoyed by every senior in attendance.


The Armory is the new Summer Breeze Concert

Series rain location

The Mount Vernon Recreation De-partment is finally doing some-thing about Summer Breeze concerts being postponed due to

inclement weather. If inclement weather is forecasted and rain does occur on a day of scheduled concert, the concert will take place at the new rain location: Mount Ver-non Armory, located at 144 North 5th Av-enue - at 7 p.m.

This year’s Summer Breeze Concert Se-ries is dedicated to our fallen co-worker/musician - DonWayne Garner, aka as “D’Wayne” or “New York.”

Please join us for a special show on Saturday, September 10, celebrating D’Wayne’s

Joy of Music! There will be a special performance by the Upfront Band and songs by SVP.

October 3, 1953 - the night my heart stood still in Mt. Vernon

Dear Mr. Parisi:I read your article in the July

issue of The Inquirer regarding the first fireworks show in Mount

Vernon since 1953 and it broke my heart, since on October 3, 1953 was the night my family died in a fire and my heart stood still.

My brothers Johnny and Bobby were at Memorial Field celebrating the Centennial Celebration and so were the firemen. At the end of the celebration I left Memorial Field for my home. When I arrived at my home the house was engulfed in flames and ran to Freddie Romano’s Bar. They called the fire department, and when the firemen arrived they did all they could to save my mother and four brothers and

sisters, ages 7, 6, 3 and 1. The firemen cried along with my family and me and the Mount Vernon community all rallied around us.

You are right, Mr. Parisi, it was a gen-tler community back then and we were all united as one big family.

I sincerely think the current mayor is doing his best to bring back the harmony that existed back then.

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss and love my lost family with all my heart.

I thought I would share my story with you to show my appreciation for the city I love, and hope it can one day be as great as it was back in 1953.

Joan Brown DeGrace

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Do you remember ANGELA DOLAN?

Mary Angela Dolan was born in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1918. She emigrated to Yon-kers in 1949 and may have

worked at O’Dare’s restaurant on Central Park Ave.

If you have any recollections or photos of Angela, please contact Zoe McCaw at [email protected] or 31 Co-lenso Court, 2-18 Colenso Parade, Belfast BT9 5BB, N. Ireland.

EDITORIAL

Thomas’ administration continues to lose important

leadership positions

Mayor Richard Thomas is cur-rently facing a huge dilemma since he is having trouble hold-ing on to key people hired to

help him run the city effectively. Just re-cently he lost the Mount Vernon Fire De-partment’s Chief of Operations, Thomas Duffy – who according to published re-ports decided to retire due to personal is-sues.

When the mayor fired Public Safety Commissioner Bob Kelly, many ques-tioned his actions, since Kelly was a su-perb law enforcement leader and was expected to bring enormous change to the Mount Vernon Police Department. What really led to his dismissal will remain a “six million dollar” question according to the many bloggers out there.

Also in the last few weeks, Human Re-sources director Eric Pogue just walked away from his job without offering a real explanation. Many are wondering what prompted him to leave.

Longtime superintendent of the Mount Vernon Water Department, Marianne Vo-gel, also retired unexpectedly without advance notice. The department was for-tunate to immediately find a 1B - licensed operator by the name of John Arena to re-place her. Nevertheless, the department is still operating without a commissioner.

The biggest issue the mayor is facing is the fact that he is having difficulties being on the same page with the City Council. According to City Council President Mar-cus Griffith, he is assuming that the mayor may be asking his appointees to do things that are not in the best interest of the city and they are refusing.

A recent unprecedented letter from the City Council to the mayor is demanding that the mayor fire 11 of his political ap-pointees who don’t meet the residency requirement. The matter was recently re-solved in court and the judge basically told the mayor that he has to abide by the City Charter – giving the City Council the go ahead to fire those appointees that do not meet residency requirements.

When Mayor Thomas won the historic Mount Vernon mayoral election in impres-sive fashion seven months ago, he had legions of supporters behind him wishing him well. Regrettably, his wave of support started to erode when Joe Spiezio, an ad-visor, made his presence known in Mount Vernon. Spiezio caused the mayor a lot of harm by his actions and should have stayed out of sight while advising him. Like the old saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Although Spiezio’s intentions might have been in good faith in an effort to help the mayor, he did more harm than good. It appears he has decided to stay out of sight, since he hasn’t been visible in Mount Vernon lately.

I firmly believe that the mayor needs to be more flexible and consider reaching out to the City Council and arrange a meeting with them. He cannot go ‘nose to nose’ with them, since they wield a lot of power. He needs to make peace with them, so they can all be on the same page. Only then will he be able to move his adminis-tration forward in a positive way without obstacles.

Joe ParisiPublisher/Editor

The Future Society set to host 4th Annual Globe Awards Dinner

The Future Society, Inc. (T.F.S.I.) will host their 4th Annual Globe Awards Dinner on Friday, September 23, 2016 at The

Greentree County Club, located at 538 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, New York.

This year’s honorees are: Council-

woman Roberta Apuzzo, Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, Detective David Clarke and Congressman Eliot Engel.

Visit their website at www.thefuture-societyinc.org for tickets, journal ads and sponsorship opportunities or con-tact Shonda Nesbitt, T.F.S.I. Executive Director at 914-539-2589.

“Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper” NQUIRER · Guardia Lombardi sponsors 23rd annual BBQ for...

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