vol 4 no 33 march 18 2010.indd - WestchesterGuardian.com

VOL. IV NO. XXXIII
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Domestic
Westchester’s Most Influential
Violence
Weekly
This Week...
Feiner Speaks Out: p2
Let The Voters Approve
The Court Report: p3
Two Westchester Business
Owners Plead Guilty
In Our Opinion, p4:
We Must Not Ignore
Fumiko Bradley’s Cry For Help
Northern Westchester, p16:
Cutting The County’s Coffers
Jeff Deskovic: p20
Opposing Death Penalty
In Connecticut
westchesterguardianonline.com
See pg 8
The Devil We Didn’t Know
See Advocate, pg 5

PAGE 2 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Let The Voters Approve Or
Reject County, State Budgets
County Threatening To Lay Off 1,600 Employees, Close Parks, Cut Bus Routes
Shouldn’t Voters Be Partners In Making Quality-Of-Life Decisions?
The New York State Constitution and Westchester
County Charter should be amended to provide voters with
the ability to vote on state, county and local budgets. The
electorate currently has the ability to
vote on school budgets in Westchester
County. The Governor, County
Executive and Mayor/Supervisor
should have the ability to present
their budget to the public and have it
approved or rejected. The legislatures
should have the chance to offer voters
an alternative budget that could
be considered if the voters reject the
executive’s proposed budget.
The $166 million dollar budget gap that Westchester
is facing could lead to as many as 1,600 layoffs according
to County Executive Rob Astorino. The County Executive
is threatening to close parks, cut bus routes and eliminate
services that many residents enjoy or depend on. The members
of the Board of Legislators believe that some of these
cuts may not be necessary. New York State is experiencing
a similar budget crisis: a $9.1 billion dollar deficit for 2010
and 2011. Major budget cuts, service reductions and government
restructuring will be on the table for discussion. The
people of Westchester and New York State should have the
ability to partner with their elected officials to determine
how much or how little government they want, what services
should stay and what services should go.
Providing the public with the opportunity to vote on
budgets could also lead to more consolidation and sharing
of services. A more informed electorate will understand
that we can’t continue to run government in 2010 like it was
run in 1960. We need to restructure so we can maximize the
value we get from our tax dollars.
Paul Feiner,
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Index
The Advocate:
The Devil We Didn’t Know ............................................................................................ 5
Classified, Legal Notices ...................................................................... 26
Community Calendar .......................................................................... 22, 23
The Court Report:
Owners Of Two Marble And Stone Companies Plead Guilty To Evading Taxes ........... 3, 6, 7
Horoscope:
Shimmering Stars, March 18 -24 ....................................................................14, 15
In Our Opinion:
We Must Not Discount, Or Ignore, Fumiko Bradley’s Call For Help ...................... 4
Jeff Deskovic:
Opposing The Death Penalty Before The Connecticut State Legislature .............. 20
Marriage And Family In Westchester:
Domestic Violence From Your Child’s Perspective ............................................... 8, 9
Northern Westchester:
Cutting The County’s Coffers ...................................................................... 16, 17
On The National Scene:
Here We No Again ............................................................................................. 10, 11
Our Readers Respond: ................................................................. 4, 12, 13
This Week in History: March 18 - 24 ................................................... 24, 25
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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE 3
OWNERS OF TWO MARBLE AND STONE CONTRACTING
COMPANIES PLEAD GUILTY TO EVADING TAXES ON
PROFITS FROM COLLUSIVE BIDDING SCHEME
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District
of New York, and PATRICIA HAYNES, the Special Agent-in-Charge of
the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), Criminal
Investigation Division, announced that VINCENT DELAZZERO and
RALPH PETRILLO, owners of two of the largest marble and stone contracting
companies in the metropolitan area, pleaded guilty in White Plains Federal
Court to participating in a tax fraud scheme designed to evade taxes on
profits made from a collusive bidding scheme in which both participated.
According to the Court records and the guilty pleas of DELAZZERO
and PETRILLO:
Between 2000 and 2003, VINCENT DELAZZERO owned Port Morris
Tile & Marble Corporation (“Port Morris”), based in the Bronx, New York,
which was engaged in the business of importing, fabricating, and installing
marble, granite, limestone, and other stone products for the interior and exterior
of commercial and residential buildings. RALPH PETRILLO was one
of the owners of Petrillo Stone Corporation (“Petrillo Stone”), a company
based in Mount Vernon, New York. Petrillo Stone’s business also consisted of
importing, fabricating, and installing marble and stone for the interior and
exterior of commercial and residential buildings. Port Morris and Petrillo
Stone were competitors in the commercial marble and stone business in the
New York metropolitan area, often submitting bids for the same work.
On two occasions between 2000 and 2003, DELAZZERO and PETRIL-
LO agreed that DELAZZERO would submit, on behalf of Port Morris, an
“accommodating bid” for a particular stone contract, that is, a bid that both
DELAZZERO and PETRILLO knew would be higher than the bid submitted
by Petrillo Stone, thus ensuring or making it highly likely that Petrillo
Stone would be the winning bidder. PETRILLO and DELAZZERO also
agreed that in exchange for DELAZZERO’s submission of accommodating
bids, PETRILLO would pay DELAZZERO a percentage of the profits made
by Petrillo Stone as a result of being awarded the contract.
As a result of this corrupt agreement, Petrillo Stone was the winning
bidder for two commercial tile and stone subcontracts that were part of
large building construction projects in New York City, leading to payments
by Petrillo Stone to DELAZZERO of in excess of $500,000. Those payments
were filtered by RALPH PETRILLO to DELAZZERO in a manner designed
to hide them from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
In particular, DELAZZERO spoke to his accountant, Dennis Pilotti, who
suggested that PETRILLO and DELAZZERO use a shell company controlled by
Pilotti in order to secretly filter the payments from PETRILLO to DELAZZERO.
Consequently, Pilotti created phony invoices on behalf of his shell company and
issued them to Petrillo Stone, which paid the invoices via checks issued to Pilotti’s
company. Pilotti thereafter caused checks made payable to “cash” to be drawn
on bank accounts and cashed at a bank. Pilotti, who personally collected a fee of
over 10% of the face amount of each cashed check, thereafter had the cash delivered
to DELAZZERO. Through this use of Pilotti’s shell company, PETRILLO
paid approximately $121,950 in cash to DELAZZERO. DELAZZERO fraudulently
omitted that income from the personal income tax returns he filed for the
years in which he received the payments.
Another manner by which RALPH PETRILLO made profit-sharing
payments to VINCENT DELAZZERO was through payments made directly
to one of DELAZZERO’s personal creditors. At DELAZZERO’s direction,
PETRILLO caused Petrillo Stone to make in excess of $318,000 in
payments to a construction company that had performed work on, or supplied
materials for, a home DELAZZERO was building for himself in New
Rochelle, New York. Despite the fact that the payments from Petrillo Stone
to DELAZZERO’S construction company creditor constituted income,
VINCENT DELAZZERO fraudulently omitted that income from the personal
income tax returns he filed for the years in which the payments were
made. With respect to both methods of funneling money to DELAZZERO,
PETRILLO falsely expensed and characterized the DELAZZERO payments
on the books and corporate tax returns of Petrillo Stone.
Co-schemer Dennis Pilotti, a CPA from Armonk, New York, previously
pleaded guilty to charges related to the tax evasion scheme with DELAZZE-
RO and PETRILLO. He was sentenced by United States District Judge STE-
PHEN C. ROBINSON to 30 months’ imprisonment in October 2009. He is
currently serving that sentence.
DELAZZERO, 62, of New Rochelle, New York, is to be sentenced
by United States District Judge KENNETH M. KARAS on June30, 2010.
PETRILLO, 54, of Bronxville, New York, is to be sentenced by United States
District Judge COLLEEN MCMAHON on June 8, 2010. Both face a maximum
term of 5 years’ imprisonment, 3 years’ supervised release, a fine of
$250,000, and restitution to the IRS.
Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the IRS and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys STANLEY J. OKULA and PERRY A.
CARBONE are in charge of the prosecution.
Court Report, continued on page 6

PAGE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
In Our Opinion...
We Must Not Discount, Or Ignore, Fumiko Bradley’s Cry For Help
We believe that domestic violence is not a situation that can ever be
discounted or addressed lightly. Once an individual, be they male
or female partner, husband or wife, comes forward to file a criminal complaint,
particularly in the case of a female plaintiff, chances are there have
been any number of incidents over time that have gone unreported.
This scenario is very common in households where the female partner is
not significantly employed nor capable of self-support and support of her
children. The simple fact is that in such situations, despite however many
incidents of physical and/or psychological violence they may have endured,
women are very reluctant to come forward, for several reasons.
For one thing, such victims are fearful of reprisal, further batterings and
beatings, verbal abuse, and deprivation. Even if they summon the courage
to go to the police, they fear that they may end up without a roof over
their head, and their children’s. They do not want to end up in some sort of
shelter or women’s safe house with numerous similiarly situated mothers
and offspring.
Exacerbating matters, over time, under such demoralizing conditions,
mothers who have been abused suffer serious loss of self-esteem, and come
to believe that their abuser will have more influence with authorities. A
sense of hopelessness and desperation sets in, rendering them without
confidence to stand up for their own, and their children’s, safety and wellbeing.
Fumiko Bradley, wife of White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley, is a classic example
of just such a victim of domestic violence. Having reached the point
where she felt compelled to share her plight, first with nearby neighbors,
and then, at their urging, with police, she next found herself wishing she
could have ended the abuse without all of the media attention and invasion
of her family’s privacy, not to mention the initial damage and potential
further damage to her husband’s career and income-producing capability.
Having essentially, by her own accounting, endured more than seven years
of progressively more intolerable abuse, and having reportedly sustained
a significant physical injury, she has done the “unthinkable” and finally
reported her husband, the Mayor, to authorities because she can no longer
live with the fear and degradation, and, most importantly, the harm she
perceives to her two children.
She did not invent the particulars in her police report. If anything, she
likely avoided characterizing His Honor, The Mayor too harshly. In the
scheme of things, her statements that she did not want to go forward, and
would not testify if called upon by prosecutors to do so, in no way discredits
or negates her original report. It merely represents a desperate wish that
she did not have to come forward in order to turn off the unending cycle of
abuse.
Our Readers Respond...
Calling For Mayor Bradley Not To Attend
The White Plains St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Dear Editor:
We are a group of women in Westchester
County and White Plains who are demanding
of the Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade,
Mrs. Marie McMahon, McMahon, Lyon &
Hartnett Funeral Home, 491 Mamaroneck Ave.,
White Plains, that White Plains Mayor Adam
Bradley not appear in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
in White Plains on Saturday, March 13. Our demand
is out of respect and honor for all women
and children who have suffered, even died, as
victims of domestic violence. We will protest
Mayor Bradley’s appearance if he does attend the
parade.
We are not signing our names; we wish to
remain anonymous, for our protection, as many
of us work and live in Westchester, and are employed
in county and city municipalities. We
have been victimized enough.
We request your support to end the injustices
against domestic violence victims.
Victims Of Domestic Violence
Reader Finds Wilson Article Misleading, Divisive
Dear Editor:
In a recent article of the Westchester Guardian,
Bureau Chief Catherine Wilson argues in her
“New York State Budget ‘Survivor’ Reality,” that
there is a struggle between victims of Alzheimer’s
and sufferers of tuition hikes at New York State
public colleges and universities. This befuddled
approach by Wilson not only is misleading, but
also very divisive.
Throughout the years, New York has seen
budget cuts in different sectors of the economy as
vital in order to close budget deficits. SUNY, for
the most part, is financed by taxpayer revenue;
therefore, she argues that students should not enjoy
luxuries such as iPods or Starbucks coffee. In
addition, Wilson accuses students of frivolously
spending their money; yet, what connection does
that have to Alzheimer’s funding?
Wilson fails to mention that an enormous
number of students at public colleges and universities
work in order to finance their education.
Moreover, loans and scholarships are widely used,
Continued on pg. 12

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE
The Devil We Didn’t Know
There are few knowledgeable
observers who would deny
that The Westchester Guardian
played a significant role in
bringing down former County
Executive Andy Spano. After all,
he virtually owned, and certainly
controlled, both Cablevision
News12 and The Journal News;
the former operating with an
exclusive franchise directly under
the control of the County
Executive, not to mention the
$22.5 million, five-year gift contract
Spano bestowed on Cablevision’s
Lightpath in March
of 2000; the latter the recipient
of legal advertising and other
assistance from the County, in
turn conferring their endorsement
on Spano time after time.
The Guardian hammered
away at Mr. Spano, asking taxpayers
on our cover, “Why Are We
Paying For This Man’s Sin?” referring
to the more than $65 million
we would be paying back for the
$52 million Spano squandered
away in Fair Housing grants over
a six-year period, all the while
deceiving the federal government
but enriching developer friends
and political contributors, buying
properties and turning them
over for one dollar. We reminded
readers that his actions were causing
homeowners and taxpayers to
shoulder an undeserved reputation
for maintaining exclusionary
housing, now loosely described
in The New York Times as “housing
discrimination”.
In short, we played no small
role in opening voters’ eyes to
some of the reasons Andy Spano
needed to be retired. As it happens,
Republican Rob Astorino
had another ally as well in his
quest for the County Executive’s
Office, the Independence Party.
He literally went begging for
that cross-endorsement without
which he would never have been
elected.
We now know, after two and
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino
a half months in office, what Rob
Astorino, County Executive, is really
all about. For one thing, it is
obvious that he’s very much into
the preservation of the Insiders’
Club; the army of commissioners,
and deputy commissioners, and
assistant deputy commissioners,
etc., etc., earning $155,000, and
$130,000, and $110,000, respectively,
and so on and so forth, in
department after County department,
particularly the Department
of Social Services.
That department is disbursing
more than $550 million annually,
a significant portion of
which is flowing into ineligible
hands by way of high-level deputy
commissioners and managers
whose unlawful activities had
been covered up for
years under the prior
administration and
Commissioner Kevin
Mahon.
They continue to
be covered up, virtually
encouraged
by DA Janet DiFiore
who, we understand,
made it clear to Mr.
Astorino that Diane
Atkins, First Deputy
Commissioner of the
Department of Social
Services, was to
be kept in place. She
is the one who, time
after time, orders
examiners and caseworkers
to pay large
sums of money to
ineligible applicants,
individuals who are
politically connected,
or related to Atkins, or in some
way intended to be the beneficiary
of fraudulent handling of our
tax dollars.
Rob Astorino is well aware of
the corruption, the massive fraud
in the Department of Social Services
under Commissioner Mahon,
his First Deputy, Atkins, and
her cronies. He is well aware that
numerous, mid-level workers in
the Department, conscientious
public servants, are sickened by
what has been going on so very
long, and want those responsible
apprehended. Yet, he has intentionally
turned a blind eye and a
deaf ear to reports exposing the
millions upon millions of dollars
that continue to flow into wrongful
hands.
Armed with enough information
to open an investigation into
the unlawful activites, and to remove
the larcenous perpetrators,
thus turning off the spigot and
saving taxpayers untold millions,
Mr. Astorino prefers, instead, to
leave the schemers and their operation,
in place while telling
County workers and taxpayers
that he will save them $5.8 million
“in part by better case management
of the foster care system.”
Meantime, the Department is
giving away huge sums of money
to ineligible recipients for Emergency
Assistance, Child Care,
Food Stamps, and Medicaid.
This was the man who would
have had us believe that he was
reaching across party lines, seeking
a coalition of help with his
new administration. That notion
was a crock, a cover story for the
fact that was under orders to leave
the players in place; and, for the
most part, that’s what he’s done.
Now, when he rattles the
rafters with talk about laying off
1600 County workers to make
up for a $166 million anticipated
deficit, you know there isn’t one
Insider in the lot of them.
After 12 years in the County
Executive’s Office, under the influence
of Larry Schwartz, Andy
Spano was the Devil we knew. n

PAGE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Court Report, continued from pg. 3

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE

PAGE 8 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Maria Munoz Kantha, PhD., LCSW-R
Domestic Violence From
Your Child’s Perspective
“Mommy And Daddy Are Fighting Again”
Domestic violence and family
violence are interchangeable
terms and they describe a situation
that affects every member
of the family, especially children.
Family violence creates a home
environment in which children
live in overt and covert discomfort
and fear. Children who witness
family violence, domestic
abuse are affected in ways similar
to children who are themselves
physically or psychologically
abused. They are often unable to
establish secure and nurturing
bonds with either parent.
Children are at greater risk
for abuse and neglect if they live
in a violent home. Statistics show
that over 3 million children witness
significant violence in their
homes each year. Those who see
and hear violence at home suffer
psychologically, physically and
emotionally and may ultimately
imitate the same behavior towards
their peers, teachers and
family.
Children exposed to domestic
violence are more likely to develop
social, emotional, psychological
and behavioral problems
than those who are not exposed
to such behavior. Recent research
indicates that children who witness
domestic violence tend to
show more anger, anxiety, and low
self-esteem than children who do
not. The trauma they experience
can manifest itself in identification
with the aggressor, and the
emotional, behavioral, social and
physical disturbances that interfere
with their development often
continue into adulthood.
How Children Are Affected
We know that it is very upsetting
for children to see one of
their parents (or partners) abusing
or attacking the other. Children,
depending on their age and
gender, react differently to domestic
violence.
Younger children may become
anxious, complain of stomachaches,
and/or start to wet their
beds. They may find it difficult
to sleep, have temper tantrums,
and become developmentally arrested
psychologically, emotionally
and behaviorally. Amongst
older children, boys may become
aggressive and disobedient, identifying
with the aggressor. They
may even begin to use violence as
a mechanism to solve problems.
Some may turn to substance
abuse, while others may simply
drop out of school.
Girls are more likely to internalize
their feelings and distress.
They may withdraw from other
people and become anxious or
depressed and may exhibit low
self-esteem, often developing somatic
complaints. They are more
likely to have eating disorders, or
do harm to themselves by taking
sedatives, drugs and alcohol,
while still others may mutilate
themselves.
Children who witness violence
at home often struggle with
schoolwork. They frequently suffer
from symptoms of anxiety,
depression and/or posttraumatic
stress disorder, experiencing
nightmares and flashbacks.
Long-Term Effects
Children who have witnessed
family domestic violence are more
likely to become either abusers or
victims themselves. Children tend
to copy the learned behaviors of
their parents. Boys learn from
their fathers to be violent to women.
Girls learn from their mothers
that violence is a way of life.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE
However, not all children repeat
the same pattern when they
grow up. Many who do not like
what they see work hard on not
repeating the patterns of abuse. It
is important to note that children
from families engaged in domestic
violence often grow up feeling
anxious, depressed, and insecure,
• Gender role-modeling creating
conflict/confusion.
Preadolescence
Behavior problems become
more serious:
• Increased internalized behavior
problems, including
depression, isolation, withdrawal;
something wrong to make you lose
control?’”
“When Dad is angry I want to
run and hide”
“The sadness is so deep that I
keep it inside and try to keep quiet”
“Sometimes I try to hug you
to distract you so mommy won’t
• In families where the mother
is assaulted by the father, daughters
are at risk of sexual abuse
6.51 times greater than girls in
non-abusive families
• A child's exposure to the
father abusing the mother is the
strongest risk fact for transmitting
violent behavior from one
finding it difficult to trust people, • Emotional difficulties including
hurt”
generation to the next (American
often imposing a lasting effect on
their long term relationships.
shame, fear, confu-
sion, rage;
“I even try to make my brother
and sister behave so that you don’t Psychological Association,
Violence and the Family: Report
Child Victim/Witness of • Poor social skills;
get mad”
of the APA Presidential Task
Domestic Violence, age-specific
indicators:
Infants
• Developmental delays;
• Protection of mother; sees
her as "weak";
“If you could see yourself
through my eyes, you’d understand
why I’m sad”
Force on Violence and the Family,1996)
• Male children who witness
• Basic need for attachment is • Guarded/secretive about “Sometimes I have a fantasy the abuse of mothers by fathers
disrupted;
family;
about living with another family are more likely to become men
• Routines around feeding/
sleeping are disturbed;
• Aggressive and distrustful.
Adolescence
who does not like to fight or become
violent, who care and understand.”
who batter in adulthood than
those male children from homes
• Injuries while "caught in the Dating relationships may
free of violence (Rosenbaum and
crossfire";
• Irritability or inconsolable
crying;
• Frequent illness;
• Difficulty sleeping;
• Diarrhea;
• Developmental delays;
• Lack of responsiveness.
Preschool
• Somatic or psychosomatic
complaints;
• Wets on self;
• Regression;
• Irritability;
• Fearful of being alone;
• Extreme separation anxiety;
• Aggression;
• Self-destructiveness;
• Developmental delays;
• Sympathetic toward mother.
Elementary School Age
• Vacillation between being
eager to please and being
hostile;
• Verbal about problems in
home life;
• Developmental delays;
• Externalized behavior problems;
• Inadequate social skill development;
reflect violence learned or witnessed
in the home.
Internalized and externalized
behavior problems becoming extreme
and dangerous:
• Use of drugs and alcohol;
• Truancy from school;
• Gang involvement;
• Sexual acting out;
• Pregnancy;
• Runaway;
• Suicidal.
Working with Affected Children
Trust is a major factor when
working with children exposed to
domestic violence. Children need
a safe place with an adult they can
trust to begin healing. When first
working with a child, it is helpful to
ask what makes her/him feel comfortable
and uncomfortable with
adults. Listen to children and provide
them with space and respect.
Through the Eyes of a Child;
their thoughts and concerns:
“The worst time of the day is
when Daddy gets home”
“My mom gets really nervous,
especially when Dad is in a bad
mood”
“I always wonder, ‘Did I do
“I want to be adopted by another
family. Every night I ask God to
give me a new family.”
Statistics
• Each year an estimated 3.3
million children are exposed to
violence against their mothers
or female caretakers by family
members.
• Studies show that child
abuse occurs in 30 to 60 percent
of family violence cases that involve
families with children.
• A survey of 6,000 American
families found that 50 percent of
men who assault their wives, also
abuse their children.
• Research shows that 80 to
90 percent of children living in
homes where there is domestic
violence are aware of the violence.
• A number one predictor of
child abuse is woman abuse.
• The more severe the abuse
of the mother, the worse the child
abuse.
• Some 80 percent of child
fatilities within the family are attributable
to fathers or father surrogates.
O'Leary, "Children: The Unintended
Victims of Marital Violence,"
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,
1981)
• Older children are frequently
assaulted when they intervene to
defend or protect their mothers.
(Hilberman and Munson, "Sixty
Battered Women," Victimology:
An International Journal, 1977-
78)
• In a 36-month study of 146
children, ages 11-17, that came
from homes where there was
domestic violence, all sons over
the age of 14 attempted to protect
their mothers from attacks.
About 62 percent were injured in
the process. (Roy, 1988)
• Women believe their batterers:
Cycle of Battering model
developed in the USA by Lenore
Walker (1979).
Resources:
Internet, Chapter published by
Dr. Maria Muñoz Kantha Titled:
Domestic Violence, Battered Women
and Dimensions of the Problem
chapter 15, Human Services Text
book. Edited by: Howard Harris
and David Maloney.

PAGE 10 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Fred Polvere
Here We No Again
In 1993, President Bill Clinton
made a bold move to reform
health care. He
assembled a task
force of experts
who worked together
to form a
comprehensive
program that
would expand
health care and
lower future costs.
Clinton’s big mistake
was choosing
his wife Hillary
to lead the
task force. Her
political inexperience
made her
no match for the
powerful health
care companies
who did not want
any change that
would cut into
their profits.
An all-out advertising war
erupted, with the insurance companies
portraying themselves as
defenders of ordinary Americans.
Since health insurance companies
and major pharmaceutical
producers were
big donors to the
Republican Party,
Republicans took
an active role
in demonizing
“Hillarycare.”
Republicans
were successful
in killing health
care reform and
gaining control
of the House of
Representatives.
They maintained
iron-fisted control
of the House
for the next 12
years and even
when Republicans
controlled
the House, the
Senate and the
White House, not
one word was mentioned about
America’s health care problem.
Meanwhile, health care costs
have continued to skyrocket.
Today, more people lack health
coverage than in 1993 since they
can’t afford premiums that can
eat up more than 25% of their
take-home salaries. Small businesses
are dropping coverage for
e m p l o y e e s
in order to
stay solvent.
Medical bills
have become
the number
one cause
of personal
b a n k r u p t -
cies - even for
those families who have health
insurance.
President Obama entered
office with a personal pledge to
enact health care reform. Despite
Democratic majorities in
both houses of Congress, Obama
didn’t produce his own plan nor
did he construct a roadmap to a
final destination for health care
reform. To this day, it is unclear
just what Obama stands for in
the way of reform on the issue.
Unlike President Clinton,
Obama left it to Congress to produce
a plan. Ignoring history and
political reality, he reached out
to Republicans to participate in
a spirit of bipartisanship. Republicans
responded exactly as they
had in 1993. They demonized
“Obamacare.” They scared people
with phony claims of “death panels.”
They threatened that bureaucrats
would decide which doctors
people could see and that everyone
was in danger of losing access
to their current doctors.
Obama, still residing in his delusional
happy world, was unwilling
to strike back at Republicans
by saying that the “death panels”
were scarem
o n g e r i n g
that showed
a level of deceit
beyond
anything said
in 1993. He
didn’t scream
that it is
health insurance
bureaucrats who make our
health care decisions now and
that they get promoted for saving
money for their employers by denying
care. Not once did Obama
point out that if your company
changes its health care provider,
you will often lose access to your
current doctor.
Obama’s lack of clarity and his
unwillingness to engage in a fight
emboldened Republicans who
saw a chance to repeat their takeover
of the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, they stonewalled
everything, blocking even
minor appointments as a way to
create a monumental logjam. The
official Republican Party stance
has been that bipartisanship on
health care meant Democrats
had to accept all of their ideas. If
not, they proposed starting the
process all over again.
Of course, starting all over
again means that health care re-

form will die, just as it did in 1993.
That has been the Republican
mission and they have been abetted
by Obama who still doesn’t
seem to realize that Republicans
are playing hard-ball while he
plays wiffle-ball.
The only proposals Republicans
have put forth are tort reform,
health savings accounts and selling
insurance across state lines.
Tort reform has been high on
the Republican agenda not only
for health insurance companies
but to benefit all corporations.
They argue that tort reform will
only hurt trial lawyers. This ignores
that injured people have
little recourse now that Republicans
have eliminated or weakened
so many regulations which
have protected citizens. The nonpartisan
Congressional Budget
Office, using the Republicans’
own numbers, said that tort reform
would save less than onehalf-of-one-percent
of premium
costs. If tort reform were enacted,
a policy costing $12,000 a year
would be reduced by $55.
Health savings accounts and
selling insurance across state
lines will offer savings to those
who are young and healthy but
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
will result in dramatic increases
for Americans who are older or
sick or both. Health savings accounts
will result in people not
taking early preventative steps
in order keep their account balances
high. And of course, health
savings accounts force you to
gamble on whether you will develop
a serious injury or illness.
Selling insurance across state
lines is a race to the bottom, since
consumers will be enticed by the
lowest, cheapest rates - again
forcing people to gamble about
their medical and financial future.
Republicans don’t mention anything
about who would regulate
the companies that sell policies
across state lines. Of course, that’s
to be expected, since Republicans
would never propose regulating
major corporations; that would
be biting the hand that feeds you.
I don’t know if a health care
reform bill will be enacted into
law but I do know that it will not
be real reform. We will never get
real reform as long as Republicans
are so able to scare people
and as long as Democrats remain
a divided, feckless party with the
guy at the top unwilling to enter
the fray. n
PAGE 11

PAGE 12 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Readers Respond, continued from page 4
and are also taxpayer subsidized,
by the way, in order to finance
students’ college education. Therefore,
the article is completely convoluted
and thus creates a fictional
clash between Alzheimer’s advocates
and SUNY advocates.
We are currently experiencing
one of the worst recessions in our
nation’s history and this approach,
as she states, “survival of the fittest,”
not only divides people, but creates
misinformation in American society.
SUNY advocates have never
argued that New York State should
cut funding for Alzheimer victims;
however, we do argue that we should
maintain the quality and affordability
of higher public education.
Esteban Valerio
Reader: Columnist Needs
Sensitivity Training
Dear Editor:
In his February 4th column,
Fred Polvere went from criticizing
some of Supreme Court Justice
Antonio Scalia’s rulings to criticizing
his Catholicism.
In his March 4th column,
Mr. Polvere went from criticizing
Rudy Giuliani’s recent statements
on terror attacks to describing him
as a “weirdo” and “buffoon”.
Columnist Polvere obviously has
a problem in distinguishing between
legitimate criticism and unacceptable,
derogatory personal attacks
and name-calling when it comes to
Americans of Italian descent.
Considering that Americans of
Italian descent are among the largest
ethnic group in the newspapers’
market, it should behoove the editors
of the paper to provide Mr.
Polvere with some much-needed
sensitivity training on this matter.
This could be best provided by
the editors appropriately applying
their editorial pen to Mr. Polvere’s
columns before they are printed.
Marino Michelotti
New Rochelle
Mr. Michelotti:
In light of your statement that
columnist Polvere “has a problem
in distinguishing between legitimate
criticism and unacceptable derogatory
personal attacks and namecalling
when it comes to Americans
of Italian descent”, we must take
exception to your analysis.
It has been our experience
that Fred is perfectly willing to
make derogatory comments about
persons of all ethnic backgrounds
when such commentary is accurate
and appropriate. Furthermore, for
your good information, Mr. Polvere
is, himself, of Italian ancestry,
both on his mother’s and father’s
side, a fact which would also tend
to refute your observation.
Thank you for being such a
loyal reader; and, do not hesitate
to continue submitting your
thoughts. -Editor
Astorino Not Loyal To
His Agenda For Change
Dear Editor:
I’m thrilled that you and the
other staff on your paper still feel
Mr. Astorino hasn’t been as loyal
to his total change and improvement
agenda.
For certain staff and departments
maybe he isn’t as brave as
he wanted people to believe when
he took charge. He might also feel
that getting some better County
department staff wouldn’t be easy
or quick now. His grade from me
is a ‘D-’, so far.
Additionally, his sympathy for
Mr. Burrows is mostly for his benefit,
and not Yonkers residents.
A Weekly Reader
Mount Vernon Needs
To Clean Its Clock
Dear Editor:
Last week was the second time
Mayor Clinton Young, two law enforcement
officers, and a female
clerk, came to Fleetwood’s Neighborhood
Association Meeting to
address crime and prevention.
They suggested to call 911 when
something looks suspicious. And,
secondly, “saw off a broom handle
and jam it in your window for
home burglary prevention.” The
officer who suggested it belonged
on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show; a comical
guy.
Then, too, a flyer was circulated
regarding a new and extensive
Gramatan Avenue Housing (HUD)
project proposed for the Hartley
Park area. Currently Mount Vernon
consists of four square miles
and accommodates 100,000 plus
or minus people. That equates to
approximately 25,000 people per
mile. The Mayor seemingly thinks
we need more people. Hello???
The Code Red light started
flashing in my head. What now?
More of the same old, same old.
Immediately I signed up with the
Mayor’s clerk to vehemently speak
against this HUD project at the
next City Council meeting held
last Wednesday night, March 10.
Seems my name slipped through
the cracks and I never got to the
microphone.
However, the meeting was well
worth attending. To share, some
topics of concern were the City’s
fiscal irresponsibility, corruption,
unqualified hiring practices (nepotism),
a $10,000 land purchase
used as a medical waste dump
site, endorsed by City Hall, near
St. Paul’s Church, sluggishness in
rebuilding Memorial Field, reduction
v. increasing the number of
tennis courts; the administration
of non-compliance v. adherence
to the Constitution and by-laws,
no code enforcement specifically
pertaining to Mount Vernon’s hiphop
area of Fourth Avenue and
Third Street, the heart and core of
Mount Vernon.
Years ago we had two movie
theaters, the RKO Proctor Building,
and the Parkway here in Fleetwood;
bowling alleys, a roller skating
rink on Lincoln Avenue, an
ice cream parlor, and wonderful

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
shopping on Fourth Avenue.
Is Westchester Fabrics the only
remaining merchant? Bless their
hearts, good folk. Today, Fourth Avenue
has double-parking all over, and
it could cost one’s life to shop there;
dirty streets, drugs, poor education,
welfare, crime, you name it. As the
Limbo Lyrics say, “How low can you
go?” That’s life in Mount Vernon.
Years ago, the Pennington
School ranked fifth scholastically
in the nation. Today???
It was truly awe-inspiring to
hear the concern and disgust of
residents speaking of how our
neighboring communities, Yonkers,
New Rochelle, and White
Plains, are upgrading and giving
their towns a “total body makeover”
while Mount Vernon continues
slogging around in the muck.
Mount Vernon residents clearly
want, and deserve, better than
City Hall is offering. Improvement
is long overdue.
Mount Vernon, logistically, is
unquestionably the best town in
Westchester. Nolo contandre there.
So why don’t we start by a thorough
housecleaning, becoming fiscally
responsible; no more borrowing,
reduce abusive welfare, totally
rebuild Fourth and Third Streets,
shut down “out of control” schools
and open charter schools, reduce
crime and drugs, take responsibility
for the economic health/also
known as safety, of Mount Vernon,
enforce code enforcement, that’s a
biggie. One could go on and on.
It’s high time to take back our
City from the claws of corruption.
Lorraine D
Government Officials
Misusing Police
Dear Editor:
Government officials using the
police to handle “things”? Nothing
new about that, at least not in
Westchester County!
During Larry Schwartz’ time
as ‘right-hand man’ down here, the
wife of a fair tax activist contacted
his office many times in hopes of
speaking to him.
The call was finally returned,
by a police officer. The woman was
told that her attempts could be
deemed as harassment.
Thankfully, the officer’s tone,
personally, was apologetic. He was
merely doing as instructed.
Deja-Vu
We invite our readers’ comments. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions or views of The Westchester Guardian or the Guardian News Corporation.
Letters should be no more than 500 words in length, and may be edited for length and clarity. Please
email your letters to editor@westchesterguardian.com. For verification purposes we ask you include
your address and a daytime phone number.
PAGE 13
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PAGE 14 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Shelley Ackerman
March 18 - 24
By Shelley Ackerman
Spring shows what God can do
with a drab and dirty world. ~Virgil
A. Kraft
Spring is God’s way of saying
“let’s party”. ~ Robin Williams
“Drab” is probably the last word
that comes to mind when looking
at the chart for Spring 2010.
“Colorful”, “dramatic”, “volatile”
and “ripe with possibilities” is
more like it, for when the Sun enters
Aries and the astrological New
Year begins on March 20 @ 1:32
PM EDT, Mars, the warrior planet,
rises in the east and aligns with and
activates the Sun in a way that says,
in no uncertain terms: “Hold on to
your hats”!
The tense “T-Square” configuration
between the Sun/Mercury,
Saturn, and Pluto reinforces the
“something’s gotta give” energy and
It’s Spring Again!
The Aries Ingress: It’s A Mars, Mars, Mars, Mars World
places an international focus and influence
on events here at home.
As the United States continues
to face one of the worst economic
disasters in modern history, we are
on the verge of passing a sweeping
health reform bill. Many remain unemployed,
the IRS is on everyone’s
case, while millions deal with the
threat of foreclosure. But “sweet are
the uses of adversity” and Spring
2010 will provide all signs of the
zodiac with a rigorous curriculum,
plenty of testing, and above all else,
a chance to show the world what
you’re made of.
This week’s horoscope begins with
something to think on from a notable
member of your sign. May it inspire
you to take the ball and run with it.
An American Treasure: Broadway
Legend Stephen Sondheim
Celebrates His 80 th Birthday
Born on March 22, 1930 in New
York City, Stephen Sondheim grew
up in privilege in Manhattan before
moving to a Pennsylvania farm after
his father vanished one night. The
young genius was less than 10 years
old; it left him emotionally scarred
and, as is the case with many born
under Aries, feeling responsible for
his mother’s well-being. Though
these scars permanently impacted
his personal life, they would serve
him well creatively over the course
of his lifetime with the theater-going
public as beneficiaries.
Mentored by Oscar Hammerstein
at puberty and through his teens, the
boy wonder wrote for the television
series Topper, at age 23, in 1953.
Writing the lyrics for “West Side
Story” and “Gypsy” followed in 1957
and 1959 (his Saturn-return), and by
the early 1960s he fulfilled his talent
as the greatest composer/lyricist
that
the American theater
had ever known. The
roster of his awardshows
is staggering
as it is impressive:
“A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to
the Forum”, “Company”,
“Follies”, “A
Little Night Music”,
“Sunday in the Park
with George”, “Sweeney
Todd”, “Into the
Woods”, the list is
endless. Even his socalled
flops “Anyone
Can Whistle”, “Do I Hear a Waltz”,
have become cult classics. My life
has been so enriched by his work.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Sondheim,
and thank you for everything.
Aries (March 21-April 19): “A bird
doesn’t sing because it has an answer,
it sings because it has a song.”-
Maya Angelou. It’s your time of year
time? True, Pluto squaring your Sun
will force a change that you may not
feel ready for, but don’t fight it. The
universe is smarter than you.
and reflection goes a long way. How
much self-determination can you
handle and what can you truly afford
financially? There’s a lot bubbling
beneath the surface so don’t
baby, and with your ruling planet,
Taurus (April 20-May 20): “Most
Mars, rising in the Aries Ingress
people do not really want freedom,
feel obliged to be more social than
chart (which heralds the arrival of
because freedom involves responsibility,
and most people are fright-
you’re in the mood to be. Focus on
Spring in the east coast) AND forming
a supportive aspect to the Sun,
your health (physical and mental)
ened of responsibility”, said Sigmund
Freud, the father of modern
and nourish yourself by communing
it’s a “fire on fire” scenario. So with
with nature and the elements.
the sky being the limit, and with the
analysis, and while much of Freud’s Gemini (May 21-June 21): From
steady hand of Saturn legitimizing
philosophy is (IMHO) open to revision,
this is a week (OK, a month) body said to me, ‘But the Beatles
Beatle Paul McCartney: “Some-
your every move and keeping you
in check, how will you spend your
in which a little self-examination were anti-materialistic.’ That’s a huge
myth. John and I literally used to
sit down and say, ‘Now, let’s write
a swimming pool.’” Yes, it’s the old
carrot and donkey routine. Work,
when perceived as drudgery, takes
ten times longer to get through. But
when you hold in your mind’s eye,
what you’d really love to see as a result,
it can become a thing of joy. It’s
always darkest before the dawn, so
they say, but do “they” know how
frustrating it is when you can’t quite
find the right words that you need to
make your case, or what it’s like to

have your every thought and word
challenged by nay-sayers?
Cancer (June 22-July 22): “It is the
enemy who can truly teach us to
practice the virtues of compassion
and tolerance”, said the Dalai Lama,
who by the way, shares his July 6 th
birthday with George W. Bush!
Watch your temper on the 23 rd , a little
frustration tolerance goes a long
way. If need be, lower your expectations,
at least temporarily. You may
be pleasantly surprised.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): “Nobody has
ever measured, not even poets, how
much the heart can hold.”- Zelda
Fitzgerald (wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald)
and no one has a bigger heart
than Leo. Now, what if it were proven
that the heart was the organ of intelligence
and not the brain? It’s true you
know, the heart is where we ‘hear’ the
still small voice that comes from the
source of universal knowledge. Keep
that in mind as you are called upon to
put out fires here, there, and thither.
On a mundane level, neighborhood
traffic snarls and snafus could be
blessings in disguise
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Man invented
language to satisfy his deep
need to complain”, uttered one Lily
Tomlin. The brilliant comedienne,
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE 15
actress, and wit par excellence, exemplifies
and cleaner minds”, said fellow Scor-
make after another, you’re up for the
Virgo at its most creative pio Will Rogers, who, in case you’ve challenge. Try not to be thrown by
expression. And while lamenting the forgotten, “never met a man he didn’t the heightened activity on the homefront:
slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
like”. Let that sentiment be your guid-
Yes, the natives are restless, so
does have its moments, try not ing light this Spring (at least through to speak, but you are quite capable
to make it the centerpiece of your much of April) as you strive to accentuate
of lending a steadying hand to each
existence. On the other hand, with
the positive by directing your and every situation as it arises, and
so much transformational energy energy to the tasks at hand. For the there’ll be plenty of ‘em.
afoot it would serve you well to preselect
time being, focus on putting one foot
your designated ‘listeners’ for in front of the other and do not worry
the next few weeks. Make sure that about the big-picture, at least not right
they’re people who not only have the now. Be clear and honest with yourself
capacity to listen well, but to respond about the skill and commitment of coworkers
thoughtfully, and as needed.
and those that you have (pos-
sibly) exalted in error. Have you been
rewarding the right people? If not,
make those adjustments now.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): “I am not a
perfect servant. I am a public servant
doing my best against the odds. As I
develop and serve, be patient. God is
not finished with me yet”, said Jesse
Jackson, and nothing could be more
fitting for this Spring cycle in which
your Sun is being challenged well and
often by Martian, Saturn, and Plutonian
energies. What doesn’t kill you
makes you stronger, and despite the
bouts of occasional discomfort, you’re
in the throws of a growth spurt of cosmic
proportions. Communal support
and a partner’s (or best friend’s) helping
hand act as the spoonful of sugar
that helps the medicine go down.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): What the
country needs is dirtier fingernails
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“It is not the answer that enlightens,
but the question”, said Sagittarian
playwright Eugene Ionesco,
and as this Spring commences with
a grand-trine between the Sun and
Mars to your sign in the creative and
inspiring fire houses of your chart,
be encouraged to fan the flames of
curiosity at every turn. Gifted Sagittarian
‘winners’, Kathryn Bigelow,
Mo’nique, and Jeff Bridges dominated
the major categories at this
year’s Oscars. Your ability to craft
story in a way that enlightens and
inspire will see you though many a
dicey moment this Spring. Encourage
others to take the high road as
you do the same.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan 19): “Only
the fool hopes to repeat an experience;
the wise man knows that every
experience is to be viewed as a blessing”,
said Capricorn Henry Miller, a
wise old goat if ever there was one.
And though Spring 2010 will present
you with one tough decision to
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “All my
life I have tried to pluck a thistle and
plant a flower wherever the flower
would grow in thought and mind”,
said Abraham Lincoln, Aquarian
and 16 th US President, and that sentiment
should be placed on a post-it
to guide you through Spring 2010, a
time when we all may be called upon
to pluck many a thistle and turn
lemons into lemonade, with Aquarians
showing (the rest of the zodiac)
the way. Though you may see yourself
with an unusually high influx of
people to respond to, take your time
with each and every one. It would be
better to frustrate a correspondent
with a slow response, than one that
hasn’t been thought-through thoroughly.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): “Be
like a duck. Calm on the surface,
but always paddling like the dickens
underneath”, said perennially
nominated and two-time Academy
Award Winner, Michael Caine.
And with the Sun/Mars configuration
in your money/work houses at
Spring’s inception, you have every
reason to be encouraged by what lies
ahead. Taking a pro-active approach
to your financial life and going after
that which you deeply desire is most
encouraged at this time. You may
be stunned at what you are able to
make happen. ■
Aries Ingress Of The Sun
March 20, 2010, 12:32pm EDT
New York, N.Y.
Solarfire Chart courtesy of Astrolabe
This Week’s Planets
(Times are EDT):
March 18: Moon in Aries V/C @ 7:23 am, enters Taurus @ 12:29 pm, Mercury opposite
Saturn @ 7:04 am
March 20: Moon V/C @ 3:42 pm, enters Gemini @ 8:28 pm, Mercury square Pluto
@ 4:16 am, Sun in Aries @ 1:32 pm
March 21: Sun trine Mars @ 1:54 pm, Sun opposite Saturn @ 8:37 pm
March 22: Moon V/C @ 9:49 pm, Mars sextile Saturn @ 11:55 pm
March 23: Moon in Cancer @ 2:16 am
Moon V/C- a time to disconnect, best for spiritual not earthly pursuits

PAGE 16 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
Catherine Wilson, Bureau Chief
On Tuesday, March 9, Westchester
County Executive Rob Astorino, in
a briefing to the Board of Legislators,
announced that the County was facing
a budget deficit of over $166 million
for the next fiscal year. Astorino
projected as much as $355 million in
deficits for the County by 2013.
“We must act now or things will
only get worse,” Astorino said. “We
have to dramatically cut the costs
of our government.” Astorino acknowledged
that any cuts would be
“painful” and assured the Legislators,
“The measures I am calling for protect
essential services and provide
for a zero percent increase in the
county’s property tax levy”.
Simultaneous with Astorino’s
briefing, the County released a PowerPoint
version of his presentation
along with a “Budget Fact Sheet”.
According to the County’s “Fact
Sheet”:
Layoffs: The average cost of a
Westchester County employee with
fringe benefits is $100,000. For every
100 full-time positions eliminated,
the savings would be $10 million.
Eliminating 1,600 positions would
save $160 million.
Pay freeze: $20.5 million can be
saved in salary and fringe benefits
if the County’s major unions would
agree to forego the 4 percent raise for
next year that is in their contract.
Cutting The County’s Coffers
Pay decreases: An additional
$23.8 million can be saved with a 5
percent decrease in pay and $47.6
million with a 10 percent decrease.
Health care contributions:
$22.3 million can be saved if the
unions agreed to a 15 percent contribution
to the cost of their County
health plan. Savings grow as contributions
are increased.
Furloughs: $5.1 million can be
saved by a 5-day Countywide employee
furlough.
Separation incentive: An estimated
$7 million in savings in personnel
costs can be realized in 2011
if employees are given an incentive
to voluntarily leave employment
with the County.
How Shortfall Was Calculated
For 2011, Astorino’s administration
projects that if no cuts are made,
spending will automatically increase
by about $116 million compared to
2010, and a decrease in income of
about $50 million, including drops
in federal aid and sales tax revenue.
Astorino told the Board of Legislators
that he already acted to realize
some savings, including:
• Social Services: $5.8 million
from the Department of Social Services,
including $3.3 million in reduced
costs of foster care due to better
case management.
• Finance: $2.1 million in savings
from the refinancing of bonds.
• Information
Technology: $2.7
million in savings
by temporarily not
filling vacant positions,
cutting overtime,
and deferring
some maintenance
and hardware purchases.
• Public Safety:
$905,000 by
temporarily not
filling vacant positions,
reducing
overtime through redeployment and
eliminating the mounted unit.
• Transportation: $1.37 million
in savings by temporarily not filling
vacant positions and eliminating the
express bus route (Bx M4C) to New
York City.
• Parks: $1.6 million in savings
by temporarily delaying the filling of
20 vacant positions, closing the Croton
Park Pool and opening Playland
one hour later each day.
Analysis:
Some of those measures for 2010,
such as the deferring of maintenance
and hardware purchases, are not
true “savings” since at some point
the maintenance will have to be performed
and the hardware replaced.
Given that the County is facing
deficits for the next three years
at least, according to Astorino’s own
estimates, any deferring of expenses
in the current year will exacerbate
the deficits in future years. Deferring
expenses into future periods
when faced with long-term deficits
is not responsible financial management
and is not an option. Indeed,
since the County is admitting that
it is already saving money by refinancing
its bonds, presumably at
lower interest rates, it makes more
financial sense to make any hardware
purchases while interest rates
are low. There is no guarantee that
the current Feds funds prime rate
0
Westchester is facing the following deficits over the next three years.
$166 million
2011
Projected Deficits
$266 million
2012
$355 million
2013
Assumptions:
•No increase in county property tax
•No change in current number of employees
•Current contractual increases for pension, salary, and healthcare remain in effect
of 0.25% upon which most loans
are based, will continue into future
years.
Astorino correctly stressed that
the real solution for the future requires
“significant reduction in the
County’s personnel costs”. County
salaries and employee benefits, including
health care and pensions,
will cost $601 million in 2010; those
costs are expected to increase to
$655 million in 2011. “Fixing our
budget deficit will require changing
the way we think about County
government and the way we operate
County government,” Astorino
admitted. “These changes will hurt,
but not as much as denial that they
are needed. The time for acting responsibly
has come.”
While Astorino’s administration
did get government officials and department
heads involved in making
these recommendations, it stopped
short at performing a full, line by
line, “zero-based” budget to analyze
exactly how the County government
should be operated at every level.
The County did ask Bennett
Kielson, the County’s long-time audit
firm, to review the County’s assumptions
and methodology for 2011 expenditures
and revenues. According
to the County’s press release, the auditors
“found them to be reasonable”.
Bennett Kielson has been the
“long-term” audit firm for several
Westchester municipalities, including

New Rochelle. In 2008, the County
rehired Bennett Kielson to conduct
the 2008 through 2010 audits. In
the “Request for Proposal” (RFP)
that the County issued to potential
audit firms, it noted, “The auditor is
not required to audit the schedule of
federal financial assistance”.
The County receives assistance
from a variety of federal sources,
including from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development,
the federal agency that successfully
sued Westchester County in 2009 for
some $65 million, including $51.6
million misappropriated by the Spano
Administration, and nearly $13
million in fines, fees and interest for
failing to comply with Fair Housing
requirements in its grants.
But even if the County extended
its contract with Bennett Kielson to
include audits of government grants,
the HUD lawsuit might not have
been avoided - Bennett Kielson was
also the audit firm for the City of
New Rochelle when it failed an audit
with HUD for weaknesses in its
administrative controls including
“inadequate monitoring of the City
of New Rochelle’s community housing
development organization”.
Bennett Kielson clearly notes on
its website that it conducts “compliance”
and “program specific” audits,
but its audits still resulted in a failed
report from HUD for New Rochelle.
Yet despite the fact that the HUD audit
report was issued in 2007 failing
to alert New Rochelle to inadequate
controls, Westchester
County still hired Bennett
Kielson as its auditor
in 2008. Why?
Bennett Kielson is the
government arm of the
audit firm of O’Connor,
Davies, Munns, & Dobbins,
LLP in White
Plains. O’Connor Davies
sponsors a series of local
government events including
last week’s Westchester
County Association’s
New York State
Legislator’s Breakfast at
the Tappan Hill Mansion.
The RFP issued by
the County clearly noted
that any audit firm hired
should not have any
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
“conflict of interest” with areas and individuals
they would be auditing. So
how can the County’s audit firm claim
it has no conflict-of-interest with the
County when it is subsidizing expensive
breakfasts for them hosted by local
renowned caterers? (Tappan Hill
is the headquarters of Abigail Kirsch
caterers, whose client list includes
ESPN, Lincoln Center, and Joe Torre).
Last November, the Westchester
County Association offered opinions
and reviews from local accountants,
business owners, and auditors on the
County’s budget. While Astorino’s
administration is correct in involving
the department heads in the County in
determining how to resolve the budget
crisis, it is incorrect in leaving the independent
analysis of those recommendations
to the audit firm, especially an
audit firm shelling out cash favors to
County Legislators but did not uncover
the financial weaknesses in New
Rochelle’s handling of federal funds.
If Astorino’s administration truly
wants to resolve the current budget
crisis, they should reach out to local
accounting experts, auditors, and
business owners for their independent
advice. The Guardian will also
conduct a “zero-based” review of the
County’s budgets and spending, and
employee contracts, including Westchester
Community College, to determine
what changes can be made
to run the County as cost-efficiently
as possible. We ask our readers to
contribute their suggestions and recommendations
as well. n
PAGE 17

PAGE 18 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
press release
Drink This, Not That!
The human body is composed of about
70 percent water. Take that as a hint.
Water is at the top of the list of things
you should be drinking plenty of, says Dr.
Kristina Penniston, a clinical nutritionist
with the University of Wisconsin School of
Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).
Penniston, who works primarily with kidney specialists, says
what you choose to drink, and in what quantity, has a huge impact on
the health of your kidneys and other parts of
your body. Every day, the average American
guzzles several quarts of liquid --everything
from good old H20 to drinks like coffee, soda,
juice and alcohol.
Water is best, but you don’t necessarily
have to heed the old saw that suggests you
drink a full eight glasses a day.
“Our need for fluids varies so much, and there’s really no one-sizefits-all
amount,” says Penniston. “Everything depends on what you’re
doing—are you sweating during physical activity or are you sitting at
a desk being sedentary?”
If you’re looking to avoid kidney stones—and given the pain they
can cause, you should be—both lemonade and orange juice both contain
a citrate that helps prevent the buildup of calcium oxylate, the
substance that forms kidney stones.
That’s a good thing. But there’s also a drawback: both beverages
are laden with sugar and calories.
“We don’t drink eight ounces of pure lemon juice, which is what
actually provides the protection,” says Penniston. “We dilute it with
water and sugar, and that changes the equation of how healthy it is
fairly significantly.”
Cranberry juice has its share of sugar, too, but some recent research
suggests it also has something else: a substance
that may inhibit the strains of e.coli bacteria that
can cause painful urinary-tract infections.
“We know that you can show in a test tube
that the infectious bacteria are kept in check by
cranberry juice,” says Dr. Dr. Sarah McAchran,
an urologist and assistant professor of urology at
UW. “The question is, when you drink the juice,
does the protective element excrete into the urine
and the urinary tract?”
Grapefruit juice is packed with vitamins and minerals. But if
you’re on certain types of antidepressants, or using statins to control
cholesterol, you need to avoid it, because it interferes with the body’s
ability to metabolize the drugs. In some cases, the interaction speeds
up the body’s response to certain drugs, creating a dangerous and lifethreatening
situation.
Then there’s soda, the favorite beverage
of many--if not most-- Americans. In fact,
the United States is responsible for more
than a third of the world’s total soda consumption
every year. Penniston suggests we
should choose another option—or at least
cut way back.
“I would really ask people to wake up to the fact that the amounts
of high-fructose corn syrup found in most types of sodas are associated
with all sorts of troublesome health issues, from obesity and kidney
stones to gout and insulin resistance,” she says.
Diet sodas don’t lead to obesity, but they aren’t necessarily much
better. A 2009 Brigham and Women’s Hospital study suggested that
women who consume more than two diet sodas a day may be doubling
their risk of kidney-function decline.
Vegetable juice drinks seem like a no-brainer—after all, aren’t all
those great vitamins in things like tomato juice cocktails wonderful for
us? Well, yes. But the huge amounts of sodium that accompany some
of them aren’t.
“The kidneys actually mirror the heart in several ways,” says Dr.
Stephen Nakada, head of the division of urology at UW Hospital and
Clinics. “And that includes the fact that too much sodium isn’t good
for either of them. High levels of sodium contribute to kidney stones,
and are a risk factor for high blood pressure and heart attacks.”
Sports drinks are also loaded with sodium,
which makes them an odd choice for
those who drink them while sitting in their
cubicles rather than after a 10K run.
“It’s good to remember that these drinks
were formulated for elite athletes who need
to replace fluids lost to sweat,” notes Penniston.
“The rest of us probably shouldn’t drink
them unless we need them.” Opting for the
low-sugar and low-sodium versions of these drinks is another possibility.
The bigger issue with many of these drinks, says Dr. Nakada, is
actually the size of the bottles. In recent years, both soda and sportsdrink
bottles seem to have been put on some kind of steroid regimen—
20 and 24-ounces bottles have edged out 12 and 16-ounce servings.
Some companies have also begun to offer smaller-size serving options,
but big bottles still dominate the shelves.
“If you’re smart, you’re staying away from large drinks,” says Dr.
Nakada. “Whatever drink you’re talking about, the bottom line is you
should try to avoid excesses, and simplification is best.”
Dr. Penniston agrees. “The key to all of this is that your beverage
intake should be diverse, and it should center on moderation. You
don’t want to have too much of any type of drink.”

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
PAGE 19
Mount Vernon Conservatives
To Screen Candidates
For 2010 Election
Mount Vernon’s Conservative Party is screening candidates for their party’s nominations for
legislative and judicial offices in the November 2010 general election and the May 2010 School
Board vote.
Candidates believing in Conservative Party principles must contact local party officials for an
interview. The nominating process will begin this month, and nominees will be presented to the
Mount Vernon City Conservative Party convention to be held at the end of May. School Board
nominations will be made earlier in time for the May School Board elections.
In 2010, City voters will pick an Assemblyman (87th AD), two State Senators (34th SD and
36th SD) and a Congressman (17th Congressional District). The Committee will interview and
designate candidates for the four Family Court, two County Court and Surrogate judgeships for
election in 2010. The City committee will share its designations with Conservatives committees
in the other towns and cities in Westchester.
Last year, the Party supported City Comptroller Maureen Walker in her successful campaign
for re-election and saw the election of two Conservative-nominated City Council members. The
party received nearly 900 votes in the recent city judicial elections and helped elect three Supreme
Court justice candidates. At least four Supreme Court positions are on the ballot this year.
Interested candidates should call 668-7249 or contact Rosemarie Jarosz at (917) 731-7275 to
arrange interviews.

PAGE 20 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
On March 10, I testified before the
Connecticut State Legislature which was
reconsidering death penalty legislation.
Background
Connecticut passed a bill in 2009
which would have repealed the death
penalty, but Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed
the bill. However, she has announced
that she will not be running for reelection,
and it is contemplated that
there will be a push, once again, to
pass the repeal.
In order to try to hang onto capital
punishment down the line, prodeath
penalty advocates made a push
to address legislative shortcomings
now. Having previously testified before
New York State legislators, I traveled
to Hartford to testify.
The Legislation Under Consideration
The bill sought to speed up the executions,
permit challenges to death
sentences, by utilizing statistical evidence.
There were two other bills simultaneously
under consideration:
(a) recording interrogations; but only
in capital cases and class A and B felonies,
and, (b) a reform aimed at increasing
accuracy in identifications.
Susan Storey, the Chief Public
Defender in Connecticut, opposed
modifying the procedures which
would speed up litigation, stating that
it would prevent defendants with legitimate
arguments from being able
to make them. Additionally, she stated
that the provision would prompt a
lot of litigation, which in effect would
extend timeframes.
Karen Goodrow, the director of
the Connecticut Innocence Project,
testified in support of the provision
pertaining to recording interrogations.
She also testified in support of
identification reforms, but asked the
committee to go further and implement
all of the best practices.
Chief State Attorney Kevin Kane
testified that his office had no position
on the death penalty, but that if Con-
Opposing The Death Penalty Before
The Connecticut State Legislature
necticut was going to have it, it should
be able to be used. Therefore, he was
supporting speeding up the process.
Kane, however, opposed the identification
reforms, saying that he was
was opposed to legislating best practices
when down the line new studies
might call them into question.
Kane also opposed mandatory recording
of interrogations, saying that
it was better to let some jurisdictions
do it and others not, so as to study it.
Incredibly, he further said that a red
power light of a recorder could distract;
the officers may not know how
to use the equipment, and that the
equipment could fail to work.
Dr. William Petit Jr., whose wife
and two daughters were murdered
in a horrible home invasion by two
recently-released parolees, has become
a staunch pro-death penalty
advocate. Petit testified in support
of measures that would speed up
executions and limit appeals, stating
that, in Virginia, the time between
sentence and execution is 5-7 years.
Petit acknowledged that by shortening
the process, some innocent
wrongfully-sentenced defendants
could be affected, but took the position
that when weighed against the
many more murder victims’ family
members suffering by waiting, in his
opinion, it didn’t weigh out.
Petit opposed permitting challenges
to death sentences based on statistics,
calling it nonsensical, because
there are too few death penalty cases,
and the facts of each case are what
should be reviewed, and not statistics.
He also indicated his opposition to the
“Death Penalty Authorization Committee”,
which would require district attorneys
to confer and collaborate, rather
than one person making the decision,
a proposal aimed at removing arbitrariness
and political considerations
from playing a role.
Pamela Joiner’s son, Jumar, was
shot and killed in 2008 in Hartford.
His murderer has never been apprehended.
Joiner stated that what she
wanted was her son back, not revenge.
Therefore, she indicated she opposes
the death penalty, and is against “fixing”
it. She indicated her desire that
the state’s resources be directed toward
solving her son’s murder.
I shared that I had spent 16 years
in prison in New York for rape and
murder; that I had been convicted
despite a negative DNA test; that my
conviction had been caused by a coerced,
false confession, the fabrication
of other evidence, fraud by the medical
examiner, and prosecutorial misconduct.
I indicated that further testing
identified the real perpetrator and
that, if I had been 18 years old and not
16 at the time of the crime, and New
York had the death penalty, that I have
no doubt I would have received it.
I noted that my appeals ran out
in 2001, and I was not cleared until
2006. I explained that my case was
no aberration, that 250 DNA-proven
wrongful convictions have occurred
across the country, including three in
Connecticut that did not occur until
their appeals had run out: Miguel Roman,
who served 18½ years for murder,
Kenneth Ireland who served 19½
years for murder and sexual assault,
and James Tillman, who served 16½
years for rape. In addition, there were
many more non-DNA exonerations.
I told them that there was no “fixing”
the death penalty and, that if they
have a death penalty, innocent people
would be executed, even if all of the
reforms in the world were passed because,
in the end, the system is run
by human beings and we all make
mistakes. I expressed my opposition
to shortening the appeals process:
pointing out that exonerations often
take a long time, noting the 35 years it
took for James Bain of Florida, and 27
years for Charles Chatman of Texas;
and emphasizing shortening would
mean catching few errors.
I wholeheartedly supported videotaping
interrogations in all felony
cases and misdemeanors, not merely
in capital or class A and B felony cases.
I stressed that wrongful conviction
prevention should be the goal in all
cases. and called for a standard of best
practices in identification reform.
Senator Looney testified in support
of videotaping interrogations, noting
my case and other studies he had read.
Donald Connery wrote the book
Guilty Until Proven Innocent, and is
an anti-wrongful conviction advocate
and expert. He indicated that he had
been testifying for 16 years in Connecticut,
calling for reforms, only
to see nothing happen. He attacked
Chief State Attorney Kevin Kane’s
testimony, calling it excuses and nonsense,
pointing out that other jurisdictions
record police interrogations
without a problem.
Analysis
While I feel badly for Dr. Petit,
clearly his suffering colors his position.
No reasonable individual can
agree that it is okay to execute even
one innocent person so long as speeding
up executions is accomplished in
order to bring more rapid closure to
victim family members. Petit seems
to oppose anything that would promote
accuracy in the justice system,
somehow seeing it as benefitting
criminals. Clearly, bitterness is eating
away at him; and I hope that his
wounds can someday heal and bring
him to a more justice oriented viewpoint.
Anti-wrongful conviction advocates
are not his natural opponents,
both seek justice. However, the adopting
of extreme positions and giving in
to a desire for revenge are what cause
opposition.
Pamela Joiner, on the other hand,
has clearly risen above her own tragedy.
Her advocacy is admirable, and
one can sense her inner peace. I
thought Donald Connery’s testimony
was profound. ■

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
press release
New York State Comptroller’s Former Chief Investment
Officer Pleads Guilty In Ongoing Pension Investigation
David Loglisci Describes “Culture of Corruption” within New York State Common Retirement Fund
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced that David Loglisci, the former Chief Investment Officer at the Office of the New York State
Comptroller (OSC), who was indicted last year along with co-defendant Henry “Hank” Morris, pled guilty to a Martin Act felony for his role in
the corruption of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (CRF) and will cooperate in the ongoing investigation.
His plea is part of a more than two-year ongoing investigation into corruption involving the Office of the State Comptroller and the Common
Retirement Fund. The charges to date allege a complex criminal scheme involving numerous individuals operating at the highest political
and governmental levels under former Comptroller Alan Hevesi, in which the State pension fund was used as a piggy bank for the Comptroller’s
chief political aide and a favor bank for political allies and other friends.
“With today’s plea, a former top official overseeing the state’s single largest asset admitted that decisions were
driven by politics and greed - not the best interests of the fund or its beneficiaries,” said Attorney General Cuomo.
“Not only were pension recipients defrauded but so were the taxpayers across New York who are ultimately responsible
for sustaining the fund. A culture of corruption permeated the fund and shows how vulnerable it can be to
graft and exploitation without dramatic reform.”
From January 2003 through May 2007, Loglisci’s position at the Office of the State Comptroller granted him the
authority to recommend investments for the CRF, an authority he was duty-bound to exercise in the best interests
of the CRF’s members and beneficiaries. Today, Loglisci acknowledged abdicating his authority to Henry “Hank”
Morris, the top political advisor to former New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, in order to help steer hundreds
of millions of dollars worth of investment deals to Morris and to politically favored firms.
As part of his plea, Loglisci acknowledged breaching his fiduciary duties and violating the public trust by making
investment decisions according to political benefit for the Comptroller, rather than in the best interests of the
CRF’s members and beneficiaries. Loglisci admitted that he understood, but did not disclose, that Morris played
three conflicting roles at the CRF: He was the paid outside political consultant to the sole trustee; he had a financial
interest in multiple proposed alternative investments; and he made investment decisions, including with respect to
deals in which he had a financial interest.
Loglisci further admitted that he had been instructed by senior OSC officials to obtain Morris’ approval prior to recommending or declining
investment proposals and further admitted to ceding his authority over the CRF’s alternative investment portfolio to Morris. Morris used this
authority to corrupt the investment process at the CRF to favor those who either made contributions to the Comptroller’s campaign, which he
managed, or agreed to pay placement or other fees to Morris or his associates, and to punish those who would not. Morris further used this authority,
as well as his position as chief political consultant and campaign fundraiser for the Comptroller, to extract campaign contributions from
those doing and seeking to do business with the CRF, and to reward campaign contributors with investments, which he did.
Loglisci acknowledged breaching his duties and intentionally engaging in fraud, deception and concealment in connection with numerous
investment transactions. With respect to some of these transactions, Loglisci was aware that Morris was a secret partner of Barrett Wissman,
Julio Ramirez and others, with whom Morris split sham placement fees or had other financial interests which Morris concealed from the CRF.
Loglisci pleaded guilty before Justice L. Bart Stone in the State Supreme Court, New York County, Part 31, and was released on his own recognizance
with travel restrictions. Loglisci faces a possible sentence of up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison for the charge of a felony violation of the
Martin Act, a Class E felony.
The State pension fund is the biggest pool of money in the state and the third largest pension fund in the country, most recently valued at
approximately $129 billion. At the time of the events charged, it was valued at approximately $150 billion. The New York State Comptroller is
the sole trustee of the fund, responsible for managing and investing the pension fund solely in the best interests of the over one million current
and former public employees and their families.
Attorney General Cuomo’s investigation into corruption at the CRF has led to a number of criminal charges and six guilty pleas to date,
including guilty pleas by former Liberal Party Chair Ray Harding, investment advisor Saul Meyer, hedge fund manager Barrett Wissman, Julio
Ramirez, an unlicensed placement agent, and venture fund manager Elliott Broidy.
The indictment against Hank Morris remains pending and Morris is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Cuomo also issued subpoenas in May of 2009 to over 100 investment firms and agents after his investigation found that 40 to 50 percent of
agents obtaining investments from New York pension funds were unregistered.
Also in May of 2009, Cuomo announced his Public Pension Fund Reform Code of Conduct, which would eliminate pay to play in state
public pension funds. To date, eleven firms have signed onto the Code: The Carlyle Group, Riverstone Holdings LLC, Pacific Corporate Group
Holdings, LLC, HM Capital Partners I, Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, Access Capital Partners, Falconhead Capital, Markstone Capital
Group, Wetherly Capital Group, Ares, and Freeman Spogli.
These firms collectively have agreed to return more than $90 million associated with New York State Common Retirement Fund investments;
these funds will principally be provided to the CRF for the benefit of the pension holders. Payments from individuals bring that total to more
than $120 million for the CRF and the State.
PAGE 21

PAGE 22 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
ongoing:
mondays & wednesdays
• Mount Vernon Public Library, 28
South First Ave., Mount Vernon, is
offering AARP Tax-Aide workshops
for low- and middle-income taxpayers
needing assistance in preparing
and filing their federal tax returns.
Workshops are staffed with trained
and certified volunteers and are
free of charge and no appointments
are necessary. 10am-3pm in the
library’s Community Room. Info:
1.800.829.1040; 1.800.829.4477
(tax info and refund status);
1.800.829.3676 (publications and
information).
every wednesday
• Sahaja Meditation. Reduce stress,
achieve balance and contentment
in your life, on every level. Free.
7:15pm, White Plains YWCA,
515 North St., White Plains. Info:
914.433.8830/ronme1@yahoo.com.
• Putnam Valley Grange 841 Farmers
Market. Wednesdays all-year
round. Local goods, eggs, baked
goods, green clean, cascade, cheese,
vegetables & more. Free. 3-7pm, 128
Mill St & Peekskill Hollow Rd. Info/
vendor: 845.216.1934.
fridays through march 26
• A five-session course entitled The
Most Beautiful Songs You’ve NEV-
ER Heard Before: Art Songs from
Around The World is at the New
Rochelle Public Library. Music historian
and vocalist Eric Jennings
will discuss and share little-known
songs by Bellini, Mozart, Schubert,
Strauss and Beethoven. He will perform
many pieces in both the original
languages and in English. No
registration required. Free. 1-3pm at
the library, One Library Plaza, New
Rochelle. Info: 914.632.7878 x3400.
through aug. 15
• Traveling The Silk Road: Ancient
Pathway To The Modern World.
This exhibition showcases the goods,
cultures, and technologies from four
representative cities: Xi’an, Turfan,
Samarkand, and ancient Baghdad.
Events for publication in our calendar are free and open to all.
Listings must be submitted at least two (2) weeks in advance.
Email listings to: editor@westchesterguardian.com, att: John.
For info call 914.328.3096.
Visitors can watch live silkworms
spinning cocoons; wander through a
replica of a night market; encounter
life-sized camel models; explore the
ancient skills of papermaking and
metalwork; and track the “stars” using
a working model of an Arab astrolabe.
Children can collect special
stamps in Silk Road “passports” issued
at the exhibition entrance. Sunday
afternoons guests will be treated
to live performances. The American
Museum of Natural History, Central
Park West & 79th St., Manhattan. For
info visit www.amnh.org.
this week:
thurs., march 18
• Women Helping Women. Marcia
Sloman, professional organizer
and president of Under Control in
Ossining, will present a program,
Getting Organized and Staying Organized:
Insights, Tips and Suggestions
for Managing Yourself In Your
Job Search to help you stay on top
of your contacts and activities while
you land the job of your dreams.
Registration required. Free and
open to women who live or work in
Westchester. 9:30-11:30am, Town of
Greenburgh Village Hall, 177 Hillside
Ave., Greenburgh. Info/registration:
914.761.0600 x308.
• Foreign Film. The New Rochelle
Public Library, as part of their Spring
International Film Series, will present
the Italian comedy The Seduction
Of Mimi, starring Giancarlo Giannini,
Mariangelo Melato and Agostina
Bell, and directed by Lina Wertmuller.
In Italian with English subtitles.
Librarian Chris Poggiali will lead a
discussion after the film. Free. 7pm at
the library, One Library Plaza, New
Rochelle. Info: 914.632.7878 x3400.
fri., march 19
• Riverlovers Pot Luck And Meeting.
Come join Riverlovers and find
out what’s happening on our natural
heritage river. Free. 6:30pm, Croton
Point Nature Center, Croton Point
Park, Croton Point Ave., Croton-on-
Hudson. Info: 914.862.5297.
sat., march 20
• Big Read Poetry Workshop. Karen
Rippstein, a certified Poetry Therapist,
will lead the second of two Big
Read Poetry Workshops at the Katonah
Village Library. Light refreshments
will be served. Free and open
to the public; registration required.
1:30 p.m., 26 Bedford Rd., Katonah.
Info/registration: 914-232-3508 or
email katref@wlsmail.org.
• Spring Adventures For Kids:
Shelter For Survival. Kids will build
a shelter in the woods, learning the
important of team building skills as
well as other survival techniques.
Meet at the nature center. Free. 1pm,
Croton Point Nature Center, Croton
Point Park, Croton Point Ave., Croton-on-Hudson.
Info: 914.862.5297.
sun., march 21
• Latin Jazz For The Soul. The fivepiece
musical group Esencia will
bring a tropical blend of Afro-Cuban
Jazz, Brazilian and other Caribbean
rhythms to the New Rochelle
Public Library to herald the beginning
of spring. Playing guitar, bass,
piano, percussion and vibraphone,
the ensemble will perform a variety
of original and cover standards raning
from Tito Puente, Cal Tjader to
Miles Davis. Made possible by the
Friends of the New Rochelle Public
Library. Free; $2 donation suggested.
3pm, One Library Plaza, New
Rochelle. Info: 914.632.7878 x3400.
tues., march 23
• Beyond The Headlines, a weekly
discussion series focusing on current
events, will meet in the Meeting
Room of the New Rochelle Public
Library. Led by Dr. Vincent Bonelli,
Professor of History and Political
Science, Bronx Community College.
Series is made possible by a grant
from the Colburn Home Fund. Free.
1-3pm, One Library Plaza, New Rochelle.
Info: 914.632.7878 x3400.
• The Will Book Club will hold a
discussion of the book The Necklace:
Thirteen Women And The Experiment
That Transformed Their Lives, by
Cheryl Jarvis. Books are available at
the library’s Fine Arts Desk while supplies
last. Refreshments will be served.
Free. 2pm in the Story Room, Grinton
I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Ave.,
Yonkers. Info: 914.337.1500 x317.
wed., march 24
• Downtown Music at Grace’s Noonday
Getaway Series presents Lost
Gems Of The Romantic Era. Vincent
Lionti, viola, and William Wolfram,
piano, play a program of musical
miniatures from the 19th century.
Free. 12:10-12:40pm, Grace Church,
Mamaroneck Ave. @ Main St., White
Plains. Info: 914.949.0384.
homework help
• Grinton I. Will Library, 1500
Central Park Ave., Yonkers; Children’s
Dept. Grades 1-6. Monday
-Wednesday when school is
in session. Free. 4-6:30pm. Info:
914.337.1500 x306.
• New Rochelle Public Library,
One Library Plaza, New Rochelle;
Children’s Room. Grades 1-6.
Monday - Thursday when school
is in session. Free. 3-4:30pm. Info:
914.632.7878.
• Mamaroneck Public Library,
102 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck.
Grades 1-6. Monday &
Thursday only, when school is
in session. Free. 3:30-6pm. Info:
914.698.1250.
• White Plains Public Library,
100 Martine Ave., White Plains;
The Trove. Grades 1-6. Monday
- Thursday when school is
in session. Free. Mon & Wed, 4-
7pm; Tues. & Thurs. 4-6pm. Info:
914.422.1476.

• Hudson River Audubon Meeting.
Bernie Wides, naturalist and docent
at the Hall of Ocean Marine Life at
the American Museum of Natural
History, will offer a presentation
entitled The Antarctic. Free. 7pm,
Lenoir Preserve, Dudley St., Yonkers.
Info: 914.968.5851.
up and coming
thurs., march 25
• Smart Seniors: Stopping Scam
Artists Before They Strike. The
Fieldhome Lecture Series will present
John S. Katzenstein, Senior
Consumer Frauds Representative
of the Office of the New York State
Attorney General in a discussion including
ID theft, fake lotteries and
sweepstakes, charitable donations
and purchases. Learn the steps you
can take to protect your health and
assets. Reservation required. Free.
1-3pm, First Floor Dining Room,
Field Home, 2300 Catherine St.,
Cortlandt Manor. Info/reservations:
914.739.2244 x5501.
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
mon. – thurs., march 29 – april 1
• Hip-Hop Jazz Connection. The
New Rochelle Public Library is offering,
during spring vacation, a
four-session workshop for teens
10-18 years. The sessions will be led
by jazz afficiendo, writer and radio
personality Greg Thomas. Registration
required. Free. Computer
Center and Bliss Music Center, One
Library Plaza, New Rochelle. Registration/info:
914.632.7878 x2000 or
914.632.3300.
sat., march 27
• Katonah Open Poetry Read. Come
and read your own, or favorite, pieces
of poetry on any subject at this
celebration of poetry. Listeners are
also invited. Light refreshments will
be served. Registration required.
Free. 2pm, Katonah Village Library,
26 Bedford Rd., Katonah. Info/registration:
914.232.3508 or email katref@wlsmail.org.
Around The County
Croton-on-Hudson: Van Cortlandt Manor - 18th and 19th century estate known for
elegant antique furnishings and gardens. Was home of the Van Cortlandt family. Tours,
special events and demonstrations. Hrs: 10am-5pm daily (except Tues.), April-Dec.
10am-5pm Sat. & Sun., Jan.-March. Admission. South Riverside Ave. (just off Rt. 9).
914.631.8200.
Ossining Historical Museum - 19th and 20th century decorative arts, costumes and
Indian artifacts, as well as a Victorian dollhouse. The program features permanent and
rotating exhibits. Hrs: 2-4pm Mon., Wed., Fri. and by app’t. Donation. 196 Croton Ave.
914.941.0001.
Peekskill: Peekskill Museum - Clothing from the 18th through 20th century, furnishings,
decorative arts, tools and products from local foundries. Hrs: 2-4pm Sat., Sun. and holidays,
March through Dec. and by app’t. Donation. 124 Union Ave. 914.737.6130.
Sleepy Hollow: Philipsburg Manor, Upper Mills - Early 18th century farm owned
by the Philipse family; includes a fully furnished Dutch-style manor house, barn and
a restored gristmill, gardens, reception center, gift shop and orientation film. Special
events throughout the year. 10am-5pm daily April-Dec.; 10am-5pm Sat. & Sun., Jan.-
March. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission. Route 9.
914.631.8200.
Tarrytown: Sunnyside - 1835 Romantic/Dutch Colonial Revival-style estate once occupied
by author Washington Irving. Tours, an orientation film, demonstrations, special
events, gift shop. 10am–5pm daily, April – Dec.. Admission. West Sunnyside Lane.
914.631.8200.
Yonkers: Hudson River Museum - A cultural complex which displays changing exhibitions
from its permanent collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century American
art. The Museum combines elements of art, history and science. The modern wing
houses The Red Grooms Gift Shop and the Museum Cafe. Weekly Sun. Family Programs
and workshops for families, bi-weekly Seniors and the Arts programs, tours by
appt. and many special events. Hrs: May-Sep.: Wed.-Sun. 12-5pm, Fri. 12-9pm. Admission.
914.963.4550.
Helping Kids Shine
PAGE 23
On Saturday, March 27 the New LIFE School, a non-public special
education program located in The Bronx, will be hosting a fundraiser
to help raise funds for the school’s Fashion Show on May 7.
Helping Kids Shine will feature 20 vendors selling items such as
scented crystals, custom clothing, handmade jewelry, Tupperware,
purses, belts and more.
“The fundraiser is meant to raise funds to purchase formal attire
for the children who do not own fancy dresses, suits or accessories
for the event,” explains Ms. Laura Puerta, LMSW, who is the
Middle School Intake Coordinator at the New LIFE School. “The
Fashion Show is a yearly event that is truly heartwarming. It’s one
day out of the year that our students can forget about their disabilities
and simply SHINE,” she added.
The fundraiser will be held at the Residence Inn Marriott, 35
Lecount Place in New Rochelle, from 9am – 5pm. There will be onsite
parking and refreshments will be served throughout the day.
Admission is free!
For more information, please call 718.239.0868 or 914.830.3644.

PAGE 24 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
March 18
1766 – Following nearly a year of
protests by the American colonists,
as well as a personal appeal by
Benjamin Franklin to the British
House of Commons, Parliament
voted to repeal the Stamp Act. The
Act, created to raise revenues for a
standing British Army in America,
had been enacted on March 22, 1765,
and was immediately met with the
boycotting of British goods as well
as attacks against customhouses
and homes of tax collectors. When
the Act was repealed, however,
Parliament passed the Declaratory
Acts which asserted that the British
government had free and total
legislative power over the colonies.
March 19
1931 - The Nevada State Legislature
voted to legalize gambling, a move
designed to lift the state out of
the hard times imposed by the
Depression. With the state’s mines
in decline and its economy in
shambles, the Legislature responded
to population flight by first, legalizing
gambling, and, later, divorce. In
the first few decades following the
legalization of gambling, organized
crime flourished in Las Vegas. Today,
state gambling taxes account for
a majority of Nevada’s overall tax
revenues.
This Week In History: March 18 - 24
By John Leo Tufts, Jr.
This Week’s Highlight
March 20
1778 – France’s King Louis XVI
met with American representatives
Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and
Arthur Lee one month after France
formally recognized the United
States. Prior to the American victory
over the British at Saratoga, in Oct.
1777, Louis had been hesitant about
committing France to the American
cause, partly because of his own
problems with Great Britain as well
as the chance the American colonists
would not succeed in their fight. In
1776 he did sanction sending secret
aid to the colonies.
1854 - Former members of the
Whig Party met in Ripon, Wisconsin
to establish a new political party, the
Republican Party, which would be
dedicated to opposing the spread of
slavery into the western territories.
The Whigs, formed 20 years earlier
to oppose the “tyranny” of President
Andrew Jackson, was proving itself
incapable of coping with the national
crisis over slavery. The Republicans
quickly gained supporters in the
North and, in 1856, their first
presidential candidate, John C.
Fremont, won 11 of the 16 Northern
states. By 1860 the Southern states
were publicly threatening secession if
the Republican candidate, Abraham
Lincoln, won the presidency.
American Aircraft Receive Their First Combat Orders
March 19, 1916 – In America’s first use of aircraft in a combat mission
the First Aero Squadron, based at Columbus, New Mexico, was ordered to
render assistance to General John J. Pershing
in his search for Mexican revolutionary Pancho
Villa.
The squadron, comprising eight Curtiss
“Jenny” biplanes, was ordered to help scout for
Villa and relay Pershing’s messages to his men
in the field.
President Woodrow Wilson had ordered
Pershing to find Villa after several hundred guerillas, led by Villa, had
crossed the Mexican-American border and raided Columbus, killing 17
Americans.
The American pilots flew hundreds of missions, gaining experience which
would later be put to the test after America entered the First World War.
Lincoln was elected over a divided
Democratic Party and, six weeks later,
South Carolina became the first state
to formally secede from the Union.
1965 - President Lyndon
B. Johnson sent a telegram to
Alabama Governor George
Wallace notifying him of his
agreement to send federal troops
to supervise a planned civil rights
march from Selma to Montgomery,
Alabama. Two previous marches,
led by Martin Luther King Jr.,
had been subjected to tear gas
and billy club attacks by Alabama
police. Wallace, who was opposed
to integration, had telephoned
President Johnson, seeking advice
when he learned that a third march
was planned. Wallace offered to call
in the Alabama National Guard to
maintain order but, later that day,
changed his mind and demanded
that Johnson send in federal troops
instead, leaving the responsibility to
keep the peace in the President’s lap.
The march, which took place the
following day, was peaceful.
March 21
1980 – President Jimmy Carter,
responding to the USSR’s refusal to
pull their forces out of Afghanistan
by February 20th, announced
that the United States, as well
as Canada, West Germany and
Japan, would boycott the Summer
Olympic Games in Moscow. In
addition to the boycott Carter
also issued a trade embargo on
grain and information technology
and restricted Soviet fishing in
American-controlled waters. Four
years later, in retaliation for Carter’s
boycott, the Soviets boycotted the
1984 Olympic Games being held in
Los Angeles.
March 22
1765 – The Stamp Act, which
levied a tax on all material printed
for commercial and legal use in the
American Colonies, was passed by
Parliament. The purpose of the Act
Email: WGhistory@aol.com
was to raise funds to defend the
territories in America won from
France during the Seven Years’ War.
The tax was levied on everything
from broadsides to insurance
policies to playing cards and dice.
American reaction to the tax was
swift – the colonists protested,
saying the British could not impose
taxes upon them without their
consent. There were riots against
British customhouses and homes
of tax collectors, and tax collectors
who were responsible for the Act’s
enforcement were intimidated to
the point of resignation.
1972 - The Equal Rights
Amendment, which provided legal
equality of the sexes and prohibited
discrimination on the basis of
Famous People
Benjamin Franklin
Of the small group of men we
know as our Founding Fathers one,
by the name of Benjamin Franklin,
stands tall among them. A diplomat,
writer, negotiator, a man with clear
vision, he helped mold the United
States of America.
Franklin, born in Boston on
January 17, 1706,
is the only one
of our Founding
Fathers who
signed all four of
the documents
that helped
create the
United States:
the Declaration of Independence,
the Treaty of Alliance, Amity, and
Commerce, with France, the Treaty of
Peace between England, France and
the United States, and let’s not forget
the Constitution. He also helped to
write parts of both the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution.
Besides his deep involvement in
the birth of our nation, Franklin
served as the nation’s first Postmaster,
helping to set up the postal system
in Philadelphia.
He died April 17, 1790 at age 84.

sex, was passed by the Senate. The
Amendment had been unsuccessfully
proposed in 1923 and was revived
when feminism became prevalent in
the late 1960s. Under the leadership
of U.S. Representative Bella Abzug
of New York, and feminists Betty
Friedan and Gloria Steinem, it won
the requisite two-thirds majority in
the House in October 1971. Hawaii
was the first state to ratify, followed
by 30 other states. During the
mid-1970s, however, a conservative
backlash against feminism eroded
the Amendment’s support, and
it ultimately failed to achieve
ratification by the required 38 states.
In the late 20 th century, however, the
federal government and all states
passed considerable legislation
protecting the rights of women.
March 23
1775 - Patrick Henry, in a
speech before the second Virginia
Convention, responded to
increasingly oppressive British rule
over the Colonies. In his speech he
said, I know not what course others
may take, but as for me, give me
liberty or give me death! He was
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
appointed Governor of Virginia by
the Continental Congress following
the signing of the Declaration of
Independence the following year.
1919 - Benito Mussolini, an
Italian veteran of World War I and
publisher of Socialist newspapers,
broke with the Italian Socialists
and formed the nationalist Fasci
di Combattimento, a new rightwing
Fascist Party organization.
Advocating Italian nationalism,
the group had black shirts for
uniforms, and launched a program
of terrorism and intimidation
against its opponents. Following a
march on Rome in October 1922
by the Fascists, led by Mussolini,
Italy’s King Emmanuel III asked
him to form a new government.
Mussolini was appointed Prime
Minister at the head of a threemember
Fascist cabinet. He
initially cooperated with the Italian
Parliament but, helped along by his
police organization, he became the
effective dictator of Italy. In January
1925 a Fascist state was officially
proclaimed with Mussolini as the
leader. He was removed from power
on July 25, 1943, during World War
II, and was executed on April 29,
1945.
March 24
1765 - British Parliament passed
the Quartering Act, which outlined
the locations and conditions in
which British soldiers were to find
room and board in the American
colonies. The Act required the
colonies to house British soldiers
in barracks provided by the colonies.
If the accommodations were too
small to house all the soldiers, then
accommodations for the soldiers
would be found in inns, livery stables,
ale houses, victualling houses, and
the houses of sellers of wine. Should
soldiers still be without quarters, the
colonies were then required to take,
hire, and make fit for the reception of
his Majesty’s forces, such and so many
uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns,
or other buildings as shall be necessary.
While the idea that Redcoats would
toss colonists out of their houses
and move in themselves was not the
intent of the legislation, the New
York colonial assembly disliked being
ordered to provide quarters. They
refused to comply with the law and,
PAGE 25
in response, the British passed the
New York Restraining Act, which
prohibited the royal governor of
New York from passing any further
legislation until the assembly
complied with the Quartering Act.
The governor ultimately convinced
Parliament that the assembly had
complied.
1989 - Exxon Corporation’s
supertanker, Exxon Valdez, ran
aground on a reef in Prince William
Sound in southern Alaska, causing
the worst oil spill in United States
territory. An estimated 11 million
gallons of oil spilled into the water,
and attempts to contain it were
unsuccessful. The spill was spread
by wind and currents more than
100 miles and polluted more than
700 miles of coastline. Hundreds
of thousands of birds and animals
were affected by the disaster. An
investigation showed that the captain,
Joseph Hazelwood, was drinking
at the time of the disaster and had
allowed an uncertified officer to steer
the massive tanker.

PAGE 26 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
I’m In That Picture LLC Articles of Org. filed
NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 1/4/2010. Office in
Westchester Co. SSNY design. Agent of LLC
upon whom process may be served. SSNY
shall mail copy of process to Vernon K. Wright
101 Cooper DR APT 1B New Rochelle, NY
10801-4706. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
For Rent
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT
Prime Ossining loc - Rt. 9.
950 sq. ft. & 500 sq. ft.
917.363.4366
CLASSIFIED
Real Estate
INVESTMENT
PROPERTY UNIMPROVED
Mount Vernon - Commercial bldg lot,
9500 sq. ft. Corner bldg. Apts with
stores. Must sell. $875K. Make offer.
914.632.1230
SALES HELP WANTED
The Westchester Guardian, Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly, seeks
experienced and highly motivated salespeople to join our team.
Call 914.576.1481
LEGAL NOTICES
Mission Statement
The Westchester Guardian is a weekly newspaper devoted
to the unbiased reporting of events and developments
that are newsworthy and significant to readers living in,
and/or employed in, Westchester County. The Guardian
will strive to report fairly, and objectively, reliable information
without favor or compromise. Our first duty will be
to the PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO KNOW, by the exposure
of truth, without fear or hesitation, no matter where the
pursuit may lead, in the finest tradition of FREEDOM OF
THE PRESS.
The Guardian will cover news and events relevant to
residents and businesses all over Westchester County. As a
weekly, rather than focusing on the immediacy of delivery
more associated with daily journals, we will instead seek to
provide the broader, more comprehensive, chronological step-by-step accounting
of events, enlightened with analysis, where appropriate.
From amongst journalism’s classic key-words: who, what, when, where,
why, and how, the why and how will drive our pursuit. We will use our more
abundant time, and our resources, to get past the initial ‘spin’ and ‘damage
control’ often characteristic of immediate news releases, to reach the very
heart of the matter: the truth. We will take our readers to a point of understanding
and insight which cannot be obtained elsewhere.
To succeed, we must recognize from the outset that bigger is not necessarily
better. And, furthermore, we will acknowledge that we cannot be all
things to all readers. We must carefully balance the presentation of relevant,
hard-hitting, Westchester news and commentary, with features and columns
useful in daily living and employment in, and around, the county. We must
stay trim and flexible if we are to succeed.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010
PAGE 27
Health/Support Groups
• Ovarian & Gynecological Cancer Support Group. Offered by Support
Connection, a nonprofit organization that provides free support services to
people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. The group is led by a trained
peer facilitator. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Meets 2nd Thursday
each month through Dec. 30, 2007 at 7PM at Putnam Hospital. Free. For
info/registration: 914.962.6402. www.supportconnection.org.
• Psychotherapeutic Support Groups. Victims Assistance Services is offering ongoing
psychotherapeutic support groups to victims of crime. They include: Adult
Survivors of Childhood Abuse, Homicide Survivors Support Group (every 2nd
Wed. of the month), and a Sexual Assault Survivors Group (TBA). All groups are
ongoing and have no end date. Free. Wednesdays 6-7:30pm, 2269 Saw Mill River
Road, Building #3, Elmsford. Info: 914.345.3113
• Breast Cancer Support Groups. Breast cancer support groups are offered once,
twice or four times per month, by Support Connection, Inc. Facilitated by trained
peer counselors who have experienced breast cancer. Groups for young women,
women in treatment, women with recurrence, and all survivors. PRE-REGIS-
TRATION REQUIRED. Free to women with breast cancer. Meets various days
and times, Yorktown & Carmel locations. www.supportconnection.org
• Cancer Support Group: Meets Mondays, 1– 2pm, Dickstein Cancer Treatment
Center, 2-4 Longview Ave., White Plains. Info/registration: 914.681.2701.
• Caregiver Resource & Support Group: Sponsored by the WPHC Dept. of Senior
Services. Provides information and support to individuals caring for older
adults. A geriatric professional facilitates the group. First Wednesday of the
month, 6 -7:30pm, 69 E. Post Road. Info/dates/register: 914.681.1249.
• Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Support: A support group for those who suffer
from the consequences of cancer of the head or neck. Meets second Thursday of
the month. Third floor conference room, Dickstein Center, 2-4 Longview Ave.,
White Plains. Info: 914.681.2701.
• Heart Club: Heart Club Support Group provides educational lectures for heart
patients, families and friends. Sessions presented by physicians and other health
care personnel. Meets in Jazzman’s Café on White Plains Hospital Center’s main
floor next to the lobby. Info/dates/times: 914.681.1037.
• Huntington’s Disease Caregivers Support Group: Meets on the last Wednesday
of the month at 5:30 pm in the WPHC Medical Library, E. Post Rd., White
Plains. Info/registration/meeting dates: 212.360.3711.
• Ostomy Support Group: A support group for ostomy patients and those
with related intestinal disorders. All ages welcome. Meets 2nd Tuesday of
the month, 7:30pm in the White Plains Hospital Center Medical Library, E.
Post Rd., White Plains. Info: contact Harold at harold423@verizon.net or
914.761.1472.
• Stroke Support Group: Support/education for stroke survivors, family and
caregivers. A certified speech/language pathologist facilitates communication
for those with communication difficulties. Weekly presentations/programs
facilitated by community and hospital professionals. Meets Thursdays, 11am–
12pm, White Plains Hospital Center Centennial Room. Registration recommended,
but newcomers welcome. Info: 914.681.1160.
• Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease Support Group (YOPD): This forum is
for those affected by YOPD (patient, partner, parent, or friend) to share concerns,
discuss problems and solutions, and ease any sense of isolation. Meets
on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7pm, White Plains Hospital Center
Medical Library, E. Post Rd., White Plains. Info/dates: Norma 914.667.3952;
Sheree 914.747.4149.

PAGE 28 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010