vol 4 no 15 nov 12 2009.indd - WestchesterGuardian.com

PRESORTED
STANDARD
PERMIT #3036
WHITE PLAINS NY
VOL. IV NO. XV
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Dr. Giulio Cavallo
This Week...
In Our Opinion, p4:
Now DiFiore Must Deal
With Wilson Soto
The Advocate, p5:
Andy Spano’s Fall From Power
Northern Westchester, p16:
Medicare Changes For 2010
westchesterguardianonline.com
Photo: R. Blassberg
See page 2
“Westchester’s Most Powerful Man”
A New Era In
County Government
Flanked by Doug Colety,
Republican Chair (far left),
and Dr. Giulio Cavallo, Independence
Party Chair (right),
County Executive-elect Rob
Astorino gives thumbs-up to
cheering supporters.
Photo: R. Blassberg
See page 12

PAGE 2 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Message From The Publisher
Mighty Independence Party Chair Knocks
Out Andy Spano In Fourth Round
On Tuesday, Election Night,
The Guardian was present at
the Astorino victory celebration
at the Crowne Plaza in White
Plains. At about 10:30pm a man
in the room yelled out, “Giulio
Cavallo knocked out Andy
Spano.” There was a round of
applause and cheers for Dr. Cavallo,
the maverick Chairman of
the Westchester Independence
Party.
As numbers continued to
come in, it became clear that
what the man had said was, in
fact, true. The powerful political
fat cat, Andy Spano, a Democrat,
in a Democrat-dominated
County, where Republicans
are outnumbererd two to one
was, in fact, knocked out by
the leader of the Independence
Party, a small but mighty third
party with fewer than 23,000
registered voters countywide.
Index
That knock-out punch had come
from the hand of none other
than civic leader and party chair,
Dr. Giulio Cavallo.
Dr. Cavallo has led the Westchester
Independence Party for
more than 12 years. In that time
he has supported Democrats,
Republicans, Independents, and
Conservatives alike in elections
throughout Westchester, Rockland,
Orange, Putnam, and
Dutchess Counties.
This year was special for Doc.
After four years of arrogant, excessive
taxation, and economic
enslavement perpetrated by
Democratic Party County Executive
Andy Spano, and County
Legislator Bill Ryan, Dr. Cavallo
vowed to step up to the plate and
fight the administrations he had
helped elect in the last election
cycle.
Cavallo had declared, “It’s
The Advocate:
Reflections On Andy Spano’s Fall From Power ......................................................... 5, 6
Classified ......................................................................................................... 26
Community Calendar .......................................................................... 22, 23
The Court Report:
Former PepsiCo VP In ‘Eleventh Hour’ Arraignment For Embezzlement Charges ..... 3, 7
Horoscope: Shimmering Stars, Nov. 12 - 18 ...........................................14, 15
In Our Opinion:
Now DiFiore Must Deal With Wilson Soto ......................................................4
Jeff Deskovic:
Dept. Of Corrections Sex Offender Program Damns Wrongfully Convicted, Pt. 2 ....... 20, 21
Living Latino In Westchester:
The Role Of Women In The American Work Force .......................................... 10, 11
On The National Scene:
Lost In Afghanistan ............................................................................................... 8, 9
Northern Westchester:
Medicare Changes For 2010..................................................................... 16, 17
Our Readers Respond: ..........................................................................4, 18
This Week in History: Nov. 12 - 18 ....................................................... 24, 25
about doing what is right. Our
elected officials have forgotten
that they were elected to serve
and not to be served. The duty
of the Independence Party is
to represent the interests of the
People, all the People.”
In January 2009, at a meeting
in New Rochelle, Dr. Cavallo,
the Westchester Independence
Party Committee and Guardian
Publisher Sam Zherka decided
to join forces to organize
the Westchester Tea Party, an
anti-tax movement determined
to reduce Westchester’s bloated
County Government.
On April 25th, the Tea Party
Rally was held at the Westchester
County Office Building; and an
estimated three thousand angry
and frustrated citizen taxpayers
assembled to petition and
protest against Andy Spano and
his Administration for their “tax
and spend policies” which had
turned Westchester citizens into
“the highest taxed citizens in
America”.
Spano and his Administration
attempted to downplay the
Tea Party event. However, that
event clearly elevated stock in
the Westchester Independence
Party which helped deliver the
knockout blow.
On Election Day The Guardian
visited many polling places
throughout the County, questioning
voters before and after
they cast their votes. One voter,
a man in his 50’s, from Tuckahoe
named Charles, stated that he
was fed up with the status quo,
and wished “for a revolution; a
revolution is what we need to
teach our politicians a lesson,
maybe a ‘tax strike.’” When asked
2 William Street, Suite 406 White Plains, NY 10601
Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly
Publisher:
Editor-in-Chief:
Guardian News Corp.
Guardian News Corp.
Sam Zherka, President Richard Blassberg, Vice President
editor@westchesterguardian.com
Graphic Designer/Newspaper & Advertising Design:
John Tufts
Continued on pg. 13
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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 3
Former PepsiCo VP In ‘Eleventh Hour’ Arraignment In
White Plains Federal Court On Embezzlement Charges
Westchester-Headquartered International Corporation Paid Bogus Expense Vouchers
PREET BHARARA, the
United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York,
and RONALD J. VERROCHIO,
the Inspector-in-Charge of the
New York Office of the United
States Postal Inspection Service
(“USPIS”), announced that JO-
SEPH A. JULIANO voluntarily
surrendered and was arraigned
in White Plains Federal Court on
a two-count Indictment charging
him with embezzling more than
$600,000 from his former employer,
Pepsi-Cola North America
(“PepsiCo”).
According to the Indictment:
JULIANO, whose last position
at PepsiCo was Vice President,
Entertainment Channel, was authorized
to use PepsiCo funds to
purchase travel, entertainment,
meals, and lodging – for example,
airplane tickets and tickets to
sporting events – as long as the
purchases were made in connection
with his efforts to entertain
PepsiCo customers.
For eight years, from approximately
January 1996 through November
2004, JULIANO and two
co-conspirators arranged for purported
businesses in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania -- operating under
the names MDM Services, MDM
Financial Services, MDM Creative
Services and Game Day Sports - to
send to JULIANO’s office at PepsiCo
phony invoices for tickets to
major sporting events, that had
supposedly been booked for JU-
LIANO and others.
After PepsiCo issued checks to
MDM Services, MDM Financial
Services, MDM Creative Services
or Game Day Sports for these
fraudulent invoices, JULIANO,
and others on his behalf, received
his share of the payments. As a result
of this conspiracy, JULIANO
and his co-conspirators allegedly
stole more than $600,000.
Following his arraignment
before United States Magistrate
Judge GEORGE A. YANTHIS,
JULIANO, 59, of Woodmere,
New York, was released on a
$250,000 personal recognizance
bond co signed by two financially
responsible persons.
If convicted, JULIANO faces
a maximum term of 20 years in
prison for each of the two counts.
He also faces a fine of up to
$250,000 or twice the gross gain
or loss resulting from the crimes
on each count, an order of restitution
in the amount of $641,450
and forfeiture of ill-gotten gains.
Mr. BHARARA praised the
work of the USPIS. He added that
the investigation is continuing.
Assistant United States Attorney
MARGERY B. FEINZIG is in
charge of the criminal prosecution.
The charges contained in the
Indictment are merely accusations,
and the defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until
proven guilty.
Continued on page 7

PAGE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
In Our Opinion...
Now DiFiore Must Deal With Wilson Soto
We firmly believe that Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore must promptly proceed to
fully investigate and prosecute the felonious activity engaged in by attorney Wilson Soto of
Yonkers, who knowingly committed Election Fraud when he offered a false domiciliary address and
cast ballots for Jose Alvarado and Wilson Terrero in the Democratic Primary election on September
15, 2009. On that date, Mr. Soto, who has resided at 8 Huron Road, Yonkers, together with his
domestic partner and their infant child for more than three years, filled out an Affidavit Ballot on
which he swore that he was domiciled at 279 South Broadway, Yonkers.
Soto clearly committed Election Fraud in order to vote in the Primary election of two of his clients,
Jose Alvarado, the incumbent Democratic County Legislator from the 17th Legislative District, and
Wilson Terrero, Democratic candidate seeking the City Council seat being vacated by Yonkers City
Councilwoman Sandy Annabi in the City’s 2nd Council District. The residence address offered by
Soto lies within each of those districts. However, his actual residence, at 8 Huron Road, is miles
outside of each district.
Photocopies of Mr. Soto’s fraudulent ballot, as well as invitations to his residence, ironically for a
celebration of Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s elevation to the United States Supreme Court, were published
in The Guardian, and included in a comprehensive 76-page memorandum, containing 20
exhibits, and evidence of “20 instances of voter fraud” committed in connection with the September
15th primary, and prepared by attorney Samuel A. Abady, assisting candidates Sandy Annabi and
Virginia Perez.
Despite weeks of attention and publicity to the numerous blatant acts of election fraud committed
by Alvarado and Terrero operatives, as well as their attorney Wilson Soto, District Attorney Janet
DiFiore remained silent and unmoved with respect to the alleged crimes. In fact, not until Friday,
October 16th, fully one month after the primary election, did the Office respond to the widely exposed
scandal, when Assistant DA Brian Conway contacted Annabi requesting a meeting to discuss
the matter.
At that meeting, held in the Offices of the District Attorney at the Westchester County Courthouse,
and attended by Annabi, Perez, and attorney Abady, ADA Conway openly acknowledged
that the call, and the invitation to come in and discuss the allegations of multiple Election Fraud,
were prompted by an article in The Westchester Guardian. Predictably, at that meeting on Tuesday,
October 20th, when Annabi asked what exactly the DA’s Office would be doing about the matter,
prior to the general election, Conway responded, “There’s only two weeks to election; what is it you
expected to happen”
We were neither surprised by Conway’s comments, nor by the failure of DiFiore’s Office to act
promptly upon receiving the memorandum, replete with evidence, and the formal complaint. Janet
DiFiore, after all, was a running mate of both Alvarado and Terrero in the Democratic Primary,
and would be in the general election as well. In truth, she was a beneficiary of all of the fraudulent
activities on their behalf, and it is reasonable to assume that those who were influenced to vote for
Alvarado and Terrero also voted for her, particularly given the fact that their political operatives
distributed a sample ballot on which DiFiore appeared checked off, and her opponent, Tony Castro,
was crossed out.
Calls by The Guardian to Mr. Conway, even after additional evidence clearly implicating Mr. Alvarado
in the fraudulent scheme was brought to his attention by attorney Abady, went unanswered.
DiFiore had reached out to Annabi merely to gain some measure of control and to hush-up the allegations
by two sympathetic victims of the Westchester Democratic Machine so close to Election
Day.
We now insist DA DiFiore must go forward with a genuine investigation, or else admit what she
should have admitted from the outset; she is conflicted from handling the case because she was, and
still remains, a major beneficiary of the numerous alleged acts of Election Fraud. Her failure to act,
even in the 17 days prior to the general election, during which time she held a great deal of compelling
evidence against Wilson Soto and a number of political operatives, is very telling, clearly implicating
her and her Office in the ugly workings of the Westchester Democratic Machine, at every
level from corrupt pollworkers to Democratic Election Commissioner Reginald LaFayette.
This matter must not be ignored by the United States Justice Department.
Our Readers Respond...
Reader Exposes DA’s Unwillingness
To Investigate Deed Fraud
Dear Editor:
In Oct., 2005 I found out that my wife (at
the time) and her mother, Dolores Porco Leonard,
had forged the deed to my home in Cortlandt
Manor.
This was done without my knowledge after
months of difficulty with the wife and her
mother who tried to convince me to sell our
home in the strong real estate market, only so
they could make their high commission on the
sale.
Melissa and Dolores went to the real estate
lawyer they have been using, Ms. Valorie Joy
Promisel in Yorktown. I received a phone call
from Ms. Promisel’s office sometime in late
Oct- early Nov., 2005 in which Ms. Promisel
stated that she had Melissa and Dolores at her
office requesting to submit a name change of
our home’s deed.
Ms. Promisel had told me that I would need
to be in front of her in order to sign it. That
way she would be a witness since it is a legal
document and could notarize it, otherwise she
would not be able to send the deed to the county
clerk. I stated to Ms. Promisel that there was
no reason for the transfer or sale of our home
just because they wanted a million dollar listing
for Dolores Leonard’s real estate business
and make the high commission.
After I refused to put my home on the market,
my wife and Dolores Leonard took it upon
themselves to try to sell my home by forging
my signature on the deed transfer. The wife,
Melissa Leonard Ekstra, had signed my name,
then had her mother, Dolores Leonard, notarize
it with an expired notary stamp. They then
brought it to Ms. Promisel to submit it anyway,
which she did.
In November of 2005 I received a letter
from the bank addressed solely to Ms. Melissa
Ekstra in which she requested a payoff for our
home. Next day I received a letter from the
Westchester County Clerk which was a new
deed that was transferred solely to Ms. Melissa
Ekstra. I also found the listing on MLS for my
Continued on pg. 18

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 5
Reflections On Andy Spano’s
Fall From Power
Last Tuesday night, the People
of Westchester, those interested
enough to stay up late to
watch the election returns, were
treated to a political phenomenon;
an election in which Andy
Spano, three-term County Executive
of Westchester, had a stake
which did not go his way for the
first time in more than 16 years.
More significantly, it was his own
election, and he obviously didn’t
have a clue; he was so shocked
and blown away by his defeat at
the hands of Republican/Independence
Party candidate Rob
Astorino, a challenger he had
beaten 60 to 40 percent just four
short years ago. Furthermore, it
was the first time in 71 years that
an incumbent Westchester County
Executive was turned out.
It wasn’t as though he had
never known political defeat.
Quite the contrary. Prior to meeting
Larry Schwartz, Andrew Spano
had lost 11 elections in a row;
or, so he told me four years ago.
But Larry, a man they used to
say, “Could never return to Suffolk
County”, certainly changed
all that, getting Spano elected
Westchester County Clerk in
1993, and then, by hook or by fix,
County Executive in 1997, 2001,
and 2005.
They were perfect together.
Andy would basically leave all of
the thinking to Larry, his Svengali,
content merely being the
front man, the “pretty face”. Larry
would rule with an iron hand, demanding
total loyalty, from all
County employees, to his dictates.
Rigging elections, Andy’s and everyone
else’s, regardless of party,
was his specialty. Nobody with
even the slightest commitment to
ethical conduct could work under
Schwartz, a clearly
sociopathic dictator.
In 2001,
the
first
run
for
D i s t r i c t
Attorney
by Democrat
Tony
C a s t r o ,
an
ardent
supporter
of
his, a brilliant
young
attorn
e y
named David Meyer, working
under Jay Hashmall, Larry’s co-
Deputy County Executive, spent
many of his lunch hours and some
time after work, assisting with
the former Bronx Assistant DA’s
campaign against Jeanine Pirro.
Castro was, after all, the nominee
of the Westchester Democratic
Committee.
Meyer had no clue
that Larry and Andy
were working hard
to re-elect Republican
DA Pirro
to a third term,
and Republican
County Clerk
Len
Spano,
patriarch
of
another Spano
clan, to a second
term. Meyer
had no notion
that helping out
the Democratic
c a n -
didate for DA would constitute
“disloyalty” in the minds of Larry
and Andy, and would subject him
to severe harrassment for many
months thereafter until he was
ultimately forced to leave.
Meyer, with a young wife and
two very young daughters to support,
soon discovered the lengths
to which Larry Schwartz would
go in his sick need to demand loyalty
and punish non-compliance
with his criminal election-rigging
scheme to re-elect Jeanine,
Andy’s oft-described “friend.”
Schwartz embarked upon
a cruel, blackballing campaign
against the young, highly-principled
attorney, with Andy’s knowledge,
driving him out of the New
York area, to Maryland, where he
sought employment with Sally
Mae, the government financial
agency. However, Schwartz was
relentless in his vindictive, retaliatory
harrassment, and cost
Meyer that employment as well.
Some 48 hours before committing
suicide, Meyer went to
Schwartz, literally begging him
to stop preventing him from supporting
his family. Reportedly
Larry’s response was, “Not only
will you never work in Westchester
again, but you will never work
anywhere.”
That was on a Saturday. By
Monday, distraught and severely
Continued on the next page

PAGE THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
The Advocate, continued from the previous page
depressed; feeling he had no other
way to provide for his family,
David Meyer jumped from the
window of his parents’ 20-story
apartment on Manhattan’s Upper
West Side. More than 600 people,
including former New York City
Mayor David Dinkins, attended
the wake at then-Westchester
Democratic Chairman David
Alpert’s Riverside Chapel Funeral
Home, not far from the site of the
tragic plunge. Andy and Larry attended
the wake.
The Journal News, fully informed
of the details, refused
to pursue the story. Janine Rose,
news director of Cablevision
News12, made certain that the
ugly events that led up to the
tragic outcome, were never aired.
It was the case then, seven years
ago, as it has continued to be, that
each of those news organizations
were under the control of the
Spano Administration.
And control has been the
operative word throughout the
12 years of Andy Spano’s tenure
as County Executive. Larry
Schwartz, the penultimate control
freak, was likely the most hated
person in County Government
by the overwhelming majority
of County employees; and Andy
clearly liked it that way.
Andy’s backstabbing approach
to Tony Castro in 2001,
in the DA’s race against Jeanine
Pirro, and again in 2005 in the
race against Janet DiFiore, came
directly from the Larry Schwartz
Manual On Election-Rigging and,
what was not accomplished before
the balloting in 2005, was
accomplished afterward with a
little help from the likes of Nick
Spano and his political operatives
and hoodlums. Rigging elections
was further facilitated by the fact
that under David Alpert, George
Latimer and Reginald LaFayette,
the last three Westchester
County Democratic Committee
Chairmen, all funds raised remained
under the control of Larry
Schwartz, millions of dollars.
Honest, principled candidates
were left to raise funds from County
Democrats who, in most cases,
had already contributed at numerous
Committee functions, believing
their money would be distributed
to candidates like Castro who
had been nominated in 2005 at the
Party convention by acclamation.
Andy and Larry, of course,
had no use for an honest, ethical
public servant in the DA’s Office.
They preferred the likes of Jeanine
Pirro and Janet DiFiore, each of
whom were Republicans, with
whom they had had prior racefixing
dealings, each of whom
they could rely upon to go along
with their schemes.
Rob Astorino, in defeating
Andy Spano, has not only done an
enormous public service for the
residents and taxpayers of Westchester,
for certain, but also has,
for the overwhelming majority
of roughly 5,000 County employees.
However, for all of his trouble,
Rob will discover numerous
minefields created over the past
12 years, many as treacherous
and worrisome as the Affordable
Housing deception and disaster.
For openers, the recently adjudicated,
long-standing dispute
between the County Department
of Corrections and COBA, the
Correction Officers Benevolent
Association, over job-related disability
and health care compensation,
is likely to involve tens of
millions of dollars.
There is the failed communication
system for which Spano
gave $22.5 million, almost 10
years ago, in a no-bid, five-year
contract to Lightpath, a whollyowned
subsidiary of Cablevision,
compelling the parking of four or
five County police cars on Court
Street, in White Plains, in the
event of a major emergency.
There is the Board of Elections,
staffed with political operatives
such as Arnie Klugman, New
Rochelle Democratic City Chair,
numerous members of the Nick
Spano clan, the Wedra family,
and the likes of Reggie LaFayette,
Democratic County Committee
Chair, a conflicted arrangement
specifically engineered to enhance
the kind of election fraud
we all witnessed in Yonkers in the
September 15th Democratic Primary
contests.
There is the solid waste operation,
which Larry Schwartz forcibly
manipulated and maneuvered
out of the hands of a carter who
was admittedly “doing a good job”
for $70 million over five years,
and into the hands of a company
for $87 million that the City of
New York refuses to do business
with because of alleged Mob connections.
There is the Department of
Probation, which has languished
under the control of Rocco Pozzi,
and Child Protective Services that
has been used, time and again, as
a hammer against innocent parents
by the County’s Family and
Matrimonial Courts.
And then there is the Department
of Community Mental
Health, and the services to homeless
individuals and families; the
shelters riddled with mismanagement,
drug abuse and distribution,
inappropriate food stamp
distribution and trading for cash.
Additionally, there is the incompetent
handling of dangerous,
often psychotic, and sometimes
very violent individuals who, at
least twice in the past four years,
caused the death of innocent individuals,
a middle-aged female
civilian and an heroic, young
Mount Vernon Police Officer,
both in the City of White Plains.
We barely have space enough
to review all of the major problems
the Spano Administration
leaves in its wake. We could go on
about the County parks, including
dozens of sweetheart deals
with concessioners and renters of
houses at far below market value,
costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
We could review the “white
elephant” at 450 Saw Mill River
Road, Ardsley, that Andy forced
homeowners and taxpayers to
take off the hands of the Halpern
Group, big contributors to his
campaigns.
And there is more, much
more, that Rob Astorino and his
new administration will soon
discover. Issues such as Brenda
Resnick Spano’s title insurance
conflicts and connections. The
tangled web will take years to
fully investigate and expose.
Nevertheless, one very interesting
element attached to Andy
Spano’s fall from power, happily
involves Nick Spano. In the final
analysis, Nick’s manipulation of
the Conservative Party for the
benefit of Andy several months
ago, totally failed, as did his very
lame public endorsement of him.
Appearing together, they came
off as the pair of deceitful, tired
political bosses they have always
been, but will be no more.
Congratulations to Rob Astorino
and the coalition of Republican
and Independence Party
voters as well as right-thinking
citizens who finally brought down
King Andy and his henchmen. n

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE
Court Report, continued from page 3

PAGE 8 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Fred Polvere
Lost in Afghanistan
I went for a haircut in October,
just as a surge in deaths of American
servicemen in Afghanistan
forced the media to report that
we are still engaged in two wars.
My barber of 20 years was moaning
that Obama is losing the war
in Afghanistan. When I asked
him how long Obama had been
president, he replied: “One year.”
I noted that it was actually less
than nine months. I asked him
how long we’ve been fighting in
Afghanistan. He wasn’t sure but
ventured a guess of “a few years.”
I told him America has been
fighting in Afghanistan for eight
years. And, that in the last eight
years, he hadn’t once mentioned
Afghanistan to me. Yet, now he
was blaming President Obama
for a mismanaged war that the
President had inherited. There
was a look of acknowledgement
on his face. Only then did I say,
“You have to stop watching FOX
News.”
Of course, my barber is far
from alone. Too many people
fail to see that FOX News is an
oxymoron. During all of President
Bush’s tenure, not once did
FOX News rant about the dismal
state of affairs
in Afghanistan.
When the
D e p a r t m e n t
of Defense reported
to Bush
that the Taliban
were stronger in
2007 than at any
time since 2001,
did FOX News
blame him for
mismanaging
the war You
know the answer.
In the September
21, 2009 Washington Post,
Bob Woodward described General
Stanley A. McChrystal’s confidential
assessment of the situation
in Afghanistan. McChrystal’s
report had been leaked to Woodward
who dutifully reported it.
Now, imagine if Woodward had
reported on a leaked secret document
while Bush was president.
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal
FOX News would have called for
Woodward to reveal his source
and demanded prosecution of
the leaker.
Did FOX
News call for an
investigation
into who leaked
the secret report
You know
the answer.
The thing that
MOST amazes
me about viewers
of FOX
News is how
they are so willing
to accept
inconsistency
in rhetoric as
a matter of faith. But I digress;
let’s focus on the darkly sobering
report by General McChrystal,
Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan.
McChrystal bluntly describes
the mission in Afghanistan as
bordering on failure. He describes
the Taliban as “a muscular
and sophisticated enemy.” The
Taliban has successfully used
modern propaganda and “systematically
reaches into Afghanistan’s
prisons to recruit members
and even plan operations.”
The General wants an additional
40,000 troops within the
year. If not, he warns: “Defeating
the insurgency is no longer possible.”
McChrystal emphasizes
that “inadequate resources will
likely result in failure” and he
goes a step further: if we don’t
adopt his strategy (of increasing
troop levels), we may as well walk
away from Afghanistan.
McChrystal is very specific in
his predictions but is totally vague
about how he arrived at his number.
Forty-thousand additional

troops would bring the total
number of troops in Afghanistan
to 78,000 – far fewer than needed
for success, according to General
David Petraeus’ new manual on
conducting counter-insurgency.
Why did McChrystal settle for
40,000 when he should be asking
for at least another 100,000
troops
Remember
what I wrote at
the beginning
of this column
We are fighting
two wars. There
are still over
130,000 troops
in Iraq. We have
servicemen and
-women who are
getting much
needed rest af-
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Afghan President Hamid Karzai
ter multiple
tours in combat.
Forty-thousand
troops is probably the most
we can muster without sending
personnel back into action without
time off to recover. Petraeus,
Commander, U.S. Central Command,
told McChrystal in no uncertain
terms that he has no more
troops to give.
Almost forgotten, but resurrected
by the recent fraud-stained
election, is the state of the government
in Afghanistan. The reelection
of President Hamid Karzai
was nullified when the Independent
Election Commission found
that almost one of every three
votes for Karzai was fraudulent.
His main opponent, former Foreign
Minister Abdullah Abdullah,
dropped out of the run-off election
because a “transparent election
is not possible.”
Karzai, president since 2004,
has proven to be an inept leader,
more concerned with sartorial
splendor than with running
a government. In 2006, he was
derided as the “Mayor of Kabul,”
since his influence ended at the
city limits. By 2007, he barely
controlled half of Kabul, the capital
city of Afghanistan, despite
enormous financial and military
support from
NATO.
O p i u m
production in
A f g h a n i s t a n
has skyrocketed
since 2001.
According to
the United Nations
Office
on Drugs and
Crime, in 2007,
93 percent of
the world’s opiates
came from
A f g h a n i s t a n .
Not only has
Karzai been unwilling to tackle
the drug trade which supplies
the insurgency with enormous
amounts of cash but it has been
reported that members of his
cabinet are directly implicated
in the trade.
Perhaps most disturbing of
all, is the epidemic of corruption
ravaging ordinary people in Afghanistan.
Policemen will not do
their jobs without payoffs. Local
ministers demand bribes before
performing their duties. At every
level of the government, fees are
exacted from citizens, before any
work is done.
The number ONE rule from
Petraeus’ counter-insurgency
manual is: “No counter-insurgency
can be successful without a legitimate
and viable partner in the
government.” And our partner in
Afghanistan is … n
PAGE

PAGE 10 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Ioanna N. Burgos
Role Of Women In The American Work Force
Today, the role of women
and minorities in the American
workplace continues to evolve.
It is known that for centuries,
women have served their families
preparing food, making clothes,
and performing other domestic
functions homemaking for their
husbands and children. Over
time, as economic opportunities
migrated from farms to factories,
the roles of women began to
drastically change.
Instead of staying home and
producing goods for the family,
women began looking for jobs
LOVETT & BELLANTONI, LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
outside the home. Many women
worked in traditionally “female”
occupations such as teaching
and nursing and many more
began working in factories and
low-paying clerical and labor
jobs. Clearly, the Industrial Revolution
forever changed the way
the American economy operated.
The change meant that more
women chose to work and chose
to supplement family income.
When looking at the demographic
mix within the 21st
century workplace we see that it
has become much more diverse.
Criminal Defense • Sexual Harassment • Trial Counsel
Race/Ethnic Discrimination • Defamation Actions • Labor Law
Personal Injury • Civil Rights Litigation • Commercial Litigation
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This is because many now entering
the workforce are neither
White, male, nor English speaking.
People of color continue to
increase their share of the labor
force, and the rates of growth for
these groups are projected to be
growing faster than the rate for
White males.
At he beginning of the 20th
century, women made up less
than 20 percent of United States
labor force. However, by 1950,
this percentage had increased to
33.9 percent. By the year 2000,
women comprised more than
46 percent of the civilian labor
force. Therefore, within roughly
the past 50 years the number of
women in the American workforce
has multiplied by more
than 240 percent. As of February
2005, there were almost 67
million women employed in the
civilian labor force.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963
was enacted as an amendment
to the Fair Labor Standards
Act. This act forbids employers
from paying employees different
wages or salaries based on gender.
The act literally mandates
that employers may not pay men
and women different wages if
their jobs require equal skills,
effort, and responsibilities and
occur in the same work environment.
If men and women do the
same jobs and receive different
pay, their pay must be equalized
by raising the lower pay rather
than lowering the higher pay.
The act is administered by the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). To ensure
enforcement, employers are
required to keep records documenting
employee hours, pay
rates, job descriptions, and other
relevant information. If employers
violate the act, they may be
required to pay back wages and
possible punitive damages.
More particularly, businesses
owned by women are increasing
in terms of quantity, diversity,
and impact on the American
economy. Women-owned businesses
employ over 19 million
people in the united states or
one in every seven employed
persons nationwide according to
figures published by the Center
for Women’s Business Research.
As of 2004, there were 10.6
million women-owned businesses
in the United States. Job
growth provided by womenowned
businesses has exceeded
the national averages in almost
every major industry. Between
1997 and 2004 the number of
businesses owned by women increased
by 24 percent compared
to 12 percent for all firms.
Among the industries that
have experienced the most dramatic
growth in women-owned
businesses are construction,
manufacturing, wholesale trade,
transportation, and communication.
Growth in businesses

owned by women has exploded
despite the fact that female entrepreneurs
generally have lower
levels of credit available to them
than businesses owned by men.
The biggest percentage of
women employed in the United
States labor force are working
in technical, sales, and administrative
support occupations.
Despite the increase of women
working in professions that have
traditionally been male dominated,
such as engineering, construction,
athletics, truck driving,
mortuary science, and law
enforcement, most women still
tend to work in traditionally “female”
occupations.
However, one of the most significant
changes that took place
in the 20th century was the rise of
women managers. In 1900, only
4.4 percent of managers were
women. By 2000, 46 percent of all
managers were women, a tenfold
increase. By 2002, 34 percent of
working women were in a managerial
or professional occupation.
However, both women professionals
and women managers are
clusterd in certain specialty areas.
In 2002, nearly 50 percent of
women workers were employed
in three occupational groups:
sales, services, and support. As
an example, only 11 percent of
engineers were women, but 98
percent of preschool and kindergarten
teachers were women.
Only 19 percent of dentists were
women, whereas 93 percent of
registered nurses were women.
Therefore, women are still underrepresented
in many professions
and over-represented in others.
Some Hispanic women who
have impacted and influenced
the American society are Ellen
Ochoa, a native of California. Of
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Mexican decent, Ms. Ochoa is
an accomplished woman. She
is best known for being the first
Hispanic female astronaut, having
made four space voyages
since being recruited by NASA,
in 1991. Interestingly, she is also
a noted inventor, with three patents
for her work in optics. Impressively
she is also a trained
classical flutist and a private airplane
pilot.
Another interesting woman
of note is Aida Alvarez, the first
woman and first Puerto Rican to
be named to a cabinet post. Ms.
Alvarez worked for the Clinton
White House from 1997 until
Clinton left office. Ms. Alvarez
worked as an investment banker,
broadcast journalist and was
president of the New York City
Health And Hospitals Corporation,
which runs the public
health care system of that city.
Another very influential Hispanic
woman was most recently
nominated on May 26, 2009, to
the United States Supreme Court
by President Barack Obama,
Hon. Sonia Sotomayor. Justice
Sotomayor became the first Hispanic
Justice and third woman
to serve on the United States Supreme
Court. Justice Sotomayor
was raised in the Bronx in a
housing project. Her parents
were born in Puerto Rico, and
came to New York during World
War II. She not only excelled in
school and finished her undergraduate
study at Princeton with
honors, but also she has served as
an adjunct professor at the NYU
School of Law in 1998, and lecturer
at Columbia Law School in
1999. Her legal practice included
general civil litigation, trademark
and copyright. n
PAGE 11

PAGE 12 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Astorino’s Promise To Cut Government
And Lower Taxes Resonated With Voters
Republican/Independence Challenger First
To Defeat Incumbent County Executive In 71 Years
The Election Of Rob Astorino As County Executive Ushers In A New And
Exciting Era In Westchester County Government
Rob Astorino was all smiles, accompanied by his radiant wife Sheila, his son Sean, 6,
and daughter Kiley Rose, 4, as he addressed the exhuberant crowd of supporters and
well-wishers at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, White Plains, last Tuesday night. His 58-42
percent victory over Andy Spano was a total reversal of their outcome four years ago.
Rob Astorino tells supporters, “It’s far surpassing anything we expected.”
Photo: R. Blassberg

From The Publisher, continued from page 2
if he had attended the Tea Party
in White Plains back in April he
indicated that he hadn’t, but that
his family members had.
Another man, George Nivkor,
accompanied by several family
members at a polling place
in Yonkers, when asked if he was
happy with Yonkers and Westchester
County politicians and
taxes, said, “We feel like we are
being extorted. I’m watching
rampant waste and theft all at our
expense; and we are tired of it.”
When asked if he was a Democrat
or a Republican, Nivkor
replied, “Some of my family are
each, but this year we are Independent
and voting Row C, the
Independence Party.”
It’s clear that the Independence
Party has struck a nerve,
and the numbers show it. Over
the last three countywide elections,
the Independence Party
received between five and seven
thousand votes. This election,
they more than doubled that
number, with well over 12,000
votes, which Dr. Cavallo attributes
to the Independence Party’s
role at the Westchester Tea
Party Rally and all the mailings
and telephone calls the Party
faithful did to get out the vote.
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
“We mailed literature to thousands
of taxpayers, asking them
to join us,” Cavallo said. He went
on, “Unlike the Conservative
and Working Families Parties,
the People of Westchester County
know where we stand on the
issue of high taxes. The Conservative
and Working Families
Parties have done nothing to
combat the tax problem. In fact,
both minor parties endorsed
Andy Spano, but didn’t make a
difference.”
Cavallo reiterated that as a
civic leader and party chair, it is
his duty to stand up against politically-entrenched,
power-hungry
politicians when it comes to
issues that negatively effect so
many lives as high taxes do.
When asked where the Independence
Party will be going from
here, Cavallo said, “Nowhere but
up; we are the third largest party
in the state, and maybe one day
we’ll be the second, or even the
first, but in the meantime, on
Election Day, we were the most
important party and the deciding
factor for some of the most important
races in Westchester.”
Political insiders have confirmed
that Andy Spano made
numerous attempts to obtain the
Independence Party endorsement;
but was rejected every time
by Dr. Cavallo. It is clear that had
Spano gotten that endorsement,
he might have remained King
Andy for a fourth term.
PAGE 13
For now, we must hail Dr. Giulio
Cavallo, a true leader with
the moral fortitude and courage
to do the right thing. He is the
most powerful political figure in
Westchester. n
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PAGE 14 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Shelley Ackerman
Nov. 12 - 18
The New Moon in Scorpio
Red Alert on 11/15: Saturn and Pluto Square Off! Mercury the Messenger Flies High in Sagittarius through Dec 5
By Shelley Ackerman
Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas
What’s in a name
When there’s an army base in
a town named “Killeen”, perhaps
the powers that be should consider
having the town renamed, as all
words (and names) carry a vibration
and a destiny.
And as details of the horrific
mass shooting at Fort Hood continue
to come in, we are now reminded
that Fort Hood in Killeen,
Texas has had quite a history of
bloody and violent outbursts:
Beginning with the killing of
23 in a cafeteria in Fort Hood (by a
35 year-old civilian driver of a pickup
truck) in October 1991, and incidents
in September 2008 and July
Aries (March 21-April 19): As
much as a part of your being thrives
when in an exciting battle and relishes
the throws of juicy conflict,
stay out of all and any arguments
as they can quickly escalate into an
irreversible mess, particularly on
Sunday November 15 th . That being
said, the New Moon in your transformative
8 th house may be nothing
short of a rebirth, and a good one
at that. Mercury, planet of thoughts
and communiqués enters your 9 th
house of philosophy and big ideas.
Your ‘world view’ is up for a period
of expansion- don’t fight it.
Taurus (April 20-May 20): The in-
2009, Thursday’s massacre was by no
means a ‘first’.
Astrologically, it was the first
major manifestation of the 2009/10
explosive Saturn/Pluto energy that
will characterize the next 10 months
or so.
Whenever the planetary ‘powerbrokers’
Saturn and Pluto are in hard
aspect to one other (as they were in
1993 at the time of the WACO, Texas
travesty, and on 9-11-2001), explosive
energy abounds.
The alleged gunman, an army
psychiatrist named Nidal Malik
Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar”
which in Arabic means “God is
great” as he began shooting at everyone
in sight on Thursday, Nov 5,
2009 @ 1:30 pm CST. Those were the
tense New Moon in your 7 th house
of partnership promises that where
a spouse or better half is concerned,
ALL (and I mean ALL) will be revealed.
They’re in a profound transition
and a little patience and empathy
will go a very long way. Mercury enters
your transformative 8 th house so don’t
be surprised when you observe your
mind operating in new and expansive
ways. As you seek innovative answers
from deep within your psyche, steer
clear of politically ‘charged’ conversations
with closed-minded coworkers
and underlings - they could turn ugly
in a nano second.
Gemini (May 21-June 21): The New
Forecasts
Moon in your 6 th house of health,
work, and daily routine isn’t messing
around; you’ve got to take this part
of your life seriously or else nothing
will flow the way you want it to. Saturn
in your 5 th house of creativity and
love affairs brings a serious quality
to the romance picture but without
the will to soul-search, transform,
and be a responsible partner; your
‘person of interest’ may not measure
up. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.
Mercury enters your 7 th house
of significant others, so at the very
least, the lines of communication are
open and ‘live’.
Cancer (June 22-July 22): Mon-
same words uttered by the relief pilot
of Egypt Air Flight 990 as he deliberately
crashed the plane into the
icy waters off of Nantucket killing all
217 aboard on October 31, 1999, 10
years and one week before the past
week’s incident in Texas.
Ironically, Major Nidal Malik
Hasan graduated from Virginia
Tech in 1997, the scene of the April
16, 2008 massacre perpetrated by
Seung-Hui Cho.
Reports say that the 39 year old
Hasan was born in September 1970
in Virginia of Jordanian parents. I
haven’t seen a birth date yet, but I
would imagine that he’s either very
late Virgo or early Libra and that one
of his key planets or points (i.e. the
midheaven or ascendant) were triggered
by the Saturn/Pluto square
(which will be exact on November
15 th ). He had been complaining
about his upcoming deployment to
Afghanistan. Other signals of his
political/religious ‘conflicts’ were
picked up by the FBI but not responded
to in any concrete way.
Scorpio New Moon
This month’s New Moon at
24 Scorpio 34 is in hard aspect to
slippery Neptune. The Sabian Symbol
for 25 Scorpio is: “An x ray machine
is in operation: By means of it
a bit of fine diagnosis is made possible
and a life is preserved.” This
bodes well for cutting through the
crap and getting to the heart of the
matter.
And not a moment too soon!
day’s New Moon in your mantic/fertile 5 th house of fun lends
creative/roalchemical
mojo and boosts your
confidence enough to try something/someone
different. Just don’t
drink too much as you’ll need all of
your wits about you to play it right.
Be wary of an investment opportunity
that sounds too good to be trueit
probably is. A partner/spouse is at
odds with a family member. Don’t
take sides but do everything in your
power to keep the peace.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Are you
ready for a brand new environment
in which to hang your hat Whether
you physically move or not, it’s time

to strike the set or at the very least,
renegotiate the terms of your current
living situation. This can refer to the
amount you pay monthly to the way
that the place looks. The other players
in the conversation are not as
clear as you so be prepared to take
charge (not a problem – is it). The
tough Saturn- Pluto square indicates
that you may have to work overtime
to make sure that a thick-headed coworker
or an underling ‘gets’ what
you’re talking about.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): On the
heals of a tough and financially
sobering weekend the influence
of Monday’s New Moon brings a
shape-shifting energy to your neighborhood
and/or to a sibling’s way of
seeing things. At first you may not
be sure what (if anything) you’re to
actually do about all of this. But as
your ruling planet, Mercury, enters
high-minded Sagittarius, you may
run into a foreigner or a professor
near home base who inspires you
with an expansive view of your own
back yard. This intriguing encounter
will uplift your spirits and open your
eyes to new possibilities.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): This weekend,
the entire world is dealing with
the effects; take comfort in the fact
that you’re not alone in any of this.
Monday’s New Moon will usher in a
cycle of new and improved financial
opportunity. Do what you can NOW
to prepare and handle the increased
demand with grace. Mercury enters
your 3 rd house of communication
too, make sure that phones and all
communication devices are in working
order. Missed calls could be disastrous.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): The
tough aspects this weekend are no
match for you Scorp, as you have
been down this road many, many
times before. You may be called
upon to be a referee, in which case,
do so with an even temper and a
cool head. The new moon on Monday
will clear up a lot, and when the
dust settles you will have and enjoy
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 15
a new-found respect for conducting aspects (co-ruler) Saturn in your to what makes you tick and a deeper
yourself with transparency. By the philosophical 9 th house. Bottom understanding of why you do what
way, transparency doesn’t necessarily
line: your friends are on board and you do. This kind of empower-
mean weakness.
in sync with your new vision. ing self-realization comes but only
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t
so often, so seize the day and don’t
Your valiant efforts to align the good let a battle of wills on Sunday wreck
deny your strength and ability to influence
hearts and minds. Mercury,
of the community with the health what will otherwise be a breakthrough
week. Peek-a-Boo: YOU
of your pocketbook may be at odds
planet of talk, enters your career
and at an impasse but this deadlock see you! Monday’s New Moon in
house making you the best advocate
is temporary and will morph into a your philosophical 9 th house ushers
for your cause. ■
workable solution- it just may take
in an era of profound clarity as
time. The New Moon on Monday
reaches into deep crevices of your
being. And though the effects may
not be visible for a while, you will
experience an empowering sense
of knowing from a very deep place.
Healing past life wounds is likely.
Mercury enters in your sign and
encourages you to share more than
you’ve wanted to of late, but be a
good editor.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan 19): There’s
no getting around the fact that the
weekend could be tough, but try to
be aware of how you may be contributing
to the problem by not being
open to what others have to say.
The New Moon in your communal
11 th house of friends and associates
will expose the intentions of all players
(in a good way) so that you know
with whom you are to deepen your
alliances. Mercury enters your hidden
12 th house, so even though some
may wish to keep their thoughts under
wraps, Sagittarius can’t help but
be ‘big’ even when whispering. Be a
good and attentive listener and you
won’t miss a thing.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Okay
darling, no one says that standing up
for what you believe in is ever easy,
but not doing it is excruciating. The
key is to be firm but very gentle and
to appreciate that if you’re being met
with resistance from the outside, it
may in fact be coming from within.
The New Moon in your professional
10 th house gives a green light to a
new chapter in your career. A little
spacey-ness going up that elevator is
to be expected. Mercury enters your
communal 11 th house and favorably
Scorpio New Moon
Nov. 16, 2009, 2:14pm EDT
New York, N.Y.
Solarfire Chart courtesy of Astrolabe
This Week’s Planets
(Times are EDT):
Nov 12: Moon in Virgo V/C @ 2:13 am, enters Libra @ 12:22 pm
Nov 14: Moon V/C @ 6:10 am, enters Scorpio @ 5:24 pm, Sun trine Uranus @ 8:41 pm
Nov 15: Saturn square Pluto @ 9:42 am, Sun square Neptune @ 6:12 pm,
Mercury enters Sagittarius @ 7:28 pm
Nov 16: New Moon (and Moon V/C) at 2:14 pm, Mercury sextile Saturn @ 11:59 pm
Nov 17: Moon in Sagittarius @ 12:22 am
Nov 18: Moon V/C @ 9:46 pm
Moon V/C- a time to disconnect, best for spiritual not earthly pursuits

PAGE 16 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Catherine Wilson, Bureau Chief
Medicare Changes for 2010
Thanks to recent changes in
Medicare laws, Medicare recipients
will now have even greater options
to select from when choosing their
health and drug insurance plans.
However, with those greater options
comes greater confusion over which
plan is best for each recipient.
The “Annual Election Period”
(AEP) for changes to personal drug
and Medicare Advantage insurance
plans is from November 15 to December.
Any Medicare recipient
wishing to join, change, or drop a
plan must do so within the next six
weeks or hold out for another year.
Local residents who are satisfied
with their current plans do not need
to do anything at this time. However,
it is still advisable to check out
your current plans to see if they are
making any changes to their coverage
in 2010 that could adversely affect
you.
Medicare coverage is offered
piecemeal, adding to the confusion
for eligible individuals. The main
option is the traditional Medicare
A plan which provides hospitalizations
at no charge to enrollees. Supplementing
this is the Medicare B
plan which covers the daily medical
expenses such as expenses for doctors
and other health care providers.
Medicare recipients must pay
a monthly premium for their Medicare
B coverage. The premiums for
most current Medicare B enrollees
for 2010 will remain at 2009 rates of
$96.40 a month but Social Security
is also holding monthly payments
constant in 2010; retirees will not
receive any cost-of-living increases
over their 2009 income. Under Federal
law, Medicare premiums cannot
increase more than the increase in
Social Security benefits, but those
increases in benefits are linked to
inflation which was relatively low in
2009 due to the poor economy. New
enrollees will feel the brunt of the
economic impact on Social Security
coffers more bluntly, they will have
to contribute up to 15% more for
their Medicare Part B coverage, up
to $110.50 a month.
Individuals who have higher
incomes will face these higher premiums
as well along with those individuals
who receive their benefits
through Medicaid. For individuals
who have adjusted gross incomes
of $214,000 or more ($428,000 for a
married couple), they will face premiums
as high as $353.60 a month
for their Medicare coverage.
In addition to the hospitalization
and health care provider coverage,
Medicare also offers a drug
insurance policy known as Part D.
There is also an all-inclusive option
called Medicare Advantage. These
plans often bundle Medicare Part A
and B with a Part D drug plan and
add extra benefits such as dental, vision,
and wellness coverage.
All of this adds up to literally
thousands of varying plans out
there for Medicare recipients to select
from. Every year the Center for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, the
Federal agency responsible for the
administration of the Medicare program,
culls the options to weed out
duplications and seldom used plans.
As a result, over 600,000 Medicare
recipients will have to change their
plans each year since those plans
will no longer exist.
Local Medicare recipients who
are currently enrolled in a plan that
will be eliminated in 2010 should
have already received a notice from
their insurers. If you have any questions
as to your insurance plans,
Medicare recommends calling your
insurer directly for confirmation.
For those Medicare recipients who
will lose their plans in 2010, if they
take no steps to enroll in a replacement
plan, Medicare will automatically
enroll them in a traditional,
government provided Medicare A
and B plan.
Regardless of whether your
plan will continue in 2010, it is still
a good idea to review the viability
and coverage of your existing plans
to determine if it is time to make a
switch. Changes in your health, area
of residence, health care providers,
and overall finances are all good reasons
to review your coverage.
Medicare offers help in wading
through the various options on its
web site www.Medicare.gov. This site
allows the user to view plans available
by region, a helpful tool since the plan
your relative may have in Arizona that
you want to sign up for may not actually
be available in New York.
The site will ask basic questions
such as your age, other health insurance
plans you may be receiving,
such as union coverage, and your
overall health. If you currently take
prescription medications, you can
enter them on the government site
to determine which Medicare Part
D plans will cover them and at what
cost, even allowing you the option to
select generic drugs when possible.
The Medicare site will even ask you
if you have a favorite pharmacy so
you can see what your medications
will cost at the pharmacy you use. If
you don’t have a favorite pharmacy,
Medicare will give you options for
the pharmacies in your area assuming
that is where you are most likely
to pick up your prescriptions and
will show their costs for your specific
medications.
Once all of your basic information
is entered, Medicare will match
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all of the plans that meet your needs
in your area. A quick test of this site
whittled thousands of plans down
to a more manageable 49 to initially
choose from. The plans can then
be sorted by annual cost, monthly
premiums, drug coverage, etc. so
the Medicare recipient can narrow
the options down to the health insurance
issues that matters to them
most. Medicare even ranks the plans
using a 1 to 5 star ranking to narrow
the options even further. When the
Guardian sorted the 49 area options
we received, based on
the option to use any
doctor, the list narrowed
further to nine.
Another click to
eliminate plans that
did not offer drugs
and the list was down
to six that we selected
to compare in detail
on the Medicare site.
The Guardian could then compare
side-by-side benefits and options
of each plan such as the number of
providers in each network, the contact
information for each plan, the
Medicare ratings for each portion of
the plans such as health screenings,
management of chronic conditions,
pricings, and customer service.
Medicare also provides detailed
information by plan for the items
that will be covered and their costs,
if referrals are required, if the plan
covers you when traveling outside
the United States, the length of hospital
stays covered, doctor visit copays,
ambulance services, medical
equipment and lab tests covered, and
drug, dental, and other coverage.
The site also assists those individuals
interested in obtaining a
“Medigap” policy. Medigap policies
pay for those costs not covered under
the Part A or Part B plans such
as time spent in a skilled nursing
facility or hospice care. Medicare
allows for 12 different types of Medigap
Plans, labeled “A” through “L”.
In addition to skilled nursing
care, these plans also offer additional
illness or disability. Non-medical
care includes non-skilled personal
care assistance, such as help with
everyday activities such as dressing,
bathing, and using the bathroom”.
Since this care is considered to be
“custodial care”, Medicare warns that
their plans will only pay for medically-necessary
skilled nursing facilities
or home health care under certain
conditions and recommends that individuals
invest in a long-term care
insurance policy for these costs.
Choosing the best insurance
coverage for you is only the first step.
Local Medicare recipients should
also make sure that their health care
wishes will be considered and adhered
to if they are unable to advocate
for themselves. Medicare recommends
that all recipients prepare
a personal advance directive which
includes a health care proxy, a living
will, and any after-death wishes. A
health care proxy allows you to appoint
a person to make health care
decisions for you if you are unable
to make them yourself. Anyone pre-
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 17
medical needs such as blood transfusions
During this enrollment period, paring a health care proxy should
and some types of medical Medicare recipients are being bom-
first make sure that the appointed
equipment,. The differences in the barded by mailings and advertisements
individual is comfortable with mak-
plans relate to the amount of costs
for the various competing ing these decisions, understands
covered, the time frames covered, insurance plans. Many criminals what your wishes are, and can be
and the expenses passed through use this as an opportunity to prey on trusted to follow out your wishes or
to the policy holder. The Medigap local seniors. Medicare is warning make decisions that would adhere to
plans are extremely expensive, the all recipients and potential recipients
your wishes and beliefs.
plans offered in the Westchester area
that the Medicare and Medigap In addition to a health care
range from $4,100 per year to over plan insurance companies cannot proxy, an Advance Directive should
$5,600. These plans are usually only ask for your credit card or banking also include a living will which states
adopted by individuals with critical information over the telephone unless
what medical treatment you would
medical needs. These plans cannot
you are already a member of the accept or refuse in a life-threatening
be denied to individuals who have plan. Medicare plans also will not situation. Some individuals choose
call you to join a plan, to refuse “extraordinary measures”
you must call them. such as being hooked up to breathing
Medicare recommends
machines or having their hearts
that its recipients
“jumped” by paddles. Other indi-
also plan for any
potential long-term
care as part of their
health care decisions.
According to Medicare,
“long-term care
is a variety of services
including medical and non-medical
care for people who have a chronic
pre-existing conditions and must
cover those conditions and policy
holders cannot be charged more
based on their past or present health
problems.
Any local resident who is already
enrolled in a Medicare insurance
program should have received
a copy of the handbook “Medicare
& You” for 2010. Anyone who did
not receive a copy can call and request
one or download this from the
Medicare website. This handbook
describes what is new for Medicare
in 2010, what Medicare policies
will cost and what they cover; the
various plans offered, what help is
available for individuals paying for
the prescription drugs, and what a
Medicare recipient’s rights are.
Some of the changes in 2010
are the increased emphasis on preventive
care and access to health
information technology to reduce
medical errors. Medicare has also
lowered costs for outpatient treatment
for mental health care and
has expanded coverage for qualified
children and grandchildren of
Medicare recipients.
viduals choose to reject all measures
such as tube feeding – the choice is
up to each individual. Lastly, an advance
directive can also lay out your
wishes for organ and tissue donations
upon your demise.
Finally, the Federal government
is encouraging the use of technology
to assist in your health care. Medicare
recommends establishing a
“Personal Health Record” that keeps
track of your health information,
major illnesses, operations, allergies,
and medications. Many health care
providers have already adopted electronic
prescribing which sends your
prescriptions to your local pharmacy
via their computers, eliminating lost
or forged prescriptions and errors
due to illegible handwriting.
The Westchester County Department
of Seniors is hosting free
seminars for local residents who
need assistance wading through the
Medicare options. The sessions on
Medicare Basics will be offered at the
County Office Building at 9 South
First Avenue, Mount Vernon on November
18 th and December 16 th from
10:00 a.m. to noon in the eighth-floor
conference room. Local residents
can register for these sessions at 914-
813-6100. That number is also the
Medicare Information Line and is
operated by the County year-round
to help local residents with any Medicare
issues and concerns. n

PAGE 18 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Readers Respond, continued from page 4
home that week, which was listed
for sale @$1,250,000.00 by Dolores
Leonard Real Estate LTD in
Croton-on-Hudson. All this was
without my knowledge. Despite
many requests I made to them to
remove the listing, they had refused.
On Dec., 22 2005 I went to an
attorney, Mr. Barone, in White
Plains for help. Mr. Barone did
file a notice of pendency to stop
them from the fraudulent sale of
our home, and I requested to file
for divorce.
Since mid-2006 I had filed a
number of complaints with the
District Attorney’s Office regarding
the fraud as well as submitted
a number of documents to
back up my facts. The only thing
I was told was that they were
looking into it and that I would
hear from the DA’s Office very
soon. As of today, Nov. 4 2009,
after going to the DA’s office and
filing several more complaints,
four altogether since 2006, nothing
has been done. I had recently
been speaking with Assistant DA
Brian Conway and he requested
that I submit more documents,
which I have, and now Mr. Conway
is stating that there might be
nothing they could do about the
fraud!
It seems that all of DA Janet
DiFiore’s ads claiming how she
and the DA’s Office are here to
protect homeowners from real
estate fraud and help to stop child
abusers and save our children is
We invite our readers’ comments.
Letters should be no more than 500
words in length, and may be edited
for length and clarity.
Please email your letters to editor@
Westchester Guardian.com.
For verification purposes please
include your address and a daytime
phone number.
nothing but a lie to help her win
the next election; nothing but
empty promises. Here I have a
very clear case of real estate fraud
and the DA’s Office is turning a
blind eye on it.
Thank God we got one “parasite”
– Spano - out of office.
Alexander Ekstra
Reader Critical Of
Columnist Polvere
Dear Editor:
In his October 15 th column,
A Modest Proposal Or Two, Fred
Polvere writes, “I have never seen
America in such disarray.” “There
is nothing I can recall that approaches
the hatefulness, the
vitriol.” It appears what we have
here is a case of selective memory.
Where was Mr. Polvere the last
eight years when George W. Bush
was mocked, criticized, belittled
and, yes, assassinated in word
and on the screen The truth is,
the Obama Administration is, I
believe, the most polarizing and
divisive in the history of this nation,
even to the extent of an enemies
list.
Incapable of making the
tough decisions, Barack Obama
is also an inexperienced, unaccomplished
community organizer
with radical associations.
He does not seek the passage of
health care reform for the good
of the American people. His motive,
I believe, is both self-serving
and egomaniacal; a place in
history as the one, whom after
decades of failed attempts to reform
health care, undertook this
daunting task and accomplished
it, to some extent.
And what is the story with liberals
and Sarah Palin They just
can’t get enough of the former
governor. They’re curious, and
at the same time consumed with
loathing. But I believe beneath
their shallow emotional exterior
they are enthralled by Sarah,
she haunts their dreams. They’re
filled with uncertainty and fear at
what she represents, an accomplished
woman with unwavering
traditional conservative values.
Honestly, can you recall any political
figure, aside from George
W. Bush, that has caused such uproar
in the halls of liberalism
“I am afraid for my country,”
writes Mr. Polvere. Who does he
think he’s kidding with this duplicitous
concern when in fact he,
like most liberals, is part of the
problem They feel free to insult
and denigrate a large segment of
the American people, who have
concerns and doubts about this
administration’s policies, by referring
to them as Mr. Polvere
has, as “Tea-Bagger Patriots”; a
derogatory term associated with
a perverted sexual act.
Mr. Polvere’s whining commentary
is devoid of substance.
Barack Obama is proving to be an
empty suit, a self-absorbed demagogue
with illusions of grandeur.
What makes matters worse is he’s
surrounded by extremists, radical
Chicago ideologues who seek
to diminish and ultimately destroy
the values, traditions and
principles most Americans hold
as sacred.
Finally, in an effort to quell
any concerns and give Mr. Polvere
some kind of relief and hope
and ease his consternation, indulge
me while I set the record
straight. Barack Obama is not
the “Antichrist”, I hope. And I’m
certain he is an American citizen,
most likely.
Bob Pascarella, Bronx
Direct Hard Money Lender
14% Interest
1-yr. Bridge Loans
$
20k - $ 1 million
Secured by Real Estate
Immediate Answer
Closing In 7 Days
Call: G. Morales
914-632-1243
M-F 10am-6pm

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 19
White Plains YWCA Offers
New Workshop Series For Parents
Parents today are busier and more frazzled than ever, coping with the turbulent economy and
keeping up with the rapid pace of every day responsibilities as they try to balance the need of their
children and plan for their family’s future.
This Winter, three local organizations have collaborated to offer a series of workshops designed
to help parents tackle some of the challenges, like helping children transition to kindergarten, and
to engage them in discussions on how parents and caregivers share active roles in raising young
children.
The series is sponsored by the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester, the Westchester
Association for the Education of Young Children and the Child Care Council of Westchester.
All workshops are free and open to the public with child care available for 3-7 year olds during
the presentations. Pre-registration is required for child care services. Limited space is available so
interested parents should RSVP by emailing events@ywcawhiteplains.com or calling 914-949-6227
x147. All workshops will be held at the YWCA Activity Center ( 515 North Street, White Plains.)
Led by Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Linda Stern, On the Road to Kindergarten (December
5, 10:00-12:00) will help families learn preparation and transition strategies to help alleviate some
of their child(ren)s worries associated with stepping into the classroom for the first time.
The Frazzled Family (February 27, 2010, 10:00-12:00) is an opportunity for Roberta Roth, CSW,
to share insight from her new book, The Frazzled Family, a guide for today’s busy parents. Roberta
Roth is a dynamic speaker, writer, parenting coach and psychotherapist in private practice in
White Plains who has appeared frequently on the CBS Early Show and NBC’s Today Show.
Dads are Parents Too! (March 20, 2010, 10:00-12:00) puts the focus on the role of fatherhood.
Dads bring valuable perspectives to the process of raising children and their input is encouraged in
this discussion on children’s development. Dads AND Moms are welcome to attend this workshop,
presented by Todd Mohrmah of Dynamic Training, Inc.
Please visit www.ywcawhiteplains.com for more information on the YWCA’s programs and services
for youth and families.

PAGE 20 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Part 2
One stated purpose of incarceration
is rehabilitation, which is the
idea that rather than simply warehousing
offenders as punishment,
prison staff should offer a variety
of educational and vocational opportunities
as well as therapeutic
programs.
As I have discussed any number
of times in The Guardian, despite
the fact that rehabilitation is
claimed as a goal of incarceration,
in reality that is anything but the
case. If states, including the State
of New York, and their Departments
Of Corrections were truly
serious about rehabilitation, they
would reinstate college programs,
teach vocational classes using upto-date
equipment and materials,
employing instructors eager to
teach in the environment; and the
atmosphere of abuse at every level
would not be tolerated. The simple
truth is any rehabilitation that occurs
in prisons occurs despite the
system, not because of it.
That having been said, in order
to maintain the charade to some
extent, there are, in fact, some limited
educational and vocational
programs offered. There are also
therapeutic programs which purport
to directly address the cause
of an inmate’s incarceration. One
NYS Department Of Corrections Sex Offender
Program Damns Innocent, Wrongfully Convicted
such program is the Sex Offender
Program, and is the focus of this
column.
By 2004 I was out of options; I
could no longer put off a decision.
Despite my continued letter-writing
to various places, organizations,
big law firms, and individuals,
nobody was answering my
letters. Since every time I refused
to take the program I had to wait
one year before being eligible to
take the program again, this was
my last chance to meet the parole
board requirement.
The fact that nothing was looking
up, and I was receiving no answers
from places I was writing to
for help, weighed heavily on my
mind. I could not ignore those
facts. My grandmother had passed
away while I was incarcerated, and
I wanted to regain my freedom
and rejoin my family members before
anybody else died.
At the same time, I also was
conscious about what had happened
to John Duval: Duval had
been wrongfully convicted along
with his co-defendant Betty Tyson
of a murder in Rochester, New
York. By the time they were able to
get their convictions overturned
some 27 years later after evidence
of innocence surfaced, Duval had
gone to the parole board twice. In
order to try to regain
his freedom, Duval
admitted the crime
at the parole board
and had expressed
remorse. He had
been denied parole
anyway. But while the
authorities dismissed
the case against Tyson,
they retried Duval, using his
statements at the Parole Board as
evidence that he was guilty.
I did not want to provide the
state with false evidence of guilt
so that if I did get my conviction
overturned, they would then use
that false evidence to again wrongfully
convict me.
I had a period of three weeks to
decide. I tried to find ways to take
and complete the program without
having to admit guilt. I went
to an interview with the instructor
of the class, which was a pre-requisite
to signing up. He told me of
the condition of admitting guilt. I
explained that I was innocent, and
I referenced the negative DNA test,
showing him my brief.
He would not budge. I told him
that I did not want to be disruptive
in his class; I simply wanted to
sit in the class quietly, not disturb
anything, not falsely incriminate
myself, and simply get the certificate
for passing the class. Once
again, he would not budge.
It was like talking to a robot.
He insisted that no matter what,
no matter what he himself might
think about my case, I would have
to admit guilt in writing, in detail,
just like everyone else. I raised the
issue of wrongful convictions occurring.
He acknowledged that,
but it changed nothing. I met with
him several times. Each time I got
a similar response. He told me,
“This program is not for innocent
people. This is for sex offenders.”
I even asked my counselor,
who had co-taught the original
class along with him, and who was
aware of my case and believed in
my innocence, if she would simply
teach the class again, but on a oneto-one
basis with me. She stated
that she did not want to teach the
class, that once had been enough
and she no longer wanted to be involved.
There were other obstacles
pertaining to safety. People showing
up for the class would go to
the waiting area at which the other
workers in that area of the prison
worked. They all knew each other
and who had what job. Therefore
they also knew who didn’t work
there. The men who showed up
for the program would therefore
be opening themselves up to being
identified as sex offenders. From
there, the word could go out about
them, and they would be vulnerable
to attack by anyone wishing to
act on the vigilante code that exists
in prison towards people convicted
of sex offenses.
Thus was the element of danger
in taking the class. To add insult to
injury, if anybody was found guilty
of “fighting” while in the program,
which any scenario involving people
defending themselves from
physical attack would be labeled,
they would be kicked out it.
Yet another obstacle were the
guards who would be informed
by the staff as to which prisoners
were sex offenders in the program.
Ordinarily, they were not told
of the prisoners crimes so as to
avoid problems and to supposedly
maintain their professionalism, although
some guards looked it up
on their own.
But to take the program meant
that they would be told, because
they would have to conduct
searches of participants’ cells at

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 21
various times to ensure that they
did not have pornographic materials
in them. This was dangerous
because some of the guards would
act on the vigilantism themselves,
either in the form of abuse, or by
putting the word out about them
to the other prisoners, and/or giving
inducements for prisoners to
attack the sex offenders.
the guard told her of the story, and
that caused her to rethink things
and not write me the ticket.
But I still had to make a decision:
Would I take the program
or not After dragging my feet for
several days feeling traumatized by
the awful decision I would have to
make, after much soul searching, I
decided not to take the program.
they would have to not merely
“take a class” but say that they
had raped their victim. Several
people had told me that an explicit
condition under which they
were offered a plea bargain was
that the prosecution knew that
they could not prove a rape, and
that was why they offered to drop
the charge and have them plead
It is also a basis upon which
prisoners whose security level
should have been dropped and
thus transferred out from a maximum
security prison to a medium
security facility, which has more
freedom of movement in it, was
not done.
Any prisoner who does not
complete the program would not
Thus, from several different Other Department Of guilty to other crimes they committed.
They told me that had that block.
be eligible to be housed in honor
angles, taking the class would have Corrections-Induced Problems
put my life at risk.
The Department Of Corrections
has also tied a variety of con-
gone to trial because they had not The Department of Correc-
not happened, they would have
Conclusion
I tried writing the Superintendant
Of Programs about both ditions to the completion of the raped anybody.
tions should administer the program
without making participants
the danger problem as well as the sex offender class. Failure to take While I did not know their cases
well enough to form an opinion admit guilt, and they should cease
problem with falsely admitting and complete the class will result
guilt. But as in all other things, in the prisoner being denied the on their guilt or innocence, I felt all efforts at trying to coerce people
into doing so.
one part of the system simply covered
for the other. In fact, she even facility closer to home to facilitate to be presumed innocent of any If the Department of Correc-
opportunity to be transferred to a that legally they were supposed
tried to encourage me to take the family visitation.
charge they had not been convicted
of, and that it was unfair for rective, then legislation is needed
tions refuses to issue such a di-
program anyway, despite my concerns,
citing the rules.
denial of the opportunity to par-
the Department Of Corrections to to accomplish the goal. Then,
It also would be the basis for
Lacking any other angle, I ticipate in the Family Reunion prevent them from going on conjugal
visits with their wives based on safety protocols should be set up
with the program thus modified,
made a desperate move which Program, which allowed married
nearly landed me in the hole. I couples and family members the that. It was just another example of preventing danger. No prisoner
asked the counselor to teach me opportunity for conjugal visits the system being abusive, and one should have to risk danger in order
to complete a therapeutic pro-
the program one-on-one, only in trailers located on the prison part of the system covering up for
instead of her actually teaching it grounds, every 90 or 45 days, depending
on the facility.
the other.
gram. ■
which she no longer wanted to do,
she could just pretend to do that. I Both of the above-mentioned
could just go to her office but we sanctions are true even in instances
when a defendant is still appeal-
could talk about something else. I
tried to plead with her, reiterating ing their case. When a defendant
my innocence and her familiarity took that issue to court, the court
with that. I explained this terrible upheld the Department Of Corrections.
predicament that I was innocent.
She reiterated the rules. I argued I was aware of situations in
situational ethics. I even referenced
Rev. Martin Luther King convicted of sex offenses, but in-
which prisoners had not been
and his teaching regarding the stead had initially been charged
moral responsibility of disobeying with it along with other crimes,
unjust laws. But she angrily threw though ultimately, for one reason
me out of her office. I was nervous, or another, had not been charged
and didn’t know if I would be sent with it. In other situations, I knew
to the hole. But at least, I rationalized,
I would have been sent there bargain agreements where they
some people who had made plea
trying to obtain my freedom. had pled guilty to non-sex crimes,
A guard who just happened to but the Department Of Corrections
tried to force them to take
be working that day on whose behalf
I had intervened years before the class.
thereby diffusing a situation in When they took the issue to
which she could have been hurt by court, the court upheld the Department
of Corrections. They
other prisoners, later told me that
the counselor had come out and were thus in a position where
spoken to her mad as hell, but that

PAGE 22 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
this week:
through nov. 30
• Joys And Sorrows, an exhibition
of works by Judith Goldstein, New
Rochelle resident and a Holocaust
survivor, will be on display in the
New Rochelle Public Library’s Lumen
Winter Gallery thru Nov. 30.
The exhibit, the centerpiece for the
library’s Big Read project, is based
on Ms. Goldstein’s memories of
both the Holocaust and her life in
America. Free and open to the public
during regular library hours.
Info: 914.632.7878 x34.
fri., nov. 13
• Wii Fun Fridays For Teens. Join
in the Wii Fun Friday games; Dance
Dance revolution and Guitar Hero
on the big screen. Grades 6 and up.
Free. 4pm, The Trove’s Galaxy Hall,
White Plains Public Library, 100
Martine Ave., White Plains. Info:
914.422.1489.
Sat., nov. 14
• Environmental Literacy Series:
Mosses & Ferns. This series of Saturday
morning programs is for
adults and mature children interested
in learning about the world
around them. This month’s focus
is on mosses & ferns. Free. 10am,
Cranberry Lake Preserve, Old Orchard
St., North White Plains. Info:
914.428.1005.
• Papermaking. Now you have the
chance to make your own paper.
Learn how using recycled and natural
materials. Pre-registration is required.
Free. 1pm, Lenoir Preserve,
Dudley St., Yonkers. Info/registration:
914.968.5851.
• Shelter On The Point. Life without
computers, DVDs and shopping
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.
malls Come and learn techniques
of survival in the woods, including
a survival activity and shelter-building.
Meet at the nature center. Free.
1pm, Croton Point Nature Center,
Croton Point Park, Croton Point
Ave., Croton-on-Hudson. Info:
914.862.5297.
• Starway To Heaven. Join the
Westchester Astronomers in the
Meadow parking lot for stargazing
through telescopes. Weather-permitting;
cloud date Nov. 21. Free.
7pm, Trailside Nature Museum,
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Rts.
35 & 121 South, Cross River. Info:
914.864.7322.
Sun., nov. 15
• History Hike. Enjoy a leisurely
walk around the farm and learn its
history. Free. 1pm, Muscoot Farm,
Rt. 100, Somers. Info: 914.864.7282.
• The Railroad That Never Was And
Other Mysteries Of the Marshlands
Historic Landscape. Come on a
hike to learn about the Jay Spring,
the quarry in the woods, and other
Children’s Holiday Programs
The Grinton I. Will branch of the Yonkers Public Library, located at
1500 Central Park Ave., Yonkers, will be holding two holiday programs
for children:
tues., nov. 17: Native American Story and Craft, ages 7 and up. 4pm in
the library’s Story Room;
mon., nov. 23: Thanksgiving Story and Craft, ages 4-6. 4pm in the
library’s Story Room.
Both events are free, and registration is required. For info, or to register,
call 914.337.1500 x306.
New Exhibit At The American Museum of Natural History
• , an
exhibition beginning Sat., Nov. 14 at the American Museum of Natural
History, Central Park West & 79th St., Manhattan, brings to life one of
the greatest trading routes in human history by showcasing the goods,
cultures, and technologies from four representative cities: Xi’an, Turfan,
Samarkand, and ancient Baghdad. 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 exhibit runs through Sun., Aug. 15, 2010. For
info visit www.amnh.org.
Christmas Tree Sale
The North White Plains Fire Company will be hosting a Christmas tree sale as a fundraising event at the
firehouse, located at 621 North Broadway, North White Plains. The sale, held Thursdays to Sundays, will
begin on Fri., Nov. 27 and continue until Sun., Dec. 20 unless sold out. There will be free parking. The hours
will be:
Thurs. & Fri. - 4-8pm; Sat. & Sun. 9am-9pm
For further information please call 914.949.3575 or email ncsfd1@optonline.com
lingering signs of the people who
lived here before. Free. 2pm, Marshlands
Conservancy, Rt. 1, Rye. Info:
914.235.4466.
mon., nov. 16
• SCORE will provide free individual
counseling sessions for the area’s
small business owners and entrepreneurs
at the Katonah Village Library,
26 Bedford Rd., Katonah. Counselors
will be available on three monday
evenings from 6:30-7:30pm;
individuals seeking business advice
need to make an appointment by
calling the SCORE White Plains office
at 914.948.3907.
• Reading Coach. Children in first
through fifth grade can spend 15
minutes, with parent/caregiver, with
a reading coach to learn how to read
better and improve their schoolwork,
Mondays throughout the
month. Register beginning the previous
week. Free. White Plains Public
Library, 100 Martine Ave., White
Plains. Info: 914.422.1476.
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.

• Learn Capoeria. Children can
learn this Afro-Brazilian art form
that combines elements of martial
arts, games, music and dance. Basic
moves taught by Ary Souza Lima on
Mondays throughout the month.
Free. 4:30pm, White Plains Public
Library, 100 Martine Ave., White
Plains. Info: 914.422.1476.
wed., nov. 18
• Downtown Music at Grace’s Noonday
Getaway Series presents internationally
acclaimed artists Pamela
Sklar, flutist, and William Anderson,
guitarist, in a program of music
by Handel, Maria-Theresa von
Paradies and William Anderson.
Free. 12:10-12:40pm, Grace Church,
Mamaroneck Ave. @ Main St., White
Plains. Info: 914.949.0384.
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
PAGE 23
morial concert performed by the Muslim and Christian Communities,
City Winds Piano Trio in honor of
and a reception will follow.
Robert Mills, past President of the All clergy are invited to vest and
Friends, pianist, church organist, process. Choir members of other
songster and longtime library volunteer.
churches wishing to sing in the vol-
2pm, White Plains Public unteer choir are asked to call ahead
Library, 100 Martine Ave., White to sign up so music can be provided,
Plains. Info: 914.422.1489.
may bring any robe and should arrive
by 6pm. Donations of canned
mon., nov. 23
food will be given to the Yonkers
• Yonkers Interfaith Thanksgiving Food Center. 7pm, Good Shepherd
Service. People of all faiths are invited
to give thanks this Thanksgivnut
& Elm, Yonkers. Info: The Rev.
Presbyterian Church, corner of Waling
Holiday at an interfaith service John M. Hamilton, 914.963.3033,
sponsored by the Yonkers Council 973.392.6582 or john@joyfulrumblings.net.
of Churches. Worship will be led
by representatives from the Jewish,
• The Grinton I. Will library will
hold a free workshop to help choose
the best Medicare Prescription Drug
Plan for your needs. Beginning Nov.
15 you can enroll in Medicare Part
D, and the workshop explains Part D
and what it covers, the “Donut Hole”
and other Part D details. Counselors
from the Medicare Rights Center will
detail where to get help paying for
medications, how to select the right
plan, and how to enroll in a plan. Free
and open to the public. 1:30pm in the
library’s Story Room, 1500 Central
Park Ave., Yonkers. Info/registration:
914.337.1500 x317.
• Starting And Operating A Small
Business. This free seminar, presented
by SCORE, will be hosted
by the White Plains Public Library,
100 Martine Ave., White
Plains at 6:30pm. For more info call
914.948.3907.
• Real Estate Record. If you’re interested
in researching the history of
your home or neighborhood, search
Westchester County’s real estate news
and transactions from 1905 to 1931
in the Real Estate Record. The new
online version of this weekly magazine
will be demonstrated at this
program. Free. 7pm, White Plains
Public Library, 100 Martine Ave.,
White Plains. Info: 914.422.1489.
• Teen Poetry Workshop. Learn
how to write, revise and perform
your own poetry to express your individual
voice. Work on writing new
poems, revising existing work, and
performing them, in a supportive
(and slightly competitive) environment.
Free. 6pm, White Plains Public
Library, 100 Martine Ave., White
Plains. Info: 914.422.1489
up and coming
thurs., nov. 19
The New Rochelle Public Library’s
International Film Series continues
with a showing of the Russian/
French film House Of Fools, directed
by Andrei Konchalovsky. A discussion
moderated by media librarian
Chris Poggiali follows the movie,
which is in Chechen and Russian
with English subtitles. Free; $2 donation
suggested. 7pm at the library,
One Library Plaza, New Rochelle.
Info: 914.632.7878 x34.
fri., nov. 20
• The League of Women Voters will
hold a Coffee & Conversation with
Councilwoman Marianne Sussman
at the New Rochelle Public Library,
One Library Plaza, New Rochelle.
Ms. Sussman will discuss current
issues in the City and her priorities
for the coming year. Complimentary
coffee and light breakfast fare will be
served. Free and open to all. 9:30-
11am. Info: 914.632.7878 x34.
• Trove Flicks present We’re Back! A
Dinosaur’s Story, a Steven Spielberg
animated tale. Fun for the whole
family. Rated G. 72 min. Free. 2pm,
White Plains Public Library, 100
Martine Ave., White Plains. Info:
914.422.1476.
• Wii Fun Friday Sports. Boys and
girls in grades 1-5 can join in the
Wii Fun Friday Sports games. The
competition takes place on the big
screen. To make sure everyone is
safe and comfortable, tickets are given
out on a first-come, first-served
basis 30 minutes before the program
starts. Free. 4:30pm, The Trove’s
Galaxy Hall, White Plains Public
Library, 100 Martine Ave., White
Plains. Info: 914.422.1476.
sun., nov. 22
Music For A Sunday Afternoon.
The Friends of the White Plains
Public Library are presenting a me-
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 Dutchstyle
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.

PAGE 24 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
This Week In History: Nov. 12 - 18
By John Leo Tufts, Jr.
Ellis Island Closes
Nov. 12, 1954 - Ellis Island, the gateway to America since 1892, closed its doors.
In the immigration center’s 62 years more than 12 million immigrants had been
processed. An estimated 40 percent of all Americans can trace their roots through
Ellis Island, which is located in New York Harbor off the New Jersey cost, and
bears the name of its original owner, Samuel Ellis, who owned it in the 1770s.
On January 2, 1892, 15-year-old
Annie
Moore, from Ireland, became the first
person to pass through the immigration
center. Previous to the center, designated
as such by
President Benjamin Harrison
in 1890, the processing of immigrants
had been handled by individual states.
Not all immigrants went through the
facility. First- and second-class passengers
submitted to a brief shipboard inspection
and then disembarked at piers in New York or New Jersey, where they passed
through customs. Third-class passengers, however, were transported to Ellis
Island where they underwent medical and legal inspections to ensure they didn’t
have a contagious disease or a condition that would make them a burden to the
government. Only two percent of all immigrants were denied entrance to the
United States. The busiest year of operation was 1907, when over one million
people were processed. During the First World War Ellis Island was used as
detention center for suspected enemies and, after 1924, the facility served as a
detention and deportation center for illegal immigrants, a hospital for wounded
soldiers during World War II and a Coast Guard training center. In November
1954 the last detainee, a Norwegian merchant seaman, was released, and the facility
was officially closed. The island underwent a $160 million renovation, and the Ellis
Island Immigration Museum opened to the public in September 1990.
British Bombers Sink German Battleship
Nov. 12, 1944 - The German battleship Tirpitz, sistership to the Bismarck
which had been sunk in May, 1941, was attacked and sunk by 32 British Lancaster
bombers in Tromso Fjord, Norway. The ship had been ordered to Norway in
January 1942 so she could be in a position
to attack Soviet convoys transporting
supplies from Iceland to the USSR. The
move, however, effectively tied down the
British Royal Navy in the North Atlantic,
preventing their deployment to other
areas. Desperate to immobilize
Tirpitz,
the British made several attempts to either
damage or sink her. In October 1942 an attempt to attach explosives to her hull
failed because of rough water conditions and alert German defenses. In September
1943, three explosives were successfully attached to the battleship’s underwater
hull; the damage they caused was enough to put her out of action for six months.
On Nov. 12, 1944, British bombers carrying 12,000-lb Tallboy bombs, which were
normally used to destroy dams, attacked. Two of the massive bombs hit the ship,
causing her to capsize. Almost 1,000 of Tirpitz’ crew were killed.
Nov 12
1864 - Union General William T.
Sherman, prior to embarking his forces
on the March to the Sea, ordered the
destruction of the business district of
Atlanta, Georgia. Having just captured
Atlanta in September, he was threatened
by the continued presence of John Bell
Hood’s Army of Tennessee, which he had
just defeated, as well as the Confederate
Cavalry of General Nathan Bedford
Forrest, who could strike at Sherman’s
supply lines. In late September Sherman,
as a diversionary move preparatory to
leaving Atlanta, sent part of his forces,
under General George Thomas, back
towards Nashville to deal with Hood’s
forces. Throughout October Sherman
amassed the necessary supplies for
the march and, on Nov. 12, ordered
the systematic destruction of Atlanta
to prevent Confederate forces from
recovering anything once he had departed.
Approximately 37 percent of the city was
destroyed before he left on Nov. 15.
Nov 13
1775 - Continental Army Brigadier
General Richard Montgomery took
Montreal, Canada, without opposition.
His success was due, in part, to the
defeat of Ethan Allen by British
General/Canadian Royal Governor
Guy Carleton on September 24. Allen’s
ill-prepared assault of the city led to
his capture and imprisonment by the
British. Although the attack was a
failure, it did force Carleton to focus all
his attention on defeating Allen, and he
refused reinforcements to Fort St. Jean,
the final fortification that stood between
Gen. Montgomery and Montreal. The
fort was surrendered by its commander,
Major Charles Preston, to Montgomery,
on Nov. 3. Following Montreal’s fall,
Carleton fled to Quebec City where he
and Montgomery would again face each
other in December in a climactic battle
which would determine the ultimate fate
of America’s invasion of Canada.
1941 - Congress amended the
Neutrality Act to allow American
merchant ships access to war zones, which
would put United States vessels in the line
of fire. The Act, which had been passed
in 1935, forbade American merchants
to sell to any and all belligerents in any
future war. Two years later a second
Neutrality Act had been passed which
forbade the export of arms to either side
in the Spanish Civil War and gave the
President of the United States the authority
to forbid Americans from traveling on any
ships of warring nations, forbid any U.S.
ships from carrying U.S. goods, including
non-military items, to a belligerent nation,
and demand a belligerent nation pay for
U.S. nonmilitary goods before items were
shipped.
1982 - The Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
a simple V-shaped black granite wall
inscribed with 57,939 names of men
who died in Vietnam, was dedicated in
Washington, D.C. The dedication came
near the end of a weeklong national
salute to Americans who served in
the conflict. The names, unlike other
memorials, were arranged in the order of
death, and not rank. The memorial was
designed by Maya Lin, a Yale University
architecture student who entered the
nationwide competition for the its design.
Nov 14
1851 - Herman Melville’s novel,
Moby Dick, was published by Harper &
Brothers in New York. Now considered a
great classic, the story is about the voyage
of Captain Ahab, on the whaling ship
Pequod, and his quest for a giant while
whale. Initially the book, which was first
published in London in October, 1851,
was a flop but, by the 1920s, scholars
had rediscovered the book, and it would
eventually become a reading staple in
high schools across the United States.
1959 - An article on the influence
of television, then still a relatively new
technology, on political campaigns was
published in TV Guide by Massachusetts
Senator, and presidential hopeful, John
F. Kennedy. Kennedy wrote that
television had the power to bring political
campaigns, and scandals, immediately
and directly to the public, and that it also
illuminated the contrast between political
personalities. He noted that a loud, shrewd
orator fared poorly against one with
honesty, compassion and intelligence.
Kennedy also mentioned the potential
perils of marrying mass media to politics.
He warned that political campaigns could
be taken over by public relations experts
who tell the candidate what to say, what
to stand for and what kind of person to
be, and warned Americans to be vigilant
about what they watched.
Nov 15
1777 - Following 16 months of debate,
the Continental Congress agreed to
adopt the Articles of Confederation
and Perpetual Union. The Articles
were the result of the colony’s suffering
through British oppression, and its
leaders’ reluctance to establish any form
of government that might infringe on the
right of individual states to govern their
own affairs. They provided for only a
loose federation of American states with
Congress being a single legislative house.
Each state would have one vote, and a
president would be elected to chair the
assembly. Congress, which didn’t have
the right to levy taxes, did have authority
over foreign affairs and could regulate a
national army and declare war and peace.
The Articles were ratified in 1781 by the
last, 13 th state, Maryland, and became
law. Five years after its ratification,
however, it was decided that the system

was inadequate and was peacefully
overthrown. In 1787 a committee met in
seclusion and created the United States
Constitution which, on March 4, 1789,
replaced the Articles of Confederation,
giving birth to the modern United States.
Nov 16
1532 - Spanish explorer and
conquistador Francisco Pizarro, along
with 200 of his men, captured Incan
Emperor Atahualpa. Luring the
Emperor to a feast in his honor, Pizarro’s
men opened fire on several thousand
unarmed Incans. They massacred 5,000
Incans and captured Atahualpa. He
was forced to convert to Christianity
before he was eventually killed. Pizarro
had taken advantage of the fact that the
Incan Empire was embroiled in a civil
war between the emperor and his halfbrother
Huascar, who Atahualpa had
just deposed, causing the population to
be decimated and their loyalties divided.
Atahualpa was kept in captivity while
Pizarro made plans to take over his
empire. The Emperor was executed by
strangulation on Aug. 29, 1533.
Nov 17
1558 - Mary I, Queen of England and
Ireland since 1553, dies. Her 25-year-old
half sister, Elizabeth, ascended to the
throne, becoming Queen Elizabeth
THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
I. Elizabeth and Mary, who were both
daughters of King Henry VIII, had
a stormy relationship during Mary’s
five-year reign. Mary had been brought
up Catholic, enacted pro-Catholic
legislation and attempted to restore the
pope to supremacy in England. Her
actions ignited a Protestant rebellion
and Elizabeth, who was Protestant, was
imprisoned in the Tower of London on
suspicion of complicity. Following Mary’s
death, Elizabeth’s ascension was greeted
with approval by most of England’s
lords, who were largely Protestant.
She repealed Mary’s pro-Catholic
legislation and established a permanent
Protestant Church of England. Elizabeth
strengthened England’s Protestant allies
and was opposed by the Pope and by
Spain, then at the height of its power. In
1588 English-Spanish rivalry led to an
aborted Spanish invasion of England in
which the Spanish Armada was destroyed
by storms and the English Navy. Elizabeth
encouraged voyages of discovery – Sir
Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the
world and Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions
to the North American coast. By the time
of her death in 1603, England had become
a world power.
1869 - The Suez Canal, which connects
the Mediterranean and the Red Seas, was
inaugurated in a ceremony attended by
the wife of Napoleon III. In 1854 the
former French consul to Cairo, Ferdinand
de Lesseps, had secured an agreement
with the Ottoman governor of Egypt
to build a canal 100 miles across the
Isthmus of Suez. Engineers drew up the
construction plans and, in 1856, the Suez
Canal Company was formed and granted
the right to operate the canal for 99 years
after its completion. Construction began
in April 1859 and was completed in 1869,
four years behind schedule. When it was
opened, the canal was 25 feet deep, 72
feet wide at the bottom, and 200-300 feet
wide at the top. Fewer than 500 ships
navigated it in its first year of operation.
Major improvements to the canal began
in 1876, after which it grew into one of the
world’s heaviest traveled shipping lanes.
The canal was shut down following the
Six Day War and Israel’s occupation of the
Sinai Peninsula. In 1975, as a gesture of
peace following talks with Israel, Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat reopened the
canal.
1973 – During the Watergate scandal,
President Richard M. Nixon told a
group of newspaper editors gathered at
Walt Disney World in Orlando that he
wasn’t “a crook”. The statement, made
during a televised question-and-answer
session with Associated Press editors,
came after Nixon was questioned about
PAGE 25
his role in the Watergate burglary
scandal and efforts to cover up the fact
that members of re-election committee
had funded the break-in. Replying that
people had to know whether or not their
president was a crook, he said he wasn’t,
though he admitted he was at fault for
not having supervised his campaign’s
fundraising activities.
Nov 18
1883 - At exactly 12 noon, American
and Canadian railroads began using
four continental time zones. The move
stemmed from the need for continental
time zones to solve the problem of
moving passengers and freight over
thousands of miles of rail that covered
North America by the 1880s. Most local
towns in the U.S. had their own local
time, based on when the sun was at its
highest point in the sky. With railroads
shrinking the travel time between cities
from days or months down to hours,
the local times became a scheduling
nightmare. The companies, in creating
a new time code system, divided the
continent into four time zones; the
dividing lines which were adopted
are close to the ones still in use today.
Congress officially adopted the railroad
time zones in 1918, putting them
under the supervision of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
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PAGE 26 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
For Rent
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950 sq. ft. & 500 sq. ft.
917.363.4366
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bldg. Apts with stores. Must sell.
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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
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The Westchester Guardian

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
Water Conservation: A Virtue, a Value, a Necessity
By Erica Gies
My water utility recently increased its rates with a tiered pricing
structure: if you use more, you pay more. In so doing, San Francisco
joined nearly 200 municipalities across the country, including Raleigh,
N.C., Tucson, Ariz., and Amarillo, Texas.
Paying more for a vital resource like water during a down economy
may seem like a hardship, but I support the increase wholeheartedly
because it encourages conservation, and we need to eliminate
water waste.
In California, we are fighting over water. Our cities crave it. The
agricultural sector demands it. And environmentalists remind us
that we need to leave enough in the rivers for the critters who live
there. Our current drought is worsening the problem, but the core
issue is that our state uses—and wastes—too much water.
We are not alone. Thirty-six states expect water shortages by 2013,
according to the Government Accountability Office.
Some think finding more water is the answer.
But that’s not always possible or affordable.
A hunt for more water means higher taxes for
new infrastructure—longer pipelines, new desalination
plants, or treating sewage water to
make it drinkable. That makes conservation the
best bargain going. We can start by plugging
leaks in the current system—literally. U .S. cities
currently lose one-fifth of their water to leaks,
according to the Congressional Budget Office.
But cities use just one-seventh of U.S. water:
47 billion gallons a day. Agriculture uses the
most, consuming 142 billion gallons daily, followed
by power plants that use 136 billion gallons
per day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA).
To successfully curtail water use, everyone needs to conserve, beginning
with agriculture and energy—the biggest consumers—but
including municipalities and individuals as well. In agriculture, we
must revise antiquated water rights laws. For example, in California
(where 50 percent of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts are
grown) and in other western states as well, long-term landowners
have a first right to highly subsidized water. If they don’t “beneficially
use” their allocation, they lose it—giving farmers a perverse incentive
to waste water.
Also, agricultural subsidies encourage low-value, water-intensive
crops. Those subsidies need to be rethought with an eye toward water
conservation. More water savings would come too if agribusiness
shifted a percentage of flooded crops to sprinkler and drip irrigation.
Power plants of many stripes—coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, biomass,
and thermal—use huge amounts of water for cooling, much of
PAGE 27
which evaporates. We need to consider water consumption as well as
carbon emissions when planning new plants.
At the municipal level, San Francisco just passed new ordinances
to retrofit all residential and commercial properties with water-efficient
plumbing fixtures upon resale. Commercial buildings must
make the changes by 2017. These ordinances could save the city four
million gallons daily. Los Angeles, Dallas, New York City, and Annapolis,
Md., are among the cities that have water use ordinances for
new buildings. Perhaps more important, we need legislation to ensure
that all new developments have an adequate water supply for at least
100 years.
Individuals can play a role too. The average American uses nearly
1,200 gallons of water per day. (You can calculate your water footprint
with H2O Conserve’s online water calculator: http://www.h2oconserve.org/wc_disclaimer.php.)
To reduce your footprint, install water-saving appliances and fixtures
in your home. The EPA’s online WaterSense
program lists water-saving low-flow toilets,
washing machines, dishwashers, and other items.
If everyone upgraded, we would save more than
3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion
dollars per year nationally—that’s $170 per
household.
In the garden, reduce lawn size and plant native
plants, which can thrive on rain alone. Apply
mulch to retain soil moisture. For plants that
need irrigation, use a drip system, preferably
supplied by rain barrels or greywater. New sensors
can shut off irrigation if rain is detected.
People can also reduce their water footprint
by drinking municipal water from a refillable container rather than
buying bottled water. It takes about three liters of water to produce a
one-liter plastic bottle.
The foods we eat also have a water footprint. Meat is the biggest
water hog. It takes eight times more water to produce 500 calories of
animal-based food than the same amount of plant-based food, says
the International Water Management Institute. Processed foods like
soda and chips are also water intensive. So eating less meat and more
fresh food is not only healthy, but saves water too!
Archeologists believe that past civilizations—the Sumerians of
Mesopotamia, the Maya of Central America, and the Chacoans and
Hohokams of the American Southwest—collapsed partly due to water
mismanagement. Conscientious water conservation could help keep
us from following in their footsteps.
Erica Gies is a freelance reporter whose work has been published
by the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, Wired News,
Grist, and E/The Environmental Magazine.

PAGE 28 THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009