THE
CityREVIEW NewRochelle January 22 & 29, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 2 | www.cityreviewnr.com
SET IN STONE
A Port Chester man responsible for carving out the historic faces on Mount Rushmore was recently recognized for his work. For story, see page 6.
2 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 3
$1.2B biotech facility slated for development By James Pero Staff Writer A $1.2 billion project slated for development in Valhalla will, according to county officials, bring not just a state-ofthe-art biotech facility to Westchester County, but also thousands of jobs. The 80-acre, 3-millionsquare-foot facility dubbed Westchester BioScience & Technology Center—which is being developed by Fareri Associates—will encompass two massive research wings, a 100-room hotel as well as a 34,000-square-foot children’s center. According to county officials, the facility will succeed in not only establishing Westchester as a center for biotech research, but also supplying a healthy amount of jobs to the county. “[The] BioScience & Technology Center [will] create thousands of new construction and permanent jobs, while po-
sitioning Westchester County at the forefront of the region’s emerging new economies,” John Fareri, president of Fareri Associates, said in a statement. A statement from the county executive’s office indicates that the county can expect to add 8,000 permanent jobs, both entry-level and professional as a result. “This strategic investment positions Westchester to grow smartly in the future,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, in a released statement. “It creates jobs that play to the strength of the county’s highly-skilled and educated workforce.” Once built, the county expects the facility to generate $9 million in annual real estate taxes and $7 million in annual rent. The rent will stem from the fact that Fareri Associates is leasing approximately 60 acres of land from the county located on the Grasslands Reservation. According to a statement by
county officials, this would be a long-term lease. Structurally, the facility will also feature large amounts of open space, with about 54 percent of the property being dedicated to open green space. The open space, however, won’t be the only green aspect of the facility. Much of the facility will also utilize sustainable technologies and energy sources, including solar panels, rain gardens, on-site wetlands and bioswales—landscaping designed to remove pollution from runoff water. While the funding for the facility is in place, the lease must still be sent to the county Board of Legislators for approval, and must also be approved by Mount Pleasant’s land use boards. Ned McCormack, communications director for the county executive’s office, could not be reached for comment as of press time. coNTacT: james@hometwn.com
A $1.2 billion biotech facility, which will include two massive research wings in addition to a 100-room hotel, is slated for development on county-owned land in Valhalla. Rendering courtesy Westchester County
4 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
What’s going on... New Rochelle Public Library
Visit the new library’s website nrpl.org for more information on these and other events and programs.
African dance classes
Starting Saturday, Jan. 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Ossie Davis Theater. Anthony Wooden, director of Bokandeye African Dance and Drum Troupe, returns to the library for another series of free African dance workshops for children ages 7 and up, as well as their parents. This popular series, now a tradition at the library, provides instruction of native African dance, while also instilling an understanding of the rich cultural meanings of the movements, rhythms, dress, African village life and the role of the extended family. Registration will take place at the first class. The culminating performance will be held on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. in the Ossie Davis Theater.
‘The Great American Song Revival’ with Caroline Doctorow On Sunday, Jan. 24 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in
the Ossie Davis Theater. Caroline Doctorow’s very personal tribute to songwriters of the ‘60s is folk music at its finest. A mesmerizing vocalist and champion of American folk music, Doctorow has released nine folk/Americana albums and is widely admired for delivering a song with a velveteen voice. In this program she and her band will focus on the folk music of performers such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tom Paxton, Donovan, Richard and Mimi Farina, John Hartford and Dave Van Ronk. Doctorow will also share some of her original compositions and her reminiscence about growing up in New Rochelle as the daughter of author E. L. Doctorow. Made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library. Suggested donation is $2. Following the performance, plans for a New Rochelle tribute to E. L. Doctorow, Caroline’s father, will be revealed.
cassettes, videos and DVDs—will be available for purchase. The executive board of the friends of the library coordinates the book sales, with the assistance of other volunteers. Money from book sales is used to underwrite the library’s extensive public programs.
Lunchtime Yoga On Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Meeting Room on the first floor. Guided by yoga instructor Nora LeMorin, these mid-day sessions designed to help relax and strengthen involve traditional and adapted poses that are practiced either standing or seated in chairs no mats needed. Space is limited; first come, first served. This program is made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library. Donations are gratefully accepted.
Book sales
Yoga Tots
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the first floor lobby of the main library. The Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library have a bounty of wonderful and inexpensive nearly-new books, DVDs, games, puzzles and more to give as gifts or to keep for yourself. The Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library will hold their annual Big Bargain Book Sale on Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the library’s lobby. A large array of quality used items—from popular novels and mysteries in hardcover and paperback, nonfiction in hardcover and paperback, to children’s books, music
On Saturday, Jan. 30 at both libraries. The session for children ages 12 months to 23 months will be held in the Children’s Room at the main library from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The session for children ages 3 to 5 will be held at the Huguenot Children’s Library from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Toddlers will have fun “playing yoga” during Yoga Tots. Using puppets, props and songs, toddlers will take a yoga adventure, play yoga games, go upside down and end each class with a yoga relaxation. Taught by certified kids’ yoga instructor Susan Fried.
Postcard exhibit A new all-day exhibit will run until Saturday, Jan. 30 in the Lumen Winter gallery. New Rochelle’s grand resorts, meandering shoreline, leafy neighborhoods, stately structures and impressive Fort Slocum military base were captured in images for a multitude of postcards that traveled the world. These images will be shown during this exhibit, providing a glimpse into the early 1900s, when New Rochelle was developing into one of America’s premier suburban communities.
Strayhorn exhibit to open This original exhibit of photographs, artifacts, art work and personal items tracing the extraordinary career of musician Billy Strahorn is based on a recently-released book of the same title. The exhibit will run from Feb. 8 through Feb. 29. “Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life,” written by A. Alyce Claerbaut and David Schlesinger, and the exhibit, curated by Leslie Demus and Theresa Kump Leghorn, and designed by Jesse Sanchez, celebrates
the centennial of the birth of the American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist and arranger. A film screening and reception dedicated to Strayhorn will take place in late February. Visit the library’s website for more information.
The College of New Rochelle
Juried art exhibit The College of New Rochelle welcomes the public to this exhibit of works by professional artists in the Mooney Center Gallery on the main campus. The exhibit opens on Saturday, Jan. 23 and ends on Sunday, Feb. 14. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with the exception of holidays.
New Rochelle Council on the Arts Call for musical groups The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is seeking musical groups to perform in its Emil Paolucci Summer Sounds Concert Series, which will run Wednesday evenings from July 6 through Aug. 24. Interested artists should submit a DVD or CD of a recent performance, a photograph and written background materials, and payment expectations by Feb. 15. All materials should be sent to Emil Paolucci Summer Sounds Concert Series c/o Billie Tucker, P.O. Box 211 New Rochelle, NY 10804. For more information, email info@newrochellearts.org.
New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce ‘The Chamber Show’ On Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to noon on WVOX 1460 AM. “The Chamber Show” highlights members of the Chamber of Commerce of New Rochelle and what is happening in the chamber, New Rochelle and surrounding areas. Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all items to news@hometwn.com.
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 5
Letters to the Editor
Are our girls worth it?
If you are interested in volunteering, please join us at our recruitment event on Friday, Jan. 29 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at New Rochelle Girl Scout House, 971 North Ave. in New Rochelle. You can also contact Ahesha James at ajames@girlscoutshh.org or call 747-3080 ext. 725.
To the Editor, How can a girl be motivated to explore her interests in science when she only sees boys on the robotics team at her school? And how can she set in motion her dream of becoming a leader when Pamela I. Anderson, CEO, Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson opportunity seems like only a buzzword to her? The answer? Girl Scouts; but we need your help. In New Rochelle, we have a shortage of volunteers. We have a list of almost 100 girls waiting to get into a troop, but no volunteers to lead it. Unlike many other extracurricular activities where girls are coached or instructed, Girl Scouts Publication is not guaranteed. We reserve provides a unique and safe environment for girls to make decisions for themselves, and to succeed the right to edit letters for content or space, and/or fail. These experiences help young girls develop the overall leadership skills they need to at our discretion, without notification from the have strong voices in their own lives. company. We reserve the right to reject submisJennee Richards, a troop leader for two troops from New Rochelle, said, “I really enjoy both sions at our discretion without notice to the aumy troops. We learn as a team from the girls, leaders and parents. The girls not only learn leaderthor. Sorry, but we are unable to notify authors ship skills, they learn each and every one of us contributes for the greater good as part of being in advance if and when a letter will be printed. successful.” Deadline for submission is Friday before And we know that it works. The latest study from the Girl Scout Research Institute reports publication. The maximum length of letters that that 97 percent of parents feel that joining Girl Scouts is a positive activity for their daughters. appear in our pages is 625 words, but letters Ninety-six percent of girls have tried new things in Girl Scouts, and 94 percent of parents believe are usually significantly shorter to accommothat their daughters feel special and important. That’s a lot of 90 percentile positives. date space needs. We don’t deliver this alone, of course. Simply put, we couldn’t. For more than 103 years, Girl The letter should be signed and include the Scouts has had one of the largest volunteer bases of any organization. Without our volunteers leading troops, running local events, organizing field trips, delivering camp programs, setting up cookie booths, you name it; we could not deliver our mission. Our volunteers are mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, college students, young professionals, retirees, and everyone in between. While our volunteers come from various ages and stages of life, research shows they all agree on the impact they make. Ninety-five percent of Girl Scout volunteers agree that they make a difference in the lives of girls because they volunteer with Girl Scouts; 94 percent have made new friends themselves; and 92 percent feel that Girl Scouts helps them learn or share something new. Now it’s my turn to invite you to join us. Become part of this nationwide movement to empower girls. We need your help.
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6 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016 THE
CityREVIEW NewRochelle 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Tel: (914) 653-1000 Fax: (914) 653-5000
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Late Port Chester man honored for Mount Rushmore
Executive Vice President | Ira Ellenthal ext. 31, irathal@hometwn.com
By sarah varNey Staff Writer
Editor-in-Chief | Christian Falcone ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com
After 28 years, the Del Bianco family of Port Chester finally has succeeded in getting the National Parks Service to recognize the contribution of grandfather Luigi Del Bianco as chief carver of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota. Last week, grandson Lou Del Bianco of Port Chester got the official word that his decades of work trying to persuade parks department officials to honor his grandfather had been rewarded. While details of the actual memorial to be erected haven’t yet been decided, Lou Del Bianco hopes it will be the same as the one erected in Port Chester in 2014 at 68 N. Regent St., near where Luigi Del Bianco had lived. “The tipping point was the documentation. [The sculptor Guston] Borglum had described in detail the contributions that my grandfather made,” Lou Del Bianco said. But Luigi Del Bianco’s story has always meant more to his grandson than just a squabble over a piece of granite. That story has morphed into a one-hour stage show that Lou Del Bianco
Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Editorial Assistant | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com Editorial Assistant | Suzy Berkowitz ext. 30, suzy@hometwn.com Education Reporter | Sarah Varney ext. 17, sarah@hometwn.com Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso Advertising | Barbara Riehl ext. 16, barbara@hometwn.com Advertising | Lindsay Sturman ext. 14, lindsay@hometwn.com Advertising Coordinator | Gabriella De La Rosa ext. 27, ads@hometwn.com Staff Writers James Pero, Angela Jordan, Kiley Stevens Staff Photographer Bobby Begun Columnist Lenore Skenazy
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performs throughout the tri-state area. On Jan. 12, Lou Del Bianco, an actor, gave a multimedia presentation of the story of his grandfather’s work as one of the chief carvers on the 14-year-long Depression-era project to fifth graders of the Osborn School in Rye. Lou Del Bianco performed the story dressed in the same period clothing worn by his ancestor and spent some of the program speaking in the same half-Italian/half-English language his grandfather used. It included an audience participation segment with five students who each enacted one part of the carving process. Luigi Del Bianco spent seven years of his life working on the Mount Rushmore project. In 1933, he was the only person given the title of chief carver. During the school presentation, Lou Del Bianco showed black and white photos of the workers climbing the 706 steps—half the height of the Empire State Building—to reach the work site. Luigi Del Bianco was paid $1.50 per hour. The entire monument cost approximately $1 million to build. In order to re-create the huge stone carvings of presidents
Roosevelt, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, Luigi Del Bianco and his team used a formula of ratios to ensure the carvings were made to scale. The chief carver was responsible for refinement of the facial expressions for the presidential quartet. One student in the audience asked how Luigi Del Bianco was able to make the pupils of the sculptures’ eyes so lifelike. Lou Del Bianco explained that the pupils were designed using the same principle as a sundial. The light of the sun is used to give the eyes expression as it moves through the day. Borglum learned the technique from Auguste Rodin while studying art in Paris and taught Luigi Del Bianco how to use it on the presidential faces. Borglum is credited as the sculptor of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, with the chief carver never having been recognized for his work. Luigi Del Bianco emigrated to the United States after serving in World War I and first settled in Barre, Vermont, where a group of Italian stonecutters had moved to work in the granite quarries. One of Luigi Del Bianco’s peers recognized his talent and recommended him to Borglum. The chief carver moved his wife and three sons to South Dakota for the project where
In an undated photo, Luigi Del Bianco stands on a scaffold next to the model of Lincoln’s head used to recreate the mountainside Rushmore version. Photos courtesy the Del Bianco family
his sons attended school and his wife ran the family. One son, Vincent, became enamored with horses and the Lakota Sioux Native Americans who lived on a reservation nearby. Luigi Del Bianco befriended some of the Native Americans, and on Sundays, the family would travel to the reservation where Nicoletta Del Bianco would serve up macaroni and sauce for 100 people or more. Later in his life, Luigi Del Bianco worked as a stone carver and created more than 500 of the headstones at St. Mary’s Cemetery located in Rye Brook. Lou Del Bianco only became close to his grandfather in his final years. The chief carver likely succumbed to lung disease in 1969. Starting in 1988, Lou Del Bianco teamed up with his Uncle Caesar to try and gain recognition for Luigi’s accomplishments. The lesson that Lou
A ratio of 5 feet to 60 feet was used to transfer the dimensions from paper to the mountainside. The same “grid method” is taught to art students today.
Del Bianco strives to convey in his presentations is one of perseverance. “If you have a passion, you should keep at it until you succeed,” he said. coNTacT sarah@hometwn.com
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The original design for the Mount Rushmore by sculptor Gutson Borglum called for the hands and torsos of the four presidents. However, that part of the design had to be scrapped when it was discovered that the rock beneath the heads was pegmatite granite which is too granular for carving. Photo courtesy pixabay.com
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 7
Astorino hosts MLK Day breakfast gathering
Police foundation presented with $5K check
Clergy from different faiths celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a breakfast held on Jan. 18. Jamila Loftin, standing, far left, granddaughter of the Rev. Emma Loftin-Woods, speaks to the group. Photo courtesy Westchester County
From left, New Rochelle Police Foundation Treasurer Leroy W. Mitchell, Ramiro’s Tree Service owner Ramiro Lopez, Vice President Charles J. Valenti, New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick J. Caroll, Officer Wolf with dog Chase and Secretary Domenic Procopio. Contributed photo
County Executive Rob Astorino was joined by more than 50 clergy from a variety of faiths on Monday, Jan. 18 for a breakfast gathering to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King
New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick J. Carroll and members of the New Rochelle Police Foundation were recently presented with a $5,000 donation to the foundation from Ramiro
Jr., who would have been 87 years old. The remembrance centered on Dr. King’s fight for social, economic and racial justice for all and a call to respect all
peoples and religions. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice” was one of King’s teachings referenced at the breakfast. (Submitted)
Lopez of Ramiro’s Tree Service. The donation will be used for the next dog in the NRPD’s K-9 Unit. The new dog will be named Diesel in honor of the French police dog killed during a police
raid in Paris following the terrorist attacks in November. Additionally, the New Rochelle Police Foundation will donate $2,000 to the French police for their canine unit. (Submitted)
8 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 9
County legislators pass climate change resolution
By replacing its traditional street lights with LEDs, the city of Yonkers is expected to save more than $18 million in energy costs over the next 10 years. Photo courtesy city of Yonkers
By KiLey sTeveNs Staff Writer The Westchester County Board of Legislators passed a resolution last month, making the county the latest municipality to become a New York Climate Smart Community. The resolution, originally introduced to the board by county Legislator Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, will add Westchester to a network of communities throughout the state who have begun to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take steps to adapt to climate change. The pledge, which is comprised of 10 key elements, was written by the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Office of Climate Change. Of all of the counties in New York state, Westchester has the most municipalities who have signed the resolution, with 29 out of the 43 towns, cities and villages already committed to taking the pledge. Parker said she decided to introduce the pledge to Westchester after attending a meeting about climate resilience with FEMA and the DEC. “By becoming a climate smart community, we would be tackling some of the issues related to climate change,” Parker said. She added that the county would also become eligible for funding to-
ward flood mitigation and storm hardening, two problems Westchester faced following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The vote for the resolution passed 16-1, with the only dissenting vote coming from Legislator Michael Smith, a North Castle Republican, who told the Review that the resolution was never properly examined. “[The resolution] was rushed to be accomplished by year-end and it was not done in a proper manner.” Smith, no longer on the board, didn’t seek re-election last year after taking over as president of Berkeley College. Several municipalities in the county have already begun taking steps to become more environmentally conscious and to save money on energy costs. In 2014, the city of Yonkers replaced all 11,300 of their street lights with LEDs. According to the city’s website, the project is expected to save taxpayers $18 million in energy costs over 10 years, and reduce Yonkers’ carbon footprint by 3,000 tons each year. George Oros, chief of staff to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, said that because there are many factors that contribute to climate change and many reasons for its cause, the Astorino administration will not involve itself in that
political “debate.” “But we are going to implement things that are environmentally friendly and save the taxpayers money,” he added. Astorino’s administration has already made strides to improve environmentally-conscious programs, including recycling plastics of all numbers, a decision made in 2011, before which the county had only recycled plastics labeled with numbers one and two, according to Oros. Each plastic has a specific number, one through seven, identifying which type of resins it is made with. Other efforts to improve the environment are also already in place. The organization Sustainable Westchester, a union of Westchester local governments that promotes effective sustainability initiatives, was formed in 2014 when the Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium, NWEAC, and the Southern Westchester Energy Action Consortium, SWEAC, merged. The village of Tuckahoe, a member of Sustainable Westchester, is one of 14 Westchester communities yet to sign the New York Climate Smart Community pledge. “Back in 2013, the village was looking to adopt a modified version of the 10-point Climate Smart pledge,” said Tuckahoe Mayor
Steven Ecklond, a Republican. “At the time, it was brought to our attention that [the DEC’s Office of Climate Change] required, required that the entire pledge be adopted as is with no changes.” Ecklond and Tuckahoe decided to continue solely as members of Sustainable Westchester. Tuckahoe recently received multiple awards from the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District, along with the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (Westchester-Putnam) for “a model of green infrastructure” for their reconstruction project of the Fisher Avenue parking lot in Tuckahoe, in which the village installed an oil, contaminants and water separator, an electric car charging station, and pervious pavement which allows rainwater to be naturally filtered through the soil rather than ultimately ending up in the Bronx River. The mayor added that plans for adopting the Climate Smart pledge will be reviewed at a later date. Parker hopes the municipalities that have not yet signed the pledge will be encouraged to do so once the new energy conservation
and sustainability director for Westchester County officially takes his position sometime this year. In April, the Board of Legislators passed legislation creating that position, and in August, Timothy Carey, former president of the New York Power Authority, was appointed to the position by the Astorino administration. Although appointed, Carey has not yet been officially approved by the board, according to the administration. According to Parker, one of the director’s responsibilities will be to educate municipalities on how to reduce greenhouse gases and
their dependency on fossil fuels. In addition to the environmental impact of adapting to climate change, Parker said this resolution will be an economic victory for the county. “I think that when you can make the case that these [changes] are good going forward for something like climate change, that doesn’t necessarily speak to all residents,” she said. “But when you tell them it can save them money, it speaks to those who are less moved by the climate change movement.” coNTacT: kiley@hometwn.com
Climate Smart Community pledge qPledge to be a Climate Smart Community rSet goals, inventory emissions, plan for climate action sDecrease community energy use tIncrease community renewable energy use uRealize benefits of recycling and other climate-smart, solid waste management practices
vReduce greenhouse gas emissions through use of climate-smart land use tools wEnhance community resilience and prepare for the effects of climate change xSupport development of a green innovation economy yInform and inspire the public zCommit to an evolving process of climate action
10 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
New Rochelle Cares comes to the community New Rochelle Cares is a local chapter of the national Aging in Place movement, whose mission is to enable New Rochelle residents who are capable of doing so, to remain independently in their homes as they age. New Rochelle Cares AIP will provide its members with free transportation through the affiliate WestFair Rides to medical appointments, religious
services and visits to friends, free transportation through New Rochelle Cares AIP for shopping and other errands,
a single point of contact for services and programs for seniors, names of reputable, vetted and licensed contractors, discounts with local merchants, and cultural and social events. Rewarding opportunities are available for volunteers to help in the community. For more information, call 563-8368, write to AIP P.O. Box 91, Wykagyl Station, NY 10804 or visit newrochellecares.org. (Submitted)
City of New Rochelle’s
Official Newspaper
Meet Angel. This pretty girl is about a year old and weighs 30 pounds. She is very sweet and smiles just like a human. Angel loves everyone she meets, including people, other dogs and even cats. She is still very much a puppy and can be a little mouthy at times, so a home with older children or adults would be ideal. Angel is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm-tested and microchipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make Angel part of your home? To learn more, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue. org. (Submitted)
Old Man Winter vs. Mother Nature By richard c. iLse Contributor Take heart snow lovers, the flake fests will come. Take heed home owners, your fuel bill will still spike, despite lower prices and higher temperatures. The reason for this is that black and white, sensory-deprived, soundless and odorless time of year known as February. It could start before even we turn the calendar, as a nor’easter is possible this weekend. It might happen too late to save the economics of those who plow the snow, dress us to protect us, sell us stuff to move it, or SUVs to drive through it. For them, it has already had a far-reaching impact, but no more so than in the ski industry. Look at the beast of the East, Killington Mountain in Vermont, which has less than half of its 128 trails open 10 days into January; unprecedented. In southern Vermont, Bromley Mountain has only 20 of 47 trails open. In Connecticut, Mohawk Mountain and Mount Southington are doing even worse and Ski Sundown did not even attempt to open until Jan. 9. It is pervasive throughout the Northeast, no matter how far north you go. From Whiteface Mountain in northern New York to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, each are dealing with half or less of their trails open, which are historically low numbers. Across New England if you like to skate, try to find a frozen lake. Ocean temperatures are also in the mid-40s, about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than they should be. Additionally, those snow tubes you got for Christmas are still as deflated as Tom Brady’s footballs were, and your winter spirit is becoming. To all of us in the Northeast who love New England winters, stay frosty; your time is coming. Weather-wise, we all tend to have short term meteorological memories. If you’re not sure if that’s true, all you have to do is look back just one year to Thanksgiving at the beginning of the 2014-15 winter season. It was called winter storm Cato and 20 million people were under winter storm warnings on Thanksgiving eve and day. The Northeast got anywhere from a few inches to a full blown blizzard. For those who took flight
Although a tame winter by recent standards, Old Man Winter will soon be knocking at our front door, according to Richard Ilse. File photo
to see family that Thanksgiving, I’m sure you remember it, as nearly 5,000 flights were cancelled. It made us all feel like it was going to be a rerun of the winter before 2013-14 when we had snow from mid-December to mid-March. So what happened after Cato in late November? For two months, nothing. After that, all it did was snow for six weeks straight, well into March, mostly on Mondays and there were lots of snow days. So many in fact that, after two springs in a row of extending the school year too far into June, thus disrupting many plans for summer jobs, camps, etc., many school districts this year have eliminated winter break and have just kept spring break. But the past two winters’ snow haven’t even come close to the record set in the 1995-96 season. Besides the lack of precipitation, temperature has been the other problem this year. Back to meteorological memory for a moment. Was all the snow in February the biggest story of last winter or do you remember the cold? In fact, last February was the coldest month, of any month ever in the history of record keeping in the Northeast. Do you remember all the brutal
three dog nights and daytime low numbers that only a computer knows (0 and 1)? What a difference a year makes, so what changed? While we were enjoying or enduring—depending on your point of view—the coldest month ever last winter, our planet as a whole had to survive its warmest year on record. So you have global warming and now El Niño (which means warmer water further north in the Pacific, thus warmer air across the U.S.) infiltrating our winter this year. So here’s what to expect moving forward. It’s really Old Man Winter vs. Mother Nature, or to be more precise, the Polar Vortex vs. El Niño. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Weather Channel, a very strong El Niño exists this year, which usually means more moisture crossing the U.S. However, several projections still show a wild ride for the jet stream in February (thus the Polar Vortex), oscillating up and down the East Coast bringing us the arctic cold. What do you get when you mix the two correctly? Big snowstorms! It just depends on how well Mother Nature mixes up the recipe and if she stirs us up a few big ones.
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 11
Taking playdates seriously RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
As Brooklyn mom Tamara Mose was preparing for a playdate with a mom and child she didn’t know well yet, she paused to look at her home. “All the bathrooms are clean, dishes put away, beds made, floors Swiffered, laundry folded, garbage cans emptied, and toys put in their place and sorted for age appropriateness.” And then there was the food. “The kitchen is full of aromas, boiling pasta, simmering sauce, freshly-sliced carrots, celery and oranges, all displayed on sparkling white plates. Lined up are juice boxes boasting their 100 percent organic label, plastic forks and plates, and beside them, some half-folded disposable white napkins,” she said. Add to this some whole wheat crackers, cheeses (three varieties) and the fact her daughter had straightened up her room, too. Mose, a sociology professor at Brooklyn College, couldn’t help but notice that this was not just about fun. This was a performance—“an effort to present ourselves as a decent black family.” From there, it was just a hop, skip and a jump—and a year of interviewing a broad swath of New York parents—to writing “The Playdate: Parents, Children, and the New Expectations of Play,” which will be published by NYU Press this spring. A playdate, Mose argues, is really sort of a “date” date. “You’re essentially dating the other parent. You’re checking them out.
What do they do for a living?” Parents arrange playdates ostensibly for their children’s fun and enrichment, but there’s a lot more going on. Yes, they want their kids to make friends and play, but the parents want to make friends, too. And usually, Mose observed, they want to make friends with other parents demographically the same as them—friends who might even be able to help them in the job world. At one playdate Mose arranged at her son’s request, she and her then-husband invited over two couples. One was a lawyer married to an artist, and the other was a screenwriter married to the curator of a book lecture series. By the end of the playdate, Mose and the curator realized that they knew someone in common and he invited Mose to give a lecture at his series. “It was at this moment that I started to realize how many times the parents I had invited to a playdate either knew someone I knew,” says Mose, or they offered some kind of connection. Come to this show with us, let me introduce you to soand-so. The upside is obvious: friendship, networking, even babysitting backup. But Mose’s book looks at the downsides, too, starting with the way playdate culture perpetuates class stratifications. The parents who believe in organic hummus and no TV are not likely to have many playdates with the parents who put out soda and chips with “SpongeBob Squarepants” on in the background, even if the kids are friends at school. Also, simply by perpetuating the playdate imperative—the idea that children need constant super-
vision either by parents or caregivers—the idea of kids running around on their own seems preposterous. When she was growing up, Mose recalls, she’d go down the street and knock on friends’ doors, asking them to come out to play. “Almost all the parents that I interviewed did the same thing,” she says. Play was kid-driven and often out in public. Now that kind of fun is considered too dangerous, even though crime is back to the level it was in 1963. The modern playdate is organized, supervised and private. “So if Joe and John get in a fight and they’re in the room next door, they can come out and complain to me to make it better,” Mose said. “Whereas if they’re out on the street playing, they need to figure it out.” Playdate-raised kids lose out on certain childhood lessons their parents learned naturally, like how to deal with a quarrel or even a bully. Is this one reason we have so many anti-bullying assemblies today? Kids just don’t get any real-world practice standing up for themselves or shrugging off an insult? What’s more, according to Mose, is that kids who are indoors, surrounded by amusements, may not learn how to make a sword out of a stick or a boat out of a square of pavement. They do, however, learn how to speak to adults. And in the end, she says, that confidence and poise may serve them well in the business world. In fact, playdates may help both generations in the business world. They just might not help children actually learn how to play. coNTacT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
Catholic elementary schools announce open houses The Archdiocese of New York has announced the dates for its 2016 Touring Tuesdays, events at 140 elementary schools throughout the Archdiocese of New York. These open house events will take place on select Tuesdays throughout the school year from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., or by appointment. The 2016 dates are Feb. 2 (during Catholic Schools Week), Feb. 23, March 8 and April 12. Touring Tuesdays open house events are designed to introduce prospective families to the lifelong benefits and value of a Catholic education. Since its inception in 2013, the Touring Tuesdays initiative has been attended by more than 1,600 families and has resulted in more than 5,300 new student enrollments from pre-K through grade eight across the Archdiocese. Touring Tuesdays offer an exciting way to see Catholic schools in action, and provide families with an opportunity to learn about the admissions process and meet with principals, faculty, other parents and elementary school students. “Touring Tuesdays provide an unprecedented opportunity for prospective parents and students to experience the benefits a faith-based education provides for the whole child. More than 98 percent of our high school seniors graduate and 98 percent of those graduates go on to postsecondary education, making a Catholic education one of best investments a parent can make in their children’s future,” said Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York. Reservations are required and
can be made online at buildboldfutures.org or by calling the 24/7 bilingual hotline at 646-7942885. School tours can also be arranged by appointment. Touring Tuesdays open houses in Westchester and Putnam counties will be held at: • Corpus Christi–Holy Rosary School, 135 S. Regent St., Port Chester • Good Counsel Academy Elementary, 2 Broadway, Valhalla • Holy Name of Jesus School, 70 Petersville Road, New Rochelle • Holy Name of Mary Montessori School, 110 Grand St., Croton-on-Hudson • Immaculate Conception School, 53 Winter Hill Road, Tuckahoe • Immaculate Heart of Mary School, 201 Boulevard, Scarsdale • Iona Prep Lower School, 173 Stratton Road, New Rochelle • John Cardinal O’ConnorSchool Spec. Ed, 16 N. Broadway, Irvington • Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 59 E. Main St., Elmsford • Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 575 Fowler Ave., Pelham Manor • Our Lady of Sorrows School, 888 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains • Our Lady of Victory School, 38 N. Fifth Ave., Mount Vernon • Resurrection Grammar School, 116 Milton Road, Rye • Sacred Heart Grade School, 34 Convent Ave., Yonkers • Sacred Heart School, 59
Wilson St., Hartsdale • St. Ann School, 40 Brewster Ave., Yonkers • St. Ann’s Peas & Karrots, 16 Elizabeth St., Ossining • St. Anthony School, 1395 Nepperhan Ave., Yonkers • St. Augustine School, 381 N. Highland Ave., Eagle Park, Route 9, Ossining • St. Barnabas School, 413 E. 241st Street, the Bronx* • St. Columbanus School, 122 Oregon Road, Cortlandt Manor • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, 1375 E. Main St., Shrub Oak • St. Eugene School, 707 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers • St. James the Apostle School, 12 Gleneida Ave., Carmel • St. John the Baptist School, 670 Yonkers Ave., Yonkers • St. Joseph School, 30 Meadow Ave., Bronxville • St. Lawrence O’Toole Early Childhood Learning Center, 11 Eastview Ave., Brewster • St. Patrick School, 483 Old Post Road, Bedford • St. Patrick’s School, 117 Moseman Road, Yorktown Heights • St. Paul the Apostle School, 77 Lee Ave., Yonkers • St. Peter School, 204 Hawthorne Ave., Yonkers • Sts. John and Paul School, 280 Weaver St., Larchmont • Transfiguration School, 40 Prospect Ave., Tarrytown *Located in the Archdiocese of New York’s Central Westchester Region. For further information about Touring Tuesdays, please visit buildboldfutures.org or call 646794-2885. (Submitted)
12 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
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NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME: IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING A PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. Dated: Oct. 5, 2015 Frank-M. Cassara, Esq. Senior Associate Attorney SHAPIRO, DICARO & BARAK, LLC — Attorneys for Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14624 (585) 247-9000 #87108
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SPORTS
concussion task force unveils 10 ‘Best Practices’ On Monday, Jan. 11, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino was joined by local, state and national experts and advocates in concussion care as he unveiled 10 “Best Practices” to address gaps in the way sports concussions are identified and treated, with a particular focus on reducing the risks for high school athletes. In July, Astorino created the Westchester Concussion Task Force with the goal of developing a model program to improve the outcomes of the full spectrum of sports-related concussions. The task force is made up of local doctors, educators, coaches and trainers, all with experience in concussions, some with nationally-recognized expertise. The 10 practices have already been endorsed by the Brain Injury Association of America and New York state. “I grew up playing sports, my kids play sports, and I coach them, so I strongly be-
lieve in and encourage sports participation for all young people,” Astorino said. “But I am equally an advocate for sports safety and education on how to best prevent and treat injuries if and when they occur.” The 10 practices have been published in a booklet called “Safer Sports: A Collaborative Response for Westchester to Sports-Related Concussions.” The booklet, which also contains information and resources related to concussions, is available online at westchestergov. com/safer-communities. “Concussion treatment, like all medical issues, is a complex subject. Our goal is not to scare parents, suggest we have all the answers or to insert county government into an area where the primary responsibility rests with parents and school officials,” Astorino said. “Our goal is simply to play a helpful role. One way the county can do that is to bring resources, and we have done just that with the creation of the Concussion Task Force
and the publication of the Safer Sports booklet. Our next step is to get the information distributed as broadly as possible.” The Safer Sports initiative was launched after a meeting between Astorino and Dr. Mark Herceg, the county’s mental health commissioner. Herceg explained how there were gaps in current concussion protocols at the high school and youth sports level, suggested the creation of a concussion task force, and Astorino gave him the green light. “The more resources you can bring to a problem, the better the result,” Herceg said. “We think concussion treatment will be much improved by improving the coordination, collaboration and communication on the part of everyone involved in treating an injury. Many times parents whose children sustain concussions, either in sports or otherwise, don’t know which provider to see for their symptoms. Schools and providers need to work together and
that’s what we are promoting.” Scott Cohen, a Scarsdale junior and concussion care advocate, was on hand on Jan. 11 to support the effort. Cohen sustained a concussion as a freshman football player and had lingering issues. “Many of my teachers didn’t know how to handle me as a student and I had other issues that took a while to resolve,” Cohen said. “I really like this plan and feel that it would have helped me in my situation because it emphasizes a team approach, awareness, training, immediate assessments and returning to the classroom. I’m happy to endorse this plan and believe that it will help future athletes should they get injured.” Astorino said the task force will stay together and continue to explore frequency, recovery times and gender differences in concussions at the high school and youth sports level and they would all work to encourage local schools and youth sports organizations to adopt the best practice guidelines. Safer Sports is the latest initiative in Astorino’s Safer
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 13 Communities campaign, which was launched in 2013 and emphasizes partnerships and comprehensive problem solving among all stakeholders to improve the health and safety of our communities. Previous ini-
tiatives have addressed school absenteeism, suicide prevention, youth mental health first aid and improved protocols for handling active shooter scenarios on school campuses. (Submitted)
The 10 Best Practices in concussion management at the high school, youth sports level 1. Start with awareness Formally educate parents, students, athletes, coaches, appropriate school personnel and youth sports programs about concussions and school protocols before participating in sports.
2. Build a team Encourage schools and youth sports organizations to have a designated concussion management team, CMT, that brings together experts trained in concussions. The team should meet or communicate regularly. At minimum, the CMT should include, but not be limited to, an athletic trainer, physician, nurse, athletic director and school/neuropsychologist.
3. Report what you know Ensure that all concussions are reported, along with any lasting symptoms from the field or playground, to parent, to the ER, to health professional and to the classroom. Concussions do not just happen in a game; they can happen in gym class or at recess.
4. Assess the situation immediately Utilize athletic trainers and conduct sideline assessments that can be compared to baseline behavior in order to capture concussions in real time as they occur.
5. Don’t “one-stop shop” for answers Districts and youth programs should provide referrals to specialists (neurologists, physical therapists, neuro-ophthalmologists, neuropsychologists) as needed, to treat specific symptoms. One provider should not be the “one-stop shop” for all symptoms.
6. Understand the big picture Ensure everyone involved understands the impact a concussion can have on behavioral, academic, emotional and physical maturation of young children.
7. Stay current Health care providers evaluating children and adolescents must maintain a current level of understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and management of sports-related concussions.
8. Encourage training Ensure that properly-trained professionals, such as athletic trainers, are available to conduct sideline tests and that the results are reviewed and interpreted by a neuropsychologist or school psychologist.
9. Beware of simple answers Schools, youth programs, parents and students need to be aware that concussions are a clinical diagnosis, and that it takes more than a single or brief computerized test to understand the extent of the injury.
10. Focus on return-to-learn
Scott Cohen, a Scarsdale High School junior, speaks at a press conference as Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino looks on. Astorino recently unveiled 10 practices to help reduce the risks of concussions to student-athletes. Photo courtesy Westchester County
As important as return to play is for a child, it is more important that schools have a return-to-learn plan RTL, to address issues children face as they return to the classroom after an injury. Returning to the classroom does not always parallel returning to play.
SPORTS
14 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016
The fear of missing out lIvE MIKE Mike Smith
It may seem counterintuitive, but staying connected through Twitter definitely exacerbates the condition known as FOMO. FOMO, which stands for the Fear of Missing Out, is a phenomenon that has taken hold in various ad campaigns over the last few years, and is pretty straightforward. It’s about the feeling you get when you know that somewhere, something great is happening without you. Thanks to Twitter, you always know when something is happening these days. I took a rare mini-vacation over the weekend, a trip back to my alma mater to see some old friends. It was great spending time with good people, and there was some compelling NFL playoff action on the tube, so the last thing that I should have been doing was compulsively checking my phone. But alas, FOMO
struck again. On Saturday night, Mamaroneck and Rye squared off in the finals of the annual Tiger basketball tournament. The results were epic; a double-overtime thriller that, when combined with a packed weekend house, is a pretty clear frontrunner for the game of the year in Section I. And I wasn’t there. Now, had this game taken place a decade ago, my feelings on the matter would have been different. I would have come back to Westchester on Monday, talked to coaches, maybe read a game story or two, and realized that I missed a heck of a game. But following the tweets of the fans and journalists who were actually in the building on Saturday, in real time, was a lot tougher. The five-minute stretch of tweets I read on my phone when Emerson Genovese scored a 3-point play to send the game into overtime was absolutely phenomenal. News 12 anchor Greg Thompson took to the
Twitter-verse to all but congratulate Rye—and standout Charlie Nagle—when @MHSVarsitySport, the student-run account of Mamaroneck High School, responded with a “Not so fast.” Sure the Packers and Cardinals were waging an equally terrific battle on the screens of the bar where I spent most of my undergraduate years, but at that moment, the only place I wanted to be was in Mamaroneck’s Palmer Gymnasium. For as many games as I cover during the school year, very few approach “event status.” For every game I attend that turns out like the 2012 ESPY-winning matchup between New Rochelle and Mount Vernon in the Class AA finals, there are about two dozen that end up more like last Wednesday’s Eastchester/Port Chester girls basketball game, which saw Eastchester hold a 31-point lead at the half. Part of the fun of my job is that I get to be there when sports rise above the mundane and
To CoVER loCal spoRTs, you nEEd a
LIVE MIKE! Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary Follow @cityreviewnr for Mike’s live, in-game action updates
Miles Haughton takes a shot against Rye in the finals of the Tiger Tourney on Jan. 16. The Tigers pulled out a win in a thrilling double-overtime game, and unfortunately, Sports Editor Mike Smith was nowhere to be found. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
become transcendent. Only this time, I wasn’t. Fittingly enough, the way I felt on Saturday night was best summed up in a tweet. At the
end of the first overtime, with the score tied 75-75, @MHSVarsitySport really twisted the knife. “If you’ve missed this game,” it stated, “seriously re-consider
your life choices.” And boy, did I ever.
Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports
SPORTS
January 22 & 29, 2016 • The ciTy review • 15
Thornton-Donovan sports program progresses By miKe smiTh Sports Editor
John Ventresca takes a shot on Jan. 14 against New Jersey Home School Association.
Chris Miles runs past a NJHSA defender on Jan. 14. Miles believes the school’s relatively new athletic program has been instrumental in helping to raise school spirit.
Thornton-Donovan’s boys basketball team may not have come away with a win on Jan. 14, but even a quick glance at the state of the Lions’ athletic program confirms that huge strides are being made. In just three years of varsity competition, the gains are evident at the New Rochelle-based private school, both on and off the court. Taking on the New Jersey Home School Association at Anshe Sholom Synagogue, the Lions held a lead at their New Rochelle home gym heading into the half, but faltered down the stretch, dropping the contest 43-35 after losing point guard Chris Miles to foul trouble. Even in the loss, however, head coach Steve Schlitten— who doubles as the athletic director and director of admissions for the K-12 school—said the game was simply part of the learning process. “[Miles] was playing a tremendous amount of defense and fouled out, and you run into the case where you have four guys on the court without that one playmaker to set them up,” he said. “But as a young team, with eighth- and ninth-graders, that’s something we’re working on, to not be so reliant on one guy.” But growing pains are simply viewed as challenges at Thornton-Donovan, which, until three years ago, only offered intramural sports. Since then, however, strong support for the student body has helped the Lions expand its athletic program to seven teams, including soccer, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, tennis and cross-country. Thornton-Donovan participates in the Westchester Independent Athletic Association with other schools that fall beyond the purview of Section I athletics. John Ventresca, who has attended Thornton-Donovan since kindergarten, said that the growth of the athletic department has been well-received. “Growing up, I played foot-
Thornton-Donovan’s John Curanaj dribbles the ball up the floor. Photos/Mike Smith
Marco Mangueira battles for a rebound against NJHSA. The Thornton-Donovan athletic program is making strides in its third year.
ball and basketball for Eastchester through middle school,” the senior said. “So to finally have sports here, that has been terrific.” Miles, Ventresca’s teammate, said that the varsity programs have helped break down barriers between Thornton-Donovan’s students and helped promote a true sense of community. “Before this, we just had intramurals and we didn’t have a lot of people come watch us play,” Miles said. “But people are excited and I think it has de-
veloped more school spirit.” With roughly 200 students enrolled, many of whom have international backgrounds, Schlitten said that watching the student body come together has been rewarding. “It’s a diverse school and that’s something we’re proud of here,” he said. “And what we have is a lot of people coming together to find something to be passionate about.” With the sports program progressing, Schlitten said the
school is entertaining the idea of expanding it even further. “Seeing as we have so many international students, it’s not a surprise that soccer has kind of been our bread and butter,” he said. “But we’ve had some interest in maybe starting rugby as well. “[Rugby] is starting to grow with Americans, and I think a lot of our students are looking for something new.” coNTacT: sports@hometwn.com
16 • The city review • January 22 & 29, 2016