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CityREVIEW NewRochelle January 20 & 27, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 3 | www.cityreviewnr.com

In state address, Cuomo proposes legislative reform

Fresh and Fast Dig Inn, a popular Manhattan-based eatery, has touched down in Westchester. Located at the Rye Ridge Shopping Center in Rye Brook, the restaurant offers healthy, fast-casual bowls filled with grains, vegetables and protein, and more. For more, see page 6. Photo courtesy Dig Inn

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Common Core still a concern amid new regulations By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer An imminent federal education regulation, which would strip Title I funding for public schools with excessive opt-out rates of standardized testing, is set to go into effect at the end of the month. Despite disapproval from lawmakers, parents and educators across the country, the U.S. Department of Education’s controversial amendment to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, ESSA, which was passed by Congress in December 2015, is set go into effect on Jan. 30.

ESSA, which reauthorized the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act, expands the federal government’s role in funding public education. “The outcome of this type of legislation will be to punish large segments of students who are in need of federal dollars to support their education,” said Dr. Louis Wool, the superintendent of the Harrison Central School District. “We do not have the ability nor the right to mandate that people engage in a process that they find to be not in the best interests of their children.” The new amendment to ESSA could label Westchester public

schools as “in need of improvement” for any school where 5 percent of students or more opt out of state Common Core testing. As a result, school districts above that threshold would lose its federal Title I funding, which is distributed to schools and school districts with a high percentage of students from lowincome families. The contended Common Core State Standards Initiative, which highlights what students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade from kindergarten through 12th grade, is currently authorized and optional in

New York state until 2022; the law was adopted in 2010. But in 2022, Common Core will be fully implemented without the option to opt out of standardized testing. The federal ESSA was drafted by U.S. Secretary of Education John King, the former New York state Education Department commissioner, and was signed into law on the same day as the repeal of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, on Dec. 10, 2015. ESSA retains all the stipulations of the No Child Left Behind Act, but shifts the law’s CONCERN continued on page 9

Concluding a recent three-day tour across New York state to deliver State of the State addresses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo—while speaking in the state’s capital region—announced plans for ethics reforms which included aspirations to impose term limits on state lawmakers. Foregoing the traditional approach, Cuomo gave six regional addresses in three days instead of one large address in front of both houses of the Legislature. Each speech catered to regionally specific topics. In his final stop on the State of the State address trail at SUNY University at Albany, Cuomo hit some of the same points he had spoken of during earlier addresses that week; but specific to his presentation on Jan. 11 was a 10-point ethics reform plan aimed partially at state lawmakers. “Unfortunately, in Albany, there have been a series of breaches of the trust,” Cuomo said. “It has happened in the Legislature, both houses; it has happened in the state comptroller’s office; it has happened in my own office.” Most notably, the state Capitol has been in the shadow of recent corruption scandals of former Speaker of the House Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, who both were convicted in 2016 of accepting bribes disguised as outside income.

In response, Cuomo’s proposals would seek to entirely restructure the offices of the state’s senators and assembly members by making those positions fulltime jobs and limiting outside income, restructuring legislative term lengths from two years to four years, and putting two-term limits on all such elected officials. In order to amend the state constitution to extend term lengths and impose term limits, the Legislature would have to vote on it twice: once this year and again in 2019. If approved, the decision would then go the public in a statewide referendum. State Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat who discussed term limits during his recent reelection campaign, told the Review, “The governor’s plan is the beginning of a discussion, and now we discuss all the different elements of it.” Latimer said he favored 12year limits on all lawmakers in the state, including the governor. He added that extending term lengths was taking the trust of New Yorkers for granted. “As much as the two-year term drives me crazy, I think that people want to know that you’re accountable for them on a shorter term than once every four years,” he said. But any ethics reform discussion may be handcuffed to conversations about salary increases REFORM continued on page 8

2 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 3

The Symphony of Westchester’s family concert Leonard Hindell, former bassoonist for 33 years with the New York Philharmonic, will join young artists and student musicians for The Symphony of Westchester’s annual Family Concert on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. at Iona College in New Rochelle. In addition to Hindell’s performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in E minor, F. VIII, No. 6, the concert will include the winner of the Symphony’s annual Young Artist Competition. The winner, a Westchester conservatory student chosen by audition, will perform a movement of a concerto from the Baroque or Classical music periods. The Symphony will also perform pieces written by students in the Composers of the Future program, a 16-year-old collaboration with New Rochelle’s Songcatchers after-school program. This concert, at Iona’s Christopher J. Murphy Auditorium, located at 715 North Ave., is suitable for children ages 4 and older. Ticket prices are $15 general admission and $5 for all students. A snow date has been set for Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. The decision to use the snow date will be made on Friday, Feb. 10 and will be available on the website thesymphonyofwestchester. org and by phone at 654-4926.

Leonard Hindell, formerly a bassoonist with the New York Philharmonic, will perform with young artists and musicians at The Symphony of Westchester’s annual family concert on Feb. 12 at Iona College. Photo courtesy Symphony of Westchester

Tickets and additional information are available online at thesymphonyofwestchester.org, by phone at 654-4926, or by emailing info@thesymphonyofwestchester.org. The Symphony of Westchester concludes its 20th concert season at Iona on Saturday, May

6 at 8 p.m. with violinist Tessa Lark in an all-Romantic program. This concert series is sponsored in part by the Iona College Council on the Arts through the generosity of JoAnn and Joseph M. Murphy and the Baron Lambert Fund. (Submitted)

Fox manslaughter case adjourned again Emma Fox, of Rye, who has been charged with an aggravated DWI and first-degree vehicular manslaughter for the death of 21-year-old Manhattanville College student Robby Schartner, is due to reappear in White Plains City Court on Jan. 27 after her Jan. 6 court date was adjourned. On Oct. 9, Fox, 24, struck and killed Schartner, of Fishkill, while he was walking along Westchester Avenue in White Plains during the early morning hours on his way back to college. Police reported that Fox had been intoxicated at the time of the incident when she struck and

Emma Fox

killed Schartner, who was returning from a night out on Ma-

maroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains. Fox was measured with a blood alcohol content of 0.21; the legal limit in New York state is 0.08. Initially, White Plains police reported Fox had been travelling eastbound on Westchester at about 5 a.m. when she fatally struck Schartner with her car, a 2012 Nissan Sentra. However, her whereabouts at the time of the incident are still unclear. White Plains police Lt. Eric Fischer could not be reached for comment, as of press time. -Reporting by Franco Fino

@ cityreviewnr

4 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017

What’s going on...

The New Rochelle Public Library has reopened the Memorial Highway entrance, but the Lawton Street entrance is scheduled to be closed for construction and is expected to be completed by fall 2016. While construction is underway, the only wheelchair-accessible entrance will be the reopened Memorial Highway doors, which have a ramp leading down from street level. There will be additional wheelchair-designated parking spaces on Memorial Highway. The only book drop at the main library will also be located by this doorway. Patrons may also return books by using the book drop at the Hugh Doyle Center, located at 94 Davis Ave., or in front of the Huguenot Children’s Library, located on North Avenue in front of New Rochelle High School. Visit nrpl.org for information on these and other events and programs.

Holiday closings and library hours Main library hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Huguenot Children’s Library hours: Mondays and Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays: Closed.

Free family African dance workshops A series of six free African dance workshops for children ages 7 and up, and their parents and grandparents, will be held at the New Rochelle Public Library on Saturday mornings, from 11 a.m. to noon, beginning Jan. 21 and continuing through Feb. 25. The popular workshops are led by Anthony Wooden of the Bokandeye AfricanAmerican Dance Theater, who provides instruc-

tion of native African dances while also exploring their meanings and the occasions on which they’re performed. The workshops help participants gain an understanding of African village life and the role of the extended family. Following the series of workshops, the students will be joined by members of the Bokandeye Troupe for a culminating performance, made possible by the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), in the Ossie Davis Theater on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. Enrollment is limited. Interested participants are asked to register at the first class, Jan. 21. The African dance workshops are made possible with funds from the Friends of the Library.

Buck-a-Bag Sales The Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library will conduct “A Buck-a-Bag” Book Sales every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., until their oversupply of gently used books is depleted. Customers will be charged only $1 for each bag they fill with books. The Friends will provide the generously sized bags, including a limited number of beautiful vintage Bloomingdale’s shopping bags. The high-quality used books that will be available for purchase include popular novels, mysteries and nonfiction in hardcover and paperback, children’s books, DVDs, and more. The Buck-a-Bag Sales are being held to prepare for the imminent opening of the Friends’ new bookstore that will be installed in the library’s lobby. The volunteer executive board of the Friends of NRPL, a 501(3)(c) organization, accepts donations of tens of thousands of books each year. With the help of active members, the group processes and sells the recycled books in the library’s lobby. Money realized from the sales go directly back to the library, as the funds are used to underwrite the library’s extensive public programs and for special projects not covered by the library’s operating budget.

Free programs for infants and preschoolers The New Rochelle Public Library and the Huguenot Children’s Library, HCL, are offering a great array of free programs for infants, toddlers and preschool children this winter-spring season. Participation is drop-in, on a first-come, firstserved basis. The free programs are made possible

by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library and the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library. Most do not take place on days the New Rochelle public schools are closed for vacations. Music and Movement with Nora Maher, for children ages 1 to 3, is a fun-filled introduction to songs, finger plays, and movement, led by a professional musician/educator, and takes place on Tuesdays through Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the main library and from 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at HCL. Participation is drop-in, on a first-come, first-served basis. Nursery Rhyme Time, for children ages 6 months to 2 years old, is a joyful blend of stories, songs and finger plays. It is held at the main library on Fridays, Jan. 27 to May 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., and at HCL on Mondays, Jan. 23 through May 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. Toddler Time, for children aged 2, are lively sessions that engage children and their parent or caregiver in music and games. It is held at the main library on Fridays, Jan. 27 to May 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and at HCL on Wednesdays, Jan. 25 through May 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 3, 4, 5’s - Stories & Crafts, for ages 3 to 5, are sessions of stories, songs, and a take-home craft inspired by seasons and picture book themes. A bilingual (English and Spanish) session takes place at the main library on Mondays, Jan. 23 through May 22, from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Another session, in English, takes place on Thursdays, Jan. 26 through May 25, from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Sessions at HCL take place on Tuesdays, Jan. 24 through May 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., and on Thursdays, Jan. 26 through May 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Preschool Fun & Fitness, a program for children ages 2 to 5 and their parent or grandparent, is a fun-filled hour of movement, games and healthy eating and lifestyle tips, conducted by the health and fitness team from Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Services. Registration is required. Call Ruben at the WIC office at 637-1677. The sessions will be held in the main library’s Meeting Room and stage on Mondays through June 19. Baby Steps, for newborns to children age 3 years old, are half-hour sessions of fun and early socialization through music, movement and finger games, with Nora Maher. They will take place on Saturdays, Feb. 25 to April 15, from 10 a.m. to 10

She’s not crazy, her name just rhymes with it. Read Lenore Skenazy’s column every week in the Review. A past contributor to the Daily News and the New York Sun, Skenazy has also appeared on “The Daily Show,” been profiled in the New Yorker and even had her own reality TV show, “World’s Worst Mom.”

a.m. at the main library, and from 11:30 a.m. to noon at HCL. Yoga Tots, for children ages 2 to 3, is taught by Budding Buddhas Kids Yoga instructors. Toddlers have fun “playing yoga” with puppets, props, songs, and games. The sessions will take place on Tuesdays, Feb. 28 through April 4, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the main library, and from 11:30 a.m. to noon at HCL.

Apostle O’dell Lyerly Foundation Inc. Memorial Scholarship Awards for school supplies The Apostle O’dell Lyerly Foundation Inc., AOLF, a nonprofit entity in New Rochelle, is currently distributing Memorial Scholarship Award applications for higher education school supplies to high school seniors. Applications are circulated to New Rochelle High School, Mount Vernon High School, and the New Rochelle Public Library. To receive a paper or electronic application, please call 563-9982 or email aolfinc@yahoo.com. Memorial Scholarship Awards are need-based. Completed applications with supporting documents are due by Sunday, April 30.

New Rochelle school district news Black history exhibit submissions The City School District of New Rochelle and the Westchester and National Alliances of Black Educators will host their annual Black History Spoken Word and Art Exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. The event will celebrate the life and contributions of STEM pioneer Benjamin Banneker. The exhibition will be held in the Auditorium Rotunda at New Rochelle High School. Participants are encouraged to share their visual artwork, poetry, dance, and other performance arts. Performance proposals must be submitted by Sunday, Jan. 15, and all visual artwork must be submitted by Tuesday, Feb. 7. Submissions should be sent to Shelli Owens at sowens@nredlearn.org. 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.

P U B LI S H ES

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INSIDE WESTCHESTER COUNTY

www.hometwn.com | 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203, White Plains N.Y. 10601 | (914) 653-1000

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 5

New brewery may be coming to Mamaroneck By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Half Time Beverage, a beer distributor in Mamaroneck, is cooking up something new; or more accurately, brewing. The 20,000-square-foot bev-

erage mart, located on Hoyt Avenue, is looking to repurpose part of its existing storefront to accommodate both a brew pub where patrons could have a drink as well as a micro-brewery where they would be able to brew their own beer, accord-

Half Time Beverage distributors, located in the village of Mamaroneck, will look to expand its operations to include a micro-brewery and its own brew pub where patrons can sample the store’s wide variety of beers. Photo courtesy Half Time Beverage

ing to Village Manager Richard Slingerland. If the proposal receives the necessary approvals from the village, Half Time would join a growing wave of craft breweries—brewers that produce under a certain threshold of distribution—across the country; a trend that has exploded in volume in recent years. According to the Brewers Association, a nonprofit trade organization which consists of 3,500 brewers from throughout the U.S., the number of regional craft breweries rose from 97 to 178, a nearly 32 percent increase, between 2012 to 2015 alone. Further, breweries overall saw an uptick of 15 percent nationwide over the same time period. For Alan Daniels, co-owner of Half Time, which also operates a store in Poughkeepsie, the addition would mark a logical step for its successful Mamaroneck outlet. “Customers ask us all the time why don’t we brew our own beer,” he said. “The village of Mamaroneck deserves their own brewery.”

Half Time offers a large selection of beer and cider. Customers can even fill up a growler with fresh beer on tap. Photo courtesy pixabay.com

Currently, Daniels added, though the current proposal wouldn’t feature food, the prospect of offering small bites to eat may also be in the store’s future. If seen to fruition, Half Time’s brewing venture wouldn’t be the village’s first taste of locally sourced craft alcohol, however. Last year, residents of the village saw the introduction of Good Shepherd distillery—run by Vincent and Carly Miata, a

local husband and wife team— which offers a selection of small-batch brandy, vodka, and soon, whiskey. According to Andrew Spatz, chairman of the village Industrial Area Committee, which is tasked with revitalizing a defunct manufacturing district adjacent to Mamaroneck’s Washingtonville neighborhood, Half Time’s plan would act as another puzzle piece in transforming the

village economy for the future. “I welcome something of this nature to the industrial area, and the peripheral areas,” said Spatz, regarding the potential brewery, which would fall just outside the geographic scope of the industrial area. “It only opens the door to further possibilities for economic longevity.” CONTACT: james@hometwn.com

Dig Inn

6 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017 THE

CityREVIEW NewRochelle 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Tel: (914) 653-1000 Fax: (914) 653-5000

Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com Christian Falcone Associate Publisher | Editor-in-Chief ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Assistant Editor | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com General Assignment | Taylor Brown ext. 30, taylor@hometwn.com Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso Advertising | Lynne Starr ext. 29, lynne@hometwn.com Advertising Coordinator | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 27, ads@hometwn.com Staff Writers James Pero, Corey Stockton, Franco Fino Staff Photographers Andrew Dapolite, Aaron Kershaw, Charlie McLaughlin

burrows By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Assistant Editor

Looking for a finer, healthier alternative to fast-casual dining? Dig Inn, a popular Manhattanbased eatery, has opened its largest and first suburban location in Rye Brook. With 12 locations in Manhattan and another in Boston, Dig

into Westchester

Inn focuses on seasonal vegetables that are “mindfully sourced,” according to Matt Weingarten, the franchise’s culinary director. The menu features bowls for breakfast, lunch and dinner, filled with grains, fruits and/or vegetables— a trend that has exploded onto the food scene over the last year. The restaurant also features “the Melting Broth,” made with no waste

ingredients and kombu seaweed. According to Adam Eskin, founder and CEO of Dig Inn, unique to the new Rye Brook location, which officially opened its doors on Jan. 12, is a kids’ menu, a “chef’s table” menu featuring a cheese board and a vegetable charcuterie, a deli and open seating space. The kitchen area takes up most of the restaurant, and

Columnist Lenore Skenazy

Letters The community’s opinion matters. If you have a view to express, write a letter to the editor by email to chris@hometwn.com. Please include a phone number and name for verification purposes. Community Events If you have an event you would like to share with the community, send it to news@hometwn.com. Delivery For home delivery or to subsribe, call (914) 653-1000 x27. Classifieds & Legals To post your notices or listings, call (914) 653-1000 x27. Postmaster Send address changes to: The City Review New Rochelle c/o HomeTown Media Group, 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Visit us online www.cityreviewnr.com

Dig Inn CEO and founder Adam Eskin, left, lends a helping hand in preparing bite-sized samples from the chef’s table menu. Photos/Sibylla Chipaziwa

Popular Manhattan eatery Dig Inn has arrived in Westchester, opening its 14th location in the Rye Ridge Shopping Center in Rye Brook. Pictured is the location’s 10-seat bar with a selection of beer, wine and cider. Photo courtesy Dig Inn

includes a barista station and an intimate, 10-seat bar with a selection of beer, cider and wine. Weingarten said Dig Inn’s philosophy is the pleasure of food, and sharing it with loved ones. It is provides for six core menu changes over the course of the year. While this more nutritional cuisine is vegetable-based, there are options for meat lovers as well, such as charred or herb-roasted chicken, wild Sockeye salmon and herb-grilled steak. The menu also clearly indicates which dishes are vegan and whether they contain soy, dairy, gluten or nuts. There is an array of drink options as well, with espresso drinks, including a seasonal rosemary latte; the beans are courtesy of well-known Counter Culture Coffee. A lighter, refreshing option that may also catch your eye is the iced matcha from MatchaBar, another New York City favorite. Eskin said he wanted to open a suburban location for some time, as he has friends who are Manhattan transplants that still work in the city but have moved to

Westchester County to raise their families; hence the kids’ menu and a family meal option that serves four to six people. The question Eskin had in mind with the Rye Brook location was, “What is it we can do to have leverage in the area?” And the answer appears to be fresh, locally sourced food for all ages, at any time of the day. CONTACT: sibylla@hometwn.com

The iced matcha, from MatchaBar, is a featured beverage on the restaurant’s menu and is also served hot.

Dig Inn

112 S. Ridge St., Rye Ridge Shopping Center, Rye Brook

The City Review New Rochelle (permit #16661) is published weekly by Home Town Media Group for an annual subscription of $45. Application to mail at the periodicals postage rate is approved at White Plains, N.Y., 10601. Periodicals postage paid at White Plains and additional mailing offices.

305-8463 Dig Inn features bowls with an array of vegetables, grains and protein. From left, the Harvest bowl, a breakfast offering; a Marketbowl with herb-roasted chicken, and another with grilled organic tofu.

diginn.com

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 7

NRPL celebrates Black History Month The New Rochelle Public Library is presenting an exhibit and a number of diverse programs for Black History Month. Free family reading workshops, “Exploring AfricanAmerican Traditions and Experiences through Picture Books,” are being offered on three Thursdays, including Feb. 2 and Feb. 16, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Families are invited to discover the beauty and messages gained from children’s picture books with African-American themes. Vicki Rashbaum will lead the sessions for parents in the library’s second floor Meeting Room, while their children (in pre-K through grade five only) will meet with Jeani Miller in the Children’s Room. Participants need not attend all three sessions, but space is limited and registration is necessary. Please call 813-3706. A new exhibit, “Notable African-Americans of New Rochelle,” will be on view in the library’s Lumen Winter Gal-

Soprano Ellabelle Davis is featured in the library’s exhibit on New Rochelle’s notable AfricanAmericans, on display during Black History Month. Photos courtesy New Rochelle Public Library

Bassist Hilliard Green will perform an interactive concert on Sunday, Feb. 26 that traces the role of spirituals and folk songs in the struggle for freedom from slavery.

ley, from Wednesday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 26. From powerful civil rights activists to internationally renowned vocalists, award-winning actors to celebrated sports stars, New Rochelle has been home to a significant number of leading African-Americans. The remarkable lives of 16 of these late, great New Rochelle residents are celebrated in the exhibit from the library’s local history department, presented in partnership with the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. A free, six-session family workshop in African dance is taking place Saturdays, Jan. 21 to Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to noon in the library’s Ossie Davis Theater. Anthony Wooden, director of Bokandeye African Dance and Drum Troupe, returns to the library to guide the workshop for children ages 7 and up, as well as their parents. This popular series, now its 21st year at the library, provides instruction of

native African dance, while also instilling an understanding of the rich cultural meanings of the movements, rhythms and dress of African village life. Registration will take place at the first class, which is made possibly by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library. A culminating performance, sponsored by the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. in the Ossie Davis Theater. The “Milestone Negro Spirituals Until the Civil War: When Folksongs Bring Freedom” concert will be held on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. in the Ossie Davis Theater. Renowned bassist Hilliard Green will perform an interactive concert that traces the role of spirituals and folk songs in the struggle for freedom from slavery. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the music of enslaved Americans preserved traditions brought from Africa, relieved boredom from tedious labor, and lightened spirits. Encoded spirituals also communicated important information for those escaping on the Underground Railroad. In this family-friendly concert, Hilliard will provide a lively narrative to explain the messages behind the familiar songs that have been passed down through generations, and will invite audience members of all ages to raise their voices as well. The concert is made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library, and has a suggested donation of $2 for audience members 16 years and older. (Submitted)

The Bokandeye African Dance and Drum Troupe returns to the library to teach a dance workshop for children and their parents, with a culminating performance on Saturday, Feb. 25.

8 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017 REFORM from page 1

for lawmakers. In 2015, Cuomo appointed a commission to discuss raising the base salary for legislators, which has not changed from $79,500 since that rate was set in 1999. But in November 2016, the commission blocked the raises, and said it would be willing to readdress the discussion before 2017 if the Legislature called a special session to address ethics reform, including term limits. The special session never occurred. The state Legislature will now have to wait until 2019 or later to see a salary increase. “When you are in public service, the reward you get is not in a paycheck,” Cuomo said during his address. “You can make a lot more money outside of public service. The reward is you believe that you are doing a good thing and you believe you are making a difference.” Latimer has said he would oppose pay increases. “I don’t think we’ve earned it,” he said. “We have to produce results significant enough to justify an increase in compensation.” Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat, said he was not prepared to vote in favor of raises. “For any pay

One day after his Westchester County State of the State address, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed his plan to reform the state’s legislative houses by imposing term limits and turning Senate and Assembly positions into full-time jobs. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

increase to go forward, you actually have to convince New Yorkers that that’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I don’t think that argument has been made.” Latimer and Buchwald both said that they do not earn any outside income and are, in es-

sence, already full-time elected officials. This year marks the halfway point of Cuomo’s third term as governor. There is no term limit on the governor’s office in New York state. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 9

Avital to host Holocaust remembrance program Noted author, scholar and speaker Dr. Moshe Avital will present a Holocaust remembrance program on Sunday, Jan. 29 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Ossie Davis Theater of the New Rochelle Public Library. As a survivor and an educator, Avital provides extraordinary testimony, and brings to light many unknown facts of the Holocaust. His talk includes a keen psychological, philosophical, and theological analysis, as well as reflections regarding the perpetrators of the Holocaust. This program is being presented in conjunction with the exhibit, “L’dor Vador/From Generation to Generation: Portrait Photographs by Seth Harrison,” on view in the library’s Lumen Winter Gallery through Jan. 29. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is Friday, Jan. 27. At age 14, Moshe Avital and his family were expelled from

Dr. Moshe Avital, a Holocaust survivor, noted author, scholar and speak, will give a presentation on Holocaust remembrance on Sunday, Jan. 29 at the New Rochelle Public Library. Photo courtesy New Rochelle Public Library

their hometown of Bilke, Ruthenia, in Czechoslovakia, to the Ghetto Beregszasz. The Germans separated Avital from his family after they were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was imprisoned as a slave laborer in five other concentration camps before being liberated from Buchenwald by the U.S. Army on April 11, 1945. Avital began an arduous recuperation process along with

500 young people who were known as the Children of Buchenwald. He rebuilt his life, established his family, and became a recognized authority in Jewish education. The program is free and open to the public. Copies of Avitar’s latest book, “Hope, Faith and Resilience: What the Germans Couldn’t Take From Us,” will be available for purchase and signing. (Submitted)

CONCERN from page 1

federal accountability provisions to states. The No Child Left Behind Act previously required all public schools receiving Title I funding to administer statewide standardized testing with the stipulation that students make “adequate yearly progress.” For example, each year’s fourth-graders must score better than the previous year’s fourthgraders, or the federal government would step in and set mandatory improvement plans. Local school administrators and lawmakers have contested the methods of the state’s Common Core testing, insisting that it negatively impacts students’ ability to learn as it sets unrealistic educational criteria for success due to the high rate of failure on standardized tests. According to Dr. Brian Monahan, the interim superintendent of the Rye City School District, although each community in Westchester is different, standardized testing clearly impacts all school districts. “We’re concerned about the testing methods and evaluations that accompany those standards,” he said. Monahan added the lack of Title I funding is not necessarily an issue because Rye receives very little of it. However, he said that what concerns parents more about Common Core is the real-

Westchester County lawmakers and educators have come to disapprove a new federal education regulation that is on the horizon. The new amendment to the controversial Common Core method of testing, which cuts funding to school districts with high opt-out rates, will go into effect on Jan. 30. Photo courtesy GreatSchools.org

ity that few questions and tests are released afterwards. According to Monahan, the state does not release standardized tests and questions for public viewing. “Parents want to see what went right and what went wrong,” Monahan said. “We’re seeing that change slowly, but we’re still going to advocate for a more responsible approach to testing.” According to state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat that has long been a vocal critic of the practice of standardized testing, while it’s impossible to calculate just how many ways the new regulations will impact communities, there’s hope that, under new President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Education will change the controversial practice for

testing before it harbors any lasting impacts. “The impact of this is unpredictable, and we should always avoid the unpredictable,” Latimer said. Latimer also told the Review that he hopes the state Legislature will consider his recent proposal to allow parents and school districts to opt children with an individualized education program, a learning document that was developed for public school children that need special education, out of Common Core standards and certain testing. “You have to give those children more flexibility,” he said. As of press time, Latimer’s bill, which was submitted on Jan. 11, is awaiting approval of the state Senate Education Committee. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

Meet Jenny, an adorable shepherd/Lab mix, about 3 to 4 months old. She is super sweet and loves everyone she meets, human and furry alike. She’s very good-natured, smart and playful. She knows some basic commands and will make a wonderful companion. Jenny is up-to-date with vaccinations, in excellent health and microchipped. Her adoption donation is $300. To meet Jenny, please contact Pet Rescue at 835-3332 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)

10 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 11

12 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017

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January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 13

When in rage, blame the mom RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

Remember the bad old days when a rape victim would show up in court and the defense attorney would say, “Why was her skirt so short?” As if the woman caused her own rape. Only gradually did it dawn on us what was really going on: We were “blaming the victim.” Basically, we’re all so afraid that something awful like this could happen to us or a loved one that we automatically come up with a way to reassure ourselves it never will. We tell ourselves, “We’re totally different, so we’ll be safe.” Once we recognized how cruel and clueless it to believe that only bad people get hurt, we became a more empathetic society. Except when it comes to moms. “Blaming Mothers: American Law and the Risks to Children’s Health” is a new book by Pace University law professor Linda C. Fentiman that looks at the way we have kept moms in the crosshairs of our condemnation. From pre-birth through adolescence, when something goes wrong with kids, often it is considered morally, and even legally, mama’s fault. For instance, when a woman in Utah elected not to have a cesarean section and one of her twins was a stillbirth, she was charged with murder. The fact that stillbirths are fairly common didn’t matter. Nor did the fact that she had no intention of killing her child. All that mattered was the fact that, conveniently, there was someone to blame. A South Carolina mom, Regina McKnight, was also con-

victed of homicide in the stillbirth of her baby, because she admitted to using cocaine when pregnant. I think we all agree it’s tragic that people get addicted to drugs. But the idea that cocaine causes stillbirth is not medically supported. Moreover, as a friend of the court briefing noted, “nicotine use, poor nutrition, lack of prenatal care, or other conditions commonly associated with the urban poor” are all sub-optimal. Does that mean we should prosecute any pregnant woman who’s not upper-middle-class “perfect”? McKnight’s 20-year sentence was reversed seven years later by the state’s Supreme Court. Fentiman also looks at the issue of child abuse. Often when a child is hurt or killed by a dad or the mother’s boyfriend, it is the mom who is prosecuted, for not stopping it. The completely unrealistic idea is that the moment a mother realizes her child is being abused, she must move out of the house and report the abuser to the police. Otherwise, she can be considered guilty for failing to act. “The legal system is not taking into account all the structural barriers that impede women from leaving their husbands,” Fentiman said in a phone interview. For instance, sometimes the woman has no money to leave, or no place to go. Sometimes she is afraid that if she calls the cops, the abuser will become even more violent. But the law seems to believe a good mom should be a perfect mom, no matter what the obstacles. How did we get so harsh? Fentiman lists several unconscious biases at work: 1. Hindsight Bias: Once a tragedy has occurred, it’s impossible to look back and truly see

things the way we saw them before the bad event. Now that we know the sad truth, it feels like it must have been obvious. Why didn’t the mom predict and prevent it? 2. The Fundamental Attribution Error: This is the unconscious belief about karma—that bad things only happen to bad people. Naturally, if something bad happens to US, we understand all the variables that led to it—all the things beyond our control. But when something bad happens to someone ELSE, we think they could have stopped it but didn’t. Shame (and blame) on them. 3. The Reasonable Man Theory: In the olden days, negligence was determined by whether someone did what “the reasonable man” would have done in the situation, like not leaving a 4-year-old home alone for a weekend. But now that we think about “the reasonable woman,” the bar is higher. “A reasonable mother is supposed to be superhuman and always do anything to minimize the risk to her children and to selflessly never do anything for herself,” says Fentiman. So if something bad happens to a child while the mom was, say, napping, she can be blamed for daring to shut her eyes. 4. Causation: The American legal system holds the primitive notion that there’s only one cause of any problem. So the child who is beaten to death is not a victim of some toxic combination of poverty, an abusive dad, and a broken CPS system. The tragedy is simply the fault of a mom who didn’t save the child. It’s easy and satisfying to blame the mom. Someday, we’ll also realize that it’s wrong. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

Westchester’s newest family fun, camp event

Two kids try their hand at lacrosse with the help of Topside Lacrosse employees. Photo courtesy Davler Media Group

Westchester Parents Day is a full afternoon of fun and activities and classes for kids and information for parents on relevant local businesses and camps, where kids will be entertained and parents enriched—for one family admission. Featuring more than 50 exhibitors, Westchester Parents Day has expanded, from the former Westchester Camp Fair, to include a wide variety of exhibitors and amusement. It is produced by Westchester Parent, the authority that delivers superior choices about how to spend time and money to more than 1 million area parents each month, through its seven award-winning parenting magazines including Westchester Parent and its website, NYmetroparents.com. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Westchester Children’s Museum. Westchester Parents Day will

take place Sunday, Feb. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. at Crowne Plaza, located at 66 Hale Ave. in White Plains. Westchester Parents Day will offer many activities and classes to entertain children of all ages. Classes booked so far include: a live animal encounter with Animal Embassy; music and movement with Bach to Rock; a museums without walls activity from Westchester Children’s Museum; a lacrosse clinic with Topside Lacrosse; and a crafts project and a soccer clinic with Mount Tom Day Camp. In addition to many of the exhibitors and camps having activities at their booth space, painting, a photo fun booth, kids DJ dance party, a chocolate dipping fountain by Chocolate Works, costume characters, free cotton candy, a gaga pit, and more will also be offered. Every family gets a free gift bag, courtesy of

Westchester Parent and the exhibitors. While the children play and learn, parents will be able to explore offerings from more than 50 camps, exhibitors and experts. They can meet providers for health care, after-school programs, nursery schools, birthday party places and many, many more. Tickets to the event are $15 per family (two adults and up to four children) at the door, and there is an opportunity for free advance registration at westchesterparentsday.com with the coupon code “RELEASE.” Free tickets can also be found at the many places that Westchester Parent is distributed throughout the county—at play and activity centers, toy stores, pediatricians’ offices, etc. For tickets and the latest news, visit westchesterparentsday.com. (Submitted)

14 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017

Brick the Knicks LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

With the Giants and Jets off for the winter and the Rangers marching slowly but steadily toward another appearance in the NHL playoffs, one might think that the back pages of local papers would be hurting for salacious sports stories. Fortunately for us drama enthusiasts, however, we still have the Knicks. It’s hard to say exactly where this season went wrong for the Knicks. After all, this was a team that, just a few weeks ago, looked like it might be one of the five best teams in the Eastern Conference. With Kristaps Porzingis emerging as the team’s franchise player, Derrick Rose offering some rare glimpses of his MVP days, and role-players like Kyle O’Quinn or Mindaugus Kuzminskas providing the occasional spark off the

bench, the Knicks may not have been contenders for the Larry O’Brien trophy, but they were at least fun to watch. Since the end of December, however, the Knicks have been fun to watch for a different reason. Starting with a Christmas Day loss to the Celtics, the Knicks have undergone a mid-winter swoon, dropping 11 of their last 13 games. As one might expect, the drought has been marked by some pitiful basketball; lackluster defensive efforts, an inability to close games out late—all marks of a bad team. But it has been the Knicks’ off-court issues that have really made this latest stretch feel “special.” You have Knicks’ president Phil Jackson—who has shied away from the public eye since his early-season comments about LeBron James that were tinged with racial insensitivity—sniping at Carmelo Anthony through team-friendly

SPORTS

reporters. You have Anthony— whom I have defended in the past—openly musing about waiving his no-trade clause and clearly going out of his way to get ejected from games the Knicks needed to win. Rose went AWOL for a game, flying back to Chicago to visit his family with nary a headsup to the organization. I’ll say this about the Knicks: if they’re going to go down in flames, they are going to do it in the biggest way possible. This is New York, after all. And honestly, if they’re not going to turn their play around, I don’t mind the dysfunction. While I feel bad for head coach Jeff Hornacek, who, at this point, must certainly be rethinking his decision to come to New York, if the Knicks are going to be bad, they had better be entertainingly bad. If I had my druthers, Carmelo would park himself on the offensive end and refuse to pass half-court until the Knicks fi-

Over the last month, the New York Knicks have become the joke of the NBA. Sports Editor Mike Smith thinks that they might as well embrace their status. Photo courtesy Knicks.com

nally ship him off to Cleveland; Rose would post random Instagram shots from Las Vegas as the Knicks battle the Pacers in Indiana; and Porzingis would continue to nurse his Achilles in-

jury until someone in the Knicks organization figures out what the heck is going on with this team. If the Knicks are going to be a laughingstock, they might as well embrace it.

This way, we’ll have something to talk about until the hockey playoffs start in April.

Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports

SPORTS

January 20 & 27, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 15

Huguenots hanging tough ice hockey

non-league

NEW ROCHELLE 12 LAKELAND PANAS 1 ICE HUTCH

1/16/17

Game Notes: • Tommy Barry and Nicky Scollard both recorded hat tricks • The Huguenots outscored the Rebels 9-0 in the final two periods • New Rochelle has not lost since Dec. 16 By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor With a strong group of veterans and strong on-ice chemistry, the 2016-17 season has been one of resurgence for the Huguenots thus far. New Rochelle’s latest win, a 12-1 victory over Lakeland/Panas on Jan. 16, has the Huguenots cruising toward the second half of the season as

Michael Swift fires a shot on net against Lakeland/Panas on Jan. 16.

owners of a sterling 9-1-1 record. As the rest of the season heats up, however, head coach Paul Viggiano hopes to see even more improvement from his squad. Tommy Barry and Nicky Scollard led the way against the Rebels on Monday, as both players netted a hat trick in the win. Although the Huguenots surrendered a late goal in the

first period and headed into the intermission with a 3-1 lead, they turned on the jets in the second period, overpowering the Lakeland/Panas team with a late push. “Our team is made up of hockey players, so coming back is not something new for them,” Viggiano said. “In the second period we were able to keep the puck in their zone and outshoot

Karina Sarabian looks for an open teammate. The Huguenots are currently 9-1-1.

Tommy Barry celebrates a first period goal against the Rebels at the Ice Hutch. Barry had three goals in the 12-1 New Rochelle win.

them, and that’s what made the difference.” The Huguenots haven’t suffered a loss since their Dec. 16 defeat at the hands of Byram Hills, and Viggiano believes that New Rochelle’s youth program—and the fact that his current group of players hasn’t faced much turnover in the last year—is one of the main reason for his team’s success this year. “We only graduated one senior from last year and lost our top point-getter to prep school, but we’re pretty much the same team, just a year older, a year bigger and a year more mature,” he said. “And a lot of the credit goes to our youth program; on our third line, we have a center and a winger who have been playing together since they were six, and I think that continuity is very important.” With eight games left on the docket, the Huguenots will be tested over the next few weeks. On Jan. 22, they will travel to Brewster to take on a tough Horace Greeley club (7-3), and they will face Rye Town/Harrison (83) in a makeup game on Jan. 25. “Our play starts from the goaltender out, so we’re going to have to continue to defend well,

Carter Topol chases down a Rebels skater. Photos/Mike Smith

and our skill players are going to have to get the puck into the zone and continue to play team hockey,” the head coach said. “If

we can continue to do that, we can be successful.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com

16 • THE CITY REVIEW • January 20 & 27, 2017