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CityREVIEW NewRochelle February 3, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 4 | www.cityreviewnr.com
Latimer bill would allow county to tax state land By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer
Center of attention
A two-day gun show at the Westchester County Center was embroiled in further controversy after pictures of pro-Nazi books and Confederate flags surfaced. The Review was also denied access to the weekend event in White Plains. For story, see page 6. File photo
Gov. Cuomo touts transparency law expansion By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer As part of an ethics reform overhaul, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that he would look to increase transparency in the state Legislature during his State of the State tour earlier this month. The governor’s initiative seeks to make state lawmakers— as well as the state’s ethics commission—subject to the Freedom of Information Law, FOIL. “It protects the public,” Cuomo said, “and it protects the government official from anyone saying he or
she did anything wrong.” State FOIL laws allow the public to request access to documents and statistics kept by government agencies, with certain exceptions such as classified documents. Currently, the general New York state FOIL laws apply only to state agencies, which do not include the Legislature or the courts. A specific section of the law applies to state lawmakers; but that section does not require that lawmakers make documents such as emails available to the public. Assemblyman David Buch-
wald, a White Plains Democrat who has championed the FOIL laws, questioned Cuomo’s assertion that FOIL laws don’t apply to state lawmakers. “FOIL does apply to the state Legislature,” he said. “It just applies in a somewhat different way because most of our actions are already made available to the public.” Buchwald added that he was open to any laws that would increase transparency. In November, the governor signed an amendment to the FOIL law sponsored by Buchwald which he had shot down the previous year, shortening the
appeals process. State Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat who has also pushed for transparency laws, said he would welcome an expansion of FOIL to encompass state lawmakers, and reflected on his previous experience as an elected official on the Rye City Council and the Westchester County Board of Legislators. “I was under the rules of FOIL in those days and I never felt that that was a problem,” Latimer said. “We’re not at the level of dealing with national secrets.” CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com
State Sen. George Latimer has introduced a bill that would authorize Westchester County to collect taxes from certain state lands in its region. Latimer, a Rye Democrat, told the Review that he proposed the bill in hopes that the county would be granted the same authority as Rockland and Putnam counties, for which the state has paid property taxes to for several years. “I think Westchester should have the same deal as Rockland and Putnam,” he said. “It’s a matter of fairness.” Rockland was granted the ability to tax state land in the mid-90s under former Gov. George Pataki, a Republican; Putnam’s ability to tax went into effect in 2007. The bill would ultimately amend the real property tax law and would grant Westchester the ability to tax state-held land. However, it would not allow the county to tax buildings erected on state property. According to Latimer, his proposed legislation came as a result of discovering the state’s unusual system of taxing its public land, which is typically exempt from taxes in other states. County Legislator David Gelfarb, a Rye Brook Republican, said the desirability of the bill, which Latimer submitted last November at the end of the 2016 legislative session and again this month for the 2017 session, is its potential to provide an additional revenue stream for the county and local municipalities that contain state-held land. “If this is allowed in other counties, there’s certainly no reason to
treat Westchester unfairly,” Gelfarb said. “We need that revenue source to provide basic municipal services for residents and taxpayers.” While there is currently no estimate for any number of projected revenue Westchester could gain as a result of a change in the law, according to Latimer, research is being conducted by the several municipalities, including the assessor’s office in the town of Bedford, which is among the communities in the county where there is state land. The Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, a state-owned prison, is located in Bedford, and is encompassed in the 7,000 acres of state-held land in the county. Other notable state-held properties include the Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park and the Donald J. Trump State Park in the town of Yorktown, and the Rockefeller State Preserve in the town of Mount Pleasant. While he is optimistic about the support for the bill, Latimer said there is still the issue of the other 59 counties in the state that might seek to receive the same “fair treatment.” He added that he hopes his proposal will spark a conversation about granting other counties the ability to tax state land as well; however, at the very least, he hopes Westchester will be authorized. The bill is currently awaiting approval by a state Senate committee, as of press time. County Legislator Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, could not be reached for comment. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
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February 2017
Planning ahead... SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY Black History Month
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THURSDAY Groundhog Day
FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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National Wear Red Day
World Cancer Day
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National Freedom Day Fair housing participation meeting 5:30 p.m., MLK Community Center
Super Bowl Sunday
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Cheer Show Night 7 p.m., NHRS
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City Council COW meeting 3:45 p.m., City Hall
Gr. 8 Parent Night 6:30p.m., NRHS
Black History Month celebration 4 p.m., NRHS
HLRB meeting 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
Board of Education meeting 6 p.m., Davis
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Lincoln’s Birthday
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SEPTA executive meeting 7:30 p.m.
Valentine’s Day
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National Donor Day Valentine’s Day luncheon 10:30 a.m., Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center
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PTA Council meeting 7 p.m., NRHS
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IEYMS Nail Salon Club 1 p.m., Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center
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Black History Month celebration 4 p.m., NRHS
School board budget community input forum 7 p.m., NRHS library
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Planetarium Show 7 p.m., NRHS
City Council regular meeting 7 p.m., City Hall
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Presidents Day, schools and government offices closed
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Mid-winter school recess begins
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Schools reopen
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Corporation for Local Development meeting 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place Industrial Development Agency meeting 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
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Mardi Gras celebration 11 a.m., Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center
Board of Education COW session 6 p.m., Trinity Planning Board meeting 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
The Lenape Indians in Westchester presentation 1 p.m., Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center
February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 3
Proposed Mamaroneck gun ban may lead to lawsuit With the Mamaroneck Town Council mulling a ban on firearm possession on any town property, local gun rights activists are ready to pull the trigger on a lawsuit. According to Scott Sommavilla, the president of the Westchester Firearms Association, who attended a public hearing on Jan. 18 regarding the proposed local law, his organization will be watching the council’s decision closely. “The [council] doesn’t have legal authority,” he told the Review. “We’re lawyered up.” Trustee Tom Murphy, a Democrat who said that the entire Town Council, a board which is fully Democratic, is behind the ban, said the law is being put forward in an attempt to make Mamaroneck safer. “We realize that the law will not stop every mad man with a gun,” Murphy said. “But the idea is that the less guns in a public area, from people who aren’t authorized, will make everyone safer.” Even despite the threat of litigation, Town Supervisor Nancy
Legislation to ban firearms on municipal-owned and leased property in the town of Mamaroneck is making waves amongst local gun rights activists, who say that a lawsuit could be imminent if the proposal passes. Photo courtesy Flickr.com
Seligson, a Democrat, said the council is undeterred. “We haven’t really discussed [the possibility of a lawsuit],” Seligson said. “We feel like we’re crafting a law within our given rights.” The ban would amend an existing provision in the town code and impose a ban on both town property as well as town-leased property.
Under the proposed amendment, only police officers and “persons in the service of the United States” would be exempt from any such ban. The penalty for violating the potential ban, as enumerated in a draft currently on the town’s website, would be a court-imposed fine between $500 to $1,000. -Reporting by James Pero
Fox manslaughter case adjourned until Feb. 23 Emma Fox, 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 Feb. 23 after her Jan. 27 court date was adjourned. Fox’s case has been adjourned five times since she reportedly struck and killed Schartner, on Oct. 9, while he was walking along Westchester Avenue in White Plains on his
way back to Manhattanville. According to the White Plains Court Clerk’s office, the case was adjourned for “further proceedings.” Police reported that Fox, 24, had been intoxicated at the time of the incident when she struck and killed Schartner, of Fishkill, who was returning to college from a night out on Mamaroneck 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. White Plains police reported that Fox had been travelling eastbound on Westchester Avenue at around 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. Stephen Lewis, an attorney representing Fox, could not be reached for comment as of press time. -Reporting by Franco Fino
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.”
4 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
What’s going on... New Rochelle Public Library
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 soon. 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.
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.
Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library Book Sales The Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library will be holding a mini book sale on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main library lobby. The book sales include popular novels, mysteries and nonfiction in hardcover and paperback, to children’s books, CDs and DVDs. Proceeds from these sales allow the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library to provide funding for quality children and adult programming, and will help the library by contributing to various projects and improving service to the community. The Friends welcome prospective volunteers. The volunteer executive board of the Friends, 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
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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, through May 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., and at HCL on Mondays, 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, through May 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and at HCL on Wednesdays, 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, through May 22, from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Another session, in English, takes place on Thursdays, through May 25, from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Sessions at HCL take place on Tuesdays, through May 23, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., and on Thursdays, 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 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.
Free tax help On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main library’s Meeting Room on the first floor.
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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. All visual artwork must be submitted by Tuesday, Feb. 7; other submissions are no longer being accepted. 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.
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Trained AARP volunteer counselors will be available to assist participants in preparing and filing their tax returns on a first-come, first-served basis. You must bring: whatever tax-related materials are needed to complete your returns; an official photo identification and a Social Security card (or other comparable official documentation); for all other people who will be listed on the tax return, a Social Security card or other official documentation is required. The volunteer counselors must be able to confirm the Taxpayer Identification Number, SSN or ITIN, and the correct spelling of all names as recorded by the Social Security Administration, or they cannot complete the return.
Taylor Brown joined the Review earlier this month as a general assignment reporter. Brown graduated from Iona College in 2014, where she received her B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in journalism. While attending Iona, Brown served as the features editor of Iona College’s only student newspaper, The Ionian. Brown also worked as
Taylor Brown
a freelance writer for New Rochelle Patch, and as an intern and freelance writer for iConcept Media Group with a focus on fashion, beauty, technology and business. Brown currently resides in Wharton, New Jersey, and has a dog, two cats and a ball python snake. You can reach Brown at 653-1000 ext. 30 or taylor@ hometwn.com.
February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 5
Jefferson hosts Latimer’s inauguration Jefferson Elementary School fifth-graders got to see an inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 25, when state Sen. George Latimer came to visit. Latimer was re-elected to a third term in the New York state Senate in the fall election. Principal Kimmerly Nieves
started the ceremonies by explaining to the students how a state senator helps make laws that govern the state and a senator’s role in the community. She said Latimer has always been an advocate for the school and the City School District of New Rochelle. The 37th District is com-
prised of Bedford, Bronxville, Eastchester, Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester, Rye, Rye Brook, Tuckahoe, White Plains and Yonkers. Fifth-grade students Ember Stevens and Elijah Brown also spoke before the crowd.
State Sen. George Latimer, center, takes his oath of office for his third term by New Rochelle City Judge Susan Kettner as students Eliljah Brown and Ember Stevens hold the Bible for him. Photo/Aaron Kershaw
“Your dedication to Westchester County has made this community a wonderful place to live and work,” Stevens said. “Your accessibility as a representative of our community is well-known.” “As Jefferson students, we have enjoyed having your presence at our school,” Brown said. He commended Latimer for coming to his classroom last year to answer questions and for taking part in the school’s summer reading challenge. New York state Assemblyman
Steven Otis, of the 91st Assembly District, and New Rochelle Councilman Jared Rice also attended the inauguration and spoke. After the oath of office was administered, Latimer made a couple of points—to both the students and to the adults. “You have certain responsibilities as kids, right? Later in life, you will have responsibilities too,” Latimer told the students. “What I just did by putting my hand on the Bible is I just agreed to do certain things. I am committing myself that I will do my
very best to do those things.” To the adults, Latimer said, “We’ve just seen in Washington the inauguration.... No matter how we voted on Election Day, we are one nation. That doesn’t mean we have to agree with things we don’t agree with. But it does mean we have to remember we are Americans. We have more in common than what separates us.” The Jefferson Chorus concluded the program by singing the Beatles’ song, “All You Need is Love.” (Submitted)
6 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017 THE
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In the wake of County Executive Rob Astorino’s veto of legislation banning gun shows held at county-owned facilities, the Board of Legislators’ Democratic contingent will continue to work toward swaying Republican votes necessary for an override. While Democrats’ criticism of the show had previously centered on the expo’s potential to facilitate potentially illicit sales of guns—a claim which has not been supported by the county’s commissioner of public safety—recent concerns have gravitated around vendors’ distribution of books pertaining to Adolf Hitler and Nazism in World War II. According to a statement released by the Democratic Caucus earlier this week, which included pictures allegedly taken at the show, copies of “Mein Kampf”—the autobiographical book by Hitler—and Confederate flags were among the items distributed by vendors. “These symbols are symbols of hate and have no place in our county, let alone for sale in our facilities,” said Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat, who helped pen the legislation banning gun shows. Jenkins has already announced that he plans to seek the Democratic
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 Columnist Lenore Skenazy Letters
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nomination for county executive later this year. The Review requested press credentials and authorization to take its own photos at the show but was denied by a representative from Westchester Collectors, the organization which hosts the event. The impetus behind Democrats’ push to ban gun shows has centered primarily on the gun show held at the Westchester County Center on Jan. 21 and 22. The show—which would have taken place regardless of a passed ban, due to contractual
Among those railing against Astorino’s veto at the hearing, which was held at the County Center, was White Plains resident Valerie Daniele, who has, throughout the last several months, galvanized hundreds of residents under the moniker Westchester Women of Conscience to speak in favor of the gun show ban. “We reject the notion that there are no facts that support a continued ban and remind the county executive that the very facts that motivated him to cancel gun shows in the wake of
Despite a veto blocking a ban on gun shows held at county-owned facilities, Democratic lawmakers are working to shore up votes for an override. File photo
The latest gun show at the convention center marks the first time such an event has taken place there since 2010. A gun show scheduled to take place in 2012 was cancelled following shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Photo courtesy pixabay.com
obligations—featured vendors from across the state selling and displaying a range of pistols, rifles and various styles of knives, and marked the first time that such a show has taken place at the convention center since 2010. Echoing Democratic sentiments, dozens of Westchester County residents came out on Jan. 24 to voice concerns over the rejection of a gun ban during a public hearing in White Plains on a separate piece of Republican legislation regarding the topic.
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Democratic lawmakers have criticized the latest gun show, held at the County Center on Jan. 21 and 22, for distributing literature pertaining to Nazism as well as Confederate flags. Photo courtesy Democratic Caucus
Sandy Hook exist today, four years and zero lawsuits later,” Daniele said. On the other side of the aisle, Scott Sommavilla, president of the Westchester Firearms Association, who also attended the public hearing, said that cracking down on the distribution of items like Confederate flags could lead the county down an undesirable path. “Would we rather [Nazi books] not be there? Yeah,” Sommavilla said. “But it is a First Amendment right. It’s a slippery slope; where does it stop and where does it start?” The veto of the proposed gun show ban, which came a little more than a week after the legislation’s passage by all nine Democratic lawmakers, was an expected move by Astorino, a Republican, who, in tandem with Republican lawmakers, has condemned the law from its inception. In response, according to Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat, Democrats will keep
the prospect of overriding Astorino’s veto an open item. “I will leave the option of overriding the county executive’s veto on the table for the remainder of the legislative term in hopes that a sufficient number of my colleagues will choose to join the majority who voted to ban the gun shows,” Kaplowitz said. As it stands, Democrats— nine of which voted in favor of passing the ban earlier this month—would need to win over three Republican votes for a supermajority of 12 legislators in order to override the county executive’s veto. Board Democrats have a year to vote on an override, according to a spokesperson for the board’s Democratic Caucus. A previously scheduled gun
show was cancelled in 2012 after the school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killed 26 people, 20 of them children. The ratification of a ban on gun shows held at countyowned facilities would have revived a previous embargo that lapsed in 2010 when Astorino took the helm as county executive, ending a ban instituted by his predecessor, Andrew Spano, a Democrat, after the Columbine High School shootings. Board Republicans have shown no signs of obliging Democrats in their push to institute a ban, but have instead introduced alternative legislation that would adopt various rules outlined in New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s Model Gun Show legislation. Many of the laws would pertain to proper signage and diligence on background checks, many of which are already mandated through the New York state Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013. Some Democrats, including Kaplowitz, have already expressed that they may vote in favor of those guidelines when the law makes its way to the legislative floor. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 7
Iona College announces plans for North Ave. café Demonstrating its continued support to the New Rochelle community and the ongoing revitalization of the North Avenue corridor, Iona College recently announced plans for a community restaurant and market on North Avenue. Called SAGE Café, the proposed restaurant and market will serve the needs for both Iona students and the broader community, and will be located in taxable commercial space on the ground floor of the newly built 7-story, mixed-use facility located at 690 North Ave.—the former site of the Mirage Diner. The announcement delivers on a commitment the college made when it purchased the Mirage Diner in 2014 and follows several significant North Avenue improvement efforts supported by the college, including North Avenue land acquisitions, roadway improvements and a storefront enhancement program. “Iona College is excited to move forward on a commitment we made several years ago to provide the community with a casual, convenient, and contem-
porary dining destination,” said Anne Marie Schettini-Lynch, senior vice president for finance and administration. “With the SAGE Café, we are not only delivering on our pledge, but complementing our other broad based efforts to beautify North Avenue, add to its commercial base and provide needed oncampus housing for our students.” The initial design of SAGE Café incorporates a 3,000-square-foot contemporary intercontinental cuisine-influenced restaurant, with a 2,000-square-foot market and bakery. The vision for the establishment is a relaxed atmosphere with a gourmet-style convenience market, a high-quality bakery, gourmet coffee station, juice bar and a “grab ‘n go” area offering fresh food prepared by the café. Because it will be located within commercial property, it will generate both property tax and sales tax dollars for the city. Sage is known as the Mediterranean herb of wisdom. It literally translates to mean “wise one,” a play on words that is appropriate for a college setting.
If approved through the city planning process, SAGE Café will be located on the ground floor of the college’s new building, which is the latest show of campus improvements and beautification. Additional investments in North Avenue have been made by the college, such as providing funds to the city for roadway improvements on public property in the vicinity of the college, and providing financial assistance to property owners along North Avenue to improve the appearance of commercial storefronts. Through the college’s meal plan, more than $2 million in revenue is generated for the local participating vendors on North Avenue. City officials, elected officials and college leaders have all recognized the impact Iona College has had in the New Rochelle community as the second largest employer in New Rochelle, as well as the significance of the college’s contributions to the improvements along the North Avenue corridor. Iona’s improvements come at a time when a recent study by a
commission of independent colleges and universities shows that the college contributes as much as $258.5 million a year to the regional economy. The study, conducted on behalf of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities by the Center for Governmental Research, concluded that in 2015 the college’s spending translated into roughly $99.4 million in wages; was responsible for 1,850 local jobs; and contributed $7.3 million in state income and sales tax revenues for state and local
governments. Additionally, another $37 million is estimated to come from student and visitor spending. The results showed that the impact of Iona College actually increased by $8 million from 2013 estimates by the same organizations. The economic impact is measured in Iona’s direct purchases of goods and services, as well as the spending by its employees, students and visitors. Further, last year, students, faculty and staff of the college contributed more than 66,000
service hours to the region. “Since its inception, Iona College has worked diligently to be a good and responsible neighbor to the people of New Rochelle and the surrounding communities,” said Iona President Dr. Joseph Nyre. “We are pleased with the progress we have made in recent years for our student body and community as a whole, and we will continue to be a vital part of the community at large and the regional economy.” For more information, visit iona.edu. (Submitted)
8 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
Lawmakers ask ATF to audit Harrison gun store
Two Westchester County lawmakers have sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, asking the agency to audit the license to sell firearms issued to L&L Sports, a Harrison gun store which has drawn the attention of thousands of residents since it opened in November. File photo
A gun store in Harrison, which has drawn the attention of thousands of residents since it opened in November, now also has the attention of two Westchester County lawmakers. Legislators Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, and Ben Boykin, a White Plains Democrat, whose districts each entail a portion of Harrison, wrote a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, ATF, in December requesting an audit of the license to sell firearms issued to Leesie & Lou Lou Inc., a corporation owned by Louis Zacchio, who owns the gun store on Halstead Avenue, L&L Sports. “We just asked them to make sure that they were looking at the application and making sure
that everything was done properly,” Parker told the Review. The letter was sent to the ATF on Dec. 12, 2016. Boykin and Parker said they had not yet received a response from the agency as of press time. Some Harrison residents are likely to rejoice over news that county representatives have involved themselves in the saga. Those same residents have protested to the Harrison Town Council the location of L&L Sports since it announced it would be opening in November. Much of their concern is due to the shop’s proximity to an elementary school 500 feet away. As of press time, an online petition has garnered almost 3,500 signatures decrying the store’s location.
In the letter from county lawmakers, specific questions and concerns related to Zacchio’s license to sell firearms were raised, and whether some of his practices invalidate that license. The legislators referenced a license administered to Leesie & Lou Lou Inc., listing the premise of license as Zacchio’s home address on Orchard Place. The letter asks if Zacchio’s license had since been modified to allow him to operate at the Halstead Avenue storefront. Boykin and Parker have also questioned Zacchio’s compliance with a local law in Harrison which requires those who sell used goods—including guns—to obtain a permit to do so from the town. -Reporting by Corey Stockton
Cocoa is a beautiful Lab mix with the most soulful brown eyes, about 1 1/2 years old and 50 pounds. Her foster family reports: Cocoa is such a sweet, sweet girl and not only is she already housebroken, but also has very good house manners. The dog bed is her favorite place in the house, and outdoors Cocoa loves to play fetch in the backyard. While she walks very nicely on the leash, she is shy approaching new dogs and people, but once slowly introduced, she enjoys their company. Cocoa would love to find a calm, quiet home—she will give you lots of love in return. She is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed and microchipped. Make her part of your family for an adoption donation of $300 to Pet Rescue. To meet Cocoa, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)
Upcoming New Rochelle events For the latest information subscribe to events calendars, news flashes and updates, visit newrochelleny.com, like on Facebook. com/CityofNewRochelle and follow on Twitter @newrochelleny. This list contains city and community events. City events will be updated through news advisories and releases. Please sign up to receive alerts and messaging through email, text and calls via the NewRoConnect system. Visit newrochelleny. com/NewRoConnect. Tuesday, Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day luncheon from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center, 94 Davis Ave. in New Rochelle. For more information, call 235-2363. Thursday, Feb. 16: Montefiore art gallery opening reception from noon to 2 p.m. in the main lobby of the Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, 16 Guion Place in New Rochelle. For more information, email Angela Cermele at acermele@montefiore.org. Also on Feb. 16: “Reflec-
tions” - Poetic Expressions Celebrating Black History Month, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at New Rochelle City Hall Rotunda. Presented by the NR Youth Bureau STRIVE Leadership Academy. For more information, visit newrochelleny.com/youth. Friday, Feb. 17: League of Women Voters Coffee & Conversation with City Manager Chuck Strome from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Place. For more information, visit nrpl.org.
Monday, Feb. 20: Presidents Day - City Hall will be closed. Tuesday, Feb. 28: “Art Under Your Feet” artist submission deadline. This project is in collaboration with the city Department of Development. Visit bit. ly/2hQpr7J for more information. Save the date: Mayor Noam Bramson’s 2017 State of the City address will be on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. (Submitted)
February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 9
Healthy snacks for the ‘Big Game’ We all know that the biggest star at the “Big Game” football party is the food. The American Heart Association, AHA, doesn’t want you to sack everyone’s healthy New Year’s resolutions with a party spread filled with fried, fattening, salty or sugary foods. Keep plenty of heart-healthy options in the starting lineup to give everyone healthy options while celebrating the big game. “Offering healthy food choices can help people maintain a healthy weight, even at big parties. You can easily swap out unhealthy ingredients for healthier ones and adding more fruits and vegetables is a big game strategy that’s sure to score a touchdown for health,” said Carolyn Torella, AHA spokeswoman. “February is American Heart Month, and this is a great opportunity to kick off the month with healthier meals.” First Half Strategy – First down: Start the game with salad and veggies. Fill up on the healthier foods first, then add in a few treats on your plate. Go with healthier appetizers like cut
veggies and hummus, fat-free yogurt dips or guacamole made with avocados. According to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, eating one avocado a day as part of a heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering, moderate-fat diet can help improve bad cholesterol levels in overweight and obese individuals. Use baked, not fried and whole grain versions of your favorite chips and crackers. Try low-fat cheeses with whole grain crackers or toasts, and choose assorted low-sodium or unsalted nuts, which are high in good fats and protein. Halftime Rally – When planning your halftime buffet, throw the penalty flag on the worst party foods like fried Buffalo wings (up to 35 grams of fat per serving), takeout personal pepperoni pan pizza (more than 60 percent of sodium daily allowance), and nachos with cheese (30 percent of your daily fat). Opt for baked, not fried Buffalo tenders, whole wheat pizza with veggies, and chicken or beans and low-fat cheese burritos in a whole wheat wrap. With healthy foods, you’ll
still have energy for that halftime touch football game. Try turkey or chicken and bean chili with lots of veggies cooked in, and low-fat cheese and low-fat sour cream on the side. Second Half Plan – Offer seltzer and no sugar-added fruit juice beverages as “mockcocktail” alternatives to alcohol-based drinks. Alcohol can raise blood pressure and is full of empty calories. Make portion control part of your game plan. Smaller plates and calorie counting apps can help you keep track of the foods you are consuming so you don’t go overboard. Know your portions. For example, a serving of chicken breast (3 ounces) is about the size of a deck of cards, and an ounce of cheese is about the size of your index finger. A cup of pasta is the size of a fist, and half a cup of rice is a cupcake wrapper-full. For more portion tips, check out heart.org/PortionDistortion. The American Heart Association recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, high-fiber foods, and fatfree and low-fat dairy products.
Keep total fat intake between 25 and 35 percent of calories, with most fats coming from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils most often. Use naturally occurring, un-hydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil most often. Why offer healthier options? More than 149 million Americans, or 67 percent of adults age 20 and older, are overweight or obese. By 2015, experts project-
ed that 75 percent of adults will be overweight, with 41 percent being obese. Nearly one-third of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or obese and at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Making small changes to diet and lifestyle can help prevent heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 5 killers nationwide. The American Heart Association has partnered with the Walmart Foundation to offer Simple Cooking with Heart, a
nationwide program aimed at changing the way people think about food. Try these healthy variations of classic party recipes and get more cooking tips and instructional videos from the American Heart Association at heart.org/simplecooking, including game day favorites chicken and ham jambalaya, baked flautas with mango salsa, spicy Asian salad cups, barbeque-glazed chicken tenders and oven fries, and tailgate chili. (Submitted)
10 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
11 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
Business Briefs Irwin joins Larchmont Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Realtor Timothy Irwin has joined the Larchmont office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Westchester Properties. The announcement was made by Mark Nadler, office leader. In a statement Nadler said, “By making an industry leap to real estate from working at Gertex for nine years, Irwin sold his first home within five days of it being on the market. When looking to buy or sell a home in Westchester County, he will bring you as much experience, knowledge, and accountability there is.” As a licensed realtor in Westchester County, Irwin provides strategic marketing and transaction management services to his clients. His business is built on dedication, communication, determination, and trust, while embodying the ability to cater and adapt to all of his client’s real estate needs. A Larchmont native when he was younger, who went through the Mamaroneck school system, is now living with his wife just a block over from where he grew up with four sisters and a brother. Irwin enjoys the summers boating and fishing on the Long Island Sound, and he enjoys playing platform tennis in the Westchester league during the winter months. Contact Irwin today for all of your buying and selling needs. Call 414-588-3510 or email TimothyIrvin@bhhswestchester.com. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England and Westchester Properties is a leading real estate brokerage firm with more than 1,800 realtors in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Westchester County. Selectively chosen by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and HomeServices of America, the global reach, financial strength and fresh brand make Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England and Westchester Properties the premiere real estate firm in the Northeast. Whether it be residential, commercial, corporate relocation, equestrian or waterfront living, the company and its realtors are local market experts committed to providing exceptional service to our clients. For more information, visit bhhsNEproperties.com.
Weichert, Realtors’ Larchmont office, associate win regional awards Nicholas Germak, regional vice president of Weichert, Realtors, announced that the Larchmont office was recognized for outstanding performance in November. The office led its Weichert sales region, which is comprised of offices throughout Orange, Dutchess, Westchester and Rockland counties in New York, and Fairfield County in Connecticut, for resale dollar volume. In addition, sales associate Geubert Oliveira was individually recognized for his success during the month. As a top producer, Oliveira led the region for resale listings. Invite this talented neighborhood specialist in to learn about the real estate services that Weichert, Realtors has to offer. Oliveira can be reached at Weichert’s Larchmont office located at 2090 Boston Post Road, or call 833-0800 for more information. Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of full-service real estate and financial services companies, Weichert helps
customers buy and sell both residential and commercial real estate, and streamlines the delivery of mortgages and home and title insurance. Weichert leverages its customer website, weichert.com, one of the most visited real estate websites in the nation, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick and easy access to listing information and the services of its real estate professionals nationwide. For more information, Weichert’s customer service center can be reached at 1-800-USA-SOLD (872-7653).
Food Bank for Westchester names new CEO, president; elects new board member Food Bank for Westchester, the leading organization providing programs for the 200,000 county residents who are food insecure, recently announced the appointment of Leslie B. Gordon as its new president and CEO effective Jan. 17. Gordon, who has extensive experience at City Harvest developing initiatives to serve the hungry in New York City, succeeds Ellen Lynch who announced in September that she was stepping down. “Leslie Gordon brings to Food Bank for Westchester a wealth of leadership experience and expertise to help us in our ongoing efforts to eradicate hunger in the county. Leslie has a proven record of success at City Harvest where she developed and implemented innovative programs to help feed people who face hunger. We are thrilled to have her on board as our new president and CEO,” said Maria Bronzi, board chair of Food Bank for Westchester. “I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead one of the region’s most admired organizations fighting hunger. I look forward to working with everyone on the Food Bank team—from our outstanding board and dedicated staff and volunteers, to our community agencies and donors—to continue the mission of creating a hunger-free environment in Westchester,” Gordon said. As senior director of Program Strategy & Operations for City Harvest, Gordon served as a key executive leading its “Healthy Neighborhoods” plan to improve food access and nutritional behaviors for a 500,000 low-income residents and pioneering a new strategy that doubled the food distributed annually from 30 to 60 million pounds in five years. City Harvest collects nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it free of charge to soup kitchens, food pantries and other community food programs across the five boroughs. Prior to joining City Harvest in 2007, Gordon was under Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the state director of Best Buddies Pennsylvania, an organization that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to that, she served as founding director of Made in Hudson Valley, which promoted products manufactured in the Hudson Valley, and served under Gen. Colin Powell as national director of America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth, a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth from all socioeconomic sectors. A lifetime Westchester and fourth-generation resident of Tarrytown, Gordon is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz where she majored in sociology. She is a frequent guest speaker at various
organizations addressing issues of hunger, including the National Conference on Emergency Feeding and the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine on Seniors & Hunger. She is also a guest lecturer of Fordham University’s Non-Profit Leadership Graduate Program. Food Bank for Westchester has also announced the election of Michael Cassidy to its board of directors. Cassidy is currently a partner at Team JMC, a firm recently launched to develop new businesses and acquire established companies. Cassidy has significant experience in corporate branding, positioning and sales team development. He believes in the importance of implementing a cohesive corporate culture and organized employee communications, always setting them as a top priority in his leadership roles. “We are pleased to welcome Michael to our board and know he will be an asset in helping us achieve our goals for the Food Bank for Westchester,” board chair of Food Bank for Westchester. “His skills and insight will add great expertise to our already diverse committee of leaders.” Prior to JMC, Cassidy founded and served as CEO and chairman of Undertone, a digital advertising technology company. Under his leadership, Undertone grew to more than $150 million in revenue and more than 300 employees before being acquired by Perion (PERI) in 2015. During his time there, the company was recognized numerous times as one of the Best Companies to Sell For. Cassidy was the recipient of the 2011 Ernest & Young NY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
THE
He currently serves as board vice president for Friends of Karen, a Westchester-based nonprofit supporting children and families with life-threatening illness. A native of Mahopac, Cassidy received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Oswego State University, where he is a former member of the alumni board. He then became a resident of Manhattan for 10 years before moving to his current home in Rye with his wife, Jennifer, and three children. For more than 27 years, the Food Bank for Westchester, FB4W, has led the fight against hunger in Westchester County, serving 330 frontline programs that provide food directly to the 200,000 county residents who are hungry or food insecure. FB4W supplies 95 percent of all food distributed annually across the region’s food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and day care and residential programs—delivering more than 8.4 million pounds of food and 7 million meals to people. FB4W’s collaboration with major retailers and corporations, and its expertise in food procurement, storage, and distribution, turns every monetary donation into fresh food provided for communities. For more information about the Food Bank for Westchester, visit fb4w.org. The next Business Briefs section will run in March. Please send any submission for our March edition to news@hometwn.com, with “Business” in the subject line of your email. Each submission may include one picture. If you have any questions, email us at news@hometwn.com.
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12 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
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February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 13
Movies, mommies and predators RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
Ever wonder where our obsession with child predators began? The answer just might be at the movies. And “M” is the picture that started it all. What a creepy film. It opens with a mother puttering around the kitchen, waiting for her daughter to come home from school. We see the clock on the wall. We see her expression grow from cheer to terror. And somewhere in the streets below, we see a man buy a little girl a balloon. If your pulse is racing already, thank Fritz Lang, director of that 1931 classic that taught filmmakers everywhere to hook audiences with the primal emotion of heart-stopping fear for our kids. After bad guy Peter Lorre murders the girl he bought the balloon for—off-camera, so we can imagine the worst—the city rises up to hunt him down. He nonetheless manages to befriend another child on the street. But just as he’s leading her off to buy candy, her mother appears. Hallelujah! And that is the moral of the story: Unless you want your children to get murdered, you cannot let them go outside on their own. Lang himself said he made the movie “to warn mothers about neglecting children.” “It almost feels like those hygiene films that warned you to brush your teeth,” says Robert Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University. “That’s what I think ‘Adam’ did as well.” “Adam” is the made-for-TV
picture that came out in 1983, two years after 6-year-old Adam Walsh was abducted from a Sears store in Florida and subsequently beheaded. Even more than “M” (which was, after all, German), it’s the movie that branded “stranger danger” onto the collective American consciousness. Until then, the majority of child abduction movies were either police procedurals or family melodramas, says Pat Gill, professor emeritus of communications at the University of Illinois. “You often don’t see the child at all, or if you do, it’s got some gangster’s moll taking care of the kid. He’s not tied up or anything.” “Adam” changed all that. The two-part mini-series broke all records, and the media world began ordering more and more kiddie kidnappings. That’s why we’ve seen flicks about everyone from teenage abductee Elizabeth Smart to toddler murder victim JonBenét Ramsey, to Amber Hagerman, for whom the Amber Alerts are named. Not to mention all those “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” episodes. How do you proceed to kick it up a notch? You hire Liam Neeson. In 2008, we got “Taken,” the megahit in which Neeson is convinced by his pushy ex-wife to let their 17-year-old daughter and her slutty friend travel to Paris without supervision. The girls land and immediately meet a cute but skeevy guy who asks to share their taxi. Moments after he drops them off, he and his gang of sex traffickers return. Neeson’s daughter sees the men grab her friend in the next room and speed-dials daddy—a Special Ops type—for advice. Matter-of-factly he tells her,
“You will be taken.” So will you, dear viewer, on what is basically an excuse for vigilante sadism as Neeson hightails it to Paris. Without a hint of jetlag, he takes on an international team of traffickers, allowing the audience to enjoy all sorts of cruelty while feeling smug: Take THAT, you fiends! Meantime, it gave parents something else to be terrified of. A mom at a PTA meeting once solemnly informed me that there are more girls sex trafficked in America today than there were slaves before the Civil War. (Um... wrong.) “Room,” by comparison, is a Serious Film. We know this because the lead actress, Brie Larson, won an Academy Award for playing the mom who raises a son within the confines of a backyard shed. Her fictional character was taken at age 17 when she was kind enough to help a man who said he’d lost his dog. In all these pictures, a mom is overtly or subtly at fault: The mother in “M,” who didn’t walk her child home from school. The mother in “Adam,” who didn’t keep her son by her side at Sears. The mother in “Taken,” who sends her daughter to Europe unchaperoned. And even in “Room,” Larson yells at her own mother for teaching her to be nice to strangers. Maybe if she’d been a little less nice, she wouldn’t have been snatched. The movie industry has realized what newspaper editors, cable TV producers, and grandstanding politicians already know: There’s no business like woe business, and most woeful of all are stories about missing children whose mothers could have saved them... but didn’t. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
Women’s heart attack symptoms differ from men We’ve all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene may not be that dramatic. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women—more than all forms of cancer combined. “Although men and women can experience chest pressure that feels like an elephant sitting across the chest, women can experience a heart attack without chest pressure,” said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director for the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center and an American Heart Association, AHA, volunteer. “Instead they may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.” Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the victim doesn’t get help right away. Delay can cause permanent heart damage—or death. Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, women often chalk up the symptoms to less lifethreatening conditions like acid reflux, the flu or normal aging. “They do this because they are scared and because they put their families first,” Goldberg said. “There are still many women who are shocked that they could be having a heart attack.” A heart attack strikes someone about every 43 seconds. It occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens
because the arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances such as plaque. Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable—the image of the elephant comes to mind—but in fact they can be subtler and sometimes confusing. You could feel short of breath, “as though you ran a marathon, but you haven’t made a move,” Goldberg said. Some women experiencing a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them, Goldberg added. Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting are other symptoms to look for. “Many women I see take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack and never call 911,” Goldberg said. “But if they think about taking an aspirin for their heart attack, they should also call 911.” Know the symptoms to save a life. Heart attack signs in women: • Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. • Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. • Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. • As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, par-
ticularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. If you have any of these signs, call 911 and get to a hospital right away. Take care of yourself… first. “Many women put their health on the back burner while they’re busy taking care of everyone else. But it’s not unlike airline instructions to ‘put your oxygen mask on first, then help your friend.’ If you’re in a hospital from a heart attack, you can’t help anyone. You have to help your own heart first,” said Carolyn Torella, AHA Hudson Valley spokeswoman. “You’re worth it. Your health is worth the investment of time.” The good news for women is that heart disease is preventable in 80 percent of cases. Here are Goldberg’s top tips: • Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to learn your personal risk for heart disease. You can also learn your risk with AHA’s Heart Attack Risk Calculator at heart.org. • Quit smoking. Did you know that just one year after you quit, you’ll cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 50 percent? • Start an exercise program. Just walking 30 minutes a day can lower your risk for heart attack and stroke. • Modify your family’s diet if needed. Check out healthy cooking tips at recipes.heart.org. You’ll learn smart substitutions, healthy snacking ideas and better prep methods. For example, with poultry, use the leaner light meat (like chicken breasts) instead of the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs), and be sure to remove the skin. Learn more at GoRedForWomen.org. (Submitted)
14 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017
Ads, nauseum LIVE MIKE Mike Smith
I don’t know about you, but I can not wait until Super Bowl Sunday. The pomp, the circumstance, the two best teams (arguably) in the NFL squaring off; if you’re a football fan, what’s not to love? But there’s another reason I’m looking forward to the game this weekend: I’m just sick of hearing about it. With two weeks in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl—and a real dearth of other mid-winter sports news—the NFL hype machine is simply an unavoidable occurrence in the buildup to the big game. After all, ESPN, Fox Sports 1 and other outlets have countless hours of programming to fill, and with very few stories to promote—aside from LeBron James’ ongoing beef with NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles
Barkley—sports fans get stuck in a cycle of rehashing the same old Super Bowl storylines for 13-straight days; an eternity in today’s media cycle. And what do we, the sports fans, get from that? Not much in the way of substance. There is only so much that one game can be analyzed. The most popular talking points over the last two weeks, “The Falcons will have to score a lot of points to beat the Patriots!” and “Is Tom Brady the best quarterback ever?” were all but beaten to death by last Tuesday, but because there’s nothing else to talk about, they’ve been debated, discussed and rehashed countless times since then. And it’s not just the television outlets. I love sports talk radio, for better or worse, and tuning in to WFAN has long been a staple of my commute. But during Super Bowl week? Forget about it. Programs from all over the nation descend like locusts on the
SPORTS
game’s venue, setting up booths on radio row where they fight to bring on an endless stream of former players and broadcasters, putting together short interview segments in which the main point is to plug whatever product the guest happens to be hawking that week. I mean, while I can’t stomach any more conversations about where Bill Belichick fits into the pantheon of great coaches, it’s still preferable to listening to an offensive lineman from the 1990s trying to get the word out about some new performance drink. If sports journalists had any sort of integrity, they might use this time to discuss the actual issues surrounding the game in general. Youth concussion rates, duplicitous owners and their stadium schemes, declining viewership; these are the things that should be brought up when the NFL is under the spotlight. But there are ads to sell, and a game to promote, so sadly, that’s not
New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes holds the Lombardi Trophy in 2012. Sports Editor Mike Smith is excited for kickoff on Sunday, because it means an end to the Super Bowl’s endless hype. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.org
what we’re going to get. So yeah, Sunday can’t come soon enough, not because I want to see the Falcons play the Pats,
but really, because I just want to stop hearing about it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta run out and pick up that
new energy drink.
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New Ro wins cheer crown By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor On Jan. 26, the New Rochelle Huguenots shined at the County Center, picking up a Grand Champion win at the 68th annual Westchester County Cheerleading Championships. For the veteran squad, the win was a long time coming, but could serve as a jumping-off point as New Rochelle sets its sights on a state title. On Thursday night, the Huguenots competed twice, winning their division before going on to capture the Grand Champion spot with a repeat performance. According to head coach Chrissy Stanionis, the fact that the Huguenots only graduated two athletes from last year’s team meant that the squad was well-prepared for Thursday’s grueling event. “Doing those two rounds, in the first one we had a small error in the routine,” Stanionis said. “But we were able to keep up
the energy and intensity for our second round, and we kept control of the routine and I think that all of the cardio training that we have been doing really paid off.” Stanionis said that the team has been rounding into form over the last few weeks and the wealth of leadership has been instrumental to the squad’s success thus far. “All these kids have cheered before and, especially at the County Center, they know there’s a lot of pressure on them,” she said. “We have so many leaders out there on the floor, they all lead in their own way, and at this point, they know how to fix something on the floor if it’s not working.” Other local schools fared well at the competition too, as Eastchester won its division on Jan. 26. For New Rochelle, however, which has routinely scored high in preliminary rounds in years past, bringing home the ultimate prize was the team’s main goal.
“The last few years we’ve been able to win our division, but haven’t been able to take the Grand Championship,” Stanionis said. “But we’ve been training hard this winter and we thought we had a really good shot this year.” The Huguenots will head to Florida on Feb. 11 to compete at the Universal Cheerleading Association National High School Championships, where they came in third place last year. On Feb. 18, they will compete at the Section I championships at White Plains High School. If the team continues to perform at a high level, Stanionis said, a berth in the New York State Championships could be in the cards. “It’s obviously on our list of goals to qualify for states,” the head coach said. “Right now, our confidence is way up, and now we just have to perfect the mental aspect.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
New Rochelle cheerleaders celebrate with the Grand Champion trophy at the Westchester County Center on Jan. 26. The Huguenots performed twice on Thursday night to claim the crown. Photo courtesy Chrissy Stanionis
SPORTS
February 3, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 15
Locals shine at counties
New Rochelle’s Aidan Lilly locks up an opponent at the Westchester County Championships on Jan. 21. New Rochelle placed seventh with 95 points.
By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor On Saturday, Jan. 21, some of the top wrestlers in the area hit the mat at Yonkers High School to compete in the annual Westchester County Championships. Perennial powerhouse John Jay won handily, outpointing second-place Horace Greeley by 117 points; but a number of local teams, including New Rochelle and Harrison, fared well, as the Huguenots and Huskies both secured top-10 finishes on the day. New Rochelle tallied 93.5 points, good enough for seventh place on the day, and was led by another terrific outing from senior standout Jordan Wallace. Wallace stormed through the 170-pound bracket, pinning Ossining’s Charles Rios in the
semifinals before topping Jacob Ferriera from Horace Greeley with a 9-3 decision in the finals. Wallace’s win in the finals was his 155th career victory, moving him into first-place alltime for the Huguenots. “It’s an incredible accomplishment; he’s always been a great competitor and he has put the time in to get better,” said Huguenot coach Eddie Ortiz. “It kind of sums up what a great kid he is, how hard he’s worked and he cemented himself as one of New Rochelle’s all-time greats.” The Huguenots also had two other wrestlers reach the semifinals, as Jhavon Canto lost a 6-3 decision to eventual 113-pound champ Brandon DiDomenico from Lakeland/Panas, and Eddie Maffia, wrestling at 152 pounds, lost to John Jay’s Connor Mel-
bourne. “I think overall, it was good; we were missing two seasoned starters that day and if we had them, we could have been a top five teams” Ortiz said. “But at this point in the season, with divisionals coming up, you want to be cautious and keep the guys healthy.” Harrison also fared well, as the team ended up with 73 points and a ninth-place finish. The showing was especially encouraging for head coach Vin Nicita, as the Huskies have been beset by injuries and illness and headed into the tournament missing three of their top upperclassmen. Both Daniel Choe and Andrew Hollander are currently battling mononucleosis, while Fujita was hurt during the team’s winter trip to Disney World.
Rye’s Chase Bekkerus works from behind at Yonkers High School. The Garnets tallied 24 points on the day.
A Harrison wrestler gets lifted by a Greeley opponent. Horace Greeley finished second behind John Jay.
“To face the loss of those three guys and still come in ninth place out of 28 teams, that’s not bad,” said Harrison head coach Vin Nicita. “I think we had a pretty good showing.” Rob Donohue, wrestling at 195 pounds, reached the finals, where he was pinned by Mount Vernon’s Jasmir Black after nearly scoring a pinfall of his own in the bout’s opening minute. Donohue’s teammates, Jay Martins and Tyler Joseph, both bowed out in the semifinals at
175 and 103 pounds, respectively. Other local schools were in action as well, as Mamaroneck, led by a semifinal appearance from Crew Fullerton at 132 pounds, came in 13th place with 43 points. Eastchester, which scored 28 points, came in 24th, narrowly edging Rye, which finished just behind them with 24 points. Eastchester’s Steven Bilali advanced to the semifinals of the 152-pound bracket, where he was defeated by eventual champ Aar-
on Wolk from Horace Greeley. The wrestling postseason kicks off on Feb. 4 as teams gear up for divisionals. New Rochelle High School will serve as one of the several host sites, something that Ortiz feels will benefit his squad. “It’s going to be good for them, they’re comfortable here,” he said. “And it’s going to give them one last chance to wrestle in front of a home crowd.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
Competitors from Harrison and New Rochelle square off in the early rounds. Photos/Mike Smith
16 • THE CITY REVIEW • February 3, 2017