THE
CityREVIEW NewRochelle April 7, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 10 | www.cityreviewnr.com
Latimer: ‘County exec. race would be the toughest’ By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
As part of a community service project, Rye Neck High School senior Camryn Sullivan hosted The Prom Collective, offering girls an opportunity to purchase their prom dresses. For story, see page 6. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
JCC bomb threat suspect arrested in Israel By ANDREW DAPOLITE Contributor Half a world away, a 19-yearold man was arrested at his home in Israel for allegedly leveling bomb threats against Jewish community centers throughout the U.S., which forced the evacuation of local centers in New Rochelle and Tarrytown late last month. The arrest was made by Israeli police on March 23, and the name of the teen has not been released. According to Israeli police, his motive remains unclear. The teen is the second individual arrested in a case involving more than 100 phone threats.
On March 3, Juan Thompson, a former journalist from Missouri, was charged with one count of cyber stalking and is believed to be responsible for at least eight of the threats. Authorities do not believe Thompson and the teen are connected. According to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the teen used satellite equipment and advanced computer technology to obscure his identity and location. The FBI investigated more than 100 calls made as part of an ongoing hoax within the last two months, concluding in the arrest of the teen on March 23 at his home in the city of Ash-
kelon, located along the southern coast of Israel. “It should be noted that a large number of law and order organizations throughout the world collaborated professionally with the Israeli police, which enabled a coordinated, cross-border investigation integrating the technological know-how of multiple enforcement bodies,” Rosenfeld said in a statement. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions echoed Rosenfeld’s comments, citing the cooperation among each country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies. “Today’s arrest in Israel is
the culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across our country,” Sessions said. “I commend the FBI and Israeli National Police for their outstanding work on this case.” While all of the threats across the country proved to be hoaxes, the scare made national news headlines, with “#IStandWiththeJCC” trending across social media platforms. Growing anxiety prompted President Donald Trump to address the issue in his first address to Congress JCC continued on page 9
New York state Sen. George Latimer will challenge for the top executive seat in Westchester County in November. “It probably wasn’t the best held secret,” Latimer, a Rye Democrat, said in confirming his plans to run for county executive this week. “It sort of evolved as certain people reached out to me in January and February and asked me to consider it.” Fresh off a 2016 re-election to the state Senate, Latimer will now set his sights on Westchester’s highest elected office, and incumbent Republican Rob Astorino. Having spent the last 30 years in some form of elected office, he will bank on having never lost an election in 17 tries, to date. Latimer, 63, refuted rumors that he was asked to run by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. Cuomo defeated Astorino in a gubernatorial race in 2014, but the two could lock horns again in 2018 with Cuomo up for reelection and Astorino said to be once again eyeing the seat. Latimer said he was approached about running by local officials such as Mamaroneck Town Councilman Tom Murphy and county Legislator Catherine Parker, both Democrats. If he receives the Democratic nomination to move forward in the race for county executive, Latimer would face a tough challenge in Astorino, who has
been elected twice, after first running unsuccessfully in 2005, and has held the line on property taxes, keeping them flat for the last six years. But the senator said the county budget tells a different story, pointing to the county’s increase in borrowing, depleted reserves and frequently overestimated sales tax under Astorino’s watch. He pointed to the Westchester County Airport privatization deal as a microcosm of what he said were short-sighted budgetary practices. The 40-year agreement would likely give the county a large payment up front, with diminishing returns each subsequent year. Latimer would also have to face Astorino’s financial war chest, which was measured at $2.5 million as of the last campaign filing in January. Latimer said he estimated that Astorino would outpace him and have $4 million in the bank by November, but said he has faced that challenge before. In his first race for Senate in 2012, Latimer successfully LATIMER continued on page 5
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2 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 3
Bill would protect employee, student accounts By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer In an attempt to adapt to an ever-changing landscape of social media and technology, state officials have introduced legislation that would prohibit employers and educational institutions from requiring workers and students to disclose personal online account information. On Feb. 21, state Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat, proposed an amendment to the labor law aimed at protecting the privacy of students’, employees’ and prospective employees’ social media accounts. The bill, known as the Uniform Employee and Student Online Privacy Protection Act, would amend the state’s current labor law, which is enforced by the Department of Labor. The proposal would restrict employers from requiring employees and applicants to disclose any log-in names, passwords or other means of accessing a personal account or service through an electronic
communication device, which includes computers, telephones and other personal gadgets. The act would also prevent higher educational institutions—colleges and universities—from requesting access to a student’s and applicants’ similar online accounts. “This is an issue that affects all Americans,” Buchwald said. “It’s already problematic when government intrudes on our privacy. We want to make sure that there’s a basic principal at stake that says, just because you’re affiliated with a big business or a powerful educational institution, that doesn’t mean you’ve given away your privacy rights to them.” The act would restrict employers from penalizing or terminating employees that refuse to disclose any personal account information. The idea for the proposal came from the Uniform Law Commission, ULC, which provides nonpartisan uniform proposals to states throughout the nation. As of press time, only Hawaii and New York have in-
troduced ULC’s proposal. “Cellphones and laptops are not just a means of communicating; they are now the essential place of storage for all details of a person’s life, personal as well as professional,” said state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat who endorsed the bill. “An individual’s constitutional rights extend, in this day and age, to modern technology which houses information as important as that which may found in their home residence.” According to the bill, the act would not prohibit an employer from complying with the federal Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, which allows companies to monitor employee communication and screen applicants prior to hiring. In 2012, Maryland became the first state in the nation to prohibit employers from requesting personal username and password information. Similar legislation was proposed in 15 other states and was enacted in Illinois, Nebraska, Virginia and West Virginia last year, according to the National
New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald has proposed legislation that would restrict employers and higher educational institutions from requiring students, employees and prospective students and employees to disclose personal social media account information. Photo courtesy pexels.com
Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan non-governmental organization that serves members and staff of state legislatures nationwide. Buchwald told the Review the bill would permit the state’s attorney general to bring civil action against an employer or educational institution for violating
the law; the attorney general could also impose a $1,000 fine for each violation of the law up to $100,000. “This can be a very effective prevention device, and companies will think twice about violating the law,” he said. As part of the bill, employers would still be able to require
workers to disclose non-personal account information, such as a password to a work-related email address. The bill has been referred to and is awaiting approval by the state Labor Committee, as of press time. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
4 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
What’s going on... New Rochelle Public Library
Visit nrpl.org for information on these and other events and programs.
take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the library’s lobby. In addition to great adult and children’s books, the sale also offers DVDs, CDs and other items—all available at very affordable prices. The executive board of the Friends of the Library coordinates the book sales, with the assistance of other Friends’ volunteers. Money realized from book sales are used to underwrite the library’s extensive public programs. The Friends of the Library Book Store, now located in the library’s lobby, is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Library hours
Silent Vaudevillian Chip Bryant
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. The main New Rochelle Public Library and the Huguenot Children’s Library will be closed on Sunday, April 16 for Easter.
On Wednesday, April 12 from 2 p.m. to 2:25 p.m. at the Ossie Davis Theater at the main library. For ages 4 to 11. Humor, magic, jokes, and silly antics—all performed without a word— make this free show one of the library’s all-time favorites. The talented Chip Bryant has a wonderfully warm, kind way of connecting with every child and adult, of every age, and ensuring that everyone has a fabulous time. First come, first served to the capacity of the theater. This free program is made possible by the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library and the Partnership for the Huguenot Children’s Library.
Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library Book Sales A huge array of gently-used hardcover and paperback books will be available for purchase at rock-bottom prices at the Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library monthly Big Book Sale on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8. The sale will
Free tax help On Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main library’s Meeting Room on the first floor. Trained AARP volunteer counselors will be available to assist partici-
pants 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.
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.
JCC of Mid-Westchetser JCC Academic Center The JCC Academic Center is registering now for the following programs to help students prepare for spring 2017 exams: biology SAT subject test, chemistry SAT subject test and math 2 SAT subject test prep, AP review, Regents prep, and summer SAT and ACT intensives and boot camps. For details on all programs and online registration, visit jccmw.org. Questions? Contact Lisa Itzkowitz, director of the JCC Academic Center, at itzkowitzl@jccmw.org or 472-7176. All classes are held at the JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale.
Westchester County news Register for children’s summer camps Registration is open for Westchester County Parks’ popular summer camps for children and young people. Online registration is available at parks.westchestergov.com/activities/childrenscamps. For more information on any of the programs, visit the aforementioned website or call 231-4673, unless stated otherwise. Perfect Pitch and Swing Baseball Camp, for ages 8 to 12, at V.E. Macy Park in Ardsley. Slam Dunk Basketball Camp, for grades 3–9, at Westchester County Center, White Plains. Girls Volleyball Camp, for grades 6–12, at Westchester County Center, White Plains. Challenger Sports Soccer Camp, for grades 1–9, at V.E. Macy Park, Ardsley. For more information, call 714-8601 or visit challengersports. com. Hole-in-One Junior Golf Camp, for ages 10 to 17, at the county courses: Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake, Yonkers; Hudson Hills, Ossining; Maple Moor, White Plains; Mohansic, Yorktown Heights; and Saxon Woods, Scarsdale. Children’s Summer Ecology Program, for grades 1–9, at Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains; Marshlands Conservancy, Rye; and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River. Conservationists in Training, for grades 7–9, at Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains, and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River. Muscoot Wranglers, for ages 4 and 5, and Muscoot Young Farmers, for grades 1–8, at Muscoot Farm, Katonah. For more information, call 8647282. Summer Music Center, for grades 3–12, at Westchester County Center, White Plains.
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.
New to the Review Jen Parente joined the Review veterans, service members and earlier this month as our new first responders. staff photographer. She currently resides in New Parente is a local business owner Rochelle with her husband Peter. and Westchester-based freelance Together they have two children, professional, specializing in porPeter and Amelia, who attend traits, photojournalism, and lifeNew Rochelle public schools. style and real estate photography. According to Parente, she Her industry experience inlooks forward to bringing her excludes press events and feature pertise and local knowledge base stories printed in national pubto the Review’s editorial team. lications, including coverage of “I am thrilled to be part of the the NCAA March Madness basReview team,” Parente said. “I ketball tournament and the Con look forward to providing cuttingEdison Yankees Kids sportsedge coverage of events and issues manship event held each year at throughout the communities.” Jen Parente Yankee Stadium. To view Parente’s work, visit Parente can often be found volunteering her jenparentephoto.com. You can reach Parente at talent at nonprofit events in support of military jenparentephoto@gmail.com.
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 5 LATIMER from page 1
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New York State Sen. George Latimer celebrates his November 2016 re-election. This year, he’ll look to keep his 17-election winning streak alive, challenging Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
battled Republican Bob Cohen, of New Rochelle, in a race that set the mark, at the time, in New York state politics for campaign expenditures eclipsing the $4.5 million mark. In that race, Latimer was outspent by Cohen 4-to-1. Still, Latimer concedes that a race against Astorino would be the most difficult race of his political career. “Every time you move up in weight class, you have a tougher race than before,” he said. In November, Latimer was reelected to a third two-year state Senate term. Prior to his Senate stint, he had served for eight years in the state Assembly, 13 years on the Westchester County Board of Legislators including four as chairman, and four years on the Rye City Council. But in that time he has never held an executive position. But he added that his experience at various legislative levels has given him experience in cooperating with lawmakers at all levels and across party lines. “If you’re going to do things that have long-term impacts, you need to have cooperation to do it,” he said, adding that he doesn’t see that degree of bipar-
tisan cooperation from the current county executive. Latimer added that he would bring that level of cooperation to intermunicpal agreements, pointing to the county-owned Playland—an amusement park adjacent to his Rye home—as an example. “If I’m county executive, Rye has a seat at the table,” he said. The senator added that while he represents about one-third of Westchester as a state legislator covering the 37th Senate District, he’s been working over the last few months to expand his understanding of issues concerning the rest of the county, including the approaching shutdown of the Indian Point power plant in Buchanan and the financial strain on his hometown of Mount Vernon. Before Latimer gets to Astorino, he’ll have to receive his party’s nomination over at least one other Democrat who has already announced his candidacy, county Legislator Ken Jenkins, of Yonkers. Latimer told the Review that if he doesn’t receive the nomination at the convention on May 10, he will endorse whoever is nominated. “If there’s a primary, it’s not
going to be because I’ve created it,” he said. Bill O’Reilly, a spokesman for Astorino’s campaign, said the county executive is prepared to take on whichever Democrat is picked to run against him. “The county executive looks forward to robust debate with whomever emerges from the Democratic primary in the fall,” he said. Astorino has held the county’s top office despite a decided voter registration disadvantage, with Democrats outweighing Republicans in the county by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. Given the national attention to politics following the 2016 presidential election, however, Latimer said, voters this year will pay more attention to policy than to personality. In 2009, then-County Executive Andy Spano, a Democrat, was the first county executive to lose re-election while still in office. He lost that race handily to Astorino. The county executive is elected to serve a four-year term with a $160,760 annual salary. Jenkins could not be reached for comment as of press time. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com
Correcting the record In the article “Mayor: City is region’s ‘hottest emerging market’” published on March 24, the Review incorrectly stated that New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson was up for re-election this year. He will be up for re-election in 2019.
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6 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017 THE
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Rye Neck student gives back through
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By TAYLOR BROWN General Assignment Reporter With prom season only a few months away, Camryn Sullivan, a senior at Rye Neck High School, created The Prom Collective, an event that helps make prom more financially accessible for students. On March 25, Sullivan held a four-hour shopping experience at Mamaroneck United Methodist Church that allowed girls in nearby Westchester communities to find their perfect prom outfit at an affordable price. While Sullivan did not charge for the dresses and accessories, customers were encouraged to make a small donation to benefit the church. “We were not expecting money but people felt like they wanted to contribute,” Sullivan told the Review. Sullivan founded The Prom Collective as part of her school’s Independent Learner Program, an elective class offered at Rye Neck High School, requiring students to conceptualize and implement their own community service project. Sullivan chose this project after recognizing that not all students are able to afford the everincreasing costs of prom night. “Prom [has gotten] so expensive over the years,” Sullivan said. According to a nationwide survey conducted by Visa in 2015, families in the U.S. planned on spending more than $900 for prom night. Expenses
typically range from purchasing a gown or tuxedo, event tickets, hair, makeup and nails, limousine rentals, as well as afterprom activities. Sullivan wanted to relieve some of this financial burden, by offering girls the opportunity to pick out a dress, accessories and makeup for prom. And the event went off better than expected according to Sullivan, who ended up receiving more dresses than she had originally anticipated. Sullivan said that she received donations from friends, church members and customers of her mother’s Larchmont-based store, Village Mercantile. Clothing racks were filled with more than 50 gently used gowns in all styles, sizes and colors. Tables displayed a variety of necklaces, bracelets and earrings, as well as eye shadow palettes, lipsticks and purses. Sullivan reported that by the end of the event more than half of the dresses donated had been taken home by shoppers. Jailene Almonte-Valerio, a senior at Port Chester High School, held up a blue gown, one of the two dresses she had chosen to bring home with her. “This one just [caught] my eye,” she told the Review. “I like the back [and] the straps are really cute.” The shoppers mostly consisted of girls in their senior year of high school that went into the event unsure of what they were looking for, but ended up
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Daisy Gutierrez looks at potential prom dresses available at The Prom Collective. Photos/Andrew Dapolite
leaving with a completed outfit. Sullivan explained that in doing this project, she wanted to combine her two passions: giving back and helping people in need. She said that to make The Prom Collective happen, she received assistance from her mother as well as Dr. Valerie Feit, her teacher from the Independent Learner Program, and Karen Burger, her pastor at Mamaroneck United Methodist Church. Sullivan, who is attending the University of Rhode Island in the fall, says she hopes that the event will continue on in future years, even if that means passing down the responsibilities to another student. Sullivan said that the collective donation made to the Mamaroneck United Methodist Church was just under $100, while numerous girls went home with a prom outfit they loved. “I definitely felt as if the event was a success due to the fact that a majority of the dresses were taken and the girls seemed very happy with what they got,” she said.
Camryn Sullvan, right, and her mother Vonnie, helped girls find affordable dresses and accessories for their upcoming prom nights at The Prom Collective, held on March 25 at the Mamaroneck United Methodist Church.
CONTACT: taylor@hometwn.com
Camryn Sullivan collected more than 50 donated dresses, along with accessories including shoes, purses, jewelry, and makeup for The Prom Collective.
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 7
Democratic caucus pushes paid sick leave bill
The Westchester County Democratic caucus will push a bill granting paid sick leave to more than 100,000 county workers, both public and private sector, to committee, but the bill faces opposition from some Republican lawmakers and businesses. Photo courtesy Westchester Democratic Caucus
By JAMES PERO Staff Writer A bill introduced to the Westchester County Board of Legislators earlier this month will seek to extend county-mandated paid sick leave to more than 100,000 Westchester county workers. According to a statement from the Board of Legislator’s Democratic caucus, the potential sick leave rules—which will now be discussed in a series of committee meetings—would apply to workers in both the public and private sectors, and would cover physical and mental ailments. Majority Leader Catherine Borgia, an Ossining Democrat and the primary sponsor of the bill, hopes that extending paid sick leave to those uncovered workers will benefit the workforce as well as the members of the public they come in contact with. “When public workers’ sickness is not contained, it can become problematic as a public health issue,” Borgia said, adding that many of such workers are forced to go to work while ill. “Everybody gets sick. It’s a human condition and you can’t stop that.” Among the fields of chief concern, according to Borgia, are restaurant workers, home health care aids, and bus drivers, all of which come in close
contact with the general public, and may increase the chance of spreading illnesses while sick. Currently, 54 percent of service industry workers and 47 percent of transportation workers are not afforded paid sick leave from their employers, according to the county’s Democratic caucus. Overall, 37 percent of Westchester County workers in both the public and private sectors currently lack any paid sick leave. While the Democratic caucus has thrown its full support behind the bill, Republican lawmakers and some county business owners have expressed concern over the financial impact the bill could have on business. According to Dan Branda, a spokesman for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, the administration will approach the proposal with caution. Reiterating a previous statement by Ned McCormack, communications director for the Astorino administration, Branda said, “Fundamentally, any proposal that raises the cost of doing business in the county— even if it’s well-intentioned—is a potential job killer, and must be reviewed accordingly.” Likewise, county Legislator Jim Maisano, a New Rochelle Republican, told the Review he thinks the law would only add
to the state’s overregulation of businesses. “If Westchester does this, it puts our businesses at a strategic disadvantage,” he said. “If we introduce too many regulations, businesses may decide to go to different counties.” Currently, there are seven states nationwide that mandate that workers receive a certain amount of annual paid sick leave time in addition to 40 municipalities across the country. A similar effort launched in 2014 saw the passage of New York City’s first-ever paid sick leave bill which affected both public and private sectors. As currently proposed in New York City, workers covered under the bill would earn one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked; any employer with less than five employees would be partially exempt, being required to provide unpaid sick leave only. The county bill will now go through three different committees—legislation, budget, and labors, parks and planning— where it will be deliberated on by county lawmakers. Borgia said she hopes the bill will make its way out of committee for a vote by the full 17-member Board of Legislators this summer. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
8 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 9 JCC from page 1
JCC of Mid-Westchester, located on Wilmot Road in New Rochelle, has received an outpour of support in recent weeks in response to bomb threats against Jewish centers throughout the country.
on Feb. 28. At the 999 Wilmot Road location in New Rochelle, Karen Kolodny, the executive director of JCC of Mid-Westchester, said that about 200 people were evacuated from the building on Feb. 27, including 100 staff members and adult patrons and roughly 100 children, only two
hours after the Tarrytown center was evacuated after receiving similar threats. No injuries were reported during either evacuation. In a recent statement released by JCC of Mid-Westchester, Kolodny remarked on the recent outpour of community support.
“We are grateful for the remarkable support we have received from local civic, political and faith-based community leaders, and extend once again our appreciation for their commitment to helping make the JCC of Mid-Westchester, a welcoming community convener,” Kolodny said.
Israeli police arrested a teen on March 23 in connection with bomb threats which forced the evacuation of numerous Jewish community centers, including facilities in New Rochelle, pictured, and Tarrytown. Photos/Andrew Dapolite
What a face! Buddy is a handsome beagle/basset hound mix, about 4 years old and 41 pounds. He is all-around great dog who is friendly with all people and other dogs, too. Typical of the breed, he loves following his nose wherever it may take him and enjoys long walks to explore all the wonderful sights and smells. Buddy is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. Make him part of your family for an adoption donation of $300 to Pet Rescue. To meet Buddy, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)
10 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
Homestyle Caterers hosts
The Westchester County Center was overflowing on March 25, literally, as Homestyle Caterers hosted the Beer Fest of Westchester. More than 1,200 lovers of beer and cider filed into the center to sample beverages from more than 300 breweries, some as far away as Iceland. Al Ciuffetelli, owner of Homestyle Caterers and event organizer, said his company wanted to improve on the previous year’s event at the center, which is located in White Plains, adding more food and entertainment in the form of Shilelagh Law, which claims to be New York’s thirstiest band. “There was somebody who did the [Beer Fest last year], but it didn’t work out,” Ciuffetelli said. He told the Review that people approached his company to host the beer fest this time around. “We [gathered] 300 craft beers, instead of 200,” he added. “There are some local wineries here as well.” The festival took six months of planning for it to ultimately come to fruition. “It wasn’t an easy job, it was very difficult because of the timing, especially after St. Patrick’s Day,” Ciuffetelli said of locating and organizing the different manufacturers. Ciuffetelli added that Homestyle Caterers, which operates a Nathan’s food truck out of the White Plains space, has hosted
many events at the County Center. “It’s a good thing for people to utilize this facility,” he said.
“That’s our goal, to make the County Center great again.” -Reporting by Sibylla Chipaziwa
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 11
April 2017
Planning ahead... SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY April Fools’ Day
1
Autism Awareness Month Ballet Spring Recital 2 p.m., Whitney, NRHS NCAA Final Four
Children’s Book Day
2
NCAA Championship Game
3
4
Sexual Assault Awareness Day of Action
Board of Education meeting 6 p.m., Webster
5
Municipal Arts Commission 6 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
Arts Out Loud 7 p.m., LEK/NRHS
6
World Health Day
7
8
The Eggs-travaganza 10 a.m., Hugh Doyle Senior Center
PAVE Band & Orchestra 7 p.m., LEK/NRHS
Palm Sunday
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11
10
Spring break begins, schools closed Passover begins
12
Historical and Landmark Review Board 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
13
Easter Egg Hunt 1 p.m., Hugh Doyle Senior Center
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15
Good Friday, government offices close at 11:15 a.m.
World Parkinson’s Day City Council public hearing 7 p.m., City Hall
Easter
16
Schools reopen
17
Tax Day
18
Community Engagement Committee Noon, City Hall
19
Civil Service Commission 3 p.m., City Hall
20
Tri-M Induction LEK/NRHS
21
Earth Day
22
City Council regular meeting 7 p.m., City Hall
Passover ends PTA Council regular meeting 7 p.m., NRHS
23
Huguenot Park Clean Up Day 1 p.m., Huguenot Park
30
24
World Meningitis Day
25
Board of Education special meeting 6 p.m., Barnard Planning Board 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
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27
Health & Safety Committee 2:15 p.m., City Hall
NYSSMA Solo Festival Harrison High School
PAVE II, III, IV Vocal 7 p.m., LEK/NRHS
Springfest Instrumental 7 p.m., Whitney/NRHS
Corporation for Local Development 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place Industrial Development Agency 7:30 p.m., 90 Beaufort Place
28
NRHS Tri-M Induction
29
12 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
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April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 13
It’s an even smaller world, after all RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
A new airport is about to open on 44th Street, just west of Times Square. It has 17 gates, plenty of parking, 34 gift stores, and, of course, planes taking off and landing day and night. Best of all, a ticket only costs $25. That’s because this airport is the jewel in the crown of Gulliver’s Gate, a mind-boggling scale model of the world, unlike anything I’d ever seen (including that cool panorama of New York City at the Queens Museum). Buildings the size of luggage, paperclip-high people, dogs no bigger than jellybeans and hats the size of cake crumbs—the place is a riot of minutiae. But equally thrilling is the fact that as you walk though this world in miniature, you take a couple of steps to tour Grand Central Station (peering at the 4, 5 and 6 subways underneath), then a few feet later you’re in Paris, with a stopover in Rome. Then it’s on to Beijing, Buenos Aires, Stonehenge, and Angkor Wat. Can the Pyramids be far behind? Of course not. They’re right across from The Red Square. And all along the way, jokes and juxtapositions await anyone who looks a little closer: Who’s crossing London’s Abby Road? Four mini mop-topped musicians. And look over there, below sea level: a yellow submarine! The exhibit, the size of a city block, opened April 6 and represents the work of 600 artists. It is expected to welcome up to 4,000 people—real ones, life
size—daily, and take 90 minutes to walk around. The adult ticket price becomes $36 after about a month of previews, with the place poised to become a Times Square attraction every bit as quintessential as a Broadway show, or hug from a slightly drunk Elmo. “And all the while, things are happening,” said Gulliver’s marketing director, Jason Hackett, as he toured me around the world, still being assembled. “Lights and bells—constant motion—it’s an amazing symphony of interaction.” Cars honk and trains toot above the hum of ambient sound recorded in whatever country you’re looking at. And then there are 137 different keyholes you can put your key in to make something else happen: Your face appears in the pounding water of Niagara Falls, or a volcano erupts. What’s more, if you want to add yourself as a citizen of the world, you can have an itsy-bitsy 3-D print of yourself placed in one of 15 crowd scenes—for instance, in front of the Louvre. The day I visited, two sculptors were busy carving a mountain for Guangzhou, China, while boxes of parsley-sized trees were being unloaded into Europe. South America had been held up at customs—all the overseas countries were actually made overseas. And Melanie Jelacic, a model maker, was working on the airport. “We want it to look very modern,” said Jelacic, who’d previously created window displays at stores including Macy’s and Tiffany’s. The Gulliver airport is hyper-realistic. That
means that in the shops you can see—if you squint—candy, cosmetics, souvenirs, even a rack of neck pillows. “Each pillow is so tiny, smaller than a sequin,” Jelacic said. And then there are the Gulliver’s Gate mugs. “They’re smaller than an ant—they’re like the back end of an ant. A lot of the times, if you drop them on the floor, they just disappear. I’ve dropped chairs, which are a little easier to find, but I also dropped a tray of vases that just rolled onto the floor and I lost them.” Although we’re talking about a scale model airport, it’s still bigger than most Manhattan apartments—2,000 square feet, with 11 workers weaving around each other. “Our team has to climb under and over the table,” Jelacic said. “That’s a knee-killer. It’s a big dance trying to stay out of engineering and electrical’s way.” Inside the airport, there will be mini people sleeping in chairs, recharging their phones and of course racing to catch their planes. To add to the real-feel, the model makers even built an Art Deco abandoned terminal, surrounded by a pockmarked roadway and dead grass. Meantime, the “in use” tarmac will be buzzing with luggage trucks, and littered with tire rubber from the planes constantly taking to the sky. Even after the exhibit opens, Jelanic and crew will be adding, tweaking, fixing, perhaps forever. Visitors will be able to watch it change. Which is pretty much how it works in the actual size world, too. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
CPW celebrates Autism Awareness Month
Photo courtesy Cerebral Palsy of Westchester
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester, CPW, will celebrate April being National Autism Awareness Month. Autism currently affects 1 in 68 children, making it the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls. New findings are discovered monthly through research in the field of autism spectrum disorders, studies in early symptoms of autism, the link between autism and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of autism. CPW serves many children and young adults with autism and offers special programming for them and their families. Its Saturday Explorers Program provides many opportunities that benefit attendees such as increased socialization through
structured play, helping increase learning through one-on-one interaction with a staff person, and increasing attention spans by changing activities often to keep the attendees interested and learning. The program also incorporates CPW’s Lekotek Program which provides a way to learn during play sessions that are facilitated in an environment that promotes interactive play among family members. CPW’s fifth annual Autism Awareness Walk will be on Friday, April 28, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the United Preschool located in White Plains. A Pieces of Hope Tree will also be created piece by piece based on the pieces people purchase. Custom designed by CPW’s students, this tree will raise awareness for all
children and young adults who benefit from CPW’s autism services. For over 65 years, CPW has been the leading nonprofit organization in Westchester County, providing essential services to children and adults with all developmental disabilities including autism, neurological impairments, intellectual disabilities, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. It has always been its purpose to help people realize their goals, build brighter futures, and lead more independent lives as members of their community. For more information about our programs please contact Joan Colangelo, director of development, at 937-3800 ext. 215 or Joan.Colangelo@cpwestchester.org. (Submitted)
SPORTS
14 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017
Town celebrates Cecere’s life LIVE MIKE Mike Smith
There are an awful lot of people who have stories about Dom Cecere. That part is hardly surprising; when you’ve been a fixture in the community for over half a century, the tales begin to pile up. But as hundreds of people gathered on Eastchester High School’s baseball field on Monday night to hold a candlelight vigil for the longtime baseball coach, who died on April 1 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, one thing was evident. As great of a coach as Cecere was, he was an even better teacher. And the lessons he imparted went far beyond the scope of the diamond. Cecere took the helm of Eastchester’s baseball program in 1964, and, over the course of 52
years, established himself both as New York state’s winningest coach—his 737 career victories rank first in state history—and maybe one of the finest men to ever be tasked with leading the area’s young men. If you didn’t know Cecere, that might sound hyperbolic, but if you did—or if you heard the way his former charges spoke about him—it begins to make a lot more sense. MSG Varsity’s Kevin Devaney, who played on Cecere’s baseball teams in the 1990s, told the crowd about how he once sought the coach’s opinion when he was contemplating quitting football. He didn’t fit in, he said. He didn’t love football, and he wanted out. Cecere listened carefully to what Devaney had to say, mulled it over and then spoke to him about personal responsibility and what it meant to honor a commitment. Devaney took his coach’s
Dom Cecere coaches third base during a game in 2008. On April 1, Cecere, 75, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. File photo
advice and stayed on the team. Twenty years later, he’s made his mark as the pre-eminent high school football writer in the tri-state area. That, he said, was Coach Cecere in a nutshell; a stern but loving voice of reason who always saw the big picture. Cecere’s current players echoed those sentiments. In their words, the legendary skipper loved teaching the intricacies of the game of baseball, sure. But his true mark was in teaching his players how to be men. “A firm handshake,” they said. “Look people in the eye, and always do the right thing.” And it wasn’t just Cecere’s own players who benefitted, either. Current Eastchester football coach Fred DiCarlo recalled watching the Eagles’ coach working with a Pelham player on his swing in a middle of a game between the two rival schools. For Cecere, the idea of passing up a teachable moment was simply unheard of. The first time I met Coach Cecere, I knew him only by reputation. I was a high school senior one town over, looking for any avenue I could to establish myself as one of the best pitchers in a league that also featured a few standouts in New Rochelle’s Tom Koehler and Mamaroneck’s Chris Vasami that would go on to play professional baseball. For some reason, still unknown to me this day, Cecere invited me to come into Eastchester’s gymnasium over Thanksgiving break, where I spent an hour working with him and one of his underclassmen catchers on my mechanics and my changeup. In nine years of covering his Eastchester teams for the Review, I never brought this up to him, but it had a profound effect on me, knowing that there was someone out there who was willing to put time and effort into teaching the finer points of the sport to someone who was never going to play for his team. I regret that I didn’t thank him more for what he did that night, but in speaking to those who
Hundreds of Eastchester residents showed up to the high school on April 3 to pay their respects to Dom Cecere, who died over the weekend.
knew him best, the only thing he would have asked is that when I got the chance to mentor someone, I would do my duty and pay it forward. Cecere was laid to rest on Wednesday morning at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, and will share a final
resting place with other baseball greats like Babe Ruth, Billy Martin, Bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca. And while Cecere may not have the national recognition of those former major league stars, one thing is certain: there might not be anyone who’s had a bigger impact
locally, both on and off the field. Not that he would want us to make a big deal about it, or anything. He’d be happy simply knowing we were living our lives the right way. Thanks for everything, coach. CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
Benny Salanitro reflects during a candlelight vigil for Dom Cecere on April 3. Photos/Jen Parente
SPORTS
April 7, 2017 • THE CITY REVIEW • 15
THE ROUNDUP
A Hastings defender tries to stop a pass during a game against New Rochelle. The Huguenots beat the Yellow Jackets 11-7 to pick up their first win of the season. Photos/Mike Smith
BOYS LACROSSE
New Rochelle 11 Hastings 7 AT NEW ROCHELLE HS
4/1/17
New Rochelle picked up its first win of the 2017 season on Saturday, as the Huguenots topped Hastings 11-7 in the most complete performance the squad has put together thus far. Eoin O’Malley led the Huguenots with five goals and two assists, while teammate Michael Swift added four goals of his own as the Huguenots enjoyed their best offensive showing of the year. The win was also Huguenots’ first under new head coach Jordan Tiger. At 1-2 on the season, New Rochelle will look to get back to .500 when they host Ossining on April 5, after press time.
GIRLS LACROSSE
New Rochelle 19 Hastings 8 AT NEW ROCHELLE HS
4/1/17
After the boys topped the Yellow Jackets in the first game of a lacrosse double-header on Saturday, the girls followed suit, beating Hastings 19-8 in the nightcap. New Rochelle was led by a trio of offensive standouts, as
Two players battle for position in an April 1 game between Hastings and New Rochelle.
A Huguenot player makes a pass against the Yellow Jackets.
Pheobe Lufig and Zoe Steffenson both scored six goals while Kiera Jackson added five of her own. Maddie Bamberger had five saves for the Huguenots. The girls’ team will travel to Clarkstown South on April 5, after press time, before returning home to take on Wappingers on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
BASEBALL
Port Chester New Rochelle AT PORT CHESTER HS
9 7 4/3/17
Despite a stellar day at the plate from Matt Almonte, New Rochelle ended up on the losing end of a 9-7 game with the Rams on Monday afternoon.
Almonte scored two runs for the Huguenots, drove in another and smoked a triple, but New Rochelle fell just short as the Rams rallied late to come away with the win. Juan Garcia picked up the victory in a relief appearance, and the Port Chester offense was led by Angel Garcia, who had four RBIs, and Jon Fingold, who drove in two runs. New Rochelle will look to bounce back from their seasonopening loss on April 5, after press time, when they travel to Carmel to take on another solid team. On April 6, the Huguenots will have their home opener, when they host East Ramapo, after press time. -Reporting by Mike Smith
Eoin O’Malley brings the ball up the field against Hastings. O’Malley had five goals and two assists.
16 • THE CITY REVIEW • April 7, 2017