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Vol. VI, No. XXII

Westchester’s Most Influential Weekly

YONKERS A “Doable” Vision By HEZI ARIS, Page 3

Thursday, June 5, 2014 $1.00

SHERIF AWAD Ismailia Film Festival 2014 Page 5 PAUL FEINER Finding Employment Page 7 HOUSES OF WORSHIP Shavuot and Shabbat Feast: St. Anthony of Padua

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JOHN F. McMULLEN Friction Between Our Values and Action Page 15 RAYMOND IBRAHIM Islamic Fatwa Page 16 TRAVEL

GOVERNMENT

Charming Seaside Inn New England Setting

Village of Ardsley FY2014 Budget Message

By Lee Daniels, Page 12

By Mayor PETER PORCINO

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LARRY M. ELKIN Net Neutrality Does Not Equal Net Utility Page 17 Dr. OREN LEVIN-WALDMAN

The Sources of Wage Inequality Page 17

JOHN SIMON Subaltern Silver, Delicious Dale Page 24

rience fundraising, knowledge of what development entails and experience working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations Manager- must have a good knowledge of computers/software/ticketing systems, duties include overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show lobby staffing such as Merchandise seller, bar sales. Must be familiar with POS system and willing to organize concessions. Full time plus hours. Call (203) 438-5795 and ask for Julie or Allison

Page 2

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

THE WESTcHESTER GUARDiAn THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN THE WESTcHESTER GUARDiAn

RADIO RADIO RADIO

Of Significance Of Significance

Community Section ............................................................................... 4 Community Section ............................................................................... 44 Business ................................................................................................ Business ................................................................................................ Calendar ............................................................................................... 44 Calendar ............................................................................................... 45 Charity .................................................................................................. Creative Disruption ............................................................................ 56 Charity .................................................................................................. Contest Cultural Perspective ........................................................................... 766 Contest .................................................................................................. Creative Disruption ............................................................................ Energy Issues ....................................................................................... Creative Disruption ............................................................................ Education ............................................................................................. 867 In Memoriam ....................................................................................1078 Education ............................................................................................. Fashion .................................................................................................. Medicine .............................................................................................10 Fashion .................................................................................................. 89 Fitness.................................................................................................... Najah’s Corner ...................................................................................119 Fitness.................................................................................................... Health ..................................................................................................10 Movie ....................................................................................12 Health ..................................................................................................10 HistoryReview ................................................................................................10 Music ...................................................................................................12 History ................................................................................................10 Ed Koch Movie Review ...................................................................12 Community ........................................................................................13 Ed Koch Movie Review ...................................................................12 Spoof ....................................................................................................13 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Spoof ....................................................................................................13 Sports Scene .......................................................................................13 Books Sports Scene .......................................................................................13 Najah’s...................................................................................................16 Corner ...................................................................................13 People ..................................................................................................18 Najah’s Corner ...................................................................................13 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Eye On...................................................................................................16 Theatre ..................................................................................18 Writers Collection.............................................................................14 Books Leaving on a Jet Plane ......................................................................19 Books ...................................................................................................16 Transportation ...................................................................................17 Government Section ............................................................................20 Transportation ...................................................................................17 Government Section ............................................................................17 Campaign Trail ..................................................................................20 Government Section ............................................................................17 Albany Correspondent ....................................................................17 Economic Development....................................................................17 Albany Correspondent Mayor Marvin’s Column..................................................................20 .................................................................18 Education ...........................................................................................21 Mayor Marvin’s Column .................................................................18 Government .......................................................................................19 The Hezitorial ....................................................................................21 Government .......................................................................................19 OpEd Section .........................................................................................23 LegalSection ....................................................................................................23 OpEd .........................................................................................23 Ed Koch Commentary.....................................................................23 People ..................................................................................................24 Ed Koch Letters toCommentary.....................................................................23 the Editor ..........................................................................24 Strategyto...............................................................................................24 Letters Editor............................................................................25 ..........................................................................24 Weir Onlythe Human OpEd Section .........................................................................................25 Weir Only Human ............................................................................25 Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26 Legal Notices ..........................................................................................26 ..........................................................................................27

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A non profit OF Performing Arts Center is seeking two job positions- 1) DirecTODY OF THE CHILD AND TO SEEK ENFORCEMENT VISITATION RIGHTS WITH THE CHILD. tor of Development- FT-must have a background in development or expeBY ORDER OF THE FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK rience fundraising, knowledge of what development entails and Feature Section.................................................................................................................................. 3 experience working with sponsors/donors; 2) Operations The Hezitorial. ............................................................................................................................... 3 have a TO THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENT(S) WHO RESIDE(S) OR IS FOUND AT [specifyManager- must good knowledge of computers/software/ticketing systems, duties include address(es)]: Government.................................................................................................................................. 4 lobby overseeing all box office, concessions, movie staffing, day of show Westchester OnCommunity theLast Level isaddresses: usually heard from to Friday, from NY 1010701 a.m. to 12 known TIFFANY RAY:Monday 24staffing Garfieldsuch Street, Yonkers, Section......................................................................................................................... 5 POS as#3, Merchandise seller, bar sales. Must be familiar with Noon on the Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. system willing to organize concessions. Call (203) Calendar......................................................................................................................................... Last known addresses: KENNETH THOMAS: 24 and Garfield Street, #3, Yonkers, NY 10701 Full time plus hours. 5 Because of the importance of a Federal court case438-5795 purporting corruption bribery and ask for Julie orand Allison Cultural Perspectives................................................................................................................... 5 An Order to Show Cause under Article 10 of the Family Court Act having been filed with this Court allegations, programming be suspended for the days of March 26 to 29, 2012. YonWestchester On the Levelwith heard Monday to Friday, from Economic Development............................................................................................................. 7 seeking to is modify the from placement for the above-named child. 10 a.m. to 12 Noon

Westchester On On the the Level Level with with Narog Narog and Aris Westchester and Aris Aris and

kersthe Philharmonic Orchestra Sadewhite is our scheduled Friday, Westchester On the Level is Conductor heard fromJames Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m.guest to 12 Noon on Internet: http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Join Education....................................................................................................................................... 7 YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this Court at Yonkers Family Court March 30. on the Internet: by http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/WestchesterOntheLevel. Join the conversation calling toll-free to 1-877-674-2436. Please stay on topic. Film................................................................................................................................................. 8 located at 53 So. Broadway, Yonkers, New York, on the 28th day of March, 2012 at 2;15 pm in the It is howeverby anticipated that theto jury will conclude its Please deliberation ontopic. either Monthe conversation calling toll-free 1-877-674-2436. on afternoon of saidare day your to answer the petition and showstay cause why saidFebruary child should20th not beand ending9on Health............................................................................................................................................. Richard Narog March and Hezi Aris co-hosts. Incase, thetowe week beginning day or Tuesday, 26 or 27. Should that be the will resume our regular adjudicated to be a neglected child and why you should not be dealt with in accordance with the Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are10entourage your In the week beginning Make it Fun. ................................................................................................................................... February 24th,schedule we have an exciting of guests. programming and announce fact on the Yonkers Tribune website.February 20th and ending9on provisions of Article ofthat the co-hosts. Family Court Act. February 24th, we have an exciting entourage of guests. Houses of Worship..................................................................................................................... 10 Richard Narog and Hezi Aris are co-hosts of the show. Every Monday is special. On Monday, February 20th, Wade, participant in http:// PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, thatKrystal you have the right toabecelebrated represented by a lawPersonal Finance. .is....................................................................................................................... 11 Every Monday is special. Monday, 20th, celebrated participant in http:// yer, and ifOn the Court finds youFebruary are unableKrystal to pay forKrystal a lawyer, you haveathe right to havewho a lawyer www.TheWritersCollection.com our guest. Wade isWade, a mother of three works fifty miles Pro Life......................................................................................................................................... 11 assigned by the Court. www.TheWritersCollection.com our guest. Krystal is a novel mother threeaccepted who works fifty miles from home and writes in her “spare is time.” “Wilde’s Fire,”Wade her debut hasofbeen for publication Travel. . ........................................................................................................................................... 12 it? from home and writes in her “spare time.” “Wilde’s Fire,” her debut novel has been accepted for publication PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that if you fail to appear at the time and place and should be available in 2012. Not far behind is her second novel, “Wilde’s Army.” How does she do noted in above, the Court and determine the petition as provided by law.Army.” How does she do Music. ............................................................................................................................................ 14 it? and available 2012. Notwill farhear behind is her second novel, “Wilde’s Tuneshould in andbefind out. Swimming. . .................................................................................................................................. 14 Dated: January 30, 2012 BY ORDER OF THE COURT Tune in and find out. Co-hosts Richard Technology/Creative Narog2 and Hezi ArisDisruption. will relish the dissection column 1 column CLERK OF THE COURTof all things politics on Tuesday, February . ........................................................................................... 15 Co-hosts Richard andPresident Hezi ArisChuck will relish the dissection of his all things politicsfrom on Tuesday, February 21st. Yonkers CityNarog Council Lesnick will share perspective the august inner Middle East Forum.................................................................................................................... 16 21st. Yonkers Council President Lesnick will share 22nd. his perspective from the august sanctum of theCity City Council ChambersChuck on Wednesday, February Stephen Cerrato, Esq., will inner share Current Comentary................................................................................................................... 17 sanctum of the CityonCouncil Chambers on Wednesday, February 22nd. Esq.,be will share his political insight Thursday, February 23rd. Friday, February 24th hasStephen yet to beCerrato, filled. It may a propiEye on Theatre. . ........................................................................................................................... 24 his political Thursday, February 23rd. Friday, February 24th has yet to be filled. It mayofbeThat a propitious day toinsight sum uponwhat transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version Was .................................................................................................................................... tious day toThat sumGovernment. up what transpired throughout the week. A sort of BlogTalk Radio version of That 17 Was The Week Was (TWTWTW). Public Policy................................................................................................................................ 17 The Week That Was (TWTWTW). For those who cannot join us................................................................................................................................. live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or Governance. 18on For thoseWithin who cannot join us live, consider listening to the show by way of an MP3 download, or on demand. 15 minutes of a show’s ending, you can find the segment in our archive that you may Mayor Marvin............................................................................................................................. 18link demand. Within 15Lee minutes of ain show’s ending,paragraph. you can find the segment in our archive that you may19 link to using the hyperlink provided the opening Hamilton. .............................................................................................................................. Legal Notices, to using the hyperlink provided in the opening paragraph. Advertise Today Campaign Trail........................................................................................................................... 20 The entire archiveLegal is available maintained perusal. The easiest way to find a particular interview Notices,and Advertise Today for your The isProgressivism.............................................................................................................................. available and maintained forfor your perusal. easiest to findofa the particular interview 22For is toentire searcharchive Google, or any other search engine, the subjectThe matter or way the name interviewee. is to search Google, orNotices. any other searchSearch engine, the subject On matter the name theRadio, interviewee. Legal ................................................................................................................................... example, search Google, Yahoo, AOL forforWestchester theorLevel, Blog of Talk or use23For the example, Search for Westchester Before speaking to the police...On callthe Level, Blog Talk Radio, or use the hyperlinksearch above.Google, Yahoo, AOL hyperlink above.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

Page 3

FeatureSection THE HEZITORIAL

A Doable Vision to Eclipse the Talk and the Drama Presently Consuming Yonkers By HEZI ARIS It is recognized though rarely mentioned that the City of Yonkers (CoY) is a diamond in the rough. Yonkers is by every measure the centerpiece of the county. Yet when measured against the barometer of median wealth, it is outdistanced by most of Westchester County. Juxtaposed to that measurement, CoY is sought after by every retailer for its very location, location, location aspect, and every imaginable developer, for one reason or another. The very promise diversity of people inspires has languished mostly because the battles that have been fought to dominate the City of Hills have exhausted CoY’s ability to wrestle control of her destiny, often by bullying tactics that have shunned Yonkersites alike, no matter their innate capacity to excel beyond the opportunities in which they are permitted to engage. Lest anyone infer this conundrum of capacity for excellence and outcome is a recent environment of acknowledged malaise, study has proven the dilemma has exhausted CoY for some seven decades. A collective resurgent individual effort in search of doable vision worthy of attaining success and direction still eludes the city once referred, “The City of Gracious Living”. Such attributes were the “top” accolade of its time. They were gained with sweat and toil mostly by an immigrant population who created a robust sense of self acknowledgement throughout the metropolitan region that presently languishes in the minds of those old enough to remember or history buffs that yearn to appreciate the wealth of history and the contributions the City of Yonkers made over four centuries; laudable at the very least. The crossroads yearning for better can be afforded every Yonkersite the potential to create rather than replicate the

past, indeed exceed in time with a vigorous, enterprising, cultural, redefinition of CoY. The history and the present attest to the delineation above. All required now is the engine to kick start the process. It is easier than most would imagine. In fact, it has stood openly camouflaged before us; to this day unseen. It is the engine that will bring purpose to Yonkers once it is adopted. It will redefine bond-ratings based on verified standards rather than superficial hopes. It will create the gravitas that has for too long eluded Yonkers. It will mitigate the loquacious promises of “so-called” developers who stand cup in hand for a piece of the taxpayer’s largesse in Albany or the Yonkers IDA, who are otherwise incapable of moving forward with their “plan”. Truth be told, those “so-called” developers don’t have a pot to piss in; if they had, they would have begun the projects they assert they can complete. The promise of construction jobs, the rebuilding of a school infrastructure, the complimentary demand to invest in CoY eclipses every other concept brought forward to date. In fact, the project will heal the wounds between union membership and Yonkers City Hall, drive educational excellence, move Yonkersites up the economic ladder, bring an even greater sense of community and neighborhood culture, as well as an easier load for mitigating police work. This program will reassert the long lost commitment Yonkersites must make to the Yonkers Police Department, the Yonkers Fire Department, the Department of Public Works, the CSEA workers who remain the backbone of the Yonkers Board of Education, and the SEIU workers. Lest anyone believe this editorial will prove itself a panacea to that ailing Yonkers, think again. However, be assured the mechanism to kick start Yonkers toward a doable imprint that will draw people to consider Yonkers as the alternative to Brooklyn, Hoboken, Austin

or elsewhere, can be accomplished and done so within no longer than six-months duration for its very adoption. Just recognizing the “miracle” it embodies is awesone. The effort will only gain support and bring about a doable outcome if it is shared honestly and openly with Yonkersites; that is, gaining counsel expert at such concerns, with no familial ties to those in office and/or related to those in office. The focus must be to gain “trust” by working on maintaining the transparency of purpose and affordability. What is that kick-starter? It is the Public Private Partnership for Education (P3forE). The P3forE concept has the private sector making the investment for the cost of the project that needs to be paid off over time. At issue is only whether the P3forE debt can be paid over a a financial term commensurate with CoY’s ability to pay. That can be worked out. The size of the build out is only based on whether the debt service can be managed by CoY. P3forE is a long-standing concept that brings together the public sector (the People, that is, Yonkersites), represented by Mayor Mike Spano, the Executive branch of office), and the Yonkers City Council (the legislative branch of government), with the private sector (financial institutions) to build and rebuild a school infrastructure (school buildings) that must be as modern and relevant to those in the field know to build. The buildings must include the appropriate wiring for Internet and other electricity based concepts, build out that incorporates expected increases in student registration populations, and most importantly, a bond to support the project structure for a 50 to 75 year term as debt payment is made over a likely 25 years term. Such a beginning should also spur a beginning that builds at minimum one school in every council district to reduce busing costs and time to get to and from one’s home to the school and back. Adopting

RADIO

Westchester On the Level with Narog and Aris Designated a “Featured” BlogTalk Radio program, has been operating for over two years via the Internet with Co-Hosts Richard Narog and Hezi Aris every weekday, from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon. Listen to the show live or on demand. Share your perspective by calling (347) 205-9201 or by clicking onto the following hyperlinks: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ westchesteronthelevel

a P3forE program must incorporate the building of a four-year state endorsed university aligned with the New York State sponsored StartUp program that permits business investment in Yonkers relieved of paying state taxes for 10 years, but only in an area with a school of higher learning; a requirement demanded by the business inducement program. Even without the StartUp program, the fourth largest ciy in the state needs a school of higher learning. A good friend suggested transforming the former Homes for America building into a Pre-K center. Pre-K is funded for only a half-day in Yonkers. While the need

for full day is required, perhaps the second half of the day may need to be overseen by volunteers. Difficult times require volunteerism. Let’s not forget it IS all about “our” children. Besides, volunteerism can be managed so people need only offer an hour or two a week. The task may seem daunting, but it is not. The task is doable. Yonkersites have the heart; we only lead the leadership to get us there. This plan is commensurate with serving the viability of a great city with specific needs. Graft of any kind must be ostracized; accomplished by total

Continued on page 4

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Page 4

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

THE HEZITORIAL you agree? If there is another option, I would like to hear it. It is time Yonkersites speak their mind in name or anonymously to return CoY to a balanced frame of mind and purpose. If there is a better way to resuscitate a city yearning for more, please share it online. Let everyone know your thoughts; don’t just share your brilliant concepts among a few friends and associates. That hasn’t worked.

I beseech you to engage in the discourse. If City Hall and the Yonkers City Council can’t come to terms with the reality Yonkers presently faces, public input will help guide the process toward enlightening those demanded to serve the public interest. I’ve rolled up my sleeves. Please do likewise. Let’s get it done!

Village of Ardley’s Fiscal Year 2014- 2015 Budget Message

of the library, particularly as they service our neighbors in Elmsford under a contractual agreement signed several years ago. --Clarifying that last point, while we will not technically be adding to our roster of employees, our long time Village Manager, George Calvi, has announced that he will be retiring at the end of November. We have contractual commitments to George for unused sick days and vacation which will be paid out of next year’s budget. And we will be hiring a new manager. Given the demands of the position and the astounding depth of knowledge and information stored mainly in the recesses of George’s mind, we plan to have a new manager in place at least a month or two before George walks out the door, allowing George to impart all that stored up information to the new manager. This will require double payments for the manager position during this period of overlap.

A Doable Vision to Eclipse the Talk and the Drama Presently Consuming Yonkers Continued from page 3

transparency. And lastly, the old guard that has brought Yonkers to her knees over the many years of corruption under their watch and over which few state or county departments have delved to correct it maligned outcome must be supplanted with credible

experts who are willing to share their knowledge for the benefit of the City of Yonkers’ benefit. The time is now. Let’s do it. Remember that the strife, bigotry, stress, animosity, nepotism, patronage, and graft revolves about only one thing; survival. Survival can only be accomplished by earning a living. P3forE will begin the

process of reviving the cachet long ago lost to the bickering, finger-pointing antics of those wanting only to carve a larger piece of the pie for themselves. The $1 billion plus budget of the City of Yonkers must be managed to produce a return commensurate with and even exceeding the investment made over many years by Yonkersites. Do

GOVERNMENT

By Mayor PETER R. PORCINO

Overview

The Ardsley Board of Trustees adopted the 2014-15 budget on Monday evening, April 28, 2014. The total anticipated appropriations (expenditures) for the coming year are $11,665,254. That represents a 7.39% increase over last year’s budgeted appropriations, but is offset in part by $2,407, 036 in anticipated revenues, representing a 7.9% increase in revenues from the prior year.The net increase in appropriations less revenues from year to year comes to $684,540. The increase in estimated appropriations is significantly lower when compared with our actual expenditures for last year (as opposed to our original budgeted projections for last year) since we had several extraordinary expenditures in this past year that were not anticipated in last year’s original budget. The largest of these was an additional $275,000 in pension contributions required by the New York State Comptroller in excess of the Comptroller’s original estimate. We continue to experience an erosion

in our tax base due mainly to a hangover from the recession which saw property values decline significantly. The New York State office that sets our ratio of assessed value to market value failed to keep pace with the reduction in market values, resulting in a staggering increase in successful tax challenges, and unfairly skewing taxes for everyone. It also resulted in some unfavorable tax adjustments in favor of commercial properties. We are hopeful that with property values firming up, and New York State catching up to valuation adjustments, these tax challenges will dwindle down to a handful. You should also be aware by now that the Town of Greenburgh has commenced its town-wide property revaluation, which should result in a drastic drop in tax challenges. (The goal of the revaluation is not to increase the overall tax burden. It is to spread that burden more fairly based on current market valuations.) The results of the revaluation will not go into effect until the 2017 tax year. The net increase in our appropriations, coupled with the decrease in our tax base, means that we need to raise our tax rate to cover the shortfall. The tax rate will increase

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by 8.87%. The new tax rate will be $307.23 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The average tax bill in the Village will increase by $450.54.

Increases in Appropriations

There were many factors driving the increase in appropriations. These are the major ones. --Payroll: Compensation increased by 3% under our labor contracts, although this number was offset by a continuing increase in employee contributions to their health care coverage, which now totals 1.5% of salary. --Pension Contributions: Pension contributions have been the biggest driver of budget increases for several years now. Despite the State Comptroller’s pronouncements that the New York State pension funds are sound, and despite the large gains in the stock market, we still have been experiencing 15-20% increases each year in our required pension contributions, which means hundreds of thousands of dollars added to our budget yearly. --Related Employee Costs: Other employee costs, including social security, workers compensation, medical and dental insurance, increased by approximately $70,000. --Equipment Purchases: We expensed

the purchase of a police cruiser, which will cost $41,000, rather than borrow for this cost. We also expect to make substantial purchases in equipment for our beleaguered DPW/Sanitation Department, some of which will be expensed, but most of which will go into our capital budget. The DPW has patiently waited for replacements for trucks and equipment that in some cases are decades old. But the time has come to address these needs as their ability to do their jobs is being imperiled by breakdowns and long waits for repairs. We will also be replacing our phone system and e-mail system as our existing equipment has outlived its usefulness, and is no longer up to the tasks they were designed for, let alone the increasing reliance on these technologies to carry out the Village functions. --We will also be making a substantial contribution to our road repair budget this year. This is another budget item that has suffered from deferral, and the condition of our roads attests to the need for extensive repaving throughout the Village. --We will be replacing much of our street lighting with LED lights. While this will require an upfront outlay, the Village will see an immediate reduction in energy costs. --The only addition to our personnel will be one-half of a children’s librarian. We are restoring the full-time position of children’s librarian in light of the increased needs

Solidifying our Financial Footing

While we witnessed substantial increases in budget costs for this coming fiscal year, we believe that the Village is on sounder financial footing as we look beyond next year. We believe the tax base has stabilized and the State has moved closer to an appropriate assessment ratio. Revaluation will bring some equity to the housing assessments and reduce tax grievances. After several years of double-digit increases in our pension contributions, the next year’s figures appear to be in line with historical numbers, and we may even experience a decrease. Increases in employee salaries will be smaller and their contributions towards health care will increase again. We have allocated considerable monies to meet capital needs in this year’s budget, which should allow for smaller allocations in the next few years. We will continue to look for ways to save money, including sharing and consolidating services where appropriate. Ultimately our goal is to continue to deliver high quality services at reasonable cost to the taxpayers, preserving Village life and making the Village a desirable place to live and raise a family. Peter R. Porcino is mayor of the Village of Ardsley

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Heritage: 30 Years and Thriving.” The day’s events include entertainment by musical groups and dancers, along with drama and poetry readings, health and educational exhibits, and activities for children. Visitors will also be able to browse the many vendors who will be selling traditional arts and crafts and countless types of ethnic foods. I must say, my daughter and all her

friends looked beautiful for their prom last week, my other daughters and wife did as well, as for me, well you can only do so much…see you next week.

CommunitySection CALENDAR

News & Notes from Northern Westchester By MARK JEFFERS June is busting out all over as is my waistline, so it’s off to the gym, but not before I finish this week’s “slimming down” edition of “News &

Notes.” Here’s one way for me to get started,“Be Fit One Day at a Time”. The program is an outdoor bodyweight fitness boot camp being held at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla on Wednesdays and Saturdays in June. Only at The Field Library in Peekskill… still have last year’s summer middle and high school summer reading books at home? Now through June 27th, bring back your looooong overdue summer reading books and pay noooooo fines, sound like a deal?… then spread the news. Grand Prix New York in Mount Kisco recently hosted the Second Annual Project Yellow Light Race, raising more than $3,000 for the charity. This year’s race was organized to spread the word on the dangers of distracted driving. Guided trail rides, raffles for prizes and live music, along with bicycling contests and fun, will highlight the 19th Annual Fat Tire Festival, Sunday, June 8th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The Fat Tire Festival is a celebration of mountain biking camaraderie. One and all are welcome to come out and spend a day riding some of the greatest trails in New York State. Organized group rides for all ability levels, led by experienced local guides, will be leaving throughout the day to explore the trails. Watch and compete in the many skills competitions, including a wheelie contest, fast and slow races, and the infamous, crowd-pleasing “skinny skills” contest on an ultra-narrow, raised wooden obstacle course. The event is presented by

Westchester County Parks and Westchester Mountain Biking Association (WMBA), a mountain biking advocacy group dedicated to promoting the use of mountain bikes on trails in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Friends of Westchester County Parks, Inc. The Pound Ridge Library and Recreation Department will host a senior health and resource fair on Tuesday, June 10th, from 10:30am to 2:30pm. More senior news… Westchester County senior citizens are invited to spend the day poolside as they enjoy an old-fashioned barbecue and entertainment during a pool party and barbecue scheduled on Tuesday, June 24th, 10am to 3pm, at Saxon Woods Pool in White Plains, the rain date is Wednesday, June 25th. This event is sponsored by Westchester County Parks and the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services, the pool party is open to Westchester County residents age 60 and older. Seniors are welcome to bring their young grandchildren. Congratulations to Skip Beitzel and the nice folks at Hickory & Tweed as they celebrate 53 years in Armonk providing the region with everyone’s cycling and skiing needs! Here’s another shout out to the workers at Twigs Thriftree Thrift Shop in Mount Kisco for their 50 years of service in raising funds for Northern Westchester Hospital and for making comfort items for patients, way to go and congratulations. Bring your camera for some great nature photos at Cranberry Lake Preserve, Old Orchard Street, in North White Plains at the “Snapshot Nature Hunt,” being held at 2pm on Saturday June 7th. Experience the richness of

CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Ismailia Film Festival 2014 By SHERIF AWAD While the Egyptian people were standing in long lines to vote for their favorite candidate in the presidential elections, the Board of the 17th Edition of the Ismailia Film Festival for

Documentaries and Shorts were finalizing their selection for launch next week.

Headed by president and director of photography Kamal Abdel-Aziz, and its director and producer Mohamed Hefzy, the upcoming film festival edition will take place from June 3-8, 2014 in the Continued on page 6

African-American culture at the 30th Annual African-American Heritage Festival on Sunday, June 22nd, Noon to 7pm, at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. The theme for this year’s event is “Celebrating Our

Mark Jeffers resides in Bedford Hills, New York, with his wife Sarah, and three daughters, Kate, Amanda, and Claire.

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CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Ismailia Film Festival 2014 Continued from page 5

City of Ismailia, known to Egyptians as “The City of Beauty and Enchantment. Although it is considered as one of the most important festivals in Egypt, the Ismailia Festival has faced many challenges this year: an economic challenge due to the lack of private sponsors and the diminished support provided by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture that did not exceed 1.2 million Egyptian Pounds, equivalent to US $167,824.80. Another challenge is related to the critical timing of the this edition; it coincides between the announcement of the Egyptian Presidential election results and the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil on June 12th. Nevertheless, the selection committee has succeeded to getting 46 films from 32 countries, in addition to some leading film jurists including Syrian Director Mohamed Malas, its jury president, and Egyptian Producer Marianne Khoury, French Producer Marianne Lere, and Greek Director Dimitris Koutsiabasakos comprising the august jury membership. The 17th edition will open with the second part of the documentary Jews of Egypt by Amir Ramses who continues to investigate their stories by focusing on the

Amir Ramses

Egyptian Jews who still reside in Egypt after refusing to leave the country in the 1950s, and also focused on their progeny. The Long Documentary Competition features interesting new films. Brooklyn-based Egyptian Filmmaker/Director Sherief Elkatsha, Cairo Drive, is another documentary, this one focusing on Cairo and its 20 million habitants, its two million cars, its taxi drivers’ habits, its stuffed public buses, its donkey carts and everybody’s daily race to go to work and hours later returning to their homes once again. Shot between 2009 and 2012, Cairo Drive won Best Documentary at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013. My Love Awaits Me by the Sea is a

Jordanian-Palestinian documentary by Mais Darwazah, who takes a first time journey back to her homeland, Palestine. Her guide is Hassan is Everywhere, a children’s book of illustrations and poetry by the late Palestinian artist Hassan Hourani who drowned in the forbidden Jaffa Sea (Yafa in Arabic, Yafo in Hebrew) in 2003. Guardians of Time Lost by Lebanese Director Diala Kachmar focuses on marginalized young men, known as the thugs of the Lija neighborhood of Beirut. The name “Guardians of Lost Time” was bequeathed onto these boys by writer Hassan Dawood to designate their being lost between the labyrinth of drugs and the maelstrom of crime. The documentary won the Arab Muhr Special Jury Prize at the Dubai Film Festival 2013. Among the films in the Short Documentary Competition, the 25-minute-long Egyptian entry Om Amira By Naji Ismail focuses on the title’s protagonist is first seen on a downtown rooftop with her husband and two daughters. Having no other option to support her family and her sick daughter, Om Amira sells homemade fried potatoes thoughout the night, until the following daybreak. In My Old Grandmother, Lebanese

Director Hadi Moussally presents a three minute portrait of his grandmother, Mayssar, who has become very old, perhaps approaching her demise within days of her final moment of rest. On the other hand, the Short Narrative Competition will feature the15-minutelong Iranian entry, More Than Two Hours, about a couple wondering the night in search for a hospital to cure a sick girl. Two weeks before the festival’s opening, Egyptian Director Bassel Ramses released a statement denouncing the festival’s decision to not screen his latest, long-documentary, Sokkar Barra (Sugar on the Side), in the official competition. Ramses claimed that the festival will “kill” the film by deeming

Sugar on the Side

Ismailia Film Festival 2014 poster.

it out-of-competition, which, according to him, should distract the attention of the attending juries and media. The documentary was shot across the villages of el-Hawamdiah, el-Azizeyah, Abou

Bassel Ramses

el-Nomros and focus on the arranged, and sometimes paid, marriage of poor Egyptian young women to wealthy, visiting Arab men. The Madrid-based Ramses also shows how these women, who often live in a remote area, far from the judicial and protective systems of Cairo, forces them to face marital and divorce issues on their own. There are many concerns that are particularly endemic to these arranged marriages. As the film might not be selected for Ismailia, Ramses will screen it across Spain and might also organize a private screening for Egyptian media in the coming weeks. The 17th Edition will also feature a special screening of the Italian documentary About The Resistance that highlights the

Cairo Drive

role played by cinema as a means to rehabilitate the only movie theater in a small, Southern Italian town. The Panorama of Egyptian Documentaries includes Jehane Noujaim’s The Square, which was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar this year. Keeping up with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the festival will focus on three soccer films, including three films about remarkable football legends. Maradona, by the renowned Serbian Director Emir Kusturica, Puskás Hungary, by Director Tamás Almási, and The Two Escobars by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist. The Ismailia Festival will also feature a workshop on best practices to

distribute and promote documentary films that face strong competition from mainstream productions worldwide.

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Sherif Awad is a film / video critic and curator. He is the film editor of Egypt Today Magazine ( www.EgyptToday. com ), and the artistic director for both the Alexandria Film Festival, in Egypt, and the Arab Rotterdam Festival, in The Netherlands. He also contributes to Variety, in the United States, and is the film critic of Variety Arabia ( http://varietyarabia.com/ ), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Al-Masry Al-Youm Website ( http://www.almasryalyoum. com/en/node/198132 ) and The Westchester Guardian (www.WestchesterGuardian.com).

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24 Old Albany Post Road, Croton-OnHudson, NY. New members may be accepted after June 28, based on their experience and musical abilities. Singers who have a conflict with the complete rehearsal schedule may likewise be accepted based on experience and ability. For further information, contact Mary Corda: divamaryc@aol. com or call 914-649-1826. Visit the website

at http://www.taconicopera.org. There are no fees to join the chorus, but members must secure their own music and, if applying early, may be able to participate in special group prices for the score copies that are arranged for chorus members. Falstaff performances are scheduled for Oct. 16, 17, 18 & 19, 2014 at the Yorktown Stage, Yorktown Heights.

CALENDAR

Opera Auditions Each year, Taconic Opera offers area singers the opportunity to participate in the chorus of a professional opera, at no cost, alongside professional singers and a full orchestra. Choral Singers are invited to audition for the company’s fall production of Verdi’s Falstaff

between June 2 and June 28, 2014. Auditions can be arranged to suit the applicant’s schedule and may be waived for experienced choral singers. Rehearsals for Falstaff commence Wednesday, June 11 and take place on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:45 pm and Saturdays from 3:00-4:45 pm at the Cortlandt School of Performing Arts,

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Downtown Yonkers Newest Business is State Farm YONKERS, NY -- May 23, 2014 marked the official grand opening of a new State Farm office in Downtown Yonkers. Branch owner Jocelyn Mizrahi took this opportunity to give back to her new community. State Farm has always been known for their social responsibility, and was recently ranked #1 in that category, among insurance companies, by Fortune Magazine. Yonkers newest State Farm office continued that tradition with donations to both the Yonkers Animal Shelter and the Mt. Vernon Animal Shelter. Ms. Mizrahi has a long-term commitment to protecting animals and will donate a certain percentage of her profits to local animal shelters and causes. This new State Farm office represents a new age of businesses that are dedicated to their local community, consumer service, and social accountability. On hand to celebrate the official

ribbon cutting were Ms. Mizrahi’s staff, family, friends, and her two dogs. Daniel Lipka, Executive Director of the Yonkers Downtown BID presented a plaque and official welcome to this new business. “This is a special time in Downtown Yonkers. Wonderful new businesses are opening and bringing a vibrant energy to our community.” Yonkers Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry was in attendance to welcome State Farm and presented a proclamation on behalf of the City of Yonkers. “We welcome State Farm to Yonkers and to the growing economy and community in our downtown area,” said Deputy Mayor Sue Gerry. “Yonkers is committed to ensuring the success of businesses such as State Farm so we can continue to make our city a great place for people to want to live, work and play.” “I specifically chose Warburton Avenue to be part of the revitalization of downtown

EDUCATION

Are you a recent college graduate out of work? Are you a college senior dreading graduation? Are you the parent of a college graduate who is working as an unpaid intern? You paid $250,000 for your child’s college education over the past four years and now he/she is back home, living with you as an unpaid intern. I’m scheduling a meeting of college graduates/college seniors who have been having difficulty finding employment this Tuesday, June 10th, 2014, at 7:30 PM, at Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Ave, White Plains, NY. Town Hall is located off of Exit 5 -287. Hillside intersects with Route 119. The goal of the meeting is to address

Awareness Class for teens Drivers. Yonkers Downtown State Farm Office, 54 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701. Telephone:  914-292-4200. Daniel Lipka is Director of the Yonkers Downtown Business Improvement District (BID). For additional information telephone 914-969-6660, or direct email to dlipka@yonkersdowntown.com

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Finding Employment By Supervisor PAUL FEINER

Yonkers,” said Ms. Mizrahi. When Ms. Mizrahi opened her State Farm office in Yonkers, she wanted to be able to work with people from different walks of life and financial situations. She and her staff are committed to her new Yonkers community and to providing the highest quality services to anyone who walks through her door. Her new office, location at 54 Warburton is part

of the award winning Warburton Lofts at Philipse Manor Hall Historic District, which recently received an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation, given by the Preservation League of New York State. State Farm is a full service insurance company as well as a provider of other financial products, such as banking, life insurance, retirement roll-overs and 529 college savings plans. Ms. Mizrahi, and her team of insurance experts, has a variety of programs and services allowing them to customize a plan that is right for each individual. State Farm brings 92 years of experience and one of the largest portfolios in the world. For the last four years, State Farm was ranked in the top 2 companies in terms of customer service, along all insurance companies. They have provided countless contributions and opportunities to communities throughout the county, including right here in Yonkers. This includes a recent national grant for the Yonkers Police Department to provide Distracted Driving

unemployment issues/problems that recent graduates have encountered; and to explore other options, such as providing graduates with information on how to start their own businesses. Elizabeth Skovron, a resident of Tarrytown, an honors student at the University at Albany, SUNY, is an intern in my office. Her summer project was organizing an initiative to help recent graduates find work. Elizabeth told me that many of her friends and peers, including recent Ivy League graduates, are scared – they can’t find employment. “We aren’t given a chance to use our knowledge and brainpower. Many of my friends dread graduating college. We go from being independent to dependent on our parents. It’s not fair for our parents C

CMY

Continued on page 8

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

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EDUCATION

Finding Employment Continued from page 7

who never expected that they would have to support us after spending as much as a quarter million dollars on our college

degrees.” Current college students and graduates will meet to discuss pro-active steps they could take to enhance their future employment prospects. Among the initiatives that will be explored will be providing

students with ideas as to how they could start their own businesses. During the summer we will meet with people who have had success in starting their own businesses. Elizabeth will be working at

Greenburgh Town Hall during the summer months. If you know of any college student or graduate who might be interested in participating in this initiative or sharing their unemployment horror stories, direct email to eskovron@albany.

edu, or to me at pfeiner@greenburghny. com.

a consortium of community groups, including: Temple Israel Center, AJC Westchester, Bet Am Shalom Synagogue, Westchester Jewish Council, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester, and Hebrew Institute in White Plains and the JCC of Mid-Westchester. For information about the films showing as part of this Festival at the JCC in Manhattan, visit http://www.israelfilmcenter.org/ festival2014. Admission is $20 for June 12 Opening Night with post-screening reception; $14 for June 15, 16, and 17, or $11 for Community Partners. Purchase tickets at www.jccmw.

org or the JCC Front Desk. For information about sponsorships for the Opening Night event and festival passes, contact Melissa Haber at haberm@jccmw.org, 914-4723300, x 351. . The JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, NY is a proud beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, Jewish identity-building opportunities and human services to people of all ages and backgrounds. Tel: 914-472-3300. www.jccmw.org.

Paul Feiner is Greenburgh Town Supervisor.

FILM

Israel Film Festival Coming to Westchester SCARSDALE, NY and YONKERS, NY -- The JCC of Mid-Westchester and the JCC in Manhattan will co-sponsor an Israel Film Festival in June, featuring new Israeli movies and discussions after each screening with filmmakers. Two newly released films from Israel will show at the JCC, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, and two will show at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 2548 Central Park Ave, Yonkers.

Operation Sunflower

Opening night at the JCC on Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. features Operation Sunflower, directed by Avraham Kushner. 1960’s Israeli intelligence is nervous — Iran is bringing missiles out of its bunkers and will soon be just a “push of the button” away from launching them at Israel. Racing against time, the head of the Mossad (Yehoram Gaon) and a reluctantly recruited scientist work to create a nuclear option for Israel. Together with France and Germany, they must find a way to protect Israel against its potentially imminent destruction, while facing their own moral qualms.

recognize any of the faces caught on camera. This action-packed film, based on real life events and starring Sasson Gabay and Bar Refaeli, brings this tumultuous story to life with humor and suspense.

Farewell, Herr Schwartz

Farewell, Herr Schwarz, a documentary directed by Yael Reuveny, opens Tuesday, June 17, 7:30 p.m. at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Yonkers. Michla and her brother Feiv’ke were inseparable before

the Holocaust. When Michla learned that Feiv’ke was killed, she moved to the new state of Israel. The documentary filmmaker, Michla’s grand-daughter, investigates what happened to her grandmother’s beloved brother – and is surprised to discover Feiv’ke had become Peter, married a German woman, and spent the rest of his life in a cozy home a few feet from the concentration camp where he had been imprisoned during the war. The Westchester films are presented by

Operation Sunflower

Hunting Elephants

Hunting Elephants, directed by Reshef Lev, premieres on Sunday, June 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the JCC. In this Israeli box office hit comedy starring Sir Patrick Stewart, Jonathan, after his father’s untimely death, spends his afternoons in an old-age home with his estranged grand-father, Eliyahu (Sasson Gabai). Together with some help from Eliyahu’s old-time friend Nick (Moni Moshonov), and a penniless English Lord (Patrick Stewart), they decide to improve their stressful financial situation by robbing a bank.

Kidon

The Film Festival shifts to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 2548 Central Park Ave, Yonkers on Monday, June 16 at 7:30PM with the U.S. debut of Kidon, directed by Emmanuel Naccache. Mahmoud al Mabhouh is found dead in a hotel room in Dubai and security footage reveals that the assassins are Israeli Mossad agents. The story shocks the world – but no one is as surprised as the Mossad itself - which claims not to

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HEALTH

Tips to Protect Your Pup From the Dog Days of Summer As you and your dog head outside to enjoy the warmer weather, it’s important to remember pet safety. Heat can be dangerous for pets, increasing the chances of heat-

Temperatures can rise as much as twenty degrees inside a vehicle in ten minutes, and can reach up to 115 degrees - when the outside temperature is only 70! Leave your

going to be outside for an extended period of time. Remember, dogs can get sunburned too! Walk your pet during the cooler hours of the day. “Pets shouldn’t be exercised during the peak hours when the sun is hottest,” says Dr. Mitsie Vargas, Veterinarian. “Dogs can’t dissipate heat as well as we can.” When walking, try to avoid hot surfaces.

As roads, trails and sidewalks become hot, they can burn your dog’s paws. Plan a route with lots of shade, and let your dog walk on cooler surfaces like grass. Prevent pesky parasites. Summer is the high season for fleas, ticks and heartworms. Talk to your Veterinarian about the best way to keep your dog free of parasites. Consider clipping or shaving dogs

with long coats. Dogs are basically wearing a fur coat 24/7, which can be extremely hot during the summer months. Giving your dog a trim will help keep him or her cool. Be a responsible pet parent this summer, and keep your dog cool by following these guidelines! The AVMA has been making sure our pets get the best care for over 150 years, and you can find more great information on keeping our pets happy and healthy at www.avma.org.

A Cause For Paws Pet Adoptions related stress or illness, including sun burns, skin cancers and heat stroke. The American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) wants to help you keep your pups safe this summer with tips to protect dogs from the heat. Remember, dogs can’t expel heat as well as humans can, so be sure to follow these tips to make sure your dog stays cool this summer! Never leave your dog in the car. Ever.

dog at home instead, your pup will thank you! Make sure your dog has access to water at all times. As temperatures get hotter, it’s important for your dog to have water available. If your dog’s water bowl is left in the sun for a while, replace it with fresh, cold water that will cool your dog down. Make sure your dog has access to shade. This is especially important if your dog is

MAKE IT FUN AND IT WILL GET DONE!

Flying with Kids? Be Organized! By PAM YOUNG I’m happy to announce I’m featured in American Airways magazine this month! With that good news I thought I’d write about flying with little ones. Now that vacation time in full swing and if you plan to fly with your kids, here are my top ten tips for happy flying. . . short of drugs. Be Prepared Designate a carry-on as the entertainment bag. Keep what’s in it a secret, bringing out surprises as the trip goes. Busy kids are happy kids. Bored ones have the ability to terrorize everyone on a flight, including you. • books • notebooks • pens • crayons • coloring books • iPod with favorite movie • Kindle

Get Gum

Children have very small ear canals and when the cabin is pressurized tiny ears can hurt. Chewing sugarless gum can help and once the jet is air bound it isn’t needed.

Let it Suck

Nurse during take-off, or have a binky ready. I don’t think I’ve ever taken off without hearing an infant screaming because his little ears hurt. Sucking helps.

Turn Bedtime into Fly-time

Matching PJs don’t just have to be at Christmastime. Deck your whole family out in new jammies for the flight. You’ll crack up the flight attendants as well as fellow passengers. Tell your kids you get to have a pajama party on the plane. You may have a hard time sleeping on a flight, but I’ve never met a kid on a red-eye that wasn’t asleep and I’d love to see a fun-loving family dressed for bed on a red-eye.

No Sugar

When the flight attendant comes by with the free sodas and juice, just say “NO, water or milk please.” Bring treats high in protein and fat. Nuts and cheese, veggies and mayo. Hungry children and those high on

Continued on page 10

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Whiskey is a very friendy cat who is looking for a loving home. He is good with dogs, cats & kids. Whiskey is a neutered male and is 2 yrs old.

To submit an adoption application or to inquire about other cats and dogs looking for homes, please contact

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Page 10

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

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MAKE IT FUN AND IT WILL GET DONE!

Flying with Kids? Be Organized! Continued from page 9

Go Potty Before Take-off

sugar will get fussy and disruptive.

Make Sure Price is Right

Check the ticket prices for infants as you may be charged more for your baby than yourself. Some airlines charge up to 75% for a ticket without a seat. In this case you don’t save money! Buy a normal ticket. At least you’ll get extra space and that’s really valuable.

Even the ones who pipe up and say, “I don’t have to,” make sure everybody goes before take-off. Cut back on fluids before the flight, the same as you do before bedtime or they’ll be up and down the aisle. Torture for the guy who sits in the aisle seat and your kid’s are in the window seat. This is sensible advice for adults too. Drinking five pints of beer before getting on the plane is dangerous, especially if you’re held up during taxiing. Of course, there’s always Depends.

The Air Police are Watching

One of my friends who had to fly with her rather hyper three-year-old told me this worked wonders. “I warned Rachel to behave or the Air Police would have to come. I pointed out the TSA uniformed agents and told her they also look out for badly behaved children. I’m not suggesting I scared her out of her wits and I didn’t tell her what’d happen if they caught her being a brat; I just used the suggestion as a way to teach her respect for those in uniform and it definitely gave me a psychological edge.”

Peek-a-Boo

Babies love to be held up over your head. On a flight, they get to see all the passengers and many will be trying to get baby’s attention. It’s a great way to calm a baby and it’s good for your upper arm muscles.

Practice Enlightened Selfishness

Follow one of the airline’s cardinal rules: in case the cabin loses pressure, put your oxygen mask on first and then assist your child. Take care of yourself first and everything will take care of itself. If you feel good

and are rested, you’ll be far more able to cope with the inevitable tests thrown at you by your busy little ones. So, eat right, get your sleep and give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport early. Safe travels! Have a wonderful time with your kids wherever you’re going and thank you for reading my column. To see other columns go here http://hub.am/ R3I9re To see what Pam’s got up her cyber-sleeve, check out www.cluborganized.com. Want to get organized? Join the club!

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism’s Triple Event By CHARLOTTE KLEIN WHITE PLAINS, NY -- A triple event sponsored by the Westchester Community for Humanistic Judaism is scheduled

for Friday, June 6, 2014, @ 7PM at the Community Unitarian Church, 468 Rosedale Avenue, White Plains 10605. • Rhoda Kleiman, a noted librarian, will

discuss author Maurice Sendack, The Humanist of the Year; • A mini art show featuring several works by local Jewish artists; and • An acknowledgement of Shavuos and Shabbat, in the humanist mode

There is no charge for admission but donations are welcome. For more information, visit http://www. wchj.org, direct email to charlotteklein48@ verizon.net, or telephone 914-218-8535.

FRIDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION The Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua FRIDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION HOUSES OF WORSHIP

JUNE 6 AT 7:00 PM

THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOR WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOR HUMANISTIC JUDAISM HUMANISTIC JUDAISM PRESENTS FOR YOM HASHOAH PRESENTS

RHODA KLEIMAN, NOTED LIBRARIAN WILL DISCUSS MAURICE SENDACK AS THE HUMANIST OF THE YEAR LOCAL ARTISTS’ MINI ART SHOW/WALK N TALK ACKNOWLEDGING SHAVUOS AND THE SHABBAT IN A HUMANIST MODE ENJOYING HOSPITALITY

Guest Speaker ESTHER GEIZHALS No Charge, but Donations are Welcome At the Community Unitarian Church 468 Rosedale Ave.,White Plains

A Holocaust survivor reveals enduring, as a young woman, years of nightmare experiences, journeying from Poland to Visit: wchj.org Czechoslovakia in concentration camps, including Auschwitz

Contact-- Charlotte Klein,914-218-8535

Saturday, April 26, 7 PM Community Unitarian Church-468 Rosedale Avenue, White Plains No charge for admission, but donations are welcome.

By THOMAS MUSCATELLO

MOUNT VERNON, NY -- This June, in honor of the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, three Friars from the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua, Padua, Italy, will bring three distinct relics to three different corners of the English-speaking world. Father Paolo Floretta will be in New York and Long Island, Father Mario Conte will be in Australia and Singapore, and Father Riccardo Giacon will visit our northern neighbor, Canada. We are thrilled and honored to bring Saint Anthony of Padua, in the form of a holy relic, to Mount Vernon, Westchester County, New York, on Wednesday, June 11th, during the week of the Saint’s Feast Day. Last year, the relics awed and inspired so many Catholics during the 750th Anniversary of the saint’s incorrupt tongue by Saint Bonaventure. Devotion to Saint Anthony is an accepted part of life for many New Yorkers, but an encounter with the relic moves it to the forefront. So many people describe it as a confirmation of their Catholic faith. Father Mario Conte, Executive Editor of The Messenger of Saint Anthony, in Padua, Italy, reflected that the first Jesuit pope was deeply inspired by Saint Anthony

GRAND FRIDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION

Saint Anthony of Padua. and Saint Francis’ love, care and concern for Church, 214 East Lincoln Avenue, Mount the poor and marginalized. Pope Francis Vernon, NY 10552. Veneration at 5:00 PM; once said “Relics are parts of the body of Mass at 7:00 PM followed by Veneration a saint which was the Temple of the Holy For details, call Tom with the Spirit.Through this body, the saints practiced Anthonian Association at 914.263.8841. heroic values recognized by the church.” Wednesday, June 11th - St. Ursula

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

Page 11

1099’s?) Do compare the completed return to prior years. Do photocopy any documents that are being delivered, mailed and handed over to your preparer. Do get supporting documents for your deductions such as your pharmacy’s year-end prescription expenditure list or from your doctors and dentist to parking receipts for certain appointments. Do remember your accountant, financial advisor, etc. are not mind readers. Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today. -Herman Wouk Why accountants get hired: The interview for a job went something like this: Asked how much two plus two is, the engineer said four, the businessman said four, the accountant quietly whispered, “What do you want it be”. The more the preparer knows about your situation, the more complex your finances, the more time needed for proper tax planning and financial preparation. Creative

accounting does not have to be something illegal, shady or questionable. There are rules and codes that can be/are for your benefit. Tax preparation is just the beginning, just a small part of good financial planning. I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. George Washington Ask your accountant, financial advisors, even your friends may have something interesting that may be applicable to your individual, unique situation. Special thanks to Howard Russo, CPA, for his input and advice.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Preparing for April 15 Is a Twelve Month Project th

By GLENN SLABY “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” -- A. A. Milne With tax season adventures still fresh in our minds, it’s time to review the individual systems of record keeping to somehow make next year’s filing process a little easier. I will not talk about what color folders you should use for your receipts and expenses or how to sort your files, but I will give advice on what to do and what to avoid. My tips are generic for any system. Only you know what’s best. Each individual has their own unique styles and methods that will not be optimum for another taxpayer, but you should always seek to improve on current methods. If you do your own returns or pay someone, I hope the following is useful. “This is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher.” “The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income taxes.” --Albert Einstein Every January starts the race against the clock where our biggest opponent is time because a lot of us keep repeating the same disorganized and time consuming methods year after year. A good filing system can save a lot of money, keep you from making easy mistakes, but most importantly it will save valuable time and aggravation. Good record keeping is an ally when you’re faced with audits and other tax issues. Take advice from a disorganized individual and former

accountant, whose wife’s filing system is super neat, well managed and structured: it pays to listen to one’s spouse, again. Accountants do not like to receive shoe boxes of papers. The more time he or she spends in digging out the information, the more it will cost you. And the longer it takes to do your return the longer you will have to wait for that refund. Remember also, you are competing against other tax filers who are also clambering for your accountant’s attention. (The longer you wait to file, the less individual attention you will receive. I knew one accountant who charged higher fees as the April deadline approached.) Every filer has specific issues and unique financial situations. Put yourself in the accountant’s position: when there are issues to be resolved, when there are creative tax laws to be explored and tax liability options to be dealt with, whom would you rather work with Felix Unger or Oscar Madison? Everyone, including accountants, dread tax season, so why make things difficult for the preparer and yourself. Some little bit of discipline now saves a lot of aggravation later. Read some of my tips below, ask your tax preparer for some advice, but before January 1st and after April 15th. The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well. -- William Osler Some don’ts. Do not wait to send in your tax information. Do not wait to implement any new filing system for bills, receipts and invoices pile up very quickly. Do not wait

to gather documents for it is better to notice missing documents or incorrect information in February than in March and April. Do not rely on memory. Will you remember an issue that occurred in August in January? Make notes. Take notes. Never say to yourself, “I’ll remember this when the time comes” or “It’s so simple, I’ll just follow what I did last year”. The simplest of notes will make the filing process less stressful and less costly. Remember, it’s not what you remember that is important but what you don’t remember that can be crucial. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -- Benjamin Franklin Some do’s. Do write legibly. As one who does not possess the world’s greatest handwriting, make sure these notes will be legible to you or to someone else in the near and far future. There is no telling who may need to review your record keeping. Don’t take it for granted you will be the only one needing the tax information or that you will be available to answer any questions so make sure you have a paper trail when it comes to substantial transfers, withdrawals, etc. Be neat. Do put everything in a neat file as they arrive, do not procrastinate, it is too easy to misplace important data. Confirm that all your all receipts are clearly labeled with explanation/description, amounts, names and dates. Do compare current year’s information, tax data and statements to prior years before mailing/meeting the preparer. (Did you get the equivalent number of

abortion is. They call it “reproductive rights” as if the pregnant woman has not reproduced yet, but the truth is that a pregnant woman already is a mother (we had parents before we were born, right?), meaning that she has reproduced. Nine-month pro-choicers (those who support abortion without qualification) say abortion “terminates pregnancies” – but birth terminates pregnancies. They call abortion “surgery” but medicine does not include homicide – abortionists are not real doctors. Abortion is not surgery, it is mutilation. You will never understand the cruel brutality of the pro-choice holocaust until you see minutes 10-15 of “Eclipse of Reason,” available free on YouTube. When pro-choice-to-kill activists lie to women about prenatal homicide, they deny women the power to choose abortion. They trick women into abortion. They choose abortion for women. “Pro-choice” is no choice. Women are coerced into abortion and since they are not truly consenting to

the mutilation of their genitals, they are being raped. The pro-choice movement is not just a baby holocaust movement, it is a giant mob of rapists, and this helps explain the profound psychological abuse prenatal homicide does to women and girls. Second, let’s consider liberties that exploit those who have them. How many pro-choicers are pro-choice on prostitution? That is a right to privacy issue, a woman’s right to control her body. Very well, some liberals are indeed in favor of legal prostitution, but remember, minors can get abortions. The abortion industry demands that eleven-year-old girls be allowed to abort without their parents’ knowledge – are prochoicers pro-choice on prostitution for girls? Here we see that the “right to control one’s body” can hurt those who take advantage of that “right.” And do you want women to have the “right” to sell their organs or use heroin? These too are “right to privacy issues”,

Glenn Slaby is married and has one son. He is former accountant with an MBA. He writes part-time and works at the New Rochelle Public Library and at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison, New York. He struggles with issues of mental illness.

PRO-LIFE

Pro-Life 101 By CHRIS ROSTENBERG “Let women decide for themselves if abortion is good for them. Women know best how to handle their own bodies.” This proabortion-choice sentiment sounds logical and enticing, and most Americans probably share it, but it is completely wrong, for three reasons. First, women are being lied to by pro-choice-to-kill activists about what prenatal homicide is. Second, some liberties exploit those who have them (and prebirth infanticide is one such liberty). Third, even if abortion does serve women, it still robs unborn babies of their lives. Abortion can only be a woman’s choice if she understands what it is she is choosing. Pro-choicers constantly lie about what

Continued on page 14

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Page 12

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

TRAVEL

Charming Seaside Inn in Quintessential New England Setting By LEE DANIELS Looking for a vacation spot that is smaller than Newport, larger than the Town of Nantucket, but with an equally charming, waterfront setting, that is half the distance from Westchester and has half the tourist crowd? Then seek out Old Saybrook, Connecticutt. The place to go in Old Saybrook— whether for a social or business event, spring or summer weekend or vacation, or fall foliage tour—is the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa, and its adjacent Three Stories guest house. Settled in 1635, and the secondoldest English settlement in the U.S. after Plymouth Rock, Old Saybrook is an attractive vacation spot for New Yorkers--first, as it is easily accessible, at less than a two-hour drive from Westchester, and just over a two-hour’ train ride from New York’s Penn Station-and second, because of its tranquil setting and eternal New England charm. Recently renovated, its attractive yellow clapboard and classic white trim shining like a brightly colored daffodil in the late spring sunshine, the Inn sits regally on Old Saybrook Point, with waterfront views encompassing South Cove, Long Island Sound, and the Connecticut River. The list of the Inn’s amenities is robust: free bicycle rentals, indoor and outdoor heated pools, a jacuzzi, full-service spa with 12 rooms and a yoga/spinning studio below, a fitness center with 12 weight machines and nine aerobic machines, and a full-service marina. Checking in to the hotel, I was greeted by the very personable front desk manager, Scott, whose ebullient professionalism reflected the attitude of each and every staff member I met during my stay, from Les Tripp, head chef at the Inn’s Fresh Salt restaurant; assistant manager Jody Ackles; our charming and super-attentive dinner

Outdoor pool at Saybrook Point.

Saybrook Point Inn and Spa. waitress, Darcy; to chief engineer Nick Dacri. Tagliatela, whose family has been in the Managing Partner Stephen Tagliatela, hotel business in Old Saybrook for decades, who welcomed me shortly after I arrived, starting with the Castle Inn--owned and run by his grandparents in the 1950s--and made me feel completely at home as he accompanied on a personal, three-hour tour, Terra Mar, owned and run by his parents in beginning with some of Saybrook Point and the 1980s--is not your ordinary innkeeper. Instead, he is an innovator who wears many its rich, nearly 400-year history.

Original Cupola at Three Stories.

Katharine Hepburn Suite, Three Stories.

hats in order to keep such a successful and diverse business afloat. At the start of the tour, I noticed the license plate on one of the hotel’s company cars, which read: SP-Inn, which I pointed out to Tagliatela. “We like details,” he said with a smile. Recovering from nearly a half-million dollars’ worth of renovation from damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Inn’s business is stronger than ever before, running at double-digit growth this season, according to Tagliatela. In addition to its business success, Tagliatela is proud of the fact that the hotel strives to keep all its operations “green,” becoming a Certified Energy Hotel in 2007, and its marina certified under the EPA’s Clean Marina program. He showed me where a “chef ’s garden” was growing on both sides of the Inn, to produce fresh produce for the restaurant, and explained the Inn’s use of a “soil air” system in planting and naturally fertilizing ornamental

shrubs (no grass) and food plants that results in cleaner effluent and groundwater. Next stop was the Inn’s sister guest house across the street, Three Stories, decorated in pastel pink and reflecting Italianate architectural style, was originally built in 1892 as a single-family home by local train engineer, William Vars, who worked on the old Connecticut Valley Railroad, a 44-mile track running between Hartford Na Old Saybrook, commissioned in 1871, the property was bought by the Inn five years ago, and after extensive reconstruction design and furnishing, today exists as The Three Stories Inn. Three Stories has eight guest rooms, tastefully decorated with antique replica furniture and fine linens, and amenities that include bathrooms with heated floors, air jets in tubs and body spray outlets in showers, luminary fireplaces, wall-mounted, flat-screen TV with DirecTV, WiFi, an automatic “do not disturb” systems that indicates to staff members when a room is occupied, a rooftop terrace with a fire pit, kitchen, salon, bar, and a billiards room with library on the ground floor. The Inn’s award-winning Fresh Salt restaurant, so named after the confluence of the fresh water from the Connecticut River and salt water from Long Island Sound, opened in 2011. Since then, it has received the AAA Four Diamond Award in 2014 (as did the Inn), plus accolades from New Haven Dining, Connecticut Magazine, The New Haven Register, Yankee Magazine, Hartford Magazine, and DiscoverNewEngland.org. It features simple, but elegant table settings, a full, wraparound bar, a large aquarium with ¾” glass, and stunning water views. Head Chef Les Tripp, who oversees all operations in the kitchen, related the simple secret behind his operation’s success to date, in a personalized “cook’s tour” I was given the afternoon of my visit. “We’re a family operation and believe in family values,”Tripp said. Tripp went on to explain that he picks up his own produce personally each day from local farms, including five types of

Upstairs at Three Stories.

Continued on page 13

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

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TRAVEL

Charming Seaside Inn in Quintessential New England Setting Continued from page 12

organically grown lettuce, squash, broccoli, butter beans, and tomatoes from a 1-1/2 acre tomato farm that the restaurant owns, where it grows its prized heirloom tomatoes, the seeds for which are flown in each year from Italy by one of the kitchen staff.

Comfort” (August 29). Late in the day, hotel engineer Nick Dacri led me on a detailed tour of the hotel’s state-of-the-art power plant, including its heating and cooling system, in which all rooms share the same freon system, whose output is based solely on demand, and

Prieur & Fils Sancerre from France (2012) to accompany the meal, while she confided in one possible reason behind her and her husband’s success in running such an extraordinary seaside resort: intimate knowledge of the area. “I grew up here. My father and grandfather were both Connecticut River boat pilots. I would just sit and listen to their stories; of sailing to this port and that port,” she explained. “The boaters who come back each summer are a good litmus test of the Inn’s popularity,” she said, gesturing back toward

Fresh Salt’s Grilled Swordfish Chop. “We’re especially proud of our seafood program. Our fishing boats go out seven days a week to places like Pt. Judith, for scallops and calamari, and they call in the

therefore conserves heat and hot water; organically produced salt water and chlorination system for the two pools at the hotel; ultra-efficient, load-shedding power system, Fresh Salt’s Grilled Swordfish Chop.

Managing Partner Stephen Tagliatela, downstairs at Three Stories. day’s catch ahead of time, before docking, so we have our inventory of fresh fish all set up for the day,”Tripp explained. “Our lobster is very popular, especially our two lobster rolls—one which is prepared warm, with drawn butter, and the other cold, with mayonnaise. On the days that we serve lobster rolls—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday--we crank out fresh, hand-picked meat from 500 lobsters,” he said. Moving outside to the marina bar, at poolside, and featuring its own fire pit, I read a list of events for the summer, which included “Christmas in June with Van Gogh Vodka” (June 27), “Patriotic Night with Jack Daniel’s,” Vineyard Tasting” (July 25), and “Red Sox vs. Yankees with Southern

which generates the hotel’s electricity supply from natural gas and stores it according to a demand-response system; advanced water recycling system; and a technologically advanced system for keeping water ducts free of bacteria and sediment build-ups that lead to constriction. That evening, I was invited to dinner by Tagliatela and his vivacious wife, Viola, at Fresh Salt, and treated to fresh sushi triangles, Pt. Judith, R.I. calamari, and a fabulous and succulent grilled swordfish chop, made from the cheek of the swordfish, and highly recommended by Ackles, followed by cheesecake with blueberry rosemary compote and crème fraiche. Ms. Tagliatela recommended a Paul

the busy bar. During the evening, many friends stopped by our table to greet the Tagliatelas and share a glass of wine. “This is our new favorite restaurant,” said Tom McDowell, of Essex, who sat at the table next to us with his wife, Samantha. Kim Virgil, who lives across the street, having moved here three years ago from Utica, NY, and runs a catering business in nearby Middletown, was particularly happy to be here. “I’ve been coming here for years. It’s the most incredible community I’ve ever been

Spa at Inn. involved with. Everyone here embraces you, and you feel like you’re home; I wouldn’t If You Go: trade it for the world—beautiful people, Saybrook Point Inn and Spa beautiful food,” she said. Two Bridge St. Upon leaving, somewhat regretfully, Saybrook, CT early the next morning, I ran into Dan 860.395.2000 Gottschall, of Trumbull, Conn., who was www.saybrook.com also concluding his stay after a company Queen/King (base rate): $319 retreat at the Inn, and was pleased when Queen/King, water view: $379 his comments on his stay echoed my own sentiments. Sea Sprite Sport Fishing “It’s great--the food, the accommoSaybrook Point dations--just the perfect getaway; relaxed, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 comfortable, the people treat you well. Plus, 860.669.9613 they have a great Scotch selection at the bar. http://www.captainpete.com/index. What more could you want?” php All photos by and courtesy of Lee Daniels. Caffe Toscana Based in Pleasantville, NY, Lee Daniels is Arts & Leisure writer for the Yonkers Tribune and The Westchester Guardian and editor for Kiev, Ukraine-based ICU.

25 Main St. Old Saybrook, CT 06475 860.388.1270

Old Colony Package Store 276 Main St. Old Saybrook, CT 06475 860-388-3820 Old Saybrook Historical Society 350 Main St. P.O. Box 4 Old Saybrook, CT 06475 860-395-1635 www.saybrookhistory.org

Saybrook Point Inn Lighthouse Suite.

Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (performing arts) 300 Main St. Old Saybrook, CT 06475 860-510-0453 http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

PRO-LIFE

Pro-Life 101 Continued from page 11

the “right to control one’s body.” If having a uterus requires the right to kill a baby, then women’s bodies are evil, and this misogynistic attitude exploits women. If women are exploited by their babies, they are exploited by their bodies, and only a woman-hater can believe that. Third, we cannot simply say that if abortion is good for women, that is the end of the discussion. What about the children? History is about including classes of human beings that were once excluded: blacks, Jews, women, gays and unborn babies.

Pro-choicers with all their claims that the baby is only a “potential person” are bigots. What is funny is that pro-choicers themselves say that bigotry is wrong. This trait of opposing bigotry while embracing bigotry, common to pro-choice-to-kill activists, just shows the depth of their denial and divorce from reality. The side of equality and inclusion always wins in the end, which is a very good sign for the anti-abortion movement. You don’t have to be a pro-lifer to fight pro-choicers. There are more than two groups. Pro-choicers myopically obsess over rape, incest and embryonic abortion to create a wedge between the general public and prolifers, but I take no positions on these issues. Technically, this means I am not pro-life; I call myself a “pro-compromiser.” Those

who support some abortion and oppose other abortion need to understand that they can only get the laws they want when nine-month pro-choicers are removed from power. Contrary to conventional wisdom, prenatal homicide is legal through all nine months of pregnancy, under all circumstances, in every state, and has been since 1973, although the law misrepresents itself and is too complicated to explain here (see “Are Pro-Choicers Indoctrinated?” by Chris Rostenberg, The Westchester Guardian, May 22, 2014, page 7). Pro-kill extremists should not be allowed to pick and choose which abortion they wish to defend – all prenatal homicide must be justified. Pro-choice is not about helping women. Pro-choice is about being selfish, having

irresponsible sex and not owning the consequences. It is about empathizing with human beings who are like you – women – and killing those who are not like you – babies. Pro-choice is about going along with the majority, and deluding yourself into thinking you are not killing children (or worse, that killing babies is acceptable). Pro-choice is about simplistic, violent answers to very serious, complex problems. Tragically, prochoice is also about women and men who have killed their children who do not want to admit to it. Pro-choicers don’t understand abortion, and don’t want to. Fifty million dead children is enough to drive a nation neurotic. It is easy to see that pro-choicers are in denial, and to understand why, but it is very hard to see why anti-abortionists would

rationalize their position. Yes, the environment is important, but it is being addressed openly. You are not allowed to talk about the baby holocaust, even after all this time. Prenatal homicide is not the most important issue – it is the only issue. If you don’t understand the nine-month pro-choice holocaust, you don’t know what the hell is going on. No, leaving prenatal homicide up to the woman is a bad idea. I tell the women of the world, “I deny your right to abortion, and I’m doing you a service when I do so.” Chris Rostenberg is a freelance writer. Correspondence may be directed to ChrisRosty@ gmail.com

MUSIC

THE SOUNDS The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band “Goin’Home” OFBLUE www.ConcordMusicGroup.com – www.KennyWayneShepherd.com By Bob Putignano The Kenny Wayne Shepherd band moves to Concord Records using a “Louisiana Entertainment” moniker which is appropriate as Shepherd really does go back to his blues and (at times) Louisiana roots on the appropriately titled “Goin’ Home.” There aren’t any KWS band member changes, but there are some very special guests: Rebirth Brass Band, Joe Walsh with Kim Wilson, Warren Haynes, Pastor Brady Blade, Sr., Keb’ Mo,’ Robert Randolph, and even Ringo Starr assist on this twelve-track of all-coversongs/blues recording. And while I had some fears about a potential train-wreck, the majority of this album flows particularly well, and feels fresh, even though no new ground

is broken. That being said Duck Dunn’s, Don Nix’ and Leon Russell’s “Palace of the King” kicks-off the album in high-fly fashion aided by the rousing horns of the Rebirth Brass Band, Noah Hunt is on top of his vocal game, as Shepherd leaps with blistering solos. No needed guests on Walter Jacobs’ “Everything Is Gonna Be Alright” performed as it should as a down-home blues standard, Riley Osbourn tickles the ivories tastefully throughout and melds and assists when Shepherd explodes. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Doyle Bramhall’s “House Is Rockin’” is all pedal to the medal, Hunt exhumes Stevie Ray’s vocal eerily interpreting Vaughan’s

mannerisms, again Osbourn strolls, and Shepherd unloads. Warren Haynes guests on “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” and tastefully trades vocal barbs with Hunt, the tune develops as a deep soul-blues groove as Shepherd and Haynes exchange riveting guitar licks towards the abrupt yet smart ending. “Looking Back” is not from Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s later-day funk era and is straight tinged Texas blues that works extremely well especially when Shepherd sets sail. Dual guests Keb’ Mo’ and the Rebirth Brass Band return on a rousing (William Bell – Booker T. Jones) edition of “Born Under a Bad Sign.” Keb’ Mo’ introduces the vocal and quickly goes back and forth with Hunt, Rebirth’s horns kick and make it funky too. I could have done without Muddy Waters’ “Still a Fool” with

Robert Randolph, even though Shepherd and Randolph amp up the instrumental segment, yet it feels clunky to me, and I would have preferred to have ended this quality recording in a more upbeat way, but that’s just me. Shepherd fans will dig “Goin’ Home,” and I suspect with Concord’s powerful marketing punch this new disc will introduce the Kenny Wayne Shepherd band to an even wider audience. That being said; enjoy the solid cover tunes here, and when the KWS band comes to your town, be certain to go to see them perform live as you will not be disappointed, they’ll keep you rocking-on all night. For fifteen years Bob Putignano has been pivotal at WFDU http://wfdu.fm with his Sounds of Blue radio show: http://www.SoundsofBlue.

com ; Previously a senior contributing editor at Blues Revue, Blueswax, and Goldmine magazines, and Music Editor for the Yonkers Tribune and The Westchester Guardian. Putignano can be contacted at: bob8003@yahoo. com

SWIMMING

Seniors Start Summer with Pool Party and Barbecue WHITE PLAINS, NY -- Westchester County senior citizens are invited to spend the day poolside as they enjoy an old-fashioned barbecue and entertainment during a Pool Party and Barbecue scheduled on Tuesday, June 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Saxon Woods Pool in White Plains. Rain date is Wednesday, June 25. Sponsored by Westchester County Parks and the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services, the pool party is open to Westchester County residents age 60 and older. Seniors are welcome to bring their young grandchildren.

Since the pool will not be officially open yet, seniors and youngsters will have the pool for their exclusive use. Saxon Woods also features the “Andy’s Place” playground that is handicapped-accessible for children with special needs and is fun for kids of all ages. And, mini golf rounds are free. From 11 a.m. to noon, barbecued chicken, tossed

salad, potato salad, juice and dessert will be available. Entertainment will be provided by the Stolen Moments Band, along with a water aerobics class. Participants are welcome to bring any additional nonalcoholic beverages. Seating at Saxon Woods Pool is limited; participants are encouraged to bring chairs for seating. Admission and parking

for the event are free; Park Passes are not required for this program. Suggested lunch contribution is $4 for seniors and children. Deadline for placing lunch orders is Tuesday, June 10. To order, call the Department of Senior Programs and Services at (914) 813-6380 or (914) 813-6416 Make checks payable to “WCDSPS” and mail to: Pool Party; Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services; 9 South First Avenue, 10th Floor; Mount Vernon, NY 10550. Saxon Woods Pool is located at 1800 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains. For more information about the event, call (914) 231-4500.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

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and Time Magazine 2002 “co-person of the year” Coleen Rowley {http://www.blogtalkradio.com/johmac13/2014/05/25/ the-weekly-johnmac-radio-show) opined that the government had illegally acted when it pulled Snowden’s passport when he was out of the country. If she is correct, this action may prove to have the same result as the Nixon-age break into Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office. In other words, the public expects individuals to be fallible and to commit illegal acts. We do not – nor should we – expect the government which we have entrusted the right to make laws as our representatives to then break the laws. We have elected and put our trust in two presidents to both protect us and be faithful to our laws, not break them. We did not entrust the same to Vinnie The Chin nor Edward Snowden. On a previous episode on my radio show (www.blogtalkradio.com/

rapidtalk/2013/11/03/the-johnmac-show), former Federal prosecutor and creator of the cybercrime unit Mark Rasch, while personally favoring many of the government surveillance programs, said that what is missing is public debate on these important issues. First, the public has no idea of the existence of many of the programs (for good reason – they are illegal under our current laws) and, when they are made public, the rationale for their existence is that they are necessary for our protection and, without them, “we would be much less safe.” But as Rasch points out, when we ask for details – how many plots have been uncovered or stopped, the answer is always “that’s classified.” Rasch feels – and I agree – that there is no room for debate in that scenario. It’s merely “Take my word. I know what’s good for you.” Rowley makes a case that secrecy actually makes us less safe than transparency

TECHNOLOGY / CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Friction Between Our Values and Our Actions By JOHN F. McMULLEN James Warren, New York Daily News Washington Bureau Chief, ended a recent column with the paragraph “There’s friction between our values and our actions. And Obama, a rational man should perceive the fallacy of our actions.” The column, “Chinese hackers, American hypocrisy” (www.nydailynews. com/opinion/chinese-hackers-american-hypocrisy-article-1.1803981) dealt, not kindly, with the recent indictment of Chinese military officers for “hacking” into the computer systems of American corporations and a labor union. Warren points out that not only did Edward Snowden’s revelations include US hacking into a Chinese mobile phone company, a Chinese maker of Internet switching equipment and Brazil’s state-run petrochemical company but also that the Clinton Administration bugged the Japanese during big auto talks – all of this was done under the rationale of national security. Warren quotes Jack Goldsmith, George W. Bush’s head of the Office of Legal Counsel as saying “the U.S. position is less hypocritical than it is self-serving. The United States is seeking to defend a position that has no basis in law and that is designed to serve its particular interests of maximizing surveillance while minimizing intellectual property

theft”. Clearly, the government is on shaky ground here – but it seems that in our new digital world, much of decisions by individuals and our governments alike, are on shaky ground. There seem to be complexities, nuances, in the instances raised by Warren. In his rather negative New York Times review of Glen Greenwald’s account of his dealings with Snowden (http://www.nytimes. com/2014/06/08/books/review/noplace-to-hide-by-glenn-greenwald. html), Michael Kinsley quotes Greenwald as writing “My position was straightforward. By ordering illegal eavesdropping, the President had committed crimes and should be held accountable for them.” Kinsley summarizes this statement as meaning “You break the law, you pay the price: It’s that simple” and rebuts this conclusion, writing “But it’s not that simple, as Greenwald must know. There are laws against government eavesdropping on American citizens, and there are laws against leaking official government documents. You can’t just choose the laws you like and ignore the ones you don’t like. Or perhaps you can, but you can’t then claim that it’s all very straightforward.” Kinsley then proceeds to find just about everything possible wrong with both the book and with Greenwald himself with opinions like “Maybe he’s charming and

generous in real life. But in “No Place to Hide,” Greenwald seems like a self-righteous sourpuss, convinced that every issue is “straightforward,” and if you don’t agree with him, you’re part of something he calls “the authorities,” who control everything for their own nefarious but never explained purposes.” Perhaps blinded by his distaste for Snowden and Greenwald, Kinsley, who always comes across as a very bright and thoughtful person, never addresses the fact that the American public has the right to have different expectations of individuals and the government that we have entrusted to make and carry out our laws. Snowden certainly appears to have committed a criminal act – as have many people in our history – John Dillinger, Willie Sutton, Julius Rosenberg, Vincent “Vinnie The Chin” Gigante, Daniel Ellsberg, Aldrich Ames, Bernard Madoff... and, now. Edward Snowden comes to mind. Some committed crimes for the thrill of it, some for ideology, some for money, and some, like Ellsberg and Snowden because they felt that they were breaking their legal agreements for more compelling of patriotic reasons (whether we agree with their thinking or not). Parenthetically, it is ironic that Snowden, like Ellsberg, may eventually avoid legal sanctions because the government in its pursuit of him may have itself violated the law. On my radio show last week, ex-FBI agent, “whistleblower, attorney,

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

TECHNOLOGY / CREATIVE DISRUPTION

Friction Between Our Values and Our Actions Continued from page 15

would. She referred to Steven Aftergood’s website, “Secrecy News” (www.fas.org/ sgp/news/secrecy/), the publication of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy for information of the secrecy procedures of the federal government. I believe that an intelligent case could be made for the necessity of government intrusion into what has been heretofore considered private areas for our protection

– just as I believe that a case can be made that our privacy is more important than the possible lack of security. In a democracy, the people are supposed to elect officials who will administer laws that reflect the majority wishes, under the constraints of our Constitution. Instead, we have an atmosphere that appears to be out of the television shows “Scandal” and “Person of Interest” where un-elected officials design and implement illegal programs, unknown even to members of Congress who are charged with

overseeing those agencies. Greenwald writes “Democracy requires accountability and consent of the governed, which is only possible if citizens know what is being done in their name. The presumption is that, with rare exception, they will know everything their public officials are doing, which is why they are called public servants, working in the public sector, in public service, for public agencies. Conversely, the presumption is that government, with rare exceptions, will not know anything that law abiding citizens are doing, That is why we are called private individuals, functioning in our private capacity. Transparency is for those who carry out public duties and exercise public

power. Privacy is for everyone else.” I don’t see how Michael Kinsley could disagree with this statement. The extent of the “rare exceptions” mentioned by Snowden may certainly be debated in the context of privacy vs. security but they must be debated – and in public! No matter which side of the debate Americans come down on, the result, as long as it doesn’t violate our Constitution, is in keeping with our democratic traditions. Until we take such action, there will always be, in Warren’s words, “friction between or values and our actions” – but it’s up to us to demand this debate!

of himself and flee? Should the Egyptian soldier stand his ground and defend his nation against invaders, or should he flee to preserve his own life? Three observations: First: Salafis like Burhami, who try to pattern their lives as literally as possible after Islam’s prophet Muhammad and his original companions—hence the ubiquitous beards and white robes—deserve attention for they are a treasure trove of information on literal Islam. It’s always the Salafi-minded Muslims who evoke and uphold any number of things deemed absurd or evil in a Western context—from trying to enforce

Still, Salafis are much more frank and honest than other, less overt Islamists, namely the two-faced Muslim Brotherhood, which, now that it has been overthrown in Egypt, has shown its true face—terrorism— causing it once again to be banned in Egypt. Second: To be sure, many Muslims— perhaps the majority—reject Burhami’s latest “cowardly husband” fatwa, in agreement with the aforementioned op-ed. The problem, however, and as usual, is that while they agree that such behavior is unbecoming of a husband, in the realm of Islamic jurisprudence, it is difficult to argue with the Salafi cleric’s logic. He used qiyas, a legitimate tool of jurisprudence; and the imam whose logic he analogized is widely recognized as an authority in Sunni Islam. Moreover and despite the sneering tone of the op-ed, women are, in fact, often depicted as little more than chattel for men in Islamic scriptures. This is the fundamental problem facing all moderate Muslims: despite what they like to believe and due to a variety of historical and epistemological factors, they are heavily influenced by Western thinking—protecting women and the weak in general, or chivalry, is a Christian “innovation”—so whenever they come up against Islamic teachings they cannot fathom, they collectively behave as if such teachings don’t really mean what they mean. Yet the Salafis know exactly what they mean. Third: This latest fatwa exemplifies the lure of Salafism. This brand of literal Islam does not offer anything profound or spiritually satisfying, but it does offer divine sanctioning for unabashed egoism— in this case, forsaking one’s wife to rape in self-interest. Justifying egoism is not limited to preserving the self but also gratifying it— especially in the context of jihad. One can go on and on about the other Salafi fatwas permitting rape,incest, and prostitution

Creative Disruption is a continuing series examining the impact of constantly accelerating technology on the world around us. These changers normally happen under our personal radar until we find that the world as we knew it is no more. John F. McMullen is a writer, poet, college professor and radio host. Links to other writings, Podcasts, and BlogTalkRadio broadcasts www.johnmac13.comhttp://www. at johnmac13.com/.

MIDDLE EAST FORUM

Islamic Fatwa

Husbands Should Abandon Wives to Rapists in Self-Interest By RAYMOND IBRAHIM Islam permits Muslim husbands to abandon their wives to rapists in order to save their own lives—so says Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, vice president of Egypt’s Salafi party, the nation’s premiere Islamist party since the Muslim Brotherhood was banned. Burhami’s fatwa, or Islamic decree, is not altogether surprising. Earlier the Salafi sheikh said that, although a Muslim man may marry non-Muslim women, specifically Christians and Jews, he must hate them—and show them that he hates them—because they are “infidels” (even as he enjoys them sexually). Indeed, the many fatwas of Dr. Burhami, a pediatrician by training, include banning Muslim cab and bus drivers from transporting Coptic Christian priests to their churches, which he depicted as “more forbidden than taking someone to a liquor bar”;permitting marriage to minor girls;banning Mother’s Day—”even if it saddens your mother”—as a Western innovation; and insisting that Muslims cannot apostatize from Islam—a phenomenon often in the news. Now in his most recent fatwa—that husbands are permitted to forsake their sexually-assaulted wives in self-interest— Burhami relies on qiyas, or analogy, based on the rulings of a prominent twelfth century jurist: according to Imam ‘Azz bin Abdul Salaam, a Muslim should abandon his possessions to robbers if so doing would safeguard his life. Based on this logic, Burhami analogizes that the Muslim husband should abandon his wife if defending her jeopardizes his life—as she is just another possession that

can easily be replaced. In the words of a critical Arabic op-ed titled “Manhood according to Burhami!” and written by one Amani Majed, a Muslim woman: So that which applies to abandoning one’s possessions to thieves and fleeing in fear of one’s life, applies—in Burhami’s view, sorry to say—to one’s wife and daughter. So if the wife is ever exposed to rape, she is seen as a possession. The husband is to abandon

Yassir al-Burhami her to the rapists and escape with his life. a canonical hadith that compels women to And why not? For if he loses his possessions, breastfeed adult men (ironically, to protect he will replace them; and if his wife is raped, their “chastity”), to drinking camel urine for he will marry another, even if she remains good health, to calling for the destruction of alive! all churches. The op-ed goes on to consider the ramOf course, even this honesty is continifications of Burhami’s logic should every gent on Muslim capability and advantage. Muslim man follow it: if a policeman patrolThus Dr. Burhami himself once said that ling the streets sees a woman—a stranger, peace treaties with Israel and other infidels not his wife or daughter—being gang-raped, should be respected—that is, until Muslims should he intervene, as his job entails, and are capable of reneging and going on a sucrisk his own person, or should he think only cessful offensive.

for those fighting to empower Islam. Even renowned heroes like Khalid bin al-Walid— the “Sword of Allah”—celebrated in the Muslim world for his jihadi conquests, was, from a less hagiographic perspective, little more than a mass murdering, sadistic rapist. More generally, Salafi-minded Muslims believe that all non-Muslims can be deceived, cheated, robbed, exploited, enslaved and/or killed—all in the self-interest of the Muslim, seen as one with the self-interest of Islam. Why do they believe this? Because from a Salafi point of view, all free non-Muslim “infidels” who do not submit to Islamic law, or Sharia—Americans and Europeans for example—are natural born enemies, or harbis, and thus free game. First published by Frontpage Magazine on May 28, 2014: http://www.meforum.org/3832/islamicfatwa-husbands-should-abandon-wives-to Raymond Ibrahim, author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (Regnery, April, 2013) is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

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counterproductive for those of us who want the state of Internet connection technology to continue to improve. And it is neither unreasonable nor unfair to want companies that push the demand for higher speeds and more bandwidth to shoulder some of the costs involved in providing it. This is not to say broadband providers should have no regulation whatsoever. In particular, the prohibition against blocking or disrupting competing vendors’ content is an essential consumer protection. Differentiating types of traffic is useful, but protection to make sure it isn’t discriminatory due to the traffic’s content is wise. While recognizing this, the FCC seems to be taking care not to clamp down on ISPs so severely that they are inhibited from investing in new or improved services. The FCC’s proposal will draw a big pile of comments for the next few months, while it remains open for public reaction. A lot of those comments will be critical. Net-neutrality advocates have already called the proposed rules “a stake in the heart for Internet openness” and “an insult to those who care about preserving the open Internet.” Online and offline protests have sprung up, based on distrust for broadband providers or the idea that a “fast lane” must necessitate a “slow lane” that is substantially worse than what most users see now.

But perhaps the most telling sign, to an outside observer, indicating that the FCC’s proposal is a compromise is that it has already drawn criticism from both sides, not simply the most extreme defenders of net neutrality. Verizon issued a statement warning that subjecting broadband to strict regulation “would lead to years of legal and regulatory uncertainty and would jeopardize investment and innovation in broadband.” The FCC is caught in the middle of fight in which everyone claims to want the same thing: faster, better Internet. There may well be room for improvements in the FCC’s proposed rules, but the proposal is still a good start. If we want vendors to keep investing in ever-faster and wider pipes, then the parties who do the most to fill those pipes must at least be allowed to help foot the bill.

CURRENT COMMENTARY

Net Neutrality Does Not Equal Net Utility By LARRY M. ELKIN The most strident proponents of “net neutrality” want the Federal Communications Commission to declare broadband a utility, so the government can ensure that everyone gets equal access to the best Internet service that today’s providers can offer. Had they gotten this wish back in 1999, there is a good chance we would all get online today using state-of-the-art dial-up modems. The FCC is trying to walk a fine line in its regulation of broadband. By a 3-2 vote earlier this month, it advanced a proposal that seems to be a reasonable attempt. The proposal would allow large traffic generators, like Netflix, to enter into deals with Internet service providers to ensure the fastest possible service, and thus underwrite the infrastructure that their service requires. At the same time, the proposal would prevent broadband vendors, like Comcast, from blocking or severely slowing traffic from competing websites that do not pay extra to use the fast lane. New Internet sites would reach consumers at whatever speeds consumers paid vendors to provide. Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the FCC, has emphasized that the commission’s goal is “an open Internet” and has argued that the rules respect the principles of net neutrality, suggesting that the definition of

Photo by and courtesy of John Pasden the concept is not necessarily self-evident. infinite, and companies that provide broadAjit Pai, the senior Republican on the band services not only can recognize that commission and one of the two dissenters, not all Internet traffic is created equal, they said that all the members shared common should. Data packets that carry your voice ground in wanting to protect a free and open call or the next frame of your streaming Internet despite the split vote, according to high-definition video must arrive exactly The New York Times. The dissenters argued when expected, or you will notice the difthat Congress, not the FCC, should establish ference. The packet carrying part of the policy for regulating Internet traffic. homepage of your favorite news site – or an ad appearing on that homepage – is not so In essence, then, the dispute comes down to what “free and open” means. As time-sensitive. Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley This sort of logic has already played observed, those opposing the FCC’s out, to some degree. Netflix has made proposed rules are disingenuous or naive agreements with Verizon and Comcast to if they claim that the Internet is currently allow the service to bypass congestion at neutral and free. “Since the rise of the com- hubs connecting ISPs and transit providers, mercial Internet,” he wrote, “it’s been a place despite arguing that the FCC should ban where you pay more to get faster and better such payments. Ars Technica reported that service, whether you are a consumer or a Netflix performance speeds on Comcast company on the other end of the pipe.” improved by 65 percent after the deal. Differentiating types of Internet traffic Federal regulation preventing broadis actually necessary in order to provide a band providers from sorting high-priority smooth user experience. Bandwidth is not traffic from less urgent demands would be

Larry M. Elkin, CPA, CFP®, has provided personal financial and tax counseling to a sophisticated client base since 1986. After six years with Arthur Andersen, where he was a senior manager for personal financial planning and family wealth planning, he founded his own firm in Hastings on Hudson, N.Y., in 1992. That firm grew steadily and became the Palisades Hudson organization, which moved to Scarsdale, N.Y., in 2002. The firm expanded to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2005 and to Atlanta in 2008.

GovernmentSection PUBLIC POLICY

What are the Sources of Wage Inequality? By Dr. OREN LEVIN-WALDMAN The conventional explanation for growing wage inequality is often referred to as the skillsbiased towards technical change theory. This holds that with globalization and increased capital mobility, the economy has changed from industrial production to a post-industrial service based economy. The former did not need a greatly skilled workforce, but the latter,

being technologically more advanced, did require much greater skill. In recent years, however, an alternative explanation has emerged which focuses on deliberate policy choices that were made, which effectively resulted in a deterioration of institutions. This explanation focuses on changes to the tax code that effectively transferred wealth and income from the bottom and the middle to the top, legislative attempts to pass right-to-work laws making unionizing more difficult, packing the

National Labor Relations Board with pro-business and anti-labor people, and willful neglect of the minimum wage. A look at the data, however tells a more complicated story which suggests that as much as the skills-biased technical change explanation is true, its effect on wage inequality was only exacerbated by the deliberate policy choices that effectively resulted in the absence of labor market institutions that have traditionally bolstered the middle class. Put another way, in the face of globalization

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

PUBLIC POLICY

What are the Sources of Wage Inequality? what is needed, contrary to the conventional wisdom of greater wage and labor flexibility, are stronger institutions that can bolster wages. Let’s consider the following examples. In 1982, those working in Professional and Technical occupations constituted 19 percent of the labor force and earned median annual wages of $44,666 in 2013 dollars. By 2013 they constituted 27.6 percent of the labor force, an increase of 45.3 percent, and their median wages increased 23.2 percent to $55,000. At the same time, however, those working as craftsmen (more skilled labor) constituted 13.9 percent in 1982 with median wages of $41,039 in 2013 dollars, but declined 30.2 percent to 9.7 of the labor force with median wages of $40,000 in 2013, a decrease of 2.5 percent. Operatives (also more skilled) decreased by 35.3 percent from 15 percent in 1982 to 9.7 percent in 2013, although their median wages increased 10.5 percent from $28,969 to $40,000. Laborers who are perhaps less skilled decreased 12.8 percent from 3.9 percent to 3.4 percent during this period, and their median wages fell 5.9

percent from $26,555 to $25,000. Meanwhile, on the industry side, the number working in manufacturing decreased 48.3 percent from 23.2 percent to 12 percent in 2013, but their median wages increased 17.3 percent from $38,000 in 2013 dollars to $44,563. Despite the growth in manufacturing wages, it is against the backdrop of a significant decline in the manufacturing base, which by 1982 was still considerably lower than it had been decades earlier. Retail trade, which is where more low-skilled workers tend to be found, increased during this period 10.5 percent from 12.4 percent to 13.7 percent. Although median wages in retail increased 25.7 percent from $21,727 to $27,301, they are still considerably lower than those in Professional and Technical, or those in the more skilled blue-collar occupations. The one interesting growth industry was Business and Repair Services, which perhaps requires more skill. The number working in this industry increased 93.6 percent from 4.7 percent in 1982 to 9.1 percent in 2013, with median wages increasing 50.6 percent from $26,555 in

2013 dollars to $40,000. And yet, their percentage in the overall distribution was very low in 1982 and continues to be low in 2013. On the face of it, these examples suggest growth in the number of jobs requiring greater skill and education while there has been a decrease in the number requiring less. This, of course, would support the skills-biased towards technical change model. Economies, however, don’t function in vacuums. They occur within larger political contexts and are very much influenced by public policy. While these transformations were occurring, union membership declined by 46.2 percent from 21 percent in 1982 to 11.3 percent in 2013. Let us also consider that in 1963, the minimum wage of $1.25 an hour at a 100.6 percent of the U.S. poverty level was in 2013 dollars $9.52 an hour. The willful neglect of the minimum wage, which leaves it at $7.25 an hour means that minimum wage earners are earning 23.8 percent less today than they were in 1963. Even the 1982 minimum wage of $3.35 an hour at 90.6 percent of the poverty line was $8.09 in 2013 dollars. Still, minimum wage workers are earning 10.4 percent less in 2013 than they were in 1982.

Sophisticated statistical testing, which often cannot be easily explained in 30 second sound bites or a short infomercial, also reveals that in 1982, states with high union density were more likely to have lower levels of wage inequality. During the 2000s, there was no statistical significance to union density because it had become irrelevant. Meanwhile states, where the bottom 20th percentile of the wage distribution was higher than the bottom 20th percentile of the national wage distribution were more likely to have lower wage inequality. Moreover, states that passed new minimum wage laws or raised existing ones above the federal minimum wage were more likely to have less wage inequality between 2007 (when many states began to do so) and 2011. Again, institutions matter. Therefore, it does not completely follow that growing wage inequality is a natural progression because of the forces of globalization. Rather, wage inequality could be reduced were labor market institutions to be strengthened. On the contrary, globalization resulting in a skills-bias towards technical change requires more institutions to ensure unskilled workers continue to have respectable wages that will enable

them to purchase goods and services. The answer is not that complicated: wages at the bottom and in the middle need to go up, because if they do not increasing concentrations of wealth will only result in the top .l percent of the top 1 percent pulling further away from the rest of us. Fairness aside, this simply is inefficient because there is a limit to what the very top consumes. After all, it is consumption that drives the economy, and its those in the middle who need to consume. Oren Levin-Waldman is professor of public policy in the School for Public Affairs at Metropolitan College of New York (olevinwaldman@metropolitan.edu ) and author of several books on wage policy. They include the just published: Wage Policy, Income Distribution and Democratic Theory (http://www.routledge.com/books/details/ 9780415779715/#reviews); The Political Economy of the Living Wage: A Study of Four Cities (M.E. Sharpe 2005); and The Case of the Minimum Wage: Competing Policy Models (SUNY Press 2001). He is a researcher for the Employment Policy Research Network (EPRN), and some of his work can be found at http:// www.employmentpolicy.org/people/ oren-levin-waldman.

GOVERNANCE

Yonkers’ April 2014 Unemployment Rate Down 1.7% from 2013; Population Increases by 2% In addition to Yonkers’ decrease in unemployment, the city experienced a 2% increase in population growth, growing by nearly 4,000 people since the 2010 U.S. Census. Yonkers has grown at a faster rate than any other major city in New York besides New York City (2.8%). “Accompanying the increase we’ve experienced in sales revenue and home

YONKERS, NY -- Mayor Mike Spano on May 28, 2014 announced preliminary data released by the New York State Department of Labor showing the April 2014 unemployment rate (5.7%) in the City of Yonkers is at its lowest in five years and down 1.7% from last year. Data also shows Yonkers having the lowest unemployment of New York’s other big 5 cities – New York City (7.4%), Buffalo (7.2%), Rochester (7.4%), and Syracuse (6.3%).

MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN

The remarks expressed by Mayor Marvin on behalf of the Village of Bronxvillians. Good Morning and God Bless America! A warm welcome to our clergy, distinguished colleagues, police and firemen,

2011, 8.7% in 2010 and 8.1% in 2009. Newly released data also shows the annual average unemployment rate for 2013 was the lowest in 5 years at 7.8%. The data is released under the New York State Department of Labor Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program. SOURCE: Christina Gilmartin, Communications Director, Office of the Mayor

he had harrowing experiences. He dealt with the fact that his plane had enough fuel to get to Russia but not back! Mid-air refueling at 5,000 feet in a near stall will test the character of any man and, on duty one day, Bob was sitting in his plane on alert for what was a Cold War “real thing” when it was only halted by a radio cancellation from President Eisenhower himself. Bob served both on active duty and in the reserves and retired with the rank of Captain.

His superior record of service to our nation has only been eclipsed by his record of involvement in the Village. To name just a few of his many volunteer pursuits, Bob has been Village Counsel, Village Trustee, Chairman of the Sarah Lawrence College Board, Co-Founder of our Bronxville Historical Conservancy and at this moment is Co-Chair of our Eastchester Town 350th Anniversary Celebration. Bob raised his two children in the Village and still lives here on Crows Nest

GOVERNMENT

Offering a Prayer in Silence and Gratitude By Mayor MARY C. MARVIN

sales, the downward trend in unemployment and rise in population over the last several years are more positive signs of the growth of our economy -- proving people and businesses are choosing Yonkers to live, work and play,” said Mayor Spano. The April 2014 unemployment rate in Yonkers was 5.7%, down from 7.4% in April 2013, 8.4% in 2012, 7.9% in

community organizations and most especially the children to the 94th annual Bronxville parade and commemoration. Today I have the distinct pleasure to honor, on behalf of all of you, a lifelong Bronxvillian, Robert (Bob) Riggs, as our Grand Marshal. After graduation from the Bronxville

Schools, Bob went off to Amherst College and there joined the ROTC and upon graduation, was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Bob was trained as a pilot on the B-47 Stratojet, a six engine flying fortress, that was part of our Cold War fleet. Although Bob was not in war combat,

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

MAYOR Marvin’s COLUMN

must never become old fashion or go out of style. It is said that a hero is someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom and is willing to sacrifice his own dreams for the hopes of a nation. President Kennedy said, “A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors.” The legacy of a hero is the inheritance of a great example and our small Village has more than its share of heroes – Bronxvillians experienced the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Iwo Jima and the taking of Normandy Beach. We have fathers who

served in Vietnam with sons who then served in Iraq. And thanks to the heroism exhibited by men and women of this caliber, the rest of us should be quite aware that to be born free is an accident, to live free is a privilege and to die free is a responsibility. Today is a day to take time to say a prayer and a word of gratitude for the fallen but also to reflect upon virtue, what it means to have character, dignity, to be honorable, brave, have integrity and courage. Wars have shown us that courage is contagious. Let Memorial Day be a rebirth of our commitment to live a life of character with passion and joy and emulate true heroes – people of quality and substance as we celebrate life and liberty. Sadly I want to add that, in just this past

CENTER ON CONGRESS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Why I Still Have Faith in Congress By LEE H. HAMILTON It’s depressing to read poll after poll highlighting Americans’ utter disdain for Congress. But it’s my encounters with ordinary citizens at public meetings or in casual conversation that really bring me up short. In angry diatribes or in resigned comments, people make clear their dwindling

Page 19

year, we lost three of our heroes, World War II veterans and past Parade Grand Marshals. Please offer a moment of silence to honor three fine men. Gordon Markle, Dr. Martin Stein and Arthur Miller. Thank you and Happy Memorial Day!

Mary C. Marvin is the mayor of the Village of Bronxville, New York. If you have a suggestion or comment, direct your perspective by e-mail to: mayor@vobny.com .

GOVERNMENT

Offering a Prayer in Silence and Gratitude with his wife Wendy and he remembers marching in this very parade as an eight year old Scout. Bob we honor you for your service to our nation and our Village. Some ask – why have Grand Marshals and continue to celebrate Memorial Day when frankly military service seems so removed from our daily lives? I believe we need Memorial Day as a day to bear witness to heroes, and it is not just children who need heroes, and there is no better place to find true heroes than in our country’s military - past and present. Serving our country is the noblest of professions and love of country and devotion to freedom

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

confidence in both politicians and the institution itself. With all Congress’s imperfections — its partisanship, brinksmanship, and exasperating inability to legislate – it’s not hard to understand this loss of faith. Yet as people vent their frustration, I hear something else as well. It is a search for hope. They ask, almost desperately sometimes, about grounds for renewed hope in our system. Here’s why I’m confident that we can do better.

Let’s start with a point that should be obvious, but that people rarely notice: Our expectations are too high. In part, this is our elected officials’ fault: they over-promise and under-perform. They set the bar high — promising strong leadership, a firm hand on the legislative tiller, and great policy accomplishments — then usually fail to clear it. Which should come as no surprise. Congress is not built for efficiency or

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

CENTER ON CONGRESS AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Why I Still Have Faith in Congress Continued from page 19

speediness. On almost every issue, progress comes in increments. The future of the American health care system may appear to hang on the debate raging these days about the Affordable Care Act, but this is just the latest installment of a long-running fight that began even before the creation of Medicare and Medicaid almost five decades ago. Congress deals with complex issues over many years and, sometimes, dozens of pieces of legislation. Focusing on any one moment in our legislative history is to miss the slow but undeniable advance of progress on Capitol Hill. I also tend to be more patient with congressional leaders than many

people who share their frustrations with me. Our political leaders confront a terribly difficult political environment: the country is both deeply and evenly divided along partisan and ideological lines. Getting 218 votes in the House and 60 votes in the Senate can be a punishing task. It takes skill, competence, and a great deal of passion to make progress in this kind of environment — especially when those in Congress who are dedicated to finding a way forward have to face colleagues who do not appear to want the system to work. This brings me to a third point. If 50 years of watching Congress closely have taught me anything, it’s to wait until the end of a congressional session to

see what members actually accomplish. Despite all the bickering, roadblocks, delays, and grandstanding, Congress can often pass significant legislation by the end of a session, even if it can’t do everything we expect of it. And members of Congress are good politicians. Most try hard to understand what the people want, and try to bring about meaningful change, at least within their ideological framework. It may take a while, but Congress in the end responds to public sentiment. That is why it will pass the government’s basic funding bills this year, having learned from the public outrage over last year’s government shutdown. Finally, Congress has proven over its long history that even in the most difficult circumstances it can be astoundingly

productive. The very first Congress, meeting at a time of enormous political uncertainty and financial trouble, was able to firm up the new government’s structure and set the course for the nation’s future. At one of the darkest times in our recent history, during the height of the Watergate scandal — when tensions between Congress and the White House and between Democrats and Republicans were no less pointed than they are now — Congress and President Nixon were still able to collaborate on the Federal Aid Highway Act, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization, the Endangered Species Act, the Legal Services Corporation Act, an overhaul of the farm subsidy program, and an increase in the minimum wage.

Congress often has risen above periods of great contention. It possesses a resilience that is obvious from the perspective of decades. Building on that search for hope in our system, and on the long historical record, Americans have good reason to believe that Congress can and will do better. Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. Go to Facebook for information about the Center of Congress at Indiana University educational resources and programs, and to share your thoughts about Congress, civic education, and the citizen’s role in representative democracy. “Like” them on Facebook at “Center on Congress at Indiana University.”

CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Attorney General Candidate John Cahill Calls for VA Transparency for New York Veterans Former Yonkers Mayor and Vietnam Veteran John Spencer in Attendance with Area Veterans YONKERS, NY – In the wake of revelations of falsified wait time records and new reports of disability pay delays, New York Attorney General candidate John Cahill stood with 2006 US Senate candidate, Mayor John Spencer and area veterans outside the Yonkers Veteran’s Administration (VA) office on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, to call for the release of documents detailing veteran

care and disability payment delays. “It’s not enough to just say ‘thank you for your service’ and show up at a few Memorial Day events. New York’s veterans, including many of our own national guardsmen, are finally coming home after thirteen years of war and they deserve a VA that delivers on our solemn promise to provide care,” said Cahill. “While the VA is legally beyond the reach of the State Attorney General, it is incumbent on the AG to come forward

where there is injustice and be a voice for those who are neglected or wronged,” added Cahill. Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder indicated that the Department of Justice doesn’t have any plans to investigate the host of problems at the VA, instead leaving it to their internal Inspector General (IG). Cahill said, “Everyone in America knows our veterans are being mistreated, but instead of leading the charge for change Eric Schneiderman remains silent.” According to a May 26, 2014 report by the Press & Sun Bulletin, “In the 31 county area served by the VA’s Buffalo Regional Benefit Office — covering the western half of New York State from Broome County to Lake Erie — veterans are more likely to face delays in processing disability benefits claims

than almost anywhere in the country. 61 percent of the 7,254 claims for disability benefits pending as of May 17 in the Buffalo region were at least 125 days old. Only four out of the VA’s 57 regional benefit offices nationwide — in Jackson, Miss., Reno, Nev., Louisville, Ky., and Baltimore, MD., — have worse backlogs.” Mayor Spencer said, “We need an Attorney General who will look out for veterans who will be their voice. I know John Cahill will be that voice.” Cahill noted, “The VA has been self-reporting its patient outcome data for years and it’s crystal clear that it’s not working. It’s time to put in place a qualified third party to review and recommend real improvements to the VA’s performance.” There are more than 2 million

AG candidate John Cahill (2nd from left) and Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer (right) standing before the Yonkers Veteran’s Administration Office with concerned veteran supporters. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in America, many of whom suffer from unemployment, post-traumatic stress, alcoholism, substance abuse and homelessness. Worse, according to current Veterans Administration estimates, 22 American veterans commit suicide every day.

“As a state and as a nation we need to wake up to the challenges facing our veterans and, following their brave example, we need to answer this call to action in the face of crisis,” concluded Cahill. Visit http://cahillforag.com/ to learn more.

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

Page 21

GREG BALL’S CORNER

Forever Grateful To Have Served In Public Office By Senator GREG BALL As many know, I term limited myself in the Assembly and am proud to now follow through on that same pledge in the Senate. For 8 years I have enjoyed a tremendous opportunity to serve. Those memories and friendships will last a lifetime and I am forever grateful. As an elected official, and unlike many, I swore to make the position my full time job and to not accept outside employment. I kept my word and am proud to have done so, but now it is time to return to the private sector, and eventually, hopefully take time to raise a family. In just 4 terms I have been through 4 general elections and 3 primaries, and I’ve lived a lifetime of experiences in a condensed period of time. I gave the community every ounce of energy I had, working 7 days a week. I’m proud of my record in public service and honored to have had the opportunity to shape public policy for the good, specifically for service disabled and other veterans, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, small business owners, sportsmen, seniors, taxpayers, the special needs community and our four legged friends. I didn’t run for office to embrace the status quo or to make friends, yet I am proud to have kept my independence even while

making strong friendships along the way. I genuinely believe in servant leadership and I term limited myself in the Assembly and similarly term limited myself in the Senate. Breaking that pledge was never an option and leaving this seat open two years from now, during a Presidential election where we

would be hard pressed to maintain the seat, would have been selfish. My late announcement was timed with one purpose, to keep this Senate seat in Republican control. Until a month ago, we didn’t even have a replacement candidate and I was never going to walk away from my Republican conference, unless this seat was secure. With Terrence Murphy, I am now confident that we will maintain this seat not only during this election, but also for many years to come. My office will continue to provide excellent constituent and legislative work. On the campaign side, I will remain engaged from fundraising to operations for a solid Republican victory in November. It has been an exhilarating journey and I would like to thank my family, friends and supporters. And no, I am not running for County Executive, Congress or any other position. Thank you and God bless. For more information, direct email to Josef Bachmeier: joe@ ball4ny.com or (845) 531-9796.

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Twitter is for Twits By NANCY KING

Twitter, the fast moving 140 character blurb-athon has changed, not only the way we communicate with one another, but has just about influenced every other way information is disseminated. It has fast become the preferred source for information junkies and reporters alike. All there has to be is a hint or a rumor of a news event and out pops a tweet that may confirm or deny that rumor. Those pesky little 140 character sentences have damn nearly killed the print industry. You see it, and you report it via tweet. Gone are the days of covering a story and then rushing to you keyboard to get it to your editor in a timely manner. We’ve all been reduced to 140 characters, a click to send, and we’re onto the next “newsy” item. But news isn’t the only thing that has found a home on twitter, it seems to be the place where elected officials and political candidates and their consultants are now living. Welcome to elections management in 2014. With the New York State gubernatorial race for becoming one of the nastier races in recent history, both sides have taken to Twitter to beat their respective chests while taking jabs at each other’s record. First up at the keyboard is Governor Andrew Cuomo. His daily tweets often include some feel good moments about why it is great to do business in New York, or those little tidbits about storm preparedness.

Whoever manages his happy Twitter account never has a bad or negative thing to say about the state or his opponent. However, it isn’t always diamonds and roses when another pro-Cuomo account hits the keyboard. @AstorinoTruthSquad, which was reportedly started by a group of Westchester Democrats, never misses a chance to Tweet something negative about the Republican candidate and current County Executive Rob Astorino. Their latest tweets have included a charge that County Executive Astorino has himself failed to sign legislation for term limits in the county when he stated on the campaign trail that he is a proponent of term limits. Earlier tweets take a jab at the county’s lowered bond rating status and how, if elected, governor, the rights of women and children under Astorino will be in peril! Where Governor Andy Cuomo would have us pooping out rainbows, the AstorinoTruth Squad assert and call CE Astorino an outright liar. The Astorino campaign is likewise maintaining a couple of Twitter accounts; both of which are not being managed too effectively. @CuomoWatch is an anti-Cuomo, anti-Democrat, anti-liberal account that tweets pretty much incessantly about the most inane topics. From Sandra Lee’s housing permit woes to conspiracy theories as to why the Moreland Commission was de-commissioned. The funniest tweet this past weekend when whomever is managing this Twitter account tweeted

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and two of his children engage some quality time. The photo was posted in the latter part of May; why is the property outside the house covered in snow. There was no snowfall in Westchester County in May 2014. to me that having four more years of Andrew Cuomo as Governor would be like having the infamous and alleged tot killer Casey Anthony as a mother. Call me old fashioned but this demeanor diminishes a candidate’s credibility because the campaign can’t even manage one of their staffers. Maybe I’m just being sensitive or maybe I expect a legitimate candidate to have professional and legitimate staff. Perhaps my expectations are too high.

Rob Astorino has a Twitter account, too. It is however doubtful that he maintains it. It is usually as benign and as boring as Governor Cuomo’s and also includes what he is allegedly doing at the time of the tweet. So here we all sat in reflection this past Memorial Day when out pops a tweet from @RobAstorino, “Nothing like some quality time with the girls. Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!” Of course there is the obligatory picture of Astorino sitting at a

table with his two daughters engaged in an arts and crafts project involving some red paper and wooden hearts. In the background, the view through the window reveals the great outdoors… covered in snow? In May? Yes, in May! Hey @AstorinoTruthSquad, how’d you let that one squeak by? #bothcampsfail

2012, the women of Detroit obtained 5,693 abortions (31%). It is significant to note that this is triple the abortion rate for the state of Michigan during the same period. Michigan’s abortion rate declined 1.6% between 2001 and 2012. Detroit’s increased 10.4% during the same time period. Public health “officials” attribute the increase of feticide on “rising poverty and dwindling access to contraception”. Not even a passing mention of the breakdown of the urban family and increased (irresponsible) sexual activity between people unready and unwilling to raise a child. Let’s blame the lack of

taxpayer-sponsored Trojans. Did Sandra Fluke pick up an unannounced gig at the Detroit Public Health commission...? Anyone with the most cursory understanding of population growth/ decline can understand why this is such a problem. As the effulgent Mark Steyn will tell you, every population has a replacement fertility rate. To maintain the current population requires a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman, since that is the bare minimum needed to replenish the country/state/city. Once a population’s fertility rate drops below 1.4 children per couple, it is virtually

Nancy King is a freelance reporter operating out of Westchester County.

PROGRESSIVISM

Mass Murder in Detroit, Sanger-style By LUKE HAMILTON This column has previously explored the cataclysmic failure of the city of Detroit; how the city represents a culmination of decades-long Leftist policy and how the citizens continue to bite the hand attempting to feed it. None of this is news to Clash Daily readers. However, it seems statistically probable that things will get a whole lot worse before they get better. How is this possible, you ask?

Their operating deficit last year stood at $100m and they have long-term liabilities which stretch mid-teens into the billions. Their police and fire squads are so demoralized and understaffed that they have been forced to abandon entire neighborhoods to their own devices as there simply isn’t enough manpower. Wild animals have taken over city blocks and a private group is even recruiting investors to fund a zombie-survival amusement park in the city itself, ala The Walking Dead.

How could things get worse? DetroitNews.com reported this week that ⅓ of all pregnancies end in abortion in the city of Detroit. That is a staggering statistic. Yes, it’s true that in certain demographics and in our most concentrated urban areas, the percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion can be higher; but this number is regardless of demographic. The future growth of the city of Detroit has been shuttered by a third for subsequent generations. Out of an estimated 18,360 pregnancies in

Continued on page 23

THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

Page 23

duty and honor to drop off a pile of cash on the dresser of a sexual partner, so that she can “take care of it”. This is an issue of humanity and those who cheapen it to the point of death. Detroit isn’t a tragedy, it’s the perfectly-formed fruit of the rotten tree of Progressivism.

not penning columns for ClashDaily. com, Hamilton spends his time astride the Illinois-Wisconsin border, leading bands of liberty-starved citizens from the progressive gulags of Illinois to [relative] freedom. Hamilton is the creative mind/voice behind Pillar & Cloud Productions, a budding production company which resides at http://www.PillarCloudProductions. com.He owes all to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose strength is perfected in his weakness.

PROGRESSIVISM

Mass Murder in Detroit, Sanger-style Continued from page 22

impossible for the population to rebound into a growing entity. Some Asian and European countries have already entered what Steyn calls “the death spiral” which is akin to calling Hospice for your population: you don’t know when it will arrive, but the end is nigh. Spain’s fertility rate hovers around 1.1 births per female. This means the Spanish nation is halving in population with each generation. In 2012, the population of Detroit was estimated to be around 713,777 poor souls, of which around 52% were estimated to be female. With 5,000+ abortions performed each year in Detroit, how is it even conceivable that the city will survive another 25 years, given that the rate of demographic replenishment is cut by a third with each passing generation?

Where is President Obama, who loves to lecture us about the responsibility we hold to keep abortion “safe, legal, and rare”? There’s nothing rare about your population being truncated by a third. One can almost picture that harpy, Margaret Sanger, rubbing her talons together in some warm, sulfurous place. This is, after all, the fulfillment of her dream when she founded Planned Parenthood. She sought to purge the American society of those demographics she deemed undesirable or unfit for breeding. As the numbers of urban women who choose death over life skyrocket, the dreams of Margaret Sanger (and other progressive eugenicists) come tragically true. This is not an issue of condom access, or even poverty. This is an issue of the devaluation of humanity. Thousands

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of women have decided that their own convenience and/or pleasure is more important than a human life. They are encouraged by discussion from so-called medical professionals who inform them that going through with the procedure is the equivalent of blowing their nose. Does a nose have a heartbeat? Does snot contain DNA distinct from your nose? Along with all of those women, there are thousands of men who have chosen cowardice over courage. Pretending to be a man to get into her bed, but shirking

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THE WESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

EYE ON

Thursday, JUNE 5, 2014

THEATRE

Subaltern Silver, Delicious Dale By JOHN SIMON Nicky Silver is neither a top drawer nor a bottom drawer dramatist, but one from the middle drawers. Of middle drawers there are several, and sometimes Silver is high middle, sometimes low middle. His current “Too Much Sun” is perhaps middle-middle drawer.

Like its immediate predecessor, “The Lyons,” it has a middle-aged heroine, in this case Audrey Langham, a celebrated stage actress, who in some ways has made a mess of her life, and is now in the process

her. But Audrey is terrible at taking direction even in Chicago (the city, not the show). She gripes about her costume, her stage positioning, the lighting, and, most of all, the verse play she is in, and an infanticide heroine, she believes, nobody gives a damn about. As Linda Lavin plays Audrey, this is funny—well, fairly funny—but also wholly unbelievable. No director would be only a disembodied voice, and no leading actress would walk out on her role in mid rehearsal, even leaving the Windy City for the summer house on the Northeast

Matt Dickson as Lucas and Ken Barnett as Dennis in Too Much Sun.

of ruining other people’s, starting with that of her daughter Kitty, unhappily married and a whiner, but, as a schoolteacher, not nowadays surprisingly so. The trouble with

Linda Lavin as Audrey Langham and Jennifer Westfeldt as Kitty in Too Much Sun.

most Silver plays is that they are not quite believable as drama, and, as comedy, more silver than gold. In the very first scene, Audrey stands dead center before a curtain, rehearsing the role of Medea, with an unseen director heard over the loudspeaker trying to direct

Coast, rented by her neglected daughter now in the middle of an unhappy marriage. I refer to Kitty’s one, rather than the five or six (the play is vague about numbers) marriages of her own.

Richard Bekins as Winston and Linda Lavin as Audrey Langham in Too Much Sun.

Kitty is married to Dennis, an ad man taking a summer off to write a sci-fi novel set partly on a planet with two suns (hence the play’s title), and, as it turns out, attracted less to her than to a neighbor, young Lucas, who makes money peddling pot (where does he get it from?) rather

than getting ready for college, where his widowed father, Winston, would have him go, except that he spoils his son rotten, smiling even when the lad totals dad’s car or sells dad’s golf clubs. Kitty has reasons to complain besides her husband’s coldness. Audrey has been the worst possible, absentee mother, neglecting her year after year. This on top of Dennis’s bitching that the study in which he would be writing has been converted into a bedroom for Audrey, who sleeps till all hours and emerges only for meals and candy. Or cigarettes, which, in a running gag, she tries to bum from every other character in the play, all of whom however, are nonsmokers. Two relationships grow. Audrey and Winston become close, and Dennis embarks on a steamy beachside affair with Lucas in more graphic gay sex scenes than I recall previously seeing on a stage. Presently we get Gil, who works for his uncle, Audrey’s theatrical agent, and is deputized by him to bring back the runaway actress. But Gil dreams of becoming a rabbi, rather than pursuing Audrey, who now thinks that all acting is ridiculous, and considers her forty years doing it a total waste. But no more plot summary--although, believe me, there is plot aplenty, too much even for “Too Much Sun.” Be it said, though, that Linda Lavin is an expert comedienne who infuses enough wit into, or extracts enough humor from, about everything she touches, and that Mark Brokaw has done everything a director can do hands on, rather than through a mike. There is also good acting from Richard Bekins as Winston, and much less so from Mark Dickson, as his son Lucas, neither young, appealing or talented enough. Jennifer Westfeldt does the best one can with the thankless role of Kitty, and Matt Dellapina is acceptable as Gil, with Ken Barnett, as Dennis, a touch less so. The production has a nice sundeck by Donyale Werle, and clever costumes by Michael Krass. But also one of the most expendable scenes ever written, a pointless entr’acte in which Ms. Lavin, accompanied by Mr. Bekins on the piano, butchers the great Brecht & Weill “Surabaya Johnny” in both German and English, the sort of thing that could give gratuitousness the worst possible name. Too Much Sun production images by and courtesy of Carol Rosegg. Venue Details: Vineyard Theatre, 108 East 15th Street, between Union Square and Irving place, New York, NY 10003. Ticket Services: 1.212.353.3366 or 1.800.276.2392. What a relief to come to the marvelous

Jim Dale in Just Jim Dale.

“Just Jim Dale,” as good a solo show as you will ever see, and which I cannot commend and recommend highly enough. Jim Dale may just be the most charming farceur to tread the boards, while also triumphing on both the big and little screen and in music, to say nothing of his brilliant recorded readings of the seven Harry Potter novels, in which he manages a different, equally splendid voice for all two hundred plus characters.

Jim Dale in Just Jim Dale.

But let’s get back to charm. This usually comes with high comedy a la Noel Coward or Cary Grant, or, more Gallicly and bedroomily, by Charles Boyer. It almost never comes with unabashedly low or middle-range farce, dazzlingly elevated to the heights attained by Jim Dale, as he holds you in his palms, his feet, his whole body for two uninterrupted hours, leaving you wallowing in laughter but perfectly game for any number of hours more. Delightfully accompanied by Mark York on the piano—and a bit beyond— Dale sings and clowns, dances and jests with delicious patter, and moves with an anthology of comic walks, gestures, and even the odd pratfall, right onto your funny bone and into your heart. And when I say funny bone, I don’t mean merely that spot on your elbow, but every bone and muscle making you shake with laughter to make the rafters ring. The show is essentially Dale’s telling and reenacting of his life and stage story,

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and how a boy from a working-class suburb of London, with working-class parents and very briefly himself a shoe factory hand, worked himself up through hard training to the summits of showbiz, to Britain’s beloved music hall and beyond it to stellar performing in every possible country and medium, including Shakespeare and Molière, displaying matchless movement (as suggested by his father), terrific timing (ditto) and those oodles and oodles of charm which only inborn talent and hard work lightly worn can attain. Richard Maltby, Jr. has contributed skilled direction, and Anna Louizos a handsome backdrop, but mostly it’s the genius of just Jim Dale or Smith. Yes Smith, as he was born, but, by a printer’s error he adopted, Dale, has “forged in the smithy of his soul”(phrase by James Joyce) not just “the conscience of his race” (Joyce again), but also the conquest and conveying of the summits of comedy. It is impossible to impart all this through mere printed words; you must catch “Just Jim Dale” and experience it first hand. What you see and hear will stay with you as a touchstone for as long as you are capable of joyous remembrance. Just Jim Dale production images by and courtesy of Joan Marcus. Venue Details: The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre,The Laura Pels Theatre, 111 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036. Ticket Services: 1.212.719.1300.

John Simon has written for over 50 years on theatre, film, literature, music and fine arts for the Hudson Review, New Leader, New Criterion, National Review, New York Magazine, Opera News, Weekly Standard, Broadway.com and Bloomberg News. He reviews books for the New York Times Book Review and Washington Post. To learn more, visit the www.JohnSimonUncensored.com website.