WPCNR PRESS BOX. By John F. Bailey. October 9, 2002:
WPCNR AFTERNOON TRIB & POST. By John F. Bailey. October 9, 2002: Mayor Joseph Delfino announced today a new program in conjunction with Westchester Community College, the Westchester Library System, the White Plains Public Library providing 12-week courses in English for non-English speaking adult residents over 18, who speak little or no English, to be given mornings, afternoons and evenings all year round at the White Plains Public Library.
Registration for the current session in the mornings and afternoons is scheduled for Thursday afternoon 3:30 PM at the Library. The cost per student is $40 for books and course materials, with instructors of the course being provided by Westchester Community College.
Mayor’s Initiative.
The program was conceived by Mayor Delfino and suggested to the Library and Westchester Community College that worked together to design the program.
Sandra Miranda, Director of the White Plains Public Library, said that the current course underway has received an “overwhelming response,” and that there is still room for students in the morning and afternoon courses. She said that 85% of the persons currently enrolled are from White Plains.
Limited Room in present course. New course begins in Janurary.
Beginning in January a new course will start up. The instruction will be primarily for Spanish-speaking persons wishing to learn English, but all persons who speak a different language than English who want to learn English, technological English, and English skills for employment and daily living are eligible and will be accepted into the program, space permitting.
Currently the program is designed to handle 100 to 125 students per 12 week course. The present course is filled in the evenings, however there are some slots open in the mornings and afternoons and those will be filled on a first-come first served basis beginning at 3:30 today at the White Plains Public Library. For more information, call the White Plains Public Library at 422-1400, or Westchester Community College.
Program funded by Westchester Community College.
The cost of the program was not available at the news conference, but it is being underwritten by Westchester Community College, and they are reimbursed by grant money from New York State.
Mayor Inspired to Create the Program by his father.
Mayor Joseph Delfino, introducing the course, said “the diversity in our city is important to us, and this program will bring us together.”
The Mayor pondered on the questions residents who speak no English raised in his head: “How do you communicate? How do you relate to your children and with homework? How do you motivate them?”
The Mayor said the new courses are designed to help make them a bigger part of this community. He cited the example of his own father:
“There’s the example of my own Dad. He was talking to me, he said “how tough it was when I came here. I couldn’t do anything.”
The Mayor said his father got a job at New York Hospital in a custodial position where he had to do a certain task each day. He said he told his father “It wasn’t that you couldn’t do anything. It’s just that you couldn’t read, and he said to me, what do you know?”
“In my heart,” the Mayor said, “I know that had he had the ability to learn and speak English he would have done more.”
Walter Anderson – a living example.
Walter Anderson, CEO of Parade Magazine, a White Plains High School student and White Plains resident, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the National Center for Family Literacy spoke next in support of the program.
Mr. Anderson said that he grew up in Mount Vernon, the son of an alcoholic father who beat him when he caught him reading. On the other hand his mother encourgaged him to read. He said there was an “island” in the midst of the turbulence and anger and violence, and it was the Mount Vernon Library, which had “wonderful librarians.”
“I would do anything I could, and I was able to imagine myself out of a slum (through reading),” he said.
He praised a teacher of his, a Ms. Williams, who encouraged him: “Every child needs somebody to be crazy about them.”
It was her encouragement guiding him to parocial school, Windward School in White Plains, and White Plains High School, and eventually the Marine Corps and then a degree from Westchester Community College which lead to his success today.
“I read myself out of poverity long before I worked myself out of poverity,” Anderson said. “Destiny is not something you wait for. Destiny is a choice.”
“We are going to make a Difference.
Mayor Delfino in closing the official side of the news conference, and thanking the organizations who created the program, looked Heavenward and said, emotionally, “Dad, I found a way. I tried. I found some people to help. We are going to make a difference.”
WPCNR DAILY SUN. Special to WPCNR By E. Hezi, The Yonkers Tribune. October 8, 2002:The monotonous internal clock
ticked toward 6:30 P.M. last night, yet the rally called for by the
Worker Families Party had not yet formed, when a contingent of
healthcare workers of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) of
Union 1199 of Hudson Valley, ignited the crowd into a welcome cheer.
Clad in crisp purple colored T-shirts emblazoned with gold lettering,
the healthcare workers increased the attendance of respondents to over fifty energized and determined people who engulfed the entranceway of the 148 Martine Avenue office building.
The participants came to beseech Westchester County Legislators to sign their pledge: “I pledge to support the living wage because I believe all workers should be allowed to live in dignity. The workers, their families and all of Westchester deserve a living wage.”
Debra Smith, Westchester Family Services employee alighted the steps to the entranceway and when reaching the platform before the actual entranceway into the building addressed the crowd in order to “introduce my favorite County Legislator, Andrea Stewart-Cousins,” to the spontaneous applause of those present.
Westchester County Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins praised the crowd for their righteous and committed struggle to have legislation passed to witness their over one-year effort for the “Living Wage,” and pledged her passionate resolve upon their behalf. The crowd seemed to hang onto every word she uttered in her brief appearance, as she was required to return to the continuing caucus in session prior to the formal meeting of the Westchester County Legislators that night. Taking a “magic-marker like” pen to the oversized 36 inches by 64 inches “pledge” written on contact paper, Ms. Stewart-Cousins became the first to sign the pledge.
Latimer Supports Bill.
Fellow Westchester County Legislator George Latimer also came from on-going caucus discussions to briefly address the crowd stating, “What you are expressing and demonstrating for is right. I hope to celebrate victory with you in the near future.” Mr. George Latimer also signed the pledge.
Seven Seen Sign
One by one, Westchester County Legislators extracted themselves from caucus discussion to address the rally and to append their names to “the pledge” of support. In no specific order, but rather a listing of undersigners, the following committed their signatures: Westchester County Legislators Richard G. Wishnie, Thomas Abinanti, Bill Ryan, Martin Ragowsky, Jose Alvarado. (The reader must be fully aware that this reporter had to depart the rally before other Westchester County Legislators could be seen to append their signatures to “the pledge” yet I was not there to witness it. In all, this reporter was witness to the first seven signatories.)
Assemblyperson Pre-Elect Signs.
Adam Bradley helped to victory by the efforts of the Workers Family Party made a specific effort to praise the crowd and to hear him pledge his continued effort upon their behalf. He too, was called to a previous function in Mt. Kisco. His name was appended to those signatories
previously mentioned.
This reporter departed the rally for the Westchester County Legislators’
meeting called for 7:00 P.M.
The Living Wage Bill Endorsed by the SEIU would require that contractors with Westchester County on jobs of $25,000 or more would have to pay workers $11.50 an hour with health benefits or $13 an hour without health benefits. The law would also include businesses receiving county tax abatements, loans and aid over $25,000.
WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. October 8, 2002: UPDATED 8:20 A.M. E.D.T. CORRECTION October 9, 2002 The Common Council all but approved “God’s Miracle” last night, voting unanimously to refer out to departments the plans for the building of a 1,200 seat new sanctuary building adjacent to Calvary Baptist Church fronting West Post Road to the raucous approval of about 25 Calvary Church members attending the big night. Such was the congratulatory handshakes going around, that it appeared to this reporter the proposal was approved, however, there were several items needed to be resolved, and the matter was actually adjourned to November 4. WPCNR regrets the error.
Meanwhile, across town in the Michaelian Building, the County Legislature voted 17-0 to rent the park property to the city for $1 a year for 30 years, and 12-5, respectively to approve purchase of the Pettinichi property and the construction of affordable housing on the site.
Mayor Joseph Delfino called it a happy day in White Plains history, and thanked the County, the council, the city staff, and the Woodcrest Heights Association for working together to make the park acquisition possible.
In other council action:
The Council kept the public hearing on overnight paid parking on Old Mamaroneck Road open until the November 4 Council meeting, after hearing 6 citizens speak against it and 5 citizens speak for the ordinance. Susan Habel, Commissioner of Planning, Albert Maroni (Executive Director of the Parking Authority), and Joseph Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works, spoke out firmly against the proposed one-year trial of overnight paid parking. The Battle Hill Neighborhood Association and the Highlands Civic Association announced their strong opposition towards the plan.
The council accepted over $171,000 in grants for Youth Bureau programs that were secured by the efforts of Frank Williams, Director of the Youth Bureau.
At the outset of the Council meeting, the Mayor recognized a group of employees celebrating their 25 and 30 years of service with the city.
The hearing on the transferral of development rights within the central business district was postponed until November, pending the rewriting of the ordinance. Details were not immediately available as to what changes were contemplated with the new ordinance.