Publisher / Editor Brian Harrod provides hyper local news for Yonkers, NY, that is also continually updated from thousands of sources on the Roundup Newswires Network
Yonkers will celebrate the Dominican Republic’s independence.
The observance begins at 4:30 p.m. with a flag raising ceremony at City Hall, 40 S. Broadway.
Dominican Americans are the second-largest Hispanic group in Yonkers, representing about 8 percent of the city’s population and numbering 15,903 people, according to the 2010 Census.
Yonkers has two Dominican elected representatives County legislator Virginia Perez and City Council woman Corazon Pineda-Issac
Other Dominican Independence events this week are organized by the Dominican Cultural Association of Yonkers and the Dominican American Cultural Club of Yonkers.
The Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti was Feb. 27, 1844
Every February we celebrate two very important causes – Black History Month and American Heart Month. In celebrating Black History Month, we recognize the many contributions and achievements of African Americans which helped build this nation, while never forgetting their struggles for social justice and equality. During heart month, we seek to raise awareness about cardiovascular health which, if neglected is one of the leading causes of death in our country.
That is why I am proud to be co-sponsoring events that highlight these two causes. First, Mayor Mike Spano and I will be offering a day of education and consultation about heart health for the employees of the City of Yonkers. Health is wealth, as they say, and should never be taken for granted! Second, my office, Legislator Chris Johnson, Councilwoman Shanae Williams, and the Yonkers NAACP are proud to host a Black History Month event, celebrating African American Music and its impact on the human experience. The event will take place on Friday March 1st, from 6-8 P.M. at the Yonkers Riverfront Library. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Flyer is attached below.
Never forget that my office is here to serve the hardworking families of Yonkers. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any suggestions or concerns about how we can help to improve the quality of life of those who call Yonkers home. My office can be reached at 914-377-6060. You can also e-mailcouncilpresident@yonkersny.gov. Best wishes, Mike
Schools are closed Monday, February 18 – Friday, February 22 for Presidents Week Break. Central Office is closed Monday, February 18 & Tuesday, February 19. Schools reopen Monday, February 25, 2019.
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer Spoke At Yonkers Assemblyman Nader Sayegh’s Swearing In At Saunders High School
Senator Schumer, who serves as U.S. Senate Minority Leader, spoke of the three-week-old federal shutdown over funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Senate passed a bill to allow government workers to get back pay, but Trump failed to sign it and Friday was their first missed paycheck.
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Was Officially Sworn Into Office, Making Her The First Black Woman in State History to Hold That Powerful Legislative Position
After being in the minority, her new 39-member Democratic majority has their work cut out for them and they won’t have the easy excuse of blaming Republicans for blocking legislation.
Senator Stewart-Cousins’ list of legislative priorities planed to be addressed this year, include straightening voting rights, health care protections, codifying Roe vs. Wade into state law, addressing climate change, criminal justice reform, and rental law safeguards
One Person Was Slashed in the Face at Empire City Casino at Yonkers raceway According to Racino Employees and the Yonkers Police Department
A 20-year-old male from The Bronx was cut in the hands and face following a dispute between two groups of people.
The victim was taken to the hospital, but no arrests have been made.
Empire City Casino says surveillance footage has been provided to authorities and they will take necessary steps to ensure the safety of their guests and employees.
Yonkers Mayor Releases 186 Page List Of Rental Buildings In Yonkers That Have Been Designated As Slumlord Properties, Due To Their Failure to Correct Cited Health and Safety Building Code Violations.
Yonkers lawmakers introduced new legislation Monday targeting slumlords.
Mayor Mike Spano and Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac introduced legislation that would require landlords to reimburse the city for any costs related to relocating tenants who are displaced from condemnation.
The city has condemned nearly 10 buildings since November, forcing tenants out on the streets.
Mayor Spano says the city spends $10,000 to per night to cover the cost of shelter at the Yonkers PAL
Mayor Spano adds that the new law would hold landlords accountable.
The legislation is currently in the City Council’s Real Estate Committee and will be up for a vote in the coming weeks
Fire At Yonkers Apartment Complex Puts 25 Residents Into The Street
The Yonkers Fire Department reports that two firefighters and five residents were injured during the fire.
About 45 firefighters responded to the Hawthorne Avenue apartment building and it took them about 50 minutes to get the fire under control.
Initially there was heavy fire on the first floor and it quickly moved to the second and third floors.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
The Office of Emergency Management is also helping displaced residents with temporary shelter while the Red Cross is providing additional limited assistance.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo Has Announced Funding to Continue Helping The Yonkers SNUG Outreach Program That Aims to Curb Violence in The City of Hills
The Yonkers SNUG office at the YMCA will use the funds for training programs to benefit at-risk youth
SNUG program in Yonkers will receive $356,000
A Yonkers Man Is Facing State Prison Time, After Officials Say He Attacked a Westchester County Corrections Officer, When He is Sentenced in March
Paul Overton was convicted of second-degree assault for not complying with lawful orders and punched and bit the officer at the Westchester County jail back in 2017
It happened when the 34-year-old Mr. Overton was being held on an unrelated charge.
New Charges for Bronx Man Accused of Killing a 24-Year-Old Man From Virginia and Dumping His Body in a Duffel Bag Behind a Wells Fargo Bank On Odell Avenue In Yonkers.
Law Enforcement officials say 49-year-old Christopher Myrie of The Bronx is now facing murder and manslaughter charges.
According to court records, Mr. Myrie stabbed 24-year-old DeShawn Cortez-Seaborne, of Virginia, inside an apartment in the Edenwald House back in November.
Mr. Myrie of The Bronx, and his girlfriend Jonisha Graham, 29, are facing charges that they concealed a human corpse.
Mr. Myrie has also been charged with second-degree murder
Police officers initially arrested Mr. Myrie and his 29-year-old girlfriend for concealment of a human corpse.
According to reports from New York City news outlets, police believe the three were involved in some sort of lovers triangle.
The New York Daily News reports that the victim was romantically involved with Ms. Graham, and Mr. Myrie reportedly went into a jealous rage when he caught Graham and Cortez-Seaborne together.
They say surveillance cameras outside the bank and in a nearby shopping plaza led them to Mr. Myrie and his girlfriend.
A Yonkers Woman Was Sentenced to Prison After Stealing Nearly $250,000 From Her Former Job
Theresa Casey received two to six years for stealing from the Allan M. Block Insurance Company, to whom she has been ordered to pay restitution
The money was stolen at the Tarrytown, NY firm while Ms. Casey was in charge of the insurance agency’s payroll
Anna Artuso’s Pastry Shop Was Closed After 52 Years In Business
Owner RJ Puma said the closing of the shop that his grandparents had founded has been in the works for many years
Mr. Puma sold his business to another family, but the exact plans for the store haven’t been made public.
Brian Harris is the Publisher / Editor of Yonkers Newswire.
LEGAL FACTS: In the context of defamation actions (libel and slander) a public official cannot win a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements, unless there is proof that the publisher acted with actual malice by knowing the falsity…..
IT WAS A SETUP: Someone sent an email to Hezi Aris at the YonkersTribune and wrote that he had information about an alleged bar fight that took place recently at Fogarty’s in Bronxville and was willing to meet Hezi Aris with information and photos, claiming he was there when it happened.
LEGAL PAPERS: When Hezi Aris went to meet this person last Friday at an arranged location, a woman who I will not name because it’s not necessary, approached Hezi Aris and handed him papers saying,”here is a gift from John, you have been served.”
YONKERS: Freshly out of Facebook lockup and onto business.
I just heard that “Bozo the Clown” Yonkers Police Chief #JohnMueller has filed a lawsuit against Hezi Aris (Editor-at-Large of the YonkersTribune) and the Yonkers Tribune itself for articles written.
Now those not familiar with the Yonkers Tribune, its basically an online news outlet for news……
Without knowing all of the facts this appears to be a SLAPP Lawsuit brought by Yonkers Police Department Chief #JohnMueller against YonkersTribune Publisher #HeziAris
A short or strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) is a lawsuit that is intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandon their criticism or opposition.
SLAPPs have become an all-too-common tool for intimidating and silencing critics
Such lawsuits have been made illegal in many jurisdictions on the grounds that they impede freedom of speech.
In the typical SLAPP, the plaintiff does not normally expect to win the lawsuit. The plaintiff’s goals are accomplished if the defendant succumbs to fear, intimidation, mounting legal costs, or simple exhaustion and abandons the criticism
When a plaintiff brings a SLAPP lawsuit against someone attempting to exercise their right of free speech, it is usually under the guise of a defamation claim.
The goal of plaintiffs in these cases is not necessarily to actually win the lawsuit, but to drag their critics to court and bury them under a pile of attorney’s fees and embarrassment until they cry “uncle!” and agree to be quiet
SLAPPs aren’t just random meritless lawsuits, they are lawsuits that directly attack First Amendment rights
A SLAPP may also intimidate others from participating in the debate. A SLAPP is often preceded by a legal threat.
Under the First Amendment there is no such thing as a false idea
The the First Amendment requires that we protect some falsehood in order to protect speech that matters
The courts have ruled that the First Amendment protects the publication of all statements, even false ones, about the conduct of public officials except when statements are made with actual malice (with knowledge that they are false)
The United States Supreme Court has virtually any attempt to squelch criticism of public officials—even if false—as antithetical to “the central meaning of the First Amendment.
In n New York, state courts have ruled all statements of opinion are protected as long as they do not allege illegal conduct.
You may dislike or disagree with the YonkersTribune, but its voice should not be silenced in Yonkers.
We want Yonkers’ many diverse voices speaking out on a public issue or controversy
Average citizens have been “SLAPPed” for actions such as posting a blog entry, posting a comment on another person’s blog, writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper, testifying before the legislature, reporting official misconduct, or circulating a petition.
Lawsuits targeting individuals who post anonymously on the Internet, usually because their posted messages criticize the actions of public figures or corporations, are sometimes called cyberSLAPPs.
Like a regular SLAPP, a cyberSLAPP aims at chilling free speech by intimidating critics with the prospect of defending an expensive lawsuit.
But it also often aims at uncovering the identity of the anonymous critic.
Indeed, anonymous debate was at the center of the revolutionary politics that led to American independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, which enshrined the press freedoms that continue to protect anonymous speech today.
In fact, some of the most prominent Founding Fathers regularly used the shield of pseudonyms including Thomas Paine, John Dickinson, Alexander Hamilton, Arthur Lee, John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Those who would criticize anonymous speech must also recognize that anonymity has been an essential, and often productive, feature of American democratic politics since its beginning.
The Steubenville High School rape occurred in Steubenville, Ohio on the night of August 11, 2012, when a high-school girl, incapacitated by alcohol, was publicly and repeatedly sexually assaulted by her peers, several of whom documented the acts on social media.
The victim was transported, undressed, photographed, and sexually assaulted.
Saltsman v. Goddard concerned an effort by the parents of Cody Saltsman, a teenage boy from Steubenville, to stop blogger Alexandria Goddard’s website from publishing allegedly defamatory posts about their son.
The parents sued Goddard and a dozen anonymous posters in October 2012; a legal blogger labeled it a SLAPP suit
The lawsuit asked for an injunction against the blogger, a public apology stating that the boy was not involved in the rape and $25,000 in damages.
The ACLU became involved on behalf of Goddard and the anonymous posters
The majority of local anonymous posters named in the lawsuit via their online nametag perceived this lawsuit as merely an avenue to learn their identity.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in December 2012.
When it was all said and done this was posted by Cody Saltsman, a teenage boy from Steubenville as part of the lawsuit
STATEMENT FROM CODY SALTSMAN
“I deeply regret my actions on the night of August 11, 2012. While I wasn’t at the home where the alleged assault took place, there is no doubt that I was wrong to post that picture from an earlier party and tweet those awful comments. Not a moment goes by that I don’t wish I would have never posted that picture or tweeted those comments. I want to sincerely apologize to the victim and her family for these actions. I also want to acknowledge the work of several bloggers, especially Ms. Goddard at Prinniefied.com, in their efforts to make sure the full truth about that terrible night eventually comes out. At no time did my family mean to stop anyone from expressing themselves online – we only wanted to correct what we believed were misstatements that appeared on Ms. Goddard’s blog. I am glad that we have resolved our differences with Ms. Goddard and that she and her contributors can continue their work.” – Cody Saltsman
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:
Online blogs are a community where many different people express divergent views on important social issues and daily life.
Instead of seeking to silence those of us who were expressing our opinions, those who were offended should have added their voice to the conversation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: At its recent graduation ceremony, there were five new graduates of the Yonkers Drug Treatment Court, a semi- annual event that has taken place
since the creation and implementation of the program in 2001.
PRESS RELEASE: Chief Judge Michael A. Martinelli, who presided over the Yonkers Drug Court Treatment Program graduation with Judge Arthur J Doran III.
YONKERS: Drug abusers are getting a second chance to turn their lives around with innovative Yonkers court program.
Participants in the program, enter voluntarily by pleading guilty to the criminal charges that they are accused of.
They are then required to complete a minimum of one year’s supervision by the Drug Court Team in order for them to be eligible to have their guilty pleas vacated and the charges against them dismissed.
Judge Martinelli added, “Each participant must agree that if they fail to complete their supervised treatment the will receive exactly the same sentence they would have received had they not been a successful participant and that would mean a drug conviction and jail time in the Westchester Penitentiary.”
Judge Martinelli also pointed out that the treatment programs are offered with the full acquiescence of the Westchester County District Attorney’s office and is limited only to those defendants charged with non -violent drug possession or other similarly related criminal offenses.
Judge Martinelli noted, “That at the inception of the drug court program, seventeen years ago, it was viewed as experimental and was the only one of its kind in the metropolitan New York area.
It was initially limited to the Yonkers and Mount Vernon City Courts.”
Judge Martinelli, together with his colleague, Judge Arthur Doran, said, “That they firmly believe that “rehabilitation rather than incarceration” is a win-win, not only for the individual participants in the program, but also for their friends, family members, Yonkers taxpayers, and the entire Yonkers Community. In my twenty-two plus years on the Yonkers
City Court Bench, nothing has given me greater personal satisfaction than to have the parents of a graduate or the graduate themselves, thank our team for giving them their life
back.”
About Judge Mike Martinelli
Yonkers City Court Chief Administrative Judge Mike Martinelli is a candidate for the New York State Supreme Court in the 9th Judicial District, which encompasses Westchester,
Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland and Orange Counties.
Mike was born in Mount Vernon, NY, the eldest of six sons to former Yonkers Mayor Angelo and Carol Martinelli.
He grew up in a nurturing Italian home, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family. No occasion or holiday was too small for celebration.
He and his family moved to Yonkers when Mike was 10, and has lived there ever since.
He attended and graduated Mount St. Michael Academy, University of Notre Dame (BA) and St. John’s University School of Law (JD).
He is married to the former Jeanne Vergari for the past 43 years, and together they are the proud parents of daughter Jeanette, and son and daughter-in-law, Mike, Jr. and Jeanna.
They are the doting grandparents of Stefano, age 11, whose special needs have now taken them to new awareness of autism, Angelo, age 2, and are expecting a granddaughter in October.
Prior to taking the Bench in 1996, he enjoyed a 20-year career as a litigator specializing in commercial, real estate, criminal and zoning law.
The Yonkers City Court is one of the busiest courts in the state, where he has presided over countless criminal and civil trials, jury and non-jury, as well as the “problem solving” Drug Court and Human Trafficking Part, all in a firm, fair, expeditious and courteous manner.
In addition to judicial duties, since 2008, he is the administrative judge of the court supervising 6 other judges and a staff of over 50 clerks, stenographers and court attorneys.
He also serves as an Acting Westchester County Court Judge.
Mike is involved with Professional and Community Organizations and is a member and past President of both the Yonkers Lawyers Association and Columbian Lawyers
Association.
He is the Vice President of the Community Planning Council of Yonkers and a long time Little League Coach in Yonkers.
He is a parishioner of the Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart, Yonkers, NY, a member of John D. Calandra Lodge No. 2600, and a lifelong fan of the Yankees, all things Fighting Irish and good music.
YONKERS: When James Blake unofficially retired from professional tennis in August 2013, he was a household name.
Over the course of a roughly 14-year career, the 38-year-old American from Yonkers, N.Y., worked his way to becoming the fourth-ranked singles player in the world, with 10 wins on the ATP World Tour and countless trips to grand slams.
Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Flushing Meadows — you name it, he’s probably been there. And deep in the draw.
But Blake by no means coasted through his career. In May 2004, during the Italian Open, he was practicing with fellow American Robby Ginepri on a drizzly day in Rome. Both lost in the first round, and they found a clay court to, naturally, play a match.
Blake slipped, and his body surged forward, hitting the net post while running down a drop shot. He fractured seven vertebrae — all just before the French Open.
That same year, his father, Thomas, died of stomach cancer. Blake also developed shingles on his face, known as zoster, which attacked nerves and led to temporary paralysis in half his face.
Going from highs to lows in such a short span of time caused him to search his soul.
“The doctors told me it was something where they wouldn’t even be able to tell if it will ever get better, or they’d have to do an experimental procedure to put a nerve from my leg into my face,” said Blake. “Even then, they said it’d take a month to determine whether I was going to heal at all.
“So, for that month, not knowing if I was ever going to play tennis again — or if I would ever look normal again, be able to smile or close my eye in a normal way — that made me think about what else I could do.”
As Blake sat just a few feet away from the practice courts Aug. 19 at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center before the eighth-annual Winston-Salem Open, he had a smile on his face. He was healthy, having played another nine years in his career on the ATP Tour and gearing up for an exhibition match against Michael Chang in the Invesco Series QQQ event.
Blake isn’t the only professional tennis player to endure stress and uncertainty during the heat of competition. Those life struggles have even led to anxiety and depression for other players.
On Wednesday at the Winston-Salem Open, the ATP 250 tournament held a mental health awareness day as a community campaign, in conjunction with Westwood Swim and Tennis Club along with the Mental Health Association of Forsyth County, with the hope of calling attention to an issue faced by both everyday people and professional athletes.
While Blake never dealt with anxiety or depression, he is familiar with it. His friend and fellow American, Mardy Fish, suffered from an arrhythmia that made his heart race. It translated into an anxiety disorder, which even forced him to duck out of the Winston-Salem Open in 2013 because of a panic attack.
And even more athletes are speaking up about mental health issues, with some of the latest being Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers and DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs.
“The actual mental health is something that’s really important, and for athletes to have spoken up, I think is really inspirational — Mardy Fish was one of the first, and one of my best friends — and for others to know, what he went through as an athlete and just as a human being, people forget you’re a human being and that you have those problems,” said Blake. “You know, to have guys like Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan speaking about it … it’s something that you wouldn’t wish on anyone, but it’s very positive they’re speaking up about it.”
“You realize how many people have problems with anxiety, with depression, with suicidal thoughts. … You don’t want them to have a stigma, you want them to realize they can go get help.”
For Steve Johnson, who played in the Winston-Salem Open final Saturday against Russian Daniil Medvedev, the past year has been especially difficult. With the death of his father, Steve Sr., in May 2017, he’s also been battling anxiety issues.
He hopes the stigma surrounding mental health being considered a debilitating condition will one day dissolve.
“Hopefully the stigma of this is a weakness will go away, and just something that will go away,” said Johnson, who is currently ranked 34th in the world. “Then we can all work together and can push through these boundaries.”
With more athletes speaking up, and events geared toward promoting mental health awareness, Johnson hopes to see progress.
“All it takes is one,” Johnson said. “So it takes one brave person with a big enough platform to get the world to realize. So we’ll see what happens going forward. But it’s something I hope nobody has to deal with, of course.
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