02-03-12
White Plains, NY
Music Conservatory of Westchester’s Music Therapy Institute Celebrates 25th Anniversary with “Dance the Night Away” Gala

     On Friday, March 16, the Music Conservatory of Westchester (MCW) will present “Dance the Night Away,” an evening of dinner and dancing celebrating the 25th anniversary of the school’s Music Therapy Institute. Held at the C.V. Rich Mansion in White Plains, the event features live music by the acclaimed Don DuPont Big Band and a special performance by an MTI alumnus.
     Bill Evans, meteorologist for ABC-TV, will host the event, and two community leaders will be honored.  Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, will receive MCW’s Visionary Award for her outstanding commitment to the arts and longtime support of Westchester ARC. Alan E. Katz, MCW board member since 1997 and former board president, will receive the organization’s first Impact Award in recognition of his outstanding commitment and dedication to the Conservatory. Katz is a partner in the law firm Greenfield Stein & Senior.
     “It is an honor for me to be recognized by the Music Conservatory of Westchester.  As the arts represent such an integral part of the quality of life in our County...and music is the art special to my life... the work represented by the Conservatory, using music's healing abilities to improve life is most meaningful,” Gordon said.  More

02-02-12 6
Washington, DC
Health reform law saves $2.1 billion for 3.6 million Americans with Medicare
    Nearly 3.6 million people with Medicare saved $2.1 billion on their prescription drugs in 2011 thanks to the Affordable Care Act according to data issued today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Savings for people with Medicare will increase over time. According to a new report issued today from HHS, the average person with Medicare will save nearly $4,200 by 2021 because of the new law.
     “The Affordable Care Act is already saving money for millions of Americans with Medicare,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “As we move forward, we will close the donut hole completely and save even more money for everyone with Medicare.”
     The Affordable Care Act provides a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs and this year, a 14% discount on generics. Last year, it provided a seven percent discount on covered generic medications for people who hit the prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole, with 2,814,646 beneficiaries receiving $32.1 million in savings on generics.
     In 2011, the 3.6 million Americans who hit the donut hole saved an average of $604 on the cost of their prescription drugs.  More

02-02-12
Albany, NY
Statement from Senator Jeff Klein on death of a 14-year-old Yonkers teen
     "Yesterday, we suffered a tragic loss in our community, as we learned that 14-year-old Eira Maghuyop of Yonkers took her own life. While the exact circumstances surrounding her death have not been disclosed, some media reports point to bullying as a contributing factor. I did not know Eira, but I am keenly aware that relentless bullying, and instances of cyberbullying in particular, have become all too frequent in our communities. 
     "Over the past several months, we have seen multiple tragedies in New York State involving teens grappling with the effects of cyberbullying. During that time, I've visited with students, parents, educators and advocates to learn more about how we can put an end to what has clearly become an epidemic. 
     "Today, I stand in solidarity with those who knew Eira, and those seeking to combat bullying in all its forms. Starting at 6 p.m., I will be deactivating my Facebook account for the next 24 hours.
     "Through this small gesture I honor her memory and the other lives lost and stand together in working to ensure that all our children and teens get the chance to live out healthy, happy and fruitful lives."

02-02-12
Mt. Vernon, NY

02-01-12 5
Mt. Vernon, NY
The Wartburg Adult Care Community hosts seminar on end-of-life palliative care choices

             Dr. Frank Polcari, Reedie King, David C. Leven, Paulette Watson, Paula Ress

     Cares!, a program of the Wartburg Adult Care Community in Mount Vernon, NY, hosted a seminar on End-Of-Life Palliative Care Choices on January 29, 2012.  The program sparked engaging dialogue on a rarely-discussed topic – planning for end-of-life care. The event, co-sponsored by Compassion & Choices of New York and the Westchester End-of-Life Coalition, drew an audience of nearly 100 seniors, family caregivers, health professionals, and spiritual leaders.
     Keynote Speaker David C. Leven, Executive Director of Compassion & Choices of New York and a dedicated advocate of improved end-of-life care for patients and families, presented information about pain management, hospice care, health care proxies, and advanced care directives.  His talk was interwoven with real-life examples illustrating how careful and informed end-of-life planning can make all the difference in dying comfortably and with dignity.  Mr. Leven opened his talk with the provocative comment,   “It is not a matter of when we die, but how we die.”  More

02-01-12
Mt. Vernon, NY
Westchester Legislators to Protest Cut Bus Route in Government Operations Committee Meeting
    The Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) plans to protest the application of Liberty Lines Transit, Inc., for service modifications of the Route 13 bus line in a special resolution, which will be discussed and voted on tomorrow morning at the meeting of the BOL’s Government Operations Committee.
     The protest and resolution come in the aftermath of County Executive Rob Astorino’s abrupt cancellation of the Route 76 bus line service between Port Chester and Milton Point in Rye on December 27, 2011, with service officially stopping on December 31, 2011. Regular passengers of the 76 bus—and BOL members—learned that the service was being discontinued on Wednesday, December 27, during a week when many were taking a winter vacation between Christmas and New Year’s.
     There were no public hearings held on the subject.
     On December 22, just days before Astorino summarily axed the bus line service, the BOL had voted to override the County Executive’s veto of $243,436 of spending in the 2012 County Budget for the Route 76 line.      
     The spending on the bus route did not increase the County tax levy one cent.

02-01-12
Mt. Vernon, NY
Mayor Ernest D. Davis: First African-American Westchester County Legislator

01-31-12
Mt. Vernon, NY
SCRABBLE® Players Can Score Big For Our Kids!

                                         Players pictured during a Scrabble Tournament

    The Fleetwood Neighborhood Association and Ristorante Buona Sera are proud to present the 2nd Annual Scrabble Tournament! Last year’s tournament brought more than 30 players together for an afternoon of brain-racking fun.
     The tournament will feature Round-Robin pairing of contestants based on score average. Pre-registration is required, and contestants may register up to one day prior to event. Light refreshments and soft drinks are included with your registration fee, and food and other beverages can be purchased at the restaurant.
     Funds collected through the SCRABBLE® tournament will be used to help pay for the Mount Vernon Spelling Bee Champion's travel expenses to Washington DC, to participate in the National Scripps Spelling Bee event. 
     The general public and businesses are encouraged to provide donations for prizes for the SCRABBLE® players, and anyone may also submit donations directly to the travel fund. The winners of this SCRABBLE® tournament will receive trophies and other awards. More

01-31-12
NY, NY

01-31-12 3
Mt. Vernon, NY
Mt. Vernon's 2012 Relay For Life kick-off held at Friendship Worship Center

The Amani Charter School Choir performed at the Mt. Vernon Relay For Life kick-off held at Friendship Worship Center.

     Normally, people start a new year by setting new goals for the things they want to accomplish, and the Relay for Life Committee of Mount Vernon has one specific goal - to find a cure.
     At the annual kick-off dinner held Monday night, January 30 at Friendship Worship Center, Debra Stern and Michelle Harris-Dixon, who serve as the Relay event chairpersons for Mount Vernon, congratulated committee members and team leaders for their outstanding efforts during last year’s Relay For Life, where teams raised over $50,000 for the American Cancer Society.
     After opening comments from the two chairpersons, the nearly 100 people in attendance were musically entertained by the Amani Charter School Choir, whose members attend school on the grounds of Friendship Worship Center.
     After the excellent performance by the choir, Rev. C. Nathan Edwers, a cancer survivor, provided an inspirational message about his experience combating and beating prostate cancer, a dreaded decease that has killed millions of men worldwide. “I am glad to report that after having been treated for prostate cancer a little over two years ago, I am now 100% cancer free,” said Rev. Edwers.  “I am eating the right things and I have lost 40 pounds. I’m doing this because I want to continue living.”  More

01-30-12 2
New Rochelle, NY
Capacity crowd attends showing of Windows of the Soul . . .“The Inside Story”

                              Collette Armstrong portraying Matilda, a plantation slave

     A capacity crowd filled the Dr. C. M. Long Family Life Center at the Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle, on Saturday, January 28, to watch the debut of the highly anticipated play, Windows of the Soul . . .“The Inside Story.” 
     The performance kicked off with a musical prelude by Jerry Hutchinson, a member of Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle, followed with a solo by Mildred Seegars, also a Bethesda Baptist Church member.
     Narrating the the entire play was Renee Smith-Robinson, a member of Allen A.M.E. Church in White Plains, NY., who also sang at the conclusion of the play.
     Jacquelyn Rolberts recited a poem prior to the start of the play.
     The inspirational play was written, produced and directed by a very gifted Cynthia Evans, a teacher and resident of Westchester County.  More

01-30-12  1
Mt. Vernon, NY
Milestone School’s Annual Winter Gala and Silent Auction a huge success

           Angela Freeman (r) standing by her daughter, Samantha, while she spoke to the guests

     Once a year, parents of the students attending the legendary Milestone School in Mount Vernon are invited to the school’s Annual Winter Gala and Silent Auction. This year’s gala took place on Friday, January 27, and was held at the luxurious Davenport Country Club in New Rochelle, NY. The event was a huge success and was attended by 150 people.
     “We do this every year as a way to celebrate the Milestone’s existence – this is our 32nd year. It is a way for our families to get together, because we have a wonderful community of families. And it also is a fundraiser too. This year we are looking to refurnish the outside area – so this is what the fundraiser is all about tonight,” said Angela Freeman, founder and head of school.
     As the parents and others arrived for the event, they were all dressed impressively and were ready for a great time without the little ones. “Tonight is my first night out without the kids in a long time and my husband and I are having a wonderful time. I needed this,” said one excited mother.  More

01-27-12
White Plains, NY
Grammy nominee Lynette Washington and Dennis Bell release double CD of THEIR live performance in artswestchester’s Grand Banking Room
     Acclaimed award-winning jazz vocalist Lynette Washington and pianist, producer, composer and White Plains resident Dennis Bell have released Live at the X, a double CD celebrating the music of Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae and Shirley Horn.  The recording was made in concert at ArtsWestchester, in the third year of the New Urban Jazz series.
     The jazz program, founded in 2009 with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, highlights the musical accomplishments of Westchester-based jazz artists and has developed into an annual series of four to six concerts.  Washington, Bell and their band performed a stunning program of the music that inspires them, including an entire set dedicated to Miles Davis’ signature period compositions during the 1950s and early 60s. Washington’s set featured a vocal repertoire that inspires her from the work of jazz vocal masters Sarah Vaughn, Shirley Horn and Carmen McRae. 
     ArtsWestchester is proud to have presented these contemporary masters of jazz in concert and to have helped make possible the recording of this double album by the students of the Mercy College Music Technology Department in White Plains, where Dennis Bell is an Adjunct Professor of Music. The album is available on iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon and from GuavaJamm Entertainment. More