Yonkers Comes Out to Support PAL at Luncheon at Empire City

Despite the difficult economic times, the Yonkers community came out to fill the ballroom at Empire City to support the Yonkers Police Athletic League (PAL) at their annual luncheon held last week. The Yonkers PAL has faced cuts to their budget over the past year, losing city funding for police officers to work at the PAL. Since that time the PAL, through Chairman Angelo Martinelli and a hard working board, has been working feverishly in an attempt to raise funds to keep PAL as an important safety net in Yonkers for young adults.

Martinelli, former Yonkers mayor, was at his best at the luncheon, urging the crowd to help the PAL. “We are here to help keep the PAL alive, and your attendance today shows how Yonkers cares,” said Martinelli, who remembered three PAL board members lost over the past year: Mike D’Ambrosio, Sidney Sloves and Iris Walshin.

“Iris did so much for the PAL that our recreation center is named in her honor. Sidney always said ‘yes’ when asked to help, and Mike dedicated his life to the PAL. They will be missed.”

The winners of the PAL poster contest — Reina Mendez and Edward Curry — were on hand to receive their PAL jackets. Three students from Sacred Heart HS in Yonkers, Megan Matill, Daniel Salliente and Elizabeth Folinsky, accepted scholarships from the PAL for their outstanding student performance.

The two PAL honorees were Mayor Phil Amicone and Sal Corrente, boxing coach and PAL director. Martinelli called Amicone “the perfect mayor for the people of Yonkers during these difficult times.”
Amicone, the PAL’s man of the year, said, “Due to the unfortunate cuts that we had to make, so many people in Yonkers have stepped up to fill the void and help with programs, and be here today. I had no doubt that the PAL wouldn’t die because it’s so important to parents working late. The PAL is vital to the survival of our city and the people of Yonkers always step up to make a difference in children’s lives.”

In attendance were former N.Y. Giants, including George Martin, District Attorney Janet DiFiore, City Council President Chuck Lesnick, Police Commissioner Ed Hartnett, City Chief Judge Michael Martinelli, County Legislator Jose Alvarado, Councilwoman Sandy Annabi and hundreds of others.

The PAL also accepted checks from Assemblyman Mike Spano for $15,000 (with Mike’s father Len Spano delivering the check) and Hudson Valley Bank for $5,000, with James Landy, president of Hudson Valley Bank, at the luncheon.

With help, the PAL is continuing its programs for Yonkers kids. For more information about the PAL or ways to keep this crucial Yonkers program alive, call 914-377-7297.

The Unholy Alliance? Colety, Cavallo and Zherka

 

Doug Colety

Westchester GOP  Chairman Doug Colety is taking a lot of heat from fellow Republicans for his recent attendance at a fundraising event for Tony Castro. Castro, a Democrat, has run for Westchester district attorney on two occasions, and is said to be considering a third run for DA. It’s easy to see why republicans would be a bit peeved that their leader and chairman, Colety, was seen and photographed at a fundraiser for a prominent Democrat, Castro.

 

Colety was caught recently on the pages of the Westchester Guardian at the fundraiser with Westchester Independence Party Chairman Dr. Giulio Cavallo and Castro. We spoke to Colety, who told us, “I was invited to an event by Dr. Giulio Cavallo to honor Tony Castro, who, as far as I know, has not announced that he is running for anything.”

“The Republican Party does have candidates (plural) interested in running for DA, all of which will be interviewed by the executive committee and nominated at the convention by the rank and file,” Colety said. “I will not be selecting the candidates alone, and there is a process that we will be going through next year. My attendance at the event in no way should indicate that I’m supporting any candidate.”

When we followed up with Colety and asked if Castro could be the Republican candidate for DA next year, he called it “total nonsense. My feeling about Tony Castro’s bid to run, if he decides to run in a Democratic primary, is that I believe he is best served running without the Republican endorsement. Strategically, in a Democratic primary, a Democrat cannot win with the Republican line.”

But Colety added this caveat to his friend Cavallo, saying, “If the Independence Party asks us to interview a candidate whom they are supporting, we will consider doing so. My friendship with Dr. Cavallo will benefit Republican candidates throughout the county.”

There is no disputing that Colety and Cavallo share a strong political alliance that has turned into a friendship over the years, and if Doc Cavallo asked Colety to come to this event, he would do so. It is also true that the two political parties that Cavallo and Colety preside over  need to work together in order for Republicans to have any chance of remaining a viable party here in Westchester. This is another reason for Colety to appear at this event for Cavallo.

But that’s where the rationale for Colety attending this event ends. Here’s the other side of the argument against Colety attending. First, this was not an event for Cavallo, or his Independence Party. It was for a Democratic candidate for district attorney very likely to be running again, and possibly running against the Republican Party’s candidate for DA, in 2009.  If Cavallo asked Colety to attend a Hillary or Obama event, would he do it?

Second, as Colety stated above, there is more than one Republican candidate interested in running for DA next year. Dan Schor is the one DA candidate from the GOP already actively campaigning and raising money, and yes, some of the rumblings we heard about Colety attending the Castro event came from Schor supporters (but we got calls and e-mails from Republicans from Yonkers, Harrison and Rye complaining about the photo in the Guardian).

Third, the growing relationship between Colety, Cavallo and Westchester Guardian Publisher Sam Zherka deserve mention, and attention from the powers that be. Cavallo and Zherka have become friends over the past year after a group led by Zherka attempted to overthrow Cavallo from power as Westchester Independence Party chairman. Since then, the two have formed a mutual opppostion to current District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

When Cavallo brings his good friend Doug Colety into the mix with Zherka and co., you have a very powerful and dangerous political alliance. In theory, a political candidate, who has the blessing of Sam Zherka, could easily have two political party lines to run on here in Westchester: the Republican and Independence lines.

This is what got Republicans and others in Westchester so upset about the photo in the Guardian; most thought this meant that Castro was going to attempt to get the Republican line. While Colety disputed those rumors in his quotes to us, he may have simply backed off the idea because of all the intense opposition to it.

One thing is clear: that photo, assumed to be taken by Guardian Editor-in-Chief Richard Blassberg, did not have the intended outcome. It exposed Colety, Cavallo and Zherka and put them all on the hot seat.  It also didn’t  help Blassberg’s eternal candidate for DA, Castro. Or is this what Dick wanted to do all along — expose this unholy alliance to the public? But how can you justify that to your boss, or does Sam even understand this?  

Let’s also realize that current DA Janet DiFiore is now a Democrat, so if Castro wants to challenge DiFiore again in 2009, he must do so in a Democratic primary.

More analysis on this upcoming race , and the unoly alliance,  in our next post.

YPIE Gala a Big Success

     Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) held its one-year anniversary gala last night at Villa Barone in the Bronx. The event was attended by over 450 people, all there with the same goal: to raise funds to help the 25,000 students in the Yonkers Public Schools achieve.  

     Created by Mayor Phil Amicone last year, YPIE has made significant strides towards this goal, most notably in its free SAT prep courses. Under the leadership of Executive Director Wendy Nadel and Board Chairman Richard Fitzgerald, YPIE is quickly turning a young organization into a Yonkers institution.

     Honored at the Gala was Robert Leggio, owner/operator of Zuppa’s restaurant on Main Street in downtown Yonkers.

     One thought: In the future, we hope that YPIE can hold an event like this in Yonkers. Currently, there is no available Yonkers venue that could hold 450 people. Once complete, Ridge Hill will have a banquet facility to hold it.

     Read all about Rising Media Group’s recently launched partnership with YPIE.