Three Yonkers High Schools Among the Best in the Nation Mayor Spano
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WESTCHESTER’S OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED NEWSPAPERS PRESORT-STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID White Plains, NY Permit #7164 Vol 109 Number 18 www.RisingMediaGroup.com Friday, May 2, 2014 Yonkers’ Best & Brightest: Mayor Spano Pitches Early College High School ‘Generation Yonkers’ Attending the April 29 launch of the “Generation Yonkers” marketing campaign were Yonkers city officials and business leaders featured in the campaign. From left are onyT Schwartz, Salutatorian Lisette Garcia, left, and valedictorian Diana Ordonez-Perez. founder and president of The Energy Project; Laura Alemzadeh, general counsel for Kawasa- ki Rail Car, Inc.; Joy Carden, first vice president at Hudson Valley Bank; Yonkers City Council President Liam McLaughlin; Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano; Robert Cioffi, principal for Progres- By Bayan Baker The two have also interned together at Al- sive Computing; and Nick Califano and John Rubbo, co-owners or Yonkers Brewing Co. Diana Ordonez-Perez and Lisette Garcia, bert Einstein Medical College Microbiology By Dan Murphy Development began a marketing campaign this Early College High School Seniors, both share Laboratory for two years during the summer Where will the next urban expansion, week, aimed at the next generation of the na- a love for chemistry – their favorite subject and school semesters, and have interned at Har- in and around Manhattan, be? Ten years ago tion’s workforce to consider the city as their – and admire Dr. Kumari Johal, a chemistry lem Children’s Society, focusing on research Brooklyn was the place for members of Genera- home, and turn Yonkers into the next urban teacher at ECHS. Diana will graduate as vale- in bioinformatics, where they studied genetic tion Y to live; 20 years ago it was Hoboken, N.J. frontier of economic and real estate expansion dictorian with a grade-point average of 97.73 diseases and used computer-based programs to Mayor Mike Spano and the City of Yonkers in and around Manhattan. and Lisette as salutatorian with a GPA of 97.17. pinpoint certain genes in a variety of diseases. are hoping Yonkers will be the next stop. Called “Generation Yonkers,” the new ini- They have also taken the same advanced Diana and Lisette continue to be involved in Spano and the city’s Office of Economic placement honors classes for college credit, their student government and Key Club, and the Continued on Page 5 including global history, Spanish literature, National Honor Society and National Business chemistry, statistics, U.S. history, English lan- Alpha-Beta-Gamma Honors Society, as well as guage, physics, art, and government and poli- other school and community-related services. tics. Continued on Page 9 Women’s Civic Club of Nepperhan Recognizes Service Three Yonkers High Schools Among the Best in the Nation Three Yonkers public high schools have ing environments that nurture academic success been named among the best high schools in the and provide students the opportunity to achieve nation by U.S. News and World Report. their post-secondary goals,” added Dr. Nader Yonkers Middle/High School is once again Sayegh, president of the Yonkers School Board. a Gold Medal school, ranking 105th in the coun- “We applaud each school’s students, staff and try and 20th in the state; Saunders Trades and families for personifying excellence.” Technical High School is also a repeat finalist, “Yonkers is once again proud to boast some as its silver medal ranking places the school in of the nation’s best schools, including Yonkers the top 10 percent of the nearly 20,000 schools Middle/High School and Saunders Trades and analyzed; and Palisade Preparatory School has Technical High School, which have been re- earned its first standing in the ranking, also plac- peatedly ranked among the top schools in the ing in the top 10 percent with a silver medal country, as well as Palisade Preparatory School, honor. which has now joined the ranks of the nation’s Schools were awarded rankings based on best,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “Con- student performance on state assessments and gratulations to our students, teachers, principals college preparedness. and administrators on their continued success “This recognition validates the district’s and their dedication to academic excellence and commitment to rigorous standards and a cur- preparing our leaders of tomorrow.” Members of the Women’s Civic Club of Nepperhan, one of the oldest community organiza- riculum that prepares our students for post- Recently, Yonkers Middle/High School was tions in Yonkers. Photo by Donna Davis. secondary study,” said Interim Superintendent named the third most challenging high school in of Schools Dr. Michael Yazurlo. “It is a testa- Westchester County – 17th in New York State By Donna Davis CEO for the Yonkers Family YMCA, and Hope ment to our staff, who encourage our students to and 214th in the nation – in the latest study con- The Women’s Civic Club of Nepperhan held Hollinsworth-Coaxum, president of the West- strive for excellence; our families, who provide ducted by Washington Post. In August 2013, the it 86th scholarship luncheon April 26, where 130 chester Gold Star Mothers Yonkers Chapter and the necessary support to our young scholars; and school was named a Reward School by the New guests came out to show their support of the day’s playwright and employee at Yonkers City Hall in our students, who embrace the challenges of York State Education Department. The state honorees. the Office of Constituent Services, were recog- college-level coursework.” honored schools that “made the most progress The Shirley Williams Scholastic Awards nized for their extensive history of community “Under the leadership of Principals Jane or have the highest achievement in the state with of $1,000 each were given to two high school service. Wermuth, Steven Mazzola and Dr. Michelle Ya- no significant gaps in student achievement.” seniors: Carmen Green-Arias from Riverside There were raffle prizes ranging from local zurlo, these three schools have cultivated learn- Continued on Page 7 High School plans to have a career in the field of businesses, such as the Arthur Murray Dance Stu- homeland security, while Jeda Warren from Early dio, the Cheesecake Factory and Pandora Jewel- College High School plans to become a pediatric ers at Ridge Hill; Toni Butler also raffled off one nurse practitioner. of her fabulous hat creations. Shirley Williams was a dedicated member of Anyone interested in contacting or joining Cross County Shopping Center: the club for almost 40 years. When she passed the club may send correspondence with name and away in 2009, the club voted to establish the contact information to: The Women’s Civic Club This, Too, Really is Yonkers award in her name. of Nepperhan, Inc., P.O. Box 1117, Yonkers, NY Shawyn Patterson-Howard, president and 10703. See more photos on page 12 Check Out the Upcoming Yonkers Arts Weekend By Steve Force out Yonkers, such as works of art and places Gimbel’s was the anchor store at Cross County for many years. Yonkers Arts, a community-based orga- of artistic interest, including public art, venues By Eric W. Schoen when we were kids? nization that promotes the arts and artists in for exhibits and performances, and buildings An open-air mall in 2014, when most malls Yes, friends, Cross County Shopping Center – Yonkers, unveiled its Art Spots Map as part of of architectural significance. are now enclosed? Two Woolworths’ in the same also known affectionately to Yonkersites as Cross the City’s Yonkers Arts Weekend. The map is Each art spot is numbered and color-cod- mall? A hospital in the middle of a shopping mall? County, the center, the mall and other name – cel- a guide to more than 70 “art spots” through- Continued on Page 11 And what happened to the lions and the rams in ebrates 60 glorious years in business this week. front of John Wanamaker’s that we used to hop on Continued on Page 8 See Yonkers Arts Weekend Map on Pages 10 & 11 PAGE 2 - YONKERS RISING - FRIDay, May 2, 2014 Play Ball: Little League Fancy Hat Contest Returns Kicks Off 2014 Season To Empire City Casino Last year’s winner of the Fancy Hat Contest. The “Run for the Roses” on the first Satur- Debbie Nigro, host of “The Debbie Nigro Show” day in May is revered as the “most exciting two on WFAS; Mike Bennett, co-host of “Mike and minutes in sports,” and Empire City Casino will Kacey in the Morning” on WHUD; and Joe Far- continue its Kentucky Derby tradition May 3 with aldo, president of the Standardbred Owners As- its annual “Fancy Derby Hat Contest” and a free sociation. two-horse exacta box wager to add to the thrills. Empire City will also serve Triple Crown The first 700 Empire Club members to visit cocktail specials from Kentucky Derby Day the Gotham Palace promotions booth at 4 p.m. through the Belmont Stakes on June 7, all priced will receive the Kentucky Derby two-horse, $2 at $6. They include Mint Julep (Bulleit Bourbon exacta box, total wager $4 (limit one per Empire whiskey, sugar, mint and water in a crushed ice Club member). filled glass and garnished with a mint sprig), The Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Black-Eyed Susan (Ketel One vodka, St-Germain, Ky., has traditionally been known for the fancy lemon juice, lemon grass and blackberry simple hats worn by Derby-goers, especially – of course syrup topped with bitters and garnished with a – the ladies. Entrants can register between 2 and 4 sage leaf), and Belmont Breeze (George Dickel p.m. trackside on the raceway apron wearing their Barrel Select Tennessee whiskey, Harvey’s Bris- finest hat.