April 2020 – Yonkers Free Press

Yonkers Mayor Spano Accepts 30,000 Pieces Of PPE From American Chinese United Care (ACUC) Alliance

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano accepts donation of personal protective equipment from American Chinese United Care Alliance at Yonkers Office for Emergency Management (Photo Credit: Maurice Mercado/City of Yonkers)

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today joined St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s President/CEO Michael Spicer and Richmond Children’s Center’s President/CEO Paca Lipovac to accept a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the American Chinese United Care (ACUC) Alliance and its membership donors. The donations will be distributed to city organizations, hospitals and healthcare facilities in need of PPE to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Yonkers is blessed to receive these essential PPE donations from our friends at the American Chinese United Care Alliance,” said Mayor Spano. “Times like these remind us that kindness and generosity exists amongst us as we try to navigate through uncertainty. Our local healthcare facilities need these items now more than ever and we are fortunate for ACUC’s ability to lift up those who are working tirelessly on the frontlines for us.”

ACUC today delivered 30,000 masks, bottles of hand sanitizers, gloves, face shields, goggles and protective gowns to the Yonkers Office of Emergency Management. St. Joseph’s Medical Center, located in southwest Yonkers where many COVID-19 cases reside, received 350 protective gowns, 1200 masks, 30 face shields and 30 goggles.

“On behalf of the many dedicated and hard-working health care professionals at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, I would like to sincerely thank the City of Yonkers and the American Chinese United Care Alliance for their very generous donation of PPE. Our staff is working around the clock on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. These thousands of masks, surgical gowns and hand sanitizers will help protect our staff as they continue to fight this pandemic from the frontline,” said Michael Spicer, President and CEO of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center.

Yonkers’ Richmond Children’s Center, which provides services for developmentally disabled children, also received donated PPE.

President/CEO of Richmond Children’s Center Paca Lipovac commented, “We are grateful to the City of Yonkers and Mayor Spano for their continued support of Richmond Community Services. In these difficult times, it is comforting to know that we have supporters who will assist us in getting necessary supplies. People with developmental disabilities are often overlooked and forgotten, but not in Yonkers. Having appropriate PPEs is essential to protect our staff and residents. People who Richmond supports have significant disabilities and medical fragility. They are a high risk group and protecting them is our highest priority. With this generous donation of PPEs we will be able to continue to provide services to people with disabilities and to keep them safe. Thank you Mayor Spano and ACUC, we greatly appreciate it.”

The ACUC Alliance is a recently-launched grassroots coalition of more than 150 Chinese American and overseas Chinese organizations throughout the Tri-State Area. Members include charitable entities, businesses, alumni associations, other Chinese cultural, religious, and professional groups and individuals, all committed to helping local communities in the fight against this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. The ACUC has raised more than $5 million in cash or in-hand PPE donations since March.

ACUC Board Member Victoria Alberto said, “We all understand that only by working together, pooling our resources and knowledge can we hope stop and cure this terrible disease. ACUC is committed to you today and in the future as you work to respond and recover from this pandemic.”

Organizations and businesses that contributed to ACUC’s donation include: New York Chinese Coffee Club; Empires Scholars Consulting; Topseat International Inc.; Crag Du Jor Corp; Xiamen University Alumni Association of New York; The Chinese Community of Eastchester, Tuckahoe & Bronxville; Scarsdale residents Hongwei Zhou and Joanna Wang; Phoenix Textile USA Inc.; and Dress Up for the Day.

Other recipients of ACUC’s donation include St. John’s Riverside Hospital and Open Door Medical Center.

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In Yonkers, Immigrant Women Sewing Masks for Needy Families

SEWING FOR OTHERS—Agueda Zavaleta, is a volunteer teacher for a women’s sewing group at St. Peter and St. Denis parish in Yonkers. She stitches one of the hundreds of protective masks group members have made to help needy Westchester families during the coronavirus pandemic. The project is overseen by Catholic Charities Community Services of Westchester.

At St. Peter and Denis parish in Yonkers, a group of women have been sewing protective masks in their homes for needy families as a way to help protect them from the coronavirus pandemic—a gesture that has been met with gratitude from families receiving the masks and meals at the parish food pantry.

The venture began three weeks ago.

“The women are using their skills and creativity to help in this crisis.

Ms. Hernandez is the day laborer organizer for CCCS Westchester. The 12 women who sew, most of them Hispanic immigrants, are members of a years-long sewing class conducted in the church basement before the crisis safety restrictions began.

The class is headed by Agueda Zavaleta, a volunteer sewing teacher; she and most of the women in the group are wives of day laborers.

Each woman uses her own sewing machine at home, with donated cloth and thread to carry out their good deed via Catholic Charities, which distributes the protective masks to people who are most in need in the Yonkers area.

Catholic Charities organizers said three members of the group were among parish women who made altar cloths used by Pope Francis during Masses he celebrated during his visit to the archdiocese in September 2015.

This is about helping to save lives and they pray for the sick, that they recuperate quickly.

Ms. Marroquin, a married mother of three, noted that in 2015, “we made five tablecloths for the pope; there were about 12 of us.”

She said she learned a lot about sewing back then, later left the group and eventually returned to improve her skills even more.

Her husband, Umberto Lopez, is a day laborer.

Esmeralda Hoscoy, regional director of CCCS Westchester, said that of the several hundred masks that have been made, some have been given to frontline CC volunteer staffers doing community work and working the food pantries at the parish and the nearby CCCS Westchester office—and many masks have been distributed to families who go to the food pantries, by request.

There are also masks that have been sold as a way to raise funds to pay some of the women in the sewing group who are out of work because of the coronavirus crisis.

The sales have been mostly to persons interested in supporting the Catholic Charities mission, in lieu of buying masks at a for-profit business. CCCS Westchester plans to sell some masks to businesses, and to nonprofit organizations.

“These masks are helping to protect and possibly even save lives,” Ms. Hoscoy said. “On Wednesday alone when we distributed food (at the CCCS office), each volunteer was exposed to 300 persons between the two-hour timeframe.”

The parish church is on Ludlow Street; its food pantry is typically open on Tuesdays. The CCCS office is about three blocks away on Hawthorne Avenue; its pantry operates sporadically, mostly on Wednesdays in recent weeks.

“They (the sewing group women) are doing it to help protect others,” Ms. Hoscoy said. “It also keeps them busy. These are women who, like everyone else, are stuck at home. This gives them a goal. This gives them a challenge, and they’re proud of their work.”

Information or to donate material: (888) 744-7900.

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Yonkers Cancels All City-Sponsored Events Through June 30th

All city-sponsored events and Yonkers community events that require a Yonkers Police or Parks Department special event permits are cancelled for the next 10 weeks.

YONKERS, NY – April 22, 2020 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced the cancellation of all city sponsored events now through June 30 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cancellations also include community events requiring Yonkers Police or Parks Department special events permits.

“The steps we have taken over the last six weeks need to be extended through June in order to further protect our residents,” said Mayor Spano.

“The decision to cancel events does not come lightly as I know many of these events celebrate our diversity and love for our city and each other. We must remember that our health and well-being must come first in these very uncertain times. I look forward to the time, hopefully in the near future, when we can all resume a normal way of life which includes many of these celebrations.”

Scheduled events canceled through June include all Yonkers Office of Veterans Affairs events, cultural parades and flag raisings and boys and girls clubs sports events.

Organizations that may have already submitted special events permits to the city will be refunded their permit fees.

Residents should contact the Yonkers Parks Department at 914-377-6450 or email Dinorah.Marshall@yonkersny.gov to redeem a special event permit refund.

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Yonkers City Council Members Call For COVID-19 Mobile Testing Site In Yonkers Answered By New York State

Last week, a special meeting of the City Council was held to address several urgent issues arising from the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

YONKERS, NY – At a city council meeting, a resolution was introduced by Councilwoman Shanae Williams (D1), cosponsored by City Council President Mike Khader, Majority Leader Corazon Pineda-Isaac (D2), and Councilwoman Tasha Diaz (D3), calling on the New York State Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo to open a mobile testing site for COVID-19 in Yonkers. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Council.

In response to the growing number of cases in Westchester, especially in Yonkers, the municipality with the highest number of confirmed cases at over 3,200 cases, the New York State Department of Health today opened an additional testing site in Yonkers at the St. Johns Riverside Hospital Parkcare Pavilion, located at 2 Park Avenue.

Council President Khader weighed in, saying, “I thank Governor Cuomo for acting quickly to answer the Council’s call for action. I speak for all our residents when I say that this will help, and we are grateful. However, the latest data indicates that in the coming days, this site alone will not be enough. As the fourth largest city in the state, we have many vulnerable residents, like our homeless population and seniors. More testing will not only help to protect them, it will work towards slowing the spread of COVID-19. I look forward to the day when we can say that all our residents have been tested.”

Majority Leader Pineda-Isaac praised the move stating, “The testing site is mobile, so pedestrians and those that usually travel by bus can easily access the site to be tested. This is great news for Yonkers! Yonkers quickly surpassed New Rochelle as the county’s hotspot for COVID-19 cases. It is only fitting that we get a mobile testing site here as well, to contain the spread of the virus among our city’s most vulnerable populations. The 10701 zip code currently has almost 1/3 of the entire city’s COVID-19 cases, so although we’re starting here, the new mobile testing site will eventually be for all of Yonkers.”

Minority Leader Mike Breen (D5) voiced his gratitude, but like other Councilmembers wanted to see more testing in the days to come said “I am appreciative that Governor Cuomo granted the City Council’s request of a testing site, however, I am hopeful he will consider extending the testing to all Yonkers residents.”

The new site will help expedite the testing of residents living in the 10701 zip code, the area with the highest population density in Yonkers. Social distancing may often be harder for residents to practice, making this one the areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The resolution’s sponsor who represents the lion’s share of this zip code urged her constituents to take advantage of this opportunity. “This mobile testing site is crucial for my constituency. I am both happy and grateful that Governor Cuomo and our State Delegation heard our call and placed a testing site in the 1st Council District in Yonkers” said Councilwoman Williams.

“I plead with my neighbors and constituents to get tested. Knowledge is power. You can protect yourselves and your families by getting tested. Before today, many residents were unable to get tested because they don’t have health insurance. With this mobile testing site testing is free for everyone. I strongly urge all my constituents to take full advantage of this testing site. Call the state health number for COVID19 and schedule an appointment now. The number is 888-364-3065. Remember, getting tested can save your life!”

Councilwoman Diaz also expressed her appreciation at the state’s efforts in helping Yonkers to flatten the curve in Yonkers. “I am glad that Yonkers is getting a new testing site, especially in South Yonkers, because this area has the highest number of cases in the city,” she stated. “As a lifelong Yonkers resident, I always want to ensure that the health, safety, and wellbeing of Yonkers residents is my number one priority.”

Councilman John Rubbo (D4) shared similar sentiments of appreciation alongside the other Councilmembers, while offering a proposal to increase testing throughout the city. “I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his impeccable leadership during this extremely difficult time in our State’s history. His leadership has been second to none at a time when it is desperately needed both here in New York and more importantly, across our great Nation. The testing site in Yonkers is much needed and is appreciated, but I propose that this site move around our city every 5 to 7 days to serve the entire City of Yonkers. The 10704 and 10705 zip codes have nearly 1,200 positive cases as of 4/16. My District covers a densely populated Bronx River Road apartment building row that should have testing available. It is my hope that this testing will ultimately cover the entire city.”

Councilman Anthony Merante (D6) echoed the sentiments of his fellow Councilmembers stating, “I thank Governor Cuomo for granting the Yonkers City Council its request of a Yonkers testing site. The site is initially open to residents of the 10701 Zip Code as that is the area in the City with the largest number of infected residents. I look forward to testing being opened to the rest of our City as I believe that wide-spread testing is key to stop the spread.”

The site will allow for residents without cars to walk up and be tested. Residents wishing to be tested must call the NYS COVID-19 hotline to make an appointment as the site is open by appointment only. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

The site’s hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Yonkers Day Laborer Jose Antonio And Others Urging Govenor To Provide COVID-19 Relief To Undocumented

“My employer closed down his business weeks ago. He won’t return my calls. My daughters ask me what we will do, and it breaks my heart because I cannot tell them I don’t know what we will do,” said a Yonkers immigrant worker, Jose Antonio, in a media call on Friday organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, in which workers spoke of losing jobs without getting government relief.

Day laborer and other advocacy groups are calling on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to provide COVID-19 relief funding for undocumented immigrant workers across the state, pointing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement that California will designate $125 million in relief funds to its undocumented workers.

“It is critical that New York provide safety net support to all individuals, regardless of federal immigration status,” wrote the the National Day Laborer Organizing Network in a letter delivered to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Friday and signed by some 48 organizations that the group said work closely with day laborers and low wage workers in New York, including a sign-on by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The letter added, “Thousands of immigrants across NY have lost their jobs and have no income to rely on or income support.

Still, tens of thousands more continue to work in frontline work without access to health care or income support, although they are doing the very work that allows many New Yorkers to stay safe at home.”

On Thursday, Andrew Cuomo was asked by media about Newsom’s decision to provide $500 to 150,000 to illegal immigrants in his state that do not receive any assistance under the $2.2 trillion recent stimulus package approved by President Donald Trump and Congress, according to The New York Post.

“We’re looking into it but we have real financial problems,” Cuomo said when pressed, the Post reported, adding that he also said, “The federal government should have a more inclusive policy.”

For the advocacy groups who signed onto the letter delivered to Cuomo, his answers have not been good enough.

The National Day Laborer network said in one of its news releases Friday that Cuomo, in its view, is “deflecting from questions” on the issue, and said that the media call giving personal accounts and stories was another way that immigrant workers could talk about “the impact of coronavirus and demand that Governor Cuomo ensure that undocumented workers have access to sick leave, unemployment insurance, necessary protective gear, and all testing, treatment, and relief.”

In the letter to Cuomo signed by the dozens of groups, they wrote that “the coronavirus pandemic is bringing the dangerous hypocrisy of trumpism into full focus.

The crisis makes clear that undocumented workers – including day laborers, janitors, restaurant workers, healthcare staff, domestic workers, farmworkers, factory and construction workers – are all essential workers.”

The letter continued, “In order to address our current economic crisis and effectively spur demand in our local communities, it is critical that New York provide safety net support to all individuals, regardless of federal immigration status,” and the groups in the letter said that among various options for relief, New York State could:

Create a “Temporary Wage Replacement Program” for workers excluded from unemployment insurance. “This fund should provide income replacement for individuals who have lost wages due to COVID-19 but are excluded from unemployment insurance using a fund of state dollars, or unrestricted federal funds,” said the groups.

Allocate funds to community-based organizations and partner organizations within New York to distribute food, service, and other supports for workers and families

Provide immediate cash relief for those affected by the pandemic through organizations and trusted partners. “This emergency funding, like stimulus funding, should be available quickly, in order to allow community members to stay,” the groups added in the letter.

The network said in a news release that New York State has nearly 750,000 undocumented immigrants, with about 1 in 12 U.S. citizen children in New York living with at least one undocumented family member.

It also claimed that “undocumented workers pay an estimated $1 billion annually in state and local taxes in New York, and yet they are currently left out of federal and state relief programs”—including, according to the letter to Cuomo, federal stimulus payments, state unemployment benefits, federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and most temporary leave and disability payments.

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Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano Proposes Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano’s Budget Stays Within State-Mandated Tax Cap; Maintains City Services and Positions & Provides Largest Contribution to Yonkers Public Schools

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano released his Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget proposal, which stays within the property tax cap, contains no reductions in City services and, once again, provides its largest contribution to Yonkers Public Schools.

“This year’s Executive Budget is honest and lean given the uncertainties we are facing with the global pandemic, COVID-19,” said Mayor Spano.

“Although we face a new reality in regards to our economy, this budget preserves our city services and positions and continues to fully support our Yonkers schools.”

The Executive Budget for the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) for the combined City and Board of Education (BOE) General Funds is $1.24 billion, an increase of $17.8 million ($7 million for the City and $10.8 million for the BOE), or 1.46%.

Yonkers Board of Education

The Executive Budget includes a record $267.6 million appropriation to the Board of Education, the largest contribution provided by an Administration.

“I want to extend my thanks to our New York State delegation for restoring the $12 million in state education bullet aid,” commented Mayor Spano. “Despite this increased funding to our schools, there is still a significant shortfall of approximately $30 million in the Board of Education budget.”

Including FY21, the Administration’s combined contribution to the Board of Education has increased by $177.1 million cumulatively since Fiscal Year 2012, which excludes the absorption of approximately $10 million of BOE administrative services into the municipal budget.

For FY21, the transfer to education will go up by $2 million. Each year, the City funds the debt service and the District keeps the building, textbook, software and library aid reimbursements.

Municipal Operating Budget

Included in the Executive Budget is a municipal General Fund operating budget of $542.9million.

The Executive Budget stays within the state mandated tax cap with a proposed 2.08% increase in the property tax levy. Under the proposal, a typical one-to-three family home at the median assessed value of $11,000 would see their annual property tax bill increase by $268, or approximately $22 per month.

The 2021 Executive Budget does not propose cuts to municipal services or city workforce; does not add positions or fill vacancies; and includes essential health and safety capital projects for the city.

“This budget reflects our best estimates based upon the falloff in economically sensitive revenues that we have seen in the past month,” commented Mayor Spano. “The coming months may bring a heightening of that trend. In addition, the State has indicated its payments to localities may be adjusted downward during the fiscal year, which is a situation we have not previously encountered.”

Mayor Spano added, “My hope is that the 2021 Executive Budget is a basis for discussions and decisions. I am calling on our partners including our state delegation, the City Council and our union leaders to continue to build upon the spirit of cooperation that has passed eight consecutive bipartisan budgets during my time in office.”

Budget Snapshot:

• $1.24 billion total budget

• Maintains city services and municipal positions

• Proposes 2.08% increase in property tax levy City of Yonkers, staying within state mandated tax cap

• $267.6 million appropriation to the Board of Education, the largest contribution provided by an Administration

The complete Fiscal Year 2021 Executive Budget can be downloaded at www.yonkersny.gov.

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Yonkers Charter School Keeps Learning Going During COVID-19 Shutdown

Response managed from virtual “war room” – more than 240 laptops distributed, help given to families in need “The school is wonderful,” says single mom of two CSEE students who works in local hospital “Our children are experiencing pretty much a full day of class,” school leader says

YONKERS, NY – Parents are giving top marks to educators and administrators at the Charter School of Educational Excellence (CSEE) for ensuring that valuable and rigorous learning continues despite the COVID-19 shutdown. And school leaders are taking the work beyond learning, helping families in need navigate government processes for unemployment benefits and other social service supports.

“I feel like they (CSEE) were right on top of it, getting the lessons together and having the kids start right on the 17th and not have much time without instruction. The school is wonderful. They have made daily check-ins. The teachers are very available. If you have a problem, you contact them and they reply within seconds. They are in touch with the kids on the comments sections,” said Shauna Smalls, a single mom with a daughter, Elisha, in 2nd grade and a son, James, in 5th grade at CSEE.

“Teachers have sent parents daily and weekly calendars to let them know what students should be working on and completing. In addition to this, parents and students are provided ongoing support and virtual tips and strategies to help students succeed. Teachers use a detailed process to monitor work completed and submitted on-line, they take daily attendance, and they call students who aren’t completing or handing in work to address issues and provide help. I am extremely proud of our students, their dedication and commitment to their education. We currently have on average 94% daily attendance. This speaks volumes,” CSEE Superintendent Cindy Lopez said.

“Teachers are on all day,” Ms. Smalls said. “They put in their lesson plans, even the night before. The kids are getting on between 8:30 and 9:30 and they’re getting started.” A Yonkers resident, Ms. Smalls works full-time as a mammography technologist in the radiology department of St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers, where she’s part of the front-line battle against COVID-19.

Like all schools, CSEE has had to adapt its program to protect students and staff, and their families, from the potentially deadly effects of COVID-19. But due to advance planning, a “war room” mentality, and an academic program that already emphasizes high use of technology, the transition to distance learning was less difficult for CSEE teachers, students and parents, school leaders said.

“Since we are a high-tech school and have been providing ongoing professional development in this area for a long time, teachers are familiar and have been using on-line platforms as part of their daily routine,” CSEE Superintendent Lopez said.

“Our students have been completing work online for the last 8-9 years as part of their daily schedule. They’ve been working online consistently so they’re very fluent at distance learning.”

Parent and PTO President Lisbel Rosario said her 7th grade son, Alexis Toledo, is in regular contact with his teachers and noted his English Language Arts teacher, created a YouTube channel for live reading and real-time question-and-answer time with students.

“Teachers are doing a fantastic job keeping communication. They’re maintaining great communication with the kids throughout the day, keeping them on track, letting them know who hasn’t turned in assignments, telling them when the deadlines are,” Ms. Rosario said.

So-called “special” classes are also continuing. For example, physical education classes are being held virtually through a program with the nation’s top orthopedics and sports medicine hospital, the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

“The school and the hospital gave us Phys Ed lesson plans for home use,” Ms. Smalls said, adding that 5th grader James also continues to receive instruction in Spanish, music and art.

“They learn technique, how to do exercises, the right way to do them, and then a quiz on how they did, how they feel, the names of the muscles. It’s teaching them as they’re actually exercising.”

The school’s unique Physical Education program was developed with the Hospital for Special Surgery’s Sports Safety Program – a relationship that started when hospital officials attended a coaching clinic held at CSEE three years ago by the New York Knicks, CSEE Athletic Director Michael De Simone said.

Since then, HSS has worked with CSEE coaches and teachers on injury prevention, proper stretching techniques and other state-of-the-art methods to keep students healthy.

Virtually, each CSEE student logs on daily for a 20-minute PE class. Attendance and completion are monitored through the log-in process. This ensures students are held accountable for completing each lesson. “We’re probably one of the only schools in the state hitting the state-mandated Phys Ed requirement each week,” DeSimone said. “And all the student needs is WiFi and a phone or computer.”

When it was clear the virus would cause major disruption in the regular school day, CSEE leaders created a “war room” in the Warburton Avenue school building to anticipate and address problems and issues. They now continue that regular work virtually.

Parents with needs know to reach out to the school. As of late March, CSEE has setup internet for various families and distributed 240 laptops to families who need them, with a goal of ensuring all students have online access. As of now, 100 percent of CSEE students have access to technology.

“We are meeting weekly with our elementary and middle school principals, our superintendent, parent coordinators and operations people,” said CSEE Trustee and co-founder Sobeida Cruz. “We’re sharing information, and down the chain every single person in our school is working.”

Ms. Cruz added; “We want to make sure that our children are learning at the age that they’re at, including our special needs children and English language learners.”

Along with assuring learning, CSEE also is helping families’ access public benefits for people who have lost their jobs or need assistance during the COVID-19 crisis. One CSEE dad lost his bus driving job as his wife went into labor.

“He was so desperate he didn’t know what to do with the child at home and his wife in the hospital. We helped find someone to stay with his child so he could go to the hospital, we helped get them formula and then navigated with the State Labor Department to get him benefits,” said Carmen Goldberg, CSEE’s parent relations director.

“It’s been very overwhelming for parents.”

CSEE educates approximately 850 students in grades K-9 and will grow to K-12 in the next three years. Upon completion of the high school campus, CSEE will be serving approximately 1,150 students. Parent demand is very high, with some 500 students on CSEE’s waiting list. Like all charter public schools, CSEE is tuition free.

CSEE is one of the highest-performing charter public schools in New York State, outperforming the Westchester County and statewide averages in every academic category.

Last year, 97% of CSEE 8th graders scored proficient on the ELA assessment and 100% of 8th grade students took the high school level math and science exams. More than 92% passed the Algebra I Regents and 90% passed the Living Environment Regents, earning credits towards high school graduation.

In addition, CSEE has been designated as a Reward School for the last five years by the New York State Education Department for making extraordinary progress in closing the achievement gap.

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New York State Lawmakers Go Into Recess Leaving Work Undone

It’s unclear when New York lawmakers, after approving a budget with 11 Billion in borrowing, will return to Albany.

Legislative leaders have vowed to keep working laws until now and the end of the legislative session in June, possibly working remotely to do the people’s business.

Some worry that New York lawmakers are not ready to properly protect and provide for the well-being of residents needs.

Last week legislative leaders established a system for remote voting, but it appears to be mainly for voting on the governor’s initiatives.

Currently, four members of the Assembly and one senator have tested positive for COVID-19.

Governor Andrew Cuomo doubts that the Democratic-led legislature will get things done with remote voting.

Yonkers’ Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says the session is not over, but the governor thinks that it’s effectively over.

Governor Andrew Cuomo had several policy wins in the budget as the legislature rubber stamped his desires during the pandemic.

Voting advocates say in light of the ongoing pandemic the legislature and governor should expand absentee voting.

Many voters think that now that the budget is finalized its time for lawmakers to address urgent policy issues and COVID-19 related legislation like expanding absentee voting.

Following a planned post-budget two week break, lawmakers only have 19 session days remaining on the calendar.

There is no word on if legislative leaders intend to work past the scheduled conclusion of the session on June 2nd.

Last week, Stewart-Cousins made clear, for the moment at least, she intends to continue working.

“We’ll be meeting again, and we’ll be accomplishing so much more.”

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This May Be A Very Sad And Tough Week In Yonkers, But There Is Hope

The coming days may be bad as many projections show an escalation in the number of confirmed cases of the novel virus in the city of hills, the Bronx and Westchester County

Yonkers residents are already reeling from County Executive George Latimer reporting Saturday that there are 1,160 confirmed coronavirus cases in the city, especial since it was up from 969 cases the day before.

UPDATE: As of Sunday, COVID-19 has infected 1,273 Yonkers residents

However, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has been suggesting that data suggests the number of confirmed cases will flatten out in a week to ten days.

On Sunday Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York state has seen its first drop in daily coronavirus deaths.

Andrew Cuomo also said New York also experienced a slight drop in intensive care admissions and the number of patients who need breathing tubes inserted.

However, no one is sure if this slight drop in the number of deaths indicates that the New York State, Westchester County or Yonkers is at an apex of coronavirus fatalities.

This could simply be a brief plateau before the cases rise again.

Yonkers City Hall Insiders are still predicting that we’re going to continue to see an escalation and they say that social distancing measures, are even more necessary to decreasing the number of new cases in the city of hills.

It is going to be very disturbing to some, that’s what’s going to happen till rate of new cases flattens out.

Yonkersites need to continue to do the physical separation, because we got to get through this coming week.

Hospital workers tell the Yonkers Newswire that the Westchester County death toll from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, was almost certainly higher than reported, due to a lack of testing as well as some reporting errors.

The good news is that the number of beds at Yonkers Hospitals doesn’t really seem to matter anymore, there are currently more than enough beds in place and patients are not being stacked up in the hallways.

But, Yonkers patients could potentially be taken from a hospitals that reaches capacity to a hospital that still has room, but that hospital may not be in their community,

Hopefully it would not be at Westchester’s temporary hospital at the county center

But the remaining troubling issue is still the ventilators and then there is the worry the staff on the front lines.

What is hard for some members of Yonkers society to grasp is that many people may have the virus but not experience any symptoms, while still being able to infect others.

Some Yonkers residents have argued in favor of implementing a city lock down.

Social service agencies in Yonkers are urging residents not to gather with family members who they do not live with as the holidays of Easter and Passover come upon us.

One thing President Donald Trump has backed is federal guidelines that call for social distancing through April 30th.

The federal government has protected 100,000 to 240,000 will die in the U.S. even with stringent social distancing measures.

However, they say that number would likely be much higher – from 1 million to 2.2 million – if the policies were not implemented.

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City of Yonkers Offers Free Online Career Courses During Coronavirus Outbreak

Starting immediately, residents can upgrade their skills set as many residents are in need of jobs as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

“As COVID-19 precautionary measures include encouraging residents stay at home as much as possible, Metrix provides residents with an invaluable opportunity to make productive use of their time by learning skills that employers value,” said Mayor Spano.

“I encourage those who are looking to sharpen their skills and jump back into the workforce once the pandemic subsides to take these courses.”

Residents can complete online classes, explore career pathways and prepare for industry-recognized certifications to upgrade existing skills or learn new skills, whether an individual is looking for a first job, a new job, or to advance in their chosen field.

“Skill Up Yonkers” also provides Westchester County residents free access to the nationally recognized SkillSoft courses. The access will be valid for six months or 180 days and residents can complete as many courses as they would like.

The Metrix E-learning system has a catalog of over 5,500 courses that include topics such as: business, information technology, manufacturing, customer service, retail, finance, and much more.

The “Prove It” feature in Metrix offers assessments which can be used by job seekers to evaluate and document knowledge and skills in a given area.

The Metrix System is accessible around the clock to anyone with internet access. People can work at their own pace through a variety of courses that teach both technical and soft skills; and users receive a personalized training plan.

Residents who previously signed up for a free account have earned certificates and digital badges in areas such as Project Management, Microsoft Word & Excel, HIPAA, Human Resources, Accounting, Food Industry Standards, Leadership and Team Building.

Certificates were also earned in computer and IT fields such as Networking, CompTIA, Windows, Adobe and Information Security.

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