Our Readers Respond...
A&P Buys And Closes Competitors’ Stores
Dear Editor:
When A&P bought Pathmark from Ahold, a Dutch company, in February 2007, it began to close more stores. In Mount Vernon, for example, where A&P had its own store and a Pathmark, with another A&P in nearby Bronxville, it decided in early 2008 not to renew its lease.
A&P had bought Shopwell and Waldbaum’s in November 1986 but it failed to file its pre-merger report with the FTC for Waldbaum’s, so A&P was fined $3 million for conducting a “sham transaction.” In December 1988 the New York State Attorney General told A&P to
close three stores in Westchester to increase competition following its two purchases, so A&P closed stores that competed with its own stores, including the Waldbaum’s in Mount Vernon. The Shopwell in Mount Vernon was changed to an A&P. Surplus funds in these companies’ pension funds were used to pay for these and future purchases.
When A&P bought Food Emporium in 1996 there were 23 A&P stores and 10 Food Emporiums in Westchester. In the 2008 Yellow
Pages there are seven (including the “terminal” Mount Vernon store) A&Ps, six Food Emporiums, five Pathmarks, and four Shopwells for a
total of 22 stores. There are 42 competitors with three or more stores, including Stop & Shop (7, owned by Ahold), Shoprite (6), D’Agostino
(5), 7-11 (5), Foodtown (4), DeCicco (4), C-Town (4), Met Food (4), and Gristede’s (3). In 1990 there were 98 supermarket chain stores in
Westchester, including 45 A&P/Waldbaum’s/Shopwell stores.
Charles Roda, Mount Vernon
Reader Smitten With Governor Palin
Dear Editor:
What is it about Sarah Palin that so infuriates some people? The Governor is a recognized reformer with an outstanding record of
accomplishment. She is a mother, former mayor, who has excelled and risen to the highest office in the state of Alaska. Well-versed in
the field of energy consumption and its various facets, and with an 85% approval rating among the residents of her state, Sarah Palin is
considered to be the most popular governor in America. And, yet, in typical liberal fashion, Fred Polvere, in the October 16th edition
of the Guardian, demeans and mocks the Governor with his feeble attempt at folksy jargon and stereotypical sarcasm.
Since accepting John McCain’s offer as his vice presidential running mate, Governor Palin has been subjected to what is considered
to be some of the most malicious and outrageous of indignities directed at any political figure in recent memory. Even her family has
suffered, and has had to bear the brunt of extreme intolerance and vilification. This is not the America I know.
Perhaps Mr. Polvere, in a rare effort to be fair and objective, will enlighten the readers with a bit of his wisdom concerning Senator
Biden, or better known in some circles as the gaff machine. Has anyone noticed as of late how the press has been ignoring the Democrat vice
presidential nominee? I believe it’s for fear of embarrassing their candidate, the ‘chosen one’. What was that again, oh yeah, to paraphrase
Senator Biden, the American peoples’ interest can best be summed up in a three-letter word, “JOBS”. One wonders if he can spell potato?
Proverb says, “He is so full of himself that he is quite empty.” So, again, I must ask what it is about Sarah Palin that so infuriates liberals,
and yes even some conservatives. Is it her success, folksy charm, her hunting and fishing expertise, perhaps her good looks and vivacious
personality? Let’s see now, how about all of the above?
Bob Pascarella, The Bronx
Reader Takes Issue With Rockland County Judge Linda Christopher
Dear Editor:
Hello, sir. I am involved in matrimonial litigation in Rockland County before Judge Linda Christopher. I was the plaintiff in the action. Judge Linda Christopher relieved my attorney from being my council because he took a position with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, as a Senior Prosecutor, hence leaving me without counsel to continue with my civil litigation.
I never filed a Note of Issue to pursue the civil litigation because it would have placed me at a serious disadvantage of selfrepresentation.
On September 19, 2008, I received a correspondence from the Defendant’s attorney, Mr. Wayne Gavioli, Esq. stating, “At the court’s request I have prepared a Note of Issue and enclosed five copies of the above matter which you, as Plaintiff, must file with the Rockland County Clerk pursuant to Rule 202.21 Uniform Rule Trial Court.” I was skeptical of this correspondence because of the fact it stated
that at the Court’s request he was preparing the notice for me. Since when does the opposing counsel fill out official court documents
for the opposition?
On September 31, 2008 we, the parties involved in Linda Christopher’s court when she asked me if I had filed said notice, she went on and stated that if I had not or do not file the Note of Issue my complaint would go to the bottom of the pile and there could not be a proceeding. I stated, “Okay, I do not wish to file at this time.” At that moment she directed the opposing counsel to file their own Note of Issue and she was going to proceed with a hearing on their cross-complaint, and adjourned the hearing for 2pm that afternoon.
Needless to say I was never served with an Affidavit Of Service nor was the Law Guardian or my 18B custody attorney. Sometime in early September an agreement was signed by both parties and counsel where the Defendant agreed to Constructionive Abandonment, so the issue of cause was already settled, as was noted on the record by Judge Christopher. To my astonishment Judge Christopher switched the
former stipulated agreement and now made the fault on myself for Constructive Abandonment.
Judge Christopher made me take the stand to be cross-examined, and ignored my request for a jury trial. This trial conducted and held under the direction of Judge Linda Christopher was a total abomination of my Due Process Rights and undermines the American Judicial System. I have filed a formal complaint with the Commission on Judicial Misconduct. This matter is now adjourned until November 2008.
Rockland County courts are out of control. Outside governmental intervention needs to look into the egregious actions of this elected official. This trial is a travesty of American Justice and needs to be exposed.
Michael Kelly
In Our Opinion....
Mayor Gordon And the Pleasantville Village Board Need To Put Their Thinking Caps Back OnThe way we see it, all four trustee members of the Pleasantville Village Board, as well as Mayor Bernard Gordon, need to put their thinking caps back on before their disconnect with their constituents grows any wider. At their work session three weeks ago, which We attended, some 60 residents made their position very clear that they were most unhappy over the fact that Detective Sergeant Stephen Bonura was under suspension for more than five months, out of service to the Village, and particularly its youth.
Bonura, who served as the Senior Youth Officer as well as the head of the Detective Bureau, had made a comment to a newspaper reporter
back in May that was critical of the Westchester District Attorney’s Of-fice’s handling of multiple repeat offender, convicted felon, Kahill Gonzalez. He expressed the opinion that the Assistant DAs had cut too easy a plea bargain with Gonzalez, once again, in exchange for information. He pointed to the fact that prosecutors had cut deals with the repeat offender in the past that set him free to go out and commit more offenses, some involving guns and violence.
A 27-year veteran of the Force, Bonura had, in fact, served as spokesperson for the Department until his suspension. To add further concern
to residents’ list, Detective Bonura’s fellow detective, Michael De-Maio, also a youth officer, had been demoted in connection with the
Gonzalez case and had left the Department and gone to work for the Ossining Village Police.
Not one of the residents who showed up to the Board’s work session three weeks ago voiced any objection to Detective Bonura’s having spoken
up against the DA’s handling of Gonzalez, on behalf of their safety. Their concerns centered solely on the loss of Bonura’s services to their
community and, specifically, to their adolescent population.
From our perspective, Pleasantville Police Chief Anthony Chiarlitti’s response to Detective Sergeant Bonura’s comments was excessive and
poorly calculated with respect to the welfare and well-being of Village residents and business operators. Just how fearful of reprisal from the
DA was the Chief? Did he expect his spokesperson to lie, by way of covering up the DA?
Sadly, this whole affair smacks of the very thing that is most wrong in the relationship of Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore with
any number of the 43 individual police departments in the County. The emphasis is not on protecting the safety and well-being of residents,
but, rather, on protecting their’s and the DA’s job.
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