Yonkers Pizza Barn Feature In Westchester Magazine

Super Sizing Pizza in Yonkers

Giant slices being served up at The Pizza Barn in Yonkers
by Andrew Bergman

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Of course, cooking up a slice of this size comes with its own set of challenges. The slice is too large to be cooked as part of a larger pie, meaning each one has to be made individually. To accomplish this, DeLuca uses special proprietary molds to ensure the crust is crispy and the slice isn’t soggy.

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Article

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano Reappoints Dr. Nader Sayegh, Esq. to The Yonkers Board of Education

Photo: Yonkers Board of Education Trustee Dr. Nader Sayegh, Esq.

YONKERS, NY — May 17, 2017 — “I would like to thank Mayor Mike Spano for my reappointment to the Yonkers Board of Education for a new five year term. As the Mayor’s first appointment to the Board of Education, I was part of an aggressive and proactive agenda by the Trustees to encourage a more open and transparent initiative to involve all of our education partners and stakeholders toward the process, policies and the delivery of necessary educational, social and cultural services to all of our students,” noted Dr. Sayegh with pride and accomplishment.

“Our district is led by an excellent Superintendent, Dr. Edwin Quezada, and an extremely active board led by President Rev. Steve Lopez. Together, working with our City Administration, Mayor Mike Spano, our State Delegation, PTA, and our Labor Organizations, we will continue to make the Yonkers Public Schools the best in the State,” Dr. Sayegh emphasized.

Dr. Sayegh’s Accomplishments during his first five-year term, three as Board President are:

• Established active Board of Education Committees: Instructional Affairs, Policy, Facilities, etc . . .

• Oversaw the first Yonkers Board of Education (YBoE) – City of Yonkers “Consolidation Plan” initiative which promotes cost effectiveness in the establishment of joint YBOE and City services;

• Reestablished the “Workshop Meetings” component of the Stated Board of Education monthly meetings, allowing for greater Trustee/District awareness of the resolutions before the board;

• Encouraged a greater working relationship with the Big 5 School Districts organization to fight for greater state funding for urban districts like Yonkers; and

• Agressively lobbied to get changes in the State Foundation Aid formula which historically shortchanges Yonkers and its students in the educational funding and services they need, especially in Bilingual Education, English Language Learners and Special Education Students.

2017 ELECTIONS: Carmen Gomez Goldberg District 16 Campaign Kick-Off

PRESS RELEASE: Rev. Steve Lopez Re-elected President To The 136th Yonkers Board of Education Board of Trustees

YONKERS, NY — May 15, 2017 — At the 136th Annual Meeting of the Yonkers Board of Education held Tuesday, May 9, 2017, the Trustees unanimously reelected Rev. Steve Lopez and Ms. Judith Ramos Meier to serve as President and Vice President respectively. Both will serve another one-year term in their leadership posts.

President Rev. Lopez thanked the Trustees for the privilege to continue working alongside them and for their confidence in this leadership team. “I am honored to serve for another year as your President. I will work just as hard next year as I did this year, if I don’t collapse. It has been an honor and a pleasure working with this fine team of trustees and the excellent administration, all the teachers, the administrators, the Assistant Superintendents, the Legal team, I keep saying it over and over, we have something very very special as far as a collective group of people, we have never seen it before and I don’t think we will ever see again. It’s humbling and a privilege to serve for another year.”

Vice President Ramos Meier echoed President Rev. Lopez sentiments and thanked everyone as well.

“During challenging times the continuity of the strong leadership demonstrated last year by President Rev. Lopez and Vice President Ramos Meir will be a great benefit as we pursue the significant work before us as a school district and as a community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin M. Quezada. “Through their leadership a collaborative foundation was established among the Trustees, the Yonkers Public Schools staff and myself. I am confident, as we continue our work together, it will grow even stronger and the outcomes will benefit all children.”

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Legislator Jenkins Responds to Westchester Economic Regression and Sales Tax

YONKERS, NY — May 15, 2017 — Ken Jenkins, candidate for County Executive, responds to newest County sales tax collection numbers.

“Westchester’s economy is taking a huge hit,” said Jenkins. “Astorino’s budgetary tricks are hitting us again. Because of the overinflated sales tax revenue projection in this year’s budget, we are again in danger of dipping into our discretionary fund or having to borrow to cover yet another budget hole.”

Westchester’s sales tax growth is between 0 and 1%. This fiscal year’s second quarter was a regression from the first, where we were at a 1% growth. Right now, we are experiencing a 4% decrease in sales tax collection over this year.

“Our growth is not keeping up with our sales tax collection,” said Jenkins.

“Once again, Astorino’s mismanagement is having disastrous consequences on Westchester’s credit rating. Astorino’s inability to construct a budget that will not fall apart continues to be a drain on Westchester’s resources.”

Astorino’s 2017 budget put a huge emphasis on sales tax revenue as a way to balance the budget without raising the County tax levy. Since the sales tax revenue is well below what was originally projected, the budgeted funds to run the government are just not there.

“Astorino’s tricks have been driving down our credit rating,” said Jenkins. “His tactics have made it more and more difficult for companies to invest in Westchester. During his term, he has made little effort to stimulate the economy or create good jobs for our people. Westchester’s economy cannot continue to take this kind of mismanagement.”

YONKERS EVENT: Liam McLaughlin, The Council President’s Cup - June 7tn , 2017

YONKERS MAYOR MIKE SPANO: Happy Mother’s Day

Dear Friends:

Today we celebrate the importance of mothers in our lives and express gratitude to the women who care for us, shape our values and from the very first moment, love us.

Mothers are synonymous with sacrifice, devoting time not only to their children but also to their communities. On this special day, we thank the extraordinary women who love and give without bound or condition, each and every day.

From my family to yours, Happy Mother’s Day and enjoy this special day with loved ones.

MIKE SPANO
Mayor

First Rate Puff Piece On Yonkers Gentrification In Westchester magazine

Yonkers Renaissance: You Can Feel the Vibe
By Generation Yonkers 
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The Yonkers renaissance is being driven by many factors including a growing demand by Millennials for transit-oriented development; a diverse population; an abundance of affordable loft space; a lively restaurant and arts scene; and a scenic Hudson River location that is less than 30 minutes by train to Grand Central Terminal. (The commute to Grand Central is quicker from Yonkers than from Williamsburg!)


Companies are also attracted to the city’s business-friendly environment under the leadership of Mayor Mike Spano. To capitalize on Yonkers’ unique selling points, the city launched in 2015 its highly successful ​Generation Yonkers​ marketing campaign, an innovative economic development initiative created to position Yonkers as the next great urban frontier. The campaign has put Yonkers on the map!

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Whole piece

YONKERS EVENT: Wilson Terrero’s Birthday Celebration – Friday, May 12, 2017th from 7-11pm at The Ukrainian Center

FOCUS ON: City Council President Liam J. McLaughlin

City Council President Liam J. McLaughlin is a Yonkers guy, through and through. His story is a true Yonkers story.

He was raised in Yonkers and has lived here for more than four decades. His wife, Debbie, is also from Yonkers. Now, the McLaughlin family lives only a few blocks from the house he grew up in. Liam attended St. John the Baptist School, the same school that his son Ryan now goes to. He coaches his son on the same youth baseball and soccer fields that his father coached him on when he was a kid.

A small business owner, he is a practicing trusts and estates attorney at McLaughlin & Zerafa LLP. Previously, he worked for several small law firms in the New York area, including his own general practice law firm and the Corporation Counsel’s Office in the City of Yonkers. Council President McLaughlin was also an adjunct professor at Manhattan College.

In 2013, he was elected as Council President by the voters of Yonkers.

A former senior auditor at Ernst & Young, he is a certified public accountant and holds a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School and a B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University. He is also a licensed real estate broker.

Deeply rooted in the community, he coaches youth baseball, basketball and soccer with Dunwoodie Youth Association. He currently serves as President of the Lincoln Park Taxpayers Association and is also a member of the Holy Name Society of St. John the Baptist Church, the Kerrymen’s P&B Association and the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Westchester County.

He is admitted to practice law in New York and Connecticut and is a member of the New York State Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association and the Yonkers Lawyers’ Association.

BUILDING

When Liam first ran for Council President, he asked us to believe in a better Yonkers and that’s what he’s delivered. He’s ushered in a pro-business climate and now companies want to do business in Yonkers again. With over $1 billion in new and ongoing economic development projects now in the pipeline, Liam has helped achieve one of the best employment rates in the state and created good-paying jobs right here in Yonkers.

INNOVATING

In his first month on the job, Yonkers faced a $55 million fiscal crisis caused by the Board of Education. He took on Albany to get our fair share of funding. Staying within the property tax cap, Liam instituted tough new financial controls and oversight to get the City back on firm financial ground while liberating $10 million in administrative costs at the Board of Education for instructional purposes through consolidation.

PROTECTING 
Liam has led the fight to keep our neighborhoods safe and clean. He’s authored and passed bipartisan legislation to crack down on littering, cut taxes for veterans, create a community alliance to stop the proposal to park oil barges on the Hudson River waterfront, provide the largest contribution in history to the Yonkers Public Schools and fund state of the art equipment and training for our first responders, all while keeping property taxes under control.