Debi Rose and John Liu
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — It’s official. Debi Rose is the first African American ever elected to represent Staten Island — for any office. The fact that the latest city council member from the North Shore is a woman and a progressive is icing on the cake for many who live in what they see as a neglected district.

Progressive Democrat Debi Rose was sworn in as a member of the New York City Council on Saturday. The ceremony was held in the historic Saint George Theater and brought out a number of New York’s best known political leaders. Sharing a podium with Rose was Governor David Paterson, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Comptroller John Liu, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Matt Titone, State Senator Diane Savino and numerous other prominent Democrats. Conservative Party boss, and Staten Island Borough President, Jim Molinaro, State Senator Andy Lanza and several other Republicans were also in attendance.

Many of the prominent Democrats spoke in what was a long inauguration ceremony that somehow managed to keep a good pace. Much as Rose had been required to pace herself in her marathon run for office.

The road to City Hall for Debi Rose was long and tiring. But after three attempts and thirty years of community service, she made it, winning the November 2009 election in a convincing manner. Her staff and supporters, as grassroots as they come, couldn’t be more thrilled.

Senator Charles (Chuck) Schumer spoke at Rose’s inauguration
[ Click on the image to view video ]
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

“Third time is the charm,” Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY) said as the audience cheered.

Schumer, the first of many speakers, articulated what many felt when he told Rose, “You got here the old fashioned way — you earned it!”

Schumer commented on the difficulty of life in the North Shore — and how it relates to the well being of the United States.

“It’s also a great day for the residents of the forty-ninth district on the North Shore of Staten Island. This is a district where people work hard and have many barriers put in the way. This is a district where people struggle. This is a district that truly is the future of our city, our state and our country. If the people here can advance, America will do great,” he said.

Schumer said that Council District 49 “needs good service” and that Debi Rose is the person to provide it.

Congressman Mike McMahon (D, NY-13), a political foe of Rose in recent years, indicated a desire to move on and praised Rose for her dedication to the community.

“She’s shown time and again her strongest desire is simply to serve the people of the North Shore,” McMahon said.

McMahon predicted the city council would prove to be just the beginning of “an incredible career.”

Newly elected city comptroller John Liu was introduced as the first Asian American to hold citywide office in New York but he immediately focused attention on the woman of the hour, saying, “Today is for Debi Rose!”

Describing Rose as a “tough cookie,” Liu, who previously worked on the city council’s transportation committee, told the crowd that Rose would be a powerful advocate for Staten Islanders, many of whom commute to Manhattan.

“She’s never been shy about coming down to City Hall to give us a piece of her mind,” Liu said.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said, “I think the people of the forty-ninth chose a leader who was not interested in business as usual. Would you agree with me?”

The answer was unanimous.

Rose’s committment to reform and progress were central themes in her campaign. One brochure featured a photograph of a woman’s feet – in stockings and heels – beneath a bench otherwise populated by men in wingtips. The caption read “Not one of the boys.”

Christine Quinn speaking in – and about – the St. George Theater
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn commented on the beautifully restored Saint George Theater, noting that it was a local family that stepped up and “rebuilt an institution.”

“And that’s really what won this race for Debi — her extended family — which is all of you,” Quinn said.

New York’s Governor David Paterson told the audience that he feels a strong bond with Staten Island – he “found a wife here” and once played basketball at the Cromwell Center.

“They wouldn’t let me play in Harlem,” he quipped. “They would now,” he added.

Calling Staten Island a microcosm of New York City — in terms of diversity — Paterson said that he found it appropriate that Debi Rose would serve as the representative of the diverse and struggling North Shore.

Debi Rose is sworn in by David Paterson
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

In a touching moment, Paterson swore Rose in as her family looked on – her father “Sweet Lou”, her son Timothy and her loyal supporter and significant other, Manny Braxton.

Following the ceremony. Rose stepped up to the podium, saluted, and announced, “Debi Rose, reporting for duty.”

She was met with sustained applause.

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

Human Rights Commissioner Galen Kirkland
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When asked what he thought of western civilization, Mohatma Gandhi famously quipped, “I think it would be a good idea.” New York State Human Rights Commissioner Galen Kirkland agrees.

On Wednesday, December 9, The Staten Island Advance sponsored the Sixth Annual Anti-Bias Summit. The summit was co-sponsored by a number of community groups, including the NAACP and the Staten Island Clergy Leadership. Project Hospitality organized the event, which took place at the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, a mosque on Staten Island’s North Shore.

Imam Tahir Kukiai opened the proceedings, offering a prayer for blessings on those who had, “[..] Gathered to implement one of God’s teachings: justice, mercy and peace amongst his creatures.”

The NAACP’s Ed Josey, President of the Staten Island Branch, told the crowd, “We need to create a community that cares proactively — not just communities that respond when things go bad.”

After recognizing the representatives of local elected officials — Bill Tate from Rep. McMahon’s office, Tom Aiello from Governor Paterson’s office, Chris Bowers from Assemblyman Matt Titone’s office, Angelo Thornton from Council Member James Oddo’s office and Chris Johnson from Council Member-elect Debi Rose’s office — Josey introduced attorney Galen Kirkland, the keynote speaker.

Ed Josey of the NAACP
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

In May of 2008, Galen Kirkland was appointed by Governor David Paterson to the post of Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights. At the time, Kirkland was working as the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Bureau at the New York State Office of the Attorney General. Prior to working at the OAG, Kirkland was the Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York, overseeing educational advocacy programs in the New York City public school system. From 1989 to 1990 Mr. Kirkland was the Executive Director of the New York City Civil Rights Coalition, a coalition of civil rights, religious, and community organizations. In this capacity, Kirkland responded to bias-related violence and organized multiracial coalitions in various neighborhoods to prevent violence.

Kirkland is charismatic, articulate and possessed of unflinching resolve. Taking the podium, he immediately set the tone of his remarks by noting that the subtitle of the event — “from tolerance to trust” — should be changed to “from acceptance to trust.” Kirkland told the sympathetic crowd that, “Tolerance is still a very negative frame of mind, it’s a closed heart.”

Kirkland looks and sounds the part of the civil rights old-fighter. He grew up in Harlem, raised by a single mother. His mother, who will be 92 in February, instilled in him a passion to be a part of the fight for social justice. Coming of age in the Sixties, Kirkland heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak and came away inspired. Seeing civil rights activists beaten and sprayed with water cannons, Kirkland felt confused. Struggling to understand why southern whites hated African-Americans, young Kirkland read whatever he could get his hands on.

Galen Kirkland
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

“I read a book by a woman, a Polish woman, who had survived the Holocaust in Europe and her account of the absolute absence of compassion in the Nazis and their total cruelty was horrifying. But what it did was to help me as a child understand that the same mass insanity that was empowering Europe at the time was what was operative here in the United States and it helped me understand what was going on. Once I understood that I realized that I wanted to become a lawyer and fight for social justice,” Kirkland said.

In the 1986 Howard Beach incident, a mob of whites attacked four young black men. The mob chased a badly beaten Michael Griffith onto a highway where he was struck by a car and killed. Reflecting on the incident, Kirkland came to the conclusion that silence in the face of bigotry produced a “degradation of our humanity” — people of conscience must act. But how?

“The basic question that confronts us is how we overcome the most repressive, violent, bigoted instincts that some people have,” he said.

The answer to Kirkland’s question resides in a sense of community.

Noticing that many people are willing to stand up for decency and justice “as long as they have somebody to lock hands with,” Kirkland said that “Organizing to overcome the ignorance of people who don’t want to accept others who are different from them requires really hard organizing: person to person, in small groups, on a sustained basis, innovative thinking and dedication.”

But it requires something else that Kirkland said he was never taught in law school.

“There also has to be love in your heart,” he said.

“And here we are, in the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, meeting while the United States is at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. At a time when many people feel as if they’re free to vent aggression and hatred towards Muslims because of the fact that radical jihadists have attempted to sieze the mantle of Islam. But the fact of the matter is, we are all under a responsibility to defend the rights of Muslims in this country, in this city, in this state,” Kirkland said.

“If we don’t defend our Muslim brothers and sisters we are all diminished because our human rights are interdependent,” he added.

Recalling the Buddhist concept of interbeing — and Martin Luther King, Jr’s “beloved community,” Kirkland appealed to the young people in the mosque to pick up the mantle of nonviolent activism in the name of peace and social justice.

As someone who practices what he preaches, Kirkland invited a former Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee field secretary to address the NY State Division of Human Rights. Shortly after he was appointed to his current post at the Division, Kirkland asked Bob Moses, who worked in Mississippi in 1964 — during the Freedom Summer voter registration drive — to visit New York. Moses, one of SNCC’s most influential organizers back in the day, told the Division’s staff that “The civil rights movement [ of the Sixties ] stopped short.” Moses argued that the movement failed to address the issue of education. Moses said that today, African-Americans receive a “sharecropper education” — and he called for a second civil rights movement. According to Kirkland, Moses electrified the Human Rights Division staffers. He was so impressive that the Division asked him back a second time. And he came.

A recipient of the War Resisters League Peace award in 1997, Bob — now “Robert P.” — Moses teaches trigonometry at Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi and is working to pass a constitutional amendment that states that “every child in this country is a child of this country and is entitled to a quality public school education.”

Inspired by Moses and other Sixties-era activists, Kirkland continues to work diligently for civil rights and social justice. And he urges others to do the same. Kirkland told the crowd at the mosque that to organize a community to respect human rights, “You reach out to the good people and you never stop reaching out. And you never stop meeting. And you never stop discussing. You keep fighting, day after day after day.”

Although he was heartened by the number of young people who attended the summit, Kirkland realizes that full enfranchisement of all who live in the U.S. is a long way off.

“Some people say we’re civilized. I say, we’ve made a lot of progress but we’re not there yet,” he said.

View Kirkland’s Speech In Its Entirety
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

An exuberant supporter and Staten Island’s newest City Council member
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — November 28, 2009. On Saturday night, newly elected New York City Council member Debi Rose (District 49) hosted a party to celebrate her victory and thank her supporters.

Supporters rank Debi Rose number one
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

On November 4, Ms. Rose made history by becoming Staten Island’s African-American elected official. Her supporters never wavered — after losing a very close special election last February, Rose and her campaign staff rallied and beat incumbent Ken Mitchell in a September primary.

But Rose’s people-powered campaign would have to beat Mitchell twice.

Rather than supporting his party’s nominee, Mitchell decided to run against Rose — on the Conservative Party line. With the support of labor, peace and civil rights activists and the Democratic Party of Richmond County, Rose hammered Mitchell in the November general election — winning by 30 percentage points. Republican Tim Kuhn finished a distant third.

Debi Rose (right) with one of her younger supporters
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Debi Rose, Staten Island’s first African-American elected official, is much more than that to her supporters: she is living proof that progressives can win. Rose has protested with antiwar activists, served the North Shore as a longtime member of Community Board One and marched in the streets with the NAACP, as a defender of civil rights. And in January she will serve in the New York City Council.

Councilwoman Debi Rose with the NAACP’s Ed Josey
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

An organizer and activist with 30 years experience, Debi Rose is an ordinary person who has done extraordinary things for her community. Nowhere was this more evident than at Saturday’s party where her supporters, volunteers and campaign staff were every bit as excited as their newest representative.

Two of Rose’s veteran campaigners pause to savor the moment
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

During her last campaign, Rose sent out literature that said she was “not one of the boys” — not a part of the political machine. The affection shown on Saturday underscored this point and made another as well: Rose was victorious precisely because the working people regard her as “one of us” — about as grass roots as they come.

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

Click HERE to see a slideshow from the party
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Debi Rose, candidate for the New York City Council, District 49
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If you have never seen a real people-powered, grassroots campaign — meet Debi Rose.

If you have an admiration for salt of the earth, working people, fighting the good fight, meet Debi Rose and her supporters: they are NAACP members, UAW members, CSEA, SEIU, Working Families Party, NARAL members, NOW members, Planned Parenthood members, progressive and independent Democrats and — if you live in District 49 — your neighbors. There is something very unique and very special about the campaign office when it is filled with Rose’s volunteers. Something very genuine, very hopeful.

The Rose campaign office the weekend before election day: a busy place
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

If you have ever rooted for the underdog, stood up to the oppressor, held your breath during a Hail Mary, whispered a prayer for a miracle, knocked on wood, gritted your teeth at injustice, refused to vote for the lesser of two evils, despised the Klan, smiled at the chutzpah of Rosa Parks, mourned and admired Karen Silkwood, raised your fist in solidarity with Norma Rae and her real life counterparts in the labor movement — meet Debi Rose.

Debi Rose is an unlikely hero. She is not part of the political machine. She is a progressive with thirty years experience as a community organizer. She is an African-American woman who has the courage and commitment to aspire to be — and is on the brink of becoming — the first person of color ever elected to any public office on Staten Island. She is already the first African-American to ever be nominated for elective office by Staten Island’s Democratic Party.

If you have been pleasantly surprised by Congressman Alan Grayson — and although NLN supported Alan early on we have been pleasantly surprised — meet Debi Rose. She is cut from the same cloth as Grayson. If you value integrity and honesty — we have a hunch you’ll like Debi.

Debi Rose shares a laugh with her hard working volunteers
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

If you respect a Democrat who is both a progressive — committed to change in deed as well as in word — and a team player, if you want a candidate who doesn’t claim to be for women’s rights while voting against women, a candidate endorsed by Planned Parenthood, NARAL and NOW — meet Debi Rose.

If you are dismayed that Ken Mitchell — a Democrat who courted Progressives — is now a Conservative, a Conservative who pledged not to campaign against the Democratic Party nominee, a Conservative who is actively campaigning against the Democratic Party nominee — vote for Debi Rose. If you are not sure whether Mitchell is a Democrat, or a Conservative, or simply part of the problem — help him clarify his position, vote for Debi Rose.

If you believe that the sort of political machinations Ken Mitchell is engaging in are unacceptable to any New Yorker who demands honesty and integrity from their elected officials — vote your conscience. If you are appalled that Mitchell voted against a City Council resolution that sought to protect women visiting health care clinics from harassment — claiming that the resolution was “vague and unenforceable” — send Mitchell a clear, enforceable, message. Vote for Debi Rose.

Grace under pressure: fighting the machine, serving her community — Debi Rose
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

If you recognize last minute frivolous lawsuits for what they are — political smear campaigns — stand up to bullies who use spurious tactics. Stand up to bullies who file suit a week before an election in an obvious attempt to damage a candidate’s reputation. The lawsuit in question, brought by attorney Randy Mastro — formerly Rudolph Guiliani’s Deputy Mayor for Operations — alleges that the Working Families Party, working on behalf of the Rose campaign, underpaid Data and Field Services (DFS) for work it did during the recent Democratic primary. The lawsuit does not affect ballot status and Congressman Mike McMahon, Ken Mitchell’s former boss, called the lawsuit “politically motivated.” McMahon underscored his position when he endorsed Debi Rose.

And McMahon is not alone.

Debi Rose has been endorsed by the UAW, CSEA Local 1000, SEIU1199, DC37, DC 1707, The Central Labor Council, the Motel and Hotel Trades Council, the UFT, the Freelancers Union, PSC/CUNY, the Tenant’s PAC, NARAL, NOW New York, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the League of Humane Voters, Staten Island Democratic Association, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, the Detectives Endowment Association, Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Mike McMahon, State Senator Diane Savino, and Assembly members Matthew Titone, Mike Cusick and Janele Hyer-Spencer.

Three days after the Advance’s political gossip columnist Tom Wrobleski wrote a piece about the lawsuit, the Staten Island Advance Editorial Board had this to say:

“We gave Mr. Mitchell a slight edge in endorsing him in February because we thought he had in-the-trenches Council experience. His expertise in government is clear. However, it’s not matched by accomplishments. And, after he was defeated in the primary, he seemed to lose enthusiasm, even though he is still the candidate of the Conservative Party. He said just last month that he did not plan to actively campaign for the seat.

Some question his sincerity on this count. In any case, we prize Ms. Rose’s steadfast determination in seeking this seat and we believe that trait will serve her constituents well. North Shore voters will not only be making history but, we think, also making a more hopeful future by electing Ms. Rose.”

At NLN we are proud to stand with Debi Rose in the streets — and in the voting booth.

Join us.

And while you’re voting — cast a vote for term limits, respect for the rule of law and for democracy. Send a clear, enforceable, message to Mike Bloomberg as well as Ken Mitchell.

Reporting from inside the Rose campaign — a campaign filled with hope and heart — this is Tom Good for Next Left Notes.

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

Celebrating African Heritage on Staten Island
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — September 19, 2009. The weather cooperated providing a picture perfect day for the third annual Staten Island African Heritage Parade. Elected officials who turned out included Assemblyman Matt Titone (D, 61st Assembly District) and State Senator Diane Savino (D, 23rd Senate District) — they were joined by recent Democratic Party primary winner Debi Rose who is challenging Conservative Party candidate Ken Mitchell for the North Shore City Council seat in November. Also present was Democrat John Luisi who is running for the Borough President’s job, taking on incumbent and New York State Conservative Party vice chair James Molinaro. Ed Josey of the National Associaton for the Advancement of Colored People, clad in yellow NAACP garb, joined the march as did a large contingent from the College of Staten Island. Activist Sally Jones was spotted sporting her familiar light blue Peace Action t-shirt. NLN photographer Tom Good was there and took advantage of the photo op.

John Liusi and his number one supporter
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

View Photos/Videos From The Parade…

Debi Rose (center) and some fired up supporters
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Ed Josey of the NAACP with Peace Action’s Sally Jones
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Debi Rose casts her vote in Tuesday’s primary
(Photo: Michelle Akyempong)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — NY1 News described it as a “throw out the bums” type of election — but however you describe it, Tuesday’s primary accomplished something very rare: four New York City Council incumbents lost their primaries. Pundits are debating whether Bloomberg’s overturning of term limits last Fall prompted a clean sweep mentality in the electorate but whatever the motivation, primary voters voiced a desire for change.

It is rare enough for an incumbent in the New York City Council to lose a re-election bid but even rarer: Staten Island will see its first African-American elected official if Progressive Democrat Debi Rose prevails in the November election. In fact, it is quite likely that Rose has already assured her place in the history books. Philip Blitz, treasurer of the Democratic Committee of Richmond County, told NLN in a phone interview that he can’t remember any African-American ever winning the party’s nomination before. Although Blitz stressed that he is not the county committee’s historian he did say that he while he recalls African-Americans holding office inside the Staten Island Democratic Party, to the best of his knowledge Debi Rose has made history as the first African-American to win the party’s nomination.

After losing a very tight special election in February, Rose defeated incumbent Ken Mitchell in Tuesday night’s primary. The incumbent said that he will continue to run — on the Conservative line. Rose is running on both the Working Families line and the Democratic Party line. Mitchell chances are not good — Rose won the primary with a convincing 55 percent to 39 percent victory. Rajiv Gowda garnered the remaining 6 percent.

In a NY1 interview, Rose described her victory as “Obama-esque” and said that she and her campaign staff are gearing up for the November election. Inspired by her resounding victory over the Democratic Party machine on Staten Island’s North Shore, Rose told NY1 that she believes Mitchell’s candidacy will siphon votes away from Republican Timothy Kuhn and that this will help her bid to be the first African-American from Staten Island to serve on the New York City Council.

Rose has significant labor support — she has been endorsed by CSEA, the UAW, DC 37 — and several women’s rights organizations have endorsed her as well. Planned Parenthood’s New York City Action Fund and the Brooklyn Queens chapter of the National Organization for Women endorsed Rose on August 20.

NARAL Pro-Choice New York also endorsed Rose in August and issued a statement of congratulations after her primary victory:

Rose will square off with Conservative Party candidate Ken Mitchell and Republican Timothy Kuhn on November 3. If Rose prevails she will make history as the first African-American elected official from Staten Island. But she has already accomplished something noteworthy: a progressive running a people power, grass roots campaign has defeated the powerful Democratic Party machine on Staten Island.

Debi Rose speaking at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Wednesday, September 9, New York City Council candidate Debi Rose visited the Staten Island Ferry Terminal but was unable to sit down for a meal or use her laptop. Citing a “failure of leadership”, Rose referred to the ferry terminal as a “blight” — the terminal remains devoid of retail shops despite promises of elected officials to convert it into a space that would offer commuters amenities — and tourists a reason to visit the island.

Two years after the renovation was “completed” — work continues
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

In recent years the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) administered a $130 million renovation project of the St. George ferry terminal on behalf of the Department of Transportation (DOT). The project produced two salt water fish tanks, a panoramic view of the harbor — and nowhere to sit down and eat, shop for books or utilize a wifi connection to the internet according to Debi Rose. The result: tourists take the ferry for a free ride past the Statue of Liberty but do not linger on Staten Island — and the terminal remains largely vacant in terms of shops that could provide residents with employment.

“This space could be wonderful and full of amenities for the commuters, for tourists, and it could be a boon to the economic development on Staten Island,” said Rose.

“But as you see, because of a lack of planning and a failure of leadership, this space is blank, this space is empty, under-utilized and the communters don’t have access to the amenities that would make the commute more palatable,” she added.

Rose pointed out that basic amenities, including a restaurant, existed prior to the renovation. But $130 million worth of improvements later, the terminal lacks even the restaurant it once boasted — let alone a book store or a wifi ready waiting room. And construction in the hallway that once housed shops continues — at a snail’s pace.

Why?

Rose argued that elected officials must be prodded to make it a priority to get businesses to return to the terminal — providing jobs for residents as well making the terminal more welcoming.

Debi Rose supporters at the ferry terminal
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

“It takes someone who will stay on the elected officials, that will stay on EDC to make sure that we have a neighborhood and a community that is thriving, that we have jobs and businesses. And that we also have the amenities that every other community has,” Rose said.

When asked what she would like to see in the terminal, Rose said that “There should be a Barnes and Noble, or a book shop, a Starbucks, somewhere where the commuter could sit down and read. You could use your wireless — this whole area should be wireless, so that while you’re waiting to get on the ferry you could utilize your PC. This could be, you know, more than just a transportation hub, it could really be an economic boon to Staten Island.”

Noting that a lot of tourists ride the ferry and are obliged to walk through the terminal, Rose said that “It should be something that makes tourists get off the ferry. Right now they get off, they walk around the corner and they get back on.”

Rose argued that the elected officials have little interest in correcting the situation, or other similar infrastructure problems — until just before an election.

“I’ve seen where, all of a sudden, projects are being completed, or the ground is being broken for a lot of projects and it’s just in time for the election. We need somebody who is going to be on the case, all the time, twenty-four seven, not just in an election,” said Rose.

Rose is challenging incumbent Ken Mitchell for the District 49 city council seat. The candidates will square off in a Democratic Party primary on September 15, 2009.

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

PEACE ACTION OF STATEN ISLAND HONORS LOCAL PEACEMAKERS AT SECOND ANNUAL “MAKE FOOD NOT WAR WITH STATEN ISLAND’S OWN CELEBRITY CHEFS”

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PASI) — Peace Action of Staten Island will host its second annual “MAKE FOOD NOT WAR WITH STATEN ISLAND’S OWN CELEBRITY CHEFS” benefit buffet dinner honoring four local peacemakers, each of whom in his or her own way helps to raise awareness of peaceful, non-militaristic solutions, and promotes acceptance of diversity with a focus on the humanitarian needs of our community and world. It will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2009, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Central Family Life Center, 59 Wright Street (Rev. Calvin Rice Place) in Stapleton, New York. Tickets are $35.00 each for adults, $10.00 per child (children under 5 are free). RSVP by September 19, 2009. Please call Peace Action at (718) 989-2881 for reservations and more information.

Entertainment will be provided by Staten Island’s legendary musician Jimmy Mack on acoustic guitar, along with an ethnic dance performance (to be confirmed.) There will be a silent auction of items ranging from a three day vacation in the Berkshires to a variety of gift baskets including gift certificates from Vida restaurant on Van Duzer Street and Dosi Cafe on Bay St. Attire is informal. Families as well as individuals are welcome.

The celebrity chefs’ offerings include: Sri Lankan specialities served by Dosa Garden of Victory Boulevard.; vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free fare from Tuttoriso Cafe on Richmond Terrace; delectables from pastry chef Nonnie Chu of Desserts by Nonnie Chu; Cajun, Creole and Low Country cuisine from Chef Dennis Crotty of St. George Parish Grill on Stuyvesant Place; enticing fare from David Hernandez and Charlie Gonzalez of David and Charles Catering; a superb Mexican stew from accomplished home chef Rona Solomon; tantalizing treats from Addie Corn, a former Staten Island restauranteur, and; extraordinary baked goods from Pat Berg. In addition there will be other chefs’ culinary creations.

The honorees are individuals from distinctly different backgrounds, yet all share a common vision and commitment to achieving it.

Hesham El-Meligy
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Hesham El-Meligy is a well known community activist with Building Bridges Coalition, a Staten Island interfaith multi-ethnic social group which holds interfaith events; and a Muslim spokesperson. Hesham personally reaches out to the community with his “What It’s Like to be Muslim on Staten Island” presentation and dialogue, addressing organizations and acting as a link himself as he informs and educates people.

Thomas Good
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Thomas Good, a College of Staten Island graduate and father of two, is a photojournalist and editor of NEXT LEFT NOTES, an independent Left online journal. His work has appeared in numerous publications including IN THESE TIMES, THE NATION, and UNDERGROUND: MY LIFE IN SDS AND THE WEATHERMEN by Mark Rudd. He is active with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the War Resisters League (WRL), Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS), and Peace Action. A lifelong Lefty and an alumnus of Pier 57, he feels “Privileged to have been inconvenienced by law enforcement for reading the names of the U.S. war dead aloud in Vito Fossella’s office along with several of [his] heroes: Sally Jones, Elaine Brower and Barbara Walker.”

Barbara Walker
(Photo: Devra Morice / NLN)

Barbara Walker, a member of the Granny Peace Brigade, is a native New Yorker who graduated from Jamaica H.S. and Hunter College. In her junior year of college she signed on for volunteer work with the American Committee for Africa where she met and became acquainted with people from another country for the first time in her life. There followed 15 years at the Institute of International Education organizing travel and study programs for specialists from the U.S., Asia, and Africa. For 25 years Barbara worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, and in the UN peacekeeping operation in New York, Namibia, Jerusalem, and Angola. Barbara’s philosophy is, “I believe focus on the promotion of conflict resolution through diplomacy and negotiation, on the necessity for elimination of war profiteering, on opposition to war undertaken for control of resources should be maintained.”

Sylvia Zaage
(Photo: Sylvia Zaage / Peace Action)

Sylvia Zaage, a member of Peace Action, has been a Staten Islander since 1952 when she, her husband and their toddlers first arrived here. Her involvement in the community began with the League of Women Voters, then the Unitarian Church, followed by becoming a Brownie Scout leader; friends in Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) motivated her to join in Civil Rights marches and protests. She became a member of Staten Islanders Against Nuclear Weapons led by “gifted peacemaker” Sam Finklestein. There followed involvement with Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, teaching yoga as a volunteer, joining JCC Senior Net to teach older people computer skills, and helping out in the campaigns of progressive leaders, notably Mary Codd (the Staten Islander who ran for Mayor) and recently Steve Harrison, Debi Rose and President Barack Obama. Sylvia works with the membership committee and says, “Knowing and working with the people who are the movers and shakers of our community has enriched and given meaning to my life.”

Andy Stern questioned Ken Mitchell’s position on women’s health issues
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — According to Andy Stern of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, City Councilmember Ken Mitchell has repeatedly refused to disclose his position on women’s health issues. Not so with Debi Rose, who picked up NARAL’s endorsement — along with NOW and Planned Parenthood — this week.

On Thursday, August 20, progressive Democrat Debi Rose picked up the endorsements of NARAL Pro-Choice New York, the Brooklyn / Queens chapter of the National Organization for Women and the Planned Parenthood New York City Action Fund. Rose is campaigning for the District 49 (North Shore of Staten Island) New York City Council seat. She is looking to unseat incumbent Ken Mitchell who won a razor-thin victory in a special election last February.

At a press conference at Borough Hall on Thursday, Stern was scathing in his criticism of Mitchell’s refusal to be forthcoming about his position on women’s health issues.

Andy Stern endorsed Rose on behalf of NARAL
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

“Ken Mitchell has repeatedly refused to tell us his fundamental positions on women’s health, where he stands on Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose, where he stands on birth control and emergency contraception. Where he stands on comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education in our schools,” Stern said.

“We’ve mailed him, we’ve called him, we’ve faxed him, we’ve e-mailed him — over and over and over again — and yet Mr. Mitchell remains silent on women’s heath,” he added.

Mitchell’s voting record is not so silent.

On April 2, 2009, Mitchell voted against the Clinic Access Bill (Intro 826). Mitchell was one of five Democrats who voted with the council’s three Republicans (two of whom, Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo, are from Staten Island). The bill passed 43 to 8 and was signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg on April 20.

According to the Gotham Gazette, the bill “Removes the need for intent to make an arrest, meaning a police officer could arrest protesters who they see harassing patients.”

In a story about the endorsements, the Staten Island Advance’s Tom Wrobleski reported that Mitchell described the clinic access bill as “vague and unenforceable”. Wrobleski did not mention NARAL’s claim that Mitchell failed to respond to repeated requests for his position on women’s health issues.

NOW’s Julie Kirschner (right) with Debi Rose
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Julie Kirschner, who represented the Brooklyn / Queens chapter of NOW at the conference, said that Mitchell “Says he’s pro-choice but he voted against the clinic access bill in the city council. Now how pro-choice is that?”

Kirschner gave Rose NOW’s endorsement, describing Rose as “100 percent pro-choice.”

Debi Rose with Planned Parenthood’s Dana Czuczka
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Dana Czuczka also spoke briefly, endorsing Rose on behalf of the Planned Parenthood New York Action Fund.

Describing the endorsements as “one of the highlights of this race for me”, Rose said that “I am not one of the boys — for many reasons. But one of them, which might not be the most obvious, is that my voice and my concern for women and children and families on the North Shore is one that has not been heard.”

Rose will square off with Mitchell in a September 15 Democratic Party primary. Also vying for the Democratic nomination is Rajiv Gowda, a civil engineer. The winner of the primary will face Republican Timothy Kuhn in November.

View Photos/Videos From The Event…

Debi Rose (right) with some of her supporters
(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — August 1, 2009. On Saturday, the Staten Island Democratic Association (SIDA) held a fundraiser for Debi Rose. Rose is a candidate for the New York City Council, District 49. She is challenging machine Democrat Ken Mitchell in a September 15th primary election. In the special election to fill the council seat vacated by Congressman Michael McMahon (D-NY), held last February, Mitchell beat Rose by a couple of hundred votes. Mitchell was McMahon’s chief of staff prior to the former councilman being elected to the Congress and was widely perceived as the front-runner. Rose’s good showing has supporters believing she can unseat the incumbent in the upcoming primary.

(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

With 28 years experience as a community organizer and as a member of Community Board 1, Rose is popular with Island progressives. She has picked up the endorsements of the Staten Island Democratic Association – Staten Island’s most progressive Democratic club, Naral New York, CSEA Local 1000, UAW Region 9A, DC37 and DC37 Local 1701, and the New York Working Families Party.

(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)

Mitchell’s mentor, Mike McMahon, has been in the local news recently too. On Saturday, August 15, MoveOn supporters will gather outside Congressman McMahon’s Staten Island Office at 265 New Dorp Lane at 1 p.m. Their demands? McMahon is undecided about supporting President Barack Obama’s health care plan. MoveOn is demanding that he “Support a REAL Public Option in the Healthcare Reform Bill.”

For more information about the MoveOn protest visit:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=94737

For more information about the Debi Rose campaign visit:
http://votedebirose2009.com/

(Photo: Thomas Good / NLN)