This too is Yonkers- by Eric W. Schoen
Lately it seems like everywhere I go it is cold inside?
In synagogue, particularly around the high holidays, half the people praying are cold and the other half are hot. Synagogue Directors and maintenance staff have never been able to set the thermostat to the right temperature where everyone is comfortable. Most synagogues suggest women bring a sweater or shawl to cover themselves in case they are not happy with the temperature.
Now let’s be real here. If you sit under the vent where the air conditioning is flowing from it’s going to be colder than if you sit away from the vent. It’s like in your home. If you sit in front of the window air conditioner or central air vent it’s going to be colder than if you are seated far away from the source of cold air.
People at the former Temple Emanu-El on Rumsey Road in Yonkers would sit under air conditioning vents on the sides of the temple and complain they were cold. I would always tell them to move to the center of the temple away from the vents. If they did they would get warm. Sadly, there will never be a happy medium!
Moral of the story: bring some type of coverup for when you are cold, and focus on the words in your prayer book and the prayers of the rabbi or priest. They are certain to warm you up!
But it seems lately that everyplace I go to is cold. The doctor chalks it up to my weight loss. I have shed the cover that kept me warm. Years ago I went on an inspection trip to the then new Top Tomato off of South Broadway. We went into the butcher shop and it was so cold I had to walk out. I think the temperature was frigid to keep the meat cold and out in the open for people to see.
Walk into grocery stores nowadays. Whether you are in the produce aisle, dairy isle or frozen food aisle it’s freezing. Do they do that to get you in and out of the store quicker? I have to wear a sweater when I do my grocery shopping.
Speaking of sweaters, I like to do my work quite often drinking a cold iced espresso drink in STARBUCKS. Granted my cold drink year round including the winter months is not going to warm me up. No matter which STARBUCKS you go to it’s cold in the store. You will see people with hoodies covering their heads in middle of summer. Is the cold to encourage people not to hang out sipping their beverages?
Some STARBUCKS baristas (for the uninitiated those individuals who make the coffee) and their managers will tell you the in store temperature is controlled by corporate headquarters and they can’t control it. This is hard to believe. I finally learned that the manager can change the temperature up or down 2 degrees. Don’t feel afraid to ask them to make it colder or warmer next time you go for a drink, or tell them to lower the music which sometimes can blast through their sound system.
McDonald’s restaurants are particularly frigid when you walk in. But hey, at least they have signs up giving you 30 minutes to consume your food onsite. This one is a no brainier. They keep the place cold so you don’t sit and linger any longer than you have to.
Movie theaters can be warm in the morning when the 1st showing of a movie takes place or colder as the day goes by. An empty movie theater certainly will be colder than a full one. I walked into a Broadway theater last week 30 minutes to curtain and I had to leave and go out to the lobby it was so cold. When I went to my seat the blowers were blowing cold air. At intermission I told the house manager who changed my seat. The cold air was still blowing, but I was close to the stage and the warmth from the stage lights made it a little less chilly.
At stadiums like Madison Square Garden or others I have visited you must bring a light jacket or sweatshirt just in case it is cool. And a tip: if you are going to Jones Beach theater anytime there is a concert always bring a light winter jacket. Whether it be June, September or the middle of August being outside at that venue it can get mighty chilly!
I have no carpeting in my apartment so unless it is up in the 90’s for several days ceiling fans will do. My bedroom air conditioner makes the room so cold I wake up in the morning stiff as a board.
We can send a man to the moon, so why haven’t scientists come up with a thermostat that makes everybody happy. Do we need to wear suits like astronauts do to keep the temperature just right? Just a passing thought!
Hot Topics
-Kudos to Assemblyman Nader Sayegh for doing the right thing changing his vote in committee to allow the discontinuation of religious exemptions bill for childhood vaccines to go to the full State Assembly. As we go to press we have another measles scare, this time at Newark Airport.
Passenger arriving from Tokyo heading to Canada exposed thousands of people to the measles.
Scientific evidence has proven that childhood vaccines don’t cause autism or anything that the anti vaccination movement claims. And countless clergy, Jewish, Christian, practically all faiths have said there is nothing in the their teachings that says don’t vaccinate your child.
There has been over 1000 cases of the measles since the beginning of this year in 28 states. The majority in the New York area. Vaccines are safe, vaccinate your child, and you might want to have your doctor do a titer on you or loved ones if there is any question as to whether or not you have received proper vaccination over your lifetime.
-Twenty yes twenty Democratic candidates seeking to run against Donald Trump. Two debates featuring 10 candidates each. Is the television screen going to look like the Brady Bunch so we can see candidates reactions to their opponents. The whole thing is very scary to me. And sounds oh, so unexciting.
-Candidates please remember it is illegal in Yonkers as it is pretty much everywhere to put up political signs on public property. Private property with the permission of the owner is fine.
-I ran into several people over the last few weeks who saw me out in public and were afraid to come over to say hello as they didn’t want to bother me. Please don’t let that be you. I love when readers say hello and there is no problem if you want to tell me you disagree with me. Though you make my day when you come over and say you enjoy the column and/or radio show!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
