By Eric Wolf Schoen
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving filled with food, friends, family and fun. I happen to like turkey, gravy on the side and not sliced too thin. Cream of turkey soup, candied yams, a vegetable like broccoli or thin sliced zucchini in tomato sauce to make you feel like you are eating healthy. Dessert could be apple pie, pecan pie, bread pudding or the myriad options available. A delightful meal particularly when there is turkey leftover for sandwiches the next day, doused with good deli mustard.
Now I know there are many of you out there who despise turkey. The meal can consist of ham, prime rib, and some just like a simple lasagna. I’m not a pumpkin person, so what’s up with all this pumpkin soup and worse, pumpkin cheesecake. Most of the restaurant menus I saw featured both pumpkin soup and the offending pumpkin cheesecake. At $100 a person! Most of us love cheesecake, so why add pumpkin too it. It might be on display at your local supermarket with other desserts, but does anyone go into a grocery store and ask, ‘Where’s the pumpkin cheesecake?’
I love carving a pumpkin for Halloween, decorating pumpkins, putting them out as decoration sizes small to large on the porch, but I don’t think there are many folks obsessed with pumpkin soup or cheesecake. I will eat pumpkin pie as long as it doesn’t taste ‘pumpkiny’ with whipped cream on top. Let me know if you disagree with me!
Speaking of food, we lost CYO Joe over the holidays. Whether it was making wedges at the old CYO on South Broadway including his pizza wedge, fresh Orza Italian bread with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and spices toasted to perfection (a big hit at Yankee Stadium); wedges at his shop on Nepperhan Avenue when the CYO closed or frankfurters from his umbrella clad stand on Yonkers Avenue near Sinatra Funeral home, he kept Yonkersites fed well for many years. Up until a few weeks ago I would run into him at the McDonalds on Yonkers Avenue where I go when I am in that neck of the woods for my piping hot, burn your mouth coffee.
A lot of things have gone on during our Thanksgiving break. Here are just a few of them.
The House Ethics Committee has refused to investigate our old buddy Congressman Jamaal Bowman who pulled the fire alarm delaying a budget vote in D.C. Both Republicans and Democrats on the committee voted not to investigate the bazaar activity of Bowman which only shows you that political parties mean nothing. Washington is one big happy family, you do x for me and I will do y for you. Sad as his actions could have caused people to get injured, psychologically affected and things much worse. He pretends to be a friend of Israel, but his votes and actions speak louder than his words.
As we go to press our other friend George Santos looks like he is being thrown out of Congress. His lying and other unethical and illegal activities are so bad Democrats and Republicans are voting to get rid of him. Given the behavior of our politicians in the Bowman case, Santos must have done really bad things. Which we know he did embarrassing the institution to the point he has become a daily joke in the media. I still can’t believe that in this day and age he was not properly vetted by the Republican Party before he was nominated. Shame on those involved in his sham.
The Supreme Court approved an Ethics Code for the body with no one to enforce it. Time and again we have heard of vacations and other special treatment given to the Supremes, but I guess they feel no one on the planet can properly monitor their activity to keep them in line with the new code. And we vest in them the power to make important decisions that affect our lives? Pathetic.
The people who pick up cans and bottles with 5 cent deposits on our New York streets want the deposit fee increased to 10 cents. With all the folks coming into our country, there is a lot of competition for cans and bottles with a deposit attached. Do these people vote? Do you think those of us who do vote want the deposit fee increased. The legislators those of us who vote elect need to keep this in mind if it comes before the State Legislature. I am all for recycling but come on. Stop nickel and dimeing the electorate!
Speaking of recycling I hope by now you have visited our Cross County Target and had your order packed up in one of their recyclable shopping bags. Stronger and sturdier than many and they can be reused many times. The trendy people in Yonkers carry their Target purchases and items they carry around with them in a bag in a Target recyclable bag.
You work very hard to earn the money you give to charity. Tuesday was Giving Tuesday, the day many people open their checkbooks and make charitable donations. Make sure before you give money to charity that the charity is legitimate and the money spent being used efficiently and effectively to help those in need. There are so many fraudulent charities out there that the IRS and many states have tools on their websites to help you determine if your charity of choice is legitimate. Make use of those tools before you send a cent.
The Cannabis licensing program in New York State is back up and running. If you don’t like the smell tell those smoking around you that it offends you and you would appreciate if they could take their weed and smoke it away from where you are.
There are way too many campaign signs littering our streets almost a month after Election Day. Coming out of Home Depot I saw the illegally placed, attached with thick scotch tape signs of our friend Nick Speranza who did not win his quest for judgeship. He is among many offenders who have not removed their signs placed on private property, a no no! For signs legally placed it’s time they be removed.
Chanukah starts the evening of Thursday, December 7 and continues to Friday, December 15. Let me be the first to wish our readers who celebrate this joyous holiday a very Happy Chanukah. With what is going on in the Middle East many people wonder what they can do to support Israel.
Go online and Google search PRODUCTS MADE IN ISRAEL. Your purchase of the products which could consist of something as simple as tea biscuits to more elaborate items shows your support for the Israeli people at this critical time. Continue donating to reputable charities supporting Israel.
And make sure your menorahs are shining bright in the window of your house or apartment. Take out the electric menorahs you have in the closet for years and safely put them in the window. Decorate your house or apartment door with holiday appropriate decorations. Little ways you can show your support for Israel and the Jewish people.
And of course pray that there is no more loss of life and that the tragic events we read in our newspapers and watch on television will come to an end and Peace will reign in the Middle East and throughout the world.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com, follow him on Twitter (X) @ericyonkers or friend him on Facebook Eric Schoen…just look for him in the picture with Joan Rivers!
