WHO WON THE HOLY NAME OF MARY SUMMERFEST 2024 50/50 RAFFLE?

Congratulations to the winner of the 50/50 raffle, long time parishioner Ginny Cawley! 

Holy Name of Mary - Croton-on-Hudson, NY

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: CROTON CHRONICLE PROFILE; JEAN AVOLIO, PRESIDENT OF AIDES OF CROTON UNITED, FIGHTING FOR LOW PAID SCHOOL WORKERS--AND FOR OUR KIDS

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BALTER

Welcome to The New Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship---in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

Chronicle profile: Jean Avolio, president of Aides of Croton United, is fighting for low paid school workers--and for our kids.

Plus: A description of tasks performed by school aides, in their own words.

MICHAEL BALTER

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Jean Avolio has never considered herself a natural born leader. But at age 18, after a tough childhood, Avolio left home, and she has been on her own ever since. That school of hard knocks gave her the grit and determination to look out for herself, and also to look out for others. Today, at age 55 and with 18 years’ tenure as an aide in the Croton-Harmon school district, she is leading a fight for better working conditions for the roughly 65 teacher’s aides and lunch workers employed in the district’s three schools.

“I am watching out for others because no one watched out for me,” Avolio says.

On Tuesday of this coming week, June 11, the Aides of Croton United (ACU) will resume negotiations on a new contract with Croton-Harmon school district officials. If they can come to an agreement with the district—something that is not at all sure—it will be the ACU’s third three-year contract, all negotiated under Avolio’s leadership.

Avolio has traveled a long road to union activism. She was born in Peekskill, but moved to Croton with her family beginning in the 10th grade. She graduated from Croton-Harmon High School in 1986...READ MORE AT Chronicle profile: Jean Avolio, president of Aides of Croton United, is fighting for low paid school workers--and for our kids. (substack.com)

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THE NEW EVERYTHING CROTON: THE CROTON SCHOOL BOARD DOES NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS--A LETTER FROM PAUL STEINBERG

DEI IS UNRAVELING AT OUR UNIVERSITIES. GOOD RIDDANCE TO A FAILED AND DIVISIVE BUREAUCRACY

Opinion by Ingrid Jacques, USA TODAY--Former President Donald Trump and first son Hunter Biden may be stealing the headlines now, but there’s something else that deserves your attention: The continued antisemitic – and increasingly violent – incidents at U.S. universities.

Last week, a mob of pro-Palestinian students at Stanford University “barricaded” themselves inside the school president’s office. The occupation led to the injury of a police officer and extensive damage to the building.  MORE AT DEI is unraveling at our universities. Good riddance to a failed and divisive bureaucracy. (msn.com)

YOUR EVERYTHING CROTON GUIDE TO FATHER'S DAY 2024---TIPS, VINTAGE CROTON FATHERS DAY, LOCAL GIFTS, EVENTS AND MUCH MORE

Welcome to The New Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 16TH---SOME LINKS YOU MAY ENJOY, TIPS, VINTAGE CROTON FATHERS DAY, LOCAL GIFTS, EVENTS AND MUCH MORE; BOOKMARK THIS POST FOR UPDATES---stay tuned for more.

--CROTON'S PETER STRAUSS in the 2000 film, A FATHER'S CHOICE; CLICK HERE

--Five Amazing Stories of Inspiring Dads: Fathers Day Special - 5 Amazing Father’s Day Stories of Inspiring Dads (floweraura.com)

--Father's Day Soaps and more at Upper Village Blooms; go to When the soaps from @hudsonnaturals... - Upper Village Blooms Croton | Facebook

--PHOTOS FROM THE 2014 HOLY NAME OF MARY KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY FATHER'S DAY DINNER; CLICK HERE

--FEED THE BIRDS, WELL STOCKED FOR FATHER'S DAY; GO TO Feed The Birds - Father’s Day is Sunday, June 16th. Treat Dad to... | Facebook

--ROW 13 WINES, JUNE NEWSLETTER, DADS AND GRADS; Wood on Wine: June 2024 (mailchi.mp)

--AND AT HOLY NAME OF MARY Father’s Day Mass Intention cards are now available on the ushers’ table in the church and chapel. Mass Intentions received on time will be placed on the altar for Father’s Day. Bulletin (holynameofmary.org)

--FATHERS MATTER  ARTICLE; GO TO Fathers Matter: The Importance of a Father - Focus on the Family

--FAB COFFEE MUG FOR DAD; GO TO Best DAM Dad Father's Day mug – CROTON TEES AND MORE!   AND SOME ARE AT ROBBIN'S! AND ALSO MEN'S TEES; CLICK HERE

--ROBBINS HAS SOME BROUGHT IN OTHER FAB FATHER'S DAY GIFTS TOO--MEN'S TOOLS, FLASHLIGHTS, GADGETS! Drugstore, Pharmacy, Prescription - Robbinscrotonrx.com

AND NOW A WORD FROM THE CROTON SENIOR CLUB AND THE COUNTY PROCLAMATION FOR SUMMERFEST GRAND MARSHALL TONY GAGLIOTTI

Welcome to The New Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship---in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

AND NOW A WORD FROM THE CROTON SENIOR CLUB AND THE COUNTY PROCLAMATION FOR SUMMERFEST GRAND MARSHALL TONY GAGLIOTTI

Life long Croton resident,Tony Gagliotti, our Summerfest Grand Marshall has received more recognition.  The county of Westchester proclaimed that June 3, 2024 would be Tony Gagliotti Day to recognize his contributions to the village over his lifetime.

The proclamation was a surprise to Tony as it was presented to him by Bob Anderson, Croton Senior Club President at the weekly senior meeting.  If you should see Tony around the village, please give him a big thumbs up and congratulations! PHOTOS BY Linda McChain.  Click on the images below, all rights reserved. (And courtesy of Al Gagliotti, the proclamation.)

The Croton Seniors are always happy to have new members join and enjoy club activities. Contact the recreation department at 914-271-3006 or club president Bob Anderson 914-271-3168 for more information. The seniors meet at the municipal building at 11 a.m. Fridays and at Senasqua Park on the last Friday of the month during the summer.

CONGRATULATIONS HENRY MARTIN, CON ED SPORTS AWARD DINNER

Welcome to The New Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship---in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

FROM THE CROTON HARMON HS ATHLETICS FB PAGE---CHHS wrestler, Henry Martin was honored at last night’s prestigious ConEd Scholastic Sports Award Dinner. If you recall, Henry was the first CHHS wrestler to place at states!  Henry is currently a Junior and we look forward to following his Senior season. Henry has accomplished so much as a student-athlete.  We are proud of you! A FEW PHOTOS AT Facebook AND Facebook AND Facebook AND Facebook

THE CROTON SCHOOL BOARD DOES NOT PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS--A LETTER FROM PAUL STEINBERG

Welcome to The New Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship---in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

To the Editor:

Andrew Carnegie was a leading progressive of his age: friend of the workingman, benevolent employer, philanthropist without equal.  Unfortunately even saintly men require respite, and one summer Carnegie went off to his Scottish retreat where he was (supposedly) unreachable by the outside world. He returned from Scotland and was shocked—shocked—to discover that his deputy Henry Frick had triggered a massive strike by the union at his Homestead steel plant, which required 300 Pinkerton agents and 8500 National Guardsmen to put down.

Historians now have access to the communications sent between Carnegie and Frick, and it turns out that the Scottish retreat was not so isolated after all. Carnegie wrote to Frick: “We… approve of anything you do. We are with you to the end.” After much bloodshed, Carnegie broke the union. “Life is worth living again!” he wrote to Frick.

Carnegie used Henry Frick and Pinkerton agents. Today the Croton-Harmon school board uses the School Superintendent and the school district lawyer to crush the union while keeping their hands clean.

At least the Homestead union members had community support, which is more than can be said of the union members in Croton. For decades now, we have been living off a reputation won by leaders of the original Progressive movement. We support union labor just so long as it stays out of Croton.

As first reported in The Croton Chronicle, Croton-Harmon’s school board has taken union-busting to new depths. Union President Jean Avolio has been speaking out in the media about poor pay and the refusal of the employer to offer a reasonable contract. That is what a union President is supposed to do, but free speech is often unwelcome in Croton and this is one of those times. So the school district’s attorney sent a letter to the parent organization (NYS United Teachers) warning that the Croton local was advocating something “similar” to a work stoppage and the attorney warned that he would be talking to the district about it.

I realize that this involves school, but the spectacle of a bully (attorney) ratting out Jean to her boss (NYSUT) and threatening to tell Mom (Sarah Carrier)… Seriously—are we back in fifth grade?

President Avolio despairs of the Croton-Harmon school board ever negotiating in good faith, to the point of saying that members should consider finding jobs elsewhere. That is not a call to concerted activity, it is career advice. If you can’t be Norma Rae, at least be Johnny Paycheck.

It is true that quitting your job is literally a work stoppage, but quitting is not covered by any collective bargaining agreement I have ever seen. I don’t see that it is covered by the Croton CBA Article XVI(B).

I challenge any resident to look at the near-minimum wage pay scale and benefits (or rather, lack thereof) given to the Croton teacher aides and tell me they think it is fair. But if the Croton-Harmon school board is not going to negotiate a fair contract, they should have the guts to say so.

More to the point: if the Croton-Harmon school board members are determined to break the union, they should have the decency to get their hands dirty rather than relying on oblique threats from a hired-gun legal bully. In his later years, Carnegie was ashamed of what he did at Homestead.

I doubt Superintendent Walker is ashamed of his failure to negotiate in good faith, but isn’t there at least a single member of the school board who will come out publicly in support of a fair contract?

--Paul Steinberg, Croton-on-Hudson

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CONGRATULATIONS LUCIA THORESON AND MEKHI SMITHWICK---2023 ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton -- our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship -- in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

COURTESY OF THE CROTON HARMON BOOSTER FB PAGE----Congratulations to Lucia Thoreson and Mekhi Smithwick who were chosen as the 2023-24 Athletes-of-the-Year! Lucia led our soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Mekhi led our football, wrestling, and baseball teams. Congratulations to you both on this much-deserved award! Photo album at Croton-Harmon Booster Club | Facebook