Blog | Chris Berlow's Blog

Seollal...설날! Happy Lunar New Year!

Celebrate the "Year of the Snake," respect the Asian traditions of celebrating family time, and see what's connected with Living a Black Belt Life.

Posted by Chris Berlow, February 11, 2013 at 05:47 pm

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Happy Lunar New Year in Korean! Maybe you recognize it better as Chinese New Year or the more common saying “Gung Hay Fat Choy!” This is one of the most important holidays in many Asian cultures.

Welcome to the Year of the Snake!

There is a strong Chinese influence in Korea and for both cultures, this time of year is celebrated with family; honoring and showing respect to family, looking forward to the New Year, and relaxing as a time of rejuvenation.

And coincidentally, this week is the beginning of Lent with Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras and Festival), Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and the American Heart Association Go Red for Heart Month! Whew! Talk about a jam packed week and month! And President's Day in next week!!!

So what do all these events have to do with Living a Black Belt Life?

Just about everything!

Belief...and tradition
Taking Care of Yourself and Living a Heart Health Life...
Sacrifice...
Love...
Family Time...
Devotion...and
Respect!

Taekwondo is rooted in Korean tradition. And while I don’t speak Korean and know all their customs, I respect their traditions, especially as they relate to Taekwondo and Living a Black Belt Life.

So whatever your background and beliefs, this is another great time to reflect on your life and family. Consider how fortunate you are to live in this great country. Enjoy your freedoms. Respect others and their beliefs. Love your family and yourself. Believe you can do just about anything you put your mind to. Stay active and get or stay healthy.

Did you make any resolutions in January?

This is a good time to assess how you are doing and refocus on your goals. If you are on the right path, terrific! If not, then reevaluate and get yourself back on the path. Check out my December and January blogs on “Developing a New Habit” and “New Apps” if you need some motivation.

Look for my weekly blog every Monday providing insights on "Living a Black Belt Life" and please share this with your friends and family.

Do you have a story to share on how you are living a Black Belt Life?

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 01:30 pm

Valenti BS over and over. Thanks Kurt for this insightful posting.

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Mike Valenti May 20, 2013 at 01:21 pm

THE FACT OF THE MATTER is that it is without question that JON SATRAN AND SAL MAGLIETTA deserve BOTH…Read More of YOUR VOTES for school board trustee on Tuesday. BOTH JON AND SAL have demonstrated over time as BOE trustees their unwavering commitment to EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, FISCAL PRUDENCE, TRANSPARENCY, RESPECT, COMMUNITY VOICE, COLLABORATION, CIVILITY and MUCH MORE. JON AND SAL’s record speaks for itself. Their comportment during this campaign reinforces that THEY embody the QUALITIES and SKILL-SET to continue to represent US and OUR school district. Under the CURRENT BOE’s leadership, our district has restored levels of TRANSPARENCY, RESPECT, COMMUNITY VOICE, COLLABORATION and MORALE that had deteriorated substantially under the previous BOE majority. They have done this while also maintaining extreme fiscal prudence (we are the ONLY district in the County to produce a year over year budget reduction for our community to vote on) and while making decisions ONLY after having ALL of the FACTS and listening to ALL constituencies. THE FACT OF THE MATTER is that JON AND SAL deserve BOTH of YOUR votes on Tuesday. An additional FACT OF THE MATTER is that the community must VOTE YES on the BUDGET Tuesday. Our budget is fiscally prudent. It was crafted in a thoughtful, collaborative, transparent manner. It appropriately balances preservation of our K-12 educational programming. And, importantly, voting down a school budget in any community sends a message (perhaps misinterpreted) that the community no longer supports educational excellence in its school district as a core community value. That message certainly has sharp impact on fragile property values. THE FACT OF THE MATTER is that there is an election on Tuesday and JON SATRAN, SAL MAGLIETTA and THE BUDGET all deserve YOUR VOTES. Respectfully, Mike Valenti

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 01:43 pm

Weren't you arrested recently. Doesn't that speak more than all of your mumbo jumbo

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Mike Valenti May 20, 2013 at 01:15 pm

Ladies and gentleman of Briarcliff, the comments above typify the caliber, comportment and ideology…Read More of the individuals supporting Mr. Wasserman and Mr. Linder. The choice looks fairly clear to me. Please join me in casting your votes for Jon Satran and Sal Maglietta tomorrow as well as voting yes on our school budget.

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 12:15 pm

By the way, your point about a community not supporting education by voting down a tax hike hurts…Read More property value proves your lack of intelligence. An educated community cares about education and tax hikes with over spent $$ per student and lack of results hurts property values. Yes our kids do receive good educations but not because of anything more than the pride that each family has in education. Our teachers are not superstars and our programs allow access to resources, but it is our kids that have to care and that comes from our families not your make believe BS. Face it Valenti, you know nothing and make less sense.

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 11:45 am

Valenti- go away and leave us alone. You failed to win when you ran, you failed to get yourself…Read More appointed to the board for a vacated seat. You are the least respected resident in town and walk around as a self important genius. Were not you arrested a short time ago? Please back off and perhaps the election will be decided by intelligent residents. VOTE NO for whatever Valenti says to vote for

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Mike Valenti May 20, 2013 at 11:34 am

It's no wonder Linder and Wasserman's campaign is imploding. Just listen to the blend of venom and…Read More bile spewed by their desperate supporters. This election is as much about respect and civility as any other issue. It has been made clear throughout this campaign that Wasserman, Linder and their supporters will reverse us back to the troublesome place we were a few years ago. The desperation in your viscious and unbecoming attacks is palpable. And, ladies and gentleman, it it ain't broke don't fix it!!

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McKey Rivers May 20, 2013 at 11:28 am

Mike Valenit lecturing others on decorum and appropriate conduct? I thought newspapers played these…Read More type of pranks only on April 1st. Maglietta and Satran models of transparency? Why then are the termination agreements with Neal Miller and employment contracts for Kashian and French, approved last January, still not posted on the District's web site? And why is the Board proposing to increase its PR budget by almost 45%? To better fool the public? End this and other nonsense by voting No on the budget and Yes on Wasserman and Linder.

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McKey Rivers May 20, 2013 at 11:33 am

Is Mrs. Maglietta incapable of speaking for herself? Or is Sal showing off his new found knowledge…Read More about when it is appropriate to recuse yourself from voting on a matter when you have an actual self interest or a perceived self interest? And will the Magliettas reimburse the school district for the campaign materials they have been sending at public expense and on School District letter head?

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Mike Valenti May 20, 2013 at 11:28 am

It is clear that the current BOE has accomplished a vital and productive partnership with our…Read More faculty and vendors. This accomplishment is bearing fruit for the community before our eyes. Teachers and vendors have become partners with the district and morale has been restored from the troublesome levels it sank to several years ago under the previous BOE. The desperation of the Linder/Wasserman camp, as their campaign implodes, is both palpable. Moreover, it is simply a group of folks in the community once again showing their true colors as their final desperate hours of negative campaigning come to a close.

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 10:37 am

WOW another under the table move. Keep it going Sal. Next tell me how Mr. Valenti knows what he is…Read More talking about

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According to data on file with the NYS Comptroller’s office, the current effective school tax…Read More rate in Briarcliff Manor is 8.32% higher than the effective school tax rate in Chappaqua, 8.39% higher than the effective school tax rate in Tuckahoe, 16.13% higher than effective school tax rate in Eastchester, and 46.18% higher than effective school tax rate in Bronxville. Last time I checked (on Friday), none of those communities are suffering from plummeting home values or perceived to be engaged in educational suicide. What distinguishes Briarcliff from those school districts? All the other school districts have adopted tax levy cap compliant budgets. None of the other school districts have proposed to increase public relations expenses by 45%, expenses related to the superintendent of schools by 42.45%, nor expenses for the board of education by approximately 65%. None of the school boards in Chappaqua, Tuckahoe, Eastchester, and Bronxville have campaigned for voter approval of their proposed budgets by using school district resources to scare voters into believing bogus claims that a No vote will require draconian cuts in educational programs and staff. Obviously, if Briarcliff voters adopt the tax excessive proposed budget, the disparity in effective tax rates between Briarcliff and these other school districts will be even greater than it is now. Are potential homebuyers likely to disregard the wide differences in school taxes among these and almost every other community in Westchester County as compared with the school tax rates in Briarcliff? As a proponent of giving the Briarcliff Board of Education a second opportunity to get the school budget right and not overburden Briarcliff property owners with higher than necessary property taxes, I can only hope that voters will decide how to vote based on the reputation of David Venditti versus Mike Valenti.

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 12:17 pm

Don't we all wish that Valenti would shut up?

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I might also add that while the BOE has put forth a budget that is a REDUCTION in spending, there is…Read More also a projected REDUCTION in the school enrollment. Consequently, the per pupil expenditure shows a projected INCREASE from $30,146.59 in 2012/13 to $30,639.98 in 2012/13.

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robin May 20, 2013 at 06:44 am

If I may also point out that the "3 minute rule" was instituted by the previous board.…Read More This same board also moved public comment to the beginning of the meeting. And while this may have worked well if you were a mind reader and knew what was going to be discussed, it makes far more sense to have public comment after presentations and board discussions. The current board, under the leadership of Sal Maglietta, has allowed for public comment multiple times in the same meeting. They are most certainly listening to what the community has to say. Please join me and my family in re-electing Jon Satran and Sal Maglietta. Please also join us in voting YES on the school budget.

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The Real Herman Sexton May 20, 2013 at 10:26 am

First off, I am the real Herman Sexton. I am not the fraud who wrote his stupid comments earlier in…Read More this blog. I am the man who destroyed Mr. Valenti's campaign several years ago. OK so let's start by laughing at the request by Mr. Valenti for transparency. He backs Mr. Satran who was a part of the team that secretly imposed a tax hike and appointed a new superintendent. How could you Mr. Valenti ask for transparency? OK, so Mr Linder makes dumb points, he is clearly Mr. Wasserman's puppet and yes Mr. Nadler did see this and point it out. The real Herman Sexton is OK with Wasserman and Linder since I do believe that they would be transparent. Linder simply wants to discuss on a more personal level. He and Wasserman are down to earth, warm and enjoy face to face. You, Mr. Valenti once again prove to be the biggest thorn in the side of Sal and John. You Mr. Valenti constantly pontificate upon BS. Your lack of understanding comes through each and every stroke of your keyboard. Don't back the CIA and ask them to release their files to the public. Reality, if we elect a group of board members, we should be notified of their inner workings. Make all decisions public and allow us a voice in our schools. Only one point makes sense, A TAX INCREASE HURTS OUR PROPERTY VALUE AND DOES NOT IMPROVE SCHOOLS. Let's use Edgemont as a model, small school, similar demographics and much less spending per student, yet they perform at a higher level. LETS FIX THIS NOW!

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Mike Valenti May 19, 2013 at 02:53 pm

Mr. Linder, This is YOUR post folks are responding to and your ideas. I find it curious at best…Read More that you began a public forum comment blog but advocate throughout your responses that the discussion should be taken off-line and out of public view. this really doesn't position you well as an advocate for transparency.

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Mike Valenti May 19, 2013 at 09:53 pm

BOTH JON AND SAL have demonstrated as BOE trustees their unwavering commitment to EDUCATIONAL…Read More EXCELLENCE, FISCAL PRUDENCE, TRANSPARENCY, RESPECT, COMMUNITY VOICE, COLLABORATION, CIVILITY and MUCH MORE. JON AND SAL’s record speaks for itself. Their comportment during this campaign reinforces that THEY embody the QUALITIES and SKILL-SET to continue to represent US and OUR school district. Under the CURRENT BOE’s leadership, our district has restored levels of TRANSPARENCY, RESPECT, COMMUNITY VOICE, COLLABORATION and MORALE that had deteriorated substantially under the previous BOE majority. They have done this while also maintaining extreme fiscal prudence (we are the ONLY district in the County to produce a year over year budget reduction for our community to vote on) and while making decisions ONLY after having ALL of the FACTS and listening to ALL constituencies. THE FACT OF THE MATTER is that JON AND SAL deserve BOTH of YOUR votes on Tuesday, as does the budget.

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