Hr0208ebook by Daniel Offner

www.myharrisonreport.com

Vol. 13/Number 6

DIVISIONAL

DONNY BROOK! Bobby Scatenato (top) wrestles against teammate Dom Schepis at the divisional tournament in Carmel on Feb. 2. Scatenato would beat Schepis in the semiﬁnals and earn a berth in the Section I tournament in the process. In total, the Huskies had nine wrestlers qualify for sectionals. For more, see page 16. Photo/Bobby Begun

Town remains mum on PBA’s chief decision By DANIEL OFFNER STAFF REPORTER dan@hometwn.com

Six months after the Harrison police union voted to add the chief of police position to its ranks, members of town government have refused to discuss the matter, making it unclear if the matter has been discussed in any official capacity to date. The police union voted to add the chief as a non-voting member in June 2012, and the Harrison Town Council, in its role as police commissioners, would have to approve or reject the addition of the chief to its ranks. So far, there has been no official discussion on the matter, which would have to be conducted in public based on open meetings laws. In fact, officials have hesitated to even acknowledge the vote at all publically.

Police Chief Anthony Marraccini said that he was under the impression the Town Council was weighing the matter.

“Whether or not the police chief can become a union member provides no basis for conducting an executive session.” Robert Freeman, Committee on Open Government “I think the town board is evaluating the pros and cons and legalities of joining the union,” Marraccini said. Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, declined offering any details to the process of considering the move. “We haven’t talked about it yet,” he said.

Town Councilman Joseph Cannella wouldn’t field any questions on the matter. “I have no comment on that,” said Cannella, a Republican. Town Councilman Steve Malfitano, also a Republican, said that he was not at liberty to disclose whether or not the town had discussed plans to memorialize the vote. “If there was [a discussion] it would’ve been in executive session,” Malfitano said. “It doesn’t mean we’ve discussed it.” However, Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, said the issue regarding the union vote should not be held behind closed doors, based on the state’s Open Meetings Law. “Whether or not the police chief can become a union member PBA continued on page 13

February 8, 2013

Democrats seek new identity By DANIEL OFFNER STAFF REPORTER dan@hometwn.com

Michael LaDore, a Park Avenue resident who in years past ran for mayor separate times as both a Democrat and Republican, has returned to the Harrison Democratic committee, due to what he views as the tumultuous state of town politics.. LaDore switched registration from Republican to Democrat in 2011, after seeking the Republican nomination for mayor but dropping out before a primary was held. LaDore became a Democrat and came into a party still reeling from what is widely considered the worse loss in the history of a local Democratic Party, in November 2011. Typically, the committee is comprised of two district leaders within each of the 19 voting districts throughout the town. However, according to the Westchester County Board of Elections, the committee has been diminished from 38 to only 16 registered district leaders. “There should be 38,” Ladore said. “But it’s hard to get people active unless the issue affects them directly.” Schisms in the committee came about after inﬁghting over candidates, key political issues and campaign tactics tied to the 2011 local elections, which pit two-term Democratic incumbent Joan Walsh against the popular GOP candidate, Ron Belmont, who would easily win the election. With 6,155 ballots tallied in the 2011 elections, Walsh came out behind with a total of 2,267 votes against Belmont’s 3,145. Walsh said her biggest slip-up was letting other people run her campaign. “In any group there are leaders

and people with agendas,” Walsh said. “It’s the same for any election; you need to talk and see how many people have the same goals and viewpoints.” Losing the race with 37 percent of the overall vote, the Democrats had been dealt a crushing blow as the GOP swept up all ﬁve council seats for a Republican monopoly on the board. After their defeat in 2011, along with inﬁghting and a change in committee leadership, the Harrison Democrats will look to once again face the town’s GOP juggernaut this November. “It is the most Republican voting town in the county,” Former County Legislator and Harrison Democratic Committee member Martin Rogowsky told The Harrison Report in a recent interview. Rogowsky said that in other municipalities, the demographics of new and young residents tends to be Democratic, but not in Harrison. “Harrison is bucking the trend…They are not switching, while there continues to be a growing number of Democrats to Republicans in the county.” Although the 2011 local election and 2012 general election results support Rogowsky’s claim, the number of registered Republicans and Democrats are nearly identical. According to the county Board of Elections, out of the 17,043 registered voters in Harrison, there are a total of 5,522 registered Republicans and 5,410 registered Democrats. That fact has led some political pundits to view the GOP advantage as being organizational rather than purely based upon registration numbers. Out of 38 possible district leaders DEMS continued on page 9

2 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 3

School resource ofﬁcer program to be reinstated By DANIEL OFFNER STAFF REPORTER dan@hometwn.com

After a two-year hiatus, the Harrison Police Department’s School Resource Officer Program will soon be back in commission, according to school officials. Since its start in 2002, the program had served as a component to the public school district’s safety and intervention plans. However, due to budgetary limitations, the town government, which funded the officer, had scaled back youth programming and ultimately eliminated the resource officer program. But the recent outcry from a group of parents in the school community following the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., has swayed local elected officials to restore funding. Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, said that while restoring the SRO program still needs to be processed, any new resource officer would receive a salary of approximately $49,384, which is on par with the recent pay for new hires to the department. Any already active patrolling officers assigned to the SRO program would receive the same pay and compensation. “The plan is still up in the air at this point,” said Belmont. “When it’s done, there will be a school resource officer at both the high school and middle school.” In addition to the Harrison Police

Department’s youth programs, the Town Council has appointed three civilian dispatchers with the intent of supplementing the department to free up existing police manpower. Over the past year, Police Chief Anthony Marraccini has urged the council for additional staffing within the youth community, with the ultimate goal of rebuilding the department’s former roster of 79 officers. Marraccini said that he has met several times with school administrators to interview potential candidates and determine whether they are a good fit. “We’ve interviewed at least a half a dozen candidates so far,” Marraccini said. “A good candidate can connect with the kids and gain their confidence while effectively communicating and interacting with parents and school officials.” At the next Town Council meeting on Feb. 7, after press time, Marraccini will request Patrol Officer Richard Abbate attend a school resource officer course at Monroe Community College in the City of New Rochelle at a cost not to exceed $2,000. Harrison Central School District Superintendent Louis Wool said he has just completed the first walkthrough with police officials and an outside consultant of the district’s safety protocol and plans to hire another consulting firm to review the procedures. “We want to have another set of eyes,” Wool said at the Board of Education meeting on Jan.

30. “We’re not relying on one vendor or individual.” Assistant Superintendent of Finance Robert Salerno said that the evaluation came at no cost to the district and that the need for a second consulting ﬁrm was to compile as much information as the district could on its safety procedures and to review a viable way to improve them. Although several improvements have already been made to the schools security protocol, administrative ofﬁcials said they would not be discussed to ensure the safety, health and well being of students in the district.

Harrison High School

The following students from Colgate University were recipients of the Dean's Award for academic excellence during the 2012 fall term at Colgate University: Jason Rosenfeld • Charles Lichtenauer • Kelly Curtis

4 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

New art exhibit at Harrison Public Library

“Executive Privilege Composite Digital Print 2012” by Alan P. Cohen. Contributed photo

Harrison Council for the Arts presents “Cameragenic” photo composites by Alan P. Cohen at the Harrison Public Library, 2 Bruce Avenue, on view until Feb. 24. “Cameragenic” is a series of photo composites by Alan P. Cohen. Cohen was born in New York City and is inﬂuenced by urban culture and architectural settings. He is currently living in Westchester with his wife who is also a photographer. He has been practicing Zen meditation for most of his life and sees the world within that context. His work has

been shown in various venues throughout the city and environs. Cohen has been involved in digital photography since the beginning, and has been a resource for people anxious to learn compositing and photomontage. Cohen is an exhibiting member of the Ground Glass Photographic Society. The exhibit may be viewed Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, call (914) 835-0324 or visit harrisonpl.org. (Submitted)

C ommunity Briefs MSG Varsity announces games to be televised through mid-February MSG Varsity has announced the Hudson Valley/Westchester high school games that will be televised for the first half of February. The network will televise a number of events featuring teams from the area–including boys and girls basketball games, ice hockey games and wrestling matches. Each event will be televised on MSG Varsity, Optimum TV Channel 14. For more information on MSG Varsity’s high school sports coverage, visit msgvarsity.com Pet Rescue kitten and cat adoption day Feb. 10 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Petco 324 N. Central Ave., Hartsdale For more information, visit NY-PetRescue.org. Applications being accepted for seasonal park rangers The Westchester County Department of Public Safety is accepting applications for seasonal park rangers to patrol county parks this summer. Applications are due by Feb. 22 and are available online at westchestergov. com/ps. Uniformed park rangers work under the supervision of county police officers to maintain a safe and enjoyable atmosphere in the county’s parks. They assist park users, provide information on park rules and procedures, help in searches for lost children, perform basic first aid on occasion and make regular security checks of buildings and facilities. First-time park rangers are paid $14 hourly. Salaries are higher for those who have worked as a ranger for the county before. To qualify, applicants must be a high school graduate, at least 19 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Westchester County and possess a valid New York State driver’s license by the time of appointment. Accepted candidates must attend a twoweek training program at the Westchester County Police Academy. “Angelina Ballerina - The Musical” at Emelin Theatre In anticipation of the off-Broadway hit, “Angelina Ballerina - The Musical,” which comes to Mamaroneck on Feb. 16 and 17, bestselling author of the “Angelina Ballerina” series, Katharine Holabird, will be doing a reading and signing books on Feb. 9. Holabird will be at Anderson’s Book Shop in Larchmont at 1 p.m. at and at the Mamaroneck Library at 3 p.m. Attendees of the book reading will have a chance to win tickets to the musical stage show at both locations, as well as enjoy a short performance by ballerinas from local dance studio, Studio B

Dance Center in Eastchester. Studio B is an official Angelina Ballerina Dance Academy studio, with beginner ballet classes based on the “Angelina Ballerina” books. Book signings Feb. 9 1 p.m. at Anderson’s Book Shop, 96 Chatsworth Ave., Larchmont 3 p.m. at The Mamaroneck Library,136 Prospect Ave., Mamaroneck Performance Feb. 16 and 17 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The Emelin Theatre Tickets are $13/person. To purchase tickets, contact the box office at: Box Office: 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck, N.Y. 10543, call (914) 698-0098 or visit emelin.org. Hudson River art exhibit An opening reception for “The Hudson River and Its People,” an exhibit of photographs by Brian Whalen, will be held at the Rye Free Reading Room on Feb. 16 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Whalen’s images present a view of the people and landscape of the Hudson River Valley from New York City to the back roads of the Adirondacks. Embracing both landscape and portraiture, his photographs give a unique view of life on and around the Hudson River. A resident of White Plains, Whalen studied photography at SUNY Purchase and the ICP in New York City. The show will hang through the end of February. For more information, visit ryelibrary.org or call (914) 231-3161. Mamaroneck High School students sponsoring furniture drive On March 16, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., students from Mamaroneck High School’s Furniture Sharehouse service club will hold a drive to benefit this Westchester furniture bank. They will be collecting items for Furniture Sharehouse to redistribute, free of charge, to families in need. The drive will take place in the parking lot at Mamaroneck High School, located at 1000 W. Boston Post Road, rain or shine. Only basic home furniture in good condition will be accepted, so before you load up your car, go to furnituresharehouse.org to make sure your furniture meets the donation guidelines. For more information (or donation questions), contact Leslie Garwood at lgarwood10@gmail.com or call (914) 3151982. Events at the Harrison Public Library, Bruce Avenue Book club discussion The Millennium Book Club will discuss “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call (914) 835-0324 or visit harrisonpl.org. Deadline for our Community Briefs section is every Friday at 12 p.m. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all items to news@hometwn.com.

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 5

New Monroe College dorm okayed in New Rochelle By ALEXANDRA BOGDANOVIC STAFF REPORTER alexandra@hometwn.com

The Monroe College campus in downtown New Rochelle is about to get a little bigger. Approval by the New Rochelle Planning Board Jan. 29 paves the way for the creation of a new 67,000 square foot mixed-use building on the so-called “Librett site” situated along Main Street. Dubbed West Hall, the building, designed by Brooklyn-based Doban Architecture, will accommodate beds for 300 students. Its lower levels will feature offices and classrooms, and a 250-seat cafeteria with adjoining open courtyard will be built at street level. Construction on the $20 million project, which will be funded through bank financing, is expected to begin this spring and West Hall is expected to open in August 2014. “We’re excited to move forward with this project, which will not only create a new campus hub for students and teachers, but also become a vibrant element of downtown New Rochelle,” said Marc Jerome, the school’s executive vice president. The college first pitched the project in 2008, but school officials decided to put it on the backburner when the economy imploded, Jerome said. As an interim measure, the school leased residential spaces in several downtown locations.

According to information posted on the Monroe College website, the school offers four different options for student housing. There are traditional residence hall suites in Allison Hall; standard apartments in downtown New Rochelle; loft living on Main Street; and deluxe high-rise apartments within walking distance from campus. Housing charges vary according to the type of accommodation and number of roommates. Figures listed on the college website indicate students at Monroe’s New Rochelle branch typically pay $2,450 to $4,350 per semester for housing. In all, the school provides housing for 950 students, Jerome said. West Hall is being built in order to consolidate existing student housing, not to provide additional housing, however. “Visually, West Hall will represent a significant addition to our campus because it will be a large building in a prominent location,” Jerome said. “[But] there will be zero net increase in student housing. This will allow us to centralize student housing in terms of management and security.” The construction of the new building will also allow Monroe College to leave seven to 10 rental properties used for student housing, he added. According to Jerome, college administrators decided to resubmit the plans because the college remained fiscally sound. The plans recently presented to the city Planning Board were unchanged from those presented five years ago. “We didn’t even change the drawings,”

Jerome said. Lynn Brooks-Avni, a senior planner with the New Rochelle Planning Department, said the prior approval had expired so the school did have to resubmit the application. As part of that process, college representatives did a presentation for Planning Board members who were not on the board the first time the application was submitted, she said. The Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the project, according to its chairman, Douglas Hocking. “We’re happy to see the project on that site move forward,” Hocking said. “The things the college has done to get to this point in terms of its master plan all make sense and the building’s form is well-suited to Main Street.” The college has teamed with Doban Architecture on various projects since 2002. Eleven years ago, the school hired the firm to turn a former 24,000 square foot hardware store into Milavec Hall, the “administrative heart” of the New Rochelle campus. In 2004, Doban Architecture built Allison Hall, a six-story residence hall featuring fully furnished two-bedroom suites, common rooms, a fitness room, computer lounge and laundry facility. The firm also created the academic center and culinary arts center on the New Rochelle campus. A view of the existing Monroe College Future plans call for a newly created “pastry lab” dorms from Main Street in New Rochelle. to be included in a larger “culinary court” at the The city’s Planning Board has given the college the green light to construct a new school. The culinary court will also feature a “dining lab” and restaurant where locals can sample the 67,000 square foot mixed-use building. Contributed photo students’ fare.

6 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

Face of schoolyard bullies changing, expert says By ALEXANDRA BOGDANOVIC STAFF REPORTER alexandra@hometwn.com

Sometimes the biggest bullies don’t seem like bullies at all, a national expert on the subject said. “The stereotype of youth who bully is that they are kids with behavioral problems, or the big kids who use physical intimidation to make themselves feel better,” Dr. Joel Haber told Rye Neck Middle School parents at a Feb. 4 presentation on “Safe Parenting for 2013,” “But that’s no longer the case. ‘New’ bullies are charismatic, smarter, more popular and conﬁdent. They’ve got good self-esteem. They look like leaders.” These so-called “popular bullies” lack empathy and compassion, but they continuously get away with their behavior because no one suspects them of engaging in it, Haber said. Even peers who witness and disapprove of bullying are often loathe to intervene because the need to have friends and be part of a group is so deeply ingrained in their minds, according to Haber. “Kids through their 20s value social relationships as much as adults value food,” he said. As a result, bullies can easily attract supporters and followers. Most kids who witness bullying are “disengaged onlookers” who can’t or don’t want to say anything at the time, but may share their concerns with parents or teachers after the fact. Only 3 percent

of youth who see someone being picked on are “defenders,” or those who will intervene right then and there, according to Haber. “The bystander issue is very frustrating,” he said. “You can teach kids what to do, and they know what that is. If one person takes the leap it’s a homerun because they can then get support from the community. It takes a very special person to do that.” Haber, author of “Bullyproof Your Child for Life,” said parents can encourage children who fall into the “bystander” category to take action that won’t necessarily jeopardize their own standing in the group at the time. For example, a bystander could approach the child who has been bullied after the fact and ask if he or she is OK, Haber said. The bystander could also acknowledge that the behavior wasn’t appropriate. Children who are bullied can also learn skills to cope with the behavior, or reduce their chances of being targeted. Speciﬁcally, children who egg bullies on by reacting with anger or highly dramatic antics can learn to react differently, Haber said. “Bullying will never stop,” said Haber. “The goal is to manage it better.” Approximately one in six children, or 16.1 percent of girls and 17.4 percent of boys report being bullied two to three times per month. One in 10 children report being bullied two or three times per week. In contrast, only 7 percent of girls and 12 percent of boys admit to being bullies.

Rye Neck High School

“Girls don’t see what they are doing as bullying when they are engaging in ‘mean girl’ stuff,” Haber said. “But something like gossiping is bullying if it is being done to be mean.” Bullying is deﬁned as aggressive behavior that occurs when there is an imbalance of power and is repeated over time. While physical bullying has declined due to increased awareness of the problem, verbal bullying and relational bullying-which can be the most

damaging type of bullying because it results in social exclusion-are on the rise, Haber said. Brendan Nelson, a counselor at the school, said he holds out hope that children who do engage in bullying behavior can change if they are challenged. “We get the message that we should punish these kids. When we confront them about their behavior, we try to get them to tap into their empathy. Some don’t get it, but we have to keep trying.”

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 7

Music, FEMA and library fun HARRISON HAPPENINGS Mayor Ron Belmont

I would like to begin this week’s column by recognizing and congratulating the Harrison High School music program. The program has been named a Grammy Signature School semifinalist by the Grammy Foundation. Initially, over 20,000 Signature School applications were received by the foundation, and only 129 schools were awarded semifinalist status. Performance videos and accompanying information, concerning Harrison’s music program, were submitted and finalists may be awarded up to $10,000 in grants. The foundation will be announcing these awards in March and I wish Harrison High School’s music program the best of luck as they await the final decision. Given the cold weather we have had lately, I would like to bring your attention to fireplace safety. Our local fire departments have been responding to calls regarding fireplace mishaps. To prevent fires, the U.S. Fire Administration advises that chimneys and woodstoves receive regular inspection and cleaning by certified specialists. It is also important to insure that all chimneys are covered with a mesh screen to prevent lighted ash from floating out of the chimney and on to nearby rooftops. If you need additional assistance, call your local fire department for more information. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, at the request of the State of New York, has approved a 30-day extension for survivors to register for federal disaster assistance. The new registration deadline for Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York is Feb. 27, 2013. Individuals also can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or by downloading the FEMA app. Survivors also can call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). People who use 7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST, seven days a week until further notice. Survivors who have questions regarding the registration process, the status of their application, or available disaster assistance

programs are encouraged to contact FEMA. Please see the following details, courtesy of our library staff: Cultural events and educational programs are being hosted by the Harrison Public Library in February. Visit the Harrison library for a cup of Turkish coffee, Korean food and a Chinese New Year celebration. The Harrison Public Library, and its sister library in West Harrison, will be hosting new, free cultural events this month and everyone is invited. On Feb. 9 at 2 p.m., the West Harrison Public Library will be throwing a Chinese New Year Celebration with awardwinning children’s book writer and illustrator, Ed Young. Attendees will get a taste of China with Chinese refreshments. Anyone in need of a getaway can ﬁguratively travel to Korea and learn about its wedding ceremonies and artistic history, and eat Korean food during the 50 Wonders of Korea event on Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Harrison Public Library. Coffee lovers or anyone in need of a coffee break can stop by the Turkish coffee tasting event on Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m.. So, don’t buy the plane ticket. Instead, pack lightly, register for these events and have a pleasant journey. As college application deadlines draw near, individuals can now take the SAT exam at both locations: Saturday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Harrison Library and March 2 at 10 a.m. at the West Harrison Branch. Be sure to register beforehand. If you’re looking for a free, fun, educational outing for the family or an excursion for out-of-town guests, reserve a museum pass on the library’s website, http://www.harrisonpl. org/museum-passes.php. Tickets are free with your Harrison/Purchase library card. As a reminder, Town Hall will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 12 in honor of Lincoln’s Birthday and on Monday, Feb. 18 in honor of President’s Day. The sanitation schedule is as follows: The week of Feb. 11, Tuesday garbage pick-up moves to Wednesday and there is no Wednesday bulk pick-up. The week of Feb. 18, Monday garbage pick-up moves to Tuesday, and there is no Wednesday bulk pick-up. The next “Lunch with the Mayor” is on Friday, Feb 15, and I will be at Pizza 2000 located at 337 Halstead Avenue in Harrison. I will be at this location from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and look forward to meeting with residents and talking about issues facing our community.

Have a news tip?

Contact your local reporter Daniel Offner, dan@hometwn.com

8 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

L etters State GOP chair on gun control law To the Editor, The way Andrew Cuomo is governing in Albany should raise serious concerns among New Yorkers who cherish the democratic process. In passing the gun control legislation known as the "NY SAFE Act," Gov. Cuomo abused the powers of his office to ram through a piece of legislation that infringes on New Yorkers’ Second Amendment rights before giving it due consideration. The state constitution provides for a three-day waiting period before legislation is voted on, but the governor pushed hard for an immediate vote, citing specious arguments about guns flying off the shelves–despite the fact that only one of the bill’s 56 provisions takes effect immediately. As a result, thousands of New York’s police officers and national guardsman awoke the next morning to find themselves in violation of the law: the SAFE Act contained no exemptions for law enforcement officials. “Assault weapons,” are now so loosely defined that any weapon with a feature as common and innocuous as a pistol grip is illegal, despite the fact that assault weapons were responsible for just 0.65 percent of all murders in New York State last year. Of course, the idea that criminals will voluntarily turn in their newly illegal firearms is absurd, so the only people effected by the SAFE Act are the law-abiding citizens of New York who are exercising their Second Amendment rights. Cuomo has placed blame where it does not belong, and in doing so has wasted the opportunity to address gun violence in any meaningful way. Worse still, the man who promised to be the most transparent governor in New York’s history has supplanted the right of citizens to take place in the legislative process in favor of feeding his own political ambition. Ed Cox, Chairman, New York State Republican Party

Sonenclar thankful for Carly parade To the Editor, I would like to publicly express my heartfelt gratitude to Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Rosenblum, all our friends and neighbors, the village police department, the local media, Molly Spillane's, as well as all the marchers and volunteers who helped to put on the parade for our daughter Carly on Jan. 27. Since arriving home after coming in second on “X Factor,” Carly's return to a "normal" home life following the months of madness in L.A. has been made easy by a nurturing town that has treated her as if she had, in fact, won the entire contest, culminating in a magical day that no one in our family could have ever imagined and will never, ever forget. The mayor's efforts in ﬁrst, gently persuading us that the parade would be wonderful happening for our town, allowing people to show their community spirit (Carly, at ﬁrst, resisted because it's not her style to seek the spotlight), turned out to be right on the money. While Carly was a little overwhelmed at the outpouring of love from people of every age (it seemed), I think by the end of the day, she was glad she had had the opportunity to thank everyone in person for their incredible support throughout this unforgettable journey. Bob Sonenclar, Mamaroneck

The move in a.k.a. the invasion LUNGARIELLO AT LARGE Mark Lungariello

My girlfriend, Julie, moved in last Thursday, like some imperialistic force colonizing my one-bedroom apartment in White Plains. Leading the push was the ruthless general of Julie’s invasion fleet, Ella a.k.a. “Patton,” a cat big enough to swallow small children whole and who sheds enough hair each day to supply the operation of a textile factory. Ella arrived first in the apartment, a humble land with plenty of natural light where the indigenous person is mostly friendly (unless the Knicks are losing that evening). The cat quickly set to work imposing the host country’s agenda, which included exploiting “natural resources” such as couch space and kitchen cabinets, where cat food and a junkie’s stash of catnip monopolize whatever little open space the country has. Ella is the first wildlife in this kingdom, where the only things other than a human that have lived here over the past five years have been plants and the occasional bathtub mold. Julie is one of these imperialistic countries with a fond affinity for her military, and Gen. Ella has mostly free reign to do as she pleases. This means she sleeps wherever she likes, including on the bed. One sleepless evening, while hanging half off the bed, I turned to Julie and asked if she could move over. She replied she couldn’t because the cat was there and she wasn’t to be disturbed while sleeping. So is the authority of the general, who just days after arriving here rules over the land with an iron fist. The general is all about discipline, which is why she makes sure her citizens are awake at 5 a.m. each day. If they don’t get out of bed quickly enough, Ella walks over their backs, faces and chests. Often, while making loud meowing sounds, she sits on top of you and swats you with her mammoth feline paws, as if to say “hey, come on, get up.” This procedure, of course, doesn’t stop until the general has been served her meal. When the local person uses the bathroom, the cat scratches on the door, to let you know that Big Brother is always watching. A few days ago, I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and noticed the shower curtain rustling. Suddenly, the general acrobatically jumped through towards me as if a stalker in a B-horror movie. The last few days, I have checked behind the curtain to see if anyone, or anything, is there, before I use the facilities. Several times, I have found the general sitting in the tub. A dog, in the same circumstances, would look at you guiltily as if it knows it did something, but Ella is unapologetic. She also detests electronics and will make sure to walk over any laptop keyboard she meets. Often, when you are leaving the apartment or attempting to open a door, the general will

intentionally lay down in your path in her bullying way, letting you know: “No, you are not leaving” or “No, you may not open this refrigerator.” There’s been a lot of opening and closing of doors since the move in as one might imagine, yet there are still piles of clothes, bags full of kitchenwares and boxes of bric-a-brac all over the place. Julie maintained a separate apartment for several years while we dated, and now I know why: She needed another place just to store all of her clothes and also all of her bizarre junk, like the ceramic head of what I believe is a Buddha. That head is now on what used to be my breakfast nook, a small three-seat counter that overlooks the kitchen. It is no longer referred to as a “nook.” “Stop calling it a breakfast nook, it is not a nook,” Julie says. “It is a counter that no one uses and is a waste of space.” Other things the boss deemed a waste of space include my old stereo (hers, apparently, is better and more compact) and a Three Stooges figure, which depicts a scene of Moe, Larry and Curly golfing. The figure plugs in and when you press a button, the stooges start beating each other up while “Three Blind Mice” plays paired with sound effects from the stooges. This fun-for-the-whole-family thing is a waste of space, yet some bizarre decorative ceramic owl thing she replaced it with really ties the room together, apparently. Most paintings, artwork and photos are not hanging on the walls. Just before the big move in, the boss declared the entire apartment needed to be repainted (power outlets and bathtub fixtures needed to be replaced and the closet also had to be redone to create more shelf space). This was also convenient in that everything I had on display previously is now no longer on display and anything that is to go back on the walls is now up for discussion. She plans to hang a number of art prints such as one from the Bauhaus School in Germany, which to me looks like a geography lesson. In her view, this is somehow better than the black and white print that hung in my living room of some kids standing in front of the old Yankee Stadium. The Yankees stuff is her main gripe. It is a reality of being colonized that I will have to give up either that stadium print, my autographed Mariano Rivera jersey, or my framed covers of Sports Illustrated: one showing Derek Jeter for the 2000 Subway World Series, and the second commemorating the 2009 World Series championship. Still, I declared off limits two movie 8-by10 poster prints, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” and “Shaft in Africa” (tagline: “The Brotherman in the Motherland.”) Our biggest debate is over an oversized IKEA map of the world she wants to hang in the living space, right where I used to have an oversized IKEA print of New York City’s flat iron building. I argue maybe we could hang both. “No decoration without representation!” I yell. Reach Mark Lungariello at mark@hometwn.com

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 9 DEMS from page 1

in the town for each of the two major parties, the Democrats have been reduced to just 16 district leaders while the GOP has maintained a larger portion of their voter base with 24 district leaders currently registered. Brendan Murphy, a former Harrison Police Lieutenant and registered Democrat, explained that he stepped down from the role of district leader because he felt the committee was not in tune with the desires and direction of the community. “My thought was the GOP message was stronger,” Murphy said. “They [local democrats] were so off-point they really didn’t stand a chance.” Murphy ran unsuccessfully for Town Council in 2009, after considering a primary against then-incumbent Walsh. Instead of running against her, he ran alongside her. According to Murphy, a non-partisan third party ticket would be just the thing the Town of Harrison needs in order to divert from the “club-like” atmosphere that both the GOP and Democratic Committees in Harrison have built around themselves. Rifts among committee members aside, a shift in committee regime is expected to play a signiﬁcant role in the party’s effort to pick up the pieces in time for the 2013 elections, in which the mayor and two trustee seats are in play. Last September, members of the Harrison Democratic Committee elected a new chairwoman, Elizabeth “Jimmi” Pritchard, a former town councilwoman who served in the post during the late 1990s. Pritchard went on to replace former Chairman Joe Derwin, who announced he would not seek re-election as chair after roughly four years serving in the role. Derwin said that while the return to civilian life has left him out of the loop on the plans of former committee members, he remains hopeful they have already laid out their plans to dislodge the all-Republican council. “Right now they should already have candidates selected,” Derwin said. “They need to get some of that ﬁre back.” Although Derwin said he would’ve liked to see the committee already in full gear for the 2013 election year, the committee’s new leadership has only just started to put the wheels in motion. The committee is starting its search for po-

tential candidates to contest the all-Republican council in the Fall. According to Pritchard, with the number of registered Republican and Democratic voters evening out, the party looks to unseat the well-liked mayor of Harrison and two of his GOP colleagues, Councilman Joseph Cannella and Councilwoman Marlane Amelio. “We need a town government willing to get behind us,” Pritchard said. “We are just as interested in the town and want to see an equal representation on the board.” While it is too early to tell just who is on the Democratic slate, members of the party have already sparked an interest in running for one of two council seats that will be up for grabs this November. Mark Jaffe, a Democratic committee member who in previous years has sought election to the state Assembly, the county Legislature and the Harrison Town Council, said that the party should aim towards doing a better job fundraising and look to resolve conflicts and infighting through compromise as well as listen to residents in the community. “We’re just starting the process now,” Jaffe said. “I think under our new leadership we are ready to capture that same magic we saw in last year’s state and federal elections.” But in order to avoid a repeat of the landslide GOP-victory in 2011, the committee will need to hit the ground running in terms of fundraising, canvassing and enlisting new support. According to the financial reports from the 2011 campaign, the committee had accumulated a total balance of $4,116 in July 2011. And just 27 days after the election, reports show the committee had a negative balance, spending $4,309 over their collected contributions. Meanwhile, the local GOP had reported a balance of $10,074 in July 2011. In preparation for the 2013 local elections, the state Board of Elections requires active committees file a periodic report in January and June regarding campaign contributions that have been collected. Currently, the Republican committee has reported contributions raised of $19,908 for the 2013 electoral season. However, with no candidates slated for the Democrats as of press time, the committee has filed a “No Activity Statement.”

Business council hosts Stewart-Cousins

Left to Right: John Ravitz, executive vice president of the Business Council of Westchester; Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Dr. Dario A. Cortes, president of Berkeley College; Cynthia Rubino, vice president of government relations of Berkeley College; Dr. Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester.

New York State Senate Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was honored by the Business Council of Westchester at a special reception on Jan. 31. Senator Stewart-Cousins was recognized for her elevation as leader of the Democratic Conference in the New York State Senate. “I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Business Council of Westchester. Our combined efforts to foster sustainable economic growth and create jobs for New Yorkers are made even stronger by our partnership,” said Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “I have been a longtime advocate for businesses in Westchester County and throughout the State; whether it’s increasing opportunities for minority and women owned enterprises, supporting our burgeoning biotechnology sector or cutting through red

tape for businesses in our community. With our continued partnership, the Business Council, my colleagues and I will work to grow existing businesses and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit that will create jobs in Westchester and beyond.” Dr. Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester added; “The Business Council of Westchester was honored to have the opportunity to host this reception in recognition of Senator Andrea StewartCousins’ leadership and her recent elevation to serve as leader of the New York State Senate’s Democratic Conference. We look forward to working with Senator Stewart-Cousins and all of our New York State Legislators, to strengthen our existing businesses, to develop new entrepreneurs and to create jobs in Westchester County.” (Submitted)

10 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck eye Rye Town dissolution By JASON CHIREVAS STAFF REPORTER jason@hometwn.com

With the discussion of how best to dissolve the Town of Rye continuing–if plans for dissolution in fact move forward at all–the Town of Mamaroneck and its incorporated Village of Larchmont are keeping a close eye on the situation. Rye Town is made up of the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook, as well as the Rye Neck section of the Village of Mamaroneck. Unlike the Town of Mamaroneck, there is no section of Rye Town that is not wholly incorporated into another municipality. In New York State, villages must exist inside of towns. Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin, a Republican, heads a steering committee examining the economic and governmental ramifications should the Town of Rye dissolve. The committee commissioned a grant-funded report by the Center for Governmental Research exploring alternatives for how best to handle the resulting municipalities after the dissolution. The resolution the study favors would see the villages of Port Chester and Rye Brook become coterminous town-villages while Rye Neck is annexed by the Village of Mamaroneck, which would become a coterminous town-village, seceding from the Town of Mamaroneck. A coterminous town-village is a municipality that enjoys the benefits of both designations. At present, Harrison, Mount Kisco and Scarsdale are the only coterminous town-villages in Westchester County. Another option, first introduced to the steering committee at a public hearing in the Village of Mamaroneck by Democratic Trustee Leon Potok, would have the Town of Rye shrink to include just Rye Neck, which would then be called the Town of Rye Neck–a whole and separate town from the Village of Mamaroneck, of which it is now a part. Carvin said this would make the Town of Rye Neck a “paper town” unable to supply its own municipal services, which is the case as things stand now. Additionally, Carvin said, though the Town of Rye Neck solution is the one the steering committee is leaning toward, nothing is final and even if enacted, it is not ideal. Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, has publicly favored the CGR solution in which the village would annex Rye Neck and become a coterminous town-village. “The Village of Mamaroneck is independent now,” Rosenblum said at the LarchmontMamaroneck Local Summit breakfast on Jan. 22. “It has all the services now. It has the fire department, the DPW; it has all the services.” If the Village of Mamaroneck becomes a coterminous town-village, it would have a direct effect on the Village of Larchmont and the unincorporated Town of Mamaroneck. The decision to become a coterminous town-village would ultimately lay with voters in the applicable municipalities. Three previous coterminous votes for the Village of

Mamaroneck have failed. Rosenblum said he thinks he knows why a vote after the proposed Rye Town dissolution will succeed. “The difference this time is there is an interest by the Village of Larchmont in possibly investigating becoming a coterminous townvillage,” Rosenblum said. “If the Village of Mamaroneck and Village of Larchmont so choose to become a coterminous town-village, you have approximately 65 to 70 percent of the vote.” Village of Larchmont Mayor Anne McAndrews, a Democrat, said though the idea of Larchmont becoming a coterminous townvillage is interesting, using the word “interested” when discussing the idea of making it a reality is too strong a choice. “We’ve always been part of the Town of Mamaroneck,” McAndrews said. McAndrews has formed a three-person committee, including former Larchmont Mayor Josh Mandell, to examine the possibility of a coterminous town-village of Larchmont should the Village of Mamaroneck move on a plan to do the same. Mandell told The Harrison Report that while the committee is examining the potential effects of any scenario arising from a Rye Town dissolution, there is one area that will be key to whatever might happen. “I feel we should try to help ﬁnd a home for the Rye Neck community,” Mandell said. “Whether through annexation of Rye Neck into the Town of Mamaroneck, or by allowing the Village of Mamaroneck to secede and join Rye Neck in a new town.” Mandell said the committee is prepared to study any change in structure that resolves the Rye Neck question. McAndrews expressed a different priority in looking at the issue as a whole. “It not so much the layers of government,” she said. “It’s the similarity of government and the services that are given.” A streamlining of services throughout the Town of Mamaroneck and its incorporated villages was also on Democratic Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson’s mind. She told The Harrison Report that consolidating services is something the three municipalities can do without coterminous villages. At the Summit breakfast, Seligson suggested the coterminous solution for the Village of Mamaroneck might be a hasty one. “I have read the [CGR] study in detail,” Seligson said. “It is a study for the dissolution of the Town of Rye. It does not study the change in the Town of Mamaroneck.” Seligson said the dissolution of Rye Town makes sense because it does not provide many services, but that doesn’t mean the same can be said for the Town of Mamaroneck. “I would be in favor of further study, and what the opportunities would be, and how the changes would occur if the Village of Mamaroneck wants to go coterminous,” she said. Seligson said the CGR study actually creates more municipalities than it consolidates because each resulting coterminous community would be both a town and a village. That is an

Former Village of Larchmont Mayor Josh Mandell and Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson, seen here, are keeping a close eye on the potential dissolution of Rye Town. One possibility following the dissolution would see the Village of Mamaroneck become a coterminous town-village, which would have a direct effect on Larchmont and the Town of Mamaroneck. File photos

idea former Village of Mamaroneck Trustee John Hofstetter, a Democrat, introduced to the discussion at the village’s public hearing on the matter. The solution he favored, following a Rye Town dissolution, would see the Town of Mamaroneck annexing Rye Neck, and the Village of Mamaroneck dissolving altogether, which would create a much larger unincorpo-

rated Town of Mamaroneck, leaving Larchmont to determine its own fate, should it so choose. “The way you actually save money, the way you actually make it attractive to the residents in the Town of Mamaroneck, you would get rid of the villages,” Hofstetter told The Harrison Report. “That, to me, is an area that needs to be further studied and has not been looked at.”

Tiffany is a grey/white pastel calico, about 2 years old. She was found on the street and turned out to be very friendly, completely domesticated and quite affectionate with people. Residing in a foster home where she receives lots of TLC, Tiffany is good with other cats, dogs and kids. Tiffany is spayed, in excellent health and up to date with all vaccinations. The adoption donation for Tiffany is $75. For more information about her, contact Larchmont Pet Rescue at (914) 834-6955 or visit NY-Petrescue.org.

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 11

Interfaith panel supports religious day schools

What’s Your Beef?

What’s bothering you today? Collected on Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck At the Day School Affordability Forum are (from left) New York State Senators George S. Latimer, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, and David Carlucci; New York State Assemblypersons David Buchwald and Shelley Mayer; Nancy Fisher, chief of staff for New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Darcy Hirsh, UJA-Federation’s director of Day School Advocacy; and James D. Cultrara, director for education for the New York State Catholic Conference. Contributed photo

More than one hundred parents from Westchester recently gathered for an informational panel discussion about their options to offset the costs of religious and independent day school education and how to effectively advocate on behalf of their children at the “Community Forum on the Affordability of Catholic and Jewish Day Schools.” Participants at the event, which took place at the Schechter Westchester Upper School in Hartsdale, met with elected ofﬁcials, including New York State Senators Andrea Stuart-Cousins, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, David Carlucci and George Latimer, as well as Assemblypersons Shelley Mayer, Steve Otis, David Buchwald and Amy Paulin, who was represented by Chief of Staff Nancy Fisher. The interfaith event was co-sponsored by the

New York State Catholic Conference, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, UJA Federation of New York, the Jewish Education Project, OU-Teach NYS, Westchester Day School, the Ofﬁce of the Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York, and the Westchester Jewish Council. Tuition-paying families across New York State shoulder the dual burden of paying taxes to support public schools while paying tuition to support the education of their own children. For many families with children in religious day schools, paying increasing taxes and rising tuition is becoming too difﬁcult to sustain-creating a crisis not only for them, but for taxpayers who face a dramatic increase in cost if these families are forced to enroll their children in public school. (Submitted)

“There is too much micromanaging by the government in people's lives.” -Ed Ford, 52, Bronx

“It bothers me that globalization is reducing American manufacturing quality.” -Henry Wong, 29, Staten Island

“The price of cigarettes in the United States is way too high.”

“My back is bothering me and it's taking me forever to walk to the store.”

-Alex Payen, 18, France

-Maribel Martinez, 42, East Harlem

-Reporting and photos by CHRIS GRAMUGLIA

12 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

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LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS The Harrison Central School District hereby invites the submission of sealed bids for the following: Bid Number: 12/13-22 Commercial Landscaping Services Bids shall be submitted in sealed envelopes marked "Bid Spec #12/13-22: Commercial Landscaping Services" on the outside. Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 28, 2013. by the Purchasing Agent (or his duly designated representative), Harrison Central School District, Business Office, 50 Union Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528; (914) 630-3011; Fax: (914) 835-2715, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the same office beginning Thursday, February 7, 2013. The Harrison Central School District is not responsible for bids opened prior to the bid opening if bid number and opening date do not appear on the envelope. Bids opened prior to the date and time indicated are invalid. The bidder assumes the risk of any delay in the mail, or in the handling of the mail by employees of the Harrison Central School District, as well as improper hand delivery. A pre-bid walkthrough is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 22, 2013. All potential bidders are strongly encouraged to attend. The Harrison Central School District reserves the right to waive any informalities in the bids, or to reject all bids, or to accept any bid which in the opinion of the Board will be to their best interest. By order of the Board of Education Gene George Purchasing Agent Dated: February 7, 2013

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 13

Proposed Con Ed rate hike draws ire By ASHLEY HELMS STAFF REPORTER ashley@hometwn.com

Con Edison customers may see a 3 percent rate increase in 2014 to cover infrastructure upgrades following destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. The proposed rate hike, which has caught the ire of politicians and residents, calls for an additional $375 million in profit as part of a mitigation plan that needs $1 billion in investments through 2016. Changes in monthly bills must be approved over the next 11 months by the state Public Service Commission, which oversees rate changes in New York utilities. However, even though the Public Service Commission will ultimately decide if rates will be increased, members of the public will have their chance to voice their thoughts on the proposal before it is voted on. Westchester residents would see their monthly electric bill go from about $114 to $118, the smallest electrical delivery rate request since 2004, according to a press release on Con Edison's website. A typical bill for small businesses in the county would increase from about $2,166 to $2,225 per month. The company also seeks to move certain overheard lines below ground, increase the height of flood walls for some facilities and provide customers with more accurate restoration times sent directly to cellphones in text message form. Some of the $1 billion in investments can be recovered through federal funding. Allen Drury, a company representative for Con Edison, said that these plans were proposed even before the hurricane. "We had said earlier in 2012 that we were going to submit a plan and the storm held us up," Drury said. Customers in Westchester experienced lengthy power outages after Hurricane Sandy that lasted for as long as two weeks in some areas. Residents and local officials criticized Con Edison for its slow response time, lack of storm preparation and lack of communication with its customers. PBA from page 1

provides no basis for conducting an executive session,” Freeman said. In a previous interview, back in 2011, Freeman told The Harrison Report that the fact an employee’s salary and benefits would be tied to the decision does not merit a closeddoor negotiation. “When a discussion focuses on a position and the salary that should be afforded to that position, regardless of who holds it, in my opinion, there would be no basis for conducting an executive session,” Freeman said. While the move of adding a chief to the union is not unprecedented in other police departments statewide, management positions and labor are often kept separate to avoid influence over the rank-and-file from management, a problem that giving Marraccini nonvoting status seeks to address. Additionally, if the town were to draft a contract with the chief as a union member, it would tie the chief’s salary and benefits to any collective bargaining agreement, which could potentially dictate wage, pension, and health care

Con Edison President Craig S. Levy said in a press release that the company has sharpened its focus on controlling costs in recent years, "Although the economy is improving, we are still working diligently to hold down costs for our customers," Levy said. "At the same time, the increased frequency and damage of storms assaulting our area presents a major challenge." Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Scarsdale Democrat, who recently became chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Energy, said that Con Edison has to become better prepared for future storms, but questions whether a rate increase is necessary. She said that many people have said it's possible to make needed changes without a rate increase. "We had so many outages during last storm, most people would agree we need to look at these changes," Paulin said. "The Public Service Commission is the decision maker, but it’s a public process and I'm having an open hearing and I plan on making myself part of it." Paulin said that during Sandy, Con Edison took too long to respond and that communication to residents was inadequate. Storms like Sandy are going to become more common, Paulin said, but noted that not everyone is in the position to pay an extra $50 a month. "I think people have reason to be angry about the increases," Paulin said. "It was a tremendous storm, nobody would’ve expected to go perfectly, but there were a lot of things that didn’t go right." John Galluzzi, a 12-year Tuckahoe resident, said that any rate hike is too much since everything he owns is increasing in price to maintain. He said he has been trying to cut down on living expenses a bit to recover from cable, car and phone rate increases. "I have become very conservative now and I watch everything," Galluzzi said. "I'm not going to let the bad economic times beat me." If approved, the 3 percent rate increase will take effect in January of 2014. contribution increase. The terms of four of the town’s five labor contracts expired this year, while elected officials and union representatives still struggle to modify employee health care plans as a cost savings measure. The PBA , though, agreed to terms last July to extend contracts until 2017 modifying health plans for newer members. Although in recent years, the police chief has not been a contract position, there was a time in Harrison’s history when the chief was more closely linked to labor agreements. Fifteen years ago, there was a tangible shift in town to separate management deals from those of labor union members. Directly after the vote last June, Marraccini said he didn’t view the move as controversial, but instead felt it was a positive step for the department after several years of negative publicity. “It’s time I take an active role, one which cannot be influenced by politics,” Marraccini told The Harrison Report. “This is a good thing. It shows we’re on the right track to rebuilding the quality of law enforcement in Harrison.”

Holy Child student wins geography bee

Holy Child student Kaitlyn “Katie” Shultis.

Rye resident Kaitlyn “Katie” Shultis, a School of the Holy Child seventh-grade student, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee–a nationwide geography competition for students in grades 4-8 designed to encourage the teaching and study of geography. The school-level event, at which students answered a series of oral and written questions about global landmarks, monuments, capitals and waterways, was the ﬁrst round in the 25th annual National Geographic Bee. With her win in the school-wide Bee, Katie will now advance to the next level–a written examination to determine state competitors. The top 100 scorers on this written exam from each state will then face each other in their state Bee on April 5. The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the Bee national championship rounds May 20-22. The ﬁrst-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the Society, and a trip to the Galapagos Islands, courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic. For more information about School of the Holy Child, contact (914) 967-5622 or visit holychildrye.org. (Submitted)

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14 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

Blessed Sacrament/St. Gabriel to close By ALEXANDRA BOGDANOVIC STAFF REPORTER alexandra@hometwn.com

After being deemed “unsustainable” by local boards and ad-hoc Reconﬁguration Committees, Blessed Sacrament/St. Gabriel High School in New Rochelle will close at the end of the school year. The school is one of only two Catholic secondary schools in the archdiocese slated for closure in June. In all, 424 students will be affected and, of those, approximately 350 attend Blessed Sacrament/St. Gabriel High School. According to Principal Edward Sullivan’s message on the school’s website, the school has provided a “quality, Catholic education to the young people of southern Westchester County and the borough of the Bronx” for more than 60 years. With its small student body, the school is a “thriving academic community” which has an atmosphere that “creates a highly successful learning environment,” Sullivan said. Blessed Sacrament/St. Gabriel High School has had a 100 percent graduation rate over the past four years, according to the school’s website. The archdiocese did not cite speciﬁc reasons for the school closing in its Jan. 22 announcement, and Sullivan did not return a phone call seeking comment on the matter. But the secondary schools aren’t the only ones slated for closure. Twenty-two Catholic elementary schools including Blessed Sacrament in the Bronx will also close at the end of the current academic year, according to the archdiocese. “The decision to close the at-risk schools follows a painstaking, months-long review involving local decision-makers in accordance with Pathways to Excellence, the strategic plan for Catholic schools that was published in October 2010 and developed to assure a vibrant future for Catholic education in the Archdiocese of New York,” the archdiocese said in its announcement.

Factors such as enrollment, financial, academic and local demographics were taken into account. Pastors and principals of the “at-risk” schools were invited to meet with members of the local boards or Reconfiguration Committees throughout the review process, according to the archdiocese. The representatives from the at-risk schools were allowed to submit alternative proposals reflecting ways in which the schools could remain “viable.” Affected families will be “welcomed in neighboring Catholic schools, and every effort will be made to assist those who are facing financial challenges making the transition,” the archdiocese said. Student placement counselors will also work with regional superintendents to help families make the transition. Informational meetings for affected families will be announced in the coming weeks. “As we move forward, we urge Gov. Cuomo and the legislature to enact the Education Investment Incentives Act,” said Timothy McNiff, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese. “This initiative, similar to those already enacted into law in 11 other states, would spur additional corporate and individual donations into education, generating $150 million in additional scholarships for families to enroll their children in Catholic and other religious and independent schools. Moreover, the legislation would generate an equal level of additional contributions to public schools.” Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said the archdiocese is “not alone in facing financial challenges in education.” “This reconfiguration process will help ensure that our schools will be financially stable, sustainable and more importantly, open to all students,” Dolan said. “We are dedicated to providing pastoral support and educational guidance to every family personally affected by reconfiguration to ensure all children attending closing schools will be warmly welcomed into a neighboring Catholic school where they will continue to learn and thrive.”

Why do we bother to bathe in the first place? Popular in the ancient empires, bathing fell out of favor in the middle ages, when having a layer of filth on you was considered protection against illnesses like the flu. It wasn’t until the 1700’s that washing caught on again, when some intuitive doctors believed that this procedure could help keep you from getting sick. In the 1800’s, germs were discovered, and the first thing we wanted to do with them was to wash them off. By the mid-1800’s, indoor plumbing was being developed, and although a luxury for many years, it began to find itself in more and more homes as the nineteenth century progressed. With the advent of indoor plumbing came the modern toilet. Often attributed to Thomas Crapper, who was a plumber in the 1800’s, the toilet was actually invented by an Englishman named Albert Giblin. With this very succinct history of the modern bathroom, we can see how all the necessary ingredients fortuitously came together just at the right time, enabling us to devote a special room in our homes dedicated to personal hygiene. But in the contemporary world, what would this simple room be, if it wasn’t as beautiful as it is functional? We need stylish tubs, showers, glass enclosures, tile, faucets, vanities, countertops, medicine cabinets, lights, mirrors, soap, glass, tooth brush and toilet paper holders, and towel racks, to complete this unpretentious room. (Not to mention the shower body, diverter valve, shower pan and other pipes and things that you don’t even see). A typical, modern bathroom is a conglomeration of many, many elements that, when assembled, enable it to accomplish its primary goal and be aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Granted, a “powder room” (with no shower or tub, also known as a half-bath)

doesn’t need quite as much, and a “master bath” may need more, (a Jacuzzi, bidet, steam shower, heated floor, etc.). Couple all these parts with the labor involved in installing them and you have quite a project. As with a kitchen, you need a plumber, electrician, mason, tile man, carpenter and painter to assemble all these components in order to create your Dream Bathroom. You begin to understand why bathrooms are not inexpensive. If you are remodeling (as opposed to doing new construction) you also must factor in the additional cost of demolition. Demolition (the removing of the old fixtures and tile) and preparation of the space depend on the original construction. Chances are the old tile and bathtub were set in concrete (“mud”) which needs to be removed, a messy and time-consuming task. And, even if the new fixtures are to be placed in the same location, it’s usually best to replace the old pipes because once the new tile is on the wall, you don’t want any problems with the pipes. Naturally, the selection of the fixtures also has a large impact on the final cost of a bathroom remodel. A toilet can range in price from under $100 at the home center, to the Herbeau Creations, Dagobert Throne Toilet, which costs $9,799 (but shipping is included). Similar price ranges are found when purchasing the rest of the fixtures. If you’re on a budget, and want to keep costs as reasonable as possible, don’t move the location of the tub and toilet, and shop around for the best deals on the fixtures. Better yet, if you don’t mind a thin layer of filth on yourself, you can close up your existing bathroom and install a Porta Potty in the basement. Paul Bookbinder, M.I.D., C.R., is president of DreamWork Kitchens, Inc. located in Mamaroneck, New York. A Master of Design (Pratt Institute), and E.P.A. Certified Remodeler, he serves on the Advisory Panel of Remodeling Magazine. A member of the National Kitchen & Bath Assoc., he is also a contributor to Do It Yourself magazine. He can be reached for questions at 914-777-0437 or www.dreamworkkitchens.com.

SPORTS

Fighting the Super Bowl hangover The phrase ‘Super Bowl Hangover’ is often heard over the airwaves of sports talk radio, and one which I found myself thinking about often during the ﬁrst half of Sunday’s tilt between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, the term can apply to a variety of scenarios, from a team such as the New York Giants failing to live up to raised expectations after a championship season, to the reason so many football fans inevitably call in sick from work on the Monday after the big game each year. But this year, my Super Bowl hangover was more along the lines of an existential fan crisis. After 2012, when my Giants captured the Lombardi Trophy in one of the most thrilling Super Bowls of all time, how was I supposed to care about what transpired on Sunday? Sure, there was no shortage of good storylines heading into this year’s game. Between the coaching battle of brothers Jim and John Harbaugh, the last hurrah for Ravens’ linebacker Ray Lewis, the emergence of San Fran’s Colin Kaepernick as one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the game and even the local intrigue with New Rochelle product Ray Rice, there were plenty of reasons that I should have cared about the game. But after two weeks of talking heads dissecting every possible angle of the matchup–and without a clear-cut villain like Bill Belichick’s Patriots on one sideline–every discussion about

Harrison Huskies

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Jack McCarthy By MIKE SMITH ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR sports@hometwn.com

Jack McCarthy knows that somebody has to do the dirty work on Harrison’s basketball team and, in his eyes, he’s just the man for the job. The Harrison senior has stepped up as the ‘glue guy’ on the Huskies this year, routinely asked to be the de facto big man for the undersized Harrison squad and provide the team with an injection of tough, hard-nosed play. “Coming into the year, I didn’t have any numerical goals,” said the Harrison senior. “All I wanted to do was hustle up and down the court, the guy playing hard and getting the rebounds.” McCarthy has done just that this year for the surprising Huskies, despite rou-

tinely finding himself at a height disadvantage matched up against opposing teams’ centers. In fact, McCarthy feels his best game of the season wasn’t necessarily the game in which he scored the most points, but one in which he was tasked with stopping Sacred Heart big man Ajron Bequiri. “The kid was about 6-foot8,” said McCarthy, who stands at 6-2. “And he really didn’t do anything against us.” McCarthy and the Huskies are looking to finish the season on a high note and possibly earn a home playoff game when sectionals start up next week. “I would definitely feed off the energy of a home game,” said McCarthy. “At home gainst Rye, which is always a big game, I came out on fire with all that energy from the fans.”

February 8, 2013 • THE HARRISON REPORT • 15

the impending Super Bowl seemed to me like white noise and the game seemed destined to become just another highly hyped disappointment. And for a half, it appeared to be just that. Baltimore jumped out to a commanding 22point lead, quickly sucking all the drama out of the game. The commercials, which have long been a fan’s refuge during Super Bowl blowouts, were largely uninspired. Until the Superdome lights went out following Jacoby Jones’ 108-yard kickoff return to start the second half, the most electricity generated from the broadcast (pun intended and apologized for) was the reunion of Destiny’s Child during the halftime show. Nothing about the game to this point suggested that we were in for an all-time finish. But when power was restored to the stadium, that script flipped on a dime. All of a sudden, the 49ers, led by a resurgent Kaepernick and the hard-running Frank Gore, unleashed a deluge of big plays, roaring back into the game to set up one of the more dramatic Super Bowl finishes in history, capped off by a dubious no-call on a fourth down defensive hold in the endzone that sent Jim, the more fiery of the Harbaugh brothers, into a justified-yet highly amusing-fit of rage on the sidelines. By the time the confetti was streaming from the Superdome rafters, showering the victorious Ravens, I had forgotten all about the mind-numbing sports chatter heading into the game, the achingly dull first half, and my previously held belief that no Super Bowl could begin to match the drama of another Pats-Giants match up. With seven months until the start of next season, I’ll have plenty of time to reflect on the fact that the football gods sometimes come through with a nail-biting classic even for fans with no rooting interest in the Super Bowl. That said, I don’t think I’d complain if the Giants found themselves playing in Metlife Stadium next February. That way, I wouldn’t need to wait until the second half to start giving a hoot.

HARRISON REPORT ROUNDUP

2/4 Harrison d. Hamilton 40-34 On Monday, the Harrison girls may have pulled off their signature win of the season, as the young Huskies knocked off the top-ranked team in New York State, beating Hamilton by six points in a backand-forth affair. Hamilton lost a key player in senior Maia Hood, who left with an injury in the third quarter after scoring 18 points, and Harrison capitalized, thanks in part to a terriﬁc performance from Kyle Lefkowtiz, who had nine points and, more importantly, 17 rebounds on the day. The win should be a huge conﬁdence booster for the Huskies, who have been playing well as of late, starting with their win over Rye on Jan. 24.

Kyle Lefkowitz lays a ball in against Rye on Jan. 24. Lefkowitz has been a force down the stretch for Harrison and pulled in 17 rebounds in the Huskies’ win over the No. 1 ranked team in the state on Feb. 4. Photo/Bobby Begun

16 • THE HARRISON REPORT • February 8, 2013

SPORTS

HARRISON SENDS NINE TO SECTIONAL TOURNEY By MIKE SMITH ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR sports@hometwn.com

Harrison’s Joe Maida wrestles against a Fox Lane opponent on Feb. 2. Maida reached the tourney ﬁnals but was forced out by an injury to his knee. Photos/Bobby Begun David Polakoff tries to escape from underneath his opponent on Feb. 2. Polakoff was one of nine Huskies who qualiﬁed for the Section I tournament.

On Feb. 2, Harrison’s wrestling program had one of its biggest showings at the divisional tournament in its history, qualifying a grand total of nine wrestlers for the upcoming sectional tournament. It is a testament to the strength of the Huskies’ roster that head coach Vin Nicita felt going into the Saturday tourney that Harrison had the chance to send even more grapplers to Section I’s biggest stage. Bobby Scatenato, Joe Maida, Gavin Menchel, David Polakoff, Max MacMullen, Frankie Barchella, James Carducci, Josh Guerrero and Max Luskawitz will all be heading to Clarkstown South High School to compete in Sectionals after their performance on Saturday. “We had a really good tournament, this is the most Harrison has ever sent,” said Nicita. “But believe it or not, I thought there were a few more guys who could have made it.” Bad luck, however, and a chance meeting with a teammate in the semis, spelled disaster for one such wrestler, 170-pounder Dom Schepis. Schepis, ranked first in his weight class, fell to teammate Scatenato in a match that Nicita admitted was a tough one to watch. “It’s an awkward position,” said Nicita. “At that point, you’re just an observer. I told them both before the match, for the next six minutes, you’re not teammates, you’re not friends, you’ve just got to wrestle hard to beat each other. We were hoping Dom would qualify, but it just didn’t happen.” Maida, another top seed, bowed out in the finals with a knee injury, but Nicita said that the 135-pounder should be ready to go on Feb. 8 and that pulling him from the tourney finals was simply a precaution. Last season, an injury derailed Maida’s season just before the section tourney, and nobody on the Harrison staff wanted to see that happen again. “We just wanted to make sure he qualified,” said Nicita. “But he had hurt his knee and we could tell he wasn’t moving at 100 percent out there. Now, he’s got a week to prepare and get healthy, so he’ll be fine.” Nicita was also pleased with the performances of some of his younger wrestlers at lower weight classes as Carducci and Barchella each won three matches on the day. Senior superheavyweight MacMullen also qualified for his second straight year. “With Max, we had been moving him around between 225 and 285 all year,” said Nicita. “He did a really nice job on Saturday. With nine wrestlers preparing for this weekend’s tournament, Harrison could conceivably run their own practices this week, but they will be hosting a few other schools with fewer sectional wrestlers to practice with them in order to stay sharp before the biggest date at the Section I wrestling tournament. Port Chester, Scarsdale and Eastchester will all be among the squads headed to Harrison to hit the mat before sectionals. “We’ve definitely got some work to do, but once you’re there anything can happen,” said the head coach. “We see upsets happen every year.” Bobby Scatenato (top) wrestles against teammate Dom Schepis in the semifinal round of the divisional tournament on Feb. 2. Scatenato would defeat Schepis and qualify for a berth at sectionals.