January 22, 2016

Eastchester REVIEW THE

January 22, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 4 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Tunnel Vision

Westchester elected officials were quick to react to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s interest in revisiting the idea of building a tunnel connecting Long Island to Westchester, Connecticut or the Bronx.

For story, see page 6. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

2 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 3

Bronxville students present research at symposium St. Pat’s Day grand marshall, honorees announced

Bronxville High School’s Timmy Caruso presents his research in front of classmates. Caruso was among the 27 Bronxville students who presented at the 25th Science and Mathematics Division and Community Partnership Semiannual Poster Symposium at Sarah Lawrence College. Photo courtesy Bronxville school district

Bronxville High School students presented at the 25th Science and Mathematics Division and Community Partnership Semiannual Poster Symposium at Sarah Lawrence College on Dec. 10. The symposium featured roughly 120 college students and 27 Bronxville students as part of the Humanities Research Seminar.

The students presented on a variety of topics, including sleep deprivation among adolescents and an exploration of both the Waldorf schools and modern-day schools and classrooms. The symposium is the culmination of the high school students’ research and allows them to refine their presentation skills.

“The symposium really touches on the aspect of engagement within the Bronxville Promise,” social studies teacher Bill Meyer

said. “The students took on issues and problems connected to the community, connected them to their own lives, and then explored these issues. Then they were motivated to find interventions and recommendations to resolve the issues.”

Junior Maggie McKelvy, who researched the effects of rural women’s education on population growth in India, said she wanted to educate people on a topic that’s relevant in today’s world.

“Going to the symposium was a great opportunity to share our research with people we don’t normally interact with, as well as present our research to friends and family,” she said. “Everyone conducted their research on topics related to education. We spent a couple of months doing research and taking notes on various science journals. We really wanted to

inform people about the different opportunities for education.”

In the spring, Meyer said the students will be required to complete a service component that addresses the issues they explored in their research project.

The following students presented at the symposium: Sophia Anagnostakis, Henry Anderson, Andrew Babyak, Mallory Bates, Ellie Briskin, Timmy Caruso, Caroline Castano, Isabel Caton, Emily Conway, Brian DePaul, Gianna DiMinno, Allison Dowe, Beth Finley, Kevin Formato, Morgan Frayne, Niko Goutakolis, Jillian Jiampietro, Jessica Kelly, Caroline Langhoff, Maggie McKelvy, Francesca Ribka, Nicholas Saluti, Taylor Sears, Liam Siegal, Catherine Sullivan, Alekzandra Thoms and Dylan Weber.

(Submitted)

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The Eastchester Irish American Social Club, EIASC, announced that Helene Murtha Dooley, Eastchester resident and librarian in the Eastchester Union Free School District, will be the grand marshal for the EIASC’s 12th annual Eastchester St. Patrick’s Day parade to be held on Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m. The festival and installation of grand marshal and honorees, Cathy Doody and Christine Doody-Doherty, is on Saturday, March 5 at 6 p.m. at Mulino’s at Lake Isle.

Dooley’s family came to New York from Ireland in the late 1800s. They hailed from Cork and Roscommon counties on her mother’s side, and Athlone in County Westmeath on her father’s side. Born in Queens, she is the eldest of the four children of Arlene Charbonneau Murtha and the late Gilbert J Murtha III. “St. Patrick’s Day is always a special day for my family, filled with traditional food, music and

Helene Murtha Dooley, town resident and librarian, was chosen to be the grand marshall at this year’s annual Eastchester St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Photo courtesy Connie Cullen

dance, so I am honored to be grand marshal and share my heritage with the Eastchester community,” Dooley said.

She is married to Eastchester Town Councilman Joe Dooley and they have two children, Brian and Caroline. They joined EIASC in 2001 where she is an active volunteer serving on committees for past parades and social events.

Dooley graduated from Fairfield University with a Bachelor

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of Science in business management and began a banking career at JP Morgan. She pursued her education while working as a vice president at JP Morgan, earning a NYS Teaching Certificate, a master’s in library and information science and a doctorate in educational administration. For the past 18 years, she has taught at all of Eastchester’s public schools and currently works at the Eastchester Middle School/High School Library.

At the EIASC Festival and Installation, Dooley, Doody and Doody-Doherty will be presented with their parade sashes.

Traditionally sold out, it is open to the public, first come, first served.

EIASC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1966 consisting of members from Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Bronxville and Crestwood. For more information about the organization, parade or festival, visit eastchesterirish.org. (Submitted)

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4 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

What’s going on...

Eastchester Public Library

20/30-Somethings Book Club On Monday, Jan. 25 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Preregistration is suggested at the library’s website, as space is limited. This new book club for adults in their 20s and 30s will meet monthly and explore a variety of genres. This month’s book is “Noggin” by John Corey Whaley. Join fellow 20- and 30-somethings for a book discussion of this popular New York Times-reviewed young adult book, led by 20-something librarian Elizabeth Portillo.

Light refreshments will be served. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. For more information, contact Portillo at 793-5055 or eportillo@wlsmail.org.

Non-residents will be placed on the event’s waiting list, and will be notified if there is a vacancy.

the hotel. Rated PG, running time: one hour and 29 minutes.

Reading Buddies Book Club

‘Health Care Options in Retirement’ workshop

The Reading Buddies Book Club will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for children in second and third grade. The book up for discussion will be Roald Dahl’s “George’s Marvelous Medicine.” In this story, George decides to make a potion to cure his grandmother’s grumpiness. Grandma will be in for the surprise of her life, and so will George. Pre-registration for this event is recommended and copies of the book are available at the Circulation Desk. Refreshments will be served. For more information or to register for this event, contact Jonathan Heifetz at 7218105 or jheifetz@wlsmail.org.

Bronxville Public Library

On Saturday, Jan. 23 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Approaching age 65? Whether you are employed, unemployed or actively planning retirement, come learn how your health care options change. Topics to be discussed include working past 65, navigating unemployment to Medicare and retirement with benefits. Presented by Westchester’s Seniors Out Speaking, a project of the Westchester Library System.

Tuesday evening film The library will be screening “Viva Las Vegas” on Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of its tribute to Elvis Presley. Presley and vivacious Ann Margret sizzle in this dazzling funfest that’s brimming with high-voltage musical numbers, roaring race cars and glittery Vegas action.

Rated PG, running time: 85 minutes.

Tuckahoe Public Library

Preschool storytime

Family Film

Preschool storytime’s third session will be on Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. This is a drop-off program for toddlers age 3 and 4.

In-person pre-registration is required for this program, which began on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 9 a.m.

The library will be screening the animated movie “Hotel Transylvania 2” on Friday, Jan. 22 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dracula and his friends try to bring out the monster in his half human, half vampire grandson in order to keep Mavis from leaving

One-on-one Internet instruction The library will be offering one-on-one basic Internet instruction for adults on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at noon. Registration for this program is required.

For more information or to register, call 961-2121.

be held on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. This short service is an opportunity to pray for personal needs and concerns, and to receive anointing with oil. For more information, call 337-0207 or visit vlc-ny.org.

Snow Angels program Volunteers needed The Snow Angels program needs volunteers to aid the elderly and disabled with snow removal.

All requests from volunteers are matched up with a request from someone who lives near them and who has requested help with snow/ice removal. Volunteers will receive community service hours from the program coordinator. Those who are interested should contact Sheila Marcotte at tuckahoesnowangels@yahoo.com, and parents can contact her at 309-6947. Marcotte will then contact the program coordinator directly.

Asbury United Methodist Church Music at Asbury The second season of the Music at Asbury concert series will continue on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m. The concert will feature duo Victor Keremed-

jiev, guitarist and Gemma Keremedjiev, vocalist, who will present a program of classical, folk and popular music called “Music From Around the World.” The concert will be held in the sanctuary at Asbury United Methodist Church, located at 167 Scarsdale Road in Tuckahoe. Admission is free and there is ample parking available. Reservations are strongly recommended. For more information or to make reservations, visit MusicAtAsbury.com or call 779-3722.

Westchester Italian Cultural Center

National Puzzle Day On Friday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m., come to the library to celebrate National Puzzle Day by doing all kinds of puzzles. Open to ages 4 to 10. Registration is required by calling the library at 961-2121.

Village Lutheran Church Bible study Warm up on Wednesdays with a pot luck supper and Bible study which will take place on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dinner will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Bible study will be from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a main dish or a salad to share. The Rev. Dr. Robert Hartwell will lead the discussion about what the Bible is, how we got it and what it means to us today. For more information or to sign up for the event, call 337-0207 ext. 1003.

Prayer service The next monthly service of prayer for healing will

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Cooking for children: pizza and focaccia This cooking class, held on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., will teach children and their parents how to make pizza dough for thick and thin crust pizza. Participants will work to prepare pizzas and focaccias with fresh and tasty toppings. Class fees for members are $30 for one child, $45 for a parent and child and $30 for an additional person. Class fees for non-members are $40 for one child, $55 for a parent and child and $40 for an additional person. For more information or to register for the class, call 771-8700.

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all items to news@hometwn.com.

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BHS students combine Latin, art and musical talents Bronxville High School students recently collaborated on a project that incorporated their Latin, artistic and musical talents.

Students in Denise Flood’s Latin class wrote poetry based on myths and Courtney Alan’s Studio Art II students created illustrations and illuminated the calligraphic manuscripts. Then, Denise Lutter’s orchestra students composed a few original pieces to accompany the poems and manuscripts. The students’ final projects were displayed in the newly-

renovated Bronxville School auditorium lobby for the orchestra/ chorus concert on Dec. 22.

“The process was quite powerful to watch because the students felt engaged,” Flood said.

“They worked together to refine the myths and go through variations of the process. It was almost as if my students who created the myths were the client and the art students were the illustrators. And the illustrators really wanted to do a great job to illustrate the best aspects of the myths.”

Bronxville High School students in Courtney Alan’s Studio Art II class create illustrations and illuminate the calligraphic manuscripts.

As part of the project, the students in Flood’s class learned calligraphy and calligraphic techniques. They provided their peers in Studio Art II with a descriptive image about the myth’s setting and its characters’ traits.

The artists then went through the traditional creative process, parallel to that of a professional illustrator or medieval illuminator, which included brainstorming, collecting references, sketching ideas, refining drawings and finally, painting with gouache and creating patterns. Following the creative process, the orchestra students received one of the myths, called “Nivia,” as a prototype to create their original composition.

“My favorite part of this project was the end, when I saw how everybody’s piece turned out and how the story was shown through different pieces,” said junior Zoe Hutchings, whose project was about a woman whose tears started the first blizzard.

Sophomore Pilar Layton shared Hutchings’ thoughts. “We

Bronxville High School students’ final projects on display. Photos courtesy Bronxville school district

were basing our illustrations off of myths that the Latin class students had written,” the art student said. “They were short

stories and didn’t have a ton of description, so we got to use our artistic interpretation of how we felt our paintings should look.”

To watch a video about the interdisciplinary project and view the final products, visit bronxvilleschool.org. (Submitted)

6 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

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Rye mayor encourages lawmakers to ‘topple’ Cuomo’s tunnel

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Rye Mayor Joe Sack, left, and Governor Andrew Cuomo have differing views on the merit of a Long Island Sound connection between the island and Westchester. Cuomo wants to study the feasibility of such a project, while Sack said he will engage opposition to “topple the tunnel.” Photo/Andrew Dapolite; Photo/governor.ny.gov

By ANGELA JORDAN Staff Writer Although preliminary, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent interest in revisiting the potential for a new crossing between Long Island and Westchester County has already elicited concern.

During his State of the City address on Jan. 13, Rye Mayor Joseph Sack, a Republican, took a strong stance against Cuomo’s recent proposal to potentially connect Long Island to Westchester County via a tunnel.

“The governor should know that we will vigorously oppose any bridge or tunnel that interferes with the home and environment of our city,” Sack said in his address. “And we pledge to support other Sound Shore communities in their opposition to any bridge or tunnel that runs through their towns.”

In a speech to the Long Island Association on Jan. 5, Cuomo, as part of his 2016 agenda, stated that he wanted to spend $5 million on a feasibility study to see if a tunnel can be built underneath the Long Island Sound, connecting the island to Westchester, Connecticut or the Bronx. Cuomo said the effort was to further meet what he called the “unique transportation

needs on Long Island.”

“We need to consider ambitious access proposals,” the governor said. “Now this is not a new idea, we’ve been talking about this for 75 years. In 1938, FDR talked about building a bridge from Long Island to Connecticut or Rhode Island, understanding the physical constraints [on Long Island].”

Since 1938, there have been at least seven other proposals for a bridge or tunnel between Long Island and Westchester or Connecticut, including New York builder, Robert Moses’ controversial plan for a bridge connecting the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County to the city of Rye, which was halted in large part due to the efforts of one former Rye mayor, the late Ed Grainger, during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Sack lauded Grainger’s legacy during his annual address, and stressed that continued opposition to a link between Long Island and Rye is crucial.

“Just as the bumper stickers from decades ago implored the governor to ‘Ban the Bridge,’ the rallying cry today from the city of Rye’s perspective must be to ‘Topple the Tunnel,’” Sack said.

Most recently, in 2008, came another $10 billion proposal by

a commercial developer on Long Island named Vincent Polimeni that would have connected the island to Westchester by way of a tunnel. But the plan lacked support in Westchester and by lawmakers in Albany, and like the other proposals before it, ultimately never got off the ground. Polimeni passed away in 2013.

Despite a lack of success with other Soundlink proposals, Sack said that Cuomo’s push to invest $5 million in a feasibility study indicates “serious intentions.”

However, he also stated during his city address that he is confident that state Assemblyman Steve Otis, a Rye Democrat, and state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, will fight for Rye’s best interests in this matter.

Otis had serious reservations about a tunnel in 2008 when he was the mayor of Rye. “When I led the opposition to a tunnel proposal10 years ago, it was countywide opposition because of [potential] traffic levels on the entire length of both the I-287 and I-95,” Otis said.

Latimer also opposed the tunnel idea in 2008 and shared similar concerns about congestion on Westchester’s highways. He believes that the tunnel would be problematic for traffic on I-95.

“Port Chester is looking at developing a hospital near I-95, so you could create a traffic nightmare in Rye,” he said.

Latimer also raised other potential issues with revisiting this idea, saying that the prolonged construction would have “a great chilling effect on the real estate market” and would cause a significant environmental impact.

Since the proposal is currently nonspecific, Rye is not the only location viewed as a possible connecting point to Long Island.

As a result of the potential for other Sound Shore communities to be identified, Village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, said he shares Sack’s concerns.

“I would certainly fight against something that would affect the quality of life in and character of our shore towns,” Rosenblum said.

The state Legislature would need to approve the $5 million Cuomo wants to spend—the

item is included in his state budget proposal for 2016-2017—on a feasibility study.

It seems that on Long Island, local officials were already pushing for this. In Suffolk County, a master plan was released by the department of economic development and planning in August that listed examining “feasibility for alternate means of ingress and egress” between Long Island and the New York metropolitan area as a priority action for the county.

The state Legislature began its annual session on Jan. 13, where they will discuss the feasibility study, among other ideas outlined by Cuomo in his budget.

In spite of his objection to the idea, Otis is open to the study, and is confident that it will come to the same conclusion reached in 2008.

“I think at the end of the day, everyone will understand that to bring more traffic to that area will be a countywide problem,” Otis said.

Sack said he wants to be sure that if a feasibility study were conducted by the state, it’s completed without bias to Cuomo’s desire to see the tunnel built.

“If indeed the governor does fund this study, we’re going to want to take an active role in participating or monitoring how the study is being conducted,” Sack said. “I don’t think any legitimate study would indicate that a tunnel or bridge would be a good idea.”

“Beyond that, we’re going to put as much political pressure as we can to prevent this,” the mayor added.

CONTACT: angela@hometwn.com

A rendering of the ill-fated 2008 Rye-Oyster Bay tunnel. Proposals for a link between Westchester County and Long Island date back to the 1960s. File photo

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 7

Old Man Winter vs. Mother Nature

By Richard C. Ilse Contributor Take heart snow lovers, the flake fests will come. Take heed home owners, your fuel bill will still spike, despite lower prices and higher temperatures. The reason for this is that black and white, sensory-deprived, soundless and odorless time of year known as February.

It could start before even we turn the calendar, as a nor’easter is possible this weekend. It might happen too late to save the economics of those who plow the snow, dress us to protect us, sell us stuff to move it, or SUVs to drive through it. For them, it has already had a far-reaching impact, but no more so than in the ski industry.

Look at the beast of the East, Killington Mountain in Vermont, which has less than half of its 128 trails open 10 days into January; unprecedented.

In southern Vermont, Bromley Mountain has only 20 of 47 trails open. In Connecticut, Mohawk Mountain and Mount Southington are doing even worse and Ski

Sundown did not even attempt to open until Jan. 9.

It is pervasive throughout the Northeast, no matter how far north you go. From Whiteface Mountain in northern New York to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, each are dealing with half or less of their trails open, which are historically low numbers.

Across New England if you like to skate, try to find a frozen lake.

Ocean temperatures are also in the mid-40s, about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than they should be. Additionally, those snow tubes you got for Christmas are still as deflated as Tom Brady’s footballs were, and your winter spirit is becoming.

To all of us in the Northeast who love New England winters, stay frosty; your time is coming. Weather-wise, we all tend to have short term meteorological memories. If you’re not sure if that’s true, all you have to do is look back just one year to Thanksgiving at the beginning of the 2014-15 winter season.

It was called winter storm Cato and 20 million people were under winter storm warnings on

to meteorological memory for a moment. Was all the snow in February the biggest story of Thanksgiving eve and day. The last winter or do you remember Northeast got anywhere from a the cold? In fact, last February few inches to a full blown bliz- was the coldest month, of any zard. For those who took flight month ever in the history of reto see family that Thanksgiving, cord keeping in the Northeast.

I’m sure you remember it, as Do you remember all the brutal nearly 5,000 flights were can- three dog nights and daytime celled. It made us all feel like low numbers that only a comit was going to be a rerun of the puter knows (0 and 1)?

What a difference a year winter before 2013-14 when we had snow from mid-December makes, so what changed? While we were enjoying or endurto mid-March.

So what happened after Cato ing—depending on your point in late November? For two of view—the coldest month ever months, nothing. After that, all last winter, our planet as a whole it did was snow for six weeks had to survive its warmest year straight, well into March, mostly on record. So you have globon Mondays and there were lots al warming and now El Niño of snow days. So many in fact (which means warmer water that, after two springs in a row of further north in the Pacific, thus extending the school year too far warmer air across the U.S.) infilinto June, thus disrupting many trating our winter this year.

So here’s what to expect movplans for summer jobs, camps, etc., many school districts this ing forward. It’s really Old Man year have eliminated winter Winter vs. Mother Nature, or break and have just kept spring to be more precise, the Polar break. But the past two winters’ Vortex vs. El Niño. Accordsnow haven’t even come close ing to the National Oceanic to the record set in the 1995-96 and Atmospheric Administration and The Weather Channel, season.

Besides the lack of precipita- a very strong El Niño exists tion, temperature has been the this year, which usually means other problem this year. Back more moisture crossing the

Although a tame winter by recent standards, Old Man Winter will soon be knocking at our front door, according to Richard Ilse. File photo

U.S. However, several projections still show a wild ride for the jet stream in February (thus the Polar Vortex), oscillating up and down the East Coast bringing us the arctic cold.

What do you get when you mix the two correctly? Big snowstorms! It just depends on how well Mother Nature mixes up the recipe and if she stirs us up a few big ones.

8 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

Eastchester BOE schedules bond hearing The Eastchester Union Free School District Board of Education has scheduled a public hearing to provide information on the district’s preliminary plan for expending funds allocated by the Smart Schools Bond Act. The hearing will be held at the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. in the Eastchester High School Library. The purpose of the hearing is to outline the proposed budget for the spending of funds for educational technology and infrastructure granted to the district as part of the Smart Schools Bond Act. The Eastchester school district has been allocated $477,302

through the Smart Schools Bond Act. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Walter Moran said, “The funds allocated to the Eastchester UFSD are proposed to be used for upgrading the network infrastructure to provide a robust wireless learning environment for students and staff throughout the school district.”

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Ron Hattar noted, “The preliminary plan has been guided by the District’s Comprehensive Technology Plan, input from the District Technology Committee, and the NYSED-approved 2015-18 District Instructional Technology Plan Survey approved by the

State Education Department.”

The Smart Schools Bond Act of 2014 was passed in the 201415 state budget and approved by voters in a statewide referendum on Nov. 4, 2014. The Smart Schools Bond Act authorized the issuance of $2 billion of general obligation bonds by New York state to finance improved educational technology and infrastructure.

Please forward any comments or questions to Hattar at rhattar@Eastchester.k12.ny.us.

The District Technology Plan and the preliminary Smart Schools Investment Plan are posted on the school district’s website at EastchesterSchools.org.

(Submitted)

Team Chapel to run Bear Mountain Marathon Is getting in shape one of your new year’s resolutions? Do you know someone who is an avid runner or looking to start a new fitness routine? Looking to exercise more? Motivate yourself and stick to your resolution by joining Team Chapel Arts. Team Chapel Arts is forming in the spring of 2016. The Chapel School is recruiting 10 runners to run the Bear Mountain Half Marathon or 10K to raise awareness for the art and drama programs of The Chapel School.

“Team Chapel is thrilled to participate in the Bear Mountain Marathon,” said Kim Zwisdak,

development office project manager at The Chapel School. “We are looking forward to supporting our runners throughout their journey as they train for, and ultimately achieve their goal of completing this race, all while raising critical funds which benefit The Chapel School’s arts and drama programs.”

Prospective Team Chapel runners should be willing and able to run 13.1 miles (or 6.2 miles if the runner chooses the 10K option), be available on Sunday, May 1, and be willing to commit to and guarantee a $1,100 per runner personal fundraising goal for the half

marathon or $800 per runner for the 10K course. Fundraising must be completed by April 26.

Team Chapel Arts runners receive a complimentary Team Chapel Running Pack consisting of long and short sleeve running tops and a hat. Those interested can check out past year’s courses and information at TeamChapel.com.

For more information or to apply to join the team, contact Pastor Hartwell at 337-0207 or email him at pastorh@vlc-ny.org.

For more information on Team Chapel Arts, contact the Chapel School at 337-3202 or visit TeamChapel.com. (Submitted)

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Rebuilding the village of Bronxville after the storm BRONXVILLE TODAY Mayor Mary Marvin

In a very positive demonstration of school district/local government collaboration, the FEMA-funded flood mitigation project is just weeks away from shovels in the ground.

The road to this point has not been an easy one. Since our initial application to FEMA, after the devastating storm of 2007, and the actual bids received for the flood mitigation project in late 2015, costs have risen significantly.

As background, FEMA originally approved the funding of a $6.9 million mitigation project for Bronxville and has contributed approximately $5.2 million, or 75 percent, of the cost. The school district and village would each expend $861,238 to fund the other 25 percent. Based on actual 2015 construction bid costs, the estimated 2007 numbers, only conceptual in nature and time, have risen by $1.7 million.

As background, the projects primary components are: • A stormwater pump station designed to capture and deliver excessive rain runoff to the Bronx River before flooding occurs.

• A dedicated force main pipe that will operate as a closed system under positive pressure to convey captured runoff from the pump station to the Bronx River.

• A below-grade stormwater piping network under Hayes Field designed to attenuate the peak rate of runoff delivered to the pumping station.

• Flow diversion structures designed to redirect excessive stormwater runoff from the existing 72inch and 36-inch trunk lines feeding the pump station and belowgrade storage piping network.

Trees to be removed to facilitate the above construction include one 10-inch caliper fir; three maples with a less than 6-inch caliper and four small cherry trees.

Three times as many trees will be replanted in a comprehensive landscape plan.

At every stage of the now nine-year process, the school and village shared the numbers as we knew them from FEMA. As

is custom, FEMA’s operational method of estimating costs was based on conceptual designs, rather than actual conditions at the time of the grant application in 2007.

As a result, after conducting all of the necessary on-site topographical evaluations necessary to actually bid the project in 2015, these were the major cost drivers affecting the final cost projections: • After an in-depth soil boring analysis, the soil conditions on Hayes Field were so silty and wet that the pumps required additional piling supports, adding $300,000 to the original FEMA estimate.

• Environmental standards have become more stringent since 2007, even since 2011, and now require us to stabilize a portion of the Bronx River/Laurel Brook Stream bank with a stone wall to shore up a 30-inch diameter sanitary sewer main that is now partially exposed due to prolonged bank erosion.

• All of the environmental concerns necessitated a myriad of agency permits that added time and expense to what was already a lengthy, bureaucratic process.

Permits were required from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Westchester County, the city of Mount Vernon and the New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

• After doing extensive subsurface geotechnical work, it was determined that the conventional trench method of piping would not work in the village due to its small size and consequential labyrinth of underground utilities. Because of the space constraint and the age and fragility of our sanitary sewer and utility conduits, it was determined that the 400 feet of the new flood piping conveyance system would have to be trenchless, adding $1,486 to the cost.

• FEMA also used the Environmental and Natural Resources Heavy Construction Cost Index numbers from 2007, the time of the initial application. The recent bid projections were based on 2015 numbers which showed a 17.95 percent increase in material

costs. Compounding this number is the particular regional phenomenon nicknamed “The Tappan Zee Effect.” Because more than 250 contractors are employed using an unprecedented amount of materials on one project, local construction supplies and many contractors are employed for a significant duration. As a consequence, fewer contractors are bidding on projects and are less aggressive in pricing. In the end, there were four bidders, two in the range of $12 million or more.

• FEMA removed the $300,000 contingency line from the project, despite the unique set of variables.

• The Bronxville School environs also have much shallower groundwater conditions than the national model, necessitating a construction “dewatering” cost that was $260,000 above the anticipated norm.

• All of the above modifications naturally then contributed to increased design and engineering costs.

However, bottom line, we can’t lose sight that when all is said and done, we will have a state-of-the-art flood mitigation system for our school campus and the nearby neighbors, with a majority of the project funded through a federal grant. In the history of the village, we have never seen a grant even approach the magnitude of this one.

After losses in excess of $35 million to the school and nearby neighbors, you as residents rightly tasked those of us in positions of governance to “fix it.” This project is the result of that directive.

Those of you who lived through the floods in 2007 and 2011 remember the loss of two full weeks of school leading up to the AP exam schedule for the high schoolers, the destruction of musical instruments, computers, art projects and student records, and, just as important, an indefinable loss of momentum and morale in the community.

This big picture, long-term solution that was indeed mired at times in bureaucratic morass will hopefully allow all of us to view rainstorms, not with the angst and trepidation that we do today, but with comfort and confidence.

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 9

Health dept. seeks public health award nominees The Westchester County Board of Health wants to recognize volunteer efforts by adults and teenagers whose time and talents this past year made outstanding contributions to public health in Westchester. Nominations for the annual public health service awards are due by Sunday, Feb. 7.

The Distinguished Public Health Service Award is presented annually to a person or community-based organization whose efforts serve the public health of Westchester residents but who is not professionally engaged in public health work.

The J.R. Tesone Youth Public Health Service Award recognizes creative contributions

to public health by young people. The award was created in 2014 in memory of J.R. Tesone, a Board of Health member with a lifelong commitment to Westchester children.

Both awards will be announced and presented in April to spotlight National Public Health Week.

“The health department and the Board of Health rely on creative partnerships with the public to promote public health,” said Steven Nakashima, president of the Westchester County Board of Health. “By shining a spotlight on these success stories, we hope to inspire more people and organizations to join us in this work which is so

Astorino hosts MLK Day breakfast gathering

vital to the health of our community.”

Last year, the youth public health service award went to Sarah Ilany, an Armonk teenager. Ilany developed an Instagram-like app that created a supportive community for young people with Type 1 diabetes. She also raised awareness and funds for diabetes research. The Distinguished Public Health Service Award went to the Westchester Library System for its health literacy initiatives.

To obtain a nomination form, visit the Westchester County Department of Health website at westchestergov.com/health.

(Submitted)

Town of Eastchester’s

Official Newspaper

Meet Angel. This pretty girl is about a year old and weighs 30 pounds. She is very sweet and smiles just like a human.

Angel loves everyone she meets, including people, other dogs and even cats. She is still very much a puppy and can be a little mouthy at times, so a home with older children or adults would be ideal.

Angel is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm-tested and microchipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make Angel part of your home? To learn more, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue. org. (Submitted)

Clergy from different faiths celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a breakfast held on Jan. 18.

Jamila Loftin, standing, far left, granddaughter of the Rev. Emma Loftin-Woods, speaks to the group.

Photo courtesy Westchester County

County Executive Rob Astorino was joined by more than 50 clergy from a variety of faiths on Monday, Jan. 18 for a breakfast gathering to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King

Jr., who would have been 87 years old.

The remembrance centered on Dr. King’s fight for social, economic and racial justice for all and a call to respect all

peoples and religions.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice” was one of King’s teachings referenced at the breakfast.

(Submitted)

10 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

Business Briefs ANDRUS appoints vice president of institutional advancement

chester County, the nonprofit reaches almost 4,000 children and families each year from the New York metropolitan area. ANDRUS also operates the Andrus Center for Learning and Innovation and The ANDRUS Sanctuary Institute, which has provided training and consultation to more than 300 organizations worldwide in the use of a trauma-sensitive model for treatment and organizational change. For more information, visit Andrus1928.org.

ager, Douglas Elliman Property Management, DE Commercial and DE Title. For more information, visit elliman.com.

Cerebral Palsy of Westchester appoints new officers

Digestive disease center welcomes new doctor

Douglas Elliman welcomes additions to Westchester leadership team

ANDRUS President and CEO Bryan R. Murphy is pleased to announce that Christine Novak Micka has joined the nonprofit as vice president of institutional advancement. In this position, Micka will be both strategically and operationally responsible for all fundraising and marketing for ANDRUS, building on the continued success of the nonprofit’s ongoing development efforts.

“We are delighted to welcome Christine Novak Micka to ANDRUS. Her substantial knowledge and experience in development are integral to advancing our 87-year-old nonprofit and empowering children and families to live as fully as possible,” said Murphy. “She also brings a rich perspective on philanthropy that fits well with our agency’s mission.”

“Philanthropy should be long lasting and as selfreplicating as possible,” Micka said. “By engaging donors and funders whose values connect with ANDRUS, they become advocates and ambassadors who, in turn, will want to share their insight and experiences. I look forward to utilizing my experience to fortify ANDRUS now and for the future.

The most exciting aspect of this collaboration is the opportunity to really make an impact and help give voice to at-risk youth and families. Frankly, that’s what it’s all about.”

Micka is a senior development professional with extensive experience in all aspects of fundraising, including strategic planning, board and volunteer management, major gifts, donor relations, annual fund, special events, grants administration and donor research. Prior to coming to ANDRUS, Micka served as director of the development for Greyston Foundation where she increased fundraising efforts substantially and established the organization’s first major gifts program.

As a lifelong Yonkers resident with the past 10 years of her career focused on fundraising in the local community, Micka has a broad range of volunteering experience for organizations including the Ty Louis Campbell Foundation, Yonkers Partners in Education and the Casimir Pulaski Parent Teacher Association. Micka holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in political science from Fordham University.

ANDRUS nurtures the social and emotional well-being in children and their families by delivering a broad range of vital services and providing research, training and innovative program models that promote standards of excellence for professional performance in and beyond our service community. With programs on campuses, in schools and within community-based settings throughout West-

Douglas Elliman Real Estate is pleased to announce that Louise Colonna and Paul Tollefson have joined the firm as executive managers of sales in Westchester. Colonna will lead the Scarsdale office and Tollefson will head up the firm’s Chappaqua, Armonk and Pleasantville offices.

“We’re thrilled to have established such a strong leadership team in Westchester, and for Louise and Paul to be joining us,” Douglas Elliman’s president and CEO, Dottie Herman, said. “Their expertise and leadership skills will be vital as we continue to expand our business and reach in the region.”

In her role as executive manager of sales of the Scarsdale office, Colonna will oversee the office’s 40-plus agents and day-to-day operations.

With more than 30 years of real estate experience, including 15 years in management, Colonna previously served as a branch manager for Coldwell Banker in White Plains.

“I am so happy to take on the challenges of this exciting new role at Douglas Elliman and to work with some of the best agents in the industry,” Colonna said.

Tollefson will serve as the executive manager of sales of the Chappaqua, Armonk and Pleasantville offices and will oversee approximately 80 agents.

Tollefson relocated to Northern Westchester last year from San Francisco, where he owned and operated a luxury boutique real estate agency which he later sold to Coldwell Banker—an agency that maintained the highest sales volume per agent in San Francisco. Most recently, Tollefson was a sales associate at Ginnel Real Estate in Bedford.

“I am looking forward to joining the hard-working and passionate individuals at Douglas Elliman,” Tollefson said. “Elliman is such a powerful brand and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York metropolitan area and the fourth largest residential real estate company nationwide. With more than 6,000 agents, the company operates 85 offices in New York City, Long Island, the Hamptons, the North Fork, Westchester County, Putnam County, Greenwich, South Florida, Aspen and Beverly Hills. Douglas Elliman has a strategic global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 58 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, Manhattan’s largest residential property man-

purpose to help people realize their goals, build brighter futures, and lead more independent lives as members of their community. For more information about Cerebral Palsy of Westchester or its programs please contact Director of Development Joan Colangelo at 937-3800 ext. 215.

Cerebral Palsy of Westchester’s board president Richard N. Osterer announced the board of director’s officer appointment of board members David Kelson to executive vice president and Randy Rifelli to treasurer.

Kelson is a director in the Syndicated and Leveraged Finance Group at TD Securities. He works with clients in many industries, including nonprofit health care, and educational and cultural organizations. Prior to TD Securities, Kelson held a number of different positions in investment banking, corporate banking, middle market lending, leveraged lending and as a rating agency analyst over the course of an almost 30-year career.

He has previously actively volunteered for activities as vice president of the board of the Scarsdale Youth Softball Association, such as volunteer softball coach and president of the New York City Chapter of University of Rochester Alumni Association. He is currently a member of the TD Cares community service committee at TD Securities and is also a member of the George Eastman Circle of the University of Rochester.

Kelson graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

Rifelli is a structural engineer and president of United Iron Inc., located in Mount Vernon. United Iron Inc. is a 55-year-old, family-owned business that has long been established as a leader in the steel industry. United Iron fabricates and erects structural steel and miscellaneous metals for prominent projects throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Rifelli holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Villanova University and a master’s degree in business administration from Iona College.

Rifelli is a co-founder and an officer of the Executive Association of Westchester, a board member of The Steel Institute of New York, board member of the Subcontractors Trade Association, member of the Economic Business Development Board for Hudson Valley National Bank, and a trustee for the Ornamental Ironworkers Union, Local 580.

“We are very fortunate to have two distinguished individuals on CPW’s board of directors,” said CPW Executive Director Linda Kuck. “Their commitment and knowledge will help CPW as it continues to provide much-needed programs and services to individuals with disabilities.”

For more than 65 years, Cerebral Palsy of Westchester has been the leading nonprofit organization in Westchester County, providing essential services to children and adults with all developmental disabilities including autism, neurological impairments, intellectual disabilities, mental retardation, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. It has always been its

The Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center of Westchester is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Goldblatt will be joining its gastroenterology practice. Goldblatt has practiced in Westchester for more than 30 years. He is routinely on top doctor lists and has a very large and dedicated patient following. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Goldblatt is accepting consults and new patients at the center’s offices and can be reached at 683-1555.

The Digestive Disease and Nutrition Center of Westchester is located at 2 Westchester Park Drive in White Plains. For more information or to see one of the center’s specialists, call 683-1555 or visit stomachmds.com.

Scarsdale Medical Group welcomes new gastroenterologist

Scarsdale Medical Group, a multi-specialty practice serving Westchester County and the surrounding Hudson Valley area, is pleased to announce the appointment of gastroenterologist Dr. Frank Palumbo. Palumbo is now seeing patients in the Harrison office located at 600 Mamaroneck Ave. Palumbo received his undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., and earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. He completed an internal medicine residency at New York-Presbyterian/Queens and served as the program’s chief resident. He then completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at New York-Presbyterian/ Queens and is board certified in gastroenterology.

Prior to joining Scarsdale Medical Group, Palumbo had been in private practice for almost 10 years.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Palumbo [to] Scarsdale Medical Group,” says managing partner Dr. Kenneth Croen. “The experience and expertise of Dr. Palumbo will help ensure that we continue to offer the most advanced gastrointestinal care to our patients.”

Palumbo joins gastroenterologists Drs. Robert Fath, Malcolm Schoen and Julie Tobak.

For more information about Scarsdale Medical Group or to make an appointment, visit scarsdalemedical.com or call 723-8100.

The next Business Briefs section will run in February. Please send any submission for our February edition to news@hometwn.com, with “Business” in the subject line of your email.

Each submission may include one picture.

If you have any questions, email us at news@hometwn.com.

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 11

12 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

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legal notices NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Eastchester will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 9th, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Eastchester Town Hall, 40 Mill rd, Eastchester New York on the application of Silvio M Luca for an Area Variance to install an in-ground pool in the rear yard, affecting the premises known as Section 76, Block 1, Lot 39 on the tax map of the Town of Eastchester, New York and known as 33 Ridge St Eastchester, NY 10709.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: That the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Eastchester will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 9th, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Eastchester Town Hall, 40 Mill rd, Eastchester New York on the application of Karen Fox for an Area Variance to erect a 2 1/2 story side addition to an existing 2 1/2 story dwelling, affecting the premises known as Section 65.G, Block 1, Lot 9 on the tax map of the Town of Eastchester, New York and known as 33 Orchard St Eastchester, NY 10709.

Wanted CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NY: 1-800-959-3419

legal notices Notice of formation of SM Memphis Property NYLLC. Articles of Organizationfiled with SSNY on 10/01/15. Office location: Westchester County SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 135 Elwood Ave, Hawthorne, NY 10532. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

The Tuckahoe Housing Authority will be opening its Section 8 waiting list for two days only: FEBRUARY 9, 2016 Tuesday and FEBRUARY 10, 2016, Wednesday.

Applications will only be available in the office between 9 am and 3 pm on specified days. All filled applications must be returned in person to the office no later than 3 pm on Wednesday, FEBRUARY 10, 2016. Please note that each application received by the office will be stamped and signed by designated THA employee.

Applications sent by mail/ email or dropped in a rent box will NOT be considered. THA Address: 4 Union Place, Tuckahoe NY10707.

Notice of Formation of Jenny McGirl Brand Consulting, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/1/15. Office location: Westchester County.SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn. NY 11228.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is Hereby Given that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tuckahoe will hold a public hearing on a proposed Local Law to amend Appendix A: Zoning Code of the Village of Tuckahoe on Monday, February 8, 2016, at 8:00 pm, at Village Hall, 65 Main Street, Tuckahoe, NY. At such hearing all persons shall have an opportunity to be heard upon said proposed Local Law. A copy of the proposed law is available at the office of the Village Clerk.

By Order of the Board of Trustees.

Camille DiSalvo, Village Clerk January 12, 2016 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is Hereby Given that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Tuckahoe will hold a public hearing on a proposed Local Law on Monday, February 8, 2016, at 8:00 pm, at Village Hall, 65 Main Street, Tuckahoe, NY authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the limit established in General Municipal Law Section 3-C. A copy of proposed law is available at the Village Clerk’s office.

At such hearing all persons shall have an opportunity to be heard upon said proposed Local Law. A copy of the proposed law is available at the office of the Village Clerk.

By Order of the Board of Trustees.

Camille DiSalvo, Village Clerk January 12, 2016

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Placement, correction or cancellation of an ad may be phoned in any time before noon on Monday for publication

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 13

Taking playdates seriously RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

As Brooklyn mom Tamara Mose was preparing for a playdate with a mom and child she didn’t know well yet, she paused to look at her home. “All the bathrooms are clean, dishes put away, beds made, floors Swiffered, laundry folded, garbage cans emptied, and toys put in their place and sorted for age appropriateness.”

And then there was the food.

“The kitchen is full of aromas, boiling pasta, simmering sauce, freshly-sliced carrots, celery and oranges, all displayed on sparkling white plates. Lined up are juice boxes boasting their 100 percent organic label, plastic forks and plates, and beside them, some half-folded disposable white napkins,” she said.

Add to this some whole wheat crackers, cheeses (three varieties) and the fact her daughter had straightened up her room, too. Mose, a sociology professor at Brooklyn College, couldn’t help but notice that this was not just about fun.

This was a performance—“an effort to present ourselves as a decent black family.”

From there, it was just a hop, skip and a jump—and a year of interviewing a broad swath of New York parents—to writing “The Playdate: Parents, Children, and the New Expectations of Play,” which will be published

by NYU Press this spring.

A playdate, Mose argues, is really sort of a “date” date. “You’re essentially dating the other parent. You’re checking them out.

What do they do for a living?”

Parents arrange playdates ostensibly for their children’s fun and enrichment, but there’s a lot more going on. Yes, they want their kids to make friends and play, but the parents want to make friends, too. And usually, Mose observed, they want to make friends with other parents demographically the same as them—friends who might even be able to help them in the job world.

At one playdate Mose arranged at her son’s request, she and her then-husband invited over two couples. One was a lawyer married to an artist, and the other was a screenwriter married to the curator of a book lecture series. By the end of the playdate, Mose and the curator realized that they knew someone in common and he invited Mose to give a lecture at his series. “It was at this moment that I started to realize how many times the parents I had invited to a playdate either knew someone I knew,” says Mose, or they offered some kind of connection. Come to this show with us, let me introduce you to soand-so.

The upside is obvious: friendship, networking, even babysitting backup. But Mose’s book looks at the downsides, too, starting with the way playdate culture perpetuates class stratifications.

The parents who believe in organic hummus and no TV are not likely to have many playdates with the parents who put out soda and chips with “SpongeBob Squarepants” on in the background, even if the kids are friends at school.

Also, simply by perpetuating the playdate imperative—the idea that children need constant super-

Catholic elementary schools announce open houses

vision either by parents or caregivers—the idea of kids running around on their own seems preposterous. When she was growing up, Mose recalls, she’d go down the street and knock on friends’ doors, asking them to come out to play. “Almost all the parents that I interviewed did the same thing,” she says. Play was kid-driven and often out in public.

Now that kind of fun is considered too dangerous, even though crime is back to the level it was in 1963. The modern playdate is organized, supervised and private. “So if Joe and John get in a fight and they’re in the room next door, they can come out and complain to me to make it better,” Mose said. “Whereas if they’re out on the street playing, they need to figure it out.”

Playdate-raised kids lose out on certain childhood lessons their parents learned naturally, like how to deal with a quarrel or even a bully. Is this one reason we have so many anti-bullying assemblies today? Kids just don’t get any real-world practice standing up for themselves or shrugging off an insult?

What’s more, according to Mose, is that kids who are indoors, surrounded by amusements, may not learn how to make a sword out of a stick or a boat out of a square of pavement.

They do, however, learn how to speak to adults. And in the end, she says, that confidence and poise may serve them well in the business world.

In fact, playdates may help both generations in the business world.

They just might not help children actually learn how to play.

CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

p u b li s h es THE

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THE

Eastchester CityREVIEW REVIEW NewRochelle THE

THE

INSIDE

Mamaroneck

INSIDE WESTCHESTER COUNTY

www.hometwn.com | 170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203, White Plains N.Y. 10601 | (914) 653-1000

The Archdiocese of New York has announced the dates for its 2016 Touring Tuesdays, events at 140 elementary schools throughout the Archdiocese of New York. These open house events will take place on select Tuesdays throughout the school year from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., or by appointment.

The 2016 dates are Feb. 2 (during Catholic Schools Week), Feb. 23, March 8 and April 12. Touring Tuesdays open house events are designed to introduce prospective families to the lifelong benefits and value of a Catholic education.

Since its inception in 2013, the Touring Tuesdays initiative has been attended by more than 1,600 families and has resulted in more than 5,300 new student enrollments from pre-K through grade eight across the Archdiocese.

Touring Tuesdays offer an exciting way to see Catholic schools in action, and provide families with an opportunity to learn about the admissions process and meet with principals, faculty, other parents and elementary school students.

“Touring Tuesdays provide an unprecedented opportunity for prospective parents and students to experience the benefits a faith-based education provides for the whole child. More than 98 percent of our high school seniors graduate and 98 percent of those graduates go on to postsecondary education, making a Catholic education one of best investments a parent can make in their children’s future,” said Dr. Timothy J. McNiff, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York.

Reservations are required and

can be made online at buildboldfutures.org or by calling the 24/7 bilingual hotline at 646-7942885. School tours can also be arranged by appointment.

Touring Tuesdays open houses in Westchester and Putnam counties will be held at: • Corpus Christi–Holy Rosary School, 135 S. Regent St., Port Chester • Good Counsel Academy Elementary, 2 Broadway, Valhalla • Holy Name of Jesus School, 70 Petersville Road, New Rochelle • Holy Name of Mary Montessori School, 110 Grand St., Croton-on-Hudson • Immaculate Conception School, 53 Winter Hill Road, Tuckahoe • Immaculate Heart of Mary School, 201 Boulevard, Scarsdale • Iona Prep Lower School, 173 Stratton Road, New Rochelle • John Cardinal O’ConnorSchool Spec. Ed, 16 N. Broadway, Irvington • Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, 59 E. Main St., Elmsford • Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, 575 Fowler Ave., Pelham Manor • Our Lady of Sorrows School, 888 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains • Our Lady of Victory School, 38 N. Fifth Ave., Mount Vernon • Resurrection Grammar School, 116 Milton Road, Rye • Sacred Heart Grade School, 34 Convent Ave., Yonkers • Sacred Heart School, 59

Wilson St., Hartsdale • St. Ann School, 40 Brewster Ave., Yonkers • St. Ann’s Peas & Karrots, 16 Elizabeth St., Ossining • St. Anthony School, 1395 Nepperhan Ave., Yonkers • St. Augustine School, 381 N. Highland Ave., Eagle Park, Route 9, Ossining • St. Barnabas School, 413 E. 241st Street, the Bronx* • St. Columbanus School, 122 Oregon Road, Cortlandt Manor • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, 1375 E. Main St., Shrub Oak • St. Eugene School, 707 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers • St. James the Apostle School, 12 Gleneida Ave., Carmel • St. John the Baptist School, 670 Yonkers Ave., Yonkers • St. Joseph School, 30 Meadow Ave., Bronxville • St. Lawrence O’Toole Early Childhood Learning Center, 11 Eastview Ave., Brewster • St. Patrick School, 483 Old Post Road, Bedford • St. Patrick’s School, 117 Moseman Road, Yorktown Heights • St. Paul the Apostle School, 77 Lee Ave., Yonkers • St. Peter School, 204 Hawthorne Ave., Yonkers • Sts. John and Paul School, 280 Weaver St., Larchmont • Transfiguration School, 40 Prospect Ave., Tarrytown *Located in the Archdiocese of New York’s Central Westchester Region.

For further information about Touring Tuesdays, please visit buildboldfutures.org or call 646794-2885. (Submitted)

14 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016

SPORTS

The fear of missing out LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

It may seem counterintuitive, but staying connected through Twitter definitely exacerbates the condition known as FOMO. FOMO, which stands for the Fear of Missing Out, is a phenomenon that has taken hold in various ad campaigns over the last few years, and is pretty straightforward. It’s about the feeling you get when you know that somewhere, something great is happening without you. Thanks to Twitter, you always know when something is happening these days.

I took a rare mini-vacation over the weekend, a trip back to my alma mater to see some old friends. It was great spending time with good people, and there was some compelling NFL playoff action on the tube, so the last thing that I should have been doing was compulsively checking my phone. But alas, FOMO

struck again.

On Saturday night, Mamaroneck and Rye squared off in the finals of the annual Tiger basketball tournament. The results were epic; a double-overtime thriller that, when combined with a packed weekend house, is a pretty clear frontrunner for the game of the year in Section I. And I wasn’t there.

Now, had this game taken place a decade ago, my feelings on the matter would have been different. I would have come back to Westchester on Monday, talked to coaches, maybe read a game story or two, and realized that I missed a heck of a game. But following the tweets of the fans and journalists who were actually in the building on Saturday, in real time, was a lot tougher.

The five-minute stretch of tweets I read on my phone when Emerson Genovese scored a 3-point play to send the game into overtime was absolutely phenomenal. News 12 anchor Greg Thompson took to the

Twitter-verse to all but congratulate Rye—and standout Charlie Nagle—when @MHSVarsitySport, the student-run account of Mamaroneck High School, responded with a “Not so fast.”

Sure the Packers and Cardinals were waging an equally terrific battle on the screens of the bar where I spent most of my undergraduate years, but at that moment, the only place I wanted to be was in Mamaroneck’s Palmer Gymnasium.

For as many games as I cover during the school year, very few approach “event status.” For every game I attend that turns out like the 2012 ESPY-winning matchup between New Rochelle and Mount Vernon in the Class AA finals, there are about two dozen that end up more like last Wednesday’s Eastchester/Port Chester girls basketball game, which saw Eastchester hold a 31-point lead at the half.

Part of the fun of my job is that I get to be there when sports rise above the mundane and

Miles Haughton takes a shot against Rye in the finals of the Tiger Tourney on Jan. 16. The Tigers pulled out a win in a thrilling double-overtime game, and unfortunately, Sports Editor Mike Smith was nowhere to be found. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

become transcendent. Only this time, I wasn’t.

Fittingly enough, the way I felt on Saturday night was best summed up in a tweet. At the

end of the first overtime, with the score tied 75-75, @MHSVarsitySport really twisted the knife.

“If you’ve missed this game,” it stated, “seriously re-consider

your life choices.”

And boy, did I ever.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

To COVER local sports, you need a

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SPORTS

January 22, 2016 • The eastchester review • 15

Thornton-Donovan sports program progresses

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor

John Ventresca takes a shot on Jan. 14 against New Jersey Home School Association.

Chris Miles runs past a NJHSA defender on Jan. 14. Miles believes the school’s relatively new athletic program has been instrumental in helping to raise school spirit.

Thornton-Donovan’s boys basketball team may not have come away with a win on Jan. 14, but even a quick glance at the state of the Lions’ athletic program confirms that huge strides are being made. In just three years of varsity competition, the gains are evident at the New Rochelle-based private school, both on and off the court.

Taking on the New Jersey Home School Association at Anshe Sholom Synagogue, the Lions held a lead at their New Rochelle home gym heading into the half, but faltered down the stretch, dropping the contest 43-35 after losing point guard Chris Miles to foul trouble.

Even in the loss, however, head coach Steve Schlitten— who doubles as the athletic director and director of admissions for the K-12 school—said the game was simply part of the learning process. “[Miles] was playing a tremendous amount of defense and fouled out, and you run into the case where you have four guys on the court without that one playmaker to set them up,” he said. “But as a young team, with eighth- and ninth-graders, that’s something we’re working on, to not be so reliant on one guy.”

But growing pains are simply viewed as challenges at Thornton-Donovan, which, until three years ago, only offered intramural sports. Since then, however, strong support for the student body has helped the Lions expand its athletic program to seven teams, including soccer, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, tennis and cross-country.

Thornton-Donovan participates in the Westchester Independent Athletic Association with other schools that fall beyond the purview of Section I athletics.

John Ventresca, who has attended Thornton-Donovan since kindergarten, said that the growth of the athletic department has been well-received.

“Growing up, I played foot-

Thornton-Donovan’s John Curanaj dribbles the ball up the floor. Photos/Mike Smith

Marco Mangueira battles for a rebound against NJHSA. The Thornton-Donovan athletic program is making strides in its third year.

ball and basketball for Eastchester through middle school,” the senior said. “So to finally have sports here, that has been terrific.”

Miles, Ventresca’s teammate, said that the varsity programs have helped break down barriers between Thornton-Donovan’s students and helped promote a true sense of community.

“Before this, we just had intramurals and we didn’t have a lot of people come watch us play,” Miles said. “But people are excited and I think it has de-

veloped more school spirit.”

With roughly 200 students enrolled, many of whom have international backgrounds, Schlitten said that watching the student body come together has been rewarding.

“It’s a diverse school and that’s something we’re proud of here,” he said. “And what we have is a lot of people coming together to find something to be passionate about.”

With the sports program progressing, Schlitten said the

school is entertaining the idea of expanding it even further.

“Seeing as we have so many international students, it’s not a surprise that soccer has kind of been our bread and butter,” he said. “But we’ve had some interest in maybe starting rugby as well. “[Rugby] is starting to grow with Americans, and I think a lot of our students are looking for something new.”

Contact: sports@hometwn.com

16 • The eastchester review • January 22, 2016