Eastchester REVIEW THE
June 17, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 25 | www.eastchesterreview.com
County to reconstruct Pondfield Road West Bridge After the passing of a nationwide FDA regulation classifying all vapor products as tobacco products, vape manufacturers, retailers and consumers of the growing industry may be forced to find an alternative to their alternative. For story, see page 6. Photo/Suzy Berkowitz
By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
Various factions move to ‘Raise the Age’ on convictions By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Statewide pleas to raise New York’s adult conviction age have begun to ruminate in Westchester County, attracting the voices of faith leaders, government officials and advocacy groups alike. And while the campaign— dubbed “Raise the Age,” which aims to increase the adult conviction age of New York state from 16 to 18 years old—has raised eyebrows, New York state still remains one of only two states in the U.S. with a 16-year-old threshold; the other being North Carolina. Though talks of reforming the age limitation may be somewhat new, the 16-year-old age threshold is anything but. As a part of the Family Court Act, authorized
in 1962 along with the creation of a New York state Family Court, children as young as 16 years old have been viewed as adults in the eyes of the state’s criminal justice system. But now, according to Allison Lake, the deputy director of the nonprofit Westchester Children’s Association, which joined the campaign to raise New York’s conviction age four years ago, that 54-year statute is closer than ever to being overturned, and for youths statewide, the implications, she explained, could be significant. “The research shows us that young people who are involved in the adult criminal justice system are likely to reoffend,” Lake said. “They are also likely to commit another crime, and at a
higher level.” In fact, data from the National Juvenile Justice Network— which consists of juvenile justice reform organizations in 41 states nationwide—suggests that a young offender admitted into an adult correctional facility is 34 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime following their initial incident, compared to their peers who are put through a juvenile facility. This statistic, according to Lake, bears an even greater significance for the county and state’s African-American youth population, whose arrests more frequently result in jail time compared to their Caucasian counterparts. “All young people get in trouble, regardless of race,” Lake said. “But those that go through
the public system are usually browner, blacker.” According to a 2013 study by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Service’s Office of Justice Research and Performance, while 33.2 percent of Caucasian arrests in New York state resulted in incarceration, that number jumped to about 52 percent for African-Americans, despite the latter constituting a lower portion of overall arrests. Lake said that despite strong supporting evidence that an emphasis on alternative rehabilitative programs outside of the traditional adult correctional facilities usually leads to lower rates of recidivism and crime, AGE continued on page 8
Westchester County may soon work on replacing the 105-year-old bridge on Pondfield Road West that crosses the Bronx River and links Bronxville to Yonkers. In a letter to the 17-member county Board of Legislators, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, requested approval for a bond act to issue $1.03 million to design a replacement for the 53-foot-long bridge beside the River House apartment complex in Bronxville. Last year, the New York State Department of Transportation preformed a condition rating test on the bridge, rating it at 4.361 on a scale of 1 through 7. Astorino’s letter notes, “A rating below 5 indicates that a bridge requires work and delay of this work could result in continued deterioration of the bridge.” The state agency usually rates bridges every two years. The new design would consist of a bridge superstructure with a pre-cast rigid frame and arch structure. The facade of the bridge would be repaved with stones, and the stone parapets would be replaced with stonefaced concrete parapets to mimic the appearance of the existing bridge, which is located in the historic section of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation. The $1.03 million bond would only fund the bridge redesign and would not cover costs of construction. The design phase of the bridge replacement plan is estimated to take nine months, whereas construction may take as long as 21 months. During the design process, the county is expected to submit the bridge plans to Yonkers and Bronxville officials at regular
intervals for review and comment, since the structure is in both the city of Yonkers and the village of Bronxville. However, Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin, a Republican, and Village Administrator Jim Palmer both said the bridge is entirely in Yonkers. Marvin said even though the bridge is not in Bronxville, the village will benefit from the reconstruction. “As much as it’s not in the village, it is feet from our village,” she said. “And it’s kind of the gateway into our village.” The mayor added that New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital, one of the village’s largest employers, is just down the road from the bridge. Since the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the new design must follow guidelines in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The bridge itself is not listed as a historical landmark. The county will have to consult the State Historical Preservation Office for plan approval before sending the project out to bid. The last time capital work was done on the bridge was in 1998. The project is currently being considered by the Infrastructure and Budget and Appropriations committees of the Board of Legislators. The Pondfield Road West Bridge project is one of 13 road and bridge projects before the two county committees. The total cost of the bond acts would amount to $6.9 million, if they are all approved. The bridge connecting Yonkers and Bronxville has the highest price tag on the list. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com