September 16, 2016 by The Eastchester Review

Eastchester REVIEW THE

September 16, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 38 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Metro-North Railroad to refurbish Bronxville station By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

WE REMEMBER

Fifteen years later, Eastchester Town Hall displays a plaque bearing the names of residents who perished during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Two moments of silence were held at 8:46 a.m. and 9:03 a.m., the times when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, on Sunday during the memorial ceremony. For story, see page 6. Photo/Bobby Begun

PepsiCo sculpture garden could reopen by March The Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens on the PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase, which have been closed since December 2012, will be open to the public in as little as eight months, according to PepsiCo officials. Aurora Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, told the Review that the Kendall Gardens would be reopened in March 2017, but declined to further discuss the exhibit’s reopening. The exhibit features the works of Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, George Segal, Arnoldo Palmodoro and Auguste Rodin, among other prominent 20th-century sculptors. But those sculptures have been kept from public access

“Grande Disco,” a 1974 sculpture created by Italy’s Arnoldo Palmodoro, is among the 45 works of art at the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at the PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase which have been closed to the public since December 2012. PepsiCo representatives say they expect the garden to be reopened by March 2017. Photo courtesy flickr.com

since late 2012, before the soft drink company temporarily closed its headquarters for $240 million in campus renovations, which the company entitled “Project Renew.” The project was completed in June of this year. Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester, a nonprofit organization which works to bring art to the public, said there had been concern among the Westchester arts community over the garden’s closure. But that concern appears to have been quelled. “It’s a relief,” Langsam said. “This is a stunning, one-of-a-kind collection. It’s a living history of 20thcentury monumental sculptures and it’s a wonderful example of a gift to the public.” In a statement, she also under-

scored the importance of keeping places with “great artistic significance” open to the public. PepsiCo moved its headquarters from 500 Park Ave. in Manhattan to 700 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase in 1970. When Donald M. Kendall, then PepsiCo’s CEO, moved the company to Purchase, he said he hoped the property would become the site of “one of the greatest modern sculpture exhibits in the world,” according to a brief published in The New York Times that year. The sculpture garden that now bears Kendall’s name consists of 45 modern art sculptures from the 20th century spread across 168 acres on the PepsiCo property. -Reporting by Corey Stockton

Metro-North Railroad will work through November to improve conditions at the Bronxville train station as part of its continuing station enhancement program, according to MetroNorth officials. The “Station Enhancement Gangs,” which include paint crews, electricians and metalworkers, will change and improve most of the lighting at the Bronxville station, and will also replace recycling bins, benches and signage. The work crew will also spend time testing the station’s structures for lead paint. Both station buildings, the head houses at each end of the platform, and the underpass that connects the Kraft Avenue lot to Station Plaza and Palmer Avenue are all expected to be tested for lead paint. “If lead paint is detected, the railroad will conduct a full abatement of each structure before painting can begin,” said Nancy Gamerman, a spokeswoman for Metro-North. Gamerman added that any lead abatement or repainting would not begin until the spring of 2017. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adults are usually exposed to lead poisoning from paint when they are in close proximity to wet lead-based paint or paint dust for long periods of time. Children are more predisposed to lead poisoning from paint as they often demonstrate hand-tomouth behaviors. The railroad began its station enhancement program in 2010 to

address diminishing conditions and reduce maintenance costs at all of its stations on a cyclical basis. In the last two years, the program has included the upkeep and refurbishing of Brewster, Purdy’s, Morris Heights, University Heights, Spuyten Duyvil, Marble Hill, Hartsdale, Croton Falls, Southeast, Scarsdale, Spring Valley and Goldens Bridge stations. Metro-North comprises more than 150 stations in New York state, New Jersey and Connecticut. There are 37 stations on the Harlem line, including Tuckahoe, Crestwood and Bronxville. The train station in Bronxville was last refurbished in 1998, before Metro-North began the station enhancement project. The village of Bronxville pays about $400,000 per year for a platform maintenance tax to Metropolitan Transit Authority, MTA, the parent company of Metro-North. Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin, a Republican, has been critical of Metro-North’s upkeep of the village’s train station since at least last year. In October 2015, she said, “One only has to look at our station to know nothing close to $400,000 annually is dedicated to station maintenance.” Metro-North officials said the work done on the station would create minimal disruption to commuters and would adhere to their safety concerns, as work is scheduled for off-peak hours, and temporary barriers would be constructed as necessary. Marvin could not be reached for comment as of press time. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com