December 9, 2016

Eastchester REVIEW THE

December 9, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 50 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Fire district, union ink new 5-year contract

Holiday

cheer

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Jack Heffernan shoots a jumper during the finals of Eastchester’s Holiday Basketball Tournament on Dec. 3. The Eagles won the annual tourney with a big assist from the senior, who was named MVP. For story, see page 14.

Photo/Mike Smith

Westchester County officials rally to ‘ban the barge’

By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Amidst allegations that the U.S. Coast Guard circumvented proper procedure in order to fasttrack approval of 43 additional commercial barge anchorages along the Hudson River, Westchester County officials and environmental watchdogs are calling for the agency to withdrawal its proposal.

According to a statement by Pace University’s Environmental Policy Clinic, the proposal— which would speckle anchorages across the lower Hudson River shorelines, from Kingston to Yonkers—skirted procedure in order to avoid scrutiny of its environmental impact.

“This is one of the most egre-

gious violations of public transparency and public trust I have seen in four decades working on Hudson River issues,” said John Cronin, a fellow at the Dyson College Institute for Sustainability and the Environment at Pace.

The clinic’s chief concerns, according to Cronin, are the Coast Guard’s failure to complete any environmental surveys and failure to coordinate with mariners, environmental groups and residents of impacted areas, as per the Coast Guard’s own interagency requirements.

“Any projects like this, whether it’s a pipeline, or anchorages, or a power plant, or a proposed development,” Cronin said, “the first thing you’re supposed to look at is the worst possible negative impact. All of this informa-

tion is completely absent.”

Among the Westchester ports that would be affected by the proposal are Montrose Point in Cortlandt Manor, as well as a port in Yonkers that would see the addition of 16 new anchorages alone.

While the U.S. Coast Guard has offered its plan to add additional anchorages—the largest of which would be the Yonkers port, which would span more than 700 acres—as a means of increasing safety and thru traffic on the waterway, both county officials and environmental advocacy groups have cast doubt on the Coast Guard’s motives.

“The point that’s being made is that this is needed for safety,” said Leah Rae, a spokeswoman for the environmental advocacy

group, Riverkeeper. “We don’t feel they’ve made any rationale for that claim.”

In a letter to the U.S. Coast Guard sent by the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey in January, which urges the Coast Guard to move forward with the construction of additional anchorages, one particular passage has given Riverkeeper pause.

“For several years the [U.S.] has developed as a major energy-producing nation and the great port of Albany as a leading export port for Jones Act trade of American Bakken Crude Oil and Ethanol,” the letter reads.

“Trade will increase on the Hudson River significantly over the BARGE continued on page 5

The Eastchester Fire District has come to terms with the firefighters’ union on a new fiveyear contract, which guarantees annual salary increases and concludes an arbitration case which could have cost the district as much as $7 million.

The contract, which spans from Jan. 1, 2015 to Dec. 31, 2019, guarantees the Eastchester Professional Firefighters Local 916 union two years of retroactive raises at about 2 percent each, and three years of similar raises through 2019. The union had been out of contract since the beginning of 2015.

Dennis Winter, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, said, “I think it’s a fair agreement all around for both parties.”

But the agreement also required the union to permanently drop a grievance that it had filed against the district in May, claiming that the district had not been adequately contributing to the New York state retirement system related to the union’s final year average salary pension plan. The district has maintained that the clause in the contract pertaining to a final year average salary is ambiguous. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement, CBA, that clause, which had been in the union’s contract since at least 2000, has been removed.

“The fire district only wanted to come to an agreement if the final year average salary was removed from the CBA, that way we resolved all of our material labor problems in one shot,” Winter told the Review.

INSIDE Meet Topps’ new owners Story on page 7

According to the Board of Fire Commissioners, that grievance could have cost the district $5.2 million as a lump sum or $7 million over 10 years. Winter had claimed that if the union won the arbitration, the district would have been forced to cut between 12 and 14 jobs in order to cover the costs.

Steven Ranellone, the firefighters’ union president, said the union was amenable to dropping the final year average salary arbitration in light of the new contract, adding that overall, the CBA was fair for both parties.

Beginning in January, as per the CBA, the district will begin contributing $115,000 per year to the union’s dental insurance plan.

The fire district’s budget for 2017 is $16.9 million, more than 70 percent of which has been allotted to cover costs of employment for the district’s approximately 75 firefighters and officers, as well as a part-time treasurer and secretary who do not receive benefits from the district, a full-time maintenance worker, and an allotment for a part-time district manager position which has not yet been filled.

The district will hold its annual election on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Fire Commissioner Jerry Napolitano’s seat is up for re-election. Napolitano, a public safety advisor for Motorola Solutions, will run against Stuart Rabin, an administrator in the Eastchester Parks and Recreation Department. Fire district commissioners are elected to five-year terms and do not receive financial compensation.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

2 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 3

SUNY Purchase seeks $125K for substance abuse

Fox manslaughter case adjourned again Emma Fox’s Dec. 6 court date was adjourned, and the Rye resident is now due to reappear in White Plains City Court after the holidays, on Jan. 6.

Fox, 24, is being charged in the death of a 21-year-old Manhattanville College student in October.

She has been charged with an aggravated DWI and firstdegree vehicular manslaughter for striking and killing Robby Schartner on Oct. 9.

Schartner was walking along Westchester Avenue during the early morning hours on his way back to the college after a night out on Mamaroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains when he was killed.

White Plains police reported that Fox had been intoxicated at the time of the incident, with a blood alcohol content of 0.21; the legal limit in New York state is 0.08.

According to police, Fox had been travelling eastbound on Westchester Avenue at about 5 a.m. when she fatally struck Schartner with her car, a 2012 Nissan Sentra.

Fox, who had been held at the Westchester County Jail on a $100,000 bail, was released on Nov. 10.

Stephen Lewis, Fox’s attorney, could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

-Reporting by Franco Fino

Emma Fox was due to reappear in White Plains City Court on Dec. 6, but the case was adjourned to Jan. 6. Photo courtesy White Plains Police Department

Like us on facebook facebook.com/eastchesterreview SUNY Purchase is seeking $125,000 in New York state aid annually for five years to establish an addiction prevention program. File photo

By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer SUNY Purchase has applied for state funding to establish a program aimed at preventing underage drinking and substance abuse on campus, college officials said.

According to Betsy Aldredge, a spokeswoman for the college, the Purchase-located school is seeking state funding administered through the New York state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to implement a potential abuse prevention program, as part of a recent plan announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on Nov. 28. “In any way we can, we want to support students dealing with substance issues and, as a whole, support them academically and socially,” she said.

As part of Cuomo’s $2.5 million initiative to fund SUNY and CUNY schools statewide, the state will award 20 colleges with $125,000 annually for five years to develop campus efforts to prevent drug and alcohol addiction. Further, the state is seeking to specifically grant the award to colleges aiming to curb prescription drug misuse

and underage drinking.

Cuomo’s initiative comes in wake of the tragic death of a 21-year-old Manhattanville College student. On Oct. 9, Robby Schartner was struck and killed

by Emma Fox, of Rye, who was driving under the influence in the White Plains area.

“Time after time, we have seen the reckless behavior, and bad decisions with often life-altering consequences that come with underage drinking,” Cuomo said. “This funding will build on our progress to prevent senseless tragedies and equip students with vital knowledge to curb underage and binge drinking, and provide critical services to those at risk for addiction.”

Aldredge told the Review that SUNY Purchase currently institutes an addiction help program through its wellness center, Wellness@Purchase. The program offers individual and group counseling for students seeking addiction recovery and help with stress management.

The college also requires all first-year and transfer students to complete the interactive online AlcoholEdu and Haven programs, which assist schools in complying with the fed-

eral Department of Education General Administrative Regulations, a set of codes that establish administrative requirements for federal grants awarded to educational institutions.

According to research conducted by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is still the primary abused drug on college campuses across the country. The institution’s research estimates that more than 80 percent of college students drink alcohol nationwide.

A recent study released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicates that on an average day throughout the past year, 1.2 million of the 9 million full-time college students in the country drank alcohol, and 703,759 used marijuana.

Further, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that one in four people ages 18 to 20 report using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

As of press time, the anticipated date for the announcement of the selected grant recipients is Feb. 22, 2017.

CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

4 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

What’s going on...

Eastchester Public Library

For more information on hours and programs, visit eastchesterlibrary.org.

20/30-Somethings Trivia Night On Monday, Dec. 12 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Join fellow 20- and 30-somethings for a trivia night at the library. Real buzzers, sound effects and the works will be included. Online registration is recommended. For more information, contact Elizabeth Portillo at 721-8109 or eportillo@wlsmail.org.

Knitting for a Cause!

On Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For sixth-graders and up and adults. Registration for all sessions, online or at the Reference Desk, is suggested.

Last holiday season, the library donated multiple blankets to Project Linus, which distributes handmade blankets to critically ill children, that were made by from squares created by library patrons.

Teens and adults alike came together to learn basic knitting, new techniques, and to put together the blankets. Don’t know how to knit? No prob-

lem; beginners and advanced knitters are welcome.

Teen librarian Elizabeth Portillo and resident knitting expert Dottie Bicknese are happy to teach.

Yarn will be provided at each session, but feel free to bring/use your own as well. There are a few sets of No. 5 knitting needles, but if you have your own please, bring those along. If you start a square but don’t have time to finish it, that is still a huge help as long as you drop it off before a session, so someone else can finish it. You do not need to attend all three sessions to participate.

Want to help make blankets but can’t attend? The library welcomes donations of knitted squares—7 inches by 7 inches—ideally knitted with a No. 5 needle, by Friday, Dec. 16. Just drop them off at the Circulation Desk. For more information, contact Portillo at 721-8109 or eportillo@wlsmail.org.

4 to 7. Online registration is required.

Musical Munchkins Talkers On Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. For ages 2 and 3. Introduce your toddler to music through rhythmic and melodic sounds, joyful singing, and a variety of instruments. Online registration is required. Please include the child’s name and age in the comment box.

Bracelet workshop On Thursday, Dec. 15 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Create a stained glass effect on a cuff bracelet using colorful cut paper, decoupage and embellishing with jewels and sequins. Space is limited. Registration required. Please call 337-7680 ext. 24 or email bronxvillelibrary@gmail.com.

Mother Goose Time

Preschool Storycraft

On Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Join Miss Teresa for a musical adventure to the Mother Goose land with songs and fun. For 18 months to 3 years old. No registration required.

On Thursday, Dec. 15 from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

This is an activity with themed stories followed by a craft project for children ages 3 and up. The theme will be the First Day of Winter.

Bronxville Public Library

Tuckahoe Public Library

New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital The New York-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital is located at 55 Palmer Road in Bronxville. For more information, visit nyp.org.

Joint Replacement and Surgery Patient Education classes Every Wednesday from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in the NYP/Lawrence lobby Conference Room.

This free class will teach patients scheduled for joint replacement surgery what to expect before and after an operation. To register, call 787-2119.

The Reformed Church of Bronxville

For more information on library hours and programs, visit bronxvillelibrary.org.

The Reformed Church is located at 180 Pondfield Road in Bronxville. For more information, call 337-6776 or visit reformedchurch.org.

Yoga Kids On Mondays from 4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Children will build focus, confidence and strength as they learn traditional yoga poses, age-appropriate breathing exercises, and relaxation skills. For ages

bread house decorating contest. It will be held on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eastchester Town Hall Community Room, at 40 Mill Road. Participants must be residents in grades 1–6, and teams can have up to two members. The contest will be judged by age categories. A special holiday guest is also scheduled to appear. Please visit Eastchester.org and go to the Recreation section for more registration details and forms. Call Sally at 771-3311 with any questions.

Messiah-Sing concert For more information on library hours and programs, visit tuckahoe.com/library.

Giving Tree Buying books for the public library in someone’s honor or memory is a unique gift that contributes to the community and provides a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. Please take a moment to select a book from the library’s giving tree and give the gift that keeps on giving this holiday season.

Holiday Books and Tea On Saturday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. From the strains of the first movement, “The Nutcracker” is recognizable to both young and old as a ballet performed to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This presentation will explore how E.T.A. Hoffman’s story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (1816), and its adaptation by Alexandre Dumas, “Tales of the Nutcracker” (1844), inspired one of Tchaikovsky’s most renowned pieces, “The Nutcracker” (1892), which has remained a holiday favorite for over a century. Please call 961-2121 to register.

Overdrive class On Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Learn how to use Overdrive’s website to download e-books and audiobooks from the digital collection of Westchester Library System. Don’t forget to bring your own laptop, phone or tablet. Space is limited; to register, call 961-2121.

Eastchester news Gingerbread House Decorating Contest Come show your creativity and decorating skills in the first Eastchester Recreation ginger-

On Saturday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m., The Reformed Church will host its annual Messiah-Sing accompanied by professional soloists and string quartet conducted by Dr. Sándor Szabó. It promises to be an exciting community event. The church invites you to join in singing Handel’s great Oratorio and be a part of this wonderful family tradition of fellowship and music. Scores will be provided. A reception will follow.

Village Lutheran Church The Village Lutheran Church is located at 172 White Plains Road in Bronxville. For more information, call 337-0207 or visit vlc-ny.org.

Good News Christian Coffee House The next Good News Christian Coffee House will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 featuring Christmas music by Frank Rendo. The Coffee House opens at 7 p.m. with coffee and pastries. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for students, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12.

Bible study The men’s Bible study meets on the third Saturday of each month, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The next meeting is on Dec. 17. Attendees are invited to bring a breakfast item to share as they study 1st Corinthians.

Join the women’s Bible study on Dec. 17 in the Friendship Room from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and bring a breakfast item to share.

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.

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 5 BARGE from page 1

next few years… and federally designated anchorages are key to supporting trade.”

According to Rae, it’s not just the letter that has drawn the attention of her organization, but also what Riverkeeper has characterized as the “reindustrialization” of the Hudson Valley.

Among the factors contributing to this perceived shift, Rae said, are plans to expand the capacity of a shipping port in Albany, and potentially ship oil extracted from Canadian tar sands—a bitumenrich sediment abundant in Alberta—on barges down the Hudson River to refineries in New Jersey.

“The bigger picture is using the Hudson [River] as a corridor,” she said.

Likewise, the county government has shared similar concerns over the proposal that has managed to unite both Westchester lawmakers and the Republican administration of County Executive Rob Astorino in rallying against it.

Astorino, after the plan’s initial introduction in June,

criticized the project, calling it a “giant parking lot” for barges containing oil that, under the parameters of the proposal, could sit for months on end in county waterways.

“In the language of the proposal, ‘long-term’ is defined as 30 or more days. That’s not stopping by, that’s moving in,” Astorino said. “It’s classic federal-government-vagueness: Today’s ‘30 or more’ could be tomorrow’s ‘in perpetuity.’”

Likewise, county Legislator Catherine Borgia, a Peekskill Democrat, whose district would be directly affected by the proposal, has spoken out against the new anchorages.

“Placing what amounts to floating parking lots for oilfilled vessels is both economically and environmentally unsound,” she said. “These anchorage grounds would be placing our community at risk by allowing millions of gallons of oil to park in our backyard.”

Online comments for the proposal located on the federal register website, which have been pouring in since August, have swelled to more than 8,200, as of press time,

and have taken an overwhelmingly negative spin; according to Rae, unprecedentedly so.

“We’ve seen that level of outcry for things like fracking,” Rae said. “The number of comments isn’t unprecedented, it’s the unanimity of people that live along the river; the bipartisan nature of people against this plan.”

With the public comment period closed as of Dec. 6, the U.S. Coast Guard will now pore over feedback and may or may not schedule a round of hearings based on the response.

According to Cronin, though a hearing is warranted in both his opinion and his peers’, the Coast Guard is not required to do so by law.

Furthermore, since navigational issues in the U.S. are handled strictly from a federal level, there is little recourse for state or county government to block execution of the project from a legislative standpoint.

“I suspect that if they don’t have a hearing, there will be litigation,” Cronin said.

CONTACT: james@hometwn.com

With the close of a public comment period for a U.S. Coast Guard proposal, that would see the addition of 43 anchorages located on the Hudson River from Kingston to Yonkers, both Westchester County officials and environmentalists are rallying to “ban the barge.” Photo courtesy flickr.com/photos/hudsonriverkeeper

6 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

Eastchester REVIEW THE

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Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com Christian Falcone Associate Publisher | Editor-in-Chief ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com

Citizens march against fear, hate

By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Assistant Editor

Executive Vice President | Ira Ellenthal ext. 31, irathal@hometwn.com Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Assistant Editor | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com Reporter | Corey Stockton ext. 16, corey@hometwn.com Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso Advertising | Lynne Starr ext. 29, lynne@hometwn.com Advertising Coordinator | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 27, ads@hometwn.com Staff Writers James Pero, Franco Fino Staff Photographers Bobby Begun, Andrew Dapolite Columnists Mary Marvin, Richard Forliano, Lenore Skenazy

The back of JCA’s T-shirt draws attention to police brutality as he performs a song that features audio from the 911 call made by Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. the morning he was killed by White Plains police five years ago.

“No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” said a group of citizens as they practiced a right that is protected by the U.S. Constitution.

At noon on Black Friday, Nov. 25, a few hundred people of all ages, races and religious denominations gathered at the fountain on Main Street in downtown White Plains, just feet from the Trump Tower at City Center.

The diverse group convened, organized by the WESPAC Foundation, an organization working for peace and justice, to march and rally with a goal of making Westchester County a “sanctuary” for immigrants, Muslims, and other marginalized groups that could be negatively affected by the imminent Donald Trump presidency.

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The rally gathers around the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. in front of the county courthouse. On the statue’s base is a timeless message from King: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Westchester County residents assemble by the fountain on Main Street in White Plains to rally against the possible ramifications of a Donald Trump presidency. Photos/Sibylla Chipaziwa

Other organizations that participated were the Lower Hudson Valley Chapter of the NYCLU— which has threatened to take the president-elect to court if he creates a registry for Muslims, something Trump mentioned during his campaign; the White Plains-Greenburgh Chapter of the NAACP; Westchester Coalition Against Islamophobia, WCAI; and the Westchester Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence. After a collective march from Main Street to the Westchester County Courthouse, chanting and eventually gathering in front of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr., some members of the aforementioned groups let their voices be heard.

“We’ll continue to stand in opposition to any attempt to register and reduce anyone to noncitizen, non-human status,” said Lena Anderson, president of the local NAACP chapter, as Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” played in the background. “Dr. King will say, ‘Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.’”

Many have begun to compare Trump’s presidency to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, where the oppression of Jews and other people was legal and ignored for too long by the rest of the world. The undoing of all the decades of fighting for civil rights and the rights of women and LGBTQ people is of real concern to many, especially with the president-elect making some questionable appointments to his cabinet, which includes Steven Bannon, former executive chair of the socalled “alt-right,” conservative Breitbart News, who has made comments on the “genetic superiority” of white people over other races.

Many news organizations, including The New York Times and the Associated Press, say “alt-right” is a deceptive term; it is a blend of racism, white nationalism, white supremacy, and populism, which rejects the American democratic ideal that all people are equal.

“The people united will never be defeated” was another chant reiterated by speakers and those gathered.

City of White Plains Mayor Tom Roach and Greenburgh Town Supervior Paul Feiner, both Democrats, were the elected officials present at the rally.

“We are proud, in White Plains, of our diversity,” Roach said. “We need to stand up for the rights that some of us have taken for granted, and make sure that we keep them.”

Feiner added to cheers and applause, “None of us should be afraid to speak out, no matter how much our new president tries to intimidate us.”

There were two performances, a spoken word piece and a rap song, that focused on police brutality against black men. The song, “Abuse of Power,” performed by artist JCA, features the recording of the 911 call from Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. the morning he was killed by White Plains police in his home five years ago.

The rally closed with a prayer from the Rev. Doris Dalton, the executive director of the Westchester Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence and member of the First Baptist Church of White Plains. “Your civic duties have to be part of your daily life,” she said, reminding people that all marches and rallies will be for naught if citizens do not act against bigotry and hate.

CONTACT: sibylla@hometwn.com

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 7

New owners banking on tradition with Topps Bakery

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer It’s a bittersweet moment for Bronxville’s award-winning bakery.

After more than 10 years of ownership, R. Heath and Jacqueline Lachman have sold Topps Bakery, a long-time

staple of Bronxville’s smallbusiness community located at 106 Pondfield Road, to Thatcher Food Holdings, a company based in Westwood, Massachusetts. After finalizing the sale on Dec. 2, the Lachmans announced that they had sold the at least 80-year-old bakery with an open letter to the community.

Aaron Stumpo, Topps’ general manager, shows off the bakery’s new logo design.

ready installed an espresso machine to make lattes and cappuccinos.

The sale price of the bakery has “We’ve also looked at what’s not been disclosed. hot in baked goods,” he said, “We cared so much, we explaining the bakery’s newest worked really hard to maintain menu item “crazants,” croissants the space as a bakery,” Jacque- with unconventional fillings line Lachman told the Review, such as Nutella or cookie dough. recounting some of her memoAaron Stumpo, a Thatcher ries from a decade of manag- partner and the new general ing the store. She said one of manager of Topps, said that the things she enjoyed most as a they have also reduced prices on store owner was participating in more than 40 menu items. the parades.

One thing that is staying the R. Heath Lachman said his same, however, is the bakery’s two favorite items that they name, which has been in exisbaked were their pecan pie— tence for at least 80 years. There made from his grandmother’s will be a slight change; it will recipe—and the oatmeal cran- now be called Topps Bakery at berry cookie, which he said was Bronxville. “I want people to rerecreated in a recipe contest. alize it’s the same 80-year leg“We ran a contest to come up acy; but things have changed,” with a better recipe and our chil- Tittel said. dren picked the winner,” he said.

To that effect, Tittel plans to Jacqueline Lachman added that renovate the store’s appearance they chose to run the contest that to make it look more like a craft way because their children were bakery. “While I’m not accusing exceptionally picky eaters. the current place of looking reJoern Tittel, one of Topps’ ally stuck in time, it could use a new owners, said Topps will facelift,” he said. look to expand on what has The recent transfer of ownermade the bakery successful over ship may have had a bit of déjà the last decade. He said the bak- vu; just last December, the two ery would begin making donuts parties came together to strike seven days a week and has al- another deal when the Lach-

Under new ownership, Topps Bakery now offers donuts seven days per week. This month, the pastries are decorated with special holidaythemed frosting and sprinkles. Photos/Corey Stockton

mans sold their other Bronxville store, Topps Wine and Liquor, to Thatcher Holdings Company.

That store is now called Bronxville Wine & Spirits, located just a few doors down from the bakery on Pondfield Road.

Topps Bakery has been in the same location in Bronxville dating back to at least the 1940s, and has had the name since then. The Lachmans bought the bakery in 2006, and purchased the liquor store in 2013. In their

open letter to the community, they thanked several by name, including regular customers, other small-business owners in the village and Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin.

“I hope that the town will continue to think about the importance of small business,” Jacqueline Lachman said. “If they want it in town, they have to support it.”

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

8 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

Leaf pickup and the strange weather BRONXVILLE TODAY Mayor Mary Marvin

Snow is in the forecast and the village still has not completed leaf pickup due to a weather pattern that caused the leaves to simply not fall.

The late leaf collection will compound the challenges of the intersection of leaf removal and the snow season.

The difficulty of this year’s timing has served as a positive, as it compels the trustees and me to review what is a labor-intensive, expensive process that may not reflect the financial realities of 2016 and the goal of reducing onerous property tax burdens.

House-by-house loose leaf collection has long been a staple of most Westchester communities, though the trend is changing.

Many of our neighbors are moving to alternative methods after economic, environmental and safety evaluations.

Bottom line, I agree with many of my colleagues that residents may not want to spend the taxpayer dollars we are on this one service per current practice when all the facts are weighed.

In Bronxville, leaf pickup costs consistently top $100,000 per season and that does not even factor in the additional costs of cleaning clogged drains as rainstorms send the street piles directly into our storm sewer system. We spend $30,000 in dumping fees alone for the privilege of carting the vacuumed leaves to an upstate location.

Curbside leaf collection is a significant cost (translating into 1 percent and 0.25 percent of your tax bill). Loose leaves can only be expeditiously removed by vacuum trunks, whose initial costs are akin to snow plows and whose maintenance expenses are even greater. Loose leaves present real safety concerns as piles further narrow our tight streets and contribute

to slippery surfaces and visual obstruction. They pose an environmental risk as leaves clog drains resulting in increased flooding, and the piles leach so much nitrogen and phosphorus that our nearby water ways are permanently impacted.

If snow fall interrupts the leaf cycle, the added moisture disables the utility of the vacuum truck, thus requiring all leaves to be removed by hand rakes.

Added to this list is what I believe is the most important variable, that of the diversion of skilled manpower from other pressing village needs, including streetlight maintenance, road repair and sewer maintenance, which have long-lasting infrastructure consequences to the village.

Empirical evidence is clear that the most cost-effective solution to leaf collection is no collection, rather leaving the leaves on one’s lawn and mulching in place. The process is quite economical and basic as leaves are mowed over with an inexpensive mulching attachment, thereby shredding them into a fine layer of organic matter that provides a slow release of valuable nutrients for the soil.

An added benefit is the decrease in noise generated from leaf blowers as well as fuel savings in the cost of their operation. Leaf blowers also systematically remove the top layer of soil, leaving a yard pristine but unhealthy.

Mulched leaves are a low cost way to naturally fertilize one’s lawn and landscape beds.

Mulched leaves increase the water holding capacity of soil, especially useful for absorbing rainwater runoff. Mulch increases the nutrients in the soil as well as the biological activity of earthworms, microbes and other beneficial organisms.

Leaf mulch is more nutritious and safer than commercial products. Most commercial mulch is actually the by-product of dead trees which have of-

ten died from diseases.

Mulch as a natural fertilizer eliminates the need for commercial products which can prove dangerous to pets and the purity of our water systems.

Our neighbors in Hastingson-Hudson and Greenwich, Connecticut, are at the forefront of this “Love ‘em and Leave ‘em” initiative, LELE, and the savings, both economic and environmental, have been substantial.

Bronxville has employed the process for two years and the Village Hall lawn has never looked better. I invite you to come by and inspect. The Bronxville School has enthusiastically joined us in our LELE campaign and mulches in place on school property.

If even 10 percent of our homeowners opted for this method, $10,000 to $15,000 would be saved yearly and lawns further enriched.

Even as an alternative, if villagers agreed to place leaves in either compostable paper bags or in designated containers that can be emptied into sanitation trucks, costs would be reduced and many environmental impacts ameliorated.

Greenburgh and New Rochelle have gone the route of compostable bags, and in the first year Greenburgh reaped a savings of $400,000.

These communities, after implemetation and then through analysis, concluded that the bagging or containerizing of leaves produced significant cost savings, demonstrable environmental and road safety benefits, all without resulting in a significant change to neighborhood attractiveness and municipal services expected by their residents.

I am convinced this is the way to go and want to bring the issue forward in a timely manner so deliberative and unhurried conversation can take place before any decisions are made.

Please tell me what you think at mayor@vobny.com.

Connect with us on @linkedin.com/company/hometown-media

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 9

State pushes new transparency law

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a law that will substantially reduce the amount of time that a government agency has to appeal a judge’s ruling to disclose information via a Freedom of Information Law request.

The law will apply beginning in March 2017. Photo courtesy Albany.edu

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer A new law will make it more difficult for government agencies to hide information from the public.

The law, which was proposed by state Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat, in April, will limit the amount of time which a government agency has to appeal a judge’s ruling on a Freedom of Information Law request, FOIL, to a higher court. Before the law was passed, an agency had up to nine months to appeal a judge’s ruling that records should be released, potentially delaying the appeals process in order to delay the release of information for as long as possible.

The new law, which passed unanimously in both legislative houses, cuts that deadline to 60 days to file appeal paperwork; it was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on Nov. 28.

“New Yorkers have the right to access information from state and local governments,” Buchwald said. “With this new measure, we have empowered all New Yorkers in the name of government accountability and responsiveness.”

In a released statement, Robert

Freeman, executive director of the New York Committee on Open Government, said, “This measure will solve a problem involving the reality that access delayed is often access denied.”

Freeman could not be reached for additional comment as of press time.

This was not Buchwald’s first attempt to create a law that would expedite the FOIL process. He pushed for a similar bill in 2013 which passed through the state Assembly but did not even make it onto the state Senate floor; and he sponsored another similar bill last year which passed unanimously in both houses before being vetoed by the governor.

In December 2015, Cuomo struck down two laws related to the FOIL appeals process—including Buchwald’s law—and instead instituted an executive order directing state agencies to file appeals to judicial rulings on FOIL requests within 60 days.

However, that order applied only to state agencies—not municipalities or local departments— and did not outline legal penalties for violating the order.

State legislators, however, remain exempt from FOIL laws.

The other law which Cuomo vetoed, proposed by Assembly-

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woman Amy Paulin, a Scarsdale Democrat, would have mandated that government agencies reimburse attorneys’ fees to those who won FOIL-related lawsuits against the agency, an amendment to the current law which allows a judge to decide whether the agency is responsible for the filer’s legal fees.

Buchwald told the Review that he hopes the newest amendment to the state FOIL law will make it easier for lawmakers to push for transparency-related laws in the future. “One of my hopes is that by enacting this law it frees up opportunity for myself and others to continue working for improvements for the Freedom of Information Law,” he said.

Buchwald said he has worked toward increasing government transparency since he first took office in 2013. “It takes a lot of persistence,” he said. “But that’s OK, because a lot of reporters and citizens have also shown a lot of persistence when trying to obtain public records.”

According to the legislation, the law will take effect in early March 2017.

Paulin could not be reached for comment as of press time.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

@ eastchesterview

10 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 11

What’s headed for your plate RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

OK, I did it. I actually gave my head a pitying shake when a friend told me she’d just discovered a fantastic restaurant in Jackson Heights that sells the giant Indian crepes called dosas.

“It’s so great!” she said. “It’s called–” “Dosa Delight,” I interrupted, as condescending as if she’d just discovered a great fast food restaurant called McDonald’s.

But food pride goeth before a food fall. Just a day later, I found myself speaking with Katie Sutton, vice president of culinary innovation at the food trendwatching company (yes, there are such things) Food and Drink Resources. I’d read some of their predictions—egg pizza from Georgia (the country), Japanese cuisine by way of Peru, and even fried Brussels sprouts—in an industry newsletter called Restaurant Hospitality. Could these eats truly be coming our way?

Turns out they’re already here… and I’m one of the last to know. But possibly, so are you.

For instance, Sutton said, both coasts are currently obsessed by poke, and it’s not a virtual reality game on your phone. It’s a Hawaiian dish consisting of cubes of raw fish marinated in sauce and served in a bowl, sometimes with rice.

There are already several poke (poh-kay) shops in the city, some so popular that long lines form at lunchtime. Having once been absolutely positive that sushi was going to prove a flash in the pan (or, more accurately, a flash in the non-pan, since it’s

raw), I feel reluctant to predict a quick demise for this new fad.

But really, how many Hawaiian creations have made it to the big time and stayed there? Besides Obama, I mean.

For now, though, poke is so ubiquitous that New York eateries are already cross-pollinating it with other popular foods, leading to items like the poke burrito.

Meantime, the “phorrito” is another rising star. That’s a burrito filled with Vietnamese pho, a soup of braised meat, herbs and noodles. All of which leads me to my Food Theory No. 1: Wrap a burrito around anything that’s already delicious and it will be a hit.

Theory No. 2 is: The gloppier the better, which is why we’re talking about eating a wrap filled with soup. But you can also see this trend with egg sandwiches. Sutton pointed to a West Coast restaurant called Eggslut, famous for the runniest eggs around.

Another big trend she’s seeing is fruit soups. “It’s like taking a smoothie and dumping it into a bowl and putting chunks of fruit into it,” she said. So here’s my Food Theory No. 3: Anything chunked and put into a bowl is going to be a hit.

One particular ingredient finding its way into these soups is dragon fruit, which I’ve seen at Asian fruit stands for years but have always been too unnerved to try. They’re pink and green and look straight out of Dr. Seuss. But to catch up with the trends, I finally got two in Flushing, sliced them open and: Total shock! One was white inside with poppy seed-like seeds, but the other was ruby red, same seeds. So gorgeous!

And so incredibly bland!

Yecch. They tasted like giant kiwis, minus all the flavor. And the fact that they cost about $5 each just makes me wonder how popular this fruit can ever be.

But I’m the gal who bet against sushi, so let’s move on.

Another counter-intuitive trend is dark food on dark plates. After what feels like a century of ever lighter cuisine, Sutton says the trend has gone 180. Charring, once known as “overdone,” “burnt” or “ruined” in my family, is now one of the two hippest methods for preparing vegetables. (The other is deep frying.) She says she has started charring her salad greens on the grill, which I could understand if they got kind of pleasantly caramelized. But I tried charred broccoli recently, and simply cannot understand why my own, equally unhip method of broccoli prep—steaming till it is bendably soft and slightly gray—lost out. Douse really soft broccoli in melted butter and I say yum.

Of course, I say that when you douse almost anything in melted butter. (I’m convinced that why lobster made it big: The shameless butter-dipping it made chic.)

And speaking of dipping, the last food trend we’ve got time for today is deconstructed ramen called tsukemen. The noodles are separate from the broth.

You dip them in and slurp them down.

Slurping, glopping, chunking and wrapping are clearly the order of the day, so here’s Food Theory No. 4: Any obscure cuisine that we haven’t discovered yet will burst onto the scene in 2018.

And in 2019, it will be wrapped in a burrito.

CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

12 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

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SPORTS

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 13

Missing the ePoint LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

At the risk of sounding like an old, out-of-touch curmudgeon, I have to admit; I do not understand the world of eSports.

In late October, as all four major American professional sports were in full swing, Madison Square Garden played host to a competition of a different sort, something called the League of Legends World Championship semifinals. The event pitted four of the best professional video gaming teams from around the globe against each other as they battled for the chance to compete for something called the “Summoner’s Cup”—presumably by hurling digital fireballs at one another— in front of a full house at MSG, a historic venue that once hosted phenomenal bouts of actual athletic competition, including the first fight between Muhammad

Ali and Joe Frazier.

Now, I don’t begrudge anyone their particular areas of fandom—lord knows that I have my fair share of interests that stray from the beaten path—but seeing the throngs of excited cosplayers streaming into the world’s most famous arena to watch eAthletes eCompete on the Jumbotron, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, popular culture is starting to pass me by.

I may not consider myself a “gamer,” but I’ve played my fair share of video games through the years. Nintendo—and all of its subsequent successors—played a big part in my childhood, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll still fire up the Xbox once in a while for a quick game of FIFA against my buddies.

But spending my hard-earned money to watch teams of strangers manage squads of digital sprites in virtual combat? For me, that’s just a bridge too far.

I enjoy watching sports, be-

cause I can appreciate the inherent drama in seeing the human body overcome its very real limitations; until I see Eli Manning cast a real-life Chaos Bolt at the Philadelphia Eagles, please forgive me if I don’t find the feats of these professional gamers impressive.

But, I appear to be on the wrong side of this one.

Over the last decade or so, eSports—the name given to professional, competitive video gaming—has become a big business. Arenas all over the world—especially in Asia—sell out for events; well-known companies toss money at the world’s top gamers in an attempt to woo free agents; and the best teams in the world are often embroiled in controversies about illegal tactics, espionage and tampering.

Heck, some colleges here in the United States have even begun establishing scholarships for promising eHighSchoolers.

My nephew, who is 10, spends less time playing video

Fans pile in to the Key Arena in Seattle to watch professional video gamers square off in a Dota 2 tournament. Sports Editor Mike Smith may not understand competitive gaming, but that doesn’t mean that the sport isn’t growing. Photo courtesy Wikipedia

games and more time watching the YouTube videos of Internet celebrities who make millions of dollars by posting their Grand Theft Auto play-throughs online.

Imagine that; people making money by playing a child’s game. It’s a pretty preposterous proposition.

You can keep your eSports,

thank you every much. I think the Knicks are playing tonight.

troduced while the ThorntonDonovan lion mascot, Jordan Drew, kept the energy going.

The entire high school took part in a conga line, followed by line dancing activities to songs

like “Cupid Shuffle” and “Juju on That Beat.”

To conclude, the cheerleading squad released blue and gold balloons to commemorate this event.

Thornton-Donovan School’s first pep rally was nothing short of a success and brought an immense amount of spirit and unity to the school.

(Submitted)

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

TD School holds first pep rally The Thornton-Donovan School cheerleading squad led the school’s first-ever pep rally on Friday, Oct. 14, under the supervision of cheerleader advisor, Ms. Angela M. Tudisco.

Grades nine through 12 gathered on the basketball court to bond and socialize. The athletic director, Mr. Schlitten, spoke about the start of the athletics program at Thornton-Donovan.

Currently, the school’s sports program consists of male and female basketball, cheerleading, male rugby, and volleyball.

The cheerleading squad captain Naya Brown-Yohay and co-captain Jordan Campbell were integral parts of the rally being such a success.

Even though the school colors are blue and gold, the squad

wore pink and white shoelaces for Breast Cancer Awareness Month; half of the purchase price went to cancer research.

The pep rally was extremely interactive between the cheer squad and the crowd. The squad started the pep rally with an energizer to get the crowd going.

Not only did the students get involved, but the teachers did as well. Students participated in the mummy wrapping game where the students wrapped the teachers in paper towel.

There were more games galore.

One game was a trick contest where teachers and students had to mimic the movements of a cheerleader with whom they were paired. Also, the cheerleaders taught their cheers to some in the audience.

Another fun activity was the tug-of-war. It was grade against grade on the field as they tugged to see which grade was the strongest. The junior class ultimately prevailed. There was also a potato sack race and a hula hoop competition.

Each sports team was in-

14 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

SPORTS

Eagles host holiday tourney

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor Last week, the Eastchester Eagles Sports Club hosted the 38th annual Holiday Basketball Tournament, holding eight contests from Dec. 1–3 that featured teams from Section I and beyond. While the Eagles’ girls faltered in their first-round game, Eastchester’s boys were able to win both matchups to claim a tournament win and build some positive momentum as the winter season heats up.

On Dec. 3, Eastchester put the finishing touches on a flawless run through the tournament, topping Hamilton 64-53 in the finals.

Up-tempo offense helped the Raiders jump out to a first-quarter lead over the host Eagles, but Eastchester’s defensive pressure eventually proved too much to handle, as the Eagles began forcing turnovers to climb back into the game.

Jack Heffernan proved to be a difference-maker on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 22 points en route to leading the Eagles to victory.

The day before, the 6-foot3 forward scored 15 points in a 65-56 first-round win over Roosevelt, and his play in the two games earned him tournament MVP honors.

In the girls’ bracket, Eastchester faced a stiff test in the opening round, as the Eagles ran into a tough Briarcliff team led by sophomore Maddie Plank. Despite a strong first quarter that saw the Eagles take a commanding 17-9 lead over the visitors, Briarcliff roared back in the second half, as Plank—who scored 16 of her 18 points after the intermission—willed the Bears to a convincing win.

For Eastchester, Cassidy Mitchell and Lauren Grescia contributed the bulk of the scoring, as Mitchell finished the day with 15 points and Grescia added 14 of her own.

It did not take long for the Eagles to bounce back from the loss, however, as they cemented a third-place finish with a victory the following day. Against the Ursuline B team in the consolation game, Mitchell erupted for 26 points as the Eagles easily handled the Ursuline B squad,

coming away with a 60-45 win.

Briarcliff would go on to win the tourney with a win over 2016 Class B finalist Woodlands in the girls’ final.

Kacey Hamlin scored 27 points in the championship and was named the girls’ MVP. The Eastchester girls continued their winning ways after the tournament, beating Tappan Zee

57-49 on Dec. 6 to improve to 2-1 on the season.

Eastchester’s boys will be back in action on Dec. 9, after press time, when they travel to Ardsley to take part in the Panthers’ annual tournament.

CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com

Fiona Teahan goes up for a shot against the Koalas on Dec. 3.

Photos/Mike Smith

Jack Heffernan soars for a layup against Hamilton on Dec. 3.

Heffernan was named the tourney MVP for his tremendous performance in the finals.

Sean Donnellan penetrates the lane against the Hamilton Raiders.

Cassidy Mitchell drives to the hoop against Ursuline on Dec. 3 at Eastchester High School. Mitchell scored 41 points over the course of two games at Eastchester’s Holiday Basketball Tournament.

INSIDE

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 15

Lifestyles of Westchester County/DECEMBER 2016 VOL. 5 NO.9

INSIDE WESTCHESTER COUNTY

Holiday

GIFT GUIDE 2 Decorate for the year, not just the holidays 2 Shop for the holidays at Lester’s 2 Take care of yourself at Addison Street Spa 2 Fine gifts from Talner’s storefront

16 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

GIFT IDEAS

for last-minute shoppers

Avoid theft during the season of giving

Early bird shoppers may purchase and even wrap gifts before December, but eleventh-hour shoppers may need some help come the holiday season. For those last-minute folks, there still are plenty of ways to ensure your shopping list is checked off. The following gifts are quick to purchase and can still make for thoughtful presents.

Liquor or wine basket: Prepackaged spirits often come with decorative glasses and other accoutrements for entertaining. What’s more, they’re convenient to purchase if you’re on a time crunch.

Fueling station gift card: Drivers will appreciate a gift card to their favorite fueling station. Such cards suit anyone who has a car and frequently travels or commutes.

Food basket: A visit to the supermarket or a convenience center can yield many tasty finds that can be packaged together into a gift basket. Pair foods with a gift card to that retailer.

Streaming service: Offer to treat a loved one to a month or two of their favorite streaming television or movie service. If they already have streaming subscriptions, offer to cover the cost of the subscription for a few months.

Premade gifts: Don’t overlook your local pharmacy as a place to find convenient gifts. Look for unique items in the seasonal aisle, where you might be able to find stocking-stuffer toiletries or cosmetic gifts that suit several people on your shopping list.

The holiday season is a special time of year to give thanks and spend time with loved ones.

While the holidays are an inherently happy time, that joyful mood can be marred by the crooks who like to take advantage of people’s generosity, as well as their propensity to pay less attention to their surroundings as they do during less hectic times of year.

Instances of certain crimes, particularly theft and identity theft, increase around the holiday season. Allstate Insurance advises that breakins in residential areas may increase during the holiday season as well. That’s because thieves know that many homes are empty or cars are full of high-priced presents.

To put the focus back on good cheer, delicious food, celebrations and gifting, individuals can heed the following tips to protect themselves and their property this holiday season.

Park in well-lit areas while shopping. Aim for a spot under a street lamp or as close to the front door of the store as possible.

Routinely put packages in the car so they do not become too cumbersome and bog you down. Some thieves prey on people who cannot defend themselves because their hands are full of packages.

Place gifts in the trunk of the car. Make sure they are covered up and out of sight if you do not have a trunk. Take your packages straight home after each shopping trip.

Do not carry excess cash or credit cards you don’t plan to use. Leave the full wallet at

home so it does not fall into the wrong hands or end up being stolen. Keep important credit card numbers in a safe place at home.

Exercise caution around strangers. While you want to be friendly this time of year, this is a time when thieves may use various tactics to distract or disarm potential targets.

Always leave lights on at home and do not forget to lock doors and windows when leaving the house. Empty houses are prime targets for burglars. Always give the impression that someone is home.

Don’t advertise purchases. Keep mum about that big-screen TV or gaming system you purchased. Do not leave packages or boxes lying around outside your home. Instead, discard them only on the morning of garbage pickup.

Keep an inventory of purchases and belongings. This will prove handy if you are a victim of theft and have to file an insurance claim.

Use encrypted shopping sites. Many online retailers employ encrypted websites so customers can securely make purchases. Patronize only these retailers when shopping online.

Be aware of credit card skimmers. Thieves may put skimming devices on ATM machines and credit card machines to steal card information.

If a machine does not look right, do not use it.

Avoid being victimized by crooks this holiday season by prioritizing safety at home and when shopping for gifts.

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 17

Select educational gifts for children When shopping for holiday gifts for children, shoppers can easily be overwhelmed by the many toys, electronics, apparel and other items available for kids. Those who may not be up-to-date on the latest trends may even find shopping for kids a bit like solving a difficult puzzle.

While some shoppers may want to get kids the flashiest toy, others may prefer gifts that are both fun and mentally stimulating. Developmental toys and educational games for kids make for popular gifts. Toy and game manufacturers continue to develop products that integrate logic, reasoning, language stimulation, and motor skill development. Shoppers looking for fun, educational toys and games for the kids on their shopping lists have a host of items to choose from.

Building blocks: Blocks that enable children to design and construct are popular among youngsters of various ages. Blocks come in many different forms, from early education wooden blocks that fill nursery floors to the more intricate, interlocking building sets that are coveted by older children.

STEM toys: Some of the latest trends in children’s toys veer away from regular video games and apps and cater to the rising interest in STEM. STEM is an acronym for science, technology and math. Early introduction to STEM-related skills can pay dividends later in life, considering students who have an emphasis on STEM knowledge are highly coveted among employers. STEM toys

may include robot-building kits, toys that help young learners test the boundaries of physics, apps that help kids learn computer programing, and even scientific experiment kits that illustrate cause and effect.

Sensory toys: Young children can benefit from toys that stimulate the senses. Items to consider include water toys, sands (including the newer kinetic varieties), playdoughs, musical instruments, and bubbles. Even food-related toys, such as those that encourage baking or cooking, will appeal to various senses and can help kids learn valuable skills.

Imaginative play toys: Imaginative play is an effective way to stimulate creative thinking and may help children become better learners. The Creativity Institute, specializing in toys for creative play, says playing is important to children and the way they practice growing up. According to an article by Dr. Scott Kaufman that appeared in Psychology Today, “Systematic research has increasingly demonstrated a series of clear benefits of children’s engagement in pretend games from the ages of about two and one half through ages six or seven.”

Dress-up toys, puppets, dolls, action figures, and toys that mimic real-life activities are all examples of products that promote imaginative play.

Educational toys can be included on holiday gifting lists. Not only will they encourage children to play and have fun, but they’ll serve as building blocks to a lifetime of learning as well.

18 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

Decorate for the year, not just the holidays We all know the hustle and bustle that goes along with the holidays. We shop, plan our menus, and adorn our homes with festive décor, all in anticipation of opening our homes and sharing our traditions with loved ones.

But take a step back and ask yourself, why do we wait until for the holidays to arrive to make our homes a reflection of our best, brightest dreams? Our homes should be where we are truly most comfortable and surrounded by

our favorite things every day of the year. Our homes should be a furnished to mirror our taste and lifestyle. This is easier said than done for many people. One way to bring your yearround style to life is engaging with an interior decorator.

If you’re like most of the clients Decorating Den works with, you want a beautifully custom designed look, but truly don’t know how to make that vision a reality. You might not be

sure of how to put it all together. You may have sentimental items that you do not want to remove. You might fear that if you call a professional decorator, your home will end up featuring that decorator’s taste—not yours. And last, but certainly not least, you might not be even sure you can afford the services of a professional decorator.

Fortunately, a new Decorating Den Interiors has opened in your area to bring design and style to everyone. From design concept to completion, designers can help save you valuable time and money by guiding your decisionmaking process through a myriad of functional and decorative ideas. When they come to your home, you’ll be shown samples of custom window treatments, bedding ensembles, floor covering, wall covering, accessories, lighting, upholstered furniture and case-goods.

Clients enjoy the collaborative design process used by designers from Decorating Den as we work together to fulfill your vision. This process gives homes a unique look, different from what we always see in the big retailers or

neighborhood stores. Designing around how you live in your home can help you make it not just comfortable, but a place you will be proud to show to friends and family not just during the holidays, but 365 days a year.

Decorating Den Interiors serves the Westchester County area, including Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, Harrison, Bronxville and New Rochelle. For more information, contact owner and interior decorator Marni Sugerman at 829-5100, or visit marni.decoratingden.com.

(Submitted)

technology and online marketing workshops for communities in Westchester in order to help our local businesses thrive. We are also available to provide private consultations for companies looking to succeed online.

This holiday season, give the gift of a 2

hour in-person, one-on-one online marketing & brand strategy session at our office in White Plains for $150 (usually $450) available now through Dec 31st. For more information, contact Jaime Urteaga, the owner of Digital Chair, Inc., at jaime@digitalchair.com.

Buy for your business this holiday season

As another New York winter creeps in with its cold and westwardly breeze, it’s easy for the streets of Westchester to misplace their hustle and bustle of foot traffic and community energy. Worse yet, the allure of local stores and restaurants fall victim to the stay-at-home giants of couch-side shopping, Amazon and Seamless.

The holiday season peaks as the biggest retail-spending season of the year, with more and more business being done online now more than ever. What most local companies don’t realize is that they don’t have to go to the mattresses to leverage some technology to their advantage and “get in the game” so to speak.

It’s nearly 2017 and technology is becoming cheaper and more available than ever. Websites, for better or worse, can be made by anyone with some technological savvy and a few hours at their disposal. Social media accounts can be

used to communicate offers and drive brand reach locally, yet their untapped power is often overlooked and underestimated. By mixing some business and technology know-how, one can change the competitive field around them and leverage certain tools to drive a far-reaching and conversion-centered marketing campaign that helps attract people to you or your business.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll focus on Google, the low-hanging fruit for local businesses. If you look up a local business (food, legal, home, fun), statistically, you’re most likely to look them up on Google’s search engine. Google has a free business listing that takes under an hour of time to set up. All you have to do is fill out a form, verify your business information (they send you a postcard with a code and call you), and then you’re done. From there you can start benefiting from the positive reviews your clients leave you and how they affect the choice of the eager consumer searching for a local service in their town. You can upload pictures that show your products, staff and the service providers.

This simple tool and can distinguish you from your competition when it comes time for a consumer to decide where to spend their money.

Keep in mind, your competitor may be Amazon, or another global internet giant, so a loss of a client could be a loss for the local community.

At Digital Chair, we’re putting together some

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 19

How to find great gifts for the family handyman For those people who don’t know a box cutter from a box saw, shopping for men and women who like to get their hands dirty around the house can be a difficult task. Home improvement projects are complex undertakings that often involve the use of complex tools, and novices may be lost in the proverbial woods as they look for gifts for their loved ones who can’t wait to swing hammers around the house.

Though there’s always an element of risk when shopping for gifts for loved ones, the following hints might help shoppers with no knowledge of home improvement projects find gifts that will please their favorite handyman.

Take inventory of his or her existing tools.

When shopping for the DIY enthusiast in your family, try to take inventory of his or her tool chest before beginning your search. Make note of any tools that look new, checking those off your shopping list, and any that look like they need replacing. Use your phone to photograph any unfamiliar tools that you might want to replace so you know what to look for when visiting the hardware store.

Think of what your relative likes to do most.

The family handyman may have a particular area of home improvement expertise or something he or she is especially passionate about. Does your loved one prefer to work in the garden? Is he into woodworking and making decorative items for

the house? Think of what he or she likes to do most and then look for something that will make that hobby more enjoyable. While multipurpose tools might make for welcome gifts, something more specific to his or her particular passion may make an even better gift.

Think outside the (tool)box. While new tools might make a handyman’s day, they are not the only items that make great DIY gifts. Consider enrolling your loved one in an advanced class so he or she can learn more about a favorite hobby.

Or gift a magazine subscription so he or she can stay abreast of the latest DIY trends and topics.

Such gifts are great options for shoppers hesitant to purchase potentially costly tools that may or may not be hits with their relatives.

Speak with a professional. If you can’t access your loved one’s workshop or simply don’t know what he or she might want, ask a local contractor for gift recommendations. For example, a carpenter might know just what will elicit a smile from woodworking enthusiasts, while landscapers might be able to suggest items for gardening or lawn care enthusiasts. Advancements are always being made in the home improvement industry, and those people who make their living in that industry might be great resources as you try to find the go-to gift for your loved one.

Finding a gift for the family handyman might be difficult for shoppers with no DIY experience

of their own. But a little forethought and perhaps some professional assistance can be just what

shoppers need to find gifts their loved ones will cherish for years to come.

20 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

Shop for the holidays at Lester’s

The holidays are better at Lester’s, where you’ll find the biggest selection of uniquely chic gifts from wow-factor brands that do cool best. Beyond the most wanted clothing and footwear, some of the season’s bestselling musthave items include S’well Bottles, fur slides and other cold weather accessories, stylish tech toys, statement jewelry, fun pillows, whimsical snow tubes, patched up clothing, cozy blanket sacks, sports team logo and player gifts and more.

Every gift, perfectly wrapped and ready for giving. Don’t miss a great selection of grab bag and teachers’ gifts, too—perfectly priced at $30 and under.

Set your sights on sun, sand and Lester’s for the best collection of cruise essentials for your winter getaway. Bold beachwear, breezy coverups, night out styles, gorgeous sandals, and chic totes for women, men, kids and baby.

How to organize office gift exchanges

Happy shopping, happy holidays and happy travels!

Lester’s is located at 18 Rye Ridge Plaza in Rye Brook. For more information, visit lesters.com.

(Submitted)

Close-knit groups of employees commonly exchange gifts with one another come the holiday season. Friendly coworkers enjoy bringing smiles to the faces of their friends and fellow employees, and these informal gift exchanges can benefit company morale and establish a familial atmosphere at the office.

In spite of the good-natured reasons to exchange gifts with coworkers, some people are nervous about the prospect of gifting fellow employees. Questions regarding what makes for an appropriate gift or how much to spend may arise, turning office gift exchanges into potentially puzzling situations.

Those ready to participate in office gifting can follow certain etiquette guidelines to take the anxiety out of office gifting.

Determine if there is an office policy governing gift exchanges. Some businesses may have a specific policy in place that establishes guidelines on what makes acceptable, appropriate gifts for coworkers. The larger the company, the more specific the policy is likely to be.

Consider the overall office climate. Is yours a relaxed working environment, or is it ultraformal? Allow the corporate culture to play a part in your gifting decisions. A gift that may be appropriate for a smaller, casual company may not be fitting for a large, rules-heavy corporation.

Always let common sense prevail.

Establish a spending limit. Spending limits let

everyone know just how much to spend. Resist the urge to go above and beyond. While you may just want to be generous, others may view an expensive gift as a way to show off or an attempt to flatter a coworker oreven a boss.

Think of life outside the office. When shopping, start thinking about what your coworkers like to do when they are not at work. For example, golf enthusiasts may enjoy a box of balls or a gift certificate to play at an area course. Stick to generic gifts if you are unsure of what your coworkers do when they are not working. Personalized holiday mementos, gadgets for entertaining, items that can be used around the office or foodrelated gift baskets make great holiday gifts. Remember to take into account others’ religions and traditions when shopping.

Avoid gifts that are overly personal. Steer clear of giving fragrances or cosmetic products because you do not know what the other person will like. Scented products also may send the wrong message, indicating you think someone needs to cover up with an aroma. Clothing is another gift to avoid, as certain items may be seen as suggestive and you may not be in tune with the recipient’s personal style.

Consider personal or handmade gifts as well. Engraved picture frames, hand-picked gift baskets filled with homemade treats or gift certificates to favorite coffee shops or lunch spots in the vicinity of the office make ideal office gifts.

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 21

How to navigate return policies

The holiday season is rife with merriment and gift-giving. Shoppers flock to stores in an effort to find the ideal gifts for everyone on their lists.

While shoppers hope the presents they select will be well-liked, many know that not every gift will be the perfect fit.

It’s in shoppers’ best interests to familiarize themselves with store return policies to avoid being stuck with unwanted purchases or losing money on exchanges. Knowledge of store policies also is useful information to pass on to gift recipients, so that they will be able to realize the full benefit of their gifts should something need to be replaced.

Shoppers who anticipate a loved one returning their gift would be wise to always include a gift receipt with gifts. Some stores offer only store credit to people who return gifts without receipts, while others may not allow non-receipt returns at all. In addition, some retailers only offer non-receipt refunds that are equivalent to the lowest recent sale price.

Consumers can arm themselves with this information and take a proactive approach to holiday shopping.

Visit the customer service desk and ask for the complete return and exchange policy.

Study the policy to understand how exchanges or

refunds are handled.

Think about purchases before making them, which may cut down on the number of exchanges or returns necessary.

Keep all receipts in a safe place. Opt for emailed receipts whenever possible, as such receipts may be easier to catalog and less likely to go missing.

Ask for gift receipts if you are uncertain if the gift recipient will like the gift or you aren’t sure on sizing or fit. Attach this receipt to a tag so it does not get lost during wrapping.

Visit the return desk during off-peak hours, such as dinnertime or early in the morning, when employees will be less harried and better able to work with you on facilitating exchanges.

Make purchases on store credit cards or other credit cards. Doing so may make the purchases easier to track if the receipt goes missing.

Shop at retailers with notoriously good return policies. Money magazine and GOBankingRates say that Nordstrom; L.L. Bean; Bed, Bath & Beyond; JC Penney; and Costco have the most generous return policies.

Returns and exchanges are a part of holiday giving. Consumers who educate themselves on stores’ return policies can make the holiday season easier for themselves and their loved ones.

22 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016

Take care of yourself at Addison Street Spa

At Addison Street Spa, “It’s about wellness.”

Since 1999, that has been our motto. Our mission is to provide a sanctuary for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Addison Street Spa is a getaway conveniently located in the quaint village of Larchmont in lower Westchester. We are easy to access by personal or public transportation and welcome anyone seeking to look and feel their very best. We offer exceptional therapeutic, energetic and specialized bodywork treatments, including favorites like Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, pregnancy massage and Reiki. We offer personalized facials for all skin types and treatments to address your skin care issues. Our product line, Dermalogica, is highly recognized and provides effective skin care solutions for in-spa services and home care. For the finishing touches, waxing and other beauty enhancement services are available.

Our talented staff of aesthetic and bodywork

professionals has many years of experience and a wide knowledge of therapeutic bodywork techniques and skin care treatments. Awarded “The Best Deep Tissue Massage’” in Westchester in 2015, we are well-known for the amazing hands, caring hearts and skill of our practitioners.

We welcome you to come and experience our cozy space where our friendly service coordinators are excited to recommend the perfect services for your needs and ensure you have an enjoyable experience. Men, women and teens ages 13 and up are sure to find services to please.

It’s the perfect time and the perfect season to share a pampering experience. To make it easy and affordable, we are happy to offer special prices on our highly acclaimed, client-recommended service packages. Gift certificates are now on sale for these service combinations: • Age Smart facial and Trilogy hot stone massage: $260

• Swedish massage and 30-minute foot massage: $140 • Swedish massage and European facial (two hours): $190 • 45-minute massage and 45-minute facial: $160 • Series of six Swedish massages or European facials: $570 Instant gift certificates can be printed from our website at addisonstreetspa.com. You can also

call us at 833-3223, or come and see us at 9 Addison St. in Larchmont.

Don’t forget to pamper yourself in this demanding, high stress time of year. We look forward to serving you this holiday season and continuing to be a part of your wellness journey in the coming new year.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Addison Street Spa! (Submitted)

December 9, 2016 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 23

Last-minute holiday shopping tips

Fine gifts from Talner’s New Rochelle storefront Leonard Italiano would be amazed by the vast and prestigious selection of jewelry, crystal, china and other fine gifts that fill the Main Street store at the corner of Centre Avenue.

Italiano was one of New Rochelle’s premier jewelers, first working door to door and then in an upstairs store on Mechanic Street as early as 1924.

Despite his birth name, Italiano was not of Italian descent; he was one of New Rochelle’s early Jewish shopkeepers. By the time he opened a small Main Street store near Centre Avenue in 1928, he had changed his name to Leonard Talner.

His brother, Joseph, joined the business and took over its management when Leonard died in 1941. Like his brother, Joseph also died in his early 50s, just seven years later. Leonard’s widow and her cousin, Arnold Heaps, ensured the continued operations and high standards of the store. Leonard’s son, Robert, joined the family business after serving in the Korean War. In 1960, he and Heaps purchased the store from the other Talner family members and began expansions. By 1962, they enlarged the store by purchasing the adjacent hat store, dress shop and Fannie Farmer Candies. Seventeen years later, when Robert Talner died, Heaps became the sole owner.

Talner Fine Jewelry and Roadside China

Holiday shopping season typically begins the day after Thanksgiving and extends all the way to Christmas Eve. While that’s a considerable amount of time for shoppers to find gifts for everyone on their shopping list, many people will still find themselves putting holiday shopping off until the last minute.

In certain ways, last-minute holiday shopping is easier than ever. Thanks to online retailers who can ship products overnight, men and women who delay their holiday shopping have more options at their disposal than they did before the arrival of the Internet. And unlike the days of yore when the best deals were largely exclusive to Black Friday, some shoppers find that competition between online retailers and traditional brick-and-mortar stores is so great that deals can be found regardless of when they begin shopping. But while waiting until the last minute to begin holiday shopping may not be as risky as it used to be, shoppers may still benefit by sticking to certain strategies so they can find the perfect gifts without breaking the bank.

Stay within your budget. Even last-minute shoppers have holiday shopping budgets. But it can be harder for last-minute shoppers to stick to their budgets because they have less time to comparison shop and hunt for deals. As the holiday shopping season winds down, resist the temptation to go over budget. If a gift you had in mind is available but more than you can spend, look for something else. Overspending on holiday shopping in December is a recipe for debt in January, and no shopper wants to begin the new year weighed down by consumer debt.

Shop local. National chains and big box retailers are renowned for rolling out great deals during the holiday season, but such stores may have very limited or unimpressive inventory left by the time last-minute shoppers begin shopping. Local retailers are often incapable of slashing prices as significantly as their larger competitors, and that may mean they have more extensive inventories available throughout the holiday shopping season. In addition, shoppers who stick with local retailers won’t have to pay shipping costs to ensure items arrive on time.

Shop during off-peak hours. Shopping during off-peak hours can help last-minute shoppers make efficient use of the limited time they have to buy gifts for their loved ones. Visit stores early in the morning or late at night, or schedule a midweek afternoon shopping trip so you aren’t spending what little time you have left waiting on lines or hunting for parking.

Give something less traditional. Holiday gifts need not come from stores. Rather than spending their time shopping for gifts for loved ones who seemingly have it all, last-minute shoppers can give the gift of a donation in their loved one’s name. Last-minute shoppers who want to give something more tangible can create a homemade gift that’s both unique and heartfelt. If your DIY skills are lacking, give a loved one the gift of a night out on the town at your expense.

Shoppers who wait until the end of the holiday shopping season to begin their searches for holiday gifts can still find great gifts without going broke.

draws customers from throughout Westchester and Fairfield counties who want quality merchandise and superior service.

The shop carries a select line of fine jewelry, including many set with diamonds or gemstones, watches and estate jewelry. In addition, Talner is renowned for expert watch and jewelry repairs, serving generations of loyal satisfied customers, even those who have moved away from the region but still return to purchase that special engagement ring or gift. Talner holds a special place in the hearts of many.

Talner also offers the largest selection of tabletops in Westchester County, with a full line of elegant china and beautifully crafted crystal from prestigious companies such as Lalique, Lenox, Baccarat, Waterford, and Herend. It is the place to shop for gifts of distinction and the perfect place for bridal registries. The shop’s distinctive gift boxes are recognized and welcome everywhere.

Over the years, Talner’s gracious and accommodating service, and distinctive and top-quality jewelry has attracted the likes of Tommy Manville, Theresa Brewer, Dennis James, Peter Lind Hayes, and other celebrities who made their home in New Rochelle. Grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the Talner store’s first customers are now buying engagement rings here. (Submitted)

24 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • December 9, 2016