March 24, 2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

March 24, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 12 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Tuckahoe Republicans sweep close election

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Bronxville BOE chooses new school superintendent

By TAYLOR BROWN General Assignment Reporter The Bronxville Board of Education has appointed Dr. Roy Montesano as the new superintendent of schools. He will begin his new position on July 1.

Montesano has been working as the superintendent of schools for the Hastings-on-Hudson school district for the last five years.

During his time at Hastingson-Hudson, he helped the middle school transition from a Focus school, or a school tagged as in need of improvement, to a Reward school, one that has shown improvement in state testing.

Montesano said this switch

was made by developing a student-centered school philosophy. There had been a designated subgroup of students who weren’t performing as well on state testing, and the school had to try and find ways to improve their performance. Montesano said that within a year and a half, they were able to make this change.

Montesano also helped create Makerspaces, which are community spaces where people are encouraged to get together to share thoughts and work on projects, in the Hastings middle and elementary schools. They are provided with supplies including 3-D printers, LEGO robotics and computer programming.

Montesano graduated from

Fordham University with his doctorate in administration and supervision. He has worked in public education for 37 years, with 19 years of that spent as a superintendent.

Montesano explained he began his work in public education as a science teacher. “I was always interested in science growing up; science and math were my two favorite subjects,” he said.

Montesano said he was “born into an education family.” His father was a superintendent of schools, and his mother and three of his older siblings all went into teaching.

Montesano said that he believes he is coming into this new position with a great deal of ex-

perience that will only add to the current school board.

Montesano told the Review that the reason he chose Bronxville was because it is a wellknown and successful district, which “has a tradition of excellence.” He went on to say, “I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Bronxville as a district and [as a] community.”

In February 2016, current Superintendent of Schools David Quattrone announced that he would finish his 12th year as a superintendent for Bronxville before retiring in June 2017.

The search for Quattrone’s replacement began in September 2016. This process was aided by SUPERINTENDENT continued on page 9

With record voter turnout and an atypical nine-person race, three Republican officials in Tuckahoe have survived their most challenging election cycle to date, narrowly beating out two full slates of candidates to secure two more years on the village Board of Trustees.

Mayor Steve Ecklond and trustees Tom Giordano and Greg Luisi, Republicans who also ran on the Conservative line, each won their fourth full terms in those positions in the March 21 village election.

“It actually feels a lot better when you have a lot more competition and you win,” Ecklond told the Review shortly after learning of his victory on Tuesday night. “For sure, that’s the feeling that all three of us have tonight. We’re thrilled.”

Ecklond defeated mayoral opposition from Anthony Fiore, a Democrat, and Melba Caliano, who ran on the Tuckahoe Independents line.

Fiore was the first Democratic candidate to challenge Ecklond during his 6-year tenure as mayor. Fiore, who lost two previous bids for trustee in village elections, was joined this year by a full Democratic slate consisting of trustee candidates Nicholas Naber and Kathryn Thompson.

Meanwhile, Caliano’s line also included a three-member, allfemale ticket along with trustee candidates Sarah DeRise and Jessica Cioffoletti.

Stationed at Roma’s Restaurant on Columbus Avenue, the Republicans and their supporters

TUCKAHOE Election Results MAYOR: ECKLOND 409* CALIANO 358 FIORE

TRUSTEE: GIORDANO

394*

LUISI

378*

CIOFFOLETTI 368 THOMPSON 360 DERISE 347 NABER 331

* re-elected to village board

were noticeably less confident prior to the results. Ecklond said that was due to the abnormal nature of this election. “We understood that it would be very interesting when you have three full slates of candidates,” he said.

“That’s never happened in Tuckahoe before. So, the dynamic of that, we knew, was going to have an impact on the ultimate outcome.”

But each of the incumbents weathered what was an unusual challenge by Tuckahoe standards, which Ecklond said will bolster their confidence moving forward.

This year’s election was marked by the highest voter turnout in recent village history; there were 1,099 votes cast for mayor. By comparison, when the same Republican slate ran for re-election in 2015 against Fiore, there were less than 300

INSIDE Eastchester fire chief to retire Story on page 5.

332

ELECTION continued on page 8

2 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 3

Contested, Bronxville GOP wins re-election

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer In what has become routine in Bronxville politics, a Republican slate of candidates has won re-election to the village Board of Trustees on March 21.

Mayor Mary Marvin and trustees Robert Underhill and Randy Mayer, all Republicans, were re-elected to two-year terms on the board. Marvin was uncontested once again in her campaign for her seventh mayoral term. In 17 years on the Board of Trustees, including the last 12 as mayor, Marvin has never been contested.

Meanwhile, the Republican trustee candidates—who also ran on the Citizens for Responsible Government line—faced a political challenge for the first time in more than a decade, as Democrat Elizabeth Calderon also ran for trustee. But her attempt fell short as Underhill secured 573 votes to win his seventh term on the board; Mayer, meanwhile, collected 596 votes compared to Calderon’s 144 votes to attain a second full term.

This year’s election was also marked by the highest voter turnout in recent history.

In Bronxville elections during the last decade, candidates have not collected more than 80 votes. By comparison, Marvin, who was uncontested, received 652 votes this year.

Rene Atayan, Bronxville Republican chairwoman, credited the high volume of Republicansupporting voters to residents who felt their community was being threatened by the first opposition candidate in more than a decade.

“There are far more productive things to focus on rather than going after diligent, highly accomplished and competent stewards of our communities,” she said.

Only time will tell if Calderon’s appearance in this year’s race will denote a change in Bronxville’s political environment. Calderon was the first Democrat to run for the village

board in 11 years. Only one other slate of candidates had run on a Democratic ticket in the previous two decades, when Antione Brousta and Betsy Harding, chairwoman of the village Democratic Party, ran unsuccessful campaigns in 2006. No Democrat has held office since former Trustee Kathy Lorde, who served from 1993 to 1999.

Harding said that although her candidate lost, she felt the results of the election were promising, as nearly half of the votes for the Republican candidates were made through their independent line.

The village board incumbents were elected to serve two-year terms, and do not receive compensation from the village. The terms of trustees Anne Poorman and Guy Longobardo, both Republicans, are set to expire in March 2018.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com BRONXVILLE TRUSTEE

election results Randy Mayer

596

Robert Underhill

573

Elizabeth Calderon 144

ECAP holds annual MLK breakfast

Pictured are members of the Eastchester Community Action Partnership, ECAP, advisory board, the Eastchester 5K Committee and the Rotary Club of Eastchester at a recent ECAP meeting. Contributed photo

The Eastchester Community Action Partnership, ECAP, held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at the Reformed Church in Bronxville in mid-January. This breakfast is a major fundraiser and also gives ECAP the chance to honor its community supporters. This year’s honoree was the Eastchester 5K Committee for its large donation which enabled ECAP to finally purchase a much-needed passenger van.

ECAP area director Don Brown said, “We are so thank-

ful to the Eastchester 5K for this generous donation. This new van will enable ECAP to deliver food pantry bags to older residents who do not drive and are unable to walk with the heavy grocery bags. It will also be used to pick up donations and could be used in various other ways as well.”

The Rotary Club of Eastchester has agreed to help pay the insurance costs for the van. The club also donates many of the turkeys for ECAP’s Thanksgiving food drive.

ECAP serves only residents of Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester, and all services are free. It runs an after-school program, a biweekly food pantry, an emergency food pantry, and offers gently used clothing, toys and household items. It offers tutoring using Concordia College and local high school students, a referral service to hundreds of agencies and community-based partnerships, and distributed more than 200 Thanksgiving baskets to residents last year.

(Submitted)

4 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

What’s going on...

Bronxville Public Library

p.m. In honor of Women’s History Month, this is a concert that celebrates the lives, romances, careers and hit songs of Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, Kate Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Rosemary Clooney, and other female vocalists of the Big Band era. Performed by Ken Lelen on vocals and vintage guitars. This event is free and open to the public, and made possible through the generous funding of The Friends of the Bronxville Public Library.

Momma & Baby Yoga For more information on library hours and programs, visit bronxvillelibrary.org.

Beginner Chess On Wednesday, March 29 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. For ages 5 and up. Join Miss Calderon for an introduction to chess. Players with prior experience may also attend. Online registration required.

Please put child’s name and age in the comment box provided.

On Friday, March 31 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Open to babies 2 months to 10 months old. Practice yoga while interacting with your baby. Includes an introduction to infant massage. Space is very limited. Online registration required. Please put child’s name and age in the comment box provided.

Tuckahoe Public Library For more information on library hours and programs, visit tuckahoe.com/library.

Tween Cooking Class

New electronic resources

On Wednesday, March 29 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. For ages 8 to 13. This month, the library welcomes Chef Anna DiMaio. Tweens will learn how to make pizza. This is a hands-on cooking class.

Online registration required. Please put child’s name, age/grade and food allergies in the comment box provided.

Hoopla, Mango Languages and Pressreader are available now from the library. Enjoy free movies, music, audiobooks, e-books, language-learning resources, and thousands of newspapers and magazines. Ask a librarian how to use them with your own devices.

Ken Lelen in concert

Every Friday through April 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get your taxes done. No appointment neces-

On Thursday, March 30 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45

AARP Tax Aide Program

sary; first come, first served.

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

Lunch and Learn: A Healthful Dose of Bacteria On Tuesday, March 28 from noon to 1 p.m. in the NYP/Lawrence lobby Conference Room. Come learn about the many benefits of prebiotics and probiotics, from aiding in digestion and immune health to therapies for those with Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. A light lunch will be served. Cost: Free. To register, call 787-5000.

Eastchester Recreation Easter Egg Hunt The town of Eastchester Recreation Department presents the Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Comizio Orthodontics. The event will take place on Saturday, April 8 at 2 p.m. at Eastchester Town Hall. Join the town for an eggstravaganza. There will be thousands of eggs scattered on the Town Hall lawn for girls and boys up to fourth grade. Bring a basket to fill up with lots of goodies. You may even catch a glimpse of a special bunny. The event is free to all participants and is held rain, snow or shine.

TYA Youth Baseball and Softball Open to all children living or attending schools in Eastchester, Bronxville and Tuckahoe. For boys ages 4 to 12 and girls in grades 2–8, as of May 1, 2017. Fee: $165. For more information and to register for the spring, visit tyabaseball.com. For questions, email rsyphertya@gmail.com.

Summer camps During the week of March 13, applications were mailed to all campers who attended camp in the summer of 2016. At that time, applications will also be available online at eastchester.org/ departments/recreation, where you will also find more information on the camps below.

Summer Camp 2017 early bird registration week will begin on Monday, April 3 through Friday, April 7 at the Recreation Office at Eastchester Town Hall, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sign up by April 7 to receive significant savings. Regular rates begin Monday, April 10.

Camp registration will close on Monday, May 15, and applicants will only be accepted if space permits.

There are four separate day camp programs for children who turn age 4 by June 27 through youth entering grade nine in the fall of 2017.

Camp Rainbow information will be available soon. Please check eastchester.org/departments/ recreation periodically for more information.

Camp Galaxy Junior and Senior are full day programs for grades 1–3 and 4–6, respectively.

Swimming and out-of-camp trips are included with Camp Galaxy. Both camps begin on Tuesday, June 27.

Camp Quest is a travel camp for grades 7–9; trips are taken each day throughout the tri-state area. Please note that registration for this camp is on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. in the Community

Room at Eastchester Town Hall. There will be two sessions: Session A starts on Monday, June 26; Session B starts on Monday, July 17.

Bronxville school news 2017-2018 transportation Residents of the Bronxville Union Free School District of the village of Bronxville who wish for transportation for school-age children to private or parochial schools for the 2017-18 school year must submit their request in writing by Monday, April 3, 2017 to: The Board of Education, Attention: Mr. L. Daniel Carlin, Assistant Superintendent for Business, 177 Pondfield Road, Bronxville, NY 10708.

Forms are available in the district office. For more details, please visit the district website, bronxvilleschool.org. You will find info under District – Other Information – Transportation Procedures.

Westchester Italian Cultural Center Spring language classes For adults, classes for first-time learners only will be held on Mondays, April 3 through June 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Other beginners will have classes on Mondays, April 3 through June 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Returning students will continue in their current time slot, and new students will be put in touch with the professor to determine speaking level and class placement.

The fee for the 10 sessions is $300 for members, and $400 for non-members.

Also for adults, intermediate classes will be held on Tuesdays, April 4 through June 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Continuing students will continue in their current time slot, and new students will be put in touch with the professor to determine speaking level and class placement. The fee for the 10 sessions is $300 for members, and $400 for non-members.

Trial classes are available for $40 upon request. Please call 771-8700 to register for any of the aforementioned classes. For more information, visit wiccny.org.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester Little Playtimes On Tuesday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Little Playtimes at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester lets little LEGO lovers enjoy big fun. Activities include DUPLO Story Time, Farmer’s Workshop, and the newly added Animal Bingo. Appropriate for children under the age of 5.

Cost: $22 for one adult and one child; additional children are $10 and children age 2 and under are free. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester is located at 39 Fitzgerald St. in Yonkers. For more information, call 866-243-0770 or visit legolanddiscoverycenter.com/westchester.

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.

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 5

EFD chief to retire; 2 captains to interview for job

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer With Eastchester Fire District Chief Michael Grogan set to retire on March 31, the district’s Board of Fire Commissioners is looking at two fire captains for a possible replacement.

The Board of Fire Commissioners will conduct interviews during a meeting on the morning of Saturday, March 25, and according to Chairman Dennis Winter, plans to name the new chief during a public meeting at Bronxville Village Hall on March 27.

Of the department’s five active captains, three were invited to interview for the Grogan’s position. Commissioner Anthony Lore confirmed that captains Ralph Stupple and Brian Tween are interviewing for the chief position. A third captain, Richard Dempsey, declined an opportunity to interview, the Review has learned.

Stupple had been the assistant chief of the department until that position was abolished by the Board of Fire Commissioners in July 2016.

One of the department’s longest serving chiefs, Grogan, who will retire on his 59th birthday, has been an Eastchester firefighter for more than 32 years, including 12 years as chief of the department. Before joining the career firefighters, Grogan spent eight years as a volunteer firefighter in the district.

Grogan was the assistant chief in 2004, when then-Chief Keith Fennelly retired. Grogan was named acting chief when Fennelly stepped down, and was promoted to permanent chief of the Fire Department in June 2006.

Having spent the last 40 years with the department in some fashion, Grogan said there’s a lot he hopes to do in his retirement.

“I’ve got a honey-do list at home

Michael Grogan walks in his last Eastchester St. Patrick’s Day Parade as fire chief on March 12. Grogan, a firefighter for 32 years, will retire from the chief position effective March 31. Photo/Corey Stockton

that’s 20 years old,” he told the Review. “I got a list a mile long of things I can do. I love helping people; that’s why I love this job.”

He added that he has a cabin in the Adirondacks, which he wants to enjoy while he can still split firewood by hand. And he still maintains his father’s plumbing business, where he worked before joining the Fire Department.

Gorgan’s father, Joseph, had also been a firefighter in the department for 29 years; and his son, Robert, is an active Eastchester firefighter.

But the chief said his ties to the district weren’t only based

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on service or blood relationships; his heart is in the district.

“It was never just a job,” he said. “It was a calling, a vocation. It’s always been inside me.

And it will [continue to] be inside me.”

Grogan added that he has offered to return to the district to do maintenance work while the district looks to hire a new maintenance worker. The former maintenance worker, Vincent Spadaro, died on March 15.

The chief’s salary for 2017 is $169,719. The average salary among the five captains is $140,659.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

COREY STOCKTON

corey@hometwn.com

6 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

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New Facebook project aims to improve journalism

Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com

By TAYLOR BROWN General Assignment Reporter

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

Looking to address issues with inaccurate or “fake” news as well as problems with the highly popular social media website, Facebook has launched the Facebook Journalism Project.

Sources close to the company say the project came about as Facebook began looking to see how it could better work with the news industry, and help give its readership the tools they need to have a more meaningful discussion about the news.

In January, Fidji Simo, director of product for Facebook, announced on the social media site’s blog that the company was launching the project with three main goals: finding the best way to spread news, improving the skills of reporters, and stopping the spread of inaccurate news.

The project, according to a source with knowledge of the endeavor, is intended to be an ongoing task for the site. And part of improving the spread of news will include developing the skills

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 General Assignment | Taylor Brown ext. 30, taylor@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 Andrew Dapolite, Aaron Kershaw, Charlie McLaughlin Columnists Mary Marvin, Richard Forliano, Lenore Skenazy Letters

of the people who write it, Facebook claims.

In the announcement post, Simo says that there are online courses available for journalists to improve their skills. Yet, the online courses available are mostly centered on topics including building a media presence, managing ads and targeting your ideal audience.

But in another blog post on Facebook written by Áine Kerr, manager of journalism partnerships for Facebook, she explained that the journalism project would be hosting “working groups” to discuss news literacy with a variety of people including writers, teachers and organizations.

These groups will be hosted at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

While Facebook is claiming to want to improve journalists’ skills, the project has its skeptics.

Dr. Mitchell Bard, assistant professor of mass communications at Iona College in New Rochelle, is not a believer in the project. “If journalists want to learn how to operate better on-

line, I don’t recommend Facebook,” he told the Review.

Michelle Rea, executive director of the New York Press Association, an organization founded in 1853 that works to improve communication amongst smaller news publications, shares a similar sentiment. “I think it’s a giant PR stunt…,” she said.

In all, the project has launched a larger discussion surrounding the involvement of social media in the dissemination of news and information.

And the initiative also comes on the heels of Facebook coming under fire in recent months for contributing to the spread of fake news on its website. This increased when Facebook fired its Trending Topics team in August 2016. The team had worked to filter out headlines and stories for the trending topics section of the website. Without the team, Facebook began using an algorithm to determine what the trending topics were.

Soon after the team was fired, however, the algorithm began taking fake news from untrusted

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Headlines like these can sometimes gain fake news stories thousands of views, and hundreds of comments from people who believe them. Photo courtesy cnn.com.de

Fake online news articles such as this one use clickbait to ensure that users, whether they agree or disagree with the headline, will click on it to find out more. Photo courtesy americannews.com

websites and displaying those in its trending section.

Fake news became a popular topic again in November 2016 during the presidential campaign, when Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, addressed the concern that the false articles on the social media site may have had an effect on election results.

Zuckerberg’s post inspired an open letter from the International Fact-Checking Network, IFCN. The letter, published on Poytner. org, encouraged the social media company to help its users more easily identify these hoaxes, and discuss ways to fight against them.

Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the IFCN, said that fact-checkers have been at the forefront of the fake news issue before it became such a widespread problem on social media.

Mantzarlis said that the IFCN had published the open letter because the company felt that it was a good time to step up and say the network would be happy to help combat the spread of fake news, especially since the IFCN had already been dealing with those types of things for years.

Facebook has mentioned that they will now only be using factchecking organizations to identify fake articles, as long as they abide by IFCN’s code containing the five rules of fact-checking: fact-checking needs to be fair, honest about sources, transparent about organizations that provide them with funding, open about the fact-checking procedures, and stay honest about any corrections made.

While fact-checking is an important part of preventing the spread of misinformation, Facebook is also trying to help its users spot fake news on their own.

In the blog post, Simo wrote that Facebook will be working with the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit program that works with educators to teach middle and high school children how to look at real and fake news critically.

Rea, who also brought up what the work of the News Literacy Project does, believes that “we need to take news literacy to a higher level.”

Facebook and the News Literacy Project are currently working together to create a series of public service ads that will encourage users to look at news carefully, and help remind people to not believe everything they read.

“We just want to help consumers,” said Peter Adams, senior vice president for educational programs at the News Literacy Project.

Adams explained that the nonprofit has had conversations about how everybody on the social media platform is engaging with fake news, and they want to help people not be manipulated by these false news stories.

These ads, which will be launching in the spring of this year, want to act as reminders to Facebook users that there is a lot of misinformation spread around, and provide users with tips to not fall victim to the headlines.

Bard explained, however, that fake news is one of the things that gets people more engaged on Facebook and that by trying to combat the spread of it, the website is going against its goal of getting as many people active there as possible.

“I don’t think we really know what the real goal [of the project] is,” he said.

CONTACT: taylor@hometwn.com

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 7

County police still short-staffed despite new hires

By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer Westchester County police are set to add five officers, but it won’t be enough to meet the needs of the department, according to the union president.

This year’s $1.8 billion county budget calls for funding for 292 police officers in the Department of Public Safety, but the department will still be 10 positions short of their budgeted staff size even with the addition of five new officers.

The news comes with added significance, as County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, originally agreed to increase funding for hiring more officers during budget negotiations in December.

Despite that agreement, there is currently no indication whether or not there will be any immediate action to hire more officers in the near future. And, as a result, Astorino’s political opponents have used the opportunity to criticize his leadership.

“Spots for county police are not budgeted as a suggestion,”

said county Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat who is hoping to receive the Democratic nod in the upcoming county executive race. “Five new officers [are] far from what Westchester needs.”

The new officers, who come from the Mamaroneck, North Castle, Scarsdale and Mount Vernon police departments, are expected to begin on March 13.

But, according to Micahel Hagan, the president of the county Police Benevolent Association, PBA, the additional positions will not fill the needs of the department, which has seen a number of departures in recent months. “I think this shows a complete lack of commitment to the department,” he said. “During the budget process, the department commissioner requested 292 police officers in order to complete our core mission, and the county executive agreed and funded that. Now they’re saying we’re fine running short. It’s very disingenuous.”

The union president, who told the Review that 10 officers retire on average each year, said

that four police officers retired in January, and the department is expecting more to come soon.

“Several officers are already in the process of retiring,” Hagan said. “It’s very possible that some of them will be gone before the [new] officers are even trained, and then we’ll be stuck in the same void as we’re in now.”

Hagan also said the lack of staffing is likely to affect how the department will patrol county-owned parks, which currently have no oversight. He added that officers will patrol parks in the summer months as usual, but it’s probable that there will be less patrols and less hours during the day dedicated to that task.

Westchester County police are responsible for watching over county-owned parks, local parkways, key county facilities such as the Westchester County Airport in Harrison, and the county office building in White Plains. The department is also known for aiding local municipal police departments.

Last November, there weren’t any county police officers pa-

On March 13, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety will add five new officers to its ranks, but union officials are worried it will not be enough for the department’s needs. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

trolling the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation when a female jogger was attacked by an unidentified man.

As of press time, there have

been no arrests related to that case.

County Legislator David Gelfarb, a Rye Brook Republican, and Phil Oliva, the chief of staff

for the county administration, could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

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8 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

Reviewing the government pyramid BRONXVILLE TODAY Mayor Mary Marvin

With the current discussion of various elections, budgets and taxing entities, I thought it instructive to review the government pyramid that trickles all the way down to our village board, truly the end of the line!

Our Albany government is headed by the governor and lieutenant governor, who are elected for four-year terms with no term limits. Historically, unlike the office of the mayor of New York City, the governorship is a successful launching point for even higher aspirations. Ten governors have been major party candidates for president, and four—Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt— have won the office. Six New York governors have gone on to serve as vice president, and two governors, John Jay and Charles Evan Hughes, served as chief justice of the United States.

The governor presides over a bicameral Legislature consisting of 150 Assembly members and currently 63 state senators.

A Senate district varies from two to three times more populous than an Assembly district. Both legislative positions are two-year terms with no limit. The Senate alone confirms the governor’s appointment of all non-elected state officials and judges.

Currently holding a slight majority, the Senate is led by Republican leader John Flanigan, a 15-year legislator who represents the Nassau County towns of Smith Haven, Brookhaven and Huntington.

The Assembly, with a Democratic majority, is led by Carl Heastie, a 17-year veteran in office representing the Northeast Bronx, including Williamsbridge and Wakefield. He is the first African-American to lead the Assembly since its inception in 1777.

When bills are jointly passed by the two houses, the governor has a veto power that can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote.

Bills passed during the last 10 days of a legislative session are subject to a special 30-day rule upon which if the governor takes no action, it constitutes a veto. That is why so many local officials wait with baited breath during that final month to see the possible effects on local governments.

Next in the hierarchical structure is county government.

Though the largest and most inclusive local government, it is the most limited in the services it can legally provide. Every New Yorker lives within one of our 62 counties. Scarcely resembling their function at their inception in colonial times, county governments now are largely partners with the state to provide many of the state-mandated services including Medicaid, other social services, and management of jails and prisoner retention.

They may also provide police services, parks and recreation, community colleges, road and transportation infrastructure, economic development assistance, and coordinated regional response to issues of commonality.

Coincidentally, there are also 62 city governments in New York state ranging in size from New York City at over 8.1 million residents to the city of Sherrill with a population of just under 3,100. Cities are governed by locally created charters that address their basic organization including powers, type of legislative bodies, and services rendered directly to its citizens including public safety and infrastructure.

Following down the pyramid is town government. Established in the late 1700s to early 1800s to carry out general governmental functions on a more local level rather than as a state service, there are currently 932 New York towns, each of which exists

in a county. Interestingly, towns in New York are not permitted to provide fire services on a townwide basis. For this function, special fire protection districts or independent fire boards governed by commissioners must be created.

Villages such as our own and our neighbor Tuckahoe must exist within a town. Thus, every citizen of a village also lives in a town and a county.

There are currently 551 villages in New York state, and their size and services vary so greatly that there is no typical village.

The government closest to its citizens, villages very much value Article IX of the state constitution or so-called the Municipal Home Rule Law which explicates the constitutional local powers. “Home rule” in its broadest sense describes those governmental functions traditionally reserved to or performed by local governments without undue infringement by the state. In its more technical sense, “home rule” refers to the constitutional and statutory powers given to local governments to enact local legislation in order to carry our local duties.

The above constitutional right is a primary reason why many communities chafe at the imposition of a tax cap and all of its inherent restrictions placed upon local governments by state dicta.

In the same vein, many communities had reservations about the Affordable Housing Decree, not because of its clearly laudable goals, rather because the federal government wanted to impose a uniform zoning code on all Westchester County communities regardless of community acreage or density.

All of the above layers are the reasons why you receive a federal, state, county, town, village, fire district and school district tax bill, all with varying due dates, penalties and legal consequences.

ELECTION from page 1

From left, Tuckahoe’s newly re-elected Trustee Greg Luisi, Mayor Steve Ecklond and Trustee Tom Giordano celebrate the results of Tuesday’s election. During his acceptance speech, Giordano praised Luisi as “a man of integrity,” and Ecklond as “a man of action.” Photos/Jen Parente

total votes.

According to statistics from the Westchester County Board of Elections, the volume of voters in the 2017 election reflects more than 25 percent of all registered voters in the village of Tuckahoe. Further, each of the nine candidates was within 80 votes of each other.

In defeat, the Democratic ticket and the Tuckahoe Independents engaged in a war of words. Both slates felt that the high voter turnout meant the Republicans were vulnerable for defeat if a third slate hadn’t appeared on the ballot. And statistically, more people voted against the Republicans than voted for them. During their campaigns, the Tuckahoe Independents and the Democrats, who also ran on the Hold Hotel Accountable line, advocated for more scrutiny of the controversial Brownfield Cleanup to make way for a Marriott hotel on Marbledale Road. “[The village Democratic Committee] never put[s] up opposition candidates, and when

they do, they simply peel votes away from the people that really do care about this village and participate in the village, and have a lot at stake in the village,” Caliano said.

When told of the comments made by some of the Tuckahoe Independents’ candidate and their supporters, Chris DiGiorgio, the village Democratic Committee chairman, said the idea that the Democratic Party shouldn’t run candidates in an election is “totally ludicrous.”

“Does a major party not run candidates from local to president,” he asked. “If anyone is stealing any [votes] around here, it’s them.”

While the unconventional variety of candidates in this election favored victory for the Republicans—who have long controlled the village board—it could signal a change in the village’s political atmosphere. Caliano told the Review she would consider running again in a subsequent election although this is now her second failed bid for the

village board.

Next year, the seats of trustees Antonio Leo and Greg Alfasi, both Republicans, are up for election.

Meanwhile, Ecklond said the village board will plow ahead, confident that it is serving the community to the best of its ability. “We will not be intimidated by anyone; I don’t care if they’re called a coalition or actually called a group of candidates,” he said during his acceptance speech. “We are going to go ahead and do what’s right for the safety and welfare of everyone in our community.”

-with reporting by Franco Fino

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

Before the results are announced, Tuckahoe Independents trustee candidate Sarah DeRise, right, talks with supporters at the Tap House on Depot Square. The candidates were in good spirits and confident as the polls closed at 9 p.m., but the mood quickly soured upon word that the Republicans had pulled off the unanimous victory.

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 9

The times that try men’s souls HISTORICALLY SPEAKING Richard Forliano

No other community in America paid as high a price or endured more suffering that the town of Eastchester and its neighboring communities during the American Revolution. Why? When King George III failed in 1775 to crush the revolt in Massachusetts with a tiny army, he decided to go all out in 1776.

The plan was to send the largest amphibious force ever assembled to seize Manhattan, gain control of the Hudson River, and forever divide New England from the rest of the colonies. By the late fall of 1776, the prospects of the fledgling American army under the command of George Washington winning independence seemed at best remote.

New York City had already been lost. Washington’s demoralized and shrinking army retreating through New Jersey with the British in hot pursuit seemed incapable of defending the nation’s capital in Philadelphia from being captured. In his pamphlet “The Crisis,” Thomas Paine, accompanying the Continental Army, made this famous quote, “These are the times that try men’s souls…. The summer soldier will soon shrink from the struggle but the winter patriot will endure.” As every middle school student is taught, America did win its struggle for freedom.

What most people did not know is that in many ways Eastchester and Westchester County were responsible for victory in the American Revolution and the birth of American nation. Loyalist support was very strong in New York City, Brooklyn, and Queens County, as well as eastern New Jersey. From the fall of 1776, Manhattan Island, to the end of the war in 1783, New York City was under British control. New York was once the second most populated city in the colonies, but after British takeover the population went from 25,000 to 5,000.

But Westchester County, which bordered the Long Island Sound, Connecticut, and the Hudson, had a politically divided population of 21,000, includ-

ing 3,500 slaves, and was more or less evenly divided among Loyalists, Patriots, and fencesitters. Its prominent families— Van Cortlandt, Philipse, Pell, DeLancy, and Morris—along with smaller landowners and tenant farmers, were split politically.

To win the war, Britain had to gain control of the Hudson, Westchester and counties to the north, which held the key to the Hudson. For five long, brutal years professional armies, local militia, and criminal bands of marauders wreaked havoc among the once peaceful inhabitants of Westchester County. At this time prominent historians refer to Westchester as being in the grip of a vicious civil war, with fighting being more intense than any other part of New York state. But referring to the conflict as a civil war misses the point.

In a civil war, at least one army is in control. For seven long years, no army, no civil force had any control. Most of lower Westchester and especially Eastchester was a bloody no man’s land. To use more contemporary examples, the area in which we live referred to by later historians as the neutral zone was similar to Syria today, Vietnam in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, and the demilitarized zone during the Korean War. Before the War of Independence, the farmers of Eastchester were content with their quiet, prosperous way of life. In Westchester County, there were no Sons of Liberty, no committees of correspondence to share common grievances. By the end of 1776, with the British army in firm control of New York City, sitting on the fence was not an option. You were either a Patriot or a Loyalist. The war permanently divided families. Father fought son, brother against brother, husband against wife.

Loyalist militia fought Patriot militia along White Plains Road.

British expeditionary forces were sent up from New York City to instill terror. Continental troops, in order that the British obtain as little livestock and other provisions, were ordered to take everything than what was absolutely required by these families for survival. Roving bands of marauders called Cowboys and Skinners with no

civil or military power in control stole, tortured, and murdered from anyone who stood in their way. Cowboys stole cattle from defenseless farmers and sold them to the highest bidder. Skinners robbed clothing from murdered victims, corpses, and other innocent victims. Many houses and barns were burned. Some Loyalist families fled to Nova Scotia while Patriots fled to the north.

In 1993, Kim Sung-bok, professor of history at the University at Albany SUNY, published in The Journal of American History an excellent article on the impact of the war on residents caught between the lines. Kim’s understanding was influenced by his teenage experience during the Korean War and its devastating effect on lives, human dignity, morals, property, and community The war inflicted severe wounds both physically and psychologically on the residents who stayed. Many times, imperatives of survival dictated that the inhabitants pledge loyalty to neither side. Crops and livestock were sold to the British in New York City and to Patriots to the north. During the American War of Independence, there was a gallantry and romance amid the carnage between warring armies. This was not the case for those that stayed behind. At the end of the war, the people of our town and many other Westchester communities feared everyone and loved no one. They were little different from the refugees from Korea and Vietnam during their conflicts and the people in Syria today.

Today, Americans collectively celebrate our victory in the American Revolution. But the times that truly tried men’s souls were not only on the battlefield but on the home front, caught between the lines of rival forces.

In the next article, specific examples of the horrors of war will be described for the town of Eastchester.

Please contact us at historian@eastchesterhistoricalsociety.org about any comments or questions you might have about this column.

Any questions about sources of information will be answered.

Westchester County including the town of Eastchester were responsible for victory in the American Revolution and the birth of the American nation. Photo courtesy National Archives

SUPERINTENDENT from page 1

School Leadership LLC, a company that helps in the search and advising of potential superintendents.

The school district also opened a survey up to the Bronxville community, which had them answer four questions including their preferred traits in a new superintendent. The results, announced in November 2016,

The Bronxville school district announced Dr. Roy Montesano as the new superintendent of schools, effective July 1. Photo courtesy Bronxville school district

said that people were looking for someone who was inspirational, a good communicator, was good with finances, and would be able to foster trust in the community.

Bronxville will pay Montesano an annual salary of $275,000.

Jeffrey Rohr, president of the Bronxville Board of Education, couldn’t be reached for comment as of press time.

CONTACT: taylor@hometwn.com

10 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

Business Briefs Local real estate agent affiliates with Coldwell Banker

New Rochelle resident Melba Herrera Kelly has affiliated with the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Larchmont. As a real estate salesperson, Kelly will provide residential real estate services in Larchmont and New Rochelle, as well as the surrounding communities of Mamaroneck, Rye Neck, Rye, Pelham and White Plains.

Kelly has extensive experience in residential real estate sales. She has been a sales associate since 2008 achieving silver award status at her previous brokerage.

“We are greatly pleased to welcome Melba to the Larchmont office. As a successful real estate professional, she brings with her a breadth of experience and a strong understanding of the local market,” said Alice Horowitz, senior managing director of the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Larchmont. “I look forward to watching Melba continue to grow her business in the months and years to come.”

As a member of the New Rochelle community, Kelly has been an active volunteer in the school system, including co-chairing the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence Gala Auction Committee.

Kelly can be reached at the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in Larchmont at 8347100. For more information, visit coldwellbankerhomes.com/tri-states.

JCC names new director of development, donor engagement The Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester recently announced that Beth Grafman is its new director of development and donor engagement. Grafman, who has more than two decades of experience in community and nonprofit development and programming, joins the JCC of Mid-Westchester senior management team.

“We are excited to have Beth join our team,” said Karen Kolodny, executive director. “Her deep experience building and funding community collaboration will inspire support for the important role we play in Westchester. Beth’s civic involvement and deep commitment to the Jewish community will help us continue our tradition of connecting with and serving the JCC’s diverse constituencies.”

Roger Kahn and Helen Samuels, co-presidents of the JCC of Mid-Westchester’s board of directors, agree. “Beth Grafman is a wonderful addition to the dedicated team of professionals in place here at the JCC. Her experience at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and ability to manage a

portfolio of philanthropic investments in over 80 communities throughout North America has certainly prepared her well to quickly build strategic relationships and support,” they said.

Grafman lives in White Plains with her husband Allan and four children, where they have been active members of Temple Israel Center synagogue for nearly 20 years. A five-term Sisterhood president, she currently serves on the synagogue’s board of directors and is a former board secretary for Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake.

Born and raised in Chicago, Grafman earned her MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She began her professional career at GE Capital in sales and marketing, and served for nine years on the faculty of Schechter Westchester in White Plains.

“Westchester is a world-class community. It deserves to have a world-class JCC with broad-based support,” Grafman said. “Having spent more than five years helping to grow the PJ Library program throughout the country, I understand the incredible power of stories. Now I’m looking forward to sharing stories of the JCC’s impact as a true community convener. I’m confident these stories will inspire even greater participation in the JCC’s bright future.”

The Westchester names new general manager The Westchester has named a new general manager to oversee operations at Westchester County’s premiere shopping destination.

Steven Sayers comes to Westchester from Brea, California, where he was the general manager of the Brea Mall, a super-regional shopping center in Orange County, California, that recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation.

Sayers attended college at the State University of New York at Albany where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

“I am thrilled to return to the New York area and to be leading our team at a time when The Westchester has recently undergone a total transformation,” he said. “With the opening in April of Savor Westchester, our new dining destination, the transformation will be complete and The Westchester will have the most ambitious redesign of any mall in the region. I am very proud to be taking the helm during this exciting time.”

Sayers joined Simon Property Group in 2010 as the assistant mall manager at Knoxville Center and West Town Mall in Knoxville, Tennessee.

In 2011, he joined the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, where he was involved in planning a major redevelopment of the property.

Sayers moved to Paddock Mall in Ocala, Florida, in 2012 to lead the newly renovated asset and management team through a period of transition. The following year, Sayers was promoted to Square One Mall near Boston.

Robert T. Guerra, regional vice president of Simon Property Group, said that Sayers’ experience

with the renovation at Brea Mall will be a tremendous asset to The Westchester as it completes its transformation.

“Steven brings energy and highly relevant experience to us at The Westchester,’’ Guerra said.

“We are most fortunate to have someone who understands today’s retail environment and who has recently been through a major renovation at his previous property.”

The Westchester in downtown White Plains has recently completed a multi-million dollar enhancement with modernized elevators and lobbies; new facades at major mall entrances; new landscaping and store flooring with grey and beige Italian limestone tile; new carpeting, as well as soft seating areas with complimentary charging stations. In December, it opened two entertainment areas: PLAY, a 2,300-square-foot interactive, educational play area; and CONNECT, a technology lounge featuring nine flat screen televisions, complimentary iPads and phone charging stations.

The final piece of the renovation is a brand new 350-seat dining venue featuring seven eclectic eateries, including some of Manhattan and Connecticut’s most popular and notable casual dining hot spots, and an outdoor dining terrace overlooking downtown White Plains, scheduled to open in April.

Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have also recently completed major remodeling projects to their stores at The Westchester.

“We look forward to having a fresh perspective as we begin this new chapter,” said Paula Kelliher, director of marketing for The Westchester.

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

Each submission may include one picture.

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

Arts in the area

Sponsored by

The Review in collaboration with ArtsWestchester offers a rundown of art-related events throughout Westchester County. Find our Arts in the Area page featured once a month.

50 artists record acts of love For more than a century, photography has given viewers a fresh perspective of the subjects and themes captured by its lens. From March 19 through June 25, Katonah Museum of Art will delve into one of photography’s most common themes—love.

“Picturing Love: Photography’s Pursuit of Intimacy” looks at the central role that photography has played in the documentation of private life. The exhibition, which will be divided into sections such as “kissing,” “holding” and “mothering,” will represent the ways in which its 50 exhibiting artists record acts of love—whether through familial affection or romantic engagements.

Facilitated by this theme is also an exploration of how changes in photographic technology, and in social norms, affect how love looks today. For instance, in contrast to our ability to instantly record and distribute our sentiments in today’s society, posed 19th century photographs added an element of formality.

Activities related to the exhibition, such as building a pinhole camera and designing a scrapbook, are planned for children and families throughout the run of the show. A discussion with art dealers about the photography market will also take place on March 23.

For more information, visit katonahmuseum.org.

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 11

for the stage and to bring new live theater to Westchester audiences, aims to amp up its commitment to the community. Now in its seventh year, the company is moving into a home of its own, at 23 Water St. in Ossining, and is dedicated to turning the location into a cultural home for area artists.

“We hope that it will play into the revitalization of Ossining and will become a space for the whole community,” says WCT Executive Director Alan Lutwin, who plans to partner with local businesses, artists and organizations. The space provides new possibilities for set design and lighting; will allow the opportunity for WCT to offer classes and small-scale musical productions; and will also act as an intimate performing arts space.

The new space’s inaugural production will be “Lot’s Wife,” on show through March 25. The play, written by WCT member Albi Gorn, is a modern response to the biblical story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Taking place during biblical times, the play tells the story of Lot’s wife in a way that relates to a 20th century audience: using contemporary dialogue and universal themes of family and survival.

The play was developed through WCT’s successful “lab approach,” which allows for new works to be nurtured through a process of readings, critiques, rewrites and, when the work is ready, a live production. Talkbacks with playwrights and cast members will take place after performances on March 25.

For more information, visit wctheater.org.

-Mary Alice Franklin

-Mary Alice Franklin

WCT moves into new space, announces March production

M&M Performing Arts Company brings mystery to Lyndhurst Mansion

Westchester Collaborative Theater, WCT, whose mission is to develop new theatrical works

Beginning March 16, M&M Performing Arts Company Inc. will bring Agatha Christie’s murder

mystery play “Mousetrap” to Lyndhurst Mansion.

“Mousetrap,” the longest running play in London’s West End, follows an eclectic group of strangers who are stranded in a remote mansion during a terrible snowstorm. Sgt. Trotter arrives to investigate a recent murder that appears to be connected to someone in the mansion. The mystery will keep audiences guessing who among the suspicious guests is the murderer—all before a twist ending that turns the traditional “whodunit” formula of murder mysteries on its head. The cast includes Jonathan Kruk, Michael Muldoon, Frank Panzer, Jim Petrillo, Karen Quinn-Panzer, Andrea Sadler, and Gregg Shults, and is directed by Melinda O’Brien. Performances will run through April 2 and take place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. Matinees run on Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m.

For more information, visit lyndhurst.org.

later be glazed and fired and will be ready for pickup approximately two weeks after the class. The intimate class setting lends itself to a date night or an outing with a small group of friends. These workshops take place every Friday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the center’s studio in Port Chester.

For more information, visit clayartcenter.org.

-Mary Alice Franklin

-Rocío De La Roca

Join the conversation about #WhyTheArtsMatter

‘Cladies Night’: Learning to create pottery in one evening Adult men and women who are looking to spend an upcoming Friday night exploring their artistic side will be at home at Clay Art Center’s “Cladies Night” workshops. Participants will get their creative juices flowing as they learn to use the potter’s wheel with the help of an award-winning ceramic artist. The B.Y.O.B (bring your own bottle) event is a one-night class during which students will create two clay pieces—a bowl, mug, plate or whatever else they choose. The works will

The arts matter; however, as the discussion about arts funding heats up nationally, ArtsWestchester aims to nurture a conversation among Westchester communities about why the arts matter. The organization encourages community members to join this conversation, and express how the arts have affected their lives, by participating in its #WhyTheArtsMatter social media hashtag campaign. Participants can post on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by including @ArtsWestchester, the #WhyTheArtsMatter hashtag, and their response.

These articles first appeared in the Feburary 2017 issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication.

ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy of the full issue is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.

Follow us on Twitter

@ eastchesterview

12 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

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March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 13

The genetic crystal ball RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

Congratulations, you’re going to have a baby! Would you like to know if, 50 years or so down the line, he or she might develop colon cancer?

And by the way, the baby may also have a slightly increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Would you like to know about that, too? And how about the odds of acne?

Aieee! These are not the questions any of us have ever had to answer… till now. But thanks to an ever-expanding arsenal of genetic testing, sometimes at birth, sometimes in utero, and sometimes even before the baby is conceived (that is, by testing the potential parents for genetic abnormalities), new dilemmas are headed to a pregnancy near you.

The genetic tests being developed today are “revolutionizing what we can know about babies, and how we perceive and treat and prevent disease,” says Bonnie Rochman, the former health reporter at Time Magazine and author of the new book, “The Gene Machine: How Genetic Technologies Are Changing the Way We Have Kids – and the Kids We Have.”

Back in 1971, when Rochman was an embryo, all her mom knew was that a baby was going to appear in about nine months. No one could test the gender, much less any genetic anomalies.

But today, I myself have two sons who were tested back when they were eight-cell embryos for a genetic mutation they had a 50 percent chance of inheriting: Marfan syndrome. It’s a disease my husband has, which can cause things like blindness

and heart trouble. Thanks to Yale geneticist Dr. Petros Tsipouras, who located the gene and then figured out how to test for it even while our kids were still in test tubes, we “engineered” the Marfan syndrome out of them.

This was not an easy or cheap process, but we are very grateful for the results—our Marfan’sfree sons.

But today, 20 years later, genetic testing is even more widely available, for far more issues, and it is this expanding universe that Rochman dives into.

“How much information do we want to know?” asks Rochman. That’s the heart of the matter. We already routinely test babies for certain diseases, “some of which may quickly prove fatal if not detected,” she says. Early detection leads to early intervention and “there’s little question that newborn screening has saved countless lives.”

But now, if a new test shows that a baby has a slightly elevated chance of developing, say, schizophrenia, is that something parents would want to be aware of? Or would it simply make them worried? One mom Rochman interviewed in her book had a prenatal test where the doctor announced he’d found something abnormal, but added, “We don’t know what it’s going to mean.”

So the woman had new information—something was “off”—but no clue as to whether it would affect her child’s life, or when, or how seriously. “This is going to happen more and more,” says Rochman, as science develops tests “so sensitive they can uncover information no one fully understands.”

That is precisely the issue Dr. Tsipouras, our geneticist, is working on now, as CEO of a new company called Plumcare.

The company will be sequencing newborns’ genomes, but he realizes a full-blown report is not something everyone is ready for. “My mother would say, ‘Don’t interfere with God’s plan.’ My wife would say, ‘What can I do with this information?’” says the doctor. But younger people, he believes, are more comfortable handling and assessing information. And frankly, they’re the ones doing the reproducing.

So his company is developing a rubric of when and what information to share. The questions that must be answered before passing on any information are: 1. Is this information relevant to you, specifically? For instance, if a baby has a genetic variation, but it’s one shared by his completely healthy dad, uncle and grandpa, it probably won’t have any ill effects.

2. What are the odds? If seven out of 10 people with this genetic variation get seriously ill by age 5, that’s quite different from nine out of 10 living to a ripe old age. The odds must be taken into account.

3. When and how will this change affect the child? Is it in 10 years, or 70? Will it pack a wallop or is it often mild?

The idea is not to freak parents out. It’s to alert them to problems before they occur, rather than reacting to them once they appear. Medically, it means we’re moving from curing diseases to prevention via prediction.

“When we talk about the info tech revolution, this is the next stage,” says Rochman: Using deep data to understand and change our DNA destiny. “And,” she adds, “we’re only at the beginning.”

CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

Town of Eastchester

Official Newspaper Eastchester Schools

Astorino announces keynote for fathering conference Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino recently announced that Mike Brady, president and CEO of Greyston, a leading social enterprise whose world-renowned Greyston Bakery provides employment opportunities that help lift people out of poverty, will be the keynote speaker at the third annual New York Fathering Conference taking place on Tuesday, April 4 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

“Mike Brady offers a visionary approach to business growth and social empowerment,” Astorino said. “Greyston Bakery’s model of Open Hiring creates opportunities for everybody, regardless of their background or work history. It provides people who want to work with the employment, skills, resources and dignity they need to break the cycle of poverty while supporting the overall growth of the business. We are honored to have him as our keynote speaker at this year’s Fathering Conference.”

The theme of this year’s event is “Ready to Work: Navigating Home, Job and Community.”

The program will include 21 workshops on topics such as job retraining, hiring trends, navigating government programs, men’s health and wellness, parenting skills, and ways to better engage fathers.

Up to 400 fathers and service providers are expected to attend, so please register in advance to secure your spot at readytowork. eventbrite.com. Registration is $45 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and beverages.

The County Center is located at 198 Central Ave. in White Plains. For more information, please contact Joseph D. Kenner, deputy commissioner of social services, at jkenner@westchestergov.com.

As president of Greyston Bakery in Yonkers for four years, Brady drove strategic business development with long-standing partner Ben & Jerry’s and with new partners such as Whole

Mike Brady, CEO and president of Greyston, will cover topics like hiring trends, men’s health, and ways to become a better father as the keynote at this year’s New York Fathering Conference.

Photo courtesy linkedin.com

Foods Market. During this time, the bakery realized nearly 100 percent revenue growth and became New York state’s first registered benefit corporation.

Brady recently took responsibility for all Greyston’s programs and businesses, including workforce development, community gardens, housing, health services and an early learning center.

Brady’s passion lies in the integration of business and social good, particularly through the scaling of Open Hiring throughout the country.

“Open Hiring has the potential to create opportunities all across the country for people facing barriers to employment,” Brady said. “Our commitment to the community and to the people is at the core of everything we do and I look forward to sharing our approach with everyone at the Fathering Conference.”

Following the morning keynote address, a panel discussion will focus on the theme of the conference, “Ready to Work: Navigating Home, Job and Community,” featuring: Donald Somerville of The Children’s Village as moderator; Mike Brady, president and CEO of Greyston; Dion Drew,

Greyston Bakery employee and father; Rosa Boone, DSS deputy commissioner; and Alphonso Simmons, R.E.A.L. Parenting Program coordinator, of Family Services of Westchester.

Organized by the New York Fathering Conference Planning Committee, a collaboration of government and nonprofit leaders, the conference is part of Astorino’s ongoing #DadBeThere fatherhood initiative. The goal is to target the full spectrum of fathers, from those who are present in the home to those who are not.

One of the highlights of Astorino’s fatherhood initiative is the R.E.A.L. Parenting Program, which is helping participants to find and keep employment, manage their child support payments, improve their parenting and relationship skills and most importantly, to be the positive role models their children and families need. To learn more, please visit westchestergov.com/ dadbethere.

“The role of a father is critically important,” Astorino said.

“Families are stronger when a dad is actively involved, and society is stronger as a result.”

(Submitted)

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

14 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017

SPORTS

The purest joy in sports LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

Shortly after Duke’s basketball team won the ACC tournament two weeks ago, a group chat between my buddies and I began blowing up.

Our friend Phil, an avid Blue Devil fan, sent a litany of texts explaining in no uncertain terms that, as Duke was far and away the best college basketball team in the country, it would only be a matter of time before they’d be cutting down the nets once again as longtime coach Mike Krzyzewski took home his sixth national title.

The messages were peppered with casual denigrations of the teams the rest of us supported and rooted for in the deep-seated sense of entitlement that Cameron Crazies—much like Yankee fans—seem to exude.

So boy, did it feel good on Sunday night when the Dukies

got eliminated by South Carolina.

The Blue Devils were trailing by 10 in the final minutes when we started letting Phil have it.

Memes of Duke guard/villain Grayson Allen tripping random opponents, images of Blue Devils with Jordan Crying-Faces superimposed on them, secondby-second updates of a score that was increasingly going the Gamecocks’ way; we were pouring it on thick.

Thirty minutes after the game, Phil finally responded to us, although both AP Style and common decency pretty much prohibit me from telling you what he said.

Outside of watching your own team win (my Villanova squad was similarly eliminated in the second round on Saturday), seeing the teams you despise—especially when your friends root for them—can provide some of the purest joy in the sports world.

I don’t think it makes me a bad guy to take such delight in the failures of my buddies’

teams, but that’s just the nature of sports. Heck, that kind of schadenfreude even caused me to root against my own selfinterests. I had Duke advancing to the finals in most of my tourney pools, but it was absolutely worth having my brackets busted in order to see Coach K get bounced by a No. 7 seed.

As it turned out, this weekend turned out to be a veritable cornucopia of petty fandom on my part. On Saturday night, the USA knocked the Dominican Republic out of the World Baseball Classic, and although I was proud that the Stars and Stripes lived to play another day, thanks in part to a spectacular home run-robbing catch by Adam Jones, I was positively cackling at the idea of being able to twist the knife a little bit when I saw some of my friends from San Pedro the following morning.

I had a litany of “Plátano Power” jokes lined up to go, and suffice it to say, I used them all.

Maybe it’s an ugly part of

On March 19, the Duke Blue Devils got eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Despite it ruining his bracket, Sports Editor Mike Smith couldn’t be happier. Photo courtesy Duke.edu

sports fandom, maybe it’s spiteful, but honestly, right now, I don’t care, because I got the chance to gloat.

Just please don’t make fun of me when the Red Sox finish third in the American League East this year. That would be

supremely uncool.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

TO COVER LOCAL SPORTS, YOU NEED A

LIVE MIKE! Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary Follow @eastchesterview for Mike’s live, in-game action updates

SPORTS

March 24, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 15

Local fighters take the stage

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor Only hours before prizefighter Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz stepped through the ropes at Madison Square Garden on March 18, his stablemates at Champs Boxing Club in New Rochelle had a local showcase of their own as they faced off against a squad of boxers from Ireland at the club’s Division Street gym. And although Cruz was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to challenge for a lightweight title that evening, Champs’ owner Ryan O’Leary feels that the day was a runaway success—both for his professional pupil and for his newer charges who got the chance to compete in front of a packed house earlier in the day.

Although fighters from Champs often take part in events throughout the tri-state area, Saturday’s seven-fight card gave several pugilists—including many first timers—a chance to compete in the familiar confines of the club’s New Rochelle gym.

Opponents on the afternoon

Heather Flaherty, right, embraces opponent Rebecca Weiss and trainer Ryan O’Leary following a 130-pound Masters bout at Champs Boxing Club. Flaherty took the decision.

included a handful of fighters from Ireland’s Kinsale Boxing Club who often travel to the states to take on international competition.

“This was in the works for about three months, we mostly had some younger boxers and some of the older, senior boxers,” O’Leary said. “We

generally fight all over the [New York] boroughs so to have it here, in our small space with a lot of fans, it really was an impressive time.”

“I just think that for those having their first fight, this was the most comfortable place it could have happened,” he added.

The Champs squad earned a

Elvis Cardenas fires a straight right hand during his 135-pound bout against John O’Brien.

Brittany Plummer from Champs Boxing Club lands a right hand against Denice O’Leary from Ireland on March 18. Plummer was victorious in her first amateur fight.

clean sweep over Kinsale’s fighters, and a few others, including Heather Flaherty, found success against domestic competition as well. Flaherty, a 47-year-old mother of three from Greenwich, Connecticut, outpointed Rebecca Weiss from Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn in her in-ring debut, much to the delight of a boisterous throng of fans from her hometown who traveled down to New Rochelle to watch the fights. “[Flaherty] comes in every day and works her head off, and she must talk to everyone, because she had a group of people there who all had shirts with her name on it,” O’Leary said. “And she was in there against a good experienced girl, it was nonstop action and that was a huge victory.”

Elvis Cardenas, a 16-yearold New Rochelle resident, who won his first bout as a member of Champs, beating 135-pounder John O’Brien from Ireland, said that getting the chance to show off his skills in front of a rabid home crowd made all of the work that he has put in over the last two years worth it.

“It’s exciting when people come in, it’s exciting for everyone,” Cardenas said. “When the bags

Champs coach Keith Brown waits for the decision after his fight against Kinsale Boxing Club’s Will Rosall. Photos/Mike Smith

are here, you’re working, but getting the chance to spar, it’s just more, more, more.”

After the afternoon bouts concluded, several members of the club headed down to Madison Square Garden where Champs professional Pee Wee Cruz got a chance to battle for the WBC Continental Americas Lightweight Championship against undefeated prospect Ryan Martin. The fight was Cruz’s first since returning to O’Leary’s gym a few months ago, and marked the longest layoff of his professional career as the Port Chester native had not had a bout since last April’s win over Moises Delgadillo.

Though Cruz was game, the undefeated Tennessean stopped

him in the eighth round of the first televised undercard of the Gennady Golovkin versus Danny Jacobs pay-per-view.

Despite the loss, O’Leary was happy with the way Cruz shook off some of the ring rust. “[Martin] was really tough and Pee Wee hadn’t fought in a year, so I thought he did some really good things,” O’Leary said. “The most important thing is that [Cruz] knows that he belongs there now. If we’d had more training, he definitely would have gone the distance, so we’ll just have to tweak some things and hopefully we will be back there, fighting for another title.”

CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com

16 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 24, 2017