April 21, 2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

April 21, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 16 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Town Republicans to seek new council terms

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

A FITTING

tribute

On April 13, the Eastchester baseball team honored the memory of late coach Dom Cecere, who died on April 1, prior to a game against Sleepy Hollow. The Eagles picked up an emotional 6-5 victory on a walk-off hit. For story, see page 15.

Photo/Mike Smith

Westchester in driver’s seat on Uber, Lyft policy

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer While mobile ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft could legally expand their coverage areas across New York state by early summer, it will ultimately fall on Westchester County lawmakers to accept the state’s regulations, or to push for even tighter restrictions.

Included in the state budget adopted earlier this month was a law allowing ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber—which allow customers to order and pay for a ride with a few taps on a smartphone— to operate across New York state, expanding beyond New York City, where those companies have been operating through the city’s taxi and limousine laws since 2011.

The state law would require a list of insurance coverage during different stages of the service, and would require drivers to undergo state background checks. Drivers are required to have at least $1.25

million personal liability coverage, and the same amount in supplemental uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. The state law also puts a 4 percent tax on ride revenue.

But the ride-hailing legislation also allows the state’s counties and its largest cities to decide for themselves whether to accept the state’s provisions, to block the services altogether, or to further expand on the requirements made by the state.

Any municipality with a population of 100,000 or more—in Westchester, that list includes only Yonkers and the county at large—has the option to accept or reject the state’s provision.

According to county Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat who plans to run for county executive, county lawmakers are not certain whether Westchester will remain in or opt out of the program.

He said the decision will be based on if the county can adjust the law to fit Westchester’s individual

needs for fairness and safety.

“The taxi and limousine folks would be at a competitive disadvantage,” Jenkins said, explaining that taxi and limo drivers pay state and county sales tax totaling more than 7 percent, higher than the 4 percent ride-hailing tax included in the new state law.

Taxi groups like the Upstate Transportation Association have pushed to add fingerprinting to the list of requirements for Uber and Lyft drivers in fairness to taxi and limo drivers, who are fingerprinted as a requirement of taxi and limousine commissions across the state, including Westchester County. But that provision was not included in the final draft of the law.

Dan Branda, a spokesman for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, said the administration was reviewing the legislation while the state DMV works to release its official ride-hailing regulations.

UBER continued on page 8

Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita, Councilwoman Theresa Nicholson and Councilman Luigi Marcoccia, all Republicans, each plan to run for re-election, the Review has learned.

Colavita has been on the Eastchester Town Council for nearly two decades, and has been the supervisor since 2004; he is currently serving in his seventh-consecutive, two-year term as supervisor.

Colavita, 54, has only been contested once as supervisor, when he defeated Democrat Michael Denning, a former Eastchester police officer, in 2013.

This year, the incumbent supervisor is running alongside two Republicans whom he has previously appointed to replace council members who stepped down to pursue higher offices.

Marcoccia, formerly a three-term Tuckahoe village trustee, was appointed to fill the Town Council seat vacated by Sheila Marcotte—after she was elected as a Westchester County legislator—in 2010, and was elected to the seat later that year. He was elected to his first full four-year term in 2013, and will be seeking a second full term this November.

“I’m a lifelong resident of the village of Tuckahoe,” Marcoccia, 45, told the Reivew. “[Serving on the Town Council] is something that I never expected to do, but it’s something I really enjoy doing. I have a lot more to offer.” He said that he hopes to continue improving Eastchester’s parks and the town-owned Lake Isle Country Club, and added that in his time on the council, the Eastchester officials have started holding council meetings in Bronxville and Tuckahoe to keep open communication with village residents.

Colavita and Marcoccia will be joined by Nicholson, who could not be reached for comment as of press time. Nicholson, 54, was ap-

INSIDE The Westchester upgrades its dining Story on page 11.

pointed to the Town Council in November 2014, filling the unexpired term of former Councilman Fred Salanitro, a Republican who was appointed town justice. She was officially elected to the seat in 2015 to fulfill the remainder of Salanitro’s term. This would be her first try for a full four-year term.

Neither Marcoccia nor Nicholson has previously been contested in a race for council, and the Eastchester Democratic Committee has not announced whether it plans to run a slate of candidates in the November election as of press time.

John Filiberti, chairman of the Eastchester Democratic Committee, said the committee would make its announcement at a future time.

Eastchester town elections rarely draw large voter turnouts; but elections this March in each of the town’s villages—Bronxville and Tuckahoe—saw the highest voter numbers in at least a decade.

Bronxville’s Democratic Committee ran its first candidate since 2006, and Tuckahoe saw both a Democratic and independent slate try to take control of the village board.

However, in both of those elections, the Republican incumbents secured their seats.

The town supervisor receives an annual salary of $98,093, and each of the council members receives $15,831 per year. Election Day is Nov. 7.

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

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

2 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 3

Bronxville adopts village budget The village of Bronxville adopted its municipal budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year on April 10.

The $16.2 million spending plan goes into effect on June 1, alongside a $6.1 million capital plan.

-Reporting by Corey Stockton Between permits, tickets and meter fees, Bronxville plans to collect more than $3 million in parking revenue this year. File photo

3.22% The adopted budget for the upcoming fiscal year did not fall under the state-mandated tax cap, which was 1.15 percent. The village nearly tripled that number, coming in at 3.22 percent.

Village Administrator Jim Palmer said he recommended that the Board of Trustees adopt a budget that was “fiscally responsible,” which he suggested did not necessarily coincide with the tax cap. The village adopted legislation to override the cap in February.

$3.3M

$4M

More than half of all estimated revenue in the budget other than taxes for the upcoming fiscal year relates to parking expenses. In total, the village estimates that it will collect more than $3 million in parking revenue when combining permit fees, meter collections and parking tickets.

That estimate is up more than $100,000 from the current year’s budget, partly because the village plans to collect on the newly constructed Kensington Garage, which Palmer estimates will be open to the public by the beginning of June. In all, the 2017-2018 budget anticipates more than $6 million in revenue.

Bronxville vs. the tax cap 5%

$88 While the property tax levy will increase by 3.22 percent, residents’ tax rates will increase by less than half that number, by 1.47 percent. Last year, homeowners paid $3.06 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. This year they will pay an additional 4 cents for that value. For a median Bronxville home of $2.2 million, that equals an $88 increase in village taxes. That amount does not take into consideration town of Eastchester, Eastchester Fire District, Bronxville school district or Westchester County taxes.

4.35%

About two-thirds of the village’s $6.1 million capital plan for fiscal year 2017-2018 will go toward potential renovations to the Department of Public Works facility on Palumbo Place. Village officials have mulled an overhaul of that facility for at least three years. The village has allotted $4 million in the adopted budget for that facilities’ update this year. The majority of the funding for the $6 million capital plan would come through bonds, although $2 million would be transferred from the general fund.

The village’s undesignated fund balance currently sits at $6.07 million.

4% 3.90 %

3.22%

3%

21%

2.90 %

2%

2.17%

2.87% 1.48%

1.68%

1.15%

1% 0.12%

0% Fiscal Year

•

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

Bronxville tax levy increase

• New York state tax cap

Of the $775,666 increase in spending from this fiscal year to the upcoming one, 21 percent—$160,000—would go toward the Police Department. Bronxville’s contract with its police union guarantees a 2 percent salary increase to all union employees, which caused most of that increase in the 2017-2018 budget.

4 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

What’s going on...

Bronxville Public Library

which we donate to the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Tween Cooking Class

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

Science Sunday!

On Sunday, April 23 from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. For ages 4 and up. Science concepts and related hands-on activities.

On Wednesday, April 26 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. For ages 8 to 13. Another cooking class is underway. Chef Anna DiMaio will be joining the library for the month of April to make homemade pizza. Online registration required, as space is limited. Please provide child’s age/grade and allergies in the comment box provided.

Imagination Station Craft On Thursday, April 27 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. For ages 3 and up. Use provided materials to create your own craft masterpiece.

Adult Coloring Group On Mondays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Coloring has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Come and be creative and meet new friends, all while listening to tranquil music.

Coloring sheets and materials will be provided.

The Bronx, the Way It Was On Monday, April 24 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Take a stroll through the Bronx of yesteryear with this presentation by Steve Samtur, editor and publisher of Back in the Bronx magazine and author of four books on the Bronx. This fun walk down memory lane includes close to 500 never-before-seen photos of the Bronx the way it was back in the decades of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Social Needlers On Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon.

This is a weekly knitting and crochet hour.

Socialize while making beautiful items

Short Story Reading On Saturday, April 29 from 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Acclaimed voice actor Alan Sklar will perform a dramatic reading of Lawrence Block’s story, “Hilliard’s Ceremony.” Alan Hilliard is an American foreign service officer in Togo, Africa. He has a good life but feels something is missing, so he speaks with an American friend who suggests he meet a wise African witch doctor. Hilliard does so… with surprising results. A delightful story about breakthroughs and personal growth.

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

Arbor Day celebration On Saturday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m. For ages 3 to 7. Come listen to a reading of Dr.

She’s not crazy, her name just rhymes with it. Read Lenore Skenazy’s column every week in the Review.

A past contributor to the Daily News and the New York Sun, Skenazy has also appeared on “The Daily Show,” been profiled in the New Yorker and even had her own reality TV show, “World’s Worst Mom.”

Seuss’ “The Lorax,” and meet a very special guest. Refreshments will be served. To register, call the library at 961-2121.

Culinary Fun On Tuesday, April 25 at 11:30 a.m. Join Annette Zito, author of “KitchAnnette Red Carpet Menus,” for some culinary fun and a book signing. Space is limited. To register, call the library at 961-2121. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tuckahoe Public Library.

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

Childbirth Class On Saturday, April 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the NYP/Lawrence lobby Conference Room. Childbirth classes are taught by certified Lamaze instructors trained to help expectant mothers prepare for giving birth. A tour of the NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital Center for Maternal Child Health is also included. Cost: $200. To register, call 787-5044.

Look Good Feel Better On Monday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to noon in the NYP/Lawrence lobby Conference Room. Look Good Feel Better® is affiliated with the American Cancer Society, inviting women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for professional wig fittings and makeup applications. To register, call 800-227-2345.

Westchester Italian Cultural Center 2017 Italy trip This summer, Westchester Italian Cultural Center will be traveling to Sicily and Calabria in Italy from July 1 to July 11. Make memories that you’ll cherish forever. Now it is time to book your spot on this fabulous trip to Italy, and start dreaming of strolling in a piazza while eating the most delicious gelato. To register and learn more about the trip, visit wiccny.org/travel-program or call the center at 771-8700.

Eastchester Recreation Summer camps Applications are available online at eastchester.org/departments/recreation, where you will also find more information on the camps below. 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.

JCC of Mid-Westchester JCC Academic Center The JCC Academic Center is registering now for the following programs to help students prepare for spring 2017 exams: biology SAT subject test, chemistry SAT subject test and math 2 SAT subject test prep, AP review, Regents prep, and summer SAT and ACT intensives and boot camps. For details on all programs and online registration, visit jccmw.org. Questions? Contact Lisa Itzkowitz, director of the JCC Academic Center, at itzkowitzl@jccmw.org or 472-7176. All classes are held at the JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale.

Westchester County news Register for children’s summer camps Registration is open for Westchester County Parks’ popular summer camps for children and young people. Online registration is available at parks.westchestergov. com/activities/childrens-camps. For more information on any of the programs, visit the aforementioned website or call 2314673, unless stated otherwise.

Perfect Pitch and Swing Baseball Camp, for ages 8 to 12, at V.E. Macy Park in Ardsley.

Slam Dunk Basketball Camp, for grades 3–9, at Westchester County Center, White Plains.

Girls Volleyball Camp, for grades 6–12, at Westchester County Center, White Plains.

Challenger Sports Soccer Camp, for grades 1–9, at V.E. Macy Park, Ardsley. For more information, call 714-8601 or visit challengersports.com.

Hole-in-One Junior Golf Camp, for ages 10 to 17, at the county courses: Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake, Yonkers; Hudson Hills, Ossining; Maple Moor, White Plains; Mohansic, Yorktown Heights; and Saxon Woods, Scarsdale.

Children’s Summer Ecology Program, for grades 1–9, at Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains; Marshlands Conservancy, Rye; and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River.

Conservationists in Training, for grades 7–9, at Cranberry Lake Preserve, North White Plains, and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River.

Muscoot Wranglers, for ages 4 and 5, and Muscoot Young Farmers, for grades 1–8, at Muscoot Farm, Katonah. For more information, call 864-7282.

Summer Music Center, for grades 3–12, at Westchester County Center, White Plains.

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.

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 5

Free tuition touted despite uncertainty

Even with its uncertain economic impact, several elected and school administrative officials in the Hudson Valley region support Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently approved plan to provide free tuition at public universities and colleges. File photo

By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer With the passing of a proposal to provide free tuition for income-eligible residents statewide at SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities, several elected and school administration officials are weighing the forthcoming fiscal impact of the plan.

On April 8, state leaders approved the plan known as the Excelsior Scholarship, which will cost more than $160 million a year once the program is fully phased in. The proposal’s approval is part of the $153.1 billion 2017-2018 state budget that was passed on the same day, a week after its deadline.

The plan, proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, will be carried out over a three-year period. Families and individuals earning up to $125,000 a year would qualify for the free tuition at public universities and colleges across the state.

Despite support from several elected and school administrative officials in the Hudson Valley region for the plan that’s a first of its kind in the country, it’s currently uncertain just how it will impact the state economically.

While the state estimates spending $163 million a year on the program, based on the number of students enrolled in public universities and colleges, the allure of the program could potentially draw interest from more students.

“We’re supportive and excited about the governor’s initiative, which will increase access to higher education, help with retention and graduation, and will relieve the burden of student debt,” said Thomas Schwarz, the president of Purchase College, one of two New York state schools located in Westchester County. “We believe the Excelsior Scholarship will have an impact on a very large segment of our student population, but the extent of the impact depends on how the program will be implemented.”

The plan is expected to be implemented by borrowing capital from a number of tuition assistance programs the state already offers to low-income families, such as TAP, which provides nearly $1 billion in grants

to college students statewide, according to Cuomo’s office.

In the 2015-2016 fiscal year, more than 355,000 students were awarded more than $956 million in TAP funds with an average annual award of $3,302 per recipient.

State Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat, said the plan will work hand-in-hand with TAP, which saw a $19 million increase in the program. He added that TAP will now have an incentive for private colleges to provide additional aid to students.

TAP will provide students with $3,000 in additional assistance with a match from private colleges. It would also require a freeze in student tuition for the duration of the award.

The idea for the proposal came just after being championed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, during his presidential primary for the Democratic nomination last year.

State Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat running for county executive, said he also supports the plan but is also unsure of just how it will impact state taxpayers. “My approach is that it’s an effort to deal with the changing reality and is in some ways an experiment,” he said. “If it does provide people the opportunity it’s supposed to, then it’s a good thing. I think it’s an experiment worth trying.”

Latimer explained that the program won’t work as a “handout,” as some might expect. Rather, there will be stringent requirements for students to perform at a high level in order to keep the scholarship. “We want to give everyone the opportunity to succeed, but we’re also not going to pay for you if you fail,” he said.

The scholarship would also mandate participating students to be enrolled at a SUNY or CUNY, two- or four-year college full time. It will however not cover the cost for room and board.

Tuition, which does not include room and board, costs $6,470 at four-year SUNY schools and $6,330 at four-year CUNY schools.

CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com

6 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

170 Hamilton Ave., Suite 203 White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Tel: (914) 653-1000 Fax: (914) 653-5000

SUNY Purchase announces

new journalism partnership

Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com Christian Falcone Associate Publisher | Editor-in-Chief ext. 19, chris@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 Reporter | Franco Fino ext. 18, franco@hometwn.com General Assignment | Taylor Brown ext. 30, taylor@hometwn.com

Guernica Magazine will have a second location on the SUNY Purchase College campus in the Humanities Building. File photo

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

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By TAYLOR BROWN General Assignment reporter One area college is working to better equip its students with real-world journalism experience by partnering with Guernica Magazine.

This collaboration will allow for students of SUNY Purchase College to have access to internships and fellowships with Guernica Magazine, a nonprofit online publication that began in 2004 which covers topics including arts, politics, fiction and poetry.

The magazine, which is currently stationed in New York City, will be setting up a second home on campus in the college’s Humanities Building in the fall 2017 semester.

The partnership came about after Ravi Rajan, the dean of School of the Arts for SUNY Purchase, reached out to Guernica Magazine with interest in collaborating. According to Betsy Aldredge, media relations specialist at SUNY Purchase, Rajan was looking for a new way that students would be able to get interdisciplinary experience and is also a big fan of the magazine.

Katherine Rowland, publisher and director of Guernica Magazine, said that the magazine had started brainstorming with Rajan about a year ago to see how the two could work together. After further discussion with the publisher, the partnership was born.

“We [will] sort of mutually help one another in creating more robust, interesting, innovative multimedia projects,” Rowland said.

This type of collaboration is a first for both Guernica Magazine and SUNY Purchase.

The partnership will work to help give experience to budding journalists, and offer opportunities to students interested in video editing, graphic design and marketing. Under SUNY Purchase’s

School of Humanities, they offer majors in journalism, creative writing, and media, society and the arts.

Aldredge said that this type of program will help students who may otherwise need to go into New York City to complete an internship.

Now, that opportunity will be right on campus.

The program will be available to undergraduate and graduate students at SUNY Purchase who will have the opportunity to participate in internships and fellowships.

“Every fellow and intern we bring on will be paired with a member of the editorial staff,” Rowland said.

As of now, Guernica Magazine has five senior nonfiction editors, two over-arching editors-in-chief, a fiction editor, a poetry editor and a multimedia editor.

The first editorial project that

Guernica and SUNY Purchase will collaborate on is “Dispatches from the Frontlines of Climate Change,” an editorial piece focusing on global warming.

Rowland explained that this project is something the magazine has been in development with another science-based nonprofit organization.

“We are going to be pairing writers with what we consider to be the most pressing climates issues of the day,” Rowland said.

The project in its entirety will include 10 individual written pieces over the course of a year.

Aldredge said that students will be able to approach this topic from different angles, and has the potential to include students from non-journalism majors including environmental studies majors.

Aldredge explained that the partnership is mutually beneficial, as the magazine, which currently accepts submissions and commissioned work, will now have access to students who can help create more content while also providing students with experience in the field of media.

Partnering with Guernica is part of a bigger initiative at Purchase College to help students gain more writing experience beyond textbooks.

SUNY Purchase also offers the Purchase Community Reporting Initiative, which is part of a class called Community Reporting, taught by Brian Kates, a visiting

assistant professor of journalism.

Kates is a former investigative reporter, editor, writer and columnist for the New York Daily News, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize while he was its deputy editorial page editor in 1999.

His course, which kicked off in the spring 2016 semester, enables students to get real-life experience working with professional newspapers and magazines in the surrounding areas of Westchester County.

The class is set up in way where students can collaborate with the professor on their pitches or are given ideas for stories from publications. From there, the students write their articles, submit them to Kates, and receive feedback and edits and as he sees necessary.

The work is then submitted and students receive feedback and edits from the publication to improve their articles before being published.

“It seemed to me that if we could get students to write for real publications, with real deadlines, real stories, not merely exercises, the actual thing, that that would be the most beneficial thing they could have,” Kates told the Review.

The class, which meets twice a week, currently has six students enrolled. It is a regular four-credit course, and to be able to take it students must first have taken an advanced journalism course.

While there is no requirement for the amount of articles they need published, each student so far has had two professionally published articles.

“The more opportunities that students have to write and get published, I think that’s a good thing,” Kates said.

CONTACT: taylor@hometwn.com

Guernica Magazine publishes a variety of fiction and non-fiction work.

Photo courtesy Guernicamag.com

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 7

s

From left, Sean, Adam, Emma, and Grace Larkin hold up their Easter eggs. Photos/Jen Parente Ron Con with her mom Minyan Con.

Easter Bunny

Lianni Forbes embraces her younger brother Ethan.

hops into Tuckahoe The village of Tuckahoe held its annual Easter egg hunt on April 15, where hundreds of children flooded Parkway Oval Field in search of nearly 1,100 Easter eggs.

According to John Galluzzi, a recreation attendant for the village, the event was the largest he’s

seen to date.

“This event has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years and it would not have been possible without the generous funding we receive, and the mayor and Board of Trustees for producing this event as big as we do,” he said.

Funding from the event came from the Generoso Pope Foundation, a private foundation located in Tuckahoe which supports local civic and cultural initiatives.

Nutmeg Café, located on Main Street, and Gyro Uno, a food truck out of Astoria, Queens, provided food and drinks for the event; a disc jockey from Ray Entertainment 2000 played music for the children and onlookers.

“As long as the children are happy, we’re happy,” Galluzzi said.

“It’s a wonderful thing to put a smile on a kid’s face.”

-Reporting by Andrew Dapolite

Casandra George poses with the Easter Bunny.

A mother and daughter wearing their bunny ears at the village of Tuckahoe’s annual Easter egg hunt.

Tyler Smith holds two baskets of Easter eggs.

8 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

The state budget and Bronxville

UBER from page 1

Meanwhile, he said, “Our focus continues to be on passenger safety, including that vehicles will be properly insured and maintained and that drivers will be vetted with fingerprint-based background checks and drug and alcohol testing.”

Earlier this year, Jenkins proposed a county law which would have allowed ride-hailing in the Westchester. However, the state legislation fulfills nearly every provision recommended in that draft, which proposed that drivers maintain $1 million in personal liability insurance and undergo county background checks, and that ride-hailing apps send photos of drivers to patrons.

Jenkins’ law was sent to the county Public Safety and Social Services Committee on Feb. 13; it has not been officially discussed in committee, as of press time.

Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat who also plans to run for county executive in November, said that in the interim, the county should meet with other suburban counties like Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, to ensure that the law to bring ride-hailing “upstate,” applies fairly to counties nearest New York City.

Individual ride-hailing companies may decide which cities and counties will get the service first based on where the best markets are, although Westchester may appear an obvious choice given its proximity to New York City and the rate at which Uber and Lift drivers venture into, out of, and sometimes within its borders. While those services have not been legally available in Westchester, drivers have often operated here nonetheless, using the county airport as one of several hubs.

By this summer, Uber and Lyft will be available—legally—in every state in the continental U.S. and ride-hailing officials are excited for the expansion.

BRONXVILLE TODAY

Mayor Mary Marvin

Riders cannot legally take Uber or Lyft rides within Westchester County until at least July, but a recent screenshot of Uber drivers available in White Plains shows that they’re here, regardless of the current restrictions.

Photo courtesy Uber

“Thank you to Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo and the New York state Legislature for working hard on a compromise that will bring more transportation options to the Empire State,” said Josh Mohrer, Uber’s tri-state general manager. “We can’t wait to bring reliable, affordable transportation options to the entire state this summer.”

The law allowing those services to operate in the state goes into effect on July 8, 90 days after it was passed, allowing time for the state Department of Motor Vehicles to establish regulations.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

The recently passed state budget had minimal effects on our village. The provision most important to small communities like our own is AID or state aid to municipalities. The fund, a revenue source to cover the cost of the more than 200 unfunded state mandates, has been level or reduced every year since 2008, creating a $133 million reduction in dollars delivered to local governments statewide. Just as the annual increases in school district aid have helped districts comply with the tax cap or maintain certain services, municipal governments need and deserve comparable yearly increases.

Other legislation our bipartisan New York state and Westchester County Mayors’ Associations advocated for were either ignored or grossly underfunded.

So as to not have to rely on the whims or sometimes beg for direct financial aid from Albany mentioned above, we continue to support legislation which would prohibit the enactment of statutory or regulatory mandates which impose a direct or indirect local financial burden unless an appropriation is made sufficient to hold each local government harmless from any part of a new fiscal burden. In addition, all current unfunded mandates should be required to sunset in two years unless they both prove their existence as an essential service and a funding source is allocated to offset the expenditure.

In New York, unfunded mandates cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars and have become the “go to” back door way of increasing local property taxes, the most regressive form of government taxation. It is particularly important to stem these in Westchester as we live in the highest taxed county in the country.

Further, to decrease the burden on the local property taxpayer, the Conference of Mayors urged that the state, at local option, allow us to impose charges on tax-exempt properties to defray even a portion of the cost of the services local governments provide. While municipalities currently have limited authority to impose user fees to cover some of the expenses incurred (hence the trend in many communities to create lighting, paving and curbing districts which can then charge all beneficiaries of the improvements through a usage formula), we are prohibited from charging for the most costly services including police and fire protection.

This past October, Gannett papers conducted an expansive study on tax exemptions in New York state and the effect on local governments.

Approximately $866 billion in property value is exempt from school and municipal taxes and the number of wholly tax-exempt parcels in New York has grown from 179,420 in 1999 to 219,602 in 2016, a 22 percent increase. The values of those properties have also more than doubled from $276 billion to $567 billion over the same time period. For villages, including our own, the average amount of tax-exempt

property is one quarter of the land within municipal boundaries.

As an interesting aside, in his very recent State of the City address, Yonkers Mayor Michael Spano asked his colleges and hospitals to voluntarily contribute 25 percent of what would be their tax obligations to help defray the cost of essential services provided.

Since local revenue streams are the only way to offset the financial burden on the local taxpayer, mayors also continually ask for permission to levy gross receipts taxes on utilities at a uniform rate. Currently, Yonkers, Buffalo and Rochester have the ability to impose a 3 percent tax while the rest of the state is capped at 1 percent. In addition, though New York City and the state of New York itself have recognized that most telecommunications are now wireless and have amended their statutes accordingly to include cellular phone service for taxable purposes, local governments are prohibited from doing the same for even the 1 percent we are allowed to collect from utilities. It is not only a major financial loss but patently unfair.

I write often about the 2 percent tax cap and the unintended but deleterious consequences that have already manifested themselves. The major disincentive is the impetus to repair our aging infrastructures, most notably water and sewer systems, since expenditure on them is “non-deductible” from the tax cap, which due to an inflation tie-in is actually closer to a 1 percent cap.

Net-net, if a politician wants to garner good press, get elected or re-elected, they often opt to stay under the cap by neglecting the unsexy underground repairs of a community.

In the recent state budget, an additional $200 million was earmarked for water infrastructure. Though an admirable start, the number is woefully short of statewide needs.

The state comptroller’s report of 2014 cites three separate studies estimating a combined water/sewer infrastructure funding deficit of $10.7 billion. Infrastructure is critical to both a community’s economic stability and improved quality of life and must be funded by a formula remotely tied to need.

Disappointed but not deterred, the New York State Conference of Mayors continues to lobby our elected officials on the issues that help to sustain our local communities.

Unfortunately, local governments to some politicians represent too many disparate types of people, so we are not a “special interest group” or voting block that gets needed attention. We don’t have membership dues, political action committees and funds or drive folks to the polls. We are just the private property taxpayer who in the end funds it all!

I urge you to reach out to all of our elected officials, myself included, and express your views, suggestions, and displeasures. The accepted understanding is that a personal letter or phone call to your representative at the district office level is most noticed. The hope is that if enough of us begin to actively engage in the process, change is possible.

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

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 9

County inks 99-year lease for biotech hub

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The 3-million-square-foot North 60 biotech center in Valhalla would include a hotel, retail space, a biotech research center and several medical offices. It would sit on 60 acres of property leased from Westchester County for nearly a century, beside 20 acres of property already owned by the developer. Contributed photo

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer Westchester County and a Connecticut-based developer have signed a long-term lease to develop a $1.2 billion, 3-millionsquare-foot biotech center in Valhalla.

The county Board of Legislators voted unanimously to sign the lease giving the developer, Fareri Associates, leasing rights to a 60-acre property adjacent to a 20acre, Fareri-owned property in Valhalla for just short of a century.

Fareri is now one step closer to building the Westchester Bioscience & Technology Center on county property near Westchester Medical Center. The biotech center, also known as the North 60, would include 2.2 million square feet of research space; 400,000 square feet of medical offices; a 100,000-square-foot hotel with 100 rooms; a 34,000-square-foot children’s living science center; and more than 100,000 square feet of retail space. Fareri Associates already owns an adjacent undeveloped 20-acre property.

About 44 acres of the combined properties will be preserved as green space throughout the length of the agreement.

The project would cost an estimated $1.2 billion to complete, including about $40 million for infrastructure projects on county property which would be funded by Fareri.

When finished, the developed portion of the project would be more than double the size of other milestone development projects in Westchester, such as the 1.3-million-squarefoot Ridge Hill shopping center in Yonkers and the 1.2-million-square-foot former IBM campus in Somers.

County Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat, said this was the biggest development project in the county in memory.

“It takes an unused asset that’s just wild

in size and undeveloped and turns it into a money-producing asset for the county taxpayer and a valuable developed asset for the people of Westchester County and the region, from an economic and biotech perspective,” he said.

The project would be done in phases, with the first phase including the entire hotel and about 400,000 square feet of the other projects: portions of the research center, retail and medical space. As those phases are completed they will become usable, allowing the county to ramp up what it collects from Fareri in rent and taxes.

According to county estimates, the construction phases of the project would create 4,000 part-time construction jobs; when completed, the biotech center would create 8,000 full-time medical, research, retail and hospitality jobs.

But that can’t happen until the development passes an environmental review in the town of Mount Pleasant, in which Valhalla sits. While the development goes through review—and until the proposed structures are filled with tenants—Fareri will pay the county $125,000 in rent per year. When the proposed structures become fully operational, the county anticipates an annual rent income of about $7 million, plus $9 million in new tax revenues.

Kaplowitz recanted a suggestion often made by County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, saying that the North 60 development—coupled with the Regeneron headquarters in Eastview, the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, and the NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville—could make the county a “mini Silicon Valley” for biotech, adding that the county could soon become a destination for biotech research.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

10 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

Business Briefs Weichert, Realtors promotes Siracusa to head of residential sales James Weichert Jr., president of Weichert, Realtors and co-president of the Weichert Companies, is pleased to announce that Carlo Siracusa has been named head of residential sales for Weichert, Realtors, one of the largest family-owned-and-operated real estate companies in the nation. In this role, Siracusa will be responsible for leading sales production and sales force growth for Weichert, Realtors, while delivering Weichert’s full-service value proposition to all of its customers.

“We are both proud and excited to promote Carlo to head of residential sales,” Weichert said. “His proven track record of developing sales associates and sales managers into market leaders positions Carlo extremely well for growing Weichert’s residential real estate presence.”

Siracusa brings 17 years of real estate experience to his new role, most recently serving as regional vice president for Weichert’s Middlesex, Ocean and Monmouth County, New Jersey, sales offices. Siracusa joined Weichert as a sales associate in 2000 and quickly became a top producer in the corporate headquarters sales office. In 2005, Siracusa became the sales manager in Clifton, New Jersey, and was promoted to lead the corporate headquarters sales team in 2007, where he was a repeat recipient of the Regional Manager of the Year award.

In 2015, Siracusa was promoted to regional vice president, and in 2016, he led his team of 20 sales managers to their most successful year since 2008.

Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of full-service real estate and financial services companies, Weichert helps customers buy and sell both residential and commercial real estate, and streamlines the delivery of mortgages and home and title insurance. Weichert leverages its customer website, www.weichert.com, one of the most visited real estate websites in the nation, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick and easy access to listing information and the services of its real estate professionals nationwide. For more information about Weichert, Realtors or to find your local office, please visit weichert.com.

GDC celebrates debut of The Metro in White Plains Ginsburg Development Companies, GDC, the area’s leading developer of luxury rental apartments, joined with White Plains officials last month to celebrate the debut of GDC’s first residential rental property in downtown White Plains. The 124-unit, 12-story building, formerly known as Halstead White Plains, was recently purchased from DSF Group for $35.25 million and is being rebranded as The Metro by GDC. “These are exciting times for downtown White Plains which is undergoing a dynamic transformation with several major residential and retail projects under way. GDC is delighted to be part of the excitement with the debut of The Metro,” said Martin Ginsburg, principal and founder of GDC. “Transit-oriented developments, such as The Metro, are a driving force in today’s multi-family market, especially with millennials. With its easy access

to Manhattan and vibrant retail and restaurant scene, White Plains has all the ingredients for continued economic growth,” he added.

“We are seeing tremendous investment in our city and Ginsburg Development’s investment in 34 South Lexington Avenue is an important part of that. This property is in the heart of the White Plains transit district, an area for which we have recently completed extensive study and which we will soon begin to address short and long term improvements,” said White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach. “Like us, Ginsburg Development clearly recognizes the potential of the transit district as an integral node of our downtown and the importance of White Plains as a regional business, retail, and entertainment hub. I welcome their investment in our city and look forward to working with them,” he added.

The Metro becomes GDC’s fourth luxury rental building and its first acquisition that is located with easy access to Metro-North train service. Last year, GDC completed Harbor Square, a 188-unit luxury rental located on the Hudson, next to the Ossining train station. Harbor Square features a public park, waterfront promenade and restaurant. The new restaurant is scheduled to open this month.

In Yonkers, GDC is currently completing the construction of River Tides at Greystone, a 330-unit luxury rental in Yonkers overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. The project features a direct walkway to the nearby Greystone Metro-North train station. GDC is also building 1177@Greystone, a 55-unit luxury rental apartment building located one block north of River Tides with similar easy access to the Greystone train station.

Founded in 1964 by principal Martin Ginsburg, Ginsburg Development Companies is a premier residential developer in the northern suburbs of New York City. With 50 years of experience and market leadership, GDC has built many of the region’s most successful and prestigious luxury developments, many with a Hudson River and/or transit-friendly focus, including Harbors at Haverstraw, Livingston Ridge in Dobbs Ferry, Ichabod’s Landing in Sleepy Hollow, Mystic Pointe in Ossining, Marbury Corners in Pelham, and Christie Place in Scarsdale. GDC’s developments have won numerous design and community planning awards. In addition, GDC owns and manages a portfolio of commercial properties, located primarily in Westchester County.

Lazarakis earns certification as health educator, advocate The National Institute of Whole Health, NIWH, established in 1977, is pleased to announce that Danielle Lazarakis has earned the designation of certified patient health educator and advocate after meeting the eligibility criteria and successfully completing a rigorous certification training and examination in whole health education.

Lazarakis has been a health care professional for nearly two decades. She graduated cum laude from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry in 1995. She went on to earn a certificate in 1996 and became a new state licensed diagnostic medical sonographer in 2007. Later, she studied homeopathy for two years.

Throughout her career, Lazarakis has honored the philosophy that patients should always come first. Her caring bedside manner has comforted thousands of patients through-

out her 19 years as a registered medical sonographer. After working with a multitude of cancer patients, Lazarakis decided she wanted to be more involved in the prevention and healing of health conditions. This strong desire propelled her to further her education and become a health educator and advocate from the National Institute of Whole Health, in Boston, Massachusetts. She became the founder of Remedyourlife, a health education service based in Westchester County.

“The NIWH Patient Health Educator and Advocate certification program has created greater visibility and application skills for the disease prevention, patient and specialty health field. Graduates are qualified to provide patient health education along with behavioral change advocacy”, states Dr. Georgianna Donadio, program director of NIWH. The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies patient and community health educators as one of the fastest growing careers in the US with a 21 percent growth projection over the next 10 years. Credentialed, trained patient health educators assist primary care physicians and medical specialists in complying with health care reform mandates to focus on disease prevention, patient wellness and health education.

There are now more than 5,000 NIWH certified patient health educators and health advocates in the United States. Many hospitals, medical centers, private medical practices and health-related businesses have recognized the importance of this training and certification, and reimburse their licensed health professionals for this professionally accredited continuing education and professional devel-

opment program.

NIWH is dedicated to excellence in the field of patient health education and health advocacy. Established in 1977, NIWH has pioneered the fields of Whole Health Education® and Whole Person Health Care ™. For more information, visit niwh.org.

Best Feet Reflexology opens in Harrison Best Feet Reflexology is now open in Harrison. Located at 225 Harrison Ave., the new facility offers professional foot massages as well as Asian body work.

Foot rubs start with a soak while the upper back and neck area are massaged for 15 minutes. Next, patients are reclined in an oversized cozy chair where a therapist works their magic on the feet and lower legs. Full body massages are also available.

Best Feet Reflexology offers clients a relaxing, quiet environment with soft lighting.

Whether you choose a 40-, 60- or 90-minute session, you will certainly leave considerably more relaxed than when you arrived.

Discounted packages are now available.

Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. For an appointment, call 718-864-8536.

The next Business Briefs section will run in May. Please send any submission for our May 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.

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 11

Savor Westchester rebrands luxury mall

By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Assistant Editor The food court at The Westchester mall has finally been upgraded, with Savor Westchester set to open in late April. The new and improved fourth floor of the luxury mall will feature six trendy eateries, all the first locations of their kinds in Westchester County.

Paula Kelliher, director of marketing at The Westchester, owned by the Simon Property Group, said that the new food court was part of a multi-million dollar renovation of the mall. “What we realistically tried to do was make Level 4 more of an experience for our guests,” she said, referring to the old dining options as “a food court of the ‘80s.”

The Westchester is a considered a luxury destination, therefore it was fitting to have the food court reflect that, according to Kelliher. “We felt that we owed it to our guests to really enhance and provide a new dining destination,” she said.

There will be six new eateries, most of them from Manhattan with one coming from Connecticut. They were chosen through numerous visits to New York City to places that were considered “glamorous dining destinations,” Kelliher said, which were not in Westchester County. Bluestone Lane Coffee hops onto the trend of Australian-style coffee and café fare.

Juice Generation will offer shoppers fresh and cold-pressed juices, smoothies and vegan food. Tomato & Co. is located in Milford, Connecticut, and will offer Neapolitan-style pizza. Mighty Quinn’s BBQ prides itself on being familiar yet unique at the same time. Whitman’s offers burgers and seasonal fare that is locally sourced. And, coming this summer, Westchester County will have its first sushi burrito location with the opening of Hai Street Kitchen & Co. Savor Westchester will seat 350

patrons and will also feature an outdoor dining patio with a fireplace, which overlooks Tibbits Park that runs along North Broadway and Westchester Avenue in downtown White Plains. “It’s probably the first time that a consumer would actually see part of [the downtown] in a way they’ve never seen it before,” Kelliher said.

Savor Westchester started this process by evaluating the whole property, with renovations beginning in February 2016. “While [the mall’s] structure looked amazing, investing in the property was a winwin for our retailers and our consumers,” Kelliher said. The goal was for The Westchester as a whole to be an experience.

The eateries will also share the fourth floor with the new CONNECT lounge, which offers nine flat-screen TVs showing sports, news and entertainment along with complimentary iPads and charging stations; and the 2,300-square-foot, interactive, educational PLAY area that incorporates STEAM principles. Both amenities opened last December.

“You always want to be trendiest and the most up-to-the-moment in what you present to the public,” Kelliher said.

One shopper, Susan Esposito, mentioned that the old food court didn’t have anything new or current. “It didn’t have many options and became a haunted floor,” she said. “I don’t really go there, but maybe with healthier options, it will draw more people to it.”

Another shopper, Kerween Gutman, felt the same way about the “outdated” Level 4. “I’m so happy, I have two kids and sometimes they want to go to the food court and at least they could pick something,” she said about Savor Westchester. “I’m really going to go and check it out.”

Kelliher pointed out the residential development taking place in White Plains, especially on

Students become Google Educators

At a glance Beginning this month, Savor Westchester will offer six new dining options Bluestone Lane Coffee offers Australian-style coffee and café fare Juice Generation offers vegan food, juices and smoothies Tomato & Co. is a Neapolitan-style pizzeria Whitman’s offers burgers and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients Mighty Quinn’s BBQ offers fast-casual food Hai Street Kitchen & Co. will open this summer, offering the county’s first sushi burrito location

Bank Street and Maple Avenue, as a catalyst for The Westchester’s recent renovations. “You want to capture all these residents by providing them with a great place to shop,” she said. “White Plains has invested quite a lot into this redevelopment [of the city].”

The Westchester already has three restaurants on its premises: Café Nordstrom, Mariposa and P.F. Chang’s, with Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Godiva and Starbucks stores.

For more information on Savor Westchester and the mall, visit simon.com/mall/the-westchester.

-With reporting by Courtney Raguso

CONTACT: sibylla@hometwn.com

Savor Westchester, slated to open this month, will offer shoppers at The Westchester mall a much-needed food court upgrade. Rendering courtesy Simon Property Group

Members of the Bronxville School Student Help Desk became certified as Google Educators Level 1. Photo courtesy Bronxville school district

A group of Bronxville High School teen technicians, who are equipped to support the entire school district and assist their peers and teachers in resolving a wide range of technology issues as members of the Student Help Desk, are now certified as Google Educators Level 1.

After receiving formal training and passing a rigorous task-based exam to demonstrate their levels of mastery on the Google platform, they became the first students in the region to obtain the certification, which is usually completed by teachers and technology leaders. Director of Technology Jennifer Forsberg said the students are well-versed in the Google suite of applications, including Gmail and Google Classroom.

“Our goal was to provide students with opportunities where they can acquire extra skills and apply them when assisting staff members in their capacity as Student Help Desk members or beyond,” said Forsberg, who holds certifications as a Google Trainer and Google Administrator. “Our hope is that they inspire others to pursue their passions and interests and also inspire them to think outside the box when it comes to learning.”

In addition to the students, instructional technology specialist Brad Ashley also became a Google Certified Educator Level 1. Forsberg said the district may offer ad-

ditional certifications for students in the future, including certifications offered by Apple.

Currently, 13 students are members of the Student Help Desk, a program that’s offered as a fulltime course in its second year.

Through the program, the students are able to investigate a new educational topic each week, explore new interests and participate in troubleshooting throughout the district. They also maintain a Twitter account and blog on a number of computer science topics. In addition, those who participated in the program last year but were unable to fit the course into their schedules are still able to participate by attending meetings and working on independent projects of their choice centered on the topic of technology.

Forsberg said the Student Help Desk program is designed to engage students in different aspects of technology and encourage them to be leaders and innovators in their school and greater community, which are skills closely aligned with the dispositions of the Bronxville Promise. They’re also able to enhance their collaboration and leadership skills and think critically when walking into a classroom to solve a problem.

For more information on the Student Help Desk, visit bxvshd. wordpress.com or follow the student-technicians on Twitter @bxvhelpdesk. (Submitted)

12 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

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April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 13

A whole lot of girls RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

If you’re thinking of writing a bestseller, I’ve got one word of advice for you: Girl.

Put “Girl” in the title and you almost don’t have to do anything else, except figure out a plot, some twists and an ending. And don’t forget to put a girl character in there, of course. She can be doing anything: Kicking a hornet’s nest or sporting a dragon tattoo, like Stieg Larsson’s epic sellers.

Or she can be on a train, like Paula Hawkins’ bestseller (turned into a leaden movie described by one Rotten Tomatoes reviewer as “Less like hopping on board a train and more climbing onto the bandwagon of dozens of Lifetime movies”).

(Note, that didn’t stop it from making $170 million.)

Or the girl can be gone, like Gillian Flynn’s chilling thriller. Or she can have pearl earring, or marry a lion, or fall from the sky, chase the moon, play with fire, or be interrupted. She can also love Tom Gordon. And recently I really enjoyed “The Girl You Left Behind,” by Jojo Moyes. All those girls made it big on the bookshelves.

To make it big on TV, apparently all a girl has to do is hang out with a bunch of her tormented friends who are trying to grow up, like “2 Broke Girls,” “New Girl,” or Lena Dunham’s squad. Or she can have grown up so long ago that now the “girl” part is ironic. (See “Golden Girls,” which, come to think of it, may have started something.)

Just a few years before all this girlishness, the book trend was “wife,” as in “The Paris Wife,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife” (best book ever), “The Kitchen God’s Wife” (also the best book ever, weirdly enough). Not to mention, on TV, “The Good Wife.” But clearly the wives have been ditched for someone younger.

Last year, an author named Emily St. John Mandel looked at 810 non-children’s books with the word “Girl” in the title. She crunched some numbers and found that 79 percent of those were written by women, and yet 65 percent of the time the “girl” in the title is actually a woman.

So why call the woman a girl?

One theory holds that when we see the word “girl” we automatically feel protective and worried— more than we’d feel about a grown woman. But another theory is that mega bestsellers tend to inspire

publishers to copy them slavishly and often. So once you have “Gone Girl” PLUS “Girl on a Train,” nobody’s going to bother with a “The Comedienne With the Lower Back Tattoo,” or, “Young Female in Hyacinth Blue.”

St. John Mandel noticed one other trend: When women write “Girl” books, the girl ends up alive 90 percent of the time. When men put “Girl” in the title, only 68 percent make it out alive. Gee thanks, guys.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a title for that bestseller of yours, I’ve got some suggestions: • The Girl Last Seen Running Away from a Bunch of Angry Hornets • The Girl with the Misspelled “Pougkeepsie” Tattoo • The Little Dumber Girl • The Girl You Left in the Dairy Section • The Girl Eating Cheese-Its on the Bolt Bus • The Girl Who “Forgot” to Call Her Mother’s Friend’s Super-Nice Son • The Girl Whose “Be Mindful” Lulu Lemon Tote Took Up a Whole Seat • The Girl with the Greenish Incisor • The Girl Who Mistook Her Hat for My Hat • A Girl Named Sue

• Gone Girl Comes Back • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Girl • The Girl from Iwo Jima • The Hardy Girls • I Am the Coppertone Girl • The Girl with the Squirrel Earring • The Squirrel with the Girl Earring • The Girl with the Wagon Tattoo: A Laura Ingalls Wilder Update • The Other Other Boleyn Girl • The Little Mulch Girl • Even Cowgirls Get Sick of Beans • The Girl Who Chased Viggo Mortensen (And Who Can Blame Her?) • I Am Melania: The Story of a Girl Who Stood Up for Trump • Too Many Girls, Not Enough

Kombucha (from the Wild in Williamsburg series) • The Girl on the D Train • The Girl STILL on the D Train, Because of a “Sick Passenger” on the Train Ahead of Her • Girl Meets Girl • Girl, Interrupting • The Girl Who Knew Too Much about the Kennedy Assassination • The Girl Who Slugged the Beehive • The Girl Who Stuck her Head into a Wasp’s Nest • The Girl Who Sat on a Mound of Scorpions Because She Was Livestreaming Her Desert Vacation • The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Down CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

Westchester top performer in health statewide Health dept. to combat mosquito growth, disease Westchester again ranked among the state’s top performers for health outcomes and health factors, including a first place ranking for healthy behaviors, according to the County Health Rankings released recently by the eighth annual national County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program.

“We always talk about the great quality of life we enjoy in Westchester,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

“It’s gratifying to know that our residents are taking the steps to enhance and extend their lives, which is a testament to the messaging coming out of our Department of Health.”

The Westchester County Department of Health, headed by Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler, is committed to disseminating advice and strategies for healthy living.

“Westchester County continues to rank near the top of the state in health factors and outcomes, which is very positive news,” Amler said. “The results underscore the ability of our health care providers to supply our residents with the medical, educational and outreach resources they need to maintain and improve the quality of their lives.”

The county ranked fourth for health outcomes, which is based on health behaviors and clinical care, and fourth for health factors, which measure the ways our social and economic factors and environment affect our future health. Westchester was in the top five last year, too.

“This report also demonstrates that many

of our residents are eating healthier, exercising more and avoiding tobacco,” Amler said. “Residents who need support to make these healthy lifestyle changes can reach out to the health department for encouragement and help.”

The rankings were developed by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The report shows how counties compare within the state in terms of how healthy people feel, how long they live and how their health is affected by factors such as tobacco use, obesity and access to health care.

The report demonstrated that Westchester residents have better than average access to primary care physicians, dentists and mental health providers, lower unemployment, fewer children living in poverty and a better educated population than the state as a whole.

Westchester also had a lower rate of adult smokers, adult obesity and physically inactive residents than the state.

For more information, contact the Westchester County Department of Health at 8135000 or visit westchestergov.com/health. You can also follow the department on Twitter @wchealthdept or like its Facebook page at Facebook.com/wchealthdept. (Submitted)

To eliminate mosquito breeding sites and prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus, the Westchester County Department of Health will offer free minnows, mosquito dunks and educational materials to residents on four upcoming Mosquito Control Days at the Westchester County Airport, 2 Loop Road in West Harrison.

Health department staff will be available to answer questions and give out “Keep Healthy and Bug Off” brochures, which offer advice on how residents can prevent mosquito bites and eliminate standing water around their homes to keep mosquitoes from breeding—and biting—nearby. Mosquito Control Days are scheduled for: • Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Friday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Residents with ornamental ponds should add fathead minnows to the water to keep it from becoming a mosquito breeding site.

The dunks serve the same purpose in birdbaths, rain barrels and unused pools. Residents who plan to pick up minnows should bring a bucket or pail; minnows will be distributed in watertight plastic bags, and residents should plan to bring them straight home and release them immediately into ponds with at least 8 inches of water.

To eliminate breeding sites, the health department will begin to apply larvicide to catch basins that hold standing water but are

clear of debris starting May 8. Larvaciding teams will evaluate all catch basins on county and municipal roads over the next few months and treat as needed.

To help prevent mosquitoes from breeding and biting, residents should eliminate standing water from around their properties, especially after it rains. Large areas of standing water on public property that cannot easily be removed should be reported to the health department at 813-5000.

To learn more about mosquito prevention, visit the health department’s website at westchestergov.com/health, like it on Facebook at facebook.com/wchealthdept or follow it on Twitter @wchealthdept. (Submitted)

14 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017

Buyer, beware LIVE MIKE Mike Smith It may suggest a major character flaw on my part, but I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t have a whole lot of sympathy for people who allow themselves to get duped.

Now, I’m not a monster; I’m not talking about old people who get bilked out of their Social Security checks by insidious phone scams and the like.

But when it comes to easily avoidable situations? You’re kind of on your own.

Last week, there were probably many sports fans who were taken aback when it was reported that two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning was caught requisitioning “2 helmets that can pass as game used” from Giants’ equipment manager Joe Skiba.

The information, which came out due to an ongoing legal battle between three collectors, Manning, and New Rochelle-based sports memorabilia company Steiner Sports, may have been shocking to

the type of person who reserves a special place in their living room to proudly display a wad of Red Man chewed by David Wells during his 1998 perfect game.

For the rest of us, however?

Sometimes you get what you pay for—and sometimes you don’t.

Now I’m not casting blame here. Steiner Sports is claiming that the lawsuit is a frivolous attempt to discredit their business and that Manning’s communiqué was taken out of context. They stand by their authenticity verification process, which, if you are in the business of sports memorabilia, is obviously the key component to their whole operation.

But even if everything is on the up and up, I still don’t get the allure of shelling out mega bucks for what is, lets face it, an inanimate hunk of plastic that’s worth about 60 bucks on the street.

It used to be that a true piece of sports memorabilia had some sort of inherent value. The bat that Hank Aaron used to belt his 715th homer; the stick Bobby Orr used in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals win; these are priceless sports artifacts that belong in museums and

SPORTS

Brandon Steiner, right, speaks with ESPN Radio Personality Brandon Tierney during a 2009 event in New Rochelle.

Steiner’s company, Steiner Sports, is currently embroiled in a legal battle over the authenticity of the sports memorabilia it sells. Photo/Mike Smith

Halls of Fame.

They do not belong as a conversation piece in Joe Blow’s sports den.

But increasingly, the only true value of game-used gear is whatever price tag that the memorabilia companies decide to slap on it.

You want to pay $600 for a small piece of LeBron James’ shorts from a mid-January game against the

Clippers? It’s all yours, as long as you also spring for shipping and handling.

As an Eli Manning fan, I hope these accusations aren’t true.

During his tenure under center for Big Blue, Manning has been a class act and a terrific postseason performer, and I would hate to see something like this tarnish his rep-

utation.

But for all those collectors out there, let this be a lesson. You never know exactly what you’re buying.

And in most cases, whatever you think you’re buying isn’t worth it anyway.

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

April 21, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 15

Eagles earn emotional walk-off BASEBALL

non-league

EASTCHESTER 6 SLEEPY HOLLOW 5 EASTCHESTER HS

4/13/17

Game Notes: • Prior to the game, the Eagles retired late coach Dom Cecere’s No. 10 jersey • John Doherty allowed two runs in five innings of work • Freshman Rob Doria ended the game on a walk-off single

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor Last Thursday, the Eastchester baseball team held their first home game since the passing of longtime coach Dom Cecere on April 1, honoring the memory of the man who helmed the Eagles’ program for 52 years with a pregame ceremony to retire Cecere’s iconic No. 10 jersey.

But perhaps the most fitting tribute to Cecere’s legacy came with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, when freshman Rob Doria laced a single to left field to plate two runs and give the Eagles an emotional 6-5 walk-off victory.

Eagles’ assistant coach Vinny Todino, who played for Cecere until 2011, was tasked with leading the squad on Thursday in the absence of interim coach Joe Utschig, and said that Doria’s clutch hit helped lift the spirits of a program that has dealt with its fair share of pain over the last two weeks.

“In the postgame talk as a team, we talked about how [Coach Cecere] was watching over us throughout the game and was going to be with us in whatever we were doing,” Todino said. “It was nice to see them with smiles on their faces.”

Despite the tears shed in the pregame ceremony, the Eagles were all business once they stepped in between the lines, something that Todino felt Cecere would have demanded.

Eastchester starter John Doherty, Cecere’s godson, was solid, allowing just two runs on five

Second baseman Matt Stern makes a diving play against Sleepy Hollow on April 13. The Eagles topped Sleepy Hollow 6-5 with a walk-off win.

hits through five innings of work; he left the game with a 4-2 lead.

The Horsemen battled back, however, in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-4 lead, which set up the Eagles’ late-game heroics.

With two outs in the bottom of the frame, Eastchester worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Doria, who sent the Eagles fans home happy.

“We talked about how the best way to honor coach was just to play the game the right way,” Todino said. “And the fact that they were able to do that really speaks volumes to what he did here.”

The win was the Eagles’ sec-

ond of the season, and after topping Scarsdale in extra innings on April 15, Eastchester has gotten off to a perfect 3-0 start. According to Todino, the credit for the team’s hot start goes to Cecere and the wisdom he imparted to this Eagles crew.

“He didn’t just teach us about the game of baseball; he talked about resiliency and overcoming failure on and off the field,” he said. “No matter what happens this year, these guys know the importance of showing up and doing the right thing, and Coach Cecere’s lessons are going to live on.”

CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com

John Doherty throws a pitch against the Horsemen.

Doherty surrendered two runs in five innings of work.

Christian Aliberti connects with a pitch to aid in an Eagles win.

Photos/Mike Smith

Anthony Chiodi turns a double play against Sleepy Hollow.

16 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • April 21, 2017