Eastchester REVIEW THE
June 9, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 23 | www.eastchesterreview.com
CRUISING TO CORTLAND Mason Warble rushes towards the net in Bronxville’s 15-4 Class D regional final victory over Millbrook on Saturday, June 3. With the win, the Broncos earned the chance to play Mattituck-Southold in the state semifinals on June 9 at SUNY Cortland. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
Latimer grabs Independence Party endorsement By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer The Independence Party has endorsed state Sen. George Latimer in his bid for county executive. Latimer, a Rye Democrat, is expecting to take on two-term incumbent Rob Astorino, a Republican, in November’s county executive race. And the support of the Independence Party has often been an indicator of electoral success in Westchester. Latimer, who has also been endorsed by the Working Families Party, said he was pleased to have the support of the Independence Party. “I think it’s an indication of the strength of my campaign,” he told the Review. “The Independence Party could have chosen anyone… and they chose me.” Latimer had previously been endorsed by the party in his races for county legislator and state Assembly between 1998 and 2010, but
never received the party’s support during his time in the state Senate. Last November, in his most recent re-election to the state Senate, Latimer was passed over by the Independence Party line in favor of his opponent, Rye City Councilwoman Julie Killian, a Republican. The Independence Party also supported Latimer opponents Bob Cohen, a Scarsdale Republican, in 2012 and Joe Dillon, a Yonkers Republican, in 2014. Latimer won all three of those contests, and in recent years the party’s credibility has been called into question. Astorino has also had his problems with the party. In 2009, after winning the county executive seat from then-County Executive Andy Spano, a Democrat, in which Astorino was endorsed by the Independence Party, he accused party Chairman Giulio Cavallo of seeking patronage jobs for members of his party. In his bid for re-election in 2013,
EFD to put $333K toward Union Corners roof replacement By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer
Astorino lost the party’s support but was still victorious in becoming the only Republican ever elected to the Westchester County executive’s office without carrying the Independence line, by cruising past his opponent, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, a Democrat. Bill O’Reilly, campaign manager for Astorino, said the county executive didn’t even seek the Independence Party’s backing this year. Even so, Astorino has been highly successful in a county where his LATIMER continued on page 8
After turning down a singular bid to repair the exterior of the Union Corners firehouse in February, the Eastchester Fire District has accepted a less costly bid to replace only the roof of the station. The district will pay $333,232 to J. Salvatore & Sons Inc., a Yonkers-based roofing company, to replace the roof on its 86-year-old firehouse known as Station 4 or Union Corners, in the Chester Heights neighborhood of Eastchester. Earlier this year, the district had submitted a request for bids to renovate the entire exterior of the station. But by the bidding deadline,
INSIDE Food, wine festival kicks off Story on page 6.
the district had received only one bid which it said was overpriced. Following the original bid, the Review filed a Freedom of Information Law, FOIL, request to the district seeking the sole bid submitted, which the district declined, citing that releasing that information could negatively affect future competitive bids. But the Review had also reported that the Board of Fire Commissioners planned on spending about $800,000 to repair the station’s exterior, and that the only bid surpassed $1 million. According to the fire board, the district had been offered more options following the May 23 bidding deadline. EFD continued on page 10