March 10, 2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

March 10, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 10 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Tuckahoe to introduce Pango parking app

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Ashley Anello brings the ball up the court during Eastchester’s Class A championship tilt with Somers. The Tuskers edged the Eagles 49-48 to claim the program’s first-ever Section I crown. For story, see page 15.

Photo/Mike Smith

State and county lawmakers consider Uber laws

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer While New York state lawmakers reconsider a law that would allow mobile-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft throughout the state, Westchester County could precede that law, as lawmakers here consider their own law.

Ride-hailing services have been operating in New York City since May 2011, picking up riders who request a ride via a mobile app which automatically charges customers through a debit or credit card. But riders and drivers have not been able to legally utilize popular ridebooking apps like Uber and Lyft anywhere outside of the five boroughs.

However, Westchester, New York City’s closest neighboring county to the north, may soon look to become the exception to the statewide rule.

County Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat who plans to run for county executive this fall, recently proposed legislation that would allow ride-hailing services to legally operate in Westchester. Currently, drivers of such vehicles are only allowed to travel through Westchester if either the pickup or drop-off location is in New York City.

The proposed county law, which was recommended to the county Public Safety and Social Services Committee on Feb. 13, would require drivers to submit to background checks and maintain at least $1 million

in liability insurance, and for the app to display a photo of the driver’s face.

“The main concerns are things that have to do with licensing,” Jenkins said. “But another fiscal consideration is the amount of money that goes to municipalities that have taxi and limousine commissions [TLCs] locally.” He said that the county is seeking to draft a law that would allow ride-booking services in its municipalities without negatively impacting the revenue that they make through taxi medallions and similar fees administered by TLCs. If ride-hailing becomes legal in the county, providers would still have to receive individual approval from some municipalities which have TLCs, including White Plains

and New Rochelle. Currently, luxury ride-booking services such as UberBLACK are allowed to operate in those cities as long as they are sanctioned by the city’s TLC. Drivers who do not have that permission could face hefty fines.

According to Jenkins, the county can fine up to $2,500 to drivers who illegally pick up riders at the Westchester County Airport. But during a Feb. 13 county Board of Legislators meeting, Jenkins suggested that those fines aren’t issued as frequently as they should be.

Jenkins sponsored a similar county bill last year, but the bill never made it out of committee.

He said they tabled the discussion at the time because a similar UBER continued on page 8

Tuckahoe plans to soon launch a smartphone-based app that will make it easier for drivers to locate and pay for parking in long-term spaces throughout the village.

According to Village Administrator David Burke, Tuckahoe plans to make its long-term parking meters accessible through Pango—a mobile app which allows users to pay for parking remotely—by March 15. Drivers who park in the designated Pango spaces can pay for the space through the app by typing the meter number into their phones. The app can send notifications to users whose parking is about to expire, and allows those users to pay for extended parking without walking back to their cars.

The meters will, however, continue accepting coins and Cash Keys, a device that drivers can load money onto to pay for parking instead. But, according to police Chief John Costanzo, Cash Keys are getting more difficult for the village to obtain. “The problem we’re having with our [Cash Key] vendor is that they’re not supporting that technology anymore,” he said.

So, the village looked to its neighbors for a more contemporary technology.

Tuckahoe is not the first local community to integrate Pango into its parking infrastructure.

Bronxville introduced Pango in late 2015 as part of a continued effort to make parking more userfriendly there.

Burke said that Tuckahoe considered several similar app providers before deciding on Pango.

“We looked at Pango about

six months ago,” he said. “They showed us their new app and it’s more user-friendly.”

In November 2016, Pango released the fourth version of its app which includes Pango Save, a new feature that notifies drivers who are moving a parked car from a space which has time remaining on the meter, and allows them to pay only for the time they use. The app also indicates where Pango-friendly meters may be available, cutting down on the time spent driving to find a parking space.

For now, the village will only allow pay-by-app parking on long-term parking meters scattered in lots throughout the village. According to the village website, long-term parking includes 100 spaces on Columbus Avenue, four spaces on Oak Terrace, eight spaces in the Underhill lot, four spaces on Main Street, two meters on Thompson Street, and the center isle of the Lake Avenue parking lot. According to Costanzo, those meters will be marked by stickers and signs.

“Each meter will have its own Pango sticker on it with instructions, so there’s not going to be too many signs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the village is also looking to bring the technology to the rest of its parking meters.

“We’re trying to do it in stages,” Burke said. “Long-term parking was the easiest one to do.”

As of press time, the village has not released a timeline on when it expects the remainder of the village parking meters to be accessible by Pango.

According to Burke, Pango did not charge Tuckahoe to integrate PANGO continued on page 10

INSIDE Q&As with Tuckahoe village board candidates Starts on page 6.

2 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

March 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 3

Kensico project faces opposition from lawmakers A $25 million project to transform Kensico Dam is facing stark opposition from Westchester’s Democratic lawmakers who categorize the plan as fiscally irresponsible.

File photo

By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Some lawmakers are standing firm in their opposition to fund Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino’s $25 million plan to transform Kensico Dam after further review crystalized its potential cost to taxpayers.

County Legislator Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat who chairs the Board of Legislators’ Infrastructure Committee, was among lawmakers to rail against the project which she characterized as fiscally irresponsible.

“It’s an awful lot of money for us to spend in the current state of our finances,” Shimsky told the Review. “I don’t see how we can afford this given all the other priorities.”

According to a consultant report from Dan Biederman, who was hired by Astorino, a Republican, to review the proposed project last year, according to Shimsky, the project—which would be funded through 15- to 25-year bonds—would face approximately $400,000 in annual operating losses.

The administration’s sweeping renovations at Kensico Dam—located in Valhalla next to the Bronx River Parkway—were unveiled in October 2016 and would repurpose

a 92,000-square-foot reflecting pool that has sat barren since 2007, for two brand new skating rinks.

In October, the Astorino administration cited historically low interest rates among the incentives in funding the project now. However, in a speech just last month, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated interest rates on debt could see an increase this month, making any bonds issued by the county in the coming months potentially more expensive.

Whatever political will exists amongst the Board of Legislators to fund a series of bond acts remains unclear, however.

According to Shimsky, none of the 10 Democrats on the board have given their full support to the plan, to this point.

Across the aisle, concerns are less adamant.

“Of course there’s all these financial constraints that are important to manage,” said David Gelfarb, a Rye Brook Republican. “These are long-term projects that pay out over the long term; they’re not things you have to pay for—so to speak—upfront.”

While lawmakers review four bond acts introduced in January to fund the project, Shimsky said legislators will also juggle a myriad other fiscal complica-

tions that portend lower than expected revenues for the county in 2017.

Specifically, Shimsky said her board colleagues will have to contend with lower than projected sales tax revenue as well as $15 million in tentative revenue budgeted for a prospective deal to privatize the county-owned airport.

In addition to the rink—which would be divided into one regulation-size hockey rink and one elliptical skating rink—current designs for an enhanced Kensico Dam would also feature a fountain and new concessions.

As a means to offset the cost of the project and its operating costs, the Astorino administration has cited potential advertising sponsorship deals at the rink, similar to a business model in Bryant Park in New York City.

That model, however, drew skepticism from Democratic lawmakers who cited the dam’s lower levels of foot traffic compared to Bryant Park, which would affect incentives—and therefore payment rates—for potential advertisers.

After being further vetted in committee, the project will go forward to the legislative floor where lawmakers must vote on the bond acts.

CONTACT: james@hometwn.com

County hosts affordable housing expo Westchester County’s 2017 Fair and Affordable Housing Expo will take place on Saturday, March 11 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission is free.

“Those who attend the expo can meet with the realtors, mortgage lenders and nonprofit counselors who will be available to answer their questions,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. “This is a great opportunity to learn about the affordable housing process and the county’s commitment to create a variety of fair and affordable housing opportunities.”

Throughout the day, various workshops will be held to help answer questions such as: • Am I eligible for affordable housing?

• Is it better to rent or own?

• How much do I need for a down payment?

• Are there any programs that help with down payments and closing costs?

• What is the importance of

credit and a good credit score?

• What is the role of the nonprofit counselor, the realtor, inspector, the attorney and the lender?

The first workshop of the day, which begins at 11:45 a.m., is about Westchester’s One Community campaign, which focuses on the county’s efforts to promote the benefits of diversity and affordable housing opportunities.

At 1 p.m., a workshop on fair and affordable housing will discuss affordable homeownership and rental opportunities, and the application and selection process. There will also be a demonstration on how to navigate through Homeseeker Online, a website that provides information about affordable homeownership and rental apartment opportunities in Westchester.

At 2 p.m., a workshop entitled “Rental Housing” will provide visitors with an opportunity to meet with nonprofit counselors who will advise and describe the process of finding

affordable rentals.

The Fair Housing Department of the Westchester County Human Rights Commission, HRC, will give a presentation on the protections provided

by Westchester County’s Fair Housing Law and will discuss how the HRC can assist individuals who believe they have been discriminated against in the course of their involvement in Westchester’s housing market.

For more information on the expo, contact Westchester Residential Opportunities at ganderson@wroinc.org or 4284507 ext. 314; or the Housing Action Council at hac@affordablehomes.org or 332-4144.

The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Ave. in White Plains. The fee for parking at the County Center is $7. The event is co-sponsored by Westchester County, the Westchester Interfaith Housing Corporation and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors Inc. (Submitted)

4 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

What’s going on...

Eastchester Public Library

of musical play activities, designed to encourage movement, play and song in the developing years.

Classes include play with balls, scarves, finger puppets, rhythm sticks and more. Space is limited, online registration is required.

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

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

Reading Buddies Book Club On Monday, March 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This month’s Reading Buddies Book Club for children in second and third grades will be a show and tell. Participants are asked to bring in one to five books they have been reading to share with the group. They should share the books in a way that will make others want to read them—no spoilers!

Refreshments will be served. Online registration is required. For more information, contact Jonathan Heifetz at 721-8105 or jheifetz@wlsmail.org.

Westchester Coin Club On Wednesday, March 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Meets on every third Wednesday night at the Eastchester Public Library. All are welcome.

Sukey’s Circle On Thursday, March 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. For ages 6 months to 3 years old. Join Sukey Molloy for her award-winning interactive series

Inside Emily Dickinson: Her Poetry & Her Life On Monday, March 13 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Created and performed by Ginger Grace. This inspiring biographical portrait is based on the letters, life stories and poems of Emily Dickinson. It combines performance with interactive workshop activities. Registration required. Please call 337-7680 ext.

24 or email bronxvillelibrary@gmail.com. This program is made possible through the generous funding of The Friends of the Bronxville Public Library.

Tween & Teen Yoga Starting Tuesday, March 14, from 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. For ages 9 to 12. This is a three-week class; the next two sessions are Tuesdays, March 21 and 28 at 4 p.m. Online registration required, and covers all three sessions. Please provide the child’s name and age in the comment box.

Join Budding Buddhas of New Rochelle. Yoga and creative expression treats pre-teens and teens to a mind/body combination of yoga and expressive writing, collage and drawing. Children are

provided with the opportunity to develop not only physical strength but also greater emotional stability and a strong sense of self. They are encouraged to explore various themes such as inner beauty, compassion, healthy living and self-respect in a safe and nurturing environment.

Washi Tape Bookmarks On Thursday, March 16 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Washi tape is Japanese tape that has been made into a variety of designs and colors. Participants will be designing beautiful bookmarks with added embellishments. Space is limited. Registration required. Call 337-7680 ext. 24 or email bronxvillelibrary@gmail.com.

SAT Mock Exam On Saturday, March 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For grades 7–12. With Brienza’s Academic Advantage. Sign-in begins at 9:30 a.m. Please bring pencils and pens, just in case. Upon registration, academic advisor Adam Ratner will schedule a score report review at a convenient time. During the session, Ratner will breakdown your child’s score to understand areas of strength and weakness and develop a custom preparation plan. Please register online with teen’s correct grade in the comment box provided. Please provide a correct e-mail so that the academic advisor may contact you.

the Bronxville Women’s Club, located at 135 Midland Ave. The afternoon will feature an Israeli dinner, dancing, Krav Maga, hamantaschen, graggers, a megillah reading, and more. Wear your costume. To RSVP, visit jewishbronxville.com or call 458-2441.

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.

Village Lutheran Church The Gathering of Friends

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.

The Chapel School’s annual gala and fundraiser, the Gathering of Friends, will be a special evening of love, luck and shenanigans a plenty. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 17, at the Glen Island Harbour Club, located at 299 Weyman Ave. in New Rochelle. This is a festive night out all in the name of a good cause—to raise much needed funds to support the programs and services of the Village Lutheran Church and The Chapel School. The upcoming gala will feature traditional Irish step dancers, food and drink from the Emerald Isle, and the popular McLean Avenue Band. There will plenty of chances to try your hand at luck, too, including a 50/50 raffle and both a live and silent auction. To purchase tickets and for more information, call 337-0207 or visit vlc-ny.org.

AARP Tax Aide Program

Bronxville Adult School

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

New electronic resources

Every Friday through April 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get your taxes done. No appointment necessary; first come, first served.

Eastchester Recreation US Sports Institute programs The town of Eastchester and the US Sports Institute have many classes for ages 2 to 5 to learn soccer or a variety of sports, starting in April. Registration is now open. These morning programs are for all abilities, boys and girls, and provide fun games and activities. Visit eastchester.org/departments/ recreation for more information and to register.

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.

Chabad of Bronxville Purim in Israel Chabad of Bronxville will host “Purim in Israel” on Sunday, March 12 from 4:40 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at

Spring semester registration Registration for the Bronxville Adult School spring semester is now open. The BAS Spring Catalog includes dozens of new trips and classes, as well as the return of many popular favorites.

Visit bronxvilleadultschool.org to view the interactive catalog.

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.

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 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 5

Letters to the Editor

Re: ‘County strengthens proposed immigration law’ To the Editor, I find it hard to believe that so many elected officials throughout the country and in our own county feel it is acceptable to encourage activity and formulate legislative proposals that aim to make it harder for the federal government to attempt to fix our dysfunctional immigration system. If elected officials take issue with the way the current administration is going about it, then those officials should come up with solutions that make the system more equitable and provide for the safety of citizenry of our country.

As the son of immigrants who came here legally (from Ireland) and as part of an ethnic group that saw significant numbers of illegal immigrants come to the U.S. (many Irish immigrants in the 1980s), I am well aware of the positive contributions made to this country by immigrants and empathetic to those who are looking to make a better life for themselves. But as the system is now with seemingly little accountability, it provides no guarantee of safety to our country and is not fair to those attempting to enter and remain in the U.S. legally. Additionally, with an efficient and just immigration system, more could be done for refugees forced to flee their homelands, whom I do believe we have a moral obligation to assist.

I do not support building a wall, but I think it shows how out of control the situation has become that this is even considered. At least the current administration is looking to deal with the problem, unlike recent administrations that have allowed it to get to this state. Safe haven cities and providing illegal immigrants with government-approved identification and services makes a mockery of our system of laws.

Instead of devising strategies to thwart attempts to gain control over the immigration situation, our elected officials and civil servants at all levels should be coming up with ways to make it work.

Or we might as well do away with any immigration regulations entirely. Is our sovereignty really that important? After all, we are all citizens of the world anyway!

Joseph Sullivan, Eastchester

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6 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

2017

Eastchester REVIEW THE

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

Tuckahoe Board of Trustees candidates

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 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

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Nicholas Naber STATUS: Challanger AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Middle school social studies teacher POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Registered Democrat POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS: Democratic Party; Hold Hotel Accountable line YEARS IN VILLAGE: Four COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Member of the Immaculate Conception Church; intermural basketball coach; student government facilitator ONE THING THE AVERAGE VOTER DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: “I’m a sports fanatic. I’m an avid [Chicago] Bulls, [New York] Giants and [Chicago] White Sox fan.”

Q. Tuckahoe is amid a re-development, including the Quarry Place Apartments on Midland Place and the Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel on Marbledale Road.

If elected, what would you do to ensure that development continues to reflect the character of Tuckahoe, and what is your personal vision for the village?

A. The master plan is almost up for review. That is something where we need to make sure that future developments continue to reflect our community. We need to make sure that we ensure safety and continue to review the environmental impact of future developments, and make sure that it all reflects the small village feel of our community. We also need to work with the Chamber of Commerce to make sure that small businesses thrive in the future. Maybe we can work with [it] to promote a Tuckahoe restaurant week or maybe a food festival in Depot Square.

When looking at the master plan, I think three questions need to be asked. Does this development preserve our quality of life?

Does it enhance our property

values? Does it create or maintain important revenue streams while considering all community stakeholders?

Q. Tuckahoe was the second-to-last village in Westchester County to create a position to oversee its day-to-day operations, hiring Village Administrator David Burke in July 2014. What has creating that position done to make the village operate more efficiently?

A. From a bird’s-eye perspective, what it has really done is empowered the [village] board, which is made up for the most part of part-time [members]; it’s allowed us to establish plans that can then be actualized by someone who has a more full-time ability to devote efforts to realizing long- and short-term goals.

From a specific perspective, I think what our expectation was, both financially and non-financially, was that the remuneration we paid him would be fully justified by the value he brought to the village. I see the savings and the ability to shop for better value in insurance, the structuring of the departments, the day-today oversight that is invaluable to the trustees.

a few years ago, but now stands at nearly $1.5 million on the positive side. However, the board, over that time, has also increased its borrowing. To what degree should the village borrow to balance its municipal budget?

A. We have accountants who tell us what is a healthy balance between debt and equity. We have been advised that our debt to equity ratio is very healthy and is much lower than many other similarly situated villages. So we’re not concerned with the amount of borrowing at this point, and there are significant tax benefits to borrowing for the village, as well. If you really want to look at it in a simple way the question is, “Are you getting the best borrowing rate?” Because the people who are lending to you are looking at your [financial] health. And the rate we’re able to borrow at is the best rate we can get.

Q. Your ticket has called for increased transparency from the village board. Can you give an example of a situation in which this administration or, more specifically, this village board has not been forthcoming with information?

A. We can look at the Marbledale [Road Brownfield Cleanup Project]. That is where transparency by the board really wasn’t there. And what that caused was anger, frustration and anxiety among the residents. Where there should have been questions and discussions publicly, not enough of that was done. If there was more transparency in this development, I think you would have gotten a much better response from the public. Transparency is a two-way street.

You’re making sure that you’re hearing the residents; and you’re making sure that you’re acting in response to them. If you’re hearing this anxiety as a trustee, what

are you doing to make sure that those questions are met with solutions? As trustees, I think it’s extremely important to have dialogue with the residents because that would prevent the problems we’re seeing.

Q. You have previously said that you hope to address the opioid epidemic in Westchester County. How bad do you feel the problem is, and what steps would you take as a village trustee, if elected, to address that issue?

A. The drug issue is really not something that’s talked about a lot. It’s something that is discussed internally with family and friends. What we want to do is really sort of bring the issue to light. Some of our neighboring communities such as Eastchester have a coalition where they work with the schools, the Police Department and residents. That’s something that we can hopefully facilitate in Tuckahoe. The Tuckahoe police are equipped with Narcan and I applaud them for that.

NABER continued on page 9

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Tom Giordano STATUS: Incumbent AGE: 47 OCCUPATION: General counsel of a U.S. division of an Australian publicly traded company POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Registered Republican POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS: Republican and Conservative parties YEARS IN VILLAGE: 15 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Three years on the Tuckahoe Zoning Board of Appeals, including one as chairman; Community Fund board member; St. Joseph’s Men’s Club board member; chairman of Facilities Committee of Fordham Prep ONE THING THE AVERAGE VOTER DOENST KNOW ABOUT YOU: “I play Texas Hold ‘em. I’m always looking for a tournament in town if I’m not in [Las] Vegas.”

Q. The current Board of Trustees has touted its efforts to rebuild the village’s reserves, which was in the negative just

Q. Your challengers have claimed that any discussion or debate by the village board occurs in executive session, and have suggested that that is partially because the board makeup is all Republicans. How do you respond to those accusations?

A. It is a fact that it’s an entirely Republican board. I’m not certain that that’s entirely by design.

I believe that this board was well served by Steve Quigley [a Democrat]; and we honor Steve and his memory and his great service to the board. We’re not talking about issues that are going up to the [U.S.] Supreme Court. We’re talking about simple fiscal responsibility. We’re talking about making sure that we can provide the essential services, and that we can continue to provide them well. To me, those are things that transcend partisan politics. As to the question of closed doors, I don’t agree with that. There are times where executive sessions are appropriate, as they are for any board. But our [work sessions] are open to the public. So I take issue with that statement; I think it’s untrue.

Q. Last year, at the behest of several residents following the controversy that erupted over a Subway sandwich shop opening up, the village board passed a law making it illegal for fast food-style restaurants GIORDANO continued on page 10

March 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 7

2017

Photo/Mike Smith

Sarah DeRise STATUS: Challenger AGE: 35 POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Registered Democrat POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS: Tuckahoe Independents Party OCCUPATION: Lactation counselor and a postpartum doula YEARS IN VILLAGE: Four months in Tuckahoe; four years in Eastchester COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Co-president of PTA at the Waverly Early Childhood Center; former treasurer of the Marbledale Road Environmental Coalition; member of La Leche League in Yonkers ONE THING THE AVERAGE VOTER DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: “I was a theater major in college.”

Q. You’re running on a third party independent line with another Democrat and a Republican. Do you believe there’s a Democratic or Republican way to govern on the village level?

A. No. I think that when you’re talking about local politics, it’s not Republican or Democrat.

Day-to-day, nitty-gritty politics is not party politics. It’s functional, [it’s] ‘How can we make this village run more efficiently?’ It’s not a big-picture issues kind of thing; so that shouldn’t be partisan.

Q. You and your running mates are calling for term limits on elected and appointed boards within the village, which is something rarely seen in such a small community. How do term limits benefit Tuckahoe when it already struggles to find interested and qualified candidates to run for elected office?

A. I think it might help get more people interested, knowing that [an incumbent] has an expiration date. And we’re not saying that this person will only have two or three terms, whatever number is determined. They would just need

a break. And then if they wanted to return to office, they can run again. But you need a different perspective once in a while or it becomes sort of like a monarchy as opposed to a democratic process. They fall into the same patterns. Fresh ideas are really important in keeping things moving along, developing properly.

Q. One of the platforms of your campaign is better fiscal management. Can you point to a particular place in Tuckahoe’s budget where the village could be more conservative in its budgeting?

A. One thing that we saw: there’s one employee of the village who’s paid $5,000 to commute with his car from New Rochelle to Tuckahoe. Is that a necessary expense? It’s basically, kind of, hiding salary. And we would really want to look at [the budget] line by line and find places that we can fix, where we can pull money out and readjust and be transparent about where this money is going and how it’s being spent. Missing the tax cap has [also] been a huge issue. And

the borrowing and the bonds that are coming in: that money is going to have to come from somewhere eventually. So how do we move the deckchairs around to make sure that it’s coming from the right places?

Q. Tuckahoe is amid a re-development, including the Quarry Place Apartments on Midland Place and the Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel on Marbledale Road.

If elected, what would you do to ensure that development continues to reflect the character of Tuckahoe, and what is your personal vision for the village?

A. We want to revisit the master plan of the village and make sure that it still makes sense. We want to make sure that that is really the direction we want to go and [we want to] bring it to the people of the village. I think [the last master plan was drafted] without a lot of input from the residents. And considering the current interest from the residents, we would probably be able to get a lot more input than maybe they would have before.

Making sure that the develop-

ment of Tuckahoe is in line with the way that the villagers that live there are looking for is a really important piece. We can’t just start bringing in businesses that our residents aren’t going to be using. Our vision for Tuckahoe is to create a village that is more of a destination place, similar to what you find in Scarsdale and Bronxville where people are coming to [the main streets] to shop and eat and stay for an afternoon. If you can bring in that kind of environment and make it a welcoming place—not just a place that you pass through— people are going to spend money. That could help us in a lot of different ways on a lot of different levels.

Q. The Tuckahoe school district is looking to embark on a multimillion dollar project to help address concerns of overcrowding. Does this village, in your opinion, have to factor this into any potential plans for future development? If so, how should that be done?

DERISE continued on page 11

8 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

News from the Green Committee BRONXVILLE TODAY Mayor Mary Marvin

With wishful thinking for spring on the horizon, the village Green Committee met last week to further develop plans for the village’s first ever community garden. The brainchild of Green Committee Chairperson Mary Liz Mulligan, and committee member and accomplished gardener, Dave Phillips, it will be so named the Giving Garden because all the produce will be delivered directly to local charities and food pantries.

Our local Bronxville Rotary Club’s generosity provided the “seed” money to make the garden a reality and a truly charitable partnership.

The garden is just the latest initiative of our energetic Green Committee, long on ideas and vision but very short of manpower.

To date, the committee has commissioned the county shredder to the village multiple times; initiated a “Take Back Day” for the responsible recycling of electronics, especially computers; collected gently used towels and linens for animal shelters; spearheaded the mulching in place leaf campaign; and most importantly galvanized the school and the village to switch to organic fertilizers and cease using chemical pesticides.

Many of our fellow Westchester communities—Pleasantville, Millwood, Chappaqua and Bedford—have seen the need for sharing gardens and the growing of healthy food for those in need.

As an overview, it is estimated that 14.3 percent of our country is “food insecure,” defined as living without reliable access to affordable nutritious food.

In Westchester County, one of the 10 richest counties in the nation, 200,000, or one in five fellow residents, fit this definition. It is sometimes a hidden problem with epic outcomes.

Without access to even remotely healthful foods, we have seen a dangerous increase in obesity, especially childhood obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. The days of donating cans of highly salted soups or sugarcoated cereals have proven to be damaging long term.

Our garden has formed partnership with nearby charities and food pantries, and it will truly be a farm-to-table operation.

Our hope is that the garden may be the galvanizing force to start a business-to-table “food rescue” in our village.

Nationwide, 30 to 40 percent of our country’s food is harvested and then lost, often through the supply chain. Healthful fruits and vegetables that may have a bruise or brown spot sit in the dumpsters. Items passed their “best by date” have the same fate even though products are safe and healthy. The date merely reflects the start of the cycle when some of the nutrients start to deplete.

Not only have our citizens been left needlessly hungry, but labor has been wasted, soil depleted, fuel costs incurred, and billions of gallons of water lost.

Rotting food relegated to a landfill also produces methane gas which is 20 times more potent than fossil fuel emissions.

Recognizing the problem, our neighbors in Pelham/Larchmont have created a very successful template which to follow on the local level.

Called Local Harvest, it came about in 2009 after a mom doing a serving shift in the local public school cafeteria was dismayed

at the quantity of food being thrown out on a daily basis.

Now seven years in operation, the group has public and private schools on board as well as supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries and country clubs. Over 3 million pounds of healthy food has been rescued thanks to a corps of 400 volunteers. An interesting side note: France passed a law so named “The Excess Food Act,” which requires large supermarkets to donate all of their excess foods to charities. Our neighbors in Greenburgh are currently considering adopting just such an ordinance on the local level. Markets in our area that have been particularly active and generous in the sharing of “excess” food are Stop & Shop and Trader Joe’s.

In Pelham/Larchmont, a delivery run is never more than an hour round trip and volunteers can share as little or as much time as they have and the cross section of age groups participating has been an added bonus.

In a world where we must think of potential liability even when doing good works, the danger of a lawsuit is nonexistent thanks to the Good Samaritan Act signed by President Clinton which holds all donors harmless.

Certainly the most shining example of a community early to the environmental needs/concerns of its citizens was Bedford.

Its initiative, Bedford 2020, has as its mission to lead, organize and promote a communitywide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

Bedford uses the “petri dish” approach, developing and piloting projects that can then be replicated and expanded throughout the county and beyond. Bronxville is currently looking into the many Bedford initiatives.

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.”

UBER from page 1

law was being considered in the state Legislature that would legalize ride-hailing throughout New York. That bill never made it through the Legislature and onto the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat.

However, the governor is pushing to bring ride-hailing across the state this year.

In January, during his State of the State address, he proposed legislation that would expand the reach of ride-booking services outside of New York City. A version of that legislation passed in the state Senate 53-5 in February; but, as of press time, that bill has no counterpart in the state Assembly.

A separate law in the state Assembly aims to impose a tax on ride-hailing services in New York City. State Assemblyman David Buchwald, a White Plains Democrat, said that bill is an attempt to ensure that taxi drivers and companies are not more heavily burdened than ride-hailing services and their drivers. “There’s no doubt that many people would utilize Uber and similar companies, Buchwald said. “But it’s also important to make sure that all the transportation providers are operating on a level playing field.”

The assemblyman added that he supported expanding ridebooking across the state, but first wants to ensure that there would be adequate provisions for consumer safety.

According to a Siena poll released on Feb. 27, allowing ride-hailing services to operate throughout the state is supported by a bipartisan majority of New Yorkers. Of those polled,

A screenshot of an Uber map taken in the White Plains area on March 6 shows at least four Uber drivers within about 2 miles of the city’s Metro-North station. Photo courtesy Uber

76 percent were in favor of legislation allowing ride-booking throughout the state, while 16 percent were opposed. In response to the poll statistics, Uber tri-state general manager Josh Mohrer said, “New Yorkers are tired of telling pollsters, elected officials and community leaders they want ride-sharing in their communities.”

Meanwhile, nationwide demand for access to ride-hailing is

being recognized.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, recently signed a similar ride-hailing bill into law, becoming the 36th governor in the country to do so.

According to a draft of the Westchester law, a statewide ride-booking law in New York would pre-empt the county’s proposed legislation.

CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

March 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 9

2017

NABER from page 6

Really, what we need to focus on is prevention and treatment, [and] work with the police, residents, families and schools in order to educate the public about it.

As a teacher, I know how kids succumb to peer pressure when it comes to drugs, so educating the youth about it is extremely important. It ranges across all socioeconomic classes, and from teens to adults. Being proactive about it, and engaging with the community about it, and maybe trying to facilitate speakers that can be influential and help with the issue [is our goal.] We can try to develop more programs for kids. When kids are active and occupied, they tend to be less engaged with drugs and alcohol.

Q. The Tuckahoe school district is looking to embark on a multimillion dollar project to help address concerns of overcrowding. Does the village, in your opinion, have to factor this into any potential plans for future development?

If so, how should that be done?

A. As a school teacher, I know that having an influx of students can be straining on the entire school and making sure that the needs of all students are met. We need to look at future developments and hopefully influence those projects to be centered on onebedroom units for young people traveling to Manhattan. Hopefully that reduces the strain on the population in our schools. I applaud the school district for preparing for that influx. With that in mind, those concerns should be brought to the village board and dealt with property through, maybe, different studies.

Q. During your campaign, Democrats have suggested that the master plan needs to be updated. Why does it need to be updated and what areas of Tuckahoe need the most attention, in your opinion?

A. I don’t know if there’s a certain area that we need to focus on.

I think we need to focus on the entire village. We’re a very densely populated area; there isn’t that much space to redevelop. We need to really ensure that each proposal is vetted properly though our land use boards for any potential environmental impacts, with special consideration for the character of our community.

Q. Last year, at the behest of several residents following the controversy that erupted over a Subway sandwich shop opening up, the village board passed a law making it illegal for fast food-style restaurants to operate in the village. To what extent should a village board be able to limit an entire type of business from opening within its confines? And what role should community input play in that decision?

A. I agree with the fast food ban.

I think it doesn’t really reflect the small village character. Moving forward, I think it’s important to create an atmosphere where businesses are welcomed, but we also need to understand the impact on the community. Projects should be thoroughly vetted; the opinions of our residents should be heard on the subject. We need to create an environment that’s helpful to small businesses, and that makes them thrive. We don’t want to create an environment that may hurt businesses.

Q. What should the role of the village be in relation to the Marbledale Road Brownfield Cleanup Project? If elected, how do you plan to ensure that the project is done in a safe way for the residents of Tuckahoe and neighboring communities?

A. This is really the issue that spurred my interest in running for office. The role of the village should be to protect the health and safety and welfare of our community. And that means holding this developer to the highest environmental standards.

That goes to our independent line, Hold Hotel Accountable.

If there is a better form of testing [available], we should use it. What seems to be is that the current administration used this sort of bare minimum state standard. We’re not a bare minimum village. We need to ensure that the best technology available is being used to protect us. We really want to work with the residents of Tuckahoe to hold this hotel accountable to testing and cleanup, and to ensure that future developments in the village are held to the same high standard that we deserve.

Q. The village operated without an official day-to-day administrator until 2014, when David Burke was hired. Do you think the creation of the village administrator-style of government has benefited Tuckahoe?

A. Having a village administrator, I think, is extremely important. It gives residents the ability to speak to someone when members of the board are not accessible during the day.

Q. Besides the controversy surrounding the hotel project, what is the biggest issue currently facing Tuckahoe?

A. Under the current administration, our village debt has risen to $6 million, which is half of our operating budget. Although they have kept taxes relatively low, it seems like they’ve run up the village credit card to a level that is really unsustainable. We plan to make sure that we fulfill our fiscal obligations. We also need to understand the interest on these loans will affect future budgets.

We need to create efficiencies, look at potential grant funding and look at new revenue streams.

We can review building permit and development fees; we can look at franchise fees as ways of bringing in new revenue.

-Reporting by Corey Stockton

Town of Eastchester

Official Newspaper Eastchester Schools

10 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

Metro-North OKs $7.8M security camera contract GIORDANO from page 6

Last month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved a $7.8 million project to equip 334 of Metro-North’s trains with on-board cameras to improve safety and security. File photo

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA, board has given the nod of approval on a $7.8 million project to outfit trains on the Metro-North Hudson and Harlem lines with onboard cameras to improve security and safety.

The on-board cameras will monitor the engineer’s control area, the track and wayside areas, and passenger areas to aid in investigations and deter crime, according to MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan.

On Feb. 23, the contract was awarded to Bombardier Transportation Inc., a Canadian company, to outfit 334 of MTA’s M-7 railcars. The Metro-North has a total of 1,256 pieces of rolling stock, engines and passenger cars, which need the security cameras.

As of press time, the MTA has not yet approved spending for the

rest of Metro-North’s fleet.

The project’s approval was made by the MTA to help MetroNorth comply with recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, which were made following a deadly derailment in the Bronx that left four dead and 61 injured.

In 2013, William Rockefeller, the engineer of the Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line passenger train, fell asleep while controlling the vehicle.

The Hudson Line passenger train derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil station in the Bronx, causing $9 million in damages.

It was the first accident in Metro-North history with passenger fatalities.

The Metro-North began testing the security cameras on some of its Harlem and Hudson line trains last year, after announcing its plans to install the cameras in

February 2014, just months after the deadly derailment in New York City.

In 2014, the NTSB released a final report that concluded that the incident could have been prevented, and was caused primarily

by Rockefeller’s negligence. The engineer, who is currently receiving a $3,200-a-month disability pension, was later diagnosed with a sleep disorder.

Last year, Rockefeller filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Metro-North, blaming the railroad for not equipping the train with an automatic braking system.

The Spuyten Duyvil train crash was followed by an even deadlier Metro-North crash in Valhalla. In 2015, six individuals were killed as a result of the Harlem Line train’s collision with an SUV. -Reporting by Franco Fino

PANGO from page 1

the village’s parking meters into its network. However, the app will charge users each time they use it to pay for parking. Full-day parking in the village costs $7.25.

Those who use the app will be charged an additional 30 cents, $7.55 per day.

Burke said that there will be a similar 30 cents per transaction fee when Pango becomes available on short-term meters. Drivers would have to pay a 30-cent fee in addition to 25 cents per 15 minutes, but would not have to pay the fee again in order to extend time on the meters.

Last April, Tuckahoe increased the cost of metered parking to correspond with the rates of Eastchester and Bronxville. Rates were increased from 20 to 25 Tuckahoe plans to bring the pay-by-phone parking app Pango to more cents per 15 minutes. than 100 long-term parking meters. Pictured is one of more than 1,200 CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com

Pango-accessible meters in Bronxville, where pay-by-phone has been available for more than a year. File photo

to operate in the village. To what extent should a village board be able to limit an entire type of business from opening within its confines? And what role does community input play in that decision?

A. There is a tension there between wanting to allow people to freely make use of their real property against the zoning laws which are important to maintain the character of the village. With an issue like fast food, I do think the opinion of the public was significant in reaching that determination. Most of the opinions I heard were very strongly against fast food. We wanted [to create] an experience in the village that was not eat and run. We thought that the character of our village was better served by limiting that type of establishment with the ordinance.

Q. For a village of Tuckahoe election, this year’s race has featured an unprecedented amount of social media use. State and national elected officials are also increasingly reliant on social media as a means to quickly communicate with their constituents. Should the village be utilizing social media more than it currently is?

A. We certainly have seen that technology like Twitter allows the rapid dissemination of information. Perhaps a Facebook page encourages social shopping to attain information. I think [the village] website offers a lot of what social media does. Perhaps social media would allow a village to better capture some of the flavor of the municipality, the events that we hold throughout the year, the sense of community that you can develop here. So I think there is room for thought as to how to make the best of those technologies to enhance the experience of the village, and also to communicate where it’s necessary to protect and prepare.

Q. One of the platforms your challengers, the Tuckahoe Independents, are running on is instituting term limits on both the Board of Trustees and appointed boards

2017

in the village. Do you support term limits?

Please explain.

A. There was discussion over the last couple of years about extending the terms of the board members. Ultimately, we didn’t want to write a law that was self-serving. It is a lot of work to have to campaign and run for re-election every two years. As to term limits, I’m certainly willing to consider it. However, what would really affect my thoughts on that would be how much demand is there for thoughtful, competent leadership to take over the village. I’d want to hear from those people who are excited and have the willingness and capacity to do this job well.

Q. Tuckahoe is amid a re-development, including the Quarry Place Apartments on Midland Place and the Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel on Marbledale Road. What is the village board doing to ensure that development continues to reflect the character of Tuckahoe, and what is your personal vision for the village?

A. There are times when you have to look at the master plan and take a fresh look at the longterm direction for the village.

The last time that happened is in 2009 when the current master plan was enacted. And the trustees have discussed recently that we may need to take a fresh look at that, especially in light of the development that has happened in the last years and what’s happening in the Marbledale corridor. Whatever ongoing development there is, I’d like to be mindful of the fact that we’re six-tenths of a square mile. And there is not much room for more things. What’s going to happen with development, I hope, is more of a transformation of existing structures.

Q. What should the role of the village be in relation to the Marbledale Road Brownfield Cleanup Project? If re-elected, how do you plan to ensure that the project is done in a safe way for the residents of Tuckahoe and neighboring communities?

A. [Our goal was] make sure that

we were listening to all of the information that has been generated from the public and their experts, from our experts, from documents and other sources and then making sure that that information is properly available and disseminated to the public. We made sure that we hired and maintained an expert on behalf of the village who could translate the scientific information that was presented to us and make decisions accordingly. We needed to make sure that whatever work was being done on site, whatever decisions had been made by the DEC and by the developer, were in accordance with the law.

As far as specific decisions about the project happening or not happening, our only real decision was whether or not to institute a moratorium. I do not believe that doing so [on a legal basis] was appropriate in this case.

Q. Residents have aired their concerns over the Marbledale Road hotel since the project was initially proposed in 2014.

What benefits will that development bring to the community?

A. I do believe that the remedy, when affected, will cap that site and will make that site safer than it is now. As to a hotel being built, from our estimates it will bring almost $700,000 a year of additional revenue to our village and the school district. That is certainly a benefit.

I think it also has the potential of bringing positive exposure to our village. And I think it offers a business opportunity to our existing businesses, property owners, commercial property owners and perhaps for new establishments to be created that are going to support a new demand. It could help out the nearby catering halls and colleges.

I think there are certainly potential benefits to having a hotel there, not that I would have necessarily selected it if it were my choice.

-Reporting by Corey Stockton

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March 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 11

Another Eastchester-Hamilton connection Over a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, in a series of brilliantly written articles in the New York City press, a 19-year-old Alexander Hamilton systematically refuted the Loyalist arguments of Samuel Seabury, the prominent colonial leader and minister of Eastchester’s only church.

Hamilton asserted that he was clearly committed to the Patriot cause and was willing to fight to regain our basic human rights as Englishmen.

It must be made perfectly clear that the first possible time that Hamilton set foot in the town of Eastchester was after the American Revolution. On the other hand, there are plausible connections between Hamilton and the people and events that took place in our town during the conflict that is also known as the American War for Independence. Exactly eight months after the opening shots of the Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord, an event took place in Eastchester that caused Hamilton to support Seabury, the Eastchester minister whose Loyalist arguments he had systematically destroyed in print point by point a little more than a year before.

Isaac Sears, a prosperous skipper who had worked the West Indian trade and amassed a small fortune as a privateer during the French and Indian War, had become a Patriot militant.

Sears gathered up a militia of nearly 100 horseman in Connecticut, kidnapped the Rev. Samuel Seabury, the local judge named Jonathan Fowler, and a Westchester mayor. Seabury’s family and possibly Fowlers were terrorized before Seabury was taken as a Tory trophy to New Haven, Connecticut, under military guard. Seabury refused to confess that he was the “Westchester Farmer” whose

clan served as town supervisor 24 times.

At the outbreak of the American Revolution, the leading figure of the Fowler clan was the Loyalist Judge Jonathan Fowler. Fowler had been kidnapped along with Seabury by Isaac Sears and his militia. In private correspondence, Hamilton had objected to the lawless actions of Sears against Seabury. While we have no specific proof, Hamilton logically would have objected to the treatment of Judge Fowler.

From the papers of Alexander Hamilton, it is known that Hamilton and Judge Fowler’s son, Theodosius, had a business relationship and most likely a personal relationship after the Revolution. Theodosius, a year younger than Hamilton, both joined Washington’s Continental Army as the British were invading New York City in the late summer and early fall of 1776.

Theodosius was obviously estranged from his Loyalist father who was forced to leave Eastchester during the war.

The unbelievably popular musical “Hamilton” illustrates that it is a misconception to think that our revered Founding Fathers were in agreement about important issues of the day. They manipulated the news, conspired against each other, and were partisan to special interests as politicians do today. The glue that bonds the Founding Fathers together was a shared devotion to the ideals of the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution that our experiment in a democratic republic could survive.

Special thanks goes to Ron Chernow for his masterpiece history “Alexander Hamilton” from which information about Sears’ raid was obtained.

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.

Like us on facebook facebook.com/eastchesterreview

2017 DERISE from page 7

A. I think it absolutely does. Being so involved at Waverly, I have a kind of dual view on that.

I’ve seen how that development affects the school. We certainly want more people coming in to Tuckahoe; we want it to be a place where people want to live.

But if your facilities can’t handle that, then the town and the village and the schools really need to work together on these things.

Tuckahoe schools are very wellknown. People want to send their kids to Tuckahoe schools.

So if their infrastructure is crumbling or they don’t have the space, the village needs to step up and work with them to figure out how to alleviate these issues.

Q. What should the role of the village be in relation to the Marbledale Road Brownfield Cleanup Project? If elected, how do you plan to ensure that the project is done in a safe way for the residents of Tuckahoe and neighboring communities?

A. The village should be leading this project. There’s no reason that they should not be the pointpeople and the people making every decision involved in this development. They’re the ones that should be reviewing things and making the suggestions to the DEC about what should be done versus the other way

around. They’re the ones that should be on site—if not daily, then on a very regular basis— to make sure that all of the requirements are being met. They should be looking at the permits very closely to make sure that all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed. And we haven’t seen that happening. There’s little oversight that we’ve been able to see. And I think that that’s something we would definitely be taking care of.

Q. Do you think the current village board’s degree of oversight on the Marbledale Road project is an adequate response to the concerns of the residents?

A. Not at all. Having attended many of those meetings, the concerns of the residents were not even considered in this project.

It was good that Mike Musso was brought in and I think he’s actually made a difference. But most of what was asked for was asked for by the community, and not by the village [board]. There was a level of thrust that’s gone [now]. There’s so much disrespect. We felt really ignored.

Q. Besides the controversy surrounding the hotel project, what is the biggest issue currently facing the community?

A. The fiscal issue is really the other big [one]. Everybody is talking about how much they’re

paying in taxes and what is it getting them. They keep going up. Tackling that issue is really the other biggest thing. It’s Westchester so that’s what people care about; that’s what we want.

Q. Business on Main Street in Tuckahoe has grown over the last decade. What do you attribute that growth to, and how do you anticipate that area to develop over the next several years?

A. Without having studied anything, I would say it could be the changing demographics in Tuckahoe and the businesses in the area. It could have to do with the entrepreneurial spirit that you’re seeing throughout the country. That’s what I’m doing [in my business] as well: going out on my own, trying to do something for myself that I really care about and that I believe in. We’d love to see more independent businesses that have character, that are interesting, that are diversified, to bring more people shopping in Tuckahoe. We don’t want it to be just a place where you stop in and grab a slice of pizza or a can of paint. What else can we bring in? A place where you can sit down and have lunch and go to a little shop like the ones we’re seeing in Crestwood, things that villagers will enjoy as well as other people.

-Reporting by Corey Stockton

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HISTORICALLY SPEAKING Richard Forliano

essays had provoked Hamilton’s celebrated rebuttal. Sears and 75 of the Connecticut Light Horse Militia returned to Manhattan where they destroyed a Loyalist press.

Hamilton’s reaction to Sears’ raid is very revealing. In a letter to the Patriot John Jay, he stated that he found Loyalist sentiment “dangerous and pernicious,” but he felt obliged to condemn the lawless nature of Sears’ raid. In his letter to Jay he stated, “In times of such commotion as the present while the passions of men are worked up to an uncommon pitch, there is great danger of fatal extremes.”

Even as a 20-year-old, Hamilton favored the ideals of the Revolution but also worried about the long-term effect of habitual disorder, especially among the uneducated masses. Hamilton believed in freedom within order. He clearly saw that greater freedom could lead to greater disorder that resulted in a loss of freedom. All his life he would try to balance the conflict between liberty and order. His fear of mob rule would lead to his famous comment, “The people, a great beast.”

His reaction to Sears’ raid foreshadowed his disgust and horror with the reign of terror during the French Revolution.

As a youth he had seen firsthand the horrors of slave rebellions in the Caribbean. Many years later, this clash of ideals would cause a break with his fellow cabinet member, Thomas Jefferson, who said, “The blood of tyrants must be spilled every twenty years,” and “A little revolution is a good thing.”

And there is the possibility of another Eastchester connection with Hamilton. The judge who was kidnapped along with Seabury was a prominent jurist and a member of Eastchester’s most prolific family, the Fowlers. The patriarch of that family, Henry, was a signer of the Eastchester Covenant. In the 75 years before the American Revolution, a member of the Fowler

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March 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 13

Crime and ineffective punishment RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

It’s no secret that America loves to send people to prison.

We have 5 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of its prisoners—which is odd for a “land of liberty.”

Lately it has become common to attribute our mass incarceration to the war on drugs.

The conversation goes like this: “Why don’t we just release the non-violent drug offenders?

That makes so much sense!”

And it does. But it will not make that big a dent in the number of people sitting in cells, says John Pfaff, a professor of law at Fordham University and author of the new book, “Locked In: the True Causes of Mass Incarceration – and How to Achieve Real Reform.” (Book titles keep getting longer, don’t they?) Surprisingly, people arrested for drug crimes constitute only about 16 percent of the people in prison.

Most of the rest are there for violent crimes. So for Pfaff the question is: Should we start releasing the violent criminals, too?

At first blush, this sounds crazy. We need to keep violent offenders off the street. But one point that Pfaff makes is that “violent offender” is a misleading term. It makes it sound as if there’s a class of people who are wired wrong and incorrigible.

This is wrong on two counts.

First of all, some crimes are labeled “violent” that aren’t—like breaking into a house.

But beyond that, some people are labeled “violent” who committed their crime only in the context of one particular situ-

ation. “You’re in a bad mood, you have a beer, you get in a fight with your friend at the bar and break his jaw,” says Pfaff.

“If we’re trying to minimize future harm, some sort of anger management class might be more effective than prison.” But prison has become our knee-jerk response to all violence, even though often this isn’t addressing the real problem.

Which is…? Well, says Pfaff, “Whenever you have young men who are denied upward social mobility and the state doesn’t do a good job of preventing violent crime, these young men will engage in violence against each other. It’s as true in 19thcentury Czarist Russia as it is in 20th-century Los Angeles. What is necessary is a change of circumstance.”

That might sound like a verse from the “West Side Story” song—“Officer Krupke, you’re really a slob, this boy don’t need a doctor just a good honest job”—but Pfaff cites a current theory that looks at violence as an epidemic: A shoots B, B’s friends shoot C, C’s brother shoots D, and so forth. “One study tied 400 shootings back to one initial shooting,” Pfaff said.

If we could just stop that chain at the start, so many lives would be saved—and so many fewer people would wind up in a cage.

One method shown to work is a program in Boston called Project Ceasefire. It works like this: The cops determine which gangs are responsible for the majority of the gun violence.

“Then they sit down and meet with those people and kind of give them two choices: ‘If you persist in this violence, we will crack down on you as a group, aggressively,’” Pfaff said. But

the cops also bring in an array of social workers to help with housing, food, employment, and health care. “And they say, ‘If you’re willing to put this violence behind you, we will help you build a more stable life.’ It’s called ‘focused deterrence.’ It’s carrot and stick.”

A program like this called Cure Violence was introduced in Chicago. “And when the state cut the funding a couple of years ago, that’s exactly when the violence in Chicago began its sharp increase,” Pfaff says. Somehow, one solitary neighborhood managed to keep its funding.

And there, says Pfaff, the crime rate continues to go down. This doesn’t definitively prove the program works. “But it’s worth a lot more study.”

It certainly is. And so is a look at the prison guard unions.

While many people are concerned about the advent of private prisons—after all, these make money on “heads in beds,” so they support more incarceration—the role of the public prison guard unions should not be ignored.

Here in New York state, says Pfaff, our prison population is down 25 percent, and yet our correctional budget keeps going up. The more guards that are on the payroll, the more potential votes for laws that are tough on crime—perhaps excessively. After all, jobs depend on it.

But lives depend on something else: preventing violence, not punishing it. Putting people behind bars ignores the cost to their families, and to taxpayers.

If we want to make our cities safer, locking up violent offenders may not be the key.

CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

Change your clocks, check your batteries As New Yorkers prepare to set their clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 12, the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York, FASNY, urges all New Yorkers to check their smoke and carbon monoxide, CO, alarms to ensure their homes are properly protected.

If alarms have removable batteries, those batteries should be replaced. Alarms equipped with sealed-in batteries should be tested to ensure they are in proper working condition.

At the end of 2015, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that will require all smoke alarms sold in New York state to be equipped with sealed-in, non-removable batteries that last for at least 10 years. The new law will take effect in 2019 and marks an important step in improving New York’s fire safety.

According to research from the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, three out of every five home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms, and the vast majority of smoke alarm failures are due to dead or missing batteries. Ten-year smoke alarms

require little maintenance, and unlike alarms with removable batteries, they are nearly impossible to deactivate. Regardless of the type of alarm in one’s home, FASNY recommends cleaning all alarms to remove any debris that might impede their function, and to test the batteries, changing them if necessary.

“Installing and maintaining smoke alarms in your house is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself from fire,” said FASNY President Ken Pienkowski. “This simple but vital maintenance includes ensuring that all alarms are equipped with working batteries. We strongly encourage New Yorkers to install 10-year smoke alarms, which cannot be easily deactivated. Equally important is installing and maintaining carbon monoxide alarms.

These appliances are critical in preventing future tragedies.”

FASNY smoke and CO alarm tips: • Test alarms at least once a month by using the test button.

• If you have an alarm with a removable battery, be sure to check the batteries every six

months, and change the batteries every year. If a battery is starting to lose its power, the unit will usually chirp to warn you.

Do NOT disable the unit.

• Vacuum or blow out any dust that might have accumulated in the unit.

• NEVER borrow a battery from an alarm to use somewhere else.

• NEVER paint a smoke or CO alarm.

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home, including the basement, and in or near each sleeping area.

• Smoke alarms should not be installed near a window because drafts could interfere with their operation.

• Families should also develop and practice a home fire escape plan.

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for testing smoke alarms and replacing the batteries.

For more information on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and other information on fire safety and prevention, visit fasny.com and nfpa.org.

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14 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

A Classic pastime LIVE MIKE Mike Smith

Donald Trump is right.

America doesn’t win anymore, and it hasn’t in a long time.

But I’m not talking about defeats in trade, wars or border security; I’m talking about the very essence of America itself.

I’m talking about baseball.

This week marked the beginning of the fourth installment of the World Baseball

SPORTS

Classic, WBC, an international tournament featuring teams from around the globe duking it out in what was once considered the most American of pursuits. And if past results are any indication, it won’t be the good old USA on the gold

medal stand when all the dust finally settles.

Don’t get me wrong, the past three winners of the WBC have their own proud baseball traditions. Japan won the first two, in 2006 and 2009, and the last title belongs to the Dominican Republic, a nation that supplies its fair share of stars to the major leagues.

But why has America, the nation in which the sport was

The fourth World Baseball Classic kicked off this week, but Sports Editor Mike Smith believes we can do more to make the games matter here in America. Photo courtesy mlb.com

birthed, lagged so far behind?

It’s certainly not for lack of talent. This year’s iteration of Team USA, while lacking a few big names like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, certainly has enough bats—and arms—to compete. Buster Posey, Daniel Murphy, Nolan Arenado and other perennial All-Stars are all aboard, which puts the Americans squarely ahead of teams like Israel, which features a few MLB retreads like Ike Davis and Jason Marquis among a slew of minor league talent.

But Israel has gotten off to a hot start, beating both South Korea and Chinese Taipei in pool play and it’s certainly not due to its abundance of star power.

For teams like Israel, and even clubs with established MLB talent like the Dominican Republic, the WBC just seems to mean more. Minor leaguers jump at the opportunity to play on the big stage, and the sluggers from the Dominican Republic—players like Robinson Cano, Adrian Beltre and Hanley Ramirez—speak time and again about the honor of representing their home

countries in the classic.

On the other hand, Noah Syndergaard, the Mets’ flamethrower who would probably be the best starting pitcher on Team USA’s roster, declined an invitation, saying, in no uncertain terms, that the WBC was simply not as important as getting prepared for the MLB season.

And I can’t say I necessarily blame him. Playing in the major leagues is a full time job, and I can’t begrudge someone for opting to save himself for Opening Day at the expense of what happens to be an exhibition tournament.

I don’t know how this gets fixed, whether it is by moving the dates of the WBC or increasing pressure from the MLB Players Association to get our best and brightest on the field, but one thing is clear.

Until we, as a nation, decide that the WBC matters, we are never going to make America—or at least our American team—great again.

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 10, 2017 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 15

Eagles fall in finals stunner GIRLS BASKETBALL

class a

FINALS

SOMERS 49 EASTCHESTER 48 COUNTY CENTER

3/5/16

Game Notes: • Eastchester led Somers through three quarters • Somers’ Dani DiCintio had 13 second-half points to lead the comeback • The Tuskers’ Class A title was the first in program history Ashley Anello rushes past a defender. Photos/Mike Smith

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor After a spirited run through the playoffs, Eastchester’s season came to an end on March 5 with a heartbreaking loss to Somers in the Class A championship game. Although the Eagles led throughout the game, a late charge by the No. 2-seeded Tuskers saw Somers claim its first-ever Gold Ball with a thrilling 49-48 win at the Westchester County Center.

What most predicted to be a high-scoring contest started slowly on Sunday night, as Eastchester and Somers combined

for just six points in the first quarter. The Eagles held an 11-8 lead at the half and maintained that three-point lead heading into the final quarter.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, however, junior center Fiona Teahan, who had been anchoring a tremendous defensive performance by Eastchester, went down with an ankle injury in the early in the fourth quarter, allowing Somers—led by 13 second-half points from Dani DiCintio—to climb back into the game.

“Fiona was extraordinary, she’s been in section finals in other sports, and she was a com-

Cassidy Mitchell makes a move against a Somers defender on March 5.

plete defensive force,” Eastchester coach Lindsay Farley said.

“When she went down, she sat down at the end of the bench, the trainer looked at her and she just said ‘tape me up,’ and that’s just the kind of leader she is.”

Teahan would return to the game in the waning minutes of a back-and-forth barnburner, but it was Somers that would have the last laugh, forcing a turnover that led to a Livy Rosenzweig bucket that would give them their final lead with just 26.5 seconds left.

Lauren Gresia would have a chance to win the game for the Eagles off an inbound play with just over one second left on the

Lauren Gresia looks for space to take the final shot against Somers. Eastchester fell to the Tuskers in a 4948 heartbreaker.

clock, but a contested shot went off the rim to seal the game for the Tuskers.

After the game, Farley acknowledged she wanted her squad to think about what they had accomplished.

“I basically told them, they were the five seed, and they never got intimidated the entire time,” she said. “We beat the top seed and came so close to winning the section, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out.”

Farley added that she hoped her team would use Sunday’s loss as motivation for next season. With a number of key returning players, including Teahan, Nicole Patrylow, Ashley Anello, and Cassidy Mitchell, who scored her 1,000th career point in the first round of the playoffs, the Eagles should be in the mix to once again contend for a Section I title.

“You never know what young players you’re going to have and we know that, with the league we play in, every game is going to be tough next year,” Farley said. “But even though it’s going to be a new team with new goals, we’ll always have this experience to fall back on.”

CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com

Fiona Teahan goes up for a shot against the Tuskers at the County Center. Teahan was a force on both ends of the court.

16 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • March 10, 2017

SPORTS

Cheerleaders head to states

Eastchester athletes put the finishing touches on their performance on March 2. The Eagles were one of five Section I teams to make the trip to states.

On Saturday, March 4, a handful of Section I cheerleading teams took the floor at the SRC Arena & Events in Syracuse to compete in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championships. And even though Section I walked away from the competition without a state title, the local cheer squads did have a strong showing at states.

Last weekend marked the sec-

The Eastchester Eagles perform at New Rochelle High School. The Eagles won a Section I title this winter.

New Rochelle cheerleaders perform on March 2. Photos/Mike Smith

ond year of the New York State Championship, and Eastchester, New Rochelle, RC Ketcham, North Rockland and Putnam Valley all made the trip up north following their top performances at the state qualifiers on Feb. 25.

All five teams met with varying degrees of success on the day.

Putnam Valley placed highest, making the finals in the Division II Large division and scoring 176.95, good enough

for second place. RC Ketcham (172.80) took fifth in the co-ed competition, and North Rockland’s 189.25 placed its team fourth in the Division I Large finals.

Eastchester, which placed ninth at the UCE National Championship in Florida in February, failed to advance past the prelims this weekend, as a 2.25 deduction in their opening round put the team three spots

behind the last Division II Small division qualifier.

New Rochelle tallied an impressive 200.3 in the prelims, and improved upon that with a flawless performance in the finals of the Division I Small division. But a score of 206.10 was simply not enough to defeat the team from Greece Athena High School, whose 212.90 was enough to take top honors.

-Reporting by Mike Smith

Huguenot cheerleaders perform their routine for fans at a March 2 showcase at New Rochelle High School. New Rochelle placed third in the Division I Small division at the NYSPHAA championship in Syracuse on March 4.