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November 17, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 46 | www.ryecityreview.com
In Westchester, ‘Trump-Effect’ nets huge gains for Dems By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester hosted its 12th annual A Taste of Westchester, giving attendees a chance to try more than 30 of the county’s finest dining establishments, while raising money to fund a park for children with and without disabilities. For story, see page 6. Photo/Sibylla Chipaziwa
City approves proposal to landmark cemeteries, square By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer The Rye City Council has approved the preservation of three historical locations and added them to a list of places protected under local law. The decision to landmark Baird Square, the Milton Cemetery and the Purdy Family Burial Ground as protected sites, which would prevent any advance to alter, demolish or reconstruct the locations, comes as part of a continuation of the city Landmarks Advisory Committee’s agenda to further preserve Rye’s downtown as a historic district.
The proposal was approved by the City Council unanimously on Nov. 8. “This is a continuation of promoting our history, culture and heritage, and makes our city more attractive and a desirable place to live,” said Maurio Sax, a member of the landmarks committee, who explained last month that the effort would prevent overdevelopment and environmental destruction of Rye’s monuments. Baird Square, which is located at the intersection of Boston Post Road, Purchase Street and Milton Road, was named in memory of the Rev. Charles W. Baird,
the beloved former minister of the Rye Presbyterian Church. The land, gifted to the city by Baird, is surrounded by a low ledge and edged on one side with a sidewalk leading uphill toward Christ’s Church. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1828, Baird was one of the longest serving ministers of the church, serving from 1861 until his death in 1887. The Purdy Family Burial Ground, which is located on the same parcel of land as the Milton Cemetery, served as the private burial plot for one of Westchester’s first families. A plaque located on the land reports that
the Purdy family purchased the property in 1685. After occupying Massachusetts in the 1600s, the French Huguenot family drifted around a number of locations in the New England region. Most of the Purdy family descendants populated Rye and CrotonOn-Hudson. Historically, the American Revolution split the Purdy family into two opposing sides: those that supported King George III, who all signed a declaration of endorsement for the king at the time in White Plains, and those LANDMARK continued on page 8
Anti-Trump sentiments fueling voter angst rose from merely prognostications to a blue wave of Democratic voters this year helping push the party to victory in Westchester County as well as key states across the country. On top of state Sen. George Latimer’s sound defeat of Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, Democrats saw major gains in the county’s Legislature, where successful challenges helped increase a partisan advantage from nine seats to 12, securing a super majority and mirroring party success throughout city, town and village elections. According to Doug Forand, a senior partner at political consulting firm Red Horse Strategies in Brooklyn, New York, Democratic wins this election cycle—a non-presidential, offyear election usually characterized by tepid voter turnout— weren’t just a result of success on the campaign trail, but a product of strategic opposition to President Donald Trump. The outcome has been termed the “Trump-Effect.” “[Trump opposition] was a very significant element of this election season,” Forand said. “We weren’t surprised. We’ve done a couple special elections and we started to see this wave materializing.” According to Forand, whose firm worked on the Latimer campaign as well as campaigns of other Democrats in the county, like most strategists and
Democratic candidates moving to capitalize on simmering resentment toward the Trump administration, he was unsure of what the magnitude of Trump opposition would be, but with passing time and the crystallization of solid voting data, its efficacy has been borne out, and indicates a full-blown political phenomenon. Forand said that Red Horse has already begun to analyze the results of previous Westchester County executive races, and according to the firm’s calculations, voter turnout in this election has outpaced the last four executive races, with the closest turnout coming in 2005 when nearly 9,000 less voters re-elected Democrat Andy Spano over then-challenger Astorino. But compared to 2013—the last county executive race which pitted Astorino against New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson— county Board of Elections data shows there was a 46 percent increase in Democratic voters this year, while Republican votership remained almost completely static. According to Jake Dilemani, the senior vice president for Mercury Public Affairs, a multinational political consulting group, even Latimer’s worst re-election performance for his New York state Senate seat would have been enough to beat Astorino this year. Astorino was first elected in 2009 and had dealt rather easily with two previous Democratic challengers. TRUMP continued on page 8
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