RyeCity REVIEW THE
April 5, 2019 | Vol. 7, Number 14 | www.ryecityreview.com
Coyote management bill passes state Senate
Play ball Jason Ciardiello throws a pitch against Blind Brook on March 28. Ciardiello and the Garnets beat the Trojans 10-0. For story, see page 16. Photo/Mike Smith
Harrison police seize marijuana, THC cartridges Harrison police over the weekend seized several hundred THC cartridges that were individually wrapped in brightly colored packaging in an apparent attempt to market the product to children and teens. In addition, more than three pounds of marijuana were seized along with scales, bags and other paraphernalia commonly used in the distribution and sale of marijuana and illegal narcotics. The items were discovered by a Harrison police officer following
a March 23 traffic stop on Westchester Avenue. “The THC cartridges we recovered were deliberately designed to look like a candy product in order to appeal to young people,” Chief Joseph Yasinski said. “I commend our officer for his keen observations and diligent investigation that enabled us to take these products and this drug dealer off the streets.” The traffic stop occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m., when
patrol officer Sokol Biberaj stopped a vehicle on the eastbound portion of Westchester Avenue in the vicinity of Kenilworth Road for a vehicle and traffic violation. While speaking with the operator and passengers, he detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, promoting further investigation. After a search of the vehicle, officers located 3.17 pounds of marijuana packaged in vacuum
sealed bags, 248 individually packaged 1-gram cartridges of 80-80 percent THC (the chemical compound in cannabis responsible for a euphoric high). Kaleigh Beers, 19, of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, was subsequently charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the fifth degree and Criminal Possession of Marijuana in the second degree and remanded to Westchester County Jail without bail. (Submitted)
ON Wednesday, March 27, Bill S.2100, passed the state Senate by a vote of 49-13. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Shelley Mayer, addresses the increasing presence of coyotes in urban and suburban communities and the need for a multifaceted response by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC. An increasing number of coyotes in the state’s downstate, highly populated cities, towns and villages, has posed new challenges for residents, as well as law enforcement. The bill requires the DEC to proactively prepare a report on coyote management best practices and other effective methods of preparing residents for managing the coyote influx. “My own experience in my district in Yonkers points to the need for a highly sophisticated response to address understandable concerns of suburban homeowners,” Mayer said. “I look forward to working with the DEC to fund effective tools for coyote management statewide.” President of the Hyatt Community Association of Southeast Yonkers, Larry Wilson, said, “Senator Shelley Mayer and her Senate colleagues understand the need for answers and strategies to deal with the proliferation of coyotes in our suburban neighborhoods. We applaud Senator Mayer for sponsoring and supporting this bill.” The bill requires the DEC to include in the report: Management measures currently taken by the Department
to minimize conflict between humans and coyotes; Review of effective management measures being taken in other states; Methods to enhance public engagement in and awareness of coyote management issues; Identification and evaluation of urban and suburban areas of the state with high concentrations of coyote populations; Methods currently implemented to minimize dangerous interactions between humans and coyotes and recommendations for improvements to such methods, if applicable; The basis for the department’s current coyote population management levels; And an evaluation of coyote control methods that may be employed to reduce coyote populations, which may include, but need not be limited to capture and euthanization, capture and removal, and fertility control. The bill is sponsored in the state Assembly by Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso and is under consideration by the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. (Submitted)
A bill that recently passed through the state Senate addresses the increasing presence of coyotes in urban and suburban communities and the need for a multifaceted response by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.