RyeCity REVIEW THE
April 6, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 14 | www.ryecityreview.com
County executive presents certificate to Arc Westchester
RYE HEATS UP Dennis Kennelly maneuvers behind the net during Rye’s April 3 game against Somers. Kennelly had three goals as the Garnets topped the Tuskers 11-5. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
White Plains Hospital partners with county, police to combat opioid crisis According to the American College of Surgeons, 60 percent of patients prescribed with an opioid recently said they were keeping leftover drugs for future use. Nearly one-half reported not knowing what to do with leftover opioid medications, and about 40 percent of those using opioids without a prescription had obtained them from friends or relatives. Here in Westchester County, opioid-related deaths have increased four-fold from 2010 to 2016. To combat this significant public health issue and provide the community with resources for support,
White Plains Hospital is moderating, Change the Conversation: A Panel Discussion on Opioids in our Community on Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m. in the White Plains High School Auditorium (550 North St., section A Parking). The interactive panel discussion will bring awareness to the community, empower individuals to take action against opioid abuse and discuss positive solutions. Following introductory remarks by White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach and Westchester County Department of Health Commissioner Sherita Amler, keynote speaker Stephanie Mar-
quesano, founder of the Harris Project and an Ardsley resident, will share her personal story of loss and her mission to positively impact the opioid crisis in the community. A panel discussion will follow with various experts, each providing a unique perspective on the opioid crisis, its effects on our community and resources for intervention and recovery. Panelists are: • Dahlia Austin, MPS, Westchester Department of Community Mental Health • Richard Ellsasser, MD, director of Psychiatry at White
Plains Hospital • Lilly Neuman, CASAC, St Vincent’s Hospital Westchester, a division of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center • Christina Spano, detective, White Plains Police Department The program, free of charge and open to the public, will be moderated by Dean Straff, associate director of Emergency Medicine at White Plains Hospital. Advance registration is recommended, but not required. More information can be obtained by visiting wphospital.org/opioidpanel or by calling 681-1119. (Submitted)
Westchester County Executive George Latimer has lined the walls of the county offices in White Plains with works of art from Arc Westchester. File photo
Westchester County Executive George Latimer has transformed the Michaelian Government Building into an art gallery. Mike’s Bridge Gallery, located in the Michaelian Building, is now lined with bright and charismatic prints on loan from The Arc Westchester. County employees are thrilled to have beautiful art fill the gallery, a space that has been left bare for almost a decade. Some pieces, all done by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, include abstract images in bright yellows and deep blues that resemble the ocean. Other pieces show soft visuals of birds and fish that bring a sense of calm to the gallery. Latimer presented Ric Sweirat, executive director, and volunteer Gallery Manager Rob Miss of The Arc Westchester with a Certificate of Merit for their work with individuals with disabilities. “When you try to cluster people who are working through a variety of developmental disabil-
ities, but still functioning in the world and still wanting to express who they are, we have an obligation to showcase that individuality,” Latimer said. “That is exactly what The Arc Westchester has been doing all these years.” Sweirat said, “I want to thank the county, in particular County Executive Latimer for allowing us to make this presentation so the community can see how important it is for talent to be exhibited, and the expression of the soul of the artist to be presented.” And Miss added, “Today is Autism Awareness Day. The U.N. voted to do this 11 years ago. One of the things you often hear when someone is speaking about someone with autism, is the spectrum. What you are seeing behind us is the spectrum. These are colorful and joyful artworks by people who are employed. Thanks to Ric, they found many jobs and services in The Arc Westchester, and at night this is what they do.” (Submitted)