WESTCHESTER COUNTY– Park it this summer- Passes for over 50 county parks go on sale today.
Passes are available at the Westchester County Center and the Parks Department on 450 Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley on Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:
Rye Playland
Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake Golf Course in Yonkers
Hudson Hills Golf Course in Ossining
Maple Moore Golf Course in White Plains
Saxon Woods Golf Course in Scarsdale
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Golf Course in Cross River
Glen Island Park in New Rochelle (tickets go on sale here May 26)
Some of the County Parks include not only those above, but Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, Saxon Woods Pool in White Plains and Willson’s Waves in Mount Vernon.
Beginning June 16 passes will be available daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers, Saxon Woods Pool in White Plains and Willson’s Waves in Mount Vernon.
There’s a growing rap sheet against the “commuter robber.”
Olivier Fanby, 19, will be charged by Harrison police in two robberies, and one each in the village and town of Mamaroneck, and in New Rochelle.
Famby is being held without bail. He was expected to be in Mamaroneck Town Court on Monday and in Harrision Town Court today. As LoHud reports:
Famby reportedly told Pelham detectives that he had planned to rob someone at the Larchmont station around 5 a.m. Friday, but didn’t see anybody who looked promising, so he drove to Pelham. He parked on Corlies Avenue, in a no-overnight parking zone.
Sgt. Christopher Casucci saw the parked car about 5:20 a.m. and knew it hadn’t been there earlier, Benefico said.
While he was writing a ticket, he noticed someone in the car and pulled up to talk to the driver. When he got out to investigate, he noticed a gun on the floor and black gloves.
PELHAM, LARCHMONT, MAMARONECK, HARRISON–Pelham police says a 19 year old New Rochelle man confessed Friday to the series of gunpoint robberies of commuters near train stations in several Sound Shore towns since January.
Police arrested Olivier Famby Friday when he was caught with a handgun that had been reported stolen in Pennsylvania.
LoHud reports Police say that Famby told them that he had been scouting out the area of the Larchmont train station for a potential victim prior to coming to Pelham on Friday. When Famby couldn’t find a suitable victim, he came to Pelham to see if he could spot one arriving into the Pelham station.
She includes Augie’s Restaurant & Pub (2417 Boston Post Rd, Larchmont 914-834-3800 augiesitalian.com); Carlo’s Restaurant(668 Tuckahoe Rd, Yonkers 914-793-1458; carlosrestaurant.net); Francesco’s (600 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains 914-946-3359); Giulio’s Restaurant (53 Park Hill Ave, Yonkers 914-375-1043); Gus’s Franklin Park Restaurant (126 Halstead Ave, Harrison 914-835-9804; gusseafood.com); Solano’s Lincoln Lounge (209 Stevens Ave, Mount Vernon 914-664-9747), (one of our favorites) and Sherwood’s Restaurant and Bar-B-Q (2136 Boston Post Rd, Larchmont 914-833-3317; sherwoodsrestaurant.com)
From wine (below,) to beer. The Craftsman tells us,
“Starting off this very week, 4.20 to be exact, our friend Dennis from Stone Brewing Co. will be taking over the taps. If you have never met Dennis, or been to a Stone event then you surely don’t want to miss this one. For those of you hard core Stone fanatics Dennis will be pouring beers earlier in the day at one of our favorite craft beer shops, The Beer Necessities.
Mamaroneck Mayor Norm Rosenblum is warning residents of his Village about the 11:55 pm, April 9 robbery in Harrison, another in a series of robberies this year of commuters walking home from a train station in the shore towns.
This is the second robbery near the Harrison Train Station in the last two months.
These two robberies are similar to the robberies that occurred in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, Pelham and New Rochelle. It appears the suspect is targeting commuters along the New Haven train line.
In all of the robberies the suspect is a black male wearing a mask and dark clothing. He approaches the victims from behind, displays a handgun and demands the victim’s personal possessions, including cell phones, wallets and electronic devices.
Rosenblum says, “It is always advisable that you are aware of your surroundings while walking home from the train station.Use electronic devices while walking home only if absolutely necessary. Always walk in well lit areas and preferably with another person.
If you see any suspicious person(s) or incidents call the Village of Mamaroneck Police directly at: (914) 777-7783.
Update: SPCA officials say the animals had been euthanized and then disposed of.
It’s all over the news this morning and it’s beyond horrible: more than 30 dead dogs and cats, and a large South American lizard, were found in black plastic garbage bags on a ramp to the Hutch.
They were discovered by a transportation dept. worker by the Westchester Ave. entrance ramp to the Northbound Hutchinson River Parkway in Harrison.
It appears, from the varying stages of decomposition, the animals were discarded over a period of time.
County police are investigating. We are not posting the pictures the police released.
Here is an interesting case in Harrison, and it may sound familiar, given recent events in Sanford, Florida.
Neville Coward, who lived in West Harrison, says he was only shouting advice to 11 year old playing a Little League game back in 2003. Now he is suing Harrison and three town employees for false arrest, malicious prosecution, and equal protection violations stemming from a 2003 incident when he was arrested near a baseball field at Silver Lake Park.
Coward is of Caribbean descent, and has contended over the years and in the first two days of his trial this week, that he was targeted because of his race. More in LoHud.
Several of the Westchester.gov Web sites run by the County seem to be back up–at least sporadically– after being hacked Friday.
The hacker’s message poked fun at the county’s computer security, saying “Security is a joke! Your box owned by Mr.XHat Greets To: All Underground Hackers & Mafia Bands.”
The sites were those of Several of Westchester County’s offices, including those for the district attorney, the county clerk and the Board of Legislators.
Did this shutdown affect you? Did it get in the way of your doing business with the County, finding directions, or anything else? Please let us know below.
Pelham police say another man was robbed at gunpoint while walking home from the Pelham train station Wednesday night.
This is the third person robbed while walking home from the Pelham train station this year, the other two occurred in January. And it’s one of several in a string of robberies of commuters walking home from train stations from Pelham to Harrison.
A possible suspect nabbed in February turned out not to be related to these crimes, say cops.
Pelham Patch reports the robbery took place at about 10:55 p.m. when the victim heard footsteps behind him in the area of Elderwood Avenue and East Second Street. The victim turned and saw a man holding a gun.
The robber forced the victim to lay on the ground and took a portfolio bag containing a wallet, cell phones and an iPad before fleeing the scene. The robber is described as a black male about 5-foot, 10 inches tall and about 180 pounds.
The robber wore a dark jacket with a dark hood covering his face. The victim was not injured.
New York Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that will lead police to the individuals responsible. Anyone with information regarding any of these robberies is asked to contact NYS Crime Stoppers at its hotline number 1-866-313-TIPS
Joe Carvin announces today he’s running for Nita Lowey’s seat in Congress.
This is the Rye Town Supervisor that originally announced he would run for Senate against Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand.
Then on March 16, the day of the Republican convention in Rochester, he announced that he was bowing out of the race for U.S. Senator.
Wednesday, Mar. 21, Republican candidate Mark Rosen dropped out of the race and endorsed his friend Carvin.
Rosen dropped out of the race because a magistrate judge redrew the district lines, and Larchmont, where he lives, and much of the Sound Shore, was drawn out of the district in which he intended to run. Harrison and Rye Town remain in the District, as doe Rye Brook, where Carvin lives.
The new Congressional districting reduces New York’s congressional districts from 29 to 27, combines the southern portion of Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel’s 17th District (Mt. Vernon and Yonkers) and the southern portion of Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey’s 18th District (the Sound Shore area) to form the state’s new 16th District.
New 18th Congressional District. Sound Shore area was in the 17th
Congressional redistricting has claimed its first victim.
Mark Rosen, a Larchmont Republican who had announced his intention to seek the Congressional seat now held by Democrat Rep. Nita Lowey, dropped out Wednesday.
“Given the redistricting that was just announced, I regret that I can no longer run the effective race we envisioned with Congresswoman Nita Lowey. My kids go to Murray Avenue School. This is our home. And, we are not moving. The redistricting has me living outside of Ms. Lowey’s district, and I regret that I must leave the race.”
He lives in Larchmont, which like other areas of Westchester County, moves into Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel’s district.
Lowey is getting all of Rockland County, which Engel had mostly represented, as well as the Bronx.
Rosen will endorse Joe Carvin, Rye Town Supervisor, who dropped out of a run for U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand last week.
On the State Senate side, Democrat George Latimer, current State Legislator, announced a run, which he told us will also be harder–to Democrats– due to redistricting:
“More Republicans in communities like Bronxville, Eastchester and Yonkers and Democrats in New Rochelle and White Plains were artfully carved out,” he told theLoop.
“This will be a much tougher seat to win than under Suzi (Oppenheimer)”
George Latimer at one of his "Coffee with George" meetings in Mamaroneck
Assemblyman George Latimer, Rye Democrat, may not have voted for the re-configured State Senate districts, as he told us last week, but he’s going to run for the seat being vacated by longtime Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer.
Latimer announced the run in a letter that went out to district leaders this week, which, according to LoHud, reads:
“The changes we need – the changes I have fought for all my life – involve sacrifice from everybody, not just from ‘the other guy’,” Latimer wrote. “Property taxes are too high, and I have worked hard to address that major worry many of us face; it always comes up as the #1 local issue homeowners are concerned about.”
At least two Republicans have announced their intention to run for the seat: Bob Cohen, a New Rochelle businessman who was narrowly defeated by Oppenheimer in 2010; and Diane DiDonato-Roth, a North Castle councilwoman.
Cohen spokesman Bill O’Reilly responded:
“We welcome Mr. Latimer into this race, but find it head-scratching, frankly, that he would bring up property taxes in his announcement. Westchester families pay the highest property taxes in America because of what George Latimer did as a county legislator and as an assemblyman. He and the other career politicians are directly responsible for the staggering property taxes Westchester families pay today. On top of that, Mr. Latimer voted against last year’s historic property tax cap vote and he went MIA for Governor Cuomo’s pension reform vote last week that will ease costs on local governments. We look forward to discussing all these issues at length throughout this campaign.”
Latimer spokesman Brian Hegt:
Bill O’Reilly is a mouthpiece for the Senate Majority who has once again proven that the misrepresentation of facts is the only way they can hold onto their gerrymandered majority. Here’s the truth: George Latimer worked with the Governor to establish the lowest individual income tax rates in decades and repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for Small Businesses. In 2009, he voted against the State budget, which included a series of taxes and he also opposed the soda tax and entertainment tax. As Chairman of the County Board of Legislators, property taxes decreased for 3 years consecutively while George was in that position. We thank Mr. O’Reilly for his warm reception into this race and look forward to debating the FACTS, with Mr. Cohen, Ms. Roth or Mr. Terenzi, whoever the Republicans choose to nominate.
A Westchester-based team has won the Winter Baseball League at Diamond Nation in Flemington, NJ. This is the 2nd year in a row the boys won.
The Knights led the division from start to finish, going 7-1 in the Diamond Nation 2012 Winter League defeating Baseball Academies in NJ & in Pennsylvania with a + 33 run differential.
The Knights success was due to power hitting, slick defense, savvy base running, and solid pitching
The 2012 Knights are comprised of players from Ardsley, Mamaroneck, Yorktown, Stamford, Mahopac, New Windsor, Harrison and Pennsylvania.
The Knights lineup / batting order:
Dylan Resk (MIF)
Andy Karlan (C, IF)
Alex Volpi (1B, 3B)
Kevin Stone (IF, P),
Louis Nardella (P, IF, OF)
Gio Marrero (P, IF, OF)
Clayton Masarjian (OF, 1b, P, C)
Aaron Gulibon (P, OF, IF)
Tyler McConway (OF, C, P)
Lola is a 5 year old Pit Bull. She loves to get her belly rubbed and is very social. She is such a sweetheart and is very even-tempered, but she can’t be in a crate and she does have a separation anxiety. She needs someone who will really work with her and not leave her alone all day.
Lola is available for adoption at the Westchester Shore Humane Society , Harrison. 914-835-3332
I hadn’t really heard the word luncheonette since cracking out an old Hall and Oates CD but my friend Tracy brought a bunch of us here for tuna melts and fried shrimp and we had to share this with you.
T n T (now) stands for “Theresa and not Tony,” in reference to a former partner, but Theresa has been here 20 years this coming May 24. The luncheonette itself, under various ownership, has looked like this for about 50 years.
“I’ve seen it all and more, ” she says. You can see why. Sitting at the snug counter eating comfort food, you just want to tell her all your secrets. Everyone coming in the door she greets by name.
“We are like bartenders,” she says, “without the alcohol.”
T n T Luncheonette is open 7 days 6:30 am – 2 pm. 244 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, near the corner of Halstead Avenue.
An Air Traffic Controller at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains tells Fox5 News, “I’m upset and extremely concerned with things taking place at Westchester tower.”
The station reports the unnamed source, who provided video and photographs, “documented many instances where fellow controllers had their eyes anywhere but on air traffic. We’re talking about sleeping, reading, texting.”
Every so often you have to forget about fancy French pastries and dig into the real stuff.
The Harrison Bake Shop gives you plenty of it. The unassuming bakery, located in a Harrison strip mall, boasts the best old school favorites around – fresh bread, butter cookies, birthday cakes and apple-filled pastry that is “one of the best treats I’ve had in a long time,” according to one customer.
The shop is as good for a weekend-morning-not-even-close-to-healthy-cake-and-coffee run as it is for party catering, which they’ll do with a mere day’s notice.
Undeniably delicious.
Harrison Bake Shop, 357 Halstead Ave., Harrison. 835-1151. No Website.
Pelham police may have a suspect in the recent armed robberies that have taken place in Pelham, Larchmont, Mamaroneck and Harrison during the last month, according to published reports.
Kyle Taylor, 23 of New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon was arrested by Pelham police Feb. 15 following a traffic stop at Lincoln Ave. and Second Avenue. Yonkers police had a warrant out for his arrest in relation to robbery with a handgun.
A Beretta 9 millimeter handgun was recovered on an adjacent lawn near where Mr. Taylor was apprehended. The weapon matches the description of the weapon used in the other robberies.
If you’re sticking around, there’s plenty to do. Here are some suggestions from the Journal News to do with kids, and as always, watch our Coming Up column.
If you’re leaving for the break, listen up: In light of a marked increase in local break-ins, police say prep the house to make it look like you’re not away.
Speaking at a crime prevention workshop last week, Town of Mamaroneck police urged residents to create a “vacation plan” that includes steps like putting house lights on timers and stopping mail and newspapers. Alerting neighbors to your departure is another wise move, they said.
In addition, the Town also has a “dark house” program that under which residents can notify police that their house is going to be vacant so they can keep a closer eye on it. Residents in other municipalities can request police drive-bys as well.
Holidays, vacations times and summer breaks are burglars’ biggest opportunities, police said.
Cold turkey commute. Don’t even think about lighting up while waiting for your Metro-North train. Doing so could get you kicked off the platform, up to $50 in fines or a trip to jail.
The MTA‘s new ban on outdoor smoking starts today, following a months-long grace period the agency gave smokers to get used to the idea. The ban, which had a soft launch in November, prohibits smoking on Metro-North and Long Island Railroad outdoor platforms, as well as ticketing and boarding areas.
The ban does not apply to Metro-North stations in Connecticut.
Violators have gotten away with just warnings since November. But after several months of leafleting, signs, announcements and electronic alerts, the MTA now expects passengers to play by the rules.
The armed robberies that targeted Metro-North commuters in Mamaroneck Village and Harrison last Thursday — as well as similar crimes in Mamaroneck Town, Pelham and possibly New Rochelle — are likely related, police say.
The robber behind the Thursday incidents, which occurred one hour apart, could have taken the train between crime scenes, police say.
Each incident involved individuals walking home from train stations being robbed at gunpoint by someone described as a male, 5’10 to 6″0″ with a medium build wearing a mask over his face and dark clothing.He was carrying a black or silver handgun, police say.
New York Crime Stoppers is offering up to $2,5oo for information that will lead police to the individuals responsible for the two most recent robberies as well as the earlier ones. Anyone with information regarding any of these robberies is asked to contact NYS Crime Stoppers at its hotline number 1-866-313-TIPS.
Meanwhile, Larchmont residents report that the rash of home burglaries in the Village also continued late last week when a Birch Lane family became the latest victims of a home invasions that started in December. Police have not confirmed that report.
Mamaroneck Village And Harrison police report two more armed robberies involving local residents walking home from a train station at night.
According to Mamaroneck Village Det. Sandra DiRuzza, at about 8 pm, a 59 year old man reported he was approached from behind on Stanley Avenue and robbed at gunpoint. The suspect demanded his (undisclosed) property and fled on foot with it. The victim called 911. He was unharmed.
In Harrison an armed robbery was reported on the South Road Bridge about 9:00 pm Thursday near the train station. Police say the same man is assumed to be involved in the two robberies last night, and possibly all of them. Harrison police say he wore a light colored bandana mask and had a silver handgun.
“Ours does appear to be similar to the crimes in Mamaroneck, Pelham, New Rochelle and Harrison,” said DiRuzza.
The suspect, like that in recent similar crimes in the Town of Mamaroneck, Pelham and New Rochelle (see summary below) is described as approximately 6 ft tall and approximately 185 lbs; in those crimes he was wearing all black including a black mask covering his face.
On January 12th a Pelham commuter was approached from behind while walking home from the train on Cliff Avenue at 12:10 a.m.
On January 17th a Mamaroneck commuter was approached from behind on Glenn Road near Chatsworth Avenue at 10:20 p.m.
On January 29th, two females, one a student at Iona College, was followed into a building on Eastchester Road and White Oak Street at 4:45 a.m.
On January 31st a commuter was approached while walking home from the train on Monterey Avenue in Pelham at 8:20 p.m
The Town of Mamaroneck held a crime prevention workshop this week.
Crimestoppers has offered a reward for any information. Anyone with information is also asked to call the Village of Mamaroneck Detective Division at 914-825-8541.
You may recall our conflicted feelings about the new M-8 rail cars on the Metro-North Red Line.
Your chances of riding a cleaner, more comfortable | more sterile, computer-voice train between Connecticut and Grand Central just increased. Metro-North and the State of Connecticut added more new cars to the New Haven Line.
As of Monday, 78 new cars are operating on the line — enough to cover about 24% of regular weekday rides. The new M-8 railcars will cover an even higher percent of weekend travelers.
It will be years, though, before the entire existing fleet is replaced. There are a total of 380 new cars on order. More sticky floors to enjoy for years to come.
Free “Floada” vacation with “gentile” and good hearted man. Excellent cook.
Seen in a Harrison grocery store and submitted by jphresh.
Submit your funny, ironic, weird, ridiculous, etc. local photo by email or to our looppool on flickr, and we’ll post one at the end of most every weekday.
It started, about ten years ago, with a few neighbors who wanted to take advantage of the coastline and do some rowing.
Now the Pelham Community Rowing Association (PCRA) is the only community rowing program in all of Westchester, and its competitive high school rowing team draws students from Mamaroneck High School, Pelham Memorial High School, Ursuline, Harrison High, Fordham Prep, The Masters School and Scarsdale High School and others.
They hit the fall’s largest regional regattas including Head of the Charles, Head of the Housatonic and Head of the Fish. PCRA took home the prestigious Joe Marfuggi Cup as the most outstanding youth program at the Head of the Riverfront Regatta in Hartford, according to spokeswoman Jean Ippolito.
She added that this year also marked PCRA’s most successful college recruiting and admission season to-date. Seniors gained early decision admittance to Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Williams College, Syracuse University, and University of Virginia, among others.
The New York State Scholastic Rowing Association (NYSSRA) awarded the Varsity Team the coveted Scholar Athlete designation for maintaining a team-wide grade-point average of 90% or above during the highly competitive fall season.
PCRA rows out of Glen Island State Park on the 1964 Olympic Time Trial Course that they share with the New York Athletic Club.
For more information about Pelham Community Rowing Association email jippolito.ny@gmail.com.
What gets your attention first: The sculpted waterfall? 9 huge remote controlled skylights? Or the reference to this home being “honored by the renowned Neuberger Museum of Art?”
Maybe it’s that the taxes on this six bedroom are $31,000: It is on a very secluded acre of “stage lighted” land and adjacent to a 14 acre nature preserve.
The Neuberger tells us it was part of an art house tour about four years ago. “The owners had an interesting art collection and the house was unique,” said a spokeswoman.
Big chain drug stores may have their place, but after a stop at Trotta’s Pharmacy in Harrison there is no way you’re going to want to go back to one.
It may not be pretty, but built on the waning art of providing quality and customer service, the store has real, live pharmacists willing and able to help patients manage their meds. Trotta’s stocks beauty products, health-related stuff and groceries as well.
One customer said she’d “give Trotta’s 10 stars if I could.”
Free delivery and online shopping for in-store pickup is available seven days a week. And Trotta’s offers customers a pharmacy discount program that has absolutely nothing to do with insurance companies.
Need your skates sharpened? Or just want to come in, sit down on one of the chairs from an old stadium, and reminisce about that championship hockey game back in 1983?
Either way, this is your place. LAX players, too, find Blue Line Sports on Halstead Avenue in Harrison a great resource, focusing on those two sports and old fashioned service.
The store may seem small, compared to an all-sports warehouse store, but Blue Line is actually one of the largest suppliers of hockey gear in Westchester and Connecticut, and works with most of the youth organizations.
There’s a second location at the Darien, CT. ice rink, so if the Harrison store doesn’t have what you need, they’ll have it delivered to you.
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, who represents most of Westchester and parts of Rockland Counties in Congress, made fast friends with a group of New Rochelle High School seniors during a classroom visit Monday, inviting them to meet again online Tuesday night during President Obama’s State of the Union address.
“I don’t want to talk at you,” Congresswoman Lowey, a Democrat who represents New York’s 18th District, said. ”I want to have a conversation.”
Lowey’s visit to teacher Darren Gurney’s AP macroeconomics class was a precursor to the virtual Facebook and Twitter chat with students she has planned for before and after the President’s speech. Students can participate by going to Lowey’s Facebook page or using the hashtag #LoweyChat on Twitter.
She also will meet with New Rochelle High AP government students in Washington later this week.
Lowey reiterated several times her commitment to staying non-partisan during the classroom discussion, which touched on her priorities: creating jobs, investing in education and tax relief.
She did, however, come right out and say how important she thinks it is for young people to get involved in their government as soon as they are old enough.
“It’s sad to me that in this great country of ours such a small percentage of people vote,” she said.
“Whatever you do with your life, I hope you will take some time for public service because it is very rewarding.”
This video shows what was happening above ground in Eastchester Friday when a water main broke, causing water in houses as far away as Larchmont and Harrison to turn dark brown.
A 30 inch pipe that supplies water to the Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck and Larchmont is being repaired. Check Westchester Joint Water Works for updates.
Shopping carts are rolling away. Cars are shaking. Hold onto your hats — and just about everything else. The strong winds that blew into Westchester this morning, prompting a National Weather Service Wind Advisory, are expected to stick around at least through midnight.
The gusts could reach up to 50 miles per hour, according to the Weather Service, meaning travel could be hazardous.
Flight delays at area airports were already growing long by early afternoon. Flights at La Guardia, for example, were running an hour and 40 minutes behind schedule at 1 p.m. The speed limit on area bridges, including the Tappan Zee, had reportedly been reduced.
Although the winds are expected to die down overnight, forecasters are calling for a weekend that feels like winter. The Weather Service forecast calls for sunny skies with a high of 37 on Saturday and just 29 on Sunday. Temperatures are expected to bounce back a bit on Monday, the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, to a high of 39.
Passengers have been getting on and off trains at the Harrison Station since the building was built way back in 1889 by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, which served the area at the time.
The Richardsonian Romanesque-style station is made of rock-faced brownstone, with hipped and gabled roofs. The station originally sat closer to both the tracks and Harrison Avenue. It was moved about 230 feet to the east and 85 feet to the north in 1926 to make room for another train line, the Port Chester extension of the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, which by that time was owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford (NYNH&H.)
Both railroads are integral parts of Westchester County history, and helped to further the county’s growth as an easy commute to New York.
(The current use of the Quaker Ridge station of the NYW& B was profiled here recently.)
Oppenheimer with daughter and granddaughter at last election party (photo:theLoop)
Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Mamaroneck) will not run for re-election and will retire at the end of her term after 28 years in the New York State Senate.
Oppenheimer, 77, writes on her website the decision came because she learned she will need extensive shoulder replacement surgery:
“It had always been my plan to seek re-election in November and continue to serve the people of this district. When considering my responsibilities as Senator, the extensive effort that will go into rehabilitation and physical therapy following my surgery, and the added work of the hard fought campaigns I always wage, it became clear to me that I could do only two of those three important tasks.”
Already there is speculation that the race for the seat, an important Democratic stronghold, will become a contest between Assesmblyman George Latimer, a Democrat from Rye, and Bob Cohen, a Republican who lost to Oppenheimer in 2010 by about 700 votes.
The New York Times has an interesting piece on the Platinum Mile, reporting that,
“the Platinum Mile area — which takes in nearly four miles of I-287 in White Plains, Harrison and Rye — is struggling to find a new identity in a troubled economy and reduce its vacancy rate, now at 19 percent, up from 13 percent in 2002.
There are 1500 small breweries in the U.S., and while the brand new Craftsman Ale House in Harrison doesn’t profess to have the fruit of them all, owners Joe Vicidomini (“Director of Hoperations”) and wife Liana plan to rotate as many through as possible.
There are eight draft beers available at a time, by the glass at the bar, or by the growler (photo above) to take home. In bottles and cans look for everything from Ithaca Flower Power to Speakeasy Prohibition Ale and Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat Hefeweize.
“Drink local, drink craft,” is their mantra. Don’t look for any Bud Lite here.
A great selection of Burgers and Salads for $10.
At the former site of Anthony’s Bar and Grill. The Craftsman Alehouse, 235 Harrison Avenue, Harrison. 914.630.7484. @thecraftsman
The New York Daily News reports an 18 year old former Harrison track star, now a freshman at Binghamton University, was beaten by a New York City subway conductor on Sunday for putting his feet on the seat.
Iraqi-born Zaid Al-Doori immigated to the United States in 2008 and helped lead Harrison’s High School track team to competitive success.
The story of this journey from war-torn Baghdad to American track star was featured last year in the Journal News.
The Westchester Board of Legislators (BOL) restored funds in the 2012 county budget to keep six nature centers open as well as the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester. (See our previous coverage.)
According to the Board, after a day and night of negotiations with members of the BOL’s Republican caucus and with County Executive Astorino, the BOL’s 2012 County Budget was passed by a vote of 16-1.
In addition to restoring funds for the nature centers, the BOL also saved other community environmental programs including capital project funding for bridge repairs and flood mitigation, restoring funding for the Greenburgh Nature Center, and the County’s deer management program.
This budget now goes to the County Executive who may veto any additions to the budget or the entire thing, and has 5 days to decide. A final budget must be accepted by Dec. 27.
Coming up at the Marshlands:
Birdfeeders Made Easy-- how to make them and which ones attract interesting birds. Sunday Dec. 11 at 2 PM.
Survival in the Woods!– A naturalist will show you what to do if you get stuck in the woods! Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2 PM.
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