Eastchester REVIEW THE
October 20, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 40 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Students take part in county opioid summit
SCORE! Three teams from Rye Raquet Club made up of women 40 years and over will be going to the United States Tennis Association’s national championship this month. For story, see page 6. Photo courtesy Corinna Ausfahl
Driver arrested, charged in Harrison bus stop crash A man has been arrested and is facing several charges for fleeing an accident in Harrison, after crashing into a bus stop and utility pole on Westchester Avenue. Jesus Cano, 27, of Yonkers, has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and other violations for speeding and fleeing the scene of an accident, which occurred along the eastbound side of the service road to the Interstate 287,
adjacent to access ramps to the Hutchinson River Parkway and 1133 Westchester Ave. A day after the accident, the Harrison Police Department apprehended Cano at his home in Yonkers at 141 Orchard St., with the assistance of the Westchester County Police Department. On Oct. 15, police responded to the scene and found a black Acura RSX that had crashed through the side of a county bus
shelter and a utility pole. By the time authorities arrived around 5 p.m., the driver was absent from the crash, in which the utility pole landed on top of the car and knocked out power to a nearby traffic light. Shortly after, local firefighters and Con Edison arrived at the scene to secure live wires hanging from the nearby traffic light. According to Harrison police
Detective Derka Abbate, the suspect was recorded with a blood alcohol content of 0.26 percent; the legal limit in New York is 0.08 percent. The 27-year-old is scheduled to appear in Harrison Town Court on Jan. 9. As of press time, there is no further information on the accident. Harrison police had no further comments about the crash. -Reporting by Franco Fino
On Oct. 16, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino urged more than 400 students from across Westchester to become part of the solution in the life-and-death fight against opioid addiction. Joined by BMX Olympic coach and recovering addict Tony Hoffman, Astorino led a Youth Summit at the Westchester County Center aimed at fighting a drug epidemic that has caused a 200 percent increase in fatalities in the county from 2010 to 2015. Students from 37 schools took part in the day-long summit that was part of the county’s Project WORTHY—Westchester County Opioid Response Teams Helping You—program launched earlier this year. The program mobilizes a full array of available resources and expertise to combat the growing opioid and heroin epidemic that affects all communities and people of all ages. “Young people are dying,” Astorino said at the summit. “This is not a show; this is not just a day-long assembly. This is serious business, and we need your help. Young people are on the front lines of this epidemic. You are eyewitnesses to what’s happening in schools, at parties, at the mall and on the bus. You come from all walks of life, and all kinds of neighborhoods. That’s the kind of real-life experience we need if we are ever going to wrap our arms around this deadly situation.” The goal of the Youth Summit was to bring together students and have them come up with ideas on how to fight the epidemic in their own schools and neighborhoods. Hoffman, the keynote speaker, spoke of his personal experiences, notably how poor choices and a bad attitude led to his addiction. Hoffman’s drug addiction caused him to lose friends and family and he eventually became home-
less. He was so desperate for drugs at one point in his life that he committed an armed robbery and other drug related crimes that landed him in prison for several years. “When I was 18, I had no idea I was about to become a heroin addict,” Hoffman said. “I had every single thing that you would need to be successful in life…. There are no shortcuts in life; every shortcut you take will end up being the long road.” While in prison, Hoffman had a “spiritual awakening” and started to turn his life around. He set goals and embarked on a path that resulted in him becoming a BMX Elite pro who placed second in the 2016 World Championships and coached in the Rio Olympic Games that same year. He is currently the founder and director of The Freewheel Project, a nonprofit that mentors young people through sports and teaches them leadership skills and to make healthy life choices. He is currently writing his first book, titled “Coming Clean.” But even now and sober for more than 10 years, Hoffman said there are reminders of his past all around him. “Every single day, the doorway wants to tempt me,” he said. “If you don’t walk through that door, you don’t have to worry about this.” The Youth Summit was part of ongoing events that operate from Project WORTHY’s four foundational blocks—education, integration, prevention and action—all of which bring together the resources necessary for each of those areas. In addition to the keynote speaker at the Youth Summit, there was a panel of young adults who have been affected by opioid and heroin addiction, and two interactive workshops where students discussed ways they can stop or prevent abuse, and take back their schools. (Submitted)