November 3, 2017 by The Eastchester Review

Eastchester REVIEW THE

November 3, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 44 | www.eastchesterreview.com

County announces drug takeback program

Over the weekend, dogs of all ages—including Trump dog—came out to the Yonkers Downton Waterfront in their Halloween costumes to participate in the ninth annual Pet Parade. For more, see page 11. Photo courtesy Rachel Cauvin Photography

Tuckahoe school district uses technology in education Tuckahoe’s schools continue to pursue technology initiatives to enhance learning for students. In the area of visual literacy, Tuckahoe High School, THS, and Middle School ELA teachers enriched their skills through professional development at the Jacob Burns Film Center this past summer. This initiative has increased student engagement with the use of WeVideo to create videos and integrate visual information in the

analysis of literature. Dr. Bart Linehan, THS Principal, states, “With today’s technology, our students live in the visual world. Our teachers are now instructing our students to be critical thinkers in the visual medium by analyzing story elements, similar to the skills they’ve utilized in works of literature and nonfiction.” In another initiative, select classes at THS and Tuckahoe

Middle School welcomed Google Expeditions AR to classrooms on Oct. 26. According to Google, the software maps computer generated images onto the classroom so students can walk around the objects, get in close to spot details, and step back to see the full picture. Students were loaned smartphones loaded with the augmented reality technology which al-

lowed them to delve into and feel physically immersed in lesson content. Earth Science classes integrated this new educational technology into their study of weather by viewing 3-D hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanoes while History classes could explore ancient Roman artifacts and Biology classes explored the details of DNA and the musculature system. (Submitted)

As part of National Prescription Take Back Day, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino is making it easier for residents to safely dispose of their old and excess drugs and medications. On Nov. 4, Westchester County will open its Household Material Recovery Facility, H-MRF at 15 Woods Road in Valhalla from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m for the second Saturday in a row. The goal of Prescription Take Back Day is to provide safe, convenient, and responsible ways of disposing potentially lethal and addictive prescription drugs, while simultaneously educating the public about the potential for abuse and medications. “People often ask, ‘what can I do in this opioid crisis?’” Astorino said. “The best way to keep these prescriptions drugs out of reach is to get rid of them and to properly dispose of them. All too often, addiction starts with the medicine cabinet and ends in tragedy.” For people who cannot make Saturday drop-offs, the facility will be open on Nov. 14 and the first Tuesday of every month thereafter. The added drop-off days coincide with a national movement highlighting the dangers of prescription drugs and opioids. Additionally, residents can drop off medications at select local police departments at any time, or at two pharmacies that currently have lockboxes: CircleRx Pharmacy on Gramatan Avenue in Mount Vernon and Walgreens Pharmacy on Nepperhan Avenue in Yonkers. “I provide this service as a way of helping people,” said Mark Rauchwerger, president and pharmacist at CircleRx

Pharmacy. “It’s quick, easy and safe. If I can prevent even one person from overdosing on opioids, it’s well worth the effort.” Dr. Sherlita Amler, commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Health, noted that it’s important that people properly dispose of their mixed medications, and that medications should never be thrown in the trash, flushed down the toilet or washed down the sink because they could taint ground and surface waters and harm those ecosystems. “We must attack this national health crisis from every front,” Amler said, “and opening up the county’s recovery facility is a safe, easy and inexpensive way to properly dispose of unused and expired medications.” When it began in 2008, Westchester’s medication take back program was the first of its kind in New York State. It has since grown, and been replicated, and continues to be available at the Household Material Recovery Facility, by appointment and select days. When delivering medications to the H-MRF, keep all items in the original container or, if unavailable, put them in a sealable plastic bag. Liquid medications should be in their containers in sealable plastic bags. County staff will be on hand to accept expired and unused medications for disposal. For more information or to learn how to drop off medications at your local police department, refer to the Safe Medication Disposal brochure or call the Recycling HelpLine at 813-5425. (Submitted)