Eastchester REVIEW THE
February 23, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 8 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Anti-puppy mill law introduced on state level By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Taste of
Croatia Dubrovnik Restaurant, the only authentic Croatian restaurant in the tri-state area, is expanding its menu to include a brunch buffet to give customers a chance to try a wider variety of the restaurant’s dishes. For more, see page 6. Photo courtesy facebook.com/DubrovnikRestaurantNy
Maisano steps down; accepts role in Latimer administration By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer Westchester County Legislator Jim Maisano, a New Rochelle Republican, has resigned from his post to take a role in County Executive George Latimer’s administration. Maisano, the longest-serving Republican on the county Board of Legislators, announced his resignation on Feb. 16 to become the new commissioner of the county Department of Consumer Protection. “I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this opportunity,” Maisano said. “I’m ready for a new challenge and a new experience. It was incredible that [the county executive] reached across
Westchester County Legislator Jim Maisano, a New Rochelle Republican, has resigned to become the new commissioner of the county Department of Consumer Protection within the administration of Democratic County Executive George Latimer. Photo courtesy weschesterlegislators.com
party lines to show that really the most important thing is the county of Westchester.” Maisano has served 21 years as a legislator and previously as the Board of Legislators’ vice chairman from 2014 to 2017. “The only standard that matters with people that we bring into this administration is that they [are] talented, and they have the ability to material advance the interest of the people of Westchester County,” Latimer said. “In appointing Jim Maisano, I have appointed the best person I could find for this position. His party affiliation is not relevant to me.” With Maisano’s departure from the board, Democrats, who currently have a 12-5 superma-
jority in the county Legislature, will have an opportunity to further strengthen their control of the board. According to the county Board of Elections, Democrats outnumber registered GOP voters by approximately 8,000 in District 11, Maisano’s former district which covers New Rochelle, Pelham and Pelham Manor. A special election will now have to be called to replace him. The special election must be held within 90 days, according to county law. As of press time, Maisano is expected to begin his new position on Monday, Feb. 26. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
A move by Mamaroneck lawmakers to blockade against the sale of pets from so-called “puppy mills” has gained traction on the state level, after a new piece of legislation was proposed last week. Much like a law passed by the village of Mamaroneck in 2016, the bill, introduced to state lawmakers by Sen. Michael Gianaris, a Democrat, on Feb. 15, would ban retail pet stores from buying their pets at for-profit breeders with the hope of curtailing the operation of “puppy mills,” mass breeders with a reputation of over-breeding and treating pets inhumanely. “With thousands of good animals in need of homes, there is no need for notorious puppy mills to supply pet stores,” said Gianaris in a released statement. “Our four-legged companions should be treated with respect, not like commodities.” When the village of Mamaroneck’s local law passed in 2016, it became the first local municipality in all of New York state to prohibit the sale of for-profit pets through what
was dubbed by local activists as a “puppy mill law.” The ban was in response to a now-shuttered local business called Best Breeds, owned by Richard Doyle, who has since been barred from selling animals in New York state after falsifying records and mistreating animals at his store. Since then, the village of Port Chester has also passed its own puppy mill law, and an initiative on the county level to ban the sale of pets from puppy mills was introduced in 2016, but wasn’t brought to a vote. California became the first state in the country to enact such a ban on a statewide level in October 2017. Under the proposed state law, pet stores would only be allowed to acquire their pets from rescue shelters and humane societies but would be allowed to retain a portion of the adoption fees usually charged by a shelter during an adoption process. Currently, the state bill has no sponsor in the Democratic-majority Assembly and will still have to make its way through a Republican-controlled Senate. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
Years after the village of Mamaroneck’s passage of a local anti-puppy mill law, the initiative has gained traction on the state level, with new legislation proposed earlier this month. File photo
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