Harrison REVIEW THE
January 29, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 54 | www.harrisonreview.com
WHITEOUT Winter Storm Jonas dropped up to 25 inches of snow in some areas of Westchester on Saturday, Jan. 23, nearing record marks for accumulation. As soon as the storm subsided, residents and municipal crews worked hard to clear the roads and cars. For coverage, see page 10. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
2 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
February 2016
Planning ahead... Sunday
Monday Black History Month begins
TueSday
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WedneSday
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National Cancer Prevention Month begins
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Board of Education public session 8:15 p.m., LMK
HHS and LMK PTA meeting 7:30 p.m., HHS
Super Bowl Sunday
Board of Education executive session 7:15 p.m., LMK
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Mardi Gras
Ash Wednesday
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PTA meeting 9 a.m., HHS
Grades 8 and 9 parent course selection 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., HHS
ThurSday World Cancer Day
Friday
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SaTurday
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National Wear Red Day
PTA meeting 7 p.m., PRE
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Grades 9 and 10 parent course selection 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., HHS
Sweetheart dance 7 p.m., PRE
Zoning board meeting 8 p.m., Municipal building
PTA meeting 9:15 a.m., PUR Town/village board meeting 7:30 p.m., Municipal building
ARB meeting 7:30 p.m. Valentine’s Day
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Presidents Day, schools and offices closed
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Mid-winter recess begins, all schools closed
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Mid-winter recess ends, schools and buildings reopen
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SAT I & II late registration deadline
Grade 5 and 6 transition meeting for parents of special ed students 7 p.m., LMK Planning Board meeting 7:30 p.m., Municipal building
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Black History Month ends
National Cancer Prevention Month ends
Board of Education executive session 7:15 p.m., LMK Board of Education public session 8:15 p.m., LMK
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 3
Canter appointed deputy town attorney By KILeY STeveNS Staff Writer The town/village of Harrison has appointed a new deputy attorney to join lead Town Attorney Frank Allegretti and village attorneys Jonathan Kraut and Christopher Cipolla. At the first town board meeting of the year, held on Jan. 7, the Harrison Town Council appointed Nelson Canter to the position. Canter, a lifelong Harrison resident and former Harrison town justice, actually got his start in the Harrison Law Department 30 years ago when he interned for the late Fred Castiglia, who was the town attorney at the time. “He was a mentor to me then and continued to be right up until my election as Harrison’s town justice,” said Canter, who is also a managing partner at the Canter Law Firm in White Plains and a volunteer firefighter with the Purchase Fire Department. Castiglia, who stepped down from the deputy attorney position in December 2014 after a near 30-year career serving the town in a legal capacity, passed away in April 2015 at the age of 76. The timing for Canter couldn’t be better as he just finished his first term as a Republi-
Nelson Canter
can town justice. A registered Republican, Canter unsuccessfully ran for re-election last year losing out to the two Republican-backed candidates, Joseph Cannella and Pasquale Gizzo. Canter, 53, had previously been endorsed by the town Republican Party, but was passed over in 2015 and appeared on just the Conservative line in the general election. “I really enjoyed being on the bench and wanted to continue to serve the community,” said Canter about his new opportunity. Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, told the Review that Canter’s years of experience will serve him well as deputy
attorney. “He has a wealth of knowledge and I think he’s the right man for the job,” Belmont said. Allegretti, who has been the town attorney since 2002, added that Canter will make a great addition to the town attorney’s team. Canter will continue to work as the managing partner at his law firm while he takes on his new role as deputy attorney. Canter said he believes this position is a good fit for him, due in part to his “excellent” relationship with the town board. “I enjoy counseling them as best I can,” he said. He added that his appointment was received warmly. Although the position of town attorney for Harrison is considered a part-time job, both Allegretti and Canter said those are just their “in-office” days. Since he began his duties on Jan. 4, Canter added that some nights, they stay up well past midnight drafting and revising documents, and the two are constantly talking on the phone. “It’s a seven-day job and it’s a lot of work,” the former judge said, “but it’s really gratifying to be welcomed the way I was.” CONTACT: kiley@hometwn.com
4 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
What’s going on... Harrison Public Library
and information systems and has extensive experiences in computer programming and business development technology. Limited spaces for this workshop are available, so pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call 835-0324.
Meet and greet elected officials
Photobooks: Make a Memory for Your Valentine During this weekly four-part workshop series, participants will learn how to combine photos to make unique photo books to give away or treasure. The first workshop in the series will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or to sign up for the event, call 835-0324.
Introduction to Python Programming Language Python Programming Language is fun and easy to learn. It has become the scripting language of choice for many large corporations, and participants will be able to learn its ins and outs during the first of seven weekly workshops held on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Halperin Library Building. The workshops are for beginners to Python Programming Language and are appropriate for young adults age 14 and older. The class will be taught by Aarti Kumthkar, who holds a master’s degree in computer
The League of Women Voters encourages residents to come out on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to meet all local elected officials. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information about the event, contact Lola Geiger at 939-7066.
will be able to explore the world around them and make interesting art using fun and easy techniques. Registration is required for this program. For more information or to register, call 835-0324.
Movie screening A sampling of the 2016 Academy Awardnominated films will be screened at the library. The movie “Bridge of Spies” will be screened on Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, starts Tom Hanks. It is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 141 minutes.
Harrison Remembers project interview
Take Your Child to the Library Day
Harrison residents who are interested in sharing stories about their community are welcome to participate in this event on Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Teens will be interviewing and recording residents of Harrison who want to share their stories; these stories will become part of the Harrison Remembers project being curated by the Harrison Library and the Harrison High School Library. Registration is not required for this program. For more information about this program, call 835-0324.
Take Your Child to the Library Day is an international initiative that will be observed on Saturday, Feb. 6 that encourages families everywhere to take their children to the library. The project was launched in 2011 and seeks to raise community awareness about the importance of a library in the life of a child, and promotes library service and programs for children and families.
Master Makers Art Club The library will be hosting an art club for children in grades two through five on Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Participants
Parenting workshop: ‘How We Feel and Act’ Harrison resident Douglas Peck will lead, will lead this parenting workshop held on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The workshop, which is appropriate for parents of toddlers 2 to 4, focuses on teaching emotional vocabulary to children and modeling the behaviors parents want to see in them. Parents will learn how to teach children words that can help them convey how they feel and display examples of these in their everyday interactions, helping children learn to communicate emotions in an acceptable way without resorting to throwing tantrums.
Read with therapy dog Angie Therapy dog Angie will lend an ear to readers of all ages on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Angie loves to listen to children read and talk to her, and she loves the library. Residents and children of all ages are encouraged to come visit with her.
Harrison Recreation February mini day camp registration Sign your child up for a mini day camp that will
be held from Monday, Feb. 14 through Friday, Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sollazzo Center. It will be a fun-filled week of day camp including arts and crafts, sports, games and special events during the winter recess. For grades one through four. Fee is $185 payable to the Town/Village of Harrison. Registration is ongoing.
Fitness center at Sollazzo Center Membership is available to all residents. The center is equipped with a cardiovascular area (treadmills, stairmasters, lifecycles, rowing machines and EFX machines), and free-and machineweight systems. Attendants are available to help set up a personalized program to fit your needs. A Harrison ID card is included with a membership fee. No tank tops, cutoff shirts or cellphones will be allowed in the gym. Fee is $100 per year, January through December, plus the cost of an ID card, which is $30. Make checks payable to the Town/ Village of Harrison.
Baseball umpire class Learn the proper mechanics and techniques for umpiring baseball games, taught by certified highschool umpires. Open to boys and girls 14 and up, adults are welcome. Upon successful completion of the class, there are guaranteed working games in the Harrison Little League spring season. The classes will take place late February through early March at the Sollazzo Center. Fee is $25. Registration is ongoing and you can sign up at any recreation center.
Part-time positions available The Recreation Department hires staff for various part-time positions. Adults and young adults who are at least 16 years of age are invited to apply. Positions are open for instructors, lifeguards, camp counselors, camp specialists and day camp directors. Applications are at all recreation centers. Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all items to news@hometwn.com.
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 5
Swim school seeks site in Mamaroneck By SUZY BeRKOwITZ Editorial Assistant Swim Tank, Home of Aqua Tots is currently seeking approval from the village of Mamaroneck to redevelop a vacant church into a second site for its swim instruction. Swim Tank, currently located in West Harrison, caters to families from the lower Westchester and Connecticut areas, and teaches children ages 4 months to 13 years how to swim, while preparing them for swim teams and lifeguarding. The site is coowned by sisters Fiona Kearney and Aileen Bucciero, who say their current space is filled to capacity. Kearney said that when choosing a site to expand to, size and location were key, as she and Bucciero are looking for a space that can house a larger pool and can both expand and keep their current client base. “We’re maxed out in our current location right now and we have a long waiting list,” Bucciero said. “We knew Mamaroneck would be a great market
area and we could probably shift a lot of clients over to this new space.” Bucciero added that the Mamaroneck location would afford the business an opportunity to attract more clients from the current surrounding areas, which is why they chose the space. Village Planner Bob Galvin said the 120 Madison St. site, the former home of the nondenominational Strait Gait Church, is unique in that half of it was originally zoned for commercial use, while the other half remained residential. The church, which went bankrupt a few years ago, is comprised of a church building, a gymnasium, a parishioner’s site and a parking lot. According to Galvin, after the Board of Trustees received a request from the swim school to rezone the property, allowing it to be repurposed for commercial use, the project was referred to the Planning Board for an environmental review. The Planning Board took into account the environmental impacts of the site becoming a
swim school with the help of landscape consultants, traffic data and stormwater engineers. The attorneys representing the swimming company are next scheduled to appear before the village zoning board on Feb. 4 for a special permit. Galvin said the surrounding community is in favor of the swim tank occupying the Madison Street space because their plans include maintaining and protecting the existing church, which is a familiar site to the neighborhood. “It’s somewhat unusual for a new site plan to have this kind of community support,” Galvin said. “A lot of people love this swim school. The impacts of this proposal are not very invasive, and the developers will be keeping the old building and integrating it more into the context of the neighborhood, so it’s a win for the community.” Kearney said if all goes smoothly renovations would begin in the spring and be completed by the end of 2016. CONTACT: suzy@hometwn.com
Swim Tank, Home of Aqua Tots is looking to extend its business to a second location at 120 Madison St. in the village of Mamaroneck, where the vacant Strait Gait Church currently stands. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
6 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
Harrison REVIEW
THE
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Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com Executive Vice President | Ira Ellenthal ext. 31, irathal@hometwn.com Editor-in-Chief | Christian Falcone ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Editorial Assistant | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com Editorial Assistant | Suzy Berkowitz ext. 30, suzy@hometwn.com Education Reporter | Sarah Varney ext. 17, sarah@hometwn.com Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso Advertising | Lindsay Sturman ext. 14, lindsay@hometwn.com Advertising Coordinator | Gabriella De La Rosa ext. 27, ads@hometwn.com Staff Writers James Pero, Angela Jordan, Kiley Stevens Staff Photographer Bobby Begun Columnists Ron Belmont, Lenore Skenazy
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Larchmont native named in Forbes’ under 30 list By ANGeLA JORDAN Staff Writer The first time Jessica Hendricks traveled to Cambodia, it was to teach English. The college student left the airport in a cab and couldn’t believe her eyes. Her surroundings were unlike anything she was used to in New York. “[In Cambodia] there’s an energy in the streets and a hustle to survive; they’re very much living in the present,” she said. Hendricks, 27, is a Larchmont native and founder of The Brave Collection, a line of handcrafted jewelry made by Cambodian artisans. Because of the line’s success, she was named one of Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30 in Retail and Ecommerce” for 2016. In addition to supporting local artists by commissioning their work, The Brave Collection also donates 10 percent of its profits to fight human trafficking in Cambodia. “In the beginning, we donated mostly to trafficking survivors; now we also focus on groups who
One of the bracelets from The Brave Collection.
support girls who are at risk for human trafficking,” Hendricks said. The inspiration for the line came from Hendricks’ experiences during her first visit to Cambodia in 2008. Previously unaware of the country’s history, she was moved by the story of the genocide at the hands of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979. She was particularly affected by the knowledge that 90 percent of Cambodia’s artisans were killed during that period.
Being an art student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts at the time, Hendricks considered art her main passion and “a home to [her],” and couldn’t imagine what those artists had been going through. She was also deeply affected when confronted by the realities of human trafficking while in Cambodia. “Seeing girls my age and younger with their faces painted, lined up in front of the bars, hit me really hard,” Hendricks said. Returning to school in Manhattan and home to Larchmont after spending several months on the other side of the world was a big adjustment. “You could have this amazing dinner in Cambodia for $5, and then go home and spend $15 on a cocktail in New York,” Hendricks said. However, her time in Cambodia stuck with her and in 2012, two years after she graduated from college, she launched The Brave Collection in Larchmont at her mother’s jewelry store, Peri-
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Jessica Hendricks’ jewelry features several pieces in the Khmer language and some Buddhist imagery.
Jessica Hendricks, founder of The Brave Collection. Her jewelry line consists of handmade pieces by Cambodian artisans, and 10 percent of the company’s profits are donated to charities that fight human trafficking. Photos courtesy The Brave Collection
dot Fine Jewelry. “The Larchmont community has supported me from the very beginning,” said Hendricks, who has visited Cambodia three times since that first visit. Her mother, in particular, has offered a great deal of support to The Brave Collection, and influenced her daughter’s passion for making jewelry at a young age. Hendricks was a freshman in high school when her mother opened Peridot, located at 1903 Palmer Ave. in Larchmont. She had formative years attending trade shows and learning about the industry from her mother. Hendricks said she fell “quite naturally” into the jewelry business. Dawn Hendricks believes that her daughter is cut out for the industry as well. She said that Jessica Hendricks has a “really great grasp on how a person shops for jewelry,” in addition to the work ethic of a successful entrepreneur. “She’s practical and visionary, and it’s very difficult to be both of those things,” Dawn Hendricks said. “What she’s done is amazing. She’s worked so hard and she really deserves her success.” However, Jessica Hendricks cites her relationships with the artisans in Cambodia that she routinely communicates and collaborates with as one of the most critical components to the collection. Particularly, she mentions a
Cambodian artisan and partner in The Brave Collection, who she affectionately refers to as “Nini.” “She originally had to drop out of school and work as a house cleaner,” Jessica Hendricks said. “She is a real selftaught entrepreneur.” As for Jessica Hendricks’ customers, she said as time has passed and the collection became more popular, she’s been moved by the reasons that women buy this jewelry for themselves and each other. Whether it is for their child moving away from home, or for a friend undergoing cancer treatment, Jessica cited a myriad reasons why some cut of her customers are drawn to The Brave Collection. “When I started Brave, it was about the brave women in Cambodia,” Jessica Hendricks said. “But now, we’ve embraced ‘brave’ as a philosophy that can apply to any woman and it’s really powerful.” Moving forward, Jessica Hendricks hopes to expand the company’s operation, which is currently based in Brooklyn, and pursue relationships with larger retailers. However, the collection can still be bought from Peridot, where it began four years ago in addition to more than 100 other locations worldwide. CONTACT: angela@hometwn.com
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 7
Interfaith initiative feeds hungry on MLK Day More than 135 volunteers spent a cold Martin Luther King Jr. Day in service by making sandwiches and soup starters, and packing food bags for distribution to the hungry in the lo-
cal area. Young volunteers decorated cards and bags to present the donations and pay tribute to King’s legacy. “Much of what Martin Luther King Jr. believed about doing
From left, Sydney and Maxine Moses, of Larchmont, and Juliana Reiner, of New Rochelle, from Feeding Our Neighbors, an interfaith initiative to feed the hungry.
your part in making the world a better place can be summed up by the Jewish expression tikkun olam, repairing the world. According to Jewish tradition, it’s our responsibility to care for those in need,” said Juliana Reiner, of New Rochelle, who served as teen chair along with Julia Mendelsohn, of Purchase, and Maxine and Sydney Moses, of Larchmont. “When it comes to alleviating hunger, our teachings go way, way back.” The event, which took place at the Sally & Anthony Mann Center in Hawthorne, was one of five taking place throughout the Greater New York area as part of Feeding Our Neighbors: An Interfaith Response. The initiative, for which UJA-Federation of New York joins Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York and Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, works to tackle hunger across New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island. “Feeding Our Neighbors’ goal is pretty amazing: to collectively donate one million meals to
Volunteers from both the Mann Center and the community make sandwiches to feed the hungry on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Photos courtesy UJA-Federation of New York
hungry New Yorkers,” said Abbey Moses, of Larchmont, who served as chair with Abby Mendelsohn, of Purchase. “Thanks for being a part of that impressive goal and for taking time out of your day to work with us. We rely on volunteers like you.”
These volunteers included clients at the Mann Center who participate in intensive milieu therapy; individual, family, and group psychotherapy; pharmacotherapy; and special education and vocational training. Despite their often traumatic histories,
many of these clients, who range in age from 12 to 21, are resilient, showing extreme strength in their commitment to their treatment and to bettering their lives and their futures. The cenMLK continued on page 8
8 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
After Jonas and more community achievements HARRISON HAPPENINGS Mayor Ron Belmont
I would like to thank Commissioner Anthony Robinson and our Department of Public Works for doing a wonderful job clearing our streets after last weekend’s snowstorm. The highway crews plowed and salted our municipal roadways in record time, and I would like to commend them for their hard work. As a snowstorm approaches, please remember to put cars into driveways to help with street plowing efforts. In addition, when clearing driveways and walkways, please refrain from shoveling snow into the streets. I’m proud to announce that our Town Clerk Jackie Greer was recently appointed president of the Westchester-Putnam Town-City Clerk’s Association, beginning Jan. 1, 2016. This bipartisan organization’s purpose is to promote responsible and effective service to the residents of the towns and cities of the county by facilitating the exchange of ideas and sharing knowledge. The association meets once every other month and, according to Greer, seminars cover topics that will enhance the operation of the clerk’s office. Congratulations to Greer on this well-
deserved honor. Her continued leadership and professionalism ensures that the residents of Harrison receive excellent service. Recently, Westchester County school districts were listed among the 100 best in New York state according to the education website, Niche. Harrison Central School District (which includes our six public schools) drew an A+ grade from Niche and earned the No. 26 ranking. Once again, I’m very proud of our schools and am confident that our standing will continue to improve. Enrollment to register your son or daughter for Harrison Recreation Little League Baseball/Softball just opened up with a deadline of Feb. 29. The registration fee before that deadline is $90 and is $125 after. If you have any questions, please send an email to Rich Salerno at ras90@optonline.net or Jim Horvath at jhorvath@canaccordgenuity.com. You can also find all necessary forms online at harrisonlittleleague.org. The Harrison Public Library will be hosting a very important and timely Lecture Series. The library invites community members to drop by for a stimulating moderated discussion on foreign affairs. The purpose of the series is to educate members about important issues relating to Ameri-
can foreign policy and to enable the community to participate in the foreign policy process. The first lecture, “Middle East Alliances,” will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 12:30 p.m. The moderator will be Joan Katen, a leading expert on Middle East politics, a writer and a distinguished adjunct professor at Pace University. Registration is required. Participants may register online or by calling the library at 8350324. To assist with advance preparation, participants may review the relevant chapter of the “Great Decisions” briefing book which is available at the library’s Information Desk. The Harrison High School Performing Arts Parents Booster Organization invites the community to attend a Swing Night Fund Raiser, held on Feb. 5, to benefit the performing arts department. It will be hosted in the Student Union and is sure to be a fun-filled evening of dance lessons, music, food and prizes. In closing, the League of Women Voters of Harrison invites all to meet and greet our elected officials (town, state and county) on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Harrison Public Library, Halperin Memorial Library Building. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call Lola Geiger at 939-7066.
MLK from page 7
ter is run by the Jewish Board, an agency that receives UJAFederation funding. One in seven New Yorkers struggles with hunger. To help those who might otherwise go without nourishment during the bitter winter months, the packages will be distributed to clients of the Bronx Jewish Community Council, BJCC, another UJA-Federation beneficiary agency. BJCC’s food pantry, which serves anyone in need, provides more than 3,700 meals per month with demand increasing each year. “BJCC’s food pantry is the largest in the East Bronx, serving more than 3,000 people each month, especially seniors and especially those aging in place,” Julia Mendelsohn said. “For many of the council’s clients, our donations mean the difference between a meal or going without.” The volunteer service was followed by a poetry performance by residents of the Mann Center. Participants tweeted #FeedingNY throughout the event to raise awareness about hunger and share their thoughts on Dr. King’s legacy. For nearly 100 years, UJAFederation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJAFederation, more than 50,000 donors address issues that matter
Volunteers DJ and Michelle Frank, of Irvington, decorate bags that will be filled with food. Photos courtesy UJA-Federation of New York
most to them, pooling their resources to care for New Yorkers of all backgrounds and Jews everywhere, to connect people to their Jewish communities and to respond to crises close to home and around the globe. Working with nearly 100 beneficiary agencies, synagogues and other Jewish organizations, UJAFederation is the world’s largest local philanthropy; spanning from New York to Israel to more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit ujafedny.org. (Submitted)
Georgia Mann, of Greenwich, Connecticut, fills a mason jar with soup ingredients to be given to the hungry at the Mann Center during the day of community service.
Feeding Our Neighbors’ Julia Mendelsohn, of Purchase, holds a mason jar filled with soup ingredients, one of the items distributed to the hungry.
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 9
10 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
Jonas leaves its mark on Westchester Winter Storm Jonas blanketed the region on Saturday, Jan. 23 with a deluge of snow dropping up to 25 inches of snow in areas of Westchester County. The first major snowfall of the winter, which was accompanied by wind gusts of more
than 50 mph, nearly set record marks for accumulation. In anticipation of the wintery mix, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, issued a state of emergency and a travel ban that went into effect on Saturday afternoon, ordering all non-emer-
From top, Nanako Suzuki, 9, of Harrison, Misaki Shimodaira, 10, of Mamaroneck, and Rei Takahashia, 10, of Harrison, ride down a hill in their sled.
In the aftermath of Winter Storm Jonas, plows clear snow throughout most of Sunday.
gency vehicles off the roads. No power outages were reported by NYSEG and Con Edison as a result of the storm. Once the storm subsided late Saturday night, snow removal became the priority for municipal crews. Most of the problems surrounding the storm were the same ones that always pop up, but the one day notice made it easier for municipal crews to prep the roads and inform residents to move their cars to alternate locations in some communities. Crews in Harrison started clearing up the snow on Saturday morning at 2 a.m., shortly after the storm started, according to Mayor Ron Belmont. In total, the town received approximately 23 inches of snow. Belmont lauded the performance of all of the departments tasked with managing the snowfall. “All of our departments—parks, highways, public works—they all did a great job. By Sunday morning, it was if it never snowed,” the mayor said. On Monday, Jan. 25, many school districts in Westchester cancelled classes, giving students a much-welcomed snow day. But in the days following Jonas, temperatures increased to the 40s and portions of the snow started to melt away. -Reporting by Sarah Varney
With efficient plowing and salting, combined with slightly warmer temperatures, most roads were clear by Sunday morning.
A Harrison Avenue resident clears roughly 6 inches of snow on the sidewalk in front of his house. At least another 7 inches continued to fall into early Sunday morning.
Anthony Natole, of Harrison, clears the sidewalk in front of Harrison Funeral Home on Halstead Avenue.
A snowblower lauches snow from a sidewalk on Calvert Street in Harrison. Photos/Andrew Dapolite
Metro-North rail service, canceled for the duration of the storm, resumed at noon on Sunday.
As the plowing continued, gigantic snow piles collected in the downtown business district.
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 11
A tutorial on Starbucks-speak nonsense RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
Please pay attention. There will be a quiz. Starbucks recently took out a two-page, fold-out, super-slick ad in The New Yorker to educate us benighted, Folgers-swilling plebes on “The Art of Espresso and Milk.” Using a chart only slightly less complex than the periodic table of the elements (for instance, it did not list barium or neptunium), it showed a sort of timeline of coffee concoctions, starting with: Doppio: Two shots of espresso. Straight. Latte Macchito: Foamed whole milk marked with shots of espresso. Flat White: Sweet ristretto espresso shots finished with whole steamed milk. Cappuccino: A shot of espresso topped with a deep layer of foamed milk. And, but of course: Caffé Latte: A shot of espresso in steamed milk lightly topped with foam. Got that? OK, quick: Which drink dumps a shot of espresso into a cup of foamed barium? Ah, just yankin’ your chain. That’s at Dunkin’ Donuts. As for the Starbucks chart, I didn’t even give you all the concoctions on the list to prevent your head from exploding like an overheated doppio ristretto ma-
chine. (Didn’t ristretto start out by making a boy out of wood? Or am I confused?) Anyway, after all this, the ad explained as if to a dim bulb, “Latte Macchiato: Foamed milk marked with espresso makes it intensely bold,” and a “Flat White,” which is—as you’ll immediately recall—sweet ristretto espresso finished with blah blah blah is “rich and velvety.” Never mind that the pictures of these two ostensibly polar opposite drinks look about as dissimilar as those “spot the difference” puzzles, which perhaps explains why the ad is driving me to drink something stronger than a latte macchiato. (Or was it a caffé latte?) What I mean is: I’m drinking grain alcohol mixed with YooHoo. You see, here’s a company that already asks us to fork over all our cash previously reserved for necessities like medicine and HBO just to drink some scorched caffeine in a pseudo-chatty place where everyone is actually on their phone, staring at their laptops and hogging the seat across from them. And now, for us not to sound like idiots there—”I’d like a coffee with milk, please”—we have to study gradations between coffee drinks that are more subtle than the ones between flatworms and tapeworms. (Do NOT look these up! Or at least, do not click on “Images.”) Starbucks has already amused itself by training us to say “tall” when we mean “small”—tall being the second smallest cup
of coffee you can get without whittling yourself a mug on the spot. And some marketing exec earned her wings by convincing us that “grande” and “venti” are the two most sophisticated words in the world, even though these really mean “I am a grand baboon” and “Excuse me. My vent is open.” Other Starbucks words that you might not realize have direct English translations are: Caffé Espresso Frappucino: Milkshake Vanilla Frappucino: Vanilla Milkshake Caramel Flan Frappucino: Gloppy Milkshake Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappucino: Crunchy Milkshake Double Chocolaty Chip Frappucino: Shameless Milk-shake Hazelnut Frappucino: Milkshake for High Income Squirrels Shaken Sweet Tea: Tea with sugar. Duh. And someone who isn’t you got paid (and gets health care, too!) to shake it. Caffé Americano: Coffee. Like the stuff you get at the donut cart for a dollar without having to learn a new language, or inquire as to how artisanal the cart guy plans to dissolve your sugar. And with the extra $4 you save, you can buy several handtwisted, cane sugar-dipped inzuppare ciambellas. You know, glazed donuts. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
Breaking the school-to-prison pipeline internationally Children should have the latitude to make mistakes and to learn and grow from them. It’s part of the growing up process. Yet, when many at-risk youth break the law, rather than leniency and understanding, they end up incarcerated and learn life’s lessons from those hardened circumstances. A cycle of jail begins. It’s not just happening in the U.S., but also globally. A contingent representing ANDRUS and its Sanctuary Institute headed to Trinidad to learn what others are doing in the new year to address the growing problem—and to see how ANDRUS could help. Sarah Yanosy, director of ANDRUS Sanctuary Institute, and Joe Benamati, coordinator of the New York Department of Juvenile Justice Consortium for ANDRUS, headed to Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain. While there, they met with leaders from the 159-yearold St. Mary’s Children’s Home, who are renovating and redesigning their antiquated residence. The Trinidadian staff is looking to incorporate the Sanctuary approach as a way to enhance the care the orphanage is providing to the young people in their program. After a tour and giving a presentation, the ANDRUS team promised support for St. Mary’s efforts. The following day, Yanosy and Benamati joined ANDRUS president and CEO, Bryan R. Murphy, at a planning committee led by the Archbishop of Trinidad, Joseph Harris. This committee is planning to build an alternative to incarceration program for youth who have been arrested for the first time. The concept is that they will serve young men and young women, with the expectation that some of the women may not be offenders, but will have been trafficked. The youth will be court-ordered to this treatment program—rather than to a corrections facility. Their court records then would be expunged after completion. The committee is hoping to stop the pipeline to prison for these youth by providing intervention at the point of first offense. They have worked with an architect to design the campus, and based on the blueprints, it is really impressive. Trauma exposure can impact young people in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems and equally impact the very agencies and systems that exist to help
From left, Joe Benamati, coordinator, New York Department of Juvenile Justice Consortium, ANDRUS; Sarah Yanosy, director, ANDRUS Sanctuary Institute; Joseph Harris, Archbishop of Trinidad; and Bryan R. Murphy, president and CEO, ANDRUS. Contributed photo
them. Yanosy explains how the Sanctuary approach can help. “When staff members trained in Sanctuary are taught how to recognize the systemic symptoms of trauma among and between their colleagues, their agencies and the system as a whole, they can actively intervene to create a child welfare culture that promotes healing rather than one that simply replicates the traumatic experiences these children have endured in the past,” she said. “Intervention can happen way before the court and child welfare systems are involved—for instance, school personnel can be trained as well as community support staff. The only way to break the cycle is to intercede before trauma can become entrenched.” According to the ACLU, the school-to-prison pipeline in the United States reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education and is facilitated by several factors: • Failing public schools: Overcrowded classrooms, a lack of qualified teachers and insufficient funding for “extras” such as counselors, special education services and even textbooks lock students into second-rate educational environments. • Zero-tolerance and other school discipline: Lacking resources, facing incentives to push out low-performing students and responding to a handful of highly-publicized school shootings, schools have embraced zerotolerance policies that automatically impose severe punishment regardless of circumstances. • Policing school hallways: Growing numbers of districts employ school resource officers to patrol school hallways, often with little or no training in working with youth. As a result, children are far more likely to be subject to school-based arrests— the majority of which are for nonviolent offenses, such as disruptive behavior—than they were a generation ago.
• Court involvement and juvenile detention: Students who commit minor offenses may end up in secured detention if they violate boilerplate probation conditions prohibiting them from activities like missing school or disobeying teachers. One of the most important outcomes for juvenile justice— and one of the most difficult to attain—has been to decrease reoffending and re-incarceration. Sanctuary breaks the cycle. The Sanctuary approach assumes successful reintegration into a community begins at admission to the facility, therefore the challenge is to engage youth in recovery from trauma and to help him or her envision a new future. Building an attachment to the program and the staff as well as the building skills are the primary vehicles for rehabilitation. Likewise, the idea that facility staff are working towards a greater good than simply housing a youth go a long way in impressing upon the youth the skills of citizenship and relationship building postplacement. According to Yanosy, the ANDRUS Sanctuary has seen progress in more than 50 juvenile justice programs adopting this philosophy across New York, Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado. Serving Westchester County from 14 locations, ANDRUS’ main site is a 107-acre campus in north Yonkers, where the agency offers residential and day treatment for children from the New York metropolitan area and beyond. ANDRUS also operates a breadth of community mental health services, the ANDRUS Early Learning Center, the ANDRUS Center for Learning and Innovation and the Sanctuary Institute, which have provided training and consultation to more than 300 organizations worldwide in the use of a trauma-sensitive model for treatment and organizational change. For more information, visit ANDRUS1928.org. (Submitted)
12 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
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SPORTS
Let it snow? lIvE MIKE Mike Smith
If I may offer a little unsolicited advice for some of our younger readers, especially in light of this past weekend’s blizzard, it’s this: Enjoy your snow days while you can. Once you get a little bit older, they can be a real pain in the neck—and just about everywhere else. There are few things more exciting for a child than the promise of a snow day. For a lot of us, winter weather, especially when coupled with a school closure, was just about the pinnacle of childhood. From the initial euphoria of waking up to a snow-covered landscape to bundling up and trudging outside to meet the day, it always seemed like the day was ours. Whether we decided to go sledding, play an epic game of tackle football in the unplowed
streets, or simply pelt passing motorists with snowballs (Editor’s note: this is not a recommended snow day activity), the only rule was that we could go outside for the day, and had to be back by sundown. This weekend, I didn’t play any football, I didn’t build an ice fortress, and I certainly didn’t wing any snowballs at those lucky enough to have a fourwheel drive. What I did do, however, was shovel. A lot. I shoveled out my car in the morning. I shoveled my parents’ driveway. I headed down to Pelham to shovel my grandfather’s old house. Then I shoveled again after the snowplows barreled down the street and left a 2-foot high deposit of ice and slush right in the area I’d just cleared. By the time I finally got home and settled in for the second half of the Broncos-Patriots game, I was toast. I think I caught maybe two possessions before I closed
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 13
my eyes and didn’t open them until Cam Newton and the Panthers were putting the finishing touches on a blowout win over the Cardinals in the late game. I don’t know if it’s because of the shoveling or the prolonged couch nap I took, but I came into work on Monday walking like an 89-year-old man. But as miserable as I was this weekend, it was still heartening to see kids experiencing the snow the way I used to. Sure, I wish I had come across a roving band of helpful shovelers at some point in the day, but watching neighborhood youngsters stomping around in the streets with sleds in tow was a welcome respite from the drudgeries of snow removal. I’d give just about anything to have a no-responsibilities snow day again. But honestly, I’d settle for a snowblower.
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LIVE MIKE! Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary Follow Mike Smith @harrisonreview for Mike’s live, in-game action updates
Snow days used to be fun for Sports Editor Mike Smith. Now, they’re just filled with responsibilities, like shoveling the driveway. Photo/Mike Smith
SPORTS
14 • The The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016
Huskies hold on to top Eagles by 5 By MIKe SMITh Sports Editor Despite an explosive start against Eastchester on Jan. 20, Harrison still had to sweat out a tight win against its league opponent, squandering a 14-point lead before righting the ship and holding on for a 68-63 win. According to Huskies’ coach Louis Kail, the victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the Huskies. After starting the season 7-1, Harrison had struggled recently against some top teams, dropping its previous four games. However, a first-quarter barrage that saw the Huskies outscore their opponents 21-7 helped with the frustration of dealing with a few close losses. “I think that start was really important for the girls and for their confidence level,” Kail said. “We had a lot of pent-up emotions after that stretch, and it was great to see them play the way they did.” Harrison’s relief was shortlived, however, as Eastchester came roaring back in the second quarter, thanks in part to a tremendous performance from Cassidy Mitchell, who had 15
Avery LaBarbera brings the ball upcourt. LaBarbera scored 30 points in Harrison’s 68-63 win.
points in the first half alone. The Huskies managed to withstand the run and collect themselves in the second half, a feat that showed great maturity, according to Kail. “It says a lot, and we always talk about how it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” the head coach
said. “We’re learning how to finish games, and that’s all attributed to the girls and the way that they’ve learned to take things away from our losses.” Sophomore point guard Avery LaBarbera led the way for Harrison, netting 30 points on the evening and hitting two
Kendall Lefkowitz fights through two Eastchester defenders. Photos/Mike Smith
Gia Mancini drives along the baseline against Eastchester on Jan. 20.
buzzer-beating 3-pointers, one at the end of the first quarter and the other at the end of the half. The sophomore has made great strides this year, despite garnering plenty of attention from opposing defenses. “It’s easy to forget that she’s only a sophomore,” Kail said. “And her greatest growth this year has been in her understanding of basketball and in knowing that, as she goes, we go.” The Eagles responded to the loss with a terrific showing against a talented Rye team, falling 54-50 in another wild game on Jan. 22. Harrison, who won again that same night, topping Byram Hills 46-33 thanks to a 25-point effort from LaBarbera, will get their shot at the Garnets on Feb. 1. According to Kail, it will take four quarters of team basketball to unseat the No. 6-ranked team in Section I. “[Rye coach] Dennis [Hurlie] lives by the rule, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’” he said. “They’ve played the same way
Amanda Shkreli grabs a rebound against Harrison. The Huskies would go on to hold off the Eagles in a tight contest.
for years and they do it well. “It’s their senior night, they’re going to be honoring one of the best players in the section in Maddie Eck, so it’s going to
be a special night for them,” he added. “All we can do is go in there and play hard.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
SPORTS
January 29, 2016 • The hARRISON RevIew • 15
Eagles nip Huskies on final shot By MIKe SMITh Sports Editor
Harrison’s Jack Hochman passes to a teammate.
Benny DiMirco didn’t have a lot of time to think about how Eastchester’s final possession was supposed to play out last Wednesday, but his instincts— and his ability to make things happen—just kind of took over. With 7.9 seconds to play and his team trailing league rival Harrison by one point, the Eastchester senior collected the inbounds pass, streaked up the court, spun past a Huskies defender and let go of a perfect teardrop floater that found the bottom of the net. It wasn’t how they drew it up, but DiMirco’s gutsy play put Eastchester on top for good, as they downed the visiting Huskies 56-55. “Honestly, I was thinking about that Final Four when Pitt played Villanova and Scottie Reynolds took it up the court for a shot,” DiMirco said after the game. “I just trusted my hard work, and I knew I was going to make that shot.” DiMirco finished with 20 points in the Eastchester win, but after one half of play, and a 31-22 halftime lead, it didn’t seem like the Eagles would need
Andrew Schultz finds an open teammate. Schultz’s defensive presence was instrumental in stopping Harrison’s second-half run.
Benny DiMirco heaves up a last-second, game-winning shot against Harrison on Jan. 20. DiMirco’s heroics helped the Eagles escape with a 56-55 win.
to rely on last-second heroics to pull out a victory. But the Huskies roared back in the second half, eventually claiming a lead late in the third quarter on a long jumper from Zach Evans. The two clubs traded leads in the fourth quarter until Evans struck again, muscling his way into the lane for a putback with just under 8 seconds to play to make the score 55-54. Eastchester coach Fred DiCarlo called a timeout to draw up the Eagles’ final possession, which was supposed to end with a kick-out pass to the corner. But as things broke down, DiMirco took those final seconds into his own hands. On the ensuing inbounds following DiMirco’s floater, Eastchester forward Andrew Schultz, who finished with 13 points, intercepted the pass to put the game on ice. It was exactly the kind of heart-pounding win DiMirco said the 10-4 Eagles will need to call upon once the postseason rolls around. “The gym wasn’t too packed, but you felt the intensity on the court,” he said. “These kids [on Harrison], we grew up playing against them and we played with so much passion today. We trusted each other, and we found a way to persevere.” As for stopping Harrison’s
Benny DiMirco dribbles into the lane against Harrison. DiMirco had 20 points in the Eastchester win. Photos/Mike Smith
second-half run, DiMirco said the Eagles simply followed the lead of Schultz, whose toughness in the paint inspired the rest of the squad. “It was all Andrew; he’s a
beast,” DiMirco said. “He’s a 6-foot-5 animal, a Division I football player, and when we have him, we know we can win.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
16 • The hARRISON RevIew • January 29, 2016