March 25, 2016

Harrison REVIEW Herd THE

March 25, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 13 | www.harrisonreview.com

Council may dump commercial trash pickup

tHe news?

By aNGELa JOrDaN Staff Writer

Vincent Miata, a resident of Port Chester, is opening Good Shepherd Distillery in Mamaroneck next month. The distillery will host tours and tastings of handmade spirits, and sell liquors made in New York state.

For story, see page 6.

Photo/Lindsay Danielle

6 responses to redevelop Rye Town Park to be reviewed

By JaMEs PErO and siByLLa ChiPaziwa Review Staff Rye Town Park and the Oakland Beach area could soon see an extensive overhaul.

The Rye Town Park Commission, which sets policy at the park, will mull over proposals from six applicants intent on taking over operations of the park after a recent solicitation for qualifications of potential developers and management companies.

The outcome of the selection process could have far-reaching effects for a park that in many ways is outdated and in need of upgrades.

Among the applicants are some familiar faces to the area,

including Nicholas Singer, cofounder of Standard Amusements—the management company currently in the midst of negotiating a deal with Westchester County to operate Playland—as well as the city of Rye and Dan Biederman, a developer most known for his work at Bryant Park in New York City, but also previously affiliated with Sustainable Playland Inc., the group initially chosen to redevelop Playland before backing out.

Other applications include Southwest Capital Inc., Caspi Development and Seaside Johnnies, the current restaurant overlooking Oakland Beach.

While a similar request for proposals was sent out in 2013, it attracted zero attention. The most recent round, which has

asked respondents to take control of the development and operation of the park, has been a stark turnaround.

According to Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, a Democrat and member of the commission, a more aggressive method in sourcing candidates paid off this time around.

“I expected that there would be a number of responses this time because [the commission] reached out more broadly than we did last time,” said Zuckerman, who took elected office this year, adding that the commission actively reached out to candidates they felt might be interested.

Some of the proposals received for Rye Town Park offer aggressive plans. Singer’s

concept would bring in a wider away of events, food options and even lodging facilities, and possibly rides to the park.

On the less expansive side, the city of Rye emphasized retaining the park’s current character and building on what is already there. The city and town jointly fund operations at the park and capital improvements. The park is situated along Forest Avenue in the city of Rye and incorporates 34 acres of parkland, including Oakland Beach and the Long Island Sound.

Rye City Manager Marcus Serrano said taking over operations of the park would be more about expanding services to residents.

ParK continued on page 9

A recent proposal from the Department of Public Works in Harrison to discontinue its commercial garbage program has attracted attention from both local business owners and the local Teamsters union, who expressed concerns about the proposal at the Harrison Town Council meeting on March 17.

The commissioner of Public Works, Tony Robinson, told the council that it is unsustainable to continue the commercial pickup and recycling program in its current state. His request to the board would involve the DPW to only pick up trash that does not exceed more than two 48-gallon garbage pails.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Robinson said.

“The two options on the table [are] to eliminate the [commercial] service… and to eliminate five vacant positions, or to raise the [commercial pickup] rates to recoup 100 percent of our costs.”

Robinson added that a potential fee increase local businesses would face from the DPW’s service would exceed the cost of subscribing to private trash pickup.

Several concerns were raised by locals during the public hearing about the cost of hiring private sanitation if the town was to discontinue the service, while others were worried about how it might affect the landscape of Harrison’s business district.

“If you’re going to go to private carting, how unsightly will it be when people don’t pay

their bills or are delinquent, and the trash isn’t picked up going down Halstead Avenue?” asked Jim Murabito, the owner of Harrison Beverage Center on Halstead Avenue. “Our town already isn’t in the greatest of appearances.”

According to town Councilman Steve Malfitano, a Republican, the town has been forced to pick up a hefty difference to keep the program afloat. He said the cost of maintaining the commercial garbage and recycling program is $1 million, and the revenue brought in from the commercial pick up fees is only $250,000 a year, resulting in an annual net loss of approximately $750,000 for Harrison.

The meeting was also attended by several members of Local 456, the branch of the Teamsters union that currently covers trash pickup for Harrison. The vice president of the branch, Dominick Cassanelli Jr., said that the union believes that such a move would be a “detriment” to the workers currently picking up trash in Harrison.

“Eventually, you’ll have pickets and strikes in front of commercial property owners because some of these [private pickup] guys are not going to be signed to unions,” Cassanelli said. “And then once they stop picking up the garbage, because they’re being picketed, the garbage will be left on the streets.”

Robinson said that the DPW has rescinded three vacant jobs openings, and will not be filling two more positions that are trash continued on page 8

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2 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 3

Rev. Canon Susan Harriss joins The Osborn board Apple’s Steve Wozniak to speak at Manhattanville The board of trustees of The Osborn welcomed the Rev. Susan Harriss, the rector of Christ’s Church in Rye, to its membership last fall. Harriss graduated from Denison University and the Union Theological Seminary, and she was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1980. Prior to her appointment at Christ’s Church, she served as a school chaplain and canon pastor at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

A long-standing member of the Christ’s Church congregation is Osborn board Chairman Jack Miller, who also went on to work at St. John’s in long-range planning after her tenure there.

The two shared a common interest in end-of-life care and had an in-depth discussion about the book, “Being Mortal,” by oncologist Atul Gawande. Not long after that conversation, Miller approached Harriss about taking a board position at The Osborn and she gladly accepted.

“The Osborn is widely known as offering the best qual-

The Rev. Canon Susan Harriss, rector of Christ’s Church in Rye, joins The Osborn’s board of trustees. Contributed photo

ity care for elders in the area,” Harriss said. “I accepted his invitation with great enthusiasm.”

Harriss is committed to working with The Osborn community by providing pastoral care and supporting spiritual inquiry. “As people age, their

relationship with their spiritual lives often changes and they have many questions,” she said.

The Rev. Harriss and her husband, Kenneth Ruge, pastor of the Reformed Church in Bronxville, live in Bronxville.

(Submitted)

CNR and Manhattanville to host Africa conference Although images of starving children or ferocious wild animals still linger in the public’s perception of Africa, they are no longer reflective of Africa’s breadth of industry and culture. African writers and artists have set out to rewrite Western views of the continent, which is experiencing steady economic growth, a rising middle class, and demands new perspectives.

The College of New Rochelle, in conjunction with Manhattanville College, will present the conference “Word, Image and Power in Africa and the African Diaspora” to explore this emerging vision of Africa and the rewriting of Western views of Africa and the African diaspora on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2.

“Deeply committed to service, diversity and the arts, The College of New Rochelle has partnered on this conference to expose our students to the expertise of faculty from Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Canada and the United States to share artistic work and scholarly research that reflects Africa’s largely unrecognized creative and resourceful heritage. Pan-

elists will address the power of the word and image to conceptualize how Africa and Africans were portrayed in the past, and how a new generation of artists and scholars are using them to redefine perceptions of the continent,” said Dr. Anne McKernan, former director of the international studies program at The College of New Rochelle and a member of the planning committee.

The conference on Friday, April 1 will take place at The College of New Rochelle and the conference on Saturday, April 2 will take place at Manhattanville College. For more information on the conference and how to register, visit mville.edu/ word-image-and-power-africaand-african-diaspora.

Events at The College of New Rochelle will include the panel discussions: Perspectives On Class and Gender in Diverse Contexts; Colonialism and Postcolonialism, Analysis of the Texts; Re-Framing and Re-Defining Conceptions of Africa; Visions of Africa in Cinema and Media; and Popular Culture in Africa and Diaspora. The evening will end with

a film screening of Tunisian director Sami Tlili’s “Cursed Be the Phosphate,” a documentary on workers in the Tunisian phosphate mining industry whose “revolution” is credited with creating the actions that led to the Arab Spring.

Events at Manhattanville College will include the panel discussions: Antigone and her Descendants; African Art: Between Tradition and Modernity; Plurality in the Age of Postmodernity; and Cosmopolitanism, the Black Atlantic, and the Diasporic Subject. The evening will conclude with a musical performance and reception featuring musician Malian Kora and storyteller Yacouba Sissoko.

This conference is sponsored by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and the International Studies program at The College of New Rochelle, the departments of English, world languages and literatures, art history, political science, and the African studies and international studies programs at Manhattanville College, and the Westchester Consortium for International Studies. (Submitted)

Steve Wozniak, Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist, who designed Apple Inc.’s first line of products, Apple I and Apple II, and who in 1976 cofounded Apple Inc. with Steve Jobs, will speak at Manhattanville College on Tuesday, April 5 at 8 p.m. in the second of this year’s highly popular Castle Conversations public forums.

Wozniak is an inventor, electronics engineer and programmer who was instrumental in launching the personal computer industry. In the past few decades, he has been in various business and philanthropic ventures, focusing primarily on computer capabilities in schools, stressing hands-on learning and encouraging creativity for students.

He was in 2000 inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame. He founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and was the founding sponsor of the Tech Museum, Silicon Valley Ballet and Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, California.

He is currently chief scientist

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc., will speak on April 5 at Manhattanville College as part of its Castle Conversations series.

Contributed photo

at Primary Data, and is a published author with the release of his New York Times bestselling autobiography, “iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon.”

Castle Conversations, a speakers’ series, engages, challenges, and enlightens the residents of Westchester and Fairfield counties with new ideas from the nation’s top journalists, scientists, histori-

ans, artists and business entrepreneurs.

“No other forum like this exists in Westchester and Fairfield counties,” said Jon C. Strauss, Ph.D., president of Manhattanville College. “We want the speakers to stimulate discussions about the radically changing world in which we live. It is our way of reaching out to the community, building relationships, and sharing with our neighbors the ideas of the brightest minds in America.”

Upcoming Castle Conversation speakers are: Twyla Tharp, founder of her own internationally known dance company, on September 20; and Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, on November 29.

More information about how to purchase tickets to Castle Conversations, which begin at 8 p.m., can be obtained by calling 323-1277 or visiting CastleConversations.org. Subscriptions for all four talks start at $250. Individual talks are $75. (Submitted)

4 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

What’s going on...

Harrison Public Library

Both the West Harrison branch and the Halperin Memorial Building will be closed on Friday, March 25 for Good Friday and on Sunday, March 27 for Easter.

Adult coloring The West Harrison branch will be holding a stress relief activity for adults that involves coloring on Saturday, March 26 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Adults who are having a stressful week are encouraged to come to this program to relax. Coloring sheets and colored pencils will be provided.

This program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Rectangles of Love Help people in need during this program held at the West Harrison branch on Monday, March 28

from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Join other knitters and crocheters and create rectangles that will be made into blankets to be sent to Warm Up America!

Participants are welcome to knit or crochet using any stitch, color and type of yarn. Bring needles, hooks and yarn, or use yarn provided by the library. This program is appropriate for beginners or advanced knitters and crocheters. This program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Chinese watercolor painting Participants can show their artsy side at the West Harrison branch on Friday, April 1 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. During this first session, learn the art of Chinese watercolor painting with skilled instructor Milai Liang. This program is appropriate for adults. The library will provide painting materials.

Since space is limited, reservations are required.

For more information or to register, call 948-2092.

fering computer help to senior citizens on Mondays from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Halperin building on a drop-in basis. Participants will be able to learn the basics, including the Internet, email, Microsoft Word and how to save photos.

This program is free and open to the public.

Registration is not required. For more information, call 835-0324.

Manhattanville College

Chapter Chats and Chews

Fenom obstacle course

‘Women in Leadership’ discussion

The first meeting of the Chapter Chats and Chews Book Club will be on Tuesday, March 29 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Halperin Memorial Building. Pick up a copy of “Lawn Boy” by Gary Paulsen. Cookies will be supplied by Nora’s Ovenworks to fuel the discussion. The book club will talk about their favorite and least favorite parts of the book, as well as other books to feast on in the future. This book club is appropriate for children in grades three through five. This program will operate on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum of 10 children. Registration is not required.

This obstacle course in the Halperin Memorial Building will be available on Friday, April 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. It is appropriate for 3-year-old toddlers, and it will help them follow directions, work together and build confidence.

This program will run for four weeks, and registration is required. For more information or to register for this program, call 835-0324.

On Wednesday, March 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Manhattanville School of Business’s Women’s Leadership Institute will be offering a panel discussion with women leaders from Morgan Stanley, Heineken, Praxair, Catalyst and Manhattanville College. The evening will be a thought-provoking discussion on where women leaders are today and to re-examine the leadership role the private sector plays in empowering women of all ages globally. Celebrate Women’s History Month by attending this important evening. To learn more about the Women’s Leadership Institute or to sponsor the event, visit mville.edu/ programs/womens-leadership-institute. To register, visit community.mville.edu/msb.

Book discussion A group will meet at the Halperin Memorial Building on Wednesday, March 30 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to discuss the book “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg. Recent graduates are encouraged to attend the discussion. Registration for this discussion is required. For more information or to register, call 835-0324.

Singing and Swinging into Spring Learn the basics of jazz singing and improvisation at the Halperin Memorial Building on Friday, April 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Join singer and music educator MJ Territo for this nine-week-long vocal adventure for active adults age 55 and older. Each class builds upon each other, and culminates in a musical event on Saturday, May 7. For more information or to register for this class, call 835-0324.

Drop-in computer help for seniors Accomplished high school students will be of-

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.

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 5

Letters to the Editor

Addressing concerns over county airport changes To the Editor, Lately there has been concern in the community about potential changes at the Westchester County Airport. I write to bring you up to date and to assure you that I am doing everything possible to protect the interests of my constituents.

Currently, there is legislation pending before the Westchester County Board of Legislators to modify the Terminal Use Agreement, TUA, that governs operations at the airport. The TUA, which dates back to 1985, provides that for commercial airline flights of more than nine passengers, no more than 240 passengers may depart and no more than 240 passengers may arrive per half-hour period. The proposed change would change the half-hour limit to a per day limit.

Thus, 11,520 passengers could arrive and 11,520 passengers could depart per day. This would have the effect of potentially increasing airport use because the allotment for early morning hours, when there are no scheduled flights, could be transferred to daytime hours.

This proposed legislation was initially reviewed by the Legislation and Infrastructure committees of the Westchester County Board of Legislators on Nov. 9, 2015. At that meeting, I spoke at length and argued vociferously that any change which will increase the number of passengers and flights cannot be undertaken without a thorough review of the environmental considerations and quality of life issues for residents of the surrounding communities. These include possible impact on noise, traffic, storm water and an increase in runoff of de-icing fluid into the Blind Brook. No other persons testified at this meeting. A video of the meeting can be viewed at vimeo. com/158951993. Following the meeting, no further action was taken on the proposed law in the 2014-2015 term. In other words, the legislation died.

Following this legislative meeting, I spoke on this issue at several Airport Advisory Board meetings, and have met with local environmental organizations and officials from Rye Brook, Port Chester and Harrison to ensure that their concerns are heard. The proposed legislation

was sent back to the Legislature again this year. On Feb. 29, there was a joint meeting of the Legislation, Infrastructure and Environment and Health committees. At that meeting, I raised, at length, several concerns.

First, whether any change to the TUA could impact the county’s ability to maintain its restrictions in light of the 1990 federal Airport Noise and Control Act, ANCA, which greatly limited the amount of restrictions that communities can place on airports, as well as under FAA regulations.

In other words, I am greatly concerned that any change might invalidate our ability to maintain restrictions on airport operations.

I have suggested that we obtain, and I have obtained, an opinion from the county’s specialized FAA legal counsel in Washington, District of Columbia. That opinion makes clear that under federal law and regulations, the county has a lot of work to do in creating a “record” to justify making any changes to the TUA. In fact, I have urged and will continue to push for having the FAA itself set forth whether the proposed change to the TUA would invalidate the entire TUA. The video of this meeting is available at vimeo.com/158946698.

Second, the environmental impact of the proposed change must be thoroughly investigated under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, SEQRA, before any change can be made. For now, the Board of Legislators has only received a “short-form” Environmental Assessment Form. This is plainly inadequate, especially given that the airport is in a countydesignated “critical environmental area.” By comparison, at the Feb. 29 meeting, I compared the short environmental assessment form that the legislators received with a “full” Environmental Assessment Form that legislators have received in connection with a proposed lease transaction at the airport. I would expect the amount of information provided for a new lease would be analogous to a change in the passenger restrictions. This was not the case.

The long form for the lease provides an overview of possible impacts on surface water, flooding, groundwater, air, noise and

transportation.

Despite the airport being designated a critical environmental area, no meaningful information was provided regarding any of these issues with the proposed legislation. The county must exercise due diligence and study the possible impact on all of these issues. Moreover, since the airport is in a substantially residential area, the county needs to address possible impact on land use patterns, zoning and consistency with community character.

Also, in addition to completing the long form, the county must address the need for studies of the impact on groundwater, noise, air pollution, etc., as well as steps to mitigate these impacts. These are responsible steps to take under SEQRA. I am pleased to report that I recently received a call from an officer of the Sierra Club thanking me for my impassioned discussion of the environmental issues at the Feb. 29 meeting. I can also report that the county will be preparing a much more detailed environmental analysis. In short, unless and until environmental experts have, at a minimum, addressed the environmental impacts, and the FAA issues are resolved, the board cannot even begin to address this legislation.

There will then be further issues to address. The first is simply whether the proposed legislation is advisable at all, even if it passes muster under environmental law and with the FAA. Second, there is also the issue of how this legislation interacts with the master plan for the airport which is due to be released later this year.

The community should also be aware that the proposed legislation can be modified. As always, I intend to fight to protect my constituents and all county residents to ensure that the airport remains a viable asset to our community while minimizing the negative impact of its operations on surrounding communities.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me by phone at 9952834 or by email at Gelfarb@ westchesterlegislators.com.

David Gelfarb, Westchester County Legislator

6 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

Harrison REVIEW

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Community Events

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new distillery set to shepherd in locals

The Miatas’ silver German shepherd, Loki, is the distillery’s namesake and the inspiration for its interior décor.

By sUzy BErKOwitz Editorial Assistant The village of Mamaroneck is about to get a lot more spirited, as Port Chester resident Vincent Miata will soon be turning his hobby into a business with the opening of Good Shepherd Distillery.

The business, which will be located at 360 Mount Pleasant Ave., will distill vodka, brandy, and—down the line—whiskey and gin, and will also offer tours, tastings and the retail selling of liquors made in New York state.

“I’ve been doing this as a hobby for a long time and I’m excited to share it with other people,” Miata told the Review. “I think coming here is something different for people to do, especially when we start offering private tours or tastings.”

Miata, whose wife and family have helped bring his dream to fruition, said Good Shepherd plans to open on Saturday afternoons at first, but will soon expand to Sunday hours. Miata Vincent Miata, his wife, Carly Miata, and their dog, Loki, are excited for said he is excited to also start Good Shepherd Distillery’s grand opening on Saturday, April 2. holding classes on how to cook

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Good Shepard Distillery plans on distilling vodka, brandy, whiskey and gin, and offering tours, tastings and the selling of spirits made in New York state. Photos/Lindsay Danielle

and distill liquor once the distillery has settled into its new location. His other business goals include reaching out to bars and liquor stores within a 3-mile radius in the hopes that they will carry his products, as well as selling them at local farmers markets.

Mike Hofer, owner of the Smokehouse Tailgate Grill on Mamaroneck Avenue in Mamaroneck, said he tries to buy and carry local products.

“We’re excited to feature some of Vinny’s products and be able to tell customers that it was made right here in Mamaroneck,” Hofer said. “Local residents feel a certain sense of pride knowing liquors were made where they live; it’s something they can connect with.”

Although Miata’s liquor license only permits him to carry products made within the state, he said he’s happy to open Mamaroneck’s first business that specifically supports locally handmade spirits.

His wife Carly shares his sentiment.

“We take pride in the fact that our license only allows us to carry statewide liquors,” she said. “We love to shop local and we support small businesses. We were both born and raised in New York and we don’t see ourselves leaving.”

Carly Miata designed the interior of Good Shepherd Distillery, which is named and themed after the couple’s silver German shep-

herd, Loki. The business’ logo includes a doghouse, and the distillery’s interior will feature photos of Loki on canvas.

Carly Miata said she and her husband wanted to give the business a name that was both catchy and sentimental, and since Loki is such a big part of their lives, they settled on naming the distillery after him. She said they are also Catholic and spiritual, so they like the name’s religious undertones.

Vincent Miata said the effort to get his business off the ground has come with few hiccups, save for logistical paperwork and ensuring residents that his location would not cause commotion in the community. He said after attending village board meetings and explaining the distillery’s sophisticated, hyperlocal demeanor and Saturday afternoon hours, people were more comfortable with the business.

The owner said residents now regularly stop by the shop to knock on the window and express their excitement for its anticipated opening.

“People are naturally afraid of what they don’t understand, but over time, they’re going to be happy with what they see,” Vincent Miata said.

Good Shepherd Distillery’s grand opening will take place on Saturday, April 2 from noon to 4 p.m.

CONtaCt: suzy@hometwn.com

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 7

Larchmont native brings grass-fed beef to meat eaters By aNGELa JOrDaN Staff Writer A local entrepreneur invited guests to the Larchmont Public Library on Thursday, March 10 for a free seminar on the benefits of grass-fed beef, followed by a chili tasting made with beef from his company, FarmEats.

FarmEats is a Westchesterbased, grass-fed organic beef company founded approximately two years ago by Drew George, a Larchmont native.

The company’s mission statement says that they are “committed to sustainable farming methods and raise [their] animals naturally and stress-free. [They] do not use growth hormones or routinely use antibiotics. [Their] beef is 100 percent grass-fed and finished, with no grain and no confinement, ever.”

At the presentation, George asserted that in comparison to conventional beef, grass-fed beef is not only more humane for the cattle, but it is also significantly healthier for the consumer.

To illustrate this, George pre-

sented a hypothetical example that he called “The Tale of Two Cows” to highlight the differences between conventionally raised and grass-fed, free range beef via the cattle’s quality of life, diet, drug use and method of slaughter.

According to George, as opposed to being allowed to roam free through fields and graze all their lives, conventionally raised cattle are confined to feeding lots when they’re about a year old, which can be as small as 23 square feet.

He said that while conventionally raised cattle eat mostly corn and soy, they are sometimes also fed candy, chicken coop waste and plastic pellets, while grass-fed cattle have a diet of plants naturally foraged by the cows. Additionally, conventionally raised cows are given ample hormones and antibiotics, which are later ingested by consumers of the meat, while grassfed cows are given minimal to no antibiotics and no hormones.

Finally, he added, while conventionally raised cattle are

sent to slaughterhouses which sometimes process upwards of 400 animals per hour, grass-fed cows are usually taken to smaller plants, where the killings are deemed more humane by animal welfare groups.

Because of these differences, George said that the meat provided by grass-fed cattle is lower in saturated fat, but contains more essential fatty acids like omega-3 fats. He also said that grass-fed beef is richer in vitamins B12, A and E in addition to also being richer in zinc, iron, potassium and creatine.

George said that the inspiration to start his business came when he realized it was too difficult to find these locally sourced, humanely raised farm animals in New York.

“I realized that most folks do not know where their food comes from, the health consequences of choosing what to eat, and how to cook grass-fed beef. I offer cooking tips and recipes for all FarmEats beef, and raise awareness of healthy choices of the foods that we

FarmEats is a Westchester-based company that produces grass-fed, free range beef that comes exclusively from upstate New York. Photo courtesy Larchmont Public Library

eat,” George said.

Customers can order steaks online in cuts ranging from $9 to $25 on the FarmEats website, or purchase meats at farmers markets in Bronxville, Hastings, Chappaqua and Irvington. All

the cattle for these steaks come from the Sweet Tree Farm, located upstate in Carlisle.

FarmEats considers itself to be part of the farm-to-table movement, which concerns itself with providing locally sourced food

for restaurants and markets. Both Sweet Tree Farm and The Double L Ranch, the butcher that prepares FarmEats’ steaks, are family-owned and -operated.

CONtaCt: angela@hometwn.com

8 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

Virtual, real bird sightings at Meeting House Spring cleaning reminders and spring holiday cheers By aNN MariE CUNNiNGhaM Contributor Many Rye bird lovers took part in the National Audubon Society’s annual Great Backyard Bird Count, held this year over Presidents Day weekend, Feb. 12 through Feb. 15. On Jan. 30, to help prepare local counters, the Bird Homestead nonprofit hosted an indoor and outdoor bird walk at the Rye Meeting House.

The visiting bird expert was Christopher Mignone, vice president of Central Westchester Audubon Society, the event’s co-sponsor. Mignone is familiar to Rye residents from his days at Marshlands Conservancy. Indoors, he introduced both new and experienced birdwatchers of all ages to more than 50 species of birds seen in Rye, via Nadia Valla’s beautiful close-up photographs currently on view at the Rye Meeting House. Outdoors, Mignone led a sunny winter afternoon walk at low tide, when many birds are visible feeding along the Blind Brook estuary behind the Meeting House and the Bird Homestead.

Mignone, who has been a birder since he was a boy, began sharing his knowledge indoors via a tour through Valla’s photographs, starting with water birds and aerial water birds, and continuing through shore birds, birds of prey and songbirds.

Valla’s stunning close-ups show some solitary birds, others with their mates and babies, some on the wing, others poised on branches or in their nests—even a mockingbird scaring off a startled screech owl that had sat too close to its nest.

From Mignone, attendees learned about new aspects of very familiar Rye birds, such as the ubiquitous Canada goose. Valla had caught a mother goose with a flock of fluffy gray chicks under her wings and on her back.

Mignone said that Canada geese molt once a year and can’t fly during that time, so that’s when they have their chicks. Once molting is complete, the expanded family moves on.

Mignone also pointed out the wide variety of ducks Valla captured with her camera on the water in Rye: the mallard, the black duck, teals, the wood duck (he had seen one nesting in a tree at Marshlands), the northern shoveler, which has a very long bill,

HARRISON HAPPENINGS Mayor Ron Belmont

Pictured is a great egret, a type of heron. The photographer, Nadia Valla, has an exhibition at the Rye Meeting House, open every Saturday afternoon through June, that features photos of more than 50 species of birds. Photo/Nadia Valla

the long-tailed duck, the bufflehead, the golden-eyed, the ringnecked, the merganser and the ruddy, which only visits Rye in the winter. Other winter visitors include aerial water birds like the Great Cormorant, which has a white belly and can be seen at Playland Lake and Marshlands.

Among wading birds, Mignone introduced the very handsome black-crowned night heron, which can be seen roosting in the trees along Blind Brook from the bench behind the Meeting House. Green herons also have been seen in the Blind Brook estuary, watching the boats leaving and returning to Milton Harbor.

Valla photographed several species of woodpecker: the sapsucker, the hairy, the red bellied, the pileated—not often seen in Rye, but the biggest species and the model for Woody Woodpecker—and the most common woodpecker, the downy. Mignone explained that the sapsucker isn’t actually after sap: the bird eats insects pulled out of a tree in sap. After Hurricane Sandy, Mignone said, he found a felled tree at Marshlands with a series of neat holes drilled every quarter inch: “A sapsucker had been at work.”

One of Valla’s most striking photos is of a pair of great horned owls, lined up on a big branch with three gray puffballs—their babies. A succession of these birds has been nesting in Marshlands since the late 1980s. They court at the end of December through early January, Mignone said, and mate for life.

Valla had caught a spectacular back view of a red-tailed hawk, sitting with its red feathers on proud display—difficult to see when the bird is airborne.

Although red-tails are one of the largest and most common hawks, Mignone noted that turkey vultures are more numerous in Westchester at the moment.

Turkey vultures float on thermals, using more energy to take off and land than they do if they fly all day. Westchester Audubon’s office used to be at 1311 Mamaroneck Ave., a building with a large colony of turkey vulture nests on the roof. The ominous birds would lean over the roof to eye Mignone and his colleagues entering the building.

Outdoors, the group kept their own eyes open, spotting quite a few songbirds, including a white-breasted nuthatch on the Bird Homestead’s new feeder, which Mignone had just installed, as well as a great blue heron, a hooded merganser, mallards, a mourning dove and a red-bellied woodpecker hard at work on a tree behind the Meeting House—an excellent early report for the Backyard Bird Count. The birders also could hear grackles, starlings, and juncos, seeking refuge from the cold in hedges and shrubbery.

“On the Wing: Birds of the Bird Homestead and Meeting House,” Valla’s photographs of more than 50 species of birds, remains on display at Rye Meeting House through June 2016, and can be visited every Saturday afternoon from noon to 3 p.m., weather permitting. Prints of all Valla’s photographs are for sale for $75 each (unframed, 19 inches by 13 inches). Proceeds will benefit restoration of the stained-glass windows in the Meeting House. The Bird Homestead nonprofit operates the Meeting House on Milton Road for environmental, historic and educational purposes.

As a reminder, the Westchester County Mobile Shredder (for residents only) will be in Harrison this Saturday, March 26.

Residents may bring confidential personal papers for shredding to the Metro-North parking lot (corner of Harrison and Halstead avenues) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can bring up to four filesized (10x12x15 inches) boxes of confidential papers per household. Please remove all large binder clips and covers from papers. Papers from businesses, institutions or commercial enterprises are not acceptable and will be rejected, as will any junk mail or newspapers. In extreme weather, events may be cancelled or terminated early. Please call the county’s Recycling Helpline at 813-5425 to check on a cancellation or early closure.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Harrison resident Victor Quirolo on being selected to the CHSAA Hall of Fame. The organization honors members of the largest Catholic high school athletic league in the United States. A physical educa-

tion teacher at Iona Prep since 1993, Vic has piloted teams in the prestigious metro New York Catholic high school league on both the gridiron and the hardwood. In 2008, Vic’s Gaels won the Catholic High School Football League AAA Championship. In 2009, he led the basketball Gaels to the Catholic High School City and State championships. Locally, Vic has coached many Harrison Recreation sports programs. He has also coached St. Gregory’s and Tri-County basketball teams. He joins notable NYCHSAA alumni Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Vitas Gerulaitis, Vin Scully, Joe Torre, John Mara, Vince Lombardi and Chris Mullin. Congratulations on this deserving honor for a wonderful and well-respected coach.

Once again, I would like to remind residents that on Sunday, April 10, the town/village of Harrison will hold its annual Spring Spruce Up event.

Volunteers are needed to clear debris from various municipal locations. Several areas will be targeted for sprucing up and all are welcome. We have had great success in the past, and I encourage all residents to take part this year. Our roadways and parks are greatly improved by the efforts of all involved. Please

contact my office to sign up.

Recently, I attended the Westchester County Association’s 2016 Economic Forecast Breakfast where County Executive Rob Astorino announced a $1.2 billion private investment project that will create a bioscience and technology center on a county-owned site in Valhalla.

This exciting new enterprise will not only create jobs in the field of technology, but will also add thousands of new construction jobs. I am encouraged by this development and believe that it can potentially expand Westchester’s leadership in the areas of biotechnology, medicine and science.

With Easter upon us, and the school holiday in full swing this weekend, I hope residents find time to get together with friends and family and to relax and unwind. On behalf of my fellow councilmen, I would like to take this time wish all residents a happy and safe Easter holiday.

The next “Lunch with the Mayor” is on Friday, April 1. I will be at Pizza 2000, located on Halstead Avenue in downtown Harrison. I will be at this location from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and look forward to meeting with residents and talking about issues facing our community.

trash from page 1

currently held by soon-to-be retirees who are leaving in May, but won’[t be laying off any employees.

Malfitano said that avoiding layoffs is a priority for the council.

“Our public employees are paramount to us, and we’ve always been considerate of them,” he said.

In addition to local businesses, this change would apply to schools and some churches as well. However, according to Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, the council has had a conversation with the Harrison Superintendent of Schools Louis Wool about this, and he is receptive to the idea of the service cancellation.

“There isn’t any way that everyone is going to be happy, but when we look at the program, the range of use, and the cost as something that needs to be addressed from the taxpayer standpoint,” Malfitano said,

In order to avoid raising fees and taxes, the Harrison Town Council is considering cancelling its commercial trash and recycling pick up service.

The change would affect any businesses, schools or churches that produce more than two 48-gallon pails of refuse biweekly. File photo

“we see an opportunity to not reduce services, but reduce expenses so we don’t have to raise taxes.”

No vote took place on the issue at the March 17 meeting, and Malfitano said that it will

“take some time” for the issue to be fully resolved.

Robinson could not be reached for comment as of press time.

CONtaCt: angela@hometwn.com

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 9

Talking Business:

with Mark stevens By ira ELLENthaL Where to begin?

Perhaps with the fact that my interview the other day with entrepreneur Mark Stevens opened with him telling me that nothing’s off the record, that I can print anything he says, no matter how personal or controversial. No one has ever said that to me before.

Within minutes, I realized I was interacting with someone who just might be the most interesting man in the world. No, not the distinguished bearded guy in the Dos Equis beer commercials; the one who made a weeping willow laugh; the one who once ran a marathon because it was on his way; the one who has taught old dogs a variety of new tricks.

Unlike the fictional character in the celebrated commercials, this one is flesh-and-blood real. Mark Stevens, CEO of MSCO, a firm that specializes in strategies and integrated marketing solutions. Photo courtesy jobs.lovetoknow.com Stevens lives in Bedford and atDuring the 10th anniversatracts prospective clients to his written about financier and selfRye Brook office so they can try described shareholder activist ry sequel to “Your Marketing Sucks,” Stevens underscores to convince him to handle their Carl Icahn, a multibillionaire.

“Carl’s the smartest busi- that most marketing programs marketing.

“I’ve never had to ask anyone nessman I’ve ever met,” Ste- are the equivalent of throwing for an order,” he says matter-of- vens says, “but he threatened $1,000 bills out the window. “I factly and seems to mean it, no to sue me for everything I had call it spending camouflaged as if I went forward with his biog- marketing,” he says. “You’ve matter how unlikely it sounds.

Stevens is the wildly suc- raphy. I held fast and eventually got to demand that money spent cessful chief executive officer he dropped his threat and agreed on marketing brings in more of MSCO, a firm specializing in to cooperate with me on the bio, money than you’ve spent on it.”

Stevens calls this branding strategy and integrated market- which is available on Amazon and just contracted to be pub- concept “extreme marketing,” a ing solutions. term he coined and—you guessed For the past 22 years, he and lished in China.”

Stevens has been close it—marketed successfully. his team have been engaged in “In essence, extreme markethigh-stakes business-building friends with Icahn for more initiatives with both senior cor- than 50 years, going back to ing means that you have to do porate executives and small- our days in Far Rockaway, and I everything possible to guarantee business owners, advising them can count on one hand the num- that every marketing dollar you how and why their marketing ber of times he has lost such a spend is set in a strategic context and is based on a plan constructfalls short, and how it can be stare down.

But back to Stevens and cor- ed to make certain that every vastly improved to grow their companies. He plays it in person; porate marketing. His passion tactic and tool reinforces every he plays it in his high-powered, for it is palpable. “The prob- other you are using,” Stevens drive time radio commercials on lem with their marketing,” he says. “And, of course, it means which he spent $2.1 million last says, “is that it’s often poorly that you must bring back a reyear; and he plays it in his run- designed and terribly execut- turn that’s more than the dollars away bestseller, “Your Market- ed—to the point that it just plain you invested.” sucks. It fails to achieve the When he first sat down to ing Sucks.”

When he isn’t talking to the only legitimate goal… to drive write “Your Marketing Sucks,” he says he did so “with a straplayers in the business world a company’s growth.”

Clearly, Stevens is a plea- tegic and philosophical goal about their marketing, he’s either solving their problems or writing sure to interview, answering all in mind: to posit that marketbooks. He’s written 20 so far, in- of my questions; many before I ing was increasingly a show of aesthetic grandstanding to win cluding the only biography ever even asked them.

awards for creativity. Its real aim should be to deliver marketing’s only legitimate prize, the sale of more products and services.”

While that perspective, and roadmap for accomplishing it, remains the bedrock of the Stevens’ recent book, he notes that much has changed in the world since it was first published and immediately became a bestseller.

“There was no social media to speak of,” he said. “E-commerce was alive but in its infancy. Mark Zuckerberg was an obscure Harvard student. Steve Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor. And Instagram was seven years away from launch.”

When I asked him to give me an example of great marketing, he smiled, opened the 10th anniversary edition to its dedication and politely asked me to read it: “To the creators of all the cheesy commercials I watched as a kid, which made me bug my mother to buy cereals I detested so that I could win a horse (which would have had to be housed in a onebedroom apartment in Queens).

That’s great marketing.”

Happily married and the

Mark Stevens’ bestseller, “Your Marketing Sucks,” is one of his 20 books.

This book says that a company’s only marketing goal should be to cause the company to grow—“extreme marketing.” Photo courtesy Amazon.com

father of two fully grown, financially successful sons, Stevens says that he considers himself blessed. He also says that he loves his life and loves being interested in so many passions.

And all of it shows in every possible way.

revenue would be put towards capital projects and operational expenses.

According to Zuckerman, the commission will be tasked with sifting through the options and deciding what’s best for the park’s future.

“This is the beginning of the process, not the end of it,” he said, adding that there isn’t a deadline for making a final de-

cision and that the process will take as long as necessary.

Zuckerman said the commission will review the proposals and then, those that are deemed suitable will be reviewed by the public.

Singer could not be reached for comment as of press time.

Ira Ellenthal is the executive vice president of Home Town Media Group.

ParK from page 1

“We would provide more activities with families [and] expand services we provide to our town and city,” he said.

Currently, the park is in need of $14 million in capital improvements.

According to the city of Rye’s proposal, if selected it would foot the cost for all operational expenses and retain revenue from the park. All surplus

CONtaCt: james@hometwn.com; sibylla@hometwn.com

A request by the town of Rye seeking new management and the possible redevelopment of Rye Town Park has attracted a field of six candidates, including some familiar faces in Rye. File photo

10 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

Business Briefs Sara Frajnd joins Berkshire Hathaway of Larchmont

Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s welcomes new associates

Sara Frajnd has recently joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Westchester Properties. The announcement was made by Mark Nadler, director of Westchester sales for the Scarsdale and Larchmont offices. In a released statement, Nadler said, “I am delighted to announce that Sara has joined forces with us. She will be a tremendous addition to our staff.”

Prior to joining Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Westchester Properties, Frajnd received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and later studied at the New York School of Interior Design. She pursued a career in the fashion and design industry both in New York and Tel Aviv, Israel.

“As a result of both my work experiences and my creative nature, I tend to visualize things differently than other people due to,” Frajnd said.

“For example, I can imagine what it would take to turn a fixer-upper into your dream home, or I can help you stage the home you are selling to get the best price possible. Sometimes it’s all in the details.”

When representing clients, Frajnd’s mission is to connect with you. Contact Frajnd today with buying and selling requests in Westchester County.

Call 207-329-9908, email SaraFrajnd@bhhswestchester.com or visit bhhsNEproperties.com.

Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty announced that six real estate agents Joan Capaldi, Alexandra Filipov, Danielle Longhitano, Martha Rubio, Cat Runcie and Heather Stone, have joined the company and will be based in the firm’s Larchmont brokerage. These agents, who are new to the industry, possess a wealth of varied skills and professional backgrounds, and are all recent graduates of the Larchmont Brokerage’s New Agent Academy training program, which aims to hone agent skills when entering the business.

The New Agent Academy is a six-month program designed by Carolyn Fugere to fully prepare real estate sales associates who are brand new to the business with necessary skills and training in the field. Topics cover all aspects of the industry, including marketing, prospecting, legal understanding, conducting open houses, ethics, client representation and finance.

Capaldi has an extensive background in the financial industry, and has held a variety of positions at an investment firm in Boston. Capaldi later received her MBA in marketing and moved to Westchester County to pursue a career in brand management. Now a Larchmont resident of 17 years, Capaldi is a professional who offers a wealth of community knowledge to potential clients.

Runcie, a current resident of the Orienta neighborhood of Mamaroneck, also has a broad professional background to enhance her real estate career, with more than a decade of marketing and advertising experience. She is recognized for her “hands-on” interactions with clients, and works closely with them to deliver the smoothest transactions possible.

International expertise is second nature to Filipov, who was born and raised in Normandy, France, and was involved in the travel and tourism industry for more than 12 years, working for both Walt Disney World and United Airlines. After marrying an American in Paris, Filipov relocated to Westchester County, where she purchased a home in Larchmont and became greatly involved in the local community.

Rubio, who was born in Mexico, also boasts an abundance of global knowledge ideal for supporting an international clientele. Rubio speaks English, Spanish, French and German, and has past experience in the hospitality industry and diplomacy. She moved from Manhattan to Westchester County in 2007, and has since gained vast familiarity with the area. This asset, along with her strong negotiation skills and diverse background, allows Rubio to connect with both local and international clients.

A Larchmont resident of more than 25 years, Longhitano brings a passion for both her work and native Westchester County community to the firm. Longhitano has a degree in school psychology and a master’s in therapeutic interventions, as well as hands-on experience in the housing industry through her family’s commercial and residential real estate firm, where she developed the passion and foundation for her current career.

Longhitano now resides in Larchmont with her husband and son, and welcomes clients to the surrounding neighborhoods she knows so well.

Houlihan-Parnes Properties hires two property managers David Lulgjuraj joined Houlihan-Parnes Properties as an asset manager in 2015. He manages a portfolio of retail, office and residential properties, and he also oversees construction projects. Lulgjuraj is a New York state licensed real estate salesperson, graduating from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. During his time at Fordham, Lulgjuraj played wide receiver on the football team. He grew up in the Woodlawn section of The Bronx.

Tomasz Olfans also joined Houlihan-Parnes Properties as an asset manager in 2015 for a portfolio of retail, office and residential properties. Olfans was on a varsity tennis team at Concordia College in Bronxville, which ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation. He is from Poland, and graduated from Concordia with a bachelor’s in business administration.

Houlihan-Parnes Properties is a full-service property management company headquartered in White Plains, New York. Its highly skilled professional staff oversees the operation of multifamily and commercial investment property located in the Northeast. For further information, contact James K. Coleman at 694-6070 or jcoleman@houlihanparnes.com.

Stone, who is originally from Harrison, also settled down with her family in Larchmont, and serves as a second-generation Westchester County real estate broker with intimate knowledge of the neighboring historic towns. Stone additionally possesses legal skills as an attorney and active New York State Bar Association member, securing a competitive advantage for her clients during every step of the home buying and selling process.

“The incredible skills and versatility that has entered our Larchmont brokerage with this new graduating class of sales associates is remarkable,” Fugere said. “Our brokerage’s new agent training program allows their true potential to shine through, and after witnessing it firsthand, I am certain that they will be a valuable asset to our team. I am thrilled to welcome them, and can’t wait to see their positive contributions to the firm.”

Founded in 1949, William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty manages a $3.3-billion-plus portfolio with more than 1,000 sales associates in 29 brokerages spanning Connecticut, Massachusetts and Westchester County, New York. William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is the largest Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate globally and the 28th-largest real estate company by sales volume in the United States. Sotheby’s International Realty’s worldwide network includes approximately 18,000 sales associates located in approximately 825 offices throughout 61 countries and territories. For more information, visit williampitt.com.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester elects new officers Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester, HPCW, has voted in new officers and three new members for its 2016-2017 board of directors.

Susan Yubas, of Rye, will serve as board chair; Kathleen McArdle, of Port Chester, will serve as vice chair; Joanne Ciaramella, of White Plains, will serve as secretary; and Charles Trainor, of Briarcliff Manor, will serve as treasurer.

Mary Gibbons Gardiner, Jean LePere and George Whitehead have also been named the newest members of the board.

Gibbons Gardiner, a Larchmont resident, is a vice president, financial advisor and senior partner of the Gardiner Epstein Group at Morgan Stanley.

She focuses on wealth management for families, executives and business owners. As a certified divorce financial analyst, Gibbons Gardiner’s team has a specialization in helping women in transition, especially during divorce and widowhood. She is a member of Westchester Community College’s Salon Series and has co-chaired the YWCA’s Women’s Marketplace on several occasions.

LePere, a Brewster resident, is the regional corporate and community engagement manager for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dedicated to health, wellness and finding a cure for cancer, she is an involved board member of Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester. LePere is also a member of Putnam County Medical Reserve Corps, New York State Collaborative for Palliative Care and New York State Cancer Consortium. Rounding out her resume, she is a professional advisory board member of Cancer Support Community of Central New Jersey and a grants reviewer for the New York City affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Whitehead hails from Hopewell Junction, and professionally works a partner at PKF O’Connor Davies LLP, specializing in the commercial audit practice focusing on the manufacturing, retail, distribution, construction and technology industries.

He has been an active volunteer with HPCW, serving on the development advisory board since 2014 and is also a certified public accountant.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester is a private, nonprofit health care agency that provides skilled, compassionate and comprehensive endof-life home care to patients diagnosed with any serious or life-limiting illness and gives support to their families and loved ones. Hospice & Palliative Care of Westchester is located at 1025 Westchester Ave., Suite 200, in White Plains. For additional information, visit hospiceofwestchester.com or call 682-1484.

The next Business Briefs section will run in April. Please send any submission for our April edition to news@hometwn. com, with “Business” in the subject line of your email. Each submission may include one picture. If you have any questions, email us at news@hometwn.com.

Harrison REVIEW

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The harrisonreview.com is under construction Stay tuned for updates on the release of our new and improved website

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 11

12 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

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Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 13

TV reports toy turns toddler into sex slave Refacing finally gets accepted in remodeling industry RHyMES MES WItH H CRAZy Lenore Skenazy

A mom just bought a toy for her 2-year-old daughter that signals to pedophiles that the girl is ready to be traded for sex.

WHAT? I’d repeat it, but it still wouldn’t make any sense. And yet, this modern day myth has gone viral. It’s everywhere from headline news to AOL to local media, and of course, Facebook.

One mom there lamented, “I did not know that pedophiles have their own insidious silent language that is infiltrating society through pretty pink images... which signal to other pedophiles the child can be traded.”

Do we really live in that kind of hell for kids?

The real story involves a Florida mom who bought a pink plush truck for her daughter at a monster truck rally down there.

Somehow (the original WFLATV reporter never tells us how), the mom came to believe the heart-within-a-heart logo on the toy is a code pedophiles use.

I should mention that that the heart-within-a-heart logo is also the logo you see on Good Humor bars or when your barista has mastered the art of making a heart in your cappuccino foam.

And yet, using a garbled mishmash of horror and hysteria, the TV reporter told viewers that because of that heart logo, the toy “held a sick secret; a dis-

gusting calling card for creeps.”

And now, “When a pedophile sees children with the heart symbol, it’s a code meaning that child is ready to be traded for sex.”

While presenting zero evidence that the world works like this, the reporter then interviewed the mom, who seemed as distraught, as if her child had just narrowly escaped the clutches of Cropsy. “I’m absolutely sick!” she cried. “This is pink! This is for little girls, especially at a predominantly male event.”

So... does the mom think the “male event” deliberately stocked up on pink toys so that unwitting parents would buy them? And that predators would see the symbol, and go, “Look! A heart on a toy. This mom must be willing to sell her child into sex slavery!” And then what? Would she feel obligated to trade her kid for cash because that’s how the system works?

I can’t stop marveling at this “news” story, because it shows that we are so obsessed with the fear of predators—or at least news editors are so obsessed with feeding us these stories—that we never even stop to say, “Wait... what?”

For a dose of actual facts, I dropped a line to David Finkelhor, head of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire.

“I can’t reassure you that there isn’t some lonely pedophile club somewhere that has decided to make a logo,” he wrote back.

And it’s true. In trying to find

whether there was anything that could suggest even a scintilla of justification for the story, I learned there was one lone government file, written about 10 years ago—and played up in an episode of “Law & Order: SVU,” of course—that suggested pedophiles might wear logos that indicated their leanings. “But what is certainly true is that pedophiles would not simply decide to pick a victim based on carrying an item with a logo. No one should worry about the logo being dangerous for their kids,” Finkelhor said.

But that’s the problem.

We are worried all the time about this least likely of crimes: stranger danger.

Christie Barnes, author of “The Paranoid Parents Guide,” found that the very top worry of parents is kidnappings. (And No. 4 is “dangerous strangers.”)

This fear haunts us even though our crime rate is the lowest it’s been in decades. It haunts us even though we know that when it comes to crimes against children, the vast majority are committed not by strangers, but by trusted adults.

When stories like this fan the flames of predator panic, we get a population ever more obsessed with sex offenders, ever more demanding of police protection, and ever more convinced that their kids are in constant danger, even from a plush toy.

Here’s the real news: they’re not.

By PaUL BOOKBiNDEr Contributor It took more than 25 years, but refacing is finally being accepted by the kitchen and bath industry as a legitimate remodeling solution for the consumer. In a recent issue of Professional Remodeler magazine, for the first time in history, refacing is not only mentioned, but included as the fourth item in their list of “Kitchen and Bath Design Trends.”

So what made the powers that be finally recognize this creative remodeling technique? Apparently, so many people are choosing to reface, rather than replace their cabinets, they didn’t have much choice. Especially since the results are not only beautiful, but with additional accessories, they rival the functionality of an all-new kitchen, and at the same time save the consumer money.

The process couldn’t just be ignored anymore, no matter how much they tried.

Granted, in the past, refacing (or resurfacing as it is also called), used to conjure up a less-than-beautiful kitchen, where the material covering the cabinets and doors didn’t look real and would peel off in a few years. While this may have been true 20 years ago, the materials and adhesives used for refacing have improved dramatically.

Most contractors who offer this service now replace the door and

drawer fronts and cover the cabinet with the same material the new fronts are made of. Today, a custom refacing job, if done properly, looks just like a new kitchen and lasts just as long.

The selection of replacement fronts has expanded exponentially over the past few years.

You can now get real wood, and select from maple, cherry, alder, birch, pine and exotic woods. If you want to go with laminate fronts, there are close to a hundred colors to choose from, and now the laminates can be handcrafted with a glazed finish or Italian high gloss lacquer, just like real wood. Add to this the modern internal conveniences that you find in new kitchen cabinets and refacing becomes a viable alternative.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve found that the three most popular reasons for refacing cabinets, rather than replacing them, are the three Cs: convenience, conservation and cost. With our hectic schedules, most of us don’t want to have our lifestyles disrupted any longer than necessary. It’s hard enough getting everything done that we’re supposed to each day without having construction going on for several weeks. Refacing takes much less time than replacing a kitchen and is much less stressful than a total renovation, and in most cases, it’s usually much more economical and environ-

mentally friendly than installing a new kitchen. I say usually much more economical because there are factors that can increase the costs of refacing. When you select thermofoil replacement fronts, the cost is about 50 percent less than buying and installing new, all-wood cabinets. However, if you choose special shapes or wood fronts, the savings begins to diminish.

Another factor that can add to the expense of refacing is changing the layout of your kitchen.

You realize the greatest saving when no alterations are made to the floor plan. If you intend on changing more than 10 percent of the cabinets in the kitchen, it makes more sense to think about replacing all of them.

If you are considering renovating your kitchen, bath or wall unit, it certainly would be worthwhile to investigate all the possibilities, especially now that the taboo associated with refacing has been lifted. It’s a good idea to visit showrooms that offer both new cabinets and refacing.

And, with the wide range of replacement fronts available, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Paul Bookbinder, is president of DreamWork Kitchens, Inc. located in Mamaroneck.

He can be reached for questions at 777-0437 or dreamworkkitchens.com.

CONtaCt: lskenazy@yahoo.com

Advertise with us!

Coming in April, Inside WC will feature health industry professionals.

If you’re interested in advertising in the “Health Professionals” issue, please contact sales representative representative Lindsay Sturman at 653-1000 ext.14 or lindsay@hometwn.com.

Minnie is a super sweet and pretty tortoiseshell kitty who was given up because her owner was moving. She is about 2 years old, friendly, loves to be pet and will purr with joy. Why not make Minnie part of your home?

Minnie is spayed, up to date with all vaccinations and in excellent health. The adoption donation for Minnie is $80. To meet this sweet tortie, contact Pet Rescue at 740-4072 or 835-3332 or visit NYPetRescue.org. (Submitted)

14 • thE the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016

March sadness lIVE MIKE Mike Smith

After the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament, I have to say, I don’t hate my bracket. Sure, it’s pretty much busted to pieces, but despite all the schools I’ve already had to cross out, there is some method to my March madness.

Let’s get it out in the open before we start: my picks were not, by any stretch of the imagination, good. In the “Review Championship,” a bracket I joined with several of my coworkers and some elected officials from the communities we cover, I’m currently in eighth place, and there are enough red marks in my Midwest region to make me think I’m taking algebra all over again.

But all is not lost, at least, not yet.

Given the large number of massive upsets that occurred, al-

most everyone lost a Final Four team or two. I, unfortunately, had Michigan State going to the championship game, only to see them toppled in the first round by that perennial juggernaut of a No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee.

But as bad as my Midwest region was—I picked only three of 12 games correctly—I have to look at the positives. My bracket in the West region, on the other hand, was perfect: a whopping 12-out-of-12 picks right.

Small victories like that are enough to keep me going, and make me somewhat confident in my sports knowledge, even if winning the Review pool is all but impossible.

I was smart, though. I hedged my bets.

One might look at my second-round loss for No. 2 seed Villanova as a big mistake. After all, Villanova is coming off a generally terrific regular season that even saw the Wildcats nab the top spot in the nation for a couple of weeks. Villanova has

SPORTS

played to form in the tournament thus far, dominating UNC Asheville in the opener and crushing No. 7 seed Iowa in the second round.

But Villanova is the team I’ve rooted for since my elementary school days, so I played it safe.

If I had them making a run to the Final Four, and then watched the Wildcats flounder in the earlygoings of the tourney—as they have done quite often in recent years—that’s a lose-lose scenario. My bracket would have been in shambles and the one rooting interest I had would have been eliminated.

This way, even though I may not be headed for a win in the office pool, I’ll still get to tune in with something on the line, at least for one more game, as Nova sets to take on Miami in the Sweet 16.

So yeah, my bracket’s a mess.

I’m not going to win any money, I’m not going to have any office bragging rights, and honestly, with a showing this bad, I

Sports Editor Mike Smith’s bracket might not look so good this week, but he still has hope for this year’s NCAA Tournament. Photo courtesy sports.yahoo.com

should be forced to vacate my position as sports editor at the Review. But, regardless of my picks, I still have a vested inter-

est in the outcome of this tournament.

Well, at least until the Hurricanes win on Thursday.

Then it’s on to baseball season.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

CLassifiEDs from page 12

REAl EStAtE AuCtIONS

To CoVER loCal spoRTs, you nEEd a

LIVE MIKE! Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary Follow Mike Smith @harrisonreview for Mike’s live, in-game action updates

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lEGAl NOtICES Notice of Formation of Fletcher Thompson Building Group LLC. Arts of Org. filed with DE Secretary of State (SSDE) on 1/11/16. Office location: Westchester County. SSDE is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSDE or SSNY shall mail process to: C/O DelBello, Donnellan, Weingarten, Wise & Wiederkehr, One North Lexington Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601.

Purpose: any lawful activity.

FP Werke, LLC FP Werke LLC filed with the SSNY on 02/12/16. Office: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 679 Ely Avenue Pelham Manor, NY 10803. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

PUBLIC NOTICE — Private/Parochial School Transportation The Harrison Central School District is accepting applications for Private & Parochial School Transportation for the 2016-2017 school year from all eligible residents. Applications may be obtained at the Transportation Office, Harrison Central School District, 50 Union Avenue, Harrison, NY 10528, or may be downloaded at http://www.harrisoncsd.org/docs/general/reqfortransp1617.pdf. Completed applications, with all necessary documentation, must be received at the Transportation Office, no later than April 1, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.

Gene George, Purchasing/Transportation Agent. Dated: Monday, February 22, 2016

SPORTS

Month 25, 2016 • thE harrisON rEviEw • 15

Huskies eye opening day

By MiKE sMith Sports Editor After a solid campaign in 2015 that saw them reach the Class A quarterfinals, the Harrison softball team is primed to break out this spring, thanks to a healthy combination of experience and athleticism.

Harrison returns seven starters from last year’s 14-8 team, including Sydney Woolf and Christina DeCarlo, who have a combined nine years of varsity experience.

“The one thing I have this year is that my seniors are very unselfish players, they’re very team oriented,” head coach Dean Marino said. “That’s good with the younger players, practices have been easy, and so far there’s been very little wasted time.”

Marino said one area in which his team will be loaded this year is speed. The Huskies return no shortage of offensive firepower, including seven players who all hit over .300 with at least 60 at bats in 2015, but they will also be able to put runners in motion to capitalize on scoring chances this year. According to the head coach, the Huskies will no longer be a station-to-station team.

“I’ve had to change my thought process a bit because we have about six girls who can run like the devil,” he said. “We have three or four girls who can hit it out of the park, but we’re going to be using a lot of bunt-and-run, hit-andrun, steals and delayed steals to put pressure on opposing teams.”

On the mound, the Huskies will likely rely on sophomore Sydney Briotta, who is coming back from a foot injury and was recently cleared for action, and freshman Tamara Day, whose sister Taylor previously starred for the Huskies.

“I always say I’ve had about eight great ballplayers who came through here and went to play in college, and they all had something about them, a confidence,” the head coach said. “Tamara, I think, has it, too. We just need to find out if she has that mental toughness.”

The Huskies will need to be tough in order to make their way through a challenging regular season schedule. With league foes like Eastchester and Pelham and

nonleague opponents including Clarkstown South, Pearl River and Tappan Zee, Harrison will not lack for competition.

“Our schedule is loaded,” Marino said. “Every team I scheduled was a final-eight team in ei-

ther [class] B, A or AA last year.”

Harrison will open the season on April 4 against Saunders and begin league play on April 12 when they host Byram Hills.

CONtaCt: sports@hometwn.com

2016 Harrison Huskies Softball Schedule

04/04 04/08 04/11 04/12 04/14 04/18 04/20 04/25 04/28 04/30 05/02 05/04 05/05 05/06 05/07 05/09 05/10 05/12 05/14 05/14

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SAUNDERS @PEARL RIVER VALHALLA BYRAM HILLS @BYRAM HILLS ALBERTUS MAGNUS PELHAM WESTLAKE EASTCHESTER @EASTCHESTER HARRISON @RYE @PELHAM @SCARSDALE @TAPPAN ZEE MAMARONECK @PORT CHESTER PORT CHESTER CLARKSTOWN SOUTH NEW ROCHELLE

Christina DeCarlo connects with a pitch in 2015. DeCarlo will be one of Harrison’s offensive weapons this season. Photo/Bobby Begun

From left, Harrison captains Sydney Woolf, Stevie Carpinello, Christina DeCarlo, Adrianna Darcy and Elisa Arcara pose during an indoor practice session on March 18. The five seniors will look to lead Harrison on the field this year. Photo/Mike Smith

16 • the hARRISON RevIew • Month 25, 2016