April 15, 2016

Harrison REVIEW THE

April 15, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 16 | www.harrisonreview.com

Town Council cancels commercial trash pickup

Yet another deal

By ANGELA JORDAN Staff Writer

A revised agreement to hand over the operations of Rye Playland to Standard Amusements is set to slash $26 million in proposed county-funded projects, if approved.

For story, see page 11. File photo

Playhouse Lofts project gets green light A special exception use was granted to Verco Properties, the developer overseeing the Harrison Playhouse Lofts project, at the Harrison Town Council meeting on Thursday, April 7.

The site is located at the longdefunct Harrison Cinema, located at 227-239 Harrison Ave. in the town’s downtown business district, and the proposed development includes the construction of 42 luxury rental units, with 52 parking spaces underneath, in addition to tenant amenities, including community terraces, rooftop terraces and a gym. There will also be a screening room constructed to pay homage to the building’s history as a 1920s era movie theater.

John Verni, attorney for the project and a partner at Verco Properties, said at the town board

meeting that the firm has spent the past 20 months gaining approval from various boards for requirements, including height variances, the authority to create a six-story structure, and special exceptions to make this project a reality.

In addition to the old movie theater, the current site also includes a vacant lot on Purdy Street, which brings $30,000 a year in tax revenue, but according to Verni, once the project is completed, the Playhouse Lofts will create $400,000 in tax revenue for Harrison.

The Playhouse Lofts is not the only development project of its kind in downtown Harrison.

An even larger project, put forth by the AvalonBay Communities—comprised of a mixed-use,

The town board voted on April 7 in favor of a special exception use for the Harrison Playhouse Lofts project. The proposal looks to transform the old movie theater on Harrison Avenue into 42 transitoriented rental units marketed toward empty nesters and young, single professionals. File photo

transit-oriented development on Halstead Avenue that includes 143 apartments, 27,000 square feet of commercial space and 769 parking spaces—is still in its planning stages.

Most recently, a public hearing was held by Harrison’s Planning Board on Feb. 23 regarding the proposed scoping document for AvalonBay’s Draft Environmental Impact statement. “[The Playhouse Lofts project] will jump-start the rebirth of downtown Harrison,” said Verni at the meeting, “and along with the [AvalonBay Communities] project, will make downtown Harrison the new destination in Westchester County.”

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

- Reporting by Angela Jordan

All four Harrison town board members present at the meeting on Thursday, April 7 voted to cancel the commercial garbage and recycling program in Harrison. Councilman Steve Malfitano, a Republican, was absent from the meeting.

Due to what some may perceive as a technicality, certain residents affected by the change will feel the burden. According to the town code, commercial properties in Harrison not only include businesses, churches and schools, but also any residential property that consists of four or more family units.

Harrison House Condominium, located at 70 West St., is one of the complexes set to be affected. The complex’s board of managers sent out a notice to the condominium owners two days prior to the Town Council meeting, encouraging them to attend the meeting and oppose the decision.

Ron Bakay, the board president of the condos, told the town board that the 52 condominium owners who make up the complex pay the town and county taxes as residential owners, and are not actually businesses, despite the “commercial” classification.

“This is not a good situation,” Bakay said. “And it’s going to cost a lot of people in this town a lot of money over time.”

The town’s reasoning behind the cancellation is that it costs too much money for the Department of Public Works to continue picking up trash that exceeds

two 48-gallon pails per unit.

Bakay said that the complex pays the town $2,500 per year to handle four dumpsters of refuse and two recycling dumpsters for the entire complex, and doesn’t think it would be “easier or cheaper” if the complex produced two pails of refuse and one of recycling for each individual unit, which comes to a total of 156 pails.

“It’s a costly program and we just can’t afford to do it anymore more; the trucks, manpower, it’s just too much,” Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, said. “We have to make decisions that are not very popular sometimes.”

Maintaining the program currently costs the town $1 million per year, and the fees only add up to $250,000 per year in revenue, leading to a $750,000 net loss.

Bakay felt as if the other option that was given to the town board by the DPW—to raise the collection fees for commercial pickup—wasn’t considered seriously enough.

“I feel that they all had their minds made up even before the vote,” Bakay said.

Anthony Robinson, the commissioner of public works, has said during previous town board meetings that in order to keep the program going, the DPW would have to implement a rate hike so high that it would exceed the costs incurred by the affected locations for hiring a private carter.

Robinson told the Review that those figures came from estimating the DPW’s new cost of collection, as opposed to the figures

INSIDE Westchester lawmakers target Islamophobia. Story on page 7.

trash continued on page 11

2 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 3

Nonprofits feeling effects of county budget cuts

When drastic cuts were first proposed during the county’s 2016 budget cycle, nonprofits from across the county banded together in order to bring awareness to the issue. The result was a restoration of about 75 percent of the proposed cuts, but the loss in funding is still wreaking havoc on the organizations.

Photo courtesy Nonprofit Westchester

By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Months after the passage of the 2016 Westchester County budget that solidified significant cuts to nonprofit organizations across the county, some organizations—including those that provide crucial public services—are already feeling the pinch.

According to Laura Schwartz, the executive director of April’s Child, an organization that provides social services to abuseprone children and families across the county, her organization has been among the hardest hit.

“We’re feeling the pain right now,” she said. “We’ve lost a lot of money.”

Schwartz said that the recent cuts to her organization have been the largest slash in governmental funding she’s seen in her 23-year tenure at April’s Child, headquartered in White Plains. The entirety of a previous $204,000 social services contract between April’s Child and the county, she explained, has completely disappeared.

The results have been substantial reductions in both the organization’s full-time staff and the breadth of services it’s able to provide to county residents, she said.

According to Schwartz, since the cuts were made, April’s Child has been forced to lay off three of its four full-time staff members. And now, with the executive director being the only full-time staffer, the organization employs three part-time staffers

in their place.

“The impact, financially to the agency, was mitigated by three people losing their jobs,” Schwartz added. “But you’re putting three people on unemployment who maybe can’t afford their rent.”

More importantly, Schwartz said, some of the families that her organization services can no longer receive help as a result of the county’s budget sequestration; even despite restoration of 75 percent of the proposed cuts during last-minute budget deliberations.

Since January, April’s Child has been forced to reduce the number of people in its care by about 90 adults and 170 children, Schwartz said, marking an approximately 50 percent decrease in the overall number of clients it serves.

But April’s Child hasn’t been the only organization feeling an impact.

According to Joanna Straub, the executive director of Nonprofit Westchester, a coalition of nonprofits across Westchester County, others have borne similar burdens.

“I touched base with a couple of the organizations that were affected by the cuts,” Straub told the Review. “All are still in operation, but those who suffered the most serious cuts have completely closed the affected programs, laid off staff and reduced staff hours.”

And while the effect on employees in the nonprofit sector has been great, according to Straub, the larger effects on

communities lacking services in Westchester are of an even greater concern.

Straub said the cuts will eventually have two long-term effects; one being the diminishing financial stability of nonprofits, and the other, she explained, is a bigger burden on the county who will have to provide those services at a higher cost.

According to Schwartz, while it only costs April’s Child $1,400 to keep a child out of foster care, once the same child enters the system—an occurrence which Schwartz fears will happen much more frequently without their services—the child costs the county approximately $110,000 per year.

As for filling the funding gap now that April’s Child has lost their contract, Schwartz said that her organization will be more reliant than ever on fundraising for their operating budget.

“The difficulty is that [now], my primary goal is to serve the families,” she said. “It doesn’t allow me to focus on the things that I need to do like fundraising; the things I need to do to keep the agency running.”

Government funding or not, Schwartz said that her organization has no choice but to continue trying their best to provide the services that their community needs.

“We’re mission-driven,” said Schwartz, adding that the organization has been around for 34 years. “We’re not going to stop now.”

CONTACT: james@hometwn.com

4 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

What’s going on...

Harrison Public Library

at the Halperin building. For grades two to five.

Bring your own mat and water to this mind and body relaxing yoga experience with Harrison resident Angela Brandt, a registered and certified yoga instructor. This is an opportunity to create and build self-esteem, physical coordination, breath relaxation and strength.

Harrison Recreation

Visit harrisonpl.org for more information on events and programs at the Halperin building and the West Harrison branch.

Singalong Sundays with Chloe On Sundays from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Halperin building. Join in and come together as a community to celebrate early childhood through music and movement. In this class you will sing, shake and move. Children and parents are sure to love the captivating songs, live accordion music and activities designed with specific cognitive milestones in mind. This class will feature a variety of childsized instruments and props, and a wealth of both traditional and original songs to add to your singalong repertoire.

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

Pretend play and dress up time On Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the West Harrison branch. For ages 1 to 6. This free dress up playtime allows children to run wild with their imagination to be anywhere and anyone: a cowboy, a princess, a superhero or all three. Come in to the warmth of the library and let the kids play dress up with fun costumes.

Scrap paper flowers On Friday, April 22 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the West Harrison branch. Celebrate Earth Day and save a tree by using up scrap paper to create pretty flowers. For adults and teens. Materials will be provided. Seating is limited. Register online or by calling 948-2092.

Chloe’s Sign & Play On Fridays from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Halperin building. Give your child the gift of language. This is a fun class where families can learn to communicate with their pre-verbal children using American Sign Language. Based on the awardwinning Baby Signing Time series, this class will give parents a window into the hearts and minds of their little ones. Through fun songs, stories and games, parents and children will learn many useful signs for everyday communication.

Yoga with Angela On Friday, April 22 from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

For further information, call the Leo Mintzer Center at 949-5265 or the Sollazzo Center at 670-3179. You may also call the Harrison Recreation Hotline at 670-3039. Most applications are available on harrison-ny.gov.

lege campus, located at 2900 Purchase St. in Purchase. Admission is free and open to the public.

The concert, under the direction of John Cuk, will feature choral works by contemporary composers, music of the Renaissance, a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s greatest choral work, Chichester Psalms and a world premiere performance of “Sleep Now, O Sleep Now” by Jennifer R. Tibbetts. Professor Jeongeun Yom will accompany on the piano.

For further information, please call the Music Department at 323-5260, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Neuberger Museum at Purchase College

Over 30 Men’s Soccer There will be pick-up soccer games at West Harrison Park and Harrison High School from March through November on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and on Sundays at 8 a.m. Please visit eteamz.com/harrisonnymensover30 for more information. A 2016 Harrison ID card is required. Instructor Ray Kraus can be reached at 225-7153.

Spring swim lessons Children in grades K–5 can learn how to swim.

On Mondays and Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., May 9 through May 24 at the Louis M. Klein Middle School in Harrison. Fee is $100 made payable to Town/Village of Harrison (for six, one-hour lessons). Applications will be accepted starting April 1. Class size is limited and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will end once the maximum number for the program is reached.

Lifeguard training course Get certified as a lifeguard and make money this summer. The 24-hour course starts on May 31.

Participants must be at least 15 years old, swim 12 laps continuously (100-yard front crawl, 100yard breast stroke and 100 mixed free style/breast stroke), swim to a depth of 7 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object, and tread water.

Course dates are as follows: May 31, June 1, June 7, June 8, June 14 and June 15 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Louis M. Klein Middle School. Final exam: Thursday, June 16 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the West Harrison Senior Annex. There is also a CPR/first aid class on Sunday June 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Participants must attend all the classes to get certified. The application is online, but will not be accepted until April 18. Class size is limited and enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Manhattanville College

Annual Spring Concert The Manhattanville College Chorus and the Women’s Vocal Chamber Ensemble will perform their annual Spring Concert on Sunday, April 24 at 4 p.m. in the Berman Center Theater on the col-

The Neuberger Museum is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase. For information on events, programs, exhibitions and opening hours, visit neuberger.org or call 251-6100.

Earth Day symposium SUNY Purchase College will hold a daylong symposium about water and class struggle. In acknowledgement of Earth Day, the symposium will take place on Friday, April 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Neuberger Museum of Art Study. This event is open to the public and admission is free.

Ruth Wilson Gilmore, professor of geography at

the City University of New York Graduate Center and Purchase College’s Inaugural Eugene Grant Distinguished Scholar, will moderate. The symposium will feature speakers from a wide range of disciplines who will discuss their research or art as it relates to water and class struggle. These discussions below will be followed by a summary and wrap up by Wilson Gilmore, who will also moderate an open discussion.

Maria Luisa Mendonca, professor of International Relations Department of University of Rio de Janeiro and the director of Network for Social Justice and Human Rights, will discuss “Water/ Land Grabbing and the Global Economic Crises” from 10 a.m. to 10:35 a.m.

Françoise Vergés, a journalist and author, will discuss “Vulnerability, Race, Gender, Climate and Movement” from 10:35 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.

Renée Green, an internationally recognized artist, writer and filmmaker and professor of art, culture and technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will discuss “Endless Dreams and Water Between” from 11:05 a.m. to 11:35 a.m.

Malini Ranganathan, a critical geographer at the School of International Service at American University in Washington, District of Columbia, whose research focuses on water and land governance in India, will discuss “Cities and Water in the Global South and Beyond” from 11:35 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

The Eugene Grant Distinguished Scholar is made possible through the generosity of Eugene and Emily Grant.

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.

New to the Review Corey Stockton has joined the Review as its latest staff writer. Stockton is a graduate of the University at Albany, where received a B.A. in English in 2013. As a freelance reporter, he produced articles for the Albany Times Union. After living

Corey Stockton

in Albany for six years, he returned to his hometown of Yorktown, New York, where he currently lives.

Stockton spends his free time practicing, teaching and blogging about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He can be reached at 653-1000 ext.

16, or by email at corey@hometwn.com.

She’s not crazy, her name just rhymes with it. Read Lenore Skenazy’s column every week in the Review.

A past contributor to the Daily News and the New York Sun, Skenazy has also appeared on “The Daily Show,” been profiled in the New Yorker and even had her own reality TV show, “World’s Worst Mom.”

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 5

6 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

Harrison REVIEW

THE

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Author spreads inspiration to Rye students

By SARAH VARNEY Education Reporter A missing garter snake, 40 baby gerbils, an invisible boy and a snoop with a bossy neighbor are just a few things that have inspired author David Adler’s books for children and young adults over the years.

During an appearance at Osborn Elementary School on March 31, Adler kept an auditorium filled with squirmy kids intrigued by the subject of inspiration and its origins. Adler’s point: pay attention and you can find an idea for a story in everyday life.

He illustrated his point by plucking a handful of Osborn students from the audience. He pointed to one third-grade girl wearing a headband with a large sparkly pompom on top.

“I’m looking at you and I keep asking myself whether it’s

David Adler started on the book that became “We Remember the Holocaust,” published in 1989, after he and his son couldn’t find any books about the tragedy in a library. He conducted 50 interviews with survivors to bring the book alive.

Fifth-grader Daniel Damascus was not too keen on appearing on stage with author David Adler. Adler said to him, “I can read your mind. I know exactly what you’re thinking right now. You’re thinking, ‘When is he going to let me go back to my seat?.’” Photo courtesy Sarah Derman

alive or not,” Adler said.

A fifth-grader wearing a shirt with a camouflage pattern was asked if he hoped to disappear in the classroom. “Your shirt gives me an idea. What if you disappeared and you didn’t know it?”

Adler asked.

But it’s not just clothing that can spark an idea. He urged the

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David Adler’s Holocaust-themed book, “The Numbers on My Grandfather’s Arm,” was first published in 1987 and is still in print.

students to use people around them as models for fictional characters. “Change the names though,” Adler said. “The person you’re really writing about will recognize themselves most of the time. You don’t need the name.”

As an example, he illustrated how some of his books have benefited from this approach.

In his 2013 story “It’s a Baby, Russell,” the boy’s strange aunt comes to the house to care for him while his mother is at the hospital having a baby. The aunt is terribly bossy and Russell is pretty unhappy.

Adler based the aunt on a bossy neighbor who had a placard on her front door instructing visitors on the correct way to ring the bell. After the book was published, Adler presented the neighbor with a copy. “She had no idea it was her,” he laughed.

“She said, ‘This person is awful.’”

Adler, who lives in Queens with his wife of 43 years, Renee, has written nearly 250 books over his career. They range from funny tales like “Benny, Benny Baseball Nut” to serious nonfiction stories, including “The Story of the Holocaust,” and biographies of Joe Louis and Rosa Parks.

Before he became an author,

Adler taught elementary math for nine years. When he and his wife decided to start a family, she wanted to keep working in New York City. In 1977, he took a leave of absence from his teaching job to become a stay-athome dad. That decision upset his parents and horrified people he saw on carriage strolls with his son.

But although he was an anomaly at the playground, his decision to stay at home with his son and write in the evenings paid off. It was during this period that he was inspired to write his Cam Jansen series.

Cam Jansen is a 13-year-old girl detective with a photographic memory and a keen talent for deduction. He reasoned that a series starring the same protagonist—the same heroine meant he didn’t have to invent a fresh character with each story— would make it easier to turn out books while juggling a baby.

Adler noted that the Jansen series opened up a lot of doors for him. After they gained popularity, he became a well-known name to childrens’ book publishers. There are currently 31 books in the series and none of them have ever been out of print.

But writing mysteries became routine after a while, and Adler’s attention was drawn to more serious subjects. He became inspired to write about the Holocaust in a way that children could understand after his son asked questions about it as a first-grader.

“I said, ‘Let’s go to the library and find a book on the subject,’” he recalled. But there weren’t any, so he decided to write one.

His first attempt felt flat because it was filled with numbers rather than stories.

“You can write about 10 million dead or 14 million, but the numbers don’t mean anything,” Adler said. “It wasn’t upsetting enough.”

He brought the book alive with interviews he conducted with approximately 50 survivors. The book, called “We Remember the Holocaust,” is aimed at older students up to high school.

Another book Adler wrote, “The Number on My Grandfather’s Arm,” was inspired by a story his aunt told him about seeing Holocaust survivors on the beach in the summertime. Some of the camp survivors on the beach wore long sleeves despite the heat in order to cover up the tattooed numbers on their arms.

“They shouldn’t be ashamed, it’s the Nazis who should be ashamed,” she told him.

Adler believes that teaching children and young adults about the Holocaust is important.

“I believe that the history of the Holocaust should be taught in cycles,” he said. “You don’t throw it at them all at once.

There was a road of bigotry and prejudice that led to the Holocaust. You have to see where a road like that can lead.”

CONTACT: sarah@hometwn.com

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 7

County considers Islamophobia resolution

By SIBYLLA CHIPAZIWA Editorial Assistant With Islam once again thrust into the spotlight due to the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels and San Bernardino, California, the climate of fear has worsened and discrimination against Muslims has been on the rise nationwide.

This discrimination has spurred members of the Westchester Coalition against Islamophobia, WCAI—a local, grassroots organization consisting of both Muslim and non-Muslim members that focuses on public policy and civil rights—to alert county lawmakers to the hate and rhetoric that Muslims face and urge them to have something in place to ensure not just the safety of followers of Islam, but of all county residents, no matter their background.

WCAI came about in August 2012 in response, among other things, to Pamela Geller and her American Freedom Defense Initiative’s Islamophobic ads that could be seen on Metro-North platforms.

On March 29, the Public Safety and Social Services Committee of the county Board of Legislators discussed a drafted, proposed Islamophobia resolution co-sponsored by county legislators Alfreda Williams, a Greenburgh Democrat, and Ben Boykin, a White Plains Democrat. The meeting, which was jointly held with the county’s Minority Affairs Task Force, heard testimony from WCAI members on the need for such a resolution.

“Ever since 9/11 actually, there have been indications that this is something that needs to be dealt with,” Williams said.

The draft resolution states that threats posed by Islamophobia are threats against the “American values of religious freedom and cultural diversity” in the county and the U.S., and that a commitment to ensuring the safety and civil rights of both Muslim and non-Muslim residents should be reaffirmed. The draft also calls for the Westchester community to stand with Muslim residents against all forms of Islamophobia.

Priscilla Read, president of WCAI, mentioned recent legislation in Syracuse and Albany that stands with Muslim residents against Islamophobia, and that the recent surge in violence against Muslims—though not seen in Westchester—is a deep concern.

One such concern is how Islamophobia could affect Muslim children in the future.

Nada Khaliseh, a mother of three who teaches Islam, spoke of children in her classes telling her stories of being harassed at school. “Telling a kid that he’s a terrorist constantly—because that’s what they hear in the media—is really not pleasant at all and it’s going to affect them somehow,” she said. “I really worry about that…. It may be as a joke, but it does hurt. It does have consequences.”

Dr. Yasser Alsafadi, a board member of the Upper Westchester Muslim Society, based in Thornwood, shared what his community has faced, especially over the last six months. He said that mothers and children are afraid to go out alone, even to go

Members of the Westchester Coalition against Islamophobia have contacted county lawmakers to propose a resolution to combat the discrimination of Muslim residents. Pictured is the Westchester Muslim Center in Mount Vernon, New York. Photo courtesy WestchesterMuslim.org

shopping. Children have been harassed and bullied at school, and many face verbal harassment in public and at work.

“The tragedy is that our community feels unempowered, they feel weak and discouraged… but they don’t report [incidents] to the authorities,” Alsafadi said.

The FBI’s latest hate crime statistics show that during 2014, religious bias made up almost 19 percent of reported crimes, and while anti-Semitism bears the brunt of discrimination at

almost 57 percent, Islamophobia was just over 16 percent.

Alsafadi added that people are still afraid despite knowing how to report hate crimes, especially due to recent comments made by Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. Khaliseh said that the media does not help decrease Islamophobia, either.

Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat and member of the Public Safety and Social Services Committee,

said the discourse on Islam has been “disappointing, to say the least.”

“We need to fight for this,” he said. “This is not something that comes easy… and perhaps that when it’s tougher, it’s more valuable.”

Ned McCormack, communications director for the county executive’s office, said that the administration cannot comment on the resolution until it’s been finalized.

CONTACT: sibylla@hometwn.com

8 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

Police promotions and recycling pavements HARRISON HAPPENINGS Mayor Ron Belmont

With the spring season finally here, we move into one of the busiest times of the year.

The warmer weather signals the start of communitywide efforts to improve our town. Led by our dedicated town personnel, volunteers recently rolled up their sleeves and got to work during this year’s Spring Spruce Up Day. Thank you to all our volunteers for eliminating debris at Union Avenue’s five corners, Veteran’s Park, West Harrison Village Green, the Park Avenue brook, and the vicinity around Barnes Lane.

Judging by the number of volunteers for this year’s event, it is easy to see that Harrison is committed to a vision in which every neighborhood is a clean, green, beautiful place to live. Residents expect the town board to do what is required to ensure that this objective is achieved. This goal can be reached only through cooperation and teamwork and I am asking that each member of our community do their part in removing debris and discarded items from their property in accordance with Harrison’s municipal code.

You can find the entire town/ village code at harrison-ny.gov.

I encourage everyone to comply

in an effort to preserve the appearance of our neighborhoods.

I hope you will all work with me to keep Harrison looking its best.

I am happy to report that four members of the Harrison Police Department recently received promotions. The swearing in ceremony took place in Town Hall on Friday, April 8 and was attended by fellow officers, family members, town personnel and members of the greater Harrison community. Congratulations to newly appointed Lt. Edward Detlefs, Detective Antony Salov, and Sgts. Robert Carlucci and Vincent Lanzilotti. I am completely confident that they will carry out their duties in a professional manner and will continue to be an asset to the town/village of Harrison.

Municipal agencies in our region have been learning about how they can recycle their existing pavements without having to add an overlay to the process.

Hot in-place asphalt pavement recycling, HIR, is a method of applying heat to an asphalt pavement, blending the upper layer of the old pavement with additional materials, and then compacting the blended materials back into place. This technique is less costly and, by using this new HIR process, municipalities can substantially reduce their carbon footprint compared to traditional mill and overlay.

The town/village of Harrison will incorporate HIR into its

2016 resurfacing program starting Monday, April 18, weather permitting. I look forward to utilizing this revolutionary advancement and am confident that our infrastructure will benefit from its application.

Once again, congratulations are in order for Keio Academy and this year’s magnificent Cherry Blossom Reception. It was an honor to attend this lovely event.

The school’s talented students provided guests with wonderful entertainment. I would like to recognize Keio Academy and their long-standing presence in Harrison. In addition to being a school of excellence, the Keio community brings Japanese tradition and culture to Harrison and I appreciate all their contributions.

In closing, on Saturday, April 16, friends and family will be honoring former Harrison High School football coach, Art Troilo Jr. Troilo is one of the most successful coaches in the history of Section I and New York state athletics. The celebration will take place from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Halstead’s Bar and Grill. All are welcome and cash is accepted at the door.

The next “Lunch with the Mayor” is on Friday, April 15th and I will be at Great Wall, located at 25 Taylor Square in West 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.

What a wonderful girl Malee is! She is about a year old, around 38 pounds and loves all people and dogs alike. She’s very playful and loves to run and romp in the dog park. Although she is extremely energetic, she seems to chill when in the house. Malee is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm-tested and microchipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make Malee part of your home?

To learn more, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org.

(Submitted)

Westchester Verizon workers start strike

President of the Communications Workers of America Kevin Sheil addresses Verizon employees on Wednesday, April 13, in White Plains.

As the sun rose on the morning of Wednesday, April 13, approximately 600 Westchester County Verizon workers began to strike.

Members of the the Communications Workers of America, CWA, took to Main Street in downtown White Plains to publicly protest their displeasure with the lack of a new labor contract.

Every worker from the county was expected in attendance.

Negotiations with Verizon began in June 2015, and the union workers’ contract expired on Aug. 1 of that same year.

After negotiating for 10 months, nearly 40,000 workers from Massachusetts to Virginia were expected to strike in unison.

According to union representatives, the work stoppage was also expected to be largest in the country in recent years.

“We’re standing up for working families and standing up to Verizon’s corporate greed,” said Dennis Trainor, CWA District 1 vice president. “If a hugely profitable corporation like Verizon can destroy the good family supporting jobs of highly skilled workers, then no worker in America will be safe from this corporate race to the bottom.”

-Reporting by Christian Falcone

Several hundred Verizon workers display their frustration over the lack of a new union contract.

Photos/Bobby Begun

Verizon workers on strike carry signs that say “Build Up FiOS, Not Executive Pay.”

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 9

legal notices NOTICE OF ANNUAL PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING, ELECTION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND VOTE ON BUDGET OF HARRISON CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT HARRISON, NEW YORK NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Public Hearing on the Budget of the qualified voters of the Harrison Central School District, Harrison, New York, will be held at the Louis M. Klein Middle School on May 4, 2016 at 7:15 P.M. for the purpose of presenting the Budget for the 2016-17 school year.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the money which will be required for the ensuing school year for school purposes may be obtained by any taxpayer in the District during the fourteen days immediately preceding the Annual School District Meeting, May 17, 2016, except Saturday, Sunday or Holiday, at each of the following schoolhouses in which school is maintained during the hours designated, and at any public or free association library in the District, and on the District website.

Harrison High School - 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Louis M. Klein Middle School - 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Elementary Schools - 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.: Harrison Avenue School, Parsons Memorial School, Purchase School & Samuel J. Preston School Office of the District Clerk - 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Real Property Tax Exemption Report prepared in accordance with Section 495 of the Real Property Tax Law will be annexed to any tentative/preliminary budget as well as the final adopted budget of which it will form a part, and shall be posted on District bulletin board(s) maintained for public notices, as well as on the District’s website.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual School District Meeting of the inhabitants of the Harrison Central School District, Harrison, NY, qualified to vote at School District Meetings and/or Elections of said District will be held at the places hereafter set forth on May 17, 2016 between the hours of 7:00 A.M and 9:00 P.M., prevailing time, for the purpose of voting on voting machines for the appropriation of necessary funds to meet the necessary expenditures for the school year 2016-2017, on all propositions duly filed with the Board of Education, and to fill two (2) vacancies on the Board of Education. The qualified voters will fill the following vacancies: • The office of Rachel Estroff, a member of the Board of Education, which term expires on June 30, 2016, for a new term commencing July 1, 2016 and expiring on June 30, 2019.

• The office of Abby Mendelsohn, a member of the Board of Education, which term expires on June 30, 2016, for a new term commencing July 1, 2016 and expiring on June 30, 2019.

Each vacancy shall be considered a separate and specific office and a separate petition is required to nominate a candidate for each office. The petition shall be directed to the District Clerk, shall be signed by at least 36 qualified voters of the District, shall state the residence address of each signer, the name and residence address of the candidate, and shall describe the specific vacancy on the Board of Education for which the candidate is nominated which description shall include at least the length of the term of office and the name of the last incumbent, if any. Forms complying with these requirements may be obtained from the Office of the District Clerk, 50 Union Avenue, Harrison, NY between the hours of 8:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., prevailing time, Monday through Friday. Petitions are due not later than on April 18, 2016 at 5:00 P.M. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that applications for Absentee Ballots may be obtained at the Office of the District Clerk, 50 Union Avenue, Harrison, New York. Written requests for absentee ballots must be made at least 7 days and not more than 30 days prior to the Annual School District Meeting, May 17, 2016. If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than 3:45 P.M. (Prevailing Time) on May 10, 2016. If the Ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than 3:45 P.M. (Prevailing Time) on May 16, 2016. No absentee ballot shall be counted unless it shall have been received by the District Clerk not later than 5:00 P.M. on May 17, 2016.

A list of all persons to whom Absentee Ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District at the Office of the District Clerk, on each of the five days prior to the day of the election, except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, between the hours of 8:30 A.M. (Prevailing Time) and 3:30 P.M. (Prevailing Time). Any qualified voter may file a written challenge of the qualification of a voter whose name appears on such list, stating the reasons for the challenge.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that for the purposes of voting, the School District has been divided into four (4) election districts and that an accurate description of the boundaries of these school election districts is on file and may be inspected at the Office of the District Clerk on weekdays when school is in session, during regular work hours, 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., at the Administrative Offices, 50 Union Avenue, Harrison, NY. NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the 2016 School District Election and Budget Vote will be held at the following polling places in the School Election Districts hereinafter set forth: Election District A: At the Harrison Avenue School in Harrison, New York. Said Election District A comprises a portion of the area formerly constituting the area of Union Free School District No. 6 of the Town of Harrison, Westchester County, New York, which encompasses the area designated as the boundary line for attendance at Harrison Avenue School.

Election District B - at the Samuel J. Preston School in West Harrison, New York. Said Election District B comprises the area formerly constituting the area of Union Free School District No. 7 of the Town of Harrison, Westchester County, New York, which encompasses the area designated as the boundary line for attendance at Samuel J. Preston School.

Election District C - at the Purchase Elementary School on Purchase Street, in Purchase, New York. Said Election District C comprises the area formerly constituting the areas of Union Free School District No. 2 of the Town of Harrison and Rye, Westchester County, New York, and Common School District No. 5 of the Towns of Harrison and North Castle, Westchester County, New York, which encompasses the area designated as the boundary line for attendance at Purchase Elementary School.

Election District D - at the Parsons Memorial School in Harrison, New York. Said Election District D comprises a portion of the area formerly constituting the area of Union Free School District No. 6 of the Town of Harrison, Westchester County, New York, which encompasses the area designated as the boundary line for attendance at the Parsons Memorial School.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to Education Law, Section 2035, Subdivision 2, the Board of Education has adopted a rule with respect to the submission of questions or propositions to be voted upon by voting machines at school district meetings or elections requiring any petition or request from qualified voters for the submission of questions or propositions to be voted upon at any such meeting or election, and reserving to the Board of Education the right to edit such questions or propositions without changing the substance thereof for the purpose of preparing ballots for voting machines.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that although voting machines will be used to record the votes on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, there will be no registration of voters in advance of said meeting. Accordingly, all persons shall be entitled to vote as aforesaid who present themselves at the polls, who are not challenged while in the polling place, and who execute a statement, to be provided by the Board of Education, indicating that they possess the following qualifications: 1. A citizen of the United States; 2. Eighteen years of age; and 3. A resident of the district for a period of 30 days next preceding May 17, 2016.

Pursuant to Education Law Section 2018-c, all new persons offering to vote at any school district meeting or election for which registration is not required, shall provide one form of proof of residency. Acceptable proof of residency shall be a driver’s license, a non-driver identification card, a utility bill, or a voter registration card.

By order of the Board of Education, Harrison Central School District.

Dated: April 1, 2016 Harrison, New York Christine Beitler, District Clerk

10 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

Most school testing opt-out rates remain flat Changes in the rate of students refusing to take the 2016 New York State Education Depart-

ment yearly English Language Arts, ELA/Math exams were minimal, with the exceptions of

Bronxville and Harrison school districts. In Bronxville, the opt-out rate from 2015 to 2016

increased from 1.0 percent to 4.1 percent, and in Harrison, the rate decreased from 19 percent to 16.3 percent. Rye Neck results present something of an outlier.

With just over 700 students,

this year’s opt-out rate for ELA is approximately 32 percent. In 2015, it was 26 percent for both tests. Over the past two years, the Common Core state-mandated ELA and Math tests have

raised the ire of some parents, leading some to opt their children out of participating. These parents say the tests are too arduous for younger students.

-Reporting by Sarah Varney

ELA/Math Test Opt-Out Numbers SCHOOL DISTRICT

NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS GRADES 3-5

OPT OUTS

NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS GRADES 6-8

OPT-OUTS

2016 OPT-OUTS

2015 OPT-OUTS

Harrison

813

107

783

154

16.3%

19.0%

Bronxville

383

97

393

24

4.1%

1.0%

Eastchester

728

76

768

169

16.3%

17.0%

Rye City

799

59

814

86

8.9%

7.0%

Tuckahoe

283

51

289

81

23.0%

N/A%

Rye Neck

407

*109

350

*135

*32.0%

26.0%

* ELA FIGURES ONLY

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 11

County to cover $32M in new Playland deal

trash from page 1

A newly revised agreement meant to transfer control of Rye Playland to the management company Standard Amusements slashes $26 million in costly projects to a number of the park’s ailing structures. The discounted deal, however, continues to draw flak from county legislators and residents alike. File photo

By JAMES PERO Staff Writer Despite a $26 million slash to proposed county-funded capital projects, a new revised agreement forking over operations of Rye Playland to the management company Standard Amusements is still warranting concerns.

The new agreement, which was announced on Friday, April 8, calls for $32 million in capital renovations to the park; a cost to be footed by the county. This new total marks a significant departure from the previously proposed $58 million total.

According to Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, the new agreement still puts a huge burden on county taxpayers.

“The annual debt service for that $32 million worth of capital will cost the taxpayers $2.6 million annually,” Parker said.

“I find that very, very troubling.”

With the terms of the new agreement, Parker said that Standard Amusements would also invest $5 million into the park before the start of the 2017 season and an additional $27 million after 50 percent of the county’s capital project money has been expended.

Compared to the previous agreement, Standard’s matching $32 million investment would be an increase of $2 million over their previously planned investment. In February, Standard had already committed to increasing its investment from $25 million to $30 million.

This latest agreement also proposes significant cuts to a number of costly projects previously agreed to, including multimillion dollar decreases to renovations for the park’s colonnades

and the park’s parking lot. “[The agreement] shows a joint commitment between the county and Standard Amusement to invest in the future of Playland,” said Ned McCormack, spokesman for County Executive Rob Astorino’s administration. “We are in the final stages of approving a contract that will save Playland.”

Even so, Parker, whose legislative district covers the countyowned amusement park in Rye, said the agreement is failing to accomplish the objectives that a public-private partnership is meant to accomplish.

“We entered into the idea of a public-private partnership to do two things: to reduce the burden on taxpayers [and] to revitalize the park,” she said, adding that the former is far from being accomplished.

As evidenced by a recent petition on change.org decrying the efficacy of the recent deal, some residents around the county also share similar sentiments with Parker. The petition, which was launched on Thursday, April 7, has already surpassed 1,106 signatures, as of press time.

Deidre Curran, the petition’s author, said that it was meant to underscore what she—and others in the surrounding communities—feel is a raw deal for taxpayers.

“We’re going to pour money into this park and then hand all the money over to a private hedge fund,” Curran said. “It’s ludicrous.”

Curran would rather opt to keep the park under county control and launch a large-scale fundraiser meant to gather the money necessary to provide critical renovations.

“At this point, what we need

to do is develop a plan that involves bonding out the money and start fundraising for the park,” she said, adding that the park’s historic appeal would help.

“If you set up a restoration fund drive and you marketed it, people would throw money at you.”

Among the problems with current proposal, Curran said that profit sharing—or in her opinion, a lack thereof—was among some of the most concerning. “[Standard is] going to keep 90 percent of the profit,” she said. “I don’t know how Astorino can spin this as a good idea for taxpayers.”

County Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat, who has been a vocal critic of the deal with Standard, echoed similar concerns over profit sharing.

“The best agreement would be one that says, ‘If we’re going to be partners in this deal… then we should be getting more than 10 percent,’” he said.

Currently, before the amended agreement goes before the county Board of Legislators for a vote, it will first go through a public hearing where residents can provide their input.

Although the deadline for the legislative body to finalize its review of the plan and sign off on the agreement was recently extended to April 29, the administration said a vote is currently scheduled for May 2. But Parker said she’s doubtful that the vote will happen by the expected date due to scheduling conflicts amongst legislators.

A public hearing on the amended agreement is expected to take place on Wednesday, April 20.

CONTACT: james@hometwn.com

Harrison House Condominium and any other Harrison residences that exceed four or more family units are considered commercial properties by the town code and will therefore be affected by the town board’s decision to cancel commercial trash pickup. File photo

provided by private carting companies.

He said pinpointing specific dollar amounts is difficult because it would depend on the specific private carter chosen by the consumer, and how much trash the specific business or location creates on a regular basis.

“A large restaurant would likely pay higher costs than say, a small deli or stationary store,

so it’s hard to say [how high their rate would be],” Robinson said.

However, Robinson added that the costs of a municipality collecting trash is “substantially higher” than the costs of a private sanitation business, which was taken into account during this decision making process.

Bakay said now that the town’s decision is final, and commercial trash pickup will

end after July 1, their condo manager is looking into multiple private carting services to find the best offer they can get.

“Now we’re going to have to raise common charges, which we try our best to keep as low as possible,” Bakay said. “We have several fixed income owners and I don’t think this is fair.”

CONTACT: angela@hometwn.com

12 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

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April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 13

All school and no play makes Jack a dull boy Westchester Children’s Museum officially opens RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy

In ancient times—say, the 1950s,‘60s, or ‘70s or maybe even the ‘80s—children were expected to waste a good deal of their time. They’d spend hours riding their bikes to nowhere, making up basketball moves, drawing with chalk or reading comic books.

Their parents didn’t worry that this meant they were going to end up drug addicts, or at least at a second-tier college. In fact, parents were generally eager to shoo the kids out of the house.

But that was before something began taking over all waking hours of the day: School.

When we think about how different childhood is today— structured, supervised, stressful—we tend to blame helicopter parents, or the culture of fear that has made stepping outside without mom or dad into an activity mentally accompanied by scary organ music. After all, every parent’s worst nightmare could be just around the corner!

But Peter Gray, the author of the basic psychology textbook used in colleges across the country (including Harvard), says that while “increased fears from the media” are partly to blame for this new, constricted childhood, there’s another force at play—or not at play, rather. “Part of it that we don’t give enough weight to is the increasing amount of influence of schooling.”

Think about how school dominates the lives of kids today.

When Gray, now a white-haired professor, was growing up, the school year was five weeks

shorter. I remember that, too— a three-month summer vacation.

Bliss! No one was freaking out about kids forgetting the lessons they left behind in May. Summer was seen as a charger kids needed, not a drain.

As for what happened during the school year itself, there was little to no homework in the lower grades, unless the kids had to do something like gathering leaves for a project. No nightly homework sheets or reading log, the bane of my existence as a mom. (Forcing your kids to read a certain amount each day turns out to be the perfect way to make them hate reading. Try it!)

Gray, who was at Clemson University last week to give a talk at the Rebooting Play Conference, as was I, says that those logs are just one hint of how parents are now supposed to continue the school day at home. They are expected to review their kids’ homework and, often, to sign it.

They’re also expected to volunteer at the school, as reading buddies or running the book sale. It’s as if, for the whole family, school has become the biggest force in their lives, inescapable from morning until night. Parents are told that this is how it has to be if they want their kids to succeed.

Once parents are taught to be “school partners,” says Gray, “all of society develops the view that children grow best when carefully monitored and guided.

And it used to be children grow themselves.”

This is not to say that kids learn algebra by climbing trees.

But they do learn how to gauge risk and handle fear. Playing a game of catch, even against a wall, they learn how to do something over and over to get it right.

(Think how much easier it is to learn that lesson on the playground than in the classroom.)

Playing with friends, they learn how to control their impulses, share, throw it a little easier to the youngest kid—a trait also known as empathy—all the arts of being human.

These activities don’t stunt intellectual development, they make young minds curious and creative.

In an essay called “Be Glad of Our Failure to Catch Up with China in Education,” Gray compares our education system to China’s, where grammar school kids spend nearly 10 hours a day studying, and by high school they face a 12-and-a-half-hour school day.

Kids are forced to endure this “for one and only one reason, to get a high score on the gaokao, the national examination that is the sole criterion for admitting students to college,” writes Gray.

What happens to those highscoring winners? “A common term used in China now to refer to the general results of their educational system is gaofen dineng, which means, literally, high scores, but low ability. Because students spend nearly all of their time studying, they have little chance to do anything else,” like develop interests, physical stamina or social skills. That’s a “success” America would do well to avoid.

To raise the kind of engaged and eager kids who grow into entrepreneurs and simply happy citizens, we need to stop school from seeping into every hour and activity of the day. Fooling around turns out to be the best schooling around.

CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com

The Westchester Children’s Museum officially opened on April 13. The space is now 6,500 square feet large, following the first phase of the museum’s construction plan to enable it to be open year-round.

Contributed photo

The Westchester Children’s Museum, WCM, recently completed Phase I of its construction plan, which expanded the exhibit and program space from 4,000 square feet to 6,500 square feet. This expansion included additional exhibit and program space, new family restrooms and upgraded heating and ventilation systems that will enable the museum to stay open yearround and be a fully operational facility.

Prior to this phase of construction, the museum offered a preview of its new exhibit space in its Boardwalk Galleries only during the spring and summer months of 2014 and 2015, receiving almost 18,000 visitors over those two summers. Now that the museum has been transformed into a fulltime, fully operational museum, it expects its annual visitation number to be approximately 30,000 this year and annual growth each year after, as exhibit space is expanded. The museum’s visitors have hailed from throughout the greater Westchester/Fairfield region as well families visiting from throughout the U.S., Canada and beyond.

“The significance of this moment in the museum’s long trajectory cannot be understated,” said Tracy R. Kay, executive director of the Westchester Children’s Museum. “In order to get to this point, we must acknowledge the critical and longstanding support of our board of directors, our growing community of donors in the private, public and corporate sectors, the schools and community centers that recognize the need for the valuable out of school enrichment this museum provides, and our partner—the county of

Westchester. We look forward to further growing and serving the children and families of this region for generations to come.”

The official WCM opening was April 13, a day after the museum will host its “Doors Open” celebration honoring longtime supporters Lisina Hoch and the Laager family.

The WCM experience will now include: • KEVA Planks Construction and Design Zone • Build Your Own Roller Coaster in the Con Edison Energy Gallery • The Toddler Zone in the Curry Automotive Gallery • Take and Leave Library, sponsored by the Make a Difference with Loukoumi Foundation • Two Makerspaces exploring science, technology, engineering, art, design and mathematics • Wind Tunnel • Shadow and Light Play • Multipurpose Activity and Birthday Party Room • Four new family restrooms Hours of operation are 10 am to 4 pm on Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission costs $7 per person, $6 for seniors, and free for children under 1 year old, members, and households with active duty military personnel.

Founded in 2003, the creation of the Westchester Children’s Museum has been a true grassroots initiative by individuals, businesses and public officials who came together with a goal of providing enriching educational experiences for children, particularly for those in underserved communities. They sought a site that would be accessible to the broadest range

of audiences by public transportation and major roadways, coupled with ample space for vibrant programming.

The North Bathhouse at Rye Playland, out of use for more than 50 years, was identified as a site that met these requirements and offered an opportunity for architectural renewal and adaptive reuse in a location that lent itself to environmental awareness on the shores of the Long Island Sound.

Eventually, the museum will occupy the building’s full 22,000 square feet. In addition to on-site exhibits and activities, museum educators provide interactive science, art and cultural programming to children across Westchester County through the Museum Without Walls educational outreach program. WCM now works with more than 50 community organizations and has administered nearly 300 programs per year since the program’s 2010 inception.

WCM is in the midst of a $6.4 million capital campaign to complete construction and exhibit design and installation for the entire 22,000 square feet of the Bathhouses. The next phases in the museum’s development will include construction of a performance theater, water play exhibits, and a one-of-a-kind climbing structure that will wind its way through the length of the museum space and up into the clerestories above. The museum will continue to build out new exhibit and program space, as funds are available.

For further information about the Westchester Children’s Museum and its education programs, visit discoverWCM.org.

(Submitted)

14 • The The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016

SPORTS

Ready for the playoff push It’s the same reason that, in each successive round of the LIVE MIKE 2016 March Madness tournaMike Smith ment, I fully expected my Villanova Wildcats to come crashWith the New York Rangers ing back down to earth. I mean, gearing up for the first round of I didn’t truly think they had a the Stanley Cup Playoffs this chance to win a national title week, I have to say, I’m not real until I saw Daniel Ochefu cutconfident about the Blue Shirts’ ting down the net after a thrillchances. But this feeling proba- ing win over UNC in the finals. bly has more to do with me than I’ve had friends tell me that it does with the Rangers. When my unrelenting pessimism is a it comes to sports fandom, I’ve chore to deal with. Several of always found that my natu- my buddies who are also Red ral pessimism comes in handy Sox fans have compared watchwhen the playoffs roll around. ing a Boston playoff game with Maybe it stems from growing me to having a root canal, and up as a Red Sox fan. That was a honestly, I can’t blame them. team that, until 2004, was built But while I often look at upon decades of futility, near- this mindset as somewhat of a misses and disappointment. defense mechanism, when it That woe-is-me feeling was so comes to the Rangers this year, I pervasive that even after the Red think my assessment is spot-on.

Sox won it all in 2004—and Sure, the Rangers won 46 then again in 2007 and 2013—I games this year, and finished still enter each season with the with 101 points—good enough belief that they will somehow for fourth in the Eastern Conferfind a way to dash my hopes. ence. But nothing, and I mean

nothing about this team gives me any confidence that they will be hoisting the Stanley Cup come June.

The shot-blocking and defensive pressure that had characterized the Rangers in the John Tortorella era and carried over into the early Alain Vigneault years now seems to be a thing of the past, as New York’s stalwarts like Dan Girardi seem to be breaking down before our eyes, something that can probably be attributed to the wear and tear of several years’ worth of deep playoff pushes.

Captain Ryan McDonagh, battling a hand injury, may not play early in the upcoming series against the Penguins, and netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who has been the catalyst of the Rangers’ success over the last decade or so, is starting to show his age and has looked downright human at times this year.

That’s not even taking the

Sports Editor Mike Smith, second from right, takes in a Rangers-Penguins game at Madison Square Garden in 2014. On April 13, after press time, New York and Pittsburgh will square off again in the playoffs. Contributed Photo

Rangers first-round foes, the Penguins, into consideration.

They’ll have the best skater on the ice in Sidney Crosby, and having won 14 of their last 16 games, they come into the playoffs as the hottest team in either conference.

So why should I fool myself into thinking this Rang-

ers team has a chance? Even if they somehow get past the Penguins, the specter of the Capitals—probably the best team in the entire NHL—looms large in the second round.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop rooting. When the Blue Shirts take the ice on April 13, after press time, I’ll throw on

my Jeff Beukeboom sweater, dust off my Rangers cap and scream at the television until I lose my voice.

My pessimism worked for Villanova—who’s to say it won’t work again?

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SPORTS

April 15, 2016 • The HARRISON review • 15

Gonzalez improves to 2-0

By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor On Saturday, April 9, local fighter Natalie Gonzalez took another step toward boxing stardom with a one-sided unanimous decision win over Rachel Sazoff at Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, New York. Although her pro career is just two fights old, the undefeated Gonzalez seems poised for big things in the women’s 105-pound division.

Gonzalez (2-0) took control from the opening bell and battered Sazoff, who was making her pro debut, to cruise to her second straight win in the professional ranks. Although the New Rochelle native had little trouble with her opponent on Saturday night, Sazoff did provide something of a different look for Gonzalez, a two-time Golden Gloves Champion.

“After eight years, this is the first southpaw I ever fought,” said Gonzalez after the fight.

“It’s awkward, seeing punches at different angles, but it wasn’t too difficult; we’ve been

Natalie Gonzalez stalks her opponent in her second professional fight.

Natalie Gonzalez, left, connects with a left hand during her April 9 fight. Photos/Mike Smith

working on this for the last two months.”

Ryan O’Leary, who trains Gonzalez at Champs Boxing Club in New Rochelle, said that although his charge was dominant on Saturday night, she is still adjusting to fighting in the

hand; I thought she was going to stop [Sazoff].”

Sazoff came into Saturday’s bout without a boxing match on her resume, but had the experience of six mixed martial arts fights to call upon against Gonzalez.

professional ranks.

“When you see a girl like [Natalie] in the ring for the second time as a pro, you’re not seeing her best yet,” O’Leary said. “But she did some good things, she moved her head, she jabbed, threw the right

Natalie Gonzalez, right, throws a punch against Rachel Sazoff.

Although Gonzalez has been fighting for eight years, Sazoff is the first southpaw she has faced.

“This was her pro debut, but she competes in MMA, and she’s a rugged girl,” O’Leary said of Sazoff. “She had a good chin and she was tough.”

Although Gonzalez’s career is still young—she turned pro on Jan. 29—O’Leary said that the future is bright. While most of the high-profile fighters in the 105-pound division are international stars, Gonzalez currently has her sights set on becoming the top American fighter in the weight class.

“The big fights, they’re going to be in South America or in Asia,” O’Leary said. “But right now, there are maybe 10 Ameri-

can fighters, and we’d like to clean out the division before we move on to bigger fights.”

For Gonzalez, though, the goal is simply to stay focused as she works her way up the rankings. Gonzalez expects to fight again sometime around June, but said that after enjoying her win for a day or two, she’ll be back in the gym this week. “[Going pro] hasn’t really changed anything,” she said.

“I’m still working out Monday to Saturday, maybe I’m just working a little harder now.”

Contact: sports@hometwn.com

New Rochelle’s Natalie Gonzalez has her hand raised after her April 9 fight in Queens, New York. Gonzalez has a 2-0 professional record.

16 • The HARRISON review • April 15, 2016