May 26, 2017

Page 1

REMEMBER and honor

May 26, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 21 | www.harrisonreview.com

ALL ARE WELCOME

Democrats nominate 1 for Town Council

People of all backgrounds with an appreciation for Japanese culture descended on Ma Riis Park to check out the annual Matsuri and to take advantage of the beautiful weather on May 21. For coverage, see page 6. Photo/Sibylla Chipaziwa

REMEMBER and honor

REMEMBER and

ing the Halstead Avenue gun store near Parsons Memorial Elementary School and the recently amended For the first time in at least eight secondhand dealers law which was years, Harrison’s Democratic Com- correlated to the gun shop. But he mittee will not run a full slate of said those were not the only issues Town Council candidates in the in the town which he is concerned upcoming November election. This about. He also highlighted reasonyear, they will run only one candi- able commercial development and May 26, 2017 Vol. 5, Number date for| councilman, Frank 21 Gor-| www.ryecityreview.com government transparency as key don, and instead look across the issues, adding that he planned to aisle to fill out the ticket. bring an outreach program to the The Democrats, failing to put town to react to input from resiforward any other candidates, have dents. gone the cross-endorsement route, “Harrison is beloved by me and choosing to back the candidacies of the vast majority of its residents,” Councilman Richard Dionisio and he said. “But some residents are Mayor/Supervisor Ron Belmont, concerned with the direction that both Republicans, who are up for the town is taking in some of its aphonor re-election this year. proaches.” Frank Corvino, the town DemHowever, that did not stop Democratic Committee chairman, said ocratic Party leaders from cross-enthe overall plan in cross-endorsing dorsing Belmont, Dionisio, Town Republican candidates was to pro- Clerk Jackie Greer, a Republican, mote a bipartisan approach in gov- and recently appointed Judge Danerning the town. “It is understand- iel Angiolillo, a Republican. able that Democrats may not agree Town Council candidates in May 26, 2017 Vol. endorsing 5, Number 21 | of www.mamaroneckreview.com with |cross candidates Harrison run at large, meaning other parties, but I believe that this that Gordon will have to face off action will help to get parts of the against Dionisio as well as incum-

By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer

Rye Brook passes first gun store law in county By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer Six months after a controversially located gun store opened in the town/village of Harrison, Rye Brook has passed a law that restricts how and where a gun store can operate within its municipal borders, becoming the first municipality in Westchester County to do so. On Tuesday, May 23, the village Board of Trustees decided by a 4-1 vote that gun stores in Rye Brook should be kept outside of a 500foot radius of so-called “sensitive areas,” such as schools, nursery centers, playgrounds and religious centers. “It’s certainly appropriate that the village look at our zoning to make sure potential gun shops are located in appropriate locations in the community,” said Chris Bradbury, Rye Brook’s village administrator, following the adoption of the law. The aim to restrict gun stores

THE

from those sensitive areas comes as a reaction to the opening of a gun shop in Harrison, where residents became concerned over the shop’s proximity to an elementary school. L&L Sports on Halstead Avenue opened last November within 1,000 feet of Parsons Memorial Elementary School, prompting residents to challenge why the Harrison Town Council did nothing to regulate the store’s location. An online petition gained 3,500 signatures asking the town to act; but the council has maintained that it has little immediate recourse. Although there are no gun stores in Rye Brook, the village said it proposed and ultimately adopted this law as a proactive measure to have in place in case of a similar situation to the one that has evolved in neighboring Harrison. The law also regulates some practices of a potential gun store, including storage, reporting, inspection, and who can be allowed into the premises. It specifies that

no guns can be displayed in a shop’s windows, and must instead be kept behind a counter; when the store is closed, those weapons must be kept in a fireproof vault. The law also makes it illegal for an owner to admit anyone on the premises who is legally unable to purchase a firearm, including minors and convicted felons. The legislation also gives the village Police Department the authority to May 19 inspect each gun store in the village as frequently as every six months. Rye Brook worked with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a California-based nonprofit organization, in drafting the now adopted law. According to Laura Cutilletta, the legal director for the law center, the center has worked with nine separate communities in New York state to propose local gun ordinances. Representatives from the law center have also worked with residents in Harrison. In March,

Ron Belmont has proven to be an extremely “nice man who helps out the citizens.” – FRANK CORVINO, on Democrats’ decision to cross-endorse Belmont

CityREVIEW NewRochelle

LAW continued on page 8

Democratic agenda implemented,” he said. “Clearly, Democrats can find common ground for putting the town ahead of politics and moving forward.” Gordon, an attorney and certi&fied 26, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number accountant who has lived in the town for six years, told the Review regarding his candidacy as the lone Democrat, “There’s a need for new perspectives in the town government; and after a successful 25 years in business and law, I hope to give something back to my community.” Gordon, 56, has been vocal about the controversy surround-

bent Councilwoman Marlane Amelio, a Republican, with the top two vote-getters claiming victory. Corvino, 28, who took over the party late last year, declined to comment on why the Democrats 15 | www.cityreviewnr.com decided to endorse Dionisio, the vice chairman of the town Republican Party, rather than Amelio, whose father is the chairman of the party, but added, “From what we’ve seen in the short term he’s been councilman, we’ve seen that he shares the same beliefs and views that our party has.” DEMOCRATS continued on page 7

INSIDE Lead found in SUNY Purchase drinking water Story on page 5.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
May 26, 2017 by The Harrison Review - Issuu