Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
November 18, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 47 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Village deer study to take flight Dec. 31 By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Day of
Rememberance After a divisive election year, Veterans Day unites village of Mamaroneck residents and Americans nationwide under a common cause. For coverage, see page 6. Photo/James Pero
Mrs. Green’s shuts down 5 stores citing new strategy By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer Mrs. Green’s Neighborhood Market announced on Nov. 15 that it would be closing multiple stores in New York and Connecticut to shift focus to five of its “core” Westchester stores as part of a new strategy. Amid customer complaints of supply shortages in some of its Westchester locations, the Irvington-based company released plans to close its Rye and Tarrytown stores, as well as two locations in western Connecticut and a location in the West Village in
Manhattan. According to David Kiser, a Mrs. Green’s manager, the Rye location will close its doors on Nov. 18 or Nov. 19, depending on how much inventory is left over following a close-out sale which featured 50 percent off on all items. A spokesperson for the company said that the store’s locations in Tarrytown and Fairfield, Connecticut, launched the same sale, and would also be closed by the end of the week based on the same criteria. The Stamford, Connecticut, and West Village locations were closed
immediately. On Wednesday morning, shoppers perused the almost vacant isles at the Rye store. “It wasn’t my No. 1 store that I visited frequently, but if I ever need milk or fruit, I would try and stop in as often as I could,” said Colleen Scott, a Rye resident who was sifting through the remainder of the store’s sparse merchandise. “It always had nice alternatives, like green home products. It’s definitely sad for the town for sure. I wished it worked out.” In a released statement, Mrs. Green’s said that it planned to
shift attention to its five flagship locations within the county: Eastchester, Yorktown, Briarcliff, Mount Kisco and Larchmont. “While the closure of any location is difficult—especially because our customers and communities have supported us—they are also necessary as we focus on our core, profitable stores,” the company said. In 2014, the company announced plans to expand from 18 locations to 40 by the end of that year, and planned to have 100 stores open within the next GREEN’S continued on page 5
Efforts to accurately assess deer populations in the village of Mamaroneck will take a major step forward as a hired consultant gears up to survey large swaths of village land using a drone. According to Village Manager Richard Slingerland, it has been confirmed that the study will start on Dec. 31, and will survey several areas particularly affected by the presence of deer such as Shore Acres, Orienta, Green Haven and Harbor Heights. The study, Slingerland said, will take approximately three days and will cost $3,220. According to Taffy Williams, the village consultant hired to conduct the survey, the drone will use thermal and visible light imaging to provide the village with a sampling of various locations. These images, Williams— who is a wildlife rehabilitator with the state DEC and an FAA-licensed drone operator—said will be sourced over at least three different excursions that could take as long as three hours each, and will then be analyzed for several weeks after they’re collected. According to Williams, while there are other methods used to track deer, the use of drones will give the village the most accurate picture. “There really is no other way to accurately assess numbers of deer,” she said. “Some people would swear by the pellet method, but it’s been widely discredited.”
A pellet based method of tracking deer—which counts the number of deer pellets within a given area and then extrapolates that data—presents too many variables, according to Williams. “One deer can produce a wealth of pellets,” she said. “Or there could be [an] opposite, if a deer is malnourished, they may put out just a few droppings.” A study to track the deer was spawned in March from an Ad Hoc Deer Committee that was formed by the Board of Trustees in November 2015 after residents complained of an overabundant deer population exacerbating deer-related auto accidents, damage to landscaping, and the potential of contracting Lyme’s disease. After Westchester County rejected pleas from both the city of Rye and the village last year for help culling their deer population, the village will now foot the bill for its own survey. Ideally, Slingerland said, the study will give the village all of the necessary information on how best to deal with its problem. How swiftly the study will be completed, Williams said, will depend on other outside factors such as weather, and how easily the deer are found and monitored. According to Assistant Village Manger Daniel Sarnoff, after the study is completed, the deer committee will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees—who will make the final decision—on how best to handle the population. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
2 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 3
Revenue shortfalls re-spark county budget concerns
With a deadline quickly approaching, revenue shortfalls and skyrocketing health care costs will become the focal points of Westchester lawmakers responsible for approving a county budget for 2017. File photo
By JAMES PERO Staff Writer When Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino presented his countywide budget for 2017 on Nov. 10, he once again put forward a plan that promises to keep taxes flat; something the Republican county executive has done every year since taking office in 2010. Now, approval of the budget falls into the hands of the county’s legislative branch, which is faced with mending a substantial revenue shortfall and taming ballooning health care costs. The operating budget, which will be vetted in tandem with the recently released capital budget over the next month, will cost Westchester taxpayers $1.8 billion—a 0.4 percent spending increase over 2016—and will not raise the county’s tax levy for the seventh consecutive year. “Not increasing taxes is not an abstract slogan,” Astorino said at a press conference to unveil his budget. “It’s real money in the pockets of real people— young people, families, seniors on fixed incomes and entrepreneurs trying to scrape together enough money to start a business or stay in business.” Broad cuts to nonprofits dominated talks during last year’s budget cycle; however, the 2017 budget, as proposed, has shown no reduction to services and nonprofits, or layoffs to county employees. Joanna Straub, executive director of Nonprofit Westchester, a coalition of nonprofits county-
wide, said that while there are currently no proposed cuts, if budgeted revenue were to decrease, nonprofit funding could be among the first funding to be sequestered. Despite the Astorino administration’s commitment to maintaining the same level of services and staff, the county continues to grapple with increasingly stark revenue shortfalls, which it attributes to underperforming sales tax revenues and lower gas and energy prices. The administration has estimated that between sales tax shortfalls and rising health care costs, it will see in total a $30 million revenue shortfall. Such gaps have sparked concern from opponents of the county executive’s over the course of his two terms in office. County Legislator Mary Jane Shimsky, a Hastings-on-Hudson Democrat who also chairs the county Infrastructure Committee, has been a consistent critic of what she has characterized as fiscal irresponsibility on the administration’s behalf. “If you’re predicting revenues in your budget, you need to have a level of certainty that you’re going to obtain those revenues in the near future,” Shimsky said. Among major complaints from lawmakers following the budget’s release was the administration’s inclusion of $15 million in projected revenue from a tenuous agreement between the county and Oaktree Capital regarding management of Westchester Airport. The proposal, which was only
announced on Nov. 3, looks to tap into additional revenue by privatizing the county-owned commercial airport, which sees in excess of 1.75 million passengers annually. Although the administration has lauded the deal as a potential source of $140 million in additional tax revenue over the course of 40 years, lawmakers have approached the plan with caution, criticizing Astorino’s attempt to fast-track its approval by tying a Board of Legislators’ decision to a required Dec. 27 budget deadline, and for not sending out a formal request for proposals. “The Astorino administration negotiated with an airport management vendor behind closed doors, likely to avoid scrutiny for the newest accounting gimmick,” said county Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat who has already announced his plans to run for county executive in 2017. According to Shimsky, the chances of the Board of Legislators signing off on a budget containing the administration’s airport agreement are increasingly slim. “It is extremely, extremely unlikely that we’re going to book those revenues by the [Dec. 27] deadline,” she said, regarding the legislative chamber’s required review of the Astorino budget. Among the major obstacles, Shimsky explained, are a lengthy application timeline regarding COUNTY continued on page 9
4 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
What’s going on... Mamaroneck Public Library
on library hours and programs. The library will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24.
Visit mamaronecklibrary.org for more information on library hours and programs. The library will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24.
Saturday Sahaja Meditation
Do You Need Health Insurance? Make an appointment for a one-on-one information session with a Westchester County health department navigator, who will be in the library’s Tech Room on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives will answer questions about health insurance-related topics, including essential plans, Medicaid, Child Health Plus and health coverage for business owners’ employees. Clients should be prepared with their Social Security numbers, documents for legal immigrants, birth dates, employer and income information and insurance policy numbers. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Westchester County Department of Health at 813-5192. Appointments are available in English and in Spanish.
All ages story and craft hour On Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon in the Children’s Room. No registration required. There will be stories will appeal to all ages of kids and their caregivers, and a craft simple enough for the little kids and creative enough for the big kids.
Larchmont Public Library Visit larchmontlibrary.org for more information
On Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon in the Michael P. Coords Activity Room. No registration required. Imagine being able to awaken your spiritual energy and to experience and enjoy the many benefits of meditation almost immediately. You will feel calmer, more relaxed and better focused every time you meditate.
Cocktails Redux with the Friends On Sunday, Nov. 20 from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Village Center. No registration required. Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m. Steve Reddicliffe, New York Times columnist and author of “The Essential New York Times Book of Cocktails,” will be back with another panel of authors, including Robert Simonson, whose new book, “A Proper Drink,” traces the history of the craft cocktail resurgence, and Waldorf Astoria beverage manager Frank Caiafa, whose new book is called “The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book.” And yes, cocktails will be served—you must be at least 21 years of age.
Savvy Social Security Planning for Women On Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Village Center. Join John Hughes and learn what you—as a woman—need to know to maximize your retirement income. This informative workshop will focus on several issues, including how you can maximize
your Social Security benefits, survivor benefits when your husband or ex-husband dies, and divorced spouse benefits. How to best coordinate your retirement benefits with those of your husband and what to consider when re-marrying will also be covered.
The village is also welcoming runners and interested parties to bring non-perishable food items to the race to benefit the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Food Pantry and provide food assistance to those in need for the upcoming holidays.
Chair Yoga with Vincenza Madonia
The Larchmont Mamaroneck Human Rights Committee
On Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Village Center. No registration required. Join certified yoga instructor, Vincenza Madonia, for these five sessions of chair yoga. Chair yoga consists of arm, leg and head movements, as well as twisting your torso, that are done while seated in a chair. There are also standing movements that use a chair for support. These sessions also include learning breathing exercises that are incorporated into each yoga position. Chair yoga is a terrific way to maintain fitness of your body and mind through very low-impact exercises.
Village of Mamaroneck news Annual Turkey Trot 5K The village of Mamaroneck is happy to announce its 50th annual Turkey Trot 5K (3.1 miles) Fun Run on Sunday, Nov. 20. Registration opens at 8 a.m., but is also available and encouraged online at register. chronotrack.com/r/24040. Registration is $30. The race start is at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Boston Post Road right by Library Lane. Parking and registration is will be in Harbor Island Park. There will also be a 1-mile Gobbler Run for younger children and others who would prefer or whose running abilities match a shorter distance.
Award nominations The Larchmont Mamaroneck Human Rights Committee seeks nominations from our entire Larchmont-Mamaroneck community for the person (or possibly, organization) who has done the most to support the cause of human rights here, exemplifying the values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is a special year for the committee because it’s the 30th year it has celebrated the life and legacy of King with this award. The work of the honoree should be above and beyond the scope of his/her employment, and should be an ongoing model for us all. The presentation of the award will be at the committee’s Jan. 8, 2017 event. Please share your suggestions no later than Wednesday, Nov. 30 for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Contact Elizabeth Saenger at saengereb@aol.com, send your nomination to 702 Hall St., Mamaroneck, or call 698-7569. 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.
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 5 GREEN’S from page 1
Mrs. Green’s Neighborhood Market in Rye will run a 50 percent off sale on what inventory is left before it closes. Four other locations will also close so the company can shift its focus onto its five most profitable Westchester County locations. Photos/Andrew Dapolite
few years. That plan included a store at the Rivertowns Square Shopping Center currently being developed in Dobbs Ferry. Plans for that store have been cancelled.
Also, Mrs. Green’s CEO Pat Brown has resigned as a component of the company’s new direction. John Collins, a spokesman for the company, told the Review that existing manage-
ment has taken over Brown’s responsibilities while the company conducts an internal and external search for a new CEO. CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com
Fox manslaughter case adjourned to Dec. 6 Emma Fox’s Nov. 15 court date was adjourned, and the Rye resident is due to reappear in White Plains City Court on Dec. 6. Fox is being charged with the death of a 21-year-old Manhattanville College student in October. According to Robert Wolf, the deputy communications director for the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, no reason was given for the adjournment. On Oct. 9, Fox struck and killed Robby Schartner, of Fishkill, while he was walking along Westchester Avenue during the early morning hours on his way back to the college after a night out on Mama-
intoxicated at the time of the incident with a blood alcohol content of 0.21; the legal limit in New York state is 0.08. According to police, Fox had been travelling eastbound on Westchester Avenue at about 5 a.m. when she fatally struck Schartner with her car, a 2012 Nissan Sentra. Fox, who had been held at Emma Fox was due to reappear in the Westchester County Jail on White Plains City Court on Nov. $100,000 bail, was released on 15, but the case was adjourned to Dec. 6. Photo courtesy White Nov. 10, according to Justin Plains police Pruyne, the deputy commisroneck Avenue in downtown sioner of the Westchester CounWhite Plains. Fox, 24, has been ty Department of Correction. charged with an aggravated Stephen Lewis, Fox’s attorDWI and first-degree vehicular ney, could not be reached for manslaughter. White Plains po- comment, as of press time. lice reported that Fox had been -Reporting by Franco Fino
6 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
Mamaroneck THE
REVIEW
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Publisher | Howard Sturman ext. 21, publisher@hometwn.com Christian Falcone Associate Publisher | Editor-in-Chief ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com Executive Vice President | Ira Ellenthal ext. 31, irathal@hometwn.com Sports Editor | Mike Smith ext. 22, sports@hometwn.com Assistant Editor | Sibylla Chipaziwa ext. 25, sibylla@hometwn.com Reporter | James Pero ext. 20, james@hometwn.com
Westchester County
distinguishes 3 local
Vietnam NNNvetsNNN
Under azure skies, veterans from American Legion Post 90 received both sunlight and the
spotlight as residents came out in support of servicemen and women across the country.
On Friday, Nov. 11, village of Mamaroneck residents and elected officials from the area
huddled outside of the village courthouse to honor those that have served, both current and former, for the country’s 45th annual Veterans Day. While officials and residents gathered to support all veterans, three in particular— Don DeFalco, Edward Murray and Herb O’Neil—were honored with a special Westchester County award for their service during the Vietnam War. “You have to step up for this, it doesn’t just come,” said American Legion Post 90 Cmdr. William Goodenough before handing out the award to the trio. Looking on were both state
and local elected officials; including village Mayor Norman Rosenblum, town of Mamaroneck Supervisor Nancy Seligson, state Assemblyman Steve Otis and state Sen. George Latimer, who offered up his perspective on why this particular Veterans Day is so important at this time. “We just had an Election Day where people said, our people couldn’t be more divided,” Latimer said. “Thank God Veterans Day comes a couple of days later to remind us we are not just men and women, white and black, Christian and Jewish, and other faiths; we’re Americans.” -Reporting by James Pero
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While the day’s ceremonies thanked veterans nationwide, Mamaroneck servicemen, from left, Don DeFalco, Herb O’Neil, and Edward Murray received special distinction by both village residents and Westchester County for their roles during the Vietnam War. Photos/James Pero
State Sen. George Latimer, a Democrat, offered his thanks to veterans, choosing to highlight the importance of Veterans Day—a uniting cause—following a particularly divisive national election.
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 7
Emelin Theatre holds fundraising gala The Emelin Theatre held its 2016 gala on Thursday, Nov. 3 at the historic Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck. The event’s proceeds help fund the theater’s high quality, diverse and affordable programming. This season’s world-class performers include the iconic Don McLean (“American Pie”), jazz great John Pizzarelli, internationally acclaimed Trisha Brown Dance Company, comedian Robert Klein, Broadway star Billy Porter, and the renowned Alexander String Quartet, among others. More than 250 community members gathered to support the Emelin’s mission slogan of “World Class. Right Here!” to promote a cultural life in Westchester that educates, entertains and invigorates. Attendees enjoyed a glamorous evening filled with gourmet fare and worldclass entertainment featuring Larchmont’s own John Treacy Egan as the show-tune-singing auctioneer, and Tony nominee Megan Hilty, who brought the house down with her sparkling rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
The gala is the largest fundraising event of the year for the Emelin, the longest continuously operating performing arts venue in Westchester. Held just days before the election, the 2016 gala was a sea of red, white and blue as the crowd arrived dressed in their patriotic best. After posing for photo ops, guests were greeted with a glass of champagne and invited into the silent auction room to mix, mingle and make their bids. A tempting assortment of items donated by local businesses and friends of the theater included exciting getaways, golf outings, hard-to-get event tickets, and gourmet wines, the proceeds of which go to supporting the nonprofit. Among those in attendance were state Sen. George Latimer, state Assemblyman Steve Otis, town of Mamaroneck Supervisor Nancy Seligson and village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, in recognition of the Emelin’s long-standing role as a cultural hub and stimulus to the local economy. Patrons of the theater routinely go out
to dinner before a show, shop at local merchants, and support the local economy is many ways. Rosenblum enthusiastically said the Emelin “is an invaluable asset to our village of Mamaroneck. It enhances the quality of life for our residents and our community.” Seligson expressed how gratifying it was to “see such great support for the Emelin Theatre which brings wonderful cultural opportunities and events to our community.” Emelin board President Mark Ettenger took the stage to thank everyone for their support, as well as to share the theater’s plans for the future. Noting the theater’s new state-of-the-art film system had been successfully funded by the previous year’s gala, Ettenger announced, “We are planning to help fill the vacuum left by the unfortunate closures of the Mamaroneck and Larchmont theaters… by adding more popular, independent and family films to again make the movies readily accessible to our community.” Ettenger also spoke of recent mission-related initiatives and
Standing, from left, Emelin board of trustees members Robert Nathan, Russ Julinek, Heidi Helfst, pianist Matt Cusson, singer Megan Hilty, Emelin trustees Mark Ettenger, Arthur Gordon, Frank Soriano and Kerry Stein. Seated, from left, Emelin trustees Barbara Lewis Kaplan, Karen Isaac and Emily Grant. Photo courtesy Emelin Theatre
plans to serve the community. Such initiatives include collaboration with the Community Resource Center to serve the Latino community, At Home On The Sound and its senior citizen constituents, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center, as well as a new plan with a local group to provide a rewarding work environment at the Emelin for cognitively challenged adults interested in the arts. A longtime friend of the Emelin and star of stage and screen, Larchmont resident John Treacy Egan lent his amazing voice,
quick wit and charismatic stage presence to the live auction and paddle raise. Dauntless in his quest for the highest bidder, Egan sang tunes and regaled the audience with tales of his youth spent at the Emelin, all to benefit the theater’s cause. The evening ended on a very high note when the extraordinary Megan Hilty, 2016 Tony nominee for “Noises Off,” star of Broadway’s “Wicked” and the TV series “Smash,” sang some of her favorite songs she’s performed on Broadway, television, and at City Center
(“Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”) and received a standing ovation. The audience took a while to disband, waiting for their chance to speak with the star as she made her way from the stage, reluctant for the evening to end. The Emelin box office is open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday, and two hours before every show, and can be reached at 698-0098. Tickets and information on shows are also available at emelin.org. (Submitted)
8 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
Rye to add public safety commissioner By CHRISTIAN FALCONE Editor-in-Chief Voters in Rye approved an Election Day ballot proposition to create a public safety commissioner position. Doing so will also bring about a new Department of Public Safety in the city, just the third such department in Westchester County. With more than 6,100 ballots cast, the referendum easily passed with 68 percent of the vote. As a result, the city police and fire departments will be transformed into a Department of Public Safety unit with one centralized public safety commissioner providing oversight. Currently, the city of White Plains and the county are the only municipalities in Westchester with public safety departments. Rye City Mayor Joe Sack, a Republican, said the new position makes sense from a cost savings and cost effectiveness
perspective. The goal of the changeover is geared toward streamlining oversight of the two departments with an eye toward addressing outstanding issues within the city Fire Department, particularly a lack of top-down leadership. Sack stressed to the Review that the departments themselves would not be combined, just the oversight. In doing so, the idea is to leverage the professional management currently in place in the Police Department. With that mind, the city is expected to turn to current Police Commissioner Michael Corcoran, who was hired by the city back in February, to now also oversee Fire Department operations. “[Corcoran] has not been offered the job nor has he accepted it,” the mayor said, “[but] we assumed he would be in line for it.” This isn’t the first time that the city has discussed the idea
of a public safety commissioner. Talk of streamlining fire and police previously took place during the Republican administration of former Rye City Mayor Douglas French in 2012. But that discussion didn’t lead to any action. Issues within the city Fire Department have existed for some time. Calls for increased professional firefighter staffing have been ongoing coupled with the dichotomy between the professional firefighters and a dwindling volunteer base. Traditionally, the Fire Department has always been run by the Board of Fire Wardens, a committee of volunteer firefighters. But Sack said that based on the city’s analysis and discussion, that hierarchy may no longer be working effectively based on the challenges of the 21st century, for things such as recruiting and budgeting. CONTACT: chris@hometwn.com
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Scarpino prevails in district attorney race By ANDREW DAPOLITE Contributor Democrat Anthony Scarpino will be taking over the office of Westchester County district attorney after a decisive victory against Republican Bruce Bendish on Tuesday. As polling results flowed into election headquarters at The Coliseum in White Plains, Scarpino held an impressive early lead, ultimately capturing 70 percent of the nearly 345,000 votes that were cast. “I was caught a little bit off guard,” Scarpino told the Review on Wednesday morning. “I was cautiously optimistic that I was going to win because of the enrollment, but the numbers were overwhelming.” According to Westchester County’s voter rolls, there are roughly 152,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the county. At the center of this year’s race for the county’s top law enforcement position was the question of qualifications. Scarpino, currently a partner at the law firm of DelBello Donnellan Weingarten Wise and Wiederkehr, began his 37year career in public service as an FBI agent before serving as a judge in the city of Mount Vernon as well as a justice at the county and state Supreme
Court levels. In contrast, Bendish served as an assistant district attorney in Westchester County for 14 years before opening a private practice for criminal defense. Throughout the campaign, Scarpino was often attacked by his opponent for not having tried cases in a courtroom, which he calls a mischaracterization of his record. “It’s one thing to say, ‘You were not a prosecutor in a case,’ because I was not a DA,” Scarpino said, “but being a trial judge, you try cases.” Scarpino also countered that Bendish had not served as a real law enforcement officer. “I had a baseball coach when I was growing up, that used to say that everybody has a hole in their swing,” Scarpino said. “Everybody’s resume is short. Bruce Bendish was never a trial judge. Jeanine Pirro was a DA, but she was a judge first. Janet DiFiore was also a judge before she became DA. Judicial experience counts.” According to Scarpino, the issues that he plans to address in his new role include Westchester’s heroin and illegal drug epidemic—a situation he described as “a scourge that is destroying our youth”—as well as Internet predators, phone scams, child and elder abuse, domestic violence, and injustices against immigrants
Anthony Scarpino
who he believes are preyed upon by people who take advantage of their fear of deportation. Bendish, while disappointed with the results, cited the voter registration disadvantage coupled with a high voter turnout in a presidential year as contributing to his campaign’s demise. “I think if you look at the tallies of the polls in a non-presidential year, things are quite different,” Bendish said. “But I congratulate Anthony Scarpino on his victory and it is my hope that he will have success as the next Westchester County district attorney.”
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 9
No backup plan for Seaside Johnnies’ exit
On Nov. 16, John Ambrose, co-owner of Rye Town Park’s Seaside Johnnies restaurant, formally declined a counteroffer by the park’s commission to operate the restaurant in 2017. There is currently no solution to the expected vacancy next season, according to Gary Zuckerman, the commission president, pictured. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer With a vacant beachfront restaurant more than likely next summer, the Rye Town Park Commission does not have an alternative to the park’s exiting tenant, Seaside Johnnies, the commission president said. According to Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, a Democrat and president of the park commission, while commissioners have floated the idea of hiring concessioners to operate the park’s snack and beverage stands, or filling the park with food trucks, the commission currently does not have a solution to fill the hole left by Seaside Johnnies’ departure, which was finalized on Wednesday, Nov. 16, when John Ambrose, co-owner of the restaurant, rejected the latest, and final, offer from the commission. “We will obviously do our due diligence and see what alternatives are available, but [at the moment], we have no backup plan,” Zuckerman told the Review on Wednesday. During a park commission meeting on Nov. 15, commissioners again offered to extend Seaside Johnnies’ current deal, which expires at the end of 2016, for one year with a new option to re-sign the restaurant for a second year. As part of that deal, if the park commission could not formally agree to extend the license agreement for a second year, Ambrose and Sam Chernin, also a co-owner of Seaside Johnnies, would be refund-
ed 25 percent of the fees in rent charged by the commission for the second year; approximately $25,000. The new deal came on the heels of Ambrose’s displeasure with the commission’s previous one-year extension offer. Ambrose, who has operated the restaurant since 2000, told the Review that he plans on rejecting any offer by the park commission unless it assures him two years in the location. “I would never in a million years take a one-year deal with an option,” he said. “The grey area that comes along with the option is something we don’t want to touch because it’s not guaranteed.” According to Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg, a Democrat and member of the park commission who drafted the new proposal with the option year, the split between commissioners about offering either a one- or two-year deal ultimately led to the new offer. “My thought is that it would have turned into a two-year deal,” he said. “The commission did not intend on insulting Ambrose’s pride.” Rosenberg said he is hopeful the commission will learn from the experience. “I don’t think there is anyone to blame,” he said. “It was a group effort, and the [commission] felt there was an ample amount of time for the [request for proposals] to generate a certain amount of responses, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.” In June, the park commission sent out a request for proposals,
RFP, soliciting restaurateurs interested in operating the park for a 10-year period. But with a late August submission deadline, the commission left itself little time to review any proposals and make a decision. That became further problematic when one of only two RFP respondents, Angelo Liberatore, an operating partner of the Fort Pond Bay Company—which operates Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry, Harvest on Hudson in Hastings-On-Hudson, and East by Northeast and the Stone Lion Inn in Montauk—pulled his proposal citing a lack of sufficient time to get a restaurant up and running for the 2017 season. After Liberatore took himself out of the running, the commission received a multitude of alarming emails from residents aggravated over their minimal involvement in choosing a new operator. Faced with the possibility of a vacant restaurant and snack bar for the 2017 season, while also balancing a desire to revamp the RFP process to attract more respondents for the long term, the commission only offered Seaside Johnnies a oneyear extension on its current lease. Even with the risk of an economic loss of as much as $200,000 as a result of Ambrose closing his doors, and no viable alternative for 2017, Zuckerman said the commission will not initiate a new offer. “At this point, I would rule it out,” he said. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com
COUNTY from page 9
the FAA’s privatization program through which the administration would process its proposal. Since the program’s inception in 1997, only two of the 10 airports that applied have gone through the entire process; Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York. Stewart International has since reverted back to public management. And a similar public-private partnership transferring the management of Rye Playland—a county-owned amusement park whose footprints sit within the city of Rye—was vetted by the county
for nearly six years before it was finally approved earlier this year. Further adding to fears of uncertain revenue streams in the county budget are the increasingly high costs of health care, which according to administration officials have exceeded budget expectations by $10 million. Budget numbers show that in 2016 the county appropriated more than $135 million to cover health insurance costs for current employees. For the proposed budget, Astorino has requested $152 million. Health care of retired employees alone cost the county $65 million in 2016, according to budget numbers. Fights over to what extent the county is responsible for paying the full cost of employees’ health
care have sprung up recently after heated negotiations between the Astorino administration and the Civil Service Employees Association, CSEA—a union representing the county’s public sector workers—failed to produce a compromise, including a contract offer that the union rejected earlier this month. “The contract rejection by the CSEA is just more evidence that the union is not dealing with reality,” Astorino said. “Apparently, the CSEA thinks it is entitled to free health care forever, paid for by taxpayers.” Contract negotiations between the two parties are still ongoing. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
10 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 11
New Harrison gun store draws concern
L&L Sports, a gun store planned for the Harrison Mall on Halstead Avenue, could open this month. Harrison residents, however, are protesting the shop’s proximity to Parsons Memorial Elementary School. Photo/Franco Fino
By COREY STOCKTON Staff Writer A new gun store now open on Halstead Avenue in Harrison is generating concern among residents. Nearly 3,400 residents of Harrison, and nearby communities, as of press time, have signed an online petition on Change.org protesting the location of L&L Sports, at 261 Halstead Ave., a gun store located less than 1,000 feet from Parsons Memorial Elementary School and also near St. Gregory the Great’s Church. The petition alleges that the location of the shop undermines the Gun-Free School Zones Act, a federal law which regulates the possession of guns on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of a school. However, gun stores are specifically exempt from that law.The law does require that firearms are unloaded and placed in a locked container when traveling within a 1,000-foot perimeter of any school. Petitioners have focused their
attention on members of the Harrison Town Council, asking them to take additional efforts to prevent the store from opening, and asking them if they’ve explored other options—including town ordinances which could have put tighter restrictions on the Gun-Free Schools Zone Act—before OK’ing the store. Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, said there is little the town can do to regulate what kind of store opens in any storefront. The council did not have to review the site because there was no change of use; the storefront was formerly used for retail purposes. And, the store has received all its necessary permits from the town Building Department, according to town officials. “My primary concern as the supervisor is the safety and welfare of all residents,” the mayor said. “But I also have a responsibility to make sure everyone’s rights are upheld.” Store owner Louis Zacchio, a retired paramedic and 17-year
resident of the town, said opening the store is within his legal rights, adding that he has followed all state and federal guidelines to protect his inventory from the possibility of theft. The store’s website has tabs designated for handguns, rifles, shotguns, accessories, optics and training, although there are no items listed for sale. “He meets the state and federal guidelines,” Belmont told the Review, “that’s where these things are regulated.” The petitioners are also inquiring what kind of safeguards the town has or will put in place. “We’re relying on customers coming from outside areas to know the federal law, [which says] that they may not traverse this area unless the guns are unloaded and put inside a locked container,” said Joe Liberti, a parent of student of the Parsons School. “So [the store’s location] really does threaten the maintenance of this federal law.” CONTACT: corey@hometwn.com
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12 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
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November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 13
About that Yale interview RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
One recent Sunday I went to my local Queens bakery at 9, 11 and 2, and each time sat across from a friendly, open 18-year-old. These New York City students shared their hopes, dreams, and what they do in their free time. One researches drone strikes in Somalia. Another teaches the disabled to ski. A third measures the size and shape of snake skulls. Typical... for this group. These are applicants for early admission to Yale. Me, I’m an alumni interviewer. That means I help lighten the Yale Admissions Department’s load by volunteering to assess half a dozen candidates each year. This is my 15th or 16th goround, and it always gives me great delight. But this year, it also gave me pause. That’s because another alum, Ben Orlin, just wrote a piece in The Los Angeles Times titled, “Why I Won’t Re-enlist as a Yale Alumni Interviewer.” His beef is that “the whole process is so spectacularly insane that participating in it— even in such a peripheral role— feels like watching spiders crawl out of my tear ducts.” The insanity is not the kids— they’re great. Nor is it Yale—it can’t take everyone. The insanity is the giant disparity between the number of stunning applicants and the number that get in: “For every bed in the freshman dorms, 20 kids are lining up, at least five of whom are high school rock stars,” Orlin wrote. “From that murderer’s row,
admissions officers face the impossible task of picking just one. There’s no right answer.” He feels for all the students who have done so much, and are likely to take their rejection personally. (Don’t we all?) What these kids can’t know is that they are just as amazing as the ones who get the thick envelopes, but they may be the 15th top debater who also spent a year teaching calculus in Kenya. No school needs 15 of the same thing. Thus, some get in, but others get bumped for a dancer/sculptor/beekeeper from Utah, or spear fisher (with perfect SATs) from Spain. So, that day as I spoke with the hopefuls, I felt compelled to also mention The Ghosts of Applicants Past. There was the girl so fascinated by rhetoric that she learned Ancient Greek. She wanted to read the first philosophers to describe speaking techniques like, “I won’t mention the defendant’s past as a thief, because that is not relevant to this case.” She loved the way information got sneakily embedded. But she also loved neuroscience, so she was doing lab research on Alzheimer’s. Her modest little goal was to figure out whether how information gets into our brains has any relation to how it leaks out. She did not get in. Another year I met a young man from a Manhattan public high school who admitted that during middle school computer class, he would hack a friend’s screen to suddenly show cartoons when the teacher was walking past. By the time he was in high school, he put his computer skills to more serious
work by starting a web design company for local businesses. If some of the coding got too hard, he’d farm it out to Russian programmers and pay them part of his fee. By senior year he’d turned his attention to the medical field and got an internship at a local teaching hospital. He discovered something (I couldn’t understand what) about how plaque builds up in arteries, and had come up with a new, cheap way to dissolve it. Ten medical school professors came to hear his lecture. When one objected that his idea wouldn’t work, he showed him how it would. This kid applied to Yale and MIT. I hope he got into the latter, because he did not get into Yale. Then there was the young woman who was producing a documentary on a French fashion muse from the ‘70s. No dice. And another student so fascinated by the French Revolution that she did original research on the guillotine jewelry of that time. She didn’t make the cut. Meantime, a young man I had a hard time interviewing because he had so little to say, did make it in. I gather that he was spectacular at math. But he got lost navigating from Union Square to our interview at a Starbucks on First Avenue and 17th and arrived late. Which is not to say Yale gets it wrong. Many of the students I’ve recommended, it took. But Orlin got it right, too: Ivy admissions are an opaque process, not to be taken personally. The good news is that by the time students think they’re Yale material, they usually are. Even if they don’t get in. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
Tips for a healthier holiday season As we prepare to gather with family and friends this holiday season, the American Heart Association, AHA, reminds us that we can make smart recipe substitutions to keep our holiday meals—and the people we love—healthier. Over-indulging in traditional holiday foods can add extra pounds to our waistlines, and increase our risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the AHA, so getting to and maintaining a healthy weight is important during the holidays and year-round. The AHA recommends making small but impactful lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. Studies show that more than 80 percent of heart disease can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, exercising 30 minutes most days of the week and eating healthier. The AHA says the first step is to determine your daily calorie intake with an app or online calculator, then adjust your daily calories into the healthy range. A good place to start is by eating more fruits and vegetables which are low in calories and high in nutrition. “Many of the traditional foods served during the holidays can be healthy—the trick is to not load on the butter, sodium and sugar,” said Roufia Payman, supervisor of Outpatient Nutrition Counseling, and diabetes lifestyle coach at Northern Dutchess Hospital. “Add color and nutrition to your plate with seasonal squash, roasted vegetables and fruit-based desserts.” All of the holiday parties and dinners can throw off your healthy lifestyle goals. The AHA is offering its annual Holiday Healthy Eating Guide to help people navigate the holiday season in a healthy way. The 13page free guide has tips, recipes and resources to help maintain a healthy lifestyle during the busy holiday season. The guide is available free online at bit.ly/ AHAHolidayGuide. Party with a healthy plan in place. The AHA recommends healthy portions, limiting the empty calories in alcohol drinks, and filling up on healthier fruits and vegeta-
bles first, before the less healthy options. Keep dessert temptations to small samples of your favorites instead of full servings, and eat mindfully to enjoy every morsel. Don’t stand near the party buffet and avoid mindless nibbling. Plate-up health first. Be sure to pack your holiday meals with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, fish, skinless poultry, and plant-based side dishes and main courses. Swap-in healthier choices. Substitute fat-free and low-fat dairy products for the higher fat versions, like Greek yogurt for sour cream. Use lower sodium versions of foods like broth, canned vegetables and sauces. Use whole grain breads and pastas instead of white flour ones. Cook with unsaturated, healthier fats, and non-tropical oils. Eliminate trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils. If you choose red meats, select the leanest cuts. When it comes to poultry, light meat is leaner than dark. A serving size of meat is 3 oz., about the size of a deck of cards. Avoid the empty calories of sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly if you are going to indulge in small samples of desserts. Here are some more tips. More cooking tips: • Use vegetable oils such as olive oil instead of butter. • Use herbs and spices, like rosemary and cloves, to flavor dishes instead of butter and salt. • Bake, grill or steam vegetables instead of frying. • Instead of whole milk or
heavy cream, substitute low-fat or fat-free/skim milk. Baking swaps: • Instead of butter, substitute equal parts cinnamon-flavored, no-sugar-added applesauce. • Instead of sugar, use a lowercalorie sugar substitute. • Instead of whole or heavy cream, substitute low-fat or skim milk. • Instead of using only white flour, use half white and half whole-wheat flour. • Instead of adding chocolate chips or candies, use dried fruit, like cranberries or cherries. • Use extracts like vanilla, almond and peppermint to add flavor, instead of sugar or butter. Healthier beverages: • Instead of alcohol in mixed drinks, use club soda. • Instead of adding sugar to mixed drinks, mix 100 percent juice with water or use freshly squeezed juice. • Instead of using heavy cream or whole milk in dairy-based drinks, use low-fat or skim milk. • Instead of using sugar to sweeten cider, use spices and fruit, like cinnamon, cloves and cranberries. Of course, exercise is critical to weight management and overall health. The AHA recommends getting 30 minutes of vigorous exercise on most days of the week. Eating more? Walk more. A brisk walk before or after meals can help burn those extra calories. To find more simple ways you and your family can eat healthy, visit heart.org/healthyeating. (Submitted)
14 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016
Fantasy flop LIVE MIKE Mike Smith
If I get kicked out of my fantasy football league this year, I’m placing at least 85 percent of the blame on the New Rochelle soccer team. I spent this past weekend making the rounds upstate; on Saturday, I drove up to Endwell to see the Bronxville field hockey team take on Cazenovia in the state semifinals. The following day, I drove down to Middletown to see the Huguenots win the Class AA crown against Fairport with a 2-1 win. The one thing I did not do, however, was set my fantasy lineup. With three defensive players on bye, and the majority of my top draft picks like Lamar Miller, LeGarrette Blount and Kirk Cousins on the bench since they had byes the week before, I trotted out an anemic, incom-
plete squad and handed a win to my opponent who, like me, was in the midst of a heated playoff race. If you judged solely by my friends’ reactions, you would have thought I killed somebody. Now, I understand it. We play for quite a bit of money, and the fact that I made no effort to put a team together this week may have really hurt the chances of a few of our other “owners” to recoup their league fees. I apologized to them sincerely, but in my heart, I still blame New Rochelle. Sure, maybe more of it has to do with my technological ineptitude. For the life of me, I just couldn’t figure out how to adjust my roster from my phone because I haven’t used Yahoo’s app all year. As I waited on the sidelines for the game to start, I tried frantically to manipulate my roster, to no avail. But then 1 p.m. hit, and the fantasy week—and the cham-
SPORTS
pionship game—were off and running. For the next two hours, I watched the Huguenots play a beautiful game. Their crisp passes and strong defensive challenges were interrupted only by the occasional email from one of my friends to call me horrible names that can’t, for sake of decorum, be listed here. By the time they were done celebrating their championship win, and I was done conducting my postgame interviews, it was after 4 p.m. and any chance I had to put a competitive team together was just about gone. I lost an easily winnable game, dropped out of the playoff race, and all week long, I’ve been defending myself against allegations of collusion and tanking. Maybe some of it was my fault, maybe some people in my fantasy league take things a tad too seriously, but I remain steadfast in my belief that it’s mostly New Rochelle’s fault.
Felipe Tobon embraces a young fan following New Rochelle’s 2-1 win over Fairport in the Class AA state championship game on Nov. 13. Photo/Mike Smith
But watching them celebrate that title, tears streaming down their faces as they embraced a
wild, adoring fan base? Something tells me that those guys are going to be able to live with that.
Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports
SPORTS
November 18, 2016 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 15
Titans eye upcoming season
Ike Murov chases down a puck against the Pelicans.
By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor After two deep postseason runs, Rye Town/Harrison is coming into the 2016-17 season with a wealth of talent, experience and depth. Although head coach Jason Head knows that new challenges await the Titans this season, he is confident that a strong core of returning players will continue to push the program to new heights. Last season, the Titans fin-
ished 18-6, won the League II-C championship and made a second-straight appearance in the Division II title game, where they fell to perennial powerhouse Pelham. This year, despite moving up to Division I, Head expects his players to build on last year’s momentum. “They’re very focused, they came in ready to go,” Head said. “That loss to Pelham stuck with a lot of the guys last year, and even though we’re in Division I now and we’re not going to get a
2016-17 Rye Town/Harrison Titans Hockey Schedule DATE 11/19 11/25 12/03 12/12 12/17 12/19 12/29 01/07 01/09 01/16 01/20 01/21 01/23 01/28 02/04 02/11
TIME 8:55 p.m. 11 a.m. 10 a.m. 8:50 p.m. 7:25 p.m. 8:50 p.m. 2:15 p.m. 7:25 p.m. 8:50 p.m. 8:50 p.m. 8:40 p.m. 7:25 p.m. 8:50 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:20 p.m. 7:40 p.m.
OPPONENT vs. BYRAM HILLS @WHITE PLAINS* @PAWLING SOMERS vs. CLARKSTOWN vs. HENDRICK HUDSON vs. NON-REGION OPPONENT* vs. NEW ROCHELLE vs. HORACE GREELEY vs. SOMERS @BREWSTER vs. WHITE PLAINS vs. JOHN JAY @NORTH ROCKLAND @CARMEL @MAHOPAC
*Denotes first game of tournament
chance to see them in the playoffs, they’ve been motivated.” The Titans lost just three seniors from last year’s team, and although each player played an integral role on the ice, Head said that his returning players are more than capable of picking up the slack. Offensively, the Titans will feel the loss of Doug Harrison and Max Picker, who combined for 69 goals last season. But the Titans will return last year’s alternate captain Jackson Schultz, who had 18 goals and 18 assists on the season. “We expect Jackson to be taking more of a commanding role this year,” Head said. “And we’ll also be relying on players like William Pizzutello who had a ton of chances last year and Max Chalfin who logged a lot of minutes.” The Titans’ returners will be joined by a potential breakout star in freshman Anthony Cippolone, who could be a catalyst for the Titans’ offense. “He’s a very strong player, he’s got a lot of offensive power,” Head said. “We’re looking to plug him in on a line with two upperclassmen and watch him develop.” The Titans will also have something of a new look on the defensive end, with junior Sam Smith taking over netminding duties from standout Joey Livornese. Smith was stellar in limited time last year, posting a 1.01 goals against average, and could be poised to be the latest in a growing line of solid Rye Town goalies. “He’s improved tremendously, he’s been going to a lot of goalie camps, and I think most guys would tell you that [Smith] is the hardest worker on the team,” the head coach said. “Hopefully we are going to be in the same situation we were in a few years ago when Joey [Livornese] came in and took over the role.” The Titans will open the season on Nov. 19 against Byram Hills at Rye Playland, as they become one of the first Section I teams to begin the regular season this year. According to Head, with so many returning players, the brief offseason shouldn’t pose much of a
Jackson Schultz takes the puck behind the net against Pelham in last year’s Division II championship game. Schultz will again be a key contributor for the Titans this year.
Max Chalfin battles with a Pelham defender last season. Chalfin is expected to take more of a lead role in the Rye Town/Harrison offense this year. Photos/Mike Smith
problem. “Aside from a few new systems we’re implementing, I think it’s going to be our ability to make in-game adjust-
ments that is going to be a game-changer this year,” he said. “We’re going to be up in Division I, so we’re not going to see Pelham, but we know we’re
going to have a lot of difficult teams when we start trying to make our run.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
16 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 18, 2016