Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
December 28, 2018 | Vol. 7, Number 1 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Officials call on Amtrak to start Penn Station project
LMCTV names new assistant director Dena Schumacher is the new assistant director of Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community TV, LMCTV. Responsibilities of the new position include outreach to local organizations and interest groups, developing LMCTV’s presence on social media, and producing special projects. “LMCTV will be more visible in the community in 2019,” Executive Director Matt Sullivan said. “Dena already works effectively with several organizations in our community. She has the right personality and enthusiasm for local media production.” Schumacher joined LMCTV in 2006, a year after graduating from
Iona College’s Mass Communications program. When the station consolidated facilities on Library Lane in Mamaroneck in 2011, she became studio production manager. This spring, she skillfully managed the move of the studio and staff to the Mamaroneck Town Center. Schumacher added an artistic touch to the new space: she joined Jamie Weisinger, a Mamaroneck artist and proprietor of MADE Art Studio, to create a giant mural jig sawed into 50 pieces, each named for a contribution to LMCTV. More than $5,000 has been raised so far by the unique project. Schumacher’s involvement in the arts recently won her ap-
pointment to the village of Mamaroneck Art Council where she aims to bring Larchmont and Mamaroneck artists together through LMCTV. This summer, Schumacher coordinated Bruce Beck Sports Broadcasting Camp’s studio production at LMCTV. Currently, she’s producing “Books Come to Life,” an experimental program at the Mamaroneck Library. For several years, Schumacher designed and taught LMCTV’s summer teen filmmaking workshops. She aims to get more youth involved in LMCTV. Since 1983, LMCTV has served the public, education and government needs for local communica-
tion in Mamaroneck, Rye Neck and Larchmont. The non-profit station programs three public access channels seen in more than 85 percent of households in the three communities subscribed to Optimum and Verizon FiOS cable TV. Programming features municipal and school board meetings, high school varsity sports, and an award-winning newscast, “The Local Live.” LMCTV also enables a host of volunteers to produce their own shows. Programming is also streamed on the internet and social media platforms. Most programs are also available on YouTube. Visit the station’s website at lmctv.org, for more information. (Submitted)
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., other elected officials and key stakeholders spoke out in support of the expansion of Metro-North service to the East Bronx and the need for Amtrak to get out of the way of this much needed, universally popular project. These four new lines will save Westchester residents, most notably those on the Sound Shore, both time and money by shortening their commutes through the creation of new one-seat ride into Penn Station from Westchester. “This is a story about cooperation between the suburbs and the city on a project that is both good for the Bronx and good for Westchester County,” Latimer said. “We have a common interest here, and what the borough president and other leaders have done is see the common benefit of opening up these lines to provide benefits in both directions. Access to Penn Station is advantageous for those who live in Westchester along the Sound Shore and need to commute to the Bronx or parts of Manhattan for work, making those communities even more attractive to live in and raising property values in the process.” Diaz added, “We are here to come together to call on Amtrak to stop getting in the way of progress of these four desperately needed Metro-North sta-
tions—needed not just for the Bronx but for the entire region. Everyone knows this is a good idea for commuters, the potential for job opportunities and its impact on congestion, and everyone is on board—except Amtrak.” This project—known as the Penn Access Project—would provide a vital rail connection for Westchester to the west side of Manhattan and the East Bronx. At this time, the MTA has a plan in place to build four new Metro-North Railroad stations in the East Bronx that would also serve to benefit Westchester commuters by connecting the New Haven Line to Penn Station directly. To get this vital project back on the track, Amtrak must agree to align work schedules and scope of the project and allow the MTA reasonable access to Amtrak-owned tracks and right-ofway. This agreement has yet to occur due to Amtrak’s demands for the MTA to pay more than its fair share. The MTA will already be carrying most of the expense of upgrades, including rebuilding the Pelham Bay Bridge, and Amtrak would be the beneficiary of track improvements and operational flexibility, under-grade bridge improvements, and power, signal and communications upgrades. This standoff puts the entire project in jeopardy—at the expense of thousands of riders. (Submitted)
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