Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
February 5, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 6 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
Mayor proposes village dog protection law By KILEY STEVENS Staff Writer
Man vs. water The village of Mamaroneck received its long-awaited report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers armed with a plan for future flood mitigation. The issue of flooding has plagued the community for decades. For story, see page 3. File photo
Town council puts pause on residential development By JAMES PERO Staff Writer The Mamaroneck Town Council will convene a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 8 to continue discussing the future of large scale residential developments across the town. According to Town Administrator Steve Altieri, a residential moratorium—which was passed in late December 2015 and will last three months—comes as a response to a growing concern from residents who feel that larger homes are threatening the character of their neighborhood.
In addition, the amount of these larger residential developments seem to have been growing, he said. “There seems to be a demand for larger homes, for more upto-date floor plans,” Altieri said. “We’re seeing people tearing down existing homes and building new homes.” The town’s moratorium was instituted in an effort to put a pause on the town’s zoning code until the governing board has a chance to review its laws for future residences. Prior to the moratorium, Altieri said the only site plan ordi-
nance that existed in the town’s code related to commercial developments, not residential ones. As a result, many tear downs of single family homes that resulted in site plans calling for the regrading of property and intrusive rock chipping—construction-related digging that breaks ground and causes loud noise disturbances— were being carried out without the town board’s say. A similar moratorium passed in the village of Larchmont in January after concerned residents flocked to a village board meeting in droves to protest the demolition of an iconic home at
40 Ocean Ave. According to Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson, a Democrat, however, tear downs in the town of Mamaroneck differ from the situation in Larchmont in at least one way: the reconfiguration of land. “What we’ve experienced in the town of Mamaroneck is houses being torn down to build much larger houses,” she said at a Dec. 16 board meeting. “But in that process regrading the property or clear-cutting the property.” development continued on page 8
On Monday, Jan. 25, Mayor Norman Rosenblum proposed a pet store law that has the backing of the state director of the Humane Society of the United States. If approved, the legislation proposal would prohibit the sale of any commercially bred animal within village boundaries. The mayor’s proposal comes as part of an ongoing discussion by the village Board of Trustees about how to regulate pet stores in Mamaroneck. The board is also considering a previously proposed law that regulates the care of animals for sale and the conditions that they are maintained under. “The sale of commercially bred dogs and cats contributes to the proliferation of homeless or unwanted animals that end up in public animal shelters,” Rosenblum, a Republican, said in making his proposal. He added that prohibiting the sale of commercially bred animals may lower the euthanasia rate of the county’s shelter animals and increase the adoption rate. The mayor’s proposal was met with a round of applause from those in attendance at the Jan. 25 village board meeting. The Democrats on the board had some concerns, however. Trustee David Finch, a Democrat, told the Review that he had questions about the legality
of Rosenblum’s proposal, and wanted to address it with the village attorney at the board’s next work session. Brian Shapiro, the state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said Rosenblum’s proposed law is legal and more pet stores are adopting what he refers to as a “humane model” for their businesses. “The village [of Mamaroneck] is keeping with something that works and a system that helps to promote animal rescue and finding animals permanent homes without supporting overpopulation or puppy mills,” Shapiro told the Review. “For a business to say, ‘We help rescue animals,’ and to make that their central theme as a business, I think it’s something that would help the business owner in the end.” In New York City, there are 180 pet stores that have signed the Humane Society’s pledge not to sell puppies in their stores. Conversely, at the Jan. 25 village board meeting, Susan Kaminsky, a New York state district leader for the Humane Society, said that a hidden camera investigation found that more than 100 New York state pet stores were supplying consumers with puppies from puppy mills. According to the Humane Society’s website, “truly responsible breeders” do not sell their puppies to pet stores. The push to regulate pet stores LAW continued on page 10
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2 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 3
Army Corps releases large-scale flood plan
A study released this week by the United States Army Corps of Engineers recommends a $72 million project aimed at mitigating flood risks along the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake rivers. Pictured is the Mamaroneck River. File photo
By JAMES PERO Staff Writer A long-awaited analysis by the United States Army Corps of Engineers which studied projects aimed to mitigate flood hazards along the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake rivers has been submitted to the village. The cost of the projects altogether, according to the report, would total approximately $72 million. According to the report, projects included in the plan will center on modifying the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake rivers in a number of ways, including the widening, lengthening and deepening of some of the tributaries’ channels to allow a greater flow into the Mamaroneck Harbor. Village Manager Richard Slingerland said those projects would help the village in many ways. The cost of the project would be split between both federal and nonfederal sources; approximately $45 million from federal sources and the other $24 million from nonfederal sources;
namely, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Westchester County. Both the county and local governments have requested federal aid for such projects since the 1970s when two floods—one in 1972 and another in 1975— caused significant damage to the village of Mamaroneck and surrounding areas. The two floods, according to the report, caused $18 million and $92 million in inflation-adjusted damage, respectively. Despite the approval of the plan, which addressed such issues by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1989, the project was eventually stalled due to cost concerns from nonfederal partners, according to the study. According to the most recent report submitted by the Army Corps, the efforts would have funded a number of large-scale projects to help mitigate flood damage, including the construction of 7,500 feet of retaining wall—about 21 football fields in length—and the replacement of several bridges in the area.
Interest in the project was renewed in 2007, after two serious flood events resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration which ultimately necessitated the assistance of FEMA. Now, according to Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, the project has a better shot than ever of actually coming to fruition; one particularly encouraging aspect of the recent proposal is that it costs $30 million less than its last iteration. “I’m pleased that we are able to come to reality and have a realistic program that we could see in the future happening,” he said. One major change is that, as opposed to dredging the Mamaroneck River in its entirety, the newest proposal would only dredge and widen the channel from the river’s mouth in Mamaroneck Harbor to the Barry Avenue Bridge. The rest of the homes located north of the bridge, which are in a flood hazard zone, would be raised to avoid any flood damage, the mayor said. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
Village of Mamaroneck’s
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4 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
What’s going on... Mamaroneck Public Library
storytime for all ages. El jueves, febrero 11 desde las 4 p.m. hasta las 5 p.m. en el Community Room. Únase con nosotros una hora de cuentos español y inglés que consiste en historias, canciones y artesanías para niños/as con un/a cuidador/a.
were with a replica of a dinosaur foot, conduct a frozen gelatin fossil excavation, and create your own dinosaur fossil.
Larchmont Public Library
On Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Michael P. Coords Activity Room. No registration required. For grades six to eight. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate. Stop by and make a few for your special someone or yourself.
Visit mamaronecklibrary.org for more information on these and other events and programs.
‘New Year, Fresh Start: Good Fat, Bad Fat’
All ages story and craft hour On Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon in the Children’s Room on the second floor. No registration required. There will be stories that will appeal to kids of all ages and their caregivers, and a craft simple enough for the little kids and creative enough for the big kids.
Information session: ‘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 Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 7 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.
Free math study help On Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Teen Room on the lower level. Arithmetic got you down? Need some help with homework or maybe just a refresher? Former high school math teacher Lynne Prior will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about middle and high school math.
Bilingual Storytime/Hora del cuento bilingüe On Thursday, Feb. 11 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Community Room. A drop-in Spanish/English
Teen DIY: Valentine’s Day chocolates
The library will be closed for construction until the summer of 2016. Existing shelves will be moved to the Village Center and the Burchell Children’s Room will remain open. For more information about the library’s relocation, call the Reference Desk at 834-2281 ext. 3, email larchmontlibrary@hotmail.com or visit larchmontlibrary.org.
‘New Year, Fresh Start: Advance Directives and Health Care Proxy’ On Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Michael P. Coords Activity Room. No registration is required. Most of us have a will for our financial planning, but many of us don’t plan in advance to make sure our health care wishes are honored. Join Live With Care’s Julie Buyon to learn about advance directives for health care to ensure you get the medical treatments you want and avoid the ones you don’t. Learn how to plan for medical decisions that reflect your values, and get tips on how to share these values and wishes with your loved ones and your physicians. Learn whom to choose to legally speak for you in medical matters if you can’t speak for yourself, and learn how to prevent disagreements among family members about those medical decisions. You’ll leave with tips and tools to identify what’s most important to you and how to have this important conversation with your loved ones, along with a New York state health care proxy form.
Full STEAM Ahead: Discovering Dinosaurs On Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. For ages 3 and 4. A free ticket is required to attend this event. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 3 p.m. on the day of the program. Check out how big dinosaurs really
On Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Village Center. Despite what you may have heard, fat is an important part of a healthy diet. In this free seminar, Dr. Hiro Izumi will discuss the history of fat-free and low-fat diets; the critical role fatty acids play for our health; the cholesterol myth and whether it is good or bad; the symptoms associated with fatty acid deficiency; and how to improve fat digestion. Together with his wife, Dr. Michiko Izumi, Izumi maintains his practice at Izumi Wellness in Harrison.
Valentine’s Day drop-in craft On Saturday, Feb. 13 between 11 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. For children of all ages with a caregiver. Send your message to the one you love by creating a conversation heart for your valentine.
Emelin Theatre The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra On Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra continues to entertain audiences all over the world with the sound that made its namesake one of the most popular band leaders of the Swing Era. Combining big band orchestral sound with dance music, the Orchestra is true to the legacy band that gave us such memorable hits as “Amapola,” “Tangerine” and “Maria Elena.” Tickets are $55 per person. Visit emelin. org/event/jazz/jimmy-dorsey-orchestra for more information.
The Gibson Brothers On Friday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. With multiple IBMA awards and a finalist for four this year, the Gibson Brothers are among the most exciting and respected acts in contemporary bluegrass. Bringing their haunting duets, exquisite songwriting and infectious personalities, brothers Eric and Leigh Gibson return to the Emelin with longtime bassist Mike Barber and Jesse Brock. Tickets are $48 per person. Visit emelin.org/ event/bluegrass-all-music/gibson-brothers for more information.
‘Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey’ On Saturday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Lightwire Theater is back with a cosmic new adventure told in luminescent black light. Marvin the Mouse wants to be popular, but the cool rats think he’s a geek. Escaping into a world of fantasy, Marvin blasts off in a homemade rocket on a quest to make his dreams of acceptance come true. Suitable for ages 5 to 10. Tickets are $15 per person. Visit emelin.org/event/ family/moon-mouse-space-odyssey for more information.
Mamaroneck Artists Guild ‘Anything Goes’ exhibition Artists have been allowed to let their imaginations go wild for “Anything Goes,” a group show for all members that will run from Feb. 10 through Feb. 27. Media used in this exhibition include jewelry, photographs, watercolors, acrylics, drawings, mixed media, ceramics and fiber arts. There will be an opening reception for this exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery is open from Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. and is located at 126 Larchmont Ave. in Larchmont. Gallery admission is free. For more information, call 834-1117.
Relay for Life of Mamaroneck Kickoff event Relay for Life of Mamaroneck will be hosting a kickoff event to help fundraise for their main Relay for Life event in the spring. The kickoff fundraising event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at Molly Spillane’s, located at 211 Mamaroneck Ave. in Mamaroneck. Participants and community members are welcome to come to the event and learn more about Relay for Life programs and how to form a team for the main event. Volunteers are needed. For more information or to register for the kickoff event, email kaitlin.chieco@cancer.org. The main event will take place on Saturday, May 21 at Harbor Island Park from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the following day. For more information about Relay for Life, or to start or join a team, visit relayforlife. org/mamaroneck or contact the event leadership team at mamaroneckrelayforlife@gmail.com.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church Orion String Quartet concert The world-renowned Orion String Quartet will play a special concert in St. Thomas Episcopal Church, located at 168 W. Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. The quartet will play an all-Beethoven program, providing an opportunity for music fans to experience the performance in an intimate and historic venue. Concert tickets are $27.37 online or $30 at the door, cash only. For more information, visit saintthomasmmrk.org or call 698-0300.
Winter Farmers Market The indoor Mamaroneck farmers market is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, located at 168 W. Boston Post Road. The market will run until April 16. Mamaroneck’s staple farmers market goods will return, including local produce, fresh fish, pasture-raised meat, eggs, artisanal breads, baked goods, pickles, prepared foods to go and savory yogurt. Several new vendors will join in 2016 as well, including GoGo Pops, Natural Contents Kitchen and The Cheese Guy. In February, renowned Lani’s Farm will also begin selling their unique produce. For more information or a full list of markets and vendors, visit DowntoEarthMarkets.com. 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.
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 5
Letters to the Editor
Appalled by the mayor’s comments To the Editor, I read the Review’s article published on Jan. 29, 2016 called “HCZMC discusses village development.” I would like to comment on James Pero’s article, which was very informative. I am appalled that our mayor, Mr. Norman Rosenblum, said, and I quote, “It is imperative on behalf of the taxpayers that the village must continue to develop and grow while maintaining its character as a village.” I wasn’t surprised that he made that comment because I have a history of attending village meetings where similar comments were made; however, I was still appalled. I grew up in Mamaroneck and was victim to the flooding problems in our village. I owned a home on 915 Howard Ave. and it flooded during the nor’easter of 2007 and then again during Hurricane Irene in 2011. I lost my home completely, and after two years of asking the village manager’s office for help, I had to walk away from my home. I was so upset and realized that I couldn’t afford to live in the town I grew up in. I moved out of state for three years, and just recently came back to Mamaroneck. I saw bridges being repaired and more housing being approved. I saw that my children and I couldn’t go to Harbor Island Park and swim because of the negligence of our town officers. I saw a lack of parking on Mamaroneck Avenue. I came back to a more deteriorated Mamaroneck. The mayor is so concerned with the “character of the village.” I, too, would be concerned because the “character” of our village is careless. I am sure that taxpayers would be happy if our money didn’t go to preventable lawsuits. I am sure that taxpayers would shop and eat more in the village if they could park without having to circle around for 20 minutes. I am sure that taxpayers would be more than happy if Harbor Island Park didn’t stink in the summer or if our children could play in the water. I am sure that taxpayers would be happy that all new developments would cease because someone in the village manager’s office and the mayor’s office acknowledged Clark Neuringer’s advice and wise counsel. Aren’t they concerned with how much danger it puts our sewer systems—and our homes—in? I agree with the quote actually, “…it is imperative on behalf of the taxpayers.” I agree with that part because the property taxes in the town I grew up in are ridiculously high. You would think we own multimillion dollar homes. I think our officials should look at their own “characters” first when making decisions. Myriam Valle, ESL teacher at Trinity Elementary School
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6 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
Mamaroneck THE
REVIEW 170 Hamilton Ave., White Plains, N.Y. 10601 Tel: (914) 653-1000 Fax: (914) 653-5000
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Late Port Chester man honored for Mount Rushmore
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By SARAH VARNEY Staff Writer
Editor-in-Chief | Christian Falcone ext. 19, chris@hometwn.com
After 28 years, the Del Bianco family of Port Chester finally has succeeded in getting the National Parks Service to recognize the contribution of grandfather Luigi Del Bianco as chief carver of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota. Last week, grandson Lou Del Bianco of Port Chester got the official word that his decades of work trying to persuade parks department officials to honor his grandfather had been rewarded. While details of the actual memorial to be erected haven’t yet been decided, Lou Del Bianco hopes it will be the same as the one erected in Port Chester in 2014 at 68 N. Regent St., near where Luigi Del Bianco had lived. “The tipping point was the documentation. [The sculptor Guston] Borglum had described in detail the contributions that my grandfather made,” Lou Del Bianco said. But Luigi Del Bianco’s story has always meant more to his grandson than just a squabble over a piece of granite. That story has morphed into a one-hour stage show that Lou Del Bianco
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performs throughout the tri-state area. On Jan. 12, Lou Del Bianco, an actor, gave a multimedia presentation of the story of his grandfather’s work as one of the chief carvers on the 14-year-long Depression-era project to fifth graders of the Osborn School in Rye. Lou Del Bianco performed the story dressed in the same period clothing worn by his ancestor and spent some of the program speaking in the same half-Italian/half-English language his grandfather used. It included an audience participation segment with five students who each enacted one part of the carving process. Luigi Del Bianco spent seven years of his life working on the Mount Rushmore project. In 1933, he was the only person given the title of chief carver. During the school presentation, Lou Del Bianco showed black and white photos of the workers climbing the 706 steps—half the height of the Empire State Building—to reach the work site. Luigi Del Bianco was paid $1.50 per hour. The entire monument cost approximately $1 million to build. In order to re-create the huge stone carvings of presidents
Roosevelt, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, Luigi Del Bianco and his team used a formula of ratios to ensure the carvings were made to scale. The chief carver was responsible for refinement of the facial expressions for the presidential quartet. One student in the audience asked how Luigi Del Bianco was able to make the pupils of the sculptures’ eyes so lifelike. Lou Del Bianco explained that the pupils were designed using the same principle as a sundial. The light of the sun is used to give the eyes expression as it moves through the day. Borglum learned the technique from Auguste Rodin while studying art in Paris and taught Luigi Del Bianco how to use it on the presidential faces. Borglum is credited as the sculptor of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, with the chief carver never having been recognized for his work. Luigi Del Bianco emigrated to the United States after serving in World War I and first settled in Barre, Vermont, where a group of Italian stonecutters had moved to work in the granite quarries. One of Luigi Del Bianco’s peers recognized his talent and recommended him to Borglum. The chief carver moved his wife and three sons to South Dakota for the project where
In an undated photo, Luigi Del Bianco stands on a scaffold next to the model of Lincoln’s head used to recreate the mountainside Rushmore version. Photos courtesy the Del Bianco family
his sons attended school and his wife ran the family. One son, Vincent, became enamored with horses and the Lakota Sioux Native Americans who lived on a reservation nearby. Luigi Del Bianco befriended some of the Native Americans, and on Sundays, the family would travel to the reservation where Nicoletta Del Bianco would serve up macaroni and sauce for 100 people or more. Later in his life, Luigi Del Bianco worked as a stone carver and created more than 500 of the headstones at St. Mary’s Cemetery located in Rye Brook. Lou Del Bianco only became close to his grandfather in his final years. The chief carver likely succumbed to lung disease in 1969. Starting in 1988, Lou Del Bianco teamed up with his Uncle Caesar to try and gain recognition for Luigi’s accomplishments. The lesson that Lou
A ratio of 5 feet to 60 feet was used to transfer the dimensions from paper to the mountainside. The same “grid method” is taught to art students today.
Del Bianco strives to convey in his presentations is one of perseverance. “If you have a passion, you should keep at it until you succeed,” he said. CONTACT: sarah@hometwn.com
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Visit us online www.mamaroneckreview.com Follow us on Twitter, @mamaroneckview Like us on Facebook, facebook.com/mamaroneckreview The Mamaroneck Review (permit #16661) is published by Home Town Media Group weekly for an annual subscription of $32. Application to mail at the peridcals postage rate is approved at Port Chester, N.Y., 10573. Periodicals postage paid at Port Chester and additional mailing offices.
The original design for the Mount Rushmore by sculptor Gutson Borglum called for the hands and torsos of the four presidents. However, that part of the design had to be scrapped when it was discovered that the rock beneath the heads was pegmatite granite which is too granular for carving. Photo courtesy pixabay.com
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 7
Marine Education Center slated for expansion By James Pero Staff Writer The Marine Education Center—located in the center of Mamaroneck’s Harbor Island Park—is slated to become even larger after the village Board of Trustees voted in favor of renovations on Jan. 25. Renovations will double the size of the center—which is currently about 200 square feet—to about 450 square feet. Although there is currently $30,000 of village funds devoted to the expansion, Village Manager Richard Slingerland said a final cost won’t be available until the construction project goes out to bid. The Marine Education Center, until the recent creation of an advisory committee, had
been run by village of Mamaroneck resident Katherine Desmond and her husband Jim. The education center was created in 2013 and provides both residents and non-residents with resources that help them learn about aquatic life in the Long Island Sound. Filled with fish tanks and books, and staffed by volunteer marine educators, Desmond told the Review that the center has been rewarding for both the volunteers and those who come to learn about the sound. “What a learning experience and great fun,” she said. The expanded space, Desmond said, will help them provide an even better education by accommodating more students and resources, and will also help the center secure more grants in
the future. “More space will add the potential for more funding,” she said, adding that organizations like the Long Island Sound Futures Fund could help the center in the future. While additional resources outside of expanding the space aren’t yet being allocated, according to Slingerland, the village board will continue to seriously mull over providing the Marine Education Center with more than just space. Slingerland said that the board may also look into hiring part-time workers to help the center provide a better and more consistent education. Currently, he said, the center has been run by a group of what he called “expert volunteers.” The decision to expand
The Marine Education Center at Harbor Island Park is slated to expand, doubling its size and displacing some key lockers in the process. Photos/Andrew Dapolite
the Marine Education Center, though passed unanimously by the board, was not entirely cut and dry. What to do with the adjacent fisherman lockers, which are set to be displaced by the expansion
More space isn’t the only thing the center is hoping for. Katherine Desmond, who ran the center with her husband, said that with a larger space, the center also has a better shot of procuring more grants.
Village of Tuckahoe considers fast food ban A recent controversy between Subway and the village of Tuckahoe has led to the consideration of a fast food ban. The ban would prohibit “formula fast food and formula quick casual.” According to Village Administrator David Burke, the Board of Trustees will likely vote on the matter sometime in late spring. The proposed change in the village law was precipitated by a controversy that erupted last summer when a Subway went through the permitting approval process in order to open up shop along the village’s Main
Street corridor. During a board meeting in July 2015, residents presented a 200-signature-long petition asking that zoning rules be amended to prevent any other chain restaurants from taking up residence in the village. If approved, the revisions to the existing code calling for a ban on “formula fast food and formula quick casual restaurants” include establishments with seven or more locations on a state or national level. For example, nationally, there are currently nearly 15,000 McDonald’s restaurants and 12,000 Burger King outlets, according to figures
provided by each company, and such establishments now won’t be allowed in Tuckahoe. Sit-down chain restaurants with menus and waitstaff such as Applebee’s would still be permitted after the ban, despite the fact that they are considered chains. However, since Subway has opened its doors, some village trustees have noticed increased foot traffic, a plus for small business owners on Main Street. “They’re kind of going back and forth on it,” Burke said about the village board. -Reporting by Sarah Varney
of the center, was also discussed. According to village Trustee Louis Santoro, a Republican, the lockers are critical to those who use the harbor and store their equipment there, and should be relocated to an indoor location
as opposed to an outdoor one, given the expensive nature of the equipment stored in them. “We have to be cognizant of everyone’s needs,” Santoro said. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
8 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
Larchmont mayor won’t seek re-election
development from page 1
In the upcoming election for the village of Larchmont, Trustee Lorraine Walsh, left, will run for mayor; Trustee Peter Fanelli is seeking re-election; and co-chair of the Traffic Commission, Carol Miller, will run for the first time for a seat on the Board of Trustees. Photos courtesy larchmontdemocrats.org
By KILEY STEVENS Staff Writer
Like a recent moratorium on residential developments in the village of Larchmont, the town of Mamaroneck put a similar pause on teardowns of single-family homes until the town board takes a hard look at land-use laws. Photo/Andrew Dapolite
What the board will do in the future to address the perceived problems with the town code and development trends remains
to be seen, but will materialize in the months to coming, according to Altieri. “Now we can take the time to
look and change the law appropriately,” Altieri said. CONTACT: james@hometwn.com
As the March elections approach for the village of Larchmont, the Board of Trustees will face changes to its leadership as some of the board’s stalwarts transition out. After serving two consecutive terms, Mayor Anne McAndrews, a Democrat, is stepping down from her position. McAndrews, 70, who has lived in the village since 1985, also served five nonconsecutive terms as a trustee before becoming mayor in 2012. “I’ve got the projects that were very important to me off the ground,” McAndrews said, citing infrastructure, the Palmer Avenue Streetscape, electric improvements and improvements to the water system. At the Democratic caucus held on Jan. 26, Trustee Lorraine Walsh, a Democrat, was one of three candidates nominated; Walsh was picked to fill McAndrews’ position. As of press time, Walsh, 52, appears to be unopposed. If she runs unopposed, this will mark the 10th consecutive village election that the local Republican Party has sat out. McAndrews has nothing but faith in Walsh, who served as deputy mayor this past year. “I think she’ll do a fabulous job,” McAndrews said, adding that she’s leaving the village “in good hands.” Because there is a year left on Walsh’s term as trustee, an interim trustee would be appointed to finish out her unex-
pired term. Walsh, who has served five years as a trustee, believes her knowledge of the “ins and outs” of the village will bode well for her, should she be elected mayor. The focus of her platform includes updating all of the systems within Village Hall to be more technologically advanced and seeing current projects to completion, including upgrades to the water system. Walsh would also like to work on green initiatives for the village, making it a more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient place to live, citing LED lights as an initiative she’d like to begin. She said another important part of her platform is to work with the Chamber of Commerce to ensure retailers’ success within the village. “I want to work closely with [the Chamber of Commerce] to bring new business to the village, and keep the retail space vibrant,” Walsh said. Trustee Peter Fanelli, a Democrat, will seek re-election for his third term on the village board. “I’m looking forward to continuing what the board has already started, in terms of dealing with the infrastructure and the needs of the community,” Fanelli, 56, said. Like McAndrews, longtime Trustee Marlene Kolbert, a Democrat, will step down from her seat on the board. “I’ve been on the board for 14 years,” Kolbert said. Kolbert, 78, who moved to Larchmont in 1966, also spent six years on the school board,
serving four of those years as president. “I thought after 20 years of service, it was time for someone else to take over,” she said. “I have loved every minute of my time on the Board of Trustees.” Taking over for her will be Carol Miller, a Democrat and current co-chair of the Traffic Commission. Miller, 60, has lived in Larchmont since 1985, and is a part-time lawyer in Manhattan. Miller said she will need to be brought up to speed in terms of the budget process, but she is looking forward to working on making infrastructure improvements to roads and lighting, and possibly creating bike lanes. Like Walsh, Miller hopes to bring life to the businesses in downtown Larchmont. “I am interested in doing whatever I can to help the merchants come up with strategies for the business district,” she said. Members of the Larchmont village Board of Trustees are elected to serve two-year terms with no annual compensation. Elections will be held on Tuesday, March 15. CONTACT: kiley@hometwn.com
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February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 9
Rye drug coalition to conduct online survey Prescription Drugs Commonly Abused Opioids— used for pain
Oxymorphone Hydromorphone Meperidine Diphenoxylate Codeine Fentanyl Morphine
A new Rye drug and alcohol coalition launched an online survey on Feb. 1 aimed at collecting data on parental attitudes and knowledge of their childrens’ drug and alcohol habits. Beyond gathering data, one of the main goals of the survey is to start a communitywide conversation about drug and alcohol use, according Nancy Pasquale, a co-founder of the Adults and Children Together, ACT, anti-drug coalition and member of the Rye City Board of Education. Those behind the survey hope it will engage as many members of the community across as many coalition member groups as possible, Pasquale said. The coalition will use data from the survey
Depressants— used for anxiety/sleep disorders
Stimulants— used for ADHD
Barbiturates Diazepine Alprazolam Clonazepam
Dextroamphetemine Methylphenidate Amphetamine
to pinpoint problems and then align the coalition groups best suited to address them. Rye Councilwoman Julie Killian, also a co-founder of ACT, echoed how important these types of conversations are. The coalition grew out of parental conversations about drug and alcohol concerns. “We had the feeling that this was something that we might need in our community,” Killian said. The city lags behind several neighboring communities including Larchmont and Mamaroneck that have longstanding coalitions in their communities. In Larchmont, the Responsible Action: Drug and Alcohol Resource, RADAR, coalition has existed for more than 20 years.
“We are very early in this process, as a community,” Pasquale said. Formed in October 2015, ACT includes representatives from organizations including the city of Rye Police Department, City Council, school district, Rye Youth Council, local clergy and St. Vincent’s Hospital Westchester in Harrison. During its one-year grant period, ACT will operate under the tutelage of the Westchester Community Coalition, a group that oversees and mentors drug and alcohol prevention groups throughout the county. The Westchester Community Coalition will provide mentoring services to Rye-ACT and act as a fiscal agent for the Rye startup. -Reporting by Sarah Varney
The Lazy Gardener wins best of customer service The Lazy Gardener of Larchmont has won Best of Customer Service on Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. The 7-year-old landscape design firm, which specializes in low-maintenance landscapes, was chosen by the more than 35 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals. Customer service honors are based on the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2015. A “Best of Houzz 2016” badge helps homeowners identify top-rated home professionals. Only 3 percent of the design professionals
listed on houzz.com receive this award. “We are so thankful to our clients for helping us achieve this award three years in a row. It shows we are committed to giving our clients the best service possible,” said Catherine Wachs, owner of The Lazy Gardener. “Anyone building, remodeling or decorating looks to Houzz for the most talented and serviceoriented professionals,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of industry marketing for Houzz. The Lazy Gardener started as a cable TV program, showcasing seasonal tips and organic methods for home gardeners. In 2007, the company transitioned to designing beautiful gardens, patios and water features for private
and municipal properties. Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, connecting millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow and Tokyo. For more information, visit houzz. com. (Submitted)
Matt is a handsome boy who may be a Carolina dog mix. He is about a year old and weighs 41 pounds. One of his eyes is part blue. Matt is very sweet but on the shy side, so it’s best he go to a home with another dog. He has fun in his foster home and loves running around the yard with his foster siblings. Matt is housebroken if kept on a schedule and sleeps through the night on his foster mom’s bed. He is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, heartwormtested and microchipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make Matt part of your home? To learn more, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)
10 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
Opinion-Editorial
LAW from page 1
began in the village last August when residents protested Best Breeds Puppies and Kittens, located at 154 Mamaroneck Ave. The owner of that store, Richard Doyle, who has since sold the business, was charged with three misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and one count of selling a diseased animal in connection with one of his other storefronts in Connecticut. Mamaroneck residents believed that Doyle was selling puppies obtained from puppy mills, establishments that breed dogs under inhumane conditions. Although Rosenblum wants to see the original proposed law passed, he hopes that his proposal will be passed immediately. It is also possible that the mayor’s proposed law could be added to
have a news tip? Contact your local reporters
40 years after the death of Paul Robeson By CLIFFORD JACKSON
Mayor Norman Rosenblum is proposing a law that would prohibit the sale of commercially bred animals in pet stores within the village of Mamaroneck. Photo/metrocreativeconnection.com
the initial proposal. Rosenblum said that it was the intention of the board to vote on the proposals at a Board of
Trustees meeting, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 22. CONTACT: kiley@hometwn.com
james pero james@hometwn.com kiley stevens kiley@hometwn.com
Jan. 23, 2016 was the 40th anniversary of the death of Paul Robeson. He was the most accomplished, educated and talented human being I have ever read about. He spoke in a stentorian fashion and commanded a presence that made him larger than life. Robeson graduated from Rutgers University where he was valedictorian and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He played for the NFL while getting a law degree from Columbia University, an unbelievable feat for anyone, especially a black man during this period in the early 1920s when the racist and evil apartheid system of this country was glaring north and south. His career as a lawyer ended after a secretary said, “I do not take dictation from a nigger.” Robeson spoke 20 languages, was a singer and a leading thespian on Broadway and Hollywood under the auspices and artistry of Eugene O’Neill. He performed Shakespeare’s character, Othello, to audiences in this country and throughout Europe. He was a human rights activist who spoke out against racism, Western imperialism and on behalf of workers’ rights to a decent wage and a sustainable standard of living. He used his amazing talents to fight and speak out against injustice. Robeson’s friendships with Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt had an influence on FDR when the president made his famous speech that “human beings have an inalienable right
to a sustainable living wage, basic medical care and a place to live.” Robeson also presented anti-lynching legislation to FDR because of the thousands of African-Americans that were being lynched, mutilated and burned alive by whites. Robeson said that his place was with the “common folk” who were an expression of the dignity of humankind, not the elite or aristocrats. Many of the things that he was fighting against are manifesting themselves today as far as the “New Jim Crow,” and the criminal treatment of workers by corporate America. Robeson was a focus here in Westchester, establishing a long friendship with the folk singer, writer and fellow human rights activist, Pete Seeger. They were both victims of the Peekskill Riots, where they were trying to perform a benefit concert on behalf of workers, trade unions and the “Civil Rights Congress” that future Congresswoman Bella Abzug was a member of. Benefit concerts for workers was something that Robeson did throughout his life. They, along with Woody Guthrie, were attacked with rocks and bottles, and were called “niggers” and “niggerloving Jews” by a white mob. The police and state troopers did nothing to prevent the mob from its barbaric act of domestic terrorism. Robeson was assailed because of his anti-racist, pro-Soviet views. While in the Soviet Union, he said, “A black man was not degraded, disrespected and dehumanized like he was in
the United States”—even though it was Robeson who promoted black enlistment into the Army during World War II. The hope was that fighting in the war might make America more civilized and humane toward its black war veterans. That was not the case, as many African-American veterans faced brutality and lynchings when they returned to the U.S. Robeson was, like other members of Hollywood, “blacklisted” and had his passport taken away in 1950 under the Truman administration. He spoke in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy. When asked by a committee member, “If you do not like it here in this country, then why don’t you leave?” Robeson said, “My father was a slave and died building the wealth of this country, and I am not going to let a fascist, narrow-minded individual prevent me from having a part in it, is that clear?” His passport was restored in 1958 because of a Supreme Court decision that said that Robeson had been denied his constitutional rights. His career as well as influence was never the same. Robeson was an expression of the best of the human condition, fighting against the evils and injustices in this country, regardless of the cost. My name is Clifford Jackson, and in the words of the great Paul Robeson, “Here is where I stand.” Clifford Jackson is a resident of Larchmont. The views expressed here are his own.
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.”
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 11
Digging in with The Diet Detective RHYMES WITH CRAZY Lenore Skenazy
It’s a cruel joke that the Super Bowl comes just a little over a month after we have resolved to forsake all wings, chips, dip, pizza, soda, beer, cheese sticks, Cheez-Its, Cheetos and anything else that is bright orange and vaguely food-like. Ha. That’s why every year around this time, the press turns its hungry eyes to Charles Platkin— a.k.a. The Diet Detective, a.k.a. Hunter College’s distinguished lecturer—for some of his trademark “equivalencies.” For instance: Working off the calories of a footlong Italian subsandwich would require you to walk the entire length of the Brooklyn Bridge—14 times. That’s a Dr. Platkin equivalency. So are these: Four swigs of Bud Light = eight minutes of playing pro football. One handful of pita chips with artichoke dip = running 141 football fields. Working off one measly Cheeto—one! = chanting and waving around a foam hand for two minutes. And God forbid you scarf down four Domino’s Stuffed Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Breadsticks. That requires 193 touchdown dances. So how did Platkin, a lawyer, publisher, technologist, real estate guy and bestselling author, become obsessed with translating calories into everyday activities? It all started when he was young—and tubby.
“I remember my doctor saying, ‘You’re not going to have a good social life because you’re fat,’” Platkin said. “And I was like, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’ But the truth was, I was ostracized as a child.” He was still overweight in early adulthood when he decided to write a book on how to truly change your life. This was after he’d gotten the law degree, but still was floundering—and single. “I was confused. I was thinking about changing behavior. I was overweight and had terrible relationships,” he said. So, for three years, he researched how real behavioral change happens. He was finally ready to hand in his manuscript when he realized something. “I hadn’t changed one behavior of my own!” So he decided to actually follow his own advice and, at last, he started losing weight. He also realized that the underlying cause of ending up “with difficult and strange kinds of women” was him. Changing required that word we hear so often lately: mindfulness. He had to pay attention to what he ate, and when. And who he dated, and why. He also had to stop feeling too embarrassed to ask for things like a plain grilled chicken breast when he went out to eat. In other words, he had to stop being ashamed to admit he knew he was fat and wanted to lose weight. He folded his stories into the book and it became the bestseller “Breaking the Pattern.” The great thing about mindfulness, Platkin says, is that you don’t have to be mindful for-
ever. He said if you had to use Google Maps every day to figure out what floor your office is on, that would be painful. (And you would need some other kind of help.) But after a short while, of course, you know the drill. It’s the same with figuring out what your food patterns are. And once you notice that every night, right before bed, you eat a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s, well then, all you have to do is start figuring out a “food swap”—an alternative. For Platkin, he started making swaps just like the ones you can make on Super Bowl Sunday: Toasted pita points instead of chips. Pizza without the mozzarella—add your own parmesan. Slow-churned Breyers instead of Ben & Jerry’s. The idea is to concentrate not on what you can’t have, but on what you can. And since we gobble down many foods without realizing just how fattening they are, he popularized the “equivalencies.” FYI: One bowl of chili = over an hour of cheerleading. Platkin is now married and has a daughter. One day, a couple years ago, he was walking her to school and saw her holding her tummy in. He asked why. Well, of course she was practicing looking skinny. “I just want you to know that you don’t ever have to worry about dieting or any of these things,” he told his daughter. Life is not about forsaking. It’s about embracing who you are and what you love. So long as it’s not Domino’s Stuffed Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Breadsticks. CONTACT: lskenazy@yahoo.com
Escape from winter with the art of flamenco By MARA RUPNERS Contributor Have you had enough of winter? Then let’s get out of here, and head on a journey to someplace warm. How about, for example, the rocky, sun-baked region on Spain’s southern coast known as Andalucía? Andalucía is a place that embodies all of our stereotypes of Spain: spirited and passionate, a fiesta-loving land of guitarwielding troubadours, reckless bullfighters, feisty operatic heroines. This simplistic portrait is no doubt a bit outdated and overly romantic, but it does carry an element of truth, and nowhere is this truth more evident than in the age-old art form of flamenco. Flamenco is part folk tradition, part high art. It mixes the gypsy music of the Romani people with the rhythms of North Africa, brought to Andalucía by the Moors—a rich blend that
makes flamenco a unique form of artistic expression, full of irrepressible, complex rhythms and anguished melodies. It includes cante (singing), toque (guitar-playing), baile (dance), jaleo (vocalizations), palmas (hand-clapping) and pitos (finger-snapping). This is no social dance you can pick up in a lesson or two; it is performance art at its finest and its technical demands are arduous. Mastery requires years of training and dedication, and the intensity of emotion generated during a professional performance is truly something unforgettable. Escape from winter and experience this unique art form for yourself on Friday, Feb. 26, when the NYC-based Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana brings “Poema de Andalucía,” a choreographic journey through the Andalusian provinces, to the Concert Hall at The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College.
The performance begins at 8 p.m., tickets are $35 to $45, and good seats are still available. Also at The Perfoming Arts Center this month: The Monterey Jazz Festival on tour on Feb. 13; a National Theatre Live screening of “Jane Eyre” on Feb. 14; the Martha Graham Dance Company on Feb. 20; chamber music ensemble Decoda on Feb. 21; live-action graphic novel “Intergalactic Nemesis” on Feb. 27; and cellist Zuill Bailey in recital on Feb. 28. Visit The Center’s website for event details and tickets. Mara Rupners is the director of marketing at The Performing Arts Center. The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, N.Y. 10577 Box Office: 251-6200 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, noon to 6 p.m. and on weekends before performances Website: artscenter.org
County announces new drop boxes for unused meds Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino recently announced that 12 additional drop boxes for unused prescription drugs have been brought to the county, thanks to an $8,000 state grant secured by Sen. Terrence Murphy, a Yorktown Republican. The proper disposal of unused prescription medication is critical so they do not get into our water systems or into the hands of people who can misuse them. Both men spoke of the local heroin epidemic that can often start with prescription drug abuse. “Prescription medication can be a lifesaver when properly used, but when not properly disposed of they can be a real health and safety issue,” Astorino said. “Thanks to Sen. Murphy’s efforts, we have delivered 12 more of these receptacles, where residents can take their unused medications for proper disposal. Don’t throw them in the trash, don’t flush them down the toilet and don’t just leave them lying around the house. Go to your nearest drop box and dispose of them properly.” “I am proud to partner with County Executive Rob Astorino and to be able to deliver the needed grant money to make this project a reality,” Murphy said. “Hav-
From left, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Legislator Francis Corcoran, of Bedford, and State Sen. Terrence Murphy, of Yorktown. Astorino announced that more drop boxes for unused prescription drugs will be available countywide, thanks to a $8,000 grant secured by Murphy. Photo courtesy Westchester County
ing hosted a number of medication take-back programs, at which we averaged nearly 200 pounds of discarded medications, it became clear more disposal options were needed for our residents.” Westchester County is a pioneer in the Med Return effort, having started the practice back in 2008. The Astorino administration has dramatically increased the number of municipalities
equipped with them, and after Jan. 27’s announcement, the total number of drop boxes within the county stands at 38. Astorino and Murphy were joined at a press conference unveiling a new drop box at the North Salem Police Department by Legislator Francis Corcoran, a Bedford Republican, and North Salem Supervisor Warren Lucas. (Submitted)
12 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
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legal notices Notice of Formation of TLE Fitness, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/14/15. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Tracy Eck, 14 Highland Park Place, Rye, NY 10580. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Lowell Joseph Gallin, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/29/15. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 142 Sherman Avenue, White Plains, NY 106072415. Purpose: Any lawful activity. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District shall hold a public hearing on the 23rd day of February, 2016 at 7:00 PM in the Tiered Classroom at Mamaroneck High School for the purpose of discussion of the Board of Education adopting the Preliminary Smart Schools Invest Plan. Joanne Rice, District Clerk
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Super Bowl? Super boring LIVE MIKE Mike Smith
I can’t really explain it, but here we are, just days from the biggest sporting event of the calendar year, and I’m having trouble getting “super” excited. Even if you aren’t a fan of the NFL, even if you haven’t watched a down of football all season, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to tune in on Sunday and watch the Panthers play the Broncos in Super Bowl 50; it’s just kind of what America does. The two best teams on the planet going at it, a tonnage of star power, all the trappings of pageantry and excess that have come to define the NFL, and here I sit, overwhelmingly ambivalent about it all. On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense. If you’re looking from a dramatic narrative, this Super Bowl
has it. I mean, just look at the quarterbacks. On one side, you have Peyton Manning, the most prolific passer in the history of the NFL, playing in what may be his last football game. If Peyton represents the NFL’s past, his counterpart on the Panthers, Cam Newton, is clearly its future. At just 26 years old, Newton has put together an MVP season this year and is well on his way to becoming the face of the league, like Manning—and New England’s Tom Brady— were before him. On the surface, can you ask for a more compelling storyline? The aging gunslinger returns to town for one final draw-down with the pistolero who grew up idolizing him; it’s the stuff of Hollywood. Unfortunately for Manning, this story won’t likely end with him riding off triumphantly into the sunset. Conventional wisdom has long held the Super Bowl as a game destined to be something
of a disappointment. With two weeks of hype leading into the big game, it’s not hard to see why; anything less than a game that is decided in the final minutes couldn’t possibly live up to the hoopla surrounding the event. But we’ve gotten kind of spoiled for the last decade or so in terms of Super Bowl finishes. Between the Giants’ wins over the Patriots in 2008 and 2012, the Steelers’ 27-23 win over the Cardinals in 2009, the epic blackout game between the 49ers and the Ravens in 2013, and last year’s game-winning interception to cement another Lombardi Trophy win for the Pats, these games have been tremendously competitive. The last real dud, so to speak, was two years ago when Seattle put a 43-8 whoopping on—you guessed it—Peyton and the Broncos. I mean, that game was out of hand by the time the coin-flip was over. And, like it or not, that’s how
I see Sunday’s game unfolding too. Manning was great once, but he no longer has the arm strength to make the big downfield throws. Denver’s ground game is largely ineffective, too. Sure, the Broncos have a formidable defense, one that was able to pin its ears back two weeks ago and knock Tom Brady around, but then again, Brady isn’t a 6-foot-5, 250-pound phenom with a rocket arm and wideout speed like Newton. Between Cam’s brilliance, a tough stable of running backs and a Carolina defense that’s every bit as talented as Denver’s, it’s tough to see a scenario in which this game turns out to be competitive. I’m still going to be tuning in, regardless. It’s Super Bowl Sunday, after all, and crazier things have happened. Maybe Manning can turn back the clock one last time and turn in a Super Bowl performance for the ages. Maybe the Broncos’ pass rushers can disrupt Newton’s rhythm and somehow limit the damage he can do with his legs. Maybe Panthers’ coach Ron Rivera’s risk-taking blows up in Caro-
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 13
On Feb. 7, the Broncos and the Panthers will square off in Super Bowl 50. Sports Editor Mike Smith is just hoping the game is halfway competitive. Photo courtesy NFL.com
lina’s face in a big spot and gives Denver a chance to win it late. It’s unlikely, but the idea that we might see something unexpected is why we watch this game in the first place.
Let’s just hope the fireworks aren’t limited to the halftime show.
Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports
Mamaroneck man named Iona Prep football coach Iona Preparatory School has turned to one of its own to fill its varsity football head coaching vacancy. Joe Spagnolo, a 1998 Iona Prep Upper School graduate and former varsity quarterback, has been named head coach. Spagnolo, a longtime assistant coach at Archbishop Stepinac, succeeds Vic Quirolo, who chose to step down in December after 13 years as head football coach but remains the Gaels’ head basketball coach. “Joe brings passion, energy and an organizational skill set that we found very attractive,” said Iona Prep Director of Athletics Bernard A. Mahoney, who received more than 30 applications for the coaching position. “We’ve seen the success that he’s been a part of at Stepinac, and his familiarity with us and the league also played a big role [in his hiring].” “I’m excited to be back; it’s been a long time,” said Spagnolo,
adding that he got chills being back at his alma mater for the interview. “I’m thrilled about the opportunity.” Spagnolo, 36, was Stepinac’s offensive coordinator for the last 10 years and associate head coach for the last five. During his tenure, he helped coach a quartet of Journal News Player of the Year winners—Rashaad Slowley (2007), Tyrell Goodman (2010), Austin Taps (2011) and T.J. Morrison (2015)—and the Crusaders excelled as a team, particularly recently. The Crusaders were 12-0 last season and won the Catholic High School Athletic Association, CHSAA, state championship. In 2014, their lone loss came in the CHSAA state final. The Gaels, meanwhile, will look to improve upon their 2-7 showing in 2015, just a year after they advanced to the CHSAA AAA final against Stepinac. Mahoney doesn’t think the Gaels
will have to wait long for a turnaround under Spagnolo. “He has connections with area youth football organizations,” Mahoney said. “And he speaks about the program more than just the team—he’ll bring together all levels. He’s the right guy at the right time.” “The biggest thing in high school sports is putting kids in the right positions to be successful,” Spagnolo said, adding that the academic and athletic competition he faced as a student at Iona Prep prepared him well. “I would not have been as prepared for college had I not gone to Iona Prep.” Spagnolo is a 2002 graduate of Bryant College, having transferred from Siena College following his sophomore year; he played quarterback for both. He grew up in nearby Eastchester, where he played Blue Devils football. Spagnolo lives with his wife, Laura, and 10-month-old son, Joseph, in Mamaroneck.
Joe Spagnolo, of Mamaroneck, has been named Iona Prep’s new head coach of varsity football. Spagnolo is an alumnus of the school having graduated in 1998. Photo/David Spagnolo
Reaccredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges & Schools in 2015, Iona Preparatory School K-12 sits on 37 acres of suburban green in New Rochelle, where it educates young men to be moral and ethi-
cal leaders. Iona Prep develops the whole person in the heritage of Blessed Edmund Rice and the American Catholic tradition to be lifelong learners, responsible to their commitment of service to others, confident in their self-
worth, while being supported by a challenging and innovative college-preparatory curriculum in relationship with a dedicated and caring faculty and community. For more information, visit IonaPrep.org. (Submitted)
14 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016
SPORTS
Cheerleaders take mat at counties By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor Last week, several of the area’s top cheerleading squads traveled to the Westchester County Center in White Plains to compete in the 67th annual Westchester County Cheerleading Invitational. The two-day competition, which took place on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, saw teams battle for local supremacy and get in some much-needed work before traveling to Orlando, Florida, for the Universal Cheerleading Association’s national championship event this week. North Rockland nabbed the top spot in the Grand Championships for the third year in a row, but a number of local squads, including Eastchester and New Rochelle, also fared well in the event. Both the Eagles and Huguenots performed well enough in their first performances to earn a spot in the Jan. 28 Grand Championship round. Eastchester coach Samantha Kearns said that while her team may not have been its best on Jan. 27, its performance hinted at what the team is capable of. “They did great, but they are capable of so much more,” she said. “When they hit, they are dynamite, and we had some al-
Mamaroneck competes at the 67th annual Westchester County Cheerleading Invitational.
ternates in, we had a couple of injuries, but I think they did pretty well.” Like the Eagles, the Huguenots fell short of their county title goal, but New Rochelle coach Chrissy Stanionis was still impressed with her team’s performance. “The season’s been going great, we have a very difficult routine, and our scores kind of threw me for a loop,” she said. “But the one thing we’ve talked
about as a team is fighting for everything, getting through the mistakes and relying on each other out on the mat.” Eastchester, New Rochelle and Harrison, who also competed at the County Center, will all be heading to Florida for nationals, which will begin on Feb. 6, but the teams are also in the mix for the first-ever New York State Cheerleading Championship to be held on March 5 in Syracuse. “Nationals has always been
Harrison cheerleaders pump up the crowd at the Westchester County Center on Jan. 28.
our big thing, so I think the girls are a little unsure of what this state championship will mean,” Kearns said. “It’s going to be interesting to see what a state championship is going to look like.” Stanionis said that while her team is looking forward to trying to qualify for states, something
Eastchester’s cheerleading team in action at the Westchester County Center on Jan. 27. Photos/Mike Smith
New Rochelle cheerleaders compete at the 2016 Westchester County Cheerleading Invitational on Jan. 28. The Huguenots will compete at nationals in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 6.
they will attempt to do at a Feb. 27 meet at Harrison High School, the team’s sights are firmly set on a strong showing in Orlando. “I’m sure the school would like us to attend the state cham-
pionship in its first year, and the girls know that,” she said. “But right now, our focus is on nationals, and we will zone in on the state level when we get back.” Contact: sports@hometwn.com
SPORTS
February 5, 2016 • The MAMARONECK review • 15
Huskies host Coaches vs. Cancer showcase By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor On Jan. 30, eight Section I teams took the court at Harrison High School to compete in the Lower Hudson Basketball Coaches Association’s annual Coaches vs. Cancer showcase. Several local squads, including Harrison, Rye and Mamaroneck, were in action, hoping to build momentum as the playoffs approach while raising money for cancer research. The Coaches vs. Cancer program, founded in 1994, is a nationwide collaboration between basketball coaches and the American Cancer Society, aimed to raise money for cancer research and awareness through basketball. Since 2011, the LHBCA has held its annual event, alternating sites between schools in Rockland, Putnam, Duchess and Westchester counties. On Saturday, it was Harrison’s turn. “We were lucky enough to be asked to play last year, in Brewster,” Harrison coach Gary Chi-
arella said. “[The organizers] liked our facilities and this year was a Westchester year, so they asked if we would host.” The program has raised more than $87 million nationwide since its inception. “All of the money from tickets and concessions went to the charity,” Chiarella explained. “We were more than pleased to be involved with this.” Chiarella’s Huskies had plenty to be happy about on Saturday, as they beat Pearl River handily in the night game, topping the Pirates 63-41. Mike Nannariello led the way for Harrison with 14 points, 12 of which came in the third quarter, while Zach Evans scored eight points en route to being named the game’s MVP. Prior to the Huskies’ game, Class AA Saunders squared off with conference foe Fox Lane, downing the Foxes 50-32 thanks to 17 points from senior guard Anthony Miller. In the day’s second game, Mamaroneck fell to Yorktown 50-46 after a spirited second-half comeback, spurred by Miles Haugh-
Brett Egan fires a shot from the corner.
ton’s 23-point performance, fell just short. In the tipoff, Rye withstood a late charge from John Jay East Fishkill, topping their foes 51-44 after outscoring the Patriots 20-3 in the first quarter. Despite the Panthers’ surge in the second half, Rye’s Charlie Nagle, who had 21 points, said that the Garnets never felt overwhelmed by the pressure. “Coach told us at halftime that they were a good team and they could come back easily,” Nagle said. “We just had to keep on playing together... in order to win this game.” As for Rye’s participation in the event, Chiarella said he was happy for the Garnets’ involvement, but only wished that there was a little more time in between the Coaches vs. Cancer showcase and their rival’s next trip to Harrison on Feb. 1. “It was nice, they wanted to be involved,” Chiarella joked. “I just don’t really like them playing one game before they’re coming here to play us.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
Mamaroneck’s Miles Haughton brings the ball up the court at the Coaches vs. Cancer showcase at Harrison High School. Haughton had 23 points in the Tigers’ loss to Yorktown.
Emerson Genovese goes up for a layup on Jan. 30. Photos/Mike Smith
Charlie Nagle cuts toward the lane on Jan. 30 against John Jay. Nagle scored 21 points in the Garnets’ 51-44 win over the Patriots.
16 • The MAMARONECK review • February 5, 2016