Mamaroneck REVIEW THE
November 17, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 46 | www.mamaroneckreview.com
In Westchester, ‘Trump-Effect’ nets huge gains for Dems By JAMES PERO Staff Writer
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester hosted its 12th annual A Taste of Westchester, giving attendees a chance to try more than 30 of the county’s finest dining establishments, while raising money to fund a park for children with and without disabilities. For story, see page 6. Photo/Sibylla Chipaziwa
First application received under new village brewery law By JAMES PERO Staff Writer With a new microbrewery law recently set in place, the village of Mamaroneck is slated to begin processing its first application—a brewing operation by Half Time Beverage—later this month. Half Time Beverage, located
on Hoyt Avenue, is set to unveil its proposal to add a microbrewery and a tasting pub to its current storefront before the Board of Trustees at its Nov. 29 meeting, marking the first application under the new law allowing breweries to open up on a section of Hoyt Avenue; that law was passed in October.
According to Trustee Leon Potok, a Democrat, dissecting local law surrounding breweries, distilleries and other similar establishments has involved juggling several different factors and potential impacts. “We’re trying to encourage business activities in our commercial districts,” Potok said.
“The question is, ‘What are the right types of commercial activities to put in those places.’” Laws surrounding micro-alcohol were revamped in part because of concerns from trustees over how the introduction of micro-alcohol establishments LAW continued on page 9
Anti-Trump sentiments fueling voter angst rose from merely prognostications to a blue wave of Democratic voters this year helping push the party to victory in Westchester County as well as key states across the country. On top of state Sen. George Latimer’s sound defeat of Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, Democrats saw major gains in the county’s Legislature, where successful challenges helped increase a partisan advantage from nine seats to 12, securing a super majority and mirroring party success throughout city, town and village elections. According to Doug Forand, a senior partner at political consulting firm Red Horse Strategies in Brooklyn, New York, Democratic wins this election cycle—a non-presidential, offyear election usually characterized by tepid voter turnout— weren’t just a result of success on the campaign trail, but a product of strategic opposition to President Donald Trump. The outcome has been termed the “Trump-Effect.” “[Trump opposition] was a very significant element of this
election season,” Forand said. “We weren’t surprised. We’ve done a couple special elections and we started to see this wave materializing.” According to Forand, whose firm worked on the Latimer campaign as well as campaigns of other Democrats in the county, like most strategists and Democratic candidates moving to capitalize on simmering resentment toward the Trump administration, he was unsure of what the magnitude of Trump opposition would be, but with passing time and the crystallization of solid voting data, its efficacy has been borne out, and indicates a full-blown political phenomenon. Forand said that Red Horse has already begun to analyze the results of previous Westchester County executive races, and according to the firm’s calculations, voter turnout in this election has outpaced the last four executive races, with the closest turnout coming in 2005 when nearly 9,000 less voters re-elected Democrat Andy Spano over then-challenger Astorino. But compared to 2013—the last county executive race which TRUMP continued on page 8
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