WCP_41626

The Westchester County Press Post Office Box 152, White Plains, NY 10602

97 YEARS

VOL. XCVII NO. 16

County Press The Westchester

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHITE PLANS, NY PERMIT # 5069

“Documenting Our History for the Future.”

ISSN 0043-3373

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026

MEMBER OF NNPA

County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson and Community Impact Alliance members toast the historic occasion.

Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson Launches Community Impact Alliance During National Public Health Week Remarks by Jewel Williams Johnson

Good evening. It is truly an honor to stand before you today in a space that reflects the very spirit of what we are building.

There is something especially fitting about launching this Alliance here at the Westchester Community Health Center during National Public Health Week. This year’s theme calls on us to recognize how public health has improved our daily lives, safeguarded our families, expanded our life spans, and strengthened our communities. It also asks us to honor the public health

workers who show up for us every day—and to advocate for policies and practices that promote good health for all.

What a powerful and timely reminder.

Because public health is so often the invisible architecture beneath our lives. It is in the water that is safe to drink, the food that is safer to eat, the screenings that catch illness early, the vaccinations that prevent suf-

COMMUNITY ALLIANCE, Cont’d. on page 2

Digital Copy: www.westchestercountypress.com

2 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson Launches Community Impact Alliance During National Public Health Week

fering, the maternal health efforts that protect mothers and babies, and the mental health support that helps hold families together.

It is one of those rare forces in society that is everywhere, and yet too often appreciated only when something goes wrong. It is the sturdy bridge we cross every day without always stopping to think about who built it, who maintains it, and who makes sure it holds.

So before I go any further, I want us to do exactly what this week calls us to do: honor the public health workers who show up for us every day, including the dedicated professionals, providers, caregivers, and staff right here in this very center.

They deserve our gratitude, our respect, and our applause.

Because if we are serious about strengthening our communities, then we must be equally serious about strengthening health—physical health, mental health, maternal health, environmental health, and the conditions that allow people not merely to survive, but to truly live.

A strong community cannot be built on a weak foundation. And

health is part of that foundation.

You cannot talk about opportunity without talking about health.

You cannot talk about stability without talking about care. You cannot talk about a thriving future without talking about the systems that help people remain well enough to reach it.

That is one of the reasons today matters so deeply.

I want to begin as well by extending my sincere gratitude to our host, Judith Watson, for opening these doors and for capably leading an institution that reminds us every day what it means to center care, dignity, and access. And to Jan Fischer—a connector, a champion, and a true partner—thank you for all you do.

I also want to acknowledge my colleagues in government: our wonderful New York State Senator Shelley Mayer; Legislator David Imamura, with whom I share Greenburgh; Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown; and White Plains City Councilperson Evelyn Santiago.

In 1854, a physician named John Snow faced a deadly cholera out-

County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson (District 8)

break in London. At the time, many believed cholera spread through bad air.

But Snow asked a different question. He followed the evidence, mapped the pattern, and discovered that the outbreak was tied to a contaminated water pump.

COMMUNITY ALLIANCE, Cont’d. on page 2

DiNapoli: Despite 3rd Straight Year of State Workforce Expansion, OT Costs Increased by $1.6B in 2025

THOMAS P. DiNAPOLI NYS Comptroller

ALBANY, NY -- New York State agency overtime costs increased 22.7% in 2025 for a total of $1.6 billion, while the number of overtime hours increased by 5.9%, or 1.4 million hours, higher than the previous year, according to the annual report issued today

by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli examining state agencies’ overtime and workforce trends. The size of the state workforce, not including SUNY and CUNY, grew for a third straight year in 2025 increasing by 2.7%, or 4,139 positions, from 2024, to an average annual total of 155,448.

“The use of overtime by state agencies continued to climb with overtime as a share of payroll at its second highest rate since at least 2007,” DiNapoli said.

“Agencies need to ensure usage is justified while continuing to safely and effectively provide the services New Yorkers expect and deserve.”

Overtime hours and earnings have continued to surge at the Department of Corrections and Commu-

nity Supervision (Corrections), growing by 1.3 million hours and $264 million in 2025, the most of any agency. The agency experienced a 29.8% decrease in workforce since 2020 when there were 8,544 more employees than in 2025. Between 2024 and 2025, the Corrections workforce decreased by over 2,700 while overtime hours per employee grew 32.7% to reach an average of 432 hours – nearly triple what it was in 2020. These figures were influenced by the strike by some Corrections employees that took place between Feb. 17, 2025 and March 10, 2025.

Key Findings: • In 2025, total state payroll costs were $22.4 billion, with overtime totaling $1.6 billion. Overtime earnings as a share of total payroll grew from 4.3% in 2016 to 7.3% in 2025 • Three agencies accounted for more than twothirds of the state’s overtime in 2025. Corrections, the Office for People With Developmental Disabili-

DiNAPOLI, Cont’d. on page 11

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, ,2026 • 3

Harckham Honors Three SD40 Residents at Jazz Appreciation Month Commemoration Katonah, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham commemorated the 25th anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month today by honoring three Senate District 40 residents—cellist Akua Dixon and guitarist John Scofield, both Katonah residents, and drummer-vocalist Tony Jefferson, a Peekskill resident—for their jazz artistry and contributions to the music and culture of the state.

The three jazz artists were joined by family members and friends at a special ceremony here at the Katonah Village Library, where they received a Senate Proclamation from Harckham. Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves welcomed the audience to the event.

“It’s great that we have so many noteworthy jazz artists here in the 40th Senate District,” said Harckham. “Jazz embraces tradition and innovation, finds strength in diverse voices, and allows for both individualistic expression and collective unity. I am privi-

(Left to right) NYS Senator Pete Harckham, Tony Jefferson, John Scofield, and Akua Dixon. at the Katonah Village Library. (PHOTO Credit: Office of State Sen. Pete Harckham / Tom Staudter]

leged to honor these three local jazz musicians, composers and educators for their incredible contributions to our culture, which have benefited us all over the years.”

Harckham noted that jazz originated in New Orleans

Celebrate the legacy, power, and promise of Black entrepreneurship at the sixth Annual Countywide Juneteenth Kick-Off, where culture, commerce, and community come together in one unforgettable celebration. This year’s theme, “Built by Us: The Black Blueprint of American Business,” honors the generations of Black business owners who built opportunity, created pathways, and shaped the economic landscape of America.

Join us for an inspiring weekend that highlights the brilliance and resil-

and became popular in Chicago. But since the mid1920s, the beginning of the Jazz Age, New York City has been the jazz capital of the world, with many jazz artists were calling the Hudson Valley home.

JAZZ, Cont’d. on page 6

ience of Black-owned businesses, local talent, and community leadership.

From engaging speakers and live entertainment to a vibrant business expo and fashion showcase, this celebration invites everyone to shop, connect, learn, and support the entrepreneurs building the future right here in Westchester.

For more information about the Business Directory, contact TuckahoeJuneteenth22@gmail.com by 5/8 for details.

4 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

NFIB Releases Report Detailing Benefits of 20% Small Business Tax Deduction Becoming Permanent in New York ALBANY, NY (April 15, 2026) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released a new report outlining the economic benefits and massive tax savings the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction will bring to the 2.4 million small businesses in New York now that it has been made permanent. The report also details several other federal tax relief wins that were signed into law.

Additionally, New York is projected to gain 71,000 new jobs annually over the next 10 years if the deduction remains in place, including an annual GDP increase of $6.1 billion for the first decade and $12.6 billion per year beyond 2035.

“Small businesses are under a tremendous amount of financial pressure right now. The 20%

The Westchester

County Press

(ISSN 0043-3373) is published weekly on Thursday in White Plains, New York. Copies: 40¢. Yearly Subscription: $25.00, two years: $45.00. National Advertising representative: National Newspaper Publishers Association. Local and national advertising rates on request.

Paper founded August 1, 1928 to serve the County of Westchester, New York.

Sandra T. Blackwell President, Publisher & Editor Carolyn B. Coleman Vice President Alyce T. Coleman Executive Editor Bruce L. Bozeman, Esq. Legal Counsel Celeste Coleman-Housey, Ed.D. Art Director/Managing Editor Editorial & Advertising Offices P.O. Box 152 White Plains, NY 10602

Telephone:(914) 953-2620 Member: National Newspaper Publishers Association

Small Business Deduction eases some of the pressure and enables owners to reinvest in their businesses,” said NFIB New York State Director Ashley Ranslow. “It removed a lot of uncertainty going forward and puts them in a better position to serve their employees, their customers, and their communities.”

Since 2017, the Small Business Tax Deduction has allowed small businesses to deduct up to 20% of their business income. This has empowered them to grow, hire, invest in their employees, and give back to their communities. Without action

by Congress, this essential tax deduction was set to expire at the end of 2025.

After being passed by Congress, President Trump signed legislation on July 4, 2025, making the Small Business Tax Deduction permanent.

This permanent tax relief means America’s small businesses can use more of their hard-earned money to support their business and employees instead of sending it to their state and federal government. It also provides certainty and levels the playing field for small businesses against their large corporate competitors.

County Youth Bureau to Host MBK Summit April 21st Westchester County Youth Bureau will be hosting a Hudson Valley MBK Summit for approximately 400 high school MBK students from districts across the region.

Please join us for the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Hudson Valley Leadership Summit on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 8:30am to 1:30pm at The Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York.

PUBLISHER

1986-2009

M. Paul Tells All

By M. Paul Redd, Sr. August 11, 1928 - January 9, 2009

Political Candidates and The Black Press

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper Chairman of the Board of Directors, NNPA

DR. JOHN E. WARREN

With about six weeks until the California Primary on June 2, 2026, there are a number of candidates in the Democratic Party seeking the gubernatorial nomination for the November General Election. Most of them are so busy campaigning in their own silos that they appear to have forgotten that Black people in California do vote and that we will be voting on June 2nd, 2026.

The real problem is how the candidates seem to determine how to reach the Black Voter. Many of the Black people who do vote are not on social media. Many of the people on social media do not vote.

Newspapers, before social me-

dia, and even now, carry the pulse of the people. The Editorials and commentaries reflect the mood and views of the people. In the Black community, the Black Press has been the “trusted messenger” for 199 years.

The Black Press which we know as our Black newspapers, are the institutions we recognize and trust. How then can a candidate say he or she respects and wants the Black vote when they refuse to advertise their candidacy with Black newspapers, i.e., the Black Press.

One candidate for Governor was recently asked whether his campaign would seek to advertise in the Black Press. His response was that he had given some money to a well known Black journalist. The implication is that such a one time, one person advertisement should have been sufficient for all Black people. The only question for us should be, who else is running besides that individual?

How can it be alright to spend millions of dollars with White Media for the White vote, and okay not to spend any dollars to reach the Black Vote? We as Black people must return to the idea that when you disrespect our institutions, then you disrespect us. Let us not forget that people respect where they place their money.

Send your comments to the editor.

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, ,2026 • 5

From Curbside to Commodity: ELOC Students Visit Yonkers’ Materials Recycling Facility ceeds from the sale of recyclables.

This is not an abstraction for Black and Brown communities across Westchester. Cities like Mount Vernon, Yonkers, and New Rochelle — home to many of ELOC’s students — sit closer to industrial corridors, transfer stations, and other environmental burdens that come with gaps in environmental stewardship.

Teaching young people from these communities to understand the systems of waste and resource recovery isn’t just civics education; it is environmental justice in action. When communities are empowered to recycle correctly, they protect their neighborhoods, reELOC students take a look inside the Yonkers’ Materials Recyclying Facility. duce the demand for new raw maYONKERS, NY -- Students fuse Disposal District. About 90 percent of all residentially collected terial extraction, and ensure that from Environmental Leaders recyclable material in Westchester County passes through this single public revenues stay strong. of Color (ELOC) — a Mount facility. When trucks pull in, they dump their loads onto the tipping Growing Leaders, Vernon-based nonprofit that has floor — a massive staging area where recyclables are received and Growing Impact. been cultivating the next genera- fed into the sorting system. From there, conveyors carry the matetion of environmental advocates rial through a sophisticated series of machines: screens that separate The MRF offers educational since 2021 — recently had the by size, magnets that pull out steel cans, eddy-current separators that opportunity to trade the class- fling aluminum, and high-tech optical sorters that shoot thousands of tours free of charge to groups from room for the tipping floor. Their laser beams per second through each plastic container to identify the kindergarten through adulthood, destination: the Daniel P. Thom- resin type by code. The result is a series of neatly categorized material including school classes, scout as Material Recovery Facility streams — cardboard, mixed paper, glass, aluminum, steel, and plas- troops, and community organiza(MRF) in Yonkers, the center of tics — that are compressed into bales and sold to manufacturers who tions. Tours are by appointment only and available on weekdays. recycling in Westchester County. use them as raw material for new products.

ELOC students first saw all of this from an observation tower over- To schedule a tour for your group, The trip provided a front-row seat to the industrial machinery looking the operation, then got to explore the facility happenings up email the MRFTours@Westchesthat turns what residents toss into close and personal. They also explored the MRF’s Recycled Material terCountyNY.gov. their blue bins into something Art Gallery, located inside the Education Center, where six local artists For ELOC’s students — many genuinely valuable, for both the have created stunning works entirely out of recycled and reused mateenvironment and for the county’s rials — a vivid reminder that what looks like waste can be transformed of them young people from communities that have historically had into something beautiful. bottom line. the least say in environmental deWhy It Matters: Recycling Is Big Business for Westchester cisions that affect them most — Inside the MRF: Where standing on the observation deck Recycling Actually Happens Here is something most residents don’t realize: recycling generates of a facility that processes tens of The Yonkers Daniel P. Thom- real revenue for the county. In 2023, the MRF processed 65,929.27 thousands of tons of material evas MRF serves as the cornerstone tons of curbside recyclables, generating over $4 million in revenue ery year sends a message: You beof recycling efforts for the mu- from the sale of those materials. Under the county’s contract with its long in these conversations. You nicipalities in the County’s Re- facility operator, Westchester receives an 80 percent share of all pro- are part of the solution.

6 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

Harckham Honors Three SD40 Residents at Jazz Appreciation Month Commemoration AKUA DIXON Trailblazing cellist, composer and educator Akua Dixon, a Katonah resident once referred to as being “amongst the treasures of contemporary jazz,” is a native New Yorker, raised with one foot in Harlem and the other in the Bronx. She began playing the cello in 4th grade and continued her classical music studies at the High School of Performing Arts and on cello with Benar Heifetz at the Manhattan School of Music before playing in the pit bands of the Apollo, Broadway theaters and musical showcases downtown, backing the likes of James Brown, Diana Ross and Tony Bennett.

Dixon was 24 and playing with the Symphony of the New World when it premiered a new work

by Duke Ellington at Philharmonic Hall, with the maestro performing along with the ensemble—a career-changing moment. Simultaneously, Dixon also became part of a successful effort to gain opportunities and open up auditions for Black musicians in the city, working with the Congress of Racial Equality and other organizations. She was a co-founding member of the 30-piece orchestra called the String Reunion and the Max Roach Double Quartet while also working with her own string quartet on albums by Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Don Cherry, Betty Carter and many other artists. She eventually launched her Quartette Indigo, a string ensemble that included her older sister Gayle Dixon on violin.

Beginning in the 1990s Dixon sought to enhance the musical education of young people as well. She was a Musical Ambassador to the New York City schools through Carnegie Hall Education and had a similar role with Jazz at Lincoln Center before developing the Hip Hop Blues Project, which composed original works for students in New York and New Jersey each year. Later, she taught in the music department at Bard College.

Dixon continued her work as a freelance musical artist, writing string arrangements and playing on the five-time Grammy Award-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Aretha Franklin’s Grammy-nominated A Rose is Still a Rose while also playing cello in the Dance Theatre of Harlem Orchestra and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Orchestra, where she also conducted and notated the 1995 Judith Jamison ballet Riverside.

Dixon has released three albums of her own as a leader, including 2017’s acclaimed Akua’s Dance, and has appeared on over 80 other recordings as well. She is the recipient of the 1998 African American Classical Music Award from Spelman College, a National Endowment for the Arts grant that enabled her to make an archival re-

cording, Afrika! Afrika!, for solo cello and string orchestra, and a Rockefeller Foundation grant, which she used to workshop and present a reading of another work, The Opera of Marie Laveau, in 1989. A more recent project called We the People speaks to the themes of justice, equality and hope. Last year, Dixon was among the first cohort of awardees of the Mellon Foundation and the Jazz Foundation of America’s Jazz Legacies Award. She remains a vital creative force in the music world.

At the Jazz Appreciation Month ceremony, Dixon said, “After so many years playing music, the most interesting thing is you have to have a dream—something special and unique—that will help you claw through life until you can accomplish something important and people can understand your point of view. To be rewarded for that is special. Thank you so much!”

TONY JEFFERSON Tony Jefferson, a busy, irrepressible first-call jazz drummer and multi-instrumentalist and a longtime Peekskill resident, is the rare musician to add a whole new dimension to his artistry in mid-career. And that’s what Jefferson did back in 2011 when he stepped out from behind his drum kit to showcase his formidable talent as a jazz singer. Indeed, his singing has drawn comparisons to the stylish vocals of Nat ‘King’ Cole.

A New Rochelle native, Jefferson started on the snare drum in his fourth-grade music class and received his own drum kit when he was 13, about the same time he became interested in jazz. During his high school years he was already hanging out with the jazz musicians backstage at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village, and one memory that he particularly relishes is meeting the tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. After briefly attending Purchase College, Jefferson left school to pursue music full time. A scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston helped further his education and until the lure of steady work on the bandstand again interrupted his studies.

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jefferson began to work steadily and record with Kenny Drew Jr., a renowned jazz pianist. He eventually moved to Peekskill to better advance his jazz career, later receiving invaluable mentoring from saxophonist-keyboardist Eddie Harris and guitarist John Abercrombie. Before long Jefferson was backing up jazz legends like trumpeter Clark Terry, saxophonist Frank Wess and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith plus many Hudson Valley jazz artists. In 1992,

Jefferson placed third in the Thelonious Monk International Drum Competition. He is known—and valued for—his hard swinging, impeccable timing and a remarkable sense of musicality. Always a curious student of music, Jefferson even started playing the clarinet and alto saxophone while in his thirties.

Jefferson got early encouragement as a singer from legendary vocalist Sheila Jordan, bassist Cameron Brown and pianist-vocalist Dena DeRose. Following a period of serious study and lessons, he released his acclaimed album Tony Jefferson Sings! in 2011. A veteran of the Jazz Ambassador Tours and Jazz for Young People Program through Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jefferson also was a founding member of the Westchester Jazz Orchestra. He continues to work as a popular jazz clinician and music educator, teaching workshops and master classes around the world.

Always remarkably busy in the jazz world, Jefferson has also exhibited his fine art and drawings at local galleries.

In his remarks at the awards ceremony, Jefferson said, “I am lucky to have a life filled with jazz that I can share with musicians both here in the United States and abroad. I more than appreciate jazz—I love jazz.”

JOHN SCOFIELD One-of-a-kind jazz guitarist John Scofield, a three-time Grammy Award winner and acclaimed as one of the music world’s most heralded improvisers, is an artist who finds new challenges across limitless boundaries. He first made a name for himself playing with cool jazz architects Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan before working with other jazz greats like Billy Cobham, George Duke, Gary Burton and Charles Mingus. Most notably, John was a half-dozen albums into his solo career when he joined Miles Davis’s band in 1982, staying with the trumpeter for the next three-and-ahalf years and then resuming his solo career.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in Wilton, Connecticut, John took up the guitar at age 11, when he was already enthralled by jazz, blues and rock bands like the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Blues Project, Cream and the Jeff Beck Group. He studied in Boston at the Berklee College of Music (which later conferred him an honorary doctorate) before launching his professional career; his first solo album was released in 1978. Over the years he has recorded and toured with a number of different bands and with other jazz luminaries like Joe Lovano, Steve Swallow, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Harris, Jack DeJohnette and even with fel-

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, ,2026 • 7

Celebration of Life Service Held for Lorraine Scott Ward Obituary

PEEKSKILL, NY -- A Celebration of Life Service was held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Peekskill, NY, for Mrs. Lorraine Scottt Ward.

holy matrimony with Walter T. “Fuzzy” Ward in East Elmhurst, New York. Together, they built a loving home in Cortlandt Manor, where she resided for fifty years. Lorraine dedicated 35 years of her life to education, teaching in Peekskill Middle School, Yorktown Heights BOCES, and Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry. She was the founder and teacher of Giant Steps Pre-School in Cortlandt Manor, New York. Twenty-seven years ago, Lorraine founded her beloved Words of Wisdom (WOW) Book Club, and often delighted the members from time to time by checking up on them.

Lorraine was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Walter; her son, Kenneth; her brother, Hampton; and other cherished loved ones.

Lorraine Scott Ward was born on August 3, 1939, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the late Hampton M. Scott and Gladys M. Redd. She peacefully departed this life on March 20 while receiving hospice care at Phelps Memorial Hospital.

At an early age, Lorraine accepted Christ, was baptized, and became a member of Zion Hill Baptist Church. She later joined Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, where she faithfully served for 28 years.

She eventually became a devoted member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, contributing over 20 years of service through the church anniversary, archive, and food pantry ministries.

Lorraine received her early education in the Prince Edward County school system in Farmville, Virginia, graduating as salutatorian from R.R. MoLORRAINE SCOTT WARD ton High School. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from Hampton initiated into the Gamma Theta chapter of Alpha Institute (now Hampton University) in Virginia Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She went on and later obtained a Master of Science degree in to become a founding member of the Xi Chi OmeReading Education from the College of New Ro- ga chapter in Cortlandt, New York, and achieved chelle in New York. lifetime membership in the sorority in 2007.

During her undergraduate years, Lorraine was On August 22, 1964, Lorraine was united in

low guitarist Pat Metheny. All in all, John has appeared on more than 100 albums throughout his career, including nearly 50 as a leader or co-leader, some with his Blue Matter Band and group called Bass Desires.

In the mid-1990s, John moved into a musical direction that incorporated funk and soul-jazz into his sound, crafting extended improvisations that earned him wide approval by the jam band community. He also started a substantive collaboration with British contemporary music composer Mark-Anthony Turnage that resulted in two albums. John’s restless creative drive has found him working alongside the trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, bassist Dave Holland, organist Larry Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart. In 2005, John won even greater jam band plaudits by his occasional bandstand guest

spots with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and Friends. A feature length documentary of life and art was released in 2002, and he has taught at NYO as an adjunct professor. In 2010 John was awarded the Ordre des Artes et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. His most recent album is a duo recording with Holland called Memories of Home. At the end of the month he is set to embark on a 12-country tour of Europe.

During his remarks Scofield thanked his wife Susan for helping to pilot his music career, and added, “I’m honored to receive this award and to be recognized in Katonah.

We’ve lived here for 34 years, raised our kids here, and it’s wonderful to b part of this community. I can’t believe I get to live here, in paradise, all from making a living playing guitar.”

She leaves to honor and cherish her memory her son, Donald of Severn, Maryland; daughtersin-law, Carole of Severn, Maryland, and Sherry of Ossining, New York; grandson, Sterling of Los Angeles, California; granddaughter, Zoe of Carrollton, Texas; and great-grandson, Bisco of Los Angeles, California. She is also survived by her nephew, Hampton III (Marsha) of Fort Washington, Maryland; niece, Yolanda of Worsham, Pennsylvania; sisters-in-law, Shirley of Worsham, Pennsylvania, Carrie of Queens Village, New York, and Naomi of Atlanta, Georgia; along with a host of relatives and dear friends who will forever cherish her memory.

Heather Miller is Retiring

Friends and Community Partners, On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Thomas H. Slater Center, it is my honor to invite you to join us in celebrating the extraordinary legacy of our Executive Director, Heather Miller, as she prepares to retire after more than four decades of service.

Heather’s leadership has been nothing short of transformational. For 45 years, she has guided the Center through seasons of growth and challenge, always keeping the needs of our community at the heart of every decision. Her work has touched generations of families across White Plains and beyond. She created a space where individuals are not only supported, but seen, valued, and empowered.

To many, Heather is more than a leader. She is a mentor, advocate, and pillar of strength. She has cultivated a culture of care that will endure long after her retirement.We hope you will join us for this special evening as we honor her remarkable contributions. We especially encourage organizations, community groups, and partners to consider purchasing a table as a meaningful way to celebrate her legacy and demonstrate the collective impact of the communities she has helped uplift.Tickets will be available through June 12; however, we encourage you to secure your seats early, as we anticipate a strong outpouring of support for this milestone occasion..

Thank you for your continued partnership and for helping us honor a leader whose life’s work has made an indelible mark on our community.

With gratitude, Wiley C. Harrison Chairman, Board of Directors

8 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

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10 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

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DiNAPOLI, Cont’d. from page 2

ties (OPWDD) and the Office of Mental Health (Mental Health) comprised 21.7% of the workforce but accounted for 68.3% of the overtime hours and 70% of the overtime earnings logged by all state agencies in 2025.

• Eight agencies performed more overtime in 2025 than in 2024, including Mental Health (327,000 more hours) and the Unified Court System (55,000 more hours).

• Eight agencies performed less overtime in 2025 than in 2024, with the largest reduction at OPWDD (down more than 215,000 hours). There were also drops for the Division of the State Police (-31,500), the Department of Environmental Conservation (-20,600) and the Department of Labor (-19,100 hours).

• Excluding SUNY and CUNY, the average number of annual employees declined from 158,067 in 2016 to 142,396 in 2022. Since then, the number has grown for three consecutive years to reach 155,448 in 2025.

Headcount levels remain markedly below those 15 years ago when the state workforce size was over 172,000.

• New hires outpaced attrition in the state workforce. In 2024, there were 18,551 new hires, the highest in the 10 years covered by this analysis, reflecting, in part, the impact of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) Program. Attrition from the workforce increased 3.2% to 15,132, driven largely by separations other than retirement.

COMMUNITY ALLIANCE, Cont’d. from p. 2 And in doing so, he changed the world.

What John Snow revealed was profound: the problem was not just what people could see. The problem was the system.

That matters because too often, when communities are hurting, we respond only to what is most visible. We rush to the smoke but do not search for the fire. We treat the symptom but not the source. We bandage the wound but do not ask what keeps causing the injury.

John Snow teaches us that real leadership is not simply about reacting to crisis. It is about tracing crisis back to its cause.

Because if we want to change outcomes, we must change systems.

Not just symptoms. Not just headlines. Not just isolated emergencies.

A community is not a collection of disconnected problems. It is an ecosystem. And when one part is under strain, that strain travels.

We know that when a family cannot access mental health care, that strain may show up in a classroom.

When food insecurity deepens, that strain may show up in a child’s health.

When housing is unstable, employment becomes harder to maintain.

When care is delayed, crises become costlier—financially, emotionally, and socially.

That is why the goal of this Alliance is not merely to create connections for connection’s sake. It is

to strengthen our communities in a way that recognizes a simple truth: healthy communities require healthy people, healthy systems, and healthy relationships among the institutions meant to serve them.

And here in Westchester, we see that every single day. We see it in the mental health providers working to meet rising demand. We see it in the food pantries meeting hunger while also witnessing the many burdens hunger carries with it. We see it in our churches and houses of worship serving as anchors of care, guidance, and belonging. We see it in our youth programs helping shape futures before systems ever catch up. And we see it through organizations like the Westchester Children’s Association, reminding us what is possible when policy and people are aligned.

Each of you here today represents a thread. And every thread matters.

But threads alone do not make a fabric strong. It is the weaving that gives it strength.

Right now, too much good work—important work, lifesaving work, sacred work—is being done in pieces that are not always fully connected. That does not diminish the work. It simply means the moment is calling us to weave it together more intentionally.

And we know what happens when we get that right.

When Geoffrey Canada reimagined Harlem, he did not simply build

a program. He built an ecosystem. He understood that if you want to change the trajectory of children’s lives, you cannot simply place one bright light in the middle of surrounding darkness and call it transformation. You have to change the conditions around that child. You have to build support that is connected, layered, and sustained.

He understood that one school alone cannot carry every burden.

One nonprofit alone cannot undo generations of inequity. One pantry cannot solve poverty. One therapist cannot resolve every trauma. One pastor cannot hold up an entire community alone.

So instead, he thought bigger. He built not just intervention, but environment. Not just service, but structure. Not just access, but alignment.

That is the kind of thinking this moment requires of us now.

And that is what we are building today. The Community Impact Alliance is not another layer. It is a connection point. A bridge. A table.

A strategy. A structure for alignment.

Because right now, too many of you are doing extraordinary work— but in parallel. And parallel lines can travel very far without ever touching. But when that work becomes aligned—when the mental health provider is connected to the youth program, when the food pantry is connected to the family support network, when the church is connected to the broader ecosystem of care— that is when impact multiplies. That is when effort becomes force. That is when isolated acts of service begin to move like a current. That is when admirable work begins to function as shared power.

And this is how we begin.

First, we will build a District 8 database of every community-based and nonprofit organization and their focus, every house of worship, and every civic organization—so that together we have a true reference point and a local resource guide for community needs. Too often, someone in need is only one good connection away from help, but that connection is missed because the information is scattered, informal, or incomplete.

This first step is about making the invisible visible.

Second, we will hold a Budget Leadership Briefing with County leadership. This is about access—not after decisions are made, but before.

It is about transparency, alignment, and partnership.

Third, we will hold a Consultants Roundtable Series—a space where organizations can rotate, connect, learn in real time, and leave better equipped to deepen their impact.

Fourth, we will hold a Philanthropy and Funding Forum. Because funding should not feel like guesswork. It should feel like a pathway.

And I am also in discussions with the County’s new Director of Faith Based Initiatives, Rev. Kym McNair.

We are planning a roundtable session featuring our faith leaders so we better understand what families are facing on the ground, what resources are missing, and how faith institutions can help inform and strengthen our collective response.

Too many organizations spend precious time trying to navigate a maze when that same energy should be spent deepening impact and serving people. Part of our work is to put more of the map on the table.

So today, we plant something.

Not small. Not symbolic. But strategic.

We are planting a framework. A structure. A way of working that says no one should have to solve community challenges alone when those challenges were never created in isolation to begin with.

Because compassion without coordination can only go so far. Dedication without connection can only go so far. Goodwill without structure can only go so far. At some point, love for community must become design for community.

Westchester does not need more isolated excellence. It needs coordinated excellence. It needs relationships stronger than silos. It needs partnership more intentional than coincidence.

This is not forced. It is overdue.

It is the synergy between care and policy, between service and strategy, between public health and community well-being, between those on the ground doing the work and those in position to help move it forward.

And it is with that vision—of a more aligned, more equitable, healthier, and more impactful Westchester—that we proudly launch the Community Impact Alliance today.

Because our communities have been asking for this kind of alignment all along.

And now, together, we begin.

12 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

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The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, ,2026 • 13

Missed your printed copy of The Westchester County Press?

Get a COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL COPY sent to your email

Email us: westchestercountypress@yahoo.com

14 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026

Community Calendar

CALENDAR SUBMISSION: Please use a brief paragraph to describe your event. The paragraph should include event name, date(s), time, location and contact information. Send calendar information via email to westchestercountypress@yahoo.com. Please type “CALENDAR EVENT” in the subject bar.

Saturday, April 18

The New Rochelle Royal Ladies Red Hats are hosting a bus and orchestra seating to the Dance Theatre of Harlem at NYC City Center, 7:30PM performance. Join us. Tickets are $150 (use Zelle).

Contact Sylvia Reid (914-6205066) or Andra Adamson (914267-5841) for details.

Saturday, April 18

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is pleased to present a celebration of poetry in the Colonial Period, taking place at the museum on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 PM at the museum. Tickets are $3-$6/person, pay at the door.

Tickets include museum admission. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. To register, call 914-965-4027 or email philipsemanorhall@parks.ny.gov.

You can find directions, transportation, and parking information here.

Saturday, April 18

We are pleased to announce “Small Steps to an Unshakable You - An Author Talk with Lourdes Laifer”. Spend the afternoon on April 18th at 1pm with author & certified Life Coach Lourdes Laifer; exploring practical tools for resilience through mindfulness, positive psychology, and Stoic Wisdom. Hosted at the Barnes & Noble in the Cortlandt Town Center, 3089 E Main Street, Mohegan Lake, NY. Please contact jules@lourdeslaifercoaching. com with any questions.

Saturday, April 18

The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health invites teens (ages 14-19) to participate in Beyond the Likes - Social Media, Mental Health & You, a free virtual youth forum on

Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm ET. This interactive event will empower young people to navigate the digital world with confidence, engage in meaningful conversations with peers and experts, and gain practical tools for managing their digital lives. Earn a Certificate of Completion and get a chance to win prizes! Clubs and organizations whose members participate in the forum may be eligible for a small stipend; interested groups can contact Marija Hegel at mhegel@aap.org for more information. Register today to take part in this exciting event: https://us06web.zoom.us/ meeting/register/Mgqi6obwT9ibgSA7Ut6-vw#/registration.

Sunday, April 19

Join us for New York’s first-ever Shared Parenting Conference & Expo— an RSVP-only summit at an exclusive venue in Peekskill, NY on April 19, 2026 (12-3 PM).

Six nationally renowned family reform experts and 30+ advocacy organizations will unite with state elected officials to draft legislation that will make New York a Shared Parenting State.

Sunday, April 19

Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site is pleased to bring back our popular walking tour centered on the Saw Mill River and its impact on the early industry and economy of Yonkers. bIt will take place on Sunday April 19 at 1:00 PM. The tour will begin and end at the museum (29 Warburton Avenue in Yonkers). Tickets are $10/person, pay at the door.

Tickets include museum admission. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. To register, call 914-965-4027 or email philipsemanorhall@parks.ny.gov.

If heavy rain, storms, or road

closures occur, this hike will be the everyday stories and expericancelled. This hike is not recom- ences of Black culture and mothmended for children under age 12. erhood into environments of care.

Through painting, casting, and Tuesday, April 21 Westchester County Youth Bu- bedazzling, Chambers’ spaces tell reau will be hosting a Hudson perennial stories of nourishment Valley MBK Summit for approxi- and resilience. www.neptuneinmately 400 high school MBK june.com | info@neptuneinjune. students from districts across the com IG: @neptuneinjune.ny. region. Please join us for the My info@pelhamartcenter.org Brother’s Keeper Alliance Hudson Valley Leadership Summit on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 from 8:30am to 1:30pm at The Westchester County Center.

Thursday, April 23

The Greater Hudson Valley (NY) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, in partnership with The Society, Incorporated – Renaissance Chapter and the Women’s Leadership Institute, will host a screening of the documentary “Satisfied,” starring Renée Elise Goldsberry of Hamilton, on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at New York Covenant Church, 500 Main Street, New Rochelle. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the film beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by a panel discussion titled “Dispelling the Myths of the Superwoman.” Tickets: Early Bird 2-for-1 ($50) through April 12; General Admission $30. Register on Eventbrite Link: https://ghvsatisfiedfilmscreening. eventbrite.com/

Thru Sunday, April 26

Protean Core: March 19 - April 26, 2026 | Reception: March 19, 6-8 pm On View at Pelham Art Center, Curated by Neptune in June. Open: Mon - Fri (9am 5pm), Sat - Sun (10am - 4pm), 155 5th Avenue, Pelham, NY 10803 Naomi Chambers’ site-specific installations invite healing through play, weaving a ectionately elastic community bonds.

She exalts found objects to bring

Sunday, April 26

2:15pm to 3:45pm on Sunday, April 26th at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. Connecting Rights of Nature, Leachate and Waste Incineration: Learn, Explore, Join with Three Environmental Groups in Working Towards A Flourishing Hudson River Valley Ecosystem We humans make our homes within ecosystems and depend on water bodies and ecosystems for our own health and survival.

Learn and explore with three organizations WASS (Westchester Alliance for Sustainable Solutions), New York River Watch and ROAR (Religious Organizations Along the River) the environmental issues we face, ways to advocate, and how a rights of nature bill in NYS would allow the ecosystems, of which we are apart, to exist and flourish. Come with curiosity and questions. RSVPs are required to attend: https://forms. gle/AfUsYvyDEK7HhosR6

Sunday, April 26

Race Amity of Northern Westchester and Putnam is very pleased to partner with members of the Yorktown/Somers Interfaith Council to offer this special program “Supporting Our Immigrant Neighbors” on Sunday, April 26th at 2:00 at the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown, 2880 Crompond Road in Yorktown.

Please RSVP here: tinyurl.com/

CALENDAR, Cont’d on page 15

The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, ,2026 • 15

Jordan Garrick Crowned Miss Harlem 2026 Fourth-Generation Harlem Resident and Columbia Business School Student to Compete for Miss New York Title

HARLEM, NEW YORK — Jordan Garrick, a proud fourthgeneration Harlem resident and current student at Columbia Business School, has been awarded the title of Miss Harlem 2026 within the Miss New York Organization, a state affiliate of the Miss America Organization. Garrick’s crowning marks a deeply personal milestone for a woman whose family’s roots in the Harlem community span generations.

Through accessible AI education and resources, Garrick aims to demystify AI—especially within healthcare—and partner with community leaders to bring Harlem and communities across the country to the forefront of technological opportunity.

As Miss Harlem 2026, Garrick will advance to compete for the title of Miss New York, June 23rd through 27th in Suffern, New York. The Miss New York Competition is an official state preliminary to the Miss America Competition, the nation’s leading source of scholarships for young women. The Miss America Organization has long championed scholarship, community service, and the empowerment of young women—values that Garrick and her Thriving with AI initiative embody.

Garrick’s Harlem story begins with her great-grandfather, a pastor at Greater Bethel AME Church, whose legacy of faith and service set the foundation for generations to come. She has been a performer from the start, winning a dance contest with a standing ovation at the legendary Apollo Theater at just eight years old. Now, as a Columbia Business School student, she brings that same passion and drive to her role as Miss Harlem—pairing academic rigor with a deep commitment to the community she is proud to call home.

“I am so proud to call Harlem home, and now I have the honor of representing this incredible community on a larger stage,” said Garrick. “Through Thriving with AI, I want to make sure that all communities have a seat at the table as technology reshapes our world. This is just the beginning.”

Central to Garrick’s work as Miss Harlem is her Community Service Initiative, “Thriving with AI,” dedicated to bridging the digital divide and ensuring communities like Harlem are not left behind in the age of artificial intelligence.

Miss Harlem 2026 Jordan Garrick

CALENDAR, Cont’d. from page 14 yc83eef2. Refreshments will be served Discussion will follow the presentation. We welcome you to come learn with our community!

In amity, The Steering Committee of RANWP

Monday, April 27

The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® will have notable speakers - Marc H. Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League; Vanessa Gibson, Bronx Borough President; and Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan Borough President – at this year’s Fair Housing Month Summit.

This half-day educational program is focused on helping real estate professionals, community stakeholders and housing advocates strengthen compliance with fair housing laws and promote equitable access to housing. The summit provides practical guidance on topics such as source-of-income protections, disability rights and accommodations, first-time homebuyer challenges and the impact of new housing legislation. TIME: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Where: National Urban League, 117 W 125th St., New York, NY 10027

Friday, May 1

May 1st - Law Day! The Rule of Law And the American Dream. In the month of May, Courts, Judges, Law clerks, Court officers, Police officers and local practicing attorneys will engage students in grades 9-12 and discuss their role in our legal system. This year the Peekskill City Court, Peekskill Police Department and the NAACP, Peekskill Branch #2170 will be celebrating Law Day at the courthouse located at: 2 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill NY from 12-2 p.m.

16 • The WESTCHESTER County Press • Thursday, APRIL 16, 2026