Community

Building up, digging down or elsewhere? Those are among the variety of options and the dilemma facing Sleepy Hollow, which is in dire need of an expansion or replacement of its old, existing water storage tank. It is a need Mayor Ken Wray has called “critical,” based not only on the village’s current population, but its anticipated river front development.

The current storage facility in the Rockefeller State Park Preserve does not even meet New York State’s requirement that municipalities have a full day’s water reserve should the supply be cut off.  more »

A draft environmental study for the construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge that was released by the state last week has come under criticism for failing to adequately address mass transit options and consider preserving it as a park.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) examines the potential environmental effects of proposed alternatives for the project, which is estimated to cost about $5 billion and take more than five years to complete.  more »

Tax planning has become especially challenging lately because of the many uncertainties caused by Congress and the political stalemate gripping our nation’s Capitol. As of this writing there exist numerous tax provisions that, if not fixed, will expire – causing a greater tax burden for many. Congress will have to grapple with a host of issues, such as whether to once again “patch” the alternative minimum tax (e.g.  more »

As promised last November, Mayor Brian Smith and Irvington’s Board of Trustees unveiled, at their January 18 session, a revised (yet again) Waterfront Rezoning Plan for the 8.5-acre section of the village west of the Metro North tracks on the banks of the Hudson.

In his Martin Luther King Jr. Day message to the village, Smith dwelt extensively on the waterfront issue, conceding that his administration, as well as previous ones, may have tried “to accomplish too much on the waterfront through zoning alone.” Yet the substantive changes in the latest plan from that which had been proffered by the previous mayor, Jon Siegel, nearly a year ago were limited to a loosening of setback requirements, apparently in exchange for the removal of any reference to a parking structure.  more »

Mayor Brian Smith is doing it, and so are more than a few dozen other civic-minded residents of Irvington. They are all taking part in the Irvington Penguin Plunge, that is immersing at least part of their bodies into the Hudson River on Saturday, March 3. The Plunge is the brainchild of the Irvington fund-raising and Community Events, (F.A.C.E.) committee, and it’s aimed at raising money to restore programs cut from the budget of the Village Parks and Recreation Department.

F.A.C.E. was formed last year to develop ways to help keep various village programs and events destined for elimination. Participants in the Plunge have pledged to donate money to the cause as are those who pledge to support those willing to take the plunge.  more »

“With governments today broke, or going broke,” said the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s District Chief of Staff, “if we don’t do it, it won’t be done.”

Vincent Pica, II addressed a crowd of about 75 members of local US Coast Guard Auxiliary flotillas for the annual Change of Watch luncheon in Hastings. He said that hard times had led the Coast Guard to rely more heavily on the Auxiliary to maintain safety and security on the waterways. Pica called the present time a “golden age” for the Auxiliary, and said that the U.S. Coast Guard, a branch of the US military, could not fulfill all the tasks desired without the services of its affiliated volunteer organization.  more »

In the current fiscal environment of municipal budget cutting it is possible to envision carving money from every entity that falls within the scope of a village or town’s operation. So it may not be a surprise that the budget hacking pursuit has driven a hard blow to the Greenburgh Library; it will not be able to buy new books or media for lending to its clientele.  more »

COLLABORATED

The Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Councils are teaming up with the EPTA to produce a family energy fair at the John Paulding School on Saturday, February 4th from 10 am to 2 pm. Stay Cozy/Save Money will have information from Con Ed and NYSERDA as well as local contractors and organizations with tips to keep energy bills down. Jilly Puppets, a knitting circle from Flying Fingers, a Pedal-a-Watt bicycle, and projects from the schools’ environmental clubs will keep kids’ attention. For additional info: www.tarrytownenvironmental.org or (914) 332-1301

HONORED  more »

The inaugural party for WDFH-FM 90.3’s new studio, last March, symbolically recognized a pioneer in indie broadcasting and the next step for a station whose community ties are completely organic.

“One of the challenges we face is that people say they have public radio in the city. Westchester is its own area and has its own culture and issue,” said WDFH executive director Marc Sophos. “We aim to bridge the gap between the people who are a part of nonprofit culture and those who are unaware of it.”  more »

A variety of new events will be featured during the combined YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day and the Tarrytown Rotary Club’s Duck Derby, at Patriot’s Park, on Saturday, April 28, to add to its promise of a “day full of fun.”  more »

Julie Wright has a good reason to recall when books lent out at Warner Library were stamped by hand rather than scanned electronically as they are now. Her mother, Mary Lawson, “was a fixture at Warner Library for many years,” she wrote in a note to the Library. Lawson was children’s librarian from 1947 through 1968, and according to her daughter, she “introduced the summer reading program and enjoyed reading stories to the children.”  more »

While it's been a warm Winter, February temperatures are expected to drop and energy bills will climb. How you can save money and still keep your family warm will be the focus of an event this weekend.
The Staying Cozy/Saving Money Family Energy Fair will help local homeowners and renters learn about the simple things they can do to reduce their energy use while saving money and the environment. The fair will take place on Saturday, February 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the John Paulding School gym located at 154 North Broadway.  more »

When the Community Food Pantry of Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow first opened its doors in December 2009 as a holiday pantry, little did co-founder Teri Levine, volunteer organizer Rachelle Gebler, and Christ Episcopal Church Rector Susan Copley know how many residents would need their help.

“We saw the need was so great,” Levine said. “You can’t believe it’s your neighbors, but it is. It’s a little mindboggling.”

In 2010, the pantry was open monthly 10 out of 12 months of the year. Last spring, it expanded to twice-a-month distribution. Servicing between an average of 130 and 150 families a month, the pantry exceeded 200 families in November and December. In December alone, 645 individuals, including 253 children, were given a helping hand.  more »

Merry greetings, ringing bells and loose change spiraling into a giant red kettle are indicators that New Yorkers – and people the world over – have come to associate with the holiday season. The recession and sluggish job market, however, have left many families scrambling to make ends meet, making it even more challenging to provide additional gift donations in family budgets.

“This year has been harder with less for people to give,” said Lieutenant Alfonso Ciriaco of the Tarrytown chapter of the Salvation Army. “In order to meet our goal, we had to start our kettle drive earlier.”  more »

What can you do to protect yourself against crimes such as sexual assault, burglary, shoplifting, and identify theft?

Who are the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives?

What are the phone numbers for departments in village government, school districts or Westchester County government?

In the local area, those and other questions are answered by free magazines, distributed through the river towns’ police departments.

The police department in Tarrytown makes available the “Community Resources Program,” while the title of the Sleepy Hollow and Irvington Police Departments’ publication is known as “Crime in America.” All three publications are created by the Crime in America company and are paid for via advertisements from local merchants.  more »

If the suggested changes to the Sleepy Hollow Village Code are voted into law, it will now be legal to push a shopping cart and wear a bathing suit on village streets! Both activities are now illegal, according to the long out-of-date code, which is undergoing its first comprehensive update in at least 50 years.

The 900-page document, which spells out laws governing the village, as well as fines for transgressions, has been added to over the decades, but never updated in its entirety.

“The code is woefully out-of-date,” said Janet Gandolfo, village attorney, who is spearheading the massive undertaking. Started in 2003, the project was set aside, but recently resurrected. Sleepy Hollow is one of the few municipalities whose village code is not yet on-line.  more »

Devries Park in Sleepy Hollow’s Philipse Manor has undergone an impressive $364,000 renovation. The new playground sparkles in contrast to the broken-down, eclectic mix of equipment it replaced.

Designed by the Westchester County Department of Planning, the park includes separate, dedicated areas for young and older children. It features swings, climbing equipment, a water fountain, safety surfacing soft enough to cushion falls and a sidewalk circling the playground, perfect for learning to ride a bike.

The park overhaul also included the reorganization and improvement of the parking lot to promote pedestrian safety, and the installation of rain gardens for storm water control.  more »

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center and Open Door Medical Center in Sleepy Hollow, along with New York Medical College, are teaming up for the first residency program in Family Medicine in New York State in 15 years.

National accreditation for the program was granted in June and the first class of six residents will start their training in July 2012, three at Phelps and three at Open Door on Beekman Avenue, according to Lindsay Farrell, president and CEO of Open Door Family Medical Centers.

“This has been two years in the making,” Farrell said. “We’re looking for a pipeline of physicians because there’s a need for primary care doctors. We’re trying to attract the cream of the crop. It’s a new era in health care.”  more »

HONORED

Congratulations to Sleepy Hollow resident Rachelle Gebler and Tarrytown resident Teri Levine, who will be the individual honorees at the Foundation of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns dinner dance on March 31, 2012. The Foundation is also honoring Kendal-on-Hudson as Organization of the Year, for their continuous support to our school district. Said Gebler about her volunteer work with the Foundation, “Witnessing how all these people brought our community together and made it such a wonderful and special place to live has to be the best part of all.”  more »

Almost two years ago, with the support of an Irvington Educational Foundation grant, I was among a group of parents, students, teachers and administrators who helped establish a vegetable garden at Dows Lane School. We designed and installed a fenced garden with rectangular wood-framed beds and an underground high-efficiency drip irrigation system.  more »

The U.S. Postal Service agreed in mid-December to delay the closing or consolidation of any post office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012. The Sleepy Hollow Post Office is among more than 3,000 post offices being reviewed for possible closure.

The Postal Service stated it was postponing any decisions in response to requests by multiple U.S. senators who are pondering comprehensive postal legislation that could assist the financially strapped self-supporting government enterprise.

Postal Service representatives held a community meeting in Sleepy Hollow in November to outline their plans to residents and elected officials, who passionately expressed many reasons why the Sleepy Hollow Post Office on Beekman Avenue is a vital part of the village.

A bipartisan group of 11 elected officials and 16 labor, environmental equity, good government and transportation organizations has called on the state Department of Transportation to ensure the Tappan Zee Bridge is rebuilt with mass transit options.

The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which includes Tarrytown Mayor Drew Fixell, Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner, state Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D/35th District), state Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti (D/92nd District) and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, maintains the bridge must accommodate bus rapid transit across the four-mile span when it opens.  more »

The owners of Coffee Labs Roasters have a fight on their hands again with the Westchester County Health Department over the allowance of dogs inside the popular Tarrytown coffee house.

For two years, Coffee Labs owners Michael Love and his wife, Alicia Kelligrew-Love, have been seeking a waiver or variance from the provisions of Section 14-1.183 of the New York State Sanitary Code that prohibits live animals from food service operations. The only exceptions are patrol dogs accompanying security police officers or guide dogs with blind persons.  more »

A group of 30 local residents and politicians have formed an organization that is seeking to turn the Tappan Zee Bridge into a park once it is replaced and closed in 2017.

The residents’ first meeting on November 16 at Greenburgh Town Hall introduced an effort to transform the 56-year-old Tappan Zee into a three-mile highline for walkers and bikers they hope will become a tourist attraction.

“I think it could create a lot of economic benefit for the region,” said Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, co-chair of the group. White Plains Councilwoman Milagros Lecujona, also co-chair of the Tappan Bridge Park Committee, has 30 years of experience in architecture and urban planning.  more »

One of the major points made in the article regarding Tarrytown's letter to NYSDOT (Tarrytown Urges State....), i.e., that the village is "proposing keeping in place the 'northern' half of the 56-year old bridge and replacing the "southern" half with the existing bridge 'conventionally rehabilitated,'" is incorrect. In order to understand the mistake, however, it is necessary to first understand what has been proposed by the State, as follows:  more »

With its membership depleted, and in the throes of reorganizing, the Sleepy Hollow Ambulance Corps is in need of volunteers. That status is partly the result of a forced overhaul by the village in the wake of what Mayor Ken Wray terms irresponsible behavior by some former members of the organization, “...in the way they responded to calls or didn’t respond to calls.”

However, Wray stated that the ambulance corps is now managing to handle the emergency calls coming in.

The corps was moved from an old building with structural problems that wasn’t up to village code to the main firehouse on Beekman Avenue, which, in Wray’s words, is a “semi-permanent,” location for the corps.  more »

Properties with elevated mercury levels near the former Duracell battery plant site on Elm Street in Sleepy Hollow are expected to be remediated in the spring.

Following the testing of about 2,000 soil samples from 146 properties in August 2010, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) determined 78 sites in the vicinity of the former factory at 60 Elm Street had mercury levels “in excess of the current NYSDEC-recommended soil cleanup objective for mercury in a residential setting.”  more »

Students at Sleepy Hollow High School collected over 1,200 cans of food which were donated to the Tarrytown Food Pantry during the high school’s 2011 Spirit Week. Susan Copley, pastor at Christ Church which runs the Tarrytown Food Pantry, graciously accepted more than 41 boxes of canned goods for the pantry. Right, Sleepy Hollow High School students, Carlos Arias and Carlos Villa, who sorted and unloaded the canned goods at the Tarrytown Food Pantry.

Sleepy Hollow Open Door Family Medical Center-Santa Day

80 Beekman Ave, Sleepy Hollow

Please help Open Door provide a new toy or gift to young patients when they visit with Santa. Needed: new, unwrapped toys for infants through age 14 years and gift certificates of maximum $20 value - through December 17.

Contact: Alicia Ward 914 502-1468

RSHM Life Center

32 Beekman Ave, Sleepy Hollow

Needed: new unwrapped toys and clothing for children of all ages, and “Adopt a Family” to provide gifts for each member in a family - through December 17.

Contact: Sister Susan Gardella, 914 366-9710

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow
Community Food Pantry

Christ Church of Tarrytown,  more »

It started a few Tuesdays ago, and I was totally unprepared. I was sneaking Sweet Tarts from the kitchen Halloween basket, vulnerable and enveloped by the threat of exposure, when an unforeseen soulful sound swept in from the next room. And WHAM! It hit me. Holiday music. It is time.

It’s time to give something. Something special. Of course, there is much temptation to acquire this year’s hottest trends—Snuggie, self-stirring cocoa mug, fiber optic holiday sweater, night vision goggles, nose flute, giant inflatable emperor penguin—but, I would like to suggest a few cheery alternatives, or additions.  more »