16
November 28, 2014 | Vol. 2, Number 47 | www.mamaroneckreview.com Mamaroneck REVIEW T HE not,” Rosenblum said. Thirty-nine local drivers from more than five different taxi companies and independent operators signed a petition to urge the village board to vote down the proposed law. Many of the drivers felt that the pro- posed law reduces access to li- censes because they are able to be processed and vetted much quicker through the village po- lice, as opposed to the county commission. “We’re happy with the way the village regulates us,” said William Slater, owner of Para- mount Taxi and Limousine, which operates in the Village of Mamaroneck. Slater, who organized the petition, said there’s a simpler solution to address the county’s concerns. “Let those who do pickups at Westchester County Airport consider getting a Westchester County TLC permit,” he said. Victor Interiano, owner of VMI Taxi, another operator in the village, was one of many in the industry that joined the petition against the proposal. “[The county] talked about going to Westchester airport, but we don’t go over there anyways,” Interiano said, add- ing that most of his custom- ers come from Mamaroneck’s Metro-North station. “We’re happy to keep it the way we have it,” he said. “We don’t need that TLC li- cense because Mamaroneck is a small town. All this is so expensive for us and we don’t make any money here.” For Interiano, he pays over $300 each year for license fees because he is the owner and op- erator of his vehicle. Accord- ing to village code, an annual license for a taxi vehicle costs $220, and an annual driver’s budget would up spending by 1 percent over the current year, preserve a healthy $142 mil- lion unrestricted general fund balance, or “rainy day” fund, keep staffing levels the same and maintain a flat line on the county’s $548 million tax levy, a number the levy has sat at dating back to 2011. “As in years past, this budget establishes two goalposts—no tax levy increase and no raid- ing of the rainy day reserves— and we’ve done that,” Astorino said. “The tax pledge of no in- creases has been kept for the fifth straight year…We’re not asking for a dime more from our taxpayers.” As part of Astorino’s gu- bernatorial platform, he criti- cized Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was re-elected on Nov. 4, for unfunded state mandates that continue to eat away at county tax dollars. In the proposed 2015 budget, nine unfunded state mandates total $454 million or 83 percent of the county’s tax levy. To offset the cost, Astorino, who first took office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2013, proposed participating in the state’s pension amortization program, which allows West- chester to defer some pay- ments and pay its pension bill over time. For 2015, the budget calls for the county to pay $76 mil- lion of the $91 million pen- sion expense up front and de- fer $15 million. Additionally, the Astorino administration would borrow $8 million to pay for anticipated tax certio- raris, which are claims made against the county by property owners challenging the assess- ments on which their tax bills TAX continued on page 8 Astorino keeps promise of no tax increase By CHRIS EBERHART Staff Writer Not long after losing his bid for governor, Westchester County Executive Rob As- torino, a Republican, returned home to present his proposed spending plan for the county that features no tax levy in- creases for the fifth consecu- tive year. Now, the Westchester Coun- ty Board of Legislators has until Dec. 27 to make chang- es, negotiate and adopt a fi- nal budget. This proposal for 2015, a $1.74 billion county A new path President Barack Obama prepares for his Nov. 20 immigration speech with some advisors. The Review watched the president’s remarks alongside Latino immigrants at the Hispanic Resource Center in Mamaroneck. For story, see page 3. Photo/Pete Souza TLC continued on page 9 Taxis against TLC law By JACKSON CHEN Staff Writer A proposed law to transfer the authority of licensing taxi and limousine drivers from the village’s police department to Westchester County is un- der fire from local drivers and operators. If approved, the proposal would cost taxi drivers in Ma- maroneck an additional $20 a year and cause them to un- dergo a much lengthier and stricter vetting process. The law was first pro- posed by village Mayor Norm Rosenblum, a Republican, after receiving a letter from Barbara Monohan, chief ex- ecutive officer of the West- chester County Taxi and Lim- ousine Commission. In the letter, Monohan said there was a need to “clarify the regula- tory authority that the [county commission] has over taxi and limousine services at the Westchester County Airport.” To improve passenger safety, the commission added regula- tions with a clause that taxis can only pick up passengers at the airport if they have a county TLC permit. The new regulation, which would go into effect on Jan. 6, includ- ed an alternative that allowed pickup for taxi drivers li- censed through a Westchester municipality only if they went through the same stringent vetting process as the county commission. The Board of Trustees orig- inally felt the resolution, if ad- opted, would benefit the live- lihood of taxi drivers in Ma- maroneck by providing them with more customers from the airport. “It sounded reasonable and we thought the taxi companies would be in favor, but they’re

Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

 

Citation preview

Page 1: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 | Vol. 2, Number 47 | www.mamaroneckreview.com

Mamaroneck REVIEWTHE

not,” Rosenblum said. Thirty-nine local drivers from

more than five different taxi companies and independent operators signed a petition to urge the village board to vote down the proposed law. Many of the drivers felt that the pro-posed law reduces access to li-censes because they are able to be processed and vetted much quicker through the village po-lice, as opposed to the county commission.

“We’re happy with the way the village regulates us,” said William Slater, owner of Para-mount Taxi and Limousine, which operates in the Village of Mamaroneck. Slater, who organized the petition, said there’s a simpler solution to address the county’s concerns.

“Let those who do pickups at Westchester County Airport consider getting a Westchester County TLC permit,” he said.

Victor Interiano, owner of VMI Taxi, another operator in the village, was one of many in the industry that joined the petition against the proposal.

“[The county] talked about going to Westchester airport, but we don’t go over there anyways,” Interiano said, add-ing that most of his custom-ers come from Mamaroneck’s Metro-North station.

“We’re happy to keep it the way we have it,” he said. “We don’t need that TLC li-cense because Mamaroneck is a small town. All this is so expensive for us and we don’t make any money here.”

For Interiano, he pays over $300 each year for license fees because he is the owner and op-erator of his vehicle. Accord-ing to village code, an annual license for a taxi vehicle costs $220, and an annual driver’s

budget would up spending by 1 percent over the current year, preserve a healthy $142 mil-lion unrestricted general fund balance, or “rainy day” fund, keep staffing levels the same and maintain a flat line on the county’s $548 million tax levy, a number the levy has sat at dating back to 2011.

“As in years past, this budget establishes two goalposts—no tax levy increase and no raid-ing of the rainy day reserves—and we’ve done that,” Astorino said. “The tax pledge of no in-creases has been kept for the fifth straight year…We’re not

asking for a dime more from our taxpayers.”

As part of Astorino’s gu-bernatorial platform, he criti-cized Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was re-elected on Nov. 4, for unfunded state mandates that continue to eat away at county tax dollars.

In the proposed 2015 budget, nine unfunded state mandates total $454 million or 83 percent of the county’s tax levy.

To offset the cost, Astorino, who first took office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2013, proposed participating in the state’s pension amortization

program, which allows West-chester to defer some pay-ments and pay its pension bill over time.

For 2015, the budget calls for the county to pay $76 mil-lion of the $91 million pen-sion expense up front and de-fer $15 million. Additionally, the Astorino administration would borrow $8 million to pay for anticipated tax certio-raris, which are claims made against the county by property owners challenging the assess-ments on which their tax bills

TAX continued on page 8

Astorino keeps promise of no tax increaseBy CHRIS EBERHART

Staff Writer

Not long after losing his bid for governor, Westchester County Executive Rob As-torino, a Republican, returned home to present his proposed spending plan for the county that features no tax levy in-creases for the fifth consecu-tive year.

Now, the Westchester Coun-ty Board of Legislators has until Dec. 27 to make chang-es, negotiate and adopt a fi-nal budget. This proposal for 2015, a $1.74 billion county

A new pathPresident Barack Obama prepares for his Nov. 20 immigration speech with some advisors. The Review watched the president’s remarks alongside Latino immigrants at the Hispanic Resource Center in Mamaroneck. For story, see page 3. Photo/Pete Souza

TLC continued on page 9

Taxis against TLC lawBy JACKSON CHEN

Staff Writer

A proposed law to transfer the authority of licensing taxi and limousine drivers from the village’s police department to Westchester County is un-der fire from local drivers and operators.

If approved, the proposal would cost taxi drivers in Ma-maroneck an additional $20 a year and cause them to un-dergo a much lengthier and stricter vetting process.

The law was first pro-posed by village Mayor Norm Rosenblum, a Republican, after receiving a letter from Barbara Monohan, chief ex-ecutive officer of the West-chester County Taxi and Lim-ousine Commission. In the letter, Monohan said there was a need to “clarify the regula-tory authority that the [county commission] has over taxi and limousine services at the Westchester County Airport.”

To improve passenger safety, the commission added regula-tions with a clause that taxis can only pick up passengers at the airport if they have a county TLC permit. The new regulation, which would go into effect on Jan. 6, includ-ed an alternative that allowed pickup for taxi drivers li-censed through a Westchester municipality only if they went through the same stringent vetting process as the county commission.

The Board of Trustees orig-inally felt the resolution, if ad-opted, would benefit the live-lihood of taxi drivers in Ma-maroneck by providing them with more customers from the airport.

“It sounded reasonable and we thought the taxi companies would be in favor, but they’re

Page 2: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

2 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1Larchmont Board of

Trustees work session 7 p.m.,

Village Hall VOM Board of Trustees annual organizational

meeting 5:30 p.m., Courtroom

HOM winter art show 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,

Commons

2VOM Tree Committee

meeting 7:30 p.m.,

Regatta Conference Room

VOM Board of Architectural Review

7:30 p.m., Courtroom

3TOM Board work session

5 p.m., Town Center

TOM Board meeting8 p.m.,

Court Room at Town Center

VOM CFTE presentation by Save the Sound

7:30 p.m., Courtroom

4VOM Zoning Board of Appeals meeting

7:30 p.m., Courtroom

MAS Musical 6:30 p.m.

MUR Winter Concert 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

5MAS Fruity Friday

MAS Musical

7 p.m.

6MAS Musical

1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

SAT Test, Mamaroneck High School

7 8Larchmont Board of

Trustees work session 7 p.m.,

Village Hall Larchmont Planning

Board meeting 8 p.m.,

Village Hall VOM Board of Trustees

work session 5:30 p.m.,

Regatta Conference Room

9TOM Recreation

Commission meeting7:30 p.m.,

Town Center VOM Ethics Board

meeting7:30 p.m.,

Regatta Conference RoomHOM grades 6, 7, 8 Orhcestra Concert

7 p.m., Auditorium

10Larchmont Zoning Board

of Appeals meeting8:15 p.m.,

Village Hall

TOM Planning Board meeting8 p.m.,

Village Hall

VOM Council of the Arts7 p.m.,

Regatta Conference Room

11Board of Traffic Commissioners

7:15 p.m., Courtroom

CEN Winter Concert

6:30 p.m.

CHAT Winter Concert 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

MHS, HOM Choir Sing

at Met Life

12 13

14 15Larchmont Board of

Trustees work session 7 p.m.,

Village HallTOM Board of

Architectural Review meeting 8 p.m.,

Village Hall VOM Board of Trustees

regular meeting7:30 p.m., Courtroom

16VOM Budget Committee

meeting7:30 p.m.,

Regatta Conference room

Hanukkah starts at sundown

17Architectural Board of Review meeting

8 p.m., Village Hall

TOM Town Board meeting

8 p.m., Court Room at Town Center

18VOM Board of

Architectural Review meeting 7:30 p.m., Courtroom

Homecoming Brunch

for Class of 201412:30 p.m.,

MHS Cafeteria

19 20

21 22Holiday Recess

Schools closed and Reopen Jan. 5, 2015

23 24Christmas Eve

Larchmont Village Hall closed at noon

TOM Zoning Board of Appeals meeting

7:45 p.m., Town Center

Hanukkah ends at

sundown

25Christmas Day

26

27

28 29 29 30VOM Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee

meeting 7:30 p.m.,

Regatta Conference Room

31VOM Planning Board

meeting 7 p.m.,

Courtroom

28 29

December 2014Planning ahead...

Page 3: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 3

going to be a huge blessing and opportunity for many peo-ple out there, and it’s going to create more voices for anyone who has this opportunity.”

A few people on hand spoke of the daily struggles which they hoped would be partially alleviated by the president’s edict. In an effort to deal with the fear of deportation, many undocumented immigrants encounter one of the biggest threats faced by their popula-tion: pseudo lawyers who of-fer their help in citizenship pe-titions and applications, only

to disappear after collecting large service fees. This type of swindler is well known to those at the resource center.

“In the last hour, noth-ing happens for their migra-tory situation,” Mexican-born Miguel Hernandez said. Hernandez, 60, first came to the United States illegally in 1976. “In the last hour, these lawyers disappeared. And a lot of people, in these instances, have been here [in the United States] 20 years.”

President Obama’s mes-sage on immigration, which

he plans to implement through executive order, did not prom-ise citizenship, only to lessen the threat of deportation for those who qualified under a set of guidelines. Anyone re-siding in the United States for more than five years, who has children who were born as American citizens, and can pass a legal background is eli-gible to apply for documented status. The 15-minute speech was light on specifics, such as when his order will go into ef-

AMEXUSSPI - ROP

Immigration speech hits close to homeBy ALINA SURIEL

Staff Writer

President Barack Obama is attempting to change the world in ways which could affect residents right here in Mamaroneck.

In a move which could serve as a defining point in his presidency, the president made an announcement on Thurs-day, Nov. 20 concerning im-migration policy which would temporarily ease the fear of deportation for millions of un-documented immigrants living throughout the country.

“Are we a nation that ac-cepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents,” the president said. “Or are we a nation that values families and works together to keep them together?”

In a village such as Mama-roneck, which includes a near-ly 25 percent Latino popula-tion based on the 2010 census, the implications of how this policy could affect the com-munity are widespread. Zoe Colon, the executive director

of Mamaroneck’s Hispanic Resource Center, which is located on Mamaroneck Av-enue, said that due to underre-porting, she suspects the num-ber of Latinos in the village is higher than the census num-bers; she guesses that as many 30 percent of the village’s population are Latino. Colon estimates 30 to 40 percent of those Latinos in the village who are served by her orga-nization will either be directly impacted by the proclamation or have family who will.

“We’ve been waiting for a really long time,” Colon said. “It’s been over 20 years since we had real immigration reform.”

At resource center, there were 18 people gathered around on the night of Nov. 20 to view the speech projected onto a screen in the center’s back room. Interest was so intense that no one spoke or checked their cell phones un-til the president’s speech was finished. All in attendance at the resource center person-ally knew people whose lives

would be changed, whether friends, family or their own children, and shared stories and opinions afterwards.

Some told of their own ex-periences, and how it felt to live in a “mixed-status” house-hold, with family members who were both documented and undocumented. Many had children who were granted documentation under a 2012 action by the U.S. Depart-ment of Homeland Security, which lessened the likelihood of deportation for those under the age of 30 who had been brought as a child into the country.

Linda Bello, 18, a college freshman who was brought into New York from Acapulco, Mexico at just three months old, is one such story. Al-though she remains safe from deportation, her family will be affected and she considers this a victory for her community as a whole.

“My parents will be af-fected, we’ve been waiting for something like this my whole life,” she said. “I think this is IMMIGRATION continued on page 10

Members of the Latino community in Mamaroneck sit in the Hispanic Resource Center and listen intently to President Obama as he details his executive order promising a temporary end to deportation for many immigrants. Photo/Alina Suriel

Page 4: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

4 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

What’s going on...

DUBORICKRESTAURANT

shop for jewelry, hostess gifts, knit accesso-ries, gift baskets, resort wear, baked goods and more. Even sit around the campfire and make a s’more. All are welcome.

Annual toy give awayThe Annual toy give away made possible by

Dr.Kevin Maloney and volunteers for St. Rita’s Free Medical Clinic are in need of more toys and volunteers. Toys are given to hundreds, sometimes thousands of children every year. This event is taking place on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m., outside Dr.Maloney’s office in Mama-roneck located at 144 Boston Post Road in Ma-maroneck. Call 381-2091 after 6 p.m. Monday through Friday for more detailed information and to register for volunteering.

Larchmont Public LibraryHoliday gift workshop

On Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m. Make your list and check off those names as you create gifts for your family and friends. We’ll create egg or-naments, candles and more. You must register for children between the ages of 8 and 11 years old.

Discussion of “The Last of the Mohicans”

Join the library as you read and discuss Na-thaniel Hawthorne’s timeless novel, “The Last of the Mohicans.” Everyone is welcome. Books are available in the library beginning four weeks prior to the meeting date.

Red Cross in need of blood Larchmont Lions holiday

The public is invited to join members of the Larchmont Lions Club in a festive evening at Bob Pastore’s Manor Inn, Thursday evening, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. Cocktails and an elegant buf-fet dinner will include the club’s always enter-taining silent auction, raffle and general merri-ment. These Lions don’t roar, but they do know how to have fun. The Manor Inn is at 2047— 2047 Boston Post Road, Larchmont. Proceeds are shared with vision-centered organizations, including Guiding Eyes for the Blind and lo-cal causes, such as Friends of the Familly. Re-serve with Jag Rao at 630-1873 or email Drew George at [email protected].

Woman’s Club of Larchmont

Author of “Pinstripe Empire, the New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss,” considered the definitive history of the Yankees, comes to Larchmont. Marty Appeal is one of three writers who will speak at the annual “Book and Author Luncheon” sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Larchmont on Dec. 12 at the Orienta Beach Club.

Mamaroneck Public Library events

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at 3 p.m. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to

accommodate your listing. Please send all items to [email protected].

The Mamaroneck library has installed a new wireless and mobile printing service. This new service enables users to print docu-ments, photos and more from their own com-puter or mobile device using the printeron app or website. In order to print, you need to choose your print location, provide your email address and come to the library within four hours to print your document. Go to the site at mamaronecklibrary.org/mobile_printing.html to access the service.

The cost for printing remains the same: 15 cents per page for black and white prints or 35 cents per page if you want to print in color. For additional information, please call the reference desk at 630-5887 or go the website at mamaronecklibrary.org. You may also contact the libray by calling 698-1250. The library is located at 136 Prospect Ave. in Mamaroneck.

Girl Scouts of Larchmont-Mamaroneck

The Girl Scouts of Larchmont-Mamaroneck will hold their annual Holiday Fair on Sunday, Dec. 7 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Larchmont Girl Scout House, 90 Harmon Drive. Come

Marissa Penn joined the Review in late September as a staff writer with a concentration on feature writing. Penn graduated in May 2008 with a bach-elor’s degree in history and East Asian studies from Northeastern University, where she honed her writing skills. She also studied abroad in Paris. Penn went on to receive her J.D. in public

interest law from New England School of Law in 2012, but has since decided not to practice.

In her spare time, Penn writes free-lance for a travel blog, paints and writes poetry. She currently lives in Tarrytown with her dog. You can reach Penn at 653-1000 x17 or email her, [email protected].

New to the ReviewJackson Chen joined the Re-

view in September as a staff writer. Jackson graduated in May 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in jour-nalism from SUNY Purchase Col-lege, where he founded the online college news source, The Purchase

Phoenix. Previously, he worked as an intern for Newsday Westchester and studied abroad in the south of France. Chen currently resides in Brooklyn where he was raised. To reach Chen, call 653-1000 x23 or email him, [email protected].

Jackson Chen

Marissa Penn

The American Red Cross asks eligible do-nors to give something that means something this season , a lifesaving blook donation. Blood donations often decline this time of year when donors get busy with holiday festivities and travel. Severe winter weather and seasonal ill-nesses, like the flu, can also have a serious im-pact on blook donations, but the need for blood remains steady. On average, the Red Cross must collect 15,000 blood products every day for pa-tients across the cournty.

Eligible donors with all types are needed, es-pecially those with O negative, A negative and B negative. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an apointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcross-blood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1800-733-2767). The next blood donation happen-ing in Westchester will take place on Dec. 13 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Mamaroneck Elk’s Lodge 1457, 417 E. Post Road and in White Plains at Acadia Realty Trust, 1311 Ma-maroneck Ave. in White Plains on Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Page 5: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 5

EMPIRE CITY

County seeks input on disaster preparedness Westchester County Execu-

tive Robert P. Astorino is ask-ing municipal officials, com-munity leaders and residents to participate in a project that will revise the county’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is designed to save lives, re-duce property damage and lower the risks associated with natural disasters and other emergencies.

“To ensure our disaster pre-paredness efforts are as effec-tive as possible, the county must constantly review and update our plans,” Astorino said. “With that in mind, we are asking municipal officials and residents if they have any feedback on how current plans could be improved.”

By participating in the plan-ning process, the county and its municipalities will be eli-gible to receive funding from the Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency, FEMA.

The project website west-chesterhmp.com is a great re-source for the public to learn

everything there is to know about hazard mitigation. Inter-ested residents will be asked to complete a survey, which will give the county direct access to public input to help shape the updated Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

John M. Cullen, commis-sioner of the Department of Emergency Services, said an effective Multi-Hazard Miti-gation Plan requires broad-based knowledge and input from the entire community.

“By including elected of-ficials, community leaders, police, fire, EMS, healthcare providers, utilities, businesses and academia in the dialogue, the county gets the latest in-formation and expertise need-ed to make its Hazard Mitiga-tion Plan the best it can be,” Cullen said.

Hazard mitigation describes actions that can help reduce or eliminate long-term risks caused by large-scale events or disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, extreme tem-

peratures, tornadoes, earth- quakes and landslides.

Mitigation plans look at ways to reduce risk by mak-ing planning decisions and infrastructure improvements before a disaster occurs.

Hazard mitigation measures can include changes to a community’s comprehensive/master plan, which may alter zoning ordinances, building codes and policies that guide stormwater management, wet-lands preservation, erosion and sediment control.

The goals of effective hazard mitigation planning include:

• Saving lives and property• Reducing the loss of critical infrastructure• Preventing the loss of essential services• Reducing short-term and • long-term recovery and reconstruction costs• Increasing potential for state

and federal funding for recovery costs

(Submitted)

Westchester County is seeking input for a revision to its Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, a document aimed at lowering the risks of natural disasters and emergencies. File photo

Page 6: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

6 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

Publisher | Howard Sturmanext. 21, [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief | Christian Falconeext. 19, [email protected]

Sports Editor | Mike Smithext. 22, [email protected]

Reporter | Jackson Chenext. 23, [email protected]

Reporter | Alina Surielext. 20, [email protected]

Reporter | Marissa Pennext. 17, [email protected]

Editorial Assistant | Laura Romeroext. 25, [email protected]

Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin

Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso

Advertising | John Oleynickext. 29, [email protected]

Advertising Coordinator | Marcia Schultzext. 27, [email protected]

Staff WritersJohn Brandi, Chris Eberhart

Staff PhotographerBobby Begun

ContributorsPeter Lane, Rich Monetti,

Christopher Petrowski

ColumnistsPaul Bookbinder, Emily Giove

MamaroneckTHE

REVIEW200 William St.,

Port Chester, N.Y. 10573 Tel: (914) 653-1000Fax: (914) 653-5000

LettersThe community’s opinion matters.

If you have a view to express, write a letter to the editor by email to

[email protected]. Please include a phone number and name for

verification purposes.

Community EventsIf you have an event you would like

to share with the community, send it to [email protected].

Delivery For home delivery or to subsribe,

call Marcia Schultz at (914) 653-1000 x27.

Classifieds & Legals To post your notices or listings,

call Marcia Schultz at (914) 653-1000 x27.

PostmasterSend address changes to: The Mamaroneck Review

c/o HomeTown Media Group, 200 William St.

Port Chester, N.Y. 10573

Visit us onlinewww.mamaroneckreview.com

The Mamaroneck Review (permit #106661) 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.

Follow us on Twitter, @mamaroneckview

Like us on facebook, facebook.com/mamaroneckreview

Pet adoptions up for holidaysBy MARISSA PENN

Staff Writer

The winter is generally the busiest time of the year for ani-mal shelters with pet adoptions peaking during the annual hol-iday season. However, some animal shelters discourage do-ing so since oftentimes it only leads to eventual returns.

According to one humane society, pet adoptions are up as much as 20 percent between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The excitement of the holi-day season leads to a rash in pet adoptions, particularly as gifts. But in many instances, people don’t comprehend the ramifications of adopting a pet and what it entails, translating into a high number of returns.

“The holidays in general tend to bring out a lot of good qualities in people,” said Dana Rocco, manager of the New Rochelle Humane Society. “They come out to the shelter to adopt and want to add an-other furry family member to their home.”

To that end and in the spirit of the holiday season, the New Rochelle Humane Society is running a program from Dec. 1 through Dec. 31 called “Home for the Holidays” where adop-tion fees are reduced for any pet that has been at the shel-ter for more than four months or for any pet that is seven years or older. It is the second year that the Humane Society is running the “Home for the Holidays” program, which they considered a success last year. The program offers 50 percent off the normal adop-tion fee of $90 for cats, $100 for kittens, $150 for adult dogs and $250 for puppies, which includes all of the pet’s vac-cinations and a spay or neuter.

Melissa Lore, of New Ro-chelle, participated in last year’s holiday program adopt-ing her cat Raven around Thanksgiving.

“I didn’t really know about the program, but I knew she [Raven] had been there a while and was older,” Lore said.

Raven, a five-year-old cat, was rescued with her kittens and reminded Lore a lot of her previous cat that had passed away.

“She fit in perfectly with my family, and I was glad she

had a home for the holidays,” she said.

The humane society, lo-cated at 70 Portman Road near downtown New Ro-chelle, was founded in 1911 in response to how the City of New Rochelle was handling stray animals by simply kill-ing them, also holds educa-tional tours and community outreach at schools in the lo-cal vicinity.

The humane society is cur-rently home to approximately 120 animals that are found throughout Westchester County.

But unlike the humane

Most people are not pre-pared to take care of a puppy or a kitten; they require end-less hours of time that most people just do not have, ac-cording to Frumkin. The pets that are brought back go right back to where they started which can lead to a slew of behavioral issues, Frumkin said.

Pet Rescue, a foster home-based organization, which gets its 60-something ani-mals from kill shelters as far as Florida, warns poten-tial adopters of the mistake of giving a puppy or a kit-ten as a Christmas gift and discourages it as much as they can.

The Mount Vernon Center for Animal Care and Control, located at

This is Babe, a petite, three-year-old cat who is currently up for adoption at the New Rochelle Humane Society. She was rescued last May along with 62 other cats by the humane society from a woman’s home in Westchester County.

Ella,10, is currently up for adoption at the New Rochelle Humane Society. Photos courtesy Dana Rocco

This is Queen, who is currently up for adoption at the New Rochelle Humane Society. Queen was originally brought to the shelter by her first owner, then adopted by a new family that abused her.

society, other local shelters do not hold special promo-tions during the holidays and oftentimes even discourage adopting pets as gifts.

According to Ruth Frum-kin, the clinic manager at Pet Rescue in Harrison, pets require a lot of work, money and a true commitment that not everybody is capable of providing them with.

“We definitely get more inquiries about puppies and kittens this time of year—but we also have the highest return rate this time of year,” she said.

600 Garden Ave., in downtown Mount Vernon, is another shel-ter that doesn’t recommend adopting as a gift. According to Megan Webster, the center’s assistant animal warden, they are ultra selective about who the center allows to adopt, es-pecially when it’s for a gift.

While things are picking up at the center around this time of the year, Webster makes sure to inform everybody that comes in to adopt about the major responsibilities that come with pet ownership.

“The bottom line is we do not recommend adopting for another person as a gift,” she said. All parties have to be present when the process takes place, so it cannot be a surprise gift.

But Webster also acknowl-edged how happy it makes her to see animals find their “for-ever homes” no matter what time of the year it is.

“A few years ago, I had a girl adopt a Jack Russell that had been sitting around for months, and I was really afraid she wasn’t going to find a home, but on Christmas Eve she got adopted. I cried,” Web-ster said.

CONTACT [email protected]

Page 7: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 7

Page 8: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

8 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

Water testing results discussed at forumThe Village of Mamaroneck

and Save the Sound will be participating in a joint Public Presentation sponsored by the Village of Mamaroneck Com-mittee for the Environment on Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mamaroneck Village Court-room at 169 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Community members who wish to know the most up-to-date results of the water test-ing programs administered by Save the Sound and the village are invited to attend this public presentation.

Save the Sound, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the environ-mental health of Long Island Sound, established an office in Mamaroneck in 2014 with

the express purpose of serving Westchester County. The Vil-lage of Mamaroneck also con-ducts stormwater testing uti-lizing the services of a profes-sional engineering company to inspect outfalls and sewers for various purposes, includ-ing finding illegal discharges, cross connections, cracks, leaks, inflows and outflows, and the Committee for the En-vironment as a volunteer vil-lage committee supports and monitors these efforts. Issues unearthed by the village’s in-spections must be addressed by the village, and generally involve repairs to, or removals of, illegal connections from the sewer infrastructure.

The presentation will kick

off with a summary of the re-sults of Save the Sound’s ef-forts and findings by Tracy Brown, director of Save the Sound’s Westchester office. Village Manager Richard Slingerland will then discuss the village’s efforts and find-ings, the ongoing village plans for capital projects and pro-grams as well as ongoing chal-lenges and accomplishments. Public questions will be taken at the conclusion of both pre-sentations. The entire event will be filmed by LMCTV.

For more information about environmental issues in the Vil-lage of Mamaroneck, visit the committee website at mama-roneckgreen.org. (Submitted)

are based. “In a perfect world, the

county would never borrow and pay all its bills in cash,” Astori-no said. “But in the real world, you are faced with tough deci-sions. A $100 million pension bill translates to a 20 percent tax increase or 1,000 layoffs. Nei-ther of those choices is realis-tic, so you work with your least worse options like borrowing.”

But members of the Demo-cratic-led Board of Legislators took to publicly picking apart the county executive’s budget, criticizing Astorino’s use of borrowing along with a backlog of infrastructure repairs.

Legislator Peter Harckham, a Somers Democrat, said there is “runaway borrowing” in the county executive’s proposed budget.

“It became crystal clear to-day that the county executive is financing his zero percent bud-get with our children’s credit card,” Harckham said. “This is poor fiscal management and will create a terrible financial burden for our residents and business owners in the very near future.”

But Republican legislators supported Astorino’s use of borrowing, saying the alterna-tive is massive layoffs.

County Legislator Sheila Marcotte, an Eastchester Re-publican, said the unfortunate reality that the county offi-cials are faced with is whether to borrow to pay for tax cer-tioraris or the alternative of

TAX from page 1 possibly 75 layoffs. “Some of my colleagues

have criticized this budget for the proposed borrowing yet have offered no plan as to how we can make up the difference and close the gap,” Marcotte said.

As for the Democrats criti-cism of Astorino’s infrastruc-ture plan, Legislator Mary Jane Shimskey, a Hastings-on-Hud-son Democrat and chair of the infrastructure committee, said there’s a backlog of a little less than $1.2 billion worth of infra-structure replacement that has to be addressed.

“We’re allocating money [for capital works projects], but the work isn’t getting done,” Shimsky said. “We’ve allocated millions and only thousands were spent, which means the projects have been put on hold. We can’t be in a situation where everything falls apart at once.”

The Astorino administra-tion estimates the backlog to be only about $15 million.

Ned McCormack, a spokes-man for Astorino, said there’s only $980 million worth of projects, of which $340 mil-lion are in the green, mean-ing they’re nearly completed or completed, $500 million worth of infrastructure work is

on track to be completed and $135 million in projects are in the red, meaning there’s been no work completed. However, McCormack said, of the $135 million, $120 million has not been authorized yet by the Board of Legislators, leaving the $15 million in backlog.

Despite the philosophical differences, Michael Kaplow-itz, a Yorktown Democrat and chairman of the Board of Leg-islators, said he doesn’t envi-sion any “pitched battles” this year between county Repub-licans and Democrats, noting the 2015 proposal is similar to last year’s process, a 2014 budget which passed 16 to 1, with the outgoing Judy Myers, a Larchmont Democrat, as the lone opposing vote.

“It’s always a positive when you control the bottom line number, which is the tax levy increase. And it meets the general service needs in pub-lic safety, corrections, trans-portation and health service while providing wants like arts council and incentives for child care,” Kaplowitz said. “At the end of the day, I think the adopted budget will be similar to the proposed budget with a few minor alterations.”

CONTACT [email protected]

Total budget $1.74B

Tax levy increase 0%

Budget-to-budget increase 1% or $21M

PROPOSED 2015 COUNTY BUDGET

Page 9: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 9

TLC from page 1

license in the village adds on $115. If the proposed law passes, taxi drivers are instead then required to obtain driver licenses through the county which would cost $135, ac-cording to the county com-mission. If the proposed law passed, village licenses would be valid until expiration, fol-lowing which taxi drivers would have to pay only the county for proper licensure.

To try to come to some type of agreement, representa-tives from the local taxi indus-try, Police Chief Chris Leahy and Village Manager Richard

Slingerland met on Nov. 13 to discuss the county’s proposal.

According to Slingerland, the police chief and police offi-cers were interested in improv-ing efficiency within the de-partment. By giving licensing authority to the county, the po-lice department would be able to focus more time and effort on police and detective work.

However, both Slingerland and Leahy agreed to keep li-censing within the village.

“We pay for everything, we pay gas, insurance, fixing the car, E-ZPass, everything,” said Rolando Martinez, a driver for

Harbor Taxi Inc. “People don’t want to spend more money be-cause we have the license for the town, then we have to take another license for the TLC. It’s not fair for the people that are working in these streets.”

According to Rosenblum, the village board will re-visit the issue during its Dec. 8 work session while it awaits more information from the meeting between Slingerland, Leahy and the taxi representatives.

Leahy could not be reached as of press time.

CONTACT: [email protected]

Taxi drivers and operators in Mamaroneck are against a new proposed law that requires taxis to obtain a Westchester County TLC license, and prefer the status quo of a local license. Photo/Jackson Chen

Page 10: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

10 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

Are cleaning products safe around babies?

ASK CINDY Cindy Inman

In Ask Cindy’s world of all things clean, I always err on the side of caution when clean-ing around infants and tod-dlers. After all, if your sense of clean is tied to aromas of strong bleach, the surrounding air flow can be irritating and leave behind a harmful resi-due on surfaces. This cannot be good for babies to ingest, touch, and breathe in, as they explore their environments. This is easily avoidable.

As we maintain a clean house, we want to keep our children safe from harm. Well, Ask Cindy is here to solve any cleaning dilemma. Plant-based cleaning products are environmentally and biologi-cally safer than many synthet-ic/chemically based products. This makes plant-based prod-ucts an easy and effective al-ternative when considering healthy cleaning choices.

If a cleaning product has a strongly marked odor or worse, fumes or a smoke-like haze, the inhalation of these vapors can be problematic for anybody, in-cluding pets. Cleaning products with toxic warning labels re-quire that windows be opened, allowing for cross ventilation of fresh air throughout the home.

The person cleaning the home or an individual room should be wearing a protective face mask, covering mouth and nose, and have on chemically resistant rubber gloves. If this kind of deep cleaning is re-quired, you do not want chil-dren in the home during the process. Ingesting chemical odors, fumes or vapors that are diffused into the air, is not conducive to good health. When chemicals are inhaled or absorbed through the skin, this can never be a good thing. It took me some time to gain these insights. As Louis Hec-tor Berlioz once said, “time is a great teacher, but unfor-tunately it kills all [of] its pupils.”

The following insights are important for safe cleaning prac-tices.

• Carefully select non-toxic cleaning products in homes with babies and young children. This is an important cleaning requirement.

• Water, water, water—rinse washable surfaces with wa-ter after cleaning them. Dry the surface thoroughly. Water and a neutral dish soap mixed together create a safe clean-ing solution. In most cases, it works very effectively. This combination is preferred when removing sticky sub-stances like food, juicy liq-uids, and candy smudges on

highchairs and tray tables, cribs, playpens, children’s fur- niture, table and chair sets, kitchen counters, toys, car seats, uncarpeted floors, bath-room wall and floor tiles, and so much more.

• Ventilate a room with fresh air while cleaning, regardless of the product you are using. It is better to be safe than sorry.

• Never spray cleaning prod-ucts onto surfaces directly, this uncontrolled mist is suspended in the air and will land without restraint. Spraying, or better, pouring the product directly into water or onto a cleaning cloth allows you to control your household product. It goes where you place it.

• Water soluble detergents used to wash children’s cloth-ing, towels, toys, and bedding, need to be carefully weighed. The detergent needs to rinse cleanly without leaving resi-due on newly washed items. Ideally, the selected detergent is free of perfumes, dyes, and preservatives that often irritate skin.

Children are vulnerable to many body soaps, detergents and airborne cleaning prod-uct vapors. The hazards relat-ed to strong house cleaning products can negatively im-pact children’s health. Let’s make the best decisions pos-sible by being attentive, be-cause what you use matters.

fect or what the next step for his administration is, but Co-lon estimates that she will be seeing increased traffic in her office as details emerge on the application process in the coming days.

President Obama’s annou- ncement could affect sizable portions of undocumented immigrants living in the Unit-ed States, the population of which, according to the non-

partisan demographic studies by the Pew Research Center, numbers somewhere around 11.1 million.

Guisela Marroquin, a com-munity organizer for the Amer-ican Civil Liberties Organiza-tion and resident of the village, told the Review she believes the ability to speak out is the most important right gained from this event because it will open the door to even more change.

“This is obviously not a solution for everything, but

locally this is something that can affect lots of families, es-pecially families with mixed statuses,” Marroquin said. “This will allow families to come out of the shadows, to be protected and tell their stories, and be able to push a little bit more both on the lo-cal and federal level for why we need some kind of com-prehensive reform.”

CONTACT: [email protected]

IMMIGRATION from page 3

Page 11: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 11

Westchester launches crime tips program

By MARISSA PENNStaff Writer

With times changing and text messaging becoming the norm over traditional phone calls, Westchester County law enforcement officials have launched a new smartphone-based web application pro-gram, which allows people to text message police officers anonymously.

The program, tip411, was launched on Nov. 13 through-out Westchester County. The app allows anyone with a smartphone, tablet, standard cell phone or a computer to text in an anonymous tip to their local police department to report crimes.

In Westchester, the vast ma-jority of police agencies, 38 of 42, will be participating in the tip411 program. White Plains, which is not participating, has its own web program that would not mesh with this one, according to Lucian Chalfen, spokesman for the Westches-ter County District Attorney’s office. In addition to White Plains, Lewisboro, Somers and North Salem are also not participating because they are considered part-time police departments and share patrols with New York state police, according to Chalfen.

“All of the other major de-partments are participating,” he said.

Westchester County law enforcement has enrolled in a five-year contract with Citizen Observer, a St. Paul, Minn., company that provides web-based alerting tools to local state and federal law enforce-ment and public safety agen-

cies in over 40 states. The app is available for

free to the user on both An-droid and iPhone devices–just search WC CrimeTips. There is also a Facebook page that is up and running where more in-formation is available.

The app, which the user installs on their device, es-sentially enables him or her to send anonymous tips by text message to police. The po-lice are able to respond back, creating a two-way “chat.” In addition to texting with police officers, users can send photos or videos.

The technology removes all identifying information before the police department sees it so there’s no way to identify the sender. It allows the public to text information about drug activity, other sus-picious or criminal activity, people with outstanding war-rants and cold cases, accord-ing to Chalfen.

“Texting now is a form of communication, that virtually all young people and older people do now in lieu of phone calls, so it makes sense that you are able to text your police department if you have con-cerns,” Chalfen said.

Some residents agreed there needs to be a new technology to contact the police in order to report criminal activity.

“Yes, I would use [crime tips] because you see some sketchy things going on these days and if the person is right next to you, then texting is a great option,” said Brenda Brooks, of Yonkers.

In Rye City, Police Com-missioner William Pease, Jr. said they are in the very be-

ginning stages of signing up for the program, but it is not something they would miss out on.

“It will give people an ex-cellent opportunity to contact us,” Pease said. “Some people who might be afraid to talk to the police can use it.”

According Rye Police Lt. Scott Craig, the police de-partment has been in touch with the vendor and the dis-trict attorney’s office, which is behind it, and is waiting to get licensing.

One concern for Rye police was over people possibly us-ing the app to pull pranks, but Craig said, “You have to deal with that as it happens.”

The app is not a substitute to 911, but is encouraging in a very simple way for the com-munity to become involved ac-cording to Chalfen.

“Simply send a text if you see something awry—it takes 30 seconds,” he said.

CONTACT: [email protected]

What tip411 does:Protects the anonymity

of the sender

Messages can be responded to in real time

It allows you to text photos and/or video

If it’s an active case, the tip is treated as one piece of

information

What tip411 doesn’t do:It doesn’t track the

identity of the tipster

It is not a substitute for calling 911

It does not retain data

Page 12: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

12 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014

The Classifieds • Advertising that gets resultsOUR RATES:

UP TO 4 LINES $42.50 for 2 weeks minimum. Each Additional Line $2.00

HOW TO REACH US:(914) 653-1000x27 Fax: 653-5000

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: 200 William Street, Port Chester

DEADLINE:Placement, correction or cancellation of an ad may

be phoned in any time before noon on Monday for publication

ADOPTIONA childless young married couple (she-30/he-37) seeks to adopt.† Will be hands-on mom/devoted dad.† Financial security. Expenses paid.† Call/text.† Mary & Adam.† 1-800-790-5260.

AUTO DONATIONSDonate your car to Wheels For Wishes, ben-efiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call 315-400-0797 Today!

Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, bene-fiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call914-468-4999 Today!

HELP WANTEDAIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for qualified students ñ Housing available. Job placement assis-tance. Call AIM 866-296-7093

HOME IMPROVEMENTHAS YOUR BUILDING SHIFTED OR SETTLED? Contact Woodford Brothers Inc, for straightening, leveling, foundation and wood frame repairs at 1-800-OLD-BARN. www.woodfordbros.com. “Not applicable in Queens county”

LAND FOR SALEDEER RIVER/NY STATE LAND 5 acres- Deer River- $19,995. Borders stateland.† Excellent grouse and deer area. Borders ATV/snowmobile trail. Financing available. $157/month -Contact us by phone to receive FREE closing costs! 1-800-229-7843. Or visit www.LandandCamps.com

NY LAND BARGAINS- FULTON COUNTY- 33.4 acres, woods $85,000. HERKIMER COUNTY- 59.9 acres, woods $58,000. OTSEGO COUNTY- 2.7 acres, views, $23,000. Owner financing. CALL: 518-861-6541www.helderbergrealty.com

MISCELLANEOUSSAWMILLS from only $4397.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD:† www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N

OUT OF STATE REAL ESTATESebastian, Florida Beautiful 55+ manu-factured home community. 4.4 miles to the beach, Close to riverfront district. New mod-els from $99,000. 772-581-0080, www.beach-cove.com

REAL ESTATEDiscover Delaware’s Resort Living Without Resort Pricing! Milder winters & low taxes!† Gated Community with amazing amenities! New Homes $80’s. Brochures available- 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com

VACATIONWaterfront Home Oak Island, NC. 4BR/ 2BA w/Pier, 2 Boat Lifts, Orig. $650K, Auction Price $349K. Taxes Under 3K. Iron Horse Auction Co., Inc. 800-997-2248. NCAL3936. www.ironhorseauction.com

WANTEDCASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps & Paper Money, Comics,† Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your home. Call Marc in NJ: 1-800-488-4175

SITUATIONS/SERVICESADVANTAGE COMPUTER SUPPORT

We make your computer “people friendly” in your home or office. Fast Resopnse * Upgrades * Repairs * Network Support. Call Richard Klein 914-422-1798 or 203-781-8672.

IF YOU USED THE BLOOD THINNER XARELTO

and suffered internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, required hospitalization or a loved one died while taking Xarelto between 2011 and the present time,

you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles H. Johnson 1-800-535-5727

Merchandising Sales Specialist Bonide Products, Inc., a nationally-recognized manufacturer of Lawn & Garden and Animal Health products, is seeking a qualified candidate for a Merchandising Sales Specialist position.

The position requires the candidate be self-motivated and goal-oriented. The candidate will be responsible for merchandising the shelf space of Bonide Prod-ucts in a variety of retailers in the market area of NY, CT, NJ, PA, VT, MA, RI, NH, & ME. The candidate will also need to demonstrate the ability to sell as this posi-tion may lead to a sales position.

Responsibilities include: - Plan, implement, and increase shelf space with retail outlets - Setup end caps and displays including point-of-purchase materials - Present programs and write orders at retail outlets - Work with the Bonide sales team to increase market share in key accounts

The successful candidate will possess: - A high school diploma - Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Outlook) - The ability to work from a home-based office and travel 3-4 nights per week - The ability to lift fifty (50) pounds to display products at retail store locations - A reliable car, valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance

Bonide Products, Inc. offers a competitive benefits package, which includes: Health, Dental, Life and Long-term disability insurance. Along with our 401(k) plan, Bonide also offers our employees a company-paid Pension Plan. The Mer-chandising Sales Specialist position offers a salary commensurate with experi-ence, bonus potential, car allowance and reimbursement for business-related expenses. Bonide offers the opportunity for advancement.

Email resume to: [email protected]

EOE – M/F/D/V

SURPLUS GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS

DEC. 3 9:30AMNYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities

Staten Island DDSO930 Willowbrook Rd., Staten Island, NY 10314

DEC. 4 9:30AMNYS Office of Mental Health

Kingsboro Psychiatric Center681 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY11203

Complete details and listings: nysstore.com

LEGAL NOTICENotice of formation of HighPoint Electric, LLC Arts. Of Org. filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on July 8, 2014. Office location: Westchester County. The street ad-dress is: 180 East Prospect Avenue, #217, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom pro-cess against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process served to: Wade Langdon, 180 East Prospect Avenue, #217, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of 7 Howard, L.L.C. Art. of Org. filed Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/10/2014. Office location: Westchester. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: 7 Howard, L.L.C., 7 Howard Ave., Eastchester NY 10709. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Page 13: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 13

Jocelyn Dillon joins Prudential Centennial Realty

Jocelyn Dillon has recently joined Prudential Centennial Realty as a licensed salesper-son. The announcement was made by President/Principal RE Broker, Prudential Centen-nial Realty Mark Nadler.

Dillon will be responsible for residential real estate sales

in Southern Westchester. Dillon’s years in the business world shapes her approach to repre-senting buyers and sellers. Dillon, known to her friends as “Joy”, climbed the corporate ladder for 18 years at a Fortune 500 industry leader. Having extensive experience in sales finance, she brings a strong business acumen and work ethic to providing customer satisfaction. Dillon offers an important quality when representing buyers and sellers.

Having earned a college degree in both in-dustrial psychology and information systems, Joy possesses great people skills and thought-ful attention to detail, to each and every one of her real estate assignments.

For the past 8 years Joy has been an active member of her Larchmont community where she and her family live. She is also an active Mom who enjoys volunteering in her children’s school’s various projects, activities, and sports.

“Joy shares Prudential Centennial Realty’s commitment to quality and customer service,” Mark Nadler, broker/owner at Prudential Cen-tennial Realty, said, “She is exactly the type of sales professional we are seeking, as we con-tinue to grow the company and increase our presence in the local community.”

“Prudential Centennial Realty’s focus on the customer and its goal to provide the best prod-ucts and services for its sales professionals are what make affiliating with Prudential Centen-nial Realty the best choice possible,” Dillon said.

Prudential Centennial Realty, which is inde-pendently owned and operated, has been a lead-er in Westchester’s residential real estate mar-ket since 1981. Dedicated to creating winning results for its clients and agents delivered with integrity, professionalism and caring, Prudential Centennial has consistently ranked among the top realtors in Westchester. The family owned firm established Global Real Estate Connec-tions, a wholly owned subsidiary in 2006.

Prudential Centennial has approximately 75 agents. For more information, call Mark Nadler at 723-5225, or go to prudentialcentennial.com.

Prudential Real Estate franchises are in-dependently owned and operated. Prudential Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affili-ates LLC, of which Home Services of America, Inc.TM is a majority owner. HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, is the second largest, full-service residential broker-age firm and one of the largest providers of in-tegrated real estate services in the U.S. Pruden-tial, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities and are used under li-cense, with no other affiliation with Prudential.

Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty welcomes Sharon Zanzano

Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty today announced that Sharon Zan-zano, formerly of Houlihan Lawrence, has joined the company as a sales agent and will be based in the firm’s Bronxville brokerage.

Zanzano brings 13 years of award-winning real estate professionalism and experience to the company. Having previ-ously sold homes in the Bronxville and lower Westchester area, Zanzano is well-acquainted with the region and all of its offerings.

“Sharon is an exceptional addition to our Bronxville team,” said Virginia Doetsch, man-ager of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Re-alty’s Bronxville brokerage. “Her strong, pro-fessional background and track record of luxury home sales are undeniably impressive, and will certainly benefit the firm. We look forward to working with Sharon, and proudly welcome her aboard.”

“Having been involved in the Bronxville real estate market for many years, I have come to realize the unparalleled advantage of the Sothe-by’s International Realty brand, and how much its international reach offers my valued clients and business,” Zanzano said. “My experience and expertise in the lower Westchester market has been the key to my success. I always strive to provide my clients with the utmost in profes-sional yet personal service, and will continue to do so as I begin this new chapter.”

Zanzano currently resides in Yonkers with her husband and two children. She contributes to her local Westchester community as the Pa-rishioner of Saint Ann’s Church in Yonkers, and is a sponsor of the local Yonkers recreational league known as the Bryn Mawr Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

For more information, visit the website at williampitt.com. Sotheby’s International Re-alty’s worldwide network includes more than 15,000 sales associates located in 720 offic-es throughout the United States and 52 other countries and territories.

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic benefit honors local supporters

The Widmanns were lauded for their unwav-ering leadership and support for more than 25 years, including Widmann’s years as a PPHP volunteer and Board Member. In her accep-tance remarks, Widmann emphasized the ongo-ing need for Planned Parenthood’s reproductive health services through changing times from when she was in college decades ago to today.

PPHP operates health centers in Brewster, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Spring Valley, White Plains, Yonkers, Huntington, Patchogue, Riverhead, Smithtown, and West Islip.

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP) is the 20th largest affiliate of Planned Parent-hood Federation of America, and operates 11 health centers in Suffolk, Westchester, Rock-land, and Putnam counties. PPHP has served the community for 80 years, and is dedicated to educating and empowering individuals to make responsible choices regarding their sexuality and sexual health. For more information about PPHP’s services and programs, visit pphp.org.

WESTMED launches NeoGraft Hair Restoration Service

WESTMED Medical Group’s Department of Plastic Surgery announces the availability to the community of a new hair restoration service called NeoGraft. A highly skilled WESTMED surgeon replaces the patient’s own hairs one by one from the back of the scalp to the balding areas in the front.

Business Briefs

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic hon-ored Larchmont residents Judith and Roger Widmann at the Oct. 23 Empower Luncheon at the Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison N.Y. The event was co-chaired by Larchmont resident and PPHP Board Member Joan Rosen, and helped raise $275 for the organization’s quality, affordable and non-judgmental health care and vital education programs in Westches-ter, Rockland, Putnam, and Suffolk counties.

The minimally invasive technique, known as follicular unit extraction, or FUE, is performed by Dr. Adora Fou, a WESTMED surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. She is one of the only female doctors in the coun-try doing hair transplant restoration, specializing in this treatment for both men and women.

“This advancement in hair restoration sur-gery has made a positive impact on men and women seeking a permanent and completely natural treatment for hair loss,” says Dr. Mi-chael Suzman, WESTMED’s plastic surgeon. “The NeoGraft machine offers faster recovery and technological advances that can reduce the time and cost of transplants.”

For more information, call 848-8880 and go to westmedgroup.com/plasticsurgery/hair_res-toration.aspx

The next Business Briefs section will run in December. Please send any submission for our December edition to [email protected]. Each

submission may include one picture. If you have any questions, email Editorial Assitant Laura

Romero at [email protected].

Page 14: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

14 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW •November 28, 2014 SPORTS

It’s no secret that the world of professional boxing has its share of characters. In fact, one of my chief inspirations for breaking into the world of sports writing came from read-ing stories by great boxing scribes of yesteryear, writers like A.J. Liebling, whose nar-ratives wove a veritable tapes-try of colorful individuals tied together by their passion for the sweet science.

On Nov. 21, covering local phenom Pee Wee Cruz’s latest bout in Queens, I got the full “fight” experience. My biggest takeaway from the night, how-ever, was the fact that, despite the action in the ring, some of the most intriguing stories in the boxing world take place outside of it.

Sitting in the press section for a prizefight is unlike any-thing else I’ve done during my

Keeping the beattenure here at the Review. The majority of my work at the pa-per is done covering high school athletics. Over time, I’ve gotten used to that routine; setting up shop on the sidelines, taking copious notes about yardage or assists, maybe a brief conver-sation with a colleague from another publication to inquire about a certain team’s defensive schemes—all pretty basic stuff.

But sitting in press row on Friday night? That was, well, different.

For starters, the term “press” was applied liberally. Our three rows of foldout seats on the stage next to the ring were filled, sure, but not by your usual press types. Ex-fighters, like Iran Barkley and Junior Jones, friends and family of the promoters, and even a few current fighters had a home in the “press box”—a nice place to watch a fight, I must say.

But the writers? It was the writers who stood out.

Given boxing’s dip in mainstream popularity, most

newspapers no longer have someone on the “boxing beat.” Of all the New York rags, the Daily News—with its sponsorship of the New York Golden Gloves, is probably one of the last few vestiges of fight reportage in the print media. So essentially, this re-sponsibility to report on, and promote, the fight game, has fallen to the online journal-ists, and it’s a duty they take on with aplomb.

One gentleman, a dead ringer for Stacy Keach with a feathered cowboy hat, an-nounced his arrival to the press area by joyfully toss-ing fists of Bazooka bubble gum to the fans gathered at ringside, went, perhaps unsur-prisingly, by the moniker “Ba-zooka.” Another middle-aged writer, donning a Navy cap-tain’s hat and with no fewer than eight gaudy boxing glove necklaces hanging outside his sport coat, was similarly cheered by in-the-know fight fans in attendance as he took

Sports Editor Mike Smith, center, chats with Port Chester’s Pee Wee Cruz and trainer Ryan O’Leary in May of 2014. Although Smith enjoys attending fights, he’d like to tip his cap to the boxing writers who are on the beat full time. Photo/Bobby Begun

his spot on the stage.These two guys knew

everyone, from the referees to the promoters, to the ex-fighter luminaries and seemed to be minor celebrities them-selves in this odd, small cor-ner of the sports writing uni-verse. Everyone had a scoop for these guys, be it about an upcoming fight or a po-tential ring return of a long- faded veteran.

Now, while the idea of say, wearing a tri-cornered hat and handing out Snickers bars at a Harrison football game might seem odd for a boring, traditional sportswriter like myself, I can’t help but real-ize what these guys are doing serves a valuable purpose in the boxing world.

They’re reporters, sure, but they’re also fans. They are doing their best to drum up

publicity for a sport that has seen its fan base erode steadi-ly over the last 50 years.

If that means making the occasionally odd sar-torial choice, so be it. It’s good to know that some-one out there is still on the boxing beat.

Follow Mike on Twitter,

@LiveMike_Sports

Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary

Follow @mamaroneckviewfor Mike’s live, in-game action updates

TO COVER LOCAL SPORTS, YOU NEED A

LIVE MIKE!

Page 15: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

November 28, 2014 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • 15SPORTSCruz wins UBF title

By MIKE SMITHSports Editor

Bryant “Pee Wee” Cruz got a taste of gold on Nov. 21 when he nabbed his first professional title with a second round TKO over Engelberto Valenzuela at Resorts World Casino in Queens. After 13 straight wins to begin his pro career, Cruz is hoping that his latest vic-tory will vault him into the upper-echelon of fighters in the lightweight division.

Fighting for the UBF All America’s Lightweight title on Friday night, Cruz didn’t take too long to get started, peppering Valenzuela, 9-4, with power shots in the first round. The referee called a half to the action just 44 sec-onds into the second round after Cruz’s speed, strength and accuracy proved too much for his opponent to handle.

“Our game plan was just to apply pressure because we didn’t think he could handle the combinations,” said Cruz.

“I knew that he was slowing down [to start the second] but I didn’t really know when the ref was going to step in to stop it.”

According to Cruz’s train-er, Ryan O’Leary, it didn’t take long to see that his charge would be able to score a deci-sive victory against the Mexi-can ring veteran.

“We were telling Pee Wee to fire his jab in there early on,” O’Leary said. “The other guy was firing back, but it was clear he didn’t have anything on his punches, so [Pee Wee] just went for it.”

Valenzuela came into the fight well over the 135-pound lightweight limit, but O’Leary said that backing out of the fight was never an option for his fighter. In fact, he said, the un-defeated Cruz used the weigh-in as extra motivation for the fight.

“I’d say it fired him up, that this guy didn’t even both-er to try and make weight,” O’Leary said. “Pee Wee just wanted to fight, so we took it.”

With the win, Cruz becomes

a belt holder for the first time in his pro career. Although the belt might not carry the pres-tige of a world title, Cruz said he is honored to have the strap around his waist.

“It still hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m proud that I was able to accomplish this little goal for myself,” said Cruz. “I just need to stay in the gym, work hard, and hopefully sometime in 2015, I can get a big fight.”

Cruz’s latest win is just an-other stepping stone to bigger fights, according to O’Leary. As Cruz keeps winning bouts against more experienced op-position, the trainer said, he will be impossible to ignore within the lightweight ranks.

“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do, he was sup-posed to get a knockout and he got it,” O’Leary said. “Now I think we’re more comfortable on this level and hopefully this win will help open some doors.”

CONTACT: [email protected] “Pee Wee” Cruz dons the UBF All America’s Lightweight belt on Nov. 21 in Queens, N.Y. Cruz won the title with a second round stoppage of Mexico’s Engelberto Valenzuela. Photo/Mike Smith

Local Knicks win first game

The Westchester Knicks, 1-2, defeated the Grand Rapids Drive, 0-3, on Nov. 21 to clinch the first regular season win in franchise history. The victory is also the first-ever win for head coach Kevin Whitted.

The Westchester Knicks came out hot, leading the Drive 12-2 after less than four min-utes on the clock. At the end of the first half, Westchester led 21-8 and never looked back, not once giving up the lead to Grand Rapids. The Knicks’ biggest lead came in the fourth

quarter with 22 points off a three-point jumper from Tha-nasis Antetokounmpo.

Coming off the bench at the end of the first quarter, Todd Mayo had an exception-al game, leading the team in scoring with 20 points in just 23 minutes. Thanasis Antetok-ounmpo continued to show-case his athleticism, securing 11 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, most impressive-ly recording six blocks. Five Knicks recorded double digit scoring on the night, includ-

ing Andre Barrett who scored 10 points in the first half, ac-cumulating 13 points overall. Ben Strong added 12 points in-cluding a couple of impressive dunks, also contributing six re-bounds, two assists and a steal.

Adonis Thomas led the Grand Rapids Drive with 20 points and five rebounds. Lorenzo Brown added 18 points, four rebounds, and four steals, but the lines were not enough to hold off the power-ing Westchester Knicks. (Submitted)

The Westchester Knicks celebrate after the franchise’s first-ever win on Nov. 21. Contributed Photo

Page 16: Mamaroneck Review 11-28-2014

16 • THE MAMARONECK REVIEW • November 28, 2014