city review-new rochelle 4-10-2015

THE NewRochelleCityREVIEWApril 10 & April 17, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 8 | www.cityreviewnr.com

Dan Biederman. To date, no one in the county’s legisla-tive branch of government has seen the report.

Biederman, a renowned de-veloper best known for re-developing Bryant Park in New York City, was hired as a consultant for five months by Republican County Ex-ecutive Rob Astorino at a cost of $20,000 per month, for five months. Biederman was tasked with reviewing Play-land in its current configura-tions and producing a report on how to best utilize the amusement park and its sur-rounding space.

Nearly five months after the original release date, the report has yet to be seen by any-one outside of the county ex-ecutive’s office even though “most” of the written work of the report was completed and has been in the hands of the Astorino administration “for a while,” Biederman told the Review in February. He said, along the way, Astorino’s of-fice raised questions that re-quired dialogue between the two sides, so the administra-tion withheld the report.

Frustrated with the waiting game, Harckham, who is lead-ing the Playland discussions as the chairman of the Parks, Labor, Housing & Planning Committee, sent a letter to the Astorino administration asking to see the Biederman report and requesting representatives of the county executive’s ad-ministration and the county parks department to attend the next parks committee.

During the April 1 parks committee, a draft of a subpoena

playland continued on page 13

By CHRIS EBERHaRT Staff Writer

Nearly five months and threat of a subpoena seemed to be enough to cause the county executive to agree to finally release a $100,000 consultant report on Playland, according to Westchester County legisla-tors.

The report’s release date, originally scheduled for late last year, is now April 15 dur-ing a Parks, Labor, Housing & Planning Committee meeting, according to members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators.

But when reached on Wed- nesday, Ned McCormack, spok- esman for Astorino, told the Review the report will not be released that day. Instead, he said, county officials will dis-cuss other Playland-related topics, such as marketing and opening the new season, at the committee meeting.

“The report is on its own track,” McCormack said. “When it’s done, it’ll be released.”

McCormack added that there is no timetable as to when the report will be completed.

County legislators were con-fident that they would finally get their hands on the report after meeting with Westches-ter Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett, a Republican.

Legislator Peter Harckham, a North Salem Democrat, said Plunkett told him that represen-tatives from the county execu-tive’s office and Department of Parks, Recreation and Con-servation would be attending the April 15 parks commit-tee meeting to discuss, among other topics, the Playland con-sultant report completed by

Playland report still in draft

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State passes $200M water grant programBy JaCKSOn CHEn

Staff Writer

As part of the 2015-2016 budget, New York State an-nounced a $200 million grant program designed to help communities fund their water quality infrastructure projects.

Once the budget was ap-proved on April 1, State As-sembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, introduced the New York State Infrastruc-ture Improvement Act of 2015. The $200 million program was created to help municipali-ties fund any capital projects aimed at improving drinking water or better handling waste water. Communities would be

awarded grants from the state that top out at $5 million, but are expected to provide their own 40 percent local match.

Heastie said the grant pro-gram, combined with other loan services, would help in-centivize local governments to make movement on much-needed water quality projects.

The program, which origi-nated in the New York State Assembly, was pushed through by state assemblymen John McDonald, a Cohoes Demo-crat, and Steve Otis, a Rye Democrat. McDonald, who served as former mayor of Co-hoes for 13 years, said most residents speak of their mayors maintaining paved roads well,

but that the reality was that un-derground pipelines and sewer systems would cause taxpayers a tremendous amount of mon-ey if left unchecked.

According to Otis, many municipalities have a long list of water infrastructure proj-ects that they’re already look-ing into or designing for the future. However, the current problem is that most com-munities can only tackle an expensive infrastructure proj-ect by either squeezing it into their capital budget or apply-ing for loans, Otis said.

McDonald added that many local governments have infra-structure projects they want to do or are under a consent order

by the New York State Depart-ment of Conservation to do, but the lack of funding makes it difficult for a municipal-ity to make the first step. Mc-Donald said that local govern-ments have other challenges with their budget like pension, health insurance and person-nel costs that make it hard to fit in an expensive project.

In the recent past, there haven’t been any specifical-ly-designed programs that reduce costs of big water in-frastructure programs, accord-ing to Otis. The assemblyman added that the only other way that communities were able

WaTER continued on page 11

Backed-upA possible toll on I-95 at the New York-Connecticut border is currently under consideration by the Connecticut Legislature. The proposal has local, state and federal lawmakers in New York asking for a seat at the table, citing potential traffic congestion, safety and environmental issues. For story, see page 11. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

2 • THE CITy REvIEW • April 10 & April 17, 2015

April 10 & April 17, 2015 • THE CITy REvIEW • 3

SWAT teams respond to Eastchester hoaxBy CHRIS EBERHaRT

Staff Writer

More than 50 police officers from Eastchester and neigh-boring communities, includ-ing SWAT teams, descended on a Joyce Road home search-ing for a man with a shotgun who reportedly stabbed his girlfriend, tied up her family and was holding them hostage.

The situation, which took place on April 4, turned out to be a hoax, and now police are

searching for whoever made the 911 call.

Eastchester Police Departm- ent received a phone call from a blocked number around 5:16 p.m. on April 4. East-chester Police Chief Timo-thy Bonci said the caller was a man who claimed to have stabbed his girlfriend and tied up her family. He said he had a shotgun and he would shoot anyone that came near the door of the 1 Joyce Road residence.

On April 4, Eastchester Police Department cordon off Mill Road in front of Anne Hutchinson Elementary School as a means of securing a perimeter around a Joyce Road residence where a caller said he stabbed his girlfriend and was holding hostages.

Westchester County Special Operations Division was one of numerous departments that responded to the scene of what police officials say may have been a swatting incident. Photos/Andrew Dapolite

The Eastchester Police De-partment has been trying to pinpoint where the anonymous call came from, but to date, has not been able to.

Bonci said police respond-ed immediately after receiving the call, setting up a perim-eter and securing the area. Re-sponding to the scene were po-lice departments from Tucka-hoe, Bronxville, Pelham and New Rochelle, as well as the Greenburgh SWAT and hos-tage negotiation teams and the Westchester County K-9 unit and special operations, SWAT and aviation teams.

For the next hour and 15 min-utes, heavily armored vehicles, SWAT teams and armed police officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vests were posi-tioned outside the Eastchester home with a county police he-licopter hovering overhead.

Hostage negotiators used a megaphone to talk to the phantom caller, urging him to come out of the house. But that was met with silence.

Within a half hour of the phone call, Bonci said the

homeowners, who were not home at the time, were located and contacted, but police de-termined that none of them had placed the phone call.

Around 7:30 p.m., SWAT teams swarmed the two-story house but found nothing but an empty home.

“It’s unfortunate that these incidents take place and really waste the resources of all the jurisdictions that responded,” Bonci said. “I can only spec-ulate what would motivate someone to do this.”

Bonci said, the normal mo-tivations in false call cases known as “swatting,” is re-venge or a desire to create an atmosphere of fear. As of press time, Bonci said he’s not sure if this was a swatting case.

“It depends on what your definition of swatting is,” Bonci said. “Sometimes peo-ple do this because the [hom-eowners] are home and they want armed police officers to come to their door with guns drawn, but no one was home

Saturday. But if your defini-tion of swatting is to disrupt the police and cause chaos, then it was [swatting].”

The chief said the Eastches-ter Detective Division is in the process of investigating where the call came from and who made the call. Bonci said there are federal and state swatting statutes that could be applied to this case, which could car-ry a prison sentence of up to five years.

COnTaCT: [email protected]


What’s going on...New Rochelle Public Library tions at the Senior Benefits Information Center

at The New Rochelle Public Library, Fridays at 10 a.m., except holidays. No appointment nec-essary.

Meet with trained counselors to get more in-formation about:

• Medicare Part A (in-patient) and Part B (out-patient) coverage

• Part D prescription drug coverage• Medicare Advantage plans, with or without

drug coverage• Medicare Savings plans, extra help and

EPIC for seniors with more limited incomes. Some assistance is also available for those

who are looking for other financial benefit pro-grams, such as HEAP, Home Energy Assistance Program, and food stamps. If you can’t visit the library in person, you can leave a message on the SBIC helpline at 231-3260 with your name, number, and whether your interest is in Medi-care services or other benefits, and a counselor will return your call within two business days. You can ask your question online by emailing [email protected]

For a listing of all 10 SBIC centers, please visit westchesterlibraries.org/senior-benefits-in-formation-centers, which includes information for clients in Spanish.

New Rochelle Recreation DepartmentCanteen

Designed for those 16-years-old and older, on Friday nights, emphasizing socialization

with a dual emphasis on independence and co-operation through involvement in the communi-ty. The program includes special events, games, life skill development with participant input en-couraging the direction of the program. Door-to-door transportation is available. Program meets at the Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center. For more information, contact Nina Shawn Gainor at 654-2116.

New Rochelle schools

The City School Dis-trict of New Rochelle, New Rochelle Fami-lies Organized to Curb the Use of Substances, FOCUS, and New York Presbyterian Hospital will host the sixth an-nual Family University on April 20 at New Ro-chelle High School from 6 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

New Rochelle FOCUS is a community coali-tion comprised of representatives from parents, education, law enforcement, businesses, health-care and religious sectors who are committed to the prevention and reduction of substance abuse. New Rochelle FOCUS shares a common vision for the city captured by the expression, “Healthy kids, healthy families, healthy com-munity!”

Family University was developed with the goal of promoting the protective factors of parent-adolescent relationship, family bond-ing, and factoring active involvement of par-ents, students, and community members in the school environment. The New Rochelle Family University model brings together middle and high school students and their parents with the goal of increasing awareness of those protec-tive factors that promote the healthy develop-ment of youth. Family University will offer a variety of exciting parent workshops that will address adolescent development and strategies for promoting the healthy development of teen-agers. Workshops for high school and middle school students will help them understand how to make choices that lead to personal happiness and well-being.

The evening will conclude with a keynote presentation by Dr. Michael Nerney who will present on the topic, “Today’s Marijuana: If it’s Legal-What’s the Big Deal.” As the legal land-scape changes regarding the medical and recre-ational use of marijuana, it is more important

than ever to understand the impact of marijuana on the developing adolescent brain. In this pre-sentation, Mr. Nerney will discuss new research findings highlighting the risks that marijuana poses to normal social, cognitive and physical development.

Cosi is a proud sponsor of the Family Univer-sity dinner. For more information about Family University and to learn more about New Ro-chelle FOCUS, visit nrfocus.org.

American Red Cross

Homework helpHomework help is available at the library for

elementary and middle school students. Chil-dren in grades kindergarten through grade 5 can drop-in to the Children’s Room on the first floor and students in grades 6 through 8 can visit the Young Adult area on the second floor for help on the following days:

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 3 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.

Wednesdays: 3 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.This is a collaboration among the New Ro-

chelle Public Library, New Rochelle Youth Bu-reau and Monroe College.

Free Medicare counselingWhether you’re about to enroll in Medicare

or are a current Medicare recipient, you can get help with your benefits and coverage ques-

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Wednesday at noon.Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send

all items to [email protected].

Blood donation opportunitiesThe American Red Cross encourages eligible

blood donors to make a difference in the lives of patients this spring by giving blood. The next blood donation opportunity in New Rochelle is on April 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Iona Col-lege, located at 715 North Ave., in New Ro-chelle.

Donated blood is perishable and must be con-stantly replenished to keep up with the demand. Red blood cells, with a shelf life of only 42 days, are the most frequently transfused blood component, and are always needed by hospitals.

Eligible donors can give red cells through ei-ther a regular whole blood donation or a double red cell donation, where available. Double red cell donations yield twice the usual amount of red cells in a single appointment and are ac-cepted at select donation locations. Double red cell donors must meet additional eligibility cri-teria, which will be determined at the donation appointment.

Donors with all blood types are needed, es-pecially those with types O negative, A negative and B negative. Whole blood can be donated every 56 days, and double red cells may be do-nated every 112 days, up to three times per year.

To find a donation opportunity or make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.


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THE

NewRochelleCityREVIEW Skinny House recommended for designation

By MaRISSa pEnnStaff Writer

The Skinny House, which was built in 1932 and stands only 10-feet wide, on Grand Street in Mamaroneck, has been chosen to be recommended for historic designation.

On March 25, Gov. An-drew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that the New York State Board for Historic Pres-ervation recommended the addition of 22 properties, in-cluding the Skinny House in Mamaroneck, to both the State and National Registers of His-toric Places.

“New York has a rich heri-tage and has served as the lo-cation of significant events that are important to this na-tion’s history,” Cuomo said. “By placing these properties on state and national regis-ters, we can ensure that these sites from New York’s past are preserved, maintained and en-joyed for future generations.”

Being listed in the state and national Register is a boost

for property owners to revital-ize their buildings, as it makes them eligible for various pub-lic preservation programs and services such as matching state grants and state and federal his-toric rehabilitation tax credits.

Adjacent to I-95 on a quiet, modest street in the village’s Washingtonville section, the Skinny House sits uninhabited

banisters to build the 37-foot-long house. Seely even found a chicken coop, which he at-tached to the roof of the house.

In the past, the Skinny House was rented out, but since 2013 it has been unoccupied.

Two years ago, after starting to renovate the kitchen, an ex-tensive termite infestation was discovered. The house, which was deemed too dangerous for occupation, needs costly, substantial renovations. The owners, who said they cannot afford to renovate the house, may possibly turn it over to the local historical society.

If, as expected, the fed-eral government places the

Skinny House on the national historic register, the designa-tion could help to obtain grants to fix the damage caused by the termites.

In addition to Mamaroneck’s Skinny House, one other West-chester County property was selected. The Waccabuc His-toric District, a 524-acre plot of land that includes the core of the Enoch Mead family’s landholdings, which devel-oped in the Lewisboro hamlet starting in 1780, was also rec-ommended.

The Mamaroneck His-torical Society could not be reached for comment as of press time.

on a narrow plot of land owned by Ida Santangelo and her daughter Nancy Picarello.

Santangelo, 94, a lifelong Mamaroneck resident, lives two doors down on Grand Street in the same home in which she grew up in.

“People come by every day to look at the house,” Picarello said. “My mom had an open house several years ago and people came from all over the world to tour the house.”

The Skinny House was built by Nathan T. Seely, an African-American carpenter who had a successful home-building business.

“They couldn’t build out, so they had to build up,” Picarello said.

The plot of land, which the house was built on, was donat-ed as a gift to Seely in 1931, during the Great Depression, by Picarello’s grandfather who lived next door.

With little money to pur-chase building materials, Seely repurposed everything from rail-road ties to windows and

Nancy Picarello, left, and her mother Ida Santangelo, the owners of the Skinny House. Photos/Marissa Penn

The Skinny House on Grand Street in Mamaroneck is one of 22 properties that has been recommended for historic designation.

The Skinny House in Mamaroneck is only 10 feet wide.

The Skinny House was built in 1932, on a donated plot of land, by Nathan T. Seely, an African-American carpenter who had a successful home building business.


Dems, Republicans support New Ro YMCALast month, Westchester

County Legislator Jim Mai-sano, a Republican, and West-chester County Clerk Tim Idoni, a Democrat, co-chaired an event to support the New Rochelle YMCA’s "Be a Life-saver" campaign, which was launched to help raise $1.4 million to help pay for critical pool repairs.

The fundraising event was held at the New Rochelle YMCA at 50 Weyman Ave., in New Rochelle, on Thursday,

March 26 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Maisano and Idoni assem-

bled a bi-partisan event host committee including Con-gressman Eliot Engel, a Dem-ocrat, state Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Scarsdale Dem-ocrat, state Assemblyman Ste-ven Otis, a Rye Democrat, state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Yonkers Democrat, state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Demo-crat, Westchester County Ex-ecutive Rob Astorino, a Repub-lican, county legislators Sheila

Marcotte, an Eastchester Re-publican, and Catherine Parker, a Rye Democrat, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, a Dem-ocrat, and New Rochelle coun-cilmembers Louis Trangucci, a Republican, Albert Tarantino, a Republican, Jared Rice, a Dem-ocrat, Ivar Hyden, a Democrat, Barry Fertel, a Democrat, and Shari Rackman, a Democrat.

"This campaign is the most critical in the Y’s 30-year his-tory,” Julie Gallanty, CEO of the New Rochelle YMCA, said. “Unfortunately, the stark reality is if we cannot raise these funds, our pool will have to close for good and, since the pool is a major source of funding for us, we would have to close our doors to the com-munity entirely. The coopera-tion and commitment of these esteemed politicians under-scores the importance of our efforts and the crucial role our institution plays in the lower Westchester community."

The New Rochelle YMCA is an independent YMCA and does not receive support from the national YMCA. Since

1984, more than 2.1 million people have passed through the YMCA doors and more than 75,000 member visits are expected this year.

"Providing incredibly valu-able services at affordable fees is core to our mission,”

Gallanty said. “We're hop-ing that the community will rally behind us and help save a vital community organiza-tion. Once we have completed the renovations, the New Ro-chelle YMCA pool will be in excellent condition and well-

positioned to serve the region and its swimmers for years to come."

Those looking to find ad-ditional ways to support the efforts of the New Rochelle YMCA should visit nrymca.org/lifesaver. (Submitted)

Senior citizens enjoying swimming classes at the New Rochelle YMCA.

The YMCA hosts children of all ages. Contributed photo


On Friday, Feb. 27 in New Rochelle, Pet Rescue held a gala fundraiser in order to re-furbish its new space in Har-rison. The non-profit group also honored many of its lo-cal contributors.

Broadway talent Bill Ber-loni was recognized for his outstanding work as an ani-mal trainer and for making dreams come true for many rescue pets. Also on hand were stage superstars Trixie and Chico, former rescues that are now furry idols of the Broadway production, “The Great White Way.”

Bill Berloni is a 2011 Tony Honoree for Excellence in Theatre, winner of the 2014 Outer Critics Circle Award for Special Achievement and author of “Broadway Tails.” Berloni has trained animals, including many rescues, for hundreds of Broadway shows, regional theatre, tours, tele-vision and movies including “Bullets Over Broadway,” “Legally Blonde” and “Annie” to name just a few.

Also committed to animal rescue, local news celebrity Lou Young of CBS News served as the master of cere-monies. An eight-time Emmy award winner, Lou has also

Pet Rescue gala raises funds, honors locals

Pet Rescue volunteer Barbara Gebala, Broadway talent Bill Berloni and Ruth Frumkin, Pet Rescue board member, with former rescue dogs Trixie and Chico. Photos/Louis Vaccaro

Diane Raines and Kristina Feighan with Trixie.

Emcee Dr. Harris Stratyner and Bill Berloni. Pet Rescue has launched its “Buy a Brick and Pave the Way” campaign.

been honored with awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, Radio-Television News Di-rectors Association and New York Academy of Television Arts Awards.

The Gala was held at The Fountainhead, located at 55 Quaker Ridge Road in New Rochelle. The glittery eve-ning included a gourmet buf-fet dinner with wine, beer and a cash bar, fantastic live and

silent auction items and raffle prizes. For more information about Pet Rescue, visit ny-pe-trescue.org/Gala.

Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue or-ganization founded in 1982,

whose mission is to aid home-less and abused cats and dogs, provide necessary medical care and find them loving, for-ever homes.

Since its beginning, the group has rescued more than

15,000 animals and has earned a Guidestar Exchange Seal listing. Pet Rescue also works to decrease the population of homeless dogs and cats through its spay/neuter programs. (Submitted)


By JOHn BRandIStaff Writer

As those with Autism Spec-trum Disorder begin to “age out,” or turn a certain age where they can no longer at-tend public school, parents are scrambling to find suitable housing and day programs that will offer the same kind of so-cialization and individualized health-based services.

At the same time, West-chester County and leaders from Autism foundations are pairing together to form a “first-of-its-kind” communi-ty-based service network for those living with the disorder.

With the idea being branded as a “departure from current residential models,” Neigh-borhood Network of New York, NNNY, has received a little more than $1 million in grant money to combine in-dividualized care, monitored activity and social immersion for adults with Autism. The money has come from New York State’s Office for People with Developmental Disabili-ties, and there’s a hope that this model will be mimicked beyond just Westchester.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the prevalence of Autism in chil-dren is now 1 in 68. Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, is a developmental disorder that affects speech, behavior and social interaction.

Ilene Lainer, president of New York Collaborates for Autism, one of the paired or-ganizations to develop this model which was first pro-posed in 2010, said the idea was to fill a need for housing and offer an alternative to the current options such as group homes, in-home staffing and traditional day service, which she said can be expensive.

“This program is timely and critical, especially with more than half a million teens with ASD expected to become adults in the next decade,” Lainer said.

Another option is to let the adult reside at home, but Lee-ann Tomasetti, a mother of an 18-year-old son with Autism, said the amount, subsidized by the federal government, is usually not enough to provide adequate care.

Still, Lanier’s goal with this

Despite new program, parents still worry

prototype community is to break down barriers and have those with Autism integrate into the community; to have it become typical to live next door to adults with Autism.

“People with Autism are great neighbors to have, they’re not doing drugs or having drinking parties,” Lanier, also a mother to a child with Autism, said. “They’re good workers and good neighbors and you want them to live nearby.”

The model will be slow to start.

Dubbed a “demonstration program,” it will first be about learning preferences, but it looks to service approximately 40 adults. In the community, there will be both moderately and severely challenged indi-viduals, according to Lanier.

She said what’s unique about this program is the in-troduction of professional families, or those that will live near or with the autistic adult. Those families will provide around the clock care for their disabled neighbors. Lanier said this will make for “deep-er, more meaningful connec-tions” between the one requir-ing care and the one giving it.

Some parents of adults with Autism find the current model and the extended waitlists for day programs and housing a burden. Ellen Gentsch, a for-mer member on the board of Westchester Foundation for Autism and a mother of a 21-year-old autistic son, said she has had a recurring dream of losing her child.

“In the meantime, our kids

our getting bigger,” Gentsch said. “The districts are won-derful. Our social worker is wonderful. But the bottom line, it is what it is, whatever is out there, we have to make this decision.”

She said she’s been having this conversation with other parents in the foundation since her child was two about where the kids were going to go be-yond a certain age. Now that she’s here and her son is about to age out of the school dis-trict, she calls the process of searching for an alternative model “extremely stressful.”

And the clock is ticking.“My son went to a regular

high school,” Gentsch said. “To put him into a facility with so many disabilities, and not the same kind, I’m still look-ing, but he ages out in June.”

The typical age when those with Autism leave public school is usually 21 or 22.

Like most parents, Gentsch has extenuating circumstances at home that would prevent her son from living and receiving the care he needs on a long-term basis.

She said she has explored models where they would place her son in a room with developmentally disabled 65-year-olds. She found this troublesome, and said she’d like to see a facility where they break it down into age groups, like a segment for her son with just people who are 21 to 30 and have similar interests.

Around for nearly 20 years, the Autism foundation and its mission has evolved. What used to be getting parents to-gether for pictures with Santa or holiday parties, has turned into discussions of where can those affected go for socializa-tion, job training and appropri-ate housing options.

“I always wanted to get housing or condos built where parents are on the premise as well and we hire our own help,” Gentsch said, “grow old next to them. If that does take place, I love the idea of it.”

One of Gentsch’s concerns with traditional residential models is the high turnover rate of the staff. Lainer said in the residential model, among care workers there’s a turnover rate of about 75 percent. With the proposed community, the turnover rate, Lanier said, is 3

A new grant is offering roughly $1 million toward the creation of a community-based, living services network for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Photo courtesy specialeducationadvisor.com

percent, based off preliminary research and a similar model put to use in Kansas.

“The key here is consisten-cy and longevity of service,” Lanier said.

Tomasetti said although she has some time until her son ages out at 21, she’s already started the process of explor-ing day programs.

“I started last year, because I don’t want to be caught with my pants down,” Tomasetti said. “For us, it’s about finding an appropriate facility for our kids and if there’s an opening, we have to take it right there.”

However, she said this isn’t always ideal because it would mean pulling him out of school early. Tomasetti shared Gentsch’s sentiment and she wanted to make sure her son, no matter which housing she chooses, was with people his own age. She said this summer will consist of exhausting day programs throughout West-

chester to find an appropriate one that will have the educa-tional piece and social aspect, which is basically the program, she said, that he is in now.

If she can’t find a program, she is considering keeping her child at home with help from the government. At a cost of $30,000, a parent or parents can tailor a program with in-dividualized care, according to Tomasetti. Her only concern, she said, is that it will lack the social aspect.

“We can’t lock them up be-hind a wall,” Tomasetti said. “These are children who are also in Westchester and have had the opportunities to go on vaca-tions, go to baseball games and go to Broadway shows. These are children who are used to this level of socialization.”

Jeanne Canon, an East-chester teacher and mother of one son with Autism, 17, and one son that is mainstream, said she worries about the

length of the waiting lists for housing and RESPIT, a ser-vice where the government funds a non-family member to watch your child, which limits the options for parents caring with their adult chil-dren with Autism.

“There aren’t enough pro-viders for services,” Canon said. “Maybe the government can create an incentive, busi-nesses that will provide ser-vices to adults with Autism.”

Canon also feels that fund-ing for adults is lacking and that the focus has turned to-ward early intervention in children that are showing signs of the disability.

“It’s geared toward early intervention, which is under-standable because you want your children to become their best,” she said. “But what do you do with kids who need care when it’s not as available?”



Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo

The 2015 Wildlife Conser- vation Society Run for the Wild is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. Runners, walkers and wildlife supporters are invited to participate in the annual 5K race and family fun run/walk at the Bronx Zoo.

Each year, Wildlife Conser-vation Society, WCS, Run for the Wild is committed to raising awareness of the threats facing a specific species while raising money to help the WCS in ef-forts at the Bronx Zoo and in the field to save wildlife around the globe. This year the run is dedicated to gorillas. Since its inception in 2009, more than 35,000 people have participated. Registration is now open.

Those who want to partici-pate can register for the run or family fun walk, make a dona-tion, or support a friend or team at wcsrunforthewild.org. The

event is expected to sell out, so runners and walkers are encouraged to sign up early. Registration for the run is $45 for adults, $35 for chil-dren, ages 3 to 15, and $35 for seniors, 65-plus. WCS members receive a discount on registration. Participants are encouraged to seek indi-vidual sponsors for their run, and all adult, and senior, par-ticipants are required to raise a minimum of $30 in order to participate.

The price of registration includes parking and gen-eral admission to the Bronx Zoo following the event. Total Experience Ticket up-grade is available on site. Participants can choose from two different events. The 5K run for individual runners will begin at 8 a.m.; casual run-ners and walkers can take part

in the Family Fun Run/Walk at 8:45 a.m.

After the run, everyone is en-couraged to stay at the Bronx Zoo to enjoy the wildlife for the rest of the day. Exhibits like Tiger Mountain, Madagascar! and JungleWorld feature wild-life from around the world. At Congo Gorilla Forest, visitors can see western lowland gorillas and many other African species.

Prizes will be awarded to those who meet various fundraising goals. For $30 in pledges, runners will earn a WCS Run for the Wild shirt; $60 earns a gorilla plush; $125 earns a water bottle; $275 earns a blanket; $500 earns a beach towel and $1,500 earns a fleece jacket plus a VIP breakfast. Each ascending incentive level achieved includes all prizes from the lower levels. (Submitted)

Last year’s Run for the Wild crowd at the Bronx Zoo. Photo/Julie Larsen Maher.

By MaRISSa pEnnStaff Writer

After being approved in January, Metropolitan Trans-portation Authority fare in-creases, which went up by 4.25 percent, went into effect on Sunday, March 22.

For the fifth time since 2008, fares on the Metro-North railroad, MTA New York City Transit buses and subways, MTA Bus, the MTA Staten Island Railway, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels in-creased.

All monthly and weekly fares have increased depend-ing on the distance of travel and the time.

Single ride subway and bus fares increased by 25 cents from $2.50 to $2.75.The price of an unlimited monthly Me-troCard has also risen from

Metro-North fares increase$112 to $116.50.

E-ZPass tolls for cars and trucks have also increased by 4 percent, with a 6 to 10 per-cent toll increase for those paying cash.

MTA President Thomas Prendergast said the MTA is keeping its promise to ensure fare and toll increases are as low as possible.

“We have cut more than $1 billion from our ongoing expenses,” Prendergast said. “But a modest fare and toll increase is necessary to bal-ance our budget against the increase costs of providing the bus, subway, railroad and para-transit service.”

Arianna Harris, a Bronx resident and frequent Metro-North rider, was not happy about the increase. “I depend on the MTA and I mean, it’s pretty expensive, it’s ridicu-

lous,” she said.When asked about what she

thought of the fare increase, Rachel Azimi, a Carmel resi-dent, told the Review that she thought it was “terrible.”

“The fare is already out of this world expensive and I avoid taking the train when possible because it’s so ex-pensive,” she said. “Last time I took the train, I was so to-tally shocked at how much it cost.”

Others thought the increase was just par for the course.

Barbara Flitt, a Manhattan resident that takes the subway seven days a week, thought the increase was “to be ex-pected.”

“It’s not that bad, but people are already noticing though,” she said.

Marjorie Anders, MTA spo-keswoman, declined comment.

to lessen the financial burden was to grab loans through the Environmental Facilities Cor-poration, a state-run environ-mental assistance company.

“These are expensive proj-ects for which municipalities are struggling to find ways to afford within their budgets,” said Otis, who also served as Rye City mayor for 12 years before taking state office. “We know every municipal-ity in the state is dealing with an aged water infrastructure that needs to be repaired or upgraded. Many communi-ties, including communities in Westchester [County], are un-der different kinds of enforce-

ment orders or impending en-forcement actions.”

In a 2012 study that moni-tored the amount of water go-ing through the county’s sewer infrastructure, five out of the 11 tested municipalities had surpassed their daily limit of acceptable flowing sewage water for at least half the days over a two-year period. The re-maining six also exceeded the limit set by the county, but on a less frequent basis. The exces-sive overflow of water through the sewer pipes tend to lead to overworked waste water treat-ment plants and a faster rate of pipe degradation. Overflows in both the treatment plants and

pipes that lead to them end up leaking unfiltered waste water into bodies of water across the county.

However, Otis said it’s not a problem that just the county is facing. Other municipalities in the state also need to repair infrastructure—like under-ground pipes or storm drains—to keep water clean, he added.

“Both John McDonald and I tried to focus this project on a need that municipalities have been crying out for,” Otis said, adding that local governments have been asking for infra-structure help for many years.


WaTER from page 1

New York State introduced a $200 million grant program that will help municipalities reduce costs of their expensive water infrastructure projects that would ultimately improve water quality throughout the state. File photo


Potential I-95 toll draws concernBy MaRISSa pEnn

Staff Writer

A possible toll on I-95 at the New York-Connecticut border has local communities con-cerned that it could send traffic into the surrounding neighbor-hoods, possibly causing local road congestion as well as safe-ty and environmental issues.

At a press conference on March 31 at Port Chester Vil-lage Hall, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, both Democrats, said that New York should be in-cluded in the decision-making process.

“Unfortunately, Westches-ter officials are not being asked for their input on the tolls,” Schumer said. “None of our local officials have been asked even though it has dra-matic effects on New York.”

In March, the Connecticut General Assembly voted in fa-vor of legislation authorizing the Connecticut Department of Transportation to move forward with a study on toll booths throughout the state. The study, due to be released later this month, will specifi-cally contemplate a new toll booth plaza on the New York-Connecticut border as part of a revenue replacement plan which will be used to offset the cost of replacing aging in-frastructure.

Schumer said that accord-ing to the Connecticut Trans-portation Strategy Board, a lo-cal diversion of at least 14,000 of the 140,000 cars and trucks that travel the route daily could cut through Port Chester streets in order to avoid tolls or circumvent traffic backups on I-95 at the state border.

In response to those figures, Westchester communities bor-dering the New York-Con-necticut I-95 corridor, includ-ing the City of Rye and the Village of Port Chester, have expressed concern that such a decision may be made with lit-tle-to-no input from New York communities that could be ad-versely affected by the toll.

“Anything that would push cars off the highway and onto local roads is not something that we would want,” said Rye City Mayor Joe Sack, a Re-publican.

Dennis Pilla, Port Chester’s Democratic mayor, said he

was concerned about the fact that the local roads were de-signed in the “horse and bug-gy era” and were not made to carry heavy vehicle traffic.

“The major secondary roads in Port Chester are Boston Post Road, King and Regent streets. They are narrow with build-ings built close to the curb,” Pilla said.

The Port Chester mayor add-ed that Boston Post Road runs directly through Port Chester’s downtown.

As a means of appealing to the Connecticut General As-sembly, Pilla said he plans on reaching out to Greenwich of-ficials, as he believes they too will be negatively impacted by the new toll. Pilla said he will

advocate for pushing the toll beyond I-95’s exit 2 in Con-necticut in order to mitigate at least some of the potential issues.

“Not only will the highways be clogged, but our streets could be made unsafe,” Lowey said.

With an increase in conges-tion on the roads, emergency responses become impeded and there are safety hazards that come with large trucks carry-ing cargo and heavier loads be-ing placed on local roadways in small communities.

Still in preliminary stages of planning, the Connecticut Legislature held public hear-ings on placing the toll booth at the New York-Connecticut border last month, but New

York communities were not invited to testify.

Meanwhile, last year, Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Demo-crat, urged the New York State Thruway Authority to put a high speed toll in place of the I-95 toll in New Rochelle, which dates back to the 1950s, due to heavy backups and pol-lution in the area. The change has not been put into place yet but is “still on the table,” ac-cording to Latimer.

“New York State makes too much money off the toll,” Latimer said. “Fast forward to Connecticut and the same thing applies. You are going to run the risk of people go-ing through local streets to duck tolls.”

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla, center, explains how the local roads, designed in the colonial-era, were not made to withstand the additional cars and trucks that would result from diverted traffic off of I-95.

Port Chester Mayor Dennis Pilla, left, Rep. Nita Lowey and Sen. Charles Schumer at a press conference urging Connecticut officials to include New York in a potential plan that would install a toll booth on the New York-Connecticut border near Port Chester. Photos/Andrew Dapolite

According to the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board, at least 14,000 cars and trucks could use local exits in order to avoid tolls or circumvent traffic backups if a plan to install a toll booth near the New York-Connecticut comes to fruition.

Traffic on I-95 is already a concern for local, state and federal officials.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer holds up a map displaying a potential toll location on I-95 just over the New York-Connecticut border.


for the Biederman report was drawn up but not voted on. The draft was given to Plun-kett, who responded to Harck-ham’s letter shortly thereafter, agreeing to have members of the administration and county parks department present dur-ing the April 15 parks com-mittee meeting, according to several legislators.

“It’s been very frustrating because it went from last No-vember to December and here we are in April and we still don’t have the report,” Harck-ham said. “It’s also frustrating because we’re now about to start a new season at Playland and we won’t have a vendor.”

According to sources, the county executive’s office has been in talks with Standard Amusements, which was one of the two runners up to Sus-tainable Playland, Inc., in the original request for proposals, RFP, sent out by the county to run and renovate Playland back in 2010.

Standard Amusements, along

with the other runner up Cen-tral Amusements, became a front runner for consideration after SPI withdrew its pro-posal to manage and operate Playland in June 2014 under scrutiny from the City of Rye, the neighborhood abutting the amusement park and the Dem-ocratic-led Westchester County Board of Legislators.

Harckham said Plunkett told him the county executive’s office was concerned about on-going negotiations with a pos-sible vendor, which is why they didn’t want to release the report.

As part of Standard Amuse-ments’ plan submitted back in 2010 and then resubmitted last year, a $25 million com-mitment to the county—$6 million upfront and another $19 million for capital proj-ects—was earmarked. Of the $19 million, approximately $15 million would be spent on capital improvements before the second season. As part of the proposal, Playland’s older,

iconic rides such as the carou-sel and Dragon Coaster, would be refurbished and three new rides—a $1.5 million double loop water slide to enhance the pool area, a $2.2 million interactive children’s water play element and a $1.2 mil-lion “unicoaster,” which simu-lates a looping roller coaster but with a smaller footprint—would be added.

According to Standard’s pro-posal, revenue created from the park would first go toward pay-ing its operating costs, which has historically hovered around $14.5 million per year, then to-ward annual capital improve-ments for the upcoming season, which is estimated by the com-pany to be a need between $1.5 million and $2.5 million per year. Standard would also re-coup a $5 million managing fee if annual revenues allow for it. And any additional surplus out-side of those associated costs would then go to the county.


playland from page 1

After months of waiting, the county executive’s office has yet to release the $100,000 Playland consultant report, which was completed by Dan Biederman. File Photo

Remodeling fever delayed by snow

Just when you thought the winter was over, we got an-other six inches of snow on the first day of spring. I think we all had enough, because this unusual weather is delaying our seasonal compulsion of remodeling something in the spring. It could be a kitchen, a bath, even a closet or garage, it really doesn’t matter. Our species is predisposed to do something to our home when the weather starts to warm. Like the swallows return-ing from wherever they went, this need is not something to be ashamed of. We have very little control over it.

If you are facing this uncon-trollable remodeling urge, you will probably need some help. But don’t despair. You don’t have to do it alone. There are many qualified design-ers available to create a func-tional, as well as aesthetically pleasing, kitchen or bath to satisfy your desires. Look for a firm that is associated with the National Kitchen and Bath Association. This is the larg-est organization in the indus-try and it sets the standards for modern interior design. But don’t expect to get something for nothing, because you get what you pay for.

Most trained and quali-fied designers charge for their initial work, however their charges and pricing structures vary greatly. I know of com-panies that charge anywhere from $100 to $1,000 or more,

for this service. Usually, this sum can be applied towards the purchase of designs or cabinets, and I wouldn’t rec-ommend contracting with a firm that did not adhere to that policy. After all, a good design takes a great deal of time, ef-fort and creativity, so why should they give this away for free? However, if they’re will-ing to credit these charges to-wards a purchase, you’re not taking too big a risk.

An argument could be made that if you don’t like the de-sign or estimate, you’ve wast-ed your money. I don’t entirely disagree with this, and that’s why I recommend finding a firm with a minimum initial design fee. This smaller ex-pense certainly does not com-pensate the designer for all the time he must spend creat-ing your dream kitchen, but it shows a commitment on your part, indicating that you are se-rious about the project.

Some firms have a staged design fee, which includes a minimum initial design charge. If after reviewing the design, you wish to pursue the project, they have a second-ary fee, sometimes called a retainer, for additional work on the design or releasing the drawings to you. This seems to be an equitable compro-mise. The designer charges a minimal fee, confident that they will create an exciting design, within the budget that you specify. You get a chance to review the design and see how much the renovation will cost, before laying out a lot of money.

At that point, assuming the

design fits your budget, you have to ask yourself three questions. The first is, ‘do you like the design?’ It doesn’t have to be perfect yet, but it must show promise, and you have to be convinced that it can be modified to your satis-faction.

The second question is, ‘do you like the company’s prod-ucts?’ This includes the cabi-nets, countertops and other ac-cessories.

The final question is, ‘do you trust the designer and his support staff?’ If the design or designer is not to your liking, or the cost is out of line, you have the option of ending the relationship without incurring additional costs.

If you answer, ‘yes’ to the three questions, you’re ready to move to the next step in a staged design fee program. If any of your answers were ‘no,’ look for another firm that you are more comfortable with.

Once you find the right company to work with, a de-sign you love, and a price that’s compatible with your budget, you can succumb to your impulses. Don’t feel guilty. Just as the swallows fly home, spring home improve-ment has been ingrained into our genes for a thousand years and it will remain that way for a long time to come.

Paul Bookbinder, m.i.d., c.r., is president of DreamWork Kitchens,

Inc. located in Mamaroneck. He can be reached for questions

at 914-777-0437 or www.dreamworkkitchens.com.

Applications sought for county scholarshipsWestchester County gradu-

ate students pursuing careers in social work or public health are invited to apply for schol-arship assistance through the Ruth Taylor Award Fund.

The fund was established in tribute to Ruth Taylor upon her retirement as the county’s commissioner of Public Wel-fare and in recognition of her nearly four decades of out-standing service. The annual awards are sponsored by Unit-ed Way of Westchester and Putnam, Westchester County government and the Urban

League of Westchester County.Applicants must be resi-

dents of Westchester County and enrolled in graduate stud-ies in social work or public health on a full-time basis. For the 2015-2016 academic year, awards will range be-tween $1,000 and $5,000 for tuition or maintenance, or both.

The submission deadline is Friday, June 19, by which time the application and all support-ing documents must be received. Financial need, public service and scholastic capacity are part of the evaluation criteria.

Recipients must maintain the minimum cumulative uni-versity GPA for the duration of the award. Awards are issued annually and students are eli-gible to apply if they have not previously received the schol-arship.

Inquiries can be directed to Karen Bonaparte, vice presi-dent of strategic initiatives of United Way of Westches-ter and Putnam, via email at [email protected]. Appli-cants can also download ap-plication and cover letter at uwwp.org/rt. (Submitted)


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April 10 & April 17, 2015 • THE CITy REvIEW • 15SpORTS

ing last night. But was it worth it? Totally.

Will I be watching again on

Tuesday? Of course. After all, leftovers are al-

ways the best part.Follow Mike on Twitter @

LiveMike_Sports

This past Monday was as just about as close as a sports fan can come to Nirvana.

Wall-to-wall Opening Day baseball, an exciting NCAA championship basketball game and a thrilling overtime win for the surging New York Rangers.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Heck, any one of these things, on its own, makes for a pretty good sports day. But add them together and it’s like a holiday for the obsessive sports enthusiast.

If you talk to a sports fans of a certain age, they will un-doubtedly tell tales of sneak-ing transistor radios into school during the World Se-ries to follow along with the action while feigning inter-est in lessons about the ag-ricultural practices of the ancient Sumerians.

An Opening Day holidayOn Monday, I felt much

the same way as my fa-ther must have, sitting at my desk, pounding away at the keyboard while my earbuds pumped in play-by-play calls from Opening Day games around the country.

From 1 p.m. on, it seemed like there was no break in the action.

I’d have the Mets game on for a half-inning, switch over to my NESN feed to hear the homer-happy Red Sox take on the Phillies. I even spent some time listening to the Yankees radio broadcast, and let me tell you, on Opening Day, John Sterling might as well be Vin Scully for all I care. After a long winter, it simply doesn’t matter who is calling the game.

Even in the afternoon, when I was out in the field covering local games, I was always con-nected thanks to my iPhone and the MLB.tv package. While watching one game, up-dates from others would pop

up as alerts. The Brewers turned a dou-

ble play? Yes please! Mike Trout robbed his first

homer of the season? You bet. Bartolo Colon ate five Cro-

nuts in the dugout? Hey, it’s Opening Day, I’ll watch.

Technology has made shirk-ing your responsibilities easier than ever, it seems.

At night, I had the west coast games on the laptop, the Rangers on my phone and the Duke-Wisconsin game on the TV, turning my man cave into a situation room of sorts for a sports nut.

It was a Thanksgiving feast of athletic competition, and by midnight, I was stuffed. K-zones, curveballs and Frank Kaminsky were my turkey, gravy and squash, putting me into a veritable sports coma.

I woke up today with an impossible amount of work on my desk, too many stories to write and a lineup of pro-grams on my DVR that I just couldn’t get around to watch-

On April 6, Sports Editor Mike Smith spent most of the day glued to Opening Day action. Between baseball, hockey and the NCAA National Championship game, it was one of the best sports days in a long time. Photo courtesy MLB.com

like us on facebookfacebook.com/cityreviewnr

Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary

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LIVE MIKE!

16 • THE CITy REvIEW • April 10 & April 17, 2015 SpORTS

New Ro falls to PiratesBy MIKE SMITHSports Editor

On April 7, the New Ro-chelle Huguenots nearly came away with their first win of the season, dropping a tough game to Pearl River 10-9 in what may have been their best per-formance of the season so far. Despite the loss, however, New Rochelle coach Brian Violante is starting to see signs of im-provement from his young team and believes his squad may be turning the corner.

Trailing 10-7 late, the Hu-guenots mounted a comeback that fell just short in the game’s final minutes. Although they weren’t able to tie things up, Violante was still encouraged by the spirit his squad showed down the stretch.

“The kids fought hard and that’s the thing that you ask for,” he said. “We did a good job playing defense down the stretch and had a chance to tie it up but just couldn’t convert.”

At the end of the first quarter, the Huguenots held a 4-2 lead over the Pirates, something Vi-olante chalked up to his team’s ability to keep possession of the ball—no easy feat for a squad that starts two freshmen and three sophomores.

“We held onto the ball, we were getting good shots,” Vio-lante said of his team’s effort. “When you do that, when you hold the ball for more time, that helps the defense out.”

Sophomore Eoin O’Malley and juniors Haitiam Coughlin and James Ferrara all found the net for the Huguenots.

Despite the team’s 0-3 re-cord, the Huguenots are im-proving steadily, according to Violante.

“From our first two games to now, we look like a com-pletely different team,” Vio-lante said. “As the season goes on, the kids are getting better and picking up one or two more concepts each day we are out there.”

For the Pirates, Tuesday’s win against the Huguenots was their first victory of the year.

After an April 9 showdown with a Pelham team that hand-ed them a 12-6 loss earlier in the season, the Huguenots will

be back in action on April 11 when they host Clarkstown North. The following week, they have games scheduled with Nyack, and two tough

squads in Harrison and Rye. “It’s a tough schedule and

we knew that this was going to be a tough week for us,” Vio-lante said. “Pelham is a very

strong team; they’re very well coached, so we’re going to have to work hard.”


Brian Blancato looks for an open man. According to head coach Violante, the Huguenots did a much better job with ball possession against the Pirates.

David Herskowitz eyes a Pearl River player. Photos/Mike SmithDylan Cohen bodies up a Pear River attacker on April 7. New Rochelle’s defense played well down the stretch in a losing effort.

Eoin O’Malley battles with a Pearl River defender on April 7. New Rochelle fell 10-9 to the Pirates.

city review-new rochelle 4-10-2015

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