eastchester review 12-11-2015

December 11, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 48 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Eastchester REVIEWTHE

Santa Claus comes to town on Sunday, Dec. 6 for Eastchester’s Santa Stop event. Emma Brynnel, 4, and Santa pose for a picture. For more, see pages 6 and 7. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

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December 11, 2015 • The easTchesTer review • 3

Area school supts. upbeat on 2016-17 budgetBy sarah varney

Staff Writer

An impromptu Nov. 19 meeting of assorted Westches-ter school superintendents, board of education members and New York State Speaker of the House Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, left the 21 attendees hopeful on several fronts, including the possible increase in state aid for school funding for the 2016-2017 school year.

The meeting was organized by Assemblyman Steven Otis, a Rye Democrat, who said that the goal of the meeting was to provide a forum for a thought-ful discussion. “Education is-sues are so important to all of the areas that I represent,” said Otis, who lauded Heastie for taking 90 minutes to meet with the group.

During the meeting, Heast-ie told attendees that the Gap Elimination Adjustment, GEA, that first took effect dur-ing the 2010-2011 school year would possibly be eradicated

for the 2018-2019 school year. The GEA was a last-minute mandate to close a state bud-get shortfall by proportion-ally decreasing state aid to schools. Positioned originally as a one-year emergency mea-sure, the annual reductions have remained in place. Sev-eral Westchester school dis-tricts are owed as much as $3 million.

During the meeting, Heastie also addressed decreasing the percentage by which standard-ized test scores for the yearly statewide English Language Arts and Math Concepts ex-ams influence teacher evalua-tions and salaries.

The weighing percent-age had been set at 40 since 2010, but last January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, announced his desire to raise it to 50 percent.. Adoption of the Annual Professional Per-formance Review and the Common Core standards was required for states to qualify for Race to the Top, RTTT, funding. RTTT grew out of

the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, but was funded in 2009 with $97.4 billion doled out by the U.S. Department of Education. The education de-partment received those funds as part of the American Re-covery and Reinvestment Act that President Obama signed in 2009.

Now Heastie and other Al-bany elected officials indicate that Cuomo’s previously-ex-pressed views have changed, and some state representatives have even discussed abolish-ing the weighted percentage altogether.

Cuomo has largely left the percentage level up to the state Board of Regents to deter-mine. A Common Core Task Force the governor called to-gether in February should re-lease its report soon, Otis said.

Still Cuomo’s turnabout is unexpected.

“I was surprised that [Cuo-mo] has taken such a radically opposite position. He went from 50 to zero,” Superinten-dent of Rye City Schools Dr.

Various Westchester school district officials who were able to meet with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, included school board members, superintendents and representatives from Board of Cooperative Education Services and the Lower Hudson Education Coalition. Photo courtesy Judy Weiner

Frank Alvarez said. Alvarez added that he was very pleased with the meeting.

Judith Weiner, legislative director of the Lower Hudson Education Coalition in Elms-

ford, echoed Alvarez’s cau-tious optimism.

“[Heastie] was very careful not to promise us anything, but he did say that he thought we would be very pleased with this

year’s budget and that there would be major changes in testing that would work in our favor,” Weiner said.

cOnTacT: [email protected]


What’s going on...Teen DIY holiday craft

Make a special gift during this program on Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. This program is appropriate for children grades six and up. Participants will be able to make their own candles and decorate coffee mugs with nail polish and permanent marker. Advanced registration for this program is required. For more information or to register for this program, call 337-7680 ext. 34 or stop by the Children’s Room.

Family Film FridaysThe library will be screening Disney Pixar’s film

“Minions” during this week’s Family Film Fridays movie series on Friday, Dec. 18 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. This movie follows the story of minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob, who are recruited by Scar-lett Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her in-ventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world. Rated PG, running time: 91 minutes.

Tuckahoe Public LibraryCharles Dickens book and tea

The library will explore the classic history be-hind Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale “The Night Before Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 11 p.m. Participants will be able to discuss what the story meant to Dickens and how it affected Victorian readers while enjoying tea.

Raw dessertLearn how to make three low-calorie desserts

on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. These raw foods will nourish the brain for improvements in learn-ing and mood, and are simple enough to make with only a food processor.

Bronxville Women’s ClubHoliday brunch

Members and non-members can enjoy a cham-pagne holiday brunch on Sunday, Dec. 13 from noon to 1 p.m. at Bronxville Women’s Club, locat-ed at 135 Midland Ave. in Bronxville. The brunch will be catered by Sheldon Party Services. Reser-vations for the event are required. For more infor-mation or to make a reservation, call 337-3252.

TBA Pipe Dream TheaterEnjoy a holiday show performed by BWC’s res-

ident theater company on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at BCW. The performance will include a live band and food catered by Shel-don Party Services. The event is open to the public. For more information, call 337-3252.

The Reformed Church of Bronxville Messiah Sing

The Reformed Church of Bronxville will be hosting its annual Messiah Sing of the holiday classic program from “Handel’s Messiah” on Sat-urday, Dec. 12 at 4 p.m. at the Church, located at 180 Pondfield Road in Bronxville. Singers will include professional soloists and a string quartet conducted by Dr. Sándor Szabó. It promises to be an exciting community event. Audience members are invited to sing along and be part of this family tradition. A reception will follow the performance. For more information, call 337-6776.

gested. For more information or to register online, visit eastchesterlibrary.org/events/ or contact Jona-than Heifetz at 721-8105 or [email protected].

Knit for charity part twoThe second part of this knitting series will be

held on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 11 a.m. to noon and is appropriate for children in sixth grade and up. The first session of the program covered the basics of knitting and participants began to knit squares. In the second part of the program, participants will finish knitting their squares and will put them together to make a blanket that will be donated to a local charity. Yarn and multiple sets of needles will be provided; how-ever, the library would appreciate it if partici-pants could bring their own knitting needles. This program is open to beginner and advanced knitters. For more information or to register for the program, visit eastchesterlibrary.org/events/ or contact Elizabeth at 721-8102 or [email protected].

Bronxville Public LibraryOrnament craft

Make a handmade ornament using ribbons and embellishments during this program on Monday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon. All materials will be provided. Advanced registration for this program is required. For more information or to register for this program, call 337-7680 ext. 24 or email [email protected].

Christmas craftsMake special Rudolph and Christmas-themed

necklaces on Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The craft session is appropriate for children ages 3 and 4. For more information or to register online, visit eastchesterlibrary.org/events/.

Reading Buddies Book ClubThis drop-off program is appropriate for readers

in grades two and three. The book club, which will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., will be a round-table discussion where par-ticipants can discuss whether or not they enjoyed the assigned book and how it compares to other books they have read. The assigned book was chosen a month prior to the book club discussion. The discussion will end with a trivia contest about the book with prizes. Refreshments will also be served. Online registration for this program is sug-

Eastchester Public Library

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though

space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send all

items to [email protected].

Community volunteers and donationsSnow angels needed

The Snow Angels program needs volunteers to aid the elderly and disabled with snow removal. All requests from volunteers are matched up with a request from someone who lives near them and who has requested help with snow/ice removal. Volunteers will receive community service hours from the program coordinator. Those who are in-terested should contact Sheila Marcotte at [email protected], and parents can con-tact her at 309-6947. Sheila will contact the pro-gram coordinator directly.

Community food driveEastchester Community Action Partnership,

ECAP, will be collecting nonperishable food items this holiday season, including canned goods, rice, pasta, hot and cold cereal, boxed foods and sauces. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at ECAP, located at 142-144 Main St. in Tuckahoe. For more informa-tion, contact Don Brown at 337-7768.

Matthew’s Wish toy driveMatthew McKinnon, a patient at Cohen Chil-

dren’s Medical Center, wished for an 18-wheeler truck with toys to be delivered to the hospital for children to enjoy during the holidays. Unfortu-nately, he passed away before his wish was able to be fulfilled. Matthew’s mother AnneMarie and his family and friends created Matthew’s Wish, an organization that works during the holiday season to make Matthew’s wish come true by filling an 18-wheeler with toys for the children at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House and other worthy organizations to enjoy. Those who wish to contribute to the toy drive are asked to send new, unwrapped toys to the dona-tion bins in the main office of Anne Hutchinson School. The toys will be collected until Friday, Dec. 11. For more information, contact Wendy Pregiato at [email protected].

Eastchester Historical SocietyAnnual Victorian Christmas Party

Annmarie Flannery, president of the Eastches-ter Historical Society, invites everyone to its an-nual Victorian Christmas Party on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Room School House at the intersection of California and New Rochelle roads. The party is free, open to com-munity members of all ages and reservations are not required. A Christmas tree decorated with candles and old fashioned decorations will be on display, with 19th-century toys and memora-bilia around it. This annual event is a time when children can learn about one of the society’s old-est traditions and adults of all faiths can meet and learn about the exciting historical activities that are planned for 2016.


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Donate to The Community FundTo the Editor,We at the Cancer Support Team, CST, wish to express our deepest appreciation to The

Community Fund for its support of our free home care services for cancer patients in Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe. CST is the only Westchester-based home care agency licensed by the New York State Department of Health specializing in oncology. With the support of The Community Fund for our nursing, social work counseling, case management and financial as-sistance services, we continue to respond to requests for services from residents of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe who face a myriad of medical and psychosocial challenges associated with a cancer diagnosis.

Because of The Community Fund’s generosity, CST patients receive: • Visits from registered nurses who advise them about symptom control and pain manage-

ment. • Sessions with our social workers who guide them through the difficult emotions associated

with cancer. • Assistance from case managers who help find resources to relieve financial worries. • Transportation provided by our volunteer drivers, who take patients to and from chemo-

therapy and radiation appointments.The Community Fund’s ongoing support is vital for the continuation and enhancement of our

services. On behalf of CST’s Board of Directors, staff and the people we serve, we urge you to support The Community Fund’s annual fundraising campaign. Your contribution will be used to support your friends and neighbors in your community and will continue to make our services possible.

Gina A. Russo, Executive director of the Cancer Support Team

Letters to the Editor

Re: ‘Tuckahoe adopts Eastchester fast food rules’To the Editor,I am writing this letter in response to the article, “Tuckahoe adopts Eastchester fast food rules,”

published on Dec. 4. The article’s headline really caught my eye. The headline was written in the present tense, i.e. “adopts,” as if the adoption of the fast food law had already happened.

Surprised, I continued reading, wondering just when the village board had adopted the new law. I knew they had a formal board meeting on Nov. 9 where the public comment period regard-ing the new proposed law was kept open; however, the next board meeting was not scheduled until Dec. 14, according to the calendar on Tuckahoe.com. Although no agenda was posted as of Dec. 8, I checked the website calendar and could find no reference to a meeting on Nov. 23. Was the public notified of that meeting? I could not find the minutes of the Nov. 9 village board meeting on the website as of Dec. 8 either.

So I wondered, when exactly was the new law adopted? As I continued reading, the article stated, “The Tuckahoe Village Board of Trustees will pass a law on Monday, Dec. 14 prohibiting ‘formula fast food and formula quick casual’ restaurants from moving into the village, according to Village Administrator David Burke.”

From the headline, a reader could reasonably believe that the village board had already adopted the new law and that it was a done deal. It is only until one reads further that they learn this is not the case at all, and that the new fast food law has not yet been adopted and that the public comment period is still open.

Wasn’t the headline telling the reader something completely at odds with the facts? The new law has not yet been adopted by the village board of trustees and your readers need to know the correct facts. Tuckahoe residents should be afforded the opportunity to comment until the village board actually meets, on Monday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. in Village Hall, located at 65 Main St., when the board will again meet to consider the adoption of the proposed new fast food law.

Melba T. Caliano,Tuckahoe


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On Dec. 6, the Eastchester and Tuckahoe chambers of commerce invited Santa Claus to visit with children at Eastchester’s Gazebo Park. Photos/Andrew Dapolite

Gianna Tedesco, 4, participates in holiday craft activities last Sunday.

Charlotte Hannon, 4, creates a homemade Christmas ornament.

The north Pole comes to life in

eastchester


A family takes a photograph with Santa Claus.

Eastchester and Tuckahoe parents and children line up to visit with Santa Claus at Gazebo Park. Volunteers serve hot chocolate and other treats to children. Photos/Andrew Dapolite

Linda Lydon with her identical twin daughters Molly and Jaclyn enjoy the Santa Stop.

On Dec. 5, in a celebration to kick off Winterfest 2015, Tuckahoe Mayor Steve Eck-lond switched on the official Christmas tree lights promptly at 6 p.m. The crowd of approx-imately 100 people cheered and members of the Asbury Summer Theatre company, dressed in costumes suitable for “A Christmas Carol,” sang carols.

As is the custom, Santa arrived shortly after on an Eastchester fire engine lad-der truck, with lights blazing and sirens blaring. In his re-marks, the mayor thanked the Tuckahoe Department of Pub-lic Works for setting up the synthetic ice rink for revelers to enjoy. -Reporting by Sarah Varney


Santa Claus is coming to town

On Sunday December 6 the second day of Winterfest, parents took advantage of a “Photos with Santa” event. It’s doubtful this little one asked for much of anything besides whirled peas. Contributed photo

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BRONXVILLE TODAY

MayorMary Marvin

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I was able to par-ticipate in what are hands down my two favorite annual events in the village: the visit to Vil-lage Hall by all of the Bronx-ville School second graders and my participation in the village Thanksgiving ecumenical ser-vice. Seemingly quite incon-gruous, they dovetail around moments and themes of hope, gratitude and thanksgiving.

The coming together of all of our religious institutions is like no other. My only wish is that more villagers were aware of it and came to share in the service. This year it was held at Village Lutheran Church and their Chil-dren’s Choir is one not to miss. Their voices are ethereal.

My role, as tradition, is to read the Presidential Thanks-giving Proclamation, a yearly White House message.

Since President Obama’s 2015 statement was not re-leased prior to the event, I chose to read one from Presi-dent Kennedy. Not only was he a “native son” to Bronxville but his words below, written 54 years ago, were so prescient for our world in 2015.

“This year, as the harvest draws near its close and the year approaches its end, awe-some perils again remain to be faced. Yet we have, as in the past, ample reason to be thank-ful for the abundance of our blessings. We are grateful for the blessings of faith and health and strength and for the imper-ishable spiritual gifts of love and hope. We give thanks, too, for our freedom as a nation; for the strength of our arms and the

Thanksgiving and practicing gratitudefaith of our friends; for the be-liefs and confidence we share; for our determination to stand firmly for what we believe to be right and to resist might-ily what we believe to be base; and for the heritage of liberty bequeathed by our ancestors which we are privileged to pre-serve for our children and our children’s children.

“It is right that we should be grateful for the plenty amidst which we live: the productivity of our farms, the output of our factories, the skill of our arti-sans, and the ingenuity of our investors. But in the midst of our thanksgiving, let us not be unmindful of the plight of those in many parts of the world to whom hunger is no stranger and the plight of those millions more who live without the blessings of liberty and freedom. To all we can offer the sustenance of hope that we shall not fail in our unceasing efforts to make this a peaceful and prosperous world for all mankind.”

The evening’s service con-tinued around the themes of gratitude and thanks and it har-kened me back to my visit with the second graders in the days prior. The youngsters were de-lightfully grateful about life in general—thrilled to sit in the mayor’s chair, see the jail cells, hammer the gavel and receive a sheet of stickers from the police chief. Joy and thanks lit up Vil-lage Hall, making it a time like no other. I quite honestly en-vied their unjaded attitude and vowed to be more like a second grader in my life’s outlook.

The children’s visit caused me to re-read my favorite Op-Ed column from The New York Times, “The Structure of Grati-tude” by David Brooks, which I keep folded in my wallet as a personal reminder.

To quote some salient pas-sages:

“Gratitude happens when some kindness exceeds expec-tation, when it is undeserved. Gratitude is a sort of laughter of the heart that comes about after some surprising kindness.

“Most people feel grateful some of the time—after some-one saves you from a mistake or brings you food during an illness. But some people seem grateful dispositionally. They seem thankful practically all of the time.

“These people may have big ambitions, but they have pre-served small anticipations. As most people get on in life and earn more status, they often get used to more respect and nicer treatment. But people with dis-positional gratitude take noth-ing for granted. They take a beginner’s thrill at a word of praise, at another’s good per-formance or at each sunny day. These people are present-mind-ed and hyperresponsive.

“G.K. Chesterton wrote that ‘thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.’

“People with grateful dispo-sitions see their efforts grand-ly but not themselves. Life doesn’t surpass their dreams but it nicely surpasses their ex-pectations.”

Rest assured all of our sec-ond graders have dispositional gratitude along with inquisitive minds and candor, politeness in manner and kindness toward their peers. May they always be this way.

If they are any indication, the future is in good hands for years to come in our village. May we all emulate their re-freshing view of the world with one caveat: just don’t ask the mayor how old she is!

Town of Eastchester

Official Newspaper

Eastchester Schools

BHS senior named to All-State mixed choirBronxville High School senior

Alekzandra Thoms performed with the All-State Mixed Choir at the 2015 NYSSMA Winter Con-ference, which was held from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6 at the Roches-ter Convention Center, with con-certs in the Eastman Theatre.

Thoms was chosen for this prestigious honor based on the proficiency she demonstrated at the New York State School Mu-sic Association solo festival last May. More than 6,500 sopho-mores and juniors across the state auditioned with the hopes of being among the 900 stu-dents selected to perform in one of eight vocal and instrumental ensembles at the annual Winter Conference. This is the second year Thoms has been selected for All-State honors.

“She possesses a beautiful soprano voice, and I rely on her to lead the soprano section in chorus,” Bronxville High School chorus director Pamela

Simpson said. Thoms is a member of the

Bronxville High School Cho-rus, the Christ Church Choir and the Chamber Choir of Con-cordia College in Bronxville. Outside of school, she is a pri-vate voice student of Sharyn Pirtle, founding director of the Young at Arts Program at Christ Church Bronxville.

A self-described sixth-gen-eration professional singer, Thoms comes from a highly musical family. Her father, Dr. Jason Thoms, is dean of arts and sciences and director of choral activities at Concordia Col-lege in Bronxville. Her mother, Treva Foss Thoms, is assistant professor of music at Concordia College. Thoms’ younger broth-er Izaak is a composer and sev-enth grader at Bronxville Mid-dle School. Their grandfather, Hollis Thoms, is a composer of more than 140 works for a va-riety of ensembles. (Submitted)

Bronxville High School senior and soprano Alekzandra Thoms was recently chosen to perform with the All-State Mixed Choir at the 2015 NYSSMA Winter Conference. Photo courtesy Bronxville school district

The application process for the 2016-2017 Tuckahoe Union Free School District’s Univer-sal Pre-Kindergarten program is now underway. The Univer-sal Pre-Kindergarten is a special program that was established by the New York State Educa-tion Department and the Tucka-hoe school district to provide an early learning experience for the children of eligible families.

This preschool program, con-ducted with a qualified teacher and assistants in class, runs five

half days for two and a half hours each day—12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.—during the school year, at no cost to the student’s family. Eligible families are defined as those who live in the Tuckahoe school district and have children who will be 4 years old by Dec. 1, 2016. The program is now ac-cepting applications in prepara-tion for the 2016-2017 school year which will begin on Mon-day, Sept. 12, 2016.

Applications, available at tuckahoeschools.org or by call-

ing 337-6600 ext. 1224, must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2016.

We anticipate that the funding awarded for this program will limit our enrollment. A lottery will be conducted mid to late February 2016, with the program starting in September 2016.

Note: This program is open to 4 year olds only. Students who are unable to attend pre-kinder-garten five days a week, two and a half hours per day, for the en-tire school year may be ineligi-ble. (Submitted)

Tuckahoe pre-k registration underway


Concordia Conservatory presents holiday musical

Concordia Conservatory pres-ents its 16th annual holiday com-munity musical “Pageant!” with performances from Friday, Dec. 11 through Sunday, Dec. 13.

The cast ranges in age from 8 to 18 and hail from Westches-ter County and Fairfield Coun- ty, Conn.

“Pageant!” with book and lyrics by Greg Suss, is a musical about how a traditional Christ-mas pageant changes and brings the community together. The story centers on the parish of St. Genesius, who produce a new and exciting Christmas pageant in an attempt to get more parish-ioners to attend services. The parish is split between wanting to hold onto tradition and want-ing to take a more modern ap-proach. See how the adults, kids and the whole community come

Children rehearse for Concordia Conservatory’s annual holiday community musical “Pageant!” Contributed photo

together in this one-act musical comedy.

The production team in-cludes Greg Suss (stage di-rector) Jon Klibonoff (music director), Audry Hamilton (choreographer) and Sharon Shearon (producer). The band includes Bob Gingery, Lee Metcalf, Yousif Sheronick and Matt Van Brink.

Since 1999, Concordia Con-servatory has produced an annu-al holiday musical as a tuition-

free community outreach pro-gram funded by private contri-butions from donors throughout Westchester County.

Performances run on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults and $11 for se-niors and children. For more in-formation or to purchase tickets, visit concordiaconservatory.org or call 395-4507. (Submitted)

Black Wednesday in Bronxville leads to arrestsWith what is often referred

to as “Black Wednesday”—the night before Thanksgiving—be-ing one of the biggest nights of the year for local bars and pubs, the Village of Bronxville Police Department conducted a village-wide safety initiative, staffing ex-tra personnel with special atten-tion to establishment occupancy and traffic safety. As a result, the following arrests were made:

9:50 p.m.: Charles Babcock, 67, of Yonkers was charged with driving while intoxicated after police officer Paul Cavallo ob-served him strike a parked ve-hicle on Park Place while oper-ating his 2015 Ford Explorer. A sample of Babcock’s breath reg-istered a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent. Babcock was processed and released to his

wife after posting $200 cash bail pending his next court appear-ance on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.

10:52 p.m.: A 16-year-old Bronxville resident was arrested by police officer Dennis Kara-man for unlawful possession of marijuana. The youth was found to be in possession of a glass jar containing several clumps of mar-ijuana after officers responded to a complaint of a group of youths causing a disturbance on Middle Road. The youth was released on his own recognizance to his par-ents pending his next court ap-pearance on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.

11:06 p.m.: A 33-year-old Manhattan resident was arrested by police officer Michael Lewis after officers responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress. The man was charged with as-

sault in the third degree and criminal obstruction of breath-ing. He was arraigned by Vil-lage of Bronxville Court Justice George McKinnis and released on his own recognizance pend-ing his next court appearance on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.

2:45 a.m.: Rose Lourentza-tos, 28, of Yonkers was charged with driving while intoxicated after failing standardized field sobriety tests at a DWI check-point conducted by police of-ficer Baldwin Firpo on Paxton Avenue. A sample of Lourent-zatos’ breath registered a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent. Lourentzatos was processed and released to her parents on her own recognizance pending her next court appearance on Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. (Submitted)

Hello, my name is Maryann and I’m a pretty Pekingese. I’m about 3 years old and weigh only 12 pounds. People tell me I’m very sweet, especially since I love everyone I meet. Belly rubs are my favorite and second best is snuggling on your lap. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make me part of your home? I’m spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested and microchipped. To learn more, call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)


The first professional pro-duction of Disney’s “Tarzan” in Westchester is unlike anything you’ll see this holiday season.

Complete casting has been announced for the White Plains Performing Arts Center’s up-coming mainstage production of “Tarzan, The Stage Musical,” which will run from Dec. 18 to Jan. 10.

The show not only features performers from all over the country, but also showcases the talents of many Westchester na-tives. Jeremy Quinn of Yonkers will direct the production with music direction by Stephen Ferri of Harrison and choreog-raphy by Lexie Fennell Frare of Nyack. The cast features West-chester residents Kyle Arzaga of Chappaqua as Young Terk; Melanie Burg of Hartsdale in the Ensemble; Jenna Dallacco of Irvington/Greenburgh as Jane; and Jesse Goodman of Mahopac as Young Tarzan.

These local performers are joined by Nicolas Baumgartner as Clayton; Korie Lee Blossey as Kerchak; Jake Bridges as

Snipes; Ben Carlson, Darius Jordan Lee, Steven Liberto, Shawn W. Smith, Jeremy Swift and Marek Zurowski in the Male Ensemble; Jessica Crilley, Deanna Giulietti, Melissa Rose Hirsch, Annie Nelson and Mela-nie Porras in the Female Ensem-ble; Toby Miller as Professor Porter; Jennifer Theriot as Kala; Cartreze Tucker as Terk; Max Albert Vivino as Young Tarzan; Kyle Wolf as Young Terk; and Chris Stevens as Tarzan.

“Tarzan” features heart-pumping music by Grammy and Oscar-winning icon Phil Collins and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright Da-vid Henry Hwang.

“In this day and age of con-stant human brutality and trag-edy, the story of ‘Tarzan’ re-minds us of what’s really im-portant, especially at the holi-days—the unconditional love of true family, whether biological or chosen. And although we all look different, under the skin we are just the same. Disney’s ‘Tarzan’ is victorious in bring-ing to the stage a well-known

story with unforgettable melo-dies and heart-pumping music perfect for the entire family,” Quinn said.

Based on the smash hit Dis-ney animated film, “Tarzan” tells the story of an infant boy orphaned in a shipwreck on the shores of West Africa. The child is taken in and raised by a tribe of gorillas. He becomes a man, thriving in this environment, until the arrival of a hunting expedition, when he becomes aware of the world beyond his jungle home. “Tarzan” features high-flying excitement and hits like the Academy Award-win-ning “You’ll Be in My Heart” as well as “Son of Man” and “Two Worlds,” making it an unforget-table theatrical experience.

“Tarzan, The Stage Musical” will play the White Plains Per-forming Arts Center from Dec. 18-20: Friday at 7 p.m.; Satur-day at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sun-day at 2 p.m.; from Dec. 26-30: Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m.; Wednesday at 2 p.m.; and from Jan. 2-10:

Westchester residents feature in ‘Tarzan’ musical

Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; and Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $47. A $135 Family Four Pack—two adults and two kids—is avail-able for the 7 p.m. performances on Dec. 18, 19, 26, 28 and 29.

White Plains Performing

Arts Center is located on the third level of City Center off Mamaroneck Avenue and Main Street in downtown White Plains. For tickets, visit the box office Monday to Friday from 11 a.m.to 6 p.m., purchase tickets online at wppac.com or

call 328-1600. For group sales, please email [email protected]. “Tarzan” is recommended for audiences ages 6 and older. All persons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Visit wppac.com for more information. (Submitted)

Image courtesy sabroadwayacademy.org


RHYMES WITH CRAZY

Lenore Skenazy

RHYMES WITH CRAZY

Lenore Skenazy

The terrible toys of 2015

With the holiday season upon us and tots with their eyes all gosh-darn aglow, it’s time to buy toys. This year, some are moving faster than others.

And then there are the ones not moving at all:

• Arm-Os: Just like LEGOs, except shaped like arms. Kind of hard to snap together—and disturbing once you do.• Grown-UpMutantNinjaTurtles: Still living in a sewer, but now plagued by back prob-lems, wheezing and “shell bunions.” (Don’t ask!)• CoolidgeLogs: Modernized Lincoln Logs. But not THAT modernized.• SpiderFarm:Just like an ant farm, but bigger. • WalterWhiteChemistrySet: “Hey kids, clean up that meth you made!” • TickleMeandI’llSeeYouInCourtElmo: A chastened Elmo that neither tickles nor accepts tickling. He always has another adult Muppet pres-ent and wears a body camera.• Mr.Pot-Headandhiswife,Mrs.Pot-Head:Put eyes all over them! Add an upside-down mustache, and how about a hat for a nose?

So funny! Oh my God, like, seriously, that is THE funniest thing EVER. • EasyBreakOven:Half the price of the Hasbro models.• Barbie’sOver-MortgagedDreamHouse: Of course Barbie’s got a job! She’s got three: astronaut, pop singer a nd v eterinarian, a nd she’s STILL underwater. (Ken went AWOL with some Bratz doll.)• CabbagePatchCabbage: Better than the old Cabbage Patch Kids, because these you can boil or serve stuffed with ground meat and rice.• ‘Skinky:Wrap these long metal coils around a friend’s wrists. Voila! Homemade handcuffs. Have fun!• Trumby: Bombastic, gin-ger-haired rubber figurine that will not let any toys from Syria into the playpen. • OuijaBored: Slightly testy tool for communicating with the dead, often spelling out, “He’s fine. Quit asking,” or, “She’s busy...for eternity.” • Power-HungryRangers:These Rangers roam the Inter-state, issuing exorbitant traf-fic tickets for cracked brake lights and failing to signal a lane change. • PayolaCrayons: Crayons that will draw anything for you, for a price.

• ChutesandBladders: Get to the bathroom at the top of the board as fast as you can! Hurry! • BernieBabies: Bernie Ba-bies don’t smile much, but they are earnest, they are angry, and they come with a plush copy of “Das Kapital.” Bernies are not available for sale,”Unlike our government!” as the Bernie motto goes. • StompDrones: One, two, three—stomp! Congratulations, you’ve launched your own personal attack drone. Watch it sail beyond your neighborhood, over the ocean and into the Middle East, where who knows what mischief it may cause? Time to get out your Nerf Gre-nade Launcher!• Rubik’sCubicle: Twist this super-sized toy into a cramped and lonely workspace devoid of hope and cheer. Add a family photo (but it won’t do any good)!• BarrelofMonks: Not quite as much fun as its predecessor, but a very quiet toy. • MobbedUpChattyCathy:Cathy isn’t so chatty anymore. In fact, she didn’t see nothin’ and she aint sayin’ nothin.’• See‘n’Swear:Pull the string and see someone steal dad’s parking space! What does daddy say now?


County seeks agencies to provide care to seniorsCounty Executive Rob Astori-

no announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1 that Westchester County’s De-partment of Senior Programs and Services has issued a request for proposals, RFP, from quali-fied agencies to provide Cluster Homemaker/Personal Care Ser-vices to seniors.

The county’s goal is to as-sist residents age 60 and older with remaining in their homes, and as such, the services sought through the RFP include bathing

and other personal care assis-tance performed by trained and qualified personal care aides. Funding comes from grants through the federal Older Amer-icans Act.

“It is of paramount importance that the county provide quality services to seniors at competi-tive prices,” Astorino said. “The RFP process enables us to do just that—to easily compare various options and their costs.”

Proposals must be received no

later than Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.

Two original copies of each proposal must be sent to Sandra Brown, program administrator, Department of Senior Programs and Services, County Office Building, 9 S. First Ave., 10th floor, Mount Vernon, NY 10550. For more information about this RFP, email Brown at [email protected], call 813-6413 or visit westchestergov.com/rfp. (Submitted)

County and Latino U help students with collegeWestchester County is part-

nering with Latino U College Access to help first-generation Latino students navigate the complex process of applying for state and federal financial aid for college. The effort is designed to help Latino students and their families overcome language and financial barriers to attending college.

“We are proud to partner with Latino U on these vital programs for first-generation [Latino] stu-dents,” Westchester County Ex-ecutive Rob Astorino said. “For every family, the first to go to college is an achievement that has a tremendous impact for fu-ture generations to come. With this effort, we are helping stu-dents realize the dream of gradu-ating from college.”

Latino U College Access of-fers several programs, paired with Spanish-language commu-nity information sessions that support Latino students and their families who are preparing to go to college, including essay writ-ing boot camp, SAT/ACT prepa-ration classes, college coach-ing and mentoring and FAFSA First!, a program that helps stu-dents apply for college tuition assistance.

In October, FAFSA First! was recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excel-lence for Hispanics for making a meaningful contribution to in-crease and support educational

outcomes for Latinos by im-proving their access to financial aid. The program is currently scheduled to run at these times and places:

• Jan. 17, 1 p.m. at the White Plains Public Library (open to all)• Feb. 2, 7 p.m. at Ossining High School (for OHS students only)• Feb. 4, 7 p.m. at White Plains High School (for WPHS stu-dents only)• Feb. 9, 7 p.m. at Sleepy Hol-low High School (for SHHS students only)• Feb. 27, 10 a.m. at Mercy Col-lege, Dobbs Ferry (open to all)

Students who complete the FAFSA form could be eligible for Pell grants of up to $5,775 per year and subsidized student loans with no interest while they are enrolled in college. Students who complete the NY TAP form and attend college in New York could be eligible to receive up to $5,165 per year of state aid in addition to their federal grants.

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, founder of Latino U College Ac-cess, said failing to complete a FAFSA form is a fundamen-tal barrier to attaining a college degree. Latino youth, many of whom are first in their family to go to college, have no help completing financial aid forms and lack financial literacy and information about applying for financial aid.

“Through our commitment, we are helping to improve the educational attainment of [Lati-no] youth in Westchester Coun-ty by supporting their college dreams so that they may fulfill their academic potential and en-sure the success of future gener-ations,” Buontempo said.

Provided the resources to ap-ply for federal and state finan-cial aid, Latino first-generation students will be able to better afford to complete a full-time, four-year college program. Ac-cording to a 2014 Pew Research Center report, Latino college enrollment among high school graduates age 18-24 surpasses white students 49 percent to 47 percent. However, Latino col-lege students are less likely than their white counterparts to enroll in a four-year college, less like-ly to be enrolled in college full time, and less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree.

In January 2015, Astorino an-nounced a three-year contract with Latino U College Access as part of the Westchester County Youth Bureau’s Invest-In-Kids program.

Latino U College Access projects reaching 2,000 families with FAFSA First! over the next three years. More than 10,000 Latino students, including a sig-nificant first-generation popula-tion, attend school in the four participating school districts. (Submitted)


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December 11, 2015 • The easTchesTer review • 13SPORTS

LIVE MIKEMike Smith

Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary

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

To CoVER loCal spoRTs, you nEEd a

LIVE MIKE!

If you take the word of fans and pundits alike, there is a growing menace in the world of professional football. It’s not gambling, concussion protocols, or the numerous instances of do-mestic violence that currently plagues the NFL; it’s something far more sinister.

It’s dancing. On Dec. 6, in a Sunday night

game against the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver Antonio Brown returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and proceeded to punctuate his score with one of the more mem-orable touchdown celebrations of the year: a full-speed, spread-ea-gle leap into the goalpost. Brown was flagged for excessive celebra-tion—and for using the goalpost as a “prop”—but the reaction was generally benign, from the

Will someone think of the kids?referee fighting back a smile as he made the call, to announcers Al Michaels and Chris Collin-sworth chuckling about it after-ward. Everyone seemed to agree that, while an obvious penalty, Brown’s leap was all in good fun.

But the reaction to Brown’s jump seems out of step with some other recent responses to similar celebrations.

A few weeks ago, Cam New-ton on the Carolina Panthers celebrated a touchdown run by performing “the dab,” a nascent dance move that, by all accounts, seems as harmless as “the pep-permint twist.” But Newton’s “dabbing” unleashed a media firestorm, abounding with hot takes on how Newton’s dance moves don’t conform to his posi-tion as a high-profile quarterback in the NFL. Heck, the Charlotte Observer even printed an open letter to Newton, penned by a fan whose 9-year-old daughter was apparently “traumatized” after watching Newton revel in

his scoring run.So what’s the difference be-

tween these two scenarios? I think positions have a lot to do with it.

Brown is a wide receiver, a position long thought—fairly or otherwise—to be played pri-marily by a bunch of “me first” showboats. People point to players like Randy Moss and Chad Johnson as precedents of this kind of behavior, so when Brown does something like this, nobody bats an eye.

But Newton is a quarterback. It’s a position that people still, for some reason, associate with stolid, clean-cut—and, let’s face it, white—players, like Roger Staubach, Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas.

Newton is winning games, sure. He’s emerged as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, plays for one of the league’s best teams, and, regardless of how you feel about the Panthers, he’s got an infectious enthusiasm that

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has gotten his team off to a perfect 12-0 record this season. Unfortunately, some people are focusing on his celebrations instead. Photo courtesy Keith Allison

makes him hard to root against. But to a few backwards hold-outs, he’s shifting the paradigm of quarterbacking in the league, and there’s always going to be

some resistance to change. I just hope people come

around to his side sooner rather than later. If you’re too hung up on his dance moves, you’re

missing out on watching a truly exceptional player.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

14 • The eastchester review • December 11, 2015 SPORTS

By MiKe sMiThSports Editor

On Dec. 4, the ETBE Eagles skated against Mt. Pleasant at the Ice Hutch and fell 10-4 to a solid Ice Cats team. De-spite the loss, head coach Steve Forzaglia believes that his squad has the ability to make great strides this year.

The Ice Cats’ speed and depth presented a problem for the Eagles on Friday, as the ETBE squad, which takes play-ers from Eastchester, Tucka-hoe, Bronxville and Edge-mont, was missing five play-ers who were away on class trips. Mt. Pleasant was able to wear down the Eagles, who cut into a 3-0 second period defi-cit on a goal by Leo Gretzing-er, but ultimately fell short in the comeback bid.

“Missing so many guys, we looked at the game as a learn-ing experience,” Forzaglia said. “But I was very happy with the

ETBE fall to Ice Cats

An Eagle tries to sneak a puck past the Ice Cats goalie on Dec. 4. ETBE was shorthanded in the loss and should fare better with a full squad.

An ETBE player pokes the puck up ice against Mt. Pleasant on Dec. 4. The Ice Cats topped the Eagles 10-4.

An ETBE skater corrals the puck along the boards at the Ice Hutch on Dec. 4.

Will Knox fights for the puck against the Ice Cats. Photos/Mike Smith

way the kids kept battling and didn’t give up.”

This season marks Forza-glia’s second with the ETBE squad. Although the Eagles are currently 0-2-1 on the season, the head coach is happy with the way his team is starting to come together.

“Last year, I came in as a new coach, with a new system and new drills and it took a long time to get everybody aboard,” he said. “But this year, every-body knows what to expect, so it’s just about getting comfort-able with each other on the ice.”

ETBE has a solid mix of vet-erans, including forwards like Gretzinger, Tyler Stupart and Eddie Cho, as well defense-men including Trevor Pettit and Jack Klion, whom Forzaglia believes will help some of the team’s younger players grow into their roles.

“Some of the guys we called up from modified at the end of last year have adjusted well

to the speed of the game,” the head coach said. “And there are a few sophomores who we ex-pect to be key players.”

ETBE will play a challeng-ing league schedule this year, and Forzaglia believes that his squad will be tested during the regular season.

“I don’t think there’s a bad team in our league,” he said. “I think a lot of games are going to come down to which teams shows up to play.”

The Eagles will be back in action on Nov. 14, after press time, against another tough league foe in New Rochelle. Although the Huguenots are a hungry team, Forzaglia said, the Eagles should give them a run for their money.

“New Rochelle skates hard, they battle for 45 minutes,” he said. “But I think having a full team is going to make a world of difference for us.”


December 11, 2015 • The easTchesTer review • 15SPORTSBy MiKe sMiThSports Editor

Eastchester’s girls basket-ball team started the 2015 sea-son off on a high note, as the veteran-laden squad was able to come away with a hard-fought 58-49 win over a solid Wood-lands team. For second-year coach Lindsay Carr, the Eagles’ promising start could point to big things for Eastchester this winter.

Gabby Ricciardi and Cassi-dy Mitchell led the way for the Eagles in the tournament final, scoring 21 and 20 points respec-tively, as Eastchester was able to hold off a second-quarter chal-lenge from the Falcons and come away with a nine-point win.

“We came out really strong, especially playing a team like Woodlands and how talented they are,” Carr said. “We had a conversation at halftime, and we came out focused, motivated and we executed.”

The Eagles topped Hunter College to advance to the finals and followed up the tournament win with a one-sided victory over Gorton on Dec. 7 to improve to 3-0 on the young season. For Carr, coming into the year with a host of returning players has made a world of difference.

“With nine girls returning, we knew what to expect from each other,” she said. “We had that baseline down so we expected to build on what we did last year.”

Along with Ricciardi and Mitchell, Carr is expecting big things from freshman point guard Ashley Anello, who saw time on the varsity as an eighth-grader last year.

According to the head coach, Anello should benefit from an-other season playing alongside Eastchester’s upperclassmen.

“She’s got good fundamentals and good skills,” Carr said. “And I think our seniors and juniors do such a great job leading her in the right direction.”

Carr is also happy with the team’s length, and believes that forwards like Fiona Teahan and Amanda Shkreli will have an im-pact on games this year.

“We have some good size,” she said. “If we can use our size, we can do some good things.”

The Eagles will be back in ac-tion on Dec. 11 when they play Ardsley in the first round of the Panthers’ tournament. After-ward, the squad will be primed for a Dec. 15 showdown against

a solid Irvington team before hit-ting the road to play in the Pearl River tournament. After the win-ter break, the Eagles will begin league play, which brings with it some unique challenges against strong teams.

“Last year we came in just

trying to win a few games, but this year, I think we have the tal-ent to win a league title,” Carr said. “But we do have to play a lot of competitive teams like Pel-ham, Rye and Harrison.”


Eagles start season strong

Ashley Anello takes a foul shot on Dec. 5. Anello is one of nine returning players on the Eagles this year.

Ashley Anello brings the ball up the floor against Woodlands on Dec. 5. Eastchester topped Woodlands 58-49 in the Holiday Basketball Tournament Finals.

Julie Murtagh looks for an open teammate against the Falcons. Photos/Mike Smith

Fiona Teahan fights for a loose ball against Woodlands last Saturday.

eastchester review 12-11-2015

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