eastchester review 6-19-2015

June 19, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 24 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Eastchester REVIEWTHE

board’s approval of the nega-tive declaration.

The Planning Board in-cluded a condition that gives Bronxville residents a 30-day window to object to the proj-ect. If there are no objections to the project, it will move for-ward to the next stage of the planning process.

The oddity of the property has created a riddle that’s been difficult for developers and Planning Board members to solve.

The building at 100 Pond-field Road is a landlocked warehouse offset from the street and only accessible by a narrow alley from Pondfield Road that no property owner has exclusive rights to. There’s an easement in place that al-lows Pondfield Court and its neighbor—Topps Bakery, lo-cated at 106 Pondfield Road, which sits in front of the 100 Pondfield Road property—to share the alley.

Pondfield Court bought the property in March 2011 from the previous developer Steven Green for $1.2 million.

Green, a millionaire real estate developer, suffered per-manent neurological damage after being struck by a car in a hit-and-run incident outside of a nightclub in New York City in 2007 before spending time in prison for Social Security fraud and failing to file income tax returns.

Green had initially pro-posed to turn the warehouse into luxury apartments and of-fice space with an 18-car ga-rage and rooftop pool and was conditionally granted varianc-es in 2006, but he was unable to proceed with the project af-ter the accident.

“The process has been ar-duous for everyone,” Blessing said. “But it’s moving along.”

CONTACT: [email protected]

ers and other expenses asso-ciated with elections.

Tuckahoe Mayor Steve Ecklond, a Republican, said in addition to the cost-saving reasons behind the move, there are pragmatic reasons to extending the board mem-bers’ terms.

“This job comes with a learning curve,” Ecklond said. “When you get on the board, it takes you a solid year to a year and a half just to navigate the waters as to what you should be doing and how the process works.”

Deputy Mayor Tom Gior-dano, a Republican, felt the move was a reasonable direc-

tion to go in. “I think we are all con-

cerned about not wanting to promote our own self inter-ests,” Giordano said, “but we are doing what is best for the community and the process.”

The idea was first intro-duced publicly during the April Board of Trustees meeting, and since then there has been bipartisan support going back to before Trustee Stephen Quigley, the lone Democrat on the board, died unexpectedly. Due to Quig-ley’s passing at the end of May, Ecklond and the village board felt it best to table the

vote and take up this discus-sion later in the year.

“Although this had biparti-san support, and everyone saw Mr. Quigley was in favor of this, no one is going to speak on his behalf,” Ecklond said.

Instead the Tuckahoe may-or said the resolution could be included on next March’s ballot during the village’s elections.

If the resolution had passed during the June board meeting, 2020 would’ve been the first year Tuckahoe would have been without an election.


Tuckahoe village board tables vote on 4-year terms

100 Pondfield development a go

By CHRIS EBERHARTStaff Writer

The Tuckahoe Village Bo-ard of Trustees has discussed extending the terms of trust-ees and mayor from two years to four in a cost-saving effort for the village but tabled the scheduled June vote.

Due to the village board operating under staggered terms, by adding two years to the terms, Tuckahoe would host elections every two years—instead of the cur-rent annual election—which would save the village ap-proximately $6,000 a year on voting machines, poll work-

By CHRIS EBERHARTStaff Writer

A reduction in the size and scope of the 100 Pondfield Road development, which was in serious doubt as of late February, may have saved the project.

Originally, the Yonkers-based developer Pondfield Court, LLC, wanted to rede-velop the old Morgan Manhat-tan storage facility, which is a vacant, landlocked warehouse behind CVS on Pondfield Road, into a four-story, 11-unit luxury condominium. But members of the Bronxville Planning Board raised con-cerns about fire and pedestrian safety, traffic and the number of variances.

After months of back and forth between the developer’s attorney Michael Zarin and the Planning Board, Pond-field Court, LLC, proposed a scaled-down version of the plan in March that dropped the number of floors from four to three. Doing so put the project in line with the floors of the current building. The num-ber of units will remain the same, but the construct of the rooms inside was altered to fit into the new confines of the project.

As a result, the new, three-story proposal was granted a conditional negative declara-tion under the New York State Environmental and Qual-ity Review Act, SEQR, by the Bronxville Planning Board in a unanimous vote on June 10. The negative declaration states that the project will not have any significant adverse impact on the environment.

After the meeting, Planning Board Chairman Eric Blessing said the reduction from four floors to three kept the build-ing in its current dimensions and played a major role in the

FINALLY!Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino got his wish as the Board of Legislators approved the contract he reached with Standard Amusements to operate Playland.For more, see page 11. File photo

2 • The eastchester review • June 19, 2015

June 19, 2015 • THE EASTCHESTER REvIEw • 3

Zoning board OK’s 100 Main St. variances

Tuckahoe’s Zoning Board of Appeals reconvened for a special meeting on June 10, after postponing a vote on the 100 Main St., pictured, project last week due to a member’s absence. Photo/James Pero

By JOHN BRANDIStaff Writer

Tuckahoe’s Zoning Board of Appeals narrowly ap-proved a four-story develop-ment’s variances and special exception use at its June 10 special meeting, giving the project new life after eight years of uncertainty.

In a contentious vote, the board voted three-to-two in favor of the proposal thus returning it to the village’s Planning Board for final site plan approval.

The special meeting was called due to board member Janice Barandes’ absence from the regularly scheduled June 3 meeting. Barandes, who voted in favor of the project, thanked the board for allowing her input on what she called “a very important project.”

“This is not an easy de-cision or process for this board,” Barandes said. “I vote yes, but the applicant must honor the decision of this board by building an archi-

tecturally beautiful building that will grace Main Street and will be something we can all be proud of.”

Barandes said she relied on the comprehensive data provided by the applicant, MC Equities, LLC, and by the work done in tandem with the village’s consultant, BFJ Planning, to reach her decision.

The applicant is now that much closer to construct-ing a four-story, mixed-use building on the site of a current vacant lot. The building would have 2,642 square feet of retail on the ground level along with 37 open air parking spaces. In total, the structure proposes 19 units.

As part of the project, five variances are being requested including a side yard setback, 37 parking spaces where 52 are permitted, a variance for an additional fourth story, where only three are permitted and a floor area ratio variance. The applicant also wants to use 77

percent of the lot, but as per the village code, allowable lot coverage is 50 percent.

Board member John Pala-dino, who was the second no vote, criticized the project for its inconsistency over the years—the project has been before the land use boards since 2008 and has evolved from a three story project to

four stories over the course of its lifespan—and said the applicant’s problems are self-created with the fourth story.

“If there is no fourth floor, the variances, although not perfect, move toward being reasonable and acceptable,” Paladino said. “Because the necessity was totally self-cre-ated due to changes and laps-es in previous requested and accepted variances that were permitted to expire by the

applicant, I vote no.” Tom Ringwald and Da-

vid Scalzo had previously voted on the project at the board’s June 3 meeting, be-fore Chairman Ronald Gallo halted the meeting and en-tered into executive session to later emerge with a plan to continue at special meet-ing with Barandes pres-ent. Village Attorney Gary Gjertsen said the two votes cast by Ringwald and Scalzo,

voting in favor and against respectively, would stand.

To break the tie, Gallo voted in favor of approving the variances and special ex-ception use.

The applicant can now appear before the village’s Planning Board which is scheduled to meet on July 21; the June meeting has been canceled.



What’s going on...Everest VBS

A summer kids event called Everest VBS will be hosted at Village Lutheran Church from July 13 to July 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. At Everest, kids discover what it means to hold on to God’s mighty power in everyday life. Kids participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and dig into yummy treats, experience one-of-a-kind Bible adventures, collect Bible memory buddies to remind them of God’s love, and test out scien-cy-fun gizmos they’ll take home and play with all summer long. Plus, kids will learn to look for evi-dence of God all around them through something called God sightings. Each day concludes with a summit celebration that gets everyone involved in living what they’ve learned. Kids at Everest VBS will join an international mission effort to provide Thai-language children’s Bibles to kids in Thailand. Everest is for kids from kindergarten to fifth grade and will run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm each day. For more information, call Mimi Blanco 337-3202, extension 1026. The suggested regis-tration fee is $20 ($30 per family). Village Luther-an Church and The Chapel School are located at 172 White Plains Road in Bronxville. For more information about The Chapel School and its pro-grams, call 337-3202 or visit thechapelschool.org.

The Bronxville Pops Concert Band

The Bronxville Pops Concert Band announces its 41st Concert Series. The series will be held on Wednesday evenings on July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29 at 8 p.m. on The Great Lawn in Front of The Bronxville High School, located on Pond-field Road and Midland Avenue in Bronxville. Spend a delightful evening under the stars. Bring a blanket, a chair, and some wine and cheese as you enjoy an American tradition. For more infor-mation, email [email protected].

Westchester Italian Culture Center hosts lecture and cooking class

The Westchester Italian Culture Center will be hosting a cooking class for children followed by a lecture for adults on Wednesday, June 24.

The cooking class, starting at 2 p.m., will teach children and adults how to make dough for thin and thick crust pizza and focaccias with their choice of fresh and tasty toppings. The class is appropriate for all ages and will last one to two hours.

Following the class, the Culture Center will host a lecture starting at 6:30 p.m. The lecture, “Michelangelo: Aesthetics and Sculpture,” will analyze the second half of Michelangelo’s ca-reer and will serve as a follow-up to the previ-ous lecture “Technique and Vision: The Devel-opment of the Michelangelo Style.”

Early registration for both events is suggest-ed and advanced registration and payment is re-quired. Children’s fee is $30 for members, $40 for non-members. Parent and children’s fee is $45 for members, $55 for non-members. The fee for each additional person is $30 for mem-bers, $40 for non-members.

For more information, contact the Westches-ter Italian Cultural Center at 771-8700, or visit wiccny.org. The Westchester Italian Cultural Center is located at 1 Generoso Pope Place in Tuckahoe.

45 years, the senior center primarily serves those residents in the 10707, 10708 and 10709 zip codes. However, membership is open to all who consider Tuckahoe and Eastchester their community, including some who live nearby in adjacent areas of Yonkers, Mount Vernon and Scarsdale.

Referrals to important services for older adults are provided by a professional direc-tor, who has a growing list of trusted partners around Southern Westchester that who can help our member’s age in place where appro-priate, as well as discussing other needs as necessary.

The Tuckahoe Senior Center’s operations are overseen by the Senior Citizens Council, a community-based organization established in 1970 to provide professionally run programs and services for elderly residents of Eastches-ter, Tuckahoe and Bronxville.

The Chapel School Kids ‘R’ Cookin’ Camp

This summer, The Chapel School Explorer Camp is excited to present two options for your budding chef. The Kids ‘R’ Cookin’ Camp is for budding chefs who are aged seven to 12 and runs from July 6 through July 10, 9 a.m. until noon. We are excited to bring the professionals from Kids ‘R’ Cookin’ to our explorer program this summer. Students will have a unique opportunity to express their love of cooking while having lots of fun exploring a variety of foods to prepare and cook. Some items might include stuffed French toast, enchiladas, fruit pies, fresh spaghetti and meatballs. Your child will learn basic food safety, utensil use and the fundamentals of cooking fresh, healthy and delicious recipes.

Baking with Mrs. PriceThis camp is for budding bakers aged

9 through 12. It will run from July 20 through July 24, 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Campers will bake easy desserts and breads that will have their friends thinking they slaved in the kitchen for hours. They will learn to make delicious baked treats including Linzer (jam) tarts, ba-gels, chocolate walnut coffee (decaf), muffins and more.

Cerebral Palsy of Westchester’s Annual Golf Classic

On Tuesday, June 23, Cerebral Palsy of Westchester will host their 14th annual golf classic at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scars-dale. Corporate sponsors and individual players will enjoy a day of golf and have a shot at the Hole-In-One and other competitions. After the tournament, participants will take part in the evening’s festivities which include dinner, a silent auction, raffle and a presentation of the tournament winners.Where: Quaker Ridge Golf Club,

146 Griffen Ave., Scarsdale. Registration: 10 a.m. Shotgun start:12:30 p.m.

For more information or to participate, con-tact Joan Colangelo, director of development and public relations, at 937-3800 ext. 215 or [email protected]. You can alsovisit cpwestchester.org.

HartsdaleCelebrate Irish heritage at

Ridge Road Park A day-long salute to the traditions of Ireland

is in store at the annual Irish Heritage Day Cel-ebration on Sunday, June 28 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale. There will aslo be Mass beginning at noon on the stage. The event is part of a series of cultural heritage festivals held in a variety of county parks on weekends throughout the summer.

Entertainment includes the Tara Gold Band, Ian Gallagher, the McLean Avenue Band, a bag-pipe band performance and the Deirdre O’Mara School of Irish Dancers.

There will be many vendors on site where festival-goers can shop for arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and more. Activities for children in-clude games and Westchester County’s fitness center-on-wheels, the Fit-Mobile.

Admission is $5 per adult. Children under 14 are admitted free. Parking is free. Seating is in-formal so bring blankets or chairs for seating on the lawn. The festival will be held rain or shine. No coolers will be allowed.

For more information, call 439-5773 or go to aiawestchester.com. You can also visit parks.westchestergov.com or call 864-PARK (7275).

The event is sponsored by Westchester Coun-ty Parks and the American-Irish Association of Westchester County.

Read-To-Me Kickoff PartyOn Tuesday, June 30 at 11 a.m., join musi-

cian Jeffrey Friedberg and the Bossy Frog Band for a fun-filled music concert to kick off this summer’s Read-to-Me game. Online pre-regis-tration is required, and will begin on Tuesday, June 23 at 9 a.m. For Read-to-Me game par-ticipants only. Please register for each attendee including parents/caregivers. For more informa-tion, contact Teresa Chang at 721-8105.

Bronxville Public LibraryElectronic instruction

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., we are offering free instruction in internet access and Microsoft Office software. Call the reference desk at 337-7680 for more information and to register. You can also get in-struction online at learningexpresshub.com.

Tuckahoe Senior Center

The Tuckahoe senior citizens is an active vital community made up of men and women, 55 years of age and older, who gather Tuesdays and Thursdays from September through July at Father Fata Hall at the Assumption Church in Tuckahoe. Members enjoy a wide range of ac-tivities including weekly exercise, tai chi, bin-go, cards and games, as well as presentations on topics of particular interest: health, legal issues, history, music, culture, food, crafts, politics, art, literature, film, dancing and more.

All of these programs are included in the $20 annual membership fee. Seniors also enjoy monthly luncheons and day trips for an addi-tional fee.

Operating in Westchester County for almost

Eastchester Public Library

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].


CNR to offer Early Education programBeginning this summer,

the College of New Rochelle, CNR, will offer a master’s de-gree program in Early Child-hood Education with a concen-tration in Montessori educa-tion. Offered in collaboration with the Center for Montes-sori Education|NY, this is the only dual program of its kind in the New York metro area, and one of a few in the coun-try that offers a combined mas-ter’s degree in Early Childhood Education with an American Montessori Society, AMS, cre-dential and New York state cer-tification.

Montessori education is unique because it uses per-sonalized learning programs focused on a child’s develop-ment. Children choose their work from a carefully prepared classroom environment that challenges them to explore, identify and solve problems, and to develop trust in their own abilities.

The Montessori approach encourages students to engage in learning through the use of

self-correcting materials rath-er than direct instruction, and through the development of a strong community of learners and teachers who support and celebrate differences. Devel-oped by Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montes-sori, it emphasizes indepen-dence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natu-ral psychological, physical, and social development.

“This dual program will be a resource for developing teach-ers to fill an upcoming short-age of certified early childhood teachers in light of the mandate for universal Pre-K in New York City. The combined train-ing makes teachers more effec-tive in both Montessori and tra-ditional settings, even if they are not using Montessori learn-ing materials,” said Dr. Kristin Berman, associate professor of Education at CNR, who helped develop the program.

The college’s Master of Science in Early Childhood Education (from birth through second grade), leading to New

York state certification and an American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood Montessori Education, requires 30 credits of coursework. In ac-cordance with the New York Teacher Education Standards, the program provides substan-tive coursework, supervised field experiences, and in-depth reflective seminars.

Designed to be completed in one calendar year, it will consist of a cohort of adult students working as a group throughout the coursework. Upon completion and certifica-tion, candidates will be quali-fied to work in independent or public Montessori schools, or other early childhood settings.

“We are excited to collabo-rate with the College of New Rochelle to offer the only dual program in the area that will enable us to train more certi-fied teachers who can bring this effective methodology into both independent and public schools. As of now, a Mon-tessori education is primarily available through independent

schools and preschools. This dual certification will enable more public schools to incor-porate Montessori for early childhood,” said K. T. Korn-gold, CEO of the Center for Montessori Education|NY, in White Plains.

An increased demand for early childhood teachers, due to the new universal Pre-K mandate in New York City, is only one factor that makes this dual Montessori Early Child-hood master’s degree program even more relevant. Berman added, “In the current educa-tional climate of rote skills and high stakes testing, the Mon-tessori method has attracted renewed interest because of its emphasis on conceptual learn-ing, self regulation, and execu-tive functioning, which also align with key components of the Common Core Standards.”

The Center for Montessori Education|NY has been hold-ing classes for Montessori teacher education on the Col-lege of New Rochelle campus for over 20 years. “We share with CNR a commitment and dedication to our adult learners as individuals,” added Korn-gold. “We are thrilled to have

been approved by New York state for this new partnership, to help further our cohorts professionally, and to work together to support our adult learners as they achieve a high level of academic advancement and excellence in their Mon-tessori and academic training.” For more program informa-tion, please contact Michael Petri in Admissions at [email protected] or 654-5256.

Founded in 1969, the Col-lege of New Rochelle Gradu-ate School has helped over 10,000 men and women im-prove their professional skills, make career changes, and re-enter the work force. Master’s degrees are available in more than 25 areas including: Art Therapy/Counseling, Career Development, Communica-tions, Educational Leadership, Gerontology, Mental Health Counseling, and School Psy-chology. The Graduate School offers courses during the eve-nings and weekends, which give students the option of part- or full-time study. The school’s professors are known for working one-on-one with students to ensure they get the help they need to succeed after

they graduate.The College of New Ro-

chelle is recognized as a “Col-lege of Distinction” and is ranked among Washington Monthly’s top 75 master’s uni-versities in the nation. It has been named for five consecu-tive years to the President’s Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal rec-ognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learn-ing, and civic engagement.

The first Catholic college for women in New York state, the College of New Rochelle was founded in 1904 by the Ursuline Order. Today, it com-prises the all-women School of Arts & Sciences, and three schools which admit women and men: the School of New Resources (for adult learn-ers), the School of Nursing, and the Graduate School. The main campus of the college is located 16 miles north of New York City. The college main-tains five other campus loca-tions in New York City for the School of New Resources in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan. For more informa-tion, visit cnr.edu. (Submitted)


Publisher | Howard Sturmanext. 21, [email protected]

Executive Vice President | Ira Eellenthalext. 28, [email protected]

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

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

Editorial Assistant | Sibylla Chipaziwaext. 25, [email protected]

Editorial Assistant | Suzy Berkowitzext. 30, [email protected]

Reporter | Chris Eberhartext. 26, [email protected]

Reporter | John Brandiext. 18, [email protected]

Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin

Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso

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

Staff WritersJackson Chen, James Pero

Staff PhotographerBobby Begun

ColumnistsMary Marvin, Tonia Tagliaferro

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Eastchstchst estechestech resteresteTEaTEaHEEaHEEastHEstREVIREVIRE EW DJ reflects on life

in the past in bookBy JAMES PERO

Staff Writer

Dennis Nardone remembers.And he should, considering that his memory, and not any one person, is the main protagonist in his recently self-published book titled, “Growing Up in the West End of New Rochelle, New York in the 50’s-60’s: My Life, My Neighborhood.”

In his book, Nardone covers it all.

Whether it’s where he and his friends bought their base-balls, the thrill of playing a game of tackle football in the winter, or the sights and sounds of Italian men chattering while smoking their cigars, between his pages, a sense of nostalgia is always nearby.

“I wrote it because there’s so much history and community,” Nardone says. “Every time I talk to people, I talk about memories in the community and how growing up was differ-

ent from today.” By trade Nardone is a DJ,

and former 30-year law en-forcement officer, but with his acute sense of nostalgia, some-times he seems more akin to a conjurer than anything else.

But instead of magic, Nar-done conjures memories.

“From all over the country, I’ve gotten phone calls from grown men telling me, ‘You did it to me,’” he says in reference to his new book. “‘You put a tear in my eye.’”

It’s not the plot of his recent book that captures Nardone’s audience, it’s the feelings that his iterations—or more accu-rately reiterations—evoke.

“I got one guy who called me, and he says, ‘I gave the book to my mother who’s 89 years old,’” Nardone, now a resident of Harrison told the Re-view last week. “She still lives in the old West [New Rochelle] and she still hasn’t put the book down. She feels like it’s 1960.”

Sentimentality is an emo-tion that Nardone encounters not infrequently throughout his days. While his most recent ar-tistic venture took the form of an 18-chapter-long book that was published this past May, since 1998 he has worked as a disc jockey for WVOX in New Rochelle and for more than a decade of that time, he has been playing—what else—old-ies music from the 1950s and 1960s, doo-wop in particular.

“Collectively, [doo wop] was vocal harmonization, and I relate that to community—people together,” Nardone says. “You got together, you stood on

the corner and you sang music. It didn’t matter who you were, what kind of work you did, you just got together; if you could carry a tune, you sang.”

Every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. he brings lis-teners—who tune in from all around the country, according to Nardone—a slice of their past, from artists like Dion, to The Regents, and everything in between.

Nardone says that some-times 40 out of the 50 songs he plays in one, three-hour set will come from requests by people tuning in—a level of connection which has him al-ways coming back for more.

“I like that one-on-one con-nection,” Nardone says in ref-erence to his attraction to the airwaves. “The only thing be-tween us is air… especially with community radio.”

Don’t be mistaken, though.Nardone isn’t the only one

interested in stirring the pot of days long past. His audience, particularly those who call in, play an equitable role in re-flecting on memories of their own.

“There are regulars and they want the same song,” Nardone says, “Why? Because there’s some sort of memory attached to it—it was their wedding song, or one when they met their boyfriend or it was a sum-mer beach song that they re-member from 60 years ago—it’s amazing. How it puts them right there. And it happens to me as well.”

CONTACT: [email protected] Nardone sits outside of Rock N’ Bagel Café in Harrison, with a hardcover copy of his new self-published book about growing up on the west end of New Rochelle. Photo/James Pero

Nardone commands the mic at WVOX where he hosts an oldies radio show every Sunday. Photos courtesy clubdennis911.net

Nardone also hosts another show on Saturday during which he plays a wider range of music, including songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s.


According to Bronxville Village Administrator James Palmer, renovations to the Bronxville Metro-North train station underpass, which runs along Pondfield Road, under-neath Kraft Avenue, are near complete.

The purpose of the project, which began in April, was to

beautify the underpass’ façade—which was chipped and consid-ered unsightly—by restuccoing and repainting its walls.

“The peeling paint was very unattractive,” Palmer said, adding that the project, from the village’s end, is likely to be completed this month.

While Bronxville is respon-

sible for renovating the under-pass’ northerly wall, the south-erly wall, which is under the jurisdiction of the MTA, has already been completed.

From the village perspec-tive, the renovations to the un-derpass, in all, are set to cost about $50,000.-Reporting by James Pero

Underpass renovations nearly complete

The Pondfield Road underpass which runs underneath Kraft Avenue is getting a facelift. Village Administrator James Palmer says the renovations should be complete by the end of this month. Photo/James Pero

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Schools could face 0 percent tax capBy CHRIS EBERHART

Staff Writer

Based on economic trends as of June, school districts in New York state would need a super-majority of the public vote next year to add even one penny to their existing budgets.

A recent report by the New York State Educational Confer-ence Board, which is a coalition of seven leading statewide educa-tion organizations representing parents, teachers, administrators, and school boards, said, based on the first four months of the consumer price index and pro-jections by the state Division of Budget, the state-mandated tax cap levy increase would be zero for the 2016-2017 school year, meaning budgets would have to remain flat.

The consumer price index is an index of the variation in prices paid by typical consumers for retail goods, services and other items such as transportation, food, medical and car. As per cur-rent state law, any school budget that seeks an override of the state-mandated tax levy cap requires a

AT A glANCE ✔Based on the first four months of economic trends, school districts throughout New York could be faced with a 0 percent tax levy cap.

✔Current tax levy cap is either 2 percent or the rate or inflation, which typically lowers cap to under 2 percent

60 percent vote of the public, as opposed to the typical 50 percent plus one vote during school bud-get votes in May.

As the tax cap law now stands, the cap on the tax levy, which is the amount of money collected through property taxes, is either 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. In most cases, the cap is lower than 2 percent.

And for the 2016-2017 school budget, districts will be facing even greater constraints.

“Over and over again, voters are told that New York state has a 2 percent tax cap. We do not,” said John Yagielski, chairman of the Educational Conference Board. “And it now seems likely the property tax cap will tax an-other bite out of New York’s al-ready fiscally struggling schools. The difference between zero and 2 percent is more than $400 mil-lion [statewide] in local funding that won’t be available to public education.”

Tuckahoe Board of Education President Julio Urbina said it’s “unlikely” that costs to the school district would be held at zero growth, which could mean a re-

duction in staffing and programs.“Anticipated increases in

healthcare and pension costs, along with unanticipated tax certs, means that the resources to pay for these increases will need to come from our programs rather than being covered by any tax levy increase,” Urbina said. “Our district does a great job in controlling those costs we can control, but our hands are tied on those we have no control over.”

State Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, could not be reached for comment, as of press time.



Mykonos is an adorable almost nine-month-old kitty. He loves to cuddle and play hide and seek with his feline buddy, Tahiti. This handsome grey/white kitten is looking for a home of his own where he can watch birds from his window and enjoy a happy life. In return, Mykonos will bring you smiles and unconditional love every day. Mykonos is neutered, in excellent health and up to date with all vaccinations. The adoption donation for Mykonos is $80. To meet this charmer, please contact Larchmont Pet Rescue at 740-4072 or visit ny-petrescue.org(Submitted)

This week’s column is sea-son specific as the school year comes to a close and many begin to prepare for summer vacations.

With many residents trav-eling for extended periods of time, it is important that one’s home looks occupied. Even when mail is stopped, Penny-savers and phone books left in the driveway are a telltale sign of an empty house. Tell a neighbor of your schedule, ask them to pick up items left at your home and urge them to occasionally park in your driveway. In addition, alert our police desk of your travels and they will add your home to the “dark house” list and have an officer go by on a daily basis. You may also want to leave a key at the police department to be used if an emergency should arise.

Bike thefts also increase in the summer months so be sure to lock them as well as the ga-rage doors and not leave on the lawn.

In any effort to provide more reliable communications with residents in the village, we have implemented a new emergency notification system called Swift 911. The system has the ability to make phone calls to the entire village, spe-cific neighborhoods or even specific residents depending on the particular situation. All calls will have a Caller ID of the Village of Bronxville or the village police department. One can register online at the Village of Bronxville website, villageofbronxville.com and supply as many contact num-bers as necessary. It is an es-pecially important notification system if you are traveling.

Summer is unfortunately also synonymous with tax sea-son here in Bronxville. Every

Summer tips for Bronxville residentsresident should have received a bill. No penalties accrue if taxes are paid in person or postmarked no later than June 30. In an effort to save time, money and paper, the second half payment stub was in-cluded in the same envelope. Please save for December pay-ment. Our Swift 911 alert sys-tem will send out reminders prior to the June 30 deadline. Our police department will ac-cept payments at their desk up until midnight on that last day to accommodate residents who cannot make the Village Hall 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. business hours.

Per state statute, a 5 percent late fee is added if the bill is still unpaid in July. Thereafter, an additional 1 percent late fee is added monthly on the base bill, interest not compounded. We have no local discretion as to this schedule.

As a reminder, the village ban on the use of gas pow-ered leaf blowers took effect on June 1 and continues until Sept. 30. Kindly call the police desk to report any violators. The goal of the legislation is to have a quiet, dust free summer.

Summer also coincides with a rise in the use of electri-cal energy and water. Air con-ditioners use more energy than any other appliance and are of-ten the cause for the periodic outages we experience. Just several days in a row of high demand can tax the Con Edi-son system. We already had an outage last week when a trans-former ignited near Tanglew-ylde and Park avenues.

Every household needs to report problems directly to Con Edison either by phone 1-800-75CONED or via the internet at coned.com. Their system does not have the ca-pability of making assump-tions that if one house has lost power, the neighboring hous-es have as well. Each home must be reported to maintain a tracking record. The village

also calls in outages if whole neighborhoods are affected or if villagewide and alerts Con Edison to citizens with partic-ular health needs that require priority service.

There are many things we can do on an individual basis to reduce our aggregate energy use and decrease our chances for overload and outages.

Larger-scale energy-saving projects include:

Repairing drafts and leaks with caulking or weather strip-ping and upgrading insulation in attics and crawl spaces.

Installing reflective film on windows. It saves about 75 percent of the sun’s rays from penetrating, easing the load of air conditioners.

Buying new air condition-ers or refrigerators with the Energy Star label to ensure the product is energy efficient.

Inexpensive energy saving tips include:

Cleaning the air conditioner filters at least once a month and setting timers on units to turn off when the house is empty.

Maintaining a temperature no cooler than 78 degrees. A setting of 75 degrees costs 18 percent more and a setting of 72 degrees increases your bill by 39 percent.

Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluores-cent ones, which produce the same amount of light for about a quarter of the cost.

As for water conservation, environmental experts recom-mend watering lawns once a day in the early morning when evaporation is at its lowest, thus maximizing the effec-tiveness of the water cycle. Sprinkler systems should also be calibrated to avoid water-ing driveways, sidewalks and any hardscape. Conservation of electrical and water re-sources are proving critical to our long-term sustainability so please try to help conserve.

Town of Eastchester’s

Official Newspaper


Donovan-Duff receives first Fund awardBy DONNA RuHANEN

Patty Donovan-Duff, di-rector of the Bereavement Center of Westchester, was the first recipient of the Community Fund Award given out on May 26 at the Bronxville Field Club. The award was given in honor of her 20-year career leading the bereavement center and its Tree House programs, which provides Westches-ter residents of all ages the opportunity to grieve the loss of a loved one in a sup- portive and understanding environment.

Donovan-Duff began her career as a nurse in 1971 and soon expanded into the field of hospice and bereave-ment. When Jansen Memo-rial Hospice launched the bereavement center in 1995 with assistance from the Ju-nior League of Bronxville, Donovan-Duff was recruit-ed as director. She went on to develop the Tree House, a cornerstone of the center that is specifically designed to support children, whose parent or sibling has died, and their surviving parent or guardians.

The Bereavement Cen-ter of Westchester has been a Community Fund mem-ber agency since 1998 and has received grants that directly support and en-able the running of the Bronxville Tree House program.

Upon receiving the award, Donovan-Duff said, “I am deeply honored to be given this award from the Commu-nity Fund. The relationship

Melinda Burge, left, executive director of the Community Fund, with Patty Donovan-Duff, director of the Bereavement Center of Westchester and the first recipient of the Community Fund Award. Photo courtesy Scott Burge

between the bereavement center and [the Community Fund] has been very special and important these past 17 years. Your steadfast and loyal support of the work we do, especially with young families at the Tree House, has been greatly appreciated. Especially in our early years, being part of the many won-derful programs you fund helped us to spread the word about the center. The Com-munity Fund’s educational seminars for non-profit di-rectors were also incredibly helpful. It allowed many of us to connect and share and support each other as well. On behalf of the thousands of people we have served over the years, ‘thank you, thank you.’ We are all fortu-nate to have the Community Fund in our community.”

The Community Fund Award was developed to recognize excellence in the execution of a member agency’s mission. The per-son or agency receiving the

award should exhibit an al-truistic passion for achieving the member agency’s goals. They should be dedicated, exhibit operational astute-ness, be flexible to changing circumstances, and make a significant contribution to the agency and community. The Community Fund feels the most important factor in the success of non-profit agencies is the strength of that agency’s employees or volunteers. This award is in-tended to honor that person or agency that meets these lofty standards and to hold them up as an example for others to follow.

In her speech announcing Donovan-Duff as the first award recipient, Melinda Burge, director of the Com-munity Fund, said, “In her tenure at the bereavement center, Patty has provided countless hours of guid-ance and support, not only to the [more than] 1,000 families she has counseled, but also to her staff and board. When I reached out to those she has worked with over the years, the theme that kept coming up the most was Patty’s genuine kindness and her ability to make sense of the most difficult time in one’s life.”

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe, Inc., is a non-profit corporation organized to provide funding and sup-port for local agencies serv-ing the health, education and welfare needs of local resi-dents. For more informa-tion, please visit thecommu-nityfund.org.

The largest fundraising ef-fort in the history of the East-chester School District has met its target goal amount of $325,000 as of Friday, June 12. The effort, spearheaded by the Eastchester Eagles Sports Club, has raised $316,510 to date for a community-funded bleacher and press box project to be installed at the new East-chester High School field.

The Eastchester Board of Education has approved fund-ing of up to $12,240 (current shortfall is $8,490). KG&D architects have been given the go-ahead to begin the required approval process at the state Education Department.

The Eastchester School District is still welcoming donors to participate in the bleacher initiative. As of Fri-day, June 12, the “Buy a Seat” initiative, which began in late April 2015, has recruited 108 donors spread among the

gold, $1,000, silver, $500, and bronze, $250, levels. Families, individuals and alumni have jumped at the chance to have their names engraved on do-nor plaques that will recognize them as major donors.

“Buy a Seat” commitments to date total $54,000 in dona-tions, an increase of $11,000 since June 3. New donors for this report include the follow-ing families and organizations: Kim-Koutsis, Scalise, Reilly, Eastchester School Founda-tion, Milo, Lavista, Marley, Capasso, Comizio, St. John, Summa, Nicholson, Manny Gordon Trading, Odin, Tit-to, Rutkowski, Kissel, Nun-no, Mastrobuono, Galgano, Danko, McPhail and Hunter.

The Eastchester School Dis-trict is proud of the work that has been done and is thrilled with the support of its donors. The “Buy a Seat” effort from within the community showed

the tremendous spirit, com-mitment and strength of the Eastchester citizens.

Remember donation levels are noted above and all contri-butions are tax deductible.

Checks should be made out to “The Eastchester School District.” Write “Bleacher/Press Box Project /Athletics” on the memo section of the check. Checks should be sent to either:

The Eastchester Sports Club, P.O. BOX 131Eastchester, N.Y. 10709or to:Dan Schultz 17 Club Way, Eastchester, N.Y. 10709Inquiries can also be ma-

de to [email protected] or call Dan Schultz at 698-7397.

Please send commitments with checks to follow no later than Monday, June 22. (Submitted)

Eastchester bleacher fund in final push

An example of the new bleacher and press box that the Eastchester High School is looking to install at the new high school field. Contributed photo


NYMC Phelps Family Medicine Residency receives Gold Aster award

The NYMC Phelps Family Medicine Resi-dency Program at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center has been awarded a 2015 Gold Aster Award for excellence in healthcare advertising and marketing for the calendar year of 2014.

Specifically, the award was given for three videos showing how the program incorporates behavioral medicine, community outreach, and dynamic training that is focused on filling the growing need for providers and leaders in pri-mary care.

The videos were created by John Heaney, producer, director and founder of Media Stream, Inc., with the assistance of Kimberly Andron, LCSW-R, director of Behavioral Med-icine, and Christina Micela, media and market-ing associate.

“The creativity of this year’s participating healthcare marketing professionals exceeded our expectations. The 2015 Aster Awards pro-gram contained some of the best and most cre-ative advertising in the world,” said Melinda Lucas, the Aster Awards program coordinator.

The Aster Awards, one of the largest national competitions of its kind, is hosted by Marketing Healthcare Today magazine and Creative Imag-es, Inc. In 2015, the Aster Awards received near-ly 3,000 entries from across the United States as well as several foreign countries. All entries are judged by industry experts with entries compet-ing against similar-sized organizations in their specific groups and categories.

To view the award-winning videos and to learn more about the residency program, go to nymcphelpsresidency.org, and on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/nymcphelpsresidency.

Six businesses inducted into Westchester Business Hall of Fame

14th year, has inducted more than 70 Westches-ter businesses.

New to the Business Hall of Fame this year was the addition of the Chairman’s Recognition Award, as well as announcing the winner of the Ron Volper Family Scholarship Fund for Busi-ness Excellence, which was given to Brian Pat-rick Fontana who is pursuing an MBA at Pace University.

“These winners represent all that is great in Westchester’s business community, its economy and its future,” said Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westches-ter. “We have it all here: large corporations, family-owned businesses, and leading technol-ogy companies. We are pleased to induct these companies into the 2015 Business Hall of Fame, and we’re so happy to help our future business leaders gain the tools they’ll need to succeed.”

County Executive Rob Astorino congratu-lated the winners for joining an exceptional roster of inductees and for their great achieve-ments. He also thanked them for their con-tributions to Westchester’s economy and its communities.

The master of ceremonies was News12 an-chor Scott McGee. The event co-chairs were Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson of Thompson and Bender and Thomas Lalla of Pernod Ricard.

The winners in their respective categories are:• Corporate Citizenship: New York Medi-

cal College in Valhalla. Dr. Robert Amler, vice president for government affairs and professor of public health, accepted the award.

• Entrepreneurial Success: Mindspark in Yon-kers. Erik Esterlis, co-president, accepted the award. Small Business Success: York International Agen-cy, LLC, in Harrison. Robert Kestenbaum, CEO, accepted the award.

• Women In Business Success: Rella Fogli-ano, president of MacQuesten Development in Pelham. Fogliano accepted the award.

• Family Owned Business: American Christ-mas in Mount Vernon. Fred Schwam, CEO, ac-cepted the award.

• Chairman’s Recognition Award: Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville. William Flooks, Jr., funeral director, accepted the award.

About the Business Council Of Westchester:The county’s largest and most influential

business membership organization, the Busi-ness Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate, and grow. In addition, it is actively involved in re-viewing federal, state and county legislation and regulations in order to assess the potential impact on the business community, and to influ-ence the outcomes through advocacy when the business community’s interests may be affect-ed. It also acts as an information resource for the business community and government lead-ers at all levels.

Third generation joins New Crystal Restoration team

New Crystal Restoration is proud to an-nounce and welcome Austin Cordasco Walsh as the company’s newest project manager. Walsh will be responsible for managing insurance property damage claims, customer relations

and support, as well as developing new business among millennials.

“We are so excited that Austin Walsh has joined the team,” said Lisa A. Cordasco, New Crystal Restoration’s president. “Our Westches-ter County family business was founded in 1960 and has provided 24/7 emergency fire and water damage restoration services for 55 years. Add-ing Walsh to our staff means that we are three generations strong.”

Walsh is a Westchester County resident. He graduated from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, Brookville, N.Y., in 2013. Walsh’s work experience includes working as an agent for New York Life, and as an account executive with DAC Group.

Growing up in a restoration family, Walsh worked as a cleaning technician during school breaks and summer vacations. He recently com-pleted his IICRC training as a water loss special-ist and is becoming proficient in the Xactimate software program used by insurance adjusters.

“Family businesses and their leadership are the ultimate entrepreneurs. They must contin-ually innovate to grow and pass on a thriving business from one generation to the next,” said Carrie Hall, EY’s Family Business leader of the Americas. “The importance of family business-es to the global economy is undeniable. They account for more than two-thirds of all the com-panies around the world and 50 to 80 percent of employment in most countries.”

BCW honors 2015 Green Business Winners

Suburban Carting Company, Briarcliff Manor • Energy: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown • Waste Management and Green Products: Allied Converters, Inc., New Rochelle • Transportation: Diamond Properties, LLC, Mt. Kisco• Land Use and Water: Purchase College, State University of New York

“The Westchester business community has never been greener, thanks to the Westchester Green Business Challenge and its partners,” Astorino said. “Each year more business lead-ers are catching on that, with the help of this program, they can make choices that are smart for the environment and for their bottom line. Congratulations to the diverse group of busi-nesses recognized today for leading the way within their industries and demonstrating that Westchester is the place to run a successful sus-tainable company.”

First launched in 2009, this public-private partnership between Westchester County and the Business Council of Westchester helps Westchester-based organizations become envi-ronmentally sustainable while simultaneously improving operational performance and saving money. To date, more than 300 local businesses have joined Westchester Green Business-Certi-fied, which expanded in 2014 to include a new pathway for participants to achieve certifica-tion. In addition to the awards, 14 organizations that have achieved certification were recognized at the ceremony.

“It has been enormously satisfying to see this program expand in Westchester County and be-come a regional, statewide and even national model for others to follow,” BCW President and CEO Marsha Gordon said. “Employers from all industries are realizing that sustainability is an es-sential ingredient to their long-term success and ability to retain the most talented workforce.”

The highly prestigious Charles W. Brown Jr. Sustainability Award was presented this year to Arc Westchester, the largest agency in the coun-ty serving children, teens and adults with intel-lectual and developmental disabilities. Head-quartered in Hawthorne, N.Y., Arc Westchester has more than 800 employees throughout the county and more than 53,000 square feet of of-fice space. They embody the spirit of the award by incorporating sustainability into all aspects of their business and demonstrating visionary leadership. The award was established three years ago in memory of the founder and owner of C.W. Brown, the Armonk-based firm that be-came the first existing facility in Westchester to receive LEED Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information about the WGBC, visit westchestergreenbusinesschallenge.org.

More than 600 people turned out to Glen Is-land Harbour Club in New Rochelle on Tuesday, April 21, for the Westchester Business Coun-cil’s Business Hall of Fame Awards. The event included a Broadway-themed celebration com-plete with a Playbill-styled red carpet, a Liza Minelli look-a-like, and performances by sing-ers from the Westchester Broadway Theatre — all overlooking the scenic Long Island Sound.

As part of the main act, the Business Coun-cil inducted a world-renowned technology de-veloper, a leading holiday decorator, one of the nation’s oldest medical colleges, an affordable housing developer, a full-service insurance company, and a family-owned funeral home that has operated for three generations.

The Business Hall of Fame, which is in its

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and Dr. Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, hosted the Westchester Green Business Challenge’s fifth annual Recognition Event and Awards Ceremo-ny at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains on Thursday, June 4.

Joined by Westchester Green Business Chal-lenge, WGBC, program directors Dani Glaser and Scott Fernqvist, organizers recognized a prestigious group of Westchester organiza-tions that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability and outstanding achievements.

This year’s winners in their respective cat-egories include:• Outreach and Organizational Commitment:

Business Briefs

The next Business Briefs section will run in July. Please send any submission for

our July edition to [email protected], with “Business” in the subject line of your email. Each submission may include one picture. If you have any questions, email

us at [email protected].


County finalizes Playland dealBy CHRIS EBERHART

Staff Writer

Finally, Playland has a new operator. That is for now, at least.

A private-public partner-ship with Standard Amuse-ments to run the county-owned amusement park was approved by the Westchester County Board of Legislators in a somewhat surprising vote on June 15.

As part of the approved 15-year Playland management agreement between the coun-ty and Standard Amusements, Standard will invest $25 mil-lion—$2.25 million in upfront costs to the county and invest $22.75 million directly into the 87-year-old amusement park—and pay annual rising payments to the county start-ing at $300,000. The county will receive 7.5 percent of the profits once Standard recoups its initial investment.

“With this vote, we have saved Playland and given re-birth to Playland for the next 87 years,” Board of Legislators Chairman Mike Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Democrat, said.

But there is a provision in the management agree-ment that includes an opt-out clause for Standard that al-lows the group to walk away before Nov. 1, 2015. But by doing so, it would leave its ini-tial payments of $500,000 on the table.

Kaplowitz compared the agreement to a marriage and said, “The wedding is on Nov. 1 and hopefully the groom shows up.”

If the wedding is on Nov. 1, the engagement period is the time between now and the end of October, during which Standard and the county will enter into a co-management period, where the county will remain the sole decision maker but Standard will study Playland’s operations.

Ned McCormack, spokes-person for Republican County Executive Rob Astorino, told the Review he’s confident

Standard Amusements will still be around come Nov. 1.

“We wouldn’t have got-ten to this stage if it wasn’t a good deal, and I don’t think they would’ve come this far to back out,” McCormack said.

Just hours before the fi-nal, full legislative board vote on June 15, legislators were working with the executive branch and county attorneys to finalize language in three memorandums of understand-ing that were attached to the Playland management agree-ment and essentially memo-rialize the legislative review over the past two months.

The promise of no inclu-sion of fields into the plan by Nick Singer, who heads Stan-dard Amusements, was in-cluded in one memorandum, and the county’s promise to retain all 29 of Playland’s full-time workers as county em-ployees to preserve their state pensions was included in the second one. The third memo-randum was a list of capital projects for Playland that the county must pay for, which in-cludes the colonnades, fixing the lights on Playland Park-way and the Playland path-way, among other projects.

County Legislator Cath-erine Parker, a Rye Democrat, pushed the county executive’s office to specifically include which projects the county would be responsible for fi-nancing.

“Until the specific capital improvements were memori-alized in writing, I could not have supported this proposal,” Parker said. “But I was satis-fied with the MOU, and my colleagues were satisfied. And it’s a great position that the county is putting some skin in the game like Standard is.”

Just to get to this point was five years in the making with more twists and turns than Playland’s iconic Dragon Coaster.

Before Astorino was elect-ed county executive, he blazed the 2009 campaign trail with promises of revitalizing a

Playland that had become stale and dated. Soon after taking office in 2010, he sent out a request for proposals to potential bidders and received 12 responses by March 2011 with varying versions of how to reinvent the park for the 21st century.

Standard Amusements sub-mitted its proposal but ended up runner up to Astorino’s preferred choice, a Rye-based non-profit startup called Sus-tainable Playland, Inc., but the SPI vision quickly came under fire after it was real-ized that the biggest compo-nent of the plan was to con-struct a 95,000-square-foot field house in Playland’s main parking lot shrinking the size of the amusement park.

The result was an attack from all sides.

Rye residents of the Ryan Park neighborhood abutting Playland spent nearly a year contesting SPI’s proposal. County legislators asked questions during the legisla-tive review process that SPI couldn’t answer. And the City of Rye was preparing for a legal battle with Astorino’s administration over land use jurisdiction.

The non-profit ultimately decided to pull its proposal in June 2014, which opened the door for the county to re-consider Standard Amuse-ments. But not before As-torino hired Dan Biederman, a renowned developer who is best known for redeveloping Bryant Park in New York City, for $100,000 to serve as a con-sultant on Playland. The report was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 but wasn’t released until April 2015.

In the meantime, as the Review reported in February 2015, the Astorino adminis-tration had begun negotiating with Standard Amusements behind closed doors, as was the recommendation in the withheld Biederman’s report.


Westchester County Board of Legislators approved the Playland management agreement with Standard Amusements by a 17-0 vote. Standard will now co-manage the park with the county this summer season before taking over the park’s operations fully next year. File Photo


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B.F.,Larchmont

Dear B.F.:Think young. Be unpredict-

able. Don’t explain and don’t complain. Go for a natural look in beauty. Don’t wear your skirts too short. There’s nothing worse than looking like you’re trying too hard to look young. It will only age you. Choose sol-id colors like camel, red, gray, khaki, and especially black and white. In fact, when in doubt, go for black and white. You can’t go wrong with a combination of elegance, modern and chic. Go for unfussy chic, minimalist, functional designs and details. Zippers are far more youthful than aging gold buttons. Don’t get too thin and don’t gain too much weight. Don’t overdo the glitz. Drink lots of water and get a good night sleep. Main-tain a good, optimistic attitude, be grateful and smile.

Dear Tonia:When is a bargain really a

bargain? Everything seems to be on sale today. I am confused, and not sure what items are genuinely worth. So when does a bargain become a bargain and what guide-lines

should I follow?T.P,New Rochelle

Dear T.P:Low prices are typically the

result of an end-of-season sale that the demand was less than expected, that the style is going out of fashion, or that it is dam-aged or ill fitting.

Never buy something just because you can’t resist the low price. Be sure you like it and more importantly, that it fits properly and flatters your figure. There are lots of ugly styles out there revealing the mistakes of design-ers. Manufacturers dump those styles and ill-fitting merchandise into discount and outlet stores, so be careful. Don’t be fooled by fancy labels. Trendy pieces on sale are usually an indication that the style is about to fade. Stick to classic pieces with good quality. Buy less but better quality. Re-tailers today are using the mark it up to mark it down game. Have a general idea of what the item is really worth by comparing items in stores or online.

Check the return policy. Too often, I weed out my clients’ closets and find numerous items with tags still hanging that are no longer returnable. Try things on at the store or return what is not working right away. Why have hundreds of dollars in sale mer-chandise that doesn’t suit you? Less is more. Your guidelines are good judgment and taste.

Happy hunting.


tonIa saYsTonia Tagliaferro

sTonia Tagliaferro

Schedules on the Bee-Line Route 75, 13 and 91 will change for seasonal service to Playland starting on Tuesday, June 23. The changes are ef-fective on days that Playland is open. The service provides access to the park for many visitors and employees.

On the Route 75, service will connect with Metro-North trains arriving and de-parting the Rye station on the New Haven Line. The first bus will depart the Rye station at 9:30 a.m. on week-days and at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The last evening bus will depart Playland at 10:45 p.m., Sun-day through Thursday, with a late night trip at 12:45 a.m. on Fridays and Satur- days only.

The Route 91 will pro-vide service from Yonkers to Playland with stops in Mount Vernon, Pelham and New Ro-chelle. The service operates Tuesday through Sunday. The first bus to Playland departs Yonkers at 8:50 a.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 9:50 a.m.

Bee-line summer service to Playland

on Saturdays and Sundays. The last evening bus will de-part Playland at 10:45 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 12:45 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

On weekdays and week-ends, select trips on the Route 13 will be extended to serve Playland and the Rye station.

Playland is open through Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, from noon to 12

a.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 10 p.m. on Sun-day. The park is closed on Mondays, except for Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. Sched-ule is subject to change.

For new bus schedules, visit westchestergov.com/bee-linebus or call the Bee-Line hotline at 813-7777, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Automated information is available 24 hours a day. (Submitted)

14 • The eastchester review • June 19, 2015 SPORTS

softball team finally brought home a section title, are the ones I will remember for quite some time.

So the school year might be over, our seniors might be moving on, and I will be left

with a lot of space to fill in the papers until August. Heck, football camps have already started and I know I’ll be making the rounds to see just how everyone is looking for next season.

The fall season can’t start soon enough. But for now, I just want to take some time to let this past year sink in.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

Unlike most high school students—and nearly every teacher I know—the end of the school year isn’t a time of celebration for me. While I certainly love the summer months—the freedom, the weather—the passing of each school year is bittersweet for me, as I look back and begin to process some of the great moments of the year.

Of course, 2015 ended with a bang, as the Mamaroneck baseball team captured yet an-other state title with two wins last Saturday. But as much as I’ve enjoyed this run, filled with great pitching performances, high-anxiety games, and Andy Gross’ walk-up music that’s been stuck in my brain for just about a month, a look back at the year proves that Mama-roneck’s accomplishments we-ren’t the only high points of the school year.

Heck, it wasn’t even Mama-

Waiting till Augustroneck’s only state crown—thanks to senior wrestler Yous-sif Hemida and the play of the Tigers’ field hockey team that, at one point in October, had outscored its Section I oppo-nents 97-0.

There were a ton of tremen-dous performances this year, both individual and collec-tive to which my job as sports editor at the Review gave me a front row seat.

For the first time in my ten-ure here, I didn’t get to follow a football team up to Syracuse, N.Y., but that doesn’t mean there was a shortage of fire-works on the gridiron. I got the chance to watch Rye’s An-drew Livingston shatter Sec-tion I’s passing records, team-ing up with his favorite target, Tim DeGraw, to lead the Gar-nets to a Class A crown. I saw Mamaroneck’s football squad put forth a monumental ef-fort, cobbling together the pro-gram’s best season in recent memory behind the play of standouts like Andrew Som-mer and Marquez Jackson-Allen.

I saw Tuckahoe’s football players shake off preseason distractions to defeat Hal-dane for a Class D crown, and Bronxville’s girls soccer team defy the odds to win a state ti-tle and remind people why the Broncos have been one of the best programs around in recent years.

The winter season saw even more remarkable runs, including Rye Town/Harri-son’s march to the Section 1 hockey finals against Pelham, and the Huskies’ basketball team hosting Tappan Zee in the quarterfinals, in front of a home crowd that was just as loud as any basketball crowd I’ve seen.

Overtime games, like Ma-maroneck’s Class A lacrosse title win against John Jay, or the wild extra inning games Mamaroneck had against both New Rochelle and Arlington during the baseball season, seemed to be the norm, rather than the exception. And the celebrations, like the one I saw at North Rockland High School when the Rye Neck

Youssif Hemida’s run to the state title was one of Sports Editor Mike Smith’s fondest memories of the 2014-2015 school year. Photo/Bobby Begun

Caitlyn Fryer scored one goal for Bronxville in the Broncos’ 3-0 win over Port Jefferson in the state championship game last fall.

Kumar Nambiar celebrates after guiding his team to the state semifinals on June 6. One week later, Nambiar and the Tigers took home a state title on June 13. Photos/Mike Smith

June 19, 2015 • THE EASTCHESTER REvIEw • 15SPORTS

By MIKE SMITHSports Editor

It won’t be easy for the Har-rison-based Total KAOS soft-ball team to improve upon last season’s fifth place showing at nationals, but if their perfor-mance in the first tournament of 2015 is any indication, big things are in store for the elite travel squad.

On June 13, the Total KAOS 18u team won a one-day tour-nament in Riverhead on Long Island to kick off its summer season, knocking off Long Is-land Nitro 5-4 in an extra-inning championship round game. The Harrison-based squad—which features players from all over Westchester—played five games on the day, avenging a first round loss to Nitro to take top honors.

“Five games in one day, that’s brutal,” KAOS coach Dean Ma-rino said. “But our girls were re-lentless, we played great in the field, had some timely hits and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Pelham standout Jordan

KAOS wins opening tourneyAmorelli won tournament MVP honors, but Total KAOS was buoyed by a couple of newcom-ers to the program, as New Ro-chelle hurler Kristi Lise nailed down the clincher and a fellow Huguenot, shortstop Stephanie Ryder, also contributed a six RBI, two home run performance on the day.

“Stephanie was flawless at short,” Marino said, “and Kris-ti, who I’ve never coached be-fore, is such a competitor on the mound. She’s not afraid of any-thing out there.”

Valhalla native Sydni Holtz also threw a complete game gem in the semifinals to push KAOS to the finals with a 2-1 win. To-tal KAOS may have been with-out the services of Taylor Day—who pitches for Marino at Har-rison High School—but Marino said the team was in good hands despite her absence.

“Kristi and Sydni both pitched so well,” he said. “And all of these kids realize that it’s about the team, so it was defi-nitely a pleasure to watch.”

The opening weekend win marked a huge departure from last season, which saw the KAOS team struggle as it waited for Day and Christina DeCarlo, two top pitchers, to return from injury.

“Last year, we had to wait for some players to get healthy, but we wound up winning the last two tournaments and placing fifth at nationals,” Marino said. “This year, I think we have a better offensive team, the girls are a year older and we picked up some strong offensive players [like Ryder].”

With four more tournaments on the schedule, and a berth at this year’s national tournament already locked up, Marino is hoping that last weekend’s win can spur the team on to greater heights this year.

“The girls just have to real-ize that we may have some bad days, too,” he said. “We’re go-ing to have some times when we struggle, but that’s just part of the learning process.”

CONTACT: [email protected] Harrison-based Total KAOS softball team celebrates after winning a tournament in Long Island on June 13. KAOS finished in fifth place at nationals last summer. Contributed photo

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eastchester review 6-19-2015

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