harrison review 12-19-2014

December 19, 2014 | Vol. 2, Number 50 | www.harrisonreview.com

Harrison REVIEWTHE

from an Aa2 to its current Aa1. Though both are in the same tier, the Aa1 ranking reflects Harrison’s high probability that it can repay short-term debt and that the town is a very low cred-it risk, according to Moody’s. The highest overall ranking is just one notch higher, Aaa.

Moving forward, Town Comptroller Maureen MacK-enzie said there will now be more competition and lower

interest rates for borrowing bond money. Harrison’s up-grade came after the town board took proactive measur-es to“ conservatively budget” town revenue and implement “expenditure controls,” accor-ding to MacKenzie.

“Our board is commit-ted to building fund balance. Our tax base is stable and the board is committed to is-suing the amount that we are

paying off in debt, so[it] will remain manageable,” MacK-enzie said.

In Harrison’s case, the rat-ing was upgraded because Moody’s saw the expected benefit from several com-mercial development proj-ects planned for Harrison, including the transit-oriented Avalon Bay project near the

RATING continued on page 8

FIOS continued on page 9

Investor service upgrades town bond rating

Verizon FiOS approvedBy JOHN BRANDI

Staff Writer

The buffering wheel may have finally stopped spinning on the matter of Verizon FiOS, as the franchise agreement to bring the service to residents passed its final hurdle in Albany.

The Public Service Com-mission, the agency responsible for ensuring safe and reliable rates for utility companies and service providers, passed the six-year franchise agreement, after much review, at its Dec. 11 meeting. The agreement had been tied up with the state agency for nearly five months because of fighting between Verizon and its competitor, Ca-blevision, the current sole pro-vider of television service in Harrison. Each company was challenging the other’s costs and the nature of fair competi-tion in the marketplace.

Still, Cablevision wanted further review and to have the commission toss its competi-tor’s submitted supplemental material outright concerning cost, according to a filing sub-mitted to Kathleen Burgess, secretary for the Public Ser-vice Commission, in August.

Ultimately, Cablevision’s pleas fell on deaf ears as James Denn, director of public affairs

for the Public Service Com-mission, said the agreement passed, yet with some provi-sions to how Verizon can oper-ate inside the approved bound-ary for the town.

“The [commission] ap-proved Verizon’s cable fran-chise with Harrison, subject to certain conditions,” Denn said. “Verizon [must] increase its financial payments to sup-port public, educational and governmental access and free service to public buildings.”

Verizon, according to Denn, made some concessions to op-erate in a smaller area, and the commission has required the service provider to increase its annual payments, for that kind of public access pro-gramming, to the town from $22,500 to $48,796.

Still, Denn said the Verizon FiOS agreement will serve res-idents of the town by bringing in an alternative to the service providers already in place. He said that this nature of compe-tition benefits residents.

John Bonomo, director of media relations for Verizon’s northeast area, said typically, in municipalities where Ve-rizon has reviewed and agreed to the commission-approved

By JOHN BRANDIStaff Writer

The leading credit rat-ing service, Manhattan-based Moody’s, has upgraded Harri-son’s bond rating and believes that its “financial position is ex-pected to continue to improve.”

Harrison’s ranking concern-ing its outstanding debt and public improvement bonds for fiscal year 2014 ticked up

IN THE SPIRITIn Larchmont, 10,000 trees has been a mainstay in the industry selling Christmas trees and wreaths for more than 60 years. For story, see page 10.Photo/Marissa Penn

2 • The harrison review • December 19, 2014

December 19, 2014 • THe HARRISON RevIew • 3

Charity drive delivers gifts and holiday cheerBy AlINA SuRIel

Staff Writer

The Harrison Food Pantry and local good Samaritans are getting ready for the holi-days with The Holiday Proj-ect, their annual charity gift drive bestowing presents to underprivileged families in the community.

Three Harrison residents are sharing the responsibility for this year’s event, Chris-tine DiRusso, Tabatha Mar-raccini and Coco Leftkowitz, according to Town Coun-cilwoman Marlane Amelio, who has been involved with the project since its concep-tion four years ago. All three women have children en-rolled in Harrison schools, and they used access to par-ents and others in the com-munity to publicize their collection of monetary dona-tions to The Holiday Project.

This year more than $10,000 has been raised for the project so far, and 115 to 120 families will benefit from

the drive. The money will go towards buying each partici-pating family or individual a basket containing gifts and items tailored to the number of members in each house-hold. Children generally receive toys appropriate to their age group, while adults receive more practical gifts such as gift receipts for gas or groceries.

The baskets are delivered before Christmas by officers from the Harrison Police De-partment, and if there is a small child in the household someone dressed as Santa will sometimes ride along as an extra surprise.

The drive was originally cre-ated by Nina Marraccini, the town’s director of community services, along with Council-woman Amelio and town resi-dent Katherine Frankel, accord-ing to Amelio. As part of her duties, Marraccini coordinates donations to the Food Pantry, a monthly charity donating food to families in town. After Mar-raccini mentioned how many

families were served by the Food Pantry, the other two real-ized how much they had under-estimated the number of Harri-son families in need and began looking for a way to help. The Holiday Project began in 2010 and has been organized by a different chairperson annually ever since.

Amelio’s initial surprise at how many needy families live in Harrison is likely due a wide wage gap which can ob-scure the plight of those with the least financial resources, as the town largely consists of families belonging to the upper-middle class. Although estimates from the U.S. Cen-sus Bureau put the median household income of Harrison at $102,702 for 2009 through 2013, 7.4 percent of people were still on record as living below the poverty level for those years.

Amelio highlighted how important this initiative could be for these families during the holiday season.

“I think we provide a won-

derful benefit to people who might not be able to enjoy Christmas with their children because of a lack of funds, so we try to fill that gap,” she said. “I’m very proud to be a part of it and to see that it continues.”

The Harrison Food Pantry serves around 127 families and individuals and is open to any Harrison resident, accord-ing to Marraccini. Although

Marraccini would not disclose the demographics of the com-munity served by the food pantry, she did tell the Review that individual adults and se-nior citizens are served as well as families with children.

According to Marraccini, seniors are the fasting growing population of people using the Harrison Food Pantry. But, she said that, rising living costs affect the general number of

Harrison residents coming into the pantry. She lists taxes, rent, utilities, food and gas prices as rising expenses which can be a burden for those who struggle to make ends meet.

“It hurts,” she said. “Noth-ing is going down right now.”

DiRusso, Tabatha Marrac-cini, and Leftkowitz could not be reached as of press time.

CONTACT: [email protected]

The Harrison Holiday Project has collected more than $10,000 in donations that will go toward delivering gift baskets to roughly 115 needy families all over town this Christmas. File photo


What’s going on...Girls teams

Albany High School, AlbanyAlbertus Magnus High School, BardoniaBeacon High School, BeaconBishop Loughlin High School, BrooklynByram Hills High School, ArmonkGrand Street Campus High School, BrooklynJamesville DeWitt High School, SyracuseNorth Rockland High School, North RocklandOssining High School, OssiningRye High School, RyeA complete bracket of games is available

at countycenter.biz.Admission is $5 per day. Tickets can be pur-

chased at the County Center box office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

Parking at the County Center is $5.The Westchester County Center is locat-

ed at 198 Central Ave. in White Plains. It is also accessible via the Westchester County BEE-LINE bus system. For a bus schedule, call 813-7777 or go to westchestergov.com/bee-linebus. Go to countycenter.biz or call the County Center at 995-4050.

Wainright House

Wainwright House announces its “Yoga Training Academy.” While Wainwright of-fers many yoga and movement programs and classes this is a first. Offering the 200-hour two week Yoga Immersion Retreat with Robin Appel beginning Jan. 12, a 300-hour teacher training intensive with Bernadette Birney be-ginning Jan. 19. Wainwright is also offering “Yin Yoga,” “Prenatal” and “Child Teacher Training” in March 2015.

Yoga Alliance CertificationWainwright offers a unique yoga training

environment, incorporating a holistic approach, with dedicated teachers who are experts in their respective specialties. Each teacher is ready to guide his or her students through the refinement of the yoga practice and its authentic teachings. “Wainwright House Yoga Training Academy” is ready to help you achieve your goals, grow your practice and inspire you on your path to excellence.

Join the Wainwright House yoga communityIf you would like more information about

this topic, please contact Carol Craig at 967-6080 or email at [email protected].

Coffee and Conversation series

This Saturday, Dec. 20, we’re the holding the next of our “Coffee and Conversation” series with me, Assemblyman Steve Otis and County Legislator Catherine Parker in Rye. This is tak-ing place at the Ruby’s Oyster Bar, 45 Purchase St., in Rye between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Stop by for free coffee and conversation about state and county issues. No appointment is required. Literature will also be available.

SPRYE events

Thursday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.: A tour of the ex-hibit strut: The peacock and beauty in art. Hud-son River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yon-kers. $10.

Friday, Jan. 9 at 9 am: Monthly current events discussion/breakfast at Ruby’s Oyster Bar, 45 Purchase St., Rye. Breakfast a la carte.

The mission of SPRYE is to enable adults who are 60 and older in the towns of Harrison, Port Chester, Rye and Rye Brook to live in their own homes as long as possible while remaining ac-tively engaged int he communities they love. We accomplish this by providing access to essential services, amenities and neighborly assistance.

Annual slam dunk tournament set for the county center

See some of the area’s best high school bas-ketball match-ups during the 16th annual West-chester County Slam Dunk Tournament, Friday through Monday, Dec. 26 to 29, at the West-chester County Center in White Plains.

This year’s four-day event is presented by Westchester County Parks and sponsored by The Journal News Media Group, and supported by Friends of Westchester County Parks, Inc. The tournament will showcase 24 of the best boys’ and girls’ high school basketball teams in the area, featuring some of the most excit-ing play of the upcoming high school basketball season. The following teams are participating:

Boys teamsArchbishop Molloy High School, BriarwoodArchbishop Stepinac High School, White PlainsCardinal Spellman High School, BronxCroton-Harmon High School, Croton on HudsonGorton High School, YonkersGreece Athena High School, RochesterHarrison High School, HarrisonIona Prep High School, New RochelleKingston High School, KingstonSleepy Hollow High School, Sleepy HollowSpring Valley High School, Spring ValleyTappan Zee High School, OrangeburgWhite Plains High School, White PlainsWoodlands High School, Hartsdale

Harrison library events

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

all items to [email protected].

Children’s programs Children’s programs will continue at the

Jewish Community Center of Harrison, 130 Union Ave.

Mondays-9:30 a.m. Rockin’ Tots for ages one to three

10:30 a.m. Parachute Play Time for ages two to five

Tuesdays-9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Wiggle and Giggle with Dawny Dew for ages one to five. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Westchester Broadway Theatre

“Another Night Before Christmas”Dec. 20, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Twas

the night before Christmas and all through the house... everyone was scrambling to get the Ice Queen to the North Pole before she melts. What? Two siblings call on Santa Claus to save the day when chaos erupts on Another Night Before Christmas. Join the theatre for a funny and lively one hour family musical filled with lovable elves and holiday magic specially made for children.

The show was written by Bob Fitzsimmons, music by Steven Silverstein and Barbara Camp-bell (all Westchesterites). Directed by John Egan, (of Dobbs Ferry), Carol Arrucci is the Musical Director (of Ossining), Choreographed by Tom Coppola (of New Rochelle).

Director John Treacy Egan, the Larchmont-raised performer, has appeared widely on Broadway, on hit television shows and in ma-jor motion pictures. Broadway credits include: Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “The Produc-ers,” and “Jekyll and Hyde.” He was recently in the Tony-nominated cast of “Casa Valentina” at the Manhattan Theater Club and created the role of Joey in the Broadway production of “Sister Act.”

The cost for the show is $17 plus tax. For groups of 15 or more, $14 plus tax. Please call the box office at 592-2222, broadwaytheatre.com.

Official Newspaper

Harrison Central School District’s


Walmart awarded the Food Bank for Westchester a $75,000 grant for promot-ing nutrition among those in need at a ceremony held at the White Plains Walmart store last Monday. This grant will support all of Food Bank for Westchester’s emergency food distribution programs that will, as a result ensure food supplies remain bountiful year-round.

The Food Bank supplies food to those who are the most vul-nerable in the community in-cluding children and the elderly.

Emergency food distribu-tion at Food Bank for West-chester is a multi-faceted op-eration that encompasses the Mobile Food Program, Rapid Distribution, Green Thumb, the BackPack Program, Kids Café, the Food Growing Pro-gram, SNAP Outreach and Education and the Retail Store Pick-up Program. These pro-grams provide 95 percent of all the food given to hungry Westchester residents and is provided in the form of

Food Bank for Westchester gets $75Kcooked meals or groceries to take home.

Incorporated in 1988, the Food Bank for Westchester is one of eight regional food banks in New York State. The food bank acquires warehous-es and distributes more than 7.2 million pounds of food annually to 265 frontline hun-ger-relief programs, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care and residen-tial programs serving the es-timated 200,000 Westchester residents who are hungry or at risk of being hungry.

In 2013 the Food Bank served 6,204,101 meals to Westchester County residents. Based in Elmsford, the Food Bank is located in a 37,000 square foot warehouse and is home to Westchester’s largest refrigerator and freezer. Visit foodbankforwestchester.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/foodbankforwestchester.com.

Today, in Westchester Coun-ty, approximately 200,000 peo-ple are at risk of hunger or fac-ing food insecurity. Thirty-three

percent of those at risk are chil-dren and 22 percent are seniors. Added attention must also be made to the serious health is-sues like diabetes and hyperten-sion which are usually associ-ated with food insecurity. To address these concerns and to provide healthier options, Food Bank’s expanded food distribu-tion programs, will continue to deliver more nutritious foods including produce, dairy and protein to these populations.

“Walmart is committed to assisting organizations like Food Bank for Westchester as part of our hunger relief ini-tiative. Funding for the Food Bank is an important source of support to thousands of people in Westchester County, especially as we approach the holidays, and we are grateful to be able to contribute to the efforts of keeping food sup-plies well-stocked for those in need year-round.” Walmart’s Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Jason Klipa said.

“Walmart is a great commu-

From left to right, John Kirkpatrick, White Plains city councilman; Charles Day, vice president, Food Bank for Westchester Board of Directors; Josh Strudl, manager, Walmart White Plains and Al Mairoino, president at Public Strategy Group, Inc. Gathered around them were Walmart White Plains store associates. Contributed photo

nity partner that is dedicated to making strides in the fight against hunger,” Food Bank for Westchester Executive Direc-tor Ellen Lynch said. “We are humbled and delighted by this generous gift from the Walmart Foundation. This funding is vi-tal to further assist the Food Bank in providing healthy, nutritious food for families in Westchester County.”

To be considered for sup-port, perspective grantee or-ganizations must submit appli-cations through the Walmart Foundation State Giving Pro-gram’s online grant applica-

tion. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the pro-gram’s minimum eligibility criteria. Additional informa-tion about the program, fund-ing guidelines and application process are available online at walmartfoundation.org/stategiving.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giv-ing back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the communities

it serves and make a signifi-cant social impact within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Career Oppor-tunity and Women’s Econom-ic Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the fight against hunger in the United States with a $2 billion commit-ment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 bil-lion meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit the web at foundation.walmart.com. (Submitted)


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HarrisonTHE

REVIEWMaryland, Dowd traveled to Springfield, Mass., to a sis-ter school and directed the already established glee club and began an elementary and middle school chorus.

According to Dowd, her mission at Songcatchers is “reaching peace through mu-sic.” There are professional musicians that come to work in the program as volunteers, which have helped Dowd to reach her goal.

Dowd has also seen many of her very first Songcatcher students become mentors in the program. The mentors are vital to the program, as they assist in teaching lessons to the students, whose ages range from five years old to high school age.

Mentors that performed at the Dec. 14 show included Eli Lopez. Lopez, 34, started in the Songcatchers program when he was 12. He was born and raised in Harlem, but Dowd’s sister was a nun at his parish and that’s how he found out about the program, according to Lopez.

“I became a member and I’ve sang at all 20 concerts,” he said.

Ulysses Torres is also a mentor.

Torres started the program at the age of seven and it really “sparked” his interest.

“Now, I’m a music teacher in Mount Vernon at Graham El-ementary School,” Torres said.

At just 24, Torres has com-pleted his B.A. in music edu-

cation and received a Master’s degree in tuba performance. According to Torres, his fa-vorite thing about performing is giving the gift of music to others and providing children with a sense of community.

For her long-standing ef-forts and commitment to the community over the years, Dowd was recently awarded the 2014 National Guild Mile-

stone Award for her excep-tional service to the field of arts education. The goal of the milestone program, now in its third year, is to recog-nize leaders who have dem-onstrated a commitment to supporting and advancing community arts education for more than 20 years.


By MARISSA PeNNStaff Writer

On Dec. 14, Songcatchers, Inc., put on its 20th annual Concert for Peace. Led by the renowned Sister Beth Dowd, executive director of Song-catchers, the event draws a large crowd yearly to the College of New Rochelle’s chapel at 29 Castle Place, fill-ing it with beautiful, holiday themed songs with an em-phasis on peace. The concert features a choir along with a string instrument quartet. Ad-mission is free every year, but small donations are accept-ed, which go to funding the Songcatchers program.

Songcatchers, a New Ro-chelle based nonprofit, was started by Dowd in 1994 and is dedicated to providing qual-ity musical programs that are both affordable and accessible to the multi-cultural popula-tion within New Rochelle.

“We began by charging five dollars a lesson, now we charge eight dollars,” Dowd told the Review.

The organization is an out-

20th annual Concert for Peacegrowth of the original choral arts program, which Dowd began in 1978 when she was a teacher at Blessed Sacrament School in New Rochelle. To-day, Songcatchers consists of three programs: a choral arts program, consisting of a concert choir and ensemble, a one-week residential choir camp, an after school music program and an early child-hood music program, consist-ing of early piano and early violin lessons.

Dowd, who recently cel-ebrated her 80th birthday, is a New Rochelle resident that followed her passion for mu-sic and working with chil-dren to successfully meld them both into a wonderful, long-lived career.

She started studying mu-sic at a young age and went on to get her two master’s degrees, for music and edu-cation, from Catholic Uni-versity in Washington D.C. She then went on to teach at Ursaline Academy in Bethesda, Md., where she directed the high school glee club. After her stint in

Children walk down the aisle with candles illuminating the chapel as a song for peace to the world is performed.

On Dec. 14, Sister Beth Dowd leads the Songcatchers choir in their festive, holiday songs at the 20th annual Concert for Peace at the College of New Rochelle’s chapel. Photos/Marissa Penn

On Dec. 14, members of the Songcatchers choir sing holiday songs at the 20th annual peace concert.


Bipartisan vote passes county budgetBy CHRIS eBeRHART

Staff Writer

Three Democratic West-chester County legislators broke from their caucus and sided with the seven Repub-lican legislators on the board to help pass the $1.75 billion 2015 county budget.

The bipartisan budget passed on Dec. 9 by a 10 to 7 vote, with legislators Michael Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Dem-ocrat and chairman of the Board of Legislators, Vir-ginia Perez, a Yonkers Dem-ocrat, and Mary Jane Shim-sky, a Hastings on Hudson Democrat, voting alongside Republicans.

In supporting the budget, those in favor touted the zero percent increase in the tax levy for the fifth year in a row and the marginal 0.5 percent spending increase over the 2014 budget, which equates to an increase of $10 million, while preserving essential county services and avoiding any layoffs.

Opponents of the bud-get, all Democrats, heavily criticized the county’s use of borrowing—including a $15 million loan to cover pension

costs and a $5 million loan to cover tax certioraris—calling it “runaway borrowing.”

Included in the capital projects portion of the budget is a $5 million community housing investment program, which would be bonded for, to replace lost federal money for revitalizing neighbor-hoods, preventing homeless-ness and building affordable housing after the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development reallo-cated a $5.2 million commu-nity development block grant from 2012 due to the county being out of compliance with the 2009 affordable housing settlement. The community housing program was origi-nally proposed by County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican, during his State of the County address in May.

In total, Westchester lost more than $15 million worth of federal grant money due to its battle with HUD over implementation of the afford-able housing settlement.

Democratic majority lead-er Catherine Borgia, of Os-sining, tried to have the item deleted from the budget, but her motion was shot down by

a 9 to 8 vote, with Democrats Kaplowitz and Perez siding with the Republicans.

Legislator Ken Jenkins, a Yonkers Democrat, said, “This bond act seems to cir-cumvent the federal funding that we’re losing by double taxing our residents. It’s sim-ply not an acceptable course of action.”

Legislator John Testa, a Cortlandt Republican, pushed back saying, the communities have already begun projects that were covered by the feder-al grant money with the prom-ise of receiving these funds but the “rug has been pulled out from under them.”

“So this is an opportunity to stand by our communities that have stood by us throughout this ill-advised settlement,” Testa said.

After the budget was ad-opted by the legislators, the county executive approved of the budget, calling it “smart and responsible” and a budget “that protects the interests of all county residents.”

“It strikes the right balance between taxes and services,” Astorino said.


$300K added to the Playland marketing budget. First increase in over 20 years

$500K added for capital improvements to Playland

Creation of four new DPW positions

$5M added to capital budget to replace lost federal grant money because of the

2009 affordable housing settlement.

County bonded for $15M to cover pension costs and $5 million to cover tax certioraris

2015 County Budget Highlights

TOTAL BUDGET$1.75B

SPENDING INCREASE0.5%/$10M

TAX LEVY0%


Town board wants to talk

At the Dec. 4 town board meeting, a public hearing was held regarding proposed legis-lation for residential parking permits in the area surround-ing the Metro-North train sta-tion. At the meeting, the town board suggested a plan to host an informal Town Hall forum, in early 2015, to further dis-cuss the implementation of the proposed legislation and to answer questions from resi-dents. This Town Hall forum is part of the board’s contin-ued commitment to offering members of our community an opportunity to connect. I hope it will foster dialogue that will lead to more ideas and solutions to the commuter parking issue.

Last week, I had the plea-sure of attending the Harrison High School winter concert. The students have exception-al talent and should be com-mended for their abilities. The musical pieces were energetic

and beautifully executed. I think I can speak for the entire audience when I say that we thoroughly enjoyed the show. Congratulations to all the performers, staff and parents for this highly enter-taining production.

I would like to take this time to recognize Harrison High School senior Sal Lo-Medico. Sal has signed on to play lacrosse for Southern New Hampshire University in the fall. As part of a very com-petitive process, recruiting co-ordinators evaluate athleticism and the academic standing of student athletes from all over the country. Congratulations to Sal, his parents and his coaches for this very impres-sive accomplishment.

Recently, my office was contacted by the president of United Way of Westchester and Putnam concerning the county foster care system. United Way has asked for as-sistance in recruiting foster care parents for vulnerable children in our area, espe-cially for teens and sibling groups. If you are interested

in finding out more informa-tion on how you can help, please visit uwwp.org or call 997-6700.

Please make note of the following sanitation sched-ule change for the upcoming holidays: town/village offices will be closed on Christmas and New Years Day. During the week of each holiday, the Sanitation Department will be working on a holiday schedule.

For the week of Dec. 22, Christmas, garbage and recy-cling normally collected on Thursday, Dec. 25 will be col-lected on Wednesday, Dec. 24. There will be no bulk trash col-lected on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

For the week of Dec. 29, New Years, garbage and re-cycling normally collected on Thursday, Jan. 1 will be col-lected on Wednesday, Dec. 31. There will be no bulk trash col-lected on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

In closing, I wish you, your family and loved ones a very happy holiday season and a peaceful and prosperous 2015. May the holiday spirit be with you today and throughout the New Year.

Metro-North station which was written into the town’s 2013 master plan and the re-cently completed renovations to West Harrison’s Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at 500 Westchester Ave. Har-rison entered into partnerships with the Metropolitan Transpor-tation Authority and the cancer center, in which each have high rankings of their own, Aa2 sta-ble and Aa3 stable, respectively.

MacKenzie said Moody’s also took into consideration the town’s recent reserve growth and consecutive surpluses since 2010.

For 2014, the operating fund reserves are expected to be ap-proximately $14.8 million, which is up significantly from 2009’s amount of $4.4 million in the red.

For 2013, the general fund surplus was $1.9 mil-lion, mostly due to increases in building permits and fees, according to Moody’s. The reason why there is a surplus, MacKenzie said, was the town hasn’t touched this source of revenue to balance its budget

“in several years.” However, when asked if

money from permits was sus-tainable, MacKenzie said that, it has been seen in the past that revenue streams “can dry up very quickly” and that is why the town will budget conser-vatively $1.9 million for 2015 for building and permit fee rev-enues. The comptroller said the town budgeted $1.8 million in 2014, and ended up with about $4.6 million in revenue from this source.

The ratings aren’t permanent and can change if conditions in the town decline, such as a

decrease in fund balance and a shortage in a tax base, accord-ing to MacKenzie.

Moody’s stated that it be-lieves the accrued fines of $13.2 million, as of December 2014, from the New York State De-partment of Health for the lack of construction of a water filtra-tion system, and Harrison’s par-ticipation in that as part of the Westchester Joint Water Works, won’t impact the town’s credit profile.

A call to Moody’s was not returned as of press time.


RATING from page 1

Moody’s, the investor service agency, has upgraded Harrison’s bond rating. File photo


Alvin & Friends, 14 Me-morial Highway in New Ro-chelle, has quickly become Westchester’s most talked-about spot for destination din-ing. The dining room—featur-ing original Matisse-inspired paintings by owner Alvin Clayton—is elegant but com-fortable, and the menu teases the palate with dishes influ-enced by Southern and Ca-ribbean flavors. Add live mu-sic to the mix and you have a unique restaurant that draws a sophisticated crowd, includ-ing celebrities like Lorraine Toussaint, “Orange is the New Black” and “Selma,” Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomay-or, CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, Phylicia Rashad and Denzel Washington.

Described by the New York Times as “a darling of down-town New Rochelle,” Alvin & Friends—Zagat rated 26, and named by Westchester Maga-zine as one of the “Best of Westchester” four years in a

row—has been called ”New Ro-chelle’s living room.” And own-er Alvin Clayton admits that his goal is to make every visitor feel like “a guest in my home.”

A legendary host with a gift for friendship, Clayton opened the original Alvin & Friends in 2010, relying on friends to invest in his vision for a res-taurant that would appeal to a diverse population seeking a sophisticated urban vibe close to home. Indeed, friends and family members are immortal-ized in Clayton’s paintings, in-cluding the actor Roscoe Lee Brown, whose portrait hangs over the bar—and after whom Clayton has named the restau-rant’s Roscoe Room, a private dining space that functions as a jazz club on Friday nights.

The front of the house also offers live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, plus a jazz brunch on Sundays. “I love jazz—it’s a big influence on my art,” said Clayton, who will have a one-man show of

his work at Iona College in Jan-uary. “And there really aren’t very many places in Westches-ter where you can hear live jazz. So creating a place where people can enjoy great food and great music seemed like a natu-ral progression to me.”

Alvin & Friends is open Tuesdays through Sundays for lunch from noon to 3 p.m., brunch on Sundays, and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with a late night menu available on Fridays and Sat-urdays until midnight. For New Year’s Eve, Alvin & Friends will offer two seat-ings, a four-course prix fixe menu for $80 per person at 6 p.m. and a five-course prix fixe menu for $125 per per-son starting at 8:30 p.m. with dancing to the Chip Shelton Peacetime Band. A credit card is required for New Year’s Eve reservations and a holiday cancellation policy is in effect; call 654-6549 for reservations (Submitted)

Destination dining in New Rochelle

deal, it would take about two weeks for the service to be-come available to residents. Still, the process for residents appears to be simple when the service is finally implemented.

“A person can order online, or by calling Verizon,” Bono-mo said. “A technician will go to the home to do a profession-al installation.”

Locally, the measure for FiOS was unanimously ap-proved by the all-Republican Town Council back in June, and support by those in the community, and for the com-petition it would bring, ran high. However, some officials, like Deputy Village Attorney Chris Cipolla, maintained that it would only take two months in the hands of the commis-sion to deliver FiOS, and were then surprised by the commis-sion’s delay. The measure was previously tabled at the com-mission’s November meeting.

The initial push for FiOS in Harrison began six years ago, when Verizon installed the fiber optic infrastructure that could support its service. However, only 94 percent of the town was outfitted, and the remaining 6 percent of the town consisted of new sub-divisions with below-ground

wiring, Cipolla told the Re-view, that wouldn’t be adapted for service. However, accord-ing to the comission’s order, roughly 80 percent of Har-rison’s residents will receive FiOS service and, of the por-tion of the town that is FiOS ready, 9 percent will take a fur-ther five years to totally equip for the service.

Jason Berrebi, a resident

of Harrison, said he plans to switch to FiOS as soon as the service is available, as he already has Verizon’s phone and internet service, and it was those utilities that made him see the difference.

“None of the local competi-tors come close to the internet speed on FiOS,” Berrebi said.


FIOS from page 1

A franchise agreement between Harrison and Verizon, for FiOS service, was approved and should be coming to town residents shortly, according to a representative from the Public Service Commission. File photo


By MARISSA PeNNStaff Writer

Local Christmas tree ven-dors have been selling Christ-mas trees since the early 20th century, as the Christmas tree tradition dates back to a custom established in Germany during the 15th and 16th century.

Originally, devout Chris-tians brought decorated trees into their homes, the custom has since expanded to become more secular.

Today, there are many types of Christmas trees in different sizes to choose from and the business, particularly for lo-cals, is one, although seasonal, that has seemed to withstand the test of time.

In Larchmont, Christmas trees are sold at 10,000 trees, which is a vendor that started in conjunction with the Larch-mont Veterans of Foreign War program that is based out of a community building located at 1288 Boston Post Road. The VFW is a nonprofit that sup-ports charities that assist ac-tive and separated Iraq and

Christmas tree vendors stand test of timeAfghanistan veterans and their families.

The seasonal store has been in business for more than 60 years and sell approximately 800 to 1000 trees per season. According to Gene Nightin-gale, the seasonal lot manager, people keep coming back year after year.

“It’s where they came as kids, many of my customers grew up in Larchmont and bring their children here,” Nightingale said.

The vendor, 10,000 trees, which starts setting up shop right after Thanksgiving, sells premium balsam and Fraser fir trees along with wreaths of all sizes. The balsams are from the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina while the Fraser fir trees come from Nova Scotia, Canada. Balsams are a more fragrant tree while the Fraser fir trees have stronger branches for hanging ornaments.

Balsams are less expensive than the Fraser fir trees and ironically, during tough eco-nomic times, the Fraser fir is becoming more popular.

“People are buying cheaper trees—if they usually asked for a seventy dollar tree now they’re looking for a forty-dol-lar tree,” said Nightingale said.

Despite this, business seems good and 10,000 trees continues to welcome custom-ers from as far as Connecticut and Manhattan.

Nightingale, whose favorite thing about selling Christmas trees is the children and seeing a family find their perfect tree, owns a local landscaping busi-ness, which he still operates while selling trees seasonally.

In Tarrytown, there is a smaller Christmas tree ven-dor that raises money for its local firefighters through its sales. The Tarrytown Fire Department’s Riverside En-gine Company No. 4, located at 120 Franklin St., is com-prised entirely of volunteers and funding is all through pri-vate and public donations and fundraising efforts, such as tree sales.

According to Patrick Deri-van Sr., president of the vol-unteers, in addition to money

Danny Toyos, left, A.J. Ibarra, center, and Patrick Derivan Jr., volunteer firefighters from Tarrytown, sell Christmas trees each year to fundraise for the volunteer department and also for the local senior center and youth sports. Photo/Marissa Penn

derived from Christmas tree sales going to the fire depart-ment, funding also goes to the local senior citizen center and to youth sports events.

“We’ve been doing this since about 2003 and it’s been really great for us,” Derivan said.

At the Tarrytown loca-tion, balsams and Fraser firs are sold for $10 per foot. The most popular are the six foot and seven foot trees, according to Derivan.

“Business has just gone up and up and up,” he said.

Derivan, whose favorite part of selling Christmas trees is meeting people and seeing their smiles, attributes increased sales, despite rough economic conditions, to “word of mouth.”

Recently, large businesses such as Home Depot have started competing with smaller Christmas tree vendors. And Home Depot seems to be faring well in the business, according to Trevor Meinke, a store man-ager at the Home Depot in Port Chester, who said sales were better than ever.

Home Depot started selling Christmas trees and wreaths approximately 15 years ago.

“The economy hasn’t hurt us at all,” Meinke said.

According to Meinke, the Port Chester location sells 5,000 trees per season, which it sources from farms in Con-necticut and Long Island. Home Depot sells balsam trees, Fraser firs, and artificial trees and wreaths, which retail for anywhere from $24 to $59.



Island, and in Connecticut and New Jersey.

According to Killoran, who has been in the business of home restoration, building affordable housing and com-munity service for 30 years after starting out as a com-munity activist in Manhattan, customers include mostly lo-cals, but ReStore sees visi-tors from the five boroughs and even from as far away as Australia.

What sets apart ReStore from similar type stores, such as the Salvation Army, anoth-er donation-based used home goods store, is the money goes to help build more homes lo-cally for veterans, to repair se-nior homes and to rehab homes devastated in 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, according to Killoran.

The materials, which are

donated or found, are even used in building ReStores.

According to Killoran, all of the carpeting, 40,000 square feet to be precise, at the new location came from a corporate warehouse called Froma Company, that was going to throw it away be-cause they didn’t like the way it looked, but instead donated it to ReStore. It’s the only carpeting used at ReStore and

Habitat looks to ReStore hopeBy MARISSA PeNN

Staff Writer

Just in time for Christ-mas, Habitat for Humanity of Westchester County cele-brated the opening of its sec-ond retail store in downtown New Rochelle. ReStore, one of 800 across the country, opened for business in Octo-ber, but had its official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 25.

Habitat for Humanity is an international non-profit founded in 1976 to address the issues of poverty housing.

Habitat has helped build or repair more than 800,000 houses and served more than four million people around the world, according to the organization’s website.

Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores are non-profit home-improvement stores and do-nation centers that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances to the public at a fraction of the cost of retail prices.

The latest store, which was originally located in Mount Vernon for five years and founded by New Rochelle resident Jim Killoran, is considerably larger than the other New Rochelle store at 10,000 square feet. The new New Rochelle store is located at 659 Main St.

The other New Rochelle lo-cation, at 524 Main St., is half the size and was jam packed, Killoran said. It has been in New Rochelle for five years.

Killoran said he is excited to host community events in the new space, such as live music and fundraising receptions.

This location is the largest and one of the closest to New York City. There are other ReStore locations on Long

in Killoran’s office. ReStore also used the carpeting in 60 homes they helped to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. They even sell some of the carpet-ing in the store.

ReStore also makes do-nations to schools across Westchester County and within the five boroughs. Ed-die Laguerre, president and founder of the Charter School for Excellence in Yonkers, is deeply grateful to the store because it has been able to donate things to his school, and just a few weeks ago, ReStore provided the school with a whole truck load of clothes and goods.

Another thing that sets Re-Store apart is that Killoran offers free classes for his cus-tomers and the general public on how to “do it yourself,” to restore, repurpose, recycle and reuse furniture. Starting in January, Killoran will offer classes on the importance of solar paneling, called “Solar Saturdays” where solar com-panies will present how to solar panel a home.

“Part of our mission at Re-Store is affordable housing, and the importance of solar paneling cannot be stressed enough,” Killoran said.

In addition to class offer-ings, community activism and raising money for a variety of important causes, ReStore hires vulnerable members of the community that have faced challenges, including local veterans and fire victims that have lost their homes, and pro-vides them with an honest way to make a living while giving back to the community.


At a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 25, Jim Killoran, the founder of New Rochelle’s ReStore, proudly cuts the ribbon just in time for the holiday season to mark the opening of the new store, which sells restored furniture, household items, antiques and other goods, while making donations to causes like building homes in areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Photo/Aaron Kershaw

Jim Killoran, New Rochelle resident and founder of ReStore, helps to rebuild and restore homes affected by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Photo/Sanda Geroux


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leGAl noticeNotice is hereby given that a license, num-ber 1282460 for On Premises Liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, wine, and liquor at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 385 Halstead Ave., Harrison, NY 10528 for on premises consumption. Applicant’s name: Aria Asian Corp.

December 19, 2014 • THe HARRISON RevIew • 15SPORTS

As a journalist, I’ve come to realize that, sometimes, the press cycle just isn’t going to work in my favor.

Last week, I used my col-umn to speak to the giddy sense of anticipation I get each winter when the MLB Hot-Stove season rolls around. By the time our papers came out, however, baseball had broken my heart once again.

As I’ve mentioned here in the past, I am an unabashed fan of the Boston Red Sox. All things considered, I came of age in a pretty decent time to root for the Sox, what with three World Series Champi-onships in the last 10 years to erase the multi-generational angst of the club’s loyalists.

But losing Jon Lester to the Cubs, last week? That one hurts.

The educated fan in me

The pain of lossunderstands the move from a baseball standpoint. Pitching is at a premium these days and the Sox front office just wasn’t willing to break the bank for a pitcher on the wrong side of 30. I get it.

From a purely emotional standpoint, however, the loss was devastating.

As I’ve gotten older, I haven’t grown to love sports any less, but my reverence and idolization of pro athletes is certainly something that has fallen by the wayside. That’s just part of growing up, I guess. Lester, who came up to the big leagues in 2006—the same year I graduated from college—was one of the last players I truly was invested in, both as a person and as an athlete.

His two World Series titles, his yeoman’s work on the mound, his battle with cancer, all of this endeared Lester to the Red Sox fan base and an aspiring sports writer in his early 20’s who was just crazy

about the Sox. At a time when I was being forced to grow up and enter the real world, root-ing for players like Lester (and Papi and Pedroia, of course) was a chance to, at least once in a while, follow sports with the same intensity and passion I did during my childhood.

I’ve felt these pangs of pain before.

When Roger Clemens signed with the Yankees, when Man-ny Ramirez was unceremoni-ously dealt for Jason Bay, and when Johnny Damon signed with the Bronx Bombers after the 2005 season, prompting my family to needle me with the gift of a No. 18 Yankee jer-sey at Christmas.

But children grow up, pri-orities change and sometimes idols move on. I’m sure I’ll get over it.

In some ways, maybe the pain is just a reminder that I still love the game.

Follow Mike on Twitter, @LiveMike_Sports

On Dec. 10, the Chicago Cubs signed free agent pitcher Jon Lester to a lucrative six-year deal. For a Red Sox fan like Sports Editor Mike Smith, the signing was a tough pill to swallow. Photo courtesy MLB.com

Thank you all so much for reading the Ask Cindy How house cleaning column. Many of you have been reading this column over the years and knew all about house-cleaning challenges before you stumbled upon me. I’m thrilled that we are connected. I appreciate each and every one of you!

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for following this column, thank you for your comments, and thank for you for inviting me and my fabulous team members into your homes. It means a lot to us all. Happy holidays and happy 2015!

With appreciation and respect,Ask Cindy and her fabulous team members!

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16 • The harrison review • December 19, 2014 SPORTS

By MIKe SMITHSports Editor

Just two games into the new season, the Harrison basket-ball team is proving its suc-cess in recent years hasn’t been a fluke. With a tightly contested loss against Class A power Tappan Zee and a resounding bounce-back win over Tuckahoe, the Huskies seem poised to make another run at a County Center appear-ance this winter.

In their season opener on Dec. 10, the Huskies battled the Dutchmen for four quar-ters before falling 55-45. Led by Justin Stagg’s 13 points, the Huskies went into the fourth quarter trailing by four points before Tappan Zee was able to widen the margin.

“The experts out there have kind of anointed Tappan Zee as one of the top two teams in the section, so we’re very pleased with the way we came out against them,” said Harri-son coach Gary Chiarella. “I think if our offense had just been a little more consistent, we could have pulled that game out.”

Three days later, the Hus-kies responded to their first loss with a dominating win over Tuckahoe at White Plains High School, trouncing the Ti-gers 76-40, thanks in part to

Huskies split to start

Stagg’s 21-point effort. “Tuckahoe is a very young

team, and at smaller schools, you’re relying on everyone, including freshmen,” Chiarel-la said. “But if they keep that group together, I think two years from now, that’s going to be some team.

Consistency is something Chiarella said the Huskies will need to work towards this year, given the relative inex-perience of the team. Accord-

ing to the head coach, eight of the 12 players on the team got their first taste of varsity action against the Dutchmen.

Chiarella expects players like Joe Nannariello and Zac Evans, who were integral parts of last year’s Class A semifinal squad to step up as main con-tributors this year.

“On last year’s team, that had so much experience and talent, these guys were role players,” Chiarella said. “Now they’re the guys who will have to step up and lead this team.”

Over the last few years, Harrison has been a program on the rise, and although the Huskies graduated many play-ers last year, Chiarella admits there is still an air of excite-ment around the squad.

“Like I told last year’s se-niors, the bar has been set even higher now,” he said. “We want to win the sectional title, and because we don’t rely on that one stud, if we can get everyone playing as a unit, I think we can do it.”

The Huskies will host their own holiday tournament, which kicks off on Thurs-day, Dec. 18, after press time. Should Harrison beat Byram Hills in the first round, they will take on the winner of Peekskill and White Plains on Saturday, Dec. 20.

CONTACT: [email protected] Jack Hochman pushes past a defender. Harrison fell to Tappan Zee 55-45.

Zac Evans drives the lane against Tappan Zee. Photos/Bobby Begun

Justin Stagg soars towards the hoop against Tappan Zee on Dec. 10. Stagg has been the leading scorer in both of Harrison’s games this season.

Zac Evans goes up for a shot. As the longest tenured varsity player on the roster, Evans is expected to be a leader on the court.

harrison review 12-19-2014

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