harrison review 7-31-2015

July 31, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 29 | www.harrisonreview.com

Harrison REVIEWTHE

the park—235,125—and made nearly $150,000 more—$4.4 million—in gross revenue.

The major difference be-tween this year and last was better weather on July 4—which is generally the busiest day of the year at the amuse-ment park—after a washout in 2014. Through the month of June and heading into the July 4 week, attendance and rev-enue figures were nearly iden-tical, with 135,587 visitors in 2014 compared to 134,031 visitors in 2015, and a gross revenue of $2.58 million in 2014 and a gross revenue of $2.51 million in 2015.

After July 4, 2015, numbers spiked to 178,998 visitors and gross revenue of $3.35 mil-lion, as opposed to 165,353 visitors and a revenue of $3.12 million in 2014.

Westchester County Depu-ty Parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said the numbers in-dicate about a 6 percent uptick in business over last year.

“Last year, we had the tail end of a hurricane that de-stroyed most of business on July 4 except for the fire-works show late at night,” Tar-taglia said. “This year we had some rain, but it rained early. So from about 4 p.m. on we

packed our parking lot and made up a lot of revenue.”

Since hitting a low point in 2013, Playland has been on the upswing in terms of both atten-dance and revenue, and the driv-ing forces behind that, Tartaglia said, are good weather and an in-creased number of promotions.

“Weather is always the main factor and will continue to be,” Tartaglia said referring to the amusement park indus-try, and, in particular, Playland. “Then there are the promo-tions and discounts that we’ve been adding.”

where his property line begins, which will amplify the noise since his house and the com-pressors will almost be on the same level as one another.

He urged the developer, Shelter Development, LLC, to consider mechanics that were both more environmen-tally friendly and quiet, such as ground source heat pumps.

Though Brightview has built this type of senior liv-ing facility before, it has never been done in an area similar to West Harrison, according to Grgas. Most facilities, like the one in Marlton, N.J., or the one under construction in Tar-rytown, are near commercial-use structures.

Further, Grgas pointed to the decline in home sales—ac-cording to his findings from Zillow—of three-out-of-four homes in the area nearest the facility in Tarrytown.

Michael Daher, a resident of Old Lake Street and a can-didate for Harrison Town Council, said in a letter that the facility is insufficient and inappropriate for the current site. He also warned about a drop in home sales that could occur, and that have already been happening because of the quarry operations.

“There needs to be an in-dependent, third party review of what effect Brightview will have on the depreciation of property values,” Daher said.

Meanwhile, plans have evolved to push the facility for-

Rye Playland revenue and attendance up over 2014

Brightview continued on page 8

playland continued on page 13

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Brightview plan faces renewed criticism

By JOhn BrandiStaff Writer

Neighbors of a proposed senior living facility in West Harrison have intensified their criticism of the project, saying above all else that some of the design elements of the build-ing won’t fit in with the char-acter of the neighborhood.

The cliff that will be in the rear of the senior complex will act as a buffer to sepa-rate the facility from the rest of the neighborhood on Old Lake Street, but residents felt the roof line of the complex and its nearly 30 compressors would disrupt the sights and sounds of what they’ve grown accustomed to in this farm-like community.

Brightview Senior Living of Harrison, proposed for 600 Lake St. over Lawrence Bar-rego’s defunct quarry site, is a proposed 160-unit, four-story building that will provide in-dependent and assisted living facilities and care for those living with dementia.

Frustration with the proj-ect was voiced at the Planning Board’s July 23 meeting.

Anthony Grgas, who lives right behind the proposed de-velopment at 87 Old Lake St., said he was most concerned with the noise and light pol-lution that would substantially change the surrounding neigh-borhood. He also took issue with the compressors that will be outfitted on the facility’s roof and could potentially run year round. The roof will end

By ChriS eBerhartStaff Writer

Playland had what was con-sidered by many to be a suc-cessful season in 2014, and early revenue and attendance figures as of July 19 have al-ready outpaced last year’s numbers.

Through July 20, 2014, Playland had a total atten-dance of 230,295 and took in gross revenue of $4.26 mil-lion. This year through July 19, which includes the latest numbers obtained by the Re-view, Playland had a little less than 5,000 more patrons visit

Is Hillary home?Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino took his affordable housing fight against HUD to the doorstep of Hillary Clinton, where he was greeted by Clinton’s aides, pictured. For story, see page 3. Photo courtesy Westchester County

2 • the harrison review • July 31, 2015

August 2015Planning ahead...Sunday Monday TueSday WedneSday ThurSday Friday SaTurday

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2 3 4 5 6

Town Council meeting7:30 p.m.,

Municipal building

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Architectural Review Board meeting

7:30 p.m.,Municipal building

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Zoning Board meeting8 p.m.,

Municipal building

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Superintendent’s Conference Day

U.S. Open begins

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July 31, 2015 • the harriSOn review • 3

In the article “DEC issues Home Run permit,” in the July 17 edition of the Harrison Review, it stated that the original application for a wetland building permit was submitted after the prop-erty had already undergone extensive joint cleanup efforts by both Harrison and Rye back in 1997. The cleanup efforts were completed by Harrison back in 2004. The article also stated that initial plans set forth in 2006 included the elimination of wetlands. There was never any plan to eliminate the wetlands on site.

Correcting the record

astorino takes housing war to Clinton’s home

By ChriS eBerhartStaff Writer

Hillary Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, N.Y. was the latest battleground in the housing war between the federal government and Westchester County Execu-tive Rob Astorino, a Republican.

On July 21, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office said Westchester County should be held in contempt of court and be forced to pay monthly fines of $60,000 for violating the terms of a 2009 affordable housing settlement.

As part of the settlement, which was signed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, and former County Execu-tive Andy Spano, a Democrat, Westchester had to build 750 units of affordable housing in the county over a seven-year period, complete a source of in-come legislation—which bans discrimination against potential renters and home buyers based on their source of income—and complete an analysis of impedi-ments, which is a review of the barriers affecting the develop-ment of affordable housing.

Astorino, who took over the county executive’s office in 2010 after defeating Spano, has strongly contested the settle-ment from the outset and said the federal government is over-reaching and threatening to dis-mantle local zoning.

Until recently, the analysis of impediments was the main source of contention between the two sides. The eight As-torino administration-complet-ed analyses of impediments, all of which claim Westchester doesn’t have exclusionary zon-ing, were denied by HUD, and the county executive refused to submit the analyses complet-ed by the federal monitor Jim Johnson, who is overseeing im-plementation of the settlement,

that said otherwise. Now the two sides are fight-

ing over the financing bench-mark put in place by the settle-ment, specifically involving a development in Chappaqua, Clinton’s hometown, and whether the units should count toward the end of 2014 financ-ing benchmark of 450 units.

The housing monitor said in a May 8, 2015 report that the 28-unit Chappaqua train station development shouldn’t count toward the 450-unit bench-mark because the funding was not in place by the end of 2014, and the project’s completion is shrouded in doubt because of litigation and heavy scrutiny by the community and New Castle officials. But the county says the funding is in place and the project is moving forward, so the units should count, which would give the county financ-ing for 454 units.

David Kennedy, assistant U.S. attorney, backed the moni-tor’s report and said the county should establish an escrow ac-count in the amount of $1.65 million, pending the develop-ment of the 24-unit shortfall un-der the 2009 affordable housing settlement. The money would be returned if the county meets its next financing benchmark of 600 units by the end of 2015. If it doesn’t, the county would lose $68,800 for each unit it’s short.

Astorino counter-punched by knocking on Clinton’s door to put her on the spot and ask her in front of a large press contingent if she, as a presumptive Democrat-ic nominee for president, thought her hometown of Chappaqua was discriminatory and if she supports the current administra-tion’s “radical housing policies.”

“It would give many of her neighbors in town and through-out the county some comfort to hear her respond ‘no’ and ‘no,’” Astorino said.

Although the former secre-

tary of state and U.S. senator wasn’t home, Astorino left his contact information with one of her aides and continued with his press conference on her front steps.

“The federal government’s assault on our local communi-ties in Westchester is dumb-founding, shocking and coun-terproductive,” Astorino said. “Here’s how it works: HUD decides whether your neigh-borhood meets the quotas the agency believes represent the proper balance of race, income, education and other demo-graphic features. If the zip code doesn’t measure up, HUD then prescribes corrective measures, which essentially come down to running roughshod over lo-cal zoning so HUD can socially engineer the character of your community to bring it in line with its quotas.”

Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Mike Kaplowitz, a Yorktown Demo-crat who has been leading an unprecedented legislative effort to act on behalf of the county, which is typically done by the county executive, in the hous-ing matter, said he has been critical of the county executive in the past, particularly about not filing an analysis of impedi-ments that would be deemed acceptable to HUD.

But Kaplowitz said he’s standing with Astorino on this particular issue.

The chairman said there’s no reason to be held in contempt when the Chappaqua develop-ment project is moving forward after receiving final approvals at the beginning of July, and add-ed the the federal government is going after the wrong issue.

“This is like having a kid not doing well in school because he doesn’t do his homework but punishing him for using a red toothbrush instead of a blue one,” he said. “It defies com-

mon sense and feeds into the overreaching argument that the county executive has been say-ing all along.”

Affordable housing was the focus of a recent Supreme Court case that resulted in a 5-4 decision in favor of HUD and disparate impact, which says housing discrimination doesn’t have to be intentional in order to be illegal.

Charles McNally, an HUD spokesperson, told the Review in a previous interview that this Supreme Court decision is “an-other important step in the long march toward fulfilling one our nation’s founding ideals: equal opportunity for all Americans.”

Astorino said the decision “puts unprecedented power in the hands of Washington bureaucrats.”

Kennedy supported the monitor’s position that a civil contempt motion should be filed against the county, but the county won’t be required to pay fines until federal dis-trict court Judge Denise Cote makes a decision on whether to uphold the motion.

COntaCt: [email protected]

Rob Astorino holds a press conference in front of Hillary Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, N.Y., after the federal government said a Chappaqua affordable housing development shouldn’t count towards a benchmark number as outlined in a 2009 affordable housing settlement. Photo courtesy Westchester County


What’s going on...

The Harrison Public Library will be closed for renovations and is scheduled to reopen on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. Visit harrisonpl.org for updates and more information.

English conversation group Non-native English speakers can practice

their English and make new friends in an infor-mal, volunteer-led setting and learn about the Harrison library, too. No registration necessary. Group meets Mondays from 11 a.m. to noon at Uncle Henry’s Bar and Grill, 309 Halstead Ave.

Wiggle and GiggleWith Dawny Dew. Tuesdays, two 30-minute

sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Songs, puppets, music, laughs and more, for ages 6 months to 5. Sponsored by the Friends of the Harrison Public Library. Meets at the Harrison Jewish Community Center, 130 Union Ave.

Laptime for BabiesSongs and fingerplays with Miss Claudia.

This 20-minute program is specifically de-signed for non-walkers. Caregiver participation is required. Meets Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the Harrison Senior Center, 216 Halstead Ave.

Movers and ShakersMeets Wednesdays at 10 a.m. for 30 minutes

of songs, rhymes, finger plays, dancing and fun. For ages 1 to 3. At the Harrison Senior Center, 216 Halstead Ave.

West Harrison library eventsStory Time

Great stories, music and fun for ages 1 to 5. No registration necessary, bring your friends. Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for 30 minutes.

Open Play TimeCome into the library and meet other parents,

grandparents, caregivers and children. Open for children ages 1 to 5. Make new friends, play, read and have fun with some special toys. Meets Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Mother Goose TimeSongs, dancing and fun for the little ones

ages 3 and under. Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Teens Reading ClubRunning every Thursday until Aug. 6 at 2:30

p.m. for one hour. Contact the library at 948-2092 for more information.

Summer Concert Series

Harrison’s day campers get their turn on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at Ma Riis Park, and again on Thursday, Aug. 6 at the West Harrison Village Green. The second time around, Marty Carpenito & Syline and Frank Trapani will fol-low at 7:30 p.m.

Call the Harrison recreation hotline at 670-3039 for more information. All concerts start at 7 p.m. unless stated otherwise.

Harrison Recreation

Download brochu-res and applications for all recreation pro-grams, unless stated otherwise, at harrison-ny.gov. For more in-formation, questions, suggestions and/or comments, email [email protected].

Soccer campLearn the basics skills of soccer and play

games while enjoying a quick dip in the pool.At Bernie Guagnini Park on Webster and

Adelphi avenues. For boys and girls, grades one through seven. Meeting Monday to Friday, Aug. 10 to 14, 9 a.m. to noon. Cost: $100, payable to Town/Village of Harrison.

Boys’ lacrosse campLearn the fundamentals of lacrosse. This

camp is great for beginners or players interested

in improving their skills. Participants will be instructed by Harrison varsity lacrosse coaches and players. At West Harrison Park. For boys in first to 10th grade. Will meet Monday to Thurs-day, Aug. 10 to 14. For grades one to four, time will be 9 a.m. to noon, for $150. For grades five to 10, time will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., for $250. For more league information, to pay and/or register, visit harrisonyouthlacrosse.com.

Event rentalsAvailable at both the West Harrison Senior

Annex and the Veteran’s Memorial Building in downtown Harrison, the building rental fee for events is $450 for 5 hours with a $300 security deposit. Add on additional space at either center for $100 plus an additional $100 security depos-it. For questions and available dates call 670-3035. To rent the facility, you must have a 2015 Harrison resident identification card.

Swim campCome and enjoy a fun-filled week of aquat-

ics at Ron Belmont Pool Complex from Aug. 10 through Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. Open to kids entering first through third grade. Instruc-tions will include stroke development and water safety skills, water games, aquatic related art projects and free swimming. Classes cost $150, checks can be made payable to the Town/Vil-lage of Harrison.

Volunteer opportunitiesThe Harrison Recreation Department has

many opportunities for high school students through senior citizens to volunteer with youth

programs and senior programs. For more information, call 670-3035.

Harrison Senior Center

Harrison has two very active senior citizen clubs sponsored by the Recreation Department.

The West Harrison Group meets on Thurs-days from noon to 3 p.m. at the Leo Mintzer Senior Annex Building, located at 251 Un-derhill Ave., to discuss items of interest, play bingo and discuss activities coming up in the near future.

The Downtown Group meets every Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 210 Halstead Ave.

The membership fee for both groups is $24 per year and refreshments are served at gatherings.

There is also a drop-in center at the Harri-son Community Center, at 216 Halstead Ave., Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where you may enjoy television, cards and socializing. Come by the Tuesday exercise classes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the com-munity center.

For more information on recreation and social activities, call the Senior Citizen Center at 670-3000 ext. 3172.

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

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

all items to [email protected].

Harrison library events

New to the Review

Suzy Berkowitz also joined the Review in June as an editorial as-sistant. She graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2014 with a B.A. in Journalism. While at New Paltz, Berkowitz was the arts and enter-tainment editor and social media chief of the school’s weekly news-paper, The New Paltz Oracle. She

also spent her last semester of college as an intern reporter for The Poughkeepsie Journal. Berkowitz is from Brooklyn, currently lives in Queens, and spends her free time teaching karate and self-defense to young girls.

You can reach Berkowitz at 653-1000 ext. 30 or [email protected].

Suzy Berkowitz

Sibylla Chipaziwa joined the Review in June as an editorial assis-tant. Prior, she was the municipal meeting producer for LMC TV’s news show “The Local Live” based in Mamaroneck. The United States is the fifth country Chipaziwa has lived in. She graduated from SUNY Purchase with a B.A. in Journ-

alism, while minoring in Po-litical Science. Local politics is where she plans to establish herself as a multimedia reporter before moving on to covering global affairs.

You can reach Chipaziwa at 653-1000 ext. 25 or [email protected].

Sibylla Chipaziwa

James Pero is the newest staff writer to join the Review. Pero is a graduate of SUNY Purchase, where he studied journalism, cutting his teeth as a managing editor of the school’s arts magazine, The Pur-chase Beat. After graduating, Pero moved on to become a staff writer

for news media startup Curi-ousmatic where he wrote about global finance and world con-flicts. Pero is a resident of Mount Vernon and originally hails from Buffalo.

You can reach Pero at 653-1000 ext. 20 or [email protected].

James Pero


density related to open space. Town Councilman Jo-

seph Cannella, a Republi-can and candidate for town justice, said the applicant should follow closely the recommendations from the Planning Board on this mat-ter. The councilman said issues relating to density can be cleared up by incor-porating rooftop terraces and balconies to this pro-posal and potentially other buildings in the PB zone as well.

The town board kept the discussion open for its next meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 6.


By JOhn BrandiStaff Writer

Harrison’s Professional Bus- iness zone is currently a mis-match of nonconforming buil-dings that range in height and use, but the applicant of a pro-posed project of all residential units wants to bring uniformity to this area of town on Calvert Street.

John Voetsch, a Harrison resident, has submitted to the town’s Planning Board a pre-liminary application to build a four-story, all-residential unit building on Calvert Street. The building will be nearly 1,500 feet from the Harrison Metro-North train station. In order to move forward with the proj-ect, Voetsch, who also owns property at 260 Harrison Ave., would have to petition the town board for a special exception use for the Professional Busi-ness, PB, zone, from Colonial Place to Purdy Street, to allow for this model of building.

Voetsch said he, along with several residential building owners and merchants on and

Town board considers zone amendmentaround Calvert Street, came together to petition for this special exception to be ex-tended for the whole PB Zone and to bring the nonconform-ing buildings up to uniform regulation.

“[The application is] to re-invigorate and revitalize the business district, and Calvert Street is the place to do that,” Voetsch said. “We need more pedestrians in our business dis-trict to survive and to compete with Mamaroneck and Rye.”

The applicant pinpointed Calvert Street as the perfect location because the train station, he said, is a major hub and connection point for residents to walk the business district.

Meanwhile, Voetsch said this modification to the zone wouldn’t be out of place, as the town board approved a similar special exception use to the adjacent Neighborhood Busi-ness, NB, zone back in 2011.

According to Bob FitzSim-mons, Harrison’s building and plumbing inspector, the PB zone has a series of noncon-

forming buildings, including a Japanese school and a mixed-use Calvert Street apartment building with a recorded six stories. Right now, the build-ing inspector said, the PB zone limits new construction to two stories, but no all-residential buildings.

In essence, FitzSimmons said, Voetsch is just looking to have the wording of “PB” included where the code was changed for the NB zone. The change would also add a consistent use to the non-conforming buildings, minus the six-story Calvert Street apartment building, which is a special case.

This change wouldn’t blo-ck any proposed retail in the PB zone; it would just give consideration to projects that deviate from that mod-el, according to the building inspector.

Still, the town board took issue with the proposal’s elimination of retail, wheth-er or not it had to be exact-ly 1,500 feet from the train station as proposed and the

Harrison resident John Voetsch is seeking a special exception use from the Town Council to allow for an all-residential building in the Professional Business zone, which is on Calvert Street and includes the Calvert Street apartments, pictured. File photo

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By JaCKSOn ChenStaff Writer

The Village of Port Chester has opened the gates for pub-lic comments as it has deemed the lofty redevelopment pro-posal for the long-abandoned United Hospital lot and its draft environmental impact statement as complete.

The proposal for the site at 999 High St., off of Bos-ton Post Road, calls for a roughly $300-million devel-opment project that would create 730 residential units, parking structures, retail and office space as well as a 138-room hotel. The 15-acre re-development project is being tackled by Starwood Capital Group, a Connecticut-based investment firm. Consider-ing the scale of the project, Port Chester is reviewing the many environmental impacts that would result from the de-velopment, including traffic congestion, stress on school enrollment and overall infra-structure concerns.

According to Port Ches-ter Mayor Dennis Pilla, a Democrat, the village board met with attorneys in execu-tive session during its July 20 meeting for legal advice, before deeming the propos-

United hospital plan gains traction

The Village of Port Chester is reviewing the environmental impact of a proposed 15-acre development on the defunct United Hospital lot off of Boston Post Road. File photo

The United Hospital 15-acre property, inclusive of the now defunct hospital and a staff residential housing facility, would have to be torn down to accommodate for the large-scale, mixed-use development project being proposed near the Rye border. Photo/Jackson Chen

al’s Draft Environmental Im-pact Statement, DEIS, com-plete. Pilla said that deeming the project’s DEIS complete would trigger the public re-view process.

After the required comment period and if fully approved, the development would allow for 500 units of one-bedroom and two-bedroom housing units that are aimed at a young-er generation without children, according to the proposal. As for interested residents with families, the proposal also calls for 230 age-restricted units, a number which was set to limit the impact on the vil-lage’s school system.

When reviewing the propos-al, village staff worked with AKRF, a White Plains-based planning consultant firm, alongside traffic consultants and a legal team, according to Port Chester Trustee Saverio Terenzi, a Republican.

“While people miss the hospital, it’s become an eye-sore quite frankly,” Pilla said of United Hospital, which closed its doors in 2005. “Having a new development in our village that is attrac-tive and draws people in, it’s going to have commu-nity services that will bene- fit our community and the

surrounding communities.” While the United Hospital

redevelopment plan is being tackled by the village, its large scope and proximity is ex-pected to impact nearby com-munities. The property sits near the City of Rye border.

According to Rye City Mayor Joe Sack, a Repub-lican, he testified in front of Port Chester’s board approxi-mately one year ago when the project proposal first sur-faced. Much like the concerns he voiced last year, Sack still holds concerns of increased traffic congestion issues on Boston Post Road and the pos-sibility of hampering storm-water mitigation.

“The concern is that things will get worse,” Sack said of the potential for increased traf-fic. “It’s already pretty con-gested over there with Whole Foods and the other stores in the [Kohl’s] shopping center,” which sits across the street from the hospital property.

Sack added that after ap-pearing before the village board last year, he and city staff met with the Starwood attorneys to clarify the city’s concerns. However, the mayor added that he hasn’t had any follow-up meetings or feed-back recently, but city staff is

keeping tabs on the project. “We want to be able to have

input,” Sack said, adding that his main concern was the proj-ect’s impact on Rye. “I think it remains to be seen how much of our recommendations or suggestions will be accepted.”

Pilla, who took office as mayor in March, said that the village has been informing the city of every milestone pro-gression of the development. He added that on July 20, Rye City Attorney Kristen Wilson asked the village board to ex-tend the public comment pe-riod into September to allow time for people who are away on vacation, but that an exten-sion for the public was the vil-lage’s intention anyway.

“I’m pushing this in a way where we do more than the minimum required from pub-lic participation,” Pilla said. “We’re going to hear from the public early and often, includ-ing the City of Rye.”

In the past, a development proposal for the construc-tion of a Home Depot in Port Chester drew similar concern from Rye. The Home Depot currently stands at 150 Mid-land Ave., also near the city’s municipal border. When the village approved the project in 1994, Rye and a residen-tial committee called the Rye Citizens Committee sued Port Chester, claiming there weren’t enough environmen-tal impact studies done on the project. Eventually, the Home Depot was constructed after the Westchester County Su-preme Court ruled in favor of the development and its sec-ond approval process.

When dealing with the United Hospital redevelop-ment, Terenzi said he doesn’t think the project will have much impact on Rye’s traffic patterns. The trustee added that most people will be using the nearby highways like the I-95 and I-287, leaving little impact on Rye.

The village has scheduled its first public hearing on the large-scale development proj-ect for Aug. 27, but is expect-ing the comment period to extend into late September. Pilla added that even after the public comment portions, the village board will hold public workshop sessions that will tackle specific concerns like parking, school impact and fi-nancial changes.


LettersThe community’s opinion matters.

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

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

verification purposes.

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

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

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The Harrison Review c/o HomeTown Media Group,

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Visit us onlinewww.harrisonreview.com

The Harrison Review (permit #106661) is published by Home Town Media Group weekly for an annual subscription of $32. Application to mail at the peridcals postage

rate is approved at Port Chester, N.Y., 10573. Periodicals postage paid at Port Chester

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Tel: (914) 653-1000Fax: (914) 653-5000

Publisher | Howard Sturmanext. 21, [email protected]

Executive Vice President | Ira Ellenthalext. 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 | John Brandiext. 18, [email protected]

Graphic Designer | Arthur Gedin

Graphic Designer | Jim Grasso

Advertising | Lindsay Sturmanext. 14, [email protected]

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

Staff WritersChris Eberhart, Jackson Chen,

James Pero

Staff PhotographerBobby Begun

ColumnistsRon Belmont, Tonia Tagliaferro

HarrisonTHE

REVIEW


• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. Keep them empty and covered if not in use; drain water that collects in pool covers.

To reduce your risk of mosquito bites:

• Avoid being outdoors in places and during times where and when mosquitoes are active and feeding.

• Use insect repellents with no more than 30 percent DEET, but use them sparing-ly and with care.

• Select the lowest con-centration effective for the amount of time spent out-doors.

• DEET should only be applied once daily. Repel-lents with a concentration of 10 percent are effective for about two hours, and those with a concentration of 24 percent offer about five hours of protection. Repel-lents containing DEET are not recommended for use on children under 2 months old. Carefully read and follow the package directions, and wash treated skin when mosquito exposure has ended.

The Westchester County Department of Health advis-es residents to prevent mos-quito bites after both Rock-land County and New York City reported that batches of mosquitoes have tested posi-tive for West Nile virus. The mosquitoes were collected in Clarkstown, Queens and Staten Island. While no mos-quitoes found in Westchester County have tested positive for the virus to date, this is the time of year when the health department expects to find them.

“Given the fact that our neighbors have reported pos-itive mosquitoes, it is safe to assume that mosquitoes car-rying West Nile virus are also present here in Westchester County,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Sherlita Amler. “The recent rain we’ve had also provides optimal breed-ing conditions for mosqui-toes that can carry the virus. I urge all residents to remove standing water from their property and to take personal

protective measures against mosquito bites when spend-ing time outdoors.”

Last year, seven positive mosquito batches were found in Westchester County and two human cases of West Nile virus were reported. The health department has sent more than 40 batches of mos-quitoes for testing since it be-gan collecting them in early June, and will continue col-lecting batches of mosqui-toes throughout the season.

As part of its integrated pest management strategy, the health department evalu-ated more than 53,000 catch basins. Of those, nearly 40,000 that held standing water have been treated with larvicide, and this work is nearly completed. The de-partment also gave away 400 pounds of free minnows to property owners with ponds. The minnows reduce the mosquito population by feeding on larvae and pupae before they emerge into adult mosquitoes. Once positive

pools are identified, the de-partment will also send out inspectors to try to locate and eradicate any standing water. If needed, storm drains in the area also would be retreated with larvicide.

To help eliminate mosqui-to breeding grounds:

• Remove standing water around your home. After it rains, walk around and look for toys, flower pots or simi-lar water-holding containers that should be overturned or put inside to avoid collecting water.

• Cover outdoor trash con-tainers to keep rainwater from accumulating inside.

• Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers that are left outdoors.

• Clean roof gutters and remove standing water from flat roofs.

• Drain water in birdbaths, plant pots and drip trays twice a week.

• Sweep driveways after it rains so they are free of puddles.

Take precautions to avoid West Nile virus

• Wear protective cloth-ing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks when outdoors and at times when mosquitoes are active.

• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens and repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.

Residents who notice large areas of standing water on

public property should report this to the Westchester Coun-ty Department of Health at 813-5000 or by email at westchestergov.com/health under “Contact.” For more health information, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/wchealthdept, follow us on Twitter @wchealthdept or visit westchestergov.com/health. (Submitted)


Lester’s, the fashion retailer known for more than 65 years as a destination where top trends from the best brands are delivered with exceptional service, will open a new space dedicated to boys sizes 8 to 20 and men’s clothing, footwear and accessories, on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The new Lester’s boys’ and men’s store will be lo-cated adjacent to Lester’s 11,000-square-foot Rye Brook location at 18 Rye Ridge Plaza which opened one year ago and has led to significant growth of the business and reach to a larger Westchester demographic.

“The opening of our new boys’ and men’s store emerged out of a dialogue with our cus-tomers about how better to meet the specific style profile of under-served, style-conscious high school through twen-ty-something young men,” says Perry Schorr, Lester’s owner and CEO. “We applied what has been a successful model for our kids, juniors and

Fashion retailer opens in Rye Brook

women’s contemporary busi-ness and created a unique and dynamic environment [that’s] all their own with the latest styles and brands they seek from everyday casual cool to well-tailored styles for going out.”

That space, handsomely outfitted in cool-textured greys

and metal, has been designed and merchandised to feel sleek, masculine and easy to navigate. Lester’s cornerstone service and selection are ever-present in the new location and features activewear, everyday casual, going out styles and basic essentials.

Anything but basic are the high-profile brands carried across every department and represent what this customer seeks most: style and a laid-back, cool sophistication. Fa-vorites include Tailor Vintage, Vineyard Vines, Original Pen-guins, Vince, Chaser, Jacks and Jokers, Herschel, Vans and 47 Brand, along with pe-rennial big-performing favor-ites such as Adidas, Nike, Un-der Armour, Quiksilver, Retro Brand and more.

There will be a soft opening on Aug. 4, and the grand open-ing is timed with the kick-off of the back-to-school shop-ping season on Thursday, Aug. 20 and will feature entertain-ment, raffles, food and more. (Submitted)

ward on the 6.5-acre property and to build an EMS substation on site for use in dire situations.

Planning Board member Nonie Reich was concerned with this type of facility and the constant need for EMS person-nel responding to emergency situations. With this, she said, could bring constant sirens and flashing lights which could dis-rupt the surrounding vicinity.

Mark Tornello, a resident of 100 Old Lake St., highlighted Reich’s point and said his moth-er lives in a similar assisted liv-ing facility in Florida. When he would stay with her, he said it was noisy and EMS personnel were needed all the time.

Despite the public protest,

the applicant asked the Plan-ning Board if they could send the application back to the town board for its consider-ation to grant them a special zoning exception. Shelter De-velopment, LLC, needs a spe-cial zoning exception of a “se-nior living facilities” designa-tion to transition the site from its current R-1, or residential district, label.

The Planning Board reject-ed this request and decided to gather more facts on the envi-ronmental impact of the facil-ity by continuing to meet.

Back in February, Town Attorney Frank Allegretti said the town had reached a settlement with quarry owner

Lawrence Barrego—after sev-eral legal skirmishes in Town Court, Westchester County Supreme Court and in the appellate division—regard-ing stop work orders and 37 town code violations against the property and its old quarry business.

Allegretti said Barrego was allowed to submit an applica-tion for a site plan proposal, as per the agreement reached with the town, and it was either up to the town board or the Planning Board’s discretion whether it would move forward.

The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 29.


Brightview from page 1

As the plans for a senior living facility, at the Old Lake Street quarry in West Harrison, expand, residents of the adjacent neighborhood have expressed concern with some of the building’s features. File photo

Trooper is a gorgeous Ridgeback mix, about a year old and 72 lbs. He is the sweetest boy with a very calm demeanor; just a great dog. He will surely melt your heart with his soulful eyes. Trooper is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested and microchipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue and make Trooper part of your home—you won’t be sorry. To learn more, call us at 834-6955 or visit ny-petrescue.org.(Submitted)


Dennis “Dion” Nardone bro-ught the Harrison crowd out for the town’s first of three street concerts.

As part of the Harrison Sum-mer Concert Series, three events were scheduled to take place in

the streets of Harrison. The first one kicked off on Wednesday, July 22 in front of large crowd camped out downtown on Har-rison and Halstead avenues. Alongside Nardone was the Just Nuts Band, who played a mix

of doo-wop and disco for the evening crowd. The next street concert is scheduled to take place on July 29 when Jackie Dimag-gio and Christopher Macchio on First Street and Halstead Avenue. -Harrison Review staff

Nardone kicks off Harrison street concerts

Jimmy Fricassi sets the pace on rhythm guitar.

Dennis Nardone of Club Dennis entertains a large crowd at the town’s first street concert event in downtown Harrison. Several groups were on hand to make the evening a great success.

John Bochinos was a big hit at Harrison’s first street concert on July 22. The next scheduled street concerts in Harrison are on July 29 and Aug. 19.

The Just Nuts Band performs a little doo-wop and a little disco at the first Harrison street concert on July 22 in their downtown set.

The large crowd sits back and enjoys the first of three concerts on the street in Harrison.Photos/Bobby Begun

Bass guitarist Caesar Monitto from the Just Nuts Band.

Lead singer Victor Sabb belts out an oldie with the Just Nuts Band at the first street concert in Harrison’s downtown.


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Dear Tonia:It’s so confusing today to

know what’s in style. I want to look good but still be com-fortable. No matter what I do, I still don’t look anything like the models I see in the media. I need to make changes but don’t know where to begin. Can you help?

P.H., Larchmont

Dear P.H.:We get trapped in the me-

dia image of what we think we should look like rather than accept who we really are in our own natural, comfort-able style. We get caught up because we want to feel better about the way we look.

Remain true to yourself and update your look without changing who you are. Don’t try and compare yourself to models you see. Believe me, they don’t even really look like that. Look closely: they have no pores. With a bit of Photoshop, a makeup artist and a hairstylist, you too can morph into model material.

Why should we change who we are? Change begins when we have a reality check and see ourselves as we really are right now, and not how we looked 20 or 30 years ago. Get a better understanding of your body type and what works or doesn’t work for you and, more importantly, why. Then

begin by making the effort to look your best every day.

Dear Tonia:I often go “commando” be-

cause it’s easier and I don’t have to worry about panty lines or wedgies. Some of my friends think it’s gross. What are your thoughts?

M.S., Mamaroneck

Dear M.S.:Going “commando” can

be fun, freeing and feel sexy in the right circumstances, but proceed with caution. Like ev-erything else, there’s a time and place for it. Keep in mind that certain fabrics such as linen or silk are going to reveal a little too much of your “commando” profile. Be careful with tight pants, as you won’t be safe from “camel toes”—a seriously unattractive look. Also, it’s not ideal if you are going to be do-ing anything that’s going to have a sweaty outcome.

Going “commando” is not nearly as big of a deal as we all think it is, mainly because you don’t really have to tell a single person you’re doing it. Make your panty status your little secret revealed by choice, “butt” not by visual impact.

Dear Tonia:I want to look great but

money is an issue. I can’t af-ford designer clothes, even discounted, but want to feel better about myself and how I look. How can I look like a million bucks without spend-ing a million?

R.S., Port Chester

Dear R.S.:Look at fashion magazines

to see what’s in style. Go to a better store and see what they are showing. Then emulate what you see and like in a less expensive way. Be sure at least one piece you are wearing is a quality piece. You don’t need a lot, only the right pieces.

Money doesn’t have to be the issue. There are myths that people who wear designer-clothing are considered to be well dressed. It just isn’t true. What makes you feel like a mil-lion bucks is not being afraid to do your own thing. Wear what you like and what you feel com-fortable in, provided it fits well and flatters your figure. Don’t be afraid to be different. You can start the trend and set the standard rather than just follow it. All it requires is the belief that you can—confidence.

Self-confidence and keeping some things secret

tonia saysTonia Tagliaferro

Tonia Tagliaferro is a fashion stylist. For questions and advice, you can contact her at [email protected]. And for more information,

visit artofdressing.net.

Last year, the county start-ed half-priced evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Playland. This year, the coun-ty extended that initiative to include Wednesdays and also added a Mother’s Day and Fa-ther’s Day promotion, where moms and dads were able to enter the park for free.

“Those are just some of the new promotions,” Tartag-lia said.

Playland could see another jump in productivity begin-ning next year and beyond with Standard Amusements preparing to take over man-agement of what is the only

playland from page 1

At the end of June, the 2014 and 2015 attendance and revenue numbers for Playland were nearly identical with 134,031 and 135,587 visitors in 2015 and 2014, respectively, and gross revenues of $2.51 million and $2.58 million in 2015 and 2014, respectively. The major difference was the July 4 weekend weather which allowed the 2015 numbers to surge.

PLAYLAND ATTENDANCE YEAR-TO-YEAR COMPARISON AFTER JULY 4 2015 2014Non-Resident Attendance Gross Revenue Attendance Gross Revenue

Ride All-Day 31,658 $949,740 31,379 $941,370Junior 7,467 $149,340 6,895 $137,900Spectator 14,706 $147,060 15,151 $151,510 Resident

Ride All-Day 56,926 $1.42M 46,300 $1.15MJunior 7,333 $109,995 6,422 $96,330Spectator 24,050 ------------------ 23,160 ------------------

Season Pass Sales

Non-Resident 368 $34,960 507 $48,165Non-Resident (4 or more) 248 $21,204 166 $14,193Resident 1,485 $118,800 1,628 $130,240Resident (4 or more) 1,358 $97,776 849 $61,128Spectator Non-Resident 61 $2,135 70 $2,540 Promo Season Pass 1,114 ------------------ 1,029 ------------------

Season Pass Redemptions (from sales)

Non-Resident 1,571 ------------------ 1,541 ------------------ Resident 6,426 ------------------ 5,538 ------------------ Spectator Non-Resident 12 ------------------ 76 ------------------ Other

Promotional 13,935 ------------------ 9,703 ------------------ Group Rider 14,914 $298,280 19,188 $383,760

TOTAL 178,998 $3.352M 165,353 $3.124M

county-owned amusement park in the nation.

The agreement between the county and Standard was approved by the Westches-ter County Board of Legis-lators in June. As part of the 15-year Playland agreement, Standard will invest $25 mil-lion—$2.25 million in upfront costs to the county and $22.75 million in direct investments into the 87-year-old amuse-ment park—and pay annual rising payments to the coun-ty starting at $300,000. The county will also receive 7.5 percent of the profits once Standard recoups its initial investment.

Currently, Standard and

the county are in a co-man-agement period, a time when Standard is shadowing the county in order to better un-derstand how the park is run. The co-management con-cludes at the end of October, at which point Standard will make a final decision if it wants to stay in or opt out of the agreement.

“So far [the co-manage-ment period] has been good,” Tartaglia said. “They’ve been observing and asking questions like ‘Why do you do this?’ or ‘When do you do this?’ So far, it’s been productive.”


14 • the harrison review • July 31, 2015 SPORTS

Maybe I’m just an easy mark, but right now, I can’t get enough of Alex Rodri-guez.

Prior to the start of the base-ball season, I penned a column in which I admitted that, de-spite my Red Sox fandom—or perhaps because of it—I was rooting for the disgraced Yan-kees slugger to turn back the clock this year.

Sure, my desire to see him play well this year was born mostly out of spite for the Yankees. I wanted to see the fans that had vociferously turned their backs on the re-peat PED offender struggle to come to grips with rooting for him to become an important part of the organization again.

But on Saturday night, I was simply rooting for him as a baseball fan.

Blast(s) from the pastIn the midst of what has

been an amazing season for the 40-year-old, A-Rod had a truly magnificent night against the Twins this past weekend, clubbing three hom-ers to help the Bombers rally against Minnesota.

All the steroid stuff, all the years I spent rooting against the guy, suddenly, it just didn’t mat-ter to me. I was just happy to see him still playing at a high level.

On Sunday, the MLB Hall of Fame inducted four new mem-bers. For a fan, like me, who came of age in the 1990s, it was a particularly poignant ceremo-ny. Three of the best pitchers of my youth, and one of the most consistent—almost boringly so—players of his generation in Craig Biggio, headed for en-shrinement, felt to me, like the end of an era.

For the last few days, I’ve been watching retrospectives of the careers of these iconic play-ers: the masterful John Smoltz, the intimidating Randy Johnson

and the sublime Pedro Marti-nez, who just so happens to be my favorite player of all time. It was bittersweet watching them take the stage at Cooperstown, because as many great memo-ries as those three gave me in my youth, Sunday’s induction ceremony was another remind-er that their time was over.

With that being said, today is a fun time to be a baseball fan, especially a young one. There is so much up-and-coming talent in the game right now, it’s hard not to be excited. Carlos Correa is poised to be the next great American League shortstop. Mike Trout continues to do unbelievable things in the outfield. Young arms like Chris Archer, Dallas Keuchel and Chris Sale are writing their own pages in the books of baseball lore.

But every now and then, it takes an A-Rod, a man with more faults than you can count, a man reviled by as

On July 25, Alex Rodriguez belted three home runs in a Yankee win. Even an avowed Red Sox fan like Sports Editor Mike Smith can appreciate A-Rod’s resurgence in 2015. Photo courtesy wikipedia.com

many fan bases as there are in the sport, to remind you that the past isn’t all that far in

the rearview. For older fans, like me,

somehow, that’s comforting. Follow Mike on Twitter @

LiveMike_Sports

Follow Mike Smith @LiveMike_Sports stats • recaps • commentary

Follow Mike Smith @harrisonreview for Mike’s live, in-game action updates

To CoVER loCal spoRTs, you nEEd a

LIVE MIKE!

July 31, 2015 • the harriSOn review • 15SPORTSDivers compete at counties

By MiKe SMithSports Editor

Local competitors made waves on July 27 as the diving competition for the 10 to 13 age group signaled the kick-off for the 90th annual West-chester County Swimming and Diving Championships. Despite some stiff competition in the girls’ division, Rye Golf Club’s Kathryn Laverty came away in first place at the his-toric swim and dive meet.

Laverty, a Rye resident, tal-lied 198.5 points on the after-noon, which was just enough to give her the edge over She-norock Shore Club’s Devon Ott, who placed second with 184.65 points. Coming into the event, Laverty, 13, said she was confident in her ability to place high, but she didn’t necessarily expect to come out on top.

“I definitely thought that winning was possible,” La-verty said. “But I also knew there was a lot of good compe-tition here.”

The City of Rye had several top 10 finishers on the day, as Laverty and Kimberly Wei, seventh place, both scored well for the Rye Golf Club, while Ott, Caitlyn Walsh, fifth place, and Brennan Vincent, ninth place, all came out of the Shenorock Shore Club’s pro-gram. Keelin Sibley, who fin-ished in eighth, dives for the Westchester Country Club.

The Westchester County Championships pit the top swim and dive clubs in the area against one another in a two-week-long competition to-ward the end of each summer. The Greenburgh Swim Team comes into this year’s competi-tion having won in both 2013 and 2014.

According to Laverty, the annual competition is always exciting, given how well the divers know one another.

“It’s great, I know all of them,” she said. “And I even dive with Devon [Ott] in the winter for the Marlins Dive Club.”

That closeness, she said, helps each diver strive to raise her game for the big competition.

“I thought most of my dives were pretty good, but I can

definitely make some improve-ments on them,” Laverty said following the Monday competi-tion. “I just need to think about those and remember those cor-rections for future meets.”

In the boys’ competition, Pound Ridge’s Augie Hibler came away with a first place

finish, scoring 185 points on the day.

“I’m pretty happy,” Hibler said after the final scores were tallied. “I’m just glad that I didn’t fail.”

The diving events contin-ued on July 28, after press time, with the boys and girls

14 to 17 age group. On Aug. 3, the area’s top swimmers will get a chance to shine when the swimming portion kicks off at Rye Playland. The meet will continue until Thursday, Aug. 6


Keelin Sibley leaps off the board at the county Dive Championships. Photos/Mike Smith

Kimberly Wei looks to stick the landing at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester. Wei, diving for the Rye Golf Club, came in seventh place.

Augie Hibler prepares to dive on July 27. Hibler won the boys’ division.

Kathryn Laverty executes a dive on July 27. Laverty won the girls 10-13 age group at the Westchester County Dive Championships.

harrison review 7-31-2015

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