Yorktown News 08.06.20

Vol. 9 No. 20 Visit TapIntoYorktown.net for the latest news. Thursday, August 6, 2020

Goodbye, NYC. Hello, Yorktown?
New campaign looks to capitalize on ‘exodus’ from urban areas

BY BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER would not change, Tegeder said,

EDITOR but the overlay zones would give

the town’s Planning Board the

New York City’s loss could be “authority to modify some pa-

Yorktown’s gain. rameters of zoning to incentivize

A campaign months in the mak- development.”

ing was unveiled in grand fashion “It is zoning that is supple-

last week, with Yorktown market- mental to what’s already there,”

ing itself as a bucolic landing spot Tegeder said. “So, it does have

for businesses and residents eeing regulations. ey are exible reg-

the city in the wake of a virus that ulations. But there will be limita-

has devastated densely populated tions; there will guidance on what

urban areas. you can vary and to what extent,

Standing in front of town hall, things of that nature. It is de-

Yorktown Town Supervisor Matt signed to be much more exible.”

Slater, with the help of elected o - Particular areas of interest are

cials and town employees, unfurled Lake Osceola, the Bear Moun-

banners bearing new slogans such tain Triangle, the eastern end of

as “Destination Y” and “Up Where Shrub Oak, and the Yorktown

You Belong,” a reference to York- Heights hamlet, including Front

town being one of the northern- Street. In Lake Osceola, for in-

most municipalities in Westches- stance, an overlay zone could be

ter County. designed to take advantage of

“ is will be Yorktown’s rst-ev- that natural resource. For exam-

er marketing campaign focused on PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMPSON & BENDER ple, Tegeder said, setback require-

promoting investment and reloca- Town Supervisor Matt Slater, at the lectern, unveils Yorktown's new marketing campaign outside of ments could be modi ed to allow
tion to Yorktown,” Slater said about town hall on Tuesday, July 28. for outdoor dining overlooking

the campaign organized by omp- the lake.

son & Bender, a Westchester-based public On top of a digital advertising cam- Heights). “Yorktown Heights, Front Street

relations rm contracted by the town for paign and a new website (Destina- Explaining the purpose of the zones would be slightly di erent,”Tegeder said.

branding purposes. “We believe now is the tionY.org), the town has proposed new at the July 28 meeting of the Town “But nonetheless, you would manipulate

time to capitalize on the documented exo- “overlay zones” for its business hamlets Board, the town’s planning director, John how the entire area comes to fruition.

dus of businesses from urban settings and (Crompond, Je erson Valley, Mohe- Tegeder, said they exist to “promote ex- SEE DESTINATIONY PAGE 2
welcome them right here in Yorktown.” gan Lake, Shrub Oak and Yorktown ibility of design.” e underlying zones

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BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 23
CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL NOTICES 22
LEISURE
OPINION 23
SPORTS
TOWN GREEN 21

8 MOVIE NIGHT

18 Residents enjoy
17 ‘ e Goonies’ at JV Mall

pg 12-13

Page 2 – Yorktown News Thursday, August 6, 2020

The Staff School districts await reopening guidance

EDITORIAL TEAM BY BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER students into two groups, each has been made on which model Dr. Brendan Lyons, superin-
BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER EDITOR
EDITOR: 914-302-5628 getting two designated days for we will ultimately select or be re- tendent of Lakeland Schools,
[email protected]
BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER remote learning and two desig- quired to select by the governor,” shared a similar message on
SPORTS EDITOR: 914-302-5628
[email protected] Yorktown and Lakeland nated days for in-person learn- wrote Dr. Ron Hattar, superinten- Monday.

ADVERTISING TEAM schools are prepared to imple- ing. e groups would alternate dent of Yorktown Schools, in a re- “Depending on the governor’s
PAUL FORHAN
914-202-2392 ment one of three learning mod- the fth weekday. opening update on Friday, July 31. nal decision on the reopen-

[email protected] els for the start of the 2020-21 However, the district’s super- “We will select a model shortly ing of schools, we are prepared
BRUCE HELLER
914-202-2941 school year: 100 percent remote, intendents say they are awaiting after a nal decision on the re- to implement any of these three

[email protected] 100 percent in-person, or a hy- word from the governor’s o ce opening of schools is rendered at models,” Lyons wrote. “In ad-
LISA KAIN
brid of both. before announcing a decision. the state level, which is expected to dition, if circumstances change
914-351-2424
[email protected] e hybrid models would split “Please know that no decision occur [this] week,”Hattar added. throughout the school year, we

CORINNE STANTON are prepared to move between
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917-446-7757
44 Regina Ave, off Route 6
[email protected]
GABRIELLE BILIK Giordano Carting e Yorktown Central School
District is looking for a new bus
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/DESIGNER Dumpster & Demolition Services contractor, several months Bau-
[email protected] mann and Sons ceased operations.
914-800-9777
PRODUCTION TEAM Bidding for the contract
TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL Mention this ad for 10 free moving boxes opened last week and will close

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ursday (Aug. 6).
PHOTOGRAPHER Nine companies have shown
interest in the ve-year contract,
[email protected] attending a pre-bid meeting on
CHRISTINA ROSE Friday, July 31. e district, which
could choose to bring services in-
ASST PRODUCTION MANAGER house is also listed as a potential
DESIGNER candidate.

[email protected] Replacing scores of DESTINATION Y
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Deadlines Hy Reichbach, Susan Rohrig & Carmen A. Ritter Progressive • Safeco itself quite as it should, and it
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YORKTOWN NEWS DEADLINE For Experience, Knowledge and Service Mercury • 1st American property owners there do cry out
THE DEADLINE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS Main Street America for some assistance, and I think
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AND EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS FOR Utica Mutual
600 Rt. 6 | Mahopac NY e overlay zones, Slater said,
YORKTOWN NEWS IS THE THURSDAY 845.208.3707 • 845.225.1007 would focus on live/work retail/
BEFORE THE NEXT PUBLICATION DATE. residential spaces and would “en-
[email protected] courage the construction of di-
FOR MORE INFORMATION, versi ed housing options.” ere
CALL BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER AT The Carmel Aardvark Insurance office is merged with the Mahopac office would also be a focus on making
914-302-5628 OR EMAIL effective November 25, 2015. Yorktown’s streets friendlier to
[email protected]. pedestrians and cyclists.

Subscribe “It does give us that ability to
get very speci c with individual
TO REQUEST YORKTOWN NEWS areas of our town,” Slater said at
WEEKLY DELIVERY, CALL 845-208-8503 the Town Board meeting.
OR EMAIL [email protected].
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE COMPLIMENTARY FOR e town will take a “method-
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE TOWN. ical and deliberate” approach to
OUT OF TOWN MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE reviewing the proposed overlay
$150 PER YEAR FOR FIRST CLASS MAIL. zones, Slater said. e governing
body is seeking feedback on the
PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT proposal from other boards be-
SOMERS, NY AND AT fore proceeding further.

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Thursday, August 6, 2020 Yorktown News – Page 3

Current, former students call for change in Yorktown

Superintendent promises ‘more to come’

BY BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER
EDITOR

e Yorktown Central School District

proudly calls itself the home of ESTEAM.

For those unfamiliar with the acronym,

that means taking an empathy-based ap-

proach to teaching science, technology,

engineering, arts and math.

ough that approach has laid the

foundation for the success of many stu-

dents and professionals, some alumni say

the district still has work to do when it

comes to the E in ESTEAM.

Much like learning a language or an in-

strument, “Conversations about race and

racial injustice are best introduced at a

young age to foster empathy,” said Fatima

Chaudhry, a 2015 alum and co-founder of

the Yorktown for Racial Justice Alumni

and Students Coalition, which includes

dozens of Yorktown students from the

classes of 2012 to 2023.

At a virtual meeting of the school board

on Monday, July 27, Chaudhry and other FILE PHOTO/BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER
coalition members took turns sharing sto- Yorktown High School
ries of discrimination and microaggres-

sions they faced as students in Yorktown Lizzie Crumley, a 2013 alum, said the “Yorktown does earn its National Dis-

to illustrate why change is necessary. student senate class was “by far the worst” trict of Character award, per my experi- ‘We’re hoping that this
petition is just a rst step
e coalition, formed following the when it came to these types of incidents. ence,” said former student Taizhier Green.

death of George Floyd, created an on- “ e teachers always gave us a prompt “I’ve met some amazing sta members

line petition that has so far been signed and then split us up by political party and and teachers at Yorktown who really care for Yorktown becoming
by more than 5,500 people. It picked up then they let us duke it out,” Crumley said. about the future of the students. However, the north star for diversity
steam after a polarizing graduation speech “And it always, always ended up with the there is a disconnect between Yorktown

by Dr. George Yancopoulos, co-founder less privileged students practically begging and what’s going on in the real world.” and inclusion within the
nation.’
of Regeneron, and calls on the district to for the white a uent kids to hear their In his experience, Green said, Yorktown

revise and expand its anti-racism curricu- story and have some empathy.” has “more an issue of xenophobia than

lum, diversify its teaching and administra- Crumley then read comments made by anything else.” In a submitted statement, –Fatima Chaudhry
Class of 2015
tive faculty, and mandate diversity training current and former Yorktown students in a former resident supported Green’s view,

for sta . It urges district o cials to be response to the coalition’s petition. saying neighbors often expressed “disgust

“upstanders” against racism and to form “You should have the freedom to be rac- at immigrant groups ‘taking over’ York-

a committee to “spearhead racial justice ist. First Amendment rights,” one student town… e dominant message and gen-

education and ensure racial equity” in Yor- wrote with an “LOL.” eral tone was that the Yorktown way of trict employees. Chaudhry said she would

ktown schools. Comments like these, Crumley said, life was idyllic and needed to be protected like to see community members appoint-

“Our common thread here is under- show “Yorktown has missed the mark.” from those coming in from other areas ed to the task force, saying the coalition

standing that, through our experiences “ is is an exact contradiction to the with ideas that challenge the community’s members “care deeply”about the town and

and the experiences of our peers, there is empathy that Yorktown is trying to instill beliefs.” want to see its school district be a leader

much work to be done in Yorktown re- in its students,” she said. “ ese are the Students at schools like Yorktown’s will on these issues.

garding anti-racism and racial equity,” same students who will grow up to hold likely hold positions of power one day, “We’re hoping that this petition is just

Chaudhry said. positions in politics, law, medicine, busi- Green said, making implementation of an a rst step for Yorktown becoming the

In third grade, for example, Chaudhry ness and so much more.” anti-racism curriculum all the more im- north star for diversity and inclusion with-

said she was fasting for Ramadan when Yorktown’s curriculum, the students portant. in the nation,” Chaudhry said.

she was pressured to eat by cafeteria work- said, should be expanded to include les- “It’s important for future leaders in Dr. Ron Hattar, superintendent of Yor-

ers. e school then called home to make sons on redlining, the prison industrial real estate and banking to understand the ktown schools, assured the students that

sure she was being fed properly. complex, food insecurity, health dispari- systemic inequities so they can x them,” their message was not lost on him.

Sarah Shapiro, a 2019 alum, recalled ties, education inequalities and more. Green said.“Students in Yorktown need to “I appreciate you sharing your experi-

when a teacher and a fellow student were “ e way we learned it, it seemed like know what’s happening in the real world. ences, your pain, and the reality that you

discussing a YouTuber who had been Martin Luther King came and racism was ey don’t need to be sugarcoated or cod- experienced,” Hattar said. He promised

suspended for making anti-Semitic com- solved,” said Maya Rau-Murthy, a 2013 dled or hidden away from real life. Because the students that there was “more to come”

ments. When the student asked why the alum. then when they eventually go into these on this front.

punishment was so severe, the teacher al- Rau-Murthy recalled a social studies positions, these industries, they’ll make “I’m raising my own children here. I live

legedly responded, “Because Jews own the teacher at Yorktown telling a class about the same decisions that have led to these in this community, and we should live up

media.” Upon seeing that the comment his experience with prostitutes in Latin inequities that we have today.” to the promise of our community and of

upset Shapiro, the teacher doubled down America and the “promiscuity” of Hispan- Green also pushed back against the no- our district,” Hattar said. “Please know

on the remark and later taunted Shapiro ic culture. Rau-Murthy, a Yorktown native, tion of these issues being political in na- that I have heard you. I have heard you.

for being too “sensitive.” said she was often asked by fellow students ture. Our task force chairs have heard you. And

“What may have hurt the most from and teachers,“Where are you really from?” “Anti-racism isn’t a left or right or po- I hope you get the sense that we’re seri-

this encounter was not the fact that my “ is propagated the general sentiment litical thing. It’s a human rights issue. It’s ous about the work. Silence is not an op-

educator was spewing hate, but that he that I was less American because I wasn’t an American issue,” Green said. tion. Silence is not acceptable. And we will

was teaching it to other students in the white,” Rau-Murthy said. Chaudhry commended the district on show our voice through our actions.”

room,” Shapiro said. A complaint led by Despite these incidents, many former taking initial steps but asked o cials to Lisa Rolle, a school board trustee, said

Shapiro against the teacher was dismissed students described their experiences at go further. For example, the school district SEE ANTI-RACISM PAGE 4

by the district, she said. Yorktown overall as positive. has launched a task force made up of dis-