CLASSIFIEDS 31 FOX TRACKS 2 GRADUATION 16 HEALTH & WELLNESS 24 LEISURE 30 OPINION 10 Pound Ridge Dispensary pg 3 PURPLE PLAINS VOL. 3 NO. 4 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST CALDWELL, NJ PERMIT #992 JULY 3 – AUGUST 7, 2024 Visit News.HalstonMedia.com for the latest news. Graduation Day! PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR On June 20, friends and family gathered at the commencement ceremony for the Fox Lane High School Class of 2024. See complete graduation coverage starting on page 16! BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER A proposed battery farm is meeting with pushback on several fronts in Mount Kisco. Massachusetts-based New Leaf Energy is seeking to build a Tesla Megapack 2 XL facility at the 37-acre Diamond Properties complex at 333 North Bedford Road. The site where the 20-megawatt BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) is seeking to be located is in the village’s Light Manufacturing Zone. The project itself encompasses an area of about 6 acres; the facility itself would take up about 10,000 square feet. Last year, New Leaf’s attorney, Robert Gaudioso, asked the village’s building inspector, Peter Miley, for an official determination that the BESS project met the definition of a “public utility facility” under the village code. And that is: “A facility other than a personal wireless service facility for the provision of public utility services, including facilities constructed, altered or maintained by utility corporations, either public or privately owned, or government agencies, necessary for the provision of electricity, gas, steam, heat, communication, water, sewage collection or other such service to the general public. Such facilities shall include poles, wires, mains, drains, sewers, pipes, conduits, cables, alarms and call boxes and other similar equipment; but shall not include office or administration buildings.” Miley ultimately found that it did not. However, in explaining his ruling, Miley said he fully understood that “BESS is likely to be an integral part of the energy systems of the future, as New York State attempts to transition to more renewable energy sources.” The village is considering the adoption of “regulations that will allow BESS to be sited within its boundaries in the future,” however, “at present, a stand-alone BESS is not a permitted use in any district,” he pointed out. Proposed ‘battery farm’ faces resistance SEE BESS PAGE 6
PAGE 2 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES The Staff EDITORIAL TEAM Tom Walogorsky Editor: 914-302-5830 [email protected] ADVERTISING TEAM Paul Forhan (914) 806-3951 [email protected] Bruce Heller (914) 486-7608 [email protected] Lisa Kain (201) 317-1139 [email protected] Corinne Stanton (914) 760-7009 [email protected] Jay Gussak (914) 299-4541 [email protected] Pam Zacotinsky (845) 661-0748 [email protected] PRODUCTION TEAM Tabitha Pearson Marshall Creative Director Photographer [email protected] DESIGNERS Noah Elder Bri Agosta Haven Elder Jacob Elder EXECUTIVE TEAM Brett Freeman CEO & Publisher 845-208-8151 [email protected] Deadlines The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times The deadline for advertisements and editorial submissions is the Wednesday before the next publication date. For more information, call Tom Walogorsky at 914-302-5830 or email [email protected] Location 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY HALSTON MEDIA, LLC ©2024 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Our Fences Include: Chain Link Aluminum Wood Vinyl Deer Fencing Railings scrfence.com | 914-302-2552 GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS. -Robert Frost See Our Great Selection of Styles & Colors! Material Also Available for DIY. 2013 Crompond Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 [email protected] Westchester’s Leading Fence Installer Proud To Be Locally Owned Building Superior Fences at Competitive Prices Proudly Partnered With AFA (American Fence Association) 914.455.2158 SpirelliElectric.com • [email protected] Specializing in residential & commercial services. Licenses in Westchester, Putnam CREATING CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE Family Owned—Over 40 Years Experience! Light up your summer • Outdoor Lighting • Smart Home Setup • Electric Car Chargers • GENERATORS AND ALL OF YOUR ELECTRIC NEEDS! $25 OFF Service Calls When You Present this Ad First Time Customers Only FOX TRACKS Friday Night Food Trucks Friday, July 12, at 5:30 p.m. Come enjoy an evening of great food and entertainment with your friends and family! Each Friday Night Food Truck event will feature a variety of food trucks, a kids/family activity and live music! To be held at Bedford Hills Memorial Park at 60 Haines Road in Bedford Hills. Pound Ridge Partnership www.poundridgepartnership.org Food Truck Friday Friday, July 19, at 5 p.m. Food Truck Fridays brings neighbors together once a month between May and September. Multiple different trucks are featured at each event, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m. in Scotts Corners and is free and familyfriendly. The series is known for its “good vibes” with a low-key atmosphere and live music. Summer Sundays Sunday, July 28, from 5 to 9 p.m. Summer Sundays bring neighbors together once a month between until August. Join in at 5 p.m. at 77 Westchester Ave. and enjoy the family-friendly fun. 10th Annual Run for Recovery 5K Walk/Run Run 4 Recovery, Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, Search for Change and the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) proudly announces the kickoff of the 10th Annual Run for Recovery to celebrate National Recovery Month this September. This year’s event will support individuals on their journey toward recovery while providing a fun-filled day for all members of the community. The in-person 5K will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at FDR State Park, with the option to participate virtually throughout the month. This year’s Run for Recovery will feature an on-site Save A Life Wellness Fair, providing attendees with access to crucial resources and information. Additionally, a virtual tool will debut on race day, connecting the public to essential resources year-round. Now is the time to come together as a community to support individuals in reclaiming their lives. You can participate in the Run for Recovery by visiting the event’s fundraising page via text at RUN4RECOVERY to 71-777 or by going to https:// bit.ly/RunforRecovery to Register, Sponsor, or Donate. For further information about this event or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Philomena Rivalsi at (914) 428-5600 ext. 9226 or via email at privalsi@ searchforchange.org. Rugby Camp July 22 - 25 Improve your rugby skills and have serious fun! Harvey School in Katonah is proud to offer a 4-day (5th optional day), non-contact rugby camp, catering to prospective and experienced rugby players aged 8 years through 14 years. Located on the beautiful Harvey School campus, the camp will focus on building the skills and knowledge required to play rugby at all levels. The camp, led by Nic Denyer and Lisa Lake, will offer training and instruction from USA Rugby coaches and seasoned college and high school coaches. The staff will follow basic principles of rugby and will execute a small-group approach,allowing each camper to directly interact with coaches and instructors throughout the week.For more information emailmbonelli@harveyschool. org or visit www.harveyschool. org/ athletics/summer- athleticprograms
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 3 BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER At Purple Plains in Pound Ridge, two rows of shiny acrylic cannisters line up like soldiers waiting to tempt customers with their contents. But instead of sipping, like oenophiles might have during the shop’s previous iteration as a wine shop, these cannaseurs are sniffing to assess each product’s flavor and aroma. The nose, as they say, is all important. Not surprisingly, the terminology is very similar. Besides the obvious fruity notes, wines offer tastes of leather, oak, and even tobacco. In the case of cannabis – which Purple Plains offers in many forms from smokable to edible to topical to drinkable – that could be musky earth, pine, garlic, citrus, apple fritters, birthday cake, and … diesel fuel. Located in the charming hamlet of Scotts Corners, it’s the only state-licensed recreational use dispensary in northeastern Westchester. That puts it in a good position to draw clientele not only from the immediate area, but from nearby Connecticut as well, says young entrepreneur Sophia Mortell, who co-owns Purple Plains with her partner in life and in business, Mark Buzzetto. The couple, who both grew up in the area, now live in Mount Kisco where Buzzetto currently runs a flower shop with his dad. Buzzetto is a Fox Lane High School grad; Mortell went to Sacred Heart, a private girls school in Greenwich, Conn. The name came from White Plains, where the couple had scouted for a place to put their shop. Two years ago, when Mortell and Buzzetto were still “just thinking about things,” they learned that 32 Westchester Ave. was on the market. While they loved the building, they still wanted to explore more urban venues based on the amount of foot traffic they draw. Things in White Plains didn’t pan out due to two factors: either landlords didn’t want cannabis retailers or the spaces available were within 1,000 feet of another operation, which is against state regulations. They had their eye on the perfect spot on Mamaroneck Avenue, but unfortunately it was 987 feet away from another dispensary, Mortell recalls. (The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act also prohibits shops within 500 feet of a school or 200 feet of a house of worship.) After snagging their state license the pair was delighted to find out that the Pound Ridge property was still available and took out a five-year lease. “I felt it was meant to be,” said Mortell, who admits she’s not much of a “city girl” anyway. (Her dad, Jack Mortell of Waccabuc, and she formed SMMB Inc. and registered the name Purple Plains in 2022. Mortell only other hands-on business experience was as a dog walker.) What makes it especially nice is that Purple Plains has the building to itself. It’s within strolling distance of mom-and-pop shops, eateries, and a bakery. It has a backyard garden where staff can hang out. The pretty, low-slung building is surrounded by flowers and a stone wall. A marijuana-leaf shaped Adirondack chair perches on its porch. You wouldn’t know what it is but for the name Purple Plains painted on its purple, natch, mailbox. First-time customers sometimes fly on by and have to backtrack. That can be a problem, but one that will change once the store gets its official sign. The interior was designed by Mortell, who had worked in the hospitality industry until she suffered from “serious burnout” due to the long hours and having to work nights, weekends, and holidays. The walls are covered with repos of vintage “Reefer Madness” type movies -- a tonguein-cheek nod to the days of anti-marijuana hysteria. The wallpaper accents are tropical and there are rugs slithering with rather benign-looking serpents. The atmosphere is professional and spa-like. The products are safely displayed behind glass. Customers queue up at a bank of computers to place their orders then pick them up at the counter. They even get cute little purple bags to carry their stash. Everything is labeled as to “dose,” ingredients, and source so that buyers know exactly what they’re getting. (Naturally the owners and staff, aka budtenders, feel obligated to personally test the products.) “Mark would say ‘I don’t want anything in the store that one of my friends might get and be unhappy with’,” Mortell said. “So, everything we get is the highest quality we can find. You’re not going to get anything in this store that’s not.” There are several hundred licensed growers in New York state, but Purple Plains only buys from three or five. (State regulations forbid them from buying product in another state. But from what they’ve been told by Connecticut customers who hail from Stamford, Ridgefield, New Canaan, and other tony towns, the Connecticut growers aren’t up to snuff anyway. Purple Plains opens for business Cannabis dispensary arrives in Pound Ridge Sophia Mortell, co-owner of Purple Plains, the only state-licensed recreational use dispensary in northeastern Westchester. PHOTO: CAROL REIF SEE PURPLE PAGE 5 Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July! HOME, AUTO, BUSINESS, LIFE & HEALTH 914-232-7750 www.forbesinsurance.com
PAGE 4 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER A Fox Lane High School senior killed in a tragic car accident just days before his graduation has received his diploma posthumously. Joshua Martinez Arana, 18, was remembered by grief-stricken friends and classmates for his infectious enthusiasm for life, love of soccer, leadership abilities, and being “one of the nicest kids you’ll ever meet.” His 17-year-old passenger, Matthew Gutierrez, remains hospitalized with critical injuries. According to a GoFundMe, Martinez Arana was driving his friend home from work when the crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 18, at the intersection of Route 117 (North Bedford Road) and Edna Street. It read, in part: “Joshua’s sudden passing has left a profound void in our lives and in the hearts of all who knew him. We are shattered by this unimaginable loss, and we are reaching out to our community for support during this difficult time. Your contributions will help alleviate the financial burden of funeral expenses and allow the Martinez family to focus on healing and remembering Joshua’s remarkable life.” As of this writing, it had raised $51,322 to help his family with medical and funeral expenses. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/ assist-joshuas-family-through-their-grief. According to Bedford police Lt. Jeff Gulick, Martinez Arana was driving north on Route 117 when he lost control and struck several cars at the J.V. Auto Body Shop. Both teens were taken to Westchester Medical Center, where Martinez Arana succumbed to his injuries. Speed appeared to be a factor in the crash, he said. Martinez Arana was looking forward to graduation and later to joining the Army, relatives said. He posthumously received the first diploma at graduation ceremonies on Thursday, June 20 to roaring applause. Following the tragedy, the Bedford Central School District issued the following statement: “Our hearts go out to Josh’s family, and this loss is sure to raise many emotions for our entire community, especially our students” the statement said. “Please know that our district crisis team is mobilized with help from clinicians in neighboring districts, and we are providing assistance for any students or staff who need it during this difficult time. Please reach out to your child’s counselor or clinician if you are in need of emotional support.” Martinez Arana’s arrangements were handled by the Cassidy-Flynn Funeral Home in Mount Kisco, followed by burial at Oakwood Cemetery. Fox Lane student killed in tragic car accident Joshua Martinez Arana will be remembered for his enthusiasm for life and love of soccer. Learn Or Improve Your Riding Skills. 427 Birdsall Drive •Yorktown Heights, NY, 10598 [email protected] (914) 214-8322 • www.termonnstables.com The 8.7 acre, private property in Westchester County features two custom barns, multiple grass paddocks, dry lots, a 100’ x 180’ outdoor ring, an outdoor training track, and an equine swimming pond. Full-Care Board Private Lessons Horsemanship Classes Training Programs Monthly Clinics Summer Day Camp Birthday Parties Develop Safe Horsemanship And A Strong Partnership With Your Horse. Try bringing a tropical flair to your tastebuds this summer with this super easy and refreshing drink! Tropical Shrub Ingredients: • 2 cups Phat Olive Peach Balsamic • 1 cup strawberries, roughly chopped or smashed • 1 cup strawberries, sliced • 1 lemon, thinly sliced • Fresh mint leaves • 8 cups chilled sparkling water or seltzer water Directions: In a 1 liter container add the chopped strawberries with the Peach Balsamic and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to four hours. The longer it sits, the more pronounced the flavor of the infused fruit will be. Strain and keep in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated up to two months. To serve, add 1-2 tablespoons of shrub mixture for every 8oz of water. Add fresh strawberries, lemon and mint. Serve chilled over ice. *Try the Phat Olive Cranberry Pear, Coconut, or Key Lime White Balsamics! phatoliveoil.com 87 Katonah Ave, Katonah, NY 914.232.PHAT
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 5 Having some fun in the sun can be good for you, but it is important to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Overexposure to UV rays can cause irreversible damage to your skin, as well as increase your risk of skin cancer and certain eye conditions. Helpful Tips for UV Ray Protection Enjoy the sun safely and protect yourself from UV rays. For a full list of Optum providers, please scan the QR code visit our website at optum.com/medicalcare • Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. • Seek shade whenever possible, especially between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. • Don’t go tanning, either in the sun or in a tanning bed. Instead, ask your provider about safe topical tanning agents. • Wear a wide-brimmed hat, long sleeves, long pants and sunglasses that block UV rays. • Use a lip balm with sunscreen. Talk with your provider or dermatologist if you notice any moles or changes to your skin. Early detection is key to successfully treating skin cancer. Here are some important tips to shield your skin and eyes from UV Rays: Optum Medical Care, P.C. (“Optum Medical Care”) is a physician owned and led practice having complete authority for all medical decision-making and patient care through its physicians and other licensed professionals. Optum, through its owned management organizations, provides non-clinical administrative services to support Optum Medical Care and its physicians. Neither Optum nor its management companies employs, engages, or supervises physicians or other licensed professionals, or determines or sets the methods, standards, or conduct of the practice of medicine or health care provided by Optum Medical Care or by any of its licensed professionals. “Part of Optum” reflects that Optum Medical Care is part of Optum’s effort to support forward-thinking physician practices in helping their patients live healthier lives. Optum is a registered trademark of Optum, Inc. in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. All other brand or product names are the property of their respective owners. Because we are continuously improving our products and services, Optum reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice. Optum is an equal opportunity employer. © 2024 Optum, Inc. All rights reserved. 06/24 Lots of stems and seeds, not as much flower apparently) “We’re very picky,” Mortell said, noting that besides in-store shopping, Purple Plains offers pickup and delivery. “We really want to just redefine cannabis and eliminate the taboos about it because it’s, I mean, it’s a plant, it should be acceptable and it’s way better for you than alcohol,” she said. Teamwork Working with a spouse or partner can be both rewarding and challenging. It helps if they don’t necessarily see each other much during the workday, which is the case for Mortell and Buzzetto, who both occupy their own special spheres. Mortell handles the HR, branding, and social media end of the operation while Buzzetto, 32, is more of a front-end manager. He’s in charge of inventory and is also “very involved” with customers. “Everyone who comes here now knows him. He’s just very personable,” his significant other says. Bumps in the Road The state Legislature and then Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved the legalization of recreational marijuana in New York in the spring of 2021 and gave local governments until Dec. 31 of that year to “opt out.” (Medicinal marijuana has been legal in New York since 2016.) If town, villages, and cities didn’t actively opt out, they didn’t have to take further action and automatically had to permit cafes and dispensaries. Somers, Yorktown, Mount Kisco, North Salem, and Lewisboro were among 22 municipalities that opted out. Pound Ridge did not. In the summer 2023, it received its first set of applications. One came from Purple Plains and another from a woman who had her eye on 39 Westchester Ave. The latter later withdrew. By that fall, word had gotten out and the reaction from certain sectors of the community was less than positive. Scrambling to craft a set of zoning laws regulating dispensaries, the town in December enacted Local Law 4 setting a six-month moratorium on land use approvals in the business district. The intent was to protect the town’s “best interests” and included businesses “related to adult cannabis use.” That ban was recently extended. The February, Purple Plains sued Pound Ridge in Westchester Supreme Court asking that the moratorium be declared “null, void, and jurisdictionally invalid.” The suit claims that the town did things such as requiring it to have a certificate of occupancy for retail use. Purple Plains contended that it already has a valid occupancy certificate from the location’s previous use as a retail wine and liquor store. It also contended that zoning amendments have to be referred to the county Planning Department for review and comment. According to the complaint, it wasn’t. In February, the Town Board voted to ask Albany to re-instate the opt-out period First, it is a zoning amendment that had to be referred to the Westchester County Planning Department for review and comment. It was not submitted, according to the complaint, therefore it is defective. Second, the state cannabis law does not allow municipalities to adopt local laws to ban cannabis sites after the Dec. 31, 2021 opt-out deadline, according to the complaint. Other than to confirm that the suit is still active, Mortell declined to discuss the details. (That doesn’t mean that towns can’t govern the time, place, and manner of cannabis operations.) On Feb. 6, the Town Board adopted a resolution to ask the state Legislature to re-instate the opt-out period for nine months. In May, state Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-37th District) introduced a bill that would exempt Pound Ridge “from the establishment of retail dispensary licenses and on-site consumption licenses for cannabis.” When the Legislature ended its current session in June the bill was still stuck in the Senate’s Investigations and Government Operations Committee. Town building inspector Jim Perry told The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times recently that Purple Plains is not subject to the moratorium because it applied before it was imposed. “We had no reason to delay them,” he said, explaining that the store didn’t represent a change of use because previously it had been a liquor story and “as far as the state’s concerned, cannabis is the same thing.” Had it been a change of use, it would have had to seek site plan approval from the Planning Board. Purple Plains wasn’t changing the building’s exterior or parking area and neither was it planning to allow on-site consumption, Perry noted. “Their application ticked all the boxes,” he said, adding he’s not aware of any specific complaints about traffic or noise. “Not a lot of people coming and going. Things are going OK so far,” Perry said. Purple Plains has no plans, nor desire to, open a lounge where folks could partake on site. “It would be too complicated; it’s just a different business,” Mortell said, adding that it legally could have a lounge. However, it not only would it be unlikely to be profitable, it would require them to seek the Office of Cannabis Management’s approve, create a new space, and buy expensive equipment such as smoke ventilators. Having Their Back Family and friends have been “super supportive,” Mortell said. Her own grandmom uses their CBD balm to ease arthritis pain in her hands. (She doesn’t partake, her granddaughter hastens to add.) Even those relatives who were a little leery at first have come around and now love to hang out at the store on the weekends. The average age of their customers is 43, though Purple Plains has served a lot of Boomers and some folks as old as 90. It’s their reactions when they walk into the shop for the first time that make Mortell the happiest. “I’ve had a lot of people say: ‘I can’t believe I’m seeing this in my lifetime’,” she said. PURPLE FROM PAGE 3
PAGE 6 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 845-279-9555 • TankRemovalServices.com Before you place your home on the market, contact ENVIROSTAR about replacing your aging underground storage tank (UST). It is required by most insurance companies prior to insuring property. We replace above ground tanks as well! Call us today for a free estimate and evaluation of your current above ground tank. SUMMER SPECIAL! $100 OFF IN-GROUND TANK REMOVAL With this coupon only. Coupon must be presented at the time of the estimate. Not to be combined with any other offers. Expires 8/31/24 FREE ESTIMATES WE WILL MATCH OUR COMPETITOR’S ADVERTISED OFFER! We are the name you trust for environmental needs Since 1998 DON’T GET CAUGHT WITH AN AGING OIL TANK! The current code predates the existence of BESS, placing Mount Kisco in the same awkward position that many municipalities are finding themselves in. Also a subject of debate is whether BESS, even where allowed, are actually “necessary” for the provision of electricity. They do not generate power. Instead, they store it and then transfer it back to the grid as required. If the project moves forward, New Leaf, a for-profit entity, would enter into an interconnection agreement with Consolidated Edison. Ruling Appealed Following Miley’s ruling, New Leaf, aka North Bedford Energy Storage LLC, took its case to the Zoning Board of Appeals where it sought both an interpretation of the zoning code and, in the alternative, variances for use, fence height, and coverage area. “If the code is ambiguous – and in this case I don’t think it is – essentially the tie goes to the home team. Because of the way ordinances are interpreted, the benefit has to be given to the applicant,” Gaudioso argued at the ZBA’s June 18 meeting. In a letter to the ZBA in January, Gaudioso said the facility will “become an integrated component of the region’s grid” and will support the state’s goal of becoming 70 percent carbon neutral by 2030. “The rule of law is clear: energy facilities which connect to the underlying grid and help distribute energy to the public are ‘public utility facilities,’ indistinguishable in all aspects from traditional power generation facilities,” he wrote. The BESS will also help “integrate renewable energy sources,” such as solar and wind, into the grid while maintaining its stability, he said, noting that the intent is to provide electricity during periods of peak usage and reduce the risk of blackouts during extreme weather conditions, such as the heat wave. Consolidated Edison identified the hours of 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. as the “time of highest strain on the grid,” Gaudioso wrote. Proponents of battery storage systems argue that there is also an environmental benefit in creating a more distributed grid because it could help cut back on the use of so-called “peaker plants,” which operate on call, supply power that is higher in cost, and are typically more fossil-fuel intensive, meaning they emit more greenhouse gases. Gaudioso told the ZBA that Con Ed builds its own BESS, but also turns to outside contractors. The utility believes these types of infrastructure are less expensive than constructing or modifying power plants, he explained. “It’s ultimately their responsibility and goal to keep costs down” because passing them along to customers is highly regulated, Gaudioso said. After several intense discussions about the application, the ZBA decided on Tuesday, June 18, to conduct a “straw poll” of members to see if they were ready to uphold Miley’s determination or not. “The applicant is entitled by law to an answer at this stage,” said Chairman Wayne Spector, adding that he understood that the situation was a “difficult one” but thought that “we all have to stake out a position on this interpretation first and foremost.” Alex Roithmayr felt that BESS are public utility facilities while Ken Goldberg was still “up in the air” about the way public utility facilities are defined in the code. Spector said that he thinks the technology can be “useful” and serve as a “public good,” but he’s on the fence about calling it “necessary.” Any interpretation would be precedent setting and have a wide-ranging effect on the village, he said, noting that even if things don’t go the applicant’s way, “it’s not the end of it.” “It just means there needs to be further steps taken whether it’s by way of federal, state, or local legislation that better defines it and helps it,” Spector said, adding: “I’m not sure I feel comfortable having this board be the decider or that.” George Hoyt pointed out that so many new technologies have come to be over the past decade that towns frequently find themselves grappling with outmoded zoning codes. He agreed that it’s the courts or lawmakers higher up the food chain that will likely wind up making these decisions. Jacqueline Broth said she didn’t believe that the proposed BESS “bridges the gap” between a public utility and a public utility facility or that applicants had successfully argued that it’s “necessary.” As in the past, laws have had to “catch up” with technology, she said. “We’re not there,” Broth opined, adding that BESS aren’t in a “describable place for us that’s comfortable” and that she believed that definitions of public utility facilities have to be legislated or come through the court system and not determined by local zoning boards. The ZBA directed its attorney, Lisa Cobb, to write up a resolution laying out the board’s position. It is likely to be voted on at its July 16 meeting. Meanwhile, the ZBA left the public hearing on New Leaf’s application open for written comment. Local Law Weighed On Monday, June 17, Village Manager Ed Brancati presented the Village Board with a draft of proposed legislation that would regulate BESS – whether big or small -- in the future. It’s being reviewed by the board’s attorney, Anna Geogiou. He also submitted drafts of local laws on parkland preservation and wireless facilities, but noted that the one involving battery energy storage systems was more “pressing.” Worried that the village might be rushing things, Deputy Mayor Theresa Flora cited the gravity of the situation and suggested that it declare a moratorium on BESS immediately so the board can take its time crafting the local BESS law. “I’m afraid that I’m not qualified to look at this code and to know what ramifications it might have. If I make a mistake I could ruin things for different areas of the village, BESS FROM PAGE 1 SEE BESS PAGE 7
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 7 BY TOM BARTLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER Three Bedford police officers have been honored for their lifesaving response to a blaze that trapped a mother and her two children in a Bedford Hills home in May. Officers Jordan Baschnagel, Ronald Sauber and Joseph Sagliano were saluted in a June 17 ceremony by Supervisor Ellen Calves and Police Chief Melvin Padilla. First on the scene, they first rescued a mother, 35, from the back of her Park Avenue home then helped save her children. Firefighters from the Bedford Hills Volunteer Fire Department arrived immediately after the police arrived and began making entry into the residence. Bedford police gave this account of the incident, which unfolded on May 31, shortly before 3 in the morning.: After the mother alerted the officers to the plight of her trapped children, they forced entry by kicking in the rear door, where they encountered heavy smoke. With little to no visibility, they followed the cries of a 10-year-old child and pulled him to safety. To locate the second child, officers began breaking windows and removing air-conditioner units. Though unable to see through the heavy smoke, the officers heard a faint cry, leading them to an elevated window. While climbing a small ledge, officers were able to access the window and remove the terrified 9-year-old. The Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps sped the three residents to Westchester County Medical Center where they were treated for smoke inhalation. Bedford Hills firefighters maintained the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. In addition to town honors, the police officers’ heroic actions were recognized in a joint proclamation issued by State Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Chris Burdick as well as Certificates of Merit issued by the County Board of Legislators at the request of Legislator Erika Pierce. Bedford officers honored for lifesaving actions Officers Jordan Baschnagel, Ronald Sauber and Joseph Sagliano with Supervisor Ellen Calves and Police Chief Melvin Padilla. PHOTO COURTESY OF TOWN OF BEDFORD affect people’s homes, their quality of life, and I don’t want to do that,” she said. Trustees Angie Garcia-Guerra and Karen Schleimer backed up Flora’s call for a moratorium. Brancati pointed out that declaring a moratorium could take just as long as crafting the local law, which has to be done anyway. “It’s a conversation, a discussion that needs to start at some point,” he said. Village trustees will have ample opportunity to make revisions to the internal document and that nothing will be cast in concrete until the public has a chance to weigh in, Brancati promised, reassuring them that they “can do this right.” “We’re going to review the code and do the homework and do the work,” he said. Mayor Michael Cindrich noted Monday, June 17 that while he’s not against battery energy storage systems in principle, he’s very concerned about their locations due to public safety issues. “The technology is good. Is it perfected? I don’t know. There have been too many near disasters. It’s something worth exploring. My issue is where they go,” he said. (There were three fires involving commercial BESS in New York last summer, including a brandnew 12 MW Convergent Energy facility in the Orange County town of Warwick that smoldered for days. The incidents prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul to create a state inter-agency working group that will be tasked with ensuring the safety of BESS.) Safety Concerns Safety issues were raised by residents during the ZBA’s public hearing Tuesday. The proposed New Leaf site is 45 feet away from a soccer field, 80 feet away from the nearest commercial buildings -- which contain a trampoline park, indoor go-kart venue, a bowling alley -- and 80 feet away from Metro-North rail lines. If constructed, it would be within the wetland buffer and would require a permit and an environmental impact review. An 80,000-square-foot ShopRite supermarket is slated to open at 333 North Bedford Road, a 37- acre property, this fall. Noting that battery energy storage “is a new technology” and that there are known safety risks, Carpenter Avenue resident Sally Fay said she was concerned about putting BESS “right in the middle of BESS FROM PAGE 6 SEE BESS PAGE 8
PAGE 8 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Mount Kisco.” Former Mount Kisco police officer Lou Terlizzi, also of Carpenter Avenue, cited New York City Fire Department stats that found there were 268 lithium-ion battery-related fires, 150 injuries, and 18 deaths in 2023 in the city. Those types of batteries are “highly flammable” and if one catches fire, it emits “toxic fumes that are corrosive, poisonous, and explosive,” he said. The flames cannot be doused with plain water, and it sometimes takes days, or even weeks, for the fire to burn itself out, said Terlizzi, referencing the Orange County BESS fire. “Residents complained that the air smelled like burning glue and plastics. Others said it smelled like nothing they’d smelled before. The trees turned black,” he said. Terlizzi wondered if the ZBA had approached local firefighters whose input, he said, “is essential.” He called on the Village Board to immediately declare a moratorium on BESS until it can be sure that “the safety of all first responders and the public can be guaranteed in the event of an incident.” Terlizzi pointed out that state Sen. Peter Harckham (D-Lewisboro), whose district contains both Mount Kisco and Carmel, has come out in support of a moratorium on a 116-megawatt BESS in Mahopac proposed by Virginia-based East Point Energy. While the site itself is 95 acres, the most buildable land is located within 150 feet of homes in the adjacent town of Somers. Residents of other towns have been holding protests, posting signs, and appealing to local officials for a moratorium, if not an outright ban, on BESS. On Wednesday, June 19, nearly 200 people – including Somers Town Supervisor Rob Scorrano -- packed a public hearing before the Carmel Town Board on the proposed moratorium. The hearing was left open until next month. Somers has hired the White Plains firm of Abrams Fensterman to act as its special counsel if needed. Terlizzi also referenced a call by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano for a six-month ban on lithiumion battery facilities so that the city can have more time to determine their environmental impact. BESS FROM PAGE 7 Cheryl Pease’s fifth-grade class at Bedford Hills Elementary is basking in their 15 minutes of fame. Mentioned on CBS, News12, and other news outlets, the class helped name one of the four baby peregrine falcons that were born in a nest box on the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The winning pick? Jet. Flying high! Cheryl Pease’s fifth-grade class at Bedford Hills Elementary made headlines thanks to a feathered friend. MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO PLAY THE NEW YORK LOTTERY GAMES. PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY. 24-HOUR PROBLEM GAMING HOTLINE: 1-877-8-HOPENY (846-7369) Newburgh, NY RWHudsonValleyNY.com I-84 | Exit 36B I-87 | Exit 17 Earn Entries All Month Long! Saturday, July 27 • 10pm *Actual model and color may vary. WIN A 2024 HONDA ACCORD
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 9 Contact ANTHONY J. ENEA, ESQ. Managing Member • Fluent in Italian 914.948.1500 WHITE PLAINS • SOMERS • WWW.ESSLAWFIRM.COM • Asset Protection • Elder Law • Medicaid Applications (Nursing Home/Home Care) • Guardianships (Contested/Non-Contested) • Wills, Trusts & Estates Past Chair of Elder Law Section of NYS Bar Association “Super Lawyer” In Elder Law for 16 consecutive years CALL NEW YORK’S ELDER LAW TEAM 914.948.1500 Do you know what steps you can take to avoid your estate going to probate? Seventy-one members of the Harvey Class of 2024 donned caps and gowns June 6, ready to cross the stage, receive their diplomas, and move their tassels from right to left to signify they are now graduates. Family, friends, administration, trustees, faculty, and staff gathered in the Fenstermacher Athletic Center on the Harvey campus to recognize the achievements of the graduates and help mark this significant milestone in every student’s educational journey. “Today is a day of celebration, reflection, and anticipation,” Head of School Bill Knauer said. “In your time at Harvey, you have experienced spectacular successes and overcome daunting challenges. You have grown and evolved and progressed in ways that are truly inspiring. Today, we mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another,” he said. “May your journey be filled with courage, discovery, and joy.” The Upper School Chorus sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in perfect harmony. A short time later, Harvey Chorus seniors Chloé Ramsey Lavoie, Iva HadžiMihailović, and Carina Weksel sang a heartfelt rendition of “No One Is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim. Co-valedictorians Iliana Hellinger and Wesley Elkind, the top scholars of the Class of 2024, each stood at the podium to share their thoughts and feelings with their fellow classmates. “We have overcome many obstacles, COVID and online learning,” said Iliana, a resident of Katonah. “We persevered. We are here. We made it! We learned to handle hard better.” She continued, “Let us never lose sight of our dreams and aspirations. And let us always strive to make a positive difference in the world.” Wesley offered his fellow graduates his advice on how the Class of 2024 should approach life after Harvey. He said, “Life is what you make of it. Take those risks, roll with the punches … Stand tall, be proud of yourself, and I hope you all live a life that is fulfilling and successful,” he said, adding, “We can do difficult things, as we have proven in these last four years, and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish in the future.” Commencement speaker Dr. Nicole Wright, an award-winning violinist and 2005 graduate of Harvey, spoke to the graduates about leaving their “imprint on the world.” She said, “When you’re passionate, you’re always eager to learn and grow. You’ll take on new challenges, learn more about yourself, and gain the confidence to handle tough times.” Dr. Wright encouraged the graduates not to be deterred by rejection and to keep striving for what excites them in life. “My hope is to encourage you to use this next chapter of your life as a stepping stone toward leaving your mark,” she said, adding, “You have a choice of how you want to start your journey to leave your dent in the world.” Seniors were recognized for awards in academics, the arts and athletics by Head of Upper School Phil Lazzaro. Then, the moment came for the graduating seniors to receive their diplomas from school leaders Mr. Lazzaro, school trustee Jerri-Lynn Galgano, Assistant Head of Upper School Beth Visintainer and Mr. Knauer. The Class of 2024 then rose to their feet to shift the tassels on their caps to the left, symbolizing they are indeed graduates of The Harvey School. With a loud cheer, they then tossed their caps high into the air in celebration. The graduates proceeded outside to the walkway to Mennen Library to greet their teachers, a moving tradition that captures their journey from being students to becoming beloved Harvey alumni. The Harvey Class of 2024 graduates include the following area residents Joseph Altman (Bedford), Sienna Bates (Waccabuc), Dylan Bazaar (Katonah), Gabe Duran (Mount Kisco), Iliana Hellinger (Katonah), Helena Kasarda (Katonah), Theo Klagsbrun (Katonah), Phoebe Lichtman (South Salem), Shelby McCaine (Katonah), Jason Nelson (Pound Ridge), Felix Oliver (Bedford Hills), Michael Sorio (Mount Kisco), Peter Sorio (Mount Kisco), Riannah Wallach (Pound Ridge)and Alexa Williams (Yorktown Heights). Article courtesy of The Harvey School. The Harvey School celebrates 2024 commencement The Class of 2024 graduated on June 6. PHOTO COURTESY OF GABE PALACIO Katonah’s Iliana Hellinger was the Class of 2024’s co-valedictorian.
PAGE 10 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 118 N, BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2024 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC Letters to the editor and op-ed submissions may be edited. The views and opinions expressed in letters and op-eds are not necessarily those of The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times or its affiliates. Submissions must include a phone number and address for verification. Not all letters and op-eds will necessarily be published. Letters and op-eds which cannot be verified or are anonymous will not be published. Please send your submissions to the editor by e-mail at [email protected]. For more information, call the editor at 914-302-5830 BRETT FREEMAN, PUBLISHER TOM WALOGORSKY , EDITOR TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL, CREATIVE DIRECTOR Editorial Office: 914-302-5830 [email protected]. “Every dog dies. Not every dog really lives.” -Possibly said by William Wallace if he had a dog There are a ton of posts memorializing dogs on social media. While I often reply with my condolences, I sometimes quickly skip over them when I want to avoid contemplating the mortality of my own pup. On May 30, my dog’s inevitable mortality caught up with him. That night, my brother Jonathan, also an animal lover, shared his spiritual reaction to my dog’s passing. We both discussed the uncomplicated relationships that we have with our furry family members and the simple symbiotic connections as evidence of some sort of spiritual reality. Our dogs don’t judge us. They don’t care about our finances or our appearances, and funny enough, I’m convinced that they probably prefer imperfect hygiene. Dogs aren’t passive-aggressive and they don’t play family politics. If a dog is jealous, he won’t beat around the bush; he’ll immediately tell you. All a dog wants is food, a game of fetch and a pat on his head and belly. The love that a dog will show you in return is immeasurable. Dogs also live in the moment. They don’t spend their time worrying about the future or obsessing about the past. While I’m convinced that they indeed have some sort of spiritual awareness of the finite nature of their lives, they surely don’t spend their time thinking about it. All of these are fantastic traits lacking in humans, but when we spend time with our dogs, they certainly teach us a lot about how to live. In short, our K-9 friends are surely a gift from God. What else could explain such a strong, natural and uncomplicated bond between species? I grew up with dogs, and in December 2016, I convinced my wife, Lauren, who only had a chinchilla growing up, that a dog would be a great addition to our family. On Dec. 22, the four of us, including our then-6-1/2-year-old daughter, Jenna, and our 3-year-old son, Jared, visited a rescue shelter in Patterson. We went seeking out a puppy that we saw posted on their website, but when we arrived, the puppy was already adopted. So, we walked through the shelter to see if there were any other matches that worked for our family. While most of the dogs were jumping up and down with excitement, almost as if they were yelling, “Pick me, pick me,” Justin had a quiet, polite and dignified demeanor. We went inside his cage to say hello and he immediately displayed a calm affection. When we took him to a separate room to have more interaction with him, he apparently followed me to the door and stared at me through the window when I went to speak to the shelter staff. There was an instant bond. While Lauren hoped for a mediumsized dog, she acquiesced to Justin, who was big. But Lauren was so visibly anxious about our decision that the staff made us go home to sleep on it. Remember, his name was Justin, and our kids are Jenna and Jared, so it was serendipity. On Dec. 23 (Christmas Eve Eve), I brought Justin home after getting RIP, Justin Freeman Dec. 23, 2016 (Gotcha Day) - May 30, 2024 Justin Freeman PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIE FREEMAN BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER’S MEMO Recently, the Bedford Town Board has been considering placing a ballot referendum for a new “mansion tax” of up to 2% on home sales over $770,000 to fund land purchases for open space and water protection. Estimates suggest this added tax could generate $1 million to $5 million annually. If approved in November, Bedford would be the first and only town in Westchester County with such a tax. While it’s often good to be a frontrunner, leading the county in taxes is not something our town should aspire to. I believe this new tax is a bad idea. Combined with existing fees—real estate commissions, the New York State 1% mansion tax, a 1% mortgage tax, and a 0.5% title insurance tax—selling a home in Bedford could incur costs exceeding 10%. Proponents argue that the buyer pays this tax, but it effectively reduces the sale proceeds, impacting affordability for buyers and putting Bedford sellers at a disadvantage compared to those in neighboring communities. A Bedford Town Board member suggested middle-class homeowners wouldn’t be affected since the tax targets homes over Bedford’s median sale price. However, all residents will feel the impact because town land purchases for open space will remove taxable properties from tax rolls and force existing property owners to shoulder a larger share of the town’s tax burden through increased property taxes. We already have a 2% open space levy on our annual tax bills, raising $500,000 this year and growing at 3-4% annually. Bedford also boasts significant open space. In addition to our town’s large, beautiful parks and sanctuaries, the town purchased almost 200 acres of open space in the past 20 years through its existing Open Space Fund. There are also large tracts in Bedford managed by nonprofits like Westmoreland Sanctuary, Westchester Land Trust, Mianus River Gorge, and Marsh Preserve that are open to the public. Notably, Bedford also has comprehensive and effective zoning laws that prevent the overdevelopment of private properties, which helps keep our town green for everyone. Lastly, much of Bedford lies within the New York City watershed, which imposes stringent development restrictions to protect water quality. Don’t get me wrong; I am a fan of clean water and open space. Years ago, I campaigned for renewing the current open space levy, which was in danger of expiring during the financial crisis. The proposed referendum will more than triple the size of the tax. One supporter pointed out that the tax could be considered as an initiation fee for moving to Bedford. Kind of like joining a country club. While we all appreciate the ample open space and semi-rural character of Bedford, buying open space from private owners won’t benefit everyone equally. Those potential swaths of property to be purchased won’t be in the half-acre-zone areas of town. Estate owners, who live near these potential purchases, will receive a disproportionate benefit from these protected buffers. The new tax proposal is being rushed through during the summer, leaving little time for community engagement before the deadline to place the referendum on the ballot. Some will say to put it on the ballot and let the people decide. There is some merit to that argument, but we count on our elected officials to go over this proposal with a fine tooth comb prior to moving it to the ballot. Should the tax be indexed for inflation? Should it be sunsetted so it expires at the end of five years and reconsidered for renewal? Should they talk specifically about the tracts of land they are considering? They also have a responsibility to let us know if they support the tax before they send it to the ballot. At this point, there are more questions than answers. Measure twice, cut once. Bedford doesn’t need a new ‘Mansion’ tax DON SCOTT IN CASE YOU MISSED IT SEE FREEMAN PAGE 11
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 OPINION THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 11 Beautiful Cabinets for Every Budget Visit our showroom today! OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS UNMATCHED! Visit us at:landmarkkitchenandbaths.com Call Today: 914-864-0758 132 Green Lane, Bedford Hills, NY 10507 Your FIRST PURCHASE 8% OFF Not Valid with other offers. Landmark Kitchen & Baths Exp 7/31/24 his check-up at the veterinarian. We took quite a leap of faith with him, as he was so emaciated that you could see his rib cage. Either he was malnourished or perhaps he was diseased - maybe cancer. In hindsight, that was a real possibility. Thank God, he quickly gained weight after several days and weeks of regular meals. Why was he malnourished? Was he abused? The shelter said he was transferred from Alabama. Was he always homeless? Did he have a family that lost him? I wanted to know his story. Regardless, we imagined that if he could speak English, it would have been with a southern drawl. Justin had resting-sadface, so we also kind of imagined him as Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. The shelter claimed that he was 1 year old, but the vet said that his worn teeth indicated that he may have been a bit older. To this day, we had no clue exactly how old he was. The shelter also claimed that he was good with other animals. “Oh goodie,” we thought. “He’ll get along with our cats.” The very limited initial interactions that Justin had with our cats made us incredibly nervous, so our house became like West Germany and East Germany, with the basement door serving as the Berlin Wall. Our finished basement (East Germany) was relatively large with a TV, comfortable couch and a sliding glass door, which offered plenty of sunlight. In hindsight, it was an unfortunate situation, but we fell in love. Our cats had each other, and we spent plenty of time with them in front of the TV. The other complication was the fact that we had been living in a town house development, with strict rules about leashes and walking your dog. When it was empty, we would bring him to the fenced-in basketball court and play fetch, but a couple of times he busted through the flimsy gate and chased after smaller dogs. While he never bit another dog, I think we were partly responsible for his aggressive demeanor when walking him on his leash throughout our development. Justin was always friendly towards humans, but we tightened our grip on the leash anytime a dog passed him, which mistakenly reinforced his aggressive posture against his own species. Our best bet was taking him on a walk in the woods adjacent to our development. But nevertheless, it was not an ideal situation for him. Lucky enough, Justin got to be the newspaper office dog when we had our office in Somers before the pandemic. Believe me when I tell you that he was everyone’s favorite colleague. Justin’s preferred spot was next to Bob Dumas, our editor-at-large, who would keep dog biscuits at his desk. After our dog’s passing, our ad sales colleague Paul Forhan remembered that Justin would often calm him down when he had a particularly stressful day. Fast forward 3-1/2 years, and we were able to move to a single-family home with a large yard off of a quiet side street. I know some people are critical of electric fences, but the bottom line is that the alternative (running away and getting hit by a car) is far worse. So, we installed an electric fence and Justin quickly learned his boundary. I couldn’t recommend it more, as it gave Justin a ton of freedom to roam our large yard and the boundary even extended into part of the woods. It gave us tremendous peace of mind. At our new house, my favorite activities with Justin involved being outside (even during the winter time). Justin loved playing fetch with tennis balls and had amazing mouth-eye coordination. Had we ever taken Justin to Hibachi dinner, he could have beaten anyone at the game where the chef throws vegetables in a patron’s mouth. Up until about six months ago, Justin could have played fetch for hours withFREEMAN FROM PAGE 10 Justin Freeman with sister, Jenna, brother, Jared, and Mom & Dad, Lauren and Brett PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN FREEMAN SEE FREEMAN PAGE 12
PAGE 12 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES OPINION JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 out a break. He would often catch the ball mid-air after taking a huge leap, as if he was a baseball player diving for the ball, with his mouth serving as a catcher’s mitt. I would often play fetch with him whenever we had a visitor. Being the proud dad I was, I wanted to show off his athletic prowess. While he was afraid of the water, Justin loved hanging out with us by our pool, and would often patrol the perimeter and bark at the swimmers, as if he was a lifeguard blowing his whistle to scold any horseplay. When I sat in the hot-tub, he would come over every few minutes to lick my bald head (Was I salty or was it affection? I think a little of both). I also loved sitting on the front porch with Justin. Late at night, often when the rest of my family was asleep, I would sit in my rocking chair, sipping a Scotch and listening to the crickets, while Justin would lie down a few feet away at the top of the stairs, often on alert as if guarding me from would-be intruders, including whatever wild animals were lurking in the woods. He wasn’t just a good boy. He was the best boy. Given that he was emaciated when we found him, Justin understandably loved food. At first, he wasn’t so discerning, as we spent hundreds of dollars at the emergency vet to force him to regurgitate the socks he swallowed. But his palate extended beyond laundry. He loved everything from peanut butter to pup cups, and he even enjoyed eating cucumbers. His favorite thing in the world was pig ears. The only thing he disliked was spinach. A little over two months ago, Justin received a clean bill of health. But a tumor on his heart went undetected, so May 20 was my last game of fetch with him. The last few months, he would play fetch for about five minutes, but he would be the one to end the game, as he was a bit more tired than usual. On the evening of May 21, he declined to eat, which led to his diagnosis - a rare heart condition where fluid was pooling around his heart. A procedure that drained the fluid gave us an additional nine days with Justin. He recovered so well (and appeared so free of symptoms) that I began to feel a bit of false hope. He woke up acting fine on May 30, but by that evening, he struggled to breathe, and he declined additional food – a tell tale sign that this was our goodbye. Our entire family is heartbroken. Justin was a loving son, brother and granddog, but most of all, he was a loving friend. As I said, Lauren had a chinchilla growing up and wanted a medium-size dog. But she was as broken up by his passing as me. She told me that Justin taught her that there was perfection in imperfection. Rest in peace my furry friend, until we meet again. Our love for you was uncomplicated and unlimited, and you will hold a significant place in our hearts forever. FREEMAN FROM PAGE 11 “Some trails are happy ones, others are blue. It’s the way you ride the trail that counts, Here’s a happy one for you.” -Roy Rogers We live in a target rich environment as far as breweries go. A May 17 New York Post article by Lisa Fickenscher, which was pointed out to me by an alert reader, declared the Hudson Valley region to be the “Napa of beer.” Fickenscher wrote: “The 150-mile stretch from New York City to Albany, which encompasses 10 counties in Hudson Valley, includes 90 craft breweries, nearly 20% of the 515 that dot the Empire State.” This dovetails perfectly with my continuing “work” here (a.k.a. passion, life’s mission?) seeking out and reporting with elegant prose the virtues of these crafty fun establishments from my homebase right here in the Hudson Valley. If only there was a complementary way for folks to leverage my articles with a thoughtfully organized map and additional incentives for further exploration… Well lo and behold, from the nice folks over at the Westchester Tourism & Film team, comes the Westchester Craft Beverage Trail and associated Passport. We’ve shortened the URL so you can find it easily. Search halstonmedia.org/Beer (case sensitive). Covering breweries, distilleries, cideries and tap rooms, the trail is a free, mobile, web-based passport leading to great experiences and delicious drinks, as well as some appealing special offers. Follow the link above to sign up. Earn points when you check in at participating merchants, and use them to claim special rewards and discounts! Note, of the 23 Westchester Craft Beverage Trail establishments, there are 16 Katonah Beer Man reviews of those destinations waiting to give you Discover the ‘Napa of beer’ JOHN BART THE KATONAH BEER MAN SEE BART PAGE 13 Excellent rotating beers at Vista Beverage • vistabeerandbeverage.com • 204 Oakridge Commons, South Salem • 914-533-7512 We see you here. The things you love doing are more than just passions. They’re what make you “you.” This is why at The Bristal, our expert team members dedicate their time, attention, and energy to creating customized social activities that ensure each resident continues being the unique person they are. And, in the process, create the one-of-a-kind community we are, too. Schedule your visit today and see for yourself. THE BRISTAL AT ARMONK | 914.444.2636 THE BRISTAL AT WHITE PLAINS | 914.862.7667 thebristal.com Licensed by the State Department of Health. Eligible for Most Long Term Care Policies. Equal Housing Opportunity. Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 OPINION THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 13 FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING, HOT WATER HEATER & GAS NEEDS 845.628.3924 • beeandjay.com Happy 4th of July! RED WHITE & BLUE SAVINGS! TAKE $100 OFF ANY WATER HEATER/WATER SOFTENER INSTALLATION. 1964-2024 60 Years of Excellence engaging context before your visit. Visit thekatonahbeerman.wordpress.com. Happy Trails! Field Trip: Culinary Institute of America (ciachef.edu; 1946 Campus Dr, Hyde Park; 845-452- 9600) Speaking of trails to enlightening experiences, are you aware of the internationally acclaimed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) located smack dab on the picturesque banks of the Hudson River in New Hyde Park? I was notified of this spring’s CIA Brew U Beer & Food Festival by longtime pal and modern dance club owner Tall Jeff. We met up on a beautiful spring afternoon at the CIA campus and took in the 50-foot-high mural of one of its many notable alumni (and one of my faves), Mr. Anthony Bourdain. The CIA vision can be summed up with “Cibus Vitae Est” (Food Is Life). Its mission is “dedicated to bettering nation and world by means of outstanding education, practice and scholarship on all aspects of food and related enterprises. Through a transformative learning experience, CIA prepares future food leaders, innovators and experts for personal and professional success.” There are over 50,000 alumni and 90% of students receive scholarships and financial aid. The CIA Brewing Program is run by Head Brewer and Instructor Hutch Kugeman, also president of the New York State Brewers Association. That day, palpable excitement and anticipation filled the air in the modern and cool “Egg” building where Hutch and team hosted the event. There were 24 breweries (a very accessible amount) and almost 600 guests. Theme: “We are thrilled to be bringing together this special selection of breweries to one event on campus. I really want to offer attendees a taste of beers that are a bit harder to find and have really interesting and unique flavors.” Beers that stood out for us included: Lasting Joy’s Pick Your Own Berry Brut IPA, Chatham’s Farmer’s Daughter Rye IPA, Czech’rd Past Bohemian Pilsner (Tall Jeff: “excellent session ale”), Rip Van Winkle’s Kaaterskill Krush IPA (Tall Jeff: “good fruit at the end”), Rough Cut - Rough & Wild Brett IPA & Abandoned Island DIPA, Great Life’s SAP Sucker Saison. This was the Culinary Institute, so food expectations were high and were exceeded! The student chefs brought their “A” games with an expertly chosen and wide array of delectable food pairings. They were at the food stations and exuded their passion and enthusiasm for their creations and vocation. But wait, there were Brew U learning opportunities awaiting us. We signed up for the Introduction to German Beers, led by the industry Beer Subject Matter Expert Anne Becerra, and we learned a bunch. Anne began the seminar channeling poet Maya Angelou: “You Can’t Really Know Where You Are Going Until You Know Where You Have Been.” The point is that these old school German beers absolutely inspired the basis of most beers we enjoy today! Anne expertly took the class through a German Beer All Star lineup with discussions on history, nose, taste for each. It was fun to taste and discuss each collectively and I definitely see how that concept could translate to a dinner party. Most of these beers pull off the low ABV High flavor trick. Here’s a summary: • Erdinger Dunkel Weiss — 5.3%, chocolate nose, nutty taste, low bitterness, refreshing. Pairing: Smoked ham, bacon, BBQ, matured cheese like Gouda. • KÖSTRITZER SCHWARZBIER — 4.9%, this style is an absolute fave of mine and the tagline says it all: “Refreshingly Dark.” Pairings: Ribs, burgers, sweets. • Schlenkerla Smoke Beer — 5.1%, super unique style brewed with smoked grains that come through to the palate. Pairs well with: Charcuterie, Brunch. • Ayinger Celebrator – 6.7%, Doppelbock (Doppel = bigger). It was suggested that if you like rum, then Celebrator is for you. A bit of mushroom funk mellows the sweetness. Pair with roasted pork and chocolate desserts. CIA makes an excellent day trip. See website for onsite restaurants and events. Also perhaps their formal programs are a higher education option for someone in your family who has a knack for aspects of cooking, baking, beer brewing and hospitality. Cheers! The Katonah Beer Man can be reached at [email protected] or visit thekatonahbeerman.wordpress.com. Please check out our friends at Vista Beverage, vistabeerandbeverage.com; 204 Oakridge Commons, South Salem; 914-533-7512. BART FROM PAGE 12 IMAGE COURTESY OF THE KATONAH BEER MAN
PAGE 14 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES OPINION JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 1. Clip the short form on the page 2.Fill out the information. 3.Mail it to P.O. Box 864, Mahopac, NY 10541 4.Or Visit www.HalstonSubscribe.com 5.Or Scan our QR Code to Subscribe. We need you to subscribe. is NOT necessarily good news! It’s FREE & it’s Easy! Please print your first and last names and address legibly, sign and date (all required to continue receiving your subscription to this newspaper). YES, I wish to receive a FREE 3-year subscription to The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times YES, I really enjoy The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times and I’d like to continue receiving it for 3 years, along with a monetary contribution this year. (Please print legibly.) First (Required) (Required) (Required) (Required) (Required. Please print legibly.) Last (Required) City: State: ZIP: Name: Signature: Email: Snowbird Dates (if applicable): Date: Phone: Address: (Optional) (Optional for TAPinto E-News) Checks payable to Halston Media LLC. Please include this form in your envelope. Please Include the following additional papers as part of this subscription: Mahopac News The Somers Record Yorktown News North Salem News The Katonah-Lewisboro Times Mail to: P.O. Box 864 Mahopac, NY 10541 While we need your Full Support to keep this newspaper strong, we include the option for Basic Support because we don’t want financial reasons to get in the way of our readers receiving this newspaper. Basic Support vs. Full Support Basic Support Full Support $100 $50 $20 other or visit www.HalstonSubscribe.com OR Visit www.HalstonSubscribe.com Increase referrals and name recognition. Advertise in The Mt. KiscoBedford Times Bulletin Board and reach over 7,000 USPS delivered mailing addresses every week. Call 845-208-8151 today! NSB neil s berman m o u n t k i s c o g o l d & s i l v e r i n c 139 East Main Street We Buy: Coins/Currency Gold & Silver Jewelry diamonds Watches Coin expert Gold & Silver Bullion Dealer Appraiser 914-244-9500 bermanbuyscollectables.com Your business card could be here. Call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 to find out how. - Dear Dr. Linda, Many years ago I was handed this fun quiz, “Matching Patriotic Song Lyrics to the Song.” I thought your readers would enjoy it as we approach the Fourth of July. It’s a great activity for the young and old. -Marlene H. Dear Marlene H., Thanks so much for sending me this great list of songs and lyrics. I’m not so sure how the young will do, but some middle agers and definitely seniors will have fun seeing how many songs they can match with their lyrics. Lyrics 1. “Stand beside her and guide her thru the night with a light from above.” 2. “Ev’ry heart beats true ‘neath the red, white and blue, where there’s never a boast or brag.” 3. “He has sounded from the trumpet that shall never call retreat, he is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat” 4. “O’er the ramparts we watched, Were so gallantly streaming.” 5. “Sweet land of liberty” 6. “From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters. This land was made for you and me.” 7. “Father and I went down to camp, Along with Captain Gooding…” 8. “Where the deer and the antelope play…” 9. “For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties…” 10. “The red and white and starry blue Is freedom’s shield and hope.” Songs • “The Star-Bangled Banner” ____ • “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” ____ • “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” ____ • “America the Beautiful” ____ • “God Bless America” ____ • “Stars and Stripes Forever” ____ • “Yankee Doodle” ____ • “This Land is Your Land” ____ • “You’re a Grand Old Flag” ____ • “Home on the Range” ____ Answers: “The Star-Bangled Banner” (4), “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (5), “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (3), “America the Beautiful” (9), “God Bless America” (1), “Stars and Stripes Forever” (10), “Yankee Doodle” (7), “This Land is Your Land” (6), “You’re a Grand Old Flag” (2), “Home on the Range” (8) Happy Birthday America! -Dr. Linda Dr. Linda, along with her husband, Dr. Al, own Strong Learning Tutoring and Test Prep serving Westchester and Putnam counties for over 40 years. Strong Learning tutors students K-12 in any subject, in person or remotely. Drs. Linda and Al are also the authors of “Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids,” available on Amazon and at stronglearning. com. Take this patriotic quiz DR. LINDA SILBERT STRONG LEARNING
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 FOCUS ON ELDER LAW For many years my clients would tell me that they regretted not having purchased longterm-care insurance (“LTCI”) when they were younger, could afford it and were insurable. While it is true that hindsight is 20-20, having LTCI does not guarantee you will have a need for it as you age. For example, you could pay the premium for a LTCI policy for 25-30 years and pass away in your 90s without ever having received the benefits from the LTCI policy. Unless one has purchased a hybrid LTCI policy (one which has both a death benefit and a longterm-care benefit), LTCI is a lot like having auto insurance. It is only useful if an individual goes into a nursing home, needs home health-aide assistance and is unable to perform two out of five activities of daily living. There is certainly a population of individuals that have this need and use their LTCI to its full extent, but there is also a large portion of LTCI policies purchased but never utilized. I can personally attest to this as both of my parents, with my encouragement, purchased LTCI over 20 years ago and religiously (but not happily) paid the premiums. My father is now 92 years of age and needs some limited assistance with activities of daily living. He is using his policy to assist with his care costs, but if the coverage is not used in full, which it likely will not be, the remaining benefits are lost. If you don’t use it, you lose it! Alternatively, if one purchases a hybrid policy (which combines the benefits of long-term care and life insurance into a single policy with a single monthly premium), if long term care benefits are needed, the death benefit can be used during the insured’s life to pay for same. Then, upon the insured’s passing, whatever amount of the death benefit remains is available to go to the beneficiaries named on the policy, like a traditional insurance policy. Far from a use it or lose it planning tool! Unfortunately, these hybrid policies were not an option when I assisted my parents in purchasing LTCI over 20 years ago and may be more expensive than traditional policies depending on the applicant’s age, health and insurability. In this day and age, I see the real value of a traditional LTCI policy when used as a buffer against the five-year look back created by a nonexempt transfer of assets for Medicaid eligibility purposes: also known as a gift. Consider this scenario: husband and wife transfer their home and/or non-retirement liquid assets to a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT), thus creating the five-year lookback period for nursing home Medicaid eligibility, and at or about the same time they purchase LTCI policies that will provide them with significant coverage during the five-year lookback period they created. Once the lookback period has expired and the assets in the MAPT are protected for Medicaid purposes, the husband and wife can (if they wish) stop paying the premiums on the LTCI and let the policy lapse. Since the assets transferred into the MAPT are now protected for Medicaid purposes, the husband and wife have now limited their exposure to the cost of long-term care and have also provided themselves with insurance coverage if they had become in need of nursing home coverage during the five-year look back period. Additionally, it should be noted that if one has a large IRA/401k and/ or Qualified Annuity, the face value of the retirement account is protected and not counted for Medicaid eligibility purposes. Medicaid will, however, count the required minimum distribution (RMD) as available income for eligibility purposes. As such, funding qualified retirement funds is another way of sheltering assets from the cost of care, as they are exempt for Medicaid purposes and the income they generate can be used to pay for the cost of care. The cost of long-term care is on the rise. The average cost of 24/7 home care and nursing home care is between $180,000 to $220,000 per year in Westchester and surrounding counties. As such, preparing for these future costs is imperative and requires one to be proactive and consider all options, including long-term-care insurance and transfer of assets for Medicaid purposes, in advance of one needing the care. As with many challenges in life, advance planning is critical! Anthony J. Enea is the managing attorney of Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP of White Plains, N.Y. He focuses his practice on Wills, Trusts, Estates and Elder Law. Anthony is the Past Chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), and is the past Chair of the 50+ Section of the NYSBA. He is a Past President and Founding member of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Anthony is also the Immediate Past President of the Westchester County Bar Foundation and a Past President of the Westchester County Bar Association. He is also fluent in Italian. He can be reached at 914-948-1500 or at a.enea@ esslawfirm.com. Long-term-care insurance is not the only way to pay for the cost of long-term care! IMAGE: ADOBE STOCK ‘The average cost of 24/7 home care and nursing home care is between $180,000 to $220,000 per year in Westchester and surrounding counties.’ -Anthony J. Enea Managing Attorney of Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP ANTHONY J. ENEA GUEST CORNER THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 15
PAGE 16 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMBUYING ONLY 845-628-0362 WE WILL COME TO YOU! 53 WE BUY: YEARS! Gold • Sterling Silver Jewelry • Coins Paintings • Bronzes Clocks • Collectibles Antiques • ETC. Items for sale? Call us! The Consumer’s Choice for Discount Heating Oil! SAVE WITH OUR LOW C.O.D. PRICES! • No Contracts or Commitments • Oil Burner & A/C Service/Tune-ups • Quality Heating Oil • Senior Citizen & Volume Discounts • Heating, Cooling & Generator Installations • Price Matching (Restrictions apply) Order online at: www.codoil.com CALL US TODAY AND SAVE! 914.737.7769 PompCircumsGregory Ronel leads the crowd as Master of Ceremonies. Fox Lane High SchJune 20
MES – JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 PAGE 17 Progressive Animal Hospital What is the most common mismanaged condition that you see? THE ITCHY DOG! Is your pet... scratching • licking • chewing feet or having chronic skin infections? Stop treating the symptoms and find out the underlying cause with a simple blood test. Get your pet feeling better and stop the frequent trips to the vet. INDEPENDENTLY OWNED and OPERATED 268 route 202 l somers, ny 10589 914.248.6220 l progressive-vet.com Voted “Best of Somers” 2020-2023 Service: 914-669-9679 Auto Sales: 914-485-1195 Fax: 914-669-9685 6 Dingle Ridge Road - North Salem, NY 10560 meccanicshop.com p and stance! Seniors present Italian teacher Vittoria Buzzetto with the Class Gifts chool Graduation - 0, 2024 PHOTOS: EMRIN LECLAIR
PAGE 18 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Diogo I. Alarcon Idrovo Whitney L. Alomoto Biracucha Lauren E. Antolino Alvaro I. Ardon Martinez Lilian N. Ardon Martinez Marilyn J. Arriaga Soto Sofia Avila Bryan Ayala Flores Julia A. Bagley Brian R. Bailey Bianca V. Bayona Riley H. Benson Riya Bino Cameron L. Bly Victoria Diane Bodine Vincent-John Bomba Jamie A. Boniello Andrew M. Borelli Jadeann V. Boufford Arlie F. Bremer Joshua B. Brezina Abigail G. Brooks Hayden Z. Brown Jaziah A. Brown Jordan I. Brown Jenna Corinne Burns Eoin P. Byrne Gabriella Cambareri Owen M. Canavan Daniel J. Caporale Matthew C. Caputo Harrison I. Carl Abigail R. Carmichael Jonatan O. Castillo Ramos Julia M. Catanese Catherine G. Cerone Abigail J. Charles Maxim L. Chen Grace C. Cleveland Sienna Marie Collado Jacob D. Cormier Jeffrey E. Coronado Lopez Amanda J. Covino Jesse D’Avanzo Michael V. D’Elia Henry J. Della Penna Laila Dellorso Gabriel J. Dembele Aulona Demehasaj Hannah C. Devine Danilla C. Di Nicola Jacob Elliot Diaz Angela G. DiDona Miko C.H. Drouot Alessandro S. Duarte Owen M. Dunne Jack R. Fabry Eve Jacqueline Feingold Layla Larimar Feliz Michael G. Feola Melissa M. Figueroa Jason P. Fiorino Oliver H. Fishlin Francesca R. Franco Theodore H. Friedman Erick M. Fuentes Alexander A. Garcia Alison E. Garcia Aguilar Jessica J. Garcia Lopez Yanna Gianatasio Emmet F. Gillespie Christopher Gjonmarkaj Zachary A. Goldman Hinda Golda Goldstein Randy S. Gomez Isabella S. Gosh Sadie J. Grant Matthew E. Green Sofia D. Gregorio Miguel Samuel Lawrence Griff Viviane A. Gunthel Matthew A. Gutierrez Brooks Elliott Hamblett Joshua B. Harwitz Avery B. Heilman Torivio A. Hernandez Morales Sara Kayla Ribeiro Hodgson Josephine A. Hollander Lauren D. Horowitz Sydney G. Hurwitz Melanie Jimenez Arroyo Jennifer L. Jimenez Soto Angelique M. Johnson Charles S. Kalarchian Hannah R. Katz Ava G. Kellner Jonah Kim Lance P. Kleinknecht Ralph K. Kolb, III Hannah A. Laskaris Cyena Cindi Latchmansingh Anthony J. Legato Samantha I. Leiva Sanchez Natalia D. Lemus Sandoval Katie S. Lenes Dylan R. Linares Noguera John Allen Long David E. Lopez Sofia A. Lopez Diego M. Lopez Ariza Christian A. Lopez Mejia Jorge R. Lopez Posadas Sierra J. Lowell Zoe H. Lowenberg Sophia I. Lozano Cesar A. Luna Karla R. Luna Melendrez Ewan M. MacDonald Margaret M. Malec Noreen C. Malec Joseph H. Malichio Tadhg F. Mannion Preston Scott Marcus Dylan E. Marroquin Lopez Joshua G. Martinez Arana Alba J. Martinez Castillo Jhane A. Mathis Jay A. Maza Landi Danielle Rose Mazlish Michael R. Mazurek Andre P. McConnell Luke P. McConnell Clancy E. McGuirk Claire M. McIvor Daasabre-Ohene C. McPhee-Djan Henry D. Mejia Angel H. Mejia Acosta Anthony R. Mejia Portillo Kimberly S. Mejia Romero Karen Elisa Melendez Salguero Christopher A. Mendez Arriaga Keren D. Mendez Figueroa Jayce A. Mendieta Chase Metzger Jillian Alexa Micucci Jacob Z. Miller James M. Minotti Daniela Molina Erica Monroy Animas Yesenia Monroy Animas Carlos A. Monroy Recinos Elsy I. Monroy Verbena Lily A. Moore Adriana Michelle Morales Lazaro Brendan M. Morgan Kaden J. Morrow Jasmine A. Moustakas Ashley R. Nappi Dayanara J. Naranjo Cabrera Ryan M. Nathan Wilmer R. Navarro Santos Anna Clara Navas Martins Alexander P. Nero Kevin M. New Tessa Kaminer Newberg Xiomara D. Nieves Adrianna Nikprelaj Seamus T. Noone Gabriella A. O’Reilly Georgia L. O’Reilly Eleanor E. Oden Benjamin G. Omilinsky Levi Paige Aileen K. Paniagua Jeremiah A. Paredes Christopher Enzo Parisi Bradley Ian Patterson Diana J. Paul Matthew F. Pepa Erick D. Perez Velasquez Nicholas J. Pierce Zoey M. Pignotti Phillips Sonya Popovic Peter N. Portugues Mark A. Ramirez Angeles M.A. Ramirez Miguel Esther Rebekah Ramirez Portillo Maxwell S. Ramone Litzy Y. Ramos Andy A. Ramos Arevalo Mirela Redzepagic Tyler M. Renz Sophia M. Reynaga Elizabeth G. Riley Anthony W. Rodriguez Gallo Christopher M. Romano Jason D. Romero Morales Michael A. Romero Villeda Gregory S. Ronel Benjamin D. Rotolo Salvatore J. Rotolo Alexander Z. Rowley Carmela M. Ruggiero Dominic J. Ruggiero Jeily D. Ruiz Javier Sela Afua Safo Jocelyn M. Sagastume Hernandez Kevin Fernando Salazar Christian A. Salazar Linares Matthew B. Samalin Yonis D. Sanchez Ponce Samantha M. Sannino Philo Sauro Ben Quinn Schneider Lian J. Schur Mark E. Schwartz Taylor Scott Saer J. Sicignano Sidney M. Sicignano Jaden S. Silverman Cole X. Simon Kabir Singh Ava I. Smith Chloe M. Sokolich Daniel A. Sorto Dereks J. Soto Sandoval Carolyn Adele Stanley Rosalina M. Sterling Silva Jose P. Suchite Castillo Isabel A. Sultana Matthew A. Sultana Wendy J. Tapia Morquecho Arturo T. Tejada Jon R. Torre, Jr. Gabriela Tortorello Maxwell C. Travis Tyler Jackson Tunnell Kaylie Hudson Tynan Christian A. Valente Sadie Love Vandercar Nathalia J. Villeda Cruz Maria Jose Villegas Rojas Nina A. Vita Ryan M. Walsh Thomas W. W. Walsh Charles B. Webb Tucker Wein Jocelyn M. Wierzchowski Charles T. Wilson Patricia E. Wiltse Alexandra P. Wing Marvin A. Zacarias Abzun Madison J. Zelenz Janette K. Zobel Information provided by Bedford Central School District. Fox Lane High School Class of 2024 PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 19 Now enrolling for Fall 2024 Boston University Savanna College of Art and Design Syracuse University The New School University of Cambridge Loyola University New York University Perdue University Rhode Island School of Design University of Michigan Congratulations! to the Class of 2024 Top University Matriculations www.efacademy.org Good evening, esteemed guests, faculty members, administration, proud parents, siblings, friends, and, of course, my fellow graduates of the Class of 2024. As we gather here today to celebrate the culmination of our high school journey, I am deeply honored and humbled to stand before you as the valedictorian of our extraordinary class. Before I begin, I would like to recognize the many individuals who worked tirelessly to allow not only myself, but all of us, to get to where we are today. To start, thank you to the abundance of teachers, administrators, counselors, and faculty who have mentored our class and enriched us with the knowledge necessary for us to excel in the future. To all the siblings out there, thank you for always being best friends on this journey, even if you did your best to pester us along the way. And finally, to all the parents, thank you for your eternal love and support, thank you for your never-ending sacrifices, and thank you for being the foundation upon which we may build our futures. I was recently reading a book by Ginni Rometty, who was the CEO of IBM from 2012-2020, about achieving success in this ever-changing world. And after reading her story, I was left with a simple yet profound message that I would like to share with you all today. She said, “growth and comfort can never coexist.” We must learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable; because the moments in which we face discomfort, uncertainty, and even fear, are the moments that shape and grow us the most. High school has been a series of journeys. Journeys that have taught us all perseverance, dedication, and grit. It is no secret that our class has been faced with an exceptional number of uncomfortable moments on our path to get here. Whether it be teaching ourselves Algebra through pixels on a screen or making it out of the school parking lot without a scratch, starting a new club, taking on a leadership role, or battling through injury, all of these experiences, as uncomfortable as they may have been, are the very ones that have contributed to the growth we celebrate here today. This idea that growth and comfort can never coexist is not only applicable to our academic careers, but also our personal lives, physical health, and our futures. Putting yourself out there to meet new people is always scary, but forming those new connections and relationships brings unforeseen growth. Physically, whether it be in the gym or practicing your sport, we see the most results after pushing our bodies beyond their limits and enduring momentary discomfort. In our futures, we will be presented with job opportunities, interviews, and unknown territory that we may be tempted to shy away from; yet what we should truly be concerned about are the times when we find our careers to be too sheltered and risk-free. As we embark on our future, about to take this next step in our journey, it is essential to embrace the idea that growth will continue to be uncomfortable. The world in front of us is filled with opportunities that will demand our courage and adaptability. To everyone out there continuing their higher education at college, we must go out there and meet new people, join new clubs, take that internship, find new passions, and remember Jocelyn Wierzchowski PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR VALEDICTORIAN SEE VALEDICTORIAN PAGE 21
PAGE 20 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Good afternoon and a hearty welcome parents, grandparents, friends, esteemed faculty and staff as we gather together today to do something really special– to honor this amazing Fox Lane High School class of 2024! Graduates, as we gather here today in honor of your remarkable achievements, I am reminded of the profound impact that each of you has had on our school community over the course of your time here at Fox Lane High School. Graduation is not just a culmination of academic success, but also a celebration of your commitment to service—to giving back, to lifting others up, and to making a difference in the world. Service to others is not merely a noble ideal; it is a fundamental value that lies at the heart of a fulfilling and purposeful life. As Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” These words resonate deeply today as we celebrate your accomplishments and look towards the future. Throughout your time at Fox Lane, we have endeavored to inspire and challenge you in a variety of ways, and when challenging you to embrace the true meaning of service, you have risen to that challenge by inspiring us in your classrooms, on the stage, on the field, in clubs and in our communities. Whether it was tutoring a classmate, participating in community service day, or organizing a fundraiser for a worthy cause, each act of service has made a difference, no matter how small. And while service is incredibly important, it’s not just about what you do; it’s about who you are becoming. It’s about cultivating empathy, compassion, and a genuine concern for the well-being of others. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Today, I challenge you to carry this question with you as you embark on the next chapter of your lives. Graduates, as you go forth from Fox Lane, remember that the true measure of success goes beyond accolades or achievements to encompass the lives we touch and the hearts we inspire. So, let your actions be guided by the words of Gandhi, who said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Congratulations Class of 2024! May you continue to serve others with humility, compassion, and grace, and may your lives be a beacon of hope and inspiration to all who know you. Thank you. Dr. Robert Glass PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR SUPERINTENDENT Good evening. As we look back on this school year, this senior class has accomplished much, and while I certainly will not hit all of them, I would like to take a few moments to capture some of those highlights from this year. Our senior athletes gained some noteworthy achievements: • Two senior girls set Fox Lane records for the pole vault • Two field hockey players scored their 100th career goal. • Two senior boys were named to the All State Football team • And one boy was named the Section 1 Baseball Pitcher of the Year. Our performance in the arts is also well worthy of celebration. • Over the past several weeks, we have had opportunities to marvel at the amazing work in animation, drawing, painting, ceramics, and fashion. • This year, we were once again recognized as a “Best Community for Music Education,” which we all enjoyed a sample of earlier this evening. (Thank you again, Fox Lane Band and Chorus). • For the third consecutive year at NYSSMA Majors, our chamber orchestra and their conductor were awarded the highest level of honor, Gold with distinction on a level 6 performance. • One senior earned a principal seat at the NYSSMA All-State Winter Conference, and another was named as an All-State Alternate. • Fifteen seniors participated in the Area All State Music Festival. In academic pursuits, the Class of 2024 also has much to be proud of: • For the 10th year in a row, the Science Olympiad team qualified for the New York State competition. • In our Science Research Program, two seniors placed, and two others earned special recognition at the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair, while three others placed at the Westchester-Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. • Ten seniors were recognized as Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. • Forty-four graduates earned the Seal of Biliteracy, which shows their proficiency in a second language. Six students earned Seals of Biliteracy in two languages. • And lastly, from this year’s graduating class, 206 students (that’s 81%) took a class this year at Fox Lane that gave them the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. I’m sure this head start on college will prove quite helpful as we look to what’s next. Earlier tonight, we heard Jocelyn remind us that “growth requires courage” and Cole challenged us that you, Class of 2024, are “capable of greatness.” I agree with your peers. Class of 2024, you have been a part of something special. You have been a part of shaping a school culture where we strive to support and encourage each member of our school community, where we celebrate our uniqueness, honor our pasts, and look forward with anticipation to our futures. The work you did this year will linger and influence positively the underclassmen who are eager to step into your shoes as seniors. Individually and collectively, you have accomplished much already, yet this pales in comparison to what lies ahead. I wish for each one of you the focus to find your own ways to contribute the greater communities that surround you. In the adventures that lie ahead, choose well and make the world better by being a positive agent of change. Class of 2024, I look forward to hearing great things of your continued success. Dr. Jennifer Amos PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR PRINCIPAL
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 21 that every risk taken is a step in bettering yourself. And to those joining the military, trade school, or the workforce, to those taking time to travel the globe or to start a business or anything else you can dream of, I hope that you jump at every new opportunity and never shy away from a challenge. So, to my fellow graduates, as much as I would love to stand up here and wish you all a future full of only comfort and certainty; I also hope that each and every one of you will join me in seeking the discomfort that comes with pushing ourselves to continue to grow, to learn, and to do better each day. Congratulations Class of 2024. You should all be very proud of how far you have come. And best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Thank you! VALEDICTORIAN FROM PAGE 19 Here’s a speech drawing parallels between graduating high schoolers and bees. Feel free to tweak it according to...Oops. I was not supposed to read that part. But, don’t worry: Chat GPT did not write this entire speech. Good evening everyone! It is an honor to have this opportunity to speak to all of you here today. I would like to start off by thanking my parents, the families, administration, faculty, our principal Dr. Amos, our superintendent Dr. Glass, and of course every graduating member of the Class of 2024 for being here today and for making these last four years unforgettable. For those of you who have never met me, my name is Cole Simon. Some of you may know me from classes that we have shared over the last four years. Some may know me as the salutatorian. And some may know me as the honey bee guy. You might be petrified of getting stung by bees. I am not. The only “B” I am horrified of is the letter “B” on a report card. Over the course of my high school career, I have had the pleasure of teaching students at our high school beekeeping club and keeping bees for clients throughout the Westchester area. I am assuming that some of you have been chased by a bee, or maybe a few dozen. And while they may seem like irritating insects, bees are actually very similar to us. When a bee hive flourishes, the colony becomes crowded and the bees begin a process called “swarming” in which they select a few cells to delegate a new queen bee. Meanwhile, the original queen takes flight with a portion of the workers to search for a spot to build a new hive. Each time the bees swarm, they enter the unknown where they will inevitably face unexpected obstacles. As a result, the bees have learned the importance of perseverance. My best example of this resilience in the bee world was when our very own school bee hive got attacked by a bear weeks before the winter. I was devastated to find the hive and honey destroyed. However, rather than letting their remaining resources go to waste, the bees worked tirelessly to rebuild and prepare for the harsh winter. Similarly in our world as students, we first entered Fox Lane High School, our hive, if you will, and faced challenges in uncharted territory with the task of working together to build a flourishing colony. Our first big challenge was our virtual learning year. I am sure you can recall frantically scouring the house for internet, dealing with rowdy siblings in the background, and being isolated during a time when we were supposed to feel most connected. However, we made it work even through screens, masks, and plastic dividers. Another testament to our tenacity was the dealing with the college process. We wrote essays, toured schools across the country, and filled our plates with extracurriculars all just to have a chance to be admitted into our dream universities. The challenge continued on when some of us, including myself, did not get accepted the first time around. I’m talking about you Princeton! Our last and maybe most difficult hurdle was senioritis. I wish there was a cure, but there really is not. Symptoms include falling asleep in class, skipping gym, and turning in blank assignments on Google Classroom. Yet here we are all graduating together. Although, if you suffered from a particularly bad case of senioritis, then I encourage you to make sure that there really is a diploma inside of the folder you receive here today. I will keep my conclusion brief as I’m sure most of you are bored of hearing about my weird admiration for insects. There is no doubt that we have experienced and continue to experience difficult and now tragic times as high school students. Despite these harder moments that we’ve faced both as individuals and as a community, it’s safe to say that much like a bee colony, we’ve tirelessly persevered, and today is evidence of our sweet success. Fellow graduates, it’s time to leave our hive. As we enter this new chapter in our lives, we will attempt to map out every bump, every turn, and every pitfall in our journey. Even so, we will once again be tasked with overcoming unforeseen obstacles. We will once again enter the unknown. With that being said, bees and high school have taught us that we are capable of greatness, and so it is greatness we shall once again achieve. Class of 2024, you are ready to swarm. Congratulations. Thank you. Cole Simon PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR SALUTATORIAN TODAY! SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLEGE MEMBERSHIPS FLEXIBLE OPTIONS COMPETITIVE RATES ACCESS DURING SUMMER & VACATION BREAKS For students that board at a school greater than 50 miles away TODAY! SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLEGE MEMBERSHIPS FLEXIBLE OPTIONS COMPETITIVE RATES ACCESS DURING SUMMER & VACATION BREAKS For students that board at a school greater than 50 miles away
PAGE 22 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 The Fox Lane High School Class of 2024 will be attending 105 different colleges across 24 states, Washington D.C., Canada, France, and Scotland, and several students will serve our country in the Armed Forces! Alabama University of Alabama Arizona Arizona State University California California Baptist University California State University San Diego State University Santa Clara University Connecticut Fairfield University Sacred Heart University Trinity College University of Connecticut Western Connecticut State University Florida Florida State University Nova Southeastern University University of Florida University of Miami Illinois DePaul University Indiana Indiana University Purdue University University of Notre Dame Louisiana Tulane University Maryland University of Maryland Washington College Massachusetts Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Harvard University Northeastern University Tufts University Minnesota Macalester College Mississippi University of Mississippi New Hampshire Dartmouth College Keene State College New York Binghamton University Colgate University Columbia University in the City of New York Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Cornell University Culinary Institute of America CUNY Hunter College Dominican University New York Fashion Institute of Technology Fordham University Hamilton College Hobart William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Iona University Manhattanville University Marist College Mercy University Pace University Rochester Institute of Technology Sarah Lawrence College Skidmore College St. John’s University Stony Brook University SUNY Brockport SUNY Buffalo State SUNY College at Oswego SUNY College of Technology at Canton SUNY College of Technology at Delhi SUNY Cortland SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oneonta SUNY Purchase SUNY Westchester Community College Syracuse University The College of Westchester The New School University at Albany University at Buffalo University of Rochester North Carolina Duke University East Carolina University Elon University High Point University Wake Forest University Oregon Reed College Pennsylvania Drexel University Lafayette College Lehigh University Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh University of Valley Forge Villanova University Ohio Miami University-Oxford Rhode Island Brown University New England Institute of Technology Salve Regina University South Carolina Clemson University University of South Carolina Texas South Plains College University of Texas at Austin Vermont University of Vermont Virgina James Madison University Sweet Briar College Virginia Tech Washington D.C. American University George Washington University Wisconsin University of Wisconsin Canada University of Toronto France Esmod Paris Scotland University of Glasgow University of St. Andrews Information provided by Bedford Central School District. Oh, the places you’ll go! Designing the future!
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 23 Hello fellow classmates, families, faculty, and staff. It’s an honor to be here speaking with you tonight! How are we feeling tonight Class of 2024? Well, as the first female Guatemalan-American graduate in my family, this moment means the world to me. So, I would like to speak in both English and Spanish to include all the Hispanic students and families that are here with us today. Hola, buenas tardes, me llamo Litzy Yissel Ramos Díaz. Es un honor estar aquí y poder hablar con todos ustedes. Quiero agradecerles a los padres y guardianes que nos dieron todo para llegar a este punto de nuestras vidas cerca o lejos. And second, I want to thank our administrators, teachers, and staff who have helped us and guided us to be our best selves throughout these past four years. And personally, I want to thank my mother and father who sacrificed everything to come to the United States. With ambition, determination, and love, they have supported and encouraged me to do my best in school, work, and life. We all need to stop and be appreciative of the important people in our lives who have made it possible for us to succeed at Fox Lane and have set us up to have the same success as we move on to pursue our dreams. Quiero darles las gracias a mis queridos padres que vinieron a los Estados Unidos desde Guatemala sin nada, sin entender el idioma. Pero tuvieron determinación, ambición, amor, y me dieron todo. Me apoyaron en el trabajo, la escuela y en la vida. Muchas gracias, mamá y papá. (♡) Todos tenemos que tomar un momento y agradecerles a las personas más importantes en nuestras vidas que hicieron posible que tuviéramos éxito en la escuela de Fox Lane y nos prepararon para tener ese mismo éxito para seguir nuestros sueños. With that being said, in the years we have spent within these walls, we have not only acquired knowledge from textbooks, but we have also learned valuable life lessons that will guide us as we form our own paths. The challenges and disappointments we’ve experienced in our past, or may encounter in the future, happen for a reason. We learn valuable life lessons from each experience, and emerge as stronger, more knowledgeable individuals. Whenever you lose faith, think about being a role model for your younger self - what can you do to make THEM proud? Do NOT succeed for anyone else; instead, succeed for the little human who once thought they could change the world one day. That will help you decide what to do with those lessons that you learned. Being that role model will make you persevere and succeed at everything you have ever wanted to do. Las dificultades que hemos vivido nos han hecho personas más fuertes y resilientes. El crecimiento que tuvimos fue hermoso. Honrelo Recuérdalo. Aprecie lo. Aunque estoy un poco nerviosa y un poco asustada de lo que la vida me tiene preparado, sé que el futuro no es algo a lo que entramos; el futuro es algo que creamos. Así que, ¡ve y crea tu mejor vida! We now close this chapter of our lives and turn the page to a new future. Man, did those 13 years fly by! Years of waiting for this very moment turned into months, months turned into weeks, weeks turned into days, and days that have now turned into hours and minutes, have brought us to this moment. The growing up we did was beautiful. Honor it. Remember it. Cherish it. Because, as we all know, especially now life is so precious, enjoy it. I would also like to take a moment to honor and remember our classmate Joshua Martinez who is no longer with us. His bright personality will always be a part of our hearts, and his spirit will continue to inspire us as we move forward. Although I know we’re probably a little nervous and a little scared of what life has waiting for us as we move forward, I know that the future isn’t something we enter; the future is something we create. So, go on and create your best life! Congratulations to the Fox Lane Class of 2024, and remember the diploma you receive today is not just a piece of paper but a passport to all of the opportunities ahead. Thank you. Litzy Ramos STUDENT SPEAKER A Day for Friends & Family Zoe Jones and Sierra Lowell Alexandra and Rebecca Wing PHOTOS: EMRIN LECLAIR Salvatore, Giuseppe, and Benjamin Rotolo Sienna Marie Collado and her family celebrate after the ceremony.
PAGE 24 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES HEALTH & WELLNESS JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 BY BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER This newspaper recently sat down with Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) Executive Director Derek Anderson to discuss positive changes happening at the facility and in the community. NWH, a member of Northwell Health, is a full-service 245- bed acute care hospital in Mount Kisco. Hospital officials have plans to expand their maternity ward, which is expected to break ground later in the year or early 2025, after the state gives its approval. They also plan to modernize their emergency room, again with a potential start date of early 2025. And for the first time ever, Northern Westchester Hospital has launched a residency program, taking in 16 recent medical school graduates, who will further their education in Mount Kisco. The program officially launched on June 24. Anderson also discussed the hospital’s leadership in the areas of mental health and in artificial intelligence (AI) programs designed to increase efficiency and accuracy. The following interview has been slightly edited for brevity and clarity. Q: Based on our conversation right beforehand, let’s discuss the hospital’s new focus on behavioral health. Anderson: This is a great place to start for us. Core to our mission, if you look at behavioral health at a national scale, it’s underrepresented, underfunded and typically, especially in Western society, a lot of stigma is associated with it. The goal of an organization like ours, like Northwell, Northern Westchester Hospital, is really to educate, destigmatize and provide access in the community. Q: Now when you’re referring to behavioral health, are you referring to psychology, or are you talking about physical outcomes based on people’s behavior? Anderson: Yeah, good, distinction. Thank you for that. We’re talking about the investments that we’re making as Northwell in our communities, focused on adolescent mental health. So think of a teen in depression, a teen or non-teen 8-year-old who’s struggling with severe anxiety. Even youth who potentially get to the point of depression or anxiety where they seek suicide or something extreme. We’ve seen across the region the need for mental health services rise tremendously. It existed before COVID. COVID certainly amplified some of the issues with isolation, especially in the school systems. Getting kids back into the schools and that socialization has helped. We have a president’s council at the hospital where we come together every quarter as a community with the school superintendents of the eight major districts in the area, the town supervisors, local business owners and some religious leaders. One of the things that they continue to ask is what we are doing as a community on mental health? And they find teachers looking for support on how to identify and how to help calm kids down. And then we’ve identified these kids who need help. Where do we send them? Looking at the landscape of providers in the area, just like a lot of subspecialties in medicine, there are not a lot of doctors out there and those who are out there typically have very long appointment times. You could be waiting six to eight months for an appointment. Imagine a child or an adolescent teen in crisis. They can’t wait six months to get in to see somebody. What happens is they end up in an emergency department or ER, which we’ve seen an increase in over the last several years. So the plan, which we’re excited about, and this is not just here, it’s happening across all of Northwell. Northwell announced a nearly $500 million investment across the region in mental health. Keep in mind mental health nationally with CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], with private insurers, it’s not well compensated. It’s core to our mission as a not-for-profit, even though it loses a lot of money, we still very much want to provide services in the community because we see what the need is and it’s heartbreaking. Q: Has the need increased or have we identified it more? Anderson: A combination of a few things, I think, and just to be clear, I’m not a mental health provider. In my role with the hospital and with the system with Northwell, we’ve seen additional visits within our emergency department. We’ve seen an increase in our schools seeking us as a partner to try and solve some of these problems. Our community has spoken up pretty loudly that they’re seeing it and they’re reading about it and what are we doing as a community to solve this? And so I think it’s a combination of a lot of voices telling us we need to do something. When we’re looking to place patients out of the ER for follow-up care, it’s really, really difficult. So it takes a tremendous amount of coordination to get that patient set up with an appointment because — simply, there’s just not enough providers in the area. So the goal is to build that infrastructure. So over the next couple of years, and we’ve already started this year, Northern Westchester, Northwell, we’re investing about $10 million here locally in a fourpart program. And the first step is education-based, working with the schools to train and give the teachers and those frontline educators resources and skills to identify and then de-escalate. That’s Part 1 that’s happening; that’s starting to happen right now. The second piece is physically building an urgent care center for the sole purpose of adolescent mental health. So think of going to an urgent care center for anything; the flu, COVID, a broken arm; this will be an urgent care dedicated to teen mental health. That way, the teachers or the educators or really anybody in the community, they have somewhere at least to immediately go instead of going to an ER. Which is tough. It’s expensive. It’s built for those really extreme physical emergencies. So that’s Step 2. Step 3 is then OK, you’ve stabilized the crisis in an urgent care center, just like you would an urgent care or doctor’s visit. But this is an urgent care staffed by psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, mental health providers. Step 3 is OK, we’ve stabilized. How do they get ongoing care? And that’s where we’re setting up an outpatient practice so they can then have those routine visits with the provider. Step 4 is what we call a partial hospitalization program. It’s also known as a day program where teens coming out of that urgent care, coming out of an ER, if you’re OK having every so often visits with a psychiatrist or a counsellor, that’s OK. For some patients or teens, that’s going to work great. Some teens need more intensive care, not to the level they need to be admitted to the hospital, but they need a little bit more intensive care. So they come say 8, 9-o’clock in the morning, they’re there most of the day and then they’ll sleep in their beds at home, they’ll go home at night and then they’ll come back the next day. So it’s a very intensive day-based program to get them through and some are there short term, some need it more long term; it’s somewhere between seeing your doctor once a week to being admitted to a hospital. And so those four components, none of them live in the hospital, all of them live outside in the community. And so we’re working towards it. The cost to build some of these sites is just under $10 million. Q: Where would these facilities be located? Anderson: We’re still working on location. Our hope is to really serve all aspects of the population, not just those who can afford to access it. So we’re looking at locations near train stations, buses. We really want this to be accessible to the underserved as well. Bold initiatives unveiled for local healthcare Plans to revolutionize maternity, ER, mental health services and AI Northern Westchester Hospital is a full-service 245-bed acute care hospital in Mount Kisco. It is part of the Northwell Health system. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TODD DEZEN NORTHERN WESTCHESTER HOSPITAL Northern Westchester Hospital Executive Director Derek Anderson SEE HEALTHCAREPAGE 26
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 HEALTH & WELLNESS THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 25 Dear Friend, Let me start by explaining the photo in this letter. You know, when I meet people in town they usually say, “oh yeah, I know you, you’re Dr. Gertner. I’ve seen stories for years…” Well, that’s me. “When I was in college I was injured playing football. I began developing severe and constant pain in my neck and lower back. After chiropractic, and PT were not effective in relieving my symtoms… I had surgery. Over the next 20 years I had surgery 3 more times, but I still suffered with horrible pain. I was referred to Dr. Gertner by a friend. On the first visit he performed a computerized diagnostic scan that located my problem. I had a pinched nerve. After only a few visits most of the pain in my neck and back was gone for the first time in decades. I fell like I have my life back!” – Rob C Now let me tell my story. When I was in chiropractic school in Atlanta, Georgia, I had a severe injury to my lower back. For over a year I suffered with horrible pain. I was getting adjusted three times a week by traditional chiropractors without any results. I was less than a month away from graduation and I became very frustrated. For the last 8 years I had studied to become a chiropractor, and now my life was put on hold by a condition that chiropractic is supposed to treat. A colleague of mine introduced me to a doctor who specializes in an unique type of chiropractic called NUCCA. In the entire world there are less than 200 NUCCA doctors. NUCCA can be considered to be like “engineering of the spine”, specializing in spinal correction without surgery. The NUCCA correction gently restores the skull, spine, and pelvis back to its proper position. This takes pressure off the nerves and allows the body to return to its natural, healthy state. Patients are typically seen 1/3 as often as traditional chiropractic and most patients receive permanent relief. Immediately after the first visit I felt relief, and in one week I was completely out of pain. I spent the next two years working as an intern in that Atlanta office. In 2002 I returned home to NY. Because of our passion for helping our patients and our commitment to excellence, we quickly became one of the busiest Upper Cervical Chiropractic practices worldwide. It is common for patients to travel well over an hour each way for care. We have seen patients that travel from all over the world, as well as 48 of the 50 United States. It’s strange how life is, because people now come to see me with all types of problems. With this NUCCA procedure I have tremendous results with the type of patients that visit traditional chiropractors like neck pain, back pain, and headaches, but the majority of my patients have more severe neurological conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, MS, Parkinson’s, and seizures, just to name a few. I explain to my patients that I am not curing them of anything, but the NUCCA procedure is able to help alleviate many of the symptoms associated with the disease. Here’s what some of my patients had to say: “I used to suffer with severe facial pain called trigeminal neuralgia. I’ve seen my MD, Neurologist, and Acupuncturist with limited results. I travel from East Hampton, LI because this is the only treatment that has helped me” –Pat G “For the last few years I have suffered with MS. I’ve been suffering with tremors, poor circulation, neck and back pain, loss of coordination, fatigue, asthma and insomnia. I have been under care for six months and without medication, Dr. Gertner has helped me control my MS. My tremors are gone and I am able to keep my hands steady. I am also seen great improvements in all my original symptoms including asthma – all without drugs! – Don O Several times a day patients thank me for helping them with their health problems. But I can’t really take the credit. I’ve never healed anyone of anything. What I do is make a specific spinal adjustment to remove nerve pressure, and the body responds by healing itself. The power that made the body, heals the body! We get tremendous results. It’s as simple as that! Make A Believer Out Of Me Offer — You shouldn’t go bankrupt to find out the solution to your health problems. If you bring in this article, you can receive my computerized diagnostic test and new patient exam with x-rays if needed for $27. This exam could cost you $300 just for the computerized test alone. But, please call right away because this offer expires on July 31, 2024, and I don’t want you to miss out. Why am I doing this? My purpose is to get as many people well through NUCCA chiropractic care as I possibly can. I want to become your chiropractor if you need me. If after the exam I think I can help, you I’ll tell you, If not I’ll personally refer you to the appropriate healthcare professional. Satisfaction… Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care. You’ll get professional care that’s affordable. My qualifications…I graduated from Hofstra University before finishing my Doctorate at Life College in Marietta, GA. I’m Board certified in the state of New York, and by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. I’ve been entrusted to take care of more than 12,000 patients…newborns, pro athletes, and celebrities that you may know, and I have delivered over 500,000 spinal corrections. My assistants are Diana and Sharee, and they are great people. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. Our office is called Upper Cervical Chiropractic of New York and is conveniently located at 311 North St in White Plains. Our phone number is 914-686-6200 or you can visit our website at www.nuccadoctor.com. Call today for an appointment to start getting well! Thank You. George Gertner, DC “Local Chiropractor offers Advanced Treatment for Chronic Pain”
PAGE 26 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES HEALTH & WELLNESS JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Statistically over 50% of all adult mental health that we face as a society starts at the age of 14. So that’s why we’re trying to focus upstream as far as we can, so we can prevent or help them learn how to cope or manage early on. And then the other piece of this, we’re excited. We’re building a residency program. Because then you say, well, there’s not enough providers. How are you going to staff with physicians and nurses for this specialized mental health? Part of the residency program that we’re building will have a residency spot for behavioral health. So the idea is we’re going to train our own providers that then we hope we’ll establish a practice in the community. We’ve always been a teaching hospital in the sense that we train nurses, techs, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, dieticians. This is the first time in the history of this hospital that we are becoming a true academic physician training location. We had just over 3,000 applications. We interviewed 300 people. And then you rank your candidates, they rank us and their other sites that they interviewed at. And then there’s an algorithm nationally that then matches the students. It’s exciting. For us this is a game changer because it raises the level of evidence-based care. It infuses more of the education culture, which is what we are, in Northwell, across many sites. We’re starting with internal medicine. It’s a little more intensive than primary care. That’s the base. We have 16 and we matched all 16 spots, which is great news as a first time program, that will grow to 32 within internal medicine. And then over the next five years, once you have internal medicine as the base, you can then do specialties, psychiatry, mental health. And then we’re looking at obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, pulmonary medicine and a few others. As a not-for-profit, access to fundraising and capital is vital for us to survive and we deeply appreciate a lot of our community who came together to help us fund what will be our maternity expansion. We’ve grown our deliveries at Northern Westchester statistically by almost 40% over the past five years when the birth rate in the area continues to decline. So as more families are transitioning out of the city, moving up, certainly that was the case during COVID, we’ve just in the last five years seen a pretty steady rise in births here, going from 1,600 deliveries in 2019 to this past year, when we delivered about 2,200 babies. [We have] the highest level NICU that you can have outside of a big trauma center. It’s called a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. It has all the services that support that NICU as well. So we have a pediatric general surgeon full-time on staff. We have five pediatric anesthesiologists in this hospital. So any surgery happening here is happening by a pediatric board certified anesthesiologist. We have a full time 24/7 hospitalist pediatrician here in the hospital; there’s always a pediatrician trained in hospital level care here, all the time, year-round. So, it’s all those services together that make it a good maternity department. We have a high-risk obstetrician. We always 24/7, 365, have two attending level obstetricians physically in the hospital, right around the corner every day of the week. Every night too. I think patients appreciate the fact that should something happen, we have the right team here to take care of you. The nursing team of Northern Westchester Hospital is second to none. This is a remarkable team. Evidence based, professional practice. Caring, compassionate. It’s amazing. So that makes a big difference. What’s lacking is the physical space from 1972. So this is where we’re excited this year and this is where we’ve had the donor community help accelerate, especially Scott and Nan Hayworth, gave us a pretty significant gift to jump start this initiative. This is a full renovation of all of our obstetrical units. So the third floor of this hospital, once it receives state approval later this year, we’ll start construction; it’s a two year project. Q: Is it an addition? Anderson: it is an expansion and modernization. So existing rooms get larger, delivery rooms get larger, we add an entire unit focused on antepartum, which are high risk mothers. You won’t notice it from the outside per se; it’s kind of tucked away back there. But you will see on the third floor, the physical envelope of the building expands to accommodate that growth. New operating rooms, new recovery room. It’s a big project. Once [the New York State Health Department] gives us approval, which we’re anticipating should be later this year, and it’s gone through that state regulatory approval, and then the local towns, we’ll be ready to start construction. Q: And then you mentioned Rapid Access ER? Anderson: So when it comes to emergency medicine here, and many ERs across the country have seen an increase in emergency room visits. Part of that may be due to the community unable to access their provider or see a doctor quickly or not having enough urgent care centers. We’ve seen a 17% increase here at Northern Westchester in the past four years or so. And a lot of that is related to the opening of our 24/7 heart center here. So that’s… all full heart services 24/7, 365 days a year. Because of that, you have patients that normally would have to travel for care end up in the ER. So there’s a part of it related to that. All of these factors combined, our typical emergency department is only built to handle so many visits. We’ve now exceeded that. Patients may remember five years ago always having a private room, very fast, very efficient, and this has turned into the physical constraints of double rooms. So this year that is being reviewed by the state health department. We have a great project to expand the ER, not the square footage, but a very big internal transformation that allows us to add a number of beds and a rapid access area. So often if patients come in and they just need something minor or relatively quick, why go through the same arduous process as somebody who’s here for something more complex. Q: So improve the triage basically? Anderson: Yes, your initial triage is relatively the same, but then you go down this fast track or you go down what needs more time and imaging and things like that. So it’s a model that’s been explored and deployed throughout Northwell throughout the country. We had a version of this right before COVID. This is now just an expansion of that. The hope is that we’ll start construction summertime and finish before the end of the year. Q: So I have to ask you about the parking because there was literally one space available for me to park. Anderson: My father used to say you’d rather go to a restaurant that’s busy and packed than a restaurant that’s completely empty. Here, no different. So there are many times during the week, typically come 9, 10 o’clock in the morning until late afternoon, we’re out of parking. To address this, we have valet services all over the campus. So in the garage, one level down is a free valet service. Our north lot has a free valet service. And then our cancer center at that end of the campus has a free valet service. And then we’re grateful for the Lutheran Church across the street that helps us. We ask employees to park across the street. CVS has been a great partner; we have a number of spots in the back of CVS. We have staff members, including myself, that park across the street, and then that gives a little more capacity for visitors and patients. As we continue to grow, there will be a need to look at an additional structure. And we’ll work very closely with the village of Mount Kisco. For those who live kind of down in this region, accessing physicians has been a challenge. As providers have retired, moved on from medicine, pre-COVID post-COVID, continues to just drive a national physician shortage in some specialties and even primary care. That’s one of the reasons we’re building a residency program so that every year eight to 12 residents will graduate and we hope for them to establish a practice here so that we have a talent pipeline. So looking at the landscape for us here, if we go back even just a few years, there were not a lot of Northwell employed doctors. Today, we have over 260 employed physicians practicing out in the communities of Westchester. Employees of Northwell Health. I would say in the last five years that number has more than doubled. These are Northwell Health practices. Any community that Northwell looks to add value in, they’re making investments locally. So we’ve done this time and time again across communities of the city, across Long Island and up here with our communities in Westchester and Rockland County. We continue to bring care close to home. Travel is a burden. The cost of going to Manhattan for care, it’s expensive, it’s time consuming, often requires somebody to take an entire day off of work and those are for those who can afford it. You have a number of the community we serve working two to three jobs, how do they Drs. Scott and Nan Hayworth recently gave a significant gift to Northern Westchester Hospital to help jump start the expansion of their maternity department. A NICU isoloation unit at Northern Westchester Hospital, which has the highest level NICU outside of a big trauma center. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TODD DEZEN HEALTHCARE FROM PAGE 24 SEE HEALTHCAREPAGE 30
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 HEALTH & WELLNESS THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 27 ADVERTORIAL Physical exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Understanding the differences and health benefits of each type of exercise would help you make an informed choice to suit your specific fitness goals and preferences. ISOMETRIC EXERCISES: Entail a low impact, static muscle contraction with no change in the muscle length or joint angle during the exercise. Examples are a) full body isometric - planks on your elbows hold up to one minute; b) shoulder isometric - pushing a soft ball into a wall and hold the contraction 10-15 seconds; and c) knee isometric; doing a wall squat and hold at 80 degrees angle for up to 1 minute. Health benefits: Muscle strengthening and joint stability. Because the joint stays in one position, the muscles around the joint can get stronger to improve joint stability and strengthening the muscles without compromising the joint. This is especially beneficial for painful arthritic joints, post-surgery, or injury to activate the muscle belly without straining the tendons or ligaments. ISOTONIC EXERCISES: Involve dynamic muscle contractions where the muscle length changes during the exercise. It can be both concentric (muscle shortens against gravity) and eccentric (muscle lengthens with gravity) muscle contractions. Examples are: 1) arms: weightlifting like bicep curls and body weight exercises like push-ups; 2) legs: deep squats, leg presses on a machine; and 3) core: sit-ups using your body weight as resistance. Health benefits: Promote muscle hypertrophy (growth) and muscle flexibility by improving joint range of motion and overall functional movement, and aid to increase your metabolic rate (number of calories burnt) and help to improve bone mass and bone density. ISOKINETIC EXERCISES: Involve muscle contractions at a constant speed throughout the exercise and require mostly specialized equipment to perform. Used to improve the speed in a specific range of motion. Examples are rowing machines and leg extension for thigh strengthening. Health benefits: They ensure equal, balanced muscle strength to reduce the risk of injury and maximize strength and speed during a performance. AEROBIC/CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISES: Are fueled by oxygen you breathe and are performed for long period of time doing rhythmic, endurance movements that elevate the heart rate and increase oxygen to the lungs, heart and circulatory system. Examples are brisk walking, jogging, dancing, elliptical, biking. Health benefits: They improve cardiovascular health by increasing the oxygen levels to the main organs, increase endurance and help to release endorphins that reduce stress and anxiety levels and could assist in weight management if combined with a healthy diet. ANAEROBIC EXERCISES: Do not require oxygen for energy production and are fueled by energy already stored in your muscles. They involve short durations of high intensity, quick burst of energy like sprinting, weightlifting for 10-15 seconds at maximum effort or HIIT (high intensity Interval training). Health benefits: They focus on developing muscle tone and definition and require a muscle to perform high-intensity activities for longer duration and aid in fat burning and promote lean muscle mass development. AQUATIC EXERCISES: They are performed in water and are low impact resistance exercise with buoyancy giving muscles and joints support and resistance. Health benefits: They are gentle on the joints and provide a total body workout that is safe for individuals with arthritis, injuries, and joint pain and they promote circulation to big muscle groups and organs. DYNAMIC EXERCISES — DIVIDED INTO PLYOMETRICS AND BALLISTIC TRAINING: 1) Plyometric exercises: Involve explosive high velocity movements with lower loads that focus on speed, power, and typically incorporate jumping and rapid muscle contractions like box jumps. Health benefits: They enhance agility, speed, and explosive power, and are popular with athletes who participate in explosive sports. Plyometrics also improve coordination, proprioception and overall balance and stability. 2) Ballistic training: Entail high velocity power training where the muscles are pushed close to maximum output. Examples are medicine ball throws, jump squats, and kettle ball swings. Health benefits: They focus on building muscle strength-speed. BARRE: Are inspired by the traditional ballet barre training and focus on isolating smaller muscle groups with repetitive movements. LIZE LUBBE GUEST CORNER Health benefits: They improve your core stability to help with posture, balance, flexibility and tone your body. PILATES: Low-impact exercises that focus on working the whole body at once. It emphasizes controlled movement with breath awareness and proper alignment. Pilates often incorporate equipment such as reformers, mats, and resistance bands to promote overall body awareness. Health benefits: It improves the mind-body connection that helps to improve posture, muscle balance and core stability. YOGA: It combines physical posture, breathing techniques, meditation, and mindfulness to promote holistic well-being. Health benefits: It improves muscle flexibility, strength, balance, stability, and proprioception that assist your posture and mind-body connection. Yoga also helps with relaxation and improve respiratory health. We are hands on PTs! The professional services of the team at Lize Lubbe Physical Therapy include: • Pre & Post Surgery Rehabilitation • Sports Injury Rehabilitation • Neurological Rehabilitation • Treatment of Musculoskeletal & Orthopedic Conditions • Postural, Balance & Gait Training • Pain & Headache Management • Body Rebalancing through Diaphragm, Breathing & Pelvic Stability www.lizelubbept.com [email protected] 914.875.9430 892 NY-35, Cross River, NY 10518 (blue office building) Lize Lubbe is the owner of Lize Lubbe Physical Therapy with its main practice located at 892 Route 35 in Cross River and a PT Studio in the premises of Apex Fitness (where her team focus on the rehabilitation of sports-related injuries). Learn more by calling 914-875-9430, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.lizelubbept.com. ZUMBA: Entail high-energy aerobic fun classes that focus on rhythmic movements that include bouncing and jumping. Health benefits: It builds endurance and cardiovascular fitness, decreases stress by releasing endorphins, and improves coordination. SOMATIC EXERCISES: Entail movement with full-body awareness. The focus is on how to connect your emotions with your body and how to release certain stress and tension with gentle movements and breathing techniques. Health benefits: They help to release stress and tension and improve the mind-body connection. Enjoy moving your body to benefit your physical and mental wellbeing. Contact your physical therapist to learn more about an individualized exercise program that is beneficial to your goals. The health benefits of different types of exercise
BY MARIA SCAROS GUEST COLUMNIST I recently “celebrated” my birthday. A Sunday lunch with some of my favorite women, all of whom are my family. The evening was spent sharing pizza with my daughter, her partner, and my 4-month-old granddaughter. As I cradled my granddaughter in my arms, my daughter leaned over and quietly asked, “What did you think about today?” Without missing a beat, I said with a smile, “Your yiayia and your papou,” meaning your grandmother and grandfather, (my parents). “I thanked them for giving me life, which continues to be extraordinary.” I have not lived a charmed life. Who has? I am not always cheerful, and I can sometimes be downright ornery. I recall enormous grief and loss, disappointment and tragedy. Family members who died prematurely. Loved ones who lost the decades I have been blessed to live. And yet, now and then it comes along. I let it in. That “some kind of wonderful feeling.” That feeling of “Yes, this is good. This is what matters. Life overall is precious.” Monday through Friday I am surrounded by activity that is often frenetic and at times, serene. Friends and family find the love I have for my work confounding. I work in an assisted living community for people who have memory impairment. “It must be sad,” they say. Absolutely not. There is life. There is humor. There is joy. There are wonderful moments that confirm life can hold something wonderful at any stage. Bob has been living with us for almost five years. Over time he has not used words to communicate, but his “being” communicates more than most who have language. Interestingly, when our staff feels overwhelmed or in need of comfort, they all know intuitively to stand or sit beside Bob. He responds by looking you straight in the eye, “seeing” you, smiling, and nodding his head knowingly. You may see a staff member with their head on his shoulder. “Bob sees us.” It reminds me of the song by Carole King. That feeling is sometimes fleeting and often unexpected and often so quite simple: All you have to do is touch my hand To show me you understand And something happens to me That’s some kind of wonderful And then there is Loulette who smiles when she sees you and reaches for your hand. She speaks in riddles, but when the music begins, her rendition of “La vie en rose” is flawless. With a flower in her hair and a champagne glass of lemonade, she stands and swoons to the tune. “She is some kind of wonderful, yes she is.” Peter reports he is a serious man with a serious job. He tells us he does not dance or sing. Music was never much of a part of his life. Well, Peter, music is a part of life at the Greens. You can’t ignore it. Our dance/movement therapist put on a jazz classic. Frank Sinatra started. “I can’t dance. Don’t ask me.” The therapist’s graceful hand went out to Peter, and he grabbed it. He danced like no one was watching. It was “some kind of wonderful.” I do believe we are wired for these moments no matter how we understand the world. Everyone can feel those moments of wonder, joy, love and awe. Let us embrace them throughout our lives and see them for the miracles that they are. Maria Scaros is Executive Director of The Greens at Greenwich. To find out more information or to schedule a tour at The Greens at Greenwich, call 203-531-5500 or email: mscaros@thegreensatgreenwich. com. You can also visit www. thegreensatgreenwich.com. JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 HEALTH & WELLNESS THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 28 Discover The Greens at Greenwich Home is a Feeling The Greens provides safety, comfort, and a loving home filled with laughter and joy. We are a small intimate assisted living community for your loved one with memory impairment. Awarded the Best Practice for Resident Care by the Connecticut Assisted Living Association Schedule a Tour 203.531.5500 [email protected] thegreensatgreenwich.com Some kind of wonderful A some kind of wonderful moment at The Greens at Greenwich. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREENS AT GREENWICH People turn to many different exercises and pieces of fitness equipment to get in shape and lose weight. What they may not realize is that one of the most effective health strategies requires no additional gear except a quality pair of athletic shoes. Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible activities that can improve overall health. In fact, walking is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” according to Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indeed, walking offers a host of benefits, including: • Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 14 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. • Helps a person maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. • Improves cardiovascular fitness by strengthening the heart. • Improves muscle endurance. • Helps to prevent or manage conditions like stroke, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. • Boosts immune function to make a person less susceptible to common viruses like the cold and flu. • Eases joint pain associated with arthritis, and can even prevent osteoarthritis from developing in the first place, according to Harvard Health. • Helps tame cravings for sweets and other fattening or sugary foods. The faster and more frequently a person walks, the greater the benefits. One also can alternate periods of leisurely walking with brisk walking as a form of interval training to burn more calories and improve cardiovascular fitness. This article is from Metro Creative Connection. Walk your way to better overall health
PAGE 29 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES HEALTH & WELLNESS JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 Extended periods of sitting, combined with improper posture and ergonomics, can wreak havoc on your spine, resulting in back pain. Fortunately, you can mitigate the risks of an inactive job by incorporating the following tips for sitting at a desk into your day. 1. Strengthen your core muscles Your abdominal muscles play a significant role in supporting your back. Strong core muscles absorb some of the force and stress of movement, so your spine doesn’t have to do all the work. They also help you balance, avoid awkward movements and protect against strains. A healthy core means better spinal and postural support. Strengthen yours by incorporating core work into your exercise routine at least three times a week. Many movements target your abdominal muscles, such as planks and crunches. Ask a trainer or physical therapist to show you the correct form for core exercises. 2. Set up your office ergonomically If you work at an office, you’ve likely heard of ergonomics, or the science of structuring a workplace to the user’s needs. An ergonomic workspace increases efficiency and productivity while minimizing discomfort. Below are a few ergonomic tips for working at your desk. Chair: Adjust your chair so your feet rest flat on the floor and your knees align with or are slightly below your hips. Position the armrests to relax your shoulders, and set the backrest to a slightly reclined angle. Another tip for supporting your back at your desk is to sit with your hips as far back in the chair as possible. Keyboard: Your keyboard should be at or slightly below elbow height and parallel to your forearms. Wrists should be in a neutral position while typing. Monitor: Your monitor should sit directly in front of you and your keyboard, with the top third at your seated eye level. Phone: People commonly cradle a phone between their shoulder and ear to free their hands to take notes, but this habit can strain the neck and upper spine. If you need to use your hands while talking on the phone, try using speakerphone or a headset. 3. Invest in a quality desk chair You spend a large part of your workday seated, so you should support your back by investing in a thoughtfully designed desk chair. A high-quality work chair should have the following features: • Adjustable seat height, backrest and armrests • A seat with adequate width and depth • Lumbar support • A swivel seat • Cushioning 4. Try out desk exercises You can perform a few effective movements at your desk to ease muscle tension if it occurs. Pelvic tilt: Loosen your back muscles by doing rounds of pelvic tilts. Shift your pelvis back and forth while seated, rounding and arching your lower back. Buddha stretch: The Buddha stretch relieves strain in your wrists. Place your palms together in front of your chest with your fingers pointing upward in a prayer position. Keep your palms together and allow your elbows to move outward as you lower your hands toward your lap. Chin tuck: Release a tight neck by sitting upright with a straight spine and jutting your chin forward as much as possible. Reverse the movement by slowly sliding your head back as far as possible, as if recoiling from something. Keep your head level throughout the exercise. 5. Switch to a standing desk A standing desk lets you break up your day into periods of sitting and standing. Many standing desks are adjustable, so you can raise yours to a comfortable height and lower it when you’re ready to sit. Below are a few ways a standing desk might benefit you: • Decrease blood sugar levels • Lower your risk of weight gain and heart disease • Reduce lower back pain 6. Practice good posture It can be challenging to maintain proper posture when sitting at a desk for hours on end, but doing so can help protect your lower back from strain, pain and injury. Slumping back in your chair or hunching forward can misalign your spine, putting pressure on the muscles and ligaments in your back. Instead, sit up straight and tall with your weight evenly distributed in your seat and your shoulders back. 7. Take regular breaks Aim to get up from your desk and move around at least every hour. It can be as simple as standing up, reaching your arms to the ceiling and folding forward to graze your toes a few times. If you have a few minutes and want to change your surroundings, walk around your office building or outside to get some fresh air. Anything that gets your blood flowing and your body moving will help keep stiffness and tension at bay. Dr. George Gertner is the founder of Upper Cervical Chiropractic of New York, PC which has collectively served over 500,000 office visits. Visit www.ucc-ny.com or call 914-686- 6200 for more information. Working at a desk? Seven ergonomic tips for taking care of your back Tired female worker sit at desk touch back suffer, woman strong backache, incorrect posture concept PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK DR. GEORGE GERTNER GUEST CORNER Your One-Stop Shop for Deck Building Materials Mahopac Railroad Tie Experts in Deck Lumber 911 Route 6, Mahopac, NY • 845-628-8111 • www.decklumber.com DECKING & RAILING
PAGE 30 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES LEISURE JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle! For puzzle solutions, please see theparamountrehab.com CLUES ACROSS 1. Six (Spanish) 5. Invests in little enterprises 9. Large dung beetle 11. Gored 13. Partially paralyzed 15. Still a little wet 16. Legal field media company 17. Not working 19. 500 sheets of paper 21. Church structure 22. Sheep disease 23. Small drink of whiskey 25. Weaving tradition 26. Pestilence 27. Body part 29. Nabs 31. Places to stay 33. Witnesses 34. Looked for 36. Arranges 38. Political action committee 39. Middle eastern nation (alt. sp.) 41. Hair-like structure 43. Parts producer 44. Greek city 46. Subway dwellers 48. Norm from “Cheers” 52. Clean a floor 53. Vied for 54. Canned fish 56. Inspire with love 57. Sent down moisture 58. Wrest 59. Partner to carrots CLUES DOWN 1. Mounted 2. Assign 3. Wrath 4. Self-immolation by fire ritual 5. Parts of an organism 6. Person from England 7. Tropical plants of the pea family 8. Body part 9. Practice boxing 10. Containers 11. Contrary beliefs 12. Bleached 14. Pre-Islamic Egyptian 15. A group of similar things ordered one after another 18. Innermost spinal cord membranes 20. Cassava 24. A restaurant’s list of offerings 26. Annoy constantly 28. Orchestrate 30. Z Z Z 32. Astute 34. Highly decorated tea urn 35. Teach to behave 37. Endurance 38. Urinating 40. Barbie friend dolls 42. Repents 43. Man-eating giant 45. Jewish calendar month 47. Accelerated 49. Husband of Sita in Hindu 50. Lump of semiliquid substance 51. Lying in wait 55. Cease to exist have access to care? So these are the things we struggle and think about and frankly try to solve how to bring care close to home. So that’s why you’ve seen nearly a doubling of the number of providers of Northwell in this area. A, because the need is there. B, so that patients can stay close to home. Q: And this is a good segue to the merger with Nuvance. I’m curious when that approval is expected. Anderson: I don’t have a timeline, I don’t know if anyone does, but they’re working through the regulatory process and in this period of time really nothing changes. There’s an intent and an agreement to merge pending regulatory approval. For now, operations remain the same. They are still a competitor of ours. At some future date, if the merge goes through, which we hope it will, we look forward to future partnerships and growing in these communities. And so with any luck or hope, in the next year or so, we’ll start to see the Northwell team and brand and working very closely with local communities to figure out what the needs are. Q: So part of the strategy is to become an all-encompassing healthcare provider, not just a hospital, but really out in the community with these practices and serving all your needs within Northwell Health? Anderson: Yeah, absolutely. Over 50% of our revenue of Northwell is not in a hospital. We have close to 900 ambulatory or doctors’ offices, imaging centers, urgent care centers. We do have 21 hospitals, 900 ambulatory sites, a number of GO Health urgent care centers, which separate from the Nuvance discussion, there is a joint venture that Northwell has ownership in. It is called Go Health, which is an urgent care chain. And they just opened three locations in Dutchess and Ulster County this past summer and they have many locations planned into Connecticut, Putnam County, Dutchess County, Fairfield County, over the next 1-1/2 to two years. Many of those sites have been identified and are soon going to start to come up. So the goal of that is to bring urgent care and physician practices closer to home. Q: How does Northwell Health avoid certain pitfalls seen by other medical practices as it grows? Anderson: It’s a great question. The mission of Northwell is fundamentally pure. We’re here to take care of our communities. Whether it’s in mental health that loses money, doesn’t matter. We’re excited for it because it’s going to fill a gap or a need in the community. We provide as a hospital and as a region, just this hospital, $34-$35 million a year in community benefit, which statistically is by far higher than the national average of any other hospital in the U.S. So that is in the form of what we call charity care, patients coming in who can’t afford the care. We have a very, very liberal policy, arguably the most liberal open policy around charity care of any institution in New York. That allows more patients to get care and not have that burden. It’s in the form of being out in the community with vaccines and flu shots. We gave over 10,000 flu shots free in the community this past year. It’s in the form of our staff volunteering time. We have a group of 30 or so nurses that go out and volunteer in schools and communities at food pantries, donating time to help these local community benefit organizations. So you kind of put all that together in the amount of stuff we do in education and resources provided to the community. If you quantify all of that, they call that community benefit. There was a study in 2021, nationally, the average not-for-profit hospital in the U.S. contributes about 2.3% of their expenses to community benefit. In this hospital, we’re at 7.8% of our expenses. At Northwell, overall, it’s greater than $2 billion a year. Northwell subsidizes care, goes out in the community, provides free blood pressure medications, free screenings, free flu shots, tremendous amount of energy put into it. So I think when it comes to the question of how do we avoid the pitfalls, fundamentally our mission is different. Fundamentally, we’re here to focus on, forget the cost, how can we do this the right way with the right patients in the right community? So if we can do that and then at some point through philanthropy we can figure out how to continue to reinvest in the hospital like paying for our maternity unit expansion, we will continue to do that. But it requires us to be out and connected in the community. I mentioned to you the President’s Council, where we’re bringing these community stakeholders together every three to four months. They’re telling us live, real time, in text messages, they’re emailing us, hey, I heard this, what can we do? And we’re we’re trying to be as nimble and adaptive as possible to tackle some of these challenges. I will say lastly, if I may, some of the challenges [in some medical groups], there are simply not enough providers in the U.S. Unless the individual has means to pay or travel or get on an airplane to go see a doctor, which most of us cannot, then there are going to be challenges with access. And it’s really not just any local medical group; this is a national issue. So the goal is though, how do we continue to invest in the right ways in the community. So at least patients in the community know that it’s not perfect, but we’re going do our best to get you in. Q: How has Northwell embraced AI (artificial intelligence)? Anderson: This is a fun topic. Northwell has an AI technology committee that governs how we use AI in Northwell. That’s very important because we talk about the potential of AI. It does need to be managed and governed. With that being said, there is tremendous opportunity for efficiency. Today in a hospital in an ambulatory setting, after a doctor sees a patient, depending on how complex the patient is, you could be there for 30 minutes typing up and writing all of your notes. There is AI technology that we’re working on and it’s starting HEALTHCARE FROM PAGE 26 SEE HEALTHCAREPAGE 31
JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 CLASSIFIEDS THE MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES – PAGE 31 to be piloted and demoed within Northwell, where just like this, you’re with a patient, you get the patient’s permission, you put a recorder like this on the table. It then takes and translates that into a narrative that you as the physician can then approve. Of course, it would never post something without your approval. You make sure it’s accurate. That just saved you 30 minutes. It gives you more time with the patient. Another example is radiology and this requires a lot of thought. Today in Northwell, we’re trialing, in pockets, AI technology on radiology. So you think of a system like Northwell, 85,000 employees, we serve millions of patients a year. Think about how many imaging studies are generated, that’s a lot of data. Being able to harness that and work with a company that can help us then get as accurate as possible, maybe even more accurate than a really welltrained radiologist. The radiologist would still confirm it, of course. …You’re waiting four hours for a radiology study. We’d love at some point to cut that in half. So you’re not waiting as long. It might be a more accurate read, quicker. I think that’s where we’re going. And so that’s where AI is more of an enabling technology, we’re not viewing it as a substitute. It’s more an enabler. It’s a tool. And the good governance around it. A lot of exciting stuff. Just like we talked about, we’re not a hospital system, we’re a healthcare system, and the goal is to take care of the patient from cradle to grave. The more that we can coordinate internally, this is more seamless for the patient. In Northwell, AI is going to disrupt us in a good way. We are replacing our electronic medical record, which is, for us, big news. It’s just over a $1 billion investment in Northwell. Across all of Northwell, we’re moving to what’s known as EPIC. It’s a national electronic medical record. In the United States, 60% of patients in the U.S. have an EPIC record. They have an entire AI division on how to really make that interaction of the provider, the nurse, the tech at the computer easier and better so they can spend more time with the patient. In the conversation of AI, there are many elements of that medical record that are foundationally based on AI to make it better, safer, higher quality for the provider, which translates to the patient. HEALTHCARE FROM PAGE 30 Hiring Stylist/Colorist with a following and a Master Barber with a following. Generous commissions. Also offering monthly chair rental. baezfred@ gmail.com HELP WANTED ATTORNEY PUZZLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF 6/6/24 DIVORCE $389 - Uncontested divorce papers prepared. Only one signature required. Poor person Application included if applicable. Separation agreements. Custody and support petitions. 518-274-0380 INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT? Don’t Accept the insurance company’s first offer. Many injured parties are entitled to major cash settlements. Get a free evaluation to see what your case is really worth. 100% Free Evaluation. Call Now: 1-888-454-4717. Be ready with your zip code to connect with the closest provider HEALTH WE HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED!!! HHA’s, LPN’s, Nurse’s Aides, Childcare, Housekeeping, Day Workers. No Fee To Employers. Serving The Community Over 20Yrs. Evon’s Svces: 516-505-5510 ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 1-855- 399-2719 Attention: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - Only $99! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW: 1-855-399-2582 HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-819-7060 HOME IMPROVEMENT BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now! 1-855-399-2076 Get DISH Satellite TV + Internet! Free Install, Free HD-DVR Upgrade, 80,000 On-Demand Movies, Plus Limited Time Up To $600 In Gift Cards. Call Today! 1-866-782-4069 Do you need a Roof or Energy Efficient Windows & Help paying for it? YOU MAY QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS (800) 944- 9393 or visit NYProgramFunding.org to qualify. Approved applications will have the work completed by a repair crew provided by: HOMEOWNER FUNDING. Not affiliated with State or Gov Programs. MISCELLANEOUS Get Boost Infinite! Unlimited Talk, Text and Data For Just $25/mo! The Power Of 3 5G Networks, One Low Price! Call Today and Get The Latest iPhone Every Year On Us! 844-329-9391 When veterinary care is unavailable or unaffordable, ask for Happy Jack® animal healthcare for cats, dogs, & horses. At Tractor Supply® (www.happyjackinc.com) SERVICES PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable. Call for service or an inspection today! 1-866-448-8311 Have zip code of property ready when calling! TRAVEL SERVICES SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call: 877 988 7277 TV INTERNET PHONE AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET. If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save! 1-855-399-2803 DIRECTV- All your entertainment. Nothing on your roof! Sign up for Direct and get your first three months of Max, Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and Cinemax included. Choice package $84.99/mo. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918 PLUMBING SERVICE MECHANICS NEEDED 914-276-1493 LBR Mechanical Corp is Seeking Service Mechanics. Must be Experienced in All Aspects of Plumbing and Heating. Journeyman License a Plus. Driver's License Required. MARCO B CONTRACTING CORP. Interior/Exterior Construction & Remodeling Siding, Roofing, Decks, Kitchens, Painting Carpentry Work Junk Removal with Our Containers! Call: 914-384-8219 Email: [email protected] Website: https://marcobcontractingcorp.com CASH PAID FOR ALL JEWELRY! Estate Jewelry Costume Jewelry Handbags Watches Perfumes Vintage Clothing Books Furs Religious Medals CAROL: 914-261-6464 Looking To Hire? Help Wanted? Reach Thousands of our Readers at a Low Cost! [email protected] or Call: 914-302-5628 Email: Selling Something? Looking To Buy Something? Having An Event? Reach Thousands of our Readers at a Low Cost! [email protected] Email:
PAGE 32 – MT. KISCO-BEDFORD TIMES JULY 3 - AUGUST 7, 2024 EXPERT CARE FOR WESTCHESTER POWERED BY NY’S MOST AWARDED HEALTH SYSTEM Northwell is proud to deliver exceptional, innovative care right in your community. Get easy access to primary and urgent care, specialty services like OB/GYN, cardiac and neurosurgery, and everything in between. It’s all here—and it’s all for you. Learn more at Northwell.edu/Westchester. To speak to a care navigator, call (914) 418-CARE 2341754a_2024 Westchester_Local_Campaign_North Salem News_Somers Record_Yorktown News_Mount Kisco Bedford Times_KatonahLewisboroTimes95x1225FP