Vol. 10 No. 1 BALANCED ROCK 2 CLASSIFIEDS 23 HEALTH & WELLNESS 15 OPINION 8 SPORTS 18 Inclusive School Sleepover pg 12 STEP FORWARD Visit News.HalstonMedia.com for the latest news. JUNE 20 – JULY 2, 2024 BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER Four North Salem residents have joined the prestigious club of women who’ve made a big difference in their communities. Receiving the 2024 Westchester Women of Distinction award from state Assemblyman Chris Burdick were Cynthia Curtis, Mary Kane, Mary Molina, and Karen Roach. The ceremony took place at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, June 18. Curtis Contributions for which Curtis was nominated include her service on both the town’s Planning Board and the Town Board. The person who nominated her noted that while on the latter board, she “constantly acted as a checks-and-balance” and was “very meticulous about raising concerns on all issues to best serve the people of North Salem” while “controlling spending and preserving the character of the town.” Curtis was instrumental in the rewriting of the local Zoning Code in 1987 and the town’s newly adopted Master Plan in 1985. As Planning Board chair, she has shown leadership by presenting several amendments to the town board to the Town Board. Also is a liaison to the Comprehensive Planning Committee, Curtis prepares all the town’s stormwater reports and chairs the Croton Falls Plan Committee. The nomination underlined the fact that Curtis is a volunteer and not a town employee. However, she “always drops what she’s doing” to assist town employees with their computer questions. Curtis has helped maintain the senior lists for the Recreation Department as well as a private email list for town use and “helps the public whenever she can when others are out of the office.” A retired insurance broker and claims manager, she is a past member of the North Salem Historic Preservation Committee, a current member and past president/membership secretary of the North Salem Historical Society, a member and president of the North Salem Improvement Society, a former trustee and treasurer of the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library, and a volunteer on the North Salem Open Land Foundation’s Trail Committee. Curtis is a Massachusetts native. She and her husband, Frank, moved to North Salem in 1977. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. When Curtis is not volunteering, she’s puttering in her garden and is locally renowned for her heirloom tomatoes. “It’s truly an honor,” she said of the award, adding that she finds volunteering very “rewarding.” “I love helping the people who live here,” Curtis said. Molina Molina started her own granola bar company, Lola Snacks, in the kitchen of her Croton Falls home. The goodies do not use any hydrogenated oils or refined sugars or rice, wheat, corn, or soy fillers. The bars are gluten, dairy, and soy free too. The core ingredients include whole-grain oats, a complex carbohydrate that keeps folks full longer. Flax seed meal, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds provide protein. A member of Pride of New York, Molina focuses on local or domestic ingredients including organic honey from New York and blueberries from New Jersey. She started with batches of 30 and worked her way up to 1,500 before moving production from her kitchen to a facility in upstate New York. Who’s Cooking, a local gourmet deli and caterer, was Molina’s first customer. Today, the bars are carried by food chains, including DeCicco’s Family Markets, Whole Foods, and Adams Fairacre Farms. Part of the proceeds help support local anti-hunger programs. Four North Salem residents honored for community service Mary Molina Cynthia Curtis Mary Kane Karen Roach SEE WOMEN PAGE 21 Women of Distinction 914-277-4424 • 440 Rt 22 North Salem, NY • www.theblazerpub.com CELEBRATING 531 YEARS! Celebrating graduation — Here’s to the future!
Page 2 – North Salem News North Salem News USPS #22110 Published Weekly by Halston Media, LLC at 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2024 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC 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 North Salem News Deadline The deadline for advertisements and editorial submissions for North Salem News is the Thursday before the next publication date. For more information, call Tom Walogorsky at 914-302-5830 or email [email protected] Online Follow Us Periodicals Postage Paid at Somers, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to North Salem News at 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 BALANCED ROCK June 20 - July 2, 2024 Town of North Salem www.northsalemny.org Town Board Meetings North Salem Town Board will hold their regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. at the Town Meeting Hall at 66 June Road and via Zoom as allowed by New York State. All meetings are subject to rescheduling upon adequate notice, as circumstances require. Ruth Keeler Memorial Library The library is open for browsing, computer use and reading! Please visit www.ruthkeelermemoriallibrary.org for more information. Most programs are in person or on ZOOM. Send an email if you want to participate to keelerlibrary@wlsmail. org. When you email, a link will be sent to click on, including a password to enter. Bringing Wildlife to Paper Featuring the work of wildlife artist Bob Folberth. On display at the library through the end of June. Social Knitting Club Mondays, June 24 & July 1 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The knitting group is a great way for knitters of all skill levels to come together, share their knowledge, and work on projects. In addition, it’s a great way to make friends, learn new techniques, and have fun with other knitters. So whether you’re a beginner who needs help with the basics or an experienced knitter who wants to learn something new, the knitting group can provide a supportive and encouraging environment. Book to Movie Club for Kids! Monday, June 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. Join Ms. Amy this month for an engaging event as we read “The Borrowers” and watch “The Secret World of Arrietty.” Books are available at the library, and snacks will be provided. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a great story and a movie together! Author Talk with Rebecca Dimyan Wednesday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. Via Zoom. Set in early 1950s Danbury, CT, and Lebanon, “Waiting for Beirut” is an account of the suffering of a man who is not allowed to follow his heart and the wreckage caused by broken dreams. A portrait of the Lebanese-American community, immigrant assimilation experience over generations, and evocative food culture, this story also explores the tragic tension of a great love that society cannot allow. ‘The Clubhouse’ Benefit for the Hudson Valley Alzheimer’s Association Wednesday, June 26 Join Rob Adams, Dave Torromeo and Mark Jeffers as they host a very special “Clubhouse” radio show supporting the Hudson Valley Alzheimer’s Association live from The Hub at Hotel MTK in Mount Kisco from 7 to 8 p.m. on AM1490 WGCH. Then, join in with musical guests Steve Muoio & Michael Weinstein from Blues Corruption rocking The Hub from 8 to 9 p.m. There will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, drink specials, local sport guests, trivia contests and fun for all, as well as food, drinks and tables. 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 SEE ROCK PAGE 22 1-800-PROPANE *Offler expires 6/30/24 Tank installation special applies to standard installation of above-ground tank. Offler applies to new residential customers with a fuel service agreement, subject to credit approval. Customer is responsible for the removal of competitor’s tank. 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June 20 - July 2, 2024 North Salem News – Page 3 North Salem High School welcomed one of its own, as Dr. Justin Hellwinkel (‘07) returned to his hometown to inspire the next generation of scientists. Before delivering the keynote address at the high school’s Science Research Symposium, Hellwinkel revisited the biology classes taught by Dan Collea - where his journey in science began. The alumnus shared insights into the intricate stages of his experiment on meniscus tears, detailing how this innovative research has translated into beneficial clinical practices for treating knee injuries in NFL players. “The education and opportunities that were available for me here set me up for success in any career, but especially in the sciences. It really made the difference for me to excel in college,” said Hellwinkel. He credits Dr. Nicholas Kowgios’s English class for his critical thinking skills. “Dr. Kowgios was instrumental in making me think about problems in the world and how to approach them in a unique way.” Hellwinkel has achieved remarkable milestones in his career. He pursued his passion at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he double-majored in molecular biology and human physiology. He then continued his education with a master’s in neuroscience. He is in the final year of his orthopedic trauma surgeon training at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. His aim to care for injured athletes and his publications in prestigious journals such as The Journal of Orthopedic Research and The American Journal of Sports Medicine are a testament to his dedication and success. Article courtesy of North Salem Central School District. North Salem alum inspires the next generation of scientists Hellwinkel with his former biology teacher and ski coach Dan Collea. Dr. Justin Hellwinkel gave the keynote address at the NSHS Science Research Symposium. The education and opportunities that were available for me here set me up for success in any career.’ Dr. Justin Hellwinkel North Salem High School Class of 2007 BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER In a cardiac emergency, every second counts. That’s why North Salem has taken the proactive step of installing AEDs, or automated external defibrillators, at both Joe Bohrdrum Park and Volunteers Park. The equipment cost several thousand dollars. Funding was provided by the North Salem Lions Club. “Our motto is ‘We Serve’ and the club thought this was an exemplary project to fulfill that mission,” said its vice president Sal Pantezzi. According to the American Red Cross, these potentially life-saving devices are sophisticated, but easy to use. AEDs can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electric shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective one. The devices give rescuers step-bystep voice instructions on how to check for breathing and a pulse and how and where to place the AED pads on the victim’s chest. Councilman and Lions Club member Martin Aronchick, who also happens to be a firefighter and an EMT, announced the installations. Calling 911 will summon the police, fire department, ambulance crews and paramedic assistance from Westchester EMS (WEMS) to the scene. However, it’s critical that lifesaving efforts begin immediately because “minutes will elapse while first responders are enroute,” he said. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the probability of survival decreases by 7 percent to 10 percent for every minute a victim remains in life-threatening arrhythmia. If there are two witnesses to the cardiac arrest, one should call 911 while the other retrieves and attaches the AED. If there is only one, that person should call 911 first to get emergency medical teams to the scene and then deploy the AED. The dispatcher who takes the 911 call will help direct life-saving measures and how to access and use the AEDs, which are in secure, temperature-controlled cabinets. (Rescuers are given a code to open the cabinet.) Aronchick advised folks to familiarize themselves with the devices’ exact locations. Bohrdrum Park is located at 15 Sunset Drive and Volunteers Park, at 242 June Road. Lions provide funding for lifesaving devices in North Salem parks The AED recently installed in Volunteers Park. PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH SALEM LIONS CLUB
Page 4 – North Salem News June 20 - July 2, 2024 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 Selling Something? Looking To Buy Something? Having An Event? Reach Thousands of our Readers at a Low Cost! [email protected] Email: BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER After 13 years of pioneering support for artists and innovators, SPACE on Ryder Farm has faced its final curtain. The nonprofit residency program’s board of trustees said that the decision to cease operations was difficult and sad but necessary due to lack of funding. “Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed closures and contractions of hundreds of arts organizations, from residencies to major producing theaters. This is awful to confront, but SPACE is not alone - and we did not make this decision lightly or quickly,” said board co-chair Lee Seymour, who noted that the team had spent months “crunching numbers” and pursuing all possible options in hopes of staying afloat.” “The plain truth is that we aren’t immune to the same funding drought that is crippling the broader arts sector,” he added. The only silver lining is that SPACE’s situation may “inspired others to rethink the way American supports its arts and cultural institutions, and make them more sustainable,” Seymour said. Ryder Farm is located at 406 Starr Ridge Road in Brewster. SPACE’s current residency, the Working Farm, will be its last for the foreseeable future, the board said. However, its organic farming operation will continue through the end of the year in order to fulfill SPACE’s contract with the Putnam County Cooperative extension to contribute 50,000 pounds of fresh produce to Meals on Main Street, Second Chance Foods, and other emergency food providers serving communities in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region. SPACE’s farmstand – the go-to place for fresh herbs, organic vegetables, and flowers – will open in mid-June and remain so into November. It’s open 24 hours a day Fridays through Wednesdays. The organization plans to suspend operations, but not “dissolve,” and to investigate “options for SPACE’s future beyond 2024,” the board said. “We have worked tirelessly to keep this extraordinary organization alive, but the challenges of the last four years, including the pandemic and the loss of major funding sources, have become insurmountable,” said board co-chair Janet Olshansky. “We are incredibly proud of the work done and created here, and unendingly grateful to everyone who has supported it. And while this chapter of SPACE is finished, our hope is that, with time, SPACE will grow again,” she added. According to Amy Wolf, SPACE’s director of external affairs, the closure will not impact Ryder Farm’s protected status because SPACE was just a tenant. The Ryder family still owns the 128-acre property. In 2023, the Westchester Land Trust, a nationally accredited land conservation nonprofit headquarters in Bedford Hills, announced that the farm had been preserved in perpetuity by a conservation easement. The legal agreement ensures that the farm will forever remain free from non-farm development and be reserved for continued agricultural use. Funding for the project was made possible by a $2 million grant from the Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program, which is administered by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, and by the generosity of the Ryders who sold the development rights at a discount to full value. About Space Founded in 2011 by Emily Simoness, Susan Goodwillie, and a team of artists, SPACE’s mission was to create a singular environment that could “invigorate artists and innovators and their work” and to “contribute to the sustainability and resourceful preservation of one of the oldest organic farms on the East Coast.” Under Simoness and her successor Kelly M. Burdick, SPACE has supported more than 1,600 residents, mentored more than 75 young professionals through fellowship and internship programs, and “helped breath new life into Ryder Farm through the restoration and management of the property’s many historic buildings,” the board said. Ryder Farm dates back to 1795 and is the oldest in Putnam County. The Ryder family was an early adopter of the organic farming movement and were also one of the original participants in New York City’s Union Square Greenmarket. SPACE’s alumni “span the arts industry from theater to film, music to poetry, emerging talent to award-winning luminaries,” it said. Among those artists who have developed work on the farm are Michael R. Jackson, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, Sanaz Toossi, Samuel D. Hunter, Clare Barron, Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Deepa Purohit, Mfoniso Udofia, Celine Song, Dave Malloy, Christine Jones, Will Arbery, Young Jean Lee, David Cale, Ellen Winter, Shayok Misha Chowdhury, Danya Taymor, Arian Moayed, Sarah Ruhl, C.A. Johnson, Josh Radnor, Grace McLean, and Shaina Taub. SPACE also supported a network of other institutions, bringing groups of their artists and staff to the farm for working residencies. For example: Ars Nova, Audible, Rattlestick Theater, Roundabout Theater Company, Page 73, Playwrights Horizons, and The Kennedy Center. In the last year alone, accomplishment and “laurels” of SPACE alumni include the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a Pulitzer finalist, 10 Tony Award nominations, three Obie Awards, 31 new play premieres, four albums, four books, concerts, readings, commissions, and “performances around the globe.” Taking a bow SPACE on Ryder Farm to cease operations The organization plans to explore options for SPACE’s future beyond 2024. PHOTO COURTESY OF SPACE ON RYDER FARM
June 20 - July 2, 2024 North Salem News – Page 5 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_KatonahLewisboro Times_9.5 x 12.25 FP f
Page 6 – North Salem News June 20 - July 2, 2024 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 the cost of your long-term care will be if you are not eligible for Medicaid? BY CAROL REIF STAFF WRITER Which came first, the chicken or the egg? North Salem officials found themselves struggling to answer that age-old question while contemplating the formation of a sewer district in the Croton Falls General Business (GB) district. Should they go ahead and apply for grants before completing certain steps in the bureaucratic process or should they hold off until more of the groundwork is laid? One thing’s for certain, Supervisor Warren Lucas said Tuesday, June 11, nothing’s going to happen unless the town gets substantial financial assistance. Citing a looming deadline, Lucas was clearly anxious that the Town Board pass three resolutions, namely to declare itself the lead agency for SEQRA purposes for the approximately $11 million project, to authorize him to apply for a $2.7 million state Water Infrastructure Improvement Act grant to support the same, and to authorize the issuance of a bond for the total amount of the project. (Issuing a bond does not mean that the town will actually borrow $11 million. That takes a separate vote.) The impetus behind the move, the town said in the first resolution, is that properties in the hamlet’s business zone discharge wastewater to individual septic systems and cesspools that are “failing” and require frequent pumping out, and are a “potential hazard” to the town’s and New York City’s water supplies. The deadline for the WIIA grant application was Friday, June 14. Also on the table at the board’s Tuesday meeting were critical improvements to the Pabst and the Croton Falls water districts. (More on that at a later date.) “My goal is to make sure that it’s (the hamlet and its business district) is here in 100 years and still thriving,” Lucas said. By meeting’s end, all water and sewer-related resolutions were approved, but not before Councilwoman Katherine Daniels reiterated concerns that the town was getting way ahead of itself by applying for a WIIA grant before it had conducted a formal needs assessment as part of a map, plan, and report, a step which is necessary before a sewer district can be formed. In attendance Tuesday were Lucas, Daniels, Deputy Superintendent Peter Kamenstein, and Councilman Brent Golisano. Councilman Martin Aronchick was absent. Daniels voted “yes” on declaring the Town Board lead agency but gave the thumbs-down to authorizing Lucas to apply for the WIIA grant. The latter resolution passed with a majority vote of 3-1. According to Lucas, the town is also pursuing a DEC/DEP grant for $6.25 million, has been put in for a federal grant of $3.95 million by Congressman Mike Lawler and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and expects to get about $4 million in monies from the county’s Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP). The Northern Westchester Watershed Consortium has already voted to support the last allocation, but the vote in Officials mull sewer district options Several members of the North Salem High School Class of 2024 were recently named as the proud recipients of scholarships from a pair of local organizations. Isabella Fryer and Lola Molina were announced as the winners of the North Salem Republican Town Committee Senior Scholarship at the Seniors Awards Night ceremony. Earlier this month, the North Salem Lions Club announced the recipients of this year’s Community Service Awards, given in recognition of a North Salem school district graduating senior, who exemplifies their motto: “We Serve.” This award is not based on academic standing but is judged on what the student gave of themself as a volunteer in the community. Receiving the Community Service Awards were Michael Bisaillon, Sarafina DiPaola, Lola Molina, Rebecca Senatore, Lili Valetta, and Solace Winslow. Information provided by North Salem Republican Town Committee and North Salem Lions Club. Super scholars! SEE SEWERPAGE 19 The recipients of the North Salem Lions Club Community Service Awards.
June 20 - July 2, 2024 North Salem News – Page 7 6TH - 12TH GRADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY EDUCATION KENNEDYCATHOLIC.ORG 54 Route 138 Somers, NY Congratulations Class of 2024 Our graduates earned admission to over 250 colleges, including.. Florida State University Binghamton University Cornell University Boston College Georgetown University Boston University Howard University Bucknell University College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary North Caroline State University Northeastern University Northwestern University Pepperdine University Stevens Institute of Technology Stony Brook University The George Washington University United States Air Force Academy United States Coast Guard Academy United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy University of California - Irvine University of Florida University of Georgia University of Maryland - College Park University of Miami University of Michigan University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame University of Richmond University of Rochester University of Virginia The Class of 2024 earned over $34 million in merit award scholarships. The average per student receiving awards was over $400,000! Join the Kennedy Catholic Prep Legacy of Success Inquire Today Inquire Today
June 20 - July 2, 2024 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2024 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC BRETT FREEMAN, PUBLISHER TOM WALOGORSKY, EDITOR TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL, CREATIVE DIRECTOR Editorial Office: 914-302-5830 [email protected] 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 North Salem News 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 to [email protected]. For more information, call the editor at 914-302-5830. Opinion Page 8 – North Salem News Happily Ever After “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-yearold 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 medium-sized 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 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-sad-face, 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 RIP, Justin Freeman Dec. 23, 2016 (Gotcha Day) - May 30, 2024 Justin Freeman PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIE FREEMAN BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER’S MEMO SEE FREEMAN PAGE 10
June 20 - July 2, 2024 OPINION North Salem News – Page 9 Delay in NYC congestion pricing is cynical Dear Editor, I agree with the public statement released by U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler on the cynical pause/delay considered by Gov. Hochul on the New York City congestion pricing plan. Obviously, Gov. Hochul is considering pausing or delaying the implementation of the extra tolling on drivers in Manhattan in midtown and downtown until it’s out of a “danger zone” for Democratic election prospects this fall. As the delay in starting congestion pricing would cost the MTA in lost revenue, The New York Times reports that new business taxes in NYC are being considered. But, unless the congestion pricing plan is ended as opposed to delayed, when it’s more convenient to start again, we would be looking at the congestion tax plus those new business taxes. Maybe in 2025? I agree with Rep. Lawler -- the plan should be ended, not merely delayed or “paused.” -Mary Pat Campbell Croton Falls Appreciative of Giamundo’s commitment to our schools Dear Editor, I am writing to express my gratitude to Paul Giamundo for his unwavering dedication and exceptional service to our community over the past 18 years as a member of the North Salem Board of Education. His commitment to our schools, demonstrated by his perfect attendance record, is truly commendable. Paul Giamundo’s contributions to our district are numerous and significant. As a retired teacher and parent of children who attended North Salem schools, and now with grandchildren at both PQ and the North Salem Middle School, Paul’s deep-rooted connection to our community has always been evident. His efforts in enhancing the safety of our students by bringing a School Resource Officer to PQ exemplify his proactive and thoughtful approach to education and student welfare. Paul’s recent election loss does not diminish his remarkable achievements and the positive impact he has had on our schools. His continued best wishes for the future of our school district further highlight his integrity and commitment to our community. Thank you, Paul, for your tireless service, your leadership, and your dedication to making North Salem schools a better place for all. You have set a high standard for future board members by never being late, and never being absent, and have left a lasting legacy that will be remembered and appreciated. -Nzingha Milanes Appreciative parent and resident LETTERS I t’s time to set the record straight on the 116-megawatt battery energy storage system proposed for a 93.5-acre parcel of land in Mahopac on the Carmel-Somers town line. The Union Energy Center project, which will be discussed at a June 19 public hearing of the Carmel Town Board, has caused residents considerable consternation. Dozens and dozens of upset residents have contacted my district office to voice their concerns about this project and the feeling they were shut out of the process by Carmel officials. The persistent interjection of partisan politics into the situation, however, has added to the challenges that I have faced in addressing the real worries of homeowners while offering support to the municipalities involved. Despite my repeated declarations of respect for the autonomy of the Town of Carmel Planning Board and its decision-making processes on local zoning, Republicans at all levels of government have sought to take partisan advantage of the issue and fabricated wildly outrageous claims and lies purporting to the contrary. Here is the problem: the Town of Carmel has been without an updated comprehensive master plan for more than two decades. That makes the Carmel board responsible for this quagmire; for the board members to blame the Covid-19 pandemic on the lack of an updated master plan is disingenuous at best. As it stands, the current Carmel master plan allows for the planning board to okay this project. At a recent Carmel Town Board meeting, it was erroneously noted that the state had overruled local zoning for the placement of cell towers, and that Gov. Hochul would do the same for the battery energy storage project—even though there is no basis in law for her to do so. A town board resolution in opposition to the state’s oversight on where to place renewable energy facilities, like wind Setting the record straight on battery farm PETE HARCKHAM SENATOR SEE HARCKHAM PAGE 14 LOCATIONS: Baldwin Place • 44 Route 118 • (845) 628-7900 Croton Falls • 1 Center St • (914) 769-3206 Find out why Joe Ferone of Proper Service needs to be YOUR Go-To Automotive Service Center! YOUR FAMILY CAR CARE CENTER For over 100 years of combined auto experience, Joe Ferone and his sta of Proper Service have been serving the community, creating relationships and building a remarkable company with an amazing team JOE FERONE, owner of employees!
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 singlefamily 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 without 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. About 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 grand-dog, 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. Page 10 – North Salem News OPINION June 20 - July 2, 2024 FREEMAN FROM PAGE 8 Justin Freeman with sister, Jenna, brother, Jared, and Mom & Dad, Lauren and Brett PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN FREEMAN FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING, HOT WATER HEATER & GAS NEEDS 845.628.3924 • beeandjay.com Happy 4th of July! RED WHITE & BLUE SAVINGS! 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Clients often fall into two categories: those who want their children and loved ones involved in their estate plan and those who simply do not. When asked which is better, my answer is often “it really depends on your family dynamics and circumstances.” I typically believe that as people age, greater communication and understanding of the situation by my clients’ family and children is helpful in the event of an emergency or upon one’s passing. However, learning of a windfall inheritance, for example, can do “funny” things to people. In rare circumstances, you will hear stories of elder financial abuse being committed by “trusted” family members. If you are planning to discuss your estate plan with your children and/or loved ones, here are a few tips I can share: 1. Communication helps set expectations. One of the biggest challenges in estate planning is that each generation has different values, investment priorities and expectations as to who should be involved in the safeguarding and distribution of assets after a parent or loved one passes away. It is important for you to communicate your goals and wishes to your children and loved ones who will be handling your affairs in the event of your incapacity or death. For example, if you have four children and are only choosing two to act as co-executors, it may be helpful to explain why you are choosing those children: perhaps they are geographically located near you, or perhaps you are appointing your executors in age order or based on their knowledge of financial matters. Similarly, setting expectations for how you would or would not want your money spent in the event of incapacity can be extremely helpful to your appointed agents and successor trustees so they can ensure your wishes are followed. The same can be said for medical decision making and communicating your medical wishes, conditions, medications and doctor information to your agent named in your health care proxy. 2. Communication avoids need to first locate assets upon incapacity or death. When you do not communicate what your assets are to those who will be receiving and/or able to access your assets upon incapacity or death, it immediately creates the issue of locating and marshaling your assets. By making sure that you keep an updated list of your assets, account holdings, contact information for financial advisors, accountants and attorneys you use, you will be helping set your family up for success when transitioning into a decision making role for you. 3. Communication can create tax efficient plans. Estate planning and transfer of wealth not only affect the individual creating the plan, but their children and future generations as well. For example, for individuals with larger and potentially taxable estates, transfer of wealth between generations may require information as to your children’s net worth in order to ensure that you are passing wealth to them in a tax efficient way. Lifetime trusts or generation skipping transfers to grandchildren or more remote descendants may want to be utilized in order to avoid creating a tax liability for your children, especially when they have potential for a taxable estate due to their own personal wealth. Kicking the estate tax bill down the road should be considered. 4. Communication and access are not the same. Clients are sometimes concerned that by communicating their estate plan to their children, they are giving them access and the ability to start “calling the shots.” Access to funds does not need to be given in order for family to be prepared when a loved one passes away or becomes incapacitated. The goal should be to ensure that mechanisms are in place and legal documents are executed to allow for access to be provided when needed. For example, a child does not need to be added as a joint owner on a bank account, but granting them Power of Attorney and the ability to make financial decisions when necessary may suffice. Additionally, the information communicated does not need to be extremely detailed. For individuals who are hesitant to share the details of their finances and net worth, it may be sufficient for them to simply state to their children/ loved ones that they created an estate plan and named their children as those “in charge” if they were to become incapacitated or pass away. The children should then be given the contact information of the attorney who was used to create the estate plan and their parent’s accountant so they can obtain proper guidance when the time is right. Your attorneys and trusted advisors could also be provided a list of assets and additional information to share with the children. In closing, while communication can be difficult, I have found that opening the lines of communication can set your family up for success during difficult times. It can also significantly decrease the likelihood of conflict, disagreements and disappointment when a plan is not what a loved one anticipated. Lauren C. Enea, Esq. is an Associate at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP. She concentrates her practice on Wills, Trusts and Estates, Medicaid Planning, Special Needs Planning and Probate/Estate Administration. She believes that it is never too early or too late to start planning for your future and she enjoys working with individuals and families to ensure that their estate and long-term care plan best suits their needs. Ms. Enea is on the executive committee of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Elder Law and Special Needs Section and is also the CoEditor of the NYSBA Elder Law and Special Needs Section Journal. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida. She can be reached at 914-948-1500. June 20 - July 2, 2024 North Salem News – Page 11 LAUREN ENEA GUEST CORNER FOCUS ON ELDER LAW Sharing is caring? Pros and cons of communicating your estate plan For individuals who are hesitant to share the details of their finances and net worth, it may be sufficient for them to simply state to their children/ loved ones that they created an estate plan and named their children as those “in charge” if they were to become incapacitated or pass away.’ -Lauren C. Enea, Esq. Associate at Enea, Scanlan PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK & Sirignano, LLP
While the stage lights dimmed after the middle school play and the lacrosse stands emptied last month, North Salem Middle/High School was just getting started on an exciting all-night celebration. The hallways echoed with laughter and dance music as students gathered for the first-ever Structured Teaching Educational Program (STEP) sleepover, an evening filled with gooey s’mores, silly dance parties, spooky ghost stories, and time with good friends. “When you look back on your childhood, one of the core memories you probably have is having sleepovers with your friends. Every child should be able to experience that,” said Kristin Doherty, Chairperson of the Special Education Department. “Many of our STEP students have not had that childhood experience yet, so the teachers and staff changed that and created a core memory that we’ll all cherish for the rest of our lives.” The event kicked off on Friday night with a pizza party, followed by video games, board games, and a scooter obstacle course for some friendly competition between students and staff. The TV studio was transformed into a movie theater with bean bag chairs and blankets for those who preferred to relax and watch a movie. Outside, twinkle lights lit up the high school courtyard while students prepared and devoured s’mores. Music, light-up toys, and conga lines filled the air as students danced and played with friends. Indoors, students braved the darkened halls with flashlights, searching for any ghosts of North Salem. The staff quickly learned that the students were braver than most adults. In the morning, the spirit of togetherness continued, as Principal Vince DiGrandi and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Adam VanDerStuyf prepared a delicious breakfast of pancakes and bacon for all to enjoy. After breakfast, they led the students to the track for a morning walk, basking in the fresh air and the success of the sleepover. Article courtesy of North Salem Central School District. Page 12 North Salem News – An exciting STEP forward! PStudents enjoy inclusive school sleepover BUYING845-62WE WILL COWE BUY: Gold • Sterling SJewelry • CoinPaintings • BronClocks • CollectiAntiques • ETItems for saAFFORDABLE Dumpster Rentals! CIRONE CARTING 845-533-5262 Same-Day Roll-Off Container Delivery Available 10-yard • 12-yard • 15-yard 20-yard • 30-yard CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE cironeconstruction.com 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
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Page 14 – North Salem News OPINION June 20 - July 2, 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) 4 Woods Bridge Road, Katonah • (914) 232-3033 www.clarkassociatesfuneralhome.com • [email protected] DANIEL B. McMANUS ~ Proprietor • BRUCE E. REISDORF ~ Licensed Manager JOSEPH M. McMANUS ~ Director • RONALD P. CERASO ~ Director • Only 1/4 mile from 684 exit 6. • Only 1 block from the Katonah Railroad Station. • Less than 60 minutes from N.Y. City. • Parking facilities for over 100 cars • Monuments & inscriptions available. FUNERAL PREARRANGEMENT Both pre-payment and no-payment options Serving all Faiths since 1858 • Cremations and Burials and solar farms, was a diversion, as it had no impact on a standalone energy storage system. Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Lawler and Assemblymember Matt Slater poured gas on the fire by issuing a joint press release with my opponent declaring victory for home rule after my legislation enabling the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to help communities with battery energy storage system proposals was pulled back, its enacting clause stricken, because the bill’s language was made invalid by the new state budget, which gives this responsibility now to the Public Service Commission. Although my opponent has no clue on the subject, the two lawmakers should have known better, as they ignored the bill’s intent to help in situations exactly like this in Carmel, Somers, Putnam County, Westchester County and New York City (because of the reservoirs). The bill would seek input from neighboring municipalities, something the constituents from Somers say is missing from the process. No consideration was given in this press release as to why having the state’s professional and technical input could benefit the decision-making process. Indeed, this project is a prime example for why a regional solution should at least be discussed: it simply gives a voice to neighboring residents. In this case, the homeowners in Somers have every reason to decry this particular process. Also, it is important for state legislators to weigh in on a state process. As chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, I was instrumental in ensuring that a different energy project did not proceed because it would have impacted wetlands and prime farmland. To date, I have communicated to the Carmel Planning Board (in April) that it should engage in a “robust public engagement process” regarding East Point Energy’s proposed Union Energy Center project, which has resulted in the upcoming public hearing. Additionally, I have publicly supported Carmel’s proposed moratorium on siting a battery energy storage system while it considers more comprehensive local regulations. That’s trying to be helpful. Elected leaders don’t always have to agree on policies and certain issues, but we damn well better work together when it counts. Politicizing each and every issue possible continues to be a model of failure. The Carmel Town Board’s resolution about the state’s oversight on where to place renewable energy facilities, like wind and solar farms, struck me as both unhelpful and diversionary. The Norwegian company behind the Union Energy Center and NYSERDA have done little to explain or educate what a battery storage system is, whether it is safe and what environmental impact it may have. This is all the more reason for elected officials, municipal leaders and other stakeholders to work responsibly together and find a resolution to this challenging issue. State Sen. Pete Harckham (D-40) was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2018, and re-elected in 2020 and 2022. New York’s 40th Senate District includes the towns of Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County; the town of Stony Point in Rockland County; and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, New Castle, North Salem, Somers and Yorktown, the towns/villages of Mount Kisco and Ossining, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan and Croton-onHudson in Westchester County. HARCKHAM FROM PAGE 9
June 20 - July 2, 2024 HEALTH & WELLNESS North Salem News – Page 15 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 launches 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 HEALTHCARE PAGE 16
Page 16 – North Salem News HEALTH & WELLNESS June 20 - July 2, 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 15 SEE HEALTHCARE PAGE 17
June 20 - July 2, 2024 HEALTH & WELLNESS North Salem News – Page 17 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 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 well-trained 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. 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Page 18 – North Salem News June 20 - July 2, 2024 Sports NO NEWS... 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. It’s FREE & It’s Easy! is NOT necessarily good news! # 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 North Salem News YES, I really enjoy North Salem News 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 for TAPinto E-News) (Optional) 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 or visit www.halstonsubscribe.com Checks payable to Halston Media LLC. Please include this form in your envelope. Please include the following additional papers as part of this subscription: The Somers Record Mahopac News Yorktown News The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times The Katonah-Lewisboro times BY TOM WALOGORSKY EDITOR As the spring season came to a close, members of North Salem’s Track & Field squad finished strong at the state qualifying meet. On Thursday, May 30, at Arlington High School, senior captain Isabella Fryer finished 2nd in the 3000M, while freshman Freyja Smith took 13th in the 800M. On the boys team, Jack Fryer placed 4th in the 800M and Connor Quadrini took 8th in the 3200M. The team was back in action the following day at Suffern Middle School, with Quadrini (5th in 1600M), Isabella Fryer (4th in 1500M), Emma Gautier (11th in 400M), and Alexia Zamora (14th in 200M) all having strong showings to close out the year. The boys 4x800M relay team consisting of Fryer, Quadrini, Matt Schaub, and Jonathan Alves also finished 6th on the day. With the season complete, the Tigers will bid farewell to seniors Isabella Fryer, Alexia Zamora, Aidan Pena, Connor Quadrini, and Matt Schaub. “There were many personal records, and that is an awesome way to wrap up the season,” said Coach Chris Gould. “Ours is a physically and mentally challenging sport and the team put a cap on what is definitely a highly successful season. We will miss our senior captains, they have left quite the legacy in the history of North Salem Track & Field.” Tigers wrap up season at state qualifiers The Tigers will lose senior captain Bella Fryer to graduation. FILE PHOTO: ROB DIANTONIO Connor Quadrini will be among the team’s graduating seniors. FILE PHOTO: WHIT ANDERSON TRACK & FIELD
June 20 - July 2, 2024 LEISURE North Salem News – Page 19 nonbinding and the county itself has to approve it. All those grants have “open deadlines,” he explained. “In my view we are nowhere near ready to move forward with this project,” Daniels told North Salem News later. However, she voted “yes” on the resolution to issue the bond. “By voting ‘no’ on authorizing the WIIA grant application, I was true to my point of view and allowed the majority to have their way by not killing the whole project by voting ‘no’ on the bond resolution,” Daniels explained Not only does the town have a “lot more homework to do,” it needs to make sure that the folks in the new sewer district understand exactly how much it’s going to cost them, Daniels said. Lucas’ argument was that he had already talked to a lot of the business owners “one on one” and found there was a definite need for, and a strong interest in, public sewers. He hadn’t talked to the homeowners who potentially could be included in the district. But once this moves forward, there will be public hearings, as required, he said. North Salem ultimately aims to hook up to the sewage treatment plant at Heritage Hills, a condo complex in the neighboring town of Somers. It has to get the okay from the plant’s owners, Veolia Water New York Inc., and also sign an Inter-Municipal Agreement with Somers before plans can move forward. At present, the plant has the capacity to accommodate wastewater from the proposed Croton Falls business district sewer system. While the IMA has yet to be negotiated, things seem to be looking pretty good, said Lucas, adding: “I expected the answer’s going to be ‘yes.’” Daniels asked the supervisor what would happen if Somers declines. “Well, then we don’t go to Somers,” he responded without revealing what the alternative would be. Pushback WIIA grants are supposed to cover both commercial and residential properties, Planning Board chair Cynthia Curtis said Tuesday, noting that the district boundaries Lucas presented appears to have left out several private homes, on Maple Road behind the Railyard Arts Studio and elsewhere while including the old firehouse on Front Street, which is now an office building. “The map is all over the place. There’s no continuous district,” she said, deploying a loaded word, “gerrymander.” Curtis later emphasized that “intent is critical” to successful grant applications and asked the board “If the intent is for everybody to go in, why not say that?” When Lucas claimed he hadn’t been aware that the residential properties cited had been GB district, Curtis responded: “They’re in the plan.” She also said that there was “misleading verbiage” in the resolution regarding the town’s claiming lead agency, namely that septic systems were “failing.” “I think you should go through it and fix it,” she advised. According to both Daniels, the town’s own Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), which is done yearly for the county Health Department, shows there’s no documented evidence that septic systems in Croton Falls are currently failing. That’s not to say they might not in the future, however. Daniels said Tuesday that she had hoped for a “public hearing” type meeting where all property owners in the general business zone could weigh in before the town proceeded with grant applications and so forth. It’s all about the money. “I just want to be clear-eyed about what we’re doing, and I want everybody to be clear-eyed about what we’re doing,” she explained. Business Owners Speak Out Speaking Tuesday at Lucas’ behest were business folk Bob Daros, a partner at Heritage Fuel and Heritage Propane in Croton Falls, and Dawn Christopher, the owner of five buildings in the Croton Falls business district. Christopher, and her husband, Tom, most recently restored the old Hygrade Market on Front Street, across from the train station. She now sells craft beer and vintage goodies in a shop connected to a takeout place there. Daros, a former town councilman and a local firefighter, told the board that his Front Street building has a septic tank but he isn’t exactly sure where its tile fields are located. He suspects they’re under one of the parking lots. A proponent of public sewers, he said moving the project forward as quickly as possible was critical. “Time is of the essence with this for sure,” Daros said, pointing out that many septic systems in the business district aren’t on the owners’ own properties and that the Croton River – which is part of the New York City water supply system -- is less than 300 feet away. “Croton Falls was built on sand, as everybody knows. It’s just continually leaching into the ground and the river is right there. Something really needs to happen,” he said. Anyone with “common sense about environmental impacts” should be as scared as he is, Daros said. As far as concerns about whether the town may be doing things out of order, Daros opined: “I know there’s procedures and I understand all of it and that so much work’s been put into it, but I also think that every day that goes by, it’s a ticking time bomb for the entire town.” The sewer line – should the new district come to be – will be extended to Primavera, a restaurant on Route 22, and the property behind it, which is owned by the town. Both parcels are located in the GB district, Lucas said. The town has discussed the possibility of “flipping” the Route 22 piece with land owned by the DEP where the businesses are concentrated – if it decides it no longer needs it. The DEP owns the parking lots and the sidewalks, up to the paint on the SEWER FROM PAGE 6 SEE SEWERPAGE 22 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. Breezed through 5. Supervises interstate commerce 8. Unruly group 11. Backs away from 13. Expression of understanding 14. Have concern for 15. Monetary units 16. Congressman (abbr.) 17. Iranian city 18. Eating houses 20. 2,000 lbs. 21. Grandmother 22. They include North, South and Central 25. In an early way 30. Foes 31. Shuttered British entertainment magazine 32. One who unloads cages 33. Another term for sesame 38. Formally forbid 41. Make clear 43. Inaccessible 45. Get through 47. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea 49. Decameter 50. Type of sword 55. Actor Idris 56. Affirmative (slang) 57. Afflicted 59. One point north of northeast 60. Born of 61. Arabic name 62. Traditional Hong Kong street food: __ pai dong 63. Termination point 64. Email function CLUES DOWN 1. Sign language 2. In style 3. Helsinki neighborhood 4. Unable to hear 5. More rapid 6. An idea accepted as a demonstrable truth 7. In a cagy way 8. Kate and Rooney are two 9. Algerian port 10. Community in Ladakh 12. Midway between south and southeast 14. Town in Galilee 19. Satisfy 23. Italian impressionist painter 24. Brass instrument 25. Chest muscle (slang) 26. Transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm 27. Records electric currents generated by the brain 28. Woman (French) 29. Aircraft designed to carry lots of passengers 34. Baseball stat 35. Pointed end of a pen 36. Popular sports league 37. Body part 39. Unlikely to provoke dissent 40. Yellowish cotton cloth 41. Domesticated house pet 42. Untruths 44. Set out to attract 45. Spiritual leader 46. Abba __, Israeli politician 47. Repair 48. Genus of flowering plants 51. Swiss river 52. Prejudice 53. River in central Europe 54. Harness 58. Father
Page 20 – North Salem News June 20 - July 2, 2024 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD SUITE 100 MT. KISCO, NY 10549 • PH: 914.202.0575 2 TRACKS $60 for a 1/8 page ad to participate. 10% of all revenue earned from this section will be donated to your school's PTA as a parting gift to the organization. Ad booking deadline: JUNE 24 Ad approval deadline: JUNE 26 FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADS, email [email protected] FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADS, email [email protected] Honor Your High School Graduate! You nurtured them for 18 years. Share your family's accomplishment in our Special High School Graduation Pullout on JULY 3RD. Let's Not Forget the 8th Graders are Movin' On Up! Moving up from middle school to high school is an achievement that also deserves recognition. Your baby is growing up! Honor them with a special message in a Middle School Graduation Section inside the regular paper JULY 3RD. In the email, send us: • A high resolution photo (original digital file is preferred over scanning) • Let us know your school district so we can publish it in the correct newspaper. • One to two sentences in a message. Include your child's first and last name in the message. End the message with who it's from. (Example: Joe Smith, We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. We wish you the best over the next four years. Love, Mom & Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Brother & Sister). • Our team will design the ads and send it back to the parent for their approval. For any questions, call Jay Gussak at 914-299-4541. Parents!
June 20 - July 2, 2024 North Salem News – Page 21 WOMEN FROM PAGE 1 Her story has been featured on MSNBC, the Food Network, and Woman’s Day and Lola Snacks is a WBENC certified Woman Owned Small Business. She and her husband, Ernie, have five children. – four girls and one boy. Molina volunteers for organizations such as the NYC Department of Education’s Summer Youth Employment Program, Feeding Westchester, the American Heart Association, and the North Salem Lions Club. She also is a member of the North Salem High School/ Middle School’s Health and Wellness Committee, a field coordinator assistant and coach for the North Salem Soccer Club, and a member of The Friends of Muscoot Farm’s board. Molina is a former leader with 4-H Westchester NY. “Completely surprised” by the WoD award, Molina said she’s happy to accept it nonetheless. “I love my town, so anything I do it’s because I love being here and am so thankful to have the opportunity to do them,” she added. Kane Kane has been director of the Katonah Village Library since 2016. When she was hired, Kane said she was committed to making the library not only an educational resource but a dynamic community center as well. Library programs bring everyone together, Kane said recently. Now that the pandemic’s subsided, it’s been able to push inperson events. “We’re back full force,” she said, reiterating her wish that the library become a true “destination spot” where folks can “connect, collaborate, and celebrate.” Recent events have showcased an array of cultural celebrations, “underscoring the library’s dedication to honoring diverse backgrounds and contributions.” They included the Wayang Javanese Shadow Puppet Theater, Lunar New Year, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Diwali, and Féraba, a traditional West African musical/dance group. And that’s not all. According to Kane, the library bustles throughout the year with author events, exercise classes for seniors, gardening programs, children’s story times, and book groups for all ages. She also coordinated the library’s innovative Human Library. Instead of books, “human books” were available for “borrowing.” Patrons were able to engage in candid conversations with individuals from different backgrounds, “allowing them to walk in another’s shoes and gain a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives,” Kane explained. She had previously been the director of the Orangeburg Library in Rockland County. Prior to that Kane had served for six years as head adult reference librarian at the Ringwood Library in New Jersey. Kane called the recognition a “surprise,” “unexpected,” “touching,” and “very much appreciated.” She and her husband, Ephy Torenberg, moved to North Salem five years ago after falling in love with its natural beauty. Both avid hikers, the couple found a great comfort in being outdoors during the pandemic. Kane said she is also “obsessed with birds” and loves to photograph her fine-feathered friends. Family companions include dogs and chickens. She is a mom to two and a stepmom to five. As far as the Katonah Library goes, its board “has been wonderful,” its staff “supportive,” and the community at large, “very involved,” she said. Roach Roach has been the town’s receiver of taxes for more than two dozen years. She’s also volunteered with the North Salem Boy Scouts and the Lions Club, served on all the school PTOs, and ran the Quarterback Club at the John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers. Roach belongs to the Croton Falls Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary and the Westchester County Tax Receivers and Collectors Association. Roach is the only full-time employee in the tax office. She and the part-time clerk are naturally very busy during certain times of the year. However, because she’s met so many residents face to face over the years, Roach’s witnessed the department grow into kind of a networking spot and hub for local information. If folks need to know which departments to go to or just want to find something in town for their children to do, Roach and crew are the go-tos. A graduate of Fordham University, she previously had worked for companies such as American Express and the New York Botanical Garden. She and her husband, Tom, a retired New York City firefighter, have lived in North Salem since 1989. They have two grown sons, Thomas and John, and one grandchild, Olivia. “I’m very humbled that I have been acknowledged by the community that I love,” Roach said of the award. “I’m very blessed to live in a town where people work together for the good of the town and who take the time to get to know and care for their neighbors. 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Page 22 – North Salem News June 20 - July 2, 2024 ROCK FROM PAGE 2 SEWER FROM PAGE 19 back of privately owned buildings. It costs the town $56,000 a year to rent the space. Primavera definitely could benefit from hooking up. According to Lucas’ estimates, it’s had to pump out its septic system at least 150 times over the past 10 years. Local fire commissioners have talked with Lucas about possibly extending the line across the road to the Croton Falls Firehouse at the corner of Route 22 and Sun Valley Drive. It wouldn’t necessarily have to be hooked up right away, but would be there if eventually needed, Daros said. The facility’s circa-1950s septic fields are under its parking lot. It’s not in the GB district, but it is a government building, like the new Community Center at 3 Owens Road, which will be hooked up. “If we start having a problem there, the cost is going to be out of control. We’d have to take up the blacktop and improve the fields to meet modern day standards,” and that financial burden would land on taxpayers in the fire district, Daros said. As far as sewering the Croton Falls business district goes? “I think it would be all positive. I can’t think of one single negative about having a sewer system,” Daros said, urging the Town Board to approve the resolutions. The Christophers launched their first Croton Falls business – a wine store – in 2004. Back then that was really brave because, Dawn said, “the town was really kind of questionable.” Many of the buildings had seen better days and there were shady dudes hanging out and drinking near the river. Twenty years later, it’s become “a destination spot,” she said The businesses there are not just serving locals, but a ton of visitors, especially during apple picking season. That’s a good thing, but it has its drawbacks. Folks get off the train and head immediately for the, ahem, facilities. (This is puzzling since the trains do have bathrooms.) Sometimes the line for the market’s toilet stretches “literally the length of our building,” Dawn said. This is putting extra stress on its septic system. Every fall Hygrade gets slammed with an extra $150 fee for pumping out its septic tank due to the “so-called sludge, which is basically extra crap,” she added, not mincing words. Because the market and eatery are considered a wet use – as are the local gourmet deli and pizza joint – the county health department doesn’t allow serve food or beverages in washable plates and cups. Everything has to be disposable paper or plastic. This creates mountains of trash, which is not good for the environment. Improving the water and sewer situation would certainly be helpful, said Dawn, thanking the board for its support. “It’s wonderful to see that we’ve thriving now and that we’re a destination and people are coming from all over. The Farmers Market was a huge success. But we want to grow more,” she said. Sewers represent an “incredible opportunity,” Dawn said, adding that she hoped they would be approved “so we can keep this positive momentum going.” A North Salem native, Lucas said that he had feared at one point – before he became supervisor -- that the struggling business district was simply “going to blow away.” “That’s how tenuous some of it was,” he said, praising the Christophers and other entrepreneurs for having the vision to see its potential and being willing to invest in it. “We can’t do that,” Lucas said of the town, calling the partnership great and the businesses’ work “phenomenal.” “I really appreciate that. My goal is to make sure that it’s (the business district) is here in 100 years and still thriving.” LEGAL NOTICE OF ESTOPPEL The bond resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on June 11, 2024, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Town of North Salem, Westchester County, New York, is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of this notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. A complete copy of the resolution summarized herewith is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Office of the Town Clerk for a period of twenty days from the date of publication of this Notice. Dated: North Salem, New York, June 11, 2024. Maria C. Hlushko Town Clerk BOND RESOLUTION DATED JUNE 11, 2024. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $850,000 BONDS OF THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, TO PAY THE COST OF THE INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FACILITIES OF PABST WATER DISTRICT, IN THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK. Specific object or purpose: Construction of a new wellhouse and related infrastructure for the Pabst Water District Period of probable usefulness: 40 years Maximum estimated cost: $850,000 Amount of obligations to be issued: $850,000 bonds SEQRA status: Type II Action. Project description materials and SEQRA compliance materials as applicable will be on file in the office of the Town Clerk where they may be inspected during regular office hours by appointment. LEGAL NOTICE OF ESTOPPEL The bond resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on June 11, 2024, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Town of North Salem, Westchester County, New York, is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of this notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. A complete copy of the resolution summarized herewith is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Office of the Town Clerk for a period of twenty days from the date of publication of this Notice. Dated: North Salem, New York, June 11, 2024. Maria C. Hlushko Town Clerk BOND RESOLUTION DATED JUNE 11, 2024. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $536,384 BONDS OF THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, TO PAY THE COST OF THE INCREASE AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE FACILITIES OF CROTON FALLS WATER DISTRICT, IN THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK. Specific object or purpose: Construction of a new well and related infrastructure for the Croton Falls Water District Period of probable usefulness: 40 years Maximum estimated cost: $536,384 Amount of obligations to be issued: $536,384 bonds SEQRA status: Type II Action. Project description materials and SEQRA compliance materials as applicable are on file in the office of the Town Clerk where they may be inspected during regular office hours by appointment. Looking To Hire? Help Wanted? Reach Thousands of our Readers at a Low Cost! [email protected] or Call: 914-302-5628 Email: 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 [email protected] or visit www.harveyschool.org/ athletics/ summer- athletic-programs.
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SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 34 MAIN STREET, GOLDENS BRIDGE, NEW YORK 10526. Purpose: any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of Veterinary Care Concierge Services, PLLC. Arts. of Org. filed w/ SSNY 06/05/23. PLLC organized in CT 5/18/23. Office location: Westchester Cty. SSNY designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copies of any process served against PLLC to PLLC’s principal office at 69 Maltbie Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902. Certificate of PLLC filed with SecState CT located at 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. Purpose: Veterinary practice. Notice of Formation of EASR, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/21/2023. Office location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served, SSNY should mail process to EASR, LLC: PO Box 604, North Salem, NY 10560. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NAME: WINGING IT REALTY LLC. Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/21/2024. Office Location: Westchester County. SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him or her to the company c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste. 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Principal business address: PO BOX 582, NORTH SALEM, NY 10560. Purpose: Any lawful acts LEGAL NOTICE OF ESTOPPEL The bond resolution, a summary of which is published herewith, has been adopted on June 11, 2024, and the validity of the obligations authorized by such resolution may be hereafter contested only if such obligations were authorized for an object or purpose for which the Town of North Salem, Westchester County, New York, is not authorized to expend money, or if the provisions of law which should have been complied with as of the date of publication of this notice were not substantially complied with, and an action, suit or proceeding contesting such validity is commenced within twenty days after the date of publication of this notice, or such obligations were authorized in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. A complete copy of the resolution summarized herewith is available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Office of the Town Clerk for a period of twenty days from the date of publication of this Notice. Dated: North Salem, New York, June 11, 2024. Maria C. Hlushko Town Clerk BOND RESOLUTION DATED JUNE 11, 2024. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $10,933,000 BONDS OF THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, TO PAY THE COST OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CROTON FALLS SEWER DISTRICT, IN THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK. Class of objects or purposes: Construction of a new sewer infrastructure system for the Croton Falls Sewer District Period of probable usefulness: 40 years Maximum estimated cost: $10,933,000 Amount of obligations to be issued: $10,933,000 bonds, to be reduced by grants-in-aid received Anticipated SEQRA status: Unlisted Action. Negative Declaration. Project description materials and SEQRA compliance materials to date as applicable are on file in the office of the Town Clerk where they may be inspected during regular office hours by appointment.
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