BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 19 LIESURE 17 OPINION 8 TOWN CROSSING 2 SPORTS 16 SPECIAL GRADUATION SECTION INSIDE! Congratulations PHOTO: EMRIN LECLAIR SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO July 3, 2024 2 TRACKS TO THE CLASS OF 2024! PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST CALDWELL, NJ PERMIT #992 VOL. 6 NO. 51 JULY 3 – JULY 25, 2024 Visit News.HalstonMedia.com for the latest news. BY TOM BARTLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER In his first public remarks since being announced as the KatonahLewisboro School District’s next superintendent, Dr. Raymond Blanch has promised to prepare students for “whatever challenges will come their way.” “Wherever they decide to go, whatever the pathways they lead, they must be prepared to find the next best opportunity going forward,” he told the school board’s June 20 meeting. Moments earlier, the board had voted unanimously to name him KLSD’s superintendent of schools, the same post he’s held since 2011 in neighboring Somers. “I’m just so excited to come to Katonah,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started.” As the district prepares for a July 15 changing of the guard, Blanch spoke from the public’s lectern. Across the room, the man he will succeed, Andrew Selesnick, sat at the school board table, a spot he’s occupied for the past nine years. “The board has made an excellent choice,” Selesnick said of Blanch’s appointment. “Ray and I have worked closely for nine years at our local Chief School Administrators meetings. I know he will take the work we have done here and move it forward.” School Board President Julia Hadlock said Blanch had impressed the board “by his care for students, and his insistence on having student voice be part of the decisions that happen in a district.” “His vision is inclusive,” Hadlock said, “giving all students, throughout their education, opportunities to explore what they can do and how far they can go.” Before its Thursday evening meeting, the board hosted Blanch KLSD welcomes Dr. Blanch New superintendent to lead district forward Dr. Raymond Blanch, center, meets with his leadership team, KLSD’s assistant superintendents, from left, Neill Aleva, human resources; Alexandra Casabona, student support services; Julia Drake, curriculum; and Lisa Herlihy, business. PHOTO: TOM BARTLEY SEE KLSD PAGE 6 BY TOM BARTLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER A proposal to fund Bedford’s open-space acquisitions through an added tax on property sales moved a step closer to a vote, perhaps as soon as next month, following a marathon June 18 public hearing. Views were sharply, if politely, divided. Supporters of the plan—they included homeowners, conservation and environmental groups, even a Fox Lane High School senior—saw the fund as a benefit to the community, preserving its character, protecting residents’ well-being and improving their homes’ value. But real estate professionals said the additional tax could, among other things, drive would-be buyers out of Bedford. Both sides brought their views to the Town Board in a two-hour Tuesday evening presentation. Frank Veith of Katonah, a lawyer with an extensive real estate practice, predicted the tax, if enacted, would “have a dramatic impact on sales of homes in this area” as potential buyers looked elsewhere. But a homebuyer who made his purchase here late last year said the added fee would not have deterred him. “You pick Bedford not because it’s interchangeable with any other town,” David Polk declared, “but because there’s only one of it.” Courtenay Amerling, who said she was “thinking of selling” her home after a dozen years in Katonah, likened charging such a Bedford-specific tax to the initiation fee required for admission to a country club. “It feels like the same kind of deal,” she said. Under the proposal, presented earlier this year by a task force of the town’s cash-short Open Space Acquisition Committee, Bedford would attach a graduated “transfer tax” to sales of the town’s most expensive properties. Bedford community speaks out about open-space acquisitions SEE BOARD PAGE 17 Inventory got you down? Don’t wait for it to hit the market... Find out what properties are available and selling before they get listed. Sign up here for Off Market Listings: Find Out What Your Home Might Be Worth. Scan QR for instant value HOPEMAZZOLA YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE HOPE Sales Vice President Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker cell: 914.714.0090 [email protected] hopemazzola.com MAZZOLA YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE HOPE 95 Katonah Ave | Katonah, NY 10536 Just Sold #UGottaHaveHope
PAGE 2 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 The Staff EDITORIAL TEAM Tom Walogorsky Editor: 914-302-5830 [email protected] ADVERTISING TEAM Paul Forhan (914) 806-3951 [email protected] Bruce Heller (914) 486-7608 [email protected] Lisa Kain (201) 317-1139 [email protected] Corinne Stanton (914) 760-7009 [email protected] Jay Gussak (914) 299-4541 [email protected] Pam Zacotinsky 845-661-0748 [email protected] PRODUCTION TEAM Tabitha Pearson Marshall Creative Director/Photographer [email protected] DESIGNERS Noah Elder Bri Agosta Haven Elder Jacob Elder EXECUTIVE TEAM Brett Freeman CEO & Publisher 845-208-8151 [email protected] Deadlines The Katonah-Lewisboro Times The deadline for advertisements and editorial submissions is the Thursday before the next publication date. For more information, call Tom Walogorsky at 914-302-5830 or email [email protected] Location 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 Published Weekly by Halston Media, LLC ©2024 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC 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 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) Bedford Bears Hockey Registration Now Open Come be a part of the Bears Family! Players are invited to join the 6U or 8U Mites today. The Bedford Katonah Hockey Association is a non-profit organization that competes at Tier III youth hockey level. The teams play their home games on the Harvey School campus in Evarts Rink. For more information, visit www.bedford bearshockey.com 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), noncontact rugby camp, catering to prospective and experienced rugby players aged 8 years through 14 years. Located on the beautiful Harvey School campus, the camp will focus on building the skills and knowledge required to play rugby at all levels. The camp, led by Nic Denyer and Lisa Lake, will offer training and instruction from USA Rugby coaches and seasoned college and high school coaches. The staff will follow basic principles of rugby and will execute a small-group approach, allowing each camper to directly interact with coaches and instructors throughout the week.For more information email [email protected] or visit www. harveyschool.org/athletics/ summer-athletic-programs Family Nightime Exploration Walk at Mianus River George Discover the cool insects, bats, and other creatures that come alive as the sun goes down! Organizers will set up night lights to attract iridescent beetles, the fierce-looking Praying Mantis, and an array of moths, illuminate sparkling green spider eyes in the woods and fluorescent crayfish in the streams, and learn how lightning bugs create “nature’s fireworks.” You will also watch for bats overhead and listen to their sounds with acoustic equipment. Remember to bring a flashlight! RSVP by calling 914- 234-3455. Katonah Village Library 26 Bedford Road www.katonahlibrary.org David Boyajian Sculpture Show Thru Sept. 1 Sculptor David Boyajian will show his collection of sculptures outside and upstairs on the main floor. An opening reception will take place Thursday, July 18, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The original sculptures will be available for purchase. Open Garden Saturday, July 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Leslie Dock, of Leslie Dock Farms & Gardens will host an Open Garden. She will discuss the progress of the new Katonah Village Library Demonstration Garden right on the Parkway (next to the entrance of Kelloggs and Lawrence). Leslie will give hands-on instruction - so bring your gloves. Bring your gardening questions too: everything from planting, crop covers, natural pest controls, to harvesting techniques. Virtual Support Groups Support groups for women with breast and ovarian cancers have been transitioned to virtual platforms. Virtual groups are accessible to women from the comfort of their homes, regardless of where they live. All groups are open to new members as well as past participants. Advance registration is required by calling 914-962-6402 or 800-532-4290. Support Connection’s Peer Counselors are also available for individual counseling and assistance via phone and email. Call 800-532-4290, or submit an online request at supportconnection.org. TOWN CROSSING
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 3 A New York State Senate proclamation acknowledging the late Golden’s Bridge Deputy Fire Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr. for his distinguished life as a public servant in the fire services was presented to the Baker family by Sen. Peter Harckham in a recent ceremony at the Golden’s Bridge Firehouse. Baker passed away unexpectedly in March of this year. The proclamation, prepared by Sen. Harckham, lauded Baker for his 33 years (1980-2013) as a career firefighter with the Hartsdale Fire Department in the Hamlet of the Town of Greenburgh, and his combined 17 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Somers Fire Department (2007-2017) and Golden’s Bridge Fire Department (2016-until his death), the latter whose district includes all of Golden’s Bridge and small swaths of North Salem and Somers. Harckham presented the proclamation to the late Deputy Fire Chief ’s sons – Raymond Baker, Jr., Captain of the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, who is also a lieutenant with the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps and an emergency room technician at Northern Westchester Hospital, and Ryan Baker, a mathematics teacher at BOCES Westchester. In a statement, the Baker family said, “We are grateful to the State Senate and to Sen. Harckham for this special recognition of our father and his decades of service to others. Helping people wasn’t his job, it was his passion. This proclamation is a lasting tribute to the way he lived his life – always giving back to the community by doing what he loved most.” One of the proudest achievements for the late Deputy Fire Chief was serving alongside his son for eight years with the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department. In addition to holding the department’s thirdhighest officer rank, Baker served as the certified training officer and, at one time, also held the captain position now filled by his son. Along with the proclamation, Harckham delivered heartfelt remarks to the gathering at the firehouse, calling attention to Baker’s lifetime of dedication to the fire services and unwavering commitment to assisting others in their time of need. Among those who assembled for the ceremony included Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo, 1st Assistant Chief James McManus, Deputy Fire Chief Robert Melillo, and several members of the department, as well as Fire Commissioner Edward Brancati, Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Golden’s Bridge Fire District, and Fire Commissioner Joseph Simoncini. “We thank Sen. Harckham for acknowledging Raymond Baker, Sr., who was the standard-bearer of what it means to be a public servant,” said Fire Chief Albert Melillo. “When he was serving as a career firefighter, he spent his time off shift as a volunteer firefighter in his community. After he retired, he could’ve pursued his hobbies full-time – he was a model train enthusiast who loved building replicas, and a conservationist who enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and hunting. “But he continued as a volunteer firefighter because the safety and well-being of others – and sharing his lifetime of experience, expertise and knowledge about firefighting with his colleagues, especially young members of the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department – was always more important than retirement,” Melillo said. The proclamation acknowledged Baker’s many federal, state and county certifications (such as incident command, firefighter assist, search team tactics, accident victim extrication, hazardous material containment, certified bailout training, and lead electrician charged with maintaining alarm boxes), and equally lengthy officer and leadership positions with the Somers and Golden’s Bridge Fire Departments. It also referenced how he joined hundreds of other firefighters in the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The proclamation said Baker would always be remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father, a skilled firefighter and compassionate leader, and a selfless person who placed helping others ahead of himself. Article courtesy of Golden’s Bridge Fire Department. Senate proclamation honors late Golden’s Bridge Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Baker accepts the State Senate proclamation from Sen. Peter Harckham that acknowledges the lifetime of public service of his late father Raymond J. Baker, Sr. PHOTO COURTESY OF GBFD BY TOM BARTLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER Three Bedford police officers have been honored for their lifesaving response to a blaze that trapped a mother and her two children in a Bedford Hills home in May. Officers Jordan Baschnagel, Ronald Sauber and Joseph Sagliano were saluted in a June 17 ceremony by Supervisor Ellen Calves and Police Chief Melvin Padilla. First on the scene, they first rescued a mother, 35, from the back of her Park Avenue home then helped save her children. Firefighters from the Bedford Hills Volunteer Fire Department arrived immediately after the police arrived and began making entry into the residence. Bedford police gave this account of the incident, which unfolded on May 31, shortly before 3 in the morning.: After the mother alerted the officers to the plight of her trapped children, they forced entry by kicking in the rear door, where they encountered heavy smoke. With little to no visibility, they followed the cries of a 10-year-old child and pulled him to safety. To locate the second child, officers began breaking windows and removing air-conditioner units. Though unable to see through the heavy smoke, the officers heard a faint cry, leading them to an elevated window. While climbing a small ledge, officers were able to access the window and remove the terrified 9-year-old. The Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps sped the three residents to Westchester County Medical Center where they were treated for smoke inhalation. Bedford Hills firefighters maintained the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. In addition to town honors, the police officers’ heroic actions were recognized in a joint proclamation issued by State Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Chris Burdick as well as Certificates of Merit issued by the County Board of Legislators at the request of Legislator Erika Pierce. Bedford officers honored for lifesaving actions Officers Jordan Baschnagel, Ronald Sauber and Joseph Sagliano with Supervisor Ellen Calves and Police Chief Melvin Padilla. PHOTO COURTESY OF TOWN OF BEDFORD Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July! HOME, AUTO, BUSINESS, LIFE & HEALTH 914-232-7750 www.forbesinsurance.com
PAGE 4 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 A number of local students have been recognized for their academic achievements at colleges across the country! Graduation Adelphi University Nicholas Tobin Hamilton College Jacob Piazza Muhlenberg College Stephen Krug Rochester Institute of Technology Alexa Amoriello Derek Tan Trinity College Henry Shapiro University of Hartford Justin Tan University of Rhode Island Emma Hinkley George Lucciola Evan Mazzola Grazia Stellato Dean’s List College of Charleston Cailyn Mariuzza Muhlenberg College Hayden Klein Thomas Olifiers Danielle Roban Rochester Institute of Technology Marissa Abramson Alexander Hall Springfield College Nicholas Savastano SUNY New Paltz Althea Llewellyn Aiden North University at Albany Meghan Blanch University of Alabama Allison Altholz Emily Bernhard University at Buffalo Sidney Goldberg Julia Golis Western Connecticut State University Olivia Caviola Rebecca Rodriguez Kamil Sudo Faculty Honors Georgia Institute of Technology Rishabh Vuthamaraju Do you have a scholar that you would like to recognize in an upcoming issue? Let us know by emailing [email protected] Celebrating our scholars! The Harvey School in Katonah has announced the names of the area students who have earned academic honors for the spring term. The following have been awarded a Cavalier Scholar certificate (GPA of 4.0 or higher) or have earned places on the Head’s List (3.7 or higher) or Honor Roll (at least 3.3): Lily Acrish, 11, Bedford Corners, Cavalier Scholar; Logan Alexander, 11, Goldens Bridge, Cavalier Scholar; Sienna Bates, 12, Waccabuc, Honor Roll; Emily Bigman, 8, Katonah, Head’s List; Ryan Byrne, 11, Katonah, Head’s List; Amity Doyle, 8, Katonah, Head’s List; Jordan Falk, 10, Bedford, Cavalier Scholar; Sophie Frankel, 8, Katonah, Head’s List; Krisi Friedman, 8, Cross River, Head’s List; Aidan Garcia, 9, Mount Kisco, Honor Roll; Brydie Groff, 6, Waccabuc, Head’s List; Lilah Groff, 8, Waccabuc, Head’s List; Brandon Hall, 10, Goldens Bridge, Cavalier Scholar; Iliana Hellinger, 12, Katonah, Cavalier Scholar; Max Hernandez, 11, Cross River, Honor Roll: Anna Hodgson, 11, Mount Kisco, Honor Roll; Helena Kasarda, 12, Katonah, Head’s List; Jonah Kass, 11, Katonah, Head’s List; Casey Kelly, 10, South Salem, Honor Roll; Sophia Kimmel, 9, Bedford, Cavalier Scholar; Eli Klagsbrun, 10, Katonah, Honor Roll; Gavin Kothari, 11, Bedford, Honor Roll: Aoife Lazzaro, 7, Katonah, Head’s List; Maeve Lazzaro, 10, Katonah, Cavalier Scholar; Phoebe Lichtman, 12, South Salem, Head’s List; Senna Lieber, 7, Goldens Bridge, Head’s List; Fife MacGregor, 10, Katonah, Head’s List; Leo Marano, 9, Bedford, Honor Roll; Stephen Millette, 9, Mount Kisco, Cavalier Scholar; Giulia Muenzen, 8, Katonah, Head’s List; Ava Pfluger, 11, Mount Kisco, Head’s List: Jackson O’Sullivan, 7. South Salem, Head’s List; Daniela Rynott, 11, Mount Kisco, Cavalier Scholar; Emily Sorio, 11, Mount Kisco, Head’s List; Michael Sorio, 12, Mount Kisco, Honor Roll; Peter Sorio, 12, Mount Kisco, Honor Roll; Sara Strnad, 10, Katonah, Cavalier Scholar; Stefan Volpitta, 11, Pound Ridge, Head’s List; Sullivan Wieting, 9, Bedford, Head’s List. Information courtesy of The Harvey School. Local students earn academic honors at The Harvey School Henry Shapiro, a member of the John Jay High School Class of 2020, was recently honored as the valedictorian of the graduating class at Trinity College! Henry graduated Summa Cum Laude, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society, and was named the Presidential Scholar for Mathematics. Awesome alum! Henry Shapiro PHOTO COURTESY OF MEG SLAVIN
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PAGE 6 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 Point B Planning, LLC d/b/a/ AtwoB (“AtwoB”) is a registered investment adviser. A copy of AtwoB’s current written disclosure statement discussing AtwoB’s business operations, services, and fees is available at the SEC’s investment adviser public information website or from AtwoB upon written request. This article is for information only and should not be considered investment advice. 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INDEPENDENTLY OWNED and OPERATED 268 route 202 l somers, ny 10589 914.248.6220 l progressive-vet.com Voted “Best of Somers” 2020-2023 Seventy-one members of the Harvey Class of 2024 donned caps and gowns June 6, ready to cross the stage, receive their diplomas, and move their tassels from right to left to signify they are now graduates. Family, friends, administration, trustees, faculty, and staff gathered in the Fenstermacher Athletic Center on the Harvey campus to recognize the achievements of the graduates and help mark this significant milestone in every student’s educational journey. “Today is a day of celebration, reflection, and anticipation,” Head of School Bill Knauer said. “In your time at Harvey, you have experienced spectacular successes and overcome daunting challenges. You have grown and evolved and progressed in ways that are truly inspiring. Today, we mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another,” he said. “May your journey be filled with courage, discovery, and joy.” The Upper School Chorus sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in perfect harmony. A short time later, Harvey Chorus seniors Chloé Ramsey Lavoie, Iva Hadži-Mihailović, and Carina Weksel sang a heartfelt rendition of “No One Is Alone” by Stephen Sondheim. Co-valedictorians Iliana Hellinger and Wesley Elkind, the top scholars of the Class of 2024, each stood at the podium to share their thoughts and feelings with their fellow classmates. “We have overcome many obstacles, COVID and online learning,” said Iliana, a resident of Katonah. “We persevered. We are here. We made it! We learned to handle hard better.” She continued, “Let us never lose sight of our dreams and aspirations. And let us always strive to make a positive difference in the world.” Wesley offered his fellow graduates his advice on how the Class of 2024 should approach life after Harvey. He said, “Life is what you make of it. Take those risks, roll with the punches … Stand tall, be proud of yourself, and I hope you all live a life that is fulfilling and successful,” he said, adding, “We can do difficult things, as we have proven in these last four years, and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish in the future.” Commencement speaker Dr. Nicole Wright, an award-winning violinist and 2005 graduate of Harvey, spoke to the graduates about leaving their “imprint on the world.” She said, “When you’re passionate, you’re always eager to learn and grow. You’ll take on new challenges, learn more about yourself, and gain the confidence to handle tough times.” Dr. Wright encouraged the graduates not to be deterred by rejection and to keep striving for what excites them in life. “My hope is to encourage you to use this next chapter of your life as a stepping stone toward leaving your mark,” she said, adding, “You have a choice of how you want to start your journey to leave your dent in the world.” Seniors were recognized for awards in academics, the arts and athletics by Head of Upper School Phil Lazzaro. Then, the moment came for the graduating seniors to receive their diplomas from school leaders Mr. Lazzaro, school trustee Jerri-Lynn Galgano, Assistant Head of Upper School Beth Visintainer and Mr. Knauer. The Class of 2024 then rose to their feet to shift the tassels on their caps to the left, symbolizing they are indeed graduates of The Harvey School. With a loud cheer, they then tossed their caps high into the air in celebration. The graduates proceeded outside to the walkway to Mennen Library to greet their teachers, a moving tradition that captures their journey from being students to becoming beloved Harvey alumni. The Harvey Class of 2024 graduates include the following area residents Joseph Altman (Bedford), Sienna Bates (Waccabuc), Dylan Bazaar (Katonah), Gabe Duran (Mount Kisco), Iliana Hellinger (Katonah), Helena Kasarda (Katonah), Theo Klagsbrun (Katonah), Phoebe Lichtman (South Salem), Shelby McCaine (Katonah), Jason Nelson (Pound Ridge), Felix Oliver (Bedford Hills), Michael Sorio (Mount Kisco), Peter Sorio (Mount Kisco), Riannah Wallach (Pound Ridge)and Alexa Williams (Yorktown Heights). Article courtesy of The Harvey School. The Harvey School celebrates 2024 commencement Harvey grads tossing their caps in the air. and his wife, Suzanne, at a reception. Selesnick, who joined KLSD as superintendent in July 2015 after 23 years in Chappaqua schools, announced in January that he would retire at school year’s end. He will step down July 12 and in August become executive director of the TriState Consortium. The consortium, an alliance of some 50 high-performing metro-area school districts, half of them in Westchester, provides peer reviews of member districts’ performance. Wrecking Ball at Shady Lane? KLSD’s former headquarters on Shady Lane in South Salem should be demolished and its land preserved for future educational pursuits, a school board advisory committee recommends. Once the rundown building has been razed, the property, just off Smith Ridge Road, could be kept in its natural state for elementary school field trips, provide expansion for nearby Meadow Pond Elementary School or, with a rezoning, become the site of a future school, Trustee Lorraine Gallagher, a committee member, told the school board’s June 20 meeting. The 13-member committee of KLSD administrators, board trustees and district residents is also weighing the fate of Lewisboro Elementary School, a community fixture for almost 85 years but closed as a school a decade ago. For now, the Town of Lewisboro is a tenant, paying rent to the school district for office space and meeting accommodations. While the wrecking ball could erase Shady Lane’s wood frame structure for about $325,000, Gallagher said, a demolition of LES would cost a million dollars or more. “Selling the land will require expenditure in the seven digits,” she told the board. Among the options open to the board, Gallagher said, was leaving LES “as it is today,” providing space for multiple Lewisboro town agencies, including the police department, justice court, assessor’s office and planning and zoning departments. Other potential uses for the land alone include becoming a natural environmental locale or a building site for either universal pre-K or solar arrays. Some of the building, which includes a gym built in 2003, could also serve as a sports complex. In January, in calling for an assessment of the Shady Lane and LES properties, school board President Julia Hadlock clearly made their aging buildings a target. “We’re not talking about the divesting of either of the properties these buildings are on,” she told the board then. “We’re really talking about the structures that are on them.” KLSD FROM PAGE 1
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 7 Contact ANTHONY J. ENEA, ESQ. Managing Member • Fluent in Italian 914.948.1500 WHITE PLAINS • SOMERS • WWW.ESSLAWFIRM.COM • Asset Protection • Elder Law • Medicaid Applications (Nursing Home/Home Care) • Guardianships (Contested/Non-Contested) • Wills, Trusts & Estates Past Chair of Elder Law Section of NYS Bar Association “Super Lawyer” In Elder Law for 16 consecutive years CALL NEW YORK’S ELDER LAW TEAM 914.948.1500 Do you know what steps you can take to avoid your estate going to probate? BY ROB SAMPLE CONTRIBUTING WRITER During its June 24 meeting, the Lewisboro Town Board approved two resolutions that together, help to advance the remodeling project for the town pool’s bathhouses. The first of the two resolutions authorizes the town to advertise for bidders on a key aspect of the project. “We’re going to get a bid package from the [project’s] architect,” said Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves. “This initial authorization is for the timber framing only – the general contracting bid is not going out.” Gonçalves noted that in its requests for bids, the town will target a limited set of contactors who specialize in this type of work. “This lowers costs rather than going through a general contractor – who would then sub it out,” he said. Depending on board approval, a second bid request for bids for a general contractor could come as early as next month, according to Recreation Supervisor Nicole Caviola. The two bids would need to be coordinated, she noted, so that the firm chosen as the project’s general contractor could finish site-prep work prior to the timber framing. The general contractor would subsequently coordinate the myriad other aspects of the project – such as electrical, mechanical, and plumbing. “Can we set the date of awarding the timber framing to align with the general contracting bid?” asked Caviola. Town Counsel Greg Folchetti had no issue with that, noting the funding for the project is already in place. In a subsequent vote, the Town Board approved an invoice of $30,750 from Darren P. Mercer Architect, PLLC, the architectural firm for the project. The invoice encompassed design services, approvals and permits, construction documents, and contract administration for the bathhouse. The Town Board also okayed several other resolutions concerning recreational spaces. It approved hiring Vista Tree to spend 15 days on tree removal at the Brownell Preserve, at a cost of $12,750. An estimated 148 trees along the preserve’s Blue Trail will be removed through this job, and the preserve will be closed to pedestrians while the work is being done. The board also okayed a resolution to spend $25,058.37 on emergency repairs for playground equipment at Onatru Farm, and to have D’Amico Electric install automatic external defibrillators at four town parks. The latter would cost $7,700. Master Plan draws comment The meeting doubled as a public hearing on recent amendments to the town’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Several people commented on the changes during this hearing, which prefaced the business part of the meeting and will remain open through July 22. Goldens Bridge resident Tom Guiltinan called for a signalized crosswalk and improved daytime lighting at the intersection of Route 138 and North Street. He also pointed out that at the side of the I684 pedestrian bridge the sidewalk ends abruptly, forcing pedestrians to cross a stretch of land overgrown with weeds and to traverse a guardrail. “You’ve [then] got to walk the rest of the way on the shoulder of the road, which is scary because it’s a highway,” he said. “It would be fantastic if … pedestrians [could] get all the way to North Street on a protected walkway.” Another Goldens Bridge resident, Barbara Mangione, noted that sections of the revised Master Plan are contradictory. “The overriding theme put forward at the beginning of the plan and woven throughout the rest of the text is that we should be maintaining the rural character of Lewisboro,” she said. “Yet at the same time in other sections of the master plan you have this push for more development.” She also noted that new electric charging stations – encouraged at all levels of government in New York – often also include bright night lighting for safety purposes. This push contradicts “Dark Sky” initiatives, which aim to minimize light pollution at night, Mangione said. In a related matter, the Town Board approved the town’s Stormwater Management Program, which has been posted online since last month for citizen review. The board also got into a lengthy discussion about updating the town’s tree ordinance. At the urging of the town’s Conservation Committee, it set July 22 as a public hearing date for that topic. Honoring Lois Reynolds A resolution honoring longtime Cross River resident and centenarian Lois Reynolds passed unanimously. Town Historian Maureen Koehl noted that Reynolds is the last-surviving member of one of the founding families of Lewisboro. “I’m sure you’ve all been to Cross River and you’ve seen a huge Dutch Colonial House that sits across from the meadows – that’s the Reynolds homestead,” Koehl said. “Lois was born in the front room 105 years ago, in May of 1919. She spent most of her long life in Cross River, except for the 40 Lewisboro board approves rec funding Lois Reynolds honored SEE LEWISBORO PAGE 18
PAGE 8 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 Opinion 2 TRACKS 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 Katonah-Lewisboro Times or its affiliates. Submissions must include a phone number and address for verification. Not all letters and op-eds will necessarily be published. Letters and op-eds which cannot be verified or are anonymous will not be published. Please send your submissions to the editor by e-mail at [email protected]. For more information, call the editor at 914-302-5830 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2024 Halston Media, LLC Recently, the Bedford Town Board has been considering placing a ballot referendum for a new “mansion tax” of up to 2% on home sales over $770,000 to fund land purchases for open space and water protection. Estimates suggest this added tax could generate $1 million to $5 million annually. If approved in November, Bedford would be the first and only town in Westchester County with such a tax. While it’s often good to be a frontrunner, leading the county in taxes is not something our town should aspire to. I believe this new tax is a bad idea. Combined with existing fees—real estate commissions, the New York State 1% mansion tax, a 1% mortgage tax, and a 0.5% title insurance tax—selling a home in Bedford could incur costs exceeding 10%. Proponents argue that the buyer pays this tax, but it effectively reduces the sale proceeds, impacting affordability for buyers and putting Bedford sellers at a disadvantage compared to those in neighboring communities. A Bedford Town Board member suggested middle-class homeowners wouldn’t be affected since the tax targets homes over Bedford’s median sale price. However, all residents will feel the impact because town land purchases for open space will remove taxable properties from tax rolls and force existing property owners to shoulder a larger share of the town’s tax burden through increased property taxes. We already have a 2% open space levy on our annual tax bills, raising $500,000 this year and growing at 3-4% annually. Bedford also boasts significant open space. In addition to our town’s large, beautiful parks and sanctuaries, the town purchased almost 200 acres of open space in the past 20 years through its existing Open Space Fund. There are also large tracts in Bedford managed by nonprofits like Westmoreland Sanctuary, Westchester Land Trust, Mianus River Gorge, and Marsh Preserve that are open to the public. Notably, Bedford also has comprehensive and effective zoning laws that prevent the overdevelopment of private properties, which helps keep our town green for everyone. Lastly, much of Bedford lies within the New York City watershed, which imposes stringent development restrictions to protect water quality. Don’t get me wrong; I am a fan of clean water and open space. Years ago, I campaigned for renewing the current open space levy, which was in danger of expiring during the financial crisis. The proposed referendum will more than triple the size of the tax. One supporter pointed out that the tax could be considered as an initiation fee for moving to Bedford. Kind of like joining a country club. While we all appreciate the ample open space and semirural character of Bedford, buying open space from private owners won’t benefit everyone equally. Those potential swaths of property to be purchased won’t be in the half-acre-zone areas of town. Estate owners, who live near these potential purchases, will receive a disproportionate benefit from these protected buffers. The new tax proposal is being rushed through during the summer, leaving little time for community engagement before the deadline to place the referendum on the ballot. Some will say to put it on the ballot and let the people decide. There is some merit to that argument, but we count on our elected officials to go over this proposal with a fine tooth comb prior to moving it to the ballot. Should the tax be indexed for inflation? Should it be sunsetted so it expires at the end of five years and reconsidered for renewal? Should they talk specifically about the tracts of land they are considering? They also have a responsibility to let us know if they support the tax before they send it to the ballot. At this point, there are more questions than answers. Measure twice, cut once. Bedford doesn’t need a new ‘Mansion’ tax DON SCOTT IN CASE YOU MISSED IT California’s been good to me Hope it don’t fall into the sea Sometimes you got to trust yourself It ain’t like anywhere else -Tom Petty When I moved to California in 1991, I was ready to put New York in my rearview mirror. Even though it was all I knew for more than 30 years, it was time for a clean slate. I had been fired from my managing editor’s job at the Pawling News Chronicle for reasons that were never made clear to me at the time. I had transformed that paper from what had been somewhat of a local joke (it was commonly referred to as the News Comical) to a respected professional news source. In my seven years there, we won countless New York State Press Association awards and under my watch circulation had increased by more than 10 percent. But they told me it was time for the baby bird to leave the nest and spread its wings. (They actually said something like that.) But I was left angry and confused. I had never been disciplined or written up; never called in on the carpet during my entire tenure there. They replaced me with a young lady fresh out of college who had zero experience as a reporter, much less as a managing editor. I’m sure they were paying her a lot less than I had been making. I read the paper after she took over, and I could tell she was clearly in over her head. Not too long after all that, the paper changed from a broadsheet format to a tabloid. (For you non-newspaper folks, this is a literal reference to the size of the pages; The Journal News is a broadsheet; the Daily News is a tabloid.) This was obviously a costcutting measure. The News Chronicle was part of a group of six papers owned by the Housatonic Valley Publishing Company, and it wasn’t too long before they started laying off veteran editors from those other papers as well and replacing them with neophytes. I suddenly began to realize what was happening. Sure enough, in the mid- ‘90s, the entire company shuddered its doors. The News Chronicle, a 125-yearold paper, was no more. Sometime later, I was told that thanks to the publisher’s mismanagement, the company was driven into fiscal trauma. I remember this guy as having all the charm of a lanced boil. I was somewhat relieved to learn my departure was a cost-cutting measure and had nothing to do with my skills or performance, or if this little bird needed to leave the nest and spread its wings. I took a job down in Larchmont working for a company called Communication Trends. They published business newsletters for the telephone/ communications industry, and it might have been the most stupefyingly boring job I’d ever had. Plus, it was also an hour’s commute each way. But I was also closer to my girlfriend who lived in White Plains. I planned on asking her to marry me that Christmas, but unfortunately she broke up with me the day before Thanksgiving, leaving me with an engagement ring and a crappy job in Larchmont. I quit a few weeks later. I eventually took a job selling cars (a topic for a future column, for sure) just to pay the bills until I could get back into journalism. It was awful. But then I got a phone call from my cousin who lived in Los Angeles. He wanted me to come out and help him run his business. He had moved there after he graduated high school to go to college and try out for the Olympic gymnastics team, which he actually might have made if he hadn’t injured his hip. His gymnastics skills eventually led to him getting a job in a McDonald’s TV commercial playing Ronald McDonald. McDonald’s was a big sponsor of the 1984 Olympics and ran a series of commercials showing Go west young man BOB DUMAS OUT OF MY HEAD SEE DUMAS PAGE 12
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 FOCUS ON ELDER LAW For many years my clients would tell me that they regretted not having purchased longterm-care insurance (“LTCI”) when they were younger, could afford it and were insurable. While it is true that hindsight is 20-20, having LTCI does not guarantee you will have a need for it as you age. For example, you could pay the premium for a LTCI policy for 25-30 years and pass away in your 90s without ever having received the benefits from the LTCI policy. Unless one has purchased a hybrid LTCI policy (one which has both a death benefit and a long-term-care benefit), LTCI is a lot like having auto insurance. It is only useful if an individual goes into a nursing home, needs home health-aide assistance and is unable to perform two out of five activities of daily living. There is certainly a population of individuals that have this need and use their LTCI to its full extent, but there is also a large portion of LTCI policies purchased but never utilized. I can personally attest to this as both of my parents, with my encouragement, purchased LTCI over 20 years ago and religiously (but not happily) paid the premiums. My father is now 92 years of age and needs some limited assistance with activities of daily living. He is using his policy to assist with his care costs, but if the coverage is not used in full, which it likely will not be, the remaining benefits are lost. If you don’t use it, you lose it! Alternatively, if one purchases a hybrid policy (which combines the benefits of long-term care and life insurance into a single policy with a single monthly premium), if long term care benefits are needed, the death benefit can be used during the insured’s life to pay for same. Then, upon the insured’s passing, whatever amount of the death benefit remains is available to go to the beneficiaries named on the policy, like a traditional insurance policy. Far from a use it or lose it planning tool! Unfortunately, these hybrid policies were not an option when I assisted my parents in purchasing LTCI over 20 years ago and may be more expensive than traditional policies depending on the applicant’s age, health and insurability. In this day and age, I see the real value of a traditional LTCI policy when used as a buffer against the five-year look back created by a non-exempt transfer of assets for Medicaid eligibility purposes: also known as a gift. Consider this scenario: husband and wife transfer their home and/or non-retirement liquid assets to a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT), thus creating the five-year lookback period for nursing home Medicaid eligibility, and at or about the same time they purchase LTCI policies that will provide them with significant coverage during the five-year lookback period they created. Once the lookback period has expired and the assets in the MAPT are protected for Medicaid purposes, the husband and wife can (if they wish) stop paying the premiums on the LTCI and let the policy lapse. Since the assets transferred into the MAPT are now protected for Medicaid purposes, the husband and wife have now limited their exposure to the cost of long-term care and have also provided themselves with insurance coverage if they had become in need of nursing home coverage during the five-year look back period. Additionally, it should be noted that if one has a large IRA/401k and/or Qualified Annuity, the face value of the retirement account is protected and not counted for Medicaid eligibility purposes. Medicaid will, however, count the required minimum distribution (RMD) as available income for eligibility purposes. As such, funding qualified retirement funds is another way of sheltering assets from the cost of care, as they are exempt for Medicaid purposes and the income they generate can be used to pay for the cost of care. The cost of long-term care is on the rise. The average cost of 24/7 home care and nursing home care is between $180,000 to $220,000 per year in Westchester and surrounding counties. As such, preparing for these future costs is imperative and requires one to be proactive and consider all options, including long-term-care insurance and transfer of assets for Medicaid purposes, in advance of one needing the care. As with many challenges in life, advance planning is critical! Anthony J. Enea is the managing attorney of Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP of White Plains, N.Y. He focuses his practice on Wills, Trusts, Estates and Elder Law. Anthony is the Past Chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), and is the past Chair of the 50+ Section of the NYSBA. He is a Past President and Founding member of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Anthony is also the Immediate Past President of the Westchester County Bar Foundation and a Past President of the Westchester County Bar Association. He is also fluent in Italian. He can be reached at 914-948-1500 or at [email protected]. Long-term-care insurance is not the only way to pay for the cost of long-term care! IMAGE: ADOBE STOCK ‘The average cost of 24/7 home care and nursing home care is between $180,000 to $220,000 per year in Westchester and surrounding counties.’ -Anthony J. Enea Managing Attorney of Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP ANTHONY J. ENEA GUEST CORNER THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 9
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PAGE 12 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES OPINION JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 DUMAS FROM PAGE 8 the iconic clown performing athletic feats. My cousin played Ronald doing gymnastics stuff. That led to him getting jobs as a stuntman in movies and TV shows—a career that lasted him more than 10 years. But being a stuntman is like being an athlete. The career has a shelf life and as you get older the jobs begin to dry up. So that was when he started Paradise Foods. In the late ’80s/early ’90s, fat-free frozen yogurt was all the rage. Walk-in yogurt parlors (TCBY, Penguin’s) began popping up everywhere. They were like Carvel or Dairy Queen but sold soft-serve frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. My cousin got the idea to put soft-serve frozen yogurt in a cup with a clear domed lid (so you could see the pretty colors) and then place it in point-of-purchase freezers in mom-and-pop grocers, gift shops, delis, and such. It was actually a pretty good idea. He called it Paradise Yogurt and the company was Paradise Foods (we also sold giant cookies). When I arrived, we had about 300 accounts, six fulltime employees, and three freezer trucks that delivered the product to our stores. I can’t remember exactly how many flavors we had but it was more than 20. Some had toppings like crushed peanuts or smashed Oreos. I pretty much took over the day-to-day operations. It was hard work but a lot of fun. I worked closely with the drivers, making sure the accounts were properly serviced, worked with ADP doing payroll, placed weekly orders with the dairy for the yogurt mix, and much more. About two years in, we discovered a retail ice cream shop in Manhattan Beach that had gone out of business. This store was about two blocks from the beach with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. My cousin wanted to take it over. We were getting the yogurt mix and toppings at a huge discount already because of the quantities we ordered for the wholesale business, so our profit margins at the retail store would be significant, he argued. I was dubious—worried that we were biting off more than we could chew. Then I learned that they held the women’s beach volleyball championships each year (on ESPN!) on the beach right below us and I suddenly was persuaded to come on board. It was a good decision because running that store was some of the best times of my life. But all good things come to an end. And many things conspired to do that. I questioned some of my cousin’s business practices but it was his company, so there wasn’t much I could do. Then the Northridge earthquake hit and knocked out power for three days. Our freezers went down. We scrambled to get dry ice, but we still lost a lot of inventory. Plus, we couldn’t run our machines, so we were unable to make yogurt for three days. Then the Rodney King riots hit and a significant number of our accounts either burned down or had to close their doors. Our point-of-purchase freezers began to break down because my cousin, in an effort to save money, bought the cheap ones, and we didn’t have the funds to replace them. Our most reliable driver developed a drug habit and became erratic, sometimes not showing up for work for days on end... sometimes disappearing with one of our trucks. Our customers began to complain. I eventually fired him, but it was hard to find a suitable replacement. On top of it all, the frozen yogurt craze was starting to wane. The buying public is a fickle lot. We eventually closed our doors and sold off all our assets to a rival company. I went back into journalism, which was a good thing. I had to trade in my shorts and Hawaiian shirts for chinos and a collared shirt, but it all worked out in the end. But I will always remember those days fondly. I call it my Frozen Yogurt Period. And when I think about those beach volleyball players coming into my shop to buy protein smoothies, I can’t stop smiling. Bob Dumas is editor at large for Halston Media. He’d still like to enjoy a cup of soft-serve non-fat frozen yogurt (chocolate/ peanut butter, please!) if he could find someplace that sold it. You can write him at dumas@ halstonmedia.com. Photo Submissions Photos submitted to The Katonah-Lewisboro Times need to be a high-resolution image. Images that are submitted at a low resolution cannot be published. Submit photos by the Thursday before the next publication date. Submissions can be emailed to [email protected]. 845-279-9555 • TankRemovalServices.com Before you place your home on the market, contact ENVIROSTAR about replacing your aging underground storage tank (UST). It is required by most insurance companies prior to insuring property. We replace above ground tanks as well! Call us today for a free estimate and evaluation of your current above ground tank. 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JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 OPINION THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 13 My husband, Al, was a great fisherman. Many along the East Coast knew of his skill and dedication to the sport. In fact, in 1984, he caught the second largest striped bass recorded in the world. He only fished from shore, not in a boat. He loved the surf off Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Narragansett, and especially Cuttyhunk Island and Block Island. Block was where he caught his monster fish. Al also very much enjoyed fly fishing in saltwater, which in my understanding takes special skill to catch fish that close to shore and with wave action to contend with along an often rocky beach. Much of the time he went fishing alone, but sometimes met up with a couple of his very determined fishing buddies. They were all out to get the biggest striped bass ever recorded. This would be especially rewarding, but it also would bring many endorsements from all kinds of companies. You might not get rich overnight but could count on a nice retirement cushion while doing something that you truly loved. Very seldom did I go on these fishing excursions with him. Al took “The Bass Mobile,” an old truck which was not at all comfortable for me, was crammed with gear, and was very smelly. It usually contained at least one bucket of strung eels to lure on the bass. The sleeping pattern for these guys searching “the big ones” was totally irregular. They usually fished sunset to sun up, catching a few winks here and there during the night. That is when the fish seem to travel and eat, if I am picturing this scenario correctly. Al changed spots often during the night and traded information on where fish had been spotted or were biting. There would be a mad rush by all participants to get to that area as quickly as possible and to find a prime spot from which to cast their line. Eating was always a problem because the off-season cottages, or a room in someone else’s cottage, provided little refrigerator space. Cold cuts, bread and a jar of mustard were mainstays. If you did not smell too badly when you quit after first light, you could grab a complete breakfast at one of the beachfront eateries. Some stayed open year-round and were a gathering spot for the locals—many of whom were fishermen themselves. While my kids were young, I almost embraced the few days without my hubby. It meant at least one night out to Friendly’s with the kids and no dinner to prepare. Even a McDonald’s hamburger was permissible on occasion. Once the kids were off to college, however, I felt very lonely when Al made these excursions. I thought my solution was expressed in the time-honored maxim, “If you can’t fight ‘em, join ‘em.” I told Al I at least wanted to try to learn fly fishing. That following June for my birthday, he planned a surprise trip. Al would not tell me our destination, just what type of clothing to pack. He had enrolled me in the fly fishing school at Orvis up in Manchester, Vt. I was thrilled! The classes were small and packed with information, and they even let Al sit in on the lecture portion after learning of his exploits with fly fishing for striped bass in salt water. Next, it was out onto the stocked pond. Manicured lawns gently sloped to the water’s edge, and we were spaced so no one would be tangled in someone else’s line. I kept casting. I kept trying. Suddenly, I caught a fish, then another, and another. I was feeling so proud because everyone else seemed to get at least one, but up to that point I had not gotten a thing the whole morning long. It was not until later in the day when, unbeknownst to me, the instructor went a bit downstream from me and tossed some food into the water. That is when my luck turned. Those hungry little bass hightailed it from upstream to downstream post haste, and mine was the first bait they spotted. No wonder I was so lucky. I was glad to have had such an interesting experience. When I heard, however, about the amount of expense for proper equipment, and the fact that to get to many streams you often had to traverse wooded, uneven landscape and then stand in rocky water to catch these elusive little bass, I decided my fishing days had begun and ended at Orvis. Gone fishin’ MARILYN A. PELLINI MUSINGS: PAST AND PRESENT Advertise With Us The Katonah-Lewisboro Times is mailed to approximately 5,000 mailboxes on a bi-weekly basis. We offer our clients an ad design service. For more information, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected]. We see you here. The things you love doing are more than just passions. 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PAGE 14 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES OPINION JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING, HOT WATER HEATER & GAS NEEDS 845.628.3924 • beeandjay.com Happy 4th of July! RED WHITE & BLUE SAVINGS! TAKE $100 OFF ANY WATER HEATER/WATER SOFTENER INSTALLATION. 1964-2024 60 Years of Excellence MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO PLAY THE NEW YORK LOTTERY GAMES. PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY. 24-HOUR PROBLEM GAMING HOTLINE: 1-877-8-HOPENY (846-7369) Newburgh, NY RWHudsonValleyNY.com I-84 | Exit 36B I-87 | Exit 17 Earn Entries All Month Long! Saturday, July 27 • 10pm *Actual model and color may vary. WIN A 2024 HONDA ACCORD Congressman Lawler is not ‘purple’ Dear Editor, Regarding “The Power of Purple” (June 6, Page 8), Don Scott’s essay, which aimed at convincing voters that U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler is a moderate Republican in a “deep purple district,” includes misleading statements as well as a very disturbing equation. He misleads the reader when he suggests that Rep. Lawler is a moderate and a compromiser. Among his votes, Mr. Lawler voted in 2023 for the Jackson Roy amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), prohibiting the government from paying for travel of enlisted women to states where abortion is allowed; he just voted for this year’s NDAA (to which the Republican Congress added provisions rolling back diversity protections and restricting service members and their families from accessing abortion and transgender health care and eliminating all positions of offices of diversity, equity and inclusion across the Pentagon. This actually weakens our military, which is racially and gender diverse, and has struggled to reduce bias in its ranks); he voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to release audiotapes of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Biden (the GOP wants the tapes not for any information they contain, but rather in the hopes they show the President in an unfavorable light in advance of the election. This subpoena in no way benefits Mr. Lawler’s district or the American people, it is in service to the former president’s re-election campaign); he voted to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas; he voted to initiate an impeachment inquiry into President Biden (an inquiry based on no evidence of misconduct). Mr. Lawler touts his record on gun control. He voted last June for AJ Res 44, repealing regulation on pistol braces, often paired with AR style firearms. He has voted against the environment. He voted in favor of HR 1, a bill expanding drilling and fracking on public lands and waters, cutting environmental protections and undercutting renewable energy growth. He signed on as a cosponsor of the Energy Choice Act, which would block states from transitioning off fossil fuels in addition to several bills blocking transition from fossil fuels in home heating. (He has benefited from donations from the oil, gas and coal industry). Lastly, after Mr. Trump’s recent convictions, he declared that District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other New York Democrats were waging “political war on their enemies” and accused them of interfering with this year’s presidential election. Mr. Lawler is not purple; he is unmistakably red. In his essay, Mr. Scott justifiably decries the current political polarization, but goes on to equate Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Marjorie Taylor Greene as both unwilling to compromise and extreme. Ocasio-Cortez is an energetic congresswoman who, prior to election, engaged in years of volunteerism and political activism. She is an agent for positive change. By contrast, Ms. Greene is an agent of chaos and discord. She has promoted or amplified antisemitic as well as anti-Muslim views. She has amplified conspiracy theories regarding school shootings, 9/11, the 2020 election, Hilary Clinton and former President Obama and his family, among a few. She has also posted or “liked” numerous calls for violence against Democrats (this includes a Facebook post of an image of herself holding a gun alongside images of Democratic congresswomen, including Ocasio-Cortez). Her most recent act in Congress was to introduce a bill to defund NATO, an organization about which she appears to have no knowledge or understanding. While I agree with Mr. Scott that compromise is essential to good governance and progress, I do not believe Lawler reflects the interest of the district. -Judith Mason Katonah LETTER What’s more American on the Fourth of July than flagwaving, fireworks, barbecue, and … movies! In that spirit of ‘76, I thought it would be appropriate to suggest some movies about our nation’s history and movies not about our history but take place on the Fourth of July. These 10 selections serve as a sampler of what’s out there, to whet your appetite. [Credit to Wikipedia, funboy.com and today.com for helping with my research.] Born on the Fourth of July (1989) A sprawling anti-war drama starring Tom Cruise that is adapted from the autobiography of Ron Kovic, a Vietnam veteran and wounded warrior who was paralyzed in battle becomes an outspoken and eloquent critic of the war after his Get in the spirit of ‘76 with a viewing party BRUCE APAR BRUCE THE BLOG SEE APAR PAGE 15
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 OPINION THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 15 exasperation in dealing with an unresponsive Veterans Administration. Harriet (2019) Featuring an Oscar-nominated title performance by Cynthia Erivo, this bio-pic of the abolitionist Harriet Tubman tracks her escape from slavery to her heroic liberation of hundreds of slaves via the Underground Railroad. Revolution (1985) If this British historical drama set in New York during the Revolutionary War is unfamiliar to you, it’s likely because it did a belly flop. Still, it’s included here for sentimental reasons – as a respectful tip of the hat to recently deceased Donald Sutherland and because it also stars Al Pacino, who’s always interesting to watch even when not much else around him is. National Treasure (2004) Watch Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew (Nicolas Cage) steal the Declaration of Independence in a “treasure hunt through American history that’s as educational as it is exhilarating.” [Funboy.com] Independence Day (1996) Starring amateur prizefighter Will Smith, this disaster movie about “aliens attacking Earth and humanity bandin together” is “the ultimate 4th of July barbecue but with spaceships and a much bigger budget.” [Funboy.com] Hamilton (2020) Yes, the Broadway phenomenon from Lin-Manuel Miranda that features Alexander Hamilton and other founding fathers rapping also is a film on Disney +. Jaws (1975) This landmark summer blockbuster is directed by a 26-yearold prodigy named Steven Spielberg. The screen adaptation of Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel, which takes place on the Fourth of July, terrorized real-life beachgoers for years beyond its theatrical release. John Williams’s bone-chilling score features what is arguably the most recognizable main theme in Hollywood history. Even the iconic tagline struck fear in sunbathers: “Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water.” Lincoln (2012) Steven Spielberg’s film, which follows the final four months of The Great Emancipator’s life, picked up a dozen Oscar nominations. Its heart and soul is the acting genius of Daniel Day-Lewis, whose uncanny portrayal of the 16th president earned the British thespian his third Best Actor triumph. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) James Cagney’s unique stature in the pantheon of movie greats can be summed up by noting that the actor whose fame was built playing tough-as-nails gangsters won the Best Actor Oscar as legendary song–and-dance man George M. Cohan (composer of numerous patriotic standards, such as “Your’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Over There”), who was born on the Fourth of July. 1776 (1972) It helps to be a Broadway musical fan to appreciate this lighthearted and quite tuneful take on the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but it also makes a serviceable American history lesson. Spoiler (not): the birth of our nation was fraught with political factions lurching at each other’s throats. Ah, yes. The more things change … APAR FROM PAGE 14 Welcome to “News & Notes,” where we look at the happenings here in Westchester County. We are on our way to the beaches of old Cape Cod for our annual family vacation. Six feet away from sunburn, soggy clothes and sandy sandwiches, can’t wait…if I’m not eaten by a whale, please enjoy this week’s “Vacation is all I ever wanted” edition of “News & Notes.” These recent hot muggy nights certainly have brought out those pesky mosquitoes. Do me a favor; before you swat those pests with my column, sit back and read it first… A big thank you to all those who came out and donated to our “Alzheimer’s Awareness Clubhouse Special.” I saw many old friends and many new ones. Thanks to The Hub at Hotel MTK, WGCH and Steve and Michael from Blues Corruption for rocking the evening. My fellow Sons of American Legion Post 1575 Katonah presents our annual car show on July 14 at John Jay Homestead. This fun filled family event is open to the public 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food, raffles, a 50/50 and music. Registration will start at 9 a.m. with a $20 fee. Rain date is July 21. Don’t tell my wife but it is time for the annual Katonah Sales days on July 19 and 20. Some of the most unique stores in Westchester are having a giant tag sale on Katonah Avenue …. stroll along the avenue for bargains and family fun! The Katonah Library has a cool event coming up on July 10 from 1 to 3:45 p.m. Learn to create a portrait with artist Daisy De Puthod using pastels. Patrons will work with a live model for this one-day workshop. Bring a 16x20 or larger pad; all other materials will be provided. My mother often told me I couldn’t draw a straight line, so you know I will be there with my pad and probably an eraser. On July 11 at 11 a.m., bring your little ones to Caramoor where Lucy Kalantari shares her jazz age-inspired music with Caramoor’s youngest audience. Children and caregivers of all ages are invited to sing along (in English and Spanish) to classic children’s songs, swinging originals, and music that highlights the joys of life, community and resilience. “It’s time to clear the racks,” which is one of my wife’s favorite expressions. The Katonah Thrift Shop is happy to announce their annual July Sale with bargains on décor, kitchen ware, clothes, handbags, shoes and a myriad of treasures. After making room for new inventory, the hardworking ladies of the Katonah Women’s Civic Club will take the month of August off to regroup, restock and reopen Thursday, Sept. 7. Until then, the Thrift Shop, which is located next to the firehouse, is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I hope everyone has a safe and fun Fourth of July. Happy Birthday America. Let’s wave our flags in salute to our wonderful country. News & Notes for July MARK JEFFERS NEWS & NOTES 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. Not to be combined with any other offler or discount. Other restrictions may apply. Valid at participating location only. Call for details. 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PAGE 16 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 Sports BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER As a John Jay Lacrosse player, Luca Duva has endured some pretty tough season ending losses. This year’s section final defeat to Rye among them, he doesn’t discount the value of the pain. “It does allow you to mature,” said the senior. But he is leaving John Jay with more than just experiences that will take him into the real world. “The recognition shows how the hard work I put in really paid off,” said the High School All-American. As a kid, he got a sampling of all the sports available, and for a while, wrestling was his main interest. But the sport may have proved too stationary. “I always liked to move around - especially as a kid,” he said. “I was a ball of energy.” The friendship aspect was there too and so was the back of the net. “I enjoy scoring,” he assured. A proficiency that doesn’t necessarily really mean pressure. “When I’m playing, I don’t think about anything else outside of lacrosse,” he said. “I’m focused, I’m present in the moment and I’m with my best friends.” Still, competition does get in the way, and he credits Coach Bocklet with recentering his mind when needed. “He preached not really thinking about the game too much, just playing loose and having fun,” said Duva. The sentiment came across off the sidelines too. Steve DelMoro, Matt Gallagher, Adrionna Palmiero and trainers Emma Meore and Christian Tsakanikas provide a presence that sends a message to every John Jay athlete. Seeing them at all the games, he said, “It’s like a weight off your shoulders.” Either way, the whole package has taught him to follow the suit of the caring community at Contest Field. “Lacrosse is 95% mental,” he clarified. “That last 5% is you have the skill. So do it, don’t talk about it.” His football experience couldn’t help get him over 100 percent, though. “The physicality definitely correlated to lacrosse,” he said. So, in backing down defenders he knew who played football and who didn’t. But one on one isn’t really the name of the game. “When you’re clicking, and when everybody is together, everything moves smoother,” Duva said. “That’s when it really starts to get fun.” His most memorable moment definitely aligned. “I remember Kiefer coming down the middle of the field, he dumped it off to me, and I ended the game in overtime,” he said of a victory this spring over Rye. A couple early goals versus Rye in the finals wasn’t enough so the omission from his time here is hard to overlook. “I feel I’m leaving with unfinished business,” he said. Yes when it comes to hardware but not in terms of the heart. “I hope I left behind everything I had, and I hope I’ve motivated those returning next year,” Duva said. Of course, he’s not done, and the economic major will be joining the squad at UMass Amherst. A faster game, Duva knows he won’t be left behind. “I’m ready,” the Wolf concluded. Duva caps off John Jay career as an All-American Luca Duva will bring his talents to UMass Amherst in the fall. PHOTO: RICH MONETTI BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER Last year, Andy Condon didn’t make it to the states and in this year’s 3200 state qualifier, his second-place finish left him short. Fortunately, the junior runner added another event to his arsenal, and in the home stretch of the steeplechase, he was still in play to qualify for the big race in Syracuse. But in the final 150 yards, Condon fell behind to Arseniy Nechaev of Arlington, and while it may have looked like he would be denied again, the Wolf knew exactly what lay ahead. “I came around the bend and could tell he had nothing left,” said Condon, and the All-Section runner qualified for states with three seconds to spare. His first foray, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so memorable. “I wanted to try the steeplechase out last year, but we got to the meet late so I missed it,” recalled Condon, who set the school record in the 3200 at the qualifiers. The seed was planted, though, and he took on the grind. A good deal harder, Condon assured, “It’s a strength-based race because once you get toward the end, it turns into muscle memory. You just have to hope you can still hurdle.” Still, the training regimen is about the same in comparison to the 3200, but the obstacles mean a runner has to be on their toes. “I almost took a little bit of a tumble at the counties,” he said of his first place finish. Landing him in the qualifier at Suffern, he hung back and waited for the pack to fall off. From there, he knew Nechaev would remain on track. That is until he too faded into the landscape, and off to the states, the horses in the field were no ponies. “I tried to stick with the front of the pack. But from the gun, I was pushed back and got run away from,” he lamented. Sixteenth place, he was hoping for more. “I was a little bit disappointed,” Condon said. “I wanted to perform a little bit better, but it just wasn’t my day.” No time to ponder, his sneakers are still on alert. “Next week, I’m going to the Nike Nationals in Oregon,” he said. There, he hopes to win his heat and blend in. “It’s track town USA,” said Condon. “So, I’m happy to go see some stuff and run some races.” Of course, standing still is also part of the regimen. Two weeks off, he said, “I’m going to relax.” Add in a little work in terms of college essays and applications, Condon’s mind will do the racing before actually putting the pedal to the metal. “Next fall, I’ll assess some goals based on my performances and workouts,” he concluded. “I definitely want to see some improvements.” Andy Condon gives chase all the way to states Andy Condon PHOTO: RICH MONETTI John Alfano Sr. Was honored with a proclamation presented by Assemblyman Nader Sayegh at the fourth annual John Jay Touchdown Club Golf Classic on June 17 at Waccabuc country Club. Alfano was recognized for his efforts in founding, directing, and coaching youth football for 22 years.
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 17 LEISURE To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle! For puzzle solutions, please see theparamountrehab.com CLUES ACROSS 1. Six (Spanish) 5. Invests in little enterprises 9. Large dung beetle 11. Gored 13. Partially paralyzed 15. Still a little wet 16. Legal field media company 17. Not working 19. 500 sheets of paper 21. Church structure 22. Sheep disease 23. Small drink of whiskey 25. Weaving tradition 26. Pestilence 27. Body part 29. Nabs 31. Places to stay 33. Witnesses 34. Looked for 36. Arranges 38. Political action committee 39. Middle eastern nation (alt. sp.) 41. Hair-like structure 43. Parts producer 44. Greek city 46. Subway dwellers 48. Norm from “Cheers” 52. Clean a floor 53. Vied for 54. Canned fish 56. Inspire with love 57. Sent down moisture 58. Wrest 59. Partner to carrots CLUES DOWN 1. Mounted 2. Assign 3. Wrath 4. Self-immolation by fire ritual 5. Parts of an organism 6. Person from England 7. Tropical plants of the pea family 8. Body part 9. Practice boxing 10. Containers 11. Contrary beliefs 12. Bleached 14. Pre-Islamic Egyptian 15. A group of similar things ordered one after another 18. Innermost spinal cord membranes 20. Cassava 24. A restaurant’s list of offerings 26. Annoy constantly 28. Orchestrate 30. Z Z Z 32. Astute 34. Highly decorated tea urn 35. Teach to behave 37. Endurance 38. Urinating 40. Barbie friend dolls 42. Repents 43. Man-eating giant 45. Jewish calendar month 47. Accelerated 49. Husband of Sita in Hindu 50. Lump of semiliquid substance 51. Lying in wait 55. Cease to exist Proceeds from the transfer tax would augment today’s principal open-space funding source: Voters in 2017 authorized an allocation of 2 percent of the town’s total property-tax levy, which at this point generates less than a half-million dollars a year. The new tariff, its latest estimate holds, could add $1.77 million annually to a new Community Preservation Fund (CPF). Creating a CPF would require Town Board approval—still uncertain at this point—as well as a thumbs up from voters in a November referendum. The June 18 hearing was, technically, three public hearings on separate local laws creating and bankrolling the CPF. It ended without Town Board action, pending a state-mandated environmental review of the plan. That’s expected to be completed before the Town Board next meets, July 16. On June 18, anticipating a crush of speakers, Supervisor Ellen Calves set a limit—widely ignored—of three minutes for statements. For more than two hours, 25 people came to the town hall microphone or appeared via Zoom, pressing their case and earning polite applause. Calves had noted at the outset that this hearing was “not the public referendum,” so the key thing was not “how many people speak in favor and how many speak against. The important part is we want to hear new and different things, not the same thing over and over.” Still, for those keeping score, supporters of the proposed tax prevailed 19-6. Caroline MacGill, a task force member and Bedford Hills resident, spoke for more than nine minutes, and along the way outlined what she saw as the promise of a Community Preservation Fund. “I am inspired by what a CPF could do for Bedford,” she said. “I am inspired by its environmental potential, its economic potential, its social justice potential, its potential for our children and, really, for the community spirit I’ve gotten to be a part of over the last six months.” Others speaking in favor included members of organizations like the Westchester Land Trust, Bedford 2030 and the town’s Open Space Acquisition Committee itself as well as individual homeowners like Roger Vincent Jr. of Bedford Hills. Vincent, the second half of a father-son tandem backing the proposal, said that he has asked other residents what drew them to Bedford. “Almost invariably,” he said, “the answer is, ‘We thought Bedford was special, across the board.’ . . . I believe the CPF embodies what they are talking about.” Only days before becoming a Fox Lane alum, Sam Griff said that Bedford’s “open spaces and natural beauty are important . . . to keep us spiritually and mentally healthy.” And Griffin Creech, who bought a home in Katonah nine years ago, called the proposal “an investment in our community.” “It was a real stretch for us in 2015 to afford our mortgage and the property taxes, which are not insubstantial.” Still, he told “our real estate developer friends,” the proposed fund “doesn’t inhibit development” and was “highly likely [to] benefit property values.” Veith, the Katonah real estate attorney who followed Creech at the microphone, disagreed, insisting that Greenwich and other communities have a competitive advantage over Bedford because they do not impose a transfer tax. “When people say there’s no burden for doing something like this,” he said of the CPF, “you have to take into account the added cost when you’re competing against people who will be looking at places in Connecticut, 15 minutes away.” Sally Slater, a Douglas Elliman broker who has lived “on three dirt roads” in Bedford for 41 years, supported Veith, citing the already growing pile of real estate closing costs. “On top of all these other fees,” she said of buyers now hit with a transfer tax, “they’re going to have to write a check . . . that will not be rolled over into a mortgage.” Veith, predicting a dramatic impact on Bedford home sales, said, “You put a dollar sign in front of anything, it makes a difference to people.” Westchester Land Trust’s Gentian Falstrom earlier had downplayed the threat to Bedford property sales, saying there was “no evidence to support a doom-and-gloom interpretation.” “More than a dozen communities in the Hudson Valley and Long Island have implemented a CPF with very positive results,” she said. “And Bedford is not the only Westchester municipality relying on our expertise as they explore the idea. One of the most similar towns nearby just scheduled several conversations with us as they consider their own community preservation fund.” Dollar signs have dominated the discussion since early March when a task force of the town’s Open Space Acquisition Committee reported a near-empty treasury and recommended creation of the CPF. Initially proposed as a 2 percent fee across the board on property transfers above the Westchester median sale price—$778,000—it was touted as a $4 million-a-year windfall for the open space fund. Subsequent transfer tax restructuring to a graduated fee schedule reduced estimates of the annual CPF gain to less than half that amount. In the latest iteration—said to produce $1.77 million a year in added open space funds—transfers would be taxed this way: a half percent on sales over median, up to and including $1 million; 1 percent from more than $1 million to $1.25 million; 1.5 percent from the amount over $1.25 million to $1.5 million; and 2 percent on everything above $1.5 million. The transfer tax would be calculated incrementally. So, a home selling for $1.3 million would go untaxed up to the county’s $778,000 median. On the remaining $222,000 of that first million dollars of sale price, the 0.5 percent fee would provide $1,110 in open space revenue. The next $250,000, taxed at 1 percent, would incur a $2,500 fee and the final $50,000 of sale price would cost another $750, for a transfer-tax total of $4,360. The state’s Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act allows towns in specified counties to establish the preservation fund. Six towns in four counties—Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Columbia—now have the funds; Bedford would be the first community in Westchester to establish one. BOARD FROM PAGE 1
PAGE 18 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 years she spent working for the New York Central Railroad up in Buffalo. “She and her sister, Joyce, who predeceased her, have been my go-to gals for any sort of history I’ve wanted to know about Cross River, and I think it’s a good time that we the citizens of Lewisboro honor this 105-yearold woman who is still still alive and full of spirit,” Koehl said. The resolution cited Reynolds’ past work as president of the Lewisboro Senior Adults, as a Girl Scout troop leader, as president of the Railroad Women’s Business Association, and as a treasurer of the Cross River Baptist Church. It further noted that Reynolds was elected to the class of 1993 of the Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and that she “continues to be a keeper of the history of Lewisboro in the 20th and 21st centuries.” “Therefore, be it resolved that the town Board of the town of Lewisboro hereby honor and commends Lois Reynolds for her contributions to the Town of Lewisboro through throughout her life, and be it further resolved that this resolution be read in the minutes of this June 24th, 2024 Town Board meeting for future generations to see, and that a copy be presented to Lois Reynolds dated South Salem, New York on this 24th day of June 2024,” the resolution concluded. Scout project gets green light The Town Board also approved the waiver of fees for a project proposed by James Ronan, an Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 154 in Goldens Bridge. His proposed project will be at Lewisboro’s William K. Love Preserve. Ronan would build a bench and will relocate and rebuild a 16-foot bridge. He’ll also remove a fire pit, move the trail’s information kiosk, and replace a rotted water break. The Love Preserve is less well-known than others in Lewisboro, Ronan explained. “It’s near Ring’s End, the lumberyard,” he said. “It’s a small preserve and it’s pretty nice. I’ve been there a bunch of times, but it needs a lot of work to sort of restore.” There are two entrances to the Preserve’s trail, which is essentially a large loop. The bench will be near one of those. “The new bench will be made completely from two-by-fours and it’s a pretty simple design,” said Ronin. Ronin will relocate the bridge to a narrower part of the stream; its shorter length will help the bridge to last longer, Ronin explained. “It’s a similar sort of plan that we have found in other trails,” he said. “It will be made out of pressure-treated lumber.” The information kiosk is currently in a relatively secluded location at the preserve. “So, I would be taking it out and moving it more towards the entrance so when people get there, they can see it,” said Ronin. Ronan pointed out that the fire pit wasn’t part of the original trail design. It’s littered with broken glass because visitors keep smashing bottles against its stones, creating a safety hazard. Thus, Ronan will remove the firepit, clean up the glass and debris, and reuse its stones at a water break farther down the trail. The water break, Ronan explained, is a simple structure placed on the trail to keep water off the trail when it rains, thus causing the trail to erode. “That water break is rotting and doesn’t really work at all, so I’m going to be taking stones from the fire pit and replacing the water break with the stone,” said Ronan. LEWISBORO FROM PAGE 7 BY GAIL KRALJEVIC PRESIDENT, THE LEWISBORO SENIORS Let me start by thanking Alison Biddle for arranging lunch for our seniors every Wednesday. Even though she lost her bid for a seat on the Lewisboro Town Board she has remained one of the Lewisboro Seniors strongest advocates. She has been reaching out to local businesses and individuals to donate lunch for our seniors. To donate lunch for our seniors on a Wednesday call Pam Veith, our director at 914-232-6162 or contact Alison Biddle directly on Facebook or Lewisboro Uncensored. Also, thanks to Alison’s husband Mark who takes time out of his busy day sometime to deliver lunch. Hats off to both of them. We truly appreciate your kindness. Recently we had the Kids Community Club of Lewisboro come and interact with our seniors. They brought everything necessary to make the most wonderful plants. I am extending our thanks to Gossett Brothers Nursery for giving them a discount. It is nice to see the community working together to enhance the lives of seniors. I would like to take the time now to thank every child that participated and made the life of a senior more enjoyable, including Alessandro Zaffiro, Lorenzo, Minerva, Cosimo, Cyrus Green, Penolope, Althea, Alexander Mirizio, and Nicholas. I can’t say enough good things about these children. There is hope for our future. The Lewisboro Seniors meet every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Salem Fire House on Route 35. We welcome everyone age 50+. Call Pam Veith at 914-232- 6162 or just show up on a Wednesday. We will be glad to see you. Kids Community Club spends a day with Lewisboro Seniors Members of the Kids Community Club of Lewisboro with the Lewisboro Seniors. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEWISBORO SENIORS FINAL DAY! SUN. 07/07, 11-5 (OPEN 4TH OF JULY, 10-4) 230 RTE 117 BYPASS ROAD, BEDFORD HILLS, NY FINAL FOUR DAYS! THE GREAT $6 MILLION TOTAL FURNITURE SELLOFF AND REMODELING SALE STORE HOURS MON-SAT: 10-6 SUN: 11-5 WED: CLOSED $6 MILLION OF QUALITY HOME FURNISHINGS WILL BE SOLD OUT FAST AT THE DEEPEST DISCOUNTS OF OUR HISTORY EXTRA ADDITIONAL 30% OFF ALL REMAINING FLOOR SAMPLES
JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 19 Are you anticipating an inheritance someday? If so, you may want to discuss it with your parents or other family members who may be leaving you the assets — because early, open communication will benefit everyone involved. However, many people are reluctant to have these conversations. More than a third of Americans do not plan on discussing a transfer of wealth with their families, according to a recent study by Edward Jones in partnership with NEXT 360 Partners and Morning Consult. And the same study found that only about a quarter of Americans have actually discussed generational wealth transfer with their families. Perhaps this low level of communication is not surprising — clearly, talking about wealth transfer and estate plans can be emotional. But having these discussions is important, for several reasons: • Strengthening family bonds – Generational wealth transfer shouldn’t be seen simply as a transactional event. By discussing your parents’ plans and wishes, and your own expectations, you can build a sense of unity and shared purpose. And you can develop a common philosophy about how your family’s legacy goals will be carried forward through the succeeding generations. • Avoiding unpleasant surprises – If you or other family members are expecting a certain inheritance and things turn out differently, disappointment and bad feelings may occur. But this can be avoided by having a discussion beforehand that clearly outlines your parents’ intentions. You still may not agree with them, but at least you’ll know what to expect — and you won’t make the mistake of acting in advance on any assumptions about what you’ll inherit. • Developing appropriate strategies – Passing on wealth to a new generation as part of an overall estate plan can be more complex than you might think. Are your parents using tax-smart strategies? Would they benefit from establishing a living trust? Are the beneficiary designations on their retirement accounts and life insurance policies accurate and up to date? If you suspect your parents may not have properly addressed these issues, you may want to bring up the benefits of working with an estate-planning attorney and a tax advisor. • Protecting against incapacitation – Many people go through their senior years with few, if any, physical or mental impairments. But there are no guarantees. If one or both of your parents were to become incapacitated and unable to handle their financial affairs, it could cause serious problems with their wealth transfer and estate-planning goals. But if you can discuss your parents’ plans with them while they are healthy and alert, you can encourage them to take the proper steps, such as reviewing outdated estate-planning documents and designating you or another family member as power of attorney to make health care and financial decisions on their behalf should they become incapacitated. While the benefits of having wealthtransfer and estate-planning discussions are clear, starting the conversations can be tricky. You need to show that you want to initiate these talks because you’re concerned that proper plans need to be in place and understood by everyone involved. If you have a good relationship with your parents, you should be able to start these conversations, but you’ll still need to be sensitive when bringing up the subject. One final word: Estate plans can take some time to develop — so, the sooner you have these discussions, the better. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Financial Advisor, Judi McAnaw, a resident of Katonah. She has an office at 200 Business Park Drive, Suite 107, in Armonk. Judi can be reached at 914-669-5329. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your estate-planning attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. Talk to your family about wealth transfer ‘Generational wealth transfer shouldn’t be seen simply as a transactional event. By discussing your parents’ plans and wishes, and your own expectations, you can build a sense of unity and shared purpose.’ -Judi McAnaw Edward Jones Financial Advisor JUDI MCANAW GUEST CORNER Hiring Stylist/Colorist with a following and a Master Barber with a following. Generous commissions. Also offering monthly chair rental. baezfred@ gmail.com ATTORNEY HELP WANTED PUZZLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF 6/20/24 ACED FTC M O B S H I E S A H A C A R E L I R A S SEN A R A D C A F E S T O N N A N A A ME R I C A S P RE MA T URE L Y ENEM I E S M Y M C A G E R B E NNE BAN C L A R I F Y U N AVAI L ABL E R ESO N A T E M O A B D K M SABER ELBA YEP A I L E D N EBN N E E R ABI A D A I E N D SEN D DIVORCE $389 - Uncontested divorce papers prepared. Only one signature required. 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PAGE 20 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES JULY 3 - JULY 25, 2024 ©2024 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY. 83 KATONAH AVENUE, KATONAH, NY 10536. 914.232.3700.*2024 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN ELLIE AWARDS BASED ON GCI, VOLUME AND TRANSACTIONS FROM 2023. When it comes to selling real estate, local expertise has never been more important. An award-winning 24-year veteran and top-producing associate broker at Douglas Elliman, Melissa has deep roots in the Northern Westchester community. She has successfully leveraged Douglas Elliman's New York City reach by matching exceptional Westchester home with the right buyers. Relax This Summer and Let Melissa & Douglas Elliman Work for You Melissa Frank Lutz Lic. Associate R. E. Broker M 646.765.8691 O 914.232.3700 [email protected] #1 Agent in Westchester for Rental GCI* #3 Agent in Westchester for Rental Transactions* #5 Agent in Westchester for GCI* #8 Agent in Westchester for Volume* President's Circle Award Top 20% of Agents Company Wide* 2023 Top Real Estate Agent By Westchester Magazine