VOL. 6 NO. 34 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 23 CLASSIFIEDS 22 LEISURE 19 OPINION 8 TOWN CROSSING 2 SPORTS 16 Tricks and Treats pg 12 HALLOWEEN Visit News.HalsonMedia.com for the latest news. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST CALDWELL, NJ PERMIT #992 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 Featured Property Somers | 2 BR | 2 BA | 2,003 sf | $489,000 Until now you could only dream about something this special. Absolutely stunning ranch-style townhouse set on a quiet cul-de-sac with total privacy. Fully updated and offering finished lower for recreation and entertaining. An absolute gem! In Honor of Candy Raveis Thursday, November 16th, 6-9pm l Heritage Center Bunco at Bobo’s! PRIZES FOR WINNERS 50/50 Raffles for GREAT Prizes BUNCO IS A DICE GAME (Every Table has a Winner, Every Person has a Chance to Win) $50 PER PERSON Includes Yummy Treats from Bobo’s Wine, Cocktails, Tea/Coffee/Water. BYOB if you have a preference Event is Open to Everyone! LIMITED NUMBER OF SPACES - RESERVE EARLY! Questions: 914.714.0090 or [email protected] l QR to register, pay and donate Scan Here to Register & Donate Please note that this week’s issue went to press before the Nov. 7 election. For full results, visit news.halstonmedia.com. State Senator Pete Harckham and Lewisboro officials announced last week that the town’s planned solar carport at Onatru Farm Town Park is the first “shovel ready” electrification project set to go as part of the $2.1 million in New York State Senate grant funding Harckham has made available to local municipalities. These funds will help local officials to transition away from fossil fuels and promote a clean energy future. Present at the announcement in Onatru Farm Town Park were Lewisboro Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, Deputy Supervisor Dan Welsh, several members of the Lewisboro Sustainability Committee, and Assemblymember Chris Burdick. “It’s time to find clean energy solutions in our communities as we work to reduce energy consumption and improve the health and safety of New Yorkers,” said Harckham. “Reaching the clean energy tipping point is going to take a lot of collaboration and partnerships, like this project here in the Town of Lewisboro. The solar carport planned here for Onatru Farm Park means less energy from the grid and savings for Lewisboro taxpayers. Congratulations to Supervisor Gonçalves and his Lewisboro colleagues for taking advantage of this opportunity and getting it on the drawing board so quickly.” Harckham has made available to each municipality in the 40th Senate District up to $100,000 of Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program (CREST) funding to support projects reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Going forward, the solar carport planned for Onatru Farm Park is expected to generate approximately half of all the electricity used at the park annually. Onatru Farm Town Park was donated to the Town of Lewisboro for open space and recreational use by Alice Lane Poor, a longtime local civic leader whose father Edward Lane owned the property. The park preserves the rural and natural life of the area, while also providing playing fields for baseball, soccer, lacrosse and other sports, along with tennis courts. The original farmhouse on the property is the site of the annual Lewisboro Library Fair and home to the Town’s Parks & Recreation Department. Supervisor Gonçalves added, “There was a windmill on this site long ago, and many working farms today are incorporating wind and solar energy in their operations. It’s exciting to bring back this element of energy self-sufficiency to the Onatru campus to highlight its role as a demonstration site. We hope this provides some inspiration to households and businesses to join in the effort to transition to clean energy.” “The Solar Carport, which will be paid for by the funds being allocated to CREST, is an exciting project, and I am thankful to the Sustainability Committee for helping to identify the highest impact electrification project,” Gonçalves continued. “I would also like to thank Sustainable Westchester for helping analyze the site and consult on the options. Thank you, Senator Harckham, for making available the funds to the Town of Lewisboro.” Powering up! Harckham, Lewisboro announce electrification project Senator Harckham with Robert Whittaker, Deputy Supervisor Dan Welsh, Andrea Rojas, Robert Fischman, Kerri Wolfe, Supervisor Tony Gonçalves and Assemblymember Chris Burdick PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF SEN. PETE HARCKHAM SEE GRANT PAGE 20
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] Noah Elder Designer Bri Agosta Designer Haven Elder Designer 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 ©2023 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC PAGE 2 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 25% OFF ALL IN-STOCK OUTERWEAR, FLEECE & ACCESSORIES (Jackets, Snowpants, Thermals, Helmets, Hats, Gloves, Goggles and Socks) 20% OFF ALL IN-STOCK LACROSSE EQUIPMENT BLACK FRIDAY SALE 11/20-11/27 CLOSED THANKSGIVING 15% OFF ALL CURRENT MODEL HARD GOODS (Skis, Snowboards, Bindings, Boots, Poles) WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU SOME EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SALE IS ON IN-STOCK MERCHANDISE ONLY. DOES NOT APPLY TO CUSTOM OR SPECIAL ORDERS. NOT VALID ON SKI RENTALS. NOT VALID ON ALREADY MARKED DOWN ITEMS. Join our email list for MORE savings. BLACK FRIDAY ONLY POWER HOUR SALE 11/24 - 10am - Noon 30% OFF All In-Stock Outerwear, Fleece & Accessories 20% OFF Skis, Snowboards, Boots, Bindings & Poles 2918 Crompond Rd, Yorktown, NY 10598 sportsbarnyorktownny.com • (914) 245-1300 Bedford Veterans Day Celebration Saturday, Nov. 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. Join in saluting our veterans. Featuring food and drink, live music, kids activities, and USMC Toys for Tots donations. To be held at the Bedford Hills Community House, located at 74 Main Street in Bedford Hills. All are welcome! First Church of Christ, Scientist 13 Bedford Road in Katonah Thanksgiving Day Service Thursday, Nov. 23, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. All are welcome! Child care will be provided, no collection taken. For more information, call 914-232-3842. Bunco at Bobo’s In Honor of Candy Raveis Thursday, Nov. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. Bunco is a dice game, and every table has a winner, and every person has a chance to win! There will also be 50/50 raffles for great prizes. $50 per person, includes yummy treats from Bobo’s, wine, cocktails, tea, coffee, and water. (BYOB if you have a preference.) Event is open to everyone! To be held at Bobo’s Cafe at 6 Heritage Center in Somers. Limited number of spaces, please reserve early. For any questions, call 914-714-0090 or email [email protected] Katonah Elementary School PTO Scholastic Book Fair Nov. 16, 17, and 18 Open to the public. KES kids must attend with a parent or guardian. Cash and cards accepted. To be held in the Katonah Elementary School STREAM Lab. (Enter via main entrance and follow signs to the second floor.) Nov. 16 & 17 from 4 to 6 p.m., Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Winter Wonderland Holiday Boutique Saturday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring student makers and local vendors including Bramantico, Sweets By Melissa, Oni, Sugar Attict, Loop De Loop, and Masha Dasha Designs. The event will also include food trucks, O2 Living pop up, a hot cocoa bar, bake sale, wreath making, and entertainment by The Pulse Nova Jazz, The Treble Makers, and a DJ. To be held at Katonah Elementary School at 106 Huntville Road. Westchester Bluegrass Club www.westchesterbluegrassclub. com Too Blue Saturday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Traveling freely between the genres of bluegrass, swing, Celtic and jazz, a Too Blue performance is a dynamic dose of serious fun. Smooth harmonies and adventurous musicianship bring stellar arrangements to life and leave the listener anything but “blue.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m., Acoustic Jam from 6:30 -7:15, Open Mic from 7:15 - 8, and featured artist from 8 - 9:30 p.m. Donation: $25. Lewisboro Library 15 Main St, South Salem, NY 10590 Please register for programs by visiting www.lewisborolibrary.org Turkey Scavenger Hunt on Nov. 18 Children in kindergarten through grade five are invited to the library for a “Turkey Scavenger Hunt” at 10:30 am. Each child will be given a turkey with no feathers, and will have to search throughout the stacks for different color feathers to complete their turkey. TOWN CROSSING SEE CROSSING PAGE 4
Your Neighbor Your Neighbor THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 3 BY BOB DUMAS EDITOR AT LARGE Gregory Van Voorhis’s road to Hollywood has been pretty scary. OK... maybe it isn’t literally Hollywood, but the Westchester resident’s first horror film wrapped shooting last month and is in the can awaiting some post-production magic and editing before its release in late spring/early summer of next year. And like most of the movies that have inspired Van Voorhis to be a filmmaker—it is meant to frighten you. “The Pitchfork Retreat,” is – as the name would imply – a horror movie, a genre Van Voorhis has been enamored with since he was a kid. Van Voorhis, 44, currently resides in nearby Yorktown but grew up in Cliffside Park, N.J., and went to private school in the Bronx. He said his love for cinema was planted early on by his cinephile parents. He remembers being as young as 3 years old and lying in bed with his dad watching movies. “I grew up in the ‘80s, the decade of all those amazing films,” he said. “We would go to Blockbuster on Fridays, and you could get two videos. That always stuck with me. That was our weekend routine.” Van Voorhis didn’t go to college with the aim of becoming a movie writer and director. Instead he majored in journalism and eventually got a job as an English teacher in the Bronx. Still, his passion for filmmaking got a boost when he attended an intensive workshop at The New York Film Academy in 2002 while a senior at Lehman College. At the NYFA, he was able to complete his first 16 mm short film, “The Eye of the Vulture,” an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” “I was a journalism major, but I took those courses at the Film Academy and fell in love with it,” he said. “I thought it was something I would love to do but I realized I hadn’t really lived long enough to tell stories yet. So, I just kept working and writing. I became as good of a teacher as I could be and thought: ‘Now let me go back and revisit my love.’ “I had just turned 30 and was about to get married,” he added. “I thought, if I don’t make it now, I don’t see it happening, so I went for it.” Actually, Van Voorhis says he was just 8 years old when he wrote his first horror screenplay. “It was called ‘The Stalker,’” he said with a laugh. “But I fell in love [with horror] at an early age. I watched ‘The Exorcist’ when I was very young and [horror] has been my favorite genre ever since. It was my passion.” He eventually fell under the spell of the classic ‘80s horror films such as “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” and “Friday the 13th,” even though he says he is not really a slasher movie fan. “I prefer a slow burn. I like to get invested in the characters,” he said. “I really love the ‘Insidious’ films and ‘The Conjuring’ franchise. I like something outside the box. I like jump scares, but I love sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen.” He cites Stephen King, whom Van Voorhis has met several times, as a master at creating richly drawn characters. “He has been a big influence,” he said. “I did my thesis on him and have a huge collection of his stuff.” Van Voorhis first foray into filmmaking outside of school was in 2010 when wrote and directed “Four Corners Road,” which he describes as a “dramedy.” “It was out of my comfort zone, and I knew it was not my genre,” he said. Van Voorhis began writing “The Pitchfork Retreat” in 2014. “I had an itch to scratch” he said. “This was the time [to write a horror movie].” In the beginning, friends volunteered to serve as actors. But after a few table reads, they encouraged Van Voorhis to hire professionals. The cast now reads like a list of who’s who in the horror movie genre. It boasts Dee Wallace (“Cujo” and the mom in “E.T.”), Tony Todd (“Candyman”), Danielle Harris (“Urban Legend’ and a bunch of “Halloween” films), and Adrienne Barbeau (“The Fog,” “Swamp Thing,” “Escape from New York”). “Horror icons from my childhood,” Van Voorhis said of the cast. “Tony [Todd] read the script and said, ‘I have to be your lead in this,’ and I wanted no one else. We became great friends, and he connected me to all these other great actors like Danielle Harris.” Van Voorhis then met Michael Leavy, creator of the “Terrifier” films, who came onboard as a co-producer. The next “Terrifier” film is being released next summer so Van Voorhis hopes “The Pitchfork Retreat” will drop at around the same time. The movie is the story of three writers who head to a private island for a writers’ retreat where they are told they will compete in a life-changing writing competition. But not everything is as it seems, and they are in for one hell of a surprise. “The Pitchfork Retreat,” which was co-directed by Van Voorhis’s sister, Nicole, is actually a trilogy of sorts. “I love anthology [movies] but what they lack is that wraparound story [that connects all the other stories together],” he said. “I wanted to create that world and have it woven in and out of the other stories. It goes in and out of the [characters’] consciousness as they tell their stories over dinner.” Van Voorhis had high praise for his cast and crew, which, besides his sister, also included his kids, Madison and Mason, and his mother Lynne. Lynne served as a co-producer, while Madison and Mason, students at Ben Franklin Elementary, have prominent roles in the film. At one festival, Madison, 11, was nominated for Best Young Talent, and Best Supporting Actress, a nomination she shared with Wallace and Barbeau. Van Voorhis said his cinematographer Steven Della Salla played a huge role in getting the right look for the film. “He is a genius and an artist,” he said. “It is nice to work with an artist. “And Dee, who was in ‘Cujo,’ was instrumental in getting the movie made,” he added. “And two other actors, Lukas Hassel and Joseph Reitman, who play two of the leads, were very supportive. Without them, it would not have happened. There would be no film at all.” Van Voorhis has already begun writing a sequel to “The Pitchfork Retreat.” And maybe with Halloween just passed, there will still be a little supernatural inspiration in the air. Gregory Van Voorhis is... the frightener Local writer/director’s new horror film wraps shooting “Pitchfork Retreat” cast members, from left, Terry Kiser (Weekend at Bernie’s), Tony Todd (Candyman), and Kimberley Crossman (Deathgasm) PHOTO COURTESY OF GREGORY VAN VOORHIS HOME, AUTO, BUSINESS, LIFE & HEALTH 914-232-7750 www.forbesinsurance.com If you think that your business is too small for a CYBER ATTACK, think again! Contact us for more information and a quote today!
PAGE 4 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 Thank You For Your Service. SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFO! ENJOY 0 DOWN, 0% FINANCING! FEDERAL & STATE INCENTIVES UP TO 30% AVAILABLE! SUPER SAVINGS on your Heat Pump project while program funding lasts... CALL NOW TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY! CALL US TODAY! ACT NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE! LIMITED TIME OFFER UP TO INSTANT REBATE EXP 11/30/23 Please call or visit us online 845-600-8004 $ 10,000 AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS INSTANT REBATE EXP 11/30/23 Please call or visit us online 845-600-8004 $ 25,000 GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS UP TO EXCLUDES SERVICE CONTRACT • EXP 11/30/23 Coupon must be presented at time of service. Cannot be combined with any other offer. $ 50 OFF ANY OF OUR SERVICES 845-600-8004 | www.bellmech.com Pajama Storytime in November The Library’s monthly “Pajama Storytime” continues on Monday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Living Hope SDA Church 331 NY-100 in Somers Musical Concert Saturday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. “He Has Done Marvelous Things,” featuring performances by Brooklyn SDA’s Gifted, The Penas, recording artist Neisha Walcott, and Carol & Peter Piliero. For more information, call Candice Joseph at 347-737-0570 or visit www.LHAdventst.org Mt. Kisco Senior Group Annual Craft Sale Friday, Nov. 17 and Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring handmade crafts, jewlery, knit projects, floral arrangements and more, made by local senior citizens. To be held at Fox Senior Center located at 198 Carpenter Ave. in Mt. Kisco. For more information, call 914-666-8766. Katonah Village Library Amanda Godsoe Exhibition Thru Jan. 27 Painter and Katonah resident Amanda Godsoe will show her collection of landscapes at the Katonah Village Library from Oct. 30 until Jan. 27, 2024. An opening reception will take place Thursday Nov. 2, from 6 7:30 p.m. The paintings will be available for purchase. No registration is required, and the event will take place upstairs in the library’s main level. St John’s Episcopal Parish 82 Spring St., South Salem FOOD PANTRY Spread the word and get involved with the St. John’s Food Pantry! Distribution is every Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. at St. John’s. A food pantry box is available in the church parking lot 24/7 for those who cannot make it to pick up on Saturday morning - please take whatever you need from the box, as it will be replenished. A message from the Lewisboro Seniors CALLING ALL SENIORS (50 +) Have you recently retired or lost a loved one? Are you looking for friendship, single, or home working? Spend a couple of hours with us! The Lewisboro Seniors are 70 strong and looking for new members. Be part of a caring, friendly organization. We welcome everyone! We have the greatest people you will ever want to meet. We have guest speakers, trips, parties (with a DJ) or you can just relax and enjoy the conversation. Once a month we also have a book club. We are a vital group of seniors with much to offer. We meet every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the South Salem Fire House off of Rt. 35. (Use back entrance.) If you don’t drive, we have a bus. We welcome all suggestions and ideas to enhance our program. Come join us and be part of a team. Please call us at 914-232-6162. Chronic Pain Support Group Research tells us that 50 million Americans live with chronic pain, or pain that lasts most days or every day for three months or more. Of this group, 20 million experience high-impact chronic pain, or pain that interferes with basic functioning and activities of daily living. Pain is the number one reason that Americans access the health care system, and costs the nation up to $635 billion each year in medical treatments, disability payments, and lost productivity. Support groups provide a forum for those with pain to gain support and learn about ways to manage pain and progress from patient to person. This group takes place over Zoom every other week. For more information, please call Ted Bloch at 914-552-6281 or email him at tednbloch@ gmail.com. All conversations are kept strictly confidential. BY TOM WALOGORSKY EDITOR The New York State Police have begun an investigation into a fatal motor vehicle accident on Route 100 south of Route 35 in Somers. The initial investigation has determined that on Monday, Oct. 30, a 2020 Honda CRV was headed north in the southbound lanes operated by Junior Polanco Brito, 36, of North Brunswick, NJ, who was working as a Lyft driver. The vehicle struck a southbound 2015 Mack sanitation truck, operated by John Paolucci, 45, of Harrison. Polanco Brito was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Polanco Brito’s seventeen-year-old passenger sustained severe injuries and was transported to Westchester Medical Center in critical condition. Police investigating fatal crash in Somers CROSSING FROM PAGE 2 SEE CROSSING PAGE 20
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 5 PEACE OF MIND With a renowned reputation and unrivaled services and amenities, Maplewood Senior Living communities offer residents an exceptional lifestyle. No matter what our residents need, we provide the right level of support and the added peace of mind families are looking for. Our VistasTM program was designed specifically for those looking for some extra support in their daily lives. Expert caregivers are available to lend a hand with personal care, or with more comprehensive support, such as medication oversight. We also offer a variety of health and wellness activities, a full schedule of social and cultural programs, fine dining experiences, scheduled transportation, and more. We take care of everything so our residents are free to explore their interests and pursue their passions. CALL US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION! You will also receive a FREE copy of our Guide: YOUR GUIDE TO NAVIGATING A DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS “Two years ago, my wife Andrea fell, requiring care at home. Our daughter recognized that we needed extra help and researched 5 communities nearby. Arriving at Maplewood, we felt we were at a hotel. The interiors were bright, spacious, and welcoming. It was easy to make the decision to move in. We adapted quickly, thanks to the caring and professional staff. The delicious meals, a new chef’s touch, and the company of interesting and kind residents make our days enjoyable. The convenience of being close to the local hospital and medical center, where Andrea’s doctors are located gives me peace of mind when I take time for myself. Our daughter is relieved to see us settled and happy in our new home. Maplewood provides us with a warm haven and exceptional care, enriching this chapter of our lives tremendously.” —Bernie, for himself and wife,Andrea, Resident MaplewoodSeniorLiving.com Maplewood at Danbury 203.744.8444 22 Hospital Avenue Danbury, Connecticut
PAGE 6 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BY GAIL KRALJEVIC THE LEWISBORO SENIORS For those of you who were climbing the walls during COVID, I hope you were one of the lucky ones who were on Next Door and had the privilege of viewing the wonderful photographs provided by Bill Deletto. I remember looking forward to seeing what photos Bill was going to show that day. He showed pictures of California, Wyoming, South Salem, and Bedford. You name the place, Bill has shot pictures of it. These pictures brought a smile to my face every day. Well, to my surprise, he volunteered to put on a presentation at the Lewisboro Seniors on Sept. 6. I always wondered what does this man looked like. Was he old? Was he young? Who was this person that captured these wonderful images? He started by telling us how he got into photography. At the time of picking his hobby, he had no idea how expensive it could be. First you need a great camera, many filters, and a tripod.Last but not least, you need to go on trips to reach all these wonderful sites. In order to get all these wonderful pictures, he is out as early as 4 a.m., sometimes to catch a sunrise, a sunset, a rainbow, or a specific phenomenon that is only seen at a certain hour. One of Bill’s great shoots was at Yosemite National Park. Every year from mid-to late February, the setting sun hits Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall at just the right angle, creating the illusion that the waterfall is on fire. The phenomenon, which is known as the “firefall.” was estimated to happen between Feb. 10 and 27, in 2023. Hundreds of people flock to Yosemite National Park in California and make their way to Horsetail Fall in hopes of catching a glimpse of the firefall. Bill was lucky enough to capture that exact moment. His photo is really breathtaking. I just imagine how being there feels. But Bill also takes photos in our own area, Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, and Bedford. Fishermen look out because Bill is also out there early in the morning taking pictures. You might see him above you on a bridge looking down upon you and the tranquil waters and the lovely foliage that is all around. Bill also managed to catch a solar eclipse while on top of An astounding photo presentation Deletto has photographed locations across the country. PHOTOS COURTESY OF GAIL KRALJEVIC THE LEWISBORO SENIORS SEE PHOTOS PAGE 20 Note cards featuring Deletto’s work are available at Weinstein’s Pharmacy in Katonah. Family-Run Since 1975 PH: 914-232-9444 • FX: 914-301-5474 Store Hours: M-F 9-6 Sat - 9-5 Sun - 9-3 127 Katonah Avenue, Katonah, NY 10536 CURB-SIDE PICK-UP AVAILABLE For The BEST QUALITY Food & Service... We Are Now Taking Thanksgiving Orders Free Range Bell & Evan Turkeys Organic Turkeys We will CookYour Turkey We Are Also Taking Orders For: Ducks • Capons • Geese • Game Birds • Turduckens Smoked Hams • Spiral Cut Hams • Rib Roast Filet Mignon Roast • Crown Roast of Lamb or Pork Top Off Dinner with Fresh Baked Pies Apple, Pumpkin, Peach, Blueberry, Cherry, Pecan Cookie Platters Too! Check Out Our Catering Menu at: www.sgagliosmarketplaceny.com Anywhere! 112 North County Center • Goldens Bridge, NY 10526 914-232-9012 • www.northcountycleaners.com Mon - Fri: 7am - 7pm • Sat: 8am - 5pm Tailoring • Repairs • Leather Cleaning • Drapes & Curtains Over 30 Years Experience Pick Up & Delivery for New Customers First Orders Only Mention Promo Code NCCT10 $10 OFF Weekly Delivery in your Area • All Dry Cleaning Done on Premises • Same Day Service (in-store drop off only) drop off by 10am
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Opinion PAGE 8 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 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 ©2023 Halston Media, LLC Our edition after the election each year is always a strange one. We always hear from some readers who express extreme dismay to discover a newspaper devoid of election results. Unfortunately, our five weekly newspapers go to press before results roll in (a couple of them literally just hours before polls close). If you aren’t yet aware of who won in your town, please visit News.HalstonMedia.com. Our website has the latest information. So, as I’m sitting here writing this week’s Publisher’s Memo, I have no idea who won the races in each of our towns. Halston Media has a unique perspective, as we publish six newspapers covering eight towns. A few of our towns have a one-party board (whether all Republican or all Democrat). I’m publishing the same Publisher’s Memo in all our newspapers. So, you can rest assured the following observations aren’t partisan, nor are they aimed at any one town or any individual politicians. But it’s been my observation that the best municipal governments have at least one politician from the opposing party on the town board. This ensures that the municipal government has a watchdog to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy, ensure transparency and make sure that all actions are on the up-and-up. While the most vocal gadflies in some of our towns can be cavalier in their allegations of corruption, I do think a one-party board has the perception of a good-old boy (or good-old girl) network. And good-old boy networks always give off a sense of injustice to those residents who feel left out. Regardless of how fair and transparent the processes are in each of our towns, perception is important. When the default on a board (any board, whether in government or in private sector) is to protect the board, that’s not healthy. Opposition on a board prevents this from happening. I also find the unique level of engagement in each of our towns worthy of a study by Malcolm Gladwell, who has authored several sociological books on individual and group behaviors. For example, in our North Salem and Yorktown races in particular, we received and published several dozen letters to the editor in the past few weeks. We also had reader engagement in our Katonah-Lewisboro newspaper. In Mahopac, which had a number of hot races, our opinion section was like listening to crickets. Few people engaged in any letter-writing campaigns. I don’t know why that is, but I suspect it’s a little bit of a social contagion. If you see your opponents’ letters in the newspaper, you are going to encourage your own supporters to write letters also. Then there is Somers, where all the action seems to be for school board races. The Somers Town Board election most years is like Democrats and Republicans sitting around a campfire singing “Kumbaya,” with both parties not running candidates against each other. While the absence of any vitriol in Somers is refreshing, it’s also boring for us journalists. And to be frank, I’m not sure how healthy it is for a town board race to have no competition. There has to be a healthier middleground. Then there are the accusations from readers on both sides of the aisle. Democrats are convinced we are a “right-wing” mouthpiece and Republicans are convinced we are a “liberal rag.” No matter how careful our editors are in terms of laying out our pre-election candidate profiles, some readers are convinced there is a conspiracy if a candidate profile jumped to the back of the newspaper, jumped to a page with a political ad on it, jumped to a left-hand page or whether a story jumped at all. My retort: you try putting together this jigsaw puzzle each week. I had one candidate threaten to withhold advertising because his/ her team was convinced we purposely weren’t publishing letters to the editor endorsing them. This is because on one week, several weeks ago, we didn’t have room for two letters, one in support of a Democrat and one in support of a Republican. Last week, we embarrassingly published an error on two ads for Republican candidates in Yorktown because one of our designers grabbed a photo of a sign from Yorktown, Va., instead of Yorktown Heights, N.Y. I subsequently wrote an apology note on our website, falling on our sword and explaining it was our error and not the candidates (although both candidates approved the ad). The next day, a reader wrote an email to me declaring, “What a stupid error!” Yeah, we know! But then this person wanted to know why we are designing ads for Republicans. I assured this reader that we design ads for Democrats too! If only our audience could get a glimpse of the internal conversations within our company, they would know that we’re split pretty evenly on the ideological spectrum at Halston Meda. As Publisher and CEO, I pride myself in hiring the most talented people, and I couldn’t care less how my colleagues vote. Readers of my Publisher’s Memo can guess where I stand politically. But when it comes to the local level in particular, I’m far more concerned with how candidates treat our staff than how they voted in the last presidential election. Civility trumps whether or not I agree with you politically. I don’t see eye to eye with some of the nicest, most honest people. And some of the people who share my politics have been jerks to us. I assure you that if any bias is shown, it’s in favor of candidates who treat our staff with respect and not whether you have an “R” or a “D” next to your name. My parting thought has to do with the actual importance of town board races. On the local level, most of our tax dollars go to the school board. If you want your taxes to go down, the town board seems to be the less important body to expend your energy. Behind the scenes at Halston Media From election night print cycles to accusations of bias and the power of local politics BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER’S MEMO
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 OPINION THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 9 FOR ALL YOUR PLUMBING, HOT WATER HEATER & GAS NEEDS 59 Years of Excellence Putnam & Westchester County’s Premier Plumbing Professionals Since 1964 719 Rte. 6, Mahopac, NY 10541 • 845.628.3924 • beeandjay.com TAKE $25 OFF YOUR NEXT SERVICE CALL! VALID ON CALLS OVER 1 HOUR. EXPIRES 11/30/23 Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours. BBrreewwsstteerr, , NNYY aannd d BBeetthheell,, CCT T Design Centers Design Centers On your project everyday until completion... GUARANTEED! On your project everyday until completion... GUARANTEED! 884455--227788--00007700 SSoouutthheeaassttkkiittcchheennaanndbdbaatthh..ccoomm Celebrating 50 years I don’t dance. The last time I danced in a social situation was at a childhood friend’s birthday party in the 1960s. Her teenage sisters suggested a dance contest. Furniture was pushed to the side in the small living room and 45 records played on the record player. I remember doing my best imitation of the dance moves I had watched on TV shows like “Shindig” and “Hullabaloo.” I won first prize. In the Jazz Age of the 1920s, men and women enjoyed getting dressed up and heading out to a dance club on Friday and Saturday nights to “cut a rug.” Flappers and dashing young men danced the Charleston and the Shimmy on crowded dance floors to live musicians playing late into the night. In the 1930s and 1940s, dancing was still a very popular way to have fun and cut loose after working in factories or small shops all day. Swing dancing and the music of the Big Band era brought couples out in droves to show off the latest dance moves like the Lindy Hop, the Big Apple and the Carolina Shag. Everyone knew how to Jitterbug and Foxtrot. With the advent of television shows in the 1950s and 1960s like “American Bandstand,” “Shindig” and “Hullabaloo,” the latest dance crazes were brought right into our living rooms. High schools promoted “Sock Hops” and social clubs hosted dances on the weekends. Over the last few decades, adults and teens have shifted away from going out for a night of dancing to staying home on the couch for another evening of watching reality TV shows. The king of reality TV shows, “Survivor,” still draws couch potatoes to watch as competitors starve, get injured and turn deep shades of sunburn red in their quest to be the sole survivor. Other reality TV competition shows like “The Amazing Race,” “The Challenge,” “Buddy Games,” etc., are geared to flabby TV viewers waiting to see the next proverbial train wreck with back-stabbing and blind-siding along with the cuts, sprains and mosquito bites contestants suffer each week. Endurance contests are not new. In the 1930s, audiences could attend local dance marathons as entertainment to watch contestants getting injured and collapsing to the ground in agony. Dance marathons boomed during the Great Depression. Contestants were promised food, shelter, cash and prizes in the quest to be the last couple left on the dance floor. In these endurance contests, couples were required to dance non-stop for days, weeks and months or until only one weary couple remained dancing. For a 25 cent admission, audience members could stay as long as they liked to cheer on their favorite couples and marvel at the strength and determination of these intrepid dancers. Dance marathon contestants were provided with food, but they had to eat standing up and dancing. The contestants had to stay in motion and were only allowed 15-minute breaks after several hours of non-stop dancing. Day after day, week after week, dancers dropped out due to shin splints, blisters and sheer exhaustion. If one partner’s knees touched the floor, the couple was eliminated by the dreaded “tap” on the shoulder. Musicians played during the initial weeks of the dance marathons. But when the audiences thinned out, the dancers had to keep shuffling their feet to scratchy records played on a gramophone. Sadly, while some dance marathons were legit and the one remaining couple actually won the cash prize promised, many dance marathons were rigged with professional dancers “winning” the prize or the shady promoters disappearing into the night with the prize money. Kim Kovach feels exhausted just writing about dancing! www.kimkovachwrites.com Dance through time From Jitterbug to reality TV KIM KOVACH READING, WRITING & CHOCOLATE
PAGE 10 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES OPINION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 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 Lawler is a fictional moderate Dear Editor, Perhaps there should be a new category of Emmy award for “Best Fictional Portrayal of a Moderate By A Republican?” If so, based on his seemingly nonstop airtime on CNN, C-SPAN, and the like, I have no doubt that Rep. Mike Lawler would have been at the podium accepting that award at the next Emmy presentations. That is, until he voted to elect Rep. Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House. In joining his fellow MAGA Republicans in support of Johnson, Lawler once again shows his true political colors. While the little-known Rep. Johnson is the least-experienced speaker in 100 years, he has been quite clear in his political views. Johnson is a far-right MAGA Republican who challenged the results of the 2020 election; supported a federal ban on abortions; twice worked on legal impeachment teams defending former President Trump; supports deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare; and voted against the Respect For Marriage Act, a law that guarantees marriage equality for gay and interracial couples under federal law, which passed with bipartisan support. Very likely, Rep. Lawler will continue his false assertions that he is a moderate. Unfortunately for him, votes speak much louder than verbiage. -Dan Cullen Katonah LETTER My mom taught me how to cook. Or maybe I learned to cook in spite of her. It depends on your point of view. Mom was Irish, so her approach in the kitchen was mostly to boil things. When it came to meat, she believed there were only two possible outcomes: cooked or not cooked. There was no in-between. I didn’t discover there was such a thing as a medium-rare steak until much later in life and I learned, hey, I like beef after all. My sister and I will sometimes reminisce about Mom’s adventures in cooking. She wasn’t a terrible cook. She was serviceable; she just lacked nuance. She was pretty good at some things. She made excellent meatballs, but her marina sauce was watery and a little shy on flavor. I am being diplomatic here. (Dad, however, loved her sauce.) A favorite family story is the one about Mom’s ham. Once, she was making one for Sunday dinner. And a big ol’ ham ain’t cheap. Now, I don’t know if she had ever cooked one before or not, but on this particular occasion, she put some cloves on the ham. Normal enough... people often put cloves on their hams. But you are only supposed to use a few. Apparently, a little clove goes a long way. Mom didn’t realize this. She used a lot of cloves. A lot. She placed a grid of cloves around the ham, spacing them about a quarter inch apart. The kitchen soon had a warm and oddly comforting aroma of clove throughout. But the ham itself was gross. It was inedible. It was like biting into a giant, wet clove. Ugh. My mother was beside herself. She ran into her bedroom and closed the door while Dad called the pizza parlor. I, however, was ecstatic. We were getting pizza! Mom did make a killer beef stew—kind of an Irish thing to do, so it was definitely in her wheelhouse. She used to make biscuits that were baked right on top of the stew as it cooked slowly in the oven. It was the best comfort food for a wintertime dinner. I’ve tried to recreate what she did, but it’s always been an epic failure. Mom was actually better at baking than she was at cooking. She made these things called Congo bars, which were basically blondies with chocolate chips in them. I could have eaten the entire pan. I actually still have the recipe for Congo bars, but can’t make them anymore because they are basically 80 percent brown sugar. But Mom’s crowning achievement was her strawberryrhubarb pie. Oh. My. God. Dad grew the rhubarb in our garden and by mid-summer, it was tall and robust. Fresh strawberries were available at the local farmstand. My mother would combine these ingredients in some sort of magical, mystical way and encase them in the most buttery, flaky pie crust you ever entertained. I’ve had many strawberry-rhubarb pies since those days and trust me, none of them ever came close to what Mom could do. For some reason, at an early age, I was always intrigued with what Mom was doing in the kitchen. She was happy to let me watch and be her helper. I was always on high alert in case she needed someone to lick the cake batter off the beaters. In my late teens and early 20s, I began collecting cookbooks. I subscribed to cooking magazines and started collecting recipes in a big yellow folder. For me, a cookbook was always a welcome Christmas gift. Later in life, I loyally watched the Food Network until they changed it to the Game Show Network. But there was a method to my cooking madness. You’ve heard the expression, “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Well, I believed the opposite to be true. The way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach. I thought this because just about every girl I had ever dated seemed to be in a perpetual state of hunger. “Hangry” as they say today. So, I labored under the (mostly false) impression that if I could cook her a tasty homemade meal, it would ingratiate her to me. In college, I had a crush on a girl named Wendy. The problem was, so did every other guy on campus. I thought my cooking skills might give me the edge, so I invited her over for a gourmet, multi-course meal that I had thoroughly researched in all my cookbooks. The funny thing is, today I can’t remember exactly what it was I was trying to make. I do remember it called for a tablespoon of Grand Marnier. That’s a French liqueur, but I had no idea what it was back then other than you had to get it from a liquor store. Today, a bottle of Grand Marnier costs anywhere from $50 to over $200. I didn’t know what it was back in 1980, but it was way more than what was in the average college student’s meager budget. I sent a friend to the liquor store to get me a bottle and gave him 10 bucks. “It shouldn’t be much more than that,” I told him. Ha. He came back a short time later with the bottle of Grand Marnier and my 10 dollars. “It was like 25 bucks a bottle,” he explained. “So, we got a little five-finger discount. Here’s your 10 dollars back.” I was shocked. “You stole it?” I didn’t know what to do. Should I make him return it? Should I return it? Then I remembered who I was cooking the dinner for, and my moral high ground went right out the window. Wendy and I were thoroughly enjoying our larcenous dinner when there was a knock at the door. I was shocked to discover that it was a mutual friend of ours who had dropped out of school earlier that semester, but had returned that weekend for a visit. He had tracked down Wendy to my apartment. “Hey, we’re all going down to Old City Hall (a bar),” he said. “You guys wanna come?” Food for thought BOB DUMAS OUT OF MY HEAD SEE DUMAS PAGE 14
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 11 For the longest time, whenever I heard someone ask another person how much money they make, the typical reply is, “It’s none of your business. Whatever I make is between me, God, and the IRS!” It is not unusual for an individual to be protective of their personal finances. The concern on this issue, especially for most parents, is often that if their children (and/or family) know what they have, they will be more likely to ask for money and less motivated to work hard and save their own money. While there is some merit to this point of view when children are younger and impressionable, as you and they age, the value of this secretive approach can have diminishing and detrimental returns. On those occasions when children have been kept in the dark about their parents’ and/or grandparents’ finances and a sudden illness or tragedy strikes, the family often has great difficulty handling the unknown financial affairs for their loved ones. This can adversely impact those finances from an estate tax and/or long-term care planning perspective. For example, let’s say Dad just had a heart attack and is mentally incapacitated and in need of significant physical therapy and care for the immediate future. Obviously, Dad’s finances are going to play a major role in whether or not he will be eligible for the Medicaid nursing home and/ or home care program. Additionally, depending on the size of his estate, Dad may also have estate tax issues that the family is unaware of. Thus, before they are able to even approach the hurdle of making a plan of care, the family will first be forced to gather all of this information, while simultaneously determining the best plan for Dad’s health needs. Without having an accurate picture of the income and other financial information for an ill individual, the individual’s family members and/ or named agents under a Power of Attorney will struggle to ascertain what steps they should be taking. They won’t, for example, be able to calculate how much of the ill person’s income is available to finance the cost of longterm care and how much of the loved one’s savings will need to be used to make up the difference. An attorney won’t be able to provide informed legal advice to the family on numerous important issues without knowledge of the finances. While it is always preferable for an aging person to provide specific financial information, if one is concerned about privacy, it may be sufficient to provide a detailed list of the assets, as well as how they are titled and the corresponding account numbers and financial institutions, without exact dollar amounts. In addition to making this financial information available in some form to trusted friends or family, it is equally as important to ensure that the person has executed a General Durable Power of Attorney with broad powers so that loved ones can handle the ill family member’s finances and undertake everything that the ill individual could have done themselves if they were competent. In conclusion, as one ages, keeping secrets from family may result in the family’s inability to take the necessary steps to protect their loved one’s estate from estate taxes and the cost of longterm care. It’s not the surprise a family wants! Anthony J. Enea is the managing attorney of Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP of White Plains. He also has an office in Somers. 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 can be reached at 914-948-1500 or at www.esslawfirm. com. Have you kept your loved ones in the dark? Keeping secrets from family may result in the family’s inability to take the necessary steps to protect their loved one’s estate from estate taxes and the cost of longterm care.’ -Anthony J. Enea Enea, Scanlan and Sirignano, LLP ANTHONY J. ENEA GUEST CORNER FOCUS ON ELDER LAW
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S – THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 PAGE 13 Owned and operated by two Registered Nurses with over 80 years of combined experience! Proudly Serving Putnam and Westchester Counties www.ecstaffingsolutions.com CALL US TODAY for a free phone evaluation! Route 202 Suite #3 Somers, NY 10589 914.265.4299 Dementia Care In-Home Evaluations Companion Care Respite Care Nursing Care 24 Hour Care Overwhelmed Caring For Your Loved One? Call us today! Halloween spirit in a big way this t Katonah Elementary School ade and had fun with Halloween e out to trick or treat at the Vista nd Katonah Fire Department. spooky season! Pumpkin math got everyone in the spooky spirit. Halloween math made learning fun! k or treaters visiting he Vista Firehouse. OTO COURTESY OF VISTA NTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT VFD members giving apparatus tours. PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISTA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT artment was a popular Halloween night! Y OF MIKE HAYES
PAGE 14 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES OPINION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 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? I explained how we were in the middle of dinner and would probably come down in a little while. But Wendy joyfully invited him to have some of the food and then left with him to head to the bar, making me promise to meet them there later... after I had done the dishes (of which there were a lot). I never went to the bar that night, but I did learn a hard lesson: Women may admire a guy who can cook, but it doesn’t really factor into their long-term, bigpicture decision-making. Of course, I’ve never made them one of my mom’s strawberry-rhubarb pies, so there is still hope. DUMAS FROM PAGE 10 I have been approached by many a person (whose name I forget) in our wonderful community of Anytown, USA, urging me to run for office. I am flattered by their confidence in me, no matter how misplaced it may be. However, after careful consultation with fortune-telling app Psychic 4U, I tragically declined their impassioned entreaties, some of which sounded uncannily like “Don’t do it! Please don’t do it!” but, alas, my hearing isn’t what it used to be. Whose is (at this age)? I didn’t run because you have to deal with some pretty angry people complaining about something, not to mention those with a talent for complaining about anything. And everything. They couldn’t pay me enough to take the abuse that I would richly deserve by being intolerant, moody, patronizing and all that good stuff that my wife Elyse can vouch for. The treadmill campaign When you run for office, you gotta walk. A lot. No thanks. I do my perambulating on the treadmill. That actually is good training for my non-campaign, since walking the neighborhoods would, like that treadmill, get me nowhere fast. I work in a home office, to which I’ve grown very, very, very accustomed. I’d want to Zoom in to all my meetings from the comfort of my man cave. My noble intentions aside to use the latest virtual technology, you just know that some of the aforementioned angry folks would pressure me to show my face at town board meetings … in person! Sorry, that’s a deal breaker. Courtesy of the porch You’re no doubt wondering how I’d be able to receive constituents if I were always off-premises from town hall. Simple solution! They can make themselves feel right at home by standing on my front porch and meeting with me through the Ring camera! Think of it as a more homey Courtesy of the Floor. They could have as much as 60 seconds to say their piece. If I liked what they said, they would qualify for a bonus 30 seconds of ranting. To help them use their precious time wisely, I would advise them not to bore the bejeezus out of me by announcing how many years they’ve lived here. That’s nice to know, which is not the same as something I need to know. Going yard ... Not Another reason I didn’t run is I would not have yard signs, which no doubt would cost me the election. My thin-skinned ego couldn’t handle seeing a single one of those signs violently uprooted and sadistically trashed by overzealous (and underhanded) supporters of my worthless … I mean worthy! opponent. (Free advice to sign stealers: Get a life.) Holding elected office also means you gotta be on call 24/7. Yeah, right. I’m a deep sleeper, and there ain’t nothin’ getting me out of bed at 3 a.m., unless it’s to go … well, my fellow men know where I’m going, which is the same place we’re all going at that ungodly hour. Another surefire guarantee of my losing a political race is that I would not run on a party line because I wouldn’t want to join any party foolish enough to nominate me (with apologies to the Marx Bros.) And … (drum roll, please) … the No. 1 reason I didn’t run for office? Nobody asked me to. (I know; how unneighborly is that, right?) Best of luck to the recently-elected candidates, who are made of sterner stuff than your humble public servant-not-to-be. Bruce Apar is a writer, community volunteer and actor. For more information, contact him at 914-275-6887 (text or voice) or bapar@ me.com. Why I didn’t run for office You’re very welcome BRUCE APAR BRUCE THE BLOG
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 15 Scan Me! Now you can read all about Katonah-Lewisboro AND the region!
Sports PAGE 16 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER The last time John Jay met Ardsley, the Wolves led 2-1 and fell in five sets. So with the Panthers coming to town for the quarterfinals, the fourth seed had one thing one their mind, according to Megan Flynn. “They beat us on our home gym,” she said. “We didn’t want that to happen again.” And the memory ingrained, the impetus made good. “We played with our hearts,” said Flynn, and the inspired beat meant a sweep into the semifinals for John Jay. The girls didn’t wait to gear up the cardio either. Zoe Dollar turned a tight set into a winning dink and subsequently back set Katherine Martin into a kill. The 2-0 lead then grew to five. Olivia Casabona ran down an errant bump for Ilirjana Ahmetaj to knock down, and Martin went off speed for a second kill. Ardsley did battle back, though. An ace by Antonella Lanza and a Masha Stern kill made it 8-6. So John Jay went back to work. Ahmetaj registered another kill, Hellen Dollar drew an ace and Ahmetaj turned a tight set into a dink that dropped for a 11-6 advantage. Serena Emanuele did get one back, but a blip was all the kill amounted to. Ahmetaj answered with a slam, Megan Flynn stood tall on a block, and Casabona doled two aces for a 16-8 lead. Still, Ardsley wouldn’t go away, and closed to 18-14 on another Antonella Lanza ace. Even so, she gave right back on serve, and Hellen Dollar answered with two of her own aces to open up a 21-14 lead. Almost there, John Jay had one more Ardsley glimmer to overcome when Kiarra Parikka dropped an ace to make it 22-17. So John Jay resorted to a deck stacked with two queens of heart to firmly pull away. First, Ahmetaj followed up her big hit with a block, and Megan Flynn’s kill made it 24-18. Zoe Dollar ending the set by again going over on the second hit, game two began by featuring Jay’s wildcard. The second ball plummeting into space, Olivia Casabona’s diving lift got the better of gravity, and leaving Megan Flynn in position for the kill, actually had another Flynn beaming. “Olivia literally goes for anything and everything,” boasted McKenna Flynn. Of course, McKenna was more than a bystander. After Ahmetaj fired away for a 3-2 lead, she double walled with Katherine Martin, went solo on a long bump two points later, and when another block came crashing down to make it 10-3, the celebration had one particular teammate up in arms. “I think she’s just so proud of me,” said McKenna of her twin sister’s big hug. Nonetheless, Ardsley hung around, but Megan Flynn made sure the visitors didn’t get too cozy. Two Flynn kills followed Ardsley points and allowed John Jay to open a 15-9 lead. From there, the sky literally wasn’t the limit for poor Ardsley. Off Megan Flynn’s fastball on serve, the bump hit the roof for a 17-10 lead, and the Panthers were soon behind 23-14 on more change of direction. Positioned for a second hit set, Zoe Dollar shuffled the deck. “I like to give the other team a little surprise,” said the setter. The unexpected dink dropped, and Dollar went the traditional route to end the set by teeing up McKenna Flynn for the 25-16 win. Down 2-0, Ardsley refused to give up without a fight, and three kills by Stern led to a 7-3 advantage. Fortunately, Zoe Dollar, Casabona and Ahmetaj were there to stop the first round of bleeding. First Dollar dug the spike, Casabona ran down the out of bounds save, and Ahmetaj eventually got the kill. The big hitter dinked to pull within 8-7, but a few miscues on John Jay’s part re-upped the lead to 16-10. The tourniquet leaking again, John Jay went big. Megan Flynn killed to break the run, added an ace, and Ahmetaj had a block, two kills and two winning dinks. Now down 19-18, John Jay had Ardsley on the ropes. Two Panther spikes into the net gave the Wolves a 20-19 lead, and Ardsley called for time. Sorry, no respite was gained for the winded Panthers. Megan Flynn teed off on an Ardsley bump sailing over the net, and Hellen Dollar blocked on the outside for a 22-19 lead. No letting up, the Flynn sisters were twice as nice. McKenna killed from the right and Megan slammed from the left. One point to go at 24-20, John Jay went into a holding pattern. Ahmetaj and Megan Flynn slammed awry, and Stern’s kill came up clutch for a 24-23 score. But Ardsley served into the net, and up in celebration, there was no apology for a game winner that sent the girls to Hen Hud on Wednesday for the semis. Still, John Jay may have seemed sorry after the first two sets were completed against the number one seed. The Wolves lost the first two games, and the season was on the brink. Or John Jay had the Sailors exactly where they wanted. An Ahmetaj kill got the girls out to a 7-5 lead in game three, and a Hen Hud mishit made the advantage three. Even so, Hen Hud won the next four points, and a fifth quickly descended to floor level. But Samantha Hufnagel dug the save and Megan Flynn delivered the 9-9 block to stop the bleeding. The teams then traded points until Martin killed from the center and took the lead for good at 14-13. Megan Flynn first dropped an ace and added a kill to an Ava Calandros ace and a McKenna Flynn dink. Up 18-14, Calandros hit the line on her serve to make it 20-14, and the Wolves kept spreading the wealth. Megan Flynn’s one handed save dropped on the other side, Ahmetaj swung a kill, and McKenna Flynn killed to set up Hufnagel’s game winning ace. So the momentum shifted, John Jay didn’t let up. The girls jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the strength of a couple of diving saves of Hufnagel and Casabona and Hen Hud got even deeper after Megan Flynn pulled an ace to make it 7-1. Still, the Sailors battled back to 8-7. But Hellen Dollar stopped the run with a block, and McKenna Flynn blocked to pave the way for a 19-7 lead. Too much for overcome, John Jay tied the match on a pair of kills by Martin. A 25-13 win, Hen Hud answered the call by taking an 8-5 lead. No problem, McKenna Flynn took a little off her kill to contain the Sailors, and the home team proceeded to oblige with two consecutive errors. Nonetheless, the Sailors took the next two points and appeared to be on their way. But Casabona and Riley Buckingham made two big digs, and Martin executed a kill to tie at ten. Now, it was Hen Hud’s turn to err. A dink went wide, and two miscommunications on Casabona serves gave John Jay a 13-10 lead. Martin then added a dink, and after Hen Hud pulled to 14-11, Megan Flynn rose high in the middle for the match-winning block that put John Jay in the finals versus Byram Hills on Saturday. Wolves sweep into semis over Ardsley Ilirjana Ahmetaj, Katherine Martin, McKenna Flynn and Samantha Hufnagel celebrate Megan Flynn gives a good look. Zoe Dollar on set PHOTOS: RICH MONETTI VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 SPORTS THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 17 BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER On Friday, Nov. 3, John Jay suited up for Horace Greeley, and for seniors like Luca Duva, the finality was inescapable. “The last night of playing football, I left my heart on the field,” said the running back. And together, the Wolves didn’t let all the emotion go untapped. John Jay scored first, and in securing a 21-7 victory, Christian Herlihy tied a bow on his career. “I feel like I completed my time here,” said the senior lineman, “and ended on a good note.” Nonetheless, the game began with both teams getting off to slow starts on the offensive end. Greeley went three and out, and John Jay just went three. Tommy Machado threw a third down interception, but Greeley didn’t take long to return the favor. James Arefieg got a pick on the next play, and the Wolves were set up at the Quaker 30. A couple of no gains and a five yard Tommy Machado scramble had the looks of a good opportunity wasted. But the QB hit a quick jump pass to Nick Russo, and the drive remained alive at the 20. Jay wasn’t done with the fourth down conversions either. Going nowhere for three straight plays, Machado dropped back and hit Jack Marcogliese on the one. From there, Machado faked the hand off right, slipped left and went into the end zone untouched at 6:42. Abel Berganza added the extra point and then was called on to sneak in an onside kick. Horace Greeley covered the surprise but not the fumble on the next play. In turn, the John Jay offense didn’t answer back and neither did Greeley’s. The ball back to Jay, Machado executed a series of short passes and keepers to set the Wolves up with a third down at the Greeley 48. Marcogliese then went in motion, took Machado’s flip and carried the pile to the 40. On the move, Machado hit Patrick Ryan to the 30, but a botched handoff gave Greeley the ball. No problem, Arefieg wasn’t going to let his last game be unremarkable. The ball went up and the cornerback came down with his second pick at the 50. The offense couldn’t take advantage, though, and Greeley took over on downs at the 50. The Quakers had no reply either, and a third and 16 allowed Arefieg to step in yet again. The senior took a deep pass over the shoulder and had his third interception of the night. The rest of the half had neither team getting very far and included a Machado fumble and a Sean Maddock interception for John Jay. A script that continued into the second half. Three and outs to start for both teams, and worse for John Jay, a big turnover that allowed Greeley to get on the board. The Greeley punt not handled, the Quakers were set up ten yards away. Two plays later Alex Edenbaum was in the end zone, and the extra point tied the game at 8:03. An abrupt turn of events, Duva put aside the arrhythmia and had Greeley skipping several beats instead. The senior converted a second and 14 to the 46 and then ran 54 yards to regain John Jay’s seven point lead. Maybe awakened, Greeley did sustain a drive to the ten, but another fumble undid the visitors. That eventually left John Jay rising before the alarm went off. Machado hit Nick Russo on the right, he broke a tackle and ran 70 yards for the touchdown. Essentially sealing the victory, the senior eyed a carry over. “I hope the boys are able to build off what we did at the end of the year versus Greeley and Clarkstown North,” said Russo. An agenda that Coach Joe Candarelli set beforehand. “We talked with the guys about legacy. Their responsibility is to carry the torch for this group going forward,” he said. “The legacy of championship football is built on moments like this, and they did that tonight. I’m really proud,” he concluded. 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PAGE 18 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES SPORTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 FACTORY TRAINED SERVICE TECHNICIANS WE SERVICE ALL BRANDS OF COMMERCIAL & HOMEOWNER POWER EQUIPMENT EAST ROAD MOTORS 58 CAROLAN RD. EAST CARMEL, NY 10512 www.EASTROADMOTORS.com 845-225-3503 PICK-UP AND DELIVERY AVAILABLE email: [email protected] * LEAF BLOWERS * LAWN MOWERS * STRING TRIMMERS * CHAIN SAWS * SNOWBLOWERS * GENERATORS * QUADS * SNOWMOBILES SERVICE & REPAIR MANHATTANVILLE COLLEGE DEC. 2ND 2023 Register Now www.jbr.org/westchester 55KK JJIINNGGLLEE BBEELLLL RRUUNN WWeessttcchheesstteerr Join us for a family, fun 5k (timed or untimed) in support of the Arthritis Foundation! All registered runners receive a t-shirt. Gold Sponsor: Contact Nancy Sorbella at [email protected] or 929-446-0939 Silver Sponsor: Llewellyn Burchell Charitable Trust Foundation Event Supporter: BY WES ADAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER October marked the one-year anniversary of my move from Brooklyn to the wilds of northern Westchester. As trees turn and leaves drop, I have been reflecting on a few things I have seen and learned as a former city runner getting used to a very different kind of running life up here. I learned the convenience of no crowds or long commute on race day. Up here, I discovered it is actually possible to leap from the sack at 8:17 a.m. on a Sunday morning and still have time to get kitted up and out the door to make it to the 9 a.m. start of the Raven Rocks 10K Run. This challenging trail race to the two highest points in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation was my first introduction to the vibrant trail-running community in the area. This year’s edition of the Raven Rocks race is just days away, on Nov. 12 (ravenrocksrun. org). Get up and go (but maybe get up a little earlier than I did, just to be safe). On a less strenuous outing last fall, I discovered that the bursts of color which redecorate my favorite running routes, combined with the crisp air, the glow of the season’s softer sunlight, and the faint scent of wood smoke and dry leaves, can stop me dead in my tracks just to gape at the beauty of it all. A moment later, I also discovered the need to stop gaping and get out of the way of an approaching car in order not to end up actually dead in my tracks. This was a gentle reminder that it is not just the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. It is the season to make sure we runners are being seen. As harried drivers are peering ahead, straining to see what’s coming, trying to ignore the tailgating commuter in their rearview while keep an eye out for traffic, acornmad squirrels and chipmunks, darting deer, and gusts of blowing leaves, I’ve learned that we runners have to help them help us. Not just at night, but in the foggy early morning, in the rain or snow, at dusk when the setting sun plunges our hills and valleys and wooded lanes into darkness almost in moments. Heck, even in the bright light of day. I wear lights and neon colors and clothing with reflective strips. I run facing traffic. I try to be consistent and predictable in my movements. I don’t muffle my dangerdetecting sense of hearing with earbuds or headphones. On one drizzly November evening jog last year I heard a driver slow down behind me and call out. Uh-oh, I thought. Trouble. Nope. He wanted to thank me for making myself so visible. And he wanted to know the name of the light-up vest I was wearing because he wanted one for himself. And one for his dog. My waterproof, rechargeable Noxgear Tracer2 LED safety vest (which does have a canine version, noxgear.com) is an amazing, inexpensive life-saving device. After 3:30 p.m. in the fall and winter up here I have learned to consider it essential equipment, making me visible from a quartermile away. As evening comes earlier and earlier, the vest is a total game changer, especially when coupled with a rechargeable Black Diamond headlamp that lights up every step I take. Equally important, I’ve learned to share the light in different ways, too. I always give drivers a wave or a nod as they slow down to pass or give me lots of room or stop to let me across a busy intersection. In this misty, mellow season, drivers need to be seen, too. On seeing and being seen Fall is the season to appreciate what you’re seeing, and make sure you’re being seen. PHOTO COURTESY OF WES ADAMS THE RUNAROUND
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 19 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. Happen again 8. Large flightless birds 13. A type of account 14. Beyond what is natural 15. Beloved comfort food 19. Rural delivery 20. Belonging to us 21. Typical 22. Pie _ __ mode 23. Returned material authorization (abbr.) 24. Not us 25. Discharge 26. Made empty 30. Fishing net 31. Fast-moving, harmless snake 32. Analyzed into its parts 33. In a way, chilled 34. Hindu queen 35. Circles around the sun 38. Used for emphasis 39. Reactive structures 40. Recommendations 44. Feel intense anger 45. Puke 46. Rural Northern Ireland community 47. Naturally occurring solid material 48. British watch brand 49. Toddler 50. Integrated circuit 51. Being revered 55. “Pets” you can grow 57. Continual 58. Puts together in time 59. Houses temporarily CLUES DOWN 1. Vital public document 2. Disinter 3. Musical performances 4. After B 5. Every body has one (abbr.) 6. Utilize 7. In a way, disproved 8. Fisherman’s tool 9. Of she 10. Trauma center 11. Commercial flyer 12. Administered medicine to calm 16. Popular R&B performer 17. Regretted 18. Leg (slang) 22. “Night Train” author 25. More supernatural 27. Baltimore ballplayer 28. Shoe parts 29. Scores perfectly 30. More lucid 32. Trim by cutting 34. Disreputable people 35. Dramatic behaviors 36. Disorder 37. Private box in a theater 38. More dried-up 40. Raw 41. In operation 42. Pillager 43. Butterflies with brown wings 45. Disallow 48. Own up 51. Hungarian city 52. A way to condemn 53. Tax collector 54. Lease 56. Not out Sweet potatoes may be stars; cornbread dressing a contender. Dinner rolls are divine and green bean casserole a go-to. But Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without turkey. Even in households that don’t eat meat, plantbased turkey alternatives find their way onto the dinner table in a nod to Thanksgiving tradition. Given the emphasis placed on the main course each Thanksgiving, cooking a turkey can be intimidating. These turkey-cooking tips can calm anyone’s nerves and result in a mouth-watering main course. • Allow ample time for thawing. Some people may not be able to buy a fresh turkey, and millions of individuals purchase frozen turkeys each year. The Food Network says it can take 24 hours per every five pounds to thaw a turkey. Therefore, if you have a 15-pounder, allow for three days for thawing. Always thaw a turkey in a refrigerator. • Get the right size bird. The general rule of thumb is 1 pound (uncooked) to 1-1/2 pounds of turkey per person if you’re buying a whole turkey. Rather than purchasing the largest turkey you can find for a large crowd, consider two smaller turkeys or one turkey and one breast to make cooking more even. Smaller birds are more tender as well. • Adjust the temperature. The food and cooking resource “TheKitchn” advises preheating an oven to 450 F, then dropping the temperature to 350 F after putting the turkey into the oven. Cook, on average, 13 minutes per each pound of turkey. The turkey is done when it registers a minimum temperature of 165 F in the thickest part of the thigh. • To brine or not to brine? Many food fanatics swear by brining turkey to achieve more moist and flavorful meat. However, a wet brine may not lead to the crispiest skin possible. Good Housekeeping suggests trying a dry brine instead. This involves rubbing salt all over the raw turkey, placing the bird into a large plastic bag, and refrigerating overnight or up to two days before cooking; otherwise, purchase a kosher turkey, which already has been salted from the inside out. • Avoid stuffing the bird. Rather than stuffing the turkey and cooking everything en masse, prepare the stuffing mixture separate from the turkey. This reduces the risk of contamination from the turkey’s raw juices and helps to achieve a crispy coating on the stuffing, which guests will enjoy. • Make an aromatic roasting rack. Turkeys typically are placed on a metal rack for cooking so the juices do not cause the turkey to stick to the pan. However, you also can cut onions and lay them with a bed of whole celery stalks and carrots to elevate the roast. This creates extra flavor in the bird and the vegetables also can be served or mixed into the stuffing. Some turkey-roasting techniques can ensure a moist and flavorful main course this Thanksgiving. These tips can help make turkey terrific
PAGE 20 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 Members of the Lewisboro Sustainability Committee also weighed in. “This is an awesome day for Lewisboro and our kids!” exclaimed Andrea Rojaz. “It serves as affirmation that their community leaders are not only advocating for a sustainable future for them but actually realizing it in tangible projects like this solar carport that they can be proud of when they visit Onatru.” Robert Whittaker, also of the Lewisboro Sustainability Committee, added, “Our children and grandchildren are begging us to stop harming their future with increasing climate change. Actions like this project make a difference and show them, beyond just words, that we are listening to them, and we do care. Every step forward counts.” Assemblymember Chris Burdick concluded, “Thanks to the wonderful collaboration of the state government, the town government, Sustainable Westchester and the community, Lewisboro is the first out of the gate on Senator Harckham’s grant program. This is an example of leadership meeting climate goals, while also cutting operating costs for the taxpayers. Onatru Farm Park will now not only be a beautiful, bucolic space for families, community events and sports, it will also be a symbol of environmental progress.” Information provided by the Office of Sen. Pete Harckham. GRANT FROM PAGE 1 Race Amity of Northern Westchester & Putnam Monthly Meeting Please join us for our monthly discussion as we work to advance cross-racial and cross-cultural amity to impact the public discourse on race. Our monthly meetings feature speakers, screenings, and presentations where discussions are aimed at educating one another on who we really are. Visit https://www. eventbrite.com/e/138495877899 to register for this online event. 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 support connection.org. Vista Volunteer Fire Department 377 Smith Ridge Rd. in South Salem Toys for Tots Toy Drop Off Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please come and donate a toy, and have your photo taken with Santa! Featuring cookie decorating, tours of firetrucks and ambulances, and lots of fun for the kids! Candy Cane Run Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Vista Volunteer Fire Department will bring Santa Claus around the community on their fire engine to the stops listed below! Kids will receive a candy cane and an opportunity to take a picture with Santa and the fire truck. Officials ask that you please arrive at your chosen location 10 minutes prior to their arrival. 9 a.m. - Oakridge Shopping Center 9:15 a.m. - West Road at Upland Court 9:30 a.m. - East Street at Soundview Loop 9:45 a.m. - Silver Spring Road at Hastings Court 10 a.m. - Lockwood Road at Reservoir Road 10:15 a.m. - Glen Drive at Lorraine Road 10:30 a.m. - Elmwood Road at Wakeman Road 10:45 a.m. - Elmwood Road at Onatru Farm 11 a.m. - West Lane at Stonewall Court 11:15 a.m. - Meadow Pond Elementary School 11:30 a.m. - Kitchawan Club House 11:45 a.m. - Vista Fire Department For any questions, please email [email protected] RideConnect Rideconnect has volunteers ready to help drive seniors to their medical appointments and assist with shopping. Services are free to seniors residing in Westchester and southern Putnam Counties. To request assistance call (914) 242-7433. Anyone wishing to volunteer for Rideconnect may do so by emailing Marietta Manoni at [email protected] CROSSING FROM PAGE 4 Goldens Bridge in the early hours of the morning. Weinstein’s Pharmacy in Katonah carries a selection of note cards with Bill’s photos that are for sale. He was nice enough to raffle off one of his most beloved photos. Whoever picked a number closest to the one he had written down on a piece of paper without going over captured the great prize. Our winner was ecstatic. Bill was also kind enough to give each senior a note card with one of his photos. This was one of the greatest presentations. There was a story behind each photograph about the depths one has to go to capture a moment on film. If you would like to be a part of The Lewisboro Seniors and enjoy their many activities, please call Pam Veith at 914-232- 6162. Also, if anyone would like to donate an hour of time with his or her talents, contact us. 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PAGE 22 – THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES CLASSIFIEDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 NO NEWS... 1. Clip the short form on the page 2. Fill out the information. 3. Mail it to P.O. Box 864, Mahopac, NY 10541 4. Or visit www.halstonsubscribe.com 5. Or Scan our QR Code to Subscribe. We need you to subscribe. It’s FREE & It’s Easy! is NOT necessarily good news! Please print your first and last names and address legibly, sign and date (all required to continue receiving your subscription to this newspaper). YES, I wish to receive a FREE 3-year subscription to The Katonah-Lewisboro Times YES, I really enjoy The Katonah-Lewisboro Times and I’d like to continue receiving it for 3 years, along with a monetary contribution this year. (Please print legibly.) First (Required) (Required) (Required) (Required) (Required. Please print legibly.) Last (Required) City: State: ZIP: Name: Signature: Email: Snowbird Dates (if applicable): Date: Phone: Address: (Optional for TAPinto E-News) (Optional) Mail to: P.O. Box 864 Mahopac, NY 10541 While we need your Full Support to keep this newspaper strong, we include the option for Basic Support because we don’t want financial reasons to get in the way of our readers receiving this newspaper. Basic Support vs. Full Support Basic Support Full Support $100 $50 $20 other or visit www.halstonsubscribe.com OR or visit www.halstonsubscribe.com Checks payable to Halston Media LLC. Please include this form in your envelope. Please include the following additional papers as part of this subscription: North Salem News The Somers Record Yorktown News The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times Mahopac News 2 TRACKS PUZZLE SOLUTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF 11/02/23 DIVORCE $389 - Uncontested divorce papers prepared. Only one signature required. Poor personApplication included if applicable. Separation agreements. Custody and support petitions. 518-274-0380 LOW COST HEALTH COVERAGE. Government subsidies available for families earning $111,000 or less a year. See if you qualify. Call for your free quote! 1-877-550-1238 HEARING AIDS!! High-quality rechargeable, powerful Audien hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Tiny and NEARLY INVISIBLE! 45-day money back guarantee! 855-598-5898 VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS! 50 Pills SPECIAL $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 855-413-9574 ATTENTION OXYGEN THERAPY USERS! Discover Oxygen Therapy That Moves with You with Inogen Portable Oxygen Concentrators. FREE information kit. Call 888-514-3044 MEDICARE PLANS HAVE CHANGED!!! Make sure your plan will meets your needs in 2024. Our licensed agents can review the changes, address your needs and make sure you aren’t overpaying! For a free quote, Call now! 1-866-766-2316 BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 866-393-3636 AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE? You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available. Call 1-888-920-9937 Do you need a Roof or Energy Efficient Windows & Help paying for it? YOU MAY QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS (800) 944-9393 or visit NYProgramFunding.org to qualify. Approved applications will have the work completed by a repair crew provided by: HOMEOWNER FUNDING. Not affiliated with State or Gov Programs. Happy Jack® Liquiavict 2x® is recognized safe & effective against hook & round worms by the USCVM. Double strength, 3 year stability. At Tractor Supply® (www.happyjackinc.com) DIRECTV Sports Pack – 3 Months on Us! Watch pro and college sports LIVE. Plus over 40 regional and specialty networks included. NFL, College Football, MLB, NBA, NHL, Golf and more. Some restrictions apply. Call DIRECTV 1-888-534-6918 SAVE ON YOUR TRAVEL PLANS! Up to 75% More than 500 AIRLINES and 300,000 HOTELS across the world. Let us do the research for you for FREE! Call: 877 988 7277 ATTORNEY FINANCE HEALTH HOME IMPROVEMENT MISCELLANEOUS TRAVEL SERVICES Your ad could be here. Call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 to find out how. Advertising Deadline The advertising deadline for The Katonah-Lewisboro Times is the Thursday before the next publication date. Advertisements can be submitted by you as a camera-ready PDF via email at [email protected]. We also offer our clients a free ad design service. For more information, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE THE KATONAH-LEWISBORO TIMES – PAGE 23 You may spend decades contributing to various retirement accounts. But for some accounts, such as a traditional IRA and 401(k), you must start withdrawing funds at a certain point. What should you know about this requirement? To begin with, the rules governing these withdrawals — technically called required minimum distributions, or RMDs — have changed recently. For many years, individuals had to begin taking their RMDs (which are based on the account balance and the IRS’ life expectancy factor) when they turned 70-1/2. The original SECURE Act of 2019 raised this age to 72, and SECURE 2.0, passed in 2022, raised it again, to 73. (If you turned 73 in 2023, and you were 72 in 2022 when the RMD limit was still 72, you should have taken your first RMD for 2022 by April 1 of this year. You will then need to take your 2023 RMD by Dec. 31. And going forward, you’ll also need to take your RMDs by the end of every year.) Not all retirement accounts are subject to RMDs. They aren’t required for a Roth IRA, and, starting in 2024, won’t be required for a Roth 401(k) or 403(b) plan. But if your account does call for RMDs, you do need to take them, because if you don’t, you could face tax penalties. Previously, this penalty was 50% of the amount you were supposed to have taken, but SECURE 2.0 reduced it to 25%. When you take your RMDs, you need to be aware of a key issue: taxes. RMDs are taxed as ordinary income, and, as such, they could potentially bump you into a higher tax bracket and possibly even increase your Medicare premiums, which are determined by your modified adjusted gross income. Are there any ways you could possibly reduce an RMD-related tax hike? You might have some options. Here are two to consider: • Convert tax-deferred accounts to Roth IRA. You could convert some, or maybe all, of your tax-deferred retirement accounts to a Roth IRA. By doing so, you could lower your RMDs in the future — while adding funds to an account you’re never required to touch. So, if you don’t really need all the money to live on, you could include the remainder of the Roth IRA in your estate plans, providing an initially tax-free inheritance to your loved ones. However, converting a tax-deferred account to a Roth IRA will generate taxes in the year of conversion, so you’d need the money available to pay this tax bill. • Donate RMDs to charity. In what’s known as a qualified charitable distribution, you can move up to $100,000 of your RMDs directly from a traditional IRA to a qualified charity, avoiding the taxes that might otherwise result if you took the RMDs yourself. After 2023, the $100,000 limit will be indexed to inflation. Of course, before you start either a Roth IRA conversion or a qualified charitable distribution, you will need to consult with your tax advisor, as both these moves have issues you must consider and may not be appropriate for your situation. But it’s always a good idea to know as much as you can about the various aspects of RMDs — they could play a big part in your retirement income strategy. 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. What should you know about RMDs? ‘When you take your RMDs, you need to be aware of a key issue: taxes.’ -Judi McAnaw Edward Jones Financial Advisor JUDI MCANAW GUEST CORNER Contact Us The Katonah-Lewisboro Times is located at 118 N Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. You can contact us at 914-302-5830 or email [email protected]. 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