Vol. 12 No. 8 Visit TapIntoSomers.net for the latest news. Thursday, June 2, 2022
Somers becomes
part of 17th
Congressional District
Local candidates weigh in
BY CAROL REIF Legislature was forced to step in and
STAFF WRITER come up with boundaries of its own.
Lawmakers produced maps that would
Political pundits have compared the have favored Democrats in 22 Congres-
redrawing of the lines for congressional sional Districts, according to media re-
and state Senate districts in New York to ports.
a game of musical chairs. In its original iteration, the
Some candidates, such as Somers’ Wil- 16th CD covered much of the north
liam Faulkner, might feel they are still Bronx, as well as the southern half of
waiting for the music to stop so they can Westchester, including Mount Vernon
truly sit down. and Yonkers, Bowman’s hometown.
e three-term Republican town e Legislature’s version of the
councilman announced in March that he 16th snaked up the middle of the county
intended to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. to include Somers among its sizable new
Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) in the upcom- population of traditionally moderate vot-
ing midterm elections in the 16th Con- ers in mid-to northern Westchester and
gressional District. parts of Putnam County. Lawsuits fol-
Somers had been located in the lowed.
18th CD – represented by ve-term e state’s highest court then rejected
PHOTO: CAROL REIF Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney – be- the rejiggered districts, ruling that they
Remember fore the districts were recon gured. violated a new anti-gerrymandering
and Honor
However, an appointed bipartisan amendment to the state constitution.
e Somers community gathered on Memorial Day to honor those who gave their
lives in service to our country. See more photos on page 16. commission of Democrats and Repub- It then assigned Special Master Jona-
licans – the New York State Indepen- than Cervas to redraw them. at result-
dent Redistricting Commission, headed ed in Somers becoming part of the new
by Irvington lawyer David Imamura -- 17th CD.
couldn’t reach an agreement on the new Said to be “fairer” to Republicans, the
lines. SEE DISTRICT PAGE 8
So in February, the Democrat-led state
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pg 20
Page 2 – The Somers Record Thursday, June 2, 2022
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
SOMERS LIONS CLUB
SOMERS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
SONS OF SOMERS
TOWN OF SOMERS
INDEPENDENCE DAY
FIREWORKS CELEBRATION
Reis Park, 82 Primrose Street
Saturday, June 25, 2022
(Rain Date June 26)
4PM til Fireworks
Basketball Tournament Famous Lions BBQ
Hot Dog Eating Contest Reis Park Concession Stand
Giant Slide
Chef Rob Food Truck
Sinapi's Italian Ice Truck
LIVE BANDS:
HAPPY CRABS & THE PORK CHOP EXPRESS
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Garden State Fireworks
Somers Volunteer Fire Department
Somers Police Department
Somers EMS
Somers Parks and Recreation
Thursday, June 2, 2022 The Somers Record – Page 3
Your Neighbor
Nicole Eustace
SHS alum wins Pulitzer Prize
BY WHIT ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER
Last November, the Somers community
celebrated Nicole Eustace and the release
of her new novel, Covered with Night: A
Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in
Early America.
As it turns out, Eustace’s work not only
drew local attention, but national recogni-
tion as well. On May 9, Covered with Night
won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in History, a
lifelong goal for the 1990 Somers High
School graduate. PHOTOS COURTESY OF W.W. NORTON
Not knowing her work was eligible for
A member of the SHS Class of 1990,
the award, the Pulitzer nomination and Nicole Eustace fulfilled a lifelong goal by
win came as a shock to Eustace. winning the Pulitzer Prize in History.
“I found out I was nominated for the “I am grateful that the issues this book
award the same time I won it,” she said. raises in terms of possibilities for justice
“ ey do not tell you that you are nominat- reform resonated with the judges to the
ed. People in the industry know. I did not point that they want to bring it attention by
know that Monday night. I was working giving the book this prize. I think that is a
on a random thing at my desk. My editor large part of how the Pulitzers judge some-
called me,and it was the shock of a lifetime. thing worthy of an award. ese are books
It has been surreal.” that can start conversations,”Eustace said.
Covered with Night details the true story Eustace wants to thank past gures in
about the 1722 murder of an Indigenous her life that helped her to this point. She
man by white fur traders in colonial Penn- expresses gratitude to Somers’ teachers,
sylvania. e historical crime drama delves speci cally Ronnie Hirschhorn, the late
into the aftermath of the crime to highlight Ruth Rudd, and George Bickel.
the contrasts between Native American Eustace also wants to acknowledge her
and European justice systems, challenging parents, Dr. omas Eustace, and Dr. Ce-
the narrative around “savage”and “civilized” cilia Eustace. e two Somers residents
societies. have lived and worked in the town for over
Eustace, currently a professor of history 50 years. eir love for reading enabled Eu-
at New York University, previously pub- stace to grow up in a house full of books,
lished two argument-focused academic setting her up for a path of success.
monographs, 1812: War and the Passions Now that the years of dedication to her
of Patriotism, and Passion Is the Gale: work have paid o , Eustace feels validated
Emotion, Power, and the Coming of the as a writer, something many in the eld
American Revolution. She took a di er- struggle with. However, she is ambiguous Covered with Night details the true story about the 1722 murder of an Indigenous man by
white fur traders in colonial Pennsylvania.
ent approach to Covered with Night, using as to whether her high school self knowing
‘I have always written purely for the love
a more novelistic writing style to tell one about the future Pulitzer would have been of writing. External validation is lovely, but
story. a positive. not necessary. I love the work.’
“It reads as ction even though it is en- “My high school self would be happy Nicole Eustace
tirely non- ction,” Eustace said. “I wanted and relieved to see that my wishes did
to bring these people,their world, and their come true. But at the same time, would
ideas to life in order to make Indigenous that be unmotivating? I have always writ-
arguments about justice feel contemporary, ten purely for the love of writing. External
so people could connect with it.” validation is lovely, but not necessary. I love
Eustace is thankful for her Pulitzer Prize the work.”
because of the wider recognition it will Eustace is currently working on a new
bring to the subject. book to be published at a later date.
Thank you JILCO!
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