Yorktown News 04.07.22

Vol. 11 No. 3 Visit TapIntoYorktown.net for the latest news. Thursday, April 7, 2022

GRANITE KNOLLS PARK

Construction begins on inclusive playground

BY JESSICA EINTERZ Department believes, as I some very determined advocates. Town Supervisor Matt Slater brings the microphone to
STAFF WRITER do, that our communities are If you think about it, that level of Lucas Canniff, who was an inspiration for the playground.

stronger when everyone has an determination is just a fraction PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT SLATER

Construction has started equal opportunity to participate,” of what our neighbors need to

on the inclusive playground at Harckham said. “When this tackle everyday needs.”

Granite Knolls Park—three project is completed, all children Councilwoman Luciana

years after being awarded a from northern Westchester will Haughwout said that the park

$250,000 grant from New York nally have a playground they will help everyone get along,

State. can call home.” regardless of their di erences.

State Sen. Pete Harckham Town Supervisor Matt Slater “ is park isn’t solely a place

secured the funding in 2019, but said that this park will be more where we’re going to create

the Covid-19 pandemic stalled than just a place to play. memories and have joy and make

the playground’s production. “I think it embodies hope,” up games and stories, but it’s a

It is being built with children Slater said. “Hope that we place where we’re going to bring

with cognitive and physical continue to recognize the needs awareness [and] where we’re

disabilities in mind, but it will of everybody. I think that’s very going to get comfortable with

be open to all members of the important and we’re sending a the di erence,” Haughwout said.

public. strong message with that. It was e groundbreaking ceremony

“ e Yorktown Recreation a team e ort to get to this point. was especially meaningful to

Commission and Parks It took a lot of determination by Lisa and Tim Canni , whose

son Lucas was one of the

inspiring forces for the adaptive

playground; and to Jamie Collins

of Yorktown Special Education

Parent-Teacher Association

(SEPTA) and Anna Mandara

of Lakeland SEPTA. Collins

said that the playground isn’t Collinsalsosaidthatthegarden veterans [and] for seniors.

the only inclusive addition that’s will help underrepresented ere’s so many demographics

being added to Granite Knolls. groups of people. here and in every community.

“We will create a sensory “Our phase two of the project, Not always are they represented.

garden around this playground,” the sensory garden, we can’t be We are super excited and proud

Collins said. “It will only more excited for this,” Collins that at this moment, we’re

State Sen. Pete Harckham at the lectern enhance the features of the said. “ is will be right here, able to facilitate representing
playground. It will bring another adjacent to the playground. underserved demographics.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEN. HARCKHAM’S OFFICE
resource to the community.” It will be able to be used for

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Page 2 – Yorktown News Thursday, April 7, 2022

YORKTOWN PLANNING BOARD

Solar project approved for Kitchawan Farm

BY BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER in September. e Cochran fam- would result in the removal of This solar array will acter of the area.
EDITOR ily, which has owned the farm for more than 1,600 trees. serve two important “For every person who says
generations, said the new income purposes. It will help our
Kitchawan Farm will soon will help keep the property in the “We will not build a ground- community reduce its they don’t like the look of solar, I
have a new crop – energy. family. mount project if it involves that carbon footprint, while have another age or demographic
much removal. It’s not going to also helping Kitchawan that says they like the look,” Gib-
e family-owned farm on the “We’ve always struggled to be good for the environment and ian said. “It’s a progressive look
south side of Yorktown won ap- make ends meet with our horse- it’s going have resistance from that says we’re doing our part [to
proval from the Yorktown Plan- boarding operations,” Alex Co- the community,”Gibian said.“It’s combat climate change]. I think
ning Board last week to build an chran said at a Planning Board a little bit of development greed. there’s a lot bigger of a micro-

8-acre solar farm that will take up meeting last year. I don’t like to say that lightly. It Farm stay in business, phone for people who are anti
which preserves than pro.”
more than a third of its 23-acre Brock Gibian, Ecogy’s direc- breeds anti-solar sentiment in
Gibian said he’s also heard the
property. tor of development, spoke with general and it creates community

e ground-mounted solar Yorktown News in February opposition to any solar project.” open space.’ argument that today’s technology
panels will be operated by Brook- about his company’s expanding Instead, Ecogy tends to focus will be outdated long before the

lyn-based Ecogy Energy, which presence in Westchester. Mu- on rooftops, canopies, or areas –Supervisor Matt Slater leases expire. But the solar execu-
is leasing the land for 25 years. nicipal solar codes, like the one where the land has already been Town of Yorktown tive said the pros far outweigh
Ecogy also operates a 6-acre Yorktown created in 2020, laid mostly cleared. He said family- the cons. In addition to bringing

solar farm that was approved the foundation for these types of owned farms are a perfect land- idea of having this project help needed revenue to local land-

for Arcadia Farm in December developments. However, the at- ing spot for solar projects. their bottom line and save their owners, he said, “Climate change

and is proposing to build a solar tractive incentives o ered by Con “ eir property tax bill has farms, and putting that land into is here, and we don’t have any

canopy, battery storage system, Edison have played a much big- just been increasing and increas- agricultural use at the end of their time. We’re behind in our renew-

and ground-mounted array at ger role, Gibian said. ing,” Gibian said of the owners of terms,” Gibian said. able energy goals. We need to be

the Yorktown Rehabilitation and “ ey need a lot of power gen- Kitchawan Farm. “ ey’ve been Gibian said he’s familiar with doing much more.”

Nursing Center. eration in Westchester because an incredible steward, and ulti- the negative comments about so- Yorktown Town Supervi-

e Kitchawan project will re- there’s a lot of new development,” mately, they can’t keep this farm lar panels, including their appear- sor Matt Slater applauded the

sult in the removal of 168 trees. Gibian said. “And you have the in their family without this proj- ance. At a recent public hearing, Kitchawan Farm project in a

Ecogy will plant 198 new trees nuclear power plant retiring.” ect.” one Yorktown resident called press release, saying, “ is solar

and 328 new shrubs. Exceed- e Ecogy executive said his Yorktown has a decommis- solar farms “black glass deserts array will serve two important

ing its mitigation requirements, company avoids projects that sioning provision in its code, so devoid of life.” Last year, the purposes. It will help our com-

the company will also contribute involve clearing large swaths of at the end of the 25-year-lease, Planning Board rejected Ecogy’s munity reduce its carbon foot-

$21,300 to the town’s tree bank land. For example, another solar the solar panels will come down solar canopy project at the Shrub print, while also helping Kitcha-

fund. project currently being reviewed at Kitchawan and Arcadia farms. Oak Shopping Center, citing the wan Farm stay in business, which

e project was rst proposed by Yorktown’s Planning Board “ ese two farms, they love the a ect it would have on the char- preserves open space.”

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Thursday, April 7, 2022 Yorktown News – Page 3

Faulkner kicks off congressional campaign

BY CAROL REIF William Faulkner addresses the crowd outside the Elephant Hotel on district while Gashi needs to Faulkner, pointing to his own
STAFF WRITER March 19. make his face known to voters in maternal grandparents, who
the south. came to America from Bavaria,
Having already received the PHOTOS: CAROL REIF Germany, in early 1929.
endorsements of the Republican at bit of advice might also
and the Conservative parties of A crowd gathered to show their support as Faulkner begins his apply to Faulkner, a 54-year-old “When they got here, they did
Westchester, Putnam and Bronx congressional campaign. Bronx native who has lived in not get to choose which laws
counties, William Faulkner o - Somers since 1995. they obeyed,” he said, calling for
cially launched his campaign for Gerald told  jewishinsider. could expect to do a lot of “leg- the enforcement of “our sover-
Congress on Saturday, March com  that he thought Bowman work” in the northern part of the However, being a resident of eign borders so that America is
19, at e Elephant Hotel in this part of the county actually is out of the business of encour-
Somers. an advantage, local Republican aging drug dealers to ood our
Committee Chairman T.J. Mc- shores with lethal fentanyl kill-
Asking for support, the Cormack suggested when intro- ing almost 100,000 of our pre-
Somers councilman told a cheer- ducing Faulkner. cious and vulnerable young peo-
ing crowd of family members, ple last year alone.”
friends and political colleagues He’s “a guy from the Bronx
from home and its surrounding who made his way to Somers, INFLATION/NATIONAL
communities that he and fel- pretty much the Westchester DEBT
low conservative Republicans path of dreams.”
weren’t “going to be the silent “Be the adult in the room.
majority anymore.” “ is guy has been part of Know when to say ‘no.’ You can’t
keeping the town of Somers have two desserts,”said Faulkner.
“We are going to ip the script. the lowest-taxed town in the
We are going to tell the archlib- highest-taxed county in Ameri- Last month, America’s gross
erals and ‘ e Squad’ enough of ca. at’s because we do things national debt topped $30 tril-
your ine ective and divisive pol- right in Somers, and we know lion for the rst time, which he
itics,” Faulkner declared, refer- how to hold the line on taxes. deemed “wholly unsustainable.”
ring to the well-known group of While we do that, we provide all
six progressive Democrats who the services that people need,” EDUCATION
won seats in the 2018 and 2020 he said. Saying it is “clear” that “par-
midterm elections to the United
States House of Representatives. Faulkner, currently serving his ents know what’s best for their
third term on the Town Board, children, not government,”
Among them is freshman ran last fall with fellow Repub- Faulkner called for providing
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-Yon- licans Councilman Anthony school tax credits and school
kers), whom Faulkner is hop- Cirieco and Robert Scorrano, choice for all Americans, “not
ing to unseat in the upcoming who secured the supervisor’s just the ones who can a ord it.”
midterm elections to the state’s role.
16th Congressional District. at would create competi-
PLATFORM tion, and competition would im-
Somers had been in the Among the many issues that prove the quality of education,
18th  District, which was repre- guaranteeing that no student
sented by Democrat Sean Pat- Faulkner is promising to use his gets through school without be-
rick Maloney, before the state’s “unwavering principles of truth, ing able to read, write or do ba-
lines were redrawn. justice, and liberty” to tackle are sic math, he said, adding, “It’s a
energy independence, crime, na- national embarrassment that so
As originally con gured, the tional security, in ation, the na- many high school graduates –
16th  District covered much of tional debt and education. NOT Somers’ – are being given
the north Bronx as well as the a diploma while being function-
southern half of Westchester ENERGY INDEPENDENCE ally illiterate.”
County, including Mount Ver- Joining Republicans in blam-
non and Yonkers. Now it in- BILL’S BACKGROUND
cludes Somers among its sizable ing Biden’s decision last year to Faulkner spent 25 years in the
new population of tradition- cancel the Keystone XL pipeline
ally moderate voters in mid- to extension and his suspension of world of corporate nance  with
northern-Westchester and parts drilling in the Arctic National IBM, PepsiCo and General Elec-
of Putnam County. Wildlife Refuge for skyrocket- tric,  he now owns and operates
ing gas prices, Faulkner called
Republicans have challenged for the revival of the project and ight schools in Poughkeepsie,
the new congressional maps, the leasing of federal land for Schenectady and West eld, Mass.
calling them unconstitutional drilling.
and blatant gerrymandering. He is a cadet o cer in the Air
“Doing this in parallel with Force’s Civil Air Patrol and a vice
e state judge deciding the case further development of renew- president of the Somers Lions
recently rebu ed the GOP’s bid able energy options is our best Club, a past president and trea-
to delay the midterm elections path forward, short-term and surer of the Somers Education
process while the matter plays long-term,” he said. Foundation and a longtime coach
out in court. for the Somers American Youth
CRIME Soccer Organization.
Bowman, an educator and After hearing the crowd en-
former school principal, is fac- A police commissioner and a
ing a primary ght in June from thusiastically cry “No!” when member of the local Chamber of
more-centrist Democrats, in- he asked whether anyone there Commerce, he also initiated the
cluding Yorktown’s Vedat Gashi, wanted to defund the police, town’s Telecommunications Task
a lawyer and Westchester Coun- Faulkner said, “I agree,” adding: Force.
ty legislator, and Manuel Casa- “President Biden: Listen care-
nova of New Rochelle, a former fully. You can defund the police Faulkner received his bachelor’s
political strategist. over my dead body. Nothing degree in nance from Perdue
personal, pal.” University and his master’s de-
Just weeks into the race, a gree in nance from Fordham
third challenger, Michael Ger- BORDER SECURITY University. He also participated in
ald, suspended his campaign, “We are a nation of laws as an executive training program at
citing a lack of momentum and Harvard University.
family obligations. well as a nation of immigrants…
legal immigrants,” declared He is engaged to Meredith By-
rne.

Page 4 – Yorktown News Thursday, April 7, 2022

The Staff YORKTOWN POLICE BLOTTER

EDITORIAL TEAM The following items are from DWI. March 13, 11:33 p.m. GRAND LARCENY. March 51-year-old South Salem man.
BRIAN MARSCHHAUSER
EDITOR: 914-302-5628 the Yorktown Police Department. –Arrested a 43-year-old Norwalk 15, 9:16 p.m. –Arrested a 32-year- Charged with third-degree crimi-
[email protected]
Please be aware that these man. Charged with driving while old Wingdale man. Charged with nal mischief (Class E felony). Dur-
VIM WILKINSON
SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR summarizations represent only intoxicated (unclassi ed misde- fourth-degree grand larceny (Class ing a road rage incident, the man
[email protected]
one perspective. In most cases, meanor) and third-degree aggra- E felony). Accused of using a sto- allegedly got out of his car and
ADVERTISING TEAM
PAUL FORHAN attempts will not be made to vated unlicensed operation (un- len credit card to buy $2,250.57 punched the hood of another per-

(914) 806-3951 contact the accused nor will classi ed misdemeanor). worth of merchandise from Lowe’s son’s car, causing two dents.
[email protected]
pursuits be made to publish FLEEING A POLICE OFFI- on March 7. Man killed in
BRUCE HELLER additional information or updates. CER. March 15, 9:15 a.m. –Ar- TRESPASSING. March 17,
(914) 486-7608
[email protected] For those reasons, names of the rested a 23-year-old New York 10:09 a.m. –Arrested two 14-year- Taconic crash
accused are usually withheld. City man. Charged with third- old Peekskill boys. Charged with
LISA KAIN
(201) 317-1139 Additionally, items represent only degree unlawful eeing a police juvenile delinquency, with the un- A 50-year-old New Rochelle man
[email protected]
CORINNE STANTON a portion of the arrests made by the o cer (Class A misdemeanor), derlying charge being misdemean- was killed shortly after midnight on
(914) 760-7009
[email protected] Yorktown Police Department. All reckless driving (unclassi ed mis- or criminal trespassing. Accused Sunday, March 27, in a single-car

JAY GUSSAK were released without bail unless demeanor), and numerous tra c of trespassing at Yorktown High crash on the Taconic State Parkway
(914) 299-4541
[email protected] stated otherwise. violations. Accused of speeding on School. in Yorktown, state police said.
SHELLEY KILCOYNE
(914) 924-9122 CANINE WASTE. March Underhill Avenue and running a CRIMINAL CONTEMPT. Kurt P. Perez was traveling
[email protected]
4, 8:50 a.m. – Issued a ticket to a stop sign at the intersection of Un- March 24, 6:10 p.m. –Arrested southbound “in wet conditions”
PRODUCTION TEAM
TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL 34-year-old Mohegan Lake man. derhill and Route 129. e driver a 32-year-old New Hampshire around 12:20 a.m. when his 2018

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Charged with canine waste – nui- allegedly ignored a police o cer’s man. Charged with second-degree Ford Explorer “left the roadway
PHOTOGRAPHER
sances by dogs (town code viola- attempts to pull him over and con- criminal contempt (Class A mis- from the west shoulder,” an initial
[email protected]
GABRIELLE BILIK tion). Accused of allowing his dog tinued driving recklessly. e driver demeanor). Accused of violating police investigation revealed.
DESIGNER
to poop on private property after reportedly turned onto Hunter- an order of protection. Perez crashed into a tree and was
[email protected]
already being made aware of prop- brook Road and into a driveway, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. pronounced dead at the scene,police
EXECUTIVE TEAM
BRETT FREEMAN erty bounds. where he was arrested. March 29, 5 p.m. – Arrested a said. is investigation is ongoing.
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Thursday, April 7, 2022 Yorktown News – Page 5

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