Mahopac News 02.16.2023

VOL. 14 NO. 01 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 31 CLASSIFIEDS 30 LEGAL NOTICES 27 LEISURE 26 MAHOPAC MUSINGS 4 OPINION 10 SPORTS 18 Mahopac gymnasts soar! pg 16 ART IN MOTION Visit TapIntoMahopac.net for the latest news. BY EMILE MENASCHÉ EDITOR  ough he’s yet to hit age 40, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne knows his way around government o ces. After serving three terms as New York State Assemblyman representing Mahopac, Carmel, and parts of Westchester, the Republican traded the long drive to Albany for a shorter commute from his Mahopac home to the county o ce building in Carmel Hamlet. Byrne was seen as a disruptive outsider by some area Republicans when he won the 2022 Republican nomination, which all but assured a general election win in a county dominated by the GOP. When we caught up with him on Feb. 10, he’d spent just over 40 days in o ce. One month in, how are you settling in as County Executive? I’m enjoying it a lot. I enjoy the commute! It’s 15 minutes compared to driving all over Westchester [and] going up to Albany. Before, I had two different counties and six municipalities. I’m always learning, every day. I’ve been spending a lot of time visiting the various [county] departments. I did a lot of this through the transition period, particularly with Kevin Byrne New County Executive is fi nding his way after upending Putnam’s GOP establishment BY EMILE MENASCHÉ EDITOR  e Town of Carmel Republican Committee endorsed its slate of candidates for the 2023 election season on Monday, choosing incumbent Michael Cazzari as its pick for town supervisor, Alice Daly for town clerk, and Michael Simone for highway superintendent. Selections for town council (Frank Lombardi and Robert Schanil), town judge ( omas Jacobellis), and receiver of taxes (Kathleen S. Kraus) were unopposed within the party. “Our committee has nominated an outstanding slate of dedicated, competent, and honorable friends and neighbors with over 200 years of combined service to this community,” said Carmel Republican chair and Town Councilman Stephen Baranowki. “I believe they will be excellent public servants.” Cazzari, who is seeking a second term, is facing a potential primary challenge from former supervisor Kenneth Schmitt, who announced his candidacy in January. “I’m honored to have received the Carmel Republican Committee endorsement for supervisor,” Cazzari said. “I want to thank all of the committee members who showed con dence in the job that I have been doing these past 13 months. I look forward to this opportunity to continue working with the other endorsed candidates to improve our great town.” If elected to town clerk, Daly, who got the nod from the committee over Lynn Mongon, will  ll a seat long held by the retiring Ann Spo ord. Longtime highway superintendent Simone has been challenged by Gerard Ahler. With no opposition within the GOP, Kraus and Jacobellis are almost guaranteed to retain their positions in the general election, with no Democrat yet to announce. Schanil and Lombardi will face a challenge from Robert Kearns, who told Mahopac News that he spoke at the meeting but was too late to get on Monday night’s ballot. Kearns said he received 19 write-in votes at the meeting and intends to force a primary. Schanil and Baranowski said their focus would continue to be on infrastructure. Lombardi said he was “honored and grateful” to be chosen and noted that repairs in Water and Sewer District 2 were more than $6 million under budget. “We have a good working relationship,” added Schanil, who said he looked forward to another four years working with his fellow board members and Cazzari. “We’ll be focused on Swan Cove.” Carmel GOP backs Cazzari, Daly, Simone PHOTOS: TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL Hon. Thomas Jacobellis, Receiver of Taxes Kathleen Kraus, Highway Superintendent Michael Simone, Town Clerk candidate Alice Daly, Councilman Robert Schanil, Councilman Frank Lombardi, Legislator Amy Sayegh and Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari SEE BYRNE PAGE 4 914-282-6440 [email protected] ZACKS RE/MAX Classic Realty Services Provided Property Evaluation | Home Staging High Definition Photography | 3D/Virtual Tours Custom Digital Marketing | Five-Star Service Questions? Call Lawrence Zacks Today! 914-282-6440 Call for a FREE CONSULTATION Build your own village. Perfect secluded Estate site or Family Compound. Large 159-Acre Development site in North Salem Close to Train and Highway! Some preliminary engineering has been done. Zoned residential (R-1) Single Family 1-Acre, however perfect for clusters, Townhouses, possible Office, Senior Living, Medical, maybe Retail or Big Box Store, Commercial. 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Basic Support vs. Full Support Basic Support Full Support $100 $50 $20 other OR Visit www.HalstonSubscribe.com OR Visit www.HalstonSubscribe.com Don’t Miss a Week of Mahopac News. Please Re-Subscribe Today! THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2022 VOL. 13 NO. 39 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 31 CLASSIFIEDS 30 LEGAL NOTICES 28 LEISURE 24 MAHOPAC MUSINGS 2 OPINION 10 SPORTS 20 Our 15 Minutes of Fame Explained pg 10 PUBLISHER’S MEMO Visit TapIntoMahopac.net for the latest news. BY BOB DUMAS EDITOR Christina and Lee Vataj, former  nance and pharmaceutical executives, opened Countryside Kitchen in Mahopac 14 years ago. During that time, the funky little diner has developed a loyal Hudson Valley-wide following for its unique selection of „ avoredpancake combinations and generous portions. † e restaurant has now o‡ - cially obtained long sought-after national attention. Earlier this year, the Cooking Channel came to Mahopac to  lm an episode of its popular “Man vs. Food” show featuring the restaurant, and now the episode, which has already aired, will be reprised later this month. On the show, host Casey Webb samples popular menu items, including the restaurant’s famous “Holy Cannoli Pancake.” “Casey Webb’s food frenzy takes him to New York’s Hudson Valley for...an Italian dessert for breakfast,” the Cooking Channel said in a press release. Lee Vataj said the show’s producers were looking to feature eateries from the Hudson Valley and came across Countryside Kitchen via a typical Google search. “We repeatedly popped as No. 1 and they continually scouted us,” he said. “Sharp Productions (the show’s producers) called us to see if we wanted to do the show.” Vataj said they were thrilled to be invited on the show, especially in the wake of the pandemic, a time during which so many restaurants struggled. “It was great,” he said. “We have been open for 14 years and we have really busted our butts to get here and to be recognized on a national level is great. It’s very humbling.” Vataj said the producers were looking for a more “decadent breakfast” to feature on the show, and Countryside Kitchen’s Holy Cannoli Pancakes  t the bill. He said  lming took about eight or nine hours, but the restaurant didn’t have to close. † e show wanted some regular customers there to interview. “† ey wanted to see the crowd and the ambience,” he said. Vataj said he wasn’t really nervous about being on TV and Webb really enjoyed the cannoli pancakes and other dishes he sampled. “We were just grateful,” he said. “We worked hard to get here with all the challenges we’ve been through.” You can watch the “Man v. Food” episode featuring Countryside Kitchen on the Cooking Channel on † ursday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m. Mahopac restaurant shines on national TV Countryside Kitchen featured on ‘Man v. Food’ Christina Vataj, left, Casey Webb, center, and Lee Vataj, along with the Countryside Kitchen crew PHOTOS COURTESY OF COUNTRYSIDE KITCHEN Watch the episode Cooking Channel on Thursday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m. Visit the restaurant 493 Route 6, Mahopac Host Casey Webb, second from left, interacts with owner Lee Vataj and staff. Remember, Mahopac News is a weekly paper and went to press before the election results were known. So, check out our website, TAPintoMahopac.net, for the most current developments. 914-282-6440 [email protected] ZACKS RE/MAX Classic Realty Services Provided Property Evaluation | Home Staging High Definition Photography | 3D/Virtual Tours Custom Digital Marketing | Five-Star Service LAWRENCE ZACKS, Winner of the 2021 Circle of Legends Award Questions? Call Lawrence Zacks Today! 914-282-6440 Looking to move? We can help you relocate anywhere in the world! Scan me! Call for a FREE CONSULTATION with the Hudson Valley’s top realtor! Amazing NEW 4 Bedroom Colonial — at the end of a Cul de Sac, part of a 4-Home Subdivision. Beautiful Covered Front Porch. Gorgeous Granite Kitchen w/Stainless Appliances (optional Center Island + Dry Bar w/Upper & Lower Cabinets). Stunning Hardwood Floors throughout. Lovely Large Windows. 9’ Foot Ceilings on Main Floor. Large Family Room with Slider to huge private Patio. Formal Dining Room. Terrific Primary Bedroom (His & Hers Closets, Full Bath + additional Walk-in Closet!). Full Basement. 2-Car Attached Garage... $769,900 NEW CONSTRUCTION IN SOMERS! VOL. 13 NO. 40 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 31 CLASSIFIEDS 30 LEGAL NOTICES 28 LEISURE 23 MAHOPAC MUSINGS 2 OBITUARIES 28 OPINION 10 SPORTS 22 Welcome to the new Assemblyman. pg 4 SLATER WINS Visit TapIntoMahopac.net for the latest news. Youngsters honor our These boys are all grandsons of past Mahopac Fire Department Commissioner George Jones: Spencer, 5; Owen, 4; Parker, 3; and Caden, 6. They all came out to honor our nation’s veterans on Nov. 11. PHOTOS: MAUREEN DALY VETERANS Check out our coverage of Veterans Day on Page 3. BY BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER Having run unopposed, Republican Assemblyman Kevin Byrne will become Putnam County’s next county executive. Byrne won with 28,190 votes, which was the equivalent of 99% of votes cast and 69% of ballots cast (30.3% left their ballots blank). “OŽ cially winning this election, securing the support from over 28,000 Putnam voters, is a tremendous honor,” Byrne said. “I remain extremely grateful to the voters for once again placing their faith and trust in me. “ e amount of support I received has been overwhelming and I am truly honored and humbled to serve as our next Putnam County Executive.” In a speech to a packed room of supporters on election night, Byrne reiterated his commitment to Putnam. As a native son of the county, Byrne told the assembled he was “built and raised to work.” Byrne also reaŽ rmed his campaign promises. “When I said to you we were Byrne pledges ‘bold’ vision for Putnam County Crowley, Jonke and Ellner win seats on the County Legislature BY BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER In a local race that garnered national attention, Assemblyman Mike Lawler beat Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee  (DCCC) Chair Sean Patrick Maloney to become the next member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 17th Congressional District. A Rockland County resident, Lawler beat Maloney, 140,883 to 137,633, or 50.6% to 49.4%.  “I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the next Congressman for the 17th Congressional District,” Lawler said at a Congressman-elect Lawler lays out agenda Assemblyman’s win receives national attention after beating DCCC chair SEE BYRNE PAGE 6 SEE LAWLER PAGE 8 (c)845.803.1241 debbiedemelis.com 338 Route 202 Somers NY 10589 From concept to completion, your home will be uniquely cared for and expertly marketed for a WIN in this STRONG MARKET! ASSOCIATE BROKER Ha angiving! You Deserve the best! Wishing Everyone a From concept to completion, your home will be uniquely cared for and expertly marketed for a WIN in this STRONG MARKET! THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022 Youngsters honor our VETERANS Check out Youngsters our coverage of Veterans Day on Page 3. In a local race that garnered national attention, Assemblyman Mike Lawler beat Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee  (DCCC) Chair Sean Patrick Maloney to become the next member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 17th Congressional District. A Rockland County resident, Lawler beat Maloney, 140,883 to 137,633, or 50.6% to 49.4%.  “I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the next Congressman for the 17th Congressional District,” Lawler said at a Congressman-elect Lawler lays out agenda Assemblyman’s win receives national attention after beating DCCC chair SEE LAWLER PAGE 8 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE 31 CLASSIFIEDS 30 LEGAL NOTICES 28 LEISURE 22 MAHOPAC MUSINGS 4 OPINION 10 SPORTS 20 Fire ghters save Chamber event. pg 16 SANTA! Visit TapIntoMahopac.net for the latest news. BY EMILE MENASCHÉ STAFF REPORTER Mahopac has been known as “Indian Country” for as long as anyone can remember. But the school district’s arrowhead logo, “Indians” nickname and other Native American symbols may become relics of the past before the start of the 2023-2024 school year after a recent directive from the New York State Department of Education. In a memo to districts across the state, Senior Deputy Commissioner Jim Baldwin said schools have until the end of this school year to comply with longstanding rules prohibiting the use of Native American mascots--or face  nancial penalties and staˆ removals. “We are working with our attorney for guidance and waiting State threatens Mahopac schools over ‘Indians’ nickname School board to discuss directive at Dec. 20 work session For people unfamiliar with QR codes, simply use your cell phone camera to scan the QR code, and your cell phone will take you to the survey. Help choose a new team name & mascot Scan the QR code to take our survey • This is Massive Government Overreach and the District Should Ignore the State: 37.5% (48) • There is Nothing O ensive with Use of the Term “Indians,” but We Shouldn’t Risk Losing State Aid: 28.91% (37) • Use of the Term “Indians” is O ensive and it’s About Time the State Issued this Directive: 21.88% (28) • None of the above: • It’s Time to Get With The Times, but this is 7.03% (9) Government Overreach: 4.69% (6) Graph 1: We Asked Our Online Readers Their Thoughts 128 People Responded • This is Massive Government Overreach and the District Should Ignore the State: 37.5% (48) • There is Nothing Oensive with Use of the Term "Indians," but We Shouldn't Risk Losing State Aid: 28.91% (37) • Use of the Term "Indians" is Oensive and it's About Time the State Issued this Directive: 21.88% (28) • None of the above: 7.03% (9) • It's Time to Get With The Times, but this is Government Overreach: 4.69% (6) 37.5% 28.91% 21.88% 7.03% 4.69% VOL. 13 NO. 42 SEE NICKNAME PAGE 7 We Asked Our Online Readers Their Thoughts 128 People Responded 914-282-6440 [email protected] ZACKS RE/MAX Classic Realty Services Provided Property Evaluation | Home Staging High Definition Photography | 3D/Virtual Tours Custom Digital Marketing | Five-Star Service Questions? Call Lawrence Zacks Today! 914-282-6440 Call for a with the Hudson Valley’s top realtor! FREE CONSULTATION Privately Set Colonial in the Mahopac School District! (4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths.) Spacious rooms throughout. Well maintained w/ Gorgeous Entry & Private Deck. Open Granite Kitchen w/ Counter Seating, Door Out to Deck & Breakfast Area leading to spacious Family Room w/Wood-burning Fireplace. Hardwood Floors throughout. Formal Living Room & Dining Room. Primary Bedroom Suite w/Walk-In Closet + Full Bath complete w/Tub & Separate Shower. Freshly Painted Interior. New Front Door & Shutters. 2-Car Attached Garage... $649,900 LAWRENCE ZACKS, Winner of the 2021 Circle of Legends Award Door Out to Deck & Breakfast Area leading to spacious Family Room w/Wood-burning Fireplace. Hardwood Floors throughout. BEAUTIFUL CENTER HALL COLONIAL! Looking to move? We can help you relocate anywhere in the world! Scan me!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 3 The Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce held its award ceremony at Putnam County Golf Course in Mahopac last month, and a good crowd turned up to honor the 2022 recipients, Businessperson of the Year Christine Picone, Emerging Professional Stephanie Bellofatto, and Businessperson Meritorious Justin Killian. “From years-past honorees to elected officials, family, friends Chamber members, we had them all,” said 2021 Businessperson of the Year Corinne Stanton of Mahopac News. “With a special shout-out to master of ceremony Scott Cetefoni, I handed over the crown to Christine Picone as the 2022 Businessperson of the Year. It was a real pleasure to be in the company of these fine and accomplished businesspeople all at the same time. They’re not only my good friends, they’ve also given so much to the community through their work with the Chamber.” You can read more about 2022’s Chamber award winners in the Jan. 19 edition of Mahopac News. Visit mahopaccarmelchamber.com  to learn how you can get involved. Chamber crowns 2022 award winners Business Person Meritorious Justin Killian gets a big congrats from fellow 2022 award winner Stephanie Bellofatto. PHOTOS: CORINNE STANTON 2022 Business Person of the Year Christine Picone and Emerging Professional Stephanie Bellofatto show off their crowns. (from left) Corinne Stanton, Stephanie Bellofatto, Justin Killian, chamber chairperson Kelly Puccio, Kerri Haracz, Melinda Marinaccio, Tony Defino, Paul Bucello, CEO Allison Palais Stephanie Bellofatto, Justin Killian and Christine Picone Christine Picone and family

The Sta EDITORIAL TEAM Emile Menasché Editor: 845-208-0774 [email protected] Bob Dumas Editor at Large [email protected] Whit Anderson Sports Editor [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 Mahopac News The deadline for advertisements and editorial submissions for Mahopac News is the Thursday before the next publication date. For more information, call Emile Menasché at 845-208-0774 or email [email protected]. Subscribe To request Mahopac News weekly delivery, call 845-208-8503 or email [email protected]. Subscriptions are complimentary for residents and businesses in the town. Out of town mail subscriptions are $150 per year for First Class Mail. Periodicals Postage Paid at Mahopac, NY and at additional mailing o ices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mahopac News at 824 Route 6, Suite 4 • Mahopac, NY 10541 PAGE 4 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 (ISSN 2330-1627) Published Weekly by Halston Media, LLC at 824 Route 6, Suite 4 • Mahopac, NY 10541 Main O ice 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2023 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC 862 Route 6 Goodrow Building Mahopac NY 10541 (845) 208-0963 SOUTHEAST EXECUTIVE PARK 185 NY-312 • Suite 301B Brewster NY 10509 (845) 279-9288 MILL POND OFFICES 293 Route 100 • Suite 107 Somers, NY 10589 (914) 276-2520 www.aonpt.com The Road To Recovery Starts Here H OIL LUBE FILTER H H BRAKES MINOR REPAIRS H H WHEELS & TIRES H “Your Friendly Local All In One Automotive Shop” Absolute Lowest Tire Prices! We are Direct Dealers! With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers. All coupons expire 3/31/23 FREE TIRE ROTATION WITH THIS COUPON WTD WHEEL & TIRE DEPOT $14.99 TIRE BALANCING (UP TO 18”) WTD WHEEL & TIRE DEPOT $109.99 BRAKE SPECIAL (PER AXLE- PREMIUM RODS) AVAILABLE FOR MOST VEHICLES. ADDITIONAL $20 FOR SUVS LIFETIME WARRANTY (SEE STORE FOR DETAILS) WTD WHEEL & TIRE DEPOT $69.99 WHEEL ALIGNMENT (MOST CARS) WTD WHEEL & TIRE DEPOT With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers. All coupons expire 3/31/23 With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers. All coupons expire 3/31/23 With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers. All coupons expire 3/31/23 190 Myrtle Avenue, Mahopac • 845-628-0101 • www.WNTdepot.com Official NY State Inspection FREE ALIGNMENT... WITH THE PURCHASE OF 4 TIRES (MUST SHOW COUPON) With this coupon. Not valid with any other offers. All coupons expire 3/31/23 WTD WHEEL & TIRE DEPOT the county-wide elected o cials, the county clerk, sheri , and health department. Since January, we’ve done that for all departments as well with sta . What’s the biggest di erence between being a legislator and an executive? What I  nd most interesting is, as a legislator in state government, I voted on and evaluated a lot of the programs that the county government implements. I really enjoy being on the ground now, being able to meet with our team at emergency services, at the 911 Center, social services, and at the health department. So many of the things that they do, the services they provide, are funded by or designed at the state level. For example, county government is the implementing arm of Medicaid and a lot of [other] social services. I used to vote on a lot of those things and discuss them during budget time up in Albany.  e big di erence being here in person is to see the people doing the work. It gives you a whole other level of appreciation for the work that they do. We have a tremendous team of people—some new, but a lot of them have just continued their service. We value their experience, and we’re very lucky that they’ve agreed to stay on. Does the fact that you worked on crafting legislation give you a bit of insight into the system? Absolutely. I would say the biggest connection between my role in the county government and my previous role in the Assembly is the state budget. I was on the Ways and Means committee, so I was in a lot, if not all, of the budget hearings. And that is what would be funding support for Medicaid and social services.  ere’ll also be interoperability grants for Homeland Security, for communications, things like that. [In Albany], you look at all of those components from like a 10,000-foot vantage point. And now I’m on the ground. We’re actually doing the work. It is very much more up-close. I get to see the people and the lives that our county employees are touching. It’s really inspiring. We have the o ce of senior resources. We care very deeply about our senior community in Putnam County. We’re constantly reaching out to people who are older and trying to help them age in place and make sure they have the quality of life that they deserve. You’re from Carmel, you live in Mahopac, and you represented your home area in the Assembly. Now your role includes parts of Putnam that weren’t in your constituency before. How is that going? I was fortunate: I didn’t have a political opponent in the fall. So I took advantage of that. I met with every chief executive o cer, and I’ve met or previously knew every town supervisor and village mayor. I spent time speci cally in the towns of Kent and Philipstown, which were two towns that I did not represent but I was familiar with. I have family that lives in Philipstown and I was the president of the Kent Fire Department many years ago.  ose meetings went very well. And we’ve tried to build that relationship. Kent was more familiar; a lot of Kent students are in the Carmel School district. Philipstown is somewhat segmented in the county. And that’s been an issue that’s been raised for many years. It’s kind of divided [from eastern Putnam] by the Taconic State Parkway and many acres of parkland. I’ve had a number of conversations with legislator [Nancy] Montgomery, who is the lone Democrat in the Putnam County Legislature. I think we’ve had a pretty good working relationship so far. I recognize and value the role of minority members in the legislature, having been one [as a Republican] in Albany for the last six years. We can disagree on policies, but have mutual respect and understand we’re trying to do good things for this county. Speaking of country legislators, Mahopac rep Erin Crowley recently addressed the town board about vape shops. Does the county have a position on the proposed moratorium? I’ve always been a big supporter of local control and local government, and I think that’s something that they are evaluating at the town level, which is their right to do. I’m very careful not to have a BYRNE FROM PAGE 1 SEE BYRNE PAGE 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 5 BY BOB DUMAS EDITOR AT LARGE Patrick “Pat” O’Malley has been selected to be the grand marshal for the 46th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Northern-Westchester Putnam St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee chose the Mahopac resident at its Grand Marshal Installation Dinner on Feb. 3. The younger of two children born to Robert and Joan O’Malley (nee Culley) of the Bronx, O’Malley’s grandparents on both sides hailed from Ireland; counties Galway, Leix, Roscommon and Cork, respectively. O’Malley and his older brother, Robert, grew up in the Bronx, Long Island and Putnam County. O’Malley attended Catholic grammar school and upon graduation, continued his high school education at La Salle Military Academy Boarding School. After graduating in 1979, he worked various jobs, including as a bartender for his mother, who owned the Windjammer Bar and Restaurant in Putnam Plaza—currently known as Fiddlers Green. He also worked in construction doing hot tar roofing for Renzler Contracting. O’Malley enlisted and served in the United States Army as a military police officer. He was assigned overseas to Korea, then returned stateside to serve at various posts throughout the United States. Upon his discharge from the military, he worked in roofing once again until he was called by the Putnam County Sheriff ’s Office in 1985. He was initially hired as a correction officer, rising through the ranks to become a sergeant, a lieutenant, and ultimately the head of the division with the rank of captain (warden). He retired from that position in 2017 after 32 years of service. Living in Mahopac with his wife, Lisa, O’Malley enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, fishing, boating, and cruising the Long Island Sound. He continues to remain active in the community, volunteering where needed. In the past, he served in numerous organizations, coaching CYO basketball at St. James and travel baseball for the Carmel Sports Association. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of The Lakes Council #6318, the Emerald Association of Putnam County, and is a charter member and past president of The Fraternal Order of Police Stephen P. Driscoll Memorial Lodge #704. O’Malley has been a member of the Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee for many years and has served in many roles, currently as Chairman. He has missed marching in only one parade, while serving overseas in the military. O’Malley recalls the very first parade being organized by his uncle, Kevin Culley, Mike Mahoney, and Tim McSpedon, among others. His grandmother, Mary Culley, along with Mary Walsh, spent months hand-knitting Tam O Shanter hats for the event. His grandfather, John A. Culley, served as the first parade grand marshal in 1977. O’Malley said he is humbled and highly honored to be chosen as the 2023 grand marshal. He thanked the sponsoring organizations, as well as the Parade Committee for the honor, and for all the hard work it put sin year-round to make the parade a success. The parade is scheduled for Sunday March 12, rain or shine. For more information and to register to march in the parade, you can email [email protected]. Mahopac’s Pat O’Malley named parade grand marshal St. Patrick’s Day Parade set for Sunday, March 12 NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-PUTNAM ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE COMMITTEE Patrick O’Malley *Restrictions apply. AMAZING IS COMBINING GREAT CARE WITH CONVENIENCE. Many of our offices accept most insurance and have same-day, early and late appointments, and some even offer weekend availability. 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PAGE 6 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023  e Carmel Police Department promoted two o cers and added another on Feb. 1. Brian Forde, who was promoted to sergeant in November, was con rmed as Detective Sgt., putting him in charge of the Carmel PD’s detective division and  lling a vacancy left by the March 2022 retirement of Det. Sgt. Mike Nagel. Veteran o cer Christopher Fox was promoted to patrol Sgt., while former White Plains o cer Anthony Bambach joins the force as a patrol o cer. All three appointments won unanimous approval of the Carmel Town Board. Carmel Police Department Chief Anthony Hoffmann (left) and Town Supervisor Mike Cazzari (right) with offi cer Anthony Bambach (top), Sgt. Christopher Fox (center) and Detective Sgt. Brian Forde. MAHOPAC MUSINGS Native Seedling Sale Putnam County Cornell Cooperative Extension and Soil and Water Conservation have teamed up again to o er the Putnam County 2023 Annual Tree and Shrub Seedling sale, with a wonderful selection of native plants that support birds and pollinators.  ese bareroot seedlings are a thrifty way to create a beautiful native-plant habitat. All orders are online, and patrons can pick up their plants in person. Master Gardener volunteers will be on hand to give timely planting advice. Order deadline is March 24. Learn more at putnam.cce.cornell. edu/2023TreeShrub. Oldies Show  e Lake Mahopac Rotary Club has announced the lineup for its ninth annual Oldies Show to be held on Mother’s Day Weekend, Friday, May 12 Mahopac High School Auditorium. “Mr. Entertainment” Bobby Brooks Wilson will SEEMUSINGS PAGE 28 New roles at Carmel PD 237 Route 6 Mahopac • 2nd floor • By Appt Only • No mail received here—drop slot available Former IRS Agent & 30+ Years Experience 20% OFF FOR NEW CLIENTS OFFERING SECURE CLIENT PORTALS ADDITIONAL SERVICES INCLUDE: Medicare, Social Security, and Retirement Planning Including Plan Roll-Overs INCOME TAXES 845-628-9300 [email protected] CALL OR E-MAIL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE FORMER IRS AGENT & 30+ YEARS EXPERIENCE 20% OFF FOR NEW CLIENTS OFFERING IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS & SECURE CLIENT PORTALS CALL OR E-MAIL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 845-628-9300 [email protected] 237 Route 6 Mahopac 2nd “Professional Services with a Personal Touch” floor * By appt only * No mail rec’d here, drop slot available Thomas J. Langtry I.R.S. Enrolled Agent Former I.R.S. Agent Christopher S. Langtry Tax Preparer Staff Accountant 914.455.2158 SpirelliElectric.com • [email protected] Specializing in residential & commercial services. Licenses in Westchester, Putnam CREATING CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE Family Owned—Over 40 Years Experience! 914.455.2158 10% OFF Service Calls When You Present This Ad. New Customers Only. Keep the lights on. • GENERATORS • Outdoor Lighting • Smart Home Setup • Electric Car Chargers AND ALL OF YOUR ELECTRIC NEEDS! 10% OFF Service Calls

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PAGE 8 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BY BOB DUMAS EDITOR AT LARGE  ere is still more than a month of winter left, which means chilly temperatures and brisk winds. All of this can add up to “winter burn”—a phenomenon that can impact the health of the trees and shrubs on your property. Fortunately, there are things you can do now that will help protect your trees so that when spring arrives, they will remain happy, healthy and green! Gregory Elli e, assistant district manager for the Davy Tree Expert Company, which works extensively in Mahopac and northern Westchester, explained what winter burn is and what homeowners can do to stave it o . Winter burn is also known as desiccation. It is caused by strong, drying winds paired with low humidity, which can cause trees to lose moisture faster than they can absorb it. “ is a ects trees that are planted in areas exposed to strong winds or in areas with low soil moisture,” Elli e said. “People don’t realize it is actually happening, so they are surprised come springtime.” Elli e said winter burn primarily a ects broadleaf and needle evergreens— rhododendrons and holly are common examples of broadleaf evergreens. “It is like chapped lips,” he said. “If your rhododendron has broad leaves and loses moisture from wind, the leaves will desiccate and burn and [with] a harsh winter you can lose plants.” Elli e said the signs of winter burn include: ·  e most common sign is the browning or yellowing of needles or leaves.  is can happen on one part of the tree if only a certain area is exposed to strong winds, but also can happen to the whole tree if it is entirely exposed to winds. · Dry leaves. Leaves and needles may dry out completely and become brittle. · Leaves and needles may start wilting. · Symptoms of winter burn may not be visible until spring or summer, so it is important to keep an eye on your trees. HOW TO TREAT WINTER BURN · Provide your trees with adequate water during the winter. Water trees deeply and regularly. · Add a layer of mulch around the base of the tree to help conserve soil moisture and protect the roots from strong winds. “When the ground is soft, water your trees and shrubs heavily so it can be absorbed.,” Elli e said. “You can cover the trees and shrubs with burlap as a wind protector.” · Placing a barrier around the tree, such as fencing, can help reduce exposure to strong winds. · Pruning dead or dying foliage/needles can help the tree recover quicker. HOW TO AVOID WINTER BURN · Plant trees in areas that are protected from strong winds and direct sun. · Be sure to plant varieties that are cold-hardy for your location and are welladapted to growing and soil conditions. · Plant evergreens in either early spring or late summer. And do not prune evergreens in late summer or early fall.  is will bring new growth that will not withstand the winter weather. · Protect your trees during the winter. Elli e said an anti-decadent can also be used. It is a spray that coats the leaves or needles to protect them from the wind and hold in moisture. “You would do that in late fall or early winter,” he said. “ en again in early February. Protecting your home’s trees from ‘winter burn’ COURTESY IMPACT MARKETING AND PR Discolored leaves and needles are signs of winter burn 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 What steps have you taken to protect your life savings from the cost of long term care? CALL NEW YORK’S ELDER LAW TEAM 914.948.1500

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 9 heavy-handed approach towards local government. I want them to be able to evaluate and make their own decisions. But on a personal level, I’m a Mahopac resident. As a state legislator, I did vote to strengthen the Clean Indoor Air Act, which included vaping to be treated the same way that tobacco products were. So you can’t smoke in a restaurant; you cannot vape inside of a restaurant.  at was a little controversial. I was one of the only Republicans to vote yes on that. But I stand by that vote, but that was the right vote to make. I don’t personally like the idea of having vape shops or tobacco products being marketed close to schools or places of education for our youth.  at’s always been my personal opinion. From your perspective as County Executive, what are some opportunities or resources you want people in Mahopac to know about? As far as opportunities for Mahopac, being a resident driving through town all the time, I believe the county has a lot to offer the town of Carmel in general and Mahopac in particular. Obviously, the county o ce building is in the Hamlet of Carmel. We also have the Kohler Senior Center in Mahopac, which is providing a lot of services for seniors. And I think we have a very strong partnership with our representatives at the town level. I worked well with the supervisor’s predecessor, Kenny Schmitt, when I was in the Assembly. And I work well with Supervisor [Michael] Cazzari and the members of his town board. We’ve had a number of discussions about di erent opportunities,  nancial things that we can do that are strategic value to the county and [will] help the town. I’m open to exploring more opportunities. Are you planning to meet local residents? We did our  rst town hall forum earlier this month on my  rst 30 days at Lake Carmel  rehouse in Kent. I will continue to be accessible and do similar style forms. I absolutely plan on doing some in Mahopac, and those remain to be scheduled. We have the Putnam County Trail bike path that the county maintains and that goes right through the heart of Mahopac. I use it all the time. In my previous role, I would do my constituent forums at the [bike path] trailheads, and then we would go for a healthy walk. I liked that “Trailblazing with Byrne” model. I got a lot of positive feedback from that. It‘s easier to do that in spring. What are some of your shortand medium-term goals?  ere are a number of things that I ran on and I obviously I want to follow through on those commitments. We will announce some of those initiatives at the State of the County, which will likely be in early March when we address a meeting of the legislature. [At press time, details for the State of the County remained unavailable.] Some of the things that we talked about were cementing some administrative guardrails to control the growth of county government spending. Another thing we talked about was a Taxpayer Bill of Rights.  is would do a number of things, including requiring that any increase in the county property tax levy would need to be passed by a two-thirds vote of the legislature, instead of a simple majority.  at actually makes it harder for me to raise taxes. I don’t want to raise taxes [but] I’ve never pledged that [a tax rise] will never happen. I think that would be irresponsible because I don’t have the ability to see the future. But it certainly makes it harder, and would force us to explore other options  rst. It actually gives more authority and power to the legislature. We [also] talked about a resolution to declare Putnam County a constitutional county, which would also modify our county’s mission statement. [Editor’s Note: the constitutional county movement proposes that county governments refuse to carry out directives or laws imposed by the federal or state governments that they consider unconstitutional.] I want to re-explore our county’s mission statement anyway. It hasn’t been changed or revisited in over 20 years. So I think it’s the right time to review that. We did a survey with our county employees. We obviously need to engage residents and taxpayers. But our county workforce is important.  ey’re the ones on the ground. So we want to hear what they believe our county mission statement should be, their [respective] department’s mission statement should be, and what should be the top priority of county government. What about immediate priorities? Public health and safety are always at the top of the list. I think that’s true for any level of government, but particularly county BYRNE FROM PAGE 4 SEE BYRNE PAGE 28 RED MILLS Convenience Center 575 Route 6N, Mahopac Falls • 845-628-9745 Mahopac Teachers, Students, School & Bus Garage Employees Buy One Egg Sandwich, Get 2nd HALF OFF Buy Lunch Sandwich, Get a Soda or Coffee FREE Happy Hour Coffee Check out our Coffee of the Month! Any Size 3-7pm Firewood Bundles Purchase your box of Coffee to go! Warm Up with Winter Breakfast Special Bacon egg & cheese Sausage egg & cheese and Ham egg & cheese $4.49 bacon egg cheese & hash browns $5.49 Try our Coffee Flavors of the Season! Come see our vintage candy shop Cold weather accessories! Salt and windshield wiper fluid. We have over 100 helium balloon choices! RED MILLS IS YOUR... Gas - Coffee - Grab and Go items LOTTO - Candy - Seasonal items Balloons - Snacks and Beverages.

Opinion BRETT FREEMAN, PUBLISHER EMILE MENACHÉ, EDITOR TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL, CREATIVE DIRECTOR Editorial O ice: 845-208-0774 [email protected] 118 N. BEDFORD ROAD, SUITE 100 MOUNT KISCO, NY 10549 ©2023 HALSTON MEDIA, LLC 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 Mahopac News or its a iliates. 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 845-208-0774 PAGE 10 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 Happily Ever After Obfuscate and divide the electorate.  is is clearly the strategy of the federal government. As of this writing, U.S. debt stood at $31.5 trillion, according to usdebtclock.org. And according to those in power, we have a binary choice sometime in the next four months: raise the debt ceiling and all will be well or fail to do so and our country faces economic catastrophe. Whether in fact we have a binary choice is a topic for another debate. But rest assured that front and center in that debate will be an e ort to divide us as a nation. Of course, at the top of the list, we’ll hear about grandma and grandpa, and those who don’t care about de cit spending will falsely accuse others of a desire to defund Social Security and Medicare. It seems as if all our political debates and all our policies are intended to divide the electorate into “us” and “them.” I see this most clearly in my role as an employer. I’ll never forget when one of my valued colleagues asked me what they’d “really” be making in their paycheck that year. I prefer the term “colleague” instead of “employee,” as the employer/employee relationship emphasizes a hierarchy, whereas “colleague” is a reminder that both parties entered into a mutually bene cial and voluntary relationship. Of course, I don’t blame this colleague. He/she was inquiring what they’d be netting in their paycheck, a reasonable question. But from my perspective, I’m paying what I’m paying. What Uncle Sam chooses to tax is between that employee and Uncle Sam. But Uncle Sam wants employees to feel that they aren’t “really” making what they are making. It reduces the government’s complicity in its forced wage garnishment. It’s the same reason we never see what we’re “really” paying at the pump. Not all of that money is going to the gas companies, but nobody is cursing the government during that transaction. Just as the government wants to divide the electorate in all of our Government wants ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ Sometimes the light’s all shining on me Other times I can barely see Lately it occurs to me What a long, strange trip it’s been -Robert Hunter Grateful Dead I ’m baaaaack! Did you miss me? After three months in two di erent hospitals and one rehab center, minus one leg, I am  nally back home. I have written about my health issues in this space before—diabetes, foot surgery, heart surgery, and so forth—so some of you may be familiar with my medical misadventures. Our publisher, Brett Freeman, wrote several columns over the last few months explaining to readers what happened to me. I called 911 on Nov. 5, but I knew about a week before that I was headed for trouble. Just how big that trouble would be did not occur to me at the time. I was feeling a fatigue like I’d never felt before—it was a to-the-bone weariness. I was getting the chills and had the heat in the apartment cranked up to the point where visitors would comment unfavorably. Worst of all, I totally lost my appetite. I had to force myself to eat—usually a banana. So, on Friday night, I got prepared. Showered... laid my clothes out, got my gobag ready.  e next morning, Saturday, Nov. 5, I called 911 and told them what was going on. And o I went, whisked o to Putnam Hospital’s ER.  at ambulance ride was just three months ago, but it seems like eons. I languished in the ER for hours, with nurse’s aids coming in occasionally to take vitals, while phlebotomists grabbed blood samples. It turned out I was su ering from a major potassium de ciency, which is bad because potassium plays a major role in regulating your heartbeat. I was instantly put on a protocol that started with an IV drip. Not long after, someone—I can’t remember who— removed the slipper from my left foot (the one that had all  ve toes amputated a year ago) and gasped at what they saw. Soon enough, I had a crowd of medical professionals, including an actual M.D., gathered around me checking out the foot and looking extremely concerned.  e infection had returned... and it was bad. I don’t remember who dropped the news on me, but somewhere along the line, I was told I would need a below-the-knee (sounded like they were saying baloney) and would need it immediately. What a long, strange trip BRETT FREEMAN PUBLISHER’S MEMO BOB DUMAS OUT OF MY HEAD SEEFREEMAN PAGE 11 SEEDUMAS PAGE 12

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I would never consider going to another law office for my legal needs. ~B.W. budget debates, the government has a compelling interest in emphasizing a hierarchy between employers and employees — again, to divide everyone between “us” and “them.” As a case in point, there are certain costs that employees never see. In reality, employers match an employee’s Medicare and Social Security payments (these employer payments are completely hidden and not reported on a pay-stub or the W-2 tax form), and employers must also pay into state and federal unemployment insurance funds through payroll, which are also never reported to the employee. Outside of payroll, employers must also pay disability insurance premiums for each employee. Again, employees never see this bill. It is much cheaper for a company to limit its payroll and classify as many people as possible as independent contractors, also known as freelancers. Putting an employee on payroll is not only more expensive; it’s also more complicated. To be clear, I don’t mind ful lling all of my legal and  nancial obligations as an employer, but I do mind the fact that it’s so complicated that I need to pay an outside vendor to  gure it all out for me. As the owner of Halston Media, I pay a lot of money to ADP, a Fortune 500 company, to  gure out all this complicated minutia. It would be nearly impossible for me to ful ll all my legal obligations as an employer without a vendor like ADP to keep me compliant. And I do mind that the amounts I pay are purposely hidden by the government, which prefers it this way.  e government forces employers to serve as a tax enforcement authority, of sorts, and it’s designed in a way that minimizes the employee from ever feeling as if they are parting with their own cash. Before I started Halston Media, I used to pride myself in doing my own personal tax returns, which were just a few pages long. It was pretty straightforward. I added up compensation from our W2 and 1099 forms. I reported any taxes already withheld and took all allowable deductions. Voila! I typically ended up with the IRS owing us a small refund.  at small refund was designed to make me feel as if I was actually bene ting  nancially when  ling my taxes. Ever since I started my own business, with a little over a dozen employees as well as dozens of vendors and independent contractors, my taxes are now bewildering. I couldn’t  gure out my taxes if you paid me. Between my corporate and personal taxes, I submit a novel to the IRS and to New York State each year. Any politician that is serious about reducing the tax burden could accomplish their goal in one easy step. Stop turning employers into tax collectors. Let employers pay their employees the full amount, including the hidden expenses, and then let employees write that check to Uncle Sam and all the other taxing authorities. Employees wouldn’t be paying any more than they already do, but it would increase transparency.  at would go a long way towards making us all feel like we’re part of the same team. FREEMAN FROM PAGE 10 School board president is o icial rep with the media Dear Editor, As president of the Board of Education for the Mahopac Central School District, I have speci c duties granted under board policies and New York education law. Among these duties, I preside at all board meetings and I am the o cial representative of the board with the superintendent and with the media. When there are media inquiries, I am the designated spokesperson with the press. It is part of the job. Why?  e board must speak with one voice and have a uniform message. Of course, individual trustees can have their own personal opinions and views, but they should be presented as such, otherwise confusion and misperception occur. Monthly board meetings are governed by the Open Meetings Law, which requires that all policy decisions and votes be conducted in open public session. Executive sessions may only be convened for such topics as con dential, personnelrelated and other legal matters. Education is heavily regulated and the work of the school board is as well. Although it is challenging to balance open discussions while following these rules, I think we succeed with both the community and within the board meetings. Residents have the time (three minutes) and podium to address the board at regular meetings. Diverse opinions are welcome because one side of the story is not the full story.  e same applies to the individual board trustees. I o er my fellow trustees ample time to fully express their positions. Since it a nine-person board (currently eight) and the agendas are extensive, time is a factor when meetings often last up to four hours. We discuss and debate, discuss and debate (Repeat). We have deliberated certain issues for over three meetings in order to fully exhaust trustees’ views and research di erent solutions to a problem. LETTERS SEELETTERS PAGE 12

PAGE 12 – MAHOPAC NEWS OPINION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 The Mahopac News Jan. 12 Publisher’s Memo (“Consensus is not necessarily good government: Be concerned when there is no public debate at the town and school board level,” Page 8) compares the board to the Politburo. Does the Politburo record their deliberations and post the video on their website?  No. Does the Politburo answer questions from the public about agenda items or other matters of public concern? No. No one is silenced because this is the United States of America. The board fully vets an issue before we make a decision and the president has one vote like every other trustee. The board is the final authority on most issues and we need to make the most informed decision with or without consensus. While consensus is desirable, it is not the goal of our deliberations; a final decision is. I agree that democracy is messy and it’s hard. It’s never easy, as witnessed in the U.S. Congress. But it should not be an embarrassment. Trustees support the children’s education by providing governance and fiscal oversight of the district. There is no time for grandstanding or personal agendas; there is too much work to do. I am honored to lead our board and we will continue to serve the Mahopac Central School District with the energy, purpose and dignity it deserves.  Thank you.  -Ben DiLullo President, Mahopac Central School District Board of Education LETTERS FROM PAGE 11 DUMAS FROM PAGE 10 Securities offered through Cantella & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Cantella and Co., Inc. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction. 2022 was a CRAZY YEAR! 845-628-5400 SFGtaxes.com | [email protected] 824 Route 6, Suite 4 | Mahopac, NY 10541 We can help make your taxes less crazy. They also referred to it as a “guillotine” surgery. Nice, huh? Of course, this would have to be done at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, the trauma center that my vascular surgeon calls home. Everybody probably reacts differently to horrible news. I was numb... maybe a little in shock. They say things happen in your life that can divide it into two parts: Before and after. This is definitely one of those. Life before the amputation, and life after. At this point, you don’t have a choice but to go along for the ride. Not having the procedure would kill me. The infection would spread and get into the bloodstream (sepsis) and that would be game over. So, you just lie back, close your eyes and let stuff start happening to you. And though the medical staff all said it was important to have this surgery immediately to prevent the further spread of the infection, I laid around Putnam Hospital for days, still suffering from fever chills, overwhelming fatigue, and loss of appetite. No one could explain why I wasn’t being moved. They speculated they were waiting for a bed to open up in Westchester. Meanwhile, I was rotting away from the bottom up. Finally, four days later, I was tossed in the back of an ambulance and headed to Valhalla. I spent a lot of time at Westchester Medical in 2021. It was depressing. The place was dark and drab and short-staffed. But this time, the place seemed to have gone through a modest renovation—fresh paint, newer beds and more attentive staff. The food was actually edible, too. Most of the time. It took two surgeries. In the first, they took the foot. The reason for two separate surgeries was a bit nebulous when they explained it, but they rejected my plea to stop with just the foot, slap on a prosthetic, and call it a day. The second surgery took place a few days later... below the knee. I woke up in post-op with a big, fiberglass/foam brace Velcroed around my leg. No pain. Just 40 pounds lighter. The surgical team arrived in my room every morning to examine their work. They would earnestly inspect the wound, clucking their tongues and whispering furtively amongst themselves. “Any pain, Mr. Dumas?” “No. Not at all.” They seemed surprised by my answer—maybe even a little disappointed. Nonetheless, they declared the surgery a success and noted I would soon be transferred to a rehabilitation facility where I would be fitted for a prosthetic leg and trained on how to live with it and use it properly. “You will be walking better than you were before,” they promised, which made me wonder just how badly I had been walking. Lying in bed with only one leg leaves you a bit helpless and vulnerable. The nurses and their aids have to do stuff for you, flopping you around in your bed like a short-order cook flipping a burger. It can be humiliating and degrading and I must confess there were times when I got a little teary-eyed, wondering out loud how my life had come to this. But, sadly, you get used to it and come to appreciate the staff and the gross stuff they have to do. They do it professionally, often with kindness, and sometimes with a much-welcomed sense of humor. Then it was off to rehab... courtesy of a ride I had to pay for—$450—because it’s not an emergency and health insurance doesn’t cover it. It wouldn’t be the last time I locked horns with my insurance company during this ordeal. The rehab portion was indeed a long, strange trip. So, stay tuned next week when I will wrap things up with Part 2 of my story. Bob Dumas is editor-at-large for Halston Media, which publishes six community newspapers, including Mahopac News. To advertise in Mahopac News, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected].

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 OPINION MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 13 I ’ve been down in Florida this past month, happily avoiding slipping down my icy driveway and breaking some bones. Interestingly enough, Florida is the place to be, right now, for an inexpert opinionist intent on hearing,  rst-hand, about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ unrelenting attempts to censor and suppress the truthful expression of our country’s history in Florida’s public schools. Going to the beach each day, with the temperature in the low 80s (not to make you jealous) is a delight. And after an hour or so of walking along the shore to get some much-needed exercise while examining the latest bathing suit couture, it’s not too di cult to  nd a cluster of retired teachers laying back in their Tommy Bahama beach chairs, schmoozing their way through another lazy afternoon, while enjoying the cool ocean breezes. Invariably, the topic of DeSantis—at the moment, the leading Republican candidate for President in 2024—comes up in their conversation.  ere’s been a good deal of resentment towards him among educators due to his tenacious e orts to muzzle them and dictate school curriculum. Many teachers, librarians and school o cials – especially those who have been willing to broach the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion, are being pressured to conform, retire or quit.  is, no matter the extreme shortage of quali ed educators in Florida’s schools. DeSantis and the Republican-dominated Florida state legislature have been on a tear, bent on squashing the history, viewpoints and experiences of historically marginalized groups - especially Black and L.G.B.T.Q. communities. DeSantis’ recently passed “Stop WOKE” law is meant to limit student learning by inhibiting and constraining teachers’ ability to talk about almost any issue related to race and gender.  e primary goal of the “Stop WOKE” law is apparent: It is an unadulterated attempt to silence Black voices and erase the full and accurate history and contemporary experiences of Black people. Both the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union have  led lawsuits opposing the “Stop WOKE” law and have won two preliminary injunctions blocking Florida’s Board of Governors from enforcing its apparently unconstitutional and racially discriminatory provisions. In addition, Florida’s H.B. 1557, more widely known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, limits conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms and, like “Stop WOKE,” makes clear that the State of Florida seeks to suppress and target people’s identities. Revoking access to accurate and truthful information and restricting education that re ects and illuminates the diverse identities of students is distressing. It can - and has been in the past – a precursor to racial discrimination and gender mistreatment. Over the past six years, we’ve been witnessing an insurgency of behavior intent on silencing Black voices and erasing Black history. We’ve also been witness to an escalating trend of over-the-top conservative voices upset by gender diversity. What is happening in Florida, today, is also happening in many other states as well. Fifteen states now have active educational directives silencing teachers’ pedagogy. And several other state legislatures are crafting similar censorship measures - with punishments that include  nes, civil suits,  ring and criminal penalties. Numerous studies, according to the Aspen Institute, have shown that young people of all races bene t from an accurate and inclusive education. Discussing race and racism in school tends to improve academic outcomes; reduces prejudice among white students and students of color; and improves feelings of belonging in students of color and even their beliefs about their own academic abilities. On the other end of the continuum, research shows that education that ignores students’ awareness of race, racism and stereotypes leads to increased prejudice. A recent CBS News/YouGov survey indicates that teaching about the history of race in America - according to the vast majority of responses - allows students to understand what others have experienced. And, it should be noted, this opinion is widely agreed upon across political party lines, between White and Black Americans, and among parents.  And more than 80% of Americans, according to the CBS News survey, don’t think books should be banned from schools for discussing race and criticizing U.S. history, for accurately depicting slavery, or, more broadly, for political ideas they disagree with.  “Americans are also okay,” the survey reports, “with the broader notion of public schools teaching about ideas and historical events that might make some students uncomfortable.” In contrast, the survey continues: “ e idea that teaching about race makes students feel guilty about past generations or makes them less racially tolerant today gets little traction with most Americans …. [who] overwhelmingly believe racism has been a problem in U.S. history.”  And a vast majority of Americans believe that though this country has made progress in dealing with racism, racism continues to be a problem, and that teaching about racism promotes understanding. Teaching about racism promotes understanding BERNIE KOSBERG HERE AND NOW! Progressive Animal Hospital Voted “Best of Somers” 2020-2022 What is the most common mismanaged condition that you see? THE ITCHY DOG! Is your pet... scratching • licking • chewing feet or having chronic skin infections? Stop treating the symptoms and find out the underlying cause with a simple blood test. Get your pet feeling better and stop the frequent trips to the vet. INDEPENDENTLY OWNED and OPERATED 268 route 202 l somers, ny 10589 914.248.6220 l progressive-vet.com

PAGE 14 – MAHOPAC NEWS OPINION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 Amilestone was passed recently.  Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo came out on his “Matter of Fact” podcast last Wednesday a rming that the southern states were right about the illegal migrant situation.   “It was a mistake for President Biden to open the border without having a plan to handle the tremendous  ow of people,” he said. He went on to say, “President Biden had said he would do it in the campaign — but you can’t change a policy unless you have the program in place to manage the change… Southern states were right that opening the border created a tremendous hardship for them to handle.  ey were right that the federal government was not prepared” to deal with the crisis that would be created in the aftermath of changing the policy.   e current administration has now been in o ce for over two years. It still has no plan to deal with the crisis it has gone out of its way to create.  To tell you the truth, this is obvious.  e fact that only now – safely after the election – can a mainstream politician, who was removed from o ce, break the lockstep, dumbed-down mentality of supporting Biden and his policies at all costs tells you something very important about what is going on in Washington these days.   e federal government is creating an enormous problem for the states. And it is providing neither resources nor a plan to deal with it. Nor does it have a plan in place to change the policy or stop the crisis at any point.  Politicians from Biden’s party in Washington do not allow themselves to speak up about it. No one, seemingly, is allowed to question this new orthodoxy.  Nor does the mainstream media put any pressure on Biden to stop this policy.  Gov. Hochul has not uttered a peep about it in public even though it is stressing the resources of New York State and New York City to an uncomfortable degree.  I think it is fair to ask at this point why all of this is occurring. Why would a sitting president allow a mass invasion across the border on a daily basis? How is this good for the country in any way? It is not bene tting the every-day citizens; that is for sure. But Biden seldom seems to have them in mind when he sets policies for the country. It’s worth asking who bene ts. A huge  nancial donor? Or could it be an objective mandated by the World Economic Forum? Or some activist group his administration has secret ties to?  I look around and crime seems to be up, poverty is up, suicide is up and drug tra cking is up, which leads directly to deaths from fentanyl being way up. According to former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott, “the drug cartels play a role in every illegal crossing into the U.S. at the southern border.” Nearly everyone who crosses pays the drug cartels. And yet Washington does nothing about this. One is left wondering how much the cartels are donating to Biden’s campaign.   e current government also colluded with the FBI to censor their political rivals on social media. All of this has now been revealed through the Twitter Files that Elon Musk has helped to see the light of day. Other social media, including Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram, and Google’s Youtube, are run by anti-democratic reprobates who seem to  nd a policy of political censorship unobjectionable and for their greater good.      As a result, people in this region that I interact with on a daily basis, across generations, seem to believe the best of New York State and America is now over.  ere is much more hopelessness about remaining in this area from people in the middle class than I have ever seen in my entire life. People want to leave instead of staying and creating family and generational wealth or living out a soft retirement.  People do not trust that the government will have their back. Instead, they believe that the people in charge are not looking out for the interests of residents.   e question is why. Whose interests are they committed to serving?  Mara Schi ren, PhD, is a Writer, Certi ed Functional Medicine Health Coach, Certi ed Integrative Psychiatric Educator and Certi ed Peak Performance Coach. You can reach her at MSchi [email protected]. Cuomo said what no other Democrats will admit MARA SCHIFFREN LIFE, HEALTH, POLITICS Last year, my colleagues and I attended a newspaper conference in Saratoga Springs hosted by the New York Press Association. Usually, a few weeks after I leave these types of conferences, my enthusiasm returns to normal and I forget the details of most of what I’ve learned. But the keynote speaker on the  rst morning said something absolutely brilliant that has stuck with me ever since. In a nutshell, the speaker explained why it’s absolutely imperative that a business owner or marketing executive at a small and medium-sized business have the right message in their advertising. Now, of course, this seems obvious, but sometimes the way something is explained becomes an “aha!” moment. To illustrate this speaker’s main point, I’ve written a  ctional account of a conversation between one of my advertising executives and a dissatis ed client. Bear with me. If it seems like this dialogue is an advertising pitch, it’s not. Yes, we’re certainly proud of our team at Halston Media, but there is marketing gold in the hypothetical conversation below. $100 bill for everyone who reads this column Just kidding. But this got your attention, didn’t it? BRETT FREEMAN MARKETING 101 With SEEFREEMAN PAGE 15 For today, retirement and every moment in between. Michael A. Bucci Financial Advisor Tier 4 Planning A financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. 203.302.6744 41 W. Putnam Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 [email protected] Tier4planning.com CA Insurance #0M83870 The Confident Retirement approach is not a guarantee of future financial results. The initial Confident Retirement conversation provides an overview of financial planning concepts. You will not receive written analysis and/or recommendations. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC., a registered investment adviser. © 2020 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (05/19) Confident Retirement approach Tier 4 planning isn’t about getting a new 403(b) or buying financial products. It’s about becoming educated and empowered around the events and decisions in your personal financial life. It’s about being prepared. Maybe it’s time. Call me today for your initial Confident Retirement conversation.

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We have an amazing sta of marketing and design experts who can help you change your ad.” Dissatis ed Client: “No thanks. I think I’ll just focus my time on creating social media posts.” Halston Media: “OK, but how about this? We’ll give you a FREE ad. But you have to let us decide the message.” Dissatis ed Client: “Hmmm. Free? I’m intrigued. What would be the message?” Halston Media: “Attention all customers, mention this ad when you walk in our door, and we’ll hand you a $100 bill.” Dissatis ed Client: “No way! I can’t a ord to do that. We’ll have thousands of people coming to my place of business asking for a $100 bill.” Halston Media: “Hmmm. I thought advertising doesn’t work in our newspapers?!” Dissatis ed Client: “But that’s di erent. Everyone would want a free $100 bill.” Halston Media: “So you agree, it’s all about the message.  e ad has to tell the customer about something the CUSTOMER wants. Dissatis ed Client: “I see your point. Short of o ering my customers a free $100 bill, how can we improve my message?” Halston Media: “First, you have to decide your advertising objective. Are you trying to attract a number of new customers? If so, then you might want to o er a high-value coupon. OK, not $100, but high enough that new customers decide it’s worth giving you a try. And if you could somehow limit the coupon only to new customers, that could be even better. Remember, you are using the coupon essentially to purchase a new customer. How much is the lifetime value of a new customer who has never walked in your doors previously, assuming this person will become a repeat customer? Dissatis ed Client: “ e lifetime value of my new customer could be pretty high. It could mean thousands of dollars in revenue for my business over the next few years.” Halston Media: “So, how much are you willing to give away in your coupon to ensure that new customer walks in your door? You may lose money in that  rst purchase, but if your new customer is satis ed, it could potentially be thousands of dollars in the future.” Dissatis ed Client: What if I already have lots of customers, but really want them to buy more products at a time, or make purchases more often? Halston Media: “ en you might include a coupon that incentivizes purchasing a larger amount of your inventory at one time. Or maybe your coupon creates a sense of urgency. Dissatis ed Client: “What if I want to focus on brand building instead of using coupons?” Halston Media: “ at’s also a great idea. To build your brand, you need repetition in your advertising. You also need a simple message. Your current ad has way too many words in it. A reader’s eye doesn’t know what to look at. You have just a few seconds to get the reader’s attention.” Dissatis ed Client: “You mean I shouldn’t list every product and service and discount and schedule and the history of our business?” Halston Media: “ ink of an ad for a diamond at De Beers.  e ad is simple: a picture of a beautiful diamond with the slogan, ‘A Diamond is Forever.’ Or think of a juicy Big Mac with the slogan, ‘I’m Lovin’ It!’ You can extend that simple concept to any local brand.” SIX WEEKS LATER SATISFIED CLIENT: “ ank you Halston Media. You gave great advice. Your team of marketers and designers really did a great job with my ad.  e coupon worked GREAT! It really caught everyone’s attention. I have a lot of new regular customers now. And when we did that branding ad for the following  ve weeks, it really got the community talking about my business.” Halston Media: “We’re so glad you are satis ed. So, I guess advertising in our newspapers really does work?!” SATISFIED CLIENT: “Halston Media newspapers clearly have a huge reach into the community! It really was all about having the right message in my ad.” I hope this hypothetical conversation was helpful. If you want our team to help you with your marketing, call me at 845- 208-8151, email freeman@halstonmedia. com or visit halstonmedia.com. FREEMAN FROM PAGE 14

PAGE 16 MAHOPAC NEWS – THURS For fans and participants, gymnastics is in the cauldron of competition. Mahop Marshall has been capturing the artfulnes this year’s Varsity squad has shown excep seen them take on more challenges, and as the lens,” said Pearson Marshall, who selec Divisionals held on Feb. 7. “As their con d held themselves. As a photographer, seein artists is really inspiring.” You can read about the Varsity’s perfor starting on page 19. Art Mot Lia Graap Mahopac gym Alessia Gristina Sofi a Alvarez Lia DiMase Riley Hughes PHOTOS: TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL Take advantage of the new 30% Sol Credit (ITC) with PWRcell, Generac’s solar + battery storage system. PWR save money on your electric bill and utility power outages. Plus it’s comp existing solar arrays. Now’s the Right Time SAVE 30% WITH THE SO Call to requ (888) 87 Purchase a PWRcell and Receive a Free Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced – valued at over $189!* *Scan the QR code for promo terms and conditions. ^Consult your tax or legal professional for infor regarding eligibility requirements for tax credit Solar panels sold separately. NMLS #60828 Registered Mortgage Broker NY & CT Banking Depts. All Loans Arranged through Third Party Providers. Call Us Today! 800-771-1071 YOUR LOCAL HOME MORTGAGE PROFESSIONALS 1013 Route 6, Mahopac, NY 10541 - www.putcap.com (845) 621-1000 Independent & Family Owned Since 1977 CALL ALBANO FOR BUY SELL RENT INVEST REAL ESTATE EVERYTHING

SDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 PAGE 17 s more than a sport; it’s also art produced pac News photographer Tabitha Pearson s of Mahopac gymnasts for years and says ptional growth through the season. “I’ve s a photographer, you can see that through cted some of her favorite images from the dence rose, it was re ected in the way they ng them grow as athletes, performers, and rmance at the 2023 Sectionals in Sports, t in tion Lexi Castrataro L Kelsie Thimm Kaitlyn Palange Kayla Contreras mnasts soar join Lauren, Colleen and Rick and bring a li� le harmony to your next event! musical vocal group playing an eclec� c mix of favorites, old and new [email protected] 914-248-5135 ar Investment Tax s fully-integrated Rcell will help you d be prepared for patible with most OLAR TAX CREDIT^ uest a free quote! 71-0194 rmation s. AWARD WINNER 293 Rt 100 - Suite 207 Somers, NY 10589 OFFICE: 1-914-243-3050 CELL: 1-914-629-0236 [email protected] LIC. REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATE BROKER Since 1985 Grace Vinciguerra Each office independently owned and operated •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Sports PAGE 18 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER At Sectionals on Sunday, Feb. 12, Mahopac entered the morning with four shots to crown a sectional champ. They only came away with one, but all the boys made the town proud nonetheless. Nick Greco lost a heartbreaker in the semis, Charles Przymylski and Chris Morris fell in titanic struggles in the finals, so Joe Ramirez was left to bring home the gold. “He’s one of the hardest workers in the room. Joe has a great head on his shoulders, and he loves the sport of wrestling,” said Coach Steve Tornambe after his champion won a tight 2-1 decision in the finals. Like the first two rounds, Ramirez began his day on short order. A 0-0 tie after one versus Jonas Torres, Ramirez quickly went to work in period two. “I hit a dump, and threw him right to his back,” said the senior. But the 118-pounder had to put in a day’s work in the finals. He scored a takedown in period two, and while maintaining control, the wrestler’s life flashed before the eyes of everyone watching. From the bottom, Dillon Arrick executed a roll, and Ramirez came down face first, bending his neck violently in the process.  A young man of few words, Ramirez downplayed the terrifying imagery afterwards. “I felt like a tweak on my neck,” he redirected. Ramirez did surrender an escape that made the score 2-1, but in the third, the wrestler refused to relinquish control. “I had to keep that mentality of holding him down,” he said. The champ did take the small cushion to work the clock, though. Hit with a stall with eight seconds remaining, Ramirez made sure to look busy and ran the clock out. On the other hand, when the buzzer sounded, he rose to see a 2-2 score. Maybe an inadvertent click by the scorekeeper, Ramirez was not worried either way. “Even if it was a tie, I was going to win in overtime,” said the Indian.  The competition going up a notch in Albany, he remains even keel. “I don’t look down at anyone, and I don’t look up,” Ramirez asserted, and he’s up for the next challenge.  After defeating Thomas Looby from Brewster in the semis, Przymylski felt the same way. “I’m excited and ready for the next match,” said the freshman confidently. No doubt, he still had his work cut for him in the 6-4 semifinal victory. The second-place finisher trailed 3-0 after two, and insightfully read the room in pursuit of a comeback. “I knew I had to pick up the pace,” Przymylski said. “I knew he was gassed.” Earning an escape, Przymylski forced three stall calls and then got down to business.   “Up one,” the Indian said, “I shot him out for the win.” In the finals, Nick Fortugno tried to do the same and got some pretty fierce resistance throughout. The BBVW wrestler executed a number of single and double leg takedowns that most would have given in to. Not Przymylski, the match remained a 0-0 tie deep into the third.  Unfortunately, Fortugno gained control in the end, and Przymylski was forced to punch his ticket to Albany with a secondplace finish. Of course, the fortitude did not get past Tornambe.   “He’s tough as nails,” said the coach, and he’s looking forward to another two weeks of watching a kid who’s, “all fight.” From there, Nick Greco and Chris Morris were left dueling for whose heart broke the hardest. Greco had a 5-1 lead in the final 20 seconds and was suddenly sent to his back. Greco was unable to break free and was pinned with only seven seconds remaining. He then lost his wrestle-off and went from a potential state berth to a fifth or sixth place finish.  A 12-3 victory put him in the top five, and Tornambe didn’t miss the strength of will here either. “To wrestle back like that says a lot about someone’s character - especially after you lose in the semis like he did,” said Tornambe. Morris was next.    He fell behind 6-2 to Cameron Wierl of John Jay and could not get a turn on the champion in the final period. But the 6-4 loss was not the hardest part, because the rules say a finals’ berth does not ensure a trip to the States.  If the runner up did not beat the thirdplace finisher in the tournament, the wrestlers must meet to determine the “true second.” So despite beating the top seed and the fourth seed, Morris still had to beat Anthony Lofaro of Ossining to earn the right. Morris lost 7-0. A perplexing scenario, the future can only move on. But the order of the day never changes, and Henry Ramirez’s 7-4 victory for fifth place allowed the freshman to give voice to what makes wrestlers keep coming back for more. “Winning,” he concluded. ‘Pac sends two wrestlers to States Ramirez a Section 1 champ WRESTLING PHOTOS: RICH MONETTI Section 1 champion Joe Ramirez. Charles Przymylski will join Ramirez at States. Chris Morris Nicolas Greco Henry Ramirez ‘Joe (Ramirez) has a great head on his shoulders, and he loves the sport of wrestling.’ Steve Tornambe Mahopac Wrestling Coach

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 SPORTS MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 19 BY RICH MONETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER On Monday (2/6) and  ursday (2/9), Mahopac toed up for the postseason, and Coach Vin Collins simply instructed his girls to continue walking the walk. “Do you what you did to get here,” Collins conveyed, and in sticking the landings and lifts, the team stood tall for themselves and the town. A third-place  nish on Feb. 9, the Indians are sending three to States. “ ey executed well,” Collins proudly asserted, and pointed to no falls on the beam, great work on the  oor and a smooth overall delivery for all the routines. Up  rst was Lexi Castrataro, and clocking in at about 11 p.m. with her ribbon, the vaulter remained on point with this week’s preparation for the big meet. “I’m going to practice hard everyday,” Castrataro said.  She does possibly foresee an adjustment, though.   “Maybe I will stick more mats in the pits,” she said. “It makes the landing higher. So that makes it easier when the landing is lower (in competition). On the bars, Kaitlyn Palange certainly did in practice what got her here and more. “I worked on correcting the minor things - like straight legs, pointed toes and proper body position,” she revealed. Palange also had to address the mental gymnastics at hand. “I kind of just think of Sectionals as any other competition, Mahopac takes third in Sectionals Varsity squad sends three to state championships PHOTO: TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL Kaitlyn Palange GYMNASTICS ‘I’m really excited, because no matter if I do really bad or really good, I’m going to be proud of myself.’ SEE GYMNASTICS PAGE 23 Kaitlyn Palange Mahopac Gymnastics FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM @MAHOPACSOCCER FOR THE LATEST NEWS! For More info visit mahopacsoccer.com KINDERGARTEN SOCCER...$60* IN-HOUSE 1ST-9TH GRADE...$100* STARTING APRIL 15th Coaches and volunteers needed at all levels Season set to start on April 15 for K-9th Grades Registration for Pre-K, Summer Camp & Travel Tryouts Coming Soon! MAHOPAC SOCCER SPRING REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! MAHOPAC SOCCER SPRING REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! *early bird pricing ends 2/14, registration closes 3/17

PAGE 20 – MAHOPAC NEWS SPORTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BY SKIP PEARLMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER An impressive second-half comeback by the Mahopac boys basketball team helped the Indians send Saturday’s (2/11) regular-season  nale at Ketcham into overtime. But Mahopac didn’t have enough  repower in the extra session, and ended up dropping a 63-59 decision to the Dutchess Indians.  Mahopac – which fought its way back from a 2-7 start, to  nish regular-season play at 9-11 - is set to compete in  ursday’s (2/16) Class A tournament outbracket round, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s (2/18)  rst round.  Last Saturday afternoon at RCK (9-11), the host entered the fourth with a 49-40 lead, but Mahopac pushed on both ends, hit some key shots, and managed to tie the game at 49-49 with 5:33 left. With the score knotted at 55-55 with 49 seconds remaining, neither team could  nd a point, sending the game into OT, where Mahopac never found its rhythm and the host’s 8-4 run sealed the win.   “It would have been nice to keep things rolling in our last game,” ‘Pac coach Matt Calabro said of his team’s late run. “I was proud of the way we battled on a day where we were not playing as well as we have been.”  “In the moment, of course guys are a little down,” he noted after losing after such an impressive comeback.  “It was a game we should have closed out, but it was not a crushing loss for us. We have been focused on the process of getting better, and we did that. Indians boys roll past Carmel Waste late comeback in OT loss at Ketcham  Dan Dedvukaj rises for a jump shot. PHOTOS: SKIP PEARLMAN Danny Koch glides to the basket. Liam Scanlon takes on a pair of defenders at RCK. BOYS BASKETBALL SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 21  www.summertrailsdaycamp.com 914.245.1776  CURRENTLY HIRING STAFF!      
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We wanted to be playing our best basketball at the right time, and we feel we are doing that.”   e prior  ursday (2/9) at Carmel, Mahopac picked up a 53-46 victory, behind Liam Scanlon’s 17-point, 11-rebound e ort.  “We came out  at in the  rst half, and I’m not sure how that happened,” Calabro said. “Big game, rivalry game, and we just could not get it going.”  “But Liam Scanlon really put his stamp on that game with his performance,” the coach added. “We needed to get out of there with a win, and we played a really clean second half.”  Calabro said he believes his team is ready for the challenge the playo s will bring.   “We have come a long way as a group,” he said. “I think the guys believe in one another, and are all focused on putting their best foot forward on  ursday.”  ‘The guys believe in one another, and are all focused on putting their best foot forward on Thursday.’ Matt Calabro Mahopac Boys Basketball Head Coach THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 SPORTS MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 21 BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 20 PHOTOS: SKIP PEARLMAN Joey Koch rises for a jumper. Connor Ferrieri drives baseline. Your Family Car Care Center! LOCATIONS: Baldwin Place • 44 Route 118 • (845) 628-7900 Croton Falls • 1 Center St • (914) 769-3206 Visit us at www.ProperService.com For over 100 years of combined auto experience, Joe Ferone and his sta of Proper Service have been serving the community, creating releationships, and building a remarkable company with an amazing team of employees! Find out why Joe Ferone of Proper Service needs to be YOUR Go-To Automotive Service Center!

PAGE 22 – MAHOPAC NEWS SPORTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BY SKIP PEARLMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER The Indians girls closed out their regular season with a bang last week, cruising to an easy win over a struggling Carmel team, grinding out a quality win over league opponent John Jay-East Fishkill, and capping it off with a Con Ed Scholar-Athlete Award for senior Lauren Beberman.  The Indians finished regular season action at 15-4 (7-3 in league play) and were expecting to earn the No. 2 seed in the Section 1 Class A playoff tournament that begins Saturday (2/18) with first-round action. Quarterfinals are set for Feb. 23, semifinals are Mar. 1 at the County Center, with finals following on Mar. 4.  First-year coach Mairead Hynes said her players know they have not won anything yet.  “I’m definitely very proud of the girls,” Hynes said of the team’s solid regular season. “It’s not every day you get the No. 2 seed. But that only guarantees us home court, nothing else. We have the talent and the potential to beat anyone – if we play every game all out.”  Last Thursday (2/9) at home against Carmel, the Rams were unable to compete, falling behind 42-5 at halftime, in a game Mahopac eventually won 61-14.  Fiona Kelleher led the Indians with 10 points, Beberman added eight, and Adrianna Pranzo had eight points, seven rebounds and four steals.  The prior Tuesday (2/7), the Indians faced John Jay-East Fishkill on the road, and led 25-19 halfway through, on the way to a 51-44 victory.  Beberman had the hot hand, dropping 21 points, to go with eight rebounds and seven steals. Kristina Rush and Fiona O’Boyle each had six points.  “We played really well,” Hynes said. “They are a solid AA team, and we came out and got an early lead, which helped. It was under a 10-point game the rest of the way.”  “Beberman really stepped up for us in that game,” Hynes added. “She had a size advantage, and as a team, we played really well defensively. We held them to one of their lower scores. It was definitely a solid grind-out road win.”  Hynes added of Beberman’s Con Ed Scholar-Athlete Award nod: “That was really well deserved. She’s a fantastic athlete - basketball, volleyball… very active in school, and a fantastic student. She’s really a well-rounded student athlete.”  ‘Pac girls wrap regular season 15-4 Set to open playoffs Saturday at home Coach Mairead Hynes and the Indians closed their regular season at 15-4, and are set to open the playoffs this weekend. FILE PHOTOS: SKIP PEARLMAN Senior Lauren Beberman had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven steals in a win over John Jay last week, and was also named a Con Ed Award winner. GIRLS BASKETBALL ‘We have the talent and the potential to beat anyone – if we play every game all out.’ Mairead Hynes Mahopac Girls Basketball Head Coach Advertise With Us When you advertise with Mahopac News, you are reaching thousands of households and businesses throughout Mahopac, Mahopac Falls and portions of Carmel. To advertise or to place a classified, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected]. EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER! Promo Code: 285 FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET!1 1 Subject to credit approval. Call for details. FREE GUTTER ALIGNMENT + FREE GUTTER CLEANING* SENIORS & MILITARY! YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE* 20 + % % OFF 10 OFF *For those who qualify. One coupon per household. 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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 SPORTS MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 23 This Ad is Donated By Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Attorneys at Law - 914-948-1500 Become a Sponsor! The Bountiful Meals program is Cornell Cooperative Extension's pilot program offering free, farm-fresh meals to seniors facing food insecurity. The program has given away over 1000 meals. The meals are a hit with the seniors in the centers: they are flying off the shelves. These meals are created from farm-fresh Putnam produce, supplemented with foods donated by area merchants. Our food system partner, Second Chance Foods, prepares these meals for us in their kitchen. CCE delivers the meals to attractive freezers located in Mahopac and Carmel senior centers, accessible to all nearby including Northern Westchester. Logo on front of Food System Coalition website Call Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County at 845-278-6738 or email [email protected] to learn more! because if you think of it as Sectionals, you are going to get scared and freak out.” But the Indian does not see apprehension as a problem at Buffalo.   “I’m really excited, because no matter if I do really bad or really good, I’m going to be proud of myself,” said Palange. On a parallel course, Lia Graap will stay status quo on her approach and credits her coach’s leadership in keeping the team grounded and up in the air at the same time.   “He always supports us, and our favorite thing he says is: expect success but prepare for failure,” Graap reiterated. “And it really helps.” Of course, no matter what happens on the bars, she will be knee-deep in a gravy that puts her among the best gymnasts in the state. “It’s so amazing,” Graap extolled, “being with all the other girls who have made it as far as we have.” At the same time, she does not dismiss what it will mean to carry the hometown colors up state.   “I am very, very proud,” she concluded. GYMNASTICS FROM PAGE 19 PHOTOS: TABITHA PEARSON MARSHALL The Mahopac gymnastics team. Lexi Castrataro Kelsie Thimm

PAGE 24 – MAHOPAC NEWS SPORTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BY WHIT ANDERSON SPORTS EDITOR  e Mahopac track and  eld team sent 10 athletes to the Section 1 Class A Champs at  e Armory last Wednesday (2/8), coming away with many great team and individual performances. For the boys, Dylan Tyberg continued his standout winter season by breaking the school’s 3200M record with a blazing 10:06.65. Brandon Kumrow (6th, 2:50.32), Nicolas Marks (13th, 3:05.65), and Shane Waring (14th, 3:05.86) paced towards strong  nishes in the 1000M. John Kelly (9th, 5:11.54) competed in the 1600M.  e 4x800M relay team of Ryan Tyberg, Dylan Tyberg, Marks, and Kumrow clocked a season-best 8:54.65.  e girls came to race as well. Grace Witt sprinted in both the 55M and 300M, posting times of 8.06 and 47.31 respectively. Witt was joined by Jenna Perricone, Cece Haberling, and Sam Salomon in the 4x200M, where the team clocked  fth with a 1:58.92. ‘Pac competes at Class A’s Relay teams fi nish strong PHOTOS: WHIT ANDERSON John Kelly in the 1600M. Tyberg hands off to Brandon Kumrow in the 4x800M. The girls’ 4x200M team left to right: Grace Witt, Jenna Perricone, Sam Salomon, Cece Haberling. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUMMER BREIDENBACH The boys’ 4x800M team left to right: Brandon Kumrow, Nicky Marks, Ryan Tyberg, Dylan Tyberg. TRACK & FIELD Join CoveCare Center for an event to promote resiliency and family connections RESERVATIONS REQUIRED Email [email protected] or call 845-225-2700 ext. 117 Please include name, email, phone number, event location and number of people attending. This is a FAMILY EVENT. Parents/Adults caregivers are asked to be PRESENT. Sauro’s Town Square Pizza 1072 Route 311 Patterson, NY March 7, 2023 Complimentary Pizza & Soda Nonna’s Pizzeria 17 Peekskill Hollow Rd. Putnam Valley March 7, 2023 Gaetano Pizza & Café 100 Independent Way Brewster March 21, 2023 Cacciatori Pizza 941 South Lake Blvd. Mahopac March 14, 2023 Cold Spring Pizza 120 Main Street Cold Spring March 28, 2023

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 25 Students attending Austin and Fulmar Road Elementary schools have been busy created colorful and imaginative works of art, many of which are now on display in the Young Arts Gallery at Mahopac Public Library.  is exhibit will remain on view through February 28 and can be viewed during regular library hours.    e  rst, second and third grade students at Austin Road Elementary started the year exploring shapes and color through drawing and blending color with oil pastels. Under the direction of their art teacher, Mr. Williams, each grade had the opportunity to discover how to combine shapes to make their subject.  e  rst graders drew animals from observation by looking at photos of their animals.  e second grade students created robots by stacking wooden blocks and drawing their stacked con guration.  en they added details to give it robot-like characteristics.  e third graders studied how to draw their self-portrait by looking at their re ection in a mirror.  e students then chose an emotion to express, and a background was added to emphasize the feeling of their expression.  e participating artists from Austin Road are: First grade: Giuliana Racek, Abigail Wisotsky, Aerys Naclerio, Noah Calderon, Caltha Reuter, Sebastian Jimenez. Second grade: Albert Marston, Liliana Scuderi, Raymond Kolkmann, Parker Helf; 3rd Grade students: Samantha Dunlea, Gavin Schulz, Gabby Malichek,  omas Vitale, Blake Weisblatt, Lexa Keen, Rocco Tucci, Mia Morrone.  Students attending Fulmar Road Elementary School created a variety of inventive and exciting artworks under the direction of their art teacher, Ms. Melissa Lindsay.  e  fth graders explored radial symmetry printmaking and looked at many real world examples of how we see radial symmetry in design, architecture and nature.  e students used watercolor to paint a radial pattern on their background papers and then created symmetric line designs on a styrofoam printing plate. Using a brayer and acrylic paint, students made four prints of their designs, rotating the printing plate to keep their design aligned and symmetrical. Participating  fth graders include Gabriella Stillwaggon, Giavonna Calauti, Reese Vettoretti, Ava Miguel, Emma Awramik, Timothy  eathong, Anthony Genovese, Angelina DePace, Devin Sookhoo, and Sage Ettere.  e fourth graders learned about contemporary artist Jen Arayni and her watercolor and ink naturethemed paintings.  ey used the silhouette of a deer head as their background and experimented with a wet-on-wet technique for painting with watercolor using either warm or cool colors.  ey drew mountains and trees separately and learned how to shade their mountains using a hatching technique. White paint splatter was added to the background to create the illusion of stars. Fourth grade exhibitors include Violet Brugel, Michael Forgione, Sabrina DeBiase, Aaron Diesman, Tomas Vana, and Ava Ioimo. Fulmar third grade students began to explore symmetry in their name monster project. To begin the project, they folded their papers in half and wrote their names on one side in black oil pastel. Students then closed their papers and used a baren (a circular tool used for rubbing paper to transfer ink) to rub the oil pastel into the paper. When opening their work, students found their names mirrored onto the other side of the paper. Turning their papers in a vertical direction, the students were able to transform their letters into fantastical monsters!  e students representing third grade are Stella Surace, Anthony Buttacavoli, Jordon Padilla, Lila Cammarano, and Giana Lividini. Mixed media chocolate mug images were created by Fulmar Road’s  rst graders using model magic, cotton balls, scrapbooking paper and wallpaper scraps. Students learned how to draw their mugs and saucers and then created their own patterns and designs; markers were applied to add color.  ey then used model magic to create the illusion of marshmallows and discovered how to use their “pinchy  ngers” to pull apart cotton balls to create the steam rising from their mugs. Everyone was able to pick their own background and table pieces from the pile of scrapbooking and wallpaper scrap samples.  ey made sure to mix and match patterns and textures to make the projects really stand out.  e work of the following  rst graders is currently on display: Charles Brugel, Emma Derevjanik, Nicholas Shost, Tinley Coyne, Brian Faulkner, and Wilder Deglon Mitchell. Kindergarten students have been learning how to draw and identify di erent types of lines: straight, wavy, zig-zag, dotted, loop-d-loop, etc.  ey started their Line Lion project by learning how to draw the lion’s head, adding details like eyes, nose, whiskers and ears. Students created di erent types of lines to make the mane, repeating lines as they moved around their paper. Ms. Lindsay and her students discussed what a pattern was and how to make a color pattern using the colors orange and yellow.  e students then used paint sticks to color their lions.   e participating kindergarten students are: Scott Camarda, Ellie McDonough, Gabriella Rosario, Felix Elliot, and Mila Gaur. Mrs. Conroy’s K-1-2 class has been learning about warm and cool colors, while also reviewing the primary and secondary colors. Students divided their paper in half with a large curved line and used watercolors to paint the top area of their paper with cool colors and the bottom area of their paper with warm colors. We discussed how colors can mix and blend into each other when we paint with watercolor. Students then traced a large heart in the middle of their paper and painted their hearts with metallic silver paint, adding dots around their paper to create an interesting design. Lastly, silver glitter was added to outline the heart. Reed Bellotto and Kensi Waring are the participating artists from Mrs. Conroy’s class. Mahopac Library is delighted to host all of these talented and enthusiastic students; we encourage the public to visit the Young Arts Gallery at the Library to enjoy the work of our young community members. For further information about this and other programs at Mahopac Library, call 845-628-2009, ext. 100. Student art on display Mahopac Library show features works by elementary school students COURTESY MAHOPAC PUBLIC LIBRARY (From top): Angelina DePace (grade 5), Mila Gaur (K), Nicholas Shost (grade 1) and (left) Blake Weisblatt (Grade 3) Article provided by Mahopac Public Library NEW YORK HOMEOWNERS: YOU MAY *QUALIFY THROUGH NEW RELIEF PROGRAMS! HELP IS AVAILABLE EVEN IF YOU COULD PAY CASH Qualify Today: 800-944-9393 or visit NYProgramFunding.org to see if you *qualify Do you need a New Roof and Help paying for it? Do you need Energy Efficient Windows & Help paying for it? 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PAGE 26 – MAHOPAC NEWS LEISURE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 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. River in Tuscany 5. A way to represent 8. Rocker’s guitar 12. Civil Rights group 14. Brew 15. Scratch 16. W. Asian country 18. The Eye Network 19. Clarified butter 20. Part of the Cascade Range 21. Downwind 22. A way to steer 23. Loop 26. Not ingested 30. Swampy coniferous forest 31. Musician 32. Signing 33. Containing iron 34. Part of a theorem or proof 39. Veterans battleground (slang) 42. Of enormous proportions 44. Italian city 46. Come before 47. Balm 49. Undergarments 50. Male parent 51. Ropes 56. Ear part 57. Investment vehicle 58. Dictator 59. Cain and __ 60. A type of code 61. Border river along India and Nepal 62. It’s what’s for dinner 63. Consume 64. Christian __, designer CLUES DOWN 1. Cuckoos 2. Skin issue 3. City in central Japan 4. Sorrels 5. Twinned diamond 6. Canadian province 7. Monetary units 8. Head honcho 9. Goddess of wisdom 10. Part of a play 11. Get rid of 13. Applicant 17. Bowling alleys have many 24. Explosive 25. “The Say Hey Kid” 26. Ultrahigh frequency 27. No (Scottish) 28. Make a mistake 29. Credit card term 35. Keyboard key 36. Woman (French) 37. In the middle of 38. Score perfectly 40. Coat a metal with an oxide coat 41. Deadly disease 42. A place to dock a boat (abbr.) 43. Belch 44. Member of U.S. Navy 45. “In __”: separate from others 47. Examine extensively 48. Adjust 49. Tattle 52. Actor Pitt 53. Gulls 54. Within 55. Exceptionally talented performer Enjoy a tasty, egg-based hot breakfast Egg in a Hole Bagel 8 servings 4 whole wheat bagels, halved 8 large eggs 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 cup baby spinach, thinly sliced, divided Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, fi nely chopped Chopped parsley (optional garnish) Lemon zest (optional garnish) Lemon juice (optional garnish) 1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Use a 2- or 2-1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter to create a larger hole (it should be just big enough for an egg to fi t). Spread mayonnaise over cut sides of bagel halves and press fi rmly, mayo side down, onto the baking sheet. 3. Stuff a little spinach in the bottom of each hole (this will help hold the egg in) then crack an egg into each center. Season with salt and pepper, then top each egg with remaining spinach, capers and roasted red peppers. Bake until egg whites are set and yolk is cooked to preferred doneness, about 12 to 15 minutes. 4. For optional garnish: Toss parsley with lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Use as a garnish just before serving. Note: Save bagel cutouts and toast to enjoy alongside bagels. Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day. After a period of sleep when nothing is consumed, breakfast does just what its name implies: breaks the fast.  While many people are content to grab something fast from the pantry each morning, every now and again a hot breakfast can really hit the spot. Whether feeding a family or a crowd, this “Egg in a Hole Bagel” recipe can be prepared quickly and assembled on one baking sheet. Try this eggceptional meal, courtesy of “ e Incredible Egg and the Egg Nutrition Center.” It can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch — or at any time of day.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 27 Contact Us Mahopac News is located at 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. You can contact us at 845-208-0774 or email [email protected]. LEGAL NOTICES SEE LEGALS PAGE 28 Notice of Formation of ALPHA BUBBLE GAMMA LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2022- 09-16. Office location: Putnam County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Cameron Mayo: 351 W Lake Blvd Mahopac NY 10541. Purpose: Any lawful purpose Notice of Formation of J & R signs & more LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2022- 11-15. Office location: Putnam County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Joseph Cavarretta Jr.: 89 Baldwin place road Mahopac NY 10541. Purpose: Any lawful purpose LEGAL NOTICE By the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Carmel pursuant to Section 267 Town Law, notice is hereby given that a hearing will be held on: FEBRUARY 23, 2023 – 7:30 P.M. To hear the following applications: HOLD OVER APPLICATIONS 1. PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED; Application of GLENACOM (aka GLENCOMA) LAKE for a Variation of Section 156-20, 156-62.O.2 & 156-62.O.5 seeking a Variance for permission to locate a public utility wireless telecommunications facility at the site.  The property is located on Walton Drive - Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #87.5-1-90. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required 50 Feet Maximum in Height 140 Feet in Height 90 Foot Height Variance 280 Feet Minimum in Tower Setback 174 Feet in Tower Setback 106 Foot Tower Setback Variance to nearest occupied residence. Fence 4 or 6 Feet in Height Fence 8 Feet in Height 4 Foot Height Variance for Fence. 2. Application of PLATINUM PROPANE for a Variation of Section 156-15 seeking a Variance for permission to convert a 1 family house into a propane facility.  The property is located at 1035 Route 6, Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #65.10-2-11. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required Front Yard Setback of 40’ 22’ 18’ Minimum Square footage of 5,000 square feet 1,938 square feet 3,062 square feet NEW APPLICATIONS: 3. Application of ANNE MARGOLIS for a Variation of Section 156-15 seeking a Variance for permission to construct new deck.  The property is located at 9 Averill Drive, Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #64.12- 2-19. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required 15’ side 13.5’ 1.5’ 20’ rear 2’ 18’ 4. Application of SILVER SPOON FOODIES LLC for a Variation of Section 156-39.3 seeking permission for a temporary trailer permit for 1 year; 45’ x 10’ trailer.  The property is located at 870 Route 6, Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #65.13-1-54. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required Temporary trailer allowed for only emergency Construction on property in future Allow temporary trailer on lot without approvals. 5. Application of SHELDON & LORI GINSBERG for a Variation of Section 156-15 seeking permission to construct new stairs onto front porch which requires a setback variance.  The property is located at 795 South Lake Blvd., Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #75.43-1-16. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required Code requires 40 ft. front yard setback 6.5 ft. will be provided. Entire front of house & porch are non-conforming. 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PAGE 28 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 LEGALS FROM PAGE 27 government, where you have a health department that has that major responsibility to implement programs and services. There are a number of projects that the previous [MaryEllen Odell] administration was rolling out, and we want to make sure those continue smoothly. They merged the 911 center with the County Sheriff ’s office. That’s something we’re continuing to monitor to make sure is done well. Are there emerging business opportunities for Mahopac residents ? There are several opportunities that I’m very excited about, particularly for the town of Carmel. There is the proposal for the Alexandrion Group distillery, which was where the Guideposts was [on Seminary Hill Road]. I helped pass a state law to allow them to sell their product in addition to making it. That’s kind of in slow walk, that project. I really would like to see that hit the ground running to bring in jobs and I think some attraction for tourism. When I speak with our friends from the business community about tourism, obviously a lot of people think about events and themes and that’s part of it. But you also want something sustainable, so that people will come to the area [repeatedly], not just for an event. In Southeast, there’s the ProSwing Sports Brewster Yards project. I also worked on state law for that, because it required a parkland alienation bill. That would also bring in revenue and jobs for the county, which benefits everybody—including Mahopac—and do it in a way that’s minimally disruptive, because it’s right near I84. Because anytime you talk about new business...I’m very pro-business: I want economic opportunities to grow. I want jobs to be created. I want the revenue as well. All those things are good. But we want to do it in a way that is not going to change our quality of life, that is minimally disruptive to residents. And I think that’s important in both of those projects, which bring significant opportunities to Putnam County. You’ve spoken about saving taxpayers money. What steps have you taken? The legislative package [we] proposed did a number of staffing restructures and eliminated some positions, created others, and adjusted compensation for people taking on additional responsibilities. It gave net savings of over $64,000. The legislature passed it with broad bipartisan support. Internally in our own office, I like to find savings, both small and large. Tens of thousands, I would consider in the medium to large category. But we’ve done everything from cutting the cable service in my office—we have WiFi in here—I don’t need a cable box, I can hook up my Firestick. I refurbished my entire office: None of this is county furniture. This is stuff that I bought from my Assembly office that I owned. So that’s money saved. We did use county employees to paint—you don’t want to see me paint, I would do an awful job—but I figured if I’m gonna get a custom paint job in my own office, I’ll pay for the paint. So I cut a check to the finance department for $250 to reimburse for the cost of the paint. So those are small savings. And then there’s big savings. So we’re trying to explore a lot of different things, to be creative and to be fiscally responsible with the taxpayer money. BYRNE FROM PAGE 9 headline with a high-energy tribute to his father, soul legend Jackie Wilson. The three-time Grammy winner will share the bill with girl group the Chiclettes and Carl Gardner’s Coasters. Tickets, $35 in advance ($40 night of event), are currently available at eventbrite.com (search Lake Mahopac Rotary Club) and are also on sale in locally at PCSB Bank (Mahopac Branch), Route 6 Deli and d’Berto’s Pizzeria. Board Meeting Rescheduled The date of the Mahopac Public Library Board meeting has been changed from Feb. 23 to Thursday, March 2  at 6:30 p.m. Lake Mahopac Garden Club Meeting The monthly meeting of the Lake Mahopac Garden Club will be held on Tuesday, March 7 at Whispering Pines Nursery.  The Meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. and staff will be available to guide LMGC visitors and answer questions about the plants on display.  Lunch will follow at a local restaurant, Dana’s Diner.    For further information contact  Anne Gagliardi  [email protected] or visit lakemahopacgc.com. Sycamore Camp dates announced Sycamore Park summer camp registration will open on March 13. Camp will run from June 26 - Aug. 4 and costs for $600 per town-resident child for those entering grades 2-8 in fall, 2023 $650 for rising kindergarteners and first graders. Immunization records are required to reserve a place. Learn more at facebook.com/ CarmelRecreation. The town is also taking camp employment applications at ci.carmel. ny.us/recreation-parks/pages/ summer-employment. The Book Barn is open The Book Barn at Mahopac Public Library is welcoming shoppers again. Book Barn hours are Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursday, 4 to 6:45 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Book donations are by appointment only. Please call 845-628-2009 x143 to schedule your donation. Thank you to all Book Barn patrons for your patience and your support during the weatherization project. MUSINGS FROM PAGE 6 UPDATED Halston Media fillers 12/31/20 (new address) *NOTE: when putting these into place, please take hyphenation off as it can get very confusing for web and/or email addresses. thanks! Mahopac News To advertise in Mahopac News, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email freeman@halstonmedia. com. Advertise With Us When you advertise with Mahopac News, you are reaching thousands of households and businesses throughout Mahopac, Mahopac Falls and portions of Carmel. To advertise or to place a classified, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected]. Advertising Deadline The advertising deadline for Mahopac News 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. Contact Us Mahopac News is located at 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. You can contact us at 845-208- 0774 or email mahopacnews@ halstonmedia.com. Editorial Submissions Press releases and photos should be submitted to Mahopac News by the Thursday before the next publication date. Submissions can be emailed to mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Letters and Op-Ed Policy 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 Mahopac News or its affiliates. Submissions must include a phone number and address for verification. Not all letters and op-eds will necessarily be published. Letters and opeds which cannot be verified or are anonymous will not be published. Please send your submissions to the editor by e-mail at mahopacnews@ halstonmedia.com. For more information, call the editor at 845-208-0774. Share Your Milestones Let your neighbors know about the special moments in your life, whether it’s a birth, engagement, wedding or anniversary. Send us a photo and announcement at mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. There is no charge for this announcement. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Photo Submissions Photos submitted to Mahopac News need to be a highresolution image. Images that are submitted at a low resolution cannot be published. Submit photos to Mahopac News by the Thursday before the next publication date. Submissions can be emailed to mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Promote Your Charity Send us a press release at mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com, or give us a call at 845- 208-0774. Sports Deadline The sports deadline for Mahopac News is the Sunday before the next publication date. Varsity coaches should submit results and information by e-mail to sports@ halstonmedia.com. All youth sports and recreational sports items should also be submitted to the same e-mail address by the Thursday before the next publication date. To advertise in Mahopac News, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected]. Notice of Formation of ALPHA BUBBLE GAMMA LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2022- 09-16. Office location: Putnam County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Cameron Mayo: 351 W Lake Blvd Mahopac NY 10541. Purpose: Any lawful purpose Notice of Qualification of ATT Concepts, LLC. Certificate of Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2023-01- 04 Office location: Putnam County. Limited Liability Company (LLC) formed in DE on 2023-01-01. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to ATT Concepts, LLC: 16 Mount Ebo Road South Suite 12A-3 Brewster NY 10509 Articles of Organization originally filed with DE Secretary of State (SOS). 16192 Coastal Highway Lewes DE 19958. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of J & R signs & more LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2022- 11-15. Office location: Putnam County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Joseph Cavarretta Jr.: 89 Baldwin place road Mahopac NY 10541. Purpose: Any lawful purpose Notice of Formation of Croton River Home Inspections LLC. Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 2023-01-08. Office location: Putnam County. SSNY designated as agent of Limited Liability Company (LLC) upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY should mail process to Michael A. Guedes Jr.: 27 Acorn Rd Brewster NY 10509. Purpose: Any lawful purpose 6. Application of STEVEN SPADA for a Variation of Section 156-15 seeking an Area Variance for permission to build a detached accessory structure to be used as storage/workshop.  The property is located at 6 Kayla Lane, Mahopac NY and is known as Tax Map #64.6-1-44. Code Requires/Allows Provided Variance Required 40’ Front on Hill St. 18’ 22’ By Order of the Chairman, John Maxwell PUBLIC NOTICE By the Planning Board of the Town of Carmel, pursuant to Section 267, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on: FEBRUARY 22, 2023 At 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541 or as soon thereafter as possible on the following matters: KIWI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 825 Union Valley Road, Carmel, NY  10512 – Tax Map #77.17-1- 31 & 32 – Amended Site Plan                                               RANDOM RIDGE SUBDIVISION Kennicut Hill Road & North Ridge Road, Mahopac, NY  10541 – Tax Map #76.10-1-23 (Historical) – Bond Reduction By Order of the Chairman, Craig Paeprer UPDATED Halston Media fillers 12/31/20 (new address) *NOTE: when putting these into place, please take hyphenation off as it can get very confusing for web and/or email addresses. thanks! Mahopac News To advertise in Mahopac News, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email freeman@halstonmedia. com. Advertise With Us When you advertise with Mahopac News, you are reaching thousands of households and businesses throughout Mahopac, Mahopac Falls and portions of Carmel. To advertise or to place a classified, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected]. Advertising Deadline The advertising deadline for Mahopac News 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. Contact Us Mahopac News is located at 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. You can contact us at 845-208- 0774 or email mahopacnews@ halstonmedia.com. Editorial Submissions Press releases and photos should be submitted to Mahopac News by the Thursday before the next publication date. Submissions can be emailed to mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Letters and Op-Ed Policy 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 Mahopac News or its affiliates. Submissions must include a phone number and address for verification. Not all letters and op-eds will necessarily be published. Letters and opeds which cannot be verified or are anonymous will not be published. Please send your submissions to the editor by e-mail at mahopacnews@ halstonmedia.com. For more information, call the editor at 845-208-0774. Share Your Milestones Let your neighbors know about the special moments in your life, whether it’s a birth, engagement, wedding or anniversary. Send us a photo and announcement at mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. There is no charge for this announcement. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Photo Submissions Photos submitted to Mahopac News need to be a highresolution image. Images that are submitted at a low resolution cannot be published. Submit photos to Mahopac News by the Thursday before the next publication date. Submissions can be emailed to mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com or mail it to Mahopac News, 118 N. Bedford Road, Suite 100, Mount Kisco, NY 10549. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your photo returned. Promote Your Charity Send us a press release at mahopacnews@halstonmedia. com, or give us a call at 845- 208-0774. Sports Deadline The sports deadline for Mahopac News is the Sunday before the next publication date. Varsity coaches should submit results and information by e-mail to sports@ halstonmedia.com. All youth sports and recreational sports items should also be submitted to the same e-mail address by the Thursday before the next publication date. PUBLIC NOTICE By the Planning Board of the Town of Carmel, pursuant to Section 267, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on: FEBRUARY 22, 2023 At 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541 or as soon thereafter as possible on the following matters: KIWI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 825 Union Valley Road, Carmel, NY  10512 – Tax Map #77.17-1- 31 & 32 – Amended Site Plan                                               RANDOM RIDGE SUBDIVISION Kennicut Hill Road & North Ridge Road, Mahopac, NY  10541 – Tax Map #76.10-1-23 (Historical) – Bond Reduction By Order of the Chairman, Craig Paeprer PUBLIC NOTICE By the Planning Board of the Town of Carmel, pursuant to Section 267, notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on: FEBRUARY 22, 2023 At 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall, 60 McAlpin Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541 or as soon thereafter as possible on the following matters: KIWI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 825 Union Valley Road, Carmel, NY  10512 – Tax Map #77.17-1- 31 & 32 – Amended Site Plan                                               RANDOM RIDGE SUBDIVISION Kennicut Hill Road & North Ridge Road, Mahopac, NY  10541 – Tax Map #76.10-1-23 (Historical) – Bond Reduction By Order of the Chairman, Craig Paeprer Sarah Spratt LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/22/2022. Cty: Putnam. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 44 Travis Corners Rd., Garrison, NY 10524. General Purpose A&J Riverdale Realty, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 12/29/2022. Cty: Putnam. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 3 Blueberry Ln., Putnam Valley, NY 10579. General Purpose JK Arts Consulting, LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 5/3/2022. Cty: Putman. SSNY desig. as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail process to 517 Beach Rd., Mahopac, NY 10541. General Purpose LLC FORMATION NOTIFICATIONS Advertise With Us When you advertise with Mahopac News, you are reaching thousands of households and businesses throughout Mahopac, Mahopac Falls and portions of Carmel. To advertise or to place a classified, call Brett Freeman at 845-208-8151 or email [email protected].

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 29 Increase referrals and name recognition. Advertise in the Mahopac News Bulletin Board and reach over 7,000 USPS delivered mailing addresses every week. Call 845-208-8151 today! My Community Bulletin Board Service: 914-669-9679 Auto Sales: 914-485-1195 Fax: 914-669-9685 6 Dingle Ridge Road - North Salem, NY 10560 meccanicshop.com © 2023 Consumer Cellular Inc. For promo details please call 844-919-1682 CALL CONSUMER CELLULAR 844-919-1682 O First Month of New Service! USE PROMO CODE: GZ59O One time use only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon or offer. Coupon offer good until December 31, 2022. Valid for any new service except subscription fees. Must mention coupon at time of sale. One time use only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon or offer. Coupon offer good until December 31, 2022. Valid for any new service except subscription fees. Must mention coupon at time of sale. BUYING ONLY 845-628-0362 WE WILL COME TO YOU! 51 YEARS! WE BUY: GOLD • STERLING SILVER • JEWELRY • COINS • PAINTINGS • BRONZES • CLOCKS • COLLECTIBLES • ANTIQUES • ETC. Items for sale? Call us! GOLD • SILVER • DIAMONDS WATCHES • COINS • FURS PAINTINGS • FULL ESTATES The Buying Service We simply pay more! Contact Barry 914-260-8783 [email protected] WE BUY ZIMMERMAN AGENCY 845-621-2557 • [email protected] Look for us in our new office in February! 128 Gleneida Ave (Route 52), Carmel You’re in good hands. FREE Insurance Review #WINwithZIMM Local Advice you can ALWAYS trust. 855.281.6439 I Free Quotes American Made Family Owned Award Winning Could your kitchen use a little magic? Honest and Reliable, 30+ years experience. Local Collector/Seller (Westchester/Putnam) Call or text: 917-699-2496 • email: [email protected] Hope to hear from you! Thanks! BUYING COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS! TOP PRICES PAID! ADULT SOFTBALL YSALEAGUES.COM [email protected] YORKTOWN PARKS & RECREATION

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 BUSINESS & REAL ESTATE MAHOPAC NEWS – PAGE 31 APAR PUBLICITY WITH PERSONALITY PR Public Rela ons For... Businesses | Individuals | Organiza ons | Events Your Message Is Our Mission Leave Your Message Here... (914) 275-6887 | bruceaparpr@ gmail.com BRUCE APAR WHY DO WE ADVERTISE IN HALSTON MEDIA’S LOCAL NEWSPAPERS? TO ADVERTISE WITH US, CALL BRETT FREEMAN AT (845) 208-8151 Advertising in Halston Media is being part of a community. While walking through different towns, people recognized our picture and connected it to the services promoted. It was a great way to get new customers while validating our work with current clients. Dr. Deborah Hardy Student Support and Educational Consultant GuidED Consulting, LLC I f you’re getting closer to retirement, you might be thinking more about Social Security. Speci cally, can you count on it to contribute part of the income you’ll need as a retiree?  ere’s been an increase in alarming language surrounding the solvency of Social Security, but in reality, its prospects are not nearly as gloomy as you might have heard. Here’s the story: Under current law, Social Security is estimated to exhaust its trust funds by 2035, after which bene ts could be cut by 20%, according to the 2022 Social Security Trustees report. However, the large cost of living adjustment (COLA), which was 8.7% for 2023, could cause the trust funds to use up their resources sooner. But this outlook may represent a worst-case scenario. For one thing, the cost of the 2023 COLA will be somewhat o set by higher taxes on workers contributing to Social Security.  e maximum amount of earnings subject to the 6.2% Social Security tax jumped from $147,000 in 2022 to $160,200 in 2023. And in looking down the road, further increases in this earnings cap may also help reduce the gap in the trust funds. Increasing the payroll tax is another possibility for boosting funding to Social Security. And here’s a political reality: Social Security is a popular program and it’s unlikely that any future Congress wants to be blamed for reducing bene ts. Of course, there are no guarantees, but it seems fair to say that you can reasonably expect some bene ts from Social Security when you retire. But perhaps the bigger issue is just how much you should depend on Social Security for your retirement income. On average, Social Security bene ts will provide about 30% of a bene - ciary’s preretirement earnings, according to the Social Security Administration. But the higher your earnings before you retire, the lower the percentage that will be replaced by Social Security. Still, you’ll want to maximize the bene ts that are available to you — and that means deciding when to start taking Social Security. You can begin as early as 62, but your monthly payments could be as much as 30% lower than your normal (or “full”) retirement age, which will likely be between 66 and 67. Even if you were to wait until your full retirement age before collecting Social Security, you’ll also need to draw on other sources of funding. So, while you are still working, it’s a good idea to keep contributing to your IRA and 401(k) or other employersponsored retirement plan.  e amount you contribute should depend on your overall  nancial strategy and your  nancial needs, so, for example, you probably shouldn’t put in so much into your retirement accounts that you feel signi cant stress in your monthly cash  ow. But when you do get a chance to invest more in these accounts, such as when your salary goes up, you may want to take advantage of the opportunity. Ultimately, you should be able to count on Social Security as part of your retirement income. You may want to consult with a  nancial professional to determine when taking Social Security makes the most sense for you and how you can also get the most from your other retirement accounts. You’ll want a retirement income strategy that’s built for the long run.  is article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones  nancial advisor (member SIPC). Tom Casey, CHFC, CEPA, CRPC, AAMS, CRPS, is a licensed securities adviser associated with Edward Jones, located at 163 Route 6 in Mahopac. He can be reached directly at 845-621-8647. Can you count on Social Security? Social Security is a popular program and it’s unlikely that any future Congress wants to be blamed for reducing bene ts.’ -Tom Casey Edward Jones TOM CASEY GUEST CORNER

PAGE 32 – MAHOPAC NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 SOMERS BROKERAGE | 104 VILLAGE SQUARE, SOMERS, NY 10589 914. 27 7.8 0 4 0 DONNA O’CONNELL Associate Real Estate Broker Platinum Award Brokerage Top Producer LIN CRISPINELLI Associate Real Estate Broker Platinum Award ANNPAULINE CREAMER Associate Real Estate Broker Platinum Award TERESA CHANG Associate Real Estate Broker Gold Award CHRISTINE MACDONALD Real Estate Salesperson Gold Award C. J. NADLER Real Estate Salesperson Gold Award MARY WARD Real Estate Salesperson Gold Award LUCILLE C. ETTERE Associate Real Estate Broker Gold Award MARTHA (MARTI) LOWENFELD Associate Real Estate Broker Gold Award DAVID HOVSEPIAN Real Estate Salesperson Gold Award LYNN CONWAY Associate Real Estate Broker Silver Award CAROL A. CIRIECO Real Estate Salesperson Silver Award SUSAN THERESA SALAMONE Real Estate Salesperson Silver Award CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2022 AWARD WINNERS C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O O U R E N T I R E T E A M O F R E A L E S T A T E P R O F E S S I O N A L S F O R MAKING HOULIHAN LAWRENCE THE #1 REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE IN MAHOPAC Source: OKMLS, 1/1/22-12/31/22, total dollar volume of single family homes and condominiums sold by company, Mahopac school district