Merry Christmas!

Back To Square One For Shenorock Lake

The petition to create a Park District for the community of Lake Shenrock in Somers, NY was rejected by the Town Board at its December 9 meeting. The Town Board said the petition was "flawed". Proponents plan to try again in their effort to revitalize the Lake for swimming.

Read the story at NCNLocal.com: Shenorock petition thrown out.

See our earlier posts here and here.

A valid petition needs signatures by homeowners owning more than 50% of residential assessed value. Supervisor Murphy reported at the December 2 Board meeting that the Assessors determined that at least 48% supported the petition. More important, Town officials concluded that some signatures were in dispute. At that meeting, Councilman Richard Clinchy said the signature collection process was "chaotic" and "unreliable". Proponents strongly disagreed with Mr. Clinchy at the meeting. This post appears at the Facebook page of the United Owners Association:

The petition is scuppered, our Town Board is powerless, and the system has enabled a whining and ill-informed tiny minority to destroy efforts to enhance the neighborhood. Did one board member actually suggest we mail out a list of questions and answers? Unbelievable.

Supervisor Murphy plans to meet with leaders from both sides of the issue in January.

Schettini Engagement

Mary Lynn Schettini to wed Giuseppe DeRuvo

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

LITTLE FERRY LOCAL

Crescenzo and Carmela Schettini of Somers, N.Y., are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Lynn Schettini, to Giuseppe DeRuvo of Little Ferry. The prospective bridegroom is the son of Agata DeRuvo and the late Giovanni DeRuvo.

Dr. Schettini received her Doctor of Optometry in 2007 from the New England College of Optometry in Boston, Mass. She is a licensed optometrist in the State of New York. Dr. Schettini is a graduate of Somers High School and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairfield University.

The complete story at northjersey.com is here.

Riot At Lincoln Hall

State and Somers police broke up a riot involving 30 students at Lincoln Hall School for Boys in Somers, NY on Friday. Two employees were injured and five students arrested. For details see the article at the 390.com.

Lincoln Hall is a school for the treatment and rehabilitation of troubled or delinquent male teens. This incident is the latest in a series of problems at the School. In November, police arrested five teens for vandalism or assault in three separate incidents, and in August, police charged two teens with burglary of homes in Somers.

As reported in LoHud.com, Somers Town officials are concerned.

Town officials are requesting a meeting with Lincoln Hall administrators to discuss the surge in violence, said Town Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy.

“In the last six to nine months, Lincoln Hall students have been in our court more than ever,” Murphy said Sunday. “We’re trying to get a meeting with their board of directors to discuss what has to be done. We want to find out what’s changed in the last year to create the situation where there are repeated incidents that seem to be escalating.”

Read the complete LoHud.com story here.

LINKS

http://the390.com/feature/state-police-respond-to-riot-situation-at-lincoln-hall

http://the390.com/feature/multiple-arrests-at-lincoln-hall-town-of-somers

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2010/08/news-round-up.html

http://www.lohud.com/article/20101212/NEWS01/12120395/-1/RSS01/Staff%20injured+,%20five%20boys%20arrested%20in%20large%20riot%20at%20Lincoln%20Hall%20in%20Somers

Library Ends Sunday Hours; Town Board Wonders Why

Because the Library's operating budget is not increasing this year, the Somers, NY Public Library will be closed on Sundays, starting January 1, 2011. The Library will be open two extra hours on Thursday and Saturday. The full text of the announcement is set forth below.

At the December 2 budget hearing held by the Town Board, some Board members questioned why the Library needed to close on its busiest day. An issue was also raised about whether the Library was allocating staff in an optimal manner during the week. The President of the Library Board of Trustees did not specifically respond to these inquiries, saying that a final decision had not been made.

The Library's announcement issued about a week after the December 2 budget hearing.

==================

Somers Library

Library Hours for 2011 Following the release of the Somers Town Board's Adopted Budget for 2011 and its resultant impact on the Somers Library, the Board of Trustees regrets to announce a change in its operating hours for the coming year. Effective January 1, 2011, the library will no longer be open on Sundays. In order to off set this change, and in consideration of those patrons who work late and can only use the library on the weekends, the library's hours of operation on both Thursday evenings and Saturdays mornings will be increased by two hours. The new library hours will be: Monday 1-8 pm Tuesday 11-6 pm Wednesday 10-5 pm Thursday 11-8 pm Friday 10-5 pm Saturday 10-5 pm

Cell Tower Balloon Test And Site Walk On Saturday

The Zoning Board of Somers, NY will conduct a balloon test and site walk for the proposed cell tower at 2580 Route 35, a location within a Residential Zone The test is scheduled for December 11 between 9 AM and noon. In general, a balloon test involves raising a large balloon to the height of the proposed tower so that the public and Board can get a better idea of how the tower will fit in the local area. The full notice appears below.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

A Site walk with balloon test will be conducted at 2580 Route 35, Town of

Somers, New York in connection with an application for a Special Use Permit and

Area Variances to locate a wireless telecommunications facility in an R-120

Residential Zone. This application has been made to the Somers Zoning Board of

Appeals by HOMELAND TOWERS, LLC and NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS

PCS LLC (“AT&T”)(Application number BZ11A/09 – 37.13-2-3). The site walk

and balloon test is scheduled for Saturday, December 11, 2010 between the hours of

9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. In the event of inclement weather, the test will be

held on Sunday, December 12, 2010. Additionally, the following is a schedule of

alternate weekend dates for the site walk and balloon test pending weather

conditions:

Saturday, December 18, 2010 and Sunday, December 19, 2010;

Saturday, January 8, 2011 and Sunday, January 9, 2011;

Saturday, January 15, 2011 and Sunday, January 16, 2011;

Saturday, January 22, 2011 and Sunday, January 23, 2011;

Saturday, January 29, 2011 and Sunday, January 30, 2011.

The application materials are on file in the office of the Town of Somers

Zoning Board of Appeals and may be viewed there between the hours of 9:00 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Questions regarding the application can

be directed to Teresa Reale, Secretary to the Zoning Board of Appeals, telephone

(914) 277-5582.

The application will appear on the calendar of the Zoning Board of Appeals

at its next regularly scheduled meeting on December 21, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the

Town of Somers located at 335 Route 202.

Cell Towers And Dogs Are Subject Of Public Hearings At Tonight's Regular Meeting Of Town Board

The Town Board of Somers, NY holds public hearings tonight on an ordinance relating to cell towers (a/k/a wireless telecommunication facilities) and amending the local law regarding dogs. The full agenda for the December 9th Regular Meeting is here.

Amanda DaCosta of Somers Named All-America In College Soccer [Revised]

Amanda DaCosta, who graduated from Somers High School in 2007, is named a collegiate All-America in soccer at Florida State. The press release from that University follows.

Two 'Noles Named All-Americans

Amanda DaCosta and Toni Pressley have been named All Americans by the NSCAA.

Dec. 3, 2010

By Zach Mendelson, Seminoles.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State University senior midfielder Amanda DaCosta (Katonah, N.Y./Somers) and junior defender Toni Pressley (Melbourne, Fla./West Shore) have been named to the 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru Women's NCAA Division I Women's Soccer All-America Team.

DaCosta, who served as the team captain in 2010, was named to the third team. She was also named First Team All-ACC, the fourth All-ACC honor of her career, marking the most in school history. DaCosta finishes her career tied for first all time in Florida State history in game-winning assists (10), third in career assists (24) and fourth all-time in games started (94).

...

Overall the Seminoles' finished the 2010 campaign by making an 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight for the sixth straight year.

The players will be honored at the annual All-America Luncheon, to be held at the Hilton Baltimore Hotel on Saturday, Jan. 15, as part of the 2011 NSCAA Convention.

LINK

http://www.seminoles.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/120310aab.html

ADDENDUM

See the December 10, 2006 LoHud.com article by Jack Thomases describing DeCosta's high school years: Girls soccer player of the year: Amanda DaCosta, Somers

In Other News in Somers, NY ...

Somers Woman Charged With Forging Checks

Westchester News Online 11/30/2010

Yorktown Police say an 18 year old Somers woman was arrested and charged with forgery after she allegedly stole checks from a woman's home and signed and cashed them.

Senior Hall of Fame Honorees Include Loomis of Somers

Westchester.gov 12/03/2010

Westchester County held its 28th annual Senior Hall of Fame luncheon on Dec. 3 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown. Among the 30 seniors from the “Class of 2010” who were inducted into the Senior Hall of Fame was:

Sue Loomis of Somers is a volunteer with Hospice and Palliative Care of Westchester. She has visited many hospice patients at the Somers Manor Nursing Home since 2004 where she talks with them, reads, plays cards or simply listens to their fears and concerns. Before she retired, Loomis had worked 19 years at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital as secretary to the medical director and medical staff coordinator.

‘Race to Nowhere' screening in Somers

NCNLocal.com 12/03/2010

SOMERS - The Somers High School PTSA is screening the documentary, "Race to Nowhere," on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Somers High School Auditorium.

The main message of "Race to Nowhere" is about the high stakes and pressure in the nation's schools and on students. As a result, the film suggests there is an epidemic of unhealthy, disengaged and unprepared young people. The documentary was made to bring communities together to raise awareness, generate dialogue and let people know that they are not alone in this "Race to Nowhere."

FULL LINKS

http://westchesternewsonline.com/node?page=1

http://www3.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2842:senior-hall-of-fame-honorees-announced&catid=74:news&Itemid=300137

http://ncnlocal.com/ncnlocal_living/living_articles/article_7e955c4c-ff03-11df-b3bc-001cc4c03286.html

Library To End Sunday Hours; May Lose Charter

Because of budget constraints, the public library in Somers, NY may end Sunday operating hours. As a result, the State could revoke the library's charter.

In an email to patrons on Friday , the Board of Trustees said:

According to WLS [Westchester Library System] in 2009 we were #38 out of 38 libraries in the WLS system with the largest cut in local public funding in the county, a reduction of 9.25%. As a result we were forced to reduce our service hours and thus, we now no longer meet the New York State minimum standards for libraries. This may result in a loss of the funds we receive from the State and cause the State to revoke your library's charter as we no longer meet the State's requirements for serving a population the size of Somers. The Library wants an increase of $30,860 in its budget from the Town and said "the lack of funding will most likely result in closing on Sunday." The Trustees added: "In addition to the Sunday closing, we will unable to buy some of the books, DVDs and other materials necessary to meet our patrons' needs." Set forth below is the full text of the December 3 email from the Somers Library Director and Staff. The text is also posted on the Library's Facebook page. The Town Board held a public hearing on the budget the night before. Statement from the Somers Library Board of Trustees Presented at the Town Board Work Session on December 2, 2010 The Library Board wishes to advise our Library patrons of the likely consequences of the Preliminary Budget approved by the Town Board at their meeting on November 18. Based on current economic conditions, the Library Board put together a very conservative budget proposal for 2011, asking only for the money to enable us to keep our already reduced schedule and stay open 7 days a week. The additional costs totaled $30,860, a small fraction of the Town's $12.4 million budget. Our modest requests included the following: the sum of $15,900, representing the increase in fees to cover our usage of the Westchester Library System (namely the staff and public computers, the software which enables libraries in the county to share their collections, and the transportation of these materials from one library to another.) Additionally, we requested $14,960 for the cost to pay for substitutes to provide minimum scheduling through the day and evening within current operational hours. We advised our patrons upfront of our financial difficulties and they sent hundreds of emails to our Town Board officials in support of our request for this modest increase of $30,860 for the WLS fees and our necessary substitutes. The preliminary budget approved at the November 18 Town Board meeting did not include the increases just described. The Library Board therefore needs to inform you that we have no alternative but to reduce our Library hours. Because of the holidays and the late approval of the Preliminary budget we have not yet had sufficient time to analyze thoroughly the situation and get Library Board approval of a course of action,however, the lack of funding will most likely result in closing on Sundays. Those patrons who are away at work and cannot get to the library before it closes during the week and rely on weekend service will be most affected. In addition to the Sunday closing, we will be unable to buy some of the books, DVDs and other materials necessary to meet our patrons' needs. According to WLS in 2009 we were #38 out of 38 libraries in the WLS system with the largest cut in local public funding in the county, a reduction of 9.25%. As a result we were forced to reduce our service hours and thus, we now no longer meet the New York State minimum standards for libraries. This may result in a loss of the funds we receive from the State and cause the State to revoke your library's charter as we no longer meet the State's requirements for serving a population the size of Somers. The Library Board of Trustees wishes to ask the Town Board one more time to reconsider their decision to reject the modest increase in funding we requested, which would enable us to maintain our present level of service to the community. The Town board should remember that more than 50% of Somers residents are library patrons. Reducing hours because of inadequate funding would be a disservice to all of them and go against their expressed wishes conveyed recently via the countless emails, postcards and comments provided in the library survey.

Somers man, 77, dies in crash that damages historic elephant statue

From LoHud.com: SOMERS - A 77-year-old town man died Wednesday night after his car struck the pedestal of the historic elephant statue in front of Town Hall, state police said this afternoon.

Steven L. Semons of Heritage Hills died at Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt, where he was taken by ambulance after the 6:30 p.m. accident that damaged the statue's pedestal and cracked the elephant's front right foot. Troopers said they were awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine if Semons died from injuries from the crash or if a medical condition preceded the accident.

The complete news article published at LoHud.com on December 2 is located here.

LINK: http://www.lohud.com/article/20101202/NEWS02/12020427/Somers--historic-elephant-statue-damaged-in-car-crash

Town Budget Hearing Tonight

The Somers, NY Town Board meets tonight for a Special Meeting/Work Session. The meeting is dedicated to a public hearing on the 2011 Town Budget. The meeting agenda is here. The preliminary budget is $12, 352, 201 which is an increase by about 1.2 percent but taxes increase by just over two percent with a proposed combined rate of $11.896. The detailed budget is at the Town web site. A pdf version is here.

On November 18, NCNLocal.com reported on the budget in a story by Art Cusano. That news story is here.

The Somers Spectator Is On Break

Shenorock Park District Informational Meeting

A Special Informational Meeting to discuss the proposed Shenorock Park District is scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2010 at the Somers Middle School Auditorium from 7 PM to 10 PM. No official action will be taken by the Town Board at that meeting.

At the October 7 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Murphy invited people to submit in advance questions to her by email. She will distribute them to the proper town officials -- such as engineers and legal counsel -- so that more considered responses at the meeting on October 21 can be made.

Somers High In Marching Band Competition

Somers High School will participate in a marching band and color guard competition on October 16 in Danbury. Bethel High School is hosting its 15th annual "Quest for the Best" contest at Danbury High School because of renovations to Bethel High’s athletic fields. Other schools participating include those from Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, and Norwalk. The event starts at 5 PM with admission of $10 and $5 for Seniors/Students The story is at the newstime.com blog offbeat.

Town Board Meeting On October 14

The Town Board of Somers, NY will hold its Regular Meeting on Thursday October 14. No public hearings are scheduled. The agenda is available here.

Somers Memento On Ebay

The Somers Spectator has no relationship to the seller. Ebay item 270644832713

Town Board Meets Thursday October 7

A regular work session of the Town Board for Somers, NY is scheduled for Thursday. The agenda is here. Among the agenda highlights are the Board's consideration of the Shenorock park district proposal. [See related story -- Can Lake Shenorock Be Saved (Part II)?]

Can Lake Shenorock Be Saved (Part II)?

The "park district" proposal for Lake Shenorock in Somers, NY is entering its next phase, but not without opposition. The agenda for Town Board meeting for Thursday, October 7 includes formal acceptance of the petition requesting the special district and scheduling an informational meeting for October 21.

As reported here in the Somers Spectator in July, Lake Shenorock was once a focal point for family recreation for the Shenorock community of about 650 homes. The lake then fell into decline and disuse for a variety of reasons. Hoping to rejuvenate the lake for recreation, the United Owners Association of Shenorock (UOA) wants to rebuild the beach area and dredge part of the lake for swimming. That takes money, estimated at $1.3 million. The UOA wants to create a park district so that Shenorock homes can be specially taxed to cover the cost. Since at least June, the UOA has led the petition drive to collect signatures of homeowners who hold 51% of the assessed value in order to put the issue before the Town Board. UOA has a Facebook page

Opponents say that the project will cost much more than estimated, resulting in bigger tax bills and that the beach project mostly favors those who live near the lake. There is a blog -- No to Shenorock Park District. Several residents spoke against the park district during public comment at recent Town Board meetings. The opponents have gained traction. As many as 16 households withdrew support for the park district causing the UOA to collect additional signatures for the petition.

What happens next? Once the petition is submitted, the Town must determine whether the petitions satisfies the legal niceties. Then, the Town is required to hold a public hearing. To declare a park district, State law says the Town Board must “find” that all the property owners within the proposed district are benefitted by the proposal. Most councilmen seem to favor holding an informational session before convening the formal public hearing. As noted by Supervisor Murphy at the September Town Board meeting, the Town will "continue to have a dialogue about it until everyone is satisfied that the issues are properly vetted." Whether the Board adopts this course will be decided on Thursday.

James Wins Marathon As He Preps For Ultra

On Saturday October 2nd, David James a 32 year-old ultra marathoner from Somers, won the Freedom's Run marathon, a 26 mile race through four National Parks based in Shepherdstown, WV. James’ time was 2 hours, 44 minutes, 43 seconds. According to a local newspaper, the Journal News:

Men's marathon champion David James of Somers, N.Y., dropped down from his favored distances of 100 miles to go 26. James, a first-year doctoral student who is among the nation's top 100-milers, used the marathon as a training run as well. He's preparing for the JFK 50-mile run set for Nov. 20, which uses part of the same trails as Freedom's Run.

The victory was on the 10th anniversary of his first marathon.

Sunday’s Journal News article is here.

In December 2008, the Stamford Times ran a profile of David James, with the headline "The sport of ultra running has changed local man's life". That article is here.

Somers rallies again for cancer-stricken college student

Nice article by Barbara Livingston Nackman in LoHud.com on Thursday reporting on the support of the Somers, NY community for the Monte family as their 20 year-old Hanna Monte deals with treatment for colon cancer. As stated in the story, the Monte family is overwhelmed, but not surprised, by the support. Monte's dad, Christopher, said. "People in this town are just like this. They are not fair-weather friends. ... I can't say how much this has helped us."

Read the entire article here.

Two events are set for this weekend. Tonight at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church is a benefit concert at 7 PM. Scheduled to appear are Bruce Jepson, Marion LoGuidice, David Norris, Sleepy Hollow String Band, Too Blue, Gene Yellin, and Mike Burns & North Country. Call (914) 277-4993, if you have any questions.

On Sunday, from noon to 4 PM is the Block Party at Old Tomahawk Road. It’s a “combination of Somers clubs and organizations coming together for the benefit of Hanna Monte.” Games, business displays, music and a raffle are planned. For more info, call (914) 760-7009 or check out the facebook page.

Bless The Pets

Saint Luke’s Church will host the Second Ecumenical Blessing of the Animals on October 3rd, 2010, starting at 2 PM at Firemen's Field on Rte. 202 in Somers. At 2:30 PM, the Parade Of Animals will proceed to Saint Luke's Church with the Blessing led by Rector, Fr. Sanford Key at 3 PM.

For more info, see the web site of Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Somers, NY.

Commercial Real Estate In Westchester Is Idle

nyinc.com reports on the Cushman & Wakefield third quarter 2010 report for the Westchester County commercial real estate market.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY— Cushman & Wakefield released its third quarter 2010 report for the Westchester County commercial real estate market, showing a market with minimal leasing activity that reflects an economy trying to regain its footing. There was a slight increase in overall vacancy and absorption, albeit negative, but improvement over the previous quarter throughout the county.

Read the full story here.

Maggio Named As Head Of Special Eduction

The Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA) reports that Anna Maggio is the new Director of Special Services for the Somers Central School District. That position leads the Special Education Office. The former director Shelley Fleischmann recently announced her resignation in order to pursue a professional opportunity elsewhere. Maggio was the School District’s Director of Secondary Education. In a letter home to parents, the Personnel Office of the District said, “With her expertise in the area of special education and her knowledge and experience within the district, we know that Anna will help to ensure a smooth transition to this new role and will continue to move our special education department forward.”

Somers Is Number 31 Says Westchester Magazine

Let the debate begin! The October issue of Westchester Magazine ranks the “Best Places To Live” in Westchester County. Somers ranked 31 out of 40, although the Town received high grades for Housing Costs and Parks and Recreation. Somers got low marks for Shopping, Diversity, Proximity to NYC, and Proximity to the Hudson River/LI Sound. The subjective categories and weightings are sure to spark conversation about what is important to quality of life. In the City-Data Forum at City-Data.com, one poster remarked: “Fortunately my criteria weighting is pretty much the reciprocal of Westchester Magazine's, so all I have to do is turn their ranking upside down.”

The magazine admits they are “gluttons for punishment [as they] we dared to tackle the unthinkable—we’ve numerically ranked (virtually) every place there is to live in our county, from best to worst.” Ranked number one is Irvington, followed by Ossining, at number two. Ahead of Somers, ranked at number 30 is Rye; Briarcliff Manor is number 32. Where do our neighbors Bedford, Lewisboro, North Salem and Yorktown rank? Some lower, one higher.

The article is available at Westchester Magazine’s web site.

Chef Snyder of Somers 202

From the Meet The Chef series by Ryan Johnson in the Yorktown Patch on September 24, 2010

No culinary master comes upon his or her craft easily and without trial and error, and Chef David Snyder of the newly-opened Somers 202 in Yorktown Heights is no exception.

At 40 years old, he has a long list of experiences that have helped develop his own epicurean voice in his food. Each moment, with every taste and smell along the way, shapes the final product in any chef's kitchen. For Chef Snyder, that first taste began at his childhood home in Elmsford, NY. ...

Read more here.

According to the Census Bureau's web site American FactFinder the restaurant is located in Somers, even though it has a Yorktown Heights mailing address.

Somers Memento On Ebay

The Somers Spectator has no relationship to the seller. Ebay item 350396618808

Catch Of The Day For Sanz, Age 8, In Florida

Naplesnews.com ran this photo with the following caption: Noah Sanz, 8, of Somers, N.Y. proudly displays a Spanish mackerel he caught in Big Carlos Pass in early September. Noah and his family were visiting his grandparents Max and Iris Sanz of Bonita Springs.

Archbishop Calls Kennedy Catholic “Stellar”

On September 10, 2010, Archbishop Timothy Dolan said Mass at Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers to open its school year. The Archbishop then lauded the school in his blog at the web site of the Archdiocese.

Kennedy Catholic is an an Archdiocesan high school but is no longer governed the Archdiocese. Instead, Kennedy Catholic is in its first year as a private school, governed by an independent board under the leadership of chair Joseph Costello and the president/principal Father Mark Vaillancourt. Along with its religious aspect, the school is a successful academic high school with competitive sports teams. Its main building was dedicated in the late 60s by Jacqueline Kennedy and Cardinal Francis Spellman.

Costello and Vailancourt told the Archbishop that “the freshman class was the largest in years, and the enrollment for the entire school was up.” Also, “Father Mark Vaillancourt told me of the school’s soaring SAT scores, and that every graduating senior last year went on to college, with the class earning over $12,000,000 in scholarships.” That is an impressive achievement for any high school, public or private.

The entire blog post of September 15, 2010 is located here. The school’s web site is here.

Big Belly In Somers

Big Belly a solar powered trash can/compacter is in Somers for a trial run. The device is at Ries Park until October 1 at no cost to the Town, as a result of the efforts of the Somers Energy Advisory Panel. The compacter takes up as much space as an ordinary trash can but holds five times as much, plus it can notify the trash department when it is full. Increased capacity means fewer trash pick-ups reducing costs and emissions. Philadelphia has 500 of these systems; SUNY-Purchase College expanded their number this semester. This is the first in Northern Westchester County.

More info is at the Town web site. Photo is from Big Belly Solar web site.

Six Receive Somers Police Awards For Muscoot Reservoir Ice Rescue

Back in January, several individuals risked their lives to rescue two adults who had fallen through the ice at Muscoot Reservoir in Somers. Six of those were honored at the annual Somers Police Awards ceremony held during the Town Board meeting on September 2. Among those honored were Troopers Paul Carinci and Timothy Gleason of the New York State Police, Somers Police Officer Peter Gobbo, Somers School District employee Kenny Schirmer as well as Michael Gorian. The sixth awardee was not present. The men formed a human chain and rescued the two persons that fell through the ice and had been in the water for at least 25 minutes.

The video of the presentation by Chief Driscoll is here starting at 19:52 on the tape counter and at about 10:42 in running time.

Accounts of the rescue are in the August 2010 edition of the Hudson Valley Firefighter at page 11 and in the Chappaqua-Mount Kisco Patch in a story by Jonann Brady on January 29, 2010.

Block Party For Hanna Monte Fund

9-11 memorial ceremony in Westchester

Westchester County will hold its annual memorial to those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, with a short half hour ceremony Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The ceremony will take place at The Rising, the

County’s September 11 Memorial at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. It is open to the public to attend.

More info at westchester.gov.

Archbishop To Say Mass At Kennedy Catholic

More than 500 are expected when Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York says the Mass of the Holy Spirit at Kennedy Catholic High School on Friday. Friday is the first full day of classes and that day traditionally begins with Mass, although the Archbishop is not the usual celebrant so this is a special event. The Hall Monitor blog at LoHud.com quotes Rev. Mark Vaillancourt, president/principal of Kennedy Catholic: “While it’s always a special occasion when the Archbishop comes to your school, this is even more so considering all that we’ve been able to accomplish in our first year as a private school."

See the Westchester Herald story here.

Free Family Concert At Bailey Park On September 12

Parks & Recreation is holding a free family concert featuring Calypso Simon Says-Do the Limbo- Jam w/ Band. The concert is from 6 to 8 pm at Bailey Park on Sunday, September 12. For more information, call Parks & Recreation 914-232-8441

From The 390.com - DWI Arrest

On 09/04/2010 at approximately 10:21 PM, the State Police in Somers arrested Ronald E. Pietruska , 61 years of age from Carmel, NY for driving while intoxicated. Subsequent to a stop at a DWI stationary road check on SR-35 in the Town of Somers, Mr. Pietruska was found to be intoxicated with a BAC of 0.13%. Mr. Pietruska was issued uniform traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Somers court.

http://the390.com/feature/dwi-enforcement-in-somers-results-in-4-arrests

Somers Residents Doing Good

Block Party For Hannah Monte

Clubs and organizations, led by the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce, are organizing the Somers First Block Party to benefit Hannah Monte in her fight against cancer. The event is scheduled for Sunday October 3rd on Tomahawk Street.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Somers-NY/Somers-Block-Party/155962147749147?v=wall

Books For Troops

The Somers Rotary Club sent over 500 paperbacks to US Troops in Afghanistan. LoHud.com September 5, 2010.

Rescue Of Woman

Ernie Osborne rescued an 80 year-old Somers woman after she fell in her home and spent 14 hours in pain, stranded on her foyer's floor. LoHud.com September 2, 2010 . Osborne is a founder of Somers At Home, a nonprofit dedicated to helping seniors stay in their homes.

Somers Library: There’s An App For That

Check out BookMyne an application for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch that lets users access the Library’s online catalog. With this App, you can search, renew and request library materials from these Apple devices as you can do from your computer when you access the Westchester Library System online from the Somers Library web site. BookMyne is free. More information at the iTunes store or here.

Somers Chamber of Commerce's Photos - Facebook Wall Photos

School Tax Rate Set (Revised 9/10)

LoHud.com reports that the new school tax rate for the portion of Somers in the North Salem School District is $126.86 per $1000 in assessed value, an increase of 6.3 percent. The percent increase in Carmel is 15.9, and the tax rate in North Salem grew by 0.8 percent.

The Somers Spectator thanks Ken Crowley of the Somers Central School District for setting us straight that this rate did not apply to all of the Town of Somers.

Introducing Raymond Blanch, New School Superintendent

A special edition of Trunkline, the School District newsletter, welcomes and introduces Dr. Raymond H. Blanch, the new Superintendent for the Somers Central School District.

Dr. Blanch served for three years as Superintendent of the Lewis-Palmer School District in Colorado, before resigning in June. He was in that District for nine years, starting as a principal of an elementary school. The Colorado school district has 10 schools and 5,500 students. Somers has four schools and about 3500 students. He began his education career teaching first and second grade.

At the time of his resignation, the press release sent out by the Colorado District said, “When Blanch was hired as superintendent, the district faced a myriad of financial issues, and he successfully led the district from a deficit spending budget with minimal reserves to its current positive financial position.” According to one Colorado community newspaper, many thought Blanch’s resignation was “forced by the board of education”, notwithstanding “overwhelming support for Blanch by teachers and parents”.

Blanch is 42 and grew up in Syracuse, NY. He is married with four children, one in college and three that will enroll in Somers schools once the house in Colorado is sold. His contract for Somers is for three years with a first-year salary of $225,000.

See the related story by Art Cusano in NCNLocal.com here. Photo is from NCNLocal

26th Lasdon Labor Day Antiques Fair

Monday, September 6th, is the 26th Labor Day Antiques Fair from 10 AM - 5 PM on the main lawn at Lasdon Park, Arboretum & Veterans Memorial in Somers. As many as 70 booths are expected. The event is run by Cord Shows. Admission is $7 (free for those under 13 years old) to benefit the Glass House Fund at Lasdon Park.

For information, phone Cord Shows at 914-273-4667 or visit cordshows.com

Accident In Heritage Hills

A Heritage Hills security officer/EMT was injured yesterday in a two-vehicle collision while responding to a medical emergency. No serious injuries resulted, although Somers firefighters extricated the guard.

Read the LoHud.com story here. Photo from LoHud.com; see more here.

Town Board Meeting on September 2nd To Include Police Awards And Neighbors Opposition To Best Plumbing

The Somers Town Board yesterday released its agenda for its regular meeting/work session scheduled for Thursday, September 2, 2010.

The Annual Police Awards are scheduled for that meeting. Also on tap are public hearings related to Comcast and Best Plumbing. Best Plumbing wants Saturday showroom hours. Based on prior hearings, residents of Whitlock Court and nearby Route 138 are likely to oppose this request saying that at the time of the issuance of the original special use permit, neighbors made many concessions in exchange for peace and quiet in the evenings and weekends. The area is zoned residential.

The full agenda for the meeting is here.

From The 390.com

DWI Arrest

On 08/28/2010 at approximately 12:00 AM, the State Police in Somers arrested FREDERICK BARTASEK JR age 37, of Somers, NY, for driving while intoxicated. Subsequent to a vehicle and traffic law stop on SR-202 in the T/Somers, Mr. Bartasek was found to be intoxicated with a BAC of 0.15 %. Mr. BARTASEK was issued uniform traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Somers Court on 09/13/2010 at 5:30 PM.

http://the390.com/feature/dwi-arrest-for-somers-man

Speeding in Somers

On August 27, 2010 between the hours of 7:00AM and 1:00PM, the State Police in Somers conducted a Speed Enforcement Initiative focusing on Route 100 in the Town of Somers and Route 35 in the Town of Lewisboro. The State Police issued a total of 51 tickets, the majority for speeding. This highway safety initiative perpetuates the mission of the State Police to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage caused by motor vehicle accidents through vehicle and traffic enforcement.

http://the390.com/feature/speed-enforcement-initiative-in-somers

Give Blood Today

The Semi-Annual Blood Drive sponsored by the Town is today at Town House from 3 pm to 8 pm. Drop in or schedule an appointment by calling the Supervisor’s office at 277--3637

Somers Artist In Juried Exhibit

Tom Musante of Somers is among eight artists selected to have their work on display in the Attleboro Arts Museum in Massachusetts. The 8 Visions exhibit is a juried member exhibit that opened on August 20th and continues until October 1st.

Musante who has lived in Somers for 18 years is a fine art photographer. A hiker and kayaker, most of works are of the outdoors as he tries to capture “compelling images in both ordinary and extraordinary places”. His images include landscapes of the Croton Reservoir and macros of his wife’s, Julie, garden in Somers. Galleries of his work -- from Boston to Utah, from grave markers to door knockers -- are at his website, www.tommusante.com.

Artists selected for the 8 Visions exhibition pass through a two-phased jury process. Mim Fawcett, Executive Director of the Attleboro Arts Museum said, “The artists chosen for this year’s 8 Visions exhibition are all exceptional talents with clear creative voices." Along with Musante’s photographs, other mediums on display at the exhibit include stoneware, acrylics and oils. Read the news story about the exhibit in the Attleboro Sun Chronicle here.

A Gallery Talk with 8 Visions artists is planned for Saturday, Sept. 25, 2-4 p.m. Make reservations by Sept. 21. The museum is at 86 Park St. in Attleboro, MA. For more information or reservations, call 508-222-2644 or visit www.attleboroartsmuseum.org.

News Round Up

Somers Leads Twelve-Town Effort To Protect Watersheds

Twelve towns in Northern Westchester announced plans on Monday August 23 to protect the Croton and Kensico watersheds. Somers Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy, who chairs the Northern Westchester Watershed Committee, helped make the deal to use $10 million obtained from the East of Hudson Water Quality Fund to bring the towns in compliance in the Memorandum of Agreement for watershed protection entered into in 1997. Most of the money is for storm water retrofit projects throughout the Croton watershed to reduce phosphorus discharged into the reservoir system.

“Protecting our watershed requires the vision to understand what needs to be done and the practical common sense to get things done,” said Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino Astorino. “The Northern Westchester Watershed Committee, under the leadership of Somers, has done both. Working with the county, the committee is taking important steps to protect our drinking water by keeping our reservoirs free of storm water, drainage runoff and contaminants.

Read news reports from NCNLocal here and the Bedford-Katonah Patch here.

LINKS:

http://www3.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2791:agreement-reached-on-approach-to-protect-watershed&catid=74:news&Itemid=300137

Supermarket Price Wars Go To Court

Supermarket giants A&P and Stop & Shop are in court accusing the other of lying about price comparisons at three stores, including one in Somers.

According to the LoHud.com story by Timothy O’Connor posted on August 24, A&P filed a lawsuit against Stop & Shop in federal court saying that “Stop & Shop's advertising campaign claiming consumers could ‘save more every time you shop’ at Stop & Shop compared to A&P was false and was damaging A&P's business.” The lawsuit cited advertisements from three stores in Westchester. Stop & Shop is asking the court to dismiss the suit.

Read the LoHud story here.

Fire Department Drills With Croton Falls

The Northern Westchester blog in LoHud.com reports that Somers and Croton Falls fire

departments recently conducted joint drills at the Exceptional Children’s school in North Salem.

Check out the blog entry and 10 photos here and here.

PHOTO from LoHud.com