Are Grads Ready For College? Somers High School Report Card - Math Regents Exam

Nearly all Somers High School passed the Algebra Regents Exam last year. However, only 25% were “solidly competent” to do college work in that subject, but 98% planned to attend a two- or four-year college. Other local schools did much worse with Carmel and Fox Lane High Schools in the teens for being college ready. John Jay and Rye High Schools scored 36% and 30% respectively, but that is far below the percent of students planning to go college. See the charts below for scores in Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry.

As explained in our March 5, 2011 post, state education officials recently concluded that passing the Regents exam does not mean a student is prepared for college or a well paying career. SUNY campuses typically use a score of 85 “as a mark of “solid competence”, below 75 is a mark of ‘inadequately prepared’ ”. The issue is not limited to Somers but state-wide, even in wealthy school districts. The Board of Regents is discussing what to do with this data and may issue guidelines later this month.

The “*” indicates that the Carmel and Fox Lane data on those subjects includes General Students and Students With Disabilities.

Read the March 5 post, Are Grads Ready For College? Somers High School Report Card - English Regents Exam

Read the New York Times story, Most New York Students Are Not College-Ready.

Click on the link to read, A New Standard of Proficiency: College Readiness Board of Regents July 19, 2010.

School reports for individual schools in New York State are available at nyStart, New York State School and District Report Cards for School Year 2009-2010. Summary data is available at LoHud.com.

LINKS:

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2011/03/somers-high-school-report-card-english.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/nyregion/08regents.html?_r=3&hp=&pagewanted=all

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Home.do?year=2010

http://usny.nysed.gov/A_New_Proficiency_Public_Version07_22.pdf

Four Teens Earn Highest Award In Girl Scouts

Four Girl Scouts from Troop 2708 in Somers, NY achieved the highest award in Girl Scouts -- the Gold Award. They were honored this month at an awards ceremony by Heart of the Hudson Council, which cover seven counties in NYS. The four Somers teens are: Jessica Kimpel, Rachel Kupferschmid, Emma McAnaw and Courtney Peist. The Gold Award is a distinction earned by only five percent of all Girl Scouts nationwide.

Read the LoHud.com blog story, Somers Girl Scouts win the gold.

LINKS:

http://northernwestchester.lohudblogs.com/2011/03/21/somers-girl-scouts-win-the-gold/

Photo Op: Cast Photo Kennedy Catholic

Cast photo of Kennedy Catholic Players from production of On The Town

More photos at the school's web site as well as kennedycatholic's photostream on flickr.

LINKS:

http://kennedycatholic.org/2011/03/the-curtain-has-closed/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kennedycatholic/

Photo Op: Guo Kids in National Scrabble Tournament

Players from the Tri-State area including DeeAnn Guo and her brother Sheng Guo, age 9, from Somers, NY, vie for top spot in the North American Scabble Players Association event at the Fairfield County Chess Club in Norwalk, CT on Saturday.

Read the 3/26 story by Danielle Capalbo in the Norwalk Hour, New England wordsmiths participate in Scrabble tournament in Norwalk.

Links:

http://www.thehour.com/story/501718

Crash Victim A Marine

Mourners gather for the funeral of Lance Cpl. Joseph Schiano, 23, at St. Catherine of Siena church in Riverside, CT on Thursday March 24, 2011. Schiano had served in the Marines for four years and did two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He died Sunday in a motor vehicle accident in Somers, NY. Photo: Shelley Cryan / Shelley Cryan freelance; Greenwich Time freelance

Yorktown Examiner Adds Somers To News Pages

The Yorktown Examiner has added coverage of the Town of Somers to its news pages, beginning earlier this month. The newspaper, a free weekly, is available at various stores in Somers. Web access to stories about Somers is available. For some reason, front page stories regarding Somers are not indexed but are available in the archives.

Read the story, Examiner Media Expands: Now Covering Somers.

LINKS:

http://www.theexaminernews.com/tag/somers/

http://www.theexaminernews.com/tag/somers/http://www.theexaminernews.com/archives/archives.htm

http://www.theexaminernews.com/2011/03/examiner-media-expands-now-covering-somers/

Pepsi Beverages To Keep HQ in Somers

Pepsi Beverages Company (PBC), the bottling division of PepsiCo, Inc., today announced its headquarters offices will remain in Somers, NY for at least to the end of 2015.

The lease agreement also includes an option to extend the lease for an additional five years.

The nine-story 540,000-square-foot building located at 1 Pepsi Way in Somers houses approximately 1,200 employees and contractors who lead and support PBC’s 70,000 employees in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. PBC currently occupies seven of those floors and, as the sole tenant, can expand to fill the remaining space over time.

The Somers building has been part of the Pepsi enterprise since 1985. It was previously the headquarters of Pepsi Bottling Group, which merged with PepsiCo last year. The building’s owner is Murray Hill Properties.

According to earlier news reports, the City of Danbury wooed Pepsi to move PBC to that Connecticut city.

Read the March 24 press release here.

LINKS:

http://www.pepsiamericas.com/PressRelease/Pepsi-Beverages-Company-to-Remain-in-Somers-New-York03242011.html

Hope For Change Foundation Makes Grant

The Hope For Change Foundation, based in Somers, NY, recently presented the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Sleepy Hollow with $5,000 to fund a women’s survivorship research project, according to the Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow Patch.

Pictured (from left to right): Nancy Mills, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Sleepy Hollow; Jason Summers, Vice-President, Hope for Change Foundation; Carolyn Wasserheit-Lieblich, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Sleepy Hollow; Gina Noto, President, Hope for Change Foundation; Maureen Killackey, MD, Deputy Physician-in-Chief and Medical Director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Regional Care Network; and Anthony Casella, Founder/CEO, Hope for Change Foundation.

Read the Tarrytown-Sleepy Hallow Patch story, About Town: Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Sleepy Hollow Receives Grant.

LINKS:

http://tarrytown.patch.com/articles/about-town-memorial-sloan-kettering-in-sleepy-hollow-receives-grant#cAbout Town: Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Sleepy Hollow Receives Grant

Man dies in crash on Route 139

From LoHud.com - A Connecticut man died Sunday afternoon in a one-car crash after losing control of his vehicle on Route 139 [in Somers, NY] and striking a utility pole, state police said today. Joseph Schiano, 23, of Riverside, Conn., died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, which happened around 12:45 p.m., police said.

Read the complete LoHud.com story posted on March 21, Conn. man dies in crash on Route 139 in Somers.

LINKS:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110321/NEWS02/103210359/Conn-man-dies-crash-Route-139-Somers?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs

Photo Op: Angle Fly Preserve Bridge Building

Photos by Elizabeth Breslin. More at Somers, NY facebook.

A related story posted on March 20 is at LoHud.com, Volunteers assemble new bridge at Angle Fly Preserve in Somers.

Somers To Get A “Real” Newspaper

The Somers Spectator will need to change its tag line “Because Somers Has No Local Newspaper Of Its Own.” Halston Media Company plans to publish the “Somers Record”, a weekly, community paper newspaper devoted to all things Somers, NY. The first issue is slated for late April, 2011, although no formal announcement has been made by company. The Somers Record will be mailed to households and businesses in Somers. Brett Freeman, an award-winning journalist, will run the Somers Record. Halston Media, under the direction of Mr. Freeman also publishes the Mahopac News, a weekly with a print circulation of over 12,600 plus a web site.

LINKS:

http://www.mahopacnews.com/Site.Home.html

More Dog Park Petition Details

At the March 10 Town Board meeting in Somers, NY the Board received a petition supporting the creation of an off-leash dog park in Somers. Faye DeSanto, Jackie Bassett and Joan Kazin presented the Town Board with the petition signed by 535 residents. The signatures were gathered from various locations in Somers over the course of the month. At the meeting, Ms. DeSanto indicated that private donations could cover the cost of fencing around the park, the most major expense. She also offered the town the support and work of those who signed the petition in helping to establish and implement the park.

The agenda for the March 22 meeting of the Somers Parks and Recreation Department includes the dog park as an item for discussion.

[Hat Tip to Faye M. DeSanto, who provided most of the info for this story.]

Obituary: Donald B. Derr, avid hiker

The Town Board in Somers, NY observed a moment of silence at its last meeting to honor Donald B. Derr, who died on March 6 at the age of 84. After he retired in 1990 from IBM, Mr. Derr worked for Somers for 20 years and helped create the Town’s record management system. He was an avid hiker and conservationist. The obituary at LoHud.com says:

Mr. Derr was an avid hiker and was involved with hiking, conservation and historical preservation organizations including the New York / New Jersey Trail Conference (serving as president from 1978 to 1984), the Appalachian Trail Conference, the Westchester Trails Association (serving as president), Teatown Lake Reservation, the Somers Historical Society, the National Maritime Historical Society, and others.

Read the complete LoHud.com obituary here.

LINKS:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=donald-b-derr&pid=149158379

School Supply Drive for Stephanie Crispinelli School

Stephanie Crispinelli, a teen from Somers, NY, was in Haiti helping orphans when she died in the earthquake on January 12, 2010. To continue her the good works, friends and family are building a second school in Jamaica. School supplies, such as crayons, construction paper and pencils, are needed. Drop off these items at the Primrose School or Somers Library until April 15. The full announcement is below. See this post to learn more about the Stephanie Crispinelli Humanitarian Fund.

School Supply Drive for Stephanie Crispinelli School

Dear Friends,

Last year the Somers Community was very generous with their school supply donations for the children in Jamaica. We shipped 2400 pounds of school supplies and books to the first school that was built in Stephanie Crispinelli’s honor.

Stephanie’s family and friends are joining together to continue her passion.

We are collecting school supplies to send to Jamaica for the second Stephanie’s Place school to be built this May. I have the honor of joining the Crispinelli’s this year. We don’t need any books this time because we have so many wonderful books left from last year. The Children will have a new school but no supplies, that’s where we come in. Some suggestions would be: crayons, pencils, markers, notebooks, construction paper, and educational tools. The Dollar stores are wonderful places to get these items. The school age children are from 4-12 years old. Help us continue Stephanie’s work. The collection bins will be located at Primrose, Somers Intermediate School, and the Somers Library until April 15th.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Marie Caltabellotta @ (914)299-4726.

We are also looking for monetary donations for shipping cost. Any amount will help.

Thank You for Your Support

The Caltabellotta Family

http://www.stephaniesmission.org

LINKS:

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_News/016D7E15-000F8513?textPage=1

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2011/01/teens-death-in-haiti-remembered-her.html

Photo Op: 1947 Forest Fire

Below are some photos from LIFE and hosted by Google of a forest fire in Somers, NY in 1947. See this link for many more photos.

Westchester New York Forest Fire, Somers, Ny

Date taken:	October 1947
Photographer:	Albert Fenn
Size:	1280 x 1280 pixels(17.8 x 17.8 inches)

LINKS:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=ac44db6846bdce13

Town Board Meeting Recap: Shenorock, Dog Park and Heritage Hills Water District

Here are some highlights from the Town Board meeting of March 10, 2011.

Shenorock Park District Procedures In Place

Over two hours of rancorous comment by Shenorock residents did not bring the two sides closer to compromise in the feud about creating a park district for Lake Shenorock to build a swimming beach and bath house. Opponents say the $1.4 million project is a luxury that residents should not be taxed to fund, noting that cleaning the lake of muck is a far cheaper first step. Proponents of the project say most residents want the project and want the matter put to a vote. The Town Board would love to see a compromise, but that is extremely unlikely.

As reported previously, the Town Board in December rejected as "flawed" the first petition to create a Park District. The Town decided that the best procedure would be for the petition to reside with the Town Clerk for approximately 60 days. The Town Clerk will oversee the signing process, verifying that each signer is an owner of land within the boundaries of the proposed park district. This is not a head-count vote. For the petition to succeed, 51% of owners as well as 51% resident owners must sign the petition The percent is determined by assessed value.

Dog Park

A group of residents has offered to fund the fencing costs of a dog park on Town-owned land. Fencing is by far the most expensive cost involved in building a dog park. The Town Board asked the Parks and Rec department to draw up plans for the Board to consider. Councilman Harry Bolton is the liaison. The location of the proposed dog park is on land near the Highways Department garage.

Heritage Hills Water District

The Town of Somers, NY is thinking about acquiring the Heritage Hills Water and Sewer District from a private owner. The overwhelming consideration said Supervisor Murphy is whether the residents in that District would save money. The asking price for the plant and infrastructure is over $18 million. On the back of an envelope analysis, Richard Benedict, President of the Heritage Hills Society, thinks the deal makes sense because revenues are likely to grow. The service area includes the Heritage Hills condos, a shopping center, a school and any new homes built in the area, The Town will further study the financial issues involved using an outside consultant. The financial advisor for Somers is worried about lost property taxes as a municipal district is tax exempt. However, other water districts in Town already enjoy tax exempt status.

Prevailing Wage Law

In discussions about paving roads and repairing the library roof, Councilman Bolton commented that the prevailing wage causes the Town to spend significantly more money on work put out to bid.

Moment Of Silence

The Town Board observed a moment of silence to honor Joanne Garrity and Don Derr, both of whom passed away this month.

The video of the Town Board meeting is available at the Town's web site.

LINKS:

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2010/12/back-to-square-one-for-shenorock-lake.html

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_TownMtgVideos/TownBoard031011

5000 Page Views -- Booyah!!

The Somers Spectator is pleased to report that it has passed 5000 page views, with over 1400 page views in the last thirty days.

Thank you readers!

Lottery For Senior Affordable Housing

A lottery will decide who gets apartments in the Senior Affordable Housing project under construction in Somers, NY. The two-story project on Route 6 is known as the Mews at Baldwin Place and features 72 one-bedroom apartments. Rents range from $470 to $895, depending on income. The lottery is open to non-Somers residents and the application deadline is April 27, 2011. According to minutes of the Town Board from March 11, 2010, the loop road around the Mews at Baldwin Place is named Clayton Boulevard in honor of Clayton Osborne former Highway Superintendent, Deputy Supervisor, Councilman and School Board member.

Applications for the lottery are at the Town's web site and here. For more information, call the Housing Action Council at 914-332-4144

LINKS:

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_TownBoardMinutes/townboard3-11-10rm.pdf

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_News/016D10E5-000F8513

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_Events/housingactionapplication.pdf

Two School Board Seats Up For Election

Two seats on the Board of Eduction for the Somers Central School District are up for election this year. The District covers most of Town of Somers, NY. Incumbents Lucia Vece and Cheryl Smith plan to seek another term, according to the Budget Planning power point presented at the March 8 Board meeting, which is viewable in a web browser. Anyone wishing to run must file a petition with the District Clerk’s office no later than 5 p.m., Monday, April 18, 2011. The election is May 17, 2011. For more information, contact District Clerk Nancy Corrado at 277-2403.

LINKS:

http://board-of-education.somersschools.org/modules/groups/group_pages.phtml?gid=2118090&nid=204231&sessionid=98b80f6d8208a410e34baf37901de348

Somers High School Musical: "The Drowsy Chaperone"

Man Charged With Aggravated DWI

Louis R. Credidio, 41, of Old Tomahawk Street, Somers, NY was drunk, police said, when he crashed his car in Yorktown. The man was charged with aggravated DWI, which “indicates his blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal threshold for driving while intoxicated in New York state”, according to LoHud.com.

Read the complete March 11 LoHud.com story, Somers man charged with aggravated DWI in Yorktown.

LINKS:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110311/NEWS02/103110357/Somers-man-charged-aggravated-DWI-Yorktown?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Somers Board of Education will hold a special meeting on March 14, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. in the Somers Middle school conference room (#217). It is the Board's intent to move immediately into executive session for the sole purpose of discussing the employment history of particular personnel.

LINKS:

http://www.somersschools.org/

Got tips, additions, or comments?

Got tips, additions, or comments? Email the somersspectator@gmail.com.

Town Board Meets Tonight

The Town Board meets tonight for a regular meeting. On the agenda are discussions about the Shenorock petition procedures and acquisition by Somers of the Heritage Hills water district. The next meeting is on April 7.

See the complete agenda here. A portion is below.

V. BUSINESS OF THE BOARD:

...

B. TOWN BOARD:

1. Shenorock Park – discussion re procedure for petition to form park district.

2. Heritage Hills – discussion re: municipal acquisition of water and sewer

district.

2. Alexan Somers Woods – discussion with consultants re: completeness of

DEIS.

3. Improvement Bond – Highway and Major Repairs.

4. Library Roof Repairs Proposal.

...

H. CONSENSUS AGENDA:

1. Authorize the following per February 23, 2011 memos from Steven Ralston,

Supt. of Parks & Rec.

a. Going to bid for purchase of Clivus Multrum (or equal) compositing

toilets for the Angle Fly Preserve.

b. Submission of the 2011 New York State Office of Children and Family

Services Program Grant Application.

c. Hiring of Karl R. Anderson Maintenance Laborer at an annual salary of

$32,054 Group 3 Step 1 of the CSEA Collective Bargaining

Agreement and Kathleen Mollaghan as a part time Intermediate

Clerk to work no more that 17 hours per week at an hourly salary

of $15.00 effective March 14, 2011.

2. Historic Properties Board – adopt resolution to add one citizen member to

Board Membership.

3. Property known as 15.08-1-3 – begin process of §77-5 of the Code of the

Town of Somers - Order of Repair or Demolish.

4. Authorize re-establishment of annual pay for Stephanie Brewer from $30,000

to $33,120 per February 17, 2011 memo from Supervisor Murphy.

5. Authorize Supervisor to execute the following:

a. Task Order 2-4.5 Lower Moseman and Jan Ridge Engineering Services

with Woodard & Curran.

b. Angle Fly Preserve Land Permit.

c. Student Assistance Services Corp.

d. Agreement with Garden State Fireworks for the annual Independence

Day Celebration in Reis Park on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

e. Application for filming permit.

f. Joint Application with NYS DEC – Stream Disturbance at Angle Fly

Preserve.

6. Authorize the following budget modifications per March 7, 2011 memo from

Supervisor Murphy.

7. Accept $8,263.00 Erosion Control Bond from BVS Acquisition Co. per

February 10, 2011 memo from Wendy Getting Senior Office Assistant.

8. Resolution of thanks to the Somers Police, Highway and Fire for their

outstanding and cooperative work during the recent snow storms.

9. Authorize Supervisor to execute 2011 Town Tax Warrant.

10. Somers School Lighting Energy Project – authorize the following:

a. Reject bid

b. Preparation of revised specifications

c. Re-bid project.

11. Accept $47,000.00 Tower Removal Bond from New Cingular Wireless

PCS, LLC per March 3, 2011 memo from Steven Woelfle, Principal

Engineering Tech.

12. Authorize purchase of software for computerized ground speed control units

in the Highway trucks, to be paid from the Road Salt Reduction Program

Contract #M060806 though New York State DOT.

13. Accept $2,578.00 Erosion Control Bond posted by Homeland Towers –

38.17-1-5 per March 4, 2011 memo from Wendy Getting, Senior Office

Assistant.

14. Authorize return of the following bonds:

a. $100.00 Grillo Erosion Control Bond – 5.18-1-47

b. $100.00 DeMase Tree Preservation Permit – 16.20-1-22

LINKS:

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_TownBoardAgendas/tbagenda3-10-11.pdf

Musical "On The Town": March 10 - 13 At Kennedy Catholic

John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers, NY and the Kennedy Catholic Players will perform the musical "On The Town" March 10-13.

The show's director Ines Wilhelm-Boston said performing a musical changes high school students, they "become more self-confident, better communicators." Adding: "Student or professional, if you can transport an audience somewhere else for a night, then you've done something very special."

Read the complete LoHud.com interview at Northern Westchester: Talking high-school musicals with some of the area's directors.

For show times and ticket info, call (914) 232-5061 Ext. 226 or e-mail onthetown@kennedycatholic.org.

LINKS:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110306/LIFESTYLE01/103060315/1241/NEWS0222/Northern-Westchester-Talking-high-school-musicals-some-area-s-directors

http://www.facebook.com/kennedycatholic

Fire At Greenlawn Road Home Was Electrical

From LoHud.com: A fire that caused heavy smoke and heat damage early Friday to a Greenlawn Road home started near an electrical panel in the basement, a Somers fire official said. A family of four, including two young children, got out of the house at 13 Greenlawn Road after the father heard crackling noises near the panel, Assistant Chief George Wahlers said. ...

Because there were no hydrants in the area, Somers firefighters immediately sounded a second alarm, which brought fellow volunteers from Yorktown, Millwood, Katonah, Bedford Hills, Mahopac Falls and Goldens Bridge. Two tankers supplied water at the scene.

Read the complete LoHud.com story, Electrical fire damages Somers home.

LINKS:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110305/NEWS02/103050329/1241/NEWS0222/Electrical-fire-damages-Somers-home

Assemblyman Katz To Visit Somers

State Assemblyman Katz's Mobile Office is visiting Somers, NY on Thursday, March 24 at the Somers Town Hall (335 Route 202 in Somers) from 4-7 pm. The Assemblyman plans to personally attend the event, but will have his local community liaison in attendance in the event he is detained in Albany due to legislative or budgetary negotiations. All members of the public are invited; no appointments are necessary.

The March 2nd press release says in part:

To continue the conversation with constituents and keep residents informed about the latest news from Albany as well as local initiatives, Assemblyman Steve Katz (R,I-Yorktown) is announcing a series of events that will be held in the month of March. In addition to continuing his tour of Mobile Office Hours, two new Town Hall-style meetings have been announced featuring special guests, including Congresswoman Nan Hayworth.

“As budget negotiations intensify in Albany, it is vital that residents know the latest developments and have every opportunity to share their views with me. I was thrilled so many residents came out to my events in February and look forward to continuing the conversation with them this month,” said the assemblyman, who, last month, hosted Mobile Office Hours in Pawling and Yorktown as well as two Town Hall-style meetings in Carmel and North Salem.

For more info, call his temporary district office in Brewster at (845) 279-5301.

LINKS:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=099&sh=story&story=41198

Photo Op: Somers STAR Fife & Drum Band (Revised 4/10/11)

Somers STAR Fife & Drum Band goes to Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida. More photos at Somers, NY facebook.

The Board of Education for the Somers Central School District congratulated the students at its March 8 meeting: 

SPECIAL PRESENTATION:  Band Director Steve Chetcuti highlighted the Fife & Drum Band (consisting of Gr. 4-12 students) who just returned from Disney World.  The Fife & Drum Band applied and was accepted to perform in the Main Street Parade at Disney World in Orlando during winter break.  Mr. Chetcuti showed a brief video of the band’s trip, commended the students and thanked the parent volunteers.  Mr. Chetcuti also thanked middle school social studies teacher, Mr. Wienecke, for his guidance and inspiration, and the SEF for their grant which helped with the uniforms and some of the instruments.   The Board congratulated the students and thanked everyone involved. 

LINKS:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=275094&id=103458709149
http://board-of-education.somersschools.org/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=2118090&fid=10973971&sessionid=ac7c6afb7bd6727f228da53f04d45c95

Photo Op: Jackie Del Salto

Treats and Good Cheer to Blythedale Children’s Hospital

Ritz-Carlton Team: Top Row: left to right: Karen Acosta of Elmsford, NY; Idalia Castro of Staten Island, NY; and Judy Roberts of Ardsley, NY. Middle Row, left to right: Susan Fitzpatrick of Sherman, CT; Sam Silver of Clifton, NJ; Jackie Del Salto of Somers, NY; and Jackie Wang of White Plains, NY. Bottom Row, left to right: Evelyn Bisono of Bronx, NY and Samantha Cohen of New Rochelle, NY. Credit Ritz-Carlton, Westchester.

Read the related story from the Harrison Patch, Employees of The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester Bring Treats and Good Cheer to Blythedale Children’s Hospital

LINKS:

http://harrison.patch.com/announcements/employees-of-the-ritz-carlton-westchester-bring-treats-and-good-cheer-to-blythedale-childrens-hospital#c

Obituary: Joanne Garrity, former School Board member and Friends of Library founder

Joanne M. Garrity, a spirited volunteer dedicated to education in Somers, NY, died on February 28 at the age of 79. Although a resident of Florida at the time of her death, interment is at Amawalk Hill Cemetery. Services were scheduled for March 7 at New St. Patrick’s Church in Yorktown Heights.

The NCNLocal.com obituary provides this information her volunteerism:

Mrs. Garrity was elected to the Somers Central School District Board of Education in the 1970s and continued as a member of that board for 11 years, four of them as president. She followed that with five years as a member of the Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Additionally she was a president of the Westchester/Putnam School Boards Association. ... She was also a member and past president of the League of Women Voters in both New York and Florida, a member of the Somers Historical Society and founding president of the Friends of the Somers Library

Read the complete NCNLocal.com obituary of March 3, 2011, Joanne M. Garrity, formerly of Somers.

LINKS:

http://ncnlocal.com/obituaries/article_13a9a01c-45af-11e0-9fa9-001cc4c002e0.html

Are Grads Ready For College? Somers High School Report Card - English Regents Exam

Nearly all [99%] Somers High School passed the English Regents Exam last year. However, only 64% were “solidly competent” to do college work in that subject, although 98% planned to attend a two- or four-year college. Compared to three neighboring high schools, Somers High School ranked last in this category but only by a few percentage points. See the chart below. Last month, as reported in Somers Spectator, the State Education Department released report cards for all schools in New York, including test scores in the Regents Exam for last year. In the first of our periodic reports, the Somers Spectator looks at the performance at Somers High School in the Comprehensive English part of the Regents Exam.

College-ready. College-readiness is a growing concern of state education officials. In February, NYS released statistics that show passing the Regents exam does not mean a student is prepared for college or a well paying career, according to a New York Times story. A score of 65 is a passing grade in the Regents test, but a score of 75 to 85 is the bare minimum for college readiness. Below that score, colleges often have to enroll incoming freshmen in remedial courses to bring the students up the school’s expectations. SUNY campuses typically use a score of 85 “as a mark of “solid competence”, below 75 is a mark of ‘inadequately prepared’ ”, said a July 2010 report by the Board of Regents, which sets the state’s education policies. The issue is not limited to Somers but state-wide, even in wealthy school districts. The Board of Regents is discussing what to do with this data and may issue guidelines later this month.

Comparing Schools. In the above chart, the published results for Somers High School are compared to three neighboring high schools as well as Rye High School. The neighboring high schools are Carmel [Carmel Central School District], Fox Lane [Bedford Central School District] and John Jay [Katonah-Lewisboro School District]. The Somers Spectator does not know if the neighboring schools are the most apt for comparison. Rye High School was selected because of its similar size and because it is rated one of the best high schools in Westchester County by Newsweek and US News and World Reports magazines.

Read the complete New York Times story, Most New York Students Are Not College-Ready.

Click on the link to read, A New Standard of Proficiency: College Readiness Board of Regents July 19, 2010.

School reports are available at nyStart, New York State School and District Report Cards for School Year 2009-2010. Summary data is available at LoHud.com.

LINKS:

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2011/02/somers-schools-get-grades.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/nyregion/08regents.html?_r=3&hp=&pagewanted=all

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Home.do?year=2010

http://usny.nysed.gov/A_New_Proficiency_Public_Version07_22.pdf

Fire At A Greenlawn Road Home

From LoHud.com: Somers firefighters and volunteers from several surrounding departments battled a blaze at a Greenlawn Road home early this morning. Firefighters arrived at 13 Greenlawn Road [in Somers, NY] around 12:25 a.m. to see fire in the living room of the two-story home. Within minutes, a second alarm was sounded and firefighters from Yorktown, Millwood, Katonah, Bedford Hills, Mahopac Falls and Goldens Bridge were summonded. ... Information on whether anyone was injured, the cause and the extent of the damage was not immediately available.

Read the LoHud.com story, 2-alarm fire damages Somers home

LINKS:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110304/NEWS02/110304003/2-alarm-fire-damages-Somers-home?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

Somers Land Trust Needs Volunteers To Build A Bridge

From LoHud.com: You’ve heard of a barn raising? Well, in Somers this month there will be a “bridge raising” — and all hands are needed to carry, build and applaud.

Community volunteers are needed to join with the Somers Land Trust and the Friends of Angle Fly Preserve later this month to build a new 40-foot bridge across the Angle Fly Brook, which divides the 654-acre open space property.

The date is March 13 and 19 and work is from 10 a.m. until mid-afternoon.

Read the LoHud.com blog entry, Bridge builders needed in Somers.

LINKS

http://northernwestchester.lohudblogs.com/2011/03/01/bridge-builders-needed-in-somers/

Mango Capital To Enter Consumer Financial Service Market

Mango Capital (OTCBB: MCAP), the Somers, NY company formerly known as MangoSoft, announced on March 1 that it intends to to develop products and services in consumer card and payments markets through its re-branded subsidiary now known as Aspyre Settlement Funding.

The press release says in part:

Dennis M. Goett, Mango's Chairman & CEO, stated, "Aspyre gives us a beachhead from which to provide settlement funding and cash services to consumers. We have enhanced our capabilities with the addition of Houston Winn to drive our creative and marketing efforts. The need is growing every day in this recessionary environment. We see a growing number of Americans are ineligible for standard bank services. Check cashing services are expensive, leave consumers exposed with too much cash on hand, provide no security for their money and do not provide payment solutions for retail outlets and the Internet. There is a real need for fairly priced services with a high level of customer care to help these consumers fully participate in our economy."

The Marketwire press release is located here.

Our January post about the company is Somers Company Acquires Structured Settlement Firm

LINKS

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Mango-Capital-Launches-Aspyre-Settlement-Funding-1403770.htm

http://somersspectator.blogspot.com/2011/01/somers-company-acquires-structured.html

Somers Library Is One Of Most Influential On Twitter

The public library in Somers, NY is again named as one of the most influential libraries on Twitter. It had a klout score of 52, putting it ahead of the Boston Public Library. Tops in the klout score is the NY Public Library with a klout score of 67. Read more in the Musings about librarianship blog.

LINKS

http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2011/02/most-influential-libraries-on-twitter.html

Town Board Meets Thursday; Lake Shenorock On Agenda

The Town Board for Somers, NY meets March 3 for a regular work session. Among the agenda items is the Board’s discussion of procedures for a petition to form Park District for the Lake Shenorock community in order to revitalize the lake and create a swimming beach. As reported here in December, the Town Board recently rejected a petition because it was flawed. The lawyer for the Town suggested that specific procedures be adopted for residents to sign a petition.

Review a complete copy of the agenda here. Some, but not all, of other agenda items are set forth below:

A. PARKS & RECREATION:

1. Authorize the following per February 23, 2011 memos from Steven Ralston,

Supt. of Parks & Rec.

a. Going to bid for purchase of Clivus Multrum (or equal) composing

toilets for the Angle Fly Preserve.

b. Submission of the 2011 New York State Office of Children and Family

Services Program Grant Application.

c. Hiring of Karl R. Anderson Maintenance Laborer at an annual salary of

$32,054 Group 3 Step 1 of the CSEA Collective Bargaining

Agreement and Kathleen Mollaghan as a part time Intermediate

Clerk to work no more that 17 hours per week at an hourly salary of

$15.00 effective March 14, 2011.

B. TOWN BOARD:

1. Michael Barnhart – update on activities of Open Space Committee, Somers

Land Trust and the Angle Fly Preserve.

2. Shenorock Park – discussion re procedure for petition to form park district.

3. Alexan Somers Woods – discussion with consultants re: completeness of

DEIS.

4. Historic Properties Board – add citizen member to Board – discussion.

5. Improvement Bond – Highway and Major repairs.

6. Discussion of property known as 15.08-1-3.

LINKS

http://www.somersny.com/Pages/SomersNY_TownBoardAgendas/tbagenda3-3-11.pdf