New Retail Building Likely at the Five Corners
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The Village Planning Board met on Wednesday February 24th to consider three projects – all of keen interest to community residents: First on the agenda was Citibabes. The newly opened family club for parents and children resides at 7 Popham Road, above the CVS on the Popham Road Bridge. Brian Dougherty, Citibabes Director of Sales and Operations went before the Planning Board to ask for permission to install branded awnings on the second floor windows of the building to increase the club’s visibility in the community.
He explained that the club occupies 10,000 square feet of space and that the company has made a $2 million investment in the facility. They have currently sold 200 memberships but hope to increase club usage by promoting the club with signage on window awnings.
As current village ordinances do not allow for awnings on second floor windows, the Board was concerned with creating a precedent that would permit all second story businesses throughout the village to add their name to window awnings. The Planning Board referred the application to the Board of Architectural Review for consideration.
Next up were the builders of Heathcote Manor – the nine home development currently going up on Weaver Street. Residents have expressed dismay about the imposing gray concrete wall that now borders the property. The developers were at the meeting to seek approval for stone veneer to cover the walls of the property. They proposed use of Connecticut fieldstone in natural hues to soften the walls’ appearance. They also let the Board know that they will be planting in front of the wall (where possible) and behind it, so that greenery could mask the facade and cascade over the top of the retaining walls. The Board approved the choice of stone.
Most controversial was the application of Heathcote Corners LLC for the construction of a 2-story 11,000 square foot building at the corner of Heathcote and Palmer Avenues. Developers arrived armed with the site plan, elevations and axonometric drawings to give the Board and the community a comprehensive look at the plan.
Last fall the developers sought to work with Balduccis to redesign their parking lot and integrate the Balduccis lot, entrances and exits with the new site. Unable to reach an agreement with Balduccis, Heathcote Corners LLC opted to submit an independent application for the site which includes two 5,500 square feet levels of above-ground retail space and two below-ground parking levels with 42 parking spaces.
Renderings showed a two story brick building with large doors centered on the corner where the gas station now stands. The entrance to the parking garage is next to the Balduccis lot. As only small trucks could access the below-grade parking lot for deliveries, the plans allow for a larger area for trucks to park on Heathcote Road. In response to past comments from the village, the ramps that will lead cars and small trucks to the parking spaces below have been widened to 12 feet.
A few members of the community and representatives from the Heathcote Five Corners Coalition were in attendance at the meeting. Questions arose about the use of a strip of village-owned land on Heathcote Road for truck parking and deliveries but the Board contended that this is currently done in the Village. Another resident asked how a fire could be put out in the sub-basement parking lot but was assured that the space would have sprinklers and hoses. The plans did not include details on signage and the Planning Board asked to see those as well as more technical specifications before final approval.
The Planning Board did appear to be inclined to approve the new building at their next meeting and it looks likely that developers will get the go ahead to move forward on this long-discussed project.
A Spa for the Soul at Kol Ami
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Congregation Kol Ami is trying something new. The women of the Westchester Jewish community are invited to join them for a Spa for the Soul, on Sunday March 7th from 11:30 am -4:00 pm at the synagogue on Soundview Avenue in White Plains. This is an afternoon for women to get in touch with themselves, take a break from the daily grind, and make themselves a top priority.
The day will be filled with meaningful and spiritual seminars, a gourmet luncheon, a spa, and a boutique hour.
Three extraordinary Jewish scholars will be featured on the program:
Rabbi Shira Milgrom of Congregation Kol Ami: Rabbi Milgrom reflects a new generation of rabbis who passionately creates extraordinary encounters with Jewish texts, rituals and traditions that merge the intimate and personal with the grand vision of Judaism and the Jewish people
Blu Greenberg: Keynote speaker- a traditionally observant Jewish women who has become a prime voice for feminism in a Jewish context, is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in World Jewry.
Rabbi Pamela Wax : Rabbi Wax is the spiritual Care Coordinator at Westchester Jewish Community Services where she runs a healing center and provides spiritual counseling. She is formerly the assistant director of the URJ Department of Adult Jewish Growth.
Participants will gather for a sumptuous luncheon and have a chance to hear the remarkable Blu Greenberg. Then the group will move to breakout sessions of their choice led by these three prolific teachers. The topics will include:
-What Does the Word Spirituality Mean to You? – Blue Greenberg - This session will focus on the spiritual content in each of us. A discussion of individual definitions of spirituality and what it means to each of us will be the central focus of the session.
-Spirituality for the Mind and Soul – Rabbi Shira Milgrom
This session will focus on constructing a personal spiritual practice that harmonizes contemporary liberal views with traditional wisdom. What is there for each of us within the reservoirs of Jewish wisdom and practice?
-Balancing on the Teeter-Totter: Spiritual Strategies for Living – Rabbi Pamela Wax: Life is about negotiating everyday curveballs. What can Judaism teach us about balance and equanimity so that we can stay centered and focused? A discussion on holding expectations and disappointments in proper perspective will be part of this break out session.
Spa is part of this too, with many sample experiences available to participants, including massage, eyebrow shaping, facials, make-up tips, nutrition counseling, chiropractic, acupuncture, reflexology, and more. There will also be a mini-boutique with products that appeal to our spiritual and psychical senses.
This is a unique program and a day to care for your body and soul. Women usually put themselves last, taking care of children, husbands, parents and jobs first. Spa for the Soul is about taking care of you.
To download a reservation form and get more information visit www.nykolami.org.
You can also contact the co-chairs via email with questions.
Please join us!
Jill Abraham- Jill.SA2@verizon.net
Lauri Carey- Lauricarey@hotmail.com
My Son the Athletic Supporter
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"He's more spazzy than sporty," I'd explain when moms would ask me which soccer-football-baseball team my son was playing on. I felt a little bad putting him down like that, but it was meant to be shorthand for "my kid's a non-athlete and I'm totally ok with it."
Even if I wasn't sometimes.
One part of me, (the incredibly lazy part), was thrilled not to have to schlep my kid to mid-week practices and get up early on the weekends to go to travel games against other 3rd and 4th graders. All of whom were clearly professional athletes in the making.
The other part of me felt bad, because it made both him, and me, outsiders to a major aspect of the social network in our community.
His being non-athletic, or should I say completely disinterested in athletics, expanded far beyond the sports fields. Last year, while others kids played kickball during recess, he was content to dig holes or make up games like "fire pit" where you have to stay on the rocks or risk falling into the pretend moat of lava. Behavior that made him, how do I put this nicely, not exactly unpopular, but definitely somewhat invisible. So last summer my husband and I decided, in an effort to put him on the social radar, that he needed to be tudored in "Sports as a Second Language. (SSL)." We figured even if he couldn't play sports, the least he could do is be able to talk about them.
Our first step was to start recording Sports Center on ESPN. Each day we'd put it on for a few minutes so that he could see the highlights reel. That way he'd get the basic gist and at least a few phrases to pepper his conversations with. Like, "The whole free agent system is really corroding the integrity of the game," and such. The two stories that grabbed his attention immediately were Michael Vick's conviction and Brett Favre coming out of retirement. The next day he went to camp armed with this new information, and Voila! came home thrilled that he was able to talk about it with a bunch of boys. "They couldn't believe that I knew about Brett Favre!" he said proudly.
Well, success breeds success and by the time he went back to school he knew enough to hold his own during the school yard discussions about A-Rod, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui. Kids started looking at him a little differently, and suddenly he wasn't "the kid who stands on the rocks during recess." He was "the kid who stands on the rocks during recess who knows a thing or two about the Yanks' chances in the World Series." Then, with football season approaching we took his sports education to the next level. We realized, even if he would never don a cup and shoulder pads, he should understand the ins and outs of the game. That's where the Wii came in. I went and bought a used copy of Madden '08.
Prescription Drug Abuse Among Teens
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Approximately 50 people attended the Scarsdale Drug and Alcohol Task Force presentation, Parents: Today’s Unsuspecting Drug Dealers, held at the Scarsdale library on Tuesday night 2/8 to learn more about teens and drug abuse. According to Mary C. Korman from the Westchester District Attorney's Office, reports of prescription drug abuse among Westchester teens and college students has increased dramatically in the past several years,
For some background on this widespread issue, here are some national statistics:
- Every day, 2,500 teens ages 12 to 17 abuse a pain reliever for the first time
- Teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug, except marijuana
- In 2008 more that 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs
- Among 12 and 13 year-old, prescription drugs are the drugs of choice
- Because these drugs are so readily available, and many teens believe they are a safe way to get high, teens who wouldn't otherwise touch illicit drugs might abuse prescription drugs.
- Few parents are talking to teens about prescription drug abuse, even though teens report that parental disapproval is a powerful way to keep them away from drugs. *
According to Korman, abuse of Adderall and Ritalin as study drugs is on the rise and far more common than many parents may realize. If your child uses these medications for ADHD or another disorder, expect him or her to be asked to sell their meds at some point. Prepare your child for this situation by having conversations about the need for a medical evaluation and possible dangers of casual use such heart attack, stroke, hallucinations and paranoia. According to Korman, on college campuses, the use of study drugs is “rampant”. Reports of teens and older students abusing anti-anxiety medications are also on the increase.
She also discussed reported abuse of painkillers (oxycodone), sleep aids (such as Ambien and others), cough medicines, diet pills and inhalants including household products that emit fumes.
Andrea Fallick, from the Student Assistance Services Corp., was also on hand and spoke about what parents can do to keep their kids safe. She told the audience to appreciate that our children’s’ lives might be far more complicated than we think, and that pressure to succeed can become overwhelming for some students. The temptation to use prescription drugs from peers and the media is very present, and because these substances aren’t illegal, some kids rationalize their use and experiment with pharmaceuticals.
Fallick advised parents to have regular conversations about the topic, and be mindful of what’s in the medicine cabinet as reports of missing medications are all too common. Over prescribing by some physicians and the ease of internet purchasing can lead to the accumulation of old prescriptions, like pain killers from a prior dental procedure. She urged the audience to get rid of these drugs. To avoid flushing pills down the toilet and risking pharmaceutical pollution in our water, many Westchester pharmacies will take back unused drugs.
*Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2009
Reading the Tea(bagger) Leaves from Next Week's New York State Assembly Special Elections
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At the start of 2010 there was a minor exodus of members from the State Assembly --dropping out to take jobs that in some cases were a step up from the assembly-- and some that seemed less like a step up than an opportunity to just get the hell out - an indication of just how powerless members of the State Assembly feel about their clout regardless of party affiliation. Governor Paterson called for special elections to take place next Tuesday, February 9th to fill vacancies in 4 assembly districts. Two seats look to be solid holds for the previous incumbent party -- and two races may be viewed as harbingers of what may happen in November 2010 election -- and particularly whether the New York State Senate will revert to Republican control or enhance the bare Democratic majority. Those who win the seats on February 9th will have the privilege of running again in November for full 2-year terms. The party candidates were not chosen by primary -- but by the respective party district leaders (read party bosses....)
Here are the 4 contests:
Westchester County -- Assembly District 89 (covers Harrison, White Plains and parts of northern Westchester – though not Scarsdale): Adam Bradley resigned this assembly seat to become mayor of White Plains in January. The Democratic party candidate is current Westchester County legislator Peter Harckham. Harckham has a background as an affordable housing developer and won election to the Westchester county board in 2007. Harckham has also received the backing of the Working Families Party and has won an endorsement from the AFL-CIO. The Republican in this race is former Lewisboro Town Board member Bob Castelli, a Vietnam veteran and former New York State trooper. Castelli unsuccessfully ran for the assembly once before in 2004 garnering the endorsement of the New York Times when it was on an oust-all-incumbents rampage. Both Harckham and Castelli vow to fight property tax increases, with Castelli vowing to fight against state mandates but also aligning himself with the populist tea party movement. Castelli has also been an active blogger and user of Twitter for the campaign. The Democrats have a 10,000 registered voter edge over the Republicans, but in a special election all bets are off. Harckham and Castelli are known in the northern Westchester part of the district -- but have limited name recognition in the higher populated southern end. This too is a jump ball and will depend on the GOTV effort waged by each candidate.
Suffolk County - Assembly District 3: Democratic incumbent Patricia Eddington decided to abdicate her assembly seat to run and win election for Brookhaven Town Clerk (state assembly to town clerk??). An aide to Eddington, Lauren Thoden was selected by the Democrats to succeed her former boss. Thoden is a lawyer who pledges to be a full time assembly member and work to cut state spending, reduce taxes maintain school aid to her district. In addition to the Democratic line, Thoden is backed by the Working Families Party and the Suffolk Independence Party. She has also been endorsed by the AFL-CIO. Her website is www.thodenforassembly.com. The Republican candidate is businessman, Dean Murray, who ran and lost a race for the Suffolk County Legislature last November against Jack Eddington, Patricia Eddington's husband. Murray owns a long island based advertising and publishing company, and is aligning himself with the school tax cap advocates -- and filed petitions to run on his home-grown School Tax Relief Party line. Murray's website is www.votedeanmurray.com. This race will be all about the get-out-the-vote effort. The party registration split in the district is relatively even between Democrats and Republicans. This is a jump-ball election.
Nassau County - Assembly District 15: The Republican incumbent Rob Walker resigned his assembly seat in order to become the Deputy County Executive to surprise the winner of the Nassau County Executive race, Ed Mangano, who defeated Tom Suozzi. The Democratic candidate in the special election, Matt Meng, is a self-described environmentalist, owns a foreign auto repair shop, and heads a civic association in East Norwich. Meng ran and lost a race last year for Oyster Bay Town Board and previously ran and lost a race for the State Senate. Meng advocates capping property taxes and reforming unfunded mandates and promotes new mass transit projects for the Long Island Railroad. Meng says he will vote to control taxes, help small businesses, and protect the environment. Meng has a campaign website at www.mattmeng.org. The Republican candidate for the special election is Michael Montesano, a lawyer and former New York City police detective. Montesano, who is also running on the Conservative and Independence Party lines, ran and lost a competitive race last year for the Nassau county legislature. Montesano vows to vote against any tax increase and wants to roll back the MTA tax and restore cuts to school districts. The assembly district registration gives an edge to the Republicans and they should hold onto this seat. A good summary of the candidates can be found here courtesy of the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot: http://bit.ly/bqBLPB.
Queens County -- Assembly District 24: Here we find a game of dynastic family musical chairs -- via New York City council term limits. This is a Weprin family legacy seat. Term-limited councilman David Weprin will be sliding over to the assembly seat formerly held by his brother, Mark, who ran and won the city council election---for David's term limited council seat last November. Mark Weprin secured the family assembly seat in a 1994 special election to succeed his late father, former Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin. For this special election, David Weprin is running on the Democratic Party, Working Families Party, and the Independence Party lines. David Weprin's opponent for this assembly seat, Robert Friedrich, was Mark Weprin's Democratic primary opponent in last year's city council race. Friedrich is a registered Democrat running on the Republican Party line. The Democratic party holds a strong registration advantage here --and given Weprin's name recognition this race will be no contest.
While Montesano and Weprin should win their races, if the Republicans take back AD#3 with Murray and AD#89 with Castelli -- this will be a sign of trouble for the Democratic party up and down the line -- likely accelerating the exit of David Paterson from the gubernatorial race -- and giving better odds to the Republicans retaking control of the State Senate in November.
David A. Singer is a former political consultant/campaign professional and political junkie currently toiling as a lawyer in Westchester and managing real estate and media investments.
