Neighborhood News

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 31 August 2022; Created: 31 August 2022; Last Updated: 31 August 2022; Hits: 2155

dogswim Before pools close for the season, dogs will have the chance to go for a swim.

The Town of Greenburgh Department of Parks and Recreation will hold two sessions of their “Dog Days of Summer” event on Sunday September 11 from 10 am to 12 noon and 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Dogs are invited to jump in at Anthony F. Veteran’ Park at 11 Olympic Lane in Ardsley. Registration is required and the fee is $10 per dog. Proceeds from the event will go to the Friends of the East Rumbrook Dog Park Association.

Here is the link to sign up:

Keep in Mind:

-Dogs must be on a leash at all times, except while in the fenced in pool area.
-No food or beverage allowed in the pool area.
-No strollers allowed in the pool area.
-People are not allowed in the pool. ONLY dogs.
-Please clean up after your dog.
-No pushing or putting your dog in the pool. Dogs must enter the pool on their own.
-The staff reserves the right to remove a dog from the event if necessary.

Contact Andrea Jacoby at 989-1822 or email ajacoby@greenburghny.com for more information.

Details: Written by Rudolph Rinaldi; Published: 15 August 2022; Created: 15 August 2022; Last Updated: 15 August 2022; Hits: 2413

golfcoursenet (This letter was submitted by Rudolph Rinaldi of 120 East Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale)
Letter to the Editor: On August 11, 2022 at 7 pm , the Greenburgh Zoning Board met to go over its agenda. On that agenda was a proposal by the Scarsdale Golf Club to seek a variance from the town of Greenburgh to make modifications to its property, supposedly to improve a number of surrounding conditions. Included in the proposal was an illuminated tennis bubble and several netting structures on the perimeter of the golf course to prevent golf balls from striking the adjacent properties.

I am the president of 120 E Hartsdale Ave Corp, one of those adjacent properties, a 110 unit co-op building not 35 feet from where the Scarsdale Golf Club is considering installing a 75 foot high by 150 foot long netting structure with 75 foot high steel poles. Our building, along with many other buildings on East Hartsdale Ave adjacent to the golf course, with some 1000 families in 6 and 7 story high apartments buildings, strenuously objected to the proposal because we felt that the proposal would have a major negative impact on the environment and the community and furthermore these impacts were not properly studied or represented by the Golf Club or the Town.

At the hearing, our community submitted papers pointing out many of the deficiencies in the proposal and the process that it has been going through.

The golf course is a major greenspace in Hartsdale. It is part of an Eco-system that supports the health of the community and the natural surroundings. The natural environment created by the greenspace with its lake and trees, performs the same function today as would a bird sanctuary or nature preserve. .

Our major objection to the proposal is that neither the Town nor the Golf Club did the type of scientific study necessary to determine the true impact of the proposed structures on the surroundings.

For example: the two so called experts with close relationships with the Town and the Golf Club, basically stated that the netting would not hurt the birds flying into it too badly and that the proposed netting is the same netting used in zoos and aviaries to contain birds. There was nothing in these document that studied or represented the environmental impact of the netting on the health or habits of our migrating and local birds. The fact that President of the Greenburgh Nature Center actually resides behind the 16th green, supports the safety of the nets for birds, and would be benefiting from the installation of netting in the proposal does not sit well with the community. We feel strongly that this tarnishes the whole discussion of the netting in the proposal and process and that an independent environmental expert should be retained to do a proper study.

At the hearing, because of the lack of a real study, some statements were made by members of the Zoning Board which we felt told only half the story (The Scarsdale Golf Clubs half of the story with its omissions and spins to support the golf Club’s positions). Unfortunately, the other half of the story, the true impact on the community and environment, was left out.

On a greenspace site of this importance and within a large surrounding community, we cannot rely on only half-of the-story statements and the story must be made complete before the Golf Club is allowed to move forward with their proposal. For if the Golf Club and town is wrong either intentionally or unintentionally, about what they have been saying about the visibility of the bubble, the impact of the proposal on additional flooding and wetlands and the impact of the netting on the community and birds, then bye bye downtown businesses, bye bye birds and bye bye Hartsdale.

We in the community appreciate and support the Scarsdale Golf Club as a neighbor and understand their desire to make the club the best that it can be, but we must ask at what cost to the community and environment?

Sincerely ,
Rudolph Rinaldi, President
120 E Hartsdale Ave

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 24 July 2022; Created: 24 July 2022; Last Updated: 24 July 2022; Hits: 2892

swim Swim Across America as a national organization was founded 35 years ago in 1987, but one of its earliest annual swims was the Swim Across America Long Island Sound open water swim, based in Larchmont which began in 1992. This year, Swim Across America Long Island Sound is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the New York City area. The core group that started and continues to lead the swim – Frank Webers, Tony Sibio, Jean Fufidio and Josh and Jeremy Glantz – have all had loved ones directly impacted by cancer and are committed to making a difference in the fight against cancer by “making waves.”

Swim Across America Long Island Sound is dedicated to the memory of Kathy Webers, who courageously battled brain cancer for over a year. Frank Webers and his wife Kathy had three daughters – April, May and June. The family was heartbroken by the loss of Kathy to cancer at only 42 years old. Her passing led to the start of the Swim Across America Long Island Sound being established with 17 inaugural swimmers swimming in her honor. Sadly, while cancer skipped a generation, June’s daughter Jane was diagnosed with leukemia at just six years old. Jane raised money for Swim Across America Long Island Sound by selling lemonade, and in 2019, her Mom June swam in her honor. The family was comforted in knowing that many of the funds raised through Swim Across America Long Island Sound were going directly to Memorial Sloan Kettering, where Jane was treated. Thankfully, Jane, now nine, is a thriving fourth grader free of cancer.

Jeremy and Josh Glantz coached the swim team at Larchmont Yacht Club for four years and the Webers family were always so incredibly kind and supportive of them. Josh and Jeremy were heartbroken when Kathy passed away and wanted to do something in her honor so they decided to bring together a few friends to swim in Long Island Sound in Kathy’s memory. It was 1992 and they thought it would be a one-time thing, but Frank Webers had other ideas. As they gathered at the Yacht Club after finishing that first swim, Frank gave them a big hug and said, “Next year we are going to do it again but BIGGER!”

Tony Sibio, chairman of Swim Across America Long Island Sound, has been involved in the organization since its inception in 1992. His son Daniel was diagnosed in 1991 with stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of soft tissue, connective tissue or bone. His tumor was inoperable and spread to both lungs. Daniel, who was only eight-and-a-half years old at the time, was treated at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, which today is one of the beneficiaries Swim Across America Long Island Sound supports. Thanks to an experimental protocol, Daniel has been in remission for 31 years and is happily married with two beautiful daughters.

Jean Fufidio got involved with Swim Across America after her daughters, Andrea, Michele and Maria pushed their mom, a non swimmer, to take swimming lessons so she could participate in Swim Across America Long Island Sound after their father, George was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001, the same cancer that had taken Jean’s father. Deeply affected by their father’s illness, Jean and George’s daughters, Maria, Michele and Andrea, were determined to make a difference for those with cancer and became involved in Swim Across America Long Island Sound, swimming to raise money for cancer research. Swim Across America Long Island Sound became a family affair with Jean, George, Andrea, Michele and Maria continuing to participate and support something so dear to them. Today Jean is an active Swim Across America Long Island Sound board member, and she continues to swim each year at the New York Athletic Club in Pelham to raise funds. George thankfully survived his cancer diagnosis and is a volunteer in the organization. Jean and George’s daughter Andrea, influenced by her direct experiences with loved ones with cancer, is now a registered nurse, helping patients who are undergoing oncologic emergencies at Memorial Sloan Kettering in West Harrison, the same institution that cared for her grandfather and father and one of the beneficiaries of Swim Across America. Andrea’s personal family experiences with the devastating effects of cancer have transformed her into a front-line cancer-fighting crusader. saa white background logo

This year, for Swim Across America Long Island Sound’s 30th anniversary, the event is celebrating 30 years of making waves to fight cancer and is Swim Across America’s largest open water event, having raised $21 million throughout the past 30 years for cancer research and clinical trials. In fact, the Swim Across America Long Island Sound was instrumental in funding some of the most exciting cancer news this year with the news about a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine and showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America Long Island Sound.

In fact, Swim Across America funding has contributed to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Keytruda, and nationwide supports research with more than 60 scientific grants funded each year. There are ten dedicated Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Baltimore, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket, Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Lounge at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Swim Across America is a national nonprofit organization that holds 24 open water swims across the country, from Boston to under the Golden Gate Bridge. The organization has an interesting history as it started with a sunken boat in Long Island Sound at its first-ever open water swim and has turned its passion for swimming and fighting cancer into $100 million that supports crucial cancer research throughout the country.

In honor of Swim Across America’s 35th anniversary, the organization is showcasing “35 Stories of Impact” throughout its decades with a special website at swimacrossamerica.org/35. These five founders of Swim Across America Long Island Sound are some of the 35 Stories of Impact profiled.

To learn more about Swim Across America Long Island Sound Open Water Swim or to register to swim, volunteer or donate for the July 30th open water swim, visit swimacrossamerica.org/longislandsound.

Details: Written by Diane Greenwald; Published: 06 August 2022; Created: 06 August 2022; Last Updated: 06 August 2022; Hits: 1815

CatherineParker We proudly support Catherine Parker for Congress in the redrawn District NY-16 and encourage eligible voters to vote for Catherine in the primary on Tuesday August 23rd. Here’s why:

Catherine has 15 years of experience and a proven track record as an elected legislator representing Westchester residents.

Elected a Westchester County Legislator in 2013, Catherine has chaired committees and served as Majority Leader. She helped pass important laws on gun safety, protecting women’s rights and combating climate change. Before that, she served for 6 years on the Rye City Council.

Catherine is committed to serving her constituents.

In the Westchester County Legislature, Catherine represents 65,000 residents of Westchester County. Unlike Congressman Bowman, who voted “no” on the infrastructure bill and aligns first with “the squad,” Catherine works collaboratively, builds relationships and represents the needs of our communities.

Catherine aligns with our views on issues.

• Catherine is pro-choice and will fight for women’s reproductive rights, as well as racial equality, and LGBTQ protections because she believes these are basic human rights.

• Catherine believes Israel is an important ally to the United States, and in Washington, and will be a steadfast ally of the Middle East’s only democracy.

• Catherine will bring her own experiences as a mother and small business owner to the table and fight for fiscal prudence, and to reinstate SALT and help reduce the tax burden on working families.

• Parker is passionate about combating climate change. She worked to create the Westchester County Office of Energy and Sustainability; secure funding for essential flood control projects; encourage investment in renewable energies; and reduce local governments carbon footprint.

Catherine has a path to victory.

When the map of our Congressional District was radically redrawn in May, it gained the “Sound shore”, Catherine’s legislative district. The redrawn District dropped Northern Westchester towns such as Yorktown Heights. Catherine felt compelled to run. This is why she joined the race.

We believe Catherine has the best path to victory against the incumbent Congressman Jamal Bowman in the upcoming Democratic primary. We respect that Catherine has significant experience as an elected representative; that she is detail oriented; that she listens and learns; and then works to get things done. We want a representative like Catherine in Washington who knows how work across the aisle. Catherine has over a dozen formal endorsements, demonstrating to us that she is well-regarded by colleagues.

Born and raised in Westchester, Catherine is the daughter of a single-mom who taught science in White Plains, and Catherine credits her strong work-ethic to her childhood when money was tight. For 23 years, she owned and ran a successful small business, the beloved “travel” shop “Parker’s” in downtown Rye. She serves and lives here in our district with her husband and two children and is committed to the pocketbook issues that matter to Westchester residents.

Join us in voting to elect Catherine to Congress! Vote early, in person on Tuesday, August 23 or request and vote via an absentee ballot https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov.

Every vote counts!

Warmly,

Diane Greenwald
Sarah Kagan
Michelle Lichtenberg
Suzanne Seiden

Details: Written by Joanne Wallenstein; Published: 19 July 2022; Created: 19 July 2022; Last Updated: 19 July 2022; Hits: 2355

highschool A strong series of thunderstorms that hit our area on Monday afternoon July 18. 2022 caused power outages and flooding and took out the Harlem Line on Metro North.