Author Archive for Martin Wilbur
No. Castle GOP Names Arden, DiGiacinto to Ticket Despite Differences
The North Castle Republican Committee announced on Thursday that it has endorsed Supervisor Howard Arden for re-election and longtime town resident Barbara DiGiacinto to run for one of two open council seats this fall. Committee Chairwoman Anita Cozza said Friday that Arden and DiGiacinto were the only two candidates to formally interview before the committee [...]
More Arcade Games Sought for Grand Prix New York
The Mount Kisco Planning Board is considering a proposal from Grand Prix New York to add 50 arcade games inside the premises. Diamond Properties CEO James Diamond asked the board last week to allow him to increase the number of games from 25 to 75. As a condition of approval more than two years ago [...]
New Castle Town Administrator to Run for Supervisor
The New Castle Democratic Committee nominated Town Administrator Penny Paderewski Monday night to run for supervisor, replacing Susan Carpenter who is bowing out after one term. The committee announced Tuesday morning that it had also nominated incumbent Councilman John Buckley and former councilman Michael Wolfensohn for the two town board seats. Buckley is running for [...]
Business Profile: Gamechanger
Need to find a quality tutor for your son or daughter to help them with their math or science homework? Perhaps they need to brush up on certain skills for a big test or need a good baseball coach to straighten out their swing at the plate. For those families who want to see their [...]
Three of a Kind: P’ville HS Opens District’s Newest Edible Garden
Over the years, Pleasantville’s schools have demonstrated that it’s possible to entice students to eat healthfully and enjoy the food at the same time. Last week that job became easier. The school district cut the ribbon on an edible garden at the Pleasantville High School athletic field on May 17. It is the third garden [...]
WCC Presents President Clinton With Honorary Degree at Fundraiser
It’s fitting that Westchester Community College presented former President Bill Clinton with an honorary degree on Saturday afternoon. Clinton was the first U.S. president to deliver a commencement address at a community college. At a fundraiser before close to 600 guests at WCC’s physical education building on its Valhalla campus, Clinton told the crowd that [...]
Lewisboro GOP Chairwoman to Challenge Harckham in November
Andrea Rendo may be running for office for the first time but she’s hardly a political newcomer. Rendo, the Town of Lewisboro Republican Committee chairwoman, announced on Friday she will oppose three-term Democratic incumbent Peter Harckham in November in the race for the District 2 seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. A criminal [...]
Greeley, Chappaqua to Raise Money for Cancer Research at Relay for Life
Horace Greeley High School and the Chappaqua community are ready to take on a big challenge this weekend. Some 70 Greeley students have helped organize the May 18-19 Relay for Life, the signature fundraising event of the American Cancer Society that is held in communities across the United States. It has now been about five years since Relay [...]
Business Profile: Little Garden Child Care Center, Mt. Kisco
The need for quality day care and preschool programs has never been greater, as most families can’t afford to keep a parent at home. Young children today are also expected to be ready for kindergarten when they walk in the door. Little Garden Child Care Center in Mount Kisco is one of the newest additions [...]
Armonk Woman’s Film Helps Lift Burden From Her Shoulders
For eight years Tamara Rabil had been weighed down by a burden that could cripple almost any parent. When her daughter, the oldest of her three children, was six weeks old, Rabil dropped her, fracturing her skull. Ruby was in an infant’s seat but Rabil failed to strap the child in when she was carrying [...]
Arden to Run for Re-election in No. Castle; Parties to Name Slates Soon
It may be a couple of weeks before North Castle’s political parties announce who will run for town board this fall but Supervisor Howard Arden hasn’t wasted any time getting a jump on his opponent. Arden plans to run for re-election for the first time in November regardless of whether he is endorsed by the town’s [...]
Business Profile: Pop-A-Lock, White Plains
A new business launched about eight months ago by two lifelong friends can help drivers anywhere in Westchester who unexpectedly run into trouble with their car. Longtime Thornwood resident Richie Harold and his friend Bill Collins of Larchmont are co-owners of Pop-A-Lock, a franchise service that can be called to help those who have [...]
Pace Picks Former Iona, Fla. State Coach to Lead Men’s Hoops
Pace University announced Monday afternoon that former Iona College and Florida State head basketball coach Pat Kennedy will lead the men’s basketball team. Kennedy returns to Westchester where he started his career as an assistant coach with the Gaels under the legendary Jim Valvano. He also has deep roots throughout the New York City metropolitan [...]
Axial Theatre’s Newest Production Full of ‘Radiance’
The inspiration for Howard Meyer’s new play came when he wasn’t looking for one. Taking a trip to the Southwest to propose to his wife, Meyer returned home with more than just an engagement. He also came back with an idea for a new play called “Radiance.” It is the Axial Theatre Company’s latest production, [...]
Organization Kicks Off Mental Illness Awareness Campaign
The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December that killed 20 children and six staff members catapulted the debate over gun control and mental illness into the national discussion like never before. Now, a local chapter of a national organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of those suffering from mental illness and [...]
Donor Withdraws Support for Armonk Dog Park; Project in Jeopardy
The proposed Armonk dog park is in jeopardy of being scuttled after it was learned last week that the anonymous donor that had been lined up to pay for the project has abruptly withdrawn support. The latest turn of events connected to the controversial issue came to light at the April 24 North Castle Town [...]
Life in an Orphanage Explored in P’ville Resident’s New Book
When Jay Sullivan decided to travel to Jamaica to teach after graduating Boston College, he didn’t really know what he was getting into. In 1984, Sullivan delayed going to law school for two years and follow a group of college friends who participated in a program throughout the Caribbean or Central America. He landed at [...]
Residents Lambast Chappaqua Crossing Retail Plan at Hearing
Opponents of the proposed Chappaqua Crossing retail plan at the former Reader’s Digest property unleashed a torrent of criticism Tuesday night against the project during the opening of the public hearing on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Before a packed meeting room at town hall, roughly 30 different speakers over more than two hours [...]
Know Your Neighbor: Filomena Abys-Smith, Home Renovations Business Owner, Mt. Kisco
Filomena Abys-Smith wasn’t impressed with her first memory of America. In October 1961, she and her parents crossed the Atlantic from their native Naples, Italy and docked on Manhattan’s West Side. From there, they settled into their first apartment in the South Bronx followed by 12 years at the Mott Haven projects. “I was so [...]
No. Castle Officials Bark Up a Storm Over Controversial Dog Park Plan
Tensions on the North Castle Town Board continued to fray last week during a heated discussion over the controversial dog park proposal for downtown Armonk. Terse exchanges between the board’s two factions erupted at its April 17 work session after Supervisor Howard Arden and Councilman John Cronin said that they would like to move ahead [...]
Units, Building Height Reduced in Chappaqua Affordable Housing Plan
The developer of the proposed Chappaqua Station affordable housing complex presented a redesigned plan last week with fewer apartments in hopes of convincing New Castle officials that the project would be suitable for the area. Representatives of Conifer Realty told the town board on April 16 that it has reduced the number of units in the [...]
Woman Found Dead at Mt. Kisco Holiday Inn; No Foul Play Suspected
Mount Kisco police are investigating the death of a 64-year-old South Carolina woman who died at the Holiday Inn on Monday, April 15. The woman, identified as Shirley Ann Osman of Greer, S.C., was declared dead shortly after medical personnel arrived at the scene at about 10:40 a.m. following a report of an unresponsive female. Police said the [...]
P’ville Church, Community Rededicates World War II Monument
There was no chance Marty DeGrazia was going to miss Sunday morning’s World War II monument rededication ceremony outside Our Lady of Pompei Church on Saratoga Avenue in Pleasantville. DeGrazia’s family connection to the war, the monument and the neighborhood surrounding the church runs deep. “My uncle, Michael DeGrazia, was the chairman of the original [...]
Armonk Nursery Hearing Delayed Amid Prohibited Merchandise Charge
The North Castle Town Board delayed scheduling a public hearing and referring the latest Mariani Gardens proposal to the planning board until town officials can determine whether all of the nursery’s merchandise is allowed under current zoning. Board members held off making a decision on the hearing regarding proposed zoning text amendments until April 24 [...]
Westchester Has Back to Wall to Retain 2011 HUD Funds
The clock is ticking on Westchester County to pass legislation designed to prohibit discrimination against residents who receive public assistance for housing in order to preserve $7.4 million in federal funding. County lawmakers have until April 24 to come to an agreement on so-called “source of income” legislation or Westchester risks losing Community Development Block [...]
Armonk Citizens Group to Appeal CVS Article 78 Decision
The president of the Armonk citizens group that saw the dismissal of its Article 78 challenging North Castle’s decision to grant CVS a special use permit has vowed to swiftly file an appeal. Charlene Jacobi informed the town board at its Wednesday night meeting that Concerned Citizens of Armonk will look to have last week’s [...]
Henckels to Move to P’ville’s Former MLA Site Next Year
J.A. Henckels, the international cutlery firm that bought the former MLA property along Marble Avenue in Pleasantville, is expected to soon start building its headquarters and should move in sometime next year. Village building inspector Michael Testa said last week that the construction of Henckels’ new structure is expected to get underway in the “next [...]
Chappaqua Tabs Put Valley Principal to Lead Grafflin Elementary School
The Chappaqua School District is expected to appoint the new Douglas Grafflin Elementary School principal next week. In a message sent to the school community on Tuesday, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lyn McKay stated that she will recommend Putnam Valley Elementary School Principal Jamie Edelman to the board of education at its April 17 meeting. [...]
Judge Dismisses Citizens’ Group Action to Block Armonk CVS
The Article 78 filed against the Town of North Castle for granting a special use permit to allow a CVS Pharmacy to move into downtown Armonk was dismissed last week. State Supreme Court Justice Joan B. Lefkowitz ruled in favor of dismissing the action, initiated last August by the Concerned Citizens of Armonk, because of [...]
P’ville History Lover Writes Book on Village’s Fascinating Past
Every city, town and village has history. Longtime Pleasantville resident Bert Ruiz has made sure that some of the most memorable moments and stories and the village’s most influential residents have been recorded forever. Ruiz recently completed a book on Pleasantville for the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing, which is officially scheduled for [...]
