Northern Westchester

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino says he will not be employing the security detail used by his predecessor Andy Spano. That detail included three bodyguards who shadowed Spano, even for travel, and racked up hotel and meal expenses beyond the thousands in payroll and benefits.

Find out how much he proposes to save taxpayers in a special report from Jorge Fitz-Gibbon exclusively in print editions of The Journal News on Sunday.

School board interviews
Candidates in select contested school board races are invited to discuss the issues in interviews webcast LIVE on LoHud.com. The schedule follows. Because of the vast number of races — and the impossibility of crafting a schedule that meets everyone’s family, work and campaign needs — we appreciate efforts by candidates to make their scheduled hour. Westchester candidates are asked to confirm their attendance by contacting editorial assistant Brenda Ross, 914-694-5030 or bross@lohud.com; Rockland candidates are asked to contact Rockland Opinion editor Nancy Cutler, 845-578-2403 or ncutler@lohud.com.

Candidate questionnaires
If you are running for school board in Westchester, Rockland or Putnam, we want to hear from you. Please send your full name, home address, daytime phone numbers and e-mail address to elections@lohud.com. In both the subject line and body of the e-mail, be sure to indicate your school district. The information will be used by our news and editorial staffs to contact and correspond with candidates. Additionally, the e-mail address will be used to send candidates a username and password for a questionnaire; responses will form the basis of our online election guide for voters.

How voters can participate
Watch the interviews at www.Lo­Hud.com/editorialspotlight; to ask a question during a live session, engage the “cover it live” feature. Video of completed interviews — including Eastchester, Chappaqua, Scarsdale and East Ramapo — may be found in the “on demand” menu at www.LoHud.com/editorialspotlight. Only candidates may attend interviews.

Westchester
May 3
Bedford, 1:30 p.m.
Katonah-Lewisboro, 2:30 p.m.

May 4
Lakeland, 1:30 p.m.
Port Chester, 2:30 p.m.

May 5
Ossining, 1:30 p.m.
Briarcliff Manor, 2:30 p.m.

May 6
Byram Hills, 1:30 p.m.
Hendrick Hudson, 2:30 p.m.

May 10
Peekskill, 2:30 p.m.
Harrison, 4 p.m.

May 11
New Rochelle, 2:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon, 3:30 p.m.

Rockland
May 1
Nanuet, 10 a.m.
Clarkstown, 11 a.m.

May 4
Nyack, 10 a.m.
May 5
Pearl River, 10 a.m.

Directions are available here.

The Chappaqua School Board has decided that rather than beginning its search for a new superintendent by looking within the district, the board will start a nationwide search from the start. Residents criticized the idea of limiting the search as potentially shortchanging the district. Because of that, the district will appoint an interim superintendent to replace David Fleishman next year.

Here’s the announcement from the district:

April 29, 2010

Dear Community Member.

As you know, Superintendent of Schools David Fleishman is leaving his position at the end of the current school year and the Board of Education has begun the search process for a replacement.  On April 22 and 23, Dr. Charles Fowler of School Leadership, LLC met in both small groups with persons representing stakeholder groups in the Chappaqua Central School District as well as leading an open community forum that evening.  Additionally, 82 people responded to the online survey.  The Board thanks all those who took the time to share their thoughts with Dr. Fowler.

(more…)

The New Castle Recreation Department and the Chappaqua Library are holding a “Day in a Teen’s Life” photo contest for students in grades 5 to 12.

Photos answering the question “What does you day look like?” may be submitted through May 21 to mnordt@town.new-castle.ny.us. Include a brief description with the names of the people pictured.

Selected photos will be on display at the Chappaqua Library starting on June 14  and people can vote on their favorites between June 14 and June 18. The audience award winner and top three photos will be honored at a reception on June 19 at 3 p.m.

The Rev. Linda Hendrick, a Pleasantville massage therapist and an interfaith minister, walked away with $100,000 in winnings after making it all the way up to the $250,000 question on today’s episode of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!”  

Photo Credit: Linda Hendrick

She started in the hot seat on Wednesday’s show, where she made it up to the $25,000 question.  She continued as a holdover contestant on Thursday’s show, where she started by looking at the $50,000 question with one lifeline left (“Double Dip”).

Here’s how it all went down, according to Millionaire publicist Trisha Miller:

Linda correctly answered the $50,000 question without the use of any lifelines.  Her $50,000 question was:  Category, ‘Halley’s Comet’ – “If it were known by the famous astronomer’s first name instead of his surname, Halley’s Comet would be called what?  A: Lewis’s Comet B: Edmond’s Comet C: Charles’s Comet D: Francis’s Comet.”  Linda correctly guessed the answer to be “B.”

Linda used her “Double Dip” lifeline on the $100,000 question, which was:  Category, ‘World Cuisine’ – “Named for the sound it makes when fried in a pan, the British dish “bubble and squeak” usually consists of which of these foods?  A: Bacon and eggs B: Potatoes and cabbage C: Sausage and beans D: Turnips and carrots.”  Linda’s first guess was “C,” which was not correct.  Her next guess was “B,” which was correct.

 

Linda then faced the following question worth a quarter of $1-million:

 

For $250,000 – Category, ‘Health’ – “In 2009, amino acids supplements were announced as a possible remedy for trichotillomania, a compulsive urge to do what?  A: Grind your teeth B: Bite your fingernails C: Pull out your hair D: Crack your knuckles.”  Out of lifelines and unsure of the answer, Linda decided to not take a guess and walk away with the guaranteed $100,000 that she had already won.  If she had guessed incorrectly on the $250,000 question, she would have fallen back to $5,000 in winnings.  The correct answer was “C.”

Staff writer Terence Corcoran took a photograph and filed this report:

One person suffered minor injuries in a two-vehicle crash in front
of 120 Main St. in Mount Kisco today. The 1:20 p.m. accident involved a compact
Acura and a Toyota sport utility vehicle. Mount Kisco police responded with
firefighters and ambulance personnel.

The accident was cleared in about 20 minutes.

The Mount Kisco Public Library Foundation this week said they are selling specially-priced “centennial bricks” for $100 apiece to help pay for the construction of the new library at 100 Main Street.

The bricks can be engraved with messages that are up to 84 characters long, and they will be installed at the learning and handicap-accessible therapy gardens surrounding the new building’s children’s reading room, according to the foundation.

Bricks that were already sold for $250 each will be increased in size, and the donors will be given the opportunity to put longer messages on them.

To purchase a brick or to find out more information, contact the foundation by calling them at 914-666-2118. You can also go to their website — www.mtklibraryfoundation.org.

I got this today from Gail Rosselot, a member of Girl Scout Troop 2299’s pet parade organizing committee. Now, if any of you happen to read my pets blog, Paws n Claws, you’ll know I kind of have a thing about pets in costumes But I totally support the organizations involved in this event, and it sounds like a great community event. Just keep your leashed friends comfy if you choose to dress them up….Here’s the news:

Briarcliff Manor’s Very First Pet Parade
Saturday, May 8, 9 a.m. to noon (rain date: Sat. May 15; same time)

Briarcliff is having its first Pet Parade & Fair and all domestic community pets are welcome!
The Girls Scouts of Briarcliff-Pocantico are sponsoring this exciting and fun event in conjunction with National Girl Scout Spirit Day.
Don’t have a pet? Bring along a favorite stuffed animal.

Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. at the corner of Popular and Pleasantville Road. The parade will proceed at 9:30 a.m. toward the Post Office and end at the Youth Center basketball court and parking lot area. Costumes for pets and owners are optional, but fun!
Ribbons will be presented at the end of the parade for largest pet, biggest ears, biggest paws, cutest costume, looks most like owner-and more.
The event will also include:
• Pet photos, refreshments, crafts, library table, training demonstrations, and pet health information will also be available at the end of the parade.
• Games: Dog Limbo and Musical Newspapers
• Pet Art Contest for Kids
• Information about the SPCA , Guiding Eyes programs, rabies, and keeping your pet healthy in the summer
• Vendors, face painting and more…

Chris Windman of Somers works out at the Harvey School Evarts Rink in Bedford April 28, 2010. Windman was recently awarded the Mid-Atlantic Speedskater of the Year award and is currently training for the 2014 Olympics. Read more about Windman’s accomplishments here on LoHud.com.

A new Comprehensive Plan for North Salem, in the works for years, is nearing completion and a public hearing will be held Thursday by the Comprehensive Plan Committee.

The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex, 274 Titicus Road, North Salem. The draft plan is available on the town web site at www.northsalemny.org.

An earlier Comprehensive Plan Update completed in December 2006 was highly controversial and challenged in court. The Town Board rescinded that plan in early 2008 and began work on a wholly new plan instead of an update. The new plan drops the endorsement of a golf and conference center and other zoning changes that drew fire in the earlier plan and focuses on preserving the town’s rural character, protecting open space and water quality and dealing with issues like affordable housing, traffic and noise.

After Thursday’s hearing, once the committee approves the plan, it will go to the Town Board for environmental review and adoption. The public, which has been consulted through meetings and surveys during the development of the plan, will have more opportunities to comment before the Town Board takes final action.