Northern Westchester

The Editorial Board will host two Editorial Spotlight interviews this week:

• Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Inc. officials will discuss the impact of U.S. House-backed funding cuts to the organization at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Participants include Reina Schiffrin, president/CEO; Lisa Winjum, director, Public Affairs and Advocacy; and Jessica Baily, communications manager.

• Candidates for Port Chester mayor will join us at 1 p.m. Thursday. Democrat Dennis Pilla, the incumbent, faces Republican Bart Didden, who was elected last year to the village board.

To watch, go to lohud.com/editorialspotlight; submit a question by engaging the “CoverItLive” blogging device.

Here’s a glance at opinion content published in The Journal News on Saturday, Feb. 26, Sunday, Feb. 27 and today, Monday, Feb. 28:

Saturday, Feb. 26
Republicans and the budgets: Commentary
Joni Balter, a columnist for The Seattle Times, assesses the political landscape after a week in which Congressional Republicans took aim at social programs and Gov. Scott Walker, Republican of Wisconsin, battled with public-employee unions over benefits and collective bargaining.

Melbourne farmhouse: Commentary
Alan Strauber, a Yorktown Heights resident who is president and chairman of the Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance, argues in favor of the preservation of the Melbourne farmhouse, am 1812 structure the Yorktown Central School District owns and intends to demolish.

Tilcon quarry: Commentary
John F. Meehan, a Suffern village trustee, comments on the town of Ramapo’s plans to sell the former Tilcon quarry property to a developer who has proposed constructing 440 housing units on 65 acres.

Sunday, Feb. 27
Wisconsin: Editorial
We comment on the situation in the Badger State, where public-employee unions and Scott Walker, the Republican governor, are engaged in conversation that begs questions of national importance: What role should public-employee unions play in the future of our states? Should public employees contribute to their benefits? Do we value collective bargaining? We write:

… New Yorkers have their own troubles, including a $10 billion budget deficit, and their own set of hard choices, including proposed multi-billion cuts to schools and health care, and negotiations with organized labor aimed at saving billions of dollars or, in the alternative, laying off thousands of workers. New York also wrestles with a marquee policy decision — whether to cap annual property tax increases at 2 percent — that is likely to have repercussions in the classroom and local governments long after the Wisconsin mess has been concluded.


But we are transfixed nonetheless.


Wisconsin has touched off an important nationwide discussion about public-employee salaries and benefits. In a far more limited way, it also has prompted fresh discussion about the shrinking middle-class and their future, against the backdrop of recession, scant growth in real wages and growing income inequality.


Regrettably, the drama has not shed one bit of light on a more important discussion about employment, one started by President Obama in his State of the Union address a month ago. He talked about preparing American workers for the jobs of tomorrow — by investing in education, infrastructure and energy independence. …

New York doesn’t permit same-sex marriages, but it does recognize the unions of gay couples married elsewhere. A New York appeals court ruled Thursday that the survivor of a same-sex couple married in Canada can inherit as a spouse, in a decision gay-rights group called the first appellate decision of its kind in New York. Do you think that gay marriage should be legal in New York? Share your view in our poll:

Tonight is a kickoff event of the first Relay for Life to be held in Somers, town officials have announced.

Relay for Life is an inspirational event that celebrates the community’s cancer survivors and remembers lost who have lost the battle. A major annual fundraiser of the American Cancer Society, this event is a 12-hour relay where teams walk a track, enjoy entertainment and camaraderie, and raise funds and awareness for cancer. It will be held in the field between Somers Middle School and Somers Intermediate School beginning Friday evening June 3.

The organizing event will be at 7 p.m. at Somerfields in the Town Center on Route 100 near the intersection of Route 202 by the Elephant Hotel. At the kick off those interested will learn how to become involved in planning the Relay, how to form a team and other ideas for fundraising.

Fox Lane’s Steven Rodrigues, left, defeated John Glenn’s James Dekrone in the 130-lb Division 1 championship match at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany.

See more photos the the state wrestling championship finals

John Jay goalie Matt Lanza deflects a shot of Pelham’s David Morgan during a Division II semi-final playoff hockey game at the Brewster Ice Arena in Brewster Feb. 25, 2011. Pelham won 4-1. See more photos of Division II hockey playoff action of Pelham at John Jay.

Somers’ Dylan Realbuto, left, defeated North Rockland’s Blaise Benderoth in a 96-lb Division 1 quarterfinal match at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany.

See more photos of the State Wrestling Championships

Elissa Dominici, one of the owners of Le Collage Salon on East Main Street in Mount Kisco, sits behind the reception desk at the salon and works while her 4-year-old Italian Greyhound named Sienna sit in her lap Feb. 24, 2011. Sienna, who often accompanies Dominici to work, won Best of Breed at the 135th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Show on February 14th. ( Xavier Mascareñas / The Journal News )

Check back at LoHud.com for an upcoming story on the duo by Rob Ryser.

New Castle Supervisor Barbara Gerrard has announced a schedule for completing work on the Chappaqua Crossing development at the former Reader’s Digest property that wraps up votes on zoning amendments and local laws by the end of March.

The schedule calls for the adoption of the Final Environmental Impact Statement on March 8 and public hearings on March 22 on the list of laws required to approve the proposed condominium and townhouse development and office building redevelopment on the Bedford Road property.

“The fact that we are setting those Public Hearings and making those referrals should not be taken by anyone as an indication that we intend to pass any or all of the proposed Local Laws,” Gerrard said in her Supervisor’s Report dated Feb. 22. (more…)

Corruption. Yachts. What’s not to like:

Author Dennis Sheehan Book Signing Event

WHEN: 3-5-11

TIME: 1-3 p.m.

WHERE: Barnes and Noble, 3089 E. Main St., Mohegan Lake, NY 10547

WHAT: Sheehan, a resident of Chappaqua, NY, will be available to sign copies of his Suspense novel, Purchased Power.

John Moore is a successful and brilliant yacht designer living the good life outside of San Francisco. Life seems perfect, when without warning he discovers his wife is being unfaithful and plotting to take over his business. He quickly devises a plan to save his business and leave her for good. He soon finds himself in a world he did not know existed—a world of global political corruption and intrigue. Purchased Power is a story of human weakness, greed, and good people whose errors in judgment put their lives on perilous paths. Follow John Moore on an epic journey to some of the most exotic countries in the world as he tries desperately to save a good woman from the clutches of the corrupt.