Northern Westchester

There are two, mutually exclusive, descriptions of how superintendent searches in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District have been conducted in the past. The School Board has said searches typically began with community members, parents, teachers and other “stakeholders” but ended with just the board interviewing final candidates.

Teachers and parents who objected to the search process used in the selection of the next superintendent, Paul Kreutzer, who has been controversial because of his stance on collective bargaining in his current district in Wisconsin, said a wider committee has been involved in interviews. Click here for a story on his appointment.

Here is a small bit of evidence to throw into the fray: a brief from the precursor newspapers to The Journal News from 1992 calling for volunteers to serve on a committee for the superintendent search:

Tuesday, March 10, 1992

School board wants `citizen’ searchers

The Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education is looking for volunteers to serve on a community advisory committee for the superintendent search.

The board is looking for 10 to 12 people who are interested and can attend meetings April 27 and May 5, 6, 7 and 11. Committee members will interview finalists. (more…)

Local students who competed recently at the National School SCRABBLE Championship in Orlando, Fla., excelled, according to a tournament spokesperson. She reports that Seth Tilliss, a 6th grader from Bedford, was part of the O’Connor and Tilliss team, which came in 3rd place. He split the $2,000 3rd prize with his partner Matthew O’Connor. And The Word Wizards of Westchester: Kevin Rosenberg, an 8th grader from New Rochelle and Mack Meller, a 5th grader from Bedford, came in 5th place and split the $750 5th prize.

The Somers Lions Carnival at Fireman’s Field began Wednesday and continues through Sunday.

There will be rides, games and food. Parking and admission are free;  charges for tickets and a multi-day wristband available.

The Somers Lions Club was chartered in 1966 and has been involved in many local charity projects. All proceeds of the carnival support these local charities and services, including Friends of Karen and  Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Carnival gates open at 6 p.m. today and at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The field is on Route 202 next to Somers Middle School.  For more nformation, go to the Somers Lions Club website.

MOUNT KISCO — The Mount Kisco Village Board this week unanimously adopted its budget for 2011-12 with a smaller tax rate increase than the tentative proposal.

The tax rate will go from $86.17 to $87.80 per $1,000 of assessed property value, an increase of less than 2 percent, reports Village Manager James Palmer. The tentative budget had proposed a new tax rate of $89.33 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Overall spending was reduced by $163,932 from $20,090,057 to $19,924,125 from the earlier plan. The budget now calls for appropriating $213,500 from the village’s Debt Service Reserve and Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund.

BEDFORD — Some 200 people enjoyed a traditional Passover meal courtesy of Westchester Jewish Community Services, Temple Shaaray Tefila and Jewish Women International at the Bedford Corners temple.

The Community Passover Seder for Persons With Disabilities brought together some 75 volunteers from local congregations.

Guests heard the story of Passover from Rabbid David Greenberg, Rabbi Jason Nevarez and Youth Director Brad Zicholtz.

Guests went home with bags of holiday delicacies thanks to food drives organized earlier at area synagogues.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR — Village trustees have unanimously adopted a nearly $14.4 million budget for 2011-12 by a 5-0 vote this week.

The final tax rates for Ossining and Mount Pleasant parts of the village are estimated at less than originally proposed, because officials have increased their estimates for revenues by $217,600 and a decreased $58,239 in expenses, said Village Manager Philip Zegarelli.

The property tax rate in Ossining — first set at $90.55 per $1,000 of assessed value — will go from the current $87.31 to $89, less than a 2 percent overall increase; and in Mount Pleasant — first set at $331.22 per $1,000 of assessed value — will go from the current $341.24 to $325.55, nearly a 4.6 percent overall decrease.

The revised budget calls for postponing a lease on a new police department savings of $8,000 and adding $61,414 to the library budget.

Briarcliff High School senior athletes accepted kudos for their achievements during a press conference at the school honoring them this week. In addition to being high academic achievers, each of the 16 students will play Division I, II or II college sports next fall.

Top row, from left: Nico Chavez, Curry College, Soccer; John Haeling, Wittenburg University, Lacrosse; Joe Lividini, SUNY Brockport, Lacrosse; Luke Beyer, SUNY Brockport, Lacrosse; Michael DiRosa, Bard College, Cross Country; Garret Lederman, University of Maryland, Football; Chris Varcasio, Endicott College, Lacrosse; Josh Miller, York College of Pennsylvania, Baseball. Bottom row, from left: Briana Reid, Franklin and Marshal College, Basketball; Savina Reid, Carnegie Mellon University, Soccer; Liana Cornacchio, Princeton University, Soccer; Maddy Kittay, Stonehill College, Soccer; Danielle Christiano, Siena College, Soccer; Kasey Heyda, Mount Saint Mary College, Basketball ; Maddy Berkman, Middleburry College, Swimming; and Victoria Trentini, Hamilton College, Field Hockey

The Mount Kisco Medical Group gave a $5,000 check for the Mount Kisco Fire Department’s 9/11 memorial at the Village meeting on Monday, reports the fire department.

The check was presented by President and Chief Operating Officer of the medical group Dr. Scott Hayworth, along with Vice President Dr. Dominick Chiarieri  and Secretary Dr. Ross Levy to Fire Chief and committee member Michael Boles, Ex-Captain and Co-Chairman of the  9/11 committee Paul Felice and Gina Acuna, Ex-Foreman and committee member.

The fire department has organized an effort to build a 9/11 memorial near the Village Hall.

The memorial will be on the north side of the Mount Kisco Public Library near the veterans memorial. It will be made of black and gray granite with two 7-foot structures representing the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The structure will also have a five-sided fountain to represent the Pentagon, which was also struck in the terrorist attacks. The monument will be dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attack, Sept. 11, 2011. On April 7, a beam from Ground Zero were trucked up to Mount Kisco and these will be placed in the final structure.

The committee is about three-quarters of the way towards its goal of $120,000 said Acuna. The next fundraiser will be a May 16 golf outing  at the Somers Point Golf Club in Somers. The committee is also soliciting ads for a journal that will be distributed on Sept. 11. Prospective donors  may email the committee at: information@hooks14.com for additional information.

As staff writer Dwight R. Worley reported today, 53 of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam’s public school districts have proposed spending a combined $4.5 billion 2011-12, an increase of about 2 percent, according to new data from the state. Should voters approve all of those budgets, tax levies would rise by 2.6 percent to $3.6 billion, $90 million more than 2010-11.

Will you support your district’s budget on May 17? Share your plans with us in our Editorial Board poll below:

It is all about trees in Mount Kisco this Saturday with a tree planing and art workshop at the Village Hall/Library green.

Mount Kisco Mayor J. Michael Cindrich and the Tree Preservation Board have sent out email alerts inviting  village residents to join in celebrating Arbor Day 2011 with a commemorative tree planting behind Village Hall at 9:30am Saturday.

In addition, residents may participate in an arts workshop on drawing and print making  “Exploring the Beauty of Trees”  presented by Tree Board Member Susan Carpenter at the Mount Kisco Public Library at 2:00 p.m.